#rustingcat

[battenthecrosshatches]

The 100 dialogue prompts are so good!

85. "I know what I saw" with supercorp, please, and thank you, darling;)

I hope you have a fantastic day!

Think of this as like, post coffee poison scene where Kara flies Lena to get treatment in her civilian attire. Lena sees Kara flying her to safety and confronts her about it.

I figure Lena is heading towards her own spiral towards spite revenge and the only thing that knocks that off its orbit is Kara spiraling right in front of her. She's panicking about this being the way Lena finds out because she's been trying to tell her. Then they have a heart to heart collapsed on the couch and try to figure out how to pick up all the eggshells and the bomb debris around them.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Companion (unofficial) ficlet to this masterpiece! Many thanks to @rustingcat for both creating the art and accepting my own humble offering.

Lena runs. She runs and runs and runs. She runs until her lungs burn and her bare feet are torn and bleeding from the detritus of the forest floor, and then keeps running.

She can't tell if he's following on her trail, or how close he may be. She can't hear anything but the thundering of her heart and the desperate, ragged rasping of her breath.

If she stops, she knows she'll feel the pulsing pain of the swelling bruises on her face. She'll feel the sharp stabbing pain of her broken wrist. Whoever he was, he hadn't been gentle with her when she'd resisted and pulled away from him. Something in his eyes had been sharp and hateful-- a glint that had promised when he was done, when he catches her, she wouldn't live to tell the tale.

So she runs. As fast and as far as she can.

Then she trips, her feet tangling in a mess of roots and weeds. She sprawls hard and undignified, chin scraping the ground with enough force to make her teeth rattle in her head. The fall knocks the breath from her, and she wheezes, flat on her stomach, until she can force air back into her lungs.

She's no longer among the trees. The world is lightening with the imminent twilight of morning, allowing her to see the woods have ended and that she'd somehow, some way, emerged at the side of the road.

Painfully rolling to one side, Lena tries to push back to her feet-- only to collapse to one knee as her left ankle gives out. Agony races from her toes to her knee, a blaze of fire that doubles when she tries again.

"Shit," she sobs, fear and despair chasing at her now immobile heels. "Shit, shit shit!"

"Lena?"

The voice sounds distant, then very very close.

"LENA!"

Then Kara, Supergirl, is there in front of her. In an instant, the panic dims, blanketed to silence as the weight of a hero's cape settles around her shoulders. Against the backdrop of a pinkening sky, Kara's pinched, worried features jar against the exhaustion that now tugs at Lena.

"Are you okay?" Kara asks frantically. Her words words tremble, and even her breaths seem to shake in her chest.

Doesn't she know that with her, Lena will always be safe?

Lena nods. "Yeah. I am now."

[eqt-95]

I'm here to bring fluff and happiness back with this ♥️

ok so get this: my phone showed your ask as a red heart. so here I was, typing away about deep-throating popsicles and fingering milkshakes when I opened your ask on my laptop and saw a... white heart?! absolute witchcraft!

and since now i don't know what's right-side up from upside down, i offer a mash up: ❤️+🤍 or 'first kiss / realization' + 'kiss at the wedding / milestone'

p.s. thanks for the fluff and happiness injection. i needed it

- - - - - -

Kara loved going to weddings. What wasn’t there to love? There were flowers, delicious foods, endless dancing, and, best of all, that excuse to confess your deepest feelings in front of friends and family to the love of your life. 

She’d watched her sister and Kelly share their vows, commit to each other, and look darn good while doing it. She danced with Nia and Brainy to Bye-Bye-Bye which was technically of Alex’s no-play list, but Nia bribed the DJ. She stuffed her face with cake alongside Esme who was stubbornly fighting off the sleepies. She even had the most amazing pep-talk slash hug slash reveal with Lena.

The very best kind.

The kind that left her warm and seen and cherished.

The kind that left her wanting that same feeling for forever. 

The kind that felt like a Red Sun: held and understood and home. 

So why did she feel so… heavy and twisted inside?

Stumped. She was stumped. She was also in a slump. Her lower lip was quite close to a grump. But how to overcome this hump?

She shook her head. Now was definitely not the time for Dr. Seuss rhymes. Though silently she argued there was always time for Dr. Seuss rhymes.

Serious Kara won out. So instead of rhymes she stewed. She stewed and brewed and searched for a clue(d) -

“What’s up homie?” Nia asked, sliding across the bench and tipsily colliding into Kara’s side. “You missed REO Speedwagon. Even J’onn gave it his all; might’ve thrown out his back though. Poor guy. I am parched.”

Kara bit her lip and scowled and really really wanted a rhyme scheme to get her through this. “You love Brainy, right?”

“Woa, left field there swinger,” Nia smirked. Her attention was on the array of glasses with colorful drinks littering the table behind them. “Sure do.”

Kara slouched and let her chin find the palm of her hand. “So how did-”

“You think this is sour raspberry?” Nia interrupted, a cup of bright blue liquid appearing under Kara’s nose. “Or tropical punch,” she said.

Kara sniffed the cup. “Tropical punch.”

“Bonus,” Nia exclaimed and took a long drag. “You were saying?”

“Um,” Kara began without an ounce of heroic chutzpah. “How did you know?”

The question made the ‘heavy’ feeling morph into butterflies. It did nothing for the twisting. In fact, it exacerbated the twisting. It wrangled around her heart and made her breaths shallow with nerves. Definitely no chutzpah.

“Easy: He’s my person. My ride or die. To infinity and beyond. The Clyde to my Bonnie.”

“Are you sure that’s who you want to compare-”

“Look, it doesn’t matter. They went out with a bang,” Nia scoffed. “But fine, point taken,” Nia conceded then pulled another deep swig. “He’s the Orpheus to my Persephone.”

“I think you mean Eurydice.”

“Sure.” Her lips were now a faint shade of blue.

“But also, didn’t Orpheus fail-?”

“He did no such thing!” Nia proclaimed with rather unfounded enthusiasm. Juice sloshed onto the grass. “He went to the depths of hell for the woman he loved. He descended through souls and ghouls and fools-”

Kara wondered if this was the rhyme she needed. Maybe it was, because it propelled her up and across the lawn and so focused was she that Nia’s parting words of ‘Go get her, champ!’ fell of deaf ears.

She stumbled over lawn darts and accidentally destroyed a life-size jenga game. She nearly walked straight through the barn wall and into a decorative trough. She walked straight past the cake without grabbing a slice. 

Kara Zor El was on a mission.

And that mission was less than ten feet away, laughing and radiating like the sun rose and shone only for her. Her nose scrunched as the smile spread wider when Kara approached. It faded only slightly when the palpable look of fear on Kara’s face was noticed.

“Kara? Is everything ok?” she asked, stepping away from the group and brushing a reassuring thumb over Kara’s arm.

They stepped more steps until the steps led them to crickets and tree frogs and only the white noise of people. And ever the Pulitzer winning wordsmith, these were the words that managed to trip out of her mouth:

“I want to be your Orpheus.”

Lena’s mouth parted and eyes narrowed. “You… what?”

“I want to… shoot, no I mean…”

“You want to trap me in hell?” Lena asked. And bless the straight face she was trying to keep, but between Kara’s fish mouthing and absolutely butchering of whatever heartfelt words she had hoped would appear out of thin air, Lena’s face was doing some serious gymnastics to keep from smirking.

“He didn’t fail! He… he…”

Straws. Those were the things Kara was grasping for. Humiliatingly limp, paper straws.

“I want to fight off souls and ghouls and fools for you. I want the chance. I want you and the world to know that you are the person I’d move heaven and hell for you, because you make me feel whole. You make me feel seen and wanted and loved and I just… I just want you. And I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to realize it but I-”

Lips.

Soft lips.

Soft lips and deep sighs and the flutter of long dark hair tickling her cheeks.

And then a sigh.

And then a ‘wowzers’.

And then a laugh.

And then again.

- - - - -

ask game

[missluthorwillseeyounow]

Ooh I'd love to hear 27 for Lena 😂

27. What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?

For Lena, the worst gift was no gift at all.

Her first birthday at the Luthors, and the little girl woke up with the first tiny bit of hope and happiness in her little heart.

Her birthdays, as far as she could remember in her young life, were always happy days. Not grand, in any sense. But the tiny cottage by the cliffs would be filled with a warm, rich scent of the sponge cake baking in the oven, and her mother would always let her sneak a small piece before the cake was even decorated. The sponge would be buttery and soft in Lena’s mouth, and when she exclaimed at the taste, her mother would get a soft look in her eyes and cup her cheek gently, wiping crumbs from her mouth.

No matter how lean the year had been, there would always be a present waiting for Lena at the table, lovingly wrapped by her mother's hand in shiny paper. Most times it would be a cheap pair of shoes or a plastic toy or an old book from a thrift shop - all her mother could afford - but Lena would treasure each as if it were gold.

But where were they now? Discarded by the Luthors as cheap trinkets the minute she moved into their household.

But today, she has a little bit of hope. After all, her mother always showed her that birthdays are special days.

Lena waits at the breakfast table. Lex is at boarding school, she misses him dearly. Lionel is already at LuthorCorp. Lillian has spared a rare moment to sip her morning coffee before heading out the door, and Lena's spirits lift in anticipation.

But nothing comes. No acknowledgment as the maid approaches with her lunch box and book bag. It's not even Lillian who bids her farewell, but rather the housekeeper who tells her to hurry along or she'll be late for school.

Breakfast comes and goes, and Lena is ushered into the family limo without acknowledgment.

She keeps her expectations low throughout the school day, but a little part of her looks up each time the door opens. She knows better than to expect any of the Luthors to come in with cupcakes and balloons or anything like that. But a small message, any sort of acknowledgment would be welcome.

Nothing comes.

School is dismissed and Lena is too. She is sent to her room to do her homework and brush up on her reading. Her Latin teacher comes and goes. Her organic chemistry tutor stays for an hour and talks about chirality and stereoisomers, but mentions nothing about birthdays.

Her last hope clings to life at dinner.

She's too scared to bring it up to Lionel. The man who had picked her up and flown her to the States is more interested in the portfolio he's reviewing at the table. Lillian is similarly distracted by some documents at her side. The entire dinner is silent and distracted, work taken to the table just to avoid talking to the people they share a house with. It certainly can't be called a family.

Lionel retires early and the only two people left are Lillian and Lena. The little girl waits as the maid clears the plates and disappears around the corner.

She summons her courage and musters a small smile for her new mother, who doesn't even look up to see it. "It's my birthday today."

Lillian’s annoyed gaze flicks up at her, her grey eyes almost bored. "Is it? And did you expect some sort of congratulations for that?"

Lena's mouth snaps shut, and her eyes lower to her lap.

"Do you suggest we reward something as trivial as being born? Should you get some award for merely existing?" Lillian arches a fine eyebrow. "Accolades are for achievements, Lena. Birthdays are not achievements, and hardly worth any sort of offering. If you're looking for some sort of distinction or praise for merely existing, you're looking in the wrong place. Let me know when you've achieved something worth commemorating."

But you gave Lex his own lab for his last birthday. Lena bites the thought back, knowing better than to say anything. Instead, she turns back to her plate.

The rest of the meal passes in silence.

[fazedlight]

23 for Kara and Lena (because we all need to simp from time to time😌)

23. Favorite picture of this character?

Kara's outfit from Elseworlds:

Lena in a suit gets me every time:

Thanks for the ask!! ❤️

character ask game

[ekingston]

10 and 19 for the writers ask:)

hello & thank you!

Top three favourite fic tropes?

close to impossible to choose but this is me trying (in only a very tentative order):

Fake dating/marriage of convenience (sooooo many opportunities for shenanigans)

Forced proximity/stranded together (stuck in an elevator? bomb shelter? a small desert island? snowed in together in a luxurious-yet-underheated cabin or stuck on the same jury? the possibilities are ENDLESSLY DELICIOUS

(Post) apocalyptic romance (you can pry this one from my cold, undead hands)

Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

[sssammich]

13 and 16 for the ask game:)

thank you very much! mm let's see let's see

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy?

lmao in fics, aside from various heavy or dark themes, i find writing children is very difficult because so many children end up being So Precocious and i do not jive with that too much. that's also why i don't veer into writing any kid fic or anything of that sort.

as for easy subject matters, idk if there's any one thing that's super easy to write. i basically just handwave my way through explaining stuff and keep it vague. so i guess instead of a subject matter, i just vaguely make my way downtown through the fic. but that's not very satisfying, i reckon. food, maybe??

16. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark?

lmaooo oh i'm a dog ear the page kind of person

but i've used an unopened banana before just as a thing to hold my spot in the book haha

ask meme

[inkedroplets]

7, 10 and 12♥️ for the ask game;)

I procrastinated on answering this procrastinating ask game...

🖍Post Any sentence from your wip

You know I can't just do a sentence

It felt strange to be back in her office again after so long away. Hunched over her desk again, poring over a mountain of paperwork, signing her name in what felt like a hundred places on a thousand different forms  had all the qualities of a dream that she couldn't seem to shake no matter how much time ticked away.  It wasn't just that she had been away for nearly an entire year or that she felt like a stranger in what was now to her a strange land. Both those things were true but it was the fact that she was in the process of relinquishing control over L-Corp, letting go of something that had once seemed so important to her, so vital. And yet, the only feeling she could muster was a sense of relief, knowing that the paperwork would be done soon. She wanted to laugh, feeling like a child that had lost interest in what they had only moments ago proclaimed was their favorite toy. But she feared that if she did, she might also start to cry. Beneath the irony and the relief she thought there must be sadness. In the same way that one might look at the sky and know that it must rain soon.

🤡How many Wips are you actively working on?

Too fucking many. 15 at the moment. About half are shorter fics (3-10 chapters) the rest are longer fics so they're in various states of chaos

[luthordamnvers]

I'm greedy, so 9 for the writing game;)

Of course you are....

9. a passage from a WIP

Lena chuckled, because, of course Kara loved 'singing with the muses'. She nodded and picked up the plate with potstickers from the service cart, just before following Kara to the bed.  Kara found the movie and pressed play, only to look at Lena immediately. She didn’t ask for the potstickers, she waited for Lena to sink on the mattress next to her, and then interlocked their fingers together once the potstickers were safely on the mattress. Lena was happy to just… exist next to the Kryptonian, for the time being. She could at least try to see if it worked out, because for Lena, Kara was absolutely worth it.  “You are my favorite too, by the way.” Lena whispered. “I know. Potsticker me?”  “I don’t wanna use my fingers.” “That’s what she said.” “Oh God, you are terrible.”

[appropriatelystupid]

2 and 22 for the fandom ask game!

2. OT3?

i was so ready for keeley roy and jamie to be real but alas we can’t have nice things

22. Give us a headcanon for [character]

[taking this to be dealer’s choice for character so]

*suddenly forgets everything i’ve ever headcanoned*

i like to think that cat and lena have a significant relationship we never saw but should have

fandom asks

[femslashhistorian]

The Phantom Zone by TheCasualQueer

Summary: Lena jumps in front of the Phantom zone projector in an effort to save Kara, but ends up getting both trapped in the Phantom zone. They must work hard to get out together, as well as working through the aftermath of the rift and mastering new abilities.

Nothing like drawing Supercorp in an accidental compromised position ;)

Had a blast working with @thecasualqueer on their @supergirlmayhem fic! You can find their fic The Phantom Zone here, and my art here.

[battenthecrosshatches]

I hope you're feeling better now. And i wish you a Happy New Year! I hope you'll have a fantastic year😘

I am, thank you for your kind words! 🥰 Happy New Year! I hope it brings so many good things to you! Cheers!

[jadedloverart]

Hey darling, I'd love to know 15 for the ask game:)

Hello!! :D

What wips am I taking into next year you ask?

Why all of them of course :')

Most noteworthy being the medieval zombie au: Queen of the Damned and the mind wipe au: Metamorphosis

[missluthorwillseeyounow]

13 for the ask game, please:)

13. How much planning do you do before writing?

First of all, hello, friend! Second, I don't really plan per se. Most of my fics are word vomits I send to friends at like 2 am with a hysterical laugh and bags under my eyes. I have hundreds of manic discord and tumblr messages that I've thrown at friends, and before I know it, I've written a scene and then another, and now I have to think of why it happened and what's gonna happen next (usually in the shower or at work or at 3 in the morning). I fill in the rest based on whatever the story is about. If it's an AU for a fandom, I'll base it on what happens on both pieces of media, find common or familiar plots, similarities in characters, or roles that characters can play well in both. For example, making Cat Grant the Oracle and Lex Agent Smith in my Supercorp Matrix AU, or giving Lena Prentiss' story arc in one of my plots from my Criminal Minds AU (though I have to rewrite that one). One of my favorite things about making an AUs getting to core of what both stories are about, and blending them together into something new that incorporates everything I love, making sure it's unique and different from the originals while still retaining the characterization and essence of both pieces of media. That, and solving plot holes, of which I always have many. And then I write it.

(Lol no I don't that's why I have so many unpublished wips 😅)

[femslashhistorian]

Lena's Space Log by MyCatIsMyEditor 

Summary:

With the new L Corp space station needing to be tested Lena decides to leave her company in Sam’s capable hands so she can spend a year doing it. And more importantly enjoy a year not worrying about people trying to kill her. Two birds, one stone really.

There’s just one small problem with her plan; it means she’s spending the whole year alone, on a space station, with her every move recorded and shared live to the world by a poorly programmed droid.

Watch Lena struggle to maintain her cold Luthor reputation while she yells profanities at a goat, lavishes affection on a cat, goes through what she insists on calling a “grunge” phase, keeps accidentally letting slip how sex starved she is, and desperately tries not to let on how madly in love with her best friend and only visitor she is.

TW: Threats of violence towards a goat. Nothing bad happens to the goat despite Lena’s many murderous urges. She just REALLY hates it.

Day 75

Lena has a bit of a scare.

Art by the incredible @rustingcat

Latest chapter available here:

[fazedlight]

5 and 7 for the fandom ask game:)

5. something you see in fics a lot and love

I love Irish Lena (or Irish-Elizabeth) headcanons. I'm usually leaning canon-heavy, so I basically never write her that way, but I do love it when I read it.

I'm also really fond of Kara and Alex's sisterly bond showing up in fics!

7. your favorite tropes to read/write/draw

I just love angst with a happy ending so much (whether reading or writing) 😭. I love super soft supercorp drawings! Though I, uh, cannot draw at all

Thanks for the ask ❤️

Ask game