SIX WORD STORIES

[skateboard]

SIX WORD STORIES MEME tell a story in six words


1. Post your top level comment with a six word story prompt (or more than one!)

2. Other people respond

3. ???

4. Profit
DO NOT LEAVE YOUR TOP LEVEL COMMENT BLANK

Taken from here.

Comments

[biochemistry]

...I know. I mean, not... from experience, I'm perfectly ordinary, but... my, my.

[She stopped, collecting her thoughts.]

My Daisy. It's that way for her, sort of, and on the large scale... yes, but I suppose what I mean is, well, the people that love you will be more understanding.

[girl_power]

They are.

[That was true. They were. Alex, even Hank, of course Winn and James, but...]

But they aren't the ones who determine my freedom. That's the rest of the world. They're the ones who have to decide if I'm allowed to live like I actually am, or... [Kara sighed, rubbing at her forehead. The whims of the world came and went, and if she'd known-- No. No, even if she'd known, she would've become Supergirl, but maybe she would've been more prepared.] Or if I have to live pretending to be something that I'm not.

[biochemistry]

[Here, she took a deep breath. All of this, of course, made sense. She knew all too well.]

I'm sorry. That people make it so horrible.

[It sounds dramatic, but it's true.]

[girl_power]

Thank you. For the sympathy.

[She squeezed Jemma's shoulder. Even gave her a small smile.]

One time, I heard somebody say humans were dumb herd animals. I hate how that sounds, but I think most societies are like that. It's easier to go with what everyone else thinks or wants instead of striking out into something different. Or just disagreeing with a crowd. So when one person's afraid, a lot of people are afraid.

[biochemistry]

[She returned the smile, ducking her head a bit sheepishly.]

As a human, I can say that's true. I... I've done some dumb things, myself, said them out of fear because it was easiest, and I'm not proud of it. I don't know how much it counts for, now, but I don't want to let that happen again. To myself or anyone. Educate people so they're more comfortable forming intelligent, nuanced opinions, where it's not so clearly one thing or the other.

[A little shrug.]

It's a bit of a fantasy, probably, but it's all I can do.

[girl_power]

I hope more people can reach that point like you. I understand people being afraid of someone stronger than them, and I even--

[Whoo, boy, but didn't she--]

I even gave them some reason to doubt me. It wasn't my fault, but I'm the one who did the things that scared them. I've heard a little about hypervigilance before. I think I'm living that.

[biochemistry]

I... I hope too. I hate that it's like this. I hate that -- I mean, regular people, there's plenty of reason to doubt us, too, but...

[A frown.]

It needs to get better.

[girl_power]

It does.

[Unfortunately, that wasn't really so hopeful. But she did accompany it with a squeeze - a very gentle, careful squeeze - to Jemma's shoulder. Again. It seemed to be a good expression of understanding.]

Don't worry too much. All of this... superhuman stuff is still pretty new to the world. There are other people who have had it worse for longer. It's just always difficult when it happens at first.

[biochemistry]

[It was an effort, at least. Jemma didn't expect anything more.]

How -- I mean, what do you do when it all just seems bleak? When giving up seems like the most logical option?

[girl_power]

[That was easy enough. Kara smiled and placed a hand against the S on her chest.]

I remember this. The House of El stands for hope, and for showing people that we are all stronger together. If things get too bad, I think about the hope my parents had when they sent me here, and I think about Kal. Sometimes, I go visit him. Everything seems better when there's someone to talk to, and Kal understands that sort of problem very, very well.

[biochemistry]

[Not a surprising answer, really, but it was solid. That sort of thing was a comfort anymore.]

That's really lovely, you know. That you've got that kind of... underlying everything.

[girl_power]

I still remember Krypton. The way I see things... I try to do it the same way my family would've wanted me to. It's hard sometimes.

[They'd just been talking about that, after all.]

But... I think I do okay for the most part. Just sometimes, everything seems hard and tiring and I get angry, but I can't...

[Kara sighed.]

I can't let that take over.

[biochemistry]

That... that makes sense. Knowing there's some sort of greater purpose, or, or what have you.

[But -- there would always be the other side of it, too.]

I don't think you will.

[girl_power]

Easier said than done. Do you know anybody else who uses an engine block for a punching bag?

[But then she paused, tilted her head, and looked at Jemma with a sort of serious, thoughtful indecision.]

...I didn't think about it before, but... maybe you do.

[biochemistry]

[The question made Jemma laugh, although it wasn't particularly funny and well, it's not as far-fetched as it seems either.]

Maybe not that, literally, but I've seen some fairly intense, out-there training methods.

[girl_power]

I believe it. Our business isn't that different.

[But, as she knew how jealously she guarded her own privacy, she wasn't going to ask who or what. No, that was best left as-is.]