Catra (
morethanadistraction) wrote in
boxitup2020-06-25 11:16 pm
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Entry tags:
- acct:destinybound,
- acct:morethanadistraction,
- adora is a bully and a jerk,
- adora is a smug jerk,
- adora's bully level at 50%,
- catra pretends to be a top,
- catra's questionable characterization,
- catradora,
- fluff,
- fuck you we deserve to rot our teeth,
- melog's questionable allegiances,
- not smut??? (might be???),
- post-series
fun shippy fluff don't hate us 'cause you ain't us
It's been a few months since the failsafe reached the Heart, and they're finally doing something they'd always thought they'd do together: they're exploring Etheria.
They started off in the vicinity of Bright Moon and wandered from there, following maps to find towns and stopping at unmarked settlements along the way. Teaching each-other tidbits they'd picked up, learning others together. Filling in gaps in their knowledge of the world.
They're at the edge of some small village now, replenishing supplies for their trip. Or, well. Adora is replenishing supplies. Catra had been left to set up their campsite, which she did, and one playful swipe led to another and then to some tackling and rolling around, and then to a small chase, and then Melog had proudly created an illusory duplicate of themselves to get her off their tail.
So now there are two Melogs, and Catra's on all fours, her tail trailing an eager 'S' in the air as her eyes dart between them. The Melogs are in much the same position, and they mewl at her in synchronization as both their and Catra's shoulders shimmy down, ready to pounce. The campfire she was supposed to light is well and truly forgotten some distance away, the branches and tree litter strewn messily about. She's got bits of it stuck in her hair and in her fur, and even Melog's picked up a leaf or three from their playing.
That doesn't matter. What matters is choosing the right one.
Her claws twitch against the soft ground, the vibrant green grass that Adora's magic had restored a pleasant cushion against them. She breathes deep, steadies herself; and with a cry, launches at the Melog on the left.
Either she's correct or both of them were corporeal, because she connects and rolls with them in a tumble, a laugh bubbling up from her chest as Melog's tongue licks messily up her cheek. Her objection - "Ugh!" - is lost under the smoosh of their muzzle against her face as they increase their size to pin her, and their exaggerated purr rumbles right through her bones.
"Okay, okay." Catra pushes at them, grinning and with laughter in her words despite her struggling efforts. "You won, I get it! Now let me up! We have to finish before Adora gets back."
They started off in the vicinity of Bright Moon and wandered from there, following maps to find towns and stopping at unmarked settlements along the way. Teaching each-other tidbits they'd picked up, learning others together. Filling in gaps in their knowledge of the world.
They're at the edge of some small village now, replenishing supplies for their trip. Or, well. Adora is replenishing supplies. Catra had been left to set up their campsite, which she did, and one playful swipe led to another and then to some tackling and rolling around, and then to a small chase, and then Melog had proudly created an illusory duplicate of themselves to get her off their tail.
So now there are two Melogs, and Catra's on all fours, her tail trailing an eager 'S' in the air as her eyes dart between them. The Melogs are in much the same position, and they mewl at her in synchronization as both their and Catra's shoulders shimmy down, ready to pounce. The campfire she was supposed to light is well and truly forgotten some distance away, the branches and tree litter strewn messily about. She's got bits of it stuck in her hair and in her fur, and even Melog's picked up a leaf or three from their playing.
That doesn't matter. What matters is choosing the right one.
Her claws twitch against the soft ground, the vibrant green grass that Adora's magic had restored a pleasant cushion against them. She breathes deep, steadies herself; and with a cry, launches at the Melog on the left.
Either she's correct or both of them were corporeal, because she connects and rolls with them in a tumble, a laugh bubbling up from her chest as Melog's tongue licks messily up her cheek. Her objection - "Ugh!" - is lost under the smoosh of their muzzle against her face as they increase their size to pin her, and their exaggerated purr rumbles right through her bones.
"Okay, okay." Catra pushes at them, grinning and with laughter in her words despite her struggling efforts. "You won, I get it! Now let me up! We have to finish before Adora gets back."
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"--Melog!" She manages to gasp out, squeaky and pitched, fighting back the laughter. She won't give Adora the satisfaction, she won't. It takes all of her mental fortitude to take her arm away from her stomach for the quick second she needs to throw the thoroughly squashed bread in a random direction, but Catra's spite trumps all else. She knows Melog will catch it, and Adora will definitely not be getting the bread back now.
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Awful considerate of you to raise your arm like that, Catra. That's all the opening Adora needs to sink the fingers of her other hand into the soft fur of underarm, strengthening her attack twofold. And now that her bread is gone, Adora's out for blood, her fingers swift, merciless, and intimately familiar with all of Catra's weak spots.
"Wow, Catra! Left yourself wide open. Such a bold strategy. How's that working out for you?"
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Catra's arm jams back down quickly, but it's too late. Adora's fingers are already there, wriggling directly into her fur and against her skin, and Catra jerks violently away from that hand; which only presses her into Adora's other, and there are tears of strain burning in her eyes that Catra cannot keep from blurring her vision as her chest heaves with rapid breaths and her back arches, desperately trying to evade Adora's tickles. Even flinging out her elbows to knock into Adora's arms doesn't get her any reprieve, and a dozen razor-sharp responses slip out of Catra's mind. Adora knows her too well and Catra's ticklish spots did not have the courtesy to diminish in sensitivity in the time they were apart, and that's really just. Unfair.
"Adora!" She manages to get out, though high-pitched and trembling with laughter, her stomach muscles aching. "Cut it out!"
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She shouldn't push her luck, Adora knows. But Catra is nothing short of irresistible like this, laughing and squirming and wholly her own. (And she really did want that bread -- though it pales in comparison with each passing moment.)
It's just not a fair request to make of her. How is she supposed to pull her hands away, when Catra's writhing has dragged up her shirt to expose the fluff of her tummy? How can she not slip her fingers right there, rake them greedily through soft fur and quivering flesh?
--But she's not heartless. She'll offer Catra a way out, see. "Say please."
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She still rebels at the thought. Saying please, to Adora, sitting so smug and self-assured on top of her?
"Forget it," she chokes out, squirming away, arm tightening further around her stomach and shoving down to block Adora's path. It's bad enough that Adora has access to what she does, and that the tickling's made her so over-sensitive that even the twitch of her own arm is unbearable against the grass. She doesn't need to go letting Adora's hands claim any more territory than they've already won.
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And her hand's upward path may be blocked, but Adora still has free rein to roam across her favorite stretch of fur, right between Catra's lower stomach and hipbone. She can feel her heart pound with exhilaration as her fingers curl and tease, and she leans down, cooing sweetly: "Are you suuure?"
Adora bends her neck, lower, closer, until her lips are mere inches from Catra's ear. "You only need to say it once, Catra."
And she blows a puff of warm air right into it, for good measure.
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Normally Catra enjoys Adora's fingers on that part of her body, but the usually favourable sensation is now unbearable, and her hip tries to dart back; only succeeding in her wriggling her back against the ground with a sharp, laugh-tinged gasp. Her ear flickers wildly as Adora speaks near it, even the closeness of her voice enough to make it feel tickled for literally no reason, and then Adora gives it one when that puff of air glances off of it.
The noise that leaves Catra's mouth is not dignified, something like a catch of her breath that hooks on a giggle and somehow then just turns into a weird squeaky whine; but surely Adora won't be remembering much of it anyway, since Catra's reaction - unthinking, instinctual, old habit - is to dart up the small distance, all of the tickling and stimulation too overwhelming, to bite her in a quick and decisive snap of teeth.
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"Gah!"
She closes her eyes against the burst of pain, grits her teeth, then exhales slowly as the initial sting subsides. The attack's achieved its purpose; her hands on Catra have stilled, and Adora holds her unbitten one up too, in a sign of resignation.
"Okay, okay, I earned that one," Adora's smile curls lopsided with the admission, cheeks flushed with self-conscious and leftover adrenaline. She slides her weight off Catra, now offering that raised hand for her to take as she straightens. "Sorry. You okay?"
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Adora did deserve the bite, as unconsidered an action as it was, and despite the fatigue setting in Catra's tail lashes against the ground as she looks up to Adora with bright eyes.
As a cadet, she probably would have jumped up from this position to tackle her. But with age comes wisdom and better technique, so she presses her weight up onto an elbow, making as if to rise; and instead Catra swings her legs around to sweep Adora's from under her, using the momentum of the movement to quickly push herself up and onto her.
The end result? A familiar position, Catra's knees jammed into Adora's hip and thigh, both of her hands pushing her shoulders into the ground as her tail waves high and playful behind her.
"Oh, Adora. I'm fine." Even though her voice is rasping and breathy, even though she hasn't fixed her shirt of the mussed fur of her belly. Or, for that matter, any of the dishevelment that comes from wriggling around on the ground. Her hands knead into Adora's shoulders, the press of claws a natural reminder to not try any funny business, and Catra takes her voice's natural inclination to rasp to drop it into a purr as she leans forward, secure in her victory. "You should really be more worried about yourself."
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Adora swallows, then licks her lips-- her mouth is dry but her throat is wet, and a warmth spreads steadily up from her neckline as she takes the sight of Catra in. She's sure the vengeance she's about to set upon her will be nothing short of diabolical, and she'll be begging forgiveness before long. Truly, Adora's in no position to be mooning over her girlfriend right now. But that doesn't change the fact Catra's pretty, breathing ragged, face flushed. Or that her shirt's still riding up, drawing Adora's eyes like a magnet. Or--
Adora's look of silent awe crumbles with a sudden giggle-snort, and the electricity in the air cuts short.
"Sorry, it's just-- you've got leaves in your fur-- let me get that for you." She reaches with one hand, to pluck swiftly at Catra's arm before patting down the bared corner of her stomach. All that rolling in the grass had gotten all sorts of nature-dirt stuck to her, and we can't have that. Just give her a moment...
"Okay, you're good," she announces after a moment, smoothing down the hem of Catra's shirt. "Go on."
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She's in full sulk mode by the time Adora finishes and gives her permission to continue, and Catra's unimpressed scowl slants sideways as she purses her lips. She liked it a lot better a few moments ago, when Adora was red-faced and groaning, her body soft and pliant.
"I almost took out the Rebellion," she feels the need to point out somewhat petulantly, pride bruised. In case Adora's forgotten. Because she's sure not taking her seriously, and Catra's sitting back on her haunches, still perched atop Adora's legs but folding her arms. "I wiped the floor with you like, a million times."
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"... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin it," Adora offers after a beat, this time sincere. Her purple-tinted lip sticks out in a pout as she lays both arms down on the grass, wrists crossed above her head. Her back arches subtly, pushing her chest out just so; offering herself up, malleable and willing.
"Have your way with me, please?"
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Catra is not gentle at all about the placement of her weight on her knees or feet as she stands on Adora's legs, hopping off from her with a disgruntled noise. She does not offer Adora a hand up, nor does she keep within reach; instead padding over the small distance to her abandoned bread, picking it up and tossing it at Adora with a grumpy backwards glance. Take your stupid win, she didn't want it anyway.
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"I really meant it! Why are you mad? Am I that bad at being seductive?" She wraps her arms around Catra's leg to anchor her in place, pleading up at her with big, rueful eyes. "Don't be mad at me."
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Instead she sighs, annoyed and ragged, and flicks her tail right into Adora's face.
"Ugh. Get up, you idiot." Her palm is gentle but firm when she presses it onto Adora's forehead, pushing her pointedly back from her leg. It's harder than it's worth to be angry with her for long. "Let's just go for that stupid walk you were talking about."
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"Yes! You're gonna love it, I swear." She jumps to her feet, mood fully restored, and scrambles for her backpack. She rummages through it, producing the map and unfurling it in front of her. "It's just a bit of a walk, we'll be there in no time. Oh, but before I forget--"
And she goes back for Catra's offered bread, splitting it down the middle and extending one arm with a smile. "Halfsies?"
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...Or, alternatively. She can find it dissipating in surprise when Adora turns around and offers her a torn half of bread, that beautiful and awkward smile directed at her in full. Catra could swear her heart stutters, as she glances from Adora's face to her hand, and belatedly she realizes there's a warmth already on her cheeks to accompany the fuzzy feeling in her body.
She's gotten better about this, which is why she doesn't snatch the bread. Instead she takes it normally, turning her face away to bite into it silently. Adora's always so damn -- nice. And making Catra feel so special, again, simply by just... looking at her, and sharing.
Is it any wonder she'd gotten so jealous at the thought that Adora would treat every friend of hers this way?
Catra doesn't like to walk while she eats, and she knows Adora will wait for her, so she's content to chew in silence. Gives her time to settle into the abrupt adjustment of her mood, anyway, as she holds her hand flat-palmed for Melog to shimmer back into visibility under. They've still got the stolen bit of bread in their mouth, their eyes curved happily as they rumble. Catra's not doing anything about her feelings, so Melog takes it upon themselves to; padding over to Adora to rub against her legs affectionately, shrinking in size to twine around her, praising her in echoing mews that have Catra's ears flicking in embarrassment. She really just. Can't take Melog anywhere.
"Shut up." Both of them. Both of them can shut up, but Melog especially.
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"I mean, I wasn't saying anything," she answers with a snort, offering Melog a loving little stroke behind one ear.
"Think you can watch the camp for us, Melog? Thank you! We'll be back before you know it."
And, downing the last mouthful of bread, she joins Catra's side and takes her hand in her own. "Ready to go?"
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"Don't go overboard," Catra warns them. Both because of Melog's enthusiastic press into Adora's hand, which is at this point just insulting, and because Melog's illusions don't discriminate between friend and foe. They really do not need the stress of navigating a seemingly hostile environment right before they try to sleep.
Melog trills in acknowledgement as they follow with Adora to Catra's side, and she lets her fingers link with Adora's as she chews the remainder of her bread, raising her free hand again to press against Melog's head in farewell. She doesn't pet them the same way Adora does, but Melog nudges into her palm anyway, rumbling warmly. They understand each-other, they don't need anything more than that.
She does make Adora wait, because Adora is a jerk, while Catra takes her time chewing. She eventually swallows, licking her lips to wipe away the remainder of crumbs and nodding, nudging her shoulder into Adora's. Catra's tired, and sore after all of that squirming, but Adora's been so excited about this that she teases instead of complaining. "We don't seriously need a map for this, do we? I thought you said it wasn't that far."
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--Is what she says, all cheery reassurance. But as she leads Catra down the map's indicated path, it quickly turns out there was some mild sugarcoating involved. Yes, Adora may have neglected to mention they'd have to push their way through some really spiky bushes. Or just how much of this path would be uphill. Or ohmygod that's a big bug--
"-- I'll get it, I'll get it!" Adora exclaims, grabbing for her sword and stabbing the screeching six-eyed beetle clean through. Its body twitches one final time, impaled against the tree. "Got it."
Retrieving the sword, she shakes it clean of bug juice before re-equipping it as a brace. "Okay!" she exhales, spirits undampened. "Just a little more."
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Adora clearly wasn't expecting it either, given how quick she is to attack the bug whose dying screeches have Catra flinching back and bristling.
"'Let's go for a walk, Catra'," she mocks as she grabs her tail roughly, forcibly smoothing the fur back down. It's obvious that Adora's getting stressed about how Not To Plan this is, but that doesn't stop Catra from grousing now. "'You'll totally love it! There'll be tonnes of gross bugs and plants to annoy you!'"
She feels something squelch under her foot, and Catra freezes as her expression twists in disgust. Definitely should have gone with the shoes.
"Why'd you have to bring back all the weird stuff?" She complains, voice pitching up into a petulant whine. She's just gonna. Grab her ankle and pull her foot up to inspect it, and then drop it again to scrape the gross pink-purple goop off on the ground with a groan of frustration. Maybe it wasn't even Adora's magic that restored these things, maybe they were here all along. Catra's going to blame her anyway.
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Look, this isn't her idea of a romantic walk either, okay? She just has to believe it'll be worth it. It's like that one saying Perfuma likes-- 'it's about the journey, not the destination'-- except the exact opposite of that. It's one hundred percent the destination. The journey can suck as much as it wants, so long as they get there. Adora just has to focus on that.
"Come on, Catra, can't you hold the grouch for just a little bit longer? It should be just about--"
Her eyes scan the horizon before skidding to a halt in front of a particular group of trees -- one of which, remarkably, is curved into a half-arch with a faint lavender glow peering through the bark.
"--There! Come on, come on, come on!"
And because Catra can't possible come on fast enough, Adora grabs her wrist and breaks into a sprint, any soreness to her legs instantaneously forgotten. In a couple minutes' time, they're standing in front of the natural-made entrance to an enclosure within the woods, surrounded by trees, thick brush and vines. Adora's heart is in her throat, not so much from the short run as it is from nerves.
She hopes this is as nice as the townspeople made it out to be. And that Catra likes it, because she's gonna be real mad over getting dragged all the way out here otherwise. And Adora will look like an idiot, and Catra will never trust any of her romantic outing ideas ever again.
Oh, man. She really hopes Catra likes it.
With a brief glance back at Catra, Adora sucks in a breath, and parts the greenery to allow them inside. And as soon as she takes the sight of it in, the awe and relief swirl together in a giddy current in her chest, releasing in the form of an unbidden squeal.
Everything inside is glowing. Everything. The little flowers that sprout amid the grass; the berries in the bushes; the under-side of tree bark, revealed through the cracks in the wood. And, within the pond in the center of the enclosure, dozens of bioluminescent fish trace winding paths across the water in every color of the rainbow. In the inky black of night, it's nothing short of hypnotic; like a living painting, constantly in motion all around them. Their own pocket galaxy.
Adora rubs at the back of her nape as she turns to Catra again, breathing out a chuckle. "It's-- it's pretty cool, right?"
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And no, she will not hold off on grouching - and she's just opened her mouth, about to complain about that too, when Adora's sudden burst of excitement cuts her off.
"Hey -- Adora!" She protests as she's pulled into a run, stumbling the initial steps before recovering. "What's the big deal, it's just a forest!"
But Catra smells it before they see it. Can actually almost taste the fragrant air as they run, the woodiness and bite of trees and crushed leaves adopting the sweeter undertones of florals, different to Perfuma's favourite varieties but unmistakable all the same. Curiosity keeps her pace matched to Adora's, and though Catra could go faster and overtake her, she lets Adora keep the lead. She'd been disappointed to find that Catra had already, in some form or another, been exposed to most of the things she'd apparently been dying to show her. So she can have this one.
She's hardly out of breath when they stop, but Catra breathes deeply anyway. Her nose is sensitive enough that she knows what to expect on the other side of these vines; and yet, she's still surprised when Adora pulls them back. Nothing at all could have prepared her for the glow of colours, warm and entrancing and like absolutely nothing she's ever seen before. Her only answer to Adora's question is to laugh in surprised delight, taking the lead as she wraps her fingers around Adora's wrist this time and steps eagerly into the hidden area, eyes bright and ears perked and tail active with excitement.
Each step on the flowers sweetens the air, and Catra's nose twitches but she doesn't care about how cloying that's going to become. She does a once-over of the area, searching habitually for enemies or traps, before making a quick beeline straight for the pond. Her eyes are almost sparkling as she tracks the quick movement of the bright fish, ears twitching as her hand tightens on Adora's wrist and tugs to make sure she's looking at those things. There's even some sort of glowing algae in the pond, lighting it through in ribbons, and Catra hates water but this pond? Is totally okay by her.
"Adora!" Her name comes out with that same short laugh of delight, higher pitched than Catra's usual, and she feels so -- young again, looking back up to Adora, practically vibrating with newfound energy. "Are you seeing this?! Look at them!" She juts a clawed finger at the fish, another press of her foot on the soft ground perfuming the air further, and okay yes there are other things to be looking at, but glowing trees they can find in the Whispering Woods and glowing berries aren't too far off from that, and there are glowing. fish.
She absolutely should not give in to impulse. Catra has learned better than that. And yet her attention still darts back to them almost immediately, tail lashing eagerly. Melog would encourage her impulses if they were here. Melog doesn't like it when she restrains herself. Before the war she would have just done it, would have announced "I'm catching them" with confidence and pounced before anyone could protest, probably would have done it as messily and disruptively as possible. But now she stays herself, heart pounding hard as she laughs breathlessly again. "--You sure you don't want to take credit for this?"
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When she looks at her, tail swishing about as she drinks in her surroundings, face alight with unguarded joy-- Adora could almost forget about everything else. When she calls for her with that laugh, Adora could forget two years of war, a lifetime of growing up in the shadows. All she can think is-- this is it. When they'd talk about taking the world for themselves once they're older, Adora never cared about helming armies, toppling cities, making her enemies bow. She wanted this: Catra happy and free, her hand in her own.
And maybe she's stupid for getting overwhelmed by those same realizations over and over again, when she's always already known, but Adora can't help it. She's smiling so hard her cheeks ache, and for a second she has to turn away, wiping stealthily at the corner of her eye.
"I mean, apparently this is some kind of magical hotspot?" Her voice wavers a bit for the first few words, dangerously close to giving her away, but Catra's thankfully too overtaken with excitement to notice. "And I brought the magic back? So maybe, y'know, some credit is due." It's hard to sound humble when her chest is swelling with pride. How could she not feel good about herself, with Catra smiling this big?
"Don't catch the fish," she chides playfully, pulling down on Catra's hand. "Let's just sit and watch them for a while."
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"If you really did bring this place back, then I guess I can admit that you are still kind of awesome." Catra looks away from the fish long enough to grin at Adora, fangs slipping carelessly through, and it widens into a smile before long as she teases: "Guess the Princess thing didn't suck it all out of you after all."
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