#i knew she's basically nonexistent in the movies but omg

[midnightrings]

Favorite Female Characters (2/∞) - Nymphadora Tonks [Harry Potter]

"My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities...like the ability to behave myself."

[halloweenismyfav]

《 Here's Mallory's relationship list! Up next is Thorn's. I included my other OCs here too, along with RSA! (You can clearly see which ones I've thought of more) This is a long one, so buckle up. 》

Mallory Robinett's Relationships

Heartslabyul

Riddle Rosehearts: Mallory has a strange fascination with Riddle. She was a Disney gal when on Earth, Alice in Wonderland being her favorite movie they made. She kinda hated the Queen of Hearts since she was all high and mighty, but when she saw Riddle...all she thought was "omg smol tsun tsun". After his overblot, she held him close and allowed him to hide his tears. Riddle finds her obsession fascination with him a bit odd, but he's seen weirder in his own dorm, so he just lets her do her thing and is her friend nonetheless.

Trey Clover: "Big brother Trey". That's pretty much it. One time, Mallory told Trey about chocolate-hazelnut wafers and how she loved them back on Earth, so he made them for her after. She was delighted and it's become tradition for them since. He's basically her big bro. It's pretty wholesome.

Cater Diamond: Mallory finds Cater a bit annoying, she won't lie. She just finds the whole "influencer" thing a bit odd. Other than that, she doesn't entirely mind Cater. They don't talk all too often however, so they don't know each other too well. Mallory hopes to have that change before they graduate or before she goes home.

Ace Trappola: If these two are seen together, you may wanna run. Mallory and Ace are pretty much inseparable after finally getting along during Heartslabyul's episode. Mallory will admit, she finds Ace attractive, and she's said it to him before on a couple occasions. She may feel more than just that, but she doesn't like love and stuff like that, so she tries to ignore her rapidly beating heart whenever she's with Ace...

Deuce Spade: Deuce is one of the few people who sees Mallory's sweet side. She always makes sure he stays in line and if he starts to go all delinquent-mode, she pulls a "pull it together major". Of course, that's only if he starts to go overboard. Mallory knows what it's like to feel like a disappointment to a parent, so she reassures Deuce that it'll get better if he's truly wanting to be better.

Thorn Valley: Oh, these two despise each other. The only thing they can agree on is that they dislike Leona and that's pretty much it. Some people at NRC like to say they're like an old married couple(mainly Cater) and they always have to clarify that they hate each other. They can tolerate each other during events like Fairy Gala and such, but even then, they'll still bicker.

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar: Another person Mallory hates! She finds Leona's laziness a menace, while he gets a kick out of annoying her. Their relationship is similar to how Vil and Leona act to put it bluntly. They do have similar humor though, so it's strange whenever someone else sees them laughing together.

Ruggie Bucchi: One time Ruggie stole her sandwich and she makes sure he'll never live it down. Knowing he had a rough time back in the Afterglow Savana however, she tones it down by a lot. She knows he's a gremlin, but she also knows that he's a human like anyone else and tries to treat him with some kind of kindness and respect. They don't talk all too often, but they've talked enough to be considered a bit more than acquaintances.

Jack Howl: He gives her piggyback rides more often than you would think, but it's always cause she asks if he can. He can't say no to her face, he doesn't know why, so he goes along with it. He finds her more as his sister than anything, Mallory finding the feeling mutual. She loves to hang out with him and Epel, but the one time that Jack offered her to come with him and Vil to jog, she backed up ten feet and said no.

Octavinelle

Azul Ashengrotto: Mallory was infuriated when Azul took Ramshackle away from her and Grim for those couple days. She was doing that thing where she was telling Adeuce and Jack to "hold her (nonexistent) earrings" or to "hold her back". After finding out his backstory however, she softened, even if only by a bit. Her relationship with him got better after Scarabia's incident.

Jade Leech: Mallory doesn't like Jade, but she doesn't hate him either. He's probably the most tolerable person in Octavinelle to her. She was also close to slapping Jade once. She doesn't interact with him too often, so she can only go off of how he was during Octavinelle and Scarabia's episode.

Floyd Leech: Floyd is the vain of Mallory's existence. During the Octavinelle episode, she almost slapped him into oblivion. She honestly can't tell who she hates more, Thorn, Leona, or Floyd. He's constantly trying to "squeeze" her like he does with everyone else and she can't stand it. She doesn't like to talk to him and tries to avoid him when she can.

Marius Seymour: Mallory doesn't entirely mind Marius. She kinda finds his sadistic-ish personality a bit annoying, but she's learned that it's a reoccuring thing in Octavinelle. Marius' sadism isn't as bad as the other three. She lowkey ships him with Ashe and isn't shy about it. She finds him kinda fun to be around and likes to eat with him at lunch from time to time.

Scarabia

Kalim Al-Asim: The first time she talked to him, she knew that he was so precious and was wondering if he belonged at RSA. He's also one of the few people to see Mallory's sweet side. She can't bring herself to be sarcastic with him, so she acts almost entirely different with him. It basically goes as such...

----

Mallory: *being all sweet it Kalim*

Everyone else: Wow...

Mallory: What?

Everyone else: You're just so nice to him...

Mallory: Oh, I'm sorry, do you want me to yell?!

Everyone else: No-!

----

Jamil Viper: Mallory's...indifferent to Jamil. She almost slapped him after his overblot, yes, but she doesn't entirely hate him. She knows he was in Kalim's shadow for so long, so she doesn't have too much against him. She still isn't happy with how he treated and hypnotized Kalim, but she tries to let it go as much as her heart and brain will let her. She doesn't talk to him much after his overblot, but if she needs to talk to him, she won't throw a tantrum.

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit: At first, Mallory thought that she'd hate Pomefiore, especially Vil. But...she saw and heard how much effort it took for Vil to get to where he is now, so she has a lot of respect for him. For Ghost Marriage, he chose an outfit for her so that she fit the theme of the event and she actually liked his outfit choices. It was a dress, which she tends to hate, but she genuinely enjoyed wearing it. She may not talk to him a whole lot, but she respects him greatly. After his overblot, that respect and empathy went up even more.

Rook Hunt: Mallory, like many others at NRC, finds Rook weird and creepy. She already found the fact that he has photos on his walls creepy, but then he lists off her, ADeuce and Grim's height, class, and seat number. She tries to avoid him at all costs, similar to Floyd. She hates how he randomly pops up behind her and the others too.

Epel Felmier: Mallory loves Epel! She likes to hang out with him, Jack, and Deuce. She's trying to learn how to carve apples, though she's gained many cuts on her fingers because of it, the cuts always bandaged up by Epel. Since she's taller than him, she likes to use him as an arm-rest from time to time, much to Epel's demise. All in all, she adores him and wishes the best for him.

Ashe Aspen: Mallory finds Ashe fun, but they don't talk as often as she'd like. He's really tall, so she likes when he gives her piggyback rides too. She's witnessed his truly scary side, and she's sworn to never make him mad since. Similar to Ruggie, they may not talk much, but they've talked enough to be considered a bit more than acquaintances.

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud: Best of friends. Specifically BGFFs, "Best Gamer Friends Forever". Idia introduced Mallory to a bunch of games in Twisted Wonderland and she couldn't put them down. They talk whenever they can and everyone is shocked when Mallory says she's Idia's friend. She likes his hair a lot too.

Ortho Shroud: Mallory finds Ortho like the younger sibling she never had but always wanted. She always makes sure he's ok, telling him that he can come to her if he ever needs to talk. She also thought that he did amazing during the VCD Auditions.

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia: She knows for a fact that if she was still her same seven year old self, she'd want him to give her a piggyback ride so she could hold his horns. Mallory finds his innocent outlook on some things adorable, but more in a sense of "wow he's pure" rather than romantically. For the most part though, their relationship is the same as it's portrayed in the game.

Lilia Vanrouge: They have a relationship like Mallory does with Riddle, just flip it around. Lilia seems to be fascinated by her, seeing as she's a human from another world while he's a fae who's lived for hundreds of years. She may be taller than him, but he always floats above the ground so he's at least her height. She finds him fun to hang with, so she's fine with his strange fascination.

Sebek Zigvolt: She finds him too loud, but she appreciates his devotion to Malleus. Sometimes it concerns her, but other than that, she respects it. They don't talk often, but she kinda wants that to change soon. Other than that, he's the member she's the least close to.

Silver: They're cuddling buddies and don't even know it. Mallory spends a lot of time in Diasomnia, so naturally she is close with the dorm's members. She likes to crash in Silver's room at times, so that's how they became secret cuddle buddies.

Other

Dire Crowley: Mallory finds it kinda fun to toy with Crowley, but found it incredibly annoying when he left to go on vacation during Scarabia's episode. Although it's something she'd never admit, Mallory sees Crowley as that fun and strange father she never got to have.

Divius Crewel: She hates him with a lot of her being. She hates how he treats them all like dogs. However, when there are those few times he's nice to her and makes sure she doesn't make an explosion in Alchemy, she's thankful.

Mozus Trein: She finds his class pretty boring, but she loves playing with his cat. She does appreciate when Trein gives her extra help if she doesn't understand something revolving around Twisted Wonderland's history.

Ashton Vargas: Mallory is a bit indifferent to Vargas. While he can be nice to her, she finds him a bit odd. She does however appreciate how Vargas makes sure she takes care of her physical and mental health.

Libi Koko: Libi and Mallory are pretty much the best of friends. Since Libi is one of the few females in NRC with Mallory, it feels nice that she can talk to someone who understands some issues they may have that the guys don't. They have a lot of inside jokes and, again, Libi is one of the few poeple who have seen Mallory's sweet side.

Che'nya: Prank duo, right here. If they're together, it's like an Ace and Mallory situation, but worse. Since they go to different schools, they can't talk often, but they managed to exchange numbers who knows when just a bit after the Heartslabyul incident. Sometimes, Che'nya likes to give Mallory hugs, but he's always invisible and know one except Mallory can tell he's there. He likes to tease Mallory a bit, much to her slight demise, so she's started to do the same. It's an endless cycle now.

Neige LeBlanche: Mallory already adored Neige the first time she met him. Her first thought was "he's baby. I must protect". They may not talk often, due to being in different schools, but they exchanged numbers to ensure that they still had the ability to talk. Neige is in a situation similar to Kalim in terms of how sweet Mallory is.

[katsvra]

Tagged by @ryuzakki ​ thank you so much anthea <33

tagging: @kuruisu, @lovekuramas, @ocarinnas @kishitan-iis @usagiyamah @haru-kaas

rules: answer these 85 statements about yourself, then tag 15 people

LAST

1. drink - green tea !

2. 📱 call -  my mom 

3. text - a friend texting to ask about concert merch 

4. song you listened to - idk the name of the song but its the yakuza 0 soundtrack

5. time you 😢 - yesterday tbh 

HAVE YOU EVER

6. dated someone twice - never even dated anyone once lmao 

7. 😘 someone and regretted it - never kissed anyone either

8. been cheated on - nope

9. lost someone special - yes, when i was quite young

10. been depressed - yeah 

11. gotten drunk and thrown up - never thrown up after drinking 

FAVORITE COLORS

12. (pastel) pink !! 

13. purple

14. blue

15. yellow ! 

in the last year have you

16. made new friends - yes  !! 

17. fallen out of 💛 - nope nope

18. 😂 until you 😢 - yes i have !! ive got some funny friends :’) 

19. found out someone was talking about you - nope but im sure people are 

20. met someone who changed you - um i didnt meet anyone knew but i got closer to some people who changed me!

21. found out who your friends are - not really 

22. 😘 someone on your facebook friends list - nope nope 

GENERAL

23. how many friends from your fb friends list do you know irl - all of them except tania and joanne

24. do you have any pets - i have a hamster named beanu ! 

25. do you want to change your middle name - not really, its my chinese name and i quite like it c: 

26. what did you do for your last 🎂 - i thought we were throwing a surprise party for my friend but when i showed up, it turns out they were all throwing a surprise party for me and it was super sweet :’) we ended up going for korean bbq  and karaoke ! 

27. what time did you wake up today - 12pm /sweats

28. what were you doing last night at midnight - working on my midterm notes 

29. what is something you can’t wait for - MARIANAS TRENCH CONCERT !! this wednesday!!!! i havent shut up about it for weeks !!!

30. what are you listening to right now - still the yakuza 0 soundtrack ! 

31. have you ever talked to a person named tom - i knew someone named tommy which i think is close enough

32. something that gets on your nerves - when people :)) are late :))) and they dont notify you that they will be late :)))) so you just sit there for an hour, not sure if they are actually going to show up :))))))) 

33. most visited website - twitter & youtube & probably my school website 

34. hair color - auburn ish with black roots now lol 

35. long hair or short hair - i have rlly long hir and i like it on me ! altho i think short hair is adorable in general

36. do you have a crush on someone - nope

37. what do you like about yourself - i like that i try to view things optimistically, that im decently good at art, that im a big dreamer 

38. want any piercings - i used to until i found out im allergic to whatever they make earrings etc out of

39. blood type - tbh they told me and i forgot

40. nicknames - carz, carmine, weeb, dumbass, sunshine (which is still???? the cutest??)

41. relationship status - nonexistent

42. zodiac - virgo

43. pronouns - she/her

44. favorite 📺 show - hmm i havent watched tv in a while but the first that come to mind are b99 and doctor who. also rosy business!!! and scarlet heart (the original chinese one) was rlly good!

45. tattoos - love it on others, not so much myself

46. right handed or left - right!

47. ever had surgery - i mean,,, not that i can remember? 

48. piercings - I mean pierced ears but they are closing so ?? 

49. sports - i love skiing, skating and rollerblading !!! basically i dont like team sport, i like sports where i can just enjoy being outside c: 

50. vacation - we are planning a trip to BANFF!!! and im so excited!!! BANFF is such a gorgeous park and its just one of my dreams to go hiking or canoeing there omg ;; ^ ;; 

51. trainers - ??? are these running shoes??? i wear them in the summer bc i walk a lot, not so much winter bc canada is freaking cold

MORE GENERAL

52. eating - just gum

53. drinking - green tea, its all i ever drink

54. i’m about to watch - nothing since i need to study (but realistically, im going to watch yu yu hakusho)

55. waiting for - the concert ! and also for my acceptance (or rejection) letters to come in

56. want - a degree that can actually get me a job lol

57. get married - let me actually get into a relationship first before i think about this lol

58. career - dream career? field ecologist or working in a sanctuary or really anything environmental. realistically? teacher or nurse

WHICH IS BETTER

59. kisses or hugs - hugs def

60. 👄 or eyes - eyes

61. shorter or taller - taller

62. older or younger - older, im already immature enough for the both of us

63. nice arms or stomach - ?? neither tbh

64. hookup or relationship - relationship

65. troublemaker or hesitant - a bit of both !

HAVE YOU EVER

66. 😘 a stranger - nope, im literally the most boring person

67. drank hard liquor - yupp, actually more often than i should

68. lost glasses - yeah ^^;;

69. turned someone down - i think? in like elementary? 

70. sex on first date - nope

71. broken someone’s ❤️- maybe?? but like in elementary??? so does that even count lol

72. had your ��� - not really but ive felt super betrayed by friends

73. been arrested - not yet 

74. 😢 when someone died - ,,,, yeah 

75. fallen for a friend - yes but she straight af so 

DO YOU BELIEVE IN

76. yourself - on good days ! 

77. miracles - not really

78. 💛 at first sight - with fictional characters maybe. irl? nah

79. 🎅 - lmao santa vixx maybe

80. 😘 on a first date - ?? idk let me go on a date first and ill get back to you eventually

81. angels - only friends sweet enough to be angels

other

82. best friend’s name - they all have unique names so let me use their nicknames: uma, sai, rita & veanu, what would i do without them :’( 

83. eye color - brown 

84. favorite movie - Lord of the Rings & Howl’s Moving Castle !!!! and a bunch of really old movies that im not gonna bother listing

85. favorite actor - i mean i really liked andy lau for a long time. and also wayne lai & sheren tang because i just ADORE rosy business. and ryan reynolds. always ryan reynolds. 

[heroineimages]

Small-Town AU

So I ran across another Korra AU I wrote part of a scene for and decided to finish it last night. It’s kind of a small-town/roommates AU with Asami as the new girl in town. Basically, Ikki ships Korra and Asami from the start and gets pretty insistent about them getting together. If her exuberance comes across as a little annoying, I’m okay with that. But if she gets obnoxious, let me know, and I’ll tone it back. Feedback welcome. 

“Headed your way,” Asami texted as she shouldered her carry-on bag and made her way through the airport terminal.

“OMG cant wait 2 meet u!” came Ikki’s reply. “U want coffee?”

“Sure,” she texted back, “iced chi latte.”

“Cool, c u soon!”

Asami smiled as she slipped her phone back into the pocket of her blouse. Off and on for about a week now, she’d been texting back and forth with her new landlord Tenzin and his daughter Ikki. Tenzin and his family had already been incredibly welcoming, but Ikki was the one who seemed the most enthusiastic. Though, Asami was quickly learning that Ikki was enthusiastic about pretty much everything.

This was it, she kept telling herself—a chance to start over. She was escaping the mess that her father had made of her life. She was escaping the financial backlash, the hate, and the death threats that came with his crimes and mistakes. She was escaping the professional nightmare that her career became in the wake of accusations that she’d been involved in her father’s fraud and embezzlement charges. And she was escaping her ex and other fair-weather friends who’d bailed as soon as things got tough for her. Asami was putting all of that behind her. This was a new start in a new town on the opposite end of the country. She was someplace where no one knew or cared who she was or who her father was and wouldn’t judge her for that.

Granted, she smiled to herself, teaching Business Communications and Introduction to Mechanical Engineering courses at a community college in the unlikely named central-Washington town of Republic City was a criminal waste of her talents.

But at least she was free.

A bizarre sight awaited Asami as she stepped off the escalator leading to the pick-up and drop-off area. A sixteen-year-old girl held a sign over her head with Asami’s name on it, dancing to whatever song was playing on her iPod. The girl had dark brown-hair with dark-purple forelocks framing her elf-like face. She wore a rainbow bracelet, R2-D2 earrings, jeans, and a black tee-shirt that read, “Tell your mom thanks for breakfast.” Other people around gave the girl strange looks and a wide berth.

“Hi, I’m Asami,” Asami greeted, smiling and extending her hand as she approached. “You must be Ikki. It’s lovely to finally meet you.”

Ikki’s eyes widened as she looked up at Asami and removed her ear buds.

“Oh my god, you’re so pretty!” she squealed, rushing past Asami’s hand to hug her. Asami frowned and awkwardly patted Ikki’s back.

“Thanks. I’m… glad you think so…” Asami trailed off, looking down at Ikki’s head pressed against her shoulder.

“Will you be Korra’s girlfriend?” Ikki blurted, looking up at her.

“What?” Asami frowned again.

“Will you please be Korra’s girlfriend?” Ikki begged, stepping back and looking genuinely panicked that Asami might say no. She took Asami’s right hand in both of hers and looked up pleadingly. “Korra, your new roommate—I think my dad, Tenzin, told you about her—she’s getting us coffee right now. I really, really, think you should be her new girlfriend. She’s so pretty and nice and amazing and you’re pretty and nice and amazing, too. She’s my best friend ever, and I love her so much, and I really want her to find a girlfriend who’s as amazing and pretty as she is. So please will you be her girlfriend?”

“Well, I haven’t even met Korra yet, so it’s hard to say,” Asami answered, trying to placate her. “But since Korra and I will be living together, I’m sure I’ll have plenty of chances to get to know her better. We’ll see how things develop, alright?”

“Well, okay, but please, please consider it,” Ikki urged. She grabbed Asami’s right hand and dragged her across the terminal. “Korra went this way to get our coffee. Let’s go find her so you can fall in love at first sight and play videogames together and fall asleep on the couch and get married and make out in the hot tub and–and oh my god,” she turned around excitedly, walking backward and pulling Asami with her. “Just think of how cute your babies will be!”

Asami wasn’t sure whether or not to laugh. “Um, if we’re both girls we can’t exactly—”

“No, false,” Ikki insisted, turning back around. “They are working on that technology!”

“If you say so,” Asami chuckled in spite of herself at Ikki’s determination. A few passersby gave them puzzled looks. Asami didn’t really blame them.

“There’s my trusty sidekick!” Ikki declared as they neared the airport’s cute little cabin-themed coffeehouse. “See, that’s Korra,” she pointed to a woman around Asami’s age, leaving the coffee place with a recyclable drinks tray. “Isn’t she pretty?” Ikki whispered loudly to Asami. “Did ya fall in love yet? Huh? Are ya ready to show Korra the magic of romance?”

Asami had to admit that Korra was kind of hot. Athletic and fairly muscular, she wore a light-blue tank top and dark-blue work jeans with a Seattle Mariners baseball cap over short, dark hair.

“What’s that about the ‘magic of romance’?” Korra asked as she walked up, extending her free hand. “Hey, I’m Korra,” she greeted. “You must be Asami.”

“Lovely to meet you,” Asami smiled, releasing Ikki’s hand to accept Korra’s. “This little one’s been really selling you up for the last few minutes.”

“Isn’t she pretty, Korra?” Ikki insisted as Korra handed out drinks. Ikki had what looked like either a raspberry or cherry Italian soda while Korra’s latté smelled of caramel. “You two should totally be girlfriends and get married!” Ikki gushed.

Asami somehow managed not to choke on her latté.

“Ikki!” Korra scolded, frowning.

“It’s alright,” Asami assured her. “I’m sure Ikki tries to set you up with every pretty girl you meet.”

“Actually, no, this isn’t like her,” Korra said, scowling thoughtfully at her young friend. “Normally she’s super critical of anyone I take an interest in.”

“That’s because none of them were Asami!” Ikki insisted. “I mean, look at her.” She gestured to Asami with both hands, glaring as if Korra was the most clueless person on Earth.

“I mean, I suppose she has a point,” Asami added, mostly to cut through the awkwardness.

“Yeah,” Korra admitted, scratching at the back of her head. “You are super pretty.”

“Thanks, so are you,” Asami smiled back. She learned in that moment that Korra had a very lovely blush.

“Yes! Oh, my god, you two are so freaking cute!” Ikki squeaked.

“We should probably go get the rest of your luggage,” Korra suggested, still looking sheepish. “Luggage pickup is this way.”

“Lead on,” Asami smiled, rather enjoying watching Korra’s back.

“Those two matching dark-grey suitcases,” Asami pointed them out on the turntable when they arrived at pickup minutes later.

“Got ‘em,” Korra assured her, stepping over and picking up one in each hand. “Oh, these aren’t as heavy as I’d expected,” she frowned, sounding disappointed at how easily lifted them off the conveyor.

“Hehe, can’t show off as well that way?” Ikki asked, smirking bigger. “Not as much of a gun show as you were expecting.”

“I only needed clothes for two or three days until the movers bring the rest of my stuff,” Asami assured them. “Tenzin said you had an air mattress I could use until my bed gets here.”

“Yeah, it’s already set up in the living room, but we can move it, easily,” Korra said, leading the way through the automatic doors.

“We had Opal and Jinora over to watch all of the Toy Story movies the other night,” Ikki explained, skipping through the doors behind Korra. “Oh, I know! We should totally have them over again next weekend, but with Asami. And we can move the couch and recliners together and use some blankets to make a fort. And we can make popcorn and brownies and cocoa. And we can watch Return of the Jedi or Return of the King or maybe have a Mario Kart tournament instead! Or we can—”

“Alright, I get it, loquacious one,” Korra laughed.

“Does… Ikki live there, too?” Asami frowned as she followed them into the parking garage.  

Korra laughed again. “It almost seems that way, sometimes,” she agreed. “It’s about a ten-minute walk and a four-minute bike ride from our place to her family’s. She comes over regularly and tries to stay the night every chance she gets.”

“You’re way cooler than my sister and brothers,” Ikki shrugged, skipping to a halt beside a navy-blue ’67 Mustang Hardtop. “Shotgun!” she hollered, running around to the passenger door and trying to open it despite it being locked. “Open the door, Korra!”

“I’ll get right on that,” Korra answered, setting down one suitcase. She held her keys up and made a passable imitation of a keyless-entry noise while pushing the nonexistent unlock button.

“Still didn’t work,” Ikki informed her, still fiddling with the door handle.

Asami chuckled as Korra shook her head and unlocked the trunk on the Mustang. The trunk honestly looked too small for her suitcases, but Korra fit both in without issue. The Mustang intrigued Asami. It was in good condition, but not perfect condition—a few minor scratches and dents and a paint job that was at least twenty years old. It was a six-speed manual transmission as well, and Asami was pretty sure she remembered the base-model ‘60’s Mustangs all having automatics. And the stereo with CD player and MP3 hookup definitely wasn’t original.

“Sweet ride,” she commented as Korra shut the trunk.

“Thanks, though it’s technically my dad’s,” Korra said, leaning against the bumper. “Grandpa had one just like it back when Dad was a kid. Dad was about seventeen when my uncle wrecked it—lost control on an icy road and wrapped it around a power pole. Uncle was fine, but I guess losing that car broke Grandpa’s heart more than he let on. Dad bought and fixed up this one for Grandpa for his sixtieth birthday, then inherited it back when Grandpa died a few years later. I drive it now because Dad’s too tall to fit comfortably in the driver’s seat.”

“Hey!” an impatient voice piped up before Asami could reply. “You gonna unlock this or not?”

Korra chuckled and shook her head again as she circled to the passenger side. “You’re in the back, Ikki,” Korra told her as she opened the door. “I don’t care that you called ‘shotgun.’”

“Ugh, but there’s no leg room back there,” Ikki protested.

“Exactly, and Asami’s got a lot more leg to find room for,” Korra pointed out.

Ikki turned and looked at Asami’s knee-length skirt. “Yeah, fair point,” Ikki decided, turning back to Korra. “But I’m only doing this because I believe in the preservation of rare and priceless works of art,” she added as she climbed in the back seat.

“Set this in the seat beside you, Ikki?” Asami asked, handing her carry-on bag back behind the seat.

“Got it,” Ikki said, taking the bag. She made a show of buckling a seatbelt around it.

“Oh, thanks,” Asami raised her brows as Korra extended a hand to help her into the car. “What a gentlewoman.” The seats weren’t as comfortable as Asami was used to, but there was a ruggedness to the old Mustang that she found appealing.

“What kinds of music do you like, Asami?” Korra asked, sitting in the driver’s seat and plugging her smart phone into the MP3 hookup.

“Most kinds,” Asami shrugged. “I’ve got songs and artists I like and don’t like in most genres.”

“Here,” Korra offered, handing Asami the smart phone. “I’ve got a couple-dozen playlists, so take your pick.”

Asami skimmed the playlist titles as Korra started the car and backed out of her parking spot. Korra indeed had a diverse set of playlists. One was labeled “Celtic Rock,” another “Outlaw Country,” another for “Classic Rock,” and another for “Gaming Soundtracks.” Other lists were titled after activities, such as “Roadtrip Tunes” or “Workout Tunes” or “Reading Music.” Yet others were named after people she knew, such as “Dad Tunes,” “Bolin Jams,” or “Ikki Songs.”

“Do I dare ask what ‘Ikki Songs’ consists of?” Asami asked, largely to get to know her two new friends better.

“Oh, yeah!” Ikki insisted. “We totally have to play my list!”

“It’s about a two-and-a-half-hour drive,” Korra admitted. “So there’s time to play a decent chunk of it.”

“What kind of songs are on it?” Asami asked while Korra pulled out of the parking garage.

“Love songs, mostly,” Korra shrugged, “and from lots of different genres.”

“But there’s a theme to them,” Ikki said. “See if you can guess what it is. And you have to sing along to all the ones you know. It’s the rules.”

“Alright, I’ll try it,” Asami decided, pressing the playlist.

The first song was the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer.” Though she knew most of the words, Asami just listened to Ikki and Korra belt out the lyrics. Korra in particular had kind of a pleasant singing voice, and both of them bobbed their heads about as they sang.

The next song was Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight,” followed by Garth Brooks’s “That Summer.” Asami continued to just listen as she pondered what theme they had in common. Her first clue came during Janis Joplin’s rendition of “Me and Bobby McGee,” when Ikki and Korra both sang “I let her slip away,” instead of him. Asami felt her lip twist as she pondered the implications.

The next song was “The Star of the County Down,” by an Irish folk band Asami wasn’t familiar with. But during Chris Ledoux’s “Look at You, Girl,” she noted a change in the lyrics again during the chorus when both her new friends sang “I’m an ordinary gal” instead of “ordinary man.”

Asami laughed as she realized Ikki and Korra weren’t actually singing the songs themselves, they were singing lesbian covers of the songs. She didn’t know the words to Sinatra’s “You Make Me Feel so Young,” but the next song on the list was Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon.”

Grinning and taking a chance, Asami joined in the song, belting the lyrics with them. When the song got to the line “He’s not your kind,” she replaced “he” with “she” right on cue. Ikki cheered, and Korra laughed and gave Asami a quick high-five.

The stories these songs told became so much more fun and interesting when sung this way, Asami decided. When Brad Paisley’s “Mud on the Tires” came on, Asami laughed, visualizing two lesbian cowgirls bouncing around in a new Chevy 4X4. Dean Martin’s “Standin’ on the Corner” became a story of a shy girl fantasizing about the pretty girls she saw walking about. Ray Kennedy’s “What a Way to Go” was instead about a humorous, self-deprecating butch sitting in a bar, laughing about her failed romances.

And Jennifer Saunders’s cover of “I Need a Hero” became the more fun—if slightly awkward to sing—“I Need a Heroine.” Instead of a “streetwise Hercules” it was a “streetwise Amazon” fighting the rising odds, and a super-girl sweeping her off her feet.

Asami spent most of the drive laughing or singing along to the songs that she knew. It was such a silly, geeky little game, and she wondered how Korra and Ikki came up with the idea. Asami honestly couldn’t recall when she’d ever had more fun hanging out with two other girls.

She decided that she really liked these two weirdos.