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@sinfulsitter •
            
                  you tell me.  you’re the one smiling.

✦ SABRINA LAURENT: 
            
            sabrina laurent is one of the few people who knows maya’s identity as spider-woman and one of the even fewer people maya trusts with every part of herself.
            
            what began as a friends-with-benefits arrangement gradually became something neither of them intended. over time, sabrina became one of the most important people in maya’s life.
            
            where many people only see one version of maya, sabrina sees all of them.
            
            she knows the overworked engineering student running on coffee and four hours of sleep.  she knows the eldest daughter who worries about everyone before herself.  she knows the exhausted spider-woman who comes home bruised, frustrated, and wondering if she’s doing any of it right.
            
            more importantly, she knows how to make maya put those burdens down for a little while.
            
            their relationship isn’t always straightforward. both can be stubborn, defensive, and reluctant to talk openly about their feelings. despite that, what started as something casual slowly developed into a deep emotional connection built on trust, understanding, and an affection neither of them expected.
            
            for maya, sabrina represents something increasingly rare: a place where she doesn’t have to pretend she’s okay.
            
            with sabrina, she isn’t spider-woman.
            
            she isn’t oscorp’s engineering student.
            
            she isn’t the responsible eldest daughter.
            
            she’s simply maya.

✦ SPIDER - WOMAN ORIGIN (2/2): 
            
            because of her new responsibilities, maya’s degree was delayed. her schedule became fragmented by injuries, sleepless nights, missed opportunities, and constant exhaustion. every area of her life began competing for the same limited time and energy.
            
            unlike many spider-people, maya does not romanticize her powers.
            
            she does not see them as a gift.
            
            she sees them as a responsibility.
            
            a responsibility she cannot bring herself to abandon, no matter how badly she sometimes wishes she could.
            
            maya rarely thinks of heroism as part of her identity. she does not seek recognition, admiration, or purpose through the mask. most of the time, she is simply responding to whatever problem is directly in front of her.
            
            if somebody needs help, she helps.
            
            if somebody is in danger, she steps in.
            
            not because she enjoys being spider-woman, but because walking away has never felt like a real option.
            
            the result is a young woman who is constantly balancing grief, responsibility, family expectations, academic pressure, and the weight of a role she never chose.
            
            at her core, maya is not driven by a desire to be a hero.
            
            she continues because she cannot live with herself if she doesn’t.

✦ SPIDER - WOMAN ORIGIN (1/2): 
            
            mariana became spider-woman at twenty-one years old.
            
            at the time, her life was already stretched thin.
            
            she was juggling a biomedical engineering degree, work, family obligations, and the pressure that came with being the eldest daughter in a household where money was often tight. she had plans for her future and was working toward them one step at a time.
            
            then everything changed.
            
            during an oscorp-related visit, maya was bitten by a genetically altered spider.  the bite gave her abilities she never asked for and a life she never wanted.
            
            for most spider-people, the moment they gain their powers becomes the beginning of something exciting.
            
            for maya, it felt like the beginning of losing control over her own future.
            
            the timing made everything worse.
            
            not long after gaining her powers, maya lost harry osborn, one of her closest friends and her first love.
            
            his death left a permanent mark on her life and became inseparable from the period in which she first became spider-woman. the grief, guilt, and upheaval that followed shaped much of the way she views both herself and her abilities.

yeah,  i’m glad too.   [  archane tugged the blanket over her body,  already getting comfortable as exhaustion started to creep up on her.   she turned over onto her side but glanced over her shoulder midway.  ]   of course.   i’ll start making a new one as soon as i get back home.   [  smiling to herself,  she turned over completely and yawned once more,  falling asleep almost immediately.   what a day–  full of pleasant surprises and an unexpected yet exciting turn of events.  ]

@aranezs •
            
                  it’s fine,  i’m just glad we got to make amends and spend a bit of time with each other.   *   mariana gave archane a once over once she was ready to lay down to make sure she was okay   *   goodnight.   *   she began to walk away when she stopped mid step   *   just in case i don’t see you in the morning,  i meant what i said.  i want that device so i can come see you.   *   and with that,  mariana walked back to her bedroom and closed the door behind her,  not realising a faint smile was still present   *

[  with almost everything off her chest,  archane felt a significant weight lifted from her chest and conscious,  no longer holding most of the stress that came with their territory.   everything flowed so quickly and smoothly that she had also lost track of how much time had passed,  watching as mariana got up and left before she even had the chance to protest.   back home she’d already be asleep so it was probably for the best.  ]   thank you—   for the meal,  for letting me crash;  everything.   [  she gathered the blanket and pillow appreciatively,  tucking the pillow behind her with a soft yawn.   the couch was extremely,  perfect even.  ]   nah.   i’m good.   goodnight,  mariana. 

@gmblersriot      /      tyyy <3 

@aranezs       /      <33 

“ with great power comes ZERO responsibility ”

•   everyone expected her to become a hero.
            
            instead, she hated it.
            
            every time she tried to ignore a crime, someone got hurt. every time she helped, people expected more from her. the mask felt less like a gift and more like a trap.