#lena: my great works will change the world!

[even-disco-baby]

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “Hello again, gendarme.” He smiles at you— not from his usual post, but from one of the cafeteria tables. A small sketchbook is laid out in front of him, along with some odd gray sticks.

ENCYCLOPEDIA — Compressed graphite. Not quite as bold or blendable as charcoal, but certainly less messy.

EMPATHY — Garte will appreciate it.

“I’d like to talk about the case again.”

“You moved! I didn’t know you could do that.”

“What are you drawing?”

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “That’s the question, isn’t it?” His smile turns a little rueful. “I found one of my old sketchbooks and thought I’d like to fill the last few empty pages, but I’m finding myself a little… uninspired.”

CONCEPTUALIZATION — The accursed artist’s block. Staring down an empty page only for it to stare back, mocking you.

EMPATHY — He is unsure of himself. He said this was an old sketchbook. Maybe he’s afraid of drawing something new beside his old work and seeing that nothing has changed.

“Ah, yes. Artist’s block. I know it well. In fact, I don’t know when the last time that I actually *made* any art was.”

“You could draw the cafeteria.”

“You could draw one of the other diners.”

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “A life drawing exercise, huh? And who would you pick as a subject, gendarme?”

“I don’t know. You’re the artist.”

“Maybe Garte? The skua could be a fun challenge.”

“You should draw the guy with the wig and sunglasses over there. He looks pretty funny.”

“Lena! She’d probably love to model for you. It would take her mind off things.”

“Kim, how about you pose for him?”

[Suggestion - Medium 10] “Why not me?”

KIM KITSURAGI — “No.”

He has nothing more to say on the matter.

“Aw, why not? You’d make a great model!”

Let it go.

KIM KITSURAGI — “I do not get paid to model for portraits. I get paid to solve murders. Such as the one we came here to investigate. Several days ago. Which has not been solved yet, for some mysterious reason.”

ESPIRIT DE CORPS — In case you couldn’t tell, that was sarcasm.

“Come on, Kim. You’re the perfect subject! A true man of the people. And there’s this sort of radiance about you… I can see the portrait already, just looking at you. Really clearly, actually.”

Maybe don’t say that. He’s just not gonna get it.

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — He shrugs. “Sorry, gendarme. It’s not right to use someone’s image without permission, you know? Maybe some other time.”

KIM KITSURAGI — “No.” And then, a little awkwardly, “But thank you.”

“I don’t know. You’re the artist.”

“How about Garte? Though, you’d have to draw the skua, too…”

“You should draw the guy with the wig and sunglasses over there. He looks pretty funny.”

“Lena! She’d probably love to model for you. It would take her mind off things.”

“Kim, how about you pose for him?”

[Suggestion - Medium 10] “Why not me?”

CHECK SUCCESS

YOU — “Why not me?”

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — He considers you with some amusement, but still, he does consider. “You’re not too busy?”

“On second thought, you’re right, I have some work to do right now. Another time, maybe?”

“Nope. Not at all.”

KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant sighs audibly.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS — What did I *just* say?

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — He chuckles to himself, apparently quite tickled by the little comedy act you two are making of yourselves. “Beautiful. Why not? Have a seat. I’ll try not to keep you too long.”

KIM KITSURAGI — “Much appreciated,” he says drily.

YOU — [Take a seat.]

SAVOIR FAIRE — Time to strike a pose. Let’s go with something cool. Something that really captures what you’re all about.

ENDURANCE — But make sure it’s something that you’ll be able to hold comfortably.

Wink and shoot him your signature finger guns.

Look at him with big sad eyes like a shamed puppy.

Look thoughtfully into the middle distance, as if contemplating your own future masterpiece.

Stare straight at him with eyes that have seen how this world will end.

Hold your head up high. With *honor.*

Just sit and act natural. No need to put on airs.

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — He looks you up and down, thumbing his bottom lip. His eyes look brighter and more alert than you have ever seen them. And then, he picks up his graphite and begins to work.

His eyes dart between you and the page, his hand sweeping across the page in bold, practiced strokes. All traces of his earlier hesitation have vanished.

VOLITION — Sometimes, a little push is all we need.

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — Every now and then, he pauses to look up at you, and it’s almost unnerving to be the subject of whatever calculations are going on behind his eyes. He holds out his graphite, squinting just slightly.

VISUAL CALCULUS — This is called sighting. He’s roughly measuring the relative proportions of your figure and checking them against his sketch.

KIM KITSURAGI — Even the lieutenant is watching now, interested in spite of himself.

“Are portraits your specialty?”

“Have you been drawing anything for school lately?”

Better not distract him.

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “Hmm…” He ponders this for a moment, not looking up from his work. “Not exactly. I’m more interested in the graphic arts than this sort of thing. But it’s best to build a strong foundation before branching out, you know?”

YOU — “Graphic arts? Like what?”

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “Printmaking.” A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth as he speaks, seemingly without him even noticing. “Monotype, especially.”

ENCYCLOPEDIA — Monotype is a printmaking technique that is singular from other techniques, in that it produces only *one* unique print, rather than an edition of multiple prints.

YOU — What, really? What’s the point of printing it, then?

ENCYCLOPEDIA — I don’t know. I didn’t invent it.

“Why monotype? Wouldn’t a different technique be more… practical?”

“I see.” [Drop the subject.]

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — He shrugs slightly, smudging a bit of graphite with a bare finger. “Depends on how you define practical, I suppose. If I had my own studio, and I was selling my prints, then maybe. But we make do with what we have, gendarme.”

EMPATHY — And what he has is very little.

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “Besides, I think monotype has its charms.”

The young man does not elaborate, instead focusing on the work at hand. He picks up an eraser that has been shaved down to a point for fine detail work, and begins on what are likely the finishing touches.

EMPATHY — He has already talked at uncharacteristic length about this. It’s making him a little uncomfortable.

SAVOIR FAIRE — He doesn’t like to share too much about himself because it makes him feel *uncool.* He prefers to maintain an air of mystery.

RHETORIC — It’s safer, too, that way. He’s learned that passion exists to be exploited. False promises and admiration are the offerings of Sunday friends.

“If you say so.” [Back off.]

“What kind of charms?” [Press on.]

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — His eyes flit back to you, sizing you up now in a different way. And then he looks back down at the page with a quiet bre ath.

“Well, it doesn’t take as much time or labor as other methods. Or expensive tools, or dangerous chemicals. Just paper, a plate, ink, and something to apply it with. And I can use the same plate over and over again, even use it to create different layers for the same print.”

RHETORIC — In other words, it’s cheap and can be done from home. An attractive option.

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “And with monotype, it’s not so hard to go back and change your mind. You can start over as many times as you’d like, right up until the moment you lay the page on the plate.”

INLAND EMPIRE — That really does sound attractive. To be able to wipe the slate clean, over and over again…

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “There aren’t as many limits on what kind of textures you can create, too. Brushstrokes and fingerprints… They can really come out beautiful.”

His brow creases a little, and he picks his graphite back up to rework a particular area.

DRAMA — He’s still holding out on you, sire. Too self-conscious to admit what he really likes about the medium.

YOU — Which is what?

EMPATHY — Fragility.

CONCEPTUALIZATION — An image which is only complete after being mirrored and translated, never to be recreated except as a ghostly afterimage. An exercise in surrendering to chance. What will be, will be. And then the moment will pass, and it will be time to start the next piece.

VOLITION — This man knows disappointment intimately. It is his closest companion. He has learned to make peace with it. He passes the time with his Sunday friends, lays his paper on the plate and hopes, despite himself, for the best.

YOU — Is that… a good thing?

VOLITION — …It’s hard to say. But we make do with what we have.

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “There.” The young man sits up straight, and it’s only now that you realize just how close he brought himself to his work.

DRAMA — His face may not betray him, but the body does not lie. He was having *fun,* my liege.

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “All done.” He tears the page from his book and holds it out to you with a small smile.

ITEM GAINED: Portrait of a Disco Holdover

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — “Hope I didn’t keep you too long.”

KIM KITSURAGI — “Don’t worry about it,” Kim says, rather resignedly.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS — If you’d declined, the lieutenant thinks, my partner would have just found some other way to get sidetracked.

KIM KITSURAGI — Still, he cannot stop himself from glancing at the portrait over your shoulder.

PORTRAIT OF A DISCO HOLDOVER — It’s you! Unfortunately. Not even the most masterful hand could make the Expression less unsettling to look at. Your posture is poor, your face is swollen and blotchy, your hair is thinning, your clothes are shabby and out of place… I could go on.

Oh god, you could?

Please don’t.

PORTRAIT OF A DISCO HOLDOVER — But, you know… it’s nice. The smoker’s technique is bold and rather lovely, broad strokes of graphite intersecting in just the right places to create surprising depths. Somehow, even though it’s you… it’s not hideous.

EMPATHY — Because you’re seeing yourself through another person’s eyes.

CONCEPTUALIZATION — There is an odd tenderness to the portrait. Something amusing in your grimace, a touch of sympathy in your hunched shoulders. With the eraser, he has lifted small spots of pigment from your face, as if it were illuminated by flecks of light from the karaoke disco ball.

There are no disco lights tonight, but still, he sees them when he looks at you. Your moment has passed, but it left quite the impression. A ghost print, superimposed over you.

“Not bad, but the bicep girth is off. Right, Kim?”

“Oh god, is that really what I look like?”

“Hmm. It’s okay, but you should consider a backup career plan.”

“Whoa, you’re amazing! Can you draw me again, but this time in the costume from the cover of Man from Hjelmdall and the Devil Woman? And like, with a really cool warhammer? And Queen Lydiaana standing in the background, all like, ‘boohoo, where will I ever find another man like Ha— I mean, the Man from Hjelmdall?’”

“Beautiful.”

SMOKER ON THE BALCONY — His smile climbs up into the corners of his eyes, warming his entire countenance.

CONCEPTUALIZATION — If you were to capture a portrait of him in this moment, it would be beautiful, too.

#disco elysium #harry du bois #the smoker on the balcony #kim kitsuragi #this one is. so self indulgent. i like the smoker i like to think abt him #and assign him my art student interests #anyway. oh the joy of making art and showing ppl what they rlly look like in your eyes #and oh the beauty of monotypes and printmaking and hoping for the best #GODDAMMIT I FUCKED UP THE FORMATTING AGAIN AND DIDNT CATCH IT UNTIL LIKE 12 HOURS LATER. #if you saw that. no you didn’t.

[fazedlight]

Do-Over (supercorp ficlet, 100th episode angst, no plot impact after)

Rao, I can’t believe we did it.

She had nearly given up, after the last timeline - she could still feel the sting of kryptonite in her veins, the harrowing image in her mind of the green stone in Lena’s chest, as she refused to fight her. “Then you will die screaming.”

But the odds of another world like that - where Lena used 5th dimensional magic, blocking Mxy out - was low. So after Kara caught her breath and shook off her nerves, they decided to give it another few goes.

They hit it in the very next shot. Kara had decided to jump forward again, meeting Lena just after an uncomfortable incident in the elevator to Sam’s apartment - “I can never trust her again” - and giving her the truth. And Lena had been pissed, at first. But over the course of the timeline, she thawed. Kara and Mxy found themselves watching a movie night, Kara’s head in Lena’s lap as Lena gently scritched the blonde’s hair, Kara dozing off in the middle of the second Pirates of the Caribbean. 

“This is it,” Kara said, delighted as she turned back to Mxy. “She doesn’t hate me! No one died! This is it-”

But Kara cut off suddenly, watching the screen with widening eyes, as a sheepish and fond confession fell from Lena’s lips. And she found herself a voyeur to her own dreams, watching herself as this other Kara sat up, cheeks turning a bright pink with her own confession, before the two women’s lips gently met.

“Turn it off,” Kara said, jumping off the couch and turning away from the television. “Turn it off, Mxy.” “But this-” Mxy stuttered, confused. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

Yes, Kara thought to herself, overwhelming anguish ripping through her body. Because it was everything. Everything that could’ve and should’ve happened.

Had she not been such a fool.

It was a misguided endeavor, she realized now. She could’ve ignored her misgivings, for a time anyway. Embrace a reality where she and Lena were friends again, where she had never hurt her, or at least not driven her so far.

But the pit of nausea in Kara’s stomach grew. Because the idea of being in Lena’s arms, being in her bed, feeling her wanting body, without Lena ever knowing what Kara had done, suddenly felt anathema. It wouldn’t be real. It would simply be Kara taking advantage of her again, far worse than before.

“I’m keeping the real timeline,” Kara said brokenly. “I can’t… I can’t run from this. I- I don’t know how I’m going to fix this. But I can’t undo my mistakes like this.”

Mxy’s eyes gentled at the turned-away kryptonian, holding back a sigh of relief as he snapped his fingers, the projector and reels of film and popcorn dissipating back to his dimension. It was ironic, really, that all of his fake timelines had only made the kryptonian dig in her heels, eager to find something that actually worked. But the one real timeline he had them glimpse - back on Earth-413, before the Crisis - was the one that led to her finally accepting that she couldn’t change time.

Which was great, because neither could he.

Kara took a deep, steadying breath, turning back to Mxy. “I know it didn’t turn out the way we expected,” Kara said, handing back Mxy’s recorder with his backwards-recorded name. “But you still helped me, Mxy. Now I know the only way out is through.”

The kryptonian stood - sad, but hopeful again - and Mxy gave a small smile. As with so much of the mystery of the universe, he couldn’t say how or when Kara and Lena would find their way. He only knew that they would.

“It’s true what you said, Kara,” Mxy said, thinking of the words the woman in front of him had said, not all that long ago. That’s all this endeavor was, really, returning that favor. “Magic can’t be forced. It has to be found.” And it will.

#angst with a hopeful ending #I just didn't feel satisfied with the ending of the 100th episode so here's another do-over #supercorp fanfic #supercorp ficlet #supercorp #mel writes ficlets

[hashirazac]

I am not a big fan of everything related to Valentine's Day, but I have to admit that I wanted to bring to you a new short supercorp fanfic (a oneshot) with which to give you all as a thank you for the latest support received both in “Interregno” and in “We are august”. Unfortunately, I hadn't time/inspiration to write it, but the latest promotional images of Melissa in “The Girls on The Bus” gave to me a great hype... the hype enough to the level of rescuing an old supercorp fic that I created at the end of 2022 - beginning of 2023 based precisely on the character that Mel (Sadie McCarthy) is going to play and the character that Katie gave life masterfully in “Secrets Bridemaids' Business” (Saskia De Merindol); fic that, due to various personal issues, I didn't have time to start publishing on this years. But I never abandoned the story itself; so I have several fragments written and the skeleton of the structured argument practically complete. What is the good new? Well, as a Valentine's gift, I bring you the preview of this "new-old" fanfic.

Summary:

“Her hands burn every time she touches me; and it is a detail that, in the long run, I may end up loving more than necessary.” Everything has changed since the incident; them too: Saskia or Lena? A business woman linked to the legal profession and mostly focused on her work rather than on her disastrous love life. Sadie or Kara? A girl who has recently arrived in the city looking for any job that will help her achieve some stability in her personal life. Camouflaged identities, unspeakable secrets and a common past that should not come to light for anything in the world. What do you think? Table for two or better another round?

I will definitely translate this fic into english (I promise!) HERE.

I hope you like it and that you look forward to it as much as I do to write it for all of you. Until then, I remind you that you have more supercorp fics available for your reading on my wattpad and AO3: “Interregno” is already finished (with SPANISH & ENGLISH version) and “We are august” will continue to be updated. Thanks for everything.

Happy Valentine's Day for the supercorp fandom!

#supercorp #kara x lena #kara danvers x lena luthor #lena luthor #kara danvers #saskia de merindol #sadie mccarthy #supergirl #karlena #supercorp fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #supercorp fic #supercorp fanfiction #ao3 #secret bridesmaids business #the girls on the bus #wlw #valentines day #my fic #hashira fic #ao3 fanfic #ao3 link #saskia x sadie #saskie

[brigdh]

I used to write weekly reviews of what I was reading and post them to tumblr, but then I fell out of the habit. However, I did manage to finish some books last month, and maybe you will enjoy reading my thoughts?

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi. A thriller set in modern-day London. Anisa, a Pakistani immigrant from a wealthy family, dreams of translating great works of literature, but is stuck doing the subtitles on Bollywood movies. Her white boyfriend Adam speaks eight languages fluently, perfectly, like he was born to them. At first Anisa is only jealous, but then she learns that Adam is hiding a connection to the Centre, a mysterious organization that promises to teach anyone any language in only two weeks – for a price. And, well, who wouldn't be tempted? But visiting the Centre is only the beginning of Anisa's uncovering a whole host of secrets, as she meets and grows close to the Indian woman of her own age who runs the place; she and Anisa fall instantly into a close friendship which reveals some of Anisa's own missing pieces.

Anisa is a fabulous character – sympathetic and self-centered, unreliable and occasionally awful, trying her best but so often (like most of us) just justifying her own lack of action. The writing is fantastic, compelling and funny and sad and precise. Right from the first page, I had trouble putting it down.

The mystery of how the Centre does what it does is obvious from fairly early on, but I didn't feel like that was a problem. The drive of The Centre isn't so much about answering the question of "how?" but that of "what now?" Knowledge (of a language or of anything else) is power, but access to power is complicated by race, gender, sexuality, class, age, and so many other factors, all of which come into play. Anisa – and the other characters, and readers ourselves – want to remake the world for the better, but can she do so by using the tools of the powerful? Or would the act of using their tools change her into just another copy of them? The Centre doesn't answer these questions (and to be fair, how on earth could a single novel do so?), but the way it raises them and the dilemma it poses to Anisa is just so good.

Hugely recommended, and I can't wait for Siddiqi's next book.

Gilded Needles by Michael McDowell. A historical thriller set in 1880s New York City, focused on the rivalry between two families: the Stallworths and the Shanks. The Stallworths are upper-class, respectable, and include a judge, a preacher, a would-be politician, and a fashionable hostess of ladies' committees. The Shanks are sordid criminals, and include a fence, a prostitute, an abortionist (which, you know, I don't have much of a problem with, except that she cares less about her patients actually surviving the procedure and more about getting paid), opium addicts, and lesbians. They come to one another's attention when the Stallworths decide to lead a 'clean up the slum' operation to boost their own political prominence, which unfortunately happens to focus on the Shanks's neighborhood and ultimately causes the death of three of the Shanks. Black Lena, matriarch of the Shanks family, seeks revenge, and vows to kill three of the Stallworths in return.

This novel is better categorized as a thriller than as horror, which is unfortunate because I wanted something scary to read for Halloween. But despite that, it's hugely compelling, a real race of devious motives and sinister plots and squalid historical detail. Not a single character in the book is remotely likable, and despite their outward differences, the Shanks and the Stallworths are united in finding the very concept of morality irrelevant and laughable. The Shanks come out ahead as slightly easier to root for because at least they seem to like one another, whereas the Stallworths hate one another as much as they hate the poor, the unpopular, and the pathetic. Gilded Needles is a bit like watching a reality show, where everyone is terrible but you still have a great time throwing back popcorn as they tear the competition to bits.

A ton of trashy fun in a historical setting? My very favorite kind of book.

#book reviews #books #michael mcdowell #Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

[chaotic-super]

Two Options

Supercorptober Day 10 - Ice

Lena hands Kara a glass of water, the ice cubes clinking against the sides as it changes hands.

“So, what have you got for me this time, Ms Luthor? Time travelling device or a pill that can cure every disease in the world?” Kara smiles up at Lena from the white couch in her office and takes a sip from the glass before placing it down on the table opposite Lena’s own drink.

Lena hesitates briefly. “Well, I believe that you have far too much faith in me if you believe that would be truly possible because my designs for a time travel device couldn’t get us to yesterday afternoon let alone far enough back to see the dinosaurs in action.”

“So you have tried to design one?” Kara’s ears perk up and her eyes glisten with excitement at the prospect.

Lena tilts her head to the side for a second, her lips pinched to try and stop herself from smiling. “I may have had a few ideas back in the day, it’s a shame none of them panned out though.”

A devilish look comes across Kara’s face, giving Lena a chance to prepare herself for whatever teasing quip is about to fall from her lips. “Can I see the blueprints? I want to see the groundwork for the world’s most spectacular invention.”

“Yeah – that’s a no from me. Some things get lost in my filing cabinets on purpose.” Lena grimaces at the thought of some of her more…imaginative…creations.

Kara senses that Lena is ready to move on and doesn’t want to upset her favourite CEO of a fortune 500 company, so she transitions back into her reason for being here. “So, did you have something in mind to show me when you called me this morning?”

“Well, I have two things, an option for you really.” Her hands are sat on her lap, fingers intertwined to stop them from fidgeting and picking at her cuticles.

“Ok, that’s great, but I can’t promise that won’t end in me writing multiple articles about you because everything you show me ends up being incredible.” Kara reaches into her bag, digging around for her notepad and pen, ready to kick into full fledged reporter mode.

Lena outwardly struggles to get words out, her mouth opening and then closing again a second later as she tries to find a place to start. “One option is that I tell you all about my newest venture down in the labs and the other is a request of sorts.”

Kara was just about to start writing something down but upon hearing what Lena is saying, her pen pauses just above the paper and her focus shifts to the woman sat opposite her. “A request?”

“I- Yes.” Lena clears her throat, gathering her courage. “A request for you to put the notepad down and have lunch with me sometime, or maybe dinner.”

Kara’s mind freezes, comprehending what Lena is asking but not quite believing that it’s actually happening. “You…me…dinner?”

“Yes, I was hoping that perhaps you would be interested in going out sometime, on a date, that is.” Lena holds her breath after speaking, waiting for a response.

Kara flounders, completely unprepared and trying to fix her malfunctioning brain before Lena asphyxiates. “Are you being serious?”

“I am. Of course you are free to decline, and we can pretend that this never happened though, if you would prefer it that way. I will happily work with you for interviews and such if you say no, there’s no pressure here, Kara.” Despite the sentiment of her statement, Lena’s eyes are pleading with Kara, begging her from the very depths of her soul not to break her heart.

Kara doesn’t think she has the ability to say no to those eyes. “I don’t have to be back at the office for another three hours, do you fancy trying that new place down by the park, maybe go for a walk after if we have time?”

The apprehensive expression Lena was wearing disappears the instant Kara answers her. “And here I was thinking that I was asking you out.”

“Well, you got lost in a ramble, which is meant to be my job, so someone had to do the dirty work and come up with a plan.” Kara teases, dazzling grin aimed at the brunette.

“Good job you’re here to pick up the slack then, huh?”

“It is, now come on and finish your drink and we can get going.” Kara grabs her own glass and guzzles down the cool water, her throat bobbing with each swallow.

Lena follows her lead with a quick, “yes, ma’am” then stands, already half way across the office so she can grab her coat and her purse. “I am ready to go.”

Kara meets her by the door, arm held outwards in offering. Lena takes it, falling in stride with the hot blonde that she has somehow convinced to go out on a date with her.

“You know, I was expecting that if you said yes, we would maybe be going out sometime next week, not immediately.” Lena keeps her grip loose, nerves already pooling in her chest because Kara is throwing her so far out of her comfort zone that she can barely even see it on the horizon.

Kara actually snorts a little as she laughs at Lena and then has the cutest little blush afterwards because she knows that Lena heard it. “You got something better to do?”

Lena backtracks right away, holding her spare hand up in surrender. “Nope, nope. It was just an observation.”

“Well, you could always show me those blueprints if you aren’t feeling up to it.” Kara playfully wiggles her eyebrows, showing that she’s just joking, putting Lena at ease ever so slightly.

Together they step into the elevator, ready to head on down. “Well, I guess that since we’re officially going on a date that it would be unprofessional for you to be my go to reporter from CatCo, so it will be one of your colleagues to see them if I ever decide to share.”

Kara’s mouth hangs open in shock. “I’ve made a terrible mistake.”

Just as Lena is about to retort the elevator comes to a screeching halt, the lights flickering off before the emergency light turns on, a faint green glow lighting up the tiny box.

Kara clings to the railing even though they aren’t moving while Lena heads for the control panel and tries the ‘open door’ button, which doesn’t work, before trying the alarm.

They don’t get a response right away, but they do get patched through to security a few moments later.

“This is Lena Luthor, me and a guest are trapped in the elevator, we’re requiring assistance.”

The speaker buzzes with static before the voice of a guard blares through. “My apologies, Ms Luthor. The elevator has gone into lockdown mode, along with the entire building as a bomb threat was made so we will not be able to get you guys out of there until the building has been cleared by the appropriate authorities.”

“Right…ok. Just please have a team on standby to get us out as soon as you can.”

“Will do, Ms Luthor.”

Lena heaves out a deep sigh and lets her forehead rest against the cool metal of the elevator wall. “Sorry, Kara. I guess we will be rescheduling our date after all.” She turns to look at Kara and scrunches her eyebrows when she sees that Kara is leaning back into the railing, arms at her sides with a tight grip on the bars, and her eyes scrunched shut.

“Yep, I heard. By the way, have I ever mentioned that I get a teensy bit claustrophobic?” Kara keeps her eyes closed, focusing on resisting the urge to just break her way out of the little death box with her superstrength, she isn’t the kind of gal to give away all of her secrets on the first date and being Supergirl is one hell of a secret.

Lena instantly rushes to her side, only pausing when she’s right beside her, unsure if she should touch her or give her space. “What can I do?”

“Try and distract me from the fact we are trapped in here – and maybe hold my hand.”

Kara’s directed to take a seat on the floor, they may as well sit down since they are probably going to be stuck in here for a while and her hand is engulfed in Lena’s own. “Tell me what you were planning to order for lunch.”

“The biggest burger they have on the menu. I like to pick something that I can’t eat in a dignified way on the first date so I can weed out the ones with weak stomachs early because you are gonna be exposed to some sights if you’re dating me.” Kara laughs at her own joke.

Lena just rolls her eyes, watching Kara closely. “Well, I happen to have a very strong stomach and I’ve also already seen you eat almost an entire box of doughnuts by yourself when you brought them along to the last interview right after lunch, so everybody had already eaten. I have been meaning to ask if you did that on purpose though?”

“Of course I did that on purpose, like I was just going to hand out a full box of doughnuts without a plan to take at least half for myself, I’m on a budget and no way could I afford lunch on top of buying that box.” Kara opens her eyes, trying and failing to calm her rapidly beating heart even with the light hearted conversation there to distract her.

Lena watches Kara’s eyes dart around the small space. “Are you ok?”

“How do you feel about aliens punching holes in your buildings?” Kara asks, not at all bothered by the taken aback expression she receives.

“I would prefer that nobody punched holes in my buildings, why were you planning on calling Supergirl to come and rescue us? I’ve seen that you’ve worked with her before through some of your articles.”

“Something like that.”

Lena leans closer to Kara when the blonde pulls her knees up to her chest, eyes rapidly flicking to each wall, searching for a way out that Lena just can’t provide. “Tell me what you meant, maybe it will take your mind off it.”

Kara’s breaths stutter, and she begins to shake as the panic overtakes her. “If I tell you that, you would be following up our date with another date but this time with a pile of NDAs.”

“Sounds worth it to me.” Lena wraps an arms over Kara’s shoulder and uses the hand to try and push Kara’s head onto her shoulder, but it doesn’t move even an inch when her palm presses to the side of her head since Kara has gone completely stiff.

Kara slips her hand out of Lena’s and brings them both up to her chest, unbuttoning her shirt button by button so she doesn’t have to waste time by sewing them back on later.

“Kara, now is not really the time to be undressing.”

Lena’s mouth drops open when the familiar crest comes into view. “Oh fuck.”

The curse is enough to shock Kara out of her panic filled trance. “Surprisingly, that’s not the worst reaction I’ve ever had.”

“We’re you really expecting me to let you bust a hole in my elevator to let you out?” Lena asks, incredulous.

Kara shrugs, relaxing a little bit. Somehow telling such a big secret to Lena is helping her to relax instead of being all encompassed by her overwhelming claustrophobia. “It seemed like it was worth a try.”

“In your dreams.”

“Lena?”

Lena smiles at Kara, amused more than worried now that Kara doesn’t seem to be having such a hard time. “I’m not letting you cause damage to my building, no matter how cute you are when you pout.”

“I wasn’t going to ask again, I was just going to say that I really wish I didn’t have that water before we got stuck in here because now I need to piss like a racehorse.”

For some reason that makes Lena chuckle, and then fully laugh. The next thing she knows she’s full on belly laughing which makes Kara join in, soon howling right along with Lena, unable to look at her directly because it just makes her laugh more.

That’s how the guards find them when they get the doors open; sat on the floor, laughing so hard they think they might wet themselves. It’s a good job Kara buttoned up her shirt when she heard them working on the doors or else Lena won’t be the only one with NDAs overflowing her desk.

They are quickly informed that the threat was proven to be fake and that they are free to continue about their days as normal and neither of them have an issues doing just that.

Lena still drags Kara out of the building, fully intent on having her date. “After all of that, I’m going to watch you eat a massive burger while thinking about how cute your little squirrel cheeks are if it kills me, Supergirl because I’m not dating NDAs before I date you.”

Kara blushes as she lets Lena pull her along, a blush fixed to her cheeks. She’s never been so glad to be trapped in an enclosed space, and if she didn’t make it back to the office that day, well that’s nobody’s business but her own.

#supergirl #supercorp #kara danvers #lena luthor #kara x lena #kara zol el #fanfic #wlw #cw supergirl #supercorp endgame #chaoticsuper #supercorptober2022 #Supercorptober #supercorp fanfic

[livelaughlapush]

So I Just Re-Watched the Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Film and....

This Movie did not age well....

GIF by decisiontoleave

Like it is NOT Good. There some good things in it, and I actually like the film, but it is still NOT GOOD. But it does make me sad because, I absolutely loved the book, and they had changed so much, which is very disappointing. However the things that i liked still made me want to see more. Even though it wasn't exact, this was still going to be one of my favorite book franchises brought to life.

Yes, you can say this movie did bad, because it was bad, but there are many movies out there that are bad and do really well, cause at the end of the day Cinema is subjective. But one of things that i liked about the film were some of the actors. From Jamie Campbell Bower, to Lena Headey, to Aiden Turner, to Jared Harris, they were all so great. I'm not gonna lie though, Lily Collins either tried her best or just didn't try at all, because her acting in this film was rough, like i was getting high school play with her line delivery, the same with Robert Sheehan, it just felt that he was at some points trying to hard to seem nerdy, i hated his accent, and the actors who played Alec & Isabelle, the fact that they tried to make us believe that they were teens was hilarious.

The script was not the best, like some of the things that the people were doing and saying didn't make sense. Amanda the Jedi, pointed out herself, when she asked, why would this demon let this girl, who can see this weaponizing rune, in the club, and worse, why would he go into it and when Clary says "I don't remember anything she'd want me to forget," girl, that's the idea. And the music was definitely of its time, it was okay, that's it. The jokes were not clever and seemed a bit forced, but the ones they gave Jamie, he executed them pretty well. Many plot points in the film, were just to abrupt, the movie was much too long, some scenes felt rushed and forced. A lot of the romance was very corny, but Lily and Jamie had pretty good chemistry, so it kind of worked, and a lot the characters did not get enough development. The CGI is bad.

The main reason why I think this film did not do great, was because it was made much too late. This film came out in 2013, that was right when the Twilight Phenomenon was ending, and when Twilight ended, so did the YA Adaption craze, no really cared about it anymore, because at the end of the day it was all of the same tropes. Another thing that i think the movies got wrong was that it was clear they were trying to make the film more Twilight-esque, which is something that a lot YA films and books were doing, because Twilight was so successful. And the thing is many people think the Twilight films were horrible but they did amazing, but what the studio failed to realized was that this film, was based on books, that were based off of Harry Potter, specifically HP Fanfiction.

And yes the film, i think does a pretty good job at capturing the aesthetic of the books, and how like in HP, i think COB did an okay job portraying the fantasticalness of this discovery of a new world, which is something the Harry Potter films did beautifully. I know there was a show, but i did not like it. Now do I think that these books are perfect? absolutely not, but I do think they deserved, better quality then what they were given, film-wise? Yes!!!

I know the movie is not good, but it's fun and deserves a big-budget adaption, whether a film or a show. And I have a soft spot for this film, It might be because I love actors so much, so I actually wish that this movie got sequels; I want to that it had a bigger audience. Because of these books, this world has a rich lore that deserves to be told.

#the mortal instruments #the shadowhuter chronicles #the shadowhunters chronicles #the shadowhunters #city of fallen angels #jace herondale #jace and clary #jace wayland #clary frey #clary fray #clary x izzy #luke garroway #simon lewis #city of glass #jace lightwood #mortal instruments #city of bones #izzy x simon #magnus bane #city of heavenly fire #alec lightwood #isabelle lightwood #valentine morgenstern #the infernal devices #shadowhunters #clary fairchild #kit herondale #the dark artifices #jamie campbell bower #lena headey

[sanversandfriends]

Sanvers fans know her from her amazing contributions of art and fic to the Big Bang, but @morganastorm24 is also a multi-talented writer and artist for multiple ships in the DC universe. She also has love of everything Lois Lane. In honor of the Planet's star reporter, we've asked her to share a glimpse into her writing process. Thanks, Morgana!

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get started writing fic? Have you written for other fandoms? What are your favorite tropes?  

I've been writing for as long as I can remember - even longer according to my mum. I've always loved creating stories and would sit with my teddies and toy horses, reading them stories (even before I could read, because that's what pictures are for, right? Telling a thousand words and all that). For my 6th or 7th birthday, I apparently asked for a "really nice writing set and an even nicer book to write in". I was given a ring binder with plastic pockets, a notebook and a pencil case full of stationery. I still have that ring binder to this day, though it's not filled with all my random childish scribbles like it once was. 

I started writing fanfiction not long after Star Wars: Attack of the Clones came out. That's the earliest fanfic I can remember writing, anyway. I wrote Anakin and Padme's adventures after they got married, and then when rumours started flying about what was going to happen in Episode 3, I wrote my very first "fix it fic" by finding a way to keep Padme alive (as I couldn't bear the thought of my favourite character dying). Most of those very early fics never left the pages of the notebooks they were scrawled in and nobody else ever saw them (thank god!), but it wasn't until I started reading fanfiction online that I realised I could actually do that too - share my ideas with the world. I dabbled a little in fanfic for the tv show Casualty (a British medical drama), had more success with Doctor Who, wrote some more Star Wars, then Merlin and eventually (and most recently) Supergirl (with a dash of other DC). 

What were your inspirations for this particular story? What was it about this/these ships that grabbed you?

This fic was born of a single image - namely Chyler first revealing that she was going to wear a black and blue super suit and become Supergirl for one episode. That image alone was enough to get my mind racing with possibilities and ideas of how it might come to pass. I have to be honest and say I stopped watching the show after the Crisis stuff, so I've never actually seen her episode as Supergirl, but maybe that's a good thing? At least this way I know that my version of her is different and unique.

I am and always will be a huge Sanvers stan, but there's something so appealing about AgentCorp as well, and the show really dropped the ball when they wouldn't let Alex and Lena be together. They're an interesting and dynamic pairing - they share interests, are both huge science nerds and yet so completely different that its great fun writing them both together.

As for Lois and Kara - that one literally came out of nowhere and took me by surprise. I'd never intended for it to happen, and yet now that it has, I'm wondering why I never thought of it sooner!

Has the time spent away from your story changed your outlook or approach to any of the storylines or themes? Have you had any new inspirations or breakthroughs/revelations in the meantime? 

Absolutely. I got to a point with the fic where it had grown stale, and I was constantly hitting up against a wall with no idea how to get around it, or to power through it. So, I walked away from the fic and decided to focus on other WIPs and new creations instead. Coming back to it now, I've been able to see everything with fresh eyes, and I can see not only where I was going wrong before, but also a way to fix it. Changing the villain, adding characters, getting rid of redundant plot threads and adding more relevant pieces has really helped to get this work to a place where finally, I can see the finish line and I know I'm going to make it. That's a huge relief, considering where I was 2 years ago when I first started writing it.

Any advice for new or aspiring fic writers?

Never give up. No matter how hard it might be, just put words on a page. It doesn't matter how rubbish they are, as my BFF always says, "You can't edit a blank page." Let yourself suck, let yourself write horrendously. It's all good practice. Even if those words never leave your notebook or the document on your computer, they've taught you something, they've helped you to improve, so be proud of them.

Writing is also a bit like a painting. Not even Da Vinci or Van Gogh sat at his easel and created a masterpiece on his first try. There's the initial sketches to plan out the idea. That's your plot or summary. Then you add basic blocks of colours. That's your first draft. From then on, you work away slowly, adding details, shading, contouring...those are your second, third, fourth drafts. Keep revising and editing as much as you need - there's no right or wrong number of times you should be doing it. Because each time you do, you're adding more detail to your masterpiece. And what you end up with is a work of art.

One final piece of advice... writing is not a solo event. All those times a writer is depicted sitting along, tapping away at a keyboard or scribbling in a notebook, it's so misleading. Get yourself a writing buddy. DKGwrites and I are best friends, we met through fanfiction (and I'm eternally grateful for that everyday). We have regular writing sessions together, and ok it's 90% messing around, distracting one another, talking utter nonsense or throwing random videos and links to each other, but that 10% when we do actually behave and get down to the task at hand, it's so much more fun writing together than it ever is when we try to write alone. Silliness aside, we help one another, bounce ideas off one another, motivate and encourage one another, and it's the best thing ever. So find yourself a writing buddy, and have a blast!

If you were going to promote this fic with a single line, what would it be? 

What if Supergirl was a badass redhead called Alex Danvers?

We'll have more about her artwork in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, check out her work on A03!

#Supergirl #Finish the Fic #AgentCorp #Kaois #Lois Lane

[lena-rambles]

fill in the blank tag game

Thanks @violets-in-her-arms-writes for the tag!

Rules: fill in the blanks with as much or little detail as you would like and tag some writer friends to play too. (you can find the original post here)

Hello, there. My name is Lena. I'm a writer of the fantasy, fantasy-adjacent, romance, and poetry genres (is poetry a genre...?) and I love to write about queer women, grief, moral ambiguity, family, and finding where you belong in a big, demanding world.

I am SFW and write about grief, death, and war in my current WIPs, so just be aware of that. I also write about panic attacks, anxiety attacks, and on-screen premeditated murder in other projects, so they may show up at some point. Tropes you will never find in my writing include a goody-two-shoes hero saving the world, sci-fi, or great power imbalances in a romantic pair.

In my humble opinion, my best work I've posted is a poem I wrote last year because I thought it was exquisite, it got published, and I won an award for it. I'm not sharing it, however, because it has my real name and location attached. My all-time favorite character I've made is Nika! She's mentioned in this post and I can't wait to share more about her. The best way I could briefly describe her is that she's sunshine with trauma and a scholarly upbringing.

Something I'd love for you to know about my writing that isn't listed in this game is I can't write typical cishet relationships. Erin and Theo — Theo loves Erin and she cares deeply for him, but doesn't love him the same way. Nika and Kalden — she's pan and he's something something not straight. Don't know yet. But yeah, I am unable to write cisheteronormative couples as main characters and that's fine.

Also I'm like Cécile in that I don't usually stick with a project for a long time . . . I'm surprised I've been working on Long Live for as long as I have. So please don't be surprised if I change tracks lol

Thank you for reading and now I (softly) challenge the following people to fill this out: @lyssa-ink, @revenancy, @nightinthebuilding, @zmwrites, @reneesbooks, @ethaeriea if you haven't done it yet + anyone else who'd like to jump on the bandwagon :)

#writing games! #writeblr intro #2.0

[glowyjellyfish]

Is there still a Ducktales fandom here? Most of the blogs I followed around the 2017 times have either changed subjects or gone quiet. Well, anyway, if anybody’s still here:

I started rewatching Ducktales 2017 over the holiday, with the intent of finally finishing the last few episodes! I’m in the middle of s2 and very excited. So I went through and started editing my playlist, which hasn’t really been updated since season 1. And I’m wondering if any other fans out there have any song ideas. I’d like to have a fairly equal amount of songs for each major character, and so far my favorites tend to be over represented.

Here’s what I have so far:

General amusement songs:

Ducktales theme song

Quack Quack Quack! Donald Duck

The Three Caballeros Song

Scrooge

The Saddest Story Ever Told by The Magnetic Fields

Hazy Shade of Winter by Gerard Way

Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man

Inside Out by Eve 6

We Are the Champions by Queen

Donald

Trouble Loves Me by Morrisey

The Worst Day Since Yesterday by Flogging Molly

Come With Me Now by Kongos

Battle Cry by Ludo

Return by OK Go (although it’s about Della, from his perspective)

Della

Song of the Sea by Cake Bake Betty

Got to Fly by Marian Call (the best Della song)

Rocket Ship by Kathy McCarty

Huey

The Trail We Blaze by Elton John

Overkill by Colin Hay (I kinda want to replace this one)

In Too Deep by Sum 41

Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara

Dewey

Ready for Anything by Skyway Flyer

A Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley (the Megamind cover)

Ghost by Mystery Skulls

Louie

Plan B by Five Iron Frenzy

Heist by Ben Folds Five

Here It Goes Again by OK Go

Natural by Imagine Dragons

The Future by Mystery Skulls

Webby

Kids in the Dark by All Time Low

I’m Ready by Angela Michael

Try Everything by Shakira

Beakley

Have You Got It In You? by Imogen Heap

Launchpad

Crash Goes My World by Cadence Grace

Flying by Blue Rodeo

Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

All Star by Smash Mouth (the best Launchpad song)

Bud Like You by AJR

Holding Out For a Hero by Bonnie Tyler (favorite recent addition, it’s both perfect and hilarious)

Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters

Gyro

Build the Robots by Doctor Steel

Still Alive from Portal

Fenton (should note that his section is a bit of a mess and may include songs that don’t work very well because I was just tossing songs in there to see what would stick)

Rocket Man by Elton John (although it works better for Classic Fenton than 2017 Fenton)

A Better Son/Daughter by Rilo Kiley

Freaking Out by Mystery Skulls

The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats (haven’t tested it yet, but the idea amused me)

Hero by Chad Kroeger

Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons

Mighty Little Man by Steve Burns

Consequences by Buffering the Vampire Slayer

We Are by Ana Johnson

Lena

Opheliac by Emilie Autumn

Glomgold

Opportunities by Pet Shop Boys

Reprehensible by They Might Be Giants

Mark Beaks

Whipped Cream by Ludo

Welcome to the Internet by Bo Burnham

Gladstone

Life Has Been Good To Me by Randy Newman

…and that’s it. As you can see, it does not feel like a complete playlist, covering neither every character nor any full arcs. …except maybe Launchpad who’s pretty well represented with some good and great songs for him. My sister has suggested I try Let the Games Begin and The Good Part by AJR, as well as You Won’t Make a Fool Out of Me by Flogging Molly for Donald, but I would like some songs I haven’t heard by different artists, if possible. Also, please note that I haven’t seen the last five or so episodes of the series yet; I have approximate knowledge of The One Thing, but otherwise am avoiding spoilers until I finish.

Any ideas?

#Ducktales 2017 #Ducktales

[ekowolf]

TW

“The great inheritance. Born with and into it. Infused with her blood. Pain was no mere visitor to Lena; it was more like a constant companion, one more faithful to her than anything in her life. It clung to her like an unwanted shadow. Cleaved to her skin and whispered her name as if they shared some kind of diseased bond. No matter how long she tried to deny it to everyone, especially herself, this was a lifelong sentence. 

Sleep offered no reprieve from its call. All night, her body tossed and turned relentlessly in a desperate search for a barely bearable position. It was truly a cruel and savage commander that allowed her to barely taste rest—a tease, really—only to wake her with a vice grip before it could ultimately take root. No amount of denial or distraction could change that. 

When will this end? When will everything stop hurting? Could someone please dilute her? Make her a little easier to be around. Make it a little easier to get some sleep.

Whether it was mental or physical, pain haunted her nights with its heavy weight, engulfing her in a suffocating fog so thick that she sometimes couldn't see a way out. It displaced her in her own bed, ripping the bones from her body, each breath stolen by its unrelenting presence—a fog so thick that at times, she couldn't see a way out. Sometimes, it felt like her hair was too heavy to handle; the dark strands were an added burden to the weight she was already carrying. She was done asking the world for happiness. All she needed was a little less pain. 

Despite the affliction being crippling, Lena's dealings with it were her most intimate encounters. It lived on the deepest insides of her, touched everything that made her who she was, claimed her body, and mastered her muscles. Clearly, it was able to siphon all her strength to the point where she thought she'd never see it again. She was well-versed and uniquely acquainted with the villains that lived in her head. Kara was the only person who made the mistake of trekking deep enough inside to brush everything with gentle fingers. Just a taste. Just a glimpse. And the mere thought of causing Kara to experience a second of the same helplessness she felt was enough to make her keep it locked away. Even though it was a constant burden, it was hers to bear. Hers and hers alone. 

She was a scientist; a pragmatist. But most of the time she couldn't ignore the artistry of this thing that lived in her. It manifested in different ways, but mostly it twisted and warped her body until it was almost unrecognizable. Changed her in a way that could never be reversed. Her favorite, though, was how it seeped into her thoughts, clouding her mind and making it difficult to focus on anything but its inescapable presence. Lena had invisible grief coursing through her, pressing into her, resembling that of a person sobbing alone in a dark room, its echo reverberating in her very bones. Or maybe something similar to an unrelenting urge to lay her head down on a table for a while, regardless of where or who she was with. A sadness that she didn't want to deal with or acknowledge. Misery tugged at her shirt and sat squarely on her shoulders, begging to be her best friend, to be heard. It called her by name. Made itself a home. Made her bed a casket. As always, the feeling begged to meet her in the eye, but she avoided its gaze despite hearing it twenty-four-seven”

I don’t think i’ve ever read something that feels like it was ripped from my soul

#supercorp #supergirl #lena luthor #kara danvers #no sleep club #ao3 #writing

[miras-ash]

Epilogue of "Just as the stars love the night"

Ash's pov

One year later...

I strolled with Yumiko through the parking lot of the stadium. In front of me I pushed the buggy in which Estella babbled and next to it ran Maho who was very amused about it. They both grew up so fast, I remembered exactly how small they used to be, time passed so quickly and soon we would welcome dwarf number three in our midst. Yumi was heavily pregnant with Jordan's child, they were supposed to start their planned trip around the world months ago but that plan was promptly scrapped when they found out about their blessing. I was so happy for them, they deserved all the happiness in the world. As for me, or rather Elena and I, our family planning was complete. With Estella and work we had our hands full. It took us a long time to adjust to a normal everyday life again but with the help of our friends it worked out.

Together we entered the stadium, it was a hot summer day and we had spontaneously decided to visit our loved ones at the training. The Tournament of the Champions was in a few days and everything was running at full speed. This year Lena would still be competing for Nighthaven since she was still under contract and even though it seemed strange to me I was cheering for Kali's troop this year. She should just not get used to it, next summer she would have no more chances should I be released for the service and participate again. I hoped so much, I loved being a mother but I wanted to get back in the saddle and work but I wasn't quite out of the woods yet. Sometimes nightmares and panic attacks still plagued me but with time it became less and less.

Yumiko and I crossed the lower area, past the changing rooms and entered the interior of the large dome. We walked the familiar path along the side to the benches where the various teams sat. I got Stella out of her stroller and put her on the grass, there she could crawl in peace as she wanted without anything dangerous lying around. Maho got all jittery, she had hoped that Jordan was already done and took her to the training building where she was allowed to drive around with a drone as long as it was not one of Twitch's, the last time she had zapped Mozzie with it a few times who did not find it as funny as the rest. She kept an eager lookout while playing with Estella.

Yumi sat down on one of the benches and stroked her round belly. She was beaming like the sun.

"Oh Liz, are you sure you don't want another one? You're such great mothers and I'm sure Stella would love a sibling. Maybe we can even get pregnant at the same time then, imagine that."

Her eyes shone with joy at the thought and she seemed to have her head in the clouds.

I looked at her and raised my eyebrow.

"No for the last time, you know how I feel about it. I love my daughter and wouldn't trade her for anything but I also want to finally do something for myself again. I want to get healthy and start back at Rainbow, I miss it so much. Besides, she already has a sister and soon a brother. We all spend so much time together that she will never feel alone. And another thing you douche, both of us pregnant at the same time? Our partners would leave the country. We're bad enough as it is."

She shrugged and replied "Well maybe I'll talk to Mira, she might see it differently."

Suddenly a voice sounded behind us "What do you want to talk to me about?"

Elena was standing there, she had already changed her clothes. Apparently she had finished her workout and had gone to take a shower while we waited. Jordan also appeared next to her, which did not escape Maho's notice. She ran up to in and let him lift her into the air.

"Hi Dad!!! Can we go?"

She had started calling him that over the last few months and Jordan couldn't have been prouder. Together they went off to play with the drone.

Mira picked Estella up and then joined us.

"So what about me?"

I rolled my eyes and said "Yumi thinks we should expand our family."

Elena laughed "Why, she's already doing that for us with Jordan or is she talking about a dog?"

She earned a nasty look from Hibana who got up and waddled away. Someone should have told her that she couldn't be taken seriously like that.

We amused ourselves for a while, then Mira changed the subject.

"So what do you say? Do we have a chance against Rainbow?"

I snorted, she knew how to draw me out.

"They don't stand a chance against you guys. You'll flatten them."

Never would I have thought to root for Nighthaven, I guess I was more mentally unstable than I thought.

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly. We went for a walk as a large group and family and then ended the evening without children in a restaurant. I had missed that so much, to lead a normal life without being on the run or having to fear for my loved ones. But now everything was finally good. I had people around me who loved me and for whom I felt the same. When I think about it, I had everything I ever wanted and needed. I was happy.

The end.

#rainbow six siege #ash #r6 ash #tom clancy #eliza cohen #mira x ash #r6s mira #mira #ash x mira #mirash #r6 mira #ashmira #hibana #r6s thermite #thermite #r6 fanfiction #fanfiction #rainbow six #epilogue

[alexissara]

My Currently [Or Recently Active] TTRPG OCs.

The best part of TTRPGs for me as a GM or a Player is making characters. As a story teller I have always been a character driven woman and I've always enjoyed a big cast of characters since I really enjoy characters in general. I wanted to share some of the characters I've been really enjoying playing as recently while I've been playing TTRPGs.

Feel free to share yours as a reblog and if you like my OCs and want to see work featuring these or similar characters in the future you could run on over to my patreon or ko-fi and help me have the money to make more cool art.

[Art By https://twitter.com/Atobe_draws ]

Lena and Nela Arondite [She/Gay]

System: Thirsty Sword Lesbians

Playbooks: Scoundrel, Ensemble, Matriarch

Blood Princess Lena Arondite, Captain Lena Of The Liberators, a woman of several titles who is always ready to defy fate. Lena is plural and her headmate Nela shares the body with her, they both use the name Lena with most people. Lena was a runaway princess, not wanting to marry the man her parents set up for her. So after a few failed attempts to escape with her beloved she ran away on her own which lead to her becoming Captain Of The Liberators. After years her crew were captured by a Bounty Hunter Lena played a game of cat and mouse with forcing her to surrender herself for their sake. She was forced back into being a princess but this time serving a different country reporting back any and all information to their head of information.

The disaster Lesbian fell in love with a lot of people, went through a big encounter finding out she is plural and that their purple eyes weren't an accident but that The Pure Lady, a twisted parasite goddess had intended them to be part of her plans inserting a piece of herself in them when they were yet alive. Lena was captured by her and saved by her friends and new lovers she made at the Academy she had been forced to attend.

After this she playbook changed representing the relationship between herself and Nela as they began to really understand the powers granted to them by the defeated goddess and more about themselves. During this time they also had a couple of babies. Becoming a family woman with both new babies and dating a mother of twins paired with her found family she switched over to a Matriarch. Gay are dealing with the conflict of wanting to do it all for everyone and be it all for everyone. Lena loves her family, wants to make the world a better place, has obligations to the kingdom again for a long term plan to remove the throne, and is helping fight in a revolution all while trying to be with all the people she loves.

[Art by https://twitter.com/matte_bat_ ]

Selena/Selene Tsukino [She/Her]

System: Super Idols RPG

Playbook: The Actor

Queen Selene built an indie pop power house with her dear friends. She created the new band The Powder Kegs gathering who she thought were the best indie talents on the table to win the battle of the bands reality show The Tour. Selena's parents were part of an international mob her mom and dad ran the Japanese part of the operations but they would often take her traveling with her. With that they imparted the importance of her learning English along with her families native Spanish and Japanese. She would eventually move to America with her aunt once her parents were in hot water. The pop star hoped that her music could inspire other trans women and lesbians to be fully themselves but also hopes that it can inspire people to oppose the oppressive structures of power that lead to her family being involved in stuck in mob activity.

As a super idol she has the power to create things with her voice and shapeshift. She is not great at fighting and is far more of a tactical mind putting together schemes, flirting, seducing, manipulating, and a pretty good shot if she has to. Queen Selene is determined to win the gameshow and boosting Empress Records to make her dreams come true. Even then though, her secret dreams may come to clash with her new friendships and partnerships and it's an exciting ride.

[Made With https://picrew.me/image_maker/1414503 ]

Arma Guardiana [She/Gay]

System: The Watch

Playbook: The Lioness

Arma has recently been turned into an NPC for the story the next character is in but I still wanted to go over my poor traumatized transbian. Once, Arma was in love with a girl named Elspeth. They were from separate flocks, ones that had a centuries long grudge but she demanded their love be respected and it was at the very least tolerated. Traveling together with a group to gather resources for their peoples Elspeth was among the first few to be corrupted by The Shadow, a force that turned men into terrible monsters and seeked turning others mostly into things of beauty of objects.

Arma defeated the corrupted Elspeth but didn't kill her hoping she would return to normal one day. She joined The Watch a group of women set to fight The Shadow taking care of her own Talon of Soliders. Eventually leading to her facing off against Elspeth once again only now she was far more powerful, thinking she was totally lost she killed her only to find she was in fact still in there, knowing there was some way to heal her she had not thought of.

After that battle she was even more jaded defying orders to face the Shadow at it's source with her talon. Together they defeated it removing it's sway over their continent but refused a hero status becoming a wander after suddenly taking care of a baby.

[ Made With https://picrew.me/image_maker/1630807 ]

Lethe Guardina [She/Her]

System: Thirsty Sword Lesbians

Playbook: The Naga

Born of the shadow and her mother Arma Lethe was always a strange girl. Her mother raised her to hide her true nature, her flame powers and her origins. Even she isn't sure how Lethe came to be or why, all she knows is she looks a whole lot like her now long dead girlfriend Elspeth. Lethe became a healer using her powers to heal "The Scared" from their shadows letting them go back and live life no longer monstrous and a threat to others.

With her two fellow healers at her side they are traveling the lands helping heal people one person at at a time. Yet, on their latest mission they had managed to heal someone only to let someone else escape and grow more powerful in the pull they had from the shadow. The trio are now licking their wounds at their own failure as they return to the city unknowingly getting wrapped into something bigger.

[Made With https://picrew.me/image_maker/1650524 ]

Tiara Tamer

System: Thirsty Sword Lesbians

Playbook: The Chosen

The key to the gate between worlds, Tiara Tamer knows her destiny is important yet firmly disagrees with her mothers approach to her destiny. Tiara is set to be wed to the number one player of Essentia: The Summoning in the world with her card and the Key's to her mother's company all gifted to that top player if they can manage to stay on top. Tiara cooked up a scheme with her best friend Ariana for them to take the number one spot. Yet, Ariana ended up betraying her when she became number one serving her mother as dutifully as the last number one.

Tiara heart broken clings to just a few sparks of joy left in her, her childhood best friend Bell and a new group she has been assigned to work with that seem like maybe, just maybe they won't be the same kind of users she dealt with her whole life. Still the card game playing Lesbian's willpower and confidence is faltering as she faces heart break after heart break.

[I can't find the source picrew I used]

Serena Owlnight (She/Gay) [Four Houses Edition]

System: Thirsty Sword Lesbains

Playbook: The Chosen

The Vampire Witch Serena Owlnight was reanimated in a strange way unlike any vampire before her. She became a vampire after totally breaking the mind control of The Pure Lady [Remember her from Lena's info] having lived as her twisted Paladin for some time. The witch had lived with her adoptive mother Jillian Owlnight helping her with cases and living life as a chill flirty lesbian. Until when she was looking into some missing persons for someone and found a Pure Light outpost preparing to mind control a group of people. She fought to set them free but was captured after getting everyone else out. When she was set free by the party she returned to her mothers side only to eventually move with the rest of the party to help her best friends and girlfriend all of whom had decided to take up home with the parties.

Serena is looking to uncover what it means for her to be vampire all while Elder Vampires look to turn her into their own tool. This is all happening while she helps no the front lines of the revolution of her home land. She is a organizer for the anarchist movement across Dragonia and doing her best to make sure the labor forces in the revolution don't crumble. In secret she worries she is a danger to everyone around her due to the nature of her transformation and the trauma for being made to fight against her core Values for years under The Pure Ladies control.

#Lesbian #Lesbians #Idols #magical girls #pirates #pirate women #OCs #TSL #Thirsty Sword Lesbians #Sword Lesbians #Sword lesbian #Lena Arondite #Super Idols RPG #PBL #PBTA #TTRPG #TTRPG OC #TTRPG OCs #Lesbian OCs #Sapphic OCs #Tabletop rpg #tabletop role playing game #Arma #Serena Owlnight #Selena/Selene Tsukino #Selena Tsukino #Selene Tsukino #Arma Gurdiana #Lethe Guardina #Tiara Tamer

[todoslosdiasdemivida]

SEND ME “NOW, HONESTLY…” AND A QUESTION AND MY MUSE(S) WILL ANSWER: 

…. HOW THEY WOULD NORMALLY RESPOND …. HOW THEY WOULD RESPOND IF THEY HAD TO BE TOTALLY HONEST

Now honestly, Reyes, how do you feel about Strike Commander Jack Morrison?

At the start…

…. HOW THEY WOULD NORMALLY RESPOND

"Jack is a good soldier. Maybe even a great one. He follows order, but also knows how to use his best judgement to adapt when a situation calls for it. Anyone would be glad to have him under their command."

…. HOW THEY WOULD RESPOND IF THEY HAD TO BE TOTALLY HONEST [ so we'll say for the purposes of this that he's talking to Ramona ]

"Honestly? I don't know what I'd do without him, Mona. I always know I can trust him. No matter how heavy the fire gets, he's right there with me. Hell, he's even saved my ass on more than a few occasions… I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that Jack may be one of the best friends I've ever had."

Later…

…. HOW THEY WOULD NORMALLY RESPOND

"If he'd actually do his job and not worry about the approval of every damn politician he can find, we could get some real work done, maybe make an actual difference… But then, my opinion doesn't matter. I'm not the one with a statue, so what do I know?"

…. HOW THEY WOULD RESPOND IF THEY HAD TO BE TOTALLY HONEST [ again, talking to Ramona ]

"Honestly?" he says and he seems to just deflate as he drops to sit on the edge of the bed, all of the anger and bluster bleeding away from him as he does so. "I don't know. He's not listening to me anymore, Mona. I tell him what's going on, and what I get back is some placating, PR statement about how he'll talk to Gerard or whatever political bastard he's convinced will want to solve the problem despite the fact that they are the problem. He either doesn't see the games they're playing, or, worse, he sees them and thinks that he still has to play by their rules to keep Overwatch functioning…"

He sighs and brings his head up to rub at closed eyes.

"The truth, is that Jack's in over his head, and, the unfortunate fact about when you try to save someone from drowning? Chances are higher that they'll pull you right down with them…"

Now…

…. HOW THEY WOULD NORMALLY RESPOND

" Jack Morrison is DEAD. What remains is nothing more than a pathetic shadow. "

…. HOW THEY WOULD RESPOND IF THEY HAD TO BE TOTALLY HONEST [ maybe to Sombra? ]

" Let him fight his HOLY WAR. Let watch his world crumble around him because it isn't ENOUGH and let him SUFFER. Nothing he does will EVER right his wrongs, and––no matter how he likes to cast blame around to others, at the end of the day––he KNOWS IT. He left me to DIE in the rubble, left me to become THIS. He deserves everything that happens next. "

BONUS…

BUT IF HE COULD GET PAST THE ANGER TO WHAT'S BEYOND IT

"We failed, Jack. WE FAILED. You have to ACCEPT THAT. All we can do now is to clean up the mess we made, so that the people who are left––BETTER people than us like Jesse and Lena––can pick up the pieces and put them back together. You play your part… I'll play mine… That's how it always has been. No reason to change it at the end…"

#|| that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger || { about gabriel / reaper } #// I couldn't decide Anon #// So have the full progression here. #// xD

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 137: Silver Linings

(WARNING!: This chapter contains death at the end. If you want to skip, stop before the paragraph that begins with “In Japan...”)

In Japan, late into the night, the SIU director was on the phone. “Yes. We are monitoring the situation and preparing for all eventualities…Of course sir…It is a shame that we have to get rid of him, but he has not been serving your cause adequately…Don’t worry. We’ll still have the school…Yes…Now, as for our plan, things seem to be progressing swimmingly…I know things got a little too hot in the summer, but I assure you, things will go better here. I will see to it personally…Thank you sir.”

He hung up. “Hm. Those Phantom Thieves have been getting quite lucky. But soon they will see that they are messing with the wrong people. After all, only a handful of people can change the world.”

The next morning, Ren, Ann, Lena, and Shiho were gathered in the lobby. “It’s strange to think that tomorrow we’re going to be on a plane back home,” Ann said.

“I know what you mean,” Shiho said. “These kinds of things always feel like they last way too short.”

“Yeah,” Lena said. “Hawaii is quite nice. I’d like to come back someday.”

“Me too,” Ren said. “Preferably in an environment that lets us do more.”

“Yeah,” Ann said, dejected. “But I will admit, this has been a nice appetizer.”

“Also true,” Ren said.

“So, what should we do today?” Ann wondered.

Before anyone could answer, Ryuji approached the group. “Hey, um, Ann?” They all looked at him. Ryuji had a slight blush on his face. “Well, uh, seeing as this is our last full day in Hawaii, well, I was kind of thinking, maybe, you know, we could hang out…jus…just the two of us…you know?”

Ann was surprised. “Are…Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Well…uh…yeah…” Ryuji admitted, sheepishly.

Ann smiled, giggled, and said “Of course!”

“Great!” Ryuji said. “Um, so, do you wanna hit up the beach again?”

Ann nodded. “Sure.”

“Great!” Ryuji said. “So, um, let’s get changed, and I’ll meet you there?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ann replied.

Ryuji nodded. “Right. See ya soon!”

“Hm hm. See ya!” Ann said. The two of them headed to their rooms to change.

“Well, that’s two down…” Ren noted.

“Well, three, actually,” Shiho said. Ren was surprised. “I…promised my volleyball friends that we’d play a little today. And I think I might drag Yuuki along, so four, technically.”

“I see,” Ren said. “Well, have fun.”

Shiho nodded. “Thanks.” Shiho walked off.

“Ummm, well…” Lena said, nervously. “I was kind of thinking I could go off by myself.” Ren seemed confused. “Well, um, I was kind of thinking of looking for a gift for Goro. He’s a little hard to shop for, so it might take a while. And, um, I kind of wanted to do it on my own.”

Ren nodded. “Good luck.”

Lena nodded back. “Thanks. See you around!” She rushed off to go shopping for Akechi.

“Hmmm,” Ren said. “Come to think of it, I still need to get Sumire something. Maybe I should do some shopping too.”

Makoto walked up to her. “Where’s everyone else?” she asked.

“Oh!” Ren said, surprised. “They went off to do their own thing.”

“I see,” Makoto said.

“You know, I was just about to do some shopping,” Ren said. “You wanna come with?”

Makoto shook her head. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I should spend this time checking in on people.”

Ren smiled. “Always working hard, aren’t you?”

Makoto chuckled. “It’s kind of a part of me.”

“I didn’t mean to be rude,” Ren said. “I like how diligent you are.”

“Thanks,” Makoto said.

“Well, we should get going,” Ren said. “We don’t want to waste our time, now do we?”

“Of course,” Makoto said. The two of them split up, and went about their business.

Ryuji was waiting by the beach. Ann rushed over. “Hi!” she shouted. Once she arrived. “I’m ready.”

“Well, almost,” Ryuji said. Ann was confused. Ryuji held up a flower. “I thought…you could maybe put this in your hair.”

Ann was delightfully surprised. “Oh. Sure!” She took the flower out of Ryuji’s hand and attached it at the base of her right pigtail. She struck a pose. “So, what do you think?”

Ryuji’s face went red. “It’s…better than I could have imagined.”

Ann giggled. “Thanks. So, what’s the plan?”

“Well, uh…” Ryuji said. “I mean, we only can go so far, so I was thinking maybe we could just start with another walk along the beach.”

Ann giggled some more. “Well, it sounds wonderful anyway. Let’s go.” Ryuji nodded, and offered her his hand. Ann took it, and the two started walking side-by-side on the beach. As they were walking, Ann remarked “You know, the beaches here are really remarkable!”

“You can say that again,” Ryuji said. “But I still think you’re more remarkable.”

“Oh, stop!” Ann said, blushing and playfully shoving Ryuji.

“Eh heh,” Ryuji laughed. “I’m just being honest.”

Ann smiled. “Well, you’re pretty remarkable too, you know.”

“Eh heh. You think so?”

“Absolutely.” The two continued their walk on the beach.

Meanwhile, the former volleyball team members who came on the trip were taking turns playing volleyball. Shiho was taking a break, while Mishima hadn’t jumped in yet. He was just on the sidelines watching. Shiho took a seat next to him. “Hey Yuuki,” Shiho said. “What’s up?”

“Oh, uh, hey Shiho,” Mishima said nervously. He sighed. “I’m flattered, but, um, well, you know I’m not terribly good at volleyball. So I figured I’ll just watch.”

“Nonsense,” Shiho said. “You’re really good at volleyball. You’ve been doing it this whole time.”

“Well, yeah…” Mishima said. “But that was more to just stay friends with you.”

“Well, mission accomplished then,” Shiho said.

“But…now with the volleyball team out of commission…” Mishima continued, “...I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”

“Well, you know I’m working on trying to bring the team back together,” Shiho said.

“I know…” Mishima said. “But…you know I might not join back up. Then where does that leave us?”

Shiho smiled. “Well then, we’ll still be friends. I mean, we’ve been doing stuff outside of volleyball recently, right?”

Mishima felt a little conflicted. “I guess…but you might be too busy for me.”

“I’m never too busy for a friend,” Shiho said. Mishima sighed. He was still working through his inner demons about his own self worth, and didn’t quite know how to explain that to Shiho. “Hm?” Shiho interjected. “Well, if you want me to prove it, we can just go.”

Mishima was taken aback. “Wha?! Just like that?!”

“Just like that,” Shiho repeated.

“But…the others…” Mishima said.

“They’ll be fine,” Shiho said.

Mishima still wasn’t entirely sure of himself to drag Shiho away. So he shook his head and said “No. I’ll jump in for a game.”

Shiho was surprised. “Really?”

“Really,” Mishima repeated.

“Well, alright then,” Shiho said. “Hey!” she called out. “Mishima and I are tagging in after this game!” The others were slightly puzzled, but nodded.

The next game started, and Mishima was determined to try his hardest. Alright Mishima, you got this!

“Heads up!” Mishima looked up and saw the ball in the air. He successfully completed a volley.

Heh! Alright! He was psyched. The game went on and Mishima was doing pretty well. Alright! I think I’m getting back in the swing of this!

The next thing Mishima could remember was him waking up in the bed of his hotel room with Shiho, another member of the volleyball club, and his roommate standing over him. “Ugh. What happened?”

“Well, we were playing volleyball, Shiho explained. “And, well, Yukina here did a spike, and, well, it kind of hit you…”

Yukina, who was wearing an orange bikini, and had brown-orange hair with poofy, shoulder-length pigtails, was nervously fidgeting. “Sorry…”

“Eh heh, it’s fine,” Mishima said. “I’m kind of used to it.”

“Are you sure?” Mishima’s roommate asked.

“Yeah,” Mishima said. “Besides, it was an accident.” He sat up a little more, but felt a little strained. Shiho went to help him, but he deviled. “Hoo. I think I might be a bit more rusty, because the wind is out of my sails.”

“Maybe you should just rest for the rest of the day,” Shiho said.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Mishima said.

Shiho nodded. She turned to Yukina and told her “You can go back. I’ll stay here with Yuuki.”

“Got it,” Yukina said. “Sorry again!” She headed out.

“Wait, um, are you sure about this?” Mishima asked.

“Positive,” Shiho said.

“Well, uh, thanks,” Mishima said.

Mishima’s roommate smiled. “Well, I’ll leave you two alone then. I’d like to stay, but I made plans with someone, and I’m already late as it is.”

Mishima nodded. “Take care!”

“Yeah!” Shiho added. “And thanks for helping us get Yuuki in here.” Mishima’s roommate nodded and headed out. She turned back to Mishima. “Would you like anything?”

Mishima situated himself. “Maybe some water.”

“Hm hm,” Shiho giggled. “I’m on it.” She went to get him some water. She came back with a bottle, and gave it to him.

“Thanks,” Mishima said. He took a drink. “Ah!”

“Hm hm. You’re welcome,” Shiho said. They spent the rest of the evening relaxing like that.

Makoto was making her rounds, making sure students were not doing anything out of line. Things seemed to be going OK. She then found Yusuke with his sketchbook. She approached him. “Hey Yusuke. What’s up?”

“Oh, hey Makoto,” Yusuke said. “As you know, I took some rough sketches yesterday. I’d thought I’d spend today filling them out more.”

“I see,” Makoto said.

“How have you been doing?” Yusuke asked.

“Huh?” Makoto said.

“Well, this trip was a bit impromptu for you, wasn’t it?” Yusuke said. “On top of that, you had to steal data from your sister. And you’re still concerned about Eiko, correct?”

“Well…yeah…” Makoto said. “But I think I’m holding up alright.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” Yusuke said.

Makoto glanced away nervously. “By the way, thanks again for helping me with Eiko as much as you have.”

“Don’t mention it,” Yusuke said.

Makoto looked forlorn into the sand. “I might need your assistance even further.”

“That’s fine,” Yusuke said.

“You’re not gonna get weird about this whole thing, are you?” Makoto asked.

“What do you mean?” Yusuke asked.

“Well, we’re pretending to date,” Makoto said. “As nice as it’s been, I don't want this to become real.”

“Oh,” Yusuke said. He chuckled. “I was worried you’d want this to become real.”

“What?!” Makoto said, surprised.

“Currently, I’m not at a place where I can think about dating someone,” Yusuke said. “Truth be told, I’m struggling a bit as an artist at the moment. I need to find myself before I can start looking for some else.”

“Right,” Makoto said. “I mean, I get it. I sometimes get in my own head too.” She peered at his sketch. “Your sketch looks really good though.”

Yusuke smiled. “Why thank you. And you’re doing a good job handling yourself.”

Makoto smiled. “Thanks.” There was a brief silence. “Well, I should leave you to it.”

“Wait!” Yusuke called out. Makoto paused. “If you don’t mind, I like having company when I sketch. Would you mind staying longer?”

“Well…” Makoto said. “I do have to keep an eye on everyone…”

“Oh,” Yusuke frowned.

Makoto noticed this. “But I can stay here a little bit longer.”

Yusuke smiled. “Thank you.” Makoto watched Yusuke sketch some more before heading off. Yusuke continued sketching for the rest of the day.

Lena was looking around some of the shops for a gift for Akechi. As Lena mentioned, he was a little hard to shop for, but she was determined. She was looking around the different shops, but nothing seemed quite right.

She entered a bookstore. She knew the books here would be in English, but she knew Akechi was pretty good at English. Besides, if he did have trouble, she’d be the first person he’d talk to about it.

She began looking through the store. They had a lot of books. Lena was somewhat distracted by some books she was interested in, but remained focused on getting a book for Akechi. “Think Lena, think. What kind of book would Goro like? Hmmmmmm.”

She thought about Akechi. She then remembered something. In one of Akechi’s old interviews, he was asked what he would do if he won 700 million yen. He said would like to travel the world. “Travel the world…” She looked for a History and Geography section, and soon found it. She ventured over and looked through the books.

Soon, she found a book on monuments throughout the world. She looked through it, and noticed the book went into a lot of detail, and covers practically every country. She smiled. “This would be perfect.” She started heading to the checkout. She passed by the manga section. “Well, as long as I’m here, I guess I can get something for myself too.” She picked out a few manga for herself, as well as some drawing books, and checked out.

Ren was looking through stuff at a different shop. Hmmmm. What would Sumire like? She kept looking. Ren then felt something. She turned around, but saw no one. She turned back and sighed. “I could have sworn someone was looking at me…”

Someone was looking at her. They were slowly approaching her. “Hellooooooo REN!” It was Sumire. She surprised Ren with a hug from behind.

Ren was thoroughly surprised by this. “Su-Sumire?!” Sumire giggled. Ren was a little flustered. All she could muster in the moment was “Aloha!”

Sumire let go, allowing Ren to turn and face her. “Hm hm. I guess that’s a more appropriate greeting. Aloha!”

Ren chuckled. “So, um, why are you here?”

“Oh, well, you see,” Sumire said, “it turns out that Coach’s special training was taking place in Hawaii. Funny how things work out, huh.”

“Yeah,” Ren said. “Why didn’t you say anything? I mean, the school didn’t plan a whole lot for us. We could have met up and hung out.”

“Well, the school might not have a rigid schedule,” Sumire answered, “but the coach and her friend out here do.”

“Gotcha,” Ren replied.

“I’m out here on a break,” Sumire continued. “I was going to get myself some snacks. Imagine my surprise seeing you here.”

“I don’t have to imagine,” Ren said. “You surprised me too.”

“Hm hm. I guess that’s true,” Sumire said. “So, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, well,” Ren said, her face turning red, “this is embarrassing. I was looking for a souvenir to give to you.”

“Oh!” Sumire said, her face turning red as well. “Eh heh. I see. Well, not that I don’t appreciate it, but I already got myself something.”

“Oh?” Ren wondered.

Sumire took out a charm. “It’s a good luck charm. I bought it at a local branch of a Japanese shrine. I usually buy one of these for my meets. I decided to buy one here for extra good luck. So far, it seems to be working.”

Ren giggled. “So, do you know when your next meet is?”

“I think it’s sometime before midterms,” Sumire said. “Once I know the date for sure, I’ll tell you.”

“Thanks,” Ren said.

Sumire nodded. “Well, as much as I’ve enjoyed this, I should grab my snacks and get going.”

Ren nodded. “OK.” She followed Sumire around the store as she grabbed her snacks. Once Sumire was ready, they headed to the counter. Sumire set her snacks on the counter. She began reaching into her pocket before Ren said “I’ll take care of this.”

Sumire was surprised. “Are you sure?”

Ren smiled. “It’s the least I can do.

Sumire nodded. “Thanks.” Ren paid for Sumire’s food, and the two left the store. “Thanks again for buying all this.”

“Hm hm. No problem,” Ren said. She smiled and pulled Sumire in for a quick kiss. Once she let go, she said “Good luck with your training.”

Sumire smiled. “Thanks. You have fun on the rest of your trip.”

“I will,” Ren nodded. Sumire nodded back, and then headed back to where she was training. Ren decided to go back to the hotel to change into her swimsuit to enjoy the beach one last time for the trip.

Haru was doing her job as a chaperone as well. “Hey,” Hiroki said, interjecting. “Are you busy?”

Haru looked around. All the students in the vicinity were doing just fine. “Not really,” she answered. “What is it?”

“Well, seeing as we’re heading home tomorrow,” Hiroki said, “I was thinking we could talk about what to do about your father now. Is that alright?”

“Oh!” Haru said, surprised. “Well, about that. I was kind of thinking, maybe we could let the Phantom Thieves handle it.”

“Hm?” Hiroki responded.

“I mean, I don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner,” Haru said. “But it seems like a good plan.”

“Oh. Yeah,” Hiroki said. “I was just thinking, you know, this could be something we do ourselves.”

“Hm hm. Well, I appreciate the offer,” Haru said, “but I think this may be the best option. But if you can think of something better, I’m all ears whenever you need.”

Hiroki smiled and nodded. “Well, he’s your dad. I think I should leave the final decision to you.”

“He he. Thank you,” Haru said. Hiroki blushed slightly, but hid it. “You know, this is our last night here. You should go enjoy yourself.”

“Well, I always enjoy myself when I’m with you,” Hiroki said.

“Hm hm. Why thank you,” Haru said. “But I think you should go have fun on your own. I’ve got to keep an eye on everyone.”

Hiroki bit his lip. “Well, if you’re alright with it… I'll see you tomorrow then, OK?”

“OK,” Haru said. Hiroki walked off. Haru went back to supervising.

Ren was back on the beach. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but she was going to enjoy herself. She then heard someone meekly say “Please stop…” She turned to see some guys were harassing Hifumi.

Ren rushed over, and took Hifumi’s hand. Hifumi was a little shocked. Hey,” Ren said. “The teacher wants to see you.”

Hifumi picked up on what Ren was doing. “Right.” The two guys were confused and Ren and Hifumi walked off. As soon as they were far enough away, Hifumi said “Thanks.”

“Heh heh. Don't mention it,” Ren said.

“But what are you doing here?” Hifumi asked.

“My school came here on a field trip,” Ren answered.

“I see,” Hifumi said. “I take it you’re aware my school came here due to a storm.”

“Yeah,” Ren said.

“I see,” Hifumi said. “Well, I’m glad you were here. I don’t know how I would have dealt with those guys otherwise.”

“Yeah,” Ren said. “I guess there’s people like that no matter where you go. At least we have a good excuse.”

“Right,” Hifui said.

“So, how are you enjoying this improvised trip of yours?” Ren asked.

“Well, I was planning to relax on this trip,” Hifumi said. “And because there’s been no real plans, I’ve had more time to do so. So, I guess that storm was a blessing in disguise.”

Ren giggled. “I imagine that shogi has many instances where something that looks bad has a positive effect.”

“Hm. You seem to be learning a lot,” Hifumi said.

“Well, I have a really good teacher,” Ren replied.

“Why thank you,” Hifumi said.

“So, what do you want to do?” Ren asked.

“Well, I was about to grab some dinner,” Hifumi said. “There’s a shrimp stand not too far from here that I want to try.”

Ren nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Lead the way.” Hifumi nodded. She took Ren to the shrimp stand

Once Hifumi and Ren got to the counter, Hifumi began to order. “Excuse me? We’d like some shrimp.”

The owner looked them over. Ren and Hifumi we a little concerned. “You’re Japanese, aren’t ya?” the owner said.

“Um, yes?” Hifumi said.

“Eh heh. How ‘bout them Phantom Thieves?!” the owner said.

Rena and Hifumi were surprised. “You’ve heard of them?!” Hifumi asked.

“Of course!” the owner said. “Those guys stealing hearts in the name of justice. I love them!”

“Me too,” Hifumi smiled.

“Same,” Ren said.

“Eh heh. Well, if you see them, tell them I said ‘hi’,” the owner said. “And tell them to change everyone’s hearts so that they’ll like shrimp.”

“Oh! Uh, will do!” Hifumi said, slightly awkwardly.

“Thanks!” the owner said. “Wel, for now, I’m glad you two like shrimp. Order up!”

The owner came back with big helpings. “Oh! How much is it for extra?”

“The extra’s on me,” the owner said.

“Are you sure?” Hifumi asked.

“Yeah,” the owner said. “It’s fine.”

Hifumi bowed. “Well thank you.”

Ren followed suit. “Thank you.” The two girls took their shrimp and headed out to find a place to eat. They found themselves on a bench overlooking the sunset.

“They certainly gave us a lot,” Hifumi remarked.

“Yeah,” Ren said. She took a bite. Her face lit up. “But it’s delicious!”

“Really?” Hifumi said. She took a bite. Her face also lit up. “You weren’t kidding.” The two of them continued eating

Once they finished, Ren remarked “Ugh. I’m so full.”

“Tell me about it,” Hifumi said. “My mother would be upset I ate so much.”

“Well, when in Rome…” Ren said.

Hifumi giggled. “I guess that’s true.” She frowned slightly. “You know, my mother’s been putting me through so much recently. And I’ve enjoyed my time here so much, a part of me wonders if I should just not get on the plane tomorrow.”

Ren was shocked. “You’re running away?!”

Hifumi shook her head. “It’s impractical, for starters. But more importantly, I’d miss my father. I’d miss playing shogi professionally. I’d miss you.” Ren blushed slightly. Hifumi sighed. “I guess I need to grin and bear it for now.”

“You know, there is another option,” Ren said. Hifumi looked at her curiously. “We could tell the Phantom Thieves about your mother when we go tell them to get everyone to love shrimp.”

Hifumi chuckled. “Well, maybe. I’m not sure she’s at that point yet. But if she ever gets there, I’ll consider it.”

“Well, I’m sure they’ll take care of it for you in a flash,” Ren said.

Hifumi smiled. “You know, today turned out to be really good.”

Ren smiled as well. “Yeah.”

Hifumi looked over at Ren. “Thanks for hanging out with me today.”

“Hm hm. It’s my pleasure,” Ren replied.

Star-Hifumi Togo: Rank 5

After a little while, Hifumi said “Maybe we should get going.” They looked out at the sunset. “Then again, a sunset like this is not an everyday occurrence for us. Perhaps we should enjoy it while we’re here.”

Ren looked out at the sunset as well. “Yeah.”

Meanwhile, Ryuji had taken Ann to the Tiki bar they ate at on the first day. “Man, the food is good here!” Ann said.

“Yeah,” Ryuji said. “I know we ate here already, but it’s really good. Besides, I have a surprise in store.”

“A surprise?” Ann wondered.

A waiter stopped over with a giant cake. “And here’s the Chocolate Volcano Cake, as requested by the gentleman.”

“Eh heh, thanks,” Ryuji said. The waiter nodded, then walked off. “Well, what do you think?”

Ann was mesmerized by the cake. “You got this for me?!” Ryuji nodded. “I love you!” She began to dig into the cake. “MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! So yummy! You should try some!”

“Well, I mean, I got it for you,” Ryuji said.

Ann was surprised. “Are you kiding?! There’s no way I could eat this much! I mean, I know I love cake, but this is too much, even for me.”

“Are you sure?” Ryuji asked.

“Positive,” Ann said.

“Well, it’s your cake,” Ryuji said, “so you make the rules.” Ryuji took a bite. “HOLY CRAP! This is amazing!” The two of them finished off the cake. The area around their mouths were covered in chocolate. Still, they went ahead and shared a kiss.

On their way back, Ryuji said “Oh, before I forget, I also got you something.” He began reaching through his pockets. Here!” He took out a little dolphin charm. “I know it’s not much, but I think it looks pretty. Like you.”

Ann blushed. She took the charm. “You should have.” Ryuji chuckled. “How did you even plan all this?”

“Well, uh,” Ryuji began, “remember when I said I forgot my sunscreen? That was a lie. I wanted to go over some ideas with Yusuke and Mishima.”

Ann smiled. “Well, that’s sweet of you.” She grabbed his wrist. “C’mere.” She leaned in for a kiss. This one lasted longer than the one at the restaurant. Once they finished, she said “You’re beyond words.” Ryuji chuckled again. They continued on their way to their hotel.

A little while later, Ann and Ren were getting ready for bed. “I don’t know about you, but I think today was excellent.”

“I think so too,” Ren said. “How was your date?”

“It was really sweet,” Ann said. “What did you do today?”

“Well, funny story,” Ren said. “It turns out Sumire’s practice location was here.”

Ann sprang up. “No WAY!” Ren nodded. “What happened?”

“Well, she surprised me with a hug when she came into the store I was at,” Ren said. “We didn’t have that much time, since she needed to get back to practice. But I bought her snacks, and we shared a kiss.”

“Well, it sounds sweet nonetheless,” Ann said.

“Yeah,” Ren agreed.

Ann yawned. “Well, we should get to bed. We have to get on a plane tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Ren said. The two of them got into bed and fell asleep.

The next day, Ren, Ann, Ryuji, Lena, Makoto, Mishima, and Shiho were gathered among the Shujin students. “Is everybody ready?!” Makoto asked the crowd of students. They nodded. “Do you have everything?!” They nodded again. “Well, if you don’t, take this time now to go and find it! Once we leave, we’ll be gone for good! So just to be safe, double check!” The crowd searched through their luggage to make sure they had all of their belongings.

“I think we’re all set,” Ren said

“Well, glad to hear it,” Makoto said, joining the group.

“Where’s Yusuke?” Ryuji asked.

“He’s with his school,” Ann reminded him.

“Oh. Right,” Ryuji said.

Lena chuckled. “Well, I had fun.”

“Me too,” Shiho said.

“I can mostly agree,” Mishima said. “Ugh, I can’t wait ‘till we get on the plane.”

“What happened, Mishima?” Ann asked.

“I got knocked down playing volleyball,” Mishima said.

“He was doing so well too,” Shiho said.

“Yikes!” Ryuji said. “Well, I hope you feel better soon.”

“I’m doing better than last night,” Mishima said.

“Well that’s good,” Lena said.

Ren peered over. “It looks like we’re about to head out.”

Makoto looked over to see that that was the case. “Well then, if you’ll excuse me…” She left to help organize their trek back to the airport.

At the airport, they were waiting to board when Haru approached Ren. “Um, excuse me?” Ren met her gaze. “I don’t wish to be rude, but you’re the girl who spoke with Akechi-kun on TV, right?”

“Um, yeah?” Ren said, kind of confused

“Forgive me,” Haru said. “I’m sure you’re tired of people asking about that.”

“Eh heh, well, I’m kind of used to it by now, actually,” Ren replied.

Haru smiled and nodded. “If you don’t mind, I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

Haru partially frowned. “If I were to request a change of heart in someone, do you think they would do it?”

Ren was a little surprised. “Well, um, I can’t be 100% sure.”

“Oh…”

“But, I like to think they would,” Ren said.

Hope returned to Haru. “Really?”

Ren nodded. “I mean, if it’s not for any malicious reason, I think they’d at least look into it.”

Haru smiled. “Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear.” She went back to helping corral the other students. However, the Metaverse app appeared on her phone, unbeknownst to her.

Ren smiled, knowing that she helped someone. Soon, everyone was on their planes heading back to Japan.

In Japan, however, things were heating up. Principal Kobayakawa was just outside of a police station. He was nervous, but he was prepared. He was waiting for the light to turn green.

Meanwhile, an office inside the police station was drinking some coffee. Suddenly, he dropped his coffee. His eyes rolled up into his head. He creepily turned toward the front door.

The light turned green. Principal Kobayakawa started walking. However, the seemingly-possessed police officer walked out as well. The officers standing in front of the building were confused, while Principal Kobayakawa knew exactly what was happening.

He tried running away, but the strange officer took out his gun and shot Kobayakawa in both of his legs. The other officers tried stopping him, but he pushed them off with no remorse.

He continued to approach Kobayakawa, who was trying to crawl away. The light turned red. As the officer went to finish the job, a truck came speeding through, running Kobayakawa over. The officer, seeing his target was dead, took his gun, and shot himself in the mouth, killing him as well. The two bodies lay in the street, as everyone around them panicked about what just happened.

#persona 5 #persona fanfiction #persona 5 royal #p5r rework #p5 rework #p5 femc #p5r #p5 #FeMC #female ren #ren amamiya #ann takamaki #Ryuji Sakamoto #mishima #shiho suzui #Lena Minamoto #makoto niijima #yusuke kitagawa #haru okumaru #hifumi togo #kobayakawa #siu director #cw death #Sumire

[thepaintedlady00]

So, a couple questions about your Nightshade fic: What does your update schedule look like? Whenever you can, or Fridays? Have you read the Sweetbitter book as well as watched the show? If so, what from the book/show do you want to expand on more in the fic? Good luck with future updates, & take care of yourself!

I'm still trying to figure out what days work best for final edits and posting, but as it stands I'll likely be posting Burden (the Sandman mini fic) on Fridays and Nightshade on Saturdays. Burden has about 3 or 4 parts left and once it finishes I'll probably bump Nightshade updates to Fridays.

I have not read the books, but I do try to get a good summary of the book and its main themes to kind of help me stay true to both worlds. Of course, as happens a little in fanfic a lot of things get changed, some stiff gets forgotten or just doesn't fit within the writers story. But I'll definitely be trying to find a happy middle ground between book, show and Nightshade.

The biggest thing I want to expand on from the show at least, is the growth and even healing of Jake and other characters like Sasha and Scott and so on. In Nightshade my plan is to give Sweetbitter a kind of happy ending for a lot of the characters we meet, whether it's accomplished with them fulfilling their dreams or finding new dreams, simply moving on, or even just staying where they are.

One thing I felt needed to happen with the book after getting a summary of the ending as well as the show since it was canceled was kind of a payoff of change. A lot of the characters are stuck in places they don't particularly like, so I'm hoping I'll be able to offer up a few changes through the series that gives each of them a bit more of a resolution and prospects for a brighter future.

The biggest themes of the book/show that I gathered were revolving mostly around trauma and how individuals cope with it as well as obvious power plays within the restaurant, favoritism and cliques within the community of the workplace. I hope Nightshade and Lena as the character she is will be able to explore these themes deeper as well as mend some bridges, fill in the gaps between groups and usher in something that I think everyone (except Maddie and Simone) can agree the restaurant needs: change.

Thank you so much for your questions! 🥺 I love every chance to answer questions and even just discuss things with y'all. 🥰 I hope everyone continues to enjoy the series. Have a great day/afternoon/night all of you! Thank you so much for your support, your likes and comments and reblogs. You help me find inspiration to keep pushing and I love you all! ❤

[tadwisethebrave]

Your Name: Lena Characters: Tad, Shang, Tink

Pick one of your characters and talk about their growth (we recommend choosing an older character, but it’s up to you!) What about their story has surprised you? What are you proud of? How have they changed from their original inception to now?

I feel like my muses haven't been in town long enough to grow a lot. But since Tad has been in the rp before I can talk a little about his growth. Especially as it comes to being off the drugs and trying to live his best life. I'm still trying to figure out the direction he really wants to go in but it's kind of fun to see him try things he never would have before like college. I'm also really proud of the fact that drug free and all he can and will still be just as silly and whimsical to write. I've also really enjoyed working more on his family background and where they're at now. Exploring his uncle and the situation he was in post rehab has been super fun for me. And also Tad starting to actually see that his parents aren't that great is a really interesting and fun thing for me to explore. He's had blinders on to that for a long time but they're starting to come off and I'm really excited to see where it ends up with him there. I don't think he's the type to get super jaded but I do like the growth he's had so far and hope he stays fun and silly even so.

Pick another character (or the same character if you only have one) and talk a little about where you WANT them to go. What are your plans for them going into the new year?

Shang and Tink have interesting stories I want to tell and I don't really want to neglect talking about one over the other. So I absolutely will be discussing both.

For Shang I think it's pretty clear I plan on following through with this storyline with his missing father. I want to have him commit to a longer stay in Swynlake for sure and to accept the reality of what that means. I'm also hoping to explore some of the consequences of his father's absence with the company and how he'll move forward there. And also, this is smaller but I do plan on getting him more involved in the running club and getting more social in general. I'm also hoping to get him out there in the dating world. I want fun awkward dates with this man. Let it happen.

As for Tink…lol. She's got a long way to go and she and I both know it. I plan on having her life be very messy and the more ridiculous the drama the better. I want short term relationships and flings for her. I want her to be a kind of messy and chaotic boss to some. I want her to hit more lows before she figures out where she really wants to go from there. I do have an idea of what direction that low will be but I don't want to spoil that. I also want more fairy interaction I've just been dropping the ball a bit there.

Pick a thread or a plot that you’re proud of and talk about why you loved it.

I think right now I'm still trying to get my head in the game plot wise to build to something good. I have some old plots I can list that I really did love. Like Finn/Nemo mer reveal which is still one of my all time favorites. For now I am loving Shang and Maximus on this journey to discover the truth. Oh, also I did really really love telling Arthur's story and the whole experience bringing the knights together and taking down Zira. That was a big plot I'm still super proud of.

In terms of your own writing, identify 1-3 things you love to write about (metaphors? Sibling relationships? Physical description?) and talk about why you enjoy it!

It's funny but I do like writing about ocean metaphors when it's writing Tad. It feels especially ironic to me when I never liked the beach much myself. But it's really so fun to tell a story through someone as quirky as Tad's eyes with such comparisons only he would make.

I like adding humor to most things I write. I think I just really like to embrace the silly, and it's fun to add that in even with dramatic points. I just really like adding humor into things a lot.

Dialogue. I do feel like I really enjoy thinking about how a character is going to respond to someone and go from there. Tads responses are so different from the polite tone of Shang's voice, or Tink's snarky one. I really love to make those distinctions.

What major updates have your characters gone through this year? (For example: beginning/ending a relationship, moving, starting a new job, adopting a pet, etc). Think if it as anything you would have put in the #character-updates channel. If you have a pinned post, consider adding these updates so everyone is aware of them in the future.

I don't think I have any major updates to share but I can give a few small tidbits I guess.

Tad had an awkward moment with Pip and still kind of thinks about him. He also went on a blind date with Edric lol.

Shang has discovered where his father was staying with the help of Maximus.

Tink has mainly been flirting with people and figuring out Pixies again.

Talk about your dash reply style and your Discord reply style! (And if applicable, also your doc reply style). What do you like about each type of interaction? What is something you feel is difficult? Do you have preferences regarding how many times you’re tagged per day, or do you prefer for your replies to be queued for a certain amount of time?

I think I mainly prefer the dash now. It's easy and I can generally locate replies and reply at a pace I'm comfortable with. I also like that i can go back and read through it on the blog. Thats always a plus. I will say editing threads and stuff can be annoying and also sometimes the activity page does look weird so tumblr does have those annoying complications. Discord can really overwhelm me with events these days, though I do like Discord for rapid fire plot things to get through in a day if it can be. I forget about doc replies too easily but it is nice to keep some mystery to things. I don't mind being tagged however much on the dash. I will probably try to queue my own replies through the week though once I'm back on track a bit. It makes it easier for me.

And now, a wishlist! Jot down a few themes or stories or genres etc that you want to maybe pursue in the upcoming year! (i.e. a good ol’ fashion forbidden romance, maybe you want to dig deep into racial identity etc) This doesn’t have to necessarily be attached to any characters or stories you have now– it’s just meant to help you see for yourself what kind of stories call to your heart.

I love a lot of romantic plots and I want to get messy so I do want to dive into rom com territory and do some silly plots there, especially with Tink but also maybe even a Tad's excellent adventure into the world of dating these days.

I also want a family plot. I have several different muse ideas for a character in a family that can be written. Though one in particular is forming herself in my brain and I do hope to see that happen in the new year. I love sibling dynamics especially and exploring those bonds.

I've also always been a sucker for friendship things. Friendship bonds and plots surrounding things friends go through as they get older and try to figure out their lives. This is especially true for a muse I plan on bringing back but yeah I love those deep bonds to work with.

I want a mean girl again. Idk why I thrive off of having a character thats a bit of a bitch and doesn't give a fuck about what other people think. This works best in the secondary environment though, so a girl can dream for a secondary revival story wise. There's so much one can explore in youth storytelling that I feel is lost right now. I shall dream of its return.

I want to write a parent at some point. Ming in particular did catch my eye, but a mother daughter or mother son relationship would be amazing to write. I'd also love to do the reverse with a parent out there one day too. More family stories!

Villainy! I have this idea for a competitive rivalry in villainy for two sisters that I would love love love to explore next year if anyone would be interested. I think it'd be so fun to dive into.

OPTIONAL: Why do you RP? I've always loved diving into a world that isn't our own. I've rped for so long and it's just the best outlet for a lot of feelings and exploring directions you might never do. It's awesome.

#swyntask #featuring my pixar version of me #not too shabby lol