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seas-of-silver · 8 months

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The young rabbit hero quickly motioned to the surprised teenager to get into her portal before desperately shouting out, "Luka—Viperion, I need your help!"

The young rabbit hero quickly motioned to the surprised teenager to get into her portal before desperately shouting out, 'Luka—Viperion, I need your help!'

Luka tsked. 'Civilian and hero identity? Bunnyx, you're slipping.'

Bunnyx growled. Luka put his hands up as he chuckled in mock surrender.

'Be glad you found me when I was home alone, Alix,' he said as he entered the Burrow.

'Who's breaking rules now, snake boy?' Alix grouched, snapping the portal shut and stomping across the Burrow, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him along with a ferocity that made him immediately switch into focus.

Luka knew how playful Alix was; cheeky by nature, a jovial competitor, and while she was a realist, she would be able to find levity in heavier moments. Normally, if he pulled her up on a slip, she'd roll her eyes, cock her hip and sass right back at him with an anecdote of when he himself had stuffed up, just to make it an even playing field. Normally, there'd be a little more banter. This, however, wasn't normal, and it put him on edge. As he observed her, she was pale, sweating, tired, jittery... scared.

'What happened?' he asked.

'No spoilers,' she shot back curtly as she pulled him in front of another portal.

'Hey.' He pulled his wrist out of her grasp. 'If you're going to send me out of my time into something that obviously has you rattled, I'm going to need to know what I'm walking into - which includes what led up to whatever this is.'

Bunnyx sniffled, and that's when he saw it. It wasn't just sweat trailing down her face. Luka wrapped her up in a hug.

'What are you doing, man?' came her muffled voice from against his chest. 'You-'

'I can spare a moment to make sure you're okay,' he told her. She returned the hug, and he felt his shirt dampen with tears. He wasn't sure how long they stood there, but eventually she pulled away.

'Th-the villain, the new holder of the Butterfly,' she began as she wiped her eyes and attempted to refocus herself, 'she's... so much worse that we could have ever imagined. Hawk Moth, Shadowmoth, Monarch - he had at least some boundaries, some morals, some rules about what he did, some lines he wouldn't cross... but her? She's just... there's nothing she wouldn't do, and it's horrifying.'

Bunnyx shivered, her pale facade tinging green.

'Should... should I ask why you couldn't get the Luka of that time?' he asked cautiously. Bunnyx just shrunk in on herself, and his heart sunk at the mortifying, unthinkable reasons she wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't-

'Spoilers,' she whispered with a glimmer of a smile, and he relaxed. So perhaps it wasn't as bad as he wasn't imagining, right?

'We're down a few members of our usual team, and the ones who are fighting are being pushed to their limits,' Bunnyx continued. 'This akuma is complicated, relentless and devastating. When we get on site, I'll inform the team that you're here, and after that, observe, report back to the team, and for goodness sakes - don't let the akuma see you. It'll be game over if you do.'

'What, like Medusa or something?' Luka joked, but at Bunnyx's nod, he grew solemn.

'And that's just one of the akuma's abilities.'

'Shit.'

'Yeah.'

Luka heaved a heavy sigh. 'Anything else I need to know?'

'Don't touch the goo.'

Luka raised an eyebrow.

'Seriously, don't touch the goo,' Bunnyx warned him.

Luka nodded slowly as he called on his transformation. 'Goo is a no-go. Got it.' He looked back at her. 'See you soon, yeah?'

'Yeah,' she agreed softly. 'Be careful.'

He smiled before stepping through the portal. He was halfway through when he felt a hand pull him backwards.

'Wrong portal, dummy!' Bunnyx scolded, shaking her head as she lined him up with the portal to the left of the one he just walked through. 'What would you even do without me?'

'I'd probably be really bored,' he countered as she shoved him unceremoniously through the portal and onto a secluded rooftop.

'I got the young Viperion for you, team' Bunnyx announced into her comms. 'Don't lose him - he can't stay up past his bedtime.'

'Copy that,' he heard the chorus of voices through his earpiece as he put it in.

'See you later, Vipey,' Bunnyx said to him as she slapped his shoulder in farewell.

'Later, Energiser,' he replied, chuckling as she flipped him off before hopping back into the Burrow, the bright portal swirling shut behind her.

~/~

Ask game: Give me the first sentence and I'll write a short piece for it!

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softquietsteadylove · 4 months

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So I just watched the vow and obviously I can’t stop thinking about Thenamesh in that context so here is my prompt for you — Thena somehow loses her memories and with it goes the memory of her marriage to Gil, but he helps her slowly and patiently remember their love 🥺

"Hey."

Thena jumped, whirling around to look at the doorway. Once again, guilt rose up in her throat as Gil held up his hand and made that terribly sad expression he had on most of the time.

"S-Sorry, sorry, I, uh-" he gulped in the middle of his sentence, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He kept doing that, perhaps to make himself seem less...broad. "I promised I would stop doing that, too."

No, it was unfair to him to make him knock on every door within his own home. She was the one who was jumpy and easily startled. The doctors said they didn't know how quickly it would or wouldn't fade. There wasn't much her doctors could promise her--them.

She had been in the hospital after the 'episode' for some time, anyway. As they explained it, it was a bleed in her brain, a stroke in not so many words. She had forgotten years of her life in a flash, lashed out in fear and confusion, even hurt Gil in the process.

He still had the scar on his arm from her attacking him. And yet he'd been the perfect husband through all of this, utterly and completely. If only she could remember him.

She thought maybe she would at least remember meeting him, knowing him in some way. But no, it was a stranger sitting beside her bed, cradling her hand between his, crying for her to be okay again. And she had done nothing but hurt him since.

Gil said that wasn't true.

He had been nothing but supportive from the moment she awoke. The doctors told them that her memories were fragile, and might never return in their entirety. He was a stranger to his own wife. Surely anyone would need to go through their own grieving process for their life in that way.

But Gil had looked at her far kinder than any stranger. He had given her the space she needed, understood that she didn't like people at the best of times, let alone when she was vulnerable. He did things like bring her changes of clothes, food that wasn't abhorrent, sit in her room with her while she tried to relax enough to sleep.

She did feel safe with him.

Safe enough to finally leave the hospital. They had done the physical therapy, the rehabilitative therapy, just about everything else. There was no more reason to keep her there, with exception to the gap in her memories.

"I left you some stuff I thought you might," he paused, gesturing from afar to the dresser by the guest bed, "like. I-I know you don't remember it, I just...I dunno."

"No, it-" she also choked on her words, nervous about what to say to him, "it's sweet, Gil. Thank you."

He smiled, just a little; he did every time she called him Gil.

She clutched at the shirt she was unpacking. He had brought her pajamas to sleep in while she was in the hospital, but they hadn't seemed right. And she had eventually deduced that they were indeed purchased brand new. What she had decided to sleep in more comfortably was an old shirt of his that had been shoved into a bag brought to her. "Come in."

He did so, shuffling into the guest room in their shared home awkwardly.

Her brows furrowed, even though it made her head throb. "You shouldn't have to be invited into a room in your own home."

He looked at her, his brown eyes so rich and soulful. But he smiled, "our home. And you need a space that's yours. Time to get used to...things."

Get used to him, he meant. And she hated that he was completely correct. She felt safe around him, but she didn't know this man (this sweet, kind, beautiful man).

"You decorated this room, anyway," he chuckled, looking around at the cream coloured walls and generic frames hung around the space. He clung to the walls, giving her a wide berth. "I wanted to turn it into an office or a place for a pool table or something."

Thena looked at the bed and then at him. "Wouldn't fit much else with that in here."

His smile lightened faintly. "You said that then, too."

She smiled as well, setting down her trusty shirt.

"And you were right, as always," he added, chuckling again. He arrived at the dresser, poking at some of the little things he had apparently brought and left out for her. "Kari crashes here sometimes."

Thena's eyes sparked at the mention of her. Gil looked both elated and wounded; they both wished she could have that level of recognition for anything that had to do with him.

Silence fell over them, and Gil looked down at his feet again. He was going to leave her to settle in, but she stepped closer to him, eager for more time with his company. She looked down at the dresser. "I remember this."

He smiled, picking up the little wooden cheetah and handing it to her with heartbreaking delicacy. "You love this thing."

"From when Kari went to Kenya for three whole months," Thena tilted her head at the little carving. She truly did value it. For all her insistence that Makkari was the trinket lover, not herself, apparently this little cat had called to her so clearly that she just had to bring it back to Thena.

Gil reached for something else, "what about this?"

She looked at the lovely little shell, but she didn't remember it. She stared and stared at it though, hoping she would. She just didn't want to admit to Gil that it didn't strike a single chord within her.

"It's okay," he whispered, forgiving her for something neither of them could control.

"Tell me about it?" she practically begged before he could take it back from her. Her palm tightened around the tiny little shell. It was so small and precious, she already felt protective over it.

He was obviously surprised, but she held his eyes. His face really betrayed everything he was feeling. She watched his expression melt as he whispered, "okay."

"Well," he started, moving them to both sit on the end of the bed. "You and I met...on the beach."

"The beach?" she balked before telling herself not to interrupt his very important story.

"I know," he chuckled, though. "You hate the beach."

He did know everything about her.

"But you were there painting, or collecting seashells, or looking for clay or something," he shrugged, the memory faded but precious for him. "I saw you at the end of the beach, kind of away from everyone. You obviously weren't looking for company but...I just wanted to exchange even one word with you."

"I jogged over, asked you if I could help you find something. You didn't talk to me at first, but I asked, and asked, and eventually you told me you were looking for a shell. And I mean it was probably just to shut me up," he added, making them both laugh. "But I said I'd help you look. Boy, the look you gave me--I'd still be dead and buried under that sand."

She offered a sheepish smile, but that was as much a lovingly remembered detail as the rest, for him.

"I found this," he tapped the shell in her hand. "I handed it to you and said, 'hey, you match!'. You gave me that look again, but I could tell you thought I was kinda cute."

She pursed her lips at that, but she had to admit that this man called her husband was undeniably charming. She could see herself very reluctantly admitting that he might not have been so bad.

"I saw you again a few times," he recounted, a different, dreamier, distant smile on his face. "Eventually you were out there with an easel, and I got to see you painting. You let me see it in progress and everything."

Perhaps she was already quite infatuated with him then, because she would rather fight to the death than allow something in progress to be viewed while she was working on it.

"I looked at your easel," he grinned at her, "and you had this shell sitting on the corner, like a good luck charm or something."

Thena felt herself blush faintly. It was a different her in the story, but she felt for that Thena's embarrassing secret being discovered.

"I asked you if you wanted to join me for dinner," Gil whispered, closing her hand around the little shell for safe keeping. "You said you didn't want to dine with me while I was all sweaty and in my jogging stuff."

Thena laughed. That certainly sounded like her (uncharming, unfunny her).

"I said okay, meet me here at sunset," he made a challenging face at her, and she could imagine how handsome it might seem in the right light. "You did and, well...history, right?"

History she wanted to remember.

Thena looked at Gil, sitting close to her, so warm and so solid. He was comfortable, she knew that much. She was no expert on physical closeness, but the times she had been in Gil's proximity via sharing an umbrella or letting him help her out of bed were nice. He had a gentle, calming presence.

He swallowed, his eyes flicking all over her face. She didn't even realise she had been leaning in until he moved his head quickly, stretching up so he could press his lips to her forehead. "You should rest, sweetheart. It's been a big day."

She felt both relieved and disappointed. The shell was still in her hand as he stood slowly, leaving her seated on the end of the bed.

He paused at the doorway again, lit softly by the lamp beside the bed. "You're welcome to anything, 'course--I mean everything, absolutely. But if you - I dunno - need help finding something or whatever...just wake me, okay?"

She already felt lonely at the thought of being in this room all by herself. And that was after weeks of being in the hospital, desperately wishing to be left alone. She nodded.

"'Kay," he smiled again, but it was back to being sad. He patted the wall, "night, Thena. I'll leave breakfast for you before I go to work."

He left gently, closing the door behind him, nothing if not a gentleman. To his own wife, in his own home. Thena flopped backwards on the bed, still holding onto her beloved little shell. She had been so desperate to have some time to herself in the hospital--really think about who she was and what her life was like.

But there was something undeniably lonely about the times when she was without him. Every time he came home for clothes or to shower or had to go to work, she had to admit, she was terribly bored without him.

Would it be terribly inappropriate to ask to sneak into bed with her own husband?

#Thenamesh AU #thank you for the ask!!!#I've changed a few little details I hope you don't mind #but I really like how this came out!#a little bit angsty #but listen #Gil is not the average romcom man okay?#yes he wants his wife back and for her to remember their life #but he hears that Thena doesn't know him #and it hurts him deeply #but he KNOWS his wife #if she doesn't know him she doesn't trust him #she's scared and alone in a hospital with a stranger all the time #so he puts a little distance between them #he brings her things from home #pulls the curtain around her bed and says he'll stand guard while she changes #he hovers while the doctors are checking her because she doesn't like to be touched #she's still Thena #his Thena #meanwhile Thena is like I do no know this man]#but he seems...nice #he's charming and sweet and he's so kind and g e n t l e #he got the guest room all set up for her #ever since she picked his shirt to sleep in he's started spraying his shirts with his cologne for her so they'll smell like him #he swaps out their pillows so she can smell his aftershave and he can smell her shampoo #pining but when you're already married #also Thena asks him if he'll take off his wedding ring secretly hoping he won't #he's visibly appalled by the question #that night Thena greets him after he comes home from work with a terribly awkward hug #she cringes at herself but he's practically crying from happiness

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sweetbrier2908 · 5 months

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a letter to your future lover

obey me! - mc x the demon brothers

no proof-read

mc's gender is not mentioned

mc write a letter to their demons' next lover

dear the next person who is going to fall in love with my demons,

please tell lucifer to rest on time, he's not a morning demon so if he doesn't have enough sleep, he will have that kind of lifeless eyes for the next morning and his brothers will definitely make fun of it.

please say thank you to mammon for every single little thing he does for you and his brothers. sometimes his brothers are just too harsh and you will understand he is trying his best everyday.

please take levi out twice a week, he doesn't like going outside but sometimes in a while, you need to go out to know about the world. drag him out, he will go if you two go together.

please help satan feed those stray cats around house of lamentation and in RAD's courtyard. he always brings cat food with him but he can be caught up in his works and can't feed his little friends.

please let asmo paint your nails, it's a sign of love, it's a sign that you belongs to the family. let him pick the color and let he paint it on your beautiful nails. he need to know that you trust his fashion sense too.

please go out and eat with beel. someone need to tell him when to stop eating and it has to be you. by the way, the food will taste better if you two eat together, and beel loves good food.

please let belphie sleep next to you, or sleep on your laps, please run your hands through his hair and put him to sleep. be careful not too fall asleep too because lucifer will be mad but it's fine if you take a good nap in a while.

and finally, i hope you love them like i did.

#obey me #obey me satan #obey me mammon #obey me lucifer #obey me leviathan #obey me asmodeus #obey me belphegor #obey me headcanon #obey me beelzebub #a little bit angsty #a letter #mc will be gone someday and there is something they want to say with the person will fall in love with their demons #write this in 15 minutes before my presentation #l

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this-geek · 11 months

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Been quietly lurking in the Abbott Elementary fandom for a bit, so it's about time I wrote something.

Never Ever

Rating: T, implied sexual content, implied extramarital affair.

Genre: Angst (minimal)

Pairing: Barbra Howard/Melissa Schemmenti

Summary: Melissa had dreamt about it once or twice, but never ever did she think it would happen.

#Abbott Elementary #barbra howard #melissa schemmenti #a little bit angsty #canon divergence #work wives #barbra x melissa

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foolsocracy · 20 days

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gotta add another noir variant to the gang

#the goober ever #see guys I can draw spiderverse art….#spiderverse #across the spiderverse #peni parker #peter porker #peter benjamin parker #peter b parker #gwen stacy #miles morales #my art #noirverse #a little bit #I always say to myself: thank god Pete didn’t have fog lake in the 1930s to kill himself to #cant decide of gwen and Pete would be besties forever or if their angsty emo energies create the frienemies of the millennium #itsv #atsv

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doctorsiren · 3 months

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paint it over

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natalievoncatte · 8 months

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“What I did wasn’t personal,” Lena said.

Supergirl had already turned to face her. There were words formed on her lips, but Alex struck first, bringing her viper wit where it wasn’t needed or welcome.

“You had a stash of ‘Kills Kryptonians’. It’s personal,” said Alex.

Lena ignored her, looking directly at Supergirl.

“You know I’d never use it that way.”

“You kept secrets,” said Supergirl. “Secrets change things. I don’t like secrets.”

“Oh really,” Lena spat, knowing she’d regret what came next. “You don’t like secrets. Okay. What’s your real name?”

Alex flinched. Supergirl stared her down. Even in this miserable place, she was inhumanly beautiful, even if Lena was a little resentful that she’d been bitching about walking fifty yards a few moments ago, and making light of exercise, when she had the audacity to look like that.

The pause grew heavy. Something seemed to turn behind Supergirl’s eyes, like she was working something out. Her expression softened lightly.

“Why didn’t you come to me about Sam? I thought we trusted each other.”

“How can I trust you?” Lena said. “You still hold me at arm’s length, won’t let me in, only look for my help when it’s convenient for you. Maybe I should have sought your help, but it isn’t like I have you on speed dial, is it? What was I supposed to do, toss myself off a balcony and hope you were having coffee with Kara Danvers again?”

Supergirl flinched. Looking at Lena intently, she stepped closer, and Alex grew visibly nervous.

“Supergirl…” she said.

“You want to know my real name?”

“Yes,” Lena said, her voice suddenly unsteady, her palms breaking out in a sweat despite the cool, stale air. She stood her ground before a being that could level a mountain with a look and held her gaze.

“Kryptonian names are patronymics, sort of. A man’s name is his own and that of his family. So, for example, my cousin’s name is Kal-El. His father was Jor-El.”

“I knew that already,” said Lena. “Your cousin shared that an interview with Lois Lane.”

“He can share his because he has a name that was given to him by his adoptive family,” said Supergirl, her voice softening as she took another step closer. “I still use my Kryptonian first name.”

Something about that itched at Lena’s brain, but she wasn’t sure what.

“Supergirl,” Alex hissed. “You can’t… we can’t…”

Supergirl threw her a glance. “What? Trust her?” She looked at Lena. “My father was Joe-El’s brother, Zor-El. My mother’s name was Alura In-Ze.”

Lena licked her lips.

“They gave me the name Kara,” said Kara Zor-El. “On Earth, I accepted the surname of the family that took me in to raise me when my cousin gave me up to them. My full name is Kara Zor-El Danvers.”

Lena stumbled a step back, her mouth falling open comically. It felt like the ground was bursting open and swallowing her up, her stomach dropping through her knees.

No. No, no, no, no. It couldn’t be.

“Look at me, Lena.”

Lena looked away from her.”

“Look at me.”

Lena looked.

Lena saw.

Her hair was down, but Lena knew those honeyed curls. Supergirl carried herself differently- her shoulders were proud where Kara tended to hunch down, make herself small, as if to pass through the world without touching it.

Lena hadn’t really looked before. Not like this. She’d studied Kara, maybe even mooned over Kara a little until she seemed to confirm she was straight by dating that alien jackass. She knew every part of her face from her soft lips to her feel blue eyes to that funny little scar right over her eye.

How had she not seen?

“Fucking hell, Kara!” Alex snapped.

Lena’s lip trembled. She clenched her fists to keep her hands steady, knowing they were shaking.

“You tricked me,” Lena hissed, “so many times, so many ways, running off and changing into that suit when I thought you were both people. The super-speed, right?”

“I’m sorry,” said Kara, her voice soft. “Let’s just…”

“I wasn’t finished,” said Lena. “You… you told me you were having coffee with Kara, but you are Kara. Kara… you caught me when they threw me off the balcony. You risked being killed by a kryptonite explosion when Metallo went critical. You… you were… Jesus Christ, the plane, the chemicals, that was you?”

Kara’s eyes grew wider with every syllable and even in the gloom, Lena could swear she saw tears welling up within them.

“She’s risked her life for you over and over and over,” Alex said, quietly. “Her faith in you has only wavered the once. She’s always defended you and insisted on your innocence even when I was ready to throw you in a cell,” said Alex. “She defended you from the first. Shit, she defended you from Superman.”

Lena looked from one to the other, staring at them both in turn, trying to keep her wobbly legs from completely collapsing under her.

“I owe you an apology,” said Kara, raising her gaze to meet Lena’s.

“Can you two do this later?” said Alex. “We’re on a mission, here.”

Lena swallowed, hard.

“Yeah. Let’s go find Sam.”

They did find Sam, eventually, but the plan went sideways. After they were thrust back into their bodies, Supergirl -Kara- curtly told her to help Brainy while she and Alex rushed off.

So Lena helped brainy, until it was time for her to leave. Eventually, she made her way back to her penthouse, and to a glass of single malt, neat. She savored its subtleties as she stared out at the stars.

She knew this would happen sooner or later, so she wasn’t surprised when Kara touched down on the balcony, looking utterly stunning and brave and dashing in her fancy suit. She motioned to knock at the glass.

“It’s not locked.”

“Hi,” said Kara, stepping inside.

Lena looked up. “I can’t believe I didn’t see. You’re just… you, in a different outfit.”

That wasn’t exactly true, Lena knew. As she walked into Lena’s living room, Kara had neither the mousy, retiring way of Kara Danvers nor the brash swagger of Supergirl. It was like she was seeing a third person, one who’d been fully revealed for the first time.

“I’ve been going back and forth in my mind, trying to decide what parts of our friendship were real.”

“All of it,” Kara said.

“If my brother were here, he’d say that you befriended me to spy on me and use my resources and genius for your own ends.”

“That’s not true.”

Lena took a sip, and breathed in through her parted lips after swallowing to savor it.

“I know. He said the same thing about Jack, actually. Lex always tries to convince me that anyone else in my life is just after my name or money or body.”

Kara said nothing. Lena looked up.

“Just because he’s a madman who wants to gaslight me into being a supervillain doesn’t mean he’s always wrong. Does it?”

Kara swallowed, hard.

“You’ve been very insistent on being my friend,” said Lena. “You practically barged into my life and broke down all my barriers with your earnest kindness, but you were keeping yourself behind another one.”

“The first time I ever saw you, I knew in my heart that you were nothing like him,” said Kara. “I remember every detail.”

“In my office, with Kent.”

“No. In the helicopter. That was the first time I saw you.”

Lena swirled the dregs in her glass. “Oh. Right.”

“I just had to know you. You were compelling, and the way you treated me in your office that day was a huge part of that. You seemed so… I don’t even know how to describe it. I just knew I had to be close to you.”

A fit of pique moved her arm before she could contain herself, and Lena threw the glass. Kara snatched it from the air and placed it on the table without spilling a drop.

She was closer now, standing within arm’s reach.

“You can’t just say things like that to me,” Lena almost hissed, her voice loosened by the whiskey and the one before and the one before that.

“Why?” said Kara.

Lena looked up, swaying slightly.

“You told me your name.”

“I should have sooner. We could have worked together. We could have done a lot of things.”

“Fuck,” Lena snapped. “You’re doing it again! Knock it off?”

“Knock what off?”

“You goddamn well what,” said Lena. “Or maybe you really don’t.”

“I’m sorry,” said Kara. “I just don’t understand. Can you… do you want to tell me what you mean?”

“I… sit down.”

Kara swept her cape aside and sat primly in a side chair, folding her hands in her lap, worrying at the back of her thumb with her other thumb. God, she even had Kara’s mannerisms.”

“I’m gay,” said Lena.

Kara swallowed. “But… you were with Jack… and James… and you really seem to like the letter J,” Kara said, lamely.

“It’s called bisexuality, Kara. It’s a thing.”

“Oh, I um, I don’t really get ‘sexualities.’ On Krypton, we didn’t have sexual preferences. We didn’t choose our partners at all, everything was arranged.”

“That sounds awful,” said Lena.

Kara looked away. “It was our way and it worked. We had stable families, and most people had a kind of love. My parents loved each other.”

Lena sighed. “I wish I could say that. One of my parents didn’t love anyone but himself. Your sister is gay, Kara. How can you not understand it?”

“I understand that. I just find the whole thing confusing, and overwhelming. I keep looking for this spark that everyone talks about, and these ‘gut feelings’, but every time I think I’ve had it, it wasn’t right.”

“It seemed right with Mon-El. Oh. Oh Jesus. You banished your own boyfriend from Earth.”

Kara shook her head. “I know it did. I thought it did. I just never… it was the idea of him. I was checking a box. I was with him to have a boyfriend, not to have him. We’re really different people.”

“Why are we talking about this again?” said Lena.

Kara suddenly looked nervous, and thus even more like herself.

“I don’t know. It just seems to have happened. Kind of like our whole friendship. I never made a plan to be your friend. I never had an agenda. I just needed you in my life without knowing why. You just bring me joy.”

Lena wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream.

You big indestructible goof, that is the spark!

“I should have told you about me after Medusa. I should have trusted you then, but Alex talked me out of it. I didn’t push past when it counted. I know you doubt how much you mean to me now, and I’m so sorry I did that.”

“I’d never hurt you, ever,” said Lena. “Even if you weren’t Kara. But I could never hurt her. You.”

“I know.

“For what it’s worth,” said Lena. “I felt it too. That pull, that need to know you. That’s why I allowed you to get close to me instead of being bundled off by my security. I felt it from the first, that day you came to my office. I might have felt it a little during the helicopter crash, too.”

Kara nodded.

“I feel like there’s something we’re both not saying.”

Lena licked her lips.

“I have to stop the worldkillers. I have to save Sam. I have to fix it all. I just needed to talk to you first. See you first, see you again, just the two of us.”

Lena nodded, swallowing.

“I guess I should go.”

Lena wanted to tell her not to. To ask her to spend the night, change out of that ridiculous suit, to just be Kara and stay with her, but it dawned on her now that it could never be quite like that again. Kara was Supergirl and Supergirl had to be shared with the world.

“I want to help. I’ll come to the DEO.”

“Okay,” said Kara. “I’ll see you there.”

She stood up and walked to the balcony, pausing before she opened the door. She didn’t turn when she spoke, as if she was afraid to face Lena, to face the answer.

“Do you think, when this is over, we can try it again? Try to fix it?”

“Is that something you want?” Said Lena.

“That pull is still there.”

“I know,” said Lena. “I feel it too.”

Kara’s shoulders rose and fell, as if she’d just rolled a great burden from her back.

“Okay,” she said. “Okay. I’ll see you back at the DEO. Goodnight, Lena.”

“Goodnight, Kara.”

She slid the balcony door open and stepped out, pausing for just the briefest second before lifting off, sending a gentle gust of chilly night air rolling into Lena’s penthouse.

Lena let the breeze flow in for a while before she stood up and went to the door, meaning to close it. Instead, she stepped outside, leaning on the railing as the chill raised gooseflesh on her arms.

“I feel it, too.”

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twomystdunstans · 1 year

Text

i killed duck

#lil standalone comic page of one of my favorite angsty bits from Amnesty #I FUCKING. TRIED W TH BACKGROUND OK LEAVE ME ALONE IK ITS SUBPAR #aubrey little #taz amnesty #aubrey taz #taz #the adventure zone #taz amnesty spoilers #taz: amnesty #taz:amn #the adventure zone amnesty #taz aubrey #the lady flame #taz lady flame

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lena-in-a-red-dress · 7 days

Text

Blue and Fire Engine Red #3

TW: reference/depiction of school shooting (no onscreen deaths)

---

Kara’s choice of bar proves to be the perfect opposite of the bright and open firehouse. Its dim ambience feels cozy, and the low light helps ground her, letting her release some of the bravado that fueled the sexually charged tit for tat she’s been firing towards Lena. She hopes tonight will be something more than that.

Of course, that doesn’t keep Kara’s insides from positively melting when Lena walks in the door. She looks positively pedestrian out of uniform, in a loose muscle tank layered over a snug tank top, and her jeans even snugger. But her gaze glints when it finds Kara in the small two person booth towards the back. Kara’s chosen a relatively isolated corner– not to hide, but rather from a desire to not share the woman who slides in across from her.

“Glad you found the place okay,” Kara greets, grinning.

“Yeah, you kind of forgot to mention that it was literally underground.” Lena wrinkles her nose when Kara’s grin widens puckishly. “Fink.”

Kara laughs. “Let’s just say it makes for a good conversation starter.”

An arch brow answers her. “So you bring girls here a lot then.”

“Uhhmm…”

Pink lips soon soften into a teasing grin. “Relax. I’m joking.”

Releasing a sigh, Kara lets her shoulders relax. Before she can say anything, a waiter appears to take their drink orders.

“The first of a few, I hope,” the girl says brightly. She turns towards Lena first. “Your usual, Lena?”

Green eyes twinkle at Kara in the low light, clearly enjoying the way Kara’s mouth falls open. She’s been had.

“That would be lovely,” Lena returns.

The server nods, then turns to Kara. “And what can I get you?”

Kara tries not to frown. “Rum and coke,” she grumbles dejectedly. “And onion rings.”

“Excellent choice! Your drinks will be out momentarily, but the rings will take a few minutes. Is that okay?”

Lena nods, giving the girl a winning smile. “That’s totally fine, Jess,” she purrs. “We’ll be here for a while.”

Jess moves away to another table, leaving them to themselves. Kara glares at Lena, who shrugs with an abashed grin.

“I served with Jess’ brother.”

Ears pricking with interest, Kara leans forward. “Bartender?”

Lena blinks, then lifts an eyebrow. “Army.”

Kara’s eyes widen in surprise. “Oh! Wow, I didn’t even think… sorry. Medic?”

Lena nods with a hum.

“So if I talk to Jess’ brother, he’ll tell me about some daring rescue where you saved his life?”

Lena holds Kara’s light gaze for a long beat before looking down at her hands, folded on the table in front of her. “Not exactly.”

“Oh.” Kara’s stomach falls out from under her as she realizes the implication. Her cheeks start to burn. “Oh.”

There’s a long moment between them, and KAra is desperate to fill the silence.

“Thank you for your service—”

“Don’t,” Lena cuts in sharply. She takes a breath, only for it to huff out of her an instant later. “Can we talk about something else?”

Kara quickly nods. “Yeah, of course. I’m sorry–”

Jess returns then, delivering their drinks. Lena’s quiet murmur of “thanks” confirms how uncomfortable she is, and Kara kicks herself again and again for having wrecked the mood. The date has ground to a halt, she knows, and it’s her fault. Even so, she clings to hope when Lena tries to salvage the conversation.

“What about you?” Have you always wanted to be a cop?”

“Hah, well…” Kara gives a nervous smile. The short answer is no, not always. Long answer is… kinda dark, honestly.”

To Kara’s surprise, Lena gives a dark chuckle. “Well aren’t we the pair,” she drawls.

Kara feels some warmth creep back into her extremities. “I don’t mind talking about it though, if you don’t mind hearing it. If you’d rather not–”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with sharing is fine with me. It must be important if it led to you becoming a hero of law and order, so– I’d love to hear it. But no pressure.”

With a nod, Kara considers where to start. “Have you ever heard of Midvale High?” When Lena shakes her head, she continues. “Ten years ago there was a school shooting. Twenty-three students died. I was one of the survivors.”

Lena watches her solemnly, and though she seems content to simply listen, Kara lifts her hand to stave off any condolences or sympathy that might be heading her way.

“It’s okay,” she promises. “I got all the therapy, and I got to a place I can comfortably talk about it. And you know, it was the usual story: kids are awful to one kid, kid gets depressed, then angry enough to do something about it. For us, that kid was Kenny Lee, and he was my best friend.”

That’s the most shocking part, for most people. Like she said, school shootings are tragically common, but rarely does anyone realize that the shooters might actually have a friend or two.

“Kenny was a good kid– quiet, smart… he just had the wrong combination of interests, or maybe he just had the wrong face. I don’t know. The others were just… cruel. And no one did anything about it. Until one day Kenny did.”

“Did he hurt you?” Lena asks quietly.

Kara shakes her head. “No. No, he… he started in the cafeteria. I usually eat with Kenny, but he missed the first half of the day, so I ate in the bathroom that day.” She wasn’t well-liked either, so eating alone in the cafeteria always gave her enough anxiety to avoid the place.

“But I heard it. The gunfire… all that cement and linoleum… it echoes, you know? I bunkered down in the bathroom as best I could. When the shooting paused, I heard the police sirens. I thought… I didn’t know if they’d find me where I was, so when I thought it was safe, I crept into the hallway.”

Her heart had stopped when she’d recognized the back of Kenny’s head at the end of the hall. She’d gasped, and he’d whirled, lifting the weapon in his hands. When locked eyes, the rage in Kenny’s gaze had shocked her, but a moment later it gave way to apathy.

“Kara….”

“NCPD, put the gun down!”

The sound of a new voice startled them both. The rifle Kenny held jerked, and Kara’s whole body flinched. But Kenny didn’t put the gun down.

“Y-you’re going to have to kill me,” he stuttered. Kara stared at him. He looked like her friend, but there were bloody footprints behind him, and his pants were spattered with blood and… brain matter, Kara realized in horror. Her best friend had stood over someone and shot them in the head.

Trembling, Kara’s gaze bounced between Kenny and the officer who had spoken. The officer was small, barely taller than Kara, but exuded calm authority even as Kenny hefted the gun higher against his shoulder. It was too heavy, Kara realized. He wasn’t used to the weight.

“We don’t want to do that,” the officer said. Her tone was cool and clear, traveling easily down the corridor. “My name’s Officer Grant. What’s yours?”

“K-Kenny,” he stammered. Sweat beaded and slid down his forehead.

Officer Grant nodded. There was a shuffle of footsteps as more officers moved into a formation behind her. Kenny’s finger curled around the trigger, but Officer Grant lifted her hand to both put him at ease and to tell her people to hold off.

“I’m sure you have reasons for what’s happened today,” she said. “And I’m sure they feel like good ones. But no one else needs to get hurt today.”

“Yes they do!” Kenny snapped back into his rage, his features warping back into an unfamiliar mask. “He– he wasn’t there! I have to– he deserves–” His gaze locked on Kara, imploring her to understand. “He wasn’t there, Kara!”

Kara’s heart stopped. She knew exactly who he meant. Jake. The worst of them all. Kenny wanted– he was hunting. But there’d been so much gunfire already– how many people did Kenny hurt instead? Her vision wobbled, and for the first time she realized she was crying.

“Everything feels so big right now,” Officer Grant continued. “I have a son, and his emotions get so big, he just doesn’t know what to do with it. This may have felt like the only way, Kenny, but it’s not.”

“B-but… I…” Kenny sounded small again.

“You still have decisions to make, Kenny. You’re making one now– you haven’t hurt Kara.”

Kenny looked at her, tears of his own streaming down his face. “She– she’s my–” He shook his head. “She doesn’t deserve to die.”

“There are a lot of other people who don’t deserve it either. A lot of families who don’t deserve to have dinner without their kids. Your parents don’t deserve to lose their son.”

His resolve wavers. He hitches the gun again, but from exhaustion rather than ire. “I don’t know. I don’t know anymore.”

“You can choose to put the gun down, Kenny,” Officer Grant pushed gently, sensing the ground she’s gained. To Kara’s surprise, the officer’s focus shifts to her for a pointed moment before returning to Kenny. “Kara doesn’t deserve to watch you die.”

Kara’s throat locked then. She stared at Kenny, desperate. “Please, Kenny,” she croaked. Kenny didn’t look at her. “Kenny, PLEASE!”

Her legs almost gave out when he looked at her, his despair palpable. Kara knew in that moment he’d planned to die that day; the alternative would be years in prison, maybe an entire lifetime. Kara didn’t know what she would choose either.

After a long, tense moment, Kenny exhaled shakily before taking a step back. He knelt. Leaning forward, he’d slid the rifle across the floor away from him before interlocking his fingers behind his head. Before Kara could blink, officers swarmed Kenny, locking his handcuffs on his wrists and confiscating the rifle.

Officer Grant, though, came to Kara.

“Are you okay, Kara?”

An avalanche of sobs came crashing out of Kara, and Officer Grant opened her arms and held Kara as she crumbled.

“Officer Grant talked Kenny down,” Kara continues, blinking her way back to the low-lit bar. Lena waits on the other side of the booth, her features patient and calm. Kara offers a small, quiet smile. “She talked him down, by talking to him. Not as a monster, but as a person. Her compassion won out over his anger, and it saved lives.”

Lena reaches across the table, clasping Kara’s in hers. Her thumbs rub soft circles against Kara’s skin, further grounding her back in the present. “She inspired you.”

Kara turns her hand, letting her palm settle fully in Lena’s. “She did. A few years later, she was the one who gave me my badge. Literally. Her signature is on my graduation certificate.”

“I bet she remembered you.”

“She did,” Kara confirms. Then she snorts, dispelling the somber mood. “Not that it won me any favors. In fact, I was pretty sure she hated me right up until she pinned my badge on my chest.”

Lena laughs. “Oh, man, I could spend days telling you about basic. The worst.”

Kara squeezes the hand in hers, giving a genuine smile. “I look forward to it. But first…”

She pauses when she sees Jess heading towards them with a basket of food in her hands.

“Onion rings!”

#supercorp #blue and fire engine red #tw school shooting reference #no onscreen death #a little angsty #but still a first date!#the important bits are there #plus world building!

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gatorlovebot · 7 months

Text

read my other king!simon blurbs here.

simon was never really one to listen to his court. his advisors were mostly there for show because simon did what simon wanted, as simple as that. his advisors and men could give their opinions and guidance all they wanted but simon was the king, no one else. ultimately he was the one that made the decisions.

but sometimes he did listen to them, sometimes because he actually agreed with what they were saying or to just get them to shut up when it came to more inconsequential things. but this, to you, did not seem that inconsequential.

the castle had been preparing for the arrival of the royal family from the south for weeks. the visit was for political purposes, the southern king wanting to form an alliance with simon. simon wasn’t too concerned when it came to the far away kingdoms. when he first took the throne his main concern was power and domination, waging wars with kingdoms to gain more rule and land. but now, as he was getting older, he was more focused on ruling his kingdom. visits from other royals were few and far between but they were still big affairs.

from the day you had become appointed to stand by simon you had heard talks of him taking a wife, his advisors attempting to persuade him to share the throne with someone else, potentially another royal, to grow the kingdom. but simon stood firm in his decision over the years to never take a wife, especially not another royal. he could never picture a union with another royal being genuine, especially when his advisors kept assuring him he didn’t even have to like his potential queen, they were more concerned with the political implications. but simon didn’t care about politics or gaining more power, when it came to a wife he wanted someone to love, someone to love him, someone to be proud to stand next to.

but the day before the southern royal family was set to arrive you felt like alternative timeline.

“she’s beautiful, she’s educated, she’s young, and she has no prospect as high as your caliber, your highness.” simon’s advisor spoke of the king’s daughter, the princess.

you’re alarmed, this conversation isn’t going how they usually do. when simon’s men bring up potential wives for him, he usually shuts down the conversation immediately. just protest after angry protest until eventually his men just drop the conversation entirely for the next few months. but for whatever reason this time around simon seems curious about the whole thing.

“what did you have in mind?” he asks, and you try your best to hide your shock but you can imagine your eyes look like they’re about to bulge out of their sockets. he can’t be fucking serious.

and his advisor seems shocked as well, “well, your majesty, we thought that we would start simple since this isn’t something you usually do. a walk around the royal gardens, and then if that goes well, maybe a lunch. just the two of you.”

simon ponders it for a few moments and your body goes tense and rigid in that time. “sounds fine to me.”

your jaw drops.

“well done, then, your highness. the southern king has approved of this potential courting, so everything is set.”

you tried your best to get out of it, why would simon need you to accompany him on his little courting date? but, you were expected to accompany him to everything and without a valid excuse there was no way of getting out of it. you walked a respectable distance behind simon and the princess, along with one of simon’s guards. you tried to not look at the way they easily strolled through the gardens, arm in arm in, tried not to listen to her angelic giggle as she laughed at simon’s awful jokes, even one that he had told you earlier that morning. but you couldn’t help yourself, they were the only thing you could focus on.

it all seemed like such a cruel joke, making you question what you had done to deserve this. you let your emotions get the best of you as a tear falls down your cheek. you quickly reach up to wipe it away. “here,” the guard directed, holding out a handkerchief.

although the gesture was kind, you couldn’t help but feel embarrassed about the whole thing. “oh, thank you, it must be the pollen getting to me.” you tried to convince.

his smile told you otherwise, “no problem, my dear, no need for explanations.”

when the princess and simon halted further up the path of the gardens so she could lean over to smell one of the flowers, the guard nudged you with his elbow. he extended his arm out to you and you took advantage of the connection, linking your arm with his, feeling grounded for the first time since stepping out into the gardens.

it wasn’t very appropriate, physical touch with one of simon’s guards, but it was ultimately harmless. the guard was just being considerate of your feelings, which you couldn’t help but indulge in. and if you held onto the guards arm even tighter when a sour look crossed simon’s face when he spotted the two of you out of the corner of his eye, well that’s nobody’s business.

#gator.writing #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley #ghost x reader #ghost headcanons #cod mw2 #simon riley imagine #ghost imagine #just wanted to write a little angsty bit that wasn't really connected to the plot i have going on #king simon

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carnivalcarriondiscarded · 6 months

Text

had a human au thought of Barnaby and Wally. idk doing their taxes or going through bills together since they share a house & Barnaby going "hey we could get married for tax benefits and health insurance. wait no what if i want to marry Howdy someday? it's illegal to be married to two people." Wally goes "we could get divorced" and Barnaby gets legitimately sad like:

#wally: uhhhhhh. um. i think i left the oven running #barnaby: YOU DONT BAKE- GET BACK HERE AND ANSWER THE QUESTION #in human au barnaby's ideal world he can marry both his platonic life-partner And the love of his life #but the american government says No smh #my heart goes out to polyams everywhere #fuckkkkk getting unwell about this aus barnaby and wally again everyone #like i have so many different little plot lines and mini aus for the au #like what if there was a covid arc?#in my mind lockdown happens while wally is Elsewhere #so he cant exactly get back home! and obviously no one is happy about that but wally is dealing well enough #but barnaby's like 🥺 my lil buddys out there all on his own and im alone here so im gonna call him every day #(also i like to think that howdy spends lockdown w/ barn or vice-versa but this aint about that)#wally: vibing #barnaby: a bit of a wreck #absolutely unprompted #wh modern human au #but then also Angsty Thoughts of yo when they all get old uhhh who dies first #and In My Mind! they both die within a few days of each other #maybe barnaby goes first and wally just. pines away. broken heart syndrome babey!#also having soft thoughts of them when they first became friends #barnaby taking him to the farm and introducing him to the animals <3 #wally trying to help out with morning chores after a sleepover <3 #ms. beagle absolutely adoring wally and always having his favorite snacks In Stock for whenever he comes by <3 #that one time barnaby broke somebody's jaw for going a little too far w/ insulting wally & almost got expelled <3 #mannn they're so! honestly goals #oh and later on when they have their own place wally having his own lil art studio #and barnaby continuing to be his go-to muse <3 #wally probably has so much fuckign art of barnaby lmao #OHHHHH AND THE CAR CRASH ARCCCCC DONT EVEN GET ME FUCKIGN STARTED #EMOTIONS CENTRAL THAT IS

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seas-of-silver · 7 months

Note

"I know it was you" - Scarabella said to Marinette, who thought back to that day two years ago when she passed her earrings to Alya after her failure with Stoneheart

'I know it was you,' Scarabella said to Marinette, who thought back to that day two years ago when she passed her earrings to Alya after her failure with Stoneheart.

-oOo-

Marinette's heart was in her throat, and her stomach was right behind it. Now there were more of these stone creatures? All because she and her supposed partner hadn't finished the job like they were meant to? She knew she wasn't fit to be a superhero, and here was the proof! She was just going to mess up and let everyone down, just like she thought she would.

No matter how Tikki protested and pleaded, Marinette took off the earrings. The room fell quiet, but her heart ached and screamed loud enough to fill the silence. No matter how much she yearned to be stronger, be tougher, be able to defend herself and others, be self assured... this was her reality - that version of Marinette was never meant to be.

-oOo-

Throughout the day, Marinette listened as Alya gushed about superheroes, somehow having completely blind faith and utter trust in Ladybug's abilities to make things right. She quietly witnessed as her new friend displayed her natural bravery, fearlessness, and compassion like some everyday superhero; standing up to Chloé like it was nothing, running towards danger instead of away from it (like any other sane person would), spoke with a confidence Marinette could only dream of having, reassuring Marinette when she was feeling down, and being brave enough to make friends with the klutzy nobody.

'Alya, wouldn't you like to be a superhero and go out and fight monsters and villains?' Marinette blurted.

'Totally!' Alya exclaimed, eyes sparkling at the very idea. 'I'm not scared of anyone! Why?'

'Oh! No reason...' Marinette deflected, quietly slipping the wooden box into Alya's bag, giving those magical earrings and their little god a new home. Somehow that small action tore at something within her, but Marinette shook off the unsettling sensation. Alya had studied superheroes like it was her destiny to become one herself; whoever had given them to Marinette had clearly made a mistake.

-oOo-

Stoneheart, and all his clones, suddenly reanimated all over Paris, coming to life with a scary destruction that rampaged across the normally peaceful city. Alya, predictably, became excited by all the commotion, and was eager to chase after it.

'Come on! Let's follow him!' she gleefully said to Marinette, keen to have a companion along for the ride.

'Uh… Oh, no,' Marinette replied tensely. 'You go. I'm finding myself a safe place to hide.'

Alya looked incredulous. 'Girl, you're gonna miss Ladybug in action!'

Marinette still didn't understand what Alya saw in Ladybug that made the failure of a hero so special to her. She picked up Alya's bag and held it outstretched to her, and told her, 'You and Ladybug will both be better off without me.'

With a shrug, Alya accepted the bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

'If you say so!' she called out as she ran through the door.

-oOo-

Marinette anxiously waited at home, watching the news broadcast from home, wrapped in her parents' arms as Chat Noir fought valiantly against the stone creatures, and just when all hope seemed lost, the new spotted hero burst onto the scene. Marinette could see Chat Noir's startled confusion at his new partner, his distraction earning him a flight through the air, no thanks to a stony fist. After an agonising hour of battle, the heroes made it to the Eiffel Tower, and the scariest head-like figure made out of dark butterflies appeared. The ladybug-like hero stepped forward and proudly proclaimed that she and her partner would fight to keep Paris safe, and in that moment, Scarabella was born.

Marinette silently told herself that she did the right thing, steadfastly ignoring the heavy sense of wrongness that made itself at home in her stomach.

-oOo-

'Marinette.' Scarabella's voice brought her back to the present, and Marinette suddenly became all too aware of how small her balcony was, and how Scarabella conveniently positioned herself between Marinette and her skylight, leaving her no way to escape this interrogation.

'And what exactly do you think I did?' Marinette said, folding her arms across her chest. If Alya wanted to play this game, she wasn't going to make it easier for her.

Scarabella frowned. 'You know what I mean.'

'No, I don't,' Marinette countered. 'You just turned up here and said, "I know it was you." Very ominous, by the way, but not exactly informative.'

'Girl, don't you play dumb with me!' Scarabella snapped, her hands planting firmly on her hips. 'You were the one who gave me these earrings. You were Ladybug.'

'And what makes you so sure of that?' Marinette rebutted.

'You were so pessimistic about Ladybug's abilities that day-' Scarabella began to list, counting off on her fingers.

'As I'm sure any other Parisian could've been,' Marinette cut in, but Scarabella continued on as if she didn't hear her.

'-you also were the one who gave me my bag, insisting that both Ladybug and I would be better off without you-'

'Because I'm a scaredy-cat,' Marinette cut in again. 'I hide from akumas at every opportunity.'

'Liar,' Scarabella accused. 'You didn't shy away from Evillustrator, or Kung Food, or a bunch of akumas I could mention.'

'Fine, almost every opportunity,' Marinette amended with a huff. 'Are you going to have any real evidence, or are you just going to-'

'You called me by name.'

Marinette was confused. 'Huh?'

'You called me by name,' Scarabella repeated. 'I looked back over my footage that I got of Ladybug, and not once did I introduce myself, but she called me by name. You called me by name. My family had only recently moved over at the time, and so I wasn't well-known then, and you were my first friend. No one else who knew me well were even close to me that day, not close enough to slip magical earrings into my bag.'

Marinette's stomach lurched. That was some good reasoning. She didn't remember calling Alya by name while she was suited up - it was all a bit hectic.

'Furthermore,' continued Scarabella, her eyes gleaming like a cat that caught a canary, 'throughout this entire conversation, I referenced moments in my civilian life - a life you shouldn't know about unless you knew my identity.'

She winced. Alya caught her. Marinette slumped into her deck chair.

'Fine, Alya. You got me. I was Ladybug.'

Scarabella detransformed, leaving Alya and Tikki in her place. Tikki zoomed up to Marinette.

'Why did you give me away?' she asked with watery eyes. Marinette hung her head.

'I couldn't be who you needed me to be, who I wanted to be,' Marinette admitted, unable to meet the eyes of the tiny god. 'I had let you and Paris down, I had failed.'

'No, you didn't.' Tikki's determined voice made Marinette lift her head. 'You did everything perfectly! You might've forgotten to capture the akuma, but that's okay - everything must've been so overwhelming for you. But I was the one who forgot to tell you to cleanse the akuma and trigger the cure. That was my fault, not yours.'

'But...' Marinette began, scrambling for words, 'we- I still failed. And Scarabella is doing just fine in my place!'

'But I have reason to believe you would do better,' Alya countered gently. 'You and Chat, even with it being your first time working together, worked well. You managed to solve the problem and defeat Stoneheart within a matter of minutes after first encountering him. Me? Even with prior knowledge, it still took us over an hour to get the ordeal sorted with. And don't try refuting it, because I have video evidence.'

'But I'm a klutz!' Marinette burst out, frustrated that Alya and Tikki just didn't get it. 'I stumble over my feet on the regular, I can barely stand up to my own bullies, I can't even ask Adrien out on a date!' Marinette thought she heard a tiny gasp, but she ignored it, too riled up to care. 'I am not a leader like you are - how am I supposed to be the superhero everyone needs if I am simply not enough?'

'Oh, Marinette,' Alya cooed, hugging her as Tikki wiped away the tears she didn't know had started to fall. 'You are more than enough. When you were asked on that date with Evillustrator, you stood up to the challenge and you got his akumatisesd object all on your own! If he hadn't spotted Chat and me, we definitely would've won there and then! During Darkblade, you managed to rally our classmates together to keep them all as safe as possible and you even created an opportunity for me to escape so I could transform! And when Kung Food happened, you worked with Chat Noir to force Kung Food up to the rooftop, which bought me enough time to get over there and join in! I could list so many instances where you were the perfect superhero. Between you and me, you really impressed Chat Noir with your heroism,' Alya said with a wink. 'He keeps insisting that if it's ever possible to have new members of the team, that you should be the first on that list.'

Marinette's cheeks flushed at the praise from her former partner, and she heard a little mewl. She subtly glanced up and saw green eyes and cat ears quickly hide behind her chimney. Chat Noir had stopped by her balcony a number of times since those battles Alya had mentioned, claiming her home was simply "along his patrol route" and decided to stop and have a chat with his favourite civilian. Marinette had suspected he was lonely or wanted a friend, so she played along with his silly excuses and chatted with him under the night sky. In the interest of keeping their friendship, she refused to admit to even herself that she held affection for her silly kitty, and instead focused all her romantic affections towards her crush, Adrien, who still held her heart after that moment with the umbrella in the rain. It seemed like Chat had wanted to chat again tonight, and had instead stumbled upon both of his partners' identities.

'So what do you want me to do, Alya?' she asked, flicking her eyes back toward her friend. 'I can't just become Ladybug again - that's your job now.'

'No, at least not right now,' Alya sighed, 'but I've recently met the Guardian of the Miraculous, and there's even more Miraculouses than what Chat and I first thought, so I talked with Chat decided to take his advice.'

Alya pulled out something from her pocket - a box that looked exactly like the one she had snuck into Alya's bag all those months ago.

'Marinette Dupain-Cheng, here is the Miraculous of the Fox, which grants the power of illusion. You will use it for the greater good. You will become a temporary member of the team until you feel ready to become a permanent member. Can I trust you?'

~/~

Ask game: Give me the first sentence and I'll write a short piece for it!

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