#it's late and i should be sleeping but oh well

[on-the-clear-blue]

So yall know that the League of Assassin's are like, an eco terrorist thing right? Well I just had this idea.

Sam, coming into Danny's room and just face planting on his bed: Ugh...

Danny, who was sleeping, awoken as his friend who had gone missing 6 moths ago flopped onto of him: OH SWEET-NOCTURN IF THIS ISNT REAL I AM GONING TO SOUP YOY SO HARD...

Sam, reaching up and slapping her hand on his mouth:Shhh, less screaming, more sleeping, escaping murder cults takes more energy than I thought.

Sam produces to pass out and sleep for three days straight.

---

Tucker, lookingnup from his PDA: so...you joined what you thought was a peaceful protest and some how ended up in a eco terrorist death cult of assassins? I mean...shit now I have to do something interesting...

Danny, choking on his drink: Nuh uh, your the normal one Tuck, I died and now have a magical girl transformation and Sam got kidnapped by ninjas and somehow even more bad ass, you...you can still get out of this and just be a normal person.

Sam, nodding sadly: Yeah...don't conform to our standards Tucker, be your true, weak little boney self.

Tucker, sniffing:I am so going to not do that.

---

Just the idea that Sam not only got League training but also got out is hilarious to me, like yeah, that is the kinda bs that would happen.

Alsoni can just see her dropping random lore shit.

Sam, bored as the boys study: Did you know thst the Demon Head dunks himself in corrupted ecto? Yeah it's gnarly man, didn't taste good.

Danny, going to speak before pausing and thinking, before sighing:Yeah I would have licked it too.

Tucker, frowning as he finishes his "Evil invention-enator": You both have so many issues.

---

Sam, trying to teach Danny the basic league hand to hand:Come on dude! It's not that hard!

Danny, falling flat on his ass after not even touching Sam: Ow ow ow...fuck yeah it kinda is!

Sam, rolling her eyes: If not only the Demon Heads six year old grandson can learn but also Ellie? You can too.

Danny, mutterinf under his breath before pausing completely:ELLIE? What was she doing with a murder cult? I thought she learnt her lesson after the last one!

Sam, shrugging before putting kicking at Danny on the floor: I don't know she was following a guy around who was catatonic, said something about being angry at him for not answering her pen pal messages or whatever, I was more busy training to really care...like you should be doing!

---

Years later Sam is joining Danny and Tucker in Gotham, Tucker because he was scouted by both WE and Lexcorp, he wanted to choose the evil company because poorer work place regulations and the likely hood of him getting a powerbost was much higher, but was bullied by his friends/partners into choosing WE.

Sam, coming to the R&D labs late one night bringing Tucker dinner so he doesn't starve working a late shift, blinking as she sees a short boy sneaking out of the lab: Biraeam? (Sprout in Arabic) what are you doing here.

Damian, blinking right back, experimental tech Bruce has yet to clear for the field clutched under one arm and the blueprints for a new type of explosive batarang in the other: Manson...I-I could ask you the same.

Sam, raising an eyebrow and staring down Damian: bringing dinner to my husband...who works here...and I can only think that you do not. So I ask that you put those things you have down and tell your bastard of a grandfather not to step back in this place.

Damian, eyes squinting, he hadn't been around his grandfather for ages at this point but still felt offended at her tone: I don't think I will.

---

An epic fight produces where they both try not and spill/destroy the things that they are carrying until either Tucker or Tim find them and explain everything.

The everlasting Trio gets invited over for dinner (mostly because Bruce is a paranoid bastard and dislikes thst one of his employees is dateing/ is partners with an ex-LoA member) and it's a bit of just pointing at each other and shit

Sam, slamming her hands down on the table as she stands: Kindly Mr Wanye, Shut the fuck up, I know your batman, we all fucking know it so if you are going to try and interrogate us at least do it properly!

Danny, sipping his wine: I mean...I-I didn't know but I um...haven't been paying much attention to the bat dude...Rag man is cooler.

Sam, glaring:And you! Fucking Ragman? You can do so much better.

Danny, offended for his hero: Oi! He does good work!

Bruce, frowning as this night has gotten away from him: He kills people.

Sam, waving over at Bruce: Exactly!

Danny, rolling his eyes: Exactly she says, while having a kill count that's still growing, Exactly she says when she was the one that pushed that oil tycoon off the 50th floor.

Sam wincing,: Maybe not in front of batman babe?

Danny, looking over to Bruce that is looking ready to fight: Shit...imma call Tuck and tell him to start packing...

[jiminomenon]

how would jimin react if one day yn came into work with lipstick stains/hickeys on her? would she be jealous or upset

from my series: the devil wears prada

y/n didn’t think much of it when she stepped into jimin’s penthouse that morning. she was running on four hours of sleep, an empty stomach, and a mildly burned neck from rushing through her morning routine. she barely even looked in the mirror before heading out—too focused on not being late.

jimin, however, noticed immediately.

the second y/n stepped inside, jimin’s eyes zeroed in on the faint reddish mark near her collarbone. she was lounging on her expensive white couch, one manicured hand holding a coffee cup, the other lazily scrolling through her phone.

“what the hell is that?”

y/n blinked, still half-asleep. “what?”

jimin set her coffee down, sitting up straight. “on your neck.”

y/n frowned and instinctively reached up, fingers brushing against the small burn. “oh. it’s nothing—”

“nothing?” jimin scoffed. “it doesn’t look like nothing.”

y/n, still groggy, didn’t process the way jimin’s voice shifted—the slight edge, the way her usual bratty tone was just a bit sharper.

“it’s just a burn,” y/n yawned, setting her bag down on the counter. “from my straightener.”

jimin didn’t look convinced. “really.”

“yes, really.”

silence.

jimin’s gaze flickered to the mark again, her fingers twitching slightly—like she wanted to reach out and inspect it herself but refused to make it that obvious. her mind, however, was already running wild. because what if y/n was lying? what if—no.

jimin leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms. “well, it looks like something else.”

y/n, still completely oblivious, simply grabbed a tablet from the counter and started scrolling through the day’s schedule. “yeah? like what?”

jimin’s jaw tightened. “like a hickey.”

y/n froze.

slowly, she turned to look at jimin, eyebrows raising. “a what?”

“you heard me.” jimin huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “i don’t know what you were doing last night, but you should at least try to cover it up. it’s unprofessional.”

y/n blinked, then—oh.

the realization hit her all at once.

she looked at jimin, really looked at her—the crossed arms, the slightly pursed lips, the way her usual smug expression was forced rather than natural. and then there was the way her gaze kept flickering back to y/n’s neck, like she couldn’t help herself.

oh, this was good.

y/n bit back a grin. “huh. didn’t know you cared so much about my personal life.”

jimin scoffed. “i don’t.”

“mmhmm.”

“i just don’t want people thinking my assistant is running around with—” she waved a hand vaguely, ”—whoever, when she should be focused on me.”

“focused on you?” y/n teased, tilting her head.

jimin glared. “you know what i mean.”

“i really don’t.”

jimin let out an exasperated sigh, standing up abruptly. “whatever. if you want to flaunt your little love bites around like an idiot, be my guest.”

y/n snickered. “you’re jealous.”

“am not!”

y/n hummed in amusement, setting her tablet down before walking right up to jimin, closing the distance between them. jimin didn’t step back, but her jaw did tighten just a little.

“relax,” y/n smirked. “it’s really just a burn. unless you want it to be something else?”

jimin narrowed her eyes. “you’re annoying.”

y/n grinned. “and yet, you’re the one who noticed it first.”

jimin opened her mouth to argue but ultimately just huffed and turned on her heel, walking away dramatically. “i don’t care anymore.”

y/n laughed, shaking her head.

because she knew jimin cared.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Countermeasure 1

Warnings: non/dubcon, stalking, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Jake Jensen

This AU is called Watcher Anonymous and will include different series for different characters. This is our introduction to Jensen and Nano.

Summary: work and personal blur together as an employee takes a special interest.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

Jake flips up the lid of the box, the smell of pepperoni steaming into the dim glow of monitors. He really should think about cutting down on pizza, it’s starting to give him indigestion, but he just doesn’t have the time to cook. Between work and... his hobbies, he barely gets any sleep. 

That night is not much different than the one before or the next. He burns the roof of his mouth with the first slice as he’s fixated once more on her. The cameras catch her every move as she wafts around the large house like forlorn wraith. The lens gives him a direct line to her loneliness. 

She’s in her silk black robe and matching nightie. They hug her curves perfectly as furry slides cling to her feet. She’s as refined in her leisure as she is standing by his desk asking for an update. 

Nano is a good boss. The first manager he’s had that even understand his job. He delved into her extensive background in development and backend management. She really doesn’t look like the stereotype. But he does. 

She pours herself a glass of wine. The censor for the davenport triggers. He redirects his attention to the white SUV pulling in. Late is not so better than never. Jake is never late. Never for her. 

He switches back to the kitchen where she leans on the square marble island and sips. She’s unaware, or even indifferent, to her husband’s return. The cabernet usually signals that she’s headed for bed. 

She sits up as she hears her husband enter. Andy is in no hurry as he unlaces his shoes then shrugs out of his jacket. Jake should’ve placed the camera on the other side. This angle is awkward. Well, he had limited time when he wired the house. 

She looks over as Andy enters the kitchen. She doesn’t say anything. He mutters and goes to the fridge. He takes out a bottle of beer. 

“Long day,” he pops the cap with his hand. 

“Tell me about it,” she says as she puts the stopper in the bottle and sets in back in the rack. She takes her glass and struts off. He remains and drains half the beer before he follows. 

He finds his wife upstairs. Why he even made her that is a mystery to Jake. He doesn’t treat her like one. Not like a husband should. 

She sits in bed and balances her wine and her ebook. She’s working her way through an interesting fantasy series. It surprised him to know she was so far into it. He always thought she’d be into those romance rags or the bestseller thrillers. 

“You’re mad?” Andy asks as he strips off his blazer. 

She hums. 

“Like I said, long day. Work was a lot.” 

“Andrew,” she doesn’t look up from her book. 

He’s silent as he unbuttons his shirt. He peels it down his arms and drops it in the hamper. He nears the bed as he looks her over. 

“What’d I forget?” He asks. 

She clucks, “you tell me. For once, Andy,” she drops the ebook and empties the glass before slamming it on the night stand. “I’m not your goddamn secretary, I’m your wife.” 

“Honey,” he sighs. “Work--” 

“I work too,” she flicks him away with her fingertips. “But I guess I don’t work as hard as you. Oh, the leftovers are in the fridge. Take them for lunch so they don’t rot.” 

She rolls onto her side and pulls the duvet to her shoulders. Her husband shifts. He shakes his head and continues to undress. 

He comes up beside her and nudges her. She ignores him. He’s persistent. He stretches out behind her and wraps her in his thick arm. 

“Honey, I’m sorry I missed date night. No more excuses,” he purrs as he caresses her cheek. “I love you. I don’t want you to go to bed angry.” 

“Well, I am,” she sneers. 

He kisses her hair and whispers. She doesn’t react. He continues to nuzzle her as his hand roves her body. 

Jake puts the pizza aside. His appetite dissolves. Don’t let him do it. Don’t. He doesn’t deserve it. 

She shimmies over and rolls onto her back. Andy kisses her. She lets him. She lifts the duvet over him and he angles his body over hers. Jake sighs but doesn’t look away. 

He’s hard even if he is burning with jealous. Andy grunts as he shifts around under the duvet. She bends her knees so they poke up on either side of his thick torso. The duvet slips.  

Andy strokes himself as Jake resists the same. Her husband grows frustrated as he struggles to get inside her. She grips his shoulder and reaches down to help him. He huffs and shoves her away. 

He growls and gives up. He bounces off of her and sits on the edge of the bed. He clutches his head as he hunches. She drops her legs. 

“Sorry, I must be tired,” Andy utters. 

She hums derisively. She pulls the blankets over her again, “next time.” 

“Yeah,” her husband scoffs and stands up. 

He crosses the room and rips his robe away from the hook behind the door. He leaves her in a dark cloud and she hangs her head. It’s a while before she moves again. 

She reaches into her drawer and pulls out the little rose gold vibrator. She shuts off the light and he listens to her breathing and her moans. He’s sad for her. She deserves more effort than that. She deserves to be cherished. 

Another camera activates. He hates to look away from the writhing figure on night vision. Andy is in the front room. The glow of his phone is cradled in his hand, his other is... 

Huh. Interesting. How’s it that he can’t get it up for his own wife but he’s down there doing just fine with a screen? Well, Jake can figure it out. He can figure anything out. It’s why he is Nano’s favourite employee. 

[beef-brisket]

Adam sighed. He's too old to deal with this shit.

Adam: Next time, you take one. Or two at the most, alright? Don't take a whole damn handful, you little bastard.

Lucifer laughed: twoooo then~.

Adam: Yeah, two... now go to sleep, okay?

Lucifer whined: What if you're not here?

Adam: When?

Lucifer: W-When I wake up...

Adam sighed. It'll be great revenge to leave this fucker alone. But he couldn't do it. It must be Charlie rubbing off on him because seeing Lucifer clinging to him and worried that Adam's going to leave, actually made him feel bad.

Adam: ...I won't leave.

Lucifer smiled and nuzzled into Adam's chest: I would~. I diiid~.

Adam sighed: I know you did... go to sleep, yeah? I'll be here...

The king stayed silent as his breathing evened out.

Well, it looks like Adam's trapped for a few hours. Poking the kings shoulder, he didn't move or anything.

He should push this fucker off him. But he couldn't it. Wiping his eyes, Adam cursed himself. He's meant to be over this bullshit.

And here he is, getting emotional about bullshit that didn't matter. Lucifer will probably wake up and be pissed off again. He only came here cause he's off his ass.

Adam: ...Fuck sakes...

-

Lucifer slowly came to, groaning as he moved to sit up. Great, now his back was killing him.

Looking around, his eyes widened whe. He noticed he was in Adam's room. That's when everything came rushing back.

Looking to his left, he smiles softly.

Adam stayed. And he's asleep. And he doesn't look like he's going to wake up any time soon.

Tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, Lucifer jumped when his phone started buzzing.

Char: Hey, dad. Could you come downstairs?

Smiling, Lucifer sent Charlie a quick text before slowly getting off the bed and walking out of Adam's room.

-

Lucifer: Hey Char. What's up?

Charlie: Angel wanted to speak with you, dad.

Lucifer: Oh?

Lucifer looked up as Angel awkwardly walked over. Was he always this tall?

Angel: Uh- heya, short king.

Lucifer smiled: Evening Angel.

Angel: I uh... just wanted to apologise again. That was really shitty of me- I just... didn't think.

Lucifer: Thank you for saying that, Angel. I'm sorry I freaked out, but I'm sure you understand.

Angel: You're okay, Lu. I get ya. I'd be protective over my kid if I had one.

Charlie smiled as her dad and Angel talked, sharing a drink at Husks Bar. She was so distracted that she almost didn't see Alastor standing next to her.

Charlie: Oh! Al-! Sorry, I didn't see you there!

Alastor smiled: That's quite alright, my deer. Would you be able to alert Adam that we need to start dinner preparations.

Charlie: Yeah, of course... I haven't seen him since this afternoon, actually. I'll go find him for you.

-

Adam was sitting on the edge of his bed when he heard someone knock at his door.

He swears if it's fucking Lucifer, he's kicking his ass. He begged Adam to stay and then once he's awake, he fucks off?

Little prick.

Charlie: Adam? You there?

Sighing, Adam got up and opened the door.

Charlie: Oh! There you are! Al wanted me to get you for dinner prep!

Adam groaned. Fuck sakes: Yeah, thanks, babe. I'll go see him.

Charlie: Great! Thank you, Adam.

Adam waved her off and headed downstairs- where that short bastard was drinking. With Angel. He left him to come drink?! Little cunt.

Lucifer: There he is! Looking so awake this late at night!

Adam: Fuck you.

Angel and Lucifer laughed, making Adam glare at them.

He's over these bastards. He needed to get out of here, but it'll have to be after dinner. Fuck it all.

The Hotel Yard

Adam: So, Lucifer hadn't heard this yet but there is an AI version of our show already.

Lucifer: Shit, okay.

AI Lucifer: Hello everyone I'm with my co-host Adam. And might I say you look like you've escaped from a mental institution.

Adam: So already you start off with insulting me

Lucifer: Yeah but we take turns

Adam: Giving blows to each other

Lucifer: Yeah we take turns blowing each other.

Adam: HAHAHA!!

AI Adam: That's not nice Lu

AI Lucifer: No, but you want to know something else? We're gay for each other.

Lucifer: What!? Hahaha!

Adam: Fucking Jesus hahaha!

I love these goobers so much 😂

AI Adam: We love recording this podcast. But our fathers hate us.

Lucifer and Adam nearly die if laughing.

Lucifer: W-What the fuck?!

Adam: It's not fucking wrong, dude!

[asher-agere]

honestly now that I think about it there isn’t much content for mmj (generally speaking).. so i think i got something

maybe little Minori and cg Airi? Scenario wise I’ve been thinking of Minori’s first focus event (hopeful show) and just. knowing the sort of backlash Minori got in the event is rough.. so i can imagine her mood being really really brought down as a result and Airi just has a gut feeling that something isnt right (and that gut feeling turns into be correct when she hears what sounds like faint sniffling in the distance)

I have honestly been talking about MMJ so much with a mutual lately (@closegamecamo ! So much fun to talk to!) Specifically sleeping headcanons- But that’s unrelated- Point is I’m totally in the mood to write MMJ! I’m also going to attempt to write this as more of a fic than a headcanon list? Because omg I love that scenario… Uhhh we’ll see how this goes (Please whatever gods are out there if any, allow me writing inspiration…)

Little Minori + Caregiver Airi

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Recently Minori had been feeling… Not the best. She was trying to catch up to her friends! They were all such amazing idols with infinitely more experience than she had. But recently it seemed like she was doing everything wrong. She was taking longer to memorize dance routines, she kept falling and ending up with bumps and scrapes. She never got a chance to even talk in streams. But one day she did! They were asked a question and Haruka suggested that Minori answered it! An amazing opportunity from the amazing Haruka!

She tried explaining how she memorized dance routines! The bubbling mixture of shaky nerves and shimmering excitement was a little overwhelming. Talking was… Difficult. She couldn’t seem to form her thoughts into words. Which certainly wasn’t a good thing… Maybe she should try explaining visually? That was usually what her friends tried guiding her to do when she was feeling non verbal! So she showed a dance, and did amazing! But… But why were Airi and Haruka giving her those looks? The viewers didn’t seem to think it helped, Haruka was moving past the topic… Oh. She lost her chance

Haruka and Airi handled the rest of the stream mainly. Her friends reassured her she’d been fine… But Minori wasn’t so sure. On her way home she heard a group mention More More Jump! She listened in eagerly, people were talking about them! They mentioned Haruka and Airi and Shizuku and then… The amateur. They… Barely even remembered her name. Minori felt tears well up in her eyes. Was that all she was? Just an accessory for the other three? No! She could do this! She wiped away the tears and rushed home to practice! She needed to do everything perfectly, she needed to catch up, she needed to be good enough

A few days later they had their stream with Nanamin, and Minori was determined! Determined to do things right! To take chances! To get noticed! Nanamin saw that, saw her drive, saw her desperation. She was given the opportunity to prove herself! By… Copying a dance. After seeing it only once. That was impossible… And she was wearing heels. But there were comments excited to see her do it! But when she saw Nanamin perform the dance it felt overwhelming again. Haruka was offering her a way out, one she was tempted to take. But then she read a comment “You're always dragging everyone else down, so get it right for everyone else's sake!” Minori stood up and moved to do the dance

The beginning went well! But she was already falling apart by the middle. Literally… Falling. The rug slipped under her and she fell, she fought the urge to cry by forcing laughter, keeping a happy face after an accident. She didn’t remember much else of the meeting. It was all just a fuzzy blur in her mind as she struggled not to cry. She rushed through the talking and ran home. She went right to her bed and collapsed, her grip on her headspace completely slipping as she sobbed into a stuffed animal. And checked her phone though and saw a message from Airi “Meet me in Sekai!” Minori didn’t even think, she was so eager to please someone that she just dropped the stuffie and pressed play on “Newly Edgy Idols”

⋆ ˚｡⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆˚

Airi had been noticing Minori’s mood dropping. Minori was trying, so so hard. But things were taking their toll on the poor girl. Minori… Was not prepared for this industry, the cruelty of the people. It was rough adjusting. She’d been wanting to reach out the past few days but didn’t want to disrupt the girl when she was already surely hard at work. But today had been the last straw. She tried catching Minori after the stream but the girl had rushed out… That was fine! She could do this. She messaged Minori to meet her in the Sekai and quickly went over to start setting things up

Airi asked the Virtual Singers to let her have the stage, reassuring them that she was worried Minori would get overwhelmed, it wasn’t anything personal. She grabbed some cute shaped bandaids and soft blankets. She filled up Minori’s favorite princess sippy cup with some apple juice and grabbed some cute animal coloring books and crayons. All hidden away in a bag. She just had a hunch, but her hunches were usually right. Before long she heard sniffling coming from center stage, she turned around and felt her chest ache at the sight of a red eyed Minori shaking

Airi stepped forwards and gently reached out for Minori’s hands, the girl eagerly accepted the touch and Airi slowly reached up to wipe her tears away “Well hi there. Rough day huh?” Airi smiled sadly at her and Minori sniffled in response. Airi gently reached up to ruffle her hair “Come sit down with me alright?” Minori nodded, quick to follow Airi to the soft blankets. They sat down side by side, Airi still holding both of Minori’s hands “Have I told you how amazing you are?” Minori seemed to cringe at the words, bullseye. Airi gave the youngers hands a gentle squeeze, not letting her pull away

“Well you are amazing sweet pea! You’re so inspiring to watch, you always do every single thing with all your heart. You do everything in your power to help those around you. And no matter what you never give up. You won’t let one bad day change that will you? Not what I love the most about you…” Minori slowly shook her head, her tears had started flowing again. Airi reached up to wipe them away and gently brush through Minori’s hair “See? You’re so super strong! I know a lot of people that would’ve given up a long time ago. But not you. Honestly if I knew you when I was just starting out you would’ve inspired me!”

Minori’s eyes seemed to sparkle, and not just with tears. Airi chuckled “Yup! But now let me have a chance to spoil you ok cupcake? Yay!” Airi threw her hands up in the air, an action which Minori slowly copied with the tiniest little giggle, Airi, taking this wonderful opportunity, reached down to start tickling Minori’s sides. That got a much more genuine giggle, a shrieking laughter as Minori tried squirming away. After a few moments of this Airi pulled her hands away, but her fingers were still wiggling menacingly “Hmmm how old are you feeling love bug?” As Minori’s giggles started dying down she held up 5 fingers proudly

Airi gasped “Just four? Four and under means the tickle monster attacks!” The shrieking giggles returned for a moment but then abruptly stopped “Oh waittt there were five fingers! Silly me, such a big girl means you’re safe!” Airi booped her on the nose which prompted more giggling. Airi chuckled along and ruffled her hair “How about you go back home, grab a plushy, then come back ok?” Minori seemed sad about needing to leave, reluctant to get up, so Airi spoke up again “I’ll have a surprise for you if you can be a big brave girl for me!” That instantly caught Minori’s attention and the girl was gone in a flash

Airi chuckled to herself and grabbed the things she’d brought. Minori came back hugging a yellow cat plushy, super tight! Airi gasped “Good job! What a lovely friend you brought us!” Airi patted the blanket next to her and handed over a pink sippy cup “Ta-Dah! A surprise for m’lady” Minori gasped in excitement and started happily babbling. And babbling meant happy girl! Airi chuckled and ruffled her hair again, mission accomplished “You like your juice princess?” Minori eagerly nodded which led Airi to laugh again

Airi encouraged the little ones babbling as she applied band-aid’s to Minori’s scraped up knees. A heart on the left and a star on the right, then she got out the coloring book! Minori continued happily babbling as she colored in a picture of a kitty cat. She was explained how she made the fur yellow to match her plushy, the paws and the ears and the nose pink for Airi, then the eyes blue because blue was her favorite color! All Airi heard though was “Aababab abbaabbaba!” Airi encouraged the babbling though, always asking questions and praising Minori for her hard work! It was a nice break for Minori. They played and colored until Minori was yawning. Airi instructed her to go home and get ready for bed. Minori agreed, but she barely managed to change before she was passed out in her bed sucking her thumb. The only tragedy of the night was the fact that Airi didn’t get to see that adorable sight

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Did I just… Do two posts in the same day? Whoa… I didn’t know I could still do that. HOORAY ◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜ A big huge thank you to @sierrathelilypad for reminding me that sometimes I really love writing fan fiction!

[DNI ID: A box that’s orange to the left and pink to the right, each side with a corresponding border darker than the background. An image of Minori to the left and Airi to the right. Orange text reads “DNI if your blog isn’t child safe” Pink text reads “I will block NSFW accounts” End ID]

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

"The sky is beautiful from my side" Lily said with a sigh "Full of stars... How is yours?"

James looked up and smiled. He would call it destiny that the sky was clear. There were few stars visible and the moon was big and shiny.

"Nice view tonight" he said to the phone.

"Yes, it's beautiful!" Lily exclaimed.

"Not as beautiful as you"

The silence Lily gave him after that made James feel like an idiot. Fuck fuck fuck! That was not what a friend was supposed to say, was it? James had promised Lily and himself he was going to respect the friendship thing. And it had been fine. It had been amazing, actually.

James had been used to having Lily hating his guts and insulting him. Being Lily's friend was new but wonderful. It was an honor to get to know her. To make her laugh. To hear about her day and her secrets.

Since summer started, they had been talking on the phone two times a week. And oh God! James was thrilled and he didn't want to jinx it. It was a dream come true.

Pining over Lily as her good pal was ten times better than fucking it up and making her angry again.

James wanted to do things right this time.

But sometimes he didn't have a filter and he said stupid things he felt because they were bloody strong.

Luckily this time, Lily giggled on the other side of the phone. James smiled in relief. He appreciated how sweet her laughter sounded.

"You know how to use your words, eh Potter?"

"Just telling the truth"

"You are just testing if you can flirt with me"

Yes! A million times yes!

"Is it working?"

James's heart suddenly ran fast expecting her answer. He still had hope that one day she would feel the same as him.

Because James felt like he loved her.

Before Lily could answer, they were both interrupted by Marlene's voice in the background.

"Bloody hell, Lily! Quit flirting with Potter and let us sleep!"

James felt dumb to blush but the best part was that he knew Lily was blushing as well. He knew her well by now.

"Marlene!" Lily protested "I'm not flirting..."

"Maybe you can have your sex calls outside the room" James heard Mary's voice.

His cheeks went on fire with the mere thought of hearing Lily whispering sexy things to him.

"Mary!" Lily whined. "Sorry Potter," she added to the phone "just ignore them"

James laughed nervously. He heard Lily moving and closing the door behind her.

"We just had a volleyball tournament today" Lily explained, lowering her voice "The McKinnons got competitive. We are knackered"

James was glad Lily was having fun with the McKinnons.

"I guess I should leave you to rest, right?"

"Yeah maybe or they are going to kill me.. " Lily said "James!" she exclaimed seconds later making James jump but loving to hear his name from her mouth "It's really late! No wonder the girls were annoyed"

James checked his watch. 2 a.m. Had they really been talking for three whole hours?

"You are right" he chuckled

"I didn't notice it was that late" Lily snorted.

"Time flies when you are having fun"

James could feel Lily's smile.

"Who said I was having fun?"

"Big mistake, you are actually annoyed by my irritating voice, right?"

Lily chuckled "Very irritated!"

"Knew it"

Lily laughed making James's heart melt.

"Have a good night, Potter"

"We are back to Potter? Aaw..."

Lily giggled "Go to sleep, James"

"That's better" he bit his lip "I like it when you say my name"

Shit! He was stepping over the line.

"Sweet dreams, Jaamees..." he imagined Lily rolling her eyes.

"As long as they are with you"

Definitely stepping over the line.

"Bye, Potter" Lily said but she was amused.

James smiled "Bye, Lily"

Lily was the one to hang up first but James felt the goofy smile on his face already. His face red, his ears burning but his happiness so loud it was contagious.

James loved Lily Evans. It could explain why he missed her already. He just talked to her for hours but it was never enough. He wanted to see her face and smell her perfume and if he was lucky kiss those lips...

James snapped out if it. Better not get his hopes up.

James felt he was practically floating when he reached his room. His parents were asleep already and the house was quiet.

He was careful not to make noise as he stepped inside.

"Done with your mellow phone call?"

James jumped and cursed under his breath.

Sirius was awake. Wearing one of James's shirts and inside his bed.

Sirius had his own room at the house by this point. Although he never slept in it. He had been attached to James like glue this summer. Especially after what happened with his family. Everytime James saw the bruise on his face, he wanted to kill Sirius’s father.

"Bloody hell, you scared me" James whispered, charged into his pijamas and got inside the covers next to Sirius.

Sirius stared openly the whole time.

"Couldn't sleep" Sirius explained "Came to see you but you were busy"

James grinned in response. He couldn't hide how happy talking with Lily made him.

Sirius was not pleased.

"How's Evans?"

"Beautiful!" James sighed as he leaned down "I mean well! She's having fun at the McKinnons"

"With one of Marlene's brothers, I presume?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Padfoot!" James protested trying not to sound jealous.

Adam and Cole were too much older for her.

"Joking" Sirius shrugged.

James stared. His best friend was upset. He had that face James knew well when he pretended to be fine but was dying inside. James could see inside his eyes how many things were going through his mind.

"Pads... Want to talk?"

"About Evans?" Sirius made a face.

"About you..."

"You look like a fool with your face all red and probably your dick hard"

James rolled his eyes.

"We are in good terms, best terms" he smiled. "I lose track of time when I talk with her"

"You lose control of your cock as well"

"Fuck off!"

It was Sirius who James wanted to tell his feelings about. He wanted to share his happiness with him. He wanted advice. He wanted to tell him he might be in love.

"Summer is about flings" Sirius snapped "She's probably having fun with different blokes..."

James blinked at him.

"Many things can happen at the beach"

James smiled slightly "Thank you for being so gentle with me"

Sirius grinned.

"She is having fun with you as well, messing with you over the phone"

"Lily is not like that"

"Lily, is it?" Sirius scoffed "You know her very well now, don't you?"

James was being patient.

"I reckon I've been getting to know her better"

Sirius clenched his teeth. James knew he was trying not to explode.

"How nice!" Sirius said sarcastically "Prepare to be in the friendzone forever!"

James wanted to do something to fix Sirius. To do something to make him feel better. He was a mess because of his fucked up family.

"What is it dear Pads?" James said with a cheeky smile "Are you jealous?"

He said it mostly to make a joke and make Sirius laugh. But it was surprising to see Sirius go red as a tomato.

"You are getting red!" James teased because Sirius had done the same. He poked his cheek.

Sirius got furious and pushed his hand away.

"Fuck off, Potter!!" he spat "I'm just watching your back. That girl is going to break your heart really fast! Then you will be crying around the corners like a baby and I don't want to deal with that!!"

And James was taken aback. Because Sirius was not joking anymore. It made James feel impotent not to help him.

"I really like Lily" James said carefully.

Sirius’s eyes filled with tears but he turned around and laid showing James his back.

"Let's just go to sleep"

James took a deep breath.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, Pads" he said "But you are my best friend. And I want you to be happy for me and support me with this. Lily might like me back or she might not. But I reckon it is my business to discover it. And yeah if she breaks my heart, I hope I can count on you to get the pieces back together... "

Sirius didn't move.

"I'll be the happiest man in the world when you fall in love for the first time, you know?"

Silence. Another sigh.

"Good night, Padfoot"

James took off his glasses and turned off the lights. What he didn't see was that Sirius was silently crying next to him. Because of the confusing feelings he was facing. For James. For Remus. And the whole mess with his family.

Sirius wanted to hug James, cry and forget about everything forever. But he was a coward to admit it.

[shatcey]

༺ ƇꓴƬƸ ƓⱤꓴ𐒄ꝒƳ Ƈ𐤠Ƭ༻

Part 1 ~~~ Part2 ~~~ Part3

It was unexpected. I didn't plan on writing this, but the scene popped into my head so well that I decided to write it. It's just jokes and teasing. I'm not particularly happy with the voices of the characters. But… this is the best I could do in such a short period of time. I hope the next part will sound much better. Kate/Alfons/Victor. Around 1300 words.

ALFONS!!!

I stand in the parlor and think about what else I can do if he doesn't show up. I really need his advice. More than anyone else. But lately he's been playing hide and seek with me more often. And I'm definitely losing.

It all started a few days ago when Ally unexpectedly dropped that Victor's birthday is nearby. He didn't mean anything by it… just some random thought of his. But I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. Victor has done so much for me and the whole Crown, and I really want to give him the best gift. But… what can I give him that he can't get on his own? What makes him happy at all?

I thought about it over and over again and realized that I needed help. So… I decided to ask Ally. But… he suddenly disappeared. He likes to play this game from time to time. But it's usually not that hard to find. It feels like he's deliberately hiding from me. Odd…

The voice of my beloved brings me back to the real world.

Could you stop doing that?

I turned to him and was surprised to see that he was extremely serious. Not typical at all.

What?

Shouting my name throughout the castle.

I blink in surprise.

Why? It's more effective than running around looking for you.

Are you so sure I'll come to you next time?

I don’t know. But you did it… several times already…

He took a deep breath and sank into the nearest chair. I moved closer to him.

I need your help with…

No!

Hey! I haven't even finished.

No, I'm not going to help you find a present for Victor.

How does he know? I wasn't talking in my sleep, was I?

Why not?

You really don't understand?

What?

With an exaggerated sigh, he got up, went to the bar and poured two glasses of alcohol, muttering to himself.

How did I manage to get stuck with you of all people?

I showed the wonders of acute hearing.

You are lucky.

He turned to me with two glasses in his hands and, meeting my gaze, raised an eyebrow.

Not a hint of sarcasm.

Why should it be sarcasm?

He smirked and held out his hand with the glass in a silent offer. I take it without any questions.

Don't you think we should discuss something that's going to happen… before Victor's birthday?

Hah?

Alfons sits down in a chair and pats his knee in an inviting gesture. I completely ignore this and take another chair.

Really? How could the woman forgotten about Valentine's Day?

Oh, right… I've never had anyone I could be with…

Well, I have now! So… do you have any plans?

In fact, I do.

Aaaaaah…. Then there's nothing to discuss.

Back to Vivi!

You don't know when to stop, do you?

You knew that from the beginning.

Unbelievable…

Ally shook his head exaggeratedly. Oh, my drama queen! I took this as a sign to continue.

I've been thinking about it for a long time… and I couldn't think of anything special. So I need your very versatile brain.

Excuse me?

It was a compliment.

Alfons opened his mouth to say something...

I was thinking about how busy he is.…

Well… he's the queen's aid. Of course he's busy. I don't envy him.

So… maybe we could ask the Queen to give him a day off?

Blank expression.

Really?

Well… a day off is a good start, isn't it? He'll be happy.

He takes a sip and looks at me with a strange mixture of pity and adoration.

Do you really think you can meet the queen on a whim? And besides… I highly doubt she'll grant your wish…

Oh…

He's right. It's not that simple. I should have thought of this much earlier. Even if I ask William for help.… No, I will never ask him. I still feel uncomfortable around him… Those eyes… no! Don't think about the eyes!!!

Oh, my cute Alfons and my cute Robin. Have you discussed me?

I jump at the sound of such a familiar voice, as if my thoughts about him summoned this very person. I scream reflexively:

NO!

Alfons snorted and took a long drink from his glass.

I came to my senses, cleared my throat and answered calmly.

We discussed… I almost said St. Patrick's Day... no, it's too early for that... Valentine's day.

Awww… I love St. Patrick's Day!

So am I! It's so bright and fun.

Victor and I smile happily at each other.

You haven't forgotten that I'm standing next to you, have you?

I turn my gaze to my lover and smile reassuringly.

Of course not, Ally. How could I?

I definitely forgot. How could I forget? His eyes are to blame… they seem to hypnotize, attract all my attention. I can't help myself. Victor looks at Alfons and smiles to himself, as if made up with something.

Valentine's Day, you say… Could you include me in your plans?

Victor smiles radiantly, as if it's perfectly normal to interfere with dates. I don't remember him ever being that… tactless.

Absolutely not. It's a lovers day.

I don't think it's a good idea either… but if we spent some time together, maybe it would give me some clues.…

But that would be so lovely… We could bake something together and…

No, really…. you two are something else!

Well, thank you.

Awww, it’s so sweet of you to say…

…Unbelievable…

He put the empty glass on the table and leaned back in his chair, as if saying that he was not going to continue this conversation.

So… What plans do you have in mind?

I don't know. Ally didn't tell me about them…

But my words made him change his mind. With a note irritation in his voice, he said

Are you seriously considering including him to our Valentine's date?

Aaaaa…

Why? No, really... I don't understand how… What have I done in my life to deserve you?

You’re so sweet…

 It wasn't a…

Awwww… I can endlessly look at these chirping lovebirds.

We answered at the same time.

He's not a bird. He's a cat!

She's not a bird. She's a cat!

Pause. Alfons and I look at each other.

I'm not a cat!

You most definitely are.

Of course you are, my dear.

I look from one smiling face to the other and growl angrily.

You've got to be kidding!

Such an adorable grumpy cat… I really like ruffling your fur.

Victor reached out to tousle my hair, but Ally stopped him in his tracks.

Vivi!

And when she looks so angry… this is a sign that you need to tease her even more.

Alfons!

Not Ally?

No. Alfons.

Oh… she IS angry.

So cute…

Alfons tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was no lighter than a feather, but it didn't have the usual effect on me.

How peculiar. You look like you're about to start biting.

You understand cats so well…

Oh, now you admit it?

I'm not a cat! Damn you!

Why are they doing this to me? I'm not a cat. Nothing alike!

I hate! Both of you!

I turn around and run away from these terrible men

As soon as she was out of earshot, Victor's ever present smile disappeared. His eyes are darkening, as if the last specks of light have been absorbed into them, and even his face looks sharper than usual. Alfons smirk at this metamorphosis.

So… what did she suggest?

Nothing. She has no idea, so she asked me.

Victor smiles tenderly and adds barely audibly

...Cute...

Don't you think you could help her?

Why? I'm a real villain…

Besides...

You don't want her to become even more interested in me, do you?

Alfons didn't answer deep in thought.

These two will be the death of mine. In a more sense than one.

Part 1 ~~~ Part2 ~~~ Part3

dividers by thecutestgrotto

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🔝 𝕊𝕋𝔸ℝ𝕋 ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 🔝

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[4lexnilsen]

“a monster.   oh,  boo-hoo,  i’m a monster now because i don’t do as you say.”   daddy would be here if he only knew she needed him.   she simply didn’t have the time to send him an S-O-S.   he rolls his eyes,  biting the comment back when these dark brown eyes flicker up to meet his with an emotion that he can’t quite decipher…   rage?   betrayal?   train of thought lost on him as she delivers a mike tyson worthy punch,  nearly making him trip.   his hand immediately flies up to touch the sore spot,  the thick fabric of his puffer jacket served as a cushion,  an additional layer of protection,  but his muscles are still burning underneath.   nerve endings on fire.   his eyes well up with unwanted tears.   “what the fuck’s that for?!   i was just trying to make you look presentable.   right now you could pass for pennywise’s little sister,”   he sneers,  rubbing his arm and blinking away his tears.   “stop it,”   he mocks in a high-pitched voice,  shaking his head because she’s just too dramatic.   he hasn’t done anything to her.   

“i was just trying to help you,  you priss!”   he says loudly,  laughing when she grabs a fistful of his sweater and pulls him down to her level.   it’s only when she takes a hold of his other arm,  moving so fast that he can’t even react before it’s too late,  that he shuts up.   giggles turning into screams of pain.   electric current racing through his arm,  radiating from his wrist all the way up to his shoulder.   he begins to squirm and considers stepping on her foot to make her let go,  but she’s loosening up.   this time,  he just stays quiet,  rubbing his abused limb and glaring at her.   fucking bitch.   she could have broken his arm.   “you think you can just threaten me?”   he feigns confidence to save what’s left of his pride,  even if deep down he’s pretty intimidated.   “i’ll say what i want and we’ll see who gets to keep their teeth.”   what if he said that she’d been sleeping around with him?   yeah,  okay,  harry might try to punch him,  but he’s not really all that scared of harry…   besides,  something tells him that ugly boar would direct his anger at her rather than him.

lingering beside the raven-haired girl’s side as she lunges at one of harry’s idiot friends next,  alex can’t help but lift his brows and whistle at the revelation.   harry leaving with another woman?   what a surprise!   his arm is still burning,  joints sore where she’d twisted them,  and he should feel no compassion towards her but…   suddenly,  it all begins to make sense.   so harry really is cheating on her.   must be why she assumes she’s doing sarah a favor by exposing his behavior.   must be why she thinks he’s incapable of staying faithful.   it makes his heart feel all weird,  heavy and fluttery at the same way.   his stomach twisting when he catches a glimpse of her expression.   “give me that,”   he grumbles,  unceremoniously slipping his hand into the pocket of her coat,  pulling out her car keys.   it might be her father’s car,  but he refuses to trust her to get them to wherever harry’s having his fun at safely.   he’s not letting her drive.   “hey,  you!”   he calls out after the guy,  whatever his name is.   “where’d he go?   where can we find harry?   her father has some really urgent message to pass on to him.   it really can’t wait till tomorrow,”   he fibs,  unsure why he’s still here,  trying to help helena uncover her boyfriend’s infidelity when he should be on his way back home.   he doesn’t even have to say anything,  looks like their relationship’s about to get flushed down the drain.   there’s his payback.   too bad it doesn’t taste so sweet,  after all.

"is daddy here, right now, helping me deal with a monster? no." the raven haired girl snaps, eyes immediately become widened at gravity or alex's strength yanking her back. as if that wasn't enough to get her blood pressure sky rocketing– the material of his shirt is roughly digging into her skin causing her face to hurt and burn that she's shoving away with a quick turn of her face. at this point, believing he's trying to suffocate her. her fist balling, SLAMMING it into his bicep once they're inside the lounge blaring loud pop music that he's dragging her into by her arm. "STOP IT," yelling over top of it, eyes serious and angry as she seethes and stares up at him, "i'm not your rag doll you can just SHOVE around," hand clutches onto his shirt, yanking him down here. other hand grabbing his hand that's wrapped around her small arm and twisting his backwards, pressing hard on that sensitive pressure point she knows where to dig her thumb into thanks to a lot of time put into self defense to bring a lot of pain, "put your hands on me one more time and i will snap your wrist like a twig." it's already been thought about, no one else would've hesitated this long and she shouldn't even do so now after he had the audacity to put his grimy hands on her like that and jerk her backwards by her coat. "it would do you better to keep your mouth shut." still twisting hard, teeth gritting, "harry's not going to believe you anyway and if you open your mouth... you might lose a few teeth." when she rams her fist in his jaw, that's not a threat, that's a promise.

"hey helena! what are you doing heree?" a drunken slur of one of harry's friends gets her attention, having her quickly spinning on her heel. "wait. you are helena..." the blond points out and causes her confusion, "yeah?" what does that mean exactly? "oh, that's weird." he chuckles, holding his drink in hand, "why's that weird?" she questions, to which she earns hesitation before he finally comes back and blurts, "beee-cause. harry just left. some time ago. can't 'member... with another dark haired girl. juss' like you?" that causes her heart to drop, feeling the heaviness of it SINKING deep into the pits of her belly. "what do you mean? when?" then he pretends he didn't just unload that on her and starts to turn, to which helena reaches out and yanks her next victim by the shirt for the second time tonight, "when?" she demands this time. "ohhh jee-sus, okaay. okay. umm," swallowing, harry's going to kick his ass now, trying to squirm out of his feisty girlfriend's grip. her hands just grip TIGHTER. "ten! ten minutes ago but don't tell 'im okay? don'ttt." letting his shirt go now, he runs off and she's left silent with mixed emotion creasing her brows. calculating what to do next. after one more second of thought, taking her phone out of her jacket, contemplating if she should call, text or... another option.

[justanerd1234]

Me: Questioning if I’m actually AroAce or if I’m just being attention seeking and it’s all been a lie this whole time.

Allo person: *says or does pretty much anything related to a non-platonic relationship*

me: Why did I ever doubt myself? (I will repeat this process approx. once a week)

[mishy-mashy]

Shh.. Do not disturb.. they are sleeping....

[violetscanfly]

Doodled him some time ago

[missluthorwillseeyounow]

“Your sister found me because she was ready.”

Kara frowns. “Ready for what?”

“For the truth.” Lena replies simply. “To wake up and leave the lie behind.”

“The lie?” Lena’s words bring back echoes of Alex’s message. The Matrix still has you… You’ll find me, if you’re ready to wake up. “You mean… the Matrix?”

“Yes.”

Kara leans forward, her attention caught. “What is the Matrix?”

Lena sighs, her eyes clouding over. “I’m afraid no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. Right now, all I can tell you is that the Matrix is everywhere. It’s all around us. It’s in the air we breathe, in everything we touch…”

Lena ventures a hand between them to touch Kara’s, their hands connecting in the slightest. And even though she knows that she’s not really touching Kara’s hand, her mind feeds her the sensations of it — the softness of Kara’s skin, the gentle press of her flesh under Lena’s fingers.

Lena draws her hand away, and Kara follows it avidly with her eyes. “For you to know what the Matrix is, I have to go back to the beginning. Or at least, to where it begins for us.”

Or, the Supercorp Matrix AU

[So I found an old Matrix AU from a different fandom while I was rooting through my drive, and I thought it could be retooled into a Supercorp AU. Little did I know what I was inviting into my brain, but here we are suffering the consequences. (And now I have 2 different supercorp Matrix AUs. Great.) Spoilers ahead for the OG trilogy.]

In the movies, Neo is the One, but there are other Potentials. Each Potential displays extraordinary abilities beyond the standards of normal. Kara and Lena are both Potentials. Either one of them could be the One.

It begins in the Matrix, when Lena gets adopted by the Luthors as a little girl.

The Luthors are a picture-perfect family. Powerful, affluent, and respected. The father, the mother and the golden son. And Lena - smart, angelic and pretty, the perfect daughter - is the ideal addition to make their picturesque family complete.

Except when she's about 4 or so, it becomes apparent that Lena is not like other children.

It's immediately clear that her intellect far surpasses people four, five times her age. Lena is sharp and brilliant, able to grasp complex concepts most adults cannot. She seems to see the world around her in a different way.

The Luthors are no strangers to gifted children, their son Lex was deemed a prodigy at around the same age. At first, Lionel and Lillian take this as yet another proof of how exceptional Luthors are, and Lena is proudly displayed as their indigo child.

But Lena's talent develops as fast as she does.

Soon, she begins to exhibit strange, unexplained abilities. An expensive Waterford crystal goblet in Lionel's hand explodes when Lena has a tantrum. Once, Lillian walks into her playroom to find Lena having tea with her dolls, and when Lillian enters, all heads turn to her. Lena's and all four of her Madame Alexander dolls.

Her intellect begins to surpass what defines “normal” intelligence. She predicts and successfully foils an assassination attempt against Lionel. She prevents Lex from getting hit by a driver in a car chase five blocks away.

The last straw comes when Lena finds out that the cleaning lady's five year old son has cancer.

Lena convinces Alma to take her to see him. Five hours later, a tearful Alma brings the little girl back with something akin to wonder in her eyes. "Your little girl is an angel, Mr. Luthor. Bendecida por la Virgen. She cured my Carlos! She took away his sickness! Ella es un milagro de Dios!”

However, far from seeing it as a miracle, the Luthors circle the wagons. The next day, Lena finds out Alma has been dismissed, and a shift occurs in the Luthor household.

When Lena's abilities were within the parameters of "normal", they were good, something to be proud of. But now that her gifts have proven to be beyond that, they become alien, freakish. Something to be hidden. People would be asking too many questions, and Luthors do not permit those.

Suddenly, instead of being lauded for what she is able to do, Lena is now scrutinized and examined to find out what's "wrong" with her. It begins to strain the family that is obsessed with order and perfection.

They take Lena to various doctors and put her through all sorts of tests, but none of them seem able to find an explanation for Lena’s strange abilities.

Until they meet Rhea, an educator who runs an exclusive facility for “gifted” children.

An elegant and well-spoken woman, Rhea seems fascinated by Lena. Her teaching “methods” seem vague, but out of all the specialists Lena has seen so far, she is the only one who seems to understand and make a connection with her. At the very least, they seem to speak the same language. Rhea knows about this Matrix Lena has been talking about.

Rhea asks Lena if she wants to find out what the Matrix truly is. And when Lena agrees, Rhea takes the little girl to the Oracle to confirm her suspicions that she is a Potential.

Lena is taken to a tall building, riding all the way to the top floor with her little hand in Rhea’s. On the 64th floor, they enter a glass office in which an imperious looking blond woman sits, watching her with a piercing eye.

“Leave us.”

The woman orders sharply, slanting a glare at Rhea. She is at least 6 inches shorter than Rhea, even in heels, but her tone and her face brook no argument. Rhea retreats with a seething sneer, but she complies.

“Now, you,” the woman turns to Lena with a dark look and a raised brow. It fails to intimidate Lena, who has lived with Lillian Luthor’s pointed glares for the past three years of her life. “Do you know why you’re here?”

Lena merely blinks at her. “Because I know things.”

The woman scoffs. “So do I. Doesn’t make you special.” She gestures around her at her office with a spectacular view. “I know things too.”

Lena’s eyebrows rise as well. “Not everything.”

The woman’s glare intensifies, but Lena stares her down. After a moment, a corner of the woman’s mouth lifts, and she barks out a laugh. “You’re a smart one, aren’t you?”

Lena clasps her hands behind her back. “So I’ve been told.”

“Do you know who I am?”

Lena nods. “You’re the Oracle.”

The woman snorts delicately. “Did Rhea tell you that?”

Lena regards her solemnly. “She didn’t have to.”

The woman’s eyes narrow at her, but Lena says nothing more. She is scrutinized for another moment before the woman smirks. “Alright. Since you’re so smart, why don’t you tell me what you already know.”

Lena blinks at her, responding to the woman’s scrutinizing gaze in kind. “I know that you’re not human.”

Another laugh, this time louder. Piercing blue eyes gain a twinkle of mirth. “Very good. What else?”

“I know that you’re not real.”

The woman scoffs disdainfully. “Real is an abstract concept.”

“I know that I’m dreaming, and none of this is real.”

The mirth suddenly vanishes from the woman’s gaze, and her blue eyes stare at Lena intently. “What do you mean?”

Lena sweeps her little arms across the room. “This. All of this. Everything. It’s not real. It’s just a dream.”

The woman is leaning forward now. It looks to Lena as if she is holding her breath. “And what makes you think that?”

Lena chews thoughtfully on her lower lip. “Have you ever read Plato’s allegory of the cave?”

The woman’s eyebrows rise and an amused smile dances over her lips. “Of course.”

“It feels like that. Like the people chained to the walls of the cave, watching just shadows and reflections. Other people — even my parents, even Lex — they look around them and think that this is the real thing. But all we’re seeing are just shadows. Sometimes it makes me feel confused and blurry, like I’m dreaming, but I can’t wake up.”

The woman hums and her hands form a steeple under her chin as she continues to observe Lena.

"In the story, the prisoner who is freed into the sunlight was angry and in great pain after being in the dark for so long. Why would they go through that? Why not stay in the comfort of the darkness that they’ve known all their lives?”

Lena’s gaze doesn’t waver. “Because they would finally know the truth. They wouldn’t be living in a lie anymore. They would be free.”

A smile spreads across the woman’s face, and the nod she gives is almost approving. “Is that what you want?”

“Only if you tell me the truth.” Lena nods solemnly. “Will you tell me the truth, Oracle?”

“I’ll tell you everything you need to know.” The woman chuckles. “And one more thing. Call me Cat.”

Despite their animosity toward each other, both Cat and Rhea decide that Lena is more than ready for extraction.

The only problem is that Lena, at 6 years old, is one of the youngest children to be extracted so far. Because she’s so young, it’s decided that her family should be brought with her too. Lex, by then a teenager, is given a choice: to stay in the Matrix, or go down the rabbit hole, as it were.

Lex chooses to follow his family, and the Luthors are extracted by Rhea. They are brought on-board her ship, the Daxam. All four Luthors are taken to Zion, and told the truth about everything — the lie of the Matrix, the human harvest fields, and the fact that there is no going back.

That’s when it all goes to hell.

Lionel barely lasts three months.

Unable to accept the truth that his life of power and control was all a lie, and unwilling to believe that he now exists in a world where his name holds no weight, he somehow escapes Zion and finds his way to a human pod to try to inject himself back into the Matrix.

They search for him for weeks, and eventually they find him in the pod, impaled on the metal breathing hose stuffed into his mouth with the end sticking out the back of his head.

Lillian lasts longer, but this is no comfort.

Torn from her privileged life, her resentment begins to build and build, as she’s forced to accept her new reality.

Her perfect life was stolen from her. The high-paying job, the distinguished career, the unlimited influence, the beautiful house, the comfortable lifestyle — all gone. All apparently just a dream.

And now, Lillian has woken up to the dirt and drab and heat and toil of Zion’s underground, with nothing to show for her former life but the daughter she didn’t even ask for. The same daughter who is the very reason she’s trapped here now with no chance of going back.

She refuses to reconcile with her new reality, but she is no weakling like her husband. Instead, she lets the ugly, bitter ire fester inside her over the years, until it finally comes out.

One night, Lillian enters the rough, tiny cave that has become her unwilling home, creeps into the alcove carved into rock where her teenaged daughter sleeps and pours acid over her.

Lena’s screams wake others in the neighboring dwelling, and healers are immediately dispatched to tend to her wounds. Thankfully, Lena was turned away in her sleep, and the burns were limited to her back.

By the time her condition is pronounced stable, Lillian is gone.

Without her parents, Lena is taken in by Rhea to live with her, her husband Lar Gand and their infant son, Mon-El.

Rhea keeps Lena very close, almost jealously so. She prizes the young girl above all else in their household. Most of her time is devoted to teaching Lena, training her using the fight simulations and programs on the Daxam, instructing her on how to pilot the ship.

For Lena — who had grown up under Lillian’s growing resentment and bitterness, who had just survived a horrific attack on her by her own mother — Rhea is a godsend. Under Rhea’s maternal affection, Lena thrives. She pushes her own limits during her training, masters techniques with unparalleled speed and unerring accuracy, devours knowledge programs downloaded into her mind every time she’s plugged in. She blooms under Rhea’s freely-given praise, and works harder, starved as she was for acknowledgment and affection over the years.

As Rhea’s son, young Mon-El, grows up without displaying any unique abilities, he is often shunted to the side. Despite their age-difference, Lena makes a conscious effort to spend time with him, to give him the same nurturing Rhea is giving her.

She teaches Mon-El how to make repairs to the ship, explains how the thrusters work, how the pads keep the ship in balance. He’s most fascinated by the robotic armed exoskeletons that are kept at the dock for the city’s defense. He often asks Lena to take him to the bridge to watch them, and the two of them watch the exoskeletons being loaded, Lena leaning on the top rail, and Mon-El perched on the middle one, his skinny legs swinging in the air. As Lena smiles, the young boy boldly tells her that one day, he’ll pilot one of those.

It feels… nice. Almost like having a brother again. It feels like a second chance

After all, her own brother — well, that bridge was burned a long time ago, and Lena tries not to think about it.

But it’s hard to forget when she sees him all time, a nightmare come to life, whenever she’s plugged into the Matrix.

Lena will never forget the first time she saw her brother there.

Lex had abandoned them, had left his mother and sister in Zion years ago, as soon as he was of age. She’d tried to find him, had spent weeks, months, looking for him, to no avail.

Finally, Lena had been forced to accept that Lex had met their father’s fate. He could’ve been attacked by sentinels, gotten lost in the mechanical sewers, or worse, attempted the same thing Lionel had.

Either way, the result was the same, and the guilt and pain of it had been agony, but Lena had accepted it.

Until the day she met the Agent.

Most agents were already nigh indestructible, with their speed and brute strength, not to mention the internal communication they kept with each other through the program.

But this one… this one stayed on Lena’s tail with a dogged, malicious ferocity that she couldn’t shake off. It had been dangerously close several times already as he chased her throughout the dark, rain-soaked city streets. She couldn’t get a good lock on him, and it was all she could do to follow Jack’s instructions to the nearest extraction point.

Lena’s almost there, sliding into the booth, hand outstretched to grab the phone — when she sees it.

The Agent wearing her brother’s face, a feral smile stretching his lips as his fingertips brush the corner of her dark coat. The grin turns into a snarl as Lena lifts the phone to her ear, and he misses her by a millimeter.

It had been only a second, but… it was Lex.

Lena was sure of it. So sure that she had spent months hacking into the system with Brainy’s help, trying to find out what the hell was going on.

It takes six months of hacking into the mainframe to discover the truth. Lex had succeeded where their father had not. The son had surpassed the father.

Not only had Lex somehow managed to get himself reinserted into the Matrix, the anomaly of his presence in the code had also caused a glitch in the system itself.

It takes another encounter with Lex — in his new regalia of a generic black suit, bland tie and FBI-issued sunglasses — sneering at her as he points a gun at her head, to realize yet another knife-wound truth.

Her brother has become a virus in the Matrix.

________

Kara’s experience in the Matrix could not have been more different from Lena’s.

More than a decade before Lena was born, Kara Zorel was like any normal thirteen year old girl. She went to school, hung out with her friends, had a crush on the boy living next door. She got straight A’s, and volunteered at the local senior home.

Her quicksilver mind that could spot things others couldn’t was easily considered as part of her intelligence. She was a very smart girl, after all. Her obsession with puzzles and codes was easily filed away as a quirk or a phase she was going through until she found a new hobby.

Everything about her life seemed to be on track to become ordinary, until the day of the accident.

At least, they told her it was an accident. Kara doesn’t remember any of it. All she really remembers is waiting for a train at a subway station. She remembers her father mentioning a Trainmaster who would take them away, somewhere new. To a new home, her mother had said. [This is from the 3rd movie]

And then nothing.

Kara thinks she must have been dreaming, because she can remember being left alone in that subway station — the walls were blank and a sterile white, with nothing to indicate the presence of life except Kara herself sitting on the otherwise empty bench. She can remember the feeling of waiting, waiting endlessly for the nothing that would come — no trains, no other passengers, no one else at the station with her. She can remember running along the platform tirelessly, only to end up in the same place she’d started from. She remembers the feeling of being left behind and trapped and scared. Mostly scared.

And then the next thing she knows, she’s awake on a hospital bed with Eliza Danvers sleeping on the chair next to her.

The Danvers had found her on the train platform, curled up, unconscious, on the same bench she’d dreamed of. They’d thought she was a runaway, or a missing child, but the FBI agents who had come to Kara’s hospital room had told her that her parents were dead.

An accident, they’d said. A subway malfunction that had taken out a whole car. Under investigation, the man in sunglasses and a dark suit had reassured Jeremiah and Eliza in a monotonous voice.

With no one to claim her, no other family to speak of, Kara is taken in by the Danvers. They’re good people, kind and understanding when Kara wakes up in the middle of the night with nightmares of being trapped in a white sea of nothingness.

When Kara wakes up crying and sweating, Eliza is there to soothe her and rock her in her arms until she fell asleep again. When she tells Jeremiah that everything is too loud and bright, he sits her down and teaches her to calm her thoughts and meditate.

Alex, who had gone from being an only child to having an anxious, high-maintenance little intruder in her room, is less than happy about the situation. She keeps her distance, and gives Kara cold glares from across the bedroom or ignores her completely.

Until one night when Alex sneaks back into their room from the concert she’d snuck out to earlier, and finds Kara sitting on one corner of her bed with her knees curled up. With Alex gone for most of the night, Kara had been alone and had refused to fall asleep, terrified of having nightmares again.

With only a little bit of grumbling, Alex tosses all their pillows and blankets onto the floor, and drapes one of her sheets over both their beds to make their first blanket fort. The first of many.

Curled up on the floor next to Alex, Kara sleeps soundly through the night for the first time since waking up without her parents.

Still, despite slowly settling in with the Danvers, Kara can’t shake the feeling that something is off.

It feels as if everything around her is just a little bit off-kilter. As if the world had somehow changed in the time she’d been unconscious. Or maybe she had. Either way, it feels as if both Kara and the world around her know on some level that she’s not supposed to be here. Perhaps it’s because she was meant to die along with her parents. But by some unknown anomaly, here she is, half of her present, half of her straining to join her mother and father wherever they are.

It’s not a reflection on the Danvers. Kara couldn’t have asked for a better family to care for her. And she cares for them too. Over time, Kara gains a sister she would die for in a heartbeat, instead of a roommate who barely tolerated her presence when she first arrived. Her definition of ‘mother’ slowly expands and makes room for Eliza in her heart. She finds a man to respect and admire in Jeremiah.

Still, the feeling of being out of place persists throughout the years, always in the back of Kara’s mind.

Tragedy strikes when Jeremiah disappears.

It happens quickly, too quickly. One day her foster father is there, the next he’s gone. The only clue the police get is the last voicemail on Jeremiah’s phone.

The message starts with Jeremiah’s voice, reminding Alex that he’ll be picking her up from softball practice later, then it cuts off abruptly without warning.

Ten seconds later, another voice is heard through the other end, this time a smooth monotone. It sounds nothing at all like Jeremiah, and it sends a chill down Kara’s spine.

“The Luthor girl escaped again. She has eluded us one too many times for a human. She cannot avoid the inevitable…. Send the Brother. Next time, she dies.”

Nothing is found at the scene but Jeremiah’s phone. No evidence, no ransom note, no explanation for the strange message, nothing to trace, nothing to at all to suggest that Jeremiah Danvers was there. The blank-faced FBI agents offer no sympathy when they inform Eliza of the news in a smooth, apathetic monotone.

[[In case it’s not clear, Jeremiah got turned into an agent by the other agents who were chasing Lena during one of the times she was plugged into the Matrix]]

Their little family is shocked and reeling, but they cling to one another in their grief. Kara remembers something her mother always used to say. Stronger together, Kara. Life is hard, and we cannot face it alone. We must be each other’s strengths. We are always stronger together.

Still, life goes on. Keeps moving on, even after tragedy and loss. Sometimes, Kara feels as if the world is in constant motion, its inertia having no time to waste on a young girl who feels as if she has been left behind.

The sense of alienation increases, and Kara is diagnosed with depression. Which only serves to increase her family’s concern, and puts a near-permanent look of worry in Eliza’s eyes.

So Kara puts on her brightest smile and hugs her foster mother. She talks more, smiles wider, laughs louder, and makes more friends to go out with so she’s not at home alone in her room which no longer has Alex in it.

Alex goes to college, then med school, the chip on her shoulder large enough to be seen from space. She’s determined to find out what really happened to her father, and Kara knows how stubborn she is.

But she only really finds out how serious Alex is when her older sister declares that she’s joining the FBI, and no amount of talking from either Kara or Eliza can dissuade her.

And it’s not as if Kara has a leg to stand on. At least Alex has a purpose, a direction. Meanwhile, Kara has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She meanders around after college, a little bit lost and floundering. She’s intelligent, her professors said, but she lacks focus.

Eventually, she gets hired at Catco as an assistant to the big boss herself, Cat Grant.

All of 5’4” in heels, the woman herself strikes fear into the heart of every intern roaming the halls. It’s impossible not to snap to attention when her private elevator dings and she steps out. Each click of her heels is a reminder of the power she wields, and honestly, Kara is a little terrified of her.

But she straightens her spine and her glasses, tucks her hair behind her ear, and refuses to be cowed.

And it’s as if Miss Grant takes it as a challenge to break her, because her demands become more and more unrealistic, more and more impossible. But something inside Kara tells her not to back down, to stare her right back, and wait her out. Cat Grant is a puzzle, and Kara has always been good at puzzles.

The key comes in the form of Carter Grant.

Cat tasks Kara to pick her son up from school one afternoon, and Kara finds the young boy waiting for her right outside the school gates. He’s a very sweet boy, a little shy, but he eventually tells Kara about this comic he’s been reading about a young superhero named Supergirl.

As he begins to brighten up talking about his new favorite character, Carter doesn’t notice the car coming from the other side of the street. Neither does Kara at first. But something inside her tells her to turn around.

Maybe it was a sound, an instinct, and unconscious observation too quick for her mind to consciously process. Whatever it was, it had her turning just in time to see the car heading straight for Carter.

She barely has time to pull the boy back to the sidewalk, and the car almost clips him. Almost.

“Are you okay??” Kara hurriedly checks Carter for any injuries or signs that he’s shaken up. Other than the boy’s wide eyes, he seems to be fine.

“That- that was amazing! You were so fast, Kara! You were like Supergirl! How did you do that?”

As they walk back home, Cart gushes about how awesome Kara’s save was, how she was as fast and strong as Supergirl. Kara laughs it off, but the relief that the boy is okay lingers.

The second the front door closes behind Kara, Carter pulls out a phone and scrolls through the contact list until he finds ‘Mom’.

When Cat answers, he whispers excitedly into the phone. “She did it! She was even faster than Lena by 0.02 seconds!”

“Good. Did she say anything else?”

“She mentioned her sister. Are you going to tell the Manhunter? Is J’onn going to pull them out? Or maybe Lena can come? I like it when she comes to visit.”

A rustle of paper in the background, and Cat drawls in an almost bored voice. “Not yet. She’s not ready.”

[[In this AU, Carter is a computer program designed to assist the Oracle. Kinda like Seraph in the movies. He and Cat have a very unusual relationship. He was just supposed to be a simple program to help ward her, but he was designed to be charming in an innocent and disarming way to help distract from his real purpose. Cat developed a fondness for him, so when he tries to protect her when she’s in danger, she ends up shoving him behind her and protecting him.]]

On the anniversary of Jeremiah’s disappearance, another tragedy rocks the Danvers family.

Alex Danvers disappears.

Eliza is inconsolable, but Kara… Kara is numb, at first. Denial is always the first instinct of the human mind when a shock is delivered to its system. There’s talk of a search, trying to find out where she might have gone, her usual routine, any places Alex frequents — it all rolls over Kara’s head. They’re looking for a body, but that’s not how Alex is gonna be found.

Unlike Jeremiah’s disappearance, Alex’s is not without a trail. She is an FBI agent after all. There will always be a trail, and like in most FBI cases, it can be found in the absence of one.

In this case, it’s Alex’s computer. It’s missing.

The more Kara thinks about it, the more it galvanizes her. Kara knows Alex, knows her quirks and her habits. She didn’t have many friends outside of work, mostly people from med school she’s since lost touch with. No, anything that happened to Alex would be connected to her work, and Alex kept all her work files in that computer.

She throws herself into finding it. Find it, and she finds Alex.

For months, Kara follows every lead, every loose thread she can find, all in the hope of finding the computer. Every time she comes across a dead end, she doggedly retraces her steps until she can find another lead. The chalkboard in the kitchen that used to house her grocery list desk becomes a list of all possible locations. Her desk at Catco is a disaster of papers and post-it notes — a receipt from Cat’s dry cleaners here, the number for Annie Leibovitz’s assistant there, and Alex’s bank statements piled on top.

All the while, Cat watches her. Observes her tenacity, her ability to find patterns that no one else would’ve noticed, her keen attention that allows her to find details that other people would’ve ignored.

Finally, after nearly a year of looking, Kara finds Alex’s computer in a security deposit box under the alias Alice Liddell.

It takes her all night, but Kara manages to gain access to Alex’s documents. She finds file after file on Alex’s investigation into Jeremiah’s disappearance. Articles on similar disappearances all over the world. Some incidents are identical to Jeremiah’s, some with more of a trail. The victimology is all over the place, but in certain cases, there is a disturbing pattern.

A number of the disappearances occur in National City, and nearly all of them have one thing in common. They’ve all been patients or relatives of patients at the Luthor Family Hospital — a stroke patient and his fiancee, a woman in a car accident, a man with a gunshot wound, an old lady with Alzheimer's and her widow, even three children from the cancer ward and one of their mothers. Most of these people were deceased, but there must have been some reason Alex thought otherwise. And if she was right, then there is something very disturbing going on in the Luthor Family Hospital.

Kara keeps searching the files, and finds a certain devolution in Alex’s notes. Towards the end, she seemed more and more disorganized, her thoughts more and more disjointed. And Kara feels a terrible sense of guilt at not noticing what her sister was going through.

Throughout the files, she finds multiple references Alex made to something called the Matrix. She stumbles upon a mess of a pdf that she’d originally thought was gibberish, but upon closer inspection actually more closely resembles computer code. And in the middle of the unintelligible tangle of letters and symbols, she finds a question.

What is the Matrix?

Just as Kara is trying to make sense of the question, a new message alert appears in Alex’s inbox. Kara stares at the screen. It originated from Alex’s own email. Frowning, she clicks on the message, and her eyes widen as she reads.

I’m alive.

Kara springs forward so fast, she almost dislodges the laptop from her kitchen counter. She tries multiple times to reply to the message, but nothing happens. Kara growls, and almost as if the computer can sense her frustration, another message appears.

I’m alive and I’m out.

Kara’s brows furrow. What? What the hell?

The Matrix still has you, Kara.

Kara’s frown deepens and she looks around her, checks the computer. Is this some kind of prank?

I’m sorry I had to leave, but you can’t follow. Not until you’re ready.

Ready for what, Kara thinks.

Ready to give it all up. Ready to wake up. You told me once that you felt like everything since you woke up in the subway station has felt strange, like a dream. You were right, it is. And you’ll find me, if you’re ready to wake up.

Kara’s jaw drops in shock.

Follow the white rabbit.

The message flashes across the screen for a moment, then the monitor goes black. Kara snaps it shut and pushes it as far away from her as she can.

That — what was that? A-a trick? A hallucination brought on by the lack of sleep and her hyperfixation?

She could check it again, turn the laptop back on and click on the messages again — but suddenly Kara is gripped by fear, and denial feels more like a comfort.

She packs away the computer, stowing it under the desk where she can’t see it, and goes to bed. She doesn’t sleep until 3 AM.

But of course, Kara is no coward. She’s never been one to back down to her fears. In the morning, armed with a cup of Noonan’s coffee and a clearer mind, she opens the laptop again.

She doesn’t quite have the courage to check the messages yet, but she finds another article. This time, about the [head] of the Luthor Family Hospital, a woman named Lena Luthor.

It takes no time at all for her quick mind to make a connection, but it takes a while for the rest of her conscious brain to catch up.

Luthor. She’d heard that name before. In a voicemail, the only thing left of Jeremiah Danvers. “The Luthor girl got away again.”

Lena Luthor.

That can’t be a coincidence. Alex had been looking into their dad’s disappearance, and the Luthor name has already come up more than once, and now a female Luthor.

All the research she does on Lena Luthor comes up with next to nothing. Other than business articles and some papers in several scientific journals, there’s very little mention of the woman. So far, all Kara knows is that Lena Luthor is the CEO of one of the leading tech companies in the world, dedicated to providing accessible technology and communication devices to billions of people all over the globe — their new L-Phones are popping up everywhere. She’s also apparently a brilliant scientist and researcher, invested in scientific research to help prevent and cure diseases. She also owns and is directly involved in the running of the Luthor Family Hospital, a facility known for innovative and experimental medicine.

And for all of her work and accolades, there has never been a single photograph of this woman past the age of 6. Nothing. This woman’s image has never been recorded in any way, in any kind of media, in any event, in all the years that she has been running L-Corp. How is that even possible?

Now, Kara’s definitely suspicious.

Three days after the computer is found — plenty of time for thinking, but not too much time to do something stupid, she thinks — Cat makes her move.

She summons Kara to her office and delivers her ultimatum, in the form of an offer.

“Y- You think I have what it takes to be a reporter?”

“You’re an intelligent woman, Keira. But more than that, you can see things others can’t. You observe far more than people give you credit for. You could have a bright future here at Catco.”

Cat surveys her intently over her glasses. “It’s your choice. You can take the job, or you can keep wasting your life going down this rabbit hole.”

Cat gestures toward Kara’s messy desk, but again Kara’s quick mind gives her a nudge. That’s the third reference she’s heard in as many days. Rabbit hole. Alice. White rabbit.

Kara asks Cat for time to think about it, but really, she’s already made her decision. She uses her connect as Cat’s assistant to set up an appointment, introducing herself as Kara Danvers from Catco, writing an article about the Luthor Family Hospital.

The assistant confirms that Miss Luthor would be delighted to give Catco a glimpse into the facility to bring awareness of the work they do, and confirms the time.

When Kara arrives, she is directed to the children’s cancer center. When she sees the whimsical mural of a white rabbit hopping along a trail on the walls, she knows she’s at the right place.

Kara follows the mural until she reaches a room at the end of the hall. A soft feminine voice floats down the hallway and reaches Kara’s ears.

“To begin with, tell me, do you think that these men would have seen anything of themselves or of one another except the shadows cast from the fire on the wall of the cave that fronted them?

How could they, he said, if they were compelled to hold their heads unmoved through life?”

Kara walks closer, drawn to the sound. She stops just outside the door to what is clearly a child’s hospital room. A little girl in white pajamas and a colorful bonnet sits cross-legged in the middle of the bed, listening to the dark-haired woman sitting on the chair by her side. The woman’s back is turned to Kara, but she can see the book she’s reading from. Plato.

“By Zeus, I do not, said he.

Then in every way such prisoners would deem reality to be nothing else than the shadows of the artificial objects.”

“Quite inevitably.” The little girl on the bed quotes with a smile. Kara hears a soft, amused hum from the woman.

“Consider, then, what would be the manner of the release and healing from these bonds… When one was freed from his fetters and compelled to stand up suddenly and turn his head around… and lift up his eyes to the light, and in doing all this, felt pain…”

Kara sees the moment the reader realizes that she’s there. The woman’s head turns just the slightest, and Kara can see her sharp, elegant profile silhouetted in the light. She keeps reading, but at this point, they both know she’s aware of Kara’s presence. Kara continues to listen silently.

“What do you suppose would be his answer if someone told him that what he had seen before was all a cheat and an illusion… But that now, being nearer to reality and turned toward more real things, he saw more truly?”

Just then, the little girl’s eyes snap up to meet Kara’s, and big black eyes blink owlishly at her. “Miss Lena, we have a visitor.”

The woman finally turns, and Kara gets her first glimpse of Lena Luthor. Cut-glass green eyes are perceptive as they take Kara in, and a small smile plays on the corner of red lips.

“So we do, Zuri.”

She sets the book down on the bed beside the child and rises from her seat, a pale hand extended. "Kara Danvers, I presume?"

It takes Kara a second to reply, unable to take her eyes off the woman. There’s something arresting about her, something that could probably stop anyone in their tracks. Even the way she tips her head to survey Kara is fluid and mesmerizing.

Clearing her throat, Kara takes Lena Luthor’s proffered hand. “Yeah – uh, yes.”

The woman's smile grows. "I've been expecting you."

For a moment, the words make Kara's stomach flutter, then the 'duh' moment hits her. Of course she'd been expecting her, they had an appointment. Kara's face flushes red. "I've been looking forward to meeting you, Miss Luthor."

Green eyes gain a look of amusement and crinkle at the corners. Lena Luthor looks as if she has a secret, or like she’s in on a joke Kara doesn't know. "Not as much as I have, I'm sure."

Kara's brows furrow in confusion, but before she can ask the woman what she means, the Luthor bends down and kisses the top of the child's head, before heading out the door and gesturing for Kara to follow.

[[I just love the idea of Lena reading the Allegory of the Cave to the children like she did when she was a kid, as her way of preparing them, a way of telling them that yes, extraction will hurt, it won't be easy to accept the truth, but they will be free].

[Also in this AU, the extraction points used to be the pay phones like in the movie, except those got phased out once the machines figured out that’s what the resistance was using. So Lena developed the L-phones, and made it so one would always be easily accessible. That’s the work she does at L-Corp]]

After their tour of the hospital concludes, Lena watches Kara walk out through the double doors, throwing a friendly wave behind her. As soon as she's out of sight, she pulls out an L-phone.

"Well, she’s persistent, I'll give you that."

"Told you. Who do you think she got it from?”

“I see stubbornness runs in the family.” Lena hums in amusement.

A chuckle from the other end of the line. “You have no idea.”

"How close is she?"

Alex’s voice turns business-like. "Well, she’s made the connection to you, and Kelly’s seeing some sizeable fluctuations in the code, so I'd say she’s getting there. J’onn thinks she might be ready soon. He says she’s responding quickly for someone who hasn’t had as long to adjust. Sooner if you prepare her, probably.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“Rhea,” Lena can hear the seething disdain Alex’s voice, and thinks her mentor is probably standing over Alex’s shoulder as they speak. “Would like me to remind you that the sooner we pull out my sister —“ Lena can almost see her glare at Rhea. “The sooner you can get back to the Daxam, and this can ‘all be over with’.”

Lena shakes her head. “I’m not pulling her out before she’s ready. The consequences could be disastrous.”

“Yeah? Try telling that to your Captain.”

They’re interrupted by an excited young voice. “Hi, Lena!”

“Mon-El?”

Alex snorts over the line. “Yeah, can you believe her? She brought the kid over just to get you to ‘speed things up’.”

“When are you coming back, Lena? I miss you! I snuck into the dock last week, but M’gann caught me. She said she’d teach me how to make shells if I promised not to go past the bridge again. And Imra asked if she could come with us the next time we go to the bridge to see the loaders, I told her yeah. That’s okay, right?”

Despite the seriousness of their situation, Lena can’t help but smile a bit at the young boy’s enthusiasm. “Of course she can. I’ll be back soon, Mon-El. Stay out of trouble, and do what your ranking officer says.”

“Okay, kid, you heard the lady. Go bother Brainy and Kelly at operations. It's about time you learn to read code anyway."

Lena can hear the boy grumbling in the background, but he obeys. As soon as he's out of earshot, Lena goes back to business.

“Start a trace for Kara's pod location, and standby. Be ready to plug in when I tell you to.”

"Copy. J’onn’s gonna try to get us as close as he can, but it's the fields. We can never be too careful. And Lena…? Try to make it easy for her."

Alex’s voice softens at her request, her concern for her sister evident in every word, and Lena understands. Just as Alex understands that there is nothing easy about the truth Kara will have to see.

"I'll do what I can."

This is not the last time Kara pays her a visit.

Under the guise of her article, Kara returns to Lena again. And again.

The first time she comes over under the guise of an interview, she stays until lunch. And then takes Lena to lunch, partly to make up for ruining her schedule, and partly because the CEO confesses that she often forgets to eat throughout the day.

They eat at Kara’s favorite lunch spot, Noonan’s, where Kara is aghast to learn that Lena has never tried any of their desserts despite the café being less than a block away from L-Corp. They end up trying nearly every dessert on the menu. Or at least Lena samples a little bit of everything, and Kara finishes it all off.

They part, with some reluctance on Kara’s end, three hours past Kara’s allotted time, but Lena assures her that it was worth clearing her schedule, considering how much she enjoyed Kara’s company.

It’s only after she’s no longer in Lena’s presence that Kara realizes she’d all but forgotten about her purpose for coming, which was to interrogate her about the suspicious disappearances at the Luthor Family Hospital, and about Lena’s possible involvement in Alex’s own disappearance.

She returns, this time with the flimsy excuse of bringing Lena lunch now that she knows the CEO won’t remember it herself. Lena suggests they go out to the nearby city park to enjoy her break there.

Lena leads her to a bench on a hill and they sit there quietly, enjoying their view of the park. Lena gives Kara a shy smile. “I like to come out here sometimes. When everything becomes… too much. Sometimes, everything around me just feels so wrong and… fake. Especially with what I do. It feels like none of it, none of this is real.”

Kara turns to look at her fully, a crinkle in her forehead, and Lena wonders if she's pushing it. “What do you mean?”

“Have you ever had that feeling where… you’re not sure if you’re dreaming or awake? And you’re not quite sure if anything around you is real or not?”

Lena chances a look at the other woman. Kara is looking back at her, eyes wide and intent. It takes a moment, one long moment where Kara is just staring at her, as if trying to puzzle her out. Then she nods.

“Yeah. All time.”

“That’s how I used to feel.” Lena holds her gaze, steady green meeting wondering blue. Kara is so close right now, so close that Lena could tell her. How easy it would be if Lena could convey the truth just by looking into Kara’s eyes. But she’s not ready yet. Lena drops her gaze with a soft laugh.

“I guess I was just thinking, if none of this is real, then none of my problems there would be real, either.” She gestures back at L-Corp with a wry smile.

Kara takes the bit, and her smile softens, blue gaze losing some of its intensity.

Kara fails her mission again that time. And the next. And the next. It feels as if she forgets her problems when she’s with Lena. For the first time in a long time, it doesn’t feel like she’s out of place. The world doesn’t feel so wrong when she’s with Lena, or at least, it doesn’t bother Kara as much. She feels like… herself.

As for Lena, she knows they’re running out of time, and that the agents will catch wind of them soon. Especially since Kara is on the precipice of the truth.

But for the first time, Lena finds herself delaying the inevitable. It’s unlike her — the Potential who has spent her whole life freeing as many minds from the Matrix as she can; the second-highest ranking officer and chief engineer of the Daxam, who seizes every situation with a level head and a calm command.

“What are you doing, Lena?”

Rhea’s voice is an imperious snap, even over the line. “You have never spent this long in the Matrix since I pulled you out. You’re putting yourself in danger for a simple extraction. It shouldn’t be taking this long.”

“No extraction is ever simple. I told you, she’s not ready.”

“I know you and that Oracle—” the word is practically a hiss in her mentor’s mouth. “—think that this woman is a Potential, but if she really were that special, she would’ve been ready a long time ago. You were ready long before I found you.”

“This is different—“

“Why? Because you’re sweet on her?”

Lena’s eyes narrow. “You know that’s not why.”

As soon as Lena’s tone gains an authoritative edge, Rhea softens. “I know, my dear. But you know how I worry about you being plugged in for so long with… Lex out there. Besides, you have been neglecting your duties on the ship. Your crew needs you, Mon-El needs you. Come back home, Lena.”

Lena relents. “I will. Soon.”

But ending her time with Kara is easier said than done.

It may be selfish, but around Kara, Lena feels lighter. Her responsibilities don’t weigh as much, and the bleakness of war vanishes in the company of someone so earnest and warm and hopeful. Kara is… resilient. In spite of all that she’s been through, she remains strong, determined, and most incredible of all, kind.

Lena watches Kara with the children — the youngest Potentials, who see the wrongness of the world around them, but aren’t ready yet to be pulled out — and watches her pull gap-toothed smiles and belly laughs out of even the most solemn ones.

She extends this kindness, even to Lena — over daily reminders to eat and take care of herself, to lunch dates she tags Lena along to because she thinks Lena will forget to eat otherwise.

Once, after a successful extraction of one of Lena’s children, a somber Kara brings a small bouquet of plumerias to the little girl’s empty room. She finds Lena sitting next to the child’s empty bed.

“I’m so sorry.” Kara plucks a single plumeria from the bouquet, before setting the flowers on the girl’s pillow.

Lena shakes her head, a serene smile on her face. “Don’t be. She’s free. She’s in a better place now.”

Kara, not understanding her words, gives her a sad smile. She takes Lena’s hand and presses the single plumeria into her fingers. “I’m sure she is.”

Every day, Lena fails to tell Kara the truth, wanting to prolong their time together. And most of all, wanting to spare Kara for just a little longer. Lena can’t bear the thought of being another person who adds to everything Kara’s gone through, of being the reason why that smile dims a little more, or worse, never appears again at all.

Her hesitation nearly costs them everything.

[athena-xox]

Wait okay another hc to go along w my last one here me out okay?

In cedars sdcc letter it mentions like that her and her friends are stuck as puppets and because cedar has experience as a puppet she can help her friends escape and who are the other friends stuck as puppets? Maddie, Raven and Apple.

Then she says that she thinks the puppet master is going to hand them over to EQ. HELLO?!?! OKAY ?!?!

Then she says if you can distract him I get get a potion to turn my friends back human. This part isn’t really important but I want to talk about it anyways. We could maybe assume she’s talking to a specific character to save them like cerise or kitty but I think it’s more likely supposed to be the reader. Idk I just think that’s interesting knowing what we know from the legend shadow high.

Back onto the theory, somehow cedars plan fails and the puppet master hands over cedar, Maddie and raven keeping cedar for his show.

Who are the only three who appear in the labyrinth from eah in the lost movie? That’s right Apple, Maddie and raven.

So the lost movie happens and because we don’t get the ending here’s what I think happens, not both of these but either of these could bring us to the next part:

The evil queen curses the narrators to not be able to see ahead because then they can change the story but she actually totally messes up timelines for everything, causing people and narrators to collectively forget things

The protagonists realize it’s dangerous for the worlds to be connected so they magically close all portals like what the gimms did to wonderland. And unfortunately, like wonderland monster high provided essential things to the world of ever after which is plot continuity (because monster world scares the story in line - idk sue me)

And of course a general ending and cedar is saved blah blah blah. Either way the eah girls forget about monster high because it’s been erased from their memories

And then later the legend of shadow high happens

That’s my explanation for how the lost movie/all the eah x mh connections can co exist with the legend of shadow high. And how in legend a lot of it doesn’t line up with previous canon

[coquelicoq]

life hack!! shift your sleep schedule up two hours by being so bored and depressed that at 10pm five nights in a row you find yourself thinking "the only way to salvage this day is through the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness" and then immediately going to bed so you don't have to figure out another way to pass the hours ✅

[sysig]

Bowtie Charm! Inspired by @zarla-s​‘ super cute rendition hehe 💕 (Patreon)

Bonus collar breakdowns:

Changes depending on the doodle!

[keeps-ache]

i think i tapped on the explore page by accident some minutes ago, i've been scrolling for a good sec like 'why is this on my dash. i don't know any of these people. what's going on' lmfsvh