destinybound: (sheepish smile)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-05-31 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Adora can't believe this is happening.

This was supposed to be your standard space mission: Glimmer and Bow go looking for fuel, Adora and Catra go looking for magic to rehabilitate from First Ones tech. It's a small planet, barely populated -- and while sure, the group of them are known to dawdle, taking in the new sights and foreign cultures wherever they go, it was supposed to be pretty straightforward. Pop in, free some magic, pop back out.

Adora wasn't prepared to come upon one of the last surviving First One colonies in all the galaxy.

Least of all was Adora prepared to find her own family.

As soon as she laid eyes on Adam, somehow, she just knew. The same way she had when she picked up the sword for the first time. But she didn't let herself charge forward on a hunch alone-- instead she cautiously poked and prodded, posing questions about his family life that were probably not as subtle as she'd intended, but, well--

Once he mentioned having a sister who got sucked into an interdimensional portal as a baby, that kind of cleared the last of her doubt.

It's all a whirlwind from there. She found out very quickly that Adam gives really powerful hugs. Then he was rushing them home, bellowing "Mom! Dad! You'll never guess who's here," and then there was a whole mess of crying and hugging and crying some more, because they never thought they'd see each other again, and Adora couldn't believe and has a mom and a dad.

"Oh-- oh, we've got to celebrate this," her mother declared, and though their village is small and their home humble, her family managed to whip up a whole feast in record time. They wouldn't even let Adora help chop the vegetables.

And here they are now-- the six of them, crammed around the dinner table. Catra, Adora, her brother, her parents -- plus Melog, curled up in the corner with a little bowl of its own. The sword of protection lies dormant around her arm in the form of a brace, as unintrusive as Adora knows how to make it. She doesn't know how much they know about She-ra, and besides, there's so many other things they can talk about first.

"Adora, sweetheart, please," her father beckons, the whole family's eyes locked on her. "Tell us everything. Where did you grow up? Who found you?"

"I-- I-- well," she stammers, already overwhelmed before opening her mouth. "I landed on the planet Etheria, where I got picked up by... the Horde, actually," she begins, earning her a chorus of terrified gasps-- "but it was fine! They raised me, and um, it was pretty much what you'd expect from the Horde, yeah, but I had Catra with me." She reaches for her hand under the table, then lifts it up, joining their fingers together. "So I was okay."

She doesn't let go of her hand, even as she keeps talking. "Then when I got older, um, I ended up leaving, and joining the Bright Moon rebellion against the Horde." She still doesn't want to mention the sword, the whole She-ra thing. That can wait, right? Even if she's not sure how to disentangle it from the last couple years of her life. It kind of was her life.

"And uh, a lot of stuff happened! I met Glimmer and Bow, who are two of my best friends, and-- they're actually here too, but they went the other way looking for crystals for fuel, and with all this I haven't had the chance to contact them-- oh man, I really should!" She grapples for the navigator on her belt for a moment, holds it up, hesitates, then puts it back down. "Wait, I don't wanna be rude, I'll just-- I'll do it in a bit."

She heaves out a sigh. "Where was I-- oh, so yeah, I made friends with Glimmer and Bow, and also a horse, his name is Swift Wind and he can fly, and also all the princesses of Etheria, and they reformed the Princess Alliance, which was a thing a whole bunch of years ago but fell apart, so they brought it back together, and-- Oh my god, I'm talking so much."

A realization that was brought on by the desperate need for breath. Adora sucks in a mouthful of air, then drains her glass of water completely of its contents. Her hand, despite steadily growing clammy, insistently squeezes Catra's over the table. "I'm sorry, I'm just so excited."
Edited 2020-05-31 18:59 (UTC)
destinybound: (concerned)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-05-31 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh-- thanks, Catra," Adora says, her train of thought cut off by the sudden closeness as Catra leans over and reaches for her hip. For a split-second, it makes her chest flutter.

But she catches it, then, the distant note to Catra's voice, that sharpness to her eyes, but she doesn't know how to acknowledge it and then Catra's pulled back and the conversation's rolled on before she got the chance to.

"Oh, do you guys not have horses? That's okay, I hadn't seen one until, like, two years ago."

Her eyes keep flicking back to Catra, now, but she's fiddling with the communicator and won't meet her gaze.

"They're, uh-- they're really majestic! Swift Wind especially, he's got those long flowing rainbow locks, and he can talk, and yes, I totally fly around on him."

But she's distracted now. She nudges Catra with her shoulder, softly: "Are they not answering?"
Edited 2020-05-31 23:30 (UTC)
destinybound: (sheepish smile)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-05-31 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, okay." If Catra says they're answering, it should be fine, right?

Her attention is quickly drawn back to Adam, and she studies his outstretched hand for a moment before deciding: "No, I think it's more like-- hold on--"

And then she gets up too, moves to stand beside him, Catra's hand slipping from her hold in the process. "Normally when I'm standing next to him," not in She-ra mode, because we're not mentioning She-ra mode, "he's about up to here?" She sticks up her arm above her own head, then draws a horizontal line from there to under Adam's outstretched arm. He's taller, so his arm goes higher. It'd make for a really big horse.

"So something like this." But it's easier to tell from an outside perspective, so-- "Am I right, Catra?"
Edited 2020-06-01 00:05 (UTC)
destinybound: (pledge)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
"Catra?" Adora immediately drops her goofy stance, the air in the room turning heavy and stifling as lead. Before she's even had a chance to protest, Catra's up and left.

Oh. Oh no. This isn't good at all. Catra's quiet, polite departure might fool a group of well-intentioned strangers, but Adora knows her. And this rings a thousand alarm bells, red flashing lights dancing between her temples.

She snatches her pad up off the table, chest tightening at the sight of the cracked screen, the smear of blood at the edge. She doesn't even bother looking at the messages.

"Um-- I'm so sorry," she stammers, looking between her family and the door. "I think she's not feeling well, I need to go check on her. I'll be right back, okay? Don't, uh, don't go anywhere." Of course they're not going anywhere. It's their house, stupid. Adora shakes her head to clear it, then goes from her mother to father to brother, quickly squeezing each of their hands in her own. "Thank you so much for dinner, it was so amazing to meet you-- I, I'll be right back, I swear."

And with that she rushes out, scanning her surroundings for any sign of Catra. She might be able to make herself disappear now, with Melog's help, but the same can't be said for the two sets of footprints on the ground. Adora sprints in the direction they lead, barely registering her family hovering at the door, the concerned looks on their faces.

"Catra!"

The footprints take her into the forest-- that part's easy. But the trail cuts off before long, ending at a tree. Adora scoffs, lifting her gaze to the canopy overhead. Catra's far lither and more agile than her; she could've jumped a dozen treetops in just the time it took Adora to get here.

"Catra, where are you? Come on, I need to talk to you!"
Edited 2020-06-01 01:04 (UTC)
destinybound: (pledge)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 07:02 am (UTC)(link)
Adora's ears perk up at the sounds of rustling and crashing not far ahead, and immediately she's running towards them-- but then there's another set of noises, grass crunching and heavy breaths coming from behind her, and she whips around just as Adam grabs her wrist.

"Adora! Boy, you run fast-- Didn't you hear me? You gotta get away from here, this part of the woods can be dangerous!"

"What?" Her mouth slackens, eyes growing wide. She's been so focused on Catra, she didn't even notice she was followed. "But," she gestures deeper into the woods, "but Catra's--"

As if on cue, Catra comes charging in, leaping from branch to branch overhead. Adora's brief surge of relief is quickly swallowed by panic as a booming quake runs through the earth, and Catra loses her grip and nearly tumbles to the ground.

"There she is! You gotta grab her and let's go!"

"Why, what's out there?" She glances anxiously from him to Catra's rapidly approaching form, followed by Melog.

"Catra, what happened? What are you--"

The boom is followed by a second, then a third. And the creature emerges from among the trees, as tall as the canopy, huge and ancient and angry.

Oh.

She's running from that.

"We've really! Got! To get outta here!" Adam's voice is growing shrill. "And possibly evacuate the village! It looks mad!"

"No no, I can handle it! You and Catra get somewhere safe!"

"You-- you want to fight it? Adora, that's crazy, there's no way--"

But she's already summoned her sword from its perch over her arm, thrusting it skyward as she cries out the familiar words:

"For the honor of Grayskull!"

She-ra's magic washes over her, and she charges into battle, ready to set this whole mess right.
Edited 2020-06-01 07:07 (UTC)
destinybound: (shock)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 08:34 am (UTC)(link)
She-ra jumps to avoid the blow, and the ground shudders where it connects. The creature is massive, but it's slow -- dodging its attacks shouldn't be difficult. It's all a matter of how to subdue it.

She morphs her sword into a rope at first, then takes a series of running leaps around the creature, aiming for each limb as it's raised for an attack. But even with its supernatural properties, the rope can't contain the beast's sheer strength, and the monster breaks free of its binds every time. Maybe if Bow were here, with his sticky-goo arrows, or if Glimmer could temporarily blind it with her sparkles--

But they're not here, and She-ra has to do this on her own.

Forfeiting the rope approach, she shapes her weapon back into a sword. She needs a new tactic. The giant, single eye in the middle of its face is the obvious weak point, but she wouldn't feel right going for it. This isn't another Horde bot, it's something alive, something that belongs in this forest. And if she had to guess, it's only upset due to the fresh set of claw marks marring the bark of its face.

So, for her new plan, she goes for the trees. She chops them off at the base as the monster gives chase, and they come tumbling down all around it, big and heavy enough to hinder its movements. But of course, each successful blow only serves to make it more upset, and its instincts seem to sharpen with anger-- with a great, deep roar, it shakes off its wooden trappings, and charges at her with an unforeseen speed. She-ra, caught off-guard, doesn't move away in time-- and its tree-branch claws sink into the flesh of her arm, producing a choked, anguished scream.
destinybound: (pledge)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 09:24 am (UTC)(link)
Adora reels from the pain for a moment-- a moment that could've cost her a lot more than cuts across her arms, had Catra not swooped in to save her. Her chest swells with adoration, instinctively, before the gravity of the situation comes crashing back around her and snuffs it out.

"I'm not attacking the eye!" Though she had to learn her lesson the hard way, she is, at least, much sharper and more alert in her movements now, careful not to let her guard down as she evades the next barrage of blows. Her sword, for now, has taken the form of a shield. "Get down from there, you're just making it angrier!"
destinybound: (sheepish smile)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 10:39 am (UTC)(link)
Adora's reflexes are quick enough to save her from being flattened like a pancake, but the thing is so huge that jumping over it proves impossible-- instead, she finds herself landing on its back beside Catra, and clinging frantically on to the bark.

"A good time for what, Catra?!" It's too big, too heavy, and already picking up too much momentum for her to have any hopes of succeeding as a human barricade. And that's assuming she could even get down from here. Big assumption.

Sucking in a breath and filtering it out through her teeth, she's able to work up the focus to shoot light beams through her sword. She uses them to slice through as many trees as she can, as far as she can aim, and by some stroke of miracle they all collapse in time, right in the middle of their path-- terrifyingly close to the village entrance, but safe.

The creature howls, wails, struggles against the barrier. Adora, able to catch her breath at last. places both hands flat against its back and leans in close.

"Shh, it's okay," she murmurs against the wounded, oozing bark, gently stroking the unscarred spots in attempt to soothe. "We're not going to hurt you, I promise. I'm going to make it all better."

Closing her eyes, Adora reaches for the magic swirling inside her chest, channels it towards her palms; a golden glow gathers beneath them, slowly spreading outwards, seeping into the cracks in the creature's wood-skin. She feels it grow calm and still beneath her, and with a sigh of relief, she pushes the magic out farther. It spills out into the woods, healing the marred ground, reviving the fallen trees.

They caused a lot of damage, Adora notes with a bitter pang of guilt. She urges more and more magic out of herself, until her fingertips are trembling, and then more, the quaking spreading up her arms. By the time the woods and the creature are healed, she feels dizzy and weightless, like a glass bottle emptied wholly of its contents. She-ra slips away, leaving behind plain old Adora, who sags limply against Catra, and clings onto her arm as the pacified beast lowers them to the ground.

And, given a moment to gather her bearings, Adora looks around... to see every single person in the village staring at her with eyes the size of dinner plates.

"... Um. Hi." She swallows. "Really sorry about that."
destinybound: (concerned)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 12:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Adora feels a chill settle on the back of her neck. She knew, somehow, that the hoots and cheers she'd receive on Etheria wouldn't follow her here-- she didn't know what to expect in their place, but she had dreaded it just the same.

If she had her way, she'd never have mentioned She-ra at all. Not until she's fully earned her family's trust as Adora, at the very least. But when do those things ever go according to plan?

"Yes, please," Adora murmurs, leaning into Adam with stiff shoulders as he guides her away from the crowd. Her hand reaches for Catra's behind her, though, wanting her close.

"Mom, can you get the first aid kit? Adora's really hurt," Adam calls out as soon as they're back inside, corraling her and Catra into the bathroom. He gets the water running, preparing to wash the lacerations across Adora's arm, as her parents rush in to bring ointments and gauze. It suddenly feels stifling, not just all those people squeezing inside the small bathroom, but the brick-solid silence that hangs in the air. The atmosphere in her family's home now is lightyears away from the warm, comfortable chatter of dinner barely an hour before.

"Thank you-- thank you, um, actually," she struggles to get the words out, cut off by her dad bringing in a thicker brand of bandage he found in the back of some cabinet. "--Can you leave me alone with Catra, please? We can patch each other up. We're used to it, so we'll be okay."

"Oh." Adam's face falls, but Adora can't help but read the look on her parents' faces as one of quiet relief. "Sure, okay. We'll leave you two to it. Holler if you need anything, yeah?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

With her family gone and the door shut behind them, Adora can finally breathe again. She reaches for Catra right away, ignoring her own still-bleeding cuts-- "Where are you hurt? Let me see."
destinybound: (concerned)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"--Right. Heh. That's good." Adora's lips twitch into a self-conscious smile. At some point back there, all she was doing anymore was letting the magic flow from her unrestrained -- she wasn't even directing it at any specific target, just wanting to fix everything.

Or at least, as much of this as she could fix.

She winces and hisses as Catra tends to her wounds, but keeps as still as she can, biting on her lip to keep any yelps of pain trapped within. They're both worn out, and more than a little lost -- on foreign grounds and out of their depth, in that way neither one of them has ever been good at handling.

Still, Adora chatters away, hoping to lighten the mood. "That was some monster, huh? Biggest guy we've run into in ages. But I guess I'm kind of rusty, too. It's been a while since I've had to fight without Bow and Glimmer..."

A pause, and her brow furrows. "Man, where are those two? You texted them a while ago already, I figured they'd be here by now." She worries at her lower lip, already working herself up into a fuss. "You don't think they're lost, do you?"
destinybound: (frown)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 02:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Adora's eyebrows hike towards her hairline. She told them not to come?

"What? No, I-- ow!" Adora flinches as Catra pulls on her arm just a little too hard-- "I wanted them to meet my family, too!"

She whips her communicator out, at first to see just what kind of messages Catra had sent, but her attention is quickly snagged by the cracked screen and the faint staining of blood. She'd gotten so caught up in the panic of adrenaline of battle that it's almost slipped her mind altogether, and the reminder has her heart sinking like a rock.

"... What happened at dinner, Catra?"
destinybound: (serious)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Adora's shoulders stiffen as Catra forces her arm back in place, and her features pinch into a scowl. She doesn't move away a second time, but she doesn't stop pressing for answers, either.

"Well, you cracked my communicator, bled on it, and ran off into the woods to start a fight with a giant tree monster. I'm pretty sure that counts as several somethings, actually."
Edited 2020-06-01 14:36 (UTC)
destinybound: (pledge)

[personal profile] destinybound 2020-06-01 03:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Adora shrinks into herself more and more as Catra speaks. Each syllable from her mouth drips with the sort of vitriol Adora hasn't heard in a long, long time.

It's not like Catra no longer gets angry -- she always has, she always will. Sometimes her walls slam up before she can help it, and sometimes she has to run out on her own to cool off. That's fine. Adora knows her, Adora knows she's been trying, and has sworn to stay by her side through it at all.

But now Catra's stabbing every word into her vulnerable flesh like a dagger, and there is a coldness in her eyes that lets Adora know this isn't some sudden, uncontrolled flare-up -- it's a slow, boiling rage that's been simmering a while.

And Adora can't find what she did to cause it.

There's a moment where her expression cracks, revealing nothing but raw confusion and hurt underneath, as Adora wracks her brain for anything she's done wrong. It's always her first reaction when someone she loves is hurting, and she always finds something.

But all she's done today is meet her family. Feel excitement and joy over it. Try to have a nice dinner with them and with Catra, so they could all get to know one another-- so she could maybe, just maybe, put together the family she's barely even allowed herself to dream of.

For once in her life, Adora is certain she's not the one to blame.

"No." In the blink of an eye, her features have gone stone-cold, eyes flat and jaw rigid. She pulls her bandaged arm away, rises to her feet. "That's not fair, Catra."

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