sunsetaurora

I write and I edit | Of Ice and Power | we could be free, if you wanted |

[sunsetaurora]

I was rereading "We Could Be Free If You Wanted" and I forgot how amazing it is! Very excited for the last chapter. I was thinking about it but it'd be quite interesting if Fara made an appearance again in the last chapter. Anyways, I'm very excited for the final chapter no matter how long it takes! Your writing is amazing and "We Could Be Free If You Wanted" is such a unique story that I've completely fallen in love with!

Thank you! I am back from the ether. It makes me all warm inside that someone rereads my writing, never mind reads it for the first time!

I'm ngl, I haven't opened the document for WCBFIYW in months - partly because it somehow got corrupted and I'm dreading to see what was last saved, and partly because the idea of writing was giving me The Fear.

But I've finally opened my laptop again and I'm trying to get back into it. I will hope to upload sometime in June (I'm eying the two days off work I have). But thank you so much for leaving a comment and spurring me into action :)

[sunsetaurora]

Looking unlikely that the finale of WBFIYW will be posted today because my brain has been anti-writing for the past two weeks. I can’t make words happen. I see words and I hear words but I can’t do the words. I want the finale to be as satisfying as possible, and my aim is to get it out next week. 

[sunsetaurora]

I don't really know if you accept asks. I just wanted to say how much I love your fic! I'm sorry you don't have a lot of motivation after your Christmas and birthday. I just found your Tumblr a few days ago, so I just wanted to say how much I love your story! I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the last few chapters! And I hope you feel better!

Thank you for your message! You're very kind. I received this as I was finishing up the next chapter, so I hope you enjoy it. I always lose steam when finishing things, so that plus some family health problems completely zapped my energy and took up the last five weeks of my time. I hate delaying chapters, but I physically couldn't bring myself to write.

I hope to get the next one out next week along with some analysis bits on here :)

[sunsetaurora]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Preview:

Catra was staring at the clock.

As soon as it hit 3:30pm, she was planning on running to the car and speeding home. She had her bag and laptop packed up. Her coat was on the back of her chair and her foot was tapping out the seconds.

Five minutes to go.

The court session had ended nearly half an hour ago. She couldn’t even think because she was so angry for what they’d put Adora through. Her brain was a swirling mess of Adora’s nervous responses and the venomous tone of the Defence barrister. It would be better for everyone if they banned Catra from ever attending a court session, because the next time she saw Grizzlor in person, she was going to claw his eyes out.

[sunsetaurora]

The next chapter of we could be free, if you wanted is coming. It might not be this weekend, but it’s slowly coming together. I wrote the first half of it before Christmas, and then stuff happened over the holidays, and I didn’t go back to it until today. 

As you can imagine, it’s hard to immediately pick up where you left off & and I hate posting half-arsed content. 

[sunsetaurora]

I hate endings

Ch29 is going terribly btw 

[sunsetaurora]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Preview:

Catra pointed at her. “I asked you if you wanted me to quit my job to be with you and you said no. Glimmer was going to fire and then rehire me.”

“One of us needs to be earning money,” Adora retorted. “How are we going to live?”

Catra shrugged as she put on her leather jacket. “We could live off our savings.”

“Bold of you to assume I have savings.”

“Adora, I know you have savings. Did you think I was joking when I said I was planning for us to run away together?”

Drily, Adora wondered out loud, “Is that still an option?”

She heard Catra set her back down so she could reach up and grab Adora’s face between her hands. “Absolutely,” she said, kissing her lips.

And it was then that Adora realised that, for Catra, there was no other option: Adora was going to win this trial, and they were going to be free together. The other options weren’t real to her – they were distant possibilities, ones they would never experience or live through.

And that hope, that passion, made Adora feel warm for the first time in days.

“Okay,” she sighed. “I feel a little better.”

[sunsetaurora]

New chapter coming tonight. It’s far from perfect and I’m not entirely happy with it but it’s the best I can do right now. I’ve been putting it off for too long. 

[sunsetaurora]

Hoping I can get a chapter out this week. Since the last update, I’ve had to deal with four teeth being extracted, health problems, three job interviews - and tomorrow I get braces. 

I only have around ~700 words written, but two days of inspiration and solid on-and-off writing would get it done. Let’s hope! 

[sunsetaurora]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Preview:

Adora could feel a bead of sweat trickle down the collar of her blouse.

All eyes were on her.

She couldn’t focus on any of them – not even the ones at the back, where she knew Catra was watching. Her vision pulsed in time with her heartbeat, and for a moment Adora thought she was going to black out. She gripped the chair she was sitting on, as if it was the only thing keeping her rooted in reality.

“I’ll repeat the question, Miss Greyskull,” said the Defence Barrister, somewhere in the background. “Did you or did you not sign a contract agreeing to take part in the She-Ra experiments?”

Adora licked her lips. “I did,” she replied.

[radsity]

everyone has their own Catra as She-Ra take, and this is mine!

[image description: Catra, as She-Ra, carefully holding Adora's face. Her hands are lifting Adora's chin as though anticipating a kiss. Adora is roughed up, and while rising willingly to Catra's touch, is held back by a pair of shackles with green lights fastening down at the bottom of the image (a metaphor for Horde Prime's control). She has several wounds from battle, including four rips in her shirt that cut through the Horde insignia on her back, implying a similar fight to the canon scene in Save the Cat. Catra's outfit is similar to her season 4 outfit, but is gilded in gold, with a tall, soaring headpiece with wings erupting out of the sides. Her mane is long and flowing, and a long dark cape flows beneath it. Their faces are earnest and gentle. They are framed against a simple starscape. End ID.]

[sunsetaurora]

Thought I was going to get Chapter 27 of we could be free, if you wanted out tonight. As I was copying it across to ao3 I was like, “huh? Just under 4k words? That seems a bit short” - and then I realised. 

I left out one of the most major scenes scheduled for Ch27. 

I was too caught up in the banter. 

Ah well. Next week, folks!

[sunsetaurora]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Preview:

The phone rang three times.

“Good morning, you’re speaking to Glimmer Amaris, principal of Brightmoon School. How can I help you?”

Catra paused. She had been dreading this part. When they left her alone in a cell to obsess over what had happened, she thought long and hard over who to call and what to say. Rubbing her eyes, she said quietly, “Sparkles.”

“Catra?!” Glimmer gasped. She sounded furious. “Where the hell are you? You and Adora didn’t show up for the assembly or for first period – you haven’t answered our calls – I literally just sent Bow out to look for you.”

Catra twirled the phone line. What she really wanted to do was pull the phone from the wall and hit someone around the head with it. The frustration and the hatred burning through her was reminisce of when she was younger and angry at the world.

Nothing had changed, had it? The world kept giving her reasons to hate it.

“We were arrested.” She turned her back on the police officer at the desk, who was no doubt listening in. “I’m at the police station.”

“You were what?!”

“You need to call your mum.” Catra bit her lip. “I don’t know where they brought Adora.”

[sunsetaurora]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

“I assumed Adora was just going to spend her birthday with Catra,” Bow said, shrugging at his girlfriend.

“So did I,” Catra replied, pointedly looking at the other couple.

Adora’s eyebrows quirked up, and she glanced down at Catra in her lap. “Did you remember?” she asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.

Catra scoffed. “Of course I remembered, dumbass.”

The girlfriends shared a look – Adora’s expression was warm, her eyes rounded, and her lips tugged into a smile. Catra grinned mischievously, and after she took a swig of whiskey, she looked as if she was about to say something interesting –

Glimmer groaned loudly, interrupting them. “Can’t we have her once in a little while?” she complained.

“I don’t like sharing,” Catra retorted. “I have abandonment issues.”

[doom-patrol-deactivated20220601]

lgbt ppl* rb this with what stereotype u fit for ur gender/sexuality. im the “gay dude obsessed w britney spears”, the “gay guy accent”, and the “tacky fashion gay”.

*terfs dont touch lol

[sunsetaurora]

Chapter 25 of we could be free, if you wanted is moving along. I may not get it finished for today, but have a little snippet below. 

“I assumed Adora was just going to spend her birthday with Catra,” Bow said, shrugging at his girlfriend.

“So did I,” Catra replied, pointedly looking at the other couple.

Adora’s eyebrows quirked up, and she glanced down at Catra in her lap. “Did you remember?” she asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.

Catra scoffed. “Of course I remembered, dumbass.”

The girlfriends shared a look – Adora’s expression was warm, her eyes rounded, and her lips tugged into a smile. Catra grinned mischievously, and after she took a swig of whiskey, she looked as if she was about to say something interesting –

Glimmer groaned loudly, interrupting them. “Can’t we have her once in a little while?” she complained.

“I don’t like sharing,” Catra retorted. “I have abandonment issues.”

Ignoring that completely, Adora hadn’t taken her eyes off her girlfriend. She accepted the whiskey bottle but put it down on the coffee table so she could stroke Catra’s hair. “Did you have something planned?”

Catra’s smile was downright devilish. “Maybe.”

“What was it?” Adora pressed.

“Dinner. We’d skip the movie.” Catra’s voice dropped an octave. “Remember that thing you wanted to try?”

“We’re still here!” Glimmer shrieked, pretending to cover her ears so she couldn’t hear anything.

[sunsetaurora]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Preview: 

“Look at my neck!” Adora said, gesturing to the bruises. “I can’t go to work with this!”

Catra feigned disinterest as she looked upon the marks of her own doing. “You’re right. You can’t. You’ll be the talk of the school.”

“Catra!” Adora complained, collapsing on top of her to rest her chin on the brunette’s chest.

“Hmph. So whiny.” Catra’s sharp nails trailed along Adora’s scalp. “Maybe you should stay in bed with me all day instead.”

“We’re friends with the principal. We can’t get away with excuses.”

“So, we tell her straight: sorry, we can’t come in today. I’m marking the other side of Adora’s neck so it matches.” Catra laughed as Adora playfully pinched her arm. “Hey! It’s your fault for being so unbelievably–”

“Don’t –”

“Annoying.” Catra’s eyes sparkled. “Or sexy? Annoying and sexy.”

“You’re a brat,” Adora argued, pouting. She sat up, subconsciously hiding her neck with her hair.  

Catra winked. “Don’t you know it.” Pushing herself further up the pillow, she grabbed at Adora’s hand to stop her from fussing. “It’s fine. Just wear a turtleneck.”