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ghouldump · 5 months ago

Note

Hello! I just read your lestat x reader fanfic and I’m completely in love with it! Can you maybe do a part 2 with them still being together in 2024?

Anything For You II | Lestat De Lioncourt x Reader

ෆ you are back home and can’t wait to spend time with the love of your life.

omggg i feel so fuzzy inside knowing others enjoy my writing 🩷😋 this is short, but i think it’s a cute ending.

“You can sit them down here, thank you, honey,” you told your chauffeur, handing him a hundred-dollar bill.

“Thank you, Miss”

“No, thank you,” you winked, watching as the handsome man left, driving off in the SUV.

Unlocking the door, you placed your baby, Lena, a purebred Italian greyhound on the floor. She immediately ran towards the sound of the music, wagging her tail in excitement. You thought back to how disgusted Lestat was at the idea of having an animal. He was adamant that if you got this dog you’d be on your own taking care of her. Within a week, you caught him teaching her tricks and feeding her treats. She was 4 and you were hoping to have her mate, in hopes of having grand puppies.

Sitting your luggage by the stairs, you looked around, shaking your head at the lack of renovation that was supposed to happen while you were away. He hadn’t even taken down the photos like you asked, instead he put them back up. Seeing your wedding photo crooked, you couldn’t help but laugh. Housework was never his forte. Staring at the photo, you traced over his face, nearly a century of love and you were still head over heels. You were surprised when he even brought up the subject.

“Marriage?” You closed the novel, sitting it in your lap.

“Do you not want to marry me?” He asked, playfully tilting his head.

“I didn’t think vampires were into nuptials, or you-

“What can I say? Seven years later and I am not against the idea of being bound to someone legally, I also have looked into it and there are many positive aspects-

“You’ve been looking into this?” You couldn’t help but smile, as he slowly came down to his knees in front of you.

“Yes”

“How badly do you want this,” you asked him, your hand going to caress his cheek.

“As much as my thirst for blood,” he continued, his eyes softened as they focused on you.

“Ask me,” you told him, feeling your eyes tingling, you knew tears were soon to fall.

Biting his lip, he stared at you for a second, before pulling the ring from his pocket. You gasped, covering your mouth, as the blood ran down your face.

“Ma chèrie, please grant me the greatest honor to not only be my companion, but my wife. I love you now and I’ll love you forever, will you…marry me?” He asked.

“Of course,” you nodded, holding your hand out, squealing as he slid the ring onto your finger. The ring was timeless, beautifully made, and could catch the attention of everyone in a room with how large and nicely cut the diamond was.

You ended up having a tiny wedding, in the backyard of your home. Just the two of you, a marriage officiant, and a photographer. Shortly after your vows were exchanged, as your photo was taken. The photographer had plenty of vulgar thoughts when it came to you in the form-fitting dress. Regardless, the two ended up being your meals, before a night of passionate intimacy.

Hearing the familiar serenade, you entered the living room. Immediately, you smiled, Lestat sat at the piano, looking at the sheet music, his iPad propped up in front of him, annotations on a digital copy of the music. Crossing your arms, you watched as he was about to continue with the keys, but lifted his hands.

“Who’s your honey?” He asked, making you playfully roll your eyes. No matter how many people were invited into your home, Lestat became jealous if you were too kind to another person for too long.

“Don’t start, you know who has my heart,” you told him, walking over. He immediately opened his arms for you to sit on his lap.

“I missed you, ma chèrie,” he told you, making you loudly coo.

“Awe, I missed you more, you should’ve come, Chicago was fun,” you told him, as he kissed your hand.

“I’d rather not,” he pouted like a child. He knew he’d end up wandering around alone, and while he had no problem doing so - the city held no interest to him. You were there for work, since the late 80s, you had been a real estate agent. At first a small hobby, you eventually expanded, leaving Louisiana for more land in different states. Over the years you made enough money to last for generations. After being home with him for Mardi Gras, enjoying the parades together, the people, and selling to a few tourists - you had been gone for nearly two months.

“You’re so cute,” you laughed, pecking his lips.

“Cute is more…adolescent,” he rolled his eyes, huffing as you stood up.

“Lena, come,” he turned around, as the dog jumped into his lap.

“Why didn’t you let the construction workers come to renovate?” You asked him, going to sit on the couch. He didn’t pay you much mind, more focused on rubbing the dog.

“They all use cheap material and will make it look all modern”

“This company is good, I swear, we need this, the walls are peeling, for god's sake,” you pointed out.

“It gives the house character,” he shrugged.

“Lestat,” you stared at him with a straight face, while he smirked.

“Why did you take down our wedding photo?” He raised an eyebrow.

“All of the pictures need to be taken down, and the coffins put away, for the renovation. I’d prefer to not have to wipe anyone’s memory because they’re wondering why there is a wedding photo of us in the 30s”

“It could simply be a black and white photo, you don’t look a day over 20, as ethereal as you’ve always been,” he complimented, his eyes quickly traveling from head to toe, enjoying your outfit. You always managed to keep up with time, blending in with society. You even learned how to use a smartphone and were sometimes active on social media. Lestat on the other hand, was stuck in his ways, still dressing as lively as he always did, in a nice suit.

In certain areas, he showed his age, not liking a lot of modern music, casual clothing, or how to use technology. All he had was his iPad, like a child, took it everywhere with him, only your contact saved inside. He still struggled to text or FaceTime you, but it was his go-to when the two of you were apart.

“So, how’s the music going?” You changed the subject.

“I will be going on tour soon,” he said, smiling as you clapped in excitement.

“I can’t wait, you’re going to be amazing,” you praised him.

Lestat had always been gifted when it came to music, regularly writing his music to play for you on evenings when you had nothing to do. It wasn’t until he made his first song, for you personally, that you pestered him about publishing it. Now over 50 years after that moment, he released a song, and while it was under his name, his face was completely anonymous. Although it wasn’t for the reason you’d think.

Your social media had been growing, as you publicized your company. Vampires immediately began to recognize you, questioning if you were trying to reveal to the world what you were. They spoke from all over day and night about harming you, when Lestat released the song, taking the attention off of you. They were too afraid of him to boldly do anything, and you being his companion, automatically were protected. You didn’t agree with his decision, but after weeks of dealing with his stubbornness, you accepted the choice he made.

No one knew the face behind the hypnotizing voice, and you were certain they would be falling to their knees as they saw his beautiful face.

“Are you nervous?” You asked as he kept a poker face.

“Of course,” he grinned playfully.

“You’re going to kill it, just hearing them all screaming your name, I can’t wait,” you told him, watching as he sat Lena down, standing to approach you.

“Will you…scream my name”

“Always,” you leaned back, crossing your legs as he moved next to you, his fingertips softly dragging down your leg.

“Then I won’t be nervous”

“There will be groupies…men and women,” you started.

“I won’t invite anyone into our bed you don’t want there,” he shook his head, as you moved to peck his lips.

“I know you will be a superstar, everything about you is remarkable, I love you”

“Anymore praise and I might get an airhead,” he laughed.

“I love you more,” he continued.

“And what about the others, I trust you can protect yourself perfectly, but what if they try to-

“None of them are bold enough to try and if they are then they are asking to see their final death. I won’t let anyone harm you, all because you wanted to share your beautiful pictures with the world,” he told you, wrapping his arm around you, pulling you close.

“Thank you, I couldn’t be more grateful for you as a companion and husband,” you nuzzled your face in his robe.

“Anything for you, ma chèrie”

#lestat de lioncourt x reader #lestat x reader #lestat de lioncourt #interview with the vampire #amc interview with the vampire #amc iwtv

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shepherds-of-haven · 3 months ago

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HIIIIII LENA !!! As you may already know due to my nonstop blabbering I'm very very much in love with the world of Blest 🥹 and I was wondering... do you see yourself making/compiling some sort of codex/art book in the future? Like, a book that has all the organized lore about Blest, maybe with the art you've already commissioned? I WOULD JUMP ON IT IMMEDIATELYYY, EVEN IF IT'S A KICKSTARTER ITEM OR COLLECTOR'S ITEM — just letting you know teeheeheehee

OH AND if a physical published book is too difficult, then a digital printable copy thing would also be AMAZING 🌈🌈🌈 I'd immediately get that printed and hard bound !!!

(lowkey if the answer is even the tiniest yes I WILL start slowly saving 😭 JUST !! A REAL LIVE SHOH CODEX !! RAAAAAAAAH )

Oh, but I hope this doesn't bother you 🥹 the thought just came to me and wouldn't leave me alone! Please don't feel like you need to make one or anything!

Hi snow!! 💖💖 Thanks so much for your lovely message, as always! As a matter of fact, I have been slowly putting together a digital art book/lore bible for Shepherds in my (extremely sparse) free time over the last two years or so: it's been extremely slow going, but it's basically got everything you're imagining, including concept art, official game art, behind-the-scenes tidbits and easter eggs, guides and walkthroughs, codex entries from Patreon, and more! A lot of it is more of my personal rambling and reasons behind certain design decisions or showing the progression of, say, the game's logo over the years, or the differences between the novels and the game, or my (or an artist's) thought process behind this or that, but there is a codex section that will have some organized lore as well!

It may not have all the organized lore about Blest, since I'll leave that for the in-game codex, but it will have some pages on stuff like religion, factions, races, magic, days of the week, currency, and things like that, along with the stuff we cover on Patreon like animals, food, maps, calendars, and etc.! :') I'm extremely skeptical about my own visual design skills when it comes to putting this together LOL but I've been doing my best! 💪 I was wondering if I should keep it a secret until closer to the game's official release, but your ask was so nice that I couldn't resist sharing!

This will be a digital artbook for now, bundled with the 'ultimate' edition of the game (which will also include the game's original soundtrack), since I don't think I have the time or bandwidth to figure out how mass printing and distributing physical books would work: that takes a lot of research both in which publisher and storefront is the best to use, how to keep costs down for the consumer, and also figuring out stuff like margins and bleed, which aren't as big of a deal for a digital PDF!

But I hope that answers your question! :D Thank you so much for your encouragement and praise as always, and I hope you're doing very well! 💖

#Shepherds of Haven #sneak peek #artbook #<3 #extremely WIP lol no one look at this or question it too closely #this is a zoomed out two-page spread editor view so obviously everything looks different in the final version!

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natashaslittlegirl · 2 years ago

Text

The contract - Romanoff's Assistant

DO NOT COPY ANY OF MY WORKS. MINORS DNI +18 ONLY.

Summary: It's your first day working in Romanoff's Company

Boss ! Natasha Romanoff x Assistant ! Reader

Warnings: none

Natasha Romanoff's Masterlist RA Masterlist RA Account Chapter II aesthetic

This morning hits different, you got up earlier than usual. You start dressing yourself up with your choosen outfit from the night before, well, from friday when you got back from the interview actually. Dress pants and black shirt, leather boots and as always your beige coat, it's your lucky charm, but don't say anything because otherwise it won't work.

You leave your apartment but not before feeding and giving Lena lots of kisses, this cat is going to be the death of you because of so much cuteness. So little and cuddly. You love when she comes and sits on your lap purring for you to caress her, so delicate, you love her.

You're walking along the avenues, luckily you're not that far from the coffee shop or work now. You make a quick stop, look at your applewatch, 7:45am, you still have time. Kate smiles at you when she sees you arrive. "Morning, girl! The usual?"

"Yes, please, and a coffee with almond milk, extra hot without sugar and the cup 70% full, please."

"So you remembered Romanoff's request, huh?" she looks at you with mischief in her eyes, oh, you certainly forgot to mention, that she already knows you have a little, not so little, crush on Miss Romanoff, that's why the look. You remember your call from friday evening.

While you waited for your lasagna to heat up, you grabbed your phone and dial Kate. "I got the job!" she screamead and you had to move the device away, otherwise it would make you deaf.

"No way, you little lucky ass!"

"Yes, I don't even know how, what if it goes wrong?" you start to doubt, "Miss Romanoff said one mistake and I'm screwed, help."

"Don't be stupid, Y/N, you'll do fine, relax." Well yeah, you don't even started yet. "I imagine you've had your eye on her."

"I mean, could you blame me? She's beautiful." Miss Romanoff is beautiful indeed.

"She's hot," so hot "you already have a crush on her, don't you?"

"I can't lie to you."

You two talked a little more until a line of customers formed and Kate can't make six coffees at the same time, you doubt it.

"Kate," you let out a sigh, "I'm her assistant, the first thing I have to do in the morning is get her coffee, also, so do you."

"Okay, okay, whatever you say." she says as she prepares the coffees. You hand her the money and look at you watch again before she pass them to you, 7:53 am, shit, you need to hurry.

"Thank you Kate!" she waves back and you walk out as fast as possible, god these boots are not for rushing. But you got into the building and reached the elevator on time, 7:58am.

Fuck, hurry up, please. You mentally said to yourself, cursing the machine. You got to the twenty-seventh floor at 8 o'clock, ugh on time. You leave the coffees on your desk and wait for Miss Romanoff to show up.

You turn on the computer and go through the agenda, it's already organized so you don't have to do much. Not even five minutes pass and Miss Romanoff makes her entrance, how can this woman look like this at eight in the morning?

"Good morning, Miss Romanoff," You get up from your chair and grab her coffee, "I brought you coffee." she looks at you up and down as she takes the cup, taking a sip of coffee with a smirk on her face.

"So, coffee the way I like, you're on time and you're presentable."

"Yes, Miss Romanoff."

She goes on her way to her office and you go yours to the desk. You continue making appointments in the agenda and suddenly it's already 10am, how fast. You see that Miss Romanoff has a charity event offered by the Stark family and needs confirmation, you write the event in the agenda, the computer and on a post it in front of her, to much, huh? Interrupting your thoughts, you get a call saying Miss Romanoff is needed on the 5th floor.

You head to her door office, you can't see inside but you know she can sees you. knock twice waiting for her to let you in. "Come in" you hear her say and you walk into her office closing the door behind you.

"Miss Romanoff?" she looks up from her and scans you.

"Yes, Y/N, what's up?"

"I wanted to inform you that this Friday you've a charity event offered by the Stark family, it requires confirmation and they need you now on the 5th floor" You say and wait for her response.

"Thank you, confirm my invitation and yours too and call the 5th floor, tell them I'm coming, look for me in fifteen minutes, I'm busy and I don't want to waste time." She stops and takes some papers with her, you step aside and open the door for her to leave, you see her go to the elevator and disappear once it closes the doors. You send the confirmations to the event, but you didn't know that you'll have to go.

When trirteen minutes pass you call the elevator and play the 5th floor to get Miss Romanoff back, you arrived and started to looking for her in the hallways. She didn't said where you were suposed to look for her. Passing the cubicles separated by glass panels, a woman comes out and you take the opportunity to ask her about Miss Romanoff.

"Hi, I'm Y/N, Miss Romanoff's new assistant, can you tell me where she is? She needs to attend to an important call."

"Hi, I'm Debbie, nice to meet you. Yes, she's down the hall with Lou, the accountant."

"Thank you very much, it's a pleasure for me too" you walk to the end until you find the accountant's office, knock twice and wait for the order to enter. You hear gasps and don't want to imagine what they are doing inside. You hear a 'come in' and take a deep breath before going inside, for your surprise, Miss Romanoff is sitting in front of the accountant's desk and the other woman is standing serving two glasses of water.

"Y/N, what's up?" She turns her head around to look at you.

"Miss Romanoff, you have an important call, they said it can't wait." She rolls her eyes, is she kidding?

"Y/N, this is Lou, our accountant" She points the other woman and then you, "Lou, she's Y/N, my new assistant."

"Nice to meet you, Miss"

"The pleasure is mine, darling." She smiles at you, making you gulp, Miss Romanoff therefore, looks at the other woman and rolls her eyes again. She gets up from her chair and walks out with you. You both reach the elevator and go to your respectives offices.

You spent the rest of the day reviewing plans, events, and trips. Schedule and rearrange appointments for tomorrow and when you look at the clock it's already 5pm, you hear Miss Romanoff calling you into her office.

"You called me, Miss Romanoff?" You stand halfway at the door.

"Yes, come in and close the door." You do what she says and stay standing in front of her desk, you just hope you didn't do anything wrong. You feel nervous remembering that everyone must be leaving by now. Well you don't think you'd done anything wrong.

"I want to talk to you about something, Y/N," you gulp "sit down."

"Yes, Miss Romanoff." You do what she says and sit with your legs crossed.

"Don't be afraid, you didn't do anything wrong. I called you so we can talk about the contract, payment, schedules, and I need some confirmations from you." She grabs one of the two folders in front of her and hands it to you.

You open it and the first thing you see is my salary, you don't know if you're dreaming or if you're seeing things wrong but here it says 120k, you didn't even think that the assistants earned that much, you expected 60k at the most.

"Miss Romanoff?"

"Yes, Y/N." you look at her

"Is this amount serious?"

"Yes, do you prefer monthly or fortnightly?" oh god I can't believe it.

"Monthly? I thought it was yearly," you whispered under your breath, "Monthly is fine, Miss Romanoff." She noted something in her folder, which you guess must have the same documents as your.

"Okay then, go to page three," You turn to the page and read, your schedules Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm, lunch break one hour, any time you choose. "Are your schedules okay with you?"

"Yes, Miss Romanoff."

"Perfect, we already have the basics confirmed. I need you to tell me if you are willing to go on business trips, go to events, meetings and all this kind of thing. Everything is detailed on page 5 onwards, you don't have to answer me now, tomorrow you can bring me the signed folder with what you can do and what not. You will also have a card in your name for expenses that we make on trips and for the clothes that I ask you to wear, is that clear?"

"Yes, Miss Romanoff, all clear"

"You can go, Y/N." You got up from the chair, grab the folder and go to your office, find your handbag, put on your beige coat and walk to your apartment.

You arrived and left everything on the table in front of the couch, You went to your room to take off your clothes, take a shower and put on your pyjamas, the black short silk with lace edges, you love it, it is very confy.

There is nothing you like more than a relaxing shower, leaving there smelling like vanilla, how nice. You go back to the kitchen. It's 8:45 p.m. dinner time. You open the fridge but you find it empty, you must've forgot to do the groceries again, well, pizza will be. You order and while you wait for the delivery you go to pour yourself a glass of white wine. You receive the pizza, pay and go to the couch and find Lena in a super adorable position, picture worthy, she's very cute.

While you eat, you read the contract, it seems like a very good offer, obviously you're going to take it.

Passport. Yes

Travel in the country. Yes

Travel abroad. Yes

You keep reading and you find everything reasonable, you ended up marking everything 'yes' and you send Kate if you have a work trip if she can take care of Lena.

Kate ☕

Of course I'm going to take care of that adorable little kitten

Great, one less thing to worry about.

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

#Romanoff's Assistant #natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #wanda maximoff #elizabeth olsen #black widow #elizabeth olsen smut #lizzie olsen #natasha marvel #natasha romanoff smut #wanda maximoff smut #natasha smut #natalia alianovna romanova #mommy natasha #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha x reader #mommy wanda #wanda maximov #wanda maximoff x reader

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supercorpkid · 10 months ago

Text

Powergirl Should Die

Supergirl. Powergirl. B!D. Kara Danvers x BabyDanvers!Reader, Alex Danvers x BabyDanvers!Reader, Lena Luthor, Winn Schott.

Word Count: 2550.

Porwergirl should die. Someone should kill her.

The suit is skin tight, it clings so forcefully onto you as if it's trying to become part of you. But this other skin, just simply doesn’t fit right over your bones.

There is a huge House of El crest over your chest, in its golden glory. It weighs down on your skin, heavy and sacred. It should help you feel at ease. It doesn’t. It feels like it’s burning your skin like a branding iron.

Kryptonian?

Yes.

Super powers?

Yes.

You’re a superhero. Next, please!

Kara stands tall next to you, hand on your shoulder. “Would you look at that,” your sister smiles brightly at you. “Mother and father would be so proud of you, mini me.”

Kara has called you that your whole life, but you never felt so little as you do right now. You've also never felt so much like Kara. Crumpled up inside this supersuit to fit someone else’s dream. You don’t think your parents would be very proud of you now.

“Kara, this feels odd.” You try to lift the suit from your skin, that is so snuggled up it barely leaves you room to breathe. “I-I look like you.”

“I know!” She proudly squeaks. “I asked Winn to only change the colors. How do you feel about the white, red and blue?”

“Like a walking American flag.” You wince at the thought. You like the white, it’s a little more sober than the blue in Kara's suit, it also reminds you of the vest you used to wear back in Krypton. The red cape feels like they've ripped a piece of Kara’s and placed it on your back. The high blue boots are uncomfortable and the matching gloves are just plain stupid.

“You certainly don’t look like one.” Alex chimes in from behind you, and you turn around, sick of the sight of you in the mirror. “Honestly sis, I like this suit. I think it might be even better than Kara’s.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, mine has history.”

“Yours is a copy of Superman’s.”

“That’s what I mean, history.”

You watch your sister’s bickering with faint attention because they both would never say how ridiculous you look with this dull, hideous, comical outfit.

But it didn’t matter how foolish you looked, or how stupid you felt. There was no way out of this. Kara said you looked perfect and Alex agreed. J’onn, who’s been the closest thing to a father to you on this planet, gave you a stiff smile when asked what he thought. He could read your mind, remember? That’s what he thought about it. And Winn was just over the moon with his creation. No way out. From that day on, you’re Powergirl.

It hasn’t been long since you started being Powergirl. You’re still not the most prominent face of the Supers, thank God for that. You do the easy jobs while Kara takes on the real bad guys. You follow her lead. Obey to what Alex tells you to do over the comm that is permanently stuck in your ear. As if you couldn’t hear her from miles and miles away.

But with every passing day, it becomes even more obvious to you that you were really not cut out for this superhero life. Not good at it. Not happy with it. Not fit for it.

The very opposite of Kara, actually. Because Kara fits everywhere and with everyone. She fits perfectly in her suit, with her alias. Perfectly at her job at CatCo, as a news reporter. And ever since she landed on Earth she created her perfect family, story, life on this planet.

You, on the other hand, wish everyday you were still at Krypton. You are well aware that if you stayed behind, that if your parents hadn't made Kara snuggle your smaller form against her own body on that pod, you would have exploded. You wouldn't be alive today. And you wish people knew you don't want to be dead, you just wish your planet hadn't exploded in the first place.

Sure Kara feels the same. Yet she makes a name for herself and gives back to this planet that took you both in so willingly, that gave you both powers because of its sun. Kara is just different.

"Mother would want us to use our powers for good." She would whisper to you in the dark, whenever the Danvers would tell you to not use your powers. Whenever they asked you to fit in completely. "Father spent so much time trying to stop our planet from deteriorating, don't you think that if he had powers he would use them to make that happen?"

She would ask you questions that didn't feel like questions. That required no answers at all. Kara would tell you what she knew about them, use them as arguments to explain to you (convince even) why you had to become a superhero too.

And you would lay there in the dark, after your sister was asleep, looking at the long dead stars, and wondering whether she was right. Whether that was your parents' plans all along or just a sad coincidence.

"Powergirl." You hear Kara's voice early in the morning while you're still trying to brew yourself a cup of coffee. "I need you for a second."

"It's too early in the morning and I have to get ready for work." You press on your comm to answer. "Can't you deal with it alone?"

"Hm, no. I need you to come here now."

You let out a huge sigh, trying to ease your own mind. Coffee will wait, you guess. You're out of your pj's, into your suit, and out of the house in a blur. You stop next to Kara while she stares at a billboard.

"What?" You can't help the harshness of your tone as you see no emergency around her.

Kara says nothing. Only points at the billboard and you finally take note of it. Written in large red colors, the sentence: Powergirl should die.

Huh.

"It seems that you have an enemy." Kara says when time enough has passed for you to read the sentence over a few times. "Don't worry, we'll catch them."

Cute. It's your first thought. It's almost like someone wrote you a love letter, au contraire.

Kara makes an effort to tear it all down, destroy the billboard before anyone sees it. You don't help her, stuck inside your own mind, replaying the words in your head.

"No need to worry." She assures you, hand on your shoulder to get you out of your trance. "No one will do you any harm, mini me. I'd never let anyone hurt you."

"Thanks, Kar." You look at your watch on your wrist. "Work calls." And so you fly home.

You try to lodge that sentence in the back of your mind. You don't wanna seem stressed out, even though you are. But showing how actually worried you are about it, and with the fact that someone is coming for you, it's inconceivable.

Kara would worry. Alex would stress. Ooof, you can see it all playing out. Sleepovers and excuses for you to miss work and hang at the DEO headquarters so they can keep an eye on you, until you're feeling suffocated.

No, no. You can't go through that. It's been a while since you and your sisters shared a bedroom. You don't think you three can do that again now that you're grown ups.

It happens again. You don't see it, but you hear the agents commenting about it, a couple days later. They get muted the second you fly in the DEO, which is not only annoying but foolish. You do have super hearing after all.

"So, where was it this time?" You ask Alex, while she tries to avoid looking at you.

"Where's what?" She tries, and you furrow your brows.

"Winn, put it on the monitor." You ask coming closer. Winn looks at Alex as if asking for permission, but you don't give her time to deny him. "Come on, I heard the agents. I'm still Kryptonian even if I'm not a Super."

Winn huffs. "On the tallest building of National City." The photo goes up on the large TV in front of you, and you swallow deep.

Powergirl should die.

"Y/N," Alex talks in a low tone so the agents around can't hear her. "it's not personal."

"Looks personal." You cross your arms, turning your back at the TV. "Someone wanting me dead sounds like it's as personal as it can get."

"Supergirl is looking into it, I promise we'll catch whoever did this."

"Alex, please." You pass her on your way to the training room. "You know damn well my favorite thing about you is that you don't lie."

"You've lost too many punching bags." You hear a voice behind your back, and you breathe deep before turning around.

"Just training a little." You look at the number of destroyed bags by your feet and decide that it's true, there's too many, even though that's what they're here for.

"Alex told me about the message." Kara approaches you slowly, trying to test the territory. She can see your distress, but doesn't know the extent of it. And she won't, because you're definitely going to fake it.

"Yeah, tall building. They got the writing off quickly, though. So no major problems."

"Honey," Kara's voice is even sweeter now, if that's possible. "I'll catch them. I'll be patrolling tonight. No one's coming for you."

"I'm not worried." You smile at your lie, or half of lie for what it's worth. Knowing that Kara will be patrolling the city helps. You know your sister would never let anything bad happen to you. And it's very unlikely that anyone on this planet could easily defeat two Kryptonians.

Kara also smiles, and brings you into her arms for a hug. And you breathe out, calmer. Kara's arms have kept you safe from many perils. Spaceship lost in space, new planet, new school, new job. Surely she can keep you safe again.

You don't feel safe, though, when you wake up to a familiar voice far away. You rub the sleep from your eyes, well awake, paying close attention to a conversation you weren't invited to be a part of.

"Alex, I went around the city, there's no new wri-"

"Kara? What was that?"

There it was, in big red letters the sentence that has been haunting you for days. Powergirl should die. And under it new words' been added, someone should kill her.

"I found new writing." Kara's voice comes a second later. "It's worse this time."

"Take a picture so we can compare the handwriting and get back here."

"I have to clean this up." But before Kara even has the chance to, you're flying next to her in front of the L Corp building. "Y/N! What are you doing here?"

You move closer to the building to investigate. The ink is still wet, it wasn't done too long ago. You look around trying to find cameras. It's Lena's building, you're sure there are cameras everywhere. You spot one with a direct view.

"Mini me-" Kara tries.

"Go to work Supergirl, I'll deal with this. Someone wanting me dead is my problem." It's always been your problem, you are aware. But Kara promised you, you had nothing to worry about. Promised she would patrol the city. Promised she would protect you. And yet, here it is, in big block red letters.

"But-"

"I got it, Kara. Can you just believe in me?"

"Y/N, you know I do. I just wanna help."

"I don't need help." You clench your jaw, tired of being treated like a little girl. Like a mini Kara instead of your own person. "I'm Kryptonian too."

Cheap shot? Maybe. Definitely. You throw it, anyway.

You clean the writing then fly home to suit up. You can't face Lena without it. Another secret that only makes you hate your secret identity as hard. Lying to your friends, sneaking out, it's all stressing and there's literally no reward high enough worth of all this.

"Lena."

"Oh shit." Lena's hand goes to her chest after her obvious scare. You can hear her heart almost beating out of her chest. "It's too early for bad news, Powergirl."

"Trust me, I agree with that." You breathe out, trying to give her a smile. It comes out flat. "I was wondering if I could look into one of your surveillance cameras. There was some writing on this building this morning, I would very much like to know who's responsible."

"Writing? I - I didn't see anything when I came in."

"Good. I cleaned it as fast as possible." You point at her computer and she breathes deep as if she is agreeing with you.

It doesn't take long for the images to be up, and you two to be carefully reversing the filming until Lena sees you and Kara flying in front of it, and read the words herself. She looks up to you and quirks up an eyebrow, in question.

"Currently unsure if someone is threatening me or if this is just general knowledge being passed on."

"People don't want you dead, you're a superhero!" Lena argues. "Maybe Lex, but he's currently serving his time."

"Clearly not everyone agrees with you." You point back at the words on her computer.

"It's awful." She admits, even though she doesn't fully trust you or Kara yet. "Wait, wait. There."

You can't see a thing. One minute is there, the other isn't. You slow down the images, trying to see any detail. Lena soon takes over and slows down as much as she can. That's when you see it, just a tiny flash of red. You hold your breath. Thankfully, Lena hasn't noticed it.

"How's this possible? There's no one."

"Seems that I'll have to patrol the city myself tonight." You're almost leaving Lena's office when you turn around one more time. "Thank you for your help, Ms. Luthor."

"I was barely of any help at all." Lena points at the computer as proof and you give her a smile.

"Au contraire, darling. You showed me everything I needed to see." You wink at her, then fly out.

You march inside the DEO, positive on your plan. No one is talking you out of it, that's for sure.

Winn tries to argue that it is illogical for you to just give yourself to your enemy. He gets ignored. Alex argues that as a DEO agent she can't let you do this, and as your older sister she would be insane to leave you alone in this situation. You don't budge. Kara pulls out the big guns, her promise to mother and father, her duty as your protector, how you're the only connection she still has with Krypton, her love for you and so on. Her cries fall on deaf ears.

So at night, you fly around National City watching and studying everyone in it, even though you know you should only be looking for one person. One person with superspeed, a red cape and a big motive.

#supergirl #kara danvers #lena luthor #kara x reader #reader insert #baby danvers #alex danvers #alex x reader #powergirl #supergirl imagine

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leandra-kinard · 2 months ago

Text

My Tevan Sims - part 1

I finally did my 911 (sort of) Canon Verse save on the Sims 4, so I'm gonna share some pics.

Background: I built the apartment complex with Buck's loft in Del Sol Valley, and also made apartments for most of the other characters there. Ravi, May and Albert share a big apartment (and Ravi owns the building), Josh has one, Lena and Lucy (who are a couple) have one, and Taylor has one unit. There's still an empty unit for Bobby and Athena, who'll move in there as soon as their house burns down, lol.

Eddie has his house with Chris, The Wilsons and Hans share a lot with two houses (as rent units), and Tommy has a house across from Eddie - all in that small residential neighborhood in Del Sol.

Bobby and Athena live in Oasis Springs (my Los Angeles is split between Del Sol and OS), which is also as close as possible a copy of what they have on the show.

Now I couldn't have Buck and Tommy meet under the same circumstances as on the show, so I made Eddie and Tommy friends first and then had a huge New Year's party at the apartment complex (they have this amazing spa and party basement), which is where Tommy and Buck met.

I didn't even do anything as neither of them were actively played Sims, and they started talking and hitting it off.

As the party ended, Buck, Tommy and Maddie were the only ones still dancing.

Of course, the boys had to go play basketball together at some point...

And yes, Buck definitely has a crush on Tommy already, and vice versa (I may have cheated this a little, lol)

No ankles were harmed during this basketball match, but Tommy went to visit Buck at the loft anyway.

And then...

(Sadly, I couldn't get them to stand exactly as they did on the show, but alas, it works)

I'll be posting the date next (which went a little differently than in canon... no hot chicks comment, and they did get to see their movie).

BTW. All the sim families I made are on the gallery. My ID is RhiannonAR. they all contain some CC though, so if you want to download them, make sure you check the CC included box.

If you want Buck's (and Eddie's) tattoos and the birthmark, I made them and you can download them here.

My Tevan Sims - part 2 (Tommy's house)

#bucktommy #tevan #evan buckley #tommy kinard #911 #my sims #my 911 sims #my tevan sims

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a-french-coconut · 6 months ago

Text

Luke Castellan (Part 2)

Each day, his forces grow a little stronger, demigods joining them from all over the country, even Camp Half-Blood.

It's time.

Already ? It's only been one year.

He's in his office, seated next to a golden coffin that grows more visible every time a demigod pledge themselves to Kronos.

Our army is strong and with Jackson on his father's side, we need another piece in the game.

He stays silent, reaching for a piece on the chessboard on front of him.

Would it really work ?

Will it bring her back ?

Yes, the Golden Fleece is a powerful artefact.

They why didn't Chiron, or even Dionysus, ever told him ?

He would have went on that quest without hesitation, he would have saved her !

I feel your anger rising, good. Remember, Chiron, Dionysus and all the other gods don't care about you. With her dead, they thought they could avoid the Great Prophecy.

He clenches the piece in his hand, his familiar hatred boiling in him again.

They had killed her, valued her as a defective object that needed to put down.

I shall inform our spy at Camp to proceed.

If Silena didn't change her old calendar, she should be horse riding now.

"Silena, do you copy ?" He asks her through the charm bracelet.

"Hi Luke."

As always, the daughter of Aphrodite have this sweet voice, one that could work on many guys but Luke couldn't be more indifferent to it.

Silena Beauregard is not his type of girl but he can't risk having her offended by a rejection.

"Hey Lena, I need you to do me a favor."

"Of course ! Anything you need." Comes back the answer, cheerful and hopeful.

"The poison Lila gave to you last time you two met ? Use it on the target."

"Oh, okay." She sounds disappointed but frankly, she should know better than expect him to like her, daughter of Aphrodite and all that. "Are you sure you want to do this ?"

"Of course I'm sure," he frowns, "why are you asking ?"

"It's going to hurt her Luke, deeply. It's like she'll die again."

"She isn't going to die" he snaps at Silena, voice cold and harsh, "a quest will be issued to save her. Now go do your job and stop questioning my orders !"

He abruptly cuts contact, not caring about how it might affect Silena.

He looks at the piece in his hand.

Kronos wants a new pawn to balance the careful game they are playing.

"Castellan," an empousa barges in, "Torrington is asking for you on deck, he needs you to teach the soldiers a manoeuvre."

"Tell them I'm coming Kelli."

She nods, promptly leaving him alone.

He gets up, puts some light armor before gripping Backbiter and getting out of the office.

On the table, away from the chessboard and its pieces, stands the dark queen, as proud as the girl she represents.

--------------------------------

He dreams of her, of the pine's leaves slowly turning gray, the bark rotting and falling on the ground.

He wonders if she can feel it.

(When he faces her again, on a mountain top surrounded by ruins, he'll know that he made her suffer.)

As expected, Chiron is fired and Tantalus takes over the leadership.

Luke thinks he knows why Kronos chose him. Indeed, they seem to share the same culinary taste.

"How long until the poison kills the tree ?" He asks Alabaster who created it.

"One week, depends on what cure they will administrate it." The son of Hecate shrugs, clearly unconcerned with Thalia's fate. "Don't worry Luke, they should make it time."

"They better," he mumbles under his breath, "if Thalia dies, there is no way for me to convince Annabeth to join us."

"About that," Alabaster fidgets, "Are you sure she'll want to join ? She seems pretty loyal to the Olympians."

"When Thalia joins us, she will too." Luke assures his second in command, "why don't you go find Ethan ? Last time I heard he was still pining over you, looking at you with awe in his single eye."

He snickers slightly when his friend's face turns red, promptly leaving to find the son of Nemesis.

"This is a waste of time," Kelli scoffs from the corner of the room, "why aren't we sending our own forces to get the Fleece ? It would be a lot more productive."

"Because" he glares at the monster who languidly gets closer to him, "they need to ultimately have the Fleece and they are not going to accept it as a gift from us. Hence, they need to find it by their own."

"If you say so, Castellan." Kelli sighs, seating on his armchair, "the girl you keep talking about, Talia or-"

"Thalia" he corrects her, slightly uncomfortable with her proximity.

"That," Kelli narrows her eyes on him, her talons tracing lines on his shoulder and arm," what does she mean to you ?"

"She's a dear friend," he quickly gets out of the chair, earning himself a scowl, "and a powerful ally to have."

"I'm sure she would make quite a feast," Kelli smiles, "Zeus' blood is always so delicious-"

"Don't kid yourself" Luke cuts her off curtly, "you don't stand a chance against Thalia."

"Is that so ?" she hisses, "then maybe I should pay her visit when she's done housing birds and squirrels, to see her worth."

With the speed of a son of Hermes, Luke unsheathes Backbiter and furiously slashes at Kelli but she jumps out of the chair and the only thing damaged is now his furniture.

"Thalia is an essential person in our plan, do you want me to tell our Lord that you wish to harm her ?" He snarls, pulling off his sword from the wood.

"Oh, now" Kelli chuckles nervously, "there's no need for such rash action, I have no intention to go near the daughter of Zeus."

"Good," he says firmly, "now get out, I have work to do."

She hisses at him, hair burning a bright orange but nonetheless hobbles her way out, the sound of her bronze leg hitting the ground echoing in the corridor.

He forces himself to breathe, to squash down his fury against that damned empousa.

His charm bracelet heating up, the signal Silena is trying to contact him, distract him from his insider turmoil.

"Silena," he says rather irritably, "Lila is in charge of receiving your infos, I have enough work to do."

"I thought you would have wanted to hear this but fine, I'll just transmit to Lila and she can tell you." The daughter of Aphrodite says with a snappy voice.

"Wait," he calls to her," what it is ? I'm not busy right now."

A lie since he has to prepare a meeting concerning their sponsors but he is curious about what is so important.

"Clarisse got a quest and she's leaving first thing tomorrow morning to retrieve the Fleece."

"Clarisse ?" He frowns, "why would they send Clarisse when the Fleece is on an island in the Sea of Monsters ? Jackson's obviously a better choice."

"Tantalus isn't very fond of him."

"Tell that idiot that Percy must come." Luke hisses, furious against the new director. "it's the perfect opportunity to trap and kill him."

"It's too late, it would be weird for him to suddenly change opinions." Her voices curls in distaste, "how are we going to keep him Luke, the guy gives the creeps."

"Then avoid him because he is going to stay as long as possible."

"But", her voice wavers, "he might want to hurt the kids."

"Kids" he scoffs, "that are on the opposite side Lena. We are bound to fight them sooner or later."

"We want a better word for all demigods," she stresses her word, "even them, do we not ? I don't see how Tantalus fits into our vision."

"He does for now" he grits out, "anything else ?"

"No, Percy has arrived at camp but he isn't going on the quest. Oh ! Wait, no, I have something to tell you-"

"It'll have to wait," he eyes Chris who just entered and mouthing to him they are here, "I really need to go, please inform your official agent of any new developments and not me."

"Our spy ?" His brothers asks, tilting his head.

"Clarisse has been sent to retrieve the Fleece," Luke eyes carefully his brother's face, "dangerous quest, some might say lethal."

"Clarisse's strong," he mutters quietly, not looking in Luke's eyes, "she'll get through it."

"One day, we are going to fight her, are you sure you'll be able to do so when it happens ?"

"Yes, my loyalty is to Kronos and you."

Chris looks at him with a hardened gaze, grim determination etched on his face.

"I'll do whatever you need me to if it means getting retribution."

"Good," he smiles," I'm please to see your faith in me."

When he passes in front of him, he puts a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Kronos will appreciate that kind of loyalty once we win the war, brother, be sure not to lose it."

As he leaves to greet his guests, he doesn't see Chris carefully taking a picture of his trouser's pocket, with on it a girl with a bright red bandana hugging with one arm a younger Chris.

-------------------------------

"Well, I have to say I didn't expect you here."

He looks rather amused at the trio confronting him.

"Percy, I should have known you couldn't stay far from me for too long, Annabeth," he looks at her, properly seeing her since he left, "you've grown and-"

His voice dies out as he looks with disbelief at the boy in front of him.

Except he's not a boy.

No, he's monster.

A cyclops.

"Really, Annie ?" He says rather hysterical, earning himself a weird look from everyone except Annabeth who's red with shame, "of all monsters, a cyclops ?" He pronounces it with such disgust, such hater towards that kind.

"Don't talk to Tyson that way !" Percy angrily say, struggling against Agrius's grip.

"Why ? Fond of him Jackson ?"

To that, the son of Poseidon stays quiet, the same red Annabeth has colouring his cheeks.

"Well, as fun as this is, I'm afraid it must come to an end." He sighs, "Agrius and Oreius, take them downstairs, I heard the monsters were hungry."

But the cyclops breaks free and sends Oreius tumbling on his brother, giving Percy to opportunity to escape.

"Catch them !" He roars to his soldiers but they have already bolted out of the room.

He can only watch them, seething, disappearing on the horizon on one of the emergency life boat.

He had them...

They were on his boat, unarmed and outnumbered and they escaped.

Shame and rage churn his stomach, make his body vibrate with fury and Alabaster is the one to pay the price.

"Torrington !" he bellows at the son of Hecate, "they were three and you had six demigods and two monsters at your commands !"

"The monsters don't listen to me !" he protests, looking straight into Luke's eyes, "I'm the General of your demigods' army."

"And what have you been doing all those months ?" he hisses, "how come they were completely useless to stop them !"

He sees Alabaster's eyes glower and green ruins appear on his jacket. He reaches for Backbiter but a little girl suddenly puts herself in the way.

"Stop this ! Please !" she begs, looking fearfully at Luke.

"Lou," Alabasters says softly, "get out of the way."

"No, I'm not letting you fight with him !" Lou crosses her arms defiantly, stubbornly not moving.

"Your sister ?" He asks his general who curtly nods, still eyeing him and ready to fight.

But Luke only looks at Lou.

She's small, black-haired and has startling green eyes.

If he has to guess, she must be eleven years old, younger maybe.

And yet, despite her young age, she looks at him warily and ready to protect her brother.

He sheathes his sword to Alabaster's great surprise.

"They'll have to come back once they get the Fleece, we'll catch them then."

He leaves the deck and Torrington's confused face to isolate himself in his cabin.

He spends the next hour twirling a cheap ring on his necklace, thinking of a young blond girl with startling grey eyes and wondering if she would too protect him if he needed it.

-----------------------------

He doesn't remember falling asleep.

And yet he is chained upside down, with an unbearable heat burning his face as he looks at the cauldron below him.

He remembers that place.

It's when they were on the run and Thalia and he got captured by a cyclops.

Annabeth had been the one to save them, stabbing bravely the monster and freeing them.

"Luke ! Stop looking like an idiot and use your powers !" A voice next to him snaps in the air.

She's there, looking wildly alive, face etched into a scowl and gleaming from sweat.

"Thalia..." he whispers with a broken voice.

"Is the heat making you lose your mind ?" She says harshly, a worried frown appearing on her features, "yes it's me, Thalia. The girl who is about to buzz you if you don't find a solution."

It's been so long since he heard her talking and not screaming.

The way her eyes pulse with electricity.

The way her freckles are a constellation adoring her pale skin, contrasting so much with her spiky jet black hair.

The way she's pulsing with life, trashing against the chains restraining her and not cold dead on a forest's floor.

"Thalia, I-"

He wants to tell her everything, like he did before, to tell her about Kronos and his rebellion against the gods.

"Hurry, Luke !" She trashes even wilder, a small edge of fear in her voice.

He knows what happens next.

The cyclops comes back, failing to lure Annabeth in his trap, and as he's ready to cut their bonds, to let them fall into the boiling steaming pit below, the monster screams in pain and Luke seizes his chance.

He gets out of the now loosened chains, managed to free Thalia despite only using one hand, the other firmly gripping the chain, and the both of them jump onto the cyclops's arm.

That's when he sees the cause of the monster's pain.

Annabeth had stabbed him in the toe, his little sister looking terrified but determined to fight the beast.

Quickly, Thalia and he climb down the screaming monster until they're on the ground and help Annabeth kill him.

Then, she punches him in the gut after praising Annie.

"What the fuck Thals !" He groans, doubling over.

"What was that back there, huh ?" She asks angrily, irritated enough for not scolding off for the bad word, "why'd you froze like that ?"

"I didn't freeze, my powers were just useless." He winces when he feels his abdomen, it's definitely going to bruise.

She scowls but doesn't push him further.

"Come on, we have to go, Grover is waiting for us outside." Annabeth urges them, dragging them to the exit.

"It's too late."

Both Annabeth and Thalia look at him with utterly confused faces.

"What do you mean it's too late ? Too late for what ?"

"Forget I said anything," he mumbles hastily, pushing them aside to reach the exit, "it's nonsense."

A hand on his shoulder stops him.

It's not like her punch, no.

It's a prolonged contact, one where her hand barely touches his skin and yet, it is warmer than the boiling cauldron.

"Luke," he hears her say his name with worry, "what's wrong ?"

"Nothing's wrong Thals," he reassures her, not looking in her eyes. "We have to go, the monsters are gaining on us."

But she doesn't let go of him and her hand gets closer to his neck.

He doesn't turn, can't bear to look at her.

"You can tell me anything, you know that right ?" She whispers, her voice centimetres away from his ear.

"And I will," he replies, "I will but not today."

He terribly wants to face her, to tell her everything but he can't waste any more time.

It's stupid of him to think that maybe, in this dream Thalia makes it to Camp alive. It's like jumping off the cliff again when he knows he'll break himself on rocks below.

Yet, he hopes.

--------------------------------

"Welcome back to the States, cousin." He smiles at Percy, holding Backbiter under his throat, "I'm the welcoming party."

"Really wasn't necessary."

"So uncivilised," he shakes his head, "come aboard, all of you."

This time, Grover is with them. Luke doesn't know why he is there, surely something Silena could explain, but he doesn't particularly care. There's only one thing he wants, and it's within his reach.

"Where is it ?"

"Where's what ?" Percy asks innocently, the ghost of a smile floating on his face.

"The Fleece, Jackson." Luke patiently says, "give it to me."

"I can't, it's gone." He says, his smile now very visible and irritably smug.

"It can't be gone Jackson, you are all here," Luke snaps before a horrible idea dawns on him, "no, there's no way, you didn't-"

"Yes," Percy says glowing with satisfaction, "Clarisse is already on the way to Camp with the Fleece. You lost Luke."

"What where you planning to do with the Fleece, anyways ?" Annabeth asks him coldly.

"Well, since none of you are getting out of here alive, I suppose I can tell you," he shrugs, trying to hide his growing panic at the perspective of telling Kronos he failed again, "I was going to use the Fleece to resurrect Kronos but I would have given it back to you after."

"Really ?"

"Of course Jackson, I know why you need the Fleece and I wouldn't have stopped you."

"That's rich," he scoffs, "considering what you did."

To his grand surprise, Jackson hurls a coin at him. One he easily dodge, the drachma falling in the water behind him.

"You betrayed me, betrayed DIONYSUS AT CAMP HALF BLOOD !"

"Old news Jackson, why are you doing this ?"

"Did you poison Thalia's tree ?"

"Of course I did !" He snaps at Jackson, utterly confused, "but you-"

"So Chiron had nothing to do with it ?" Jackson presses on.

"As if that old man could ever hurt his Camp !" Luke rolls his eyes, "why are you doing this ? You already know all of that !"

"I do, but now all the others do too."

"What others-"

His voice dies at he turns and sees the whole Pavillon of Camp Half-Blood looking at them, dead silent, through an Iris Message.

"See Mr D ? Chiron is innocent !" Percy says behind him.

"I suppose so Peter," the god sighs, "well then, goodbye Tantalus."

He waves his hand and the earth opens, swallowing the man whole.

With a furious scream, Luke slashes the Iris Message, making it pop in a cloud of mist.

"Chris !" He barks at his brother, "ready my stallion, I'm going after the Fleece."

His brothers nods and hastily leaves the room.

"As for you all, Oreius and Agrius are in dire need of fresh meat."

"So you're just leaving us here, not even able to kill us yourselves ?" Percy yells at him as they go on deck where a black pegasus awaits Luke.

"I have more urgent matters than you Jackson, believe or not."

"Why don't you fight me, eh ? Scared you'll lose like the first time ?" The son of Poseidon taunts him.

It's an impasse and they both know it.

If Luke declines, he loses credibility and if he accepts, he doubts he'll manage to intercept Clarisse.

"Very well, Jackson. Give him back his sword."

He arms himself with Backbiter and a shield and faces Percy.

"It's not fair Luke," Annabeth protests angrily, "at least give him a shield too !"

"The world's hardly ever is fair Annabeth," he snarls, "I had hoped you would know that by now."

He looks at Percy, scanning for weak spots and when he finds one, he attacks.

"You've gotten better Jackson" he grunts, blocking Riptide with his shield, "but there's not water trick to save you this time."

He kicks him in the leg and sends Riptide flying out of reach.

He hears Annabeth screaming, the cyclops bellowing and Grover bleating as he lower down Backbiter to stab Percy in the stomach.

Water slaps him, sending him tumbling backward and loud screams and confettis ?

Dozens of centaurs are on his ship, trampling his forces or throwing party hats and shooting paintballs.

One hits him on the stomach, splattering his shirt blue and bruising his skin.

Amidst the chaos, he registers Percy mounting Chiron while the others are on other centaurs, his old mentor whistles and they're all gone as fast as they came.

"Chris !" He roars, face red with fury, "the horse, where is it ?"

"It left with them," his brother groans from where he's sprawled on the floor, covered in paint, "saw Percy talk to him."

He feels like he might explode from shame and rage.

It's the second time Percy escapes him, the second time a thirteen years old beat him, an experienced twenty years old demigod.

"All of you, clean this mess ! I have to inform our Lord of this recent development."

He closes his office's door rather harshly, taking a few minutes to calm himself before contacting Kronos.

Master.

Next to him, the coffin glows and he feels him stirring, his presence lingering in the air.

You have failed.

Luke feels his throat drying, yes master.

And yet we are still successful.

I... I don't understand Master. Without the Fleece, you'll take more time to fully awake.

Foolish boy, do you think I cannot wait a few more years ? I have spent eons awaiting for this moment, I do not lack patience.

It was never about you, Luke realises, all you wanted was for the Fleece to reach her tree.

And it has, soon, we'll have another pawn in the game.

----------------------------------

Far away, on a hill overlooking Long Island Sound, a girl opens her eyes under a grand pine tree for the first time in seven years.

#percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #percy jackson #camp half blood #luke castellan #annabeth chase #thalia grace #the sea of monsters #kronos #titan army

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shellybee456 · 10 months ago

Text

Fuck It, It's Fine

February 2025, Monaco

1 week to the first 2024 car reveal.

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

Émilie stared at her phone.

Haven't heard from you in a couple of months

But I'm out right now, and I'm all fucked up

And you're callin' my phone, you're all alone

And I'm sensin' some undertone.

She was at a bar in Monaco with her friends, having stepped over to their reserved table to get a drink when her phone started ringing.

Émilie took another sip of her drink and watched it ring.

She should have him blocked.

Like she'd done with all her other exes.

And I'm right here with all my friends

But you're sendin' me your new address

But he was also her best friend’s teammate.

She continued to stare at the phone even after he stopped calling, watching as a notification popped up.

"Everything alright Ém?" Danny asked, appearing beside her.

Émilie nodded and picked up her phone. "Yeah, just a text. I'll be back out on the floor soon."

Danny nodded and grinned at her before walking away.

She tapped on his text, watching as her phone unlocked with Face ID and opened her messages.

She'd deleted his messages right after their fight, too disgusted and angry with him to continue to see them on her phone.

And I know we're done, I know we're through

But, God, when I look at you

She should have picked a worse photo for his profile picture. But then again, Émilie wasn't the smartest person on the grid.

My brain goes, "Ah"

Can't hear my thoughts (I cannot hear my thoughts)

Like blah-blah-blah (blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah)

Plus they were sort of friends again.

Kinda.

Ish.

The confessions and hurtful words they'd exchanged still hung between them, making the air awkward any time they were left alone.

Then of course there was the night Émilie was refusing to acknowledge.

She hadn't told Elena about that just yet, not quite ready to admit that lapse in judgment out loud.

But she had told her everything else about her and Lando's fallout.

"Who are you texting?" Elena asked, carrying two shots to the table.

"An ex." Émilie copied the address he'd sent her and put it into Uber, out of curiosity.

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

She took another sip of her drink, waiting for the app to load.

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

10 minutes wasn't bad. And the Uber could be at the bar in 5. Her thumb hovered over the confirmation button.

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

Fuck. That night still haunted her in her weaker, lonelier moments.

Seein' you tonight, fuck it, it's fine

"Oh? Are we still pretending you don't like him?"

Émilie glanced up, rolling her eyes at her older sister's suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

"I only see him as a friend," the biggest lie I ever said

Oh, yes, I know that he's my ex, but can't two people reconnect?

"We've talked about this Lena." Emilie huffed in annoyance. "We're just friends, back to what we used to be."

Elena didn't look the least bit convinced but thankfully she didn't press further, instead holding up the shot. "Yeah, like y'all were ever just friends. Shots?"

Émilie nodded, setting her phone face down on the table, Uber temporarily ignored.

Both sisters took the shots and Émilie shook her head at the burn. Drinking Tequila wasn't a problem for Émilie having grown up with a Spanish half-sister, but shots of the alcohol always burned going down.

"I might go home early," Émilie said, raising her voice over the sudden roar of the room. Quickly she added, "I have to be in Switzerland tomorrow for little Emilie's birthday. Seb said he'd disown me if I wasn't there."

Elena nodded, "want Osc to take you home?"

Émilie shook her head and held up her phone, "I'm just gonna Uber."

Thankfully her inebriated sister took the lie at face value and gave Émilie a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"See you on Monday, chaton, okay?"

Émilie nodded and grabbed her purse before making her way outside to wait for Uber.

She looked at her phone and sent a message to Oscar (the only other person who knew about that night.) and asked him to distract Elena and keep her off her phone until she had to fly to Milton Keynes.

She watched his text bubble appear, disappear, and reappear several times before he sent a message.

Aussie buzzkill: Yeah I got you.

Aussie buzzkill: Don't do anything stupid, please.

She hearted his messages but didn't reply since her Uber showed up.

Now I'm gettin' in the car, wreckin' all my plans

I know I should stop-, but I can't

But mostly because she was about to do something stupid.

And I told my friends I was asleep

But I never said where or in whose sheets

The shot she'd done with Elena before leaving kept her mind pleasantly quiet, letting Émilie mindlessly browse Instagram on the short drive to his apartment building.

She thanked the driver and collected her purse from the seat beside her and walked into the lobby.

And I pull up to your place, on the second floor

And you're standin', smiling at the door

She buzzed his apartment and was unsurprisingly let in immediately.

She walked down the hall to the elevator and pressed the button, taking her up to his floor.

His place was only a few doors down, the door wide open with him leaning against the doorframe waiting for her.

And I'm sure I've seen much hotter men

But I really can't remember when

Lando’s curly hair was mussed, a few stray curls hanging down against his forehead and the top two buttons of his black button down were open.

He must have been out partying too, but 1 am was an awfully early time to call it quits.

He grinned at her, that stupid, smug grin that infuriated and made her warm in all the right places.

He had a glass of something alcoholic hanging loosely from his hand, which he lifted to his lips.

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

He was really fucking hot.

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

And He knew it.

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

"Hey, Princess. You look flustered."

Seein' you tonight, fuck it, it's fine

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

A story I wrote in my best friend @fictional-babes-inc and I's Formula One dr. I might write a part 2 of what happens after.

Émilie and Elena are half-sisters and racers on the grid, Émilie races for Redbull, and Elena raced for Mercedes from 2019 until she became Émilie's race Engineer in 2023. Émilie and Lando are the same age, but Emilie made her F1 debut in 2022. Émilie, Logan, and Oscar are best friends, having grown up karting together.

#lando norris #ln4+ea69 #lando norris x reader #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x reader #daniel ricciardo #formula 1 #formula one #f1 #driver!reader #mutual pining #one night stands

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harleychick91 · 5 months ago

Text

Seeing Red (rated M)

After finding out the truth, Lena refuses to speak to Kara or the Superfriends and throws herself into L-Corp business. After some personal information about her former best friend is brought to her attention, Lena is kidnapped by Lex. To save Lena, Kara must expose herself to Red Kryptonite. AU-Canon divergent.

Please read tags and warnings if you are sensitive to violence. This is only posted on AO3 because of FFN formatting issues. I’ve posted a notice of this on my FFN.

Lena’s POV

“Thanks for meeting me,” Andrea smiled as she sat across from me at the small table. “These lunches make work bearable.”

Picking up the menu, I nodded. “They are nice.” A pang pulled at my chest remembering the lunches Kara and I shared.

Studying me over her menu, Andrea spoke cautiously. “I’m glad we were able to reconnect. I know it’s hard for you to look back. Even if it was for a business venture.”

She’s holding something back. “It is, yes.”

For the most part, lunch was filled with small talk about L-Corp and Obsidian North. The beta program of the newest set of lenses was going well with little bugs to fix. I skirted questions about my own projects because I didn’t want to reveal anything. As the waiter approached, Andrea pulled out her wallet. “It’s on me.”

Eyeing the woman, I waited until we were alone to speak. “What is this really about? Yes, you wanted to catch up over lunch but you’ve been holding something back all afternoon. What is it?”

Relief washed over the woman’s features. “You’re right,” she drummed her fingers on her black leather clutch. “What happened between you and Kara Danvers?” Andrea continued before I could answer. “Because something clearly happened between the two of you. Before you contacted me about buying CatCo, I thought the two of you were dating. From how she wrote about you in her articles, the fact that she was always on your arm at events, and that beautiful introduction you gave at the Pulitzer event,” she paused. “You seemed happier than I’ve ever seen you.”

“We were friends,” I muttered. Even now, saying the words hurt. Kara was more to me than just a friend. She meant the world to me. I let her in and she broke my heart.

“Uh-huh,” Andrea smirked. “Friends don’t look at friends like that. Since the award ceremony, anytime your name comes up in the office, Kara looks like a guilty puppy who’s being scolded by her owner.” Looking away, Andrea pulled something from her clutch and placed it on the table. “As the owner of Obsidian, I have to keep an eye on what its users do. If I were to accidentally leave this here and you were to take it home and accidentally look at the files, I can’t stop you.”

My brows creased. “What files may or may not be on this flash drive?”

“A copy of the data from a user named KD102493.” Kara’s initials and my birthday? “So, you do realize who this is? Good. Now,” Andrea stood, “I need to hurry off to a meeting. What you decide to do with this drive is up to you. All I ask is that you don’t let it fall into the wrong hands. Have a good rest of your day.” With that, the woman pushed in her chair and left me staring at the device.

Kara said she didn’t care for the VR contacts. That she only wanted to live in the real world. What could she possibly be doing with a set of them?

“May I get you anything else, Miss Luthor?” I was startled by the waiter’s cheerful tone. “Sorry, Ma’am,” he smiled apologetically.

“No, thank you. I’m fine.” With a nod, he left. Taking the device, I called for a car. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to focus on work, I sent Jess a text asking if she would hold my calls and reschedule my last meeting of the day.

Arriving home, I made some tea and sat on the couch. My laptop and the flash drive sat on the coffee table. Knowing what I’ve used the contacts for, I can’t imagine what Kara has used them for. But Andrea wouldn’t have given this to me if she didn’t think I needed to see something. Leaning forward, I toyed with the drive as my laptop hummed to life. My chest clenched seeing the background. I love that picture of us. My first game night. We beat every other team by a landslide. Grumbling, I plugged the drive in and opened the first video file.

Kara cheered as J’onn announced the night’s winning team. Bumping my shoulder, she grinned. “My perfect game partner.”

“I swear, it’s like you can read each other’s minds,” Nia laughed. “Are they always like this?”

“Yes!” The group answered in mock annoyance.

All of the other videos were her playing back a different memory of us. A lunch, a gala, cooking dinner, or even working independently in my office. Opening the final file, my brow creased. This isn’t a memory. Is it a daydream?

I stood feet from Kara, in a white dress, anger radiated from me. ”Lena, please…” She begged. “I’m sorry. Let me-,”

“No!” I growled, turning towards her. “You had so many chances to tell me how you felt! I forgave you for keeping the truth from me for years but this…” My lip trembled. “You let me go to Sam when I needed someone. I fell in love with her because I never knew how you felt!”

“I know,” she whispered. “I should have done so many things differently.”

“You should have. Goodbye, Kara.”

The video ended and I stared at the final image. She is in love with me. What was that? Her own kind of torture? Seeing me with someone else? Why not James? Biting my knuckle, I thought back to when Jack was here and when I dated James. If she is in love with me, a few of her looks make more sense now. The anger I felt started to give way to sorrow. Rubbing my temple, I closed the file and ejected the flash drive. Turning it in my hand, I dropped it in my half empty tea mug.

Taking the mug to the kitchen, I rinsed the cup and crushed the flash drive with a meat tenderizer. That should take care of it. Brushing the remains into a bag, I dropped it into my purse to incinerate in the lab tomorrow.

Walking back into the living room, a purple portal opened. “Hello, Sis,” Lex grinned. Lunging towards me, he covered my nose and mouth with a cloth and held it firm until I stopped fighting.

Finish reading on AO3!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57148156

#supercorp #supergirl #lena luthor #kara danvers #kara x lena #lena x kara #supercorp fanfic #supercorp fandom #supercorp fanfiction #supercorp fic #supercorp endgame #red kryptonite #lena luthor x kara danvers

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just-another-josh · 1 year ago

Text

Maroon

“You ARE using Myriad.”

“Lena, what are you doing here?”

“Question is, what are you doing here, Supergirl? I thought it was forbidden to use Myriad but forbidden for anyone but you.”

“There are people missing, dozens of them stuck in Obsidian's VR. I have to find them.”

“There are other ways to find people than Myriad. I can think of four off the top of my head, but you, you do what you want.”

“What I'm doing is finding people your brother disappeared.”

“Do you have any proof that it was Lex…no, I didn't think so. You just return to your default position of blaming a Luthor. You did tell me you'd treat me like a villain.”

“If you acted like one, yeah, I did say that. And right now, you're trespassing, and I don't have time for this. You need to go.”

“I'll leave when you stop using Myriad.”

“That's not gonna happen.”

“To think that I was sincere with you yesterday. Then I guess you're used to being two-faced.”

Kara stared blankly at the ceiling. When she arrived home, she hadn’t even bothered to get out of her Super-suit. She skipped her fridge, her appetite nonexistent. Hell, she hadn’t even bothered to turn the lights on, instead opting to faceplant into her bed.

It had been a miserable day…. scratch that, an exceptionally miserable day.

Now, mind you, not the worst day of her life; that distinguished honor belonged solely to the day she watched her planet die. Today wasn’t worse than the day Astra died, or the day Reign beat her into a coma, or the day she watched an antimatter wave destroy Argo (yes, it was later restored, but she didn’t know that at the time).

No, today’s suffering ranked somewhere between dating Mon-El and Alex having her memories of Kara’s secret identity removed, less about death and destruction and more about emotional damage.

It all started yesterday: Lena had come to her office and offered her condolences regarding Jeremiah’s death, even going so far as to provide her a copy of “Going On Being” to help her through the grieving process. It was an emotional albeit awkward exchange, but it was the first time since Lena had stolen Myriad that the two of them had spoken without any underlying hostility. It was the first time Kara had seen a glimmer of the old Lena; with all the warmth, kindness, and compassion that she knew her former best friend once felt toward her. There was no sign of hate or malice in her voice, just sympathy and understanding.

Rao, she even called her ‘Kara’.

It gave Kara hope. Hope that maybe this was Lena’s way of offering an olive branch. Hope that things weren’t so far gone between them that they couldn’t mend the bridge that had been razed by their lies. More importantly, hope that Kara could reveal to Lena all the other secrets that the CEO was still unaware of.

Unfortunately, today’s encounters with Lex, the Morae, the baby Sun-Eater, and Lena’s impromptu visit to the Fortress of Solitude had laid waste to Kara’s burgeoning hope.

If Kara was being honest with herself, the issues with Lex, the Morae, and Kal’s pet Sun-Eater (they were going to have a very long, unpleasant conversation about that the next time she saw him) were nothing exceptional, just an average Tuesday in the life of a Super. What kept her mind stuck in a cycle of self-flagellation was her argument with Lena. She continued to replay the conversation in her head and the more she dissected it, the angrier she became at herself.

To put it succinctly, she’d been stupid.

What she said was stupid.

What she did was stupid.

Stupid.

There were dozens of other things she could have said or done during their confrontation. Instead, she continued to throw more gasoline on the inferno their relationship had become. At this point, she’d lost count of how many asinine mistakes she’d made since Lena had entered her life.

The look on Lena’s face when she discovered she was using Myriad continued to haunt her. She could see anger, betrayal, and worst of all, disappointment written all over the CEO’s face. Kara continued to torture herself trying to figure out what Lena was most disappointed about. Was it Kara’s perceived hypocrisy regarding Myriad or was it her dismissive attitude towards Lena’s objections to her using it?

It occurred to her that maybe Lena put just as much value as she did in their conversation at CatCo the previous day. Maybe she was just as hopeful that they were on their way to repairing their tattered relationship, only to have the possibility utterly crushed.

All Kara knew at this point was that any chance of mending her broken heart had been ripped away and she had no one to blame but herself.

Compounding all of this was a nagging question that was quickly forcing its way into the forefront of Kara’s thoughts; something Lena had said during their brief tête-à-tête. It was a throwaway observation that Lena had made that, at the time, had been overshadowed by much more biting, cruel remarks. On the surface, it seemed completely benign, but as Kara often did, she pulled the statement apart piece by piece hoping to find if there was something she was missing. Some hidden clue that might provide her with a way to unfuck the situation.

Kara’s frustration was maxing out her patience. Under normal circumstances, if she was confused by something someone had said, she’d just ask them for clarification. But that wasn’t possible with Lena. She’d made it very clear that Kara was persona non grata at both her penthouse and L-Corp. She’d be pissed if Kara showed up unannounced at either location just to ask her to explain her comment. It would be reckless and stupid to just fly to wherever Lena was and confront her. She would have to be out of her mind to even contemplate being within a hundred yards of Lena after what transpired today.

Right?

Well…it would be if Kara didn’t have a plan.

A plan like the one she had just come up with.

Kara shut her eyes and tuned out the cacophony of sounds surrounding her to find a very specific heartbeat.

Kara sprung from her bed and made a mad dash to grab her cellphone off the kitchen counter; rapidly pulling up Alex’s contact.

*****

After a quick stop at the Tower to pick up the “package” that Alex had prepared for her, Kara continued on to her final destination.

Two hundred yards out from Lena’s penthouse, Kara’s super-hearing picked up the sound of proximity sensors alerting Lena to her approach. She heard Lena’s heartbeat spike at the automated notification accompanied shortly thereafter by a few sniffles. It sounded like the CEO was or had recently been crying. As much as Kara wanted to use her x-ray vision to confirm her suspicions, she didn’t want to violate Lena’s privacy any further than she already had by showing up unannounced.

Kara started getting nervous that Lena wasn’t going to come out, but before her anxiety could spiral any further, her former best friend emerged from the hallway; her gait as she approached the sliding glass door leading to the balcony indicated she was less than pleased with Kara’s impromptu visit. Kara was too distracted to notice Lena’s aggressive approach; her attention firmly focused on Lena’s attire. The CEO was clad in the same suit she wore when she confronted Kara in the Fortress earlier that day. Too distracted at the time to give it more than a passing glance, all the air escaped Kara’s lungs now that she was able to get a thorough view. She couldn’t help but admire the sharp, formfitting cut of the dark-hued suit, but her focus quickly shifted to the scintillating top that accompanied it. Kara licked her suddenly dry lips as she regarded the lace, floral print mock-neck top, and more importantly, the way it hugged Lena’s body like a second skin. She looked every bit the powerful, commanding, confident CEO. In Kara’s eyes, she looked like a goddess and, as far as Kara was concerned, she deserved to be worshipped like one.

Kara’s appreciation (appropriate or not, she couldn’t decide), was quickly tempered by the sobering thought that not too long ago, she would’ve been able to gush to Lena about how handsome she looked. Lena, as per usual, would try to take the compliment in stride, but her blushing cheeks and elevated heartbeat would give away how much she appreciated it.

But that was a lifetime ago, or what seemed like one. Until yesterday, Kara hadn’t been able to be in the same room as her without Lena’s resentment, pain, and feelings of betrayal enveloped them both, much less pay her a compliment about how stunning she looked.

Kara’s attention was quickly drawn back to reality as Lena stepped onto the balcony; the CEO was brandishing a very large blaster cannon. The cannon was clearly one of Lena’s custom jobs as it appeared to be constructed with an amalgam of alien parts.

“I don’t have time for any more of your bullshit, Supergirl!” Lena’s rage was on full display; her adrenaline infused heart thundered loudly. “You have five seconds to get the hell out of my airspace or I start shooting!” Lena furiously demanded.

So much for the warm welcome. Not that Kara expected one, but this…seemed a bit over the top.

Kara apparently wasn’t moving fast enough to comply with Lena’s command. The CEO activated the cannon and pointed it at Kara. “It’s not Kryptonite and it won’t kill you, but it’s got enough kick to knock you on your perfectly sculpted ass!”

Kara tilted her head to the side, confusion etched on her face from the off-hand comment. She decided to file it away for another day when she saw an orange glow coming from the cannon’s muzzle and Lena cocking her head to sight-in her target.

It was now or never.

“Would have helped me?” Kara yelled out.

“What?” Lena’s position remained unchanged.

“You said back at the Fortress that you knew at least four different ways to find the trapped Obsidian users, would you have helped me if I’d asked?” Kara did her best to keep her voice steady, hoping that Lena wouldn’t pick up on her anxiety.

Lena seemed taken aback by the question. Her brows furrowed, jaw clenched, and green eyes locked on Kara as she considered the question. Kara remained silent, floating quietly and not making any effort to get closer to the balcony. The quiet stand-off continued for another minute before Kara noticed Lena’s hands begin shaking from beneath the cannon. Kara could see the internal struggle going on inside Lena based on the conflicted look on the brunette’s face. Lena’s breathing intensified and her heartbeat became more rapid. Anyone who didn’t know the CEO’s facial tics would say she looked like she was in physical pain, but Kara knew better. She knew Lena’s logical side was currently warring with her emotions. She also knew that the best thing to do when Lena got into this type of headspace was to shut up and patiently wait for her to reengage.

With a flash of gnashed teeth and a frustrated growl, Lena powered down the cannon and lowered it to her side. Her eyes remained locked on Kara’s, but the tense look on her face softened into a resigned expression. She breathed out a long sigh, shut her eyes, and hesitantly nodded.

Kara let loose a relieved sigh and allowed herself a small grin. She regained Lena’s attention and motioned towards the balcony. “May I?”

Lena rolled her eyes and made an overdramatic wave signaling Kara to land. She unceremoniously dropped the laser cannon atop the smooth surface of the railing and turned back to face the slowly descending Kryptonian.

Kara’s boots lightly padded on the balcony as she landed; the hero made sure to allow Lena plenty of personal space. Despite the distance between them, Kara was able to confirm her theory when she first arrived: Lena had indeed been crying; evidenced by her puffy, red eyes.

Lena squared her shoulders and leveled Kara with a glare that fell somewhere between annoyed and homicidal; Kara was hoping it was closer to the former. “So what is it tonight, Supergirl? Begging for forgiveness or threatening me again?” Kara flinched from the blatant hostility. The scowl on Lena’s face drove a red-hot poker through Kara’s heart.

“No, nothing like that.” Kara reached into her belt and produced a flash drive. “I came to bring you this,” she said as she held up the pinky-sized device for Lena to view.

Lena cast a suspicious look towards Kara. “What is that?”

Kara contemplated pointing out that it was a flash drive but refrained; Lena was clearly not in a joking mood. “It’s a copy of the database from the Tower. Incident reports, field reports, surveillance footage, research, psych profiles, intelligence reports…basically everything we’ve compiled since the creation of Earth-Prime.”

Lena covered her surprise behind a loud throat clearing. “Intelligence reports on what exactly?”

Kara knew this would be the first thing Lena would focus on and had her response pre-loaded. “Obsidian, Andrea, Ben Lockwood, The DEO, Leviathan, Eve Teschmacher, Lex-”

“Of course,” Lena interrupted, practically sneering.

Kara ignored the comment. “And you,” she finished, locking eyes with Lena.

Lena’s mouth gaped open at Kara’s admission but she quickly regained her composure, her expressionless veneer now firmly in place. “Why are you giving this to me?”

Kara nervously chewed her bottom lip. Her plan really didn’t involve a well thought out and rehearsed speech; Kara knew she would have forgotten every line once she faced Lena. Instead, she decided to let her words be guided by a singular directive:

Tell her the truth.

“I’m putting all my…our cards on the table so you can have an idea of what we’re up against. I want you to review the information and draw your own conclusions…then…maybe you can figure out where you fit into all this, instead of me telling you where you should be.” Lena remained silent; her face completely unreadable. Kara fought to mirror Lena’s stoicism but couldn’t hide her slight fidget. “And, selfishly, we could really use your help. The team hasn’t been the same since you…left.”

“Something tells me your sister would be less than thrilled if she found out you were giving me this.”

“Who do you think helped me put this together?” Kara said proudly, not even trying to hide her smile.

“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t believe you,” Lena bit back.

Kara’s smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a crestfallen look. “That’s fair.” She forced herself to meet Lena’s icy glare head-on. “And why should you? All I’ve done is tell you that you should trust me and then shown you the complete opposite with my actions.”

“Is that why you’re giving that to me?” Lena nodded toward the flash drive still in Kara’s hand. “Is that your grand gesture to show your trustworthiness?”

Kara shrugged her shoulders, a sad smile on her face. “It would be great if you genuinely saw it that way but, no, there’s no strings attached.”

“Seems a bit risky to trust such sensitive information to a villain.” Lena’s voice was pure venom.

Kara involuntarily shuttered, a chill running through her spine at Lena’s brazen contempt. The hero ran a hand through her hair attempting to quell her feelings of shame and embarrassment that threatened to overwhelm her.

Tell her the truth.

Kara huffed out a sigh and placed the flash drive back into her belt. “I think we can both agree that me calling you a villain was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever said.” Kara dared to make eye contact with Lena only to receive a head tilt and raised brow from the CEO. “If you’re willing to humor me for a minute, I’d like to explain what happened that night,” Kara said with a hopeful look. Lena remained impassive; Kara took her lack of response as consent to continue. “You’re probably not going to believe me…no, I guarantee you won’t believe me, but earlier that evening I was visited by a fifth dimensional imp who showed me four different timelines where I told you I was Supergirl before Lex did.” Lena scoffed in disbelief, but Kara chose not to acknowledge her outburst. “All of them were a complete disaster no matter how early in our friendship I told you.” The memories of that night flooded back into her mind, forcing Kara to swallow the lump forming in her throat. “You ended up either dead or mutilated in three of the four timelines.” Kara’s eyes became glassy. “It scared the hell out of me, Lena, because even though none of those timelines were real, they reminded me of how vulnerable you are; especially now that you’re working with…” Kara trailed off and took a shaky breath. “It terrifies me that you’re working with Lex. I’m so scared that one day he’s going to decide he doesn’t need you anymore or he wants payback against you for shooting him and puts a bullet in the back of your head.” Kara began to choke up, her breath coming out in stuttering waves.

Lena watched on, her icy façade slowly melting as Kara endeavored to even out her breathing. Once she was able to compose herself, Kara’s watery blue eyes met with the CEO’s. “I can accept that you don’t want me in your life; I hate it, but I can accept it as long as I know you’re happy and thriving. But what I could never accept…could never live with…is a world without you in it.” Kara’s eyes began to glow; her face twisted with barely contained fury. “If Lex…if he took you from…if he killed you, I would track him down and tear him apart piece by piece until he begged me to kill him…and Rao help anyone who got in my way,” Kara choked out with a growl.

Lena’s brow furrowed and her mouth fell slightly open as she tried to process Kara’s chilling admission. Kara’s eyes cooled as she slowly composed herself. She took a step towards Lena. Much to her surprise, the CEO made no effort to step back. The two stood just out of arm’s length from each other. “So, when I landed here that night, I was so afraid that I decided to go the tough love route and give you some bullshit ultimatum that I knew was going to fail even before I finished saying it.” Kara’s entire body tensed, her balled up fists dug into her thighs as waves of shame rolled through her body. She took another step towards Lena. “I was so scared and desperate to get you away from him that I stupidly thought threats would be more effective than trying to reason with you.” Kara shook her head in disgust, jaw tightly clenched.

“You could have just talked to me,” Lena timidly admitted. “I might not have given you the warmest response, but I would have listened.”

Kara could see that Lena’s features had significantly softened. The hero thought she may have detected a hint of warmth and compassion in those hypnotic green eyes. Kara hesitantly grinned, not completely sure how to react to Lena’s changed demeanor, but it was short-lived. She was swiftly overcome with guilt; a forlorn look darkened her features.

“That would have been a kindness I didn’t…I don’t deserve.” Kara shook her head again, internally chastising herself. With a start, she realized that she was mere feet from Lena. As their eyes met for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, Kara was close enough to see the different shades in each of Lena’s irises. Kara could see that Lena’s hardened resolve had dissipated into a hesitant vulnerability.

Tell her the truth.

“Lena, I didn’t listen to you,” Kara said contritely. “You were right, what you said when you took Myriad. You told me about all the people you loved that betrayed you, but I didn’t listen. You begged me, in ways both said and unsaid, not to violate your trust, but I didn’t listen.” Kara could see Lena’s eyes become glassy with unshed tears, a slight tremble in her lip. Fighting back her own tears, Kara took another shaky breath. “Instead, I listened to my fears and the fears of others…people who, at first, couldn’t get passed your last name and wouldn’t even bother to try and get to know and understand you. I let those fears distract me from what you wanted, what you needed from me. I let those fears convince me that knowing my identity would put you in greater danger, which I know now is just ridiculous. I let those fears stop me from showing you my whole self because they told me you only wanted ‘Kara Danvers’, not ‘Kara Zor-El’. Worst of all, I let those fears convince me that you’d hate me, and that I’d lose you forever.”

Both women had tears streaming down their faces, so completely lost in each other’s eyes that they didn’t bother wiping them away. “I didn’t listen to you…to my heart, and if it costs me you, I will regret that decision for the rest of my life.”

Kara reflexively extended her hand towards Lena but quickly stopped herself when she realized what she was doing. Lena gave no indication that she saw Kara’s aborted attempt, the CEO simply continued to remain fixated on the hero’s eyes, conflicting emotions playing across her face. Kara shut her eyes and took a deep breath; her tightened eyelids unleashed a waterfall of unshed tears. They stood entranced with each other for an indeterminate amount of time before Kara, clearing her throat, snapped them out of it.

The two backed away from each other a few steps and began haphazardly wiping their tears away. Once her eyes were sufficiently cleared, Kara could see Lena’s features harden again, though with less intensity than when she first arrived at the CEO’s penthouse.

Kara could see that Lena was clearly debating with herself but before Kara could ask why, Lena held out her hand. “I’ll take the drive,” she said with calm certainty.

As she retrieved the flash drive from her belt, Kara fought to keep her enthusiasm contained, managing to limit her reaction to a tight grin.

Lena rolled her eyes and reached out for the proffered drive. As the device changed hands, their fingers brushed together. Kara’s super-hearing missed the flutter of Lena’s heartbeat, too distracted by her own thundering pulse that threatened to force her heart from her chest. “No strings?” Lena asked sternly, holding the flash drive at eye level.

“No strings.” Kara assured her with a smile.

“Okay,” Lena replied with hesitancy in her voice, placing the drive in her suit pocket. “I hope you know this doesn’t fix everything.”

Kara ruefully smiled. “I know.” The hero shifted uneasily. “But maybe this could be a start to repairing things…repairing us?” she said with a hopeful look.

Lena leveled Kara with a nervous glance before giving her a curt nod. “Um…so…if that’s all, I’m going to go to bed. It’s…been a long day,” Lena said awkwardly.

“Oh, yeah, right. Crazy day…uh…I’m sure you’re exhausted. Me too. Today’s been a real backbreaker…yeah, I should probably head home too…get some sleep…Oh! Maybe dinner first! Yeah, dinner first, then sleep.” Kara rambled through jittery hands, a slight dusting of pink on her cheeks.

Lena shook her head and turned to enter her penthouse, pulling the hair tie from her ponytail as she neared the backdoor.

Kara watched as Lena’s hair cascaded down her shoulders. She was suddenly struck by a wave of anxiety. Her conversation with Lena had gone better than expected, but Kara had so much more she wanted to say, and she feared she wouldn’t get the opportunity. She was afraid that somehow this tentative…well, whatever it was, would fall apart. She started to panic. Her chest felt like someone was sitting on it, an anxious knot formed in her stomach, and she could feel a lump forming in her throat.

Tell her the truth.

“Lena!” She blurted out without thinking.

The CEO was startled by the hero’s outburst and turned to face her, a yearning, drained look on her face.

“Lena I lo-” Kara’s entire body felt like it was on fire. Now confronted by the moment she so dearly wanted; she froze. She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell her how much she missed her, how much she wanted to hold her, kiss her, and never let her go.

She wanted to tell Lena that she loved her more than anything in the multiverse.

But now wasn’t the time, she knew that deep in her heart. To tell Lena how she really felt about her would be too much, too soon. Their reconciliation was in its infancy, and Kara wasn’t going to jeopardize it by dropping a nuclear-sized emotion bomb on her. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

Tell her the truth…when it’s time.

“I love your suit. It’s a…I mean you look…really…” Kara was blushing so hard her cheeks were burning. “…maroon’s a good color on you,” she finally managed to stammer out.

It was apparent that Lena wasn’t expecting the compliment; the blush on her cheeks indicated as much. She averted her eyes from Kara’s gaze and timidly tucked some errant strands of hair behind her ear. Kara couldn’t help the satisfied smile that stretched across her lips; thrilled by Lena’s reaction. For a fleeting moment, it felt like old times, a hopeful reminder that not everything between them was irreparably broken.

Kara’s triumphant moment ended abruptly when Lena caught sight of the hero’s giddiness. Her shyness bled away and was replaced with an air of forced indifference. “Actually, it’s burgundy,” she pointed out haughtily.

“Oh,” Kara said bashfully; her embarrassment coloring her cheeks once again. “Well, you still look pretty handsome in it,” the hero responded sincerely, a look of reverence on her face.

Disarmed by Kara’s candidness, Lena’s regal stature quickly deflated. “Thank you,” she said sheepishly.

Kara’s smile became impossibly brighter. “Goodnight, Lena.” The hero lifted off from the balcony and leisurely coasted away.

Lena watched as her red cape disappeared into the night, a soft grin on her face. “Goodnight, Kara.”

#supercorp #supercorptober2023 #kara danvers #lena luthor #fix it fic #supergirl cw #angst with a hopeful ending

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ultra-violet-heart · 1 year ago

Text

THE 2018 DENGEKI BUNKO INTERVIEW WITH 86--EIGHTY-SIX AUTHOR ASATO ASATO

Disclaimer: This translation is made by me for fandom purposes only. This interview, conducted in 2017, gives major insights on how the sci-fi mecha series 86--EIGHTY-SIX was conceived and written before it eventually won the Dengeki Novel Prize back in 2016.

Please ask my permission and credit me+this post if you will be re-translating this to other languages. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST ON YOUTUBE AND TIKTOK AND PLEASE DO NOT REPOST THE IMAGES ON THIS INTERVIEW. Please take the fan translations here with a grain of salt.

Credits to @Yashamise from Twitter for copies of this Dengeki Bunko Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi magazine.

Erratum: This interview was conducted and printed in 2017, but this Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi magazine is dated 2018 as an advance issue of sorts. This interview has been summarized here. My apologies for the title.

I’m posting my Ko-Fi here as currently, I’ve been having financial trouble regarding my medicine, so if anyone can donate, I would be much grateful for the help, thank you very much.

AN INTERVIEW WITH 86--EIGHTY-SIX AUTHOR ASATO ASATO

“I wrote what I liked, in the way I liked them,” this author says. This tale is filled with the grief from war, the ugliness of racial discrimination, as well as the romance of mechas and of garter belts! In this interview, she reveals to us everything about its roots and its appeal!

Text and Composition: My Street

Illustrator: Shirabii

Translator’s Note: For purposes of this interview translation, the interviewer will be labelled as “MS” for My Street, since they layouted and probably conducted this transcribed interview. Also, for words that have brackets or parenthesis:

{} = implied by context

() = given emphasis/given parenthesis in the interview itself

[] = included in the footnotes/translator’s notes

A robot lover as far as she could remember

MS: Thank you very much for your time today for this interview. It was surprising to learn that the author {for 86--EIGHTY-SIX}, Ms. Asato, is a woman.

ASATO: I get that a lot (haha). My family says the contents of my work is just “the usual {for Asato}” though. I think my Afterwords have the impression they’re written by a woman, and I never hid that in particular (haha).

MS: This year {2018}, 86--EIGHTY-SIX placed first in the New Works category and second in the bunkobon {paperback} category overall. How do you feel about this now?

ASATO: I’m very happy. I knew of KonoRano’s existence [1], so I was hoping {86--EIGHTY-SIX} might be listed there somewhere, but it was a surprise that it placed higher than expected. As I said in this interview’s foreword: “I wrote what I liked, in the way I liked them.” I’m thankful that many readers found it interesting.

MS: For readers who haven’t heard of 86--EIGHTY-SIX, can you give us a summary of this work?

ASATO: It’s a lively, filled-with-clanks story of the protagonist Shin, his merry band of thieves, and their remotely-working-class-president Lena. [2] (LOL)

MS: 86--EIGHTY-SIX is your debut work. Can you tell us about the time you started writing this work?

ASATO: I’ve been writing ever since I can remember, and I started with writing manga {scripts}. I switched to writing novels around before I started junior high school and have been writing them ever since.

MS: You’ve been interested in robots and military-related things ever since elementary school, is that right?

ASATO: Yes, that’s correct. My mother liked {Space Battleship} Yamato [3] and Gundam, and as I have a younger brother, I got into watching and reading anime and manga targeted at boys. I was rarely exposed to anime and manga targeted at girls. We had the Mobile Suit Gundam movie trilogy [4] at home (which I’ve seen many times), and I also watched The Brave Police J-Decker [5] and The Brave Express Might Gaine [6], as well as other shows in The Brave [7] series. The only anime I had watched that is {targeted at girls} is Magic Knight Rayearth [8], which is another story with robots fighting in it (haha).

MS: I reckon such an environment led you to writing 86--EIGHTY-SIX. Can you tell us about your writing process?

ASATO: I originally submitted {works} to the Kadokawa Beans [9] Bunko Newcomer Awards. I avoided the Dengeki Novel Prize as it was rather {too hard to enter} due to the large number of entries [10] there. The novel entry I made on the 21st year of the Dengeki Novel Prize (2014), however, was totally not aimed at women at all, so I didn’t have any other choice but to submit that to said contest, as it has the closest deadline. It was a sci-fi fantasy work, with a theme of redemption, set on a time before and after {a} revolution. At that time, I thought, maybe I can go past beyond the 3rd round of screenings and unexpectedly, maybe placed on a good spot? However, the evaluation I got from the judges were “This is a 100% a work targeted at girls” and “Next time, we hope you will submit a work that should be Dengeki Bunko-like”. As Dengeki Bunko [11] is an all-kinds-of-genre publication, I didn’t know what ‘Dengeki Bunko-like’ even meant. I thought about it a lot but couldn’t figure it out, so I just kept on writing and finished my next entry, which is 86--EIGHTY-SIX.

MS: How did you come up with the idea and structure of 86, a war drama where unmanned drones and “unmanned manned drones” battle each other?

ASATO: I once read a newspaper article whose main message was “It won’t be good if a country sends its citizens to war, but it shouldn’t be a problem if they made an army of foreigners fight in their stead.” In that case, I felt very afraid that other people will be forced to fight instead of us, with the idea of “those aren’t people, but drones” justifying this and everyone just allowing it {to happen}.

MS: As written in Volume 1’s Afterword, looking back at history, it. is true that racism and racial exclusion existed to no small extent. So, why did you decide to incorporate “racism” into your work?

ASATO: Ever since I started writing novels, I have repeatedly written about boundary lines between “human beings and those who are human but not treated as human beings”, with 86--EIGHTY-SIX being in a similar vein. One of the bases for this is probably the class discrimination found in Final Fantasy Tactics [12], for example. A character there, Argath, who is an aristocrat, tells a commoner character: “But the gods have no eyes for chattel! [12]” This line has stayed with me ever since. After that, I continued to write with the motifs of “human beings and livestock in human form” and “human and those considered not humans”. I think BLACK/MATRIX+ [13] influenced me as well. This game deals with ethnic discrimination, set in a world where black-winged people are ruled over by white-winged people. In there, those who were discriminated against were treated harshly. They were treated like livestock, with the game having this line of, “Why is a mere slave like you wearing clothes?”

MS: Do you often play games?

ASATO: When my gaming consoles weren’t connected yet to the Internet, I used to play a lot of RPGs. I’m not good at action games. I did play a lot of Final Fantasy, like Final Fantasy VI, Tactics, VIII, IX, and X [14].

MS: Are there other works which influenced you? I wonder if there’s something similar like the war situation in Knights of Sidonia [15], which was mentioned in Volume 1’s afterword.

ASATO: I often watch a lot of robot shows, Knights of Sidonia included. In addition to the Gundam series mentioned earlier, I also watched Full Metal Panic [16] and Gunparade March: A New Song for the March [17]. It’s not a robot series, but I also have read Battle Faery Yukikaze [18] over and over. I like {literary} structures where the protagonist side is overwhelmingly inferior while the antagonist side is the superior one. I want to see the flow of emotions from the characters more than the fight scenes themselves. I think emotions such as fear, resignation and desperation show more in situations where {characters} are hopelessly in a big disadvantage. Winning a battle by domination can be exhilarating, yes, but those other emotions don’t show as much during that. That’s why I prefer for the protagonists to win through unrefined and tenacious means, rather than them winning by outsmarting {enemies}.

The work’s influences from horror films and in-depth military research

MS: The Legion are getting more ominous, and the deteriorating situation for Shin and his group is putting them on a very big disadvantage, if I’m not mistaken.

ASATO: 86--EIGHTY-SIX has been influenced more by horror movies than robot anime, with it being based on movies such as The Mist [19] and Screamers [20]. Mist is a horror story where the protagonists get trapped in a supermarket due to a mysterious fog and monsters, and the people gradually lose their ability to make rational judgments as they are unable to defend themselves or escape, without any rescue in sight. This horror movie has a great ending, so I’m inviting you all to watch it without further spoilers. 86--EIGHTY-SIX was initially set as a novel about a fog of nanomachines covering the walls outside of the Republic, and the “Legion” being an aggregation of said nanomachines. However, that kind of thing couldn’t exactly be defeated by conventional weapons, so it was rejected at the setting phase. These elements from this setting, however, were retained in the form of Volume 1’s final boss character and the appearance of those electromagnetic jammers clouding the sun.

MS: It’s rather surprising this came from a horror setting.

ASATO: The other {inspiration mentioned earlier}, Screamers, is a sci-fi horror film where autonomous war weapons evolved on their own and went out of control. In 86--EIGHTY-SIX, the Self-Propelled Mines, which look like wounded soldiers, are based on Screamers. The work is rather interesting as one has no ideas who their enemies are and everything else looks suspicious.

MS: So you have a situation like this, and you applied what kind of emotions you want to be shown in that situation, correct?

ASATO: Yes. Looking back, I think I was strongly influenced by the novel Chaos Legion [21] {in this regard}. Shin’s Personal Mark, which has a shovel on it, was influenced by his special ability as well as his role being the “Undertaker” responsible for collecting the fragments of his comrade-in-arms’ {Feldreẞ} units.

MS: The more I hear about it, it seems this work is really packed full of things {you} like.

ASATO: While I was writing this, I played the Black Hawk Down [22] movie repeatedly instead of just background music. It’s also a favorite {movie} of mine.

MS: I would like to ask you about military-related matters. What kind of material did you use for your research?

ASATO: I borrowed all relevant materials I use from the library, so I don’t have any specific references… About racial discrimination, I read materials about Nazi Germany [23], the internment camps in US as well as the 442nd Infantry Regiment [24] and Scroll of Agony: The Warsaw Ghetto Diary [25]. As for the weapons, the Juggernaut and the Legion are based and patterned from tanks, so I’ve read materials dating back from World War II [26] as well as the Gulf War [26], where 120mm tanks were the main weapons used. The Juggernaut’s 57mm cannon wasn’t used very often, so I had a difficult time finding research material for it. The unit itself is based on the M551 Sheridan [27]. This airborne assault tank has aluminum alloy armor, but the Juggernaut reflects the pitiful aspect of said flimsy armor which explodes upon impact by any stray attack.

MS: Why did you make the Juggernaut and the Legion multi-legged tanks?

ASATO: Because it’s romantic! I love multi-legged tanks! My first exposure with them is the X-ATM092 [28], a spider-shaped mobile unit from FFVIII. The loud, resounding footsteps it produced as it chased you away was very scary, and it left this impression of being a symbol of a very powerful weapon. I also like Ghost in the Shell’s Tachikoma [29] and the Tobigumo from the Swallowtail novel series [30]. In reality, multi-legged tank units aren’t really fast enough, and there is too much ground pressure for those to actually carry a 120mm cannon… but I make up for it with my imagination (LOL)

A character that embodies the idea of “to be human” walks alone

MS: Concerning those people called “Eighty-Six”, what do you think it means “to be human”, which you tried to depict in Volume 1?

ASATO: What I tried to depict in this work is “to respect other human beings, and to live without regrets.” However, I don’t think everything I wrote in this main part is actually correct. I think this is the answer the “Eighty-Six” came up with due to the environment they lived in. In Volume 2, the stage now shifts to the Federacy, so the theme there is now what will happen if said environment has changed.

MS: In Volume 2, I see this as a story where the “Eighty-Six”, who managed to get safety for the time being, nevertheless still returned to the battlefield. I think this sentiment was portrayed very well.

ASATO: Volume 3 will focus on what happens inside {Shin’s head} after he made that choice, so please look forward to that. After all, they don’t feel safe even after coming to the Federal Republic of Giad. And the war against the Legion isn’t over yet. Since the Eighty-Six think they will not survive if they don’t fight, I think they will continue to fight until the Legion disappeared. Then… what will they do after the Legion are eventually gone? …They will certainly have to think about that in the future as well.

MS: Do you have a favorite among all the characters?

ASATO: It’s Raiden. Of course, I love the two protagonists, Shin and Lena, but Shin isn’t really a very cooperative character with me, so I have a certain attachment to Raiden, who provides much support. Instead of simply just crafting the plot, I write in a way that captures how each character would act in line with {the type of} world I've created. That’s why I do not know what the characters think, what goals they have, or what pasts they bear unless they “talk” to me. Shin is not the type {of character} to talk about anything in particular, and he doesn’t even say anything much except for his name. It wasn’t until I finished writing that climax of a battle in Volume 1 that I realized what he was fighting for. After I wrote it, I was like, “Huh?! So, this is it?!” and was surprised as the author (LOL).

MS: So, you didn’t think about Shin’s background at first?

ASATO: Yes, that’s right. During that climax, I finally understood {everything} concerning Shin, so I went back on that part and wrote the details that I then added.

MS: So even at the plotting stage, you haven’t put together the {setting and background} for each of the characters?

ASATO: To begin with, when I wrote Volume 1, I haven’t even made a plot. I didn’t even have a story structure in particular, and just wrote while letting the characters act. The first time I finished this volume, the last two pages were still missing, but Shin brought them to me, saying, “Sure enough, write up to this far.”

MS: What happened after Volume 2?

ASATO: I have submitted the plot… but stressed on the important scene that “I won’t know everything until I write it” then submitted it. As a result of this, only the boss character from Volume 3 remained in that plot I submitted. {I caused} my editors a lot of trouble.

MS: How did Frederica (the character) come to be?

ASATO: Frederica is a character with a part further on in the series, so I intended to debut her in Volume 2. As I was writing her, however, it seemed she and Shin have similarities on what they carry on their backs. Since then, she acts as a mirror to Shin. As Shin is a character who is not very good at grasping his own emotions, {I had Frederica} serve as the one who verbalizes those emotions. I wondered then, what does it mean to have a 10-year-old verbalize {another person’s feelings}? (LOL) I simply wanted to show a little girl. In Volume 2, the heroine, Lena, is absent, but I can’t have another girl the same age as her as this volume’s heroine… and so, under this pretext, I brought out {Frederica as} the little girl heroine.

MS: For some reason, I thought there’s other many works featuring little girls in the battlefield.

ASATO: If this were about a real battlefield, it would have been filled with old men. I like older men soldier characters, so that would have been fun to see, but I don’t think readers would find that interesting. Cute little girls adding a touch of color {to a work} is important (LOL).

MS: Did you decide on the setting from the start?

ASATO: The setting was generally decided from the beginning. The scenes were written out as needed. For example, regarding the battlefield, the Legion are ground-based weapons, and it would be troubling if they’re easily eradicated by aircraft weapons. That’s why {I had} the Eintagsfliege, a Legion unit which has jamming, and restricted the use of aircraft and communication devices. This, however, would have prevented Shin and Lena from communicating with each other, so I then devised the special communication device called the Para-RAID.

MS: How deeply did you think about this world’s setting on itself?

ASATO: The necessary scenes have been chosen in detail, otherwise, the rest of the details aren’t fixed. For example, it’s not in the main story, but the Republic’s population has already been decided upon. It’s the reverse with the countries on the edge of the continent that aren’t scheduled to appear, as they might have a Chinese-like culture… that’s all I thought of it right now. There’s also this “sensory tuning”, which hasn’t been written in the setting yet, but is scheduled to be involved in the future part of the plot. However, as I said just a short while ago, the story {as a whole} is influenced greatly by how the characters act, so it depends on them to make the best use of the setting. From this point on, who will survive and who will die… is something that I still don’t know.

MS: Is it still unknown how the war against the Legion will move forward?

ASATO: The basic points {for that} have been decided, with the foreshadowing being built onto step by step. However, it is up to those two, Shin and Lena, if they will follow suit. (LOL)

MS: What about the Legion, then?

ASATO: About the Legion, the setting about them has been solidly established, including the future boss characters. However, I can’t say anything about them yet. Details about them have been foreshadowed little by little. I write hoping the readers will be surprised by this later.

The love for garter belts explodes! A talk about eroticism

MS: Changing the subject, what it is about your particular fixation towards garter belts [31] and pilot suits [32], both of which you spoke so passionately about in your Afterwords?

ASATO: About the pilot suits, on the outline for volume 2, I wrote "I don’t want men’s pilot suits paired with ground-based armaments!!!" using half of the A4 outline paper and submitted that (LOL). I’ve wondered whether pilot suits are really necessary, apart from space or aircraft or even ground battles. I’ve my doubts about it, and with said doubts I don’t want {characters} just wearing pilot suits, even in a robot thing. I do agree with the editor-in-charge about “Female pilot suits are justice!” so Lena wearing a pilot suit is scheduled to appear in the future [32]. After all, the garter belt shows a good place between sexy and cute. I think the eroticism {from the garter belt} dwells in its self-contradictory element: it’s just one additional item {in a set of clothes}, and somehow manages to show more skin―I think that’s the charm of the garter belt. In particular, if the color {of the garter belt} contrasts strongly with the skin color {of the wearer}, the impression of bare skin is more emphasized in spite of the wearer. Because of this, I think it’s wonderful that Shirabii colored the belt part {of Lena’s garter belts} black.

MS: It’s amazing the garter belt drawn by Shirabii has the functions of both a belt and a ring, isn’t it?

ASATO: Furthermore, Lena’s military uniform, a garment that is very much seen in public, has garter belts, which are usually private items, and I think that adds further to her ambivalent charm even more. As a matter of fact, at first, I argued that it would be better if {her} thighs were not visible all the time but could be glimpsed at occasionally, but after a 2 AM discussion with the editors-in-charge while looking at the rough draft of the cover art, they convinced me that “That ‘occasionally’ should be now!”, and we settled on its current form. The ideal situation {we have} was when {Lena} lifts her legs up and a glimpse of the black lace garter can be seen through the slit of {her} dress. However, as Lena is a prim and proper lady, the only situation I can think of where she lifts her legs while wearing a dress is when she is about to wear heels… I’ll have to ask Shin to do his best on this one.

MS: Rather a difficult situation, isn’t it?

ASATO: It’s Shin, after all. Also, a military uniform with pretty boy shorts + sock garters is also cute, and as Theo hasn’t appeared with his military uniform yet, I’m thinking to add that to his outfit now… (LOL). However, middle-aged soldier uncles shouldn’t show their bare legs with shirt garters! (Editor’s note: Please Google “shirt garters” for more info)

MS: Are there any {role/inspiring} models for your characters?

ASATO: Basically, none. However, as mentioned earlier, Shin is partly inspired by Sieg Wahrheit [33] from Chaos Legion, while Lena is partly inspired by General Garrison [34] from Black Hawk Down. In the film, {Garrison} is placed on a situation where he could do nothing but only communicate with his subordinates in adverse circumstances, and this inspired Lena’s position {in the series}. In Black Hawk Down, many characters died before we even understood them, and I think that influenced 86--EIGHTY-SIX as well.

MS: That’s right. They die when the chapters change. When you are writing, you’re writing without knowing who is going to die, isn’t it?

ASATO: There are some characters whose manner of death came to mind as I was writing them. I think they’re good kids, but I have no choice but to let them face their fates (oops).

MS: If the names of the Eighty-Six characters were names of Japanese people, would they still make good names?

ASATO: Yes. All their names can be written in kanji. For example, Shin’s surname, “Nouzen” is from the kanji of the Chinese trumpet creeper (凌霄花) {pronounced as “nouzenkazura”} [35]. I actually like the arrangement of the kanji {from that plant} within the kanji for “surpassing the sky” (霄を凌ぐ) {pronounced as “sora wo shinogu”}. If you use the same kanji and put the honorific (君) {pronounced as “kun”} on it, you can form the characters for the Eurasian goshawk (凌霄君) {pronounced as “ryoshoukun”} [36]. This is also a reference to Shin’s image, as he does resemble a hawk.

What’s next for this series? There’s so much more to write about!

MS: What will happen in Volume 3 of 86--EIGHTY-SIX? [37]

ASATO: It will be properly connected to Volume 1’s Epilogues, so please don’t worry about that. The battle scenes, which were limited in Volume 2, will be much increased here. It might be even tragic.

EDITOR KIYOSE: This paperback series will, of course, continue to be serialized, and the series will also be expanded into various adaptations such as comics [38] and other various media. This work will have a lot of side stories, so we hope you will all appreciate this series as a whole.

MS: Can you please tell us about the future developments of 86--EIGHTY-SIX?

ASATO: The stage has shifted to the Federacy from Volume 2, and as the war situation gets more violent, the environment surrounding the Eighty-Six and the others is about to deteriorate further. There will be new enemies for mankind to face, and their own numerous personal conflicts standing on their way one by one. However, they have survived far difficult circumstances up until now, and since Lena will join them in earnest by Volume 4, I think they will still survive, stubbornly, shamelessly, and boisterously. However, I really wouldn’t know what would happen unless I write them. (LOL)

MS: How many volumes does this series will have?

ASATO: Currently, I'm thinking of around 13 volumes. The war against the Legion has a general flow and an ending in sight already, so I'd like to get to that point first. In addition to that, I’d like to like to write a side story about Raiden and Shin when they just first met, if I have the opportunity [39]. There’s so much more I want to write about. From Volume 4 onward, countries other than the Federacy will be related, and there’s plans to stretch out the stage even more. The Queen's Knights [40], led by Lena, will also make their appearance. I think there might be some slight surprises about Shiden, who first appeared in Volume 2.

MS: Lastly, any message for the readers who have supported you and the series?

ASATO: I was never active on the web at all, and I was totally an unknown newcomer writer. I believe the reason why I and the 86--EIGHTY-SIX series have come this far is due to the readers who picked up the books and supported us. So, everyone, I will do my best to write bringing Shin and Lena and the Eighty-Six’s battle to conclusion, so from this point on, I look forward to your continued support!

{End of Interview}

Translator’s Notes (Most of the blurbs here are taken from respective relevant Wikipedia articles, and the notes also include the Magazine Notes from the actual interview):

[1] Kono Light Novel Ga Sugoi: Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (このライトノベルがすごい!, lit. This Light Novel is Amazing!) is an annual light novel guidebook published by Takarajimasha. The guidebook publishes a list of the top ten most popular light novels according to readers polled on the Internet and votes from critics, influencers, and other people related to the light novel industry. 86--EIGHTY-SIX ranked 2nd and 5th in the bunkobon category here in 2018 and 2019.

[2] Lena is the class president of Class 2-E in the 86--EIGHTY-SIX Operation High School spin-off side stories and the manga. This is probably among the first references to said spin-off.

[3] Space Battleship Yamato: one of Japan’s most influential sci-fi/mecha series, a Japanese science fiction anime series produced and written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, directed by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, and produced by Academy Productions.

[4] Mobile Suit Gundam: The first series in this very popular Japanese military science fiction media franchise, it was re-released into a film trilogy in 1981.

[5] The Brave Police J-Decker: The fifth installment in the Barve series.

[6] The Brave Express Might Gaine: The fourth installment in the Brave series.

[7] The Brave mecha and sci-fi series: a Japanese toy and anime franchise Brave series made by Takara and Sunrise, and currently owned by Bandai Namco.

[8] Magic Knight Rayearth: a mecha, fantasy and isekai shoujo manga series made by the all-female manga artist group CLAMP.

[9] Kadokawa BEANS Bunko Award: The contest launched by Kadokawa’s female-focused light novel imprint, Kadokawa Beans Bunko.

[10] Dengeki Novel Prize: a literary award handed out annually (since 1994) by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works for their Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint, spearheaded by parent company Kadokawa. It is among Japan’s largest light novel contests, with more than 4500 entries submitted annually. 86--EIGHTY-SIX won 1st place in the Rookie Awards category in 2016, launching it to the spotlight.

[11] Dengeki Bunko: a publishing imprint affiliated with Kadokawa’s ASCII Media Works. Many anime adaptations from light novels were published by Dengeki Bunko, including 86--EIGHTY-SIX.

[12] [Magazine Note 1] Final Fantasy Tactics: A tactical simulation RPG released in 1997. The socially conscious storyline, which tackled friction between nations and the gap between the rich and the poor, became very much a hot topic during its time.

Please take note I used the Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions translation here as contextually I believe this translation has more in line with EIGHTY-SIX than the translation of the actual game Asato played, which is the original Final Fantasy Tactics. Also, Argath vs Algus :3

[13] [Magazine Note 2] BLACK/MATRIX+: A tactical simulation RPG for Sega Saturn, with the PlayStation port released in 1998. It has a unique setting where virtue and vice are said to be reversed.

[14] Final Fantasy: a fantasy anthology media franchise, first and mainly developed as RPGs, owned, published, and distributed by Square Enix. Currently this franchise has 16 main series game releases. One of these games, Final Fantasy VIII, has its main soundtrack (“Eyes on Me” by Faye Wong) featured on the Afterword of 86--EIGHTY-SIX Volume 7: Mist.

[15] Knights of Sidonia: A sci-fi/mecha seinen manga, made by Tsutomu Nihei and ran from 2009-2015 in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon magazine. Its anime adaptation, which ran for two seasons, was produced by Polygon Pictures and aired from 2014 to 2015.

[16] Full Metal Panic!: a series of mecha light novels written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji, published by Kadokawa’s Fujimi Fantasia Bunko and ran from 1998-2011. Its anime adaptations were produced by Gonzo, Kyoto Animation and Xebec respectively, from 2003 to 2018.

[17] Gunparade March: A New Song for the March: The anime adaptation for the Playstation video game Gunparade March, produced by J.C. Staff and aired in 2003.

[18] Battle Faery Yukikaze: a Japanese military science fiction novel series written by Chouhei Kambayashi. Its five-episode OVA adaptation ran from 2002-2005.

[19] [Magazine Note 3] Mist: A 2007 film based on the award-winning science fiction horror novella by Stephen King.

[20] [Magazine Note 4] Screamers: A 1995 futuristic science fiction horror film, based on Phillip K. Dick’s novelette “Second Variety”.

[21] [Magazine Note 5] Chaos Legion: A mixed-media action RPG released in 2003, getting a novelization by Tow Ubukata.

[22] [Magazine Note 6] Black Hawk Down: A 2001 war movie. Based on a non-fiction work about an actual urban war between international forces and guerillas that occurred in Somalia. The film depicts how a UH-60 Black Hawk gets taken down and this being dragged into a war situation.

[23] This is a very extensive subject, so please feel free to check out Nazi Germany on Wikipedia to get at least an overview.

[24] Another extensive subject, so feel free to check out 442nd Infantry Regiment on Wikipedia to get an overview.

[25] [Magazine Note 7] Scroll of Agony: The Warsaw Ghetto Diary: A diary kept by a Jewish teacher, {Chaim A. Kaplan}. It described the persecution and pillaging by the Nazis, as well as the three harsh years of {Kaplan’s} life.

Printed in Japan as (ワルシャワ・ゲットー日記―ユダヤ人教師の記録 or “Warsaw Ghetto Diary: A Jewish Teacher’s Record”), with Kaplan implied to have died in 1942 when he was sent to the Treblinka death camp along with other Warsaw Jews.

[26] Another extensive subject, so feel free to check out World War II on Wikipedia to get an overview. Feel free to also check out Gulf War on Wikipedia to get an overview on this topic.

[27] [Magazine Note 8] M551 Sheridan: an American tank developed to be amphibious, airborne tank. Its body was made of aluminum alloy to help reduce weight, but this made it vulnerable to anti-tank weapons and land mines, and it could explode when the shells it’s equipped with are triggered.

[28] X-ATM092: A spider-like robot boss enemy found in Final Fantasy VIII.

[29] Tachikoma: a blue-colored AI walker/roller tank that looks like a spider in the Ghost in the Shell cyberpunk media franchise.

[30] Swallowtail series: The sci-fi novel series written by Chitose Touma and published by Dengeki Bunko in 2008. The series is about artificial fairies, androids created in the form of humans, to be companions to still-living humans after parts of Tokyo’s population were wiped out in a pandemic, and one of these fairies, Ageha, is investigating a serial killer causing destruction. The work also has this multi-legged armored tank called “Tobigumo”. So far as I know this mecha doesn’t have official art, however, a fanart can be found in Pixiv here.

[31] [Magazine Note 9] Garter: They’re suspenders of sorts. “Garter belt” is the term for {a fabric strap which} which is clipped on over-the-knee socks or stockings. Having no shorts above garters is righteous! between the rich and the poor, became very much a hot topic during its time.

Asato’s interest in garter belts is not only shown in the novels, but also in the anime, which is noted to have a lot of thigh shots of Lena wearing said garter belts.

[32] [Magazine Note 10] Pilot suit: In this case, this is the type of suit that sticks really close to the body. As it shows the body lines quite clearly, it’s considered quite fetishistic.

In the current time, 86--EIGHTY-SIX Volume 5: Death, Be Not Proud, has already been published, and Lena did wear the Cicada, which is Asato’s homage to pilot suits.

[33] Sieg Wahrheit: the protagonist of Chaos Legion.

[34] William F. Garrison: a retired major general of the United States Army who commanded United States forces during Operation Gothic Serpent including the Battle of Mogadishu, which served as an inspiration for the novel Black Hawk Down.

[35] The Chinese trumpet creeper, a native flowering vine species found in East Asia, usually in China, can mean “fame”, “honor”, “glory”, “abundant love” and “life filled with flowers” in the flower language.

[36] Eurasian goshawk: a medium-large bird-of-prey found in Europe and Asia and is among the species considered as “true” hawks. The kanji used in the article actually just refers to how Shinei Nouzen looks like a hawk, but upon further examination of said kanji in this reference, it pertained to that goshawk as well.

[37] Volume 3 of 86--EIGHTY-SIX was just about to be released in Japan around the moment this article was published, serving as a promotion of sorts.

[38] Several manga adaptations of 86--EIGHTY-SIX have been published as of current time. For more information, please check out this 86 Reddit Manga FAQ for further details.

[39] Besides Volume 1, Eighty-Six’s Interlude: Headless Knight II, Asato has managed to write this in the side stories Volume 10, Fragmental Neoteny Chapter 8: The Banks of Lethe and Alter.1: Claymore Squadron.

[40] The Queen’s Knights, formally known as the Brísingamen Squadron, was the squadron Lena became the Handler with after the Spearhead Squadron was sent on the Special Reconnaissance Mission. It was led by Shiden Iida and was pivotal in the Republic of San Magnolia’s defense during the 1st Legion Large Scale Offensive.

#86 eighty six #86 #エイティシックス #86 ーエイティシックスー #86 エイティシックス #86 anime #asato asato #dengeki bunko #86 light novel #86--EIGHTY-SIX #eighty six #vladilena milizé #shinei nouzen #安里アサト

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karalovesallthegirls · 1 year ago

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Back in May I got the wildest most amazing message from persevered-by-bronzing who said they’d like to make a hand bound hard copy of Lena Dies for me for Fanfiction Writer’s Appreciation Day.. for free. Obviously I thought this was a strange prank, but I said yes anyway and now here I am the VERY proud owner of a physical copy of one of my favorite works!!!!

Cannot express what a treasure this is to me now. I’m beyond delighted I can hardly contain it!!!!!! Look at how beautiful she is!

Also check out the group that does this if you’d ever like to get into book binding or possibly commission one of your own: Renegade Publishing

#I wanna cry every time I look at her but I don’t wanna splash the pages #Lena dies on a Wednesday #I’m obsessed :’)#one of the COOLEST things that’s happened to me y’all

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waytooinvested · 7 months ago

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Forgotten, Not Forgiven - Chapter 12

This and previous chapters are also on AO3

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

‘Ms Luthor, I have a Nia Nal here asking to see you. Shall I make her an appointment for tomorrow?’

‘That’s alright Jess, please send her straight through.’

Lena put aside the copy of ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’ she had been skimming through with a certain amount of relief. Even before she’d opened the book she had been aware that Freud was the wrong place to begin her dream studies, but it had also been the only even vaguely relevant text she could find at the only bookshop within walking distance from L-Corp, and since her computer was midway through an “out of hours” update that had been stalled on 3% complete for the past 45 minutes, it had been her only option if she wanted to get stuck into research without waiting for her online orders to arrive.

The office door cracked open, and Nia peered round it.

‘Hey Lena, sorry for dropping in unannounced like this, I thought you’d be finishing for the day. Are you busy?’

‘Not at all, come in, please, have a seat. Is everything alright? I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.’

‘I know, I was just passing on my way home and thought I’d come in and give you a quick update.’

‘Oh? Do you have a plan for how you’d like to work Kara’s dream session? I started some research of my own today to get a feel for dream work, but-’

She gestured at the book on her desk with a grimace.

‘-it isn’t going very well so far.’

‘You’re reading Freud? Lena I can promise you that that is not what dream-power interpretation is about.’

Lena chuckled ruefully. ‘I was beginning to suspect as much. Oh well, at least I can read something more worthwhile now. Anyway, sorry. What was your update? Is everything alright?’

‘Yes, totally fine. Well, I think so anyway... I told Kara I’m Dreamer today.’

Nia’s tone was despondent in spite of her mostly positive words, and Lena sat up straight, the remains of her Freud-induced stupor instantly dispelled.

‘Something went wrong. Did Kara display neurological symptoms? Headache, nose bleed, uneven pupil dilation?’

‘No, no it was nothing like that, sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I don’t think it was a Supergirl issue at all. It’s probably fine and I’m just making a big deal over nothing, but she just… seemed a little freaked out. Well. She hugged me and said she was really happy for me and glad that I told her, but she was kind of quiet after that, and she left not long after. And… she left most of her doughnut.’

Lena bit her lip, trying to recall if she had ever seen Kara leave a doughnut before, and drawing a blank.

‘I see what you mean, that doesn’t sound like Kara. Have you talked to Alex? Maybe she just needs a bit of support to come to terms with the whole superhero thing. After all without her own Kryptonian identity we can’t be sure how much she is really aware of aliens and powers, beyond the obvious. From what I’ve observed it seems like all of that side of her reality is being filtered through the context of Alex’s job more than her own experience at the moment.’

‘Well, that’s actually why I came to see you. I thought you’d know what to do for the best.’

Because you’ve been on the other side of this.

Because you lashed out.

Because I want to know how to make sure that Kara doesn’t end up like you .

Nia didn’t say any of it, but the implication was there, just below the surface of her innocuous statement. It was unexpected, and Lena felt the brief, uncomfortable swoop in her stomach of missing a step going down. At another time, or with another person, she might have said something cutting or dismissive to regain the upper hand in the conversation and hide her fluster, but she couldn’t do that to Nia.

Not about her own coming out.

Instead she picked a fountain pen from her pen pot and rolled it between her fingers as she considered what to say, seeking the soothing familiarity of its cool, smooth weight in her hand as much as the excuse not to make eye contact.

‘I don’t think you need to worry about Kara reacting the way I did, even if she isn’t entirely comfortable right now. The two situations are very different, and in any case, Kara doesn’t exactly have the Luthor temperament.’

She thought she had done a good job of keeping her tone neutral and her response measured, but rather than looking reassured Nia smacked a hand to the side of her forehead in a gesture that was simultaneously comical and self-admonishing.

‘I just totally put my foot in my mouth didn’t I? I’m sorry, at this point I think it basically lives in there, but I honestly wasn’t even thinking about that. I just thought that since you’re her best friend, you’d be the person Kara would most want to talk to right now.’

‘Oh.’

That possibility had never even occurred to Lena, and now that it had she felt flustered in an altogether different way.

‘Do you really think so?’

‘Of course! Kara has been so much happier since the two of you started spending time together again. She’s even getting along better with Andrea now, and she talks about you and all the funny clever things you said last time she saw you pretty much constantly. It’s actually kind of adorable.’

Nia’s cheeks went a bit pink then, and she squirmed in her seat like she had said more than she meant to.

‘Uhhh, maybe don’t tell Kara I told you that. I don’t want to embarrass her.’

Interesting. If Lena didn’t know better she would think- but it wouldn’t matter anyway. It’s not like she would have been able to do anything about it. Not now.

‘Look, Nia, I really would like to help, but I just don’t think it’s a good idea. My friendship with Kara can only ever be temporary, so it wouldn’t be fair to push the boundaries too far. Besides, how can I go and reassure Kara about her reaction to you when I can’t forgive her for doing more or less the same thing to me? Even if it was much worse in our case.’

Nia tilted her head to one side, as if she didn’t quite catch Lena’s meaning and was checking whether a new angle might make it fit better with her perception of reality.

‘Why?’

‘Why is it worse?’

‘No, why can’t you forgive her? I get that there’s a lot of history between you and I don’t know the finer details of everything Kara did to hurt you. Maybe some of it really doesn’t deserve to be just forgiven, and that’s fair enough if it’s really how you feel. But from everything I’ve seen, you want her back in your life as much as she wants you in hers. You want to forgive her. So why won’t you? Who is it really serving to force yourself to stay mad when you could just… stop? Let yourself be her friend again. Be all of our friends again. Just come back.’

Just come back.

As if she had merely walked out early on a night out, and could choose to turn around and go back to the bar any time she liked, to be welcomed in from the cold with hugs and warmth and an easy acceptance that she wasn’t sure she entirely deserved.

‘It’s not that simple.’

It can’t be... Can it?

‘Sure it is. If you want it to be. Lena… you do know that we want you back, don’t you? Not just Kara. All of us do.’

Lena opened her mouth to respond, and then closed it again. Because no, she didn’t know that. She knew that, with the exception of their latest meeting, they had all been getting along well, and that she had enjoyed the time she had been spending at the DEO far more than she expected to, but she hadn’t allowed herself to think beyond that.

Now she did.

She thought about it, and what came first, as always, was the flash of anger and sting of hurt humiliation that echoed what she had felt on first finding out how much of an outsider she truly was among her supposed friends. She had believed they were all on even footing, only to discover that every single one of them had been part of a circle of trust that did not include her, and that when push came to shove, they were perfectly happy to drop her from their lives the moment she walked away from Kara (because they were her friends, first and foremost, and Lena had been allowed to tag along only because Kara had wanted her there, not for her own sake).

That came first.

But this time, it didn’t stop there.

Because things between them had been different since Atlantis.

With Alex first, who had been the most unsympathetic when she first cut Kara out, and yet had also been the one to reach out to her after the kidnapping, and to keep on reaching out, even when Lena had snarled at her and tried to push her away. Alex had accepted her anger, and apologised, and somehow turned it into something less like hatred and more like catharsis. From there the others had followed easily in her wake. None of them had treated Lena the way she had expected them to (with reproach or recrimination, even suspicion that she really had had something to do with Kara’s condition), and without Kara beside her to be the focal point of Lena’s attention she had been getting to know all of them properly in their own rights, and found that she liked them.

Now she was giving space to the idea, she had to admit that they seemed to like her too, and not just for what she could do for Atlantis or the DEO, or as a tacked on extension of Kara. It had been starting to feel like she was really one of them…

Only then Kara had been hurt and she had let her guard down too far. She had exposed a raw, volatile part of herself that they had not been meant to see, even implying to her girlfriend’s face that Kelly's life mattered less than Kara’s. The memory made her wince (not least because although she really, genuinely liked Kelly and knew that the suggestion had been neither reasonable nor fair... she had meant it. She still meant it), and she couldn’t help worrying that the lapse had knocked them right back to square one.

‘Even if that was true before, I’m not sure it still can be after the other night.’

‘What, because of the Atlantis meeting?’

Nia sounded confused, as if she really wasn’t sure what Lena meant by ‘the other night’, and Lena nodded without looking up from the pen she was now holding too tightly in her fist.

‘Lena, that was nothing, you were just sticking up for Kara, we all knew that.’

‘I don’t think J’onn would see it that way. Or Alex.’

‘Pfft, J’onn’s like 300 years old and used to be Alex’s boss, he can take a bit of snark. And Alex actually told me after you left that she was glad you were there, because she had to speak for the DEO and National City as well but you were just 100% there to advocate for your friend, even if you did go a bit “hangry Kara with eyes on the last potsticker” about it. That’s in her words by the way, not mine.’

She couldn’t help it. A slightly guilty laugh bubbled out of her at the hangry Kara comment (that sounded like Alex alright), and it diffused the tension enough that Lena looked up at last, finding nothing but frank openness and conspiratorial amusement in Nia’s returning expression. Her grip on the pen eased along with her anxiety, and she let herself accept that maybe she had been making the whole thing much bigger in her mind than it had been in reality.

Still though…

‘I am sorry you know, for getting so confrontational about it. I think I may have skipped a few steps on the negotiation spectrum and let myself forget that I wasn’t in a room full of Luthors, and no one else there wanted Kara hurt either.’

'Yeah but it was about Kara, and she’s your- well, she inspires strong feelings in people who care about her. And it’s not like you’re the only one who lashes out sometimes, we’ve all done it at some point. You calling J’onn a fucking idiot doesn’t mean we don’t like you anymore.’

‘I did not call J’onn a fucking idiot!’

‘Oh really? Huh maybe that part just happened in my head, which is kind of a shame because it was honestly hilarious, I was ready to grab popcorn.’

‘Nia Nal!’

Nia laughed, mischief written all across her face until she noticed that Lena wasn’t joining in, then she turned sombre again.

‘Okay, but seriously. Even if you had said that, it wouldn’t mean we would kick you out the group. That’s not how friendship works.’

Isn’t it?

That had always been more or less exactly how it worked, for Lena. Maybe not over one simple argument or a heat-of-the-moment insult, but there was nothing simple about their broader situation, and her whole life had taught her that to give second chances was to invite nothing but further betrayal, manipulation, and, on more occasions than she cared to dwell on, assassination attempts. She had learned at her mother’s knee to be unforgiving and unforgivable, and for the most part she had been right (look what happened when she tried to give anyone in her family the benefit of the doubt).

But now she was being told that she wasn’t unforgivable after all, and she couldn’t help dwelling on Nia’s question of who does it serve to force yourself to stay mad? Because it wasn’t serving Lena. It was making her miserable, and lonely, and unlike all the times she had known that withholding her forgiveness was the right thing, this time the moral high ground she was standing on was becoming increasingly shaky underfoot, because this group wasn’t embroiled in some evil plot to wipe out aliens or turn the sun red. They weren’t ruthlessly ambitious business tycoons or social climbers out to wring what they could from her. Whatever else they might be, Lena truly believed that they were good people. Messy, complicated, caught up in their own baggage as much as Lena was in hers and capable of doing things that were intensely hurtful, but at their centres… good.

She still didn’t think Nia was right about forgiveness.

Not entirely.

But… maybe she wasn’t entirely wrong either.

She rubbed her temples with the fingers of one hand, unsuccessfully trying to press the conflicting instincts inside her into a single coherent train of thought.

‘You’re far too young to be full of all this sage advice, you know.’

Nia pulled a silly face that both lightened the mood and slightly undermined the compliment by making her look practically Ruby’s age, and anything but sage.

‘You are really not that much older than me.’

Lena smiled a small but genuine smile, feeling crinkles that would one day be crows feet appear around her eyes.

‘Aren’t I? I feel ancient. I found a grey hair last week.’

This earned her a snort and an eye roll, and her smile grew an extra quarter inch.

‘Maybe that’s because you never freakin’ sleep. You’re probably about 50 in awake years, but that’s not the same as being actually old.’

‘Hey, I sleep!’

Only about four hours a night at the moment, and not always consecutively, but Nia didn’t need to know that.

‘Uh huh. So how come that time I was awake for 46 hours straight during the whole Midnight debacle, you were in the DEO lab every time I went by. I drank like 6 cans of Monster the second night and was going loopy, but you were just in there doing your science like it was totally normal.’

Lena remembered the occasion Nia was talking about only too well, and wrinkled her nose in rueful acknowledgement. She had hit a snag with the Q-wave generator and had refused to budge until she solved it, even though it had meant rearranging several meetings and going an ill-advised amount of time without sleeping, eating or showering. In the end she had only conceded her need to rest after Brainy had told her very seriously her that exhaustion was making her behave like a fifth level intellect, and if she didn’t get some sleep soon she would be no better than the average Daxamite (she maintained that a desire to beat her former-rival-for-Kara’s-affections Mon-el in every conceivable measure had nothing to do with the decision, and she had merely been concerned about making mistakes).

‘This seems like a bit of a pot/kettle situation given that you just readily admitted to staying awake for 46 hours straight yourself. And if you think I was unaffected you clearly didn’t see how much espresso I got through, or hear me talking to my screwdriver, apparently. I gave it a lecture for not being the Philips head I was looking for.’

Nia laughed delightedly. ‘See, this is why we need you back in the group for real, you’re the only one whose sleep pattern is as messed up as mine is. Just think of all the 3am shenanigans we could be having.’

‘Nia, I…’

She wanted to say yes.

She wanted to, but the word stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t bring herself to step over that edge.

‘No, I know, I’m sorry. I’m pushing you and you’re not ready. I’ll drop it for now. Just… think about it, okay? And in the meantime, do you want me to call Alex to go and see Kara?’

‘No.’

Somehow the no was easier. Too easy, because for all her complicated feelings about the rest of the group, Kara was the one who had actually betrayed her trust, and should therefore be the person Lena was least willing to break her established boundaries for. And yet she had answered Nia’s question instinctively, the word slipping out without waiting for her to think through the implications of the choice.

But it was the logical solution, wasn’t it? Someone needed to talk Kara round so that she would be comfortable doing dream-work with Nia, and Alex was so busy at the DEO it might be a while before she could spare the time to visit her sister. Besides, it would be a way to contribute to Project Atlantis now she was no longer working on the Q-waves. It didn’t mean she was committing to anything more than that.

And... as much as she told herself it wasn’t relevant, she couldn’t help dwelling on the part where Kara talked about her when she wasn’t around, and seemed happier for the time they spent together, and where Lena was the person Kara would most want to talk to when she was upset.

Then there was t he part where she could have died , and Lena had felt in that moment what it would be like to truly, irrevocably lose her, and the horror of it still reverberated through every cell of her body like a struck cymbal that would not be ignored .

She shook her head and repeated in a more measured tone ‘No, I’ll go. Thank you, Nia.’

Nia beamed back at her as though Lena’s decision about Kara and the rest of them was already made, and got up to leave.

‘You’re welcome. See you at the Atlantis meeting on Monday?’

‘See you then.’

Lena waited until Nia had gone, then buzzed through to the outer office before she had time to think better of it.

‘Jess, I know I said I’d be in until late tonight, but would you mind letting the lab team know I’ll have to stop by tomorrow instead? I have somewhere I need to be right now.’

‘Of course Ms Luthor. Would you like me to call you a car?’

‘Yes please. And if you could arrange for them to pick up a box of doughnuts en route, I would appreciate it. Anything that has an obscene amount of chocolate and more sprinkles than could reasonably expected to fit on them should suffice.’

‘Right away Ms Luthor.’

#supercorp #kara danvers #lena luthor #supergirl #leaving me a comment on AO3 is a surefire way to become one of my favourite people #if that's something you have any interest in being #supercorp fanfic #supergirl fanfiction #kara x lena #multi chapter fic #Forgotten Not Forgiven #my fic

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shepherds-of-haven · 2 months ago

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Hiya Lena! I've been searching for a bit. Do you have any tags for like, clothes and armor that the Shepherds wear? It'll really help when trying to design an MC! Visuals would be preferred but descriptions work just fine!

Hi, I'll copy-paste the answer from here:

I was wondering, have we ever been given a description of the type of clothes the ROs wear when off duty? Like their casual wear. Sorry if this has been asked before, I did have a search but couldn't find anything.

Hi there, thanks for returning! ✨ And yes, this has been answered in the #clothes and #fashion tags a few times, including in this post about their streetwear! If you’re a more visual person, there are reference sheets with what a typical outfit for them might look like over on the official character page and extra art page as well!

In addition, there are references for formal wear and uniforms on Pinterest, and outright concept art for my take on the Shepherd uniforms on Patreon! Female version | Male version

Hope that helps! The #clothes and #fashion tags are definitely what you're looking for! :)

#Shepherds of Haven #FAQ #redirect #fashion #clothes

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natashaslittlegirl · 2 years ago

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I need an assistant - Romanoff's Assistant

DO NOT COPY ANY OF MY WORKS. MINORS DNI +18 ONLY.

Summary: You find your dream job in a not-so-expected way.

Boss ! Natasha Romanoff x Assistant ! Reader

Warnings: none.

Natasha Romanoff's Masterlist RA Masterlist RA account Chapter I aesthetic

The morning started like any other, doing your skincare routine, going for a walk to your favorite coffee shop in the whole world, or well, at least in New York. With your beige coat, black dress pants and a white shirt. It's october, autumn is here, so the cold. You grabbed your handbag and your folder, say goodbye to Lena, your cat and start your way.

It's been a month since you graduated from uni in Psychology, so as you all may be thinking, yes, You're looking for a job.

You got in to The Barista, you've been coming here every day for about two years now, you'll see a student needs a lot of coffee and a quiet place to work, this is the ideal place.

"Y/N! Morning! the usual?" Kate asked you, she is a very special girl, always happy with a bright smile, you have known her since a year ago when she started working here, you became very close, you two go to get lunch or drinks together, fun fact, she loves to tease you even though you both know that you only share a beautiful friendship.

"Good morning, my favorite barista, yes please, I need your coffee." you wink at her, yes, you also like to tease her.

"I'm the only barista, of course I'm your favorite! Also, if you keep winking at me I'll start giving you free coffee every morning."

"Well, I think I'm going to keep doing it."

Kate moves to one side preparing your coffee to go, you have to go deliver your curriculum to some companies and studios that you have seen that need an assistant, yeah, you graduated in psychology, but first you have to make money to be able to have your own studio. Once you're called to pick up your drink, you hand Kate the money, but she tells you that's on the house, you thank her and continue your way to the front door. Distracted and without looking, you ended up bumping into a redhead making your folder with all your documents fall. Grateful that your coffee hasn't spilled, you see the woman in front of you bends down to pick up your things.

"I'm so sorry, let me help you." In your shorts twenty-one years on earth you have never seen a woman as beautiful as the one in front of me and for some reason you feel like you know her. You lock eyes as she stands up and hands you the papers, except for one. Your curriculum.

"Looking for a job, huh?" She says with raspy voice as she reads.

"Yeah, I was about to go deliver it."

"Well, I think today is your lucky day because, I need an assistant, Natasha Romanoff." And just like that your frozen in place, is this real? God, you seriously can't believe it. Since the beginning of your career you've been following her work, you have almost never seen photos just one, you think, that's why you feel strange about her, cause you do know who she is. Your dream was one day to be able to work with her.

"I can't believe it, I was about to drop off my resume at your company, I'm Y/N Y/L/N, it's nice to finally meet you"

"Finally?" she asks you, confused.

"Uhm yes, since the beginning of my career I have followed your work, your research, you are my role model." You said excitedly, she smiles at you and looks at the sheet again.

"Okay, let me see," her gaze dropped to the written paper "So, you're just graduated in psychology with a master's degree in child psychology, criminology, neuropsychology and mindfulness. Impressive." You can't help but smile, at the same time you play with the rings on my fingers, a sign of your nervousness. "If you wait for me to get my coffee we can go to my company together. I'm very interested in what you have to offer and I would like to give you a chance."

You can't believe anything that is happening to you, the feel that at any moment your alarm is going to ring or you're going to fall out of my bed is tickling in your brain.

"Yes, of course, I'll wait, thank you very much, Miss Romanoff." And with nothing more to say, she hands you the foil and goes to order her coffee. You listened to her order, coffee with almond milk, extra hot, without sugar and only the cup 70% full, you made a mental reminder, just in case.

She hands Kate the money plus a generous tip once she receives her coffee, turns back and walks towards you. You open the door for her to go out first, turn your head to Kate, who is with a thumbs up and a smile from ear to ear muttering 'good luck'. You laughed at her enthusiasm, sure she heard everything

You get out and walk to Miss Romanoff's side. Her Company is only two avenues away, you go in silence, enjoying your coffee. As you get closer you see her building, tall mirrored glass floor to celling with at least 20 floors, Romanoff's company.

You go ahead and open the door for her, again she murmurs a thank you and leads your way. You entered to the elevator and as you thought, this building has more than twenty floors, twenty seven to be exact. That's the number Miss Romanoff rings, her office. When it opens the doors you see a long glass desk, behind a shelf with several folders, suppose are her patients. Computer, notebook and ipad, agenda and pens, highlighters, post it, everything an assistant would need.

Glass panels surround her office that separate it from the other one, although you can not see through it, they are mirrored. She opens the door letting you in and closes it behind her, walks past you and sits at her large glass desk. Her office is minimalist. Excellent view towards central park, obviously, white sofa to one side, carpet under it, a small table in front and two armchairs. The furniture is white also the marble floor with shiny grayish tones without a trace of dust.

"Sit down, let's get started." She points to the chair in front of her desk. You sit and cross your legs, she scans you up and down until her eyes meet your, and you do no other than gulp, loud, Miss Romanoff smirks.

"Why do you want to work as an assistant and not as a psychologist?" She asks you and relaxes her posture by leaning back in her chair.

"I would like first to gain experience, gather all the knowledge I can to later develop myself better, I would like to open my own studio." You answer without hesitation, you're very clear about what you want.

"Why at Romanoff's company?"

"As I said before, Miss Romanoff, I admire you, I admire your work, I would like to be able to learn as many things as possible and gain skills in the field. I would like to contribute all my knowledge and be able to be your help whenever you need it, I will do anything yo ask me."

"Anything I ask for?" She quicks an eyebrow.

"Yes, Miss Romanoff." She asks you for your foil again and you handed it to her, as she reads better than she did in the café, you take your time to scan her. Red straight hair, plump lips and green eyes with large lashes, delicate eyebrows, define jawline that looks it could cut. Her face is perfect, magazine worthy. Her large neck, adorned with a white shirt, two buttons undone, matching black suit and heels of the same color. She smells like vainilla, so intoxicating, you sigh and she looks at you, feeling the burn in your cheecks, shit.

Her eyes go back to the letters in the paper. "I'm massive impressive, Miss Y/L/N." and looks at you again, "How old are you exactly?"

"Twenty-one, Miss Romanoff." Her eyes open wide, she thought you were older.

"You're twenty-one and you already graduated from college with four masters degrees, always top of your class, Harvard. You have such a potencial"

Now you can't believe what she's saying, it's what, 10am? And this day couldn't go any better.

"I need you to know that I don't usually do this, but my previous assistant quit and I need one now. You got the Job, Miss Y/L/N, I want you here monday at 8am, you have a week-test, one day late, one mistake and your gone. Understand?" well, it went better.

"Yes, Miss Romanoff." You nodded.

"Great." She stands up and leads you to your new office. When you tell Kate all this she's not going to believe it. When you wake up this morning you didn't think that you were going to be hired, by no one else than the most powerful women on this country, if not the continent, to work for her in the company you always dreamed, all this happened too fast.

Miss Romanoff starts to tell you what you have to do. As you thought, receive calls, schedule appointments with patients, organize her agenda, see upcoming events and trips, nothing pretty much than the usual things an assistant does. She scolds you to the elevator door and that's the last glimpse of her until Monday, what a good form to start the day.

Next Chapter

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