#hello i am back with more mlb posting

[ulquichaan]

Miraculous Ladybug - my thoughts.

Hello!

It's been a while, I know. But I come back to rant yet again! I'm sorry for any mistakes in advance - its 2am and the thoughts won't let me sleep so I have to get them out there somewhere. If you don't want to waste your time - skip it. If you actually want to read it, I'll have a cookie waiting for you at the end of this. :3

My journey with MLB.

Miraculous was that one show that I got to know about through a parody of it on polish yt channel called Surreactor. I didn't know what it was about but it looked interesting and that was a point in time when season 3 was just starting to come out. Sooo, as the curious child I was - I gave it a go. And it captured me very easily.

At first all I wanted is for Adrien and Mari to finally get together. I never had big thoughts about it. Then I got bored between new episodes and just... forgot about it.

After some time however I came back to it. It was somewhere around 4th season airing. I returned to it, watched it all over again and it captured me yet again. I completely fell in love with Adrien as character and started to read loads of fanfiction about the two main heroes. I got invested, started to draw the characters in different settings and what not. I started even posting here on tumblr the rants that blew out about Adrien and about Black Cat holders as a whole just because I was frustrated on how little love he got or that I couldn't find any theories that would make sense.

I made new friend, started to plan stories more than I did before, returned to RP with my old friend through messenger and more.

It was a blow of creativity of mine at that time. You maybe you know of "Sky Is The Limit"? That was the point for me where I had so many ideas that I had to do something with at least one of them. Talking about an overload, right?

Season 4 finale - the best finale in this show in my honest opinion. Though I am based so who cares.

The point is - I deeply fell in love with this fandom for the most part.

And then... season 5 happened.

At first I was hooked. Really. I felt that it was going in the right direction and I even wanted to watch it later so I could see it in order.

Oh boy, did I get disappointed. Very disappointed.

I was never a Senti-Adrien fan, let's be real. But the execution? Even worse.

The finale? The fight yea, fun. But why cut out Adrien out of it???

Chloe as mayor? ARE YOU FOR FUCKING REAL? It's losing braincells more and more.

And I know the plot armor was always evident in this show and all.... but i feel like it was knocked up 10 times or more in season 5 to the point it could beat Game of Thrones seasons 7 and 8. (Yeah, I know what should compare two shows where one is fenomenal and the other has always been trash, but you can't argue with me that seasons 7 and 8 weren't rushed and had very poor execution)

To say that I was angry is an understatement. I HATED season 5 with every fiber of my existence. I still do, but I'm far more calm about it than I was originally. Believe it or not.

I saw all the drama in the fandom. When people complained about the show and other people came in to defend it. And I have to say - I can see where both sides are coming from.

To the people who enjoy it, all of it - I'm glad you do! I really am!

However.

I can clearly see where the hate is coming from and anytime I saw a valid critique I couldn't help but agree with it. There were some awesome responses to that critique even from people who do enjoy the show still, but there were always people who I'll call "white knights".

Aka people who will ride-or-die for the show and always say there is nothing wrong with it!

Oh how I hate this way of thinking....

Little message to those white knights - yes there are pure haters that hate just to hate, but in the spectrum of people who are critiquing the show are also people who loved it and got disappointed. When people are angry/dissapointed they usually feel the need to express themselves and forums like Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter, are just perfect for ranting. I have spent fair share in the horse gaming community to know that every flop will have a retaliation and shutting up people will make them only more angry. :|

I stopped liking the show. Why am I coming back to it?

That's a question that started to bother me just as I was going to sleep.

I have watched Hazbin Hotel (Lucifer my beloved) and fell deeply in love with it. I always liked Vivzie's Hellaverse being it Helluva Boss and now Hazbin, but there is something that just came back to me.

I started yet again imagining Adrien and Marinette but in the helllaverse. Or what if I merged hellaverse and Miraculous together in some way. Or other crazy ideas that will never see the light of day.

It's always those two characters for the most part. But the moment those two show up, the rest of Miraculous cast does too.

I fell put of the show. I don't like it. Why do I keep coming back?

My thought is - the fandom and the work it did for the characters.

I have always loved to read fanfiction even it came to miraculous. And it's always SO MANY! With many different variants of the world or entirely different settings. Ofc there are some bad fics, but the good ones are those that captured my heart and made me love the characters even more.

Let's put in some examples (and recommendations if you want to check them out):

Happiness by Somewhere_Out_Here

Once a Thief, always a Thief by @saijspellhart

Bakery Enemies by @buggachat

Heaven in hiding by @livinglittlelie

I'll guess your heart, if you guess mine by PurpleHeartsOne

Chat Blanc's Moon Waltz by @rileyclaw

The comic dubs by PhantomSavage

The little comics like "Passionate Kiss" by @edendaphne

All of these are just very few examples from multitude of content I devoured when I was in the love stage for MLB. And those things are STILL SO GOOD. (You have to check it out if you haven't already)

The point is - the fandom fell in love with the concept and if not that, then the characters. Yes, they aren't perfect. Some would say they are very much Mary Sue-ish. Some would say they are badly written. While the fact is - the characters themselves aren't badly written, the plot is just badly handled.

I can see why people love Marinette, she is quirky, funny and her ideas, while absurd most of the time, they work. And that's fine! She is supposed to be creative and what not. A great friend to have in corner, that for sure :3

Adrien on the other hand is supposed to be a bundle of issues that come with living a sheltered life and the want to be free.

(The movie handled Marinette much better than the show, let's be real here)

Sad fact - the writers of the show couldn't handle all of the potential they set up. But the fandom could and that's what's beautiful in my opinion.

The show may not be a masterpiece but they made some aspects of it so enjoyable and investing (love-square) that other people decided to execute those good things in their own stories and create something else.

The characters are just so easy to put into other stories too. Because they are written in the way they are (even if poorly handled at times) the aspects of them are very flexible, which in turn makes them easy to incorporate into other AUs.

For me it proves that you don't need a very complicated and deep character to make your story memorable. Even tho that certainly helps depending on your story. Miraculous was really lucky it got that creative fandom in the first place.

And this is what is beautiful.

Ending, some plans of mine that who knows if they will see the light of day. :]

This is only for those who are interested what I have been up to and what do i plan with this blog:

I am not quitting tumblr, oh no. I'll be probably reposting some stuff that I like from time to time.

I am returning to write "Sky Is The Limit", however I am completely rewriting it for the.... 7th time? Something like that. I doubt I'll finish it anytime soon at this rate and if I get the need to draw I might draw few characters from there or designs I have planned.

I have a very big project in mind that I might probably make a new blog for. It's still just an idea but I getting closer to actually being made so stay tuned.

I will start posting stuff from Hazbin Hotel. I fell deeply in love with Lucifer's character and you can't unglue me from that duck man!!

Other than that I went to university and I'm enjoying my time here so yeah.

And here is your cookie for reading all that! You're a legend!

(I'm open for any discussions as long as they stay respectful. Feel free to DM me :>)

[yolowritter]

In Defense of Ladrien

Hello there everyone, and welcome to a shorter post this time. I'll be honest, I'm in a random Ladrien mood right now, so I figured I should go rewatch a few of the Season 2 episodes with it. As you do. Then I remembered...it doesn't exist. Not in canon anyway, and that's a real shame! Despite Adrien and Ladybug's mutual crushes on each other, we don't get anything except a couple times where they blush at each other and stammer through their sentences. Which okay, it's cute, but c'mon, there's so much potential here! So today I want to lay a bit of groundwork as to how Ladrien could have been improved in this show, and also (hopefully) open up a discussion about it, since I rarely see anyone bring it up in modern MLB. I guess we're all too busy with Sentimonster angst and questioning what's going on with Lila's three mothers. Still waiting to see how they'll try to write themselves out of this predicament... Anyway, today we're talking about the most underrated lovesquare ship, Ladrien!

First of all, it's worth mentioning that I won't be going over the show episode by episode. This is just a short post discussing the ship in general, not a 7.5k analysis like I did with Chloe, my keyboard still needs time to recover. So, I'm sure we all know the basics, but I'll give a simple overview of canon Ladrien just to have everyone on the same page! Ladybug (Marinette) has a crush on Adrien Agreste. Adrien (Chat Noir) has a crush on Ladybug. That's it. That's the ship. Nothing more to it!

Okay...well, things aren't so simple. Canon does give us a couple moments where this dynamic is toyed with, but they're few and far between, leading to a...less than adored ship in the fandom. Don't get me wrong, I love Ladrien! That's why I'm writing this after all, and surely there's others out there who ship it too! But when compared to Adrienette or Marichat...it falls flat on it's face due to the utter lack of content we have to work with. Thankfully, we at least have an established dynamic! And hey, with this show, even that's a bloody miracle!

However, I have seen a lot of people (in yee olden days) say they prefer other sides of the Square because Ladrien seems...a little dishonest. In their defense, it really wasn't hard to make the claim that Marinette's crush on Adrien was (by early S2) still quite superficial, considering they hadn't actually gotten to know eachother than well, and vice-versa for Adrien with Ladybug. I can see why, especially since these are the respective personas that are "least real". Adrien is forced to conform to his father's expectations and always be perfect, while Ladybug needs to be professional and has the city's safety to worry about, hence is unable to ever be genuinely "Marinette" while in the suit. Add to that all the identity shenanigans, and it's easy to see why this ship got pretty much dismissed by a large portion of fans back when it was still relevant. And given that Miraculous has since pivoted away from teen drama and more into the "crazy butterfly man wants to destroy the universe" territory, most ships except Adrienette (and Marichat in Elation) got left behind as the storyline progressed. Ladybug and Chat's relationship evoled, we had a whole arc where Adrien was depressed, etc. That's just the natural progression of storytelling. At some point, we have to move on with the plot.

Fortunately, I am here to present the opposite argument! Ladrien would actually be a very viable ship, especially because of this hero worship that afflicts both Marinette and Adrien! It makes for amazing and complicated interactions on both sides, and here's why! It's because Ladrien was misunderstood, or maybe even misrepresented by the show itself. In my humble opinion, it shouldn't (only) be about Adrien blushing the moment he sees his crush, or Ladybug stammering twenty times in a single sentence. That's all well and good, but look at that I said a moment ago. Ladrien, by the very nature of it's existence is dishonest. Neither Ladybug nor Adrien can be themselves with eachother, even if I have no doubt they would rush headfirst into some kind of secret romance if given the oppurtunity! But...that the point of this ship in my opinion. They both view each other as this perfect, can-do-no-wrong person and have placed one another on a pedestal higher than Lila's delusions! Ladrien is fundementally doomed to this flaw from the very start...but overcoming it is what's interesting!

Just...hear me out! Let's say that after Gorizilla (or some other Akuma with Adrien as a target), Ladybug goes to check on him post-battle to make sure he's okay. Maybe she visits him that night, and surprises him with her presence. They do their usual routine of blushing and stammering, and for one reason or the other, one of them confesses that they have a crush. Regardless of who it is, or how exactly this plays out, let's say for the sake of argument that they get together after another visit or two. Maybe Marinette thinks this is her chance and can't resist getting to know the boy she loves, maybe Adrien is the one to bring it up because Ladybug is his hero. The immediate first problem is that while they know eachother...they can't be honest with their partner. And this brings up an amazing character conflict!

For Marinette, it's possible she has doubts about herself and rationalizes that of course the Adrien Agreste would never see her, but be in love with Ladybug! There's a whole other can of worms here about Marinette's feelings in regards to her mask, but that's for another post. For Adrien, maybe he's a bit conflicted because Ladybug is in love with him...but not Chat Noir, who he considers to be the "real" him. And the more they interact, the more both of them realize that the other is blindsighted by the mask they wear. There's genuine moments sprinkled in between, but feelings of inadequacy keep them from truly connecting. Think "the wall between us" metaphor. But...just when it seems like neither of them is really that happy, when they start feeling like a mistake, both Ladybug and Adrien get a glimpse of the person behind the mask. She realizes that he isn't some perfect, unreachable guy, and he in turn figures out that she's trying so hard to be good enough for him. This can happen in an infinite amount of ways, and I guarantee there's at least some Ladrien fanfics out there that do it! And I'm really glad, because it means someone else gets it!

After this we have a myriad of possibilities as to how things could go, but regardless, things absolutely change in their dynamic. They slowly start to getting to know the person behind the mask. Naturally, they both find themselves even more in love, then eventualy there's a reveal somewhere there, they get together officially, etc. You get the point, right? The reason why Ladrien is interesting is the dichotomy between Maribug and Adrichat's identities. It's the idolization that blinds them slowly fading away to reveal the truth, it's the feelings of insecurity that plague their relationship until everything finally comes to a head! If Ladynoir is parters in battle to lovers, Adrienette is high school sweethears, and Marichat is friends to secret midnight visits to lovers, then Ladrien is idols to friends to lovers! And I absolutely adore their dynamic!

Now, I'm obviously not the first person to bring this up, since I distinctly recall some great Ladrien fics from back in the day with pretty much this plot. And the reason why I adore them is that they play into the inherent dishonesty so well! I hope my point has come across, and if anybody wants to add their own analysis, by all means feel free! This post is supposed to open up a new discussion after all. Anyway, I have to go take a day off and go through my old Ladrien bookmarks! I'll see you all next time, but until then, Stay Miraculous everyone!

[bottomlessabyssposts]

hello fellow former mlb victim fan

I’m so curious now on what your thoughts on the show are. Like, just in general and also how the romance was handled. If you wanna share 👀

LISTEN. Way too many things and I will end up making this post too long but... I have some pent up frustration so let's just go by seasons (+ some other stuff) THIS IS VERY LONG SO HAVE A NICE READ

S1 : I think s1 was fine overall, though I was absolutely creeped out by Mari's behavior like ??? She's very likable and honestly I enjoy her character most of the time but it's just. Why would you make this 14 years old obsessive ?? As a middle aged man ?? AS A GAG ???? anyways. I think s1 was the only season where I don't have many things to say because 1) it wasn't that bad 2) i don't remember much

S2 : The beginning of my doom, CN is dumbed down more and more by the writers in favor of LB and this is so weird. Adrien isn't dumb, what he is oblivious and unaware of social norms. He spent his life homeschooled. (ALSO may I ask why is his life presented as going down hill when his mom disappeared when he's always been hidden from the world ?? Why is his mom shown as good when he couldn't even go to school and didn't have any friends except Chloé ??? How is she a good mother ??? How did his father change exactly ?? Did he just become colder or ??)

I think the swap kwami episode was in s2 and this is one of my LEAST favorite episodes ; CN's job is perceived as easy compared to LB but i'm sorry can Mari sacrifice herself so easily without any guarantee to come back ?? The heavy burden of the power of destruction and the knowledge that she could KILL someone doesn't bother her ??? This episode just served the purpose to show how LB is just. Much more important than CN and I am SICK of it.

Also uh can we talk real quick about Master Fu ? Dude thought "training" (that apparently happened off screen which is just bad writing) a CHILD to become the next guardian was a good idea ? Mari is a kid with dreams and passions and chaining her down to this duty is just outright cruel. In later seasons we don't even see her make anything ? She is supposed to want to become a fashion designer and now she's stuck stressing over kwamis and a way too complicated task where if she messes up, the world as they know it ends.

ALSO. Just my opinion but. The guardian shouldn't have been Mari. Or Adrien. It should've been a third party, completely unrelated, so no power imbalance would be created between CN and LB. I'm sorry but this is such a huge thing about the show, that has been hammered into our heads, that "destruction and creation must be balanced" and they do that ?? (plus it led to the season i hate the most, s4) The show had the opportunity to introduce another character, or make use of an already introduced one (i.e Luka) and make them a guardian ! Or something ??

s3 was fine, I liked Chat Blanc for the most part (Mari's tresspassing, her sniffing Adrien's pillow... ugh.) and thought it was very very heartbreaking to see Adrien like that, my poor boy cannot catch a break. Also Chloé redemption !! She deserved it, with her abusive mother and all, too bad they decided to burn everything by making her a caricature of herself and introducing the most bland replacement for her ! (A half sister whose existence made NO SENSE ? I thought Chloé's mom didn't like kids ? Plus why would she bother taking her other kid to Paris, and risking her reputation with cheating rumors ???)

Now... Now let's talk about s4... So much happened in this god forsaken season and i'm so, so, so tired and shed so many tears of RAGE. Chat Noir became a sidekick, plain and simple. Not even "just" a sidekick the protagonist would respect, like Robin, but a simple fill-in, a "partner like any other" as LB so amicably put it in Kuro Neko. I feel like the writers wanted to write conflict and all but... it's so badly written and only served to make people hate CN.

Chat's trust was abused so many times (Ephemeral, when he and LB were supposed to show the other their identity but what he didn't know was that Viperion was to know too, instead of just... explaining the situation ?), he was kept in the dark many, many times, not only by LadyBug, but also by his Father (interesting parallels) and Fu, all which, somehow, have a position of power over him. He felt replaced, which is entirely valid, because as much as he didn't communicate this, he offered LB his help so many times, and tried to open up, and all these have been either ignored or rejected. (now I'll talk about Mari's side after, but just know that i absolutely do not blame her for being stressed ! I am just critizing her actions which hurt her supposed best friend and partner very deeply) Not to mention Scarabella, whom he never knew the existence of, and could've killed. Chat probably doesn't care much that someone knows her identity, but she never told him, or even considered telling him to find someone to tell, too. I'm sorry but LB has been so strict on these rules but now she doesn't follow them, yet expects Chat to. (also, i'm mad they stripped Chloé of her miraculous because apparently "Hawkmoth knows who she is". Well, Hawkmoth knows who Ryuko is too, as well as Rena, or Viperion. Yet they still have theirs ?)

Chat has no support !! no circle to support him whereas Mari has Alya, even the Kwamis, her parents, and her friends ! Adrien's parents are off the list, Nathalie is way too close to his Father, the Gorille isn't much help, and it's not like he's actually close to anyone if not Nino (their only memorable interaction is in Rocketear in s4). Then, he loses his miraculous and is actually blamed for getting hurt by LB's behavior and reacting harshly (he should yes apologize however) LB has provided NO apologies, instead making Chat feel guilty ?? I remember this episode SO well because I was HOPING for a sweet Ladynoir scene, but NOOOOOOOO. Also this showed how shallow Mari's love for Adrien was -- she's basically in love with his mask, not very different from Kagami "Stop acting like a clown" Tsurugi

I think, however, that showing why Adrigami and Lukanette wouldn't work is a great idea ! Was it greatly handled ? Not really, but it could've been great ! I love Kagami and Luka and I wish for them to be in good hands (mine)

One last thing about Chat, then we'll talk about Mari's side ; I HATE HATE HATE how they ignore his struggles or act as if they do not exist. The creator himself calls Adrien "perfect" and act as if Adrien is totally fine, when the situations the boy is in SHOW how distressing his situation is. Adrien is CANONICALLY shown to : accept death and die, more than once, try to cataclysm himself, eat very little, have weak boundaries and doesn't know how to say 'no', isn't really aware of others' boundaries as well, shut down as soon as his father raises his voice, been hit by his Father (both in normal and Hawkmoth form), still hasn't been able to properly grieve his mother. ALL of this, and none of it has been explored, because the focus is not on him if Mari isn't there. The writers HATE abused kids and I'm not afraid to say it, because s5 spoilers showed how they're (Adrien, Chloé and Kagami) treated and considered by the writers.

Now, onto Mari ! You're heard everything I complained about, now let's hear something else ; I loved seeing her under the pressure and how it affected her, though I find it cruel, it was interesting to see since she learned a lot about herself and other people. Too bad the writers refuse to make characters change, huh. Also, nice that she tries to move on from Adrien ! Still not over the statue thing, but it's refreshing to see her move on, if only for like, three episodes. I wish we could've seen genuinely learn how to treat her partner better, how to not take him for granted. Maybe her resenting Master Fu for putting such a heavy burden on her shoulders ? She's the class president, a full time middle schooler, guardian and super hero, and that's it. She cannot indulge in her hobbies anymore and that sucks, because she deserves to be a kid. The writers obviously want her to be the most important character by pushing every single thing and events on her, even when her presence is not even necessary.

Since Mari is pushed to be the centre of everything, where she shouldn't even be, it means she gets both privilege by the writers, and also pain. It was nice though to have a character I could empathize with and also critisize, though the writers want to make her as lovely as possible.

As for the romance between Mari and Adrien... I stopped wanting them to be together in s4, because truth be told, they're incompatible, and the Universe obviously doesn't like them together either lol. It was so weirdly put in s5, and I stopped watching the show since then, so I don't know much, except for big, big spoilers which make me want to barge in the writers' room and strangle them one by one.

The ship is no longer something I enjoy, for many reasons, and I think they should've ended up with someone else (Adrien realizing he's gay and Marinette kissing Kagami on the lips for example)

Okay and for s5 just know that I hate it.

-> Marinette, of all people, learning who Hawkmoth is and then CHOOSING not to tell Adrien, as well as offering Gabriel to die as a hero, is just horrible. The conscious choice of taking away his agency, ONCE AGAIN, hiding secrets from him, hiding from him the fact that his father, his abuser, is HAWKMOTH is horrible. I wanted the confrontation between him and his father, but NOTHING. Mari got the spotlight and Adrien is nothing more than a bird in a cage I hate the writers.

-> Chloé got disowned by her (incompetent) dad and forced to leave with her Mother. What a way to get rid of the bully ! Giving her to her abusive mother ! Who doesn't know her name, doesn't care about ! As if Chloé didn't cry "why don't you love me, mom ?" ! God.

-> the senti reveal. I hate the senti theory i hate that it's real. They can't fight back, otherwise they can just be erased of existence, and even taking back the amok is useless because what if it breaks ? what if you lost it ? someone steals it ? I hate it so, so, so much, and making abused kids sentihumans is the worst thing ever.

[muggle-born-princess]

I’M BACK EVERYONE!

Hello everyone! It’s me, Muggle-Born-Princess and I just wanna say that I’m officially back from my 1 month hiatus!

It honestly feels really great to be back on here. I know I have a lot to take care from answering questions in my inbox to writing my Chloe and Zoe AUs on @pro-bee-sisters to posting more content on my art and writing blog. 

Speaking of content, I do wanna point something out: I’m really sorry to say this, but after Season 5 of Miraculous and the Awakening movie, I am officially gonna be done with the show for good. I’m really sorry to those who only followed me for Miraculous content only, but it’s the truth. After hearing about how the season has been so far with multiple retcons, terrible writing choices, and character flanderization 24/7, I think it’s about time I say goodbye to the show. 

But, 

That’s not gonna happen anytime soon! 😊

Yep, even though I will be closing the book on Miraculous, I won’t do it immediately for the following reasons:

1. I will be rewatching the whole series before I start S5 as a whole just to see what aged poorly or what still holds up. (I think we all know the answers to those both. 🙄)

2. Once I start Season 5, I plan to do some multiple rewrites and AUs for it. Mainly for my second arc for The Lost Miraculous, despite that being in progress still.

3. Speaking of rewrites and AUs, that’s the other thing I wanna do before I leave the show for good. I especially wanna do my AUs involving Chloe and Zoe (i.e. The Queen Bee and the Vesperia & The Bee Sisters Duo!); some Chlonette in there because they’re my now my OTP (i.e. Bug & Wasp Game); and some other characters that deserve focus and potential too (i.e. A Fox and Her Club which features Lila and Sabrina as a duo; Pink and Purple Love Square which involves a Love Square between Rose/Pigella and Juleka/Purple Tigress)

4. I am super excited for the Awakening movie! The trailer and animation look so promising and since Astruc himself will not be apart of it whatsoever, it gives me hope that maybe the show will get back on its feet and if not, then we can officially call the movie the new canon if it’s any good! 

I also do wanna point out that I also wanna focus on other fandoms I’m a part of and do more work for them. (i.e. Super Mario, Total Drama, Monster High, etc...) That’s why I also have my art and writing blogs, so I can focus more on those than Miraculous. Don’t get me wrong, I will still do fanwork for Miraculous, but I also wanna expand myself to other interests just to see if anyone else is interested. 

Now that brings me up to this:

Will I stop following MLB-related blogs? 

Well, that depends. I do have a lot of Miraculous-related blogs I adore (@immaturityofthomasastruc; @miraculousbeezcentral; @emdoddles;  and @a-chlolix-blog being my Top 4), but here’s the deal: If they’re still active, then I will still follow them just for their content. However, if they end up retiring from the show just like me, then I don’t see the point of still following them. 

It’s been a really long run being a part of the Miraculous fandom, but I think it’s about time I say goodbye to it. It had a very long run for about 8 and a half years with 5 seasons, 124 episodes, 2 specials, an upcoming movie, and more to come. I say it did good for what it became.

Which leads me to my final question:

What’s gonna happen to me now that I will be done with Miraculous? 

Well obviously, I still will make fan content for it and sometimes, you will see me with a Miraculous avatar on here to dA to AO3. But, as I said, I will not only focus on other fandoms and expand them even more with their own fan content, but I will also be making a poll asking my followers what’s the next magical girl series I should explore next. 

As much as I had my problems with Miraculous itself, I will admit that it did give me a new outlook on the magical girl genre in general, and it made me really happy to see that I can learn to understand what the genre is all about, and what made it so popular to begin with. 

All in all, while I will miss those who I befriended in this fandom, I need to move on and find out what other new things that are out there that I will like~

Thank you all so much for reading. Please don’t forget to follow me on my other 3 blogs:

@princessgemsart (Art Blog)

@pro-bee-sisters (Miraculous/Chloe Bourgeois & Zoe Lee-dedicated blog)

@pens-and-gems (Writing Blog) 

And remember, you can find me on these other websites on my Link.tree (PLEASE REMEMBER TO BE 18 OR OLDER FOR THOSE THAT SAY 18+)

Thank you all so much for reading and understanding!

Hope you all take care!

UPDATE:

The poll for the Magical Girl shows has been posted! Please remember to vote!

[mangoisms]

hello!!! Ive been reading your fanfic Forever is a Maybe and dayuuuummmmm IM LOVING THE SLOW BURN!, And im loving the emphasis you put into describing the relationships between everyone, it's so platonic and i hold it dearly close to my heart bc im a sucker for platonic love and friendships 🥹 thank you for being here making Kazuya and Daiya content in 2023 i feel so warm reading abt a fave anime and my fave character ♡ im pretty much immersed in this universe you created and when i watch the mlb matches i always hope they were real so i could see them irl ToT it is surely being a nice adventure into their personalities and characters development and alllll and i also appreciate so much the thought you put into describing such nice interactions with the characters, even those who dont show up in depth! Everyone gets the chance to show they have personality, you know?! Im meaning to say youre amazing and im here appreciating SO MUCH what youre doing! And i also love your notes at the end of the chapters and when you say "this part is going to be fun" i feel ALSJSHDGDKF bc i KNOW it is indeed going to be fun and I feel so happy that youre also enjoying your thing!!!! Aaaaaaa I dont know man i just know that im so happy with your story i feel i might EXPLODE IN A MILLION COLORED PAPERS AND GLITTER AND DIE AND COME BACK TO READ MORE!! thank you for existing and sharing your creativity with so many of us and im sorry for the big big text and if i didnt make sense at all but THATS IT! ♡ PEACE ♡

hi!!!! thank you SO MUCH!!!! i’m so glad you’re enjoying everything!!! platonic relationships are just so deeply important to me, they keep the world spinning HAHA and i wanted to write something that allowed for the platonic relationships to be just as meaningful and held in as much high regard as the romantic relationship that will eventually unfold!!! eijun plays as big of a part in this fic as miyuki — the one this pairing is for — does!!!

genuinely that is so sweet of you <33 daiya always made baseball look so cool LMAO so i am Honored to do something like that for you with this fic ^_^ thank you sm!!! i try to make sure that characters who make minor appearances have a little substance to them, you know? just so they’re not faceless background characters hehe.

you are amazing too! thank you for this lovely ask! i did have so much fun writing this fic and i post my stuff in the hopes that others may also have fun reading it so you’re so sweet to say that <33 thank you so much for this, it really made me night!!! and thank you for reading too!!! i’m very happy to share it with others <333 and no worries about the text either, it’s totally ok don’t apologize! and you made total sense too so don’t worry about it ^_^ i just want to say thank you all of it <3 i keep repeating it but it’s really so true! this ask is so lovely and so are you <33 thank you ^_^

[renee561]

I posted 36,809 times in 2022

That's 14,910 more posts than 2021!

69 posts created (0%)

36,740 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@a-peculiar-potoo

@everything-is-connected

@alwaysdearie

@changelinq

@wackygoofball

I tagged 946 of my posts in 2022

#renee answers - 36 posts

#renee writes - 14 posts

#this - 14 posts

#sense and sensibility - 14 posts

#sense and sensibiliy au - 12 posts

#my fic - 12 posts

#the road divided - 10 posts

#just @ me next time - 9 posts

#megan0013 - 9 posts

#send me an owl - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#however when it becomes more about money then a friendship thats where i stop helping bwcauae then its more about the money then friendship

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Hi ! Do you write mlb fics?🤗

I do! I'm working on a gabenath fic, a crossover fic between trollhunters/tales of arcadia and mlb post ny special, and a bit of Lukanette fics.

I started to do the Lukanette Month back in June, but I got burnt out and haven't really finished any fics that I started though I have been meaning to get back into writing them!

Thank you for asking!

15 notes - Posted January 9, 2022

#4

So, I have been really obsessed with Sense and Sensibility since April. And today because it was a person's birthday that requested a specific pairing (spoilers) I started writing them and am hooked.

Today I posted the first chapter:

15 notes - Posted September 22, 2022

#3

It is a sad, unfortunate truth, universally acknowledged, that a single writer must be in search of a plot

16 notes - Posted October 27, 2022

#2

📃

📃 Ever written something inspired by someone elses fic?

Actually yes! My fic was inspired by this fic by @isolacaramella let me tell you I am so happy it was!

And my fic was inspired by @weirddreamergirl art piece here!

To be honest I miss writing for Jaime and Brienne, but the muse has been inactive for a while on that score. And I try and think of them fondly, but for now we've said goodbye until we say hello again.

17 notes - Posted November 4, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Rereading Sense and Sensibility and the more I read the more I'm assured that Eilnor should have ended up with Colonel Brandon instead of Edward.

From the first of their aquantience she has been in his corner, and has declared very passionately as well as logically to Marianne in his defense of character. And furthermore when Willoughby makes fun of him declaring him a man that "all like but none take notice of" seems to only make her defend him all the more.

Thoughts for later.

33 notes - Posted March 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[chinchillinator]

.

[wackus-bonkus-maximus]

the miraculous enneagram post nobody asked for

if by now you don't know i'm obsessed with the enneagram & personality stuff, i present to you know the depth of the hole i'm in. hello, i'm wackus, type 9, and if you skip this rambling post i totally understand.

the enneagram is a personality tool i use for writing (both fanfic & non-fanfic stuff) and irl to navigate relationships. this post will focus on how i type the mlb characters in my fics. however, the enneagram is more than putting people in boxes and stamping them with stereotypes. i use it in my writing is to know what motivates each personality and how their values shape not only their worldview, but the actions they will take in the narrative.

1 - the reformer marinette (wing 2), su han, kagami driving goal: integrity, perfection, improvement basic fear: being bad or corrupt

2 - the helper nino, rose, sabrina (wing 1) driving goal: love, appreciation, validation basic fear: being unwanted, unloved

3 - the achiever chloe (wing 2), lila (wing 4): driving goal: worth, success, image basic fear: being worthless

4 - the individualist gabriel (wing 5), zoe, juleka driving goal: identity, authenticity, significance basic fear: the void

5 - the investigator felix (6), max, nathalie (wing 4) driving goal: knowledge, understanding, competency basic fear: being helpless or incompetent

6 - the loyalist mylene, roland, sabine (wing 5) driving goal: security, community, certitude basic fear: having no support system

7 - the enthusiast adrien (wing 6), kim, gina (wing 8) driving goal: satisfaction, excitement, contentedness basic fear: missing out, feeling pain

8 - the challenger alya (wing 9), alix (wing 7), ivan driving goal: autonomy, importance, control basic fear: being harmed, being controlled

9 - the peacemaker luka, fu (wing 8), tom driving goal: harmony, connection, peace of mind basic fear: conflict, separation, loss

there is no enneagram type that's better or worse than the others. an unhealthy person will present the worst symptoms of their type, while a healthy person will present the best. remember, the goal of the enneagram is to get out of the box you're in so you can be a more healthy personality!

notes:

*i'm like 95% sure i got their types right but if you think differently pls feel free to correct me

*wings are when an enneagram type leans into the traits of the type next to them on the circle (either side). i, a 9 wing 1, am mostly laid-back and chill, but if you don't do the dishes like i asked then i'll passive aggressively get up and do them myself while saying "it's fine."

*each type might act like another when they are healthy/unhealthy. E.g nino (type 2) has gone to the "bad side" of 8 in stress (bubbler & rocketeer tried to dominate & regain control). but when he is healthy he looks like "the good side" of 4, making videos and dj-ing & just being super creative.

*any type can be in a happy relationship with any other type as long as they're both healthy (which is one of the things i like about the enneagram's perspective). that being said, my favorite couples that i always end up shipping the hardest are the 1/7 and the 2/5. just so much fun to watch ❤️

*if you're looking at this like "mm i don't buy it, sounds like bull" you might be a type 6

*if you are reading this and thinking "i need to research this more and get the right info" you might be a type 5

*if you're looking at this and are unsure which one you might be because some or all of them kinda sound like you, you're probably a 9

**i am not a certified enneagram coach, just v obsessed

tldr: wackus sorts the miraculous characters into enneagram types bc it helps her write good.

[zerotosiki]

Give Me a Second Chance Chapter List

Prompt(s): Reincarnation/Transmigration AU. Angst. Fluffy.

Pairing(s): Damian Wayne (DC) x Marinette Dupain-Cheng (MLB).

Summaries: Reincarnation? Transmigration? What?... It's not the first time Marinette heard about those terms but IT'S the first time she experienced it herself! Is this a curse under the disguise of blessing? She doesn't know but she had intended to find out the truth. ...Or at least that's what she was planning... Until she realizes she's not in Paris anymore and her second life is so different on many levels! Living in Gotham? Check. A new sister? Check. No ladybug? Check, at least not yet but if Marinette isn't in Paris anymore then there'll be no Ladybug and Chat Noir in her life, yes? So she thought her life would be finally peaceful... Until she meets the Batfamily... great.

Okay before getting to the story, I need to give you AN beforehand, sorry.

AN: Hello, I'm back from the death (heh). Sorry for being gone suddenly, it's been like one or two years? Anyway, I had been busy with real-life problems... Although, finally I graduated! Now I got the inspiration to continue this story after reading some of Daminette's fanfics hehe. I won't guarantee that the story will be good since I had problems:

- English is not my first language (I had to use google translate or Grammarly for help lol), and I had a problem with how to transfer my idea into good words. I'm stressing myself out to make a good sentence. I do indeed already done with my rough drafts (it has 25 pages in total) until the ending but I'm still struggling to expand that rough drafts into chapters or to put it nicely, I don't know how to turn that rough drafts into interesting chapters lol :"). But I felt guilty if I don't post this because I've promised you and I'm not a person who likes to break a promise unless I'm forced to.

- I'm not following MLB anymore since... Cat Blanc incident (Actually I've not watched that episode too but at least I've heard about it). Not only that, I'm not following Batman's adventure too, I learned their characters only from fanfictions I've read, not including the Maribat fandom. So yeah, expect some or maybe all characters to be OOC. I'll try not to make them cringe, okay.

- The story probably would end up different from how I planned on the beginning because when I re-read it again now, I found out there's some that I don't like, or I am already bored with it so I changed it.

- This is not a problem, but I'm opening commissions for drawing. If you are interested, you can check my IG: @zerotosiki for my art examples.

I deliberately put AN on here so it's doesn't interfere with my main story's pages. Okay, if you've done reading all of my AN, I would like to thank you for patiently reading from the bottom of my heart. Now onto the story!

Chapter List:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

I'm not tagging anyone on this page because I felt it was unnecessary? Since I already tagged them in my chapter's story anyway, which I felt more suitable.

[hotpodsummer]

REVEALS ARE HERE

Hello! Now that reveals are over, a masterpost of all of the gorgeous new fic! Thank you to everyone who posted in this exchange, commented, left kudos. You really made this exchange come alive! 

And By a Sleep, to Say We End the Heartache by laceblade for Srw 

No summary. (Ronan/Tommy)

And they were roommates?! by catpennies for bigpunktapes (biggayghost) 

Lovett was not supoosed to have roommates. This was not the plan. (Jon F/Tommy, Jon F/Jon L/Tommy)

Are You Writing Your Vows? We Don't Even Have A Date Yet. by Srw for Moreanswers24 

Ronan thinks that he's going to get a head start on writing his vows. (Ronan/Jon L)

But maybe we're the same by thetimesinbetween for swishandflick 

"One sec," Lovett says, already tapping at his phone. "Let me ask Ronan if he’s all right with me offering to let you drink from the source, or if he aiming for us to be, like, super super exclusive to the point where no other man can touch me."

Tommy opens his mouth, but Lovett is already hitting send.

Tommy's phone buzzes. Lovett has renamed their groupchat “bloodbag?” (Ronan/Jon L, Ronan/Jon L/Tommy)

close enough to touch by somehowunbroken for HereWeAreAtTheEnd 

They come together naturally, and when it all finally clicks—well, Tommy's pretty sure it's going to be amazing.(Jon L/Jon F/Tommy)

come do a friendly thing by kenopsia (indie) for catpennies 

Lovett shrugged. “I think it probably would have been a lot of fun to see Tommy’s face if he walked in on us in a four way post coital cuddle instead of coming back to change early enough to spook us sober. But it’s not like I still… think about it.”

“Clearly,” Emily said. She pulled her legs up to sit on her feet, feeling chilly suddenly. “Since neither of us are here thinking about it.”

(Ronan/Jon L/Emily/Jon F)

Despite the heat it'll be alright by okaystop for fizzy_smile 

It was hot. (Jon L/Tommy)

A Fitting Room for Changing by SelfRescuingPrincess for laceblade 

He's been holding onto these more-than-a-best-friend feelings for over a decade and a half but it always seems not quite right to verbalize anything specific. He second guesses himself and makes “Dear Diary” jokes instead because self-deprecation is safer. Or he straight up talks himself out of it because at this point it's been so long, and what would he even say? And what would Tommy say? What if he ruined everything? Realistically, Lovett should probably say something before he self-combusts, except the thought of losing Tommy- and the potential professional fallout- is ultimately unfathomable. Unbearable. Unimaginable. So, he’ll forget it. Bury it. (Jon L/Tommy)

Hallmark Moments by Moreanswers24 for celli 

Hallmark and Lifetime wish that they could write a relationship as captivating as the one between Jon Favreau and Emily Black.

But if Emily has her way, Hallmark and Lifetime are going to want to write about another relationship instead.

College AU. Pre-JonJon (Emily & Jon F, pre Jon F/Jon L)

here i am, rock you like a hurricane by fizzy_smile for ruthvsreality 

What is with that devilish glint in Dan's blue eyes? (Jon L/Dan)

home is wherever i'm with you by moonlitelupines for Laliandra 

He turns to Tommy and suddenly it’s the easiest thing in the world to lean in and place a kiss on his lips. Lovett hasn’t let himself think about kissing Tommy, a fact true even before he met Ronan. It felt like he was tempting fate by indulging in the fantasy. Because Lovett was sure that’s all it was ever going to be.

But, this isn’t fantasy. This is real.

~ Or, how an earthquake and a questionably functional elevator help Lovett, Ronan, and Tommy see what's been in front of them all along. (Ronan/Jon L, Ronan/Jon L/Tommy)

i want you to love me/i have everything i wanted by tealwall for waronchairs 

“I want to. Even if we don’t hit it off romantically, it would still be nice to third-wheel with you on the boys’ date.” (Jon F/Tommy, Emily/Hanna, Hanna/Tommy, Emily/Jon F)

No before, you are all I can see by swishandflick for kenopsia (indie) 

As fall rapidly swallows the last vestiges of summer, Lovett prepares to leave, and Tommy desperately tries to hold on. (Jon L/Tommy)

No One Knows Where They Belong by celli for whenlifehandsyou 

Jon and Emily are in love with someone else.

Lovett's going to figure out who it is. (Emily/Jon F/Jon L)

perfect use of an imperfect medium by earnestbros (departureboard) for hopefor46 

Human sexuality is complex! Lovett pleads with himself as he adds chips and guacamole to his order. There’s an entire universe between what you find theoretically hot and what you actually want to happen to your physical body.

OR

Lovett stumbles across Jon's porn search history, and he can't help but notice how much of it is Lovett-and-Tommy-adjacent. (Jon F/Jon L/Tommy)

Reach out and touch someone by hopefor46 for moonlitelupines 

Sometimes, middle school math teacher Jon Lovett's teachable moments are best suited for himself. (Jon L/Tommy)

Save Up All the Days by Laliandra for thetimesinbetween 

What you’re supposed to do is let your marker touch it, spend some time in each other’s company and let whatever strange energy that has connected you settle, find out what kind of mark effects you have, if it feels like something that could become a bond.

What Lovett does is dig out his one long sleeved henley and go to bed. (Jon L/Jon F/Tommy)

Shine a little light on me by whenlifehandsyou for tealwall 

It's been a real long pandemic. The foursome is finally alone together again after over a year apart. There's a lot of sex and feelings to catch up on. (Ronan/Emily/Jon F/Jon L)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game by HereWeAreAtTheEnd for okaystop 

When Lovett was growing up, he had always dreamed of playing professional baseball for the New York Yankees. Who knew a 5’7 jewish kid from Long Island would end up an MLB catcher? In spite of the antisemitism he faced and keeping his sexuality hidden, Lovett found dear friends in the Major Leagues, including Boston Red Sox catcher Tommy Vietor.

When the Yankees and Mets face off at a 3 game series at Fenway Park, Lovett is introduced to team captain and star pitcher Jon Favreau. Can Lovett look past Favereau's polished all-American persona or will his initial distrust and the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry keep him from finding something that could change everything? (Jon F/Jon L, Past Ronan/Jon L, Past Tommy/Jon F)

there's a spark in you by somehowunbroken for alotofthingsdifferent 

As it turns out, finding out you have a soulmate is nothing like it is in the movies. (Jon L/Dan)

this is our place, we make the rules by Sonni89 for earnestbros (departureboard) 

Sometimes it takes a truly ridiculous game to realize you’re all in love. Or, life’s fundamental question: can you gay chicken the gay one? (Jon L/Tommy/Jon F)

with the assist by bitterbeets (ginnydear), ginnydear for SelfRescuingPrincess 

Lovett loses a bet and has to wear a Lakers jersey all day. It causes quite the response. (Jon L/Tommy/Jon F)

You Matter to Me by waronchairs for ginnydear 

Five times Tommy and Lovett engage in non-sexual intimacy, and one time they don't. (Tommy/Jon L)

[alexannah]

MLB: Félix Rewatch (Again)

Félix has officially become my favourite MLB episode ever, overtaking Oblivio for first place. The scene where Adrien gives Gabenath his blessing is my favourite scene in the whole show, period. I love how I get my top four favourite characters in it, and my top two ships. I am also intrigued by the Graham de Vanilys and love to hate them, for reasons I have already gone into in my previous rewatch post. Now whenever I watch Amelie talk, I mime strangling her.

Some new things I have noted since that post:

“You’re not Adrien! He would never be so pushy!” Occurs to me that now Félix knows that Ladybug knows Adrien well enough to know what he wouldn’t do. That could one day turn out to be a problem …

Since my last rewatch post, I have been educated on the Miraculous PV and the original series concepts, so the kiss attempt scene has taken on a whole new meaning. Recently read a post which theorised that although it could just be a nod to the fans who were familiar with Félix’s original story, there could be more to it. Not sure what I believe myself, but I’m not willing to rule it out, especially as I really don’t understand MLB’s time travel ideology (I’m composing a post on that), so I suppose anything is possible.

“It’s been a long journey from London ...”

Yeah, a really long journey. Assuming they came by Startrain, as they returned by it, then it really wasn’t that long. In Backwarder it’s stated that the Startrain travels from Paris to London “faster than by plane”. Well, I looked up flight duration times between Paris and London a while back for fanfiction purposes (to work out how long it would take by Startrain), and the flight is about an hour and a quarter. So by Startrain must take less than that. (The Eurostar, real-world train line that makes that journey, takes 2 hr 16 mins.) It takes me about an hour and a quarter to get to central London, and I live on a London commuter line. So, yeah. Short of a major delay and/or they live right on the outskirts of the city, not really that long of a journey. Could be inconsistent writing of course, or perhaps Gabriel is patronising them. Wouldn’t put it past him!

“... you may want to rest a bit.”

To be fair, I would need a rest after an hour’s journey. But then I’m not the average person, having health issues that affect my energy levels. So I could be reading into this, but perhaps Emilie and/or Félix do? Or maybe it’s been so long since I’ve been healthy that I don’t remember what it’s like for a healthy person to travel for, let’s say a couple of hours.

Think I’ve digressed a bit now. Anyway, back to the episode ...

As far as I can tell, the Graham de Vanilys arrive unannounced until they’re actually in Paris, and with suitcases. (Assuming Gabriel didn’t know in advance and simply didn’t mention it to Adrien, but the impression I got was they had not been expected.) A bit presumptuous, no? “Hello, brother-in-law, I’ve invited myself and my son over to stay with you in your time of grief, by the way I want your wedding rings.” I am convinced wanting the rings is the only reason why they made the trip, since Amelie is clearly disrespectful of Gabriel’s grief, and the way she squeals over Adrien doesn’t feel very sincerely affectionate to me. But maybe I’m biased.

I’ve read a theory that Emilie’s situation and Félix’s dad’s death are connected because they seemed to occur around the same time, but I’m not sure that canon supports this. Adrien says “I’m really sorry I didn’t come to your dad’s funeral. My father thought it would be too hard on me, considering everything that’s happened this year.” To me this says that some time passed between Emilie’s ‘disappearance’ and Félix’s dad’s death. But who can say.

I love that Adrien, when given the opportunity to complain about Gabriel’s strictness, simply says “He’s very protective of me”, clearly not meaning it in a bad way. I mean just look at his face. He sees Gabriel’s overprotectiveness as what it is: an expression of love. A greatly misguided way of expressing love, yes; but an expression of love all the same.

Love Adrien’s attempt at an evil laugh. (Also, seriously, Adrien? Your cousin is a mean teenager, not a supervillain. Though maybe given time ...) He should ask his father for some tips; Gabriel’s the pro.

“Now his father isn’t here to stop him from getting into mischief--”

Er, hello? He still has one parent! Way to avoid responsibility, Amelie. That has to be the lamest excuse for a son’s delinquent behaviour I have ever heard. Of course, there could be a lot of truth in it, since she clearly encourages Félix’s delinquent behaviour. Whether his father really did (try to) keep Félix out of mischief or not, we don’t know, but I would be interested to find out.

Also I can’t help but note that they left after less than a day. After arriving with suitcases, as mentioned above. Yes, Gabriel had hoped that akumatizing the Punisher’s Trio would get rid of their “unwanted guests”, but by now they’ve been de-akumatized, so Félix is no longer in danger, correct? I think that Amelie, realising that “after everything that happened” Gabriel was not going to be open to discussing handing over the twin rings, decided there was no point in staying longer. More proof that getting the rings had been her only objective of visiting.

Since Félix only got hold of Gabriel’s ring, and they’re a pair, might he try and get hold of Emilie’s at a later time?

Saw this in Instagram recently, and was immediately concerned. Assuming the official Instagram accounts can be taken to be canon (I don’t know, are they? I’m new to Instagram and signed up almost exclusively to follow the characters; was disappointed to find there are only four official ones), Félix has clearly been back to visit since that episode, as it was implied that he and Adrien hadn’t seen each other in quite a long time.

This concerns me for two reasons. One, that since Gabriel is now wearing Emilie’s ring, it’s proof to Félix (and Amelie if she was there as well--and I think I’ve seen an Instagram post with her in too, so I’m guessing she was ...) that Gabriel did, indeed, have both rings. As mentioned in my previous post, I think she thought he would have both because she thinks Emilie left them. But if they ever have reason to think something tragic happened to her, the fact that Gabriel had her ring wouldn’t look very good, would it …

The second thing is Adrien’s comment, and the fact that he put a picture of Félix on his Instagram at all, says he’s probably forgiven him for the video stunt he pulled. (Despite calling it “unforgiveable”, but this is Adrien we’re talking about.) But we know that, despite what Félix said to him about “coming back a better person”, he didn’t seem very sorry/sincere. Which means Adrien will have his guard down if F��lix tries anything else.

[silverwhiteraven]

Borne of the Stars - Chapter 3 - An MLB Kryptonian AU

Kryptonian AU Tag List:  @eve-valution @weird-pale-blonde-person @kris-pines04 @soulmate-game @abrx2002 @amayakans @vixen-uchiha @heldtogetherbysafetypins @raisuke06 @dorkus-minimus @captainartsypants @mopester-is-here @moonlightstar64 @annabellabrookes @daminett4life @toodaloo-kangaroo

[ Posted on Ao3 ] [ Chapter 1 ] [ Chapter 2 ] [ Chapter 4 ]

[A/N: I am on a roll today! Three chapters in one day! That’s right, Chapter 4 is almost done, too! ]

[ Summary: Supergirl sees something off, and she’s hella suspicious. Now she has questions. ]

There's a long pause as the hero’s stare continues and her frown only seems to deepen.

Another beat, and then a double echo of “Supergirl?” from both Marinette and Superman. Marinette’s had the faintest pitch of panic to it, because this time, she was certain that Supergirl’s grip had loosened and they had dropped in altitude, though just barely in both cases. And he may not have noticed, but it seemed Superman had been dropping with them. 

The double call seems to snap her attention back up, but she still looks… Puzzled. 

“I’m… Fine,” she sounded unsure of that, but actually shook her head as if to clear her thoughts away and pasted her big grin back where it belonged. “No, really! Geode, you are completely unharmed from this, no worries! Though you do seem to have some… Let’s say, older injuries from the past that are concerning me, just a smidgen. 

“Kal!” The older hero had been about to speak up in curiosity, his mouth already open, but it snapped shut at the overly cheerful tone of Supergirl. “How ‘bout you head out and do that sweep of the city, yeah? I can finish up here, I just have a few things to ask of Geode, about stuff. What happened here, how she’s feeling, some normal safety warnings, ya’know, that sort of stuff, you know how it is. I can handle it, no worries!”

The amount of times she’s said ‘no worries’ has Marinette a bit more than worried, gripping just a bit harder to the hero, and the squeeze gets returned, but she can't tell why it half feels protective, and half feels like she’s just been trapped to prevent an escape. 

And somehow, the same nickname twice felt off, too. 

What in the world had Supergirl seen?

Superman’s hesitation was clear, and Marinette, uncomfortable enough to wish to get everything over with, spoke up. “I’m fine, really, and I’m okay to answer any questions she has. I have nowhere to be yet,” she adds as a final reassurance, and continuously makes sure she can still feel her phone securely in her pocket. She can.

He glances between the two, then gives an approving nod to Supergirl, though still a tad hesitant. “We’ll have a meeting and debrief tonight, then.”

“Great idea!” the hero pipes up in response, still all too cheerful. “Besides, you must be feeling a little tired, aren't you? Should get going so you can rest up, you're a busy guy after all!” 

Superman raises a brow at her, but nods. “Yeah, odd, I didn't notice until you pointed it out. Good work today, Supergirl, thank you. I’ll see you later then.” 

He turns to go, and Marinette has a slightly sudden reminder of a thought, and she reaches out an arm as if to stop the hero from leaving. “Wait!” She quickly grabs right back onto Supergirl as she can bodily feel how much of a bad idea it was to reflexively let go with one hand. 

“Uh, please,” she adds in a mumble, embarrassed as he turns back to them. 

“Yes?” He asks with patience, and she greatly appreciated that he didn’t snap at her for stopping him. 

“You probably get this a lot, but my friend would probably disown me if she finds out I met you and didn't ask. You see, my friend, she's a huge superhero fan, and also an aspiring reporter, and, well, you know how fans and reporters are, you being a public hero and all. Do you think you'd be willing to do an interview with her, even just a quick hello?” She was nervous to ask, but she was determined to persevere, for Alya’s sake. 

It takes barely a breath of a moment before Superman breaks into a smile and nods. 

“Absolutely, anything to help out such a dedicated reporter and her friend. Supergirl can give you a number to one of the reporters at the Daily Planet, she knows which one. He can get up in contact. Until then,” he finishes with a salute, and finally turns and flies off, picking up pace and disappearing faster than Marinette can fully voice her thank you. 

There's no time for awkward silence as Supergirl is suddenly taking them back down, and Marinette yelps at the unexpected drop.

She looks back down towards the ground as they fall, and she points, with her chin this time, at the now dust covered bench with her messenger bag and sketchpad still sitting there unsupervised. “Over there, I left my bag on the bench. I hope everything is still safe.”

They drop to the sidewalk and Marinette takes a moment to get her feet under her before stepping away from the hero. Supergirl seems reluctant to let her go, and Marinette gets the feeling once more that she's been trapped despite having no reason to run. 

Dusting off the open sketchbook, she makes sure the sketch isn't ruined by the dust before picking up her bag and gently beats the dirt and pebbles from the fabric. As she slings it back over her shoulder, she looks up in time to once more catch the blue-green eyes of the blond teenager she had saved earlier. 

He seemed to be waiting for someone now, standing across the street on the corner. A mountain of broken concrete was between them now instead of just one chunk and a door. They blink at each other in a moment of surprise at seeing one another, before he nods in acknowledgment, and she can tell it's his way of saying thank you without actually coming to her to say so. She nods back, and he goes back to his waiting, his book once more in his hands. She notices, though, that his earbuds remained with one in and one out.

Supergirl mutters what sounded like “Luthors” before she clears her throat, and Marinette turns back to her curiously. The other girl was tense, and her eyes were boring back towards the mystery teen. 

“Do you know him?” Supergirl sounded as tense as she looked, and cautious, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Oh, no, of course not,” Marinete waved her hand as though to brush Supergirl’s worries away, before finally picking her sketchbook back up. 

“I just helped him when the planet thing was coming down,” she added, “we almost got crushed by it.” She downplayed her saving of him, for one, not wanting to seem like she was boasting, and two, she felt that trying to act like a hero was not a good idea in the moment. She didn't know Supergirl’s temperament at all, unlike the more predictable and known one of Superman, so Marinette concluded that her usual quiet would be the best play until she knew what had given the superhero’s hackles a rise.

“Uh-huh,” Supergirl sounded skeptical, but she relaxed minutely. She turned back to Marinette, and the tension in her shoulders dissipated as she uncrossed one arm and pointed to the open sketchbook in Marinette’s hands. “What is that?”

“Huh?” She looks down, and her scarlet blush returns. “Oh,” She stutters out, looking at the open page of Superman costume redesigns. The beginnings of a Supergirl-styled skirt sat in one of the corners. 

She hesitates a moment, still not used to sharing her drawings, but finally holds the sketchbook out tentatively to the superhero for her to see better. Supergirl takes it with her own amount of hesitance, but as she scans the page, her other arm uncurls and she holds the book fully and more carefully. 

Marinette fidgets a bit nervously, but relaxes as Supergirl’s expression seems to be appreciative and showing consideration for the designs. She even seemed to be eyeing a particular design with a gold and red cape with golden clasps, red boots and cloves, blue bodysuit, and a red and gold sash-like belt around the waist. The designer had a slight feeling she liked it, but not as a suggestion for her cousin. 

The phone in Marinette’s pocket buzzes before sounding out a wordless Jagged Stone tune, and she jumps back from where she had been standing close to and looking over the shoulder of the superhero. 

She quickly pulls it out and answers. “Hello? Papa? Oh yes, I’m still at the park, of course! You heard the news? Am I hurt?” She stuttered a bit on the last two questions, looking nervously at Supergirl who raised a brow back at her. She didn't want to worry her parents, but she knew the situation would still concern them nonetheless. She sighs and turns back to her phone.

“No Papa, let Maman know I’m alright, just a bit dusty; I was pretty close when it happened. Yes, I’ll meet you on the other side of the park, promise, see you soon. Oh! And, please don't freak out,” she adds to her worried father on the other end of the line. “The local superhero wanted to make sure I was okay, so she’s with me at the moment, don't be surprised if she's still with me when I get there!” 

Marinette smiles to herself as she notices the unproccessing look of having been blown away on Supergirl’s face. She guessed it had to do with not being called Superman’s sidekick like Marinette had heard before, or even Superman’s cousin or Superman’s partner. It was probably that she had simply called her the local superhero, as though she was the only one. Marinette could admit, from everything she knows from Alya and from today, Supergirl deserved a little shameless time in the spotlight all on her own, even if just from one person.

Realizing her father had gone silent from a moment of his own shock, Marinette quickly ended the call with a rushed “Okay-Bye!” and put the phone away. She beamed at Supergirl happily as she gestured into the park, past the bronze planet nestled into the grass. “Shall we?”

She didn’t wait for a reply before turning on her heel and almost skipping as she jogged off for the other side of the public space. Honestly, she was just happy the whole almost-dying ordeal was over.

She glanced back, confirming that Supergirl was flying after her silently, still just a tad dazed but with a fresh new grin of pride on her. 

By the time they got to the other end of the park, Supergirl seemed to be bursting at the seams with glee, but she kept it contained respectfully as Marinette went up to her already waiting parents and hugged them. 

Worries and reassurances passed between them for a couple moments before the hero was once more clearing her throat, her positive energy from a moment ago toned down into something more serious. 

“Not to be a spoilsport or anything, really,” the superhero seemed to shuffle on her feet awkwardly, though she wasn't even touching the ground. “But I have a question. Geode- I mean, uh-”

“Marinette,” she supplied, and the hero nodded.

“This may seem like an odd question, but it’s not, I assure you. Marinette, have you ever been caught up in a meteor shower?”

[violettedouceur]

The problems with MLB and how it could be fixed.

 Hello, this is your local critic! :) In this short post I will point out some of the problems of the show and how they could be fixed! 

Honestly I adore the series. The things going on recently? Not so much. The series continues to fall, because of it’s storyline - it becomes prgressively generic. I know it’s hard to have a new villain every episode, but I would prefer filler episodes in which certain characters could have more depth (like Luka and Kagami) or others could have character progression (like Mari, Adrien, Chloe and etc.). 

Give me an episode in which Mari stands up for herself and says “NO”. One that she realises her liking for Adrien makes her act like sheep and she loses sight of the one with whom she can actually have a proper relationship.

Give me an episode in which Adrien isn’t just a dull and pretty polite boy, but one that has feelings, likings and preferences that go beyond his liking of LB. An episode in which he thinks about his mom and remembers his moments with her, maybe even searches childhood pics with her.

Give me an episode in which Chloe realises that yes, her mom acted bad towards her, but she doesn’t need to be bad so people can give her attention. On that note, for God’s sake make Sabrina realise that in a friendship people don’t abuse the power of the other. Do justice for her and don’t let her be just a puppy, but a character with redeeming qualities. I really want to see Chloe’s reaction if Sabrina stop answering her calls and stops being her slave.  

Give me an episode in which Luka is not just the other possible love interest of Marinette, but individual with his own story and interests that do not always revolve around his liking for Mari.

Give me an episode in which we can see more of Kagami’s household. Why did they move from Japan to France? Why is her mom so strict? Is there a reason why her mom is so strict? Did she have strict parents? So many questions for Kagami and her household that could make GREAT filler episodes.

Give us an episode in which the girls don’t do petty fights - let them stand up for each other. On other side give us an episode in which the boys fight (or one that they stand up for each other) and we actually see proper interactions between them (I would love to see interaction between Kim and Nino! I think they can be great team!).

Give me an episode in which we see more from EMILIE AGRESTE, the reason why this show and storyline exists. Was she good mother? Was she the real controlling villain of the story (for me she was, kind of.)? Why is she in coma-like state? How did she get the peackock miraculous and how Gabriel got the butterfly miraculous? Were Hawkmoth and Mayura wanting to use their miraculouses for good at first, but things went wrong? How the hell is Gabriel so rich when he barely does his job?

And one of my most wished things ever -

  Give me an episode in which the class doesn’t go to brainless fools when Lila does something shady. They all are old enough to differentiate shady from genuine. Like my GOD that girl lied for having bad hearing, lies about LB simply, because LB told her the truth. If you are going to make her the villain - go full villain mode instead making petty fights between her and Marinette. It’s not interesting anymore.

Finally - 

Give us proper release schedule - more and more people lose interest with the show, because we have episodes once in a full moon. The schedule is extremely inconsistent. I am sure most people will prefer to wait 3-4 weeks for quality episodes rather than whatever we get now. Yes, some might lose patience, BUT the quality of the show can bring more fans and even bring some back. Don’t ya think Zag (and his team)? 

 All my respect to Zag, but the writing has worsen, the schedule is messy and the storyline is generic by now. If you enjoy it - continue enjoying it! There is no problem in that!! But the show (like every other one) has flaws and problems which should be discussed. 

[the-faequeen]

A picture of Neeko for your attention? :3

Hello everyone! I wanted to do some important updates here so I'll type it down in with titles so whichever you might be interested in, You'll see :) 

1. For my commissioners:

Hi everyone, YES i am still workin and sketching them as much as I can but work has been quite busy lately! I hope you all understand and thank you so much for being so so patient! I'll be continuing work this weekend. For this week, I haven't done any progress since it's a busy work week :) I'll be messaging and replying to everyone ONCE i'm good with my day job. Expect this weekend most likely. For those who want to commission me, i'm so sorry but I won't be opening my commissions for a while EXCEPT when there's an emergency. I'll be posting if I do open commissions again but for now, it's closed till further notice. For the ones who inquired and I have answered a yes, consider your commission to be noted :) I'm so sorry though if i'm not replying just yet -- I have so much to finish before I can compose myself.

2. For my online orders:

To those who ordered May 1- june 12 I have gotten the new batch! huzzah! I will be shipping them on the weekend :) Anyone who have placed an order past 12,consider yours to be included on the next shipment next month! 

3. For people who wants to buy my Merch (ESPECIALLY THE MIRACULOUS LADY BUG FLOWERS -- wow you guys)  

The question of my MLB merch -- I will be posting it on my Storenvy --- But i'm also fixing my shop. There is gonna be a big chance that I can lower the shipping fee -- and a lot of other stuff. I want my items to be affordable for all you guys so I'm working on my new shop (apart from storenvy) and yes there will be new merch too. Fans of Boku No Hero, Persona 5 (HELL YES OMG) and ofc, My league people will be in for a treat :3 i'm updating my merch list for it to have more varied items <3 Hopefully -- Y'all will liek it. I'll be posting a catalog for my online store as well as links to it WHEN i finally have it finished. It's one of my major priorities this month.

4. Any of you wondering about my conventions

Well as you, my sweet Filipino Mutuals may have recently heard, APCC is cancelled. It was my supposed Con that i'm working my back and neck to prepare for. That being said, I now have more free time (lol expect zoyn comics on the weekend hue) and I can now work on other stuff.  That being said, for the rest of the year -- here's my Target cons, some I have already gotten a slot for:- Cosmania, ESGS, Komiket 2019 - and if I'm really lucky.. I may see you guys at AFA in Singapore this November!

5. The Misadventures of Zoe and Kayn

Im gonna be completely honest i HAVE NOT worked on anything for this chapter and i am so so so sorry. Frankly in the midst of APCC, my aun't wedding and work as well as commissions, I've been so burtn out? I didnt have time. Simply put. But now that my schedule's gonna get a. bit more cleared up cos of APCC's cancellation, I'm planning on just finishing my commissions and I'll Stop everything and focus on the new chapter. It's gonna be exciting, I swear guys.

Also i have some mini stories of other champions I've drafted through out this period -- maybe i'll go ahead and continue that too. Who knows. that be all the updates I can give guys. thank you for being patient with me!

- Fi

[msteinke35]

Staying occupied

Hello everyone. It’s Matt back here again for my second blog post. I plan on going over my daily routine since this quarantine has started. I only really leave the house when it is absolutely necessary. In most cases, it is when I am either visiting a family member, or going to get food/ groceries. My “go to” place since quarantine has started has been Chick Fil A. Man do I love their chicken sandwiches. Usually, I just get their regular chicken sandwich meal and put the Chick-fil-A sauce on top. But recently, I've been getting an extra sandwich, the spicy chicken sandwich. On the spicy sandwich I put ranch on top. Truly amazing food. Oh! And I cant forget about their amazing waffle fries as well.

I happen to be a big fan of Barstool Sports. If you’re aware of their content, you know that Dave Portnoy, founder of the company, does pizza reviews. Today I reviewed a Chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A and it scored a 8.9! That’s an incredible score. I think my next stop will be Popeyes.

When I’m not out, I am either E learning or playing the new MLB The Show video game. So far, my e learning experience has been alright. Some classes are more difficult than others, but for the most part it has been alright. However, nothing compares to the in person experience at Marist. I didn't realize how fortunate I was to have the small interactions with my classmates and teachers. Once we get back (if we go back) i'll make sure to fully embrace the last of those moments I have before graduation.

As mentioned before, I also have been playing the new MLB The Show video game on PS4. The game is rewarding yet frustrating. It may be difficult for people who are newcomers to the game, but after a while you’ll see improvements. Practice makes perfect. Well, close to perfect.

As a matter of fact, I have a goal to make all of my blog posts at least 400 words. Why may you ask? Personal reasons. I am currently nearing that 400 words mark, but have some ways to go. I intend on blogging at least 3 separate days a week. As I sit her at my desk in my room, I am listening to the newest Lumineers album. Their first song off the album, “Sleep on the floor” is one of my favorites. However, their song “Stubborn Love” is my favorite song out of all three of their albums.

Well, looks like I made it to 400 words! I'll check in with you guys again soon.

#Life2020

[goldenbloodorange]

excerpt - The Windup and The Pitch

a sample from my NaNoWriMo project, completed December 2018 - it is currently being beta’d by a friend of mine, but here are two sample chapters introducing two main characters - if you read I am absolutely open to feedback!! 

JENKINS

“You’re one of those lady ballplayers, huh?” The Uber driver, Jed, says with a lower respiratory punctuation as Justina gets in the car.

“Uh, yeah, I am,” Justina says, nodding and smiling. 

She pulls out her phone and checks for any new messages. None yet. 

Fuck, she curses mentally, and looks out the window. The car is going over the Hoan Bridge on 794, heading towards Downtown Milwaukee and Justina sees the gray stretch of Lake Michigan reaching to her right. There are a few boats bobbing aimlessly in the distance and they make a temporary distraction from checking her phone incessantly,.

“What a season you all had this year, oh boy. Now, I wish I would have gone to one of the games!”

“Uh, heh, yeah.” Usually Justina would love to chat with anyone who just wanted to talk baseball, but she is admittedly preoccupied. 

She checks her phone a second time. Nothing.

Jed clears his throat and continues to externalize his thought process. “So uh….you’re...um...I know you, I know who you are. You’re...you’re…” Justina’s 25-foot tall Nike ad is pasted on the side of the building as they drive past; you see her name boldly emblazoned on her Belles uniform as she’s swinging, her side profile looking strong.

Jed means well. He is really trying. Justina doesn’t feel as bad about ignoring him as...he’s not an actual fan.

Justina’s phone finally buzzes. She’s waiting for a text from her agent (and teammate’s sister) Lenore Valenzuela, a lawyer turned sports agent who was almost scarily manipulative and good to have on your side, especially when it came to contract negotiations.

LV: Rumors of buyout are no longer rumors. Want to post for selection? Many MLB teams in the market for a spray hitting outfielder like you.

Justina’s heart stops. If she posts for selection, from the rumors she’s heard she could be drafted by any MLB team. Then what? Marinade in the minor leagues for a few years until the league decides she’s ready?

The pay bump, though. The pay bump.

The highest paid AAGPBL player wasn’t even making nearly what the league minimum in MLB was making - which, in Justina’s opinion, is both sad and to be expected. $535,000 was nothing to sneeze at - plus the luxury of being considered a pro ballplayer in a sport that had denied her participation all her life, and one of the first to finally make baseball a coed sport.

Minor leaguers in the MLB system were still paid like crap; not to mention the prospects of a player from this league posting were admittedly not great. Going from making not-so-great money...to not-so-great money...to possibly making the big bucks was not necessarily guaranteed.

“I played baseball as a kid,” Jed interjects. “They never let girls play with us.”

Justina nods politely at him through the rear view mirror. Though she always had a natural quick reflex when it came to fielding and hitting, Justina grew up being turned away from countless Little League teams. She eventually found a team that accepted her, but her family had to move from Mississippi to the Milwaukee suburbs as her father became unemployed and needed to move for work; he had a connection working in the food processing industry.

Jed rambles on. “My old man always said I’d get a college scholarship if I just practiced more.”

The more time Justina’s dad spent making sausage (he still works at the Klements factory off I-94), the less time he had to help Justina develop her swing. So she watched highlight reels and clinic videos on YouTube on the computers at the Milwaukee Public Library. Emulated the swings of some of her favorite hitters. Frank Thomas. Chipper Jones. Derek Jeter. 

And she’d visit the cages after school to put her theories into test.

She’d get weird looks since it was mostly packs of mostly white teenage boys trying to put in cage time for high school ball, but once they saw her hit, they’d ask who she was played for, and the answer was always the same:

Myself. 

It was the same deal in college; denied entry on the baseball team, Justina found herself at the cages, again with the same questions being asked. She found acceptance on the UW-Milwaukee intramural baseball team, which is where she met Quinn Braxton.

“But anyway, it’s awesome that you girls are playing ball. Always thought Milwaukee would get a WNBA team before a women’s baseball team, but hey, whatever.”

Justina’s phone buzzes again, and her head jerks from the polite smiling to her lap.

LV: You ready to make history??????

The Uber rounds the corner of Water Street. A couple of the girls are already on the corner, punching each other’s shoulders and acting like the inseparable group this team really was. Bridget McAfee. Quinn Braxton. CJ Willis. Maddie McCarthy.

Her sisters in arms, runs, hits, and errors. She’d miss them, yes, but there was a whole other frontier to explore, and she was just learning what exactly she was capable of.

Hell yes, Justina types, and immediately hits send.

BRAXTON

Last season’s Defensive Player of the Year, (with a 13-vote-margin) Quinn Braxton punches pitcher Maddie McCarthy in the arm for making the twelfth deez nuts joke in the course of ten minutes. Quinn messes with her equilibrium and Maddie nearly falls over.

“Fuck, Quinn, I’ll stop,” she says, laughing, grabbing onto a parking meter. It feels like they haven’t been apart for a month. It feels like no one’s ever left Milwaukee.

Before anything else can transpire, Justina Jenkins gets out of the backseat of what might be an Uber or Lyft Cadillac Escalade, dripping from head to toe as usual, sneaking a few salon appointments in between the last out of the Women’s World Series and this meeting. Her second or third Balenciaga bag rests on her right arm.

Willis snorts a bit. “We put the reservation in under your name, that okay? It’s $10 a minute for every minute you’re late.”

“Hi mom,” Quinn says, shoving her hands into her Nordstrom Rack camo jeans.

“Hello, darling,” Justina replies. She looks at her three teammates. “Well? I didn’t mean to interrupt what y’all were doing?”

“You’re never interrupting,” McAfee comes rushing towards Justina, crushing her in a giant hug. She smells distinctly like fabric softener and dry shampoo. McAfee is 6’1” barefoot and gives some of the best embraces in all of baseball. Willis and McCarthy follow suit, and before everyone knows it, the Belles superstar outfielder and team captain is wrapped in a crushing hug.

Quinn stands, pretending to be annoyed, arms folded and rolls her eyes. “Like y’all ain’t hug enough during the damn season.”

Justina pushes the other girls away and pulls Quinn into her own personal hug. “Bitch,” she says.

Quinn holds her at arm’s length away. “No Cabo for you, slugger? If it were up to me, my ass would be out of….here.”

It’s not that Quinn hates Milwaukee. She’s actually grown to love it. She grew up here, not far away in a modest home with her mom and twin brother Quincy, off National Avenue.

Quinn and Quincy both played on the high school baseball team, until he had a seizure and died right there in the gymnasium of their high school, in the middle of a warm up before practice. Heart failure, they said. Quinn had heart surgery as a child due to arrhythmia, only to see her brother’s own heart fail right in front of her.

It was too much for Quinn; even with the support from coaches and incessant counseling, she eventually resigned from the team. She didn’t dare pick up a baseball bat again until she met Justina Jenkins whom she met in an Early American Literature class at UW-Milwaukee, three years later.

Justina noticed the Ken Griffey Jr. Trapper Keeper Quinn must have found on eBay, because it was in perfect condition, and no one their age even knew what the hell a Trapper Keeper was. And she struck up a conversation, and their friendship blossomed over a mutual love of baseball. Justina grew up watching the Brewers and Quinn grew up watching the Braves, who used to be a Milwaukee team, and yeah yeah, Quinn was well aware of that and loved Hank Aaron and Chipper Jones and even Brandon McCarthy. Justina rued the year 2011 like no other but will recall it as one of the most enthralling in Brewers history, and was ambivalent when Craig Counsell took the helm as manager, but she’s grown to like him.

Quinn enjoyed her baseball chats with Justina, but never imagined playing by her side until she mentioned being thrown off a little league team and the inevitable “wait, you play too?” exchange happened.

You wanna toss a ball after class? Justina asked her one fateful day. I don’t have a glove, Quinn answered. They were all in storage or packed away where she could never reach them, not long after Quincy’s passing. Gotcha covered. I brought one for you, Justina replied. So we throwing or what?

“Nah, where else can I hang with ladies as fine as this?” Justina was always inclusive, inspiring, iridescent. 

If Justina ever had a bad day, Quinn didn’t know about it. Quinn did, however, know how quickly they both loved baseball and shared a commonality in that the sport they loved so much never seemed to love them back. When throwing the ball around after class wasn’t enough anymore, they were rejected from trying out for rec leagues, often told apologetically that they had no more open spots, met by the questioning glances of men who probably wore business suits in the daytime.

Then the Milwaukee Belles announced open tryouts, and nothing could have made Quinn happier when they both made the roster.

They also met a few other people who’d develop into the best friends and teammates she could ask for: Bridge, a young mom of three who was part Amazon part golden retriever; Valenzuela, a skittish, deceptively strong olive-skinned girl from Texas with a wicked left hand delivery; Robles, a fearless, rough round the edges pitcher drafted from the Mexican leagues who had experience pitching to men, and Muramoto, a deeply heralded Japanese baseball legend, who had an enthusiastic and ever growing fanbase at every game.

“What’s Mel up to today?” Justina asks. “She browsing the rumor mill?”

“Funny you should ask. She thinks this emergency meeting is news that we signed Hamasaki, who posted for draft last season but she didn’t like any of the offers she got. Must be nice being the top ranked female baseball player in the world.”

“Should be the top ranked baseball player in the world if we’re being honest,” CJ says. “I’d hold out for a nice contract, especially if it means I’d have to move outta Japan.”

Quinn remembers her hands shaking as she signed her contract with the team, and not seeing that much money before in her life. Not long ago she moved into a sunny converted-loft convo in Walker’s Point with her girlfriend, Melia, a lifelong baseball fan who especially loves Korean and Japanese ball.  

Melia’s job is painting watercolor portraits of people’s pets, but the paintings she does at home for fun are always Quinn playing baseball. Melia once used Quinn’s roster photo as a reference and the portrait hangs awkwardly in their bathroom, right above the toilet. Quinn doesn’t have the heart to tell Melia that it really doesn’t belong there. It’s what she has to look forward to after every road trip.

The neighborhood is vibrant and welcoming and fun and all full of enough life to sustain a professional athlete and an artist, and on game days, Mel and Quinn wake up early, but stay in bed, giggling and staying warm on those early April mornings and sharing whatever is on each other’s mind, until Quinn really has to leave for the ballpark.

Before signing with the Belles, Quinn had never been to any of the cities the Women’s League is in, not counting Chicago, where her mom decided to settle off with a boyfriend she met off some dating site. They still see each other and get lunch here and then; Quinn leaves tickets for her at every visiting game in Chicago but never sees her mom in the stands.

Valenzuela, bless her heart, would always try to distract Quinn when she’d notice her looking at the seats. “You know I might need to throw at you with runners on if you’re covering, right?” She’d say in the dugout between innings, followed by a gentle hug.

Chicago might be her least favorite city to play in, but she still looks at the seats before every at-bat, to see if someone may be in them.

On days when Quinn is especially bad, she expects to see Quincy, yelling at her to pay attention to who’s on second.

But the seats are always empty.

She knows her father lives in Atlanta and she has branches upon branches of cousins sprouting all through the South but she’s never thought about reaching out. She knows she probably shouldn’t for a few reasons.

Quinn is the kind of shortstop that does not know what hesitation is. She goes for what she wants without thinking, almost reflexively. She sees line drives and her glove raises instinctually.

There is no time better than now, and this has always been her motto. It’s gotten her this far in life.

Her future is already written. There will be empty seats in visiting stadiums and blowout games and maybe a defensive error or two, but this is all part of the plan.

The plan is to be the greatest there ever was.

It’s the most she can give Quincy. 

He is certainly worth it.

“So we going inside to meet, eat, or both?” It’s Valenzuela, late to the party as usual, wearing a slick black bomber jacket with a rose gold tiger embroidered on the chest.

The rest of the girls fall around her, and with the clouds and fog, they seem like a badass girl gang set on world domination, and once again, the Milwaukee Belles are together again.