Catch-all; Catra

[momming]

Comments

[supercatty]

[. . .]

O-- Otome.

[. . . . . . . .]

[god what does she say?? she doesn't know what to say!!!]

It's. . . [. . .] I don't-- you wouldn't.

Neither you nor Byleth nor Rupert would kill for no reason at all. I'm not stupid.

[SO WHY THE DRAMATICS, CATRA]

[momming]

... But you cared about us. And no matter our reasons-- [ and the silence, and she thinks of Adora and her eyes well up with tears. ]

Of course it would hurt, Catra.

[supercatty]

[. . . . . . . . .]

[seeing those tears is enough to bring out another pang of loss, of grief. Catra lifts a hand to scrub at her face]

I didn't-- I didn't really want to kill you, I just. . .

[. . .]

[she trails off]

[in the moment, in the heat of the trial, it was easy to give into the old Catra]

[momming]

... I know.

[ Emotions, man. ]

I wouldn't have stopped you.

[supercatty]

[EMOTIONS, MAN]

. . . yeah. I could tell.

[OTOME!!!]

You shouldn't, though. If someone comes after you this week like I did Byleth, don't just let them do it.

[momming]

... Did she let you?

[ Honestly, she's conflicted. ]

[supercatty]

No. Of course not.

[a hollow, humorless laugh]

[. . .]

[she presses a hand against her upper arm. the same one she was grabbing at ALL TRIAL that NOBODY ASKED HER ABOUT!!!]

I would've been angry if she had.

[momming]

[ She nods, silently, and then takes a deep breath. ]

I... I'll try. I don't want to stop trying to do what I can, even if I would deserve retribution.

[supercatty]

[TAIL LASH]

You don't have to be so self-deprecating, Otome.

[says the pot to the kettle]

[momming]

It's not the greatest feeling, willfully breaking my oath.

[ It sucks. ]

[supercatty]

[she bets it sucks! but also what are doctors, so--]

What oath?

[momming]

The Hippocratic oath-- it's something all doctors take.

... Above all else, do no harm.

[supercatty]

[. . . ah]

[. . .]

[she doesn't know what to say to that, so her gaze turns downward, ears drooping. and after a moment of silence]

. . . do you know why they chose you?

[to do whatever it is that she and Byleth and Rupert were chosen to do?]

[momming]

... I have a vague idea. [ Though she looks like she doesn't want to continue because god the last thing she needs is to inadvertently get anyone else killed?? ]

[supercatty]

[WELL. AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO ADORA, CATRA GETS IT, SO. . .]

[she just nods and doesn't ask anything further]

What are you going to do now that people. . . um. Know?

[momming]

Brace myself, I suppose. If I'm killed, at least then I can apologize to Adora in person.

[supercatty]

It's not really-- . . . I mean. . .

[a tiny huff]

It's not really your fault.

[momming]

... [ with a wry little twist of her mouth. ]

I thought you would be the first person to rip out my throat, actually.

[supercatty]

[oh, Otome]

[but Catra can't even deny that, and her mouth mouth twists upwards into a wry smile of her own]

I am that kind of person, aren't I?

[momming]

... You love so strongly that when something happens to the people you care about or you're deeply hurt, you act defensively to protect yourself. You try to stand against whatever has hurt you-- to you, it's now a threat.

That's understandable, Catra. [ she says this gently. ]

[supercatty]

[. . . DANG OTOME DON'T PUT IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT'S A POSITIVE CHARACTER TRAIT AND NOT A NEGATIVE ONE]

[she falls silent at that. stop this!! stop this being kind to her thing!!]

[momming]

... I don't love you any less, Catra. Okay?

[supercatty]

[. .. ]

[that chokes her up, and she sucks in a sharp breath as her chest tightens and her eyes begin to sting. STOP OTOME YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE HER CRYYYYY]

[momming]

[ Good this is what you get for cockblocking me from death ]

... Can I come closer?

[supercatty]

[HORRIBLE!!!]

[. . . quietly]

Um-- yeah. If you. . . want to.