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vickysaurus · 3 years

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What if season 5 was two seasons?

So watching through season 5, I kept noticing how fast the pacing had to be with the amount plot threads there were and how often I went ‘I wish we saw more of X’. So as I’ve mentioned a couple of times, I’ve started wondering if it might’ve been better if its story had been spread over two seasons rather than one. Now, obviously I understand that kind of change would not have been in the crew’s hands and no matter what they wanted would likely have been impossible. This is not intended as a ‘they should’ve just done this’ but as a thought experiment. Would a sixth season even have worked? So I’m gonna try and figure out how season 5′s content might’ve been done over two seasons in an alternate universe. In order to keep straight how far in the seasons we are, I’m gonna number the episodes 5-1 to 5-13 and 6-1 to 6-13 for clarity.

-5-1: We’re gonna start off immediately inserting an extra episode: The Fall of Bright Moon. Rather than a time skip, we get to see the first days of the invasion and the evacuation of Bright Moon in the face of overwhelming force. Micah has to switch back into being king, Adora has to deal with losing She-Ra, Bow has to deal with losing Glimmer. There’s a major subplot about Scorpia working up the courage to apologise to Entrapta and the two of them reconnecting. Perfuma probably helps her with that. That sounds like a pretty busy episode, but I think the first two Velvet Glove scenes from Horde Prime should probably be moved to it to not just leave Catra and Glimmer hanging completely.

-5-2 to 5-4: Horde Prime, Launch, and Corridors stay mostly the same. Since I moved the first Velvet Glove scenes to 5-1 and we can probably cut a bit of exposition from Horde Prime with the addition of that episode, these episodes get a couple minutes extra, which is split between an extra Glimmer and Catra in jail scene and some more of Scorpia and Entrapta’s friendship in Launch.

-5-5 and 5-6: An extra season gives us time for worldbuilding and more of the new characters, and since I like the Star siblings I’m gonna selfishly give them a bunch more screen time. The plan to save Catra takes more preparation in this version, leading Best Friend Squad and the Star siblings to go on an adventure on another planet after Stranded, one that is under Horde occupation but hasn’t been destroyed by them. They’re there for either information or some kind of device they’ll need to get on the Velvet Glove, but end up sowing the seeds for a local rebellion on the planet. We’ll see more of that plot later on.

-5-7: Save the Cat. It’s perfect as is.

-5-8: Taking Control’s A plot, enhanced with some scenes from Don’t Go into a full episode.

-5-9: This is where Taking Control’s B plot with the chipped Etherians goes. To go with it, Best Friend Squad is going on another space adventure after a rendez-vous with the Star siblings while they try and escape the Horde. I’m thinking maybe Hordak could be one of the clones searching for them, and while he doesn’t come face-to-face with Entrapta we could see some more of his conflicting feelings building in the course of this. Just a moment’s hesitation on his part allows Best Friend Squad to escape. Catra befriending Glimmer and Bow is a major part of this episode, and it basically bridges the gap between the little overtures between them in Taking Control and Catra as a part of Best Friend Squad in Shot in the Dark.

-5-10: Kyle, Lonnie, and Rogelio only get a cameo in season 5, and that’s something I really want to change. I want to give them a ‘Lower Decks’ episode where they’re basically just trying to go about their lives post-Horde but rapidly discovering the war is impossible to ignore. I feel like we don’t see enough of the normal Etherians in general, and I think these three are a great way to show how they’re doing.

-5-11: Perils of Peekablue. However, the scene at the end where it turns out Micah is already chipped and so are enormous amounts of Etherians doesn’t happen yet.

-5-12 and 5-13: So now I need to have a big season finale happen, and unfortunately Shot In The Dark, while a great episode, is also a little too low-energy to fit the bill. So what I’m gonna do is make it the B-plot of a finale two-parter. The A-plot is set on Etheria, and is basically some big climactic business where the Princesses, General Juliet, (remember her?) and many common Etherians take the fight back to the chipped princesses, and things go well until disaster strikes and Micah gets chipped. Pretty vague, I know. The ‘Lower Decks’ episode we did sets up a lot of the plot here; Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle are probably involved in it. The two-parter ends with the big ‘Oh fuck everyone’s chipped’ moment at the end of Perils of Peekablueas the big season-ending cliffhanger. After that scene, we switch to Best Friend Squad landing on Etheria, and that’s how season 5 ends.

-6-1: I think An Ill Wind would be a solid season opener as is.

-6-2 to 6-10: Yeah, I’m gonna take this whole block of episodes in one go, because this is where it gets complicated. Return to the Fright Zone and Failsafe take place in this block, but it’s beyond my ability to figure out the full plot developments of this entire season. While for season 5 I can keep to the structure of Best Friend Squad’s space adventure, season 6 is gonna be a lot more freeform, and would presumably have major plot elements added. Here’s my thoughts on these nine episodes:

-The chipped princesses get unchipped earlier. They provide good heartwrenching moments, cool bossfights, and allow for major villains ranking below Prime without having to introduce new characters, but I think ultimately it does the chipped princesses a disservice since they just don’t get to show character in the second half of the season. Just compare how well we know Netossa as a character with how well we know Spinnerella. So they get unchipped over the course of these episodes and get to be with the Rebellion again afterwards. Mermista and Spinnerella get unchipped the same way as in canon. Scorpia actually gets to talk while chipped and has a heartwrenching confrontation with Catra in which she basically responds in the worst possible ways to Catra’s regrets (the same way we saw chipped Catra basically being am expression of her worst traits) and they have a fight that’s super rough for Catra, but Catra manages to damage her chip and save her. They have a better chat afterwards, and that’s when they make up and hug it out. I think Micah is the last one to be unchipped, and I might actually keep him chipped until Heart, Part 1 so Glimmer still gets that climactic confrontation with him. Now, a possible concern is that this means there’s just not gonna be enough ‘bosses’ around to fight in Heart. Solutions to this could include for example advanced robots, chipped minor characters like Huntara, Dumbface Octavia, and alien monsters. Maybe Hordak? Though I definitely want him back on the Velvet Glove’s bridge in time to give Prime his date with gravity.

-So that’s sort of the major arc, but there are several characters and plot threads that I feel could easily be an episode’s A- or B-plot in this bunch:

*Catra is mortified when she realises she caused Angella’s death and has a big freak-out over it and tries to run away, Glimmer confronts her and they deal with their feelings on the matter

*Another Kyle, Lonnie, and Rogelio episode

*A Wrong Hordak episode where he discovers his own identity and picks a name, also feat. Entrapta’s attempts to reach out to Hordak

*Madame Razz episode where Adora tries to get her help, possibly involving the Crystal Castle and George and Lance

*Sea Hawk and Double Trouble drama kids adventure where they try to save Mermista (I think Mermista vs. Sea Hawk and Mermista being unchipped gets moved to the end of this episode). These two were delightful for the little time we saw them together in Perils of Peekablue and I want Sea Hawk to somehow rope Double Trouble into an adventure.

*All the space adventures and world building I put in season 5 coming to a head when some form of space reinforcements led by the Star siblings come to help.

*And of course Return to the Fright Zone and Failsafe.

-6-11 to 6-13: Heart is now a three-parter, deal with it. Horde Prime is beaten at the end of part 2, or more likely the start of part 3, and the rest of part 3 is that sweet dénouement I crave.

So with all that laid out, let’s return to the question: would this work? I think if it had originally been written to be two seasons, the story could have easily worked for two. As is, I’m retrofitting a single season to be two, so some of the stuff I’ve added sounds rather redundant or vague. There are certainly enough plotlines and characters to make a split work, but of course those would’ve had to have been written into the plot from the start to not feel tacked on. Of course, brevity is the soul of wit, so even if two seasons had been an option, it’s quite possible a single that has too little time is still better than two that have too much.

#spop #she-ra and the princesses of power #meta #season 5

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tikki-tok · 4 years

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I feel like people get so close to hitting the mark on villain redemption and then entirely miss it so I’m gonna give explain what I think the one thing that makes redemption arcs good is:

Accountability

Not from others, not from the law- not punishment or judgement or reparations- it’s self accountability.

I see people say like “oh x character’s redemption arc was bad cause they weren’t punished by law or by others for every single bad thing they did >:(” and like,,,, no? People keep acting like redemption is something that needs to be earned, when in reality it’s a choice you work to make.

Literally all a character needs to do, no matter how bad they are, is to choose to better themselves and change. They need to choose FOR THEMSELVES to be better and HOLD THEMSELVES TO IT. They aren’t bettering themselves because they’re being forced to, or because they’re going to jail, or because they’re facing some other punishment for it- they’re bettering themselves because they want to hold themselves accountable for the damage they caused, and make sure that they never hurt anyone like that again.

Zuko’s redemption arc wasn’t good because he was exiled or because he was hurt by the Gaang. It was good because Zuko realized that he was wrong, and he made the choice on his own to fix what he had broken. He couldn’t possibly answer for or fix everything his nation did or take back the lives his nation stole from the other benders, but he doesn’t have to. He knows why he’s wrong, and he did everything in his power to make sure it never happens again and that HE never hurts anyone like that again. (nobody is saying Zuko’s redemption is bad I’m just using him as an example)

Good redemption arcs come when the antagonist sees that they’re wrong- either they’re shown that they’re wrong or they notice themselves the harm their actions cause, and then they make the choice for themselves to start trying to be better. They slip up, relapse, make mistakes, and fall over again- but they keep trying because they want to be better.

Our society as a whole kinda misunderstands what the point of punishment is. Punishment isn’t a toll you pay for hurting others. It doesn’t exist to repay whatever cosmic debt all your bad actions have done. It’s a tool meant to show people that they were wrong and to stop people who choose to cause harm from causing any more harm.

Kipo and the age of wonderbeasts showcases this incredibly well with Scarlemagne. Scarlemagne was given every opportunity to be better and to forgive and forget. Kipo viewed him as family and told him that she would be there for him if he stopped his plan to enslave the human race. Scarlemagne refused and continued his plan (he wasn’t redeemed because he didn’t hold himself accountable for his actions and betterment) and Kipo had to stop him by force. She didn’t punish him because he had some spiritual bounty on his head or he owed her a certain amount of pain for all the pain he caused her and so many others. (This is the same guy that took her from her home, attacked her family and friends, tried to enslave her race, and also was using her mom as a weapon). She forcefully stopped him because he refused to stop hurting people and causing harm. That’s what punishment is for.

Some irl examples are people like billionaires. They’ve been given every opportunity to stop hurting people, to pay living wages, to help the poor, to stop killing and abusing those below them, but they refuse to take any of those chances. They don’t hold themselves accountable for the damage they cause, and because of that they have to be punished (preferably by guillotine). Of course, real monsters like billionaires aren’t comparable to fictional villains. Real billionaires cause REAL harm not fictional harm, but I’m mostly bringing it up because as a whole, this view of redemption and punishment in our modern society is incredibly damaging and spreads to how we actually treat real people and view real people’s growth and accountability. It’s why people actually justify our prison system and insane sentences, and why so many people think that imprisonment is just there to make bad people feel bad rather than to rehabilitate and reintegrate troubled people back into society.

Accountability is what it takes to redeem yourself. That is it. This applies to fictional characters the same it applies to real people.

And before anyone says it, accountability is more than just feeling bad about the bad you did- it’s taking steps to heal yourself and those you’ve hurt, fix what you can of what you’ve broken, and choosing to never allow yourself to hurt others the same way you did. Sympathetic villains aren’t redeemed just because they’re sad or feel bad about what they do. Sympathy is necessary to redeem a villain, because without a reason to care for them we don’t want to see them redeemed, but that’s just the first step.

Overall, most redemption arcs people say are bad are actually bad (the diamonds, most notably I see others call out) and the ones that are good are still very good (Zuko, Catra, Amity Blight) but the reasoning behind them being good or bad isn’t because of how much they were punished, but because of how they held themselves accountable for their own growth and how they treat others, and they chose to be better. That’s how redemption works.

#ok to rb #had to get this off my chest dfkjghdfk #I feel like this view might come from how deeply rooted we are in christianity #like it was always about guilt and punishment and never accountability and growth #redemption isn't something you have to earn #trust of others is if you've hurt them. That's for sure #but becoming a better person isn't a trophy you have to compete in some cosmic trials for #it's a continuous choice to try to be better #so yeah your past doesn't define you #the choices you make now to change are just as valid and good no matter your past #you all deserve to grow and be better

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creacherkeeper · 4 years

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For the askmeme: Scorpia x Catra AND Abby x Lev. (I'm so obvious in my choices!!!! lmao)

oh good choices good choices

scorpia & catra

who steals the french fries off the other’s plate:

bit of a cheat, but they both do. or, to be more specific, there isn’t really “my plate, your plate” when theyre eating together. they never shared in the horde, but once theyre out and theres lots of good food with no rationing, they definitely share. it took catra a while to learn “if im allowed to steal off your plate you can steal off mine too”, but honestly scorpia was just so enthusiastic about trying everything that catra couldnt really say no to sharing. honestly, its still a little bit of a defense mechanism. it “looks better” if they both get a few things and share them, over both of them loading their plates up with a ton of stuff. for this reason they tend to sit next to each other at meals

who jokingly moves in for the kiss when someone asks if they’re a couple:

after a while, when theyve both talked A Lot and are a lot more comfortable in their relationships, catra does. only because it flusters the hell out of scorpia. scorpia is very *blush blush* OH NO SHE IS ACTUALLY JOKING I AM WITH PERFUMA THE LOVE OF MY LIFE and then perfuma is in the background like Oh i dont mind sharing C:< which flusters scorpia more

who has to bust or bail the other out of jail:

catra, funnily enough. it’s less “jail” and more “scorpia and perfuma were roleplaying at the bar again and things got a little out of hand”. if scorpia DOES get thrown in jail jail its because she accidentally spoiled a book to mermista and mermista got a bit too mad about it. catra doesnt post bail she just has to talk mermista down

who gives the other advice/comfort about dating issues:

scorpia, definitely. catra has NO IDEA how to have healthy relationships but she honestly is trying her best to learn. perfuma is a big help, especially explaining WHY things are healthy or unhealthy and the mental effect they can have on people, but scorpia is really great about giving practical examples, and shes open enough that she doesnt mind using herself as an example, even when its something she did wrong

who shamelessly cheats at games by reaching over to cover the other’s eyes:

CATRA but honestly scorpia thinks its hilarious every time which is the only reason catra does it (she does it to glimmer for the opposite reason. she gets so mad)

who immediately calls dibs on the top bunk:

it depends. scorpia REALLY LIKES the top bunk but frequently has trouble with them. if the bed is too close to the ceiling, she’ll end up knocking her claws against it. if the ladder is too dainty, its hard for her to climb up. in those cases, catra takes the top bunk. but theyre just as likely to pull the mattresses and pillows and blankets off and sleeping on the floor

who starts and who wins the pillow fights:

scorpia. exclusively. catra HATES IT. SHE DOESNT EVEN WANT TO PLAY AND SCORPIA IS SO FUCKING STRONG. A LADY WHO CAN LIFT A TANK SHOULDNT BE HITTING CATRA IN THE HEAD WITH ANYTHING EVEN IF ITS A PILLOW. ONE DAY HER HEAD IS GONNA TUMBLE RIGHT OFF AND THEN WONT SCORPIA FEEL BAD THEN!!!

who says “your pants would look better on their floor” to the other’s potential crush:

oh definitely catra. she flirts with perfuma literally all the time. about half of the time its on scorpia’s behalf and the other half of the time its while making aggressive eye contact with scorpia (she has perfuma’s word it doesnt bother her)

---

abby & lev

(skipping a few of these questions because lev is like 4)

who steals the french fries off the other’s plate:

abby steals lev’s food, which he DOES NOT UNDERSTAND at first. thats just like. NOT a thing they did and he’s super offended?? if he ever got food taken away it was as a punishment, so abby has to explain that its meant to be a sign of familiarity and teasing. she does offer to stop, but after thinking about it lev decides its okay

who has to bust or bail the other out of jail:

while occasionally lev will “act out” to test boundaries and new rules, he is for the most part extremely polite and well mannered. abby, on the other hand, will absolutely get into fights with people she deems are jerks, so lev does have to ask very nicely for her to be let out of the holding cells (”because im a child and she’s my guardian you cant leave me alone”) like. every month at least

who gives the other advice/comfort about dating issues:

abby TRIES to give lev the talk and honestly it scars both of them so much she decides that it would be better if she got one of the medics to do it (she finds one specifically who can talk to the trans side of things as well, because she’s doing her best but it’s not her area of expertise)

who shamelessly cheats at games by reaching over to cover the other’s eyes:

abby does. this is another talk they have to have about some “rude” actions being friendly, but this one lev decides he does not like. he cant understand why you’d WANT to cheat at games - it makes it unfair so how do you even know who’s the winner??? however, if anyone ELSE tries to cheat lev, abby will cheat them back, and lev decides he does in fact like that

who immediately calls dibs on the top bunk:

actually, abby calls dibs on the bottom bunk. lev has seen lofted beds before, but he doesnt really have a preference where he sleeps. abby, however, says she prefers the bottom. in actuality, she wants to be in the bottom bunk because if there’s a threat, it would be easier to protect lev that way

who starts and who wins the pillow fights:

lev and yara used to pillow fight when they were young if their mother wasnt home, but he hasnt done it in a long time. he’s hesitant about pillow fighting with abby, just because it was something he did with his sister, but once he decides he’s on board he is brutal. abby mostly goes easy on him because. well. her arms. but lev is like. full on tactical strategy, using his environment to his advantage, launching pillows from vantage points kind of thing about it. even if abby lets herself lose (its ...... not as on purpose as shed like to admit, the kid is fast) she initiates it still because she really loves seeing him have fun

#THANK YOU!!!#i loved these pairings for this #long post #she ra #tlou #tlou2 #nightlocktime

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artfulstar · 4 years

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Afterglow - Chapter Seven

Summary:

"I’ve found it!” Entrapta cackled as she hugged the small device tightly. “Wh-What did you find?!” “I’ve found Eternia, Adora! Your birthplace!”

Two years after the defeat of Horde Prime, Entrapta makes a discovery that may change Adora's more than an intergalactic war already did

< Previous Chapter | AO3 Link | Next Chapter >

Chapter:

“Bad news everyone. We ran out of food.” Glimmer said as she entered the kitchen.

“What? How do you expect us to survive on this planet without food, Sparkles?” Catra said as she was sitting on top of the counter, Melog curled at her feet.

“Well, Entrapta did warn Adora that we would eventually run out of food.” Bow said as he stopped looking for any kind of food in the cupboards.

“So? We’re still out of food.” Catra scoffed and Glimmer sighed, leaning her back against a counter beside Catra.

“It’s not that big of a deal, just go to the market we found days ago and buy food.” Bow said. Catra and Glimmer looked at each other and back at Bow.

“Bow, the problem is… we have no money.”

“And unless we go back to the ol’ Horde ways of getting good food-”

“Is that your way of saying stealing?” Glimmer interrupted but Catra raised a clawed finger to the former’s lips.

“If we don’t do that, we’re all dying of starvation.”

“Are you actually considering doing that?” Bow inquired.

“Of course not. You guys should know me better by now.” She scoffed and crossed her arms against her chest.

The doors of the kitchen slid open and Adora entered the room.

“So, what are we having for dinner?” She asked, her eyes glistening with hope.

“Nothing.” Glimmer said.

“Zero.” Bow added.

“Nada.” Catra finished.

Adora’s eyes widened in confusion.

“I don’t get it. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is that we ran out of food, Adora.” Glimmer explained.

“So? We can just go out there and buy food in the market.” Catra and Glimmer groaned.

“Do we have to go through this again? Adora, we don’t have any kind of money!” Glimmer scoffed.

“So I guess we’ll die then.” Catra said and laid on top of the counter and closed her eyes.

“Uh… I have the money.” Adora said and took a brown bag out of her coat. Catra’s eyes snapped open and she jumped off the counter.

“Where did you get these?!” Catra asked

“I-”

“Adora! Did you steal it?” Glimmer tried, her voice laced with disappointment.

“Wait-”

“I thought you were better than this, Adora.” Bow said, shaking his head.

“Can you guys just let me explain this?!” Adora yelled and the other three became quiet instantly. The blonde took a deep breath, “I didn’t steal this money, for heaven’s sake. She-Ra helped some people in the woods today and they gave me this as payment. I tried giving this back to them, but they refused. Can you guys lay off me now?” The other three nodded, “Anyway, I can leave and get the food for us and get back quick, how does that sound?”

“Sounds great!” Bow said enthusiastically and grabbed Glimmer’s hand and they head out of the kitchen.

Adora looked expectantly at Catra.

“Aren’t you going with them?”

“No, I’m coming with you to the market,” Catra said, her eyes narrowing.

“What- Why?”

“First: I want to spend more time with you. You’ve been secluding yourself from us because you’re trying to figure out where to go now.” Catra admitted, her cheeks reddening. Adora was so proud of her girlfriend and how far she’d come, “Second: the last time you went into the city, you almost got throw in jail if it wasn’t for me,” Melog meowled in protest, “And Melog of course.”

“Catra, I’m serious, you don’t need to do th-”

“Nonsense. It’s already decided. I’m coming with you,” She grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers and shot a smile at the princess. Suddenly, Adora no longer felt the urge to protest.

x|x|x|x

They got to the market after half an hour and it was packed with people. Catra groaned when she realized how the universe decided to curse both of them.

“Hey,” Adora put one of her hands on the other’s shoulder, “don’t worry. We don’t need to buy everything for the trip today. We can just get the necessary for today and maybe tomorrow and come back when it’s less crowded.” Catra scowled at her but didn’t comment anything else, feeling the tiredness and hunger already slowing her down.

Her and Adora navigated through alleys of people, Adora always making sure Catra was within her vision field so they wouldn’t get lost.

After some stalls and various attempts to explain they had no idea what 90% of the foods tasted or how to pronounce it, even if it was a dish that was known worldwide. Catra was sure none of the vendors were truly buying their story that they were “passing by travelers”, but since they didn’t want to lose both of them as costumers, they just nodded to whatever they said when explaining.

Adora’s bag was being filled with fruits, vegetables, and other dishes quickly and they still had quite a bit of money.

Catra approached a vendor with some round green vegetables.

“Hey, Adora, what does this one read?” The blonde walked over and narrowed her eyes at the glyph.

“Cabbages?” She tried.

“Actually,” the vendor, an old man with dark green clothing and a goatee, started, “they’re pronounced ‘kebbages’! Would the two young ladies be interested in them?” Catra and Adora looked at each other and back at the green things in front of them.

“No thanks.” Adora said.

“We’re good.” Catra finished.

The expression of the man fell and he sighed, going back to tidy his kebagges in place.

As they walked towards another stall, Catra felt Melog stop behind her. She stopped too and looked at him.

“What is it, boy?” She asked him in a lower voice so she wouldn’t disturb anyone else. The cat was looking intensively at one man that was very familiar to Catra. Then it clicked her.

He was the same young man who had robbed that store a week ago! Same hair, same clothes, though now he had a black hooded cape on his shoulders.

Did Melog really recognize him? Was he even present when their squad met Glimmer?

Her head was swirling with thought but she couldn’t answer any of them when she saw him creepily look around and steal a dish from a stand. Catra’s eyes widened.

Could he step any lower? Stealing from simple vendors who spent their time doing something that would grant then money?

Huffing she looked around and saw Adora a few feet from her, looking intensively at fruit from one stand.

It wouldn’t hurt to retrieve that from the stealer, right? She had training. She could easily overpower him.

She looked at Melog and they nodded at each other before the cat cloaked himself.

She silently approached him, knowing Melog was already doing his part.

When his hand went to steal another fruit, Catra grabbed his wrist.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” She hissed through her gritted teeth. He clearly wasn’t expecting being caught in the act by the way Catra felt the hairs on his arm stand up.

“What-”

“Give what you stole back. And I have no problem with you.” Her claws dug slightly on his skin as she tightened his grip, “continue this, and you’ll have to face me.”

“H-Hey! Let me go-” He tried to escape Catra’s grip but in the process, he tripped over Melog’s invisible body.

“Give it back. It’s not yours!” She hissed again.

His eyes darted around for an exit. His eyes landed on the stand of the kebagge man that was just within his range. With one swift move, he kicked one of the stand legs, and a sea of kebagges distracted everyone.

“NO! MY KEBAGGES!” The man screamed and caught everyone’s attention.

Catra had no time to deal with him though, in the sea of vegetables that fell, she had lost complete sight of the robber.

That is until Melog dropped his cloaking and silently told her to follow her.

And she did. She followed him out of the sea of people of the market, finally getting a sight of his cape when he turned the corner of a street.

‘I’ve got you now’ Catra thought once she realized that the corner he ran into was an alley with a dead end.

She nodded to Melog and in an instant they were invisible. Catra approached the alley carefully, taking much care not to do any other sound that would make him suspicious and flee.

She finally looked into the alley, her smirk big.

She was prepared to jump on him and take the food back but the scene she found when she entered the alley made her take a step back.

The man was on one knee, offering the food he took to two kids who didn’t seem to be older than eight years old. Their clothing was rather simple and ripped.

“Here. I know it’s not much, but hopefully, it can help you and your family.” She smiled brightly at the two children and Catra could swear she had seen that smile somewhere before.

The two kids didn’t say otherwise, but hugged the man, clearly knocking the breath out of him. He chuckled and patted both of them on their heads before they ran off smiling brightly.

Catra took a few steps back, but while doing so, she stepped on Melog’s tail, making him hiss and drop the cloaking immediately.

The sound made the blond in front of her turn to look at her.

“Shit-” he muttered and tried looking anywhere for an exit before Catra narrowed her eyes before avoiding his gaze.

“Let’s make a deal. I didn’t see you. You didn’t see me.”

“But why-”

“I don’t want my girlfriend to know I have the skill to find robbers around town.” She simply stated before looking at Melog. The magical cat nodded before cloaking them again.

x|x|x|x

Catra’s mind was racing as she found her way to the market again. With the sun already setting on the horizon, most of the crowd had already exited the market, making it way easier to find Adora’s hair poof.

Adora’s worried eyes meet Catra’s and she immediately ran into her direction, almost letting the bag of food she had brought fall on the floor as she embraced the brunette.

“Hey! What’s with this reception?” Catra teased, hugging the blond back.

“I got so worried about you. On one moment, you were there in the same place looking at those weird round vegetables and then you disappeared into a sea of people! Then they told me they saw you running after a robber and-” She mumbled into Catra’s neck.

“Hey, hey. I’m sorry I made you worry about me,” She pushed Adora away from the hug and made sure Adora was looking into her eyes, “but I’m okay. It’s true, I did chase after a ribber, but I ended up losing him.” Catra lied and she could only hope Adora wouldn’t see right through them.

Adora smiled back at her.

“Well, I’m glad nothing happened to you.” Catra had to suppress the sigh of relief. Sometimes she forgot how Adora was oblivious to most things in life. “Let’s go back to the ship. Knowing Glimmer, she’ll start to consider eating the counter if we leave her without food for long.”

Catra chuckled and enlaced her fingers with Adora’s.

As she walked past the alley, she could swear she saw a mop of blonde hair, but maybe that was just her imagination.

Yeah.

She would go with that.

x|x|x|x

“I’m sorry Shadow Weaver kept you from dinner, Catra.” Adora said as she lazily stroked Catra’s hair as they laid on their bed in the Fright Zone.

“Well, you shouldn’t have denied dinner too. You’re such an idiot, Adora!” She snapped, batting Adora’s hand away and buried her face in her pillow, “Now we’re both starving until tomorrow.”

Adora’s eyes dropped and she brought her legs to her chest, putting her chin on top of her knees.

“Psst.” Catra’s eyes widened at the sound and she looked at Adora, who looked equally as confused.

Their eyes landed on the door of the room and an older force captain was standing there. They approached both of the girls.

“I heard what Shadow Weaver did.” They dropped to their knees and took out a pair of grey ration bars. “It’s not much, but if you two are going to grow into awesome Horde Soldiers, you two can’t go with nights without dinner.”

The two girls smiled took the ration bars into their mouths like there was no tomorrow.

The Horde was a bad place, Catra knew that. But it was in moments like these that Catra realized that maybe things could be better.

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