#seriously it's never adora who initiates

[justmenoworries]

fanon Adora: "Yay, Catra's here! I love fighting her while she threatens my friends and insults me!"

canon Adora whenever she sees Catra's also on the battlefield:

[writingquestionsanswered]

With enemies to lovers (especially for Hero x Villain who actively want to hurt and thwart each other), how much can they hurt each other before it crosses the line from enemies to abusive? Beast imprisoned Belle's father, and Belle volunteered to take her father's place, and the internet won't stop screaming toxic love. Meanwhile Catra tried killing Adoras friends, nearly destroyed the universe, and used Double Trouble to try and destroy the rebellions friendship from the inside out, and nobody seems to call Catradora toxic the way they do for Beauty and the Beast. Where's the line, and how do I make sure I don't cross it?

Worried About Toxicity/Abuse in Enemies to Lovers, etc.

I'm not a psychologist or otherwise an expert in toxicity and abuse, and I'm also not familiar with the storyline of the 2018 She-Ra, which was bit different from the version on TV when I was a kid-ish. That said, I'm not really qualified to do a deep dive on this, but I strongly suspect one major difference is in how Beast's actions were portrayed versus how Catra's were portrayed. Beast was seen as a villain by the villagers, but he was never really the villain of the story. His actions were therefore not due to his goal being in opposition with the protagonist (Belle), but rather due to his bitterness and anger. In other words, he was just being a jerk. He does have a redemptive moment when he saves Belle from the pack of wolves. He's harmed in the process, and could have been killed, but it's not a sacrifice that really represents a change of heart or major character growth, because even in his bitterness and anger, he wasn't the sort of guy who would stand by and let this innocent woman be mauled by a pack of wolves.

Catra, on the other hand, was an actual villain in the story. Her goal was in direct opposition with the protagonist's goals, so we expect her to do things that will be harmful to Adora and her friends. Unlike Beast, who makes a split-second decision to rescue Belle in an emergency situation, Catra goes through a growth arc where she begins to question her motivations and see the ways that her choices and actions harmed people. She made an active choice to do better and did the hard work of redeeming herself, changing sides and fighting for the good side. The romance, as I understand it, doesn't really get underway until Catra is already redeeming herself. So, it's quite a different situation. Something else I think, too, is initially Beast's motivation for being nice to Belle was a selfish one--he needed Belle to love him in order to break his curse. So, even once he makes the shift from bitterness and anger toward kindness and compassion, it's not motivated out of a selfless desire to do no harm and be a better person. The opposite is true for Catra.

As stated in my ask policies, I'm not going to talk about how to portray toxicity and abuse (there's plenty of info out there). However, I will say if you want to do something like Catra and Adora--or even something like Belle and Beast, but done right--it's all about why they did the bad things, why they decide to do better, how the bad things are framed/portrayed (never romanticized or swept under the rug), and about making sure the character's growth and change is an intentional choice and something they work hard at.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[n7punk]

Is a collaring ceremony real, or did you invent it for the story?

oh yeah, lets talk about this! disclaimer: i just know what i've researched online. under a read more because it is Certainly a kink and related to one i can see being triggering for some even though i dont go into it, so just to be safe. ill talk about the ceremonies first and then why i chose to do my own bastardization of it LOL

(note that people do wear collars outside of this, im talking about in the context of collaring ceremony specifically. you can also enter this kind of relationship without using collars. I saw discourse about "velcro collars" that "cheapen the meaning" of true collars while researching this lmao).

collaring ceremonies are real. Typically it's something that happens when committing to a full-time D/s or M/s relationship with someone. from everything i have seen, once the collar goes on at a collaring ceremony, it stays on and you stay submissive for your dom (until the time you decide to dissolve the relationship, but usually youre Pretty Sure Of It at that point). It is a massive commitment, just like being married is, and something you discuss and plan with the same level of seriousness.

the collar itself may be subtle, or it may change if you have like, a day collar to wear out, a normal collar you wear at home/at kink events, and play collars or whatever, but i've also seen people who straight up have a steel collar their dom put on them two years ago and has never come off.

(side note, the materials and look dont matter so much as what you use it for. as i say in the fic, collars typically belong to the dom. play collars are collars used for sex that dont have power outside of that, which is what catra and adora have up until catra gives her the necklace - and kind of still all they have at the end of the fic)

collaring ceremonies can be private like what i had in the fic (i believe this is the most common practice), or they can have friends and "family" in attendance, or even be held in a public dungeon or something. i read a transcript of a public one while researching. they are a lot like weddings (in the ceremony at least) and are treated with the same weight. the dom is usually fully dressed and the sub may wear anything ranging from formal wear to just the collar.

for the fic, i adapted it, because i whole heartedly believe thats what you should do with bdsm and sex in general: do what works for you and your partner. in this case, they decided to have what amounts to a private collaring ceremony where they exchanged vows and their hopes for the relationship before catra finally put the day collar on adora, but adora isn't collared in practice, it's just a kinky engagement necklace (which i know the people who complain about velcro collars would hate, but again, i think what works for people's private relationships is their business. there's also people outside of the scene wearing o-ring chokers as a fashion statement, let people live).

i learned about collaring ceremonies while doing my initial research for beg for me and immediately knew it was was what i wanted to do for their wedding/proposal in a later installment in the series, both because it was something new and different i was never going to write/research otherwise, and because this whole fic kicked off with adora being stressed out by a wedding and not great with their planning. seeking out an alternative for their own marriage made sense in this au and it rarely does since i headcannon them both as big criers at weddings, so i thought it would be fun to explore. i also wanted to, once again, explore how catradora’s trauma intersects with their experience of bdsm when it came to the collaring.

writing this was very much a stab at the dark, but it was an interesting challenge! im glad to have finally written it after having it on my list for a year

[cruelfeline]

Anyone who hangs about Twitter potentially saw an unfortunate Hordak take cross their timelines today. 

As is custom on this blog, I’ll be taking it apart for my own personal amusement (and for the amusement of any of y’all who like to watch me do so). I doubt the poster will see this, as they’re on Twitter and not apparently on here, but in case they do: this is for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of followers; it absolutely does not need to be responded to if that’s not your cup of tea. 

So, that little disclaimer in place, let’s see what we can make of this! Because this is on Medium, I’ll be using screenshots as quotes; just a heads-up.

So... this first bit isn’t really anything Hordak-related. It’s more... fandom drama, I suppose? Not really something I can pick apart. I can, however, give my own personal opinion on this sort of thing, for what it’s worth.

It’s true that people can and should be able to feel whichever way they wish about a character. And to talk about that character. 

However: it is also true that people who dislike Hordak can be very unpleasant in making that known to those of us who enjoy him. Including descending into personal insults for no discernible reason. Add to that the fact that his character means a great deal to some fans for intensely personal reasons, and it is not difficult to see why some fans aren’t keen to see anti-Hordak content on their timelines, in their mentions, etc.

Censoring character hate isn’t a requirement, but in some circumstances, it can simply be a polite thing to do. It doesn’t take great effort, and it prevents people from experiencing just another bit of unpleasantness on their social media. And if you don’t want to do it? Well, that’s your right; but don’t be shocked when people voice their displeasure by replying to your words. Because that is their right.

And that’s all I really have to say about that. 

Odd way to phrase things, really. These aren’t “reasons to forgive.” The first two scenes involve Catra’s asphyxiations and are things that would need to be forgiven, not things to forgive.

Though, y’know, I really only apply that to the first scene, where he assaults her without her necessarily doing anything wrong. Mind you, I believe he does it out of a combination of needing to maintain a hierarchy for safety purposes (this is a man who needs people to be afraid of him to maintain his own safety) and poor leadership skills mimicked from a narcissist, but it’s still a terrible thing.

However! The second time? After he asks her about Shadow Weaver? This isn’t torture-fun-times. This is Hordak neutralizing a threat to the entire Horde. Because that is what Catra is in this moment: a threat to the security and wellbeing of him and the entirety of the Fright Zone. She lies about a critical mistake. She proves herself to not only have poor judgment in serious matters, but to be very willing to lie about it in order to guard her own selfish motives. While I can’t condone the method Hordak uses, I do wish people would stop using this second instance of punishment as some sort of proof-of-torture. He does not do this for no reason. He does it because Catra released a dangerous prisoner into the wild and lied about it. And his concerns over it ultimately prove correct.

This entire qualification doesn’t have much to do with whether he deserves forgiveness or not, but it’s a point I want to make because it combats this idea that Hordak did this to an innocent girl “for no reason” or “just to be cruel.” That’s simply not the case; no matter how unpleasant the method, Hordak is a military leader punishing a subordinate for seriously endangering him and everyone else in the organization. Badly. I don’t know what the equivalent would be in modern military, but Catra’s error is massive. It doesn’t make what Hordak does right, but it does give a reason other than a simple “he’s a bad, bad man.” So.

Adding this scene is... actually kind of odd because he doesn’t really do anything to Adora here. And also: this scene is... what’s the word... meaningful-in-hindsight, so to speak. Essentially: in this scene, Adora is claiming that Hordak is responsible for stealing her, for robbing her of a peaceful life with her family. And Hordak is claiming that he neither knows nor cares who she is, and that she does not matter to him. 

The interesting aspect of this scene, and something that OP fails to acknowledge at all, is that both Adora and Hordak are wrong.

let’s see if I can talk about this without crying... nope, already starting to tear up

Hordak never stole Adora; Light Hope did. Hordak did not orchestrate this unfortunate life for her. Rather, Hordak, a lost clone dealing with his own insecurities and fears and problems, found an equally lost infant in a field and gave her the only home he really knew how to create (and one that, for its flaws, was still better than the absolute nightmare he was “raised” in). In all likelihood, given Light Hope’s lack of understanding of infants, he probably saved Adora’s life by doing this: without him, she may well have perished alone in that field.

Hordak likewise does remember her, eventually. And she is not inconsequential to him: by saving her, he ends up saving himself, and all of his brothers. By forging this near-unknown bond with her all those years ago, by choosing to take in an infant rather than letting her die, he plays a key role in deciding the fate of the universe. 

This scene that OP sarcastically claims is a reason Hordak shouldn’t be forgiven has a sibling:

The fact that OP apparently fails to recognize this and realize that these are the only two moments in the series during which Adora and Hordak directly interact, that they’re a pair, means that OP misses the connection between the two and the significance of how they misjudge one another initially. It indicates a lack of understanding of the themes of the show: themes centered around connections with other people, love, and forgiveness. Which, given the contents of this essay, is unsurprising.

Moving on!

Y’know, whether or not one believes, in terms of definition, that Hordak is a colonizer (I personally don’t for pedantic and clone-cult reasons, but that’s not really relevant to this post), it’s interesting that OP notes how Stevenson confirms that he is... but conveniently leaves out the part where she confirms that he did it because he was brainwashed.

That’s... an important piece of information to leave out when discussing whether Hordak should be forgiven or not. A very important piece.

And it doesn’t really matter whether he’s a colonizer or a conqueror; the reason it comes up is because people seem very stuck in the mindset of “if it’s a colonizer, it must die” without acknowledging any sort of nuance. There’s also the question of whether what Hordak did actually caused the same sort of upheaval and lasting damage we see resulting from legitimate colonization, and all of the implications of that, but this isn’t really the place to go into that. Honestly, I don’t really think SPoP as a whole is the place to go into that.

No. Hordak is not the person who taught her all of these things. 

Shadow Weaver is.

Hordak did not personally teach her that Princesses are evil. He did not teach her that wanton cruelty is fine in getting one’s own way. He did not feed her propaganda. 

Actually, as an aside: can we even confirm that Catra ever thought that Princesses where evil? I mean... she works with Scorpia, and she has no apparent morals to speak of. She does as she wishes for her own personal gain, not because she displays any sense of “fighting the evil Princesses.” And in terms of disposing of Entrapta because she was “manipulated” into viewing Princesses as evil: Catra disposes of everyone. She manipulates and uses everyone. That is one of the key aspects of her arc: she uses and abuses people for personal gain. She does this whether they are Princesses or not: just see Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle. Add to this the fact that Catra, from the first season, knows that she and Adora have been lied to, manipulated, and that the Horde is in fact evil, and... this entire line of reasoning falls apart. 

None of this is an attempt to “absolve Hordak of blame.” Hordak just... legitimately had no hand in raising any of the children. That was not his role (and while I know that this was confirmed by Stevenson at some point, I don’t have memory of where; potentially the last podcast?). And Catra did not operate on any sort of propaganda that she actually believed in: she simply used and disposed of people as she saw fit because she cared more about her own rise to power than she did about those around her. This was one of her major character flaws, and really? Trying to pin this on Hordak, or even fully pin it on Shadow Weaver? It absolves Catra of the blame, of the intentional bad choices she made (as emphasized by Adora) and thus weakens her entire arc.

All in all: Hordak may have created a poor environment for the raising of children, but of note is the fact that only Catra turns out this way. The other kids, whatever their problems, are not in the habit of manipulating friends, lying to them, using them, and then tossing them aside. That is a Catra Problem. Part of this can be attributed to Shadow Weaver (who only treated Catra in the poorest way), and part of it is just... Catra being not-the-best.

All right. Now we get to the really disingenuous portion of the essay.

First, as just stated: Hordak is not Catra’s abuser. Shadow Weaver is. Hordak had no hand in raising her. Hordak did not direct Shadow Weaver to abuse her. Hordak did not personally feed Catra anti-Princess propaganda, and even if he had, we know by the first season that Catra sees through whatever propaganda she was exposed to and has no actual moral objections to Princesses. But that’s not the main aspect of this portion that irks me. 

The main aspect that irks me is that this is not the scene Hordak stans mark as abusive. And I cannot imagine that OP does not know this.

But let’s talk about this scene, for a moment, before getting to the actual, legitimate abuse.

OP talks about his scene almost flippantly: “Hordak finds out Catra lied about Entrapta, he becomes angry and attacks her with a clear plan to kill her.”

Yes. Yes, he "becomes angry.” He becomes angry and attacks because as far as he knows, Catra killed Entrapta. This isn’t some annoyed “you lied to me!” moment. He legitimately thinks Entrapta is dead because Catra sent her to Beast Island. OP just blissfully glosses over the fact that Hordak is attacking Catra in rage and grief because Catra, as far as either of them know, killed his only friend and then lied about it for approximately a year. Like... how do you gloss over that in discussing this scene? How do you gloss over the enormity of what Catra did, and the unimaginable pain Hordak experiences when finding out?

So. The writeup of this scene is poor. It misses all of the emotion, all of the reality of what Catra did and what Hordak felt. But! That’s not even the unfortunate part of this portion. Let’s get to the real disingenuity.

This is the abusive scene. This is that stomach-turning moment when Catra removes a disabled man’s ability to move with dignity and without pain solely to force him to escalate a war for her own personal benefit.

Hordak is not a danger to her here. Hordak has not been a danger to her for a while because he has been holed up in his private quarters, trying to deal with the emotional fallout of Entrapta supposedly betraying him. He wants nothing to do with Catra. He wants to lick his wounds and gather himself and somehow heal from this deep personal pain that’s been inflicted upon him.

And that’s a problem for Catra because it stands in the way of her using the war as a way to best Adora.

So Catra identifies Hordak’s physical weakness and exploits it for the purpose of spiting her ex.

The fact that OP completely fails to acknowledge any of this is... well. Disingenuous. Absolutely so.

The next portion of the essay talks about people feeling that Catra was too easily forgiven and isn’t really Hordak-centric; I won’t really go into it here. Moving forward:

Ah, one of the most annoying questions I see asked. Let’s, again, acknowledge and move past the fact that Hordak was not actually Catra’s abuser...

When, pray tell, was Hordak supposed to show this remorse? When? While he was serving on Prime’s ship, trying to forget the pain of losing Entrapta, of failing to prove himself, of losing everything? Should he have done it while screaming in agony in the purification pool? Should he have done so while alone on Prime’s ship, trying to serve quietly while piecing together his memories?

Not only was Hordak simply not in a position, narratively, to go into a whole remorse bit, but he had other problems. Like, life-endangering problems. 

The appropriate time to go into his feelings on Etheria and the Princesses and All of That would have been after Prime’s defeat, upon Hordak’s re-introduction to Etheria... but then the show ended. So.

Agh, vulgar. Taking a brainwashed, conditioned slave and bastardizing his triumph at finally seeing himself as a real person, instead claiming that his intent was to glorify his own misdeeds. No. Just... no.

Again: this is not the time for guilt. And it is a demonstration of why guilt and remorse were not front-and-center in Hordak’s arc during season five: his arc was about finally realizing that he was his own person, a person worthy of identity and love and care and freedom. And this arc culminated in him separating himself from his abuser and declaring his personhood. 

That is what this scene is: not Hordak reveling in his makeshift empire, or in the terrible deeds he’d committed, but in declaring himself his own person. 

I should hope that he is proud of doing that. I’m proud of him for doing that daunting feat, of defeating his abuser and defying his god and recognizing that he is worthy of more than what Prime thought of him. And I recognize Entrapta’s role in it: not as the sole inspiration for his change, but as someone who showed him a foundation of love and acceptance, someone who introduced him to the idea that he was worthy of care and happiness and affection simply because he was a living being, no strings attached.

Trying to shoehorn in some sort of claim that this is about pride in his misdeeds, rather than joy at finally accepting his own sense of self is a massive misinterpretation of this scene, a misunderstanding of Entrapta’s role in Hordak’s arc, and... can I say it’s disingenuous again? Because I’m going to: it’s disingenuous.

All right; we’re at the end. And while the first sentence here is something I absolutely agree with - the decision to forgive Hordak is personal and subjective both for viewers and for in-show characters - the whole conclusion falls apart from there.

It highlights another glaring omission from OP’s arguments: the fact that Hordak is a brainwashed clone slave.

Hordak did not choose to “spend his life trying to prove his worth to Horde Prime.” He did not choose the method of said proving: that Prime would look kindly upon conquering rather than some other task. And he did not choose to have certain concepts and ideas (all beings must suffer to become pure; all creatures, no matter how small, have a place in service of Horde Prime; failure is when something ceases to serve a purpose) conditioned into him.

Hordak was manufactured as a cultist slave. He was “born” with hardware implanted into his body against his will to better control him. He was indoctrinated and brainwashed to the point that he believed that Horde Prime was his literal god - and in a way, Prime was, because he could mentally invade and possess and physically control the clones whenever he wished. 

Hordak was not allowed to have a sense of self. He was not allowed to have a name. He was not allowed to express emotions. He was not allowed to live without that life serving to glorify Horde Prime. Hordak was so absolutely sick with this mentality that he saw himself as a failure due to physical disability and assumed it was his responsibility to fix that. 

The idea that Hordak simply chose to do what he did, that he had the same foundational morality and mindset as any “normal” person might, shows a glaring lack of understanding even the basics of his narrative. 

Yes: Hordak did bad things. But he did them for legitimately tragic, nigh-horrifying reasons that this essay just ignores for the sake of... I don’t know? Trying to justify OP’s distaste for the character? I am uncertain. But it’s a mark of a poor essay, of a poor understanding of the character, and is honestly just disappointing to read when the show itself tries so hard to drive home its wonderful, hopeful themes through Hordak’s story.

Whether one forgives Hordak or not is one’s personal choice, but I certainly hope one makes said choice with better insight into his character than this essay provides.

[ferretandtheweasel]

Ginny:

What the heck was his problem? No seriously, Ginny Weasley wanted to know. Granted, she was in the wrong class (by mistake, mind you!) and she was just as embarrassed as anyone would have been in her situation but that hardly warranted the scornful look he had on his face upon seeing her. She wasn't exactly thrilled to be in Malfoy's company either, Merlin knew the memory of that day tortured her as much as it annoyed him but she didn't go around acting disdainful towards him. Okay sure, it had been a brief connection, eye to eye, steely grey met her own honey brown, but his look stung her in her chest for some reason, it was a look accusing her of being in the same room as him, as if she wanted that! Leaving potions class, after quickly making apologies before Snape could use her momentary blunder to take points off of Gryffindor, she tried to make sense of her dilemma.

So yeah, why was Malfoy being an utter twat, more than usual, you ask? Well, it all came down to that one fateful day when she was out with her class in the forbidden forest. Dumbledore had announced a compulsory program for year 4 and aboves, they were meant to form groups and with teachers' supervision, would have to spend 5 days learning camping skills. Apparently the ministry of magic thought that students had become too "lazy" and needed more outdoor activities. She didn't even know what Draco was doing there in the first place since his class was supposed to have their camping exercise later but who cares now. All she remembers is that somehow she'd walked right into him sitting near a lake reading a book. And before you ask, she was initially going to ignore him and walk back to the camp, because believe it or not she wasn't particularly interested in talking to him, plus she had wandered off a bit too far in her search for food, and she wanted to go back to her friends when he spotted her and made a rude comment.

Here's the thing you should know about Ginny Weasley, she had that infamous Weasley temper (which she's working on, come on now give a girl a break please), but yeah she can get exceptionally hot headed when she's hungry... and she was very hungry that day hunting for food, so she may have been particularly nasty towards him and may have said something about his upbringing. Listen, he was rude first, she just returned the favour. That kind of started their age old tradition of insulting each other and somehow she and Malfoy ended up in close proximity, somewhere during their shouting match. She doesn't really remember how but it's possible that she may have been the one to shove him first, in her defense, he had insulted her mother's annual Weasley jumpers so she had to do something. That is definitely how both she and him, ended up in the lake and here's the thing, she kinda doesn't recall much of what happened afterwards, because he did look like a snack alright. It's because his white shirt was wet and it was see through, so she had a moment of weakness, may her ancestors forgive her. So yeah, she may have looked at him a certain way, but he was at fault too, he was giving her looks that did things to her heart and elsewhere in her body, his cool silver locks fell over his molten grey eyes and she was sure her heart probably stopped beating at the sight. She can't explain it.

Merlin knew that moment is exactly where her mind was wandering off to, when today she had accidentally, walked into professor Snape's potion lecture when she was meant to be attending charms for year 6 in a different building! No no no, this would not do. Ginny would have to take control of her mind that kept wandering to that day- ugh! There it was again, she was trying NOT to think about it but somehow the memory of Draco's soft lips descending upon hers, his slender hands slowly making their way down her body, her arms pulling him closer and their tongues locking in a passionate embrace.... yeah, that memory won't leave her alone.

It... It felt like he'd done something to her, like that kiss had changed something fundamental in her, she couldn't look in the mirror without thinking of his kiss. She could still imagine it, picture it, taste it even if she closed her eyes long enough... It felt as though he had tattooed that kiss on her lips and it will never go away.

The point is, yeah, she had been affected by that sudden kiss, but she wasn't going around the school being grumpy and passing him dirty looks. She was feeling tortured inside but she was acting indifferent and trying her hardest to forget everything that had transpired between them because unlike a certain irritating man, she didn't want people to suspect anything. She was sure he was disgusted by their kiss, but could he act more mature about everything please? Because she was trying her hardest to ignore him but his constant remarks every time they crossed paths, his eyes which dug holes in her back and his scathing looks were making it very difficult for Ginny Weasley to forget what they'd done in forbidden forest.

Just last evening she was trying her hardest to concentrate on her homework in the library, she had to read each sentence several times to get it through her head, that's how much Malfoy's presence had started to affect her. As she was trying and failing to concentrate, a loud thud from the other table rang throughout the quiet room, making everyone snap their heads in his direction. Malfoy was grumpily packing his books to leave the the library, giving her a murderous look as if everything was her fault somehow he left. She wished things could go back to normal somehow, but what was normal for them, ignoring each other? Or going back at each others throats? It was all very confusing.

Draco:

Merlin! She was doing this on purpose wasn't she, "accidentally" walked into potions, yeah right! How was he supposed to forget the mistake they'd made if she kept showing up everywhere, looking like... that! What was wrong with him? She must have put some kind of spell on him to torment him. Yes, that made sense, because why else on Merlin's earth would he, Draco Malfoy, find her agreeable. It was worse, he found her more than agreeable, those damn red hair, they enchanted him how they flew with the wind as she rode her broom during a match or when they partially covered her face in the dining hall while she would talk to her friends, tempting him to abandon all common sense and run his fingers through them to tuck them behind her ears. Fascinating, how those silky strands danced on her button nose when she was working on her homework in the library until she ended up putting them in a messy bun, which made her look adora— Mental!

She looked mental, she was a weasel afterall. Draco was frustrated, he was tired and most importantly he was angry, how was it that one kiss, one moment of relapse in judgement on his part could change things between him and a nobody like her so much so that here he was, all rewired somehow sitting in potions thinking about her red hair!! Was this how it was going to be from now on, she would just walk into a room and just like that, all logical thoughts in his mind would go out of the window, he would be transported to that singular moment of his life when her honey brown eyes looked up at him right after their kiss, in surprise and... shock. When she had moved her fingers to touch her lips in astonishment, innocent brown eyes looking up to him in confusion, hesitation, wonder? and then they had heard Pansy calling out for him which had made them both snap back into reality. Within moments, they were out of the lake, unspoken agreement that whatever happened, didn't happen.

And now here he was days, weeks later trying his best to be the old Draco, except it seemed like he didn't know what in the name of Salazar he was supposed do in a situation like this? All he knew was that she was suddenly everywhere, in the dining hall, on school premises, in the quidditch training pitch but most importantly, on his mind! That was the worst place she had occupied, it made it impossible for him to function anywhere. She had ruined his peaceful quiet reading spot because he couldn't go there anymore without thinking back to what they did, without imagining 'what if' scenarios, what if Pansy hadn't come to looking for him? What if Ginny wasn't a Weasley, what if he wasn't a Malfoy? Merlin! His ancestors were all probably rolling in their graves right about now.

"Weasley's sure got a nice arse"

Crabbe's loud observation almost made him want to hex the guy but miraculously, at the last minute his self preservation skills kicked in and he was able to keep his cool. He wished Ron Weasley had heard it right now, he would not only shut them up but also provide quality entertainment while doing so. Seriously, if Merlin was about to put him through Crabbe and Goyle's disgusting comments about Ginny Weasley's arse then, he would have no other option but to jump from the astronomy tower maybe, because no way in hell was he going to sit here as Crabbe and Goyle discussed her. Besides, her arse was just okay, like it wasn't all that special or anything. It wasn't big or small, just the normal size... if he was forced to comment on it, he would say it was pert, well-shaped probably because of all the quidditch training she did, it was perfectly round and firm, and frankly speaking, made to fit right in his palms. It wasn't his attraction speaking, no, it was just an objective fact that her arse fits in his hands, he knew that because he'd had the chance to grab it when they had kissed that day. Of their own accord, His hands itched to do touch her again —

"Woah, relax mate, you're gonna break that thing."

Draco looked at where Blaise was pointing and realised he was about to snap the beaker full of potion, he relaxed his hands and exhaled a sigh he didn't know he had been holding. What was that bint doing to him, he was going insane. Zabini didn't press him on what was going on and he was grateful for that. Instead he read more instructions and kept on working on THEIR class project, something they were supposed to do together! Had Draco not been so out of focus lately he would have helped out, but as it happened, a certain foul-mouthed, red-haired, brown-eyed gryffindor was on his mind and everything in life was upside down.

~

When Draco and Ginny fall into a lake in the forbidden forest, it ends up in an unexpected event. One moment they're arguing, honouring their ancestral family rivalry... the next they're locked in a passionate embrace neither saw coming. What happens now? Where do they go from here? How the heck did it even happen? Merlin, help them.

[johannas-motivational-insults]

I’m not worried about She-Ra

Okay, for the anon who was asking about this, today I finally watched the “I’m worried about She-Ra” video. I agree with many of the op’s observations, like how it’s tricky to show shades of grey in kids’ media, and how with the expectation of a happy ending for everyone it’s hard to send healthy messages about how to handle abusive relationships. However, I think there are a few nuances she missed.

For one, the abuse is not strictly a chain. While Hordak did behave somewhat abusively towards Shadow Weaver at times, his aggressive behavior did not cause Shadow Weaver to become abusive. Shadow Weaver was already like that, even if she did perhaps take out some of her Hordak frustrations on other people (namely Catra). So, I don’t count her as a character who is both abusive and abused, unlike Hordak and Catra. This makes her prime fodder for the “you don’t have to forgive your abuser/everyone gets a happy ending” clause the op wanted to see.

Also, I don’t feel like the idea of there being a “honeymoon period” in Catra’s interactions with Scorpia and Adora makes sense. It definitely does for the way Shadow Weaver and Horde Prime treat people, but we never really see Catra act like she’s trying to win Scorpia or Adora over with kind behavior, purposely drawing them back in so she can abuse them some more. She definitely doesn’t with Adora, and with Scorpia their honeymoon phase of sorts was genuine - Catra really was coming to trust, rely on, and even like Scorpia. That only went south because of 1) Hordak imprisoning and banishing Catra and 2) Catra finding out that Shadow Weaver ran off to Adora when she escaped. Catra’s unstable behavior had nothing to do with Scorpia, nor was it an attempt to manipulate her. That doesn’t mean it’s okay, but it’s not the abusive pattern the op made it out to be.

Besides that, it’s really oversimplifying Catradora to just say Catra is an abuser and move on. Catra sees Adora as someone who was abusive to her because she made her feel like a worthless sidekick and wrecked her emotionally when she abandoned her, not to mention she was (at least in Catra’s eyes) complicit in Shadow Weaver’s abuse. And in season 1, Adora was actually a massive dick to Catra up until the point Catra helped her escape. This is a very complicated relationship and it’s not just one person abusing their power over the other.

Scorptra is an abusive relationship though, and I agree with the op that Scorpia telling Catra she can’t be friends with her again or needs time before she can be is a healthy message, much like her decision to leave in the first place. Personally, I do hope they will reconcile to some extent, but I also hope Catra will have to earn that. And when balanced with other abusive relationships not being forgiven, I don’t think that’s unhealthy. Because while kids (and adults) need to see that it’s not only okay but healthy to cut ties with abusers, they also need to see that there is a way back, that there is hope, that you can change. People who have been hurt and lashed out at others because of it need to know that they’re not destined to be monsters. Whatever happens with Scorptra, we need to see Catra redeemed, because she does fit the “abused character” profile more than the “abusive character,” even though she is both.

The op’s main point about what she’s worried about... thing is, I really don’t think the creators are planning to let Catra and Hordak’s sins go unaddressed, and certainly not Shadow Weaver’s. The show does seem to be making a point about people needing to take initiative themselves and take responsibility for their own actions. I don’t know how this will work with Hordak, if he will even remember anything or not, but yeah I don’t think the dictator/mass murderer is going to be happily accepted back into society. He may have to leave Etheria and forge a new path for himself, and honestly? That would feel like a satisfactory arc to me, because achieving independence and self-confidence would be a big win for him, but he would not be magically absolved of his sins by the power of friendship.

So yeah, basically I understand the op’s concerns, but I think she oversimplified things a little. And I have more faith than her in the writers given their work so far and their backgrounds, faith that they will continue to balance the dark themes with the light and treat the topic of abuse with the seriousness it deserves.

[catrasredemption-moved]

Princess Catra AUs

Okay, I don’t usually do meta on request, but a friend asked me about this, and it’s something I find interesting, so what the heck.

The premise: Are Princess Catra AUs problematic?

My initial answer, given that I’ve written it several times, is no. I can see it not being a person’s cup of tea, but problematic might be a bit much.

(Most of this is going to be based on how I personally would write a Princess Catra AU. Results may differ depending on the writer.)

The basic argument (I’ll go into more detail later) is that it erases Catra’s story arc, which... it obviously changes things quite a bit, but I think erasing it might be a bit much. Her life is very different without Shadow Weaver and a lifetime of abuse, but the basics are still very much there - a girl who wants to prove herself and has never been given the chance to do so. In most Princess Catra AUs, she tends to be sheltered, Half Moon cut off from the rest of the war and refusing to participate, etc. That leaves you with a princess even more frustrated with her parents and the world than Glimmer, because unlike Glimmer, Catra has never been given a chance to fight. Introducing her into the story as a member of the Rebellion gives her that chance, one she can take very enthusiastically and probably a little over the top, but without the sadistic, self-destructive streak she had in canon. Actually, don’t rule out self-destructive, I’m sure she can still manage that as well. She’s just driven by the constant need to prove herself instead of anger and spite.

Getting a little deeper - it erases the found family trope. Does it? There are a couple of ways you can go with Catra’s parents - personally, I enjoyed the overprotective father who drove Catra to do something extreme (run away to join the Rebellion), but there are other routes. Maybe her parents are stuck up and regal and don’t actually care about her as a person. Maybe her parents are actually dead and a ghost counsel has been running the kingdom until Catra is old enough to rule on her own.

Or maybe she has perfectly loving, if not somewhat overprotective parents. You can still have a found family trope even with good parents in the story - look at Bow, he has amazing dads, whom he loves more than anything, but he still finds more solace in his found family (Glimmer and Adora), because they understand him in ways his fathers don’t. Same with Glimmer - Angella was a great mother who loved her daughter and would do anything for her, and Glimmer still clung to Bow and Adora - the family she made for herself. Blood relations don’t erase found family.

(Going waaaaaay into a different fandom for a moment, Ducktales is a show that plays heavily on the found family trope, and more than half of the main cast is actually biologically related. The main cast consists of Scrooge, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Della, Donald, Webby, Beakley, and Launchpad. Out of those, Launchpad is the only one with no blood relation whatsoever - Scrooge through Donald are biologically related, Webby is Beakley’s granddaughter. Found family is still a main trope in the show, though - there are dozens of ways to pull it off.)

Making Catra ‘special’ by default - the whole point of Catra’s arc was that she was just a regular person (regular cat person?) who built her own way, that’s true. Just being a princess doesn’t make her special, though - there are plenty of princesses in the show, it’s not like she’s a rarity. Is it the magic? Because there is so much cool potential for Catra having magic. If you just rewrote She-Ra with Princess Catra in the background as part of the princess crew then yeah, you’re losing a lot of her character, but if you’re going to write a Princess Catra AU, go full in on it. Make her a main part of the Best Friend Squad and see how she stands out from the others, let her show how she’s different, and not just defined by her role as a princess. Explore the challenges she’s faced with her family, the challenges of being recognized as the princess of a kingdom that’s abstained from the war, what she goes through when she’s truly exposed to the world for the first time. It’s a different storyline, but truly digging in and exploring the differences in the character is half the fun of writing any AU. Hell, make her a target of Shadow Weaver (idk something something kidnap the princess, threaten the coward king and queen to give her the runestone or Catra dies, etc.). If you’re worried about Catra not being victimized, there are plenty of ways to do that as well.

Catra as a chosen one - this kind of goes back to Catra being special by default, but it’s important to note that Catra being a princess does not make her a chosen one. Adora is The Special, nothing is going to change that (except a magicatra AU). Nothing is going to put Catra on Adora’s level. Yes, in canon the two are met to represent going down paths of light and darkness and the extremes they take along the way, but again, AU. And watching them grow together can also be interesting. What are their different takes on the same situation? How does Catra react to Adora’s style of fighting? How does her own style evolve over time? Do they ever clash over certain decisions? (Right off the top of my head, I can see Princess Catra being fully on board with using the Heart of Etheria because wipe out the Horde? Sounds great, let’s do it, without really thinking through the consequences.) Adora, for all she rushes into fights without thinking, also agonizes over situations because she’s terrified of doing the wrong thing. Catra, meanwhile, she barrels ahead because she doesn’t have years of caution and training drilled into her head.

In a lot of ways, Princess Catra parallels Glimmer, just like Force Captain Catra did in canon. She wants to prove herself, she wants to be taken seriously, she wants people to recognize her for how strong she is, and she wants respect, which is all hard when you’re the princess of a coward kingdom that refuses to do anything to help fight the war. I can’t imagine Magicats get much respect in general.

But again, this is all the ways I would go about writing a full-blown Princess Catra story. There are plenty of ways to maintain/integrate her canon elements and storyline, and stay true to the character. And even if you don’t, it’s fanfiction. You’re allowed leeway.

So do I think Princess Catra is problematic? Not really. It’s different, and obviously moves away from her canon storyline, but there are plenty of ways to work with it and make it good. Also, it’s an AU. The whole point is to ignore canon. That’s what fanfic writers do. “I see your canon and I raise you... something totally different.”

[stebeans]

She-ra inspired Actor AU - I

Maya Sanchez as Catra

Taylor Cruz as Adora

Jessica Cho as Glimmer 

Marcus Patterson as Bow

A She-ra Actor AU fic where She-ra and the Princesses of Power is a popular tv series and our lovable characters are played by actresses/actors. Inspired by the amazing fanart and concept by @sunzho and @hey_adora on instagram #cayaactorau, see link below and please follow them! 

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/cayaactorau/

P.S. I also changed the “real-life” name for Adora’s actress that sunzho and hey_adora came up with from Claire Cruz to Taylor Cruz . Not that I hated the name but I have bad experiences with Claire’s in my life and it felt odd on my part to write about a character with the same name...please forgive me!

But also! ship name for these two...Maylor? Maytay? I am horrible at this, I’ll admit.

Anyways I have a few head-cannons for this AU and I have a few snippets I would like to write. But this is the first of many! Please enjoy!

First Meeting

Maya glanced around the waiting room, her fingers playing with the worn and crumpled script in her hands. This was the first time she was auditioning for a part larger than the “background Latino girl” of a typical low-budget high school movie and to say she was nervous would be an understatement. Her agent had mentioned that the showrunners were open minded and there wasn’t any clear restrictions on the lead character but despite that, the waiting room was filled with the stereotypical tall, thin, blonde and ridiculously hot actresses that seemed to be overrun in LA. Seriously, what was in the water? It was clear as day that Maya stood out like a sore thumb with her dark skin, darker hair, with freckles that sprinkled across her cheeks and who stood at five-foot two inches on a good day.

Her mom had use to accompany her through many of her auditions, kind and supportive and not at all like the overbearing mothers she had come across in her earlier days when she was just a teen trying to break into show business. When she had hit seventeen she had finally convinced her mom that she was old enough to venture to auditions on her own. Her brothers, all older than she was, needed more supervision than a tub of ice cream on a hot summer day. Now she wished for her mom’s calming presence.

“Do you mind?” The aspiring actress next to her snapped, eyes narrowing at the way Maya had been unconsciously bouncing her leg in a staccato rhythm.

Immediately freezing, Maya shot her a sheepish look. “Sorry.” She apologized, wringing the script in her hands into a roll. “Just a little nervous I guess.”

“Yeah, no shit.” The blonde rolled her eyes before turning into her seat that put her back to Maya, effectively closing Maya off to the conversation she was having with the person on the other side.

Heat rose up Maya’s neck, across her cheeks and even up to her ears. Embarrassed, Maya’s eyes shot down to her lap where she smoothed out the script for the hundredth time. The cover page – white, crisp text and simple as was the industry standard— read:

                                             SHE-RA REBOOT

                                                    written by

                                               Noelle Stevenson

                                             based on the series

                                   She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985)

Honestly, Maya had never even heard of She-ra, didn’t have a clue what it was all about besides concluding that She-ra was indeed a person. A heroine actually. Plot, characters, villains were still a mystery as it was way before her time. Her three older brothers, the youngest was five years older than her, had teased her relentlessly as brothers do prior to the audition. They had puffed out their chest, calling out for He-man before striking obnoxious power poses and pitching their voices to imitate a ridiculous feline accent that more often than not, was interjected with an annoying “meow”.  Ugh, if the reboot was anything like how her brothers pitched it, maybe it wouldn’t be too awful if she was passed up. Not that the images that popped up when she had done a quick google search was very impressing either. Too much skin, not enough clothes, and that was for both sexes…species…whatever! What was this show even about?

Now she was even more nervous for different reasons. She couldn’t even imagine herself being so exposed with the lack of fabric the costumes required. Pulling the sleeves of her over-sized hoodie over her fingers, Maya resisted the urge to bounce her leg again lest the blonde turn back around and give her a black eye. Nope. Black eyes were definitely not a good look when trying to land a role.  

The door to the small waiting room the actresses had been herded into swung open with a bang, bouncing off the door stop and nearly pulling the door off its hinges. Another blonde walked through and unlike the other blondes in the room, Maya couldn’t tell if she was a staff member or an actress. Besides the blue-eyed, blonde haired look almost all the girls in the room were sporting this one was different from the rest. She looked…hard, rough around the edges. Her blue eyes cut through the room, lingering on Maya for a brief second before finding nothing of interest. She blew out a bubble with her pink gum as she weaved her way through the room, slightly hunched over with her hands buried deep in her black leather jacket. The girl had three too many piercing deemed respectable in Hollywood and Maya wouldn’t be surprised if she had other…non-visible piercings or tattoos for that matter.

The girl’s entrance had captured the majority of the room’s attention. Conversations and idle chatter had quieted as everyone watched her sign in at the check-in station. “Seriously?” The bitch next to Maya muttered in disbelief. “Her?”

No one had bothered to comment as the girl strolled up to where they were seated, her eyes cutting to Maya’s before raising a perfectly pierced eyebrow at her. Gulping, Maya tilted her head up in confusion. Jeez, the girl was taller than Maya had initially thought and super attractive too. When it was obvious Maya wasn’t going to make a move, the newcomer stared pointedly at Maya, than at the tattered backpack at her feet – now noticing how it effectively blocked the walking path –  and back up at Maya. Flushing, or had she ever stopped blushing? “Right!” Maya leaned forward and jerkily tugged her backpack onto her lap. “Sorry!”

Either Maya was stronger than she looked or her bag was in worst shape than it appeared – most likely, almost definitely the latter – because the zipper of her backpack decided that yes, this was the most opportune time to break and to spill its contents across the floor. “Shit!” Maya cursed, hurrying to grab her items before she caused a bigger scene.

A few snickers echoed the room and a sharp “what the fuck?” from beside her had Maya wishing the floor would just open up and swallow her whole. Mercifully the rough-looking blonde didn’t say anything but she wasn’t exactly helpful either, opting to stand and watch idly while Maya hastily shoved various things into her bag. Her physics and mathematics AP textbook, a graphic calculator, her phone, a windbreaker jacket, and embarrassingly enough her dusty and dirty softball jersey had fallen out too. “Fucking loser. Go back to whatever hick country you’re from.”  

“Hey!”

Maya looked up startled, her fingers wrapped around her backpack in a white-knuckled grip. The girl had pulled her hands from out of her leather jacket and now had them curled up in tight fists, eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare that made Maya nervous even though it wasn’t directed at her but at the blonde next to her who’ve been making comments all day. “Fuck off. She’s fine.”    

Thankfully smart-mouth decided to keep her mouth shut, though her lips pursed in distaste. She obviously wasn’t dumb enough to pick a fight with the girl who looked like she could bench two hundred pounds no problem. They glared at each other for what seemed like eternity, the room tense and quiet as they were all caught up in the impromptu showdown. Finally smart-mouth caved and looked away and the tension eased. No catfight here. No sir, not today. We’re all professionals here.

Though if it did come to blows, Maya was willing to bet her whole savings on who would win that particular fight. “Ignore her.” The girl said. “She’s a bitch.”

Maya noticed in her peripherals that smart-mouth had stiffened at the comment but didn’t react otherwise. Thank God. Maya definitely did not want to be pulled in whatever might transpire. She was already at a disadvantage. She didn’t want to be known as “That-Latino-Girl-That-Starts-Fights-In-Waiting-Rooms”. It was a more of a mouthful than “successful actress Maya Sanchez”.  

The girl bent down, picking up the old softball that had rolled against her Converses. She tossed it gently in the air, catching it with one hand before handing it over to Maya. “Thanks.” Maya said softly, almost a whisper.

The girl nodded once, understanding that the thanks was more for than just returning her softball before settling down in the only free seat a few chairs over from where Maya sat. The wait resumed without more fanfare, thank God again. More names were called and soon enough the waiting room dwindled until there were only a handful of actresses left. “Maya…Sanchez?” A staff called out and Maya stood almost too quickly, nearly tripping over her own feet.

Fuck. She looked like a total loser. Though the only one in the room looking at her was the rough-looking blonde. “Oh!” The staff who previously had his nose glued to his clipboard as if he couldn’t understand the name that was written down, finally looking up with surprise clearly written on his face as he did a once-over at Maya. “Right this way Miss Sanchez.” He directed with a forced smile, re-arranging his expressions to look somewhat professional as Maya followed after him.

There was a quiet laugh behind her and Maya turned slightly to see the first smile on the rough blonde’s face. It was really cute and the smile had stunned Maya enough for her steps to falter. Their eyes caught and the blonde offered a wry grin and a nod of encouragement. Or what Maya perceived as encouragement. She didn’t know the girl at all and she had been quiet ever since the tense exchange. For the few words she did say, half of them had been swear words.

Maya made her way down the corridor into a smaller room where the staff member had left her with a insincere “good luck” and facing a table where three older women sat. Sucking in a deep breath, Maya deposited her bag at the door before making her way to stand in front of them where they politely introduced themselves as the casting director, executive producer and director.  No big deal. They’re just people too. People who may or may not jump start your acting career.

Squaring her shoulders, Maya smiled brightly.

“My name is Maya Sanchez am I am auditioning for the lead role of Adora.”

[bow-woahh]

Catradora, 15 💖

You have their attention (and I want yours)

Summary: It’s all made worse when Catra does look in her direction, searching for none other than Adora’s eyes. She sees her sitting there, seething, and all she does is raise an eyebrow, then after a moment, grin. She can tell. And that only makes Adora more agitated as Catra turns back to the crowd and that girl is practically hanging off her arm. Now, Adora really is contemplating going up there, kissing the smirk of Catra’s face where everyone can see.

read on Ao3 or below

types of kisses prompts 

It’s an odd feeling, not being the center of attention for once. Although that sounds conceited, it’s merely a fact, one Adora can’t get away from as she watches what is essentially a small crowd around Catra listening intently to what she has to say, laughing along when she tells a joke, or just says something in that dry sarcastic voice of hers. Usually, that is her, although it was never something she actively enjoyed—or at least not at the start. She grew to like it more. Only before growing to hate it again. It continued in a cycle like that for ages. Right now, she doesn’t thirst for the attention to be on her, and is rather happy nursing her drink, having an idle conversation with Bow before he goes back to Glimmer, or her other friends that pass by, then going back to watch Catra from the sidelines. Because Catra deserves it. She’s worked so hard to get where she is now, and Adora can't be more elated for her. The upcoming series is essentially her show where she gets to shine, and although it should’ve happened a long time ago, Adora is happy to see it happening now. 

Adora is happy to see it happening, until she isn’t. She hardly takes note of it at first, how one girl from the crew she vaguely recognises weasels her way past everyone, placing herself next to Catra. But after a while, she seems to shuffle closer, and closer until her and Catra are almost pressed up next to each other. She leans over, whispers something in Catra’s ear, giggling and Adora bites the inside of her cheek, hard. She orders another drink, then continues to watch closely.

That's the other thing about the attention. With it always comes a certain type of person, their intentions always foggy, but their want for you—for whatever reason—painstakingly clear. Adora’s had to learn over the years how to see through those people and what they really want, or better yet, to trust no one except the ones close. But Catra isn’t stupid, and she probably realises what this girl's doing. Still, it doesn’t make it any more bearable watching her slobber all over her. Adora glares, wishing the woman would turn to face her, and throws the rest of her drink back. She’s drunk enough that she could walk right up there, wrap an arm around Catra’s waist right in front of all of them, and wipe the look right off that girl's face.

Would it cause a scene? Probably, but Adora isn't opposed to it. For now though, she stays seated, watching from afar.

It’s all made worse when Catra finally looks in her direction, searching for none other than Adora’s eyes. She sees her sitting there, seething, and all she does is raise an eyebrow, then after a moment, grin. She can tell. And that only makes Adora more agitated as Catra turns back to the crowd and that girl is practically hanging off her arm. Now, Adora is seriously contemplating going up there, kissing the smirk off Catra’s face where everyone can see.

But as much as she wants to, she can’t. Not without some serious repercussions. They’ve had to keep their relationship under wraps throughout filming and up until the show's release. It hasn’t really been a problem for either of them, seeing as they live in a shared apartment close to set and have had to keep it a secret long before then. In a way, Adora quite likes it, having her relationship between Catra be something for them and them only, instead of the press being all over it like they constantly are with their friends like Mermista and Seahawk. Although there has been lots of speculation from press and fans alike, they have no real evidence, so as long as they continue to deny it, it’s fine. Their relationship is a pretty open secret for those around them, as they made no real effort to hide it on set for the most part, so the majority knew about it, on some level. Though clearly not everyone. Soon enough, they won't have to anyway. Adora wants the day to come quicker. One thing they both hate about it though (Catra especially), was how they can't hold hands or give the other a simple kiss on the cheek when they want to without the fear of paparazzi snapping a picture. It was beyond frustrating at times. They always make up for it in the comfort of their apartment however.

Something Catra is definitely going to have to do when they get home.

Adora continues to glare as the girl obnoxiously giggles and squeezes Catra’s bicep. She has to count to ten in her head before she does something she regrets, and it takes everything in her not to get up right then and there. Rationally speaking, she knows she shouldn’t be reacting this way. She knows Catra would never betray her trust like that, and that really, she just likes seeing Adora squirm. She knows that Catra is probably holding back a grimace every time this girl touches her, that as smooth as she acts, she likes this as little as Adora does. Which is what makes it worse because it reminds Adora of what a good girlfriend she is and now she wants her hands on her more than anything.

Soon, the party starts dwindling down, and Bow comes by to cut Adora off once she’s on her fourth (maybe fifth?) drink. The crowd around Catra has finally dispersed and she slinks over to Adora’s side, groping her ass quick enough that no one notices. Adora does however, and yelps.

“Catra!” she says, vowels drawn out.

She smiles, then says. “Hey princess, you doing alright?”

Then Adora remembers how she’s supposed to be annoyed at Catra for the games she’s been playing tonight. “No, no I’m not.” She crosses her arms and pouts like a child.

“I think she’s had a little too much to drink,” says Bow.

“Have not!” Adora argues back.

Catra nods, turning to only Bow and ignoring Adora for a moment. It makes Adora want to cling onto her and never let go. “Yeah, I can tell,” she snorts. “I’ll call the driver, thanks Bow.”

“No problem, now I gotta find Glimmer and cut her off too,” he says with a sigh.

Chuckling, Catra says, “Good luck with that.”

Bow leaves then, and Catra’s attention is back on Adora. Adora still pouts, but Catra looks far more amused than concerned by it. Ushering Adora onto one of the many sofas, she pulls her phone out of her suit pocket and makes a call. Once she’s done, she turns to face Adora.

“Only five minutes babe, then we’re on our way,” she says softly.

Adora stares at her for a moment. Her usually unruly curls are straightened and she wears a striking red and black suit. She wears a hit of mascara and eyeliner, which serves to make her mismatched eyes even more entrancing than usual. Adora wants to lean in right then and there and—

“Adora, not in public,” Catra hisses, gripping her shoulders and pushing her back onto the sofa. She hadn’t even realised she was actually leaning in.

“Sorry,” Adora says, huffing. “But I've barely seen you all night and I had to watch you with that stupid—” she cuts herself off.

But, of course, Catra can’t drop. “Who's stupid now?” she asks, knowing very well what, or who, Adora is talking about.

She scowls and Catra laughs. Then however, she leans in and whispers, “Don’t think I didn’t see how you were looking at me all through tonight. Just wait until we get home baby, then I’m all yours.”

Adora closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Catra’s not making this easy for her and she knows that. Finally, their driver is here, and Adora has never been more relieved. They say their goodbyes quickly before clambering into the car. The last ounce of self control Adora has is slowly dwindling as Catra places a hand on her thigh, idly tracing circles with her thumb, forcing Adora’s dress up a little higher. The pit in Adora’s stomach burns the whole ride home.

When they get into their apartment, Adora all but stumbles out of the heels she was—forced into—wearing. Adora is, admittedly, a little drunk. Maybe more than a little. But not drunk enough not to know what she wants. And she wants Catra’s lips on hers now, she wants the reminder that only she can do that, that stupid party girl will never have such a luxury. Speaking of, Catra watches her, leaning on the door, amused.

“Don’t trip up Adora,” she says with a grin. Adora is determined to wipe that off her face once and for all.

She goes up to her then, and wastes no time pulling her by the lapel of her suit jacket, into a long overdue kiss. It isn’t slow and soft like they often are, but fast and harsh as Adora moves her hand to grip Catra’s waist from underneath her jacket, pinning her to the door. After the initial shock, Catra’s hands find the back of Adora’s neck, and she’s groaning into the kiss, and Adora knows with certainty that she’s been looking forward to this all night as well. That only encourages Adora more as she parts Catra’s lips; she tastes like champagne and chocolate, and the smell of the cologne she’s wearing registers in Adora’s mind then, so does the way Catra grips the back of her neck and she all but moans into her mouth. Soon, they have to come back up for air, but as Catra begins to pull away, Adora catches her bottom lip between her teeth, and it isn’t until she lets out a hiss that Adora releases it. As she pulls back, she notices how swollen Catra’s lips are, especially the bottom, which looks especially agitated, and leans back in to soothe the bite, swiping her tongue across her bottom lip. Catra lets her, a small sigh escaping from her throat as she does.

When Adora finally pulls back, Catra shakes her head with a smile on her face, before pressing their foreheads together. “That was uncalled for, princess.”

“Nope, it was very called for after everything I’ve been put through tonight.” She leans in for another kiss, and this time it’s slow, maybe a little possessive. “Your lips are all mine,” Adora says as she pulls away, voice low.

Catra buries her face in her neck, pressing a soft kiss against it. “All yours,” she whispers. “Always.”

The heat in Adora’s stomach simmers down for a moment as they just hold each other, and Adora would be content to stay like this for the rest of the night. That is, until Catra hands start to travel down her body and soft kisses on her neck become more heated.

“Catra…” she whines, but she gets no reply. She tries again, but realises there’s no way Catra’s going to stop, so she grabs Catra’s wrists and pins them to the door, keeping her lips just out of her reach. Catra almost looks as agitated as Adora has been for most of the night.

“Yes?” Catra asks.

Adora kisses the tip of her nose, then says, “Bedroom.” Catra smiles then, and they hold onto each other tightly as Adora leads them to their room. The previous events of the night are forgotten in exchange for something much better.

[hazymistdraws]

Catra and Glimmer are too similar and here’s a long text post to explain why...

Some days I end up letting my mind wander about any random thing. I let it wander until a thought occurred. Why do the catradora and glimadora ships have sooo much traction to them, when the show first came out? Then I came to a realization. Maybe it’s because glimmer and catra are so similar, and yet different enough for them to be their own characters. 

For starters, both of them are driven by the war with similar but different goals. Glimmer fights to prove to her mom and others that she’s strong, while catra fights to prove to herself and adora that she’s strong. When the show starts, glimmer rushes into battle without much thought. If she’s able to help people or earn her place in the army, glimmer didn’t exactly care what the odds were. Catra behaved in a similar matter, but she wanted to fight more to her benefit than anything else. She didn’t have glimmer’s moral code, only the abuse she got from shadow weaver and her fellow cadets (Excluding Adora) to go on. Because of that, all catra was fighting for was respect and admiration from others, lacking glimmer’s sense of justice. Catra doesn’t care who gets hurt, she just wants the credit she’s earned.

Secondly, they both have similar reactions to their anger. Both glimmer and catra get confrontational when they’re faced with a problem they have little control over, and they project it onto others. Glimmer, after seeing another destroyed village at the hands of the horde, snaps at adora (The only horde soldier around). 

This might have been a normal reaction considering adora’s defense of the horde prior, however, it happens again later in the first one's temple. She starts off once again with reasonable anger but then starts projecting onto adora about everything the horde has taken from her personally. In that moment, adora was the very embodiment of everything glimmer hates in the world, just by wearing horde colors. 

This starts to affect glimmer’s decision making as well. When she was faced with the choice of letting a horde soldier save her and her best friend’s life, or taking a major risk to her own health on a gamble that wasn’t even a 100% guarantee, she chooses the later out of spite. You can even see she contemplates letting adora try for a moment until she just says ‘No way am I letting a horde soldier taking this sword!’ and goes for the self- destructive option.

Catra doesn’t really need much elaboration on her anger. Catra ended up projecting her anger over shadow weaver’s abuse onto adora, simply because adora was never a target. It wasn’t as forward as glimmer’s anger was though. It built up over time since catra always tried to mask her true feelings through sarcasm or false confidence. Catra just let it continue to grow and grow until something had to give. Adora leaving is what broke the straw on the camel’s back, and catra just let her negative emotions take the driver’s seat. It’s not until eleven episodes later that she even feels a pang of regret for everything she’s done, after scorpia and entrapta remind her of the friend she used to have.

Glimmer, meanwhile is able to calm down and reevaluate her situation. It takes her a minute, but after she’s given some room to think and actually see the girl she’s been demonizing this whole time...

Glimmer starts to let go of her anger, and see reality. Simply, glimmer has better control of her anger than catra does.

Finally, the biggest similarity and the one people recognize most right away is the duo’s relationship with adora and how she affects them in different ways. 

In the case of glimmer, adora’s presence lets her take a role she hadn’t had much experience in before...as someone to rely on. For most of her life, she’s mainly just been put into a position where she has had to rely on others. People thinking she won’t be able to fight for her people like bow and the soldiers in the castle do. Glimmer living her life thinking she wouldn’t be able to live up to her mother’s reputation or her standards, tried too hard to earn her good graces. After meeting adora however, this status quo changes. Glimmer throughout the show helps adora with little things. Such as what a wind chime is or just someone to be a shoulder to lean on about her insecurities. By the time they reach mystacor, glimmer had become a completely different person than she was before adora, and her relationships with others have changed too. She’s gotten closer to her mother, she’s gotten the recognition of her peers, and she’s been able to do what she’s been yearning to do for years. Fight the horde and protect everything she held dear. That’s all thanks to adora being in glimmer’s life, making her a better version of herself overall.

Catra on the other hand experienced a different effect from adora’s influence, or in this case lack there of. After adora left, it forced catra to take things more seriously. Adora wasn’t there to bail her out anymore. That meant catra couldn’t just nonchalantly live in the horde like she had been. Adora was the only thing keeping her from abuse by shadow weaver. With her gone, there was no reason for shadow weaver to keep her around. She’d have to take the initiative and prove her worth in the battle, without her only friend. Shockingly, despite everyone’s hatred of her, the restrictions she was given, and the constant threats of death from her superior, she was successful overall. Thanks to adora’s absence, catra was able to discover what she was truly capable of. On just her second mission out in the field she heavily damaged an entire enemy kingdom, defeated and captured the leader of the rebellion, while stealing the main weapon of the horde’s greatest enemy, and she barely even broke a sweat trying. That’s not even mentioning that during that mission, she got into a confrontation with the revered former force captain. A confrontation, where she also barely tried and was still wining with ease. 

This victory sent the gears turning in catra’s head. All she needed was another push towards the right direction, and when she entered the first ones temple she got her push. Seeing how reliant she was on adora and the meek nature she used to posses around her allowed catra to come to a realization. She was stronger and more successful when adora wasn’t around. She had become more confident in herself than times previous and this was no false confidence either. She was sure that she had a place in the horde. Possibly a place atop the throne. Catra had even amassed a small group of friends. Friends that didn’t like her just because they were on the same team or fake about it. They were outcasts like her and she was glad they found a place with her. 

Catra’s entire life in the horde changed for the better without adora, so why have her come back? She was better off without her.

In the end glimmer and catra are basically the same person, it’s just different upbringings and developments in later life that makes them seem so polar opposite to each other. Seeing these two interact later on down the road will be a real spectacle when you take these facts into consideration. Witnessing a now unstoppable force of pride and confidence in catra, clashing with an unshakable will and inherent compassion that has now manifested with glimmer. It’s an interaction I can’t wait to see.

[etherian-affairs]

To Face Evil.

Adora finally has a chance to strike Hordak down, until Entrapta puts herself between him and She-Ra's blade.

This started as just another cyborg Entrapta story. Wanting to play with the concept some more. Then it became something else.

Crossposted on Ao3

================

It is difficult to face evil. It is difficult to know evil is a person. It is difficult to kill. Yet Adora is here, she is looking down at Lord Hordak. The man that has caused decades of terror and hardship on Etheria. The fight has been hard, but through grit, determination, and what allies remain  Adora, She-Ra, has struck him low. His armor sparks, cracked. It's seemingly endless regeneration finally broken. He looks up at Adora, meets her gaze. He is defiant.

They did not meet in some climactic battle. This was not a planned engagement. This was chance. Two forces being in the same place at the same time. It is a chance she needed to take.

She feels the eyes of friends and enemies alike on her. Waiting to see if the She-Ra will strike down evil. Namely she feels the worried eyes of Bow, the one who stood with her here.

He has seen friends willing to take the killing blow before. He is about to see it again.

With a roar of rage and anguish at everything that has been done to Etheria She-Ra brings the Sword of Protection down toward Lord Hordak. It whistles through the air, gliding true toward the warlord’s chest. Adora was never one to aim for the head, even when she strikes against one who has caused so much strife. The blade hits metal, it slices in, it slices through, and then it stops. A combination of resistance and Adora’s own sudden halting of the downard sing.

Hordak is uninjured. 

The Sword is buried nearly elbow deep into Entrapta’s arm. The Princess had dived into its path, catching the blade head on in the final moment.

In Shock Adora releases the sword, stumbling back. “Entrapta!?” 

There is no blood. No bone or meat. There are sparks, and pieces of metal falling to the ground. Entrapta’s hair reaches out, pulling her torn glove away from her arm. Revealing the now mangled metal appendage. “I was worried it wasn’t going to stop for a second!” Entrapta speaks loudly as her other hand grasps the sword and tears it out of her arm. 

Her hair produces the many tools hidden within. The tendrils now pulling and manipulating the mangled arm, splicing new wires, repositioning the surviving servos, bypassing the damage, welding and bolting things back together. Hordak rises slowly behind her. “Thank you Entrapta.” he speaks with a cough, he does not seem nearly as surprised as Adora or anyone else present by this whole ordeal. "She could have taken the rest of you though." He adds, concern oddly clear in his voice. 

Entrapta smiles back at Hordak. "It's okay! I was pretty sure she'd stop once it hit me instead of you." 

As Hordak smiles at her just a little Adora speaks up. "Entrapta are you okay?! Your arm what… are you a robot?!"

Entrapta looks back at the warrior goddess and quirks her head. "No. I just have prosthetic limbs." She holds the sword out to Hordak who takes it from her quietly. Then Entrapta glances at her mangled arm. "I think I'm only going to be about to get three fingers working again." She hrmms.

"W-why? When? Why did you jump in front of Hordak?! I could have killed you!" Adora is low key freaking out now. She's always had a hard time with the killing thing and to very nearly kill someone she actually knows personally is quite nerve wracking. Someone who doesn't really deserve it, in her mind. Also learning that your mental image of that same person is apparently very wrong can be jarring as we.

"Well!" The Princess of Dryl begins. "I have tech prosthetics because I lost all of my original limbs back when-"

"ALL OF THEM?!" Adora shouts. Hordak winces.

"Yep! At different times of course! I wouldn't have survived losing all of them at once! Anyway! I love Hordak and I didn't think you'd follows through if you hit me instead of him."

Hordak smiles a little behind Entrapta and says a simple "I love you too." That hits Adora like a brick. Did Hordak just say he loves her too? Did she just say she loves him?! Some combination of Hordak’s quick comment and Adora’s expression seems to make Entrapta giggle.

Adora stares at them for a moment, then clenches her fist. She needs to remain strong. “Entrapta… the things he’s done. You can’t defend him.”

“Oh but I can Adora.” she flexes her arm, wiggling her three remaining functional fingers. Her hair moves to Hordak, beginning to work on his damaged armor without even looking at him. “The data says you would defend Catra, if I was going to kill her. Wouldn’t you?” the princess is smiling, yet her voice has an air of seriousness to it. Those around them, the participants of this now stopped battle, murmur. Bow visibly winces at the accusation.

Adora falters at that. “I… Catra has done horrible things… she needs to pay for them.” Adora’s fists clench ever tighter, nails digging into skin. She eyes the sword in Hordak's hand. His armor is beginning to self repair again now that Entrapta's gotten the initial work started. Adora has lost her advantage.

“How though? I am curious! Would you kill her? Or would you rather she pay in some other way?” Entrapta asks with some surprising forcefulness.

"Entrapta I…" 

"Do not try to justify your hypocrisy Adora." Hordak speaks now. Moving up to Entrapta's side to take her arm and examine it. "You'll need a replacement." While his voice was hard toward Adora it is gentle with Entrapta. Concerned. The juxtaposition causes Adora pause once again.

"I think I can salvage this one with our supplies back home." She replies. Smiling a little before looking back at Adora. “I liked being your friend Adora. I’d like to still be your friend.” 

Adora is frozen. She hears Bow finally speak, letting out a worried “Adora?...”

Adora has lost so much. She’s been lied to and manipulated. She’s watched Friends descend into darkness. She’s still watching it happen.

Entrapta has never lied. Entrapta is not a good person, and Hordak is an evil one, and yet...

Aren’t any friends she can get a boon? With everything happening.

So Adora finally nods. “He needs to pay.”

“But not like this.” Entrapta counters.

Adora’s eyes close for a moment and she nods again. “Go.”

She watches Hordak and Entrapta nod to each other. Then, surprisingly, Hordak tosses the sword to the ground. The two run.

Bow approaches her, he reaches out to touch her arm. “Adora… are you sure about… letting them go?”

“No.” Her voice is quick and hard as she bends down to pick up her sword. “I’m not Bow.”

“Then why did you?”

“He knew.” Now Bow looks confused. So she elaborates.

“Hordak knew about her arm, her limbs… My whole life I’ve been told he doesn’t tolerate weakness, sickness, injury… and I just watched him take her hand to look at the damage… I just watched them say they love each other” Adora sighs. “And we need friends Bow. It’s just us now and we need friends wherever we can get them if we’re going to save Etheria.”

Bow nods now. He understands. He has always held bottomless kindness and compassion in his heart. Now he looks up toward the retreating Horde Forces, pondering them for a moment. “I think it’s good you didn’t kill him.” He finally says.

Adora just sighs.

It is difficult to face evil. It is difficult to know evil is a person. It is difficult to not kill it when given the chance. Yet Adora is here, she is looking into the distance and watching the evil she has let escape vanish. Decades of terror and hardship left unavenged. 

Because there is so much worse on the horizon.

[emperorsfoot]

Chapter five is up! 

We get to see how Entrapta’s doing on Beast Island.

Meanwhile, Glimmer copes with the responsibilities of being a Queen. 

...

“Day five on Beast Island. Four? No, five.” Entrapta wasn’t speaking into anything. She lost her recorder in her lab. At least she thought she did, her recollection of events was a little spotty on the details. But she knew for sure that she didn’t have it now. She was just filling the air with her narrations and notes out of habit. “I have not seen any signs of the guards implementing my improvements to spite my multiple suggestions.”

Using her hair to lift her, Entrapta peered out her cell’s tiny window. Barely the size of her welding mask, it was too small for her to fit her body through, and it was high up, near where the wall of her cell met the ceiling. Too high to provide decent ventilation. But it was the only source of airflow in her cell in the Horde Prison Complex on Beast Island. Unless the even smaller panel at floor level they used to slide in her daily meal –meal singular- counted as ventilation.

“They could cut down on the smell by sixty percent if they just renovated and installed an air circulation system.” Entrapta continued to narrate. She even curled a tendril of hair as if it were holding a recorder, even going to far as to leave a gap. Pantomiming the device close to her face. “Better air quality would also improve prisoner health by thirty percent and lower the mortality rate.”

“Shut-up!” Someone shouted from the cell next to hers.

They were separated by a solid stone wall –stone, not metal paneling and insulation- but they could still hear each other through the open windows near the ceiling of each cell. Sound tended to carry in close quarters. Entrapta could hear them moaning or crying at night, and they could hear her analyzing and assessing.

“An improvement in prisoner health will also cause an improvement in prisoner moral.” She noted. “Higher moral would mean fewer escape attempts and a lowered risk for the guards.”

“Would someone shut her up!” The same prisoner called, almost desperately. She had been monologueing for the past five days. Outlining ‘improvements’ to the prison as if she were some kind of Horde engineer that was just visiting on an inspection. Most of the other prisoners that could hear her didn’t know what to make of her. A few grew very irritated very quickly.

“To spite these positive outcomes,” Entrapta leaned back on her hair. Almost doing a back flip as she twisted in the air, lowering herself back onto her feet, “There has been no perceptible evidence of these suggestions being taken seriously. This leads me to wonder if the guards lack the ability to understand what I’ve been telling them, or else I’m not explaining myself effectively. Communicating successfully with other people has always been… challenging for me.”

Her shoulders drooped. That loop of hair that was pantomiming holding her recorder slackened. All of her hair hanging limp around her body. Communicating with other people and forming connections always had been a challenge for her. Not an exhilarating challenge like unraveling the mysteries of multiple dimensions and the portals to traverse them. A frustratingly exhausting challenge. Whenever she thought she understood someone, or found someone who understood her, the reality did not turn out to fit the calculated data.

She thought Adora, Bow, and Glimmer were her friends. But then they left her in the Fright Zone after Glimmer was rescued. Adora said it was because they thought she was dead. But Adora didn’t give any evidence to support why she thought that. That was a problem within the Princess Alliance. They often just assumed things without evidence. Made hypotheses, then just decided those hypotheses were true before testing them.

She thought Catra was her friend. Of all the data Entrapta had complied in her computer, Catra had the highest marks in all categories. In voice pitch, pupil dilation, support of Entrapta’s work (pre-portal project), physical proximity, unnecessary touching… Catra scored high in them all. Entrapta truly thought Catra was her friend. She even put forth the extra effort and went out of her way to convince Hordak to overturn his sentencing on her and show leniency. Entrapta saved Catra’s life –because that’s what you do for your friends! But Catra tazed her in the back.

She thought Hordak was her friend. Entrapta was so preoccupied with their portal research that she stopped entering data into her Friendship Assessment Algorithm, so she did not have the empirical measurements to support her, but she felt like he was a very special friend. At least, she certainly enjoyed being around him more than she did around any of her other friends. Hordak did something none of her other friends did, he shared her interests and her passions.

Catra tried to be supportive. Going out into the Whispering Woods to get First Ones tech for her research. Coming with her on missions to study abandoned First Ones structures. Encouraging her to experiment to the fullest, like with the black garnet. But Catra didn’t really understand what Entrapta was doing. She didn’t understand the process. She mostly just appreciated the results.

Bow understood the process. He was an amateur inventor. Entrapta thought his trick arrows were cute, and his First Ones tracker pad was a stroke of genius –when he could get it to work. But Bow thought on such a small scale. He was not on the same level as Entrapta was, and while it was nice to have a friend who understood that science wasn’t a magic spell, it was a technique for learning and discovery, it was also exhausting having to hold someone’s hand all the time.

But Hordak… Hordak was different. He was the best of each of them. Like Bow, he understood the process. That science was a means of learning, of exploring, and then achieving. But, unlike Bow, his inventions were on the exact same level as her own. The power source he was creating when she first snuck into his Sanctum. The cybernetic implants he used to compensate for his body’s physical limitations. He was brilliant! Broody, and easily frustrated. But brilliant none the less. And he was supportive and encouraging of Entrapta’s own passion for the work. In short, Hordak was kinda perfect, and they clicked instantly. Entrapta had never related to, and connected with another person so easily and naturally in her whole life. She thought Hordak was her friend.

But, Hordak was also the overlord of the entire Horde.

Entrapta was currently confined in a Horde prison.

Sure, Hordak wasn’t the one who knocked her out before she woke up here. But he was the Big Boss that everyone had to listen to. If Hordak really was her friend… why was she here? If Hordak hadn’t initially known where she was sent after she passed out, why hadn’t she been released the moment he did find out? If Hordak really was her friend, why was he letting her rot in this cell like some kind of criminal? Was he angry that she was going to tell him not to activate the portal? That she was basically telling him ‘no, you can’t go home’.

But, she was still here. She existed, and the world existed. So, clearly, the portal had not been turned on –or if it had, someone closed it soon enough afterward. That couldn’t be why he was leaving her here to rot.

Maybe Hordak –like Adora, Glimmer, Bow, and Catra- wasn’t really her friend after all.

Raising one tendril of hair, Entrapta lowered her welding mask over her face. As if the visor could shield her from her own feelings. Her own insecurities.

“Is she finally quiet?” Asked the one whom was irritated by all her notes. “Did she die?”

Another tendril of hair coiled around a non-existent recorder and she cleared her throat. “But as with any time when the quest for understanding is blocked, I will gather more data and push through!”

“Oh, for the love of-“ Groaned the other prisoner. “Hey, hey, I’m ready to confess. Guards! I’ll confess, okay!”

Her hair once again lifting her up to the tiny window, Entrapta peered out the narrow gap.

“Not much can be seen from my cell.” She announced. “I was unconscious when I was brought in and so didn’t get a look at the outside. But from what I can observe, Beast Island is covered in dense jungle. The trees exhibit wide trunks and dark leaves, indicating that they are either very old or else contain a high copper content –possibly both. I am yet to observe the famous beasts of Beast Island, this could possibly be due to the fact that many of them are nocturnal and the lighting outside my cell is poor at night. I have heard that the Great Beast can grow to be as tall at the trees, and I’m still optimistic to witness this phenomenal creature. Animals rarely surpass their natural environment. The Great Beast of Beast Island is anomalist. I’m very excited!”

She paused again, lifting the welding mask from her face. Entrapta looked at the empty coil of hair that was pantomiming holding her recorder. She was not actually very excited. She was not even sort of excited.

She was exhausted from sleeping on a bare floor. She was hungry from only being served one meal a day. She was dirty from not having any way to wash herself. She was concerned for infection and other filth based illnesses because –while her cell did have a toilet- the plumbing was inconsistent and unreliable. Everything smelled bad. Between the body odor, the urine, the feces, the odors of natural decay that wafted in from the jungle. Everything smelled bad!

Entrapta leaned against a wall, not wanting to sit on the floor, but also feeling like she needed something to support her.

“I miss my lab.” She informed the pungent air. She wasn’t thinking of Hordak’s Sanctum, or even her lab in the Fright Zone. She was thinking of her own lab, in her own castle. High up in the mountains, mostly isolated. Her own little mining Queendom. It was small, and it wasn’t pretty like some other Princess’ domains. But it was hers. “I miss Dryl. I wanna go home.”

“We all wanna go home, Princess!” Shouted the angry prisoner that had been annoyed with her from the moment she arrived.

Sinking down to the floor, Entrapta drew her knees up to her chest. She wondered –silently- how things might have been different if she never joined the Princess Alliance at all. If after Bow’s sonic arrow saved her, her staff, and her castle from the First Ones’ virus, she just thanked them for their contribution to her research and sent them on her way. If she had, she never would have gone with the team to rescue Glimmer. She never would have been left in the Fright Zone. She never would have teamed up with Catra and Scorpia. She never… she never would have met Hordak.

“Hey! Leave her alone!” Shouted a second prisoner from the cell on her opposite side. “Can’t you tell she’s coping! Let the Lady cope however she needs! You cried for, like, three weeks when you got here!”

Idly, Entrapta cast a thought to her clone, still gestating in her lab in the Fright Zone. A clone she made for Hordak.

“Oh! This from the guy who shouts in his sleep!” The two prisoners launched into an argument around Entrpata. “’Angella…! I’m not dead! I’m not dead, Angie!’ She’s not coming to rescue you, dude. Just give up like the rest of us.”

It was a private project. Meant to be a sort of ‘going away present’ for him, for when their research paid off and they were able to create a stable portal. A new body for him. She hadn’t left any kind of note for him, letting him know it was there –she wanted it to be a surprise. Hordak rarely ever left his own Sanctum. Would Hordak ever even discover it? If he did, she was confident Imp and the automated machinery he used to maintain his implants were capable to preforming the mental transplant. Transferring his mind, his memories and personality into the new body. No different than transferring data onto a new hard drive.

“You don’t know my wife!” Insisted the second prisoner. “She’s so strong! She could stand at the end of the world and smile.”

She also hoped no one besides Hordak found the clone and let it out early or without prepping it for transfer. It was a living organism with the capacity for high-level intelligence, after all. The moment it became conscious, it would begin to learn. To fill up its own mind with its own memories, form its own personality. Evolve from a blank doll into a fully formed individual, just as unique as any being born through natural means. It would be impossible to transfer Hordak’s mind into it then. There wouldn’t be enough space for both minds. If it were a computer, it would definitely crash. An organic being with a living brain would probably have a stroke and die.

“It’s been years!” The first prisoner reminded him. “No one’s coming to save you.”

If the clone became conscious before Hordak’s mind could be put in its body, then they would both just have to live as separate individuals. She supposed the clone could still be used for spare parts in that event. As a tissue donor. It wouldn’t cure Hordak’s illness, but replacing the damaged tissues with healthy ones could stop the progression of the degeneration.

Of course, since the clone would be an autonomous individual in that scenario, the question of Consent did come into play. It would be ethical dilemma number… she’d lost count.

Entrapta looked up at the ceiling of her cell. There was no way of knowing what was happening outside her four walls. There was no way of knowing what had happened to all her projects and inventions, all her experiments, or the things she cared about. Emily, the clone, and… Hordak.

Heck! She didn’t even know what was happening with Catra and Scorpia.

Or Adora, Glimmer, Bow, and the Princess Alliance.

…

Bright Moon had no prison.

But since the defeat of the Horde, their borders had been invaded by scattered remnant soldiers. Not intentional attacks like Octavia’s poorly conceived and impotently executed last ditch attack. Scattered individuals or small groups. Deserters breaking into homes to steal food or valuables. Small groups rolling into villages and declaring themselves the new town rulers.

People who had lied their whole lives in a strength based culture, who had been taught from infancy that the strongest fighter, or the soldier with the biggest weapon could do whatever they wanted and those that were weaker had to serve them.

Glimmer, Adora, and Bow spent a great deal of their time traveling Bright Moon, going from village to village to village cleaning up these messes.

At first they were just chasing them away. Pushing the Horde remnants out of Bright Moon.

But that just meant they were going into other Princess’ Queendoms. Doing the same things just as a different Princess’ problem. The Princess Alliance was basically playing Hot Potato with remnant Horde bandits. That was something that couldn’t continue.

Bright Moon never had any prisons before. But Glimmer was building one now.

Not even formally coroneted as Queen yet, and she was already implementing new policy that would have been unheard of in her mother’s time. In Queen Angella’s day, imprisoning wrong doers was just not done. People who did wrong, who committed crimes, who hurt others were educated, rehabilitated, given counseling or job training to mend whatever way Bright Moon society had failed them that drove them to harm others. The people of Bright Moon believed that crime was a symptom of a failure in the government to provide for its people, not solely a failure of the person.

But the Horde bandits that came in were not members of Bright Moon society. It was not Bright Moon that failed them. And there were too many of them for Glimmer to try and fix.

So, she ordered a prison be built to hold them. Scavenging metals from the destroyed Horde tanks and skiffs from both attacks on Bright Moon.

She made sure the cells were equipped with all the necessities. Proper ventilation and air flow, beds with foam mattresses for rest, flush toilets so the guards did not have to escort them to and from restrooms at all hours of the day, a small utilitarian sink so they could wash their hands and keep themselves clean, sound insulated walls so they couldn’t talk to one another and collaborate escape attempts. Glimmer was working through andger and grief over the loss of her mother, while also trying to function under the pressure to be a good Queen her mother could be proud of. That didn’t mean she was going to be cruel.

When construction was done, Adora commented that –aside from the fact that they were single cells, not shared dormitories- they were almost identical to the accommodations in the soldier barracks in the Fright Zone. The only significant difference was that the prisoners could not let themselves out of their cells, while Adora was always free to leave her barracks whenever she liked.

Octavia and her routed soldiers with the first residents of the newly minted prison –which someone had called ‘Moon Shadow’, probably not originally meaning to be serious. But the name stuck and became official. Moon Shadow Prison.

The Princess’ of other Queendoms built similar holding facilities for their own Horde bandits that stirred up trouble on their lands. Perfuma constructing hers out of tangling vines and dense trees. Frosta created an ice fortress. Mermista, a stronghold of coral caverns that were filled with air.

The only Queendom that did not build a new prison for Horde defectors or rouge Horde bandits, was Dryl.

Dryl was still under Horde occupation when Hordak’s Sanctum blew and the leader of the Horde disappeared. It was still under Horde control now. Flying Horde banners, the borders patrolled by Horde patrols. At an outside glance, one couldn’t tell they were even aware of the Horde’s defeat at all.

There was a rumor that Dryl was where Hordak had retreated to. Traders and travelers reported seeing Hordak’s deamon, Imp, lurking the labyrinthine corridors of the castle, or staring down from the ramparts. Spying on them for his master. Or heard the guards talk about how Hordak was brought to the castle by a loyal Force Captain.

That was another concern that weighed on Glimmer. None of them knew what happened to Hordak after the Sanctum blew. They knew he wasn’t dead. Adora saw him escape with Catra. Was Catra the loyal Force Captain that brought him to Dryl? Should Dryl be where they look to for the next attack from the relentless overlord and his stubborn, relentless subordinate?

Should they try and sneak into Dryl? Spy on Hordak and Catra. Get an idea of their plan.

Glimmer couldn’t. She had to stay in Bright Moon. The Queendom was still observing its traditional period of mourning, so she had not been crowned Queen in any official capacity. But It was still Glimmer’s responsibility to oversee the safety of her domain, inside and out. She could not leave while bandits roamed the woods and raided villages.

Angella told Adora that she always stayed behind out of fear and cowardice. That might very well have been true. But that did not invalidate the fact that someone also had to stay and protect the home front. It was not cowardice. It was responsible.

“I’ll go.” Adora volunteered. After standing next to Glimmer through what must have been the hundredth boring report of the day.

Who knew trying to solidify lasting peace could be so tedious? Maybe Adora wanted a dangerous adventure. After all, danger and combat were pretty much all she’d know her whole life. That, and Glimmer had been rather cold to her since coming back from the Fright Zone. Maybe the two needed some time apart anyway.

“I told you, you don’t have to stay through these with me.” Glimmer informed her.

The three of them, Glimmer, Adora, and Bow were all in the throne room. Glimmer, seated on the throne, obviously. With Adora standing at a military parade rest on her left side. Bow had started off standing at Glimmer’s right, but after the first hour, he got tired and sat down on the steps leading up to the throne instead. He took notes on his tracker pad, keeping a record of all the reports, requests, and concerns that were brought before the Queen-to-be.

Glimmer knew they were just trying to help. Her friends knew that, while he should one day succeed her mother as Queen, Glimmer never planned for it to be so soon. She was off guard and unprepared for her new responsibilities. That along was challenging enough. But she was also trying to step up as sovereign of a healing nation when she herself was still reeling from the unexpected loss of her mother. Something she had not been prepared for and had no idea how to handle. Bow and Adora were trying to help her. She understood that.

But sometimes, their help felt too much like hovering and it was starting to get on Glimmer’s nerves. Adora did not have to stand next to her like some kind of body guard every time she held audiences. What could Adora even bring to the metaphorical table in terms of help ruling a nation? She was a soldier. Not a Princess. She might be She-Ra, but ‘Princess of Power’, was an honorary title. She-Ra never ruled a Queendom. What did Adora know?

“I meant, I’ll go to Dryl.” Adora clarified. “I’ll see if these rumors of Hordak hiding out in Entrapta’s castle are true or not.”

Glimmer frowned. Grinding her teeth behind her lips. Hearing Hordak and Entrapta’s names spoken in the same sentence…

There was no one person Glimmer could blame for her mother being trapped inside the portal –save her mother herself. But it was Adora who left her there. It was Catra who pulled the switch and opened the portal. And it was Hordak and Entrapta that built the darned thing in the first place. There was no one person Glimmer could blame for the loss of her mother and focus all her anger and hate on. There were several people. Chief among them, Hordak and Entrapta. Just hearing their names –and hearing their names together- made the blood pound in her ears.

Entrapta would offer her castle to Hordak. As a safe haven and new base.

“It’s dangerous for you to go alone.” Bow stood, taking Glimmer’s stony silence as confirmation of the pseudo-Queen’s permission to send Adora on a spy mission. “I’ll go too.”

Glimmer stood from her throne. Her instinct to automatically announce that she would also be joining them on the mission.

Except she couldn’t. Not right now. Probably not anymore. Not so long as Bright Moon needed a Queen. Maybe if she could find a reagent to rule as he proxy while she continued her work with the Alliance. But she had no regent or proxy at the moment. Glimmer needed to stay.

She ground her teeth again. “Be carful.”

[heyyyyadora]

No one wants to be Kyle.

But someone, at least, has his back, a silent saviour.

A quick one-shot for these gay bois!

Proud to present everyone’s fave buff lizard/useless twink pairing!!!

So I have to explain my headcanon for Rogelio’s muteness - the She-Ra staff were the ones to confirm Rogelio’s name on twitter, mentioning that because he has no voice lines in Season One, he doesn’t appear in the voice credits. They also mentioned that they think someone says his name in Season Two, which will be the first time his name is confirmed in canon…

…which in my head suggested, “Oh, I guess he still doesn’t get credited for any voice lines then?” which lead to, “Wait, so Rogelio doesn’t speak at ALL for two whole seasons?” and so, boom. Mute Rogelio headcanon.

I really liked the idea of playing with this, as lizards obviously communicate in a variety of ways that differ from us - lots of cues in touch and body language, with a smattering of audio cues such as huffing or hissing.

Kyle, on the other hand, just wants someone who’ll listen to him… so who better than someone who won’t interrupt, who will just sit there calmly and let him get things off his chest; having a big buff lizard bf is a pretty sweet bonus tho.

Whole fic posted under cut!

“Ugh, seriously, Kyle?!”

He wasn’t cut out for this. He knew that. But having everyone yell at him for it didn’t. Help.

“Come on! That one wasn’t my fault!”

It was no good protesting. Adora and the others had already scattered, further laser fire blasting around them. He sighed, pulling himself up to sitting position and rubbing his now probably bruised chest. Great. If he took a hit then all of their grades suffered. Team marking meant that he dragged them all down.

Ughhh. He should be taking those extra drills, but the drill sergeants were terrifying enough to spend regular hours around and all he could imagine was Shadow Weaver’s glowing, judgemental eyes glaring at him the whole time.

Maybe he should just… keep lying here.

There was a shuffle to his side and Kyle immediately snapped upright, “I-I was just leaving, I- Oh,”

A clawed green hand had taken him by the wrist, pulling him up. Rogelio’s placid eyes looked him up and down, before dusting him off.

“Rogelio… ah, you shouldn’t hang around for me, you don’t wanna lose any more marks…”

Rogelio’s head shook slowly, a claw pointing to his chest and tapping on the display there. Kyle’s eyes were drawn down to the flashing red X that marked him. “Ah… you too? Too bad, huh?” Broad scaly shoulders shrugged up and down slowly, then the lizard man simply gestured over his shoulder. Time to go.

“Yeah, yeah… I guess,” Kyle grumbled, sighing. “It’s gonna be a long week to make up for that.”

A heavy arm thudded over his back, about as comforting as a thump from a guy probably three times your body mass could manage. “Ahah, hey, ow- geez, I’m banged up enough as it is!”

A yellow eye was tilted in his direction and Kyle managed to picture a rough brow being raised teasingly at him. “Hey, I’m trying, you know? I don’t got the biological advantage here. And Adora, Lonnie, all those guys, I dunno… I’m just not built for this stuff.” The eye blinked slowly. “Ahh, I know, I know… It’s just like, I don’t have the mental strength to work up the courage to train more – and then it’s like, it cycles around, ‘cause then I get beaten around for being weak and it all goes on in a circle… ahh, I don’t know, whatever.”

The blink he got that time was longer, slower. Rogelio had no idea what he was trying to say. But Kyle got another pat on the shoulder, which he took as some sort of encouragement.

“Yeah… just gotta deal with how it is for now.”

As they each packed away their training gear in their lockers, Kyle paused for a second to look over at the lizard boy from across the room. He didn’t know why Rogelio chose to hang out with him… or, uh, well, he didn’t know whether to call it hanging out, more that he just lingered in proximity from time to time. Truthfully he wasn’t ever sure what was on the other cadet’s mind, he only ever got a general feeling for it. It was obvious that Rogelio could understand them, but if he was ever trying to communicate back it was in some way they couldn’t consciously recognise. Though, they never got the impression that he went misunderstood, so there could be something there. He hardly seemed simple-minded, either.

Rogelio was kind of a loner, though, all the same. Maybe because of the communication barrier. Or maybe that was just the way he was. Reptiles were all pretty solitary, weren’t they? Not that he’d dare to ask, it sounded pretty… risky. Presumptive. And he didn’t want to ruin what they had going; whatever that was. It mostly boiled down to that whole, being in proximity thing.

Kyle had actually been the one to initiate contact, hard as it would be for anyone to believe! Well, he’d seen Rogelio in action in the early days of training – as impressive then as he was now, sleeker than you’d expect for his build, quick on his feet and well-balanced, too! Their teams had just been assigned and hey, you were supposed to be working with these guys for the next what, eight years of your life, so he’d figured might as well make friends and all! And Rogelio had just sat there for half an hour as Kyle had gone on and on in a nervous mess, managing a whole conversation by himself without ever getting a word back in response.

It was only then that someone had alerted him that Rogelio was, in fact, mute.

In retrospect he had been extremely polite about it, or at least hadn’t punched him in the gut or taped his mouth shut as were uncommon responses to trying to interact with Kyle. He just had a tendency to get nervous and start carrying himself on his own momentum…

Oh! There was a tap on his shoulder-

“Cadet Kyle. We need to talk.”

Oh, shoot.

A tongue-lashing from Shadow Weaver was more than enough to shake anyone to their core. As much as Kyle tried to get accustomed to these consequences of failure, he was never ready. She surely made that impossible. He didn’t cry, daren’t cry, because that would make it all the worse for him. Instead he’d sat there, bolt upright, giving the appropriate “Yes Shadow Weaver,” and “No Shadow Weaver,” on cue. A good little drone taking his punishment on the chin.

Then, when he was out of sight, he rushed for the bathroom and threw up.

He pressed his forehead against the rim and just moaned, letting the floodgates open. He whined, he sobbed. Five minutes. Five minutes he’d allow himself. Then he had to put that mask back on. No weakness in the horde.

There was another touch to his back and he bolted. Was it Shadow Weaver again?

“I wasn’t-”

Those calm yellow eyes pierced him again. He swallowed. “S-sorry, I…” A cough. He grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth. As he did so, something cool and leathery nudged into his cheek. He turned slightly to see what it was – and found Rogelio nosing him in the face. He blinked once, twice. He wasn’t sure what to do. Was he… worried? Or was this sympathy?

“U-um, I… were you waiting for me?” A blink in response. Kyle looked back in surprise, before a little smile came to his face. “Uh… thanks.” He paused, looking over to where he’d just been squatting and vomiting. “I uh, I just needed to uh, recover. You know. God- I don’t- I wish, I just wish I could do better, you know? I don’t want to fail. I’m not like, like Catra, just treating it like some joke or something. I want to be someone. But I can’t! It’s just not me. It feels like that. I dunno. I just- ah, hey!”

For the first time, Rogelio had interrupted – by scooping him up and turning about, beginning a straight march down the corridor. Kyle locked up for a second, then cried out a protest. “H-hey! Hold up! Don’t- you can’t just- what if someone- this is so embarrassing! Rogelio! Put me-”

He heard footsteps coming their way and froze, shutting up, turning to hide his face in his hands. This was humiliating, what was Rogelio thinking, they could both be in trouble for fooling around like this-

“Hold up Cadet, whatcha got there?”

Rogelio stopped. Turned. Kyle’s breath caught in his throat. What was he thinking?

“Hm? Oh, hey, is that… hah, Cadet Kyle, is it? What’d he do, piss off Octavia or something?” Rogelio’s weight shifted, like he was shrugging a shoulder, then he made some sort of sigh-hissing noise, air huffing out of his nostrils.

“Heh. Figures she’d have had enough of his whiny little face. Serves the kid right, might learn something the more he gets knocked about. Alright, get him back to dorms before he comes to and has a cry about it.”

The footsteps carried on. Rogelio moved on. Kyle, now gripping on tightly to the front of the boy’s shirt, was stunned. Any other time he would have been harassed, jeered at, spat on, driven further into the dirt while he shuffled meekly through the rest of his day. Now Rogelio was carting him away from all of that, back to his dorm where he could gather up his strength, take some rest, get some respite from the bullying and beatings and foul treatment…

He pressed his face into his companion’s chest, letting out a slow breath. “T..thanks.”

Rogelio huffed again. He took that as a “Don’t mention it.”

[jewelridersarchive]

Why do we love seeing new versions of the same thing? Is it simple nostalgia? Is it the desire to engage with some sort of content that once moved us in a new and different way? Is it new creators wanting to stamp something they loved from their own childhood with their mark? Or is it all of the above?

I’m not immune to loving reboots. I devoured the new DuckTales on Disney XD, I’m reading the new Rainbow Brite comics from Dynamite, I’m watching the new iteration of Will & Grace, and continue to watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Reboots are fun; they not only allow fans who loved something to have a nostalgia party, but also allow potential new fans entry points into what sometimes appears to be never-ending streams of content (I’m looking at you, Transformers). But things seem out of hand when even ReBoot, the mid-90s CGI cartoon, has a reboot on Netflix (ReBoot: The Guardian Code). Have reboots become the “safe,” risk-averse way companies can cash in on portfolio properties that already have known fanbases? It’s the equivalent of an artist only drawing fanart because they know it will get thousands of likes versus hundreds on original content.

And I fully admit some level of fatigue with franchises that just keep chugging along, seemingly forever. Every movie that comes out seems to want to be a tentpole franchise builder. Or a reboot of an existing franchise, or a soft reboot that only takes some elements going forward, or an alternate universe or…well, you get the idea.

I love original content. One of the best shows I watched this year was Alex Hirsch’s Gravity Falls (yes, I know I’m rather late to the game). It was a bright spot of originality, something new and not tied to any other content or previous iteration. Many of the anime I watch and enjoy are either original or straight adaptations of an existing manga. I think original content and ideas are important in entertainment. They allow a generation to experience a piece of entertainment in its prime, and have something uniquely “theirs.” Kids of the 60s had Star Trek, kids of the 70s had Star Wars, kids of 80s will always be the original audience for Jem & the Holograms and He-Man/She-Ra, kids of the 90s will always have X-Men TAS and Sailor Moon. (And PGJR, of course haha). No matter if they are rebooted down the road or not, that original experience belongs to the original viewers.

Which is why it’s always hilarious to me when people who hate on the new version of something say “It’s ruining my childhood!” Your childhood is whatever it was, frozen in time. Those original cartoons obviously still exist, and if you have the desire you can watch most of them. A reboot doesn’t destroy the original, no matter how many changes it makes to the original idea. The best reboots can often give us (as adults) what we thought we were watching as children. And often, the reboot can drive traffic back to seek out the original, as adults want to share with children the version they loved at that age.

Which brings us to She-Ra. I didn’t watch any He-Man or She-Ra as a child, for whatever reason. I found He-Man & the Masters of the Universe through the 2002 anime-influenced incarnation (also a great reboot IMO), then went back and watched the 1983 cartoon, followed by the 1985 She-Ra: Princess of Power. I loved it all. Sure, sometimes it was goofy, and there was lots of animation reuse in the older versions, but the core concepts were really strong. They are classic good vs evil, freedom vs tyranny stories, told with engaging casts and crazy creative worlds.

I powered through all 93 episodes of She-Ra during the summer of 2010 while I studied for my board exams. It holds the special place of being the series I turned to to relieve the stress of studying. I love the 80s fantasy girl designs, the color schemes, the powers, the sheer kookiness of the side characters. She-Ra was the OG American magical girl, and I finally understood what all the fuss over this franchise was about. She-Ra feels iconic in the way that characters like Wonder Woman and Sailor Moon do. Yes, she starts out as a spin-off of the successful He-Man franchise, but he makes very few appearances in She-Ra’s cartoon.

But after her initial run, She-Ra remained a virtually dormant property for the next 30 years. He-Man had two different reboots in 1991 and 2002, but She-Ra was stuck in limbo. Only once the Masters of the Universe Classics collectible figure from Mattel released in 2010 did She-Ra finally see the light of day again. Story-wise, the bios on the back of the toy packages gave us a little info about She-Ra’s further adventures, but it wasn’t until the 2012/2013 Masters of the Universe comic from DC that She-Ra comes back, this time in the guise of the villainous Despara. It’s a dark but interesting take on the characters; an exploration of what being raised by the Evil Horde would really do to a person.

Interestingly, this seems to be the jumping-off point for the new “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” animated series from Dreamworks and Netflix. This show takes as its central theme the relationship between Adora and Catra. When Adora finds the sword that lets her turn into She-Ra, she leaves the Horde – an organization to which she has devoted her life. Almost more importantly, she leaves behind Catra, her best friend. It’s this broken relationship that informs the emotional tone of the rest of the show.

Unlike the 80s version, this time around the Rebellion knows Adora’s identity as She-Ra. It’s an interesting change – shows of the 80s were obsessed with secret identities, and sometimes it could get ridiculous making up excuses for what happened to the other identity of the character every time. Thankfully, that is avoided here, and instead of angst over whether or not you can let people know the real you, we are treated to relationships that ask whether we can accept someone who we know has wronged us before.

Much has been made over this update’s reworking of the body types and ethnicities of the main princesses. While I confess not loving all the updated designs and missing the 80s fairytale warrior goddesses of the original, I understand and fully support the change. Reboots are about viewing something old through the lens of today, and audiences of today want to see themselves in the media they watch or read. We can’t (and shouldn’t) go back to mostly-white casts. The world is a rainbow of colors, and the show feels richer for including them.

Speaking of rainbows, I have to mention the new show’s decidedly queer bent. The relationship between Adora and Catra is somewhere between ex-best-friends and ex-girlfriends in tone. Netossa and Spinerella, long shipped by the fandom, are finally outed in a true relationship this time around. Other characters like Scorpia, Bow, and Entrapta all tap into queer mannerisms and norms as well. The end result is unlike anything else I’ve ever seen in children’s entertainment, and I couldn’t be happier. I wish I’d had something similar as a child, but I’m grateful today’s queer kids have their own heroes.

When we talk about a successful reboot, what are we looking for? Here’s what I think a good reboot need to accomplish.

Bring the characters and concepts of the original property up to date for current audiences.

Explore the characters or world in new and different ways.

Add depth to the original concept.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power does all of these in spades. I think it’s the nicest treatment an 80s female-driven property has gotten in a reboot. The show is full of strong characters with interesting dynamics, great writing, and interesting world building. Yes, some of the episodes can be a bit predictable and the designs are not always my favorite, but everything works together toward a greater whole. I won’t spoil the story for you, because seriously if you haven’t watched this, get thee to Netflix and enjoy!

For the Honor of Grayskull!

Chris

P.S. Can you imagine getting a ✨Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders✨ reboot that brought all this to the table? I’d die!

Read the complete blog at The Jewel Riders Archive! http://www.jewelridersarchive.com/posts/she-ra-the-princesses-of-power-and-reboot-culture/

[cruelfeline]

The Hordak Bleatings Masterpost

The new and improved Masterpost! All of my ridiculous bleating in one place! Now with categories to allow you, dear friends and neighbors, to better marvel at the utter nonsense I get up to in my spare time. It shall be updated every so often/when I remember. 

some of these categories may overlap or perhaps not be perfect; I tried; there was... a lot

Enjoy!

Biological/Medical Musings

A Fairly Comprehensive List of Hordak’s Clinical Signs

I Wrote Too Much About Hordak’s Arms

And Then Someone Asked About His Elbows So Voila

Someone Else Asked About His Eyes

Yes; I Did Measure Hordak’s Ears via Fuzzy Math; You’re Welcome

A Brief Word About Dentition

Some Sad Thoughts About Clone Lifespan

I Like to Headcanon that Clones Have Naturally Different Eye Colors

Counting Hordak’s Ports

Thinking About Terrible Ways Prime Could Institute Biological Control

Doing Very Fuzzy Math And Wondering Just How Young Hordak Could Be

Spending Way Too Much Time Figuring Out Whether Hordak is Left or Right Handed

Why Tiny Food is Probably Ideal for Hordak (a joke ask I essentially took Seriously)

Discussing Hordak’s Temper

Considering Whether Hordak Needs Oxygen

Discussing Whether Prime and his Clones are Genetically Identical

Hordak in Relation to Other Characters

Entrapdak

Hordak Can Get Close to Entrapta Because He Needn’t Fear Her

Discussing Entrapdak Age Discourse

Bit More Regarding Hordak’s Maturity vs. Entrapta’s

Hordak Didn’t Manipulate Entrapta… But Catra Did

Assessing that Unfortunate Moment When Hordak Snapped at Entrapta

Further Assessing Hordak Snapping at Entrapta by Noting When He Doesn’t

On Hordak’s Wardrobe Change

Entrapta Shushing Hordak is One of My Favorite Interactions

The Entrapdak Scene Was Also One of Self-Love

I Really Like How Entrapta Talks to Hordak About Failure

Hordak Tells an Actual Lie and Succeeds

Entrapta’s and Hordak’s Social Differences Help Them Connect to One Another

I Would Have Appreciated A Scene Where Entrapta Learns About What Happened To Hordak

Hordak Takes Strength From Realizing That Entrapta Came For Him

Hordak and Entrapta Just Like One Another, and I Enjoy That

There is a Huge Difference in How The Alliance and Hordak React to Entrapta Being on Beast Island, and it’s Jarring

This is Mostly About Catradora But Kind of in the Sense of Why Entrapdak is Better, so Here it Goes

Entrapta Didn’t Teach Hordak How to Love; She Taught Him How to Be Loved

The Soup Scene is a Condensed View of Why Entrapdak Works in Light of the Rest of Hordak’s Arc

Hordak and Entrapta Search for One Another Alone, and it Makes Me Sad

I Love How Hordak Scooches Over for Entrapta to Join Him on his Throne

Catra

The How-Catra-Manipulated-Hordak Masterpost

Watching Catra and Hordak Switch Roles in Season Three is Fascinating

Hordak and Catra’s Low Points Indicate Their Core Problems

Did Hordak Abuse Catra? Did She Abuse Him? The World May Never Know

Comparing Hordak and Catra in Terms of Consequences and Agency

Hordak and Catra’s Apparent Ages Likely Affect How People Judge Them

Why Doesn’t Hordak Subdue Catra?

Losing and Regaining the Will to Fight is Another Hordak/Catra Parallel

Sometimes I Wish The Show Would Focus Less on Catra and More on Hordak

Why Catra Besting Hordak Isn’t As Satisfying As Catra Besting Shadow Weaver

Hordak Exhibits Some Level of Trust in Catra Even in Season 2... and She Betrays It

The Difference in How Hordak and Catra Handle Relationships followed by Why They Are Like This 

Some Brief Words on the Differences Between How Hordak and Catra End Up Driven to Destruction in Season Four

Musing About What I Actually Would Accept as “Hordak Abusing Catra”

I Think It’s Kind of Funny that Some Expect Catra to be Suspicious of Hordak Post-Canon

Two Scenes That Look Distressing Side-by-Side

Discussing How Catra and Hordak Start Off as Parallels but Later Deviate Due to Character Differences

Adora

How Adora and Hordak End Season Four Differently

Hordak and Adora Parallels

I Wonder if Adora Recognizes Some of Herself in Hordak

Other

This is Actually About Shadow Weaver, but Compared to Hordak, So…

Hordak Doesn’t Seem to have a “Rule the World!” Moment (compared to Shadow Weaver)

On Hordak’s Weird Interactions with DT

Watching DT Circle Hordak is Interesting

Let’s Compare the Circling Scenes, Shall We?

What Wrong Hordak’s Arc Teaches Us About Clones and Hordak

Wondering if Hordak Actually has Control Over the Etherian Horde (could he have stopped the war?)

Prime

There Is A Huge Difference In The Standards Prime And Hordak Hold Others Two Versus Themselves

Hordak and Horde Prime Handle Their Own Vulnerabilities Quite Differently

The Difference Between How Prime and Hordak Use Anger

The Moment Prime Touched Hordak’s Face is the Moment I Truly Knew That Something About Hordak’s Backstory was Very Wrong

Clone/Origin/Prime-Related Sadness

The Clone Thing

More Distressed Bleating about The Clone Thing

Hordak’s DMV Photo Disturbs Me

Hordak Isn’t Actually an Idiot About Disease Transmission

On Hordak’s Bodily Autonomy, or Lack Thereof

How Much of Hordak is “Hordak?”

I’m 99% Certain That Hordak Sucks at Lying Because he Literally Couldn’t

You’d Think Hordak would Think Things Through, But…

Hordak isn’t Really Proud of “Hordak” (with a bonus Adora mention)

Hordak Provides Excellent Fridge Horror

Hordak’s Behavioral Pathology Isn’t Actually Pathology

So! That Purification Ritual was Really Something

Despite Erasure, Hordak Remains Himself

The Clones Are Essentially Trapped By Prime And It Upsets Me

I Get Annoyed That The Clones Aren’t Discussed More By Our Heroes

Again, I Wish The Show Acknowledged The Clones A Bit More, Wrongie Edition

Wouldn’t It Be Swell If Prime Really Did Manage The Clones Like Livestock? 

It’s More Emotionally Poignant That The Clones Are Individuals Rather Than Drones

Prime’s Doctrine Ensures Hordak Blames Himself, and it’s an Awful Control Measure

Hordak Probably Isn’t Dumb for Using Uninsulated Cables; Rather, Clone Sadness is in Play

Why I Can’t See Hordak and the Other Clones As Colonizers (unlike Prime) (also a whole convo thread)

Thinking About Clones and Self-Care

Each Clone Will Have to Realize That They Were Victimized

Wondering if Horde Clones Might Feel Anxious Sleeping Alone

Why Prime Might Encourage Some Autonomy in His Clones (spoilers: for cruelty)

Completely Arbitrary Classification of Clones Post-Prime!

Prime is an Actual God to the Clones and it is Terrifying

Canon Plausibility of Blanket Burritoing Horde Clones!

I Appreciate That, Despite Their Devotion, the Clones are Portrayed as Legitimately Suffering due to Prime

Catra and Adora have Happy Memories; do the Clones?; does Hordak?

Morality/Punishment/Redemption Related

Morality is (sadly) not a Universal Thing

Don’t Talk to me About the Reset as “Proper Punishment”

Why Hordak Doesn’t Just Become a Good Citizen

I Think About Hordak’s Choices a Lot

Hordak as an Abuse Mimic Rather Than Pure Evil

Looking at the Horde Child Soldier Thing From a Certain POV

Emotional Support is a Necessary Part of Healing

Hordak Was Forgiven Without Redemption, And I’m OK With That

Hordak’s Arc Speaks Directly to People who were “Raised Wrong”

I Wonder if Hordak Would See anti-Princess Propaganda as Propaganda

Semi-Intelligent Plot/Story Observations

Hordak’s Portrayal is a Function of Character Lens

Hordak Gets Very Legit Development in Season Four

She-Ra Isn’t a War Drama and Here’s Why

Hordak Suffers From a Distressing Lack of Agency

Hordak is a Weirdly Unenthusiastic Lord

The Season 4 Finale Reframes Hordak’s Vulnerability 

Untangling Hordak’s Backstory in Light of What We Now Know

Why Hordak Getting Possessed is Narratively Good

Hordak’s Rebellion and Subsequent Possession Essentially Summarize His Story

There Are Big Differences Between Hordak and Prime’s Etherian Wars

It Is Pretty Unlikely That Hordak Would Have Pulled The Portal Lever

It Occurred To Me That Hordak May Initially Ignore FO’s Tech Because It’s Just Really Old

An Assessment Of The Villain Intro Cards, Focusing On Hordak

I Think It’s Silly To Blame Hordak For Everything - Especially When Considering Prime

Literally Just a Thread Explaining Why Hordak is Sympathetic

Some Words On Exactly How Terrible DT’s Reveal Was For Hordak

The Escalation of Hordak’s Situation is Really Something

An Anon Asks a Normal Question and I go on a Tangent About Hordak Compensating for his Inability to Innovate via Entrapta and Catra

There are Monumental Differences Between the Galactic and Etherian Hordes in Terms of Brainwashing and Agency

Thinking About Why Chipped Etherians May Not be That Sympathetic To Clones After All

Random Bit of Logicking About Why Hordak Calls the Princesses a Rebellion

Figuring Out Why I Find Hordak So Much More Sympathetic Than The Princesses

Brief Musing on How Hordak Might Face Antagonism From Both Sides Post-Canon

Hordak’s Story Touches on the Concept of the Imperfection of Authority

Someone Asked Me if I Found Hordak’s S5 Arc Satisfying

Discussing Whether Or Not Hordak Planned on Leading Anything After Conquering Etheria

Taking Apart an Abysmal Twitter Take Because It’s Fun

Talking About Prime’s Clone Troops v. Robot Troops

Talking About Hordak’s Emotional Age

Hordak’s S3 Backtory Being Part-Delusion Helps Emphasize the Inequality in Attachment Between the Clones and Prime

A Few Not-So-Nice Acts Hordak Commits That I Find Justifiable

Random Headcanons of All Sorts

Stupidly Cute, Pointless Headcanon #3825 (ears covered)

Stupid Pointlessly Cute Headcanon #4853 (yawning, with appropriate artwork)

Stupid Pointlessly Cute Headcanon #2938 (snoring)

Stupid Pointlessly Cute Headcanon #1423 (REM sleep)

Stupidly Cute, Pointless Headcanon #7845 (blushing)

Random Hordak-Related Thought #2935 (forearms)

I Like to Think That Hordak Does Cute Things in his Sleep

I Like to Think That Hordak’s Eyes Dim While He Sleeps

Literally Me Just Having Emotions

Thinking About the Stress of Maintaining His Image in the Horde

Why Hordak’s Trauma is Particularly Disturbing To Me (compared to Catra/Adora)

Catra Overcomes her Fear of her Abuser; Hordak Does Not

All of my Emotions over the S4 Finale

Hordak’s Goddamned Smirk Lied to Me

I Have Feelings about Hordak’s Enforced Self-Care

I Need Hordak to Know that He is Loved

Hordak Goes Pew Pew and It’s Cute

Watching Hordak Lift Things Makes Me Smile

Hordak’s Unreasonable Expectations Make Me Sad

Please Just Let Hordak Rest

A Sassy Post About People Complaining the Hordak and Catra are Forgiven

All My Words About That Hordak/Adora Scene

Hordak Taps the Asphyxiation Lever With Two Fingers And It Makes Me Happy

I Wonder If Individuality Felt Blasphemous To Hordak

Please Don’t Stab Clones In Their Ports, Thank You

Hordak Clasps His Hands And It Makes Me Anxious

Hordak Shaming Catra Mimics the Purification Room And It’s Disturbing

Watching Hordak Give Up Is Heartbreaking

I Worry About Hordak Handling Anxiety

People Being Considerate of Hordak Makes My Heart Smile

I Wonder If Magic Was Frightening to Hordak at First

Thinking About Hordak Progressing in Terms of Self-Care

Prime Never Calls Hordak by Name, not Even Once

Just Being Sad While Realizing the Sort of Life Hordak had to Look Forward To

Strange Fic-Like Things No One Should Read

Please Consider: A Concept Masterpost

Hordak Practices Eyerolling

Imp Hacks Up The Worst Color of Hairball

[fire-dwelling]

Fire Force, Chapter 86: “Recovery”

Translated from Japanese to Spanish to English.

Page 2

Over an image of a girl in pigtails wearing an Eighth Brigade uniform, the caption appears: “What are you looking at?!”

Narration: “Shinra succeeded in persuading Sho. But with the sudden appearance of Haumea, danger returned! The Eighth safely reunited, but the ground shakes under the power of the Preacher!”

Page 3

While Sho walks away, Jonah calls to Haumea.

Jonah: “Haumea, let’s go!”

Haumea smiles at Shinra.

Haumea: “We’ll meet again--if you survive~”

Shinra struggles to breathe, coughing.

Shinra: “*cough* Sho…”

Sho looks sad.

Page 4

Vulcan tends to Shinra.

Shinra: “Wait! Give me back Sho!”

Vulcan: “Don’t move!”

Akitaru calls out an order.

Akitaru: “Administer first aid to Shinra! Then we get out of here!!”

Victor removes an aerosol can. Shinra’s jacket and shirt have been cut off him, as Victor sprays the aerosol around where the sword pierces Shinra’s back.

Tamaki asks Victor what is in the aerosol.

Tamaki: “What’s that?”

Victor: "It's a multipurpose spray for hemostasis and sterilization."

Someone calls out to Akitaru:

???: “Commander! I got the stretcher!”

Akitaru: “He’ll start bleeding if he moves--hold him without shifting his back!”

Page 5

Arthur, Victor, Iris, Maki, Tamaki, and Akitaru escort the barely conscious Shinra, who is collapsed in the stretcher on his side wearing a breathing mask. Takehisa and Vulcan, carrying Lisa, lead them to the exit.

Akitaru: “Be careful. Move carefully.”

Akitaru calls to Shinra.

Akitaru: “Hold on! We’re going to save you!”

Vulcan: “There is it--we’re near the exit!”

Takehisa: “The earthquake hasn’t reached here yet.”

Page 6

Outside, the doors to the Nether open, as the members of the Eighth exit.

Tamaki: “The ground’s shaking again…”

Takehisa: “This earthquake is strange...It's taking too long: a normal one lasts one to two minutes, but it's already been ten…”

Akitaru: “They said it was that Preacher thing, right? What're they trying to do?”

Page 7

Shinra calls out for Sho, struggling to stay awake.

Shinra: “Sho...O Sho…”

Akitaru calls out to him to stay awake.

Akitaru: “Shinra! Do not lose consciousness! If you survive, you can find Sho again!”

The Eighth load Shinra into their Matchbox. Akitaru and Takehisa stay back to talk.

Maki: “Place Shinra into the back...Be careful not to sway.”

Takehisa: “With that wound, we’re in a race against death...Should we go to an ER?”

Akitaru: “It won’t help: to care for someone with abilities, we need someone like Shinra...And there’s no better medic than her--I'll call her! Get ready to leave!”

Page 8

Meanwhile, at the 6th Brigade Clinic…

Page 9

Captain Arg, a medic in an old-fashion medical dress and glasses, runs down the hall.

Arg: “Has anyone seen Chief Doctor Huang?! Where is she? And this earthquake doesn’t stop...Kayoko Huang! It’s an emergency!”

Another medic stops Arg, who upon hearing the news adjusts her glasses.

Medic #2: “What is it, Captain Arg? The Chief Doctor is performing a medical treatment on a Flame Human..."

Arg: “How horrible~!”

Page 10

Elsewhere, a row of 6th Brigade ambulances rush towards a Flame Human. The vehicles stop, and Kayoko Huang exits, leading her troops. Medic #2 narrates initially, then followed by Medic #3 at the Flame Human scene.

Medic #2: “Doctor Huang will perform surgery personally!”

Medic #3: “Preparations will be ready soon! Chief Doctor, this way!”

Huang: “I will now begin the medical treatment to repose this Flame Human’s soul.”

Page 11

Huang stands, with arms crossed, in front of Medics #3 and #4.

Huang: “I will begin.”

Page 12

Huang asks Medic #3 questions, who reads from her report. Huang then puts on a dark surgical mask before taking a pair of pliers and a saw. The Flame Human approaches Huang.

Huang: “What’s the patient’s condition?”

Medic #3: “Thirty minutes ago the patient spontaneously combusted in Iidabashi Station! Their condition is stable.”

Huang: “Give me the bullet extractor and the amputation saw.”

Medic #3: “Here!”

Huang: “Surgery has begun.”

Flame Human: “Orruuuguuu…”

Page 13

The Flame Human lurches forward. Medic #4, armed with a firearm, shoots extinguisher canisters that hit the Flame Human.

Medic #4: “Injecting the extinguisher cure now!”

Flame Human: “WruugU…”

Huang swings the saw with flames through the Flame Human.

Page 14

Huang then stabs the pliers through the extinguished Flame Human, disintegrating them.

Huang: “Rest in peace…”

Page 15

Huang approaches a nearby minister.

Huang: “Father, I leave the rest to you.”

Minister: “Good work.”

Medic #4 interrupts.

Medic #4: “Chief Doctor!”

Huanga: “!!!”

Medic #4: “We have an emergency at the Sixth Clinic! Can you head back now?! We received a call from the Eighth...One of its members was seriously injured during a mission!

Huang: “Why did they go the Sixth? That kind of a wound can be treated at any hospital.”

Medic #4: “The patient is an ability carrier--the one with the Adora Burst. He’s in a state of emergency! And they want you to help him!”

Page 16

Back at the Sixth Clinic, Huang steps in, putting on a medical coat as she approaches Arg and Akitaru.

Huang: “Gee, the busiest kind of day…”

Arg: “Doctor Huang! Thank goodness you’ve arrived!”

Huang: “I received a notification from the Empire. Were you injured during a Nether mission?”

Akitaru: “Commander Huang, thank you for coming! My subordinate was seriously injured.”

Page 17

Huang: “What’s the Nether like? Do you know anything about this endless earthquake? This isn’t the Sun God’s fury for something your brigade did the Nether, right?”

Akitaru: “Flame Humans are actually artificial creations caused by White Hoods, who follow some preacher. They’re looking for people with the Adora Burst, the flame that comes Adora, the world in flames, so they can destroy this world--”

Huang: “You can tell me all of this later. Captain Arg, what’s the patient’s condition?”

Arg: “He had a sword puncture his stomach! his lung, heart, and spine are injured...He’s in critical condition!”

Akitaru: “His whole body is also hurt by the Overheat...Captain Huang, can you save him?”

Huang: “To be honest, it will be difficult...First, the patient must have the strength to endure...While we may temporarily suspend his life, in the worst case, he could have a paralysis in the whole body or other sequelae.”

Page 18

Akitaru looks nervous.

Akitaru: “Uh…”

Huang turns her back on Akitaru.

Huang: “The patient is a third generation and possesses the Adora Burst, right? I've never touched that sacred flame before. I do not know what can happen. ”

Akitaru: “He is a very important member to us! Commander Huang! Please!”

Huang walks away.

Huang: “I’m going to try...to give it my best.”

Page 19

Outside the surgery room, where the sign says “Surgery in Progress,” Iris, praying, stands with Tamaki and Arthur.

Iris: “Sun Gods...please...light up Shinra’s life…”

Inside the surgery room, Shinra lies on the table, his arms strapped down with the sword still through his chest and out his back.

Page 20

Huang and Medic #5 are now in surgical attire.

Medic #5: “His breathing and pulse are weak...I think he he’s out of time…”

Huang’s hands charge up like on fire.

Huang: “I’ll try to touch his flames.”

Narration: “She will touch the secrets of the Adora Burst! Will Shinra come back to life?! Commander Huang’s ability will be revealed! To be continued in Chapter 87: ‘The Doctor and the Flame.’”