Capítulo 19: The Rival
Pond's schedule had been thrown into chaos ever since Kate arrived at his mansion. He had to wake up earlier than usual to drive her to Eden, his animal shelter, and spend the whole day teaching her about the animals. The routine continued for a week now, and Pond's exhaustion was apparent as he yawned while driving Kate to Eden.
Kate, noticing Pond's fatigue, asked him, "Are you sure you're getting enough sleep, Pond? You look exhausted."
Pond chuckled, "I'm surviving. This is nothing compared to the monster battles we face in the game."
Kate smiled, "Well, I appreciate all your hard work, Pond. I'm learning so much from you, and I can tell you have a real passion for these animals."
Pond blushed slightly, "I'm glad you're enjoying it. It's just tiring having to drive back and forth every day."
Kate nodded in understanding, "I can imagine. Maybe we can find a way to make it easier for you, Pond."
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Pim's concern for Pond grew as she realized that something was amiss. She had noticed that he hadn't been coming to her bakery as he usually did, and the few calls she received from him were brief and rushed. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong, but she knew that Pond was not his usual self.
One day, as Pim was busy kneading dough in her bakery, she received a message from Pond in the game. "Hey Pim, sorry I haven't been in touch lately. I've been really busy with something," he wrote. Pim couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry in her chest. "Is everything okay, Pond? You've been acting strange lately," she messaged back.
Pond took a moment to respond, and when he did, his message was cryptic. "I'm fine, Pim. Just dealing with some stuff right now. I'll tell you about it soon." Pim was not satisfied with the answer, but she didn't push Pond any further. She knew he would tell her when he was ready. However, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease about the whole situation.
Pim woke up early in the morning and spent a lot of time getting ready for the day. Pim sensed that something was going on, so she closed her bakery and brought dozens of her goods to feed the staff at Eden. She chose to wear her favorite outfit: a light pink sundress with a floral pattern and white sneakers. She grabbed her favorite apron and her baked goods and took a taxi from her bakery to Eden.
As she arrived, she saw a woman with short blond hair in the staff's outfit, working alongside Pond. She looked around her age, but she was much taller than Pim and had a busty body. Pim noticed that Pond seemed to be very focused on her and that they seemed to be getting along well.
Kate was in the kitchen area, preparing dog food. She complained to Pond about how hot it was that day and how the heat was making it difficult to work. Pim observed them from afar, and she couldn't help but wonder who this woman was and what her relationship with Pond was.
As Pim noticed the beautiful lady with a busty body, it reminded her of Kate, the dangerous lady who kept approaching Pond in the game. She couldn't be sure if it was really her or not. As Pond noticed Pim's arrival, he greeted her with a warm smile and a hug. Kate also noticed Pim, the small lady with long brunette hair, and observed their close relationship with a hint of curiosity.
"Hey there, Pim! What brings you here today?" Pond asked, smiling at her.
"I closed my bakery today and brought some goods to feed the staff here. I thought I could help out a bit," Pim replied, smiling back at him.
"Wow, that's really kind of you, Pim. Thank you so much," Pond said, gratefully.
As they were talking, Kate couldn't help but notice their friendly interactions. "So, Pim, are you a friend of Pond's?" she asked, trying to start a conversation.
"Yes, we've been friends for a while now," Pim replied, giving her a friendly smile.
Kate nodded, her eyes still focused on the two of them. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more between Pond and Pim than just friendship.
As the three of them met, Pond introduced Pim to Kate and vice versa. Kate gave Pim a polite smile, but Pim couldn't shake the feeling that something about her seemed off. Pond, on the other hand, was trying his best to keep things cordial, despite the tension between the two women.
As they chatted, Pim suggested that they should all have dinner together later that night. Pond agreed, hoping that it would give them all a chance to get to know each other better and ease the tension. Kate, however, seemed to have other plans.
"I don't want to impose on your plans," Kate said with a sly smile. "I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do. I wouldn't want to be a third wheel."
Pim rolled her eyes, sensing Kate's attempt to create a rift between her and Pond. "Nonsense," she replied with a forced smile. "We'd love for you to join us. The more, the merrier, right?"
Pond nodded in agreement, hoping that the night would go smoothly. As they parted ways, Pim couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the thought of sharing Pond's attention with Kate. But she told herself to be in control, knowing that she wouldn't surrender Pond to that busty American lady.
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As Pim saw Kate at the mansion, she couldn't help but remember the last time she was with Pond, sharing a sensual kiss. It was as if the memory had been awakened by the sight of Kate, and Pim found herself feeling a sense of jealousy for Pond. She knew that her feelings were unfounded, but she couldn't help feeling protective of him. She told herself to be in control and not to let her emotions get the better of her.
Kate noticed the way Pim was looking at her and the way she seemed to be clinging to Pond's arm. It was clear to her that Pim had feelings for Pond. Kate didn't care, she had her own plans and desires for Pond. She was here to win his heart, and she wouldn't let anyone stand in her way.
Pond, oblivious to the tension building up between the two ladies, tried to lighten the mood by joking about his cooking skills. He told them that he had prepared a special dish for dinner tonight, and he hoped that they would enjoy it. Pim and Kate both laughed, and Pim playfully nudged Pond with her elbow, telling him that she was sure it would be delicious.
As they sat down to dinner, Pim couldn't help but notice the way Kate was eyeing Pond. It was as if she was sizing him up, and Pim knew that she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. Pim tried to focus on the food, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of jealousy that was simmering inside her. She knew that she had to be careful, or she might end up losing Pond to Kate.
As Pim and Kate continued to exchange tense glances, Pond cleared his throat and suggested they move on to dinner. "I've prepared a few of my favorite Thai dishes for us tonight," he said, gesturing to the table where a colorful array of food awaited them. "Let's dig in!"
The first dish on the table was a fragrant green curry with tender chunks of chicken and crisp vegetables. "I love the balance of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors in this curry," Pond explained as he passed around bowls of the steaming dish. "It's one of my go-to comfort foods."
Next up was a plate of Pad Thai, with chewy rice noodles tossed with shrimp, tofu, and crunchy bean sprouts, topped with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts and a squeeze of lime. "This dish is always a crowd-pleaser," Pond remarked, twirling his fork around a tangle of noodles. "It's a classic Thai staple, and I think it's the perfect balance of tangy and salty."
The final dish was a refreshing Som Tum salad, made with shredded green papaya, cherry tomatoes, and a spicy chili-lime dressing. "This one's my personal favorite," Pond said with a smile. "It's got a great crunch, and the dressing is so bright and zesty."
As they ate, the tension between Pim and Kate began to ease, and they started to chat more comfortably. Pim even found herself laughing at some of Kate's stories about her gaming adventures. "You're actually pretty funny," Pim said with a grin. "I thought all shadow assassins were supposed to be super serious and brooding."
Kate chuckled. "Well, I like to think I have a sense of humor. It's important to be able to enjoy life, even when you're working hard to achieve your goals."
As they finished their meal, Pond brought out a platter of fresh tropical fruits for dessert, and they all savored the juicy sweetness of the mangoes, pineapples, and papayas. "Thanks for joining me tonight," Pond said with a smile. "I'm glad we could all get to know each other a bit better."
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As Pond drove Pim back to her bakery, he explained that he didn't want to make her worry about Kate's intentions. He assured Pim that everything was under control, and that he wouldn't let Kate interfere with their relationship. Pim thanked Pond for being honest with her, and they made plans to hang out together soon.
Later, in Xylo Chronicle, Pond and Xiao Ming were in the middle of their game when Pond shared his encounter with Pim and Kate. Xiao Ming couldn't resist teasing his friend about his love life, "So, the great beast savior has finally met his match? Who would have thought it would be a woman?" he said with a laugh. Pond rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's jokes.
Despite the teasing, Pond was more interested in getting some advice from Xiao Ming. He explained his situation and asked for his friend's opinion on what he should do. Xiao Ming listened carefully, then suggested that Pond be honest with Kate about his feelings and make it clear that he wasn't interested in her romantically. He also advised Pond to continue being open and communicative with Pim, and to focus on building their relationship.
Pond appreciated Xiao Ming's advice and thanked him for his help. In exchange, he promised to come up with a cool name for Xiao Ming's new buddy, The Cylina's servant beast. Xiao Ming laughed and told him that he didn't need to do anything in return, but Pond insisted, "It's the least I can do for a friend."
After some brainstorming, Pond suggested the name "Fizzy", inspired by the creature's sparkling scales. Xiao Ming loved the name and thanked Pond for his creativity. They laughed and joked around for a while longer, enjoying each other's company and the escape that the game provided.
As the night drew on, Pond logged off, feeling a little lighter after talking with his friend. He knew that things with Kate and Pim were still uncertain, but he felt more confident in his ability to navigate the situation thanks to Xiao Ming's advice.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
ASAH1
ASAH1 Hey there!
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