#Andrea Raos

[marcogiovenale]

[r] _ ma no, ma no, ma ni, non è morta, la poesia, su

Man Ray, Paris, mai, 1924 coraggio, editorialisti e notillatori, in rete e fuori, non prendete per forza alla lettera la grigiorosea parola postpoesia: non v’impauri, campioni. la poesia non defunse, anzi della sua viridescente vis voi siete – è fama – i promoter più scafati e, mi si consenta, fichi. è stagione, tuttavia, che dai vostri castelli vitivinicolmente muniti oscilliate il benigno capo…

[sleepintro]

guys !!!!!!!!!!!!! so i wanted to go for english recitation competition in school and i was wondering if yall had any recs

[the-bi-library]

Happy pride month!! Here are bisexual books out in June! 🩷💜💙 Books listed: Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba The Fall of Elijah Gray (Moonlight Falls, #0.5) by Colette Rivera The Bound Worlds (The Devoured Worlds, #3) by Megan E. O'Keefe Pole Position by Rebecca J. Caffery Digging for Destiny (Dragon Circle, #2) by Jenna Jarvis The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron But How Are You, Really by Ella Dawson Shadows Dark and Deadly (Red Society Series Book 1) by Andrea Marie Johnson Hot Summer by Elle Everhart All Friends Are Necessary by Tomas Moniz Where Willows Weep by Luna Fiore Dandelion by Merlina Garance One Killer Problem by Justine Pucella Winans Napkins and Other Distractions (Teachers in Love, #3) by M.A. Wardell Bi-Partisan (District Love #1) by Dallas Smith Furious by Jamie Pacton and Becca Podos Blame It On The Stars by Elle Bennett Ballad for Jasmine Town by Molly Ringle Old Enough by Haley Jakobson (paperback edition) Accidentally Dominating the Vampire's Assistant by Cat Giraldo Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland Breaks Volume 2 (Breaks, #2) by Emma Vieceli and Malin Rydén

Only Fan Service by Cat Giraldo Something to be Proud Of by Anna Zoe Quirke

Heirs of Destruction (The Crownkiller Saga, #1) by T.N. Vitus London on My Mind by Clara Alves The Pecan Children by Quinn Connor A Divine Fury (Cesare Aldo, #4) by D.V. Bishop The Unrelenting Earth (Rages, #2) by Kritika H. Rao

[fyonahmacnally]

Watching Her

Kara stares at the blank screen in front of her. She’s been sitting at her dining room table for what feels like days. She needs to be writing her article, but it seems her brain has other plans. Instead, she’s trying to string together the words that have plagued her mind for months. Well, plaguing her for years really, if she’s being honest. 

Plus, lately there’s this urgent need to explain to her raven haired goddess of a best friend how much she means to the hero. Every time Kara thinks she can speak it aloud, the words get stuck in her throat. So, she thought she’d write them instead. Apparently that’s not working either since she’s been staring at her screen for Rao knows how long. No article and no words for Lena. She’s come up short either way. Since the genius woman left for Newfoundland a few days ago, the blonde hasn’t been able to think of much else. 

Just Lena. Always Lena.

Her time in the Phantom Zone was wrought with the fear of never seeing those mesmerizing bi-colored eyes or touching soft porcelain skin again. Their relationship has weathered storms most married couples haven’t faced. A sentiment that forces her thoughts down a path she’s skillfully avoided for years. Kara knows they reconciled and have swapped both apologies and forgiveness, but she’s still not sure where they stand. What they are. Friends? Yes, but there’s always been more. Unfortunately, dealing with the madness surrounding Lex and Nyxly hasn’t given them much time to sort through things. To truly talk.

There are countless things Kara wants to say. While in the Phantom Zone, she relived almost every moment of her relationship with Lena. The worst of things played out before her on most occasions, but the visions also allowed her subconscious to say things she’s always been too cowardly to say. As much as being there sucked, it also gave her insight into how much is still unsaid between them. Insight into where her true home lies. Who is her perfect partner at game night. 

It’s Lena. It has always been Lena.

She shakes her head with a sigh. The cursor on her screen mocks her. This is what happens every time she tries to put words on the page. Her thoughts instantly drift to Lena and all the words she’s choked back or refused to speak. Then a smile drifts across her lips, thoughts of how close she came to kissing the raven haired goddess. Right there in the middle of the tower when she first greeted Lena. If it hadn’t been for Alex and everyone else in the room, she might have. 

No, she’s sure she would have.

“Rao, stop it Kara!” She mutters to herself, slapping her forehead to punctuate her point. “You have an article to write. Even if it is a fluff piece for Andrea.”

Rolling her eyes at the thought of her boss, she straightens her spine, stretches her arms in front of her, shakes them out, and settles back in to write. 

A few hours later, Kara realizes she’s been writing a stream of consciousness. Her once blank document is filled with words. It’s great that she was able to get so many words on the page, but it’s absolutely, 100% not related to the article she needs to write for her deadline. A deadline two days from now. 

Nope. 

Every single word is related to Lena. 

Kara drops her chin to her chest, blowing out a breath of frustration before sitting back in her chair and dragging her hands down her face. “Okay, I guess I should read through this mess of thoughts. Maybe it will give me something for Lena.”

As her eyes rove over the page, drinking in the words she has written, Kara feels her body grow warm. Before her, on the laptop screen, sits the words she’s been looking for. The combination of things she’s longed to share with her best friend for the better part of six years. Sure, she’s going to have to edit some things and polish it up. However, she’s confident she finally has the words she wants to share. 

Lena comes back early. Kara isn’t sure why, but her raven haired friend doesn’t seem open to talking about it. She can tell something is on Lena’s mind though. The woman’s behavior certainly derails Kara’s plan to give Lena the journal/letter she wrote. 

Just another delay. Such is the life they live. The life of a hero.

They make plans to hangout together. Kara invites Lena to her loft to catch up and eat pie. Because…pie! 

The blonde watches her, drinking in her profile. Strong, sharp jawline. Soft, pouty lips. Perfectly manicured brows, vibrant porcelain skin, and shiny ebony locks cascading down her back, a few strands hanging over her shoulder and resting on her collarbone. Lena is without a doubt the most beautiful person Kara has ever seen, across any and all planets she’s been on. This woman captivates her, steals her breath, and owns her heart. 

She must get lost in her observation because the next thing she feels is a soft hand on her forearm breaking her from her trance.

“Kara?” Lena practically whispers, squeezing the hero’s forearm. “Darling, are you okay?”

She clears her throat, her embarrassment no doubt on display across her cheeks, spreading onto her ears. “Umm, yeah. F-Fine.”

Lena cocks her head to the side, patented eyebrow raise in place. “Want to try again? I know you didn’t catch what I said because you undoubtedly would have responded.” She releases the blonde’s forearm before shifting to face her. “Now, tell me what’s going on in that beautiful brain of yours.”

A long, shaky sigh makes its way out of Kara’s mouth. She is unquestionably not going to admit what currently has her distracted. Which means she needs to come up with something that is close to the truth, but doesn’t force her to admit her feelings. Not yet.

“I just, well, I missed you.” She reaches up to adjust glasses that aren’t there before diverting her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “There’s so much we have to catch up on and it’s a little surreal that you’re here. With me. Right now.” She trails off, the fading blush from a few minutes ago rushing back across her impervious skin. 

A full, gorgeous, dimpled smile spreads across Lena’s face. It’s the smile that Kara used to see all the time during their countless lunch dates and game nights. It makes her heart stutter in her chest, a sight more beautiful than Rao’s dawn on Krypton. 

“I missed you, too. We do have a lot to catch up on.” Lena winks at her before sitting her half-eaten pie on the coffee table. “Do you want me to finish what I was saying or are you ready to tell me what’s got you so distracted?”

“Y-You go ahead and finish what you were saying. We can talk about my scattered brain later.” She gives her most endearing grin, hoping it will persuade her best friend to continue.

It works. They exchange stories for the next couple of hours. Lena shares what she learned about her mother and how apparently she comes from a long line of powerful sorceresses. Kara shares the crazy things they fought and dealt with in her absence along with the plan to get rid of Lex and Nyxly for good. Another night of completely skirting her inner dialogue. 

And so it goes for several weeks afterward. They spend their time working to get rid of the worst Luthor and his psychotic fifth-dimensional girlfriend. In the aftermath of William’s death, losing Lillian, and Alex and Kelly’s wedding, Lena seems to come to terms with her magical abilities and gain confidence in her new identity as the last Luthor standing. 

The good Luthor.

While Alex and Kelly are on their honeymoon, Kara and Lena finally have the conversation both of them have been putting off. 

The two of them are curled up on opposite ends of Kara’s couch, each holding a cup of their preferred tea. They exchange shy, knowing smiles for several seconds before Lena breaks the comfortable silence.

“You know, I used to think the biggest monsters I had to fear were Lex and Lillian.” Lena softly says, running her finger along the edge of her rapidly cooling mug. “Over the past year and especially these last few months, I’ve learned we make our own monsters. We make our own monsters, then fear them for what they show us about ourselves.”

A plethora of emotions swirl in the verdant eyes that look up and connect with concerned, but affectionate blue ones. They revel in brief silence, drinking in the intimacy and vulnerability of their shared space. Two battered souls that completely understand one another in ways no one else can.

Lena takes a deep breath, sits her now cold mug on the coffee table, and pats the cushion next to her hoping Kara will slide closer. She watches as Kara places her own mug down and shuffles across the couch, planting herself close enough that Lena’s knee sits against the side of her thigh. A delicate, pale hand rests on top of a warm tan one.

Kara turns her hand to lace their fingers together, gently squeezing Lena’s in a show of comfort. “I get that, at least I think I do. We’ve both been through so much in our lives, so much trauma.” The hero sucks in a ragged breath, all the things she’s lost flashing through her mind. “We both have wounds that will never show on our bodies. Wounds that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds. But, as painful as they are, they’ve built us into who we are.”

A soft huff and a chuckle of incredulity sound beside her causing blue eyes to shift from their hands to Lena’s half-amused, half-saddened expression. “You’re not wrong, but I wish there was a better, less painful path to get here.” She rolls her eyes at the situation. “I guess part of my point in saying this about Lex and Lillian is that loving and yearning for love can be blinding. Sometimes, I think, we don’t really see how toxic someone is until we finally breathe fresher air.”

Lena lifts her free hand to gently rub soft patterns into the skin on Kara’s hand still clasped in hers. “When I was in Newfoundland, it reminded me that who I am and where I came from are only small pieces of who I want to be. Being in the fresh air, away from the Luthor name gave me a new perspective. It helped me realize some things.” 

A wistful smile spreads across her face as she pauses her ministrations on Kara’s skin. “There is a home no one can take from you, a home that will last. I think who you are, who you surround yourself with, and what you believe in is your real home. For me, that home is you, Kara.” She takes a shaky breath and makes eye contact with the blonde, hoping to convey how truly sincere she is. The raw truth in her statement.

Kara’s breath catches, her eyes glisten with tears. Lena hasn’t actually said the words she longs to hear, but it carries the same meaning. She does her best to collect her emotions and prevent the epic ramble she can sense coming. There is a journal/letter or whatever you want to call it she needs to share with Lena. So. She needs to get herself together. 

Which is hard when Lena looks so stunning. The happiness and confidence that exudes from her without Lex and Lillian looming over her, it makes her more alluring than ever. Kara’s mind constantly drifts to thoughts of ebony locks and viridian eyes.

Rao, Lena has never looked so beautiful. She’s a goddess amongst mere mortals…

She shakes her head and forces herself back to reality.

“You know, I spent a lot of time thinking about things too. While you were in Newfoundland, I mean. Well, and while I was in the Phantom Zone. Lots of time to think there.” She shakes her head, the urge to ramble growing stronger and she wants to do this right. Blowing out a breath and pulling another in, she tries to calm herself before trying again. “I’ve given a lot of thought to having a home and what it really means to me. I always see the same thing, Lena. Your face, your smile. It’s always you. I, umm, I wrote something about it while you were gone.”

Releasing their connected hands proves more difficult than she anticipated, but she manages. She pulls the folded paper from her pocket where it has been since she finished it. Her hope was the right moment would present itself and she could either let Lena read it or read it to her. Now the moment is here and she’s more nervous than her Pulitzer ceremony.

Clearing her throat, she pauses before locking eyes with her best friend and lightly shrugs. “I guess I’m not sure if you want to just read it or if you want me to read it to you. I mean, I’ll do either. Just as long as you know what it says and…” A nervous chuckle escapes and she shifts herself on the couch, turning her body toward her best friend. “What would you prefer? I’m going to be nervous and jittery regardless.”

Lena tilts her head and lifts her hand to her chin feigning thought. “Well, if you are giving me the choice, I am going to choose having you read it to me.” She pats the Kryptonian on the thigh before leaning her elbow onto the backrest of the couch, propping her head in her hand. “If I can listen to your words and hear your thoughts through your voice, I am going to choose that option every time, Kara.”

They laugh and settle into place as Kara unfolds the paper. She knows this is going to change things, she just doesn’t know how much. With one last look at the woman that holds her heart, she begins to read.

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

Watching her. It’s something I catch myself doing quite frequently. It’s not that I mean to or I do it on purpose. It just happens. She’s always captivated me. Her wit. Her brilliance. Her grace. Not to mention her eyes. Her smile. Her armor piercing eyebrow raise. There are so many things about her that reel me in.

From the first moment our eyes met, the first time my eyes connected with the deep pools of sea green, I knew she was special. Someone important. And that is the moment my world shifted.

Watching her is distracting. She moves with a sense of surety and power unlike any I’ve seen. Her intelligence is a super power very few possess, she wields it with both caution and tenacity. The desire to help others is so innate to her soul, even the sinister Luthors couldn’t break her drive to do good.

From the first time she helped save the city, I knew she was a hero. A woman worthy of respect and honor, no matter the name she was born under. That was the moment I knew we could take on the world together.

Watching her is awe inspiring. She is so willing to give, to help others, to share her inventions and love of science for the betterment of society, for the greater good of the world. She strives to help others, sometimes even at the detriment of herself.

From the moment she put herself on the line for the safety of others, I knew she was worthy of more than what so many hurl at her. Worthy of love, trust, and respect, leagues beyond what the world has given her.

Watching her is life changing. Life has so many twists and turns, nothing is guaranteed or promised. But when I see her, when I watch her teach her goddaughter new things, when I watch her toss her head back in unrestrained laughter, even when I watch tears drift down her pale cheeks…watching her is life changing.

From the moment I first held her in my arms, I knew my life was forever changed. The gift of her smile is priceless, the gift of her trust is sacred, but the gift of her love is divine.

Watching her has forever changed my life, finding her is how I found my home. --------------------------

Kara finishes reading, but is hesitant to look up. She’s not sure how Lena is going to react and doesn’t want to see rejection reflected back at her. It isn’t until she hears a soft sniffle that her head bolts up and her eyes find teary, sparkling green ones. 

Her eyes widen and she reaches out to wipe the tears away. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” The blonde grabs the box of tissues from the coffee table and hands one to Lena. “Are you okay? Do you need me to leave? I can…”

Her rambling words are halted by a soft finger pressing against her lips. She keeps her eyes on the woman the finger belongs to. The mossy pools she’s gotten lost in countless times search her oceanic ones, apparently finding what she needs.

Lena slowly removes her finger, gently lifting both hands to rest on Kara’s cheeks. She presses their foreheads together and sighs. “I guess two lost little girls finally found their home.”

Neither of them know who leaned in first. In the end, it really doesn’t matter. Not when the result is their lips pressing together and a home to call their own.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙💜💖 Bi Books Coming Out June 2024

💖💜💙 Do you know what we could always use a little more of? Bi books! Here are a few coming out in June that would make fabulous additions to your never-ending TBR! Happy reading!

💖 But How Are You, Really - Ella Dawson 💜 Something to be Proud Of - Anna Zoe Quirke 💙 One Killer Problem - Justine Pucella Winans

💖 Ballad for Jasmine Town - Molly Ringle 💜 Saints of Storm and Sorrow - Gabriella Buba 💙 The Pecan Children - Quinn Connor

💖 The Unrelenting Earth - Kritika H. Rao 💜 A Divine Fury - D.V. Bishop 💙 The Last Note of Warning - Katharine Schellman

💖 Mirrored Heavens - Rebecca Roanhorse 💜 The Fall of Elijah Gray - Colette Rivera 💙 The Bound Worlds - Megan E. O'Keefe

💖 Pole Position - Rebecca J. Caffery 💜 Digging for Destiny - Jenna Jarvis 💙 Shadows Dark and Deadly - Andrea Marie Johnson

💖 Dandelion - Merlina Garance 💜 Where Willows Weep - Luna Fiore 💙 All Friends Are Necessary - Tomas Moniz

💖 Bi-Partisan - Dallas Smith 💜 Napkins and Other Distractions - by M.A. Wardell 💙 Breaks v2 - Emma Vieceli and Malin Rydén

💖 Furious - Jamie Pacton and Becca Podos 💜 Heirs of Destruction - T.N. Vitus 💙 Blame It On The Stars - Elle Bennett

[multifandominfj]

A New Beginning: A Supergirl 6x20 Re-Write

Chapter One: Back to Reality

There was definitely a new air about National City that night, and there was definitely a new air about Kara Danvers as well. Sitting in her chair in the main meeting area of the CatCo bullpen, wearing a red and cream tartan suit with her hair perfectly blown out; almost as if she flew there in a rush so she wouldn’t be late.

Thanks to a very important person at her sister’s wedding, who can only be described as the living embodiment of regality with a soft marshmallow center, and a droning force in short but fun-sized packed persona over the phone, she decided that this interview was not only the right time to tell the City she called home for years who she was, but all to breathe. To become herself. Her WHOLE self.

“Are you sure you want to do this Kiera?” The incomparable Cat Grant almost floated in to do this interview, she was that mystical and ethereal. “Once you do this, your life will be changed, and the horrid, ridiculous guest appearances start.”

“I’m sure. This is exactly what I need to do.” Kara takes a relaxing deep breath to calm her nerves.

“And none of your family knows you’re doing this?” Cat’s eyebrow makes an ever present curious arch.

“Nope…Though this would be a good surprise.” A slightly nervous, but at peace chuckle was the clear indicator that she was ready.

“Well then…” Cat gave her famous, let’s get down to business smirk. “Let’s make history.”

*The Lena Luthor Foundation--Head Office*

Catching up on some paperwork, Lena had lost track of time.

“Knock knock.” A rap on the door frame from Andrea had greeted her. “Figured you could use the company and pick me up.”

“Andrea.” A smile brighter than Rao itself was the indicator that she needed a break. “You’re a lifesaver. And thank you. I lost track of time, I actually forgot to eat.”

“Well, when Kara is off changing the world in her new Girl Boss position, someone needs to be there as back up.” Andrea began to unpack a bag of Big Belly Burger, and turn on the tv in Lena’s office. “So, where is Kara exactly? Didn’t you tell me she would be here too?”

“She was, but she had something come up with Cat about changing the layout of their next issue. And something that big, I wouldn’t keep her from that. I told her she could simply make up to me at home.” Hiding her smirk when she said that was not even going to happen.

“I bet.” A chuckle was bound to happen. “I’m happy for you, Lena. Ever since our last catch up after Alex and Kelly’s wedding, it seems like you and Kara are closer than ever.” Andrea was genuinely happy for her friend.

But what she didn’t know was that there was indeed a moment between her and Kara at the wedding. However, just as she was about to say those three words, Nia had called them to wave goodbye to the blushing brides.

“We are. It feels very cathartic that we can just be ourselves with each other. And after all of that time I spent being angry at her for simply…” She definitely couldn’t reveal Kara’s secret. “Keeping a family secret to herself, I had time to think about all of that.” Lena shrugged as she ate.

*The Suburbs of National City*

Family Movie Night was in full swing at the Danvers-Olsen household. Tonight’s plans: Chocolate Drizzle Popcorn, A giant order of potstickers no one had to fight over because Kara wasn’t there to inhale them like a Hoover vacuum, and a big pitcher of lemonade with “special additions” for the adults.

“Alex, hurry up! The movie is starting.” Kelly hollered from the living room

“I’m coming.” She warmly chuckled, followed by a delightful peck on the lips and greeted Kelly upon her return. “Movie nights require extra blankets.” Alex lays one over Kelly and Esme, who was practically shoveling the popcorn by the handful.

“And I feel honored to have finally made a movie night. It’s been a while since I’ve visited. The Tower has kept me rather busy. With you ladies enjoying your time off, and Kara being a big shot with Cat, Brainy, Nia and M’Gann are helping as much as they can.” J’onn grinned warmly as he leaned back in his armchair.

“And tell M’Gann we said thank you for her gift. That Martian salt lamp, I’ll admit, was a little…odd. But the living room was the perfect place for it.” Alex quickly retorts.

“Sssssh.” Esme takes a break from chewing. “You guys are going to miss the best part.” She jokingly glares at them with her crystalline amber-brown eyes.

“It’s the beginning.” Kelly could help but laugh at her daughter’s reaction.

“Exactly. Everything you need to know is in the beginning and I don't want to miss a thing.” She goes right back to devouring her popcorn, eyes practically glued to the TV.

All three adults exchange a glance that read “I swear she’s smarter than all of us.”

“She gets that from you.” Kelly smirked, mouthing to Alex, before turning to the screen herself.

While watching, Alex just took in her surroundings for a moment. For all her life, she had dreamed of having a family of her own. Of having a partner that would love her regardless, good times and bad. Pinching herself to check if it was real was no longer necessary. Her dream had finally come true. With a content exhale, she wrapped her arm around Kelly, pulling her close to snuggle under their blanket.

*CatCo Bullpen*

“Thirty seconds to air, Miss Grant.” A camera assistant reminds them as the equipment setup is finished.

“Are you ready to make history?” Cat smirked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Kara took a deep breath, closing her eyes just for a moment. In that moment, all of that conflicting weight about having to choose between Supergirl, and Kara Danvers…was gone. Yes, she still had the trauma she never really dealt with, but finding a therapist would be tomorrow’s plan. Right now, she wanted to show those little girls out there who look up to her, that you can have as many sides to you as you want.

With a definitive and proud nod to the camera person, the red light turns on.

“Hello National City. You know her as Kara Danvers, CatCo’s Ace reporter and NEW Editor In Chief. But tonight, it is my great honor to introduce to you…Supergirl.”

As she was saying those words, trying to remain as professional as possible, she could feel her sense of pride grow. Cat had known Kara since the start. Yes, she was mean and hostile. But it was only because she wanted Kara to see her full potential, and as soon as she figured out that Kara and Supergirl were one in the same, she pushed Kara harder. She knew the doubts were still there. Hence the blunt, but caring pep talk she had given her over the phone. Cat always knew how great Kara’s value was. Being able to not only break the story about Supergirl, but to be able to interview her protege in the end…She hadn’t had too many “proud mom” moments in her life, but seeing the person Kara had become over the years right in front of her; The growth she could see from Kara’s smile alone, it was certainly just that.

And even though Cat knew her identity for years, hearing her mentor say it, seeing her mentor smile while saying it, it took all of her willpower to not tear up. In that presence space, Kara and Supergirl were whole.

*The Lena Luthor Foundation--Head Office*

Andrea had nearly had her milkshake come out of her nose watching the TV. “Wait, you’re telling me…” Her Sage/Mint Green eyes wider than usual, she had to set down her dinner. “All of those times. The time Supergirl saved me when Nxly nearly threw me up against my back office wall, that weird white tiger incident…”

Lena simply sat there, stifling a chuckle while nodding. “Yeah. It’s a lot. But it was for Kara to tell you herself, and not me.”

Rubbing her face as if that would help the news process faster, Andrea leaned back in her office chair getting pained realization across her face. “Kara was missing for those weeks. Her hesitancy to write about the Phantoms. Her being scrambled…oh my god.”

“Andrea, it's okay.” Lena reaches for her friend’s hand to assure her.

“It’s not Lena.” Shaking her head, refusing to act like she was nice to Kara. “I was nothing but rude to Kara. I shot down every idea, criticized her work when it was perfectly fine. I couldn’t even pick up on the fact that the Phantom situation probably caused her even more trauma after I forced her to write about it.”

“That’s an understatement.” Lena whispers under her breath.

“Even sending William to flat out snoop on her and the Super Friends was a dumb move. It…” Andrea was flashing back to that video.

“Don’t even go there. It wasn’t your fault. As nice a guy as he was, he could’ve prevented his own death. Sending that video to guilt trip you was a shite move on his part.” That was one thing that made Lena angry about that situation: there was an easy solution, but someone with a small brain decided to have the last word.

“I know.” Giving a somewhat sad smile, Andrea was grateful for Lena’s assurance and advice. “And Hopefully opening a school in his honor, as well as an award, is the first step to getting future Kara Danvers’, Nia Nal’s and William Dey’s pursuing the truth.” Looking at the clock. “Well, I should go. Tell Kara I said hi.” She gives Lena a much needed hug, and turns on her heel.

“I will Andrea. Drive safe.” As soon as she left, she practically lunged for her phone.

“Two things: That suit, The Cher Clueless vibes REALLY suit you ;). And when you get home…we need to talk.”

With an effervescent smirk, her own heart growing warmer by the second, Lena sat back in her office chair, and watched the rest of the interview with Kara and Cat. She had always been proud of Kara; who wouldn’t of their own best friends accomplishments? But with every word Kara spoke, Lena could visibly see how much her words to Kara at Alex’s wedding helped.

“My girlfriend is HOT.” She chuckled to herself.

*The Suburbs of National City*

A silence had fallen in the Danvers-Olsen household. While J’onn, Kelly and Alex were a mixture of shock and pride, Alex especially. There was her baby sister, at peace with who she is on TV, being interviewed by the person who had seen her grow just as much. Her eyes were glassy with tears, causing her vision to slightly blur. Despite the stinging in her corneas, a smile as big as the milky way galaxy was plastered right across her face.

“Aunt Kara!” Esme on the other hand, practically flew off the couch to sit closer to the TV so she could watch her aunt in all her glory.

The look she had on her face was priceless, magnified by one hundred.

“Well, if that isn’t the cutest thing on this planet.” Kelly grinned, watching Esme. “I don’t think I’ve seen Esme with this much wonder before.”

“Wouldn’t you if your Aunt was a superhero?” J’onn beamed, listening to the interview questions. “Even being interviewed, she has a gift with words.”

“I’m not surprised. If there was one subject she was good at in high school, it was creative writing.” Alex quickly dabbed her eyes so she could have a clearer view while watching. “I always thought Kara would do something like this, but just print. I had no idea that she was going to let Cat interview her.”

“It’s pretty full circle if you think about it. That one issue of CatCo you showed me, Cat was the one to break the story. I think it’s poetic that Cat is the one to finally get Kara to open up about being Supergirl.” Wise as ever, Kelly too had a twinkle of happiness watching.

“But that would mean…” Alex’s cogs were turning. “Oh…wow. That means Cat has always known too.”

“Aunt Kara really needed a different disguise.” Esme laughed at her own joke.

“Yeah…glasses were definitely not the best idea.” Alex responded with a resounding agreement.

“Can we go see Aunt Kara tomorrow to tell her we saw the interview?” Esme turns to all three of them, puppy dog eyes turned all the way up to 11.

“She mastered that quickly.” J’onn smirked at her reaction, watching Alex and Kelly slowly but surely cave.

“If she’s not too busy with work?” Alex turned to Kelly for the assist.

“I think your Aunt Kara would love that surprise.” Kelly booped her precious little button nose.

“Yay!” Esme cheered. “I’m going to go draw a picture of her to give it to her tomorrow before bed.” She takes off running to her room.

“I will take that as my cue that movie night is over.” J’onn surges from his chair to give the girls each a hug.

“Thanks again for coming, J’onn. Esme wouldn’t let up about inviting you to movie night.” Kelly jokes, returning his sentiment.

“She really does have everyone wrapped around her finger.” He fondly jokes right back.

“I wouldn't have it any other way.” Alex gives him a bear hug with a pleased feeling of content. Both she and Kelly waved goodbye, then began to pick up the aftermath of snacks.

“So, how are you feeling?” Kelly could always tell when something was on Alex’s mind.

“Like someone just shook the emotional magic eight ball that was inside me, and asked “Is Alex going to cry?” Answer: Without question.” Alex’s sense of humor always somehow made her feel less emotional in order to get herself to stop crying. “Though, I’m shocked Kara didn’t text, or reveal anything about this.”

“Maybe that was the point of the surprise. All of those pep talks you’ve given her over the years, plus Lena, and whatever blunt and slight scary pep talk Cat gave her…was the push she needed to do this.” Kelly came up behind Alex to wrap her arms around her waist, resting her chin on her shoulder. “It’s nice to see your sister be her authentic self.”

“You’re right.” Grinning, Alex spun to meet Kelly’s luminous brown eyes. “And between you and I, I think Lena did most of the pushing to get her to this point. Now if she’d only just remove those blinders of hers.”

“You’re bad.” Kelly teased before leaning in to meet Alex’s lips the rest of the way.

“Cue the song Bad to the Bone.” Alex, quite pleased with herself, closes the gap. “Come on, let’s go see how our little Bob Ross is doing on her masterpiece.”

Hand in hand, they stood watching Esme. Swelling with a sense of home and completeness, that couldn’t help but turn to mush watching their daughter reach for color after color as she drew Kara on TV. To them, this was their definition of perfect.

*CatCo Bullpen*

“Thank you, Miss Grant. This is exactly what I needed.” With a loud exhale, Kara felt freer than she had ever felt in her entire life.

“I should be the one thanking you, Kiera.” Cat admits. “These next words I’m about to stay within this bullpen…” She then turns to give the iciest glare to the camera operators. And just like that, as if by magic they disappeared. “I may be snarky, callus and rude…” Immediately, her finger goes up to ward off any sarcastic comments that would come out of Kara’s mouth. “But I really do care. Those Groucho Marx glasses of yours, you didn’t need them. That disguise worked about as well as the superhero’s first suit in a pilot episode on the CW. I already knew you were special. Whether it be your writing, or how you interact with people. As far as I'm concerned, you were Supergirl in the office. Even then, I knew you were giving people a sense of Hope. Being able to do this here, with you…Not only has it been the highlight of my entire career, it is the moment I am most proud of.”

“I don’t --I…” Kara quickly pinched her tear ducts to stop herself from crying before giving a reserved, but very big hug. “Thank you.” She shakes her feelings away, taking a step back.

“You’re welcome.” Cat didn’t let many people hug her; Kara was one of those lucky few. “Now you better run along to your girlfriend, because I’m sure she wants to see you after this momentous occasion.”

“How did you?!” Kara’s face instantly goes Hubba Bubba pink.

“Oh please, it's about as obvious as the beginning of every Christmas and Valentine’s Day movie on the Hallmark Channel. Go.” Cat shooed her as she packed up her stuff.

A booming woosh was all that was heard as Kara left. She knew she had to figure out what the second half of Lena's text meant. Did she forget something? Was she in trouble for eating the last piece of cheesecake? Getting an I’m Sorry as a just in case was her best bet.

Here it is. My very first chapter of my Supergirl fanfic. I’m super nervous about sharing, but please let me know what you think in the comments, and any KIND constructive criticism you have as well.

[emcandon]

THE ARCHIVE UNDYING -- first excerpt drop

hey do you like BONES and/or PLANTS and/or ROBOTS and/or DISABLED DISASTER QUEERS?

are you enticed by the prospect of a book populated by AIs described by one reviewer as "like if Steve Jobs teamed up with King Solomon to write the Ars Goetia"?

are you excited by a plot that Editor Carl and I have described as "Evangelion if the EVA also did not want Shinji to get in the robot"?

Then come check this out! The first release of an excerpt of THE ARCHIVE UNDYING, my original debut. (vs. the IP debut, Star Wars: Ronin, which is also full of disabled disaster queers. bon appetit.)

tl;dr I just got invited to join #TBRCon2023, a livestream hosted by the SFF Addicts Podcast, where a whole slew of SFF authors will be reading excerpts of their 2023 releases. I'm on the Friday, Jan 27th docket, scheduled to start at 8pm EST (5pm PST), with a Q&A to follow. You'll find it at the FanFi Addicts YouTube channel.

A slew of my absolute favorite SFF authors will also be reading:

Fonda Lee with UNTETHERED SKY, a novella of revenge, family, and monster hunting avec monster befriending (Jan 24, 1pm EST);

K.S. Villoso with OUTLAW MAGE, brand-new start to an epic fantasy of stolen identity in the dark heart of empire (Jan 26, 8pm EST);

C.L. Clark with THE FAITHLESS, second installment of the gloriously intense, empire-shattering, sapphic as fuck Magic of the Lost trilogy (Jan 27, 9am EST)

And other old favorites and new voices about whom I am RIDICULOUSLY excited -- Kritika Rao, Andrea Stewart, Annalee Newitz, Malka Older, Moses Ose Utomi, S.B. Divya!! WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE AND READING.

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 3/1

Marching into March with a bevvy of b-e-a-utiful new books!

All Night & Every Day #1 One-Shot -  Ray Fawkes & Andrea Frittella

It's time to party! While celebrating is the last thing grief-stricken introvert Michaela wants to do, her friends drag her out for the night and end up trapping her in a hellish curse: a party that never ends, with no way to escape...not even by dying!

Now she must navigate the labyrinth of the legendary Banquet Hideous all on her own and learn its terrible secrets before she is consumed forever!

And We Love You #1 -  Fell Hound & Angela Wu

In the throes of a violent dystopian war, a young soldier perishes on the battlefield and begins to bleed out all her memories. Mixing heart wrenching emotions with stunningly gripping visuals, this is the tale of one woman's life, death, and the love which transcends both. A brand new epic from the world of the Ringo-nominated Commander Rao!

Buffy The Last Vampire Slayer Special -  Casey Gilly, Joe Jaro & Ario Anandito

It's been 4 years, and Buffy, Angel, and Thess have been living in relative peace as a dysfunctionally cozy family. But nothing can last forever... Tara might not be dead, but they're losing hope for her staying among the living, and strange new vampires have been sighted.

To get to the bottom of these unfolding horrors, our gang will have to head underground... and face the horrifying true cause of the decline in vampire activity!

Deadfellows #1 -  Kody Hamilton & Ramiro Borallo

Pete Miller has just gotten out of his two-year relationship, reeling from the chaos of it all without friends or family around. As he moves into his new awful, one-bedroom apartment Pete attempts to take his own life, but is stopped by a benevolent ghost. Moved by the kindness of this supernatural stranger, Pete sets out to bond with this ghost at all costs-but he quickly learns he doesn't understand the paranormal or their intentions.

Demon Slayer: One-Winged Butterfly GN -  Aya Yajima & Koyoharu Gotouge

Shinobu and Kanae ask Himejima to teach them how to slay demons. After he refuses, they must complete the impossible task of moving a giant rock to convince him to introduce them to trainers. In other tales, Zenitsu tricks Inosuke into helping him dig a hot spring under Uzui's training, Mitsuri grapples with her reason for becoming a Demon Slayer, Genya discusses his family with Sumi, the Hashiras try to make Tomioka smile, and Kimetsu Academy forms a rock band-much to Shinobu's chagrin!

Hunt. Kill. Repeat. #1 -  Mark London, Francesco Archidiacono, & Marc Deering 

It's Kill Bill meets Clash of the Titans in Hunt. Kill. Repeat. The all-new, action packed series by Mark London (Battlecats, Knights of the Golden Sun). When the Greek gods invade Earth, society is quickly forced to comply with their new rulers.   However, one god, Artemis, rejects her brethren's ideology and has found solace in the love of a mortal. When she is called to Olympus to answer for her betrayal, the gods strip away her godly powers and leave her for dead. Now, ten years later, Artemis is on a quest for revenge to confront her father, Zeus, for taking away everything she ever loved.

Phantom Road #1 -  Jeff Lemire & Gabriel Hernandez Walta

Dom is a long-haul truck driver attempting to stay ahead of his tragic past. When he stops one night to assist Birdie, who has been in a massive car crash, they pull an artifact from the wreckage that throws their lives into fifth gear. Suddenly, a typical midnight run has become a frantic journey through a surreal world where Dom and Birdie find themselves the quarry of strange and impossible monsters.

Nayra & The Djinn GN -  Iasmin Oma Ata

Nayra Mansour feels anything but at home in her New England boarding school. There's the constant pressure from her strict family, cruel bullying from her classmates, and exhausting friendship demands from Rami, the only other Muslim girl at school. Nayra has had enough. Just when she's considering transferring schools to escape it all, Marjan appears. As a djinn, a mythical creature in Arab folklore, Marjan uses their powers and wisdom to help Nayra navigate her overwhelming life. But Marjan's past in the djinn realm is fraught with secrets, guilt, and trouble that have a way of following them all the way to the human realm. And so they must face what they've done before Nayra is pulled into the mess they've made.

Muros Within Magic Walls: The Case Of The Cemetery Girl GN -  Paolo Chikiamco & Borg Sinaban

Manila-the walled city recently freed from a dictator's iron-fisted rule-is a magical metropolis where monsters flit and feed along neon-lit streets. In this noir-tinged dystopian graphic novel, the capital exists in an alternate reality where myth and fantasy collide. A one-armed Taga-Sagot-a gatherer of information, an answerer of questions, a fount of knowledge-is charged with finding the missing "daughter" of a small-town mayor lost amidst the temptations of the open city, now a den of pleasure districts and corruption. In a city now governed by the mysterious Societies, tensions between the human and nonhuman inhabitants are about to hit a breaking point.

Why Are You Like This: An ArtByMoga Comic Collection - Meg Adams

Finally, comics that answer life's most pressing questions: Is my partner actually upset or just hangry? Whose turn is it to remember the reusable shopping bags? Is it appropriate to put up Halloween décor two months in advance? (Spoiler alert: Yes. Yes, it is.) From the joys of marrying your best friend to the bizarre musings of a twelve-pound pup to the humor and heartbreak of anxiety, Meg's all-too-relatable comics leave no stone unturned.

We’re All Just Fine HC -  Ana Penyas

This heartfelt graphic biography is a tribute to the artist's grandmothers and a generation of women who quietly soldiered through over forty years of Fascist rule in Spain.

Artist Ana Penyas's grandmothers Maruja and Herminia live alone in their respective Spanish towns, largely neglected by their children and relatives, who never visit. But when Ana comes to see them, she realizes that these women, whose day-to-day existences now seem mundane, experienced firsthand an incredibly tumultuous and fascinating period of Spanish history.

In We're All Just Fine, Penyas weaves the memories of her grandmothers to craft a narrative quilt that pieces together what it was like for women to assimilate to Spain's dramatic political and cultural shifts in the late 1970s and '80s. The sudden transition from the authoritarian, repressive Franco regime to lively and liberating democracy was at once incredibly freeing but also destabilizing for women used to their traditional roles as dutiful housewives.

Through this intimate lens into her grandmothers' daily struggle - of their silence, the small acts of rebellion, and great gestures of resilience - Penyas gives voice to an entire generation of "invisible'' women whose stories have rarely been told. Combining collage and rough-hewn pencil drawings, and mixing past and present, Penyas offers a decidedly feminist tribute to the forgotten lives and legacies of her grandmothers.

We Live HC Vol 1 -  Roy Miranda & Inaki Miranda 

The year is 2084 and the world has changed. Wracked by calamities and crawling with monsters, the last remaining humans face a dangerous existence. And now, the Earth has been sent a message from the deepest reaches of space - a dark countdown to the extinction of all humanity. But there is hope! Five thousand children will be rescued by these mysterious message-senders. This is the journey of Hototo, one of the lucky five thousand - but only if his teenage sister, Tala, can safely deliver him to the nearest Beacon before time runs out.

Storyboarding For Visions Of Wim Wenders HC -  Stephane Lemardele

In 2014, storyboard artist Stéphane Lemardelé began work with legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas; Wings of Desire) on his newest project, the emotional Every Thing Will Be Fine. The opening scenes Stéphane worked on would become some of the most renowned of the film, but it was the relationship he built with Wenders that would truly change him. Through this graphic novel memoir, Stéphane captures not only the production of this film but moments of artistic reflection from Wim himself as he ponders the trajectory of his career and evolution as an artist, and the use of film as a tool to examine our own humanity. This book is a rare peek behind the curtain for all fans of cinema, featuring actual storyboards from the production.

Red Zone #1 (of 4) - Cullen Bunn, Mike Deodato, Lee Loughridge & Razzah

Randall Crane, an unassuming American professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at NYU, is called in by the US government for a secret international mission back to Russia, where his long-buried secrets come to light. When his support team of commandos is ambushed and killed, it's up to Randall to fight his way out of Russia using his "particular set of skills."

Wildheart: The Daring Adventures Of John Muir GN - Julie Bertagna & William Goldsmith

The exciting life story of John Muir-who sailed to America as a boy and ended up changing the world; told for the first time in a graphic novel. John Muir led an adventurous life, starting with his wild and playful boyhood in Scotland to his legendary exploits in America, where he became an inventor, a global explorer, and the first modern environmentalist; and even became friends with a president! His heart was always in the outdoors and he aimed to experience all he could. Most importantly, though, John Muir told the world about the wonders of nature. His words made a difference and inspired people in many countries to start protecting planet Earth-and they still do.

Whatcha scooping up to start the month, Fantom Fam?

[r8lobster]

Tallinnfilm

Picked up a good one the other day at the Terminal bar and record store, out by the train station and jazzed-up market here: a compilation of music written for eye-opening Estonian animated films.

The sampler covers two remarkable decades beginning with Arvo Pärt's pieces for Elbert Tuganov's Hiirejaht (Mouse Hunt, 1965) and running through Olav Ehala, "the Burt Bacharach of Estonia" and his hip-hop-tinged numbers for Rao Heidmet's Kaelkirjak, a sweetly-made stop-motion dig at consumer taste featuring a statue of a giraffe at the zoo that goes viral (becoming more popular -- and drawing more attention -- than the animals themselves).

Animapop is a door to sounds and colors and animation and graphics and puppetry skills that are transporting and delightful to spend time with. It draws out a full range of mood and impression. Rein Rannap is here, pianist and melodic spirit behind the pomp-avantists Ruja. So is the mercurial art shaman Leonhard Lapin and a healthy dose of classic psychedelia (remix circa 1974) in Rein Raamat's Värvilind, or Color Bird, taken from a children's book by Ellen Niit.

Doesn't sound like the Beatles, but they're definitely into the Beatles, the Sgt. Pepper and Yellow Submarine and all, bringing round organic shapes and neon tones to a linear world. Also -- personally speaking -- I shouldn't be so hard on the hippies. They're all right.

Andreas Trossek over at fine broadcasting force and label Raadio Kohila has more. Helpfully there's the whole collection in one place to watch for just a few clams. Many of these films can be found here and there online, but this way you can support the venture. Because that's the good thing to do, y'know?

Raadio Kohila's periodic shows are also worth tuning into. And for good measure here's Mouse Hunt featuring Arvo Pärt and Lugu Jänesepojast (A Leveret's Tale, 1975) from Ando Keskküla, tunes again from Rein Rannap (and also based on an Ellen Niit joint).

Melancholy backstory on Ando Keskküla, but fun rabbit.

[gremlinshatephilosophers]

September reading list!

I read my first book of 1000+ pages last month, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.

The Bone Ships by RJ Barker, Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett, and A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine were my favorites this month.

The Bone Ships [The Tide Child Trilogy: 1] - RJ Barker

Tread of Angels - Rebecca Roanhorse

City of Last Chances - Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Blacktongue Thief [Blacktongue: 1] - Christopher Buehlman

The Fifth Season [The Broken Earth: 1] - N. K. Jemisin

Forged by Blood [Tainted Blood Duology: 1] - Ehigbor Okosun

Even Though I Knew the End - C. L. Polk

The Bone Shard Daughter [The Drowning Empire: 1] - Andrea Stewart

Empire of Sand [The Books of Ambha: 1] - Tasha Suri

A Memory Called Empire [Teixcalaan: 1] - Arkady Martine

The Way of Kings [The Stormlight Archive: 1] - Brandon Sanderson

He Who Drowned the World [The Radiant Emperor: 2] - Shelley Parker-Chan

Empire of Exiles [Books of the Usurper: 1] - Erin M. Evans

Call of the Bone Ships [The Tide Child Trilogy: 2] - RJ Barker

Ashes of the Sun [Burningblade & Silvereye: 1] - Django Wexler

Summer Sons - Lee Mandelo

The Ninth Rain [The Winnowing Flame Trilogy: 1] - Jen Williams

Foundryside [The Founders Trilogy: 1] - Robert Jackson Bennett

The Surviving Sky [The Rages Trilogy: 1] - Kritika H. Rao

[marcogiovenale]

oggi, 3 settembre, al foyer del teatro litta: ultimo giorno di "esiste la ricerca / editoria (e) critica"

Esiste la ricerca Milano, secondo appuntamento: Editoria (e) critica 1 / 2 / 3 settembre 2023 @ MTM – Manifatture Teatrali Milanesi foyer del Teatro Litta, Milano, corso Magenta 24 https://www.mtmteatro.it/progetti/esiste-la-ricerca/ INGRESSO LIBERO, nessun bisogno di prenotazione venerdì 1 settembre h. 16-19 sabato 2 settembre h. 10-19 domenica 3 settembre h. 10-13 Dopo gli incontri che si…

[braintag]

Winners of 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023

Lights, camera, action! The much-awaited 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023 was held recently, and the biggest stars of the Indian film industry came together to celebrate their achievements over the past year.

This annual award ceremony is one of the most prestigious events in the Indian entertainment industry and recognizes the best talent in Bollywood. From stunning performances to gripping storylines, the movies of 2022 left audiences captivated and entertained. So, without further ado, let's take a look at the list of winners of the 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023! BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (MALE)

Rajkummar Rao for Badhaai Do BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (FEMALE)

Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi BEST FILM

Gangubai Kathiawadi BEST FILM (CRITICS')

Badhaai Do BEST ACTOR (CRITICS')

Sanjay Mishra for Vadh BEST ACTRESS (CRITICS')

Bhumi Pednekar for Badhaai do BEST ACTRESS (CRITICS')

Tabu for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 BEST DIRECTOR

Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Gangubai Kathiawadi BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (MALE)

Anil Kapoor for Jugjugg Jeeyo BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (FEMALE)

Sheeba Chaddha for Badhaai do BEST MUSIC ALBUM

Pritam Chakraborty for Brahmastra Part One: Shiva BEST LYRICS

Amitabh Bhattacharya for Kesariya (Brahmastra Part One: Shiva) BEST PLAYBACK SINGER (MALE)

Arijit Singh for Kesariya (Brahmastra Part One: Shiva) BEST PLAYBACK SINGER (FEMALE)

Kavita Seth for Rangisari (Jugjugg Jeeyo) BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR

Rajeev Barnwaland and Jaspal Singh Sandhu for Vadh BEST DEBUT MALE

Ankush Gedam for Jhund BEST DEBUT FEMALE

Andrea Kevichusa for Anek BEST DIALOGUE

Prakash Kapadia & Utkarshini Vashishtha for Gangubai Kathiawadi BEST SCREENPLAY

Akshat Ghildial, Suman Adhikary and Harshavardhan Kulkarni for Badhaai Do BEST STORY

Akshat Ghildial and Suman Adhikary for Badhaai Do BEST ACTION

Parvez Shaikh for Vikram Vedha BEST BACKGROUND SCORE

Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara for Gangubai Kathiawadi BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Kruti Mahesh for Gangubai Kathiawadi BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sudeep Chatterjee for Gangubai Kathiawadi BEST COSTUME

Sheetal Iqbal Sharma for Gangubai Kathiawadi BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray for Gangubai Kathiawadi BEST EDITING

Ninad Khanolkar for An Action Hero BEST SOUND DESIGN

Bishwadeep Chatterjee for Brahmastra Part One: Shiva BEST VFX

DNEG, Redefine for Brahmastra Part One: Shiva

Special Awards

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Prem Chopra R D BURMAN AWARD FOR UPCOMING MUSIC TALENT

Jahnvi Shrimankar for Dholida (Gangubai Kathiawadi) In conclusion, the 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023 was a night to remember, filled with glitz, glamour, and of course, deserving winners. The event celebrated the best of Indian cinema and recognized the hard work and dedication of actors, directors, writers, and technicians who brought their vision to life on the big screen. As always, the Filmfare Awards set a high benchmark for excellence in the film industry. Congratulations to all the winners of the 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023! To read more blogs – Click Here Read the full article

[fyonahmacnally]

Hands On Experience (Kara's First Job)

Based on a tumblr post - read here.

It’s been a long week for all of them, even longer since they’ve all had a chance to unwind and relax in general, much less as a group. Between their regular jobs, their vigilante shifts, and just life in general, months have passed since their last girl’s night. Fortunately, tonight is the remedy to that problem. 

They’re all sitting around Lena’s living room, snacks, wine, and other spirits spread across the coffee table in front of them. Kelly, Alex, Nia, Sam, Andrea, Lena, and Kara are regaling each other with stories of their youth and the trouble they managed to get into. Hearing some of the stories from Andrea about a teenage Lena has everyone laughing and somewhat surprised. The normally straight-laced and stoic CEO was quite rebellious in her teen years. Who knew? Kara sure as hell didn’t. 

As the night continues, the alcohol flows freely and the conversations ebb and flow into different topics. Kara thinks they’ve finally ventured away from the stories of their younger years and she breathes a sigh of relief. She never really did anything rebellious, she has always been more of a good girl, a rule follower. She couldn’t really get into trouble while trying to hide her identity. The two weren’t compatible.

But…not many people know about her first job. The one she got right after graduating college to pay for her first apartment in National City. It’s not something she tells many people. Especially since it came about by accident. She’s not ashamed of it, she’s just not sure how people will react to it. The times it has come out in conversations, reactions have been mixed. Plus, she sighs internally, if Alex is around, she always pushes her to tell The Story™ about the break-in. It isn’t something she likes to share.

Again, not because she is ashamed, it’s just that the way she got the job comes up and okay, that part is embarrassing. People usually laugh, tease her about it. And okay, she can see how it might be objectively funny, but she just…whatever. She’s a grown ass woman now. 

Still, she doesn’t want to tell The Story™ in front of Sam, Andrea, and Lena. She already gets teased by Alex about it and she knows Sam and Andrea won’t let her live it down. And Lena, Rao. They’ve been dating for a few months now and have had sex so they’ve discussed things. Kara knows Lena was a little surprised when she brought so much knowledge to those conversations, but she’s never asked about it.

In fact, of all the people currently sitting in this room, Alex is the only one who knows The Story™. Maybe Kelly because they talk about everything, but yeah. It’s not a story anyone else in the room knows and Kara wants to keep it that way. She’s managed it for years, maybe her luck will continue.

Just as she begins to relax, thinking she has managed to dodge the story and keep her secret for another day, she hears her name. When she shakes herself from her inner dialogue, six pairs of eyes are on her. 

“What?” Kara asks, looking from face to face before her eyes land on her sister. Her shoulders sink. She knows that look, that’s The Story™ look. Fuck. She is not going to be able to escape it, but she has to try. “Did I miss something?” 

Alex grins, a mischievous glint in her brown eyes. “We were just talking about our first full-time jobs. Andrea was under the impression that working for CatCo is the only full-time job you’ve ever had.” She tilts her head and smirks at her now nervous sister. “I corrected her, but that story is so much better when it comes from you. Care to share, Kara?” 

She sighs and drops her chin to her chest, this isn’t what she had in mind when she requested a Girl’s Night with her friends. Not even close. To be fair, she’s a little shocked Alex hasn’t somehow forced this story out before now. She is also definitely not drunk enough for this conversation either, so she makes a decision.

Kara bolts up from her seat, glass in hand. “If I am telling The Story™ I need more alcohol.” She sends pleading eyes to her girlfriend before turning to make a quick exit to the kitchen, Lena following close behind.

“Hey.” Lena’s soft voice, full of concern, breaks the silence. She walks around the island to stand next to her unusually quiet girlfriend. “Are you okay, Darling? If you want me to kick everyone out for the evening, I will. I can have Frank take everyone home.” She smoothes the now prominent crinkle between the blonde’s eyes, waiting for a response.

“No, it’s fine. This was bound to come up in conversation eventually. Honestly, I just hoped it wouldn’t be tonight.” She lets out a long sigh before burying her head into Lena’s neck, breathing in her comforting lavender scent.

Lena wraps her arms around her favorite person, placing a soft kiss to her temple before pulling her close. “You know, I always assumed CatCo was your first job too. We’ve never really talked about it.” She feels Kara pull away with a slight grimace on her face. Their eyes meet and Lena raises a brow at the Kryptonian.

Kara shrugs. “It’s what most people assume. I just don’t correct them.” She chuckles as she pulls the Aldebaran rum from the cabinet and pours a very full glass. Taking a big gulp, she winces at the slow burn moving down her throat. “I suppose I should get this over with, huh? Let everyone get their laughter and teasing quota in for the evening.”

Green eyes watch her curiously, taking in this peculiar behavior from the blonde. She’s seen Kara wary of things, but she’s not sure she’s ever seen her like this. It isn’t apprehension, it seems to be more like resignation, but she’s not sure what to make of it. 

“Kara, you don’t have to tell anyone anything. If this makes you uncomfortable, we can put a stop to it. Just say the word.” Lena says, a fiery determination on her face. 

A warm bubble of affection bursts in Kara’s chest before genuine laughter escapes her mouth. She smiles and kisses the dark-haired woman right on the enticing pout in front of her. “No, no. It’s fine. It’s an objectively funny story, just a little embarrassing. Besides, I’m also curious as to how you will react.” She waggles her brows and places one more soft kiss to Lena’s lips before dragging them both back to the rest of their friends.

The blonde takes a deep breath and reclaims her seat on the couch, Lena’s warm presence next to her and the warmth of the alien liquor in her system finally giving her the courage to expose her current biggest secret.

“My first job was at a sex shop called Cherry Poppins Toys & Trinkets.” She pauses for what she knows will be gasps of disbelief, glancing around the room at the faces of some of her closest friends. True to her assumptions, most of the eyes staring back at her are wide and disbelieving. The only exceptions are Alex, Kelly, and surprisingly, Nia.

Nia tilts her head to the side and takes a sip of her drink before she leans forward, a knowing smile on her face. “Well, there are several things that make a lot more sense now.” The brunette giggles. “When I came to you about that article I wrote a couple of years ago about spicing up things in the bedroom, you knew way more than I expected you to. Now I know why!”

Kara sighs in exasperation. “I’m not nearly as innocent as everyone seems to think I am!” She scoffs, cutting her eyes at her sister in anticipation of what’s coming.

Alex lets out a really loud guffaw, her laughter jostling Kelly and making the rest of the group snap their eyes toward the redhead. “Oh Kara…my dear sweet sister. We all know you aren’t so innocent now, especially since dating Lena, I’m sure.” She smirks at the raven haired woman next to her, chuckling at the middle finger flipped in her direction. “But, please enlighten our friends on how you got that job.” She sips her scotch before leaning back into the cushion, snuggling into her wife’s side.

If looks could kill, Alex would be dead. She’s sure of it. The look she’s getting from Kara is filled with malice and daggers. She just smiles and winks at the blonde. Her mind is at peace, watching Lena absorb this story is worth every bit of ire from her sister. So, she relaxes and waits. Her part of the story will be here soon enough. 

After looking around the room at her friends one more time and get a reassuring squeeze from her girlfriend, Kara begins her tale:

“I was looking online for jobs. I had just graduated from NCU and gotten my first apartment. At that point, I was applying for almost anything because I just needed something to pay rent. I came across this ad for retail sales at Cherry Poppins Toys & Trinkets and thought, why not? How hard can it be to sell toys and trinkets?”

She pauses her story to take a drink of liquid courage, noticing the half smirk on her girlfriend’s face. Shaking her head, she continues:

“A few days later, I got a call from the manager of the store to come in for an interview. The instructions were to go to the back door of the building so I didn’t know what kind of things were being sold until later. I genuinely thought it was toys and trinkets…you know, like a Schwartz toy store.”

The uproarious laughter at that statement yanked her out of her story and she covered her face with a grumble. Lifting her face, she glares at her sister before turning to the rest of the group. “Look, if you guys want the rest of the story, you’re going to have to stop interrupting me. This is serious!” She harumphs and crosses her arms, making the group laugh even harder.  She rolls her eyes and sits silently, waiting.

“Okay, okay. Settle down, let her finish.” Sam chimes in, wiping the tears of laughter from her face before settling back in next to Andrea. The couple share a soft smile before returning their attention to Kara.

“Are you sure you’re done?” She flicks her eyes between everyone before dropping them back onto her hands actively twisting in her lap. “Anyway, I went in for the interview…”

“I opened the back door and stepped inside to what seemed to be a storeroom. It looked pretty normal. Boxes, shelves, labels, nothing to indicate anything outside of the toy store I imagined. The manager, John, came out to greet me and took me into his office for the interview. 

Now, what happens next was a little odd to me at the time and looking back it was obvious, but I was 21 and still not used to Earth’s customs so I just rolled with it. John brought out this…apparatus that was a very lifelike replica of a bare bottom.”

Kara growls as another round of belly laughs interrupts her telling of The Story™. This time she doesn’t say anything. She sits, silently waiting for the laughter to subside. Once it is quiet again, she makes eye contact with each of them trying to convey her frustration.

“Alright. Let’s get ourselves together and listen.” Lena clears her throat, quickly wiping away her own tears of laughter before she continues. “Go ahead, Darling. Finish your story, we’ll do our best not to interrupt you again.” Green eyes glare at the rest of the group before gently squeezing Kara’s leg in encouragement.

She sighs, throws her head back and stares at the ceiling before finally continuing, hopefully finishing this time.

“John had me…spank the bare bottom several times. I wasn’t sure what he was looking for at first, but later he told me that I kept my composure better than anyone else before me. I realize now it was because people probably laugh their asses off. For me it was pretty confusing because I assumed it was for some lifelike doll…which, looking back, I suppose it was.”

She laughs at her younger self. In hindsight, this story is pretty damn funny. If it were one of her friends, she’d probably be laughing hysterically as well. This line of thought seems to release something inside her and she smiles. The rest of the story should be easy.

“At this point, I still didn’t realize that it was a sex shop. I hadn’t seen the store and nothing about the storeroom indicated otherwise. Granted, I should have realized that spanking a prosthetic ass was a dead giveaway, but I’m an alien for Rao’s sake. I’d never seen anything like that in my entire life!

So, you can imagine, on my first day when I walked into the store, I was shocked. It was wall-to-wall dicks, vibrators, and all sorts of contraptions I didn’t know existed. Most of the day was spent with some shade of rosy embarrassment from head to toe. As much as I wanted to turn tail and run right out of there, I needed the job so I stuck it out. I learned a lot about sex and people in those two years I worked there.”

She grins at her friends, pausing briefly to wink at Lena. “Now, the really crazy part of my time working there happens about six months before I started working at CatCo…” Kara briefly glances at Alex before continuing her story.

“It was a Friday morning. We didn’t typically open until noon because the weekends were our busiest days with the latest hours. By this time, I was the assistant manager at the store so it wasn’t uncommon for me to open the store or close up at night. John and I had become friends at this point too so work was actually a lot of fun. Anyway, he had to drive up to our distribution center to sort out a shipment that had gotten delayed and left me in charge. 

Since we opened at noon, I would usually get there around 10:45 to get things ready. However, on this particular day, one of our alarms was triggered. I got a call from the security company that an internal motion sensor was activated. It was shocking because we had very good security and had never had an issue. After telling them to call the police, I headed to the store.

Now, in order to understand the story, I need to tell you the layout of the store. Upstairs was where most of the really risque, more fetish and BDSM stuff was kept. No one was allowed up there without a member of the staff accompanying them. The bottom floor was where most customers stayed.

The layout of the first floor consisted of five zones. Imagine it from left to right. Zone 1 was all the porn DVD’s. Zone 2 was all of our lower end sex toys, all the more tame offerings in the lower price ranges. Zone 3 was the higher end sex toys and more…advanced offerings. It was where the realistic asses were kept.”

She smiles and looks around at her friends, once again winking at her girlfriend. They are all grinning and seem to be amused by her story. Taking a sip of her rum, she sits her glass down, presses a soft kiss to Lena’s cheek and keeps going.

“Zone 4 was the checkout where we spent most of our shift. And finally, Zone 5 was all the wearables - we called it the ‘lingerie, leather, and lace’ section. Each section had a camera directly focused on it as well as various other cameras throughout the store. There were motion sensors that were active when the store was armed and alarms on all the doors. Another bonus is that we weren’t far from one of the local police precincts.

To say that John and I were shocked about the break-in is an understatement. In the 18 months I had been there, we hadn’t had any issues and John said he’d never had any in the 3 years he’d been there before me. This thief was very savvy. They broke one of the windows on the lower level close to the lower end toys in Zone 2. For some reason, the alarms were only set to go off if the upper windows were breached and not these. 

When the thief got in, they pretty much had the run of the store as long as they stayed clear of the motion sensors. Based on what I saw when I got there to meet the cops, the thief was initially after the DVD’s. Unfortunately for them, we keep the discs in a locked cabinet behind the checkout so the cases on the display are all empty.”

Kara chuckles and glances over at Alex, both of them have an amused twinkle in their eyes. She smiles at her sister and proceeds.

“The crook was clever, they were wearing a full bodysuit to cover their face and all their skin so their identity was well masked. When we watched the security footage back, it was evident that when the thief couldn’t get the DVD’s they decided to randomly grab whatever they could. However, instead of going for the high end toys and wearables, the sports car equivalent of goods for sexual pleasure, they stuffed as many of the cheapest, flimsiest dildos, foulest bottles of lube, and random edible things into their backpack. They did all that without triggering any alarms too. It wasn’t until they were climbing out of the broken window that they nicked one of the motion sensors on some of the more expensive products and kicked off the alarms. 

Once that alarm was triggered, I got the phone call and dispatched the police. By the time I got to the store, the woman my sister was dating at the time, who was a detective at the precinct up the street, was there waiting for me. Maggie and I were working through what was taken and documenting all the goods stolen. I still laugh about how many times Maggie had to write the words dildo, edible underwear, and lube in that report. 

What I didn’t know at the time was Maggie texted Alex to let her know the store had been broken into and Alex was making her way there to check on me. Maggie and I had been there for about 30 minutes before we heard a commotion outside the door.” 

She grins widely and nods her head at Alex, giving her permission to take over the telling of the story.

“I love telling this part of the story.” Alex beams, placing her empty tumbler on the table in front of her and leaning forward on the couch. The redhead claps her hands together as she dives into her part of the story. 

“I parked at a restaurant a block or so away. We went there a lot so I knew the owner and I figured we could grab some lunch once everything was squared away. As I was walking toward the scene, I saw this guy running toward me like a madman. There are things flying out of his backpack and he seems like he’s running from something. I pause for a minute and step to the side, not wanting to get taken out by the guy. 

That’s when I realized he was leaving a trail of dildos, lube, and edible underwear in his wake. It was like a tsunami of cheap sex aids covering the sidewalk around us. I had already grabbed my badge so I just called out for him to stop and flashed it up at him. Within seconds, the guy was on his knees in front of me, his palms up and sobbing out ‘It was MeEeEnnE!!! I stole the diLDoS!!!’”

The entire room erupts into laughter. There isn’t a dry eye in the entire place. It’s how this story always ends…lots of laughter and disbelief. When it all eventually dies down, Kara notices that Lena has gotten very quiet and she has a contemplative look on her face. Her plump bottom lip is trapped between her pristine white teeth and there is a faraway look in her malachite eyes.

Nia is the first to speak, pulling them all out of their brief silence. “Okay, I can’t believe you didn’t tell us that you worked at a sex shop before, Kara. This is pertinent information that you’ve been holding back!” She scoffs at her friend. “Also, that was the dumbest thief I’ve ever heard of. He took all the cheapest shit you had instead of the good shit. And…there’s a 24 hour coffee shop right next door to Cherry Poppins! He could have stayed there until the coast was clear and made off with his stash. What. An. Idiot.”

“Seriously! That’s where Drea and I usually go after our Poppins shopping trips.” Sam chimes in, shaking her head in disbelief before catching what she just revealed. She quickly clears her throat and changes the subject. “You’ve been holding out, Kara. You could have given us recommendations! You probably know more about this stuff than Lena does.” She smirks at her friend before looking at Andrea with a wink.

Andrea grins. “Yeah, Lena has been our go-to all this time and you’re the actual hidden expert sitting right in front of us.” The brunette looks over to her childhood friend and laughs. She nudges Sam and whispers, “She’s having some thoughts right now, connecting some things.”

They both giggle and watch as Lena’s hand drifts up to her still captured bottom lip, brushing lightly back and forth against the soft skin. Her green eyes are still glassy and staring past the room currently occupied. Right as they are about to say something, Lena speaks.

“So, this whole time, you’ve been holding out on me?!” Lena’s voice comes out far more breathy and deeper than she wanted. Her eyes suddenly focus intently on Kara’s. “Wait! This makes so much more sense now. This is why you know so much about the…”

“NO!!!” Alex screeches. “Do. Not. Finish. That. Sentence. Lena. Luthor.” She points a menacing finger in the direction of her friend, her sister’s girlfriend. 

The rest of the room laughs, but all of them notice the look of wanton desire on the CEO’s face, the way she is not so subtly devouring Kara with her eyes. It slowly becomes evident that they need to get out of this apartment before they see something they can’t ever forget. 

Lena slowly moves her gaze from Kara over to Alex before a devilish smirk plays across her lips. “Then I suggest you say your goodbyes, Agent Danvers.” She languidly licks her lips and lets her eyes track down Kara’s body again before looking back at the rest of their friends. “All of you should probably call it a night. I have some things to talk to my girlfriend about and we don’t need an audience.”

She pauses for a moment, quirks her brow, and looks directly into cerulean eyes with a smirk. “Unless you’re into that? Seems there’s quite a few things I don’t know about you…yet.”

“Yep, Yes! Okay.” Alex says, bolting up from the couch. “I think it’s definitely time to go.” She grabs Kelly’s hand to pull her off the couch and is quickly followed by Nia. The three of them grab their belongings and dash toward the door.

“Just leave everything, we will clean up tomorrow. Frank is waiting downstairs to see you home.” Lena smiles, her eyes drifting over to the remaining two people occupying the adjacent oversized chair. “That’s your queue to make your way down to the guest apartment. Don’t worry, the penthouse is sound proof so you won’t hear anything.” 

Andrea and Sam both laugh. Having known Lena the longest, they are familiar with her antics. They both roll their eyes as they stand and gather their things to head to the floor below and the apartment they are staying in while visiting National City. 

“I would say have fun tonight, but I don’t think that’ll be an issue.” Sam winks, pulling her girlfriend toward the door. “We’ll see you guys for brunch tomorrow.”

As the door closes behind them, Lena turns and straddles Kara’s lap. As her lips hover just above the blonde’s, she rubs her nose against her girlfriends and takes a deep breath. “I think we have some things to discuss, Miss Danvers.” Kara grins and lifts them from the couch, drifting toward the bedroom. “You’ve certainly been holding out on me and surely you have things to show me.”

And that’s how Lena found out Kara once worked at Cherry Poppins Toys & Trinkets.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙💜💖 Bi Books Coming Out June 2024

💖💜💙 Do you know what we could always use a little more of? Bi books! Here are a few coming out in June that would make fabulous additions to your never-ending TBR! Happy reading!

💖 But How Are You, Really - Ella Dawson 💜 Something to be Proud Of - Anna Zoe Quirke 💙 One Killer Problem - Justine Pucella Winans

💖 Ballad for Jasmine Town - Molly Ringle 💜 Saints of Storm and Sorrow - Gabriella Buba 💙 The Pecan Children - Quinn Connor

💖 The Unrelenting Earth - Kritika H. Rao 💜 A Divine Fury - D.V. Bishop 💙 The Last Note of Warning - Katharine Schellman

💖 Mirrored Heavens - Rebecca Roanhorse 💜 The Fall of Elijah Gray - Colette Rivera 💙 The Bound Worlds - Megan E. O'Keefe

💖 Pole Position - Rebecca J. Caffery 💜 Digging for Destiny - Jenna Jarvis 💙 Shadows Dark and Deadly - Andrea Marie Johnson

💖 Dandelion - Merlina Garance 💜 Where Willows Weep - Luna Fiore 💙 All Friends Are Necessary - Tomas Moniz

💖 Bi-Partisan - Dallas Smith 💜 Napkins and Other Distractions - by M.A. Wardell 💙 Breaks v2 - Emma Vieceli and Malin Rydén

💖 Furious - Jamie Pacton and Becca Podos 💜 Heirs of Destruction - T.N. Vitus 💙 Blame It On The Stars - Elle Bennett

[ebouks]

Security Privacy and Data Analytics: Select Proceedings of ISPDA 2021

Security Privacy and Data Analytics: Select Proceedings of ISPDA 2021

Security, Privacy and Data Analytics: Select Proceedings of ISPDA 2021 Udai Pratap Rao, Sankita J. Patel, Pethuru Raj, Andrea Visconti, (editors) Categories: Computers – Security Year: 2022 Edition: 1st ed. 2022 Publisher: Springer Language: english Pages: 327 / 318 ISBN 10: 981169088X ISBN 13: 9789811690884 Series: Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, 848 File: 11 MB

[jayther]

There are two types of smoke alarm. One of 'em ain't so good. Which one is better? Now that's a burning question. Also, don't start tearing apart smoke alarms and playing with the americium. It's mostly harmless when outside your body but if it gets in there can be trouble. Links 'n' stuff: The 60 minutes programme; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT6pFzyAov8 Technology Connections on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TechConnectify The TC Subreddit https://ift.tt/9v0ETLH This channel is supported through viewer contributions on Patreon. Thanks to the generous support of people like you, Technology Connections has remained independent and possible. If you'd like to join the amazing people who've pledged their support, check out the link below. Thank you for your consideration! https://ift.tt/DVqUkPl Oh, and look at these wonderful patrons! Hargrimm , jay, Syber-Space, Todd Johnson, Nuki Chau, Chris & Anne Nash, Jordi Pakey-Rodriguez, Jim Moores, Ryan Wallmow, Roger Melo, AuroranFilms, RegalRegex, Michael Lehenbauer, James Manes, Mihaly Barasz, Potatoots, Mark Johansson, Lee Dedmon, Berwin Xie, Grey Hodge, Jim Kropa, Tony B, David Collins, Alex Carbone, Ben Golus, Tim Doering, Jonathan Grayum, Kodi , Colin Chan, Mark Komarinski, Jeff Groves, Ryan McLaughlin, J.P. Stewart, NADAV GERBER, Zac Schmitt, Bryce Swearingen, Nathan Fenner, Rittycat , Huub Heijnen, Joseph Dion, Jim Sells, Dustin Gilyard, KoolJBlack, nils m, Damione Moore, Jeremy Weeks, Carolyn Gerakines, Cameron Ross, samukaisan, Kyle Boreing, Ben Waxler, Jason Fortezzo, Andreas Neidlinger, Jason Stonehouse, Andy Warren, Rowan Parker, Steven Dubnoff, Keaton Mowery, Brett and Eric, Alexander Koch, Alipasha Sadri, Jimmy2Guys , Dash Buck, Christopher Schreiber, R. Anthony Lorensen, glw, Adam Zaner, Bob , Emil , Dad , Holden Higgins, Zach Orum, HJ, michael waddle, Tayler Heaney, Ryan, Nate Tangsurat, Jim Cavoli, Scott Waldron, Lars Naurath, Mike SoRelle, BabyET, Nick Blair, Richard Stephens, Ken Kasal, Bryce Chidester, Philip Buonadonna, BoneDepot, Barbara Ganschow, Amanda , Andy , Inkydink , Colin Mutter, Ray Everett, Connor Taffe, Nope, Todd Hawk, Rich Delgado, Brian Hamilton, Caius Worthen, Justin Byers, Falldog , Scott 'Funnyjk', David Guerrero, John Feldman, Ted Ledbetter, Tobias Putz, Caytlin Vilbrandt, Alex Rich, Geo (Overand), Nikhill Rao, Robert Fletcher, William PS, Douglas Geusz, Alexane Desbiens, Nick Kourpias, stateless.eth, Benhart, Sammy Newton, Lew Zealand, Shaitageth, Mason DeBord, Jarocks, Benjamin Richards, Chris Brosz, Stewart , Kyle Burton, Jonas, Woofy, Russell Grant, Dan Simon, cparks1000000 , Kyle, false, David Glover-Aoki, iPaq, Peter Murray, probnot, Mike West via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuAeaIcAXtg