#she doesn't struggle like that with making friends

[kianamaiart]

IDWTBAMG CHARACTER FUN FACTS

Well, some fun facts and mostly lore or character relationship stuff. Under the cut!

AIKA

Aika became the next Star Guardian at age 13. She’s 15 now

Aika’s want to help people and relentless positivity were part of the reason she was chosen to be the Star Guardian: Guardian of the Stars in the first place. While her love for the job has fizzled out, this aspect of her character still a core part of her.

She’s very kind and gentle person but that kinda goes out the window when magical duties are brought into the equation

Her and Hoshi care about one another but their relationship is currently a bit tense. They’re usually pretty quick to make jabs at one another

She struggled to get used to the platform shoes in her magical girl outfit

She LOVES food. And her eyes are usually way too big for her stomach leading to many a food coma

Aika and her teammates worked in secret for the most part, not really being allowed to “exist in the real world”. Because of this, with the free time she had, Aika would read a lot (she’s actually very book smart)

Aika loves extreme sports and is an adrenaline junky. However, rollercoasters freak her out for some reason

Aika drags Zira into lots of new eperiences. Zira usually ends up appreciating the experiences after the fact 

Aika’s a morning person

ZIRA

Zira is smart but doesn’t apply herself in school

They have a lot of artistic interests, particularly art, music and fashion

She likes the idea of writing fanfiction in theory but writing’s sooooo much work. Any ideas she has just kinda live in her head, causing her to zone out and daydream a ton

While shy for the most part, Zira can be very blunt and isn’t necessarily a pushover

Prior to Aika, she didn’t have a lot (any) friends at school but she’s mostly content doing her own thing

They’d hang out in Miss’ classroom a lot, either to show her Moon Sailor stuff against her will or just to have lunch

Zira loves playing video games and especially loves visual novels

Zira develops a crush on Aika pretty quickly. Aika’s kindness, authenticity and bravery is inspiring to Zira. Also Aika’s the only other person her age to really give her the time of day. And also she thinks Aika’s pretty

She thinks Hoshi’s really cool and since Aika doesn’t particularly enjoy talking about her job, Zira usually goes to Hoshi for magical girl questions. Initially Hoshi doesn’t trust Zira with that information but is really flattered to have someone who looks up to them and is interested in everything they have to say. So they indulge when appropriate.

Zira’s a night owl

HOSHI

Hoshi saved Aika when she was really young and has kept her safe ever since

Hoshi and Aika started off kind of like siblings but Hoshi then became her boss, making their relationship a bit strained and more complicated

Their role as a magical mascot managerial in nature. They make Aika and her team do their jobs, follow protocol, teach them how to use their powers, keep up morale, do timecards, etc.

While Hoshi oversees this team, their responsibility is primarily to the Star Guardian

Hoshi, much like Aika, used to be really chipper and a bit more goofy but Aika’s kinda worn them down overtime

Hoshi’s not a fan of Earth, but in an effort to better understand Aika’s feelings, tries out being a human and doing Earth activities

Hoshi takes a while to get used to their human form. They’re really clumsy in it

They have a hard time making hands for their human form. Their hands are slightly different every time but equally terrifying. They eventually get better at making them though.

Hoshi doesn't use their human form too much. Most people just assume their Aika's weird pet bird

Hoshi doesn't need to eat but discovers they enjoy the act of eating

ECLIPSE

Eclipse is one of the few humans that know that Aika and the other magical girls exist

He met Aika pretty early on in her magical girl career and he was immediately enamored with her

Since finding about magical girls, he’s obsessively tried keeping track of them, leading him to start acting out in order to get their attention. They only really care because he knows their secret and they play along

He and Devoid made his current outfit together. DeVoid wanted to make it black but Eclipse was set on making it very bright and showy

Eclipse currently resides with DeVoid. He gets on her nerves sometimes but they both do care about each other

Eclipse is a pretty good cook 

Eclipse isn’t particularly hateful but he’s really got beef with Zira for some reason

It’s hard to tell if Eclipse is really in love with Aika or if he just loves the concept of their nonexistent relationship

Eclipse has a lovely singing voice

His real name is Elio

LADY DeVOID

DeVoid was banished to space by a Star Guardian. For a LONG time she lived (unconsciously) as a sort of celestial being that would spit out monsters that the Star Guardians for many generations would have to face. While not ideal it was better than fighting DeVoid before she got to full power.

DeVoid finally wakes up in the present timeline, with no memories other than being banished by a Star Guardian and wanting revenge and knowing that she’s supposed to be able to create monsters. Unfortunately for her, she doesn’t remember how to use her powers. She doesn’t even remember her name, so she came up with “Lady DeVoid”

DeVoid loves human reality TV. Specifically competition shows. She loves how petty and evil people become

Reality TV is where most of her knowledge of humans comes from

Though DeVoid is pretty stoic, her ears are very expressive

DeVoid taught Eclipse how to do his makeup

She really likes Eclipse’s cooking

When she’s out and about she’s usually wearing sunglasses because it’s simply too bright for her

DeVoid does have to work a normal job in the human world and simply goes by “Dee”

People rarely question her appearance (because that’s just rude). But when people do ask what’s up with her horns she just says “it’s a condition” and that’s usually enough for people to just end the convo there.

MISS

Miss loves her job more than anything. She’s a very accomplished teacher and takes a lot of time to make sure all of her students succeed

Miss cares about Zira a lot. Always staying in her classroom just in case Zira wants to stop by for lunch, giving her advice or giving her extra tutoring as needed 

Because of Zira, Miss has become a closet Moon Sailor fan

Though Aika’s just started attending school, she and Miss have bonded quite a bit. Aika’s positive disposition and cheeriness bring Miss a lot of joy

Miss keeps her personal life (not that she really has one) out of work but finds herself opening up a little more than she’d like to Aika and Zira

Miss used to get really antsy during summer breaks, leading her to start teaching summer school to fill the time

Her workaholic nature was the reason for her and her ex-wife’s divorce

Miss has gone on one date since her divorce. The idea of having starting over is exhausting to her so she’s mostly okay just being single

Miss doesn’t really like coffee but she drinks a lot of it out of necessity

Miss has a ton of tattoos

[familyagrestefanblog]

Screw it, I'm gonna ask the question:

When has Marinette really struggling to make friends ever been a thing in the show? People are now using Marinette's anxiety as an excuse for why she struggled with behaving in any way normally around Sublime, as well as using it as "duh" explanation for why Adrien is in the "right" for saying that it is a normal thing for Marinette to not know how to befriend people.

But WHEN did she ever act like this while trying to make new friends or form a connection when it wasn't actually explicitly about Adrien?

Cause that's the thing: Adrien is incorrectly projecting the way Marinette treats him onto her treatment of Sublime, saying that this is normal for Marinette.

But its not.

This whole "you only have one chance to make a good impression to become someone's friend" has never been something Marinette's character thought or acted like. She has countless of friends, even more connections everywhere, she's the widely beloved hero of the city, and a team that trusts her and follows her every word.

Her anxiety can get a BIT in the way here and there in how she treats her regular friends (so excluding Chat Noir), but she never did THIS before to make a friend.

Her anxiety can have her badly judge people who she then treats worse, but once she gets over herself she barely has a problem to try and reconnect with them and be their friend

She ONLY treated Adrien like this, hence why he incorrectly projected onto Sublime. What are you all TALKING about that thats the REAL reason for her behaviour?

Shouldn't yall Marinette stans KNOW your fav well enough to know she never did THIS before?

Why are you all LYING?

[kurstyxscave]

"Huh... Azul-kun sure does have a lot more people around him lately. Guess I have to learn to share..."

(Ah! Im' so excited to finally post this. I love @quartztwst noyansim au so much! So many cute and cool yuusonas. One of my fav's has got to be @liyuviq)

Btw he modified his uniform to fit gyaruo More Info:::

Does Kursor have parents or family?

Yes, but he and his little brother, a first year, room together in the dorms.

What are their thoughts on Quartz?

"I like her hair. Oh wait- She's probably nice. Like the rest of Azul's fan club."

He likes to people watch during lunch, so he has seen her around. He thinks she looks kinda cool.

What is their thoughts and relationship with Azul? How did they meet Azul?

They met when he went to check out the board game club before signing up. They are on good terms, but Kursor doubts that Azul would call him a friend even though he feels that way. He really likes beating Azul in games and teasing them over it, mostly because he likes watching him get red in the face and get all competitive. Those feelings make Kursor assume he might have a crush on Azul.

What are their relationships with other characters/OCs?

"Idia? Oh he's cool I guess. We both like BeatCats, so its not that hard to talk to him."

Only really ever hangout or talk in the clubroom. They can be caught talking for long bouts of time over all kinds of dorky shit. Kursor is super into dorks, so he overlooks Idia's worst traits.

"T-Trey?! Who told you to ask me about him?"

Massive crush on him and shit at hiding it. He has the awful habit of staring and occasionally literally drooling over Trey.

"I like their cardigan... Maybe I should get one... Oh! I want to draw her!"

He gets too anxious to start conversations with any of them outside of compliments, small greetings, and basic etiquette. So he people watches and draws whomever he feels like. Though, he does get a little jealous of the other rivals. He likes being able to hang out with Azul whenever he wants and gets anxious over losing that.

What grade/year is he?

He's a 3rd year (18).

What is Kursor's goal for the school year or in life?

He hopes to make more friends, or maybe even a partner, during the school year. He kinda hates how much he struggles with that. He really hopes to be recognized more positively as a monster.

Kursor is being framed for murder of another student by Quartz, how does he react to that? Does he know it's Quartz?

He freaks the hell out, shifting into a werewolf in an attempt to escape wrongful imprisonment. He doesn't know it was Quartz specifically but his strong intuition keeps gnawing at him saying she did something. Unless if anyone else has antagonized him, he will keep thinking it was Quartz.

Kursor notices Quartz carrying a weapon in her skirt pocket. That's strange since the female school uniforms don't have skirt pockets. Does he report this?

He tries to report it anonymously. He doesn't want anyone to think he said anything. He will always keep his guard up around Quartz from then on.

Where is Kursor usually with or at during school? Classes? With Azul? Skipping class? Where do they eat lunch?

He can be found in the clubroom often. Between classes and lunch, he walks with his brother, stares at Trey, or very rarely trying to talk to Idia. Just as rarely, he attempts to ask Azul to eat with him one-on-one. Usually, he sits under a tree in the courtyard, eating and people watching.

How are his grades?

Kursor typically lucks his way into Bs. Cs at worst (he tries to study).

No Yandere Simulator ? (TWST AU)

AU Information:

This AU takes place similar to Yandere Sim but with Twisted Wonderland but Taro is Azul and Ayano is Quartz. Her goal is to eliminate… AZUL ASHENGROTTO. Yeah, her goal is actually to kill Azul and NOT the rivals. The rivals being your OCs/sonass and they have to protect Azul from Quartz and her dumb elimination plans.

More info on Quartz + Tweels info

Q&A for OCs!!! / PT 2

Flower Bullies info

Dormleader <- Student Council info + School info

This is an AU just for fun!! lol I just had a silly idea. Here’s a template if you wanna make your own oc into the AU (rival or not)

ALSO THEY DONT KNOW IT'S QUARTZ bc she's just a nobody girl

Bro you can tell I was hella lazy with Azul idk he’s too much

Rival List:

Romeo by @skrimpyskimpy

Shuu by @oya-oya-okay

Chiyo by @inotonline

Sable by @twsted-void

Jovie by @jovieinramshackle

Finn by @thehollowwriter

Elena by @angelwishess

Albert by @the-trinket-witch

Milo by @hy4c1nthh

Alice by @sinjaangels

Starrz by @astral-pr0jecti0n

Atlas by @silvery-stars-above

Mei by @ieatfriedeggs

Rubellite by @prefectrose

Yuuka by @hanizmiyu

NPC/Non-Rival List:

Elfie by @quartzelfgf

Higashikuramori Shin by @liyuviq

Jade Leech

Floyd Leech

Rizy by @rizdoodls

Yuuki by @theolivetree123

Joseph by @readsrandomstuff67

Yuubeni by @bunniehunn

Yuya by @cheerleaderman

Shuu and Silly by @sillybillymillyrilly

Superstar!! By @imafrealinrainbow478484

Viz (Vizzie) by @twistedwonderlandshenanigans

Yuhua by @distant-velleity

Nyx by @blackcat101

Gia by @ramshacklerumble

Yuuko by @silkkorchid

Moch by @thatsadguymochi

Faye by @faerieluvss

Yukana by @babyghoul138

Antoinette by @antoinettedoodles

AJ by @karamatsuboy-aj

Evelyuu by @h0neybane

Paloma and Hydris by @mhedusard

Levi by @the-trinket-witch

Alan by @alan-without-the-an

Vee and Viva by @evexe

Sophie by @gl00myb3arz

René by @tixdixl

Liánhuā by @lafashionlsta

Yuu Shi by @boopshoops

Xen by @xen-blank

Astrid by @cheerleaderman

Yumi by @marinahavik

Undine by @juchioris

Lilian by @sillyslipperybananapeel

Layla by @laylakongg

Niz by @hanizmiyu

The Yuris by @0ann3

Ryuuni by @rinis-reality

(Let me know if I made a mistake lol)

[lvnleah]

Would love a AWFC!Teen reader fic where she's Leah's younger sister who has always had to deal with being with Leah's sister, so many expectations on her and people being her friends because of Leah (Leah is still very much an amazing sister, loves her baby sister to bits!)

So when she's around ten ish, she makes the choice to not let anyone know Leah is her sister, goes to games but doesn't sit in the family section and sits with friends who she's never told about her family, maybe even uses her mum's maiden name rather than Williamson etc.

Leah is undoubtedly a bit upset about it because she doesn't want to make her little ones passion dampen just by being her (I hc that Leah would very much see R as her baby because that's what she called her when she was born or something) but her and their family all accept it and do what R wants and needs

Cut to R being brought into the senior time, smashing it in the big leagues and getting along well with all of the senior players who are looking at her like 'she seems familiar and I don't know why...' only to find out she's Leah's little sister when she's injured on the pitch or Leah gets injured and she gets all panicked and doesn't want to leave her side

Cue Beth, Katie, Kim etc. Who have all been there for years like 'Holy shit, you've grown up!!!!' Because they probably would've known her when she was younger since they've known Leah that long

Long winded but hopefully you'll like the idea 😂😂

the other williamson | leah williamson.

thank you for this request! :)

this is one of my favourite fics I’ve written!

You had always been proud to be Leah’s sister, how could you not be? She was England’s captain after all and an Arsenal star but sometimes being nine years younger than Leah came with its struggles. 

You were only seven when Leah first broke into the senior team and you were so proud of your sisters that for a while it’s all you talked about. Everyone at school knew about your cool big sister Leah and how she was playing for Arsenal. 

At that time, women’s football wasn’t massive so of course you got a bit of stick from a few boys in your class but it wasn’t anything you could handle. 

“Arsenal women?” One of them scoffed one day in the playground, “that isn’t a proper team!”

You looked the boy straight in the eye. “They are a proper team! My sister’s going to be the best player in the world, just you watch!”

The boy had rolled his eyes and laughed, but you didn’t care. You’d march off, determined to prove him wrong. Well, Leah would prove him wrong, and you’d be there cheering her on every step of the way.

For a while, being Leah’s sister was the coolest thing in the world. You loved going to games, sitting with your family, wearing a little Arsenal jersey with Williamson on the back. 

Leah always made time for you, even when her schedule got busy. She’d let you run around on the pitch after matches, ruffle your hair, and call you “my little bubba,” no matter how much you protested.

But as you got older, things changed.

By the time you were fifteen, Leah was a household name. Women’s football had grown massively, and she was basically the face of it after winning the euros. People started treating you differently, not because of who you were, but because of who your sister was.

At school, kids who’d never spoken to you before suddenly wanted to be your friend. “Can you get me an autograph from Leah?” they’d ask, or, “Do you think she’d come to my party?” Teachers started expecting more from you, too, as if being Leah Williamson’s sister meant you had to be perfect at everything.

At the academy, it was worse. You had been lucky enough to sign for the Arsenal academy when you were twelve but after the euros things changed. Every time you stepped onto the pitch, you could feel the weight of their eyes on you.

Coaches would compare you to Leah, even though you were nothing like her as a player. You didn’t even play in the same position, you were a striker not a defender. Teammates would make comments, sometimes kind, sometimes not.

“She’s only on the team because her sister’s Leah Williamson,” someone whispered once after you scored. “She’s not even good enough for the academy.”

It stung more than you cared to admit.

That was when you made your decision. You didn’t want to be known as Leah’s sister anymore. You wanted to be you. That night after training, you came home and broke down in tears to your mum. 

“Bubba, what’s wrong?” Amanda asked you as you stormed into the house, flinging your bag down onto the ground. 

You sat down with a huff as more tears started to escape, Jacob gave Amanda a look, “Been like this since I picked her, won’t say what’s wrong though.” Your brother sighed.

“I’m fine,” you muttered, wiping at your face angrily, though the tears kept falling.

Amanda crouched down in front of you, her voice soft. “You’re clearly not fine, Bubba. Come on, tell me what’s going on.”

You glanced up at her, hesitating. Part of you didn’t want to say it. You didn’t want to sound ungrateful for the opportunities you had or for Leah being your sister but the words tumbled out before you could stop them.

“I’m sick of it, Mum,” you said, your voice cracking. “Sick of being just Leah’s sister. Everyone at the academy thinks I’m only there because of Leah. They don’t even see me as my own person, just as ‘Leah’s little sister.’ I can’t do it anymore.”

Amanda’s face softened, and she sat beside you before pulling you into a hug. “Oh, Bubba. I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way.”

Jacob sat down next to you on the couch on the other side, frowning. “That’s not fair. You’re talented in your own right. Anyone who says otherwise is just jealous.”

“But I'm always being compared to Leah, J,” you said, though your voice wavered. “No one believes that I'm good enough. They just think I’m riding on Leah’s name.”

Amanda kissed your temple, “You are good enough. And I understand why this is so hard for you. But what do you want to do about it? How can we help?”

You hesitated, chewing your bottom lip. “I don’t want to be ‘Williamson’ anymore,” you finally said. “I want to use your maiden name, Mum. I want to be a Baker, not Leah’s sister.”

Amanda blinked, taken aback for a moment, but then she nodded slowly. “If that’s what you want, then we’ll support you. Right, Jacob?”

“Of course,” Jacob said, ruffling your hair. “You’re still you, no matter what name’s on the back of your shirt.”

A lump formed in your throat, but you nodded, feeling a small wave of relief.

“What about Leah?” Amanda asked gently. “Have you talked to her about this?”

You froze. You hadn’t thought about how Leah would feel. “I don’t know. I don’t want to hurt her feelings. She’s always been so proud of me, but…”

“But you need to do this for yourself,” Amanda finished for you. “You know she’ll understand.”

You nodded.

Later that evening, when Leah got home from training, you sat down and told her everything. You expected her to be upset or worse, disappointed but instead, she pulled you into a tight hug.

“Bubba,” she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. “I had no idea you were feeling like this. I’m so sorry, I’ve made things harder for you.”

“You didn’t,” you said quickly. “It’s not your fault, Le. I’m so proud of you, but I just need to figure out who I am without being ‘your sister.’”

Leah nodded, her hands on your shoulders. “I get it. And I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself. Whatever name you use, you’ll always be my little Bubba, okay?”

You laughed through your tears, hugging her tightly.

That night, you went to bed feeling lighter than you had in months. You were ready to step out of Leah’s shadow and into your own light.

Fast forward a few years, you were now eighteen and transitioning into the senior team. Leah was now twenty-seven and somehow everyone had managed to keep it a secret that you were Leah’s sister. 

Majority of the girls that you played with had either left the academy or completely stopped playing football. Your shirt name was now Baker and had been for two years now, your coaches were different too and everyone just thought that Leah was your family friend. 

“Excited for your first senior training, bubba?” Leah asked you one December morning as she drove you both to the training ground. 

You shrugged, a mixture of emotions, “Bit nervous…” you muttered, “Excited but nervous.”

Arsenal’s senior team had a new coach, Renee Slegers, and she had been to watch the u18s a few times. For some reason, she had seen something in you and wanted you to come train with the senior team and potentially play a few games. 

“You’ve got this, Bubba. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t good enough. Renee knows what she’s doing, and so do you.” Leah told you. 

You nodded, trying to let her words sink in. You knew Leah believed in you, she always had, but the pressure of stepping into the senior team felt overwhelming. It wasn’t just about proving yourself, it was about proving you belonged and you were separate from Leah.

When you arrived at the training ground, Leah walked in beside you, her confidence making her look so at ease. Meanwhile, your stomach churned as the nerves threatened to take over. You adjusted your backpack, trying to focus on your breathing.

“Relax, Bakes,” Leah said with a smirk, using the nickname some of your academy teammates had given you after you changed your last name. “They’re going to love you.”

As you entered the changing room, you were immediately greeted by familiar faces, some you hadn’t seen in years. Beth grinned as soon as she spotted you.

“No way! Little Bubba? Is that you?” Beth’s voice was teasing, her eyes wide in mock disbelief.

You groaned internally. So much for keeping the “Bubba” nickname under wraps. “It’s Baker now,” you corrected with a sheepish smile, but your voice was warm. You couldn’t help but laugh a little as Beth pulled you into a quick hug.

“Leah didn’t tell us you’d grown up so much!” Beth teased. “Last time I saw you, you were, what, fifteen?”

“Beth,” Leah interrupted, shooting her a warning look, though she was clearly trying not to laugh.

More players filtered in, all of them reacting with surprise when they realized who you were. Some of them hadn’t seen you since you were a kid, tagging along to games and family events. For others, it was the first time they’d met you. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Katie said, holding up her hands. “So you’re telling me Leah’s been hiding this one from us? You’re playing with us now?”

You felt your cheeks burn as all eyes turned to you, but Leah stepped in, her tone light and teasing. “She wanted to make it on her own. Didn’t want to ride my coattails.”

“Fair play,” Kim said with an approving nod. “Gotta respect that.”

Leah turned to you, her smile soft. “Alright, Bubba, I mean Baker, time to show them why you’re here.”

You gave her a small, grateful smile before heading out to the pitch. As you jogged onto the field with the team, the nervous energy in your chest began to settle. You reminded yourself why you were there. Not as Leah’s sister, but as you.

And as the session began, you could feel yourself falling into the rhythm of the game you loved, the sound of the ball connecting with your boot grounding you. The team was fast, skilled, and ruthless, but you held your own. A well-timed run, a sharp finish past the keeper and it wasn’t long before you felt like you belonged.

At the end of training, Renee pulled you aside, her expression calm but firm. “You did well today. Keep this up, and we’ll see about getting you some minutes in the next match.”

Your heart soared at her words, but you kept your face neutral, nodding. “Thank you, Coach.”

Leah was waiting for you by the car when you finally made it out of the locker room. She raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to gauge how you were feeling.

“Well?” she asked as you climbed in.

You smiled, the weight on your shoulders feeling just a little lighter. “I think I did okay.”

Leah grinned, her pride shining through. “I told you, Bubba. You’ve got this.”

The night of your debut arrived quicker than you expected. Arsenal was playing a league game at Meadow Park against Crystal Palace, and the squad list had you on the bench. You tried to focus during the pre-match warm-ups, but your nerves were all over the place. Leah, as always, noticed.

“Stop overthinking,” she whispered as the two of you jogged back to the dugout after the warm-up. “Just play your game. If you get on, don’t try to do too much. Be you.”

You nodded, though the butterflies in your stomach didn’t ease. The match started, and you watched intently from the bench, studying the pace of the game and trying to picture where you’d fit in.

By halftime, Arsenal was up 1–0, the goal coming from Leah. Renee made a couple of changes early in the second half, but your name wasn’t called. You were beginning to think your debut would have to wait until another day when, in the 70th minute Renee called you. 

“Baker, you’re on,” Renee said, her voice firm but encouraging. “Stay calm, yeah? Leah’s out there with you. We’re doing okay, 3-0, so just stay calm, yeah? Try your hardest.”

You nodded, barely able to believe this was actually happening. Leah was standing by the touchline, waiting for you, her hand resting casually on her hip. When you reached her, she nudged you with her elbow, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“Ready for this, Bubba?”

“Don’t call me that,” you hissed, but you couldn’t help the nervous laugh that escaped.

The referee blew the whistle, and you stepped onto the pitch, replacing Beth up top. Leah gave you a quick pat on the back as you ran to your position. “You’ve got this.”

The first few minutes were a blur. The pace of the game was faster than anything you’d experienced before, but you adjusted, remembering Leah’s advice: play your game.

Then, in the 80th minute, the ball came to you. Leah had intercepted a pass in and played a perfect through ball into your path. You took a touch, your heart pounding as you found yourself one-on-one with the keeper.

You steadied yourself, then slotted the ball into the bottom corner with your left foot. For a moment, everything went silent, and then the roar of the fans hit you all at once.

You’d scored on your debut.

Leah was the first to reach you, lifting you off your feet in a tight hug. “That’s my sister!” she shouted, her voice full of pride.

The rest of the team swarmed you, congratulating you with slaps on the back and ruffling your hair. The chant of your name began to ripple through the crowd, and for the first time in a long time, you felt like you belonged, not as Leah’s sister, but as you.

When the final whistle blew, Arsenal had secured a 5–0 victory. Leah pulled you into another hug as you both walked off the pitch.

“Told you you’d smash it,” she said, her grin wide.

You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t stop smiling. “Thanks, Le.”

That night, as you sat with Leah in the kitchen at home, replaying the match in your head, she looked at you and said softly, “You’re going to have a great career, Bubba. I’m proud of you, you know that?”

For the first time, you didn’t mind the nickname. “Thanks, Le. Means a lot.”

[d1gitalwitness]

Love and Justice in Elementary — "The One That Got Away"

I rewatch this episode from time to time, and it strikes me over and again just how committed it is to non-legal means of justice, which is particularly rare given that Elementary technically operates within the copaganda genre (with some room for outliers here and there).

When Kitty is about to murder Gruner, the man who sexually assaulted and tortured her, Sherlock shows up. Typically within the police procedural, Sherlock would be the Character Who Reminds [X] That Killing Is Wrong and Legal Justice is Right. But Sherlock doesn't do any of that. He tells Kitty that she deserves to know that he has found a way to prosecute Gruner. He tells her that this is an option if she doesn't want to wrestle with what it means to take a life. While following the law is not what Sherlock thinks Kitty should do, it is an option nonetheless. What would be unfair, Sherlock understands, is for Kitty to have no way out but to resort to murder.

Kitty responds, "What does that have to do with me? With what he did to me?"

And she's right, prosecuting Gruner has nothing to do with what he did to her. What the police wants is not what she wants. Kitty's assault was a singular event, and only she can determine what justice should be. It's an oddly refreshing take, given that most procedurals would remind to Kitty to uphold the law (e.g. SVU).

Sherlock replies, "Nothing. Everything. Wish I could tell you. If you decide that killing Gruner will make you feel whole again, I won't stop you. But whatever you decide, you will always be my friend."

I've thought a lot about this scene, and how it places Kitty's decision and Sherlock's love at the center of what justice should be. It also brings to the forefront Sherlock's struggle with addiction — he doesn't have many friends which means that his gesture of love is completely genuine. It's a gesture of unconditional love from a stoic man who finds it difficult to love, to a woman whose experience of love has been destroyed by sexual abuse. It doesn't matter to Sherlock if Kitty kills Gruner because the fact that she is his friend will always come first. In the end, Kitty realises that she is offered something she has wanted for so long but thought she couldn't have. That is, someone loves her so much to the point where she feels, for the first time, that she is able to say it back and mean it. So it is beautiful that the episode ultimately conludes with Kitty saying: "Do you know what I haven't said to anyone in a really long time? I love you. Isn't that the saddest thing?"

While the heart of Elementary will always be Sherlock and Watson's relationship, stories like Kitty also reveal that sobriety requires love at its center, and it requires Sherlock to show up for his friends. He is a self proclaimed misanthrope, but his time with Joan has changed him; instead of embracing being a lone genius, he puts in the work to be worthy of the care and love that he receives in return. It may be corny or whatever, but the series is about true and genuine love, the kind that is so huge that it passes on from one person to another, healing everything in it touches.

[twig-tea]

GL Odds and Ends January 2025

I'm still trying to figure out what 2025 means for me in terms of where and how I spend my time, but one thing I am passionate about is making sure there is a record of GL media, so I'm going to try to prioritize keeping this up to at minimum monthly, though I might change up the format. Last one was end of December 2024. If you're interested in GL older than that, check out my GL rec list and my #gl recs tag for the other odds and ends posts. Series new to the roundup are marked with an asterisk*.

Currently airing (with thoughts up to 31 Jan):

Petrichor ep 9/10 (Thai, Saturdays, 10:00 AM ET, iQIYI) I've appreciated the struggle that Tul has gone through in terms of wanting to use her police powers to protect her family though that goes against her morals, and some of the procedural aspects I was grumbling about before have been explained by the plot. However, it still bothers me that she's not a very good detective. That being said, Engfa and Charlotte still have fantastic chemistry, and Na is having what seems like the time of his life.

*Us the series ep 2/12 (Thai, Saturdays, 8:00 AM ET, YouTube) I admit I think I have Chao Planoy fatigue. Age gap, both characters are lying to each other, there are abusive family members, and a guy who seems nice but I'm braced for a reveal about how he's actually awful. I'm feeling like I'm playing bingo. Honestly If someone gets hit by a car I might lose it. All my baggage aside, the pacing on this feels uneven and it doesn't feel like it has its feet yet.

*Call Me By No Name ep 4/8 (Japanese, Thursdays, 12:30 PM ET, GagaOOLala) Honestly I am not buying the romance between these two protagonists and I am finding them a little overwrought.

*Trunk Girl ep 1/? (Korean, possibly Thursdays, YouTube) This has just started, and the vibes are off. I am suspicious of the circumstances that led this runaway to stay with her friend, especially when she kissed her in her sleep (and I don't mean suspicious of sapphic feelings, those are already taken as given considering the genre).

*FirstLOVE ep 5/? (Korean, Mondays, YouTube) Toxic girlfriend gets replaced and then regrets letting her lover go. We'll see how this ends but this is another messy drama that feels pretty rough.

*I Am Devil ep 5/? (Thai, Saturdays, YouTube) Gonna be honest with y'all I watched ep1 and shelved the rest, it's a pulp in the style of high drama like Sastra and JPC below produce and just isn't my jam. If you're looking for high heat lakorn-style drama, give this a try.

[Note: Mate is still airing if you did not fast track, but since I did I've included it in the following section]

Recently Completed:

The Fragrance You inherit 8eps 25mins each (Japanese, 8 Nov 24-27 Dec 24, no official distribution but fansub on @isaksbestpillow's blog[thank you Siiri!] I loved this finale and wrote about it here. For those who don't want to click the link, in short this is not a romance but a really beautiful and sweet show about all kinds of interpersonal relationships.

Pluto 12eps 45 mins each (Thai, 19 Oct 24-04 Jan 25, YouTube) This series showcased the skills and chemistry of Namtan and Film, and had some of the most iconic product placement in a GL to date. The plot was messy but held together, and as much as I was unimpressed with their choices week to week, their choices made sense within the narrative (and genre) being told. I knew this one wasn't for me, but what it was doing, it did pretty well, and beautifully. The one real ding from me was the use of blindness as a metaphor that essentially got handwaved away; that and I think it was doing too much. But I am glad that before that, there was some great use of their platform to highlight the importance of universal design.

INTP 4eps 5 mins each (Korean, 27 Dec 24-22 Jan 25 YouTube) This is the latest short series from RedQ, who produced some of my favourite GL short series including More than or equal to 75 degrees C, and To the Ex who Hated Me. I said when this started that the setup of this one reminded me of Semantic Error if SangWoo realized he was attracted to JaeYoung at their first group assignment meeting, and I think that holds. These two fell for each other because they both care about the group project, and both protect each other. It's a bit short but I found it very sweet.

Mate, 12eps 50+ mins each (Thai, 26 Nov 24-28 Jan 25 fast-track or 4 Feb 25, WeTV (uncut version)) In the end this show remained a struggle for me. There were things it was doing that I really liked (the characters tried hard not to resort to noble idiocy, and when characters did resort to noble idiocy they were confronted with the consequences, for example), and things that I really did not, and there were parts that were really hard to watch and will haunt me. There are a lot of things I like about this show, so I don't want to discourage views. Just go into this one informed, and make the decision that's right for you.

*Adrenaline 4eps 15 mins each (Thai, 10 Jan-31 Jan 25, YouTube) This show is a cross between a travel ad and a lakorn. This is a major spoiler, but the main character has a secret condition where she forgets things that causes her to forget her first time with her girlfriend!? This show is so messy lol

Recent One-offs, Side Couples, etc.:

Fireworks of Yesteryear/When We Met has been made available on YouTube. A 35-minute Chinese GL that includes a makeout and as a result the production team have been working hard to get it in front of eyeballs. This is a moody piece with an open ending; there's an age gap too so YMMV (30s and 22).

GL microseries Your Name Engraved Herein (not to be confused with the BL feature film) has been subtitled by @douqi7s. Watch the original on Bilibili and enjoy the subs on YouTube. This one is also melancholy but it's some really tight storytelling in under 2 mins and manages to feel hopeful even though it's sad.

There is a lesbian side couple in Flirt Milk the series (airing now on iQIYI). This couple Noon and Praewa previously appeared as sides in Love Senior.

There is a new MV featuring a lesbian couple for the artist KnomJean on YouTube. This is one of those MVs that tells a story (TW for family violence) and after getting through the sad backstory, celebrates marriage equality in Thailand.

IdolFactory is re-running GAP the series on YouTube. If you've been putting off watching, now is a good time!

Speaking of re-runs, Yes Or No and the two sequel/spinoffs (Yes or No 2, and Yes or No 2.5) are all newly on GagaOOLala for streaming in some regions (I know for sure they're in North America, not sure about others)

Uranus2324 is starting to show up in particular places on the internet. I watched it and after all of the negative things I'd heard I actually liked it lol I'll see if I can write about it more this week

My suspected wlw sides in See Your Love ended up being implied only I was a little sad about this but at least I wasn't imagining the vibes.

Mom Ped Sawan is still airing but I still don't have a source for subs

Sastra film app YouTube channel has several short Cambodian GL series that come out weekly Honestly they are not to my taste but I don't like gatekeeping GL especially from smaller markets. I check in on these time to time and if there are any that I think are great I'll give them a shout-out

Ditto above with JPC media YouTube channel for Thai GL shorts if there are any that stand out to me I'll say so; that being said I haven't had time recently so if I've missed anything good let me know!

Starting soon:

Reverse With Me (sequel spinoff to Reverse 4 U), Thai, 5 Feb, iQIYI and Ch3+ app

Fragrance of the First Flower s2, Taiwanese, 18 February 2025, GagaOOLala ok this isn't that soon but I'm just so excited we're getting this second season after all!

As always, if I'm missing anything, please let me know!

[levityleviathan]

Transformers Outsiders Cast

Im not like- the most happy with how Optimus turned out, but other than that im pretty happy with everything. Ill also write down some Bios for characters rq and add some other info

Optimus Prime

Formerly known as Orion Pax, Optimus Prime was once a lowly cargo runner between Cybertron's colonies with his best friend Dion. Though he wouldn't acquire the Matrix of leadership until much later in life, the moment he truly became Optimus was on the day his best friend died, having thrown himself between Orion and an enraged Senate Functionary, taking a shot to the chest meant for Orion. Orion didn't make it out easy however, as the shot managed to pierce Dion's back and hit him anyway, damaging his Transformation cog and leaving him prone to walking with a limp. Having made it out with his life, Orion was able to get reassigned to Archival work following the aid of Senator Crosscut. Years later Orion would find himself becoming close friends with another senator by the name of Megatron, only for Megatron to turn on him when Orion refused to overlook Megatron's plot to seize control of Cybertron through violence. Orion would "die" during the Siege of the grand Imperium, only to be rebuilt by a lowly street medic named Ratchet after being carried out of the building by Crosscut and Trailbreaker. Rebuilt and reborn, Optimus Prime would awaken months later and proceeded to lead the rebellion against Megatron's newly formed government.

Trailbreaker

More special than he knows, Trailbreaker acts as Optimus Prime's loyal second in command, having been one of the founding members of the Autobots. Trailbreaker is a former member of the Elite Guard who tends to struggle finding his place in any room, be it due to his formidable size, or just his overwhelming doubt in his own abilities. Before the war, Trailbreaker lost his left hand to a trophy hunter by the name of Lockdown, and with it, one of his many Force-field emitters. Though he mourns the loss of his hand, his focus has become more on finding Lockdown and bringing him down.

Sideswipe

A former streetrat, and the single best pilot to ever walk Cybertron, Sideswipe has a history of neglecting orders. Keen when it comes to individuality, Sideswipe holds a rather rocky relationship with his Sister Sunstreaker, worsened still by Sunstreaker's decision to join the Decepticons. Though he lacks any formal training, his combat style has proven highly effective in keeping himself and others alive. He might be rough around the edges, but Optimus knows he wants whats best for everyone.

Bluestreak

The single greatest shot Cybertron has ever seen, Bluestreak's body is nearly 60% integrated firearms. Were Trailbreaker to ever step down as Optimus Prime's second in command, Bluestreak would be the next in line to take up the role, having served loyally beside Optimus since the very beginning. Among Optimus's inner circle, she is by far the most lethal, a fact that even he can recognize is difficult for her to come to terms with. Before the war, Bluestreak was a member of the Helix Garden staff in her home city of Praxus, where she tended to their vast plant array stemming all the way back to planets that have long since dwindled into entropy. It was before the war however that her city was wiped out in an act known as "Declaration Day." She was the only survivor. The Autobot Insignia itself was based on her head design, intended to act as a symbol of resistance.

Ratchet

Ratchet is still young, and as such, she has high expectations placed upon her. Between her role as Optimus Prime's medic, and her mentor Medix's placement in stasis following the ark crashing on earth, she tends to doubt how qualified she actually is for her position. even so, she has showcased time and again that she is destined for greatness. She is, afterall, the one to have saved Optimus Prime's life all those years ago. Thankfully she doesn't have to face it all alone, as she has the Ark's medical VI, CatSCAN there to help her.

Cliffjumper

The youngest of Optimus Prime's crew, Cliffjumper was forged during the war, and as such never knew what Cybertron was like before it. its perhaps for this reason that Earth has become more of a home for him than Cybertron ever was. He might be impulsive and hardheaded at times, but Optimus knows he's a reliable scout who's more than capable of standing his own. He's also quite close friends with the earthling named Spike, as well as his friends Chip and Carly.

Moonracer

The smallest of Prime's crew, Moonracer's height is that of a human making it sometimes difficult for her to stand out. Though once she acted as a mail delivery girl on Cybertron, she now serves as spy and scout for the Autobots. She has showcased a great deal of promise regarding firearms, and as such has been taken under Bluestreak's wing as something of a mentorship, though lacking in formality. She also tends to struggle to make herself heard.

[lexirosewrites]

A sequel to my nugget #4 ficlet from last week

Baby Jim is a sweet little guy, he starts sleeping thru the night much more quickly than his siblings did, rolls over fast because his siblings r always showing him how, but then... he starts teething at 8 months and it's like a dam is unleashed, for the first time the tried & true teething tricks steddie used w their first 3 pups aren't working the same & poor baby Jim is up at all hours crying in pain & his crying makes the older siblings cry bc they can scent the pain his milky baby scent, then because he isn't sleeping he cries more & eventually it makes Steve cry from exhaustion & frustration & feelings of not being a good mother to his pup & Steve crying makes Eddie cry & the whole house devolves into a weeping mess, the other parents of the party also find themselves at a loss because their own advice doesn't help for very long

Enter: Mrs Amelia Harrington. She divorced Richard not long after steddie registered their mating and reconnected w her son rebuilt their relationship and is now the extravagant well traveled grandmother who always brings gifts for her grandchildren & child & son in law, and she might live in Vienna most of the year now but she still makes time to visit at least once a year. Well Steve warns her about the teething issues on the drive home from the airport & Amelia simply hums.

They get everything inside & poor baby Jim is crying not long after she arrives, she asks what they've tried & Steve starts crying as he explains: Jim rejects every teething toy they give him after an hour at best, his parents scents don't help for long enough for Jim to sleep properly, he spits out the cold pacifier almost immediately, and practically throws any clean wet washcloths across the room.

Amelia hums more before she nods, says she figured Jim might have started teething & she had a feeling he might struggle the same way Steve did, and then turns & rummages thru her luggage before coming back with a spoon tht clearly had begun as a beautiful piece of silver but was now bent in curious ways. When eddie & Steve try to ask she simply shushes them, says she will explain in a bit and goes about chilling the spoon in the fridge then scooping Greek yogurt into it. Amelia asks to hold baby Jim who hasn't really stopped crying & when he's situated comfortably in her arms she pops the cold spoon of yogurt into his mouth & a miracle happens: baby Jim gums at the yogurt & chews on the spoon long after the yogurt is gone, in fact he doesn't seem to want to let it go, steddie have never seen him treat any of the teething remedies they'd tried up to now like this.

Amelia explains: Steve was the sweetest baby, slept thru the night more often than not, rolled over quickly but crawled by pushing himself around in silly ways for awhile, he liked laughing & giggling & ate with no issues, but then he hit 7 months & began teething in earnest & her sweet baby was suddenly in pain she couldn't fix. He rejected all of the rubber toys she bought for him to chew on, he spit out cold pacifiers, & she felt at the end of her rope. (Richard was of course no help during this time & even got a hotel room for himself alone till Steve got thru the worst of it, fuck Richard Harrington all my homies hate Richard Harrington) Then one day she was exhausted & alone in tht big house & just wanted him to eat some yogurt but he was rejecting all of his baby spoons & she didn't have many clean dishes at tht particular moment so she just said "fuck it" opened up the heirloom silverware she'd inherited from her grandmother (tht she'd gifted to steddie as a belated wedding/mating/house warming gift) pulled out one of dozens of small spoons & fed him w tht, but then he simply wouldn't let the spoon go & he even began chewing at it & teething on it in a way he hadn't w anything else. So Amelia didn't question it beyond calling a friend from college about the safety of silver for a teething bby, who said it would b fine after she tested for lead (found none & learned it was pure silver) tht silver is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, & naturally antimicrobial. Steve preferred his spoon over all his other teething toys but would settle for a rubber toy shaped like a donut while the spoon was being washed.

Through this whole explanation baby Jim was the most content they'd seen him since he began teething, even asking with his hands for more yogurt which grandma Amelia happily gave him. Soon enough she was laying baby Jim down in his crib for a nap with the spoon in his grip.

Steve is teased mercilessly for approximately 3 days abt being such a fancy rich baby he would settle for nothing less than pure silver as a teething toy. And that Baby Jim is truly the most dramatic & theatrical of all their nuggets because he demanded the same

(Amelia came from generational wealth, old money but Indiana money. She traveled a lot & met Richard not long after college & was often disappointed in him but didn't divorce him bc he was skilled at love bombing her specifically. Steve traveled a lot too as a kid & then as a teen he'd summer in Europe w his mom. I just like the idea of this)

(Might b sending in an ask abt nugget #5 a little bit later but i must complete a chore in my home first)

silver spoon pups🤭

[dapper-lil-arts]

I find it kind of funny how, when you really think about it, Celestia is a really complex and layered character with a lot of emotional depths to explore (the pain she endured from having to banish her own sister, the pressure and responsibility she bears as the ruler of a kingdom, the betrayal she felt at Sunsets turn, etc.) and yet all of that is overshadowed by how easily she gets bodied at every possible turn.

Like, out of every major villain encounter in the show, she was really only helpful in like, what…Two of them? Maybe? The rest of the time she just shows up for a split-second and then *BAM* instant knockout.

I understand that from a writing perspective you have to find ways of removing her from these conflicts so that the main characters can have the focus (that’s also a major problem that Discord has post-redemption) but at a certain point it just becomes a thing of “man, you really can’t do ANYTHING on your own, huh?”

It becomes clear that the show didn’t quite know what to do with her once Twilight became a princess, and so they leaned more into her goofball tendencies (which I personally loved, but I could see others being annoyed by it) and it just makes me wish we could’ve gotten at least one more episode for her to really shine, like in Celestial Advice.

Anyways, ramble over, just wanted to say that I have nothing but respect for our dearly beloved Princess Fraudlestia 🫶💛

I think the showrunners lacked imagination and creativity regarding her and whenever they wanted to prop up a character, they preffered to knock down another character for that to happen. For example, everyone loses to Chrysalis off screen just so starlight can beat chrysalis with a few friends, it just isnt very creative or compelling Celestia suffered from this long before Twilight became a Princess, too. Hell, on episode friggin 1 Nightmare Moon returns amd Celestia doesn't show her face until she's been defeated, on Discord's episode she decides to literally only send letters to twilight instead of tryin to face discord herself in any way lmao. She's smart for that, thats for sure

I've written Celestia a couple dozen times, but I never ever want to just cut her out of a fight or a struggle just to make another character look better. And hell I don't even use the old superman excuse where she 'doesnt interfere bc if she goes all out she'll be too powerful and kill everything' she's a thousand years old! She's had centuries to refine her power and capabilities!

But I digress. My response to "This show does a character dirty" is never to take that in face value and interpret them as dirty too. Like, just bc the show tells me Cozy Glow deserves to be in Tartarus, doesn't mean I'll blindly believe them >:/ Just because the show tells me Celestia is useless doesn't mean I'll blindly accept it! After all, useless fraudlestia ran Equestria for a 1000 years. Perfect Twilight Sparkle didn't even canonically last 100.

[cearthduo]

I have to disagree hard with this one I fear, on multiples points. George doesn't need to assimilate into Kinoko for her to look like she belongs there. Not only does the biome its built in happen to George's favorite, the entire mushroom themeing is because of George. Karl puts George in charge of building because he liked her mushroom house a lot and wanted the country to mimic it.

And even if George did struggle to be a part of Kinoko, it's very clear that the country itself means a lot to her. I mean, it's to the point where if she had to choose Dream or Kinoko she'd choose the latter. And I think the reason it means so much is that it's familiar. It's a safe community of friends that she helped build. It makes sense for George to lean more into Kinoko at a time where Dream is gone. And imo she did. If you look at George's relationships with other countries she's been a part of, her involvement with Kinoko is the most similar to her involvement in early Greater SMP.

I have a lot more to say on this topic but I tend to ramble so I'm just gonna do that on my own time LOL. Long story short George visually fitting in to Kinoko's environment is almost inevitable since it was most definitely built with her in mind. Also George having a cutesy design makes sense because uhh those red mushrooms are poisonous and dangerous dark things usually have a bright approachable exterior in nature. And blah blah blah idk back to not posting.

I think giving him like mushroom motif is cute to visually tie him in to kinoko kingdom but the whole point is that cgeorge never successfully assimilates into a community ever again after he loses dream. And the cottagecore/mosscore thing is cute but i think its almost like, too cutesy for a character that i personally see as this tragedy on two legs

[ateezmiyeon]

miyeon | new friends

warnings: animal abuse/injury, mentions of anxiety and depression word count: 2.2k date: january 12, 2019

writing masterlist | main masterlist

miyeon sighed as she read the comments under the article on her laptop. she slammed the computer shut and looked out of the window, her mind spiraling with all of the negative comments she’d been getting. she sat on her windowsill overlooking the road below her, the sun was just starting to set indicating she’d have to leave for her meeting with mr kim and the board soon.

she'd gotten their email to meet when she first woke up, a link to the article attached. the board were not happy with the negative attention being put onto the girl and wanted an explanation for her actions. she wasn't sure why they cared so much about the article, it had been from a small gossip blog that mostly pumped out fake articles that most companies ignored. for some reason kq were honing in on said article and demanded to know why the girl, who was supposed to be on hiatus, was seen out and about with an unknown man.

walking out of her room she paused as she heard the boys chatting in the kitchen. she'd hoped they'd all still be in rehearsal but it seemed some of them had returned earlier than expected. miyeon paused and took a breath before walking down the corridor, her head low and headphones slung over her head to pray that they would get the memo that she wasn't in a talking mood.

it seemed the maknaes of the group couldn't read the girl's demeanor and immediately flocked to her as she passed by. wooyoung and san jumped on top of her, making the trio fall back onto the sofa with a thud whilst jongho was already bringing over an iced coffee he'd brought back from the cafe round the corner that she loved.

"oppas, get off. you're squishing me." she tried pitifully to get the two boys that seemed to be full of energy even after their long day of rehearsing off of her.

"but we haven't seen you all day, yeonnie." wooyoung pouted against her neck, his head snuggling in further in protest.

"well, you've seem me. now get off." miyeon groaned as she spotted the time on the kitchen clock.

"do you not want our love, miyeonnie?" san was the one to pout this time, his head lifting up from where he'd too been snuggled into her.

"not at this very second, sannie. i'm gonna be late to my meeting." she groaned, using the last of her strength to shove the smaller boy off of her and leaving san to claim the space.

"meeting? what meeting?" jongho asked from where he was still stood holding her coffee.

"the board wants to see me about that stupid article." she rolled her eyes, trying to push the lump known as san off of her.

"what article?" wooyoung asked from his position now on the arm of the sofa.

"it doesn't matter." she shook her head, looking at jongho pleadingly for help with getting up. "can you just help me get him off me so i'm not late?"

jongho huffed, setting down her coffee and lifting the older boy easily off of her. san pouted as he was held in jongho's arms like a small child holding a cat.

"put me down, hyung." san whined, huffing as he was unceremoniously dropped.

"i'll see you all later." miyeon smiled nervously, walking towards the door.

"tell us how it goes when you get back." jongho waved goodbye, grabbing his hyungs by the back of their tops as they tried to chase after the girl.

miyeon nodded, smiling slightly as she caught a glimpse of san and wooyoung struggling against the maknae's hold. she walked out of the flat, her smile dropping as she remembered the reason she was having to leave and go to this meeting in the first place.

----------

miyeon huffed a breath as she excited the building, anger was surging through her. the meeting had gone worse than she thought it could've gone. not one member of the board seemed to be on her side and just seemed to want to brush the article under the rug and cover it up with the announcement of her return from hiatus.

a strange noise caught her attention, stopping her in her tracks as she was about to cross the road back to the dorms. as no sound occurred in her stillness she carried on, huffing and mumbling under her breath in anger at all the accusations that had been thrown her way.

she paused as the sound caught her ears again, she looked around the alley but couldn’t find a source for the sound. finally, under the bench outside the dorm building emerged a straggly ginger cat with a plastic bag wrapped around its hind legs. she gasped as the cat struggled to walk from under the bench, falling over every couple of steps.

she rushed over to the creature, crouching down to its height to appear smaller and less frightening for them. the cat's amber eyes stared up at her, curling in on itself as she reached out her hand that wasn't holding her coffee. the ginger ball of fluff poked its head out of its hiding space and sniffed miyeon's outstretched hand. she smiled as the cat bumped its head into her hand, purring almost immediately as she scratched behind its ear.

she gently moved her one hand to the cat's legs, carefully removing the bag from its legs and hissing as she spotted the red sores left behind from how tight it had dug in. the cat seemed to bury its head even deeper into the girls hand, a sign of thanks for relieving it of the pain.

"miyeonnie! what are you doing?" a voice called from behind the girl, scaring the cat back into its hiding place below the bench.

"oppa! you scare the kitty." she pouted, turning to find yunho stood wearing a face mask and cap. "get down, you're probably terrifying them."

"why are you out here?" yunho crouched down beside the girl, trying to get into a similar small position as her to coax the cat back out of hiding. "i thought you had a meeting with mr kim?"

"i did, it went awfully. they were trying to get me to come back for this comeback instead of for the tour like we said before." her pout seemed to deepen further as she remembered all of their managers talking down to her.

"is it because of that article?" yunho stared down at the girl, having read the article on his way to practice. "you should just ignore what anyone's saying."

"but it's all true." she smiled slightly through her sadness as the cat finally emerged enough out from under the bench for her to continue scratching them behind the ear. "i was meant to be staying in my dorm and only going out to go to therapy. i should've just told jinnie-oppa that i was busy."

"it was hyunjin?" yunho raised his eyebrow, having discussed with the others that morning about who the mystery man was.

"yeah. he wanted to try and cheer me up and took me out to my favourite cafe. i thought we were disguised enough but i guess someone recognised one of us." miyeon sighed, sinking to the floor fully as the cat tried to climb onto her legs.

"why don't you just tell management that? i'm sure they'll understand and release a statement clarifying things." yunho tried to cheer up the girl, reaching his hand out to the still purring cat now sat on her lap.

"i tried. they said it would just cause more trouble. fans already think we're secretly dating cause of how close we are. what would happen if they found out we were going to cafes together in secret?" she rolled her eyes, petting the cat as it slowly closed their eyes in her lap.

"if the company says you're just friends then atiny should understand and leave it be." yunho tried to catch the girl's eye, smiling reassuringly as she finally looked up at him.

"thank, yuyu." miyeon smiled at the boy, resting her head on his shoulder as she looked down at the now sleeping cat in her lap.

"why do i always find you two hanging out in the weirdest of places?" hongjoong's voice made the pair jump, awakening the ginger cat who climb onto miyeon's shoulder out of fright.

"ow, ow." she hissed, it's claws digging in through her jumper.

"hyung. we've made a new friend." yunho smiled up at the older boy, who was, for once, taller than him in that moment.

"why do you have a cat, miyeonnie?" hongjoong's face fell into his hands as he finally spotted the ginger cat cradled to her shoulder.

"he was stuck in a plastic bag and was hurt." she pouted, stroking the cat to try and calm it down and release its claws from her shoulder.

"and what are you going to do with said cat once curfew starts in 30 minutes?" hongjoong lifted his head and raised his eyebrows.

"take him to the vet round the corner and then bring him back to the dorm?" miyeon asked hopefully, bringing out the big guns of her puppy dog eyes that she knew the leader couldn't refuse.

hongjoong sighed, already knowing the girl was not going to give up. "fine. but when manager-nim comes asking why you're late and there's now a cat in the dorm, you're dealing with his wrath."

"thank you, oppa!" miyeon giggled, slowly rising to her feet with the cat still in her arms. "i'll try and be quick. please stall for me."

the two boys rolled their eyes as they watched the girl run down the road, the ginger cat bouncing in her arms.

"i hope she knows that cat isn't going anywhere near my room." hongjoong shook his head, walking back the way he came into their dorm building.

"try saying that in two weeks when the cat has decided you're room is the coziest and you have to deal with the wrath of miyeon." yunho chuckled, following his hyung into the building. "do you not remember when yeosang ate the last of her favourite candy?"

"don't remind me. i still get flashbacks whenever i buy them." hongjoong rolled his eyes, remembering the screaming match between the members last year.

----------

miyeon cringed as the door creaked open, pausing as she waited for one of the boys to open their door. she slowly shut the door behind her, praying that none of the boys were still awake to hear her coming in past curfew. she knew yunho and hongjoong were aware of her tardiness but that was as far as she wished for it to go.

she crept towards the end of the hallway, her dorm being the furthest from the living room. she sighed in relief as she made it into her room and collapsed onto her bed. the cat crate sat beside her, the drugged out ginger cat, that she had found out was a stray, swaying on his feet as he stared out at her. she giggled as he seemed completely out of it, the pains meds the vet had given him clearly having taken full effect.

a knock at her door made her jump, miyeon not moving as she tired to find somewhere to hide the crate. she frantically picked up the crate and put it in the entrance of her bathroom, hoping whoever was at the door wouldn't come in and see it. she sighed as she opened the door, seonghwa's irritated face staring back at her.

"hey, oppa." miyeon faked a yawn, fawning the idea that she'd just woken up. "did you need something?"

"did you just come in?" he raised his eyebrow, staring down the clothes he saw her leave for her meeting in that she was still wearing.

"no?" miyeon grinned sheepishly, hoping he'd believe his lie.

"then you have an intruder cause i was just in the kitchen and saw someone come in here." seonghwa crossed his arms, using his disappointed 'mum' as the maknae members called it.

"fine. i just got back. please don't tell hongjoong-oppa. he already knew i was out but i didn't know it'd be this late." miyeon begged, cringing as she heard the cat start to scratch at the crate.

"why didn't you just let us know you'd be back late? i was worried when i didn't see you come back. we all just assumed the meeting went bad and you were holed up in here." seonghwa sighed, his stern look dropping into one of worry.

"i'm already bothering everyone enough with that stupid article. i didn't want to hassle you guys any further." miyeon shrugged, leaning against her door frame.

"you're not bothering us, yeonnie. it's just some stupid article. yunho told us it was hyunjin and you know we all love him. we're gonna talk with mr kim tomorrow and sort it all out." seonghwa smiled down at the girl, bringing her in for a hug.

"you don't have to do that, oppa." she mumbled against his chest, enjoying the warmth that his embrace gave her.

"we're a team. this is what we do for each other." seonghwa said against the top of her head, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. "now, why don't you tell me why there's a cat in your room?"

miyeon grinned sheepishly, pulling the older boy into her room and introducing him to the newest resident of the ateez dorm.

[bumblingbabooshka]

[Tuvok & Janeway: Control, Distance, Duty & Connection.] Sources: St Voyager Transcripts / Mitski 'First Love Late Spring' / Disco Elysium

[op-dumpstertruck]

“I got you no matter what” EXCUSE ME WHILE I CRY SCREAM THROW UP—

Yesss - if there is one thing Zoro is, above anything else, he's loyal! I haven't drawn much out yet, but I do see him being not exactly perfect with this (he does tumble along, says some insensitive stuff, really doesn't get Sanji for the longest time because they communicate badly) but! When shit hits the fan he is there! And of all the strawhats I think he'd be the most quiet/calm/stalwart support there is. (And Zoro is definitely pro choice, I do see him as someone for whom it's as simple as 'he doesn't want this so it's not gonna happen'.) With alllllll the other things they argue about, this should be a huge fight. But it doesn't happen - not here, and not about that.

[sudcikis]

Jason: You call your goats Krampus and Santa, I feel like it's opening up a world of mischief. Jason: Hurled into the sun. Literally just picked up, and (to quote my 10 year old) yeeted. The whole plot of the movie is that Annie's character, Gloria, is heading back home after her boyfriend kicks her out because she's struggling to stay sober. She meets her childhood friend, Oscar played by the handsome and charming J Suds, who now runs his late father's bar. He gives her a job which aggravates her alcoholism, she stays up late, sleeps til late, and at the same time there's a giant reptilian monster causing death and destruction in Seoul. There's a specific time in the morning that Gloria walks through the certain spot in the park and she realizes she can remotely control the monster in Seoul. But vice versa, when the monster gets attacked, Gloria gets hurt. She tries to spell out an apology and fix her behavior to make the monster less destructive. Then Oscar manifests a monster of his own, which is a giant robot, and his behavior becomes more destructive towards his friends, and specifically Gloria, he tries to force her to drink knowing she has problems, her NY boyfriend finds her to take her back and Oscar tries to get her to stay. Oscar doesn't like himself at all so he manipulates other people and manifested a robot to make himself feel important. In the playground where they can control their monsters, because Gloria wont stay, Oscar begins to purposefully make his robot stomp on buildings in Seoul and tells Gloria that every day she's not with him, he'll continue to rampage. Gloria's smart and wants to know if she can reverse the charges, so she takes a trip to Seoul waits until it's time and the robot manifests, and while she is there, back home where Oscar is having a temper tantrum, the giant reptile appears and she scoops him up and just flings him. AND THAT is why, a man who was paid to kill people and loved his job, and carried an ear around in his pocket, was a much nicer person than fucking Oscar 🤣 Jason: I get it. I get the same when I see Liz every day I have to pinch myself to check I'm not dreaming, but she really is my beautiful wife and this really is my beautiful house.

Eiza: if he never crows? Even better, he’ll be the most ironic rooster in existence. Sweet Bill is home!! My heart is full. I love that Yogi is cool with it, but I knew the goats would be the troublemakers. They’ve been plotting something since day one, and I fully support their mischief. I’m ready for this wholesome-yet-chaotic farm docuseries. Eiza: Okay, but hurled into the sun?? That’s next-level karmic justice, and I’m absolutely here for it. Imagine being so awful that the only solution is to yeet you into space. Also, I need you to explain how you once played a guy who carried a human ear in his pocket and he wasn’t as bad as Oscar?? That’s truly saying something. Eiza: I do believe her. I really do. It’s just wild, you know? Like, my brain still short-circuits a little when I think about it. But hearing it from you too? That means everything. I’ll take the hill next to yours, and we’ll both defend it till the end. Eiza: I think we can call ourselves grown ups now 😂

[bonefall]

Voted for Bumble bc of course but also if you think Alex would not pspsps Bumble you are wrong. If they could communicate they would go to therapy together /s

If then could communicate they would go to therapy together

/GEN

Kyle/Green Lantern resurrects her but then he becomes convinced that she's not the same person she was before the incident, OR SOMETHING SOMETHING Black Lanterns aren't ACTUALLY bad they're just misunderstood Grim Reaper types, in either case Alex ends up breaking it off with Kyle because they've become very different people.

And then Bumble's there

And then they go to therapy or Alex adopts Bumble, and then uhhh Bumble's like one of the superpets. Like Krypto the Superdog. Free premise go forth and play with it if ur a DC fan

[sherlock-is-ace]

the imposter syndrome i feel every time i even slightly think i might be autistic is insane, specially for a person who highly relates to the lived experiences of people who are professionally diagnosed.

Like I was just watching this one youtuber, and she was talking about very specific examples in her life and childhood where she saw autistic traits that made her realize she was autistic and then seek a diagnosis and then get one, and everything she was saying was like she was describing my life! But yeah no, I can't be autistic tho