WHAT: Household chores and mother-daughter talks WHERE: Darla WHEN: Today WARNINGS: Some talk of Catradora's childhood which involves child soldiers, mentions of kidnapping but overall mild STATUS: Complete
Becoming homeless for about two seconds was a predicament Marlena didnât expect to find herself in, but she had come to accept the capricious nature of this world. The acceptance wasnât always graceful. Adam had been taken away from them and her feelings had suffered, though she was at least rest assured that he continued to live. Time dulled the ache, and she tried to look forward with the silver linings she did have; a daughter who she wanted to soak up time with, two daughters-in-law she loved like they were her own, and a grandchild whom she got to see grow.
Then a daughter-in-law was taken, Castle Grayskull and Cringer with her, and Marlena witnessed the silent disappearance of everything around her. The wind carried cobblestone dust away until there was land, stray belongings, two lost pups, and five particularly large felines that were beginning to look distressed.
Back to Darla it was, and she wasnât upset. Sad, yes - but there was peace knowing Teela was most likely with her son. There was space for her on Darla and while she didnât intend to crowd, she knew Adora and her wife might need some help wrangling Clawdeen and her cubs, and adjusting to a lot more animals than they anticipated in having.
It kept Marlena busy. Marlena liked keeping busy.
âMollyâs been fed,â she breathed, wiping her forehead with the back of her wrist. The afternoon was a little chaotic - Cupid had the yard tortoise spooked, Clover and Calliope had gotten into it over a ball (they were fine, and Clawdeen stepped in, but having two large beasts get into a snit was a little intimidating). Finn and Catra were inside with Finnâs teething hitting peak fussiness and making them comfort-nurse, and they were both sleep deprived, and having her daughter sternly say both of you babies need a NAP was very cute. âAnd itâs about the time of day when Clawdeen takes hers for a hunt in the forest. They should be clearing out soon.â
They had a zoo here.
It was quite fun, she thought.
Adora didnât know what Valloâs deal was, but the way it was taking people away from them lately was getting frustrating again.
It was one thing to lose Revy. Theyâd come into their friendship, and Adora did miss her (although not as much as Leon, who kept chasing her into worlds he was unlikely to find her). But compared to Lance? Teela? Those were such heavy losses. They created this pain in her heart that she hadnât felt so deeply since losing Richie, almost two years ago now. So many people had come and gone since then, but these attachments were so deeply entrenched that having them ripped away hurt more than sheâd like.
There was comfort in knowing Teela went home to Adam. She hoped they were happy there, in a way that they never really had been here because they deserved to be. There was even more comfort in knowing that Marlena had remained behind, too, even as Castle Grayskull and Cringer followed Teela. Maybe that was selfish, but Adora wanted more time with her, even if it was only a little more. Part of her was braced for what felt like the inevitable, but she still tried to focus on the here and now â and here and now, Marlena was here, on Darla where Adora had wanted her from the start.
With her came the cubs, who were wild things now. They were far from small anymore, but they were still young and filled with boundless energy. They had their cat playground outside, stretching out to the place where Grayskull had once stood, but they were spending a lot more time tramping through Darla as well.
It was chaos, but Adora had gotten much less frazzled by chaos in recent years.
Briefly, she turned away from the laundry she was working on sorting into separate colors when her mother approached. She grinned at her, brushing a lock of hair that had fallen out of her messy ponytail. âThanks, Mom. Maybe Molly will feel like coming out of her shell some more while the cats are gone.â
âItâll take some acclimation,â Marlena assured, pulling off some dirty gloves off her fingers. They were gardening gloves, technically - but she liked to keep her hands covered when outside dealing with all the animal nonsense with their food, picking up after them, filling up the third hole Spirit decided to dig into. âThe cubs like to stretch out in their own space a lot, so the crowding wonât be excessive.â
She had come to learn their routines and enjoyed it. It wasnât as if she was inexperienced - theyâve had Cringer forever, though these cubs had yet to present any signs of being able to communicate with language. Clawdeen remained imprinted on Catra and Calliope tended to hyperfixate (calmly, she may add) on Finn when they were close. They might as well already be linked.
âLet me wash my hands, but - do you need help with any of that?â
Adora didnât mind the cubs taking up space. They were a reminder of a time when her biological had been fuller that she enjoyed, even when it made her sad. She hated that their father had been taken from them, especially as Cringer had grown into his fatherhood role, but she was comfortable in the knowledge that they would likely be safe. They were Vallo-born; surely they wouldnât just up and disappear, at least not anytime soon.
âIâve got dry clothes that could use some folding,â she said, nodding toward the yet-to-be-emptied machine. âBut Iâm almost done with sorting. Darks are going in first.â It was by far the biggest load in the sorter she was working with, and that was all due to Catra and her average color palette.
Ah, laundry. A terrible task she had to re-learn for herself here. Marlena didnât mind. Castle life spoiled her, but there was something pleasant and oddly satisfying about being able to engage in such a normal task with her daughter. âHonest warning: Iâm not the best at folding clothes,â she laughed, drying her hands after running them under the faucet with a healthy glob of soap. âBut for you, my darling, I think I can manage.â
And her ultimate goal here was to help out.
âYou two need to figure out what other tasks you want me to tackle more around here,â she said, grabbing a blouse to lay flat so she could smooth out the last bit of dryer wrinkles. âMaybe not cooking so much since I love you all too much to poison you. Iâd like to take some loads off your shoulders. I feel like I can at least handle the cat ranch and make sure our more domesticated pets are fed.â
Itâs a good thing Darla was large enough to accommodate three dogs, a cat, a shape-shifting feline alien (that could adjust their size when they felt like it), a lioness, and the cubs filtering through - which wouldnât happen often, theyâd be stumbling over furniture clumsily and breaking things.
âIf I can get better at cooking, you can get better at cooking,â Adora protested mildly, but she didnât push. She had witnessed Marlenaâs few attempts to cook â or bake â and it probably was for the best that she not be given a whole lot of food-related tasks. Catra was the expert there, but Adora had risen to the rank of âacceptableâ â they were covered in that area.
âYouâre already helping a lot, but Iâll talk to Catra about it. A lot of Darla stuff is self-sustaining anyway, as long as the thulite crystals last. And they last ages, so weâre pretty covered. You donât owe us chores, though. Iâm just happy youâre still here.â
There was that little pang of worry again, and it manifested in the briefest moment of a bitten lip before she shifted to toss an armful of dark clothes into the top-loading washing machine. She knew Marlena would promise to stay, just like Adora always promised to say, but the people theyâd lost re-awakened that awareness in her that promises made here? They could be voided in the blink of an eye, no matter how sincerely they were made.
Iâm just happy youâre still here.
Marlena managed to at least fold that one blouse before she stepped away from it, opening her arms to Adora. âOh, come hereââ
No, her daughter wasnât given a choice and she doubted thereâd be a protest. Adora could also pause her chores to let her mom squeeze her tightly, physical proof that her presence was strong and rooted and Vallo would have a difficult time tearing her away from here a third time. âIâm happy Iâm still here too, by the way.â
Adora didnât fight the embrace at all; instead, she turned into her motherâs arms and she squeezed her back, dropping her face against Marlenaâs shoulder. Sheâd never thought sheâd have something like this, and despite her uncertain start around her mother during her first visit, she had quickly become attached. Losing her the two times sheâd come and gone had hurt until sheâd come back and stayed.
The idea of losing her again⊠It was unbearable. She didnât want to even consider it happening, but that was one of the hazards of Vallo: you had to. Because it was worse to be unprepared for the possibilities when they became reality.
âIâm just sorry itâs keeping you from Dad,â she mumbled. âAnd Adam and Teela and⊠everyone else Iâll probably never get to meet.â
Marlena knew Adora wasnât trying to be funny - and none of this was actually funny - but there was a peal of laughter from her anyway. âYouâre not keeping me from anything, technically,â she comforted gently, smoothing a hand over the back of her head. âAdamâs had me for his whole life. He still has me if heâs back home. But I know I would be happy to experience the rest of my life here if itâs to watch you and your family grow, too.â
There was always going to be that ache of missing the rest of her family. It wasnât curable. It was livable, and she could work around it with perseverance.
âAnd while you are grown - I like the chance of stepping in to take care of you when you need it, or when you need grandma to step in. I like being needed.â
âYou are needed,â Adora assured her. Her voice was still a little muffled, so she raised her head and met her momâs gaze. âAnd not just for babysitting purposes, I promise. Not that we donât really love and appreciate that. I love that you and Finn are becoming besties.â
She wouldnât deny it was convenient to have Marlena around for babysitting duties, but it was more than that. She got to learn about her family from her mom. She got to learn about Eternia, the planet sheâd never gotten to see. She even got some firsthand knowledge of Earth in a way she couldnât quite learn even from the Earth-based things found in Vallo. And she just got to know what it was like to have her mom around and find their similarities.
âFinn is definitely my new best friend,â Marlena told her, grinning so wide that her cheeks could ache from it - and from the delight it all gave her. She was without a lot, but also had a lot regardless of the circumstances. âBeing convenient for babysitting purposes doesnât offend me, honey. On the contrary, you two need to get out of the house more together and Iâm happy to be able to give you that kind of support.â
Being able to form a bond with Finn was also highly important. She missed everything when it came to Adora, and while Finn wasnât a substitute for that at all, just being able to be around for all those important milestones wasnât anything sheâd take for granted.
âI know, I know,â Adora sighed fondly. She withdrew from her motherâs arm to continue her task of loading up the washer, reaching for a pod to toss in the drawer and some of those nice-smelling beads to scatter down in the machine. âWeâve never really been people who go out a lot? Some but not a lot. Catra says weâre spiritually forty.â
Adora had long come to accept that was just the price of living her whole life in a war zone. Add to that actually fighting in the war â leading one side against the side her wife led â and even she found it hard to believe she was only twenty-four sometimes.
âI suppose I can respect that,â Marlena sighed, giving Adoraâs hair a playful ruffle before turning back to folding duties. She used to be a little neurotic in how things were put away (precise creases and lines) back in her military days, and this wouldnât be anywhere near close to that - but she promised to not have it all be a wrinkled, disheveled mess by the time she was through with the load. âI can see the appeal of just wanting to sit back and enjoy home after what youâve been through.â
Adam led a fortunate, albeit a bit spoiled life. He had undergone training but his lessons didnât carry cruelty. He had the chance to be a proper child despite what royalty would mean for him down the road. Adora didnât, and she would never stop feeling heartbroken about it.
âAs much as anyone can in a place like Vallo,â Adora agreed. She picked up a pair of sweatpants, shaking them out before folding them. âI think I want to enjoy it now more than ever with Finn around. I donât feel like jumping into every battle with whatever crazy nightmare creature is terrorizing Vallo every month. I just like being home and hearing them say mama over and over.â
Marlena swung a pair of leggings in her daughterâs direction for a playful slap. âI also appreciate you not wanting to throw yourself into every little skirmish,â she said. âNot that Iâm not proud of you when you go out there and fight. I worry. Catra worries. The fights are always going to be there, but Finnâs only going through these stages once. Enjoy it. All these boring, repetitive little days will go by in a blur - and youâll end up missing them.â
âWhich is what Iâm trying not to do.â Adora dropped the folded pants into the laundry basket at her feet, to be carried back upstairs when they were done here. âI donât miss the battles. What I would miss is any of the stages Finnâs going through, even the repetitive days.â She smiled fondly as she folded a onesie with race car stripes down the sides. âTheyâre the greatest thing Iâve ever done.â
âI know the feeling,â Marlena chuckled, flashing her daughter a fond smile. Having the twins changed everything for her â and so did losing Adora, though she tried to think less of the loss and what all she missed out on to concentrate on the now, on all the things she wasnât missing on. She couldnât re-write her daughterâs history, but she could help her present. Perhaps her future, too. âAnd the good thing about me being here is that I get to make sure everything is functioning well on this ship. Weâll have to take Darla on a little joy ride to make sure the engines are running right.â
Adora almost assured Marlena that the engines were likely fine without a second thought, but after a moment, she nodded and grinned at her mom. âYeah, we can do that. Itâs been a while since Darlaâs been off solid ground. Itâll be fun to take her for a spin. We can dock her at the Fright Zone a bit and see how things are looking there, maybe.â
She wasnât sure Catra would be particularly keen on that idea, but Adora liked to check in occasionally. Her wife had claimed it as her responsibility a long time ago, then passed it off to Scorpia during her time in Vallo, but now it was in their hands again. Sheâd seen people camping on the island itself every once in a while; it was all lush and pretty now thanks to She-Ra, at least.
âIt might be good for the cubs to run around,â she added, picking up a long sheet from the pile and extending one end to Marlena. âHelp me fold?â
The Fright Zone. Thatâs⊠right. Adoraâs childhood home, if one could call it that.
Marlena blinked, staring at the sheet for a few seconds too long as if she didnât know what Adora was truly asking before getting it together, grabbing the two opposite corners to stretch out. âI actually havenât seen it. The â Fright Zone,â she said, hesitance obvious in her voice as she said the words. âIâm sure the name lived up to what it used to be.â
Adora looked at Marlena for a moment before it struck her that this must be uncomfortable for her to think about. This was her mom. The woman who had actually given birth to her, who had lost her through that portal, and who she knew definitely hadnât intended for her to grow up as a Horde child soldier in a conquered kingdom called The Fright Zone. It was so very normal to her that she hadnât thought it might be startling for Marlena.
âYeah, it did.â She stepped in to press the corner sheâd grabbed against the one in Marlenaâs grasp and took the sheet into her arms again to finish the process. âBut we donât have to go, it was just a thought.â
âIâm curious,â Marlena admitted with a soft shrug. Whether or not sheâd handle seeing it well was up for debate, but she heard about Adora using her magic to revitalize the land. Her perception of it would be a bit different than what her daughter grew up with â and maybe that was for the best. âIâve seen bits of it in the background from pictures. The few you two have from when you recovered your files from it?â
They were purely for either medical or informational purposes. Little soldiers photographed to assess height, build, any physical flaws or advantages. She had wanted to see what Adora looked like growing up and that was all they had.
Part of her grimly wondered why they didnât just blow the whole place up when it appeared. Extreme measures, yes, but those thoughts were purely emotional and not the least bit rational.
âItâs justâŠâ Adora placed the sheet in the basket at her feet and pulled a hand through her hair once sheâd straightened back up. âA giant metal thing. You donât have to see it if you donât want to. I know thatâs not exactly the way you were planning for me to be raised, and I understand, believe me.â
She wasnât trying to say no. If her mom really wanted to see the place, she would take her. She just wanted to make sure it wasnât something she was saying just because Adora had brought it up without thinking it through. She wasnât even sure Catra would want to go, that sheâd want to bring Finn. It wasnât the nicest place to be and it didnât come with entirely good memories.
âNo, I should see it.â
Marlena bit the inside of her cheek, thinking. It wasnât an easy topic. Guilt liked to bubble until her insides felt like they were frothing, because she never kicked the feeling of not being enough to stop what happened from happening. I shouldnât have left the nursery, I should have been there, they should have been with me -
âI suppose,â she began, taking in a deep breath for a moment, and then she started to busy herself with the pile of clothes sheâd been folding. âItâs nice to know you were able to turn a giant metal thing and its dead land into something that must be beautiful now. Itâs a stronger option than letting it sit there to rot or even outright destroying it.â
âI donât know that I had the power to destroy it,â Adora admitted. Taking in Etheriaâs magic had boosted the magic of She-Ra, and while she was sure she technically could destroy the place, it hadnât felt right. Etheria had been suffering for too long. The Fright Zone was a blight on the planet, but it had also once been Scorpiaâs familyâs kingdom. She deserved it back and deserved to set it right in her own way.
âItâs prettier, though. The land around it, at least. And we did some work on the structure itself, but itâs been a long time now. Since before Scorpia disappeared, I think.â
Marlena nodded, resolute. âWeâll take a family trip, then, because it is important to take Darla out for a ride every now and again to make sure things remain functional. And you can give me a tour. I might â cry.â
Yes, she was putting that out there honestly and openly. âBut it wonât be terrible, I promise. Itâs hard not to get all sorts of emotional when it comes to your child. You certainly know that now.â
âYeah, I do.â Adora smiled as she dropped the last shirt into the laundry basket, then stepped around it to wrap her mom up in a hug. Marlena was only a little taller than Catra, so it felt like she was engulfing her from her height. But it also felt necessary because this was all new to Marlena, and she was handling it really well. That was more than worth a hug.
Marlena clearly didnât protest to any hugs. Adora was hugged multiple times throughout the day, especially now that they didnât skip a day without seeing one another. She had always wanted to be respectful and give space - her daughter had her own marriage, her own little family - but she was selfishly happy to have the chance to wake up in the same home, and just be available if anything was needed from her.
âThis was a very emotional laundry chore,â she whispered, a gentle laugh with it as she squeezed Adora tightly.
Adora chuckled back and nodded. âLaundry can be like that sometimes,â she joked, soaking in Marlenaâs arms around her. She was never going to get tired of this, and she savored it even more now that the other side of the family was gone. If she lost Marlena tomorrow, at least she would never have regrets that she hadnât hugged her enough.
Her head raised when she heard the thunder of big paws on the floor and looked up to see the cubs, with Cheddar leading the charge, barreling toward them.
That noise was too familiar to Marlena. The cubs werenât babies â hell, they were hitting a year in April â but they were young, rambunctious, and certainly not little. âThose paws better be clean,â she scolded lightly, letting Adora go to inspect them all at least visually. Calliope shoved her big head into her hands and Cupid was sniffing around the counters, like she was looking for scraps to get. âYes, yes, hello. If youâre looking for Finn,â she said to Calliope, âtheyâre sleeping with their mom upstairs.â
Clawdeen was the last to come in and like a good girl who favored Adora a lot, she sat in front of her with an expectant look. The look translated to pets.
Adora obliged at once, dropping both hands to Clawdeenâs cotton candy pink mane and rustling her fingers gently through, making sure to give her ears some well-deserved rubs. She was endlessly adoring of all five of these creatures, but she had a soft spot for Clawdeen. Throughout Catraâs pregnancy and her own, Clawdeen had followed Adora through so many of her patrols, and theyâd bonded, even if they werenât psychically linked the way she was with Catra.
Cheddar, not to be forgotten, knocked at the back of her knee with his big head, and she spared one hand toward him to give him some scritches, too.
âWe donât have enough people to keep them all entertained yet,â she said, a note of sadness in her voice. Cheddar had been meant to be Dareâs, but now, who knew if that would come true. The other two would still have the twins someday, but Cheddar had lost Teela, Adam, and the potential for Dare.
Marlena hadnât thought of it that way, but Adora was right. It was almost as if these were all meant to be bonded with someone. Clover and Cupid were spoken for by the girls, and Calliope - with Melogâs coloring, she thought the coincidence was hilarious - was very gentle, very focused when Finn was around. But even with all that in mind, they were still a little needy.
Cheddar most of all lately.
âTheyâll just have to learn to be patient,â she sighed, watching Clover just flop down on the floor with his big head over his paws. âTheyâve got each other, but theyâll just have to wait their turn for pets with less hands around. Isnât that right?â
Calliope gave a soft snort and walked away.
âManners.â
Adora laughed and decided to resign herself to her fate, dropping down to sit on the floor. Cheddar, like Clover, flopped down on the floor but took advantage of her now open lap and occupied it with his head. She gave him the scritches he was obviously looking for with both hands and smiled down at his closed eyes and content face.
âTheyâll learn. They can always go visit Atreus at the Sanctuary if we arenât good enough,â she joked, smoothing one hand over Cheddarâs cheek. âAnd they can join me on patrol sometimes if theyâre good.â
Cupid circled back once she realized there was absolutely nothing to eat (which made Marlena think fondly of Hope with her Adora-inherited appetite), and Marlena also submitted to her face and flopped onto the floor. Cupid joined, though she rolled onto her back and started writhing around with her teeth out, a sign of play. âThey should. Theyâre fierce, arenât they? Fiercest guardians of this family.â
It was comforting. As if Darla didnât offer protection enough in itself with its metal walls, but these cubs came into their lives ready to stand strong with them. Marlena thought it was the sweetest thing.
âThose big olâ teeth would scare off a whole lot of big monsters,â Adora chuckled as she watched Cupid reach out to snag her motherâs wrist, pulling it closer for pets. âIâm glad theyâre still here. I just wish Cringer hadnât had to go. But I guess they donât really do parenting the way humans do.â
The cubs were essentially full-grown tigons now, almost a year old. Clawdeen still minded them, but they were big and could handle themselves. It wasnât like Finn, who was approaching a year old now and still couldnât fend for themself.
âI think they miss their dad,â Marlena hummed, trying to give Clover soothing pets that didnât rile her up more than she was. âTheyâre smart in the same way people are. Instincts are pretty high there for them, but they understand us. They know whatâs happening. Itâs why that one is extra clingy.â
That was in reference to Cheddar, who stuck to Marlena like glue as if she was a replacement for Teela and Dare.
Adora smiled down at Cheddar and rubbed her knuckles gently across his cheek. âWell, itâs a good thing he still has you. And all of us. Hopefully we can stick around long enough to make them feel better.â
âWe will,â replied Marlena, almost with too much confidence but this was her attempt to do what the youths called manifesting and all of that. Believe it, repeat it, and it will come true. She was far from naive - years navigating the political climate of Eternia as queen jaded her well enough - but this place thrived on creating possibilities that felt impossible elsewhere. âNow - let's finish the rest of the laundry before one of them decides to sit on everything and get fur everywhere, shall we?â