#this was a TOUGH one

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Musician Age Gap AU Pt 7

When Kara receives a text from Lena that her ride to the restaurant has arrived, she half expects to see Lena waiting for her inside. She's only a little disappointed when to find the seat empty. What's more strange is that the driver doesn't take her to a restaurant, but rather a hotel.

Before she can wonder if maybe the restaurant is inside the hotel, a young woman emerges from the lobby and approaches the vehicle.

"Kara?" she asks a little breathlessly. Kara nods. "Hi, I'm Jess, Lena's assistant."

"Oh," Kara says, her stomach dropping. "Did she need to reschedule, or...?"

"Oh! No! Nothing like that, she's upstairs waiting for you." Jess hands her a keycard, offering a congenial smile. "Penthouse."

Blinking in surprise, Kara accepts the card with numb fingers. "And I just..."

"Yup! Staff and security are expecting you, so just go on in."

"Oh-kay..."

Jess holds the lobby door open, but doesn't follow her inside. When Kara pauses to look back, the woman is slipping into the same car Kara had just exited. As the car pulls away from the car, Kara takes a moment to collect herself.

This is fine. This is happening. And she's fine. She can do this.

Drawing her shoulders back, Kara presses further into the lobby, navigating herself to the bank of elevators with minimal fuss. When she presses the button for the penthouse suite, the car doesn't begin to move until she swipes her keycard against the sensor.

Catching sight of herself in the reflection of the doors, Kara feels flushed but exhilirated. For the first time in a long time, she feels... desirable.

When the elevator doors open, it spits her out directly into the middle of an expansive living space. Though a savory aroma fills the air, there's absolutely no one in sight.

"Hello?"

"In here!" Lena's disembodied voice calls from Kara's left. Kara drifts towards that direction, eventually turning a corner into a kitchen area bearing evidence of intensive cooking. Lena looks up from a saucepan she's stirring to grace Kara with a warm smile. "Hey."

"Hey," Kara echoes. Lena wears a stained white apron over what looks to be a black jumpsuit, pants long and elegant against her fair skin.

"I figure this is probably not what you expected for tonight, and I should have warned you, but I promise the food'll be as good as any restaurant's."

Only then does Lena seem to actually absorb what Kara is wearing. Green eyes widen minutely, then track up and down Kara's figure.

"Wow," she breathes.

A rush of pleasure floods Kara. She'd been mindful of her look even beyond the dress. She'd left her hair in a chignon, exposing the understated dangling earrings that brushed her bare neck. A gold cuff encircles her right wrist, catching the light as she leans against the island between them.

"Wow yourself," Kara returns in a low voice. She gives a teasing smirk. "I admit, when you said 'something fancy' I didn't think you meant chef boyardee."

Lena blinks, then throws her head back in a peal of delighted laughter. By the time she turns back to the pan, she has to scramble to save whatever is cooking.

"Oh shit!" she curses, still giggling as she  fumbles to turn off the heat. "That was close--- you're a menace!"

Kara lets her grin linger, watching Lena slide the pan onto a trivet. Then it's her turn to stare when Lena removes her apron, revealing a neckline that swoops lower than her sternum, accented by several strands of long, delicate chains looped around her neck. When Lena removes her hair tie, long hair spills around her shoulders.

With the intense styling from the show, her hair is soft and silky, as dark as ink in the overhead lights-- which Lena soon dims as she nods towards a small table set up with a pair of place settings.

"The wine cabinet is on that side. Care to pick something while I serve up?"

Kara readily obeys, if only to have a moment to calm her racing heart. She settles on a white she thinks will pair with the chicken she'd seen in the pan. She pretends not to see the label, one she does not recognize that she's sure is worth her half her yearly salary.

"Oooh, good choice," Lena observes when they converge at the table. As Kara sits, and Lena leans a little to deposit a plate in front of her, the inner curve of one breast becomes visible for the briefest moment.

Kara clears her throat, waiting for Lena to take her seat across the table. "You're full of surprises today," she tells her host.

"Let's just say I like to keep a girl on her toes." A mischievous glint sparks in Lena's eye as she lifts her wine glass. "To you," she toasts. "For making a certain niece slash goddaughter very happy."

"To both of us, then," Kara counters. Their glasses clink, and she's suddenly struck by how intimate her circumstances currently are. It's quiet in the penthouse, the only noise the sounds of their forks and knives clicking.

"Thank you," Lena says quietly. "For coming. I should have told you I didn't intend to bring you to resturant."

"I understand," Kara reassures her. "I can't imagine what the press would say if we were seen together--"

"What? NO. That is NOT what I meant." Lena leans forward, placing her hand on Kara's. "Are kidding? I would have absolutely zero shame being seen with you."

Kara flushes. "Oh."

"I wanted to spend time with you," Lena continues. "But being out there... it would mean sharing myself with the entire city. And the only person I want to share myself with tonight is you."

Her words descend to a low rumble, a tone that sends heat straight to her groin. She shifts in her seat, subtly adjusting in an effort to ease sudden arousal. It doesn't work.

"I hope you know how highly I think of you."

Kara's brow furrows. "That's part of what I don't understand. You don't... you don't know me."

She expects a denial, a claim of some profound connection that somehow explains everything. But Lena doesn't do that.

"You're right. We don't know each other very well. But do you know what I see when I look at you?"

"Honestly... no," Kara confesses. "I really don't."

"I see a busy woman who took time out of her evening to take her niece to a concert. Someone ran into a celebrity and didn't ask for a single thing except directions. And I see someone who saw a phone number on the back of a ticket, and had the courage to call it."

Lena gazes at her with even focus. Kara does her best to hold eye contact, until a flush creeps up her neck.

"I want to know more," she continues. She shrugs, lifting her wine glass to her lips. "Does it have to be any more profound than that?"

Kara considers her words, and to her surprise her anxiety about the whole thing begins to ease. Maybe Lena is right. Maybe Kelly is right too.

Maybe, sometimes, it's nothing more than two people enjoying each other's company. And sometimes, it doesn't need to be anything more than that.

"No," Kara agrees softly. "I suppose it doesn't."

The woman in front of her brightens even more, somehow. Lena leans back in a dignified sort of slouch, and Kara feels herself respond in kind. Her muscles loosen, and her grip on her fork eases.

"In that case," Lena says, "we have a whole evening ahead of us. Whatever shall we talk about?"

Kara meets her gaze, and relishes the energy she channels into it. Time to meet Lena exactly where she is.

"Anything you like."

---

'Anything' ends up spanning Kara's work, her family and even her limited travels, and she can't bring herself to feel self-conscious about how little it is. Despite having three times the worldliness at half her age, Lena listens with rapt attention, drinking it in.

It's easier to share than Kara thought it would be. She goes on and on, but it doesn't feel like too much, even when she figures it should be. Still, she makes a point to redirect the conversation to Lena, when they transition from the table to the couch for their second glass of wine.

"What about you?" Kara asks.

Lena snorts. "What about me?"

"Well, do you like to travel?" Kara settles into the cushions, letting her legs stretch a little. She notes the way Lena's gaze flits towards them for a brief moment before lifting back to Kara's face. "I mean, clearly you do travel, but do you like it?"

To her surprise, Lena shrugs. "It's part of the job. I don't really ever get the tourist experience, though. I think this afternoon is the closest I've come to it."

"Well, I'm always happy to be your travel guide to National City." Kara grins. "Next time I'll show you the karaoke bars I went to in college."

Lena stares at her, eyes sparkling pleasantly. "You said next time."

Instead of denying it, or trying to explain it away as a slip of the tongue, Kara tilts her head. "I did, didn't I?"

"You know..." Lena purrs, shifting to sit a little sideways, letting one finger brush the skin of Kara's shoulder. "I only had dinner in mind when I invited you out tonight."

"Mhmm," Kara hums.

"But ever since you showed up wearing this..." Lena's finger strokes the strap of Kara's dress. "I can't stop thinking what it might look like on my floor."

Kara's breath catches.

"No pressure," Lena continues, voice deep in her throat as she leans a little closer. "I just want you to know that you look.... ravishing." Lena's nose bumps the skin of Kara's neck. "And that I'd love to make you feel so, so good..."

Before she can think twice about it, Kara turns her head to meet Lena's lips with hers. Almost immediately, Lena gives a little moan, her hand coming up to cup Kara's cheek, deepening the kiss.

Kissing Lena feels less like fireworks, and more like a languid descent into velvet bliss. Lena feels soft, tastes sweet, and responds to Kara as though she lived inside her brain. Just as Kara reaches to tug Lena closer, the woman levers herself over to straddle Kara's lap. Now, both of Lena's hands are on Kara's face, and Lena's long hair brushes Kara's chest as she perches there, chin dipped to give Kara all her attention.

It's not until Lena's right hand begins to drift down towards Kara's chest that Kara pulls back for air.

"Wait," she urges breathlessly.

Lena pulls back immediately, concern plain over flushed cheeks. "Sorry. I didn't mean..."

"No, it's-- you're-- it's fine," Kara stumbles over her words. It's a struggle to form any words, let alone rational ones, past the cotton of desire stuffed between her ears. "It's just-- I haven't--"

Lena's brow furrows. "Ever?"

Kara barks a laugh. "No. Just a while." Letting her head fall back against the cushion, she sighs. "I don't want to do anything we both might regret..."

"Regret?"

Suddenly, Lena sounds small. Young in a way she hasn't before. Kara opens her eyes in time to see Lena's brightness dim, a shutter close behind her eyes.

"No, hey--" Kara reaches for her, but Lena pulls back, refusing to meet her eye. "Lena..."

"If you don't want this, you've got a shitty way of saying so."

Kara blinks in surprise at the shift in the woman's tone. But it's not anger that undercuts her words, but hurt.

"Not wanting isn't the problem," Kara murmurs. She reaches for Lena's wrist, and this time she lets her. "Usually, it is. But not this time. Not with you."

Lena looks at her, expression guarded, but says nothing.

"But I'd be lying if I wasn't afraid of what where this might lead. If tonight isn't... enough."

What had Lena said before? That she felt drawn to Kara... and if Kara were a magnet then Lena is the sun, with a gravitational field that could swallow planets-- and Kara-- whole.

"So... what do you want?" Lena asks soft.

"You." The answer is an easy one. "But maybe, whatever this is..." Kara waves her hand, encapsulating whatever invisible string was drawing them together. "Maybe it can last for more than tonight?"

Finally, Lena features soften into a timid smile. "Pen pals are cool too."

"Pen pal--!" Kara's incredulous exclamation gets swallowed by another kiss, this one soft and gentle, lingering.

"Friends, then," Lena murmurs. She looks into Kara's eyes, her gaze unfathomably deep. "And a reason to come back to National City."

When Kara leaves that night, Lena kisses her cheek one last time.

"You have my number," she murmurs, letting her hand run the length of Kara's arm as they part. "Use it."

When their fingers tangle together, Kara gives Lena's a squeeze goodbye.

"I will."

[phantomarine]

Phantomarine is updated. Ch 6 p 73.

Didn't want to work on this page. But I had to.

[theunholyvirginemilyprentiss]

(Requested by @i-live-in-spite)

SPENCER REID | anti-religious aesthetic.

— ‘I hate the church’ kind of secular

Check out my Masterlist for more aesthetic boards

[gnomey22]

Hi! Hope you're doing well!

Cast members of either season of Failtopia you think fit this alignment chart best?

Top-left is Deko Top-middle is Erica Top-right is Mar Middle-left is Chi Middle-middle is Failboat Middle-right is Shrimp Bottom-left is Smuk Bottom-middle is Rose Bottom-right is Pirahnyawn (but he knows he's lying to himself about that "great time")

[foggylikemyvision]

(I don’t know if you are still doing the SAGAU letters- If you aren’t please ignore this!)

Dear Arataki ‘My One and Oni’ Itto,

You are a true blessing in my eyes. You know how much you make me smile? I’ll tell you, my cheeks hurt a lot! Thank you for being a beautiful soul. Keep being true to yourself and leading your gang with your good heart.

With love and hugs,

The Creator

P.S. May I please join the Arataki gang? I’ll bring snacks!

To the Creator,

I've gotta say, I didn't expect to receive a letter from 'ya today! It's not everyday that you get a message from the creator themselves. I hope your cheeks don't hurt too bad, but keep on smiling for me, alright?

There's no reason to thank me for something you yourself chose, m'kay? I'll be sticking to how you made me.

The others are here with me! They're all bugging me to add some stuff in for them. Kuki says hey, too.

Accepting those gratefully,

'The One and Oni'

Arataki Itto

P.S. Of course you can! I feel the others would have my head if I denied you, the snacks are just a bonus!

[demon-slayer-kaiden]

Did Yuu's father leave immediately upon finding out Kaiden was pregnant or did it take a while/ did other things happen before he did? Was Kaiden in love with him? Has Yuu asked about her father?

ask my character about anyone in their life!

"...." Kaiden has to think for a moment and to ready herself to answer. "Satori...ugh...he didn't know I was pregnant. To my knowledge he still doesn't know he even has a daughter." she admitted crossing her arms, gripping at her sides to give herself some kind of comfort.

"As to what happened between us, I was stupid. I believed him when he told me he wanted better relations between demons and humans...I believed I loved him and he loved me..." Kaiden bit her lower lip, tilting her head back. Why does it still hurt even after 6 years? "But unfortunately for me, he cared more about gaining his power back and getting revenge on the organization than me..."

Breathing in a deep breath and slowly exhaling it, "At the moment Yuu hasn't had any interest in learning about her father. I don't even know where to start with answering those questions once she does start wondering."

[bruisedboys]

four favourites with letterboxd (tag game)

rules, pretty self explanatory but your 4 favourite films (can be ordered or not, up to you)

tagged by my lovely @bradshawed ily xx

mal’s four favourites with letterboxd! (not in order bc I can’t decide)

1. the batman

2. fantastic mr. fox

3. spiderman: across the spiderverse

4. lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring

(honorary mention: dune, part 2)

no pressure tags! @bcyhoods @oncasette @vampieteeth @thyme-in-a-bubble @spiderfunkz @inkdrinkerworld @ghostlyfleur @headkiss @wolvisms

[fitforestfairy]

When it's raining outside but you're determined to get your steps!

Spoiler: Not absolutely beginner friendly, IMO

This reminded me a lot of my old gym Step Cardio workouts! LOTS of coordination needed. I mean it! I spent a good chunk of time trying to figure out how to do the moves lol. It also requires a fairly good amount of stamina.

All in all, a really good workout but a bit too tough if you're just getting started or easing back into things.

[leah2eroes]

24 for the ask game!

24. Doggy or missionary?

im rather fond of glaring into the eyes of my victim partner, but also i unsurprisingly cant fuckin get enough of hittin it from the back. claws digging into their hips???? fuck. perfection.

(in the context where im bottoming i shall not disclose :p)

[wordycheeseblob]

💌?>:)

Honestly? I love how you're a genuine and caring person and a ride-or-die friend but also very level headed and hard working.

The list goes on.

I love your strength.

Stand proud. You're strong.

[whitherwanderer]

12 // dowdy

“No… no…”

Nathalie clawed through her wardrobe, shoving aside rejects and tossing even the slightest “maybe” across the end of her bed to try and cobble together some ensemble that might justify all the trouble she was going to.

So far, it was more rigorous work than even her field job, but if there was one compulsion she felt more strongly than any, it was not to be boring.

Almost as much as she liked going out on the town for a night, she liked to gussy up a little. Having features that were more or less all one shade of warm wood ash, color was imperative. Petal pinks, verdant greens, the occasional cherry red—nothing was totally out of her purview, and her carefully-curated collection boasted variety rather than sheer volume. She had everything from conservative-yet-fun outfits that protected her from the thick Shroud underbrush in style, to absolutely impractical pieces that were better suited for rowdy evenings in a crowded tavern where style was substance, and enough in between that she could suit herself for practically any occasion.

Tonight, there was a more difficult task than simply putting on the newest addition to her collection. After begging, pleading (and perhaps a little bit of unintended stalking), she’d finally convinced Rakaso to go somewhere fun with her. Nothing too out-of-pocket, but not so slow as to put Nathalie to sleep after two glasses of wine: a little musical variety show Rakaso mentioned having visited before. Rakaso herself would be familiar enough with the place to be comfortable, and Nathalie would have no trouble easing into a new experience. The difficulty was choosing an outfit for it.

During her day-to-day, Rakaso was hardly seen in anything besides her white robes. A marker to denote her status as a healer and her affiliation with the Stillglade Fane, no doubt, even though other conjurers tended towards colors that weren’t as easy to sully. Covered from neck to toe—not even a hand shown. Even in her off hours, she tended towards muted shades of darkest blue and lighter tints of ivory or cream. Comforting, easy, and practical to a fault. Nathalie couldn’t fault her for the choice.

In fact, she intended to suit it by choosing something that wasn’t too outlandish—this was the first time she’d been able to drag her out of the house after all, the “fun” outfits could wait—but still gave sense of adventure. At the end of a long, tiring session of throwing clothes on and off and on again, she decided she finally had something that would work. A sleek, asymmetrical longcoat in white and black over a skirt that revealed a cheeky bit of thigh above her favorite black boots. And just in time for her rendezvous with Rakaso. 

As she stepped hurriedly out from the lobby of her apartment, she jolted at an imposing figure just outside the door. A head of wintry white atop a woman shrouded in a black coat, black dress, black boots. The dress itself looked like it was constructed from reclaimed leather armor. A skirt of tassets against fraying cloth was topped by a bustier of straps, buckles, and black lace. A thick, silver chain hung from the collar and ended on the lapel of the coat, framing the woman who wore it with a threatening air. Boots like heeled sabatons revealed, much to Nathalie’s dismay, even more thigh than she showed herself, and her bare arms (!!) ended in sharp, gleaming silver claws.

Rakaso, in all the glory of her pseudo alter ego, stood with a brow aloft, her claws clicking an impatient rhythm, ready to go to battle against an entire night.

“I was early,” she explained, snapping Nathalie from her stunned state.

She couldn’t decide if the color was draining from her face or if she was turning a shade more pink as she caught herself and smiled brightly. That would certainly be the last time she’d underestimate her colleague’s ability to surprise her.

[likeimurloverr]

top 3 songs from spring awakening?

This is evil

These wont be in order but oh well

1- touch me

2- the dark i know well

3- mama who bore me (reprise)

[lozzykins]

Tagged by @asinglemagpie

Rules: list five all time favourite films and have people vote on which one matches your vibe!

Tagging: @evil-robot-cat @birdblacksocialclub @altocat

[justanordinaryficwriter]

Family reunited

"What the [redacted]?" was the first thing to come out of her mouth upon landing...somewhere very colorful and confusing.

She couldn't remember how she got here. All she knew was that she was looking for someone. Someone close to her. Who that was, she couldn't tell.

She got up to get a better look at her surroundings. For the first time she realised that she wasn't alone. Staring at her were a one-eyed doll, purple rabbit, a chess piece dressed in royal robes, something that could only be described as amalgamation of shapes and colors, and some kind of masked ribbon creature.

Oh she needed to get the [redacted] out of here. Wait why couldn't she swear, what the [redacted]?!

As if this entire...situation couldn't get any more bizarre, suddenly floating dentures appeared.

"Well well well" oh, and it could talk too "a new face! Welcome, to our Amazing Digital Circus! Here is where you'll spend your next eternity. My name is Cain. I'll be your new circus master for all of time. Now let me show you around!"

"E-Eternity?" She didn't have time to process all that, as she was being dragged around by floating dentures, which went by the name Cain.

Meeting others was a mixed bag too. Ragatha seemed nice enough, but she wanted to strangle Jax with her gloved hands(since when did she wear gloves?).

It was here that she realised a horrible truth: she couldn't remember her own name. Or anything for that matter. Her new name was Marbles. It didn't feel right, but she had no other choice.

Caine also gave her "a special role" in the Circus: she was supposed to be the resident clown.

"Every circus needs a clown, and our last clown perished in tragic circumstances. But don't you worry your little clown head. I'm sure you'll fare much better!" Cain assured her. Marbles didn't know what "tragic circumstances" really meant, but she had a feeling she didn't want to find out.

"Oh, Pomni! Right on time. It's not nice hiding behind walls when new faces arrive. It's a bad etiquette you know?"

It was only then that Marbles noticed a jester, dressed in red, blue and yellow. Immediately she felt a connection.

"S-Sister?" She didn't know where that came from. Just that it felt right.

She could see the spark of recognition in Pomni's red and blue eyes too.

"Sister?"

"Sister!" Marbles knew then that Pomni was the one she was looking for. And she found her. She's here!

She ran to her and immediately tackled her into a hug.

"It's you! I thought I was never gonna see you again! So this is where you disappeared off to, huh?"

"Disappeared?"

"Yeah. You've been missing for...three months, I think." She wasn't really sure, but she had a strong feeling it was three months.

That was apparently a wrong thing to say, as Pomni started hyperventilating.

[redacted].

"No no no, it's okay, it's okay, I'm here now, im here." She reassured her while holding her tight.

Marbles didn't know where or who she was, but she knew one thing: that she had a sister. And she wasn't going to let her go a second time.

(reblog banner by cafekitsune)

Taglist: @la-vie-boheme-ships @floofyboi57 @sapphicselfship @the-dreamweavers-reverie @shipsashore

[lewishamiltonstuff]

top five films please 😚

1. Poor Things (it was so unique and Mark Ruffalo was so good and ofc Emma ughh CHEF'S KISS)

2. Rang De Basanti (an Indian film that's INSANELY GOOD)

3. Parasite (we all remember the hype right?)

4. Dabbe Possession and Dabbe Zehr-i Cin (gonna put both together because NO ONE does horror like the Turkish)

5. Angrej (a punjabi rom-com that's just SO GOOD)

[anna-hawk]

This one is impossible to choose!!! How am I supposed to choose between that gorgeous smile and that cute nose scrunch?! 😣 I'm really scared of the next poll... it seems like they are getting harder with each next one...

I know, right? It truly was the hardest one yet. I honestly only chose one so I could see the results 😂. But... As adorable as his smile is and it never fails to make me smile right back, I just had to go for the nose scrunch because it's just such a typical Jon thing to do.

I haven't decided on the next poll yet, so you might get a bit of a reprieve before I torture you again 🤣