#this is fun! i am working on more Lena snippets

[inkedroplets]

fanfic writer questions

Thanks so much for the tag @sideguitars

1- How many works do you have on AO3?

Twenty. A good mix of one-shots and longer fics that I will finish someday...

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

534,441

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Supergirl but I've dabbled with Legends of Tomorrow and have a few unpublished fics for different fandoms that I might share

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Rich Girl With Issues (I swear I'm almost done with the last chapter. The flu kicked my ass but I'm finishing up. My weird Lena becomes a vigilante fic. I still am amazed that people like it as much as they do)

Maybe I'm Too Afraid to Admit It (Kind of cute Kara realizes she has feelings for Lena. I really don't know why this one resonated with so many people)

Somewhere You Can't Follow (My weird (and poorly written) Legends and Supergirl crossover. I would love to go back and actually rewrite large bits of this but the dialogue is on point, at least. Oh and Lena gets to see her mom again so that's a plus)

Denial is Not Just a River in Egypt (I have no memory of this place fic)

Nothing Gold Can Stay (My one and only kidfic but I love it to pieces)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do and I don't. I'm a lot more offline than I was when I first started writing and if too much time passes, I feel weird about responding since I feel like I'm bothering people but I am trying to be better about it. Because I really do cherish each one

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably nothing I've posted yet would count but I do have one that I plan to post soon-ish that's so angsty I took a year to decide whether or not to share it.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think all of my one-shots have pretty standard happy endings. I think I'll say that either Rich Girl or Nothing Gold Can Stay will have the happiest endings (in my opinion) Wait (a little longer) and see

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I'll get the occasional weird comment. Nothing out of the ordinary. I did get a really rude bookmark once that kind of made me laugh. They hated the story yet still chose to bookmark it which is a choice.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I dabble in it. There's a snippet floating around somewhere on tumblr that I'm too lazy to find. I'll share it once I finish the first chapter. It's a bit out of my wheelhouse but its fun? Very different kind of writing than what I'm used to.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I write a lot of crossovers. I think when I write fic, I want to see something a little strange and unique that I can't find elsewhere. I'm working on a fic now where Kara meets Matt Murdock, that's not an interaction I ever envisioned myself writing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so? To be fair, I haven't ever cared enough to check. I don't think I'm popular enough to get a fic stolen xD

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! Someone translated one of my fics into Russian. I was incredibly flattered that they liked it enough to do so.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, and I think it's mostly because I'm quite a selfish writer? I know what and how I want to write so collaboration is quite difficult. Maybe I still have some leftover trauma from all the group projects of my past.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

Supercorp, if that wasn't very, very obvious.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'll finish them all!

16. What are your writing strengths?

I really don't know and that's not just me being modest. I don't really think I do anything particularly well?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Being succinct. Every ficlet wants to be a multi-chaptered story and every multi-chaptered story wants to be a novel

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I think if implemented well it can be a great addition. If it's merely tacked on, however... I feel it not only doesn't add anything to the story but it makes the reader aware that they're reading a story. A bit of the magic is lost in the clunky execution.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

On AO3 Supercorp but I've dabbled in fandom for years and years. There's ancient Xena fic somewhere in my mother's basement

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Probably has to be Rich Girl but I really am fond of Swear Not by the Moon, as well. I've really enjoyed expanding the scope of Supergirl's world a bit and watching the characters slowly grow over the course of the story

No-pressure tags, of course: I never know who to tag in these until I finish these but if you like @rustingcat @vox-ex @sazernac

[charlesjosephwrites]

Find the Words Tag

Jumping in on an open tag from @winterandwords. Thanks for the excuse to share a few snippets!

Before we get started, I'll leave this as an Open Tag for anyone else who wants to play along with the words find, open, play, and want.

My words were why, dry, cry and try, so without any further ado, here are some snippets from my wip The Magician and Ms. Psychic.

Why

“You keep calling yourself that,” Myles noted. “What?” I frowned. “A supervillain?” They nodded. “I mean… that’s what I am.” I brushed a rogue strand of hair away from my face. “Why wouldn’t I call myself that?” "Most people just don’t like to think of themselves as the villain.” “Well, someone’s gotta do it.” I shrugged. “And being a villain sounds like more fun to me anyways.”

Dry

I plopped back down into my seat with a little sigh, and I turned my attention to my food. Somehow, the sandwich managed to be way too dry while also having enough mayonnaise to flood a small country, but at least it gave me an excuse to focus on something else for a minute.

Cry

Myles' mouth gaped open, and they blinked hard, like their brain had to do a hard reboot to process that information. The only sound that came out of their mouth was a soft, “Oh, shit.” I slunk backwards to take a seat on the bed, bringing on foot up onto the bed so that I could wrap my arms around my leg. A couple of tears managed to work their way down my cheeks, but I closed my eyes tightly as I did my best to stop myself from crying again. The bed gave a soft creak as Myles sat next to me. “What happened?”

Try

“Fine, then.” I turned back to Ms. Psychic with a little huff. “I guess we’re doing this the old fashioned way.” I flipped the table. Or rather, I tried to flip the table. An invisible force kept it solidly on the ground, leaving me all out of breath as I failed to get the otherwise flimsy card table to even budge.

THE MAGICIAN AND MS. PSYCHIC TAGLIST (lemme know if you want to be added or removed!)  @adaparkwrites, @andiwriteunderthemoon, @percvalx, @annoyingwritingtrash, @absolute-nonsense-scribblings, @gray-sometimes-writes, @whatevercomestomymind, @tragedyshow, @cookiecutterwrites, @poore-choice-of-words, @magic-is-something-we-create, @frvnwrites, @sirius-xm, @dontcrywrite, @wildswrites, @autie-auden-writes, @cherrybombfangirlwrites, @enchanted-lightning-aes, @lena-rambles, @wordwizards, @another-white-hole, @oh-no-another-idea, @space-writes, @thescatteredscribbles

[reneesbooks]

writeblr positivity tag

my wonderful morbo @serenanymph tagged me <3 gently tagging @lyssa-ink @lena-rambles @zmwrites @winterandwords and under a cut because it's long. blank questions at the bottom <3

1. What motivates you to write?

the thought of holding the finished book in my hands and being able to reread it and share it. also spite

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

y'all wanna see maura be a little bit fucked up and evil

“My father said something to me often,” Maura interrupts, her eyes narrowing. “The law is the law. None are exempt.” She tosses a disdainful look at the duchess. “Those who have no respect for the law will always have excuses for breaking it.” She bends down and tips the duchess's chin up with a finger. Keelan's fingers tighten around his sword. Maura tilts her head to the side. “Your Grace,” she says. “You asked for mercy. You shall have it.”

The duchess sobs. “Thank you, Your Majesty—”

“Do not thank me, wretch.” Maura's lip curls. “Your mercy is the mercy allotted by law. Tell me. Which foot do you value more?”

The duchess's lip trembles. “I beg you, Your Majesty, mercy—”

“You shall have it.” Maura's eyes are unforgiving. “Which foot?”

The duchess's eyes dart around the throne room, wide and terrified. “I—I don't know.”

“Hm.” Maura releases her and stands. “She can have more time to decide. Until she does, get her out of my sight.”

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

i love all my children equally this is a mean question. currently my favorite chew toy is Jack, who is a minor character in my current wip. Jack is a pathetic disaster bisexual who was left to die as an infant but still managed to survive to adulthood and is using that luck to cause problems on purpose. he steals for a living and flirts for fun and profit. he is in love with his best friend/accomplice Arthur, but can't handle real emotions and is being really thickheaded about it. Arthur is too busy pining for him to notice. Jack is just a little guy. gay boy disaster man. also he killed like 20 people.

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

working out plot/worldbuilding issues. i love sitting down and going "ok how am i going to make this make any gddamn sense" and then bouncing ideas around until i hit one that fits perfectly. yeah sex is great but have you ever found the perfect answer to your plot hole that ties together all the recurring themes and arcs in the story AND has an opportunity to use your overcomplicated worldbuilding?

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

mainly dialogue. i love imagining conversations and i've been working on dialogue for a long time. my dialogue used to be so cringey so glad i learned from it

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

we're all a little unhinged about our own writing so nobody minds when you get a little unhinged about their writing. safe space to be unhinged about people's writing

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

i use campfire write and i love it for keeping worldbuilding organized. it has a lot of visual tools which is great for me personally and it's very customizable. highly recommend it, there is a free desktop version that still gets you quite a bit of usage and the mobile app is free

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

i've really enjoyed fleshing out the countries outside of Raedora and how their political systems and cultures are different. for example Guildi also is monarchical, but they have an emperor and their law is absolute, followed exactly as written based on the judgment of the emperor. Fierodia, by contrast, is the homeland of the dragons, so they have two governments--one for the humans, and one for the dragons--and both are a little more democratic in nature, with a Council of the Wise (elders) ruling the dragons while the most powerful magical human families sit on another council that takes petitions from representatives sent by villages and cities.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

open a blank document. i do this in a simple text editor (.txt) because it forces me to look at the words more (idk how else to explain it). write the dumbest thing you can think of. literally. if you get stuck, hit enter a few times and start writing something else. yes even if you get stuck in the middle of a sentence. do NOT let yourself sit there staring at a blank document, just write. even if it's bad and stupid and doesn't make sense. ESPECIALLY if it's bad and stupid and doesn't make sense. write the stupid little plot bunnies that you came up with in line at starbucks. bullet point a short story you'll never write. purposefully write the most gd-awful purple prose. have some silly little fun with it. rewrite snl episodes that you think would be funnier if you were in charge. anytime you are stuck for more than like 30 seconds hit enter three times and try something else. rinse and repeat until the gears start turning for the thing you actually want to work on.

save these files (i have a little dedicated spot on my drive) so that you don't lose your funky little experimental stuff. you never know what you'll find there later.

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

i adore @serenanymph's wip beast and all the blorbos found within and how much she supports lacuna. @lyssa-ink's wips my beloved. @zmwrites has some incredible wips and an amazing writing style. i love the worldbuilding from @akindofmagictoo's dragonsong and @oh-no-another-idea is one of the biggest sweethearts on this website.

blank questions:

1. What motivates you to write?

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

[amaltheaz]

4, 24, 25, 30 for the writer meme if you feel like it?

4. Link your three favorite fics right now.

Oooh okay, lemme see... (all supercorp fics btw)

1. A Million Tiny Suns by @thelnjames

- this is one that will always be the top of my list because I am just so in love with it. It's the first of a gorgeously-written series that is so very underappeciated so I will appreciate it as much as I can

2. The Comfort of Lies by wordsarehard

- this is tagged slow burn and boy, does it live up to the name so very deliciously

3. The Science Guild (How Kara Danvers Became A Nerd icon) by dreiser

- a very much loved and very very missed fic

24. What’s a trope that you’d like to never hear about as long as you live, let alone write?

Hmmm, probably infidelity? I'm very sensitive to that kind of story so I generally avoid them. Jealousy fics can be fine and fun but I draw a strong hard line at infidelity. I know it can be a really good plot device but my personal feelings would definitely not make that good, lol

25. Do you listen to music as you write? If possible, link your writing playlist.

I do! I have different playlists for different fics I'm writing for. Since I'm working on fwb au, here is the playlist for that one.

I encourage readers to send recommendations that they feel could be added to the list 🥰

30. Post a snippet from your current WIP without context - no more than 300 words.

Here you go ❤️❤️❤️

---

Lena nods in agreement, taking another look around the hall. Everybody does seem to be enjoying themselves which is all she can really ask for really, especially for an LCorp event. “I’m going to take this as a win anyway,” she murmurs before turning back to Jess and Sam. “Are we still on for brunch tomorrow?”

“How about we make that a late afternoon lunch? Since Ruby is sleeping over with her friends tonight, you and I, Miss Jess,” Sam points to Jess with a playful smile on her face, “have an after-party of our own.”

Jess rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “You can't say shit like that if you want me to wingman you.”

“But it's fun,” Sam whines. She sighs when Jess doesn't react and only stares back, unperturbed by Sam’s pouting. “Urgh, fine,” Sam concedes, throwing her hands up in the air. “But only because you really are a great wingman, and Kara and I made a bet that I intend to win.”

Lena frowns slightly in confusion. “What bet, and why am I not invited?” she asks, interrupting her friends’ banter.

Jess snorts. “You already have your own after-party. Don't be greedy.”

“Still, would’ve appreciated an invite,” she mutters under her breath, the petulance practically dripping in her tone.

Ask me a thing!

[its-a-writer-thing]

How to Build an Author Website – How Many Pages + Social Media

In our last installment of “How to Build an Author Website,” we gave some advice on where and how to learn the skills necessary to build your own author website. Now we’re taking a peek into the final bit of nitty gritty involved with designing your own site – how big should it be? How many pages should it have? And, of course – does it replace social media?

Let’s dive in.

How Many Pages Does an Author Site Need?

You may think ‘the more, the merrier,’ but this isn’t always the case. In fact, across all industries, people are adopting a cleaner, non-cluttered approach to their web design. It’s considering ‘modern’ to put everything you need on one or two pages, since viewers have very little patience to click around in a mad hunt for answers to their curiosities or questions.

So, one or many?

Advantages of One Page

Less design needed from you! With every page you add, you’re increasing the amount of design effort you’ll have to invest. With just one page, you can focus all your creativity into a single area and ensure it truly shines.

Less clutter. As stated above, we’re becoming less and less patient as internet users. We know what we want and we’d like our answers in a snappy fashion, thank you! By having only one page, you allow readers to quickly learn all they need to know without having to switch tabs. As a bonus, it’s a godsend for those with slow internet connection, who certainly can’t tolerate more load time.

Less weight on your server. The more pages you have, the more data that results in – and that means your server has to store more. By limiting the amount of pages, and therefore data, you can stay within a cheap hosting plan that only provides a few megabytes worth of storage, saving you money.

It’s in vogue. A great number of author websites stick to just a landing page, since there are only three to five things readers are truly looking to know. A) Who you are as an author. B) What your book is and what it’s about. C) Do you have social media? D) Do you have more books coming out, and where can I find them? E) Fun facts or interesting snippets from/about your writing. There really isn’t much else! As such, many authors are choosing to go with the one-page format, so you’ll be sticking to the industry standard!

Disadvantages

Limits your layout. While a one-page site is in-fashion among authors, there are still some who choose to leverage multiple pages. Because, well, it looks nicer. It gives a more orderly sense to your website, and since a great number of websites have a menu bar with additional pages to view, if you lack this, it can make your site look a tad claustrophobic.

No shop function. Since shop functions are a complete system of their own, they will require their own page, even if this is linked on your landing page. Should you intend on selling your book on the site as well, you’ll have to create a second page anyhow. If you’re selling on Amazon, Smashwords, or another venue, however, one page with several links will be fine!

Overload. Additional features and plug-ins have a ‘weight’ of their own, and too many of them in a single area can lead to an incredible lag for visitors. Like the shop function, if you intend on adding a rotating album of your books, a ready-play video, or other flashy features, it’s better to spread these out on multiple pages, so visitors can decide to click in and accept that load (and that load alone) or pass it by for the more crucial aspects of your site.

Advantages of Multiple Pages

Better organized. As mentioned above, a site with multiple pages allows you to categorize information and spread it around neatly, so readers can more easily find the details they want without having to scroll, scroll, nothing but scroll.

Not in vogue, but an old favorite. While slimmer websites are in fashion, that doesn’t mean they have to be only one-page slim. It’s been a favorite of visitors and site builders for some time to limit the amount of pages – but to spread this over at least two, so as to ease navigation.

Less load. Also mentioned above, spreading out data makes it easier for visitors to load a single page at a time, without taking the brunt of an entire site all at once.

More features! You can have a shop function, a little animation sequence, videos, photo albums – the works! This can be spread across as many pages as you like.  

Disadvantages

A labyrinth. Visitors are impatient. If they’re forced to search throughout your entire site via multiple pages to find the simple information they want, they’ll cut their losses and click away.

More design effort. With many pages comes many design options. You could leave all the others rather plain while tidying up your landing page, but this will give it an unfinished look. Remember, the more you have, the nicer it all has to look!

More cost. If you hire a designer, they will likely charge by the page, raising your overall expenses. If you do it yourself, you still have to ensure your server can hold all this new data, and that may result in upgrading your hosting package.

Pro-Tip from Lena S Andersson: “One of the most important things is to keep things clear and simple in terms of layout and looks.”

If you have enough content to span 10 pages, be sure to ask if it should. Is there anything you could remove without truly hurting the site? Then you should, as a cluttered site can be even more damaging than no site at all!

“It all depends on the message you have. If the book you’re publishing has an attached history that’s really crucial, then perhaps more pages are needed to convey the magnitude of what comes with this simple book. If your story is a more straightforward, then one page may be enough.”

To Social Media or Not to Social Media?

Now that you have a site, does it replace social media? Does it make social media less important?

Pro-Tip from Lena: “I wouldn't say a website replaces social media, but the two can do a great deal for each other. Social media can help you get the site out there and reach people in a different way than what just a website can do on its own. A website can give people more information and guidance than just social media can do. Both are important in their own way.

“It’s key to remember that, on social media, you’re playing on someone else’s platform. Having your own website means having your own platform!

“So, both are needed, but having a website can do more for you than existing only on social media. It gives you a solid presence that is easy to reference and easy to share.”

Wrapping Up

That’s all for now! If you’ve missed them, please check out the other articles in this series of “How to Build an Author Site.” A big thanks to L S Andersson for her insights and advice about this exciting (though daunting) venture for writers.

If you’re interested, please take a look at her author site, AnamMara.com, and check out her debut book, Behind Closed Doors: Trusting The Unseen, available on her site and on Amazon. Along with her book, Lena is preparing to launch an inspirational project, called AnamMara.

The Project

Can you briefly describe the project?

“A lot of women around the globe are not able to leave dangerous and violent surroundings, domestic abuse, and sexual violence due to fear, lack of resources, and a lack of funds. Even worse, they’re trapped because they have nowhere to go and nobody who 'sees' them.

With this project, I work passionately and actively to empower women to break free from the destructive cycle of poverty, unemployment, domestic abuse, violence, and modern slavery. I hope to accomplish this through advocacy and my book, as well as through a network of independent stylist resellers.”

The Goal

Can you briefly describe the goal and overarching purpose of the project?

“I am passionate about creating business opportunities for women, and empowering individuals to create independence via their own income. This vision comes from my own past experiences of abuse, socially vulnerable, and disadvantaged situations. You can read more about this in my book.

I also feel we need to talk more openly about these issues in society and in the world. As such, my goal is to educate and inform - to tell people how the world looks for millions of women everywhere, a fact which is so silenced and oppressed.”

The Steps Being Taken

What steps are being taken to launch this project and make it a success?

“I am partnering with organizations working to get the voice out for people who have no voice. I hope that - through advocacy and my book, by partnering with organizations, and by collaborating with resellers and ambassadors – together, we can make a difference and see change when it comes to abuse and violence against women.”

Sign Up or Support

You can sign up via the website AnamMara.com to participate in this project now, donate via GoFundMe, or buy her book Behind Closed Doors: Trusting The Unseen on the website or on Amazon.

Thanks for reading, and happy writing!  

[lifesizehysteria]

United We Stand | An AdamsFoster Fic

Prompt: (Day 30) “If you insist”

A/N: For day three of the #elitewritingchallenge. I decided to do the prompts in the order they inspire me rather than in numerical order since I’m not staying on schedule anyway. 

A/N: This is the haunted house story that precedes the flashback in The Night Before Christmas. It was cut from that fic because it didn’t feel necessary but I’d written it and wanted to share it. So I held onto it until I was able to tweak it into a full, standalone one-shot. This prompt seemed like the perfect opportunity to share it.

“Look, look!” Brandon pulled at Stef’s hand and pointed through the rows of white tents and food carts, toward a haunted house on the other side of Fall Fest. “Can we go? Please, please, please?” Brandon danced before his moms, his hands folded under his chin as he begged.

“Maybe not today, B,” Lena said.

Brandon’s face was already forming a pout. “Why not?”

Lena looked down at the two children who stood between her and her partner. She couldn’t see how this could possibly be a good idea. They’d only been fostering the twins for a few months but the alarm bells sounding in her head made her very wary about how either of them would handle a haunted house. A shared glance over their heads told Lena that she and Stef were on the same page.

Stef turned to Brandon. “I think maybe it’s a little too scary, bub.”

“I’m not scared!” their son declared and puffed out his chest.

“You’re not the only one here,” Stef reminded him. Brandon was still adjusting to having siblings and he wasn’t always good about considering their feelings.

“Well, if they’re scared, can’t you just take me by myself?” he complained with a scowl.

“Brandon,” Stef warned.

“I wanna go too! I’m not scared!” Jesús piped up, breaking from beside his sister to join Brandon.

Lena looked at Stef again, trying desperately to communicate through near imperceptible facial expressions and telepathy.

Finally, Stef shrugged. “I guess, if you both really want to go, I can take the two of you through the haunted house.” Lena cleared her throat and looked to the ground to stifle her shock. Clearly the telepathy had not worked. “Mariana and Mama can meet us at the end.” When Stef looked to Lena for agreement on the compromise, there was a No on the tip of her tongue but Mariana broke in first.

“If they’re going, I’m going, too,” her little voice chirped.

Lena touched the girl’s shoulder. “You don’t have to go, sweetheart. It’s okay.”

When Mariana looked up at her, determination flashed in her eyes. “I want to. I’m not scared.” With her chin jutting in the air, she marched over to take up rank next to Jesús.

The three stood in a line of protest — defiant and unmoving, demanding their right to be scared out of their minds.

Stef threw her arms out to the side in surrender. “Okay. If you insist.”

The boys whooped with delight while Mariana’s face paled.

“Last one there’s a rotten egg!” Brandon slugged Jesús on the arm to give himself a head start as the boys took off in the direction of the attraction.

“Hey, wait for me!” Mariana called and ran after them, her fear forgotten at the threat of being the rotten egg.

Stef looked helplessly at Lena.

“I guess we’re all going,” she said with far more amusement than Lena felt. When they looked back in the direction of the kids, they were already alarmingly far ahead. “Hey, hey! Slow down! No running!” Stef called out a warning as she followed them in a brisk jog, leaving Lena standing alone.

“I guess we are,” Lena said to herself before trudging in the direction of her family who were all barreling toward this terrible, terrible idea.

By the time Lena caught up to her brood, Stef had managed to wrangle the boys as much as one can contain a whirlwind. At least they were no more than a few feet in front with Mariana lagging behind them and Stef bringing up the rear. The boys were trying to one-up each other with the possible horrors that awaited them in the haunted house. They had quite the imaginations and as each new suggestion was more gory and detailed than the last, the distance between them and Mariana continued to grow.

“I can’t believe you agreed to this,” Lena hissed as she came up beside her partner. She walked with her arms crossed tight over her stomach.

“I’m sorry, love,” Stef whispered back. “How was I supposed to know she’d want to go?”

“She doesn’t want to go,” Lena scoffed, shaking her head, wondering how Stef couldn’t see that. “She just doesn’t want to be left out. And even if she did, I don’t think a haunted house is a good idea.”

“Okay, sure, maybe it’s not ideal but I don’t think it’ll be that bad. We went with Brandon last year.”

“Yeah, Stef, and he ended up sleeping in our bed for a week.”

“Sure but look at him now.” She gestured toward him as he pretended to projectile vomit while Jesús was doubled over in a full belly laugh. “It obviously didn’t traumatize him or he wouldn’t be dying to go this year.”

“Brandon has had a very different life than Mariana and Jesús have,” Lena stated, her tone bordering on condescension. They may not have been fostering the twins for very long but Lena already knew that Mariana, though courageous in the truest sense of the word, was a highly sensitive soul. She was such a clever girl with a keen imagination and some very deep-seated insecurities that her short yet troubled life had given her. That coupled with an environment meant to elicit fear was a recipe for disaster. And Lena wasn’t too eager for Jesús to go through, either.

“I am aware of that, Lena,” Stef replied, her words terse in defense.

Lena softened. “I just don’t want to put them through anything that’s…” She paused, searching for the right words. “They’ve finally started to feel safe with us and I don’t want to undo that.”

“Neither do I. But sweetheart, as much as we want to, we can’t protect them from the whole world and trying to is just going to end up hurting them more in the end. We have choose when to protect them and when to give them the space and the agency to make mistakes. If that means we deal with a week of nightmares, then we’ll deal with it.”

Lena exhaled and let her arms fall to her sides. She knew that if their roles had been reversed, she would have told Stef exactly the same thing.

“So you do listen to me sometimes,” she teased, moving closer to slide her hand into Stef’s, their fingers lacing together.

Stef gave a nonchalant shrug, a smug glint in her eye. “Sometimes.”

Lena shook her head, her face alight with laughter. “Do I sound that pretentious when I say things like that?”

“I plead the fifth.” Stef winked and nudged Lena with her shoulder.

The two women closed the distance between themselves and the kids as they approached the line for the attraction. The boys were still going with the graphic predictions as they queued up to wait their turn.

“Boys.” The single word was a stern warning from Stef.

Jesús dropped the conversation without question, hanging his head a little, but Brandon looked at her, affronted. “What, Mom?”

“That’s enough.” Noting her seriousness, he huffed but relented as he turned away.

“There are lots of other kids around and we don’t want to scare them,” Lena clarified. After the explanation, Jesús’ head perked up. He had a real tendency to lay blame on himself for any and all minor behavioral corrections. Since noticing, Lena had been making a conscious effort to offer more explanations along with corrections and so far she had noticed quite an improvement.

The line moved at a steady pace. Groups were being let in about three minutes apart. The three children were involved in a game of I Spy, which kept them occupied as they waited. Lena and Stef stood behind them, touching at the shoulders and sharing snippets of conversation between lengths of easy silence. As they neared the front of the line, the sounds from inside the house began to reach them. Squeals and shrieks drifted out of the makeshift building and with each one, Mariana looked more apprehensive. By the time the family before them entered, the little girl’s back was rigid and her hands were balled in tight fists by her sides.

Lena nudged Stef with her elbow, nodding her head in the direction of their foster daughter.

“You alright, sweet pea?” Stef asked. Mariana jumped at the question but turned her head over her shoulder and nodded, her black ponytail rippling down her back.

In the presence of Mariana’s trepidation, the family grew quiet during the rest of their wait. Lena chewed the inside of her lip. She wanted so badly to yank her out of the line for her own sake. As if she could read Lena’s mind, Stef’s hand slipped into hers, affording her strength with a gentle squeeze. If only that telepathy had been working earlier; they wouldn’t be here now.

“Okay, folks. You’re up.” The gentleman working the attraction beckoned them forward. He rattled off his script like a seasoned flight attendant. “Remember, keep your hands to yourselves; no touching, no running, and certainly no hitting. You’re here for thrills, they’re here for bills; the monsters are people, too. Have fun and happy screams.” He waved them toward the entrance and the two women held their breath, waiting for Mariana to move. She didn’t.

“C’mon, Mariana,” Brandon urged. He was inching closer to the entrance, impatient after waiting in line so long.

Mariana’s feet had taken root in the grass.

When the host looked expectantly from her to the two women, Lena offered an apologetic wave. “Sorry. Just give us a minute.”

“Can I let the next group go?”

“Of course. Thank you,” she said as she knelt down on one knee beside Mariana. “It’s okay if you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared.” Her quiet voice trembled, giving herself away.

“You know, I get scared too, sometimes. Especially when I don’t know what to expect.”

The girl’s brown eyes were bright with worry and curiosity as she looked at Lena. “You do?”

“Yeah. All the time.”

Mariana fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. “Are you scared now?”

Lena nodded. “A little bit.” Of course, it wasn’t the haunted house itself that scared her but she kept that detail to herself. “Are you?”

The girl’s eyes dropped to the ground and she hesitated before nodding her head.

Jesús took his sister’s hand before Lena had a chance to speak again.

“If you’re scared, we don’t have to go.” His disappointment was obvious when he looked with longing at the dark entrance in front of them but his jaw was set with certainty. Lena felt a tightness around her heart at the touching gesture. He was alway so willing to sacrifice for his sister.

“Yeah, it’s okay if you don’t wanna go.” Brandon stepped in front of them, facing Mariana with his hands on his hips. “It’s just a lame haunted house. It’s probably not even good.” Pride swelled in Lena’s chest at her son’s sudden change of heart and she shared a quick look with Stef who seemed just as surprised as Lena. Maybe he really was getting a hang of this big brother thing.

Mariana looked between Brandon and her brother, her mouth pursing as she considered his offer. Finally, she shook her head.

“I wanna go. I won’t be scared if you guys are with me,” she said and reached for Brandon’s hand. United, the three turned toward the haunted house, their hands linked while they waited for their turn. Lena shared a look of love and pride with Stef as she returned to her side. She took her hand and squeezed it gently, grateful despite herself that Stef had agreed to this terrible, wonderful idea.

[rivenstraws-a]

RPC POSITIVITY WEEK: DAY 4

DAY 04: favorite portrayals of an original character

Positivity week is still goin’, so I’ll still be dishing out some heavy helpings of love. This time to my fellow original character creators! 

OC Partners I’ve Had the Pleasure of Working With

@plsdontkinkshameme :: Unofficial RP Unblog - NSFW :: Girl, all it took was a few lines of dialogue for me to know that Lorona was a character I liked and wanted to know more of. I know you were a bit hesitant to roleplay, but I’m so glad you let me romance you into it because writing with you and watching Lorona grow has been such a treat. She’s strong, she’s flawed, she’s interesting. She’s a full grown adult and acts like it. I’ll always want to interact with her, be it on Emma, Sans, or whatever character I’ve got tugging at my sleeve for the time being. 

@occultistdesign ::  We’ve written so little together, but when life calms itself we’ll certainly have to sit down and plot something out. I love your mischievous lil’ lady, and bless the thought of having another toll in Emma’s life! Her puns are delightful, but then is it any surprise that I love them? The contrast of her being so associated with darkness but then having this fairly loving personality is all sorts of fun, and I can’t wait to learn more about her! 

@trashpanda-rp :: I fell in love with a little girl stealing pies something around 2 years ago now, and that love has never gone away. I’ve seen Hope in so many forms and have had the delight of learning more about your other OC’s— Joel and Erorael will forever be in my mix of favorite guys. Writing might not be your current creative outlet, but I will always and forever consider you one of my writing partners. One of my firsts on tumblr, in fact! I’ll wait forever, my love. 

@strxnzo :: I’m so excited to begin creating with you! I remember looking over your blog before we were mutual’s and really digging your about page, from the content to style in which you wrote it. You’re a lovely writer, and I already adore Eliza. She’s so sweet, but even so, her and Emma seem like quite the matching pair in the mess department. Somehow I get the feeling these two are going to be a terrible influence on each other, and I am delighted to watch it unfurl. Send a prayer to whatever unfortunate city gets caught in their storm, and take cover.   

@boozybaker :: Occasionally I peek at my recommended blogs, and I’m glad I do because that’s how I find such gems like you! The first time I read your content, I loved the amount of world building and detail that you had drummed up along with your partner. Gabriel’s backstory was so interesting, and I actually recommended you to a friend based off of his experience being mute! We’re recent partners, but I’m happy to have you both on bookzybaker and your other blogs! Call me a forever follower, I can’t wait to see what sort of content we cook up together in the future.

@tinymute / @lettersfromthepit :: Speaking of mutes! My gosh, the amount of threads and AU we once had together— you name it and we were probably doing it! What can I say, our styles sizzled together! While I’m no longer on my old blog and we may not write together much anymore, you’re another one who will always be considered one of my writing partners. My second on tumblr! I hope your health takes a turn for the better soon, love. 

@inionnaforaoise :: I’ve loved on you before, but just TRY and stop me from doing it again! Your girl is always delightful to see on the dashboard. Her accent, her red hair, her fuck-all-attitude— I adore your writing and while we’ve written very few things together, I can’t imagine my dashboard with you! I’ve actually got an ask I’ve been itching to answer from you. Let’s see what happens when we mix red and gold, eh? ;) 

@notyouraveragesecretary :: Your rules page made me laugh and grin with delight when I first read it, did you know that? Tumblr sometimes gets a bit full of itself, and that extends to the roleplay realm. It’s easy to get swept up into and you were a much needed breath of fresh, relaxed air. I love your sly, collected Anthea and the little snippets we’ve had together. Another gem find from the recommendation sidebar, for sure! 

@green-whiskey :: My gorgeous lil’ Lena! I know you don’t write her terribly often, my friend, but I do love every splattered freckle on your sweet girl. She’s a kind, gentle sort of soul, the sort of person who really shouldn’t involve themselves with someone like Emma— but I’m so glad she has! I can’t wait to watch Lena continue to grow and see where these two go together, however long it takes. 

I’m Honored to Be Your Mutual: OC-Partners-To-Be 

When I followed you, it was because I looked through your about page, your rules, your content. I read flashes of your dialogue, pictured the words you painted in your narrative, and saw the shape of a character you had so lovingly and effectively created. 

And I loved it. I loved it all, so I hit that follow button in hopes that maybe one day, I can call you a writing partner. You’re all ridiculously talented, and I hope you feel proud, because you should! I try to be a very initiative partner but there’s only so much energy that I can spare, so please know that even if I haven’t directly approached you yet, I do appreciate your writing and would love to roleplay. 

May we laugh, create, and adventure together in the future.

Happy RPC Positivity week, ya’ll.

[poetiiicnjustus]

Question: "They said: “Choose better men” I ask: How?" - Lena Barker My FULL Response: "Inner work is key for manifesting love. Learn to love thyself whole heartedly. Learn what you will and will not tolerate. Remain open to the messages you will receive on this journey. I suggest a love elixer to chemically call on your mate. Once you are fully aware of your inner Goddess you will know exactly how to teach Mr. Right how to love you. Express to the God force within/christ seed oil/ Universe exactly what you want in a companion. Begin to visualize what your true love may look like and how they might address you. What are their hobbies and interests ? How do they acquire wealth? Are they healing you or hurting you? How do you envision they may react and respond to social situations (with or without you)? Balance the divine masculine and divine feminine within thycellph. Once this is complete your divine masculine will vibrate in unison toward the light you each seek. Afterwards, the 3d realm will present your reflected self-love as a manifested companion. The God in him will recognize the God in you. Respectively the Goddess nature in both will also find peace. RAmember, Angels are presented as Angles. Square thycellph and check the degrees when light is presented. Always make sure you are aware of your energies at all times. Use techniques to strengthen and guard your aura. Do shadow and light work respectively. Make sure your root chakra is not blocked. If there is trauma attached to your root chakra, you must heal. Healing should be a fun lifestyle shift. All is mind. I am that I am. You are who you say you are. Speak life and love into your Divine masculine even if they may appear separate in flesh. Balance is key. Use discernment and protect your peace. Know, set, reassess and protect your boundaries PEACExLOVExPROSPERITYxCLARITY" - Poetiiic NJustus If any of this was helpful. Please share, like and/or comment. You may also become an official patron at Patreon.com/poetiiic Tarot Card Readings Think pieces Poetry Dark web articles Music snippets Unreleased Poems And more.... #tarot #tarotcardreadings #tarotdmv #dmvtarot #peaceandlove #love #staywhole https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4Z5DChBD9/?igshid=ea7woukyarbg

[supergirlspurgatory]

I am a hoe for Super kidfics

That being said, in honor of father’s day because I have mommy issues, not daddy issues, I’ve decided to make you guys a list of my favorite fics featuring SuperCorp/SuperCat with kids and the occasional baby Supergirl.

SUPERCAT FICS

Best of the Best by supertrashcompator

20 chapters, 30K+ words, completed Rated:M

SuperCat sans the Kryptonian powers. This was the very first Supergirl fic I bookmarked on AO3. Features Kara Danvers as the kickass taekwondo instructor(a retired Olympian), who recently opened a new studio just a short walk away from Cat Grant’s apartment. The kid in this fic is none other than Carter Grant who is a 3-year-old in this AU and totally in love with Kara before Cat is.

Aura by supertrashcompactor

8 chapters, 14K+ words, not complete Rated:G

SuperCat established relationship, features both Carter and a new little bundle of joy. When a Kryptonian pod crashes to Earth, Supergirl brings home a surprise for Cat. Fluff and adorableness ensue. Also, includes some fun nods to Kryptonian culture.

SUPERCORP FICS

The Little Luthor series by swanqueenfic13

10 installments featuring a total of 11 chapters, 52K+ words, Each work is complete, Rated: G-T (Depending on the work)

AU where Kara is a preschool teacher rather than working at Catco, and has yet to come out at Supergirl. Lena has an adorable daughter and has yet to take over L-Corp. Also, features married Sanvers with an adorable daughter Jamie. 

Supergirl in Training by wtfoctagon

13 chapters, 53K+ words, not complete, Rated:T

THIS IS MY FAVORITE FIC of all the fics. 

When Lorelai L. Danvers gets kidnapped from the future by Lillian Luthor, she does the only logical thing she can think of. She tracks down her mom Lena Luthor. In the future, Lena and Kara have married and had a child. This is super beautifully written. It’s got fluff and it’s got angst. The entire time you are rooting for everybody. I don’t much want Lorelai to go back to the future, but I know she has to. IF YOU ARE NOT READING THIS, YOU SHOULD BE!!!!

Also, check out: Kids Will Be Kids by wtfoctogon

It’s a partner fic to go with Supergirl in training. It is also incomplete but is Lorelai and some other special superkids in the future where they belong.

The Fifth Wall by Black_Tea_and_Bones

8 chapters, 23K+ words, not complete, Rated:M

A fifth dimension break of some sort, likely an Imp, decides to toss Kara and Lena’s lives into chaos. After going to bed in different apartments on differents sides of town, the duo wake up, naked, in bed, together, in a completely new apartment. Only to be even more confused when they hear a child screaming for its mother from another room. Said child turns out to be theirs and according to all of the pictures in what appears to be their apartment, they are married. Just add in that everyone including J’onn and Alex believes the two are married (a spell that is broken more easily for some than others). As the two try to figure out what is causing the changes, what they assume is an imp causes more and more chaos. Not much is clear, but one thing sure is, the Imp really wants Kara and Lena to live happily together. A fantastic, cute fic. If you aren’t rooting for these two the whole time, I don’t know what you’re doing here.

The Lexington Chronicles by JediFighterPilot2727

12 chapters, 19K+ words, not complete, Rated:T

What started a one-shot for the author’s SuperCorp one-shot compilation series, turned into a multi-chapter fic. Most chapters are pretty stand alone. They revolve around the story of a little girl, Lexington, that Lena and Kara adopt from an orphanage. It is fluffy and sweet and the little girl is witty. Doesn’t just focus on her being young, some chapters focus on a college age Lexington. I highly recommend this.

you and me by bs13

7 chapters, 40K+ words, not complete Rated:T

This is an AU fic. Kara is not Kryptonian but still really amazing. After having a short affair with Cat Grant’s son, Adam Foster, Kara finds herself pregnant. The story picks up as the child is being born. This is a fix-it(ish) fic, the infant is ‘Mike’ a Mon-el replacement. Kara move into one of Cat Grant’s apartments in National City, to live with Adam who she is not with, just wants to have him near for his son. After taking the baby home, a stranger comes into her apartment, the stranger is none other than Lena Luthor. They start a friendship and are slowly falling in love. This is a hardcore slow burn, but it burns SOOOO good. 

Child of Our Golden Sun by LePetitCroissant

13 chapters, 35K+ words, not complete/chapters are standalone one-shots Rated:G

This is a future fic, where Lena and Kara are married and have had a son (Sawyer), eventually a set of twins are added into the picture. It is super adorable and they are such a great little family. There are also snippets including Alex and Maggie. Every chapter ends happy, and the author is AMAZING!!!!

listen closely and the stars will sing by celaenos

10 chapters, 84K+ words, not complete (projected for 14 chapters) Rated:T

Rather than Mon-El the Prince of Daxam being in the pod at the beginning of season 2, this fic features Mon-El Princess of Daxam, a sweet little girl that Kara takes in to raise. Taking on the name, Myka Danvers, the little girl is adorable and has an instant connecting with on Miss Lena Luthor. It doesn’t take long for Kara to reveal that both her and Myka are aliens, but it does take a little bit of time for Kara and Lena to acknowledge their feelings for one another. Also, features awesome Aunt!Alex and her partner in crime Maggie the coolest Sawyer falling in love.

Double the Trouble, and Twice the Fun by awkward_alien

4 chapters, 5K+ words, not complete (This is a super new fic), Rated:G

After he is arrested and put away for the rest of his life, Lex Luthor’s little sister Lena is left to take on the most daunting task of all: Motherhood. It’s what’s been keeping her from pursuing a relationship with everyone’s favorite Kryptonian, mostly because her new role is kept under wraps. This is just starting out, and it is ADORABLE!

Shadows of the Past by witchofink

9 chapters, 46K+ words, not complete, Rated:M

Kara Danvers AKA Supergirl has been keeping a secret for 6 years, the only people who know the truth as Clark Kent AKA Kal-El who helped her figure things out and Astra In-Ze, who was willing to trade J’onn’s safety for Kara’s deepest secret. When that secret runaway to be with her mom, Kara must figure out how to balance being Supergirl, a cub-reporter, and parenthood, not to mention trying to figure out her relationship with Lena. Features super-douche Mon-El, who gets kicked to the curb pretty dang quick. Supergood!

Experiment 13 by Rhino (Rhino Mouse)

7 Chapters, 12K+ words, not complete but slated to finish at chapter 8, Rated:T

Supergirl and Superman find an experiment in one of Lex’s old labs, something that Superman wants nothing to do with. The experiment is a little boy that is a Luthor/Super hybrid, a clone that is half Lex half Kal-el/Clark. Rather than let the country take him and potentially have him destroyed because no one has decided if a clone has basic human rights, Kara wraps him in her cape and flys him to a National City children’s hospital when Lena meets her and takes the steps to adopt the boy as she is his closest human relative. Fluff ensues that finds Co-Moms Kara and Lena who fall in love. 

BABY/TODDLE KARA FICS

The Littlest Supergirl by swanqueenfic13

9 chapters, 20K+ words, complete Rated:T

No relationship pairings in this one. Supergirl gets hit by purple Kryptonite which in this fic causes Supergirl to be transformed into a toddler. Features lots and lots of sickeningly sweet fluff, Cat and Alex take turns babysitting the newest little bundle, also a little bit of everyone’s favorite sass-master, Lucy Lane.

Baby Kara: The Kryptonian Menace by BeaMoraes and TowandaBRA

7 chapters, 15K+ words, not complete, Rated:G

After the DEO recovers a Kryptonian device, Kara messes with it and is turned into a much younger self, in fact, a 9-month-old baby version of herself. This is a Sanvers fic and I LOVE IT! It is super fluffy and super adorable. Also, it features most of the DEO squad.

It Takes a Villiage by swanqueenfic13

5 chapters, 13K+ words, not complete, Rated:G

After going off earth/dimension for yet another mission, Kara is returned via being dumped on Alex’s living room floor in the middle of the night. The catch? The Supergirl that is returned is not the one that left, instead, it is a toddler version of the Kryptonian, who is sad and confused. The icing on the cake is that Maggie is super down to handle a toddler. Alex on the other hand? Not so much. Add in Lena Luthor coming to search for definitely not her girlfriend and stumbling upon a tiny blonde Supergirl, who is definitely attached to the L-Corp CEO. 

[0gasstationcoffee]

So I think it’s fair to say that Exodus has definitely been one of the better episodes of season 2. I wanted to get that out right away because overall, I really liked that episode and it felt very reminiscent of season 1.

Which leads us to the ending scene in Kara’s apartment with Kara and m*n el. There was a lot that I take issue with. Because every ending scene with those two, for the last several episodes, always erases what we’ve learned. The messages of those scenes completely go against what the audience learned that episode and they’re also the reasons I never play the last five minutes when I rewatch. Not that season 2 has many episodes I’d ever want to watch again.

2x11 Martian Chronicles: In the episode, Kara has valid points for not wanting to be with him and she lists them. They’re not compatible, she doesn’t want to date someone like him, etc. And everything she says is true. And at the end of the episode, we have a great Danvers sisters scene where Kara reveals her very real fears about Alex slipping away from her (something we see consistently throughout the episode) and that being the reason she wanted to go all out for Earth birthday (to remind Alex how much fun they have together). Kara’s fear of losing Alex is Kara’s plot the entire episode! And the fucking writers, two seconds after her confession, have Alex try to turn it around and say that the real reason Kara was so focused on her birthday was because she was trying to not focus for her feelings on mon ew? Does that actually make any sense? Because Kara’s sudden confusion about how she really feels does not. In canon, Kara knows what she feels. She knew she liked James and Adam. She knew she did not like Winn in a romantic sense. So having Kara say she’s confused, she doesn’t want to face her feelings for man pain and then being upset when he’s going on a date with someone else? It falls flat and I don’t buy it for a second.

2x12 Luthors: I love this episode. There is no denying at this point that I’m probably in love with Lena Luthor. For many reasons. And yet again, I’m never going to watch those last five minutes because it is just so wildly out of place. Just as every scene with Kara talking to/about m*nel in this episode. The entire episode is Kara defending Lena. Kara trusting Lena. Kara literally fighting for Lena. They are great scenes and it brought back a little bit of that self-assured Kara we love. So having all those scenes of Kara viciously protecting Lena the whole episode and the writers then choosing that same episode to end with Kara saying she does like m*nel and wants to be with him? It’s not only extreme emotional whiplash, it’s completely laughable and honestly this was the worst episode for the writers to have put that scene because after seeing the intensity Kara defended Lena with, Kara saying she wants to be with someone who isn’t the person she spent all episode fighting for is just ridiculous. Frankly, I’m still convinced the writers just had little snippets of karamew dialogue they wanted to use at some point, opened up any episode script, and just cut and paste scenes into random locations because that’s how forced and out of place it was.

2x13 and 2x14: I can group these nauseating episodes because it’s the same thing over and over again isn’t it? Kara asks Mr. Misogyny to do something, he completely disrespects her wishes and does what he wants instead, and the ending scene? Aw, all is forgiven and everything is okay and look at how cute they are?????? *vomits*. They don’t talk about the very real problems in their relationship, the fact that he has no respect for her and what she wants but who cares because his horrifying behavior is still rewarded by getting the girl every time! #relationshipgoals am I right? No.

2x09 and 2x10 could probably have their own discussion too but this is already too long and the more I think about him, the bigger my headache seems to get… I’m sure it’s a coincidence, though.

Which, finally, brings us to 2x15 Exodus.

Again, loved this episode. We’re finally getting back to an actual plot with Cadmus and even got to see more about the Alien Registration. We got a fantastic Danvers sisters scene, amazing Alex and J’onn scenes, some real cute Sanvers, reporter Kara was back, they remembered James existed, m*new was in the background where he fucking belongs (even though he should be off the show completely), Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher were in the same episode though sadly didn’t interact (as were Teri Hatcher and Brenda Strong), and Lena Luthor(!!!<3) was back and holy shit, am I still flailing over those supercorp scenes! So yeah this episode was awesome.

And then came the end scene in Kara’s apartment with Kara and m*nel. Are you sensing a pattern here?

First of all, I wanted it to be Alex at the door. It should have been Alex because those two almost lost each other again in a way that is incredibly similar to Kara almost dying in space after pushing Fort Rozz away from Earth and Alex going into space to bring her back. So yes, it should have been Alex. But I knew it wouldn’t be, not while m*nel is on the show.

The first line I have issue with is “Supergirl is what I can do. Kara Danvers is who I am.” And before you say anything, yes I know it’s an easter egg. I know it’s a famous quote from The New Adventures of Superman and when you have both Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher in an episode, how can you not have a quote from that show? And for Superman, it’s a great quote. It absolutely works for him because he has two sides that are so different.

It does not work for Supergirl. Because while Supergirl is what she can do, she’s not Kara Danvers. Not really. She is Kara Zor-El, a Kryptonian through and through. Kara Danvers is the persona she took on at 13 years old to make sure no one found out who/what she really was. Both Supergirl and Kara Danvers’ secret identity is Kara Zor-El. So her saying “Kara Danvers is who I am”? It’s false and out of character and the writers should have chosen a better quote but their laziness is not really a surprise anymore.

And now the line that got a lot of people heated: “Maybe being Supergirl and having you is enough” is just ludicrous. And good God, the writers truly outdid themselves here because not only does this sentence completely erase what they just established 10 seconds ago (I agree with Supergirl being what she can do but not who she is) but it goes against everything we’ve learned about Kara since the pilot. The whole first season, she’s trying to balance being Kara Danvers and Supergirl. She doesn’t just want to be Kara Danvers anymore and she doesn’t only want to be Supergirl. She wants both. And it’s difficult and we see her struggle throughout the season with those sides of her life but she keeps on going because to her, it’s so worth it. She gets to help people no matter which identity she’s under and that’s all she’s wanted. So no, her settling for being Supergirl just when she was really starting to make a difference as a reporter is not enough. It’ll never be enough.

And of course, the “having you” part. The only, ONLY person the writers could have ever justified Kara saying this line to (even though it goes against everything we know about Kara) is Alex. Because Alex is her rock, the only reason she ever started to feel like Earth could also be home. The reason she flew into space and nearly blew out her powers trying to stop that spaceship because she would not lose her sister. And before you say anything, even if she had said this line to Lena, I would have obviously been giddy for a few seconds before wincing because it doesn’t matter who Kara says it to when it’s not true. And to do it in this episode? An episode where it was proven once again that Kara and Alex are the heart of the show only for them to have the audacity to downplay Alex’s importance to Kara and have her say that she’ll be okay so long as she has man hell? How dumb do the writers think their audience is?

But the writers are making a habit of belittling all of Kara’s actions in an episode in order to make it all about man hell again. 2x11, 2x12, and 2x15 are some of their stronger episodes this season. But they’re also the ones where the writers are trying to make man hell seem way more important than he actually is in those last scenes. And the writers are so spectacularly failing at that since there is no way such a badly written character can ever be considered important in those great episodes because he’s just not. And they’re choosing to showcase it in episodes where it would be the most obvious. The only thing the writers are doing is weakening a good episode by turning around and making it about monew again.

I truly don’t understand what has happened this season. I don’t understand how the writers are sending one message throughout an episode only to have Kara act like a completely different person around man hell in every ending scene just so they can cancel out that message. I don’t understand why they’re still bothering to call the show Supergirl when they’ve destroyed her character.

TL;DR Do you think Amazon will give me a partial refund on my season pass if I just return the end scenes of every episode or should I just cancel my season pass because every scene worth watching is on youtube?

[theloniousbach]

50 YEARS OF GOING TO SHOWS, PT 8: SEEING "MUSIC FROM THE HILLS"

St. Louis's Community Radio station KDHX FM 88.1 has been a musical education--and one I've accessed at extremely close range.  The station started just a little after Sam was born and our landlady's son at the time had a goofy show on Sunday afternoons.  We had already connected with The Focal Point and their musical director's own show by the time Sam figured out his high school's community service project could be to help at that show on community radio.  Next cam Morris Dancing and the admonition to try out international (Balkan, Greek, Eastern European, Israeli, Turkish, Armenian) folk dancing.  

And there was a show for that too: Music From the Hills that approached these glorious musics in both breadth and depth.  It should be a daunting task to fill in for such an informed host, but I do it, bringing curiosity and a seeming ability to ask productive questions of the regular host and his music collection.

But in this music (as well as Scandinavian), there is the virtuosity I live for plus more than enough unusual and exotic to expand my ears.  Fortunately, there are chances to see it live.

It's ultimately dance music, so it works best and most compellingly for dancing.

Even (I mean "even") dancing around Kabile/Bulgarika/the Nikolay Kolev/Donka Koleva ensemble at International Folk Dance Association's weekly gathering in a brightly lit church auxiliary room is stunning.  I know the basic dances well enough to get in the groove and move in the right direction in the middle of the pack to both hear and understand the music better in the usual ways but also feel it in the body in a very special way.  The Kolevs play and sing at the highest levels period full stop but with the full recognition they are a dance band.

Another stunning dance experience was when the Yuri Yunakov Ensemble played a local Bosnian restaurant and locals and folk dancers fed off the musicians' energy and sent much back.  Yunakov is a bear of an alto sax player, reeling off a seeming unending number of variations of uncanny dance rhythms even while smoking a cigarette.  As a saxophonist, his Balkan Wedding Music style incorporates jazz elements and he sure has the chops.  He has lived in New York but hasn't crossed over in that direction though I have seen him video of him on You Tube.  I sat down to watch him play some and would sit enthralled in a jazz club by more than just cigarettes and playing.  But, again, seeing this music in its dance element is powerful.

Focal Point and IFDA brought in Harmonium (I think that's the name of the long time Cleveland band that plays music from the former Yugoslavia, probably Serbian).  I am not quite as fond of this music as that from farther south and east.  I have very little memory of the show except that the bassist that night, Adam Good, stayed with us  His tambura album of Macedonian music is a favorite. 

We saw Good (and Zlatne Uste Brass Band and various combinations of zurna music, directly and on alto saxophone, and klezmer and not enough Bulgarian and and and) at the 2019 Golden Fest in Brooklyn, a couple of miles from Sam's.  He goes most years and Ellen joined him a time or two, but this year we all went for two wonderfully long stretches of dances in the ballroom and perhaps a dozens smaller but not so small rooms.  It was like an academic conference with too many choices and jumping in and out of sessions.  It was overwhelmingly wonderful with so many dancers of varying levels I could schlep along in a way that is not as welcome among dedicated dancers.  But, again, the music stands out and seeing/hearing in person how the magical sounds are made is memorable.  So, impressions.  Zurnas played in tandem so that one player can give the other a rest.  It's not just the lungs needed for the double reed, but the instrument itself is soaked in water.  A band of three alto saxes with drum played those tunes which revealed the stark harmonies and sinuous lines in a way that the sheer exoticism of the original instrument obscures.  I watched Zlatne Uste, a huge brass band, both from the balcony of the ballroom and the floor, as an observer and as a dancer.  As with the zurna contrast, I could see the infectious power of the music in two ways.  There were klezmer bands too and that's always fun.

There would be little snippets of Balkan music from Celtic music, so I saw such tunes from the likes of the House Band and Christian LeMaitre, both with Kornog (whom I saw in Kansas City) and the Celtic Fiddle Festival.  Bruce Molsky even did a rachenitsa arranged for fingerpicked guitar which had to grow out of his time with Mozaik.

But, another part of KDHX's "Music from the Hills" is Nordic musici and that too has crossed the Focal Point stage.

Seeing Fritot (Ale Moller, Lena Willemark, and Per Gundmundson) was stunning and challenging, a bracing north wind.  I spent at least a set and a half just trying to get the pulse.  The harmonies were crystalline, but I'll be damned if I could get the polska rhythtm.  I would watch them bob and sway to the music they were making, but even as I tried to move subtly in my seat it didn't seem right. And then it did, I no longer wobbled and I could ride the bike.  I could fully enjoy this great music.  They came back a second time and Moller toured once with Aly Bain from the Shetland Islands which suggested connections between the two traditions.  

Kaivama is/was a Finnish American couple who got to tour with Arto Jaarvala who is perhaps the premier Finnish fiddler.  The kids were good and Arto was supportive, but he couldn't help but command attention.  By the time I saw them, I not only could ride the Nordic bike, but I could appreciate how this Finnish model with three speeds but racing handlebars was different from the 10 speed with straight handlebars of the Swedish.

More recently, another IFDAer/Focal Point collaboration has led to two wonderful concerts by the Danish duo Gangspil, yet another variation on the Nordic tradition.  It's very much its own--softer in that it is farther south with more English hints--just as Scottish, Irish, Breton, etc are all Celtic and all with wonderful nuances.

Great players, great traditions, wonderful ways to keep getting bigger and bigger ears and find even more shows to go to.

[poetiiicnjustus]

Question: "They said: “Choose better men” I ask: How?" - Lena Barker My FULL Response: "Inner work is key for manifesting love. Learn to love thyself whole heartedly. Learn what you will and will not tolerate. Remain open to the messages you will receive on this journey. I suggest a love elixer to chemically call on your mate. Once you are fully aware of your inner Goddess you will know exactly how to teach Mr. Right how to love you. Express to the God force within/christ seed oil/ Universe exactly what you want in a companion. Begin to visualize what your true love may look like and how they might address you. What are their hobbies and interests ? How do they acquire wealth? Are they healing you or hurting you? How do you envision they may react and respond to social situations (with or without you)? Balance the divine masculine and divine feminine within thycellph. Once this is complete your divine masculine will vibrate in unison toward the light you each seek. Afterwards, the 3d realm will present your reflected self-love as a manifested companion. The God in him will recognize the God in you. Respectively the Goddess nature in both will also find peace. RAmember, Angels are presented as Angles. Square thycellph and check the degrees when light is presented. Always make sure you are aware of your energies at all times. Use techniques to strengthen and guard your aura. Do shadow and light work respectively. Make sure your root chakra is not blocked. If there is trauma attached to your root chakra, you must heal. Healing should be a fun lifestyle shift. All is mind. I am that I am. You are who you say you are. Speak life and love into your Divine masculine even if they may appear separate in flesh. Balance is key. Use discernment and protect your peace. Know, set, reassess and protect your boundaries PEACExLOVExPROSPERITYxCLARITY" - Poetiiic NJustus If any of this was helpful. Please share, like and/or comment. You may also become an official patron at Patreon.com/poetiiic Tarot Card Readings Think pieces Poetry Dark web articles Music snippets Unreleased Poems And more.... #tarot #tarotcardreadings #tarotdmv #dmvtarot #peaceandlove #love #staywhole https://www.instagram.com/p/CB4ZA6dB88w/?igshid=1bjqrw64wxd5q