#sometimes that’s just what we need

[kj-yikes]

8. Poet

(on ao3 here) (note: this got out of control AND barely fits the prompt. Oops?)

"Oh! I forgot!" Kara says as she spins around from the door to Lena's office and digs through her bag. "I made you a mix CD!" She produces the CD and hands it to Lena. It's in a clear plastic case with a slip of paper in the cover, listing out the tracks in blue pen.

"A mix CD?" Lena asks curiously, turning it over in her hands.

Kara nods vigorously, a slight blush on her face. "Yeah! I used to make them all the time when I first got to Earth. All the kids at school would make them, and it was a way for me to learn Earth culture. You know, through music," Kara's voice breaks a little, like it does when she talks about her early years on Earth. "It kind of became a way to express myself. Alex and I would make each other mix CDs all the time. And, in case you don't have a CD player anymore, ta da!" Kara digs around in her bag and produces a blue portable CD player with what look like 20 year old headphones. "It still works, I tested it yesterday. Though, you might want to use different headphones. Those were the ones I used as a kid, and I blew out the left speaker," Kara rambles as she passes the CD player over.

Kara is always an odd one, but Lena absolutely adores that about her. She can always count on Kara to liven up an afternoon with a funny story, a silly joke, or a random surprise like this one.

"Thanks, Kara. That's really sweet of you," Lena says, smiling. Kara grasps the straps of her bag and shifts her feet.

"It was nothing. Just something that made me think of you. Of—of us." Lena's heart skips a beat. "Let me know what you think of it," Kara says with a wink before opening the door and waving goodbye.

Kara has to get back to Catco for an editorial meeting, but Lena doesn't have any other meetings for the rest of the afternoon, so she crosses to her desk and rummages around in a drawer for a new set of headphones. She plugs them in and inserts the CD, putting the headphones over her ears.

It starts out pop-y with some of their mutual favorite throwbacks, but then it shifts tone gradually to sweet, sincere ballads mixed in. It's a good CD, she thinks as she listens to it while skimming reports and budgets that afternoon. Lena gets lost in her work as the music plays.

It's not until the end of the second listen through that she really starts paying attention more closely than just the catchy beats.

Is Kara trying to say something with this CD?

She ponders this on her drive home, listening to the back half of the CD again in the backseat and in the elevator up to her penthouse.

Unlocking the door, she kicks off her shoes and throws her bag on the counter. She goes through her evening routine, changing into comfier clothing and settling on the couch with the headphones still over her head.

Lena feels her phone buzz and she flips it over.

Kara: So what do you think about the CD? Did you listen yet?

Swiping her phone to unlock it, Lena pulls up her contacts and dials. It rings for a few moments, until she hears the call connect.

"Lena? Hey!"

"I need your help."

Sam laughs. "Yes, nice to talk to you too, Sam. I'm so glad your day was great!"

Lena winces. "Sorry, Sam, I'm distracted. How are you?"

"I'm just teasing. I'm good. Ruby and I were just making brownies," Sam says. Lena can hear dishes clanking in the background.

"Oh, I didn't mean to disturb! I can call back later." Lena feels a pang of guilt. She knows Sam has been busy with the Metropolis office and probably hasn't had much free time to spend with Ruby.

"No no, it's no problem honey. What do you need?"

Lena sighs, burying her face in her hands. "Ugh, I don't know, I think I'm reading too much into it."

"Reading into what?"

"Okay, so, today Kara gave me a mix CD that she made. For me."

There's brief silence on the other end of the line. "A mix CD? For you?" Sam asks, her voice remaining neutral.

"Yeah. I don't know. She said it made her think of us and she used to make them as a kid," Lena elaborates.

"What's on it?"

"Some throwbacks, and some… love songs? I don't know, some of them are songs I've never heard before." Though Lena appreciates all kinds of music, her tastes tend towards moody classics like Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman.

"And what do you think of the CD?" Sam asks.

Lena hesitates. Her relationship with Kara had always been…different, but not in a bad way. Closer than any friend she's ever had, dancing the line between friendship and something more. But Lena had always attributed that to Kara just being Kara — sweet, kind, fiercely loyal, affectionate.

Plus Kara's never mentioned being anything but straight, even if sometimes Lena catches her staring. And, sure, Kara makes certain that some part of her is touching Lena at all times when they're sitting on the couch for movie night and kisses Lena on the cheek when she says something silly about the endless musicals. But that's just how Kara is.

"Some of these songs are kind of…romantic?" It comes out more like a question, which is uncharacteristic for Lena. "I feel like I'm reading too much into it, but… is Kara trying to tell me she likes me?"

"What's the problem with that?" Sam asks. "You've been in love with her for years."

"Sam!" Lena whisper-yells into the phone.

Sam lets out a huff. "Oh, are we not talking about Lena 'I spent millions of dollars to buy a company for my best friend slash love of my life' Luthor, who couldn't stop making heart eyes at one Kara Danvers for the better part of the year I was in National City? So sorry," Sam teases sarcastically.

"Kara's straight," Lena says quietly. "We've been over this."

"Says you. But okay. We can figure this out." Sam shifts into problem solving mode. "Do you have the track list? I have a teenager. She'll know the recent stuff if I don't already know it."

"Yeah, hold on." Lena snaps a picture of the track list on the cover of the CD and texts it to Sam. She hears the chime of Sam's phone over the line and waits for Sam to take a look. After a few moments, Lena asks, "Well?"

"Lena, she put girl in red on this album. I don't think there's any question here," Sam is fighting back a laugh.

"I don't understand," Lena says slowly.

"Saying you listen to girl in red is like, code for 'I'm a lesbian,'" Lena hears Ruby's voice a little quieter over the phone, as if she's talking from across the room. Her eyes widen as Sam exclaims Ruby's name.

"Ruby, I'm trying to talk to Lena, babe." Lena hears a rustle as Sam picks up the phone. "Sorry, Lena, you're on speakerphone."

Lena closes her eyes and buries her face in a hand, propped up on the couch arm by her elbow. She lets out a quiet laugh. "So you're saying," she begins, "that not only is Kara gay, she also likes me."

"Sweetie, Kara is in love with you," Sam says gently, as if she's trying to break hard news. "She always has been, as long as I've known her."

"All this time?" Lena practically shouts in alarm. "Why didn't she ever say anything? I thought she was straight!"

Sam mutters something that sounds like "useless gays" and sighs. "Maybe she has, and you never realized. Or maybe she's just now saying something, with this CD. Either way, you need to decide what you're going to do about it."

They wrap up the conversation, with the promise to Ruby that Lena will share any updates as soon as she can (the teenager seems all too invested in Lena's love life). Lena hangs up and opens her text messages with Kara. Typing quickly, she sends a short, "I love it! Thank you ❤️" to buy some time.

Lena grabs the CD player and puts the headphones back on befor stretching out on the couch with her sweatshirt-clad arm over her eyes and a small smile on her face. She listens carefully to each song, looking up lyrics for ones she's unfamiliar with. She learns new artists — girl in red, Chappell Roan, Kehlani — and hears new tracks from some familiar favorites like Taylor Swift. She analyzes the lyrics like poetry, reading between the lines and the notes to extrapolate meaning and apply it to her relationship with Kara.

By the end of the second listen, Lena has decided three things: one, she really should talk music more with Kara, as they have pretty similar tastes. Or at the very least, Kara is excellent at making recommendations that Lena would like.

Two: this CD was definitely trying to say something, and,

Three: Lena really wants to say something back, and soon.

Lena opens Spotify on her phone, and an hour later, she has a respectable playlist created. Not wanting to overthink her decision, she names the playlist "Kara ❤️," changes the playlist photo to a photo of Kara eating ice cream that she took over the summer (it's also her phone lockscreen), and sends it to Kara.

Lena rubs her eyes tiredly. She didn't realize it was almost 1 am. With a contented sigh, she rolls off the couch and gets ready for bed.

Lena is just about to side into her bed and sink into her mattress when she hears a knock. Brow furrowed, she flips on the light in the living room and walks to the balcony.

"Kara? Is everything alright?" Lena asks, concerned, as she slides the door open. Kara steps in, looking breathless, clad in her pajama shorts and an old t-shirt. Lena closes the sliding glass door and turns around, and that's when she feels solid arms wrap around her and the absolute softest lips pressing against hers.

Kara is kissing her. Kara is kissing her. And Lena is kissing back, bringing her hands up to cup Kara's cheeks. She stands on her tiptoes, desperate to get closer.

They don't break away until long moments later, Kara slowly pulling back and resting her forehead against Lena's and looking absolutely devastating. Lena smiles slowly.

"Listened to my playlist, huh?"

Kara laughs, a melodic sound that makes Lena's heart swell with affection. "To be completely honest, I never made it past track five. There were two songs in the first four called 'Kiss Me.' I think I got the hint."

"Guess I wasn't subtle, then," Lena says slyly, taking Kara's hand and leading her to the couch. She pushes down on Kara's shoulders until Kara is seated, then she climbs into Kara's lap.

"Not exactly, but then again, neither was I," Kara gets lost in kissing Lena slowly for a moment before she pulls away. "Or at least, I didn't think I was, but then you didn't say anything and I worried I upset you and—"

Lena cuts her off with a kiss.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show.

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[yayll]

~ a little something about waking up next to Dazai, and he's unbearable as always ~

"I might just eat you alive..." He mumbles to himself, barely audible. His eyes are half-lidded, and he's barely blinked.

He's been watching you sleep next to him curled up like a kitten for the past hour, way past the time you usually wake up. He's the oversleeper, not you, and it makes him hyper aware of your bodily functions and if they're okay. He hasn't eaten properly in days, but you don't need to know that. He's rabid, and he knows he's being a total freak right now, but who will worry for you if not for him? He must rise up to be the voice of reason, the watchful eye that keeps you on track even if he can barely keep himself alive! He wishes you'd stay forever, where he could avoid his problems and take care of your every single need. He should be everything you need... He hopes. Then you'd never leave, and he would make sure to eat more, just for you. How perfect... selfish.

God, he just wants to crawl inside of you and make you his home, it's almost pathetic. You'd find him vile for the things he would do for you and your happiness, despite you already being so accepting of his dark past... You're simply heaven sent. He takes a deep breath, and lightly runs his knuckles down your jawline, as if carving them out of the precious material that you're made of. You begin to stir, and his pupils dilate instantly as he pulls back with anticipation.

"Mmm... Osamu..."

You murmur sleepily as your chest rises up and down ever so slowly. He's freaking out. It's bad for his health to hear the way you say his name as if it were a healing oath, a spell that only works on him.

"Wakey wakey~"

Dazai's propping himself up on one elbow, a calculating smile plastered on his lips as if he were in on something you weren't. You pop open one eye, and groan softly.

"You're up... early"

"Yes!"

"Why..." You yawn like the silly little thing you are. He gasps in mock offense, clutching his chest.

"Can't a fortunate guy like ME just be happy that we both live to see another beautiful day?!"

He winks, and boops the tip of your nose, this gets a muffled snort out of you that causes you to bury your face into the pillow. He's addicted to the rush of causing any joy in your life, it's disgusting. When you don't lift your face back up, he scrunches up his face, and reaches out to stroke a strand of your silky hair, but his intrusive thoughts win and he tugs on it as payback for possibly falling asleep again. He needs your attention, and you're sleeping? Insanity. You swat at him, blindly smacking his arm away.

Oh, how he loves that you're the only person who truly sees him past his myriad of theatrics.

"Oh my... a slap from you feels wonderful!"

He rubs his arm, and grabs the hand that swatted him, bringing it up to kiss the pulse point on your wrist. Feather like kisses, almost undetectable... until you lift your face up from the pillow, finally.

He gazes at you as he rubs his face onto your hand like a cat greeting its owner, purring as if he were starved for affection. For a moment, his gaze becomes more serious, detached, as if he were thrown back into a distant memory. He can't describe the feeling, but the way your hand feels against his cheek is a warmth he hasn't felt in ages. His eyes sting, and he blinks the wetness away before you can notice as he hears your angelic voice again. He's back to his usual self.

"Osamu... You're being annoying"

"You think I'm just annoying?~"

His voice comes out in a tender whisper, his mouth curled up into a mischievous grin. He's insufferable. He could be anything for you if you wanted it. Especially annoying! He almost drools when you roll your eyes affectionately at him, the coldness in his heart disappears as he leans in just a little, invading your personal space as always, eager to hear your reply.

"Amongst other things, yes..."

You flash him a sweet little smile, and it mends all that is wrong in the world. The pink in your cheeks is starting to turn red, and it sends him to the moon. He hums, slowly nuzzling himself into the crook of your neck, it's his turn to curl up. You run your fingers through his messy hair that tickles you, feeling the warmth of Dazai's breaths against the back of your ear.

"Hmm, do I look like a pillow to you?"

He can hear the smile in your murmur, and he pulls back from your neck briefly, peering at you through his messy bangs, those intense hazelnut eyes demanding your attention, and his voice drips with an aching devotion that oozes like honey. he moves his lips to your ear, and whispers.

".. You look like an angel to me."

He watches you self destruct at his painfully smooth delivery of a compliment, and secretly rewards himself for once again giving you another reason to never leave. He's got it all!

Romance, self deprecating humor, an inability to properly process his emotions and grief, but more importantly, an undying commitment to stay alive against all odds so that he may see another day of you in his arms... or you helping him change his bandages... or-

He's cut short by you grabbing the sides of his face and pulling him into the most sinfully delicious kiss known to man, and he could swear that despite all his efforts, this might be what ACTUALLY kills him.

[idolomantises]

I'm ngl i kinda wish people wouldn't look at a character I create, see that they're mean, and then immediately assume by default they're actually super tragic and a sad woobie. And I'm not even saying this to be like "people need to appreciate 2-dimensional villains!" because I don't agree with those people either.

It's like if a character is a jerk, it either needs to be justified with a sad backstory, or they need to be a saturday morning cartoon villain. it can't just be a part of their personality.

[uncanny-tranny]

I think it would really benefit people to internalize that mental illnesses are often chronic and not acute. Some of us will never be able to jump the hurdle of managing illness, much less sustaining a sense of normalcy. Many of us will never "recover," will never manage symptoms, will never even come close to appearing normal - and this is for any condition, even the ones labeled as "simple" disorders or "easy-to-manage" disorders.

It isn't a failure if you cannot manage your symptoms. It isn't a moral failure, and you aren't an awful person. You are human. There's only so much you can do before recognizing that you cannot lift the world. Give yourself the space to be ill because, functionally, you are.

[egophiliac]

LEON

LEON YOUR EYEBALLS

[bread-wizards]

I actually think Dorian and Orym should fight more.

Remember when their slowly building tension over and entire episode (full of passive aggressive remarks and blame throwing) led to threats? And how after, Orym thanked Dorian for handing over the crown sadly because he knew Dorian would be mad at him? And Dorian couldn't even look at him because he was legitimately hurt, thinking Orym was disappointed in him for doing what he thought was right? That was peak.

The fact they went from that to their current closeness and trust is the best part of their entire dynamic. Their relationship was hard fought and still will be. They will fight for it because they respect and care for one another deeply, and their disagreements don't change that, only improve it.

[randomalistic]

Wait you guys are actually buying Disney products I thought it was a joke

(READ TAGS FOR FULL CONTEXT Sorry it’s long dies

[stuckinapril]

used to daydream about fairytale reconciliations after pretty much every platonic or romantic fallout i ever had, but sometimes it’s healthier to just accept that someone will never own up bc they don’t think you’re worth the trouble. anyone who truly cares would move mountains just to make sure that they communicate w you if they truly want to rectify the situation. but sometimes it’s their ego getting in the way, sometimes they have a narrative of you in their head they’re determined not to break, and sometimes they just don’t care enough about you to even consider it. they don’t have respect for the friendship or relationship in its posthumous state bc it was nothing to them, or at the very least it doesn’t eclipse their pride or their desire to appear correct in a situation or just outright the need to be done w the situation rather than be a good person. still guilty of this but i’ve been getting better at just nipping the delusion in the bud and just being okay w accepting that someone truly does not care. until they prove they do that is the assumption i go w every time. and it is saving me a lot of heartache

[crazylittlejester]

alright, i’m starting a positivity chain because i think that could be really good for people’s mental health, so it’d be real cool that if you see this you could reblog it and say one thing you really love, just one little thing that brings you joy no matter how small, that way people can scroll through the reblogs and read about a bunch of little things that make other people happy :)

I’ll go first: It always makes me smile when I come downstairs in the morning, because every day without fail my little dog will get up and walk over to me. Doesn’t matter how tired he is, doesn’t matter how slow he walks, he always comes to say good morning, wagging his little tail. And sometimes if I take too long to wake up he’ll wait outside my door and snort at me until I come give him a kiss on his little head

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 168

So. Apparently halfas are like phoenixes or something, which Danny would’ve really liked to know. 

See, usually with ghosts if they’re forced to retreat to their cores they reform as was, but apparently, since they’re still partially living, schrodinger's people and all that, halfas have to regrow their body from scratch. At least that’s what he’s understanding from Frostbite. 

But how come he has to deal with it? It’s Dan’s fault for trying to pull such a stunt! Oh, it’s either him or Vlad? Well fuck, he might have calmed down and is going to therapy in both the living realm and the Zone, but he’s waaay not equipped to raise a child except for like, monetarily wise. 

Well dammit, how long will this core incubation thing last, he has his new job in… let him check which offer he accepted again… He has his new job in Coast City that he needs to finish packing for and then all the rest of the stuff to do. 

What do you mean it’ll take months?! He doesn’t have months?! Urgh, fine. At least being a mortician isn’t that exciting, nor dangerous. Just hand him Dan’s core and he’ll figure things out for the living side of things. He’s sure Tucker and Sam wouldn’t be against helping, if only to try and claim favorite aunt or uncle spots. 

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

warlock wizard Wally scribbles... Thinkings! oh and a bonus bard-ish Barnabys in the corner for flavor

outfit ramblings:

first of all that is a Terrible rendition of what Home looks like in my head. i just needed to fill empty space </3

the staff was the toughest part honestly. bc it Had to be paintbrush-themed, but then halfway through scribbling i was like "oh shit. there are only so many ways to draw a paintbrush-wizard-staff and Weevmo already hit it out of the park." so if you're seeing similarities! you're right! i tried to make it as different as i could! there is Inspiration from their marvelous design, however accidental or subconscious! Apologies!

he gets a pointed hood instead of a hat because a) it looks great on him! and b) it has less of a chance of messing up his hair! also c) it helps muddle the difference between Wizard and Warlock. typically hoods have evil/duplicitous connotation - blur the lines! i want his long gloves and forearm wraps to have the same vibe. his neckerchief is a big help in hiding Home's seal!

his layered (loosely apple-themed) capelet (which the hood is attached to) has a nice high collar & hides the details of his loose shirt - eye embroidery! and some flowers on the shoulders but yk, mostly eyes. on one side of the shirt buttons has open eyes, the other side they're closed! there's also one big eye on his back!

his belt buckle is two halves of an apple! he wears tall thigh-high boots w/ low heels to feel Taller! he has a book-holster hooked to the back of his belt, which holds his grimoire! and he has a lil thigh-bag that has been magicked to be Bottomless and warps size! he can fit pretty much anything in there! canvases! paint! apples!

his half-skirt thing (idk what the word for it is!) is really plush, like a quilt - his capelet is the same fabric. soft, cozy. sometimes he'll use the skirt thing as a blanket in a pinch, or as a picnic placemat!

is his outfit a little Complicated? is it annoying to replicate? yes and yes. but im a maximalist at heart and Nothing But The Best for the blorbo <3 layers my beloved <3

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

None of our hands are clean

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[deoidesign]

My comic is so pretty...

The hiatus is letting me take a little extra time on these episodes, and I'm definitely putting it to good use!!!

[hyolks]

will you listen to his last song