[locked to new hires] post-babadon't

[princesspower]

[ Adora fidgets with her communicator, staring at the screen, her brow furrowed as the video feed starts up. She's in a bed in the infirmary, with some bandaging on her head where she's was previously bleeding from the scalp. She looks tired, mostly. ]

Hey everybody. I just - I guess I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let myself get taken out like that. Everyone had to deal with that because of me. I screwed up. I won't let it happen again. Uh - I guess that's about it.

Comments

[runes_brand]

Bzzt. The correct answer is "yes, that is a logical fucking argument and I will do my best to take care of myself so that I am prepared when something fucking unexpected shows up".

[heterochrocatic]

It took me a long time to figure this out, but you're allowed to be weak sometimes, Adora. I don't want to watch you--watch you kill yourself over this stuff.

[ She feels like she's had this conversation before. ]

[princesspower]

[ Adora does show up, but he takes a while. She's turned off alerts on her communicator because she's tired of arguing with people. So she mostly looks a bit grumpy. ]

What's this about?

Re: [video]

[runes_brand]

[Brand grumbles a little, but switches on video himself.]

I got here right before the fucking holidays. Call me Brand. I'm Rune's partner, if you've met him.

[princesspower]

It's not about being weak, Catra.

It's about being responsible. About being who I'm supposed to be. It's about protecting other people.

[ They probably have, in another life. ]

[fromfryingpantofire]

How so?

[Sam's face isn't hard with disbelief. He believes all too well. It's empathy on his face, because he's been there.]

Like...it's not that I don't get it, Adora. I've been there. It's literally my job back home to deal with these sorts of creatures. There are people who died because I wasn't fast enough or somebody else wasn't fast enough. Or even died.

You didn't miss anything. You didn't know there was something TO miss. These sorts of creatures, they come in the shapes that we expect. That we trust. It didn't come to you as one of the executives. The proof we found said that it went around as a janitor. Or some of the lunch ladies. None of which you'd think twice about talking to.

It's not your fault. I know it's hard to accept it, but blaming yourself helps nobody. Especially yourself.

[hallelujahjunction]

I speak for all of us when I say we're just glad you were found relatively unharmed. You got nothing to apologize for.

Besides, it livened things up for a minute.

[heterochrocatic]

[ Catra remembers it and it frustrates her. ]

This is just like your stupid bullshit with the Heart! How many times do you have to martyr yourself?

[princesspower]

I just said I was going to be prepared!

video;

[heterochrocatic]

No, go smack her with my blessing.

[credit_not_blame]

[Stacia does stop (at least for now) and snags her comm out of the air.]

Then what do you need so that you'll listen to what everyone is telling you? Because you are demonstrably not listening now.

Re: video;

[credit_not_blame]

Shh, I'm trying to play on her "everybody get along" guilt.

Re: video;

[credit_not_blame]

Bonus luck accepted!

[princesspower]

Everyone else is wrong! I screwed up. I wasn't good enough. And I'm just going to have to be better next time.

[princesspower]

It's just - protecting people is what I do. It's what I'm supposed to do. It's who I am. It's why I'm even She-Ra. It's not - I didn't cause this. But I couldn't stop it, either. I couldn't protect people. That's on me. And me - of all people, I should be able to handle this kind of thing!

[princesspower]

People died.

[wheyoftheadept]

"Training." Saturday finishes what she's doing. "Best way to learn is by doing. What you need to work on, sounds like, is your - well, my pops called it having eyes in the back of your head. 'Slike, you actually notice a lot about what's around, most people just don't pay attention to it? Too much going on up here."

She taps the side of her head.

"What you wanna cultivate is that kind of paying attention. I'm gonna introduce an array of tips and tricks that'll hopefully help you do that. And then, next time, if you still get got, you'll at least know they were good enough to earn it."

She flashes a grin, to take the edge off any sting Adora might hear in her words. Adora already knows she messed up; Saturday's not gonna rub it in. She'd have to be a weapons-grade hypocrite.

"Got a couple of questions, though - you got your, uh, magic self back, right? Does you have any kinda enhanced awareness in that state? An' have you ever like - accessed her power without doing the lightshow, like?"

cw: suicidal tendencies

[princesspower]

I don't remember the Heart. I don't... I don't know what that is.

[ The answer to that question is honestly "as many times as it takes", as far as Adora is concerned.

She may be low-key suicidal. ]

[hallelujahjunction]

Who died?

[princesspower]

The Jorgmund employees. Right?

[heterochrocatic]

Of course you don't! FUCK!

[ Catra snaps. She's trying really hard not to be the person she used to be but if there's anything that makes her angry, it's the way Adora tries to throw herself away for everyone else's benefit. ]

I'm not going to just watch you burn yourself up for other people! I can't do that anymore!

[princesspower]

I'm not burning myself-!

[ Adora can't view it like that. Not consciously. As far as she's concerned she's doing what she's supposed to do. What she has to do to make sure other people stay safe. ]

[credit_not_blame]

[Stacia raises an eyebrow.]

And what makes you so special that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to you?

[71lines]

I said the same thing. Didn't change the facts.

[runes_brand]

I told you to take care of yourself so that you could be prepared, you skipped the first part. I've lived with Rune long enough to recognize that trick.