#like alright she got something with the moon that also granted her some...moon...space.. whatever.. powers and those stars in her mane

[cloud-ya]

Yeah me... I'm waiting patiently for your oc art, they're so beautiful, cool and elegant on your arts/sketches. Not to mention how your anatomy absolutely amazing (especially the wings, you draw them so good!) and color palettes so soft and nice. And concepts for your ocs cool too, they're simple but your presentation of them is so unique and beautiful! The lore is also sounds interesting, would love to hear about them more!

So anyways, you're amazing💫

And I'm sorry, if this is too much

🥹 thank you, it's really nice to hear people do see my OCs

[lost-your-memory]

I have another prompt for my dear! please could i have a college au where cat and kara are room mates who are secretly dating and Cat’s parents surprises them. please can you include the line “for gods sake put on some pants kara.” NC x

It took FOREVER to finish this (one night, one day and almost half another night) but I hope you like it. It’s full AU, Cat & Kara are about the same age in this fic (around 23 & 25yo probably), I took a lot of liberties (Cat might feel a little OOC, I’m not happy about it but since they’re young ... why not?) and I added a twist at the end for the actual line of the prompt. Careful, it’s rated E Thanks NASCAR anon for this prompt! 

—

“It’s perfect!”

Kara’s excitement echoes in the apartment.

“Of course it is! I lived here, until a week ago …” Lois replies, sounding amused. “Now, the thing you have to know about this perfect, cheap rent-controlled, three-bedrooms apartment with the real pine-wooden floor, the high ceilings, the many windows that let in as much sunlight as possible …”

Kara narrows her eyes at her friend, sensing that there’s a catch coming.

“… Is that it comes with a roommate.” Lois finishes with a smile.

It’s a cartoon worthy scene; Kara’s jaw all but drop in astonishment. Lois doesn’t even look sheepish, Kara absentmindedly notices. If anything, she looks almost smug, as if proud of her little prank.

“I’m not taking it,” Kara flats out declare, grabbing her backpack and moving toward the door. “I can’t believe I got my hopes up, I should have known better.”

“Hey, what does that even mean?” Lois calls after her, sounding outraged. “Hey! Kara, come on. You know you won’t be able to afford anything else as nice and as close as everything you want.”

That makes Kara pauses, because it’s nothing but the truth.

The apartment is spacious, luminous, close to everything she needs and it even has a small garage next to the building where she could park her bike. Not to mention that the cheap rent is nothing short of a miracle, especially in this neighborhood.

Kara hesitates, hovering near the entrance. She quickly studies her options. Alex did tell her she was welcome for as long as she needed but she knew her sister’s patience was starting to grow thin, especially since Lucy came back from her semester abroad and was now living with her. Lena would be more than happy to have her but the situation in between them was still a little weird and beside, Kara didn’t want to risk stumbling upon either Lex or Lillian Luthor. Winn would be over the moon but her exuberant friend would be too much for her in less than a week, she could bet her weight in potstickers.

“I hate you,” Kara mutters under her breath. She needs a place to stay and this apartment is her best option, she knows it. Turning around, she glares at her friend “Why didn’t you tell me about the roommate in the first place?”

“I knew you needed to see the place, first. It’s a really good place, you know?” Lois gestures around, encompassing her surroundings. Kara can only nods because the large living room full of bookcases already feels like home, just like the all-equipped American kitchen on the other side of the place, with an island that has stools in front of it.

“Still. Not cool,” Kara mumbles and this time, Lois does look a little contrite. “Anyway, where’s the roommate?”

“She’s abroad for the moment, she’ll be back in a week or so. I already texted her to inform her, she’s … Well,” Lois trails off, looking a little thoughtful. Kara narrows her eyes again. “She’s something, that’s for sure.”

Kara groans and rubs at her eyes.

“Meaning she’s not happy you trapped her with a new roommate in her absence. That’s just great, thanks a lot Lois.” Kara sighs, looking down to search for her phone in her backpack. “Who’s she, anyway? What does she do?”

Lois doesn’t reply right away. Kara finds her phone and looks up, following Lois line of sight and landing on a frame hanged on the wall, near one of the bookshelves.

“You have got to be kidding me … Your roommate is your ex?” Kara asks, stepping forward to study the picture.

It shows Lois on the left, radiant with a carefree smile and her dark hair wind-whipped around her head, looking down at a smaller, blond woman whose smile is a little more reserved but her hazel green eyes are lit up with joy and love. They look incredibly happy, standing close to each-others and with a jungle waterfall in the background.

“You’re moving in with my cousin and leaving me to deal with your ex? That’s a new low for you, Lois,” Kara accuses, turning an angry glare to her friend.

“Come on Kara, it’s not like that!” Lois retorts, sounding a little hurt. “Cat and I are still best friends. We broke up a long time ago, way before I met Clark …”

Lois glances at the picture and her eyes soften in a way that tells Kara she probably doesn’t know the whole story there.

“Does she know who I am?” Kara groans, because she doesn’t need more drama in her life.

“Not specifically, no. She knows you’re a friend of Lucy,” Lois replies. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to tell her, not right away at least.”

“Gee, talk about a poisoned apple …” Kara mutters, looking around at the splendid apartment that came with such a high price. “Anything else I should know about?”

“Yes … Cat’s the heir of a big, big law-firm. Her parents are … Well, loaded doesn’t even start to cover it. They’re all the way up next to the Kennedy, the Clinton or whatever rich family you can think of, when it comes to the level of wealth.”

“And that’s important because …” Kara prods, arching an unimpressed brow.

“Because that reaction, right there, slightly judgmental and downright provocative, will get you ejected in no time,” Lois retorts, rolling her eyes. “Cat’s family is very rich, sure, but she actually works really, really hard to get by on her own. The only money she accepts from her parents is for her birthday and at Christmas and I’m pretty sure she gives most of it to a bunch of charity association anyway.”  

“She works?” Kara snorts, disbelief clear in her voice.

“She does, yes. She’s a law student but she’s also taking a bunch of Business and Communication night classes, when she’s not tutoring or working as a part-time assistant for Perry White.”

Kara doesn’t say anything to that. She figures if the woman works so much, she won’t be around too often and maybe, maybe this arrangement will work.

“Alright. I’m taking it,” Kara sighs and she waves a threatening finger in front of Lois when her friend smiles victoriously. “However, this goes against my better judgment and don’t think you’ll get away with this so easily.”

“Sure, whatever you say, super puppy,” Lois replies with a laugh before handing over the keys and the paperwork.

—

“You’re the new roommate,” a voice comes from the entrance of her bedroom.

Kara doesn’t even startle. Instead, she finishes writing the line she’s started and then put down her pen, flexing her fingers to chase the slight cramp that threatens to spread.

Eventually, she looks up from her essay and falls into a pair of startlingly bright hazel eyes. It’s a little mesmerising, with golden sparkles swirling in it that somehow highlight the very faint freckles on her eyes and cheeks.

“I don’t know if ‘new’ is the right word,” Kara retorts, eying the woman standing in her door frame. She’s small but somehow, her presence is very commanding. She breathes power and authority, especially with the powerful black high-heels, the black pencil skirt and matching jacket opened on a crisp white shirt. “I’ve been living here for three months, now.”

It had been like living with a ghost, so far, and a fancy one with that. One that left leftovers sushi in the fridge, that drinks wine and seems to have a soft spot for dark chocolate, who dresses all fancy and sometimes forgets a pair of shoes, a shirt or a jacket in the living room, who stacks up books as if it was collector and who leaves a very strong, heady trail of spicy yet woody perfume behind.

Kara hadn’t minded in the least, glad to have the space for herself on the rare moments she’d been in. Still, her curiosity had more than once left her hesitating in front of the perfectly white door, devoid of any posters or decorative element in any kinds, that led to Cat’s bedroom.

Cat smiles, slowly.

She looks a little older than in the picture that still hangs on a wall in the living room. Her hair, of a distinct shade of golden blond, is shorter and barely brushes her shoulders now, lazily curling toward the end. She’s wearing makeup but it’s light, as far as Kara can tell. No daring lipstick, no pronounced contour or strong blush, it’s all carefully applied to give the illusion of something natural.

Kara leaves her desk and comes to stand in front of Cat, distractingly noticing she’s still a little taller despite the daring high-heels.  

“Kara Danvers,” she introduces herself, extending a hand. “Pleasure.”

Cat looks at the hand and seems to hesitate for a moment. Kara doesn’t back off and waits, not looking away.

Eventually, Cat seizes Kara’s fingers and gives them a firm handshake. “Cat Grant. Likewise.”

After that, Cat leaves without a word and Kara takes a deep breath, inhaling the woody perfume that still hangs in the air.

—

“How is it going with this roommate of yours?” Lucy asks, handing a beer to Kara before sitting down next to her on the couch.

“It’s … civilized, I guess?” Kara replies, taking a big swing off her beer and slouching against the cushions with a heavy sigh. “She’s barely there anyway, it’s like living with a very clean ghost.”

Lucy laughs and Alex, sat on the floor next to Lucy’s legs, snorts.

“Cat Grant is many many things, but she’s certainly no ghost.” Lucy eventually replies, voice soft and gentle, and Kara glances at her.

“Right, you must know her, since she dated Lois for a while …” Kara recalls, before cheering as Alex manages to beat her record time in the car-racing video game she’s playing.

“I do know Cat Grant, yes,” the younger Lane nods. “She’s … well. I have no words to describe Cat Grant.”

That earns Lucy a curious look from Alex before the game starts again. Lucy seems lost in her mind for a little while but when she returns to the moment at hand, it’s with a warning in her eyes.  

“Piece of advice though, my sister broke Cat’s heart when she ended things with her and despite Lois insisting that they’re still best friend, I wouldn’t mention your cousin’s name around her.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Kara mumbles. “Aside from this one time where we officially met each other, I haven’t seen her.”

Lucy gives her a strange look but then Alex swears, loudly, and their attention is back on the game.

—

It starts with post-its.

Kara is in a hurry one day, she grabs the plate of leftover sushi to bring as her lunch and leaves a yellow note instead. It says “Sorry about the sushi, I needed lunch. I’ll buy you a fresh plate tonight.”

The same evening, she places a fancy assortment of sushi in the fridge and leaves a green post-it : “As promised; fresh from that shop you seems to like. I asked for your usual. Bye!”

The following morning, as Kara opens the fridge to grab the milk, she notices a post-it on the plate of sushi, but it’s blue. The handwriting is neat and precise “Thank you. Help yourself if you need the rest for lunch. C.”

It takes Kara totally by surprise. She was mostly expecting some kind of warning, a subtle “back off” kind of reply but the apparent easiness of this little exchange warms her heart.

When she comes back from her shift at the bar she’s tending every three nights, she places a bottle of fancy wine on the kitchen island and sticks a pink post-it on it. “Thanks for the lunch! I heard it’s good wine, let me know if you like it? Bye.”

The next afternoon, when she emerges, the bottle is gone but there’s a brown bag instead, with a yellow post-it. “The wine is actually one of my favorite, thank you. Potstickers? I noticed you seem to eat a lot of them … Enjoy. C.”

That makes Kara’s day.

—

“Movie night?” says the pink post-it on the coffee table when Kara comes back from her soccer practice.

She laughs and shouts across the apartment “I need a shower first, meet me on the couch in twenty minutes. Also, I’m ordering pizza, our usual.”

Kara pulls out her phone from her pocket and calls their usual place.

The man on the other side greets her by her first name and jokes with her about the last national soccer game score before telling her their pizzas will be there in half an hour. She thank him and writes “Pizzas will be there in 30 min” on a blue post-it, replacing the pink one on the coffee table.

Once in her room, she carefully add the post-it to her collection, in a notebook that’s already filled with colorful notes. She’s annotated each one with a quick context quote so now the little book is telling a story.

Kara smiles softly at the last note and then closes the notebook, already stripping from her dirty clothes before she jumps in the shower.

—

“I’m fine, Alex, I swear! It looked a lot scarier than it was, I promise,” Kara protests, swatting away her sister’s hand. “Stop fussing!”

Alex leans back and glares down at her sister, Lucy standing next to her.

“Scarier doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Alex growls, eyes flashing with anger. “I just watched you get hit by a car thrown at full speed, get ejected from your bike, fly across the road and then land miles away, right through the windshield of another car. It truly is a wonder you’re still alive!”

Kara looks a little sheepish at that but her stubbornness resurfaces instantly and she raises her chin.

“Yet, I’m perfectly alright and I’ll be out in two days. Now stop fluffing my pillows!” Kara pushes Alex’s hands away again.

“Wait until mom hears about this,” Alex threatens, storming out of the room after one last glance at her sister.

Lucy sighs and takes a seat by Kara’s medial bed. She doesn’t say anything, she simply watches and Kara slowly deflates under the unrelenting, watchful gaze.  

“I know. I’m being an asshole,” Kara sighs, finally looking away. She feels bad that she scared Alex and Lucy but honestly, she’s been through worse. “I just … I hate hospitals.”

Her voice is small and low. Lucy doesn’t say anything, she simply takes one of Kara’s hands in hers and squeezes. Kara squeezes back, grateful for her friend’s quiet presence.

“Oh my gosh, Kara!”

“Cat?” Kara looks up and sees Cat enters the room, a look of pure panic written across her face.

In all the months they’ve been basically living together, it’s the first time Cat’s not all perfectly put together. She looks disheveled, her cheeks have that red glow that comes from running against the wind and her clothes, a pair of casual jeans and a soft navy blue pull-over, are too casual and a little crumpled, not perfectly adjusted like always. Her eyes are ablaze with panic and adrenaline and Kara watches, a little enthralled, as the golden sparkles swirl and swirl and swirl around in the hazel irises.

“You idiot!” Cat shouts, striding forward and hitting the ground with more force than strictly necessary. That’s when Kara notices Cat isn’t wearing heels. “What the hell were you thinking!”

Cat stops on the other side of the bed, across from where Lucy’s sat and still holding Kara’s hand.

“Uh … I was just driving back to the apartment …” Kara tries to reply but the burning glare Cat throws her shuts her up right away.

“You could have died, you absolute, stubborn, ridiculous idiot!” Cat accuses and Kara shrinks a little in her bed, not understanding why Cat was so angry at her. “I was waiting for you for our usual movie night, but you didn’t come home. You weren’t answering my texts and it was getting so late …”

Cat takes a deep breath and Kara goes to say something but another glare dissuades her.

“I eventually texted Winn, thinking you were still at the bar, to ask if you were alright. Imagine my surprise when he instantly called me and told me you’ve been rushed into the nearest hospital, because you got hit by a car!” Cat all but yells the last few words, fury echoing in her voice and it’s suddenly too much because she’s pacing.

“I was already on my way when you sister called me, to let me know about the accident,” Cat adds and now she looks hurt. Kara doesn’t even know why, she doesn’t understand what prompted Cat to unleash like this. They’ve been getting close lately, verging on the line of best-friends really, but this categorized relationship doesn’t explain Cat’s outburst.

Helplessly, she stares at her roommate and notices the unshed tears gathered in the hazel green eyes. All of a sudden, Cat looks small, vulnerable and so impossibly lost, all Kara wants to do is leap out of her bed and hold her close.

She opens her mouth to apologize when a new voice echoes in the room.

“Kara! Thank God you’re alright!”

Clark rushes to her side and grabs her hand, already fussing around her like her sister did before, puffing the pillow, moving the plate of food and beverage around, checking the tubes and the machines gathered near the bed.

“I got so scared, when Alex called! What happened, who did this?” Clark points to the bandage around her head and then to the many strips on her collarbones and along her arms. He looks incredibly relieved but Kara sees the anger in his eyes, not knowing if it’s directed at her or at the person responsible for her injuries.

“Clark Kent? You … You know Kara?” Cat asks, looking stunned and a little confused. Kara winces and pushes her cousin away, ready to explain, when Lois makes her entrance.

“For the love of God, Kara, we got so scared! Don’t do that again okay?”

“Gee, what is it with you people, do you seriously think I did this on purpose? Stop telling me to not do that again, I’m not the one responsible for the accident”, Kara rebels and glares at everyone around, her eyes bouncing from Lucy, to Clark, to Lois and finally, they land on Cat.

Cat, who’s glancing between Lois, Clark and her, looking utterly hurt, betrayed even. Kara winces again and reaches a hand but Cat shakes her head no.

“Hey there, Kitty Cat!” Lois greets, sounding surprised and slightly uncomfortable, and Kara wants to disappear into the ground and to never face either Lois or Cat ever again. “I didn’t know you’d be there.”

“Believe or not, neither did I,” Cat retorts, curtly. Her eyes are flashing with hurt, anger and confusion. The golden sparkles are dimmed, in the darkness of her green irises and Kara shudders when the gaze focuses on her. “Of course, you’re related to Clark.”

“He’s … my cousin, yes. We’re … almost the same age, give or take six months,” Kara nods, knowing better than to lie her way out of this situation. Cat’s gaze is full of heat and Kara squirms.

“Is there a reason as to why you never told me about this particular relationship?” Cat asks, voice cold and collected, the green of her eyes darkening even more.

“Actually, that’s my fault,” Lois jumps in, looking very sheepish. Kara wants to tell her to shut up, to stop talking but of course, there’s no telling that to Lois Lane. Ever. “I told Kara you would throw her out of the apartment if you knew about her relationship to Clark. I advised her to … not say anything.”

Cat seems about to lash out again but before she can says something, she’s interrupted.

“What on earth is happening in here?” Alex asks, stepping into the room and glancing at all the people present. One look at Cat and Lois tells her everything she needs to know.

“Oh,” Alex sighs. She takes a deep breath and then looks right into Cat’s eyes. “Cat, I’m sorry we never told you. It wasn’t right. I shouldn’t have played along with Lois idea to keep this relationship a secret and I’m truly, really sorry.”

A thick, stunned silence follows Alex’s apology. Cat looks thrown off, more than anyone else, but she manages to recompose herself.

“Thank you, Alex. I … appreciate that,” Cat accepts the apology and then gestures to Kara. “Please, take care of the stubborn idiot over there.”

After that, she exits the room without another words.

—

There’s no post-it waiting for her when she returns to the apartment, three days later. The place is dark and quiet and Kara doesn’t even need to check to know Cat’s gone.

She’s tried to reach out, through texts and calls, for the past three days but Cat is nothing if persistent in her indifference. Kara feels miserable and while it’s tempting to blame it all on Lois, she knows it’s her own fault.

She should have told Cat about Lois secret the moment they started being friends.

They’ve been so close lately, having regular movie night on the couch together with various sort of take-out, Kara showing up at Cat’s work after her soccer practice to pick her up and bring her home, Cat studying on Kara’s bed while Kara wrote her essays at her desk with soft music in the background, Cat dropping by at Kara’s bar, in between Kara’s shift, to have a drink or share some food, the many excursions they went through across town, the museums Cat dragged Kara to, the walks by the beach sharing an ice-cream or some candy flush, talking and laughing and debating about one thing or another.

Cat’s love for old books and the way she would sometimes smell like it, like dust and old pages, a scent Kara found familiar and grounding. Kara’s strange tastes in music and Cat’s mockery of it, a façade to hide the fact she was very curious and sometimes even liked the same things Kara did. Cat’s tendency to tidy everything and Kara’s messy self, their many arguments about a forgotten sweater or a pair of sneakers in the way. Kara’s terrible attempts at cooking and Cat’s irritated yet fond looks whenever she tried something new.

Cat’s warmth against her flank on the couch as they watched a movie. Cat’s way to adjust the collar or whatever top Kara was wearing before they left the apartment. Cat’s scent, heady and dizzying, so comforting, that still lingered on the couch long after she was gone.

Cat’s laugh, like a melody, a sound that meant home.

She never realized how much Cat had come to mean to her, until she was gone.

—

“Why so glum?” Winn asks, sitting down at a stool next to her. He looks a little concerned but mostly, his eyes have the glazed glow of someone who’s had too much to drink.

“Nothing,” Kara sighs, nursing her glass of Scotch and watching as Alex and Lucy dance together in the middle of the crowd. “I just … nevermind.”

“Feel lonely?” Winn supplies and Kara throws him a shocked glare, a little alarmed that her very drunk friend is still able to read her so easily.

“Come on. You’ve been mooning over that roommate of your for months now, it’s practically visible from space,” Winn rolls his eyes and then winces, apparently regretting the move. “I’m guessing she’s still not talking to you and … you miss her, am I right?”

Kara sighs, heavily so.

“Yeah, I do. It’s ridiculous, really.” Kara lets out a frustrated breath. “She’s … she’s Cat Grant.”

“What does being Cat Grant entails, exactly?” Winn asks with a frown, because of course he doesn’t see the point.

Kara finishes her drink and asks for another one before taking a deep breath.

“She’s … she’s so incredibly smart, in a way I still can’t exactly fathom. Her mind is quick and sharp, she manages to see the details in everything without loosing the big picture. She’s witty, too.” Kara chuckles, eyes sparkling. “Her sarcasm has this cutting edge that could probably freeze the sun but somehow, when she smiles … it’s like … it’s like … she is the sun itself, you know? It lit up her whole being from the inside, she just glows and it reaches her eyes. It always reaches her eyes when she genuinely smiles.”

Winn’s listening, eyes intent on her despite the drunken glaze.

“She’s incredibly proud. She doesn’t like when people just overlook her because her parents have money. She’s a real perfectionist, you know? Always pushing for everyone to be the better version of themselves, to never be content with just what they have and to dare reaching out for more. She’s doing it to herself, to the point it must be exhausting, I think,” Kara smiles, a little sadly. Cat never allows herself to just be herself. “She works really hard, in her classes, for the students she’s tutoring and even in her job. She never gives up. I’ve heard stories of how she’s treated in this newspapers … It makes my skin crawl everytime she talks about it, but she doesn’t even pay attention to it. She’s ambitious. So much, I swear one day she’ll be president or something.”

“Well, here’s one career path I didn’t even consider, until now …”

Kara swirls around on her stool, so fast she almost ends up on the floor but hands land on her hips and steady her. Cat’s smiling, a little smugly, and her eyes are bright with something Kara doesn’t even dare to interpret. She steps forward and invades Kara’s space, smelling like spice and wood, with just a hint of alcohol.

“Hey,” Kara whispers, dropping her eyes to her knees. “You’re … back.”

“I wasn’t supposed to be,” Cat replies, her voice low and a little hesitant now. She still has her hands on Kara’s hips and Kara feels her skin burn under the warmth of Cat’s palms, through her clothes. “I just … I … I missed you.”

Kara freezes and then blinks, a little helplessly. “You did?”

“I did,” Cat smiles, leaning forward. “I took a plane this afternoon and then came straight from the airport because Winn texted me, said you were here.”  

Kara glances at her friend but the stool he previously occupied was empty. Kara and Cat were all alone near the bar, save it from the coming and going bartender on the other side of it.

“How much of it did you hear?” Kara asks, swallowing hard under Cat’s focused gaze.

“Apparently, your mooning over me is visible from space …” Cat chuckles and Kara groans, hiding her face in between her hands and muttering something about killing Winn.

“Please don’t,” Cat whispers, slowly prying Kara’s fingers away from her face. “I’ve been … too scared to make a move. I didn’t know … I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

Kara looks up to meet Cat’s gaze. It’s so bright and hopeful, it takes Kara’s breath away.

“I did. I do. I …” Kara sighs, looking down again. “I should have told you about Clark, I’m sorry about that. I thought … I thought maybe you wouldn’t like me anymore, if you knew I was Clark Kent’s cousin. I know you and Lois have a … complicated story.”

Cat slowly removes her hands from Kara’s hip and the loss is jaring, it makes Kara shudders. Cat takes the stool Winn has just vacated and looks at Kara with sadness in her eyes.

“We … had, a complicated story. I’m not going to lie, she broke my heart when she ended our relationship but it’s not fair to put all the blame on her, as tempting as it is,” Cat explains with a slight chuckle. Kara arches a surprise brow but doesn’t say anything. “I … never told my parents, about Lois and I. Worse, I hid her, on the few times they came visit me. She …”

Cat draws in a breath and accepts the glass of wine the bartender places in front of her. She’s a regular in this bar where Kara sometimes works, the other bartenders know what she likes and they’re past the point of asking, they just go with it.

“As flawed as Lois is, as annoying as she can sometimes be, she never hid who she was and she didn’t deserve the way I was treating her, back then. I … I understand, why she broke up with me. We stayed friends, and I value her friendship a great deal.”

Kara tilts her head and looks at the way Cat plays with her drink. The deep burgundy beverage swirls in the glass, slowly, regularly, it’s a little fascinating.

“I got so scared, Kara. When Winn called me to let me know about your accident … I felt as if my whole world was crumbling. I was … terrified of losing you. I didn’t understand why, at first,” Cat says and there’s a tremor in her voice, hints of terror in her hazel eyes. “I might be a little … awkward, when it comes to feelings. Dealing with it has never been my strong suit and I’m a firm believer of bottling everything up and letting it sink somewhere safe.”

Kara slowly reaches and takes Cat’s hand in hers, brushing her thumb across Cat’s knuckles. She doesn’t say anything but with just a nod, she encourages her to keep talking.

“I found you in the hospital, all banged up, with a bandage on your head and everywhere on your body and I … I wanted to hold you, to feel that you were real, still alive and not going anywhere but I … I got scared, Kara,” Cat breathes, squeezing Kara’s fingers. “Of my own feelings, their intensity, the way it ruled every thoughts in my head, every decision I could make, everything. Clark was just … a convenient excuse for me to reject the blame on something else. I admit, I did feel a little betrayed that you didn’t tell me, but it’s not why I stormed off. It’s not the reason I left town.”

“Why did you?” Kara asks, softly. She thinks she knows the answer but she still needs to hear it and more importantly, Cat needs to say it.

“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?” Cat sasses, wanting to remove her hand but Kara holds on and nods. Cat nods too and takes another deep breathe, followed by a long swing of wine. It takes her a minute but she eventually manages to look Kara in the eyes.

“I … I think I’m … falling in love with you, Kara Danvers.”

Kara smiles, widely. “You think?”

Cat rolls her eyes and swats at Kara’s hand. “Shut up.”

“Aww, no,” Kara says, grabbing back Cat’s hand and pulling it close, placing it over her heart. Its frantic beats seem to surprise Cat and she stops struggling against Kara’s hold. “Let me talk. I don’t think I’m falling in love with you. I know I am. I have been in love with you for a long, long time now, but I didn’t want to admit it. I’m no better than you when it comes to feelings, it’s a fucking scary thing.”

Cat gasps and Kara brushes her thumb against the hollow of Cat’s wrist. “I love you, Cat Grant. I love you, and I’m an idiot for not having said so any sooner.”

“You are an idiot,” Cat nods but there’s no denying the pure, unadulterated happiness that shines in her eyes as she smiles, genuinely, widely so. “You’re my idiot.”

Kara doesn’t wait and leans forward, kissing Cat with all she has and all she is. It’s soft and yet intense, tender but passionate and so incredibly intimate. Her hands move to hold Cat’s cheeks, cradling her close and keeping her there as she pulls back, a little breathless.

“I’ve been dreaming of kissing you since the moment you fell asleep on my lap while watching The Empire Strike Back,” Kara whispers against Cat’s lips, earning a chuckle and an eye roll.

“You know I don’t like Star Wars,” Cat muses, dropping a kiss at the corners of Kara’s mouth.

“Liar. You love it,” Kara shakes her head and her laugh gets swallowed in another kiss, deeper this time, more demanding, pressing. A hand tugs at the front of her sweater and she obliges, stepping up from the stool and invading Cat’s space to slide herself in between Cat’s legs.

A moan escapes the back of Cat’s throat and the sound sends a bolt of pure desire down Kara’s core, making her tremble a little against Cat.

“Wanna get out of here?” Kara asks, moving her lips down to Cat’s jawline and dropping a line of soft, sweet kisses alongside it.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Cat groans and before Kara knows it, she’s being dragged outside by her girlfriend.

—

Nothing really changes.

They still have a movie night once or twice a week. Kara still goes to pick up Cat after her soccer practice. They still go to the beach and to the museums together, sharing ice-cream or candy flush. They still study together, listening to music. Kara still tries to cook on a regular basis, under Cat’s fond yet unimpressed gaze. They still argues about the clothes in the living room.

There’s just a lot of making out in the middle.

Sometimes, the movie plays on the TV but no one is watching. Books and essays lie on the floor, amongst the discarded clothes that tend to get removed very quickly these days. There’s hand holding whenever they’re outside together, sweet kisses and small gestures. They go to Alex and Lucy for game nights once a week and it’s comfortable, easy. They still argue and sometimes they even fight and they end up sleeping in their respective bedroom, until one of them caves and gets up to join the other one in the middle of the night. Cat goes to Kara’s soccer games and Kara makes the regular effort to attend some of Cat’s work events.

All in one, they work and it lasts.

—

“You guys are so sickeningly in love, it’s disgusting,” Alex grumbles one morning, three months after the official start of Cat and Kara’s relationship.

She’s hovering by the door with a box of donuts and a cardboard trail full of coffee cups.

“Alex, do come in,” Cat smiles and opens the door a little wider for the older Danvers to step in.

“Is my sister even decent?” Alex asks, nervously looking around. She’s walked on them a few times already and she now knows better than to just knock and enter without answer.

“She’s getting dressed, yes,” Cat chuckles, rolling her eyes before eying the coffee cups with interest.

“Yes, one of them is for you,” Alex puts the donuts box on the kitchen island and hand over her non-fat, no whole milk, bulletproof latte to Cat. She looks a little nauseous as she picks up her own cup. “I don’t know how you can drink this, seriously.”

“Force of habit, I suppose,” Cat shrugs.

Kara bounces out of Cat’s bedroom and comes hug her sister before moving around to kiss Cat. It’s soft and sweet, brief but with just enough love to content Cat, who relaxes back against the kitchen island with a dreamy smile on her lips.

“Sickening,” Alex mutters but there’s a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“You’re just jealous because Luce’s away for a few weeks and you miss her,” Kara rolls her eyes at her sister and opens the donuts box, already picking a chocolate one and handing it over to Cat. She then chooses a jelly filled one for herself. “Where is she anyway?”

“Paris, again,” Alex sighs. “Her environmental law firm is sending her to negotiate at a climate summit or something.”

“Our hero,” Kara smiles and she means it. It makes Alex smile too.

“Alright, are you ready?”

“Sure, let’s go,” Kara says, moving around to go pick up her bag in Cat’s bedroom. When she comes back, Alex is waiting for her by the door and Cat’s lingering near the couch, looking a little sad.

“Awww no, don’t be sad. It’s only three days, I’ll be back before you know it,” Kara laughs, dropping the back on the couch to hug her girlfriend.

“Urgh. I’m gonna wait for you in the car, bye Cat!” Alex says, waving goodbye and then closing the door behind her, offering them some privacy.  

“I know, I know but I just …” Cat pauses, looking a little frustrated. Kara slides a finger under Cat’s chin and lift it, slowly.

“Tell me,” Kara pushes, looking into Cat’s eyes. She knows it’s still hard for Cat to deal with feelings, to accept and express them.

“I don’t sleep when you’re not here,” Cat whispers, looking small and vulnerable. Kara’s heart burst out with love and she leans in to kiss her girlfriend, long and hard. Hands tangle in her hair and a body she now knows by heart presses against hers.

“I love you, Cat Grant. I can’t wait to come back to you,” Kara says softly, randomly dropping a few kisses on Cat’s face. It seems to ease Cat just enough to make a smile appears.

“Please do,” she whispers, leaning forward to place her forehead against the crock of Kara’s shoulder.

“You know I will, Cat. I’m not going anywhere, you’re stuck with me for as long as you’ll have me,” Kara replies, caressing Cat’s hair with one hand and stroking her back with the other. “I’m your idiot, remember?”

That makes Cat laugh and it’s how Kara knows she can go.

—

Kara climbs the stairs leading to their apartment so fast she almost falls a few time. She’s holding her bag, overthrown on one shoulder, with one hand and the other is keeping a bouquet of flowers upright. White lilies, Cat’s favorite.

She drops the bag at her feet and fumbles around to find her keys, barely managing to enter the right one in the lock when the door is thrown open in front of her. She’s expecting Cat but instead, there’s a much older woman in front of her.

“Hello,” says the stranger. “Who are you?”

The woman is smaller than Kara but the commanding presence is oddly familiar. She’s concealing her age fairly well but the creases on her forehead, the crinkles around her eyes and the defined veins on her hands are still giving it away. She’s wrapped in a burgundy ensemble, pants and a matching jacket over a black shirt and she’s wearing heels. Her pixie haircut hardens her features and highlight the dark green of her eyes.

“Uh … I’m Kara, and I live here. Who are you?” Kara asks, frowning at the stranger in her apartment.

“I’m Kat …” the woman says and Kara snorts.

“No you’re not,” Kara replies and the woman throws her an irritated look that’s all too familiar.

“If you let me finish … I’m Katherine Grant, Cat’s mother.”

Kara gapes and stares, unable to says anything. It’s definitely not what she was expecting to come home to.

“You must be … the roommate,” Katherine muses, looking up and down at Kara’s figure. “Are those flowers for us?”

“Us?” Kara repeats, entirely too lost to do anything else.

She’s coming back from a very intense soccer camp training, she’s exhausted, missing her girlfriend and the way this woman is looking at her with something like disdain in her eyes is grating on her nerves.

“My husband and I,” Katherine exaggeratedly articulates, as if she was talking to a dumb person. “I assume my daughter told you about our visit?”

Kara grits her teeth and counts to ten before she manages to plaster a smile on her lips and extends a hand.

“Actually, she probably forgot to tell me. I’ve been away for a few days and just coming back from a sport camp, but here,” Kara gives away the flowers. “I’m Kara Danvers and despite the awkward beginning, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Grant.”

That seems to please Katherine because the faint shadow of a smile tugs at the corners of her lips. It’s barely there but Kara’s taking whatever she can, especially since the 'meeting the parents’ situation didn’t start out so great.

“Is Cat around?” Kara asks, trying not to sound too hopeful.

“She’s on her way back from work, apparently,” a man’s voice echoes behind Katherine. Kara glances further in the living room and see a gentleman in a navy blue three pieces suit standing near one of the bookshelves. He’s taller than his wife, with distinguished features and metallic grey hair perfectly ordered atop his head. His eyes are of a grey-blue color Kara finds oddly comforting.

“Don’t stand in the way dear, do come in,” Katherine gestures for her to step in and Kara tries not to seethe that this stranger is inviting her in her own place. She grabs her bag and excuses herself to her bedroom.

She’s not used her own bedroom in months and it shows. Dust is gathering on her wardrobe, on her desk and on her bed night stands. It’s all too neat, too ordered for her taste. She searches for her phone in her bag and curses when she sees it’s out of power. She plugs it and unpack her stuff while it gathers enough battery to be launched again.

When it finally starts, it vibrates non-stop for about two minutes.

She has eight missed calls and twice as many texts, all from Cat.

“Uh oh,” Kara sighs.

She’s about to call Cat back when her phones goes off, Cat’s calling.

“Hi babe,” Kara greets, smiling from ear to ear.

“Kara, oh my gosh where have you been?” Cat’s panicked and short of breath. “I’ve been trying to call you for hours! Nevermind, whatever you do, don’t show up at the apartment tonight, my parents are in town and they didn’t announce themselves, as usual …”

Kara stays silent after that. She knows Cat’s still not out to her parents, they’ve talked about it and Kara knows Cat isn’t ready but after what happened with Lois, Kara was still expecting some kind of gesture. A step in the right direction. Something to hang onto. This, Cat lying to her about her parents dropping unannounced and asking her to hide until they’re gone, was not great.

The disappointment hurts, like a needle piercing her thick skin and reaching the sensitive part of her.

“You don’t say,” Kara retorts, a little coolly. “Your mother sounds lovely. I have yet to interact with your father though. What should I do, hide in the closet in my bedroom until they’re gone?”

There’s a pause on the other side of the line, before Cat speaks again. “You’re … home?”

Again, this isn’t the excited welcome Kara was expecting. Instead, Cat sounds terrified, slightly sick even.

“You know, sometimes I wonder … am I just a piece of furniture, to you? You sure as hell conveniently seems to forget that I live here, too,” Kara snaps, not handling her disappointment well. She looks at herself in the mirror of her bedroom.

She’s already dressed for it, casual jeans, a red hoodie beneath her leather jacket and she’s wearing her favorite pair of red converses to go with it.

“Nevermind Cat, I’m going to the bar. I wasn’t planning on working tonight but I guess it doesn’t matter anyway,” Kara says, shortly. “Don’t wait for me, I’ll crash at Winn’s tonight. Have fun with your parents.”

Kara hangs up and grabs her keys, her wallet and pushes them in her pocket with her phone. She gets her motorcycle helmet and a backpack she fills with whatever clothes will work as a pyjama, some toiletries and then heads out.

“I’m sorry Mrs and Mr Grant, but I’ve been called out to replace one of my coworkers, out sick. Since I figured you’d like to have some time with your daughter, I won’t intrude that way. Enjoy your dinner,” Kara waves at them and exits her place as fast as she can.

In her pocket, her phone keeps vibrating but she just ignores it.

—

“She’s calling me now, please do something,” Winn says, sounding slightly terrified.

His phone is lit up with Cat’s name above a wallpaper that says 'Breathe and pick up’. It usually makes Kara laugh, but not tonight.

“Nope,” Kara says, ignoring the call and going away to clear some tables and takes a few orders.

“Still no progress?” Alex asks from behind him, and Winn shakes his head.

“I think Cat royally screwed up this time,” Winn says, sadness echoing in his voice. He’s known the Danvers sisters for a long time now and he’s been in their life long enough to recognize when the situation’s really bad.

“I agree,” Alex sighs, worriedly looking at her sister across the bar. “She’s not calling me though, I must be her very last resort …”

“Cat’s terrified of you, so yeah I’m pretty sure you’ll be the very last person she calls,” Winn laughs but it’s hollow, it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“And yet …” Alex mumbles, raising her phone to show Cat’s name etched on it.

“Oh, whow,” Winn lets out a breath. “That bad …”

“Hi Cat,” Alex greets, placing her phone against her ear. She keeps her voice neutral and cool but her eyes are burning with anger.

Winn doesn’t hear what Cat says but the anger flaring up in the older Danvers eyes tells him it’s not good. It calms down pretty quickly though and Winn hears sobs, coming out of Alex’s phone.

“Cat … You did something terribly wrong, there’s no denying it. I know it, Kara knows it, you know it … What’s done is done,” Alex eventually speaks, voice low but clear. “What you can do is apologize. Make up for it. She’s not asking you to come out to your parents, she would never ask that of you. She simply doesn’t want to be or to feel like your dirty secret.”

Winn nods approvingly.

Cat speaks some more and Alex shakes her head.

“Give her some time to cool off, she’ll be back. Cat, I mean it. Do not try to push her, you’ll only manage to do more damage,” Alex warns. “I know my sister, she’s head over heels in love with you, she’ll come around.”

Cat must have asked for some reinsurance because Alex adds, fondly “She’s still your idiot, you know. Just, give her time, give her space.”

After that, Alex hangs up and Winn gives her a knowing look.

—

“Please, don’t leave me,” Cat asks the moment Kara steps back in the apartment, a week after Cat’s parents visit.

Kara’s thrown off by the unexpected greeting, by the vulnerability in her girlfriend’s voice, the red rimmed eyes and the way Cat fidgets with her hands.

She’s standing next to the usual bookshelves in the living room and Kara distractingly notices the picture of Lois & Cat is gone. Cat’s wearing one of Kara’s university sweater, a pale grey hoodie with NCU blazon plastered in blue across the front. It looks too big on her but somehow, it still suits her better than Kara.

“What? No, I’m not here to breakup with you!” Kara frowns, dropping her keys in the usual plate on the small table by the entrance. She hangs her leather jacket next to the door and then turns around to face her girlfriend, who seems at a loss as to what to do.

“Come on,” Kara opens her arms and steps forward, inviting Cat in the embrace. She doesn’t need to tell her twice, Cat all but hurls herself at Kara and holds onto her for dear life.

“I’m so sorry, Kara I’m so sorry, I made a mistake, or a few …” Cat sobs against Kara’s shoulder and Kara feels fingers twist into the red fabric of her hoodie, tangling in it really. “I didn’t know … I didn’t want to … I’m …”

“Cat, look at me,” Kara pulls back just enough so she could meet Cat’s eyes. The hazel is dimmed, reddish and it’s all puffy but Kara still finds that Cat is the most beautiful woman she’s ever seen. “I know, okay? I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. I know you, and I believe you when you says you reacted poorly.”

Cat takes a deep breath and then shakes her head, hands still holding onto Kara’s hoodie.

“I never meant to make you feel like a dirty little secret, Kara,” Cat says, voice a little steadier. Kara doesn’t interrupt, her arms still wrapped around her girlfriend’s silhouette. “It was so very wrong and I am truly, really sorry about the way I treated you.”

“Thank you,” Kara nods, accepting the apology and acknowledging Cat’s efforts at offering one. “I know you panicked and you did tell me you’re not exactly good with feelings, I should have anticipated it. I’m sorry I ran away and gave you the cold shoulder for a while.”

“I hated it. Every second of it. I’ve missed you, Kara,” Cat whispers, resting her forehead against Kara’s collarbone and stepping in closer.

“I’ve missed you too, Cat. Just, don’t freak out on me the next time your parents are in town, okay?” Kara asks, lifting Cat’s chin and leaning in for a kiss.

It’s incredibly soft and tender, slightly hesitant too. It lasts for a little while but then Cat’s wrapping a hand around Kara’s neck and pulling her in closer, moaning into the kiss. The next thing Kara knows, they’re stumbling backward to Cat’s bedroom, clothes flying in every direction and greedy hands reaching for smooth skin. Cat’s whispering her name in a way that makes Kara’s knees go really weak but she still manages to sweep Cat off the ground, groaning at the way Cat’s thighs close around her waist.

“Bold move, my love,” Cat chuckles but her eyes are dark with lust and impatience and she leans forward to kiss Kara senseless.

“Hmf,” Kara’s replies gets muffled in the kiss and it’s not long before they’re finally falling into Cat’s bed, Kara’s hands already roaming Cat’s body, worshipping it really.

It’s been way too long since they hadn’t been intimate and there’s a certain tenderness into the way Kara takes her sweet time to kiss every inch of Cat’s skin, lingering on some soft spots and biting into some others, guiding Cat’s hands and murmuring words of love. Cat’s still clinging to her in a way that betrays her fears so Kara kisses her eyelashes and murmurs “I’m not going anywhere Cat. I’m yours, remember?” Cat looks at her with such awe and wonder in her eyes, Kara laughs and kisses her, loving her with everything she is, everything she has to offer, all the love she feels.

It’s very early in the morning when they finally fall asleep, tangled together in Cat’s bed.

—

“Cat? Cat sweetheart, are you in there?”

Kara jolts awake at the sound of Katherine Grant’s voice, coming from the living room. It takes a few seconds before the reality of that statement catch up with her brain.

“Cat! Cat wake up, your mother’s here,” Kara hisses, rolling around in the bed and missing the edge, falling on the ground with a loud thud and a swear word.

“Humpf,” Cat grumbles, grabbing a pillow and placing it over her head. Kara has never cursed the fact her girlfriend wasn’t a morning person so hard before. “Too early.”

“For fuck sake, Cat, wake up!” Kara groans as she rises up from the ground and looks around for something to throw on herself. She’s naked and if her memory serves her well, most of their clothes are still in the living room. She grabs a sweater that hangs from the side of Cat’s wardrobe and starts searching for some trousers or at least the very least, underwear.

“What are you doing up? Come back to bed,” Cat mumbles and Kara feels a hand run along her legs as she moves around the bed.

“Cat!” Kara grabs her girlfriend and gently shakes her awake. “Cat, your mother is here, in our living room, where we left all of our clothes last night …”

“My … mother?” Cat suddenly looks wide awake, if not a little pale and unsteady.

“Yes, your mother …” Kara nods, wincing as Katherine’s calling for Cat again. “Come on, get dressed and get out of the room, I’m going to hide in your bathroom.”

“No, don’t hide,” Cat states and Kara freezes, looking unsure. Cat moves to stand on her knees on the mattress and she reaches out for Kara’s face, pulling her down for a kiss. It’s slow and loving, sure too.

“Uh, Cat?” Kara asks, a little dazzled.

“No more hiding,” Cat murmurs again, a shy smile gracing her lips.

“Cat, I’m coming in,” Katherine announces and before Kara can hide or move, really, the bedroom door is thrown open and Cat’s mother’s standing in the door frame.

“There you are,” Katherine smiles. Her eyes linger on the scene in front of her but she doesn’t look in the least phased. “We brought breakfast, care to join us?”

Cat looks as dumbfounded as Kara feels and they exchange a confused look.

“What?” Katherine asks, frowning.

“You … You’re not mad?” Cat dares to ask, reaching for Kara’s hand and squeezing it. Kara returns the gesture and steps closer to her, protective.

“Mad? Why would I?” Katherine seems entirely too at ease and Kara feels really out of her depths here, but she doesn’t move.

“Uh …” Cat is at a loss for words, clearly.

“You mean, that you’re dating a woman? Please,” Katherine makes a dismissive hand gesture that seems to be destined to no one in particular. “You never fooled anyone, Cat. Your father and I have known since the day you came home babbling about this special friend of your, Olivia was it?”

“Olivia? But I was … in highschool,” Cat says, eyes wide.

“Well, yes, and?” Katherine frowns again, as if Cat’s addition wasn’t relevant in any way.

“I didn’t  … I didn’t even … know, back then!” Cat protests, looking really confused.

“You didn’t, but we did. Now, put on some clothes and join us for breakfast,” Katherine orders and she turns her gaze to Kara. “For God’s sake, put on some pants Kara! Then you’re welcome to join us, I would love to know more about my daughter’s girlfriend.”

After that, she closes the door and the sound of her heels fades away back to the kitchen.

For a moment, neither Cat or Kara speak.

They’re too stunned to even think about anything to say.

“What did just happen?” Kara eventually wonders out loud, breaking the strange quiet of the room.

“I have … no idea,” Cat replies, shocked.

“I think … as far as a coming out goes … this one should wins some kind of award,” Kara eventually chuckles, shaking her head and resuming her search for something to wear.

“What are you doing?” Cat asks.

“Uh … finding something to wear?” Kara replies, opening Cat’s wardrobe. “Your mother all but ordered me to put on some pants …”

“I like you better without your pants on,” Cat muses, voice low and seductive. It sends a shiver down Kara’s spine.

“Oh no no no. Don’t give me that look, Cat. Your parents are literally in the next room and I’ve already went through enough embarrassing time with them to last a lifetime,” Kara shakes her head and steps away from the bed, out of Cat’s reach. “Come on, get up, get dressed. We’re having breakfast with your parents.”

“Here’s a sentence I never thought I would hear coming from my girlfriend,” Cat smiles, eyes alight with joy and happiness, love.

“Something tells me we should get used to it, too,” Kara smiles back and moves closer to kiss Cat. “I love you, Cat Grant.”

“I love you too, Kara Danvers,” Cat whispers against Kara’s lips. “My idiot.” THE END

[themadnessthatis]

So, Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness...

Warning, this is going to be a long-ass post, mostly me rambling about how TR6 was a game with good concepts but shitty execution. Expect a bit of non-linear ranting.

I have some serious Opinions™ on this game, now having finished it (which was a quasi-Herculean feat in of itself from fighting against the game the whole time, but more on that in a bit).

When I first got this game, eyes full of wonder and amazement, I was like “aw yeah, a new Tomb Raider for a new generation of consoles!”. Having only played it for a bit my opinion quickly soured, and the game was never played after having fallen down a hole and dying in the Parisian sewers. All I said to myself at the time was “wow, this game is shit,never playing this again :| .”

Which I didn’t, until recently.

Fast forward a bit, and a friend of mine lends me her PC copies of Tomb Raider 2-through-6 (sadly no copy of TR1  :’[ ), which I sat down and played, all while eyeing up the box containing AoD with animosity. Boy did I regret saying I wouldn’t mind if she lent me that one as well.

But after going through the other games with various degrees of ease, from the “wow it’s over already?” of Chronicles to the “Will it never end?” of TR3 (which I personally rate as the worst of the “old school” Tomb Raiders. Just....fuck that game, the best part of it is the credits, but I digress.), we were left with just one more game; Angel of Darkness, sitting there, almost expectantly.

“Well, it’s been a while, maybe I was just bad at the game, and it’s actually alright?” I said as I set about installing it, ready to give the game the benefit of the doubt.

Well the fact that controller setup was a pain in the arse should’ve been a dead giveaway that something was up. Though is was nowhere near as infuriating as Chronicles, which required a fucking JoyToKey configuration to get it to work smoothly, otherwise jumps would result in Lara just careening off to the side every.fucking.time.)

Actually, when you first play AoD, the controls are really the first thing you’ll pick up on. I.E: they’re the worst. Really they’re the biggest flaw of this whole game, and if they weren’t as clunky and gods-awful as they are, AoD might’ve been a much better experience. Lara controls like a fucking Mark IV from 1917; turns, speed, everything. It’s such a jarring shift from the previous installments that it really takes some time getting used to, and could be a reall deal-breaker. Also Lara no longer runs like she used to, more like a slow jog, only gaining the ability to sprint later in the game (you know, the thing she could do at the very beginning of TR3, 4 and 5? Like she has to learn how to use her legs, after all of her previous escapades?!). Jumping also seems to have undergone some hideous transformation; from somewhat fluid sequences to an absolutely jerky mess of a mechanic, not helped by Lara needing some space to build up momentum (from walk to jog). Like the only time she handles almost smoothly is when she’s swimming (which thank fuck no longer has her getting stuck on the walls and floor like she did in previous games.).

When you’re not busy fighting against the controls and some of the early Capcom-esque fixed camera angles, you might be able to notice some of the changes to the TR formula, for better or for worse.

Perhaps the most noticeable is Lara’s equipment; gone are her iconic (not Ubisoft iconic, mind you) pistols with unlimited ammo. In their place Lara can collect a plethora of new pistols, including a very nice taser. Though this is moot when Lara eventually loses all of her acquired weapons, as she is wont to do if TR1, 2 and 3 are anything to go by. You also get the classic shotgun and two SMGs. Though tbh, and this might just be me, but don’t all of the weapons in this game feel like the do the same amount of damage?

One thing that was a nice touch was the inventory revamp. The ring-like setup from previous TRs is gone, and now each type of item (health, weapons and puzzle clues) have their own inventory sections, making it less of an eyesore than the cluttered messes of the previous game’s inventories. Speaking of health, the repertoire of healing items has been increased, with various items granting various degrees of health restoration, which is nice, no more wasting medikits (though i do not understand how a chocolate bar could heal a person, but whatever, video game logic, i guess.). The puzzle clues section does get kinda cluttered though, as Lara doesn’t seem to want to get rid of anything she picks up, even if she no longer needs it, so her pockets are basically just full of security cards and bits of paper until the end of the game like JESUS CHRIST ON A STICK JUST DUMP THAT SHIT IN A BIN, LARA!”.

On the subject of puzzles, it’s great that that is an element that has carried over to AoD nicely, unlike some of the more modern titles (looking at you, Tomb Raider 2013). The Hall of Seasons was a great example of this, and is very reminiscent of the St Francis’ Folly from the original games, what with its God-themed rooms. Granted that there were other “puzzles” that were a little too obvious, like “push table to find mixture to kill giant plant”. But overall,  the puzzle side of Tomb Raider is definitely there. Although, there are no secrets to find (but after TR3 and 4′s “And your reward is FLARES” bullshit, I’m okay with that).

So, what about the story? To be perfectly honest, it’s as about as normal as a Tomb Raider story line can be: Secret sect looking for paintings so they can resurrect an ancient race of human/angel hybrids that was destroyed back in biblical times except not all of them, and Lara gets involved b/c they killed Von Croy and she was framed for it... Look, it’s certainly not as far-fetched as “Italian mafia dude looking for magic Chinese knife that turns people into dragons instead of corpses when stabbed with it.” (Love you, TR2, but what even...), or whatever the hell was going on in TR3 with its magical ancient Polynesian artifacts and “rapid evolution”, but it’s out there.

Mechanics wise, there have been some changes that are quite nice in concept, but are failed by poor execution (a running theme for this game). The grip meter is a new thing, and is influenced by Lara’s upper body strength (like how her jumping/sprinting and door-kicking are affected by her lower body strength), like a sort of RPG attribute. These body strength factors are a nice tough and could’ve been a plus in a good game, but here the attributes are given out at arbitrary moments throughout the game and feel forced, like at one moment Lara must gain an upper body strength upgrade by just shunting a pile of boxes around for no real reason. When you couple this with the sluggish momentum-based “running”, it’s almost like the developers were trying to go for a more “realistic” feel but didn’t really know how to go about it.

There’s also a certain Bioware-esque dialogue tree that pops up from time to time in the game. While it’s a nice touch, the fact that there’s no real change to the outcome (bar 3 exceptions) kind of makes the interactions pointless.

Going past the mechanics, the game itself (at least on PC), is a glitchy, buggy mess that would crash for no reason. Textures are missing, walls vanish in some of Kurtis’ (a boring, bland secondary character we get to play as, and I’ll get to him in a second.) levels for no reason, not to mention that one level can be skipped entirely thanks to a bug where Lara just has to roll into a fucking wall. Also, not certain if it’s more an exploit than it is a bug, but it’s kinda of an anticlimax that the last two bosses can be cheesed by just commando-crawling under their projectiles. The greatest menaces to humanity, outdone by toddler maneuvers .

Now, onto Kurtis...Kurtis is a member of an organisation dedicated to stomping out evil, particularly sorcery and alchemy (thus pitting him against the big baddie, Eckhardt, who looks like he just got done trying to audition for the part of Auron from Final Fantasy). He’s supposed to come across as some sort of bad boy with magical powers, but honestly he’s a boring, ugly, fucking Broody McGravelvoice with no personality. You get to play as him for all of 3 (or was it 4?) levels, and boy oh boy, you will hat him throughout all of them. Somehow, and I didn’t know it was possible, somehow he controls WORSE than Lara. He moves like he’s got a broom up his arse and jumps like he’s on the fucking moon. His levels feel like they were  some De-mastered edition of Until Dawn, full of enemies that serve no purpose other than to drain you of resources, and are capped off with the worst boss fight ever, thanks to twitchy auto-aim and Kurtis’ shoddy controls. Like fucking Mark Williard at  the end of TR3 was more feasible than this cavalcade of bullshit. Also the first time he meets Lara in the Louvre, the cut-scene is just so unsettling and creepy, she should’ve just beat his arse into the tiled floor there and then. I seriously hope he’s dead.

And the ending... What a bloody disappointment; Lara wanders off into a dark passage after killing the bigger bad, and then...nothing. No credits, no “the end” screen, the game just shits you back onto the “Press Start” screen.

But in the end, after all was said and done, I think my opinion of AoD has shifted somewhat. I don’t hate it like I thought I did, I’m just, I dunno, disappointed...This game had so many good ideas that were handled so poorly, and it certainly wasn’t helped that, at least on the PC version, it was a glitch-fest and the controls were piss-poor. And as a final insult? Jiggle physics. I’m not fucking kidding like Core Design  couldn’t iron out the bugs and do something about the arse-backwards controls, but they gotta make sure dem jiggly titties are in there? -_-’ Fucking hell what a dumpster fire of a game. Like I want to like it but the fuck-headedness of it all just, just no.