Supercat prompt: Kara can fly across the world in minutes, obviously she goes to foreign places on a semi regular basis. She has a restaurant in Scottland that has a dish so similar to her favorite Kryptonian dish that when she’s upset she’ll go there to decompress and get comfort food.
Only this time Kara turns around to come face to face with Cat Grant, hands on her popped hip as she waits for her former assistant to explain just what she’s doing in Scottland when just this morning she tweeted from National City.
It’s the texture that really gets her. The taste yes, but oh Rao, the way it feels when she bites in. It’s so similar to larqk that she felt a little sick the first time she tried it. It had been a kind of accident. A dare. She was flying over Scotland with Kal-El one evening and he got this mischievous look on his face, because they’d just saved a school of whales. That was worth a feast, of anything was. They’d eaten their way through several cakes and other kinds of meats when he got that look in his eye again.
“It’s a delicacy…” he smiled. “Come on.”
“Sure. But what’s in it?”
The fun had ended when she took one bite and burst into tears. Even after she got him to try it. Please, try it. He couldn’t understand.
It had this nutty consistency, like the koro beans on Krypton she thought she’d never get to try again. It wasn’t made from the same animal parts, of course. The spices were a little off. But the way they served it….
“Well, well. Kara Danvers? In the middle of Glasgow. Eating Haggis?”
“Miss Grant!”
She felt a little faint, worried she was imagining things. But it was her alright, standing with her hand on her hip, looking like she had won a bet herself. Cat didn’t wait to be asked, she just sat down. Kara nearly choked on her mouthful, swallowing to rush into an explanation.
“Oh, don’t bother,” Cat waved her away. “You tweeted from National City this morning. I’m looking forward to the explanation, though. But I think it might be more productive for you to simply continue eating.”
“Really, Miss Grant. There’s this story, and I…”
Cat sighed, looking disappointed, and Kara felt the lie shrivel up right before she could spin it. She steeled herself. she could be brave.
“Well, what are you doing here, Miss Grant?”
“Edinburgh Fringe.”
“We’re not in Edinburgh.”
Cat gave her a bored-looking glare for stating the obvious.
“Carter found this bookshop in Glasgow he insisted we go to.”
Kara grinned, suddenly. She looked around for him but Cat stopped her, with an unexpected hand on her arm.
“He’s with his minder. Even I deserve some time off.”
“Time off from time off?”
Cat rolled her eyes.
“So, why Scotland, Supergirl?”
“Miss Grant…”
“Please, call me Cat. And stop insulting my intelligence.”
Kara closed her eyes, but she felt Cat’s grip on her arm tighten. Her heart sped up. To her surprise, so did Cat’s.
“It’s ok,” Cat’s voice was unexpectedly soft. “This will be the last time I harass you over it.”
And then her hand was gone, and Kara felt suddenly cold.
“No!” she said, before she knew what she was even intending to do. Her face heated up. She indicated to the food on the plate. “It’s similar, so similar.”
Cat was watching her closely, and she hesitated, barely managing the word.
“Similar to larqk.”
“To what?”
“A delicacy,” she breathed the words. “On Krypton.”
Cat opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Not until she managed to stutter.
“Oh.”
“Potstickers are good, I mean they’re all wrapped up, they’re kind of close. But they’re not…the same.”
“And haggis is?”
Kara laughed at Cat’s bewildered expression.
“Yeah. Somehow.”
“Who would have thought,” Cat’s eyes were bright, taking her in. “I’d love to hear the story behind it.”
“I think you owe me a few classified secrets of your own first.”
Cat smirked.
“I do have a few good ones.”
Kara fought a blush, feeling nervous for an altogether different reason. She started to eat again and Cat tilted her head to the side a little, watching her fondly.
“You really just…I’m guessing flew? To Scotland?” Cat paused. “For haggis?”
“You came for some Arts festival.”
“Edinburgh is a UNESCO City Of Literature, it’s not cow stomach. Sheep stomach?”
“Well, I had a bad day,” Kara hated how her voice wobbled. “I needed a pick me up.”
“Oh,” Cat’s face fell, the teasing gone from her tone. She seemed to be struggling with how to proceed. Whether she was allowed to continue to prod and question, whether it was even something that Kara needed right now. Kara felt warmed by the concern. She gave Cat a challenging grin.
“Want to try some?”
“Hmmmm.” To her surprise, Cat grasped the proffered fork and took a bite. She frowned, and swallowed. “It’s not bad. For offal.”
Kara rolled her eyes.
“Well, I’m not a fan of lettuce wraps.”
“I’m not even sure I am, but they have an acceptable amount of calories.” Her eyes widened as a server turned up at their table, and took one of Kara’s old plates away. He replaced it with another. “How much of that are you going to eat?”
“As much as it takes.”
“That’s rather cryptic.”
“Cat…”
“I’m not asking. I’m actively not asking,’ Cat said. “But I’m offering. If you ever want to. Talk about it. We used to have some decent discussions on my balcony, if I recall.”
Kara looked up then. Cat’s expression was warm, open. It was an offer of something. Something tentative. Something real. She nodded.
“We did, didn’t we?”
For the record, I’m one of those annoying vegetarians, and have thus never eaten anything this exciting.
Published
Question of Smoke 