ᴄᴀᴛʀᴀ ʀᴀɪɴʙᴏᴡꜰɪꜱᴛ-ᴍᴇᴏᴡᴍᴇᴏᴡ (hisses) wrote in valloic, @ 2021-05-09 19:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | !: action/thread/log, she-ra: catra, ~plot: ancient vallo, ₴ inactive: alex danvers |
WHO: Alex & Catra
WHAT: Meeting up for old-timey drinks
WHERE: A Tavern (maybe it's called that? great marketing)
WHEN: Backdated to May 3rd
WARNINGS: Language really
STATUS: Complete
Civilization, fuck yeah - is what she’d like to say if they weren’t stuck in Vallo’s Dark Ages, whatever period in history this was. Mainland was ten times better than being stranded on an island with a dozen barely familiar Outlanders and the Viga-maðr, who were definitely not happy to have a buttload of strangers suddenly show up and occupy their territory. The civilians here weren’t too enthralled either from what she gathered, but by now most of them had found more historically appropriate threads to slip on and blend with the crowd. Putting that stealth to use, Catra swiped some articles of fabrics from scattered clothing stalls after sneaking out of that tribal skirmish the moment they hit land. Beggars couldn’t be choosers; she had to settle for this top that resembled a corset, pants with texture that she hated but she was able to be flexible in it so it was what it was. Shoes weren’t necessary. That wasn’t terribly uncommon here - she fit in better now, and it was nice to not be subjected to suspicious gazes all the time. There’d been a few other notable things she had swiped too. A bag of coins, being one - too easy. Enough for her to get snatch up some fruit after meeting up with Toph, and she had written to Alex that she’d be waiting outside this tavern connected to a blacksmith. Catra needed a fucking drink, plus it’d be good to see her. And while she waited, she was seconds away from letting her fangs bite into an apple she had gotten with her earned (stolen) coins up until a kid in literal rags walked up to her, blinking owlishly at the fruit in her hand. Holes in their footwear, a dirty face. Skin and bones. Could be a con - that had been the theme for today - but she didn’t find herself caring. “Take it,” she sighed, throwing it lightly into the air. The apple was caught as if it was some prized red jewel, and the kid beamed. “Now get out of here - this isn’t the best area for you. Shoo.” Alex had decided nearly as soon as she’d made it into ancient Vallo’s version of the city that keeping a low profile was the best course of action. She knew all too well that the time-space continuum was too real — and she didn’t want to be responsible for breaking it and causing any further butterfly effect ripples than just being here already had. She knew she had no such control over her fellow time-displaced Outlanders, but she’d been keeping an eye on her journal. No one seemed to seriously be thinking about doing anything other than surviving their situation and checking in with loved ones. She hoped it stayed that way. She’d heard from both Kara and Lena herself, still back in present-day Vallo and searching for solutions. She could tell by their handwriting that Kara was anxious whereas Lena was cooler headed. She was a mix of the two herself, but with her training and a bit of compartmentalizing, she was getting by. After parting ways with Caroline and the rest of her arrival group, she’d discovered pretty quickly that volunteering to work was an easy way to get some bits of food and a few coins from vendors that were a bit more well-off. All in all, she felt she was blending in pretty well. The Hand was certainly a help; the Martian technology didn’t seem like it had been much affected by the shift in time she’d been caught up in. With its help, she’d been able to conjure up an era-acceptable outfit instead of the sweatpants and tank top she’d been in when she first woke up on the edges of the forest. She was still a stranger, but she wasn’t getting as many odd looks as most of the other Outlanders. Catra’s message came at the perfect time. She’d just been paid for helping out at a merchant’s stall and had come away with a little coin to spare to actually buy drinks and a couple plates of food and a small loaf of fresh bread. And when she turned the corner and witnessed her young friend handing her apple over to a poor child in rags, she couldn’t help smiling. “Here, honey, take this, too.” She crouched down and offered up the bread to the little one, her heart warming when their eyes lit up just before they scampered off. Probably for the best — it looked like something was going on in the square, and kids being within trampling distance wasn’t safe. She straightened up, slung her arm around Catra’s shoulders and grinned down at her. “That was very nice of you.” “Ughhhhhh,” was the sound Catra let out, her two-toned eyes rolling so far into the back of her head she was almost sure she saw the inside of her own skull, thanks. Alex being a bit touchy was okay too - she obviously still coveted personal space but there were a few people she had allowed to cross into it. She was one, Richie another. It was progress. “I’m not heartless, you know.” Once upon a time she was a scrawny kid making hungry eyes at someone’s ration bars. Catra knew the feeling. There wasn’t much else she could do - no point in getting attached when this was supposed to be temporary - but if she could help fill a kid’s stomach for an evening, cool. Whatever. Alex received a shove into the tavern, the doors swinging as they stepped in. It was rustic and not in some trendy, decorative way but genuinely authentic. Lanterns burning oil for light, smells of ale and sweat with a hint of sandalwood in the air. It was a bit stuffy, the bodies packed inside definitely contributing to the warmth and the presence of centralized air conditioning was definitely missed. It brought back memories of the Crimson Waste, though there was more air circulation there - and the heat was dry. Not damp. There was also a diverse array of interesting characters, and the employees of the tavern were distinctly dressed in long skirts and these off-the-shoulder blouses. Lots of cleavage to drink in. There was an empty bench Catra claimed for them, grinning toothily. “I think you’re getting eye-fucked, Alex. The one on the right - but don’t make it obvious and actually look.” Alex didn’t dignify that with a response. Of course she knew Catra wasn’t heartless. She’d only been around a little under three months, but she thought they’d gotten to know each other pretty well in that time. Enough so that she was allowed into Catra’s bubble and trusted to babysit Spirit. She may be a sarcastic little shit at times, but she had a good heart underneath it all. The bark was much worse than the bite, at least in Alex’s admittedly limited experience. She allowed herself to be pushed into the tavern without protest. The heat was a not-so-pleasant slap in the face, but she was a California girl. She’d seen her share of heat waves, and she could deal if it meant getting a decent meal for them both. It was beyond needed. She settled onto the bench Catra grabbed and despite being surprised, she managed not to look at whoever was supposedly eye-fucking her. Instead, she rolled her eyes, raked her fingers through her hair to get it out of her eyes, and bumped Catra’s shoulder with hers. “She can look all she wants, I have a girlfriend.” Granted, she hadn’t seen that girlfriend since she’d first arrived in Vallo and she wasn’t sure she expected to. Still, she stayed loyal. She wouldn’t say there wasn’t some temptation, but she wasn’t a cheater. She couldn’t even imagine it. And she loved Kelly, even if she wasn’t here and present and with her. Right now, despite the occasional tempting thought, she wasn’t ready to figure out how to manage that situation. “Speaking of, how’s your girl?” she questioned. “Is she handling being apart alright?” Ah, it was a hilarious miracle that the chick in question wasn’t searing Alex’s outfit off with her stare. Catra almost cackled. But, right, her friend here was taken and was being a dutiful girlfriend and not letting her eyes wander much - even if said tavern girl was beginning to make their way over, wooden tray in hand. “Adora’s fine, just - anxious,” she sighed as she pulled out that magical journal. Weird how the pages and handwriting literally transcended time but she wouldn’t knock on it. This method of communication was better than going cold turkey. Catra opened it, if just to only draw a heart on one of the pages meant for Adora. It was something she did frequently if she didn’t have the time for a full hand-written conversation. “We’re not fans of being separated. And she worries a lot. Too much.” Probably had to do with how Adora’s held her dying body before, and that kind of trauma unlocked an unprecedented level of protectiveness that could sometimes be suffocating. Catra was more than capable of handling herself, though - which is something she’d constantly remind her girlfriend of. “Hey loves,” purred the waitress (was ‘tavern wench’ too much of an insulting title?), voice like thick honey and syrup. “New around these parts, yeah? What can I get you for your thirst?” Catra was pretty sure the lady wanted to raise her hand at Alex and be like pick me if you’re thirsty! but she was going to, uh, try not to snicker about that fact too hard. Maybe she’d scribble something funny about it to Adora for shits and giggles though. Alex may have spent more time with Catra overall, but she and Adora weren’t strangers. She was a sweet kid, but overprotective was probably too mild of a descriptor for her. Coming from the world they came from, though, Alex could understand it. It wasn’t to the same level, but she and Kara had a similar vibe to their relationship. It was insanely hard for her to be away from her sister, so she got it. She really did. Before she could say a word, the waitress had approached them and judging by the smirk on Catra’s face, Alex knew it had to have been the girl whose eyes were boring into her before. And, well, she was hot, there was no mistaking that. In her post-Maggie days, she wouldn’t have hesitated to jump at what this girl was very unsubtly offering her. “Two mugs of your best ale to start,” she requested. “Thank you.” She didn’t linger after that; she didn’t want to give this girl the wrong idea and instead turned her attention back to Catra. Her eyes flickered to the journal Catra had open in front of her. The outline of a heart she’d drawn onto the page was being filled in with what looked like a red marker from the other end. “That’s cute. Lena has me doing that kind of thing, too. Drawing little things in there so she knows I’m still alive.” She was no artist, but she could manage neat little drawings. Sometimes it was a scientific formula, a math problem, even quotes and sayings in Morse code just to test her. She was actually enjoying it, and it kept her feeling connected and hopeful. “Yeah - it helps, doesn’t it?” Catra watched the little heart get colored in, and yeah, she may have been smiling almost too fondly at it (shut up), but for the sake of not being rude she did a quick scrawl to keep Adora in the loop. Drinks with Alex, will take over the street gang tomorrow. “Actual writing’s time consuming and makes my hands cramp anyway.” It didn’t take long for the tavern girl to saunter back up, two tankards full of their most favored brew filled to the top. Foam with the thickness of a coin topped it, and Catra personally tried not to think about all the rat shit that went into making it. Times like these weren’t known for being the most sanitary ones. The woman gave Alex a wink, though. And walked away, slowly - emphasizing those luscious hips with a sway. Catra wasn’t going to comment about it, she didn’t want to put Alex on the spot or anything but she was definitely, definitely smirking. “How’s your sister? Adora mentioned doing some extra patrols with her.” It helped, there was no question. Being displaced into a whole different world was odd enough as it was but to be displaced into an entirely different time on top of that? Alex was pretty tough, and she could deal. Most of the people she’d met in Vallo were the same. But having this little journal connecting them to the people they cared about back in the present day was the lifeline they needed. Alex may have cast a glance in the waitress’s direction this time — it was hard to completely ignore her when she was very pointedly flirting — but shifted back to Catra fairly quickly. One eyebrow rose at the sight of that smirk, daring her to say something, but she seemed to know better when the topic turned back to Kara. And that got a sigh out of her. She was worried about her baby sister, of course, not just because she knew Kara was freaking out now but because of circumstances prior to this little surprise. She had no idea if the Klaus situation was resolved, and it was stressful. “She seems calm. She was having a hard time that first day, but I’ve been making sure she knows I’m safe, too. I’m glad she’s spending time with Adora, if she is. She needs the distraction or she’ll go crazy and make stupid decisions.” She loved her sister, but she was impulsive and that hero side of her didn’t rest easily. She knew Adora could be very much the same. “What trouble have you been getting into? Did I see something about conning a gang?” Yep, Adora was definitely the same. Catra worried, of course - and tried to keep her spirits up, tried to let her know she was fine. She was always good at surviving, teeth and claws always out. And sadly she wasn’t a stranger to missing her, either. It was as if the feeling had returned home, cozying up right back into her heart. She took a tentative sip of the beer, twisting her nose up at the flavor because that was strong. Weirdly strong for what it was. Oh yeah. That was going to be dangerous. “Tried offering up my services to a local gang in exchange for some basic resources,” Catra scoffed, crossing her legs beneath the table. “They told me I’d have better luck offering my services to a brothel and gave me stale bread out of pity. I’ve already got a plan in place to screw their shit up.” It was official. Even Ancient Vallo had a catgirl fetish. Fuck her life. “Disgusting,” Alex agreed with a roll of her eyes. She didn’t necessarily think joining a game was the right move, but if that was Catra’s choice, she should have been more than qualified. Why they wouldn’t have taken her up on that offer was surprising. Laughing her off to a brothel and giving her stale pity bread as an extra screw you seemed unnecessary. She raised her mug to her lips, not even flinching at the strength of the alcohol. Straight bourbon was one of her favorite drinks of choice; she could handle some strong, ancient ale. “So, what’s the plan? Fill me in.” She wasn’t doing anything nearly this exciting and may have been kind of living through Catra vicariously. She was a little concerned this could be taken too far, but they were bound to make an impact here no matter what they did. Pulling some dumb pranks on a gang that had pissed her off wasn’t the worst thing she could do. “It might involve using a blind teenager as bait,” Catra admitted conversationally - should that bring her a little shame? Toph could send her ass flying if she wanted, and the band elemental bending almost-adults apparently had been put into world-saving dangers back in their world. This was child’s play. Plus, they were bored. Who was she to deny a younger generation of some thrills? Not like any of them were suited to help with the concept of time travel so they were shit out of luck there. That was waaaay above Catra’s pay grade. The only thing they could do was wait and she couldn’t sit around and do that. “But that’s all I’m saying - I’ll let you know how it all pans out tomorrow.” Her tail gave Alex a playful thwap in the arm, and her eyes had a wicked little gleam. The strategy she’d come up with was genius, okay. “I’ve done this before, don’t worry.” The whole thing made her nostalgic for Scorpia - the only good thing from that before incident. Everything else that came after was a manic spiral of destruction. It wasn’t as if she knew how to survive without going through some kind of conflict anyway, so maybe this was that. Both of Alex’s eyebrows shot up this time, a little more alarmed now. Using a blind teenager as bait sounded dicey and like a plan destined to go wrong, but she knew there had to be more detail to it that she just wasn’t being told. She could probably leave it there and take Catra at her word that she could handle it, but she was concerned. She felt a sisterly protectiveness over her, and she didn’t want her getting into more trouble than she could handle. “Okay, but - the blind teenager knows they’re being used as bait, right?” she checked. She suspected whoever it was could hold their own, especially if they were an Outlander from back in their time, but she had to be sure. “I know you’re smarter than that, but just - reassure me, please?” Catra almost spit out the next sip of that old ass ale. Fine, she should have clarified more on the ‘blind teenager’ comment. “Duh,” was her mature response, punctuated by an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “There’s a whole group of them that can control elements and could probably kick my ass out of orbit if they wanted to. They’re fine.” She didn’t care to handle them with kiddy gloves. From the conversations she’s had with them they’ve all been through some shit, fighting at an early age and hey - she could relate to that. Age didn’t diminish capability. “I’m keeping an eye on them, kind of. They can take care of themselves, but.” Catra shrugged. “I’m the oldest, I figured it wouldn’t hurt for us to stick together in case something went down.” There was safety in numbers and everyone had their own little clusters. This would be hers. That response earned Catra another shoulder bump, but no chastisement. Kids with the power to control elements sounded more than capable, if possibly dangerous. The science part of Alex’s brain would be curious to see their powers and study how they worked, but that was a thought for another time. She didn’t have her usual resources for that kind of project right now even if she knew these kids. Maybe when they got back to their own time. “Good for you.” She flashed Catra a soft, proud little smile. “If you feel more comfortable with a group, you should have it. And it’s nice you’re trying to look out for them. I’ve got your back too, if you need me,” she reminded her. She’d been playing the solitary game and hoping a fix would come for this situation eventually. Until then, she was staying as hands-off as she could, but for Catra, she’d come out of hiding. “Come hang out with us when we’ve undoubtedly reached victory,” Catra offered, chin resting into her palm, elbow on the table. Her grin was wry and she was practically radiating with mischief. Conquering shit was a fun thrill. It was like a drug - gave her a quick high so she could temporarily forget the shitty circumstances of their situation. Alex was very much one of those independent types - she didn’t need babysitting, probably had like ten different ways of incapacitating someone with a single finger but if she needed anything too, Catra was obviously there. Because friendship, or something. “Chances are their hideout’s got some good hooch anyway that should be kept from a bunch of teens. We can get another drink while someone isn’t undressing you with their eyes.” Oh, she even went as far as waving at the waitress, like hi, we see you there and please drink some water to quench your thirst. Alex’s eyes went wide and she pulled Catra’s waving hand back down to the table, pinning it there by her wrist. “You are not funny! If she comes over here, she’s your problem.” The worst part was that the girl was hot, and Alex couldn’t deny there was some temptation. It was kept at bay by the thought of her girlfriend and the possibility that there were certain diseases in this time period she was not willing to risk catching, but still. “What’s Adora think of this whole revenge-on-the-gang plan, by the way?” she asked with a teasing smirk. “I don’t see her encouraging something like that.” She wasn’t really encouraging it herself, but she didn’t see any point in interfering. Catra was a big girl and she could handle herself. If she got into trouble with it, Alex was there, but until then, she was going with the hands-off, you-do-you approach. “She’s not! I’m just calling her out a little bit,” she cackled, and it kind of worked since the tavern waitress suddenly looked super sheepish at being caught staring and distracted herself with something else. “See? Your girlfriend-back-home should send me a ‘thank you’ letter.’” The rest of the ale was polished off pretty quickly after that. Catra could wait on refill. That’d involve calling over Ms. Thirst back and she’d spare Alex from being mortified. “And she hates it,” she answered with a shrug. “But I think it’s mostly got to do with the fact that she’s not here and can’t like, roll me up in bubble wrap.” All Catra could do was remind Adora that she could handle herself just fine. Back when they were kids she was notorious for throwing herself into the mix of Catra’s messes and fights to fix things, to protect even if it wasn’t always necessary. It became the building blocks of her resentment - made her feel inadequate without even a chance to prove herself, and she’d been convinced Adora was more obsessed with her inflating her ego and expanding her savior complex. And sometimes it could still come across that way, but now she had a better understanding of why she acted the way she did. “She’s overprotective and so fucking obnoxious about it - but I get why she is.” Her hand waved dismissively. “It’ll be fine.” “Well, like I said, if you need me, I’m here. No bubble wrap. And I’ll happily drink any alcohol you steal from this gang. For the children.” She took another swig of her ale. Once again, drinking was proving to be her coping mechanism. Everything seemed a little easier, a little fuzzier and warmer, with a drink in her system. She probably had a problem, but that was a concern for another time. Dealing with Kara’s stupid boyfriend situation, directly followed by this? She had earned the right to be an alcoholic if she so chose. “Do you want actual food?” she questioned. “I’ve been hearing good things about some kind of stew. And the last thing you need is to lose weight.” Catra was so damn skinny, lithe with wiry muscle in a very fittingly catlike way. Not underweight but clearly newly filled out. “And I can pay.” “Hey, don’t body shame me,” Catra huffed, pointing an accusing claw (though the verbal accusation wasn’t really a serious one) at her with a glare. Her weight was fine now - she was still slender but her ribs weren’t jutting out or anything. “And you’re definitely paying for this stew with that kind of attitude.’ And just to be a shit - She put two fingers into her mouth and whistled. “Hey - miss.” Yep, she was calling over the chick that had a lady boner for Alex here - she perked up, even looked hopeful at being summoned and made her way to their table. “Two stews, two more ales. My friend here’s footing the bill and don’t worry, she tips very generously.” Alex hadn’t expected Catra to actually summon the waitress that was so obviously interested in her. Nor had she expected the blush that colored her cheeks at the tipping innuendo. She had been succeeding at keeping cool and not giving in to the girl’s want for her attention, but she wasn’t succeeding this time. Maybe she was already feeling a little bit of that buzz she was searching out. “Very,” she agreed with a quirk of her lips. The waitress’s eyes flashed, and she hurried off looking absolutely thrilled this time. Alex promptly facepalmed. “You are a bad influence,” she told Catra. But honestly, it wasn’t her. Alex was the one leaning toward flirtation now. She had gotten enough experience with women now (one-night stands and all) to know better than that. It wasn’t fair to give her even a hint of hope when she couldn’t follow through. “Please,” Catra scoffed, flipping hair over her shoulder oh so dramatically - and then she went to pick beneath her claws like she’d done nothing wrong. “I’m just making things awkward for you. It’s not like -” Wait. There was a pause, and she blinked at Alex owlishly. “You know I’m not actually playing wing-woman with you, right? I respect the girlfriend thing you got back home - I know it’s gotta be tough.” It was a situation Catra refused to think in regards to hypotheticals for herself; she had Adora, she was happy, and that made her one of the lucky ones. “I know,” Alex assured her hastily, picking up the mug in front of her to finish off the last of her drink. It wasn’t Catra’s fault at all — she had gotten caught up all on her own. She loved Kelly, and the last thing she wanted to do was betray her, but this situation was hard. Weird. She had no idea how to deal with it just yet. So far, she’d stayed devoted to Kelly, but would that go on indefinitely? Tough was just the right word for it. “You’re right, it’s tough. She’s not here, and I don’t want to betray her like that, but - I don’t know. I haven’t had enough to drink yet.” She flashed Catra a quick smile and raked a hand through her hair. “I’m jealous you have Adora. It would be easier that way, to just have Kelly here. I wouldn’t be - tempted.” She shrugged, her face flushing hot again. That was terrible. She felt terrible. Barely three months in this place, and she was starting to give up hope. All sorts of people ended up in Vallo; there was no saying Kelly wouldn’t eventually be among them. Catra definitely hadn’t had enough to drink either because ouch, what a topic of conversation. It caused her to cringe. “Everyone’s relationship is different?” she offered with a semi-awkward shrug of her shoulders. “I don’t know what the situation with you and Kelly is, if she’s like - the one for you or something. The person you can’t see yourself without.” That was what Adora was for her. They’d known each other all their lives, ever since their fucking potty-training days; being without her was like missing an important limb, or a vital organ responsible for giving life. What they had sure as hell wasn’t always perfect (theirs was a messy, complicated thing with a lot of history and a lot of love), but she couldn’t fathom the possibility of another. Catra would just rather wait forever. “I know some people here also get stuck, hopping between weird worlds - never being able to go back home?” It was a risk they all faced. Personally, she tried not to dwell on it too hard otherwise she’d lose her damn mind with the anxiety of it all. “So they seem to accept that and start something new for themselves while they’re in this weird limbo. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong in that kind of situation.” The worst part of it was, Alex didn’t really know either. She knew she loved Kelly, though she hadn’t voiced that quite yet last they’d talked. Even though it had been nearly a year, it still felt new and uncertain in a lot of ways. Kelly was wonderful and Alex was very attracted to her, but she didn’t know if she’d go so far as to call her The One. She’d felt that with Maggie, almost immediately, but there had been much more of a spark there, more intensity right off the bat — something she now knew was common in your big coming-out relationship. But she and Maggie were also just cut from the same cloth. Kelly was different, in a good way. “Yeah, I don’t know.” Alex hadn’t meant to lay all that on Catra and reached out to give her shoulder a quick squeeze. She was just a kid, with issues of her own. The last thing Alex wanted was to give her more problems to solve. “I’ll figure it out eventually. If we get back and I stick around and she’s not showing up… Who knows.” The waitress approached with their requests on a tray and laid it all in front of them, this time rather brazenly winking at Alex. “Thank you,” Alex smiled at her sincerely. There was no sense being standoffish, but there was no hint of innuendo in her voice this time. Better to just be polite and hope someone better would eventually catch the girl’s eye. Ugh. Feelings were hard. Catra wasn’t really someone people went for comfort. Obviously Alex wasn’t actively looking for that, but it kind of seemed like something she sorely needed. Some people were happy to start fresh in Vallo, no major strings attached back home to hold them back - others didn’t have that luxury. It was hard. Different shades of complicated, none of them black or white. “You won’t,” she started. “I mean - you won’t know.” Whether Kelly would somehow miraculously show up and they could resume where they left off, or whether she never showed up. “I don’t know what the hell it’s like to be in your shoes but - do what you gotta do for you, whatever’s going to make you happy in a way that you can live with. If we go back home it doesn’t seem like we’ll even remember this place.” Sad to say, but true - if she and Adora were ever pulled back into Etheria they wouldn’t remember the friends they’ve made. Or the things they’ve been through here. Spirit wouldn’t even be a thought. Whatever life they could carve out of here, they just would. It was the life they were currently living anyway. “I know, but - that wouldn’t stop me from feeling guilty while I am here,” Alex countered. Knowing it would all disappear and essentially be like nothing had ever happened back home was reassuring, in a certain way. But it didn’t stop those feelings — the curiosity, the confusion, the guilt — from happening. That was a much more complicated issue that simply because Vallo wasn’t going to change. She picked up her fresh mug and took a long drink before reaching for a spoon to try out the stew. It didn’t look disgusting and it smelled acceptable, much better than a lot of the people occupying this place. She took a bite, savored the taste, and decided that it wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever eaten. It would definitely be filling enough for the night. “Okay - let’s not overthink this now, yeah?” Catra figured she had ample opportunity to simmer in those thoughts in her free time. Shit’s rough. She didn’t envy her a bit, and honestly would be an available (fluffy) ear if so desired. No judgment. “I’m going to enjoy the crap out of this stew on your dime - it’s the warmest meal I’ve had so far.” They could change the topic to something else while they ate, maybe even people watch because the locals of Past Vallo were actually kind of interesting? Either way, Catra figured the next round of drinks was on her as a sorry this is hard for you sort of expression. |