( open ) ✘ ❝ i know my call ❞

[advena]

CHARACTERS: kara zor-el & you.
LOCATIONS: around the city.
WARNINGS: physical violence, angst, general Good Times™
NOTE: forward-dated. spoilers up to supergirl 3.09
SUMMARY: as of january 5, kara's come back from her canon update, and she's ready to ... not be here, mostly.

✘ arrival & arrangements.

( her arrival is... sudden, for lack of a better word. she arrives as swiftly as she'd fallen, blood and bruises still prominent even after the city's administration checks her in. no, she tells them, i want to remember. if she must be here, if she must come back, she wants to be herself.

they offer her the belongings she'd left in their trust — things like her keys, filled with access to everything from the off-site townhome she'd registered with someone else to the back door of a business she barely remembers — but she declines them all. instead, kara quietly accepts a temporary assignment in the alpha building, a room they promise she'll find particularly comfortable on the top floor.

is it comfortable? perhaps it could be, if she wanted comfort. but all kara zor-el can ask for is the one thing she cannot have just yet: peace, brought by the knowledge that what horror she's left behind to flourish in her absence has finally been silenced, and that will not happen until she earns her piece here.

charity, they tell her, or intimate kindness. the idea of being intimate with anyone feels impossible. so here she is, lingering in the hallway of the volunteer center, looking considerably worse for wear, trademark glasses and librarian get-up traded in for dark slacks and a deo-issued grey sweater. )

I'd like to volunteer, please. Somewhere quiet.

✘ the sky & the sea.

( in the middle of the night, the sky is milky black and shimmering from the echoes of the stars dotted across; every so often, the occasional speck of a plane or a light in the distance breaks the scene. if you look closely, though, there's more than just clouds and birds and metal in the sky — there's the faint outline of a girl, too, a blur of colors floating in the distance, the outline of fabric fluttering in the breeze. it's neither a bird nor a plane, however; it's just kara, aimlessly drifting over the city.

from the ground, it might be hard to tell exactly who's up there, but if you've got a higher vantage point — like the high floors of a building, or your own capabilities for flight — you might be able to recognize the shape of the girl afloat, though said shape might be the only thing recognizable. instead of her librarian chic getup or the bright colors of her supergirl cape and boots, kara's dressed a bit... less formally.

warm grey cotton, varying shades from head to toe, might not indicate her current state, but the gentle close of her eyes just might. her hands dangle from her side as she floats, the night breeze carrying her to and fro as she slumbers. sleepflying. it's a thing. maybe you'll care to wake her, or to listen as she murmurs in her sleep. )

... the book of Rao... the symbols... please don't...

✘ of fists & fangs.

( sucker punch, with its dim lighting and the inexplicable coating of dust that seems to settle in everything, is not the sort of place you'd expect to find sunshine incarnate kara danvers. really, it's not even the sort of place you'd expect to hear about her, let alone run into her face-to-face. but if you happen to go in on just the right day, at precisely the right time, you might just find her there.

to be entirely fair, it's not exactly kara danvers, human ray of sunshine, who finds herself settled inside the ring. no, the slim, quiet girl with the echoes of bruising across her cheekbones hardly seems a fair comparison to the chipper sweetheart that had left this city just a week ago.

there's a quiet intensity to her now, intent in each strike of fist against the reinforced metal she's hung in place of a punching bag, resolve in each low exhale of breath as she attempts each move in her memory.

when the metal finally gives way, she lingers near the ropes of the boxing ring, blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and her everyday attire exchanged for a rather cozy-looking sweatpants and t-shirt combo, looking more like a skittish potential fighter than a girl who could knock out the hulk with a good right hook. it might be easier to practice there. it's only this knowledge that has her turning to the next person who crosses her path, to murmur: )

I need a sparring partner.

✘ free spaces & wildcards.

( for convenience's sake, i've drawn up a few starters! however, anyone who knows her might notice she's not been at any of her usual hangouts — home, criminales, the alluring warmth of wok and roll on unlimited potstickers day, and so on. feel free to call her out on it, or alternatively, if you fancy a chance meeting with the girl formerly known as kara danvers, by all means, have at it.

feel free to pm me or hit me up at semicolons if you want to hash something out in advance, though! )

Comments

[speedforcer]

[whether it's because the staff at the volunteer center remember the times he and kara offered up their help there, or if it's because they'd seen them hanging out together around the city, the call comes shortly after she stepped through the doors. a warning and a request rolled in to one when they see how much more withdrawn she is than usual. how those bruises and cut stand out in a stark contrast to the paleness of her skin.

kara's here. i think you need to come by. now.

it doesn't matter how cold it is outside right now. doesn't matter that he'd been in the middle of training a new csi. all that mattered at that moment had been all that'd gone unsaid. had been the idea that kara was back, and he'd had to find out from someone else.

skidding to a halt at the entrance to the center, barry wastes no time in locating her. in speeding to her side, his grin disappearing completely as he starts to take it all in. to start cataloging her injuries. to try and work out what happened to her.]

...Kara?

[advena]

( battered and bruised, she's a far cry from the human ray of sunshine barry might remember from her last day in cadelle. while it's only been a short time here in the city — only five days, four nights, hardly enough to even notice an absence — it might as well be an eternity.

she doesn't want to be recognized, but she can hardly be surprised by it. especially when it's barry's voice calling through the crowds. she'd crossed universes for him in her saddest moments, defended the earth for him; acknowledging a greeting was nothing in comparison. )

Hi, Barry.

( there's a bit of quiet desperation to the end of her statement; the desire to be anywhere else is all too obvious in her shifting gaze, the twitch of her fingers as they slip under the sleeve of her sweater. )

I was just... dropping something off.

[speedforcer]

[he doesn't buy it. that much is clear from the expression on his face alone. but there's no reason to push for more. not when there are much bigger concerns to deal with right now. not when kara looks like that.]

Okay, so that means you're done here.

[his voice is soft, quiet, a hand held out in offering. as much as he may want to grab ahold of her and bring her back to his apartment, he knows better than that. has seen too much in his years working for the ccpd to even consider trying to force his hand. superhero or not, she's also a victim here. so until he finds out what happened, he knows he has to play it carefully.]

...come home with me?

[advena]

( okay, so maybe that wasn't the honest truth. she might have been dropping something off, but her intention had been to get an assignment, find herself somewhere to volunteer where she could spend her day and get that much closer to the promise of a wish fulfilled.

so while barry's intentions are good, she isn't sure she can just give in that easily. going back to his apartment means having to face exactly what she's not ready to do yet: admit to all that has happened in her absence, the one she hadn't exactly warned him about. she might have told oliver, but even he didn't know she was back.

at least, kara didn't think she did. she certainly hadn't told him. )

I'm okay, Barry. I can make it back.

( she might look a hot battered mess, but she's not totally incapable of walking. )

clinic stuff

[nursetemple]

[ The nice thing about the clinic is that Claire gets to make up her own hours. It's a fairly quiet thing - but useful for people coming in without emergencies, just needing some medical help or advice.

Today, it's a name she's never seen in her bookings - Kara Zor-El. They might have crossed paths, but she's definitely never been to the hospital before. Nevertheless, since there's nothing much of note on the booking, Claire preps the room for most eventualities, from pregnancy tests to suture kits, just in case. Sometimes, she'll have some information about the reason behind the appointment, but. Today is not the case.

She opens the door at 10am on the dot, looking out into the corridor. ]

Miss Zor-El? Come on in. We haven't met - I'm Claire Temple.

[ She talks as she moves around the room, gesturing for the cot in the middle of the room. She's picking up cotton swabs and the aforementioned suture kit immediately, frowning at the state of the girl in front of her. ]

Why did you not come to the ER? This looks nasty.

[advena]

( claire seems nice. capable, even. she moves around the room like it's her domain, a place she feels confident and comfortable — her professionalism reminds her of alex, and the thought twists something in her gut, sharp longing that hadn't been there before brought up to the surface. she'd never missed home quite so badly before... but then again, she hadn't gone home before either. hadn't had her sister's voice be the last thing she heard before she'd gone out to face what should have been her death.

perhaps it's that should have been that earns the slight shrug to kara's shoulder, a wince and a groan swallowed down in order to seem composed. ) It looks worse than it is. I'll heal.

( in reality, kara's not sure if she will heal. she'd never so much as bled before — severe injuries like hers had taken out scores of humans, but her kryptonian dna usually kept her protected. except from other kryptonians, apparently. )

I think.

[nursetemple]

[ Claire assesses what she can, the injuries on Kara's face, but she notices the wince, which means that the injuries are more extensive - unsurprisingly. Kara, in her mannerisms, remind Claire of Matt, or, even more accurately, Jessica. Dismissive, and unwilling to share the full extent of them.

Claire takes on her most neutral tone, not wanting to make it seem like she's here for anything else than helping Kara. She ignores her answers, because that sounds... well, like someone who's all too used to not bleeding. Claire has to wonder how she'll take getting stitched up. ]

Would you mind showing me the rest of your injuries? I can take care of the wounds on your face first, if you'd prefer.

[advena]

That's the worst of it. My face, I mean.

( while kara doesn't mind small gestures to the cuts and contusions that litter her skin, she doesn't quite know how to explain it. the process was much easier within the deo, where everyone was familiar with her biology and the expectations that came with it. here, she aches, and that alone is enough to confuse her. )

But I'd prefer if you didn't treat them. ( a pause, and kara offers further explanation. ) You won't be able to get a needle through, anyway.

the sky & the sea

[duelo]

[ On the nights when Derek can't sleep because his mind refuses to slow with the rest of his body, for lack of a decent balcony — in Cadelle's defense, he still hasn't moved out of the welcome district and he can hardly expect a balcony as awesome as the loft's back home — he sometimes finds himself up on the roof of the Gamma building looking over the city and willing his mind to quiet enough to try again. Tonight is no different. Things are better with Scott, so there's that. But Kara hasn't been at work in what feels like too long to be considered okay, and she's a friend now. He worries. Derek's friends are the only family he's got and he doesn't have many of them as it is. When one stops showing her face...he tends to notice and assume the worst.

He isn't really thinking about anything in particular, mostly just a passing concern for Kara, wondering what this woman or that — he's met many and shown interest in a few — is doing or who she might be with if she isn't alone; wondering whether his wish is coming true and Cora continues to be safe and happy down in South America or whether she misses him sometimes. He tends to allow stream of conscious thoughts to just take over his mind when he's trying to let it settle. For whatever reason, being out in the cold, fresh air has a convenient tendency to quiet the thoughts and relax him enough to try to sleep.

Derek is largely zoned out with that process, legs dangling over the edge of the building as he sits on the ledge, leaning back against his arms, hands set against the roof comfortably, but a soft female voice in the distance catches his attention, distracting him. He hadn't really been listening, but the mutterings caught him and he starts to listen, looking reflexively around at the other rooftops because she sounds like she's at least in the general vicinity, somewhere. What he does not expect to see is the shape of a woman floating in the sky near the Alpha Building, limp and lifeless except that in the otherwise silent air of the night, he can hear a heartbeat. It's slow and steady...it sounds like she's sleeping.

All of that is weird, sure, and Derek isn't actually planning on paying it a whole lot of attention just because the heartbeat suggests a relaxed state, but the breeze kicks up and he catches a familiar scent on it belatedly. That's Kara's scent and Derek moves, getting to his feet, listening harder to see if he can hear the voice again; to see if he can identify it as his friend's. When he does and he's sure that it sounds like her, he does the only thing he can think to do from where he is right now, more reflex than anything else. His chin lifts and his eyes glow a bright, icy blue as he takes in a deep breath to precede it.

She's pack, whether she realizes it or not. So he howls for her. ]

[advena]

( the thing about being asleep, really, is that you don't expect to be woken up. especially not by loud sounds in the middle of the night, the kinds that send chills down the spine of anyone with half a mind to be worried by wild animals. not that there are too many dangerous wild animals in cadelle. or that they're likely to howl at her in her sleep, for that matter.

the sound rouses her enough for eyes to crack open, bleary eyed stare scanning the area until she spots a dark shape of a man in the distance. she doesn't know many men who can howl, so that narrows things down pretty quickly. )

... Derek?

( it takes her a minute, but eventually, kara pulls herself upright. floating over, though, might take a few more. )

[duelo]

[ When she says his name, Derek has to assume it's because she's awakened. To think anything else would start to sneak into awkward territory for one or both of them and he's not going there with Kara. So with the assumption that she's awake, Derek speaks back to her. He doesn't shout, but he will if she doesn't hear him. Superman could hear basically anything, if he remembers right. Maybe she can, too, and he'd rather not wake the whole city, if he can avoid it. ]

...what are you doing? Are you okay?

[ There's a short pause then. ]

Where did you go...?

[ Another pause and then he's muttering more to himself than to her, while he gives her time to either respond or not; if she doesn't, he'll assume she hasn't heard and he'll take his chances and yell. ]

I don't even know if you can hear me...

[advena]

( the world is rumbling, echoing in her ears, and derek's voice is too. even though he's barely speaking above a whisper, it registers loud and clear. but even though she can hear him, she doesn't have any reason to assume her own murmuring will be audible the other direction. wolf hearing isn't exactly one of her knowledge bases. )

No. ( it might be quiet, but at least it's truthful. she aches, all over, bruising and cuts not yet healed, and she's yet to have a restful night sleep since she's arrived. ) I'm so tired.

( but his voice keeps coming, almost sad in its softness; as much as she wants to just lay back down and go back to sleep, she can't just ignore it. so, after a few minutes, kara lets herself float over to the rooftop source of the sound. )

I went back home.

the sky & the sea

[coyandcryptic]

[There's no one living above him, no one on the sixth floor at all right now, and Magnus has begun making a habit of using the roof as a convenient open space for spellwork that takes more space than his rather limited, crowded apartment. He's out there tonight, unable to sleep, rolling a ball of magic back and forth between his hands. The breeze carries a murmur to him, and normally he would assume someone's window were open but something makes him look up.

And stop, the ball dissolving as he squints. Is that a shape in the sky? Is that a person up there? His eyes flare blue with a vision-enhancing spell and he gasps and immediately casts out a long ribbon of magic. It's Kara, and the way her head is lolling to one side...well, he hates to consider it, but she might be possessed. He'll get her down first, that's key, he doesn't want her demon leaving her to drop.

Anyone watching would see Magnus hauling on that rope of shimmering light, pulling Kara down one arm-length at a time until she's finally within his grasp. With a flourish, he dispels the rope and in the same gesture conjures wards, but then he gets a better look at her. She looks asleep, not possessed, though the floating is still worrisome. He has to guide her to lie down on the rooftop instead of simply laying her down, but he banishes the wards. If he's right, they won't be needed. If he's wrong, well. He has good reflexes.]

Kara...? Kara, cupcake, wake up.

[advena]

( she's always been capable of floating in her sleep, but she used to have a much better control of it. lately, though, all her stress and fear and frustration during the day simply evaporates all of her self-control; by the time she falls asleep, there's little left to stopper her body's natural abilities.

perhaps floating outside isn't the best thing in the world, but she's always found it easier to linger where she's unlikely to drift into a wall or a window.

magnus' spell pulls her down, leaves her flat against the rough surface of the roof, and it's with a bleary-eyed expression that she peers up at him. ) Wake up? ( she honestly can't remember falling asleep. she'd been so tired, she must have simply collapsed. ) I didn't... where am I?

[coyandcryptic]

[Magnus breathes out a sigh of relief, shifting to sit next to her.] You're on the roof of Beta.

[Possession has a number of tells, and Kara isn't exhibiting any of them. He snaps his fingers and waves a palmful of light over her, watching it shift in color, looking for injuries, anything out of the ordinary, but everything seems to be fine.]

You were floating. It was a little alarming, if I'm honest. I thought... [Telling someone he thought they might be possessed doesn't seem to be a good idea.] Well, I was worried about you. Are you all right?

[advena]

( the roof. well, she supposes that makes sense. she doesn't quite remember falling asleep, but if she had, being spotted by someone on the roof seems reasonable. )

I'm... ( tired, mostly. a yawn slips out of her mouth before she can stifle it, sore limbs pulling in on herself as she shifts to sit up. ) I'm okay, I think.

I must have fallen asleep after my run. I don't usually float this far.

gonna wildcard this

[prosecutorial]

[Laurel Lance doesn't know any of Kara's regular routine and that's probably why she manages to find her. In an out of a way place, collecting books from the library so she can keep up with her law degree while she's here. So when she sees Kara, looking beat up and not wearing her glasses, she almost isn't sure it's her at first.]

Kara?

[advena]

( the library is supposed to be a refuge, isn't it? quiet, practical — there are rules here. no talking loudly, no interrupting or bothering someone, no loitering. it's the sort of place a girl could go to read a book, undisturbed, and let her mind wander in the comfort of a plush chair on a top floor. no one ever comes up here, she's come to discover, to the floors of reference books and research texts. it's too dry for a city devoted to pleasure and positivity.

but, lo and behold, someone does. someone who knows her face, whose very existence tugs at something in kara's chest that she can't quite name. guilt, maybe. that kara should have something — someone — that laurel cannot, but hasn't gone to claim it. that she's been ignoring oliver by choice when laurel had to lose him.

she should be less selfish. but then, she should have been able to defeat worldkiller. should haves and should bes don't seem to be doing her any favors lately. )

Hi, Laurel.

( and there's a beat before kara responds, though the offer might sound a little less genuine than before. )

Do you need help with those? They look heavy...

[prosecutorial]

[Laurel doesn't particularly care about what Oliver is doing, and assuming that she wants him, given everything that happens is a large one. While Laurel did lose Oliver, her current opinion and anger say that she's better off for it. She won't lie and say that seeing Oliver with someone else doesn't sting - won't always sting - but she hopes that Oliver's learned from his mistakes and treats Kara better than he did Laurel.

Laurel knows she needs to move on - she just hasn't figured out where she's moving to yet.

At the same time, Laurel is more concerned about Kara herself, who looks so bruised and battered, Laurel isn't really sure how to process it, but she definitely isn't going to let her carry her books.]

No, I'm fine. Are you okay?

[withasouvenir]

[ thea can get a lot of things she shouldn't be allowed to have -- it's something about the way she asks (demands) and the unwavering faith that she will get what she wants regardless of the legality of said thing. there is a reason she goes on to be oliver's chief of staff and effectively run the city in his stead.

she's good at red tape.

which is how she finds kara's new housing assignment and marches her ass to the top floor of the alpha building and knocks on the door with determined purpose. ]

Kara, it's Thea.

[ she won't threatening to breakdown the door but it's close, it's on the tip of her tongue. ]

[advena]

( she knew this would happen. sooner or later, one way or another, she knew there'd be someone who would force their way through. if it wasn't barry, it'd be thea, and so far both of them have proven her right. hiding, in as much as she's even capable of doing so, is not going to work for her.

so kara opens the door, even against her better instincts, and gives a half-hearted little wave of her hand. come inside. she doesn't need to say it out loud for thea to do it. she knows that much too.

in the little starter apartment, there's not much space. it's hardly the better homes and gardens style she'd carefully put together, but at least there's a single chair at a desk. feel free to sit there, thea, because kara's just going to curl into the corner of her bed, knees pulled up to her chest to give her chin somewhere to rest.

battered, bruised, and tired. what a sight she must be. )

... well, you found me.

[withasouvenir]

[ no, thea is not going to sit in the chair, she's going to clamber right on the to bed next to kara and curl her arms around the woman she considers the second big sister she'd never actually had. (the first, of course, had been laurel. thea laying claim to her brother's girlfriends is a historical precedent.) ]

Yeah, I found you. Sorry I didn't feel like waiting five years for you to show up like nothing happened.

[ don't be like oliver, kara. ]

sparring

[ischyros]

( Diana likes to come spar from time to time though she has to be mindful of reserving her strength so she doesn't flatten her partner on accident. Having a live partner is more interesting and of more value than attacking the bags so when she hears the woman next to her ask for a partner, she's quick to volunteer. She recognizes her a bit, she thinks, but something seems off from the person she met before. )

I'm willing to be your partner, if you'd like to spar for a while. Bare handed or with weapons?

[advena]

( beyond the odd piece of rebar wielded against a rampaging someone or other, kara's not particularly keen on weaponry. she doesn't have anything that's particularly her own — no bow and arrows, no impossibly sturdy shields, just her own fists and cape and unwavering trust. not that the last part was really very strong these days, but so's the phrase.

to diana's question, kara only offers: ) No weapons. I think... I think I'd rather just my hands.

( she remembers diana. of course she does. how could she not? )

[ischyros]

( Diana is good with her hands. Her hands are the first weapons she ever learned how to use and ultimately they're the ones she's most comfortable with. They're the ones that can never be taken away from her in a fight and, therefore, are the most valuable. )

Hands, then. Best of three? Or do you think you have more stamina than that, Kara?