#still love catradora though

[artificer-real]

Trick or Treat!

You get a map too cause thats the first thing i found in my folder!

This is the last draft of an old project I started with @katra-applesauce, an attempt to draw a comprehensive digital map of Etheria (From She-Ra) about... 4 ish years ago?? Of course, the project was abandonded, but it was still an informative experience!

The biggest problem we faced was that we got very few views of Etheria, and the ones we did get were covered in clouds. Another problem that Katra pointed out, is that Etheria is a broken planet. Its not like earth, it was turned into a giant superweapon!

You might notice that theres a LOT of land in this map, a solid 70-80% of the planet. My theory is that Etheria's entire ecosystem, by the time of the show, had been slowly dying as a result of what was done to it by the first ones. For example, more than half of the land visible on the right view seemed to be desert! Thats a lot of desert!

However, like I said, this was only meant to be a draft. Etheria's climate is Out Of Wack, and I was hoping to do much more research to get specifics about what was going on. Buuuut you know how ADHD gets ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[upthehillnsfw]

Hello old friends🫶 Hope things are well☀️ Dropping by to specifically ask whether anyone would be interested in commissioning some NSFW Harry Potter art? I need some extra earnings, I miss drawing, figured I could open 2-4 commission slots? DM me if you’re interested!🌶️

SLOTS TAKEN🥹 (I’ll let you know if I open more!)

Details: a two-character, fully rendered, minimal background piece would cost ~80 USD, a little cheaper if single-character or flat color. Must have PayPal to pay. Any questions, DM to ask!🙏🏼

And yes, I’d prefer Harry Potter characters only! Although I’d make an exception for these ships: Catradora, Piltover’s Finest, Korrasami, Villaneve, Zutara.

Thank you either way!!❤️ I miss you all so much you have no idea😭😭😭

Also, since I’m here, here’s a quick personal update:

I’m doing ok! A little rough on the edges, but ok🫡 I’ve been in a pretty bad autistic burnout for the past 2-3 years (yeah, official ‘tism diagnosis acquired🏆), so my limited capacity has been exhausted by working, settling into my new home, therapy, and just generally trying to figure shit out🥴 But art is still a huge part of my life, though now I’m dabbling in a multitude of other hobbies (abstract drawing/painting, crocheting, beading, clay, writing, etc.). Nonetheless, I still think about the fandom and the characters frequently, just don’t have enough time and energy to actually create or finish projects I had already started🤧 I wonder how many of you have also moved on during the recent years, probably a lot… Feel free to drop a hello if you’re still here, it’s always lovely to hear from you❤️🌌

[set-wingedwarrior]

My most important sapphic ships post before Pride Month ends

What the title says, studying kept (and still keeps me) busy so we gotta go fast lol

Bumbleby (RWBY)

to the surprise of absolutely no one, they get first place (despite me not going in a particular order) because of reasons. They're perfect. Soulmates. Slowburn of all time. Yin and Yang. Eyes the color of each other's souls. Truest OTP to ever OTP in my book. ∞/10

Konosetsu (Negima!)

I already talked about them in their own post, this scene changed my life leading to my self-discovery and it still lives rent-free in my mind.

Kyosaya (Madoka Magica)

I'd also add MadoHomu but I'm trying to keep it to just one for each fandom. That said, they still make me mentally unwell. I love them, and I did for a long time now. I can't wait for the next movie to come out and suffer.

Ruby and Sapphire (Steven Universe)

These bitches had the first cartoon gay wedding and kiss DO I NEED TO SAY MORE???

Korrsami (Avatar)

Still down the queer cartoons making history path, these two made me insane back in the day because I still didn't understand I was queer and lots of sapphic couple were starting to appear in media, and I remember jokingly say how "lesbian ships were hauting me". All I can say now is "Thank you" lol. Anyway, they were incredibly important and all the people criticizing how little queerness there's in the show will never understand just how massive this scene was.

Catradora (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

Friends to Enemies to back to Friends to Lovers. Iconic. I still want a movie with their adventures bringing magic back to the universe.

Hollstein (Carmilla)

My third beloved blonde with a cat gf ship. I miss this web-series every day. Also, Natasha Negovanlis played an immense role in my gay awakening.

Ellie and Riley (The Last of Us: Left Behind)

Ellie and Dina are adorable and I love them, BUT I just will never get over these two. That dlc fucked me up. (also, they're in the same category with Korrasami as "gay ships that hauted me before I realized I was queer" lol)

Lumity (The Owl House)

I remember starting this show feeling it as the successor of Steven Universe, at least to me. We could say that at level of mistreatment from its parent company, it defenitely surpassed it, but at least I'm glad I was right and we got Luz and Amity becoming canon. I love these two and not a day passes without me yelling at Disney for what it did to them.

Bubbline (Adventure Time)

I actually watched Adventure Time fully only recently, but I always loved them even when I watched the show randomly when it appeared in tv back in the day. Getting to see the progression properly just made me love them even more.

Yasammy (Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous/Chaos Theory)

Incredibly recent addition, but I am so glad that I checked out Camp Cretaceous and got into it. It's a nice show and these two are a really cute couple, their confession and especially Yaz's internal turmoil were just so on point. I was really happy to see them go still strong in Chaos Theory, and I can't wait for next season.

Pricefield (Life is Strange)

These two caused me pain in the best possible way. I felt literal heartbreak at the Bay Ending, and I was just as emotional at the Bae one (Bae > Bay Forever) I hope the new game will respect their relationship OR ELSE.

Wow, this is quite the list. I do have an amazing taste, if I do say so myself, ahah!

Well, I guess this is it for now, glad I could make it before Pride Month was over! Knowing myself I might have actually forgotten some though, so keep an eye out for possible updates (what makes me even think that you'd care? lol).

That would be all, be gay and do crimes! Bye!

[fantasywater]

Catradora and Stolitz: Same Toxic Ship just Different Genders

This series has always felt like the Catra Show, and so much so that even Hordak never felt like the main villain. And nothing drove that point home more than season five proving once and for all that this series' moral line(or lack thereof) is really about a Villain Protagonist when the character that increasingly became a monster for four seasons still got everything she wanted in the end.   

Catra is the poster child for the moral bankruptcy of this series. 

I can't buy her ''redemption,'' or her relationship with Adora, because she went too far. 

Therefore nor can I buy the mental gymnastics that arise when she is the topic of discussion in the fandom. 

For four seasons I watched this character willingly and gleefully jump rope with the moral event horizon. Then she finally broke it to the pieces when she genocides the planet, and everyone on it, because of her sick, evil, obsession with being better than Adora.

Loved all this time my behind.

Catra was a vile person from her introduction, and just got increasingly more poisonous as the show went on. 

Season Five wants us to treat Catra like she was just a bad friend.

She just said a few mean words here and there, and therefore all she has to do is sincerely apologize then friendship can begin again.  

Here's the thing Catra wasn't just a bad friend she was an abuser and a fascist. 

She had multiple opportunities to leave the horde, and had no reason to stay in the first place, gleefully attacks the resistance, is the reason Angela died, tried straight up multiple times to end Adora’s and her friends lives, and was just an abomination to even the ones on her side etc..   

On the flip side we have Adora who doesn’t give a damn about Catra for four seasons. She’s too busy enjoying life with her real friends.

Try and recall, was there ever a moment where Adora was...concerned for Catra’s safety? Pining for her in any way romantically? Ever? Even once during the first four seasons? Because I don’t.

Honestly, Catra wasn’t important to Adora until Catra showed up on screen. And then they both wanted to kill each other. Any moments of Adora thinking about Catra it was in the context of Catra being her enemy.

But I'm supposed to believe in their romance based on what? Catra's toxicity? Adora's nonexistent romantic feelings for pretty much the entire series?   

It seems in season 5 all Catra had to do was one act of atonement and out of nowhere, like Adora has been possessed by the ghost of Queer Rep, she suddenly can’t get Catra out of her head.

Also, note that Catra didn't save Glimmer because she realized her past actions were evil; no it was all for Adora's sake i.e. the person she is toxically obsessed with. 

Furthermore, the redemption in question is handled with the most condescending of kid gloves.

It seems like she was replaced by a clone for season five. She’s just accepted.

It's like seasons 1-4 didn't happen. The forgiveness was excessive and forced so we could be okay with this abuser/war criminal being chummy and romantic with her victims.

For example, Glimmer cries over her, kisses her cheek, etc... Yet Catra is responsible for her mother's death, the world ending, trying to kill her, war crimes against Bright Moon, etc. 

Then Entrapta also forgives Catra like it’s nothing even though she sent her to die, and apparently, she was in this hell space for a year.

But everything is supposed to be wonderful because an abuser ends the series romantically involved with her victim?   

When Adora said you made your choice and now live with it that should have been the end of any reconciliation either platonic or romantic. 

Even her flashbacks are of her being abusive.

You see her in one of them( in her so-called redemption season at that) scratching Adora's face to the point it left blood, and jumping on her stomach just because Adora dared to be friends with other people.

This was pretty much every childhood flashback they showed.

She would emotionally and physically abuse Adora, and then Adora would take her back.

This would continue even as young adults. It was a pattern(red flag) that Adora unfortunately didn't escape. 

But.....I always loved you,says Catra. 

For Adora's own mental health/closure, she could forgive, but only if she also makes it clear that she doesn't want her abuser/ex-friend back in her life.   

I could have tolerated that ending instead of Adora becoming a couple with her abuser. 

Basically, this Villain Sue ends the show getting everything she wants even after manipulation of several characters, genocide, war crimes against her own people, physical and mental abuse(especially toward Adora), repeated attempts at murder, and just being a complete psychopath to anyone within spitting distance of her toxicity. 

She gets to be pretty much abusive scum for four seasons, on top of actually doing the same thing Prime wanted to do, yet whiplash forgiveness and Lesbians 4 Evah is her ending.   

"So we're all just okay with this?", says Mermista incredulously of the war criminal Hordak. Good question, but then I remember you all seem to be okay with war criminal Catra sooo.....

Her mirror Hordak, according to the showrunner, is sentenced to Beast Island for his war crimes. However, my question then becomes where is Catra's sentence? Oh, that's right if you're Catra you get to be a war criminal in peace, and especially if you're dating the protagonist.   

It's also convenient that Mermista's was chipped, and therefore didn't get to say anything to the girl who helped bring down her kingdom with a smile on her face.

Funny how that worked out. 

It's even more convenient that her victims gave their lighting fast forgiveness.  

Can't have icky things like abuse and war crimes get in the way of that ending smooch you know.

I suppose we also just need to look at Angella as collateral damage while we smile as her daughter hugs and kisses her killer I guess.   

I also find it odd(since we're loving abusers) that Shadow Weaver point blank doesn't get forgiveness from Adora, and she even ends the series dead.

However, she defected to the hero's side in season two(regardless of any impure motivation), and stayed there and helped the protagonists until her season five death.

But Catra, who not only stayed with the conquering organization the Horde for almost the entire series while also eventually becoming their leader, was not only forgiven but also rewarded with a romance with her victim. Curious. 

The only way I can stomach her season five 'redemption', and lighting quick forgiveness, is if I forget the monster of four seasons didn't exist.

Problem is I can't do that. 

Why should I get any catharsis that the protagonists prevailed over Horde Prime when Catra is pretty much him with a sob story attached.

So it seems this show's message is no matter how much emotional and physical pain a person does to you it's okay to not only let them back in your life(damn your mental health I guess), but also enter a romantic relationship with them too.

It’s also hilarious that some of her fans say she’s Zuko.

No.

She’s what would happen if Azula and Kylo Ren were made into one character.

Titles the show should I have had:

She-Ra: The Story of a Villain Sue Antagonist That Gets a Happily Ever After With Her Victim

Another alternate: She-Ra: The Story of Lesbian Reylo or more current Lesbian Stolitz.

[midnightechoes]

Five years ago today, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power premiered on Netflix. I had seen a few preview articles about it, and liked what I saw. Those articles mostly focused on She-Ra’s, Adora’s, Glimmer’s, Bow’s, and Catra’s redesigns, and I thought they were fabulous. I loved Adora’s new red jacket and bouffant hair style. Glimmer’s entire redesign was inspired, and I loved that they made Bow black so we could have more diversity in the main cast.

It was She-Ra’s and Catra’s redesigns that caught my eyes the most, though. They made Catra an actual catgirl, and not just in the anime sense where she's just a cute girl with cat ears and maybe a cat tail. She was a full-on furry. It was a brilliant design choice. Honestly it’s no wonder that so many were instantly drawn to her.

And of course, She-Ra herself. I loved her new look, and her huge ass new Sword of Protection. In fact, I loved it so much that I drew this picture of her before the show even came out:

Then the show came out, and needless to say, I fell in love. And honestly, it changed my life.

I know, I know. That sounds very hyperbolic, and to an extent it is, but in a lot of ways, I’m absolutely serious.

Alright, I have to back up a little. Back when I was in college, and for a few years after, a couple of friends and I tried to make a webcomic called The Devil’s Gate. It was minorly successful but eventually floundered. Then I met some people and we tried to make a video game, which also failed. After those few years, I found myself on my own and trying to rework the concept of my webcomic. Making comics, creating stories, those have always been my dream, and I was desperately trying to figure out a story I could make work, something that I believed in. But it never truly got off the ground. By the end of 2015 I had given up on the comic, realizing that after working on it for years in different forms that I needed to step away from it.

I didn’t really know what to do after that. I was still doing my quick daily doodles, but I wasn’t writing, I wasn’t drawing anything of note. I felt emotionally and physically drained of my creativity. I was honestly getting to the point where I thought it might be time for me to give up on trying to be creative or making things all together.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out on November 13, 2018, but despite looking forward to it, I didn’t actually watch it when it came out. It wasn’t until that weekend that I decided to check it out.

I was instantly hooked. I binged through the entire season in two days, and did plenty of crying and cheering. And then rewatched it immediately. I was in love. I was obsessed. It had been a long time since anything grabbed me like SPOP did. I loved the characters. I loved the colorful, sci-fi-fairy tale world of Etheria. I loved how unapologetically feminine it was. And most of all, I loved how queer it was.

I hadn’t done a ton of shipping before SPOP. I’ve been down bad for harlivy for what feels like my whole life, and I was angry when Mika and HG didn’t get together in Warehouse 13, but more often than not I had just been conditioned not to look for queer things in mainstream culture, and even barely in subculture.

That is to say, when I was smashed in the face with Catradora I was surprised how much I glommed onto it immediately. I was absolutely taken with Adora and Catra and their relationship. Both characters were so relatable, and despite not quite being text (although the subtext was so loud and obvious it might as well have been text), it was impossible to not read their feelings for each other as romantic.

It wasn’t just Catradora, even if that was a lot of it. Spinnerella and Netossa being canon from the start was wonderful. How much Glimmer and Bow screamed “BISEXUAL DISASTERS” from the start was adorable. Scorpia’s crush on Catra was as cute as it was sad in its one-sidedness.

I had never really been in a fandom. That is, yeah I’ve liked things, loved things even, but I never found other people to talk about it at length, never found discords just for that thing, never read or wrote fanfic, barely ever drew fanart. 

But, I watched SPOP, and then I watched it again. And then I drew Catra. And then I drew Adora. And then I drew them again. And suddenly I was on AO3, a site I never frequented, reading Catradora fics. And then I had an AO3 account. That December I participated in Catradora Week 2018 (I’d never heard of this kind of thing) and drew two pictures for it and wrote my first fanfic.

By the end of February I had drawn more in the three months since the show had premiered than I had in the previous year. I was working furiously on a long, multi-chapter fanfic, and writing more words than I had in the previous couple of years combined.

I was inspired again.

In the 18 months that SPOP ran for, I drew more than I had in years, I wrote hundreds of thousands of words. I felt so rejuvenated and happy about my creativity and free for the first time in years.

It’s hard to put into words exactly how it felt. I was so close to giving up my art and writing, which honestly, would have been giving up a part of myself. An important part of myself. It’s not overstating that SPOP saved me, or at least my creative spirit.

I also learned about the wonders of being in a fandom and fandom things like fan weeks, big bangs, zines. And I made some wonderful friends that I cherish to this day.

Even as I inevitably moved onto other hyperfixations, my love for She-Ra hasn’t diminished. Plushie Catra and Adora sit next to me on my desk every day. Catradora art still hangs on my wall.

The inspiration that SPOP ignited in me hasn’t died either. It’s carried me through a tremendous level of creativity that I’ve been riding since the premiere. It let me create a ton of fan art for SPOP, and then RWBY and then the Witch From Mercury, and I’ve written a ton of fanfics for RWBY and Supergirl. And perhaps the best, that inspiration has helped me create more OC stuff in the last couple years than I had in a long time.

I owe She-Ra and The Princesses of Power so much. I am so happy that it exists and that it happened when it did. I’ll always cherish it.

And for real, Netflix, SPOP spin-off movies WHEN?!

[manic-sapphic]

i know this is a running joke fr but i think there's a good reason for it.

lol like, only sw could find a way to make a sacrifice a selfish move.

literally, only decent thing she ever did was this moment - incinerating herself and the whole room. thanks for finally getting tf outta the way of these girls annnd uhh thanks for.. hmmm.. literally nothing else.

and like, i don't even mean that as getting outta the way of their love. though obvi she actively worked to keep that shit in shambles. i just mean - get out of the way of them living a healthy happy fucking life you old pos :)

but side note, i have had people tell me they think what sw said to catra before the room bursts into flames - was an intentional validation she "knew" would offer her & adora success w the failsafe that sw realized she wouldn't have.

and yeah i sincerely do hope that stupid bitch at least was emotionally aware enough to know that yeah - if she was the one to take adora to the heart, it wasn't gonna work. but even still, if that were true, that wouldn't mean taking the hit from the monster so adora & catra could continue on together somehow awards sw any credit for their success. a chance is never a guarantee.

adora and catra made every stride that had to be made on their own (literally and figuratively). everything shadow weaver tried to brainwash them w in the horde - every awful fucking instinct she worked to ingrain in them - they had to find the power in themselves to reach past all of it. to conquer the divide sw fucking created herself, and meet in the middle.

so no lol. sw gets no cred or love from me. (sorry if this post seems extra aggro tho, it's late where i am and i can't sleep, it gets me kinda irked sometimes lol)

bonus tho here's a 3 second edit i found on yt celebrating catradora's freedom from sw ~

[baileybeez]

My Top 10 Catradora Moments (My Opinion Obviously)

10. Adora Has Always Loved Catra

This is the moment I believe Adora firmly knows she's in love with Catra. I know she's in love with Catra beforehand but I believe this is the first time she realizes 'I'm in love with Catra'. Adora is getting ready to face an uncertain outcome with Horde Prime and she's trying to remain strong. But we can see glimpses of her looking for Catra wanting to her come back. We then see as she's heading to the Heart of Etheria, memories are being projected. The first one that comes up that really hits Adora is Catra. Catra saying her last and classic 'Hey Adora' and Adora is at first thrilled she's back. But then it changes to Catra when she was younger training in the fright zone, Catra from when she was chipped, Catra from Season 4, Catra from season's 1-3 and then current Catra. This to me screams 'Adora has always loved Catra despite all the hardships they've endured'. Even though she realizes deep down, this isn't the real Catra, she wanted to reciprocate her touch. But then the fake Catra disappears as Adora is almost off the edge.

Also this scene brought that iconic 'Somewhere Only We Know' tiktok.

9. God She's Cute When She Laughs

Everyone knows I'm a sucker for fluff so this little moment always stuck out to me. We've seen Catra blush before and she looked at Adora's New She Ra Form and was like 'Damn...she kinda bad.' But this one was so sweet and wholesome. Catra at first is annoyed cause they're teasing her about how cute her helmet is and at first you think she's gonna be defensive about it. At first she is but then she see's Adora laugh and freezes. Adora is so happy Catra is getting along with her friends and is back to the Catra she grew up with. And Catra just smiles at Adora, any frustration she had melted away.

8. Princess Prom

Ya'll this episode was the reason I gave She-Ra a shot. I saw this scene floating around online and I just had to find out what was going on. At the time, I had only recently accepted myself as sapphic and this was one of the first scenes that caught my attention during that time. There were already strong hints of Catradora later becoming a thing but this scene hit differently. We get to see the dynamic these two would have for a few more seasons. The shift between them as they become enemies while still seeing they still care for one another.

7. It's Over, He's Gone

The end moment with these two in She-Ra was fantastic. Hearing Catra's soft 'Adora' as the two smile at each other was adorable. Adora reaches out her hand to Catra and reassures her that it's over and that Horde Prime is gone. These two had gone through so much because of the Horde. And now, their foreheads touch as they're just happy they made it to their happy beginning for each other. With Catra still being snarky and saying 'Good riddance'. It's a good final moment where the two can be happy. And now this just makes me wish we got a She-Ra movie.

6. Please Just Stay

First of all, if you haven't already please read Don't Go by Nate Stevenson. It's a fanfiction he created that takes place after Save the Cat and really helps highlight this and other scenes I'm about to get into later. It's also just really good. But Catra beforehand is struggling to figure out why Adora saved her and dealing with the aftermath of what Horde Prime did to her. She and Adora just had a big fight with Adora telling Catra she never hated her. We find out later, the chip on Catra is tracking the ship they're on and they need to get it off. With Catra needing to confront Entrapta (who she also didn't end things on good terms with) and Adora. Adora tells Catra once they're done, they can drop her off and she won't have to see any of them again. We see this crumbles Catra's usual strong self as she lets herself be vulnerable for a moment. Grabbing Adora's wrist and then her hand requesting that she stays, Adora also blushes. Catra also comes up with an idea to read what Hordak's planning since their minds are connected. Catra knows Adora will continue to fight Horde Prime and knows she'll be reckless. She just asks Adora to stay with her with two two holding each other. I love this moment as we see the two work together and slowly build their bond again.

5. You Coming?

As Adora is succumbing to the virus and Catra calls out to her, we get this moment of Adora's wish. She's back home with Catra, Glimmer and Bow as they're all getting ready for Scorpia's Princess Prom. Adora wants desperately to have this future with her friends and home happy. She's slowly learning to be selfish after she's been stuck trying to give and give as She-Ra. And she wants a life with Catra, the person she's come to love and married to in this vision. Stevenson confirmed couples in Etheria have something to show they have ties to each other. Catra is wearing Adora’s wing buckle on her shirt and Adora is wearing Catra's head piece on her dress. At first, Adora is sad because part of her wants to embrace this future but doesn't think she deserves this. But seeing Catra, the person she's married to in this version ask her if she's coming with them. She can't help but want to follow her. Even when Adora was dying, all she wanted was a peaceful life with her friends and the person she loved.

4. We're Going Home

Save The Cat in general is a great episode and my personal favorite of She-Ra's. Adora manages to save Catra with the help of her friends as Catra is still unconscious from the fall and whatever Horde Prime did to her. Adora gently holds Catra and telling her she's not done yet and that they're going home. Adora's healing powers manage to work on Catra as she wakes up. She also says her classic 'Hey Adora' in a very weak voice. And Adora is so relieved that she just embraces Catra and and Catra is shocked. We see how hesitant Catra is accept Adora's embrace but eventually she does while letting out a deep breath of relief. With her purring being the last thing we hear before the episode ends. Catra purrs mostly when she's around Adora, she's always happy to be accepted by Adora. This description from Nate Stevenson also really helps sells the moment too.

'They stay that way for a long time, Catra’s face tucked into Adora’s shoulder, Adora gently cradling Catra’s head. Adora is careful not to hug Catra too hard or make her feel restrained, anticipating the moment that Catra will start to pull away — but Catra doesn’t. She hangs on so tightly it hurts, her claws digging through Adora’s jacket and into her back, latching into her like she did when she was a kitten and didn’t know how much her claws could hurt. Adora tries not to wince, tries not to move a single muscle, worried that if she does the spell will break and Catra will struggle away, appalled at having shown weakness. But Catra doesn’t let go. And so neither does Adora.'

3. I'm Not Leaving

Save the Cat and The Heart Part 2 have my favorite Catradora moments and this one is one of them. We saw how Catra came back to Adora when she needed her and almost died trying to save her. Shadow Weaver comes in though and sacrifices herself with Adora and Catra reuniting. This time it's Catra rescuing Adora and coming to her aid instead of the other way around. Adora is struggling to use the failsafe and realizes it might not work. She tells Catra to get far away from where she is and that there's no more time. Saying how she can save everyone and touches her forehead with her own. While also stating how it's okay and she's ready. It's heavily implied Adora is going to die trying to use the Failsafe and Catra stands firm on staying with Adora. Saying whatever happens she'll stay here with her. And we see that as Horde Prime's virus is trying to take control of the Heart, Catra is facing it with Adora.

2. You Matter To Me

I love the scene of Adora trying to save Catra from the chip she's being controlled under. Adora is trying desperately to bring Catra back out and trying not to hurt her despite Catra attacking Adora. Then Catra does break free from control and tells Adora she should have stayed away and asks why she came back when she doesn't matter. With Adora gently holding her face telling Catra she matters to her. This is also asked later again by Catra in Don't Go.

“Why did you come back for me?” she demands.

“I —“ Adora’s voice trails off in the silence. Catra doesn’t let go. The only sound is the soft, muffled humming of the ship’s engines as it moves through space, away from Horde Prime. “Because…” She trails off again.

What is she supposed to say?

“Because…you’re Catra,” she finishes weakly.

Because at the end of the day, Adora will always care for Catra. Then Catra get's possessed again as she walks towards the edge fighting to not be controlled by Horde Prime. Adora reminds Catra she's never listened to anyone in her life and asks if she's going to start now. Catra looks amused as she just says Adora's an idiot with Adora agreeing, tears in her eyes. Adora then says she's going to take Catra home as Catra breaks free from Horde Prime saying 'Promise?'. Adora holds out her hand saying 'I promise!'. This is obviously a parallel to when they were kids and they promised to look out for each other. It's such a heartfelt and touching scene

I Love You

'Catra she distracts you, confuses you.' - Shadow Weaver

'You Etherians are all alike. Such strong connections to one another, it's what makes you weak.' - Horde Prime

And yet their 'weakness' and 'distraction' saved the universe. The Catradora confession scene is number one as it is a finale to Catra and Adora's character arcs. Adora is dying and seemingly getting ready to accept her fate. That there won't be a happy future for her. But then she hears Catra still reaching out and calling for her to wake up. Catra hasn't given up on Adora and Adora never gave up on Catra, so she shouldn't start now.

Adora does try to reach for Catra but doesn't quite make it with her saying it's too late and that she failed. Catra reassures her that she's got Adora and won't let go. In desperation and perhaps wanting to finally tell Adora, Catra says.

'Don't you get it? I love you! I always have! So please just this once, stay!'

We hear Catra and Adora's theme Promise in the background playing this whole time which we haven't heard since the episode Promise. Last time it was Catra leaving Adora to follow her own path and Adora learning to let go of Catra. Now, it's Catra reaching out for Adora as Adora takes her hand. Adora is blushing as Catra has tears in her eyes begging for Adora to stay. Adora does wake up in awe asking if Catra loves her. Catra is blushing while smiling calling Adora an idiot. Then she looks surprised as Adora just smiles at Catra saying she loves her too. They then kiss as Adora is finally able to activate the Failsafe but the two are too busy kissing.

I also want to add in the storyboard version of this scene where Catra says 'We always said it would be you and me, together at the end. But not now, okay?'.

Honorable Mentions Down Below:

[enbysiriusblack]

the people that hate catra/catradora are so strange. like i see them arguing that catra literally tried to kill adora and her friends multiple times and she barely even apologised before they got together

but like?? okay yes. but also you're forgetting catra and adora grew up together. they know each other more than anyone else. adora understands why catra is the way she is. because of shadow weaver. because of her abusive childhood where she learnt that 1. she has to look after herself first and 2. that adora will always be there for her. but then adora wasn't so in catra's mind that means that no one will ever truly care about her (because the one person that did left her and yes she understands why but also for her, their relationship is more important than 'doing what's right'). also she wants power and control because she's always been starved of it (always being second best and pushed down and dismissed). adora keeps on asking catra to join her because she knows catra is just angry and pissed and lost. adora doesn't want or need forgiveness from catra- she just wants her.

bow and glimmer don't understand catra like this though. BUT they do both know she had an abusive childhood with adora and is still stuck there so they do feel sorry for her (but also think she's a bitch fs) but glimmer and catra bond in the last season and glimmer does forgive catra and understand her reasonings more. and because glimmer seems to be alright with catra, then ofc bow is going to be.

^ also like. they are both very aware that adora loves catra and they do want adora to be happy.

[queerplatonic-msr]

What I wish the She-Ra fandom was:

People who acknowledge that Catradora is abusive and probably shouldn't have been romanticized in a kids show, but still enjoy it as the dark romance turned wish fulfillment wlw it is.

People who believe that Adora, Catra, Glimmer, and Bow should all be living happy fulfilling lives full of queerness by the end of the show, but that Catra should be living that life away from the people she traumatized. 

These two groups are friends. 

What the She-Ra fandom is: 

People who are in complete denial that Catradora is abusive. 

People who think Catra is irredeemable and should die. 

These two groups hate each other. 

(If you are actually a member of the first two groups though please hit me up I would love to have an spop community like that!!!)

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

let me stop you right there. yes, korra and adora both went through extremely traumatizing events. but korra didn't start dating the same person who traumatized here. gotta love how they used that screencap of adora getting electrocuted by catra, and still missed the point.

korra and asami may not have had much build up to their relationship, but they had a healthy dynamic. even though they got off on the wrong foot, they both learned to respect and support each other, korra chose to confide in asami when she was still recovering from her trauma, and they had a good foundation to build a healthy and long-lasting relationship.

you can compare korra and adora but you cannot compare catradora and korrasami. adora deserved someone like asami.

[catras-breakup-song]

Since you seem to debunk some stuff about catradora I'll give you one (if you wan to)

Apparently some people critise catra in the final scene between her and adora when she said "Please just this once stay" and say that she has not changed and still thinks adora left her

Your take on this?

ha lol, i'm not sure i want to be known as the person who debunks 4nt1 arguments because that sets up a lot of discourse to be invited to my door and i don't feel confident about debating very much, so i try not to bring it up on my own that often.

but anyway, that plea isn't about adora leaving catra as much as adora leaving life. we can see that catra has in fact changed & grown, because even if they don't have a future to share together, that doesn't mean adora doesn't deserve to live and be happy anymore. an earlier villainous catra from the earlier seasons who was out to make adora hurt probably would have left her to deal with the weight of the world on her shoulders by herself (although to be fair, we've never had an event during that period when adora was on the verge of death and catra genuinely believed she wasn't going to make it out just fine); this reformed current catra will do everything she can within her power to save adora from destruction, even if it costs another successful sacrifice of her own survival.

i once saw someone say in an analysis video a while back that the journey to the heart allowed catra to learn to love freely without expecting it to be given back. this person was, of course without surprise, five by five takes in their "why catra matters" video at the timestamp 18:08 - 18:31, which quotes:

and finally, with no guarantee of reciprocation, she stays with adora, and tells her that she is loved ─ it's love that catra doesn't believe is reciprocated, and she doesn't need it to be. when she lets go of expectations, she's able to give love freely, and when it's given freely, adora is able to accept it, and so they traverse the biggest gulf in their separate arcs.

if adora was to survive the failsafe, she would accept that a romance might not be in the cards afterwards. perhaps they weren't meant to be together, and that would hurt like hell, and she would struggle to move on just as she did the first time, but that doesn't mean she won't be there for her now when it counts and uphold her end of the promise ─ hence this scene:

i can't lose her again, okay? i promised her a long time ago that i'd look out for her. it's time i made good on that.

and this one too:

no. i'm not leaving. whatever happens, i am staying with you.

if this was about whether or not adora was going to remain loyal to their relationship, then why did she insist on doing the same thing herself anyway?

it wasn't requested, but it's implied to be tied into all of this, so in order to address what happened at the end of "failsafe" beforehand, i think it needs to be understood that selfishness is not inherently a bad thing, which was adora's side of that coin in terms of learning an important lesson and closing their character arcs. if catra needed to be selfless, then adora needed to be selfish. that's exactly what catra was trying to convey here:

why are you like this? why do you always have to sacrifice everything for everyone else? when do you get to choose? what do you want, adora?

but of course, we know that was a failed attempt of convincing. since adora is going to insist on martyrdom, catra is going to relapse back into her old ways out of grief. you can't help someone who isn't willing to save themself, as she should know from past experience, so she figured it wouldn't matter if she was present for such a traumatizing event (the violent death of your closest friend would absolutely affect you to witness) or not. i can't say if this was the right or wrong decision because it's quite complicated, as many topics in this show are, but i hope anyone could at least understand her perspective.

regardless though, obviously she changes her mind and remembers to pay off the debt she was willing to owe since childhood. she course-corrects and even confidently confronts her abuser (whom she'd feared for the longest time) out of desperation to protect someone who matters to her above all else. this is what matters. this is where/when we see her strength shine through. this is how she's become a better person. you'd be hard-pressed to find an individual who makes a perfectly smooth transition, because it's not easy to improve and it's certainly not something that happens overnight. sometimes we fall back into old habits, but we continue to push through and put in that overall effort to make a difference at the end of the day.

so, no, if nothing else, there wasn't any bitter connotation or petty grudge being held in those words begging adora to come back one last time. it was an urge to keep living & loving so that her remaining time on etheria wouldn't be wasted away as a memory. it was a desperate plea for her to realize she is loved before she passes away, and still has so much to give & be given.

also, @g-hostbody added the brilliant detail that it’s almost like catra was subtly saying “i know why you couldn’t stay before, but please do it now, because you have to fight this and get a happy ending!”

if that somehow gets twisted into "this was a manipulative endeavor to avoid losing a co-dependent connection to someone she can't live without", i think i'm just going to go insane and do something similar to this in order to relieve myself from all the pain & suffering (half-joking...):

[proshipear]

★ catradora and bakudeku moodboards !!

– edits for the profic party by @profiction-edits (thank you for making this, I had fun doing all the prompts ^u^)

Week 2, Day 14: Free day! Make whatever your heart desires.

for the last day of prompts, I wanted spread my vision to the world: catradora and bkdk, yuri and yaoi, ying and yang, they are One And The Same, and I'll make you see it too!!

they're childhood friends to enemies to weird tension to lovers, izuku and adora are the dorky but cool, self-sacrificial protagonists with hearts of gold and a duty to the world, katsuki and catra are the mean friend that isn't their friend anymore for a while until they start working on themselves and apologize and they're tough and commanding but they actually have a sweet heart underneath. Also, both ships were (and still are) considered very Problematic by part of the fandom even though they're not, really. But when it was all said and done, they ended up being canon (in catradora's case) or having a lot of remarkable moments, even more than the other more widely accepted and "less problematic" ship (bkdk is as canon as izuocha; which is to say neither of them ended up being canon but they have a lot of "hmm this seems romantic" moments)

"Hey Adora." "Kacchan!" "Don't you get it !? I love you! So please, just this once, stay!" "I guess I thought, we'd be competing, and I'd be on your heels, for the rest of our lives." "You look out for me, and I look out for you. Nothing really bad can happen as long as we stick together." "Win to Save, Save to Win"

thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[thedelusionreaderbitch]

Poly! Catradora x gn! Reader - Triumph from a shadow (PRIDE 2023)

A/n: Here is the first installment to the fics of pride 2023! (This is also old, so don't expect the writing to be stellar!)

Summary: You've always been a third wheel to Adora and Catra, even when you stayed with Catra in the horde. You've been over shadowed by the two of them your whole life and you're okay with that. You've seen what power can do to people, but your destiny isn't okay with it, and neither is your feelings.

Warnings: panic attacks, ptsd from the horde prolly, mild violence, death swearing, low self esteem, abandonment issues, crying, unrequited love, I think that's it? You have been warned!

The three P's:

[Pov: 2nd person][Pronouns used: you/your][Pairings: romantic! Catradora x reader, platonic! glimmer x reader, platonic! bow x reader, platonic! Entrapta x reader]

You've been a third wheel to Catra's and Adora's relationship from the beginning. Even in the horde when you had decided to stay with Catra to keep her safe she was still obsessed with Adora. When you had defected the horde because you saw what Catra was doing to herself and not only could you not watch her do it, you felt like you were only encouraging it.

While you came back to Brightmoon and tried to help Adora and the rest of the Princess's everything had spiraled and eventually Adora couldn't just ignore her feelings for Catra and you were left alone.

Unlike Catra and Adora, you can ignore you feelings, because you know they're unrequited, you take one look at the way they look at each and whatever hope in you dies. They've never looked at you like that before.

We're you really that hard to love?

As you were on the ship - Darla, with the "best friend squad" and Entrapta you're eternally grateful Glimmer had suggested you come, because you didn't want to be on Etheria. Not really, you would have been useless, and even though when you look around at all these people who are so strong you know you're out of place. At least you were with the people you longed to be with the most.

Which, is a different kind of torture all on it's own.

On the couch in the control area of the ship tears come to your eyes as Darla is on autopilot for a planet called Nyxion, it's believed that the people there are called Nyx. Though you haven't gotten a transmission back after you guys had tried to send one to them.

Sniffles are heard throughout the room as you try desperately not to cry, you couldn't cry not only would it probably wake somebody up, it would only prove your weakness.

Although it seemed like someone was already awake because you heard footsteps from behind you as someone place's a hand on your shoulder.

"Y/n?"

It's Adora, you would know that happy, soft voice from anywhere.

More footsteps erupt from behind the two of you and another hand is placed on your other shoulder and you know it's Catra from the claws that slightly dig into you in worry.

"Are you okay?" Catra's soothing, hard voice, whispers and the urge to burst out into tears gets even harder to ignore.

You close your eyes and sigh, "I'm fine, you guys should go back to sleep. I know you need your rest."

Adora laughs quietly and wraps her arms around you and leans in so her head is against your shoulder, while Catra leaps gracefully into your lap and places her hands over Adora's.

"You're always putting others before yourself, just relax for a second." Catra's voice surrounds you.

"We're here for you." Adora says warmly. "We'll always be."

"What?" Your breathe out as your mind starts getting flashes of your memories from your childhood at the horde.

"Ya, we made a promise clumsy." Catra grins up slyly at you.

"Adora! Catra!" Your child self yells out excitedly for the two of them.

"We're over here clumsy!" Catra screeches at you as she and Adora wave you over to them. Of course you come barreling towards them knocking you guys all down.

"Nice work clumsy!" Catra snaps at you as she helps Adora up leaving you on your own.

"Sorry I was just excited." You say dejectedly, taking sudden interest with the floor below you.

"It's okay." Adora offers. "We're really excited to see you too!"

Looking up you see Adora nearly jumping up and down she's so happy and you see Catra soften her glare towards you and it almost turns into a smile.

"Where were you guys?" You question tilting your head to the side to observe how Catra grips onto Adora's arm.

"With Shadow Weaver." Catra murmurs fearfully, and shudders as she says her Shadow Weavers name.

Scrunching your nose you shake your little head.

"Shadow weaver doesn't like me."

Which wasn't entirely true, she had avoided you at all costs sure, but she hadn't yelled or screamed at you. Not like she did everyone else, she even sometimes would yell at Adora. But never you, it was like she admired you, or perhaps the truth is she was afraid of you. Of what you didn't know. All you know now looking back on it, is that Shadow weaver for some reason was afraid of you.

Adora shrugs and walks up to you and grabs you by your shoulders.

"That doesn't mean we can't be friends!"

As you shake your head the younger Catra comes up from behind you and wraps her arms around your torso (a little possessively) and cuddles you from behind.

"I'm just scared you'll forget about me, and leave me..." You trail off but Catra finishes the sentence for you. "Alone?"

You nod your head sadly.

"Hey." Adora squeezes onto your shoulders.

"We're here for you." She says quietly like it's the most important secret in the world, to say that she and Catra won't leave you. "We'll always be."

"What?" Your younger self thinks out loud.

"We're making a promise clumsy." Catra says affectionately.

Abruptly you pull away from the two of them and stand up.

You couldn't do this, you couldn't just stay in their embrace like you when you guys were young. You are young no longer, and no longer are your feels platonic and free. They are love and caged, and enraged because of it. The love you feel, would only hurt them.

"I can't-" You break off the beginning of your sentence and you nearly start to cry. "I can't do this again."

The two of them stand up and Adora stands in front of you, as Catra stands behind you.

"Y/n, we just want to help." Adora says gently and tries to take your hand in hers but you pull away before you can.

"Just leave, leave me be."

Adora looks at you clearly hurt by your actions and words, as Catra, being as protective over her girlfriend as she is gets a little bit angry.

"Fine, we'll leave you to wallow alone then! If you don't want us, we'll leave!"

Catra takes Adora's hand, and although Adora probably isn't very happy with Catra's choice of words but she doesn't protest when she leads both of them out of the control room. Away from you.

"No, wait-"

"We've tried Y/n, but we can't wait around for you while you push us away." Adora says quietly and her words stab you straight through the heart and they kick at your delicate walls. They come crumbling down around you as you collapse into sobs.

"Wait! Please!" Your voice borders on hysterical "I'm sorry I'll-" This time you cut yourself off as your own voice gets taken over by the cries that erupt from your throat uncontrollably. Cries that have been waiting a long time to be let out.

In seconds Catra is in front of you taking your face in her beautifully dangerous hands and moves your head so you're looking up at her.

"Hey, hey, hey." Adora's voice comes from behind Catra. "You're okay." Adora says while Catra says at the same time; "You're with us."

"We won't leave you alone." Catra whispers into your ear.

"We promise." Adora says as she takes your hands into hers and places it over her heart.

"Am I-" Your voice is hoarse, and still riddled with hiccups as tears still run down your face. Yet it isn't as hysterical and out of control as before.

"Am I hard to love?"

It's silent for a second before Adora shakes her head. "Y/n, I'm not sure we totally understand." She tells you lightly.

"Am I hard to love." Your voice is like a scorching fire. "Because you guys have never loved me, not once. Not even when I love you guys so much it hurts to be around you. So tell me, am I just that impossible. That unlovable." Your voice is hard and both of them look at you with surprised faces and while Darla starts beeping, alerting everyone that you've reached your destination.

Glimmer, Bow, and Entrapta come through as the ship starts opening it's doors and ramps to the ground as you rip yourself away from Catra and Adora. While you go to join Glimmer, and Bow who look at you with matching concerned expressions.

"Don't ask." You grit out as you wipe the rest of the tears from your face.

"Are you-" Bow starts, trying not to freak out.

"I said don't."

Everyone is quiet as you guys take in the seemingly abandoned planet.

It's primary colors are black, and different shades of grey, as vines twist across the ground and trees hang over your heads. Yet there's a certain beauty to the darkness. When the light hits the right parts of the dark vines and trees they glow an almost rainbow color.

In the distance there's a structure that looks vaguely like a broken down temple. You feel a pull towards it, and you know you guys have to head over there if you want any answers.

"We should head over to that temple over there." You raise your voice and there's no response from anyone, everyone is just stays extremely quiet, keeping their heads down. You want to scream in anger, at least it would break the heavy tension in the room.

Finally the tenison is broken by Entrapta (bless her heart) as she shakes her head full of purple hair.

"I'll just stay over here I think! But I still want to know what's happening soooo..."

She hands everyone small little body camera's and you can't help but smile at her. She really is a genius beyond compare.

"I can also speak through them and if you want to try and get my attention just say my name!" She says excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Thanks Entrapta." You nod your head towards her, as everyone puts on the body cams.

Catra slyly glares at Entrapta as she harshly grabs onto your hand and starts leading the group towards the temple.

"What the fuck was that!" You scowl at Catra passive-aggressive behavior.

She doesn't say anything but she doesn't let you go either. If anything, she grips onto you harder as you feel her claws dig into your wrist.

Taking your other hand, Adora grips onto it like it's her last life-line before she's pulled into the sea.

They don't say anything at all, the only words that are exchanged are from Glimmer and Bow who are desperately trying to fill the awkward silence.

"Y/n." Adora starts. "We just wanted to say-"

You cut her off by shaking both their hands off not wanting to hear their ultimate rejection.

Just in time before the two girlfriends can say anything else, the temple stands before the five of you.

It's black like the trees and the vines, and it looks old. Nevertheless it's beautiful with some dark crystals and symbols engraved into the black stone. Although it feels like the temple is missing something.

You feel like you're in a trance as you walk through the entryway as the others follow behind you.

"Uh, guys?" Entrapta's voice comes through the devices.

"If you guys go straight it will lead you to a power source that may or may not be magical. And it may or may have been barred off from the planet for a long time and if you guys don't unlock it from it's cage it will make the planet below up in... 30 minutes."

Immediately, everyone starts running furiously forward trying to get to the center as fast as possible.

Running up next to Glimmer you jog beside her contemplating on asking her your question wondering if she'll actually say yes but... If you don't say anything you'll never know.

"Glimmer." You brush your hand against her arm to get her attention.

"Can you teleport me to the center."

"But I can't teleport everyone?" She questions you, eyebrows frowned.

"I know." You whisper as you don't really want the others to hear. "I just want you teleport me, just me. I just have a feeling to this place, a connection I think."

Glimmer stops and observes you before nodding her head. Out of everyone, Glimmer was the one to go with problems like these. The other person might have been Adora but you didn't want to talk to her right now and she had a tendency to freak out over your safety. Not that Glimmer didn't, but she wasn't dramatic like Adora, nor would she be irrational.

"Okay."

In a second she takes your arm and you're teleported into the center of the temple.

Glimmer teleports out quickly as to not worry the others and probably to leave you alone here. She would understand, you would think.

In the center of the... center you suppose, is a beam of magic that's red, and black light with a grey magic barrier surrounding it.

Looking closer you realize it must be dark magic.

Taking a closer look at the walls around you, you realize that these aren't random symbols, they were writings, and you could read them.

Memories from the past flash through your mind forcefully as you read them.

People that were born from dark magic, normal, happy, magic users who used it for good. They were shunned from outside planets but the queens did not tell their people to resent them, they told them they just didn't understand them.

The queens were powerful and together they birthed a child from the magic, but before they could raise them Horde Prime came and obliterated their people. In a rush they had contained it's magic making so only one person could contain all the magic. Dark magic would always stay on this planet but it needed someone to stick to.

They created a safety guard on the place so if anyone came inside they would have to fight an large three headed dog.

As Prime came closer the two queens kissed their baby on the head goodbye with tears in their eyes as they did what they couldn't do for their people.

Save them.

So they sent the baby away with a spell, sending the child through darkness hoping praying they would end up somewhere safe. And that child you - had ended up right into Shadow weavers arms.

Then Prime killed the queens.

You fell to the ground your head pounding at your heart yearning.

You knew what you had to do, you had to go inside the beam of magic and absorb it's magic's power before it teared the planet apart.

Getting up you start to trek forward before four hands firmly pull you back.

"What are you doing!" Adora yells at you.

"The magic is restless, someone needs to absorb it so it doesn't tear the planet apart!"

"It's dark magic! You won't survive!" Catra screams down at you as her iron hold on you becomes even stronger.

"Yes, I will." You say calmly, the tone of your voice surprises everyone.

"You don't know that!" Adora cries out. "I'm going to do it, She-ra can do take it!"

Instantly Catra lets you go when she hears Adora's words.

"No you will not!"

In the distance you hear a growl and the ground shakes beneath you and you know you've run out of time.

Dodging She-ra and Catra, you sprint up to the magic and you hesitant slightly.

What if it didn't accept you? What if your moms had it made for someone else?

"Y/n!" Everyone screams for you to stand back, and the rational part of your brain is agreeing with them. Really, you didn't know what you were dealing with, but the pull you feel here is undeniable.

You've never been one for rational decisions anyways.

"I love you." You declare to Catra and Adora before taking a step into the dark.

It envelopes you wholly, it's long black inky arms seeks entry into your body, it doesn't hurt. This much magic going into your body should hurt, but maybe it's had a place there all along.

You're lifted into the air and you feel the darkness seep into you, and you welcome it like an old friend. More memories of your moms, of your people are filtered through your brain, even that you don't stop. This is where you were meant to be, what you've been meaning to become.

You feel every last drop of the magic inside of you yet you don't come down. What happens if you just stayed there? Could you be able to learn more about your people, why would you ever need to come down? Down there is so confusing, and horrible, terrible things have happened down there.

However the shouts of Adora and Catra fill your ears, their pleas for you to come back to them are desperate. Then you hear Adora turn into She-ra but she's not trying to "save" you, you don't think Catra would let her, no there must be something attacking them.

The three headed dog.

Opening suddenly your eyes are filled with black as you descend down, while around you your body is glowing. You can feel every shadow across the universe, and all the secrets of every individual.

You stand in front of your friends and you send an inky black barrier to cover them with just the flick of your hand as the dogs snarls and howls at you. He's a afraid, not of you but of being alone, yet he feels like he has to fulfill his purpose.

"I remember you." You whisper. "Mom used to play fetch with you outside the temple, and mama would watch from the sidelines, claiming she didn't like you."

You tilt your head to the side and the three headed dog does the same, as if he too, is starting to recognize you.

"But she gave you your name, Spot right? And she was the one who would pet you in the middle of the night."

Spot howls and runs at you as he nuzzles your neck, and cuddles you. Slobber must have been all over you.

Giggling the barrier separating you, with your friends dissipates as your eyes slowly fade back to their natural color, of course with a dark tint that wasn't quite there before.

"Y/n!" Adora runs up behind you as she pulls you into a hug.

"I thought I had lost you!" She exclaims.

"We, thought we had lost you." Catra comes in front of you, and takes your hands into hers.

"You almost did, it showed me so many memories of me, my moms, and my people. I didn't want to leave, even when the magic had transferred over to me entirely." You sigh a bit shyly.

"What made you come back?" Glimmer is behind you in a spark, but you knew she would end up there - her shadow was there before she was. So you didn't flinch or jump at the sound of her voice.

"Well I didn't want you guys to hurt Spot." You pet the ginormous three headed dog, you joke with a sarcastic tone at the end. Yet you pause before what you're going to say next. Did you have to courage to tell them outright when you weren't in distress?

Still, as you observe Adora and Catra you think maybe it's them who have to say it to you, or break it to you that they didn't love you.

"My friends." You reply, "All of you, I thought Spot was going to go after you guys (it's what he was trained to do after all) and just knowing that anyone of you could die... I just knew I couldn't stay there forever, not while you guys were suffering."

"OH!" Bow screeches. "Best friend squad!" And he pulls you all into a big hug as Entrapta agree's from the cameras.

"How did you know about any of this..." Adore trails off as everything soon gets quieter at her question.

Chuckling you take Catra's and Adora's hands into your as you wink at Bow and Glimmer. "I'll tell you all on the way and maybe on the ship. Quite frankly it's a long story!"

____________

After you had told your story to them, Glimmer had informed you that you would have to start training with your newfound magical powers. Even if she still sounded a little uncomfortable at the prospect of dark magic, you had told her that you were basically a vessel made to hold dark magic, and control it. There was no corrupting you, plus your people and parents had never been corrupted.

Catra and Adora had been acting weirdly around you, to say the least. You would do something you would normally do and they would have matching bright faces. Along with the fact that the three of you still haven't spoke about you confessing your love for them... Twice.

"Well this is a familiar setting." Catra speaks from behind you in the control room, while everyone else are in their respective rooms.

You can feel Adora's shadow also coming to the control room a bit farther down the hall then Catra. Without turning around you call out to her;

"Hello Adora."

"Oh crap! That's like super scary!" She yells as she jogs up to the couch where Catra now is laying her head inside your lap.

"That's the point Adora." You snicker but there's definitely a teasing tone to your voice.

She comes up behind you and somehow slides in behind you so her arms are warped around you, and your back is flushed against her chest.

There's silence for a while, for long time. It's not awkward or bad, it's actually pretty great as you cuddle the two of them.

"Y/n?" Adora's voice comes out a bit croaky.

"Yes?"

"We love, you like a lot."

"I know."

Catra sits up and slides into your lap. "If you were any other person right now I would slap you."

Giggling you run an hand through her hair. "I think- I think even I deserve love. Whether it be platonic or romantic."

"Hey Y/n." Adora whispers as her lips touch the shell of your ear.

"You aren't hard to love."

Catra kisses your cheek and smiles down at you, it's that smile you know not many people other than Adora and now you have seen.

"You never were."

Words 3774

-thedelusionreaderbitch

She-ra taglist: No one yet!

[etherian-affairs]

Catradora hurt/comfort?

Response to a four year old drabble prompt below.

Catra stumbles out of bed, sweat matting her fur. Her breath comes out in rapid panting as she sturggles to keep relatively quiet. Adora is asleep still and she doesn't want to burden her with this. She doesn't want to show how weak she still is. For all the growth she's been through, the lessons learned through the fight with Prime, she still suffers that core of fear about showing weakness.

Adora would never use it against her, would never try to control her with her fear and weakness. Catra knows this, her mind screams at her that she knows it.

Yet she falls against the wall in the corner of the room, hands coming up to cover her head as she just tries to breathe. The dreams are so real sometimes, too real. Catra can feel her Brother, Prime, caressing her. Physically and mentally. Dominating her so utterly, using her like a puppet. It takes all her will to not wake up screaming. Every single inch of her body feels constantly violated. Every moment of every day she knows he has been there, and in her dreams it's only worse. Reliving it all again and again.

"Catra?"

The feline curses and curls up further for a moment, trying to choke back her silent crying. Adora is shifting in bed, sitting up.

"Catra are you okay?" Adora asks softly.

"I'm fine." She hisses back quickly. Far too quickly, immediately she knows that it gives away the fact she very much isn't fine. Sure enough Adora is immediately climbing out of bed and striding across the room to Catra. "I said I'm fine Adora!" Catra almost shouts despite herself. It only makes her feel worse, why can't she just be calm? Why is she like this?

Adora ignores her snapping and kneels down before her. "Hey." she whispers. "I'm here Catra."

Catra glances up, focusing on Adora's face. The blonde's expression is soft and concerned. Loving. It invites honesty.

"Dream." is all Catra says. Quiet, almost a mumble. She curls in again, looking down. That's enough, this isn't the first of these dreams she's had. It's no the first night like this. Not by a long shot. Prime is only the latest demon that haunts her nightmares.

Adora doesn't reply verbally to that admission. Instead arms wrap around Catra, holding her. For the briefest moment Catra tenses further in instinct. Yet this isn't the touch of Prime or any of her other personal horrors. It's strong yet gentle. It's loving and warm. A moment after that tensing she starts to relax into it. Her body loosens and nearly goes limp. Catra begins to cry more openly. No loud sobs, just the slight heaving of her chest and warm tears flowing from her eyes. Her head rests and buries against Adora, crying against her.

"I'd kill him a second time if I could." Adora says quietly. That makes Catra choke out a small laugh. Exactly the sort of declaration that Adora knows Catra would laugh at. It's almost unacceptable that her girlfriend can make her laugh while crying like this.

"A big softy like you? I dunno." Catra replies.

"Hey. I did it once isn't that proof I could again?" Adora almost sounds insulted. As if being told she doesn't like murder is something she has to defend against. To be fair, Catra thinks to herself for a moment, the way they were both raised it kind of was something you'd defend against.

"Yeah you're right. You'd do it as a mercy kill to stop Entrapta from taking him apart." Catra snarks.

"Oh please. I'd do it for you."

That shuts Catra up. She turns her head to kiss Adora now.

"I hate this. That I'm… like this." Catra whispers.

Adora frowns. "You were hurt, bad, you're just healing."

"I've been healing all my life."

A sigh escapes the blond and she squeezes a bit tighter. "Well… I'm going to make sure you stop having to."

There's silence for a time after that. It's a promise Catra wants to believe, she wants so badly to believe it. It's hard though. It is so hard. Every time she's ever felt like she was safe it has been taken from her, so why wouldn't this be too?

Because her girlfriend killed god, that's a pretty good argument to believe it. Catra can't help but snark in her own mind at herself about that. Why can't she believe the girl that literally brought her back to life and killed god? That seems like the one person actually worth trust, honestly.

Catra sighs and bwomps her forehead against Adora.

"Sorry I woke you up."

"Don't. Catra." Adora replies sternly. "You never have to apologize for things like this. I'm here for you. I'm your girlfriend right? We're a team."

Catra smirks a little. "Yeah. You're right. I'll start waking you up more then just cuz."

"Well hey! Wait a moment!"

Again Catra laughs, followed by Adora laughing.

Adora's eyes focus on Catra again. "Ready to come back to bed?"

"Yeah." Catra nods.

[alpaca-clouds]

Where are my toxic lesbians? (And the wholesome gays?)

About two years ago in my German blog back then I wrote a blog about the lack of good gay representation. Because at that time we had quite a few shows with female queer relationships between main characters - the same was not true for male queer relationships. Don't get me wrong, there was some, but not much. Not compared to the sapphic ships.

Now it is two years later and I am happy to report, that things have changed. We got a lot more shows that have gay and bisexual men. Also just other media with queer men. Yay.

But also, I am noticing another pattern. The queer men we get are allowed to be complex and also a bit toxic. Meanwhile a lot of the lesbian stuff we have is - or at least ends up - very saccarine.

Now, before anyone goes "well, actually" on me: Yes, there are exceptions to this rule. I mean, Killing Eve was a show that ended up with... complex sapphic stuff. And sure, Catradora ended on a very saccarine note, but it was rather toxic on the way there. And yes, while of course it is complicated, too, Ed/Stede in OFMD are all in all a very sweet relationship. But yeah, exceptions do not change the rule.

I very much love all the complicated gay stuff we got this year (and the end of last year). With Interview with the Vampire, then Mizrak and Olrox, and finally now Captain Laserhawk. Oh, and I am tempted to count Astarion into this, because he definitely even without counting in his "playersexual" behavior, he is a queer man. And he is most certainly not a good person.

But my thing really is, that I want a relationship like that with some sapphic characters. Which is something we really did not get much of so far.

I think the core of the problem is, too, that a lot of the lesbian relationships we got in recent times, were in PG-rated shows, while basically most of the gay stuff was in R-rated media. And to be frank with you, the only PG-rated gay relationship I can think of, is the stuff in Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, but that relationship was very much on the sideline of the show. Like, even Our Flag Means Death, which is all in all very sweet, is still rated "Mature".

And I think in a way this kinda goes to the core of the problem: Society at large tends to think of sapphic relationships are more innocent, than it does of gay relationships. And lets be completely honest, a lot of this goes back to the idea that "lesbians do not have sex", because in so many minds sex can only happen when there is a dick involved.

As such, lesbian relationships are always seen as something theoretically more "suitable" for a kids show, than a gay relationship is. Which is probably the main reason, why there is barely any examples of queer male characters in PG-rated stuff.

Though, honestly. It does not explain why there is this chronic lack of toxic lesbians. Because even in the R-rated stuff with lesbians (CaitVi comes to mind), the sapphic relationships tend to be the softest part of the entire show.

Killing Eve (where the sapphic stuff happening had to be won against the network) is really the only example I can think of in recent times, that is anywhere on the same level like IWTV, Laserhawk or Mizrox. And I think it is a bloody shame.

Gimme some toxic lesbians with complicated relationships. But also, give me a show like The Owl House, that focuses has the same focus Lumity received on a sweet, saccarine gay relationship between boys. Please?

[manic-sapphic]

tbh tho, catradora has been coded w such complex emotions from day one.

and yeah - emotions lol. something those two characters lack so so much abiltiy to cope w but just in diff but equally extreme ways imo. they're out here trying tho hha can we just give them at least a lil cred for that? like tbh, catradora exists, they're canon endgame ok? get mad about it and complain if that's how you wanna spend your time i guess. but it's not ever gonna change it. they're out there. they were sent out into the universe as this lovely fuckin expression of yes a complicated and yeah sorta entropic, chaotic love ok cause idk i don't think love should always need to be hallmark perfect to be valid or appreciated though? maybe that's an unpopular opinion. if it is, that's truly ok. it's still the one i have and it's simply not gonna change

¯\_(ツ)_/¯