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."
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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."