#bindi loom

[dagbert-endless]

What do you think happened to Bindi and Beth?

No idea. We were given absolute zero to go off of, so anything could have happened to them.

It's possible Beth went back to the circus and Bindi found a better endowed school? It's possible Bindi went to live with her grandparents and Beth found a better school. Maybe both of them gave up on endowed schools, maybe they transferred to one together.

Dorcas and Bindi have the same last name so maybe they're related, or maybe it's a coincidence. Dorcas never mentions Bindi and nobody ever asks her. If they are related, I'd like to think that Dorcas being evil and Bindi being good sparks a new generation of family rivalry within the Looms, like the Yewbeams except they aren't siblings.

Maybe Beth and Bindi would go back to Bone Academy one day, but I doubt it.

I guess the endings I personally like best for them is Beth joins the circus and Bindi transfers to another school, preferably one that also has a good drama class.

A circus made of the endowed is an interesting concept, if I ever make Charlie Bone ocs again I might go that direction.

As for Bindi, she doesn't have a special backstory aside from "grandparents live in India" so sending her anywhere but to another school would feel like I'm just making it up. But we know she was in drama so that's something. It could be a Charlie situation where she wasn't talented but had to go somewhere, but I think it would make her more interesting and well-rounded if she did have an interest or talent for something Drama-related: if not an actress, then maybe a screenwriter or director? She has those vibes, I guess? Maybe the glasses just make me think nerd lmao

Idk, but it was interesting to think about lmao

[incorrectcharliebone]

Olivia: "That sounds like a you problem." Is the best response to criticism. Bindi: I disagree. Olivia: Well, that sounds like a you problem.

[animaginaryartblog]

[Image ID: two versions of a digital painting of Blaze the Cat. They are based on a Trollhunters screenshot, but replacing Jim with an AU Blaze design.

Blaze wears armor similar to Percival's in Sonic and the Black Knight: small, rounded shoulder pauldrons, metal gloves with flared cuffs, and a metal chest plate on her torso with armor pieces hanging from the hips, resembling a tailcoat. Inset in the chest plate, above where her heart would be, is a gold amulet housing a shard of a red gem.

Along with the armor, Blaze wears her usual gold necklace and red bindi. Each gauntlet has a simple curling design on the top, with a red jewel inset in the center, matching her bindi. Under the armor she wears a white bodysuit, covering her legs and arms.

In the first version, Blaze is in her normal form, with lavender fur and yellow eyes. Her hair is not tied up but falling loose down her back, and violet bangs partly cover her bindi. Her armor is a silver-purple color.

In the second version, Blaze is in her Burning form. Her fur is pink, and her armor and blade are both gold rather than silver. A gold circlet pulls her hair back - not that it's needed, as both her hair and the tip of her tail have turned to scarlet flame. Her eyes, too, have the appearance of fire.

In both versions, Blaze stands against a stormy background, looming over the viewer. In her right hand she holds a flame. In her left, she holds her sword from Sonic and the Black Knight, pointed down at someone unseen. Lightning flashes behind her as she looks down at her opponent with an unreadable expression, eyes glowing gold. /end ID]

For the glory of Solaris, Sunlight is mine to command.

last Friday I had this all prepped and ready to post, wrote a whole long explanation of this AU's lore, and then the page reloaded and I lost the entire thing--or I thought I did, only for it to turn out the draft just saved to my main instead of here. so. see below for the referenced screenshot, an explanation of the AU, and some concept sketches.

[Image ID: a screenshot from the computer animated Trollhunters series. In the screenshot Jim, wearing his Trollhunter armor, stands against a stormy sky. He points his sword down towards something offscreen, his expression unreadable. Lightning flashes behind him. /end ID]

So a while back I got really into Tales of Arcadia with my brothers. it was brief, as my interests go, but during that time I, as is my wont, came up with a needlessly complicated Sonic AU starring Blaze the Cat. Because I never go about things halfway, I not only watched Trollhunters, 3Below, and Wizards, but I also went and read the original Trollhunters novel and some of the comics (and I would have read all the other novels too if they'd been available in our library and my interest had lasted longer).

Hence! The Sunhunter AU! It was originally called Shadowhunters, but I have too many AUs with "shadow" in the title anyway, and Sunhunter is more fitting anyway. Basic premise is that Blaze is the eponymous Sunhunter, and has been since she was a child, when she discovered the existence of the underworld and accidentally bonded with the amulet in a definitely-not-traumatic, totally-not-a-Disney-parent-death incident. Essentially, she fuses the roles of Jim from the show and Jack from the novel.

Blaze takes her duty extremely seriously and invests the bare minimum of time in her civilian identity. Who needs a childhood when there's an entire world to singlehandedly defend, amirite? Certainly not when the Black Arms are dangerously close to escaping and dooming the surface and the underworld both. But protagonists never get what they want.

With everything on her shoulders, it was only a matter of time until Blaze stumbled - and Marine was there to see it. Now she has to protect/put up with this young raccoon girl who refuses to leave her alone. This definitely will not lead to any burgeoning friendships, the development of a much needed support system, or discoveries about her enemies that she never would have made alone. No sir.

also it's Sonaze. because of course it is.

now for the concept sketches

that's right, we do speedpaints now! I mean, Procreate's always saved time lapses of my art, but now I'm actually going to try and share them! maybe! sometimes!

As you can see, I have a few different ideas for the exact mechanics of this AU. The first route would be to have humans still be, well, humans, and Mobians are either the equivalent of trolls, or a type of troll. This could be fun, but I doubt I'll go this route, since I like my silly little cartoon animals to stay silly little cartoon animals.

The other option is to have mobians living alongside humans, as in Sonic canon. From there I could either keep trolls the same as they are in Trollhunters canon, or replace them/supplement them with a Mobian equivalent. I do have the beginnings of some lore ideas for Mobians being split between the surface and the underground...

[toomagazineperfection]

A night in a ink.

A light in a day's brink.

A corrupt practitioner.

A right of the deep.

A might of the deep stays.

A love of it eckles.

A light of you is the skill to none.

A light of her bindi to none.

A light mixer.

A mouth opener.

Her beauty of work loved till a seep upbringing.

A move of his beautiful is her night poem.

A night of her wrist is the online girl.

A love of his sister is the cump of his courage.

His love of hers to the seeping.

A towel of her shade to the illing.

A dine of the night to the breeding.

A light of her own to the sister.

A light loomed and she was subduing till God eckered.

And he was a free man. Her body was border sarees telling her home goodbye.

Sunidhi

[tabloidtoc]

National Examiner, April 19

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Tony Bennett's brave last days

Page 2: Stars with Mad Skills -- they became fast experts for plum roles -- Daniel Day-Lewis, Timothee Chalamet, Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling, Jamie Foxx

Page 3: Adrien Brody, Margot Robbie, Bryan Cranston, Shia LaBeouf, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise

Page 4: Susan Sarandon's roles and costumes

Page 7: Be Prepared for the Worst -- know these lifesaving tips before a crisis happens

Page 8: Lonely Stefanie Powers never wants to date because she still has gotten over lover William Holden's sudden death, even though it'll be 40 years ago this November -- the former star of '80s TV classic Hart to Hart, who's now 78, considers Holden the one true love of her life, even though she's been married twice to others and had a long-term relationship after the Hollywood legend's tragic death and she can't imagine being with anyone else at this stage in her life when Bill's memory is so sacred in her mind and his death still haunts her to this day, and it will only get worse as the anniversary approaches -- Holden, then 63, died at home in Santa Monica on November 12, 1981, of massive bleeding after falling and striking his head on a piece of furniture while heavily intoxicated -- it rips her apart to this day thinking how he must have suffered all alone in his apartment, bleeding to death -- the pair had a decade-long, passionate affair that lasted until his demise, which led her to carry on their mutual passion for wildlife conservation and Stefanie founded the William Holden Wildlife Foundation and is still the director -- she's tried being in other relationships, but it's been more about companionship than anything else and she doesn't have the motivation to date when the best man has already come and gone

Page 9: Vax Hacks -- avoid scammers who prey on fears of COVID-19

Page 10: His first day on the job as an honorary cop, Jeremiah met the other guys in blue and was the proud guest of honor at a special swearing-in ceremony just for him, and he's only five years old

Page 11: Important minerals for your body -- why you need zinc and potassium and how to get them

Page 12: Rude Awakening -- stars who don't mind their manners -- Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Christian Bale, Rachael Ray

Page 13: Sean Penn, Ashton Kutcher, Robert Pattinson, Russell Crowe, Cameron Diaz, Bruce Willis

Page 14: Dear Tony -- America's Top Psychic Healer Tony Leggett -- useful lessons learned from the pandemic

Page 15: Get well soon wishes go out to Chevy Chase, who just came out of the hospital after a five-week stay for heart issues -- in 2018, the star was diagnosed with alcohol cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle caused by excessive drinking; he had dealt with his drinking back in 2016, when he entered the Hazelden Clinic to receive treatment for alcoholism

Page 16: Even though the century mark looms just around the corner, Betty White still radiates joy -- calling herself the luckiest broad on two feet, the 99-year-old Hollywood legend shares her advice for living a long and peaceful life -- she says her life is divided absolutely in half: half animals and half show business and you can't ask for better than two things you love the most

Page 18: When a California man won $145,000 on Wheel of Fortune, it turned out to be good fortune for a lot of people as he donated his entire winnings to the charity Uplift Family Services and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, whose services support thousands of families

Page 19: These seniors are literally beating the coronavirus -- with 99 percent of them vaccinated, the 700 elderly residents of the Westminster-Canterbury on the Chesapeake Bay senior living community in Virginia Beach held a party and they had a lot to celebrate

Page 20: Cover Story -- Tony Bennett is facing his brave last days as he battles Alzheimer's disease at the age of 94 -- the singer was diagnosed in 2016, but kept the terrible illness secret until recently and has not yet experienced common Alzheimer's symptoms like episodes of terror, rage or depression but the disease has progressed -- for now, wife Susan Crow and the oldest of Tony's four kids, 67-year-old Danny from his first marriage, are caring for him while he lives in the couple's New York City apartment

Page 22: Recycle your baubles, bangles and beads -- bored with your beaded necklaces? Blase abut those old bangles? If your costume jewelry collection no longer inspires, there are many brilliant ways to give it new life or earn you some cash

Page 24: The internet's newest fitness star is 102-year-old Julia Fulkerson, who had a ball participating in her great-grandson Brody's virtual gym class

Page 25: Young Darius Brown has a mission in life: to make shelter dogs look as spiffy as he can so they'll get adopted and to do that, he provides the canines with slews of adorable bowties that he sews himself -- five years ago, when Darius was eight, his sister Dazhai taught him to sew and the passion was good for him because he'd been diagnosed with speech and fine-motor skills that the craft improved over time -- he says he saw how happy the people at the shelter were to get the bowties and how much the dogs liked them, and he decided to make more and he came up with a goal to give bowties to an animal shelter in every state -- so far, he's sewn a whopping 600 of the canine accessories himself, and helped dozens of pooches find forever homes and he especially likes to focus his attention on older animals and pets with disabilities, since they're the toughest to find homes for and the shelter directors say Darius' efforts have made a huge difference in the life of hundreds of pups

Page 26: Summer Horoscope 2021

Page 28: It's not just for the birds -- tips for watching our fine feathered friends

Page 32: Reverse Gear -- walking backward is good for you -- here's something new to try the next time you go out for a walk: do it backward -- it may sound silly, but health experts say there are mental and physical benefits to the practice, but go slowly at first to avoid injuries

* If you're always putting the needs of others before your own, you could be at risk for compassion fatigue, a condition that can physically and mentally drain you of time and energy -- compassion fatigue is a state of emotional overwhelm that is constant and persistent, once in this state of emotional exhaustion, it becomes difficult to empathize with those they help and essentially, it's empathy burnout

Page 34: Grandads Before 50! No rocking chairs for these grandpas -- take a look at these celebs who had their grandchildren before their first gray hair -- Jim Carrey, James Brolin, Donny Osmond, Mick Jagger, Pierce Brosnan, Charlie Sheen

Page 40: The Element of Earth -- earth is the second of the four elements: fire, earth, air and water

Page 42: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Drew Barrymore

Page 44: Eyes on the Stars -- Dakota Johnson and her parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson (picture), Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in the film Spencer (picture), Tina Turner admits she instantly fell for husband Erwin Bach in 1986 when they first met at an airport in Germany, Bindi Irwin gave birth to daughter Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, Michael Douglas is still going strong after 5 decades as an actor and loves what he does for a living, George Segal passed away due to complications from bypass surgery, Jessica Walter died in her sleep

Page 45: Eddie Murphy is inducted into NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame (picture), Diana Ross performs at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in California (picture), Mario Lopez helps christen the tables at Mohegan Sun Casino in Las Vegas (picture), Ann-Margret and Julianne Hough attend the Family Film Awards where the redhead received a lifetime achievement award (picture), James Middleton who is the brother of Duchess Kate says he and fiancee Alizee Thevenet are done with city living, Justin Bieber's mom didn't like his newest tattoo saying Don't you have enough yet?, Zac Efron was spotted flying to Sydney with Aussie girlfriend Vanessa Valladares, Taraji P. Henson asked fans for prayers for her pet pooch that was suffering from post-surgery complications but he unfortunately died

Page 46: A lottery winner in Tennessee was feeling like a million bucks, until he realized he'd lost his precious ticket but he didn't give up: he retraced his steps until he found the ticket again

[amitds]

EXCERPT FROM PART III OF HEROES (I tried a sex scene)

Sasuke kissed her.

He’d waited too long. He’d wasted too much time. Sasuke, for the first time, was living for himself, truly and unapologetically. After months of living in fear, holding back and hurting his girl he was finally going to give in and give her exactly what she wanted, what she deserved: his heart, fully and powerfully.

With every fleeting second his kiss’ intensity grew and flared. What started off sweetly and lovingly, as was often the case when they meshed, evolved into a powerful, passionate and fiery throe.

Sasuke could feel his rock hard erection straining against his pants as Sakura drew closer into his arms. His hands were tangled in delicate, fuchsia strands of Sakura’s hair as he pressed her closer and tighter to himself. While Sakura’s hands warmed his chest as she smoothed over his now glistening skin.

When she slid them over his bare nipple, accidentally, he almost came right then and there.

“Sasuke are you sure?” Sakura breathed minutes later after breaking their kiss. She wore a dazed expression with half lidded eyes and reddened, rosy lips as she looked into his eyes.  She was straddling him at this point, his head against the headboard, and Sasuke was certain she could feel just how ready he was judging from where she sat.

“I don’t want to force...Eeep!”

In an instant she was under him.

“Hn. Can you feel how sure I am, Sa-ku-ra?” Sasuke teased, breathing into her ear as he hovered over her, nestling himself in between her legs.

Taking her right hand into his left, but not before caressing it with his fingers, he then led her downwards and pressed her hand against his length.

“Well can you?” He smirked.

The dreamy expression she returned to him as a blush like fresh rose bloom burst across her features, gave him all the answers he needed. Yes yes yes.

“Sasuke... Please... I’m ready...”

“Hn.”

The clothes vanished, almost into thin air. Such was their hunger for one another. When Sasuke freed his erection and loomed over her he felt his ego soar sky high as a deep gasp escaped her lips.

Sakura could stop staring at it. Good.

And when he looked at her, the creamy curves of her bare breasts with her tight, beautiful nipples and her sleek, bare sex, he himself let out a guttural groan.

“Fuck Sakura...”

“Come here.”

Sakura, with both arms wrapped around his neck dragged him down to her, crashing his mouth into her own as they kissed. When his tongue penetrated her mouth and he reveled in the warmth, moisture and softness she offered, Sasuke felt like they were already making love.

If this is what kissing did, he couldn’t imagine how he’d feel in the next few minutes when...

“Fuck. Sakura. I don’t have any condoms...do you?”

“Hm... Don’t need’em. I’m on the pill.” Sakura smiled with slanted eyes. She thoroughly enjoyed his worried expression. Sasuke could tell. “Helps with my cycle...Now where were we? Oh yeah...”

As they continued kissing, Sasuke carefully slipped one, then two fingers into her.

“Fuck. You’re amazing.” He moaned out when his fingers met her warmth and wetness. “Sakura...” As he touched her inner most flesh and played with her clit he saw how close she was. How unrestrained and overcome with bliss Sakura felt.

It made him want to mount her even more.

“Sasukeeh...” She groaned as her body lightly shuddered in his arm. “Yeeeesss. Right there.... yes...aaah”

Her orgasm kicked and he savored it, licking his lips and his fingers when he was done, in plain sight for her to see.

“Beautiful...”

“Sasuke... I....”

“Tell me what you want, Sakura.” He growled as he brought his face close to hers. “What do you want me to do?” He whispered into her ear before nipping at her bared neck.

“I want you. I want you inside of me now.”

“Ah.”

“Sasuke this, this is my first time.”

“I know, mine too.” He whispered before kissing her forehead, right on her bindi-mark. “I promise, I’ll be gentle.”

“Yes.”

Sakura glistened beautifully before Sasuke’s blunt head and as he kissed her passionately he gradually eased himself into her.

“Sasuke...” Sakura whispered as he entered her with her grip on his shoulders tightening.

“Almost...”

“Aaah...” Sakura moaned and clawed at his back before gripping his ass and pulling him closer, herself. “Sasukeeeh...”

Sasuke could feel it. A barrier had been breached and now both him and Sakura were finally and truly one in mind, soul and body.

“Sakura are you okay?”

“Hmm. I am. I love you.” She whispered with shining, moist eyes as she looked into Sasuke’s. “I’m ready.”

“Ah... I’m going to start moving, slowly okay?”

“Yes.”

As Sasuke started to move, he found himself totally lost and enamored in the waves of pleasure and sensation that now overwhelmed him. He’d never dreamed that sex, no ,making love to the woman he loved would be this beautiful, this inebriating, this ideal.

“You’re so tight... Fuck... Sakura...” Sasuke moaned into her ear as a wave of pleasure hit him. Being inside her was driving him crazy and he loved every second of it.

Each thrust, each moan, every time he retreated and thrust into her just energized and enlivened him more. Sakura was warm, wet and held him in such away that he had to fight off his urge to cum instantly.

The more Sakura called his name, the harder she gripped his shoulders, clawed his back and held his ass, the more she bit him, sucked his neck and kissed him with her soft lips, the more he experienced was the more he wanted to pump into her, release into her and mark her as his one and only lover.

This was total passion.

This was unbridled rapture.

This was love.

When Sasuke took off his pants and released his throbbing erection, Sakura couldn’t breathe. He truly was an Adonis in every sense. His perfectly smooth skin, his tight cords of muscles and most notably his proud, thick erection, even through the minimal light in her room, totally enthralled her.

God she wanted him. Now more than ever. All of the sexual tension, the lust, the yearning and the love she felt for almost half a year, it was all gushing out now, along with ...other things.

Sure it hurt at first but that was natural and it was so worth it. After all, she got stabbed and shot almost daily, this was nothing. What happened after, when the pain subsided and pleasure totally took over, that was worth it. Worth it all. Every misunderstanding, ever mistake, every loss they’d suffered, tonight especially, it all led to this moment. The moment Sasuke and Sakura would take their relationship to a whole other level. The moment they would finally become one.

His thick, blunt head was a massive presence inside her but after a while she got accustomed to his size, his length, his girth and that’s when she really got into it.

As Sasuke rolled his hips, his chest heaving as he exerted himself, Sakura felt herself stretching. When Sasuke ground his bare chest against hers, Sakura found herself rubbing his back, clawing at it before descending to his tight, bare ass.

The curves and angles of his muscles were intoxicating, gripping her. She felt so safe, secure and loved underneath him, legs spread out to welcome him fully. As Sakura’s legs spread wider and wider, the friction was like a wildfire, totally overcoming them both bursts of sweet pleasure. The more he rode her, the more she wanted from him.

Kissing him, nibbling at his ear, his neck and nipping at his shoulders, in their throes of passion Sakura partook in him in so many ways and Sasuke was the epitome of male pleasure, pumping into her. Beads of sweat stippled his focused face and totally covered the hard planes of his muscles and the pads of his sleek, bare chest.

Sakura knew how much this man loved her, wanted her in this moment. His expression and the way his stare lingered on her naked breasts, her face with low lidded eyes and lower, where they became one, gave away is devotion; his total engrossment.

“Sasuke, I love you..” She breathed for the umpteenth time, as she gently traced the hard lines and angles of his forehead, jawline and firm shoulders before sucking at his ear and whispering other, secret, words to him.

Suddenly, after what seemed like an eternity of Sasuke riding her and showering her with love in this sacred and novel manner, he started.

“I...I can’t hold back Sakura. I’m going to...” Sasuke dragged out while rolling his hips and grinding into her faster, harder, more desperately. Sakura could feel the sweet friction of him pulling out and sliding in increase.  “I can’t...”

He licked at her as they kissed passionately. He was the perfect lover, so gentle though he was huge inside of her, stretching her and taking her on a high she’d never felt before.

“Hmm.. Me too Sasuke... I’m going to... please finish..” Sakura breathed with shut eyes. The pleasure was becoming unbearable. He gentle brought her arms up to his neck and ran them over his back, feeling the undulating muscles and the compression of his chest as he breathed heavily above her. “Inside me...”

“Sakura, I love you. Only you.” Sasuke breathed as he punctuated each word with his final thrusts.

“Sakura!”

“Sasuke!”

They called out one another’s names as they climaxed together, Sasuke’s body trembling, jittering into Sakura’s as his powerful thrusts were followed by an equally forceful release as his orgasm filled her completely.

[oxymcrafts2]

The Origins, Evolution and making of Indian Garment

When we hear about India, the first thing that always comes to our mind is its diversity and culture, food and traditions, region and religions, as it’s a vast country with a lot of astonishing mix and originalities in it. India is also famous for its rich food, wonderful and most beautiful places, temples, clothing & much more!  

 Well, here we are to have a visit through one of India’s beautiful attractions and unique personalities- it’s clothing and all about its origins, evolution and making. 

 Cotton, I am sure you know about this clothing material. It’s the most known (I guess). The Indus Valley Civilization India was one of the first places where cotton was cultivated and used as early as 2500 BCE and it marks the history of clothing in India as research and traces suggest most people prior this era were unaware of a thing as clothing and the idea of covering their body with a piece of cloth or fiber. So early in the time span, Indians have mainly worn clothing made up of locally grown cotton. The traces of the ancient clothing in India can be found in the discovery from sites around the Indus Valley Civilization, the cave paintings, the sculptures and human portraits and art forms found in temples and monuments. Other fibers known for clothing during the Harappan era were cotton, flax, silk, wool, linen, leather, etc., and they were mostly handloomed, spun, woven and dyed. Dyeing of clothes in that era was an art form. Harappan Civilization dyed their cotton material clothes with lots of colors and hence, clothing became a thing!  

 Now that we know in brief about where the idea of clothing & garments in India began, let’s run down and read about what makes the Indian garment different and how it’s evolved from being just a fiber material wraparound the body to being the identity of different cultures & traditions in India, where the origins of “INDIAN” garment rise from, Indian clothing is vast distributed, made and segregated depending on the different ethnic beliefs, regions, traditions, geography and culture of all the people belonging from different latitudes of India. 

 As for record the traditional clothing for women of north and east India are saris with choli tops, another form of clothing is a long skirt known as lehenga worn with choli and dupatta (a long scarf in English language) to create an entire outfit popularly known as ghagra choli. Other known clothing form is salwar kameez suits.  

 The traditional clothing in south India for women include sari loomed out of pure silk and are considered the most elegant form of garment.

  The traditional attire along with the garment also include bindi and head scarfs of different forms and religions. 

 From ancient times, both the male & female clothing has evolved from simple garments like achkan, sari, gamcha, kaupina, loincloths, pagri, burkha, to a complete transformation of clothing covering the body into outfits not limited only to day-to-day wear or a shield to body, but designed and segregated for festivities, occasions, rituals, dancing, working and a lot more which also are reaching out towards more fashionable, comfortable, stylish, sustainable, re-usable & situation-appropriate genres.  

 Although, the ancient or classic Indian clothing are appreciated the same as before, they are mostly used on special occasions now and are replaced with more light-weighed, gender-neutral, easily wearable, western form of clothing. Throughout the years, people are seen to be more comfortable with wearing a shirt and pant than a two or three parted traditional clothing. Along the years, this has resulted in many foreign garment establishments in India and also provided the Indian garment manufacturers to work with clients all over the world.  

Since we have read so far about the history of traditional Indian garment, from its birth to its evolution, let’s read about how the garment industry in India works. 

 The most popular clothing brands that we buy our apparels from are actually just the seller and not the manufacturer or in common language, the maker. This is the way that production happen in almost every industry, be it clothing, food or any other product-based industry that you can think of. There is a seller who is on the front-end of the industry and we are aware of them and popularly call them “brands”, but the actual making of the garments are done by the manufacturer.  

 A manufacturer produces clothing for more than one brand. So, the material, work, loom and everything that goes into making of the product is same for a collection of brands using the same manufacturer company but the idea and designs are different for each brand and are decided by them. Most apparel manufacturing companies in India make clothes designed as traditional wears and other clothing manufactures in India make clothes designed as only western or casual wears. Some or majority others do both. Brands approach different manufactures according to their needs of traditional or casual.  

 There also are small order clothing manufactures in India that produces garments in less quantity for a batch run and they are mostly contacted by start-ups or small businesses. These readymade garments manufacturers in India provide with employment to many women and men throughout India. There are a lot of women’s clothing manufacturer in India which are region based or traditional based that employs only local women for the job. 

 So, this is the way that a garment is conceptualized, designed, produced and sold to us and the track of how Indian garment industry has evolved through thousands of years. 

 You can find all kinds of evolved Indian clothing, traditional or casual, by some popular and giant textile brands in India, some of which include- Reliance Trend, BIBA, Westside for whom we, Oxym Crafts Private Limited, deal in the manufacturing.

 To know more information visit us on:

https://www.oxymcrafts.com/

[contedesfees]

1.12.20

If waiting was a landscape it would look something like this: a cornflower-blue sky sprawled over sun-bleached lawns, a patchwork quilt of yellow, brown and green.

It's not hot but the promise of heat looms, creeping in on a feeble breeze.

Summer has arrived and with it, a very particular somaesthesia... Distant chatter and screeching gulls. Sweaty necks beneath the low burning sun and runaway rivulets of sticky ice cream.

Summer is found in the buzz of a fly and the whir of a fan. In the crinkle of newspaper and the prickle of bindis. Chapped lips and dry throats. In the sweet scent of sun tan lotion and scorching asphalt beneath your toes.

[dagbert-endless]

god i love the perchance incorrect quote generator (more under the cut)

[incorrectcharliebone]

Bindi: What's a word that's a mix between 'sad' and 'mad'? Emma: Disgruntled, miserable, desolated- Olivia: Smad.

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

(Kicking around ideas for a Blaze-centric fic was fun, but I really need to focus on what’s already on my plate.  I wrote up a potential intro that I kinda like, so I figured I may as well post it.)

Smoldering heaps of metal lined the shore of the lake, spilling jet-black plumes of smoke into the empty sky.  There was a sudden shift, scrap falling to one side as a figure emerged, and the flames died down with obedient swiftness.  A cat with pale purple and white fur emerged, wiping the dust from her violet jacket as she surveyed the destruction with only a hint of concern.

“Ooohh…”

Blaze’s ears perked up.  Leaping to where the groan had come from, she pulled aside a sheet of metal to reveal a badly-bruised gray hedgehog, the eerie green symbols on his gloves flickering as he raised a hand to shield his eyes.  Blaze sighed, saying, “More resilient than you look, it seems.”

Silver shakily rose to his feet, taking in his surroundings before turning back to Blaze with an inquisitive, if weary, look in his eye.  “But...where’s…?”

Thunder erupted as a small, spherical craft burst from the wreckage.  Sitting within was a heavyset man with a black and yellow coat, his face eerily calm but a glint of something else hiding in his eye. He gave a soft chuckle as he smoothed out his bushy white mustache.  “Well, it would seem we’re stuck here, eh Silver?  But it is a fresh start I desired...and it’s not as if there was anything left for you to return to, either.”

Silver gritted his teeth, starting forward only to drop to his knees.  “Dr. Nega…!  You…!”

“What say we make the most of this, mm?  I shall take my leave for now.  Be sure to rest up: I do so enjoy our little scuffles.  Heh heh heh heh…”

With that, the craft took off into the distance.  Green light enveloped Silver, lifting him slightly off the ground before dropping him hard.  Blaze said, “You’re too weak to catch him.  If he shows his face again, I’ll deal with him.”

“You don’t know how dangerous he is,” Silver said.  “Because of him, my entire world was destroyed!  There’s no telling what--”  He stopped short, clutching his side.

Eyeing him a moment, Blaze knelt and helped the hedgehog to his feet, supporting him as they limped away from the debris.  “As I said, there’s nothing to be done now.  Come.  I’ll have you treated at the capital, and then we can proceed from there.”

Silver mumbled a reluctant acceptance.  As Blaze walked forward, all at once, she felt his weight disappear.  Turning her head, she saw that Silver was gone, and the wreck was on fire once again. Before she could do anything, the flame sputtered on its own.

“What…”

She dared not speak another word.  The air had grown thin suddenly, leaving her barely enough oxygen to breathe.  A bright flash heralded the arrival of the Sol Emeralds, slowly rotating above the lake--Blaze called out to them, but they would not answer.  Four great streaks of yellowish light drew across the sky, one from each direction, converging upon the Emeralds and, before Blaze’s very eyes, shattering them.

The remaining fire went out.  The world grew dark.  Blaze gasped for air, but there was none to be found.  As the suffocation gradually numbed her body, she gazed in fear at the four lights, now one single form which loomed over her, and she heard a voice that reached directly into the core of her being.

“Air shall feed flame no more.”

Blaze jolted awake, her empty lungs ravenously consuming all the air they could hold. She had barely processed that she could breathe again when her attention was drawn to a terrible burning sensation on her forehead.  The red bindi there was aglow with heat and light like she had never seen before, feeling like it would sear its way right down to her brain.  She was just about to call for help when the sensation began to wane, the jewel growing dimmer by the second until it was just the same as it had always been.  Blaze blinked, laying perfectly still until she was certain the strange event was over.

...What was that? she thought.

[onlypaithanisaree]

Some Details of Handloom Sarees

In the ancient India, before the advent of textile mills, every single saree was carefully woven on a hand-operated loom. Also called handloom sarees, they were known for the fine level of detail and the supreme quality of natural fibres used. The making of handloom sarees involves highest level of patience and hard work to get the desired output. Each of these sarees is delicately crafted using thousands of threads interlaced to create a magical weave. The origin of handloom sarees dates back to more than 2000 years. The lost form of Handloom sarees is now brought back to life thanks to many saree curators and prominent designers. who emphasise on their beauty and the art involved in it. Get to know more about handloom sarees or looking to buy handloom sarees online and explore some of the latest varieties in this segment.

Importance Of Handloom Sarees:

Handloom sarees speak for love and passion of the artist. It is a complex, elaborate process which takes tens of hours to weave just one saree. It is considered to be a form of art which involves choosing the right colors and weaving them in the right pattern on the loom. These sarees are treasured by women for their exquisiteness and opulence. The grandeur of these sarees in unparalleled and can never be attained by mill-made sarees. The high quality with which the sarees are made make them last for more than a few generations.

Features Of Handloom Sarees:

Here are some interesting facts about Handloom sarees:

·        Exclusive Handloom sarees are made only with natural fibres like cotton and silk, make them light in weight.

·        Pure handloom silk sarees are woven with real gold and silver threads to add a rich shine.

·        There are many types of handloom sarees, which are named after the place of their origin like the Banarasi saree, Pochampally saree, Dharmavaram, Maheshwari etc.,

·        Each of these saree types have a weave that is special to the region. The type of design, motifs used and the colour combinations vary significantly.

·        A typical Handloom wedding silk saree takes about 20-25 days to complete. This shows the amount of effort involved in making them.

Fabrics Used In Handloom Sarees:

As mentioned, handloom saris are woven mainly with natural fibres like cotton and silk. However, the versions of these fibres vary with the variety of the saree. While pure silk is used in making Kanjeevaram saree, the slightly coarse Tussar silk is used in making Tussar Handloom sarees. The quality of the threads and the desired texture is what makes the difference between each variety of saree.

Preferred Age Group For Handloom Sarees:

Back in time, handloom sarees were exclusively worn by the elderly women of the family. The limited number of motifs and the old school color combinations, inclined the younger generation towards fancy sarees. However, with the latest advancements made in the handloom industry, these sarees now come in many creative patterns and contemporary colors. No wonder why women of all age groups found their new love in handlooms.

Suitable Blouses For Handloom Sarees:

Handloom sarees are best worn with handloom blouses to match the look and quality. Some of these blouse fabrics are popularly worn by the modern fashionistas:

·        Jacquard Blouse

·        Linen Blouse Material

·        Printed Cotton blouses

·        Banarasi Brocades

·        Mangalagiri Cotton Blouse

·    ��   Raw Silk

·        Cotton Silk

·        You can also try opting for fancy varieties like Net, Lace etc., for an edgy look.

How To Style Handloom Sarees?

The best way to style a handloom saree is to keep it simple. Layering your saree with heavy accessories can make you look gaudy and strip the beauty off your saree.

·        If you are opting for Linen handloom sarees, choose a simple cotton blouse and opt for wooden jewellery.

·        Crisp cotton handloom sarees can be styled well with a neat blouse and a nice handbag.

·        You can try Terracota or German silver jewellery for a muted look with your handloom sarees.

·        Weddings sarees can be paired with temple gold jewellery or even Gut.tapusalu style necklace.

·        Handloom sarees are icons of Indian culture and heritage. To complete your look, don’t forget to wear your Bindi or bangles to look like the perfect Desi girl. 

Each piece featured in this article in unique in its own way. The type of material used, the type of weave and the color combinations chosen, makes them highly popular with Indian women. The prominence of this sarees is such that, it is difficult to imagine an Indian wedding without the bride and her party wearing rich handloom sarees.There are many online store  where you can buy bridal sarees online . The beauty of these sarees can never be matched by artificial sarees and are symbols of luxury and royalty. We urge you to chose authentic, certified handloom sarees to get a bang for your money!

To know more or looking to buy handloom sarees online then visit today at Only Paithani online shop where you can choose the sarees from wide collection.

Thank You

[priyastandon]

KARWA-CHAUTH : MY TAKE

Any day that we celebrate or observe, has been marked on the calendar for a specific reason. Like every year people party on New Year’s Eve, to bring in the New Year. At midnight there is loud music, dancing, drinking, hugging and kissing in public places. Isn’t it just another day? But it’s an occasion to party none the less! 

Raksha Bandhan is the day when girls tie Rakhi to their brothers, and seek their protection. Does that mean that a sister is weaker than the brother? No? But the festival of Rakhi is still celebrated because it is an occasion to celebrate the brother-sister relationship. 

At Dussehra time, the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbkarn are burnt in thousands of places all over the country. Why? Isn't Ravana long since dead and gone? It is to remind us what the end of evil is like! 

On Diwali we celebrate the home coming of Lord Rama. Why do we do it every year? If He came home last year, then why did He go away? How come we invite Goddess Lakshmi every year to visit us on Diwali? Why doesn't she come and stay on forever? There is no end to the questions in a logical mind. But somewhere we have to stop. Why? Because all said and done, we do enjoy the festivity around Diwali. We enjoy the sweets and the Deepmala; dressing up and decorating our homes. It is just an excuse to get festive that we look forward to, no matter what! 

The popular folk songs sung at Punjabi weddings like Latthe di chaadar, kala doriya, jutti meri … are absolutely meaningless and irrelevant for the sophisticated, urbanite woman of today, but nevertheless they are still sung for the festivity and fun that comes with them! 

Our forefathers ascertained the dates for Holi, Ganesha Chaturthi, Rakhi, Navrathri, Dushehra, Diwali etc. according to the Lunar Calendar. A lot of thought has been put in to plan when, what and how to celebrate. 

Lohri comes in winter when it’s fun to have a bonfire and munch on peanuts and gachhak. Diwali comes at the beginning of the winter when one enjoys lighting lamps and the evening is pleasant to enjoy the Deepmala. 

As a little girl I was always enamoured by Karwa Chauth. Etched in my memory is Mama’s image dressed up in a maroon and gold silk saree, glass bangles, sindoor and jewellery. Of late I am hearing of a lot of hostility from young girls about why they should fast for their husbands. I just thought of sharing my thoughts. We are all entitled to our own views. We can even agree to disagree. 

Perhaps we would all have heard the story of Veerawati, who had five brothers and was tricked into thinking that the moon had risen, by her brothers. After she ate her food, her husband became unconscious. It is said that the body of the husband was full of pins and needles. Veerwati spent the year removing the needles from his body. Towards the end, she went out for a bit, to buy a Karwa (a mud pot) for the Karwa Chauth fast. Meanwhile the maid removed the last of the needles and the man became conscious. He thought that the maid was his wife. But Veerawati kept the Karwa Chauth fast and eventually her husband realized the truth and came back to her. Well, the story is a legend and I really have nothing to say about it. But let me tell you a beautiful interpretation of it. 

I remember one Karwa Chauth when my mother had a lot of her friends over for the Pooja in the evening and Panditji recited the story aforesaid. After the Pooja, all the aunties were chit-chatting. My father had been watching the Pooja and listening to the Katha too. He said, the pins and needles are the harsh words the couple say to each other. They are the ones that prick so hard that our mind becomes numb (becomes unconscious so to say). When we make up, those pins and needles lose their sting. The fast is a day to celebrate the relationship of loving and caring between married couples. 

Let’s look at it this way. Women, whether young or old, love to dress up. The Karwa Chauth fast starts with the morning Sargi wherein, it’s no less than a party at dawn. It is the day when every woman is pampered by her mother-in-law to eat all the nice things at Sargi. Paranthas, Feni, Fruit, mithai ... you name it and you can have it. 

The Katha story narrative says that the lady should not do things like spinning the loom, cleaning up, cutting and chopping, weaving ... Why? Because today she is a VIP! She is the pampered one. To top it all she can indulge in Henna. While the Mehndi is wet, a woman has to obviously abstain from work. So she can put her feet up and relax! In the days gone by the women folk would spend their day in doing household chores. So the narrative of the festive song absolved them from all of that for the day. Given that in modern times a large number of women work in offices just as men do, they find the song funny and even gross. But could the women then, have conceived of a song that could absolve women from modern day activities like computing, designing, driving, teaching etc.? Same as the wedding folk songs, right? Let’s just understand the thought behind the entire thing. 

The goodies that are available in the market a day before, like mathi and feni are all high calorie food. The idea is that the woman who is fasting should not have to cook for the family, so other options are made available. So think of it this way ... Karwa Chauth is a day when a woman is licensed to spend the day praying or dressing up, decking up, wearing her finest clothes and jewels ... she can put henna, wear flowers in her hair, sindoor, glass bangles, bindi, kajal, pyal, bichhuae etc. It's all about the mind-set.  It's all about doing what you are happy doing! So why crib? 

Every woman enjoys grooming herself. Do we even want the men to indulge in cosmetics and jewels? Some things are best left to the women alone! Also, God made women more resilient and capable of sacrifice and giving love. Sacrificing and loving never weakens a woman, it makes her stronger! 

The point I am trying to make is this. It doesn't matter what the story and the song say. What matters is that on this day a woman can express her love for her husband and celebrate and share the joy and partake of a celebration of sorts with married women. Don’t we go off food while dieting? How difficult is it anyways to fast after hogging on Sargi at dawn? And look at the fun and party that comes alongside? You give some; you get some … 

There is a trend whereby girls are demanding that the husband too should fast for them. Honestly why do we want to share the pampering and the girlie fun? Speaking for myself I wouldn't want my husband to fast for me. This is my day to be pampered as well as pamper my daughters-in-love. And as far as praying for his long life is concerned, we know for a fact that each one's time of passing on is determined by God alone. But, at the same time there is great power in prayer. If I can pray for my children's well-being; if I can pray for a friend in distress, why can I not pray for the long life of my husband? Yes! I want to exit the world before him because I treasure his presence by my side and I know that I cannot manage without him. When it is time to go, I want to go first. Don't we insist on ‘ladies first’ as an etiquette? So here too, I want my husband to hold my hand and see me off first! I shall fast for him not because of any societal pressure but because I want to and I find pleasure in so doing. 

Come to think of it, Valentine's Day is another day to express love between couples. Why do we not question it? Why is it cool to ape the West and denounce what belongs to us and is deeply ingrained in our culture and belief? 

Let’s not doubt our beliefs,

Let's not believe our doubts.

Let’s own what is ours and do so with aplomb!

Girls! Let me tell you that it won't matter if you don't observe Karwa-Chauth. Nothing will happen to your husbands. As I said before everything is pre-destined. But you shall surely miss out on the joy of celebrating love and marital bliss. You shall miss out on the fun of dressing up; the Sargi in the morning and the friends and family get-together in the evening; the fun and romance of the Pooja on a moonlit night and all the love and pampering alongside! 

Today the so called liberated and modern mind set is questioning Karwa-Chauth. Tomorrow it will be Diwali. Next in line will be Holi and Rakhi … all that we shall be left with would be Halloween, Valentine’s … And Diwali shall be celebrated only in the White House … What say?

A concise version of this article was published in the Chandigarh Tribune on 25th October, 2018 

[tabloidtoc]

OK, August 3

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Kim Kardashian’s $1 billion divorce hell -- she’s scared to leave Kanye West 

Page 1: Big Pic -- Mike Tyson is ready to kick off Shark Week 

Page 2: Contents 

Page 3: Contents 

Page 4: Jessica Simpson’s best body ever -- the healthy approach she took to achieve her slimmed-down figure 

Page 6: Jason Aldean’s untold story -- he experienced his fair share of hardship and heartache on his wild ride to the top 

Page 7: Mariah Carey’s memoir shares her incredible story of living in the spotlight and her struggles with body image and the people who helped her and who failed her, Gwen Stefani and ex-husband Gavin Rossdale’s relationship has gone from bad to worse -- they never saw eye to eye when it came to parenting but Gwen has been even more up in arms since their son Zuma broke both his arms in two separate incidents and Gwen wants the boys to be supervised a lot more when Gavin has them, being one of the world’s most in-demand actresses is a double-edges sword for Jennifer Aniston -- she’s looking at 18-hour days juggling the second season of The Morning Show with the Friends reunion and she’s got a couple other projects in development and there won’t be enough hours in the day to do everything 

Page 8: After giving each other the cold shoulder for years Heather Locklear and Denise Richards have mended ties -- the animosity began in 2006 when Denise broke girl code by dating Heather’s estranged husband Richie Sambora but Denise has apologized and now the two are talking like good friends again, David and Victoria Beckham are thrilled about the engagement of their son Brooklyn Beckham to actress Nicola Peltz, though Emma Roberts may be understandably nervous after finding out she and boyfriend Garrett Hedlund are expecting their first child together Emma’s aunt Julia Roberts has promised to guide her through every step of the pregnancy

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- from emerald to neon stars inspire envy in shades of green -- Charlize Theron, Selena Gomez, Constance Wu 

Page 11: Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Lilly Singh 

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Olivia Palermo vs. Lala Rudge, Vanessa Bell Calloway vs. Zuri Hall 

Page 13: Mia Goth vs. Kaia Gerber 

Page 14: News in Photos -- Olivia Culpo, Brian Austin Green picked up a cup of coffee

Page 15: Duchess Camilla reopening the Youth Action Wiltshire Oxenwood Outdoor Education Centre 

Page 16: Celeb parents dote on their little ones -- Alessandra Ambrosio and daughter Anja, Shay Mitchell and daughter Atlas, Cardi B and Offset and daughter Kulture, Christina Milian and daughter Violet 

Page 18: Baby Steps -- these celeb tots prove good genes run in the family -- Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade and daughter Kaavia, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s kids Luna and Miles, Kate Hudson’s daughter Rani, Anderson Cooper and son Wyatt 

Page 20: No Passport Needed -- these stars know how to have a fun staycation -- Rita Ora and her cat Bruno, Sofia Vergara, Elizabeth Hurley, Kate Upton in daughter Genevieve’s princess tent 

Page 22: Melissa Gorga in a red bathing suit, Katherine Schwarzenegger, Gavin Rossdale brought his dog to the tennis court 

Page 23: Christina Anstead and her husband Ant Anstead and her kids Taylor and Brayden, Luann de Lesseps showed off her bikini bod 

Page 24: Inside My Home -- Krysten Ritter’s bohemian base 

Page 26: More troubles for Will and Jada Pinkett Smith -- Will didn’t want to go on Jada’s show Red Table Talk because he felt awkward and embarrassed about airing their dirty laundry so publicly but he reluctantly agreed to it because Jada begged him 

Page 27: Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott are already parents to five children together and Tori is eager to add another one to their brood because six kids is the number she’s always dreamed of, Chandler Powell is growing concerned over the welfare of his workaholic wife Bindi Irwin -- due to the coronavirus pandemic Bindi and her family had to lay off some of the staff at their zoo in Australia and as a result Bindi has been working around the clock to pick up the slack, Kate Beckinsale is planning to whisk her Canadian beau Goody Grace away on an overseas vacation because she wants to introduce him to her native London and her favorite parts of Europe as soon as it’s safe to travel

Page 28: Zach Braff and Florence Pugh are ready to walk down the aisle together around the holidays and may even start a family shortly after that, Meghan Trainor and husband Daryl Sabara were planning to start a family later this year after she finished up her tour with Maroon 5 but now that the pandemic has caused the shows to be postponed until 2021 Meghan and Daryl are unsure if they should stick to their original timeline, Love Bites -- Rachel Bilson and Bill Hader called it quits, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita welcomed their first child, Skylar Astin and Lisa Stelly dating 

Page 30: Cover Story -- Kim Kardashian and Kanye West marriage in crisis -- Kanye’s erratic behavior has pushed wife Kim to her breaking point as a billion-dollar divorce looms 

Page 34: Losing Kelly Preston: A family’s heartache -- how a devastated John Travolta and his kids are doing after tragically losing wife and mom Kelly 

Page 36: Summer of Fun -- take some vacay inspo from these stars who’ve been having a blast visiting spots around the country -- Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez in the Hamptons, Max Ehrich and Demi Lovato in Southern California, Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood in Wyoming 

Page 37: Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck in Yucca Valley, Hailey and Justin Bieber in Utah, Kristin Cavallari in Barrington, Illinois 

Page 38: Interview -- Ricky Martin slows down -- the hip-shaking singer dishes on his raw and soulful new tracks 

Page 40: Model Condition -- they’ve still got it; find out how the top supermodels of the ‘80s and ‘90s have managed to stay fit and fabulous -- Christie Brinkley, Elle Macpherson, Naomi Campbell 

Page 41: Christy Turlington, Tyra Banks 

Page 44: Style Week -- Devon Windsor’s latest collection 

Page 46: What’s Hot Right Now -- Sara Sampaio 

Page 47: Travel like a celeb 

Page 48: Summer goals -- Olivia Palermo 

Page 50: Black swimsuits -- Barbara Palvin 

Page 51: Fruit minis -- Issa Rae 

Page 54: Entertainment 

Page 58: Buzz -- Liam and Chris Hemsworth’s adventure time -- living it up while down under; Aussie brothers Liam and Chris spend the weekend on the Queensland coast 

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Chrishell Stause when asked who she’d like to date, Drew Barrymore on her body, Vivica A. Fox on how she’s keeping busy during the pandemic 

Page 61: John Legend joking about why he would never cheat on his wife, Mandy Moore on quarantine life, Charlize Theron on being single, Tom Bergeron revealing he was axed from Dancing With the Stars 

Page 62: Horoscope -- Leo Maya Rudolph 

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Christian Slater 

[theorchidlove]

Fashion is associated with young people.Most of the fashion shows are eager to have younger and more younger models . My belief differs. To me, every women is a fashionista in her own right.

Think of your mother or grand mother in that seedhe ( right hand side) pallu ki saari with big bindi , long hair either tied in simple bun or long pranda wali “choti” ,bright kohled eyes and the beautiful smile, she was a fashionista!

A person not to be called a fashionista would be someone who obsessively follows trends. REAL fashionistas do not believe in trends. A fashionista is not expected to follow the fashion trends. She sets the trend and is happy and confident wearing what she feels and comfortable in.

One has so many platforms to interact with the world, exposure is bound to happen which helps in learning  different styles and latest on the trends in different cultures. It also helps in creating fusion statements. Such interactions opens up different  styles of clothing on the Indian street. (eg.-indo-western) We are not talking about ramp fashion as it mostly lives and dies on the ramp or once in a while seen on celebrities.

With more women  becoming financially independent, they have become confident of trying dresses which are very different  from Indian traditional dresses like sari, salwar-kurti or lehenga, choli with duppata. Skirts, frocks, mid-length maxi, full length gowns, capri, shorts, tights, jeans, pallazo etc are becoming preferred dresses for working women.

The  major factor to this shift in style is the ease of wearing . Comfort is the close second. Other factors which influence choices to dress is freedom of making choices and confidence to try different styles . Many first generation financially independent women have taken this as an expression of freedom to do what they want.

  I remember an interesting observation made by a university professor in  70’s in Haryana. It speaks volumes about the changes education and financial independence brings in.

Home-science college in a Haryana University was started to bring more girls into the fold of education way back in 70’s. Many  promotional schemes were offered by the college to motivate people to support their daughters to study further. As a result, a good number of girls from  villages also joined the college.

Women were always a suppressed lot in Haryana as society is strongly patriarchal. It was difficult to convince the parents to send their daughters to co-educational institutions, so a girls college was the best option , which a university can offer to change the fortune of girls/ women in the area.

In the new session, we used to see lots of girls with oiled hair tied in one or two plaits with ribbons from rural Haryana roaming in groups on the university campus in the typical rural dresses of salwar or ghaghra paired with short kurti with pockets and a duppatta. With in a week, the girls used to get the smartest and “in” hair cut. The easiest change that can be brought with minimum risk and financials.

The girls from the villages used to have their first haircut  (generally a boy-cut) within the first week of arrival in the hostel. Next comes the change in wardrobe. One jeans and few tops was affordable for most of the rural students with one month’s pocket-money.

Within six months, the changes were very drastic and positive. The changes, which education must brings in. A confident women, who is doing the things which she always wanted to do but was never allowed. Few more months in the hostels and transformation was admirable. The total wardrobe changes and the changes in  language, confidence and carrying themselves with ease was remarkable.

Many were my friends too. We used to discuss and laugh  together at the changes they have been able to make in their lifestyles. The girls said they have learnt to breathe now. It was so suffocating back home, where all moves were guided and guarded by father or brothers.

Most of the women who are now in their  50s  have been witness to these changes of more educational opportunities, work opportunities, financial independence , opening economy and social changes towards progressive trends. This generation was the torch bearer as far as dressing is concerned and has mostly paved ways for the future generation to have personal freedom.

Evergreen Black Dress

Fashion and day to day dressing scenario has changed in cities to a large extent. We can see women in late 50’s and 60’s wearing gowns, knee length frocks or shorts. This self expression of freedom and “let’s do it” feel is still missing in smaller cities for women. The major reason is the conservative societies, which have not changed much in giving women the freedom and safety, they deserved. It’s the weakness of menfolks and failure of state’s law enforcing agencies in such societies rather than the strength of the women which curbs a women right to live life the way she wants.

Indian society is defined by sharp contrasts – ancient traditions and uber modernity. Today’s style is fusion of ethnic and western fashions. A gown in ikkat weaves, frock in handblocked cotton, short kurti with jeans or saree with blazers or saree gowns are examples of popular fusion styles.

A gown in Ikkat weave

Sareees have come again with a bang with young generation taking the lead.  The hand-loom and ethnic styles have spread their wings to board-rooms, festivities and daily wear with elan. This boom is bringing joy and happiness to our traditional skilled people. Saree wearing is undergoing lots of experimentation.

Endless permutations of garments, colour and excess or absence of decoration allow individuals to explore their Indian identity. In this way Indian fashion produces tradition as much as modernity, which is one of the unique characteristics of our national style.

An A-line long dress in Ajrakh with mojaris as footwear.

Following the rise of Internet and smartphone usage, more women are now able to stay updated of latest fashion trends, and have become smart consumers who know what they want when it comes to fashion. ‘Unique, chic, personal and bold’ is the new style statement, and Indian women confidently demonstrate these traits with what they wear. Smart pantsuits, body con dresses have become an integral part of the corporate women’s wardrobe, while designer wear and high street fashion are slowly becoming the norm too.

Patiyala salwar with T-shirt and shrug

Irrespective of how Indian women choose to dress, one thing is quite clear – they are smart, confident, and independent individuals who believe they can achieve anything in life, and what they wear definitely reflects that.

Indian society is very judgmental and nosy, more so for women. They take it as their right to interfere and be opinionated about  the actions or decisions of  anybody and everybody. It takes lots of courage here to follow one’s heart . It’s good to see so many women rising against such mentality and following their hearts.

I wish every woman courage to chase their dreams, while dressing up the way they want without fearing judgment or scrutiny of society.

A frock in handblocked cotton

Styled by Pushpneer

Fundas of Fusion Fashion Fashion is associated with young people.Most of the fashion shows are eager to have younger and more younger models .

[amitds]

Sasusaku Month

Day 21

Prompt: Cloaks

Summary: Sasuke is a vampire from a noble clan while Sakura is a powerful witch. The two cloaked creatures of the night are in a taboo romance and they soon realise that their love comes with consequences. 

Notes: Idk... the prompt ‘cloaks’ just made me think of Halloween. I also prefer writing an AU as opposed to inserting my own filler in Kishi’s story. Btw ‘kohl’ is an Indian eye liner like thing that we use to ward off the evil eye and it also is supposed to improve sight. I thought it would be cool for a witch to have it.  I also added some of my ‘Indian culture’ by using a bindi as opposed to the yin seal and my Caribbean culture by using plants/plant names we use here in Trinidad. I think people might think this is more Sakura than SS but my vision demands this. Oh btw ITALICS ALONE are thoughts and “ITALICS WITH QUOTATION MARKS” are statements. 

THIS IS SUPER LATE. SORRY

 :’( 

I know you’ll forgive me because... because I’m beautiful.

 ; )

“I wonder why Sasuke wanted to see me so suddenly,” Sakura whispered to herself as she sailed across the moonlit sky. Sakura, perched elegantly on her besom broom, couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding chilling her bones as she flew over Konoha City. Her only company on this cold night was her tiny slug familiar, Katsuyu, seated at the tip of the broom. “I hope nothing is wrong, Katsuyu,” Sakura continued as she anxiously awaited the meeting with her lover. 

Sasuke and Sakura have only been dating for three months but needless to say they were in love. Sakura could feel it. She didn’t care if he was a vampire, the sworn enemy of her race and neither did he. To Sakura, he was just Sasuke and she was just Sakura. Of course they fought when they discovered each other’s identity but after occasionally meeting and fighting at a stalemate for months, the two students at Senju University decided to call a truce. From their enmity was born friendship and from this friendship love had blossomed. Sakura was always attracted to the young Uchiha, even before knowing that he was a creature of the night and she had always caught his attention. Now, three months into their love, Sakura could feel a murky cloud looming over her happiness. 

Mokuton Park was deadened by loneliness at this hour. The only signs of life, the croaking of frogs and the stridulating of crickets. Seated on the fine teak park bench among the freshly manicured grass and shrubbery was Sakura, now sheltered by drapes of African tulip, myrtle and pink and red poui trees which dotted the park.  Draped in her ivory satin cloak dotted with fuchsia satin stitched sakura blossoms, her protection; the symbol of her covenant with nature, life and her mastery of the pure arts, the young ‘white witch’ seemed out of place in this dreary setting. As usual for her journeys in the night, Sakura was in full witch garb: her characteristic hooded cloak was married with her rose gold chain waist belt, bone white thigh highs guarded her legs and rose quartz crystals, for success in love, dangled gracefully from each ear. Kohl lined her eyes, enhancing her vision while warding off whatever evil could come her way, and an amethyst rhombus, her bindi, adorned her forehead, for strength in concentration and retention of her magical energies. 

Sasuke kun, please come quickly! 

“Sasuke kun you’re here!” she joyously exclaimed, as the vampire arrived moments later, bringing with him an icy night wind which danced through the surrounding, formerly silent, trees. “Hmm.”

 Sakura could see it as the young man emerged from the refuge of the shadows. Something was awry; Sasuke was not himself. As he strode towards the witch, the ice and uncertainty deepened, nearly devouring Sakura herself.  Sasuke Uchiha, one of the sons of the famed noble vampire clan, The Uchiha Clan, was extraordinarily handsome. No human could compare and no man could radiate the level of power, class, and allure as an Uchiha, as Sasuke Uchiha. His spiky black hair looked at home in the darkness of the night, tinted slightly by shades of blue formed by the moon’s light. As customary for men of the Uchiha Clan, he traveled the night wrapped in an onyx brocade cloak, decorated with hand stitched ‘uchiwa’ fans of an even darker hue. Covered by his majestic charcoal cloak were deep crimson rubies, an heirloom of the Uchiha and his protection from the sun, draped around his neck, resting on his pearly Japanese silk shirt. The cloak, as with the witches, was a symbol of his supernatural origins and power. It was an article of protection and as an Uchiha, a symbol of his kingship. Now, standing before her, Sasuke’s expression stiffened even further. Gloom covered his handsome features and arresting allure.

“Sakura... it’s over.” 

Three words... three words were all it took that night. The white witch of the illustrious Shikkotsu Coven was silenced by these three simple words. Sakura now felt as if the night wind entered her body and chilled her from the inside out. She didn’t know what to think. For the first time the fiery, passionate witch was mute. Sasuke had enough power over her as the man she loved, as the man she loves to do this much. How could Sasuke do this? Were these past three months nothing? Was she wrong in believing that this man loved her as she loved him? No, she felt it. She felt their connection. What did she do?  All these dark thoughts jammed her mind and for moments she couldn’t speak. 

After what seemed like an eternity Sakura, tears flowing down her face,managed to force out a response past the lump in her throat, a response to the straight faced Uchiha who impassively stood before her. Sasuke’s face was rigid and radiated nothing.. almost. 

“Sasuke, what are you saying?” she finally spoke. “You can’t mean... what’s with this all of a sudden?” She went on, “ Why won’t you tell me anything? I know that you love me. I felt it. I still feel it.” Desperation laced her voice. 

“I’m not like you.” The stone face vampire retorted. “I walk a different path. I am a vampire of the noblest clan and you’re a witch. We cannot be together. I realise that now.” Sakura’s heart sank. She couldn’t believe the words leaving those lips. Those lips that once kissed her with such fire and passion. Those same lips that promised to love her forever, for their entire immortal lives. Sasuke was breaking his promise now... and for what? Since when did he care about what others thought? Since when did that clan politics and the feud between their people interest him? 

“ I am not like you. I walk a different path...” 

“Sasuke...” Sakura interrupted, her voice spiked with her usual passion and surety. “I know the deal with your clan, with our clans. Stop it.” 

Sakura could see. Behind his stoic facade Sakura could see the chinks in his armor, the deception in his deep onyx eyes. “You’re lying. What’s the real reason for all of this?” On this utterance Sakura could have sworn that Sasuke mildly shuddered. 

“Sasuke if I still hold a place in your heart... if you really love me...” she continued now boldly advancing to Sasuke, her resonant green eyes staring into the charcoal of his own. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t love me. Tell me that you lied and that we shared nothing. Sasuke tell me it’s really over...”

“I don’t love you. I never have. It is over.” Sasuke solemnly and calmly announced as he trekked towards the shadows once more.

“Sasuke...” was all Sakura could manage.

“You’re annoying...”

With that the Uchiha briskly turned, his eyes, now vibrant scarlet eyes, set ablaze with compulsion, the power of the vampire. That was all it took as Sakura was spelled into a lull of sleep. Such a hypnotic suggestion would normally fail on a witch of Sakura’s strength but the shock of this night and her heartbreak weakened her.  Her last memory, at least she thought it was, was of someone gently holding her from behind, whispering ‘thank you’.

It was now over. After months of building a relationship with Sasuke, after months of nurturing this love, and them sharing their lives this was the end. Sakura, rose quartz adorning her ears, lay vulnerable, her fragile arm delicately resting across her heart, now without her love.

“Sasuke!!” Sakura exclaimed as she roused from her slumber on the park bench. Sasuke vanished. According to her watch she’d been asleep for about fifteen minutes. “He’s gone...” she sighed to Katsuyu. The familiar was her only company. “Sasuke wasn’t telling the truth, I know it. I know something is amiss. But what can I do? I can’t force him back to me.” 

Defeated and mentally and emotionally drained, Sakura held her face in her palms, now catching tears and she cried on her bench with Katsuyu snuggling her from her lap while a new gale of ice and cold whipped the night. Something untoward approached Sakura felt, her face still buried within her palms. Even stricken with grief, her senses ached. Moments later her doubts were cleared. 

What’s that?! 

Moments later Sakura’s thoughts were now concentrated on the mysterious power she felt emanating from beyond her. A flood of dark power was drowning her spirit now. The frosty night wind howled unnaturally through the trees, tearing off leaves of myrtle and poui flowers and raining them down upon her. Something evil was here, of this she was sure. 

“Who’s there?!” the witch demanded, her kohl lined eyes focusing at her anterior. 

“Ha, poor little white witch, all alone...” a strange voice snickered moments later, sending ice down Sakura’s spine. “Want us to keep you company?” the voice continued, each word dripping with malice. 

On this Sakura stood up, her hand gripping her broom with Katsuyu on her shoulder hissing at the unseen enemy. The witch was ready. No sooner than she arose, figures shimmered into the silvery moonlight that lit the park. 

Vampires. 

“What the?...” Sakura blurted seconds later while the undead predators took form before her. Six stood before her, each donning gloomy black cloaks stippled with blood red clouds. “The Akatsuki...” she realised. The ironically named personal mercenaries of the esteemed Uchiha Clan, elite warriors serving vampire royalty. They stood before her, each radiating torrents of miasma, of darkness and of hate. Such imposing figures. No one had ever seen them and escaped their hunt and now the majority of their ten man squad was here for Sakura. 

Had they known about her meeting with Sasuke? No way. Uchiha Clan vampires avoided this less populated area in their feedings. Sasuke ensured it and despite his words, Sasuke would never hurt her. Of this she was certain. Had they been tracking Sasuke? And if so, on whose orders? Alas, Sakura’s busy mind hadn’t the time to continue dwelling on the reason behind this attack as the predators, at home in the darkness of night, stood before her, aching to feed. Maybe a binding spe...

“Arrgh!”

Before Sakura would complete her thought process, one of the vampires, the red haired Sasori as she heard another call him, pounced in a blur of crimson fury and sent her hurling towards the teak bench. 

“Ugh!” she winced as all of the vampire’s weight and force crashed into her slim frame.The Akatsuki were surely not your run of the mill vampires, the witch discovered. He’s almost as strong as Sasuke! Had she not in the last minute imbued some of her magic into her now steel-like cloak she would have no doubt been dead already. Still, Sakura was in danger. Sasori snapped his jaws at her, intimidating her as he readied himself for his prey. Now her only protection was her broom, cracking, guarding her from the creature’s maw. 

Sakura was stuck and she was overpowered with Sasori’s acute curved fangs reaching for her frail neck. Sakura had no time to invoke any enchantment potent enough to save herself and Katsuyu couldn’t do anything. Is this the end?Fear and desperation lined her spirit while Sasori’s fangs were tasting her milky white skin. The others, she glanced, didn’t join Sasori and seemed to prefer to look on in sick amusement. Vampires of such power and in such numbers obviously didn’t think much of her, even if she was a witch of the Shikkotsu, Sakura concluded. Even in such a predicament the proud witch could feel a glimmer vexation on witnessing this. How dare they?

 “Get off!” she threatened as Sasori’s saliva warmed her neck and two points pecked her skin, almost breaching.  “Hmm, you’re blood is mine now, witch!” Sasori mumbled, mouth now occupied, and with that... Sakura gave in. 

No! 

The attack had been a success. and for a moment silence once more conquered the park as Sasori fed on Sakura. Moments later, it changed.

“Aaaaaarrrgh!!!!” a voice wailed into the night. There lying on top of Sakura was the now truly dead Sasori, slowly deteriorating into ash. It worked! Shannaro! Sakura was barely able to get away from that attack but thanks to her quick thinking she pulled it off. Sakura intentionally relaxed to draw Sasori in and at the very moment that Sasori’s teeth brushed her neck, Sakura pierced his heart with a wooden stake, half of her broken broom she managed to imbue with magic to arrow completely through him. 

“Now, who’s next?” Sakura grinned, her once pristine cloak covered in vampire cinders. She rose, breathless as beads of sweat cascaded down her, ready for a fight. 

“Get her!” Pein, the cinnamon haired vampire bellowed, enraged, as a shorter blond and another grey haired vampire both shot towards the white witch. Pein was their leader, Sakura realized, but decided that he wasn’t the most immediate threat yet. In order to survive she needed to act quickly. Now was time for Sakura to act and rid herself firstly of her most immediate attackers.

Hastily, Sakura wove her seal, her left thumb on top and her hands clasped together vertically, commanding the fragments of teak, remnants of the last attack, to scatter. In the wake of her exertion of power, her bindi radiated a powerful violet light as her shoulder length hair and, most notably,her cloak billowed in the night wind. “Shannaro!” the white witch cried, fragments of teak now dancing in the wind and meeting her attackers. 

  “Deidara! Hidan! You fools!” Pein screamed heatedly as Sakura’s most immediate assailants fell, their corpses punctuated with teak wood and white magical power. They were too close to escape Sakura’s adeptly timed firing. Now, with the Akatsuki three members short, a flicker of hope sparked in Sakura’s chest. “I can do this,” Sakura assured herself but she knew the real fight was yet to meet her. Pein and his remaining soldiers still composed her main threat. Sakura could feel it. The real fight was just commencing.

 Sakura knew from the way Pein, the lanky masked man beside him and the woman with precise navy strands gracefully evaded every single stake with no real effort that these three were the most powerful members of the Akatsuki. The miasma they each propagated dwarfed the fallen soldiers before her and they emitted an air of power, experience and skill that even Sakura could feel herself buckling before.  

  “This is where the real fight starts.” Sakura whispered, hands clasped, the witch still immersed in her enchantment. “Now we fight!” Sakura concluded. Without catching her breath Sakura, her bindi glowing as a lone star in the night, continued her assault. “Shannaro!”

They steeled their stances as the three hunters of the night prepared to pounce. “We’ll drain you dry, witch!” the masked man yelled in rage as the three of them sped off swiftly to their prey. Minutes sailed by while Sakura, deep in enchantment radiated a beam of radiant white magic, her mind willing the fragments of teak into a forceful dance. 

However, it mattered not the extent of her focus and power since these three vampires were of another class altogether. Splinters of teak littered the kept lawn of the park as the blue haired woman, with only the blur of her whirling cloak, disintegrated pieces as they flew past her. Pein stealthily evaded every attack and together with the masked vampire simply grabbed them up as teak pieces brushed past them, demolishing them into wooden ash with bare arms. “Enough!” Pein finally bellowed as if heralding the end of the confrontation. 

Sakura’s heart sank in anguish. Instantly her teak stakes were disposed of despite all of her focus and power being expended. “What are they?” she whimpered to herself, slowly receding into the comfort of a poui tree behind her, her luxurious alabaster cloak enveloping her. “Each one of them could fight on par with Sasuke!” 

Sasuke... Sasuke would never have let this happen. Even now she couldn't help but think about her love. Her love who abandoned her. She knew that together his dark power and her white magic would have ensured their victory.  As the young witch contemplated her next move she was alarmed by the hazard of Pein’s booming proclamation. His voice was like violent bursts of thunder echoing into the night and when he shrieked Sakura was bombarded by a blast of dark power, a force of psionic energy, Pein’s compulsion.

“Ah!” she exclaimed, her head bashing into the trunk of the poui tree with flowers raining upon her. Not only was Pein chipping away at her mind and spirit but the force of his outburst generated enough negative psychic energy to physically hurl her along with it. “I can’t believe it!” she screeched, hands clasped at her temples. 

“What a delicate little witch,” the cerulean haired vampire snickered while accompanied by the masked man, she approached the girl twitching at the trunk of the tree. “Her blood must be sweet!” the masked vampire added, glee and excitement lacing his high pitched voice. Sakura was now helpless. Pein’s power was devouring her mind, blocking her ability to cast any spells while he and his compatriots, now enclosed her, there blackness blotting out the light of the moon before her. 

“She’s pretty.” the woman noted. “We’re going to have to do something about that aren’t we?” she went on, her bony fingers leaving the safety of her cloak, revealing titian claw like nails, perfect for gauging. 

“I think I’m going to start with your e.....”

“Aaah!” 

Before completing her announcement the woman lay on the ground several feet away. The attack came out of nowhere and soon after both Pein and the masked man joined her several meters away from the young witch. The force of the thrust was enough, Sakura witnessed, to send them all flying. Alas it wasn’t enough to finish them and now Sakura and her savior, the one before her had to finish the job. 

Sakura looked on in awe and appreciation as standing before her was her savior, her dear Katsuyu. “Katsuyu you gathered enough nature power I see?” Sakura noted as she gently patted the slug, now grown to the size of an SUV. “Let’s finish them off shall we?” Once more, a hiss was all the slug could respond. 

“Get them Katsuyu!” the white witch called.  “Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid!” What happened next was beyond what any of those vampires could have anticipated. From its mouth, the great slug spewed a thick prasine acidic paste in the form of a thawing rain, onto the three vampires who were notably caught off guard. Alas the Akatsuki members still managed to avoid certain death, all three of them, barely evading and escaping the complete fading of the acid. However the woman and the masked man couldn’t completely escape untouched with acidic burns, signs of the paste dissolving through their undead flesh and bone, stippling portions of their legs, arms and chests. 

Before the writhing duo could complete their cursing, Sakura’s enchantment took effect. While acid was rained upon her enemy Sakura, once more invoked her magical power: she wove her seal, her left thumb on top and her hands clasped together vertically. The witch’s violet bindi radiated a light more luminous, more powerful than before as her pearly cloak spread like wings of a great eagle. She was now calling forth her most treasured and powerful nature spell. “Sakura Petal Storm!” she commanded as shimmering sakura petals shone about the embroidery of her cloak, as if coming alive at her willing. A white and clean wind twisted around her frame as pink and rose stars of energy, in the form of sakura blossoms, burst forth from her cape, blooming into existence and piercing the darkness of the night. Then instantly they exploded in all directions, homing in on the three vampires before her. 

Despite the blinding speed of the three, petals of magic and heat instantaneously caught them, encircling and exploding mana and driving white magic into their undead flesh. Wails from the woman and her masked partner livened the silent night as chunks of flesh were completely blown off from their limbs. Pein was silent though, he grit his teeth and endured the onslaught of sakura blossoms, eyes fixed on Sakura, eyes fixed on his prey.

“Impressive, witch!” Pein, forced, eyes alight with power in Sakura’s direction. “ But not enough to defeat the strongest of the Akatsuki.” Cloak raised, he countered. 

Almost there. Just a bit longer. I can defeat them with this. 

Blooming in Sakura was now a feeling of triumph and of pride. The young witch, with Katsuyu’s help, was able to deflect and injure the vampires before her. Just as she thought, her white magic was potent enough to penetrate their steel like flesh and even with the moon’s regenerative effect on the undead, Sakura knew she could at least render them helpless long enough to make her escape. She pressed on.

Something is wrong. 

Moments passed and thoughts of doubt and fear crept up on her. She could see that, despite his partners’ suffering, Pein was enduring her power enough to inject her with fright. Moments have flown by since she started her attack and gradually Pein’s resistance has been rising. His eyes... they gleamed with rage and power the likes of which Sakura had never seen. Could he be using his psionic power as a cloak to resist my enchantment? Such control of his power! Before completing her thoughts, Sakura received the answer to her doubts. Pein was freed.

“How dare you!” Pein boomed, now exerting the extreme force and pressure of his psychic power. His cloak of vampiric energy thrived in the darkness of the night at this point, completely whipping away all traces of white magic from his vicinity. Sakura’s bright rose coloured petals dispersed and their lights was snuffed out completely, engulfed in the darkness of Pein’s power, now enhanced with his partner’s psychic power. 

“Aaah!” Sakura screamed in the presence of the vampires’ might. They were now completely cloaked in dark power. Sakura’s spell was nullified and he was once more hurled metres away by the sheer force of their psionic convergence. Even Katsuyu was affected and transformed back into its original form. 

While they were suffering, she concluded, those two were able to marry their power with Pein’s and create enough vampiric power to eradicate even her most powerful spell and clear away all forms of magic in the surrounding area. What skill!

Defeated, Sakura wretched on the ground, gripping her ribs.”Are they broken?!” she screamed, the lancing pain too much to bear. As the three drew closer Sakura could see that their regeneration, a common vampire ability, was already taking effect, heightened by the light full moon shimmering over them. 

“No!” 

Sakura’s shrieks peppered the night and she wretched, clasping her hands at her temples in the wake of Pein’s psychic bursts. Pein’s lavender eyes shone a pale light while the team of vampires all stared at Sakura, each no doubt bombarding her with psionic force.  

“We’ll drive you mad before we torture and drain you dry, witch!” boasted the woman.

 “Yeah but before we drain you dry I might want to play with you a bit.” the masked man echoed. “I wonder how much fun we can have once these blasts loosen you up a bit. Ha!”

With that the woman lunged forward, her talon like claws once more branching out and pointed at the lone witch suffering on the ground. 

“You’re mine, witch!” 

“Gaah!” 

The confrontation was now over. Here on this night, Sakura was defeated. Despite her best efforts Sakura failed to stop the vampire woman’s attack.

Or was it?  As Sakura gradually opened her eyes, expecting to see the environs of the afterlife the young witch couldn’t process what lay before her. “Sasuke!” she yelled, shock and awe decorating her bruised face. Sakura couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t fathom what she was seeing. There, standing between her and her attackers was Sasuke. 

He came for her. Sasuke came to save her. She knew it. Sasuke did care about her and whatever force was ripping them apart, whatever conspiracy impacting on him, nothing could change the fact that Sasuke, her Sasuke would never let anyone harm her. Warmth and light filled Sakura as she looked on in her safety, protected by the love of her life. Together Sakura knew they could weather any storm and fell any enemy. “Sasuke...” the words stuck at her lips, what Sakura saw beyond Sasuke, shook her completely.

Sasuke stood silent, his back facing hers, and exerted a torrent of shadowy compulsion, the likes of which Sakura had never seen from him or from any vampire. His power was so awesome that Sakura realized that she was actually seeing it clearly surrounding him, a cloak of swirling ice-like energy and darkness.

 “Sakura, you’re not hurt are you?” were the only words he uttered, back facing the witch, looking over at her from his left. 

“No Sasuke. Not badly, I’m alright.”

“Hmm.”

That was his only response but Sakura could see the fire in his eyes, the rage he felt for those who hurt her. Before she could continue Sakura was alerted to the masked vampire’s screams. She hadn’t noticed before but Sasuke’s psychic power was especially focused on her attacker, the female vampire. Instead of Sakura, her claws were now buried into the chest of the mask man. 

“Konan you bitch!” the man coughed. “Snap out of it!”

Alas, his words were powerless. In this place and at this time, Sasuke’s compulsion was absolute. He imbued enough dark power into the woman’s mind that she saw, heard and felt the masked man as her enemy, as Sakura.

“Die witch!” Konan screeched while stabbing her partner. At this point they were skirmishing on the lawn, kicking up blades of grass, dirt and mulch as they brawled. As Sakura looked on she saw Pein, kneeling, trying to rise up from the ground, no doubt battling Sasuke’s power aimed at his. “How dare you lay a hand on Sakura!” Sasuke blared, “Who sent you, Pein?!” Silence followed. Since Pein refused to answer, Sasuke continued his assault.

Indeed, she could sense power, no, at this point Sakura could feel it and see it herself! Meeting Sasuke’s darkness was Pein’s own aura of compulsion and psionic energy, emanating from the lavender stars that were now his eyes and cloaking him as well in a cloak of vampiric power, a cloak of a pale, violet aurora.

Moments flew by and Sakura, helpless, looked on as she saw Sasuke take on Pein. Despite hailing from the noble Uchiha clan and being more powerful than Pein, Sakura could see how the Akatsuki member’s centuries of experience shone through and allowed him to match Sasuke’s own power. The force thrust upon Pein, the compulsion of the Uchiha cloaking his own aura was ineffective; Pein was able to counter every psionic blast of power from Sasuke and, unlike his partners, he was in full control of his senses. Pein matched Sasuke’s attacks perfectly as both auras clashed for dominion over the park.  

Sasuke... Sakura could feel it. If nothing was done soon, even with Sasuke here, they’d both be finished. Sasuke couldn’t keep up the spell on Konan while he bombarded Pein with hypnotic force and she herself hadn’t much power left. With whips like black lacquer from Sasuke’s aura beating against Pein’s cocoon-like whirls of lavender power, sparks of energy glittered the park. This went on for minutes with both Pein and Sasuke’s auras of psychic power gradually dimming as Konan and the masked man remained on the ground, Sakura noticed, now still. Their fight had ended leaving only Sasuke versus Pein.

No this isn’t right! Did he release her? Oh no they’re...

Too late. By the time Sakura and even Sasuke realized what had occurred Pein exuded a plume of psionic power so large and so magnificent that it dwarfed Sasuke’s power and produced enough energy to launch him into Sakura’s direction, hurling them both into the base of the trees behind. All Sakura could do was attempt to catch Sasuke before they both met the bark, Sakura for the second time tonight.

“Sakura...” Sasuke breathed, now locked in her arms, his head gently supported by her chest, petals of rich pink poui flowers drizzling them both as they lay defeated at the trunk. “Sasuke, shh. You’re alright.” Her her embrace tightened as she spoke and Sasuke could feel her through her grasp and her words wrapping him in warmth. “Sakura.. ugh... about before...”  That was all he could get out before the couple were alerted to what lay in their wake. The massive plume of energy was dimming in size, stabilizing and now it was clear.

Sakura could see Pein, his power, originally characterised by whirls of lavender whirls now mingled with wisps of cerulean and black magenta. Konan and the masked man at this point rose and it was apparent what had happened. As was the case before, the two of them performed a convergence of psionic power with Pein and forced his power to bloom into the beacon of compulsion that overtook the entire park. Sakura couldn’t breathe. What she saw was beyond comprehension. That same power was now concentrating itself into a cloak of force and darkness around the vampires, centering most of its intensity on Pein.

“This isn’t like the last time...” she muttered, her arms still holding Sasuke. “Those two...”

“Ugh. Indeed...” Sasuke breathed, completing her thought, now quietly arising from her embrace. “They used the moonlight as a conduit to extract and funnel their psionic power... They gave him all of their power.”

“Indeed they did, Sasuke.” A robust raspy voice echoed in response. Pein and his squad were drawing nearer to the couple, still cloaked in curtains of psychic power, power now crackling with each step drawn. Pein continued, “As sanctioned by Lord Madara, head of the Uchiha clan, we hereby execute this witch and Sasuke Uchiha, even as a son of the Uchiha, get in our way again and we will kill even you as our Lord has ordered. Now move aside.”

“How dare you! How dare that geezer and that Uchiha council attack Sakura!” Sasuke’s rage boomed through in his voice alarming even Sakura as he rose to face her attackers. “I’ve abandoned this witch. That is more than enough. Let her go! Leave Sa... aaargh!”

“Sasuke!” Sakura wailed holding Sasuke, now writhing on the floor before her, his hands clasped into hers. “Sasuke please!”  Before them Pein, now a few meters away, looked on, his eyes, eyes twinkling an aurora of lavender, black magenta and azure, fixed on the groaning vampire on the ground like a hawk. He was like a starved wolf fixating on his prey. “Stop it!” Sakura begged, her pride withering when faced with Sasuke’s probable death. “He’s an Uchiha! You can’t! Please!”

“Silence witch!” Now the masked vampire joined in. “Even a son of the Uchiha cannot override the orders of Lord Madara and his council. He interfered and sealed his fate.”  

“If you hadn’t seduced our Lord Sasuke this wouldn’t have been an issue in the first place, you filthy witch!” boomed Konan, the cerulean haired woman, her claws once again growing.

“Sakura...” Sasuke now hissed. “Sakura, please... run.” Sasuke’s condition was worsening as he was stabbed by Pein’s psychic power. Sakura could hardly breathe seeing him like this, drenched in cold sweat, his body convulsing inside her embrace. “Get away from here. I cannot lose someone precious to me like this. Sakura live.”

“Sasuke no! Sasuke I love you. I can’t.” Sakura responded, smiling, her words dripping with misery uncharacteristically delivered in a smile. She knew. Living at the expense of Sasuke’s life was worse than death and dying with her love would be a death she could at least find solace in. This type of death is one she could welcome if it meant being with Sasuke. Sakura’s only yearning was that they both be sent to the same plane in the afterlife. Resigned, cradling her lover, the white witch grabbed Katsuyu near and looked her executioners dead in the eye, awaiting her fate. Good bye Sasuke.

“How sweet.” Konan teased. “It’s the end for you both. Poor Lord Sasuke...” She was ranting on now, drunk on the prospect of their success and her revenge on the witch.

“Even if he drained ten humans and came at us, Master Pein with our power as Akatsuki, and the blessing of the moon, would not fall. Ha, not even to Sasuke Uchiha!”

“I, Pein of The Akatsuki, servant of Lord Madara and The Uchiha Clan...” Pein sternly proclaimed, readying the delivery of his judgement, spinning the ribbons of his power into an orb of aurora-like fire into his palm. “Now execute Lord Sasuke Uchiha and this witch as Lord Madara has ordered!” the vampire boomed, arms outstretched as he launched forth an eruption of flame-like psychic power which would moments later obliterate them.

That’s it!

Swiftly Sakura dug into her cloak and brought forth a smooth, obsidian palm sized crystal of black tourmaline and before the white hot blaze met her she forcefully smashed it into the ground.

“Power of nature

Purity of the Shikkotsu

I beseech thee

Protect!”

Pein and his compatriots stared in disbelief as alabaster wisps and whirls of pure mist weaved around the couple, robustly blooming from the park lawn and cocooning them in a cloak of protection. In the face of the bone-white dome Pein’s psychic power though bolstered by the power of his Akatsuki, silently died away.  

“Sakura...” Sasuke whispered. “It stopped right? You’re alright?” she breathed in response, beads of sweat stippling her face.

“But how?” Sasuke inquired, his tone strengthening in the wake of his pain leaving him.

“I used the black tourmaline crystal, Mistress Tsunade gave to me.” Sakura informed him, her breathing now steady after her display of witchery. I can’t believe I pulled it off! She thought to herself. Sakura, in the last minute, through combining the remnants of her white magic with the power her black tourmaline crystal, drew from the earth was able to create a barrier of light power for protection; an energy field to repel all negative forces. “It protects from evil.. but Sasuke, it’s not going to last more than a few minutes. Please... Take some of my blood!”

“Sakura...I can’t do that.” Sasuke responded, shocked that she would even mention such a thing. “You’re not a human feeder, you’re a witch! Your blood is too much.  I haven’t drunk blood in a while.. all the power I used... I might...”

“Lose control? Kill me?!” Sakura interrupted, strangely giggling. “Sasuke. I love you with all my heart and I know you can do it. I trust you. Please.”

“Sakura...”

“Sasuke please. It’s the only way,” Sakura pleaded. My witch’s blood might be powerful enough to boost your power beyond Pein’s right now. Konan said even ten humans. M blood should be way more!”

“Boom!” blasts of thunderous psionic force bombarded against the solid white of the barrier. Sakura grimaced, arms tightening around Sasuke. “It’s Pein. Sasuke, he’s breaking it. The barrier is fading. Sasuke... I’m not strong...”

Sakura was halted. Her lips now brushing against Sasuke’s. “Sakura.. you’re so strong, stronger than anyone..” Sasuke breathed into her ear after his kiss. “I know...”

Gently Sasuke held her in his arms, his charcoal cloak engulfing her frame, as the young witch swung her salmon hair back, leaving her porcelain neck bare and its rich blue veins exposed. It was time. As the assault on the barrier raged on Sasuke gently rested his lips upon her neck. Sakura almost jumped feeling Sasuke’s hot breath warming her neck, readying her for what was to come. Then it happened.

It wasn’t like what Sasori tried. No, what Sakura was experiencing now was totally different. While sheltered in Sasuke’s strong arms Sakura felt a slight pain, the pang of two acute fang penetrating her bare, white neck. “Sasukeeeh...” she moaned as Sasuke’s fangs entered her vein, his lips covering her and his body pressing against her own. Soon the slight stinging of the fangs gave way to something different, something more. As Sasuke drank from her, Sakura was overwhelmed, her knees weakened and her eyes blinded by a torrent of euphoria; pure unbridled bliss. Sasuke, her Sasuke, was drawing strength from her. Such a feeling of happiness in giving, in sharing, in nourishing her love with her body. It totally enamored her. Sakura wanted to give Sasuke everything. As blood passed between them Sakura felt warmth, vibrations and emotions she never knew. “Sasuke.. oh Sasuke... Sasuke I love you..” she repeated, her eyes closed as one of her arms reached under his cloak and caressed his strong, sinewy frame. The other ran through his spiky ebony strands, bringing each to life in the glittering of the moonlight as she gripped and ran her delicate fingers through, over and over again.” 

“Sakuraa...” Sasuke briefly whispered, before continuing. Sakura could feel his mouth tighten on her neck as she whispered into his ear and their bodies drew closer. Her broken ribs were insignificant now. In this space and in this time nothing existed except her and Sasuke. 

“Sakura..” Sasuke was entranced. Without magic Sakura had mystified, had enslaved him in her love. Such power, such hearth. Sakura... I love you too. He thought to himself. Sasuke was totally overwhelmed by this experience. The crimson elixir springing from Sakura’s veins sweetened on his lips, warming them and electrified him as he breathed in her scent. Sasuke reached new heights of pleasure never before felt and could feel Sakura’s love, a cloak of safety, a cloak of ecstasy, a cloak of love wrapping around him as she drew him closer and closer into her embrace. Whatever he was feeling, Sasuke concluded, Sakura was feeling something similar. He sensed it. Sasuke was chained in her love, chained in the blood passing into him and he relished it. 

However, in the far reaches of his mind a darkness was stirring. Sasuke could feel his hunger and blood lust lurking, vying for control. Such rich blood! Then it finally happened.

“Sakura!”

“Sasuke!”

As Sasuke’s hunger overcame him a spark of intense emotion burned and shone brightly in his mind, chasing away the darkness. It was felt in his mind, in Sakura’s mind. In both their minds. Sasuke. Sakura. In that moment their bliss reached its zenith and both the witch and the vampire formed a bond stronger than any power they’ve ever witnessed. 

Sakura could feel it. She could feel everything. Their minds became one, forming unity, marrying in a fashion that bodies never allowed. Sakura never felt so close to someone and could feel, see, hear Sasuke. She now completely knew him and this was the same for Sasuke with her. 

She saw it all, felt it all: Sasuke’s brother threatening him,  demanding that he leave her before the clan dealt with Sakura for him; the pure terror and despair that tore through his soul as he forced himself to sever ties with her; Sasuke hating himself and hurting himself and anything around him after leaving her on the bench and finally, Sasuke’s fear, love and anger swirled into one when he sensed her fighting and met her once more with the Akatsuki. Sasuke... She couldn’t help but shed tears. 

It’s gone. Sasuke was calm.... well calm as in not ripping out Sakura’s throat but still high on her blood calm as he described it to himself. Whatever bond they formed, whatever feeling they shared negated the adverse effects of feeding, of feeding on a witch, another creature of the night. Her magic, he concluded, the magic of an all powerful Shikkotsu witch, spiced her blood with power. No that wasn’t all. Their love birthed this. He was sure of it. The magic only carried the love. Now Sakura’s mind, heart and soul lay bare to him and Sasuke couldn’t help but smirk in his mind at the love, passion and yearning he felt emerging from her consciousness. He now knew what he had to do to end this. Slowly he forced himself away and readied himself to protect his love. 

“Sakura... I’m fine” he breathed into her neck, setting it ablaze with goose flesh as he did. He could feel her quiver and hear the squeak of a small whimper as his fangs retracted. “Sasuke... yes....” she meekly whispered as Sasuke, lithe and strong, lifted her into his arms and nestled her delicately against the trunk of a tree, placing Katsuyu in her arms.

“I’ll be back shortly.” was his only utterance. Then, he faced his anterior and steeled his nerves as the snowy boundary erected by Sakura, finally dissipated, smoke and vapor at last dancing into the night. “Pein! Konan! Obito!” the young vampire thundered as his enemies’ forms materialized before him. “How dare you?!”

“Sasuke Uchiha!” Pein bellowed into the night, with Konan and Obito sheltered behind him. Before him stood Sasuke, now more akin to a pure mass of compulsion, of psionic force. Sasuke stood rigid and radiated a star, a sun of vampiric energy and as he stood, the power seeping from his pores, from his eyes, from his very existence devoured the park. Sasuke’s usual black and ice blue aura which manifested when his powers were at their peak was now infinitely more brilliant, more dominating and more wild, sweeping his pure black cloak about in the night around him. Cyclone-like flares of psychic energy shot forth, forming revolutions of onyx, cool blue and outlines of dust rose, Sakura’s power, that wrapped Sasuke and everything else within them. The power formed streams that sewed through what seemed to be the night itself. With Konan and Obito at his back, prostrating before Sasuke’s aura, Pein, still independent, retaliated. “Die!”

While within the cloak that was Sasuke’s near divine aura, Pein clasping his hands, shot his star-like eyes through the aura and directly at Sasuke’s, now alight with power and radiating flames of crimson and charcoal. The lone Akatsuki member began his assault. Bending the power to his will, Pein compressed the now visible flare of power cloaking him into a sphere, aurora like in color as all his enchantments were after taking from his brethren. In one fell motion Pein, now naked in psychic strength lasered his power, their power, into the core of Sasuke’s nest of aura. 

Moments later it was as if a ferocious storm had settled in the park, ripping apart sound, light, space and existence in its rage as Pein’s laser of psychic power burst into Sasuke. When the booming, and luminous explosion of energy died reality was finally coming into view. 

Sasuke stood, untainted and without scar nor wound, following Pein’s last attack. Streams of his aura, which bloomed in the light of Sakura’s blood, remained, the core of which tinged Sasuke’s frame with outlines of pinkish-white. Pein on the other hand was defeated. There laying before Sasuke, his cloak of crimson and black gently lifted, billowing in the now settled, light, night breeze, was Pein. Vanquished, he was barely able to raise his head to face his foe. Sasuke rushed to hold Sakura and lifted her bridal style, her arms clasped at his neck with her face buried into his chest, beneath his cloak before approaching Pein. As the young vampire strode towards his adversaries, remnants of his now dimming aura burned the grass before Pein. A metre before Pein, he spoke. 

“Give a message to Madara, to Itachi and to the entire clan.” Sasuke ordered, his face devoid of emotion barring his eyes which were still scarlet and black. “No one shall harm Sakura. No one shall follow us. Ever.” After ensuring that Pein received his message, Sasuke hurled one last needle of compulsion into his mind, searing into him his warning once more and drowning him in a cloak of slumber.  With that he set off, Sakura, and Katsuyu in arm.

“Master Itachi!” a gaunt vampire shrieked, blasting apart the doors of the conference room. “Master Itachi! Lord Madara! The elders! We must tell them at once!” 

“What is it?!” the lone vampire clansman demanded, briskly turning to the intruder, his onyx eyes burning with fury between his centre-parted bangs. “What are you going on about?”

“Master Sasuke!”

”Hmm?”

”He’s escaped with the witch! Pein and the Akatsuki are defeated, only Pein, Konan and Obito came back!”

”Leave me and gather the council at once, I’ll reach Lord Madara.” Itachi commanded, his face hardening as he spoke.

“Yes master!” he blurted out slamming the doors as he ran off.

“So the little kid did it?” Itachi mused to himself, his stiff expression now melting away, giving way to a faint smile. “Good, Sasuke. ”

“Sasuke”

“Sasuke?” Sakura repeated, staring up at his strong chin as she searched his inky black eyes with her own faint green glare.

“Hmm?” Sasuke lazily responded, arms still wrapped around the witch as he covered her bare body with his cloak extended.

“Well my cloak can fly us out of here for hours still” she informed him, eyes looking downward at her improvised magic carpet, her now enchanted cloak. “But... Where should we go anyway?”

“Hmm... We haven’t planned.”

“....”

“How about Suna?” Sakura cheerfully suggested, breaking the silence once more.

“Anything you want.” was his final response before he smiled and lovingly tapped her forehead, directly on her bindi.

“Sasuke?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.” 

With that Sasuke bent, brushing his hungry lips against hers, delicate lips like pink rose petals, initiating a spark that would soon intensify and blaze further.

I love you too, Sakura. A thought blossomed, warming her mind and body mid kiss.

Moments later another thought pinged. 

See? I told you those rose quartz crystals grants success in love! .

Not now Katsuyu! Sakura mentally shot back, managing to work a smile mid kiss as the flew off, Sasuke and Sakura wrapped up in each other’s hearth and embrace, their cloaks quivering in the milky twilight.