#i love some snappy kara

[bitterrobin]

regarding Chris and Damian as foils... I'm always peeved when some people minimize what could be interesting about their relationship to "a child who only values his biological family and hates his adoptive family vs a child who renounces his bio family and embraces an adoptive family." This brief summary/discussion always tends to boil down to Damian is an evil child who must learn to appreciate his adoptive siblings from Chris, who's a perfect boy who loves his adoptive parents and hates his abusive bio parents. When really, that screws both of their characters.

Damian has a complicated relationship to say the least with Bruce and Talia, but neither of them taught him that blood is everything. When written well, Bruce should be stressed and neglectful but deeply loving and Talia shouldn't be an abuser but a sorrowful mother who wasn't able to give him a free life that she wanted for herself.

I should stress that the "blood son" rhetoric that pops up around Damian existed only in his first appearance and the animated movies. In pretty much all of the comics afterwards, Damian was disparaging of Dick, Tim and Cassandra, but he didn't point out his "biological superiority" unless it was specifically in service to Tim's own storylines. His character evolved from an annoying brat that exists to challenge Bruce and Tim for a couple issues to a full child character whose insecurity within a family leads to him lashing out at everyone he deems closer to Bruce than he could ever be. Moving on to Chris Kent, his entire first storyline revolves around building a relationship with Clark and Lois and finding the resolve to fight back against Zod and Ursa. In the end he makes the sacrifice to return to the Phantom Zone in order to ensure that his bio parents can't return to Earth. But in the end, he's just a kid. He struggled with fitting in on Earth. Unlike Clark, he didn't understand why he had to hide his powers. Had he not been sent back to the Phantom Zone to wrap up the story arc, I would've really liked to see Chris struggle with pretending to be a human kid after so long being taught the opposite by his bio parents. Later on when Chris reappears aged-up (deja vu) he's still pretty much the same character but notably more cocky and impulsive to contrast against Thara Ak-Var.

Damian and Chris's potential interactions should be preceded on how similar they are - not on how superior Chris is because he's a loving kid, and Damian is too traumatized to express the same kind of trust and affection that people expect from child characters. Besides, they have entirely different situations. Damian is a child suddenly being dropped into a large and well established family with complicated inner dynamics and rituals, while Chris is a child being brought into a small and simple family structure consisting of Clark/Lois, Kara and Clark's parents. (Pointing out here that Jon didn't exist and Kon-El was killed in Infinite Crisis months prior to Chris's appearance). Chris's bio parents are cut and dry neglectful and abusive, and Damian's parents are a complicated jumble of neglect, ooc abuse, angst, and love. Damian had to contend with the frankly insane plots and history of all the Bat-characters while Chris was confined to one plot line in a fairly consistent Superman run. I don't think I have to spell out how mentally unstable and grief-stricken a lot of the Bats were when Damian became Robin versus the relatively normal lives of Ma, Pa, Clark and Lois when Chris showed up. When exploring what their interaction could've been, I think Damian would one-sidedly hate Chris, who would try to avoid him. Damian would resent Chris for being everything he isn't: a child whose flaws are accepted and embraced, a child with a complete loving family and support, and a child that allowed to be a child. Chris probably wouldn't like Damian at first for being Robin when he got used to Tim being Robin, and he'd be discouraged at how snappy and anti-social Damian is. He's a kind child, but he's not a saint. Chris would have the usual child hang-ups about interacting with mean kids and socializing outside his family. They'd accept each other the way that they are, but I don't think they'd become friends until Damian matures and Chris acclimates to human society as his own individual. Maybe eventually they grow to trust/confide in each other like Bruce and Clark - but until then it'd probably a lot of Damian making rude comments and Chris going :/

[legendofmorons]

How to fall in love twice (Time, Malon) -Part 4

Pairing : Malon x Reader x Time

Rating: T

Summary: As you and Malon have some bonding time in Kara Kara inn Time gets pissy with the boys.

Warnings: Implied/ referenced child abuse, referenced alcoholism - (Reader had a drunk father that sucked until he was forced to get better or stay gone)

Other: if I missed anything, please let me know.

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You spend the two weeks a version of Wild's hyrule. The land is beautiful but the problem say it's only been twenty years since the calamity.

During this, you and Malon spend time talking and doing upkeep for an adventure. You gather rupees for odd jobs and stocking on supplies. With several faries and lots of weapons, you settle for basic food supplies. You leave an adventuring tag for the boys on the off chance they come across it

At the moment, you and Malon are settled inside the in of Kara Kara Buzzar, the busseling groups outside loud.

Inside is a haven of perfect temperature ir, maintained by enchanted sapphires.

"I hope the boys are doing okay." Malon says as she inspects her bow, eyes nothing but calculating.

"Mh, they're fine... By now, they're figured out that we're not coming back and that we got the mask."

"I know. I'm just worried. "

"Can I help?"

"No... It's just weird. I'm not usually the one on an adventure. "

You nod, not quite understanding the sentiment but understanding being on an adventure you weren't expecting or really even supposed to be on.

She looks at you fully, her soft smile a little bitter in the afternoon light. "I'm just glad that it's you that I'm with and not someone else."

"Oh- thanks. I'm glad it's you here too." Yoy say, trying not to come off as the giant smitten crush haver you are.

"You're sweet. It's really no wonder Link likes you so much."

"Oh, yeah... I try."

Malon just laughs, warm and amused. "You're a good person, and I've heard you're a Greta friend."

"That means a lot. Thank you."

She just smiles, pulling her bag onto the bed so she can double-check her arrow supply.

If she's honest- she likes you too. A lot. More than a friend even if it is a fresh crush.

You're funny, kind, and very attractive. She likes how you try to help people and protect those who need it. You're good people.

You turn to the window, watching the sands roll by as chatter sounds around you. The tourists outside are all dressed in linens and silks, seeking refuge from the sun as they browse the stalls.

You can hear Time worrying, even if you aren't actually there. You've seen it enough times, overheard his muttering, he thought no one could hear. You just hope he and the others are okay.

(You can see the pacing and the glaring as he mutters about where you and his wife might possibly be. The way he gets snappy with everyone's. How he takes as many watch shifts as he physically can before royally crashing. Only to repeat the whole process.)

"Hey, (Y/n)?" Malon calls.

"Yeah?"

"What was it like for you growing up?"

You turn to face her, her curiosity evident. And usually you don't just tell people about your past but most people don't ask. To be fair.

"Well... I mean, mom was born on a ranch and grew up there with her siblings. Dad was a royal guard from a long line of them.

"I grew up in castle town, I have three siblings though. And we spent every summer at Mamaw and Papaw's ranch. I did good in school but I struggled to keep up.

"It was okay, dad wasn't home a whole lot... Drank when he was, but he just got loud and angry."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine. The one time he hit us, mom nearly killed him." You give a shrug, "After that, he left for a year and came back better. I still don't talk to him much these days. But I don't feel like he's a danger anymore either."

"He hit you?" Malon asks, furry already filling her. How dare anyone ever mistreated children - how dare anyone mistreated you.

Oh, she'd like to kick your father's ass. That would be fun.

She can only imagine that Time would be on board.

"Once. Never again." You shrug, unphased because honestly you've faced worse on this quest with the boys.

"That's a real low thing."

"It's cool, I can kick his ass now. After learning to hold my own against the boys, I think I could take on Gannon myself." You crack a smile, hoping to distract her with a joke.

"I'm sure you could."

"Maybe that's why we got pulled away, to destroy gannon?" You snort at just the thought.

Gannon is so fucked is you or Malon meet him, but both of you- well he'd be done for. You both have a lot of rage towards him and you're both skilled at fighting.

"Ha! Maybe so."

"How would you do it?" You ask, "Defeat Gannon, I mean."

Malon tilts her head with a hum, thinking about the logistics of her ideal victory. She bites her lip as she does this.

"I think I'd just take my cast iron skillet to his head." Malon says with a shrug, "What about you?"

"Hm- I meN I'd wanna say the sword would let me weird it and go that route... but I'd probably be more likely to fight him with a baseball bat full of nails."

"That's a good choice."

"I think so!"

Malon changes the subject again, this time to the places you've been.

And you just enjoy the downtime with the redhead. You definitely are starting to fully grasp why Time likes her so much.

.......

Time can't stand can't of this, settled at a campfire in the Great plateu of Wild's hyrule is awful. Time's only thoughts are of you and Malon.

The woods are no comfort to him. Only making him more on edge because you could be anywhere in any time, and he'd never even see you if you were here.

Time is so worried. And everything is too quiet.

He's- used to not having Malon around all the time on this quest... But you've been there so long your absence is particularly felt.

The lack of your smile and laugh has been awful. Your help with cooking has been missed. The soft touches as you help him dress wounds -

Oh he's so fucked.

"I'm sure it's fine." Wind says a s he sits down by Time.

"Sailor - you don't know that. "

"I do. You have a type. Stubborn." Wind's smile at the end is a little smug.

"I- that is not my type."

"It's part of it."

"I'm just worried about them. Obviously, something happened. Neither of them would just run away. "Time says as he narrows his gaze on the ground.

"No... they wouldn't. "Sky says, "But they're together, are they're both smart."

"That doesn't mean they are in danger. I'm not even sure the mask is going to be helpful. What if they haven't even found it?"

Wind just listens, not sure how to help but wishing Time eoukd stop being so on edge.

"It will be okay, Time. Obviously you get them back. Or Twilight wouldn't exist." Sky tries to reason.

"That only means I get Malon back- what if (Y/n) dosen’t ever come back? What if It's my fault and I didn't hear them and-"

"Time." Twilight says firmly to try to stop the rambling spiral the man seems set on.

Everyone is worried about you and Malon. Everyone wants to get you all to safety-

"Hey, old man." Warriors calls out, "Come look at this."

Time stands, gaze landing on Warriors next to the largest tree in the forest, roots almost like their own tunnel.

The man was towards the knight, waiting for more instruction.

"These are (Y/n)'s initials, aren't they?"

Time looks, and maybe your hylian and his hylian are very different but you'd taught him how you tagged certain things when lost. A habit picked up from a survivalist uncle.

The tag carved into the tree reads your intials and then 'day 4'.

Unfortunately, the wood is well healed. At least fifty years have passed, probably longer. But the chain hadn't been in the plateu before, which means -

You got pulled away through a portal. With Malon at your side, probably. And you are in the past of the current time the boys are in.

That's some real shit.

"Well... at least we know what happened to them?" Wild trues, not really soundings too confident in it.

"I'm going for a walk." Time says in place of any real answer.

"Should we tag that way?" Wind suggests from behind the group.

"Maybe." Wild says, "So they can at least keep up with where we've been."

Warriors nods, deciding to tag the tree below your carving 'H.C. day 9.'

He just hopes you can figure it out.

Time can be seen going on a walk Allright, a real pissy walk.

Yikes.

[chororine]

takoyaki party thoughts (MAJOR SPOILERS)

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THE FIGHTING YOWAI...... THE FIGHTING YOWAI IS REAL

I... maybe be stupid because when I got to that scene my brain rapidly flicked between "BABY TOTOKO FLASHBACK...? TOTOKO BABY SIBLING...? TOTOKO'S FAMILY FRIEND NEW BABY...?" until Sof (my bf whom I was watching it with) piped up "TOTOKO'S BROTHER???" he says he's more of a casual Ososan fan and is mostly invested in Kara as a character and supporting his gf's special interest but still picks up on details like that before said gf. his brain is enormous (like his d

when I saw that this movie was directed by Hikaru Yamaguchi who started her career as an animator on Deen Higurashi I joked "this movie better have punishment games and time loops" but I was surprised when it DID kinda turn into a time loop story in the last 15 minutes or so, or at least Totoko tries to turn it into one but Reality Ensues? I think my only major problem with the movie was how that interesting idea wasn't fleshed out particularly well, and they don't explain how they broke out of their "time loop" at all - they do imply Totoko, Matsuyo and DekaDayon came out of the experience making small positive changes in their lives but they don't SHOW them coming to the conclusion that they SHOULD. it felt like the movie skipped the big emotional climax and cut right from a random exterior shot to the denouement

that said, even if the movie stumbled at the last hurdle I did really enjoy 90% of it - I'm a Hipipo apologist but I do think TakoPa is the FUNNIER movie, with super snappy comedic pacing and jokes coming thick and fast (...heh) as opposed to Hipipo's meandering pace and repetitive jokes, only really finding its comedic footing about halfway through when there's a timeskip indicated by the Matsus getting their tans (and stumbling a bit even then). just like my favourite parts of Hipipo were the boys bonding and vibing with the tribe, my favourite parts of TakoPa were the whole Akatsuka Ward gang just hanging out and having fun, each getting their little moments to shine but ultimately being one big, very weird found family

come to think of it Hipipo and TakoPa kinda feel like two sides of the same coin: people are inevitably gonna have preferences but ultimately, it's a good thing that last year gave us a movie for people who love the broad, cartoony, larger-than-life aspects of the show (hello) while this year gave us one for those love the down-to-Earth, slice-of-life aspects. I think that's a better way to celebrate Osomatsu-san's 6th anniversary even if this year is its 8th anniversary but the official Twitter still says TakoPa is for the 6th so just go with it (and, coincidentally, Osomatsu-kun's 60th anniversary) than giving us one big movie that tries to be too many things at once and fails at all of them (...like the time they already did that. this is a certified Eiga no Osomatsu-san (2019) hate blog.) I'm kinda surprised I haven't seen anything about a double feature screening of both in Japan because that would just feel so right

one of the few things Hipipo and TakoPa have in common is some nice moments of wordless storytelling: Hipipo had the three montages of the Matsus interacting with the tribe and TakoPa's opening 10 minutes are almost dialogue-less, save for some background character chatter and an "itadakimasu" from Oso. both could be seen as a budget-saving measure to get around the expensive seiyuu cast, but they also work as an artistic choice - if they commit to the bit and make s4 into a straight-up silent comedy as a way to resolve the issue of the title character's iconic voice actor being a scumbag, I'll be all for it tbh

as enjoyable as TakoPa is, it's still ultimately an hour long bottle episode, with only previously established locations and characters (Nyaa's daughter gets more screentime than ever before to the point where she FEELS like a new character, and an absolutely precious one at that, but her existence WAS pre-established in s3) and taking place mostly in the main characters' home - not inherently bad, but an odd choice for possibly the last piece of "mainline" media in a franchise. the only thing that kept it from being completely underwhelming in that regard was some smart meta commentary that the Japanese fandom also picked up on so it definitely wasn't just me projecting: Totoko (we, the fans) wanted to keep the party (show) going forever in order to escape her (our) cruel reality and feelings of inadequacy, even at the cost of making her friends (the staff) burnt out as fuck. I find it deeply meaningful that the party did, in fact, end (even if they glossed over HOW), and they didn't give the movie a surreal, nihilistic ending like so many episodes of the show - if Totoko can continue to work on her idol career, Dekapan can find new animal friends even after the death of old ones (nice oblique reference to his love for cats in -kun!!!) and Matsuyo can reach out to other women around her own age, maybe we too can find meaning in this world even if the sextuplets can't. I wonder how much of the script was written before vs. after the Sakurai scandal sealed the show's fate (maybe)...

come to think of it, a good succinct way to describe Totoko in this movie is as the character I WISH Takahashi had been: a vessel for us, the fans', feelings towards the Matsus who ACTIVELY tries to affect the characters' world in ways that challenge both them and the viewer, rather than a passive damsel waiting for them at the end. you go TakoPa Totoko four for you TakoPa Totoko

back in November when I'd watched all three Ososan movies that existed at the time - Eiga no Osomatsu-san (2019), Eiga Osomatsu-san (2022) (the live-action one, yeah it's confusing) and Hipipo - I thought Hipipo, despite its flaws, was my favourite of the franchise's movies. I felt the same way immediately after the credits of TakoPa finished rolling... but as I went around unblocking Japanese Matsutwitter accounts now I no longer have to worry about spoilers, I found a poll that kinda made me rethink everything??? for nearly a year I'd been operating under the theory that the Western Ososan fanbase just "didn't get" Hipipo and that the show's true target audience of Japanese adults who'd grown up with Osokun would validate my positive feelings towards the movie - but that poll made me question if said positive feelings were just a result of the context in which I saw Hipipo for the first time (unspoiled, reacting to it along with the man I love, and by my own power instead of Crunchyroll's). regardless of whether or not I SHOULD, I now feel kind of apologetic to the Japanese fandom for insisting that the Western fandom "just didn't get it" while forgetting that oh wait, I'M a Western fandom. at this precise moment I'm not sure how I feel about the 6th anniversary movies overall; maybe it's still a case where one is "objectively better" than the other but I still prefer the "worse" one for personal reasons? is that allowed??? or maybe I don't passionately love OR hate either of them the way I passionately love the TV show and passionately hate Eiga (2019). maybe it's too soon to properly assess my feelings and I should rewatch the two back to back in a few months/a year, idk

but I will say this: of the four movies, three of them made me cry on first viewing (Eiga with sadness, live-action with laughter at one particular scene, and Hipipo with joy, also at one particular scene). TakoPa was the only Ososan movie to NOT make me cry - I guess by that metric it's the most "meh" of the four, at least for my taste, but still a worthwhile entry in the franchise and a satisfying note to (possibly) end it on

Ichi NEEDS to catsit for DekaDayon

[remmushound]

Damage, part 5; the Hogosha

@errorfreak88 @brightlotusmoon

Splinter did his best. Ever since that night he had first gotten the boys, he tried his to do right by them. To feed them. To teach them. To encourage them. To make them happy. He always made an effort to go out of his way for their wants and needs, because that’s what a father does. He made an effort to make them laugh and ask how they were doing. To touch them and to kiss them and to love them and make them know they were loved. It was times like this that made it so difficult.

He didn't care about his own wounds. The pain was nothing compared to the pride he felt for his sons. Raphael, for tossing himself on top of Donatello and protecting the younger shinobi with everything he had. Leonardo for fighting with all he had to protect Michelangelo. Michelangelo for being so strong and so willing and eager to recover. And Donatello, for dragging each and every one of them from their deathbeds and giving them a second chance at life.

The old mutant slowed as he passed by Michelangelo’s room. Drawn on by the sound of voices, the shinobi father couldn’t help but press his ear to the door to listen.

“... telling you, it’ll work!” Leonardo’s voice was heard above all, “Trust me, Raph will love it!”

“A suggestion if I may?”

Donatello’s voice came as a surprise to Splinter and drew the old rat even further into the conversation. Donatello didn't wait for an answer.

“We’re talking about Raph, right? Our Raph? The Raph that regularly busts through walls and ears glass? That Raph?”

“Yep! That’s the one!” Michelangelo’s voice chirped.

“Then foam and cloth just isn’t gonna cut it.”

“Well what do you suggest, big brain?” Leonardo asked.

“Well there have been significant successes with 3D printing bones for transplant, and even an example of a turtle shell being printed successfully! Maybe we do that? Except with the section of shell Raph is missing.”

“Oh oh oh!” Michelangelo chirped his normal ‘I have a question’ noise.

“Yes Michael?”

“Maybe we do both! You do your printy-thing and then we put some foam over it to make it more comfortable and then we add the cloth!”

Donatello hummed. “Hm. Sounds doable. Though we may have to build a framework out of wire to support the foam so it doesn’t shift too much and cause irritation. And several layers of cloth so we can secure it properly to the framework—“

“Yeah yeah yeah, less talky more doey!”

“Hey! Do you have any idea how long it’s gonna take?! I can’t do it snappy-snappy!”

“Why not?!”

It made Splinter’s heart soar to hear the bickering of his sons carrying on in the other room. They sounded happy, and most importantly they were awake, and together. He wiped his beady eyes as he walked away, tail swishing his euphoria as the newfound hope made this day one of the best in months.

When night came, Splinter didn't need alarms or clocks or the chore chart to tell him what to do. He just did what fathers do, like he always had. He knocked on Raphael’s door before entering.

“Oh! Hey pops!” Raphael’s tail wagged at the sight of his father. He was sat at his vanity looking at himself in the mirror like he often did.

“Hello Raphael.” Splinter’s wrinkled face split in a smile as he walked over to Raphael, tisking his tongue along the way as his tail swept through trash and collected it. “Really, Raphael? Four water bottles? You’re turning your room into a pigsty!”

“Goodnight to you too, pops.” Raphael laughed, closing his eye as Splinter heaved himself up the snapping turtle’s arm to kiss him on the cheek.

“Honestly, I don’t think you need this old thing anymore.” Splinter mused as he helped Raphael untie his shell cover and folded it on the nightstand.

“Donnie’s orders.” Raphael laughed.

“Well I say you’re perfectly healed.” Splinter eyed the scars curiously, “And if anything, the scars make you look badass.”

Raphael’s shoulders shook as he bellowed. “Thanks dad.”

Splinter smiled and nosed playfully against his son's cheek a moment before giving the mutant a gentle tap with his tail.

“Now scoot! It’s bedtime!”

“Dad, I’m almost sixteen.” Raphael said, “I think I can choose my own bedtime now.”

Splinter raised his brow.

Raphael started to sweat almost immediately. “Uh— I mean— yes. Right. Bed time.”

“Good boy.” Splinter pat Raphael’s shoulder as the snapper lurched over to his bed. “Remember: I didn't put the fear of God in you, I put the fear of rat!”

Raphael climbed into bed and churred happily as Splinter came over to tuck him in and give him his teddy bear.

“There we are… Good night, little Red.”

*****

“Oh Baby Blue~” Splinter poked his nose into Leonardo’s room, “I’m respecting your privacy by knocking, but asserting my authority as your father by coming in anyway!”

Splinter blinked as he saw the state of his son. Leonardo was on his bed, having tried to remove his day clothes by himself and failed miserably. Somehow, he had managed to get his head stuck in the arm hole and his arm locked at an odd angle in the head hole, his trousers hanging half-off.

“Help me.”

Splinter couldn’t hide his laughter as he helped his son undress the rest of the way and assisted in helping him put on his pajamas.

“There we are, silly boy.” Splinter rubbed Leonardo’s head before putting the turtles nightcap on. “Now, I know you like magic, but you’re not quite Houdini status yet.”

Leonardo snapped. “Darn! I’ll get there one day!”

Splinter hummed his agreement and used his tail to open Leonardo’s bedside drawer and pull out a soft, blue sleeve. He gently slid it over Leonardo’s wounded arm and secured it before giving the nub a kiss, and then kissing Leonardo on the head.

“Thanks dad.”

“Anything for my little one.”

****

“Orange~ why, would you look at that?”

Michelangelo was already snug in his bed, dressed in his sleeping onesie and clutching a story book with a bright smile on his face.

“Someone was ready for me.” Splinter pulled himself onto the bed and took the book from Michelangelo, clearing his throat as he started to read. “In a warm and sultry forest far far away, there lived a mother fruit bat and her new baby. Oh, how Mother Bat loved her soft, tiny baby. “I’ll name you Stellaluna.” she crooned…”

By the end of the story, Michelangelo was snoring softly. Splinter carefully crept from the bed and slid the book back into its place before giving Michelangelo a kiss on the head.

“Love you, my son. Sweet dreams…”

****

Splinter always left Donatello last. Not out of malice, of course! Donatello just needed the most comfort, the most time! And it wouldn’t be fair to make the other brothers wait so long for their fathers affection. But now the rest of his sons were tucked safely away, Splinter crept into the softshell’s room with a gentle knock.

“Donatello? Purple?”

Donatello was laying in his bed with his back turned to the door. Splinter hummed and quickly approached the bed, laying a hand on his son's shoulder.

“I hope you didn't think I forgot about you.”

“No.” Donatello’s voice was soft and somber.

Splinter cleared his throat and shifted himself onto the bed, pulling the blanket over Donatello’s head and starting to hum softly as he traced his paws across his son’s arm and shell bridge in a comforting manner, like he always did when they were turtle tots.

“Mori mo iyagaru, Bon kara saki-nya. Yuki mo chiratsuki-shi. Ko mo naku-shi…”

Donatello grabbed Splinter’s hand and held it while he started to hum along to the lullaby.

“Bon ga kita-tote, nani ureshi-karo… Katabira wa nashi, obi wa nashi…”

Splinter sang the lullaby to its entirety and, though Donatello was still awake by the end of it, neither father nor son made any attempt to leave or interrupt the comfort of each other's presence. They both fell asleep together.

****

“Keep your eyes closed! Keep 'em closed! Closed closed closed closed closed!”

“They’re closed, Mike!” Raphael bellowed his laughter at the eager young mutant that covered both Raphael’s eyes while sitting on his shoulders. “What’s the surprise!”

“Wait for it! Wait for it!”

“The suspense is killing me!”

“NOW!”

Michelangelo pulled his hands away with a happy squeak and Raphael opened his eyes. Raphael blinked a few times to get used to the light again before he processed what was in front of him. Leonardo and Donatello, both smiling as they held a large something between them.

The prosthetic piece was an impossibly bright red color, the cloth some of the most vibrant Raphael had ever seen! There were several ridges on it and Raphael’s eyes widened when he recognized the shapes from his shell. He looked back at his shell, then to the prosthetic, then back at his shell.

“Tadaaa~” Michelangelo jumped from Raphael’s shell, landing with a loud grunt, and did jazz hands.

“It’s made of reinforced acrylic— it’s not as strong as your actual shell, but strong enough to take a solid hit.” Donatello explained, “I wanted to make it a more natural color, but Nardo here insisted it stay red.”

“What? Red is totally his color!” Leonardo scoffed, “the Kanji was Mikey’s idea— figured Bo-su was most suited to you.”

“And Donnie made sure the measurements were right so it could fit over your shell!” Michelangelo squeaked, “Do you like it?”

Raphael didn't answer. He couldn’t answer, not for an uncomfortably long time. And when he did answer, it wasn’t with words. It was with a loud, whimpering squeal as he scooped all three brothers in for a hug and crushed them against his chest.

“I love it…” Raphael nuzzled each brother in turn, “And I love you all so much…”

[museswithinx]

“Well let me tell you something, people don’t change overnight.” { Kara for Kinsey bc bonding? }

Cruel Intentions (1999) | Sentence Prompts

Since the last bender she���d gone on, her dad had been keeping a more careful eye on the situation. The partying was at a minimum now. Kinsey hated it, she didn’t want to deal with any of it, but everyone kept telling her that she’d have to at some point. She just didn’t know how she was supposed to do that.

Coming home early tonight, Kinsey found Kara was staying over once again. She’d been spending most of her nights here, she thought Dad ought to start charging her rent. She was content to ignore her and slip upstairs but the other woman must have caught something in her face that had her inviting her to come sit down. She didn’t really want to, but she did. It was strange not being the only girl in dad’s life anymore but she promised him she’d give her a chance. So, she would try to humor him and bond with her.

It wasn’t too painful. The two women ended up watching about three hours of movies before the last one, hitting way too close to home right now, had her nearly in tears. “It’s nothing. Just a stupid ass movie,” she insists when Kara asks. Unfortunately though, this one paid attention and didn’t seem to buy it. She was also pretty sure her dad had shared with her that she’d been struggling lately. 

“It is nothing,” she tries to insist again, “I’m just. There’s a guy I was seeing, and it ended pretty much the same as the movie we just watched, okay? It’s not a big deal.” Except it clearly was. The look she gave said it was as well as the offer to talk that followed. Normally this was where Kinsey got snappy. She didn’t like to talk, especially not about Monty, but there was something she just... trusted. She couldn’t put her finger on it, she didn’t know Kara well, but maybe that’s what made it easier. Or maybe it was something else.

“This guy I was seeing...” she starts, “it wasn’t really an exclusive thing, but it was very long term for me and it wasn’t just sex. We talked a lot too. I liked talking to him, I never got tired of it. He even met my dad and had dinner with us, which has never happened with anyone else. I’m pretty sure I was and still am in love with him.”

It was the first time she’d really said it aloud, which surprised even her, but she kept going.  “Then I found out he was seeing my mom. Like, the whole entire time we were together. It was just some scheme the heartless bitch cooked up to get back at me and dad. I wanted to die when I found out. I’m still devastated and I can’t seem to find peace, even though my mom’s gone now. Because I still love him and I miss him so much it hurts. He’s apologized more times than I can count and he acts like he still cares about me but I don’t know. I’m struggling so much to forgive. My mother never changed, what if he can’t change either? What if he just does the same shit again?”

“Well let me tell you something, people don’t change overnight.”

Kinsey took a moment to think that over. Her mother had been the boogeyman in her closet for as long as she could remember and she never changed for the better. She died the same as she had lived her entire life. But her mother also didn’t want to change. She’d been set in her ways like that. What if Monty did though? Maybe Kara had a point. 

“Are you saying I should try to give him a chance to do that? Do you think he can?” She asks as she mulls it over in her head some more. It was so hard to forgive him when he’d betrayed her like that but maybe if she tried... Maybe. “Thanks.” She mutters after an extended silence had fallen between them. “For the talk. And the advice. That was cool of you.”

[kpoptimeout]

Top 10 Most Underrated K-pop Songs of 2020 (Idol Edition)

2020 was shit. But oh boy, at least the music was good.

And it took us a good while to decide on these lists.

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2019 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below are our top 10 picks of songs that did not rank high but deserves your attention!

Like last year we have a separate post for Top 10 underrated non-idol tracks in 2020 and a list for the Top 10 K-Dramas in 2020 in our opinion, which will drop in the coming days.

Some of the artists have escaped the list in recent years to stardom (like N.FLYING, SF9 and OH MY GIRL), so hopefully, it happens again!

This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

APRIL “LALALILALA”

APRIL is a very well-rounded girl group but their talents have been squandered by DSP’s mismanagement in recent years. With DSP seeming to try again and with member Naeun’s meteoric rise thanks to acting in webdrama hit “A-TEEN” and the internationally loved K-Drama “Extraordinary You”, “LALALILALA” seemed like the song to finally give APRIL the awards they deserve. Except it did not, which is an absolute shame because “LALALILALA” is easily one of the strongest girl group tracks this year. The futuristic synths and snappy drum instrumental made for a delightful pop track and reminded us of DSP’s heydays of churning out similarly pristine and impactful tracks for KARA and Rainbow. If you were a fan of past DSP girl group bops like KARA’s “Pandora” and "STEP”, this is the song for you!

Cherry Bullet “Hands Up”

Whoever thought of putting “Beethoven” and “girl crush concept” together should get a raise at FNC Entertainment because it worked. Sampling Beethoven’s famous piece “Für Elise” in different parts of the instrumental using different instruments ranging from synths to different keyboards, the producer was able to provide rookie girl group Cherry Bullet with a hip-hop heavy girl crush banger that is catchy and fun. Also, it is clear the girls of Cherry Bullet really enjoy this song, exuding confidence and charm in the choreography and overall performance. After a few listens, you would be nodding to this addictive song and body rolling to the chorus. If you are a fan of girl crush songs, you have to listen to “Hands Up!”

Cignature “ASSA”

Honestly, we are annoyed with C9 Entertainment scrapping the highly talented girl group Good Day after merely one song and their relatively strong run on KBS’ “The UNIT” and re-debuting only some of the girls in Cignature under their sub-label J9. However, we cannot deny that “ASSA” is a powerful track. It is many things at the same time - it covered the quirky girl group demographic with the cute and somewhat bratty sounding introduction where the girls seem to be talking and singing at the same time, then a somewhat mature buildup came out of nowhere with a more raspy and charismatic delivery on the vocals front before an aggressively girl crush drop begins the chorus carried by the members feeling themselves (specifically their hair) with attitude. If you love the quirky sound of fromis_9 and Oh My Girl but also want some OG girl crush energy like 4MINUTE, “ASSA” is your song!

CSVC “No Mercy”

Okay, CSVC is not really an “idol” group in the traditional sense. A project group made up of 4 indie artists (CHEEZE's Dalchong, Stella Jang, Lovey and Park Moonchi), CSVC tries to recreate the 90s girl group sound of legends like S.E.S, Fink.L and Baby VOX and we are here for it. Not only do all four members have the pipes to carry the early K-Pop sound that has heavy RnB influences, they went all out in the song production with the retro reverbs littered throughout the track and new jack-swing inspired intro. The MV was also a love letter to 90s K-Pop girl groups with the intense use of flares, extreme use of lighting, the “futuristic” sets seemingly made of tin-foil and the members all donning all black or all white outfits. If you are a huge fan of 90s K-Pop, CSVC’s “No Mercy” is the song for you!

ELRIS “JACKPOT”

Honestly, we have no idea what the hell HUNUS Entertainment is doing with ELRIS but even with the mismanagement, they continuously give ELRIS great songs and “JACKPOT” is easily one of the best girl group songs of the year. It builds up from silky vocals to strong rap, which is followed by wonderful harmonisation before we dive into a two-part chorus which made use of the members’ strong vocals as well as gave us catchy moments to sing along to. The music video is also a delight, with the girls dancing on a stage built to look like a roulette. The addition of the 2 members also made ELRIS’ already powerful stages even more impactful. We have been hearing rumours of disbandment but we hope it is not true. If you want to listen to the definition of a well-rounded and fun K-pop girl group track, ELRIS’ “JACKPOT” is THAT SONG!

IMFACT “Lie”

IMFACT is truly a strong boy band with great vocals and strong song production skills of their own yet they CONTINUE to be SLEPT on. I mean being managed by Star Empire Entertainment does not help but it is ridiculous how little domestic and international support they have. They have a distinct sound which they continue in “Lie” - electropop infused with K-Pop song structures and a generous use of unique drums patterns. If you love electropop and K-Pop, it is time to stan IMFACT and check out this amazing song!

NATURE “Girls”

Maybe n.CH Entertainment go a boost in Mnet money after taking on the job to manage TOO after Mnet’s “To Be World Klass” show because their budget really went up and it shows in NATURE’s “Girls”. This song is truly a masterpiece. The chorus is like what you would expect of a club banger EDM track but the verses are made up of clean vocals exhibiting anguish and longing over a relatively simple beat and the bridge was orchestral instrumentals mixed with the drumming of a marching band and the loud chants of the girls. The music video is also simple yet haunting. If you like the darker tracks of 9MUSES and RAINBOW like “Sleepless Night” and “Black Swan” but also the electronic sound of Berry Good in “Don’t Believe” days, this is the song for you for you!

ONEWE “End of Spring”

We need more bands making it in mainstream K-Pop and ONEWE’s “End of Spring” gives us another reason why we think so. “End of Spring” is a breath of fresh air in this year of mainly 80s retro dance tracks and hip-hop heavy pop songs in the K-Pop world, as it instead went for a pop rock sound more reminiscent of American pop rock acts like Train in “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” and One Republic in “Counting Stars” but with a dose of the energy in a teen summer party. If you enjoy a fun pop rock song, ONEWE’s “End of Spring” is the song for you!

OnlyOneOf “dOra maar”

OnlyOneOf is a rookie group with a lot of potential given their heavily alternative RnB and overall escape room-esque sound. They had many great songs in 2020 with wonderful music videos but our favourite here at K-Pop Timeout has to be the MV-less “dOra maar”. This laid back and smooth song showcases each member’s unique vocals and sounds more like a top Korean RnB artist experimental collaboration than a K-Pop boy band song. Also, it is always fun to see K-Pop artists take inspiration from art and culture of different countries (the titular Dora Maar is a French photographer and the lover of Pablo Picasso). If you are mostly a Korean RnB fan, OnlyOneOf’s “dORa maar” might be your gateway drug into the idol scene!

Weki Meki “COOL”

Fantagio seems to be a bit unsure about which sound to give Weki Meki, as the group swings between aggressive and catchy girl crush songs to more generic cute summer songs like a pendulum. They should really consider keeping Weki Meki with the sound they found in “COOL” because the girls really carried this supermodel runway power walk song with poise and confidence. While we have seen boy bands dabble in the runway model sound such as IN2IT in “Snapshot”, SF9 in “Now or Never” and KNK in “Sunset”, we have actually rarely seen girl groups going for this expensive sound. Additionally, the music video for this song is powerful, with the scene of the girls facing each other and vogueing in a long dark room being highly memorable. If you love power girl crushes or any of these boy band songs we have mentioned above, you would really like this song!

Special Mentions of Underrated Debuts:

There were many strong debuts this year and I would like to mention 2 underrated rookie groups to look out for in 2021!

Male - E’LAST “Tears of Chaos”

While more and more male groups are debuting with either badass or cute images, E’LAST decided to enter the K-Pop world with a highly orchestral sound. And the boys have the talent and visuals to carry such a dramatic and theatrical concept. Their label E Entertainment, also seems to have every intent to do the most for these boys, as seen in the production quality of their MVs. With these boys already dropping new material right now, you all should keep an eye on them! 

FEMALE - woo!ah! “Bad Girl”

With many strong female group debuts this year, you may have missed woo!ah!, from the small label of NV Entertainment. This small company in fact is led by SM China’s former CEO and this person certainly has an eye for talent because woo!ah! is a very balanced 5 member girl group that has a lot of potential to make it big. In fact, the group is beginning to develop an international following, with “Bad Girl” reaching #1 in the Vietnam's biggest music platform, edging out both aespa’s “Black Mamba” and BLACKPINK’s “Lovesick Girls”. They have already followed up with B-Side track promotions so check out these underrated rookies!

[calliecat93]

Well... this is late. Several weeks late at that. Stupid life getting in the way. Anyways, yeah due to sickness, dog sickness, the holidays, and everything in between I am three chapters behind on reviews. I am going to do what I can to catch back up before Saturday, starting now. Also since I am behind, this and the next review won’t include a Predictions section since... well, that’s pretty pointless now. On the upside, the wait has given me plenty to think over regarding the past few episodes and get my thoughts sorted out.

So last week we had the team splitting up, Ironwood shooting a man in cold-blood, and Salem sending her Grimm... thing to capture Oscar. A tense, but very well done setup for the volume. So with the tension and stakes already this high, what’s going to happen next? Well... we already know, but let’s talk about it anyways.

We begin in the Atlas prison, where Qrow, Robyn, Watts, and Jacques are being held. Robyn is understandably pissed off at everything that happened, Jacques tries to shift his blame (even using the famous “I’m a victim!” quote) but is otherwise confident about Whitley bailing him out, and Watts clearly just doesn’t give a damn about anything and is chilling. Qrow however is quiet, merely sitting in the hard light cell and staring at Clover’s badge. Some guards come in and enter Watts’ cell, smacking him with their guns and dragging him out. Qrow also finally talks, having a suggestion on what they can do: kill the man who put them behind bars to begin with. Yeah... 

In Mantle, Atlas is reporting on the going-ons before Joanna takes the mic to inform the people of the plan to head for The Crater. Team JYRO make it to Pietro’s pharmacy and discover what he left for them: three hoverbikes. Yang is especially overjoyed while Oscar I think has developed a fear of flying things. The four work to get a section of people to The Crater, also facing some Grimm in the process. There is one elderly woman however who is uncooperative, wanting to go up to Atlas and not to the slums with a bunch of Faunus. But Yang properly shuts her up by pointing out how Atlas bailed, clearly deciding that they weren’t with while the Faunus are willing to help regardless of if the people deserve it. Yang Xiao Long, Destroyer of Racism.

Even though the citizens agree to go, it’s still rough. Ren uses his semblance to mask everyone with Jaune amping him up. The old woman is still complaining about the conditions. Oscar, driving behind everyone, is frustrated at how people just can’t cooperate. Boy is THAT the most relatable scene in the current times. Ozpin takes this moment to try talking to him, even apologizing for abandoning him. But Oscar isn’t mad about that, he’s mad that Oz came back, especially since after so long he finally felt like his own person. But Oz reminds him that the merger is still on track, to the dismay of both. Ren is also struggling to keep his Semblance powered up and when Jaune tries to give him a pep talk, he snaps that he just needs to focus, clearly upsetting Jaune.

Meanwhile,, RWBNP have been joined by May in their efforts to break into Atlas. Weiss had an idea on how to do so: via the SDC’s shipping department that sends Dust up to Atlas via tubes. This includes the military facility. As they look for the correct one, Ruby goes to Penny who is understandably upset by what’s happening. Ruby tries to console her regarding the argument with Yang, but Penny is actually hurt by Winter, Ironwood, and the others fighting against them as they were their friends. She also feels guilty as she is now even more than just the Protector of Mantle and is still clearly hurt by ironwood’s words last chapter. Ruby assures her that Ironwood was only trying to hurt her and that they are doing good. It helps some, but not to the extent that we’d normally see. The good news is that they found the tube... and Nora promptly shoots Weiss up it. Whoops.

Back in Mantle, Fiona has taken over coordinating the evacuations with May gone. JYRO returns with their group, with Fiona and Joanna impressed. Fiona comments that she was concerned due to half their team being gone, which clearly upsets the four. SO much so that Ren walks off in a huff and Yang gets defensive about how they clearly were able to handle it. The Faunus welcome the refugees and the Happy Huntresses and others are doing their best to get everyone settled. We earn see Fiona’s uncle, who was the man who gave Oscar soup last chapter. A call comes in about a Grimm attack, so Team JYRO go to deal with it. It goes well at first, but more Grimm begin to come in... at least, that is, until they suddenly retreat. Much to the confusion of the others.

Before anyone can contemplate on it, the Grimm from last time that we now know is called The Hound attacks Oscar. It very quickly grabs him, beats him up to the point of breaking his Aura, and knocks him out. Yang tries to help, but to her shock The Hound uses Oscar as a human shield. It easily faces Jaune and Ren as well, with all of them confused as the Grimm are usually not this smart. Ren demands The Hound release Oscar... but to the group’s utter horror the Hound says “N”. yeah, you read that right. The Hound talked. It gets worse as it sprouts wings, the black ooze landing on Oscar as the Hound’s whole body contorts in a gruesome matter. It grabs Oscar and flies off. JYR are all understandably shocked, but give chase as the episode ends.

Review

Two chapters in, and already things have gone to Hell. At least Volume 6 gave them one triumphant moment in Chapter 1 before piling on the ‘Oh Crap’. This volume is holding back zero punches people... and I love it!

This is a natural follow-up to the premiere and was paced very well. It covers both the things we didn’t see last time, and shows us the progress of the events set in motion. We see what has happened to Robyn and Qrow. We see how the evacuations are being handled. We have both sets of heroes well underway of their objectives. And of course we have The Hound succeeding in capturing Oscar. It’s a lot of things, but nothing felt rushed or crammed in just for the sake of getting it over with. It all felt natural and exactly what we needed to see. Like I said, holding back zero punches.

One thing I really enjoyed about this is seeing more of the Happy Huntresses. Probably one criticism I have about Volume 7 is how only Robyn, and to a lesser degree Fiona, got any real characterization of the group. We saw they were effective, but otherwise Robyn’s companions just kind of... existed. But now with her in jail, it allows the three to really shine. Joanna is a no-nonsense woman more or less now taking charge, but also friendly to her companions as we saw with her complimenting Fiona. May is sassy and confident as well as quite useful with her Invisibility Semblance, and it’s real cool to see her teaming up with RWBNP. We already know that Fiona is a cutie, but we see how she’s organizing the masses and more or less coordinating settling people in, which as we learn she’s from the slums makes sense. I’ve really enjoyed seeing more of these three, and it really helps make them feel like actual characters and not just there to fill out Robyn’s team.

Speaking of Robyn, we have the prison scene, and it’s as glorious as I was hoping. Her telling off Jacques for his part in all of this was perfection. Of course Jacques tries to shift blame, but still. Watts not giving a single damn about anything was also freakin’ great. But then there’s Qrow... oh golly Qrow. As expected, e\he’s not doing okay due to Clover dying but... him wanting t kill Ironwood makes me... worried. Oh don’t get me wrong, with the path he’s heading Ironwood dying is probably going to be necessary. IDK if I necessarily want it, but I can’t say he hasn’t brought it upon himself. I just don’t think that would do Qrow any good at all, especially because it would be out of revenge and not for the good of Mantle or Remnant. It’s him slipping into that Branwen bandit mentality, and that is NOT a path that will lead him anywhere good. I’m worried, but hopefully whatever happens will do good for Qrow and his mental state.

Then we have Team JYRO and Team RWBNP. First, it was really nice to have some humor in this one. While everything is super tense, we really need some levity so it doesn’t become overly depressing, RWBY loves feels, but it’s never been one to go grimdark and serious every waking moment either. I mean gosh, Weiss getting sucked up the tube in and of itself is one of the funniest scenes they’ve had in a while, especially with Kara Eberle’s perfect high-pitched scream and Nora’s reaction. Moments like Blake teasing Weiss about her family owning everything, Yang’s reaction to he bikes, Oscar likely never wanting to fly again after riding with Yang al made me giggle and was a nice break from the tension, especially when the end brought it roaring back.

But at the same time, it’s clear that the tension is very much there. We see how defensive Yang gets with Fiona’s comment, and how bitter Nora is about her disagreement with Ren. Speaking of Ren, we see how he’s more snappy and closed off he’s becoming, the seeds planted last volume now coming into bloom. Despite how evacuations are going smoothly so far, the sense of looming doom and desperation is very much present. The Grimm horde is unrelenting and the people are scared, upset, and uncooperative. Yeah, despite the situation, we see an old woman unable to but her biases aside and just complains about the slums instead of being in the more cushiony Atlas, who as Yang points out, left them for dead. And the woman STILL complains during the trek to the slums. Needless to say especially after this year, Oscar’s annoyance is VERY understandable. 

But speaking of Oscar, we see a lot of parallels with him and Penny here. Both are struggling with their sense of identity and self-worth. Both are now something greater than they ever imagined, but struggling with the sense of responsibility and what it means for them. Oscar finally began to feel like his own person again. He felt like he was crating his own identity and like he was finally being seen as well... him. And I agree, especially since I had complained before how it felt like Oscar didn’t have an identify up to last volume. Penny of course is struggling with her feelings and wanting to be seen as a real girl. How the people she trusted like Ironwood and Winter have turned on them and personally hurt her. How she’s now the Winter Maiden and not just the Protector of Mantle and worried that she’s hurting more people than helping, especially since she now has the responsibility of protecting everyone. 

Sadly. things aren’t going their way. Oscar is still on the track of merging with Ozpin, and has no idea who he’ll be at the end of it. Penny is a Maiden, burden with tremendous responsibility that will not only prevent her form doing what she wants. but continue to restrict her identity. It’s just... sad when you think about it. These are two kids who just want to have their lives, but they can’t and it’s all due to circumstances beyond their control. Oscar got zero say in bonding with Ozpin and had to abandon his life for the greater good. Penny had to take the Maiden powers to keep it away from Cinder. Seeing them both lament on this is just... heartbreaking. But at least Penny has Ruby to comfort her. Sure it doesn’t help too much, but Ruby is still there as support. Oscar has no one but Ozpin, and he can’t really do much to help the kid at this point. Oscar has to burden it alone, and that’s especially true when we get to the end.

That brings us to The Hound. So... I freakin’ love this monster, even though it terrifies me. It is legit creepy. The way it contorts and shifts it’s body, that gross lack goo oozing all over like blood. It hasn’t topped The Apathy for ‘Scariest Grimm’, but it’s certainly up there. But what’s even scarier is that it is intelligent. Now we know that Grimm CAN be smart, Oobleck gave us a whole lesson on it in Volume 2. But we’ve never, EVE R seen a Grimm this intelligent before. Not only did it throw JYR off by using Oscar deliberately as a shield, but if you look closely you can see it in other shots clearly watching Oscar. It was on the hunt, watching and observing until the moment to strike came. And, of course, it was able to talk. While IDT Jason Liebrecht doing the voice is as significant as others say (likely they wanted to distinguish from William Orendorff’s voice and Jason was available, it has nothing to do with Qrow), the fact that a Grimm who isn’t Salem can talk, even if briefly, is horrifying.

There have been a lot of theories going around since the episode aired. Many believe that the Grimm used to be human, which I agree with. The most popular candidate for who is Summer... which I’m more mixed about. On the one hand, it just feels unnecessarily cruel especially to Ruby and I personally am not 10% sure if I’d like that happening. On the other hand it would be a horrifying tragic twist that would greatly affect Ruby (not to mention Yang and the remains of Team STRQ) and raise a LOT of questions about what happened in between Summer’s ‘death’ and now. Still I’m not fully convinced it’s her. nut I’m not fully against it depending on how it’s played out. But I do agree that it is most likely a former human, and considering Cinder is a human well on her way on becoming a Grimm... yeah...

Chapter Stats

Favorite Character: Happy Huntresses Favorite Scene: The Hound vs. Team JYRO Least Favorite Scene: Umm... IDK, the Atlas reporter maybe? Favorite Voice Actor: Kdin Jenzen (May Marigold) Favorite Animation: The Hound’s contorting body Rating: 9.9/10

Final Thoughts

It was a tough job following up the premiere, but this chapter succeeded in keeping everything on track. It as funny, it was insightful, it was scary, it was... everything! The stakes continue to feel high, yet nothing feels forced or rushed. We have good glimpses at certain characters mindsets, the plot is continuing to push forward, the dead is strong yet still has room of some fun stuff, and the end fight is both awesome and sets up a LOT of tension as we continue forward. Like i said, the volume is not holding back. I’m still terrified about everything upcoming, but if the volume continues with this kind of quality (which having seen 3 and 4 I know they are), then we are in for one Hell of a fantastic volume~

[supergirl-fanfiction]

Cant Compete With Her

Lena Luthor x Reader

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4 

You and Lena had been together for years. Her mom surprisingly liked you because you had what she called "the Luthor smarts". You had been there for her through the whole case with Lex which caused your own family to practically disown you. So, when Lena decided to move to National City you put in a transfer request with your job and ended up following her. Then Supergirl and Kara Danvers came into the picture.

Warnings- Angst sooo much angst, slight mentions of cheating, language, - let me know if I should include any others

(Y/N)- Your Name

You had once thought that you and Lena could make it through anything. I mean you both had made it through you meeting her mom, the media catching wind of your relationship, everything that had happened with Lex, and even your family telling you it was them or Lena. You had moved from the only place you had ever known in order to follow Lena and support her in quest to try to clear the Luthor name and rebrand Lexcorp into LCorp making  in a force for good. You had supported her in everything she did and even understood when she had to reschedule dates because she was just so close to a break through. You never made her feel like she had to choose between you and her work because you knew how important clearing her last name was to her. Then came Kara Danvers and Supergirl. Soon she wasn't only just rescheduling dates but cancelling them all together for Kara. You honestly couldn't remember the last time you had gone out with Lena anymore. You felt you had taken 2nd place in Lenas heart but you dealt with it because you knew how much Lena wanted friends that wouldn't judge her or try to use her. You tried to make the best of it though. You would schedule time with her for you to be able to bring and each lunch with her during the day. You would sit with her and talk but soon she began to cancel those too. You tried not to overthink because you knew, or at least you thought you knew, that Lena wouldn't do that to you. She had just started taking on more projects herself and was even partnering with Supergirl occasionally now. Yet you couldn't help but feel like you were competing against Supergirl and Kara for your fiancées time and affection. You still tried to be the supportive understanding person you had always been for Lena but you were slowly getting to the end of your rope. You had tried talking to Lena about this and how it made you feel, yet every time you tried she just didn't have the time for you. You tried to hold back your tears at all the excuses she had given you every time you tried to talk to her.

"Sorry (Y/N) I really need to focus my attention on Supergirl right now. We are so close to being able to solve this."

"Hey sorry nows not a good time Kara is in my office and she really needs me right now. We will talk later."

"I know I said that we would talk later but Kara invited me out with her sister and her friends. Don't wait up for me. I don't know when I'll be home but we can talk in the morning."

The list went on and on. Today though, you were going to go to Lenas office and demand that you have this long overdue talk. Your patience had run out this morning when you had gotten a text telling you that your lunch with her was cancelled, again, and to not come because she had a shit ton of paper work. You had a feeling though that she was spending time with a certain blonde haired reporter and didn't want you to know. A knot had begun to form in your stomach after that and the sickening feeling you had continued to grow all day. You tried to distract yourself but it just wasn't working so you decided to head over to LCorp early. The drive there gave you some extra time to try and think about how you wanted to approach this. You wanted to have a calm discussion with Lena and talk things out like the adults the both of you were. You had a feeling though if you walked into her office and Kara was there that plan would fly out the window. As you pulled up to LCorp you just knew that your heart was about to be broken. You laid your head on the steering wheel trying to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for what you knew you were going to see. You got out of your car and slowly walked into the building making your way through security. Luckily in the elevator you were by yourself.

"Ok (Y/N) just take a deep breath. Try to keep calm no matter what you see in there." You said giving yourself a mini pep talk before the doors slide open on Lenas floor. Jess looked up at you and smiled as you walked up.

"Hey Jess is Lena in any important meetings or can I just walk in and talk to her?" you asked trying to be polite to her. She didn't do anything to you so no need to be snappy with her.

"She's not busy with any official meetings and even if she was I doubt she would mind you interrupting her." Jess told you with a small chuckle escaping her. Apparently she didn't know about all the cancelled dates and lunch meetings between you and Lena. Yet the way she worded that made the sickening feeling in your stomach grow. She didn't say that Lena wasn't in any meetings, she said she wasn't in any official meetings. If you had any doubt that Kara wasn't in there with your fiancée they were erased now. You pushed open her door and quickly stepped in closing it behind you before facing Lena. You could feel your blood boil at the sight that greeted you because there was Lena and Kara sitting so close to each other their legs were touching eating lunch. Kara looked up at you with a smile that quickly dropped when she saw the murderous look in your eyes directed at Lena. Lena herself had actually managed to look even paler than usual and her eyes widened filling with guilt. Kara quickly looked between the two of you and began to pack up her stuff before leaving as quickly as she could. You waited till the door shut behind her to speak.

"You have got 5 fucking seconds to start talking before I completely lose my shit." You spat at her with venom in your voice.

"It wasn't what it looked like." Lena told you quickly because you are 100% sure that it was exactly what it looked like.

"Really Lena then what the fuck was going on because to me it looked like you cancelled on me, AGAIN, in order to have lunch with Kara." You told her trying to hang onto any semblance of being calm. Lena looked away from you and you scoffed.

"Seriously Lena after everything this is what you do. You could have at least had the decency to tell me you didn't want to be with me anymore. Honestly I cant believe you right now. I DEFENDED YOU! Against my own family. I picked you over them. I stood by your side when everyone told me you were just going to end up like your brother! I LOVED YOU LENA AND HOW DO YOU FUCKING REPAY ME HUH! YOU ABANDON ME AND OUR RELATIONSHIP AND DON'T EVEN HAVE THE GUTS TO END THINGS WITH ME!" You had begun speaking slightly below yelling and ended up screaming at Lena. She couldn't even come up with anything to say to you. She just stood there her mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out. Just as you were about to start screaming at her again Supergirl appears on Lenas balcony and walks into her office. You scoff and run you fingers through your hair.

"Is there a problem? I heard yelling and decided to come and make sure that everything was ok." Supergirl said with her arms crossed across he chest. You bite your lip trying to hold back tears because of course Supergirl would come to Lenas rescue. You looked at Lena and looked into her emerald eyes, that you used to get yourself lost in, trying to search for something. You're not even sure of what you were looking for. You glanced away from her and let out a sad chuckle.

"No Supergirl. I think I'm done here. Enjoy your life Lena. Don't worry I'll be out of your penthouse before the night comes." You told her turning and walking towards the door. As you went to open the door the ring on your left hand caught your eye. You slipped it off quickly walking back towards Lenas desk. You slammed the engagement ring down onto her desk before looking up at her watching as the tears fell down her face. She still hadn't managed to say anything though. You shouldn't have expected anything different.

"You can have that back. I don't want it anymore. Give it to Kara since she's obviously the one you want to be with." You told Lena, completely missing the look of shock on Supergirls face, as you turned back around walking out of Lenas office slamming the door behind you. You didn't see Lena walk towards her desk on shaky legs and pick up the ring. You didn't see her collapse as the sobs overwhelmed her body. You didn't see any of that because you were trying to escape LCorp as quickly as possible so no one would notice the tears that streamed down your face as you felt your heart shatter in your chest. You had no idea where you would go or what you would do. The only thing you knew was that you had to get as far away from Lena as you possibly could.

[marvelsdc22]

The Professor And I (pt. 14)

Intro: Hello, lovelies!! Hope you guys are having a good day/night!! Enjoy this next part!! :)

Note: Y/N is gender neutral. Lena is a professor. Y/N is a student.

Word Count: 2115

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

“No… They found him dead” Lena said, looking at you and watching as your eyes widened “What? That means I’m safe… We’re safe, right?” You asked, looking at her and lacing your fingers together, furrowing your brows when she shook her head “He’s been dead for weeks, long before the fire at the Student Union… They just found him by a river, hidden away in some bushes” Lena said, looking at you and pulling you closer to her “That… That means we’re back to square one then, I thought if we found him it would all stop” you said, pulling away from her and starting to pace, her watching you for a few moments before standing up and pulling you into a tight hug “I know, but there must be more to this… They’re doing an autopsy on him now, they said they’d keep me posted on what all they find” Lena said, rubbing your back and kissing your head as you held onto her and buried your face in her chest “We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise” she whispered, running her fingers through your hair and just holding you until you calmed down “Lets head back to the living room, yeah?” She suggested after a few minutes, smiling when you nodded and pulled away, lacing your fingers together before the two of you went back to the living room.

The next morning, you woke up to the sun in your eyes since your blinds weren’t closed all the way, groaning some as you pulled your pillow over your head to block out the rays and snuggling back more against Lena when you heard her laugh “Good morning to you too” she chuckled, pulling you closer to her and taking the pillow off your head so she could press a kiss to your neck “Too bright” you grumbled, unwillingly opening your eyes before turning in her arms and pressing your forehead to hers “I have to update my parents” you said, closing your eyes and you having been keeping your parents in the loop of everything happening “We will” Lena assured, pressing a kiss to your lips and the two of you enjoying the company of one another “Girls! Time to get up!” You heard your dad shout, causing you to groan and open your eyes “We should listen, he has a habit of barging in if we don’t do as he asks” you chuckled, moving to get up when Lena pulled you back down and gave you a heated kiss “Sorry, just needed one more” she said, smiling at you before getting out of the bed first and leaving you wide eyed before your dad barged into the room “I said up” he said, watching you jump and roll off the bed and onto the floor “Dadddddd” you groaned, blushing as you heard him and Lena laughing at your dismay.

Once you all finished breakfast, you were sitting with your parents in the living room, Lena beside you and holding your hand “So, Lena got an update last night on the whole Mon-El situation” you said, looking at your parents and feeling the mood shift to a more serious one “What’s the update?” Your mother asked, looking between the two of you and listening as you relayed what Lena had told you the night before “So you guys don’t know who it could be?” Your father asked, rubbing his chin as he thought about all you just told them “Y/N saw the guy who attacked her at the Student Union at the diner, but by the time she told me he was already gone… We’ve been keeping an eye out for him” Lena said, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you closer to her side “Do the cops know?” “Yes, I told them about it after everything calmed down that night” you assured, resting your hand on Lena’s leg and looking at your parents “Keep us updated, okay?” Your mother asked, reaching over and taking your free hand “I will, don’t worry” you said, giving your parents a smile and squeezing your mothers hand, the four of you sitting in silence until Kara’s puppy came running in barking and jumping on each of you in excitement, causing the mood to shift and making you all laugh.

Later on that day, you were showing Lena around your home town since she hadn’t been there before “This was my high school, not much to it since it’s pretty small” you said, gesturing towards the school as you drove by and raising an eyebrow when you heard Lena chuckle “What? What’s so funny?” You asked, glancing at her as you stopped at a stop sign “I’m just imagining a fifteen year old Y/N starting high school for the first time” Lena chuckled, taking your hand and bringing it up to her lips to press a kiss to the back of it “I wasn’t little, I was only a little shorter than I am now” you said, blushing some and glancing at her “Uh-huh, that’s not what those pictures that your mom showed me earlier say” Lena said, watching as you blushed even more “She showed you?! Oh man” you groaned, sinking back against your seat and wishing you could just tuck yourself in a corner and hide for the rest of existence as you heard Lena laugh “Oh come on, it’s cute” she promised, giving your hand a small squeeze “When I meet your family I demand baby Lena pictures” you said, laughing some and glancing at her when she went silent “Hey, you okay?” You asked, pulling into a parking lot and parking before you turned in your seat to look at her “I’m fine, just… Family is a touchy subject for me” Lena said, looking at you before looking around “Hey, an ice cream shop, lets go in” Lena said, not giving you the chance to answer before she got out of the car and headed to the ice cream shop “Guess we’re getting ice cream” you sighed, getting out as well.

Once you were inside and ordered your ice cream, you sat down next to her in a booth and looked at her “You know you can talk to me, right?” You asked, looking at her and wincing when she took a frustrated bite of her ice cream “I know, Y/N, I don’t want to talk about it” she snapped, her Irish accent more prominent with her angry tone, causing you to scoot away and focus on your ice cream “Okay” you said softly, shaking your head and the two of you eating your ice cream in awkward silence, only being disturbed when your phone went off “It’s Kara, I gotta take this” you said, glancing at Lena as you got up and not noticing her roll her eyes “Fine” she said, a hint of jealousy mixed with the anger in her tone.

“You just saved my ass” you answered once you stepped out of the shop, shivering slightly as you stood outside and shoving your free hand in your coat pocket “I did? What’s going on?” Kara asked, you hearing shuffling on her end which told you she was stretched out on a bed, you relaying all that had just happened between you and Lena, leaning back against the building and glancing through one of the many windows to look at Lena who seemed to be focused on her phone while she idly ate her ice cream “Why is she so upset about that? I mean I get her mom forced her into a marriage, but I figured she got along with the rest of her family” Kara said, you having told her because she was your best friend so you told her everything “I don’t know, she refuses to talk about her family with me… Now that I think about it, there’s a lot that she doesn’t talk to me about” you said, averting your gaze from her as you thought about it more “Do you know why?” Kara asked, knowing that she could have a good reason and looking up when Alex came into the room “I’m putting you on speaker” she warned before setting her phone on the coffee table after she hit the speaker button “I don’t know, every time I bring up something she doesn’t want to talk about she just yells at me or gets snappy” you said, sighing some and closing your eyes “Maybe you should talk to her about this?” Kara suggested as Alex sat down next to her “Or I could teach her a lesson for hurting you” Alex said simply, receiving a glare and a smack to the arm from Kara “I’ll try to talk to her about it later… I think we both need a cool down period” you said, shivering more when the wind picked up “Anyways, what’ you call me for?” You asked, knowing she had more reason to call than hear you rant “Oh! Alex and I will be there for Thanksgiving, is it okay if we crash at your place the day before and after?” Kara asked, knowing that it’ll probably be an all-day thing “Yeah, I’ll ask my parents and I’ll text you… I’m gonna go, it’s freezing, and I’d like to go back inside” you chuckled, the three of you saying your goodbyes before hanging up.

Later on that night, Lena had given you the silent treatment most of the day and currently you were finishing discussing Thanksgiving with your parents “You’re okay with helping cook, Lena?” Your mother asked her again, watching as Lena smiled and nodded “Of course, I don’t mind helping, you guys are allowing me to stay here for the week so it’s the least I could do” She said, smiling at your mother while your father looked between the two of you curiously, noticing you two were sitting farther away than usually and there was no form of contact between you guys “Alright, looks like it’s all settled, we should get to bed, gonna be a lot of running around tomorrow” your mother said, smiling and standing up, kissing your head and Lena’s on her way out while Lena got up shortly after her “Have a nice night Y/F/N” she said, giving him a smile before she went towards your bedroom “Everything alright, Y/N?” Your father asked once he heard the bedroom door shut, you sighing and running a hand through your hair “Yeah, Lena and I just got into an argument is all” you said, looking at him and watching him nod before standing up and kissing your head “Everything will work out, you and Lena love each other, there’s no denying that” he assured, making you smile as he headed towards the hallway “Hey dad?” You said, watching him peek back around the corner “Thank you… I love you” you said, giving him a smile which he returned “I love you too, Y/N/N”.

After sitting in the kitchen for a few more minutes, you sighed and got up, about to head for your room before you stopped since you knew Lena probably didn’t want to see or speak to you, so you grabbed an extra pillow and blanket from the hall closet before making up a bed on the couch and shutting the lights off before you laid down on the couch with a sigh, you managing to drift off for about an hour when you woke to someone shaking you “Five more minutes” you grumbled, rolling over and burying your face in the back couch cushion “Y/N” Lena said, shaking you once more before you sighed and rolled over to face her “Yeah?” You asked, reaching over and turning on the lamp by the couch so you could see her “Why are you sleeping out here?” She asked, you blinking a few times to focus and noticing her eyes were red and puffy and her nose was red “You’re mad at me, so I slept out here to give you space” you said, looking at her and rubbing your eyes before you stretched “Just because I’m mad, doesn’t mean I don’t want to sleep with you” Lena said, looking at you and tugging on your arm to try to get you up “Wha-?” You asked, giving a small yelp when Lena rolled her eyes before she lifted you up with an arm behind your back and one under your legs, causing you to wrap your arms around her neck “You’re much stronger than you look” you commented, resting your head on her shoulder and hearing her chuckle as she carried you into your bedroom.

Permanent Taglist: @rianncreates​​ / @5aftermidnight​​

Supergirl Taglist: @x-danvers-x​​​ / @aznblossom​​​

Lena Taglist: @life2-live​​​ / @supergirl-imaginess​​​ / @ianarec

The Professor And I Taglist: @youngandwildx7​​​ /  @youlookterribleilookawesome​​​ / @ironsnowstorm​​​ / @rebornpoet​​​ / @scottishgirl1998​​

End Note: I hope you guys enjoyed!! If you want to be added to a Taglist, shoot me a DM or an Ask!! Have a good day/night!! :)

I.E.: If your Tumblr is no longer on a Taglist, it's because I wasn’t able to tag you for too many times, I’m sorry :/

Requests Open

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

A handful of 5x17 notes:

This poor episode, man.

It’s been 42 days since the episode prior and I have NO IDEA what anyone is talking about.

What I’m saying is...this will probably play better in binge.

But hey, the positives! Loved that William bakes. Loved EVERY SECOND M’GANN WAS ON-SCREEN. Loved Kara, and J’onn (J’ONN! IN HIS SNAPPY COAT AND SUIT! WE LOVE TO SEE ONE DAPPER SPACE DAD!), and Alex, and Brainy, and (I might be in the minority here) but I like when Lex chews the scenery! Also, baby sun eater! :D :D :D

But the contrived Lena drama.

May I just say, from the bottom of heart: Ugh.

With two episodes left I am of two minds; on the one hand, I want this to simply be done, because the thought of dragging this into season six fills me with despair. But on the other, I do not want a rush job on the ‘redemption’ part of the ‘redemption arc’ because that will feel so hollow after SEVENTEEN EPISODES of Lena doubling down on bad habits and bad ideas with nary a drop of self awareness or admission of guilt. 

Look if they're serious about leaning into this season 2 vibe, it’s gotta end with Lena nobly rocketing away from earth and straight into a wormhole I’m sorry I don’t make the rules 

She doesn’t have to die or anything, she just has to go to the future and think about her choices and she only gets to COME BACK after she levels up and grows a beard of wisdom so she can properly apologize to her friends

...But back to some positives before we close out: solid direction from Melissa, didn’t notice any hiccups on the technical side of things, LOVED the cliffhanger, and I say again: BABY. SUN. EATER. 

[luna-rainbow]

Recommended jdramas last decade

Given that the ratings list isn't exactly diverse and lots of interesting dramas didn't make the top cut, I thought I'd come up with a recommendation list. I remember back in the 2000s J-dramas were all the rage but now there seems to be much less interest in them outside of Japan, but that doesn't necessarily mean the quality is less! My preferred genres are more on the tense and action-packed side, and I rarely watched rom-coms or slice of life dramas until more recently. Nevertheless there are some very topical ones that are worth mentioning. Police procedurals 1) BOSS 1 & 2: another one of my perennial favourites. Set at the pace of American procedurals, equipped with snappy humour and quirky characters, it is the perfect amalgamation of funny, touching and gripping. 2) Strawberry Night: the original series with the gorgeous Takeuchi Ryoko and Nishijima Hidetoshi is leagues above the remake. It's much darker than BOSS but perhaps more resonant because of it. 3) Kinkyuu Torishirabeshitsu seasons 1-3: similar to BOSS, this cast consists of veteran supporting actors who play off well against each other. The cases range from satisfying to acutely dissatisfying, just as in real life. 4) Keiji 7-nin: similar to KinTori, the cast consists of some solid veteran actors, and the cases range from triumphant to depressing. There are some interesteing back stories to the characters, but it's not as well developed as you might hope. 5) Zettai Reido season 3: I tried to go back and rewatch the first 2 seasons, but it's a completely different story. Consisting of mostly a young green cast, somehow the actors have fit the roles so well that it doesn't irk. The cases mostly end on a note of despair and helplessness, as the system rolls over and quashes anyone in its way. 6) CRISIS: for the longest time I confused this with BG as the set-up of the characters are quite similar. It's very well-made, but again the characters function in a morally grey territory and is an interesting digression from the usual straight procedural. Crime solvers 1) 99.9 seasons 1 & 2: quirky and humorous, but also full of heart, and with Kagawa playing the straight foil to MatsuJun's insolent lawyer, it is almost perfect except for the lack of insipration in its cases. 2) Unnatural: I still consider this to have one of the best developed back-stories and characterisations of any crime-solver or police procedural. The script is by Noki Akiko, and it has a sensitivity to it that is not often seen in this cerebral genre. 3) Galileo seasons 1 & 2: released back in the day when Fukuyama Masaharu was still hugely popular, this was long enough ago that I don't actually remember what I liked about it, except that I do like and recommend it. 4) Kagi no kakatta heya: out of Arashi, I've never thought of Ohno as the best actor but when the role fits him, it fits like a glove. Based on a manga, it has the occasional unrealistic plot holes that comes with this genre, but overall it's well-produced, funny and the 3 main characters play off each other to hilarious effect. Medical dramas 1) Code Blue 1 & 2 - Hayashi Koji has a remarkable grasp on the mentality of young doctors. The first two seasons of Code Blue are on my perennial recommend list 2) Black Pean - I hesitated about whether to put this down, but there's actually very few medical dramas I recommend even though I watch a lot of them. I did enjoy Black Pean for its production quality and the dedication of the actors, but the script is an absolute let-down. 3) DOCTORS seasons 1-3 - this subversive drama straddles medical and comedy, and Sawamura's character slowly turned from a straight, obliviously helpful do-gooder, to an outright calculating manipulator but with the best of intentions. It is a fascinating premise for a main character and I'd recommend it purely for that. Rom-coms 1) Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu - I really shouldn't put something I couldn't keep watching as the top, but apart from the fact I couldn't stand the 2 main actors, the story was an interesting philosophical exploration of what a live-in relationship means in practical terms. 2) Hotaru no Hikari 2 - again this was so long ago I couldn't remember much of it, except it was nice and sweet, although I think the first season was better contained. 3) Watashi ga ren'ai dekinai riyuu - I'm not quite sure this qualifies as rom-com as the characters didn't all get their happily ever after (which is actually quite rare in Japanese dramas). The story revolves around three women, each progressive yet conformative in their own ways, and how they dealt with the social expectations of courtship. A nice watch and probably a realistic window into how romance works in Japan. Underdog victories 1) Doctor X series 1-6 - Look, as much as I HATE this series as a medical drama wannabe, it is the defining story for the underdog against a conservative hierachical paternalistic world. It is full of impossible triumphs, no bad outcome ever happens and the main character never loses. 2) Shitamachi Rocket 1 & 2 - arguably the series that started the Ikeido Jun craze, it turned something boring and nerdy (rocket and machine engineering) into gripping rollercoaster drama. Well-acted and well-scripted, it made you cheer for the characters even as your real boring self acknowledge how ludicrous their victories are. 3) Grand Maison Tokyo - this is a story of redemption through the shared love of food, brought together by a team of great actors who clearly had great fondness of each other. There are some silly moments, but a lot of it was touching, sweet and highly rewarding, just like a beautiful meal. 4) No Side Game - I tossed up putting Riku-Ou in as well, but in the end I thought No Side Game was slightly better. Both based around sports (marathon and rugby, respectively), it's full of hot-blooded idealism about loyalty, teamwork and dedication, a shounen manga fairytale for adults. Slice of life 1) Gibo to musume no Blues - I'm really not a "slice of life" person, but this drama exceeded all expectations. It starts off odd and a little slow, but each episode will make you laugh and then cry a little about what it means to be family, all the silly moments, the frustrating moments and the tender moments that we share. 2) Ie-uru onna (season 1) - I'm not too sure this quite fits in "slice of life" or comedy, because the main character really is rather odd, but the first season had some beautifully reflective stories, again about what it means to be family and what home means to the different people in society. I don't know what happened in the 2nd season, but it's definitely lost that evocative touch. 3) Jimi ni sugoi! - maybe because the publishing industry interests me, but I thought this was a very cute series with some good inside tips about publishing, but also can be drawn to reflect on how people should view their vocation. Almost a rom-com, not quite a comedy, but a really nice light-hearted series with Ishihara Satomi at her most radiant. 4) Watashi, teiji de kaerimasu - this was a surprisingly sweet take on difficult problems that aren't necessarily unique to the Japanese workplace - the clash of generational values, the internal sense of inadequacies and the people who are deterimentally unable to say no. The main character, rather than being the focus of growth as often happens in these dramas, turn out to be the mediator as she uses her previous painful experiences of burnout to guide others through their own struggles. Suspense 1) 3-nen A-gumi: while prone to hyperbole and melodrama, this was a very nice fable of adulthood and the idea that once you are an adult, you must take responsibility for the consequences of your own actions, told through the microcosm that is Class 3A. Highly recommended. 2) BG: slick and well-produced, as many of KimuTaku's dramas are, it had action and suspense in good measures but unfortunately wasn't quite carried by the plot. Each individual case was interesting enough, but the main plot was rather convoluted and disappointing. 3) Ouroboros: almost similar to Toma's earlier Maou, it was cerebral, suspenseful and full of a sense of inevitable tragedy. The ending was more than it could chew, but it gave a good effort. 4) Kazoku Game: one of those rare dramas that really suited Sakurai Sho, where he was the intelligent and highly sociopathic and slightly psychotic home tutor for a highly dysfunctional family. A fascinating watch. Comedy I have to say this is a genre I struggle with. I'd happily watch slapstick and screaming in an anime, but live action is just awks. There's been some popular ones that I haven't watched but have heard good things about: - Tami-Ou: the sleazy prime minister accidentally swaps body with his extremely introverted son, and they both have to try and continue the facade. - Kyou kara ore wa: high school kids pretending they're better than they're really are, we've all been through that. This is not an exhaustive list by any means. There's a lot of well-reviewed dramas that I hadn't been able to catch, especially in the first half of the decade. There's a bunch of highly popular dramas that I hadn't been able to continue, but clearly they've got their appeal to the Japanese audience. I think in general Japanese dramas do human drama very well, especially the various relationships we have in our lives and how they interact. It's not great at doing the K-drama fairytale romance. I hope the list helps people try out some new things, or you could check out the top ratings list for other safe bets.

[javaelemental]

Batwoman (S1, Ep1): Pilot

Batwoman’s pilot was extremely pilot-y. I’m hoping the pacing issues and clunky segues into new scenes smooth out over time.

The show seems to be going for a really nifty, Tim Burton-esque feel. Very rotting art deco/gothic vibe, like the Burton Batman movies, weirdly 80s-ish soundtrack. I’m digging it - I hope they stick with it.

Ruby Rose did great at the fight scenes. I was pretty pleased with that. She did a fine job and I’m looking forward to seeing her grow into the role. Also, I love her haircut and I’m going to make my salon do that to my hair.

I hope they get her into the fuchsia hair costume quickly. The pilot costume was pretty good, but the cowl on the Bat costume just looked a bit egg-like.

My boyfriend pointed out that Kate was being kind of a bully in a few scenes, particularly with Luke, and he wasn’t down with it. I assume they just wanted Kate to come off as tough and assertive, but I think they missed by a bit.

Overall, I’m interested and I’ll keep watching. I’m looking forward to seeing the show find it’s footing.

Line of the Night Award: Eh, nothing really stuck out on the pilot. Do better, Batwoman. I expect snappy dialogue out of these shows.

Supergirl (S5, Ep1): Event Horizon

JFC, that villain of the week was frickin’ terrible and made no goddamn sense at all. Man, you could tell no one was interested in dealing with that in the writer’s room. Ug.

I guess all that was to lead up to Martian Manhunter’s “brother” showing up. I vaguely recall some plot having to do with this from the comics, but I can’t remember any details. I’ll have to look some things up.

Supergirl’s new outfit and the way she puts it on is a little Sailor Moon/Magical Anime Girl, isn’t it? I mean, that wasn’t just me who noticed that, right?

Lena. Girl. Get you some therapy. Get you ALL the therapy. Good lord, woman.

Andrea Rojas is definitely going to be the season’s Big Bad, and whatever she gets up to is definitely going to have to do with those silver contacts turning people into mind-controlled zombies or something like that.

Also, Lena and Kara will have a big blow-out fight around mid-season, but Kara will ultimately save her from the evil silver contacts and they’ll make up. (Probably only sort of make up.)

Line of the Night Award: “Pants!” - Kara.

[liadavenport]

Is that ILIANA ‘LIA’ DAVENPORT? Wow, they do look a lot like MADDIE HASSON. I hear SHE is a SEVENTEEN year old JUNIOR who originally attended LUXOR Academy. Word is they are an ARISTOCRAT student. You should watch out because they can be IMPULSIVE and SELF-DESTRUCTIVE, but on the bright side they can also be RESILIENT and INTELLIGENT. Ultimately, you’ll get to see it all for yourself. 

hi, hi, i’m kara and i’m very excited to introduce you to lia!! also i’m too lazy to write a bio so it’s just some bullet points and, like, i didn’t proofread AT ALL so i apologize if there are any mistakes: 

CLASS SCHEDULE: 

Shakespearean Studies Statistics Russian Musical Theatre Psychology Creative Writing Astronomy

EXTRA-CURRICULARS: 

Basketball - point guard 

okay, so, her parents were married when they were really young, like when her mother was sixteen and her father was seventeen. they were those childhood sweethearts who fell madly in love with each other and didn’t heed the warning from their parents that their marriage probably wouldn’t last. 

when they turned eighteen, they moved to new york city, where their father started going to university for business and her mother’s music career blew up. everyone loved her music ( think the pipes of adele and the style of lana del ray ), mostly because her lyrics were written all by her with help from no one else, with the exception of any collaborations she did with other artists. 

her mom had to take a break from the music world about a year after her career blew up, when she was ninteen, because she got pregnant. nine months later came her first child, braxton jedediah davenport. two years later, on halloween, iliana came along.

with the arrival of a second child, it became incredibly difficult for josephine to continue with her music career, but she somehow managed, although she quit touring as often, onlyl doing so about once a year but she was still as popular of an artist as ever.

as for lia, she was definitely more of a mommy’s girl than a daddy’s girl. her mother gave her everything she wanted, without her ever really having to ask for it. although, she was closer to braxton more than anything else because her brother was the only member of her family she spent time around; the rest of her time was spent with their nannies, because their parents were always busy. 

from the very start, lia was sporty. she liked joining in with her brothers and his friends when they were playing basketball and it became the sport she enjoyed the most. when she wasn’t playing, she was writing or singing and learning how to play the guitar. she was as talented in music as her mother was, though she had no desire to pursue that as a career later on in life. 

even though she was relatively rich, it was never something she tried to shove in the faces of other people. of course it was easy to tell that she came from money because she hated cooking, orders take out more than necessary, and talked about her nannies a lot and the chef that would make them dinner. this was all just normal to her however and she never quite caught on to how obnoxious it was. 

tragedy struck their family when lia was fifteen, going into her freshman year of high school. her brother passed away in a tragic “accident” and lia hasn’t been the same since. everyone knew that her father was involved in some shady business bullshit but no one ever talked about it and both lia and her mother were certain that her brother’s death hadn’t actually been an accident. due to this, her parents’ marriage started to fall apart but they never divorced, which her mother would grow to regret that decision when her father was accused of murdering one of his clients. 

rather than face trial for the accusation and to prove his innocence ( IF he was innocent ), he fled and the only thing he left behind was his money for them to take care of themselves with, despite her mom having plenty of her own. she turned the majority of the money over to the police, but kept the rest to pay for lia’s tuition when she decided to send her to luxor. 

other facts: 

lia’s mother remarried recently and lia is more fond of him than she ever was of her father. 

her mom now owns a chain of bakers in nyc, and runs the one closest to home to her. being a baker had been her choice of back up career in case music fell through and she retired from music very recently. 

along with a step-father, she gained both a step-sister and a step-brother. her step-brother is a senior and originally attended carnifex and her sister has always attended luxor and is a sophmore, a year younger than her. 

lia is a hot mess. in the fun way, but not necessarily in the good way 

she’s incredibly intelligent but she plays dumb sometimes because she just doesn’t care about school?? like, she tries to care but her brother’s death still feels like it happened yesterday to her and it’s altered her personality in a lot of ways.

incredibly comptetive. anything you think you’re good at, she probably thinks she’s better than you at it but won’t say so unless you bring it up first. 

sarcasm is her first language. 

she loves learning new things so she’s fluent in several languages, the two she speaks almost as well as she speaks english are italian and japanese. 

she has several tattoos, the most important one being the one on the inside of her right arm, which is her brother’s birth and death date, with his initials. 

the locket she wears around her neck is one that her brother bought for her when she was thirteen and it has a picture of the both of them in it. she never takes it off because it’s the one thing she has left of him. 

she loves to sing, but mostly only in the shower even though she’s amazing at it and isn’t even really shy. she likes to write, draw, play guitar, and play piano in her free time. 

math is her best subject even though she actually hates it but she doesn’t have to try at it??? which is nice for her. 

she has a scar on her arm from a basketball injury ( at least this is what she tells people but the scar is ACTUALLY from her father a few days before he left. she refuses to tell anyone the truth. ) 

she suffers from major depressive disorder but doesn’t talk about it and refuses to admit it or get help, so she self-medicates with anti-depressants.

is addicted to pain killers and drinks way more than a seventeen year old should 

she’s crazy and she knows it but she doesn’t really give a shit

personality wise, she’s very driven, which isn’t obvious because she doesn’t act like she is?? but she actually has dreams and goals, it’s just that life has fucked with her a lot recently so it’s hard for her to channel that drive??? ummm she’s sarcastic af, super moody to the point that she tends to be very snappy even though her intention is never to hurt anyone’s feelings. she’s blunt, as in too honest but she doesn’t believe in lying?? at least not about anything but herself and how fucked up she feels she is. she’s very fun loving, loves to party-- some people might say that she parties too much. she has major commitment issues but also isn’t a fan of hooking up?? like, she won’t date you but she probably won’t sleep with you, either. she’s extremely trustworthy and is the exact type of person you would want to have on your side. distrusting as all hell and if you lose her trust, there is no way you are getting a second chance because she doesn’t believe in those. she’s 100% that bitch, or at least that’s what she’ll tell you because she’s full of herself sometimes. has resting bitch face 99.9% of the time so it’s hard to tell when she’s in a good mood, or if she’s actually being a brat but she’ll usually let you know and apologize if she’s ever unintentially rude. 

anywayyy, that is all i can think of right now. as for wanted connections/plot ideas, i would love maybe an ex-fling?? someone she met upon starting attending luxor, and for some reason it didn’t work out ( girl has major major commitment issues, as mentioned above ). definitely would love to have her step-siblings here. any friends are always welcome, would love a best guy friend and bestie girl friend for her, someone or two someones she can trust with anything and everything?? excluding her darkest secrets of course. acquaintances, frenemies, unrequited crush, etc. i am so down for anything and everything tbh.

[saiilorstars]

Dare To Forget Me

Ch. 20: One, Two, Three Questions

/ Previous chapters /

Fandom: Law & Order SVU

Pairing:  Rafael Barba x Original female character

Warnings: Due to the nature of the series’ plots, I do have to rate this as ‘mature’ for constant mentions of rape.

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ` 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

Chapter Summary: Rafael's mistake brings up a series of questions for both sides that neither seem willing to answer...

There wasn't really a word to describe the anger Montserrat felt. It just bubbled inside her and no matter how many times she yelled, she didn't feel better. She tried coming up with a good description to at least spat it in Rafael's face, but nothing came close. Even as he profusely apologized for letting it slip that she was thinking of transferring, the anger didn't fade. Really, however badly it sounded, she wanted to smack him. It was unprofessional, it was plain childish, but that's what she wanted to do. And maybe strangle him.

My God he frustrated her.

"Montserrat, you have to talk to me at some point, you know," Rafael was following Montserrat down the courthouse hallway. As soon as Heba's first day of trial was finished, Montserrat got up to leave...but she was stupid if she believed he would drop things like that.

"Unfortunately for work I do," the detective muttered once she pressed the elevator button. "But who knows, that might not last too long. Do you want to pass out the date of my last day too?"

"I said I was sorry. You have to believe me when I say I didn't mean to tell anyone about your transfer-"

Montserrat whirled around in a snap. "But that's just it, I don't believe you, Rafael. I've known you for months now and your mouth has never made a mistake like that. It's literally why I hate it! You always know what you're saying - that's your one, annoying talent!"

The elevator dinged as its door slid open. Before Montserrat could even think about getting in, Rafael yanked her away and brought her a couple steps away from it. "I understand what you're saying but I didn't plan it. I was…" Yup, it pained him to admit it out loud, "...upset about your behavior with me." Montserrat's face scrunched, clearly confused on what he was talking about. "I don't understand what's been going on with you and the fact you wouldn't tell me and instead got snappy with me...it got to me."

Montserrat could at least appreciate he was being honest, because she could tell how painful it was for him to admit that one. But that was it. It didn't mean she was on the forgiving phase. She'd done all the yelling possible and he'd surprisingly taken it all. But he kept coming back. "Well, it's like you said when I first started working here: I don't owe you any of my secrets."

How could Rafael say that was before he got to know her without sounding like he cared more than he ought to? Was there a way?

Montserrat shook her head. She shook his hand off her arm and walked back to the elevator. She couldn't trust herself not to shout all over again if she stayed back.

Rafael watched her go with a feeling of distraught. At what point did this happen? So what if she was angry with him? He'd pissed off more people than he could count. And at least they didn't shout in his face as bad as Montserrat had. What the hell made her so special that he'd feel the relentless urge to apologize even when it exposed him to more of her shouts?

"Hey councilor," Sonny called as he crossed the hallway. He was going to act as if he and the rest of the squad hadn't been watching that argument unfold, but he did feel the need to at least cheer one side up. "She's going to get over it, trust me. Kara says so."

"Oh great, so the roommate knows too," Rafael rolled his eyes. He started making way for the elevator as well, preferring to avoid any other sympathetic talks from the squad. "Am I the villain too?"

"No, you're the hero because Kara says she would've strangled Montserrat by now with all her yelling," Sonny said too easily and casually that it actually made Rafael smile for a bit. Alright, so maybe he could do with a talk with Kara Mackie sometime soon.

"As much as I'd love to snap back, I think this time it'll benefit me if I keep my mouth shut," Rafael pressed the elevator button. "Because every time I open it, I just anger Montserrat more. But then again, she's just so frustrating that I can't seem to actually keep quiet."

"Yeah, that's the case with women," shrugged Sonny. "But listen, I think right now it's better to give Montse some space so that she can cool down. She's not listening to anyone right now, trust me."

"I'm a little concerned that, because of it, she might make a rash decision," Rafael's admission made Sonny pause and look at him.

Sonny briefly glanced to the side to make sure no one could overhear them when he spoke again. "Hey I just have to ask, do you and Montse have, like...something going on?"

If Rafael had stiffened, one would've had to have been watching very carefully. Despite the elevator door opening, neither man stepped inside. "Absolutely not," Rafael answered a few minutes later.

"Are you sure?" Sonny knew he was getting himself into a dangerous position. "I'm not trying to pry but...I don't think I've ever seen you this…" his hand gestured to Rafael's current state as a point, "...yeah…"

"I don't appreciate this assumption, Carisi. Conversation's over," Rafael turned for the elevator, though not without giving Sonny a look indicating he was not to follow.

"Running away though…" Sonny couldn't help say just before the elevator door slid shut. He smiled to himself. Kara would love hearing this one.

~ 0 ~

There were some people Montserrat could avoid, like Rafael, but there were others that she couldn't. Those would include your boss, and since Montserrat hadn't transferred yet nor quit, she still had to follow Olivia's orders.

Right now the order was to go to Olivia's office.

Now Olivia had thought about this whole transfer thing ever since Rafael explained it to her and the others. She wanted to have the right words to say to Montserrat, but she feared that even with all her thinking and caution she would still come up short.

"Close the door, Montse," she instructed when the detective poked her head inside. "You left the courthouse pretty quick."

A low snort slipped through Montserrat's mouth. "Did you expect anything less?"

Olivia dismissed Montserrat's snap for the greater cause. "I understand you're upset-"

"-that's not the word I'd use but sure," Montserrat took the seat across the desk. "And look, whatever you want to say about it...I'd rather you didn't."

"Well, as your boss, I sort of have to talk about it," Olivia brought her hands together over the desk. "Because if you're transferring, it means I'll have to start looking for your replacement."

Montserrat knew that was true. She crossed her arms while Olivia asked the dire question.

"Are you transferring?"

"...I don't know," Montserrat answered honestly. "God, that's why I specifically told Rafael not to say anything. I'm not sure what I want to do!"

"Well, can I ask why you want to transfer?"

"Honestly?" Montserrat leaned closer to the desk to look Olivia in the eyes. "Because of what you said."

Olivia blinked in shock. "What I said? What did I say?"

"You reminded me that I work at SVU where it's my job to help victims come forwards. How could I work here when I myself am not coming forward?"

Olivia's mouth opened several times, but each time that she did the words didn't come out. She felt a rush of guilt, though. She was the cause of all this mess?

"I'm not blaming you, Liv," Montserrat said once she caught Olivia's reactions. "It just sort of made me think."

"That...that was not my intention, Montse," Olivia shook her head. "I...I only meant that working here should be an inspiration to you. In no way did I ever mean that you shouldn't work here. Every victim handles their pain in a different way."

Montserrat paused to let the 'victim' part sink in. She never called herself that, and for some reason it didn't feel right. Perhaps it was because it brought back the memories she wanted to forget forever. "I'm just not sure what I'm doing, Liv. And it definitely doesn't help when the squad keeps giving me these looks."

"They're just confused about what's going on," Olivia said.

"Well I'm not explaining to them why I'd like to transfer," Montserrat frowned. "I just wish Rafael had kept his mouth shut like I asked him to. At least then I'd be able to think without pressure."

"There's no pressure from my end, Montserrat," Olivia clarified. "You can take as much time as you need to think about this. But, if I may, I think transferring out of the squad isn't the answer. It's really more of a way to run away."

Montserrat sighed. "I know. But I really have no idea what I'm doing here. I'd just like to see my options."

"That's fair," nodded Olivia. "And again, if you need to talk again…"

"Thanks," Montserrat smiled weakly. She pushed herself up from her chair and headed for the door, only stopping when Olivia called.

"And you know, for what it's worth, Rafael really is very sorry about it," Olivia's smile was an odd one, a knowing one, and it made Montserrat's face warm up.

"...good for him," Montserrat said quietly before leaving the office.

~ 0 ~

Kara lowered her newspaper to reveal a scrunched up, disgusted face. "This can't be true, is it?"

Montserrat, who sat on the other couch with her laptop, briefly looked up from her screen to see the headline being one of Jimmy MacArthur. Her eyes rolling was now an automatic response whenever it came to that man. "Course not. I don't know why you're reading that trash."

"Well, since you haven't gone back to the courthouse anymore, where else am I supposed to get my information?" she turned the page of her newspaper. "Sonny only tells me so much."

"It's all trash, okay? Heba's saying the truth, the men are not. Shocker," Montserrat's curtness was honestly getting tiring for Kara.

"Can't help but feel like you're saying that due to someone…" Kara briefly smiled but Montserrat outright ignored her in favor of her computer.

Even when someone knocked on their door, Montserrat continued like nothing. Kara rolled her eyes and got up to go answer. She was relieved to find Sonny on the other side, because she was dying without conversation from Montserrat.

"I thought you might like some dinner," Sonny raised the take out bags in his hands. "And I bought for three," he said as he eyed the back of Montserrat's head. The ginger wasn't really giving him the time of day.

"I'm good, thanks," she at least muttered a few seconds later.

"Thanks Sonny, we appreciate it," Kara threw a disapproving look in Montserrat's way, but the ginger missed it.

As Kara brought the bags to the kitchen table, Sonny made his way up to the back of Montserrat's seat and was able to see her computer screen. "Those are the transfer openings then?"

Montserrat instinctively shut her laptop and looked up at the man with a frown. "You know, being nosy is exactly how Rafael got on my bad side. You want to follow? Cos I definitely have more to scream."

Sonny made a face but raised his hands to show he came in peace. From the kitchen, Kara called out to Montserrat. "Don't be mean to my boyfriend just because you're mad with yours!"

Montserrat sucked in a deep breath while her fingers did some sort of dance in the air, as if she were getting ready to strangle someone. However, that didn't stop Kara from continuing on with her game. She came back to the living room with a Chinese take-out box for herself and Sonny.

"This entire thing is ridiculous," Kara planted herself next to Sonny. "And because of it, I'm paying for it right here."

"And us at work," Sonny decided to add.

Montserrat merely opened her laptop again. "Maybe keep your mouths shut, then."

"Look Montse, it does seem like Rafael made an honest mistake," Sonny said, and would go on despite the glare Montserrat was fixating on him. "He's sorry-"

"-that's what everyone says but I just don't buy it!" she snapped. "He always knows what to say and you honestly expect me to believe he didn't tell you guys about the transfer on purpose?"

"What would he gain, Montse?" Sonny asked ever-so-calmly, because the moment he argued he would lose her.

"Her presence," they heard Kara mumble before taking in some rice. Sonny elbowed her on the side. "What!?"

Montserrat shook her head. "He's just so frustrating!"

"Funny, that's what he said about you too," Sonny said.

"Well he is!" Montserrat scowled. "I asked him not to say anything and what does he do? And then he won't leave me alone! God, it's like I'm literally saying I'll strangle him and yet he keeps coming back!"

"He's trying to apologize, Montse," Sonny pointed out, not that she cared for at the moment. "And to be fair, if he hadn't apologized you would be mad about that too." See there, Montserrat had to stay quiet because she knew that he was right. If Rafael hadn't at least attempted to apologize, she'd be furious too. "But even though he's actually doing it, you reject it. And that's frustrating too, according to him."

Kara groaned loudly and settled an irritated look at the two of them. "You two are idiots," she first announced then placed her take-out box on the coffee table. "And you two-" she pointed at Montserrat, indicating she was now talking about her and Rafael, "-are also idiots. Do you know why you're so frustrated with him? And why he's so frustrated with you? It's tension! It's all pent-up tension that won't disappear until you two get a room. Literally!"

It was scary how quiet Montserrat was when she slammed her laptop shut again. Sonny expected an explosion of some sort, but instead Montserrat just glared at her roommate. Perhaps it was just another thing that proved Kara was right.

"You're not funny."

"Good, I wasn't trying to be," Kara completely missed the part where she should take it slowly. "You two are grown adults. You're at that point in your life where it's okay to have a one night stand. And I know that you've thought about it too."

Now Sonny really waited for that explosion. He even shut his eyes for it.

But once again, Montserrat was eerily silent. It was a terrifying silence. "Stop saying stupid stuff," she said slowly.

"Bet you can't say that 10 times fast."

The noise Montserrat made afterwards was not pretty. She got up from her seat, almost jumped up, to argue. "You're not helping me, Kara! God, I'm so confused and instead of being my best friend and helping me you're out here saying stupid things!"

"Oh sweetie," Kara shook her head. "I am helping you, but you're not listening. What is it? You've had boyfriends before-"

Montserrat visibly shook with anger. Her body actually trembled with the fury she felt. For a second, Sonny feared for Kara's life. "-would you stop saying that!? I'm not interested in relationships so just drop it!" She grabbed her laptop and storm towards her bedroom.

Once the door slammed, Sonny felt free (and safe) to talk. "Do you really think that's the way to help her?"

Kara shrugged, clearly not feeling the least bit guilty. She grabbed her takeout box and continued to eat like nothing. "When you've known Montserrat for as long as I have, you get to know what ways work best. And I am telling you that she has some feelings she needs to work out. Poor woman is going to lose it if she doesn't do something."

"Are you sure that's the case here?"

Kara paused just as she was about to deliver more rice to her mouth. Her eyes studied Sonny's face for a full minute, and the strength of it actually made Sonny squirm. "What do you know, Dominick?"

His actual name. That's how he knew she was completely serious and it was the type of seriousness that usually got him in trouble. "Nothing…"

"Mhm, try again. Is it about this problem?"

"...maybe…"

"Spill," Kara pointed at him.

"I...agree with you," Sonny raised a finger to make sure she didn't get ahead of yourself. "I spoke to Rafael and he pretty much said the same as Montse. I think, like her, he's...sort of in denial."

A sarcastic, soft smile spread across Kara's face. "Oh sweetie, it took you that long? Maybe I should be the detective."

Sonny rolled his eyes at her. "I do believe he's sorry about the secret. He didn't mean to do it."

"Oh, I believe that he believes he didn't mean to do it."

Sonny now was the one to give Kara a look. "What?"

Kara made a low noise. "Seriously, just give me your badge right now. I believe that Rafael believes he didn't mean to spill about Montserrat's transfer. However, I think he subconsciously did it on purpose."

Sonny stared at her as if she were going to say it was a joke but when she didn't, he shook his head at her and frowned. "Wait, what!?"

"I think he was so upset that, somewhere deep down, he told you guys as a cry for help." Kara said it so simply as if this were something so obvious it should've been noticed way earlier. "He doesn't strike me as the type to openly say 'help me'."

"I...will give you that one," Sonny had to concede. Maybe Kara was right. Rafael would never openly ask for help if it dealt with Montserrat. A few days ago it took Rafael a whole story just to get him to find Montserrat for him.

Kara started smirking suddenly. "But maybe we can help them out."

"See, I know you're trying to help but I think-"

"Shh!" Kara waved a hand for him to be quiet. "You talk to Rafael and tell him exactly what I said, but, you know, make it sound like it came from your brain and not mine. I think it would piss him off if he knew we talked about him."

"He already knows you talk about him."

Kara glared at Sonny. "Seriously, maybe just become a lawyer already and give me your badge."

"I don't see how we could help, Kara. They're both in denial and, honestly, Montserrat is way too angry to listen even if Rafael decided to try to talk to her again."

"And I guess I have to give you that," Kara sighed. "But still, maybe if you make him realize what he did, it could help in some way. It's better than doing nothing, right?"

"I...guess…" Sonny was now mentally preparing himself for a shouting from his dear colleague.

"And I'd get it done preferably before this weekend as it is Montse's birthday."

~ 0 ~

The first thing Dr. Weslin noticed about her patient was the relentless picking of the fingernails. Montserrat's nervous habits were back in town and this time it seemed like things were worse. So, Montserrat told Weslin about everything. It was done in a series of rambles only interrupted by Weslin asking her to calm down.

"So, you're angry…" Weslin purposely trailed off as she saw Montserrat immediately opening her mouth to argue the contrary.

"I'm not angry I'm…" but Montserrat had trouble putting her thoughts into actual words. After all the screaming she'd done, she didn't know where her thoughts were. "I'm upset that Rafael told everyone but then at the same time I'm...relieved? If that makes sense?"

"You certainly have the floor to explain," Weslin reminded.

"Everyone thinks I'm pissed because Rafael spilled my secret but...I think I may be mad at myself that...I wasn't brave enough to do it myself. And, you know, maybe it hasn't helped that I've been yelling at everyone that I'm angry with Rafael but...you know." Montserrat brought her hands to her curly hair. "I'm a mess and anyone who comes in contact with me...God help them."

"You're confused, which is completely understandable," Weslin said as a means to lessen Montserrat's stress. "And I think your friends might understand you better if you put an effort into less screaming and more talking."

"Easier said than done, especially when people just outright frustrate you," Montserrat pursed her lips. "Kara, my best friend, seems to have it in her head that the reason I'm specifically so upset with Rafael is because I...because...because there are some feelings in the mix."

Weslin took that admission as something noteworthy. It was rare when Montserrat talked about personal relationships. She'd been seeing Montserrat for almost a full year now and it was only now that Montserrat even mentioned something romantic-related. The fact Montserrat was choosing now to start was a small milestone for her, indicating that - somewhere deep inside - Montserrat was getting ready to start even considering relationships.

"And what was your reaction to this idea?" asked Weslin.

"Well I first snapped at Kara," Montserrat said quickly but after getting a look from Weslin she took it more serious and expanded. "I mean…" she closed her mouth and tilted her head to one side, "Okay, Rafael is attractive but that's it. I don't think I'm ready for any of that stuff. And I most certainly do not like the fact Kara uses this idea every time I have a problem with him."

"Okay," Weslin nodded. "But you can't also be so defensive about it either. Sit down with Kara and explain to her that you simply do not have those feelings she claims you have."

"Well...yeah…that would...be the obvious choice..." Montserrat looked unsure and Weslin dared to think this whole 'idea' of Kara's might not be entirely wrong.

"But…?"

Montserrat seemed to have caught herself and shook her head. She straightened herself up in her seat and shrugged. "Nothing. I just need to figure out what the hell I'm going to do about this transfer thing."

"May I make a suggestion?"

Montserrat nodded.

"Try to imagine a workspace without your current co-workers. Imagine yourself a new partner, a new boss, a new ADA. And then think if you would be happier there...or in SVU."

Montserrat nodded again with the intention of following through with it. All she'd done so far was only search for new openings in different divisions, but she'd never actually sat down and really thought about what a new workplace would be like. Would her co-workers be like what she now had in SVU? Would they like her? Treat her nice? Or would they treat her as a rookie? Someone who didn't have a place?

[fairyroses]

ok but going about the logic of comics history isn't it brainy and dreamer a thing in the comics too? like i get that some people have different preference for ships and that's ok what i don't get is why you guys are always saying that if brainy and nia get together he is gonna mess up the timeline but dating kara it is okay isn't that double standard? I mean brainy soon or later have to go back home how do you see that play out if he dating anyone?(And sorry if i sound snappy )

It’s okay anon, I don’t think you’re being snappy. And I’m sorry if I sound frustrated at all, I promise I’m not frustrated with you. I’m actually just frustrated with the show’s apparent refusal to make these really important things clear to people who aren’t familiar with the comics. 

(Though I have to be honest, I don’t actually read comics myself (yet). I just have a lot of friends who do. Most of the things I know about this stuff comes from @kara-querl​, but I’ll do the best I can to explain the basics and hopefully clear up some of the confusing stuff for you. Again, it’s not your fault that you don’t know these things - it’s the show’s fault for not explaining them.) 

Now, as for Brainy/“Dreamer” being a thing in the comics… you’re sort of right, but not in the way you’re probably thinking. 

There is one version of Brainy (from a comics run called the Threeboot) who ends up with Nura Nal, aka Dream Girl. I’d highly recommend reading this summary of their story on twitter (just prepare yourself, because it’s a looong thread, and also, uh, the story is probably not what you’d expect it to be… especially towards the end). 

However, Nura Nal is not Nia Nal. They’re two completely different characters, and both of them very much exist in the CW show’s universe. A lot of people watching SG don’t seem to know about this distinction (because the show has not outright explained it yet), so when they hear that Brainy had a relationship with “Dream Girl” in the comics, they assume (like you did) that Brainy/Nia is a comics canon couple like Kara/Brainy is. But that’s not actually true. 

Nura is also the reason why so many people are worried about Brainy/Nia messing up the timeline. But more on that later.

For future reference, this is Nura (with a bonus Brainy in the background):

She’s not really anything like Nia, in either personality, looks, or her dynamic with Brainy. They have basically the same powers (though Nura could never shoot “dream energy” out of her hands), and the writers seem to have borrowed aspects of Nura’s relationship with her sister Mysa for Nia and Maeve’s storyline, but that’s pretty much where their similarities end. 

(The rest of this is gonna go under a cut, because it’s a LOT of information. I know you didn’t ask for a meta, anon, but that’s just kinda what happened, sorry. Hopefully it’s not too overwhelming.)

Nura is a descendant of Nia, the character that we have on the show. She lives in the 31st century and is a member of the Legion of Superheroes, just like Brainy. The fact that Nia is Nura’s great-great-etc-grandmother has been confirmed in multiple interviews. Here’s a quote from Queller (one of the show’s EPs) from SDCC, before the season even started airing:

Hints about Nura were dropped in the show as early as 4.02 (which was probably close to being filmed around the time of SDCC). In that episode, Brainy asked Nia if he already knew her because she “looked familiar”, and then there was that look of recognition on his face when she told him her name…

Then in 4.08, when Alex asked Brainy if he knew about Nia Nal in the 31st century, his only reaction is this:

Because it’s not Nia that he knows, it’s Nura. But he didn’t want to reveal too much about the future by saying that. 

However, Brainy isn’t perfect, and eventually he slipped up. He accidentally called Nia “Nura” later on in the episode, showing how closely he associates them in his mind.

This is the moment in which Nura’s existence was officially made canon on the show. 

There’s also the moment towards the end of 4.08 where Brainy told Nia that she “contains greatness,” but he couldn’t tell her how he knew that. This isn’t directly a reference to Nura, but it stands to reason that Nura is the “how” answer to how he knows this about Nia/her family.

Nura is also presumably the person that Nia and Brainy were arguing over in 4.13, whom he refused to talk about. (Tbh, I think the fact that the show apparently skipped over Nia first learning about her descendant is a grave oversight, because for non-comics fans it probably appeared to come out of nowhere.) 

So, just to be completely clear: Nia has never been Brainy’s love interest in the comics (in fact, she doesn’t even exist in the comics at all - she’s an original character created for the show), and Nura, Brainy’s actual love interest (again, specifically only from the Threeboot comics run) definitely 100% exists in the CW show’s universe. We know this because there have been multiple references to her on the show throughout the entire season. 

Based on the fact that Brainy is so familiar with how Nia’s powers work and how to train her, it stands to reason that he and Nura are rather… close. We just don’t know how close yet, because Brainy refuses to say anything about her to either Nia or us, the audience. At the very least, they’re teammates and friends. At most… well, they were engaged in the Threeboot, so…

So, to get back to your original question about shipping: From what I’ve seen, the fact that Brainy and Nura had a romance in the comics is actually a big reason why a lot of comics fans don’t ship Brainy/Nia. I can’t speak for everyone obviously, but I know that for quite a few people, the idea of Brainy dating Nia basically feels like him dating his girlfriend’s great-grandma (especially since Brainy’s references to Nura have made people wonder if they might actually have a romantic history on the show, too). It’s not quite on the same level as Marty McFly’s mother trying to kiss her own son in the first Back to the Future movie, but it’s still just… kinda squicky in a smiliar way, you know?

Nura’s existence is also what people are typically referring to when we talk about Brainy/Nia disrupting the timeline. If Brainy were to get with Nia, then that would essentially erase Nura from existence. We know that Nia’s timeline would get seriously messed up if she got together with Brainy, because she has a traceable lineage of descendants going at least 1,000 years into the future. If Brainy got in the middle of that, if he changed Nia’s destiny by allowing her to fall in love with him, then that whole timeline - Nia’s entire legacy, which Brainy is clearly familiar with - would be drastically altered. 

What kind of person would Brainy be if he agreed to date Nia, knowing that doing so would erase Nura (and her sister Mysa, and anyone else related to them) in the 31st century? Knowingly and willfully wiping out an entire lineage, including someone that he personally knows and cares about? Does that really sound like something Brainy would do?

This is probably the biggest reason why Brainy/Nia just doesn’t work for a lot of us, particularly comics fans who have caught all the Nura references so far this season. It’s not about personal ship preferences - it’s about character consistency, specifically Brainy’s. We don’t want him to get with Nia because doing so feels wildly selfish and out of character for him. 

(In fact, Brainy interacting as much as he already has with Nia personally stresses me out, because by pushing her to be a superhero and training her himself, he’s already altered her timeline in some unknowable way. We just have to hope he knows how far he can push it.)

We’ve already seen Brainy caution Nia about them potentially creating a paradox, and it seems like they’ve had a similar argument to this one at least once before off-screen. He must know what the dangers of doing something as serious as getting romantically involved with her would be, because he listed them all off to Alex and Kara in 4.08:

His Keanu Reeves movie quote excuse in the most recent episode (4.15) was flimsy at best, but when he says that he and Nia can never be together, his tone of voice noticeably changes to become more serious, making it obvious that he means it. 

With all of that stuff in mind now… do you see why so many of us are confused and even upset by the promise of more “will they/won’t they” for Brainy/Nia? 

Why would the showrunners make Nura’s existence canon if they’re not going to even touch on the issue of how Brainy and Nia getting together would obviously erase her? It’s almost like the Brainy/Nia thing has to conclude with them not ending up together, because otherwise, what does that say about Nura, and the future that Brainy knows? It would change a lot - Nura, who has existed in the comics since 1964, would be GONE - and given how much Brainy has been shown to care about the future and the timeline, I just can’t see him going along with that. I just can’t. (And neither can a lot of other people.)

But of course, this is Supergirl we’re talking about here, so I don’t have a ton of faith in the EPs or writers. They could very well just ignore all that stuff and shove Brainy and Nia together anyway. So, this isn’t me saying that Brainy and Nia will definitely not get together. After all, I don’t write the show. 

This is just me explaining why a lot of people don’t think that this Brainy/Nia storyline makes sense, given the show’s own references to Nura, as well as their establishment of Brainy as a character who cares deeply about the timeline. Brainy dating Nia would directly contradict both of those previous writing choices. 

And why would the writers do that? Why would they directly contradict their own setup? Fans who are familiar with Nura and have picked up on all these clues are just frustrated because we don’t understand this. 

TLDR: Brainy/Nia is not comics canon. Nia Nal is the ancestor of Nura Nal, Brainy’s actual love interest from the comics, who also exists within the show and lives in the 31st century. And Brainy/Nia getting together would erase Nura, and thus mess up the timeline. 

Okay, that was a lot. Hopefully that cleared some things up for you about both the comic history, as well as the whole Brainy/Nia timeline issue. I’m gonna address the rest of your questions more briefly bc I’m tired now lol. 

Why won’t Brainy getting with Kara mess up the timeline like it would with Nia?

The simplest answer to this one is that we don’t know what the future is supposed to hold for Kara. The Legion made a point of saying last season that their knowledge of the events of Supergirl’s future are vague and largely unknown. We don’t know anything about her having any descendants, or a specific legacy that needs to remain intact like Nia clearly has. (If they didn’t want to create this problem for Nia, then they didn’t have to establish those things for her either… but they did.) 

What about Brainy going back to the future eventually?

I kind of already talked about this whole thing here, so you can just read that post to see my take on it. The bottom line is, I don’t think that’s the biggest issue here, largely for BTS/casting reasons. Basically, I think it’s very unlikely that Brainy is going to go back to the future anytime soon. And because of that, I don’t think it’s really necessary to bring it up as an argument against either Brainy/Nia or Brainy/Kara. 

And finally, with regards to the whole “why do people keep saying that Kara/Brainy is THE comics canon ship when other ships like Brainy/Dream Girl also exist in the comics?” thing, which is kinda the whole point of your ask from what I can tell, I recommend that you check out this post and these tweets, which (briefly) outline all the different versions of Kara and Brainy that have existed in various media over the past 60 years, and how many of them have ended up with each other. (Spoiler Alert: There’s a very good reason why most comics fans are also Karadox shippers.)

So, in conclusion, can people ship Brainy/Nia if they want to? Of course. People can ship whatever they want. I ship Brainy and Winn after all, even though that’s not ever going to be canon, because I like their dynamic and shipping is supposed to be fun. If people want to create fanart or fics or whatever for Brainy/Nia, then they can totally do that. My issues aren’t with what ships people personally prefer. My issues are with what the actual show is doing in canon, especially within the context of the entire Supergirl mythos. 

Look at it this way: If the show doesn’t have Kara eventually fall for Brainy, then CW Kara will be the only version of Kara who had a version of Brainy in her story, and did not fall in love with him. 

Like, wow. Talk about going against history.

[dykeafurniture]

JEALOUS KARA, that's all

Read it on AO3

Kara regularly made sure Lena would take a break to eat her lunch. She knows truly how hard lena works which tends to carry the woman away and totally neglect to feed herself. So Kara took it upon herself to always be the person to make sure Lena takes care of herself.

Today, Kara was planning on surprising her friend with takeout so they could spend their lunch hour together. She had picked up plenty of potstickers, fried rice, chow mein, chow fun, crab rangoons, cashew chicken, and a vegetable dish because Kara knows she would never hear the end of it if she didn’t get something with lots of veggies. Of course she got a lot of the finger food, knowing she could practically inhale all of it if she wanted to. But she wanted to make sure she had enough to share with Lena, she loved to share her favorite things with her favorite person.

After she picked up the food, she flew to an alleyway around the corner from L-Corp to land in. After a quick change of clothes and a few second walk to the building, Kara entered the elevator to get to Lena’s floor. Once the lift finally dinged to notify her she was arriving at her destination, a bright smile formed on her face and she walked out of the now open doors.

“Hey Kara!” Jess greeted happily, no longer annoyed with Kara’s unannounced visits. The annoyance left quite soon after Kara became prevalent in Lena’s life. The blonde always took care of her boss and even shared food with not only Lena, but herself as well. So there’s no way Jess couldn’t like Kara.

The woman beamed at Jess from the other side of the desk before handing her a small bag of food. “I couldn’t forget to pick you up something too,” she explained once Jess started to rummage through the contents of the paper bag.

“Thank you,” the assistant replied with a grateful smile displayed on her face. “Though I’m really sorry, Lena actually has company right now and asked specifically for them to have some time alone,” the woman explains quickly and watched as Kara’s face fell in disappointment.

The disappointment on the blonde’s face quickly contorted in what could only be described in jealousy. “Well in that case,” Kara began through a forced smile, “tell her I stopped by and give her this container of food if she gets hungry,” she finishes while handing Jess two cartons, one of brown rice and the other being the vegetable dish.

“I’m sure she will appreciate having something ready made for dinner,” Jess replied, making an effort to brighten Kara’s spirits.

Kara furrowed her brows in confusion. “She already ate lunch?” Is what she ended up asking, Lena hardly ever remembers to eat her meals in the middle of a work day. It’s very strange to hear she doesn’t need to eat soon.

“She’s eating with her… visitor,” the assistant responds, pausing before figuring out what to say for the two’s relationship descriptor.

The blondes fists tighten around the bag she’s holding and ends up ripping it straight through. “Oh,” she replies through gritted teeth before turning around to head back to the elevator. “Thanks Jess,” she mumbles, to which she gets a faint goodbye in return.

Kara guesses it’s not fair to feel what she’s feeling right now. Lena is allowed to spend time with other people. Who is she even spending time with? Kara has no idea who on earth could be casually having a lunch date with in the middle of the week. So she slides her glasses down her nose and uses her X-ray vision to look into Lena’s office. Lena has her head thrown back in laughter, her hand placed on her chest and her eyes are filled with warmth. Her knees are brushing against the other person’s due to their close proximity. It takes only a quick second for Kara to realize who it is. She is with, “Winn?” Kara whispers, not realizing those two were so… close.

She’s not a jealous person. Really, she isn’t. But she doesn’t want other people to take her precious Lena time away from her. Being with Lena makes her feel free, loved, safe and most importantly it makes her feel seen and appreciated for just being Kara. Every time she makes Lena laugh or smile it makes her day so much better, seeing Lena happy is her favorite thing ever! So she’s definitely not a fan when people cut in on the time she gets to make Lena happier, there’s no way she could be happy about that. Okay so, maybe Kara is a jealous person, but only when it comes to Lena.

But it feels wrong to be jealous. Her and Lena are friends, nothing more. Lena should be allowed to hang out with other friends or even go on dates…. with Winn, without even telling Kara about it. Her heart rate picks up as her jealousy bubbles up in the pit of her stomach. Lena didn’t even tell her she was starting to date Winn even though she looks so happy, why wouldn’t she mention it to her best friend?

 Okay Kara, snap out of it. You can talk to her later, Kara tells herself as she makes it to the alleyway to take off. She heads to her apartment to eat her lunch instead of being on Lena’s couch, their couch, while laughing away and talking about anything and everything.

———————————

A few days later Kara finally feels like she’s calm enough to invite Lena over to hang out and talk about how upset it makes her to know Lena keeps big things from her. So she tries to type out a text to send to her friend. It takes a few tries to find something that doesn’t seem too sketchy, but finally she sends Lena, “I picked up some of that ice cream you like. Movies at my place tonight?”

She doesn’t get a response for nearly an hour and the waiting drive her crazy. She went through her closet three times, washed and rewashed all the dishes in her possession, and even organized all of her clutter for the first time in weeks. Normally Lena responds to her texts within minutes at most, so this wait was agonizingly long.

“Rain check? I’m seeing the new Star Wars with Winn at a drive in.” Is the message Kara finally receives. When she reads it, her heart feels crushed at first. But then the jealousy starts to build up once more and she feels her grip tightening around her phone until a sickening crunch is heard and pieces of her phone go flying across the living room.

The jealousy drives her so crazy she almost gets up and finds them at the drive in to confront them then and there. She misses Lena and she definitely doesn’t like that she isn’t available for Kara often anymore. She almost wants to be mad at both Winn and Lena at this point, she wants her best friend back. And maybe in a way that’s more than just friends.

By the morning she’s decided she can’t take it anymore. The feeling that’s welled up inside her is growing and growing to the point it feels like it’s taking over. She’s never felt this way about anyone, she’s never been so possessive or jealous. But it’s Lena, how can she not be?

It’s only nine in the morning by the time Kara is using the key Lena gave her to let herself into the brunette’s apartment. To her surprise, Winn is in the kitchen wearing star wars pajamas and making himself eggs. Her fists instantly begin to clench when she spots him, he shouldn’t be here right now, she needs to speak to Lena, alone.

“Winn? What are you doing here?” She managed to ask without sounding as bitter as she feels inside. Though she doesn’t think she can put up the act for very long.

The man visually spooks, he slightly jumps before turning around with his cans clutched over his heart. “What am I doing here? What are you doing here!?” He replies through a shaky whisper.

“I came to see Lena, I used my key.” She replied, her voice far more snappy than what it was the first time she spoke. She’s tired of all of Lena’s free time being occupied by Winn. He should know how much Kara loves Lena. So why would he steal Lena from her?

“She gave you a key?” Winn replies with surprise laced in his voice.

“Yeah, we have had keys to each other’s apartments for awhile now. Why wouldn’t I have a key? I’ve mentioned it before,” Kara responds shortly. If only Winn actually paid attention to all the gushing she did about Lena, maybe he’d actually know how close the two are, or were at some point.

“It’s just surprising. She’s such a private person that this is the first time she’s even let me come in this building,” Winn explains as he scoops his eggs onto a plate and heads to the island to sit down. He takes a bite out of his food and swallows thickly when he sees the death glare Kara is giving him. “What?”

“I need to talk to Lena alone,” Kara rushes out through her clamped teeth. She really wishes he wasn’t here right now. “Where is she?”

“She’s still sleeping, or in just in bed at least,” Winn replied timidly before taking another cautious bite of his food. He makes sure to keep watching Kara because she definitely is intimidating at moments like these. When Kara doesn’t move or say anything, she only continues to glare at Winn, he squeaks out, “I’ll be gone in five,”

That seems to do the trick. Kara takes a deep breath and the tension visibly leaves her body as she exhales. Her teeth slowly unclamp, her fists unclench and her glare breaks. Now she doesn’t even look at Winn, she keeps her eyes down at her feet that are swaying from her position on the chair. “Have a good rest of your day,” she mutters once she realizes Winn is heading towards the door.

“I hope you can work out whatever is bothering you,” Winn replies sweetly as he walks out of the apartment.

The comment eases Kara’s jealousy slightly, but doesn’t even make a dent in the situation. She needs to talk to Lena about what’s going on. They are best friends and they need to be honest with each other. So she plans on waiting there until Lena wakes up so that they can have a conversation about what’s going on.

When Kara realizes that it might be awhile until Lena wakes up, since it is her only day she’s able to sleep in, the blonde changes into her superstition and flies out the window. She heads to Noonans to grab each of them coffee and some donuts to have for breakfast together. Donuts were their thing, they loved to get each other the sweet pastries not even just as breakfast, at anytime of day. She gets a dozen donuts, figuring that would be enough for the two of them, before heading back to Lena’s place.

She gets back fairly quick, allowing herself to grab two plates and some napkins to set out on the table for them. She also looks through the fridge to find some strawberries and pineapple to cut up for Lena to have with her donuts, since she always insists on having at least something healthy with every meal.

It’s only about five minutes before Lena is shuffling into the kitchen, rubbing one of her eyes before lifting her arms up to stretch. Her sleep shirt hiked up her stomach, revealing Lena’s very tiny boyshorts and soft belly underneath her clothing. Kara quickly tries to avert her eyes, not feeling right to stare at her friend like that, even with how beautiful Lena is.

“I sorta scared Winn away, I’m sorry,” Kara admits before Lena even had noticed she was sitting at the table.

“Jesus Kara!” Lena replied with a jump. Apparently Kara was far sneakier this morning than she’s ever been in her whole life.

“Sorry!” She squeaked before getting up to make sure Lena is okay. She placed her hands carefully around her friend’s upper arms before peering into her light green eyes filled with last night’s dreams.

Lena showed a lazy smile as she was still quite sleepy. “He wasn’t going to stay long this morning anyways. I’m glad you’re here,” she whispers as she holds the soft eye contact with her friend.

Kara’s jealousy nearly melts completely away after hearing that admission. Lena seems so soft and genuine in her speech that it’s near impossible to be jealous in this moment. But she did come here to talk, she can’t let herself forget about that. “I brought donuts,” Kara says with a playful smile, watching as Lena’s eyes start to sparkle in excitement. She knows Lena only ever lets herself eat junk when she’s with Kara, no matter how much Lena loves the food.

They both head to the table and sit at their respective seats. Kara instantly starts choking down on the donuts she picked out, as she had been impatiently waiting to eat for a painstakingly long five minutes. Lena let’s out a soft laugh as she watches Kara stuff her face with the pastries, she loves Kara’s childish side.

“So what do I owe the please to for this wonderful surprise?” Lena asks once Kara’s mouth isn’t filled with food.

The blonde takes a long sip of her overly sweetened coffee. “Anger,” she answers with a shrug before taking another bite of donut.

“Anger?” Lena asks in both confusion and concern. It’s not like her best friend to be angry, she was practically the physical embodiment of light.  So this is a bit worrying to her.

“I feel like I’m being pushed aside. You spend all your time with Winn now. I know I should be happy that you found a guy who makes you happy. It’s just I can’t help but feel jealous every time you go on a date with him instead of spend time with me,” Kara explains after gulping down her food. She figured it would be best to get straight to the point in this situation. She’s too jealous to even ramble at this point. “And I’m hurt that you didn’t even think to tell me about you two,” she adds with a whisper, looking down at her hands that are fiddling in her lap.

Lena’s lips turn into a frown seeing how small and upset Kara looks in this moment. She reaches one of her hands across the table for Kara to take, which after a few seconds, the blonde connects their hands softly. The touch instantly makes Lena feel better in the moment, knowing Kara truly isn’t angry at her. “We aren’t dating. Winn is just my friend. Kara I’m gay, have you not seen the articles that were posted about me a few years back?” Lena asks her friend, watching how Kara’s eyes turn wide.

“You… really?” Is all Kara can seem to muster out. She definitely did not see the conversation going this way. “I don’t look you up on the internet. You’re my friend, I’d rather spend time with you and learn about you from the stories you tell me and the things we do,” Kara replies after seeing Lena nod in confirmation at her earlier question.

Lena shows Kara the softest smile in response. “I really appreciate that. And I’m sorry I haven’t been spending time with you lately. I guess I felt like I was taking over your life and not letting you hang out with other people or have alone time. I felt like I was sort of a burden since I always was around you and never gave you space. So that’s why I’ve been spending more time with Winn,” she explains through a whisper, feeling a bit embarrassed at her admission.

“You are never a burden to me. You got that?” Kara told her friend with a firm squeeze to their interlocked hands. “I would spend every second of my life with you if I could. You’re my favorite person!” She admits, causing Lena to smile once again. “You appreciate me for me, not for me being supergirl. You see Kara, just Kara and it makes me feel so safe and comfortable to have someone like you,” Kara continues on, hoping Lena realizes how much she means to her. “And I have never been a jealous person, up until you started hanging out with Winn more than me, it was taking over my life!” Kara let out with a very large hand gesture to try and prove her point.

Lena let out a beautiful laugh at that. “I really can’t imagine you acting jealous,” Lena mentioned while raising one of her perfect eyebrows.

“Just ask Winn about it. Oh Rao poor Winn! I was so scary this morning!” Kara sighed before lightly smacking her face with the palm of her free hand.

“I honestly might have to, I bet you can get terrifying,” Lena replies with a devilish smile on her lips.

Kara looks back up at Lena and takes a very deep breath to try and muster the courage to say what she needs to say in this moment. She breathes in once more and then decides to go for it. “And it didn’t help that I thought you guys were dating because the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to take Winn’s place in the situation.” She explained, not as straightforward as she would’ve hoped for, but she thinks it gets her point across.

“Are you saying that you want to go on a date?” Lena replies, completely shocked at what Kara is admitting in this moment.

“Lena, I have feelings for you and I have for a really long time. The thought of you dating someone else was eating away at me this whole time. So I guess what I’m saying here is: Lena, would you like to go out to dinner with me, as my date?” Kara rambles through, finally able to get everything out on the table. It felt so relieving to admit all of that. But now she’s filled with nerves because she doesn’t know if Lena feels the same way.

But her nerves quickly disappear when Lena breaks out in the biggest and brightest smile she’s ever seen. A soft rosy color forms on the brunettes cheeks before she replies, “I thought you’d never ask.”