#red moccasins

[miquelzeoli]

[reasonsforhope]

Article Link

"Minnetonka first started selling its “Thunderbird” moccasins in 1965. Now, for the first time, they’ve been redesigned by a Native American designer.

It’s one step in the company’s larger work to deal with its history of cultural appropriation. The Minneapolis-based company launched in the 1940s as a small business making souvenirs for roadside gift shops in the region—including Native American-inspired moccasins, though the business wasn’t started or run by Native Americans. The moccasins soon became its biggest seller.

[Photo: Minnetonka]

Adrienne Benjamin, an Anishanaabe artist and community activist who became the company’s “reconciliation advisor,” was initially reluctant when a tribal elder approached her about meeting with the company. Other activists had dismissed the idea that the company would do the work to truly transform. But Benjamin agreed to the meeting, and the conversation convinced her to move forward.

“I sensed a genuine commitment to positive change,” she says. “They had really done their homework as far as understanding and acknowledging the wrong and the appropriation. I think they knew for a long time that things needed to get better, and they just weren’t sure what a first step was.”

Pictured: Lucie Skjefte and son Animikii [Photo: Minnetonka]

In 2020, Minnetonka publicly apologized “for having benefited from selling Native-inspired designs without directly honoring Native culture or communities.” It also said that it was actively recruiting Native Americans to work at the company, reexamining its branding, looking for Native-owned businesses to partner with, continuing to support Native American nonprofits, and that it planned to collaborate with Native American artists and designers.

Benjamin partnered with the company on the first collaboration, a collection of hand-beaded hats, and then recruited the Minneapolis-based designer Lucie Skjefte, a citizen of the Red Lake Nation, who designed the beadwork for another moccasin style and a pair of slippers for the brand. Skjefte says that she felt comfortable working with the company knowing that it had already done work with Benjamin on reconciliation. And she wasn’t a stranger to the brand. “Our grandmothers and our mothers would always look for moccasins in a clutch kind of situation where they didn’t have a pair ready and available to make on their own—then they would buy Minnetonka mocs and walk into a traditional pow wow and wear them,” she says. Her mother, she says, who passed away in 2019, would have been “immensely proud” that Skjefte’s design work was part of the moccasins—and on the new version of the Thunderbird moccasin, one of the company’s top-selling styles.

[Photo: Minnetonka]

“I started thinking about all of those stories, and what resonated with me visually,” Skjefte says. The redesign, she says, is much more detailed and authentic than the previous version. “Through the redesign and beading process, we are actively reclaiming and reconnecting our Animikii or Thunderbird motif with its Indigenous roots,” she says. Skjefte will earn royalties for the design, and Minnetonka will also separately donate a portion of the sale of each shoe to Mni Sota Fund, a nonprofit that helps Native Americans in Minnesota get training and capital for home ownership and entrepreneurship.

Some companies go a step farther—Manitobah Mukluks, based in Canada, has an Indigenous founder and more than half Indigenous staff. (While Minnetonka is actively recruiting more Native American workers, the company says that employees self-report race and it can’t share any data about its current number of Indigenous employees.) Beyond its own line of products, Manitobah also has an online Indigenous Market that features artists who earn 100% of the profit for their work.

White Bear Moccasins, a Native-owned-and-made brand in Montana, makes moccasins from bison hide. Each custom pair can take six to eight hours to make; the shoes cost hundreds of dollars, though they can also be repaired and last as long as a lifetime, says owner Shauna White Bear. In interviews, White Bear has said that she wants “to take our craft back,” from companies like Minnetonka. But she also told Fast Company that she doesn’t think that Minnetonka, as a family-owned business, should have to lose its livelihood now and stop making moccasins.

The situation is arguably different for other fashion brands that might use a Native American symbol—or rip off a Native American design completely—on a single product that could easily be taken off the market. Benjamin says that she has also worked with other companies that have discontinued products.

She sees five steps in the process of reconciliation. First, the person or company who did wrong has to acknowledge the wrong. Then they need to publicly apologize, begin to change behavior, start to rebuild trust, and then, eventually, the wronged party might take the step of forgiveness. Right now, she says, Minnetonka is in the third phase of behavior change. The brand plans to continue to collaborate with Native American designers.

The company can be an example to others on how to listen and build true relationships, Benjamin says. “I think that’s the only way that these relationships are going to get any better—people have to sit down and talk about it,” she says. “People have to be real. People have to apologize. They have to want to reconcile with people.”

The leadership at Minnetonka can also be allies in pushing other companies to do better. “My voice is important at the table as an Indigenous woman,” Benjamin says. “Lucie’s voice is important. But at tables where there’s a majority of people that aren’t Indigenous, sometimes those allies’ voices are more powerful in those spaces, because that means that they’ve signed on to what we’re saying. The power has signed on to moving forward and we agree with ‘Yes, this was wrong.’ That’s the stuff that’s going to change [things] right there.”"

-via FastCompany, February 7, 2024

[gumywyrm]

[atherpurest]

[whoyacallinyellow]

Maybe it’s because I like playing dress-up, but the “winter clothing” feature is so underused.

The story only takes you way up north once in the beginning / end, and I’m not okay with that.

[gb275]

Red wings 🪽

[leatherkart]

https://leatherkart.com.au/website/product/52

Red Tape Black Moccasins Australia

Red Tape black loafers combine style and comfort, offering a sleek, versatile design perfect for both casual and formal occasions.

[liyahsim]

[Falling for November] Collection

Hi!

This collection is designed for those Sims who seek authenticity and sophistication with a rebellious edge, featuring a rich and bold color palette in deep wine, black, army green, mustard yellow, electric blue, red, purple, and brown.

The collection is perfect for making a statement with a mix of textures and intense colors, with leather as the ultimate protagonist of an imposing and timeless aesthetic!

Check the full collection here

ITEMS

Leather Jacket with Dress

Leather Jacket

Leather Skirt

Leather Skirt v2

Asimetrical Top

Cargo Pants

Wool Sweater

Chained Moccasins

Leather Tall Boots

SWATCHES

*The ones in green are extra swatches inspired in Life and Dead expansion, I thougth at something for the sims who are in the new Reaper Career  or for the sims with the macabre trait 💀💪.

RELEASE DATES

Leather Jacket with Dress [15/11/2024 EARLY ACCESS] //  [13/12/2024 PUBLIC ACCESS]

Leather Jacket + Leather Skirt [22/11/2024 EARLY ACCESS] //  [20/12/2024 PUBLIC ACCESS]

Asimetrical Top + Cargo Pants [29/11/2024 EARLY ACCESS] //  [27/12/2024 PUBLIC ACCESS]

Wool Sweater + Leather Skirt [06/12/2024 EARLY ACCESS] //  [03/01/2025 PUBLIC ACCESS]

Chained Moccasins + Leather Tall Boots [13/12/2024 EARLY ACCESS] //  [10/01/2025 PUBLIC ACCESS]

Hope you like it! 🧡

@maxismatchccworld ​ @sssvitlanz @coffee-cc-finds  @sims4finds @lanaccfind  @cchunters @ccfinds @c12ccfinds @mmoutfitters @mmfinds @emilyccfinds @redheadsims-cc @wysidiacc @ccsimsfindss4 @maxismatchccworld @lotusplumbob @toastyccfinds @cookiesccfinds @strangecowplantfinds @shaenaeccfinds @eanyroseccfinds @kairasimsccfinds @anikasims @blueishccfinds @petiteluneccfind @alt-lanaccfinds @cc-kallo @ccaholic @ccfindsims4 @brindletonccfinds @cinnamonfinds @arcchive @missimformationccfinds @biancmlfinds @kisaccfinds @ceeplays @llama--plumbobcc @luckyduckycc @faeirysims @tenshialaya

[drifting-knightjar]

went for a swim at my regular river and finally saw a snake there other than a water moccasin!!

(it was a copperhead)

[crowsofdarkness]

Neighbors: One Shot

pictures/gifs not mine. all found on pinterest. cover made by me*

Parings: Bill Skarsgard x OFC! Rose

Word Count: 3,648

Content Warnings: Bill being a sweet flirt, language, and smut that will include mentions of masturbation, fingering, unprotected p in v, dirty talk, slight degradation if you squint, and public sex.

Summary: A simple chance encounter inside the laundry room with her new neighbor seems to change Rose's life without warning.

Humming a tune to myself, I hoisted the laundry basket up higher on my hip as I trotted down the long hallway from my apartment towards the laundry room. It was nearly two in the morning and that’s when I usually decided to do my laundry since the machines would be open this late. 

The bottom of my shirt flew in the wind I created as I walked and the chill from the AC in the complex brought goosebumps to my bare legs. I’d waited longer than normal to do laundry so I had no pants to wear, hence the oversized shirt, fuzzy socks, and my moccasins. 

It was fine though. I’d been doing my laundry this late for months now and I’d never run into someone. 

Until now. 

Coming to a stop in the doorway of the laundry room, I dropped the basket to the floor when a pair of bright eyes met mine, pinning me in place. His hands were quickly working in folding laundry. Not just any laundry, my laundry. 

More specifically a pair of red lace panties. 

“Your laundry was taking up the two machines so I thought I’d fold it for you,” my neighbor smiled at me. 

My new neighbor. The one who moved into 4C two weeks ago. The one who I could hear singing in some different language through the walls of my bedroom. The one who I could not stop staring at. The one who I could not stop thinking of day and night. 

Bill Skarsgard.

“Uh,” I cleared my throat while licking my lips. “What do you think you’re doing?” 

Bill raised a brow, setting the folded pile of clothes neatly on the table in the middle of the laundry room. 

“Your clothes were taking up the only dryers for the last two hours,” he repeated. 

I blinked, still dumbfounded that not only had my cute neighbor took it upon myself to fold my clothes but seemed to separate them exactly like how I would. In the few weeks since he moved in, I’d all spoken a handful of words to him. The quick smiles or hellos when we passed each other in the hall. There was one time my dog, Floki, slipped through my legs when I was bringing in groceries and ran into the hallway. Thankfully Bill was there to quickly snatch him up before bringing him back to me. Floki is an english cocker spaniel and even though he’s small in size, he makes up for it in speed. That day he was on a mission to run down the four flights of stairs in hopes of making it outside. 

“If I overstepped, I’m sorry, Rose,” Bill said, breaking me from my thoughts. “I just wanted to help and I really needed the machines.” 

“It’s fine, Bill,” I said rather quickly while holding up my hands. “Although, it is a bit weird I caught you fondling my panties.” 

A deep chuckle filled the air which seemed to ease the sudden tension and carefully, I picked up the basket from the ground and walked over towards Bill. As I began placing the folded clothes into the basket, I watched out of the corner of my eye as he placed his wet clothes from the washer into the dryer. 

Although we hadn’t spoken much, we did exchange names on the day he moved in.

“Do you usually do your laundry at two a.m.?” I asked. 

“No, not typically,” Bill answered with a small chuckle, scratching at the small hairs covering his face.

All I did was hum in response before pulling out my other load from the second dryer and began folding those. I knew who Bill was, what he did for a living. It was the talk of the complex when he first moved in that we had a movie star living with us. 

“Do you usually walk the halls in nothing but a shirt and fuzzy socks?” 

I snapped my head up towards Bill who was now leaning his back against the table next to me. His broad arms were crossed over his even broader chest and the smirk that played on his lips made something ignite inside of me. 

“This late, yes. Mostly because I have no clean pants and I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone,” I informed. 

“Wait till the last minute to do laundry, huh?” Bill teased. 

I narrowed my eyes. “Typically no. But I’ve been sick the last week, dying in bed with liquids and antibiotics so my laundry has piled up.” 

“I thought I heard you coughing and sneezing,” he chuckled while now sitting up on the counter next to my pile of clothes.

“Huh?” My brows furrowed in confusion, forcing myself not to look at his long legs dangling in the air. 

Or the way those grey sweatpants were hugging every perfect muscle in his thighs. 

Or the prominent bulge in his pants as his eyes lingered on my bare legs. 

“Thin walls,” he said with a wink. 

I hummed again while fidgeting with the sleeve of one of the clean shirts I had yet to fold. Bill’s bright eyes were staring directly down at me, and I shifted on my feet. Bill didn’t make me uncomfortable.

No, far from that.

Being so close to him like this made something inside of me ignite to life. Everytime we ran into each other, there’d always be small flirtatious comments and lingering stares, but nothing more. I did my best to push away those feelings, play it off as a little crush on my neighbor. Even though I knew deep down, it was more than a crush. Especially with what happened the other night. 

“Oh fuck,” I groaned as the vibrations hit my clit again. “So good.” 

I arched my back on the bed as the orgasm began to crest inside of me, nerve endings coming to life with the prospect of finally letting go. I’d been edging myself for the last ten minutes, pulling away my vibrator whenever I got too close, in order to have a bigger boom sort to speak. My knees began to shake and I ran a hand through my hair, pushing it away from my sweat slicken forehead, ready to finally let go. 

“Bill!” I cried out unexpectedly when those bright eyes of my neighbors forced their way inside of my sex induced state. 

There was a pitter patter of knocking on the wall above my bed. “Everything alright in there, Rose?”

Cursing the thin walls of my apartment under my breath, I slowly rolled out of bed before stalking into the bathroom. 

“Rose?” 

“Hm?” I let my hair fall in my face, hoping the copper strands would hide the crimson hue covering my cheeks as I continued to remember what happened the other night. 

This was the first time I was facing Bill since the incident, mostly because I was doing whatever I could to avoid him. I wasn’t even sure if he heard exactly what I was doing. For all I know, he could have just wanted to say hi. 

Through your wall? Are you really that dumb? He even said he could hear you through the thin walls. 

“How are you feeling now?” He asked. 

“Uh,” I cleared my throat before going back to folding up the last bit of my clothes. “Better. The antibiotics helped. I’m not contagious or anything if that’s what you’re worried about. I don’t want to mess up any future filming plans you may have.”

He waved me off and then jumped off the counter to head over to the dryer that just buzzed, indicating it was finished. For a few moments, the only sounds that filled the laundry room were our shared breathing and Bill moving around, setting clothes in specific baskets while I stood almost frozen when I felt his presence behind me.

“How’s your dog?” Bill’s deep voice broke through the silence behind me. “Any more escape attempts?”

“No, thankfully. And his name is Floki,” I said, seeing Bill now back in his previous spot next to me. 

Instead of sitting on the counter, he stood next to me to fold the last bit of his clothes. 

“Floki. That’s interesting.” 

“It’s from one of my favorite shows. Vikings,” I had just placed the last of my clean clothes into my basket when I glanced up at Bill, to see a wicked smirk on his lips. 

Lips I was desperate to taste.

“What?” I asked when he still hadn’t said anything. 

“The actor that plays Floki in Vikings is my brother. Gustaf Skarsgård.” 

My eyes widened at Bill’s revelation and I stood to face him head on. “No way! I couldn’t even see the resemblance.” 

Bill chuckled, the noise making my heart flutter, and crossed his arms over his chest. “I like to think he looks like my other brother, Alex.” 

“Do you have a lot of siblings?” I asked. 

For the next few minutes while we stood facing each other, every so often moving closer towards one another, Bill filled me in on parts of his life and the successful line of actors that was the Skarsgård family. Once he was done giving me the rundown of the family tree and me telling him about how I own the bookstore around the block, opening it a few years ago, we both finished folding our laundry and were now standing so close to each other I could hear his breathing as if it was my own. 

There was a sudden charge, almost appearing out of nowhere, and Bill must have felt it as well because his fingers ghosted over the skin of my thighs. Not touching but close enough his heat danced over me. 

“Remember how I said I could hear you through the thin apartment walls?” He asked, voice dropping slightly. 

I nodded but froze in horror when the realization set in on why he was asking me this. 

“You heard me the other night. When I-,” my voice trailed off as I felt my face heat with crimson. 

Oh this was so bad. Bill probably thinks I’m some sort of weirdo who thinks about him when they use their vibrator. 

“Oh, that,” I stammered. “I didn’t think you could hear. But it wasn’t you I called out for. I was with someone that night.” 

It was mostly true. Earlier that night, I invited an ex over for a quick hook up but when he left less than an hour and I was unsatisfied, I took it upon myself to finish the job. 

Something flicked in Bill’s eyes which told me he didn’t believe a word I said.

“What part of me did you think of when you touched yourself?” 

My eyes snapped up from my fuzzy socks to the sly smirk that rested on Bill’s soft face and something inside of me warmed at the image of Bill being the one who held the vibrator against my clit. 

I swallowed thickly, trying to find a voice to respond, but the only thing I could do was continue to think of how Bill looked naked against the burnt orange color of my bed sheets. How his scent would stain my pillowcases for weeks after.

“I-uh-I told you. I was with someone that night.” 

“I know,” Bill snorted. “He sounded like a real catch. How long did it last?” 

My face burned with embarrassment for not only him being able to hear the disaster of a hookup I had but also the fact he was fine with openly talking about it. Usually talking about my sex life didn’t bother me but when it was with someone who I wished I was having sex with, it made me incredibly nervous. I didn’t want Bill to get the wrong impression of me. 

“He was in and out in less than ten minutes. Literally,” I sighed. “I don’t need to be reminded of my disastrous sex life or the fact you heard us. But I didn’t call out your name later. I ended up going to sleep shortly after he left.”

A squeal erupted from my throat when I felt myself being lifted from the ground before being set down on the counter in the laundry room. With one hand, Bill spread apart my legs so he could step into them and rested both arms on either side of me. Locking me in place. 

“You know, your left eye does this weird twitching thing when you lie,” he noted. 

“It does not!” I shot back, sort of defiantly. 

It did. 

My left eye always twitches when I tell a lie. My mom would always call me out on it growing up. 

“You still haven't answered my question,” he said, changing the subject of my blatant lie. 

I blinked. “What question?” 

“When you touched yourself, did you imagine it was my fingers?” He asked while tucking a strand of copper hair behind my ear. 

I should lie to him. Tell him that I definitely was not thinking of his lips sucking my clit. But it was futile, knowing he had heard me. And the fact he would call me out again.

“Your tongue,” I admitted. 

A deep noise vibrated in Bill’s chest as his hands now rested on my thighs. With him setting me on the counter, the bottom of my shirt rode up, exposing more of my legs and my bright orange panties. His fingers kneaded my skin, causing a small moan to fall from my lips. 

“Did you think of me when he was fucking you?” Bill's warm breath fanned over my ear. 

Now his hand slipped between my legs, dragging a finger over my panties and I shivered with his touch.

“Yes.”

I didn’t bother to lie, afraid that if I did he would stop whatever he was doing. I needed this. I needed Bill. 

“You smell so good,” he mused while breathing me in. “Like white roses.”

Pushing my panties to the side, he gathered up my wetness to draw small circles against my clit and my head fell forward against Bill’s shoulder. 

“Look how wet you are,” he mused. “This all for me? You want me, don’t ya, Rose?” 

Words were foreign especially when Bill slipped a finger inside of me to slowly drag it in and out. So all I could do was nod. With his free hand, he cupped my chin so he could force me to look into his bright eyes. 

“Do you want me to stop?” 

I hastily shook my head and grasped at his shirt. “No, Bill. Please keep going. I need this.” 

I could barely finish my words before he captured my lips in a feverish kiss, tongue immediately forcing the inside of my mouth to devour me whole. My body ignited with warmth, it spread through each of my veins, and my heart nearly burst out of my chest. I’d been dreaming of how Bill’s lips taste for the last few weeks and now that I finally did, I realized it paled in comparison to my dreams. 

“More,” I muttered against his lips, rutting my cunt against his finger. “I need more. Please.”

Bill understood because he pulled out his hand from my panites to yank me off of the counter. Spinning me around, he pushed down my upper half against the counter and kicked my legs apart. My knees shook with anticipation and I was thankful I’dfinally showered after being sick in bed the last few days. 

Even though I couldn’t see, I knew Bill was yanking down the front of his sweats and not bothering to take off my panties, he pushed them to the side. When he pulled out his cock, I groaned when I felt the head press gently inside of me before halting. 

“Are you on anything or should I grab a condom?” Bill asked. 

I could hear the strain in his voice at the fact he’d have to stop this to run to his apartment to grab a condom. 

Glancing over my shoulder, I gave him a small smile. “I’m on the pill. We’re good.” 

With my approval, Bill quickly sank deep inside of me, both of us groaning. I’d never felt so full before as I writhed against the counter, trying to hold onto something as he snapped his hips into me from behind. 

“Fuck, Rose. Your cunt is gripping my cock so tight,” Bill grunted while resting his forehead against my back. 

The sound of the dryer buzzing, indicating it was done, fell away to white noise. Only briefly reminding me that we were in the laundry room of our apartment complex meaning anyone could walk in and see Bill spearing me open on his cock. But the excitement of being caught brought forth my orgasm, teetering on the edge. 

Bill dragged out his cock to slowly fuck me with the head and I sputtered out his name, forcing my ass against him with the hope he’d fill me up again. I clenched around him, our shared wetness creating ungodly sounds. His warm breath fanned my face and I titled my head slightly to crash our lips together again, my tongue finding his instantly. One of Bill’s hands gripped tightly against my hip while the other slipped inside of my panites to thrum against my swollen clit. 

“Oh, shit,” I nibbled on his bottom lip. “I’m so close, Bill. Don’t stop.” 

“Never,” he said while now wrapping the arm that held my hip around my midsection to hold me tight against him. “Your cunt takes me so well, Rose. Like it was made for me.”

My head fell to the cool granite counter, the feeling of him fucking me and his fingers drawing circles on my clit was all too much. Sweat gathered at the back of my neck as my body tensed in Bill’s embrace and my jaw fell slack, my orgasm ripping through me. I spasmed all over his cock, soaking him, and he stalled his hips for a moment. 

“Gonna fill up that pretty pussy, baby,” Bill grunted before his cock twitched inside of me, doing exactly what he said. 

With both of us slumped over on the counter, we allowed ourselves a few minutes to catch our breath before Bill slipped out of me and set my panties back in place. I frowned at the wetness between my legs before rising up to adjust the bottom of my shirt. 

“Uh, well,” I did my best to fix my hair, hoping it didn’t look like I just had sex in a public laundry room. 

Bill stuffed his hands deep in the pocket of his sweats and wore a lazy smile. “I will admit, this is a first for me so I don’t know how to end this.” 

“You mean to tell me you don’t fuck every girl that you meet in the laundry room?” I teased.

“You’re the first,” he hummed. 

We stood there for a few beats, just staring at each other while not knowing what to say. I didn’t expect to find Bill here when I came down to finish my laundry and I definitely didn’t expect to have him fuck me over the counter. 

Just as my lips parted to speak, a new form entered the room causing both Bill and I to step away from each other. I recognized who just walked in; the nurse from 2A who worked the late shift, meaning she would do her laundry at four in the morning when she got off shift. 

“Oh, well looks like we meet here again Bill,” she giggled while setting down her basket of clothes on the counter next to him. 

“Hey Lauren,” he greeted but there was somethin indifferent in his voice. 

Lauren gave me a forced smile before glancing back at Bill, resting a hand on his arm. “I’m starting to think you’re purposely doing your laundry at this time so you can run into me. This is the fourth time now, right?”

My eyes snapped over towards Bill, something festering low in my gut, and his eyes were filled with a somber color; something unreadable. 

So I wasn’t the only one he’d met in the laundry room at this hour? 

Get over yourself, Rose. You’re jealous over a man who isn’t yours. All he did was fuck you, that’s it. 

Yeah but what if he lied about me being the only one he’s fucked in here?

The voice inside my brain didn’t return my question with an answer so with a long sigh, I gathered my things and gave Bill a curt nod. 

“See you around.”

I scurried out of the laundry room down the hall towards my apartment, ignoring his calls after me. I tried to tell myself over and over again that it was just a quick, heat of the moment, hook up. It wouldn’t be anything more so I had no right to be hurt about the idea of him hooking up with someone else. 

Once in the safety of my apartment, I greeted Floki with a quick pat to the head after setting down my clean baskets in the entryway. As I made a quick beeline towards my bathroom to shower, I did my best to let out a steadying breath, knowing that I could move on from this. Bill was just a neighbor, that’s it. A good fuck. If I was lucky, I wouldn’t run into him all that often. I mean, I rarely did before so now it would be no different. 

Yet, a month and a half later and no sightings from Bill, I found myself knocking on his apartment door only to be met with silence. So with one final look at the envelope in my hand, I slipped it underneath his door and turned my back towards it, stalking into my apartment with a heavy heart. 

[miquelzeoli]

[neechees]

What a Cree Bride May Have Worn - 1880's.

[image description: semi realistic flat colored, digital drawing of a light brown skinned Cree woman with dark brown hair in braids, a cream colored tanned hide dress, who is leading an American Paint horse by a lasso. The Cree woman has two large dots of red ochre painted on the apples of her cheeks, and single line of red ochre across her forehead. She has 4 lined tattoos running down her chin, and to lines extending outward to make an inverted "V" from the corners of her mouth. Her braids are tied off with circular conch shell ties, and she wears a beaded blue belt with red triangular detailing, a blue beaded necklace, and a bone choker with red beads. She has red and white moccasins with a long, fringed dress, with red pigment yoke painted onto the dress, and blue and white quillwork underneath. She has a Hudson's Bay blanket over her right shoulder. Speech bubbles pointing to the relevant details are as listed in bullet points below. end image description.]

Weddings usually were not as formal, big events in Cree culture, but there were some formalities and gifts that were exchanged, including what's depicted here.

Horse: marriage dowry. She was gifted a horse in exchange for marriage. All horses belonged to her.

red ochre makeup, for special occasions, and chin tattoos indicating status as a married woman.

newly made moccasins and a blanket: gifts from her intended. She was gifted the moccasins alongside the horse.

[splatsvilles-fashionista]

Ranking the promotional inklings/octolings by how much I like their outfits: Splatoon 2

Note: Since I saw some people asking about it in the last one, the names I'll be using are from the official trailers/directs, they tend to pretty consistently use the same in-game names for each promo kid.

Surume

King Flip Mesh - White King Tank - Mint Dakroniks

Starting off with the classic black/white + colorful shoes style.

This one has a fun sporty vibe to it.

Also kind of a tomboyish look, and that's always fun.

5/5 It's simple but it just works really well.

Cuttlefrsh

Squidfin Hook Cans - Black V-Neck Tee - Yellow-Mesh Sneakers

A simple, primarily black outfit accented with the yellow of the shoes and gloves.

I don't like this particular shoe model very much, but they work really well in the context of this outfit.

It all comes together to form an outfit that is basic, but still sleek and active.

4/5 I can only really dock points for the shoes but I think this is a really cohesive fit with a lot of personality.

Kensaki

Half-Rim Glasses - Hula Punk Shirt - Piranha Moccasins

Primarily neutral tones with some matching red-orange accents on the shoes and shirt, alongside ink-colored glasses.

Like a lot of them this is a simple outfit, but it's always stood out as one of the ones with the most character to me.

This also serves as our introduction to the Annaki brand, and I think it's a very good one.

5/5 There's a lot of personal bias here, but I think this is one of the strongest outfits in the series.

Kelpshot

Hockey Helmet - Inkopolis Squaps Jersey - Canary Trainers

Looking at this outfit from the top it is mostly just a hockey uniform... until you get to the green-and-yellow sneakers.

The shoes really are a wild swerve in the context of the rest of the outfit, and in this instance it's not a I swerve I think works or does anything interesting. They're just kind of mismatched.

I also think this outfit in particular is very ink color dependent. It looks good in this render, but if you've got something like pink or orange ink I think it just becomes way too messy.

2/5 The idea is there but it just doesn't cross the finish line.

Splashley

Bucket Hat - Matcha Down Jacket - Black Dakroniks

This outfit is going for matching, neutral headwear and shoes alongside a more ostentatious centerpiece with the bright yellow jacket.

I'm not personally all that huge on the way this outfit is put together. There's nothing wrong with it, the neutral colors do work with the bold yellows, but to me the matching shoes and hat makes the entire thing feel very boxy and compartmentalized.

Also, while it's very desaturated the Bucket hat does still change to match your ink color, which could throw off the intended balance here.

3/5 It's... fine. It's fine, but I think it could have been more. Maybe with some glasses instead of the hat?

Yari

Takoroka Visor - Takoroka Windcrusher - Neon Delta Straps

Another outfit built around a big centerpiece, in this case the Windcrusher, with headwear and shoes picked to match.

Honestly a very well-put together 'fit that manages to carry the multicolored motif of the Windcrusher through to the shoes and the hat even as their black elements clash with it.

I've only really got nitpicks and personal complaints here. I don't like this particular shoe model, and I think they could have done something more interesting than the visor, but that's really it.

4/5 This one's too baseline competent for me to rank it any lower, even if I wish it was just a bit bolder as a whole.

Kou

Knitted Hat - Shirt with Blue Hoodie - Smoky Wingtips

This one is interesting, because it is largely kind of a hodgepodge mix of primary color items and a cap that changes ink color.

...And yet I think it works really well, and to me a lot of it comes down to the dress shoes. They're so much fancier than the rest of the stuff she's wearing that it changes how the entire ensemble reads.

To me, this is peak "wear something comfy" fashion. It's got the vibe of just throwing together what you've got that's clean, except you've got this one expensive article of clothing you love and want to show off, and I think it is very charming.

5/5 Not all outfits need to be carefully coordinated to be perfect.

Tof-U

Painter's Mask - Pink Easy-Stripe Shirt - Hunting Boots

So this one is just weird, mixing large outdoor boots, a gas mask, and a fairly ordinary striped shirt.

And I do think the weirdness is the point here. This is the kind of outfit that inherently says a lot about the person wearing it, and so what you get out of it is largely dependent on your read of that person.

And to me, what this 'fit leaves to the imagination is what makes it worthwhile, especially alongside the done-up hairstyle. Someone specifically chose to wear this combination.

3/5 It is quite frankly a mess, but it has just enough specificity that it doesn't just feel like someone chose their outfit at random.

The Octolings

(They don't have any official names)

Black FishFry Bandana - Octoking HK Jersey - Red Powe Stripes

Oh hello, neutral headwear and top with more colorful shoes, you're back!

Except a bit more elaborate than usual, as the jersey's got a lot more going on than the usual single solid T-shirts they usually go for, and it works really well with the paisley pattern of the bandana.

That said this is another case of me not liking the shoes, as I've always found the Power Stripes too big and bulky for my liking.

4/5 Girl if you'd just picked better shoes it would have been perfect. You were so close

Squidlife Headphones - Red Cuttlegear LS - Suede Gray Lace-Ups

A very simple outfit with neutral headwear and shoes surrounding a more colorful shirt.

*Points* Look everyone, it's ProChara! Except not really, because he'd pick more interesting shoes than the ones on display here.

I'll be real. This one is just kind of boring to me. The shirt is the centerpiece of this outfit but it's just too simple to justify such plain headwear/shoes.

2/5 It's honestly baseline FINE but it screams "I am not confident enough in my sense of style to actually try and coordinate an outfit"

[sidyashchiy-na-plakhe]

All WoF characters in alphabetical order ("W". part 1)

(click for better quality)

Yes, I didn’t start with A, because I want to do it randomly.

About designs:

Warthog is like warthog lol. He has a checkerboard pattern. It came from the design idea of his sister Moccasin, whose name is similar to the word "mosaic" which is why I gave her the mosaic patterns.

Wasp has wasps on her clothes and a crown that looks like a weapon on her horn.

Wharf is like a beach by the sea.

Webs has webs on his webs >:).

Weevil is as evil and red aristocrat as Senor Tomato from the Soviet cartoon "Cipollino".

Whirlpool's pupils are similar to whirlpools.

[st4rg1rl-16]

━━ ✶✶˖° 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 | 𝗡𝟰𝗦.

𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴(𝘀) ━ 2019 to 2023!f1 grid x driver!female oc

𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 ━ lewis responds to what arabella said in drive to survive starting a little rivalry between them

𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 ━ 2019, 31st march

𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ━ manama, bahrein

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 ━ angst because bella tries to push everyone away, lewis being confusing and cursing

𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 ━ not an accurate description of a race (i don't really know how to write that so this will do) btw seb is not going to be in the grid until 2021 bc you know we need that seat for bella but he will appear so don't worry

𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 ━ @namgification @louvrepool @d3kstar @omgsuperstarg @whoselly @yl90

• — need for speed’s masterlist

HER leg, clad in the red race suit, moved up and down. She bit the inside of her left cheek and played with the sleeve of her shirt. She was in her garage sitting on a bench that she had found, her car surrounded by her mechanics was not far from her.

She looked around her: this was definitely different from Formula Two.

Today was her second race in Formula One and for some reason she was nervous unlike the first one in which she felt nothing but excitement and adrenaline. Yesterday she qualified in fifth place so she had a good chance of winning or at least getting on the podium which was good news but the spaniard couldn't help but self-sabotage and think that she wasn't going to win.

Her anxiety began to take hold in her stomach and she couldn't help but think about her teammate. Last night they had confessed their feelings to each other and between kisses and whispers they fell asleep, which was special for her but when Arabella opened her eyes and quietly slipped out of the room to get ready to go to the circuit, reality crashed into her, giving her a slap all over the face.

Now she was in a relationship? –They hadn’t come to anything since they didn’t had time to talk but let's leave it at that– with her teammate which, according to the small print of their contract, was strictly prohibited so if they were discovered they could be fired in addition to the fact that it would be a scandal, they would call her everything and they would surely believe that it would be a point in favor of why there should be no women in Formula One and she knew that, unfortunately, Charles, just because he was a man, would not come out as badly as her.

She covered her face with her hands trying to block out the light and took in as much air as her lungs would allow before releasing it again. She had to talk to Charles and make things clear, but first she had to forget about that and focus on her career.

She called herself a fool in the four languages she knew. She was supposed to be smart, she had to think things through, know in advance all the possible scenarios that could arise as a result of her actions. She couldn't make mistakes, she was in the spotlight of thousands of people. She was Arabella Torres, the girl who had make it to Formula One at just eighteen years old and who was causing a sensation in the world of sports. She couldn't allow herself to make mistakes, not after everything she had suffered to get to where she was now, not after everything she had said. She couldn't make a fool of herself like that.

She would be a shame to her family, her friends and most of all to the women around the world that she represented. She wanted to make history and change it, she wanted to be the one who made the path easier for others but she couldn't do it if two months after debuting she was caught with her partner's tongue down her throat.

"Fuck," she cursed in a whisper in spanish, removing her hands from her face. Some leather moccasins were present in her field of vision, she looked up, meeting Alexander, her man of the radio, looking at her cautiously.

“You seem worried, are you okay?” The man, who was in his fifties and reminded her of her grandfather, asked.

She shook her head, releasing a sigh that she didn't know she contained. She faked a small smile "I'm a little nervous about starting in fifth position."

“You'll do well, I'm sure” He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a couple of pats as a sign of support “Who knows, maybe you'll win this race.”

"I wish" her smile changed to a real one, winning would definitely make her day better.

The half brit half italian smiled back, tightening his grip on her shoulder before letting go and pointing to his ears. “Don't worry, I'll be with you.”

She smiled tenderly before opening her mouth to answer him but she was interrupted when she heard one of the mechanics say Charles' name, then she heard the others greet him as well. Immediately her leg resumed moving up and down on her spot.

Mierda. Shit.

A couple of minutes later the green-eyed man was walking towards her offering her a smile that she could swear was worth a million euros. She reciprocated timidly and lowered her gaze when he finally reached her side.

For his part, Charles felt that at any moment he was going to throw up butterflies. He took advantage of the fact that she diverted her gaze to the ground to observe her better, the sleeves of her race suit were tied to her waist, leaving her fireproof shirt that hugged her body to view, highlighting her figure, her dark hair was tied in a low ponytail, she was not wearing makeup, leaving seeing circles under her eyes that confirmed that what happened last night hadn’t been a dream and that it had actually happened.

“You left without saying anything” He leaned towards her and whispered so that no one else would hear him.

She felt how her cheeks began to heat up and how the feeling of guilt began to settle in her chest “I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep so I went to my room. I didn't want to wake you up” She lifted her right leg and bent it, drawing it toward her body and then placed her chin on against her knee so she could see him better. She furrowed his eyebrows “Are you angry?”.

He shook his head slightly earning a sigh of relief from her to which he laughed extending his arm to gently caress her back. It was true, he wasn't angry but he would have liked to wake up with her in his arms.

“You start in fifth position, how do you feel?”.

“I think I will get on the podium”.

“Oh, yeah?” He smiled, raising both eyebrows in a mocking tone to which she smiled amused “Do you think you'll beat me? I have the pole”.

She liked talking to Charles, he made her feel calm and helped her escape from her tedious reality. The monegasque, apart from being handsome and a good driver, was also a good person. He was the type of person who looked for a way to make you feel good and comfortable, that he adapted to the person with whom he had a conversation, taking into account what to talk about and what not to talk about. That was one of the things she liked about him.

“Mmmh, you'll see, Leclerc” She wrapped her fingers in the laces of her shoe and nodded, smiling at him mockingly, playing along.

The boy stared at her for a few seconds without saying anything, his gaze traveled quickly from her eyes to her lips and back again before leaning towards her again to speak in a low voice “You don't know how much I want to kiss you right now”.

"Charles!" She reprimanded him in a whisper, placing her hand on the boy's face and pushing his head back. She laughed because she thought it was funny but she tried to hide it "We shouldn't talk about that in public."

He rolled his eyes regretfully “Right.”

An applause was heard, drawing the attention of both, Arabella hurriedly released the monegasque's head when she saw Mattia Binotto approaching them at a quick pace.

“Good morning, guys!” A big smile covered the lips of the man with glasses “I hope you slept well because today we need you to have energy”.

They both shared a look and smiled slightly.

Wow, so sneaky.

“Charles, you are in pole position which is fantastic. I'm proud” He praised the boy who smiled and responded with a thank you. His gaze shifted to the girl, who shrank in her place somewhat nervously "And you, Arabella, are doing so well Fifth position in your second race! Great, simply great”.

“Thank you very much, sir,” She smiled politely. She felt the tension expelling from her body little by little.

He pushed up his left sleeve revealing a watch that looked like it was worth quite a bit of money and looked at it before covering it again "Well, I'm pretty busy today and since I won't be able to talk to you the rest of the day I wanted to wish you both luck” They both let out a thank you again, this time in unison making him laugh “By the way, I know you both want to win but whatever happens we will be happy and proud. See you guys”.

And without further ado he left, leaving them alone again.

“He was acting a little strange, don't you think?” With a frown and looking in the direction where the team principal had disappeared.

“A little, yes” He played it off, taking his phone out of his pocket to look at the time.

It was already eleven thirty in the morning.

“What are you going to do until lunch?” He locked the phone and returned it to his pocket while he mentally reviewed his agenda.

“I have a couple of interviews for a DAZN Spain. What about you?”.

"I don't know yet, I'll look for Emma and ask her" He shrugged and looked around the workshop in case he saw the publicist near her. When he confirmed that the woman wasn’t there, he turned to his team mate “Do you want to eat together?".

"Sure" She agreed before her own publicist approached her. She nodded when she told her that it was time for the interviews and she got up from the red metal bench, looked at the boy and raised her head in dismissal "I'll send you a text when I'm done."

He gave her a thumbs up, smiling at her, and stood up too, ready to go to his part of the garage and find his publicist.

Arabella looked at Elvira, her publicist, trying to look for any sign that she suspected something about the two drivers but the black-haired woman was too absorbed in her phone. She wrinkled her nose looking away from her trying not to be caught staring.

“Well, Albert Fabrega will interview you. It won't be anything out of the ordinary: he'll ask you how the car feels, if you think you'll win, he'll talk about your position in the standings and little else” She finally took her gaze off the phone, taking her index finger to her black-rimmed glasses, pushing them towards her face.

“Okay, and then?” She accepted the bottle of water that a Ferrari assistant offered her, thanked him with a smile when he walked next to her with an umbrella in his hand ready to cover her from the scorching sun.

“You'll talk to the DAZN Spain team for a while and ehm….” She looked again at the electronic device in her hands “There are some rich fans who have access to the paddock, you will take a couple of photos with them and you will sign whatever they want you to sign, then you can go to eat. You will met Charles for lunch, right?”.

“Yes” She began to unscrew the cap of the bottle and then take a good sip. She laughed "Do you know that the other day a girl asked me to sign her boobs?".

"Ew" Elvira made a disgusted face before waving her right hand "I'm so glad I'm not famous sometimes, anyway I think it's good that you go to lunch with Charles, so we can know where you are. I'll make sure Lando stays away from you, I don't want you two to start playing again” She looked at her accusingly over her glasses and she laughed guiltily, knowing she was referring to when she and the McLaren driver got together on Friday, playing tag and by accident they broke a sign.

They spent half an hour apologizing to Red Bull for tearing in half a poster with Pierre's face, who didn’t hesitate to make a dramatic scene about the situation.

But what could they do, after all they were just children.

“I THINK I have a good chance of getting on the podium today, I'm starting fifth so...” She shrugged, giving the camera a toothless smile. Her right hand held the microphone they had given her while her left held her body against the railing that separated the drivers from the press.

The journalist nodded “And what about your rivalry with Hamilton? As you said in Drive to Survive, you will do everything possible to beat him”.

That wasn't in the plan. She bit the inside of her cheek and swayed slightly wrapping her right foot around her left leg. “Yes, I said that but I don't have any rivalry with Hamilton other than, well, the typical one on the track that I have with all the drivers”.

“Don't you know what Hamilton has said about you?” The question left her frozen and for a moment she was worried but quickly composed herself and denied, looking out of the corner of her eye at her publicist and manager, who looked at her just as confused as she was before taking out their phones. The interviewer approached her, handing her his phone; it showed an article from the spanish newspaper Marca which about her and the champion.

She read the headline "Hamilton makes it clear that he is not worried about Torres" and she frowned as she watched the Mercedes driver's words being recited more quietly.

"I don't think she's a rival for me."

“Do you have anything to say about that?” Because she had tucked the microphone under her arm so she could grab the phone, the journalist brought his own microphone closer to her face. She opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out. "In the Melbourne GP you didn't get close to him, finishing in eighth place when he was second. Do you think you'll beat him today?".

She glanced at Elvira and Nicholas again, who shook their heads but she ignored them. “He can say whatever he wants. I'm not going to say that I'm going to beat him today because no one, much less me, knows what's going to happen today, but if I don't beat him today I know that one day I will. Maybe not today or tomorrow but one day I will and rest assured I will take the title from him.”

A smile was planted on the man's lips when he heard her. “Thank you, Arabella. That's all”.

“Thanks to you” She gave him a small smile that didn’t hide her annoyance and, after extending the microphone to the sound people, she turned around and walked away from there. In a second her publicist, her manager, the assistant with the umbrella and the Netflix team were at her side struggling to keep up with her.

Both adults looked at each other while the poor assistant was sweating profusely trying to hide it from the sun.

“Arabella...” She raised a hand stopping the woman, who with her mouth open looked at the girl's manager.

"I don't want to talk now, Elvira” She growled, heading to her room, ignoring everyone she found in her way. When she got to her room she locked herself in, putting the latch on, slamming the door in the faces of both adults.

The blonde knocked on the door. "Bells, don't lock yourself in. Talk to me”.

She was pissed off, very pissed off. One of her idols had underestimated her in public and she didn't understand why. Lewis seemed to be kind and good, she hadn't had the luck –or, now, misfortune– to talk to him yet but still the champion never failed to give her a smile when their eyes met. Was it all for appearances?.

She clenched her jaw, feeling how the tears of rage and frustration began to accumulate in her eyes, pushing against each other eagerly to slide down her cheeks. She swallowed and let her knees give way, causing her back to slide against the door until she was sitting on the floor.

It wasn't the first time they talked bad about her, it wasn't the first time someone was condescending towards her but damn, when he was one of the people you admire most in the world, it definitely hurt more than anything.

The sound of a notification rang from her pocket, she wanted to ignore it but she knew that it was most likely Charles looking for her to eat. Swallowing her tears, she took the phone out of her pocket and looked at the time, there were less than two hours left until the race, she had to go eat.

A single notification occupied the screen confirming her suspicions upon seeing the Monegasque's name.

She smiled though her smile warped into a pout as she felt a sob run down her throat. She suddenly felt worthless and that she didn't deserve anything that was happening to her. She closed her eyes tightly, smashing the palm of her hand against her mouth, trying to silence the sob. She wasn't going to cry, she didn't want to cry, she couldn't cry. She had to be strong.

“Ma belle?” She heard a knock on the door and then she could hear the boy's shy voice. She shook her head, she didn't want to be seen like that, much less for Charles to see her like that. My beautiful.

She stood up, leaving the phone on the floor and hurried to grab the box of clinex that she had in the television cabinet. She blew her nose and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt before walking to the door and bent down to pick up the phone, opening the camera app and looking at herself on the screen. She was more or less presentable.

"Bella, please," she heard him speak again, this time with a pleading tone “Can I come in?".

She took a breath in and out before faking a smile and opening the door, finding Nick, Elvira, and Charles behind it. The three of them were looking at her with concern.

“Well, are we going to eat or what?” She smiled wider before leaving the room and passing between them ready to head to Ferrari's cafeteria.

The three looked at each other and Nicholas let out a sigh, running a hand over his face before looking at the boy dressed in red. "Go to her, she won't want to talk to us."

The driver nodded before starting to run in the direction of the girl. When he was close to her he wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her up, making her stop. "Hey, what just happened there?".

"Nothing, I got angry, I calmed down and that's it" Charles frowned in denial when he saw her smile that could be seen for miles that was false, he was beginning to get annoyed with her "everything is fine" attitude.

“I was in my room when you arrived, you were going like the devil was chasing you. I also heard the door slam. Don't lie to me, Arabella” The false smile that was on her lips fell to the ground as soon as she heard him, she looked around them. Some of the staff watched them talk.

She gently released herself from his grasp. “It's not a good idea to talk here, Charles.”

"I don't give a shit," It surprised her because, to be honest, since she knew him she hadn’t seen him like this, much less heard him curse. He continued, "You can't throw a fit, worry everyone, worry me, and then act like nothing happened. That's not how things work, Arabella.”

She looked at him in silence, he was right but she wasn't going to give that to him. She didn't like to talk about her feelings, much less when they were bad ones.

Charles looked at her too, waiting for her to say something, anything. He wanted her to open up to him, to trust him with her feelings like she had done last night, she wanted him to know that he was there for her.

"See you on the podium," She then told him in a serious tone, after she turned around and disappeared.

SITTING in her car she felt like a king although the looks of the mechanics around her made her feel like she was a bomb about to explode. They looked at her, talked and even were cautious around her.

Apparently the word had spread..

She glued her gaze to the halo that surrounded her, the famous phrase "I feel the need, the need for speed" was printed in white letters. She clenched her jaw when she saw the cameras pointed in her direction, she knew that tomorrow people would be talking about her face.

Her tight jaw that highlighted her features and her intense gaze fixed on her halo would be something to talk about the next day. Some would say she looked attractive, other would would criticize her.

Fuck them.

Nicholas approached her with her helmet and the balaclava in her hands. He held them out to her and she took them. She looked at her helmet and with her index finger caressed the black 9 that stood out among the red and white.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw how the six foot man squatted next to her car to get a better look at her. "Good luck, speed. We are with you.”

The smallest smile of hers was present at her nickname and she raised her gloved hand formed into a fist, soon she felt the man's fist collide with hers.

“Arabella, you're out in five!” She heard someone shout and nodded, putting on her balaclava, someone helped her put on her hans and her helmet. She closed her eyes as she quickly crossed herself.

She pursed her lips thinking about her family. It had only been twenty minutes since she had called her mother to talk to them and say her goodbyes, something she always did before a race since she had that accident. She said goodbye to them in case she didn't leave the track alive, her parents weren't happy about it but she needed it, she needed to tell them that she loved them just in case she couldn't tell them again in person.

She watched as Charles' car pulled out of his garage as the lead car passed in front of them. She felt a small sting in her chest, she pressed her lips together knowing well that it was her fault. They hadn't spoken again since their "argument", they hadn't even eaten together like they had talked about in the morning.

She felt bad for pushing him away but she couldn't help it, she was like that despite herself.

Her jaw clenched again when she saw the black and white car pass by. She was going to win or at least get on the podium so she could shut up the Brit. She was willing to make her life in that race hell. She was going to make him fight for first place.

She watched as the flag in front of her lowered and hurriedly stepped on the accelerator to leave the garage. She followed Bottas being followed by Verstappen.

She took a deep breath, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. Well, here we go.

“Arabella?” She heard Alexander's voice on the radio “Can you hear me?”.

"I hear you," she replied without taking her eyes off the end of Valtteri's car.

She swallowed and lowered the visor of her helmet. The silence embraced her completely, the only thing she could hear was her own breathing. And then every red light turned green in a blink.

Lights out and away we go!

She tried to overtake Bottas but the Red Bull driver tried the same with her. She clicked her tongue when she felt the Dutchman's car pull up to hers.

"Get him off or you'll crash." She heard the man in her ears and she opened her eyes obviously, she wanted to respond with a sarcastic comment but knowing that the communication was being recorded she decided to remain silent.

“Copy” she tried to get away from him but in less than a second Verstappen was already next to her again. She cursed under her breath.

It seems that Verstappen is not making it easy for Torres.

“Not today, Max. Not today, damn it”.

“Carlos is trying to pass, take advantage of it and pass Verstappen” she nodded to herself and prepared to accelerate, she watched as Carlos made space to the left of the Red Bull car, causing the three cars to be stuck together, covering the entire road. When on the 33rd she saw that Sainz was trying to pass, she stuck to him, leaving Arabella alone, she pressed the accelerator and drove away from them “Very good, Bella!”.

She quickly passed Bottas. Her eyes fell on the other Mercedes not far from her Ferrari. Her right corner rose and she tilted her chin down decisively.

And Arabella passes Valtteri, thus remaining in P4. Will she get through to Hamilton?

She suddenly began to lose control of her car making her panic “I'm losing control!”

She felt how the car spun around on itself “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

She turned the wheel trying to get the car back on track, praying that neither Verstappen nor Sainz would approach her and take her in front of her.

She wasn't ready to die.

She's losing control! Verstappen approaches her with Grosjean close, that could end very badly.

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and, swerving, managed to turn around and get the vehicle back on track. She sighed, her eyes so wide it seemed like they were going to pop out of it's sockets.

"Arabella, are you okay?!" She heard several voices coming from the radio, she distinguished Alexander's and Mattias's, she also thought she heard Nick in the distance.

"I'm fine," she confirmed and the sea of red polo shirts sighed with relief in the Ferrari garage. "I'm going to overtake Magnussen."

"Copy"

While she was losing control of the car, Hamilton had managed to pass the Haas driver and was now trying to pass the other Ferrari in the lead.

She approached the black and gold car applying a tactic similar to the one the Dutchman had applied with her, approaching from his left on the curve trying to intimidate him.

"Press as much as you can" she heard commotion from Alexander's side and frowned.

"What's happening?."

"It's Charles." Her heart skipped a beat and she immediately thought the worst. Worry filled her body.

"What happened to him? Is he okay?"

"He had a problem and he had to box, he will be out in a second. It's okay, don't worry, you keep going like this and we'll see if we can get you up to p2" he tried to distract her from the topic of her teammate.

"He doesn't get tired," she warned and the man nodded, watching her car from her screen.

"Keep pushing, you're going to pass through the pit exit in no time. Take advantage of the fact that Charles is going out and pass him."

"Okay"

She followed the instructions given to her and continued alongside the Haas car until they passed the pit exit. She calmed down when she saw the other Ferrari approaching to enter the track again.

Between the two red cars they caged the danish and Arabella took the opportunity to overtake. With her right hand she greeted her teammate, earning a return greeting before losing sight of him.

They quickly left the black car behind and were left alone, looking for Lewis.

And the two Ferraris are going wheel to wheel after Leclerc's problem! They are fighting for p2, what a show Ferrari is giving us today! .

She smiled competitively and accelerated trying to overtake her teammate but he also overtook although he couldn't overtake too much because apparently the problem he had had before had taken its toll on the car and it was difficult for him to do the overtake.

"P2 Arabella, you're up on the podium!" She heard the British man's shout and laughed in disbelief. Had the race already finished?.

"Good job, guys," she congratulated those who were listening to her from the garage with a smile on her face. She parked the car in the second space and took a deep breath before getting out.

She heard the screams of the fans in the stands and soon saw a sea of red polo shirts approaching her with screams. She was turned around and she was enveloped in a hug, she immediately knew it was Charles as she felt another hoof rest against hers.

"You've done it!" She heard him say, "I'm very proud of you, ma belle."

She smiled under the helmet before feeling multiple hands touch her back, arms, and helmet.

She raised her visor and saw her staff. Someone helped her take off her hans and she quickly took off her helmet and balaclava. Her hair flew loose, freeing herself from the hair band that fell to the floor when she tore off her balaclava.

The shouts of the tifosi among the stands increased when she saw her face revealed and she once again felt like a king on top of the world.

Her ear-to-ear smile shivered as she watched the winner approach her. She looked at him suspiciously as she raised her hand in front of her body. Lewis gave him a small smile. “Congratulations, you did good.”

She raised an eyebrow, looking down at her hand and accepting it in hers.

[gb275]

Red wing moc