#maxi loves a one sided partnership

[fazcinatingblog]

Usama Mir has something in common with the great Seb Gotch, isn't that lovely

[cringetownusa]

KH ANON HERE AGAIN!! i have continued my silly AU (it’s a bit long but )

max pretty much just coughs and sputters and asks where the siblings are trying to go. “ever heard of a, uh.. disney castle?” yakko says, and max immediately explodes. he starts to reconsider his adventuring for a moment. he tells the siblings to follow him, and he heads backwards to his town. along the way, he explains his story, and they explain theirs’; they’re looking for information about their parents, and he’s looking for an adventure. yakko comes up with an idea. they end up setting camp late at night, the other two sibs asleep before he playfully elbows max. “why don’t me and you form a partnership, maxxy? you want an adventure, and i’m definitely going on one, eh?” . max agrees, and the gang are now going to be on their own quest. yakko is a bit of a worrywort when it comes to his siblings, so he tells them to stay in town while him and max go on a little walk to map out what’s around disneytown. (think of how caring he was in wakkos wish. also this will not stop them by the way do you think dot would simply let this slide.. NO WAY) due to max’s role in the kingdom, he’s able to get them a place to stay in the castle (they cause havoc once or twice but queen minnie thinks they’re silly). when yakko finds out that the king is missing and queen minnie doesn’t know about the warners’ parents (they have somewhat of an idea that they were well known, but haven’t figured out they were royalty.) the quest continues, dot and wakko swearing up and down to stay on their best behavior and not move an inch (LIES!)

dot and wakko plan to sneakily follow their brother on that little walk until they run into a certain trio of ducks.. none other than HUEY DEWEY AND LOUIE (in KH canon theyre their classic selves but this is an AU so i say they are their dt2017 counterparts..) dewey LOVES adventure and you know who has a history with lost family adventures? exactly. the boys feel for the warners in that sense, and they don’t have much on their plate besides running the shop.. so what’s a little adventure… (oh no guys pls stop being reckless WHERES UNCLE SCROOGE)

meanwhile yakko and max are getting along GREAT. they find out they have quite a lot in common. yakko realizes outside of his sibs, he really doesn’t have any friends, but thinks this is a really good chance to get to know someone and make a friend as well (cough… or more…) and although he may think he’s super smooth and suave he hasn’t really ever actually FELT what it’s like to have a crush, so he is completely taken aback by why he’s sweating so much and fiddling with his hands around this guy he just met a day ago. max is in the same boat, and he’s more obvious about it, but yakko thinks he just is a awkward person (affectionately speaking of course). max opens up to yakko about his current situation, and how even though he loves his dad, he wants to feel like more of a max goof and less of goofy’s son. yakko opens up to max about how he loves his sibs but can’t help but feel worried about letting down his sibs (caring big brother moment </3) all at the same time, yet he doesn’t want to show them a side of him that isn’t silly and collected. max is just like .. oh man i know what that’s like, feeling like you have to be something you can’t always be, but you’ll realize that the people who love you will love you for you. and yakko hugs him. which is unexpected for BOTH of them but it is gladly returned, and then the two cough and turn away from eachother. “uh.. thanks, max. thank you.” “NO PR-*hyuck*oblem” “is that your laugh? oh maxie ol’ pal, no wonder you’re a goof. i like it. *wink* *taps him on the nose*” (cue max exploding inside moment.)

*wakko and dot inside a nearby bush with a pair of binoculars shared by both of them*

“is he crushing?”

“Oh yeah. BIG time.”

(also i love the HC that yakko’s eyes turn into hearts and his tail wags around max that is so cute. i cant.) i picture him looking around and walking into Huey dewey and louie’s store and being like.. hey you guys have sunglasses by any chance?

“uh isn’t it winter?”

“Don’t ask.”

(i have more about this AU i’ll send next time, MORE ADVENTURE !! this was more about them in the beginning stage HAHA)

Ok Hi I literally got to this months late I'm not great at staying on top of my askbox. This is SO cute I love Yakko and Max's bonding, I love the little nose boop, I love Yakko still being a worrywart for his siblings. I LOVE that Yakko catches on REAL fast that he's going to have to start hiding his eyes, he knows right away this is a big time crush, even if he's going to deny everything lol. I share the eye headcanon, although if you're familiar with me and my fics you knew that already. Do you have any of this written somewhere?

[sincerelythedarkside]

Who We Are || Part VI

Pairing: Dark!Steve Rogers x Dark!Reader

Summary: You know what you want out of life. You want to be loved—to be safe. You want to be taken care of and to take care of someone who will appreciate it. But you’ve been shackled, trapped in a never-ending nightmare. And your only saving grace will be enticing the dark side of America’s golden hero to want you—a game of who’s manipulating who.

SERIES WARNINGS: 18+ ONLY. MINORS DNI. Dubcon sex, noncon/rape, somnophilia, manipulative behaviour, possessive behaviour, dark themes. Do NOT read if these are triggering for you.

CHAPTER WARNINGS: Non-con touching, dubcon between Steve and Reader if you squint.

[Set after Civil War & the Accords were abolished]

Note: Whoops, it's been a while. I'm sorry! But long chapter to make it up? I will not lie, the rest of the chapters will straight up be explicit smut and unhinged steve.

PART I || PART II || PART III || PART IV || PART V

Count: ~6k (sorry, had to make up for the very delayed update >&lt;)

➵➵➵☽☾➵➵➵

"I'm so proud of you, baby girl."

You tried to not grimace, making sure to keep your face neutral as Henry grinned at you.

You had told him that you were invited to Tony Stark's birthday party—how the Avengers had shown up at your work and you befriended them. Henry had been enthused as he'd been trying for years to get Tony to sit down and have a meeting with him for a potential partnership.

The day arrived, and you were slowly getting ready before Henry appeared in your room. You both knew that he couldn't be in here too long before your mother would start calling him since it was close to dinner time.

Henry pulled you close, his hand flying to your ass as he groped it tightly. Groaning, Henry pressed his lips against yours, forcing his tongue through to taste you.

You stood there, limp in his arms and eyes open, resisting the urge to bite down on his tongue.

"Shit, it's been way too long since I've had you," Henry moaned as he pulled away slightly, his cock hard and hot against your thigh. "Between work and your mum, I haven't been taking care of you at all, have I?"

The words how you don't want him to fucking take care of you get caught in your throat, and all you could manage is a nod to appease Henry.

"I'll make time for you soon," Henry promised as if you're a neglected willing lover. "Make sure you talk to Stark about me tonight. I've been trying to secure a meeting with him for ages."

"I will," you said quietly, and Henry was satisfied enough. He gave you one last slap on your ass before he took a step back.

"How are you getting there?" Henry asked. "Do you need a ride?"

You shook your head. "Tony arranged Steve to give me a ride," you lied.

"Captain America?" Henry raised his brow, and you nodded.

"He'll be here in an hour," you said, turning away to signal Henry you still needed to get ready. Henry thankfully let you be, grunting he'll see you downstairs before you go and that Captain America better at least introduce himself.

When you were alone once more, you took a seat at your vanity mirror. Your lips were plump from Henry's assault, and the sight of them made you feel ill.

Still, you carefully began to put your makeup on, ending with the perfect shade of lipstick for you. You took one last look at how well you seem put together, almost laughing at how you just wanted to shatter your reflection.

You swallowed, standing up and making your way to your closet. You hadn't bothered going shopping as you had plenty of dresses, some even never worn.

You quickly went to find your phone to send a text.

You: what colour is your suit?

Steve: Navy blue. Why?

You smiled as you went back into your closet. You wonder if Sharon had been thoughtful enough to do what you were about to do. Pulling out a formal navy blue maxi dress with tiny embedded gems littered throughout you hadn't worn before—a gift from Henry. You put it on and walked to your floor-length mirror.

You posed strategically, your leg hanging out of the slit of the dress and your hand on your waist as you took a picture to send.

You: [image]

You: what do you think?

Steve: You look absolutely stunning, sweetheart. Hope this is your choice for tonight. I love it.

You: I was hoping you'd say so 😊 See you soon?

Steve: I'm on my way. ETA 30 mins.

You throw your phone back onto your bed as you head back to your vanity mirror to do your hair.

You silently went through your plans for tonight. This was a perfect opportunity since Henry was so eager for you to network with Tony Stark. You had lied and told him that you'd most likely be drinking as to not alienate yourself and would spend the night in one of Tony's guest rooms. Henry allowed it.

Your first goal was to get closer to the other Avengers, so they wouldn't find you so suspicious or look into you too much. If you had the chance, flirt with other people in front of Steve.

But the most important part of tonight was two things.

Drive a wedge between Steve and Sharon.

Get physical with Steve again.

Weeks had passed since the last time the two of you kissed. You had done your time being bashful around him. So, tonight, your goal was to get Steve's hands all over you again.

You exhaled heavily.

➵➵➵☽☾➵➵➵

"Hi, I'm Steve Rogers. It's nice to finally meet you."

Steve extended his hand, letting Henry grasp it in a firm hold before they shook twice and let go.

"Oh my gosh," your mother gushed. "I can't believe Captain America is in my kitchen!"

Steve smiled at your mother's evident enthusiasm as he let her shake his hand vigorously.

His eyes flittered over to yours as you had your head tilted with a teasing smile. Steve felt like a teen again when he first saw you. He felt like one of those boys who had a colony of butterflies in his stomach, and he was taking out his crush to dance.

You were so beautiful that Steve could've stared at you all night.

But he couldn't, at least not right now.

Blake's words still rang clear in his head. This was his opportunity to try to get to know Henry, your stepfather. This was his opportunity to show Henry that Captain America was a much better choice than a nobody like Blake.

Yet, as they stood there chatting idly, Henry hadn't seemed impressed with how Captain America was your friend and escorting you to the party.

Henry barely seemed to like him at all.

Steve barely could contain his clenched jaw as you loop your arm around his, leaning over just enough to kiss your mother on her cheek before waving them goodbye for the night.

When you finally got into the cab with Steve, you gave him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, my mum can be...enthused."

Steve shook his head, placing his hand over yours so that you wouldn't pull away and remained close to him.

"It's fine," Steve smiled lightly. "Your stepdad didn't seem to like me too much."

Steve watched the way you licked your lips before gnawing on the corner of your bottom lip momentarily.

"Henry..." you paused as if mulling over the right words. "Henry isn't really fond of the Avengers. Tony Stark is different since he's a businessman and a billionaire."

Steve pursed his lips. He shouldn't be so surprised. There were plenty of people who weren't fans of the Avengers. Of course, those people had no concept of what the Avengers did to keep them alive either.

"Is there a particular reason he doesn't like the Avengers?" Steve asked.

Steve smiled as you settled into his side, pressing up against him as you leaned your head on his broad shoulder.

"My stepdad is someone who likes to have a lot of control over every aspect of his life. There's an order to everything he does and he doesn't like it when people try to uproot that," you explain quietly. "The Avengers, Captain America specifically, fight for freedom, right? It doesn't affect Henry personally, but on a fundamental level, it goes against what he believes."

Steve had to resist shivering when your hand trailed down to his, flipping his hand over as you traced the lines of his palm.

"Captain America fights for what he believes is right, isn't that so? You fight for that for every person because that's our right—to be free to live the way we think is right as long as it's not infringing on anyone else's freedom," you trace a circle in Steve's hand, and he closes his hand to catch your fingers.

Steve needed you to stop because the sensations were travelling from his hand all the way to his cock.

"Yes," Steve said as he cleared his throat a little. "The price of freedom is high, but me and many others are always willing to pay it." The words were familiar to Steve as he felt like he's said them so many times.

You hummed as you lifted your head to gaze up at Steve. His hand tightened around yours as you squeezed back.

Steve wished for so many things at that moment. He wished that he could kiss you. He wished that he didn't have to keep Blake holed up because he was in the way. He wished that Henry wouldn't become an issue because it was clear he was.

Steve wished that you understood how much he was willing to do to have you.

Because you were someone who understood him as a person, weren't you?

"Nobody understands the true price of freedom," you said softly. "Freedom isn't to be asked for nor bargained. And I think we should be done asking for permission or forgiveness for it, don't you?"

Steve felt like he was burning. He felt like his groins were on fire as his body heated up.

Everything you were saying rang in his head, seeping in for him to mull over later. It was important. You were saying something important.

Steve swallowed. "Yeah."

➵➵➵☽☾➵➵➵

Steve watched you from afar.

His eyes couldn't stop following you as you flittered across the floor, mingling with all sorts of people. You were good at those kinds of things, it seemed.

But what Steve really liked was that even as you talked to other people, you would look at him once in a while and send a playful wink before returning to your conversation.

"She seems like a nice girl."

Steve looked over and saw Sharon in an emerald dress, nursing a drink in her hand.

The way Sharon said it seemed a little miffed, but Steve pretended he didn't notice. She had been like that all night since the two of you arrived in matching outfits and all.

Steve didn't really understand the problem. Sharon had known in advance what Steve would be wearing. If she wanted to match, she had plenty of time to do so.

"Yeah," Steve said, not really elaborating on what Sharon commented on.

"It's good she's getting along with the others," Sharon said offhandedly.

That got Steve to smile.

He liked that you got along with his friends.

You won over Tony easily with a genuine comment about Tony's place while also matching his quick wits.

Steve had to admit he felt a little jealous of how fast you got along with Bucky and Sam, giggling when they both flirted with you. But when you winked at him, he didn't think anything of it.

Natasha had been welcoming, and you seemed thankful for it, seeming a little shy and starstruck at the sight of her. Natasha had commented to him later how cute she thought you were.

The only person you seemed nervous around was Wanda, not that anyone would know but Steve. It was subtle, but the way you blinked a little more when you were nervous gave you away.

It was curious, and Steve hoped to catch Wanda alone later to see if she caught what you were thinking.

"Maybe she can spend more time with the others. She said she's single, right? I think Barnes or Wilson would be interested in her," Sharon said, and it caught Steve off-guard.

He turned his head and looked at his girlfriend. "What do you mean?"

Sharon gave him a look and smiled. "She and Barnes had great chemistry when they were talking and Wilson hasn't stopped looking at her all night."

Steve's eyes immediately when to find Sam's and found what Sharon was saying was true. He was looking at you while you talked to Bucky.

Something dropped in Steve's stomach, watching the way Bucky leaned close to you and whispered something in your ear that made you giggle and shove him a little.

His jaw clenched.

What were you doing? Weren't you the one who made it obvious that you couldn't be with him because of Blake? And now you were standing there, letting Bucky flirt with you and giving him all your sweet smiles?

Steve had to be conscious of how hard he was holding his whiskey before he shattered the glass.

"Do you wanna leave early?" Sharon asked, her tone dropping into a seductive low.

"No, I can't. I'm her ride back," Steve muttered.

"Just let Barnes or Wilson take her home," Sharon suggested, but that only seemed to set Steve off even more.

Steve just knows that Wilson would flirt with you the whole ride home, maybe even try to convince you that you should head back to his place tonight.

Bucky would flirt, but he might be too stiff to actually do anything. He'd been like that since coming back. Light-hearted but too fearful to actually do anything serious.

But with the way you smiled at Bucky and joked around with him, it might give Bucky the courage to go for more.

"No, she's my friend and my responsibilty. Besides, it's Tony's birthday. You know we'll be the last to leave." Steve's tone firmly suggested that was the end of that, and it made Sharon huff.

Steve knew that Sharon wouldn't accuse him of anything more than that being a good friend. It was just how he was.

"I'm going to go catch up with others. You should mingle more too," Steve said as he downed the rest of his whiskey before leaving Sharon behind.

What Steve wanted to do was go over to where you were right away and disrupt whatever was happening between you and his friend. But he couldn't. Not without looking suspicious to Sharon.

So, as he walked, Steve made his way to Wanda, who was chatting with Vision.

When he approached, Wanda noticed him from the side of her eye and leaned in to ask Vision to get her a drink. The synthezoid seemed to catch on before he kissed his girlfriend on the cheek and drifted off.

"Hey, Wanda," Steve greeted with a smile as he leaned in to kiss her cheek himself.

"Steve," Wanda greeted back, tilted her face to let him catch her cheek more easily. "Are you having fun?"

His deep chuckle caused Wanda to smile. "Tony's parties are always somethin'. He's showing off his suit again."

"Showing off his big toys are the few joys he has in his life, we should be happy he's isn’t moping. Nothing good ever comes from Stark moping," Wanda smirked.

"That's very true," Steve said, his word lingering. He desperately wanted to bring you up and wasn't sure how.

Wanda seemed to pick up on it even if she pretended she didn't.

"So, your new friend seems sweet," Wanda hollowly commented.

"Yeah?" Steve tilted his head.

Wanda nodded.

"Did you..." Steve paused, unsure how to ask, but Wanda wouldn't answer his questions even when his words stretched this time unless he actually asked.

"She seemed nervous," Steve finally said. "Stressed lately. I was wondering if you picked up anything from her mind."

Wanda regarded Steve for a long moment, and it was unnerving. He was about to tell Wanda to forget it when she seemed to acquiesce to him.

"The truth is I can't hear anything from her," Wanda confessed.

"What?" Steve furrowed his brow together with concern. "Like her mind is blocked?"

Wanda nodded.

It made Steve concerned, but Wanda merely shrugged it off.

"There are some people I just can't seem to get a reading from at all. It's rare, but it does happen," Wanda admitted. "Some people are natural shields. And well, some people..."

Wanda tilted her head while Steve gave her an expectant look.

"Some people who experience enough trauma in their life—ongoing or even unprocessed—can create enough of mental shield as a coping mechanisim and as a result, keep me out." Wanda crossed her arms as she said it, looking mildly uncomfortable.

Steve blinked, surprise overcoming him at the information. Worry gnawing at him at the implication.

"What do you think hers is...?" Steve finally asked while Wanda quirked her brow at him.

"You tell me, Steve," Wanda said. "You're the one who's her friend."

➵➵➵☽☾➵➵➵

The night dragged on as you spent a lot of time between each Avenger.

Except for Wanda.

Wanda made you nervous. You had heard and read in the news what she was capable of. The details of the Accords had been leaked and in them contained information about each Avenger.

There were brief notes about Wanda's ability, but one stated that she could see your mind, which made you wary.

You did your best to not think of anything revealing when you were with Wanda. She didn't seem to act out of the ordinary, give you any strange looks, or seek you out alone. So, you were going to assume everything was fine. Still, it was best to not risk anything.

As long as you didn't give the Avengers a reason to think you were strange, everything would be fine.

"I'm surprised Stevie has left his little comfort zone and befriended someone outside our line of work."

The comment brought you back to reality, and you refocused your eyes to Bucky again.

"Is it that strange?" You asked with a smile.

Bucky chuckled a little. "Stevie's a little...resistance to change. I know it sounds odd with him being Captain America and all, but in his private life, he likes things to stay the same because it's comforting."

You thought part of that was true.

But in your opinion, Steve didn't like things to stay the same. No, what he liked were things that reminded him of things he thought were comforting.

Kindness.

Simplicity.

Someone who looked to him.

Someone he could love with everything in his control.

Someone that would accept him no matter what—whether he was skinny, strong, good, or...

Dark.

It wasn't that Steve was opposed to strong women; he liked those qualities in a woman. But Steve was also someone who needs to feel like he is reliable, that someone is relying on him.

"You should give Steve more credit," you said with a twinkle in your eye, catching from the corner of the said man walking your way, jaw clenched. "Steve's very adaptable if you give him time and guidance."

"Hope this guy isn't harassing you with his pick-up lines," Steve interjected.

You both turn over to see Steve holding three glasses of drinks. Whiskey for him and Bucky while he gave you a cocktail.

"Shut up, punk," Bucky rolled his eyes with a smile. "I'll have you know she'd charmed by my presence."

You giggled with a shake of your head before giving Steve a pleased hum.

"My favourite," you smiled at him, and he beamed back.

Of course, you'd been paying attention to Steve all night. He'd been watching you as subtly as he could.

You'd also been watching Sharon, who seemed torn between being suspicious of you or trying to like you.

The three of you chatted and drank together. You were careful of how much you were intaking while also letting a good buzz ride you through.

It wasn't long before Sharon decided to join the group and clung all over Steve.

You weren't sure if it was some of the alcohol you had, but you found it much more annoying than you should've. It was expected, after all. You had been staying rather close but not inappropriately with Steve.

You felt your nerve struck when Sharon decided to pull Steve onto the dance floor. He gave Sharon a half-smile while peering at you from the corner of his eye.

Pretending not to notice, you grabbed Bucky's metal hand, surprising him.

"Come on, old man," you said loudly and smirked at him. "Show me some of your moves and that you won't throw out your hip."

That caused Bucky to roll his eyes again with a slight smile, his hand curling around yours as he let himself be dragged onto the dance floor with you. "Ha ha," Bucky said dryly. "Very funny."

You and Steve danced with your respective partners but only a couple of feet away.

The music was modern with the bass pumping heavy, and Sharon managed to get a more respectable dance with Steve. Her arms were around his neck, pressing close to him while he had his hands on her hip.

They looked like an awkward couple dancing at prom.

Sharon's back was turned to you, meaning Steve faced you.

Your back should've been turned to Steve as well if you went for a more tame dance. But you didn't.

You turned around in Bucky's arms so that your back was pressed against his front, grabbing his hands and placing them on your hip. You pressed back flush against Bucky.

"Let's see if you adapt to the modern world better," you said to Bucky before you began to grind your hips against him to the rhythm of the music.

As if to spite you and prove the modern world was nothing, Bucky quickly ground his hips in the same circular motion as you.

You moved in his arms easily, turning around to wrap your arms around his neck as you dragged your leg up Bucky's through the slit of your dress.

The dancing went on, and it was fun. When you finally switched positions, and you finally looked Steve in the face, it was all worth it.

Steve stood there, holding Sharon's waist tightly. But he wasn't looking at the blond who had her face against his shoulder.

No.

Steve was looking at you, and he looked fucking pissed. His eyes narrowed and clenched jaw as he stared at the way you held Bucky.

His eyes said it all.

What the fuck did you think you were doing?

You only cocked your brow at him in response.

➵➵➵☽☾➵➵➵

The night was tense after dancing, but no one seemed to notice but you.

Steve was somewhat in a foul mood after but hid it well by refraining from talking too much.

You thought the bad mood Steve was in would cause him to distance himself, but it was the exact opposite. It was like he wouldn't let you out of his sight. Wherever you went, Steve brought the entire group with you.

At some point, the party had gotten so late, and people were dispersing or crashing. Sharon had tried to urge Steve to leave at that point because she was tired, but he refused, using the excuse his friends were still here.

Giving up, Sharon merely gave him a kiss and made him promise that he wouldn't stay out too late and return home.

All you could think about was how that wouldn't be happening.

You feigned a yawn half an hour after Sharon left and while Bucky was in an animated conversation with Natasha.

"Oh, doll, are you tired? You need me to take you home?" Bucky offered when he noticed.

"No, I got it," Steve said as he stood. "It's time for me to leave anyway. Mind if I borrow a car, Stark?"

Tony waved his hand as he was talking to Bruce. "You know where the keys are." Tony paused and then looked at you. "It was nice meeting you. Glad Capsicle is capable of making normal friends. Heard you've been teaching him about social media apps. You're doing the Lord's work, you know."

That got everyone snickering while Steve rolled his eyes.

Everyone bid you various goodnights before you walked off with Steve.

It was silent between the two of you as neither of you spoke to each other after dancing.

You could tell Steve was still annoyed with the way he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

You began to dig through your purse.

"Shit," you muttered, drawing Steve's attention. "I didn't bring my key," you sighed.

"You're locked out?" Steve asked—his first words to you since the dance.

You nodded as you checked the watch on your wrist.

"It's a little late. I don't wanna ring the doorbell and wake up my parents. My mom has sleeping problems and if she's asleep, she won't be able to get back to it if she's woken up," you frowned before turning to him. "There's a hotel after the next exit. Do you mind dropping me off?"

"You sure you don't wanna stay at my place or the Compound? There's extra room there." Steve asked, and you scrunched your nose.

"No, it's fine. It's a little strange to be at The Compound without you and...well, Sharon's at your place, isn't she?" You muttered, not elaborating more on it.

Steve merely nodded as he took the next exit.

The hotel you talked about was much fancier than Steve was expecting. He wasn't surprised, given how close it was to Stark's home.

Steve insisted on coming with you to ensure you checked in alright before leaving.

Steve dropped you at the front while he said he'd go find parking.

While he was doing that, you went to the counter and checked in for the reservation you put in for two people.

"You check-in okay?" Steve asked as he jogged in with a cap he managed to find in Stark's car. It was a poor disguise, but given how late it was, the lobby was practically empty, and it was enough.

You nodded as you held up the room key. "Let's go."

The ride up the elevator was silent, too, with you running your hand through your hair.

"You're pretty high up," Steve commented. "Checked out a pretty nice room for just the night."

You shrugged. "Henry pays my credit card bills and he doesn't really care what I spend it on, so might as well."

Steve's brows furrowed at the comment, but before he could say anything else about it, the elevator stopped, and you stepped out the moment the door was opened.

You reached your room quickly as you slid your room key into the door, opening it as stepping in while Steve followed after.

"Nice room," he idly commented, and you dropped your phone on the couch before you walked off the bathroom.

Despite Steve's words that he'd leave once you entered your room okay, he loosened his tie and took a seat.

He was curious what you'd do since you hadn't brought any change of clothes and the souvenir shop with the tacky shirts was closed. Still, he heard the shower turn on and licked his lips.

He took off his suit jacket, folded it neatly, and set it aside along with his tie and belt.

He patiently waited, unbutton a few of his dress shirt buttons and felt himself relax.

The shower turned off after 20 minutes, and you didn't come out for another 10.

When you did, you came out in a bathrobe and a towel around your neck as you half-hazard dried your hair.

"Did you want to shower before you go?" You asked with a tilt of your head.

Steve shook his head. "I'll shower tomorrow morning. Mind if I stay a bit? I feel like we haven't talked all night."

You nodded as you took a seat next to him at one of the ends. You leaned your back against the plush side and pulled your feet up, letting them rest near Steve's thigh.

Steve smiled as you let out a relaxed sigh before he grabbed your feet and pulled them into his lap, and gave you a feet massage.

You closed your eyes and let out a low moan that made Steve tingle.

"Oh, that's feel really good," you sighed as your eyes fluttered open.

"You seemed tired in your heels by the end," Steve commented, and you gave him a smile that he noticed.

"Thanks for inviting me tonight," you told Steve. "I had a really good time."

"Did you?" Steve asked, and you nodded as if confused by his words.

"Yeah, your friends are really nice," you said before moaningly lightly when Steve massaged over a particularly sore spot.

"Yeah," Steve muttered as he remembered to not massage you too hard. "You seemed to get along real well with Bucky."

The comment was bitter, and both of you could hear the tone of it in Steve's voice.

You don't say anything about it other than a hum.

Your voice vibrates next to Steve, but you make no move to check who it is.

The screen lights up, and Steve could see it was Bucky texting you.

Bucky: It was real nice meeting you, doll. Stevie should stop hoarding you to himself and let the rest of us get to know you better. Want to go for lunch later this week?

A part of Steve knows that Bucky was just being friendly. He knows that if he confessed to his friend that he liked you, Bucky would berate him, but he would back off.

But the message alone sets Steve off, and he looked over at you while you had your head lead back over the edge with your eyes closed.

"Do you like Bucky?" Steve asked suddenly.

You opened your eyes as you sat up with a frown.

"I hardly know Bucky," you answer vaguely. "Why would you ask that?"

Steve picked up your phone and showed the text to your face. "You spent all night talking to Bucky, flirting with him, dancing with him, and now he's asking you to lunch. What else am I supposed to ask?"

You read the text and rolled your eyes, snatching your phone from Steve as you turned it off and got up. Steve followed right after you.

"Don't just walk away—" Steve said, grabbing your arm before you yanked it away and turned around furiously.

"That's none of your business, Steve!" You said hotly.

Steve glared at you like the tips of his ear flush angrily. "You were the one who said it wouldn't work between us and now you're going to go after Bucky? I can promise you, sweetheart, he's not that much different from me."

"Who I'm with doesn't matter, Steve," you shook your head as you turned to walk away again, but Steve's quicker as he ran in front of you.

You were always vague, and it drove Steve insane. You were alluding to how it didn't matter because of Blake.

Why won't you just say it?

Steve could get rid of a guy like Blake with his hands tied around his back.

"Because Bucky is the guy who can fix your problems?" Steve curled his lip as he brought up your words.

"No, he can't," you ground your teeth as you stepped to the side to try to walk past Steve, but he mirrored you.

You let out a disgruntled sigh.

"You're just hurting my feelings, sweetheart. Why him?" Steve demanded.

"At the very least, he's not taken!" You finally hissed. "He doesn't have a girlfriend who's waiting for him at home. He doesn't have a girlfriend who came with him tonight and clung all over him right in front of my face!"

Steve's eyes were wide as he watched you have your outburst.

"You think this is easy for me, Steve?" You frowned. "That my feelings aren't hurt because I like you and I can't be with you?"

You rubbed your face slowly in a frustrated manner. "I get jealous too, Steve. I also want to be the one you go to all the parties with, the one who gets to cling to you, dance with you, kiss you goodnight and ask you not to stay too late and return home to me if I leave first."

"Then why can't we be together?" Steve pleaded as he stepped closer to you. "I've never felt the way about anyone the way I feel you. I'm with Sharon because you won't let me be with you, sweetheart."

The words make you turn your face away.

You swallow hard, eyes closed for a moment before they fluttered open.

"I'm engaged," you whisper quietly, and Steve felt his heart beating wildly in his chest because, yes, yes!

This was what he wanted. He wanted you to open up to him. He wanted to prove to you that he could fix all your problems if you just opened up.

"Unlike you, I can't break my engagement that easily," you looked back at him with a sad smile. "So, when I tell you it doesn't matter who I'm with, it's because it really doesn't matter."

You stepped closer to him and hesitantly pressed your palm against his cheek. He was so warm.

"But it matters when it's you because I like you, Steve. You're the only person that means something to me and I don't think I could handle having you only to lose you in the end. If there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I don't share well. So, I can't only have half of you either. And I'm not going to make you a cheater. Do you understand?" You asked softly.

Yes and no, Steve thought as he pressed his face further into your hand. How could you confess such things and expect Steve to be able to walk away?

Steve suddenly lifted his large hands and placed them on your waist, pulling you flush against him.

"Yes," he said. "I understand. But I don't care about any reasons you've come up with. You're not making me become anything. All I care about is that we have feelings for each other. The rest is for me to take care of. Do you understand?"

You shivered against his firm body, the way the hard lines of him pressed into your softness.

"Steve—" you whined, but Steve was beyond reason now.

He surged forward and slotted his lips against yours, kissing you soundly.

"I don't want to hear it," Steve muttered when he pulled just an inch away. "I don't want to hear anything from you unless it's that you want me and if it's not that, then I'm not interested."

"Steve—" you tried to say again, but he pressed his lips against your against, running his tongue against your bottom lip before he sucked it into his mouth and bit down punishingly.

You whined but pressed yourself closer to him.

Steve let his hand drop lower on you before he grabbed the back of your thighs and hoisted you up, forcing your legs to part along with half of your robe as you wrapped your legs around his waist to keep from falling.

Steve could tell you were bare underneath—completely bare and groaned as he walked you over to the bed and placed you down gently, crawling up your body.

"I'm not stoppin'," Steve told you as he kissed you hard. "You said it. You said you like me—want me. Don't tell me you think I can hold back after hearing that, sweetheart."

You trembled beneath him as he began to undo the knot of your robe. When it was undone, Steve used his deft fingers to part them just slightly before his hand slid underneath and cupped your breast.

His hand was so warm that it caused you to keen as he squeezed. Pressing kisses against your collarbone and neck, you could feel his erection straining in his pants.

"Let me just take care of you," Steve said between kisses. "I'll take such good care of you, sweetheart. Just be mine, I need you to be mine."

Men were so simple, you thought as you lifted your hands.

Steve tensed as if he were ready for you to try to push him away. But you slid your palms up his chest and shoulders before you wrapped your hands around his neck.

Steve stared down intently at you while you bit down on your swollen lip from his kisses. You lifted your head, catching him in another heated kiss as you adjusted your legs to let him fall in between more easily.

Henry taught you sex was nothing more than a weapon he used against you for his own satisfaction.

And now you were going to use it against Steve, using pleasure to make him fall before you.

"Make me yours, Steve."

PART VII

[thesims4blogger]

SimGuruKate Addresses Concerns on Alexa Skill Device

After the Sims team revealed skills on the Alexa device during Maxis Monthly live stream on twitch, the community took to social media to express their disappointment. Yesterday, SimGuruKate address these concerns on the official forums.

Ok there are a few things I want to comment on, address, clarify from this thread. First, the comment that the Alexa Skill was developed in partnership with Amazon and that it was paid/sponsored. This is 110% not true. If something is paid or sponsored we legally must disclose that. Amazon did not reach out to us to develop this, nor did we reach out to Amazon to see if they wanted to partner with us. Instead, a single Dev thought of this idea and worked with a few other Devs who were interested to bring it to life and create it outside of their TS4 development responsibilities. Second, the idea that if they had not worked on this new Alexa Skill we would have released a patch in January for TS4 PC/Mac or Console. There was never a patch in January scheduled. Had the Alexa Skill not been in development or on the docket for release this month we still would not have released a patch in January. There are many reasons for this, much of it to do with how our development schedule is laid out, other content we are currently working on (paid and free), and the fact that we (EA) actually shut down the entire office (globally) between Christmas and New Years. Patches are scheduled VERY far in advance (we are talking months) and are done so in a manner that align with the overall development schedule for the year. Third, this sentiment that the Dev Team should remain chained to their desks and only work on in game content, and that passion projects are a waste of time. The Maxis Dev Team is one of the hardest working teams out there, and they are incredibly passionate about TS4, TSM, TSFP, and all past and future projects. One of the coolest things about Maxis is that they actively encourage Devs to work on side projects outside of their time required for primary project development (such as a patch or pack). By providing this opportunity it allows them to remain engaged and excited for what they are working on, thus preventing burnout (which as many know is a very real thing). All of this means that they can continue to create high quality content for the games you are so passionate about. Sometimes a Dev's passion project is something like First Person Camera. Sometimes it's something like a new career or NPC in the game. And yes, sometimes it's creating a fun little Alexa skill for those who have an Alexa and love The Sims. For passion projects Devs are encouraged to work on things they find interesting because when you work on things you enjoy it means you will produce high quality results. Now, Maxis Monthly. When we first announced Maxis Monthly I stated that not every Maxis Monthly would include revealing new content for TS4 (or TSM or TSFP). I also made it very clear from the first Maxis Monthly that new PAID content (that means EPs/GPs/SPs) would not be announced during these streams. There are multiple reasons for this, but basically it comes down to the way we announce new paid content. Now that being said, the goal of Maxis Monthly was to talk ALL things Maxis. This means that sometimes we would have something new to show for every single current game in our portfolio, and sometimes (like this month) we would have nothing. This is simply the nature of how game development works. It's pure luck (or coincidence) that prior to yesterday every Maxis Monthly had included new content reveals for TS4. Yes, I know this meant the community had come to expect certain things in the streams. Yes, I knew that the first MM in which we didn't reveal new content for TS4 would result in dissatisfaction. Though some many not think so, I know this community VERY well. That's why, compared to previous MM, we did not hype this live stream. That's why I called what we were showing "nifty" instead of mind blowing. That's why I sent out gentle reminders to the community that not all streams would show off new in-game content. Short of saying "this is what you will be seeing" I could not have been more clear and forthcoming that the January MM would not be showing off new TS4 content. However all that being said, the level of vitriol seen during yesterday's announcement was beyond what even I expected, and to be honest, was beyond what was appropriate. Do I think it would have been better to not show off Alexa during the stream? Absolutely not. That stream was the perfect place to show off this cool new product. Yes, we could have immediately said up front at the top of the stream that it was not sponsored/paid, and that was a huge learning lesson. So knowing some of the community wouldn't be happy with no new content coming for TS4, why didn't I wait to share Alexa? Because it's coming out next week and the Devs who worked on it wanted to show it off and this was the right time and way to do so. But why didn't I talk about things coming later this year? Because I can't. My hands are literally tied. Due to some interesting legal reasons (it's pretty in depth and complicated) revealing content too early would result in us being in some legal and financial hot water. Additionally doing so would not only result in me likely losing my job, but could put our Development and Marketing Teams in very difficult positions. And remember, though at this point I sound like a broken record, just because we don't explicitly share what the team is working on at the moment (because we can't), doesn't mean we aren't working on multiple packs, free content, and more. We will continue to evaluate how we approach content announcements and whether or not the Maxis Monthly adds value for enough individuals and make changes where/if necessary. Now the final thing I want to address is that passion and frustration never excuses basic human decency in how you interact with others. While everyone, especially a consumer of a product, has a right to express frustration, or be critical of the product, this does not give them the right to hurl insults at the Developers (or creator of the product). And if a person does choose to engage this way (which free will and freedom of speech allows) the individual which they are directing it at is under no obligation to listen or engage with that individual (because free will and all). It does not matter if that person is a Developer, a Customer Service person, or yes, a Community Manager. Yes, we choose these careers, and yes some of us even put ourselves in the public eye, but that does not mean we have to tolerate individuals spewing hate or vitriol. There are many appropriate ways to provide criticism or share your opinion in a way that does not include excessive ongoing negativity or insults. Appropriate: I have zero interest in this new Alexa Skill they announced and I wish it had been something different. I feel they could have used their time differently or developed something different. Unnecessary: This Alexa Skill is so stupid, why are they wasting their time on this? They are so stupid and this is pointless and they never listen to us and the game is doomed. I have seen a number who have stated their thoughts in the first way, but have seen far more communicating in the second manner. And even with the first way of sharing your thoughts, we often wont reply. And not because we don't see it or only want positive feedback, but because not every message needs a response. Oftentimes there is almost nothing one could say to either of the above that would add value or make the individual happy or satisfied. So many times in these situations it is better to say nothing at all. We gather the feedback and we pass it onto those who can impact change. I hope this has helped provide more clarity or insight. Remember, I dont expect every individual to like every single thing that we do, or even like me or the Devs. That's absolutely ok and to be expected. One of the best things (but sometimes the hardest thing to handle) about The Sims community is how varied it is. This is an incredibly diverse community and there are so many different ways to enjoy The Sims. But what I do expect is for people to be respectful.Post edited by SimGuruKate on January 9

[deepestwonderlandcloud]

Tatli Ask (Sweet Love) (Can & Ozge) - Chapter Seven: Fate

"Will everything be ready next week?"

Can asked the architect and engineer he hired for the construction of Strawberry Place. He scans the room. It was now all coming together. The low mini chandeliers, tables, chairs, the painting in the walls were almost done. He also had staff. Waiters, janitors, cashiers, junior sous chef. All he needed now was a Chef de cuisine or the executive chef. There weren't really great candidates that they have interviewed for the past few days.

"Yes, Sir Can. Everything will definitely be ready next week," the engineer said.

"Alright, thank you," Can said, then the architect and engineer left.

He sat down on a table, putting his hand on his chin, wondering where he could get an executive chef in time.

"Yo, Can. How's it going?" Efe Sezen asked, putting his arm around Can as he sat down next to him.

Efe Sezen is Can's cousin and best friend. Efe and Can literally grew up together. Since they both were the only children in their family, they treated each other as brothers. Efe has also been beside Can through the first year since Demet died. Can trusted Efe with his life.

"Not good," Can said. "The restaurant is opening next week and I still haven't found an executive chef."

"I thought you auditioned people?" Efe said.

"Nah, it didn't work out. None of them fit the role."

"Don't worry, Can. You'll find one in no time," Efe said, then he checked his watch.

"I hope so," Can muttered.

"Look, Can, I have to go."

"Where are you going?"

"To Dad's office. He said he has something to talk to me about a new business venture," Efe said, standing up.

"Uncle Cinar is having a new business venture again? What a surprise," Can said sarcastically. "I swear, your dad probably already has every department of business. And with all that, he still is behind Mom in the Forbes list of billionaires..."

"Can, Aunt Guldem literally owns one of the largest restaurant chains in the world, Socially Basket. I mean, we own Yummy Crave too, one of the largest restaurant chains but Socially Basket is just more popular. Dad still beats himself about it, you know," Efe laughed.

Can smiled, imagining his Uncle Cinar scratch his head at the stocks sold every year.

"Look, Can, I gotta go. See you later," Efe said, running.

"See you," Can said, taking one last look at the restaurant, then he walked to his car.

***

"What do you think the new client will like? What do multi-millionaires eat?"

Perran asked Ozge, searching for luxury dishes on her phone. Their staff were already preparing for tonight's dinner with the client. Ozge looked for luxury dishes as well.

"How about something new? While I was in Bulgaria for two weeks, I've taught myself how to cook some Bulgarian foods that everyone seemed to love in Sofia. I'll just cook those," Ozge said, already listing everything she will need.

"Do you think the client will like it?" Perran asked.

"Trust me, Mom. The client will love it," Ozge said.

"Well, you're the chef," Perran said. "I'll just help with the organization, daughter. You go do your cooking."

"Alright, Mom," Ozge said, already excited to cook.

Ozge spent the afternoon cooking and preparing. She wore her amber and cream tropical print maxi tube dress and matching 2 inch heels. She tied her hair in a half up, half down hairstyle and put on light red lipstick.

"Looking good, sister," Yaren, Ozge's younger sister said. Yaren is 21 years old, thirteen years younger than Ozge.

"Yaren, why haven't you changed yet? You should go change. It's already 6:30 PM," Ozge said, checking her phone.

"Ozge, I heard the client is handsome and a bachelor. You must be excited," Yaren said, eating popcorn.

Ozge laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yaren, this is all for work. We're grateful for this very generous client, that's why we invited him tonight."

Yaren sneered and gave Ozge her bowl of popcorn.

"Ugh, you're no fun. I'm just gonna go change," she said, then she left.

Ozge got out of her room and went downstairs, leaving the bowl of popcorn in the kitchen. The dinner tonight will be held in the garden. The sky was filled with stars and moon was shining over their table. Ozge went to the garden and admired the food she cooked and set up, excited for the client and everyone to taste them.

"Mom, what did the client say? Will they be here soon?" Ozge asked.

"Yes. He said he's on his way," Perran said, fixing her hair.

"Alright. I'll just go to the kitchen real quick to prepare the wine," Ozge said, running to the kitchen.

***

Can looked out the window. The trees and small houses they passed through was unfamiliar to him. He hadn't been to this side of Istanbul. The suburbs wasn't particularly a place he was fond of, though he knew he should get used to it now. He'd be coming here more often for the strawberry farm, after all.

It took ten more minutes for Can and Halis to finally get to the strawberry farm. It was dark by the entrance, but they saw bright lights just a hundred meters inside the farm. Can wore his usual business suit. Adjusting the tie one last time, he and Halis went to the garden and found Perran and the staff waiting for him.

"Welcome, Sir Can Yaman," Perran said, shaking Can's hand. "Please sit down."

"Mrs. Perran, thank you for this lovely dinner," Can said, taking a seat. "You have an enchanting home."

Perran and all the staff sat down in their seats.

"My family and I are very grateful for you, Sir Can," Perran said, holding Yaren's hand. She noticed Ozge's chair was missing.

"Yeshim," Perran whispered to one of the waiters. "Please tell Ozge that the client is here. She's in the kitchen."

"Right away, Mrs. Gurel," the waitress said, running to the kitchen.

"Mrs. Gurel, I'm also very grateful for your farm. I couldn't open my restaurant without you," Can chuckled.

Perran smiled and nodded, then beamed when she saw Ozge walking up to them.

"Oh, my daughter is here," Perran said.

Can stood up and looked behind him. He couldn't believe what he saw. Or rather, who he saw.

***

Seriously? Seriously?!

Ozge stopped in her tracks, not believing her eyes. The client, the client who just partnered with them is none other than Can Yaman. The guy she's been trying to avoid. Her heart pounded as she walked closer, then dropped when she realized the only empty seat was the one next to Can. Can looked down and smiled, probably laughing at this funny situation. She looked down and slowly sat down on the seat next to Can. He looked at her and she gave him a half-smile.

"Ozge, meet our new client, Can Yaman," Perran said.

"We've met," Can said, looking at Ozge.

Ozge's eyes widened. "Yeah, we've met, Mom. At the airport."

"What a coincidence," Perran said, laughing.

"Is this what they call Fate?" Can whispered to Ozge.

"Fate?" Ozge said. "Annoying, maybe. Not fate."

Can chuckled and shook his head. Perran stood up once more to speak.

"Well, this is a wonderful night and may this partnership not just be about work, but about friendship as well," Perran raised her glass, and everyone followed. "To Strawberry Place and the Gurel Strawberry Farm!"

Everyone clinked their glasses against each other. Can and Ozge clinked theirs, then drank the red wine.

Can grabbed his fork and stabbed the Kebapche. Putting it in his plate and taking a slice, his eyes widened at how good it was.

"This Kebapche is amazing, Mrs. Gurel," Can said. "Did you make this yourself?"

"Ozge did, Sir Can. She's a great cook," Perran said, looking at Ozge.

"How did you know that I like Kebapche? When I was in Bulgaria, this was what I ordered all the time in my favorite restaurant," Can said, savoring the taste. "But yours is definitely better, I must say."

"Thank you. I actually just wanted to cook something different tonight and it turns out I made the right choice," Ozge said, taking a bite of the Kebapche.

Can looked at her, realizing he just found who he was looking for.

The rest of the dinner was great. Can got to meet all of the staff and farmers in the Gurel Strawberry Farm and Ozge got to see a side of him that she had never seen before.

He's actually a nice guy, Ozge thought as she watched Can talk and laugh with one of their farmers.

"What is this, Ozge? Are you crushing on our new client?" Yaren teased, nudging Ozge.

"Yaren, stop it," Ozge rolled her eyes. "I'm just... admiring his generosity... and camaraderie."

"Admiring his generosity or admiring him?" Yaren laughed.

"Shut up," Ozge chuckled. "Why don't you go help Mom in the kitchen?"

"Alright," Yaren said, taking off to the kitchen.

Ozge fixed her hair, slowly walking up to Can. She was nervous again and she didn't like it. It's like she...

"So, how do you find everyone?" Ozge asked.

"Friendly, everyone here is in high spirits. Great to be working with good people," Can said. "How come you never mentioned you own a strawberry farm?"

"Well, you never told me you needed one," Ozge said, and they both laughed.

"Well, I have to go, Miss Ozge. I will see you tomorrow," Can said.

"Just Ozge."

"What?"

"Don't call me, Miss Ozge. Just... Ozge," she said.

Can smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ozge."

"See you," Ozge said.

She watched him leave, wishing he would have stayed longer. Then she caught herself wanting that for quite a while.

Ozge, you're not liking him. No way.

***

"Nice to see you smiling again, Sir," Halis said, as he looked at Can through the rearview mirror.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you seemed kind of sad last night when we got home, but now you're smiling again," Halis chuckled. "Is it because of Miss Ozge?"

Can laughed. "That girl is weird... but lovely. Kind of like the heat on a summer's day. You say you don't want the heat, but then realize it's what you wanted all along when it starts raining."

Can slumped back in his seat, actually glad he came to dinner tonight.

[festfashions]

Lightning in a Bottle, where do I even begin? Once again I’ve been enchanted by my favorite festival. Once again I've left thinking that this time it was even better than the last. Once again I've left inspired, recharged and more comfortable with who I am.

It's always hard to put into words exactly what this festival is about and what it means to me. When I come back after the weekend everyone likes to ask, and I find it hard to use just a few words to explain the feelings it gives me and the world it creates. So this piece might be a little rambly and long, but I want to paint a picture for you of the full experience.

LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE - THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM

On Friday, we arrived Lightning in a Bottle (LIB) bright and early. This was the first time we'd decided to do car camping. We were there by 10 am and I found the car camping area to be pretty packed already. It seemed that Thursday was the busy night for the LIB team, with the bulk of campers arriving then. Luckily we had a friend who came in Thursday night and saved a nice space next to his tent for us.

Let me tell you, car camping is a total game changer. I will never not car camp again at LIB. Moving our stuff from the car to camping was 100x easier. It also really helped that it was overcast Friday morning when we arrived. By the time we set up our tent, the sun was clearing out the clouds and warming up the day.

We got a new tent this year too. It was a Coleman 10 Person Instant Tent. We got it at Costco for about $200 and I have zero regrets. Previously we used a six person tent -- which holds six people if you're laying side-by-side next each other in sleeping bags with literally nothing else in your tent. With the 10 person tent, and four of us in it, we were able to fit two queen air mattresses, stand up to get dressed and have a lot of room for all of our other stuff inside the tent this year. We didn't even need to set up a canopy to keep us shaded because it came with a really great one that attached to it.

Setting up the tent and seeing the lake was totally amazing. For those of you who don't know, this was the first year that LIB has been at the San Antonio Recreation area with a lake. It's incredible to see that we had so much rain this year in CA.

After setting up our camping area, we grabbed some beers and went for a walk to check out the lake. It didn't take us long to realize how the lake was affecting the San Antonio recreation area. Over the course of the weekend we saw two snakes, some half-dollar-sized spiders, and lots of little flies/mosquitoes. Surprisingly, none of these bugs bit us and I don't have any marks which was a really nice surprise. The snakes were also harmless, mostly just scary. This was solved though by a guy next to our campsite who we ended up dubbing "Jake the Snake". This crazy guy collected the snakes for us and moved them away from our campsites. (Thank you, Jake the Snake).

It also turned out that the festival had to be reorganized a little bit, because of something else the lake brought with it. Where the Woogie stage used to be, a bald eagle had made a nest and laid some eggs in the tree. Talk about amazing. Some people even got to see it. We tried to look for it once but we couldn't find her or the nest.

We had one friend arrive at our campsite after us because she had to take a separate car. To offset the carbon emissions, LIB charges single car drivers $30 to park at the festival. Once she arrived, we changed into our first looks and headed into the festival for the first time.

Friday we themed "holographic space lamb". My group and I really like coordinating themed outfits. I wore my Glamorous UK blush pink mesh maxi dress, holographic J Valentine bottoms, lightning bolt pasties, and some new platform pink boots I had purchased from Hot Topic. It didn't take me long to need to put some insoles into those shoes. They were cheaply made but became much more comfortable once I had the shoe pads in. They were a ton of fun to frolic in around the festival. I always recommend bringing a pair of insoles to any festival. They can be a totally game changer.

The weather Friday was perfect with the morning haze, then even still once it cleared up. During the day it never got too hot and then at night I layered my look with some leggings and this really cool faux fur jacket I got off Poshmark for $20.

Once changed we headed into the festival to explore. The Thunder and Lightning stages were the same beautiful set up they've always been. A new Pagoda Bar, Woogie stage and other some other new structures were set up with beautiful bright colors reflecting on the lake.

Because of the way the festival was reorganized, it did feel a little squished in some areas. I felt like there was a stage near the Gong Sanctuary and The Cauldron tents that was a little too close. The music overpowered speakers there and the meditation space. I also felt like there were a lot more vendors than previously, which was fine, but it just took a little learning curve to learn the new festival grounds.

We checked out a class in the Learning Kitchen, "Digestive Psychology" on Friday. It was about how we often just try to treat an problem vs finding the underlying issue. For example: perhaps we have back pain and we're dealing with a lot of stress; we should learn to deal with the stress primarily vs medicating the back pain, because the stress could be causing the pain.

Friday night was a lot of fun bouncing around to check out how art pieces transformed into glowing night structures, dancing to music at multiple stages, and eventually closing the night with Rufus Du Sol. We're not really the group of people who stay up past 2am haha, we were beat and called it a night after 2am. There's of course music all through the night for those who want to stay up.

Saturday I wore matching tie-dye overalls with my boyfriend, which we dyed together the weekend before. This look was totally his idea and they turned out amazing. Everyone loved them, I swear I got more compliments on my outfit that day vs any other day. We purchased the white overalls from Forever 21 and got a tie-dye kit from Michael's with a coupon. I actually ended up having to dye the overalls twice because the first time we didn't properly fill in all the white space. That worked out fine and they turned really great. I loved having all the pockets and it wasn't too warm to wear during the day because we didn't wear any shirts underneath. and at night, I just added my coat again and I was perfectly content.

Saturday we ventured out and checked a few different classes. First was "Sex, Love & Awakening: 4 Keys to Ecstatic Partnership" at Haven. Let's be real, we wanted to check out at least one class that had sex in the title. I really ended up liking this class and the speaker. She was super well spoken and had a lot of interesting points. She talked about the fours stages of a relationship that she's studied as a psychologist, and my friends and I had some great discussions after about our own relationships.

Then we went to "Tarot Readings with the Tarot Woman" at Craft-Folk Arts. Each reading was $20. After, we went and checked out a favorite from last year, Benjamin Pixie and salmon skin tanning. This year the class was hands on and we saw a little of the process he uses. Mr. Pixie has some great stories and a love for sharing them that makes his smile quite infectious.

We checked out another Learning Kitchen class Saturday called "Flavor Tripping: A Trip Down Sensory Lane" which was really cool as well. This one was presented by New Belgium Brewery, and they had some beer samples for us while they talked about the process and different tastes of each. They also told us about this thing called a Miracle Berry and let us experiment with it. It's a plant native to West Africa that contains glycoprotein, something that causes sour foods to taste sweet temporarily. We all got to have one of these little pill versions of the fruit, then they passed out lemons and limes to taste. It was totally crazy because you really did have a tastebud change!

Saturday we also checked out the 2nd Annual Soapbox Derby which was so awesome, and spent most of Saturday night at the Grand Artique which is set up like an old Western town, and played some arcade games. I won a rabbits foot on my first try.

While it may sound like we had very organized days, it was was really made up of a lot of hopping around. We'd taken a look at the schedule before and picked a few things that sounded interesting, but for the most part we would check out a class here, listen to some music there, grab a snack or sit by the lake. There's really no set schedule you have to abide to at LIB and that's one of the things that makes it so much fun. We weren't living by the clock and rushing to keep to a schedule. Most people also have no service at the festival, and you either decide it's too frustrating to try to keep to posting things, or you just don't care anymore and you put your phone away to just experience everything.

Sunday was the hottest day. We woke up feeling hot for the first time, and decided it was time for us to venture down to the lake for a swim. The water was so refreshing and felt so nice. The shore was rocky but once in the water you could swim or float without touching it. Everyone was in the water Sunday AM it felt like. Pockets all over the grounds were filled with colorful floats. One of my favorite things about LIB is how we all accept the fact that just because we're adults doesn't mean we can't enjoy life and have fun. We still like to play in the water, climb on playgrounds and be silly. I love that we're given this freedom there. I love that no one judges anyone there. The festival had artists build a few climbing structures on land, then a few floating art pieces as well for us to all play on to further facilitate our play.

I think what always keeps me coming back to LIB is this overarching theme of freedom. I get to wear all my "crazy" outfits with lots of colors, dye my hair pink and do my makeup with tons of glitter. I get to play dress up and people don't stare at me like I'm a weirdo, but appreciate the creativity in it. I get to walk around with a backpack filled with cold beers and drink responsibly instead of trying to drink a ton before getting into an event so I don't have to pay ridiculous amounts to drink once inside. I never feel harassed by security or pestered by rules. It's an adult playground; we're given the freedom to explore, take charge of our own bodies, take charge of our own time, and express ourselves in our own creative ways. It's one of the most freeing experiences of my life each time I go.

Sunday we went back to Craft-Folk Arts to listen to "Storytelling - Animal Awareness with Rainbow Dreamer". It felt like story time in school again- Rainbow Dreamer was a flawless storyteller, with a mesmerizing cadence. From there we went to one of the last Sound Healing sessions at the Gong Sanctuary. Here you lay down with your eyes closed and they play all these sounds around you like rain sticks and gongs for about 20 minutes as a mediation session.

We then hiked up to Mediation Point to take in the view, and ended the day like every other day, watching the sunset from a cliff with other festival-goers. This is always such a magical close to the day, and it was even more beautiful this year with the lake reflecting the light. After howling and clapping at the sunset, we changed for our last night at the festival. Sunday night was the coldest and the most windy, but we had a great time again closing with Bassnectar.

Sunday I wore a hot pink metallic one piece swimsuit I had been pining over since I first saw it online. I waited for a good sale and purchased it, the brand is Motel. I wore it with some fun alien hoop earrings my boyfriend got me for Christmas, and at night with some glitter tights. During the day I had a faux fur purple vest with it from Poshmark, then at night again my faux fur jacket to stay warm.

There's so many things to explore at LIB, but my friends and I felt like we didn't miss a thing this year. We experienced it all as it was meant to be, by fulling allowing ourselves to journey through the festival. We went to some great classes and lectures and then took those further into wonderful discussions together as the sun set each night. We grew together over this weekend, and I know we won't forget the memories we made anytime soon. I love this feeling I leave LIB with, and I hope it stays with me for a long time until it's time to be refreshed again next year.

[its-lifestyle]

This year’s edition of Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) was a grand showcase of diverse styles. From resort to street and denim, it showed that Malaysian fashion does indeed come in all forms.

Alia Bastamam and Jovian Mandagie went for the classic, trendy and chic look, while Tarik Jeans and Pestle & Mortar Clothing upped the edginess with cool, streetwise outfits.

There were also a lot of firsts – Rizman Ruzaini debuted a men’s collection, while Innai Red showcased resortwear. A special project by the AirAsia Foundation saw upcycled outfits walking the runway.

Here’s the roundup of highlights from the 2019 KLFW.

Feminine Edge

Tarik Jeans staged its first full womenswear runway. It combined the use of creative music and visuals, as well as unconventional, rugged elements, for a truly unique show.

Comprising 20 different looks, the new collection is described as “romantic, melancholy and aggressive with the inevitable nosebleed of rock n roll”. It is also said to be a “love letter” to all the ladies who have always been a fan of Tarik Jeans.

According to head of womenswear at Tarik Jeans, Mimi Lee, the name Salvaged was chosen for the collection as it signifies preservation. This brings about the theme of fashion embracing the “green” movement.

“If you look it up, the word ultimately means ‘to save goods from damage or destruction’, which is what we are doing here with sustainability being the big idea,” she says regarding the label’s focus for this year.

Street Cred

Pestle & Mortar Clothing showed for the very first time at KLFW. The streetwear label, which happens to be a favourite among Malaysian youths, sent out sporty and fun looks, all of which focused on bright colours.

There was also a hippy, beach vibe going on with the collection. It showed plenty of outerwear – from windbreakers to parkas, and even a surf suit. Reflective materials seemed to be a staple as well.

The incorporation of tie-dye pieces offered a truly groovy feel. As were the vivid and cheerful Hawaiian shirts, which, are indeed a recognised major trend in the fashion industry for this year.

For a label that was first founded on offering creatively Malaysian-flavoured T-shirts, there was barely any tees on the runway. It seems that that Pestle & Mortar Clothing has proven that it can do fashion, after all.

Making A Change

AirAsia Foundation (AAF) made its debut in the world of fashion with the launch of its upcycle collection. It raised awareness about the importance of making mindful fashion choices.

The 12-piece collection, created in partnership with conceptual design house Projek Jahat, is made entirely from repurposed materials – from blankets to seat leather – sourced from the AirAsia’s warehouses.

AAF executive director Yap Mun Ching said, “Projek Jahat’s approach to AirAsia materials is completely fresh. These are not viewed as items to salvage but a treasure trove that excites their imagination as designers.”

For Projek Jahat curator Mohd Faizul Isa, the collection’s aim was to make a statement about the importance of considering an industry’s environmental footprint and to show that nothing is waste.

Freedom Of Style

Jovian Mandagie has taken the essence of a resort style as the inspiration for his latest womenswear collection. Nautical stripes, artisanal floral prints, and sailor striped motifs were seen on the runway.

From boxy and A-line tops, double breasted jacket to tailored suits, palazzo pants, cropped ankle-length skirts, flowy blouses and maxi skirts and culottes, it has something for everyone.

Mandagie said that he loved how the collection is relaxed, yet still stood out. He explained that it carries the feeling of spending time in paradise, and he wanted to give women the choice of dressing however they want.

“The team and I have been working really hard to produce this collection. I do feel that this collection is at once fresh yet effortless, and of course, utterly covetable at the same time for the women of today.”

Masculine And Sleek

Rizman Ruzaini surprised everyone by presenting its first menswear collection. This was produced in partnership with HP and inspired by the Spectre Folio convertible notebook.

The designer duo behind the label, Rizman Nordin and Ruzaini Wan Jamil, looked to the device’s sleek look for inspiration. This resulted in tailored pieces with clean lines and a luxe feel.

“Constantly reinventing while being committed to immaculate craftsmanship and attention to detail has allowed us to keep up with the evolving fashion industry over the past 15 years while maintaining our DNA” commented Rizman.

On the designs, Ruzaini added: “Taking design inspiration from the stunning HP Spectre Folio, you can expect leather, luxury and sophistication in our latest collection.”

Casually Cool

Innai Red presented its debut resortwear collection at KLFW this year. True to the label’s design philosophy, the outfits combined elegance and poise with a refined look.

Collectively, they work in presenting a fresh idea on luxury. Individually, the pieces offer ease of wear, dressing up or down while pairing with other clothes or accessories.

There were a number of summer-worthy pieces – from midi-length frocks and shirt dresses, to slit-cut palazzo pants, crop tops, bralets and pretty skirts in a variety of cuts.

According to Innai Red, the collection looked at rewriting the rules of resortwear. The colour white was a big focus, highlighting an idea of purity in design and femininity.

Sweet Romance

Alia Bastamam brought life to the notion of romance, with a Spring/Summer 2020 collection filled with lush, flowing pieces. The silhouettes channeled classic modernity.

As a designer, Alia stayed true to her aesthetic of sensuous resort moods – light fabrics, dresses that are poolside to party to black-tie ready, and always with a sense of empowerment.

“At dusk, when the sun sets on one side and the moon rises on the other, our heroine is in the tight embrace of her lover,” read the press release, playing up the idea of fashion drama.

“For 2020, the romance novel heroine is no longer the damsel in distress, instead she is the armoured warrior, the primeval beauty – decked in heavy metal accessories.”

from Style – Star2.com https://ift.tt/34iZkMw

[jonasmaurer]

Friday Faves

Hi friends! Happy weekend to ya. I hope you had a wonderful 4th!

We’re here in San Diego for a few days, and loving being back at the beach and back in all of our usual spots. The fresh ocean air feels amazing, and I’m looking forward to spending time with our SD friends for a bit.

(Maxi is here)

(Dress here and my fave everyday sneakers are here)

I wanted to say thank you for all of the lovely and heartfelt comments, DMs, texts, and emails in response to my last post. Whenever I go out on a limb, it surprises me to know how many of you feel the exact same way. So many of us are juggling a lot of tasks, feeling the pressure to always accomplish more, and the constant need to stay busy and moving. I hope you’ll join me in simply evaluating what’s important, what’s fun, what’s worth it, and take some time for yourself each day. I think a lot of the pressure I was feeling was self-imposed; always adding more onto my plate because I could, and not necessarily *should.* 

I’ll still be here blogging and doing my thing, but I’m taking the next couple of weeks to see what tasks I can outsource or eliminate. Taking care of the girls is my #1 job, but for so long, I’ve been rolling along in this space without respecting the fact that it’s also a full-time job. Beyond writing posts, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into this little blog, including never-ending emails, social calendars, sponsored content, brand partnerships, editing and recording the podcast, producing videos, creating graphics, Beautycounter, etc. 

Also, my posts around here might change! I’m going to focus on writing more about the things that excite me and that I think you’d like to read about, and not necessarily posts that I think will be pinned a ton or shared. There will still be lots of fitness and life content, but I’d love to focus more on some topics like the following: mom hacks, quick workouts you can do anywhere, quick staple meal ideas, daily casual uniforms, meditation, budgeting, etc. If you have any requests or anything you’d like to see, please let me know!

For now, it’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my fave finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear what you’re enjoying too, so please shout out a fave in the comments below.

Read, watch, listen:

Just in case you needed to read this, too. (Thank you to Heather for sending this my way during her DM pep talk)

Keanu Reeves as every Disney prince.

Advice for new parents.

Which movie chef makes the best food?

Fashion + beauty:

The new Countertime collection launches on Tuesday! I’ll have a full post up with all of the details, but I.can’t.wait for you to have it! I’ve been using the new line for about a month now and am completely obsessed. The night cream feels just like La Mer and the new plant-based retinol is a dream.

  (This is from the sample they sent after LEAD and I’ve hardly made a dent in it, despite using it every night. A little goes a long way! It’s super luxe and moisturizing.)

So many amazing 4th of July sales this weekend!

J. Crew up to 50% off with code BIGGEST. Love these heart hoop earrings and this red shirtdress.

Madewell 25% off with code FIREWORK. The have a short-sleeve version of my favorite side tie dress.

Everlane choose-what-you-pay sale. I recently ordered this shirt and the fabric is a dream.

Loft is 60% off with code HBDUSA. A couple of friends have this jumpsuit and it fits them perfectly, so I might have to go for it.

Athleta swimwear is 40% off. This rash guard is super cute.

Express up to 50% off everything.

Old Navy up to 60% off everything. It’s hard to believe that back-to-school shopping is just around the corner.

Tory Burch extra 30% off sale items with code EXTRA30. How gorgeous is this tote?

Fitness:

ALL Fit Guides are $30 off this weekend with code FREEDOM. Take the quiz here and see which Fit Guide is the best fit for you! (If you have any questions, please let me know.)

Get in a short burst of energy for brain health.

How strength training impacts metabolism

Good eats:

This vegan peach baked oatmeal is one of my summer faves.

Can’t wait to try these zucchini muffins.

Happy Friday, friends. Thanks for hanging out with me here on the blog today.

xoxo

Gina

The post Friday Faves appeared first on The Fitnessista.

Friday Faves published first on https://olimpsportnutritionde.tumblr.com/

[wp-yahoo-style-1042-yahoopa-blog]

‘I battled eating disorders since I was 12': How this plus-size blogger found body confidence and a collab with Lane Bryant

Tanesha Awasthi of Girl With Curves in clothing from her new collection with Lane Bryant. (Photo: Lane Bryant)

Lane Bryant has partnered with Tanesha Awasthi, the founder of plus-size blog Girl With Curves, for the retailer’s first influencer-based clothing collection. A quick scroll through her Instagram page, followed by 350,000, tells you why: There are plenty of stylish outfits, ranging from work-appropriate wrap dresses to weekend-ready denim looks, through which her sense of style and confidence shine through effortlessly.

But Awasthi’s journey to body confidence was a long one.

“I struggled with self-esteem my entire life, often being the tallest and the biggest girl in the room,” she tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I battled eating disorders since I was 12, doing everything within my power to change my body to fit the mold of what I thought it was supposed to look like, based on what I saw on TV and in magazines.”

At the height of her battle, she says, “I suffered knee injuries that left me barely able to walk for almost a month. I was abusing diet pills, exercising obsessively, and restricting calories.”

Tanesha Awasthi of Girl With Curves in clothing from her new collection with Lane Bryant. (Photo: Lane Bryant)

Tanesha Awasthi of Girl With Curves in clothing from her new collection with Lane Bryant. (Photo: Lane Bryant)

It was during this period that Awasthi knew she needed to change the way she viewed herself.  “I had a personal awakening,” she recalls. “I forced myself to take an honest look in the mirror, realizing the road to loving myself, though long, would be much more rewarding than the bumpy, mentally exhausting road I’d been on, loathing myself.” That’s when, she says, “I made an effort to focus on accepting the things about myself I once considered flaws: my height, big feet, thick legs, wide hips, frizzy hair.”

In 2011, Awasthi started her blog, Girl With Curves, as a side hobby, at the suggestion of her husband. It didn’t take long before taking off. Within two years, she left her job in Silicon Valley to commit to her blog full time. Her husband recently joined the company full time too.

Now she has a small but mighty team working behind the scenes. During New York Fashion Week on Sept. 9, Lane Bryant unveiled its new partnership with Awasthi for the brand’s first influencer-based clothing collection. When the opportunity came up, it seemed like a natural choice for both parties. The retailer has been at the forefront of plus-size fashion since before the body-positive movement swept through the industry in recent years. Since 2011, Awasthi has become a prominent body-positive advocate within the plus-size community, running her successful blog.

Tanesha Awasthi of Girl With Curves in clothing from her new collection with Lane Bryant. (Photo: Lane Bryant)

Tanesha Awasthi of Girl With Curves in clothing from her new collection with Lane Bryant. (Photo: Lane Bryant)

The Girl With Curves x Lane Bryant collection features 20 pieces, ranging in size from 12 to 28, and is tailor-made for curvy women who love fashion but have a tight budget. Items start as low as $35 and go up to $150. The line includes feminine graphic maxi skirts, lacy black cocktail dresses, faux-fur trimmed sweaters, and A-line dresses that cinch the waist perfectly. “We really wanted to design clothing that not only favors curves beautifully, but also provides everyday essentials, versatile enough to wear for any aspect of one’s lifestyle,” says Awasthi. 

You can shop the collection now, in stores and at lanebryant.com.

Read More from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• Fashion designer casts all Asian models for historic NYFW show  • Political slogan tee strikes at NYFW: ‘Vote for Cynthia’ Nixon  • Curvy model causes a stir in ‘Sample-Size’ T-shirt at NYFW’s most diverse show 

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

[rhnuzlocke]

Episode 18: Shattered

Badges: 6    Pokemon: 10    Deaths: 1   

Party: Tāraki, Akahata, Ao, Pohaku, Roma, Naihi

Scene 1:

[Aka wakes on a hospital bed in the ICU of the Pokemon Center. She looks around and everyone is there.]

Ren: Hey, she’s awake. You really scared us there, Aka.

Akahata: [croaking] Scared myself too.

Ren: How do you feel?

Akahata: Everything hurts, so I guess I’m still alive.

Ren: Yeah. I’ll ask them to up your pain meds a bit when they come back. [Akahata sighs.] I’m, uh—

Akahata: Don’t even try it. That was my call and I’m not sorry.

Ren: [small smile] Okay.

Tāraki: I’m so glad you came back, Aka. You’re my oldest friend. I wouldn’t know what to do without you around.

Akahata: I used to worry, but I don’t anymore. Did you take care of that camerupt?

Tāraki: Permanently.

Akahata: Good. It’s tried to kill you before.

Ren: [clearing her throat] The doctors said you should be fine in a few days. You didn’t break anything and the rest of the damage shouldn't be permanent.

Akahata: So what’s the plan?

Ren: Well, Steven and Latias followed the sub for a while and it didn’t go to Groudon’s chamber, so we’re thinking they either don’t know where it is or aren’t ready to break in. Steven thinks Lugia may have damaged the drill they put on it. We’ve lost track of the sub and Maxie. Lugia is out of commission for now, so we are going to train in the meantime.

Akahata: Alright. What time is it?

Ren: Almost noon.

Akahata: Go get something to eat. [Ren opens her mouth to argue.] I know you’ve been here since you woke up and I’m sure you’re starving. Go eat. I’ll be fine.

Ren: Okay. Is anyone else hungry?

[Everyone rises except Naihi.]

Naihi: I’d like to stay if that’s okay with Akahata.

Akahata: Sure.

Ren: Alright then. Everyone else out.

[They all pile out of the room, sending Akahata well wishes as they exit. Naihi and Akahata are left alone. Naihi paces up to the chair Ren left empty and hops up. She settles down in it and sits quietly for a while before she speaks.]

Naihi: I wanted to apologize, for everything. You were injured because of my stubbornness. I was wrong about you. I’m not stronger and I’m not better for this team. I should never have tried to make you feel lesser. There was no need. I lied when I told Ren I was okay with staying at the reserve. I’m not. And I was so afraid Ren would send me there, that I wouldn’t make it onto the primary roster if I didn’t prove I was strong. I thought because we were both dark-types that you were competition. I see now that thinking that way means I have no right to be here… And I will leave if that is what you wish. I am so sorry. [She bows her head.]

Akahata: I forgive you. And I want you to stay. We need you.

Naihi: [straightening up and cocking her head] How can you forgive me so easily?

Akahata: I was never angry. It hurt, but in the grand scheme it was probably the wake-up call I needed. Besides you apologized, so I like to think you’ve learned something. Why hold a grudge for that?

Naihi: [She blinks a few times, amazed.] Thank you Akahata. I promise I will do better from now on to repay your generosity.

[Akahata nods and lays her head back down.]

Naihi: Should I leave you? Let you rest?

Akahata: No, you can stay.

[Naihi turns in a circle and lays down in the chair. It is a little too small to accommodate her and one of her rear legs hands off while her front paws rest on the edge of Akahata’s bed. She looks Akahata over. Her burned side is bandaged and she has an IV going into one of her legs. Her breathing slows, but she does not close her eyes.]

Naihi: …Can I ask you something?

Akahata: [without moving] Shoot.

Naihi: All this time I’ve treated you poorly, but you almost gave your life for mine. Why?

Akahata: We need you. You’re our heaviest hitter and that includes Tāraki.

Naihi: I see, you truly are selfless.

[Naihi looks away out the window and Akahata watches her. She takes a deep breath and sighs.]

Akahata: I wouldn’t say that. I knew that we needed you, but I also didn’t want you to die… [Naihi looks questioningly into her face.] I admire you, I have from the beginning.

Naihi: You admire me?

Akahata: Of course I do. You were so much that I wanted to be. You were confident and righteous and beautiful and sure of yourself, sure of everything.

Naihi: Being certain isn’t a virtue when one is wrong.

Akahata: But you always knew exactly what you wanted and you went after it. You weren’t afraid to try and to fail. You made me realize that I wanted to be like that and wasn’t. Maybe it seems silly with all the pokemon like Taraki and Kotai and Pohaku on the team who love battling, but you were the one who made me realize there was something more there, something I was missing.

Naihi: What do you mean?

Akahata: When I was a pup, I battled for a better life and to be accepted. I listened raptly to everything my parents told me and practiced relentlessly. But I didn’t make the cut and was tossed aside. In the wild, I battled to protect my siblings and to keep us together, but in the end I wasn’t strong enough to do that either. I could only save myself. The challenge and honor and everything else died for me then, and battling became survival. When I joined Ren, I thought battling was just a sport for humans. That they used our natural skills and tendencies for their own amusement and glory. That they could never really care about us more than as tools. But Ren proved me wrong. She showed me that battling could be a partnership and that a team could be a family. I became comfortable here and so I stayed, but I was never sure of my place. All this time I’ve just been going through the motions really. You made me see that. [She sighs.] And I guess I’m still not sure what I’m doing.

Naihi: Will you stay with Ren?

Akahata: I have to see her through this and we have to stop Magma. I know my way that far. And after? I’m still not sure, but I think I know now what to look for, so thank you for that.

Naihi: I’m sure you’ll find it.

[Akahata shifts, groans and resettles herself. There is no truly comfortable way to lay with all of her injuries.]

Naihi: Did you really have such a favorable first impression of me? All the others seem to feel that I’m an acquired taste.

Akahata: I did. I thought you were brave and strong and incredible. I still do.

Naihi: After all the stupid, awful things I’ve done?

Akahata: I’ll admit you’re not perfect and there’s some things that I don’t like, but no one is. And, well, [shrugs] we can’t always help who we’re drawn to.

Naihi: I’m sorry to have tarnished that image. Your good opinion is well worth having. I—I’m glad you’re not angry with me, even though I deserve it… [She taps her claws nervously.] Do you think we could practice together again, like we did at the beginning. Once you’ve recovered, of course.

Akahata: I’d like that.

Naihi: [smiling] Me too. It would be an honor.