[ alright, alright, here we go. grabbing a bowl. ]
Yeah. I know.
[ he hadn't thought much of it until he'd returned to the league. met the sister he'd never known he'd had, watched how she hung on to ra's every word. ]
[ Catra's still holding the spoon Damian gave her, and she gives it another lick. It seems like she's-- working through something, in her head. ]
I always thought... I don't know, cooking was kinda lame, for some reason. One of my-- underlings, back home... [ she almost said friend, whoops, shit, can't have that ] she was always doing shit like this. Baking cakes for us. Making tea and snacks. I mean. It wasn't very good. She was a born dumbass. But she was trying, y'know?
It always used to get on my nerves. ... Maybe I didn't give her enough credit.
[ he shouldn't speak for her, though. but the more she talks the more he - sees himself? hates it? something painful and unpleasant prickles in his gut.
he's quiet himself for a moment. ]
My brother was like that.
[ another pause. ]
My oldest brother. He was always going out of his way to do some stupid thing to make me 'lighten up'. He couldn't cook, or clean, and he ran his mouth constantly... he was a completely useless adult who never failed to treat me like a child.
[ ... ]
He was my best friend. [ until he killed him. ] I didn't appreciate it until he was gone. Its hard to recognize those traits as valuable when you've been taught that empathy and compassion are just liabilities.
[ She listens quietly to Damian talking about his brother without issue, and for a moment it seems like maybe she's even empathizing.
But then something in that last part strikes a raw nerve for Catra and she looks away, suddenly irritated. Her ears go flat and she replies far too quickly, ignoring everything else-- ]
No. That's bullshit. Anyone spouting it is a moron.
[ he rules the world through fear - even if he's conflicted about it. not even his father believes in the goodness of mankind, though he pretends to. ]
But compassion and empathy mean you have something to fight for beyond just surviving. Give someone a reason to live and they tend to be a lot harder to kill.
[ look one time vic called them friends and he broke all his game consoles because sometimes people get too chummy and you need to re-establish the pecking order by being a little shit
[ Her face does a thing where it seems like she's pleased for a second but then immediately tries to hide it. She quickly takes another bite of food so she has some excuse to be doing something other than talking.
Honestly, for all her fronting, Catra's easy enough to figure out once you get her measure. ]
Yeah. Well. I'm still better than all of those other small fry. Don't you forget it.
[ Catra instantly brightens. Finally, something she doesn't have to feel incompetent about. ]
Oh, that.
[ She leans back in her chair, relaxed. This is her element. Not-- social stuff. ]
Well, yeah. Initially it was just 'cause I didn't like the UNA and I thought it was bullshit that we had to hide ourselves or face imprisonment and torture. Those problems are taken care of for now, but-- who's to say they won't just rise again? If we leave things as they are, the UNA'll probably just bounce back. I don't wanna go back to that. Do you?
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[ alright, alright, here we go. grabbing a bowl. ]
Yeah. I know.
[ he hadn't thought much of it until he'd returned to the league. met the sister he'd never known he'd had, watched how she hung on to ra's every word. ]
no subject
I always thought... I don't know, cooking was kinda lame, for some reason. One of my-- underlings, back home... [ she almost said friend, whoops, shit, can't have that ] she was always doing shit like this. Baking cakes for us. Making tea and snacks. I mean. It wasn't very good. She was a born dumbass. But she was trying, y'know?
It always used to get on my nerves. ... Maybe I didn't give her enough credit.
no subject
[ he shouldn't speak for her, though. but the more she talks the more he - sees himself? hates it? something painful and unpleasant prickles in his gut.
he's quiet himself for a moment. ]
My brother was like that.
[ another pause. ]
My oldest brother. He was always going out of his way to do some stupid thing to make me 'lighten up'. He couldn't cook, or clean, and he ran his mouth constantly... he was a completely useless adult who never failed to treat me like a child.
[ ... ]
He was my best friend. [ until he killed him. ] I didn't appreciate it until he was gone. Its hard to recognize those traits as valuable when you've been taught that empathy and compassion are just liabilities.
no subject
But then something in that last part strikes a raw nerve for Catra and she looks away, suddenly irritated. Her ears go flat and she replies far too quickly, ignoring everything else-- ]
They are.
[ She looks frankly downright offended. ]
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[ which he is, actually, don't call him on this. shut up and take a bowl. ]
But combine those traits with actual strength and you have a force that can't be beat.
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[ Catra takes the bowl and shovels a spoonful into her mouth, but she still looks grumpy. After chewing and swallowing-- ]
Next you're going to tell me to believe in the power of peace and love and all that garbage.
no subject
[ he rules the world through fear - even if he's conflicted about it. not even his father believes in the goodness of mankind, though he pretends to. ]
But compassion and empathy mean you have something to fight for beyond just surviving. Give someone a reason to live and they tend to be a lot harder to kill.
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[ It's BURNING EVERYTHING TO THE GROUND. ]
And I sure as hell don't need any of that crap to do it.
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he gets it ]
Didn't say you didn't. That was a general 'you'.
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[ She seems mollified, but she still looks grumpy. At least now it seems a little more like comically grumpy, instead of genuinely angry. ]
... And I'm pretty difficult to kill, too. So don't go getting any ideas.
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[ adorable. ]
I don't associate with people who are easy to kill.
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Honestly, for all her fronting, Catra's easy enough to figure out once you get her measure. ]
Yeah. Well. I'm still better than all of those other small fry. Don't you forget it.
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Hard to.
[ posturing is the language of their people. ]
So what is your game plan here?
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[ glancing at her. the interpersonal drama will probably be dealt with on its own time. ]
You plan on raising an army, right?
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Oh, that.
[ She leans back in her chair, relaxed. This is her element. Not-- social stuff. ]
Well, yeah. Initially it was just 'cause I didn't like the UNA and I thought it was bullshit that we had to hide ourselves or face imprisonment and torture. Those problems are taken care of for now, but-- who's to say they won't just rise again? If we leave things as they are, the UNA'll probably just bounce back. I don't wanna go back to that. Do you?