#gaaah look at the pointy

[duckyface27]

Catra deserves love.

A carboard box lay on the cold, white aluminum floor. A shower curtain, grazed by a pristine hand, began to slide open. Towels, clothes, the sound of combs fiddling around—and an occasional humming—furnished the air.

After some time looking, Adora found her favorite comb. She started molding a hair poof but, just before she finished, she remembered all those times Catra laughed at the little poof. Adora chuckled lightly and decided to do it just a tad diffe—

Playful scoffing came from somewhere in the room. Adora got ready to give a good old ass-kicking to whoever dared mock Adora’s Mighty Hair Poof.

“Who’s there?” Blinded by indignation, Adora exclaimed.

“Oh, I don’t know…” Something moved in the cardboard box, which Adora had thought was empty. “I mean, everyone must think the same about your pathetic little hair poof—”

“For the honor of Grayskull!” Adora was now holding her second-favorite comb as a sword.

“—but come on, only I could tell when you’re poofing it up a galaxy away.”

Adora’s eyebrows were ready for battle. She sneakily strolled towards the box.

Catra was in fetal position, looking down, when she saw the golden comb point toward her menacingly.

Adora sighed in relief. “Oh, it’s just you.”

Catra smirked, without looking up.

The golden comb got closer to her. After a few seconds, Adora retracted it and stretched out her hand so as to help Catra up.

Catra saw Adora’s hand. She closed her eyes and lay her head back on the carboard wall instead.

“Hmm. Laugh all you want,” Adora said happily, not a care in the world. “I was just about to change it up a bit this time around.”

Catra stretched and let out a big yawn. “Oh yeah? How, exactly?”

“Like this.” Adora twisted and bent all the way down to give Catra a kiss.

“ADORA! Have you seen Catra?” Entrapta shouted at Adora’s ear as she sat in Darla’s hall. “I have just made an exciting discovery! These little furry animals—gaaah!” She showed two of them on her pad. “They have tiny pointy ears and love to sit in boxes and are just so adorable!!”

Adora wasn’t surprised. “Yeah, she’s in the white bathroom, but she’s been there a while.”

“Ideal conditions for consultation!” Then Entrapta saw Adora’s face. “I mean… under different circumstances! I will, uh… study these devious demons independently!”

Adora heard the door shut. Now that she was alone, she grabbed a glass, poured water, and took a sip. She saw Shadow Weaver’s face without the mask. Her lower back was sore, her feet felt like she had just walked from Salineas to Dryl alone, her head was boiling. She saw Catra smiling and immediately lunging for She-Ra’s head. Adora winced as the irritating pain of poison in her calf revived. She held the screams back as long as she could. Catra. I don’t care that you tried to kill me. She forgot about trying to hold back the screams. Why won’t you let me in? She didn’t care about holding back the screams. I still love you!

The white-bathroom door opened quietly. Adora took a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily, and put one foot inside the bathroom.

“Hey, Catra.”

Catra was in fetal position again, but her head was on the other side of the box. Adora could only see her ears from the back.

“I brought you your favorite—well, honestly I don’t know—”

“I don’t deserve you, Adora.”

“Wh—Catra, what are you… Ah, ha-ha-ha… You sit here for hours, and that’s the best you could come up with? You know, I could get Glimmer in here and say something ridiculously mean and—and untrue!—to you, impromptu.”

“Adora—”

“Glimmer!”

“Stop, Adora.”

“Just a sec. She’ll be here any time now.”

“Stop.”

Catra sluggishly got up and walked towards the door, without looking up.

“I don’t deserve you. Stop trying to deny it.”

Adora was at a loss for words. Tears started forming up, as Catra distanced away from her. Her eyes followed the feline silhouette. But helplessly, she stood in place. Her body did not respond to any of her mind’s commands. The one she thought she could share a lifetime with vanished.

A pink cloud materialized in front of paralyzed, teary Adora. Bow and Glimmer.

“What happened?” Glimmer asked worriedly.

She just hugged Adora.

It took a moment for Adora to hug Glimmer back. Glimmer sat her down, and Bow joined in the hug.

Adora started sobbing again. When her mouth eventually responded, all she could do was frown. She looked Glimmer in the eye and said, “Catra—she says she doesn’t deserve me.”

The air in Adora’s voice was not surprise or sorrow. It was confusion. Trained to be the best, her tears have never been for her, and this was not a first.

“You’re worth more than what you can give other people. You deserve love, too.” The words of Mara echoed in her head. She had spent all her life with Catra; she hoped Catra could snap out of whatever she went through in the Horde, just like Adora did. I want to understand you. So I can help you. Please.

Bow knocked on the red-bathroom door. It was locked.

“Hey, Catra, I just… need my toothbrush.”

To his surprise, the door unlocked.

“Thanks.” There was only a tiny orange light on. He went in carefully and grabbed a toothbrush. He saw Catra curled up on the toilet.

Bow was almost out, then stopped. He turned his head slightly. “You’re wrong, by the way. About what you said to Adora.”

“Get,” Catra began saying, voice cracking, almost out of energy. “Get out…”

“You do deserve her. And you know I’m right.”

Catra retracted her claws on one hand, tail frizzling. She blurted out an incomprehensible word.

“We all know you tried to kill us several times,” Bow continued, not one bit afraid of Catra’s defensive state. “Sure, you were always one step ahead of us. It was kind of annoying… but then”—he turned to face her—“you did send Glimmer back to us from Prime’s ship. Boy, I had no idea what to do—I was so scared… I really thought we were gonna lose her. Prime’s army was really fucking huge. I had never dreamed of something so evil…

“Catra, when I saw you getting Glimmer out of her cell, taking down Horde minions like they were… well, clones…” He put down the toothbrush. Catra was no longer breathing heavily. “You weren’t breaking a prisoner out because of some score you needed to settle. You saved a person’s life.

“When Glimmer and I met Adora, the first thing we wanted to do was get rid of her. An evil Horde soldier. She was the enemy—no way she could ever do something good for us. She’s been corrupted, hardwired to destroy. But then we saw her turn into She-Ra and, well, save us from a monster. If we hadn’t found who Adora really was, we would have missed on so many memories, laughs together—and shit, I don’t think the universe would exist right now, either… I was wrong about Adora. I thought she didn’t deserve anything good. And yet, I would probably stop breathing in the next five seconds if I told you Adora still doesn’t deserve anything good.”

Catra curled up again and tilted her head down. Bow heard an extremely quiet sob.

“Catra.” Bow moved and crouched by her side. Since he left the door open to let in light from the hallway, he saw what very well may have been tears running down her cheek. Catra didn’t protest. “You could’ve locked yourself in here the whole day and then, I don’t know, jettisoned to space—but you didn’t. You let me in. I—well, to be honest, I have no idea why, but! Now that you did, I just want to let you know we’re here. I’m here.

“The Horde, it tries to destroy everything it touches. I saw dozens of soldiers just run from the battlefield when they could’ve stayed and fight. My guess is they didn’t have something real to fight for. Adora says Shadow Weaver was always watching, when you least expect it. You know this much better than I and—damn, I’m sorry. But just one more thing… the Horde? Why do you think Prime made clones of himself? Individual identity is a threat to the Horde. Anyone wanting anything means there’s no hive mind anymore. Anyone… believing they deserve something…” Bow placed his hand on Catra’s shoulder.

Bow made that pause on purpose, because Catra was no longer holding back her tears.

I… I was not allowed to deserve?

Catra already knew this too fucking well.

She tilted a bit closer to Bow, who embraced her.

She couldn’t stop crying. She thought about all those times she wanted to get out of the Fright Zone, eat anything from outside, be with Adora, be herself. How could you do this to me?!?! Every time I won the world for you, every time I sacrificed everything for you!!

“I… I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you,” Bow exhaled. He was choosing his words carefully now.

No shit.

“But we can try to take a step in some direction. What direction do you want that to be?”

I don’t know!

Bow stood up. “Well… I think you already took a step. You made a magical connection with an amazing creature that turns invisible. You defeated an intergalactic tyrant. You saved the universe. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

But I hurt so many people. I hurt Adora…

“You’re not in the Horde anymore, and that was your choice. You became part of the Rebellion. And guess what. We were enemies with the Horde for a reason. We run shit differently around here. We trust each other—trust us with our choices, even if we make mistakes. We love each other—because love is worth fighting for. Have compassion for each other—for we understand that we haven’t always had the best life, but we’re still worthy of love—and hope for a better future.”

He took a step backwards to the door. Catra finally tried to look up to him, in profuse tears.

“I hope, Catra… that you will really believe it now. You deserve love. And I’m not talking to the damn flowerpot behind you.” He crouched down again and took Catra’s hands. “You, Catra, deserve love. You deserve Adora.”

After Bow left and closed the door, Catra shed a last tear. And she let slip… a hopeful smile.

I… oh my goodness…

I am ready to get down from the stupid bowl.

I am ready to come out of the bathroom.

Catra had never seen so many colored lights. Green, purple, red, pink. Some of them were moving very quickly. She suddenly felt the urge to chase them.

Leaping and zooming, she followed the lights, only to find—

“HIII!!!”

“Ohh, uh… hi, Entrapta.” Catra scratched her head. “What are these, uh, contraptions?”

“THESE? THEY ARE CALLED LASER POINTERS!!”

“And, uh, what are they for?”

“THEY POINT LASERS, SILLY!!”

“Uh-huh, good talk, see ya…”

They walked past each other. Entrapta was already on her way to… somewhere.

Catra kept walking to the hall. She still saw colored lights—light green, purple, pink, bright orange—although she wasn’t sure if they were real. Maybe that run-in with Entrapta had already traumatized her.

She got to the hall, opened the door, sat down.

“Adora,” she whispered to herself, “I love you. And I kinda feel you were right—about everything, I mean—”

“Who are you talking to?” Glimmer asked, confused.

“Glimmer! This is none of—I mean—gaah!” Catra leaped at her, claws ready.

Glimmer teleported away, of course. But when she came back, she brought Bow, Entrapta… and Adora.

“Hey, Catra,” Adora spoke, with the usual tone.

Catra was taken aback for a second.

“Oh. I see,” said Catra.

“Look what I brought!!” Entrapta dragged two artifacts from the hallway.

Catra raised an eyebrow.

“A huge, but not gigantic, cardboard box! And a yarn ball!!!!!”

Adora walked over to Catra and whispered, “She’s been doing research on some tiny animals called… cats, Catra.”

Entrapta slid to Catra and Adora’s position. “AND THEY’RE FABULOUS!!!!”

Catra laughed. And she laughed again. And grinned, just for a moment.

“I’LL LEAVE THE BOX AND BALL FOR YOU HERE. BYEEE.”

Catra laughed again. “Okay, you’re kidding, right?”

“I don’t think she’s kidding, Catra,” Adora grinned. She turned her bracelet into another yarn ball.

“Oookay, okaaay, leave the box. But come on, I’m not a child—I’m not a cat! Take the balls away, please.”

“But you kind of are a cat,” Adora chuckled.

“Oh my—I am not… why do I even try…”

Entrapta, Bow, Glimmer, and the yarn ball left. Adora turned her ball back into a bracelet.

“So,” Adora said casually.

“So what?” Catra happened to look directly at the hair poof, which caused her to start laughing uncontrollably.

“So are you gonna stop laughing at my hair poof?”

“Maybe… in a few thousand years.” She starts leaping around Adora.

“Oh, the audacity to tolerate it just enough to make fun of it!”

“Come on, now I also have to put up with your dancing?”

“Well… m-yes.” Adora smiled while raising an eyebrow.

They laughed, laughed, and laughed… Adora jumped in the box but broke it, whereupon Catra lunged at her.

Catradora were now lying on the floor, looking up. Entrapta really had thought of everything. She even put a big screen on the ceiling to show stars. Catra and Adora were still laughing here and there.

“Hey… Adora?” Catra ventured to ask.

“Hey, Catra?”

“Do you… do you trust me?”

“Yes. I do.” Adora knew to be serious now.

“So you’re not gonna think I’m lying when I say this?”

Adora sat upright. “No. I promise.”

“Adora, I…” She also sat upright. “Well, Bow was talking to me, and… I am so broken.” A tear started forming up. “But that’s nothing new. What’s new is—”

Adora wrapped her arms around Catra.

“—I… I think I was wrong before.”

Adora, too, started to cry.

“I am…” Catra tried her best to sound true and confident. “I am worthy of love.”

Adora pulled back and looked at Catra’s eyes. She was more covered in tears than Catra was. But she held tight to her shoulders. “Of course, of course you are, Ca-tra!” Her voice broke. “I am so proud of you, my dear.” Her bracelet turned into a box of tissues.

“And… I think… that I do deserve you. Adora.” She tried for a smile.

Adora impulsively threw herself at Catra, tapping into She-Ra’s strength—nearly pounding Catra on the floor, but she was able to catch herself before that. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it, dummy!” She laughed. “Now get off me and give me one of those!”

Adora started to stand up to try to get out of the broken box.

Catra stopped her. “No. Stay.”

“Hey, Adora.”

“Hey, Catra.”

“Just to check… do you love me?”

“No.”

“I knew it. Well, I love you anyway.”

“Juuust kidding. I love you too, my little kitty that doesn’t like yarn balls but loooves boxes.”

“Stooop it, Adooora.”

“No :)”

“Okay.”

“I love you.

“And I love you too.”

I am worthy of love.

I deserve Adora.

[bishop-legacy]

@tinybuggyart Ask and ye shall recieve!

[electro-strike]

Gardening

This fic is another one that could be better, but I like it. I will improve as a writer but for now please enjoy some nice Dogma/Hardcase interactions.

Neither Hardcase or Dogma were interested in gardening. There was no particular reason it was just not their thing. However their house did have some plants in the front of their house that needed to be cleaned. So when the weekend rolled around both men set to work. Hardcase was on one end currently trimming the bushes branches back. Dogma was on the other and on his knees pulling out all the dead plants.

“Whoops”

“What did you do?” Dogma asked with a sigh as he pulled on a particular small bush that refused to budge.

“I may have cut a bit too far,” Hardcase said sheepishly.

Dogma looked up and sure enough one side of the bush had a huge chunk missing out of it and simply gave Hardcase a deadpan expression.

“Don’t look at me like that, I didn't mean to!” Hardcase said while laughing.

“Mm-hmm” Dogma grunted going back to pulling on the bush “and you wonder why I don't let you handle sharp objects.” A Chamops, disturbed by Dogma’s actions, skittered away. 

“Hey, I am a mature individual, I can handle sharp pointy things!” Hardcase retorted with a teasing voice.

“Yeah your so mature, like that one time where you, Fives, and Jesse thought it would be a good idea to throw darts at each other”   

“That was one time” Hardcase retaliated “and no one got hurt.....except when Kix found out and nearly killed us” 

“Case in point” Dogma said and pulled again on the bush, but only a small branch broke off. Dogma sighed and threw it in the pile behind him with all the other garden waste. A few Enantiornithine B nosed around the pile looking for small insects or reptiles to eat. 

Dogma finally had enough of twisting and pulling the bush and getting no results. So he got up and then squatted down over the bush and braced himself and pulled with all his might. Eventually after a few seconds it gave way and Dogma tumbled backwards. Hardcase turned when he heard the noise and came over 

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, this was just giving me trouble” gesturing to the bush. Hardcase nodded and went back to trying his best to not disfigure the rest of the plants in the yard. Dogma paused to examine the bush before throwing it in the pile. The bush had a long root system that was so entangled no wonder it was so hard to get out. There was also something else in the bushes roots, a long thick object that almost looked like a rope, weird. Dogma took a closer look at the mysterious object which then moved, what in the-

“GAAAH” Dogma yelled, throwing the bush away.

 “What's wrong, are you okay?” hardcase asked alarmed.

“Yeah I'm okay, there just a snake in that bush”

“Woah really?”

“Yes I sugge- Hardcase what are you doing?”  

Hardcase went over to where the bush had landed and bent down and gently picked up the snake. “Oooh he is so cute, look at him.” The snake seemed unbothered despite it being thrown about and now being picked up by a clone. It simply flicked its tongue in and out and started slithering around in Hardcase’s hand. Hardcase stood up and shoved the snake in Dogma’s face.

“Look at him, isn't he great?”

“Nope get that thing out of my face” Dogma said backing away.

“Awww are you afraid of snakes,” Hardcase said teasingly.

“No, I'm not afraid of snakes, I’m just aware of them.” 

Dogma looked down at the snake who gave him a dead eye stare and flicked his tongue. Though he did have to admit it was pretty with its dark brown body broken up with black stripes outlined with white and sets of two dorsal spots that run down its body. Hardcase let it slither up his arm and hang around his shoulder. 

“Well you can keep entertaining yourself with that thing, I’m going to finish our job” 

“I’m still going to help you just let me put this guy somewhere”

Hardcase walked over to the nearest tree in their yard and let his new friend go. “I’ll see you later, now” The snack simply flicked his tongue and slithered away. Hardcase ran back and sidled up to Dogma.

“So can we get a snake?”

“What, no!” Dogma asked.

“Aww common, why not?” Hardcase whined “it’d be fun.”

“For you maybe, not for me”

“How about we think about it?” Hardcase pleaded.

Dogma sighed “Maybe”

Hardcase simply laughed and gave Dogma a kiss on the cheek.