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sapphosclown · 3 years

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Kiss Him You Fool - Willex Oneshot

aka willie and flynn are best friends and she’s done with this mutual pining bullshit. (boys are alive bc i didn’t feel like thinking about ghost logistics today lmao)

so i didn’t get to participate in willex week nearly as much as i wanted to so this is my song fic/au fic (i guess? since the guys are alive? idk) for free day since i didn’t get the idea till last night at 1am. anyways i also didn’t sign up for the gift exchange but i still wanna dedicate this fic to @fairygclds for hosting this week bc she did an amazing job and i love her v much, ty mari <3

title is from Kiss Her You Fool by Kids That Fly, cute song highly recommend

rbs and comments appreciated :)

———

That was real right? He didn’t make that up in his head? That happened. Right?

Willie was abruptly knocked out of their thoughts as his board hit a crack in the sidewalk, sending him onto the pavement, scraping his knee. Although, the stinging did help them snap out of the daze he was in, making him realize that yes, this is real life, and yes, he and Alex Mercer almost kissed.

***

“Stop, you’re not allowed to be that good at everything.” Willie teased as Alex just barely completed a loop around him.

“I feel like we are experiencing different timelines here or something.” Alex let out a shaky laugh as he flailed his arms in an attempt to regain the balance he’d just lost. Luckily, Willie held out their arm for him to grab just in time.

“Come on, you’re doing great! Just need to have a little more faith in yourself.” Willie smiled gently, offering extra support with his free hand.

Alex scoffed. “I think I’m a roller skating kind of guy.”

“Well, I disagree but if that’s how you feel—”

Alex rolled his eyes, making Willies stomach flutter. He helped him off the skateboard and they sat down on the couch in the studio. Willie ignored the fact that despite having the entire couch to themselves, they sat right up against each other, and he especially ignored the way their knees touching made his heart beat faster than normal.

“Actually, I think solid ground is where it’s at.” Alex said, only half-joking.

“I guess, but the wheels add some spice that solid ground could never live up to.”

“Exactly. You know exactly what you’re getting with solid ground. Me and wheels have a complicated relationship.”

“Oh really? You guys have a falling out?” Willie teased.

“Ha, yeah. There was some falling.” Alex gave a sarcastic laugh.

“But that’s the fun part! You can get some pretty rad scars from skating.” Willie pointed out.

“‘Rad?’ What, are you from the 80’s?”

“Listen—” Willie shushed him, shoving his shoulder into him playfully.

They laughed for a moment before falling into a comfortable silence. Willie was really tempted to lay his head onto Alex’s shoulder, or hold his hand.

His hand was right there. It would be so easy... But instead he grabbed their own hand and started messing with their fingers.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” He asked lamely.

“We’re rehearsing for our gig tomorrow night. Luke and Julie are going over the set list one last time right now but we should be starting pretty soon.” Alex replied, checking the time on his phone before looking back at Willie. “Actually, if you wanna hangout while we rehearse, I don’t think they’d mind.”

“Oh, yeah! That sounds great!” Willie smiled.

“Cool.” Alex nodded, and maybe he was seeing things, but Willie could’ve sworn his cheeks were turning pink. That made him giggle.

“So, what’s the set list then?” They asked curiously. He shifted his body so that he could look at Alex, only mildly upset about the loss of contact, but being able to see the faded pink in Alex’s cheeks made up for it.

“Well, usually we start with Edge of Great, but Julie and Luke wrote this new song that is perfect to open with and I just know everyone’s gonna love it—”

Willie stared at Alex as he rambled on about the show and they couldn’t help the soft smile on their lips. Alex noticed almost immediately and stopped talking, almost embarrassed.

“What?” He asked.

“No, it’s nothing.” Willie said, waving his hand for them to move past it.

“No, I feel like you’re judging me!” Alex giggled.

“No! I’m not judging you!” Willie reassured. “You’re just really cute when you talk about music.” He said softly.

Alex went bright red. “Oh.” He replied in the same tone.

The air around them went quiet again, but this time filled with a different feeling. The feeling that there was nothing else in the world but the two of them. And suddenly their faces were a lot closer than Willie had realized. His eyes flicked down to Alex’s lips subconsciously and then back to his eyes, which he found were doing the same thing. There was nothing stopping him, all he had to do was lean in just a little bit more...

“WHO’S READY TO MAKE SOME MUSIC!” Reggie called excitedly as he entered the garage, making Willie and Alex jump apart. Reggie eyed them suspiciously. “Oh, hey Willie.” He said, eyebrows pulled together like he was piecing together what just happened.

“Hey.” Willie breathed uncomfortably. He felt like he couldn’t get enough air.

“Are you gonna hangout for rehearsal?” Reggie asked.

“Actually, uh, I gotta get going.” Willie sputtered before his brain could catch up to his mouth. They stood up and grabbed their things messily.

“I thought you said—”

“I just remembered I have to do something.” Willie cut Alex off. “I’ll see you tomorrow though?”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” Alex said quietly, failing at hiding his disappointment and making Willies chest ache.

“Cool.” Willie said. “See ya.” He threw an awkward peace sign at Reggie (who gave him one back) and skated out of the garage as fast as he possibly could.

***

“You are a disaster.” Flynn scolded, grabbing a dinosaur band-aid out of her desk drawer.

“I know!” Willie yelled into her pillow. She plopped down onto the bed in front of him.

“Why didn’t you just kiss him! You had the opportunity and he clearly wanted to kiss you too!” She yelled.

“I don’t know!” Willie whined, throwing the pillow back down into his lap. “I wanted to but I froze! And then Reggie showed up and I couldn’t stay after that! What if he didn’t want that to happen, what if he hates me now!”

“He doesn’t hate you! He’s very clearly in love with you, I don’t know what you’re not understanding about this.” She peeled the paper off the band-aid and carefully stuck it to Willies knee.

“You don’t know that.” He huffed.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? He likes you. When have I ever been wrong?”

They hated to admit it, but there have been very few times Flynn has been wrong.

“Fine. But what am I supposed to do?”

“Go back there? Ask him on a date or kiss him or just literally do anything.”

“I can’t go back! He’s rehearsing! I don’t wanna barge in while they’re rehearsing. And I left so fast it’d be so awkward—”

“Stop making excuses!” Flynn shook their shoulders, as they pouted. “Call him and say you forgot something.”

“I didn’t forget anything.” He said plainly. Flynn shot him a look.

“Duh! I know that, but if you tell him you’re coming back to get something then you can’t chicken out.” She explained, exasperated.

“Oh! Well what should I say I forgot?”

“Your phone, that's a reasonable thing you’d need to get back.”

“Okay. Okokok.” Willie mumbled to themself pulling out his phone and scrolling through his contacts before Flynn snatched it from them.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling him like you said!”

“Use my phone dummy! If you call him from your phone he’ll know you didn’t leave it there!” She opened her phone and before Willie realized what was happening, the phone was ringing on speaker.

“Hello?” Alex’s voice cracked through the phone.

Flynn looked at Willie and then back to the phone when he just sat there mouth agape.

“Um, hi. It’s Willie, not Flynn, I, um, left my phone in the studio and I’m on my way back to grab it.” They stuttered, hitting his head at his awkwardness.

“Oh alright. See you soon, then.”

“Yup. See ya.” Willie threw his head in his hands, their face turning bright red. Flynn ended the call and leaned against her wall with their arms crossed.

“You really are a disaster huh.” She teased.

Willie threw his pillow at them playfully and jumped off the bed. “I hate you.” He laughed.

“Love you too.” She grinned slyly. “Now, go tell your boyfriend he’s cool and you wanna kiss him!”

Willie groaned as he grabbed his things as Flynn shooed him out of her room.

***

“He’s coming back.” Alex said quickly. His friends shared the same look as they all “ooooooo”d at him.

“Guys stop! What do I do!” He cried.

“Man calm down, it’s alright.” Reggie consoled him.

“Why’re they coming back?” Julie asked turning her keyboard off so she can lean on the keys.

“Said they forgot their phone.” Alex replied.

“Mhm, right. Sure he did.” Luke teased. If he were closer Alex would’ve shoved him but he felt like he was glued to his seat.

“What do I do?” Alex asked again.

“I mean, we can keep rehearsing till he gets here if that’ll take your mind off of it?” Julie suggested.

God bless Julie. Alex nodded.

“I don’t know, it seems like he and Willie have some unfinished business.” Reggie winked.

“No! Nothing was happening! Nothing happened, it’s nothing. He just needs his phone back.” Alex tried to ignore his friends snickering but his mind flashed back to Willie on the couch in front of him. He really thought Willie had wanted to kiss him, but if how he left says anything, Alex must’ve misread the situation. They probably hated him.

“Dude, I can practically hear your thoughts and I promise you, he likes you.” Reggie assured him.

“You can’t know that for sure.” Alex mumbled, watching his drumstick twirl through his fingers.

“Maybe not but, we’ve all noticed how they look at you.” Luke cut in.

“It’s not exactly a secret.” Julie said sweetly.

“I just... I care about them a lot and what if you’re wrong and that’s just how he acts with his friends—”

“No, dude, we’re not letting you talk yourself out of this one.” Luke laughed.

“Seriously, Alex, you should go for it!” Reggie said encouragingly, walking around his drums to clap his shoulder.

Alex thought about it, he really did. He really thought for a second that he could do it, he could just lean forward and kiss him and they’d live happily ever after. But he over thought it, as usual.

“I don’t know. Maybe someday.” He shrugged.

“You can’t just wait for someday! You gotta go after what you want!” Luke exclaimed. Julie nodded.

Alex smiled at his friends. He appreciated their support but he couldn’t help but be afraid. Deep down, he knew they were right. He knew if Reggie had been just a minute later... But he still didn’t want to get his hopes up too high. Because there’s always that what if that won’t leave him alone.

There was a gentle knock on the garage doors as Willie stepped into view, he was hugging his arms and had a soft smile on his face. They carefully waved at everyone before he made eye contact with Alex, and suddenly it felt just like they were on the couch again. Just the two of them.

You know what. Maybe it’s time for someday.

Alex stood up from his drums and walked over to Willie, trying to act nonchalant. He heard Julie clear her throat to get the other two to stop staring at them and at least pretend to do something else.

“Hey.” Alex breathed.

“Hey.” Willie replied. “Can I actually see you, out here?” He asked shyly, nodding his head out side.

Alex nodded and followed Willie out of view of his band mates.

“Sorry, I probably should’ve looked for your phone before you got here but—” before Alex could finish his sentence Willie had cupped Alex’s face and pulled him into a kiss.

Alex felt like his heart had just exploded and he wasn’t completely sure if he was real anymore, but then he felt his hand rest on Willies cheek and he could confirm that yes, this was happening.

It didn’t last longer than a few seconds before Willie pulled away again. Their eyes searched Alex’s face for any sign of his emotion but Alex had completely stopped functioning and didn’t quite know what to do until he felt Willies grip on his face loosen.

“I’m sorry—” He tried to retract his hands but Alex held them in place, and he couldn’t help but laugh. He saw Willie’s worry fade and Alex pulled him back into a kiss. This one much softer, less rushed. No longer a question, but an answer.

They pulled apart and Alex noticed Willie shrinking down a bit and smiled to himself.

“Do you have to stand on your tiptoes to kiss me?” He asked cheekily.

Willie raised his eyebrows. “That’s the question you have right now?”

Alex nodded, his smile unmoving.

“I’m glad you have your priorities set.” Willie laughed.

“Definitely.” Alex whispered. “Priority number one, make you stand on your tiptoes to kiss me again.”

“You’re mean.” Willie pouted. Alex laughed and Willie gave him a playful shove before Alex pulled him back onto his tiptoes.

“It’s about time.” Reggie whispered as he Luke and Julie peeked around the door and watched their friend.

“Luke,” He stood up straight and held out his hand.

Luke groaned and fished for his wallet in his pockets, handing him a $20 bill.

“Thank you.” Reggie said smugly, pocketing the cash.

Julie laughed and shook her head at her friends and they all made their way back to their respective instruments. Julie pulled out her phone.

Flynn: did he do it??

Julie: yup. reggie’s $20 richer

Flynn: about time!! took those fools long enough, geez

Julie: really tho

Alex walked back into the studio a blushing smiley mess and sat at his drums again, not saying a word despite his friends staring at him expectantly.

He scanned their faces from his seat behind his drums.

“From the top?”

———

a/n: let it be known that reggie used that $20 to buy a fish and he named it Gil and he is the best fish dad ever

#idk if the description is accurate like it is but i also don’t know what’s going on i wrote this in one day #hope you enjoyed anyways lol #i love them #and this song is them idc #willex week #willex #willie jatp #willie wilbur williamson #alex mercer #julie and the phantoms #jatp #willex oneshot #willex fic #netflixwewantjatp2 #renew julie and the phantoms

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zhangboheng-moved · 2 years

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i was tagged by jay @sebastianvettelsgender (ty 💕💕) to answer questions about my blog so >:3c

1. why did you choose your url?

because all-around world champion zhang boheng is the light of my life my precious angel my lil meow meow my reason for living my babygirl my everything <3 and i wanted to let the world know that 😤 (on a more serious note his gymnastics is genuinely captivating and i am obsessed with his work and want him to stick around for a long time bc he is So Beautiful)

2. any side blogs?

yes but they’re unfortunately both kinda dead 😭 maybe one day i’ll revive them or just merge them into this blog but for now they’re just sitting there gathering dust

3. how long have you been on tumblr?

since i was maybe 11 . . . ? so about 9 years !!

4. do you have a queue tag?

i actually don’t 😵‍💫 i just sort of spam rb either from my dash or from my likes whenever i have the time

5. why did you start your blog in the first place?

THIS blog i started after i got locked out of my old one + i did it mostly for gym bc the olympics was happening and i decided this was the year i was gonna try and interact w online gymfans . . . my first ever blog i think i started for pkmn? i’ve had several for several fandoms though lol i had one dedicated almost solely to drag race for a while

6. why did you choose your icon/pfp?

see my answer to question 1 but ALSO: just . . . look at him. he’s the world’s cutest boy. the rainbow in his hair solved all my problems in life <3

7. why did you choose your header?

bc the worlds 2017 pbars podium is one of my favs they were all so cute . . . oleg getting them all to hold their medals up to their eyes was so sweet . . . and yuanyuan won gold in his debut worlds <3 also they’re just 3 of my favs in general <3

8. what’s your post with the most notes?

i actually don’t know omg?? probably something i said abt lewis hamilton that people agreed with idk 😵‍💫

9. how many mutuals do you have?

i actually don’t know !! i never keep track but i love all of you <3

10. how many followers do you have?

i . . . also don’t know lmao i don’t really look at the numbers 😭

11. how many people do you follow?

idk the specifics but 100% not enough. it’s like . . . double digits. if anyone has blog suggestions to follow (or themselves idm) pls hmu i need my dash spicing up again

12. have you ever made a shitpost?

oh probably loads skdhdks

13. how often do you use tumblr?

every day lol it’s kinda bad. multiple times a day since i have the app so checking it is like. dangerously easy

14. did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog?

nope !! i’m here for a good time and i don’t rly want to start any fights . . . tho i will lovingly bully my friends <3

15. how do you feel about “you need to reblog this” posts?

i don’t really like them tbh,, they tend to feel performative and are usually vvv america-centric 😵‍💫

16. do you like tag games?

i love them omg!!

17. do you like ask games?

i do 🥰

18. which of your moots do you think is tumblr famous?

@lewishamlton for the gorgeous edits . . . @saintlysebchal too should be for the same reason. AND @sebastianvettelsgender ur 100% should be famous bc ur gifs are lovely and u single-handedly converted me into a valtteri fan and that means u should have influence over f1blr. also in my head @soviethorror is some sort of celeb just in general. u give off that vibe rat <3 also @woofwoofdaniel

19. do you have a crush on a mutual?

no but i am accepting applications

no pressure tags: @soviethorror @urara-ashikawa @fushigidane @saintlysebchal @woofwoofdaniel and anyone else who wants to just say i tagged u bc i did in my heart <3

#tag game

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zontiky · 3 years

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au where the apocalypse was never a threat or a concept to begin with

*cracks knuckles* now i could make this a decent upbringing au OR i could make it EXTREMELY COMPLICATED and you know me you know exactly what im about to do ;)

reginald THINKS he’s prepping them all for the apocalypse but reginald is a child-abusing FOOL and an alien BASTARD and there’s no apocalypse there never was there never will be. the world is safe and sound but the hargreeves children aren’t.

five runs away from home and gets thrown into april 1st, 2019. the world is thriving. he did it. he tries to get home but he can’t because he’s stuck and im now realizing that everyone reading this post has seen a million fics with this exact concept but FUCK YOU THIS IS MY CITY NOWWW

so he’s stuck in 2019 and he’s like ah fuck ah SHIT what now! and goes to the academy and it’s not like he was super far away from it in the first place. he didn’t even make it a mile away it’s like a 5 minute walk back home lmao

now because reggie thinks there IS an apocalypse he still killed himself and i hate him a lot so cough ahem anyway

five shows up on the mansion and expects dad to be sitting there in his office, doing his evil dad evil villain thing yk the drill

but instead he comes in to an empty house. mom is unresponsive. he cant find pogo (dont ask where pogo is. hes doing monkey butler things ok). and diego is climbing in through the window

five freaks out because WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU THIS IS MY HOUSE and jumps diego and diego goes down HARD because WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT MY DEAD BROTHER?? MY BROTHER WHO DISAPPEARED 17 YEARS AGO?? WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCKKKK

so they try to beat the shit out of each other for a second and by that i mean five tries to beat the shit out of diego whos gained his senses by now and is trying to convince his brother (his BROTHER) that technically he lives here too please stop punching me

luther comes downstairs.

“IS THAT FIVE???”

“SHUT UP AND HELP ME THIS LITTLE FUCKER CAN PUNCH”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

they manage to calm him down when five catches sight of diegos tattoo

WAIT I FORGOT THAT THE FUNERAL WAS BEFORE APRIL FUCK NEVERMIND SCRAP THE PAST 13 BULLETS ABORT MISSION

so five lands in april, goes to the house, and by then the hargreeves have cleared out and are back to doing their own thing more or less. he comes up to the door and grace (pogo has fixed her by now because i said so) welcomes her son back home like he never even left

she gives him a hug

reginald is gone and she hasnt seen her sun in years and dammit, he deserves that hug okay? she gives him a hug.

five pulls away. mom hasnt hugged him for years because he stopped letting her and he’s not about to change his mind now

“where’s everyone?” he asks. he doesn’t even consider that everybody is gone, because where would they go? or maybe it just hasn’t hit him exactly which time he jumped into, maybe he still hasn’t made the connection exactly what age his siblings are now, maybe he has but he still hopes he can deny it for a little while longer

grace wants to hug him again but she refrains. she calls his siblings

one by one, in the span of the next week, she gets ahold of them and calls them back to the academy. “important news,” she says. “you’ll want to -- you’ll need to be here,” she says. “your brother,” she says, and her children listen and come back home

luther is at the academy when five gets here. because, where would he go? he can’t go back to the moon, and dad is gone, and he’s never even been on a bus alone before, where would he go?

when five sees him for the first time he almost cries, because he’s so much bigger and taller and older and what happened to him??

this is his new reality. this is the new luther

but it isn’t, it can’t be, because five is going to get back home and he’s going to fix it, he’s going to fix this and he’s going to grow up just like his siblings did, and it won’t even be long before he’s back home almost two decades ago.

vanya is next to arrive, and five almost -- almost -- smiles at her and gives her a hug and teases her how she’s still shorter than him, but she has such a blank expression on her face and the way she looks between the portrait of him (he hated that portrait from the beginning, he wanted to burn it because hes back now, isnt he? and he’ll go back home and not leave again, but pogo didnt let him) stops him. it will only be a couple of days and he’ll be going home already, he tells grace, so maybe the others dont even have to come here. she nods and smiles and says nothing

diego comes a day or so later, dragging klaus along, and five is stunned by how they look once again. diego looks battle-hardened and angry like he never did just last week, five’s last week, but now he scowls and doesn’t stutter and dresses himself in black and he lives alone and diego looks so lonely but five doesnt think about it because its not his business and he knows better and its diegos own damn fault for cutting contact, isnt it? and even if it weren’t five will go back and fix it all

five knows klaus has been doing things for a good year or so know, but this -- living on the streets, giggling even as diego forces him inside, making lewd jokes with his eyes out of focus -- he couldn’t have even imagined. he stamps down the feeling of i should have been there to help stop him and doesn’t think how sad and angry at their father seeing klaus like this makes him feel, instead he forces thoughts of it’s his own fault he ended up this way and i’m going to get back and fix this (but that’s not a thought he has to force. he will. he has to. it won’t even be another week before he figures out how to get home)

allison gets there next. she took the first plane she could get on to get home and pushed off all her appointments but she had a family emergency just last week and it was hard to get away and she looks so sad even when she opens her arms for a hug and five cant help but relent and give her one. diego scoffs and allison lets loose a dig thats more of a barb thats more of a sharp sentence splitting the air and hitting her brother square in the chest. five doesnt say anything but his stomach twists. just a week or so and he’ll fix it because even as children they never said things like that to each other

he waits for ben to come last. he must be the most adjusted of them all, right? ben read a lot last five saw of him, and hes one of the smartest of them, and secretly five always thought that ben deserves to have friends that he doesnt live with

ben doesnt come

he asks mom and she smiles and he asks the others and they look away and he asks again and someone -- and it doesnt matter who because his ears are ringing and hes stumbling back and falling onto the couch -- says that ben died. ben died years ago.

ben died four years after five left

fives head is spinning and he needs to get back, he needs to stop it he needs to fix it he needs to make it all better because it was never supposed to be this way

(you thought this would be a happy au didnt you?? haha bitch think again)

(it is but they have to get there smhhh)

klaus laughs and elbows the air next to him and five asks, he doesnt beg, he asks him if he can summon ben

everyone scoffs. rolls their eyes. klaus is high as a kite and hes holding a bottle of whiskey and he looks like he hasnt been sober in days. weeks. years. and he’s a liar and ben is gone for real, im sorry, five. i know this must be hard for you

that can’t be right. five wasnt there for all of klaus’ lies and stealing and drunken sobbing. five remembers klaus rolling a joint at the breakfast table like it was last week -- and it was, it was, he’ll fix it still, but to five klaus is still just his brother. just klaus

he asks, not begs, five doesnt beg but he comes damn close in this moment, to tell him the truth

and klaus looks around and ben whispers please, klaus, just try and five is looking at him with wet eyes and he’s thirteen he’s so young and -- he can’t say innocent. none of them have ever been innocent, not since reginald hargreeves adopted them all those years ago. but five...

he tells the truth. and five believes him

so anyway five cant get back and then they decide well ok five while youre staying here we might as well buy you some clothes. ones that arent literally 20 years old. jesus these uniforms are ugly

my jaw is clenching so hard and im cold asdflksdh so im gonna end this here and maybe rb it and continue lated idk 😳😳

WHOOP this is getting away from me i know u didnt come here for quote poetic unquote bullshit but weihfsdkjdhskf THATS WHAT UR GETTING I GUESS XX <3

#asks #ftag #five hargreeves #nopocalypse au #aus #tua #the umbrella academy #im not reading over this. all the typos are there for the Authenticity and Flavor #misc #hfhkjwjkfdsaihshf #I HOPE U LIKED IT IM OUT OF PRACTICE DOING THESE 😭😭#not!fic

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franeridart · 5 years

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what program/brushes do you use for your art? it's so damn pretty

Easy Paint tool SAI and the default pen/brush/marker tools, mostly! and thank you!!! ;^;

Anon said:When I was a kid I would've had a crush on Akane

HECK that’s such a compliment!! Thank you!!!

Anon said:Couldn't Akane technically Control/move Kiri's hair since it's dyed? I mean it's like his hair is stained meaning it's not alive! so Akane finally warms up to him and messes with him or plays with his hair?

She can and she did! I drew her doing just that both in the first and in the fourth thing I posted about her! :D

Anon said:okay i don't know if this is coming through but i have just looked through your entire blog(can only go 4 years back) and let me just say you are wonderful, I absoluty LOVE how you paint/draw like its sooo pretty??? like dnjwcfehbi i cant describe it, (part 1) || like you are wonderful, I absolutely LOVE how you paint/draw like it's so pretty??? like dnjwcfehbi I can't describe it like it's absolutely Fabulous, Stunning, Amazing, Lovely and it looks so smoooooth like what????how??But anyways love your art and love you keep being Amazing! (part 2)

AH GOD THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! This is such a sweet ask to get TT^TT (and you can only go 4 years back because the blog is 4 years old! Can’t believe you actually went through it all!!)

Anon said:I really love your art style and your comics are so cute and I love how you draw older Bakugou and Kirishima!! It’s all so wonderful! Thank you for sharing it with everyone!

Oh man thank you!! ;;; I’m so happy yo know you like them!!!!!! TTOTT

Anon said:the level of FLUFF and KOOKIENESS and SOFT and MARSHMALLOW and MY HEART CAN'T TOOK THIS IS is so much I could die.

PLEASE DON’T DIE I LOVE YOU !!!!!

Anon said:I love everything about Akane's au. Her, her interactions with Bakugou, how she dislikes Kirishima but is beginning to warm up to him, the boys' aged-up designs. Everything. It's all amazing. Thank you for bringing it into my life!

Nggghhhhhhhh no anon thank you for liking her!!!!

Anon said:Currently procrastinating on my essay to go through your blog because it de-stresses me and I love your art so much like seriously h e l p

GAH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! /////

Anon said:There's something I'm not understand in your AU children kiribaku. She adopted by bakugo or she is a kid bakugou have with someone. ( I'm really really sorry for my English )

Adopted!

Anon said:Your comics are so cute and funny! I'm loving the story with Akane, the last update was great! I really like the way you draw the characters, like your style is so nice. Thanks for making my day better with your art!

G o d thank you So Much!!!!!!

Anon said:Akane is adorable, and I absolutely love the comics that you upload of her, but also on top of that your mohawk Bakugo has cleared my skin, watered my crops, and brought me back from the dead at LEAST twice.

I’M REAL GLAD TO HEAR THAT because mohawk Bakugou owns my whole soul and it’s nice to know I’m not alone in that hahaha

Anon said:What are some ways Akane messes with Kiri (or used to) when he wears red clothes? Does she often do that? Does she do it when Baku's not home, or when he is so that she can hammer in just how much she dislikes Kiri? Has she ever done anything major that caused her to be really reprimanded by Baku, but being the best person in the world Kiri did not get angry?

She really only ever gets pissy (or used to! they’re starting to get along better !!!) at Kiri when she feels jealous for whatever reason, and that doesn’t happen as often as it seems through my doodles, so it’s not like she’s always antagonistic towards him! Mostly she just ignores him, so no, it doesn’t happen often at all! And she’s never gone further than messing his hair up or tugging a bit at his clothes, since she doesn’t have the strength to move Kiri all that much haha the only reason she managed to have him fall the first time was because he was balancing already, but generally Kiri weighs way too much for her to move him around or pull at the red stuff he’s wearing enough for him to notice it all that much

anyway, Baku never reprimended her for it - not more than he did in the first comic I posted with them, at least, specifically because the damage she can make is so minor that Kiri and Baku barely consider it something to tell her off for... if she were ever to act that way towards someone she might actually hurt (say, a kid her own age) then Baku might reprimend her more seriously, but as long as she’s just tugging at Kiri’s clothes they don’t see it as anything worth fighting her over :D

Anon said:Just sent an ask, so forgive me for this one, but I'd love to get this straight: in the Akane AU Kiri and Baku graduated and share an apartment, are madly into each other, but they neither has made a move on the other yet? Perhaps that should be sad, but it's 100% adorable.

I know I shouldn’t say this as I made the au myself, but I find the arrangement pretty dang adorable too haha they act like a married couple anyway, so it’s like... pining while the rest of the world already considers them an item? and the pining is mostly about stuff like ahhhh I wanna tell him I love him or ahhhhhh god I wanna kiss him, but then they’ll fall asleep on the couch together or hold hands just for the hell of it or cook for each other or make plans that always involve each other and all in all act as each other’s partner, so it’s mostly just like *Kaminari voice* “God these oblivious idiots” hahaha

Anon said:That latest Akane comic melted my heart like you often do. Though for a moment, I expected Eijirou to say "I don't want Katsuki to be my dad, I want him to be my daddy" XD Though that would not sound like him. Props for his adorable interactions with Scarlet Death Queen Witch.

Anon you don’t get it that’s exactly why I had him say “be his son” instead of “be my dad” LMAO it was like, a conscious wording decision hahaha thank you so much for liking my girl, btw!!!

Anon said:Fran! I was just wondering if you would be willing to post your Demon Kiri and Angel Baku art on Redbubble? I'd love to buy a print of it!! Totally understand if not. Also your newer Akane comics are killing me, they're so damn cute!! So yeah love you and your beautiful art! Hope you have an awesome year!!

I CAN TRY I think I did try last time I updated my rb? But the format of the pic made it hard to use it for a lot of things so I gave up??? I can try again tho!!! Thank you for being interested in buying it!!! And thank you for liking Akane too!!!!!

Anon said:is katsuki and kirishima not together in the adopted child comics or is there gonna be a plot to them getting together? 👀

I’m not really writing anything cohesive for it so I wouldn’t call it a plot point, but yeh they still aren’t together! And I wanna have them get to the point in which they are together!!! :D

Anon said:I'm gonna die why do you do this with your adorable art my god

PLEASE!!!!! DON’T DIE!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:Your Akane + KiriBaku comics are adorable and I love the relationships that exist between them. I can't wait to see more of them!

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!! I hope I won’t disappoint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:I love your art so much!! Especially the little Akane au (so freaking cute!!!!). Random question: if you’ve ever seen Lucifer, who do you think would fit his character? Have an awesome day!

I haven’t seen it, sorry :((( but thank you for liking my girl!!!!!!

Anon said:I apologize if this has already been thought of but i feel as though when akane gets older and if she decides to be a hero, part of her costume could include useful red objects mayhaps?? Such as a shield or daggers or handcuffs so if there’s a lack of red around her she isn’t in a complete ditch. But i love your work sm ahhh💕💕

Yes!!! That’s the plan!!!!! I don’t think I’ll ever draw a teen version of her character but I MIGHT mention this idea in the current timeline, I like the idea so much TT^TT

Anon said:Hey there, I am absolutely obsessed with Akane like I love her so much wow but anyways I was wondering if you've ever drawn tododeku/ will in the future?

Thank you!!!! And I have drawn them in the past (under my tododeku tag!) and I might draw them again in the future, though currently I’m in a pretty big izu//ocha mood so I dunno when that will happen!

Anon said:I love your art so much like??? Help???

THANK YOU TTATT

Anon said:Y'know it could be gayer c'mon

This ask has been in my inbox for 17 days and I still don’t know what it means ??? but I laughed a lot when I got it so thank you anon and yes, definitely, everything could always be gayer that’s just how the world goes

Anon said:I swear you drew an older version of the krbk kids and it wasn't a fever dream I'm currently frantically searching through your blog rn help

I DID that post is CURSED anon, you can look it up through any of the tags I used to tag it and it won’t show up it won’t and I don’t know why!! I always lose it exactly because of this reason I have zero idea why it does this but??? okay I guess???????????

anyway if you still want it it’s here

Anon said:If Akane can control red things, does she low-key also have control over things that are pink and orange depending on how reddish in hue they are? I love her btw. Such a smol bean who could probably kick my ass!

What a good question you got there!! She has control over everything that has a color that falls in the red wavelength of the visible spectrum - that does include certain tones of pink and certain tones of orange, but there’s a point where orange gets too yellow or pink gets too white that her powers stop working. As long as the red in the color is more than any other hue, though, her powers work!

Anon said: im just imagining if baku takes akane with him when he is going to work and is there with kiri and akane help kiri with his hair bc she is suffering when he tries to style it himself

Once they start getting along better Akane and Kiri actually start helping each other with their hair! They’re both very particular about it so they understand each other as far as that topic goes haha

Anon said:Hi I just wanted to say I’m really enjoying what you are doing in your latest drawing. The contrast with the thick sketchy lines and the thinner crisp ones and the spaces that have no defined line! It’s cool to see you experiment with your line work while staying true to your natural style! Sorry if this came off weird but I love seeing talented artists try pushing the boundaries of their style it’s really visually/conceptually interesting! :)

AH MAN thank you so much I’m so happy to know you like that tool TT^TT it’s really super comfy to use, so it’s nice to know someone finds it visually appealing too!!! thank you!!!!!

Anon said:Is there any chance you could make a masterpost of the aus you do? It's a lot to scroll down to the beginning of a concept u have sometimes and it can be unclear when they start

They all have a tag they’re under, tho? If I’ve made more than one post about them! I have so many AUs going around that making a masterpost with all of them is a bit... mostly so since I don’t know for how many I’ll actually go back on! But if the tags don’t really work for you (generally the link is gonna look like https://franeridart.tumblr.com/tagged/[here goes the tag]/chrono to have it in chronological order) then I can try? I can’t promise I’ll find a comfortable way to do this, tho orz sorry!

Anon said:This might be an odd ask but does Akane like Jirou? I feel like they would get along really well. And how about her grandma Mitsuki? Since she takes after Katsu who takes after her, they could make an adorably angry trio

She hasn’t spent much time with Jirou yet so right now she’s mostly meh about her (though right now she only actually likes Bakugou, and she’s warming up to Kiri, but that’s about it). She doesn’t mind Mitsuki, but she hasn’t spent too long with her either! She yells a bit too much at her dad tho, which Akane isn’t particularly fond of (protective bean that she is, she doesn’t get that that’s just their way of communicating just yet), so out of her grandparents she prefers Masaru, after all~

#fran answers #a bunch of asks i had forgotten about after closing the inbox!!!#jesus im a disaster #i was sure i had a couple asks more in here but i can't find them so...???#ah well #either way i'm sorry these took so long my brain is seriously all over the place lately #go d s #anonymous

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junker-town · 5 years

Text

Ranking all 23 USWNT players by how important they are to winning the World Cup

Everyone’s good, but a handful of stars will be counted on to perform at their best.

The United States women’s national team has released its 23-player roster for the World Cup, and it contains a handful of surprises. Allie Long, Ali Krieger, Morgan Brian and Jessica McDonald have all found call-ups tough to come by over the past year, but found their way into Jill Ellis’ final squad.

But those players are the ones who are least likely to play a big part in the USWNT’s campaign in France. Ellis has settled on a core of starters and key bench players ahead of them, and unless things go south for any of those players very soon, we can predict who’s going to be counted on to deliver results at the World Cup.

Here’s every player on the roster, ranked in order of importance to the team.

First up, the stars

These are the players who are locked in as starters when healthy, and who Ellis knows she can count on to perform.

1. Tobin Heath, RW

If you are revisiting the USWNT for the first time in a while, you may remember Heath as a player with a lot of tricks and little end product. That’s changed dramatically over the past three seasons, and Heath is now the attacker the USWNT counts on most. She’s coming off a 7 goal, 7 assist campaign for Portland Thorns and has scored 10 USWNT goals since the start of 2018.

Why she’s key: Tekkers

OK, but the tricks are awesome though. Heath is often left out on an island with little support, which means she has to do something crazy to create scoring opportunities for her team. Her ability to make something out of nothing is why she’s the most important player on the team.

2. Lindsey Horan, CM

Horan is still just 24, so her NWSL MVP campaign felt like the start of a rise to superstardom, rather than her peak. The only question is whether Ellis can get the best out of her. She gets into shooting positions a lot more often for Portland Thorns than she does for the USWNT.

Why she’s key: Everything

In addition to being an immovable tank of a midfielder who won the ball 321 times last season — 118 times more than any other player!!! — Horan is a slick passer and regularly bangs in goals from 25 yards out.

3. Julie Ertz, DM

If you like watching high work rate players who show up everywhere on the field, you’ll really like Ertz. She was a center back — and a great one — at the last World Cup, but she was moved into midfield a couple of years ago. But no matter what position she plays, she’s always a huge threat to score on set pieces.

Why she’s key: Messing people up

While Horan wins the ball back a lot, she accomplishes it mostly by being stronger than her opponents and casually shouldering people off the ball. Ertz is stylistically the opposite: she flies into challenges and wins the ball in the most dramatic way possible. And she does it A LOT.

4. Alex Morgan, ST

Morgan just tallied her 100th career national team goal, in case anyone had any doubts about where she stands in the hierarchy of all-time great international strikers. But her role in this USWNT isn’t all about scoring goals.

Why she’s key: Off the ball work

Generally, goal-scorers of Morgan’s caliber don’t take kindly to being asked to take up a role that features a lot more dirty work than trying to get on the end of service into the box. But Morgan runs her ass off all game to make life easier for her teammates, and regularly gets the pass before the assist. The non-scoring aspects of her game are wildly under-appreciated.

5. Megan Rapinoe, LW

After an ACL tear limited her at the 2016 Olympics, very few people thought Megan Rapinoe would still be this good at 33. But she’s playing the best soccer of her life, and she’s a locked-in starter despite younger, faster challengers for her spot.

Why she’s key: Big goals and assists

Morgan and Horan do all the stuff that isn’t very fun or flashy so that Rapinoe can shine. Her teammates sacrifice and create space for her because she always delivers.

6. Becky Sauerbrunn, CB

The former best defender in the world has not quite been that for the past three years, but she’s still excellent. The USWNT don’t need her to be the 2015 version of herself to win the World Cup, but they’ll still need her to step up her game a bit from where it’s been recently.

Why she’s key: Leadership

As by far the most experienced player in the defensive unit, it’ll be on Sauerbrunn to call the shots and organize her team. This is especially crucial given that Ertz doesn’t play like a traditional holding midfielder and is asked to play very aggressively, which often leaves the USWNT defense to make some tough plays in space.

7. Kelley O’Hara, RB/LB

Once an elite winger, O’Hara’s late-career transition to fullback has gone extremely well. She’s as good going forward as any fullback in the world, and she didn’t take long to become a great one-on-one defender out wide either.

Why she’s key: Lack of depth

For various reasons (bad youth player pool management, Jill Ellis’ stubbornness, Jaelene Hinkle’s homophobia), the USWNT is very thin at fullback. Whenever O’Hara’s been hurt, Ellis has gone through a cavalcade of completely unsuitable replacements. If she can’t go 90 minutes in every game that has stakes, the USWNT is in trouble.

Starters with question marks

We’re being a bit harsh — the USWNT has been the best team in the world for a couple of years now — but four of the starters give Ellis some reason for concern.

8. Crystal Dunn, LB/UT

It makes me mad that the best attacker in NWSL is the USWNT’s left back, but this ship sailed a while ago and it’s too late to make a change. For better or worse, world class attacking midfielder Crystal Dunn is going to be playing left back at the World Cup.

Why she’s key: Versatility

If the USWNT is in a situation where their back line isn’t being threatened and they really need a goal, they have the option of shifting Dunn into any attacking position. She’s like a game-changing sub, except she’s already on the field.

Big question: Can she defend elite wingers?

That Dunn can play left back at a competent level at all is incredible, and she doesn’t deserve any criticism for getting beat by world class attackers. But the USWNT is depending on her to contain world class attackers, so uhh... she’s gonna have to figure out how to do that.

9. Alyssa Naeher, GK

The post-Hope Solo era has been shaky at best, but Naeher is still a very capable goalkeeper. Her superb performances at club level suggest that her USWNT issues are more down to the defensive structure in front of her than any deficiencies she has, but no one is going to care about that if she lets in some bad goals.

Why she’s key: Even the best team needs a goalie sometimes

The USWNT will out-shoot almost all of its opponents by a huge margin, but they’re not going to hold anyone to zero shots on target.

Big question: Can she make the right decisions coming off her line?

Naeher’s shot-stopping and aerial claims have been excellent, but she’s been shaky when faced with a decision about whether or not to close down aggressively. Her recognition just hasn’t been quick enough for the national team.

10. Abby Dahlkemper, CB

On a dominant club team with a box midfield in front of her, Dahlkemper looks like a world class defender. At national team level, on a team that leaves a lot more space in front of her, she looks more average. Hopefully that changes?

Why she’s key: Sauerbrunn needs cover

Becky Sauerbrunn is not slow, but she’s not as fast as she was four years ago. And even then, Julie Ertz was the one doing most of the running. Dahlkemper will need to cut out the passes that go behind the defense into space.

Big question: Is she the starter?

All signs point to Dahlkemper getting the nod over youngster Tierna Davidson at the moment, but don’t be too shocked if Ellis makes a change.

11. Rose Lavelle, CM

There’s no one in the USWNT who’s more exciting to watch with the ball at her feet than Rose Lavelle. Unfortunately, she’s on the physio table more often than she’s on the field.

Why she’s key: Creativity

Lavelle’s ability to dribble at full speed, pick an early through ball, or play a creative backheel are second-to-none, and that’s why Ellis persists with putting her in the lineup despite her fitness problems.

Big question: Can she stay fit?

Sorry, I know, the horse is dead, I will stop beating it now.

Key bench players

These players aren’t in Ellis’ starting lineup right now, but they’re certain to make a big impact at the World Cup.

12. Christen Press, ST/UT

The biggest deficiency in Press’ game is that she’s not quite as good as Alex Morgan. Unlucky.

What she brings off the bench: Speed

I can’t imagine getting beat to hell by the work rate and physicality of Morgan, Horan and Ertz, then seeing a track star like Press enter the game in the 60th minute. My legs hurt thinking about trying to play against this team.

Why she’s not starting: Consistency

There isn’t a higher-ceiling player in this team than Press. Her best games are as good as anything Marta or Abby Wambach ever produced. Unfortunately, she’s never done it against a top team two games in a row.

13. Sam Mewis, CM

Other players rack up the goals and assists, but the key to North Carolina Courage’s NWSL success is Mewis. It’s a testament to the USWNTs depth that a coach can even consider not starting her.

What she brings off the bench: Complete CM play

Ertz and Lavelle both have one elite skill, and Horan has the potential to be the best midfielder in the world, but the most well-rounded midfielder in the pool is Mewis. If you were to give her a grade at every aspect of midfield play, you wouldn’t give her worse than an A- at anything.

Why she’s not starting: Lmao you tell me man

The thing I disagree with Ellis most about is not finding a place for Mewis in her starting XI. I’d sacrifice just about anything to have my most balanced midfielder in the team.

14. Tierna Davidson, CB

Davidson left Stanford early to turn pro and prepare for this World Cup, and she already has 19 caps at just 20 years old. And in those 19 caps, she’s proven that she’s one of the best defenders in the country and deserves her spot.

What she brings off the bench: More physical tools than the starters

There are a lot of great athletes in college soccer. It was Davidson’s brain and technical skills that allowed her to make the step up. But she’s also faster and more agile than the players she’s competing for time against, which could prove very useful.

Why she’s not starting: She’s played 2 pro soccer games

Davidson is a very mature 20-year-old, but yeah, she’s 20.

15. Carli Lloyd, ST/AM

If you last engaged with The Carli Lloyd Experience by watching her score a hat trick in the World Cup final, I regret to inform you that some things have changed.

What she brings off the bench: A direct goal threat

The USWNT has shifted towards developing and selecting a lot of crafty, technical, tricky players. That’s a good thing. But sometimes you need to switch things up, and Lloyd has a one-track mind. She goes for goal.

Why she’s not starting: A lot of reasons tbh

Besides being 36, Lloyd hasn’t played well at club level since the World Cup. She’s also just always been more of a mega-clutch athlete than someone who’s really good at playing soccer.

16. Mallory Pugh, LW/RW

Pugh may eternally be a teenager in your brain, but she’s 21 now and has 50 (!!!) national team caps. She hasn’t delivered on her early promise yet, mostly because she was playing for a very bad club manager, but she’s still a great impact sub.

What she brings off the bench: Dribble dribble dribble dribble

Along the same lines as what Press does, Pugh often comes in for Rapinoe to make the opposing fullback have to deal with a different type of winger. Instead of looking for early through balls and diagonals, Pugh runs right at people.

Why she’s not starting: Rapinoe and Heath are too good

Her time will come soon enough.

Fringe players

You probably won’t see a lot of these players on the field, but you will see people on the internet arguing that someone else should have made the roster ahead of them.

17. Allie Long, DM

Long has been on the outside looking in for the past year, but was named to the roster in place of other players that Ellis has selected ahead of her recently. Not sure how that happened!

What she brings off the bench: She’s the only real holding player

For most of her national career, Long has been a box-to-box midfielder miscast as a holding player. But she finally got really good at playing as a holding midfielder (shouts to Vlatko Andonovski). The USWNT doesn’t really have a proper one of those, so she gives Ellis a different look.

Why she’s not starting: The other midfielders are just better

No shade, Long is a good player, but four other midfielders are better.

Who she beat out and why: McCall Zerboni

The “why” is presumably that Zerboni is similar stylistically to Ertz, and Ellis wanted a different kind of player. But Zerboni has been one of the best players in NWSL for the past three years straight, is the emotional leader behind the success of the Courage, and wants you to know that we are fucking winners. She should be on the team.

18. Jessica McDonald, ST

Forwards are egomaniacs by nature. And if you’re a forward good enough to make the USWNT, you probably don’t like coming off the bench. But McDonald has been the best substitute striker in NWSL for the league’s entire existence, so she’s a great choice to reprise that role for the national team.

What she brings off the bench: Energy

No one’s better at getting up to full speed right off the bench than McDonald, and giving a team 90 minutes of effort in 30 minutes of game time. She might be even more dangerous than Press in this respect.

Why she’s not starting: Playing for NC Courage appears to earn you a demerit

Mewis isn’t starting, Dunn has to play left back, Zerboni and Lynn Williams didn’t make the team, and Merritt Matthias didn’t seem to be seriously considered despite the lack of options at fullback. Ellis doesn’t seem to think Courage players can perform at the same level when they leave the Paul Riley Cult Commune.

Who she beat out and why: Savannah McCaskill

McCaskill had an unbelievable NWSL offseason campaign in Australia, but she also got hurt during it, and she didn’t get a chance to show her best at Sky Blue FC last season. You’ll get to see more of her soon.

19. Emily Sonnett, CB/RB

While Emily Sonnett is the undisputed MVP of posting, she’s the unheralded fourth defender on this squad.

What she brings off the bench: No-nonsense defending

Every team needs a defender who just Does Their Job, and that’s Sonnett. It’s also very helpful that she can play center back or right back.

Why she’s not a starter: Good question!

Sonnett has been excellent for the Thorns. There’s not really a clear argument for or against her starting over Dahlkemper or Davidson. They’re all about as good as each other, but Sonnett is a clear fourth on Ellis’ depth chart.

Who she beat out and why: She didn’t really have any competition

While Ellis has rotated in a lot of fringe players to try out for every other spot on the roster, center back has been set in stone for a year.

20. Morgan Brian, CM

Hello there, hero of the 2015 World Cup. We didn’t expect to see you here. Brian’s been really good for the Chicago Red Stars since she returned to NWSL, but up until this point, she appeared to be out of Ellis’ plans. Her call-up is a pleasant surprise.

What she brings off the bench: Smooth touch

Like Long, Brian is here because she’s stylistically different from the starters. She’s the smoothest on the ball of the American midfielders, and is a great player to bring in if you want to kill off a game.

Why she’s not a starter: Chronic injuries

When Brian almost singlehandedly turned around the USWNT at the last World Cup just a few months out of college, she was expected to become a superstar. Unfortunately, she’s had at least one bad injury per year since then.

Who she beat out and why: Andi Sullivan

While a bad coach and club season did not cost Lavelle and Pugh their spots on this team, it was the primary factor behind Sullivan not having a chance to prove herself. She already looks much better for the Spirit, though, and she’ll be back on the USWNT in no time.

21. Ali Krieger, RB

Hello there, REALLY did not expect to see you here! Krieger has been inexplicably exiled from the USWNT over the past two seasons in favor of whatever random player Ellis could dig up to play right back instead. It was very bizarre. Finally, Ellis has swallowed her pride and admitted she needs Krieger.

What she brings off the bench: She’s an actual right back

Dunn and O’Hara are converted wingers, and Sonnett primarily plays center back, but Krieger is an honest to god right back. Sometimes it’s good to have one of those.

Why she’s not a starter: She’s an actual right back

At fullback, Ellis wants converted wingers who bomb forward and contribute in attack more than she wants defenders. Krieger isn’t bad going forward, but she’s no O’Hara or Dunn.

Who she beat out and why: Casey Short

Short has been very good for Chicago and can play right and left back, but she contributes even less going forward than Krieger does, which is probably what cost her a spot.

22. Ashlyn Harris, GK

I haven’t checked, but I assume Ashlyn Harris is the reigning NWSL Save of the Week winner. Much to the annoyance of her fans, she is still Naeher’s backup.

What she brings off the bench: Elite shot stopping

Harris certainly has her detractors (me), but none of them can say anything against her shot-stopping abilities. Her highlight plays are more spectacular than anyone else’s. She makes saves that no one else can.

Why she’s not a starter: Big errors

She also fumbles the ball into her own net about twice as often as anyone who we could reasonably call an elite goalkeeper.

Who she beat out and why: Jane Campbell

Campbell has been on a USWNT contract for the last couple years, and she was very good for Houston Dash last season. But Harris has never lost her spot on the depth chart despite shaky club form, and Campbell wasn’t as good as...

23. Adrianna Franch, GK

Winning NWSL goalkeeper of the year two seasons in a row will apparently get you on the plane to France, but not much else.

What she brings off the bench: Big plays off her line

As far as we can tell, Franch is the third keeper, so she won’t be getting off the bench at all. But if she does play: She’s way better at coming off her line quickly and making clearances than Naeher or Harris.

Why she’s not a starter: Inertia

Naeher became the starter before Franch started playing like the best keeper in the pool, and she hasn’t been bad enough to lose her place. The USWNT is like Ivy League schools: It’s hard to get in, but once you’re in, you stay in.

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