#yes Kara is in the picture you just can’t see her in this version

[rainbow-rebellion]

Based on this brain melting picture of Katie in a red dress

Tumblr decided to censor and delete my original post, apparently it was a bit too spicy for some people’s liking - but don’t worry, you can still see the full NSFW(ish) version on my twitter - if that link doesn’t work I’ve also added it on pillowfort

[cyclone-rachel]

don’t know if I’ll live ‘til tomorrow // a supergirl fanfic

All Querl hears is Lex’s laughter.

His taunting- so, Coluan, you were only mostly dead? No matter. You can die with her- as he rushes forward, making it to Supergirl’s side simultaneously in time and too late.

All he sees is the Fortress of Solitude, ice surrounding him, the rest of the people he tried to save- fading from sight, pulled away from him, as though he’s the one who’s been put in a bottle this time.

All he feels is Kara’s hand in his, as they land in a place they both know well.

“We’re in the Phantom Zone.”

~

Their hands haven’t left one another since they got there.

“Your ancestral memories.” Kara says suddenly, if only to hear something at all. “Do they have anything that could help us? I mean, Indigo was sent to Fort Rozz with my aunt and uncle, but…”

“I should ask you for any information.” Querl answers. “You were the one who had to stay here for over twenty years.”

“In my spaceship.” Kara tells him, shivering. “Not out here. And besides, it’s… different now.”

“Indeed.” Querl says as he squeezes her hand. “And as for your question, yes. Besides Indigo herself, I actually have several ancestors who’ve found their way here.”

He lets himself laugh, a little bit.

“You would think they’d expect after a while that any kind of criminal act would get one sent to such a place as this. Especially when dealing with those who discovered it in the first place.”

“The Kryptonians.” Kara says. “Yeah.”

“And, surprisingly, one of my doppelgangers that we met after the Crisis briefly suffered the same fate, while he and the Legion were fighting a child of General Zod.”

“How did that one get out?”

“He had the help of his friends.”

“…Oh.”

~

“I remember it.” Kara says. “Being here. Or, somewhere like here, anyway. My mother- Alura- well… she certainly didn’t expect my pod to be knocked off-course, when I was sent from Krypton. But she said I would sleep most of the way. And I tried, some of the time.”

“But not for decades.”

“No.” Kara agrees, sighing. “Even when I got to Earth, I was afraid to fall asleep- because I didn’t think it was real. Like I would wake up in my pod again, and every hope of escape would be taken away from me. I’d just be stuck there, for years, and nobody would know.”

“And now you have returned.” Querl answers. “Is this how it looked before? You said it was different.”

“It is different.” Kara emphasizes, looking around her. “It seems… fragmented.”

“Like the universes collided with one another.” He observes. “Of course.”

“Which will make it more difficult for them to find us.” Kara says, shoulders slumping. “I can’t imagine where they’d even start looking.”

And without a twelfth-level intellect, the process will be much slower, she thinks.

She imagines it for a moment- Alex or someone else finally forcing an opening, pulling her into the light. Kara asking how long it’s been, and her sister hesitating, before telling her how many years. Or worse, it’s not Alex at all- maybe this time it will have been hundreds of years, or thousands. She pictures the Legion rescuing her and Brainy, his friends happy to see him but saddened when they also glimpse her.

“But they will be looking.” He says. “As for our situation… if you had not been in your pod, is there anywhere here that you would have gone, to keep yourself safe?”

“Yes.” Kara says, a little more confident. “There’s one place.”

~

“I… I hate him.”

“Who?” Kara wonders, but remembering all they’ve recently been through, she knows the answer right after she asks.

“Lex.” She corrects herself. “Yeah. I feel the same way.”

Brainy squeezes her hand again, this time tighter, stepping closer beside her as they continue walking.

“Everything I did was to keep you safe.” He says. “I was sworn to secrecy by one of the other versions of myself- the woman, who called herself the director of the DEO.”

“The one who looked like she could’ve been your sister.” Kara says. “I remember.”

“She told me this was the only way to make things right, that her universe was the closest to ours, and if I did not work with Lex, disaster would occur. Leviathan would win. I could not let that happen.”

“Of course.��� Kara answers.

“I knew how much you would lose trust in me.” Brainy says. “But that was necessary. I only hoped that you would forgive me, once it was all over.”

Kara nods.

“I do.” She says. “If that counts for anything.”

“Certainly, in this situation.” He answers. “Thank you.”

Kara smiles at him, and he tentatively smiles back, before going on.

“Every step of the way, I hated working with him.” He says. “Every time he would threaten you, or make some derisive comment about us or any of our friends, I was only more determined to defeat Leviathan with him so that he could be stopped as well. But it had to be in that order. Until then…”

“You were inhibited.”

“Yes.” He agrees. “You see the cruel irony in this situation. But now, I have stopped Leviathan, nearly at the cost of my own life were it not for all of you, and Lex is…”

Kara squeezes his hand.

“Our friends can handle him.” She says. “I hope. But… how did you stop Leviathan? I wasn’t sure, J’onn and Alex said that they were fighting them, but they just vanished.”

“I bottled them, if you can believe it.” Brainy answers. “I uploaded the mortality code that Lex tasked me to get, and used a bottle I found in the DEO vault.”

“You say that as if we didn’t find you almost dead of radiation poisoning.” Kara tells him. “But, if there was any doubt you were good to your core, I think it’s gone now.” “Yes.” Brainy says. “It is.”

~

They come across a cave, when trying to find shelter.

Neither of them have kept track of time, in this place, but without the sun and cut off from any kind of knowledge, Kara and Querl are both tired, and decide to take the risk to rest.

But because this is the Phantom Zone, and no good things happen in such a place, the path inside the cave leads in two directions, so for the first time, they split apart to investigate each.

And when they reunite, Kara finds Querl trapped.

It doesn’t seem too serious at first- if Kara had her super-strength, she could easily break the crystal encasing one of Querl’s feet. And even without it, she still tries, but the crystal only grows in response.

“My great-grandfather discovered the Phantom Zone.” Kara says. “I don’t think he ever wrote anything about this.”

“Then we will have to keep trying.” Querl answers. “I believe in you.”

And however strong that belief is, it doesn’t free him. As much as Kara keeps looking for a solution, she can’t find anything. She so badly wants to help him, or do anything to make sure he’s safe- Rao knows he’s done much more of that for her, especially in recent days- but the crystal keeps growing over his body, and he’s even more trapped than they already are.

“How long do you think I have, Kara?” he asks, when the crystal has reached his waist.

She tries not to imagine him asking that question just before they found themselves here, when she and the others had found him in Leviathan’s headquarters, practically radiating from how much exposure he’d gotten.

Back then, at least, they’d found a solution. Alex had given him the boost to his system he’d needed to survive, and everything had been okay.

Here… Kara wishes she could analyze the material he’s stuck in, or shoot it with her heat vision (in a way that wouldn’t incinerate him, of course) or any number of things.

But it’s only a matter of time before there’s no more of him for the crystal to encase, and even before then, there would be no telling what else came to find them here.

Until then, however, they just… talk. Try to pass the time, however they can. They tell each other the meanings of their names, share stories of their childhoods on Krypton and Colu, anything works- except discussion of their present situation, and how little time they have left.

When the crystal comes up to Querl’s neck, he confesses that he loves her- that he always has.

For a moment, Kara wants to accept it, tell him that she loves him too.

But…

It feels off, somehow, and when she says “No.”, his expression gives him away.

“What have you done with Querl?”

“Kara Zor-El.” He says, image-inducing into a form she doesn’t know- a tall woman resembling Brainiac 8. “It took you long enough to figure it out.”

“You’re Brainy’s mother.”

~

“Hello, Kryptonian.” Says the woman- Brainiac 4, Kara realizes. “It was exhausting pretending to be civil to you.”

“How are you even here?” Kara asks.

Brainiac 4 waves her hand dismissively.

“It matters not.” She says. “I am here for my son. I had heard that he’d escaped to the twenty-first century, to avoid the plague that our relative had released, and was under the protection of Supergirl. Imagine my surprise when I learned he and Supergirl were in the Phantom Zone of all places together, just as my great-grandfather and yours had been two hundred years before your time. And, for that matter, that he had nearly died protecting you.”

“He did that because he’s a hero, and my friend.” Kara answers, wishing now more than ever for the sunlight, something to give her strength. Even without it, though, she could still deal with this woman. “What did you do with him? Where is he?”

“You think I would tell you that?”

“If you do, maybe I’ll think about letting you go. You’d still be trapped anyway.”

Brainiac 4 frowns.

“I suppose that’s your famous compassion.” She says. “But no matter. Have you forgotten that you are trapped in here as well? We are no better off than one another, Kara Zor-El.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Our friends are coming to find us, and soon, you’ll be stuck here alone.”

Kara imagines it- Brainiac 4, watching as Kara and Brainy and their friends leave the Phantom Zone, trapped with only the Phantoms for company. She can’t pretend it doesn’t give her a tiny bit of happiness.

“You truly still believe that?” Brainiac 4 asks. “Look around you. The Phantom Zone has changed- the collision of the pocket dimensions from infinite earths… it would take a twelfth-level intellect to navigate such a place. And even if my son had not come with you, he and your friends would be ultimately helpless. They would be set upon by countless Phantoms, consumed by their worst fears, and this time there would be no Fort Rozz to pull you free.”

Kara didn’t like the sound of that, definitely. But just recently, hadn’t she believed in the entire world? She’d held out hope that they would disconnect themselves from the Obsidian North program, break themselves out of the digital world where their lives were being threatened. She’d hoped, too, that Brainy wasn’t truly under Lex’s control, and he had proved that. She could still trust her friends, that they could overcome anything, and they surely trusted that she and Brainy would stay alive, long enough for them to be rescued.

“I believe in them.” She says. “And in your son.”

“Are you sure that is wise?” Brainiac 4 asks. “How much has he told you, about his past before the Legion, about our family? Would you still trust him, if you knew that he was once a criminal, that he was arrested- even after the inhibitors were placed on him?”

“I would know that that wasn’t the whole story.” Kara tells her. “No matter what he did, he’s a Legionnaire now, and a Super-friend- and I still want to know where he is.”

“Of course you do.” Brainiac 4 states flatly, looking towards another pathway in the cave. “He is down that hallway; he’ll wake up soon. And as for you…” She gives Kara an evil smirk, and Kara does her best to return it with a glare. “We will meet again, Kryptonian.”

She leaves then, giving Kara an opportunity to run down the path, and soon take the real Brainy in her arms.

~

“So, you have finally met my mother.” Brainy says once he’s awake, fiddling with his Legion ring and not looking Kara in the eyes.

“Yeah.” Kara answers. “She pretended that she was you- and said we would meet again.”

“That sounds like her.” He tells her. “We should leave- help me up, please?”

Kara stands, and holds out a hand to him, helping him stand beside her, and soon they find themselves under what passes for sky in the Phantom Zone once again, doing their best to keep moving.

“What else did she say?” Brainy asks once they’re a good distance from the cave, eyes almost soft again as he looks at her. She’s always found it easy to talk with him, while they’ve known each other (recent events involving Lex Luthor aside) and yet it’s difficult now for her to form her answer.

“She… she said you loved me.” Kara tells him, without elaborating.

And he, in turn, doesn’t elaborate either- that, in this case, information gleaned from his ancestral memory... his mother was correct. He does love her, of course he does.

(It seems to be a constant, he thinks, as he recalls the memories he’s received from the other versions of himself- the one with the yellow boots, dancing with his Kara who wore a bright red headband with her costume, his female doppelganger getting married to a Kara with shorter hair, even the one who wore a jacket scribbled all over with equations fighting alongside his Kara who wore a different costume with a red ring. In every universe, the two of them were connected in some way, and that on its own was something to consider)

But that discussion can be saved for outside of the Phantom Zone, once everything can indeed be sorted out.

And besides, some inner voice taunts him, if you told her that was true, how would Kara be able to believe you now? She won’t trust anything coming from Fabala, even that.

Shut up, he thinks. We will talk about it later.

But later is something that literally does not exist yet, for the two of them.

All there is at the moment, is he and Kara, holding hands as they continue walking through the Phantom Zone, avoiding the phantoms that inhabit such a place and each grateful to the other that they are not alone.

“She also said you used to be a criminal.” Kara adds. “Even after you got your inhibitors. Is that true?”

He still doesn’t look at her, before he slowly nods.

“It is.” He confirms. “I… did not believe I had any kind of choice in that matter. On Colu, for thousands of years, to wear inhibitors is to be marked as someone untrustworthy, someone who must be restrained, and many of my ancestors have worn such a sign on their heads. And so, in keeping with that, when my father placed inhibitors on me at eight years old, I believed I too deserved them, and could not possibly become anything else. That is… until the Legion came to me, and asked if I would consider helping them.”

Kara smiles, squeezing his hand.

“What happened then?”

“It was not immediate. However, Mon-El was patient with me, and soon, I was in their headquarters, living in New National City, and I came across a museum- one that was dedicated to you. I learned about what you stood for, what you have done, and through your example, you gave me hope.”

He looks at her, smiling back, and then Kara feels it- the sunlight finally coming down on her.

“Do you feel that too?” she says, as he looks up, his green skin and blond hair illuminated.

“That’s our family.” He answers, and once they land, in a ship Kara doesn’t recognize, there’s no time wasted. Kara sees Kelly, Lena, M’gann, Nia, all present on the ship and looking overjoyed at her return, but Alex is the one she gets to first, and her arms anchor Kara as she finally hugs her sister again. Beside her, she can see J’onn hugging Brainy, and she can tell he’s smiling too, while the ship begins taking off for home.

[lesser-mook]

Miles isn’t bad, just overrated

”wild to me”, as in how could you not like him?

  Mind you they’re leaving out continuity, origin differences, the fact some aren't mantles but actual RANKS (GL), Fate/Nabu is more an Entity than a mantle. (debatable, yes)

Barry to Jay is Jim Hammond Human Torch to Johnny Storm’s Torch- existed in different times

 Hammond was an Allies soldier

Johnny is a modern Superhero whose power is cosmic in isolation

Leaving out context to make a moot point. 

I was there day one Miles’ story began, and i loyally bought his stuff. 

He ain’t all that, the main selling point is the cultural modernization that he represents, he’s an urban, black Spider-man and that’s mainly why people latch onto him.

Not that he’s in anyway compelling or interesting in a unique sense, cause he is an individual person, but the urban aesthetic mainly is what people fell in love with. And that’s 100% fine-

But it’s when you start deflecting that fact and start acting like people have an issue when they don’t like him and you just can’t for the life of you understand “why why why, don’t you like him” vs other knockoffs:

Mind you, i’m probably one of the lesser yet avid Supergirl criticizers on the net, and i’m not even talking about the show, that’s too easy, comics 100%. That requires research.

So there’s no double standard, Kara Zor El is a blue eyed blond haired girl next door archetype cosplaying as Superman, her entire appeal is to get women into the lore but she ended up being taken in by straight men as a fanbase, majorly. 

Why? 

Because she’s got a dynamic character arc? (She’s had some decent runs, nothing phenomenal)

An arc that at one point changed the landscape of DC? 

Her tragic downward spiral of self-destruction and wrapped up in a beautiful act of redemption & sacrifice?

NOPE that would be someone else, who i often WISH was Supergirl in the first fucking place.

But despite Clark Kent-PRIME being a better character (in concept, not the best characterization compared to Supertoken, but his arc was solid), somehow hasn’t gotten a single chance in the animated media.

Young JUSTICE didn’t choose him. They chose Kara to end off S4, because we haven’t had enough of her the past 15 years, she’s so deep like that.

And yes: The most you can say is she more trauma due to her actually knowing Krypton, having friends, her family or seeing it explode- 

But the premise of her entire origin is why she doesn’t work. Jor-El just happened to have a brother who just HAPPENED to be a scientist who just HAPPENED to have the same exact idea (not trivializing Kal’s survival at all) to save his daughter & not himself or at least get his wife and daughter away safely. 

No just copy & paste. So Superman miraculously has a cousin, the COUSIN trope. 

Kara Bore-El is a Fanfic OC made canon.

Her being an angry/edge-lord sometimes doesn’t mean she’s interesting- solely because they don’t DO anything with that anger or trauma and or they don’t commit to it. (Red Lantern Kara)

You know who’s trauma DC used to make an interesting story (excuse me) SAGA, an interesting SAGA? Superboy-PRIME. 

I DIGRESS.

As you can tell, i cannot stand her despite her innate general appeal. Why? Writing, purpose, originality, DC forcing her desperately, purpose and lack thereof. 

The takes of Kara that land, FOR ME, are the ones that say or do something different from the version mainline canon, and allow her to be her own thing off of Clarks coattails in some way, minor or major. 

*DC Nuclear Winter Kara Zor El, i like her.

And the fact that she’s a cutesie R63, usually. Is the only reason why she remained relevant for this long, same with Powergirl, up until people literally forgetting she existed because her contribution to the picture was big tits and a little bit of ego.

Injusitce 2 brought her back, attitude and all.....aaaand then she went back into obscurity, nobody gave a shit after 2 weeks. WHO saw that coming? 

Same with Miles, token.

Miles not bad, not a bad kid, not the worst take on Spider-man. Just overrated.

Some people need to just admit what they like about him is the aesthetic surrounding him, and stop pretending we just don’t get what it is that’s wrong with other people regarding him.

Cause i guarantee you majority of people stanning this kid has NEVER read that issue where he fought that nobody villain: Kangaroo- which is technically where his first fight as a masked hero began.

Doesn’t mean you have to read every single issue to speak on the matter (Because i need to catch up on some of his stories myself), but the point is with all this support for this character, how invested are you really in this boy beyond what’s fed to you by Hollywood.

It means: Do you actually give a shit? Are you invested, or are you just talking?

It means don’t act stupid for the sake of feigning confusion when you know exactly what’s up. 

Like he should be or has to be liked and anything less is a problem or something.

Most people big him up because he’s a POC Spider-Man, period. 

If they (Marvel/Bendis) had any balls they would’ve made Miles more like Kaine, give him some anger issues & do something with it, make him a Spider-Man Foil. 

Or SOME kind of major flaw that made him having powers a serious problem- and how he uses his powers, is different enough from Peter in sheer application to where he’s not your average Spider-Man by just how he moves.

Because Prowler Miles is what I’ve been needing, that’s an interesting story right there. 

No Quirk, but running shit anyway.

Like Deku & Allmight having roughly the same power, initially, but Deku uses his strengths so differently by S2-S3, he literally moves & fights nothing like All Might anymore. He’s his own aesthetic.

Even Full Cowling isn’t something Allmight’s really known for or any of the Veestige, it’s a visual distinction between Deku and the rest.

And that’s one of few things i can actually praise of the franchise without a complaint.

That should’ve been Miles.

And no, some sparky fingers ain’t unique cause Jessica was doing that shit decades before Miles was a concept, but nobody talks about that tho.

The Invisible Woman shit? Sure i’ll give him that i guess. It’s pretty cool. But again, SUSAN been on it too!

Moreso this alternate Miles’ arc is moreso learning the values of a hero in his own way, at his own pace, while maintaining enough moral differences from Parker to be a different situation. 

Say he’s 18 when he gets his power, slightly older than when Peter got his,14-15. 

Have the first 9-12 months be him using his powers for himself, a “fuck the world” attitude, until he does something deathly serious in a fit of rage or self defense, that he can’t undo and regrets for the rest of his career. 

Anything like that would’ve been more compelling.

You can’t tell me that doesn’t sound like a more interesting story, i didn’t say “better”, i said “interesting.”

Not just Peter Parker but recolored.

Again, I was there since the beginning, 2012, day one i was buying Morales comics “Because he looked liked me”, and guess what, I was NOT impressed.

The staying power wasn’t there, the justification of his looking like me (and yes he looked just like me) WAS NOT enough to warrant long term investment because while he did look like me, Miles was NOT me. Period.

I liked that both his parents were alive, ofc they weren’t an entirely black family unit, of course. 

But i liked his pops, Jefferson being a cop. His mom was good peoples, and what happened to her was...something.

But the kid overall was boring, he didn’t speak to me, he just mirrored my melanin, big deal.

Lo and behold, just looking like a person isn’t enough to justify staying power, who knew? Just being black doesn’t mean i relate to you, who knew?

That was the day i realized, true “Representation” is NOT skin deep. It’s about character, who you are as a person. Period.

Between Kaine and Morales, it’s not even a Contest. 

One has enough distinctions moral & mental to be a completely separate franchise and SHOULD'VE been in movies by now, R Rated ofc.

And the other is just a glorified What If DLC.

But ofc guess who gets a honorable mention, twice in the MCU. The Black Spider-Man ofc: 

Because he’s compelling, interesting, a long standing character in the Spider-man lore? 

No that’s KAINE, hell i’m still looking for Madam Web’s respect, on god..

I’m STILL waiting for MAYDAY (rightful heir to the mask) to get her big break! The fact that Miles was able to skip the line in front of her, is insane to me.

Miles is likely going get to the MCU first before BEN, Web, Mayday and KAINE combined, because he’s the black Spidey.

Again, you can like him if you want, but don’t pretend for a second why people don’t like him is some mystery.

Miles looks exactly like me, i repeat and i cannot stand him as a concept- i gravitate to Venom, Kaine, Miguel, Spider-Man NOIR, Mayday, etc.

And Miguel is technically the POC Spider-man BEFORE Morales, half Mexican, but Miles is black+latino in current day, so let’s just forget all about O’Hara until some corny Spiderverse movie makes him relevant again in the post credit scene, now everyone’s going to love Miguel because he’s going to be in the next movie.

Mapping out the main reason i can’t stand normies sometimes, bandwagon mentality.

And it sucks cause we got him in Ultimate Spiderman XD, Edge of Time, Shattered Dimensions, so the man had some momentum getting off the pages. So what was the hold up with getting this cat in a movie? Or a Mini series like TNAS Spider-man most people forgot?

Miguel is a legit cool dude, careerman, sly, very different aesthetic, different time, different Spider-man. He is NOT Parker, trust me. 

Miguel O’Hara should’ve been gotten his own show or movie. And on that note, that obscure underwritten Spider-man Unlimited, was a Spider-man 2099 cartoon that didn’t know or it 100% knew it was trying to be 2099

But our boy Miles gets to skip the goddamn line in front of established more interesting characters that have done their time since before the Century turned, get mentions in the MCU and 2 animated movies, if that’s not AA energy i don’t know what is. 

NOW THAT’S wild to me.

[from-a-reckless-writer]

iv. couch.

read on ao3

To Lena: r u busy??? U didnt answer my calls. Dinner later?

To Lena: my place.

To Lena: Or yours! Can totally go to urs. If u want.

To Lena: Lena????

To Lena: where are u??

To Lena: Answer my calls

To Lena: Pls?

Kara rounds the corner of her hallway, keys bitten, dangling from her lips, as she types with both hands. Her 67th text message of the day to an MIA Lena Luthor sent. She fails to notice the creature lurking around the front of her door; dark fur shining under the cheap LED lights of Kara’s corridor.

She’s still deeply absorbed in her phone with worry, in the middle of jamming her keys in with one hand, when something furry brushes against her legs and Kara yelps.

She pulls the knob clean out of the wood in shock, her phone dropping to the floor loudly, the cat doing a duet with her with a startled yowl of her own.

Heart hammering and adrenaline racing, Kara looks down and sees the cat for the first time.

“Oh! Oh!” she gasps, “I didn’t see you there, buddy. I’m sorry for startling you!! I didn’t mean it.”

The door knob clatters loudly to the ground as it falls out of her grasp. And Kara sheepishly feels guilty for the hole in her door. But the cat meows loudly, catching her attention, as if in response to her apology.

She crouches down low, and reaches out a hand to touch the furball. She snaps a quick pic, sends it to Lena and pockets her phone.

To Lena: KITTY!!

“Oh, oh come here,” she coos, “where’s your collar? How’d you get here huh?”

The cat reminds her of Streaky. The first stray who ever took to her kindly. Although upon closer inspection, Kara realizes this one has striking emeralds for eyes, Streaky’s eyes were a more softer blue.

The cat surprisingly seems friendly, immediately leaning into Kara’s touch. Nosing at the inside of Kara’s wrist and it’s such a familiar gesture but she can’t seem to remember why.

And...oh, a small rumbling echoes through Kara’s palm!

Oh, they’re purring!

Kara doesn’t know how long she stays there crouched low exactly, but eventually, she stands up, takes her hand away, and picks up the damaged doorknob.

“Well, time for you to go home now, buddy,” she tells them, giving their head one last pat before dusting off her hands on her jacket.

“Go on, shooo. Shoo. Go home. I’m sure your human is looking for you.”

But the cat remains unmoving. It looks like they’ve decided to sit firmly in front of Kara’s doorstep, casually licking a paw, as if waiting for Kara to open her door.

“Are you actually waiting for me to open my door?” Kara makes a mental note to thank Rao that none of her neighbors can see her trying to hold a proper conversation with a cat.

“Look, kitty,” she says firmly, “I’m not your human.”

The cat just blinks owlishly at her. Eyes too green, too intelligent and-

Kara makes up her mind.

She turns her face skywards, takes a deep breath (This will probably backfire, she already knows. But she's always had a soft spot for strays.) and then she pushes her door wide open.

The cat races inside, cutting through Kara’s legs and almost tripping her.

“Well, somebody’s excited,” Kara mutters under her breath, she watches the cat head for her living room couch; watches as they pause all of a sudden, changes course and jumps onto Kara’s coffee table instead.

Where the cat then proceeds to knock down everything in close vicinity, even the picture frame of her and Lena together.

“Hey! No! Bad kitty-”

But the cat is already hopping down from her pedestal, landing on the frame directly.

And then things get weird.

The cat proceeds to stomp all over it, meows loud, like really loud; insanely loud for a cat their size.

Her paw seems to be almost pointing? At the other person in the frame.

“I-” Kara seems taken aback by the bizarre behavior, sure she knows cats are vastly different from dogs, but this…

This is just weird.

The cat’s meowing only seems to get louder.

How you land yourselves in these situations, Kara. I really just don’t know, at this point. She can almost hear Alex say.

“What are you- Are you- are you pointing? That’s- That’s Lena, yeah. That’s my best friend.”

At that, the cat seems to vibrate. They start clawing at Kara’s pant leg, meowing and meowing and meowing—

And then it hits her.

"-but it turns out that she’s a witch. And apparently, so am I."

The green, green eyes.

A pink nose nuzzling against her wrist.

“Lena?”

******

“Oh, Rao! Lena you’re a cat! What happened?! Oh, no, baby what did you do?”

Lena-

Lena The Cat—and okay, so she’s still wrapping her head around that one—just stays silent. She’s sitting on her lap, looking regal than any cat has any right to be. A judgmental look in her eyes.

Lena’s a cat. Cat’s can’t speak. Can’t answer Kara’s questions.

“Right. Sorry. Only meow,” Kara murmurs, embarrassed. For some reason even in cat form Lena manages to be intimidating.

“Okay so, uh d-does that mean you still understand me? Two meows for yes. One meow for no.”

Kara gets two meows.

“Okay, cool, cool. Great. You can still understand me, that's good.” Kara runs a hand down her spine, “Gosh, your fur is just so soft.”

She hears Lena give a small growl, body tensing, “Right. Right. Sorry. Not the time for pets.” Kara retracts her hand away.

“Uhm, so next question then, I guess? D-did you become a cat this morning? Were you testing out your uhm...gift?”

Lena meows twice. Kara nods, clenching and unclenching her fist underneath her chin. Fingers itching to run themselves through Lena’s soft fur again. Lena seems to sense this, and nuzzles her face into Kara’s hand, bumps against her repeatedly.

“Really?” Kara double-checks, giddy. If she were human Kara bets Lena would be rolling her eyes like she always does when Kara does something particularly dorky, but she just pushes her head firmer against Kara’s hand and meows twice.

“So uhm,” she starts, cautiously, noting Lena’s increasing purr, “is there like a spellbook for this or something? Something that can help you transform back?

Lena meows yes.

“Is it in The Tower or back at your place?”

There are no responses.

“Sorry, sorry lemme rephrase, is it in The Tower?”

She gets two consecutive meows.

Okay, to The Tower it is.

******

“Are you going to tell me why you’re cradling a cat in your cape or??” Alex raises a brow at her, a hand on her hip, left foot tapping impatiently. Her sister was heading out for the day, it looks like. It was just tough luck that Supergirl landed one minute before the elevator took Alex.

Crap. Now they have to explain. They didn’t talk about this. Lena still hasn’t told her if it was okay to tell people about her gift.

“I-I rescued it,” Kara says.

Well, that isn’t so far from the truth, right? She stares at the bundle in her arms, Lena the traitor staying silent all the while—green eyes shining all innocent at Kara.

Alex’s stares intensifies.

“From a tree,” Kara flounders, and Lena The Cat has the audacity to yawn, squirm and jump away from her arms. She lands gracefully, tail swishing up in the air and heads straight for the lab.

Alex eyes the cat suspiciously before turning back to Kara. She jabs a finger to her chest. “It better not have any fleas. It better not touch my training mat.”

“She won’t.”

Alex just shakes her head, rolls her eyes, grabs her helmet and walks to the elevator.

Before she goes though, Alex says, “You know, this is gonna sound weird, but I swear I think I saw that same cat slinking out of The Tower earlier this morning.”

“Alex, she’s literally a black cat. There are hundreds of black cats in the city.”

“You're being weirdly defensive about this. Why are you being weird?”

“I’m not.”

Alex seems like she wants to say more, but the elevator dings, and she’s never been more grateful that Kelly makes Alex pick her up from work. Alex huffs out breath, before conceding and disappearing into the lift.

******

The camera flash is what gets Kara busted.

But is it really her fault if she walked in on a cute kitty, hunched over, meowing adorably, trying to flip over the pages of a thick spellbook, with her teeny-tiny bean paws?

Lena hisses at her, teeth-bared and fur puffy.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But you were just really, really, really cute okay?” She walks closer to the desk, carefully lifts a hand and scratches Lena behind the ear.

The hissing slowly devolves into purring, and Kara grins triumphantly. Lena lets herself be picked up after a few moments, Kara leafing through the pages for her.

“So, found anything yet?” She asks, cradling Lena close to her chest. A warm weight on Kara’s arms, and as much as she wants to get her real Lena back, she also isn’t too eager on giving up this version anytime soon. Then again, Kara thinks, it would be impossible for her to give up any version of Lena Luthor.

“Spell? Charm? Anything? Do you need to make a potion? Are we gonna get to make a potion? Oh, oh do you need a wand? Do you have a wa-”

Kara’s words get muffled as two black paws press against her lips. Lena’s green eyes narrowing at her. She meows at Kara. Loudly.

“Mkay, mkay. Shut up. Got it.”

Lena removes her paws, and Kara makes a gesture of zipping her lips together. This seems to appease Lena enough because the next second, a pink tongue darts out and she...licks Kara's nose.

“Did you- did you just lick me?” Kara gasps out.

Lena doesn’t even acknowledge her with a meow, just turns away and jumps out of her arms again. Before Kara can do anything about it though, her phone rings.

The screen lighting up with Andrea’s name.

“Danvers, I’ve got a story for you.”

******

“Alex, please, I’ll be quick. I promise. I’ll only be three hours at the most. Please just look after her,” she pleads, pouting and puppy eyes in full power.

It also helps that the cat burrito in her cape looks to be cooperating. Lena The Cat staring at Alex with wide round eyes.

Apparently, some governor was found dead downtown, and now Andrea wants her on the scene. She can’t just leave Lena all alone in The Tower. No matter how hard Lena’s been protesting, this is brand new territory for both of them. Nobody knows the extent of Lena’s powers.

Point is, Kara would feel a lot better if she were to leave Lena under the care of someone she trusts. Even if said someone, accuses Lena of being a stray with fleas. It's still better than leaving Lena all on her own.

“Ugh.” Alex groans and Kara knows she’s won. “If this cat causes trouble I will throw it out the window, Kara.”

“No!” Kara yells, distressed. “Don’t do that. She’ll behave. She promises.”

She puts her hand under Lena’s arms and raises her up to eye level—Simba style. “You promise to be good for Alex, don’t you?”

All she gets is a lot of squirming and screaming, there were also a lot of attempts at scratching Kara’s nose.

“See?” Kara says, chuckling nervously. “She’s telling you she’s good.”

Alex looks skeptical, her arms crossed against her chest.

Kara sets her down on the couch, and crouches down low.

She tries to pet her head, but Lena bites at her finger, she catches her teeth on the skin of her supersuit’s thumb slot. She bites deeper, her teeth accomplishing nothing but a few dents.

And oh, Rao she thinks she’s such a feral little cat but her pink adorable gummy snarl says otherwise.

“I’m sorry, I’ll be back. I promise,” she whispers, careful not to let Alex hear. “And then we’ll figure it out later, okay? The safest place for you right now is to be with Alex.”

She really doesn’t want to go, and based on Lena’s protests she doesn’t want Kara to go either. But well, Andrea had finally threatened to fire her if she disobeyed...which is...fair.

She’s aware she’s been doing a less than stellar job at being a journalist lately. Rao, what an understatement. This is basically her make it or break it.

“Look, I’ll be quick, promise. Be good to Alex,” Kara murmurs. She presses a kiss on Lena’s furry forehead. Lena finally unclenches her jaw and lets Kara go. The little whine she lets out, letting Kara know that she knows the battle’s lost.

“Both of you, be good,” Kara tells them sternly. “Alex, please don’t yeet my cat out of the window.”

Alex shrugs, staring at the cat with suspicion. “I make no promises.’

Lena is staring at Alex just as hostile. Great. They both deserve each other.

Kara sighs exasperatedly. Well, at least she tried.

******

She gets a very angry Alex Danvers on the line, right after she’s finished talking to some sources. It’s nighttime now, and when she checks her watch—yep, she’s left Lena in Alex’s care for more than six hours.

Crap.

“Hey, Al—”

“KARA IF YOU DON’T PICK UP THIS THIS THIS GODDAMNED HAIRBALL RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL NEVER SEE IT EVER AGAIN.”

There is loud meowing, and then, “What the- Get off! Get off me right no-”

The line clicks dead.

Kara Danvers quickly changes into an alley, manages to break the sound barrier.

******

It’s Kelly who opens the door.

“Hey, Kara,” she greets her. Kara is impatiently rocking on her heels, trying to peer past Kelly’s shoulders.

The place was quiet; ridiculously quiet, and Kara feels fear swoop in her belly.

“Please, tell me my cat is still alive,” Kara bursts out, Kelly just gives her a pained smile and oh, no, oh no.

She muscles her way past Kelly to a brooding Alex on the couch.

Lena is nowhere to be seen.

“Alex, Alex where’s my cat? Where is she? Where did you put her?”

Alex finally looks up at her, Kara taking notice of the red marks on her arm.

Oh no, Lena, what did you do?

“Calm down, I didn’t throw the little demon away. She’s-" Alex sing-songs before finishing, "on time-out.”

“Time-out?” Kara asks, voice shaking. Rao, does she really want to know.

Alex takes too long to answer, taking a swig of her beer first before pointing to a corner in the living room.

And there, she spots it.

It, being a small pile of laundry on the floor, next to an upside down hamper. A big white hamper housing one Lena Luthor. There's a crude cardboard sign stuck on it; "Kitty Jail". Alex has also stacked a few encyclopedia on top of it, no doubt an attempt to keep Lena from escaping.

“Oh! Oh, Lena!”

Kara superspeeds her way and scoops Lena up, the cat meowing immediately and curling into Kara’s chest.

“You named the cat after Lena?!”

Crap.

Kara turns around slowly, “Uhm yeah?”

Alex just shakes her head. “Unbelievable.”

“Her eyes reminded me of Lena, okay?!” Kara yells defensively, pressing tiny kisses onto Lena’s fur.

“I’m sorry that Alex has been such a meanie to you," she coos, "I know you didn’t deserve it, baby."

Alex seems to perk up at that, because she raises up from the couch. “That,” Alex jabs a finger in their direction, Kara cradles Lena protectively, “That baby ruined my couch and she so totally deserves all the mean! All the mean in the world, Kara!”

Lena hisses in her arms.

“No, no. That’s not true. Lena is baby and she’s perfect and you’re just a meanie.”

“She ruined my upholstery! She left hair all over the place and that’s not even to mention the scratching!”

“Because you were mean to her!”

Alex scoffs, eyes bulging wide in disbelief.

“Get out,” Alex says, her brows pinching comically, “Get out of my apartment before that little devil causes more damage.”

“Gladly,” Kara says, and Lena meows her assent. They make their way past Alex, Kara unaware that Lena has stuck out her little tongue at Alex over her shoulder.

“And she’s not a little devil!” Kara calls out.

Alex slams the door in her face.

******

That evening, Kara pores over a thick spellbook, eyes swimming with Latin symbols with a purring machine on her lap.

By midnight, Kara has managed to pass out on her couch, a black cat curled on her chest.

The spellbook lay open on her coffee table, forgotten.

******

The first sight that greets Kara when she wakes up are green eyes.

Green human eyes.

And then it hits her.

“Lena!”

The spell had blessedly wore off by morning, and Kara’s never been more glad to see the sunlight lighting up Lena’s face.

For a moment, Kara’s assaulted with the mental image of laying in a pool of sunlight with a black cat stretching leisurely next to her.

“Good morning,” Lena purrs, and oh Rao, that sound is much, much better than her meowing.

“You’re back!” Kara gasps in awe.

“I’m back,” she whispers, she’s still draped fully over Kara on the couch. A blanket covering them both.

“Rao, I missed you.” A palm comes up to cup her cheeks, Lena automatically nuzzling into the inside of her wrist.

“Mm, I missed me, too,” Lena tells her, face breaking into a small smile. Kara traces her fingers up and down Lena’s spine. Oh, how she’s missed touching Lena’s skin.

Wait-

Skin.

Is she-

“Lena,” Kara begins, swallowing. Her nerves not going unnoticed.

Lena raises a brow at her. “Kara?”

“Are you- uhm- ah. Are you naked right now?”

Lena’s eyes light up like a cat’s and Kara knows she’s in trouble.

“Mm. It seems that I am,” Lena says, and all Kara can do is gulp.

“What are you gonna do about it?”

special shoutout to @mike-wachowski, @sexybread-png and @thebreakfastgod for their cat expertise without whom this silly little fic would not be written.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Re Supercorp Amnesia AU Anon’s Question: Yes. They would get their memories back. But slowly and in fragments. I’m never going to be able to fully write this myself. So I’ll just share how I pictured the main ending would go (if anyone wants to write this, its totally up for grabs). Lena would eventually suit up as her own take on Supergirl. Though, by using Kryptonian tech, not understanding why the Yellow Sun doesn’t give her powers like it should. This makes her rookie-hero status worse at times as she struggles even more early on than Kara did in S1. One of Lena’s early mistakes is accidentally causing a delivery of medicine to the Luthor Children’s Hospital to be too late and the only reason the patient in need survives is thanks to Kara’s quick thinking. So Kara Luthor is pretty anti-supergirl from the start, but Lena would assume the identity of “Lena Danvers” after her new friend at the DEO and get a job at CatCo. So history would repeat itself in a way with Lena Danvers meeting Kara Luthor during an interview. The two would then become best friends with Lena choosing not to tell Kara about her secret identity. During all of this they each get little flashes of their real lives. It would all come to a boiling point when Kara’s memory flashes lead her to uncover a top secret project underneath L-Corp. Here she fully remembers everything, including how all this happened. Lena tried to experiment with a version of the Book of Destiny that Clark had on digital files at the fortress in an attempt to see what her life would’ve been like if Kara had told her the truth in every previous situation (similar to Kara in S5’s It’s A Super Life). But the DEO was alerted and attacked Lena’s secret lab (this being right after the Myriad incident), with Kara trying to intervene. The battle messed up the experiment and created this new reality. But now the experiment is growing unstable and could destroy their reality/new reality. Kara goes to see Lena to try and convince her about all of it, but sees how genuinely happy she is and can’t go through with it (now realizing firsthand how messed up it is being a Luthor). But tears in reality begin to open portals to the different time points in the OG reality, unleashing a ruthless Reign from S3. Lena’s too inexperienced as Supergirl to beat her and is killed. A heartbroken and grieving Kara then goes back to the experiment and decides that the issue was during the fight, everyone’s anger got the better of them and is causing the unstable reaction. And to fix it, she needs to do an act of selflessness. So Kara starts a new experiment/entry into the digital Book of Destiny as reality once again is changed. We’re brought back to the last half of 5x01, only it’s Lena Danvers accepting the Pulitzer Prize for her article on Lex Luthor and Kara Luthor presenting the award to her. But right before they go on stage, Lena reveals to Kara she is Supergirl and tearfully apologizes for keeping this from her. Kara sincerely accepts her apology and promises nothing will ever change their friendship. Kara returns to her penthouse where she speaks with her AI, revealing that Kara’s selfless act was fully giving Lena the life she’d lived in seasons 1-5, while Kara lived hers (with Lena even being a blonde-haired real Kryptonian/Supergirl and being raised on earth by the Danvers, while the now brunette Kara lived Lena’s human life and raised by the Luthors), the only difference being that Kara wrote that she and Lena would continue to be friends (even post-identity reveal) and the digital Book of Destiny would then be erased. Kara didn’t even expect to remember her old life at this point, but is shocked she now remembers both her new and original lives (and all the emotions that accompanied each of them) perfectly. With the ending hinting that the Monitor is watching and the fall out would involve how these events would effect the upcoming Crisis.

My dude. The thing is half written already. You should go for it!

[loveofshows]

part 1 of my "Kara and Brainy in the Phantom Zone" AU

All Querl hears is Lex’s laughter.

His taunting- so, Coluan, you were only mostly dead? No matter. You can die with her- as he rushes forward, making it to Supergirl’s side simultaneously in time and too late.

All he sees is the Fortress of Solitude, ice surrounding him, the rest of the people he tried to save- fading from sight, pulled away from him, as though he’s the one who’s been put in a bottle this time.

All he feels is Kara’s hand in his, as they land in a place they both know well.

“We’re in the Phantom Zone.”

~

Their hands haven’t left one another since they got there.

“Your ancestral memories.” Kara says suddenly, if only to hear something at all. “Do they have anything that could help us? I mean, Indigo was sent to Fort Rozz with my aunt and uncle, but…”

“I should ask you for any information.” Querl answers. “You were the one who had to stay here for over twenty years.”

“In my spaceship.” Kara tells him, shivering. “Not out here. And besides, it’s… different now.”

“Indeed.” Querl says as he squeezes her hand. “And as for your question, yes. Besides Indigo herself, I actually have several ancestors who’ve found their way here.”

He lets himself laugh, a little bit.

“You would think they’d expect after a while that any kind of criminal act would get one sent to such a place as this. Especially when dealing with those who discovered it in the first place.”

“The Kryptonians.” Kara says. “Yeah.”

“And, surprisingly, one of my doppelgangers that we met after the Crisis briefly suffered the same fate, while he and the Legion were fighting a child of General Zod.”

“How did that one get out?”

“He had the help of his friends.”

“…Oh.”

~

“I remember it.” Kara says. “Being here. Or, somewhere like here, anyway. My mother- Alura- well… she certainly didn’t expect my pod to be knocked off-course, when I was sent from Krypton. But she said I would sleep most of the way. And I tried, some of the time.”

“But not for decades.”

“No.” Kara agrees, sighing. “Even when I got to Earth, I was afraid to fall asleep- because I didn’t think it was real. Like I would wake up in my pod again, and every hope of escape would be taken away from me. I’d just be stuck there, for years, and nobody would know.”

“And now you have returned.” Querl answers. “Is this how it looked before? You said it was different.”

“It is different.” Kara emphasizes, looking around her. “It seems… fragmented.”

“Like the universes collided with one another.” He observes. “Of course.”

“Which will make it more difficult for them to find us.” Kara says, shoulders slumping. “I can’t imagine where they’d even start looking.”

And without a twelfth-level intellect, the process will be much slower, she thinks.

She imagines it for a moment- Alex or someone else finally forcing an opening, pulling her into the light. Kara asking how long it’s been, and her sister hesitating, before telling her how many years. Or worse, it’s not Alex at all- maybe this time it will have been hundreds of years, or thousands. She pictures the Legion rescuing her and Brainy, his friends happy to see him but saddened when they also glimpse her.

“But they will be looking.” He says. “As for our situation… if you had not been in your pod, is there anywhere here that you would have gone, to keep yourself safe?”

“Yes.” Kara says, a little more confident. “There’s one place.”

~

“I… I hate him.”

“Who?” Kara wonders, but remembering all they’ve recently been through, she knows the answer right after she asks.

“Lex.” She corrects herself. “Yeah. I feel the same way.”

Brainy squeezes her hand again, this time tighter, stepping closer beside her as they continue walking.

“Everything I did was to keep you safe.” He says. “I was sworn to secrecy by one of the other versions of myself- the woman, who called herself the director of the DEO.”

“The one who looked like she could’ve been your sister.” Kara says. “I remember.”

“She told me this was the only way to make things right, that her universe was the closest to ours, and if I did not work with Lex, disaster would occur. Leviathan would win. I could not let that happen.”

“Of course.” Kara answers.

“I knew how much you would lose trust in me.” Brainy says. “But that was necessary. I only hoped that you would forgive me, once it was all over.”

Kara nods.

“I do.” She says. “If that counts for anything.”

“Certainly, in this situation.” He answers. “Thank you.”

Kara smiles at him, and he tentatively smiles back, before going on.

“Every step of the way, I hated working with him.” He says. “Every time he would threaten you, or make some derisive comment about us or any of our friends, I was only more determined to defeat Leviathan with him so that he could be stopped as well. But it had to be in that order. Until then…”

“You were inhibited.”

“Yes.” He agrees. “You see the cruel irony in this situation. But now, I have stopped Leviathan, nearly at the cost of my own life were it not for all of you, and Lex is…”

Kara squeezes his hand.

“Our friends can handle him.” She says. “I hope. But… how did you stop Leviathan? I wasn’t sure, J’onn and Alex said that they were fighting them, but they just vanished.”

“I bottled them, if you can believe it.” Brainy answers. “I uploaded the mortality code that Lex tasked me to get, and used a bottle I found in the DEO vault.”

“You say that as if we didn’t find you almost dead of radiation poisoning.” Kara tells him. “But, if there was any doubt you were good to your core, I think it’s gone now.”

“Yes.” Brainy says. “It is.”

[korra-the-red-lion]

Lonely.

I will forever be salty that LoT doesn’t let Sara explore her grief a bit more, it seems. Anyway, enjoy some angst with a happy ending!

---

Sara put down the make-up brush and stared at herself in the mirror. It wasn’t a lot, but she felt confident in what she did for herself. Lightly, she put on the finishes touches to her lips and was ready for the big event.

In just a few short hours she’d be marrying the love of her life.

But why did her heart feel so heavy? Shouldn’t she be overjoyed that she was marrying Ava? But it only took one quick glance to the photo sitting her in locket to remind her why she felt this way. Laurel and Oliver smiled up at her, their faces alive and happy. Sara picked up the locket, holding it gently in her hand. At least Oliver got to marry the life of his life, Laurel never even got that chance. Both men she loved were tragically ripped away from her, before her own life was as well.

Although Laurel told her it was the right decision, Sara couldn’t help but still feel guilty that she didn’t use the Loom of Fate to bring her back. Why did someone like her get so many chances at life yet her sister didn’t? It was a cruel thing, fate was. Sara would have gladly given one of her several returns to life in exchange for Laurel to be here on her wedding day.

And Oliver too, who would never see his daughter grow old. How was it fair that someone who gave so much and rarely asked for anything in return was not allowed this once in a lifetime opportunity. At least Mia had Felicity, who was one tough cookie. It just felt like some cosmic joke to her. Oliver wasn’t perfect, but he deserved to grow old with his wife and children.

Sara blew a frustrated breath through pursed lips. She needed to stop thinking about this. About them. Today was supposed to be about her happiness, her love. About her and Ava finally retiring from saving the universe and enjoying life. It wasn’t an easy decision for them to make, especially for her. Sara had been fighting since she was teenager. What would the domestic life feel like? Going for walks with having to watch your back? Talking about that silly thing the neighbours did with Ava? Sara honestly couldn’t even picture it in her mind.

There was a knock at her door, startling from her thoughts. Sara put on a brave face and called out, “Come in!”

Nyssa walked into the room with a smile adorning her face. Sara smiled back, but Nyssa was not fooled. She had known Sara for a very long time and knew when she was hiding her feelings. Nyssa closed the door softly before turning to face her former love.

“What is wrong, Beloved?”

Sara smiled softly at the familiar expression. “It’s nothing, really. Just got thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

“How much I miss them,” she said, looking down at the locket again.

Nyssa nodded in understanding as she came to sit next to Sara. “I miss them as well. I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for you.”

Sara clutched the locket, holding it to her heart. “I wish they could be here to see this. I want to let them know that I only got this far because of their support. Especially Laurel’s…” the tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

“Sara…” Nyssa reached for her hand, squeezing it in comfort. “They may not be here physically, but I know Oliver and your sister. They’re watching from wherever they are currently. They would be so happy for you, so happy that you found the love they wished for you. Do you understand that?”

“I do,” said Sara with a small voice, “but that doesn’t make me miss them any less.”

Nyssa hugged Sara tightly. All she could hope was that Sara could feel her emotions through the hug. That it was okay to grief those you’ve lost, you just cannot let it consume you. Sara hugged back just as tightly, wondering when the emptiness in her heart would finally feel a little more whole.

Another knock at the door broke the pair apart. Ray stuck his head into the room, his smile instantly dropping when he saw Sara. He wasted no time in walking across the floor and scooping the tiny assassin into a bear hug.

“I have no idea what’s upsetting you, Sara, but I’m not going to let it ruin your wedding day,” he said firmly.

“Ray…”

Ray put Sara onto the floor before getting to work straightening out her wedding dress. “Sara, I’ve known you for a very long time. Heck, I think you’re my oldest friend at this point. You were there for me when Nora and I tied the knot. We were there for each other through all the hardships that we’ve face. I would never let you do this alone.” Ray stepped back to make sure there wasn’t a single wrinkle left. With a satisfied nod, Ray placed a gentle hand on Sara’s shoulder.

“You deserve happiness and peace, Sara Lance,” said Ray with watery eyes. “I believe that more than anything else in the world.”

Sara swallowed thickly while blinking out tears. “Thank you…” She fanned at her laugh with a wet laugh. “Oh God, my make-up. Ava is going to freak out if I don’t get a move on things.”

“I believe I can help with that,” said Nyssa with a smirk. She held up the eye make-up with a fire in her eyes. “I am quite good with my hands, after all.”

Sara burst out into laughter while Ray looked pleasantly confused. Together, Ray and Nyssa got Sara ready to walk down the aisle.

XXX

Quentin looked like he was trying his hardest not to cry as he walked his daughter down the aisle. Sara squeezed his arm tightly as they did, trying to keep her raging emotions in check.

“I’m so happy for you, baby,” he said in a choked whisper.

“Thanks, dad.” Sara sniffled slightly. “I’m really happy too.”

He gave her a kiss on the cheek as he left her at the alter. He joined his wife in the front row. Sara took in the crowd. Jax and his wife were here with their kids. Thea and Roy were in the crowd chatting quietly to Dinah. Sara couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when she noticed that Dinah had her pinkie finger linked with Laurel 2.0. That was unexpected. Barry and Iris were sitting next to Kara, Alex, Lena, and Kelly. Ray waved to her, his arm linked with a very happy looking Nora, who was also waving. Mona was seated next to Gary, who was already ugly crying. Nate was on Ray’s right side, and he was beaming up at Sara, Zari holding his free hand. Charlie was with her band, providing the music for the wedding. Amaya came from the past to also watch her former captain and friend tie the knot. She was seated next to the Hawks, which they had been hard to track down, but Kendra had been Sara’s first friend aboard the Waverider, and there was no way she was going to miss this for the world. Nyssa sat with Sin, who was looking so much older than Sara last remembered.

All her friends and family were here, and it was a wonderful sight to see.

Charlie looked up towards the doorway and motioned to her band to start playing the music. Sara’s heart was beating like crazy with anticipation as the doors swung open.

Ava walked out from behind the curtains. Her smile was wide and there were already tears in her eyes as she walked towards Sara. Her dress was nothing fancy, but that’s exactly what suited her best. Mick was walking her down the aisle. They had an unlikely friendship, but Ava had helped Mick with so many things in his life, he felt it only fair to return a favour. There were tears in his eyes as he helped her up the steps. He gave Sara a quick nod before clomping back down to take his seat next to Spooner, who was sitting with Astra and Behrad.

“Alright,” said Diggle with a clearing of his throat. “Sara and Ava both asked that this not be fancy. Sara said to me, ‘I already have enough drama in my life, I don’t need it at my wedding too,’ and I couldn’t agree more.”

This drew laughs from the crowd.

“So, Sara, do you have anything you want to say to Ava?” asked Diggle.

Sara nodded quickly. “Ava, I just want to say that you’ve made me the happiest girl in the world. You just get me, and that is so important. We’ve had our rough patches, but we always got through them together. You’ve been with me through thick and thin. I love you so much that it makes me lie awake at night thinking about it. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” She smiled brightly, ignoring the tears that flowed freely down her face now.

“Ava, do you have anything you want to say to Sara?”

“Yes.” Ava took a deep shaky breath. Sara could feel the tremors in her hands as she spoke. “I hated you the first time I saw you.” Everyone laughed at that, including Sara and Ava. “But you slowly broke down my walls and taught me how to really live. If it wasn’t for you, I probably would still be working for Rip, without ever realizing the person I could have been. You helped me because the best version of me, because that’s what’s being a person is all about. Helping each other grow. I hope that we can continue to do just that, because you’ll be spending every moment with me, and I can’t wait.”

Diggle smiled at the two of them before saying. “Okay, well, go ahead then!”

Sara dipped Ava and gave her the most passionate kiss she could muster. It would take some time, but she was hopeful that Ava would help her fill the hole in her heart. She already had, in some way. Because Sara knew that this right here meant that she was no longer lonely. She would always grieve the death of her Laurel, her wonderful and beautiful sister, and her best friend in Oliver. But she also knew that Ava would always be there for her, every step of the way.

And she was ready to see where that path led.

[searidings]

i have thoughts on the wonderful “i can’t hold enough of you in my hands” and have decided to make it ur problem :)! (it was truly lovely btw)

“Lena.” A third time. An invocation, maybe. A prayer.”

reminded me of that text post that said kara means beloved (or something along those lines) in Gaelic so every time lena said her name, her heart would say beloved 🥲

“That’s how she’d come to pull just the right combination of discreet strings at Catco that had allowed her to investigate Kara’s desk and work computer after hours, checking for the recordings.” imaging for my own benefit that theres a photo of supercorp in one of the drawers, if not, a group pictured displayed with lena in it

“Lena doesn’t even realise she’s crying until the worn grey Henley she’s clutching fiercely between her fingers is spotted dark with tears, stained more black than anything” theres been a flood in the uhaul unit lena stores her emotional shit in cause bOxeS are LEAkINg

“There are tapes upon tapes upon tapes. Lena watches the immortalised image of Kara reveal her identity over and over and over again. Watches the onscreen version of herself take it badly each and every time.” kara, i would do anything for you, danvers vs. lena, i want you to love me like i love you, kiernan luthor

“To say, here I am. Love me anyway. Because of, rather than despite.” thanks for this bestie! going to see my therapist early this week! (sn: definitely going into my quote book, this is achingly beautiful)

“She sees, quite simply, that they cannot live without one another. And such a realisation, the bare-faced reality that their symbiosis is now so complete that separation has become synonymous with destruction” saw this and thought of, ”We make each other alive, does it matter if it hurts?” (Ingmar Bergman) just gonna yearn in tears

“On the fourth watch-through, Lena sees the tapes for exactly what they are. A declaration of love.” this gave me so much hope faye, and then i saw how much left i had to read and like lena ive had “emotion wrung mercilessly from her (my) body”

“If she ever gets Kara back, Lena will show her how much she’s learned.” hc that after kara brings her back, and they process in healthy ways, they just start conversing in kryptonian when its just the two of them. lena fumbles some of the pronunciation and kara always gets a small smile on her face before wrapping lena in her arms from behind, and whispering the correct way to say it in her ear. lena fumbles on purpose sometimes

“They’re too good, she knows now. Too noble. Too prepared to put the collective good above the individual. Lena has no such qualms. Not when it comes to Kara.” What am I Catholic? text post vibes. also violence is the question and the answer is yeS

“Lena can only imagine that Alex and J’onn would be vehemently opposed to involving the imp at all and so, she tells no one of her plan.” lena saving the day for the 16478th time, also im just imaging the superfriends all dejected in the tower and then kara ApPeArs and theyre like ????? and she realizes lenas not there but mxy iS and by the confused looks on space dad and alexs faces, they have no iDea what’s happening and she holds mxy against the wall by the throat (please release the written footage of kara threatening mxy please 🙇, would love to see kara crossing some lines)

“The imp has appeared in Rio de Janeiro, of all places.” this just made me smile cause i thought of rio the movie :)

“pulling out her phone to call upon the seemingly boundless resources the Luthor name still affords her.” sugar mommy lena would never leave herself without assets to spoil her baby 💅

“The imp mutters something that sounds suspiciously like oh Christ, and Lena swallows hard” i just KNow if theres nothing on his inter dimensional imp television, he checks in on karas life to see if obliviouscorp has gotten together yet

“One lifetime banishment for another.” totally thought she was gonna trick mxy into taking lex but the angst of her going was delicious

“Kara’s voice is so sweet, Lena muses. The sweetest sound she’d ever had the privilege of hearing. She should have appreciated it more while she could. At least she can hear it again now, though it’s a barbed facsimile at best. At least she can take comfort in this one small remnant of home before she’s inevitably forced to watch Kara die all over again.” just imaging lena with the cloudy eyes and a blissed out smile at karas voice and kara just getting increasingly more worried trying to get her to focus and shes like 💡 “ABS”

“Her milky eyes widen. Beneath the press of her palms is material, sleek and smooth, and beneath that there is warmth and a firm softness and the pounding thud of a heartbeat.” THE ABS HAVE REJUVENATING LUTHOR POWERS

“Now that she can feel Kara again, she cannot feel enough. Cannot get close enough, cannot hold her near enough, no matter how hard she tries.” they are attached now, after medical checkups no one is going see or hear from them for aT leasT a week, theyre too busy snuggling and possibly the deed

“ He didn’t dare refuse me,” Kara mutters, suddenly harsh against Lena’s ear. Her voice is dark and low, full of the wrath of an avenging god.” FUCK HIM UP BABY

“You know what I did. You have to know that I’d choose you, Lena. Every time. Over anything.” its summer, my eyes are sweating

this was so beautiful faye i- u are a *kith* GOD TIER WRITER and i hope YOU are having a wonderful day

broski when i tell you on all levels including physical this is me rn

[myhaikyuuthings]

Anniversary Mishaps

@kara-grayson04​ requested this and gave the basic outline, i simplified the prompt in the synopsis to not give anything away 

Aone x fem! reader

prompt synopsis: You’ve been together for a few years and Aone wants to surprise you for your anniversary. Things don’t go quite according to plan

fluff with a dash of angst

word count: 1311

You were out with friends, under the assumption Aone had to work the majority of the day. You were sad that you were missing out on your anniversary but knew that his job was important. He had recommended you try to stay out of the house today so you didn’t get too lonely. While you had taken him up on his suggestion, you were unaware of what he was really up to.

Aone had asked for advice from Futakuchi on what exactly to decorate your shared apartment with. He had suggested some candles, maybe some flower petals, that whole romantic thing. So Aone took his advice. He fluttered around the apartment, placing candles on every table in the house. He had made sure to get (your favorite scent) but there weren’t many available, so it was a mix of scents scattered about. He wasn’t happy with that. 

So he decided to try the flower tip! He got your favorite flower, a couple dozen of your favorite flower to be precise. He left one bouquet in the bundle and placed them in a vase on the counter top, leaving one of the many candles beside it. Even if his initial candle idea didn’t work, at least you would have enough of your favorite scent for awhile. 

With the remaining bouquets, he started removing the petals as gently as possible. He felt bad for ‘hurting’ the flowers, even though he knew rationally that they were already dead. Kept mumbling apologies to them with each petal he removed. By the second bouquet he was crying, feeling like a monster for ‘destroying’ something so beautiful. He scattered those he had already removed around the living room, deciding he would just give you the remaining four bouquets and try to make something romantic out of what he had at home. 

He built a small fort in the living room, draping white sheets and fairy lights around the room. He knew how much you liked to feel like you were living in a disney movie, and he liked it too even if he never admitted it. He was following directions from a pinterest board and huffed tiredly when it looked nothing like the picture given. 

“It’s fine, we don’t have the same materials,” he said to himself, trying to get himself to calm down. 

You had already been gone a good five hours and he knew you would be home within the next four. There wasn’t much else he could do with what he had. Sighing he left the fort up, deciding he’ll take it down once he figures out a better plan than the mess he had made. 

He sat at the kitchen table, scrolling through his phone for ideas. He glanced up at the 6 candles and 5 bouquets scattered on the table, his frustration with himself growing. He couldn’t help from asking why he just can’t get this right. You deserved the absolute best, and yes he spoiled you all the time but it was your anniversary, your five year anniversary at that, he wanted it to be special. He saw an ad for a bakery nearby, grabbing his coat and wallet with the intent to just get you a good cake. 

 Walking into the bakery, he explained the situation to the nice old lady behind the counter, blushing wildly when she told him he was a good boyfriend. She recommended your favorite flavor of cake with a specialized message on top, maybe a fondant version of your favorite flower or the date you two met/got together if he wanted to get really sentimental with it. He agreed to all of the above, writing a simple ‘I love you, I’m so lucky you love me’ on the cake, your anniversary year underneath it with your favorite flower scattered around the sides. 

It takes about two hours for her to finish it all, but he makes sure to express his gratitude as he pays for the cake. Even trying to leave her a nearly $100 tip that she adamantly refused, telling him to spend it on you instead. He started his walk home, carrying the box in his hands when he felt the first drop. He was still two blocks from your home but he hoped he could make it before the rain really hit.

You came home after dark, shaking out your umbrella before stepping into the doorway. The apartment was pitch black and you sighed, figuring he was still at work. You were worried for his health at this point. Clicking on the light you jumped, a loud shriek falling from your lips. 

Aone was sat in the middle of the floor, soaked to the bone with a box just as wet on his lap. You almost didn’t notice he was crying, thinking it was water falling from his hair until you heard his soft sniffles. Dropping your bag to the floor you made your way over to him, crouching down so you were eye level with him. You took his face in your hands, gently guiding his eyes to yours. 

“Hi love, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” you gave him a soft smile, making your voice as comforting as you could manage. He shook his head in response, plopping the box down onto the floor with another sob. 

“Look at this mess,” he cried, removing your hands from his face. He genuinely couldn’t look at you right now, he was too ashamed. “I didn’t spend our anniversary with you so I could surprise you and it looks like this, I’m sorry.”  

You looked around the room, the messy fort, numerous bouquets of your favorite flower, a lot of candles though you couldn’t tell what kind from your position. Turning your attention  back to him, you glanced down at the box he was pushing sadly. The words were smeared, you could barely make out ‘love you’ and ‘lucky’, the cake looking like it had been soaked in the sink. 

“I just wanted to make this a good day for you, and surprise you with things you loved, but I ruined it,” he sighed, you reached for his hand, “I understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore. I ruined a perfectly good day.”

“Takanobu, don’t think like that,” you gasped, throwing your arms around him, ignoring the wetness that seeped into your clothes. “I love you, why on Earth would I not want to be with you?”

“I messed up,” he whispered against your shoulder, his hot tears rolling against your neck.

“You messed absolutely nothing up, all I see is the incredible man I love, who went to amazing lengths to give me a wonderful surprise,” you replied, rubbing his back.

“But it isn’t wonderful.”

“It is to me,” you pulled back, cupping his face once more, “You have my favorite flowers, you sent me out so you could surprise me, you bought me a cake! You even built me a fort and I know how much you hate trying to make those. You did all of this for me, and that makes it wonderful. Because it’s you. You could give me a piece of paper that says ‘love ya happy 5th’ and I would cherish it because it’s from you.”

He sniffed, nodding as if he understood. You smiled, finding him absolutely adorable as he did so without thinking about the fact you still held his face. 

“I love you, I really am sorry it didn’t turn out how I planned.”

“That’s okay, it’s beautiful, and well as for the cake we can make one of our own if you really want, but first we’re going to get you into a warm shower and some dry clothes okay?”

“Okay.”

“Happy five years Nobu-chan,” you kissed his lips lightly, standing to help him to his feet. 

“Happy five years y/n.”

[handlewithkara]

@madeunmexico

Interesting that you mention the Danvers vs Dansen because it wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that I finished S4 that I saw that Alex was actually going to adopt and then the adoption fell through and Kelly was with her through all that and Kara didn't mention it once (I now realize)! That was a big traumatic moment and a big part of Alex's story and she shared it entirely with Kelly, who for some reason (plot) after having just met her decided that she was going with her to Coastal City to meet the baby and then the birth mother decided to keep them. Now I understand why they needed to build Dansen and delay the adoption plot, but damn was that a lot of emotional lifting being done by a potential (at this point) partner. So I guess what I'm saying is that there is some very poignant storyline already uniquely Dansen, since the adoption seems like a plot that will be theirs alone, not Danvers sister related

.

Yeah, it’s kind of interesting to think that adoption has kind of like always felt like a very Alex storyline rather than an Alex and Kara storyline. Of course it first was a big issue between Sanvers, then imo the next big moment came between Alex and J’onn on the topic? I think Alex was on Argo at that time? And then we see Alex fill out adoption papers on her own?

Like obviously Kara is informed and thinks Alex would make a great mom, but it doesn’t really feel like something she is directly involved in. Which to me points against an “autie Kara” ending (similarly how Kara didn’t really take part as much in the Alex/Ruby bonding stuff and didn’t really do a ton of boding with Ruby directly (even though that would have been a potentially interesting story, if Ruby has alien DNA too)). 

I find that really interesting. Especially if one thinks about the popularity of Swanqueen and how at least some part of seemed to be built around the concept of “a boy with two mommies”. By comparison, imo it has never felt like “Alex AND Kara are adopting a kid”, it always felt like Alex’s thing and Kara is sort of at a friendly supportive distance to it. 

I guess that’s why to me it has always felt like Alex + baby felt a bit like Alex replacing Kara. Like she spent her life caring for Kara, but Kara is outgrowing her, is her own person now and now Alex is heaping her motherly energy on a child. 

I have felt from the start that the writers were very serious about Dansen. And I fully think they are serious this season about giving Alex her “have it all” ending, what is have it all by their definition. She will finally get her kid and she has the loving partner who is willing to support her in this in Kelly. 

It’s one of the many reasons why a Kara leaving ending feels to emotional fitting for me. Alex is forming her own family and is releasing Kara from her direct control. 

Particularly in seasons 2 and 3, Alex and Kara’s romantic storylines paralleled each other heavily. Alex having her first real because lesbian relationship versus Kara having her first real proper relationship, both relationships ending in tragedy and season 3 dedicating a lot of airtime to the both of them grieving those relationships. If season 6 dedicates a lot of stuff to Dansen wedding and Dansen adoption, it would make sense that Kara is mulling over her own life and choosing something new for herself, whatever that might be. 

I know a lot of people don’t want it, but imo there is a lot of love there too in the concept of “I’m releasing you into your new life, with love/our hearts will always be connected”. Kara just isn’t the needy lonely girl anymore and arguably she hasn’t been for a while. See the beginning of season 2 where Kara tried to leave for a second with Clark and Alex is the one who goes needy and can’t let her go. 

I’m very excited about the potential Kara/Kelly centric episode and i’m hoping for a lot of bonding and Kara praising her. Dansen was kind of there building up in the background in season 5, but I have great hopes for them and particularly Kelly this season and that they really want to do right by her. IMO she already did some great heavy lifting in being the normal person point of view character in 6x07. I can easily picture Kelly/Kara being about Kara being thankful for Kelly’s place in Alex’s life and communicating to us why Dansen is so great. 

Also really hoping for Kara getting involved in the wedding preparations (even though I would want the wedding to be heavily about Dansen and Dansen choosing it for themselves, not something that comes out of pressure). 

Based on spoilers, I also expect quality just Dansen stuff about Kelly’s ascent to vigilante and if the adoption comes around, I also hope for that to be heavily centered around the two of them, because as you said, that’s how they started out. 

Basically I’m hoping for in addition to a Danversisters love letter, for a major Dansen love letter too because in the end, I think she is supposed to represent Alex’s happy ending, so I think the show need to make a stab at showing to us why we should be happy about it (and Kelly in Fear Knot imo was a great start in regards to getting really meaty scenes rather than stuff that is very plot driven or a bit rushed against other plot points). 

But yes, Dansen, the way they write Dansen and the adoption storyline is a major reason why a Kara leaving, graduating ending feels so plausible to me.

Sure, I could be wrong, but either way, I’ve decided to be happy about Dansen, because to me that feels like the most surefire bet in regard to them getting quality material. IMO Sanvers had a ton of explosive chemistry. While Dansen imo only got the occasional moment to shine (you have moments of hotness like Kelly checking out Alex’s new vigilante outfit, you have a not of nice and supportive stuff, they are finally get not only blinks of big romance, but actually meatier versions of it) I look forward to getting that explanded. 

1.) Flo isn’t coming back and even if she were to come back imo the show has made enough cases for how Maggie would be a great match for what Alex wants. So it’s a moot point. 

2.) I love Alex and I want her to be happy. 

3.) I really like Kelly as a character and Azie just seems like the sweatest person ever. 

And like I said, I’m hoping for a lot more broad quality content in the build up to the happy ending. They had good moments before, but I’m hoping for some real feasts rather than just the occasional nice bits. (even though Covid makes me pessimistic in regards to getting a sex scene in the same vein of Sanvers, even though I think it would be really cool). 

[westershiresauce]

Headcanon: Deus Ex Scuba Gear

Note: Spoilers for Bly Manor. 

So, here is my Bly Manor/Supergirl crossover crackfic headcanon where Kara is Dani and her ex Mike gets killed by a truck when he walks into traffic after Kara comes out to him and breaks off their relationship.

“Mike, I think I’m gay,” the blonde whispers, too ashamed to speak any louder. The man next to her tenses slightly before a look of relief washes over him.

“Oh thank God,” he says, and smiles at a confused Kara.

“What? You’re okay with this?” Mike shrugs and shoots the woman his frustratingly disarming grin. 

“I mean, am I glad I’m being dumped? No. Am I relieved that the reason is you aren’t into guys? Kind of.” Kara wrinkles her brows in confusion and he continues. 

“I mean, I know I’m hot.” Mike grins again and winks at the blonde who purses her lips at his peacocking, “I thought maybe you were just frigid or something.”

“Mike!” Kara looks around to make sure no one is listening. Mike laughs and she shoots him a glare. 

“Hey, you’re the one that decided to break my heart at the corner of a major intersection.” 

He winks at her and she advances on the man, trying to shut him up. He skips away from her, ignoring the fact that he is now in the crosswalk of the intersection. 

“Mike! Stop fooling around!” the blonde pleads but the man ignores her. 

“Hey, were you checking out chicks while we were together?” He waggles his eyebrows and Kara balls her fists at her sides. She refuses to take the bait. The man just laughs at her silence. “Dude, you totally did. What’s your type?” 

He goes quiet suddenly and his face lights up. Kara shakes her head. It is seldom a good thing when the man gets a light bulb moment. 

“Hey Kara,” his face gets lecherous and Kara readies herself for some horrifying comment, “Would you let me watch?” 

Kara’s face blooms red with embarrassment and anger. She steps closer to jab her finger against the man’s face and get her point across. However, Mike anticipates this and he takes another step back, grin still in place even as a truck barrels into his body. Kara stares in shock, midstep and with her finger still in the air as Mike is flung at least twenty feet down the street. The smell of burning rubber as the truck attempts to stop and the blaring sound of a horn being pressed much too late fill her senses. 

Kara: “No, Mike, not gay as in happy. Good lord, dude!”

Kara is at the hospital when Mike is pronounced dead. Rhea never really liked her so she leaves for her apartment, still shaken but confused about how she feels about what happened. On the one hand she feels responsible for what happened, but on the other hand, she almost feels relieved. Until, that is, she goes to wash her hands in the bathroom and sees Mike standing behind her. She screams and when she turns around, he is gone. It isn’t until a few days later that she hears someone walking around her apartment that she realizes what happened. She grabs her trusty bat and walks out, expecting some coke addict rifling through her bookshelves but instead sees Mike, pawing at her bookcase. He grunts in frustration when his hand goes through a book but cheers when he manages to knock one onto the floor. Kara drops the bat in shock and Mike turns around, grins wide and puts a hand up in a peace sign, just like when he was alive.

Mike: “I’m still here, bro!”

Turns out Mike is tethered to Kara and it is a horrible, cruel curse. He is both the best and worst wingman and Kara is still not convinced he doesn’t try to peek when she is getting dressed or showering but he also helps her learn to be more confident. All his shameless arrogance makes him a great cheerleader, at least once they talk about some ground rules.

1. No creeping on Kara in the bathroom or when she is changing. Mike scoffs at this and mutters about being able to creep on hotter ladies. 

2. No unsolicited advice or comments about women that Kara is not interested in pursuing a relationship with. This is added after a week of Mike making comments about women that had Kara blushing constantly, even at work.

3. No watching when Kara has a lady over. She wasn’t sure where Mike disappeared off to when she did manage to have a date come back to her place but he would always leave after shooting Kara another peace sign and telling her to “do the circle thing I showed you.”

It all hits the fan when Rhea gets wind of Kara dating women and she packs up and leaves. She does not want to deal with that fallout and she would rather get a fresh start somewhere else. Where is that where else? London, Bly Manor, American au pair, you know the rest.

Kara: “Yeah, I’m gonna take a one way and gtfo of here.”

Who are our players at Bly?

Our cook Owen Sharma is good old Jack Spheer because sometimes these things write themselves. And who is our beloved Hannah Grose? Why, Lucy Lane. Because she was too good and I always want to see more of her. Plus she can be a stern little spitfire with the kids and ghosties (The kids refer to her to as Major). She takes her fine self and daydreams about the moment that charming Jack came over to get the job as a cook, not dead, just as a useless hetero (is that a thing? It is now...) that can’t fathom for some reason that Jack is totally in love with her.

As for Rebecca Jessel and Peter Quint? Kelly Olsen (the only character with any brain cells half the time) and Andrea Rojas, our muy caliente Scotsman. Is that racist? No, but her horrendous accent might be a crime. This version has none of the controlling assholeroy of Peter and no secretly killing Rebecca. Just good old bad luck in a horror series. Andrea gets drunk and tries to dive into the lake to find the chest of loot she is convinced is down there so her and Kelly can run away to America. 

Andrea: “This is a file on all the reasons you should run away from this haunted ass creepy mansion and come with me to America. Also, there is a map I drew of the lake with an X where the loot most definitely is.”

Kelly: “This is just a picture of you in lingerie and a sheet of paper you colored blue with a big red X in the middle.” 

Kelly dies trying to save her when Andrea starts to get hypothermia and they both drown in the freezing lake. Because why bury your gays when you can drown them? Amiright? Who finds their bodies the next day? This leads to the following section: Next slide, please!

Who is standing in for Miles and Flora Wingrave? Why, Ruby and a tiny Nia, of course. Nia is a sweet baby angel and I want to meet her as a little sister, totally doted on by her big sister, Ruby. Nia sees Andrea and Kelly arguing like lesbians (so much hand waving and crying and angry whispering) on the far end of the lake while their blue popsicle bodies float around. Ruby and Lucy drag little Nia away from the scene.

Nia: “My giant scarf is perfectly splendid! Also, I am baby.” 

Things get really spicy when Kara shows up, ghost!Mike and all. He complains about not being able to haunt the “hot chick from apartment 314” any more, but he perks up at the thought of “British broads.” Kara had hoped he was tethered to National City or something, but it appears he is linked to her. Mike is ecstatic when he finds out Bly is full of ghosts. He is always off somewhere exploring the mansion and only pops in to tell Kara snippets of Bly’s history and its many inhabitants. 

Meanwhile, we get to the real star of this indulgent charade. Lena as the wonderfully fit Irish (let her have the accent!) gardener, Jaime. She is convinced Kara is a corn-fed straighty from America until Kara throws herself at her in the greenhouse because flowers turn on lesbians (see Imagine You and Me and Georgia O'Keeffe’s many works. This is sapphic lore, kids.) She opens up about Mike and Lena smooches her so she doesn’t have to listen to the hot blonde’s delusions. 

Lena: “What do you mean it is too bright? What book? This is a watering can for my gardening activities. So is my fashionable, appropriately sized hat.”

Kara: *OMG she is so hot and cool, what do I do?* “Hey, do you guys do the circle thing in the UK?” 

Meanwhile, things are getting interesting with Mike and the ghosts: Kelly and Andrea, newly minted Bly ghosts, explain that they are stuck on the grounds. Mike, who believes in having the freedom of “you do you,” vows to break the curse. He strikes a heroic pose that makes Andrea roll her eyes but Kelly agrees they need to find out more about the origins of the Bly Manor curse. 

Flashback episode in a horrid b/w tone because I want to show this is old, okay. It’s not like we could figure it out by the clothes. Or the set dressing. Or the fact that the one of the characters died of “the lung.”

Anyway, we have our sisters, Viola and the other one. Their names don’t really matter because they are going to be the brunette one and the blonde one, played by the queen of period series: Katie McGrath.   

Anger-y brunette Katie, getting her smacking hand ready. 

And blonde, sad (but also evil? plot twist!) Katie, lusting after her brother in law. 

And they fight over none other than Daddy Cullen, Maxwell Lorde, because look at that hair, look at all those buttons, look at that big hand! Who could resist? 

The child is baby Lena being twirled by Anger-y Katie pre-“the lung” because let’s just have this turn into a black hole that destroys itself. 

Baby Lena: “Swing me, mummy. Swing me with your good lungs!”

Anger-y Smack-You-Every-Time Katie: “I swung too close to the sky and now this is happening to me.”

So while Kara and Lena are christening all sorts of places at Bly (yes, even the master wing because, of course, the master wing), Mike, Andrea, and Kelly are incepting themselves into all sorts of memories and whatnot. Cue that montage!

404 ERROR. MONTAGE NOT FOUND. 

Whoops, looks like we blew our budget on that black and white filter. Sorry about that.

Once the ghost trio realizes the chest in the lake doesn’t in fact hold some dragon’s hoard of gold, but the key to ending this madness, Mike pops in on Lena and Kara to bring them up to speed. Kara screams at him about the third rule while Lena tries to accept the fact that her girlfriend (yes, they are girlfriends by now, keep up) has a ghost for a best friend. 

Kara makes Mike look away while her and Lena get dressed and after quite a bit of exposition, they decide to pull the chest up from the lake. Lucy and Jack have been off playing hide the croissant or whatever the straights do during their leisure time, but they quickly hop on the “break the Bly manor curse” train.  

There is a fun B (C?) plot where Ruby and Nia steal Jack’s car and drive into town. No one in town cares because they are rich and all the adults at Bly are busy romancing each other and assume the girls are being odd rich kids playing somewhere in the manor. 

The adults are planning how to get down to the chest without suffering Andrea and Kelly’s fate, when they find some scuba gear the kids bought on their last trip to town. It is wholly impractical but the adults shrug and accept the plot hole so they can hurry this along. 

They draw straws and Kara has to dive down and tie some chains around the sunken chest. Lena jumps in front of limited edition Scuba Gear Kara to stop her but the American has to America so she dives into the freezing lake after a swoon inducing “I’ll be right back” kiss. Like, gifable on tumblr, twitter, and whatever new platform there is a hundred years from now.  

Scuba Gear Kara: “Guys, I can’t see anything through this helmet. Guys?“

After a few tense moments where Anger-y Olden Time™ Katie tries to stop Kara, Mike, Andrea, and Kelly step in and use their ghost powers to keep her away from Kara. Jack uses his car to pull up the haunted chest and they pry it open with a crowbar and plenty of moxie. The screams of slap happy Katie of the past ring out around the heroes as the curse is broken. The ghosts cheer, everyone laughs nervously (they know the end is never the end in a horror story) and Kara shivers from the cold until she is next to the fire, dry and cuddled up with Lena.

As her final act of revenge, Anger-y Katie gives Kara the Lung(!) but thanks to the power of Science, our spunky American pulls through after properly completing the full course of treatment and antibiotics. This includes Lena taking sexy care of her girlfriend. *wink*

***** westershiresauce is not a medical professional and their thoughts regarding the health benefits/healing powers of a sexy nurse!Lena are not verified. Don’t take srsly. ***** 

Cut to, one more garden and I can retire, Lena, sitting next to an immaculate shrub, waiting for her wife Kara to bring out the tea and biscuits. 

THE END!

Lena: “I swear to all that is holy, if that tea is shite, I am leaving her. It’s been like thirty years!”  

[inanotheruniversemusings]

lumiere, darling

fill for Supercorptober2020 prompt: dancing

read on ao3

Kara clutches tightly at the note concealed in her hand. She feels it crumple beneath her fist, creased edges buckling under the solid weight of the thin silver band wrapped around her fourth finger.

But Kara doesn’t really mind, not when she has East Wing Sitting Room practically etched inside her head. Those four words rebound all over every time she nods at a familiar face she comes across with: Olivia, who’s in charge of keeping the West Wing pristine, Isabelle from the Archives; Anthony, the guard posted right by the hallway Kara’s currently cruising down on.

The last one, she greets with a smile, even though Jess merely returns it with a polite Miss Danvers that she matches with a stiff nod. Then, she gestures towards the lavish double doors prefacing her intended destination.

(Kara’s not worried about that either. She knows she’s won Jess over the mere second she’d set a tiny square box on Jess’ desk, and Jess found the lone coin missing from her collection.

She traced it all the way back to a small town in the Philippines, but the earnest smile that adorned Lena’s face when she was shown in was worth every effort.) 

Kara stands at the designated spot that’s a few steps away from the doors, letting Jess take the lead. She’s still quite insistent on observing proper protocol despite being told numerous times that she really doesn’t have to, even more so the last three months. 

Because Kara may not be much of a stickler for rules, but she’d walk the straightest path just for the woman behind the door. Whatever makes her life easier, Kara is determined to do.

Jess twists around to throw her one last look, as if to ask if Kara’s ready to step through, her steady hand already poised for a knock. Kara hastily pats her ponytail flat in turn and smoothens the front of her dark blue dress shirt, tucking straying edges back inside her dress pants.

With a heaved sigh, she nods at Jess to go ahead, sucking in another lungful of air when she hears Jess’ knuckles rap firmly against the broad white wood.

A faint come in wafts through the thick doors; Kara’s honestly surprised it manages to drift to her ears. But then, maybe she’s always just been so attuned to anything and everything that has to do with love of her life. 

Jess cracks the doors open at the permission, though Kara doesn’t follow right away. She waits dutifully for the other woman to beckon her in, tunes out the conversation when she hears the muffled exchange of words out of respect and Kara’s own strict sense of privacy.

It doesn’t really take long anyway. She’s just three lines in on the song that’s been stuck in her head for a week now—her ring twirling around her finger just four times—when Jess finally gestures at her to step inside, leaving the room with a curtsy towards Her Majesty.

…

But Kara? Kara she leaves in the room with Lena.

Lena, whose face Kara hasn’t seen in person for three weeks now. Three weeks that Kara has had to stick with and try to be content with pixelated versions of her on Kara’s screen, and non-moving ones every time Lena sends her a picture.

Granted, Lena’s sent her a lot. But nothing ever really beats the real thing, does it?

Lena’s perched by the couch rest, her hip propped against the soft, plump edge that curves the top. Kara finds her gazing past the Victorian windows, her eyes following the gaggle of busy people waltzing in and out of the palace doors and carrying all sorts of flowers and glittering decorations.

Kara finds her beautiful like that, looking out for her people and never down. She’d be content to stare at Lena for hours, watch her until the golden light of the sun fades on Lena’s face, and wait for the moon to replace it, see it sparkle in Lena’s eyes.

But Kara’s missed her, too. Terribly. So she clears her throat so as not to startle the other woman, and then sends her a warm smile when Lena twirls around to follow the sound, like she can finally breathe easily again after three weeks of not being able to.

“Hey,” she greets her softly next. She rounds the huge couch to get to Lena, but not without throwing a haphazard glance towards the direction of the double doors to check it herself first. 

It’s still locked tight just as Jess has left it, but Kara can never be too sure, especially now. Not when they’re so close, and things have been set in their right places, and Lena’s pulled all the strings and pushed the proverbial ball rolling.

“Kara,” Lena breathes out, whispering her name like she can finally breathe now, too—as if she’s finally broken into the surface of whatever it is that has her gasping for air. 

(It’s Kara’s absence, Lena missing her so immensely it washes over her in waves.)

She pulls Kara into her arms—or maybe it’s Kara who pulls her in, Lena isn’t even too sure anymore—squeezing her tight. 

Kara folds in on herself in turn, tucking her face into the crook of Lena’s neck and breathing her in until Lena’s scent is the only thing that’s swimming in her head. Not the hours ticking by too slowly for Kara’s liking, or the gala being set in her name, or the hustle and bustle in the grandest hall Lena’s palace has to offer.

It’s just her and the woman in Kara’s arms. And for Kara, it’s the only thing that matters. 

…

“We’ll have to get ready soon,” Lena tells her a few beats after, when they’ve decided to make use of the most comfortable couch Kara has ever sat on—royalty really does have its perks—and Lena’s getting some much deserved rest, propped on Kara’s chest.

There’s a hint of admonition in her tone as Kara runs her lips along the trail she’s brushed against the curve of Lena’s jaw, and it mixes with the faint sound of the orchestra coming from below.

Lena vaguely remembers the final rehearsals being at this particular hour, but the warmth of Kara’s lips on her skin is so distracting she honestly can’t think properly, and her next words are swallowed by the solid kiss Kara presses against her own.

She almost chases her as Kara pulls back for air, though ultimately, she lets it peter off to chaste pecks because they really do need to prepare and Jess is bound to knock any time soon. “Darling.”

“Ugh, fine,” Kara whines. The petulance in her tone makes Lena chuckle. “The sooner we get there, the sooner the gala starts, I guess. And the sooner it ends.”

“A very acceptable point,” Lena can’t help but quip, the corner of her lips tugging up to a smirk. “If only we hadn’t included the time in the invitations.”

“I hate it when you’re right.”

“And I love it when I am.”

“I see.” Kara feigns a scowl then, her nose crinkling in a way that Lena is unable to resist kissing the tip of. “This is how it’s going to be for the next sixty years, huh?”

A wide grin spreads on Lena’s face at the reminder, one that’s impossible to tamp down even if she tries. But she can’t let Kara know that, has to keep the upper hand, so she cocks her head, arching a brow at the other woman. “And what if it is? Having second thoughts?”

“God, never,” Kara refutes. Pointedly even, as if the mere idea is something she will never be able to get behind of. “I’d rather sit through fifteen hundred dinners with your mother.”

“Oh, darling, I will never let you suffer through that.” Lena cups her cheek, ducking to meet Kara’s eyes. But there’s a spark of good-natured mischief in them that Kara honestly almost expects what comes next. “Maybe after the wedding. But not right now. I wouldn’t want you running away for the hills, would I?”

“You’re mean,” Kara says, sticks her tongue out and then pouts. “And you’re lucky I love you.”

“I know,” Lena accedes easily. Because it’s the truth, and it’s a fact that Lena will never be embarrassed about regardless of how their night turns out, and whatever will happen the following days. “I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”

…

Jess does knock in a few minutes later, just as Lena’s rising from the couch and reaching for Kara’s hand to take with her.

“Your Majesty,” Jess greets her first, then, “Miss Danvers.”

“Yes?”

“Your dresses are in their proper rooms, Ma’am. The stylists are also ready for the both of you.”

Lena thanks her then, yet she appears to have no plans of stepping back out, clearly intent on keeping the queen in her already tight schedule. So Lena just sighs and moves to follow, but Kara’s hand circles around her wrist and halts her mid-step.

“Can you spare us five more minutes, Jess?” Kara asks the woman standing guard at the door. She keeps her gaze at her even though she can feel the puzzled look Lena sends her way.

“I’m sorry, Miss Danvers, but—” Jess tries to say. But it’s Lena who cuts her off, the queen ultimately deciding that she does have five more minutes to scrape off of her packed night now that her curiosity has been piqued.

“It’s alright, Jess. We’ll be out in five minutes. Thank you.”

There’s hesitation in Jess’ steps when she leaves again, yet she knows there’s really nothing she can do about Lena’s decision so she wisely keeps her mouth shut.

Kara, in turn, heads towards the door, making Lena even more confused and still equally curious. It only grows as she cracks it open, leaving a small gap in between the door and its twin before heading back right to where Lena is still rooted on the spot.

It’s small enough that anyone who passes by still won’t be privy to their moment, but large enough that the music wafting from downstairs is able to filter in unmuffled.

“Kara?” Lena asks, now completely unable to keep the puzzlement from bursting out. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Kara quickly assures; matches it with an earnest smile to put Lena at ease. She just really, genuinely wants five more minutes alone with her before the craziness of the night that she knows is about to come takes over them both. “I was just thinking that we’d probably be too busy mingling around later. With, you know, fending off questions until our official statement comes out, and brushing elbows and whatnot. That I probably won’t be able to do this.”

“Do what?”

Kara only takes Lena’s hands in answer, presses a kiss to the humble gem on top of the silver band that Lena wears—Kara’s mother’s ring, her most prized possession before she willingly gave it to the love of her life just as her mother has always told her to—and then wraps them around her neck.

She slides her own hands down next, encircling them around Lena’s waist until she’s able to pull her closer—till they’re standing toe to toe and the tips of Lena’s heels are  touching her oxfords.

“I’d be so bummed,” Kara then says—whispers, the soft puffs of air hitting Lena’s skin like fluttering kisses. “If I don’t get at least one dance with the most beautiful woman at the party tonight.”

“Goodness, you are such a dork,” Lena teases back. But Kara can tell—knows that she’s charmed. It’s in the giddiness of her smile, and the way she tries to hide the pink hue dotting her cheeks away from Kara’s view.

Kara won’t let her though, so she presses her forehead against Lena’s and starts swaying them around in a slow circle, altogether timed in the same melody as the symphony that’s filling the room.

And for five minutes, Kara is holding her entire world in her arms and it’s nothing but perfect.

[cyclone-rachel]

A currently unnamed season 6 AU, part 1

~

All Querl hears is Lex’s laughter.

His taunting- so, Coluan, you were only mostly dead? No matter. You can die with her- as he rushes forward, making it to Supergirl’s side simultaneously in time and too late.

All he sees is the Fortress of Solitude, ice surrounding him, the rest of the people he tried to save- fading from sight, pulled away from him, as though he’s the one who’s been put in a bottle this time.

All he feels is Kara’s hand in his, as they land in a place they both know well.

“We’re in the Phantom Zone.”

~

Their hands haven’t left one another since they got there.

“Your ancestral memories.” Kara says suddenly, if only to hear something at all. “Do they have anything that could help us? I mean, Indigo was sent to Fort Rozz with my aunt and uncle, but…”

“I should ask you for any information.” Querl answers. “You were the one who had to stay here for over twenty years.”

“In my spaceship.” Kara tells him, shivering. “Not out here. And besides, it’s… different now.”

“Indeed.” Querl says as he squeezes her hand. “And as for your question, yes. Besides Indigo herself, I actually have several ancestors who’ve found their way here.”

He lets himself laugh, a little bit.

“You would think they’d expect after a while that any kind of criminal act would get one sent to such a place as this. Especially when dealing with those who discovered it in the first place.”

“The Kryptonians.” Kara says. “Yeah.”

“And, surprisingly, one of my doppelgangers that we met after the Crisis briefly suffered the same fate, while he and the Legion were fighting a child of General Zod.”

“How did that one get out?”

“He had the help of his friends.”

“…Oh.”

~

“I remember it.” Kara says. “Being here. Or, somewhere like here, anyway. My mother- Alura- well… she certainly didn’t expect my pod to be knocked off-course, when I was sent from Krypton. But she said I would sleep most of the way. And I tried, some of the time.”

“But not for decades.”

“No.” Kara agrees, sighing. “Even when I got to Earth, I was afraid to fall asleep- because I didn’t think it was real. Like I would wake up in my pod again, and every hope of escape would be taken away from me. I’d just be stuck there, for years, and nobody would know.”

“And now you have returned.” Querl answers. “Is this how it looked before? You said it was different.”

“It is different.” Kara emphasizes, looking around her. “It seems… fragmented.”

“Like the universes collided with one another.” He observes. “Of course.”

“Which will make it more difficult for them to find us.” Kara says, shoulders slumping. “I can’t imagine where they’d even start looking.”

And without a twelfth-level intellect, the process will be much slower, she thinks.

She imagines it for a moment- Alex or someone else finally forcing an opening, pulling her into the light. Kara asking how long it’s been, and her sister hesitating, before telling her how many years. Or worse, it’s not Alex at all- maybe this time it will have been hundreds of years, or thousands. She pictures the Legion rescuing her and Brainy, his friends happy to see him but saddened when they also glimpse her.

“But they will be looking.” He says. “As for our situation… if you had not been in your pod, is there anywhere here that you would have gone, to keep yourself safe?”

“Yes.” Kara says, a little more confident. “There’s one place.”

~

“I… I hate him.”

“Who?” Kara wonders, but remembering all they’ve recently been through, she knows the answer right after she asks.

“Lex.” She corrects herself. “Yeah. I feel the same way.”

Brainy squeezes her hand again, this time tighter, stepping closer beside her as they continue walking.

“Everything I did was to keep you safe.” He says. “I was sworn to secrecy by one of the other versions of myself- the woman, who called herself the director of the DEO.”

“The one who looked like she could’ve been your sister.” Kara says. “I remember.”

“She told me this was the only way to make things right, that her universe was the closest to ours, and if I did not work with Lex, disaster would occur. Leviathan would win. I could not let that happen.”

“Of course.” Kara answers.

“I knew how much you would lose trust in me.” Brainy says. “But that was necessary. I only hoped that you would forgive me, once it was all over.”

Kara nods.

“I do.” She says. “If that counts for anything.”

“Certainly, in this situation.” He answers. “Thank you.”

Kara smiles at him, and he tentatively smiles back, before going on.

“Every step of the way, I hated working with him.” He says. “Every time he would threaten you, or make some derisive comment about us or any of our friends, I was only more determined to defeat Leviathan with him so that he could be stopped as well. But it had to be in that order. Until then…”

“You were inhibited.”

“Yes.” He agrees. “You see the cruel irony in this situation. But now, I have stopped Leviathan, nearly at the cost of my own life were it not for all of you, and Lex is…”

Kara squeezes his hand.

“Our friends can handle him.” She says. “I hope. But… how did you stop Leviathan? I wasn’t sure, J’onn and Alex said that they were fighting them, but they just vanished.”

“I bottled them, if you can believe it.” Brainy answers. “I uploaded the mortality code that Lex tasked me to get, and used a bottle I found in the DEO vault.”

“You say that as if we didn’t find you almost dead of radiation poisoning.” Kara tells him. “But, if there was any doubt you were good to your core, I think it’s gone now.” “Yes.” Brainy says. “It is.”

[griddleshark]

so like,,,, supercorp college au?? mayhaps,,, butch kara??

ooooooo yes. always. like?? maybe kara as a music major?? lena as a dance major at juilliard.

-

(lmao this is so much longer than i thought it wld be originally)

Lena’s legs ache from her ballet class and the muscles in her core scream at her with every step she takes up the stairs. Sam is chattering off about some performance piece and Lena’s too exhausted to contribute. All she wants to do is go back to their apartment and sleep.

Sadly, Lena promised one of her professors that she would attend one of the music classes for the 2nd years because she needs to find someone to compose her winter performance piece. “Do you think any of the music majors will do it or are they too busy smoking pot to help someone out?”

Sam scoffs. “Oh please Lena, just because James is like that doesn’t mean everyone is.” The taller woman had promised Lena she would help her find a musician to help, so Sam has decided to tag along to watch the class. Lena is so grateful for that because if she has to watch a ton of music majors argue about if Herbie Hancock or Stan Getz is more influential to jazz music alone she’d probably shoot herself.

The classroom is small and all the students are seated around a conductor’s stand holding their respective instruments. Some are talking to each other, others are tuning their instruments, and some are just on their phone. The professor is looking over something on his stand and Lena suddenly gets a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

It’s odd. Lena doesn’t get nervous. Relax you idiot, Lena tells herself, you have performed at Lincoln Center, you were Clara in the Nutcracker, you are Odette in Swan Lake, stop being a little bitch. Steeling herself, Lena stands up a bit straighter, regardless of the ache of protest in her back, and walks over to where the professor is reading some sheet music.

He’s an older looking man, maybe in his 50s or 60s, and the half-moon glasses he wears reminds Lena of Dumbledore. “Professor J’onzz?”

The man looks up at the two girls standing in front of him and gives them a smile. “You must be Lena!” he sounds excited actually, “Leon told me you'd be coming!” he turns to look at Sam, “and you are...”

“Samantha Arias. I’m a performance major. Just here for moral support.”

Professor J’onzz nods his head and then calls for the attention of his 10 students. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Lena Luthor. She’s a second-year dance major, she’s here to watch you all perform to then see who to ask for as a composition partner for her winter performance piece.”

Lena’s eyes scan the 10 students to see if any standout and she grimaces internally when she notices most of the students are boys. She doesn’t like working with men usually due to them always acting like they know more than her. She’d rather work with a girl because she feels more comfortable sharing and discussing her viewpoints and things they can work on.

Her heart skips a bit when her eyes land on a blonde girl. Her hair is down and falls around her shoulders like waves of honey. The vivid blue of her eyes sends a chill down Lena’s spine and she can’t help but feel a bit flustered a just how her “type” this girl is.

The scuffed Timberlands on her feet, to the ripped, dark wash jeans, and the plain white t-shirt that shows her rippling biceps. She looks like she could bench press Lena easily, and it makes her wonder if this woman has ever once considered doing ballet just to do lifts.

“You can take a seat beside me while we watch them perform. They’re showing me edited versions of their composition pieces.”

For the next 20 minutes, Lena sits beside J’onn and Sam and takes notes on each piece. She knows enough about music and theory to take notes on what she likes and wants for her piece, but so far none of the people have truly stood out to her. It might be because she’s hoping that the handsome blonde takes her breath away.

Once Mike El finishes receiving feedback on his much too cheery composition, Professor J’onzz looks at his grading sheet. “Kara, it’s your turn.”

The blonde woman, Kara, stands from her seat and cracks her knuckles. She sits at the grand piano at the corner of the room closest to Lena and Lena watches her place the 6 sheets of music in front of herself.

“So this is called Winter Waltz in Central Park,” Kara says aloud. Her voice is gentle and soft, nothing like how Lena imagined it based on her appearance. It makes Lena’s insides feel warm with comfort.

By the first measure, Lena is already entranced with how beautiful it sounds. She closes her eyes and can see the music notes floating around and her and causing her to spin as she dances on the stage in Lincoln Center. There are snowflakes and icicles that hang in the air around her as she leaps and dances around the stage, chasing each note, trying to catch it and keep it warm against her chest.

As Kara’s fingers slam on the keys, Lena can see a move with each beat. Her body is screaming at her to stand and dance along with Kara’s playing, but she contains herself. She doesn’t want to embarrass herself in front of an attractive woman.

When the song ends, Lena’s eyes open slowly and she can’t stop herself as she claps enthusiastically. It’s easily the best piece she’s heard today and she could sit there the rest of the day listening to Kara’s fingers push on the keys.

Lena zones out the rest of the class, trying to formulate a way to talk to Kara and ask her to be her partner. She’s never had much luck with women because she gets so nervous and so she just prays that whoever it is she’s interested in will just ask her instead. Of course, it works sometimes, but other times it seems like the butch she’s interested in is just as nervous.

When Professor J’onzz releases the class, Sam stands and grabs Lena’s hand to help her up. “You make a decision?”

“Definitely.” Lena’s eyes scan where Kara is and she breathes a sigh of relief to see her still in the room, putting sheets of paper into her backpack. “C’mon.”

When Lena gets close enough to properly see Kara, her breath hitches. Close up, she can see so many more details, even with the shitty lighting. The flecks of grey and gold in her blue eyes, the scar above her eyebrow, her strong jawline which Lena is sure all girls go weak over.

“Kara, right?”

The blonde smiles. She sticks out her hand in greeting. “Yeah, Kara Danvers, a pleasure to meet you.”

Lena shakes her hand, having to bite her tongue at how formally she’s acting. “Lena Luthor.” Kara’s hands are big, and her fingers long, probably from years of piano training. They’re also surprisingly rough, which Lena wasn’t expecting, but somehow, they’re also soft.

“So, how’d you like my piece?” Kara’s voice sounds almost nervous.

It’s comical. Kara’s piece was one of the only two that received no criticisms from J’onn, and Lena would assume that would be all the blonde cares about. Why would she care what a dance major thinks?”

“It was amazing. Genuinely. The moment you started playing I closed my eyes and could picture myself dancing to it on stage. It was exactly what I wanted without realizing I even wanted it.”

The grin that morphs Kara’s face is adorable. Her eyes develop small crinkles around the edges and she reminds Lena of an excited puppy. “That’s awesome. That’s how I want people to feel about all of my compositions.”

“So,” Lena gnaws on her lip. “Would you be willing to work with me for the winter recital? You’ll get class credit for it and everything.”

Kara just nods her head and grins. “Of course! I’d love to. It’s not every day a beautiful dancer asks for my help.”

The comment makes Lena blush and Sam nudges her playfully. “Perfect. I’ll text you then?” Lena hands the blonde her phone for her to put her number in it.

“Um, yes! Please...” Kara puts her number in as ‘Kara Danvers (piano girl)’ and it makes Lena smile. “If you need anything, just let me know. I gotta go now, I have my jazz class soon.”

With that, the blonde begins walking away, but not before tripping over a chair as she waves goodbye to the girls. She nearly falls onto a saxophone resting against the wall, but she catches herself. “I’m good. I’ll see y’all.”

Once she’s out the door, Sam finally allows herself to snicker. “Oh she so likes you.”

send me more asks here!

[dbh-is-a-crime]

All Dbh Chapters

@kaydel your reply to my ask has inspired me to give my thoughts on each of the chapters.

Chapter 1: The Hostage

Is honestly a good first chapter, the tension and stakes are high, it pulls you in. There's a reason people who played the demo were hyped for the game. And regardless of what I think of Cage's writing, it's not the first time he's done a solid intro to a game. (Swiftly followed by garbage but I digress..)

We learn something about deviancy and how it starts, we get a sequence of dialogue based gameplay to set up how important it is to the story, and we get a taste of Connor’s somewhat underdeveloped investigation gameplay. 

I will admit that there are several lines I kind of like in this scene (’You can’t kill me, I’m not alive’ I’d like this even better if Bryan didn’t love it so much) And most of the outcomes are very cool! 

Chapter 2: Opening

Is not a chapter, it's the opening credits. It's not really interesting, but it's not as bad as Heavy Rain's, only because it's about half as long. Kara was robbed.

Chapter 3: Shades of Color

What a title am I right! And no, it's not just because of the paints. This chapter, title aside, isn't bad! We don't learn anything about Markus but it sets the world up nicely. It's one of the cooler open areas. It shows off the graphics nicely. 

And all of that is promptly ruined by the overly heavy-handed scene with the protesters. With the follow up of the back of the bus! Also the preacher guy is weird what was the point of that.

Chapter 4: A New Home

Easily one of the most (if not The Most) boring chapters in the game. Mundane QTEs? We all looooooove those! At the end of the chapter you get some exposition to a very nice composition (this game really would be nothing without the music) and that part is actually ok. But the mundane housework gameplay doesn’t get a pass, even if it is to give context for what the life of an android is like. Would be 100% better if there was 40% less housework.

Chapter 5: The Painter

A solid chapter! Learning about Markus through his interactions with Carl? An actual good narrative device? Unbelievable. At surface level their relationship is sweet and Carl is so supportive of Markus growing beyond his programming. Though there is a darker undertone that mirrors the caged android birds. And that it’s all a gilded cage. And I like both of those interpretations, they’re interesting. 

The music mini game is interesting the first time you do it but after that I’m never picking it again, chess it is from now on.

Chapter 6: Partners

Connor’s return after 5 chapters. I think that might be the longest break between appearances for any of them. Anyway this chapter is mostly fine. It sets up Hank and Connor’s troubled partnership and shows us what most of Connor’s gameplay is going to be. (Detective work and trying to reason with Hank) It would be interesting if there was an option to let Ortiz’ android go, seeing as there if a version of the scene where you don’t find him. But I guess it’s too early for Connor to be disobeying.

Chapter 7: Stormy Night

Classic David Cage has women being abused by men! Unfortunately this is one of Kara’s best chapters. The tension from the very first moment if real, and as soon as Alice runs up stairs, you just know what’s going to happen. Without fail, every person I’ve ever watched, immediately tries to follow her. Honestly? Solid way to make me care about the kid. 

I know some folks have problems with showing child abuse on screen, but my opinion is that they kept the worst of it as implied, like in the failed ending of the chapter, you don’t see it actually happen. So I’m personally okay with it, but I can understand why some may disagree.

10/10 for the chase/escape scene. It’s stressful as hell but honestly the music just makes it...like idk the moment Kara deviates? I nearly, literally screamed the first time. The build up to it is so good, and you as the player are determined to protect Alice and will fight through the programming to do it.

Chapter 8: Broken

Gonna be honest, Markus’ deviating scene falls a little flatter for me. I’ve watched several people play for the first time and actively not want to break programming and retaliate. Which makes the fact that its a scripted event you can’t avoid frustrating to them. I guess we just haven’t seen any anger from him yet so it doesn’t feel like the reaction you expect? (I get that it’s supposed to be him finally cracking, the story just...doesn’t convey that very well.)

Also the fact that you get punished for staying silent with Carl dying is shitty.

Chapter 9: The Interrogation 

Talk about fucking tense! This scene is a real challenge, in either difficulty. Unless you don’t care about the android self-destructing? 

I don’t have much else to say, it’s not a bad scene but there’s not a lot of substance to it. The ‘the day will come when we will no longer be slaves’ line is...the start of the truly terrible writing choices in this game.

Chapter 10: Fugitives

Not a bad scene. Getting to choose to steal a bunch of stuff is fun, and the fact that you can steal all this shit and then go and sleep in the car is pretty funny. I don’t like the house or Ralph, just because it’s another chance to put a female character at risk from a male character. 7/10 I’m never picking the house. (Also did you know you can fail to steal from that guy in the laundromat and he wakes up lmao)

Chapter 11: From The Dead

Ok this is going to be kind of a controversial opinion...but I’m tired of this scene. While it’s true that no scene in the game holds up on the 20th watch/play, this scene lost most of it’s shock value on the 3rd watch. Now that being said, the sound design in the scene is brilliant. And putting the audio processor back in does still give me chills, but the rest of the scene? I mean, I guess cannibalising other androids is a pretty powerful story action. But the fact that you can take all of the things you need from dead androids if you search hard enough kind of ruins that for me. 

Also idk why but everyone collectively thinks that Markus screams when he reaches the top of the slope and I have no idea why.

Chapter 12: Waiting For Hank

Boooooooring. Ok, getting beat up by Gavin after refusing to make him coffee is mildly interesting. But the fact that Hank just hates you in the scene is honestly quite tiring. Like, his opinion of Connor will inevitably go down at least once, you can’t avoid that. Also there’s nothing to explore in the office so...

Chapter 13: On The Run

Both versions of this scene are very tense. And not in...a super fun way. Like ok, Kara has that empowering woman moment where she cuts her hair, great, but the rest of the scene isn’t that good. (And the version with Ralph is downright disturbing.) 

Chapter 14: Jericho

Oh god let’s players cannot do this part. And the amount of time I’ve spent watching people run around clueless because they weren’t paying even the slightest attention or follow the obvious path, makes me hate this chapter. I also hate it because the gameplay isn’t very interesting. Markus’ precog is mildly interesting, but that’s really it. (The end of this chapter has some pretty stunning visuals tho)

Chapter 15: The Nest

Ok, the opening conversation with Hank is cute if Connor is trying to be nice. Though the actual chase is pretty tense. The music is on point as always, because the composers for this game were very overqualified for the job. Also the fact that you get punished for not saving Hank both amuses and vexes me. You don’t catch the guy because you were a shitty partner. But what was the point of taking the risk with Hank if there’s no reward? (Yes I know he still ends up in evidence lock up but that’s hardly reward enough for risking your partner’s life)

I mean okay the pigeons flying through the roof is pretty funny, but the investigation in the apartment isn’t all that interesting. Also I’ve just realised I haven’t mentioned the Zen Garden once but honestly most of the scenes there aren’t that interesting anyway.

Chapter 16: Time To Decide

Wow where do I start on how uninteresting this chapter is. You learn very little about Markus’ companions, you get to have a conversation with a magical minority, and you get a line about an android being dragged behind the back of a car. (After reading the wiki about James Byrd I feel genuinely sick and could not be more disgusted that this was used so clumsily in the game.)

Chapter 17: Zlatko

His name sounds like a brand. Also this is my least favourite Kara chapter. They go to his place for almost no reason (just so they can get caught) and we get a 20 minute scene of Zlatko being a cartoonish monster of a man. Also this has been pointed out and now I can’t stop thinking about it. Why is Kara scared of Luther when she sees him? Like...??? Anyway re-finding her memories is boring, finding Alice is also boring, and hiding from Zlatko is just stressful. Nothing interesting to the story happens here, except that Luther joins Kara and Alice.

Chapter 18: Russian Roulette 

Perhaps the shortest chapter in the game. It’s not like...super boring, but it’s not interesting either. Also don’t forget to notice the picture on the table or you’ll have no chance of getting the good ending later! Seriously, they should have made it a requirement for the scene to move on if it’s going to be that important.

Chapter 19: Spare Parts

The whole freerunning thing at the start is lame. And the fact that you have to grab the android and then release him to get the best outcome is confusing as hell. (I have seen many folks fuck this up.) The part where you sneak around in the guard house is actually kind of cool. Also North go down if you’re nice to people....I love this game.

Chapter 20: The Eden Club

Pity the lesbian sexworker androids!!! In all seriousness though this is a chapter I do not like. The endings are unfulfilling, the whole storyline is gross, poorly written and very Cage-esque. (Also why would you make the two android lovers the same model?! Just make one of them one of the other 8 female WR800 models you have!) I mean I guess I can say that the glowly design of the sexclub is nice or whatever.

Chapter 21: Pirate’s Cove

Ok this is a personal one but I don’t like this chapter. Something about the family dynamic between the three falls flat for me and so the whole scene being about them makes it...ehh. Also Kara under threat again! Woohoo! The scene on the carousel is kind of cute and the scene composition is nice, but the fact that all the Jerrys are standing around watching is a little weird. Also bait us with rA9 crap why don’t you! we’ll just never learn anything about this i guess

Chapter 22: The Bridge

I like this chapter to be honest. I know Pirate’s Cove is meant to be relaxed but I find this chapter more relaxing. Even if it ends with a gun to Connor’s head. I mean it’s not that hard to not get shot really. And seeing Hank start to care and question their mission is interesting. I don’t know, I guess I just like the visuals of the snow and the bridge. (Anyone notices that it goes from raining to snowing like three days later, wtf)

Chapter 23: The Stratford Tower

Now this one is complicated. Because I like the breaking in and getting up to the broadcast department part, I even like the pre-speech tension. Markus carrying the weight of history and knowing his words will shape what people across the world think of androids. 

The music as he gets ready to start the speech is....just so good. But then he starts talking and.....mmmmm press x for civil right yes please! Press square to end slavery? Absolutely! God...the writing in this scene is Bad. Which is a shame! Because it squanders the carefully crafted tension built up until this point. I like the energy going into this scene, the idea that they’re about to take a stand, make history. But it is unfortunately ruined for the sake of a poorly executed racism allegory.

Chapter 24: Public Enemy

Ok, going to investigate the crime scene of what you just did as Markus is pretty good. Its not an original idea, that was the opening sequence for Indigo Prophecy, but it still works I’m not going to lie. Also the cop from the Hostage showing up to thank you if you saved him is cute. The fact that Hank is starting to question Connor and look for signs of deviancy in him is also nice! Also I hate it but going after Simon gives you a more cohesive storyline if you’re going for a deviant Connor route. (Can I get an F for Simon? He can die so many different ways)

Chapter 25: Midnight Train

Can’t believe that the chapter about the underground railroad is literally called Midnight Train. Yeah the dialogue in this? Shocking, terrible, absolutely unforgivable. Rose I am so sorry this happened to you. Also a cop arrives to....put Kara in peril at the hands of a male character again! Can’t go a chapter without that!

Chapter 26: Capitol Park

Hmmmmmmmmm. ‘We have a dream’? ‘I can’t breathe, but I’m still alive’? Hi, yes, hello? David Cage is doing it again, yeah he’s co-opting black history for his story about androids, somebody needs to stop him. Why did no one stop him.  

Ok, most of this chapter other than that is ok. It’s not particularly good, but it’s ok. (wiLL yOu bE gOoD oR eViL?!?!1)

Chapter 27: Meet Kamski

Ok this man is so creepy and emotionally manipulative and as a narrative tool I’ve actually come to love it. Like the tone of this chapter is such a breath of fresh air. Maybe it’s just the fact that they added a new character after such a long time and that he knows more than he ever lets on. rA9 baited again...

Also this is Connor’s turning point in a way. You can still choose to change your path later on, but this is the real moment of truth where a character pushes him to reveal where he’s at. (Also the fucking MUSIC)

Chapter 28: Freedom March

Oh no. I’m so sorry Markus you deserve better. I hate this chapter if you can’t tell. The combo of the black history slogans and the jesus music is too much for me. Also the good ending is locked behind Simon being alive/Spare Parts success route??? Also F for that random android who’s name is John that we hear about twice.

Chapter 29: Last Chance, Connor

I usually keep a low profile with Gavin so I miss out on the beatdown unfortunately. But having the option is hilarious. If you don’t sacrifice at the march, Simon is alive, interrogation bad end, Rupert and the Tracis escape....can you even find Jericho?

Just a thought, anyway this is short but tense chapter. Don’t hate it.

Chapter 30: Crossroads

Kara’s part of this is dumb as hell. The Alice twist literally destroys the storyline but anyway...

Markus has very little to do until the end. His version is ok, but Jesse’s line delivery leaves something to be desired. (You’re one of us....)

Connor’s is easily the most interesting of the three concurrent stories at this point. Going in to capture Markus/North, chasing them through the hold if ur a machine..very good. 

And....going deviant. Okay yes that still gets me, I did actually shout YES!! out loud the first time I witnessed it. The music’s slow build in the scene, and most of the dialogue (if you choose carefully) swells to this point and...and..it happens!! 

Like idk I’ve only been slowly building up to this for 9 hours, sue me.

Chapter 31: Night Of The Soul

I like this chapter! Or Markus’ version anyway. Connor’s...well the Hank version is just sad. The Jericho version is fine.

But Markus? Visiting Carl’s grave or the man himself is such an emotional moment for the character. And the single humanising moment he’s had in several chapters. The conversation is so weighted with his doubts and fears and Jesse Williams gives a beautiful performance! (Also as I’ve said, the alarm system saying ‘welcome home markus’ kills me on impact)

Chapter 32: Battle For Detroit

Is a good chapter. What, did you expect me to say it isn’t? Cause it is. Or some versions of it are.

The tension in all three characters stories, regardless of which version, is perfectly hit at this point.

Kara’s....ah fuck idk I mean the border version is ok? The others....kind of suck? The guy letting them through with high public opinion and Markus doing a peaceful demonstration is kind of cute and sort of makes sense in a way.

Markus’ versions (both in which he is alive) are pretty cool. The revolution is hard, and I do like that it ends with him saying that they haven’t won, they’ve only started a war. The demonstration is kind of dumb, and I actually prefer them getting shot and then the news anchors suggesting that maybe androids are people in their own right that humans refused to acknowledge. (Feels more real, ya know?) Also black folk song!! Why??

Gonna be real, most of Connor’s versions of this scene are pretty good. Cyberlife tower is tense as hell but he’s a fucking badass. Machine Connor on the roof gives us the best line in the game. ‘What’s up lieutenant, ran out of whiskey so you came here looking for trouble?’  

So that’s some of my thoughts on each of the chapters of dbh, I could go into more depth but my eyes hurt and I’ll probably hit post limit soon.

[trashcankitty12]

TV Show Tag Game

I was tagged by @darkpoisonouslove

rules: pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. don’t cheat. tag 10 (or however many) people.

1. Legends of Tomorrow

2. NCIS

3. Winx Club

4. Supergirl

5. Steven Universe

what’s your favourite character from 1?

Hmmm.... Probably between Mick Rory and Sara Lance. Mick because he’s so unapologetically himself, even as he starts to grow and change a little. And Sara is the confident leader (after season 1) and I just... Love her chaotic bisexual energy.

who’s your least favourite character in 2?

Fuck.... There’s so many. There was a Ted Bundy-esque dude who I really fucking hated. And I despised this guy named Dearing.... And I wasn’t a fan of this back-up team that came in to hunt the P2P killer (port to port killer). Not to mention Chip was an asshole. And the Cartel Siblings that tried to kill/destroy Gibbs’ life....

what’s your favourite episode of 4?

I loved this episode in (i think it was season 3? or four?) when Kara and J’onn go to Mars and we see bits and pieces of J’onn’s past and we meet his father (who voiced J’onn in the Justice League cartoon!)

what is your favorite season of 5?

I really liked Steven Universe Future, the final season. It was... Cathartic and it answered many questions that I had. And it showed Steven growing up and learning more how to deal with himself and his own problems instead of the problems of those around him. 

what’s your favorite couple of 3?

Flora and Helia. They clicked in just the right way. (Though I wish canon in both the comics and the show would at least try to line up instead of changing every time. But whatever.)

(My favorite non-canon/potentially canon in the past couple is Valtor/Griffin though... Just saying.)

what’s your favorite couple in 2?

This is a loaded question because damn does this have all the ships... But I’m going to have to say Tiva-TonyxZiva. They had chemistry from day 1 and it just escalated from there. Even now, after they’ve both left the team, they’re together with their daughter, Tali. (Who is played by an adorable little girl who’s name I can’t seem to find.)

what’s your favorite episode in 1?

I have quite a few. But the top is 1.03: Blood Ties.

One, we get to see how badass Sara Lance is and how awesome her training is. 

We also get to see the limits of time travel and how sometimes “time wants to happen”. (Meaning you can’t just change fate.) This is a whole conversation brought on because Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold goes into the past to try and stop his father from going to jail the first time around. (Spoiler: It doesn’t work and Lewis Snart still ends up being an abusive bastard.)

what’s your favorite episode in 5?

On the Run. Holy shit this episode started off as the usual feel-good/filler episode... But then it quickly turned into more.

We see Amethyst’s roots and how she came to be and... And we see a glimpse into her self-loathing and I just... I want to cry thinking about it because it just... Hit home in so many ways.

what’s your favorite season in 2?

I’d say Season 3, simply because we’re introduced to Ziva. Or Season 4 (or was it 5) in which the team gets caught up in an inter-agency investigation that almost threatens their jobs....

how long have you been watching 1?

I’ve watched it since it first came out. I thought it’d be interesting, and boy... I wasn’t wrong.

how did you get into 3?

That’s a funny story... I was a kid and my local Cartoon Network (yes, it aired on CN for the first season, way back in the day XD )and I saw the ad for a new fairy show and was like ‘oh, this’ll be cool’. Little did I know how sucked in I would become.. XD

favorite actor in 4?

David Harewood. He’s the Martian Manhunter and I just... I love him. I also really love Katie McGrath... But I’m also in love with her so... XD

which do you prefer? 1, 2 or 5?

Currently 5. It just aired it’s final episodes and I’m still not over it. 

which show have you seen more of, 1 or 3?

Technically I’ve seen more of 1, simply because I’ve not seen the end of one of the Winx seasons and I’ve missed one of the movies. But I’ve seen every episode, so far, of Legends.

if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Do I have to be an actual character or can I create a character? I like me, but I think I’d like a version of me that’s a superhero. XD (I guess M’gann if I have to be... I hate how they did her story for Supergirl, but I do love the idea of being a Martian.)

would a crossover of 3 and 4 work?

Winx and Supergirl? Well... I mean... Stranger things have happened on both shows. (Supergirl even has an inter-dimensional imp that pops in from time to time to screw shit up. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he sent Kara and her friends into the Winx world. Also, picture this, a transformation sequence as Kara and her friends become their superhero selves. Just picture it.) 

pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple?

Charlie and Constantine. They have this chaotic energy about them and I just... I live for it, okay? The chaos. The magic. The fun.

overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

Winx or Steven Universe? Well... With the way things have been so far.... Steven Universe. I’m sorry, but they kept up with continuity and did awesome stuff and I just... I’m sorry, but they did better than Winx.

which has better theme music, 2 or 4?

NCIS or Supergirl? NCIS. Just... It has quite the soundtrack for seventeen seasons.

Tagging: @meluisart and @electra-jolts-magnetism and anyone else who wishes to do this.