Cuteness 101

My aunt was, unsurprisingly, a fun person to be around—if you could ignore the nationalism and superiority complex. To be fair, that seemed to be a trait she shared with my mother. They were both good people, but Rao, were they stubborn. And now that I'm thinking about it, all Kryptonians were stubborn. I mean, why would you ignore a scientist and a general saying the planet is going to explode? There's stubborn, and then there's stupid. But my aunt? She was just stubborn. Thank god—or Rao, I guess. 

We were currently in my aunt's home, and I was watching her go through some of the stances in one of our people's martial arts. As I watched her, I saw this serenity in her movements, this peace. It was like she knew everything but chose to discard all the noise, focusing only on the necessary pieces and nothing else. There was a beauty in it, a kind of controlled chaos that felt almost… poetic. 

"Can you teach me?" I found myself blurting out. 

"What?" she asked, pausing mid-stance to look at me. "You want to be a soldier now, little Kara?" 

"No," I said quickly, shaking my head. "I'd be a terrible soldier. I don't do well in crowded spaces, I don't like taking orders, I'm overly anxious, I don't like violence, and I hate pain. Honestly, I don't think I'm Kryptonian." 

My aunt laughed at my rant, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Then why would you ask me to teach you how to fight?" 

She paused to think, but I was already answering the follow-up question. "No, no one is bullying me, Auntie. The only way to bully me is with physical violence, and the kids in the Military Guild are too smart—and too scared of you and Uncle Zod—to do any of that." 

That brought a smile to her face. "Okay then, Kara. Why *do* you want to learn how to fight?" 

"Firstly, I'm a very practical person, and I know sooner or later I'm going to have to use my fists. I'm not going to like it, but I'll have to do it. Secondly, I like spending time with you. And lastly… I want the peace." 

"The peace?" she asked, confused. 

"When you were moving, you seemed at peace. Everything was quiet. With my brain, I think it'd be really helpful to learn how to do tai chi." 

"Tai chi? What's that?" 

"You know what? Never mind. So, can you teach me? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" 

I turned my cuteness up to full capacity—puppy eyes, puffed cheeks, and pouted lips. It was beautiful, I tell you. She never had a chance. 

Eventually, she answered, "You didn't have to bring out those weapons. One day, you'll lose that cuteness. What will you have then?" 

"That day is never going to come, and we both know it, Auntie," I answered with the brightest smile. 

"Rao, you are the most bizarre child to have ever walked on Krypton," she said, shaking her head but smiling all the same.