#League of Challenger Haters

[dayabot]

did i hate s15 because it was bad or because it succeeded my favorite season of drag race

[skipper1331]

Loyalty and Love // Leah Williamson

warnings: dead family member

Leah was a gooner through and through, never been seen in a different club jersey than the arsenals as she was Arsenals biggest fan.

She went through all the youth team stages until she reached the senior team. Her body was full of loyalty to the club while your career path was very different - something Leah did not like about you.

Your career started at your hometown club near Bavaria, Germany, until FC Bayern München became aware of you. You were the only girl in the league and still scored the most goals. So to be fair, your actual club career started at the FC Bayern academy. You started there at the age of 10 and played there until the age of 16.

At 16 years old, you said good bye to Germany and played for Ajax in the Netherlands. You played two years for them and enjoyed every second with the Ajax family, yet after those two years, you transferred to AS Roma. You had many transfer offers, inside the league and outside of it but even though, you had transferred a few times already, you had one rule: never play in the same league with a different club. Roma sent you on loan to Olympique Lyon where you won the champions league and the league, each time as a key player of the team. OL offered you a real contract which you gladly signed - winning the treble. After three years in France, where you had learned a lot technical stuff but also had developed further as a person, it was time for a new challenge. A new club and country.

Spain was calling, FC Barcelona to be exact. After a teary good bye, you left for good - it was time to shine at Barcelona.

Your talent was magical, you could score from every angle, no matter the position and the fans loved you.

You had been nominated for numerous awards, won many of them yet still you were the kindest person. You always made time for the fans, signed jerseys, took photos and chatted with them. You were down-to-earth.

Of course you had haters, people not liking your volatility but you didn‘t care. You had a mission and would continue it, no matter if you had no fan at all or a the whole woso community behind you. So while your job was to score goals, you only had one goal in mind.

You loved the Spanish weather, you loved the City, you loved the girls. They made Barcelona your home and more than that. Playing alongside Alexia, Mapi, CGH, Aitana and literally every one on the squad was amazing. It was the way they played and the mentality they had that fascinated you.

The first season at Barcelona was the season you won the Ballon D‘or, while still being so young. The combination of the playing style that you learned in the individual clubs in each country also made you Fifas the best. You were the best.

On the pitch, every opponent was afraid of you while off pitch they adored you. It broke your heart to leave Barcelona, the City you adored. So why did you leave? It was the thing you had to do. The thing you promised yourself at the age of 16 when you left Bayern - Arsenal would be your last stop ever. The thing you promised someone. Your retirement club, you would stay there forever - as long as they offered you a contract.

-

While everybody had greeted you with open arms at your arrival, the skipper kept her distance, only talking to you when necessary. Leah was skeptical to say at least, some things bothered her about you. She didn‘t appreciate your transfers nor respected them. Every country? Really? Why Arsenal? Her childhood club? How long did you want to play here before you stab the team in the back? When another country became interesting? Maybe the US? Sweden?

And then the tape. The strip of tape on your shoulder, it didn‘t make any sense to her. It didn‘t seem like you had problems with your shoulder nor an injury in the last few years (which she had obviously checked) so why the tape? She - well actually everyone, never saw you without. When it slowly started to look rancid, the next second it looked like new again. When you changed, even in the shower after playing it was always there. Were you hiding something?

Leah didn‘t like you, it was clear as the day but (even if she would never admit it out loud) you were a fantastic footballer. Your feet could do magic with the ball, from assisting to scoring to defending, everything you did on the pitch was faboulous. That, she had to appreciate, maybe you would help Arsenal to win the league.

This season. who knows how long you‘ll stay.

-

After your first month with the gunners, you knew for sure, your heart and brain realized it for the first time: after years, you had finally fulfilled your promise.

You felt peace, nothing more. Maybe you could forgive yourself someday.

-

Over time, Leah‘s dislike towards you turned into much more - hate. When you were near the blonde, she would glare at you or leave the room,

the moments you tried to talk to her, to get to know her, she ignored you and

she would rudely comment on the things you said.

After months of trying, you just stopped. If she doesn‘t want to talk to you that‘s okay. You didn’t have to be friends - colleagues, that‘s it.

-

"When I visited Greece-" you started to tell Lia about the beauty of the country when her work wife cut you off, "wow, Y/L/N, a country you didn‘t play in, really respectable" Leah spat, rolling her eyes. Lia smacked the back of her head, her behavior unbelievable.

It was no secret that the defender felt some sort of dislike towards you - noticeable for your team mates and especially for the swiss as she knew Leah like the back of her hand.

"Ignore her" the midfielder stated, asking you to continue your story.

"It‘s fine" not in the mood to tell the end of your Greece-story, you left the two LW‘s joining Vic as she juggled with the ball.

"You really need to stop that" the swiss international grumbled, "she‘s actually really nice"

"And her loyalty sucks! I won’t let her ruin this club"

The brunette watched the blonde march away, arms crossed.

-

Leah‘s behavior continued like that, rude comments sent your way, cut off mid sentence and ignorance accompanied you every single day. But your mindset was clear: you couldn’t be bothered by her.

You understood that Leah was skeptical of you, you‘re new and played for several clubs but on the pitch you played your absolute best each game. You deserved at least some respect.

-

"Where‘s hopper?" Leah asked - you’re never late. Her new nickname for you showed her antipathy towards you yet hiding it well enough, so other people outside of the team wouldn’t get suspicious.

"She‘s on her way home for a few days" Lia replied calmly, not wanting the blonde to explode.

You had texted Lia about your plans earlier this morning - she was your friend after all. Just because she was great friends with Leah, didn‘t mean you couldn’t be friends with her too. Like I said, you were friends with the whole team, just not with Leah. Besides you enjoyed talking to Wally as it was in your mother tongue, conversation flowing with an ease.

"What the fuck?! She does know we‘re playing a derby this weekend!" The England captain growled, marching out of the changing room, already calling you. Who do you think you were?

Her calls went straight to voicemail which only angered and frustrated her more. why were you so infuriating?

The defender was quick to approach to Jonas - what was the thinking letting you leave? Did he even know about this?

"Why did you let her leave?!" the woman asked loudly and harshly. You made her blood boil. "Is she playing on Saturday? You should kick her out of the squad! This behavior is unacceptable" she scolded.

Even though Leah knew the team would need you, she was too caught up in her anger.

"Who are you talking about?" the coach asked rather confused. Was he missing something?

"Your new signing" she huffed out frustrated, how can he be this clueless?

"She‘s not here. Apparently at home in Germany, did you know about this?"

"Oh! Yes, I know about this. It‘s in her contract"

"What do you mean? In her contract?"

"She‘s allowed to leave, no matter what day, at-" he looked at his watch, checking the date, "at the 20th of March for three days. One day to get there, one day to stay, one day to leave" he explained.

"Why?"

"I can’t tell you that"

-

On game day, you arrived on time at the stadium, your favourite defender already impatiently waiting for you in the locker room. When you entered the room, she was about to stomp over, telling you how your behavior was unacceptable and jeopardizing the team but something told her not to. Your shoulders were sagged, your eyes red and puffy as you had bags under them ad well - it looked like you had been crying for awhile and not sleeping either. You looked small and sad, but not the sadness-sad, somehow it looked like grieving-sad or guilty-sad. Leah didn't know if her analysis was correct, after all, she didn't know you as you weren’t friends - not even close to that - and to the others it seemed like you were your usual self.

As you walked past her to get to your cubby, she grabbed your hand. "Are you okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned about your well-being. Her stone cold persona towards you was gone for the moment, eyes scanning your face - what was wrong? How can she help you?

"I‘m fine, Leah"

Her hand had a firm grip on yours yet it was so gentle and soft - it was almost like you could feel her 'caring' about you.

But you knew, she only cared about the team and not about you.

"Thank you for asking, though" you smiled a bit, before leaving her touch and walking over to your cubby.

You didn't want to be rude to her because it seemed like she was dead serious about her question. Besides, if you wanted to have at least a somewhat normal work-relationship with her, this might was a step in the right direction.

However, you had to admit, the feeling of her holding your hand was quite nice and made you hope for eventually being friends one day.

-

The game started with you on the bench as agreed with Jonas. It was his decision if he wanted to put you in or not and you respected either way. You were thankful enough that he had shown so much understanding about your family situation, so you wouldn’t be the one to complain about not playing.

Next to you on the bench sat the one and only Leah Williamson, who watched the game very carefully, attentively and critically - the same as you did. In your heads, the two of you analyzed what happened on the field, every bad pass, every unused space or loss of the ball was noted while you tried to come up with solutions. While Leah stated her analysis to everyone at half time, you talked to the relevant person what they should pay particular attention to - most opponents had the same playing style, even if the tactics were changed. Overall, it wasn't the played game in general that mattered, but rather the individual players on the field. If you watched them long enough, it wasn't too difficult to outplay them and their team - Leah and you knew that.

Both of you got subbed on in the 74th minute, the defender doing her job brilliantly while you ran down the wing. The game seemed like it had shifted as soon as the two of you took in your positions. Chances were created, space was used, passed connected perfectly - in all honestly, Tottenham didn‘t have any control over the match anymore, thanks to Leah and your critical eyes.

The score changed when Leah sent a ball flying towards you. With one quick motion, you dribbled around the defender, firing a shot on goal - Tottenhams goalkeeper stood no chance.

That evening a special chemistry was born between your favourite defender and her favourite hopper.

-

If you were hoping that the 'how are you' question meant something, you were wrong.

Her arrogant attitude got worse, as did her mean behavior towards you. You thought that maybe, just maybe, the link up on the pitch earned you enough respect that she at least refrains from commenting. Yet she questioned everything you did and not only that: you were regularly asked whether you would leave the club at the end of the season or whether you would leave one season after that. At this point you felt helpless, you didn’t know what her problem was with you - she seemed like a nice person towards everyone else.

"Come on, Leah, leave me alone" you grumbled as she stood next to you in the locker room with her arms crossed. Especially today she was getting on your last nerve. You hadn‘t slept well the last few days and the bickering was getting more and more exhausting.

"You weren‘t concentrated today" she stated, "this isn‘t acceptable at Arsenal."

"Leah-" Wally tried to stop her but there was no chance. She wouldn’t hold back.

"No, she has to know. She‘s played at enough clubs to know that she has to give 100%!"

"As if you haven‘t had a bad day before"

"I can keep things professional"

"No you can‘t! If you could, you would leave me the fuck alone. You are all judgy but never played somewhere else than Arsenal, so get a fucking grip. At least I have the experience of other leagues"

The whole changing room gasped, Katie smirking, happy that you stood your ground. Leah’s behavior was ridiculous. And this time she took it too far.

On an emotional level, your week had been absolutely shitty.

It‘s like a haunted house, only you‘re the ghost.

On an physical level, you were exhausted.

So, neither emotionally nor physically you could deal with her at the moment.

"Watch your mouth-" the defender started before you cut her off.

"No, you will watch yours" your pointer finger angrily poked her chest, "Listen to me closely, I will not repeat myself. You, Leah Williamson, will stay away from me. I‘m not your friend, I’m not your mate, I’m your colleague, so treat me with damn respect" with that you grabbed your stuff and left.

Leah was breathing heavily, your anger awfully attractive.

"Why are you being like this?" McCabe asked, the girls in the room waiting for an answer. This couldn’t be just because you played for several clubs and she was questioning your loyalty - there had to be more.

"Because she‘s hiding something! I won‘t let her ruin this club" she growled, sitting down in her cubby.

"What should she be hiding?" Steph questioned, you seemed like an honest and truthful person.

"She literally left for three days out of nowhere!"

"She did that when we played at Barca together too" Laia added. She had never thought about that before. But Leah was right, it was unusual to not show up at training when you weren‘t injured or sick, especially since it was in the middle of the season.

"See!"

"I still don’t see the problem" Steph shrugged her shoulders, "she‘s a lovely person and you would know that if you gave her the chance to show it" with that the Australian left. You were such a lovely girl, at least someone had to defend you. Partly, Steph could understand where Leah was coming from - that girl was bleeding Arsenal red.

After Steph had left, the other girls started to leave too, Leah and Kim the only ones left.

Leah was sorting through her bag, checking if she had everything she needed when Kim broke the silence, "Her brother died when she was 16. The 21st of March is the day of his death"

Leah stopped her movements, "what?" she turned around, the colour leaving her face.

"That’s all I know"

Kim grabbed her bag, walking past the blonde, about to leave, "I’m disappointed in you, Leah. We're a family here, and you didn't show her that. Have you ever thought about why she played in every league? You’re criticizing but not questioning. You doubt her loyalty, but she hasn't transferred within the league - doesn't that show her respect for the club she‘s played at?"

"Kim-"

"Have a nice evening"

Alone in the changing room, Leah tried to process the information, now it made sense that you were at home for a few days. It was his anniversary.

She had been a complete ass to you without knowing your story - she still didn't. However, for the first time she felt something like interest. She wanted to get to know you. She wanted to know your story. But most of all she wanted to apologize. You seemed like a sweet girl.

Of course, most of her questions were still unanswered: the tape? Why did you transfer so much? You‘re young.. but for the first time she didn't care. She fucked up and was determined to start over.

I‘m disappointed in you, Leah.

-

At home, the defender sat on her couch, eating some food while the tv was showing her favourite show. This wasn’t right. She couldn’t wait till tomorrow. She had to talk to. Now.

Leaving her food on the table, the blonde called Lia, asking where you lived. The Swiss was hesitant to tell her as she wanted to protect you but Leah sounded genuinely upset about her own behavior.

"Please.. I- I‘m in the wrong here, I know that now. I don‘t want her to go to bed angry or feeling like she‘s not a part of the Arsenal family."

After that, the Swiss texted your address, the England captain already on her way.

When she arrived at her destination, she felt nervous. She rang the bell, hoping you wouldn’t open. She wasn‘t prepared at all - she didn’t know what to say or how to make things up with you.

In that moment, she realized maybe it was a hasty decision to just show up in front of your door and apologize. It wouldn’t be deserved to accept the apology straightaway.

"Leah?" you said surprised.

"Hopper" it was almost inaudible as you had knocked the air out of her lungs. You looked breathtaking. No, it wasn‘t something fancy - you wore an oversized shirt and some shorts while your hair was down but you looked naturally beautiful.

"What are you doing here? I told you to leave me alone"

"I- um.. I came to apologize?"

"Are you asking me that?"

"I came to apologize"

"Go home, Leah-"

"Give me a chance-"

"No. Look, I don’t know why you are here or what your problem is but I don‘t want to play your sick games" you stepped back, closing the door, leaving the defender dumbfounded in front of your home.

"I know about you brother!" she called, helpless on what do to. But as soon as the word 'brother' left her mouth, she regretted it.

The door was thrown open, "what did you just say?!" you were angrier than ever. Your family had always been a sensitive subject.

"I know about your brother" the audacity Leah had to repeat her words was unbelievable.

She squeezed herself inside, looking around.

"I swear to god, if you don‘t leave-"

"I‘m really sorry" she turned around, you didn‘t know if she was talking about your brother or how she had treated you and neither did she. Either way, it made you furios, you were balling your hands into fists, trying to stay calm.

"Is that him?" she asked, walking to the picture frame on your shelf, "what‘s his name?"

It was a picture of the two of you as kids, both of you wearing Germany jerseys as you grinned in the camera - one of your favourite pictures.

And that made you explode. How dare she come to your home, implying to apologize which she wasn‘t and then act nosy.

You marched over, grabbing her at the collar of her shirt and pushing her against the wall, "leave me alone" you weren’t shouting but you voice was loud, clear and firm, almost intimidating.

Her breath hitched, "I can‘t" you were so close to her. She could see all tiny freckles, those which only appeared when you were in the sun. She was intrigued by you. Her eyes darted around your features, the wrinkle between your brows slowly disappearing.

You didn‘t know what came over you, but in less than a second, you smashed your lips against hers. Teeth were clashing, all anger and frustration purred in, hands gripping and pulling as both of your minds went blank. Neither of you could think about anything else but each other.

-

The day she stood in front of your apartment, wasn’t brought up again yet you had to admit something shifted in your dynamic that night.

The chemistry you had on the pitch only grew, Leah assisted while you scored countless of goals.

Her behavior wasn‘t as bad as before anymore, she started to greet you, say good bye or other acts of kindness yet every once in a while a snarky comments left her mouth.

After Arsenal had won the conti cup against Chelsea, the celebrations were on the rise when you entered the club. You saw some girls dancing around, some lingering at the bar and others sitting at the table.

You joined the girls at the table, sitting down next to Stina. Lost in conversation with the Swede you didn‘t notice a blonde defender standing right behind you with her arms crossed and a pout on her face, "you‘re sitting on my seat, hopper" she grumbled, the pout increasing.

"Sit somewhere else" you replied, not looking up as you continued your conversation which had been rudely cut off by the English woman.

"There is no seat left"

This time you turned around, looking up from your seat as the defender glared at you.

It was the first time, you had seen her tonight and she looked absolutely gorgeous with the outfit she was wearing.

"I think you‘re old enough to deal with that, aren‘t you?" you smiled sarcastically at her, once again turning to Stina.

"I am" she stated, a smug smile plastered on her face. With the alcohol in her system, she simply sat on your lap, one arm going around your shoulders while she started her own conversation. Weirdly confused but somehow not minding, you let her be, your arms going around her waist to support her. No one said anything about, most of them not realizing what was happening or simply not caring - as long as you weren‘t fighting everything seemed fine.

The night continued like that, chatting, dancing and enjoying the time.

"Could you let me get up, please? I‘d like to have another drink" you asked the defender who immediately got up, "can you bring one for me too?"

"Sure"

She smiled shyly before you left, sitting back down, Lia looking at her with a 'tell me right now what‘s going on' expression.

"What?"

"Seriously? What‘s going on between the two of you?" the Swiss asked, Leah‘s eyes already back on you as you stood at the bar, ordering.

"Nothing"

The defender’s brows furrowed when a man approached you, standing way too close to you, her jaw clenching.

She saw you taking a step to the side, intending to signal the man that you were not interested. In responds, he only stepped closer.

Angrily, the blonde stood up, marching over, "is everything alright here?" her hands settled on your waist, pulling you protectively towards her.

"Everything‘s alright, mate" the man slurred, stepping forward, "I’m just getting to know your friend."

Leah was quick to step in front of you, her hand holding onto you to know you‘re safe, "leave my girlfriend alone or I will break your nose" she threatened.

The man held his hands in surrender before he left.

In an instant, she turned around, cupping your cheeks, checking if you were alright.

"I‘m okay" you stated. What just happened? Girlfriend? Weird man? Break his nose? Girlfriend?

"Here‘s your drink"

She took her drink, resting her hand on the small of your back, guiding you back to the table.

What‘s just happened?

Lia was the only one left at the table while the others had joined the dancers. You were about to sit down on an empty chair when the blonde pulled you on her lap - roles reversed.

Raising an brow, "There are enough empty seats this time"

"I don’t care, hopper"

"I‘ll join the rest on the dancing floor" Wally said, winking at Leah whose cheeks turned red.

"You‘re so beautiful, you know" the England captain said, cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.

"How many drinks did you have?" you giggled, your fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns along the back of neck. "Not enough to punch that guy" she growled.

You laughed, "you‘re cute when you‘re jealous" not so sober yourself.

She squeezed your hips in responds, resting her head on your shoulder.

Both of you enjoyed the silence that came over you, also enjoying the closeness you shared in that moment. Leah wasn‘t forgiven and she knew that yet she couldn’t stay away from you. Somehow you were addicting.

For once, it was nice not to argue with the blonde but to enjoy her company. She was cute, you couldn’t lie.

"I‘m very sorry for my behavior" she whispered, "I’d like to start over again" you turned towards her, eyes locking, "I’m not asking for your forgiveness, just for a chance to show you that I’m not an awful person. You are a part of the Arsenal family and I’m sorry for treating you otherwise"

You let her words sink in. She was right, she couldn’t ask for your forgiveness because too much had happened already but starting over seemed like an opportunity for the both of you.

"I’m Y/N"

-

The next weeks, Leah was the sweetest person to you. Each morning, she greeted you with the widest smile and when she left the facility, she always made sure to tell you good bye. She treated you with respect and listened to everything you had to say. She was amazed by the stuff you had to say. She couldn’t care less if it was something as simple as your favourite colour or an opinion on something. Everything you said was important to her.

Soon the small talks turned into longer conversations until they were endless.

In matches, when somebody fouled you Leah was the first to stick up for you, arguing with the opponent before she argued with the ref (of course after she had made sure you were okay.)

Slowly but surely, Leah earned your trust and appreciation.

She wasn‘t just anybody - she was Leah Williamson and once she had set her mind, you couldn’t stop her from doing it.

She wasn‘t the Leah you had met at your arrival - she changed for good. She was much more. She was funny, loving and caring, attentive and respectful - she was actually an amazing woman and your friend.

-

Standing in the kitchen of Leah’s apartment, you made dinner for the both of you while she sat on the counter watching you and eating the ingredients.

The atmosphere was tranquil and relaxed as music filled the background.

Peace.

"His name‘s Sebastian" you turned around, grabbing another ingredient out of the fridge while you avoided Leah‘s eyes, painful stings in your heart. You wouldn‘t cry, not now. "He‘s three years older than me" you inhaled sharply, trying to compose yourself as you continued to cook. "You would have loved him, he was a big Arsenal fan, watched every match" you chuckled, "but was the worst player of all time. He never really was a sports guy anyway, he was rather the calm type of person. He loved to cook - that‘s actually one of his favourite recipes" you nodded your head towards the food splayed out on the counter.

The dish you were making had brought you so much comfort after his death. It felt familiar. Sometimes, you imagined him standing in the kitchen, so concentrated that his brows would furrow as he cut the vegetables or when he seasoned - never a drop too much. He was very particular when it came to cooking, but rightly so, because when he did it, it always tasted absolutely perfect.

"He used to be my best friend"

Your heart broke into pieces saying it out loud. He wasn‘t just anybody - he was your brother, the only man you ever loved and him more than anyone.

The two of you had a special bond, you basically owed him your entire career. Because it was him who kicked the ball around with you for hours,

because it was him who drove with you to training when your parents had to work,

because it was him who always watched your matches,

because it was him who always believed in you, even when you were on the verge of giving up.

He was your biggest supporter, the person who believed you could be the best footballer in the world one day and the one person who made sure that you had a life outside of football.

And even though you would have never shared your charger with him, you would have given him your lungs, so he could breathe.

"What happened to him?" Leah asked, her voice gentle, testing the waters if it was okay to ask or too much.

"When-" you closed your eyes, holding back the tears that were about to fall, "I was at a birthday party. At some point during the night I asked him to pick me up because I wasn't feeling well. He did it without hesitation. On the way home we- we got hit by a car and crashed into a tree. Both of us were conscious but he was coughing and bleeding very badly. It looked very bad. I prayed to every god I knew that they should take me and not him- they didn‘t listen" tears were streaming down your face as you aggressively cut the remaining vegetables, "his last words were 'make me proud' and i remember shouting at him but it was too late. I told him I loved him- he took his last breath with a smile on his face"

Silence filled the room, small sniffles the only thing being heard. You grabbed a tissue, blowing your nose and another one to dry your tears, "I am- was blaming myself for what happened, so I left home as soon as I could"

Leah was listening carefully, her heart aching seeing you in pain and the pain you had been through.

"I always complained about others leagues, because they seemed so easy and everything" you chuckled at the memory, "and he always was like 'you can‘t complain if you haven‘t played there'" mocking him, the most german accent in your voice, "so that’s what I did. I have played in several leagues but I always knew Arsenal would be my last stop"

Everything made sense now, Leah‘s heart broke even more, realizing what an absolute ass she was while you only had one goal in mind - to make him proud.

It was never your plan to ruin Arsenal, you wanted to stay there to fulfill the promise you had made in the night that changed your life.

-

Leah saw you with different eyes now, her heart was beating for you in more than one way. She admired you - for the way you play, how strong you are and how hard life had been for you yet still smiling throughout it.

She had to protect the ray of sunshine and the feisty beast you could be. You weren‘t just anybody - you were Y/N Y/L/N, the best footballer in the world.

The defender was a 100% sure, your brother would be more than proud of you and the woman you became.

But she also knew what she had to do. You deserved an apology, even more than that - you deserved every good thing in the world. And if she could she would take all your pain away.

-

It was in the middle of the night, all lights turned off besides in the kitchen of the blonde defender. She sat at the kitchen table, one sheet of paper and a fountain pen in front of her.

Dear Sebastian,

I’m Leah, Leah Williamson.

I've been playing for Arsenal my whole life. I've had my best and worst moments at the club. All of my best moments had to do with my team, my friends, my family, whereas my worst moments had something to do with my performance or injuries. Unfortunately, because of my loyalty and love for the club, I was blinded from seeing the important things - your sister. I never understood why she had transferred so often - it seemed like she was volatile and didn't understand loyalty and love. But she does - she does that more than anyone else.

Her loyalty was only ever dedicated to you.

She is an incredible person and I’m so sorry for the way i treated her at her arrival (I will tell her that, this time when I’m fully sober and explain everything). But I’m writing you to tell you that I like your sister, more than I ever thought I would. To be honest, that‘s the first time I’m admitting it to someone, I didn‘t even admit it fully to myself - but I do. I like her. And I guess, this is me asking for your blessing.

A blessing that I can treat her right if she lets me,

a blessing that I can always support her,

a blessing for one chance with her.

I know, there is much too make up for and my behavior will never be excused - no apology could be strong enough for what I have done - but I want you to know that I will regret it till the rest of my life.

So while you may be her biggest fan from paradise, I want to be her biggest fan from earth.

I promise to do everything in my power to be the best person she deserves.

Sincerely,

Leah Williamson

With a lighter in her pocket and the letter in her hand, she went outside on the balcony. The night was chill and quiet, the perfect atmosphere as the moon shone brightly. Her nerves were calming down and her mind seemed to find rest as she looked up in the sky, "one chance" she whispered, burning the letter. She watched the ink and paper slowly disappear, the smoke rising into the night sky. She knew it was unrealistic to expect any sign of positive responds but was it wrong to hope? When the letter was fully burned, she waited till the smoke was completely gone before she went back inside, turning off the kitchen light and making her way to bed.

When the blonde woke up the next day, she made her way to kitchen immediately, needing her morning tea. She frowned and froze.

"Hello?" she called.

No response.

She had turned off the light last night, didn‘t she?

She sure did!

Was this her sign? Was this the sign that the letter arrived?

It was his blessing.

-

"Hey" the blonde greeted you with a wide smile when you entered the changing room.

Matching her smile, "good morning" you walked to your cubby.

"What are you doing tonight?" she followed you, the smile not leaving her features. Someone woke up in a good mood, you thought.

"Going home, eating, then sleeping" you replied.

"Do you want to watch the Arsenals men game tonight? With me?"

"Are you nervous?" you asked, the defender fidgeting with her fingers as her cheeks were slowly turning red, "I’d love to watch the match with you."

And if you thought her smile couldn’t have gotten wider, you were wrong - the smile she sent you was from ear to ear.

"Perfect" with excitement in her body, she pressed a peck to your cheek before she happily skipped out of the room, the other girls watching the interaction that just happened closely.

"Are you blushing?" Katie laughed loudly as you embarrassingly turned to your bag, in fact blushing.

-

Half an hour before kick-off you rang Leah‘s doorbell, takeout in your hands. You weren‘t in the mood for cooking and Leah‘s cooking skill were eh, e for effort?, also you had been craving Chinese all day long, so that‘s what you got.

"I brought food with me!" you grinned, pushing yourself inside as soon as the blonde had opened the door.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she asked chuckling at your eagerness as you walked in her kitchen to get some plates and cutlery.

Cheekily, you replied "Nothing, I was just hungry"

Serving the food on the plates, you sat down at the table with Leah, comfortable silence filling the air while the two of you ate dinner.

Something was bothering Leah though, you could tell. Every now and then it seemed like she wanted to say something yet she closed her mouth quickly after.

"I‘m sorry for my behavior" she mumbled, "when you arrived at Arsenal, I mean" you looked up from your plate, meeting her eyes for a brief second, "I was skeptical about your loyalty and it got out of hand" carefully she laid her hand on yours, hoping you wouldn’t pull away.

You didn‘t - you wanted to hear what she had to say.

"I‘m really sorry and I know we started over, but I need you to know how sorry I am, this time without any drink in my system. You’re the most loyal person I know, I just didn‘t notice it"

"Leah" you said gently, "look at me, please"

The defender raised her head, looking at you with unsure eyes, rapidly tapping her foot under the table.

"Thank you for telling me. I guess I would have been skeptical too if I had played for the gunners my whole life" you told her, "I’m not excusing your behavior because it wasn‘t nice or appropriate but I don‘t have any bad blood against you either. In fact, I enjoy your company" you pulled her hand from hers, only to put it against her side profile, softly caressing the apple of her cheek.

Subconsciously, she leaned into your touch, "I‘m very sorry"

"I know"

The unspoken 'why' barrier was finally removed.

-

"Arsenal will win, I can feel it!" the defender stated, flopping down on the couch. With a bowl of popcorn in your hand, you sat down next to her, somehow your thighs touching even though the couch was big enough. "Liverpool is a tough opponent"

"Oh stop it! None of that"

Making herself comfortable on the couch, she turned on the tv, ready to see Arsenal win.

Getting comfortable yourself, you pulled your legs on the couch, leaning towards the armrest on the other side which earned you a glare, "what do think you‘re doing?"

"Oh, sorry" in an instant your feet were on the ground.

"No, what are you doing over there? Come here" she nodded to the space between her legs, signaling you to cuddle her.

With red cheeks and a racing heart, you crawled over, settling between her legs as your body melted into hers, head resting on her chest while her arms wrapped around you.

Leah was sure you could hear her racing heart and even though she desperately tried to concentrate on the match, she just couldn’t. With you in her arms, she wouldn’t ever want to think about anything else. You looked so precious in her arms, eyes fully focused on the tv.

"You are so beautiful" she admired, looking at you with heart eyes.

"What?"

You prompted yourself up, looking at the blonde who was smiling dazedly at you, "you are just so gorgeous" her fingers started to play with your hair as she got lost in your eyes, "let me take you on a date"

It was crazy how the mood had changed - from apologies at dinner to cuddling on the couch to asking you out.

"Okay" you smiled shyly, cheeks crimson red as your skin tingled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah"

You stared at each other, eyes shining with adoration and passion, both of you slowly leaning in.

When your lips met, the world seemed to stop spinning, fireworks exploding as you melted into each other and Arsenal getting themselves on the scoreboard. She kissed you so gentle and tender - the complete opposite of the kiss you had shared before.

Everything was perfect.

-

After many many dates, the blonde asked you to be her girlfriend. None of your friends surprised at this point - you had always been obsessed with each other.

The two of you had been caught kissing several times, not even trying to hide it. Leah loved kissing you but she also loved physical touch in general, always holding your hand, having her arm around your midsection or her hand on your thigh while driving. She couldn’t get enough of you.

-

"Come to bed" the blonde whined, waiting for you to join her under the covers. Weirdly, neither of you could sleep good at night without being in each others embrace, so it became your routine - either Leah would sleep at your home or the other way around - this night you were at Leah‘s, and obviously you had stolen a shirt from her wardrobe as your pajamas - which she liked very much. You looked so cute in her clothes.

When you joined her, her arms were immediately wrapped around your body as she pulled you close, pressing a good night kiss on your temple.

The next morning, you woke up with hair in your face and a head resting on your chest, the blonde defender still peacefully asleep. You stayed like that for awhile, your hand gently rubbing her back before you slipped out of bed, ready to make some breakfast and your much needed coffee.

Since it was the weekend and your day off, you decided to surprise the England captain with some self made pancakes - you knew she loved them.

While Leah woke up due the feeling of your absence which turned out to be correct, something she didn‘t like. Sleeping without you was awful already but waking up without you? absolutely horrible.

Grumpily, she made her way out of the bedroom, the smell of pancakes hitting her nostrils, lightening her mood in an instant. Following the smell, she found you in the kitchen, only wearing a sports bra and some of her old Arsenal shorts - you looked cute - booping your head to the non existing music, no doubt that you were humming some song. Silently, the defender walked up behind you, her arms smacking around your stomach, "gosh, you scared me!"

"Sorry, baby" apologetic, she pressed multiple kisses on the side of your neck, fingers tracing along your sides.

You inhaled sharply when she traced along the stripe of tape on your shoulder, she had never brought it up before, respecting whatever story was behind it.

"You- you can take it off" you whispered breathlessly, anxiety and fear creeping through your body.

"Are you sure?" her lips kissed the other side of your shoulder, trying to calm you down and ease your mind.

"Yes, just- be careful, please"

and that’s exactly what she was. All of her moves were gentle and careful - you weren’t afraid that it would hurt pulling the tape off but the story behind it.

After the tape was ripped off a big scar was displayed on your shoulder, "it‘s from the car crash" you said, pain shooting through the healed wound. It wasn‘t an injury pain rather the type of phantom pain - suddenly you were back in the car.

"It‘s a constant reminder of what had happened - something that‘s my fault" you admitted, fighting the tears, "I started to cover it up but make up didn‘t work, so the physio at Ajax taped it. And since that day, I do it all the time"

Leah‘s heart broke at the vulnerability she was seeing, your posture seemingly weak and exposed.

"Is this okay?" Her pointer finger traced over the scar..

"Yeah"

..not in a way that made you uncomfortable but in a way that made you feel like you didn’t have to be ashamed of it.

"What about this?" for a moment you didn‘t feel her touch at all before she pressed featherlight kisses over your scar.

"yes"

Tears were streaming down your face, all of your walls broken down now, Leah made you feel perfect the way you are - because you are.

"I‘m proud of you"

Everything came crashing down, a sob escaped your throat and within a second, you were in your girlfriends arms, crying into her shoulder. The tears that you had not allowed to shed in previous years, fell all at once now.

The England captain hugged you through it all, letting you cry as long as you needed - she wouldn‘t go anywhere.

She had promised your brother to do everything in her power to be the best person you deserve and that‘s what she did, does and will do.

She kept her promise and you did too.

Arsenal was always half but never whole, Leah‘s begun to feel like home.

[codenamesazanka]

Checked an anonymous message board:

Good chunk of people do think the chapter was rushed/unfolded and ended too quickly/thought they were going to get at least three or four more chapters out of the fight

Some were surprised that Shigaraki dies/disappears, but generally isn't against that ending for him - he truly did just kill too much people and damaged too much that this was only fair.

There is a small split in opinion whether Deku actually saved Shigaraki/Tenko - saved his heart, gave him peace, freed him from AFO and the lies, let him die as himself; or Deku didn't save Shigaraki/Tenko but that was because he was always going to be unsaveable (having killed too many people), so Deku could only stop him and offer him those last words.

But overall, people don't think Deku had become OOC or failed his themes like in the English-speaking fandom did. Deku was right to say Shigaraki is unforgivable, and he proved himself a hero to stop Shigaraki by any means necessary; still Deku was compassionate and kind and heroic enough and all along to not ignore the Crying Child and get to the bottom of things, so he was a real consistent, upstanding, and principled guy.

Funny couple of posts that noted the English-speaking fandom's reaction and said we have always just liked the Villains too much, and are extreme and mopey. But they understand that we're just being emotional and sad.

Hello! Do you know what was fans's from Japan general reception for that last chapter? I feel like most people were underwhelmed, but I was really curious about the Japanese audience.

I'll let you know anytime after 11:00 AM EST tomorrow! Chapter's not out in Japan yet!

(the leaks really actually are illegal. We get them before they're officially published in Japan, so we actually get to read Shonen Jump first. And Japanese readers tend to dislike leaks and wait for the official release.)

[pikatrainer99]

Let's talk about Barry for a minute.

This boy is so underappreciated and gets way too much hate just for being ADHD incarnate (or as the haters say, "his hyperactive squirrel brain"). The haters also don't recognize that Barry actually has a character arc in the games. He learns the importance of slowing down throughout his journey, especially after his loss to Jupiter at Lake Acuity. He had been one step ahead of the player the whole game, but this loss actually makes him stop and think things through for a bit, deciding to take his time and train up more. As a result, the player is the one to get the last Gym Badge and make it to the League first. Also, let's not forget that Barry had the patience (and probably hyperfocus) to get a MUNCHLAX and a HERACROSS from the honey trees...y'know, the two RAREST honey tree Pokémon...? Yeah...that takes PATIENCE. Even I don't have the patience for that...but I'm also a very impatient person myself (I blame my parents, who are also impatient, for passing it on to me and my brothers), my "now now now" attitude has driven my family crazy millions of times by now, but I digress.

Something else that's important to mention is Barry's personality (other than his ADHD traits, that is). This kid is a genuinely good guy. He's the player's best friend and that doesn't stop when he becomes the player's rival. He gives the player tips, he doesn't look down on the player or bully them, he's always excited to see them whenever they cross his path, is genuinely happy for them when they get their last Gym Badge and says he won't be far behind, etc. Barry also genuinely loves Pokémon, they are his friends, not tools for battle. He gets angry when around Team Galactic because of how they treat Pokémon, he went into empathy overdrive for Uxie's suffering after losing to Jupiter at Lake Acuity, etc. And he gets excited and happy when around people who love Pokémon as much as he does, like the player and Gym Leaders, for example. Barry also NEVER gives up, which is definitely a great character trait, especially for a rival character. He's set on his goal and nothing can pull him away from it, not even multiple losses to the player. It makes me feel less bad about beating him because I know he's just gonna bounce back each time and try again. That's just how Barry is and he's my favorite friendly rival because of it. I never feel like I'm crushing his dreams like I do with Hop, for example. Instead I'm making him stronger, both in resolve, and as a Trainer.

That doesn't mean that he doesn't have a sad side to him though...because he does. He has daddy issues, BIG TIME. This kid's whole motivation is to get strong enough to challenge and defeat his dad, Tower Tycoon Palmer. He wants to be acknowledged by his dad SO BADLY that in Pokémon Masters he straight-up TELLS YOU that the reason he keeps fining people is because he wants to use the fines he collects to build his own Battle Tower because, in his mind, that's the way to get acknowledgement from his dad. But no one ever takes him seriously (most likely because of how often he does this, how much money he asks for, and also the fact that he's a CHILD), so he never gets any money. I'll be honest, my heart broke for this poor kid during that conversation. I used to think that Barry's "I'm fining you 10 million Pokédollars!" was just his way of expressing annoyance or even just a verbal tic of sorts...but in Masters it's revealed that he's dead serious when he says those things, all because he's so desperate for his dad's approval that he wants to make him proud by building and running his own Battle Tower. Again, he's a CHILD! That shouldn't be any child's goal, especially not for something all kids deserve, which is parent approval! As someone who is ALSO constantly seeking my own dad's approval, this conversation hit home for me. My dad doesn't really approve of anything I'm interested in or anything I do, he wants me to be someone else entirely...but I can't be who he wants me to be, I can't be who ANYONE in this world wants me to be...I can only be myself and I want to make my dad proud just by being me...

The Pokémon Evolutions episode "The Rival" is ALL ABOUT Barry's daddy issues. Everything he does and says in that episode is all about getting strong enough to challenge his dad. He's able to beat him in the end, finally getting the acknowledgement he deserves (he would still deserve it even if he didn't win, or even get to challenge him, let's be clear). So it's a happy ending there, but in the gameverse that's not a clear-cut thing that happens, so we never know if he even does get to face his dad. He shows up in the Fight Area on weekends to battle the player but that's really it as far as I'm aware. In the games, Barry also admires Crasher Wake and wants him to take him under his wing and mentor him, but Wake refuses, which honestly makes me angry since Barry clearly wants (and needs) a father figure in his life since Palmer is absent all the time. At least in the manga Wake does train Pearl, so there is ONE Pokémon universe where Wake mentors the kid...buuuuut he should've done it in the games too, just sayin'.

So yeah, that's basically my ramble on Barry. Honestly this wasn't planned or anything, I just out of nowhere started thinking about Barry and how hated he is, and impulsively wrote this whole entire essay without scripting it out beforehand so this might be a bit hard to follow 😅. But I just love this kid and I don't understand the hate he gets, so he deserves an appreciation post in my opinion...so this is the post! Let me know what you think down below!

[memento-mori-twilight]

Alright, I know everyone and their cousins are all gaga over the Superboy reveal but

Let's talk about that new villain lineup!

And more importantly, how a lot of them are Honest-to-God head scratchers. Well, I have my guesses. As usual, more rambling explaining why is below the cut.

1) Like, Sir to Lex's immediate left, whomst the fuck are you?

You're too old to be an alternative of Clark, don't fit the previous design of Zor-el, still have both eyes unlike Jor-el...

Unless you are an Alternative Jor-el. Like the Fortress AI Jor-el. But even then, the outfit is slightly off since there's no Kryptonian armor (or symbol for that matter) and Jor-el would have no reason to be a threat to either of the Super Crew.

Speaking of AI, could be Eradicator as a more stable construct now that it's no longer one of Brainiac's protocols (echoing how it went from possessor to physical entity in the comics)...but I think someone else in this picture fits that bill.

Maybe it's Zod? But if so, Jesus are they making him look *exactly* like Jor-el, which DC has famously NEVER DONE. Since Zod is often seen as more of a brutish and ruthless character compared to Jor, he's often bulkier in build.

But then again, they've also built Kal's father like a truck in this adaptation so who knows, maybe that hair style was an official military mandate?

2) Speaking of hair, I see that curl on Lex's right.

HI HANK!

Looks like Lex found you after your plane exploded and fixed you up, huh!

Now you're well on your way to becoming Cyborg Superman officially and cementing yourself on the Permanent Superman Hater Squad!

3) Ah Lex! I see your luscious red-brown locks are finally gone. Wonder what caused it? Was it a bad outcome due to an experiment backfire, or are you sick from being around all that Kryptonite for those Metallos for weeks? You looked pretty run down last time we saw you. Maybe some new competition would bring some life back into your face.

4) Maybe another super genius on your level will challenge you? Maybe someone like...

Ultra-humanite! (On the villain screen bottom right)

Yeah I know the popular take on U-H is the super smart white-furred Gorilla with a surgery scar, but that's just his final form. And I think they're gonna pull what they did with Ivo/Parasite with him by only showcasing his final form on the Villains screen (only it looks like they're not going full Gorilla if he still has a human head).

He started out as Superman's oldest archenemy, a mad scientist who was obsessed with getting rich, getting revenge and living forever, predating Lex by a long while! So it will be fun watching Lex bump heads with what is essentially his ancestor until Ultra morphs himself to something beyond human.

5) Speaking of beyond human, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what to make of that creature to Ultra's right.

Is that Ivo/Parasite fully free and morphed into a rabid alien creature? Is that just a normal alien creature?! Is that Dubbilex?! Is it Krypto?!?! I have no Earthly idea!

6) Last but not least on me still being confused, on the bottom left where the League of Lois Lanes used to sit, you will noticed there's a whole new group of people there.

And you will also notice that 2 out of that group of 4 are wearing helmets disgusting their features, but the other 2 aren't.

One looks like Lois in a pageboy cap with a sun and the other looks like Kara.

But wait a minute, it's not our Kara bc she's in the showdown squad at the bottom with the other 3 and that one is still in K-armor with the shoulder pads.

Maybe this is a fully Eradicator-pilled Kara as Brainiac tried to create during the season finale or..

What if the League of Lois' return, this time with their own Kara, but this isn't quite the same take on Kara that we got in Season 2?

What if this is a form of Power Girl Kara?!?

Would make sense for Clark and Kara to have matching brain conflicts meeting Kon-El and Power Girl at the same time, wouldn't it?

Or maybe this is another certain League making their appearance, this time with an Action Lois™ in tow? Maybe this is a glimpse at a version of the Legion of Superheroes, who are initially perceived as a threat until it turns out they're just trying to help?

Possibilities abound!

Those are just my predictions.

I have no idea what to expect for this season or what Josie, Brandon, or Jake have cooked up for us

But I have absolute certainty it's going to be one hell of a ride, and they haven't disappointed us yet!

Can't wait for Season 3!!!

[incorrecttowerofgodquotes]

Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 2 Episode 11 Discussion

- Martin was me the entire episode, freaking the fuck out

- Eri vs Suletta is such a great fight. The two love each other, but their viewpoints and morals are on such opposite wavelengths. Eri, much like Suletta in the past, is doing everything for her mother because she wants her mom to be happy. The Eri we see is simply lines of code reconfigured into what could possibly be construed as a human being. She has Eri’s memories and feelings, but she hasn’t, can’t, grow up, unlike Suletta. Suletta loves her mom, she wants to be there for her, but she can’t accept killing people. She’s realized just how much heavy a life is and so she moves to protect it.

- Peil and the SAL have taken the mantle of final boss. If they really cared about punishing the Benerit Group, they would arrest the leaders, not shoot them with a giant fuck you laser while children are on board all while supporting the people who make nuclear child body doubles. The League is doing exactly what Delling did during the Vanadis incident, right down to the “I’ll take responsibility (but I really won’t)” shtick.

- However what’s interesting is how out of place Elan seems to be. He isn’t sitting down with the Peil ladies, he’s standing off in the corner, staring at his own reflection, and I think this shows a lot of us got his character wrong. Elan is just another child the Peil ladies are taking advantage of. He only got where he was due to sheer luck that the AI picked him, if not, he probably would have either ended up as the other body doubles or dead and discarded. It’s common with abusive parents that they’ll choose a “golden child” and use that child to put down the others, and Elan seems to fit in that mold. I hope he breaks out just like El5n and creates his own life.

- God the Schwarzette is the best fucking Gundam. Between it and Calibarn, how are they ever going to challenge it in the future? It has space rave lasers, it’s sword is the GUND bits and it can become a wing, and it has bisexual lighting.

- Lauda is too good for every one of his haters. He’s been second string to Guel for his entire life, his very name “Lauda Neill” is just a reminder of how he’s a mistress’s child. But here he proudly proclaims himself as “Lauda Jeturk.” His feelings for his brother come from both admiration and self-worthlessness. He puts his entire identity into being Guel’s brother so when Guel falters, he does as well. He wants Guel to rely on him. He wants to be his equal. He put Guel on such a high pedestal because he was everything he wanted to be.

- My poor son Guel. He’s always loved his brother, no matter the fact that they come from different mothers, but as always he has trouble understanding others. Also, we get to see a far darker part of his psyche that most others might have missed. In his fight with Shaddiq, despite being stabbed, he managed to eject and save himself, but here he waits for death. Guel has been keeping himself moving with the idea that his family still needs him, but once Lauda seemingly rejects him, he loses all that energy. He hasn’t recovered from the trauma and pain he’s been through, he’s only simply masked it. But in that moment, he’s perfectly fine with dying because he believes it would be better for everyone

- But best girl Felsi says fuck that! She reminds Guel and Lauda that the world is so much bigger than them, and that there are people who still care about them. They can’t ignore their problems, they need to talk through it. Lauda’s insecurity and Guel’s suicidal nature and guilt, these are things that can’t be held within or else they’ll bubble over and end in tragedy. Felsi the hero says cut the bullshit, and I love her so much for it. I need Felsi merch right now

- El5n was another MVP of the episode. I’m surprised just how talented he is with a gun and shoot outs. Does he have experience, either from his past life or current one? And the fact that he didn’t hesitate to get the head shot off of Prospera says so much. He’s ruthless because he has a purpose. He ain’t letting anyone die unnecessarily, but he also recognizes when the doing needs done

- And Belmeria really stepped up as well. She’s spent the entire series running away from the consequences of her actions but here she finally stands up and protects the children who have been abused by the system she supported. Her diving to protect Miorine from getting shot was beautiful, and you can tell El5n really appreciated the gesture.

- Miorine is the best wife. That’s it, that’s the tweet

- Right when Eri was about to merc Miorine and co, something interrupted them, and I believe it was Notrette, Miorine’s mom. We never learned how Miorine’s mom died, so it’s possible she also got sucked up into the data storm and resides in Quiet Zero, and that’s why Delling was working on the project. She also added a failsafe so her daughter could shut it down, one that speaks words of love. Mother of the year

- The fact that Eri’s final act is to protect her sister and mother is so sad. She never had the chance to grow up, she’s forever stuck in stasis inside a giant hunk of metal. Quiet Zero offered the hope that she could finally escape and travel the world as herself, but it still wouldn’t give her herself back. However, Suletta can still live on, and so she valiantly protects her from the big laser, giving one final smile to her little sister. I hope she can finally rest in peace.

- But will Prospera allow that. She’s watched her daughter die twice now. Everything she worked for, all the lives that were sacrificed, they now all mean nothing. The world has rejected her once again. Whether she can accept it and become a better mother to Suletta is to be seen, but I don’t think she’ll follow that path.

Really hoping we get that second half so I can see the Peil girls get fucking incinerated. Also can we paint the Schwarzette red and give it to Guel? Double the points if it’s revealed he’s bisexual.

[eleann]

Some H&L bonus infor :

They did confirmed that Amagai has some kind of "special feeling" for Ryo??? He was very confused and didn't know how to act around him, there're some scenes that Amagai talks to Ryo gentler than others but he didn't realise it. And Amagai is serious about what he did (yes he isnt crazy, hes just passionate in conquering the Oya area)

Fujin and Raijin hate Todoroki because they loss to him, not only once, but twice. Fujin met Todoroki during delinquent hunt and got beaten, he then called Raijin but still lose to Todoroki

Sameoka (Fujin and Raijin' friend) is Amagai no.1 hater (bc Amagai uses money to control things and doesnt trust Ryo). He's only in the 3 schools league bc his friends are there. He despises using money and weapons to win a fight, he's actually a fair-play person with his smart and calm personality. That's why he witnessed Todoroki and Fujin Raijin fight without helping his friends, he even keep the promise to not participates in the league if Todoroki win. His strength is still a mystery, but there're rumors that he's even stronger than Fujin and Raijin.

Ryo was "a lonely genius" when he was at Nami High.

Mercy (Maashi) and Yuken often trade information, they both see eachother as "smart".

Binzo challenged Raoh (Lao) to a fight in his first day at Suzuran and loss.

They focus on Todoroki's mentality rather than his strength, he's always been a lone wolf until he got affected by Fujio, he still doesn't want to admit it.

Himuo is described as "cold-blooded reptile" bc he observes his enemy like one.

[batmanshole]

my favourite entries from the "list of criminal organizations in DC comics" wikipedia page:

-academy of crime -the americans -anti-justice league -anti-superman gang -awesome threesome -brotherhood of crime -blood league -club of villains -coalition of crime -cosmic anti-superman gang -the council -council of doom -council of spiders -crime corps -cyborg revenge squad -death metal men -evil three -evil eight -the freaks -the gang -injustice league -injustice league dark -the irredeemables -international crime combine -jester's league of amercia -ladies and nonbinaries of doom -league of challenger haters -league of villainy -legion of doom -legion of weird -monster league of evil -school for super villains -SKULL -super enemies -superman revenge squad -terrible trio -un-men -unjustice league of unamerica

[krakenbait]

bragging rights bracket update #1

hello bracketeers!

it's the moment you've all been waiting for, i'm bringing you the first round of commentary & roasts for the 2024 bragging rights bracket challenge! apparently i'm coming into this one with high expectations, so here's hoping y'all still find me funny.

last night the rangers completed their sweep of the caps, which was quite unfortunate for all caps fans and rags haters. i know washington was awful this season, but i was really hoping they'd steal at least one game! oh well...

standings & jokes are under the cut. please let me know which bracket is yours if i don't know it and/or guessed incorrectly.

13 points

win for quinn - look what you've done! you've taken a perfectly good quinn hughes and given him the captaincy and more trauma!

amelidek's bracket 1 - i hope your bracket falls victim to the presidents trophy curse

please happen ( @builthebobder) - edit: i initially made a joke about AJ finally making it out of the league basement but i forgot he won in 2021 😂

10 points

Pizza Rats (aokayinspace) - i would genuinely hate to see a rangers vs vgk final. rancid vibes.

ABEJA-author-abz's bracket 1 - avs vs. panthers meanwhile would be hella fun

Rats! (aaaahwhoah) ( @circle--of--confusion) - "rats!" is what you'll be exclaiming when the avs eliminate the jets next game

Do It For JEdwards ( @patron-saint-of-boston-hockey) - i think the colorful commentator would have some choice words for your choices

t-birds for the win ( @shea-theodore) - i didn't need to work hard to guess whose bracket this was, cass.

Le $$ Beans ( @stromesquad) - i feel so bad for dylan strome, i was really pulling for him and the caps

eldest daughter w ( @puck--off) - rangers suck.

0 points

Been Bragging ( @natashastarkk) - poor start for last year's winner

hellybracket ( @arsonandhockey) - i'm calling it now, corwin's bracket is going to be the first to bust.

homer like the iliad (me) - i just realized my conference final teams are all primarily warm colors (red, burgundy, orange)

brack that et ( @nastybastian) - that's what she said

@andreisvechnikov's bracket 1 - if the canes don't succeed this year i think a lot of folks are gonna have a lot of questions

kindanerdy's bracket 1 - i'm concerned about your choice of oilers-bolts for the finals, but the jersey match up would be epic

jt's kombucha tap ( @assistantcaptainmitchmarner) - preds for the cup? might've been drinking a bit too much kombucha

[energysynergymatrix]

i like your ocs; we need more ocposting so i can learn more about them aside from the occasional drawing 🔥🔥

IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT MY OCS LET ME KNOWWWW I LOVE TALKING ABOUT THEM.

ILL REBLOG THE MISCELLANEOUS INFO POSTS ABOUT LEN SPECIFICALLY BUT UHHHH

I guess a breakdown of him is:

He's the most popular guy around Akatsuka and is essentially a micro celebrity among the residents. Many people fawn over him both for his looks but also his general, prince like demeanor. He's essentially a lot of people's dream man, causing people to swoon and specifically visit the cafe he works at just to give him gifts and take on the "Kanemaru Challenge." Aka just confess to him and hope he'll return their feelings.

Of course this never goes well, because he's about as oblivious as a rock to people's feelings about him. Both to his admirers and also people who are jealous of him for his sheer number of admirers. So people will confess to him and he's. Like deeply confused on where these feelings came from. Because while people are giving him gifts and taking him on outings, he just thinks theyre being nice and not trying to woo him.

So because of his inability to recognize that he has hoards of people vying for his affection, and because his looks and prince-like perception, its almost as if hes a prize to be won. Therefore people make it into a challenge.

He's also kind of awkward especially when put in the spotlight. Cuz beneath his princely, perfect demeanor, that just kind of comes from his really good customer service skills and desire to make sure people arent upset with him, is someone who is extremely socially stunted.

This is because Len practically did not exist in the public eye UNTIL he started working at that cafe! Len in fact, sort of opted out of existing in social spaces during highschool and didn't get forced back into them until he had to start working and being an adult.

In a way he kind of manifested out of no where to the public when he's existed this entire time. He's like an adult to them who skipped past the growing up part. And it leads to bits where Len would recall incidents in highschool with the people he went with and so many people finding him creepy because they dont remember him being there. At all.

Which leads to him being frustrated with people who don't remember his existence during highschool. In fact he wishes he could do highschool all over again, just so he can both have a chance to make memories he chose to not make, as well as actually maybe gain those social and life skills he just never gained during highschool.

In fact he wishes he could stop adulting all together but chooses to march forward anyways because that's what being an adult is. Being an adult is sucking it up, putting on your grown up boots no matter how too big they are, and trying to make the best out of it.

This is before he meets the Matsunos, who would encourage him to let loose. In fact, he's kind of jealous of the Matsunos in the sense that he wishes he could be a NEET just like them but knows his mom and dad would never let that happen. He's only really a step above them in the sense that he has a job and is trying his best to be a good person, but other than that he's pretty much struggling to grip with his adulthood.

He's supposed to be like. A foil to them I guess you could say.

Because they're both sort of jealous of each other. Len, because of above, the ability to be a NEET. But also they're jealous of Len because he's, well, a micro celebrity in the district they live in. Of course they'd be jealous of him.

It's specifically Todomatsu and Choromatsu though. Karamatsu would join his league of admirers (lessso in an in love way like most of them and moreso in a FUCK hes cool way). And Ichimatsu finds him kind of aggravating but doesn't outright hate him the way Totty and Chorochan do, and Jyushimatsu is just kind of neutral to him. He thinks his haters and his lovers are both insane, he does appreciate Len indulging in him whenever they do hang out though.

The Osomatsu-Len relationship is kind of complicated though but basically Osomatsu's opinion was "kind of jealous at first" and then "eh he's fine" to them being pretty good buds all things considered. Osomatsu is the only person to have some semblance of a memory of Len due to a moment they had in highschool, but its distant and Len has to tell him what that moment even was. (It was how Len got his ribbon though. Love wins). He's the one I ship Len with .

But even if some think theyre overreacting, that doesnt matter, Choromatsu and Todomatsu are planning his demise as we speak but until that happens they just let him hang around them for now. They hope he'll get them ahead. He won't. But Len isn't even aware Choromatsu and Todomatsu (and Ichimatsu I guess) don't like him or why they even keep him around. So it's ok. I guess. He's not mad.

If u have any specific questions let me knowww but this is kind of the gist of his character. Here's his (WIP) playlist. Might switch around or remove songs but for now its what it looks like. Dappou Rock is the song I associate with him the most atm.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Cluemaster only gets called unfuckable because in Bat comics Steph is right there so you are constantly reminded that he's a terrible father. when he's on the Injustice League/Justice League Antarctica/generally someone else's problem he is... fuckable is a strong word he's still a massive loser but he at least looks good sometimes. being a deadbeat is not enough to challenge the sheer unfuckability of the Joker because at the very least Arthur's interpretation of the phrase "sex toy" will be something i can put near my dick

this like DANGEROUSLY close to pro-fucking-Cluemaster propaganda and you KNOW the rules of the game forbid making fuckable rogues arguments since we're here to be haters and haters ONLY, but I'll allow it since you threw the Joker under the bus at the least minute.

for what it's worth I don't think "out of sight, out of mind" applies to trying to murder your daughter but I will grant that Arthur probably fucks pretty normal in comparison to a lot of his colleagues, especially the Joker.

[crystalelemental]

Okay so I am sorting through a lot of feelings on the DLC, while also dealing with prime time of “I am impossible to reason with right now,” so I’ll try to be measured in my response.

I think the inclusion of all of this is neat. I am generally a Doubles Hater, I don’t actually like playing Doubles at all, but having a more robust presentation of it is an interesting idea.

Similarly, in a game with EXP All and auto battle, where it is easier than ever to catch a team up, I agree that it’s kinda neat to be told you need to train up a team just of what you caught here. Especially for someone like me, who is a disaster human that insists on breeding and EV training everything, it posed an interesting challenge.

Unfortunately, the “must use things caught here” gimmick ends early and was super easy. Granted, I used Swampert and Chesnaught, which took some time to unlock, but you get my point. Meloetta would’ve made it even easier. So that challenge wound up feeling unimportant. Drayton was significantly more challenging, but admittedly my overconfidence after shit-stomping his goons really made the fight more of a battle of attrition. I didn’t properly fight him at all, so I can’t take a measure of the fight’s quality, but he did have some neat tricks.

But. More than that. My frustration around all of this is that Doubles disappears. I’ve watched my wife do the rematches against the coaches. They’re all single battles. And we’re still in a world where Pokemon doesn’t let you quickly swap out sets and stat allocation, which significantly impedes the ability to swap back and forth. I know it’s “faster than ever” to get a competitive team ready, but that’s still a tedious grind, I’m not doing this for every set, and outright cannot for legends we only get one of.

And around all of these things is the frustration of…man I don’t care. Lacey’s cute, Amarys is pretty funny, but I don’t care about this league. I just want the Carmine and Kieran story and to know the deal with Area Zero. And my wife did complete that story and guess what? It’s super quick. Like okay, some of it is really good, but some of it is downright frustrating, and the whole of the story I was here for goes by in the blink of an eye compared to dealing with this league I didn’t want in the first place.

It feels like a sort of mis-allocation of time, in a sense. Like the midpoint of an otherwise good story that added in an unnecessary arc for padding and you can just feel how much it drags. I feel like in a vacuum I wouldn’t mind them or this league at all. But with my main fixation being all the stuff you only get to after clearing it, the inclusion of trials, the need to catch things in the terrarium itself, the sudden shift to super serious EV trained doubles that necessitates new strats…it all feels annoying. Because it’s a blockade to what I’m here for. Just put this stuff after and we’re golden, but putting it before and making it eat all this time it didn’t have to for a fairly short payoff…I’m not as happy with it as I wanted to be.

Granted, have to also account for my general temper this week. It will not be difficult to get me riled, so I am perhaps being slightly unfair.

[mrnoital]

Merlyn the Magician(the Archer(🏹)) has got to be one of them all-time great haters

Most villains have some kind of motive, money, power, making the world a better place (in their eyes)

Merlyn just likes messing with Ollies head

He wasn't looking for revenge or trying to get his reputation back or anything, he doesn't even see himself as the good guy

He challenged Ollie to a contest, won, then decided it wasn't enough and he wanted to do that forever and quit being a successful entertainer

Purely out of spite

He's loyal to the league of assassin's and whatever, but he's got a shrine to and a disguise to match Green Arrow

[anthonybialy]

Rating Josh Allen Goes Over

There are just not enough thoughts shared about Josh Allen.  Get in a couple extra takes before kickoff.  A player who’s the focus of not just the Buffalo Bills but the league has become so ubiquitous that thorough social media searches encounter fanciful notions about the nature of his awesomeness.  Unreal play leads to unreal takes on both sides.  It’s not just the messiah-style praise offered by congregants: hearing how he’s overrated is commonplace enough to be tiresome.  Haters use each other as sources.

Imagine him at full strength.  Fans have to think all the way back to 2021, which is a challenge if you’re struggling to recall what was for dinner two nights ago.  Our most recent football mental images feature Superman with kryptonite duct-taped to his elbow.  Playing hurt is a testament to toughness on top of an invaluable skill set.

Learning what a UCL is was one of last season’s 87 million low points.  Watching a football hero cope with a restricted throwing motion is not a fun way to discover what’s going on under skin.

It’s easy to avoid failure by never pursuing anything chancy.  Get nothing done to minimize low points.  Sure, there won’t be any high ones, either, but level living bores those who need the thrill of mentions filled with justified vitriol.  As for real risk-takers, they experience the widest range of emotions by daring to wager.  The greatest successes necessarily involve exposure to hazard.  Ranking Allen below Tua doesn’t count.

The balance between dashing and foolhardy is tough to maintain during the fraction of a second it takes to determine if an attempt is worthwhile.  Allen perhaps pushed the needle a bit too much into the reckless zone last year.  Boxing judges award rounds for effective aggression.  Charging boldly into an uppercut meets only one of the two criteria.

But the downside of the wrong player fielding occasional passes is worth accepting from someone who singlehandedly changed a franchise’s fortune.  The difference between Buffalo’s seemingly endless drought and current bounty is exactly one player.  We’re already accustomed to how comfortable it is to know Allen is there.  The Bills are already past the point where they presume he’ll keep them in games and seasons.

Allen must adjust to losing not only occasional games but also privacy.  Complaining about paparazzi caring about what he's doing off the field disregards how he’s a public figure even outside of Bills Country.  Buffalo’s most prominent citizen should know the time to worry is when nobody cares what you do.

There are more productive ways to spend a monotonous offseason than constructing daft theories about superstars who aren’t.  Alternate reality enthusiasts manipulate statistics in a way that’d make Capitol staffers blush.  Delusions that should get one banished from polite football society are promoted by the similarly deluded who insist there are four feet in a yard.  Insulation from human contact while interacting with humans is one of the delights of online living.

A more accurate but similarly imbecilic scenario involves noting there may be one human better at this job.  Rankings can be harmless fun as long as there’s no implication that a silver medal is pathetic.

Measuring ourselves against others is a sure way to feel unsatisfied.  I suppose that’s what sports are.  Nevertheless, Allen is a fantastic success by his own standard.  He’s achieved a tremendous amount at age 27 even if he obviously has unfulfilled goals.  The fact that needs to be stated reflects the mute button’s value.

The only thing worse than trolling is the unintentional version.  You can get upset at Twitter crackpots explaining why Allen is ranked near the bottom of the AFC East’s quarterbacks, much less those in the entire NFL.  Or you can laugh and wait for more results to prove how far deviants strayed from truth.

Allen didn’t get to be this prominent.  Didn’t you heed naysayers?  Pretending inaccuracy’s a fundamental problem that can’t be remedied with better receivers is another example of why you should never listen to Troy Aikman under any circumstances.

A winning record only begins to reflect impact.  Tracking statistics instead of watching games isn’t merely a myopic deficiency for fantasy football zealots who only want an accumulation of numbers.  Enjoying the sport is based around observing not many people can do.  There are at most a few individuals on Earth better than Allen at his job.

The preferred hobby of the miserable is fun for everyone else when nothing they bitch about comes true.  The good news is narratives don’t affect games.  Proclaiming how life is with self-satisfaction is its own punishment when reality plods on with indifference.  The little matter of whether or not opinions conform to actuality is left out of standings.

Let the endless prattle of preposterous framing continue.  Football will drown out jibber jabber in a few days.  Hearing why Allen’s allegedly a reckless turnover machine has provided comfort during the offseason to backers of teams not blessed to have him on their rosters.

The best and worst thing about the internet is unedited content.  Not having someone offer perspective with a quick scan of a tweet or Facebook post leads to unfiltered content.  Readers assess who should be ignored just like quarterbacks calculate the appropriateness of any try to advance the football.  Allen’s success rate far exceeds those of his harshest critic.  Some opinion generators could use recalibration.  Um, that doesn’t apply to this column.  

[shitserenastanssay3]

@shitirishaterssay aka Leah Heddington:"It costs zero dollars not to harass people. OR spread private information on them. It's called "being a decent person"."

It now costs 233+ billion dollars for me to stop coming after you for good. Admitting that rabid XY haters targeted XY fans first since 2013 however, in your own words, costs zero dollars. Sorry not everyone loves your waifu iris and that you completely tolerate bullying like I suspected all along. Logically speaking, you tolerated my bullying to you. I'm gonna call myself Iris from now on, same with all of her name in other languages even if most of them are the same according to bulbapedia so I'm gonna bully all the inexperienced people.

*i'm not toxic btw (you always were from the day you made the account) *you have that covered (see the first one) *now leave me the fuck alone (No I will never leave you alone anymore. until you or anyone else admits that rabid xy haters attacked xy fans first, i will continue this until i'm old, gray and even in a retirement home i'll still continue, even in my death bed. i promise you here and now that's the case.) *if they had valid criticisms about iris i'd be fine with that (they always existed, no exceptions. No one cares about your fake racism, misogyny, sexism, so on and so forth) *but it's always “bawww she called ash a kid!” (next time, never give a fucking brat 32 game badges, 4 orange league, 7 frontier symbols and let him catch 59 Pokemon prior to BW and retcon the shit out of it at the beginning of BW. Even the TRio mentioned their previous Pokemon which is safe to say they're unironically the true main protagonists. By now it's like the Palestine genocide which if there are Pokemon fans there, they deserve to die bcs of everything in a span of a decade and by now, includes family and friends even if they're not pokemon fans. that's what it feels like killing off all of Ash's achievements and I'm glad XY even happened as it's karma for bashing anyone who is completely different than you.) *though good on you for admitting you're a vicious violent bully with zero redeeming qualities who would assault someone irl (I guess I'm Iris then. I can't wait to bully people bcs they're inexperienced) *i shouldn't have posted my paypal. that was dumb. (that was your own fault.) *but it's also not hard to just be a good person? which is clearly a foreign concept to you. (If you really wanted me to be a "Good person" which from now on I've decided to label as "think exactly like you" now and forever, I guess I'm a drone. As for XY, it's perfect the way it is and you've fully inspired me to ignore all their flaws from now on.)

--

"I'm okay, though I'm trying to be careful. I've considered going to the cops, though I don't know what his current blog is. That and I don't want to admit I was dumb enough to link my paypal, even if that particular post has been deleted".

Do it! I dare you to call the cops, even the FBI. I'm actually challenging you to do this. Same goes for anyone else coming across this!

--

"Holy shit, this lunatic just won't give up. I'd seriously consider taking this to the police if it continues. Block evading, harassment and stalking. All over a fucking kids show, Jesus Christ, what is wrong with this freak?? Legitimately, are you ok? I've been a fan of this blog for a few months and it's upsetting to see you get this sort of unhinged lunatic bothering you over and over."

No one admitted that rabid XY haters attacked XY fans, myself included for 10 fucking years!!! I will never admit that Pokemon is a kids show. It's now an adult show, made for true fans like me. What do I know, you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about that era at all. I have no reason to give up now so enjoy having me do this until we're all old. @sugar-pink-poison

[ailogomakerr]

Logo Design Showdown: Famous Logos and Their Controversies

Brand is a wide realm and a company’s logo serves more than just a visual identifier, it’s a root of controversy! But hey, exposure is always good! I’m sure big branding wouldn’t mind hilarious misconceptions about their branding logo so long as the people are talking! Even though they’re probably in hushed whispers saying “What were these logo generators thinking?”

Let’s get into learning about how logo making is a lot more challenging than it seems! With all the design principles to keep in mind, there’s always something to learn on top of all that. There are various logo generator apps and logo maker sites you can utilize, it’s always better to be ahead, know more, so keep reading!

F1 Legalities!

The race was totally on for the freshest logo look, but as soon as W+K passed through that distinctive checkered flag, their logo designers were completely blindsided with their compression tights twin! That’s right! The fans were so surprised with their brand shift and made them compare the company’s new logo look with 3M’s product. Legwear and racing, those are two very different backgrounds colliding into one which makes this rebranding all the more humorous to the crowd. It surely became a spectacle worth watching.

Leeds United Played Themselves

Leeds United truly appreciated their audience and ended up with a badge that scored his own goal. Of course, the company claimed to have done an extensive background, the new logo was perceived to be anything but fan appreciation. Rebranded with a flimsy looking vector instead of the iconic fist across the chest. One might even go as far as saying that Leeds played themselves with this redesign fail! This goes to show that in logo redesigning, real extensive research is key!

The Premier League, When The Lion Roars Back

Not everything you see online is true. Take it from this famous branding logo refresh from Premier League. The internet has a way of spreading false information and one of which is the ditching of the iconic lion symbol on their logo. Expectedly, fans caused a digital uproar demanding for the lion to stay. Needless to say, the lion stayed. The reveal was highly-anticipated and totally did not disappoint. But learning from this rebranding ordeal, announcing major brand refresh must be done right or the public would have their two cents out and about.

Uber’s “New phone who dis?” moment

Uber has always been the iconic ‘U’ across all digital spaces and other mediums. But in a world where the quote “if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it” exists, the company decided to turn their heads and lead the other way. Users were left squinting through their phone screens just to find the app as it loses its well-known visual identifier. It really made their patrons wander back confused through the app store all while contemplating that they should’ve got to where they are headed with the time they allotted into finding the cab hailing app.

Instagram’s Pinkification

Although the branding stood their ground and kept their colorful logo to this day, it used to sport an iconic retro camera that was a staple for every ‘it girl’s’ phone screen. The redesign caused public outrage that turned everyone into critics, stating that the rebrand turned the photo app logo flat and completely lost its character. Nevertheless, the app developed itself over time with this new look that seemed to have a lot of haters and has been iconic since then. Proving that sometimes, it wouldn’t hurt to close your ears!

Met’s Problem with Typography

The logo for Metropolitan Museum of Art was expertly redesigned by Wolff Olins. This of course would not be on the list if it didn’t cause a little bit of a stir within its scene. Although the redesign was impressive, there’s always something the public has to say! Others would call the fresh new look “forward-thinking” but most tagged it as borderline cluttered. The Met’s logo is a total looker though, successfully inviting onlookers to jump between the lines of innovation and irritation.

Gap’s Extensive Identity Crisis Background

Gap is a crowd favorite when it comes to rebranding controversies and this is rooted with their attempt to step out of their blue square into a logo that totally fills in the gaps on any crowd’s forehead (Get it, they’re scrunched!) The branding took its short time outside of the blue square and hopped back right to it after a few not so hushed words from their critics. This proves that sometimes, the best new look is one that’s familiar. Much like other logo revamps like Tissot Seastar and the iconic Starbucks logo shift.

Starbucks’ Logo Shift Boldness

The coffee giant’s logo evolution is not just a tale of change but a tale of adaptation too! Ditching the brand name is a bold move for the company, you gotta hand it to Starbucks to have that much trust in their iconic siren to carry on their company name even without spelling it out. Sometimes, your hope for your branding is your strongest tool! This logo change proves that less is more, and branding identity can thrive on the strength of a single emblem.

Branding and design indeed is indeed joint to the hip with art. Being able to mix the virtues of a brand while creating an effective visual identifier is no walk in the park! Having people spark talks about these logo refresh sure is nice for the branding’s publicity! From legal disputes over tights to questioning a coffee branding’s audacity, each controversy serves as a colorful stroke in the broader picture of our cultural and corporate landscape. These stories teach us quite a few lessons to take note of when creating or redesigning your logo.

You don’t have to wander around in the dark when you’re looking for logo inspiration for your logo rebranding or logo making journey! There are several tools you can utilize that can help you get the job done swiftly and efficiently. Take logo making apps for instance. There are infinite resources you can find online, digitally all for free! Head on over to Ailogomakerr.com to start your effortless logo-generating journey. This blog is from Ailogomakerr.com