video; regular network

[heterochrocatic]

[ Whoever is using Catra's comm is standing at the foot of her hospital bed. Probably one of the medical staff or some other Jorgmund pencil pusher. Catra is sitting up, still bandaged but much grumpier than usual (or just as grumpy as usual?). A pair of nurses, along with a couple of other Jorgmund employees are crowded around her bed, one of them holding a plate on which sits a small, sad looking cupcake in which someone has stuck a very lonely candle. The fellow holding the plate, a rather selnder man with too-large glasses and too-cheery disposition, speaks. ]

We want to congratulate Catra on her continuing recovery and wish her a very happy twentieth birthday from all of us at Jorgmund. We understand that it's been a bit of a rough time for some of you lately, and thought this might help raise morale. All together now.

[ The group launches into a slightly off-key rendition of 'Happy Birthday to You' and Catra seems to sink down into her bedclothes, as if it might help her disappear from this plane of existence. Having no such luck, she is forced to sit through the song. ]

Go ahead and blow out the candle, Catra.

[ Catra looks like she would rather do anything except blow out the candle. Maybe even go toe-to-toe with the killer again. In spite of this, she leans forward and gives a half-heard puff of breath, which extinguishes the candle. Styrofoam plate is carefully balanced on her bedside table, and the glasses-wearing guy, no doubt from HR, takes the comm. ]

Go ahead and leave Catra some birthday wishes. I'm sure that hearing from her fellow employees will be just the thing to help her get back on her feet as soon as possible.

[ The comm is deposited into Catra's lap. She stares at the camera, then plants her face in her hands. ]

I swear if ant of you say anything...

Comments

[princesspower]

There's a song?

[ Adora seems curious. There are a lot of birthday traditions she has no idea about. For the moment she takes the utensils and starts cutting pieces of the cake for them. One, two, three. ]

[heterochrocatic]

Did you miss them singing at me earlier or something?

[ Catra smiles, though, and reaches out to take her cake. Nom. ]

Thanks, Tenten.

[ She peers at the package, her pupils getting a little wide. She's never had anyone give her a gift before! ]

[71lines]

It's not the one we sing back home. I guess they have their own traditions, though.

...Much more depressing traditions.

[Ah, she hadn't actually expected cake. But, well. She likes this kind. Spongy, not too sweet, and-well. That's been covered already. She'll take it and settle at the foot of Catra's bed. The gift, she slides towards the catgirl with a finger.

She's almost, almost tempted to wave it around, to see if Catra's eyes track it. She's never quite seen her eyes do that sorta "Kitty sees interesting" thing, it's cute! Fortunately, though, she knows that'd be irritating.]

It's another tradition. You're supposed to get a gift from people who-who are close to you on your birthday, at least where I'm from. So Adora picked this out for you when she heard about it.

[princesspower]

I mean, it might be less depressing if it wasn't... you know... Jorgmund.

[ Still, not going to argue. She hands Tenten a slice - or rather puts one aside for her when she's finished with the package. She's digging into her own cake already, crumbs and frosting clinging to the corner of her mouth. ]

Tenten provided it, though. So open it!

[heterochrocatic]

[ Catra sets aside the slice of cake for a moment and reaches out to accept the package. She turns it over in her hands, then sets it down in her lap and sets to tearing apart the improvised wrapping paper. She blinks, holds up the jacket inside first. ]

Clothes?

[ She examines the next bits--the trousers and shorts. There's a muffled little laugh. She doesn't quite know how to respond, honestly. ]

...Thanks. It'll be nice to have something that isn't Jorgmund jumpsuits.

[71lines]

[Cake! Cake cake cake. She sets it aside to keep it safe from stray bits of wrapping and bites her lower lip waiting for Catra's reaction.

At least she doesn't hate it. Score one for Adora knowing her girlfriend's tastes. She relaxes some, flickering a grateful smile to Adora, and covers her previous tension by sampling her slice.]

They're meant for travel, so they don't stain easily and they're fairly tough. Still comfy, though. We included the shorts because we weren't quite sure that you'd want to show off that much, uh. Fur. On your hips, that is.

We can alter it so there's a hole in the pants for your tail.

[princesspower]

Yeah! I mean, I got my jacket back-

[ She tugs on the jacket in question. Yes, she's wearing it over the jumpsuit. ]

I figured you'd want something to wear that's not so... bleh.

[ She gestures, as if to illustrate. ]

[heterochrocatic]

Pff. It's just a bit of fur. Unless you think that Jorgmund is going to freak out about it. And a hole for the tail would be a good thing.

[ Catra smirks a little. She's genuine feeling more than a little touched by the thoughtfulness of them getting her a gift but she doesn't really know how to show it. ]

Oh, gods. Are you going to wear that same stupid jacket forever?

[71lines]

You'll see the issue when you try it on.

[If she doesn't think there's an issue, that's that.]

I was wondering about those shoulders, though. [She reaches out to poke at one of them.] Are they supposed to make you more threatening to the Horde or something?

[heterochrocatic]

That was her Horde jacket. It's all she wears!

[ Catra has to correct this. ]

[princesspower]

I don't know, it's a uniform...

[ She scowls and tugs at it. ]

I like it. What's wrong with that?

[71lines]

I sincerely hope she manages to wear more than just that.

[She laughs a little, then shakes her head, scarfing the rest of her slice down.]

It's not the weirdest accessory I've ever seen, but it does raise some questions. Like, why the huge shoulderpads? What're the slits in the sleeves for? Why don't they go all the way down to your wrist?

[That's not even touching on the seemingly permanent zipper position.]

[heterochrocatic]

[ Catra laughs. ]

Sometimes I think you 'like it' because you can't think of anything else to wear.

[princesspower]

[ Adora groans. ]

Right, I bring you cake and a gift and you make fun of my fashion sense... I see how it is.

[ SIGH. ]

And I don't know - I didn't design it!

[71lines]

Honestly, listening to you just makes me think of all the times I heard "They're only picking on you because they like you" as a kid.

[Granted, thumping people who tried to pick on her ended that pretty quickly, too.]

[heterochrocatic]

If I didn't give you a hard time you'd think something was wrong, admit it.

[ Catra reaches over and grasps Adora's hand though. It's an affectionate gesture, complete with a warm squeeze before Catra opts to pick up some cake. ]

...I just never thought we could. You know. Be like this.

[princesspower]

That's Catra... [ She shoots a little grin at Tenten. Yeah, Catra's prickly. But Adora loves her all the same. She gives Catra's hand a squeeze in return. ]

I mean... I didn't think it was possible, either. But we made it. Somehow.

[71lines]

[And there it is. Another reminder that they're together. But Tenten can't get hurt over this, it's just too sweet to feel any kind of negative. It sounds like this moment of peace and togetherness, for them, was hard earned. Getting jealous over this would be pure selfishness.]

Have you two talked about how it's going to work out when you finally go home? It's not like you'll go back to trying to kill each other after all this. Especially, y'know.

[She gestures at their hands. No, she has an extremely hard time picturing them as enemies after this. Not after their true feelings for one another have been laid so bare.]

[heterochrocatic]

It's not like Shadow Weaver would have just set by and let me fuck up your life if we'd tried this before.

[ And it's not like Catra had the time or insight to face her inner feelings before everything came crashing down. She glances at Tenten and shrugs. Her expression is pensive. ]

I don't know. There's still Horde Prime to deal with. I was out there in space with him and Sparkles.

[princesspower]

We can figure that out when we get back.

[ Adora seems content enough to not... think about it. At least for right now. Eventually she'll be stressing over it. ]

I'm worried about Glimmer... and Catra, honestly. What happens if we get sent back and you end up on Horde Prime's ship all over again?

[71lines]

[Oof. Tenten winces a little bit. She hadn't quite meant to bring down the mood. She scrapes a bit at the crumbs on her plate, then clears her throat a little.]

Then she can escape. I don't really know much about Horde Prime, Glimmer, or Sparkles, but if they're friends of She-Ra's, you can give Catra some kind of sign or message that shows she can be trusted, right? And then you all can work together to pick the locks on your chains and steal a rowboat to safety. If you don't know how, well. I guess we can do some locksmithing lessons.

[...There's only a little bit of a technological difference here.]

[heterochrocatic]

Sparkles is Glimmer.

[ Catra stuffs a bite of cake in her mouth and chews. ]

Also we're in space. On a spaceship. Not sure we can just row to safety in the crushing emptiness of the void, Tenten.

[princesspower]

Yeah, there is that. Plus I have no idea how far from Etheria you guys are...

[71lines]

[She blinks slowly, cocking her head. So. They're not on Etheria, or whatever they call their world?

You can't breathe in space?

You can travel in space?

Why would you travel in space? What was there to see?

Hesitantly, she raises a hand.]

So, um. Sorry, but. If there's no air in space, how do you get a ship from the water to... Space? I mean, even if you managed to keep it from falling. Is it just magic?

[Ugh. She hates feeling dumb.]

[heterochrocatic]

Okay, so like... it's technology. And maybe magic? I'm not an expert.

[ Catra pauses to stuff more cake in her mouth as she considers the best way to explain this. ]

So a spaceship is just made entirely for travel in space. It's not just a boat. And it's sealed against the vacuum of space, right? And it has it's own air supply. That way you can travel. And I just got like, transport beamed up there, I dunno how other people do it.