#btw if there is a setting to fix this yes that's good but also why the fuck wouldn't that be the default

[dan-crimes]

I fucking HATE YOUTUBE literally like bro when I look something up maybe it makes sense that I am looking for videos related to that thing specifically and that I'm NOT looking for a bunch of UNRELATED RESULTS PERTAINING TO MY ALREADY EXISTING INTERESTS AND/OR GENERALLY HORNY RESULTS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF MY INTERESTS

I literally cannot find anything because it shows me like, let me count, 12 results of what I could potentially actually want to see before going Oh people have also watched this! And then scroll down like 5 of those and then it's like You might also like this! NO!! NO I WOULDN'T !!!! THAT SHIT IS COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR !!!! And guess what I just went back and checked my other searches and I only got 10 somewhat related results on that one! AND THE ONE BEFORE THAT WAS ONLY 8 RESULTS !!!!!

I AM LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC BUT IT DOESN'T BARELY SHOW ME ANYTHING WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS YOUTUBE WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS !!!!!!

[ficsbylexi]

Turbulence of the Heart — One Shot

Leah Williamson x OFC

Shot warnings: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, use of AED, vomiting, mention and mild description of a panic attack, mention of broken bones, mention of physical child abuse and past trauma, cursing, Beth and Jen being little shits

Author’s note(s): yes, a self insert, I told you all I needed this💀. I don’t remember where the fuck are the toilets in STN airport but let’s pretend they’re directly in front of Pret. Why are these very well-payed women flying Ryanair? Because I said so. Can you guess who do I work for? Btw whatever is written in italics is in another language. Also if any of you works as cabin crew, let’s pretend Crew Control are nice, okay? I wanna be delulu for a bit.

Word count: 10.392

Summary: A coffee thrown on a flight attendant leads Leah to spend an entire flight blushing and being teased by her friends with a surprisingly good ending. Set in summer 2024.

Pret was the closest thing to quietness that Leah could find at the always bustling Stansted Airport. There were a couple families, some teenagers on a school trip and the occasional business traveler typing away on a laptop. Leah Williamson, however, stood out in the crowd, tall and striking, but entirely distracted. Her morning just hadn’t gone as planned. She was supposed to wake up early to finish packing for her trip with the girls, have breakfast and be able to take the train to Stansted with plenty of time.

Well she overslept her alarm, so she had to rush through everything and now was waiting to pay for an airport-priced-sandwich and a smoothie. Beth, Viv and Jen were already at the gate but texted her saying that boarding hadn’t even started.

“Next, please”.

She was checking her phone when she stepped forward, too stressed about possibly missing her flight even if Beth had already told her to relax and get breakfast. But the app wasn’t working now and her boarding pass wasn’t loading.

That was when disaster struck.

In her peripheral vision, Leah vaguely noticed someone in front of her—a small woman dressed navy-blue pants and a perfectly ironed white shirt, complete with a signature yellow scarf tucked smartly around her neck. The woman turned around at the same moment Leah took a step forward and shook her phone in frustration.

CRASH.

The iced coffee slipped out of the woman’s grasp, tumbling in slow motion before colliding with her uniform. The cup’s contents—an unholy amount of caramel-drizzled iced coffee—splattered all over the pristine uniform, leaving sticky stains streaked across the yellow and navy fabric.

“Oh my God!” Leah exclaimed, immediately realizing what she’d done. “I am so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going!” Her hands flailed awkwardly as she searched for napkins, her panicked expression only amplifying the mess of the situation. The people around stopped in their tracks to stare at the tall panicking girl and the flight attendant.

The flight attendant —Gaia, according to the nametag on the blazer that was folded on top of her suitcase— stood frozen for a second, staring down at her now ruined uniform. Her jaw tightened as she slowly looked up at Leah with a piercing glare that made the footballer feel about three inches tall.

“I— I can buy you another one!” Leah stammered. “Or, or pay for dry cleaning? Anything! I’m so sorry—”

Gaia cut her off with a sharp wave of her hand, her lips pressed into a thin line. Without a word, Gaia stormed off, coffee still dripping from her blouse.

The waitress, wide-eyed from the scene, observed the blonde in front of her. Leah, still in full panic mode, stood frozen for a second before glancing helplessly at the waitress. “I’ll… I’ll clean it up,” she muttered, grabbing napkins and dropping to her knees to wipe up the puddle.

In the cramped bathroom, Gaia shoved open the door, muttering furiously under her breath. Her coworker, Francesca, was already inside, fixing her hair in the mirror. Francesca raised an eyebrow at the state of her friend.

“What the hell happened to you?” Francesca asked in Italian, her voice a mix of curiosity and amusement.

“That stupid tall blonde girl spilled my coffee on me!” Gaia hissed, gesturing angrily to her ruined blouse. She yanked open her suitcase to grab her backup uniform, still ranting. “I mean, who just… walks around like that, not paying attention to anything and waving their arms around like they are the only person at the fucking airport?”

Francesca chuckled, leaning against the counter as she watched Gaia aggressively change. “Sounds like your lucky day,” she teased. “Maybe she was distracted because she found you cute.”

Gaia rolled her eyes dramatically. “Francesca, please”. She stuffed her shirt and pants in a plastic bag and into her suitcase and started dressing, still muttering in Italian. “Thank god I have the skirt with me as well. Can you imagine if I had to work today in coffee stained pants? They get sticky and smelly. I definitely wouldn’t be able to handle that for twelve hours”.

Before Francesca could respond, the sound of a toilet flushing interrupted their conversation. One of the stalls opened, and out stepped tall blonde girl, casually making her way to the sink to wash her hands. They barely looked at her, Francesca too busy putting lipstick on and Gaia fitting her shirt under her tights so it doesn’t move.

“Stupid tall blonde girl, huh?” Alessia said in perfect Italian, her tone amused as she dried her hands. She turned toward Gaia and Francesca, who stopped in their tracks and stared at her unamused, her blue eyes twinkling. “That would be my friend, Leah.”

“You can tell your friend Leah that she should be more careful”.

“Well,” Alessia continued, her cheeks a bit red since the girls clearly didn’t care about her listening into their conversation or that the girl they were criticizing was her friend, leaning as casually as possible against the counter, “I’m sure she didn’t mean to spill coffee on you. Leah’s a bit clumsy when she’s distracted and her morning was a bit hectic. I’ll make sure she apologizes properly.”

Francesca snorts while Gaia raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “Sure, whatever”.

Back at the table, Leah was practically vibrating with nerves when Alessia returned. “Less I fucked up, I threw a coffee on a flight attendant, her coffee. And she looked scary. Did you see her in the toilet? Is she planning to kill me?”

Alessia grinned, her amusement barely contained. “Well, she did call you a stupid tall blonde girl in Italian. Her colleague was there so I heard the whole story while she got changed. She does look intimidating, even in just a shirt and tights”.

Leah groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I’m never coming back here again.”

“To the airport? I mean I guess we could just not fly Ryanair. But relax”, Alessia said, patting Leah’s shoulder. “She’s mostly just pissed because her uniform got ruined. Buy her another coffee and something to eat, and she might forgive you. From what I heard it sounds like she’s got a long day today”.

Leah nodded, springing into action. She bought an extra-large iced coffee to replace the one she spilled, along with a pastry. For good measure, she also bought another coffee and snack for Gaia’s coworker. Balancing the coffees carefully on one hand and the paper bag with pastries on the other, Leah made her way to the entrance, where Gaia and Francesca had just returned from the restroom. Leah winced seeing Gaia in a skirt now and a slightly wrinkled shirt.

“Hi,” Leah said, her voice soft and a little awkward. Gaia looked at her, her expression still icy. “I—uh—got these for you. To make up for the coffee… incident.” She showed the coffees and the bag, which Francesca took without second thought, stepping back nervously.

Gaia eyed the offerings, then looked up at Leah, her gaze softening slightly. “Fine,” she said coolly, though there was a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “You’re forgiven… for now.”

Leah let out a relieved laugh, scratching the back of her neck. “Thanks. I really am sorry. I swear, I didn’t mean to”.

As Leah returned to her seat with Alessia, Francesca leaned over to Gaia, whispering in Italian, “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

Gaia rolled her eyes, but the small smile on her face said it all. “Well she is pretty”.

The boarding gate was buzzing with excitement as Leah and Alessia joined their friends Beth, Viv, and Jen. Leah was still flustered after the coffee debacle, and Alessia, ever the instigator, couldn’t resist recounting the entire story to the newly arrived group.

“…and then,” Alessia said between laughs, “Leah panicked, bought another coffee and a pastry for the poor girl, and apologized like five different times. Honestly, you should’ve seen her face—pure guilt.”

Beth burst out laughing, practically doubling over. “Leah Williamson, national hero and captain of England, brought down by a flight attendant. I love it.”

“Yeah, I mean, you should probably avoid any sudden movements on the plane,” Jen teased, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Who knows what kind of revenge she might be plotting.”

“Shut up,” Leah muttered, her face a deep shade of crimson. “I’ve already humiliated myself enough for one day. Also there is no way she just happens to be on our flight”.

“Less did say she had a Ryanair uniform”.

“Beth, ninety percent of the flights from Stansted are Ryanair flights, just look at the screens”.

Leah tried her best to stay calm, but her stomach dropped the moment she saw Gaia and Francesca appear in view. The flight crew—two pilots and four flight attendants—walked briskly toward the gate, their uniforms crisp and their demeanor professional. Gaia, with her serious appearance and sharp posture, led the way.

Alessia immediately nudged Beth, who was already snickering. “There she is,” Alessia whispered conspiratorially, nodding toward Gaia. Leah groaned audibly, but there was no escaping the teasing now, she spoke too soon. Of course the flight attendant that she ruined the uniform of had to be on her flight.

“That’s her?” Jen asked, leaning in with interest. “She looks so composed. Are you sure she wasn’t plotting your demise in that bathroom? Maybe she will do the same to you and claim it was turbulence”.

“Jen!” Leah hissed, mortified. “Can we please move on?”

“Oh no, no, no,” Beth said, smirking. “We’re milking this for all it’s worth.”

By the time they were boarding the plane, Leah had resigned herself to her fate. Alessia, Jen and her were in the first row, with Alessia in 1A, Leah in 1B and Jen in 1C, while Beth and Viv had the seats directly behind them.

Leah thought maybe she could pretend to be interested in whatever was outside and look out of the window if she asked Alessia to swap seats or focus on her phone and text her mother.

Fuck.

Standing at the front of the cabin, Gaia greeted each passenger with a polite smile as they entered the plane. Her professionalism never faltered, not even when her eyes landed on Leah and her group. Leah froze, her cheeks heating up, but Gaia’s smile remained perfectly neutral.

“Welcome aboard,” Gaia said, her tone steady, as Leah awkwardly shuffled past her into her seat.

Once everyone was seated and the doors were closed, the captain’s voice came over the intercom: “Cabin crew, arm slides and crosscheck.” The command was brisk and efficient, and the flight attendants moved with practiced precision. She confirmed with the crew at the back over the interphone and then turned around, facing the passengers.

“Once again dear passengers you are all very welcome on board this Ryanair flight to Tenerife,” Gaia’s voice came over the intercom, calm and composed. “Today in the flight deck you have captain Stefan assisted by senior first officer Lukasz, I will be your Cabin Supervisor and along with my lovely colleagues, Francesca at the back, Alina in the middle and Amanda with me at the front will be taking very good care of you. Our flight time today will be approximately four hours. Please pay attention to the safety demonstration while we point out some of the safety features on this Boeing 737-8200 series aircraft as it is a legal requirement”.

Leah slouched lower in her seat, mortification setting in all over again. “She’s the Cabin Supervisor?” Leah whispered to Alessia, her voice a mix of disbelief and dread. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“How would I know? They didn’t mention anything when she was complaining about you in the toilet”. Alessia replied, barely able to contain her laughter. “But this is just too good.”

“She probably hates me,” Leah muttered, running a hand over her face.

“She probably does,” Jen teased, leaning over with a grin. “I mean, you did ruin her uniform. Are you sure you didn’t accidentally spill that coffee on purpose? You know, to get her attention?”

“Shh,” Leah hissed, glancing toward the front of the plane. But Gaia was focused, making sure the safety demonstration was carried out as it should. Leah admired her professionalism—though it only made her feel guiltier about the earlier incident.

As the plane took off, the teasing subsided, Beth almost falling asleep while cuddling her girlfriend. But Leah couldn’t stop herself from sneaking glances at Gaia, who was seating right in front of her, nodding from time to time to what the younger girl seating next to her was talking animatedly about. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn’t help but notice how effortlessly confident and poised Gaia seemed, how she managed the cabin with precision and grace when securing everything for takeoff.

About fifteen minutes of peace passed by until Francesca came from the rear galley, pushing a trolley with sandwiches, croissants and lasagnas. She stopped at the front galley where Gaia was making herself another coffee and began whispering animatedly, recounting the previous events to Amanda. Francesca’s mischievous grin was impossible to miss, and though her voice was low, Leah could catch bits and pieces of what she was saying. “She was drenched in coffee, fuming, cursing… the tall blonde one… mortified… I bet she’s regretting everything…”

Alessia caught the gist as well, and her face turned bright red with laughter. She leaned toward Leah, whispering, “They’re definitely talking about you. I think Francesca finds this hilarious.”

Leah sank further into her seat, her hands covering her face while an embarrassed blush creeped up from her neck. “Why is this happening to me?”

Jen glanced at them with a smirk. “I mean, you did literally drench their Cabin Supervisor in coffee. Did you expect them to just forget about it?”

Beth and Viv leaned forward to join the conversation. “What’s going on up there?” Beth asked, grinning.

“Oh, nothing,” Alessia said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. “Just Leah being the topic of conversation for the flight attendants.”

Leah groaned, her head falling back against the seat. “This is my nightmare.”

Francesca and Amanda passed through the cabin aisle with the fresh food service and when Amanda came back, Gaia had already set up the drinks and snacks trolley. After the drinks and snacks service concluded, with Gaia having walked the cabin aisle about seven hundred times, Jen said, Gaia and Amanda moved to the front galley to stow the trolley in place and the restock some items. However, Gaia’s focus was briefly interrupted when Amanda approached her with a pained expression.

“Gaia, my shoes are brand new, and they’re absolutely killing me, do you mind if I go to the back already? I’ll do a quick rubbish on my way”. Amanda said softly, wincing as she leaned against the counter.

Gaia’s expression softened immediately. “Don’t you worry, love. Go take a seat at the back for a bit, and I’ll come down in a minute to check on you. Do you have plasters?”

“No, I finished them yesterday, I did four sectors”.

“I’ll bring you some in a minute”.

Amanda gave her a grateful smile and slipped away toward the rear of the aircraft, a small, white, plastic bag on her hands. Gaia’s shift in demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by Leah, who had been stealing glances toward the galley again since they came back. It was striking how Gaia could switch so effortlessly between firm authority and genuine kindness.

Gaia started writing notes and numbers and checking on her work phone when she was interrupted by a very tall, angry male passenger that stormed to the front of the cabin. Leah’s attention was immediately drawn to the man, whose deep voice carried across the rows.

“Excuse me!” he barked, glaring at Gaia. “Why on earth is there no ice onboard? This is unacceptable!”

Gaia turned to face him with calm professionalism. “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have any more ice on this flight. If there’s anything else I can assist you with—”

“I don’t care about your excuses,” the man interrupted, his voice growing louder. By this point at least five rows of passengers were looking at them, some whispering. “This is ridiculous! But why would I be surprised? You’re cheap and disgusting, and your colleagues at the back are dismissive and rude!”.

Leah and Jen immediately stiffened in their seats. Leah’s hand gripped the armrest, ready to stand if things escalated further. Jen leaned slightly forward, clearly considering the same.

Before either of them could move, Gaia’s entire demeanor changed. She stood straighter, her presence somehow larger, and fixed the man with a piercing stare. Her voice, though still calm, carried an edge of authority that sent a chill through the front rows.

“Sir,” she said, her tone sharp but controlled, “you will lower your voice immediately. We do not carry ice on this flight because the previous crew had to use all of it, and no amount of shouting will change that. You are disturbing the other passengers and interfering with the crew’s duties. If you continue, I will have no choice but to involve the captain and, if necessary, have the police waiting for you upon arrival. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior, did I make myself clear?”

The man blinked, clearly taken aback. He opened his mouth as if to argue, but Gaia raised her head ever so slightly, her lips pursing and her eyes widening just enough to send a clear message: Don’t even think about it.

Without another word, the man turned on his heel and stomped back to his seat, muttering under his breath. The tension in the cabin eased instantly, and Leah let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

The girls in the front rows were stunned. Alessia whispered, “She’s terrifying in the best way,” and Jen nodded in agreement.

“Just reminded me of Katie when she gets angry at the ref but without the swearing”. Says Beth with a chuckle.

Leah, however, couldn’t take her eyes off Gaia as the Cabin Supervisor returned to her tasks, her composure unshaken. She couldn’t decide if she was more mortified, impressed, or… something else entirely. For the first time all flight, she wished she had another excuse to talk to Gaia—but she doubted she’d be brave enough to try.

As the aircraft began its descent toward Tenerife after three hours and a half, the atmosphere onboard was calm. Leah had finally started to relax a little, distracted by the gorgeous view of the ocean below as the plane lowered altitude. Alessia was reading a book, Viv was organizing the tour they would take the next day and Beth was chatting quietly with Jen. At the front, Gaia was busy closing the bar for the turnaround, efficiently securing all the items for landing. She moved with practiced ease, her focus unshakable even after a long flight.

But then, out of nowhere, the tall, angry passenger from earlier stood up from his seat three rows behind Leah and Alessia. He looked pale, and his movements were unsteady.

“Ma’am, I don’t feel so good,” he mumbled, swaying slightly.

Before Gaia could react, the man collapsed, his body crumpling to the floor with a heavy thud. The cabin erupted into gasps, and a murmur of concern rippled through the passengers. Leah’s stomach dropped as she froze in her seat at the sight.

Gaia was there in an instant. She pressed the call bell above Leah’s seat three times in rapid succession, a signal to alert the other three crew members that weren’t present. Without hesitation, she dropped to her knees beside the man. Leah could see Gaia’s professionalism kick in as she checked for signs of breathing. Her expression, while calm, was intense, and Leah could feel the tension radiating off her.

“Sir? Can you hear me?” Gaia said firmly, pinching his earlobe. “Fuck, not now”. She mumbled while lowering her body until her ear was next to his face and counting to ten quietly. “Oh god”. she muttered to herself before tilting his head back, opening his airway, and immediately starting chest compressions.

That was other three crew members arrived. “Jesus Christ”. Was all Francesca said before running back to the rear galley.

“Male, around fifty, travels by himself. Came to the front saying he didn’t feel good and collapsed on the floor. Not breathing.” Said Gaia, without stopping.

Alina picked up the interphone, her hands shaking but her voice firm: “Attention, please, attention everyone, we are having a medical emergency. If there is a medically qualified person onboard, please come to the front. I repeat we have an emergency, we need a doctor”. Immediately after, she called the captain. “Guys, this is an emergency briefing, are you ready to receive it?”

Amanda approached Jen, Leah and Alessia. “Could you please move back a couple of rows? Just to give us a bit more space to work,” She asked, gently but firmly.

The girls complied without hesitation, grabbing their belongings, Alessia and Jen sliding into empty seats two rows back, Leah sat on the empty seat next to Beth. Leah couldn’t stop glancing over the seatback, her heart pounding as she watched Gaia work. Alessia, equally tense, clutched Jen’s arm tightly, Beth hid her face in Viv’s neck while her girlfriend rubbed her back with her eyes closed. Meanwhile, no passenger stood up for the medical emergency, after talking to the captain, Alina repeated the announcement in english and broken Spanish, but still, nobody stood up. They were alone in this.

Francesca came back running, and started setting up the AED right next to Gaia and preparing the man. She had to cut through his clothes, shave and dry his sweaty chest. The coordination between her and Gaia was impressive, keeping in mind Gaia’s sole focus seemed to be on giving chest compressions. “Ready, clear!”. Francesca placed the pads on the man’s chest and took Gaia’s hands from the man, her breathing was ragged. “Do you want to switch?” Gaia shook her head no, she was biting her tongue to maintain her focus. The device analyzed the rhythm and recommended a shock. Everyone stepped back even further as Francesca pressed the button, delivering the first shock. The man’s body jolted slightly. Gaia immediately resumed CPR, with Francesca and Alina counting the compressions for her.

“Thirty”. Francesca gave her the mask to give the rescue breaths. Alina was close to tears, biting the inside of her cheeks. Amanda stood in the middle of the aisle to try and give more privacy to the man, her body trembling, she was already crying.

“Come on, come on,” Leah whispered, her fingers digging into the armrest.

The cabin was in absolute silence, at least the first ten rows could hear everything. People were stretching their necks to catch a glimpse of what was happening, all eyes were on Gaia and her team.

The AED analyzed again and recommended a second shock. Francesca administered it, and this time, the man’s chest rose shakily as he gasped for air. Gaia quickly rolled him into the recovery position. “We’ve got him,” she said, her voice steady despite the situation. She glanced at Francesca. “Stay here and monitor his breathing. Amanda, Alina, check the cabin is secure for landing and stay at the back, I think it’s almost time.”

Even after the chaos, Gaia remained composed. She stood, brushing off her uniform, breathing deeply before calling the captain again: “Guys, it’s Gaia, he’s stable. Do I have time to check the cabin for landing?”

After hanging, she took her seat and signaled Francesca to do the same. Leah couldn’t take her eyes off her. The confidence, the competence, the control, the fact that after all of that she wanted to make sure everyone else was secure—it was impossible not to be impressed.

“Cabin crew, sit for landing”.

The landing was smooth, with the man stabilized and conscious, though still weak, as the ambulance crew waited on the ramp. As soon as Gaia opened the aircraft door and extended the stairs, she helped the paramedics board, efficiently briefing them on what had happened. Francesca led one of them to where the man had been sitting to get his belongings.

The passenger was taken from the aircraft, and the cabin fell into an almost eerie silence as everyone processed what had just happened. Despite the stress of the situation, Gaia returned to the front of the aircraft to begin the disembarkation process, her voice clear and calm over the intercom as she gave the final instructions.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tenerife. You may now disembark the aircraft using both the front and the rear steps. For passengers traveling with children, please hold their hand as you walk down the stairs and until you are in the terminal building. On behalf of the captain, first officer and specially your onboard crew, we thank you for flying with Ryanair today and hope to see you again soon”.

Leah, Alessia, and the others waited until the very end to disembark, hanging back as the other passengers filtered off the plane. Leah was still shaken, though not from fear. She couldn’t stop thinking about Gaia—how she had taken charge, saved the man’s life, and then carried on as though it were just another day at work.

As they reached the front of the plane, Francesca the captain and Gaia stood near the door, his hand on her shoulder. Her polite yet tense smile firmly in place as she thanked each passenger for flying with them. When Leah approached, Gaia’s gaze flickered to her for the briefest moment.

“Have a nice holiday,” Gaia said evenly, her tone professional and distant.

Leah opened her mouth to say something—anything—but no words came out. She hesitated, her cheeks flushing, before giving Gaia a small nod and stepping off the plane. Alessia, walking just behind her, raised an eyebrow as they stepped onto the ramp.

“You didn’t say anything?” Alessia asked incredulously, nudging Leah in the side. “After all that?”

“I couldn’t,” Leah muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. “What was I supposed to say? ‘Hey, great job saving that guy’s life. Also, sorry about the coffee?’”

Alessia snorted. “Maybe start with ‘thank you.’”

Leah sighed, already regretting her silence. But as they walked toward the terminal, one thought kept running through her mind: That can’t the last time I see her.

The group of footballers didn’t hear it, but the moment Francesca placed the yellow strap across the open door and turned around to talk to Gaia, she was already taking out the trash trolley, opening it and emptying the contents of her stomach in it. Her body shaking as she vomited and coughed, the tips of her fingers turning white with how strongly she was holding onto the trolley. Stefan held her ponytail while rubbing her back. Francesca couldn’t hold it any longer either, and sat down to cry on the jumpseat.

“I’m gonna call Dublin” Lukasz told the captain, stepping out of the aircraft.

At the back, Alina was crying as well, on the phone with her fiancé, while Amanda had hidden inside the toilet during the disembarking process, she had had a panic attack.

Amanda was the youngest in age and in the company, barely four months flying, this was her first medical emergency, while Alina had already been cabin crew for about two years. She had tried to calm Amanda during landing, as she was hyperventilating, holding her hand and telling her about how she met Dimitrij three years before, at twenty-three, and had been engaged for over a year, how she never cared about the decade between both of them and how they had been looking for houses closer to London with big gardens for their dogs. Amanda had just turned nineteen the week before, she had been planning her holidays in Ibiza with her friends from her hometown that morning and texting that guy from Tinder. Sitting in that tiny toilet, all she could think about was that man laying lifeless on the floor and her supervisor performing CPR on him like a robot. She got into the toilet the moment the aircraft left the active runway.

Having been deemed “clearly not fit to fly” by Crew Control, the six of them got their suitcases and left the airport on a taxi to a fancy hotel close to the beach. Their flight back scheduled for late in the evening the next day.

Twenty minutes later they were checking into the hotel. Amanda was still shaking, Alina was taking care of both of their their trolleys, while Francesca kept her arm around the younger girl and Gaia handled everyone’s passports for the check-ins.

The hotel bar was warm and lively, buzzing with the low hum of conversation and clinking glasses. Leah sat at a table with Alessia, Jen, Beth, and Viv, trying her best not to fidget. Alessia had spotted the flight crew as soon as they got out of the van, and Leah’s heart had almost stopped when she realized they were staying in the same hotel.

“This has to be a sign,” Jen had teased, her mischievous grin making Leah groan.

Another thirty minutes passed when the crew came back from their rooms, no longer in uniform, and sat at a nearby table where they ordered drinks and some tapas to share.

Now, sitting across from the crew’s table, Leah couldn’t help but steal glances at Gaia. The cabin supervisor was talking with her colleagues, laughing softly from time to time, her head tilted slightly as she sipped from a glass of red wine. She looked stunning—unfairly so. Her short black dress hugged her figure perfectly, her legs elongated by the same pair of high heels she wore on the flight. Her dark hair, which had been neatly pinned up since that morning, now cascaded down her back in soft waves until her hips.

“Fuck, she looks stunning,” Leah muttered, more to herself than anyone else. But Alessia, ever the meddler, heard her loud and clear and elbowed her in the side.

“Then do something about it,” Alessia hissed, smirking.

Before Leah could protest, the captain at the crew’s table stood up and announced, “Alright, I’ll pay for this and then I’m off to bed. Enjoy yourselves.” He waved off their thanks with a smile and headed toward the elevators after stopping at the bar, leaving the cabin crew and first officer to their own devices.

Not long after, Gaia stood up and made her way to the bar, her empty glass in hand. Leah froze, her eyes following her every step.

“This is your chance,” Jen whispered, nudging Leah. “Go.”

Leah hesitated, her palms suddenly clammy. “What do I even say?”

“Literally anything,” Beth said with a chuckle. “Just don’t spill another drink on her.”

Alessia snorted, and Leah shot her a glare before finally summoning the courage to stand. She made her way to the bar, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it.

Gaia was leaning against the counter, waiting for the bartender to return with her drink. She noticed Leah approaching in the mirror behind the bar and raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a sly smile.

“Well, well,” Gaia said as Leah reached her side. “If it isn’t my favorite clumsy blonde.”

Leah winced, rubbing the back of her neck. “Yeah, uh… about that. I’m really sorry. Again.”

Gaia chuckled, turning to face her fully. “Don’t worry, I’ve dealt with worse. But I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Following me, are you?”

Leah’s cheeks turned pink. “What? No! I mean—definitely not. We’re just, uh, here on holiday.”

“Mm-hmm,” Gaia said, her tone teasing. “Convenient.”

Leah scratched her head, unsure how to respond. She was never this flustered, not even during the most nerve-wracking matches. But there was something about Gaia that completely threw her off balance.

Gaia tilted her head, studying Leah for a moment. “So, are you always this shy, or is it just around me?”

Leah blinked. “I’m not shy.”

Gaia smirked. “Could’ve fooled me.”

The bartender returned with Gaia’s drink—a fresh glass of wine—and Gaia turned to pay. Leah, desperate to regain some semblance of composure, cleared her throat.

“Can I… can I buy you a drink? To, you know, make up for the coffee incident?”

Gaia glanced at her over her shoulder, her smirk softening into something more genuine. “That’s sweet of you, but I think you’ve already done enough.”

Leah frowned. “Oh. Right. Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“I’m kidding,” Gaia interrupted, laughing lightly. “Sure, you can buy me a drink. But only if you join me.”

Leah’s heart leapt into her throat. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Gaia picked up her wine and nodded toward a quieter corner of the bar. “Come on, then. Let’s see if you’re as interesting off the pitch as you are on it.”

Leah payed and blinked surprised as she turned towards Gaia. “Wait, you know who I am?”

Gaia arched an eyebrow as she led the way to a small table. “Of course I do. I’m Italian—we love football. But I’ll admit, I didn’t recognize you at first. You looked so… panicked on the plane.”

Leah groaned, burying her face in her hands as they sat down. “Great. That’s the impression I made.”

Gaia laughed again, the sound light and melodic. “Relax. You’re doing better now.”

Leah looked up, meeting Gaia’s gaze. For the first time all evening, she felt herself start to relax. Maybe Jen was right—maybe this was a sign.

“How old are you?” Leah asks.

“Twenty-six”

“I’m twenty-seven”

“So,” Gaia says, swirling her drink in the glass. “You’re a footballer.”

Leah chuckles, nodding. “Yeah. You’re a flight attendant.”

Gaia raises an eyebrow. “Wow. Look at us, uncovering life’s biggest mysteries.”

Leah laughs, shaking her head. “Alright. But how long have you been doing it?”

“Flying? About six years now,” Gaia says, leaning on the bar. “It was supposed to be temporary after I dropped out of uni, but…” She shrugs. “I fell in love with it. The travel, the people, the chaos.”

Leah tilts her head. “Even the difficult passengers?”

Gaia smirks. “Especially the difficult passengers. There’s something very satisfying about shutting down a grown man throwing a tantrum over ice.”

Leah grins, remembering how effortlessly Gaia had handled the situation earlier on the plane. “Yeah, that was—honestly? A little terrifying.”

Gaia laughs, eyes gleaming. “Good. It’s a survival skill.”

Leah watches her for a moment, fascinated. “And what about you?” she asks. “What’s your survival story?”

Gaia’s expression falters just slightly before she covers it with a smirk. “That’s a deep question for someone you just met.”

Leah shrugs, offering a small smile. “I like deep questions.”

Gaia considers her for a second, then exhales, tapping her nails against the glass. “Let’s make it fair then,” she decides. “Have you ever heard of the 36 questions to fall in love?”

Leah raises an eyebrow. “I think so. It’s supposed to be, what—scientific? Like, guaranteed to make people fall for each other?”

Gaia scoffs. “I don’t believe in that part. But I always thought it would be fun to try with a stranger.”

Leah’s heart does a little unexpected flip. She smirks to cover it. “So you’re saying I’m your stranger for the night?”

Gaia holds her gaze, lips curving into something dangerously close to a challenge. “Do you want to be?”

Leah swallows. She doesn’t hesitate. “Yeah,” she says, her voice lower than she expected. “I do.”

Gaia nods, pleased, finishes her wine and stands up. “Alright then, footballer,” she says. “Let’s see if this works.” Gaia chuckled, setting her glass down and offering her hand to the blonde. “It’s still early enough for dinner—by southern European standards, at least. What do you say we go up to my room, order some room service, and keep talking? I don’t want to unveil my deepest darkest secrets in public”.

Leah felt her heart skip a beat. “Yeah,” she blurted out grabbing her hand, a little too quickly. She immediately winced at her own eagerness, mentally slapping herself. Smooth, Williamson. Real smooth.

But Gaia didn’t seem to mind. She just smiled and turned, motioning for Leah to follow. They walked to the elevators together, the air between them charged with an unspoken energy that Leah couldn’t quite put into words.

Gaia’s room was significantly larger than Leah’s. The king-size bed dominated the space, flanked by modern furniture and a small seating area. There was even a balcony with a view of the ocean, the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore audible in the quiet room.

Leah couldn’t help but notice how immaculate everything was, from the neatly folded throw blanket on the couch to the pristine arrangement of toiletries on the bathroom counter. It was clear that the airline took good care of their crew.

“Wow,” Leah said, taking it all in. “This is… a lot nicer than my room.”

Gaia smirked, tossing her bag onto a chair and leaving her shoes in a corner, Leah did her same with hers. “Perks of being a Cabin Supervisor. The company knows how to keep us happy.”

Leah sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a little out of place in such a luxurious space. Gaia, however, moved around with ease, pulling up the room service menu and sitting next to Leah on the bed.

“What do you feel like eating?” Gaia asked, handing her the menu.

Leah scanned the options, her stomach growling softly. “Burgers?” she suggested. “And maybe soft drinks? I, uh… don’t want to risk saying anything stupid if we drink more.”

Gaia laughed, a genuine, melodic sound that made Leah’s chest feel warm. “Good call. Burgers it is.”

They placed their order, and as they waited for the food to arrive, they continued talking, their conversation flowing as easily as it had downstairs. Leah felt like she was being pulled closer and closer to Gaia, like there was some invisible force drawing them together. They sat shoulder to shoulder on the bed, their legs brushing occasionally, and every touch sent a jolt of electricity through Leah.

After a while, Gaia leaned back on her elbows and tilted her head, studying Leah with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Alright,” she began, “let’s start the game”.

“Sure”.

Gaia’s smile widened, and she grabbed her phone, pulling up the list of questions. “Okay, question one: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be?”

Leah thought for a moment, tapping her fingers on the bedspread. “Probably my granddad. He passed away when I was young, and I’d love to have a proper conversation with him.”

Gaia’s expression softened. “That’s sweet. I’d pick my great-grandmother. She was apparently a real firecracker”.

They went back and forth, answering each question with increasing honesty and vulnerability. As the questions got deeper, so did their answers. Leah found herself opening up in a way she hadn’t expected, sharing stories about her childhood, her struggles with her injury, and her dreams for the future. Gaia, in turn, revealed bits and pieces of her own life—her love for travel, her complicated relationship with her family, and her secret dream of one day settling down in a quiet little town in southern Italy.

By the time the food arrived, they were on question fifteen: “What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?”

Gaia thought for a moment, then answered: “Probably moving here. I had almost no savings, no plan B, my english was shit, I had no support from my family because they were pissed I dropped out of law school… It was hard but I was so happy once I started working. It helped me toughen up”.

“That’s impressive”. Said Leah with wide eyes. “I can’t imagine how difficult it must’ve been”.

“Yeah but that was ages ago. What about you?”

Leah paused, staring down at her burger. “Honestly? It used to be winning the Euros with England. But now… I think it’s surviving the setbacks. The injuries, the doubts. Just making it through, you know?”

Gaia reached out and lightly touched Leah’s arm, her gaze warm and understanding. “That’s a pretty incredible accomplishment.”

Leah looked up at her, their eyes meeting. For a moment, the world seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in the quiet intimacy of the room.

Gaia broke the silence first, her voice soft. “Ready for the next question?”

Leah nodded, her heart racing. “Always.”

They kept going and the atmosphere in the room shifted as Leah glanced down at the phone and asked question eighteen: “What is your most terrible memory?”

Gaia’s playful demeanor softened, her face falling just slightly. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking to the ceiling as if trying to decide how much to share. Finally, she let out a long breath and said quietly, “It used to be my mum beating me up the day of my first communion.”

Leah’s breath caught in her throat, her heart twisting at the pain in Gaia’s voice.

“I was only nine,” Gaia continued, her voice steady but her gaze distant. “She used to do it a lot, but that was the first time I realized… no one in my family thought it was a bad thing. I remember standing there in my long puffy white dress, the one my grandmother made, and thinking… ‘This isn’t normal, is it?’ But no one said anything. It was normal to them”.

Leah’s chest ached, and she opened her mouth to say something—anything—but Gaia wasn’t done.

She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. “But after today…” Her voice wavered slightly, and she swallowed hard before continuing. “I think today might’ve replaced it. It was the first time I’ve done CPR on an actual human. I felt his ribs breaking under my hands.” She shuddered, closing her eyes briefly. “I didn’t even realize what I was doing until it was over, like I was on auto-pilot, I knew what I had to do and I did it but... Once everyone was out…” She let out a shaky breath. “I vomited. It was awful, for all of us. Amanda had a panic attack. We were all crying. Crew Control said it was better for us to stay for the night and calm down than to risk having an episode and making a scene on the way back, even if we didn’t operate the flight”.

The silence that followed was heavy, filled only with the distant sound of the ocean outside the balcony. Leah sat frozen, unsure of how to respond. Words didn’t feel like enough, but she couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.

Slowly, she set the phone down on the bedside table, moved the food around as to not spill anything and shifted closer to Gaia. “Come here,” she murmured, motioning for her to move closer.

Gaia hesitated for only a moment before leaning into Leah’s open arms. Leah pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tightly. Gaia rested her head on Leah’s shoulder, and for a long moment, neither of them said anything.

Leah could feel the tension in Gaia’s body slowly begin to ease, her breathing evening out as she relaxed into the embrace. “You’re incredible, you know that?” Leah said softly, her voice steady but full of conviction.

Gaia let out a quiet laugh, though it sounded more like a sigh. “I don’t feel incredible.”

“Well, you are,” Leah replied firmly. “You saved a man’s life today. That’s… not something most people can say. And what you went through as a kid…” She paused, her voice catching. “You didn’t deserve that. None of it.”

Gaia didn’t respond, but Leah could feel her hand clutching gently at the fabric of her shirt, as though anchoring herself to the moment.

After a few minutes, Gaia’s voice broke the silence, quiet but steady. “We still have more questions to get through, you know.”

Leah smiled, pressing her cheek against the top of Gaia’s head. “Do you want to keep going?”

Gaia nodded and sat up slightly, though she didn’t move far from Leah’s side. She reached for a plate with chips, setting it in between them and then took the phone, scrolling to the next question. “Alright… question nineteen: If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you’re living now? Why?”

Leah thought for a moment, her arms still loosely around Gaia. “Yeah, I think I’d change some things. I’d spend more time with the people I love, stop worrying so much about things that don’t really matter. Maybe take a few more risks.” She glanced down at Gaia, her lips quirking into a small smile. “Like answering the 36 Questions with a beautiful stranger.”

Gaia’s laughter was soft but genuine, and for the first time that evening, Leah felt like she’d managed to lighten the weight in the room.

“I think I’d save as much money as possible and then get unpaid leave for like the last three months and spend them in Bali. Die next to the beach in a cute bikini and a nice drink in my hand”.

They kept going, teasing and joking, having finished their dinner by the time they got to the twenty-fourth question. “How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?” Leah’s voice lowers as she reads the question.

The air between them shifts. Leah watches as Gaia’s little playful smirk fades, her fingers tightening around the stem of her glass. She doesn’t speak right away, and Leah, who has already learned that Gaia is rarely at a loss for words, immediately knows—this isn’t an easy one for her. Gaia exhales through her nose, staring at the question as if she could change it just by looking at it hard enough. “Well,” she says, her voice noticeably quieter, “that’s a loaded one, isn’t it?”

Leah stays silent, waiting. “You don’t have to answer”.

“I proposed the game, it’s okay”.

“But if you don’t want to…”

“I trust you”.

Leah’s breath catches for what seems to be the hundredth time today. She bites the inside of her cheeks while nodding.

Gaia presses her lips together, then tilts her head slightly, as if deciding how much to say. “I used to think,” she starts, voice measured, “that having a bad relationship with your parents was just… normal. Like, I knew not everyone’s mother hit them when they were angry but I did think everyone had to earn affection. That love was given out in tiny doses, only if you behaved exactly right.” She swallows. “It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”

Leah feels a dull ache in her chest. She shifts slightly on the bed, their knees almost touching. “Gaia…”

Gaia shakes her head, waving a hand as if to dismiss any sympathy. “It’s fine. I mean, it’s not, but—I got out. I left home the second I could, and I never looked back.” She laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “And the best part? No one even cared. No one came after me. That just proved it, you know?”

Leah clenches her jaw, resisting the urge to reach for her hand. “I’m sorry.”

Gaia shrugs, as if it doesn’t matter. “I don’t really have a mother anymore. Not in the way that counts.” Silence lingers between them, heavy but not uncomfortable. Then Gaia shakes her head and forces a smirk, attempting to defuse the weight of her own words. “Alright, your turn. How’s your relationship with your mum?”

Leah takes a deep breath, glancing down at her hands. “It’s… good,” she says, almost feeling guilty about it. “She’s always been supportive, always pushed me to be better. I think she worries about me being alone, though.” She lets out a small chuckle. “You know, football takes over everything. Sometimes I forget to call as much as I should.”

Gaia hums, studying her, a small smile tugging at her lips. “She sounds like a good one.”

“She is.” Leah hesitates, then looks at her carefully. “If it means anything… I think it’s really fucking impressive that you got out. That you didn’t let it turn you into someone like her.”

Gaia meets her gaze, something flickering behind her dark eyes. She doesn’t say anything for a moment, then exhales softly, offering a small, genuine smile. “Thanks,” she murmurs.

Leah watches her, feeling a warmth settle in her chest. Slowly, cautiously, she lifts a hand and brushes Gaia’s fingers with her own. She half expects Gaia to pull away, but instead, she turns her hand over and links their fingers together, giving Leah’s a small squeeze.

For a moment, neither of them speaks. They don’t need to.

Then Gaia clears her throat and smirks. “Alright, footballer. Next question.”

And just like that, they move forward. But Leah knows—this moment will stay with her.

They continued the game, by the time they reached the final question, they were lying side by side on the bed, looking at the ceiling, still holding hands as they talked, thumbs brushing the other’s skin.

And when Gaia finally asked the last question—“Share a personal problem and ask for advice on how I might handle it”—Leah didn’t hesitate.

“I’ve been scared,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “About my future, about… everything. My injury, my career, what comes next. I’m scared I won’t be the same player I was before.”

Gaia looked at her, her dark eyes filled with empathy and understanding. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now,” she said gently. “But you’re more than just a footballer, Leah. You’re strong, and kind, and resilient. Whatever happens, you’ll find your way.”

Leah felt a lump rise in her throat, but for the first time in a long time, it wasn’t fear or anxiety—it was gratitude. Gratitude for the woman beside her, who had somehow managed to make her feel seen and understood in a way she hadn’t expected.

They turned their heads at the same time. Their hearts beating strongly. Noses almost touching. The thought of getting closer crosses Leah’s mind. Gaia’s eyes glance at the blonde’s lips time and time again, wondering what it would feel to close the space between them and kiss the pretty girl in front of her.

They stayed like that for a while, the questions forgotten as they simply enjoyed each other’s presence, the quiet intimacy of the moment stretching long into the night.

Leah shifted slightly on the bed, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. It was late—later than she’d realized—and she sighed softly, knowing she probably shouldn’t overstay her welcome. She sat up, careful not to disturb Gaia. “I should probably go,” she said, her voice quiet but reluctant.

Gaia bit her lip, her eyes fixed on Leah’s face, their hands still linked. There was a playful glint in her gaze, but something else lingered beneath it—something softer, almost vulnerable. “Do you really want to?”

Leah froze, her heart skipping a beat. She opened her mouth to respond but faltered, her hesitation clear. Gaia’s question hung in the air, and Leah found herself unable to look away from those dark, captivating eyes.

Before Leah could overthink it, Gaia leaned in, closing the small gap between them. The kiss was soft, unhurried, and yet it sent a spark of electricity through Leah’s entire body. Gaia’s hand cupped Leah’s cheek, anchoring her in the moment, and Leah found herself leaning into the kiss, her fingers brushing against Gaia’s waist.

When they finally pulled apart, their faces still close, Leah let out a breathless laugh. “Fuck I’ve wanted to do that since I saw you in that dress”.

Gaia smiled, her thumb grazing Leah’s cheek before she whispered, “Do it again, then”.

The next morning, sunlight spilled through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. Leah stirred, her body instinctively curling closer to the warmth beside her. It took her a moment to realize where she was, and when she did, she couldn’t help but smile.

Gaia was still asleep, her face relaxed and peaceful, her arm draped over Leah’s waist. They were tangled together under the sheets, their bare skin warm against each other. Leah felt a surge of contentment wash over her as she replayed the events of the night before.

After a few minutes, Gaia’s eyes fluttered open, and she smiled sleepily at Leah. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Leah replied, her voice soft while caressing Gaia’s cheek. The italian got closer, her face now hidden between Leah’s neck and shoulder, placing a small kiss there.

They stayed like that for a little while, neither of them in any rush to leave the comfort of the bed. Eventually, though, the sound of bustling activity outside the room reminded them that the world hadn’t stopped just because they’d found each other.

“We should probably get some breakfast,” Gaia said, stretching lazily before sitting up, the soft sheet falling from her body.

Leah nodded, though she couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment as the moment ended. “Yeah, before Alessia comes knocking on my door looking for me.”

Gaia laughed as she got in the shower, and within twenty minutes, they were making their way downstairs to the hotel restaurant.

As soon as they entered the breakfast area, Leah froze. Across the room, her friends—Alessia, Beth, Viv, and Jen—had pushed their table together with the crew’s, leaving two empty spots in the middle. They were all eating breakfast together, and the moment they spotted Leah and Gaia, every single one of them turned to look.

Alessia was the first to react, her eyes widening in delight before she let out an exaggerated gasp. “Leah! Gaia! What a coincidence!”

Gaia raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly as she glanced at Leah. “Your friends seem… excited.”

“Kill me now,” Leah muttered under her breath, her cheeks already flushing. They went to fill their plates with food from the breakfast buffet before taking their —apparently designated— seats.

The teasing began before they even reached the table. Beth was grinning ear to ear, Viv was trying (and failing) to keep a straight face, and Jen looked far too pleased with herself. Meanwhile, Francesca and Alina were whispering amongst themselves, barely concealing their laughter. Amanda was quiet but had a shy smile on her face. Without makeup and wearing normal clothes, she looked her age more than ever.

“I hope you both slept well,” Francesca said sweetly, though the glint in her eye betrayed her teasing intent.

Gaia took it in stride, her confidence unwavering. “We did, thank you. And you?”

Francesca waved a hand dismissively, clearly unprepared for Gaia’s composure. “Oh, just fine. Nothing interesting to report.”

“Gaia!” Alessia suddenly exclaimed, leaning across the table. “You should’ve seen Leah last night—she was so worried about you after that coffee incident! She wouldn’t shut up about it for hours.”

“Alessia,” Leah hissed, glaring at her best friend.

“What?” Alessia said innocently, her grin widening. “I’m just saying, it’s cute.”

Gaia chuckled, her eyes flicking to Leah. “Is that so?”

Leah groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Can we please change the subject?”

“Absolutely not,” Jen said with a wicked grin.

The teasing had definitely not stopped as they ate. In fact, it intensified after Jen checked TikTok for a moment, only to find someone had recorded the whole incident from the day before. Beth took her phone and started reading aloud the comments: how hot they all are, how professional they remained and a couple of them remarking that flight attendants are actually trained for everything.

Leah couldn’t help but squirm in her seat as Beth read out the comments. Her face was beet red, and she felt all eyes on her, the teasing relentless. She tried to ignore it, but the more they read, the more embarrassed she became.

Amanda wasn’t really paying attention, Francesca flipped her long braids with an exaggeratedly smug expression on her face. Alina asked to be sent the video so she could show it to her husband.

“Actually I want it too, I’ll need it to write the report”. The groans from the other cabin crew didn’t wait. “Don’t be like that, we have to write it anyway. I might also send it to the instructor, it will be good for whomever is doing the anual examination soon”.

“You’re going viral Gaia!” Exclaimed Beth. “The super-hot superhero”.

“I swear, if I hear ‘hot flight attendants’ one more time, I’m going to die,” Leah muttered under her breath, covering her face with her hands.

Jen just smirked at her. “Come on, Leah, you’ve got a real-life hero sitting next to you. You can’t deny that’s pretty cool.”

Leah shot her a glare but couldn’t argue. Jen wasn’t wrong.

Not long after, Captain Stefan stood up from the end of the table and walked over, his usual serious demeanor replaced with a hint of concern. “Gaia, can I have a word? About yesterday’s incident,” he asked, his tone gentle but firm.

Gaia gave a small nod, looking visibly drained for a moment from everything that had happened before regaining her composure. They walked off toward the hotel’s pool area for some privacy, and the girls continued to talk amongst themselves, but curiosity got the better of them. As soon as the rest of the crew left the breakfast area, Beth stood up and left with Jen to spy on what was being said between the captain and the cabin supervisor, watching as the two of them engaged in a serious conversation a few meters away from the main area. Alessia, Viv and Leah followed shortly after.

Stefan and Gaia were deep in conversation, not noticing the little crowd just a few meters from them pretending to sunbathe on the sunbeds .

Leah’s attention was caught by the occasional words drifting over.

“…aircraft was Echo India Delta Yankee Papa…” Stefan’s voice was low and professional.

“…incident occurred about thirty minutes to landing, so 18:45 Zulu…” Gaia replied, her voice sounding tired but still sharp.

Beth leaned over to Jen and whispered, “That sounds like another language. I don’t even understand half of it.”

“Yeah, it’s like they’re talking in codes or something,” Jen chuckled.

But Leah wasn’t listening to them. Her eyes were still on Gaia. She couldn’t stop looking at her, drawn to her strength, her grace, and the vulnerability that was barely masked behind her stoic demeanor.

Suddenly, Gaia’s facade cracked. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as the weight of everything she had gone through the day before came crashing down.

Leah’s heart lurched at the sight. She felt a strong urge to go to her, to comfort her, but she didn’t know if it was the right time. She stayed frozen, unsure of what to do.

“It was so fucking scary, Stefan…” Gaia sobbed, her voice shaky with emotion.

Stefan responded by pulling her into a tight, reassuring hug. It was clear that they had known each other for years, a bond forged by countless flights and shared experiences.

Leah kept watching, her heart aching. She wanted to help, but she didn’t want to intrude. Just as she was about to turn away, Stefan caught her eye and gave her a gentle nod, silently encouraging her to approach.

The soft smile on his face made Leah feel a little more at ease.

“Do you want me to call crew control and get you another night here? You look like you could use it,” Stefan offered kindly.

Gaia looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed, but there was a glimmer of hope in her gaze. “You can do that?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

Stefan chuckled softly. “I’m the base captain. I can do whatever I want. Just let me make the call for you.”

With that, Stefan walked off to make the call, Gaia alone. Leah hesitated for a moment, unsure whether or not to approach, but her heart told her to go.

She sat down beside Gaia, who was still wiping at her eyes, clearly embarrassed by the breakdown. Leah gently pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her, not giving her a chance to protest.

Gaia bit her lip, clearly uncomfortable but also grateful for Leah’s presence. “Sorry about that,” she murmured, her voice still shaky. “I didn’t want to break down in front of everyone. I’ve always thought that crying in public is embarrassing”.

Leah smiled softly, her fingers gently brushing through Gaia’s hair. “You’re allowed to. You’ve been through a lot. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Gaia nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude, but it was clear she was still processing everything. Leah held her close, and for the first time, she felt like everything else faded into the background.

They stayed like that for a while, letting the sun warm them, enjoying the quiet companionship in the midst of everything that had happened.

As the minutes passed, Leah pulled Gaia by her legs, urging her to cuddle on her lap, feeling her tension slowly ease away. The weight of everything, from the medical emergency to the emotional toll it had taken on Gaia, seemed to melt away in the comfort of their shared space.

They didn’t say much, but there was something about the stillness between them that spoke volumes. It was as if, for a moment, the rest of the world had stopped, and all that mattered was that they were together.

[honeytama]

sooo many thoughts,, barbecue n fireworks w/bestie matt (feat. bomens boys) under the cut

fluff fluff fluff

ugh grill king ily,,,,,you’re so adorable w your special grilling gear and apron that you just have to pack with you :( even on tour bc who knows when there’s going to b the chance to cook something up for your friends aw

imagine you, best friend! matt, and the guys having an off day in the summer time. he’s so excited to cook for you bc you’ve never had his food and mans is constantlyyyy talking about it.

you tease him about needing to try it for yourself to see if he’s really the best

“i know my stuff is good. you’re gonna be begging me for seconds,” he boasts, clicking his tongs at you.

mhm ok

you offer to be his assistant or just to stand with him

“nope!, i’m in control, just relax and let me take care of it”

so you sit your pretty little self in a fold out chair sipping your favorite bevy he put in the cooler just for you (bonus: if it’s a celcius that he got you into, he’s so proud of himself) and just watch/talk and laugh w him while he stands there vigilantly watching the food…. w his apron on and hair tied back :(( (sorry domestic matt just really gets to me)

once the food is ready, he calls everyone over to make their plates but he already knows what you like 😭

“just sit there, i got it ☝️”

he fixes it up for you and you look down at the plate,, it’s perf with all your favorites and condiments and sides stoppp

“you want another drink?? i put an extra (your fav) in the cooler,,here” without you saying yes he’s digging through the ice to grab it for you. acts of service are his specialty <3

while you’re eating, he’s constantly trying to get up to refill your plate or getting you napkins or making fun of you for getting ketchup on ur face and trying to wipe it away :( the guys are just liiikkke uhh bro STAND UP (actually sit down they don’t need 10 napkins theyre FINE ,,,, also the boys have never seen matt flirt before so it’s a lil awk)

later in the night, matt and folio are being country boys and setting off mini fireworks in the empty parking lot nearby while everyone watches,, excitedly w a lil bit of fear of course

matt runs over to the chair next to you to watch them go off and you tell him you’re a lil freaked out that something might go wrong and/or you’re afraid of the booms

he holds your hand in his on top of your chair’s arm rest and tells you “it’ll be okay” ;~; he “wouldn’t do it if you would be in danger” ;~;

you watch his face glow in the light of the fireworks and your heart feels like it’s gonna explode, especially when he looks at you to check if you’re as proud of him as he is himself

ALSO !!! matt bought sparklers and guess what no one NO ONE can use them but you two ahh

“noah, no these are for y/n and i get your own!”

“PLEASE just one” noah tries to fight him on it :/

“you should have planned ahead !!”

guard dog matt..

“AY who tf took 3 sparklers?? stay out of my shit! now y/n only gets to do it twice 😩”

matt’s always listening btw, it’s why he got you the sparklers in the first place :) he remembered you telling him you wanted to try those old cutie pinterest pics where you write each other’s names and draw w sparklers…

he’s thinks it’s dumb! and probably won’t work! BUT ANYTHING FOR U

noah does get 1 sparkler to share w nick! folio n jolly get their own bc theyre good boys and don’t steal. you all are trying to figure out how to get the best pictures and matt’s just busting their balls saying you’re better at it than they are 💀

when you finally get back to matt who’s been watching you have fun from his seat,, you show him your pictures….

you tease him when his cheeks show a bit of pink and his lips turn up just a bit

“oh, cute…”

you’ve shown him a pic of u drawing ‘ matt + y/n <3 ‘

he sees you staring EEE “shut up”

“matt, i didn’t even say anything!!”

the matt eye roll,, “whatever just remember to send that to me…”

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Better Novel Scrivener Template

BTW, If you liked the Settings Template, this has that plus more...

The Current Novel Template is out of date, the templates aren't really doing much for you. And the variety of icons is rather thin. I set out to fix this.

The template as a whole is PG-13 as the Character Template mentions "dangerous" things like "Kinks" and "Safe Words" OMG. I know. So terrible. So if you don't want to explain those things to anyone underage, don't download it.

As I am NB, and generally queer otherwise, I have included things like Sexual Orientation, Romantic Orientation and a whole load of things to think about when building CHARACTER, SETTING, WORLDBUILDING. I included things that people often forget by using my Uni and College knowledge.

Please, please read the "Read Me First" file if you want to avoid having to load missing icons. I give instructions.

In case you still opened it despite my warnings or it doesn't work, you'll have to load in the icons manually. In which case this is a reference:

The New Icons are: Domestic Products, Imported Goods, Exported Goods, Laws, and Social Stratification. I added extra icons for Weapons and Warfare in case you're not writing Fantasy. Laser Guns and a Historical Pistol.

I did my best to make it CULTURALLY NEUTRAL. If you want them specific, you're on your own.

I also added if you'd like to load them

All these Icons to the folder so You can finally color code your manuscripts to your heart's content. (My unending frustration with Scrivener).

I added an SVG file so if there is an exact shade I missed on the Spiral Notebook Colors or the Hardcover Books, you can add it.

The Composition Notebook file isn't included as it contains a pattern. However, I made pains to make sure it matches real life colors that exist in Composition Notebooks. You wanted the Settings Template? There are 2. One for City/Towns. One general one.

Zero Organization or Clue on Querying or Self pubbing?

I put up Organization Folders for you.

Here are the Templates you get. Everything is beefed up for you. I spent forever on these Templates and testing them. I also cued Styles to them so it's easy to change the colors. If you want to change something, as the About document says, turn on invisibles.

The Default Styles aren't useless anymore.

If you need a more Definitive Guide, I also made one in the file:

Download the Scrivener Template. It is a ZIP FILE Win Zip or other Zip app should be able to handle it.

Warning: Direct Download https://www.kimyoonmi.com/BetterNovelScrivenerTemplate.zip If you want to Skip the Template completely, but are wishing to add the Icons to your Scrivener:

https://www.kimyoonmi.com/ScrivenerIcons.zip

This template itself is not for sale or profit nor are the icons. Also don’t be the person that lies that says you made it. It’s a Creative Commons License Attribution, Noncommercial, No Derivatives by Yoonmi Kim 2024. You may change it for personal use only. Any problems can be addressed directly to me at https://www.kimyoonmiauthor.com. If you would like to translate this into other languages, let me know.

Don't be the ass that tries to sell my hard work, 'cause really, it's free. And I spent a lot of pains and time to make sure it's free and easy to use with a lot of subtle UX. Edit: I added even more stuff to the newest version.

Yes, a Pets Sketch, a Fauna Species Sketch a Flora Species Sketch, there is Literature added to the list of Art (I forgot it. lol I thought the mistake was silly, but yeah.)

And I added a Medicine Section with an icon to the technology section. There are two native icons already for Medicine--syringe and pill, but I kind of felt it didn't always give the feel of fantasy, so I made a Mortar and Pestle from scratch to add, but if you're doing sci-fi or contemporary, etc you can change to the syringe or pill.

I added explainers as well for the items to the guide.

Why?

'Cause. I would love to be able to see people put more thought into their worlds/worldbuilding, even if it doesn't show up. Maybe it won't be only horses for animals as pets. Or an occasional dog. Haha. Having a gay dog like Robin Williams would be great.

[tunamayojazz]

Love your art, any Toge/Yuuta fanfic recommendations? Thanks so much!!

hi!! thank you so much...🥺🩷🩷 and i am SO glad you asked this. i have so many!! here are the ones i read/reread more recently along with some of the tags. tried to make every rec here different from each other hehe have fun reading!!! can't help it (if you look like an angel) by glimmiks (12.4k)

tags: college au, friends to lovers, mutual pining, IKEA

THIS WAS SO FUN TO READ PLEASEEEE i absolutely love college aus so much. and you just know the 2nd years would be the most fun and chaotic as college students. their dynamic is just chefs KISS, and it's written so well here. the mutual pining in here is truly a 10-course meal and i always go back for another round.

i'm alright if you're alright by anonymous (14.2k)

tags: spoilers up to ch146, fluff, hurt/comfort, injury recovery, fix-it, love confessions, pining

post-shibuya fic excellence. i always have such a great time reading this like inuokkos really do eat so well in this fandom. yuta pining is always so great to read like he is Longingly thinking about toge at all times im cry

Magnificently Cursed by diggingupthegrave (91.2k)

tags: dark academia, magic au, magic school au, slow burn, angst, mutual pining

i will always always recommend diggingupthegrave fics. they are easily my favorite inuokko writer pls you have to read all their inuokko fics...i saved this particular one of theirs to read for much later bc i knew it was going to change my life (7 chapters ok) and boy did it do exactly that. the way they implemented canon elements into a magic setting was so so brillaint and i savored every bit of it.

Beat the Turtle Drum by CasuallyScreaming (7.4k) tags: major character death, post-shibuya incident arc, angst, minimal comfort, no shibuya spoilers read this before sleeping the other night and honestly how i managed to still fall asleep after was my body trying to protect me from full out bawling and having a mental breakdown...i don't think i've read a lot of MCD inuokko but god this one shook me to my core. almost like the feeling of loss and grief were bleeding through my phone screen. so well written and while it's definitely mostly painful, the ending....well you'll find out :')

a special occasion by Cheshire (2.5k) tags: idiots in love, established relationship, first dates this was so so cute...!!!!!!! panda: but aren't you two already dating? yuta: well yes! no. sorta, kinda. super cozy and fluffy read!!

is this how every day begins? by mitgi (5.4k) tags: roommates, living together, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, angst i will always love me a roommate au. this fic was such a lovely read and i'm actually going to reread this right after i finish writing this! there's so much to explore in inuokko's relationship and also when it's in different settings. every time i think about how the actual source material are literal crumbs, i'm just even more amazed by how writers are able to draw out the most of what info we have and write their mannerisms so well. it all feels right and so WARM UOGHHHHH

haunted by sieling_fan (3.3k)

tags: pining, hurt/comfort, canon typical angst, character study

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

you showed up just in time by diggingupthegrave (14.6k)

tags: time travel, friends to lovers, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, slight age gap

another diggingupthegrave fic that had me crying screaming shaking throwing up because god. this was so so good. the build up had me at the edge of my seat bc like oh my god what happened? what's happening?? why is this like that? @#$%^&*()_!!!!!!!!!!!!! and when it's all pieced together? oh it ended me. read this again and again for DAYS you would think i was researching it for a thesis or something. take your time reading this btw like im so serious.

okie that's all for me from now, i have so many more to rec honestly....sending out 100000000000 hearts to inuokko writers you are my roman empire....

[whyse7vn]

MIDLIFE CRISIS -

[ ot7 x reader ]

JIMIN OLD ERA

8 participants - 8 online

———————————

namjoon: why are you guys so quiet today

what did you do??

just tell me so i can fix it pls and thx

hobi: idk I’m at the studio

y/n: omw to the studio so idk x2

jk: i am at home

tae: i am also at jungkooks home (and y/ns i would never forget u my queen i love ur house) maybe yoongi got into a fight again idk

yoongi: i am watching tv

not fighting

that was one time

hobi: didn’t you break woozi’s nose literally last week and harassed scoups a week before that?

jin: he also did knock out that one staff guy last month

namjoon: he did

and luckily when the guy woke up he couldn’t remember anything and didn’t sue

yoongi: you know about all that?

stop stalking me

freaks.

hobi: people talk yoongi!!!

tae: AND HE PUNCHED ME YESTERDAY

y/n: YOU BROKE WOOZI’S NOSE??????

tae: ok but yoongi also punched ME like who even is woozi when he’s at home????

yoongi: me but if i was ugly homeless untalented and had a broken nose

jin: yoongi is woozi’s evil twin

y/n: WHAT DID WOOZI EVER DO TO YOU??

yoongi: idk a woozi

namjoon: we are getting off track

jimin jin what did you do??

jimin: NOTHING I SWEAR IT WASN’T ME LITERALLY MAKING A SANDWICH RN

jin: i was cleaning haven’t done anything promise

namjoon: who is lying to me

pls tell me i really don’t have time for this rn

y/n: i vote jimin why is he shouting never trust a man that shouts

also tae get the fuck out my house rn

and can i get a little context about this woozi situation….

tae: cant wait for u to come home #sleepover

jimin: ITS NOT ME I SWEAR ALSO I THINK I BROKE MY PHONE I CANT TAKE CAPSLOCK OFF HELP

I VOTE JIN CUZ FYM UR CLEANING

jin: it means i me cleaning?

is he stupid? anyways i vote y/n cuz she’s a sick little liar and is probably causing problems

y/n: i’m literally in a car rn i’m not doing anything

YOONGI ANSWER UR PHONE RN

yoongi: read my message i sent you :3

hobi: i vote tae

jk: same

tae: wtf jungkook

jk: sorry u are taking real long in the toilet for all i know you could of jumped out the window and stabbed 46 people

tae: no cuz ur so right

but i haven’t btw namjoon if ur wondering

namjoon: ur all stressing me out

stop arguing

and NO sex talk please

jimin: ??????

yoongi: who is arguing?

jin: and who is talking about sex?

namjoon: oh

um okay

cool

good

yoongi: freak

hobi: yoongi about to send u this song listen to it pretty pls with a cherry on top >.<

yoongi: k

jk: guys pls someone bring me bread

i ate all my bread

y/n: will get some on my way home

yoongi i stg answer ur phone

jk: blushing

yoongi: :3333

jimin: PLS SOMONE HELP ME HOW DO I FIX THIS

jin: it’s probably a issue in ur settings

maybe idk

have you checked?

jimin: WILL DO THAT

namjoon: this feel extremely wrong

is everyone ok?

hobi: yes yes

yoongi: 👍🏻

jimin: YEAH

tae: yh

jin: yup

jk: yes mr namjoon

y/n: ofc !!

but woozi is not can we pls address the woozi situation yoongi did NOT answer me

namjoon: okay

why do i feel like something is wrong then

everything is wayyyyy to calm

it’s like

domestic almost

in a strange way

its unsettling

jin: then settle? idk what to tell you

jk: domestic malewife 🥺

my dream

y/n: ????

namjoon: no one is threatening to kill anyone

ur not taking about sex

nothing about feminism

or tae being broke

no jk vs yoongi

jin vs jimin????

hobi isn’t singing

no drug talk

and not one of you is on drugs right now??

guys be fr

what’s wrong?

jk: do you want me to get high rn??????

i can do it

if you want

i can

just say the word

namjoon: no wtf???

i would LIKE if you guys told me what the fuck you’re hiding from me

jin: let’s talk about what UR hiding joon

y/n: OMG WHY ARE WE NOT CONCERNED THAT YOONGI BROKE WOOZIS NOSE LIKE HELLO?????

namjoon: what i’m hiding????

i’m not hiding anything

jimin: IS IT FIXED NOW GUYS?

tae: when life gets tough you need to fix yourself

or you won’t be fixed

jk: woah

yoongi: what?

hobi: it’s cold as fuck toady

y/n: HIS NOSE HELLO??? ITS BROKEN

jk: tell him to fix it

because if he doesn’t fix himself he won’t be fixed

tae: the way jungkook just gets it 🥺

jin: don’t lie kim namjoon

namjoon: i really don’t know what ur talking about but ok??

anyways u guys are still bothering me but not in a i want to bash my head against a wall sense like normal

but in a are they being held at gun point sense

can you all snap out of it??

jk: don’t bash ur head joon

namjoon: im not

that is my problem

yoongi: sounds like you are

namjoon: you guys did something real fucked up didnt you that’s why ur acting like this

you can tell me

i wont get mad

hobi: ok can you shut up ohmygod

jimin: LITERALLY JOON UR GREAT AND ALL BUT WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT PLS SHUT THE HELL UP

jk: can you not shout pls ur scaring people

jimin: I CANT HELP IT

jk: sorry i’m just a ugly pig then

yoongi: ur so dramatic

tae: don’t worry kookie small men often carry a large amount of rage that’s why jimin is shouting

don’t take it personal

jimin: ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME??

y/n: ok so you guys really don’t gaf about woozi???

jk: what is that???

yoongi: literally

tae: y/n can you also buy cheese for us when you come back

jk: cheese 🤤

y/n: whatever….

namjoon: wow ok

so

i’ll just go then?

jk: baiiii ^^ 💞✨

namjoon: no this feels so wrong

y/n: go take a nap joon

hobi: bros just yapping away like 💀

tae: GO

namjoon: did you guys kill someone?

be honest with me im begging

jin: maybe if we ignore him he’ll go away

jimin: fixed my keyboard

thank god amen #lifeisgood

namjoon: guys

jk: i’m a man not a guy

yoongi: what

hobi: do you think maybe this is his midlife crisis?

jin: i thought the whole rap monster thing was his midlife crisis

y/n: he was like 18 then?

jin: i didn’t expect him to live long

jimin: start of life crisis

tae: maybe namjoon himself is the crisis

namjoon: you guys are my crisis

y/n: we haven’t even done anything

namjoon: can you guys do something

hobi: ur really loosing it

namjoon: don’t make ME do something

hobi: wtf is namjoon threatening me rn?

jimin: what is the worst namjoon can do be fr

namjoon: i have like 127 snipers on ur house rn shut the fuck up

jimin: wtf???????

y/n: nct core

namjoon: me y/n and tae had a threesome

jk: WHAT??????????????

jin: I KNEW IT I KNEW IT

jimin: oh my actual god

tae: I HIT I HIT GUYS I DID IT ALL OF YOU THAT PRAYED ON MY DOWNFALL LOOK AT ME NOW LOOK AT ME

namjoon: but that’s not the first time we fucked

minus tae ofc

tae: wait what

hobi: oh wow

namjoon: on jungkooks birthday last year

yoongi: laughed

namjoon: and at a sleepover we all had at yoongi’s house

yoongi: oh

jk: WHAT THE FUCK

y/n: i am going to kill you

namjoon: i have almost asked her to be my girlfriend

y/n: what

namjoon: on multiple occasions

jk: THIS HAS TO BE FAKE OMGSHH2£:£!£3:;&;’cmnfkknfmfnc

y/n: namjoon

namjoon: i’ve tried to get taehyung kicked out of the group a total of 29 times

tae: WHY WTF

????

OMG

BETRAYAL OF THE CENTURY

WHAT THE HELL

jin: LMAO that’s crazy as hell

namjoon: i have never eaten a single dish jin has ever cooked for me

jin: ARE YOU SICK?????????

I SLAVE AWAY IN THE KITCHEN

AND FOR WHAT???

FUCKING UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF SHIT

NEVER COOKING FOR U AGAIN

WOW IM SO PISSED

FUCK YOU

UGLY FUCK

namjoon: when we debuted i believed jimin was the ugliest man i had ever seen and felt physically ill when people would flirt with him because wtf were they seeing??

jimin: WOW

WOOOOOW

wow

that’s crazy actually

do u even fw us be honest

hobi: definitely fw y/n that’s for sure!!!

ok i’m sorry i didn’t mean it i don’t want to know what you have to say im sorry i just saw the opportunity PLS IM SORRY IM SORRY

namjoon: ur mother used to send me money so i would hang with you

hobi: ur telling me our sunday bonding days weren’t actually sunday bonding days 🥲

namjoon: i wanted to shoot myself in the head

jimin: what the actual fuck is happening

jk: HES LYING HES LYING THERE IS NO WUAYS HES LYINGGGGGGG

namjoon: why would i be lying?

y/n: namjoon you need stop talking

yoongi: namjoon kill yourself

jk: YEAH KILL YOURSELF

namjoon: thank you

jimin: this is by far the craziest degradation kink i’ve ever seen

namjoon: argue

yoongi: you want us to argue?

are you high?

jk: HES HIGH HE IS I KNOW IT

HE WOULDNT SAY ALL OF THAT SOBER

tae: waittt namjoons first high 💞💞💞💞

jimin: that makes sense

he don’t even know what he’s talking about rn lmao

not even mad anymore

i’m happy for u bro

namjoon: no i definitely do know what i’m talking about

i just want you guys to act normal

tae: it’s okay ur doing great joonie

namjoon: I AM NOT HIGH STOP

y/n: you have to be cuz wtf

jk: im confused

namjoon: shut up

jk: why is namjoon fighting me

namjoon: i literally slept with y/n

jk: STOP IT MAKE HIM GO AWAY

PLEASE

jin: IDC IF HES OFF FUCKING COKE RN

he’s actually so fucked up and insane for saying that TO ME LIKE TO ME MY COOKING ARE YOU INSANE??????

what a SHIT leader…

hobi: i think maybe he needs to hug a tree rn

stay grounded or smth

yoongi: bro is off the trees rn wydm

namjoon: i am “off” absolutely nothing rn maybe i’m just really concerned for you all

and maybe just maybe it’s you guys’ fault for making me have to act and talk insane so YOU GUYS can act and talk insane and make me feel at peace in life

you made me like this

all you do is cause me stress

this is ALL UR OWN FAULT

tae: i am NOT reading that essay 😭

jimin: omg we are all literally being gaslit by kim namjoon rn what the actual fuck is life

namjoon: im sick of you all

ur ageing me

y/n: i think ur ageing urself tbh

hobi: life goes on man…

tae: tbh i think namjoon is going through a bad trip rn

like tell me he doesn’t sound high as hell

jimin: you’ve actually lost it namjoon

hobi: it was bound to happen

tae: it’s okay just hold ur breath until you pass out and when u wake up you’ll be fine

that’s how i stop a bad trip

namjoon: I AM NOT HIGH FOR THE LAST TIME

jk: that’s what i say when i’m high

just saying

yoongi: this is definitely that midlife crisis

namjoon: why are you not freaking out about me literally having sex with the girl your in love with

yoongi: ur high and idc

jk: I CARE

i don’t believe you joon 😡

y/n: this is not life rn…..

hobi: are all four of you not in love with her wow thats kinda insane

y/n rizz go crazy

jimin: why don’t you all just like idk

date????

hobi: omg wait i wanna date too don’t leave me out this time 🥺🫰🏼

yoongi: i’ll pass

MY girl idk if you get that or not

jimin: but she’s-

ok

whatever

ur all fucked up idc

might as well all fuck but fuck me right???

ur girl no ur so right i need to just shut my mouth

sighs looks left looks right

idiot

namjoon: you all make me sick

jimin: literally do not care

jk: do you need a hug namjoon?

namjoon: absolutely not shut the fuck up

jk: oh 🥲

yoongi: so ur just really fucking mean high?

sucks

namjoon: IS HELL FROZEN OVER YOONGI BASICALLY JUST DEFENDED JUNGKOOK LIKE WHAT????? GUYS ARE YOU SEEING THIS???

hobi: who sold you this weed man..

we need to get them

jimin: he probably got sold cocaine got told it was weed and took it all

jin: yikes

sleep it off joon!!

namjoon: I HATE YOU ALL

omg

guys

i’m going to kill myself

….

now you say good or like do it or we won’t miss you

jin: who hurt you??

namjoon: YOU GUYS DID

YOU GUYS DO

ALL THE TIME ACTUALLY

WHY ARE YOU NOT DOING THAT NOW

jk: he wants us to tell him to kill himself?

namjoon: YES

y/n: he’s actually loosing his mind wow

hobi: he’s literally on another universe rn

jin: i’ll actually kill you instead of telling you to kill urself how about that!

namjoon: SHUT THE HELL UP

yoongi: does he want us to argue or stfu??? i don’t get it anymore

y/n: ur really like being insane rn joon

jimin: this a high that NEEDS to be slept off…

namjoon: there is no way u guys are being fr rn…

you guys are fucking with me

WHY IS IT AN ISSUE WHEN I SAY SOMETHING OUT OF LINE

hobi: you said MANY things out of line

namjoon: BUT YOU GUYS CAN TALK ABOUT HOW TAE HAD SEX WITH A RANDOM GIRL IN ALLEY FOR FREE FOOD AND NO ONE SAYS SHIT?????

tae: THAT IS NOT TRUE BTW

NAMJOON TELL THEM ITS NOT TRUE

namjoon: YOU GUYS ARE LITERALLY AT EACH OTHERS THROATS EVERY DAY AND WHEN I QUESTION WHY UR ALL BEING NORMAL I GET LOOKED AT FUNNY???

y/n: this is us normal?

I WAS LITERALLY TALKING ABOUT HOW YOONGI BROKE MY FRIENDS NOSE IS THAT NORMAL TO YOU???

tae: namjoon just used that fake scenario as an example IT IS NOT TRUE

namjoon: everyday you all push me closer to suicide

yoongi: ok?

idk what you want us to do at this point

namjoon: i don’t know either

yoongi: ok??

namjoon: ok

jk: OK 😋

namjoon: i think i’m gonna go now

namjoon left “JIMIN OLD ERA”

jimin: lmao i NEED to find out what he’s smoking that was crazy

—

i hate this actually.

tags: @piw6n @jvmisvu @birdie-vhs @kooksmilitarywife @hob3loveofmylife @jujubiism @bloopkook @ratchetpizza1 @myntalks @arloo00 @watamotee33 @y2kcy3brz @taiwan0618 @indigobsessed @freyadanvers @gguksbeloved @raetf @bbsantc @winuvs @medicinemybish @bxnnyhime @leleluvsbts @baetukki @zyaaaszn @thelilbutifulthings @yojaschill @k4ngelz

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

This person don't harass anyone in this post, so you are free to skip this ask if you find it against the rules of your blog. It's just that I find the arguments... bad, to say the least.

https://ok-boomerang.tumblr.com/post/702213312593772544/fanfiction-as-textual-analysis

If zutara fanfiction is a form of critique, then the alternatives they suggest should be better than the critisized ones? And yet:

Ambassador Katara - I don't know why but I suspect that the ambassador should not have any romantic affairs with the ruler of the country in which she represents the interests of her people. Because, you know, if these ineterests are opposite to the interests of the country, but the ambassador and the ruler are intimate... yeah, this will not end good. Such relationships are concidered unprofessional for a reason. It "gives Katara an important political role" - which she already has, being Avatar's waterbending master and one of the world heroes herself, as one of the previous asks already mentioned. So, what to fix here? Couldn't they just write fanfiction about Katara (without Aang in the plot, since they are too obsessed with their pathetic miserable Fantara whose will is paralyzed by Aang's sole presense) doing important political stuff? Or the real point is to wrap Katara in red silk, adorn her with gold and make her spread legs for Zuko in some fancy royal bedroom?

Bloodbending as healing - while the idea itself mmay have potential, Katara is not a suitable character for it (also was discussed here). Yes, her trauma probably limits her, closing some opportunities; hey, that is also an interesting idea, by the way! "That’s a critique of Katara seen as the paragon of goodness, especially by Aang." Hmm, as far as I know, Katara fans who don't ship zutara often admit that Katara can sometimes be wrong, mean, petty and enjoy how many-dimensional she is because of that. And where had Aang ever seen her as paragon of goodness? When he approved her stealing from pirates, while agreeing that it's dangerous for the group? I don't see what to critisize here in the first place. But I see some ignoring of Katara's canonical trauma.

Painted Lady/Blue Spirit. "it’s fun and symbolic that Zuko and Katara both had alter egos" - as well as Aang, Sokka, Toph... Also, the Blue Spirit never was a vigilante, which is obvious if you understand the complexity of Zuko's arc. Again, what is critique about? Katara and Zuko had worked as a team just enough, they had an episode with badass teamwork that zutarians love so much, they had a teamwork sequence in the training battle and a whole real final battle against one of the main villains. The show really doesn't need more (ahem, because it's not about zutara, ahem). Katara's empathy for people was shown multiple times (and she managed just great without any Zuko, btw), Zuko was not that empathetic most of the time to begin with. "their perseverance to do pretty much anything once they set their minds to it" was also developed really good - the only thing to "correct" is the fact that in the canon most of the time these things are different for Katara and Zuko and have nothing to do with the other character, but again, the show is not solely about them.

In conclusion, if fanfiction is a form of critique, it seems that from zutarians' perspective the major problem of AtLA is that it's not a love story about Katara and Zuko being always together, being similar in every little thing, being in love. Well, yes, it isn't? Because it shouldn't be?

Anyway, I myself am not a good critic, so I'd like to know your opinion.

"I myself am not a good critic" *proceeds to give excellent criticism* Anon, I think you should work on that self-esteem.

You really cut straight to the central issue with zutarians main "criticisms" of the show - they're all rooted on their bias that the story can ONLY be good if Zuko and Katara are in love and endgame. And somehow, that's objective to them, instead of a subjective preference. They can never admit "This isn't what I wanted, but it works" or even "This isn't perfect, but it doesn't ruin the story"

I very much wish we had seen Toph have a field-trip with Zuko, and that the writers had not given up on making an episode on Aang's parents. I still acknowledge that the show works fine without these, despite thinking it was a wasted oportunity.

I love Maiko. I think it perfects sense for them to be endgame, and I don't have much to criticize on how their relationship was handled in the show. Mai is still not my first choice of romantic pair for Zuko, Azula is. Yet I was not surprised or angry that my OTP didn't happen, because despite some bait moments (bedroom scene) it was very clear that the show was never going there - not just because it is a kids show, but also because they clearly didn't WANT to go there.

I love Azula and want her to have a redemption arc - I still think that the ending of the show, with her simply being defeated but not redeemed, makes sense, as it would feel cheap and be a deep betrayal of her character to just make her have a change of heart at the last second (though I'll still die on the hill that Yang's comics were ableist as fuck and a disrespect to the original story).

It's REALLY easy to have your preferences and stick by your opinion that they are good while still acknowledging they are SUBJECTIVE.

Zutarians refuse to do that. They don't accept any position of power for Katara that doesn't involve her sleeping with Zuko." They don't accept any romantic endgame for her other than Zuko. They don't accept that bloodbending doesn't represent her power, or her as a character, because she did it in Zuko's presence. Don't accept any team work between her and anyone but Zuko.

This is clear ship bias and lack of interest in Katara herself, and instead of embracing it (after all, there's no rule that say you HAVE to like every character equally, or uncondionally), they make it into a "the narrative disrespected this female character" or "certain things are inherently sexist" debate - a debate they're doomed to lose and come accross as the ones that are truly sexist since they clearly don't care about Katara outside the context of a potential romance with Zuko because they think that's the ONLY way to enjoy a female character: as the object of affection of their prefered male character. Anything else is imposssible in their minds.

They're saying the quiet part out loud without even realizing it.

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

*breaks fingers* Let's go, mod Sus' rant on 247°F (2011)

Talking from the viewpoint of a finnish person, while the movie itself is American, and no I haven't actually watched this one but I did read the plot summary and watch a little bit for proper arguments.

TLDR: Characters are freaking idiots and physics don't work in this world, apparently.

For the reference, 247° fahrenheit is about ~120° celcius. So yes we're talking about hot sauna. I personally can stand 100°C for a while at best but anyways.

I guess we could start by inspecting the sauna itself first. It's supposedly electric sauna (which, it doesn't even look like a proper one but more spa/steam sauna than an actual good one) but also with this large rock pillar stove in the middle of RELATIVELY LARGE ROOM. With no leveled up seats, just one seats on same level + you could sit on the backrests for more space and height I guess. Compare that to actual proper finnish sauna:

This is a bit of a mix of modern and traditional sauna but only by the looks. Pay attention to seats on different levels, you want to have seats near the ceilings because that's where it's the hottest. Hot air raises up so it's cooler at the floor level, if not even very cold after getting used to the temperature at standing level.

Now the stove in the movie is supposedly the kind you throw water onto to release the steam and more heat. And here comes the fun part. In the beginning, they set the temperature to 187° F AKA ~86° C???? AND THEN THEY SAY IT'S "CRAZY HOT"???? IN THIS VERY LARGE ROOM WHERE HEAT SPREADS OUT A TON? BITCH THAT PLACE IS COLD and they act like they're already toasting in there???? Weak ass americans. AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN TOSS WATER ONTO STOVE BEFORE THAT, they have just this one huge heat source in the middle of LARGE ROOM that's like WARM at best??? You're supposedly to throw water on that thing, or otherwise it'd be same as you'd just stand next to a hot cooking stove. You don't even start sweating properly without the steam which helps with the heat releasing from your body. You're just cooking yourself with that thing.

Okay, so just? Turn off the electric heater (which becomes a major plot point of the movie, so that's not an option here for some reason?), and don't toss water onto stove. LAY DOWN ON THE FREAKING FLOOR??? WHERE IT'S COOLEST OR EVEN COLD BECAUSE IT'S ASSUMINGLY MARBLE/ROCK/WHATEVER FLOOR. Sure if the average temperature in the room is 247°F aka ~120°C it is hot, but it's still cooler at floor level far away from the stove.

And speaking of the heater. At first I thought it was like, they set the heater to get hotter and hotter on purpose but why would you do that if you can't handle shit??? I guess the thermosthat malfunctions or some shit or because the heat keeps rising??? That's not how electronics work as far as I'm aware but suspend my disbelief I guess. I can't tell too much what the characters decide to do without spoilers but let's say they're all massive idiots with their choices. This is all on them. (BTW if this was a traditional wood-heated sauna, just stop putting more logs in the fire, lol).

Okay, let's assume it's all because uh physics broke or something. It's getting hot in there. You got a small window there, and even in trailer we see characters manage to break it. But apparently??? THE HEAT DOESN'T ESCAPE ENOUGH FROM IT???? WHAT. You can this huge room with one heat source, it's cold outside, and the heat still doesn't escape enough to make it more managable in there or at least near the window to cool them off??? Physics, hello???

Like legit the entire point of the movie is it's getting too hot in there but there's so many things that help you to stay cool in there until something gets fixed. The characters aren't even drunk which would've made this so much more belieable because alcohol is probably the main reason (aside sudden health problems like cardiac arrest) people would die in saunas because they pass out in there. But no, this is just idiot characters being idiots.

Also take your freaking clothes off, cowards. You can't even call yourself a sauna movie if there's no bare butts and peenors and natural hanging booba in non-sexual bathing setting through entire movie smh.

[kimberlyannharts]

LAST TIME ON THE POWER RANGERS COMICS: Billy broke the Grid in a fit of hubris and has now dedicated the rest of his life to repairing it. With this mission he'll - wait, what? the 2016 series is done? This is an entirely new continuity and unrelated story?

Well. Okay then.

You guys voted for it, so here it is - the first of my Power Rangers Prime recaps! So for the most part this new ongoing series is still the source of a lot of speculation. They keep hyping it up as PR's answer to Marvel's Ultimate or DC's Absolute series, as an alternate take on the franchise and characters, and my thoughts on that are........mixed. But putting that aside, the nature of it means we don't really know what is being planned for this or what exactly this will contribute to the franchise overall. We're in completely uncharted territory, and that's both a good thing....and a bad thing.

It's Power Rangers Prime #1!

= So true Rita now go [REDACTED] Elon Musk. oops, spoilers

= omg yay we're gonna see that altered Samurai suit that the covers won't stop showing off a

= oh wait nvm

Mark: there's a baby in this dumpster

= you know before the issue dropped I kept calling Jun a hybrid based on his name and hair but in the issue proper the implication just seems to be he's pure Eltarian (We only see his Eltarian mother, but Valentina mentions having to teach Jun human customs like traffic lights). Other Eltarians in this issue have non-Z names so I think that's just the book choosing to ditch that element of the 2016 Eltarians (which is a very good thing btw) but Jun's the only one with hair (not counting the few beards we see), so I don't know what's up with that. When are we going to hear the Eltarian hair lore

= Nice propaganda Jun did your MOM teach you that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (yes because political agendas are a cycle)

= If you know me you know I talk down Melissa's romances a lot and unfortunately this intro for Ryan/Valentina has already given me a bad first impression lol

I won't go further because again, first issue, want to be fair, etc. but I legit groaned out loud at the whole "I'M the scary one, I'M the one who taught him the cool moves >:)" dialogue. It's bad enough that Valentina's character introduction boils down to "girlfriend of Ryan and friend of Jun" but her only other bit of characterization is "whoa, the GIRL is the tough fighter who can beat up the boys"? It's tired at this point, I'm sorry. It's low-hanging fruit for a Power Rangers character to know how to fight. I don't care if she's a good fighter if she doesn't have an actual like. greater role beyond a romance. Ryan doesn't get a lot of screentime in this issue either but he does get established as part of the VR Troopers at the very least so we at least know how he'll impact the story, but Valentina literally has nothing beyond her attachments to guys. I hope that gets fixed in later issues, but after what happened to Aisha in Darkest Hour, I'm cynical. Anyway I better move on before I start ranting about how the women were treated in Darkest Hour again.

(also was Kaitlin not Ryan's love interest in VR Troopers or........)

= you need to lay off the comic books, seriously

= So as no one can shut up about right now: the VR Troopers are in this series. And yeah yeah that's really cool and all I guess, but as someone who's never seen the show, I'm genuinely surprised no one is asking......isn't VR Troopers' whole thing that they get their powers and stuff from a digital dimension? aka VIRTUAL REALITY Troopers? Is that going to be the case here? I mean, I guess it must since they're still called VR Troopers, but it just seems kinda out there for this specific use for them. Watch the VR stand for something like.......Velocity Range Troopers or whatever, something more military-esque.

Also going off that these guys are clearly being set up as antagonists (or at the very least foils to the Rangers) and I don't know why more people aren't picking up on that.

= Melissa I'm gonna need you to look me in the eye: DO NOT. HOOK UP. LAUREN AND ORION. PLEASE resist your instinct to hook up every girl Ranger that makes eye contact with a guy and DO NOT HOOK UP LAUREN AND ORION. There's already too many blond white people in this book we don't need them to make more

Orion: your ancestors are from feudal Japan? Then why are you wh

Lauren: please don't ask me why I'm white.

= ah yes, the well-documented 1954 iPhone

= Selena it should have been you.

[slythereen]

Hi! Sorry I wasn’t more clear.

Being a Charles fan I actually have nothing nice to say about the clown team. I just meant it more like Newey is not going to Ferrari because of Hamilton?

Speculation has always been since he’s joining then maybe there would be new talent in engineering or something, which I don’t think it’s happening. Two of the reasons why Ferrari has trouble in attracting new talent (from my very superficial point of view) is they are based in Italy, compared to a lot of teams based in the UK, and is really more of a state-owned institute than a race team in terms of change and efficiency. And even though there’s Fernando, but this move with the huge salary and financial backing promised for his over projects looks much more like it’s not going to be longer than 3(2+1) years. Why would engineers move all the way just to work with him for 2-3 years. And I remember reading about anti-poaching in his current contract too, so when people were excited for Mercedes talent, it’s probably not happening.

But did Newey once say he wants to work with Hamilton? Right now google only has how they are going to be at Ferrari next year(maybe). If there was then I shall concede Newey is amongst those that have always dreamed to work for Ferrari and Hamilton.

Sorry I ranted way too long. <333333

these are good points! and frankly you probably know the situation better than me, as i’m still catching up on the historical stuff and some of the… intra-team dynamics? historical dynamics?

i totally agree that ferrari is lewis’s retirement plan btw. i mean, that contract really is perfectly packaged to set him up to fulfill a dream (driving for ferrari) and then to swan off into ambassadorship with class and a good bow out. which is actually a VERY GOOD POINT regarding newey, as i hadn’t considered that! my best guess would be that newey is looking to retire soon (or now) too (and all of his recent interviews lean that way, so one last short term project with LH helping get ferrari back to excellence would be a nice send off for newey.

that being said, i frequently forget how delayed f1 development is. like, some of the poached talent ferrari is bringing in is garden leaved until 2026. newey would be working on the 2026 car — not even 2025! LH himself is out of reach until next season. it’s kind of wild to me how one bad year (cough, 2022) can set you back SO badly, because these problems can’t be fixed in a season or with any speed whatsoever (and then you get 2023…). so. it’s very possible the short term project couldn’t be very short term at all to be meaningful, which means not much of a quick little ferrari chapter before retiring peacefully.

also: yes, regarding the quote! newey said something along the lines of how he has three main regrets looking at his career, one being to work with lewis hamilton and the other to work for ferrari. (i forget what the third was because frankly it wasn’t as relevant to me 💀) it is somewhat recent i think? two months? it was circulating around during the LH to ferrari rumors because ppl were saying he could get 2/3. or maybe right after the LH to ferrari confirmation.

let me look (i think it’s around here somewhere) & will toss into the replies if i find it b/c mobile is evil and will eat this draft if i tab out to find it

[wicked-ghoul]

this is not meant to be critical BTW I just wanted to get something off my chest...

i’ve been trying to think of how to word this cuz like...

I REALLY enjoyed A Glitch in Time! My love for Danny Phantom has not wavered at all and I was given a huge boost of serotonin seeing my bbys again in a new story and I like a lot of what the story did for those charactors...!

That said...

I don’t quite feel the same level of “OMFG MY SOUL IS CLEANSED” that I see a lot of fans having and I couldn't quite pinpoint WHY because the comic IS really good and I DID really enjoy it...

But...like...okay, so:

The stuff that I’ve always found most fascinating about Danny’s issues is 1) His relationship to his parents. 2) His relationship to Valerie. and 3) How his anger and spite get the better of him and how that informs a lot of who Dark Danny became (yes I still call him Dark Danny don’t @ me lol)

I feel like the comic did touch on that 3rd thing but maybe not quite as much as I had hoped??? And to my memory he doesn’t even really interact that much with his parents and I don’t even think he talked to Valerie AT ALL in the comic...(I really need to go back and reread it lol)

I think that’s all being saved for a (potential) sequel comic which is perfectly fine, but I guess I was really hoping that the comic would explore that stuff and it just didn’t so I was kind of disappointed.

But that doesn’t make the comic bad! Far from it, I thought it handled everything really well! I loved the humor and characterization and it made me very happy!!!

But when Danny’s character arc happened...I liked it, I loved his little Steven Universe getting his powers back in the movie moment it was great and he was adorable as ever and I liked the idea of him helping ghosts rather than hunting them...but it wasn’t as big a deal to me as, y’know, Vlad and Dark Danny’s arcs! Which is fine, those arcs where great and I loved how they were handled...I guess I just wanted more for Danny? Like, specifically relating to his relationship with his family and Valerie more so than how he deals with the ghosts...but they’re clearly setting up for another comic so maybe THEN we’ll get to the stuff I was really looking forward to!?!

I really don’t wanna be a downer, but this was nagging at me ever since I finished the comic and I just needed to get it off my chest...

 I think I also am still reeling from some other fandoms I’ve been in where if you don’t like or agree with canon then you’ll be skewered and deemed “not a real fan” or “just not getting it” and I’ve gotten used to the Phandom’s “fuck it, we ball” attitude towards canon and now that there’s new official content I’m scared of a reawakening of the Anti vs True Fans bullshit from the days when Danny Phantom was still airing! (fandom trauma’s a real thing my dudes...)

So...yeah. To conclude, the comic is very well done and there’s a lot of great stuff in it and I can’t think of anything I truly disliked, just some nitpicks that kept me from being as emphatic as the rest of the fandom and I just wanted to express my disappointment. But I’m still so happy that we even got it and that it even worked to resolve/fix things that the show left hanging!!! I still love Danny Phantom so much and if they ever do make another comic I’m excited to see what they do with it!

[anulithots]

The Rose. Episode 5 - "Gone"

Trigger warnings for blood and sickness.

Welcome to the finale everyone <3. I hope you like Rose and how this ends, because guess what? Fae makes a cameo in the next houseplant series (Prayer Plant)!

Also also, I like the idea of beings who don't have "aha moments" and are suddenly... okay. Because growth is not a linear process, and there isn't a set rule as what counts as "better" or not. So Rose isn't suddenly amazing now but fae is getting better.

Maidoe is a reoccurring character btw <3 Fae is supposed to be a master navigator in Trinity Hollow, and for context, most fairies never leave their tree's side. So Maidoe is.... a bit famous around there. Fae also has this uncanny knack for telling the future, for better or worse.

A tumblr houseplant story from @briarborealisart

The info post is here

Episode one - "Thorns"

Episode two - "Maidoe"

Episode three- "Petals"

Episode four - "Wild"

Note - this is still a first draft, any feedback would be much appreciated. Especially for this one, this is a super interesting concept to explore, but my brain found it so difficult, and comments on if I got to the core of this would be appreciated. <3

------

Maidoe lost leaves.

One.

Two.

Three.

Fae didn't have much to begin with. White sap fell off the wounds in droplets. Puddles had stains on faer hands from wiping it away. Maidoe - silly, observant, practical Maidoe - was reduced to a mumbling heap of little leaves beside a bare tree.

Rose. Tried. Everything.

Fae told Maidoe about all the wild ways: too much water absorption, not enough microbes, leaf angling, and Maidoe always slept during prime evening and morning sun hours. Rose was gentle & soft. Fae sat beside Maidoe and told faer everything... but all fae would do was nod. Nod and never change.

Puddles told fair that Maidoe was going through a 'rough patch' and needed utmost care. So Rose sat with Maidoe, measured faer words and made sure to never poke Maidoe with faer thorns.

Rose wondered if Puddles helped more. Puddles gave nowhere near as helpful advice - 'take it slow' fae said.... that was so general and not conducive to a speedy recovery - but Maidoe always smiled more and gave Puddles hugs. Fae never listened to Rose's advice. Puddles said Rose's instructions were "too much" to deal with while Maidoe was in pain. Rose didn't understand. faer advice would bring less pain. Why didn't they see that?

Perhaps it was the hugs.

Maidoe left the next day, white splotches over faer skin where the surprise hug punctured.

Rose had faer own matching splotches, all over faer thorns.

For a precious moment, fae forgot fae had them. But fae wouldn't forget again. If Rose had been more stern- more faerself - thorns & all, then Maidoe wouldn't have left. Simple as that.

-----

Puddle's leaves drooped, darkening.

Rose bit faer tongue. Fae shouldn't say it unless Puddles asked. It would hurt Puddles more, but how could fae let it get that bad? It was probably just a wind issue - the indoor winds always smelled weird. It was such an easy fix -

"Maidoe's tree is doing better"

Rose glanced over, it had gotten bushier - full of sprouts and leaves.

Rose nodded. "Fae had to get rid of the dead ones and let faer tree get sun, simple changes."

"Not to Maidoe."

Rose blinked. Right. Fae had already poked the others, already caused damage. How could fae fix that?

" ... Sorry"

"Sorry? Who are you and what have you done with Rose?"

"Oh don't be fooled, we are still having our debates."

"For sure."

Puddles fluffed faer leaves. a few fell. Rose grimaced. Wait, wait... if it gets any worse, fae would tell faer anyways.

Puddles sighed. "Do you have 'simple fixes' for these?"

"YES. It's a wind issue, your leaves are delicate-"

"Without the insults."

"Insults?"

"No one likes being insulted Rose, they want to know what they are doing right, THEN give advice."

Rose flicked faer ears. "Sooo... You did a very good job at - at -"

"It's that hard?"

"You're great at resting."

"Wow. Thanks."

"Love the sarcasm. But... really, both you and Maidoe let yourselves rest, maybe at the wrong times, but still... that's a good thing."

Puddles hummed. "Thank you. You should also try it."

"... Can I give you advice now?"

"Hold on... you need advice first."

"Me? Oh.. Ok-okay."

"Maidoe didn't leave because of you."

Rose blinked. "Wha - where did that come from?"

"You've been twisting your claws since you've gotten here."

Rose scowled at faer claws for their betrayal." That does not immediately mean that I think- I think... Maidoe left..."

Rose swallowed. Silly tears. Silly, silly tears that come for the smallest of things.

Puddles tapped Rose's snout in a supportive 'bop'. "Maidoe left because fae was losing faer leaves & wanted to see if there was more to the world."

"But... faer scars."

"I think Fae's quite proud of them actually"

"Oh."

"And fae wanted to see how great the wild actually was."

"It is great."

"I know Rose."

"Why didn't fae tell me.... before fae left?"

"You would make faer stay, say something like 'it isn't conducive for your health'"

"It wasn't conducive for faer health"

".... Faer tree is all bushy now. If we see faer again, I'll ask faer if fae has been a pollywiggin this whole time."

"I doubt that."

".... we'll have a debate on it later."

"For sure... and... Puddles?"

"Yes?"

"Tha- Thank you."

"Of course, Rose."

".... Now can I give you advice?"

Puddles laughed. "Of course, Rose."

Rose smiled. Fae didn't have to hide faer thorns, but fae shouldn't poke others with them either.

They wanted to be cared for - like faer bloom - that's why they never listened.

And Rose? Rose would work on listening too.

-----

That's the end <3

I hope you all like Rose's story. This houseplant series gives me so much joy, especially since I seem to be in a bit of a spiral again. (Listening to my favorite song "Agnes" by Glass Animals, non-stop to stop the throbbing static and the overwhelming heat and urge to cry but I just can't and it might get so so much worse and I thought I was doing better. This shouldn't hurt, this happened before, it shouldn't hurt.) And I guess that's the point, isn't it? I can't promise you hope for a happy ending, and it's okay to be broken now, it's a story, right? A constant cycle? And I know it's so so wrong of me to say it when I feel so awful, but... perhaps we can enjoy every stage of it? I love this song, I finally have the motivation to do schoolwork because my creative energy is sapped out, it will pass, it's okay right now. We'll take care of each other, and agnst is fun in stories right? All my little characters in my head are curling beside each other, murmuring comfort, because that's all I can really offer. I don't know the answer, but hey, growth is growth, isn't it? No matter if the plant is losing leaves or growing or living or dying, it's beautiful in a way. It seems so complicated and messy, but that's the web, full of dewdrops, catching the light.

Erhm... sorry for the rant, my thoughts are on the borderline of mean and I needed to sort them out.

But if you don't mind the little self-promo: reblog this with one kind statement to "water" rose, let's spread some wonder to this convoluted place <3

And spread the word to anyone else who would like to add their houseplant to the garden, perhaps we can fill tumblr with houseplants.

[falloutstasis]

so uh it's already past october and im no longer going to put it in read more for spoilers BUT im gonna put it in read more because this post is gonna be hella long

so here's what my reaction was about the UC

ARE THESE PEOPLE INSANE

they let a freaking WAR CRIMINAL (francois sanon) live, kept boxed up in a nice little room just because the previous higher ups in the UC were like 'ah yes this man is useful to us let him live hehe'

instead of you know, EXCICUTING HIM LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO the UC faked francois's death

later on the in missions: he flat out admits to the terrormorphs attack on new atlantis and tau ceti. i fucking wonder why the cabinet (the group of people in charge btw) was so freaking nervous on the attacks that he put in the first place

i got my player character to stick to their guns and told everything to the cabinet instead of keeping it a secret like he wanted

francois: 'the attacks...were a correction. when i discovered the plant, i did consider handing over what i'd found. but we were at war, and i couldn't risk information that dangerous falling into the wrong hands. so i ordered the bombing of the londinion spaceport, fixing two problems at once- halting the spread of the city's terrormorph outbreak...and sealing away knowledge of the plant's potential.

pc: please. no secret is so dangerous that you can justify condemning so many lives.

francois: simple to say now. but with the outbreak raging from a barely understood source, the moment demanded a quick action. so i did what was required. i removed a dangerous variable from an already catastrophic war. but then as the war ended - my trial, my execution - i made a decision. after all, i'd given everything for the colonies, my life as i knew it included. and what i did i get in return? was there any effort by the uc to protect my legacy? my daughter' legacy? no. we were sacrificed when all we did was serve. so i kept what i'd learned and arranged the attacks to set things right again. my daughter, she becomes a hero.

and he did this to get revenge on the UC and to point the player character and hadrian as the heroes. he set this all up, had this plan figured out, just so hadrian's legacy can look good (when she didn't even know he was alive to begin with btw)

god the more he talked the more he pissed me off LOL he's like 'there are no heroes without a villian'

as much as i hate this man i really wanted to grab the UC by the throat and shake them violently for letting this man live

also side note: keeping sam with me alongside these missions was really awesome because of how much he can relate to hadrian

i REALLY liked the uc missions, i think it was way more fun than the freestar ranger ones, but damn dude these missions made me hate the uc more LOL

[idyllic-affections]

Hi there! So thank you for your feedback about Kokoro. Im glad you her since she is my sweet bby （＾∀＾） .Kokoro is one of my more recent OCs that i have, so im still making her, which is why i thought asking a feedback but after reading your feedback, yeah you’re right. She’s my OC, someone i love and makes me happy, i shall do whatever i want with her! Which is make her have a happy life ^_^ (and make her unintentionally torment Gorou, she lives with Yae Miko for god sake) I also decided to let Kokoro have a hydro vision, while there are many points that i like with Kokoro having a dendro vision. Something about her having a hydro one feels right idk why tho :p (but she would actually get along with Nahida really well, crap now im reconsidering, guess it’s back to the drawing board then (⁠ب⁠_⁠ب⁠) ) why must i be so indecisive about an fictional character’s element (⁠ノ⁠ಥ⁠,⁠_⁠｣⁠ಥ⁠)⁠ノ⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

Also PLEASE DO HONKAI STAR RAIL IF YOU EVER GET THE CHANCE TO DO SO, the found family in this one is STRONG. Like there’s the Astral Express which is just (≧∇≦). I wont spoil anything so you can enjoy it firsthand but the ideas and potential for platonic stuff is HIGH

Also im honestly excited and scared for Fontaine with how the trailer set the plot. Lynette’s death!?!? Lyney’s ARREST!? CHILDE’S ARRIVAL!?!?! What in archons name is going on!?!?? I honestly feel bad for Freminet since 1. His sister is “dead” 2. His brother is the suspect and possible murderer of said sister’s death. Really not a good time for him huh? Also can i talk about Navia for a second? I love her. She just gives off Chaotic good vibes which she probably has. I first thought she was gonna be like a phantom thief character but then the 4.0 trailer came out and there are security guys with her which now makes me think she is some sort of bodyguard for hire??? I just love her and i like to imagine her lovingly teasing my Fontaine OC for her famous pastries (i might talk about her here, so keep an eye out for that)

(Sorry for the many “also” btw ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ)

- 🐱 Anon

hi again dear!!!

yes!!!! do whatever makes you happy!!!! and indecisiveness is totally okay, too. you can switch backk and forth until you feel completely content! there's nothing wrong with changing up details and whatnot. you'll eventually settle on something that feels right <3 for me personally, i often go through many phases where i change important character details. it's usually while i'm writing their backstory or just their story in general that something seems to click in my brain, and all of a sudden, i have decided on the detail i wasn't sure about.

I GOT INTO HSR YESTERDAY ACTUALLY i am having so much fun with this game... it's so pretty??????? the characters are so dynamic????????? genshin feels so flat compared to hsr which is interesting to me, but hopefully hoyoverse takes steps to fix that lifeless feeling that genshin has sometimes in-game! or maybe i'm just burnt out? who knows! either way, i love hsr. it aligns with my interests so well.

CHILDE IS MR. WORLDWIDE HE IS EVERYWHERE AHSKSJSJGJFJ tbh i cannot WAIT for fontaine, i am so so so excited to see what this archon quest has in store.

i'm thinking about making a fontaine oc myself actually. lawful evil to lawful good kind of vibes, like.... they're evil-aligned at first but slowly change for the better once they realize how much they are hurting their beloved people. character development <3 but i would love to hear about yours, so i will definitely keep an eye out!

(and no need to apologize!!! i do that too sometimes <33)

[ajcrwl]

coding adventures part++

it's been a little over a month since the last one. i'm almost done with building some basic stuff including comments!

last time comments were completely non-existent. i had already picked a text editor which i wanted to use, but it was so hard to understand how to configure it, so i switched to tinmyce.

i added it to the page and started figuring out what i wanted to do with the design:

i immediately somehow made the toolbar become a rainbow that changes colours, and decided to keep it that way 😂

took me a while to figure out how to implement character count, submit button and notify button all within the editor's toolbar. but honestly, tinymce is so good, their docs describe pretty much everything i needed, so it was only a matter of learning what it can offer and figuring out how i could use it.

what you see above was just a bunch of lorem ipsum coded directly into the page. so the next step was to write the whole post -> save -> display pipeline and show some actual comments.

why use lorem ipsum when you can adfadsfsdfsdadf ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

then i did the thing which i always wanted to add: my own emotes! btw, we use all of these plague doctors and others in my discord, and i keep drawing more and more of them.

and then i tried to use them along with a better emoji font, and uhh

oops xD yes, you can stretch an image, even an emote, but you can't unstretch it back and return it to its original proportions.

figured out how to ban people, because honestly, no comment form should be released in the wild without the ability to restrict annoying users, you know? x)

and another thing which i figured out: how to make emotes big if there's no text next to them. same as in discord. took me about half an hour ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

now i'm fixing bugs and adding some small unseen things here and there.

the next step will be uploading all of this to the live website and testing there.

and after that.. whooo boooy, do i have so many more features planned. just some of them off the top of my head:

display names. that bit in lighter text before "@ yourname". i want to let people set a different name.

upload your own avatar.

badges. currently only a moderator has a badge. i want to add badges for people who support me on Boosty too.

non-email notifications. i get only 1000 free emails from mailgun, and we could quickly run out if everyone subscribes to reply notifications. however, i learnt to keep my expectations low, so this may never happen due to low engagement (sadge). some non-email options via bots could be: discord, telegram.

ability to keep track of your own comments.

profile pages to look at other people's profiles?

linking tumblr/discord/etc/whatever. still need to think how i could use that. maybe link your tumblr, so that people could see your blog? or for alt login options.

btw, none of this will be ever released as a stand-alone piece of software. it's heavily linked to my current cms framework, so i can't be arsed to separate it, and also i have no idea what i'm doing 😎

-------------------------

here's the first post

ps. managed to fix a few bugs while writing this post :)

[mockingbirdshymn]

Tag Game: This or That Writer's Edition

tagged by @pens-swords-stuff and so. IT IS TIME!!!!

Btw for those I tag, you don’t have to do this or whatever it’s just a silly fun thing I’m doing

- Historical or Futuristic?

Futuristic, if only for the sake of not having to research every single goddamn thing about the 1800s or whatever. Reading wise, though, it’s definitely Historical.

- The opening or closing chapter?

Closing chapter omfg. Like. ITS SO SATISFYING TO WRITE. It’s a cherry on top. It’s what hits the hardest. Opening chapters are amazing to write, but ending chapters? Hit me write in the feels to both read and write. It’s the end of an adventure for both the author and reader.

- Light&Fluffy or Dark&Gritty?

If I’m reading, I adore light and fluffy. Writing wise, and assuming that’s what this context is because it’s from a writeblr account, DARK FOR THE WIN. Angst is so fun to write like. Oh my god. It’s so fun idk how to say it I just love writing it.

- Animal companion or found family?

Kicks my dadvid and momgwen aus under the fridge. Yeah I’d say I like found family. It’s genuinely the best. Finding familial comfort in other people and getting a family when before you didn’t have one. It’s just. I love.

- Horror or romance?

Writing wise it has to be horror. It’s easier lmao. But it also depends on the fandom. For Camp Camp its definitely romance, but overall I like writing horror. I barely write it tho

- Hard or soft magic system?

Idk what this means but I’m assuming it means complex and not complex and I have to say complex. Making those complicated rules is like a little adventure for me. I love worldbuilding sm it’s insane

- Standalone or series?

I don’t rlly write series when it comes to fics. I’ll write sequels and spin-offs but never with the intention for a linear storyline to be spread between fics. For actual books I love writing series, tho I haven’t published anything yet, so I’m going with this for fics

- One project at a time or always juggling 2+ projects?

My current list of projects -

1- Longest oneshot ever, name pending

2- Space Kid Dadvid Momgwen AU ft Max

3- Showtime which I hate now I literally despise the first chapter

4- That one SK and Dolph friendship fic

5- Gwenvid oneshot where the campers play matchmaker and plot twist it works

6- Road trip fic hell yeah

The only real active one is the name pending oneshot, because I love working on it, but every now and then I’ll write a bit for the others.

- One award winner or one bestseller?

Haha I’m actually working on a book right now, and if I end up getting it publish I’d adore it being a bestseller. One, because I adore the idea of that many people reading something I made. Two, because when picking out books to read, bestseller catches my eye more than awards, oddly enough. I mostly write fics tho. Translating this into hits vs kudos, probably hits? But comments are better than everything ever actually. Ily people who do that

- Fantasy or Sci-Fi?

Inhales and exhales. I FUCKING LOVE FANTASY. Oh my god it’s amazing. I wrote a fae fic once for another fandom that was never published. I really liked that one. Fantasy can be so awesome in so many AUs. I like sci-fi but fantasy wins for this one.

- Character or setting description?

I like both lol. I scarcely do really detailed descriptions, but I like both of them equally. Setting is a bit easier and more common in my writing, I think, so I’ll go with that.

- First or final draft?

FINAL DRAFTS ARE SO SATISFYING OMG. To read your fic and fix all the last mistakes, then at least get to publish it? Its so satisfying. Like. It all finally being done. It’s incredible, especially when the fic is one you’ve worked on for a while.

- Love triangle or no romantic plots?

Does a poly relationship count as a love triangle? If so, yes. But I also enjoy writing some good ol’ gen fics. Love triangles where it ends in like choosing one or the other always irks me, idk why

- Constant sandstorm or rainstorm?

Is this a metaphor. My autistic ass could never. But I like the rain and writing the rain soooo ummmmm id say that? Tell me if i missed the actual meaning and I’ll edit it ahdkdjdhe

Uhh ppl I’ll tag to continue this or whatever idk I’ve never done this before lmao: @oreayourlocalannoyingidiot @fruit-kick @personification-of-sloth IDK IF THE LAST TWO OF U WRITE STUFF! SKIP THIS IF YOU DONT