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[purrsistence]

@catra.victorious | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[purrsistence]

[ There's a pause, and Catra looks away then. Looks off into the skyline of New Amsterdam. But she's frowning. Finally-- ]

... Everyone who comes here leaves eventually.

[sparklequeen]

They do?

[ Glimmer hasn't been here long, definitely not logn enough to notice anyone she knows simply... vanishing. ]

But we don't know that they actually go home.

[purrsistence]

... We don't. [ Catra will give Glimmer that much. ]

But what does it matter? Regardless of where people go, gone is gone.

[ This is a side of Catra that Glimmer's only seen once before-- when Glimmer had her cornered in the Fright Zone, right before Horde Prime's ship sucked them up. ]

My point is-- there's no point in worrying about what's gonna happen in the future. Nobody knows. The only certainty we have is that any plan you make is likely only gonna get trashed. So you should... do what you want.

[sparklequeen]

[ This side of Catra always makes Glimmer uncomfortable. She had been ready and willing to simply put an end to Catra when they had met in the Fright Zone, but the sad, defeated air the other girl had given off had stayed her hand. She's used to Catra being a jerk, not to Catra being... whatever this is. Sad? Depressed? Resigned? Glimmersighs and leans back, rests her hands on the surface of the fire escape. ]

I guess.

[ She's quiet again, watching as air cars pass in the growing twilight. ]

I'm just so used to being responsible for so much and worrying about everyone I feel like I can't just do what I want. The last time I did what I wanted I almost helped blow up the rest of the universe.

[ Ugh. This is not where the conversation was supposed to go and yet-- ]

I hurt my friends.

[purrsistence]

[ Catra snorts. ]

Telling someone you ~like~ them is a far cry from blowing up the universe, Sparkles.

[sparklequeen]

[ Glimmer reaches over and gives Catra a shove. It's light, though. The kind you give a friend. ]

I'm not saying it's the same! Ugh. I just... I'm supposed to be responsible.

[ SIGH. She flops back fully onto her back to stare at the summer twilight sky overhead. ]

Adora told me the same thing you did. If she makes me happy, I should just go for it.

[purrsistence]

Ha! [ Catra grins. ]

Well if Adora's backing me up, then that settles it.

[sparklequeen]

I guess it does.

[ Glimmer sighs and reaches up to rub at her eyes. ]

I think I want to take my time, though. Rushing into this seems, I dunno, Weird.

[ She pauses, quiet settling for a few moments. ]

...She thought I might be talking about you when I started talking about how I'd met this girl I liked.

[ There's a laugh. It's not mean. Or at least it's not meant to be. More just surprised. ]

[purrsistence]

[ For a moment, Catra actually looks-- well, genuinely stunned. It's not a look Glimmer gets to see often, Catra at a loss for words. ]

... Wait, what? Haha. Is she like-- all right in the head?

[sparklequeen]

Probably? She did get hit a lot as She-Ra.

[ Glimmer laughs. ]

I think you're a really important friend to her, so that's why she thought of you.

[ Glimmer knows there's more to it but no way is she just dropping that without Adora's permission. ]

[purrsistence]

[ Catra actually goes a bit pink in the face, but she turns her face away from Glimmer instantly as if there's something else interesting to look at on the horizon, so as not to show it. She tries to keep her voice light and airy and joking, as if this is still just normal banter, but it's not quite right. ]

Well-- I mean, yeah, duh. It's not surprising she'd think people would fall in love with me. I'm awesome! Adora knows that!

But you 'n' me? I mean. I'm not exactly your type, am I? You're more a-- bare midriffs and best friends kinda girl, ha.

[sparklequeen]

[ Glimmer reaches over to shove at Catra again. That reply has her pink in the cheeks, too! ]

How did both of you just call me out like that?! Ugh, am I that obvious?

And I mean you're okay? I like girls too but there was always the war and stuff. I've never had a chance to actually know you, so it's not like I can really say.

[ Smirk. Time to go on the offensive. ]

You probably know alllllll about the best friends thing though, huh?

[purrsistence]

[ Catra starts and her face whips back to look at Glimmer, bright red now. ]

Wait, what? What are you talking about?!

[sparklequeen]

Pfft, come on.

[ Glimmer leans forwards against the railing again, eyes on Catra. ]

You are so into Adora.

[purrsistence]

What-- that's--! [ Catra's hair floofs out like an angry cat. ]

It's not like that. We're just friends!

Maybe-- maybe it was gonna be, but that was a long time ago! All right?! Geez.

[sparklequeen]

I mean...

[ Glimmer looks away for a moment. She knows what's going on but... being the one to spill that wouldn't be right. ]

You won't know unless you try.

[purrsistence]

[ Catra's reply comes out a little more snappish than she intends it to-- ]

What, like I haven't tried?

[sparklequeen]

I mean trying saying something like "Hey, Adora. I want to be more than friends with you."

[ She does a passable imitation of Catra's tone for a moment. ]

Have you actually just said it?

[purrsistence]

[ Catra goes a very deep shade of red, her expression horrified ]

Gross! I wouldn't say it like that!

A-And anyway, it's not like Adora doesn't know!

[sparklequeen]

It's just an example.

[ Glimmer stares over at Catra. She can't help herself, she breaks into breathless laughter and flops back onto the fire escape. This is too funny. SHe laughs for a solid few seconds before she has to catch her breath. Gasping, she tries to sit back up. ]

If you haven't told her, how do you know that she knows?

1/2

[purrsistence]

I mean. We grew up together. We know everything about each other. There's no way that she... doesn't...

[purrsistence]

...

[ You can almost see the lightbulb come on in Catra's brain as she realizes, and then just slowly puts her face in her hands. ]

She doesn't know, does she.

[sparklequeen]

Uh, not that I meant to talk to you about this tonight...

[ Glimmer's cheeks get a little pinker. She looks over at Catra, trying to decide what to say. Or maybe just how to say it. ]

But she might think that you could never feel that way about her. As a hypothetical, maybe that's what she's thinking? I mean, she did come over to my place crying after uh, you know... that whole conversation you two had about promises.

[purrsistence]

[ Voice muffled, with her face still buried in her hands-- ]

How did I manage to completely forget that Adora is an idiot...

[sparklequeen]

Uh, probably because you love her? Also because sometimes she's not an idiot, about like, giving other people advice about people they like. Or about planning stuff.

[ Snort. ]

She made a whole plan of attack for Princess Prom.