#he can learn that it's totally normal to wake up to race cooking breakfast in their kitchen when he lives six subway stops away

[loving-jack-kelly]

Jack Crutchie and Race childhood best friends who took turns sleeping at each others' houses when things were bad at home, who spent so much time together that they practically have their own language, who understand each other so well they don't even have to speak to know what's going on, who are so casually affectionate and loving with each other that all of the have been accused of dating the others more than once, who are each others' stability and solid ground and constant through everything life throws at them.

[arizona2004]

Hey can you please do a azriel x reader where the reader is struggling with bad mental health (maybe an Ed) because I’m struggling myself rn and alsao there’s not enough of them :). I can totally understand if you didn’t feel comfortable doing it

Okay, here it is. Everyone responds to their eating disorders differently, especially depending on the ED and severity of it. I hope this has what you’re looking for, though.

Azriel x reader

Word count: 1499

Warnings: Eating Disorders! The reader struggles with an ED and some depression and anxiety and a little OCD. Please don’t read if you think reading the unhealthy thoughts of someone with an eating disorder may cause you to relapse. It is not healthy to think about food and eating in this manner. Love you all. Don’t forget to eat something and drink some water.

Waking up, I immediately don’t want to get out of bed. I pull the covers over my head, keep my eyes closed, and scrunch my legs up to my chest. When I wake up again, it’s only a little later in the morning. I still don’t want to pull myself out of bed, but I can’t fall back asleep. So I just lay there. Turning to Azriel’s side of the bed, I notice he’s not there. Well, of course not; he’s already left for work. I stare at the spot he usually occupies before finally sitting up and checking the clock. It’s 10 am.

Standing, I wrap my robe around myself and walk out of the room, refusing to look in the mirror. I practice breathing evenly and focus on my routine. I need to eat breakfast. I spend nearly 20 minutes in the kitchen, moving around, deciding what to eat. I’m opening cabinets and closing them, finding nothing satisfactory. Eventually, I decide to make some bacon. The stove is on, and bacon is sizzling. The scent of bacon is wafting toward me, and I feel like being sick. I can’t eat bacon; it’s greasy and fatty. Toast, I think, I’ll make toast. So I put the bread in the toaster and let it cook. It’s only when the toast is cooked that I start thinking about the carbs that go into it. I haven’t been exercising enough recently. I shouldn’t eat so many carbs. I throw the toast out with the bacon and decide to make scrambled eggs instead. Whisking the eggs and milk together, I turn on the stove, letting the skillet heat and butter melt on it. When I turn, bowl in hand, ready to pour it into the skillet, it slips from my hand, spilling all over the floor. Anger and frustration wash over me; I guess I just shouldn’t eat this morning.

After cleaning the mess: doing the dishes that littered the sink and picking up the mess of eggs on the floor, I walk back up to my room. My head is pounding, and everything feels like it's crashing in on me. My heart is racing, and I just want to scream. My mind keeps flashing back to last night. We went out to Ritas, and it was supposed to be fun. But I just had to ruin things for myself. I barely ate. I stopped drinking early into the night. I wish I could have forgone the entire night. I wish Mor wasn’t so perfect. She has curves in all the right places and not a single flaw; I hate her for it, I think. Passing the floor-length mirror in my bedroom, I stop to look at myself. It’s been so long since I’ve looked in the mirror and liked what I saw. Why can't I have a body like Mor or Feyre or Amren?

I sit on the floor, just picking apart all the pieces of myself I hate. Thinking about all the insulting things people have said to me. Tears are streaming out of my eyes until I can’t even see my reflection. I’m clutching my chest as I struggle for air through my sobs. Why? Why? Why?

It’s an hour later, and I’m just lying on the floor of my bedroom, staring at the ceiling. I pushed my earlier hunger away, so I can’t feel it anymore. I wish I couldn’t feel any of it. The tears on my face have dried, and I’m breathing normally again when a small piece of folded paper falls next to me.

The Note reads: Meet me at my office at 11:30?

Azriel. I turn my head to look at the clock hanging on the wall. It’s nearly 11:20: a choked sob leaves my throat. Standing quickly, I rush to the bathroom to put myself together. In 10 minutes, my face is washed, and I’m wearing enough makeup to cover any signs of my tears. And I brushed through my hair and threw on some clothes. Rushing out the door, I head for the House of Wind. In the time it took to get to the door of his office, I’ve done breathing exercises to even out my breaths and slipped on a smile.

Knocking on the door to his office, I peeked my head in. “Hey,” I say, biting my lip.

He looked up to me, a grin spreading across his face and arms opening for me. I walked in, shutting the door behind me, and sat on his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on my shoulder. He breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of me. “You smell wonderful, love,” he murmurs against my neck.

“Hmm,” I hum, holding him tight.

“Are you feeling alright?” He asks, pulling back slightly to look at me directly.

“Yeah,” An unconscious fake smile blooms across my face, “why wouldn’t I be?”

He just stares at me for a moment longer, eyebrows bunching, when he asks, “have you eaten today?”

“Yes. Breakfast this morning,” I say, “when I woke to an empty bed,” I try steering the question away from myself.

He knows I’m lying, “are you hungry? We could get lunch.”

“It was a big breakfast, Az,” I say, “I’m not hungry right now.”

He grips my waist and pulls me closer, wrapping his wings around us, “What’d you eat?”

“I made toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon,” It’s not entirely a lie, I think to myself.

He puts his forehead on my shoulder, resting it there for a long few moments, “baby,” he mumbles, “please don’t lie to me. We’ve been through this before: I can help, just talk to me.”

My lips start to quiver, I’ve upset him.

“I’m with you through all the good And the bad,” he says, head still down, “please tell me the truth about how you’re feeling,” he lifts his head to look at me, and the worrying features of his face make me sob again. “Hey, hey. It’s okay,” he consoles, wiping the tears from my face, “deep breaths.”

I take a deep breath in and out, and he does it with me. My tears start to slow, and the shuddering breaths even out. Az is running his hand up and down my spine, soothingly and when I’m ready, I explain everything, “I guess- things started getting bad yesterday. I didn’t really like the way I looked in that dress, and I just felt… off? Gross? I don’t know,” I take another breath in, “then Mor showed up, and she just looked so good in that dress; she’s so beautiful. And she ate and drank so much,” I’m ranting now, “Does she ever gain weight?!” I stop talking, trying to calm myself, and tears well up again, but I push them back. Looking back to Az, I start talking again, “I shouldn’t be jealous. I’m a horrible friend for being mad at her, but I just can’t stand her sometimes. I’m a horrible friend.”

I’m looking down between us now, but Az coaxes me back, “look at me,” he holds my face between his hands and pushes our foreheads together, “You are not a horrible friend. You are wonderful and kind. It’s okay to be jealous. You still love her, and you’re still a good friend. Now, tell me the rest.”

I shake my head holding back my tears, “It’s just the same thing. I just- it’s everything combined. I feel like I ate too much yesterday, and I haven’t worked out regularly this week. Then everything last night. So when I woke up this morning, everything was too much. Seeing myself in the mirror and thinking about how much I don’t deserve you. I’m not pretty enough. It’s all just so much. All at once,” my breaths come unevenly again, and tears are running down my face.

He doesn’t say anything for a long moment; his hands drop from my face and pull me into him. His hands run through my hair, and he just soothes me quietly for a few minutes. When he pulls back to look at me, he says quietly and calmly, “You’re beautiful, love. And I know me telling you that isn’t just gonna take all the bad thoughts and feelings away, but I need you to know: No matter what you see in the mirror or what your mind tells you, you are so beautiful. You have your ‘flaws,’ but that’s okay. You just have to learn to love them the way I do. And I’ll help you with that; I’m here to help.”

I nod, tears still streaming down my face, and lay my head on his shoulder, breathing him in and calming myself.

“Can we go eat food now,” he asks quietly. I nod letting myself feel the hunger I pushed aside and relaxed further into his arms. He lifts me with him as he stands and walks us to the kitchen.

[eryiss]

Summary: Freed and Gajeel were total opposites in every way, only connected by the guild. When they were forced to train together under Makarov's orders, they expected antagonism and mistrust. Instead, they were given a lesson in how quickly opposition can turn to attraction. The issue: let the budding relationship simmer away, or let it explode. [Freed x Gajeel Multi-chapter]

Notes: Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, and thanks for sticking with this. It’s quite fun to write for this ship, and I hope you’re all ready for homoerotic exercise and another argument between men who don’t know how to communicate :)

Links: FFN, Ao3, Chapter List

Chapter Three - Proving a Point

Day Two: Tuesday

Gajeel woke in a pissy mood. This wasn't going like it was supposed to.

Freed was meant to be a smug, self important man with no practical skills, no world-hardened experiences, and no way of keeping up with what Gajeel was demanding of him. His three day plan had focused around humbling Freed, telling him that he wasn't hot-shit like he clearly thought, and making him realise that his cushioned life didn't mean he was Gajeel's equal.

What was not meant to happen was for Freed to be competent! He wasn't meant to make a shelter, he wasn't meant to be able to make a fire without a match, and he wasn't meant to be able to cook the damn fish and make them taste good! Even Gajeel couldn't do that.

Worse, the fucker knew. Oh he knew what Gajeel wanted but wasn't getting.

He hadn't been so smug when he'd lost though, had he? He hasn't been running his mouth when he'd been in the stream, gurgling his pathetic little surrender. Nah, he'd looked exactly how Gajeel wanted him; weak, embarrassed and unable to deal with the fact he was out of his league.

Sure, it hadn't taken long for Freed to recover and spout some bullshit about Gajeel being intimidated by his magic, or whatever the hell it was he said. He was trying to save face and Gajeel wouldn't let him; he had lost their fight because he couldn't live without his spells. That was impractical, short sighted and the way a spoiled brat of a man worked. No doubt if he had to rely on his fists more, he would have seen the stream as something to take advantage of and used it, rather than falling into Gajeel's trap.

Hah. At least one thing had gone Gajeel's way.

Mostly.

Kind of.

Look, Gajeel might hate the man and the things he seemed to stand for, but Freed wasn't bad looking. And Gajeel was just a man, who had been stripped to the waist with Freed in the same state of undress, wrestling one another. He was bound to get distracted for a moment. Thankfully, Freed's nasty kick to the balls and the ensuing tantrum after had quickly quelled any growing interest.

Gajeel knew what he had to do today, though. Because if he was going to fight with Freed at the end of the week, he needed to respect the man. He wasn't going to respect Freed if he couldn't take a defeat, and if he couldn't handle himself without his magic. So today, Freed was going to prove he had the ability to back up his words.

Okay, it was a tenuous reason for what he had planned, but fuck it. Fuck Freed too.

It was tempting to wake the prick up by dumping some of the water Gajeel had gathered over his sleeping face - a nice little reminder of how the fight had ended - but he decided against it. He needed to have everything prepared before he woke up, so it would be better to check that everything was in place. That, and Freed apparently snored a little when he was sleeping, and Gajeel certainly didn't want to interrupt the possible blackmail that could come from it.

And perhaps it was nice to have something cut through the silence of the forest.

Gajeel had trained in this forest many times, and as such had come to know how to utilise it's assets. He wandered slowly, blinking away the sleep in his eyes, and eventually found what he was looking for. A large tree that had fallen down years ago, and stumbled down a hill. What remained was a leafless trunk at the bottom of a steep incline, perfect for strength training.

Next, he walked to the largest upstanding tree within reasonable walking distance. Gajeel had often climbed this tree to push his agility and upper body strength, and it was the perfect way to test Freed's practical skills. The tree was still standing tall, the branches Gajeel used to climb still attached. Perfect, no excuses for when Freed fucked up.

When he got to the lake, Gajeel grinned a little. The morning was cold and the water would be freezing, the worst temperature to take a swim in. Normally Gajeel would have hated to swim in weather like this, but it would certainly be a nice wake-up call for the spoiled little Prince.

Yeah, this was gonna be fun. For Gajeel anyway.

——

"I think yesterday proved pretty damp conclusively that you're out of luck if you don't have your magic," Gajeel said with crossed arms, looking down at Freed. "So, today I'm gonna teach you a couple techniques that'll come in handy when you're in a situation where you can't spell yourself out of trouble."

Freed clearly wanted to make a comment, but held his tongue. He was learning, huh.

When Gajeel had returned from his check of the forest, Freed had woken up, set up a new fire and was using the rest of the fish (and a few berries that he had picked) to make them both a breakfast. Gajeel had wanted to reject it out of hand, but it had smelt great and if it was anywhere near as good as his meal the day before, refusing it would be a mistake. It had tasted amazing, so Gajeel had huffed out a thanks and gave a short nod of thanks.

Soon after that, Gajeel had motioned for Freed to follow him. Freed had done so without complaint - Gajeel couldn't prove it, but liked to think it was because the asshole was too embarrassed after his loss - and allowed himself to be led down the stream, towards the lake.

"You've got wings right, when you use yer magic?" Gajeel asked. "So yer probably gonna use 'em to get over every little thing, right?"

"Like you do with your little cat friend, I expect," Freed commented, and Gajeel stiffened slightly. Freed noticed and smirked a little. "My apologies, I interrupted you. Please, go on."

"Don't need yer permission," Gajeel grunted, more to himself than to the man standing before him. "But if yer using yer wings as much as I think you are, you ain't ready to deal with terrain that ain't easy to walk through. So, if this week's about improving then this is gonna help you get over that flaw. We run from here towards the lake, taking us through forested ground which ain't even and ain't safe, and then we swim from one side of the lake to the other."

"So it's a race then?" Freed asked, annoyingly not intimidated by the proposition.

"If you want," Gajeel shrugged. "But I ain't got a prize or anythin'. Definitely not one for participation, like yer probably used to."

Freed rolled his eyes at that, but didn't ride to the bait. Instead, he said, "Perhaps when I win, you'll cook for once."

"You ain't gonna win," Gajeel claimed.

"We'll see," Freed hummed a little, far too smug for his own good.

"Stretch up," Gajeel muttered, even though he wanted to push the man further, maybe even see if he could add an actual forfeit for losing, something to really make the fucker squirm. But, well, Gajeel didn't know for sure he would win, so couldn't risk things just in case.

Just as Gajeel went to start stretching his calves, he heard the sound of ruffling fabric and frowned. He ignored it for a moment as he felt the gentle burn of his muscles working, but caught sight of Freed's white - now dirt stained and crumpled - shirt now hanging over the branch of a nearby tree. With slightly furrowed brows, he turned towards Freed to demand an explanation, only to see him kicking off his pants and placing them right next to his shirt, leaving him only in his boxer-briefs. His tight and eye-catching boxer-briefs.

Before the thoughts could even form about how Freed was wearing his underwear to perfection, Gajeel forced his memory back to the night before. About how he'd acted and how he had tried to make Gajeel feel like crap just to feed his own ego.

Freed had lost a wrestling match, and had thrown a fit about it. Gajeel couldn't respect a man like that, and he couldn't find a guy hot if he didn't respect him.

"The hell are you doing?" Gajeel demanded.

"If we're going to swim, then I'd rather not get my only set of clothes wet when it could be avoided," Freed explained, and Gajeel was momentarily thankful that he didn't look ready to remove his boxers. He couldn't think like that, so spoke again.

"Cause you can't stand a bit of discomfort, right?" Gajeel grumbled.

"No, I just don't see the point of making things worse for myself to prove a point," Freed looked pointedly towards Gajeel when he said that. "The water is clearly going to be cold and the weather doesn't look like it'll improve, meaning it'll be a struggle to dry ourselves already. The fire can only do so much, and we'll either have to lounge around in wet clothes out of stubbornness, or remove them and wait for them to dry while we ourselves get dry. That extends the time we'll be cold, making us both uncomfortable and wasting time before whatever inane task you've got next. That, coupled with the fact that this is flu season, seems like good enough justification for avoiding a stupid problem."

Gajeel could hardly argue the point, so instead he mumbled, "We ain't gonna be lounging around."

"What an astute and well thought out argument," Freed deadpanned, and Gajeel wanted to punch him again. He didn't, instead averting his eyes as Freed started to stretch his arms. "Nobody is forcing you to do the same if you're shy, Mister Redbox. To me it just feels like the reasonable course of actions."

Rather than speaking, Gajeel turned his back. He also removed his shirt and boots; but he wasn't getting half naked like the pervert next to him.

Calling him a pervert was maybe a stretch.

He pushed back that thought, as well as the thoughts of how damn good Freed's ass looked in those boxers - Gajeel was only a man, and he couldn't deny what he saw - and instead got himself into line with Freed. The race is what he should have been focusing on, not the fact that Freed didn't look half bad when he was taken away from his pampered and luxurious sheen. Tangled hair and the odd spec of dirt really did wonders for the pretty-boy.

The race. Focus on the race. And the fact the guy couldn't deal with a loss.

"Ready?" Gajeel asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Go."

He lurched forward before he could think, sprinting through the undergrowth of the the forest as he ran towards the lake. Years of guild work in places like this had allowed for the perfection of running through the forest; you kept alternating your gaze between the ground and on the trees.

Usually he would have turned his skin to iron so he wouldn't have to focus on the branches in his way, but he was trying to prove a point. He winced a little as a sharp end to a twig scraped against his cheek, far too close to his eye, but didn't let it stop his pace. He could hear Freed's breathing very close behind him, so evidently Freed knew how to run through a forest as well as Gajeel did, so he couldn't let up for a moment.

When they were out of the forest, there was a short run towards the lake with more space than there had been in the forest. Gajeel forced himself to run as fast as he could, not wanting to let Freed overtake him now he had the width to do so. And not having a view of the man's body might-

The race. The way he'd acted the night before. Focus dammit!

If telling himself wasn't enough to cut off his libido, the face first plunge into freezing, dirty water certainly did. He let out a shuddering gasp when his head broke the surface, but couldn't allow the ice-cold water to stop him. He quickly started to swim, smirking a little when he realised he still had the lead.

The smirk died when Freed overtook him pretty damn quickly.

Gajeel saw nothing but ripples of water ahead of him, and gritted his teeth as he tried to speed up. He was a man built to brute force his way through a problem, while Freed was apparently more agile. He should have expected that, but he had wanted to leave Freed in the dust during the run so it wouldn't be an issue.

All he could do now was swim to the other shore of the lake, pissed off.

When he reached the end of the lake, he saw Freed resting on one of the large boulders that made up the shoreline. He was panting, soaking wet and still wearing those fuckimg boxers. When he saw Gajeel haul himself up from the water, he looked towards him and smirked.

"That didn't end up how you wanted, did it?"

"Shut up," Gajeel snarled. "Get yer clothes, we've got a busy day."

When Freed laughed, Gajeel nearly pushed him into the lake again.

——

"So, you think ya can beat that?"

Gajeel had more than got his confidence back now, and he was smirking at Freed with his arms flexed intentionally.

Both he and Freed were stood at the bottom of a steep hill, where the dead tree-truck sat. Gajeel had explained this challenge; they would both have to push the tree-truck up the hill as far as they could. The justification for this exercise was that Freed might one day find himself in a situation where he was trapped without his magic and needed to force his way out with his strength alone, and the exercise was meant to simulate that. Freed clearly saw that Gajeel just wanted to push his limits, but he didn't say anything.

This was the last task of the day. They'd already attempted the tree climbing that Gajeel had planned, and Freed had been obnoxiously good at it. Gajeel had been faster, but they both knew that he had a natural advantage because he'd had practice. Gajeel could hardly boast about being slightly better then Freed at something he had done many times and Freed was new to.

Gajeel had just finished his attempt at pushing the trunk, and was fucking delighted when he saw he'd beaten his own personal record. This was how he would regain his control over things.

Freed didn't stand a chance.

"I'm sure I'll be a worthy contender," Freed stated, walking towards the tree-trunk. "Which is a feat, I expect, given that you've clearly been setting me up for failure from the beginning."

"Maybe if you weren't so predictable then I wouldn't have been able to plan things out so well," Gajeel grunted.

"So you predicted that, in everything other than tasks that relied solely on physical strength, I have exceeded your expectations and beaten you in completion, I suppose?" Freed taunted quietly as he positioned himself against the tree-trunk. "I expect you did all of this simply to prove your inferiority."

"Inferiority?" Gajeel scoffed. "You ain't done anything but bitch about this because it's not going yer way."

"Not going my way?" Freed laughed, turning from the log and looking at Gajeel again. "You are joking, aren't you?"

"All you've done is make yer little comments about how you don't think it's fair," Gajeel challenged, taking a step forward and glaring the other man down. "And when ya lose, you throw a tantrum."

"I throw tantrums," Freed demanded, sounding equal parts exasperated and annoyed. "As opposed to you, who has been acting perfectly rational throughout this? It hasn't escaped my attention that you clearly see Makarov's initiative as some sort of personal affront to you, and you have apparently seen it fair to force all of these grievances onto me. So for you, a man who has been as close to stomping his feet and wailing as his pride allows, to complain about me throwing a tantrum is practically laughable."

"You think that's what I'm doing?" Gajeel took another step forward. "I'm doing this because yer clearly a spoiled little city-boy and I ain't associating myself with something who can't-"

"Can't what?" Freed snapped. "Can't make a shelter? Can't start a fire? Can't swim across a lake faster than you? Because I've done all of this despite your clear hopes otherwise. Or would you rather judge my worth as a mage by seeing me push a dead tree up a hillside, or to wrestle you without the weapon I use nor the magic I wield? Because, Mr Redfox, if you need to force such strict parameters to best me and you consistently lose, then perhaps your plan isn't a good one."

Fuck, he wanted to punch the guy. Fully encase his fists in iron and beat the shit out of the guy. It would be damn satisfying to see the guy knocked out, while the smugness straight out of him.

"Nothing to say?" Freed continued, a patronising look on his face.

"Fuck off," Gajeel growler, turning around and going to walk away. Before he could take a step, a wall of glowing runes shot up in front of him, blocking his exit. He turned to Freed with an expression of fury. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You," Freed snapped, and magic seemed to emanate from him.

He looked feral in that moment, with all the shields of fancy clothes and smart ass words replaced by anger and magic. His shirt was billowing in the magic induced winds, and the glare on his face was accentuated by the purple swirling in his eye. Fuck, he looked like a man on the edge and it shot straight to Gajeel's dick. Freed was a gentleman gone wild, and if that wasn't one of Gajeel's most well-buried fantasies then he didn't know what was.

The expression was gone as quickly as it came, and the magic swarming Freed's eye fell away. For a moment, Freed looked worried, but he was talking again before Gajeel could understand why he looked like that.

"Neither of us are happy about this, but at the end of the week we have to fight side by side, and the biggest issue we have right now is that we can't stand one another," Freed seemed more calm now, as if the bubble of anger had burst. What the hell had caused that? "So, either you plan something that might make us work together, or at least respect one another, or we both stop trying and say to hell with the consequences."

Gajeel didn't say anything. It felt like the rug had been pulled from under him.

Suddenly, a wave of shitty realisation hit him. Freed had a point when he said he was taking his anger out on him, when he really just didn't want to do the damn training thing at all. He wasn't being fair.

"I think that's enough," Freed sighed. "I'll gather my things and go home. You needn't contact me again."

Freed was walking away before Gajeel could react, and the walls of runes fell around them both. A horrid feeling of regret filled Gajeel, and he quickly jogged to catch up with Freed, who was clearly ignoring him. He kinda deserved it.

"Shit, Freed, wait," He placed a hand on the man's chest, and Freed glared at him. "Yer right, I ain't been fair," It wasn't a fun thing to admit. "I had some ideas about who you were, and didn't wanna let ya prove me wrong, even when you were kicking my ass," He sighed. "And yer right about me wanting to fuck you over, that's why I did this shit, and it wasn't right. That was shitty of me."

"Well, I can hardly blame you for judging me. We were both guilty of that," Freed admitted. "And thank you for admitting that. But I don't see how we could suddenly become a cohesive, effective team, we're hardly compatible."

Gajeel sighed, Freed had a point.

But if a Fairy Tail mage was good at anything, they were good at being stubborn.

"What if we have a fight?" Gajeel proposed, and Freed frowned at him. "Talking like this ain't gonna get rid of the attitude we have for each other, right? You're still pissed at me, and you said some things that made me wanna sock a punch in yer jaw. Maybe having the chance to beat the shit outta each other might break through the attitude problems we have."

"That's not too bad an idea," Freed admitted, glancing at the evening sky for a moment. "It would be cathartic to make you scream."

"Buy me dinner first, city-boy," Gajeel teased before he could think. Freed all but gaped at him, and Gajeel was speaking to fill the silence before he could stop himself. "Y'know, I ain't ever seen you fight before. Don't know how you work."

"Then I have the advantage," Freed grinned slightly. "And you're voluntarily giving it to me. Perhaps you really are repentant."

"Nah, just wanna kick yer ass without you having an excuse."

"We'll see," Freed smirked, and Gajeel found himself grinning back.

[lightsandlostbells]

wtFOCK season 3, episode 3 reaction

In this episode, Sander shows up 15 minutes late with croques (I know this joke has to have been made before, sorry)

Just adding again that if you are looking for an all-positive review of this show, this is not it. Please don’t read if you would prefer not to hear negative takes.

Episode 3

Clip 1 - Robbe on the beach

Robbe is sharing a bed with Noor. He’s doing some good physical acting because even just lying there, I can tell how stiff and uncomfortable he is. He wakes up and looks bummed. It’s pretty early and he’s on vacation so you know he really doesn’t want to be spooning with a girl if he’s getting out of bed right now.

Gotta say the detail of Aaron’s ass being half-exposed in his sleep is a detail that made me lol.

Robbe goes to the beach and listens to music. He types a text to his mom that he can’t make it to see her this week because he’s at the seaside, (because he’s supposedly doing a school project with Jen, lmao) but then he deletes it. So perhaps he is feeling guilt over not visiting, or he’s just got mixed feelings and wants to distance himself from his family situation right now.

Clip 2 - FINALLY

Robbe goes back to the house and sees a mysterious dude. It’s only been like 20 minutes since Robbe left the house, so this guy must have just arrived. Don’t know why they didn’t just combine these clips, especially since it would’ve been a nice contrast to get Robbe moody and alone vs. the jolt he receives with a cute boy’s arrival within one clip.

The important thing is that we finally meet the Even of this season, who I’ve been pretending I didn’t know is called Sander. I’m going to repeat what dozens of other people have said and say yes, this is Jack Frost from that one movie in live-action form. 

Sander does a bit where he roasts Robbe about not having breakfast ready and he expected it when he made a reservation; Robbe acts half-amused, half-confused as fuck, as if part of him recognizes it as a windup but he also doesn’t know who this dude is, so maybe he could be for real?

Afterwards Sander is like, let’s go bitch, we’re grabbing breakfast, and he introduces himself. Robbe is still flabbergasted but he follows Sander out the door anyway, possibly compelled by Sander’s charisma, possibly just swayed by a hot guy. He has no idea how important this meeting is in the grand scheme of things. Robbe, your story is finally starting in episode 3!

OK, I like Sander’s intro! It’s in line with Even’s paper towel trick. Sander is getting Robbe’s attention with a dramatic introduction. He made sure to make a memorable first impression. It works not just for Robbe, but for me as a viewer as well. And I like that Robbe was caught off-guard like Isak was and they didn’t instantly fall into banter or anything, because let’s be real, if some strange dude showed up in your kitchen and started talking to you like this, you would be pretty WTF no matter how nice his face is. 

I am not sure if this show will do the thing where Sander has been pining after Robbe for a while before this meeting - we have seen glimpses of Sander so it seems as if he’s seen Robbe before, but if he’s not from the same school as I think is the case, then I wonder how much he really could have developed feelings for Robbe? Even saw Isak the first day of school, so it’s easy to understand that he developed a crush in the time between that and S3 just by seeing Isak doing his thing at school regularly, and he had plenty of time to learn who Isak was. With Sander, it seems like he just saw Robbe randomly, and that makes sense for “hmm, a cute guy” but not really this giant crush on Robbe as a person. 

This is why it would have been good to actually show what Robbe did or made in the graffiti scene, because it would make sense if Robbe drew something that would have intrigued Sander.

Anyway, the larger point is that this scene does make sense if you consider that Sander was waiting for Robbe and this was a planned intro. I assume there is some way that he found out Robbe would be here this weekend. If this is not something Sander expected, then it’s pretty impulsive of him. Though I can totally buy him winging the booking.com bit if that’s his personality. But it makes more sense to me at the moment to imagine that Sander knew Robbe was coming.

Clip 3 - Robbe and Sander at the store

Robbe and Sander are grocery shopping. Sander quickly establishes himself as having an outspoken, confident personality. I do like how instantly his vibe comes across, which is helpful since we’re making up for lost time.

Sander asking Robbe how many hot dogs one eats has some G-rated “Even immediately starts talking about blowjobs” energy. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence and they really are just talking about food, but like. It’s an Even. 

Amber sends them the shopping list full of normal grocery items. Sander is like NOPE, not getting that. Well I hope no one has any dietary restrictions they need to follow, lmao.

Robbe asks Sander how he knows Amber, but Sander gets distracted by the song over the loudspeakers so he doesn’t have to disclose the truth yet. The song is by “Rebel Rebel” by David Bowie. He asks Robbe if he’s a fan and Robbe is like “yeah!” but Sander challenges him to name three of his songs and Robbe is a flop. Again, I do like how forcefully Sander comes across, his personality is evident.

I have to say: out of all the remake Evens, he’s the one who most immediately comes across as a magnetic personality. Granted, he seems to have a very similar vibe to Even whereas some remake Evens have rather different personalities from the original recipe. But Sander does come across as someone you’d meet (or Robbe would meet) and be a little smitten and swept off your feet right away. 

David Bowie is also a good choice for an Even’s musical taste, especially because of Bowie’s sexuality. I guess you could say it’s pretty on the nose, but it still works for me. I don’t know a ton about the origins of Rebel Rebel but it references gender fluidity and sexuality, so it’s feels fitting for an LGBT-centered season.

As a diehard Ronan/Adam shipper (they’re my OTP of OTPs besides Evak) this scene of Sander pushing Robbe on the cart in the store is calculated to appeal to me. Pynch peeps, you know what I’m talking about. /finger guns

As a personal tangent, I also think grocery shopping is one of the best things you can do on a first date to know if you’re compatible with someone. I have been grocery shopping with people who were dull and no fun, and I have been grocery shopping where it’s an adventure in itself. I strongly believe that you can have fun with the right person in even the most mundane situations. 

Back to Robbe/Sander: this part’s really cute! It gives us a sense of who Sander is and it shows them having fun together. They have a comfortable chemistry and I think Robbe’s vibe in this scene hits the right notes of being starstruck and a little over his head, but acclimating to Sander’s OTT personality and being able to relax and have a good time. He’s certainly having more fun than he expected when he woke up this morning. 

The spinning and eventual slow-mo moment to Rebel Rebel! Great! Super effective at catching that feeling of holy shit, sudden butterflies in my stomach? I can’t look away from this person? I think I have a crush?  

Sander scanning Robbe and saying it’s expensive = lmao, genuinely funny.

And I do like the idea of Sander pushing Robbe and it being chaotic and messy as a way to visualize/signify the arrival of him in Robbe’s life as a way to shake it upside down. (Although, lol, I kinda hate them for causing a mess for the retail workers.)

Sander crashes the cart and Robbe into some boxes. After checking to see if Robbe’s OK, Sander plays it cool and walks away whistling. I do love Robbe’s reaction, that we see him trailing Sander and sneaking happy glances at him. Good stuff.

Taken on its own, this is a terrific first meeting, and I can see how this scene would inspire optimism in the season picking up from here. However - and I hate to be a downer because this scene worked for me - it’s the same issue that I’ve said before: we shouldn’t have waited two full episodes for this clip. Though this scene was great and established an easy chemistry, it also wasn’t that personal and didn’t last too long, and now they have to go back and hang with everyone else, so how are they going to continue to bond on their own? They should just go find other errands to do, away from everyone else. 

Clip 4 - Robbe and Sander in the kitchen

Noor is right there in the kitchen with them, but being hungover, is unable to be a third wheel in the way that Emma was to Isak and Even. Amber’s annoyed that they didn’t get anything on the shopping list, Sander shoos her out and says Robbe and he will cook.

Again, this not the same room for intimacy as Evak because they’re not alone! Anyone could walk in at any moment! People were just there! And I think you COULD do something interesting with that, how frustrating it is that everyone else is there, but it doesn’t work so well when it’s like … the first time they meet and they really need that space to get to know each other (considering, for the millionth time, that we are racing to catch up with only just meeting Sander). We really need to either play into the lack of intimacy and adjust the timeline of the relationship accordingly, or they need to manage some extra moments with the two of them to really establish the connection.

They make croques (weren’t bread and cheese on Amber’s list? So they did get something she asked for, heh) and there’s a fair amount of innuendo and suggestion, with the leaning down and leaning toward each other in the tight space. I do really like that and think it’s effective. They notice the chemistry, Sander touches Robbe’s back as he walks by.

More Bowie with Under Pressure. (This would be a really good song choice for Robbe’s POV to illustrate all the shit he’s dealing with.) Sander is very charming, he’s singing and having a good time, he lights up a joint. He opens up a bit about how making croques is a family tradition and asks Robbe if he has any traditions, and Robbe is still withdrawn and doesn’t go into it. Good moment! Robbe’s family is a touchy subject.

Sander licking the joint is quite an Erotique moment for Robbe. I also like that Robbe is clumsy with the croques, seemingly because he’s flustered by Sander’s Sanderness.

I like the Sander actor quite a bit so far. Like I said, he’s super intense and charismatic. He’s also super fucking forward with Robbe, feeding him some croque while they eye fuck, and I’m sorry but that feels way too pointed for this relationship so far The rest of the scene captures the unstated sexual tension but Sander sticking a sandwich in Robbe’s mouth while Robbe stares back is too obvious and feels like they’re trying to sell this really hard in order to make up for lost time, it took me out of the scene. Robbe is tentatively getting more comfortable with Sander, but I don’t buy that he would be that comfortable at this point. It would have been better if they’d stuck to, like, the subtle thrill of sharing a joint (where OMG Sander’s mouth has been?? Yowza).

Britt shows up and she’s Sander’s girlfriend! Oh nooooo!

Except Robbe and Sander met SEVERAL HOURS AGO so this doesn’t really have much of an impact? Isak pining over Even for a week and Googling him and stalking him creates a big buildup both in audience expectations and in Isak’s, whereas Robbe JUST met this dude. We’ve barely had time to form any expectations.

Imagine if you’ve never seen Skam and you’re watching this in real time. You’d be like “Awww, bummer, this guy has a girlfriend, I guess,” rather than “OH SHIT NOOOOOO” because you’ve been following them for a week and watching their conversations and their eye-fucking and getting to know Even through Isak’s eyes. Because you’ve had plenty of time to become attached to this character and because you’ve had time to sink into Isak’s POV and feel his crush on this guy. You feel the stakes of learning that Even has a girlfriend. Robbe learning that Sander is dating Britt is disappointing ... but how disappointing, really? There’s a low level of investment in Sander so far, for both Robbe and for us. I mean, sure, he’s charming, and we’re probably thinking he and Robbe might be cute together, but at most you would have had five hours to get attached at this point. If you look at it one way, this revelation is good because Robbe had only a brief window of time to get his hopes up before learning Sander has a girlfriend, as opposed to Isak who had a full week.

This is where the season’s odd storytelling choices start to fall down. Because there’s a lot about these last few clips that I enjoyed on a micro level. They work as individual scenes. It’s when you think about them on a macro level that the logic and emotional resonance doesn’t hold up. And I think that there are many, many story elements - in wtFOCK and most of the remakes - where a lot of writing only makes sense if you are coming with knowledge of the original show and sort of filling in the blanks here, rather than wtFOCK putting in the work itself.

I also think it’s something of a disappointment because S3 portrayed the experience of developing a crush so beautifully, the desperation to learn more about a person and get close to them, the obsessive focus. wtFOCK is by no means required to do that, but it was such a vulnerable, intimate way to get into Isak’s head that I can’t help but miss the extended crush period for Robbe. We really needed more of his POV.

Robbe decides to cope by getting high. Aha, there’s that Under Pressure for Robbe! 

Actually, it seemed super weird to me that the timestamps had them meeting like 5 hours ago? Because it seemed like they went shopping and went home soon after where Amber inspected the groceries, but apparently there were hours between that, so what were they doing in the meantime? Not anything important, apparently, because we didn’t see it.

Clip 5 - Sad sad Robbe time

The others are playing trivia and Robbe is just social distancing like 10 feet away staring at them while listening to music on his headphones, lmao. Britt has quite the grip on Sander’s neck.

Noor comes over and Robbe asks her about Britt and Sander. Sander studied Visual Arts at I think a different school than Robbe. Imagine how effective this would be if Robbe did this LAST WEEK, like “casually” asked Noor about Sander or something. But of course that would have required the story to be moving forward last week.

Sander stares at Robbe and Noor as they make out. Get back in Robbe’s POV, for fuck’s sake! This isn’t even an impossible moment to have from his POV. Have Robbe and Noor make out, Robbe opens his eyes and spies Sander looking at him, he looks again and Sander has looked away. That creates an element of doubt that will live rent free in Robbe’s head. 

This choice annoys me more and more. Where’s the tension in quite firmly suggesting that actually, Sander is into Robbe right after showing that Sander has a girlfriend? There was soooo much juicy tension squeezed from Isak and the audience not knowing what the fuck was up with Even and Sonja. People forget it now, but as someone who watched OG S3 in real time, there were plenty of viewers who thought Even was just stringing Isak along or doubted the sincerity of his feelings, because the show effectively kept us in Isak’s POV and for many viewers there was room to doubt Even’s intentions. Honestly, we didn’t really get real confirmation of Even’s feeling until episode 9. I just don’t see how it serves the story to a) take us out of our main character’s POV b) to make sure the mysterious love interest is somewhat less mysterious this early.

Clip 6 - Paintball

The squads play a friendly game of paintball, and by that I mean they try to annihilate each other. It’s a little hard for me to tell who’s shooting who since it’s fast and everyone has masks and is dressed in either black or camo, except Aaron in his onesie.

Sander and Robbe end up next to each other. They see Britt on the ground. Sander runs up and shoots Britt several times while she tells him to stop, clearly in pain. Britt yells at him to be normal sometimes and to use his head from time to time. Sander apologizes as Britt runs off.

Robbe and Sander exchange a look like “hmm” and Sander says he thinks they’ve won. He walks off. The music feels … weirdly triumphant?

This scene sits pretty weirdly. I don’t think this clip was pointless, I definitely think it has a point, but … what are they going for here. Thinking about it, I’d say the concept of this scene is good, but the execution feels off. wtFOCK has a real tone problem that becomes apparent later in the season.

I don’t think shooting Britt means Sander is manic, but I DO think part of the intent was to show he’s impulsive/gets carried away/can be OTT. Which is not bad (although there’s some sketchiness abut how this is tied to his mental illness if he’s not manic right now, and about how mentally ill people are dangerous) but it’s his reaction that gets me. Because it’s one thing if he gets carried away and we see him show remorse (which he does, briefly) but then he’s like cracking a joke with Robbe. It would be way more effective if we saw his remorse lingering. Not to mention yeah, he could have hurt Britt! It’s not that Sander has to be flawless, but this is one of our first impressions of him and it’s not great. It might work if you think it’s setting up Sander as something of a dangerous bad boy for Robbe (“you only like bad news” go the lyrics) but I’m not sure how much the show leans into that, especially because Robbe seems happy that they “won” rather than alarmed at what the fuck Sander just did.

But the part that baffles me most is how this matters to Robbe/Sander? Is this supposed to be a cute, flirty moment? A “haha, fuck my girlfriend, I like you instead” moment? Because wow, was it cruel on Sander’s part, and Robbe doesn’t seem that bothered by it. I get that maybe Sander IS supposed to be upset with himself but is brushing it off, but yeah, the offense is just too much for me, when physical harm comes into play. 

IDK, I could get behind the ambiguity of reactions in a scene like this, but there’s something off about the seriousness of what Sander does - which is acknowledged in-clip by Britt’s and Zoë’s reactions - combined with how Robbe and Sander end the clip, as if we ignore those reactions to make it a fun shippy moment. It’s pretty unappealing. We don’t even really see or hear anything about Sander and Britt making up or talking it out, we don’t see any lingering tension between them due to this incident, it’s like this clip was forgotten. Presumably they made up off-screen before the next clip, but in that case, we should have seen Sander run after her to apologize? Where’s the emotional fallout? It doesn’t really stick for Sander, Britt, or Robbe. 

Clip 7 - Bonfire

Robbe is upset with Sander and Britt making out. He goes over to Aaron who is also sitting sadly alone.

Aaron says he doesn’t know how Robbe does it, getting girls, and how he was so chill with Noor in the bathroom. IMO they could’ve ramped up Robbe’s fuckboyness since it didn’t come across that clearly to me, but this is one thing I do like about the potential of Isak and Magnus interaction … the Magnus looking to the Isak for girl advice, making the Isak have to preserve some sort of reputation as a ladies’ man, giving him some cred with his friends that he’s afraid to lose.

Robbe says it’s different because Noor goes to a different school so it wasn’t as bad if she rejected him. But wasn’t she handing out dance performance flyers in the hallway at Robbe’s school? That made me think she was a student there. But IDK how Belgian school works, maybe that’s normal.

Aaron goes over to talk to Amber and makes her a s’more, but Amber walks off because OMG so many calories. Aaron is bummed but Luca takes the s’more and eats it. Uhhh, the obvious buildup here is for Aaron/Luca, wtFOCK writers. She is literally taking and enjoying what Aaron is offering. I sense a connection. 

I’m tickled by Aaron referencing American TV shows when he makes the s’more. His s’more is missing the best part, the cheap melted chocolate, which to be fair would probably have caused Amber to slap him over the calorie count.

This scene is at least from Robbe’s POV as he watches them, thank God.

Clip 8 - Haunted house

The boy squad (who are called the Brrrothers) set up a haunted house. That’s actually a pretty fun scenario. They lock the others in, because teenagers don’t care about fire hazards. But still seems like a great time.

Sander helps the others through the window, what a gentleman.

Aaron and Amber have the cliché “fall down into each other” moment so I suppose that’s the start of their romance. Now she holds his hand. Boo, no Luca/Aaron … at least Aaron/Amber is still better than Basile/Daphne so far.

They climb onto the roof to seek a treasure, which turns out to be alcohol. There’s a rooftop party, people drinking and smoking and having a good time. Robbe and Sander share a Look before Sander and Britt get cozy.

I mean, again … would’ve been better if they hadn’t spoken like. Twice.

Clip 9 - Aaron throws away his shot

Robbe is grumpy on the way back from the haunted house, which he calls Jens and Moyo’s ego trip. I think he’s mostly just sour about Sander and Britt, but also he could be annoyed that he wasn’t involved, although that mainly seems like it would be Robbe’s fault for distancing himself.

Aaron valiantly offers to check the house for murderous ghosts before they go back inside.

See, I KNEW Aaron was going to pull some shit with a practical joke when he went inside, I just didn’t expect him to pretend to get SHOT. The dedication… it’s in very poor taste, though.

Of course it’s a prank, but Amber acts very concerned. You know, this is actually a good way to show how Aaron is immature and keep the Amber/Aaron pairing apart … compared to Basile/Daphne where it was just nonstop sexual harassment, here we see Aaron being sweet and thoughtful with Amber and potentially making progress with her, and then ruining it by being an insensitive teenage dumbass. But he can still grow into more of a mature kid and prove himself to Amber that way.

Aaron seems regretful of it, but Moyo and Jens are like YOU DA MAN. I regret to announce that this boy squad kinda sucks so far.  At least Aaron seems like he might have some character development, judging by his reaction here.

That was nicely done as a way to create conflict with the Aaron/Amber relationship, and establishing some mutual interest before showing where Aaron needs to grow as a person, even if I’m like ... we really got to stick to Robbe’s POV/story, man. 

Clip 10 - Another prank

Moyo and Jens ask Robbe to go get them beers, and it’s a prank and Aaron’s in the freezer so I guess Aaron did not learn anything, never mind. 

Echoing what I said above: I’m absolutely not expecting the boy squad to be perfectly well-behaved rational empathetic adults, and it’s not like this prank is some deeply cruel thing, but there is just. So much. Of the shouting, pranking, casual sexism, crude comments, and general obnoxious behavior. I’m really trying to keep in mind that Isak’s boy squad was also full of the horny gross talk about girls at the beginning, and that it was a necessary part of showing Isak’s alienation from his peers.  Or that by now on OG S3 we had several awesome moments from Isak’s squad that we haven’t reached yet because the season’s paced a few episodes behind. Still. Ugh. Maybe it’s the shouting? I feel like this boy squad is ... shoutier ... than the other boy squads. Making them prankmasters is also not helping. I think you have to walk a careful line between making them realistically flawed straight dudes who alienate Isak with their talk of girls, and making them screaming caricatures who are all “fuck girls get pussy hot chicks sex sex sex.” There’s a lack of warmth and innocence to balance it out. We need some indication soon that these guys are going to be there for Robbe when shit goes down. 

Robbe snaps at them and storms off, and Noor follows him. WOW, it would be good to see ROBBE’S POV of this scene!!!! What happened next!!! 

Nope, the clip ends here!!!!

Clip 11 - Halloween

Everyone’s dressed up and preparing to go to a Halloween party. The girls are cute putting on makeup and chatting about necrophilia. There’s a comment where Luca says a guy sounded like “a begging Romanian” and errrrr, I did a bit of a double take at that. It’s not my culture or language so I don’t want to talk out of my ass, but I thought this was generally considered to be an offensive thing to say (although one that people frequently say anyway due to prejudice). What was the fandom reaction to that line? 

People are dancing at the party. Apparently Jens and Jana are friends with benefits. Lol, at least Jana is not FWB with their P-Chris, that guy sucked.

Amber’s still mad at Aaron, understandably. Moyo cheers up Aaron on his recent romantic failure, which is nice and a much kinder moment than 99% of the material they’ve given Moyo thus far, and they go look for other girls.

I do love all the Halloween makeup. Look at Robbe’s hair!

Zoë checks her phone because I guess Senne drama is gonna happen.

Noor tags a wall with R+N in a heart, oh dear.

Robbe stares sadly at Sander and Britt dancing. Noor tries to get him to dance because the song is great, Robbe says he’s more of a Bowie fan and namedrops Changes. OK lmao, again, this doesn’t work so well that Robbe has suddenly become a Bowie expert when he’s been at the seaside the whole time. I know it’s silly when Isak starts acting like a Nas expert, but there was enough time for him to look up Nas between when Even mentioned him and when he talked to Emma about him to gain some basic knowledge of Nas. I guess Robbe could’ve been looking up Bowie in the last few days when he’s brooding alone, but lol, he’s also been kinda busy. Or Robbe is just bullshitting about Bowie, but the fact he was able to name a Bowie song when he couldn’t earlier in the episode suggests that he did look into Bowie. 

Now there’s the Call Your Girlfriend moment where Robbe makes out with Noor while staring at Sander, then Sander stares back, eyefuck, blah blah.

I gotta say. I’ve seen various takes on Call Your Girlfriend scene by now. And what I notice - at least from my recollection - is that the remakes tend to focus more on the actual eyefucking. Because the OG scene doesn’t actually have Isak and Even staring at each other, going back and forth, for a while. Most of that scene is about Isak’s longing. Isak dances with Emma, looks at Even with Sonja. He kisses Emma, looks at Even kissing Sonja. It’s about Isak wanting Even but instead being with a girl. When Even looks back it’s not this long, extended thing! Because it’s not really about the eyefucking. It’s just confirmation, for both Isak and for us, that we are not imagining this chemistry between them. It’s a shot of hope that Even also wants Isak despite mixed signals. That even though Even is passionately kissing his girlfriend, he’s thinking about Isak. And then Isak closes his eyes - he doesn’t eyefuck Even through three verses and the bridge, he closes his eyes - and we don’t need to be told to realize he’s imagining he’s kissing Even instead. 

First of all, the most effective part of the CYG scene is the timing. The song is perfectly timed and Isak’s reactions are perfectly edited to make us feel that frustration and longing that Isak does. It’s a way more vulnerable scene that most of the remakes seem to realize. Most of the scene is Isak looking without that look being reciprocated. And Even’s returned look comes just as we’re losing our minds (plus it matches the on-the-nose lyrics, lol). The endless eyefucking in the remakes isn’t that special or interesting in terms of delivery. 

Second, here’s the thing: I think we forget, since we know that Evak are endgame, that at this stage during S3′s real-time run, it wasn’t certain that they were endgame. In fact, many people weren’t even sure Even liked Isak back! I was lucky enough to jump into Skam right before the first kiss, and there was so much doubt, it was crazy. Even and Isak shared an awesome afternoon together, but Even brought his girlfriend to this party, he’s still dating her. Isak is doubting whether this thing can go anywhere with them, if Even even is interested in him like that. And Even looking at him during CYG IS the confirmation that Even’s into him. It’s the confirmation for the audience that we didn’t imagine Even’s attraction to Isak. Whereas in wtFOCK, Sander is like openly staring at Robbe when Robbe isn’t watching, and the show breaks Robbe’s POV to make sure we know this. Sander is feeding him croques by hand while they lock eyes. He’s being much flirtier and the show is not hiding his interest. wtFOCK introduced Britt as an obstacle to this potential relationship, but does she really feel like one when Sander has been communicating his interest all along? Is there any doubt he likes Robbe? Not to mention Sander was just introduced this episode, and there simply isn’t the buildup, the time to weigh in and question his motives, the investment in whether he likes Robbe or not. So the tremendous release of tension in this scene is just not the same, because the tension isn’t there to begin with. 

The OG Call Your Girlfriend clip is not about two guys who are hot for each other challenging each other to look away. The clip is about vulnerability and longing, and that vibe has been missing from sooooo many of the adaptations. Like anything in the remakes, change is not inherently bad. Change can provide for some interesting and thoughtful material. But I don’t think the remakes always realized when they’re making a change. On the surface a scene will be similar to OG, but the emotional buildup, the timing, the tension, the symbolism, etc. will be very different, and if you’re not aware of how even the littlest change can alter the meaning of a scene, then the scene can fall flat.

Clip 12 - End of trip

Everyone’s packing up to go home, Amber calls out the boys for sitting there and not cleaning (she’s right!)

Robbe helps Sander with the empty bottles. Sander asks about Robbe and Noor if they’re doing well. Robbe says yeah and then asks about Sander and Britt, Sander says it’s been “ups and downs” with mostly downs lately. Ups and downs could also refer to bipolarity, though I don’t know if I’d jump to Sander having “mostly downs” mentally just yet.

Sander says he seems to get on her nerves lately, and they’ve been together for half a year. Okay sooooo … they’re way less serious than Even and Sonja, and Sander has much less to lose by breaking up with her. I mean. Do they not see where, emotionally, this removes a lot of Even’s conflict in OG, and presumably much of Sander’s conflict in this version? It mattered that Sonja had been with Even for years. It mattered that he was used to her taking charge. It mattered that they’d sunk so much time into this relationship and survived such rough patches. Unless there was a really really drastic event in Sander’s life like right when he and Britt got together, that she was instrumental in helping him face, it seriously cannot compare to what Even and Sonja went through. He asks Robbe what he would do, stay or go.

He reaches around Robbe, getting sorta touchy feely, Robbe steps away. 

Sander says maybe he (Sander) is scared he’ll never find someone, someone who’ll love him. Tension between him and Robbe as they consider each other. This insight is good to understand Sander, at least.

Robbe says he thinks Sander will find someone like that, Sander asks where, Robbe says he should meet new people, Sander says “on a weekend trip with strangers?” Robbe is like “...yes.” (Did you get to know each other? Did you really?)

They lean in for a kiss, but then Luca shows up to take out the trash so the moment is ruined, Sander walks off.

SIIIIIIGH this could have been a good scene if they like … developed this relationship or didn’t pace this story so weirdly. On top of the rushed Sander/Robbe development, the buildup to this scene on its own is odd. In OG, the kitchen almost-kiss happens right after the Call Your Girlfriend moment where they lock eyes, after Even stares at Isak across the room. There is palpable tension in the kitchen because they’re basically riding a high together. This is like the morning after their version of the CYG, which should have been an “aha! he likes me back!” moment for Robbe, but instead the momentum and sexual tension just kind of paused and consequently this scene almost feels random, like I felt the contrivances to put them in the same situation as Isak and Even here. (Think about it: Was there a reason this scene had to be the next morning instead of later that night? What happened after that eyefucking clip, did Robbe and Sander just go about their night like NBD?) The CYG clip and following kitchen scene felt like a clear example of cause and effect; the wtFOCK equivalents felt more like they were hitting arbitrary points in the OG rather than feeling fitting to its story.

I just realized we got like NO insight into Robbe’s sexuality crisis this episode, either, the way we did with Isak in episode 3. And maybe we’ll get some of it in the future, but I do think it weakens the story not to have any of that at this juncture. We’re three out of 10 episodes and we’ve barely scratched the surface of our protagonist’s main conflict this season, which is about his sexuality.

HOW I WOULD REWRITE THE EPISODE:

Introduce Sander sooner, for fuck’s sake.

Okay, that ship has sailed, moving on. Have the grocery scene go on longer, or rather, have them go somewhere after the supermarket, like they decide to take a detour to a park or something and go hang out and talk, to the point where Amber starts texting them like “Where the fuck is the food?” Show Robbe unwinding just a little, talking about his own interests, his own taste in music. It’s understandable that he might not open up about the deep’n’heavy stuff yet, but perhaps in either this scene or another one later this week, Sander asks him a family-related question and Robbe doesn’t answer with his whole sad backstory, but he gives a little, maybe has a fond memory of his mom, a tradition they had when he was younger. We see this little happy/sad moment and it’s like something about Sander compels him to open up and we get the complexity of his relationship with his mom, that it’s not all good or bad.

Instead of Sander shooting Britt excessively in the paintball scene, have him and Robbe team up and strategize for a while. We see they work well together, oho. They’re having a lot of fun. And maybe Sander DOES shoot Britt but it’s not this prolonged close-range thing, it’s just him being caught up in the moment as he and Robbe work together. He shoots her (again, it’s a little OTT and enough to make her upset but not quite as bad as in the filmed scene) and she runs off and we see him have an “oh” moment. Oh right, I got caught up being with this guy I like and forgot I have a girlfriend. He feels seriously remorseful and runs after Britt. And maybe when Sander shoots Britt, Robbe has a moment of “!!!”, maybe Sander likes him Like That after all! But then Sander runs after Britt and they kiss and make up because it’s just a paintball game, after all, and Robbe is like, oh, right. It’s just paintball.

This episode really convinces me how vital episode 2 is, even before Mekke øl, in establishing both Even as a character and the Isak/Even dynamic. We get why Isak likes him even before they speak again. It’s so beautiful and honest, with Isak checking out Even’s video, searching for him on social media, that desperation … and then how much R+J hits Isak in the feels. The equivalent would be if Robbe was listening to David Bowie on his earbuds and having a big moment. So er, why didn’t they just ... do that? Robbe is sitting alone listening to David Bowie and watching Sander and Britt be cuddly, and there’s this feeling of longing and being close to Sander via the music while at the same time being so far away. It might be too obvious and faithful to OG, but it would also, you know. Probably be effective. It is also set-up for Robbe talking about how he’s a Bowie fan to Noor.

Have Sander talk to Robbe after Robbe flips out on his friends after the prank! Maybe Sander calms him down by doing a weird Sander thing! Maybe Robbe confides a bit about his shitty home situation or his crappy friends so he and Sander connect on a deeper level! But the prank clip ended immediately after Robbe stormed off, and for some reason the show was like nah, it’s not important after that, even though it was a prime opportunity for good, insightful content into Robbe’s head, or a way to let Robbe and Sander bond some more. 

If they cannot talk directly, how about some indirect moments where they connect, other than paintball? We get some stares at each other but those could be structured to show off more of a connection. Their eyes meet when something funny happens. Robbe or Sander are Jim Halperting at each other when Aaron or Amber says something ridiculous, like can you believe this shit? Everyone’s sitting around listening to music and Sander goes and puts on a Bowie song and Robbe smiles to himself.

(Not that they needed to do movie references in this version, but they should have totally gone with Labyrinth references for Robbe/Sander, just saying. I’m not even sure how it would work thematically, I just think it’d be delightful.)

(OR VELVET GOLDMINE, aka “Todd Haynes wrote and filmed David Bowie/Iggy Pop fanfiction where Ewan McGregor and Christian Bale fuck on a rooftop.” God I love that movie.)

In the haunted house, have Robbe and Sander like ...touch, accidentally, or grab each other out of fear, or do one of those cliché “we find ourselves close together, breathing hard and staring at each other” moments. I don’t care! Just give us stuff to work with! Like there even IS a split second moment where Robbe is climbing out of the window and Sander offers him a hand, it’s just not played for any drama or tension or emotional reaction - I mean, wtFOCK are you doing, wtFOCK writers? 

There is a glaring flaw with this episode, in that there were SO many opportunities to actually have Robbe and Sander interact throughout the episode, and yet overall the potential was totally wasted.

Consider that Isak and Even went to the same school, but they were in different years and didn’t share any classes. So when, for example, Isak hangs out with Even in Mekke øl, I can easily buy that Isak doesn’t see him again until Even returns the snapback. Or that he doesn’t see Even after the snapback scene until the neon party. Therefore, I feel like I’m seeing all the essential moments of Isak’s interaction with Even, I am getting the “full story” with Evak and sufficient evidence to try to piece together what Even’s deal is. 

Robbe and Sander were living under the same roof for days. This is a drastic departure from the original. Realistically speaking, there would have been so, so many more opportunities for interaction, or moments where we could’ve gained insight into that developing attraction. Sander and Britt would’ve been sleeping in the same bed at times, right? How did Robbe react to that? Could we have seen his jealousy? Was there ever a time when Robbe was coming out of the bathroom and he bumped into Sander and it was awkward? Or when someone else left a room and Robbe found himself alone with Sander, and he didn’t know what to say? Did Robbe try to avoid Sander the entire time? Did he try to talk to him but Noor or Britt walked in? Did Sander try to talk to Robbe? Was there any interaction between them besides what we were shown on screen? Did Robbe get up and sit on the beach listening to music and Sander joined him and they shared headphones? Did Robbe go outside one night just to get away from Noor in his bed and Sander was also sitting on the porch and they shared a joint and talked about stuff? Eh? Ehhh???

The problem is that I don’t believe that we were shown the “full story” of Robbe and Sander this week. I can’t believe that because, logically speaking, there would have been way, way more interactions between them even if they were actively trying to avoid each other. For whatever reason, wtFOCK decided to have Robbe and Sander meet at the seaside and spend a week in the same house. Okay. But despite the opportunities that scenario provided to really catch up and develop the hell out of the Robbe/Sander relationship after a delayed start, the show just didn’t do that. And I do feel cheated, not just because it’s rushed and lazy, but because it doesn’t even make sense. Obviously wtFOCK cannot film every minute they were around each other, but it sure as hell could’ve given us more substantial content than it did. 

Even if you want to emphasize how they can’t really be alone with each other because they’re with almost 10 other people including their girlfriends ... fucking run with that, man. Milk it for all it’s worth. Make us feel how frustrating it is that they’re not alone, that Robbe is paranoid about getting too close to Sander in case everyone can tell he’s got a crush. Or show them in a scene with other characters, but they’re interacting in an indirect way that makes it seem like they’re the only two people in the room. Their first clip and the almost kiss at the end of the episode is the only time when I really felt that tension at all, and I use “tension” loosely in the case of the almost kiss.

We also have little information this season on Robbe’s specific sexuality crisis, and that’s also hurting the narrative. I’m aware that the next episode dives into some of the clips that OG Skam got to in its episode 3, so I don’t want to harp on it too much now ... but I do have some basic questions, such as: where is Robbe at with his sexuality right now?

We have gotten very little introspection on him thinking about being gay, or what it means to be gay. We did not have the big crush fixation on Sander that Isak got on Even: Googling him, looking him up on social media, trying to find out everything about him. We did not have Robbe taking gay tests online. Yet he goes from meeting Sander to trying to kiss him within days.

And I think the lack of sexuality crisis further diminishes the already weak tension of the episode. If Robbe was more strongly dealing with his sexuality, then I would be able to accept him falling for Sander so fast and so hard a bit more easily, to the point of almost kissing him, even if their emotional connection wasn’t really established. But he hasn’t been given the space to do that. He hasn’t been given the space to even think about being gay or what that means. So he’s supposedly going from internalized homophobia to almost kissing Sander, with none of the introspection shown on screen. Why? What is running through his head?

So obviously, in rewriting the episode, let’s set up some actual sexuality conflict with Robbe. Maybe he’s trying to look up gay stuff online while he’s locked himself in the bathroom or when everyone else is asleep at night, or he’s trying but unfortunately he’s paranoid people are looking over his shoulder, or the boy squad grabs his phone as a prank and he’s terrified they’ll see that he was searching “how to know if you’re gay.” Maybe other people start talking about a sexuality-related topic, a gay celebrity, something like that, and Robbe’s reaction matters - like he makes an ignorant comment and someone schools him, or he makes a downright offensive comment and someone chews him out. Someone makes a gay joke and we see how it makes Robbe squirm. Someone makes a gay joke and then gets called out on it and we see how it makes the wheels turn in Robbe’s head.  Have Amber or Noor or whoever make a boneheaded comment about gay people and Sander schools them so we see Robbe get a HMMM moment. HMMM, does Sander like dudes? HMMM, maybe I should reconsider my opinions on gay people? I don’t know, man! Literally! Anything! 

Maybe have his advice to Aaron be more obviously bad? More fuckboyish? We see him overcompensating for his sudden Sander feelings by doling out some uber-heterosexual manly man advice to Aaron about how to impress a girl. Aaron is like, are you sure that’s a good idea? Robbe is like, pffft, obviously, what, are you gay? Are you too gay to make a move on Amber? Show her what’s what. This leads Aaron to do something very stupid and insulting and sexist with Amber, which leads to Amber getting mad at Aaron and Aaron getting mad at Robbe for Robbe’s dumbass advice. Maybe Jens and Moyo jump in because God knows we need some good moments from them, and they’re like, seriously, Robbe? Why did you think that was a good idea? Robbe gets mad and storms off. 

To some degree I’m like … well, what IS Robbe’s problem with Sander dating Britt, really? He met this hot and cool guy, but a few hours later learned the hot guy had a girlfriend. It sucks, but what is pulling him in so hard and so fast other than Sander being so hot? It’s a disappointment, but is it this truly devastating thing? He doesn’t know much about Sander, they’ve had so much less of a connection than Isak and Even. They had one fun morning, basically. It’s true that crushes aren’t rational and that a teenager can fall for someone based on crumbs and hotness, I fully realize you can’t turn off your romantic feelings like a faucet. But the show didn’t put in the work of making me believe in the strength of those romantic feelings in the first place. The fact that it is realistic for teenagers to have shallow crushes does not mean that I have to accept weak writing to fill in the blanks for this romantic connection that is supposed to be a powerful love story. Actually, let me bold that and rewrite it as a general rule: The fact that something can be realistic does not mean we have to fill in the blanks in order to make up for weak, lazy writing. 

I know that Isak and Even didn’t have a TON of interaction before episode 3, but they definitely had more, and Isak had time to research Even and develop a crush him based on what he found: he learned a bit about Even’s hobbies and interests, he was touched by a piece of art that Even loved. They bonded, they BOTH opened up - we saw Isak melt a little and banter whereas Robbe hasn’t really loosened up with Sander, except running around the grocery store (oh, and letting him stick a croque in his mouth, I guess). In the kitchen scene after getting groceries, for example, Robbe basically says nothing noteworthy, nothing to give either us or Sander a better understanding of him, or an appreciation of his sense of humor. There’s no real banter. If you watch the Robbe/Sander scenes, it seems like Sander dominates them, and that’s great for learning about Sander as a character, not so much for feeling like they’re mutually connecting. And if they want to portray Robbe as shy or awkward around Sander, I get it. But I don’t get where the emotional connection comes in, and frankly I don’t feel like I know much about Robbe as a person. 

So here’s my suggestion: Don’t do the almost kiss.

I know, I know, it’s a Skam S3 staple. But wtFOCK has really not earned this moment. We’re not in dire need of confirmation that Sander likes Robbe because wtFOCK is making it obvious. The tension is not developed enough to merit an almost kiss, Robbe’s sexuality journey is not far along to make it super believable. If they’re kissing next week for real, just let that happen without the episode 3 interrupted kiss. 

If you do want an almost kiss, maybe one or both of them is a little drunk? Or a lot drunk. Like, noticeably tipsy. Their inhibitions are lowered. I could buy that, especially if Robbe has a morning after freakout. oh god i was drunk and about to throw myself at sander!!!!! OR hahaha we were pretty drunk so it didn’t mean anything ... unless...? So long as there’s some effect on Robbe.

Because it’s a Skam remake, we probably do need a big end-of-episode clip, though. A turning point. Personally, I would be fine with just some smoldering unresolved sexual tension that doesn’t go as far as an attempted kiss. (I mentioned above that I am a diehard shipper of Ronan/Adam from The Raven Cycle and let me tell you, you do not need an almost kiss to get across the sexual tension. Once upon a time I wrote a draft of a post charting their relationship development through all their intense stares.) Perhaps Sander and Britt start fighting, Sander walks off, Robbe finds him or maybe he finds Robbe and they’re like, sitting together on the beach, and they have this personal and possibly subtext-laden conversation, or maybe this is when Robbe finally opens up about something personal (like he mentions when his parents used to fight, IDK). They don’t touch. Or maybe their knees brush. They stay perfectly still and don’t lean in. But they look at each other and don’t look away until someone calls for them or comes to collect them, and that’s how the moment is ruined and the spell is broken. That would be enough for me.

Maybe we could end on a non-dramatic note and Robbe and Sander end up sharing earbuds and listening to a David Bowie song. Or a song by someone that Robbe likes and wants to share with Sander, IDK. We leave them staring at the beach and trading surreptitious glances and catching feelings. A real butterflies in the stomach scene.

This also would have been a great episode to hint at Sander’s mental illness. You could show Britt hovering and telling him not to drink or smoke, you could have Robbe walking in as Sander is taking his medication (but obviously he doesn’t know what type of meds they are yet). You could have the suggested ending fight between Britt and Sander contain veiled references to his mental illness because Britt thinks that Sander was skipping his meds or he was doing something that she thought was a red flag. Robbe overhears them arguing but again, he doesn’t realize the real context. 

I felt like Noor was kind of in the background for this episode, and look, I thought she was overused in the first two episodes, but in this one, her presence would have been more useful for Robbe’s storyline, such as having her interrupt a Robbe/Sander moment, or showing us that she’s growing frustrated with Robbe’s lack of attention to her. 

Stay in Robbe’s POV, I beg you. Do this one simple thing. It’s OK to give random scenes outside his POV from time to time (like the girls doing their Halloween makeup) but anything relevant to his arc should be from his eyes only, and anything not relevant to his arc needs to be managed carefully so it doesn’t suck up too much screen time from his story.

I’ve been looking at the social media that was posted for this season, but I don’t really have a ton to say about it. wtFOCK seems pretty active with the characters’ Instagram accounts, so I commend them for that. So far the text messages don’t seem to be adding a ton to Robbe’s story - I specify Robbe’s story because a lot of them are not even texts that involve him, lmao. Like there’s a text between Zoë and Senne that effectively sets up trouble in that relationship, and it’s way more enlightening than texts that actually involve Robbe.

I think there’s legit potential with this cast. I like all the girls, I think Sander’s actor has some good onscreen presence… even though I don’t care for how the boys are written, I think they have potential. It’s just frustrating when you see the potential being squandered even more than if there were little potential to start. 

Just to add, like I said above, this isn’t my culture or language, and I know that I’m missing context. Let me know if there’s anything I didn’t get on account of not being a teenager in Belgium.

[100percentforsure]

Taylor and Emma Take Lamu

It is time It is time to relax. After pulling out cash and a quick fight about parmesan cheese (one of our two quarrels over the entirety the trip - totaling about 2 minutes and 15 seconds of tension... Emma wanted me to ask about parmesan cheese, I tell her that they probably don’t even have parmesan cheese in Africa I was barely getting through to the cafe staff with my request for a fork, try and fail, and then Emma tries and fails and tells me “They are just busy.” SHE WILL DENY THIS STORY AND SAY SHE WAS ALSO ASKING FOR A FORK. We find out a few days later there is a parmesan factory an hour away for the airport). We board our nearly 3 hour puddle jumper flight which we will pass out for after crushing some juice boxes and wake up to see beautiful marsh with blue water all around us. We touch down and are greeted in the airport by one of our househands, Charo (security is not terribly tight on the island), an angel of a man with the chubbiest feet you have ever seen an enormous smile, past men playing checkers with bottle caps on the pier to board a wooden water taxi with a thatched roof and darling blue elephant upholstery, named “Lady Gaga.” It’s driver is a man named Nasir.

A quick background on Lamu. Lamu is a Muslim island with only one car on it (which belongs to the police who I’m not even sure exist) and one million donkeys. You get around by boat and donkey, and if you are walking somewhere, you have to take into account what time you are leaving and whether its high tide and your path will be submerged. There is Lamu town, their downtown with a market and square and shops, and Shela, where more mzungu’s hang out with one of the only places on the island that serves liquor, Peponi’s (meaning “heaven”). For a real party, you go to Floating Bar, which floats in the middle of the ocean that doesn’t require rule following. In the summertime, the water is crystal clear and blue, and you can swim with wild dophins. Pure, pure disappointment when I heard this. There are mangroves and spearfishing and barbequeing and a very very very mellow vibe on the island. Mombasa raha.

When we reach land, we climb the bleached stone steps from the water, past some Rastas, and are greeted by Johnson, our chef / house hand / security. Johnson is half my size and has a shy but wise demeanor. He and Charo take our bags and lead us down narrow dirt alleyways, past open air Muslim schools with children singing, storefronts with people seated out front, smooth, cream houses with bright fuchsia bougainvillea cascading down the walls, and a piece of jungle with multicolored sarongs on clothes lines floating. To our right, is the Bembea house.

A lot of Lamu is wonderment. There is no excitement.... that isn’t what is designed for. It is designed for slowing down and soaking in the natural cadence of life. Rose tells us Lamu Swahili is spoken with a different rythm, almost like a song (she tells us a story later of her friend, blonde haired blue eyed, who learned the language on the island and years later nearly gave a man in a hotel lobby a heart attack with how beautifully she spoke Swahili. I WANT THAT). The island’s architecture is breathtaking, lots of open windows and nods to the North African influence.

We enter our house and are speechless. Its so big, its so peaceful, there is so much space, not filled with much, save over-sized pillows and beautiful little corners for quiet. We take it all in, especially the rooftop, where Emma and I will spend a majority of our time in the house. There are kids laughing and beautiful call-to-prayer hymns Johnson describes what he will be cooking for us that night, we agree on $50 dollars at the market for food and beers, and will come back to an incredible seafood dinner in the dining room, and then full breakfast and more seafood and breakfast more seafood after that (”Look at those live lobsters!”) Charo takes us for a walk on the beach and we touch the Indian ocean, see a peach colored sunset, and little hoof marks along the beach. We see adorable woven baskets used as trash receptacles and some puppies and beautiful kids.

We have a drink at Peponi’s where we talk about how wonderful traveling with each other has been, and comment a menu item titled “Cockless Tales.” We head home for our prepared feast waiting for us, rice, beer, salad with avocado and tomatoes, and fresh shrimp, a trail of enormous ants we have to dance around. Afterwards, Mohammed comes over to the house to discuss an itinerary at the kitchen table. We hear bats and beetles (a battery beeping?) outside, Mohammed is another slow talker whose brother sails the Dhow we will be riding tomorrow and wants to discuss American politics. He is going to set us up with Hamsed, “Meta Meta,” for a tour around the town - a trusted source and lovable guy. Oh, is he lovable. We trust the great folks of Kenya. After lounging, we get into our mosquito net covered beds in our own wings of the house and get some deserved rest.

Day 8

I wake up at 5am to a call to prayer and hang out upstairs while Emma sleeps in. I call my mom and show her our house, I check a few emails, and our breakfast is brought up to us at 8am - a full setting with coffee and our beloved eggs and toast. We take a taxi with Nasir’s brother to Lamu town where Meta Meta is waiting, a small man who shuffles his feet and has the most INCREDIBLE laugh and wears a little white hat. He is like a human version of Zazu. He tells us history lessons, helps us carry our things, and guides us through the streets we would normally get lost in. He also and seems to know EVERYONE (”Are you the mayor?”). We are navigating through this labrynth, dipping in and out of beautiful houses with ancient architecture, indoor courtyards and pools, climbing up staircases to rooftops consumed with bougainvillea in and out and shops where Meta is talking to everybody like they are family. We explore open air product markets and museum courtyards, wood working shops and a donkey hospital. We see the butcher market and have to pass through quickly - there are heads in there. We eat street food for lunch on the second story over looking the water - roti, fried fish, and curry and rice, and take what we can home.

After some resting at home and sunning and a split Tusker on the roofdeck, it is time for our Dhow ride. We race down to the water to find the sweetest boat with two men, ready to take us to the mangroves. We motor to calm water before hoisting up the sail and relaxing on the water. There is a warm breeze and the sound of lapping water that puts you into a state of hypnosis. And then as we are turning the boat around to go back home, we realize the boat has stopped. Has stopped and also, is stuck. “Are we stuck?” Emma is first to realize it, and because these men are Kenyan, they refuse to give bad news, and just say nothing at all but do strip down to their underwear before jumping in to unplug us from the sandbank. We thankfully do get unstuck and see a pirate ship sailing with someone in the water being pulled from a rope, which I DIDN’T KNOW was an option, and begin to plan my next trip back here out of raging FOMO. This plus the dolphins I am missing is... unacceptable. We get asked by the pirate ship if we are going to Floating Bar, which we were obviously not down to answer, but think our driver narc’ed on us.... to “The Beach Boys.”

We pull up to Floating Bar to see what it is all about and ask for pick up a couple hours later. It is what it sounds like; a floating bar, playing reggae music, with a thatched roof, in the middle of the ocean. After moving chairs (physically....moving....chairs) to see the sunset, one of the bartenders, Johnathan, comes up to say hi. He speaks so softly you can barely hear him without having to lean in. We end up getting to know Jonathan over the course of the night - and learn he lives on the floating bar. LIVES ON IT. He bring us to the 6′ by 8′ kitchen to see how he makes french fries and keeps us safe from the Beach Boys, and we talk about his loneliness. We are sad to leave him when our ride arrives back to land.

We have a fresh lobster dinner on the rooftop and stay up too late reminiscing. 

Day 9

We enjoy breakfast with monkeys, a dip in the ocean while talking about futures, and another jaunt into town before departing for our flight. We board the plane with 20 more pounds on us (our second, very very minor fight) and arrive back at home in Nairobi in one piece.

[almajonesnjna]

Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday

Runner Aisha Praught Leer describes herself as not being the greatest athlete and as an underdog, but it is her humility and perseverance that make her Unlike Any. After meeting her birth father in 2013, the Illinois-born runner decided to run for his native Jamaica. Since then, she’s competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2017 World Track and Field Championships in London for the island nation. She set her personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar this May.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on May 22, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

As one of the newest additions to the Unlike Any campaign, we sat down to talk to her about what inspires and motivates her, how her lowest moments have fueled her success, how important sleep and hydration are and her tips for the perfect three-egg omelet.

Check out the video and read the interview to learn more about Jamaica’s only female steeplechaser:

Q: Who inspires you to be Unlike Any? What’s the driving factor that fuels your motivation?

Praught Leer: I’m not sure I can say one person in particular, but something that inspires me to be unlike any is the legacy of women I’ve trained with throughout the years in high school and college, in particular, what goes on in the life of a professional athlete and what each goes through in being an athlete and doing it as themselves.

Specifically, my summer as a pro in Europe watching these women, my teammates — not superheros, not anything more than exactly who they were — was empowering for me. Through this, I learned what I have is unique and what I have is what can drive me.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Sep 13, 2017 at 9:05am PDT

Q: What fuels your motivation? How do you make it happen?

Praught Leer: I have big long-term goals. This year I want to put myself in a position to win the Commonwealth Games and I want to lower my personal best in the steeplechase.

But what gets me going is a chain of smaller, achievable goals — daily, weekly, monthly goals. By making smaller goals, it’s powerful to see your accomplishments by putting these links together. Every day I try to maximize how I can be the best I can be today: knocking out my nutrition, getting my rest, getting my training in. By showing up for my training partner, my coach, my husband, myself.

I try to maximize all the small moments I get as an athlete. By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.

“By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.”

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Jul 8, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

Q: What makes you leap out of bed every day?

Praught Leer: My 11-month-old rescue, Leuven, named after the Belgian city where I met my husband. He puts perspective on my days, because I’m in charge of this living creature. It takes you out of yourself. It’s sometimes tough on the days when you’re really tired, but it makes you present. Having a puppy is meditative.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 26, 2017 at 4:36pm PDT

Q: What was your lowest moment that ended up launching you to success?

Praught Leer: My turning point as an athlete was my college team. My best friend and I were the two top performers on the team. We trained together, we worked together all the time. At the last second, she decided to transfer to a bigger and better school. It totally changed how I went after my goals, and it was almost like I had decided in that moment to prove anyone wrong who thought we weren’t serious and that these goals can’t be accomplished. That sort of twisted the screw for me to take  things to the next level. I really ran and trained with a chip on my shoulder because we were underdogs. No one had heard of us — of me.

I have realized in my own experience that I firmly believe that wherever you are is a starting point. If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do. It’s totally about your mindset, your commitment. I haven’t always been the best athlete; I wasn’t a million-times All-American. And I’m now one of the fastest steeplechasers in the world, and no one would’ve pegged me as that. I am proof you can do whatever you want.

“If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do.“

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?  

Praught Leer: I really like people and the human story. Just being in a high-performance environment with other people chasing their own dreams is really cool to me. My training partner won the world championships this year in the steeplechase competition. Watching someone so close to you do something so amazing from the inside of the race is something I flash to a lot. Now I know exactly what it takes.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 31, 2017 at 3:10pm PDT

Q: How do you channel competition and sometimes losing?

I thrive in competitive environments. Of course I get anxious and nervous because that’s part of the game. But you can always take something away. I go in with the mentality that I’ll give 100% of my effort. I make a plan of how I’m going to attack it and I get really excited for people when they have great experiences.

If it sucks, it does suck, and it’s important to feel that and deal with that. I give myself plenty of time, I talk it out with my friends, training partner, coach, husband. I’ve had a lot of disappointment, but it’s important as an athlete to have a goldfish brain. It happened, it sucked, now I’m moving on.

READ MORE > ON INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What’s your personal mantra?

Praught Leer: I’m smart. I can do this. I’m in control.

Q: Do you have any rituals or habits that keep you grounded and focused on achieving your goals?

Praught Leer: I think something that really helps me, especially leading into competition, is being a well-rounded person. Racing is the most important thing in my career, but for me, I can’t give it 100% power over my life, so in the days leading up to a race, one of my favorite things to do is make a point and go to the airport bookstore and buy myself a new, exciting book from the National Book Award list.

I listen to a couple different meditations and leading up to something important, if I’m having trouble sleeping, I go on YouTube and find sleep meditations. The nature of what I do means that I’m not with my friends and family — I use travel time to catch up with friends. I get lost in my world when I’m so focused on training. It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.

“It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.”

Q: What are your favorite healthy go-to foods?

Praught Leer: I tend to focus on eating real food and not stuff that comes out of a package. Especially after my time in the Pacific Northwest, eating sustainably and locally is important to me. If I could make one meal it would be a wild-caught salmon that I’ve caught myself, seasoned with salt and pepper, lemon, fresh ginger and then oven roasted and topped with beautiful greens, some chopped nuts and seeds and drizzled with a fresh, homemade dressing.

Another staple is a three-egg omelet that I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting after watching YouTube tutorials. I cook it with olive oil and eat it with a thick slice of sourdough bread, smashed avocado, spinach and fresh-squeezed lemon.

Q: Cooking in important to you. How do you make time for it with such a busy schedule?

Praught Leer: My husband (pro runner Will Leer) tackles breakfast and coffee, which is usually granola with a bunch of grains and berries and almond milk. For our wedding we requested one crowd-sourced gift — a really nice espresso machine. From there on, I take over cooking duties for lunch and dinner. We cook most of the time, but there’s always room to have a burger and fries on occasion.

READ MORE > DIANA NYAD | ON MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What are some tips you could give to MFP users to achieve their health (namely weight-loss and fitness) goals?

Praught Leer: Three things: First, sleep is the most underrated and important health and wellness tool. I find that when I’m most rested my body functions the most optimally. I’m in a better mood, my metabolism is revved, my body feels better, my mind works better.

Second, hydration is also another thing people neglect. When I wake up in the morning I have a glass of water and then a cup of green tea with a wedge of lemon — always before breakfast and even coffee. When I start my day this way I’m much smoother, my body works better. Hydrating during the day is important, too. A lot of the time your body doesn’t really know what it wants. So if you’re completely hydrated, you know whether you’re hungry or not.

And third, goal-setting and goal-sharing is really important. For a long time I found it really difficult to share my goals because I was so concerned that if I didn’t hit my goals it’d be really embarrassing. I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them. It also establishes a community. Maybe the people you share your goals with will share theirs back with you. They can help you and check in with you. I find that things come easier once you declare goals.

“I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them.“

Q: How do you unwind and celebrate your successes?

Praught Leer: I dress up, put on normal clothes, put on makeup (which I don’t do often because I’m training so much), and go out for a great glass of wine or margarita and hang with friends. When you’ve done something well to drive, drive, drive, it’s so important to pat yourself on the back. That’s something my training partner is really good at making sure we do.  

BE UNLIKE ANY WITH THESE COLLECTIONS

> Lindsey Vonn, World Champion Alpine Ski Racer > Zoe Zhang, Actress & Taekwondo Black Belt > Jessie Graff, Stunt Woman > Alison Desir, Harlem Run Founder > Misty Copeland, Principal Ballerina > Natasha Hastings, World Champion Sprinter

The post Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2BjqWmh

[joshuabradleyn]

Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday

Runner Aisha Praught Leer describes herself as not being the greatest athlete and as an underdog, but it is her humility and perseverance that make her Unlike Any. After meeting her birth father in 2013, the Illinois-born runner decided to run for his native Jamaica. Since then, she’s competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2017 World Track and Field Championships in London for the island nation. She set her personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar this May.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on May 22, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

As one of the newest additions to the Unlike Any campaign, we sat down to talk to her about what inspires and motivates her, how her lowest moments have fueled her success, how important sleep and hydration are and her tips for the perfect three-egg omelet.

Check out the video and read the interview to learn more about Jamaica’s only female steeplechaser:

Q: Who inspires you to be Unlike Any? What’s the driving factor that fuels your motivation?

Praught Leer: I’m not sure I can say one person in particular, but something that inspires me to be unlike any is the legacy of women I’ve trained with throughout the years in high school and college, in particular, what goes on in the life of a professional athlete and what each goes through in being an athlete and doing it as themselves.

Specifically, my summer as a pro in Europe watching these women, my teammates — not superheros, not anything more than exactly who they were — was empowering for me. Through this, I learned what I have is unique and what I have is what can drive me.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Sep 13, 2017 at 9:05am PDT

Q: What fuels your motivation? How do you make it happen?

Praught Leer: I have big long-term goals. This year I want to put myself in a position to win the Commonwealth Games and I want to lower my personal best in the steeplechase.

But what gets me going is a chain of smaller, achievable goals — daily, weekly, monthly goals. By making smaller goals, it’s powerful to see your accomplishments by putting these links together. Every day I try to maximize how I can be the best I can be today: knocking out my nutrition, getting my rest, getting my training in. By showing up for my training partner, my coach, my husband, myself.

I try to maximize all the small moments I get as an athlete. By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.

“By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.”

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Jul 8, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

Q: What makes you leap out of bed every day?

Praught Leer: My 11-month-old rescue, Leuven, named after the Belgian city where I met my husband. He puts perspective on my days, because I’m in charge of this living creature. It takes you out of yourself. It’s sometimes tough on the days when you’re really tired, but it makes you present. Having a puppy is meditative.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 26, 2017 at 4:36pm PDT

Q: What was your lowest moment that ended up launching you to success?

Praught Leer: My turning point as an athlete was my college team. My best friend and I were the two top performers on the team. We trained together, we worked together all the time. At the last second, she decided to transfer to a bigger and better school. It totally changed how I went after my goals, and it was almost like I had decided in that moment to prove anyone wrong who thought we weren’t serious and that these goals can’t be accomplished. That sort of twisted the screw for me to take  things to the next level. I really ran and trained with a chip on my shoulder because we were underdogs. No one had heard of us — of me.

I have realized in my own experience that I firmly believe that wherever you are is a starting point. If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do. It’s totally about your mindset, your commitment. I haven’t always been the best athlete; I wasn’t a million-times All-American. And I’m now one of the fastest steeplechasers in the world, and no one would’ve pegged me as that. I am proof you can do whatever you want.

“If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do.“

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?  

Praught Leer: I really like people and the human story. Just being in a high-performance environment with other people chasing their own dreams is really cool to me. My training partner won the world championships this year in the steeplechase competition. Watching someone so close to you do something so amazing from the inside of the race is something I flash to a lot. Now I know exactly what it takes.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 31, 2017 at 3:10pm PDT

Q: How do you channel competition and sometimes losing?

I thrive in competitive environments. Of course I get anxious and nervous because that’s part of the game. But you can always take something away. I go in with the mentality that I’ll give 100% of my effort. I make a plan of how I’m going to attack it and I get really excited for people when they have great experiences.

If it sucks, it does suck, and it’s important to feel that and deal with that. I give myself plenty of time, I talk it out with my friends, training partner, coach, husband. I’ve had a lot of disappointment, but it’s important as an athlete to have a goldfish brain. It happened, it sucked, now I’m moving on.

READ MORE > ON INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What’s your personal mantra?

Praught Leer: I’m smart. I can do this. I’m in control.

Q: Do you have any rituals or habits that keep you grounded and focused on achieving your goals?

Praught Leer: I think something that really helps me, especially leading into competition, is being a well-rounded person. Racing is the most important thing in my career, but for me, I can’t give it 100% power over my life, so in the days leading up to a race, one of my favorite things to do is make a point and go to the airport bookstore and buy myself a new, exciting book from the National Book Award list.

I listen to a couple different meditations and leading up to something important, if I’m having trouble sleeping, I go on YouTube and find sleep meditations. The nature of what I do means that I’m not with my friends and family — I use travel time to catch up with friends. I get lost in my world when I’m so focused on training. It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.

“It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.”

Q: What are your favorite healthy go-to foods?

Praught Leer: I tend to focus on eating real food and not stuff that comes out of a package. Especially after my time in the Pacific Northwest, eating sustainably and locally is important to me. If I could make one meal it would be a wild-caught salmon that I’ve caught myself, seasoned with salt and pepper, lemon, fresh ginger and then oven roasted and topped with beautiful greens, some chopped nuts and seeds and drizzled with a fresh, homemade dressing.

Another staple is a three-egg omelet that I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting after watching YouTube tutorials. I cook it with olive oil and eat it with a thick slice of sourdough bread, smashed avocado, spinach and fresh-squeezed lemon.

Q: Cooking in important to you. How do you make time for it with such a busy schedule?

Praught Leer: My husband (pro runner Will Leer) tackles breakfast and coffee, which is usually granola with a bunch of grains and berries and almond milk. For our wedding we requested one crowd-sourced gift — a really nice espresso machine. From there on, I take over cooking duties for lunch and dinner. We cook most of the time, but there’s always room to have a burger and fries on occasion.

READ MORE > DIANA NYAD | ON MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What are some tips you could give to MFP users to achieve their health (namely weight-loss and fitness) goals?

Praught Leer: Three things: First, sleep is the most underrated and important health and wellness tool. I find that when I’m most rested my body functions the most optimally. I’m in a better mood, my metabolism is revved, my body feels better, my mind works better.

Second, hydration is also another thing people neglect. When I wake up in the morning I have a glass of water and then a cup of green tea with a wedge of lemon — always before breakfast and even coffee. When I start my day this way I’m much smoother, my body works better. Hydrating during the day is important, too. A lot of the time your body doesn’t really know what it wants. So if you’re completely hydrated, you know whether you’re hungry or not.

And third, goal-setting and goal-sharing is really important. For a long time I found it really difficult to share my goals because I was so concerned that if I didn’t hit my goals it’d be really embarrassing. I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them. It also establishes a community. Maybe the people you share your goals with will share theirs back with you. They can help you and check in with you. I find that things come easier once you declare goals.

“I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them.“

Q: How do you unwind and celebrate your successes?

Praught Leer: I dress up, put on normal clothes, put on makeup (which I don’t do often because I’m training so much), and go out for a great glass of wine or margarita and hang with friends. When you’ve done something well to drive, drive, drive, it’s so important to pat yourself on the back. That’s something my training partner is really good at making sure we do.  

BE UNLIKE ANY WITH THESE COLLECTIONS

> Lindsey Vonn, World Champion Alpine Ski Racer > Zoe Zhang, Actress & Taekwondo Black Belt > Jessie Graff, Stunt Woman > Alison Desir, Harlem Run Founder > Misty Copeland, Principal Ballerina > Natasha Hastings, World Champion Sprinter

The post Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2BjqWmh

[ruthellisneda]

Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday

Runner Aisha Praught Leer describes herself as not being the greatest athlete and as an underdog, but it is her humility and perseverance that make her Unlike Any. After meeting her birth father in 2013, the Illinois-born runner decided to run for his native Jamaica. Since then, she’s competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2017 World Track and Field Championships in London for the island nation. She set her personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar this May.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on May 22, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

As one of the newest additions to the Unlike Any campaign, we sat down to talk to her about what inspires and motivates her, how her lowest moments have fueled her success, how important sleep and hydration are and her tips for the perfect three-egg omelet.

Check out the video and read the interview to learn more about Jamaica’s only female steeplechaser:

Q: Who inspires you to be Unlike Any? What’s the driving factor that fuels your motivation?

Praught Leer: I’m not sure I can say one person in particular, but something that inspires me to be unlike any is the legacy of women I’ve trained with throughout the years in high school and college, in particular, what goes on in the life of a professional athlete and what each goes through in being an athlete and doing it as themselves.

Specifically, my summer as a pro in Europe watching these women, my teammates — not superheros, not anything more than exactly who they were — was empowering for me. Through this, I learned what I have is unique and what I have is what can drive me.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Sep 13, 2017 at 9:05am PDT

Q: What fuels your motivation? How do you make it happen?

Praught Leer: I have big long-term goals. This year I want to put myself in a position to win the Commonwealth Games and I want to lower my personal best in the steeplechase.

But what gets me going is a chain of smaller, achievable goals — daily, weekly, monthly goals. By making smaller goals, it’s powerful to see your accomplishments by putting these links together. Every day I try to maximize how I can be the best I can be today: knocking out my nutrition, getting my rest, getting my training in. By showing up for my training partner, my coach, my husband, myself.

I try to maximize all the small moments I get as an athlete. By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.

“By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.”

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Jul 8, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

Q: What makes you leap out of bed every day?

Praught Leer: My 11-month-old rescue, Leuven, named after the Belgian city where I met my husband. He puts perspective on my days, because I’m in charge of this living creature. It takes you out of yourself. It’s sometimes tough on the days when you’re really tired, but it makes you present. Having a puppy is meditative.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 26, 2017 at 4:36pm PDT

Q: What was your lowest moment that ended up launching you to success?

Praught Leer: My turning point as an athlete was my college team. My best friend and I were the two top performers on the team. We trained together, we worked together all the time. At the last second, she decided to transfer to a bigger and better school. It totally changed how I went after my goals, and it was almost like I had decided in that moment to prove anyone wrong who thought we weren’t serious and that these goals can’t be accomplished. That sort of twisted the screw for me to take  things to the next level. I really ran and trained with a chip on my shoulder because we were underdogs. No one had heard of us — of me.

I have realized in my own experience that I firmly believe that wherever you are is a starting point. If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do. It’s totally about your mindset, your commitment. I haven’t always been the best athlete; I wasn’t a million-times All-American. And I’m now one of the fastest steeplechasers in the world, and no one would’ve pegged me as that. I am proof you can do whatever you want.

“If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do.“

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?  

Praught Leer: I really like people and the human story. Just being in a high-performance environment with other people chasing their own dreams is really cool to me. My training partner won the world championships this year in the steeplechase competition. Watching someone so close to you do something so amazing from the inside of the race is something I flash to a lot. Now I know exactly what it takes.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 31, 2017 at 3:10pm PDT

Q: How do you channel competition and sometimes losing?

I thrive in competitive environments. Of course I get anxious and nervous because that’s part of the game. But you can always take something away. I go in with the mentality that I’ll give 100% of my effort. I make a plan of how I’m going to attack it and I get really excited for people when they have great experiences.

If it sucks, it does suck, and it’s important to feel that and deal with that. I give myself plenty of time, I talk it out with my friends, training partner, coach, husband. I’ve had a lot of disappointment, but it’s important as an athlete to have a goldfish brain. It happened, it sucked, now I’m moving on.

READ MORE > ON INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What’s your personal mantra?

Praught Leer: I’m smart. I can do this. I’m in control.

Q: Do you have any rituals or habits that keep you grounded and focused on achieving your goals?

Praught Leer: I think something that really helps me, especially leading into competition, is being a well-rounded person. Racing is the most important thing in my career, but for me, I can’t give it 100% power over my life, so in the days leading up to a race, one of my favorite things to do is make a point and go to the airport bookstore and buy myself a new, exciting book from the National Book Award list.

I listen to a couple different meditations and leading up to something important, if I’m having trouble sleeping, I go on YouTube and find sleep meditations. The nature of what I do means that I’m not with my friends and family — I use travel time to catch up with friends. I get lost in my world when I’m so focused on training. It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.

“It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.”

Q: What are your favorite healthy go-to foods?

Praught Leer: I tend to focus on eating real food and not stuff that comes out of a package. Especially after my time in the Pacific Northwest, eating sustainably and locally is important to me. If I could make one meal it would be a wild-caught salmon that I’ve caught myself, seasoned with salt and pepper, lemon, fresh ginger and then oven roasted and topped with beautiful greens, some chopped nuts and seeds and drizzled with a fresh, homemade dressing.

Another staple is a three-egg omelet that I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting after watching YouTube tutorials. I cook it with olive oil and eat it with a thick slice of sourdough bread, smashed avocado, spinach and fresh-squeezed lemon.

Q: Cooking in important to you. How do you make time for it with such a busy schedule?

Praught Leer: My husband (pro runner Will Leer) tackles breakfast and coffee, which is usually granola with a bunch of grains and berries and almond milk. For our wedding we requested one crowd-sourced gift — a really nice espresso machine. From there on, I take over cooking duties for lunch and dinner. We cook most of the time, but there’s always room to have a burger and fries on occasion.

READ MORE > DIANA NYAD | ON MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What are some tips you could give to MFP users to achieve their health (namely weight-loss and fitness) goals?

Praught Leer: Three things: First, sleep is the most underrated and important health and wellness tool. I find that when I’m most rested my body functions the most optimally. I’m in a better mood, my metabolism is revved, my body feels better, my mind works better.

Second, hydration is also another thing people neglect. When I wake up in the morning I have a glass of water and then a cup of green tea with a wedge of lemon — always before breakfast and even coffee. When I start my day this way I’m much smoother, my body works better. Hydrating during the day is important, too. A lot of the time your body doesn’t really know what it wants. So if you’re completely hydrated, you know whether you’re hungry or not.

And third, goal-setting and goal-sharing is really important. For a long time I found it really difficult to share my goals because I was so concerned that if I didn’t hit my goals it’d be really embarrassing. I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them. It also establishes a community. Maybe the people you share your goals with will share theirs back with you. They can help you and check in with you. I find that things come easier once you declare goals.

“I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them.“

Q: How do you unwind and celebrate your successes?

Praught Leer: I dress up, put on normal clothes, put on makeup (which I don’t do often because I’m training so much), and go out for a great glass of wine or margarita and hang with friends. When you’ve done something well to drive, drive, drive, it’s so important to pat yourself on the back. That’s something my training partner is really good at making sure we do.  

BE UNLIKE ANY WITH THESE COLLECTIONS

> Lindsey Vonn, World Champion Alpine Ski Racer > Zoe Zhang, Actress & Taekwondo Black Belt > Jessie Graff, Stunt Woman > Alison Desir, Harlem Run Founder > Misty Copeland, Principal Ballerina > Natasha Hastings, World Champion Sprinter

The post Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2BjqWmh

[johnclapperne]

Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday

Runner Aisha Praught Leer describes herself as not being the greatest athlete and as an underdog, but it is her humility and perseverance that make her Unlike Any. After meeting her birth father in 2013, the Illinois-born runner decided to run for his native Jamaica. Since then, she’s competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2017 World Track and Field Championships in London for the island nation. She set her personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar this May.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on May 22, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

As one of the newest additions to the Unlike Any campaign, we sat down to talk to her about what inspires and motivates her, how her lowest moments have fueled her success, how important sleep and hydration are and her tips for the perfect three-egg omelet.

Check out the video and read the interview to learn more about Jamaica’s only female steeplechaser:

Q: Who inspires you to be Unlike Any? What’s the driving factor that fuels your motivation?

Praught Leer: I’m not sure I can say one person in particular, but something that inspires me to be unlike any is the legacy of women I’ve trained with throughout the years in high school and college, in particular, what goes on in the life of a professional athlete and what each goes through in being an athlete and doing it as themselves.

Specifically, my summer as a pro in Europe watching these women, my teammates — not superheros, not anything more than exactly who they were — was empowering for me. Through this, I learned what I have is unique and what I have is what can drive me.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Sep 13, 2017 at 9:05am PDT

Q: What fuels your motivation? How do you make it happen?

Praught Leer: I have big long-term goals. This year I want to put myself in a position to win the Commonwealth Games and I want to lower my personal best in the steeplechase.

But what gets me going is a chain of smaller, achievable goals — daily, weekly, monthly goals. By making smaller goals, it’s powerful to see your accomplishments by putting these links together. Every day I try to maximize how I can be the best I can be today: knocking out my nutrition, getting my rest, getting my training in. By showing up for my training partner, my coach, my husband, myself.

I try to maximize all the small moments I get as an athlete. By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.

“By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.”

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Jul 8, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

Q: What makes you leap out of bed every day?

Praught Leer: My 11-month-old rescue, Leuven, named after the Belgian city where I met my husband. He puts perspective on my days, because I’m in charge of this living creature. It takes you out of yourself. It’s sometimes tough on the days when you’re really tired, but it makes you present. Having a puppy is meditative.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 26, 2017 at 4:36pm PDT

Q: What was your lowest moment that ended up launching you to success?

Praught Leer: My turning point as an athlete was my college team. My best friend and I were the two top performers on the team. We trained together, we worked together all the time. At the last second, she decided to transfer to a bigger and better school. It totally changed how I went after my goals, and it was almost like I had decided in that moment to prove anyone wrong who thought we weren’t serious and that these goals can’t be accomplished. That sort of twisted the screw for me to take  things to the next level. I really ran and trained with a chip on my shoulder because we were underdogs. No one had heard of us — of me.

I have realized in my own experience that I firmly believe that wherever you are is a starting point. If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do. It’s totally about your mindset, your commitment. I haven’t always been the best athlete; I wasn’t a million-times All-American. And I’m now one of the fastest steeplechasers in the world, and no one would’ve pegged me as that. I am proof you can do whatever you want.

“If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do.“

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?  

Praught Leer: I really like people and the human story. Just being in a high-performance environment with other people chasing their own dreams is really cool to me. My training partner won the world championships this year in the steeplechase competition. Watching someone so close to you do something so amazing from the inside of the race is something I flash to a lot. Now I know exactly what it takes.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 31, 2017 at 3:10pm PDT

Q: How do you channel competition and sometimes losing?

I thrive in competitive environments. Of course I get anxious and nervous because that’s part of the game. But you can always take something away. I go in with the mentality that I’ll give 100% of my effort. I make a plan of how I’m going to attack it and I get really excited for people when they have great experiences.

If it sucks, it does suck, and it’s important to feel that and deal with that. I give myself plenty of time, I talk it out with my friends, training partner, coach, husband. I’ve had a lot of disappointment, but it’s important as an athlete to have a goldfish brain. It happened, it sucked, now I’m moving on.

READ MORE > ON INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What’s your personal mantra?

Praught Leer: I’m smart. I can do this. I’m in control.

Q: Do you have any rituals or habits that keep you grounded and focused on achieving your goals?

Praught Leer: I think something that really helps me, especially leading into competition, is being a well-rounded person. Racing is the most important thing in my career, but for me, I can’t give it 100% power over my life, so in the days leading up to a race, one of my favorite things to do is make a point and go to the airport bookstore and buy myself a new, exciting book from the National Book Award list.

I listen to a couple different meditations and leading up to something important, if I’m having trouble sleeping, I go on YouTube and find sleep meditations. The nature of what I do means that I’m not with my friends and family — I use travel time to catch up with friends. I get lost in my world when I’m so focused on training. It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.

“It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.”

Q: What are your favorite healthy go-to foods?

Praught Leer: I tend to focus on eating real food and not stuff that comes out of a package. Especially after my time in the Pacific Northwest, eating sustainably and locally is important to me. If I could make one meal it would be a wild-caught salmon that I’ve caught myself, seasoned with salt and pepper, lemon, fresh ginger and then oven roasted and topped with beautiful greens, some chopped nuts and seeds and drizzled with a fresh, homemade dressing.

Another staple is a three-egg omelet that I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting after watching YouTube tutorials. I cook it with olive oil and eat it with a thick slice of sourdough bread, smashed avocado, spinach and fresh-squeezed lemon.

Q: Cooking in important to you. How do you make time for it with such a busy schedule?

Praught Leer: My husband (pro runner Will Leer) tackles breakfast and coffee, which is usually granola with a bunch of grains and berries and almond milk. For our wedding we requested one crowd-sourced gift — a really nice espresso machine. From there on, I take over cooking duties for lunch and dinner. We cook most of the time, but there’s always room to have a burger and fries on occasion.

READ MORE > DIANA NYAD | ON MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What are some tips you could give to MFP users to achieve their health (namely weight-loss and fitness) goals?

Praught Leer: Three things: First, sleep is the most underrated and important health and wellness tool. I find that when I’m most rested my body functions the most optimally. I’m in a better mood, my metabolism is revved, my body feels better, my mind works better.

Second, hydration is also another thing people neglect. When I wake up in the morning I have a glass of water and then a cup of green tea with a wedge of lemon — always before breakfast and even coffee. When I start my day this way I’m much smoother, my body works better. Hydrating during the day is important, too. A lot of the time your body doesn’t really know what it wants. So if you’re completely hydrated, you know whether you’re hungry or not.

And third, goal-setting and goal-sharing is really important. For a long time I found it really difficult to share my goals because I was so concerned that if I didn’t hit my goals it’d be really embarrassing. I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them. It also establishes a community. Maybe the people you share your goals with will share theirs back with you. They can help you and check in with you. I find that things come easier once you declare goals.

“I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them.“

Q: How do you unwind and celebrate your successes?

Praught Leer: I dress up, put on normal clothes, put on makeup (which I don’t do often because I’m training so much), and go out for a great glass of wine or margarita and hang with friends. When you’ve done something well to drive, drive, drive, it’s so important to pat yourself on the back. That’s something my training partner is really good at making sure we do.  

BE UNLIKE ANY WITH THESE COLLECTIONS

> Lindsey Vonn, World Champion Alpine Ski Racer > Zoe Zhang, Actress & Taekwondo Black Belt > Jessie Graff, Stunt Woman > Alison Desir, Harlem Run Founder > Misty Copeland, Principal Ballerina > Natasha Hastings, World Champion Sprinter

The post Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2BjqWmh

[neilmillerne]

Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday

Runner Aisha Praught Leer describes herself as not being the greatest athlete and as an underdog, but it is her humility and perseverance that make her Unlike Any. After meeting her birth father in 2013, the Illinois-born runner decided to run for his native Jamaica. Since then, she’s competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2017 World Track and Field Championships in London for the island nation. She set her personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar this May.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on May 22, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

As one of the newest additions to the Unlike Any campaign, we sat down to talk to her about what inspires and motivates her, how her lowest moments have fueled her success, how important sleep and hydration are and her tips for the perfect three-egg omelet.

Check out the video and read the interview to learn more about Jamaica’s only female steeplechaser:

Q: Who inspires you to be Unlike Any? What’s the driving factor that fuels your motivation?

Praught Leer: I’m not sure I can say one person in particular, but something that inspires me to be unlike any is the legacy of women I’ve trained with throughout the years in high school and college, in particular, what goes on in the life of a professional athlete and what each goes through in being an athlete and doing it as themselves.

Specifically, my summer as a pro in Europe watching these women, my teammates — not superheros, not anything more than exactly who they were — was empowering for me. Through this, I learned what I have is unique and what I have is what can drive me.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Sep 13, 2017 at 9:05am PDT

Q: What fuels your motivation? How do you make it happen?

Praught Leer: I have big long-term goals. This year I want to put myself in a position to win the Commonwealth Games and I want to lower my personal best in the steeplechase.

But what gets me going is a chain of smaller, achievable goals — daily, weekly, monthly goals. By making smaller goals, it’s powerful to see your accomplishments by putting these links together. Every day I try to maximize how I can be the best I can be today: knocking out my nutrition, getting my rest, getting my training in. By showing up for my training partner, my coach, my husband, myself.

I try to maximize all the small moments I get as an athlete. By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.

“By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.”

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Jul 8, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

Q: What makes you leap out of bed every day?

Praught Leer: My 11-month-old rescue, Leuven, named after the Belgian city where I met my husband. He puts perspective on my days, because I’m in charge of this living creature. It takes you out of yourself. It’s sometimes tough on the days when you’re really tired, but it makes you present. Having a puppy is meditative.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 26, 2017 at 4:36pm PDT

Q: What was your lowest moment that ended up launching you to success?

Praught Leer: My turning point as an athlete was my college team. My best friend and I were the two top performers on the team. We trained together, we worked together all the time. At the last second, she decided to transfer to a bigger and better school. It totally changed how I went after my goals, and it was almost like I had decided in that moment to prove anyone wrong who thought we weren’t serious and that these goals can’t be accomplished. That sort of twisted the screw for me to take  things to the next level. I really ran and trained with a chip on my shoulder because we were underdogs. No one had heard of us — of me.

I have realized in my own experience that I firmly believe that wherever you are is a starting point. If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do. It’s totally about your mindset, your commitment. I haven’t always been the best athlete; I wasn’t a million-times All-American. And I’m now one of the fastest steeplechasers in the world, and no one would’ve pegged me as that. I am proof you can do whatever you want.

“If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do.“

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?  

Praught Leer: I really like people and the human story. Just being in a high-performance environment with other people chasing their own dreams is really cool to me. My training partner won the world championships this year in the steeplechase competition. Watching someone so close to you do something so amazing from the inside of the race is something I flash to a lot. Now I know exactly what it takes.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 31, 2017 at 3:10pm PDT

Q: How do you channel competition and sometimes losing?

I thrive in competitive environments. Of course I get anxious and nervous because that’s part of the game. But you can always take something away. I go in with the mentality that I’ll give 100% of my effort. I make a plan of how I’m going to attack it and I get really excited for people when they have great experiences.

If it sucks, it does suck, and it’s important to feel that and deal with that. I give myself plenty of time, I talk it out with my friends, training partner, coach, husband. I’ve had a lot of disappointment, but it’s important as an athlete to have a goldfish brain. It happened, it sucked, now I’m moving on.

READ MORE > ON INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What’s your personal mantra?

Praught Leer: I’m smart. I can do this. I’m in control.

Q: Do you have any rituals or habits that keep you grounded and focused on achieving your goals?

Praught Leer: I think something that really helps me, especially leading into competition, is being a well-rounded person. Racing is the most important thing in my career, but for me, I can’t give it 100% power over my life, so in the days leading up to a race, one of my favorite things to do is make a point and go to the airport bookstore and buy myself a new, exciting book from the National Book Award list.

I listen to a couple different meditations and leading up to something important, if I’m having trouble sleeping, I go on YouTube and find sleep meditations. The nature of what I do means that I’m not with my friends and family — I use travel time to catch up with friends. I get lost in my world when I’m so focused on training. It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.

“It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.”

Q: What are your favorite healthy go-to foods?

Praught Leer: I tend to focus on eating real food and not stuff that comes out of a package. Especially after my time in the Pacific Northwest, eating sustainably and locally is important to me. If I could make one meal it would be a wild-caught salmon that I’ve caught myself, seasoned with salt and pepper, lemon, fresh ginger and then oven roasted and topped with beautiful greens, some chopped nuts and seeds and drizzled with a fresh, homemade dressing.

Another staple is a three-egg omelet that I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting after watching YouTube tutorials. I cook it with olive oil and eat it with a thick slice of sourdough bread, smashed avocado, spinach and fresh-squeezed lemon.

Q: Cooking in important to you. How do you make time for it with such a busy schedule?

Praught Leer: My husband (pro runner Will Leer) tackles breakfast and coffee, which is usually granola with a bunch of grains and berries and almond milk. For our wedding we requested one crowd-sourced gift — a really nice espresso machine. From there on, I take over cooking duties for lunch and dinner. We cook most of the time, but there’s always room to have a burger and fries on occasion.

READ MORE > DIANA NYAD | ON MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What are some tips you could give to MFP users to achieve their health (namely weight-loss and fitness) goals?

Praught Leer: Three things: First, sleep is the most underrated and important health and wellness tool. I find that when I’m most rested my body functions the most optimally. I’m in a better mood, my metabolism is revved, my body feels better, my mind works better.

Second, hydration is also another thing people neglect. When I wake up in the morning I have a glass of water and then a cup of green tea with a wedge of lemon — always before breakfast and even coffee. When I start my day this way I’m much smoother, my body works better. Hydrating during the day is important, too. A lot of the time your body doesn’t really know what it wants. So if you’re completely hydrated, you know whether you’re hungry or not.

And third, goal-setting and goal-sharing is really important. For a long time I found it really difficult to share my goals because I was so concerned that if I didn’t hit my goals it’d be really embarrassing. I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them. It also establishes a community. Maybe the people you share your goals with will share theirs back with you. They can help you and check in with you. I find that things come easier once you declare goals.

“I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them.“

Q: How do you unwind and celebrate your successes?

Praught Leer: I dress up, put on normal clothes, put on makeup (which I don’t do often because I’m training so much), and go out for a great glass of wine or margarita and hang with friends. When you’ve done something well to drive, drive, drive, it’s so important to pat yourself on the back. That’s something my training partner is really good at making sure we do.  

BE UNLIKE ANY WITH THESE COLLECTIONS

> Lindsey Vonn, World Champion Alpine Ski Racer > Zoe Zhang, Actress & Taekwondo Black Belt > Jessie Graff, Stunt Woman > Alison Desir, Harlem Run Founder > Misty Copeland, Principal Ballerina > Natasha Hastings, World Champion Sprinter

The post Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2BjqWmh

[albertcaldwellne]

Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday

Runner Aisha Praught Leer describes herself as not being the greatest athlete and as an underdog, but it is her humility and perseverance that make her Unlike Any. After meeting her birth father in 2013, the Illinois-born runner decided to run for his native Jamaica. Since then, she’s competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2017 World Track and Field Championships in London for the island nation. She set her personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar this May.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on May 22, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

As one of the newest additions to the Unlike Any campaign, we sat down to talk to her about what inspires and motivates her, how her lowest moments have fueled her success, how important sleep and hydration are and her tips for the perfect three-egg omelet.

Check out the video and read the interview to learn more about Jamaica’s only female steeplechaser:

Q: Who inspires you to be Unlike Any? What’s the driving factor that fuels your motivation?

Praught Leer: I’m not sure I can say one person in particular, but something that inspires me to be unlike any is the legacy of women I’ve trained with throughout the years in high school and college, in particular, what goes on in the life of a professional athlete and what each goes through in being an athlete and doing it as themselves.

Specifically, my summer as a pro in Europe watching these women, my teammates — not superheros, not anything more than exactly who they were — was empowering for me. Through this, I learned what I have is unique and what I have is what can drive me.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Sep 13, 2017 at 9:05am PDT

Q: What fuels your motivation? How do you make it happen?

Praught Leer: I have big long-term goals. This year I want to put myself in a position to win the Commonwealth Games and I want to lower my personal best in the steeplechase.

But what gets me going is a chain of smaller, achievable goals — daily, weekly, monthly goals. By making smaller goals, it’s powerful to see your accomplishments by putting these links together. Every day I try to maximize how I can be the best I can be today: knocking out my nutrition, getting my rest, getting my training in. By showing up for my training partner, my coach, my husband, myself.

I try to maximize all the small moments I get as an athlete. By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.

“By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.”

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Jul 8, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

Q: What makes you leap out of bed every day?

Praught Leer: My 11-month-old rescue, Leuven, named after the Belgian city where I met my husband. He puts perspective on my days, because I’m in charge of this living creature. It takes you out of yourself. It’s sometimes tough on the days when you’re really tired, but it makes you present. Having a puppy is meditative.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 26, 2017 at 4:36pm PDT

Q: What was your lowest moment that ended up launching you to success?

Praught Leer: My turning point as an athlete was my college team. My best friend and I were the two top performers on the team. We trained together, we worked together all the time. At the last second, she decided to transfer to a bigger and better school. It totally changed how I went after my goals, and it was almost like I had decided in that moment to prove anyone wrong who thought we weren’t serious and that these goals can’t be accomplished. That sort of twisted the screw for me to take  things to the next level. I really ran and trained with a chip on my shoulder because we were underdogs. No one had heard of us — of me.

I have realized in my own experience that I firmly believe that wherever you are is a starting point. If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do. It’s totally about your mindset, your commitment. I haven’t always been the best athlete; I wasn’t a million-times All-American. And I’m now one of the fastest steeplechasers in the world, and no one would’ve pegged me as that. I am proof you can do whatever you want.

“If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do.“

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?  

Praught Leer: I really like people and the human story. Just being in a high-performance environment with other people chasing their own dreams is really cool to me. My training partner won the world championships this year in the steeplechase competition. Watching someone so close to you do something so amazing from the inside of the race is something I flash to a lot. Now I know exactly what it takes.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 31, 2017 at 3:10pm PDT

Q: How do you channel competition and sometimes losing?

I thrive in competitive environments. Of course I get anxious and nervous because that’s part of the game. But you can always take something away. I go in with the mentality that I’ll give 100% of my effort. I make a plan of how I’m going to attack it and I get really excited for people when they have great experiences.

If it sucks, it does suck, and it’s important to feel that and deal with that. I give myself plenty of time, I talk it out with my friends, training partner, coach, husband. I’ve had a lot of disappointment, but it’s important as an athlete to have a goldfish brain. It happened, it sucked, now I’m moving on.

READ MORE > ON INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What’s your personal mantra?

Praught Leer: I’m smart. I can do this. I’m in control.

Q: Do you have any rituals or habits that keep you grounded and focused on achieving your goals?

Praught Leer: I think something that really helps me, especially leading into competition, is being a well-rounded person. Racing is the most important thing in my career, but for me, I can’t give it 100% power over my life, so in the days leading up to a race, one of my favorite things to do is make a point and go to the airport bookstore and buy myself a new, exciting book from the National Book Award list.

I listen to a couple different meditations and leading up to something important, if I’m having trouble sleeping, I go on YouTube and find sleep meditations. The nature of what I do means that I’m not with my friends and family — I use travel time to catch up with friends. I get lost in my world when I’m so focused on training. It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.

“It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.”

Q: What are your favorite healthy go-to foods?

Praught Leer: I tend to focus on eating real food and not stuff that comes out of a package. Especially after my time in the Pacific Northwest, eating sustainably and locally is important to me. If I could make one meal it would be a wild-caught salmon that I’ve caught myself, seasoned with salt and pepper, lemon, fresh ginger and then oven roasted and topped with beautiful greens, some chopped nuts and seeds and drizzled with a fresh, homemade dressing.

Another staple is a three-egg omelet that I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting after watching YouTube tutorials. I cook it with olive oil and eat it with a thick slice of sourdough bread, smashed avocado, spinach and fresh-squeezed lemon.

Q: Cooking in important to you. How do you make time for it with such a busy schedule?

Praught Leer: My husband (pro runner Will Leer) tackles breakfast and coffee, which is usually granola with a bunch of grains and berries and almond milk. For our wedding we requested one crowd-sourced gift — a really nice espresso machine. From there on, I take over cooking duties for lunch and dinner. We cook most of the time, but there’s always room to have a burger and fries on occasion.

READ MORE > DIANA NYAD | ON MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What are some tips you could give to MFP users to achieve their health (namely weight-loss and fitness) goals?

Praught Leer: Three things: First, sleep is the most underrated and important health and wellness tool. I find that when I’m most rested my body functions the most optimally. I’m in a better mood, my metabolism is revved, my body feels better, my mind works better.

Second, hydration is also another thing people neglect. When I wake up in the morning I have a glass of water and then a cup of green tea with a wedge of lemon — always before breakfast and even coffee. When I start my day this way I’m much smoother, my body works better. Hydrating during the day is important, too. A lot of the time your body doesn’t really know what it wants. So if you’re completely hydrated, you know whether you’re hungry or not.

And third, goal-setting and goal-sharing is really important. For a long time I found it really difficult to share my goals because I was so concerned that if I didn’t hit my goals it’d be really embarrassing. I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them. It also establishes a community. Maybe the people you share your goals with will share theirs back with you. They can help you and check in with you. I find that things come easier once you declare goals.

“I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them.“

Q: How do you unwind and celebrate your successes?

Praught Leer: I dress up, put on normal clothes, put on makeup (which I don’t do often because I’m training so much), and go out for a great glass of wine or margarita and hang with friends. When you’ve done something well to drive, drive, drive, it’s so important to pat yourself on the back. That’s something my training partner is really good at making sure we do.  

BE UNLIKE ANY WITH THESE COLLECTIONS

> Lindsey Vonn, World Champion Alpine Ski Racer > Zoe Zhang, Actress & Taekwondo Black Belt > Jessie Graff, Stunt Woman > Alison Desir, Harlem Run Founder > Misty Copeland, Principal Ballerina > Natasha Hastings, World Champion Sprinter

The post Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2BjqWmh

[lotsofdogs]

Unlike Any: How Runner Aisha Praught Leer Finds Inspiration in the Everyday

Runner Aisha Praught Leer describes herself as not being the greatest athlete and as an underdog, but it is her humility and perseverance that make her Unlike Any. After meeting her birth father in 2013, the Illinois-born runner decided to run for his native Jamaica. Since then, she’s competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2017 World Track and Field Championships in London for the island nation. She set her personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar this May.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on May 22, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

As one of the newest additions to the Unlike Any campaign, we sat down to talk to her about what inspires and motivates her, how her lowest moments have fueled her success, how important sleep and hydration are and her tips for the perfect three-egg omelet.

Check out the video and read the interview to learn more about Jamaica’s only female steeplechaser:

Q: Who inspires you to be Unlike Any? What’s the driving factor that fuels your motivation?

Praught Leer: I’m not sure I can say one person in particular, but something that inspires me to be unlike any is the legacy of women I’ve trained with throughout the years in high school and college, in particular, what goes on in the life of a professional athlete and what each goes through in being an athlete and doing it as themselves.

Specifically, my summer as a pro in Europe watching these women, my teammates — not superheros, not anything more than exactly who they were — was empowering for me. Through this, I learned what I have is unique and what I have is what can drive me.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Sep 13, 2017 at 9:05am PDT

Q: What fuels your motivation? How do you make it happen?

Praught Leer: I have big long-term goals. This year I want to put myself in a position to win the Commonwealth Games and I want to lower my personal best in the steeplechase.

But what gets me going is a chain of smaller, achievable goals — daily, weekly, monthly goals. By making smaller goals, it’s powerful to see your accomplishments by putting these links together. Every day I try to maximize how I can be the best I can be today: knocking out my nutrition, getting my rest, getting my training in. By showing up for my training partner, my coach, my husband, myself.

I try to maximize all the small moments I get as an athlete. By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.

“By taking things step by step, hopefully at the end of that staircase is something amazing.”

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Jul 8, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

Q: What makes you leap out of bed every day?

Praught Leer: My 11-month-old rescue, Leuven, named after the Belgian city where I met my husband. He puts perspective on my days, because I’m in charge of this living creature. It takes you out of yourself. It’s sometimes tough on the days when you’re really tired, but it makes you present. Having a puppy is meditative.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 26, 2017 at 4:36pm PDT

Q: What was your lowest moment that ended up launching you to success?

Praught Leer: My turning point as an athlete was my college team. My best friend and I were the two top performers on the team. We trained together, we worked together all the time. At the last second, she decided to transfer to a bigger and better school. It totally changed how I went after my goals, and it was almost like I had decided in that moment to prove anyone wrong who thought we weren’t serious and that these goals can’t be accomplished. That sort of twisted the screw for me to take  things to the next level. I really ran and trained with a chip on my shoulder because we were underdogs. No one had heard of us — of me.

I have realized in my own experience that I firmly believe that wherever you are is a starting point. If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do. It’s totally about your mindset, your commitment. I haven’t always been the best athlete; I wasn’t a million-times All-American. And I’m now one of the fastest steeplechasers in the world, and no one would’ve pegged me as that. I am proof you can do whatever you want.

“If you start stringing together a series of goals there isn’t anything written in stone saying what you can and can’t do.“

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?  

Praught Leer: I really like people and the human story. Just being in a high-performance environment with other people chasing their own dreams is really cool to me. My training partner won the world championships this year in the steeplechase competition. Watching someone so close to you do something so amazing from the inside of the race is something I flash to a lot. Now I know exactly what it takes.

A post shared by Aisha Praught Leer (@aishapraughtleer) on Oct 31, 2017 at 3:10pm PDT

Q: How do you channel competition and sometimes losing?

I thrive in competitive environments. Of course I get anxious and nervous because that’s part of the game. But you can always take something away. I go in with the mentality that I’ll give 100% of my effort. I make a plan of how I’m going to attack it and I get really excited for people when they have great experiences.

If it sucks, it does suck, and it’s important to feel that and deal with that. I give myself plenty of time, I talk it out with my friends, training partner, coach, husband. I’ve had a lot of disappointment, but it’s important as an athlete to have a goldfish brain. It happened, it sucked, now I’m moving on.

READ MORE > ON INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What’s your personal mantra?

Praught Leer: I’m smart. I can do this. I’m in control.

Q: Do you have any rituals or habits that keep you grounded and focused on achieving your goals?

Praught Leer: I think something that really helps me, especially leading into competition, is being a well-rounded person. Racing is the most important thing in my career, but for me, I can’t give it 100% power over my life, so in the days leading up to a race, one of my favorite things to do is make a point and go to the airport bookstore and buy myself a new, exciting book from the National Book Award list.

I listen to a couple different meditations and leading up to something important, if I’m having trouble sleeping, I go on YouTube and find sleep meditations. The nature of what I do means that I’m not with my friends and family — I use travel time to catch up with friends. I get lost in my world when I’m so focused on training. It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.

“It’s grounding when I come up for air and can reach out to other people.”

Q: What are your favorite healthy go-to foods?

Praught Leer: I tend to focus on eating real food and not stuff that comes out of a package. Especially after my time in the Pacific Northwest, eating sustainably and locally is important to me. If I could make one meal it would be a wild-caught salmon that I’ve caught myself, seasoned with salt and pepper, lemon, fresh ginger and then oven roasted and topped with beautiful greens, some chopped nuts and seeds and drizzled with a fresh, homemade dressing.

Another staple is a three-egg omelet that I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting after watching YouTube tutorials. I cook it with olive oil and eat it with a thick slice of sourdough bread, smashed avocado, spinach and fresh-squeezed lemon.

Q: Cooking in important to you. How do you make time for it with such a busy schedule?

Praught Leer: My husband (pro runner Will Leer) tackles breakfast and coffee, which is usually granola with a bunch of grains and berries and almond milk. For our wedding we requested one crowd-sourced gift — a really nice espresso machine. From there on, I take over cooking duties for lunch and dinner. We cook most of the time, but there’s always room to have a burger and fries on occasion.

READ MORE > DIANA NYAD | ON MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION AND THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Q: What are some tips you could give to MFP users to achieve their health (namely weight-loss and fitness) goals?

Praught Leer: Three things: First, sleep is the most underrated and important health and wellness tool. I find that when I’m most rested my body functions the most optimally. I’m in a better mood, my metabolism is revved, my body feels better, my mind works better.

Second, hydration is also another thing people neglect. When I wake up in the morning I have a glass of water and then a cup of green tea with a wedge of lemon — always before breakfast and even coffee. When I start my day this way I’m much smoother, my body works better. Hydrating during the day is important, too. A lot of the time your body doesn’t really know what it wants. So if you’re completely hydrated, you know whether you’re hungry or not.

And third, goal-setting and goal-sharing is really important. For a long time I found it really difficult to share my goals because I was so concerned that if I didn’t hit my goals it’d be really embarrassing. I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them. It also establishes a community. Maybe the people you share your goals with will share theirs back with you. They can help you and check in with you. I find that things come easier once you declare goals.

“I found when I shared my goals (written or verbally), I was more likely to achieve them.“

Q: How do you unwind and celebrate your successes?

Praught Leer: I dress up, put on normal clothes, put on makeup (which I don’t do often because I’m training so much), and go out for a great glass of wine or margarita and hang with friends. When you’ve done something well to drive, drive, drive, it’s so important to pat yourself on the back. That’s something my training partner is really good at making sure we do.  

BE UNLIKE ANY WITH THESE COLLECTIONS

> Lindsey Vonn, World Champion Alpine Ski Racer > Zoe Zhang, Actress & Taekwondo Black Belt > Jessie Graff, Stunt Woman > Alison Desir, Harlem Run Founder > Misty Copeland, Principal Ballerina > Natasha Hastings, World Champion Sprinter

[Read More ...] http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/unlike-runner-aisha-praught-leer-finds-inspiration-everyday/

[chrystalyxpoetryportal]

Star Trek Voyager 3(C) The Tyrokans

The transition between becoming Borg and the Mind Being Numb, Controlled, and then turned back “on...”

Being “One with his own thoughts,” well, that was hell.

Months of flashbacks of being assimilated. The anger from the emptiness of becoming separated from the collective was all to hectic. Doctors sedating and then reprogramming my Nero-implants to bare the stresses of dealing with Human logic and Machines doing the thinking, for you, was bad enough.

The transition became much more rough due to the deep Chemical Bond forged between me and Darren tal.

The mind becomes sick from the loneliness. However, the bond of Ala' Vora made seizures, vomiting, and Total chemical chaos ,of the Human physiology, much worse.

I was like a child learning how to walk, talk, and learn However, the portion of me being made of computer technology made the learning portion of my dilemma as easy as uploading information.

The physical integration of Human walking, eating, emotions...This portion of my recovery was much more complicated.

The sun always looked like a tiny Christmas decoration as it's light shone through the thick transparent aluminum windows of Voyager 3.

     In the Mess Hall, Victor Ganternoff, an ensign for security, had a love for cooking. He was quite the gifted chef. Outside the computer's replicator.

      I always enjoyed his French toast. Now that my Human taste buds were able to taste, once more, I was looking forward to my Dinner/Breakfast.

 “Hey Captain Bullock.    The Usual?:   Victor had this smile that seemed to allure all of the female staff aboard my star ship. He was so excited. After exiting the academy studying Security and Minoring in Engineering, I needed his versatility aboard this new and seemingly unbroken-in machine.

  Compared to my Borg eye implants, and viable Borg flashing implants on my body, he put me to shame. Victor was a true ladies' man.

   ?I'm glad you made it aboard, uh, vic?” I smiled as my half-electronic sounding voice-box tried to sound out my emotion.

    “You look very well, sir. A lot better than at the briefing of your rank being announced. Wow. What it must have been like. Being a machine...Then back to Human?”

“Betazed...I'm Half Betazed. I was bread from a father who was Betazed and a mother who was Human.   Back in my originating century, doctor's just simply thought I was of high Intelligence. Even then, telepathy was only an absurd notion in medical sciences. Little though being of alien descent.”

My vocal processor was unique. Working with the Cortical Implants that once belonged to the Queen of Borg, originally, I was literally a walking Karaoke Jukebox. I could disguise my voice to any voice I have heard.

I was the Royal Medic Drone, Security Detail For The Queen as she regenerated, and a walking transport and assimilation center drone.

I was as close to the queen as Seven of Nine. I had a direct link to her own Nero-net. Outside of the records I read from the ship's log concerning the drone “one” born on Voyager, I was the second most advanced computer-humanoid life form in starfleet.

My computer implants could store the entire ships computer contents within a few nano-seconds. I was a walking database, Defense system, and emergency medical staff all wrapped in one body.

It's still feeling like a few weeks ago when I was captured from the Pheonix iii, assimilated, and assigned to protect and repair any damage the queen had sustained.

I could blow a hole in the side of a star ship as big as a “galaxy class” as big as three decks tall and two and a half decks wide. I was deadly, but , perfect for the “Drix” project.

Darren was doing much better the last few months. Since her revival from life support and having to relearn six months of coma life, Darren Tal was almost better than she had been before.

She felt safer with the new me. Not freaked out. She never looked at me, well, like a “freak.”

She might be connected to me biologically, however, she still could have fainted, cried, ran, or who was in denial of who I truly was.

A lot of the Starfleet staff did have a similar reaction. Some hated me. Despite the fact that I was programmed to kill, assimilate, and defend one of the most infamous leaders of a bionic race that took every civilization as it's own possession.

They never knew her like I did. She truly believed that she was bettering the worlds around here.

She had a passionate smile and a unique personality. When I snapped out of the Hive Mind, even for parts of a brief hour, I noticed her honesty and passion.

I was truly in awe of a Queen of billions of drones from the connection that was only her brain. Amazing.

Victor whipped up four pieces toast, whipped cream, chocolate chips sprinkled with powdered sugar on top. Sausage patties and O.J. “Exquisite.”   I smiled as my ocular implant messaged out the ingredients and names of the foods I was to ingest.

“You know, Vic, I feel like an Old Wikipedia Terminal.:  Laughing..

“What is Wikipedia?” Victor asked in question of my last remark.

“It was an old 21st century Earth Encyclopedia Network run and operated by it's users.”

“Interesting...You really are hundreds of years old?! Wow, sir, you still look only 37 with the implants.” - My emotions sensor could detail his honesty with the compliment. Victor was one of my most honest and loyal crewman. Outside of the famous data. He was still as functional as when aboard the Enterprise F. Except, he too, was fitted with built in weapons and skin that appeared to be so real – he was the tin man who became a real man.

“Thanks, Vic. Be on the bridge in 4 hours. I want you at one of the helms. Along side data, my wife, and My Second in Command, Harry Kim.”

I patted Victor on the back as I slid past some engineer managers and through the Dining Room doors.

Star Trek Voyager 3 – A Sweet Start

Posted on March 27, 2016 by kevinmkappler

It has been 10 years since I was once a mindless Borg Drone in a Vast Expanse of the Collective. I still have trouble waking in a standing position. Alike a horse in his stall. My Alcove reminds me of a vampire’s coffin standing upright. Outside of the Coffin lid, I’m in one. Every time I open my eyes I have to see computerized readouts and sensor readings in my head. I see those irritating blinking green lights underneath my Human flesh and realize that I am no longer, nor will ever be, full Human. “Regeneration Cycle Complete. 8 Hours….24 Minutes Regeneration Hours Logged.” That darn Voyager 3 computer might as well announce when I defecate. I understand it’s the computer’s job to monitor my Borg and Human life-cycles in order for me to stay as healthy as I can for my crew. “Xander Talias Bullock to the Sick Bay, Please…” Dr. Davinchi , a holographic life form had just announced my need for my morning implant checkup as I was putting on my Star-fleet Mandated Captain’s Uniform…making sure to keep my look nothing under, “Perfectionist.” I had an example to set for the 150 crew members I command……. That I care for, like family. My captain’s quarters were fitted with an Alcove of my own. The bed next to my hideous machine was my wife’s, Darren Tals’. Above my desk was a picture of the late Captain Katherine Janeway. One of my Star-fleet Heroines. Her personality was sublime. Her diplomatic skills were above only my own. I was to be awarded the “Diplomatic Medal of excellence” at the Anniversary of the original Voyager’s return to Earth. Checking my left hands Borg computer display, “Laser Weapons on Standby…Systems at 100%... Ready for Input.” I still feel like a living Video Game Android when I have to tweak my implants. A necessity. One reading off, Bam! Either my built in Phazers will fire accidentally or my shielding energy systems would mistake another crewman of being an enemy threat and shock them to dust. I consider myself a “Terminator,” but with a soul. Back before my time-jump to 4466 from 2017, I would have never conceived of becoming a “living Machine.” I thank the Borg Queen for that. She was a sexy machine. Brilliant…too eccentric, but so beautiful a creature. Even if “Making the whole living galaxy like us, ‘a collective of planets,” was her unchangeable goal. My best friend and now “half-sister” Seven of Nine I had to thank for being Liberated from the Collective Mind and having millions of other drones linked inside of my mind. I was alone in my mind, once more. The implants not only made my Human strength 150 times a normal Super-Bodybuilder, they warded off any disease through the Nano probes detecting viruses and blasting them dead at a micro cellular level. I have a computer inside of my head, “A Cortical Implant” that raises my original Intellect from 220 to well above an unimagined 650. I can store the who ship’s memory in my mind and still have gig quads more space left for entire planet databases. Just inside this tiny microprocessor/life support machine inside my skull 149 of the crew that served with me on the Phenix died after Seven of Nine and the Doc tried to detach the more advanced Borg 2 generation implants from their Human and Alien bodies. I still feel horrid and hyped anger towards the loss of some of the greatest people I’ve ever had the pleasure not just to serve aboard a starship with, but, to have an extended family. As we toured for 15 years together. I’ve been with Star-fleet for 25 years. 15 years… I studied…I trained…. I fought in Hand to Hand battles with the fiercest of foes trying to steal our ship and its technology. As a drone, I was one of the Queen’s personal bodyguards and medical chief to the other medical attendants in the main royal collective station in the Delta section of Space. I processed orders to terminate drones, strip them of their living machine implants, and to make sure the queens own robotic fitting chamber was at peak operation. I used merely my Borg Beacon implanted in my lower cranium to instruct thousands of drones to do my medical and security bidding at a nano-second’s notice. All the information that I had stored in my Cortical Implant as a Medical/Security Commander Drone was still intact. I’ve processed thousands of different types of Worlds and their inhabitants. Their physiology. Their history. Assimilating techniques fitted for each and every individual life form. I was originally fitted with medical laser scalpels, high powered built in phasor array weapons throughout my old exoskeleton, and I had the Night-Vision and X-Ray vision of that 100 times more advanced than any medical facility in the known galaxy. I, myself, sliced the queen’s head off when Seven of Nine managed to help my mind regain its independence. Just long enough to silence her and the plot for one species to enslave the worlds. Even through the dismantling of the extra Borg equipment, Seven of Nine seemed to care for me and oversee the “assembly line” treatment of all 150 Phoenix Crew assimilated after our liberation. After my scars from the removal of the Borg implants healed, I had to have multiple cosmetic alterations made, surgically, in order to look at my peak. Well, a more Handsome looking Human, anyway. I was brought back to Star-fleet headquarters and tested for competency. Side effects of trauma caused by the pains of being assimilated and then de-assimilated. I was in fact still 55% Borg. The Star-fleet Headquarters had to make sure that my thoughts not only remained “my own,” but, I think within normal Star-fleet Official Military Perimeters. Not only did I recover, quickly, I recovered faster than most who went through what Seven of Nine and I had gone through. Impressed, Starfleet uploaded instructions and files concerning being placed at a Captain’s level of a Starship to enable me to start work on Voyager 3 as soon as it was finished being constructed. She was a massive ship. She might look like her sister ships Voyager One and Voyager 2, however, she out-gunned and out maneuvered both of these ships put together. She was a little bit bigger than most Intrepid class ships. In fact, she had enough spaces, quarters, and computer power of her bigger related vessel…the Galaxy Class. The Voyager 3 was a Medical Defense ship. We were to have a crew of a mere 100-150. (Due to the computers running the massive vessel which could house and comfortably accommodate 1,000 individuals). She has 4 engines. Outside the front and portions of the side portions of her bow appearing to look like Voyager, she had two engines on the side and two trans warp capable engines on the tips of the wings that extended past what the original Voyager held her two side mounted engines. Voyager 3 was deemed the “B47/Concord Supersonic Starship Jet of 4483.” I was to be awarded as she was being sent on her maiden voyage. To seek out worlds in the Delta section of space who needed, but requested, medical supplies, help, and defense from local invading planets. The sickbay was unusually quiet for the night before a launch of a starship. Intro Captain Xander Talias Bullock here. I've been serving with The United Federation of Planets for over 35 years. I am Human, by birth, however assimilated by the Borg Collective ten years ago. As I was on duty as Chief Security Officer aboard the U.S.S Phoenix II. The Phoenix was a research vessel with a Trans warp Prototype Warp Drive. Captain Tom Tucker and all 100 of the ships occupants were also Assimilated by the Collective. I was liberated 1 year later as Seven of Nine attempted a recovery mission of our missing crew members. Sadly, I was the only subject to survive a medical procedure to remove Borg Implants and restore our Original Physiology. 55% of the Borg Implants were removed. Alike Seven of Nine, I am almost Half Borg. I was born in an earlier time, as well. A time travel vessel (the U.S.S Chrystaline) was successfully completed and deployed to a target time on Earth; 2017 A.D. I was randomly picked to be transferred to the future in a science experiment to see how the time line would hold after removing 12 subjects from 4 different eras back in time, and from 4 different Planetoid Cultures. 1816,1916,2016, and 2216, from Earth, Cronos, Vulcan, and Delphi 6 were the Time and planetary targets. The experiment was a success. All of us test subjects were trained, at Star-fleet Academy, according to our mental, physical, and telepathic abilities. I was discovered to have above average Human Intellect at a score of 220 and a Telekinetic Ability to communicate through other Humanoid minds and "push" them to do what I had instructed through my mind. I was found to have terrific diplomatic skills. So naturally, Security and Engineering were my education agendas at the Academy. Now I command the Voyager 3. One of two prototypes constructed after the original Voyager's destruction 35 years ago. We travel through the Delta Quadrant and provide protection, education, and medical aid to those Planets in need of my services. .. Darren Tal looked beautiful in her long,black, Paris French Dress. Her long black hair curly and shiny. We were attending the Launch of my ship, "The Voyager Three." I was seated in the captain's chair in the center of the bridge right by the tactical and security posts. Tal wished to fill the position of "Chief Engineer." Her application was denied due to our spousal status and so she was allowed to act as ship's counselor. She was a kind heart. Bold. Brave. Perfect for the job. My pilot was Zen Dyak. A Vulcan who majored in starship design and creative engineering. He had quick reflexes and a brilliant and colorful mind. He had , like most Vulcan's, little to no emotions. However, he did show them, more than others of his species, from time to time. So I chose him. Bridget Darvey was from Scotland. She had twelve years of experience of weaponry and tactics aboard a galaxy class ship "The U.S.S Defiant 2." She was getting used to an Intrepid/Galaxy Class Mix with Borg Technology implants. (Due to my experience with the Borg, by being Borg, I had the technology replicated and installed). Steven Flikas was my Head of Security. Ironically, Harry Kim (an old crewman of voyager 1, seasoned but still able for his post on a star-ship had stepped up for position as my commander. 2nd in command. He was perfect). We were lucky enough to even get Data. From the Enterprise-D. We were quite grateful and honored to have such a famous and gifted Chief engineer and Tactics Official. He, too, stepped up for a ride on this newer breed of Star-fleet vessel. The crowd was heavy and quite large at the launching of Voyager 3's Ceremony. Tal was Standing Beside me in her New Command Uniform, holding onto my hand as she was never to let it go again. It was a new journey in a new ship. Policing areas in space. Trying to find a Terrorist Group calling themselves, “The Drix.” Since data was a living machine. A non-organic life-form, myself a half breed of sorts, and the Doctor, Picasso, a Holographic Life-form were threats to the drix... As they have the means and some twisted reason for wiping us all out. “Word has it, that the Drix are great Camouflagers. They know how to hide in the dark, in plain view, and are so cunning – one might think that one of us could be one of the members of this terrorist group. Aiming to wipe out all living non-biological life forms. Being from many different species of Humanoids, the Drix have no boundaries. Ex-star-fleet officers, Klingons, and even Vulcans have joined this brutal Cause. Anyone who hates the Borg, well, the word has it, The Borg is even Intimidated.” - Data explained the character of our enemies as the ships systems were turned on and my check-list for pre-warp take off was initiated. Pressing a touch screen on a panel fitted on a wrap around arm on my chair, I started my preflight announcement. “Attention. Crew of the Voyager 3. I am proud to be acting as your Official Captain, Xander Talius Bullock. All systems are go for launch and I advise all of you to take your stations as we prepare to leave the docking port. I am honored to have you as my crew and family. As you know, this mission shall be a long and treacherous one. We shall start our way to the Delta Quadrant, Shortly. As soon as word is given, our Slip Stream Drive and Trans-warp Drives shall be placed in operation.. Making our trip a quick and feisty one. All systems have been rechecked and tested by Star-fleet, so, we have a Green Light. As soon as we reach the Delta Quadrant, I shall then make another announcement for all senior officers to meet in my planning room for more details on how mission “Fox-Hunt” shall be completed. Thank you and enjoy your journey's start.” “Helmsman, ladies, take us out...” The beeps and clicks of their touch screens could be heard as the pilots tapped at their helm controls and engaged our impulse drives long enough to get us 50 feet away from Starbase 1. Just over Earth and Orbiting the most beloved home I had ever known. Tal was not born of this planet and she worried, long before we had accepted this mission, if we'd see her newly found and loved lands, ever again. The comforting sensations of our “Shared Heart” body signals kept her at ease. As we shared a unique commitment even beyond what marriage was even considered to be. We both loved it. As we were physically and mentally one with one another. We we two parts equaling one. Seeing her eyes in my mind's eye helped me get through even the longest of moments where I could not be holding her, tight, by my side. Darren Tal never fully explained the origins of her home world. As far as Star base computers could explain, her and her family were crew-members and life residents about a generational ship. Running for over 400 years. Up until the first Voyager met up with them. Many of them, including my beloved Tal, wanted to be free of the confinement of the ship. As her related species were Xenophobic. The were afraid of any outsiders, whatsoever. Meeting my heroes Kate Janeway and Seven of Nine brought some of those fears to rest. In the late 1970's, just when I was originally born. Before the time travel experience of 2016, they had started their journey as a smaller exploratory vessel. I had mentioned to Tal how I believed that our two species could be related. She didn't doubt it. We just could find the evidence. That some of the Varron Natives were in fact mutations of other Human beings on Earth. Their generational ship was clearly not from the delta quadrant and another species, the Krol, were a reptilian race who were our cousins. It just fit. I had some features that were identical to Counselor Troy's of the Late enterprise D. A Betazoid. Scans revealed I had a brain structure just as advanced as her race. However, I was still a native to the planet Earth. “Stay strong, my love.” I heard Tal's brainwaves broadcast into my own subconscious speak. “Helm....Engineering....Stand by For Trans-warp Engine Startup and Engagement on my mark...” “Five....Four....Three....Two...Turn down Impulse Drives and Give me Trans-warp at Warp 8.9” “Engaged, sir.... “ Zem Dyak exclaimed. “Perfect.” Smiling, Commander Kim seemed to be in sync with me in expression of relief that this new technology didn't have some form of new and out of the box bugs to kink out. “How do systems look Data?” “All functions are at normal parameters, Captain.” “Bridget, How about weapons and shields?” “A little bit jumpy there, Mr. Bullock. But, she is humming like a hummingbird in Spring.” - She smiled as I enjoyed her Scottish whit and phrases. “Xander, we shall be in the Delta Quadrant within two hours.” - Harry Kim calculated due to the Trans-warp Engines taking over the regular warp drive.. Voyager three had four reactors. Very big and powerful liquid plasma trans-nerve connectors and synaptic fluid fuel particles being processed like a human brain. Amazing. The huge cylinder shaped canisters of “intelligent anti-matter-positive matter processing systems” reminded me of huge brains. In reason, the two were similar. The cores were “intelligent.” Sort of like Data. We had the first warp cores that were fully Automatic. They also are the first to “think” and “feel” also to “reason” just like Data's Transmatric Nero Network that made up his living machine. His mind. In fact, data had made the selection of creating the first Artificially Intelligent Power System ever constructed. Our computer had a male voice. Funny how times change. It was a middle aged, gentle, however bold sounding tone that made me think of my Sixth Grade Drama Teacher. Tony Farella. So, I nicknamed the Computer 'Tony.” The processes of my Borg implants needed regeneration in 12 hours. So I had to make sure all my duties were done and all reports were filed. So Tal and I could spend some much needed romantic alone time together and Seven of Nine, who ironically was part of the crew as my personal physical attendant (due to her own experiences with me in the past and my Borg Equipment Operation Skills) she could maintain my critical systems if the access nuclear fission in the core or any of my implants should malfunction. I had a few scares when my lasers fired off and wounded some security guards at the academy while I was training. We were studying self defense. Instead of boxing or a kick knocking an opponent down, I accidentally had a reflex where my laser defense system armed itself and injured two security. Along with cutting another instructor's hand off due to a panic attack. Once Seven of nine taught me how to control my laser implants through new programming techniques and new organic thought reflex exercises, I was declared “Fit to continue training” after six months of Seven tutoring me in the art of “Being Human” instead of “borg.” I seemed to learn and recover fast psychologically when it came to most experiences. Medical and or emotional. After being given two extra chances to relive my life...Before the time trip and after the Borg Assimilation and Integration to the Queen's Hive Mind. I concerned these more than miracles of chances that were being given unto me by Star-fleet. The individuals, as well. Who helped me regain my human and Machine traits. I would often talk at length about my upbringing with my wife, Tal, and our Twelve year old Daughter, Chrystal Anne. In all due logic, I was over 400 years old and I looked like I was still in my twenties. (If yo exclude the Borg Eye sensor covering my Left eye and the bionic portions of Borg Shielding glowing through my skin in green flickers of pulses. I'd laugh with Tal and my daughter after I'd joke about going back in time and walking through “da-Hood” (Ghetto) as a borg drone. “I'd be my own worst nightmare to all. No boy would step up to this scary son – of – a -bitch.” Tal gave me credit for surviving such a hard life before becoming a trans-time individual sought as a candidate for their “Time Era Adaptation and Reintegration Project.” Most of my memories were still coming back in spirits since my assimilation and becoming liberated from the collective. It was also the sickness from Olan'vora. Olan'vora was a Varro biochemical reaction. During and after mating, the epidermal skin illuminated. Psychological bonding increased with our exposure,to one another, stimulating the areas of the brain responsible for love. Allowed to advance, the olan'vora became permanent and Tal and I became biochemically linked. Separation thereafter was rare, however, up until this point the effects would diminish in a matter of months with decreased exposure. Withdrawal symptoms could be unpleasant. However, Tal and I were constantly together after we had met. Months before away missions due to training and serving as an ensine about the Phoenix ii. If we were to be apart for more than a month, we had to keep in visual and auditory contact within every five days. If we had to be physically separated for more than a month, hypo-sprays warded off the severe medical dilemmas of our Biochemical inter-linkage together. At times, Tal and I became so sick, I had to stay in sick bay for a week at a time in order for my chemical biological makeup to be regulated. Harry Kim became romantically involved with Derran Tal, a Varro female. She didn't believe it was possible for a Human to be affected by olan'vora. I disagreed, as well, with Tal. “I think we still originated from a similar species back on Earth. Whether primate or reptilian, like the Flox, we too are quite similar. (Outside of sex being a little bit more than just plan intercourse). When Tal and I made love, we would have foreplay, however, the chemicals in her saliva and Vagina walls were quite powerful. While I would penetrate her, her vaginal walls would swell and become tighter. Little fibers inside of her vagina would become stimulated and act like thousands of tiny needles. Prickling into my skin and then longer-yet into my veins. Her body would extract her secretions into my penis and through her hands as she touched my body. Injecting hormones alike when a man ejaculates. Stimulating me even deeper. The injecting nodes, or 'hair fibers' were not painful. I could feel them for a second as itchy mosquito bites. Then, when her ejaculations began, she would secrete her chemicals into my body and deepen the euphoric and orgasmic state. Her receptors also removed some of my chemical markups and hormones into her own bloodstream. Slowly, but surely, making us “interconnected” as a single biological unit. Every time we had sex or even held each other. Our bodies worked together in fusing one another together. Her vagina would glow. After awhile so did my penis. Chemically, I started becoming more feminine and she, a tad masculine. It was fantastic. Her eyes would transmit signals that only my subconscious could comprehend. Our brain chemistry became one as well. Her tongue would also wrap around my uvula and exchange fluids, as well. It didn't choke me, rather, it made us even more aroused. Ass I started to have oral sex with Tal's Vagina, similar things happened as she orgasmed as I had orgasmed. My tongue would glow and so would her clitoris. Her vaginal fluids tasty quite sweet and were intoxicating like alcohol. Sex with a Varro Female was so intense, I'd love to die while pleasing the woman I loved. Even at first glance. When I bumped into Tal in History and Technology Class. Just one look into her brown eyes that first time and I could swear that we both knew we would be husband and wife. I knew that part of the Varro mating ritual was where the Female drew in her potential mate, whom she first became drawn too, through her invisible eye signals beamed to me from her own chemicals causing her brain to change light frequencies in her pupils. The smell her body put out while I was nearest to her drew me even closer. Her hormones smelt so good, sweet in fact. I was physically desiring her, but yearning for her like a hungry man who has not eaten a speck of food in weeks. I was quite hungry for Darren Tal's body. I really was looking at marrying an Asian lady by the name of Lilian Drang. A student studying for her engineering career. Lilian and I had been intimate for six months after I had started the academy. Until shortly after this, I met Tal. I couldn't look at Lilian any more. Even our emotional involvement becoming seriously tied together wasn't enough from Tal drawing me closer from Lilian. Lilian was quite hurt by my leaving her. I couldn't explain to her why. I just didn't know at the time. Somehow, I just needed Tal. The first few times I was sexually involved with Tal, was in my Dorm room that Lilian and I shared, together, as a serious couple. A few times when Lilian walked in, she had caught Tal and I making love. She could see that Translucent glow shining in the dark before Lilian turned the lights on to confront us, until she ran off traumatized. Leaving the door wide open behind her. I tried to apologize. At times Lilian accepted my apologies and told me if I never saw Tal again, we could still get married, as planned, within the next six months as we had planned. Her father, Dol, owned a freighter service for supplies being brought in to and from the academy. Every time I tried to stay away from Tal, I'd get physically and emotional sick. A few times, I ended up in the infirmary. Having hypo-sprays pumped into me, with no success. I was drawn back to Tal without even a word being said. Two months later, Tal and I were married instead. The birth of our Daughter came next. The Varro Female went through labor for days before the offspring would be born. Even then, our hands must be touched , and my presence be assured if the two were to survive the birthing process. If I hadn't been there, for any reason, both Tal and our Daughter , Chrystal, would have died during birth. Holding Tal's hand as she pushed and pushed our child out into her living world, I could note becoming entranced and our thoughts being melded into one. Our daughter's subconscious mind was with us as well. “Hello Father, Hello Mother.” - Her voice echoed through our united consciousness. “we are now three... a life forever meant to be... one and forever...Our shared Hearts. Now we have a united family.” Both of us started to glow with green translucent colors as our baby daughter cried for the first time. A bright light passed, into and out from our conscious unity ,before we had reclaimed our conscious moments apart from the mind meld. Full of sweat, me and Tal smiled and hugged each other. I picked the baby girl out of the doctor's hands and held her to me. Her little smile was just lke her mom's. She had my eyes. Chrystal Blue. “Chrystal...” we both said in unison as we came up with the name , together. “Anne” was Tal's idea. From that old movie I played for Tal from my childhood, “Annie.” It just fit. So, Chrystal Anne Bullock was born at 2:00pm on a Friday evening. As my attention ran back to the present, our ship was in Trans-warp. The flickering energy waves on the main display screen appeared psychedelic as we were speeding closer and closer to the Delta Quadrant. "We shall reach the Delta Quadrant in 30 minutes present speed" Data announced. "Good. My first order as your Captain, a relaxing break in the mess-hall for an hour, then a board meeting covering scans to be performed for any DRIX Activity in our entry point of this area, and a mapping of all current Drix Locations as transmitted to the computers by Star-fleet." - I smiled after feeling "overwhelmingly Important" as I sat in the center chair. I tried not to show too much ego, however, it is natural for someone in my position to display some sort of gloat. Tal was rapidly getting more and more healthier, since our kiss of “Hello.” She was moved to a general Medical room in Star-fleet's medical center.. I came to visit her 4 hours every day. After my training on operations of the systems aboard Voyager 3. Which was docked at Star-dock Alpha-One. She was a beautiful ship. I had six chairs of unique leather fitting ,for me, and the five officials to be stationed along side of me. Two helmsmen stations , two tactical and weapons stations, two communications centers, and two medical/engineering/science centers. All-in-all, we had a huge bridge. A lot more automated than the other vessels that I was stationed on. The bridge was more comfortable to sit and navigate with than the Enterprise d. It was so simple to operate, that as long as you were captain, one could operate the whole ship by himself. I needed my engineers and science officers, to help make repairs and also calculate star charts and time variables. We have two physicians. The Chief Physician was the old Doctor EMH Hologram turned “Holographic Life form,”as he became self-aware aboard the original Voyager. Since my Borg implants and technology were the most compatible with the newest of technology aboard Voyager three, I was needed to train additional crew members on how the Trans-warp arrays, Borg tactical weapons arrays, and Klingon Cloaking Arrays worked. My brain was filled with every detail file on the newest of star-fleet prototypes. I was a walking encyclopedia on anything Star-fleet. Since my Borg cortical implant was stronger than any other Borg, I had more memory and quicker assimilation qualities of information than any being aboard this new vessel. People could learn from me. My telepathic abilities aided me in communicating with any crew member lost without a com badge. I was equal to the Betzoids and Vulcans in their telepathic abilities. Added the fact that I could transmit a vocal message into anyone's mind and actually sense their response. Even if they were millions of miles apart from me. Each time I sat in the Center chair, in the Captain's command row of Voyager Three, I felt a strong emotion of pride and power as I looked to the front of me at the Central View Screen. “Tal would love sitting beside me at the moment we had to fight off an attack. She could see her husband in action.” - I'd often talk to my wife about pushing her weight aboard Voyager 3. As ship's counselor. And starfleet agreed. Tal was good with others. A soothing personality and soul. That special trait that brought us together shall keep the crew on this ship comforted and felt cared for. The Experiment that brought me into the 24th century was brought on by Star Fleet. Individuals who were destined for an eternal end with no offspring were chosen to participate. I, was one of those subjects chosen. It was 2017. December. The cold Chicago morning brought shivers up my spine. I had finished a recording session for a new album I was worked on, “Cold Dust..” which I was certain would be a techno dance hit. It was 12:00am. I was so tired, that I could barely get to my 2017 Freight-liner Rv. As I unlocked and opened the front driver's side door, a bright purple light lit up from above and harsh winds started to form all around the studio building and the RV. Looking up, it appeared to be a weird looking aircraft. A small shuttle, but without the jet engine sound. It was quite silent and interesting in shape. It looked like a small fighter space plane from battlestar Galactica. (One of my favorite space series). Avoiding a collision of it and myself, I jumped into my truck, quicky started the engine and skidded away. For a moment, I thought I had lost the medium sized craft. “Good, no where in….” before I could finish my sentence, a bright light illuminated all around me and my truck and slowly we disappeared and ended up in the shuttle craft ,itself. It was the size of three cargo jets. Mostly touch screens and fancy displays that, I, myself had never seen before. A young lady, along with what appeared to be two larger male security guards, appeared before me sitting in my vehicle up in the cargo bay area of the ship. The two Security guards were holding two weird looking rifles and my heart beat harshly quick and quite hard from all the excitement. I fainted. 12 hours later, as I awoke feeling as if I were tranquilized like a horse, I noticed a weird circular scanner sliding towards the middle of my body from the sides of the bed that I was lying on. “Awake, I see. “ - a Blondie haired Doctor who looked around 35 walked towards my bio-bed and started tapping on the touch screen portions of the bed's holoscreens. “Welcome to the year 2350. You have been chosen for a top secret reintegration and behavioral testing program that we liked to code, 'Project Retouch.'” - the gentleman had a soothing smile and a calm sense to his demeanor. However, the idea of being in another time seemed too far fetched for me to believe. “No way, sir. As advanced as all your equipment is, I believe you are government F.e.m.a. agents trying to expose to a new sort of interrogation technique to.”

I then sensed the man's thoughts and realized that we were,in fact, in the early part of the year of 2350. “How did you get to Earth, how do you know English, and I did have a feeling that time travel was possible…"What part of the government are you with...” shortly after stating my reaction, the doctor's thoughts were picked up by my psi talents, “He shall adapt quite well being that he is quite intelligent. Star-fleet training it is.” I heard his thoughts, as I thought the doctor hadn't noticed. Tapping his recommendations on his small touch pad chart computer.

“ahh, a telepath. I see. I had underestimated you having the ability. Most humans lack the proper usage of their whole brain in order to even understand how to even go about using that sort of mental talent.”

Outside of appearing completely human, he had pointed ears and weird shaped eyebrows.

“I am Vulcan. Dr. Zen is my name. Chinne Zen.” - we shook hands, however, after shaking hands – the doctor injected me with some sort of tranquilizer so I could sleep during the ride back to our secret base on the planet Zenox 5.

The memories of my integration into this new time period, the advanced technology of this era, and the different beings I had encountered over the last 35 years still remain fresh in my mind, to this day.

I found out through the Planet's database (later that year) that I was part Betazed and part human. I had one other alien race in me. Varro. A coincidence, yes, but not surprising. I always had a feeling that some Human beings were far fro what they had appeared to be and assumed that a lot of Humans , that I thought were weird, turned out to be inhabitants from another part of the galaxy. I was proved right, yet again, in assumption.

Tal had explained to me that the Generational ship that she had lived on, started it's journey during the early 1970's. In 1973 portions of the ship broke off. They had twelve living pods at the time and three pods fell to Earth and crash landed on the Northern portion of the globe. Part in the Americas and parts of Asia.

She figured the news out while she was Engineer and scientist aboard their ship as she plotted with countless other Varro sisters and brothers to break away from the solitary existence that their Xenophobic relatives forced them into.

Figuring out that the pods could work independently after technical modifications were made shortly after the emergency separations of 1973 and 2012, her idea for the synthetic virus could ensure their escape from solitude 12 fold.

After flying her pod to a nearby Star-base Space Station about 25 light years from where their ship had broken off into pieces and the original Voyager had left their potion, Tal asked around and found some computer information from a Ferengi that proved accurate to where their race had come from.

Some were, in fact , from Earth. They had fixed their pod's warp engines and flew to different parts of the galaxy.

Some were explorers who merely were products of intimidating aliens that had just steered clear of other species and continued to find other portions of the galaxy to inhabit and go to.

She explained that a planet name Varrion 5 became too congested to live on and that the politics of the era were corrupt and unjust. So a group of scientists and scavengers but the soon to be generational ship from spacecrafts,parts salvaged from their homes, and parts purchased and or salvaged from items acquired from space stations and other jobs they came across, were built into the ship of exploration and community.

I understood why she felt so trapped upon the generational ship. Avoid everyone all the time meant lonely hours and limited cultures from which to learn new facts from.

Being told where to go and how to get there is “slave's life,” I had agreed.

I explained to her , that we were not too much different in lifestyles (while she was aboard the generational ship) whee I was living back in the 21st Century. When money was still in use and government power was still in it's Childhood phase. (Before Star-fleet was created and money was too much of a burden to carry, anymore before the system abolished the use of paper and coin currency).

Before the invention of Dr. Cochran's. The Warp engine. We were grounded, Cuffed to our planet, and unaware of other life forms. Until “First Contact” of 2135. (I told her that was a guesstimate as I was so bored in history class at the academy). I learned much better, hand's on, before I was assimilated into the Borg Collective. Now, I could just scan books, computer terminals, and use my assimilation tubules and suck the information out of a person, item, or computerized mechanism and just learn.

Smiling, I'd kiss her neck gently and whisper, “That's how glad we got to know each ether's bodies and spirits 'hands on.”

Darren Tal would giggle and her face would become all flush.

I reached the turbo shaft number one. As the doors went to slide closed, Darren Tal rushed to join me on the bridge.

“Hello My Love......Have a sweet breakfast break?” - the sparkle in her eyes never ceased to amaze me. It was breath taking.

“Victor Made the most amazing French Toast, for me, this evening. I figured, 'we are scanning the start of the Delta Quadrant for Signs of Drix Terrorist Attacks. I have to be fueled and ready.” - smiling, Tal kissed me deeply and we held hands, not just as Captain and Ship's Counselor, but as Husband and wife.

I was so grateful to have my life back, again.

This time, to honor those fallen and those who risked their lives to get me to where I am at, today, I'll destroy every last participant in the Drix Movement.

Even if this Voyager seems to get stuck, lost, in yet another part of the galaxy.

   The bridge was quite busy. Harry Kim at his chair, instructing Data where he wished to take our ship first. Then to call Victor to the Bridge. Data was already at his post, efficient as ever.

The Borg Mind Released.

Posted on December 1, 2015 by kevinmkappler

Here is the start of Star Trek Fan-Fiction, that I am writing, as a spin-off to the original “Voyager.”

 Voyager 3, The Borg Mind Released- Pathway to Insanity

Captain Xander Talias Bullock here.

I’ve been serving with The United Federation of Planets for over 20 years.

I am Human, by birth, however assimilated by the Borg Collective ten years ago. As I was on duty as Chief Security Officer aboard the U.S.S Phoenix II. The Phoenix was a research vessel with a Trans warp Prototype Warp Drive.

Captain Tom Tucker and all 100 of the ships occupants were also Assimilated by the Collective. I was liberated 1 year later as Seven of Nine attempted a recovery mission of our missing crew members. Sadly, I was the only subject to survive a medical procedure to remove Borg Implants and restore our Original Physiology. 55% of the Borg Implants were removed. Alike Seven of Nine, I am almost Half Borg.

I was born in an earlier time, as well.

A time travel vessel (the U.S.S Chrystaline) was successfully completed and deployed to a target time on Earth; 2017 A.D. I was randomly picked to be transferred to the future in a science experiment to see how the time line would hold after removing 12 subjects from 4 different eras back in time, and from 4 different Planetoid Cultures.

1816,1916,2016,and 2216, from Earth, Chronos, Vulcan, and Delphi 6 were the Time and planetary targets. The experiment was a success. All of us test subjects were trained, at Starfleet Academy, according to our mental , physical, and telepathic abilities.

I was discovered to have above average Human Intellect at a score of 220 and a Telekinetic Ability to communicate through other Humanoid minds and “push” them to do what I had instructed through my mind.

I was found to have terrific diplomatic skills. So naturally, Security and Engineering were my education agendas at the Academy.

Now I command the Voyager 3. One of two prototypes constructed after the original Voyager’s destruction 35 years ago.

We travel through the Delta Quadrant and provide protection,education, and medical aid to those Planets in need of our services.

Throughout the Galaxy, species are being destroyed. Through the aid of an Anti-Borg/Cyber-organism Society naming themselves the “Drix.”

The Drix are secretly spread out in locations throughout all quadrants of all Known Galaxies.

Weapons, which are made up of a computer virus,nano-probes, and a biological virus, are being deployed through launched photon torpedoes,probes, food supplies, mutated Borg assimilated technologies,sent communication signals, and stolen Federation Technologies.

Such tech was already infected with both a virus weapon, nano-probe devastation measure, infected biological agents, and hidden program codes.

A weapon was designed to infect cyber-organisms, alien life forms ( which are Holographic life entities), or Borg Forces with a triple function biological, mechanical, and tissue mutation virus.Nana-probes were programmed to destroy hardware and living tissues from within the body. Finally chemical Mutagens were placed in adjunct to create the ultimate killing machine.

A super-deadly weapon that causes organs (inside the invaders biological systems) and The Mechanical Computer/Program/Life support/Internal Operating System Centers in Biotech Organisms to mutate.

The Mutagens, which are Contained in strands of these coded viruses, Destructive Nana probes,and chemical agents; within each weapon, such a weapon targets both biological DNA and computer hardware Systems (in cybernetic life forms).

This weapon forces changes, to both the Biological DNA Structuring and The Mechanic Hardware Portions of a Cybernetic Alien’s Physiology. Life Support Systems, Programs, and Physical Memory Systems are attacked..Until all components are permanently shut down and damaged.

Internal organs mutate, from within DNA Strands inside of every organ. Until all organs shut down ,die,and become useless, the virus keeps replicating and attacking from within the Alien’s body.

All hardware ceases to function,permanently. Due to the nano probes attacking all working machinery. When the computer virus erases all hardware programming codes , and the results are death, only then will the weapon finish its function.

The Drix do try and overthrow Planetary Systems, which had already been populated with Borg, and Cybernetic Life forms. Fear , confusion, and effects on the beings not targeted by the Drix, are ridden with health and telepathic mind psychosis plagues, as a side effect of a poorly planned war of hate war weapon. Such threatens all United Federation of Planets inhabitants. Measures have been taken to reprograms all Planetary Computers to become autonomous guardians. Monitoring activity of all Drix colonies they seek out,locate, and monitor. Through Probes, Federation Star ships, and Communications grids

My ship, Voyager 3, was designed to execute such a mission. We are one defense against a growing threat that threatens to endanger large races through a Hate Crime brought on by a past that should have been forgotten long ago.

Darren Tal had not seen me in over a year after the Borg infiltration. She was so certain I was lost as a drone that she became deathly sick. Due to her Varro Physiology, her and I were mated for life. I had just been released from the Starfleet Medical Facility and the only difference she’d see in my face is my left eye was a huge,flat and glowing red sensor and my hands were lined with assimilation tubules and display/laser output components.

My hair was the same. So was my smile. I was not full human, but, I was fascinated in my new function. I felt like Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Terminator.”

I was on my way back to our home, located in the personel housing complex on Shuttle Magnex, when the call came in over the loud speakers. “Darren Tal’s Health has Responded. Repeat, Darren Tal’s Health has Responded. Condition updated from Critical to Stable.”

I, too, felt quite a bit more healthier and energetic. In Darren’s culture, their mind’s could sense their mate from 100 miles away. As long as they were within planetary local.

 Star Trek Voyager 3 – Part Three..reuinion.

Posted on February 1, 2016 by kevinmkappler

“Xander? IS that you?” Darren Tal was hooked to scanners, pumps, and a life support system awhile Xander was a Borg General Drone in the Borg Collective.

She had remained critical until Xander leaned over and kissed Darren on the Lips just like waking “Snow White” from her Coma Slumber.

Amazingly, Xander’s Memories flooded his Cortical implant. The pair glowed a brighter green than when Harry Kim from Voyager first met and dated Tal almost 25 years ago. She looked so beautiful and young. Even though she was in her late fifties.

Her age never showed. When Xander  was entranced by Darren Tal’s beauty aboard the Phoenix ii, she appeared as if she were 23.

This time, they were both crew members and cleared for such an affair. I was the Chief Security detail at the time. That first kiss tasted like Honey and my body felt as if I was floating in the Heavens.

This kiss was no different. However, Tal was doomed to die since Xander and her were permanently bonded in the process of the Olan’vora.

“I remember , that in the collective, my implants would fail due to Tal and I being separated by force. The Borg queen had to install a special pump to keep my biological systems alive due to them trying to shut down after being away from Tal for only three months.

“I had no memories. I am thinking that our separation caused severe Brain Trauma and Tal’s kiss returned the missing chemicals back into my blood stream…through this beautiful reunion and sweet honey kiss.”

 I turned to the doctors who were still quite cheerful about Tal regaining consciousness after a coma that lasted for almost two and a half years.

“Well, Two of Twenty-Nine. Do you remember how the Queen finally released her grasp do you?” – Seven of Nine also looked quite young for a Borg drone of 55.

I had sensed it was a trick question to get me to explain to Tal that I had murdered the queen of the Borg by slashing off her head with my built in Laser scalpels that had been installed in my arms.

Pulling a seat nearest to my Lovely wife, I asked how our twelve year old Daughter, Chrystal, was doing. If she had succeeded as a recording legend…She so wanted to become a legend. To honor me. After I was stripped from her almost three years ago and her mother flat-lined shortly after.

Chrystal stayed by her mother’s bedside..until she heard of my liberation. The scheduled return date to this moment- when Tal and I could be successfully reunited.

“Xander,dear, I don’t really know.” Tal’s sweet and soft laugh always made me grow more and more attached to her. The luminescent shine returned to us.

” Funny, how must a Borg Drone Looks all lit up like a Green Light Bulb.” I hugged my wife very closely to  me. We held onto each other as if we had our life to depend on it.

“Your daughter did not become a musician. Rather, she succeeded you in returning to Starfleet Academy and became one of our youngest pupils.

“She is studying the Borg. She is on the Chapter covering your Mentor, Xander, Captain Kate Janeway.” – a familiar voice echoed from across the room. It was Harry kim.

“You look like hell, Xander. But, that’s what I have always liked about you. Your strength. How even through hell and back, you never stopped.” – Harry Stood nearest to the foot of Tal’s medical bed.

“Thanks, Harry for being such a great support. Xander, Harry looked after me after I had fallen sick from Olan’vora.

Smiling, i hugged Harry for protecting my dearest part of my life’s force. Next to serving to protect the Fleet….as I was briefed on the way over to Tal’s Critical Care Unit. I was briefed over the Voyager Three Multi-Tech craft. I was to be the Captain.

“Tal, even better news. You tell her Xander.” – Harry smiled as he pushed for me to start with the better news before answering Seven’s question Concerning the grip of the Borg, the Queen, and my life.

“Voyager is not the last in Line. Neither is two. I am the captain of the Voyager Three Multi-Alien Technology craft project. Against a rebel terrorist group calling themselves, the drix?” – I looked at Kim for a confirmation of the group’s name.

“yep. That’s it.” – Kim slapped his fists together, in a feisty and friendly manner as he did when he was in a cheerful mood.

“Voyager Three, honey, well, this is a lot to take in.” – Kissing her forehead.

“Tell me, what will she do?” – Tal laughed as she asked me for the details in a humorous and flirty way.

She can cloak like a Klingon Bird Of Prey. Fire while Cloaked. She can achieve Trans-warp flights while cloaked and armed like a Borg Cube, and She is the Biggest Ship, now, in the fleet. ”

“wow…. and my forever dearest is at the command of such a powerful ship?” – Tal kissed me delicately in pride as she was told that her husband would serve on the most advanced star-ship ever conceived by Starfleet.

 “Two of Twenty Nine of Adjacent One. You Never Confirmed the Reasons  of Why The Borg Queen allowed you to be liberated..In the first place. I think you need to tell her….Or should I?”

Seven was in a determined frame of mind that I would not be able to avoid her question. She knew I was scared to explain to my newly Conscious wife, Tal, that I had executed the leader of the Borg Species.

“How did you get away from the Queen, my love?” Tal held my sweaty hand as she knew I was quite nervous. She always knew. We were telepathic. Connected by soul and Blood.

 “Nooo. You…You Didn’t,Xand, you Didn’t?” – Tal picked up a stray telepathic thought of the incident behind the queen’s murder.

 Tal was a firm believer in the preservation of life.As was I. Before I had no other choice but to end the Queen. I felt guilt, anger, and satisfaction of revenge…all wrapped up into one.

 Seven smiled, hung her head and placed her left hand upon my shoulder as I tried to explain to my sweet Tal, that I had no other choice but to murder the queen through Decapitation. How the queen ordered me as her chief medical and royal tactical Security Drone. How I was the one Drone to lead the attack on Earth to Assimilate, once again, millions of lives.

The torture of Implants painfully installed into my body. The screams and horror of me being experimented on as the Queen “Perfected” Her most advanced and powerful Drone ever to be assimilated into the collective.

I didn’t have to say one word. Tal heard my Telepathic tears and memories pouring out of my mind into hers.

 Sobbing, I lowered my Half-Robotic Head to her chest.

 Messaging my back of my head, “I understand my love. You had no other choice.”

Tears flowed from Tal's eyes as she relived my memories with me.

 “She’s gone and you are with me…..Safe and one.”

We were now in the Delta Quandrant. Thanks to Voyager 3(c)'s new TraceWarp engine revamp. We just seem to “ooze” as we traveled as if we were simply “zapped” out of the Alpha Quandrant. Out our space dock.

She flew quite smoothly. The advanced weapons and cloaking engineering was superb.

Scotty would have fell in love with this big sweety.

Three reactors fueled her. We used dilithium gel, instead of crystals. Such ended up three times as powerful concentrated and in liquid as it quickly was pushed and converted in the warp reactor's plasma.

“Captain,” another small vessel has been detected by our sensors. Do you wish me to open hailing frequencies?”

    “Data made this deduction quite quickly. I was always amazed by his technology. Even though my own Borg tech was even more developed than his.

Part of his Emotions chip could pick such up. Yet, my Betazed emotions made such even more powerful clearer.

My left ocular implant also displayed his emotions color.

Any living entity, bionic or organic,(such is sensible by my brain which also was organic).

The vessel was lengthy, wide, and it resembled a larger Varro vessel. My family was before me and my emotions were tingling.

Sensing all of the entities aboard, “250 life forms are aboard and life support is failing.” - Data spoke.

“Commander Kim. Go to transporter two with general of security, Jessie Wilcox. Both of you shall beam aboard the Varro vessel and see what casualties exist. Doctor Divinci shall accompany you to aid the injured. Keep me posted.”

 “Yes Xant.” - Harry

Tapping my comm badge, “Xander to Dr. Devinci. To sickbay. Priority alert. “

“Yes, Captain Bullock...I was just enjoying a mid-evening concerto with Ensign of Medicine, Keith Geid.” - Mr. Divinci , as one knows was a legend from the first Voyager, won my selection as ships Captain of Medicine.

Gied looked italian. But, was almost 75%  Greek. He grew in San Francisco training at Star Fleet Academy to win the title, “Chief Medical Officer” aboard a ship.

At the top of his graduating class, he flew aboard the pheonix 3's medical rescue starship. Acting as resident physician to captain Myers.

He was quite impressive. He was brilliant and an artist with skilled hands in surgery.

A medical tricorder was almost unnecessary as illness (from as many as 100 species) was amazing stored in his Half Klingon and Human mind.

His father was a general “Xang” in the Klingon high command and his mother an English Nurse studying an outbreak of Kardasian Xenionervosis virus infections.

She met Xang as he defended Kardasian during the Marque rebellion. Such was put to rest as their services proved invaluable in outer and more lethal locations of the galaxy.

With cunning command, Xang could wield his power very stealthy and in a quick and ingeniously plotted manner.

I aided the President of Star Fleet when I was freshly graduated from Star Fleet. Before I boarded the Pheonix.

We met as I went to detain him, however, the Marque and him proved useful in this Drix war as it had been discovered and as I was taken and first assimilated bt the Borg.

They were quickly renamed the “Starfleet Shining Marque Squad.”

These wars remind me of Earth's World War 2. Outside of it being in the far reaches of space.

They wore blue silk jackets with black fire shaped shoulder shades (instead of standard starfleet colored schemes.

Their badges were also redesigned as a Glossy Sparkling Silver Right Shing “M” as they were our “Secret Spies.” (As comparable to Earths historic Cia from my home country, The United States.

Mars was my favorite vacation. As newly connected vessel's commander stood before me, he reminded me of the Martians in which the legendary and historic “Area 51” of Earth's American Territorial Arizona portrayed. Of Yesteryear.

He stood about five feet three and no inches. White long hair. Bigger head, green chrystal shining eyes, white eyebrows, stern jaw, and long green skin with suction cups on his fingers. Such reminded me of the old time “Gyco(tm) commercials.

The little lizard driving his small red jaguar, reminding us to “Save on Car Insurance,” however humorous, this being was a lot (in similarity) as he spoke.

“Commander Tyoc, I bid you greetings and ask of you, do you require any assistance from the United Federation of Planets. I am Captain Xander Xavier Bullock of Star Fleet Command aboard the Uss Voyager C. “ - With a smile and my ocular implant glowing red,green,and purple, my Borg implants could immediately identify him as Stolaxian. From Planet Solaxus 9. Far off in the start of the Delta Quadrant, they were of scientific research and peaceful research communities . The damages to his vessel appeared to be of internal provocation or some actions that were accidentally overloading the reactors and systems of his smaller Stolaxian Cruiser.

Shaped like a silver and green King Crab, this 55 personal vessel was quick as ours, however, a little bit in technological  similarity as the Vulcans.

These beings were, also in fact, telepathic. I could hear all 55 minds blazing into mine. I could filter them. Of course. I am Betazed and Borg. Neat? Not to them. Their logic confused them with me being of questionable motive.

“I can assure you Commander, I mean no harm to you or your vessel. I am liberated.” - I ended speaking due to the lack of response and sensed fear in these poor drifters.

As they were failing in life support and propulsion systems and had five crew members seriously radiated by radiation burns from a overheated reactor core.

“We know of your kind. We trust no contact from the Borg.”

“The vessel you command, is this a trick or indeed, a fact in origin?”

Commander Tyoc also broadcast curiosity in his feelings. I nodded my head as I smiled from finding, what I considered in my instincts, maybe some  new allies?

Do you know of the Federation? I am the real deal, my friend. I have been liberated from the Borg and fought against my kind in the liberation from the Borg attacking my far reaching planet Earth. Situated in The Alpha Quadrant. Trillions of Light-years, almost five years in travel. I assure you, we are assigned to rescue, investigate and challenge threatening species trying to conquer and harm other planetary systems.” - sitting back down in the Center chair, Tal Sat next to me. Relaxing after nervous feelings appeared, then to calm, after I broadcast relief to her, telepathically.

“ooh. Most impressive Captain Bullock.”

Tyrok explained research concerning an anti-drix weapon project evolving nanobot detection,countermeasure, and medical damage reversal of damages to the species inflicted by their cruel weapons.

“I applaud your efforts and your Planet's concern with the Drix outbreak and cruel intentions of mission.”

Smiling, I clapped as I responded with charm and integrity.

“Thank you Bullock. I can sense your Telepathy. You are an empath?”

“No, Telepath,Telekinetic,and also Bionic.” - smiling.

“That is a powerful trait in, what species? Betazed?” - Tryok was quite intelligent and , as well, charismatic.. Unlike the Vulcans , who were sterile sounding, and sometimes narrative, in vocals, like a computer.

“I like your personality. How's about you and your crew board Voyager C as our guests, get fixed up, and enjoy a great feast with us? Our gift to our meeting? AAA e?”

“I'd be of honor, captain. We shall prepare for transport in a moment.”

“Captain Bullock to sickbay. Beam the injured there. Security.... Meet the Tyrokans at Sickbay and dock 2. Arm phazers on stun....Go to yellow alert. Notify Starfleet that we are assisting a damaged vessel and greeting a new contact. Non volatile or threatening.”

“Yes, Captain” - the comm officer obeyed and Starfleet concurred.

[loving-jack-kelly]

I'm adding my own tags bc I like them <3

#and davey coming along and being insecure because how can he compete with these friendships?#while crutchie and race privately worry that davey coming in means they get forgotten#when really what happens is davey gets absorbed as a new part of the group#and it's not the same because how could it be when he doesn't share so much the way they do?#davey will never speak jackcrutchierace the way they do no matter how well he speaks jack because he wasn't /there/#but he can be there for jack just as solid and steady and true. and he can laugh with crutchie and race. tease them and#joke around with them and let them be part of his life too#he can learn that it's totally normal to wake up to race cooking breakfast in their kitchen when he lives six subway stops away#and totally normal for crutchie to show up at dinner time and sit at the place at the table jack set without being told with words he had t#and crutchie and race settle into the norm of knowing that davey is for jack in a way they aren't and that doesn't mean they're losing jack#it means they're gaining davey

Jack Crutchie and Race childhood best friends who took turns sleeping at each others' houses when things were bad at home, who spent so much time together that they practically have their own language, who understand each other so well they don't even have to speak to know what's going on, who are so casually affectionate and loving with each other that all of the have been accused of dating the others more than once, who are each others' stability and solid ground and constant through everything life throws at them.