#topic: l corp

[applepies-and-starlight]

So fun fact about Auspice!Rodya, she likes the sea

Like, she Really likes it. Though it's more of a neat little interest that is similar to people's obsession over greek mythology (or similar to how Laios Dungeon Meshi views monster cuisine (...I think, I really need to continue watching it))

Not sure how much this changes, but her dialouge about the Laws of the Lake in Canto V part 1 changes because of this, since she's actually familiar with how the Lake operates (at a very basic level, at the very least), she just doesn't know what happens when the laws are defied aside from "Bad Idea™" until the Waves hit in the Canto

[arjudy224]

The Intern: Outreach Gala

Another uneventful day for Gotham's environmental intern...

Prequel: Death of a family

The Intern: Day one

The Intern: The Laughing Fish

The Intern: Busy Work

The Intern: Outreach Gala

The Intern: Visiting an old friend

The Intern: Chemical Valley

The Intern: Billionaire Boys Club

Gotham's public library appears unrecognizable under the cloak of night. Broad leaves shroud the outside exterior of the Gothic pillars while ivy cascades down the large door frames. Harris raises an eyebrow.

"How many forests do you think Wayne destroyed in his quest to save the planet?" He questions with a smirk.

Each grey hair is perfectly gelled out of his face. Ditching his glasses for the occasion, Dr. Harris may actually care about tonight's guests. The bouncer outside the door seemed to think the dress code was not a laughing matter.

Taking his extended arm, I roll my eyes. The security guy nods to the two of us as we walk through the door.

"Professor, if you keep saying things like that Gordon's going to question your stances on Gotham's resident Eco-terrorist. " I whisper with a smile. "....but at least 12."

Thanks to the joint collaboration between Wayne Industries, Goth-corp, and the Gotham Department of Environmental Protection. Gotham City is hosting its first Environmental Outreach Gala for the nearby tri-state area. Unfortunately for me, they saddled the newest intern to do all the heavy lifting. Young joints and all that jazz. At least I got an invite. The invites ran out before the IT guy could get one. Poor Eddie.

My heart flutters a little bit as a realization hits me. I’m actually here… surrounded by giants in clean energy and the scientific community alike. Award-winning journalists... All for the future of our planet. Passing my reflection, I smile thinking of how far I’ve come from that little river rat back at home.

A figure in the corner of my eye draws my thoughts away from the Grandma debrief. Dick Grayson, the Billionaire’s son, charms the group of ladies by his side. I take a mental note to find time to talk to him when there isn’t such a big crowd. It's been a long time since we last spoke.

The walls echo with the idle chatter coming from the rich socialites of Gotham. Waiters in tuxedos maneuver silently with a tray of champagne flutes in each hand. Considering, that most environmental professionals wear cargo pants from the early 2000s to work... the dress code was definitely a choice. I scan the room for familiar faces. Gordon flashes me a smile from across the room. I nod back. The Mayor works his way around the room with a large smile. It must be an election year.

My throat gets tight. I'm not ready for this. Looking to my right, I find that Dr. Harris has vanished into the crowd.

"Y/N L/N?" A voice calls distracting me from my nerves.

A well-dressed man strolls over. Something about him puts me on edge. Maybe it's his wicked smile or the large emerald ring on his outstretched hand. He walks with an easy air of confidence.

"Lex Luthor."

My heart does a little tap dance in my chest. The tight fabric of my rental dress makes it hard to breathe. I shake his hand politely. The party-goers go quiet around us. From the corner of my eye, Lois Lane, an investigative reporter from Metropolis, shoves through the crowd. So much for being a fly on the wall.

"I recently worked with a Professor of yours. She had a lot to say about your graduate proposal."

This cannot be happening. Memories of those long fights in the lab flash in the back of my mind. Mr. Luthor's cat-like gaze observes my reaction curiously.

I cover my face in embarrassment. That woman deserves hate mail. I could have at least been asked to type or spell-check it beforehand.

"To be frank, I originally chose the topic to get a rise outta her. Dr. Hendrix had me doing dishes for 3 weeks straight after I accidentally messed up a sample, so I wrote a proposal I knew she wouldn't like."

When I finally uncover my face, Luthor stares down at me with an amused grin.

"Even so. I'd like to discuss potential funding opportunities in Metropolis. If this is something you would think up out of boredom, I'd love to see what you can do when you put your mind to it."

That brings a smile to my face.

"Really? Everyone who I've brought it up to has been apprehensive about researching Kryptionian radiation.

"We need more scientists to ask questions Ms. L/N. Even the ones, that people don't want to know the answer to. "

The sullen green glow draws my eye once again to Mr. Luthor's ring finger... Wait, that's not an emerald. That's Kryptonite.

"Is this a personal interest of yours?" I ask slowly glancing between his eyes and his ring.

"In some ways."

An unspoken conversation occurs when he notices my acknowledgement of his strange choice of jewelry. The silence only creates more questions. Why would you wear something you know is irradiated?

"I hope to hear from you soon." Mr. Luthor concludes after handing me a business card, "There is always a spot at Lexcorp for a future scientist with your talents."

I stand there in silence watching him leave. The sleek modern design of the card lists only the bare essentials: his name, office address, and contact information in silver lettering.

Four hours ago, I was hauling boxes for the decorating committee. Huh. A nearby waiter offers a champagne flute from the tray. Respectfully, I turn them down. This dress costs more than my rent.

“Oh no. Thank you. I am… working.”

"Does work-life balance not apply to interns?” A voice interrupts.

I try not to roll my eyes at the "intern" comment. The constant reminders of my status are getting old. Starting at his perfectly buffed dress shoes, my gaze drags along the fabric of his black designer suit. Dick Grayson sure does like to make an entrance. With his dark curls and friendly blue eyes, his familiar smile knocks over my defenses. Sipping on his drink, he waits for my response with a teasing grin. His energy is contiguous. I ignore his question to ask my own instead.

“Has anyone told you that you tend to appear out of nowhere?”

His striking eyes light up with a mischievous glint.

“You have no idea.” He laughs, "It's nice to see you back in Gotham. It's been a long time."

"It has. From the rumors, you have been up to quite a bit of trouble." I joke gesturing to the envious eyes from across the room.

He raises a curious eyebrow.

“Good things I hope?”

Glancing around the room, I ignore the dozen eyes staring daggers in my direction. Academia can be such a bitch.

“Nothing too crazy: a few murders, unfounded accusations, and you might be an alien?”

Dick grimaces while tilting his head ever so slightly. He swirls his drink, yet doesn't take a sip.

“Sounds about right. Anything you believe? “

I pause... Do I play coy?

“I’m not sure an alien could do a quadruple summersault.”

Something flashes in his eyes that I don’t quite understand. For a moment, I wonder if I should have held my tongue. His suspicion morphs into the first genuine smile I've seen all evening.

“You’ve kept tabs on me Y/N.”

Before I can respond, a scream causes the ballroom to descend into chaos. Vines shoot out from under the floorboards while the native plants start attacking the guest. A woman with flaming red hair paces the floor. Her vines wrap around each person one by one…. A thorny bush springs out of a fallen leaf snagging my delicate rental dress.

Dammit Pamela. We talked about this.

Glancing at the bartender's horrified expression, I frown.

“I change my mind. I’ll have that drink now.”

[oreoambitions]

The morning after the Luthor Courthouse Scandal, every tabloid in National City – Kara is willing to bet on every tabloid in the world, but she’s not willing to check – is featuring a full color high resolution photo of Supergirl kissing Lena Luthor directly on the mouth in front of the National City courthouse. Kara encounters one on the news stand outside of CatCo and hesitates for a moment, the expression on Lena’s face in the photograph pulling at her in a way she can’t quite define, and then she forces herself to keep walking. There’s no reason, she tells herself, to give that kind of thing any attention. They both did what they had to do to protect Lena, who in turn did what she had to do to protect Kara, and it’s done. It should stay in the past where it belongs.

But CatCo, too, is running a photograph of The Kiss, and by the time Kara makes it to her desk she understands this is going to be an unavoidable topic for at least the next 72hrs. Fine. Her first ping of the day is from Nia, includes one of the photographs, and is composed almost entirely of question marks.

Kara replies with a shrug.

Nia asks when they can sneak away to get coffee.

But coffee is delayed by an attack on L-Corp, which is handled almost smoothly by Lena’s security team, but not quite. Kara stumbles out of the CatCo building and onto the roof in a panic and throws herself into the sky. Upon arrival at L-Corp she’s surprised to find that the words “get away from my wife” pour out of her as easily as breath.

In the aftermath, Lena is flushed and trembling, her heart racing, the rhythm of it all but drowning out the DEO arrest taking place at Kara’s back. Kara reaches out a hand to help her up.

“You’re okay?”

Lena nods. “Nice save,” she says. “Just in time.”

“That’s me,” Kara says with a grin. “Just in time is my middle name.” 

“Justin-Time is kind of a weird middle name,” Lena teases, “Even for an alien.” Before Kara can answer, Lena darts forward to press a warm, precise kiss to her cheek, just brushing the corner of her mouth. For a moment Kara’s own thundering heart drowns out Lena’s, and then Lena is gone, seeing to the cleanup and the redistribution of her busy schedule around the events of the morning. Kara doesn’t remember seeing cameras, but somehow there’s a photo of the cheek kiss on the internet by evening anyway.

Read More of the Fake Marriage AU on Ao3

[thatonebirdwrites]

Kara and Heat

Follow-up to L-Corp, Chill, and Scotch (Lena's POV) and Catco and Family (Kara's POV)

Lena's smile didn't reach her eyes, and her heart murmur sounded more pronounced. Kara gave her a hopeful smile as she handed over Lena's favorite Irish scones.

"Piping hot and direct from Ireland," Kara said, cheerfully. She was still in her supersuit since she hadn't given herself time to change before she dropped by to hand it off.

"Thank you?" The way Lena spoke made it sound like a question. "Are you not concerned what others will think, Supergirl? You, giving me, gifts as if we are..." Her heartrate abruptly sky rocketed, and she looked away, her scent profile switching to a more acidic one. "... dating?"

Kara tilted her head. "Why would that bother me? I'd be honored."

Lena's breath hitched. "I -- I see." Footsteps signaled the approach of Sam, and the door to Lena's office opened. "Ah, Sam's here to review--"

"I -- I thought Sam was in Metropolis?" Kara looked past her toward the other woman, who walked up to Lena's desk and dumped her briefcase on it with a thump. Lena winced.

"She returned." Lena gestured vaguely with her free hand. "Surely you've read Andrea's exclusive? She's taking over as CEO. I will be a research consultant."

No, Kara had no idea. "Oh. You didn't mentioned it. Andrea has me doing what cafe has the best scones at the moment."

Lena looked down at the box and fiddled with its lid. "I -- I can talk to her about that."

"No, don't bother. She'll just take it out on someone else." It'd been several weeks of Kara trying so hard to talk with Lena, to bring her breakfast and other gifts, and Lena still won't look her in the eye. Then came the complexity of Andrea as a boss. If Kara had to write another article about cafe scones, she might torch her new workstation.

"I see. How is that going?" Lena glanced back at Sam, that forced smile still on her face.

"Andrea took away my office." Kara slouched against the railing on Lena's balcony. "I know you set that up for me because of my hearing issues. Those walls were a blessing. I don't know what kind of glass you used, but it cut out half the sound of the city and I could focus. No one uses the office now."

"She-- she did?" Lena frowned. "Kara, how much does your hearing bother you? Since you can..." she waves her hand toward the city at large.

Kara hesitated. The urge to lie still pulsed, and she had to actively fight it. "The glasses I wear? They have lead in them, which dimmed my supersenses to some degree. I have gotten better at filtering out sounds, but..." She nibbled on her bottom lip. "Okay, picture yourself standing next to a gun, but you have no ear protection. Now amplify the gunshot sound by a hundred -- no a thousand."

"Jesus, Kara." Lena's eyes widened. "Is that how it is now?"

"Why do you think I like this balcony?" Kara patted the concrete railing. "I'm up high enough that the sound takes longer to move through the air to reach me. The longer time also pulls some of its energy out of the sound, thus it's quieter. I can still hear when bad things happen up here, but it's not like an explosion in my ear like it is when someone slams a door or a phone rings at full volume next to me."

"Ah." Lena tilted her head to study Kara for a long moment. Kara assumed her thoughts were still on the hearing issue, but her next words end up as whiplash for Kara. "Kara, why are you doing this?" She held up the scones.

Kara blinked. "Because you're Lena? And I wanted to do something special for you."

"Right..." Lena sighed. "Look, Sam is waiting, and I really must be going. I'll give Andrea a call and tell her to stop breaking ADA. We have on record your accommodation request, and she can't violate that for no good reason."

"Lena," Kara stared, unsure whether to be delighted or worried. The sudden topic change had her floundering. "You don't have to--"

"When I signed the sale, part of that was an addendum for her to follow the accommodation requests to the letter." Lena's voice turned frosty. "I do not like hearing she's violating it already." She pivoted and muttered under her breath, "typical of her."

Had Lena forgotten that Kara could still hear her? She watched Lena greet Sam and offer her a scone. Neither glanced at Kara, who stood on the balcony still.

She hadn't meant to listen in, but she couldn't stop herself.

"So, you really okay with Ruby and I staying with you? It might be a few weeks to sort out the housing situation," Sam asked right before she bit into the scone. "Holy shit, this is good."

"From Ireland directly. And yes, it's fine. You're family, Sam." Lena reached over to grasp her shoulder. "Stay as long as you need. And eat your fill." She pushed the box closer to Sam. "I'm not hungry."

"Lena, you're never hungry these days." Sam frowned. "Please eat one scone."

"What are you my dietician?" Lena snapped.

"Hun, that doesn't work on me. I'm a mother." Sam took out a scone, laid out a napkin, and placed it in front of Lena. "No starving yourself on my watch. Now let's talk contracts."

That was when Kara learned several important things:

Sam currently stayed at Lena's, and Lena invited her to stay as long as she liked.

Lena knew Andrea well enough to suspect she'd cause harm.

Lena wasn't eating, and it had Sam worried.

Kara had no idea what to do with this information, because the second one had to be wrong. Surely.

Lena would never choose to hurt Kara on purpose, right?

The thought disturbed her so much that she shot off the balcony fast enough to cause a wake strong enough to rattle Lena's windows.

***

Lena sat at her counter, her feet perched on a rung, as she tabbed through the coding program. Her original idea she had to shelve because Sam's insistence that it was mind-control made her feel far too much like Lex.

She didn't want to be like Lex. As much as it hurt that he died by her hand, she could not forget what he wrote in his journals about her. He wrote of her as if she was a chess piece, and it had felt so dehumanizing. It's why she'd been so determined to hunt him down. She needed to face him and find out why.

Facing him had brought her right into his hands. He knew she'd find him there, and had prepared for the reveal. With his typical theatrics, he'd unveiled the truth in a way to cause maximum harm. The glee on his face as he did it? The way he laughed at her pain? Like always, he found a way to tug the rug out of the things she cared about.

She loved him, yet she'd killed him. He had been surprised at first that she'd done it, but even that hadn't stopped his plan. He'd gone through it as he struggled to breathe. His last words mocked her, and he was right. She was a fool.

Anger seared through her. Was that all she was? A chess piece for her brother and the Kryptonians? She slammed her laptop shut and stalked to the alcohol cabinet.

Except it was empty. That's right. Sam hid the alcohol. Ruby had a tendency to search the cabinets for snacks, eating what had once been saved for Kara.

But Lena suspected she hid it to also avoid moments like this. Where the urge to drink herself into oblivion saturated every fiber in Lena's being.

Dammit, it was her alcohol. She could drown herself in it as much as she liked.

After twenty minutes, she found the alcohol in the bedroom she gave Sam. Tucked into the back of the closet. She nabbed a bottle of scotch and stormed outside to sit on her balcony. She didn't bother with a glass. Opened it and drank directly from the bottle.

The scotch's heat did little to drown the pain in her heart.

At least one thing hadn't played in Lex's favor. Sam Arias threw a wrench into whatever he had planned.

She glared at the sky, at the faint dots of stars washed out in the glow of the city. Light pollution that made the sky treacherous for nocturnal life, which she could fix.

Leaning over her balcony, she scanned the city streets as she took another drink. Easy fix. Replace the hoods of all street lights so the light pointed down. It'd be more efficient and less energy waste too.

What else could she fix? All those rooftops could either be solar panels or community gardens. Be all self-sufficient or something.

She took another chug of the bottle. Making a gun with her other hand, she pretended to shoot at nearby buildings.

All that glass and concrete. Ugly as hell. Thermal equilibrium on hot days won't work with this architecture, as it was made for height and aesthetics, not thermal equilibrium, so hot days meant higher bills for air conditioning.

But how to fix that? She took another long drink. In the distance she heard the sound of waves. "Algae," she said out loud and giggled. That wouldn't work but moss should. Grow moss up the concrete and steel. A green city that would improve the thermal equilibrium, and less power on air conditioning.

What else? Her thoughts grew more erratic, ideas that were semi-connected, danced from moss to architecture to more efficient solar panels.

Ideas her and Sam sort of covered, but those had been silly mostly. This could change things for the better.

"Fixing everything but my heart," she muttered. She peered into the bottle. She still had more left.

Even if she did all these projects and some of Sam's silly ones, would it make any difference? Would it heal the pain in her heart?

Maybe if she refused to rest. Dove into her work and not allowed her mind to rest like this. The pain became unbearable in evenings, and with the transition to Sam as CEO, it meant more time for Lena's projects, but she couldn't even make up her own damn mind.

She wanted to fix the world. To end suffering still, but she hated the thought of Ruby or Sam hurt by what Sam insisted was mind-control. She couldn't lose them.

They were all she had left.

She had almost finished the bottle when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.

"Don't even, Sam," Lena growled, not bothering to turn around. "I'll drink as much as I like. So don't try me."

"Um, I'm not Sam."

She pivoted and almost lost her balance. Kara stood a few feet away in her supergirl outfit. She pointed the bottle at her. "You live in that now? Or is Kara Danvers no longer a thing? Since you know, you're trying being honest for once."

She recognized she was drunk, but at this point, she did not care.

"I was doing laps and heard your heartbeat spike," Kara admitted.

"Laps?" Lena frowned. "Like sky laps?" She wiggled her finger in the air in what she hoped was a a circle.

"Yeah. When I'm upset I..." Kara sighed. "Lena, you're not okay, are you? I -- I heard you weren't eating, and now you're... drunk." Kara's nose wrinkled.

"Oh? Can you smell it? Supersmell too?" Lena stepped closer and stabbed Kara's chest with her bottle. "What other secrets you keep from me?"

Kara's brow wrinkled. "You know them all now. I mean it. I promise to never lie again."

Lena laughed. "Oh, that's good. Real good. You almost had me there." She took another swig but nothing was left. Annoyed, she tossed the bottle at Kara's chest. It shattered and the glass fell to the ground between them.

"Lena..." Kara looked at the debris with a frown.

"You're impenetrable," Lena said with a flick of dismissal. "It can't hurt you and your perfect body."

Why did she have to look so damn hot in that suit? The skirt had been bad enough for Lena's libido, but these pants? The one's she'd designed and gave to Brainy to finish? All those interwoven layers, some anti-kryptonite fibers she'd devised with Brainy's assistance, hugged Kara's impressive guns and rock-solid abs.

Fuck.

She was too drunk for these thoughts.

"How about you go inside and drink some water?"

Lena laughed. "You, the liar, cares about me? That's rich."

"You're drunk and standing very close to a railing on a very tall building!" Kara gently pushed her away from the edge. "And yes I care! I've always cared. Honest."

She wanted to yell at Kara. To beat her fists against Kara's perfect chest. Instead, she grabbed the front of Kara's suit and pulled her close. Far too close, her breath hot against Lena's own, and that nearly unraveled her willpower.

God, why did she have to look so damn hot all the time? The heat of Kara's gaze only worsened Lena's struggle.

Fuck.

It'd be so easy to just kiss her. To shove her against the building and give in to her raging libido. Her lips hovered closer to Kara's. Heat radiated from Kara's body, scorching her, and Lena desperately wanted Kara to take her right there.

Her stomach had other ideas, however. Nausea clawed its way up from her stomach, her only food that entire day what Sam had insisted she eat -- a scone and half a salad.

She closed her eyes.

No use, her stomach rebelled, and she puked over Kara's irritatingly perfect boots.

"Well, that's one way to deal with alcohol poisoning," Kara said.

Lena didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Warm arms scooped her up and cradled her against Kara's chest. "Let's get you inside." With far more tenderness than she deserved, Kara laid her on the sofa and tucked a blanket around her.

Lena briefly closed her eyes, the glare of the lights too bright. She peaked when footsteps sounded next to her. Kara had placed on the coffee table a glass of water, pain and nausea meds, and a large bowl. Kara stood next to the sofa, but instead of the suit, she wore sweatpants and a hoodie.

"Where's the suit?" God, she had a headache already.

"Nanotech." Kara touched her glasses. "When I put these back on, it retreats. He said you helped design it."

"Yeah, yeah." Lena waved her hand at Kara. "Supergirl's an ass, but I don't want her dead."

"Oh. Thank you."

She took a pain med and drank some water, but that unsettled her stomach, so she laid down and covered her eyes. "What're you doing here anyway?"

"Your heartbeat." Kara sounded timid, scared almost. "I -- I listen to it to make sure you're okay. Since, you know, the universe keeps trying to hurt you. And, well, you have a murmur. It's gotten worse."

Lena blinked at Kara, confused.

She had a what?

"Your heart. I -- I can hear it, and you have a murmur." Kara sounded embarrassed almost. "But you're drunk, so I'll wait until your sober."

Lena couldn't think of a response, so she closed her eyes and ignored Kara instead.

***

Kara hadn't lied to Lena. The heart murmur had been part of what she hoped to talk about, but she'd also wanted to ask her about whether she was failing to eat again. She didn't want Lena to get anemia again, that had worsened the heart murmur, and she still felt guilt over whether bringing that up might have saved Lena a few trips to the emergency room, during her first year in National City.

One of the many reasons Kara decided to just eat lunch with Lena as much as possible.

Bu that hadn't been her only reason either.

She wanted to ask if her and Sam were just friends or something more.

And yet, maybe she'd gotten her answer to that one. Lena had almost kissed her.

Was that just the alcohol? Or had Lena always wanted to kiss her?

To have Lena lean that close? Kara felt like she'd gone up in flames, and the urge to kiss Lena had hit her so hard that she'd been breathless.

Sure, the thought had hit her randomly during their long friendship, but it had been a random, idle thought she dismissed easily.

Now she found she couldn't. Lena's breath had been hot against her lips, and they tingled still as if they had kissed.

Kara landed on the fire escape stairs at her apartment and glanced toward downtown, a mile away. Leaving Lena hadn't been what she wanted, but she'd heard Sam and Ruby in the hallway, and it hadn't seemed a good idea to face Sam.

She'd been too rattled by the almost kiss.

She opened her window and slid through, deactivating her suit as she did so.

Instead, Lena had been drunk, antagonistic, and confusing.

Hadn't she said at the Pulitzer's that she would always be Kara's friend? Her hot and cold nature confused.

Something else was wrong.

Did Lena blame her for Lex's death?

Oh Rao.

Kara dropped face first onto her sofa. Why hadn't she thought of that sooner?

She knew Supergirl failed to save her brother. Knew Lex was dead. She still loved her brother, despite how mean he was to her.

Kara groaned. If Lena blamed her, then how could she fix that?

Apologize. Would that be enough?

Would anything ever be enough to make up for the fact Kara's at fault for her brother's death?

When Kara chose to become Supergirl, she had promised herself that she would not kill her enemies. No matter how easy it might seem, because she would not be like her mother.

She'd been angry still at being sent away, but when she learned the truth, she'd been angry at the legacy of her family and how that followed her to earth. Threatened life here, all because her mother and those like her had tossed people in the phantom zone instead of dealing with them in a more humane way.

She didn't want to be judge, jury, and executioner -- as Alex put it. She was here to help. Not be a god.

Except, she'd acted like one, hadn't she? Thinking she new what was best, trying to do it all herself, trying to control all the details. She’d controlled her and Lena’s relationship, held all the cards, all the information, and that hadn’t been fair, had it?

The worldkillers and Lex had taught her that she couldn't do it all herself. She needed a team to support her. Letting them help had been so hard, but hadn't that been a lesson Lena herself tried to teach her?

Lena had tried so hard to reach out to Kara after Mon-el's loss, and Kara had spurned her at first. Yet Lena persisted, and it had given Kara hope. Even if Kara kept fucking things up with Lena, she hadn't turned her back on Kara Danvers nor Supergirl, even if the trust had been fractured.

Had she lost Lena? Was she holding onto nothing but the ashes of a shattered friendship?

No, she couldn't believe that. There had to still be hope.

She couldn't stop herself. Her ears seemed perpetually tuned to Lena's heartbeat these days, and that awful murmur had gotten worse. It was louder and more frequent, and she didn't know enough human biology to assess what that meant.

Yet she listened to the heart murmur, to the slower heartrate of someone likely falling asleep.

When had Lena become the center of her life? It had crept up on her, and yet, that gift of her presence had been squandered by Kara herself. She'd been unable to fully let go of control, out of that wild fear of loss.

If she lost Lena because of Lex's death, what would she do? How could she move on?

No, no, she couldn't lose Lena, and yet, wasn't this entire situation her fault? She'd kept Lena in the dark. Messed up as Supergirl and hurt her. And now Lex was dead because of her.

How could Lena ever forgive her?

Tears stung her eyes. She hated herself. Hated how she couldn't do anything to fix this. Everything she tried seemed to increase the distance between her and Lena, and it hurt so much.

[imfoive]

The Youngest Son - Chapter 4

Minho x Reader (fem.) Genre: non-idol au!, Suspense, Angst, Romance, Mature Warnings: mentions of drugs, cursing, murder, death, somewhat proofread WC: 5.7k A/N: I'm really wowed by how quickly I planned this out. Feedback is always welcome, enjoy! ── MASTERLIST

Synopsis: The youngest son of the Lee family was stubborn, he was arrogant, he was conniving. Hiding it all behind the mask of a calm and collected man, the youngest son was a master at mind games. Playing a dangerous game where trust is a luxury and betrayal lurks around every corner. He had sworn once, to not let family ties or any feelings hold him back. Yet, against all odds, she had him completely wrapped around her fingers, and he had no desire to break free.

Missed a chapter? - Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3

CHAPTER 4 ───────────────────

Following the death of Lee Jae, the rest of the business circle remained oblivious to the secret project that Park Hyunmin had meticulously planned for quite some time. 

Rose Enterprises. 

Park Hyunmin was still young when he returned from Australia to embark on his entrepreneurial journey. Naming the company after his late Australian mother, who had passed away during his teenage years, held deep personal significance for him. Despite that he successfully transformed the Park family, who had initially started as hotel workers in Australia, into prominent figures in the hospitality industry almost immediately, even expanding into the restaurant business. 

Hyunmin’s reputation and influence were unparalleled, any collaboration with the Park Family and Rose Enterprises promised to catapult an entrepreneur’s importance in their society. However, Park Hyunmin wasn’t seeking just any entrepreneur for this ambitious venture.

L Corporation had solidified its position as a major player in the industrial industry, with its name attached to some of the largest malls, resorts, hotels, and even bridges. They were known for their wealth, intelligence, and strategic business ordeals. They were a perfect fit for Park Hyunmin’s ambitions. However, despite their success, the director harbored reservations about trusting them completely.

Since Chairman Lee’s retirement and the subsequent takeover by his sons, there had been a noticeable shift within L Corporation. The once formidable leadership of Chairman Lee, who single-handedly managed client needs, was replaced by his less competent sons. And despite their shortcomings, they somehow managed to maintain L Corp.’s top position in the industry. 

However, the next generation, the grandchildren, was a mixed bag. Only three out of six were deemed worthy of praise. Park Hyunmin saw potential collaboration with L Corporation as both an opportunity and a risk, weighing the benefits of their established reputation against the uncertainty of their internal dynamics.

The oldest, Jungshin. He was excelling, but mostly took care of their overseas branches. 

Then came Joohyeon. He was always falling short, but still did well. He was once married to some mayor’s daughter, but even that didn’t last.

Jookshin was the only daughter of the family. She was married off early to another big name family in the medical field, she still did her part. 

Jihoon was the oddball. He was never present for anything, people sometimes forget he was also part of the family. 

Jae did somewhat of a decent job, barely hitting the line. The only time he actually hit, was women and drugs. Although he did have everyone fooled that he had changed.

Finally Minho. The youngest son.

He kept his life extremely private. He was always present, yet didn’t have any scandals to his name. It’s surprising that he was able to avoid being corrupted by the not so pretty deeds of his older brothers.

Minho was a frequent topic of conversation for Y/N. Despite being the same age, their personalities couldn't have been more different. Y/N, spirited and carefree, stood in stark contrast to Minho’s stoicism. This contrast intrigued Park Hyunmin.

As a young man, Minho often went unnoticed in rooms filled with older, more established figures. However, his capabilities became glaringly apparent during the press conference following Jae’s scandal involving drugs and an escort a few years back.

At just twenty-one, Minho had adeptly managed the fallout almost single-handedly, impressing Park Hyunmin with his poise and skill.

It dawned on Park Hyunmin then.

Lee Minho was their secret weapon in damage control. A role he seemed to excel in more with each passing challenge.

He was young enough to navigate situations with unnoticed ease, often slipping under the radar without drawing undue attention to himself. Minho maintained a reserved demeanor, always composed yet aware, easily finding solutions to various challenges and obstacles.

However, Park Hyunmin harbored a growing dissatisfaction with the amount of time his daughter spent in Minho’s company.

He noticed how Minho attempted to avoid Y/N’s advances at social gatherings, only to find himself inevitably drawn into her orbit. Despite his efforts to maintain distance, their paths seemed to cross frequently, leading to speculation and rumors about their dynamic.

The gossip mill labeled Minho as Y/N’s “boy-toy,” a rumor that had gained momentum over the past years due to their peculiar relationship. From Park Hyunmin’s perspective, there wasn’t even enough substance to define what they had as a relationship, adding to his unease about their closeness.

They were Business friends.

And everyone knew what that term meant. But he was starting to wonder if his daughter did.

A few months before the grand engagement announcement, during Park Hyunmin and his wife’s anniversary celebration, Y/N’s father had observed Minho being pulled away from a group and disappearing with Y/N onto the terrace overlooking the garden. It wasn’t an uncommon sight but it caught the father’s eye. Concerned, he found Minho later, getting some fresh air along the stairway, or so he claimed.

With a directness typical of him, the father posed a question to Minho that caught him off guard. 

   “Do you see yourself marrying my daughter?”

Minho’s bewildered expression was enough for Y/N’s father to discern that romantic interest was not the reason behind their closeness. So, he pressed further, pointing out the societal gossip surrounding them. 

   “Then what is it? Isn’t it a bit unusual for you two to always be together? People in this society talk.”

Maintaining his composure, Minho stood upright and faced Y/N’s father squarely. 

   “People in this society always talk.” He replied calmly with a polite smile.

   “Y/N and I are simply classmates who have become acquaintances. It’s difficult to find trustworthy acquaintances in our circle. We’ve known each other for years, learned together, so it’s natural for her to seek me out. That’s all.”

Park Hyunmin took a sip of his drink, adjusting his glasses, he mused. “Acquaintances, huh?”

   “Yes, acquaintances.” Minho affirmed. 

They weren’t even friends.

Y/N’s father would be lying if he said he didn’t think of proposing for Lee Minho to get engaged with his daughter, especially when considering how Minho could be an asset in dealing with L Corporation. However, the conversation he had with Minho by the stairwell weighed heavily on his mind.

Besides, pursuing an engagement with Minho would mean entering into a deal with the second son of Chairman Lee, whose capabilities fell short in Park Hyunmin’s estimation. While both brothers had their strengths and weaknesses, and claimed there was no disparity between the sub families within the Lee line, Rose Enterprises’ grand project demanded the best, and the director was inclined towards the more competent option.

Everything had seemed to be going according to his plans, until it went awry somewhere along.

With Jae’s recent death and the sudden decision to delay announcing the broken engagement, Park Hyunmin’s ambitious “Rose Garden” project had to be put on hold.

Despite the circumstances, his daughter Y/N had to maintain the facade of being Jae’s fiancée, a role she reluctantly played for the time being. Other families offered condolences and sent gifts, but beneath the surface, they were all calculating the right moment to propose alliances for the hand of the sole heiress.

In the competitive world they inhabited, Y/N’s engagement had been seen as a significant social event, marking her availability for marriage. Now, as they awaited the appropriate period of mourning to pass, other families were poised to make their moves, eager to secure advantageous unions with the prestigious Park family.

Y/N scoffs at the gift that some no-name nobody had sent her in efforts to woo her. A token of sympathy adorned with pretty flowers and hollow offers of support. The messages always carried the same undertone “if you ever needed someone to talk to” they were always ready to listen.

It’s been six months since Jae died. Initially, it was all the news would talk about for weeks on end, trying to dig deeper, trying to come up with theories of how he died.

But then someone else in high society did something stupid and the media was all over that.

Y/N’s mother was another headache, who just couldn’t catch a hint. Surprisingly her nice mother hadn’t been corrupted, even after having lived in high society for over twenty-five years, but she was easily trusting. She was a simple woman really, who Park Hyunmin had met when he was still trying to make The Rose Enterprises bigger than it was. They had risen together, but that woman didn’t change.

However, Y/N found her mother’s continuous efforts to set her up with potential suitors exasperating. These men were often charming and polite in social settings, but Y/N saw through their facade, politeness merely a pretense to curry favor. But despite Y/N’s attempts to shut down these setups, her mother persisted in her well-meaning, but misguided approach.

   “Isn’t Kim Seungmin the nice young man from the mall?” The mother read the gift card.

   “Yeah, the one whose family owns the Star Mall chain.” She retorted dryly, clearly unimpressed by her mother’s matchmaking efforts.

The mother hesitated, then suggested, “What about giving it a chance? He seemed polite and well-mannered.”

   “Really? Jae seemed like a good person too, until he attacked me in our own hotel parking lot.” Y/N countered sharply.

The mention of Jae’s actions visibly hardened her mother’s expression, acknowledging the truth in Y/N’s words even if reluctantly. It was truly a bad decision that her husband had made, blinded by ambition and the lies about Jae changing for the better.

There’s a knock on the glass door to her office, and a few seconds later Y/N’s father entered, brightening up at the sight of both ladies.

   “Ah, what are you doing here?” He asks his wife.

   “Trying to convince this one to meet someone for a blind date.”

Her father was used to her mother’s naivety, chuckling as he nodded and took a seat next to. His attention immediately drew to the colorful basket of flowers on the table. He picked up the card attached to it, glancing over its contents with curiosity.

   “You know, having the Kim’s at our side isn’t a bad idea. They’re established and even have a few more small projects planned.” Her father begins to say, glancing up at her, cautiously.

   “Just tell me if we’re already engaged. I seem to be the last one to find out about my own engagement anyway.” She muttered.

Her father glanced guiltily at her mother once before looking at her. His expression hardened.

   “If you’re waiting in hopes that Lee Minho will suddenly take an interest in you, you can forget it.”

The mention of Minho’s name brought her attention automatically to look at her father. Brows narrowed.

   “What do you mean?”

   “That young man has a clear set of goals. And you aren’t one of them.” Her father’s words were stern, warning.

Y/N blinked back, taking in his words. She bit back, jaw tightening as she frowned angrily.

Just who did he think he was to reject her? She hadn’t even confessed.

As Minho sat in his office, engrossed in his work, the door suddenly swung open and his mother sauntered in, her gaze sweeping critically around the room.

   “Love what you’ve done to the place. Very…minimalistic.” She remarked, her tone carrying a hint of judgment.

Minho stood up, setting aside his work with a slight frown.

   “What brings you here?” He asked curtly, not eager to engage in an unnecessary conversation with her.

   “That’s not of any importance to you.” She replied dismissively.

He couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic laugh, rolling his eyes in exasperation. It was clear she was here to babble nonsense, trying to get information or even a rise out of him.

   “If you’re in the mood to waste someone’s time, I’m sure father is taking his lunch break.” He retorted, starting to walk back towards his desk.

   “Y/N’s mother has been asking around for decent young men in our circle. Poor woman doesn’t realize we have no decent men in our society, bless her.” His mother continued casually, a smile playing on her lips.

She watched his stoic composure, leaning against his desk, unbothered, unsurprisingly.

   “Does Y/N know anything about it?” She continued.

He turned to face his mother, his expression guarded. She was sharp and well-educated, yet she had a penchant for gossip like any other high-society woman.

   “How would I know what Y/N is or isn’t aware of?” Minho replied coolly, sliding his hands into his pockets.

His mother shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, I assume you would, since you two are always together. Maybe she’d have mentioned it to you.”

   “Y/N and I are not close.” Minho stated firmly, turning his attention back towards his desk, his fingers idly playing with the pens lined up.

   “I have absolutely no interest in her or what she thinks. Her desperation keeps me entertained, that’s all. She’s of no importance to me.”

Just as he looked up, his expression suddenly fell, his eyes widening as they passed his mother and landed on the figure standing in the doorway.

There stood the woman who was of no importance to him.

───────────────────────

The memories of a first kiss are something that a person typically doesn’t forget. Whether it’s was a bad kiss, a fleeting peck, or a passionate embrace, the fluttering feeling in their hearts are etched into memory.

But for Y/N, her first kiss was with a complete stranger.

She dubbed him her “cross-chain kisser.” Amid the pulsing lights of the club, the only detail she could vividly recall was the silver cross pendant hanging from his neck.

Y/N had just turned nineteen, and her father had spared no expense in throwing a grand party at one of their hotels. It was his only daughter’s birthday after all. He always made a big deal out of her birthday, but this one was different. This was her first birthday back home. 

Of course for a few hours of the evening she had to act prim and proper, dressed elegantly in a shiny dress to greet her father’s guests. They all wished her for her grand day, expensive gifts lining up that seemed more intended to impress her parents than please her. She forced a smile, something she still couldn’t get used to after spending the last seven years out of the country for her academics. She felt more like a show-piece standing in between her mother and father, smiling and absolutely tired from greeting all the unfamiliar faces that came up to her. 

The Lee family arrived sometime into the party, each member eager to catch a glimpse of Y/N Park, the heiress to all of Park Hyunmin’s wealth. They showered her with the usual lines of compliments, praising her beauty and noting how she had matured into a proper young woman. That she would finally be able to help with the company and showcase her talent. They didn’t even know her well enough to know of her so-called talent. 

She was bored, she was tired.

Until Lee Minho came forward, his father and mother in front of him, the older woman’s arm was linked around her husbands. Y/N’s gaze brightened up, smiling at the familiar face, dressed impeccably well in his black formal wear and not his school uniform. Y/N’s father was surprised to see Minho, unable to recall they even had a third son. Minho greeted the man, telling him he’ll make sure to leave an impression on him so he won’t forget next time. The birthday girl couldn’t help but smile at his remark, which had made both sets of parents break into a light chuckle.

A natural charmer, that one.

She saw the quick glance he gave her while their parents engaged in conversation. She waited for him to come forward, they hadn’t gotten a chance to meet after returning back from school. It had been weeks. Much too long for Y/N, who had gotten into a habit of bothering him for the past four years. But he didn’t come forward. 

She frowned, refusing to give in and be the one to walk up to him. Y/N crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him and not hiding her displeasure. He looked in her direction, watching as she bites the inside of her cheek, her disappointed expression not leaving her face. With a sigh, Minho slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks before finally walking towards her. Y/N couldn’t help but smirk, her head tilting cockily, silently asserting her victory to the one-sided battle she was having. He didn’t really see what was so wrong in coming up to your greet your guests, but it was her birthday party after all, and he didn’t need her complaining. Especially if her complaints reached his parents’ ears, something he didn’t need right now.

Putting on his polite smile, the kind Y/N had learned to recognize after years of observation, Minho greeted her.

   “Happy Birthday, Miss Park.” Minho’s tone dripped of formality. 

The way he addressed her had irked the heiress, as if he was putting a distance between them, emphasizing to any onlookers that they were mere acquaintances.

   “You clean up well.” She responded instead, her arms still crossed, eyes glancing over him.

He cleared his throat, muttering a low “hmm.”

   “How do I look?” Y/N inquired, lifting one side of her dress slightly to show it off.

Minho watched the fabric shimmer under the bright lights before meeting her expectant gaze. Obvious, she wanted a compliment.

   “Like a disco ball.” He coolly stated.

She rolled her eyes, expecting that sort of response from him. Instead she looked around, then stepped in closer. Her actions garner him to instinctively pull his head back stunned, watching her lean closer before glancing side-to-side, she starts speaking in a low tone. 

   “Some of the other kids and I are going clubbing later. They want to give me a big welcome back, join us.” Y/N whispered, smiling and nodding towards a group of young adults in their circle who were mingling at a nearby table.

   “Have fun.” He said instead, making her blink back a little surprised.

Minho back in Australia would have said he’d be there if she pressed. He would have ultimately agreed to go together even.

Minho back in Australia wouldn’t have called her Miss Y/N.

He nodded politely and smiled, glancing briefly at his parents who had already moved on to socialize among the other wealthy guests. With a slight smirk, Minho took a few steps backward, his gaze and smile almost taunting her, before turning and walking away. As if he had won.

He did in fact not show up that night.

Y/N even wore a black dress, slit daringly higher than appropriate, but enough to tell everyone that she was an adult. A grown woman. But he didn’t show, like he had said. 

She was upset.

More angry than upset really, not that she should have been because he had already declined the invite. His words were clear. But imagining his smug expression as he walked away earlier that evening, pissed her off even more.

The other kids kept offering shots. She downed them one after another, pretending to be a seasoned drinker while inwardly cringing at the burning sensation and bitter taste that threatened to overwhelm her, a taste she was not used to. She couldn’t let them see that, her brave face smirking confidently at every other shot and drink coming at her. 

At some point in the night, Y/N found herself on the dance floor with someone’s arm around her waist, though she couldn’t quite distinguish whose it was. The dim lights and the haze of alcohol made faces blur together. It might have been Chunyang or Chaeyoung, she couldn’t remember and didn’t really care. Everyone was starting to look the same to her.

Y/N had never gotten drunk before, she didn’t know what being drunk felt like. But if the inability to stand still and the blurry vision were any indication, she was a little more than drunk. The guy and girl in front started making out on the dance floor, something Y/N almost looked at curiously.

Something she hadn’t gotten a chance of doing yet.

She was drunk, but her brain wracked. The kids here have so much more experience. They’d down alcohol like juice, kiss and dance like experts. The academy back in Australia was much more strict, she guessed.

Suddenly, Chunyang or Chaeyoung screamed something in her ear, which made Y/N flinch. It was something about throwing up, but she couldn’t quite grasp the details. She realized soon after that the group she had arrived with had dispersed throughout the nightclub. The couple that had been dancing and kissing intimately had moved to a different part of the floor, and the girl who had been dancing closely with Y/N had disappeared. 

Squinting through the colored lights and the darkness of the dance floor, Y/N struggled to find any familiar faces. Eventually, she managed to squeeze her way off the dance floor and make her way to the bar. The bartender yelled something over the music, smiling as they handed her another birthday shot of whatever she had been downing all night.

Just as Y/N was about to bring the shot to her lips, another hand intercepted it, and he drank it without a word. Y/N watched his adams apple bob as he swallowed the drink, a silver chain glistened around his neck. Her eyes linger on the cross pendant hanging with a tinge of fascination. He almost slams the shot-glass down, bringing her back to reality.

A reality where he had drunk her birthday shot.

She frowned, her words slurred as she pointed at him.

Something along the lines of “why’d you drink my drink?”

He probably replied with “what are you gonna do about it?”

   “You’ll pay for it.” She replied defiantly, brows furrowed in anger.

Y/N grabbed his collar firmly, pulling him close, their lips meeting in a sudden and unexpected kiss. In the haze of alcohol and emotions, she couldn’t recall the exact details of the kiss. 

Did she perhaps lick his lips in a stupid attempt to reclaim her drink?

The thought made her cringe inwardly for weeks afterwards.

Or maybe it was a subconscious response to witnessing the couple on the dance floor earlier, a display of intimacy that had sparked something in her?

It was her first kiss, and her drunk mind thought kissing a stranger was a good idea!?

Another thought lingered, one that she still thought about from time to time.

Did he kiss her back?

Y/N woke up disoriented in the back of her car, immediately hit by the unpleasant sight and smell of vomit on one side of the seat. It made her gag involuntarily. Hastily fumbling with the door, she stumbled out, clutching her pounding skull in pain. Groaning loudly, she leaned against the car, trying to gather herself. The bright lights of The Rose hotel parking lot only made her headache worse.

Bits and pieces of the previous hours flashed through her mind, but the majority of it was a blur.

She was sure a designated driver service was called, dropping off what’s-her-face as well. But beyond that, the details were fuzzy. The irony of being at one of her family’s hotel did not escape her, but she was too busy staring mortified as she suddenly recalled something.

Embarrassment flooded over her as she tried to piece together the events, particularly the memory of kissing someone. Her fingers instinctively touched her lips, the sensation vivid against her fingertips. She blinked, wondering if she had truly been bold enough to act on impulse like that. Her heart beat rapidly.

A persistent thought in her mind whispered.

Call him.

Y/N didn’t even need to second guess her thoughts, she turned back to open the door, immediately backing away because of the vomit stench. She really had to do something about that. Clasping her nostrils with one hand, the other searched the back seat for her cellphone. Body half in, half out, she managed to fish it out from underneath the seat.

Her eyes hovered at his contact. It was 3:56 AM. She must be crazy. But the badgering thoughts in her mind made her heart beat faster at each passing second.

It rang, and she stood straight, foot tapping anxiously. By the sixth ring she was about to hang up, but the click on the other side made her freeze.

   “Hello?”

His voice sounded groggy, as if he’d just woken him up.

   “If you’re not gonna talk I’ll hang up.”

   “No wait!” She shouted immediately.

   “What do you want?” He muttered.

She bit her lip, nerves and a strange tingle of memory swirling within her.

   “Did you come to the club?” She asked.

There was a pause on the other end, prolonging her anxiety.

   “Do I look like the type of person to go drinking and dancing at a club?” He retorted.

She hated when he counter questioned her as a response, frustration bubbled within her.

   “Hey! Did you show up or not?!” She snapped, her patience wearing thin.

   “I didn’t.” He calmly responded.

Silence fell between them, Y/N sank back against her car, absorbing the revelation.

   “Did I kiss you?” Her voice was barely a whisper, filled with uncertainty.

   “You must’ve had a really wild night to call someone who wasn’t there at four in the morning to ask what happened.” He remarked dryly.

   “Go back to sleep, jackass.” She shot back sharply, ending the call almost immediately.

Minho sat on the edge of his bed, still dressed in outside clothes, the cross necklace dangling around his neck.

He set his phone down on the nightstand and rubbed his face with both hands, letting out a weary sigh. Hearing Y/N’s voice had brought him a sense of relief, despite the chaotic night they both had.

She seemed oblivious to what had transpired, and Minho was grateful for that.

He didn’t want her to remember.

And he would continue to deny it. He didn’t want to get entangled with her, despite his unspoken desires. Minho didn’t want to be in a mess created by her.

But he always ended up in Y/N’s messes.

As he sat there in the dim of his bedroom, thoughts circled back to that fleeting moment under the colorful lights, one that he couldn’t easily shake off. Even if he decided he would deny it ever happening. He brought his fingers to his mouth, the phantom feeling of her warm lips against his left a tingling sensation.

Did she know he kissed her back?

───────────────────────

   “I have absolutely no interest in her or what she thinks. Her desperation keeps me entertained, that’s all. She’s of no importance to me.” Minho’s words were cold.

Y/N stared at him, her hurt clearly visible. She had overheard his cruel words, which he had thought were shared in private, just between him and his mother.

The carelessness of his remark, her sudden appearance, and his fleeting remorse hung in the air.

Minho caught his mother’s glance from the corner of his eye and swiftly masked his regret, but Y/N saw the shift in his expression. His face hardening in the midst of the whirlwind of her emotions.

She looked at the older woman, who offered an awkward smile, clearly trying to pretend they hadn’t just been discussing her.

   “Y/N, dear! What brings you here?” Minho’s mother greeted warmly, her arms outstretched in a practiced show of affection.

Y/N glanced between Minho and the suddenly quiet room, then focused on his mother. 

   “I was in the area and thought I’d share some news before you heard it from someone else.” She avoided Minho’s gaze, offering a polite smile to his mother instead.

   “I’m going to New York for some time.”

Minho’s expression remained unreadable and Y/N didn’t care to decipher it this time.

His mother looked taken aback.

   “Really? Why—I mean, so suddenly?”

Y/N smiled softly and touched the mother’s hand that rested on her shoulder.

   “I just made the decision.” She attempted to keep her smiling composure.

His mother raised a brow.

   “My father and I believe I need more exposure to learn how The Rose Enterprises work. I’m going to be in charge of it one day after all.” Y/N’s forced smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, masking the tears she had been holding back.

The older woman nodded in understanding, but the tension between Y/N and Minho was heavy. She looked back at Minho, who neither smiled nor frowned. His usual stoic demeanor made her roll her eyes, expecting nothing else. The mother turned back to the young lady close to her with a grin.

   “Would you like to join me for lunch? It’s about time everyone steps out for their lunch break.” She glanced at her watch and then back at Y/N.

   “You go ahead. I have a lot of preparations to make.” Y/N said, clearly intending to speak with Minho alone.

His mother nodded and, though she didn’t look back at Minho, she had caught on. She gave a final smile as she left, clearly amused by the situation.

The door closed behind her, and the room fell into a heavy silence. Minho and Y/N stood a few feet apart, but the distance between them felt far greater all of a sudden.

   “I…” Y/N broke the silence, and Minho realized he had been holding his breath.

   “I ran here to ask you something.” She said, meeting his gaze with a mixture of confusion and pain.

The forced smile she had worn earlier was gone, replaced by the hurt she had felt from his harsh words.

   “My dad asked if I wanted to get married and take charge of his grand project, or go to New York and put his dream on hold.”

Minho’s expression hardened. He already knew what she had chosen.

   “I thought, ‘Why marry some other jackass when I already have my eyes set on one?’” Y/N laughed bitterly at her delusions, struggling to hold back her tears.

   “I’m not sure why I came here, really. I thought maybe you’d tell me not to go or you’d find some solution. You’ve always been good at that… But of course, I’ll never hear that from you. I forgot for a moment.” She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, they began to fall freely.

Her words pierced him deeply, yet he struggled to find the right response, staring at her with an intensity he had never shown anyone before.

   “I’m glad you were entertained, Lee Minho. I’m glad that I got to hear what you really thought of me.” Her face contorted.

   “My father was right. You have clear goals, and I’m not one of them.” 

   “Y/N—” Minho began, his voice just a faltering whisper.

   “I knew you didn’t like me clinging to you. I know my behavior makes you uncomfortable sometimes. I’m even aware that I can be overbearing—But I didn’t know you hated me.” She finally broke down in a sob.

Minho felt his face flush with heat and his throat tighten painfully as Y/N’s words cut through him. Before he could gather himself, Y/N continued with words that made him stare in shock.

   “Maybe I should accept what my dad had proposed, maybe I’ll marry that stupid Kim Seungmin.” She declared, her tone resolute.

His figure stiffened at her proclamation, eyes glistening with shock.

   “Or I can just go to New York, away from you. Either way, you can rejoice. You won’t have to worry about how you can avoid me.” She muttered, her mind coming to her own unknown conclusion, expression hardening. 

Y/N took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her chin with the back of her hand.

   “I’ll hate you like you hate me.” She spat bitterly, turning away to leave.

Minho’s hand instinctively reached out to stop her, but he hesitated, paralyzed by his own conflicting emotions. 

Like a coward.

The door closes behind her with a soft click.

Outside, the desks of Minho’s team, now deserted for lunch, mocked Y/N with their vacancy. The absence of witnesses should have been a relief, shielding her from the embarrassment of leaving Minho’s office in tears. Yet, she couldn’t shake the overwhelming sense of being so alone.

Her mind was in a frenzy, her walk to the elevator felt longer than it usually took, the silence of the halls was deafening. 

How could she forget about Lee Minho?

It was a question that gnawed at her, as she struggled to comprehend when and how she had even fallen so deeply for him.

The realization cut deep.

Y/N couldn’t move on. Unable to fathom marrying anyone else while her heart still yearned for him. 

Her eyes welled up again at the thought of Minho hating her. It was obvious yet she had always ignored it. She thought even if he didn’t like her like she did him, he would’ve at least gotten used to her constantly at his side.

So used to her, that he wouldn’t be able to see a life without her in his sights. 

Pathetic.

The elevator’s ding shattered Y/N’s thoughts, abruptly pulling her back to the present moment. She looked up, hastily wiping away the traces of tears from her cheeks, suddenly aware that there might be others sharing the lift with her. But as the doors slid open to reveal an empty interior, a wave of emotion overwhelmed her.

Her lips quivered involuntarily, betraying the facade she struggled to maintain. There was no hiding her heartache now, no reason to pretend she was anything but defeated. With a heavy sigh, Y/N stepped inside the elevator, shoulders slumped with the weight of everything that just happened.

You’ll be happy right, Lee Minho? 

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ to be continued.

── ask to be tagged! - @minh0scat, @qwonyoung23

[luckydii]

A Delicious Feast

(Chapter 4)

Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

❀

Rengoku rescues you from an unexpected attack. You repay him by making delicious meals that he gladly devours.

Later on, the man starts craving something else rather than your food.

❀

"The food smells delicious!" Mitsuri explained as she held the bento box close to her nose. "I know little Sukoshi made an effort on my plate." The small boy was absolutely adorable in her eyes. The relationship he had with you made her want something she's never thought about. Having kids.

"That boy really is something." Kyojuro chuckled. The conversation he had with Sukoshi kept replaying in his head. Marriage was a topic he would usually avoid, so it was definitely surprising when a nine-year-old decided to bring it up to him. Being a Hashira kept him away from getting into a relationship. Slaying demons at night, and recovering health in the day didn't give him enough time to socialize outside of the Demon Slayer Corps. He knew he wanted to start a family one day and grow old. Those were his two life goals. If you were willing to accept his proposal, he would try his hardest to make time just for you.

Every single day you hoped to see the flame hashira once more. You would wake up, and muster up the courage to speak to him, but sadly you were never greeted with warm tones. This routine kept going for about two weeks, and when the demon slayer finally decided to show up. You wanted to run away and hide.

Seeing him stand in front of the bar made you nervous. This time he wasn't accompanied by the pretty lady. Sukoshi noticed you stopping dead on your tracks, looking at Rengoku with an overwhelmed expression from afar. The boy gently grabbed your hand, startling you, but immediately feeling a sense of calmness flow over your body. His tiny smile gave you some strength. Okay, come on, you can do this. Even Sukoshi believes in you.

As you walked closer, Rengoku's head snapped at your direction like an owl. The sudden eye contact made you coward back, but your nephew was ready to hold onto you before you had the chance to run away. Right, you got this.

"(L/N)-San! Sukoshi! What a pleasant morning to see you both!"

"You're standing in front of our restaurant." Sukoshi said once y'all were close enough to him, tilting his head.

"Yes I am, my boy!" His loud laugh could be heard from the end of the street. Although it didn't stop it from being contagious. The little one joined in after a second.

"It's nice seeing you again, Rengoku-San." You bowed, staring at the ground a little too long to avoid the intense gaze that seemed to stare you down. Not intentionally, of course. Because of where you were looking at, you didn't even notice the man bowing back. He didn't like how your eyes weren't on him.

His hands met your shoulders. Even if they weren't bare you could feel his hardened palm filled with victories from wielding his sword so bravely. "Don't avoid me, please." His tone had gone soft for the first time around you. It made your cheeks warm. He knew exactly why you were denying eye contact. The little boy must have told you about what they were talking about the last time he came by. "I'm not avoiding you!" You said a little too loud, making your nephew look up at you with a crazy expression. It's like he was internally telling you "Real nice, Oba" with that little sassy tone of his.

Your lip twitched into a frown. All of that confidence you been storing for the past two weeks had been gone in a snap. You couldn't even look at the man in the eyes. "I'm not trying to avoid you, but..." You trailed off as you finally made eye contact with Rengoku. Those beautiful irises stared at you with wonder, begging for you to say what's on your mind.

Your lips forced themselves to seal shut. You couldn't do it. It wasn't as easy as you thought it would be, so instead you had to come up with something else.

"Would it be possible for you to stay until we close?" Your face was filled with heat. It wasn't like you were asking him out, so why were you so embarrassed to ask such a thing. A big smile plastered on his face, nodding his head in full agreement. "Of course, (L/N)-San!" He was just glad to be invited to what he was guessing a talk. You on the other hand didn't even know what to do. Were you just supposed to ask him out or what? Anxiety was rising in you.

Yet, again, Sukoshi came to the rescue. He tugged your hand, leading you to the inside of the restaurant, so you wouldn't stand in front of Rengoku any longer. You exhaled a big breath once you two got to the back of the restaurant. This was nerve-wracking, but at least you made small progress for the mean time. The boy looked up at you and patted the small of your back since that's what he could reach for. "You'll be okay, oba! I'll be there the whole day and night!" His reassurance did help you, although you didn't know what to tell him about the last part.

"Suko, I rather talk to Rengoku-san by myself tonight." This brought shock to the little boy. He tucked out his bottom lip. "Why?! I want to be there as well." You shook your head, and patted his hair. "No, Suko. This is going to be a talk between adults, you understand?" You traced small patterns on his head to distract him from your so-called betrayel.

"Yeah.." He quietly spoke while looking away. You sighed with a small smile forming on your lips. You crouch down to his height, booping his nose in the process. "I thank you for making this an opportunity for me." That's when Sukoshi's tiny pout turned into a wide grin. "You're welcome!"

When both you and your nephew entered through the back door, you were met with Rengoku once more, who had already made himself comfortable in the small stool. You felt slight intimidation, but you had to remind yourself. This man would never do anything to humiliate you or harm you in any way, right? This admirable man would never do such thing.

"What would you like to eat?" You asked, looking directly into his eyes.

The day went on like the usual. You served a whole lot amount of food while Sukoshi and him conversated. Customers had started piling up at your little restaurant a few minutes after Rengoku's appetite was finally satisfied. One thing both of the relatives always wondered was why did Rengoku constantly said "delicious!". It was rather strange, but it did bring you joy since he was showing his liking towards the meals. Oh, so that's what you thought.

"Rengoku-San why are you always saying delicious?" Gladly, your nephew took one for the team like always and tried to feed his curiosity.

Rengoku gave him the same planted smile he always wore. "I want to enjoy every meal before I die!" He said with such enthusiasm. Some customers stopped eating and stared at him from the corner of their eyes. You stopped cutting the onions and Sukoshi just stared at him with a mouth wide open. That immediately took a dark turn. 

"Huh?" Sukoshi frowned at the thought of Rengoku dying. "One never knows when they're going to die. As someone who's constantly in the battlefield I'm at a higher risk of dying. That's why I want to savor every meal before that happens." He gently smiled down at the boy whose bottom lip was trembling. Although, his little speech didn't have such motivation for your customers. They stopped eating midway, and now were staring at their plates. Well, gladly they already paid for it.

"But I don't want you to die! You can't!" He yelled while his hands turned into fists, as a tightening lump formed on his throat. The Hashira knew that if he spoke about being killed with honor, it would not make the situation any better, so instead, he made up a reason, one that only contained the truth. "No need to worry, Sukoshi. I shall use the conquering of your oba's heart as motivation to not leave this world yet." That made the situation worse, at least for you. You didn't even want to turn around just yet, it was impossible to ignore the intense pupils burying themselves on your figure. The good news was you no longer needed to ask him out. Rengoku made it clear he was going to win you over no matter what, even if he has the break the laws of life, and not meet the reaper with a deep wound in his body. The bad news... The customers had returned to eating their meals, happily listening to this week's brand new gossip.

Shit.

Throughout the day, your nerves were at their highest. You were completely aware you were the one that invited the man to stay until closing, but now that you were cleaning up the bar. It was difficult to calm the tension you felt. Ugh, why did you have to be awkward with men? Maybe it had to be with past experiences turning into bad results.

Once everything was properly cleaned, you had finally freed yourself from the thin knots of the apron you wore. Sukoshi had done that not too long ago, at the moment he was enjoying conversation with the male, and from what you caught, it had to do with the stories of his family. Apparently, he had a younger brother that won a few years against your nephew. Wouldn't it be fun for them to meet? Ha, if you do get married to this man, you'll already be giving him Rengoku's brother. The boy sounded rather timid compared to his extroverted older brother, so it would surely be a cute meeting between the two babies.

At last, you finally locked up the shop for good. "Are you boys ready?" You asked, walking towards them. They both nodded their heads, almost matching each other's enthusiasm. One was joyful to finally go home and rest, while the other was glad to exchange a few words with you alone.

As Sukoshi walked between the two adults, you couldn't help but gain a domestic feeling inside your chest. This is something you have always wanted, to have a husband and a child stepping alongside you. This warm feeling nearly made your tenseness loosen up. Keyword: 'Nearly'. The path to the (L/N)'s humbled residency was quiet, the only thing that could be heard were those of the tiny insects that roamed around the village, and the footsteps that were dragged against the path covered in dirt. The sunset was explicitly beautiful, the dark hue gently covered the orange rays of the sun. The colors brought slight comfort, earning the bravery to turn your gaze from the sky towards the male, and to your surprise. Rengoku was already looking at you with a smile. You were quick to break eye contact, forcing yourself to focus on the sky once again. Your heartbeat skipped a few beats as a blush hovered over your cheeks. Your panicked expression wasn't hidden from his sight, it brought out a chuckle, not helping your inner conflict at all.

A quiet sigh left your lips, seeing that everyone was standing a few feet away from your home. You stopped on your tracks, grabbing your nephew by the shoulder to put a pause in his steps. "Please wait here, Rengoku-San. I'll be back in a few minutes." You mentioned before nudging Sukoshi to say goodbye, but instead of bowing the boy went up to him and wrapped his arms around what he could reach, embracing him with a hug. He grinned towards the older man, speaking his farewell before letting go. Rengoku's pupils grew a shine to them as he stared down at him, a pure sight for sore eyes. He patted his head, unfortunately repeating the goodbye.

You paused as you and Sukoshi were right in front of the entrance. Crouching down, you cupped his face with both palms to catch his attention. "Sukoshi, you must promise me something. Do not tell anyone about Rengoku-San and I."

His eyebrow quirked with confusion. "But why? Obaasan would be so happy to hear you might get married soon." He wasn't technically wrong, your mother would be awfully overjoyed to hear the news of a man finally wanting to be engaged with you. "Yes, Suko, but.. y'know how she gets. She immediately spreads the word, and then.." That's how it was. When she made an announcement it's like these men were embarrassed to be known as a soon-to-be spouse for someone like you. It caused them to take back their words and leave you with unwanted heartache. "Well, what if Rengoku-San decides to change his mind? She would be devastated like the previous rejections."

"He's too nice for that."

"How do we know, Suko?"

"Because!-"

"Sukoshi." Your mouth hovered over his lips. His voice was getting loud, and you did not need your family to hear this conversation. "Just promise me that you're not going to bring this up to her or your mother. Please." Your hand left his face, holding up your pinky to complete the deal. The boy was obviously not happy about this, he wanted for you to trust his decision. There was no reason for you to doubt him. "Okay, Oba." He hooked his own pinky onto yours. A soft smile forming on your lips. Giving him a peck on his forehead, you mumbled a few words that made him bright right up.

"I love you, Sukoshi."

He pulled you into a tight hug, whispering, "I love you too, Oba." You knew that deep down he just wanted the best for you, but going through this was easier said than done. "C'mon. I'm sure you're hungry." After a full day of cooking, it was your mother that gave you the relief to relax as she put together a meal for the both of you.

Once the two entered the solace of their home, a greeting from your mother was immediately thrown your way. You quickly explained how you forgot to do inventory of the bar, and needed to go back to do it. "I'll try not to take long." You mentioned merely escaping her list of questions.

Hooray! You successfully escaped. Butterflies were summoned in your stomach as your eyes hit familiar irises. He held a smile that never seemed to leave his skin. It's simply a talk. Yeah.

❀

Taglist:

@queenmalhinewahine @kashasenpai @slutfor-fictionalmen @snowflakeanimelover @imaisbae @simpforerensattacktitan

Hey... hey y'all... How y'all doing..? 😭 Y'all will keep seeing my apologies since I can't keep a constant schedule. One thing that I do promise is that there'll be AT LEAST one update a year. Is it worth the wait? Idk. But to those who are still interested in this series. I love y'all and appreciate y'all mwah.

[7association-was-here]

Faust shall keep this simple, though of course the “grand finale” of this case could not be referred to as such in consideration of length and complexity (it is very, very long). But the following is the report and conclusion of the business at District 12, L corp.. summarised in a slightly more unique manner than previous reports.

-

The scent of the deceased reeked forth, sharply throughout our whole surroundings. Faust has very rarely visited this fallen wing but it was exactly as described countless times before; A near wasteland.

We considered searching for the individual whom identified themselves with the symbol, or perhaps title is more fitting, “SnakeHead”. But with the life of Heathcliff on the line and in the hands of an unknown threat Faust calculated that it is improbable to spare the time in searching for a guide in these unpredictable circumstances and territory. Not to mention that they have done enough help for us already. It would only be a burden.

Therefore we pushed onwards towards the center of the District instead where that infamous facility once stood. The head of Lobotomy Corporation and the Library Phenomenon. There was not much left of it except for mostly the underground entrance, for the upper half was supposedly transported by The Head into the outskirts.

Leaving behind multiple back-ups to watch and secure the surface, we descended, to the depths of the fallen wing.

As reported previously we encountered many of the “Abnormalities” and “Peccatula”, most of which were not a hassle to deal with. They are unpredictable yes, but manageable. (We shall need to observe them more sometime later..)

Pushing that aside as we traversed those ruins, the crackling of faulty wires, the dripping of blood, the flickering lights and the damp musty air were all that accompanied us passively. All else were hostile. We were thankful not to run into higher classed abnormalities though that much was sure. And Faust thought that the presence of some form of remaining energy being utilised is quite strange. It might have been flickering unevenly but the lights were very bright, unlike ones commonly found in abandoned buildings.

Of course that might have been from the remaining Enkephalin source somewhere within but the lights themselves seemed suspiciously brand new. I might be wrong, but it felt like a sign of recent inhabitants.

-

Proceeding forwards, and deeper into the facility, that was when the situation began to shift. As we descended to a new floor we noticed the surrounding seemed much cleaner than the previous upper floors. Much more sanitised and well-kept. In fact a few pieces of new furniture (most used for storing items, such as shelves and drawers) had been installed. All lined with research documents as well as what seemed to be various liquids in small containers. Faust doubts they were normal medication.

And not much to our surprise, moments later we spotted individuals ahead discussing a topic very heavily. I directed everyone to stay low, wait for them to pass, and in the meanwhile do their best to catch what it is those people were discussing. People in mostly lab coats..

”Yes, the substance reverts things to their original state…”

“So if we tamper it together with those alternate realities do you think..”

It was difficult to decipher what they spoke of. But those two sentences were what Faust remembers very clearly. And as they passed a revelation came to me as well, Faust recognises those lab coats. Or some of them at the very least, had the K corp emblem embedded at the side of their sleeves. What does this imply? That K corp is aware of the ordeal? Or were these simply stray traitors of the wing? Whatever this was Faust knew it was a sign that another of our cases was about to be answered. The missing former K corp employee.

I shall spare the details of how long we searched these floors but eventually we found him. The individual known as “Dongrang”, or so we believe. As his corpse had been altered very severely beyond recognition, and sealed within some form of glass incubator. A unique coffin inside one of the emptied chambers. This was certainly something K corp was not going to be pleased with as we couldn’t possibly retrieve the body from inside that device. Instead we could only take a photograph of it which shall be deemed classified and cannot be shared here.

-

With one of three cases dealt with I focused next on finding Heathcliff. The most important of them all.

Going deeper once more revealed that only the middle floors have been fully inhabited by this unknown faction. The final lower areas seemed more desolate… Not even abnormalities were spotted in these depths. Perhaps someone had cleared them out previously, as some traces did remain.

It was wholly uneventful for the most part, until we ran into an encounter. A familiar face, one which I immediately rushed upon, but was greeted with a strange disappointment right after.

Slumped on the wall lay a terribly injured individual. Heathcliff, but not my Heathcliff. It was one of the “mirror” versions of him, one we’ve indirectly met before in fact. The one from Shi Association. It is with regret to say that he was in a nearly irreparable state when we found him. A miracle he hadn’t immediately died, Faust will say.

And in thanks to that he was able to use those final precious moments to relay some information about our Heathcliff’s whereabouts along with information of another individual possibly with him. He claims that he was led here by a prescript (similar to how our Heathcliff was), and boldly followed along. As is later found out the prescript was a fraud and simply a trap for someone he described as “The Erlking Bastard” to ambush them. He recalls there being exactly 3 victims, aligning perfectly with the amount of Heathcliffs that we are aware of.

Though sadly… The Shi association fixer could not make it and later parted way right there with our eyewitness. A very mixed feeling it was. To watch someone I both know dearly and did not know at all the same time, perish just like that. A dear stranger.

We will contact Shi Association of their loss…

-

A trail of red string led us forth in this final floor, into a narrow hallway and into several more corridors, eventually from the distance we heard the clashing of two blades and of screams or shouts. A fight was in motion somewhere and Faust had to locate it immediately.

Now running through as best as we could in fear of being “too late” we pursued the red ribbon hastily and at last landing us in front of the entrance to one of the abnormality containment chambers. The door itself was fastened tightly, but peaking from behind the glass was still manageable and behind it lay a very strange and equally concerning sight.

Heathcliff, our Heathcliff, battered and bleeding though still holding on as he faced against yet another familiarly unfamiliar man.

A man seemingly at the end of his wits, his face worn and consumed with nothing but hatred and a single goal in mind. He seemed to be saying something, a speech perhaps to our Heathcliff. But with the noise canceled out not a proper word was made out. Afterwards he raised his weapon as though for a final strike, but I could not allow for that to pass. Pushing with all our might to get the door to open, just somehow, in some desperate miracle of hope, I could not simply stand to watch another—

“V.R.O.O.M way.” “Very Ridiculous, Out Of My”

And that “miracle” we desperately needed had revealed itself in the form of Ryoshu and her golf cart, ramming right into the containment chamber.

..Faust knows many things, but she does not know one thing right now. And that one thing is how can she describe the events which followed after the golf cart in a professional and sane way. To say the least Ryoshu’s ambushing was enough to pierce through the chamber and practically hit our foe point blank. Unfortunately as soon as we all began surrounding him, he vanished somewhere somehow amidst everything. Ryoshu quotes “Coward.”

It is anticlimactic yes, but I am certain things will properly come to an end eventually regarding his case in the future, all things in consideration. In other words that won’t be the last we see of him.

I instead turned to Heathcliff with many things to say, but we eventually left just as we had entered.

Faust would have said “carefully as to not be spotted” but we exited with the golf cart. No elaboration is needed on that.

-

And at last, after long sufferings that case comes to… A rather strange and unfulfilling close. Many strings did not tie together as Faust expected, such as the deal with K corp and the identity of this unknown faction remaining as it is. But for now,

I am glad that Heathcliff is finally safe. We lost one unfortunately, but he died a fairly noble death just as I would have wished for my own Heathcliff. He shall be remembered. And as for the other, the Öufi fixer has been returned safely to his own section. It will be awkward to explain what happened to their fixers, but nonetheless.

Ah. And I’ve received some additional information from Heathcliff… The fraudulent prescripts were indeed sent by “The Erlking”, in fact the murder of the workshop owner was also a part of the trap. And he explains too that this “Erlking” is another mirror occurrence of himself it seems.

The reason why he acted the way he did in attempting murder against the other Heathcliffs though… Our Heathcliff seems hesitant to explain. Whatever the reason may be I will not force it out of him right now if he does not wish to. Instead Faust will focus more on how “The Erlking” has anything to do with the unknown faction as well as K corp. What were their goals? What were they doing with the corpse of the K corp employee? And was the workshop murder truly a simple red herring, considering the strange mirror room within the warehouse? There were more questions produced than answered from this occurrence.

It is a very complicated matter indeed… Although now, I suppose that is all I can report. Faust shall take her mind off of this for a while and…

See if Heathcliff would like a cup of tea?

[captain039]

Craving the wild side

Dean Winchester x reader

Warnings: AOB, mentions of medical things, mentions of needles, mentions of abuse, feral alphas, light swearing, angst, hurt/comfort, mental health issues

Feral alpha AU

Case file No.5643

Cases name: Dean Winchester

Cases D.O.B January 24, 1979

Cases age: 45

Background:

Dean Winchester (feral alpha) was found in the underground raid in a place called ‘Ascended’ raid was completed by head officer Jody Mills (alpha) and her team on November 14th 2022. Dean Winchester (feral alpha) was placed in quarantine and given appropriate medical attention before moved to the Alphas corp building 203 on January 10th 2023. First assign to Dr Harper (female, beta) unresponsive to methods and treatments remains in a ‘feral’ state transfer required. Second assigning to Dr Freeman (male, beta) unresponsive to methods and treatment, remains in a ‘feral’ state transfer required. Now on head of the Dean Winchester case Dr Y/L/n, waiting for report and outcome

Signed by head of department Carver Edlund

You walked quickly down the white hall, this was your first day on the Winchester case. You had your tablet in hand and your assistant Charlie behind you.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” She asked and you kept your eyes ahead. You were nervous, hell you might have a breakdown before going in, but you were determined to help this alpha.

“I am sure” you nodded heading to his room. The guard nodded his head in a greet and opened the door. Charlie said her goodbyes and departed as you were checked for anything on your person before heading into a small room. You didn’t know what to expect, all feral alphas were different. Dean Winchester sat in the corner where his bed was. His mattress was on the floor and his frame was obviously thrown against the wall and discarded. You gulped slightly thankful for the glass between you both.

“Morning Mr Winchester” you said through the mic but he didn’t respond.

“My names Dr Y/L/n, I’ll be your-“ you stopped your sentence when green eyes met yours. Your breath got caught in your throat as he stared at you.

“Your head officer” you finished nodding as you tapped at your tablet. His hair was unkept and long, his beard obviously grown, he was also wearing no clothes, but the way his legs were kept everything covered. You read over the other Drs notes, not many treatments worked with him, especially with the glass there. One of the Drs went in, got a response just not the best one and ended up in the medical department, while Dean was tranquillised.

You stood nodded to the guard who opened Deans door. You walked in minding the thrown bed and kept your distance. Dean was watching you like a hawk, he didn’t blink often and made sure to watch every movement you made as you grabbed a discarded pillow and sat down.

“I am Dr Y/l/n” you said.

“I’m a part time soon to be full time officer here I’ve worked three cases in my last five years you will be my fourth” you hoped to gain some conversation with him.

“I live nearby the facility at a farm house owned by my parents, I have 3 cows, 2 sheep and 6 chickens there and a dog named Champ” you watched his eyes peek with interest and you took it as a good sign.

“Dean do you know your age?” You started questions. He nodded and you felt a little relief go through you.

“Do you know where you are?” You asked and he nodded again.

“Some of these questions may be hard or triggering, I will take in account your response and try to avoid them or the topic for the time being till you’re ready” you said tapping on your tablet to get the questionnaire.

“You were found in a place called ‘ascended’ one of the lesser known underground black markets” you stopped checking to see his response but got nothing.

“Officer Jody Mills got you and five other alphas out, did you know or have any relation to the other alphas there?” You asked and saw him tense but shake his head.

“Ok, it says you were a pleasure alpha, house alpha, as well as use and abuse as well as fighter” you winced at the words.

“Are these correct?” You asked and he nodded.

“Do you know what ascended is? In the underground establishments?” You asked and he nodded.

“Did you have many omega owners?” You said and he snapped his head to you. You jolted a bit in surprise as his eyes darkened. You noted that quickly and went to move onto a next question but it was too late. The alpha had crossed the room quickly and pinned you under him, hand on your neck. He didn’t squeeze though just kept his hold as he stared you down. The guards came in shock guns aimed as you held a hand up to stop them.

“Don’t!” You said looking at the alpha. His eyes were swirling with feral emotions, he was breathing harshly but he didn’t harm you.

“He won’t hurt me” you said quietly hoping you were correct. He leant down swiftly, pressing his nose to your scent gland before a disapproving growl left him. The guards shot them and stunned him off the shock going to you also. You jolted a bit your breath getting knocked out of you. Dean was quick to recover though as a guard went to help you up, the alpha body slammed him to the ground and began to punch him. Despite the helmet Dean kept punching knuckles bloodying as he went. He was torn off, shocked again and you were dragged out. You were pissed smacking the guard off you.

“You idiot!” You snapped and the guard was taken aback.

“He wasn’t hurting me he was trying to find my scent!” You glared at the guard through the mask and sighed.

“He growled Dr” she said.

“Because he wouldn’t be able to smell me due to the implant” you sighed rubbing your neck from the shock that went through you.

“He hasn’t had progress in months! He was responsive to me and now we’ve thrown him in a corner!” You sighed making her leave the room. You looked at his unconscious form on the bed and sighed quietly.

Next part ->

[ltwilliammowett]

Hello! I found a previous post of yours about priests & naval chaplains and I am super intrigued about the topic; would you happen to have any more information on this particular matter or are there any sources you know of that I could look into? Thank you so much in advance, your blog is one of my favourites out there and a legitimate treasure trove of knowledge 💗

Hi, Thank you very much for your compliment. Of course I have sources for you. As I have now written the post mainly about the Royal Navy Chaplain's post, it is quite short, as I will deal with religion again in a separate post. Beside more about the Royal Navy Chaplains I have also a journal of one from 1808-1814 and I have also added something about the US chaplains. I hope you enjoy reading it.

The Naval Chaplain in the eightennth century, by N.A.M. Rodger, 1995

[thealieninhiding]

The Balcony

Lena has a charity dinner party for L-Corp on Friday night, in two days time. She wants to ask Kara to be her date and has been trying to ask her out the entire week but Kara is always rushing off for one reason or another. Sometimes Lena worries it’s because of her but Kara is so kind, caring, and attentive that her doubts are easily assuaged in her presence. 

Kara came to Lena’s office in the afternoon to talk about an article she was writing, actually she had made up a reason so she could see Lena, it’s not like they would stick to that topic anyway. While they chat Lena is working up the courage to ask Kara directly this time. It wasn't the first ‘date’ she had asked Kara on and yet Kara acted as though they were just friendly lunches or dinners no matter how forward Lena thought she was in asking no matter how intimate the setting or romantic the evening she always acted like it was nothing special. She seemed to view them as just friends, and yet she never declined and she flirted back - didn’t she? 

Lena begins her question “I have an L-Corp charity event on Friday night…” but Kara hears a siren and interrupts to make an excuse to leave and is halfway out the door when Lena unwilling to let this moment pass blurts out a little too quickly “wouldyoubemydatetothisdinner”. Blushing, embarrassed at the outburst she is completely stunned when Kara says with a cheeky smile and a wink “I would love to, text me the details and I will meet you there, it’s a date”

Kara leaves the L-Corp building and takes off flying vaguely in the direction of the siren but keeps on flying in a daze, distracted thinking about Lena, about how she has hid her identity as Supergirl and her feelings for her for too long. Lena, beautiful inside and out, Kara knows she has to come clean. Eventually she realizes she has flown all the way around the earth and is right back at L-Corp. Hours have passed since Kara left - it's now after 9pm but Lena is still there, still working. Kara can’t wait any longer. She lands on the balcony, determined to tell Lena everything, who she is and how in love with her she is.

In Kara’s absence Lena managed to convince herself that Kara thinks this is yet another dinner date with a friend like every other time she asked Kara out and thought she was clear but Kara still didn’t ‘get it’. What did she have to do to get Kara to notice she wants more? Scream FUCK ME KARA, I WANT YOU INSIDE OF ME? 

Lena hears Supergirl call her name from the balcony. The distressing thoughts she had been busy trying to avoid that had yet again resurfaced were quieted, her mind calmed by Supergirl’s voice. Lena didn’t know why Supergirl had that effect on her, sure she was attractive, powerful, kind, actually she reminded her of Kara in many ways but more confident and somewhat aloof - Lena always felt like she was a Luthor first when talking to Supergirl though their working relationship had been good.

Kara standing on the balcony watches as Lena gets up from her desk and walks over to the door. She has it all worked out, the words rehearsed hundreds of times over the past several months, but she is terrified. Terrified that Lena will feel betrayed, that she won’t want to be friends with her let alone date her. She’s chickened out so many times before, but this time is different. This time she’s going to do it. Kara holds her glasses in her right hand waiting for Lena on the far side of the balcony. 

Lena approaches Supergirl. She is just about to ask what she wanted, thinking it was perhaps for a mission or something, when Supergirl starts to put on a pair of glasses. Suddenly the scales fell from her eyes, Supergirl didn’t just REMIND her of Kara SHE WAS KARA. 

“Lena I…” Kara starts to explain the deception but is cut off by Lena “I understand” in a heartbreaking tone. “No I don’t think you do” this time she holds up her hand when Lena starts to speak again “I love you Lena, I am in love with you. I’m so sorry I kept everything from you for so long, I was afraid…” At that moment Lena moves her hands to Kara’s face and kisses Kara tenderly on the lips.

Kara melts into the sweet loving kiss and the fire inside her grows as she deepens the kiss. Her left hand makes its way to the brunette’s hair as her right slides down her waist to the belt of Lena’s pants. Lena starts to moan softly into Kara’s mouth, her own hands moving down to unbutton her top, she then grabs Kara’s left hand and moves it to her breast desperate for Kara to touch her. 

Kara loudly moans when her hand touches Lena’s bra, it’s as wonderful as she had always imagined. So taken aback by how fast they were moving  she stops fumbling with Lena’s belt and breaks their kiss needing to catch her breath. Lena lets out a quiet whimper wanting Kara back immediately but she then notices how the blonde is looking at her chest, with eyes so wide and full of hunger. “Do what you want with them” Lena purrs seductively but unable to stop herself she adds  “please Kara” in a tone she felt was much too pathetic.

Kara doesn’t need to be told twice, her hands moving at superspeed, too enthusiastic at the idea to control herself; she removes Lena’s shirt and bra. She stood stunned for a moment taking in the brunette’s now exposed breasts. She had always stopped herself from using her x-ray vision to see them - it was too much of an invasion - but every chance she got to glance at, or rather stare at, them she took. Kara, now able to see them in their full glory, had never wanted to touch something more, never wanted something in her mouth so badly. She licks her lips as she moves back towards Lena picking her up and moving her so her back up was against the wall, a little more forceful than she meant but Lena’s moan of pleasure reassured her. Kara takes one boob in her right hand and the other in her mouth.

Lena gasps as she feels Kara tongue swirling around one of her nipples and her finger rolling the other. It’s been so long, she had imagined this moment so many times, she had so many dreams, pretended so many times. This, this was everything. 

Lena grasps at blonde hair pulling at it, Kara responds with a soft bite. Lena gasps out “FUUUUUCK”

Lena can feel wetness pooling in her panties, she lets go of Kara’s hair to remove her own belt. Kara getting the hint moves downward leaving a trail of marks down Lena’s body, sucking and lightly biting her way lower as she gets on her knees in front of Lena and pulls her pants and panties both down in one motion. Lena cries out as Kara puts her open mouth on her already swollen clit, as Kara starts to move her tongue Lena can already barely contain herself. Her legs start to shake. Kara takes both Lena’s hands in hers to reassure her. Lena can’t hold on any longer, she comes with a silent prayer to a god she isn’t sure she believes in that this isn’t a dream.

Riding out the waves of ecstasy Lena begins to tear up and as Kara stands and she pulls her pants up Lena starts sobbing so completely overwhelmed by everything. Without a word Kara embraces her and just silently holds her until Lena says “I love you too”

[snailstrailz]

Repost because the original fucked up!

Louie/Nilas (OC) fluff, no pikmin 4 spoilers, Based on the idea that Louie's love language is sharing food

Nilas rubbed their eyes before returning to scribbling at a notepad.

"I gathered more treasure and wildlife remains today. I do believe I may have discovered a new subspecies of bulborb mimic, which I managed to examine thoroughly before the leafling got his hands on it. Whatever he's making with it smells quite nice! Though I am a little reluctant to ask if he's willing to share, given his standoffish nature he's displayed. Though, the treasure, a fruit from this planet was a decent snack to hold me over. I have to promise myself I'll eat a real meal since Ellie isn't around to make me get up and have lunch at the moment. On the topic, still no sign of her nor Grove. If only l has Grove's tech talents. I could fix the radio and contact the rescue corps. For now, my only hope of finding them are the pikmin."

Nilas ran their fingers in their hair and sighed, setting down their pen. They relaxed in their chair, shooting up when they heard the sound of someone shifting behind them. Nilas whipped around in their swivel chair, seeing Louie in all his leafy glory. 

He flinched and the suddenness of Nilas' movement, one arm coming up instinctively. "Oh, sorry. I guess we spooked each other." Nilas chuckled awkwardly, "is there something you needed, Louie?"

Louie hesitated, "... yes, I brought you this." His voice was quiet, nervous. 

Nilas was so used to Louie being around food and food-adjacent things that they didn't even register him holding a saucer loaded with hot stew. "Oh?" Nilas was so caught off guard by this sudden generosity from the leafling and his unwelcoming demeanor. 

Louie quietly crossed the room to Nilas and handed them the warm dish, Nilas taking it because they didn't know what else to do. "...thank you, Louie." Nilas said in quiet bewilderment. They stirred the stew around a bit with the spork stuck inside it. 

"I noticed you skipped dinner." Louie stated flatly, fiddling with his fingers as he shifted on his feet. Nilas looked down at their food. A mixture of pikpik carrot, potato, and the dwarf bulborb all mixed in a thick aromatic roux. 

Absent-mindedly, probably because the appearance of a meal reminded Nilas' stomach that they were hungry,  Nilas scooped a generous amount of the stew on their spork and popped it in their mouth.

Flavor exploded on their tongue, making Nilas' eyes widen. They went for another sporkful at the same time they gulped down the first and took another mouthful. And another. And another. Nilas was so consumed with eating their meal that they didn't notice Louie was still standing there until they were about halfway through. Nilas swallowed what was in their mouth, "this is fantastic!" They exclaimed, making Louie shift and wring his hands more.

"...thanks." he murmured. Nilas raised a brow. Though his face was covered in leaves, they could tell from how he was carrying himself that he would be blushing. 

"I didn't think you'd notice that I forgot to eat. I didn't even realize." Nilas noted, scooping up more stew in their spork. As they spooned it into their mouth, they chewed slowly this time, savoring it's flavor.

"... I notice a lot of things." Louie replied, "I just don't do anything most of the time."

As Nilas swallowed, A silence fell between them. Louie wasn't one for eye contact, but his eyes were locked with Nilas'. His lips were firmly pressed into a line, but twitched at the corners. Is he trying not to smile? Nilas thought, chewing yet another clump of delicious bulborb meat. 

"So how have you been? I haven't seen as much of you lately." Nilas asked after swallowing and going for more. 

"...fine." Louie said.

Nilas looked down at the saucer as they prodded it with the spork. There was no veggies or meat left, just the scraped up remains of flavorful brown juices. 

"... I'll take that." Louie blurted, "... so you can get back to working." He added quickly, just now turning away in his fluster as he awkwardly swiped the empty dish from Nilas' lap and scurrying off like a scared breadbug.

"... thanks." Nilas said as Louie left. They weren't sure he heard them, but that wasn't at the forefront of their mind right then, unlike the strange fluttering feeling inside them and how they could feel their cheeks and eartips heating up. Maybe Louie and I will get along after all. Nilas said to themself. 

[deadroleplaysociety]

Bluebird

Bluebird flipped a guy over her shoulder. Two robbers raced out of the bank, trying to dodge the fight. Bluebird grabbed two small taser disks from her utility belt, and flung them at the robbers. It stuck to their back, sending waves of electricity and brought them to the ground.

Three more followed suite; the ring leaders of this robbery came out guns blazing. As she leapt for cover, a bullet hit her in the ribs. She hit the concrete and clutched her side. Her suit was bullet proof, or it should have been. Those weren't ordinary bullets.

Bluebird pulled her weapon and fired back, non lethal rounds were the compromise she used in desperate measures.

They took direct hits and collapsed in pain. Her wounds were real. She stumbled to her feet and went to cuff the robbers and flee, not needing Gotham Police asking her too many questions.

Harper pulled her grappling gun from her belt and fired toward the rooftop. She yelped as she shot up in a jerked motion. Her muscled protested her every effort to get back home. The few mile journey felt like an agonizing trek. First aid only went so far.

Halfway there and she stopped, catching her strained breathing. Shit, a collapsed lung? She had broken ribs and knew what that pain felt like. This was different. Looking ahead, she wasn't going to make it by roof top like this. She ducked down behind a large set of heating and cooling units fixed on the manufacturing building and strained to twist and take her coat off. She groaned and cursed, then gasped several tight breaths. Her suit was a bitch to get in and out of. the material was hot and unyielding in its comfort level. She wore light undershirts and undershorts beneath. Tonight she was glad she had. As she finished removing her super suit, she tucked it in her backpack along with her mask.

She found a latter and climbed down. She cut through an alley, stopping midway as a man jumped down behind her. Her body tensed the minute she recognized him.

"What do you want?" Harper bristled seeing Viperion and turned to face him. He tried to stand tall as though she wasn't hurt, but, the blood on her hand betrayed her.

When he looked at her wound and asked, she shook her head, "it's nothing." She reached into her utility belt and grabbed a topical numbing spray. The L Corp logo stamped on it. She struggled to get a good angle.

[auroragoth]

Focus on two lifestyle counselling agencies

Whether true midlife crisis or simple want to change career paths, lifestyle changes have been more and more popular in the past years, attracting sims from all walks of life. From getting into a new hobby to turning over their life completely, more and more sims are looking to give more meaning to their lives and find their true calling. Agencies centering on these lifestyles changes have flourished over the years, gaining more and more popularity and reaching sims all across the nation.

Focus on two of these agencies, Postcard Legacy Enterprise and Dun&Don Corp.

Postcard Legacy Enterprise was founded just over a year ago but has become extremely popular thanks to the wide variety of services they offer. They specialise in complete lifestyle changes, helping sims turning their life around and finding the career and life they truly want to live through in-depth counselling and step-by-step teachings tailored to each individual. They are also partnered up with various companies to facilitate job inclusion as well as help with creating new companies and growing a significant clientele to build a lasting business.

Their approach centers on setting clear life goals their clients want to achieve, then giving them the means to accomplish them. Sims can sign up to classes or simply ask to meet with some of the agency's coaches, each specialised in different topics to provide the best advice for each situation. They also offer access to judicial and financial counselling to assist with administrative issues.  

This extremely personalised guidance is what seduced all lot of sims already and explains the rapid growth of the Postcard Legacy Enterprise, as exemplified by Mariah, their most recent customer, who accepted to give us a small testimonial of her experience with the company:

 "Thanks to Postcard Legacy Enterprise, I moved out to the island of my dreams and found the life I'd always yearn for. I even found the love of my life and we had a kid together! All of this wouldn't have been possible without their coaching, I'm eternally grateful for what they helped me accomplish!"

Up and coming new agency Dun&Don Corp. specialises in fantasy themes to give their clients' life a whimsical spin. They offer a lot of different classes to perfect a various range of crafts, from gardening and cooking to more specialised ones like space engineering. Their team of counsellors are trained to assist everyone no matter their difficulties, some of them even specialised in psychology to better understand sims who come to them and find the best answers to their problems. They are aiming to be accessible to anyone who needs them, accommodating sims from all backgrounds and abilities, no matter their social status or financial situation.

The agency is slowly gaining fame, and hopes to convince more sims to add a little magic to their lives through their personalised services. Attests to this the testimony of Dr. Tatiana Bjergsen-Blue:

"Dun&Don Corp. has helped me find a way to deal with the stress induced by working in the medical field and taking care of a large family. Their coach found the right hobby for me to focus on to recenter myself and reach inner peace! Now balancing a challenging work life and a home of five children isn't as taxing as it used to be."

More information on what these two agencies offer are available online on their websites, and their customer services are available everyday of the week for a better follow-up and an improved experience.

These two agencies are just a small sample of what can be found out there, and new lifestyle companies are created on the daily, making it easy for anyone to find the one they feel more in line with. Other examples of well known agencies include NotSoBerry Ltd. or the Decades Legacy Office, two of the most famous and praised ones you could find. With all these choices available, no doubt that you will find the one for you if you ever need it!

Mariah, Lorenzo & Darien by @wrixie | Picture by @wrixie

Tatiana Bjergesen-Blue by @auroragoth | Picture by @auroragoth

Postcard Legacy Challenge by @sojuteatime​

Dungeons & Dragons Legacy Challenge by @demonicrosebushsims​

Text by @auroragoth​ | Mariah’s testimonial by @wrixie​

Thank you Wrixie, Dette, Andrea and Jalf for your participation 💚

[zacwremcate]

An Intro of Sorts!!!

[Hello! I’m Perci. Welcome to my library of ruina rp blog. This blog is mostly “live reactions” to events that happened in a Library of Ruina inspired D&D campaign that I have with friends.]

Rules

Do not ask to be in the campaign. The campaign is very story driven and adding you in would be a lot of work to write you in. Also, I don’t know you :\

This is mostly a reactionary rp blog to events that happens in my D&D campaign. Think of it as those…. instagram stories or snap chat… or whatever you hip youngsters call them.

Feel free to send in asks as long you’re nice. I may or may not get to your ask. Don’t be mad if I don’t answer you.

Do not send anything about bigotry, politics, nsfw, or Lgbt+phobic. You will be blocked.

There will be swears and mentions of living in a terrible sci fi dystopian society oooooo

I’ll use “[]” when speaking out of character

I’m not going to interact with any rp blogs (like actively send in an ask) unless they’re from my campaign

Do not @ me unless you’re from my campaign

Things that occur in the campaign may not align with the continuity of Project Moon’s universe

This is for fun

Hashtags

Trigger warnings will be like #tw spiders with a tw and space in front of the topic

I won’t be consistent with my tagging btw

#🪡Live- for live reactions from my campaign

#🪡Long- Long posts/rp interactions

#🪡Image- posts that contain images

#🪡Chatter- When Zac talks in a post/reply

Character Intro

Zac Wremcate

[Picrew Link]

Gender: Male

Age: 21 Years old

Pronouns: He/Him

Birthday: 9/15 (September 15)

Likes men :]

9th Grade Fixer for the Neon Office

Aspiring Designer of somethings!

Lost his memories

Found by the Neon Office at the ruins of L Corp

Co-Fixers

@sortofacatenjoyer - G

[thatonebirdwrites]

Finally. I've been so ill lately, that it's taken me forever to edit this and get it posted. I feel bad about that. I've spent so many days bedridden. I could barely eat, barely get out of bed, struggling to even clean myself up. It was just awful. The flare-up was horrendous thanks to the disability hearing and some other harmful things that happened all at once. My dissociation has been through the roof.

But I'd like to think my health is stabilizing now? I hope so. Writing is my main coping mechanism.

Excerpt:

When the world shifts on its axis in a metaphorical sense, Lena Luthor prepares for the worst. It’s her coping mechanism. If she is prepared for the worst, then she’s prepared for anything, right?

This logic doesn’t hold up when faced with healing from trauma. How humans process trauma differs from aliens. She can rationally and logically prepare, but her work centers a human mind. Sure, she’s slowly branching L-Corp beyond human-centric models. Hiring several alien scientists and green-lighting their projects has aided in this endeavor. Opening Luthor Hospital to alien medical personnel and patients also aids in better understanding.

She’s talked with Sam, Nia, Kelly, and even J’onn about what to expect. Alex isn’t answering her phone, otherwise, Lena will have talked with her too. It’s J’onn that gives her the biggest insight.

“Think of it this way,” he says. He sits in his red armchair next to a wall of bookcases, the ground floor of the tower he’s been building since he left the DEO. Lena finds the wall fascinating, and wants to dig into the treasure trove of books, but instead, she focuses on J’onn. “Kara’s first thirteen years of life was in a rigid homogeneous culture. One where everyone had a place in society, often pre-determined from birth. She’s learned some flexibility in thinking since coming to Earth, but she’s also fallen into that rigid approach far more times than I can count.” 

Lena sighs. “Like her reaction to the Kryptonite during the worldkiller crisis.” 

“Yes.” J’onn leaned forward, his arms on his knees. “Her trauma spoke louder than her rational-mind, and her laser focus pointed in the wrong direction. That rigidity from her culture flared, and it is only when she realized she was losing you, that she made a decision to do better.”

“Wait, what?” Lena stares at him. “What do you mean losing me?”

J’onn smiles, sadly. “She shared of your elevator conversation. Where you said Supergirl acted like your mother. That you’d never trust her again. She came to me devastated, wondering how to fix it. I believe she still beats herself up over it.” 

“Oh.” In all honesty, Lena hasn’t thought about that conversation in over a year. “I tend toward overly dramatic language,” she says, quietly. “And at the time, I didn’t want to ever trust Supergirl again.” 

“What caused you to trust her again?”

Lena shakes her head. “I don’t know.” 

J’onn’s words haunts her the rest of that day and the next. 

She understands to an extent rigid thinking. She’s seen it in Lex and Lillian, and glimpses of it in her father. She also understands laser-focus on a topic, as she does it herself when chin-deep in a project. 

She wants to be able to view things through Kara’s lens, and she hopes Kara will be able to view things through her lens. It’s a simple metaphor, one to bridge the gap between her human experience and Kara’s alien one.

Likely it’d be easier to discuss this with Kara herself, but that proves daunting. So Lena leaves it for the therapy sessions. Yes, she knows unraveling a lifetime of trauma in one session of therapy is unrealistic. It doesn’t stop her from feeling frustrated that the first session is only fifty-five minutes. She wants to get it all done and over with in one go, but that isn’t how these things work.

She likes to think she’s prepared for the glimpses into Kara’s trauma. The deep grief Kara hides surfaces randomly. Lena has learned to sit with Kara, let her weep or rage as needed, and be present to hold her through it all. It’s not that different from what Kara has done for her.

This still isn’t enough to prepare her for therapy with Kara Zor El Danvers. She doesn’t realize until their first session how intricate and delicate the web is within Kara’s mind.

[thatonebirdwrites]

Lena paused by the stand in the farmers' market, not because of the food on display or really anything on display, but more because the woman behind the stand was breathtakingly beautiful. Blond hair that fell in gorgeous curls around her rounded face, and brilliant blue eyes that seemed to hold the stars.

The woman smiled and her face lit up like the sun. Absolutely criminal really. "Find anything you like?"

"Um, yes." Lena's brain slowly turned back toward her task of collecting the food she needed for the week. Some of it was handmade sweet and jams. The rest were melons, mushrooms, and apples. Interesting combination here.

Lena perused the food and pointed to the ones she wanted as she listened to the woman -- who called herself Kara Danvers -- share random tidbits about each food item. Kara eagerly picked up the items to place in containers or bags.

"Did you know that some of the most misshapen apples have the most intense taste?" Kara offered as she bagged up the ones Lena had picked out.

"Oh? And did you determine this in an experiment?" Lena said, amused. She hadn't ever noticed such a difference in the state of an apple, but then she hadn't ever thought to do an experiment to test the properties of an apple and its impact on taste buds.

"Oh you betcha! Even used a control," she pointed to herself with an ever widening grin, "and other subjects. Hands down misshapen fruit for the win."

Lena gave a half shrug with a small smile and pointed to two misshapen fruits. "I suppose I'll have to replicate this experiment then."

Kara winked. "Definitely. And then come back to share your results."

Was the woman flirting with her? Lena found it a little hard to tell for sure, considering how sunny Kara was, and how she'd been just as chipper and talkative with the other person who had bought food before Lena approached.

Best to change the topic perhaps. Lena could feel the blush starting up her throat, and that was a trifle embarrassing. "So what do you do when not being the hottest seller in the market?" She couldn't resist a little flirtation herself.

To her delight, that got a blush out of Kara. The game was even now. "Well, I, uh," she stammered, "I like to paint actually. Sometimes on slower days, I'll people watch, and picture different ways to paint the crowds and other stands. Or the way people organize their wares. Or how the sunlight reflects off the windows of the surrounding skyscrapers, or the way the light peaks out from clouds." A wistful note entered her tone, and she looked up at the sky. "Always wondered what it'd be like to fly, not in a plane but as just myself, like a superpower. And to see the world from above. And paint that."

Heavens, her words were poetry. Lena stared at Kara for a long moment, a bit taken aback by such a forthright answer to her tease.

"What about you? Your hobbies? Oh! If you had a superpower, what would it be?" Kara pressed her hands against her table and leaned forward eagerly.

Lena floundered for a moment. Hobbies? She worked all the time, and moments like today were rare. She had to in order to keep L-Corp running, especially since her change of direction met with so much disapproval from the white men of her board. She'd managed to subtly pressure several to resign, only to fill their spots immediately with women, particularly women of color since their fresh and creative ideas had spurred her to jump for this new direction. They'd had her back, and she was determined to do the same for them, even if it meant personally fighting every white man and knocking them down a peg or ten.

"I read a lot," Lena finally said, after an awkward pause, where she realized she'd been staring at Kara for a bit too long. Though the woman didn't seem to mind, what with her leaning forward and watching her in turn. "All sorts of genres." She paused and recalled the time she was only an engineer before she'd inherited the CEO position to repair the company after her brother's imprisonment. "If I had more time, I'd design robots for competitions perhaps. As for superpower? I don't know. I never thought about it."

"Robots?" Kara straightened and looked even more delighted. At this point, Lena was beginning to wonder if Kara's delight and smiles increased at an exponential rate toward infinity. "That's amazing! How people built robots always felt like magic to me. To put together all these electronics and somehow get them to move on their own?" Kara wiggled her fingers as if that somehow related to her words. "So you've got tech magic."

Lena flushed at the awe in Kara's tone and busied herself with looking at the mushrooms next. She didn't know what to say to Kara's excitement. It wasn't that amazing. Just a little thing Lena enjoyed and wished she could go back to doing.

"Do you pick these mushrooms yourself?" Lena asked to divert the attention away from herself. The wide variety, some she hadn't ever seen outside of her own mushroom hunts, impressed Lena considerably.

"Yes, ma'am," Kara said with a grin.

"One of my favorite pastimes," Lena started to say but then her phone rang. She pulled it out and sighed. One of her board members calling wasn't a good sign. She hoped there wasn't another emergency. "I need to take this, hold those for me? I'll be right back."

"Will do!"

Lena turned away and took a few steps away from the stand. It was nearing the end of the market, so there were less people, but it still hummed with a loudness that made it a trifle hard to hear the speaker on the other end.

Which she would love to not hear at all actually. The man was none other than the most annoying board member in the universe, Morgan Edgemont, who wanted nothing more than to waste Lena's time. He had been furious at her decision to purge all weapons and defense contracts and turn the company to green energy initiatives and disaster relief technology.

It took only a minute of his incoherent speech before Lena determined this rant related to her green-lighting a network deployment technology to get call and Internet coverage back up in disaster zones as quickly as possible.

"This will earn us nothing!" he ranted. "Short term estimates are dismal, and there's no money to be had in disaster relief. We'd be better off purchasing the land and remodeling it."

"Ah, I see your vision is once again clouded by short-sighted greed," Lena kept her tone calm, despite her fury at his callous disregard for those living in those areas. To purchase land during a disaster just to price out locals? No, Lena was never going to do that. "If you would refer to the page 14 of the proposal, you would see the long-term estimates as well as a list of government and private agencies who have pre-ordered the technology. Now if you'll excuse me, I have important matters to settle."

"Now see here, Lena--"

"It is Ms. Luthor to you," Lena said coolly. "Good day, Morgan." She hung up before he had a chance to say another word.

With a sigh, she turned back to the stand, only to see a rather interesting sight.

Kara leaned against her table and spoke to a black cat in a not-quite-a-whisper. "So, don't ruin this for me, Streaky. She's soooo pretty! All you got to do is be very cute. Get her to pet you, and then I'll have the confidence to ask her if she wants dinner sometime. Got it?"

The cat stretched and curled up by the melons instead.

Kara groaned, and she slumped against the table. "Streaky. That's not the plan."

Lena couldn't help it. It was absolutely adorable in every way. Her heartbeat faster when she approached the stand again, and she found herself hopelessly endeared.

Kara perked up immediately at her return, the sunshine smile returning in force. "Hello again! I kept all your food as fresh as can be. Still hoping for some good mushrooms?"

Lena smiled. "Yes actually. Do you live nearby by chance?"

The woman nodded. "On the edge of the city's southside. It's perfect you know for large gardens, and the woods overflow with mushrooms. I love it there." As always more information than what Lena asked for bumbled out of the woman, but Lena only found herself more smitten with each sentence Kara said.

"Then would you like to go mushroom hunting sometime?" Lena knew that this was far too forward, but after witnessing that precious discussion with a cat, she knew that she definitely wanted to see Kara again.

Kara lit up even brighter than before. "That would be awesome! Yeah, totally. I mean, only if you want to that is, oh, right, you asked, so you do want to, and yeah, that's a yeah. Definitely!"

Her bumbling answer only made her even more adorable. Lena unlocked her phone and pulled her 'add a contact' page. "Let's swap numbers, and I'll finish my purchase after." She handed her phone to Kara, who took it gingerly as if it was the most precious item in the world. Lena's lips twitched in amusement.

After Kara punched in her number and handed it back, Lena sent off a quick text. "There. Now you have mine. So, about these mushrooms." She turned back to the collection eager to sort through for the rarer ones that she adored.

It wasn't until she'd made the purchase and returned to her car that she found a text from Kara.

It was a picture of her and her cat, Streaky, giving a thumbs up with the words: "Enjoy your food! And can't wait to hunt those shrooms!"

Lena settled into the driver's seat with a grin. Today definitely was the most successful visit to the farmer's market she'd ever had.