“Close some doors. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.”
— Paulo Coelho
This country claims to be democratic but 9 unelected people who's values and opinions formed decades prior, who can get into this position without strong or even any valid credentials, can decide to negatively impact or even destroy millions of lives and they cannot be held accountable for it. They can't be impeached or voted out. It's only the most convoluted combination of election-year voting, voter suppression/lack thereof, and idk fucking cowardice from both sides that got any of them to where they are now. 9 people who are cemented in their beliefs and then use the law and constitution to justify their moral opinions that they insist don't influence their rulings at all. We can't vote then out. We just have to hope they retire or die under the presidency of someone who doesn't want to actively kill everything, and eve then we have to contend with any given republican or spineless Democrat in the Senate.
And even then, we cannot get rid of them. Nine people make decisions for 300+ million, affecting their ability to defend themselves, to live peacefully, to lead healthy and happy and safe lives. Nine people can ruin lives for decades to come.
Nine people. Nine. People.
hip checked her so hard, her headband went flying lol
But did you see the way Paul Munsky ended up falling for Ellie instead of Aster?
Just right after Aster kissed him, he looked straight to Ellie’s window. At the start, all he could say about Aster was that she was smart and pretty, but if he was asked then what made him like Ellie (after everything they’ve been through together thus far) I bet he would’ve been able to list his own reasons the same way Ellie listed hers for Aster. And that scene!!! When he checked on her during the party, tucked her into his bed when she got hella drunk (which would mean he’d have to sleep on the floor maybe, idk), and he saw the letters she wrote for the food critics to give his taco sausages a chance… ah, the way he sat on that armchair maybe realizing what love really felt like for the first time. After the game where he scored, he looked for Ellie, not Aster. By the time he tried to kiss Ellie, he didn’t mind that Aster saw because his feelings had been made clear to himself. During the ending scene he looked like he had some stuff he wanted to say and couldn’t (knowing who Ellie wanted), but he still chased after her train.
And you know how he overheard Aster singing from out the music room window at first? He stopping during practice just to listen? We can actually see his affection shift to Ellie when he overheard her composing her song from out her window, and he also stopped to listen.
I know this is a gay coming-of-age movie, but part of it was also a straight dude falling in love with a lesbian. This storyline was blessed with such a soft, sincere, loving, understanding boy. All that concern? Helping Ellie’s dad prepare her college meals? Helping her pick out clothes for the seniors talent show? I’m wrecked —
I don’t appreciate any of y’all hating on him and you can fite me. Paul ended up redeeming himself from that “it’s a sin, you’re going to hell” comment just by caring enough to google about gay people so he could expand his perspective — so he could better understand Ellie. And of course there was the church scene.
Way to go, Paul Munsky.
That one scene that broke me but then again the entire fic broke me
Breathe by @searidings
ix. super.
“What was that about?” her fiancée asks, coming in, and leaning down to press a kiss against her temple. Kara had just shown Clark and Lois out. Tonight had been their first dinner together after Kara’s proposal. The couple flew in for a rare visit to National City for a journalism conference.
Lena didn’t burn the lasagna, Kara hadn’t spilled the wine, and Lois made a total of just three jokes about them knocking up and getting hitched together. All in all Lena would call it a marvelous success.
“What was what about?” Lena turns face to Kara, catches her wrist and tugs. Kara lets herself get pulled, and crawls onto the couch. Fitting herself into the space between the arms Lena has up, holding her book. Lena’s changed into a soft sweater and leggings, Kara eagerly buries her nose into the fabric over her belly as she drapes herself over Lena.
“Oh, you know,” Kara murmurs, “that look Kal did. The look he gave you. As if he knew you or something.”
Before saying goodbye, Kal had given Lena this look. It was only brief, just after Lois had hugged Lena. But Kara had noticed it, had heard him whisper, “I’m happy for you, Lena. We’ve come a long way.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah?”
“Well…” Lena says, closing the book she’s started reading, in favor of cupping Kara’s face with both hands. “That’s because he did know me, Kara. He knew me.”
“What?”
“He was Lex’s best friend,” Lena explains, and she runs a hand up her hair. Her little habit that makes Kara tend to zone out completely to track the movement of pale fingers against dark hair.
“He was...my brother’s best friend,” Lena tells her again. Softer this time, her index finger tracing the slope of Kara’s nose, bringing her attention back into Lena’s story.
“Lex met him when they were in college. I was— I think? 6th grade? Or something like that.”
In her mind, Kara can see it; Kal from nowhere Kansas bumping into Lex Luthor, rich kid prodigy. She wonders how Lena met him. Was it over Thanksgiving dinner in the Luthor Manor? Was it during one of Lex’s rare visits to Lena in boarding school? Her brother arriving with his Maserati and a stranger in tow? What did Lena think when she first laid eyes on the man that would play the major part in his brother’s demise?
Kara wonders if the three of them ever knew what the future held in store.
“And then you know,” Lena breathes out. “He was just always around. Just always there. Driving around with Lex, eating in the living room. It’s disturbing how domestic all of that was, now that I think about it.”
Kara can’t help but agree. It was easy to imagine, sure, but kind of hard to believe. There would always be a loud dissonance between the boy Clark drove around in his truck to the man who would make all sorts of killing machines just to rid the planet of Kryptonians.
“I never knew you know? Everything was normal. I’d come home, and I’d get a call from my brother and his best friend. And sometimes they’d take me out bowling. Normal stuff you know?”
And yes, Kara does know. Because that was how everything tragedy begins wasn’t it? With everything going normal, until it doesn’t. Until she’s sealed in a pod with no home to go back to, until a brother goes insane, turns the sun red, and suddenly you’re all alone.
“Clark Kent is the person who stayed in his seat when my brother got a call in the middle of one of my chess tournaments,” Lena tells her. “Clark Kent ate ice cream with me after I had my first fight with Andrea. Clark was there the day before I left for college. He was one of the people who called to congratulate me on my graduation day, years later.”
“He was my brother’s best friend, you know?” Lena sighs out. “And for a moment, he was a brother to me, too.”
She tries to picture it all. She tries to imagine Kal and a young Lena Luthor sitting in an ice cream parlor somewhere in Metropolis. Kal, giving Lena a thumbs-up, and mouthin g ‘You’re doing great.’ whilst watching Lena exchange moves on the chessboard. Kal, letting a young Lena sleep on his shoulder after Lex had picked her up for spring break; Luthor Manor looming over them.
It wasn’t hard to picture. After all she’s seen every version of Lena Luthor there is; seen every stiff childhood family photo, every pretentious solo portrait Lillian insisted on, seen every shot James had taken, every magazine cover and of course, there were the selfies that only Kara would only be allowed to see ever.
Although, maybe, it wasn’t really about that.
Maybe it’s easy to imagine because Kara has spent a long time picturing Kal as the doting brother he never got to be with her. Because whilst Kal was out there living his life with the Luthors, Kara was on the other side of the world, trying hard to survive, to fit into this strange new world without anybody helping her.
Don’t get her wrong, she was happy that the important people in her life had each other somewhere along the timeline, once upon a time. During a period in their lives where they still haven’t known Kara, yet. She was glad they had each other then.
Still, Kara can’t help but feel a slight twinge of envy.
Because if Kal could play the role of the dorky, loving big brother to Lena, why couldn’t he have done it for Kara? Why was she the one left in the dust? But today wasn’t about Kara. They can talk about it some other time. She tunes in again just in time for Lena to say, “And then, a super came around. Superman happened. And Lex—”
She doesn’t need Lena to finish that.
“And then everything went to hell?”
“Yeah,” Lena whispers, “and then everything went to hell. I grew up. Clark stayed away. Superman won. Lex lost.”
“And then you met me?”
“And then I met you, yeah.” This time she can hear the smile in Lena’s voice, it makes Kara’s lips turn up a little too.
“I’m sorry he hurt you. That day, when we came to interview you.” Kara can still remember the none too subtle jabs Clark had said; can still remember that even then she already felt the inexplicable urge to protect this woman. Kara just knew, right away. Lena’s just as full of good as any Super out there, deserved just as good a chance the world had given to the two of them.
“I’ve forgiven him a long time ago, Kara. Lex damaged us both. And Clark was just trying to protect himself.”
“Still,” Kara says, “you deserved better than that. If he really cared for you at all, he would’ve checked on you, after what Lex had done. Instead, he assumed the worst.”
“Yeah, he shouldn’t have done that, I know. But that was a long time ago, darling. And we’ve both made amends.” Her finger traces the slope of Kara’s nose again, smooths out the crinkle that had formed.
“He’s family now,” Lena says slowly. “And families tend to be just a bit complicated, I’ve learned.”
Kara fully grins up at that, hearing Lena talk about her family— their family like that.
“Mm. You’re right. They are.”
Lena smiles at her, “I’m always right.”
Kara laughs, “Yeah, yeah you are. Can’t argue with that.”
She surges forward a bit to catch Lena’s lips in a soft kiss.
When they pull away, Kara’s eyes are sparkling.
“So…” she says, “wanna hear about how I used to change Superman’s diapers?”
couldn’t stop working on my kissy rizzles sketches :> pls ignore how not accurate jane’s hair is in the last one
even 100 rewatches later I’m STILL waiting for them to kiss goodbye whenever Jane says “alright, I’ll see you later” or “ok. see you at home, Maura”
I don't think we talk enough about Amari's live the night Lebron broke the record. Azzi was very demanding and Paige gave in everytime. The looks between Ice, Ines and Amari something was definitely going down and then Amari moving to block the side of the bed completely.
I know we love the other live 😉 but this live is my Roman Empire.
She told them to shut up and they listened, she told Paige she wanted to play a game and she did. Our girl really is a princess, whatever she wants she gets!
New view of them on the carpet! Love seeing Paige's smile!