—compare me not to stars

Grace smiled at the round-about way in which Astrid requested some company, she gave the other woman a nod and smiled, “You’re in luck, I haven’t eaten yet. I’m a breakfast skipper, so I’m about to start getting cranky if I don’t get something.”

**

“Perfect! I’m thinking sushi. Whatsabi sound good?” 

❝ Is my newlywed glow that obvious ? ❞ Her words accompanied by a light chuckle. ❝ Not too difficult when you marry someone that’s already made you feel like that long before. ❞ Though Sanem hadn’t been one to much envision the day before, they saying it takes the right one had certainly been coined for good reason. Brow arches as dark hues shift over towards the other woman for a moment from the path in front of them as they walked. ❝ Clearly they don’t understand getting the shot by any means necessary — though in a way I’m glad, if only cause it means still having another day being graced by your existence. Besides you with Lois’ tenacity and Clark’s indestructibleness, would be dangerous for at least half the population. ❞ She teased, nudging her friend as they’d finally making it to the diner, stepping inside. ❝ Well, my dad paid for the wedding, the honeymoon however, yes. I still wouldn’t have minded, but if you’re sure on insisting ? ❞

**

It wasn’t the first time Astrid had been told she was too driven for her own good, and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last either. She understood where the sentiment came from, but she heartily disagreed. Standing still was a sure cause for madness; if she kept moving forward, she stood a better chance of outrunning it. “I’d use my powers only for good, I assure you,” she teased back in kind. “Mostly.” 

There were plenty of open tables, and Astrid led the way to a booth by the window. “Of course, I’m insisting. I drank so much free champagne at the reception I kinda feel guilty about it... So, how was the honeymoon? Tell me everything! “ 

Julia gave a little giggle. “Wouldn’t that be lovely? There are so many flavors to choose from, too.” She laughed as Astrid spoke, nodding. “I get that a lot, and honestly, it can be a little difficult. When I try out new recipes at home, it’s game over, really. Can’t help but eat them.”

**

“Ugh, I can’t relate. I keep trying to bake - I find all these recipes on Instagram and shit - but the only thing I’ve ever actually perfected is my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. Everything else turns out crap. And then I just make Arthur eat it, and I come here instead. Speaking of: what’s freshest right now? I want, like, still warm from the oven.” 

Grace tilted her head as she listened to Astrid’s master plan and she smirked knowingly; it was definitely sneaky but, she wasn’t surprised to learn about how influencers worked their followers. The blonde nodded and smiled, “Well, I hear that, especially the hangry part.”

**

“Thank you, I feel seen,” she joked. “All this is basically just my long-winded way of asking: have you eaten lunch yet or do you want to grab a bite with me?” 

For his part, Liam usually let comments like that roll off his shoulders. He wasn’t about to open up about his childhood or his private thoughts on the matter to someone he didn’t know at all. “I grew up,” he said simply. His tone entirely mild and calm. “But you can refer to it that way, too, I guess.”

**

“So which one did you inherit - the self-hatred or the savior complex? You’re a teacher, right? I’m guessing the latter.” In her experience, almost everyone could be melted down into a series of predictable categories all stemming back to whether various childhood traumas they experienced. She was yet another case in point, and there was no use trying to deny it. 

Jack’s lips pulled down at the corners, though amusement still danced in his eyes. He offered an open-palm shrug and a boyish grin. “Because we are uncultured, unevolved creatures. We’re doing the best we can. But point taken. You’ve inspired me to resolve all my future problems that way.” His grin widened. “Is this growth? It feels like growth.”

**

The man had the humility to at least pretend he was wrong, though Astrid reserved judgement over whether or not he was just being patronizing. It was pointless to pick fights where they weren’t really warranted, though, and he’d proven himself worthy of at least a chance. See, she could be reasonable... “Funny,” she said with a sardonic laugh. “I should start a seminar: How to not solve your problems by taking your clothes off.” It could, in actuality, be a motto in her life...

who : @astrid-chen​

where : the green’s house in sunstone beach

Harlow inserted her key into the slot, jimmying it a bit as she pushed the door open. She was a bit lost in her own head, not something too unusual or out of the ordinary. Since Mother’s Day, since her fight with her mom, Harlow avoided stopping by the house, but she promised to take her mother to an appointment the week prior. As she called out for her mom, making her way towards the kitchen, her eyes landed on Astrid.

Astrid had always been nice, and with everything the other woman had gone through Harlow did her best to welcome her cousin into their home, their family. She showed up at a time where Harlow’s life had been changed forever, learning her father wasn’t her birth father and her mother lied for years. Astrid seemed to fall right into the hole Harlow created, distancing herself from her mother. At times, she felt her cousin was closer to her mother than she was. “Oh, hi..” She pressed her lips together into polite smile. “I didn’t realize you’d be here.” Harlow chimed sweetly. “How are you?”

**

Astrid had always made a point of visiting her aunt and uncle at least once a week whenever she was in town, but ever since Aunt Penelope’s diagnosis, her visits had become even more frequent. She’d been out of town on assignment when the news first came in, and if there was any silver lining to be found in her permanent grounding, it was that she could now be around a lot more often. It was something she absolutely took advantage of. Aunt Penny was like a second mother to her, and while she refused to believe her illness was a death sentence the way her cousin’s reappearance in town seemed to suggest, she would be endlessly grateful for this time together if the worst came to pass. Astrid hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to her own mother, but the same wouldn’t be said this time around. 

She was in the kitchen preparing lunch for the two of them (’preparing’ in this case meaning plating the Postmates order Astrid had placed because she loved her aunt too much to subject her to her cooking...) when she heard the front door open. If there was any twisted irony about being surprised by her cousin’s presence in her own parents’ house, it was lost on Astrid. “Harls, what a surprise!” she exclaimed, stopping her work to pull her cousin into a hug. “Shit, I didn’t know you were coming or else I would have ordered more food... Ah, fuck it - I eat too much anyway, and Mom eats too little, so we can hobble enough together for you. You hungry?” 

A few weeks was a long time, but it had taken far longer for Kai to settle back into life once she’d been pulled from overseas. It had been months before she’d gone home and longer before she started venturing out around people. Even still it was hard some days, shutting herself in on her boat with her dog rather than dealing with the stress of every day life. Putting on airs and acting okay was her way of life now, though, and she’d settled into that routine with a practiced ease and a lot of booze. “You absolutely should have called, but I’ll let you get away with it,” Kai chuckled before turning to the bartender to put in for another round of drinks for them both. 

“I’m…yeah, good man. Just…back to life and shit,” she shrugged. Kai’s eyes shifted down a bit, a clear sign that she wasn’t entirely as good as she said. Astrid was one of the few people that knew just how much she’d been through before coming home, knew that getting back to normal would never be as easy as she wanted to make it seem. “What about you? You on break for awhile? We’ll have to hang out.”

**

Back to life and shit. That was practically military code, and Astrid gave a small, knowing smile in response. She and Kai were a lot alike in many ways, and she assumed that extended to the importance of keeping up airs. To crack would be to fall apart, and that could never happen. “Indefinitely, actually,” she said, taking another pull of her beer as if to watch the sour taste of that word out of her mouth. “Office politics, mostly, which - I could give a shit, but I’m grounded until they get everything settled.” It wasn’t technically a lie; she just left out the major part she’d had to play in the decision. She’d still be out there if she hadn’t cost some suits probably millions in medicals bills - and gotten the only valuable thing about her (her camera) destroyed in the process. 

“Yeah, we definitely need to catch up. You free now? Can I buy you a drink?” It was certainly preferable to continuing to drink alone...

valentina let out a laugh rolling her eyes playfully, “we’ll just try to promise not to get arrested.” she giggled out, “yes, that sounds amazing.” she agreed, before sighing, “i wish there was good town gossip outside of the wedding.. but that’s not news or gossip worthy. it was a nice wedding tho.” she explained, “as for my drama.. nothing new. i’m so not fun anymore.” she laughed, “i wish i had drama.. maybe my life would be more fun. what about you?” 

**

“Oh, come on - surely you’ve got something. How’s the store? The family? You eating right? Sleeping okay?” Astrid had always preferred details - none were too small to escape her notice. And maybe it was a bit of projection, considering she wasn’t doing nearly as well as she pretended to. “You mean besides spending 7 weeks in an Italian military hospital? Nope, nothing exciting...” 

Nate’s jaw worked in annoyance as he realized it wouldn’t be so easy to keep this little slice of peace to himself. He wasn’t really looking for a fight, though they always seemed to find him anyway. Her question made him scoff. He could call the cops. And they would take his side, he knew. Being a Blackwood came with as many advantages as it did disadvantages. In this particular case, he didn’t want to throw his name around. “I could. Or you could just respect those signs back there that say private property and kindly fuck off.”

**

This all could have been so much easier if he’d just allowed her to pass and she could be on her way. But no, he had to be an asshole about it, and the joke was on him because she could be an even bigger one... Never one to back down from a challenge, she tilted her head, eyes narrowing as she took him in, deciding whether or not to call his bluff. “Yeah, I don’t think you’re going to do that. Because if you don’t like the idea of me being on your precious little beach, you’re definitely not going to like some cops crawling around on it. The lights, the sirens... That’s definitely going to attract a crowd. And that kinda defeats the whole purpose, doesn’t it? Of having what? A physical landmark to your impotence? What the fuck kind of douchebag owns a private beach?” 

Liam smiled a little as she spoke. “Mmm, I teach high school English, so having too much money isn’t a problem for me anymore – although I grew up with too much. I’m sure my mom would love a juice cleanse.” 

**

“Ah, let me guess - former rich boy who developed a conscience?” Astrid had no reason to resent the upper classes; her uncle was a part of the higher echelon and he’d treated her quite well over the years. But she also worked for everything she got and that was probably, in part, to the chip on her shoulder. 

Julia wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I could do one of those,” she said. “I like sweets too much. I suppose that’s a bit of an occupational hazard, but still. Oh, and milkshakes!” She paused. “I don’t suppose that counts as juice. At least it’s liquid.”

**

“I would 1000% do a milkshake cleanse,” Astrid replied decidedly. “But yeah, I could see how that might pose an occupational hazard for you. Although, granted, I think your whole job might be a hazard, because I don’t know how you stop from eating everything...” 

Amelia didn’t really understand the whole cleanse trend. But, it also wasn’t usually like her to really stick her nose into people’s business and decisions. But, one thing she could always happy to agree to was pizza. “Yes, pizza. Please, Astrid. We’re going to get something we can enjoy and stay happy the rest of the day. Instagram doesn’t need to know, your secret’s safe with me. There’s this new veggie pizza I’ve been dying to try, so this is the perfect excuse.” 

**

“Veggie’s not exactly what I had in mind, but I suppose I can compromise,” she teased with a smile. Maybe it would get Arthur off her back for the day - she could tell he was starting to get suspicious. “God, I missed you, girlie! How about I put in the order, you pick whatever bottle of wine you want from the fridge, and then you can tell me what the hell you’ve been up to since I saw you last.” 

Sly smirk tugs at her own lips, with a half shrug accompanying, playing it up as though there truly was a cunning scheme, however a chuckle bubbled up along with Astrid’s laugh. ❝ No blackmail, but I did wake up and choose to be a little more chaotic this morning. ❞ Only partly joking in her words, she wouldn’t be herself if there hadn’t been at least some degree of frenzy in her day. ❝ If they do and get that upset over a juice cleanse, red flag. What’s going on with the editors though, not thankful enough they have a bad ass version of Lois Lane ? As for yoga studios, The River Bend in Bywater is a great local, or Modo Yoga in Seattle. ❞ Tossing out the studio suggestions as they made their way towards the diner. ❝ Be ready to remember why their burgers and shakes are unmatched, welcome home lunch on me. ❞

**

“Married life clearly agrees with you.” Personally, Astrid wasn’t sure she would ever be the type to get married, but she was happy seeing her friend so happy. Plus, it couldn’t be denied the wedding was a beautiful affair, and though Astrid kept herself to the background, she had shed a few tears. “Yeah, well, apparently bad ass Lois Lane is a liability unless she also comes with Clark Kent’s indestructibility...” She hadn’t relished the 7 weeks spent in a military hospital in Italy, and she didn’t even want to fathom the money that would have cost her in the American healthcare system. She didn’t agree that she should be penalized for it, but hey... maybe she had ignored a direct order from her military guide who had no sense of artistic vision. “That’s very sweet, but didn’t you just pay for a ginormous wedding and a honeymoon? I can treat - I insist.” 

Jack was fairly certain the words were not meant for him, but his lips quirked into a smirk, eyes twinkling with amusement as he turned to face the woman who had just spoken. “Just do me a favor and tell me before you start swinging? Don’t get me wrong, I look great with a shiner. But I don’t think potential employers would appreciate it as much as I would.”

**

She’d made the proclamation to no one in particular, said more for the sake of a dramatic entrance than anything else. That, and in response to the horrifically long line they were all currently stood in - the only thing that stood between her and the food she desperately needed. “Why is it men always assume violence? I could just as easily go crazy, strip down, and streak through the streets. You don’t know my life.”