maskormenace | one ☀ chahv: VIDEO

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one ☀ chahv: VIDEO

[One recognizes the signs, when he’s been here for a while.

Waking up in a different house and room? Check. Getting a new job? Check. Having to go through the explanation of the basics? Also check. So while there’s only one question left to ask. Clark Kent looks kind of sheepish as he faces the network, rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh.]

So, how long was I out? I hope it wasn’t that much. Sorry to anyone I worried- yes, I know it wasn’t up to me but I still don’t like it.

Also, let’s get it out so we can get it all at once: I am, apparently, a glasses model. Writing for the style section wasn’t enough.

So go ahead, let’s hear the jokes.

[Read: Please joke about it, please. Anyone who does means they are still around, and well enough to make cracks about it. Anyone who does hasn’t left back home while Clark was taking some sort of vacation he doesn’t even remember having.]

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[ Whatever she was doing is long forgotten and unimportant the second she looks into the feed and sees a familiar, comforting face.

Her mouth hangs open for a moment before she says anything. ]

Clark.

Hey, Karen.

[He knows. Oh, he knows, Karen mentioned once he wasn't the first one to come and go. Karen had been in a relationship with people who had left, Karen... Karen had been in here for very, very long. And here is Clark, making it worse. Probably adding to the long list of people.

He doesn't want to pretend he knows what she's feeling, what she's going through. But he does feel a pang of guilt.]

Been a while, then?

[ It's always somewhat intimidating each time Clark disappears or reappears in her life without warning. While he clearly remembers here and his time here, there's always the strong possibility that something's happened between them at home, either putting a rift in their relationship or bringing them closer. Either way, it's still a bit of a daunting prospect. ]

A little bit.

[ She disconnects suddenly, but it's only several seconds later Karen appears by his side, having followed the sound of his voice and wraps her arm around him. She can't help it; she's really missed him. ]

Hi.

[He’d been expecting it the moment she cut off the connection, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little bit relieved. He didn’t think she’d consciously blame him for leaving, but he wouldn’t have been surprised at some… resentment, at having to say hi and not getting to say goodbye many times over. But that’s not Karen, it never has been.

He’s also glad the window was open.]

Hi, yourself. [He wraps his arms around her, tightening the hug the way only other Kryptonians can stand.] I hope I didn’t miss too much.

[ It's one of the greatest feelings in the world, honestly, being hugged by family (even if he's not quite family). She takes another moment to hang onto him, squeezing him back before pulls away just to give him enough space, grinning from ear to ear. ]

I have to admit there's a bit you're going to have to catch up on.

Yeah, I'm kind of getting that feeling.

[He pulls away when she does, but one arm remains on her shoulder.] From 1 to 10, how angry will I be once I am fully caught up? What I've heard wasn't exactly... nice.

[ Trick question... ]

... so, let's just say the Cold War turned a little hot. And not in the appealing way.

[He's gonna pretend he didn't hear that last part over here if you don't mind thaaaank you]

I heard something about kidnappings? [And bombings, but he wants to hear her version of that first. Not that he distrusts anyone who was helping him catch up, it's just a reporter's habit.]

[ Her gaze hardens for a moment; thinking back to the kidnappings and how defenseless they were all forced to be, including her, still gets her blood to run hot. ]

The Russians kidnapped a large number of us and declared war.

[Clark frowns. Something about her wording, the way she says 'us'... he can't be sure, but he'd rather find out he's wrong than let it be, in this case.]

Did they kidnap you, Karen?

[ A pause before she slowly nods. ]

I was fine — not comfortable cramped in a cage full of imPorts, but I endured. The Russians had built a Porter of their own somehow.

[He squeezes her shoulders, lips tightening into a thin line. He knows Karen can take care of herself, he knows she's been doing that basically that since she landed in their world. They are family, yes, but that has never been his role in her life.

Doesn't mean he doesn't want to slap some faces around right now, though.]

I still wish you hadn't had to go through that. Why did they kidnap you, anyway? What was their purpose?

[ She wouldn't stop him from knocking a few heads around for what happened. She'd gladly join him. ]

The Soviets think of us as weapons... property of the US government, no less. To them we're a threat as long as we're running around unchecked.

And when that failed, they came for us again in February. They tried to brainwash us.

[Now Kal squints, but for a completely different reason. He's always had... issues, with brainwashing. It's one of the few ways to actually get at him- his body may be invulnerable but his mind definitely isn't. He sighs, letting go of her so he can rub his forehead.]

I'm glad to hear they just tried, and didn't succeed. What did they use to brainwash people?

There was a whole Seminar they forced us to go to. Some imPorts were able to flee, but I couldn't —

[ Leaving behind so many people, not just imPorts? She couldn't ever. ]

They tried to feed us propaganda, but they strapped us down into chairs, electrocuted us and replayed imagery over and over.

[Rao, that's... terrifying. and very old school but he should have seen that coming. He swallows, trying to push his anger down because it won't be constructive when the deed is already done. He'll just have to keep reminding himself Karen is here, and safe.]

How did you escape?

They would send us home at the end of each day... it was too surreal.

[ Like they didn't have the power to fight back initially. ]

They staged a coup and everything. Eventually, there was resistance and they were driven out, but their brainwashing almost worked.

I wish I had been here. Not that I think I'd have been able to stop it, but... [He would have been there to at least try. To try and help, to be there for Karen when she was recovering from it.]

How long was this. Did it leave any... scars behind? Are you okay, now?

Don't blame yourself. We were all caught off-guard.

[ An invasion they should have seen coming, but ultimately didn't. ]

No, we're okay now. [ As okay as anyone can be after that. ] We're a tough group, us imPorts.

Yeah. I guess we are. [The little smile he allows himself probably makes it clear he isn’t only talking about imPorts. He hesitates for a second- not that he thinks she would lie to him, but she’s definitely resilient. Stubborn, just like Kal himself. And not used to feeling vulnerable.

But she does look fine. And Kal also politely doesn’t say anything about not blaming himself. It’d end up in a circular argument, anyway.]

What happened when people found out? What was the retaliation?

[ The last thing Kal needs to hear is how the brainwashing nearly worked on her. They're both susceptible to such things, but it's always a red alert when one of them has lost control of themselves. With all that power at their disposal, someone who could control even one of them could do a lot of damage. ]

The Russians had overtaken the Porter cities. It wasn't easy with so many lives on the line.

[Clark nods. At least there's that- he was already imagining America using the attacks on the imports as a way to get free range to attack Russia and its allied countries. Even though the government never truly cared much for them outside of a possible weapon.]

Are you sure you're okay explaining all of this to me? I could always check the network.

You'll see a lot of stupidity, for one.

[ As tough a group they are, they can be completely idiotic at times, too. The arguments she had read through when she was free again were headache-inducing. ]

It's just... the US retaliated eventually. It got ugly, Kal, really ugly.

[Clark frowns, because Ugly... well. Ugly can mean a lot of different things.]

I'm assuming the cold war was suddenly not that cold?

They deployed airstrikes in Debrecen.

[ She folds her arms over her chest, fingers gripping her arms. ]

... there were a lot of people who lost their lives.

video | id reads "karen starr"

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i keep using russians and soviets... DECIDES ON ONE

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