1. @phosphoricbomb has been working on a Gem AU for Spop. She asked me to make a Catrapta fusion!!! I think Catrapta would be a bit of a mess, especially early on - fusions emphasise the overlapping components of their parts, so Catrapta is a wild child who likes to toy with her opponents and blow things up with a Detachable Spiderbot Morningstar, but she also deals badly with rejection, even by... yknow... the people she is toying with. She's misguidedly trying to impress them. I think that Catra and Entrapta's intentions have only limited control over the decisions of this fusion, like Sugilite (or Gotenks), even if they have a clear plan it doesn't go past the fusion stage.
2. This shining star is the Bowdora fusion!! Kim has a LOT of thoughts on Gem Bow specifically, ill hold back from saying much on him, but I think if Bow and Adora fused, their overlapping traits would also be emphasised... and Bowdora would be a super hero!!! I may even add a moustache in, this character is literally like 80's Bow and She-ra, a standard cat-saving superhero who takes advantage of their enormous powerset to take down enemies. I think Bowdora is a mostly stable fusion, but can start panicking when they're failing to protect their friends, especially if Glimmer or anyone close gets hurt!!!
I had this incredible concept for a terrifyingly string Glimscorp fusion but I need to work on her design before I can share.
3. Sleepy pal trio! Well, sleepy Entrapta and Catra. I cant tell if Scorpia is happy or if she feels stung and left out, like Marcy Wu. I think Scorpia would feel like shes doing something wrong if her friends came back from space and were more comfortable around each other than with her.
4. On a similar note, it would be hilarious and tragically fitting if Emily was the one character who couldn't forgive Catra. Like, i think of everyone, Emily may have seen the worst consequences of Catra's behaviour. She lost one friend, and watched another suffer, and was threatened with destruction just for being who she is. Also i may have been reading too much sweary shera.
im amused at how well you nailed everybody's character with so little context... season 2 hadnt even come out yet??? but scorpia would ABSOLUTELY cry over anything, and her lil baby lying to her would probably get a nice shedful of tears. she would somehow think it's her own fault for not being a responsible mother that makes her kid feel like they can tell the truth.
the idea of entrapta being the semi responsible parent despite irresponsibly creating life is funny to me. she built her own parents like you said, AND she actually has looked after kids (emily.... imp... wrong hordak...) so it makes sense shed be quite paternal even without actual role models to go from.
catra thinking shes never going to get attached to the kid and then being the most insecure parent xD
i love how you just straight up made a scorptra baby because why the fuck not (i love how entrapta just straight up made a scorptra baby because why the fuck not)
lol, thank you! It's a weird one because I started it so early on so I feel like I can see which parts (because apparently not ALL of the parts are posted like I thought they were) I wrote early on and which have been added since :p
I stand by Scorpia isn't an easy crier, but my god when it's her own kid she is nothing but water works! Absolutely she'd be like, "What have I done that make her not trust me????" While Catra is rolling her eyes like, "Scorpia she's a child, she can and will and should rebel." Meanwhile Entrapta sagely is nodding along, "Everyone does and is allowed to have secrets. It doesn't reflect on you."
They still talk with her later and make sure she knows they love her and she can tell them anything.
Look, Entrapta may be banned from the history museum because she kept sneaking a group of kids into the back to see the real dino bones, but one on one with a kid she will default to parenting rules imo. She programmed her own parents and I feel like she would want something to go by for it, so her rules are all very reasonable and she follows them well. If Clawdeen ever feels strongly that Entrapta is being unfair, they 100% sit and discuss it. Clawdeen knows if she can convince any of her moms of her point they'll change their mind lol.
Look my parents negotiated with me when I was about 4-6 years old that I would never have to wear dresses again and I could choose my own clothes from either the boys or girls section as long as I understood that my uncle's wedding was THAT DAY and there was no time or money to get me something different so I had to wear a dress instead. I am biased and SPT is like my parents. No curfew, just let us know if you'll be coming back after we're asleep. You broke this rule that you knew about, and this is the punishment we'd already told you about, does this still seem fair to you? No mandatory chores, but I was not allowed to leave a mess in shared spaces. So if I insisted on not doing my own laundry that was fine but I had to suffer with stinky clothes lol. There was a lot of negotiating, discussion, and checking in with them.
One time, I forged my dad's signature for a while in Elementary school and really thought I was slick, then when I got in trouble I forged it on that and my teacher crossed it out and told me I had to get an actual signature and explain why there was one already on there. My dad just let me cry about it for a while as he assured me he wasn't mad, and the first thing he checked was why I forged his signature. I did it because I always forgot to get it for my homework so I'd sign it before class when I remembered, and I didn't want him to be mad at me for getting in trouble at school. He was understanding and we came up with a solution so I wouldn't forget.
I base SPT on this kinda model where if one of them just knows they're the wrong person to handle it they make sure Clawdeen knows they love her and then have someone better set up for it do it.
Eventually all three will share basically all responsibilities, but at the start Entrapta holds the responsible parental reins. Once Catra isn't scared she'll over react and Scorpia is less of a push over, then the chaos can really kick off!!!
Catra is just really like, "Well if I say I won't care about this person, then I won't!" when in reality she will become so protective of them it's almost hilarious. Catra doesn't latch on easily but once she's decided you're one of her people, fucking good luck try to not be.
Catra: I wish we had super soldiers to back up the bots :(
Scorpia: Ooo, that would be so cool!!!!
Entrapta: I can do that, Hordak has cloning stuff anyways so I just need some DNA, like hair or nails.
Catra, who does not know what cloning and DNA are: And you'll make a super soldier!? Heck yeah, permission granted! I shed all the time. >:D
Scorpia, wildly misinterpreting what's happening: Yay, Super Pal Trio!!!!! <3<3<3<3
~
Clawdeen: How are babies made?
Entrapta: Well, you see, when you have at least one willing donor for genetic materials and access to a state of the art lab, you can grow one!
Catra, thinking she's being funny: Or two people can just fff-
Scorpia: KISS AND THEN THEY FIND A BABY IN A CABBAGE PATCH!
So I don’t mean this argumentatively, I’m just genuinely confused & would like to understand this. I also struggle with empathy & take things very literally, so that could be part of why I’m not understanding. But where is Catra shown to be empathetic or compassionate? I understand that her abuse informs a lot of her actions and that’s why she is impulsive, lies, and manipulates others in the earlier seasons- they’re survival tactics that she got from SW + growing up in the Horde.
But I didn’t notice her going out of her way for others unless it could also benefit her in some way. I’ve also seen people say that she died in the process of sending Glimmer to Adora, & therefore deserves redemption because she made the ultimate sacrifice, only to then be saved and effectively made to work on her behavior and become a better person. And that would be all well & good, except we don’t really see her working on her behavior, except in the scene where she’s telling Adora that she’s working on her anger, and in the scene where she asks her to stay. I’m also not sure that she actually died, though I have heard a lot of people saying that. And I get that it’s called a redemption arc for a reason, & that the implication is that she will continue to work on her behavior and be better, but I just don’t know that we saw enough of that in the show.
So the thing with Catra is that a lot of this is pretty subtle. And as I said in the other ask that I assume you’re referring to with this, she’s often driven by a mix of selfish and unselfish motives. You’re correct that a lot of the times she does things for other people could also be seen as selfish moves because there’s something in it for her too, but that’s not always true and even when it is it doesn’t mean that that empathy or care for other people isn’t there.
Some examples of times when she shows empathy/care for others while also helping herself:
Gives Adora the sword so she and Glimmer can escape in 1x09, which is a kindness to Adora but also allows Catra to keep her job and her power (even if it breaks her heart to give up on bringing Adora back)
Warns Entrapta to stay out of Hordak’s sanctum and chases Entrapta down when she defies her in 2x03, which seems to be a mix of not wanting to deal with an angry Hordak herself and protecting a rather oblivious Entrapta from getting into trouble
(Note that in both of these examples she does this in a rather brusque or mean way, hiding her concern, but the subtext is there if you watch closely)
However, there are also many instances where Catra helps other people despite there not only being nothing in it for her, but when it’s actually against her own interests. Here’s the ones I can think of off the top of my head (but I’m sure there’s more):
Lies about Adora’s whereabouts and then her identity as She-Ra early in season 1 to protect her from the Horde, even after she’s promoted to Force Captain, which is dangerous not only to her career but to her life and limb
Tries to comfort her abuser Shadow Weaver when she sees her in distress in 1x04 and 1x10, the former instance right after Shadow Weaver gears up to attack her and "drag the truth” from her mind (anyone less empathetic would run away or even gloat)
Brings Shadow Weaver her old badge in 2x06 as a final favor when SW is about to be shipped away for good, despite it possibly being something that could get her in trouble and there being nothing in it for her (and in fact if she’s as selfish and callous as some say she’d deny SW this closure out of spite)
Turns down Scorpia’s offer to break her out of prison in 3x01, which seems to be entirely for Scorpia’s benefit as Catra has nothing to lose at this point (people just don’t see the compassion in this because she drives Scorpia away in a mean way to ensure she actually leaves)
Doesn’t tell Hordak that Scorpia “broke the recordings” that were inside Emily in 4x06, lies and says there was nothing, which turns Hordak’s anger on her instead of Scorpia (this perhaps is also motivated by guilt over how she just yelled at Scorpia and said awful things to her -- like I said, Catra is complicated -- but alleviating her guilt doesn’t help her situation at all so that’s borderline)
If you want, there’s a whole tweet thread of instances of Catra showing care and empathy for others. Some of these are weaker than others and the list may not be complete, but they’re all there for your consideration.
In addition to the things she does for other people, a lot of this is in her body language. If you really watch Catra, you can see that being cruel does not come naturally to her and she feels conflicted about a lot of her choices (or is straight up haunted by them, like her nightmare about betraying Entrapta in 4x03). Likewise, you often see her expression soften when she sees someone in distress. There are so many examples, it’s something baked into her character and it’s evident throughout the show, even when she’s at her lowest. But I think people often miss these moments because she usually shoves that initial reaction down and reacts in a way that on paper just makes her look like a cruel villain. For instance, she has a particularly guilt-stricken moment in 4x12 when Kyle calls her out for treating her old squad badly before she reacts by shoving that guilt down and reasserting her power, as that’s the only thing protecting her.
You have to understand that Catra was taught both implicitly and explicitly that compassion and vulnerability are weaknesses. And throughout the show, oftentimes when she does open up or do something for someone else it results in her being hurt/betrayed. Shadow Weaver in 2x06 and Double Trouble in 4x13 teach her that trusting people and allowing them in is dangerous and only ends in pain and devastation (and with Shadow Weaver, it teaches her the same lesson about showing mercy). When she spirals into her homocidal/suicidal breakdown starting in 3x03 it’s because she finds out Shadow Weaver left her to join the rebellion, just like Adora, and that Bright Moon is now harboring her abuser (as she understands it). Thing is, that all happens just as she’s starting to open up to and actually befriend Scorpia, and even though Scorpia isn’t the one who hurt her it still reinforces that pattern that vulnerability and kindness comes before a horrible, life-shattering event. Because of all this, she hides the empathy and kindness intrinsic to her actual character under layers of power and cruelty to protect her broken heart from being hurt again and protect herself from getting removed from power, because that’s the only thing keeping her from becoming someone’s abuse victim again after so many years suffering under Shadow Weaver’s heel.
I totally hear you about wishing there was a bit more to Catra’s redemption arc, but much like the rest of her emotional arc a lot of it is implicit. I’m very glad they added that one moment where she talks about working on her anger as well as her mini arc with Perfuma in 5x10 that culminated in Perfuma’s speech about learning to be vulnerable so you can be happy. But there’s lots of smaller moments buried in the season too, where we see her conflicted and struggling with these impulses of protecting herself vs. opening up or showing kindness. I mean, her half of 5x06 was basically about that too, though that’s only the beginning of this journey. Having Melog around was great too because they not only mirror her emotions for the audience to see but also help her process said emotions. Basically, the redemption is a process for her and a lot of it is not super explicit but in the end I think we have all we need to understand who Catra really is and that she wants to do better and is going to continue to in the future.
Really, Catra’s redemption arc is not so much about making up for what she did (which I and many others wish there was more of but oh well) as it is about rediscovering her true self and honoring that, learning to be vulnerable and kind again. In the end, her willingness to open herself up to potential rejection and loss and her kindness and love motivating her to help Adora get to the Heart and complete her mission are what ended up saving the universe, and that was a very intentional choice by the creators. Catra’s journey is not about coming back to Adora, it’s about coming back to herself, and I think that’s beautiful.
Sorry for the offense my ask caused however I dont necessarily understand why you don't want to write Catra as she cannonically was for 90% of the series? It's like do you really like Catra as a character or do you just want a cute cat girl design that you can treat like an oc and give her any personality you want?
*sigh* Okay, you want to do this? Let’s go.
For reference, this is the ask in question.
I dont necessarily understand why you don't want to write Catra as she cannonically was for 90% of the series?
You’re right. That is how Catra was for a lot of the series. I’ve never shied away from that fact or tried to defend it. Catra was an unhealthy, toxic, terrible person. But to simply leave it at that is a surface reading which doesn’t take several things into account:
Environment: Catra grew up in a place where literally everyone hated her. Shadow Weaver and Hordak both threatened to kill her on multiple occasions, and Hordak tried twice to do so. As early as the third episode of season one, Lonnie makes it clear that the only thing that ever protected Catra in the Horde was Adora, meaning it was basically open season on her once Adora left. If she hadn’t been given the Force Captain badge to hide behind, things probably would have been a lot worse.
Opportunities: Catra was given almost no chances to really change aside from Adora insisting that she up and abandon the only life she knows (as terrible as that life is at least it’s the devil she knows). And every time she shows weakness, life comes back to kick her. Shadow Weaver gives a minute bit of kindness? Catra gives her what she wants, and Shadow Weaver uses it to escape and abandon Catra to whatever punishment Hordak will give her. Catra opens up to Scorpia? Hordak’s demon imp reports it back to Hordak. Catra is happy in the Crimson Waste? She finds out that Shadow Weaver abandoned her to go to Adora. Catra slowly hardens herself over the course of season 1-4 because she simply can’t afford not to do so. Being even slightly soft has, over and over, proven to be her downfall.
Mental Health: Catra pretty obviously has problems that aren’t addressed because the Horde doesn’t gaf about mental illness.
*C-PTSD - She was consistently abused and threatened by the person who was supposed to be her parental figure. That messes you up
*Depression - I mean... yeah. That one is just kind of obvious
*Borderline Personality Disorder - This is a very strong headcanon of mine (and a lot of the fandoms). BPD is a bitch of a mental illness. What are some of the symptoms? I’m glad you asked: An intense fear of abandonment, even going to extreme measures to avoid real or imagined separation or rejection || A pattern of unstable intense relationships, such as idealizing someone one moment and then suddenly believing the person doesn't care enough or is cruel || Rapid changes in self-identity and self-image that include shifting goals and values, and seeing yourself as bad or as if you don't exist at all (source). Any of that sound disturbingly familiar?
Catra’s Own Desires: As Double Trouble so eloquently put it “You try so hard to play the 'Big Bad Villain’ but your heart has never been it has it?” (Double Trouble, Destiny Part 2, 4x13). All Catra’s ever really wanted was acknowledgment that she’s worth something, to feel cared about, and Adora. That’s it. This post sums things up pretty well, imo - when asked what she wants, her focus is pulled to Adora. All of her dreams included Adora. It’s said right in the first episode: “We’re gonna see the world and conquer it.” (Catra, The Sword Part 1, 1x01). She tries to carry through with that plan on her own when Adora leaves, and we see how well that goes for her.
Catra Makes A Concentrated Effort To Change: Catra at the end of season four/beginning of season five is not the same Catra we’ve seen throughout the rest of the series. She’s down. She’s defeated. She’s seeking comfort in Glimmer’s company. And when push comes to shove, she does something she’s never done before - puts someone else’s life above her own survival. Her own life is officially forfeit. She knows what’ll happen to her when Glimmer is gone, and she doesn’t care. And she’s convinced no one else cares either. “There’s no one left in the entire universe who cares about me.” (Catra, Corridors, 5x03). She’s ready to die, but she wants to make amends with one person before she goes - Adora. She needs to apologize to Adora before she dies so maybe Adora will have a better memory of her than just the angry, bitter villain she became.
And when she actually survives, she tries really hard to fall back on that angry persona, because she’s afraid of getting hurt again. But Adora almost immediately takes that down.
“What do you care?! I know you all hate me!”
“I never hated you!”
*pause* “Then you’re even dumber than I thought.” (Catra, Adora, Taking Control, 5x06).
Catra isn’t trying to be cruel or insult Adora there. Okay, maybe she's being a little insulting, but most of the hate is directed at herself. She doesn’t understand why Adora doesn’t hate her. Why Adora even bothered to go back for her. In her mind, there’s no way Adora can still care about her after everything that’s happened. She can’t let herself believe it, because she knows she’s just going to get hurt in the end (see earlier point about BPD).
And when she realizes she’s actually going to live, and maybe she has another chance to set things right? She changes. She makes a very concentrated effort to be a better a person.
*“I’m sorry. I got angry. It’s something I’m working on.” (Catra, Shot In The Dark, 5x08)
*“I’m trying to be a better friend, that has to count for something.” (Catra, Return to the Fright Zone, 5x10)
*“No. I’m not leaving. Whatever happens, I’m staying!” (Catra, The Heart Part 2, 5x13)
We see Catra acknowledging and trying to work on her anger issues, making an effort to be a better friend, and refusing, for the first time, to run away when things start getting hard, even if it means watching Adora die. She also:
*Makes amends with Perfuma after their earlier fight in Return to the Fright Zone, and doesn’t argue with Perfuma when she implies Catra has feelings for Adora (which is a huge thing for her to do with someone she barely knows)
*Stands up to Shadow Weaver, her abuser, and then works with her to find and help Adora
*Once again puts her own life in danger for the greater good (staying behind to fight the infected security bug, which she knows will kill her (notice how she doesn’t look Adora in the eye when she says she’ll catch up)), in favor of letting Shadow Weaver help Adora to the Heart.
Has Catra fully changed by the end of the series? Of course not, she had to fight an alien invasion, it’s really hard to go through full character development while fighting a war. But she lays the groundwork for herself as early as 4x13, when she steps in to save Glimmer from being killed by Horde Prime. She saves Glimmer in 5x03 with zero expectations that anyone will come back and save her. She saw what Horde Prime did to Hordak and knows that’s probably her future, but she puts the greater good above her own desire to live (which is probably pretty low at that point anyway). And when Adora does come back? She’s angry. Not because of Adora’s hero complex (although that’s pretty frustrating as well), but because she doesn’t see herself as someone worth saving. “We both know I don’t matter” (Catra, Save the Cat, 5x05). She so deeply believes she’s worthless that even Adora coming back for her can’t have been out of any sense of love - it was just Adora wanting to play the hero again. She spends the rest of season five trying to be someone worth that sacrifice. Trying to be someone worth Adora’s love.
It's like do you really like Catra as a character or do you just want a cute cat girl design that you can treat like an oc and give her any personality you want?
Catra as a character is absolutely fascinating to me, mostly for the reasons I listed above - she’s not purely good or evil, she’s hugely impacted by the environment she grew up and the abuse she suffered, and she’s not the typical abuse victim we’re used to seeing in media - the one whose abuse made her kinder. Being abused made Catra bitter and angry. Catra worked to make herself kinder, to make herself a better person. That’s a conscious choice she makes and continues to make.
And the things you asked for? They’re also conscious choices:
she finds it too easy to physically lash out at Adora when stressed and expects her to take it bc "Adora is she-ra and it doesnt really hurt her anyway"
That’s abuse. That’s physical abuse no matter which way you slice it. That’s Catra making a choice to attack Adora using stress as an excuse because “Adora can take it.” Even at her worse, Catra never physically hurt someone outside of the battle - notable exceptions being Adora in 1x02 and Entrapta in 3x04, when she hits both of them with stun batons. And look at her face after each of those moments:
That’s not exactly the face of a brutal abuser. That’s someone who is just in way over her head and has no idea what she’s doing.
(It’s up to you if you want to include her slashing at Emily after her nightmare. Personally, I don’t, because it was a fear reaction and... Emily’s a robot.)
She gets angry, absolutely. She loses her temper and breaks things and threatens (usually by hitting the wall next to someone), but outside of battles, most of her attacks are verbal. Which leads me to my next point:
she keeps trying to manipulate people casually
Catra is absolutely amazing at reading people and making snap decisions on what to say that she thinks would get through to them or hurt them. Notable examples:
-Scorpia - “ And that's exactly why you have to go! How dare they pretend they're better just because you're different! How dare they abandon people just because they don't fit into their perfect little lives!” (Catra, 1x08, Princess Prom)
Entrapta - “They left you. They left you, and they’re not coming back. Isn’t that just like Adora? She left me behind, too. Like I was nothing. Adora got her precious Bow and Glimmer back. All these princesses care about is people who are just like them. But you’re not like them, are you?” (Catra, 1x10, The Beacon)
Hordak, after he says he needs Entrapta - “ Who do you think let the princesses in?” (Catra, 3x04, Moment of Truth)
Hell, even Horde Prime, in a way - she tells him that he needs her and Glimmer alive to activate the Heart of Etheria. Whether or not he’s actually convinced or if he’s just playing along to get what he wants is questionable, but she still had to think on her feet and used something she had known existed for like ten minutes (the Heart of Etheria).
And again, those are all choices she makes. Her manipulation skills are undeniable, but using them for fun would be falling back on old habits, something, again, she’s trying very hard not to do.
or she strikes a saleanis civilian when confronted
Again, Catra (aside from the two stun baton incidents) does not hit first outside of battle. Not to mention Salineas is probably one of worst regrets (along with the portal). She might tell someone to fuck off, especially if they bother her while she’s working, but hitting a civilian? That’s not even Old Catra. Old Catra would have just stopped and given them a death glare until they got scared and ran away.
It's like do you really like Catra as a character or do you just want a cute cat girl design that you can treat like an oc and give her any personality you want?
Season five Catra is meant to be a Catra who’s trying to heal and be a better person. Season four shows Catra slowly breaking down, all of the things that have made her personality up to this point - her anger, her resentment, the things she thinks she wants - being ripped away and leaving her empty. And when she survives Horde Prime, she can’t return to that persona. She tries in 5x06, and breaks halfway through because she just can’t do it anymore.
Adora confronts her twice, she tries to fall back into her old way of coping with things, and she’s exhausted by the end of it. She can’t maintain that kind of anger anymore. Four seasons and three-ish years later, she’s just... not capable of it.
But none of that means she’s “magically healed.” She still has a temper. She still lashes out and runs away when things get hard. She tries, and she backslides, because that’s what recovery is. Backsliding all the way to pre-Breakdown Catra, though? She can’t do that. Consciously, she knows no one will put up with it. Emotionally, she just can’t. And most importantly, she doesn’t want to. She wants to be a better person, she wants to be someone who deserves love and friendship.
And that is the Catra I enjoy writing. She’s not cutesy or ==^uWu^== - she’s broken. She’s trying to heal. She has sharp edges and trauma and she’s not always going to handle things well. But she’s also trying to learn better coping methods. She’s finally doing what she actually wants (recovering from the past and being a better person), and she deserves better than a fandom that wants her to go to back to being the toxic person she was pre-breakdown.
So I’m sorry if you don’t like my interpretation of Catra, Anon, but to be frank, I’m not too crazy about yours, either, so... I guess we’re done here.
One of the common anti-Entrapdak complaints I’ve seen is that Entrapta is being used to “heal” Hordak. That she’s playing that misogynistic, uncomfortable role of a woman who exists just to gentle a man.
I disagree with this for numerous reasons, the chief among them being that the writers have done way more with Entrapta as a character than limit her to such a role, but that’s beside the point. I’m not going to talk about that here. Instead, I’m going to talk about the concept of a person, or people, being used to heal another. In Hordak’s case, of course, but also in Catra’s.
There’s this notion I’ve seen presented that, once a person hits a certain level of “toxicity,” it is right and proper and encouraged to leave them. Or, if a character is introduced at a high level of toxicity/evil already, then they need to “work on that” before it’s acceptable for other people to offer them support.
And... ah, this is a difficult concept, because of course one must protect oneself, from abusers or otherwise. One cannot support and sacrifice for a dangerous person at the expense of one’s own life. Of course I understand that. Especially in Real Life. My stance on this is definitely not “help others at the expense of your own safety,” but I feel like sometimes people take this a bit far, particularly in the relatively danger-free realm of fiction. They take it to such a militant point that it appears that they expect ailing people to be able to make drastic life changes, handling their own pain and difficulties all alone, until they meet an arbitrary level of atonement and are allowed support.
Take Hordak: people complain that he’s too evil to deserve Entrapta, to deserve anyone helping him. That he hasn’t expressed any remorse for what he’s done. That he hasn’t put in the necessary work to deserve a friend. And I just... I think that this is an easy moral stance to take when looking at things from an outside perspective. Humans naturally want things to be “fair” in terms of effort and consequence; it’s a natural instinct born of a need to understand the laws of the world. It’s a survival thing. I get it. I get why there’s a discomfort with Hordak, evil as he is, magically being “rewarded” with a friend.
But at the same time, I look at Hordak and wonder: how can this man, whose entire history is one of unfathomable control and cruelty and abandonment, get better on his own? How is he supposed to pull from his uncommonly horrifying life experience and come up with “good person”? And... I mean, why should he have to, if there is a safe alternative? To me, it’s like demanding a sick person "work on themselves” before giving them medication, and I just don’t like it. Mind you, I could understand the argument that Entrapta shouldn’t befriend him if she was actually putting herself at risk, being harmed, by doing so, but she’s perfectly happy. He never actually harms her. They enjoy one another, and Hordak receives positive attention that truly helps him. I find it gentle and sweet and entirely inoffensive.
A good example of a relationship that does harm one of the participants is the one between Catra and Scorpia, but I love the way She-Ra handles this. Yes, Scorpia leaves Catra, probably when the latter needs her most. Yes, Catra basically breaks down because of it. And yes, Scorpia had to leave in order to protect herself (and Emily). And y’all must know that I was relieved for Scorpia when she left; I do think she did the right thing.
But Scorpia’s departure was never given this sort of... vindictive air. It was never portrayed as “Catra doesn’t deserve Scorpia until she gets her shit together!” Rather, it was just portrayed as unfortunate and sad, with Scorpia realizing that she just can’t help Catra in this way. She realizes that she and Emily are in danger, that she is out of her depth, and she takes the necessary steps to keep herself safe. No more, no less.
Scorpia didn’t want to leave. She didn’t get any sense of achieving justice out of it. It hurt her to do it, and she never stopped loving Catra, pointedly asking Glimmer not to hurt her once the two of them reached the Fright Zone. She left because she had to for safety reasons, not because Catra needed some sort of moral lesson before she was worthy of friends again.
I guess that’s what bothers me about some of the arguments I see sometimes: this odd confusion between leaving someone for one’s own safety and leaving someone in order to “teach them a lesson.” Or because they don’t “deserve” a companion. I feel like, at times, there’s this holier-than-thou attitude in deciding who gets to have a friend, and that rubs me the wrong way.
People, especially hurt, ailing people, need support. They need help. Whether that help comes from a friend, a family member, or a paid therapist, it’s a vital part of recovery. I find it difficult to believe that anyone is able to just... become a healthy person all by their lonesome. And while I understand that there is a delicate balance between helping someone and being taken advantage of, I’m continuously uncomfortable with the weird sort of vindictive glee some people express when denying help to a character until they’ve reached some arbitrary moral milestone.
I like how She-Ra handles these types of situations; I just wish I saw less rejection of it in the fandom.
Original Characters/Fankids: Odessa, Hydrangea, Tristan, features Adam and Molly
Pairing (i.e. ones having actual moments): Entrapdak, Scorfuma
Rating: M
Read on AO3. It always has more info there.
Venture
Entrapta places her recorder in her pocket, done for the time being. There have been advancements in the settlement on Beast Island. It continues to grow in size and technology, and contains more portals than other places on Etheria. Most places only have one portal, with Bright Moon having a few. The Whispering Woods contains the second-highest amount after Beast Island, predominantly so that if anyone gets lost, they will eventually find a portal and land in one of the main kingdoms, with that particular portal having that kingdom’s crest.
She and her lab partner have been diligent in the upkeep of Beast Island. It had taken time for the island to become fertile. First One’s tech had buried its roots deep within the earth, far below what anyone but drones could see. Soil had melded with machine, somehow: dirt containing minerals that were not of Etheria, and when they attempted to dig out the First One’s tech—mostly from the other princesses’ insistence that it be done—they learned their mistake when slumbering beasts and inanimate plants had sprung to life and attempted to kill them. That had been terri-fun-fying!
But it did confirm what Hordak and she suspected: Beast Island and the First One’s tech had morphed into one gigantic organism. A problem to be sure, however, they also proposed a radical hypothesis: by changing the code of First One’s tech, they could alter the parasitic relationship to a symbiotic one. That had been a major doozy, since there was so much, but it worked! The island had released its many species from its catatonic state, and they had called She-Ra to aid the process run smoother with her magic.
The First One’s tech proved to be a valuable asset in not only repairing Beast Island, but creating a thriving metropolis that used the natural resources and ancient machinery available. Buildings, bridges, plumbing, aqueducts, everything made by Horde clones was molded around the landscape. They were determined to function alongside the proper residents of Beast Island.
It really surprised everyone how well they behaved when not obeying the rules of a tyrannical madman.
Entrapta found life on Beast Island exciting and peaceful at the same time. Being the princess of Dryl, she would still go to her old home, but she pretty much gave it to Wrong Hordak and the other clones who desired to live a little closer to the other kingdoms, to mend relations and have a better comprehension of the way Etheria works. Hordak’s brothers were curious, inventive and engaging once they were free, and went through rehabilitation to cope with the loss of Prime.
They were all so cute!
Entrapta looks to her left, watching Hordak move around the room. He keeps his eyes on the clipboard, hair falling over his forehead. He taps the back of it with his fingers, humming to himself as he kneels down to inspect a piece of equipment.
Entrapta smiles, propping her cheek against her hand.
Hordak senses a gaze on him, and he looks at her, smiling, “Did you need anything?”
“No, I’m content,” she says. But none as cute as him.
-
Odessa disembarks first, greeted by several of her uncles, her parents and siblings. Imp flies toward her, landing lightly against her back. She instinctively moves to the piggyback position, kissing his cheek. Emily whirs happily, and she leans over to kiss the top of her dome.
“Find anything fascinating?” Imp plays back in Entrapta’s voice.
“Yes! There was a lot on the flagship that we had to explore,” she says.
“Ooh, what’d you get?” Entrapta herself asks, hanging upside down from a rafter.
“I’ll show you in a bit. Right now, I need these two to go,” Odessa says, annoyed.
“Your friends?” Hordak asks, confused.
“No,” she points at Adam and Molly, who are standing behind Tristan and Hydrangea.
“What are you two doing there?” Entrapta asks.
Adam, shameless, grins at her, “Oh, we snuck up on the ship! It was awesome!”
Entrapta blinks, surprised by this development. She furrows her brows, “Wait, so you two were on the ship for that long?”
“Yeah, it was great!” Adam says, jumping over to stand by Odessa. “Can’t wait to do it again!”
Odessa glares at him, the urge to grind him underfoot intense, “You could’ve jeopardized the mission!”
“Uh, but we didn’t? I don’t see the problem,” Adam replies, folding his arms.
“The problem is that we had to have two additional people on board! Our supplies were meant for three, you’re lucky we had spares!”
Entrapta moves in, looking at Adam, holding his arms out with her hair, “Ooh, so you used my suits! Tell me, did it affect your mobility? What was your heartrate? Can you grab me your suit so I can scrape your skin cells off the inside?”
“Mom, please,” Odessa begs. “I want to yell at this idiot!”
“I know, sweetie, but can’t it wait ‘til after I pluck some hairs?”
“No way, you can’t go plucking my hair!” Adam protests.
Odessa whirls on him, poking his shoulder not-too-gently, “You get involved with my mission and you think you’re in any position to object to anything!”
Hydrangea approaches her, “Des, calm down.”
“I’ll calm down when he gets out of my sight! Having to deal with you for this long was torture!”
Entrapta hovers over Adam’s head, measuring his body with her tape, lost in thought.
“Entrapta,” Hordak says, getting her, and their, attention. “Perhaps this is the time to lay out ground rules.”
“Oooh, gotcha!” Entrapta swings over to him, sitting atop her hair in a swift motion. She nods at Hordak.
He walks forward, hands behind his back, coming up to Adam and Molly. Molly shrinks under his scrutiny, while Adam has the decency to look like he fucked up for once. “I will send the two of you home by portal immediately. I will be speaking with your mothers to inform them of your behavior, to ensure neither of you tell them anything different.”
Molly groans inwardly, knowing she’ll be the only one to care. Adam is likely forgetting everything as it’s said.
Adam’s ears flatten against his head, annoyed, “Dude, no offense, but we didn’t do anything to risk her mission.”
“It is not a matter of you managing to be competent aboard the ship,” Hordak chastises. “It is the matter that you were not privy to the information or mission itself to begin with. Your inability to think ahead has always been a problem.”
“But—”
“Do not argue with me,” Hordak whispers, deadly quiet, leaning close. At Adam’s silence, he pulls back. “The two of you will accompany me to the portal now. Come.”
Adam keeps from huffing, crossing his arms, ears pressed to his head. Molly rubs her left arm, looking over her shoulder.
Tristan meets her gaze, giving her a reassuring smile.
With that, she follows her brother and Hordak.
Odessa turns to her mother once they’re out of range, “I found some things on the ship that I know you’ll be interested in.”
Entrapta squeals, “Oooh, I can’t wait to see it!”
Hydrangea yawns, patting Entrapta’s shoulder, “I’ll have to see you all tomorrow, I need to go home and see how things have been.”
“Aaaaw, so soon?” Entrapta asks.
“Unfortunately,” Hydrangea says, hugging her tight. “I’ll be back later after I get some rest.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Gea,” Odessa says, opening her arms for a hug of her own. Hydrangea shakes her a little, the two laughing, before heading toward the portal. Odessa looks up, “What about you, Tris?”
He shrugs, “I don’t have anywhere to be.”
“You’re welcome to hang out with us!” Entrapta shouts.
Emily spins in place, beeping with excitement.
“Awesome,” Tristan says, giving Imp a high-five as he flies around his head. “I can hang out with your siblings while you and your Mom talk science.”
Odessa touches her mother’s shoulder, “So, do you think Dad is going to be gone a while?”
“He does have to talk to Adora and Catra, so probably,” she replies.
“Okay, because maaaybe I should show you one of the things I found without him.”
Tristan raises a brow, while Entrapta blinks in puzzled silence.
-
“Oh my,” Entrapta breathes, peering into the case. “That’s my girl! Not a single mark or blemish on it.”
Odessa grins, “I know! It came out perfect.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to let your dad know?” Entrapta asks a second time. “I think he might find it interesting, too.”
Odessa’s lips are pursed for a moment, folding her arms across her chest. She sighs, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell Dad. I’ll ask him some questions to hint about it, I suppose, but I don’t know how he will feel about it.”
“I think it would be best to be upfront,” Entrapta says.
Odessa bites her lip, uncertain.
Entrapta continues to study the brain in the jar. These discoveries could be important, but she understands her daughter’s concern. Hordak has been making reparations for decades now, but when it enters especially sensitive territory about his time serving Horde Prime, he becomes sullen, despondent and incapable of holding a good mood. She doesn’t blame her husband either. That’s a part of his past that continues to pain him. The years have softened his heart, and he feels shame and guilt every day for things he had done. She doesn’t want to lie to him, but she doesn’t want to hurt him either.
She imagines that’s how her daughter feels. Ethical dilemmas are her least favorite kind.
“I will see how he feels by implication,” Odessa reaffirms. “I won’t do more than that, at present.”
Entrapta nods, not liking any of this, but standing by her child’s decision. She takes the jar in her hands, “We will study it later. Why don’t you go and take this to your room?”
“Alright, I’ll put it away real quick. I’ll be back to show you and Dad the other thing I found,” Odessa says, jumping toward the ceiling and heading into the vents.
Entrapta sighs, then her smile returns when she hears Hordak’s voice from behind, conversing with Tristan.
“You’re more than welcome to spend the night,” Hordak offers, clasping his hands behind his back. “We have plenty of rooms to accommodate your needs.”
Entrapta bounds over, eager, “We’re having mini pancakes in the morning!”
Tristan smiles at them, “Thank you! I’d be happy to.”
Odessa hops down at this moment, grabbing him into a headlock, “Cool! If Gea was here, it’d be like old times!”
Chuckling, Tristan pats her forearm, signaling for release, and she obliges. He gives a yawn and stretches, “I’m gonna head to bed, then.”
“Imp, Emily, can you show him to his room?” Odessa asks.
More than happy to, the three exit the room, leaving Odessa and her parents in the sanctum. She walks to her bag, “There wasn’t much on the flagship, but I did discover this.”
Hordak and Entrapta stare at shining fragments, clattering softly on the table. Entrapta holds one in a hair strand, “Pretty! Where was this?”
“It seemed to have been located in one of Prime’s trophy rooms.”
“Look, hon,” Entrapta says, holding it up to Hordak. “The craftsmanship for this must’ve been delicate and precise.”
Hordak takes it between his fingers, inspecting it slowly, quietly. It does have an air of elegance. He somewhat recalls seeing it before in that room. Lined with trinkets from planets no longer around. Hordak frowns, placing it on the table, “Did you find anything else?”
Odessa considers her words carefully. She says, “I did find an area that had past Primes.”
“Was it intact?”
“More than we expected.”
“Did anything of consequence come about?”
“I did interact with one of the bodies,” Odessa tells him. “But it’s nothing that important.”
Hordak peers closely at her, and Entrapta glances at the ground, trying not to pull down her mask.
“An entire vicinity filled with inanimate bodies, and you didn’t do anything with them?” Hordak asks.
“Not really. I turned one on by accident, though, so I got to take a close look at it.”
“That must’ve been elucidating, on some degree, I suppose,” Hordak scowls, tilting his head. He adds, “Well, there’s no need to go to the flagship anymore.”
“I know, Dad,” Odessa says, sitting on the table. “That part’s done with.”
Hordak pats her head, an unexplainable relief coming to him.
Odessa’s stomach grumbles, and she gives a sheepish grin, “Oh, guess I’m hungry.”
Entrapta beams, “Late-night snacks! We got lots of fizzy drinks! I missed my little drinking buddy.”
Laughing, Odessa hops to her feet, “Mom, the day we get actually drunk together is gonna be nuts.”
-
Tristan wakes up to the sound of scuttling on the walls. Seeing Imp climbing around, Tristan closes his eyes, getting drowsy again.
“Morning!” Odessa yells, jumping on top of him.
Tristan throws her off him, smirking as she falls, “Des, I’m sleeping…”
Landing with ease, she stands, arms akimbo, “But don’t you want to eat?”
He debates whether to leave the warm comfort of the bed or enjoy the warm comfort of mini pancakes.
Noooooo…
“Gea’s bringing the really good syrup,” Odessa teases, poking his shoulder with her hair.
He opens one eye.
Tristan doesn’t take much convincing afterward, pouring caramelized fruit syrup onto an assortment of small pancakes, his third helping. Hydrangea pours him and her a cup of green tea with lemon, setting his cup down in front of him. He says thanks with a full mouth, and she smiles at him.
Odessa, on her third plate too, licks her lips, “This is so good! You’re turning into a pro at making syrups.”
Taking a healthy sip of his tea, not minding the burn, Tristan lets out a satisfied sigh, “You keep this up, there’s no way I’ll be able to move.”
Entrapta looks up from her plate, peering closely at his face, “Have you been experiencing a slack in your metabolism? Are your joints functioning, or are you showing signs of muscle atrophy?”
Tristan smiles reassuringly, “No, no, I’m okay. The food’s just delicious.”
“It is!” Entrapta says, returning to her meal. She turns to Hordak, “Do you want to try any?”
“Hmm…” Hordak looks at the sweet cakes, drizzled with thick syrup. All of it golden in color. Pleasing to the eye, but he isn’t sure.
Entrapta grins at him, expectant.
“Very well,” Hordak says, taking her fork. He tries to not be aware of the eyes on him. Giving it a delicate sniff, he sticks it into his mouth, chewing meticulously. Thinking.
He looks at Hydrangea, giving a nod, “Excellent work.”
“T-Thank you!” she stammers, beyond shocked. She is going to remember this compliment for the rest of her life.
Entrapta, delighted he had a good experience, finishes up the rest of her food. Getting up, she announces, “Well, we’ll see you later! Hordak and I have a lot of work to do, so we won’t see you until tonight.”
“Alright, Mom,” Odessa says. “You two have a good day!”
Squealing at how adorable she is, Entrapta kisses her face multiple times as she says goodbye. Hordak pats her head before joining his lab partner.
“So,” Tristan begins, dabbing his mouth. “What are we up to today?”
Odessa turns to him, “I was thinking we might begin preparing for our next trip.”
Hydrangea sips her tea, “Our next trip will be when, do you think?”
“Preferably, sooner than later, and I am going to begin preparations in the coming days,” Odessa explains. “The next trip is going to be significantly longer, even with using portals.”
“How long do you expect?” Tristan asks.
“It might be more than a year,” Odessa answers.
“Oh!” Hydrangea says, setting down her cup. “More than a year… Where are we going?”
“I’d been thinking about it since we left the flagship,” Odessa says. “I think it would be provident to visit my uncles on Inicos. If no one on Etheria knows, maybe I have relatives that can give me better answers there.”
Tristan and Hydrangea glance at each other, both wondering what it would take to prepare it all.
“I understand it’s a lot,” Odessa tells them, aware that they’re unsure. “There’s no rush, since it will take a little time to prepare. I will inform you before we launch. Take your time to figure it out!”
Hydrangea smiles at her, “Alright, that’s good. It might take my parents a little convincing.”
“And you, Tris?”
“I’m sure I can figure something out with my folks,” Tristan replies.
“Excellent. I have a little bit to do around here for a couple hours, but I’ll meet up with you both later today.”
“That’s fine, I got stuff to do too,” Tristan stands, stretching out his arms.
Hydrangea claps her hands together, “I’ll see you guys later!”
-
Tristan doesn’t go home.
He swims through the ocean for several hours, thinking. Enveloped in the comfort of water, Tristan swims further down into the water, the light dissipating as he descends. Tristan looks to his side, shadows moving in the liquid black. He reaches out, skimming the surface of smooth skin. The aquatic behemoth lets out a sound of greeting, its voice thrumming through the water.
Swimming deeper, the pressure intensifying, darkness consuming his sight. He senses the scales of another animal, and it swims beside him for a while, enjoying his company. He loves to come down here. Communicate with all the oddities beneath the ocean, gliding along its floors, descending into greater trenches.
Despite what people think, the bottom of the ocean isn’t silent. There’s a cacophony of sound here, all varied in tone, pitch, and layered.
His mother never went beyond where dolphins ranged. Her demeanor, his father had told him, has remained exactly the same since they were young adults. But she has a penchant for cuter creatures, spending her time with more mammalian ocean-life.
His interest in creatures from dark depths was something she had no qualm telling him wasn’t to her taste. The first time he told her he would like to go out and swim into less shallow ends, she looked at him like he was bluffing. Like what he was telling her was a mere joke. At his insistence, she gave in, with much reluctance.
They swam toward the black, but never entered past where the dim sunlight ended. She told him it was an uninteresting place down there, and was rather disgusting. Made it obvious that she thought his choice was inferior to her own.
Tristan didn’t ask her to accompany him after that. He would only tell her he was going out, until it got to the day he knew it didn’t matter if he informed her of his whereabouts or not. She occupied her time and he was expected to do the same.
Being in this unfathomable space, he found a sense of peace. There was so much life here, unseen and unwanted by all above the surface.
He isn’t sure if anyone in his family had this desire for the darkness of the ocean, but he knows that he takes after his grandfather. Where once, Tristan shared the similar dolphin tail to swim, the more time he spent on his own, exploring, sensing, he found his own identity. His fin elongated, skin becoming sharp. No longer as agile or fast, but powerful all the same.
He pushes onward, tail propelling him downward still. Lost in thought and the feeling of not knowing where to go, but believing that if he keeps moving, he’ll eventually reach somewhere.
-
“I don’t like it,” Perfuma objects, arms crossed.
Hydrangea bites back a sigh, “Mom, it won’t be forever.”
“I think she’ll be able to handle herself,” Scorpia says.
“But for more than a year—”
Hydrangea sets down her teacup, “Mom, I know you’re worried about what will happen, but I would be among friends. And we would use a portal to help speed up the trip.”
Perfuma frowns, looking down at the table.
Scorpia turns to her daughter, “Hydrangea, hon, where is it you’re going again?”
“Inicos,” she explains again. “That planet where a majority of her uncles went to.”
Scorpia turns to her wife, “See, that’s good! That’s a planet where she’ll be more than okay.”
Perfuma rubs her temples. The idea of Hydrangea being gone for that long isn’t one that is sitting well with her. She would prefer if she remained in place. A child needs roots; what good would it do her to be away from home for that long? And there’s the fact it’s Odessa. There is no chance that this will be a one time thing. Hydrangea has been her friend for years; Odessa is too much like her mother—fixated on her goals.
“Mom, I don’t see any reason why you should be against this,” Hydrangea tells her.
Perfuma rises from her seat, “I’m going to bed. I will think about this.”
Hydrangea watches her mother go, knowing better than to continue her argument.
Scorpia sighs, “I’ll see if I can talk to her about it later.”
“Okay. There’s time left, but I would prefer to know sooner than later. You know how Odessa can be,” she replies, smiling.
Scorpia nods, sipping from her mug. There’s no reason for Perfuma to reject the notion, and with little base to go on. She knows Perfuma means well. She always does.
Once she encourages Hydrangea to retire for the evening as well, Scorpia leans against her bedroom door; she stares at Perfuma, brushing long yellow hair. Approaching her, Scorpia leans down to kiss the top of her head.
“I’m not wrong to be worried,” Perfuma says.
“I know.”
“I just…” Perfuma trails off, gently setting down her brush. “Hydrangea is growing up so fast, and I would prefer that she spend her time here, with her family.”
“I know it can be difficult. But when I was her age, I was getting ready to go out into the world.”
“Not for good reasons,” Perfuma says.
“The reasons aren’t really the point,” Scorpia says, holding up flaxen locks in a claw. She tried brushing Perfuma’s hair, once; she clipped right through it, and, horrified, she refrained from touching her for a good while. With practice, she can do it now, but only because she forced herself to try again. Even now, though, she feels… out of place. Bizarre and incongruous. She doesn’t want Hydrangea to lose her connections. To feel alone, and not know who she is. “The point is to let her discover what she wants out of her life.”
Perfuma reaches behind her, trailing her fingers along Scorpia’s jaw, “I know…”
“Give it some thought, at the very least,” Scorpia tells her.
Glancing down, Perfuma meets her wife’s eyes in the mirror, “I will see how I feel.”
-
The brain floats in its case. Undisturbed.
Odessa furrows her brows, wondering what she should do. Should she inform her father of her true intentions, or should she wait until she finds something of value to offer him? To show that it’s worth the effort?
She has deliberated over it for a while. She doesn’t want to exclude her father from the potential discoveries that await within the stars. But Prime…
He’s beyond a sore subject for Hordak. Her father is confident, proud, and immovable. But when Prime is delved into, either on a shallow or intimate level, he becomes sullen and distant. Similar to how he used to be, according to her mother. It normally takes Entrapta to bring him out of whatever reverie decides to perturb his thoughts.
Is it really a good idea to bring it up?
Odessa is not the sort to believe her father is weak. To the contrary, she has the highest respect and adoration for Hordak. And that’s partly why she hesitates to confide in him her plans.
He will eventually find out, though. He might not be good at picking up lies, but he is suspicious by nature.
Folding her arms, Odessa sits back in her chair, allowing the front legs to hover in the air. If she kept it a secret, he wouldn’t like it, but he may understand her reasoning if she explained why.
Ethical dilemmas are the worst.
“Odessaaaaa!”
“Hey, Mom,” she says, looking up at the ceiling.
“So, I was wondering what to prepare for your journey, and your father suggested that we give you a mini portal,” Entrapta says, hanging upside down. “The portal to Inicos will save you some time getting there, but if you want to send us something of value ahead of your arrivals, a mini portal might help!”
“Oh, that’s a good point!” Odessa says, feeling uncomfortable. “I’ll thank Dad for the idea later…”
Entrapta brushes Odessa’s cheek with a lock of her hair, “What’s wrong? Do you feel bad?”
“A little,” Odessa admits. “I don’t like not telling Dad anything, and, perhaps, I’m being unfair to you too—for having you keep it under wraps right now.”
Entrapta sits on her hair, “It’s not too late to be honest with him. Your father can handle more than we give credit for.”
“I know he can, but he has reservations about anything involving Prime,” Odessa says, shifting the chair back and forth. “He didn’t object to going to the flagship, but everything that comes after might not be to his liking.”
Entrapta places her hands on her cheeks, leaning forward, “Maybe we can try again to hint at it?”
“Dad’s too smart,” she says, setting the chair legs back on the ground and mimicking Entrapta’s position.
Entrapta and Odessa sit in silence for a few moments, each wondering about the best course of action.
“I still feel we should tell him,” Entrapta says.
“I do too, but I don’t want to risk Dad getting upset.”
“Then… I won’t say anything until you do.”
“Thanks,” Odessa replies, staring at the brain in the jar.
She doesn’t know why she hesitates so much when it comes to this. But she has inkling he might not approve. That isn’t a potential circumstance she wants tainting this trip—that he might not give his full support if he knew that this whole thing was to find out their origins.
-
Tristan lays in his room, staring up at the ceiling. Music plays in his ears, low and smooth in its lull. He can hear the faint sound of seagulls beyond his window, which gives him a growing sense of calm.
A knock on the door disturbs that calm. Annoyed, he says, “Yes?”
Mermista enters the bedroom, walking in. She inspects the room for a moment before addressing her son, “Are you busy?”
“No,” he answers, continuing to look at the ceiling.
“Good,” she tells him, folding her arms. “Because you’re needed downstairs to discuss matters in Salineas.”
Tristan groans, “I don’t know why I need to be down there.”
Mermista raises a brow, “You’re the prince, that’s why.”
He waves a hand in the air, “Still don’t see why I should.”
“Because I say so, how’s that for a reason?” Mermista declares, turning on her heel. “Hurry up, we can’t keep members waiting.”
He doesn’t move, wanting to drown out everything.
“Tristan, I said now!” she snaps from outside the door.
At the command, he throws his arms in exasperation, getting to his feet in a huff, “Fine!”
Walking quickly through marbled walls, Mermista shakes her head at him, “It wouldn’t kill you to be more involved with your kingdom.”
Tristan rolls his eyes.
“Don’t give me an attitude,” Mermista chastises. Another shake of her head, and she pauses mid-step to reach for his hair. “You don’t look the least bit presentable!”
“You told me to get going right now, you can’t get upset about that!”
“You should’ve been getting ready a while ago,” Mermista says, continuing to—very poorly—comb through his locks.
He steps backward, waving an arm, “I’m not a child, stop touching my hair!”
“If you didn’t look like crap, I wouldn’t need to,” Mermista says.
Tristan flushes in embarrassment and anger, “I never look like crap.”
“Right now you do,” Mermista insists. “Straighten your back.”
“It’d be a lot easier to do that if you got off my back,” Tristan snaps.
Mermista turns to narrow her eyes at him. She lets out a groan, “You know what, go back to your room. If you’re going to be immature, I’d prefer you not be there.”
With that, she continues walking without him.
Tristan stands there, miffed. Another waste of time! What does she even want? Whirling, he stomps back to his room.
This whole place is fucking stupid.
-
Hydrangea approaches Perfuma in the garden. Her mother seems to be in a good mood, “Hey, Mom.”
Perfuma turns, smiling, “Hello, dear! Would you hand me that water container please?”
Doing so, Hydrangea decides to mosey through the pathway. She lifts her hand over a row of violets, brushing their petals lightly with her fingertips. They respond to her touch, swaying gently beneath her palm.
“Is there something that you wanted, sweetheart?”
Hydrangea doesn’t look at her, listening to the flowers hum quietly, “I was wondering if we could discuss the trip.”
“Oh? I thought we dropped the matter,” Perfuma replies, tone nonchalant.
“No, Mom, you did,” Hydrangea says, voice equally collected.
Perfuma walks over to another section, pouring water into the soil, “There’s no reason to give an attitude, my young blossom.”
“Mom, no one is giving an attitude to you,” Hydrangea says, turning to her. “You’re the one who’s been avoidant about the issue since I mentioned it. Don’t you think you should hear me out?”
Perfuma sighs. Setting down the water pitcher, she places a hand on her cheek, “Alright… what is it?”
“All I’m asking is to go on an expedition for a while. I don’t think it’s that large of a request.”
“I believe you’re forgetting that you are a princess; you can’t go wandering the galaxy whenever you please—you have responsibilities here to your people!”
“I don’t understand your resistance. You’re always telling me that the best way to understand others is by putting yourself in their position.”
“You don’t have to travel around to do that,” Perfuma scoffs. “You can learn everything possible right here on Etheria.”
“Mom.”
“You aren’t ready to go out and be away from home for so long.”
“Traveling the galaxy is infinitely more safe than fighting a war, yet you did the latter around my age.”
Perfuma sighs, irritated, “You are being too argumentative.”
“I’m not being argumentative,” Hydrangea says, keeping her voice even, despite her own growing sense of frustration. “I’m trying to explain to you why this isn’t as bad as you make it out to be. This could be a really good experience for me!”
Perfuma shakes her head, “You are asking for too much at your age. You should be concentrating on your duties here on Plumeria, as well as your studies.”
“I haven’t slacked at all when it comes to my princess responsibilities. My studies are just fine, not to mention that if I travel around, I can learn about plants from other planets.”
Perfuma clasps her fingers together, taking a deep breath. Count to ten…
Hydrangea waits, knowing not to interrupt.
“I’m going to be frank with you, Hydrangea. I don’t like the idea of you traveling without proper support.”
“I’m not without support—Tristan should be coming too, and Odessa is capable. We’re going to be communicating with her parents, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“They’re not going with you?!”
Crap… “No?”
“That’s even more reason to not let you!”
Her patience wears a little thin, though Hydrangea keeps her temper levelled, “Mom, this isn’t a scary trip that is going to harm me. We’re going to a planet that has lots of Odessa’s relatives, we have a portal to go back to in case we want to arrive sooner, and we’re always well-stocked on supplies.”
Perfuma inhales through her nose, exhales through her mouth. She can’t help but be nervous about the idea of her baby girl going through the universe with absolutely no parental guidance whatsoever. She might not be a young child, but she has a lot to learn. Scorpia thinks she is being too restrictive, even though she doesn’t believe so. She didn’t have her parents during formative years, and she would’ve wanted to have direction when she was around Hydrangea’s age.
But she knows that Hydrangea is determined to help Odessa in any way possible.
Perfuma walks over to her daughter, patting her shoulder. She stares directly at her face, solemn. Hydrangea stares at her, expectant. Sighing, Perfuma gives a small smile, “Very well. I feel this is against my better judgment, but you are free to go.”
Hydrangea breaks into a beaming grin, “Really?! Thanks, Mom!”
“I want you to let me know what’s going on every day, okay?”
“Mom, I can’t do that, I’ll be busy. Once a month?”
“Weekly.”
“Biweekly.”
“I guess that will do...” Perfuma gives in. She can’t help but hug her close when Hydrangea embraces her tightly in her arms.
Hydrangea couldn’t believe her luck—she was actually given permission to go! This is going to be awesome!
-
“You want to do what now?” Mermista asks.
“I want to go with Odessa and Hydrangea on a space trip.”
“No.”
“Why?” Tristan asks.
“I say so.”
Leaning his cheek against his palm, Tristan scowls, glaring at the fruit spread along the table.
Mermista doesn’t look up from her food, “If you continue to frown like that, you’re going to get wrinkles faster.”
Tristan bites back a retort, knowing there’s no point arguing.
“I don’t understand why you even want to go space travel. There’s nothing out there that’s important to us Salineans.”
Tristan rises from his chair, “Fine. I get it.”
Mermista watches him go. He’s been more insistent on being away from home the last several years; he didn’t spend much time here for about a decade or so, choosing to go frolic with his friends nearly every day, and it was more so when Odessa would return from her trips. Mermista is not quite sure if this is something that all teenagers go through, or just her son in particular.
She spent much of her time in Salineas, occasionally visiting her friends from other parts of Etheria. But Tristan is the opposite of that.
Sighing, she doesn’t bother to call him back, listening to the faint echo of his footfalls past the doors. If he wants to be a brat someplace else, that’s his issue.
Tristan strides through the hallway in a huff, discontent written across his face. Never breaking his pace, Tristan heads outside, where the once calm surface churned and frothed as a raging sea. Diving straight into the waves, his tail morphs the moment his skin makes contact with cold water. The weather was unexpected, but that’s fine—he loved storms.
Racing through the darkening ocean, Tristan swims northwest. He doesn’t think of anything—simply revels in the sensation of darting through water. Eventually, the seas revert to a quiet demeanor. Approaching nearby docks, Tristan catches the sounds of roughhousing and glass breaking. Changing from tail to legs, Tristan moves his arms in a simple motion, wrapping water around the lower half of his body, he lifts himself onto the pier.
Walking toward the tavern, Tristan enters the establishment. Without another thought, he slides to the right, avoiding a body that got flung in his direction. Not looking down at the unfortunate patron, Tristan heads to the center of the room, glancing around.
“Alright, men! What do you say we go set a couple boats on fire!”
Tristan turns in the direction of the voice, accompanied shortly after by exasperated groans and complaints.
“Well, don’t everybody jump up at once,” Seahawk complains.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll come around when they’re not hungover,” Tristan says.
Seahawk looks up, grinning from ear to ear, “Tristan, my boy!”
“Hey, Dad,” he replies.
“Pull up a seat, son! Barkeep, a drink for the young man!”
Tristan watches one of his father’s friends fall onto the floor, passed out. Taking the chair for himself, he says, “You seem to be in a good mood.”
Seahawk twirls his moustache, “Ho ho ho, my boy, you’ll be pleased to know that I have an expedition coming up! A crew and I are supposed to go south and find a coveted treasure that hasn’t been seen for hundreds of years!”
“Oh yeah? What’s it called?”
Seahawk hums to himself, then waves his hand, “I can’t remember right now. But it’s bound to be a glorious trek across the grand blue that is the sea!”
The bartender places a drink in front of Tristan, who nods his thanks before taking a generous gulp. Tristan sets the mug down, “That’s great! It’s been awhile since you’ve done anything like that.”
“Indeed, my boy. And what about you? Have you been answering the wild call?”
Tristan traces the side of his mug, “Odessa does have an expedition coming up that would be fun.”
“Ah, sweet Odessa! That girl is always ready to explore. Hydrangea is going too, I presume?”
“Yeah, I don’t doubt that.”
“From the sound of it, you’re unsure about your place in this. Why don’t you go too?”
Tristan rolls his eyes, “You know how Mom can get.”
“My dear Mermista does tend to be unyielding,” Seahawk says, then shrugs. “Your mother doesn’t have to get upset about what she doesn’t know.”
Tristan smirks, “Dad, are you giving me permission to go?”
“No, but I’m not denying you the call to adventure, either!”
Shaking his head, Tristan takes another swig of beer. He slams it down on the table, much to his father’s delight. Seahawk shouts, “Barkeep, more of your finest alcohol, please!”
Tristan smiles to himself, relaxing in the midst of chaos. He might even sing a shanty with his dad for the shits and giggles of it.
-
Hordak has noticed a change in Odessa’s demeanor, however slight.
He didn’t think much of it, at first. She has been preoccupied with her upcoming mission, but she’s been working near non-stop since she returned from Prime’s flagship. Not wanting to pry into her affairs, Hordak believed it would be best to let her do as she pleases.
And it’s not that she’s pulling away from him. On the contrary, she’s always been an affectionate child with him and Entrapta. She’s, in essence, a good kid. But that’s the thing about good kids—they’re not total experts at covering up what they don’t want you to see.
Hordak comes up to Odessa, tinkering away with one of her personal tech projects. He leans slightly forward, “If you turn that bolt to the left, you should be able to get the polarity to work.”
Odessa, mutely, does so. At the sound of it working, she smiles at him, “Thanks, Dad!”
Smiling in turn, he pulls up a chair and sits beside her. He reaches for a wrench, and tightens a loose bolt, “You’ve been deep in thought as of late, Odessa. Are you excited for the expedition?”
“Yes! It’s going to be exciting,” she replies. She takes the wrench from her father with a lock of hair. “I haven’t heard from Tristan yet on whether he can come, but Hydrangea informed me her mothers are allowing her to go.”
Hordak gives a quiet nod. They enter the state of routine: Odessa works, and he watches. She asks for tools and he hands them to her. Their roles reversed from when she was a child. In addition, he gives her suggestions about what to do next and she’ll do it, or make notes for future projects. Hordak glances at Odessa. Not wanting to disturb the silence, but she breaks it first.
“What is it?” Odessa asks.
“Traveling to Inicos will take a fair amount of time,” Hordak begins. “Even with a portal taking you a part of the way, you will be absent for a while.”
Odessa giggles, looking up at him, “Aw, are you going to miss me, Dad?”
“Of course,” Hordak says, sincere. He turns to her, eyeing her movements. “You are my daughter. I want you to be safe on this mission. You’ve been gone before, but this is different…”
“It’s not too different,” Odessa replies, eyes centralized on her work. “I’ve been on trips before.”
Hordak inhales deeply, then exhales. “I know.” But there’s an aspect to this venture that is niggling the back of his mind. “You have a… passion for this journey that is dissimilar to the ones prior.”
Odessa’s hair moves around the table, skimming over the tools, “I guess I do.”
“Odessa.”
She looks up, meeting her father’s eyes.
“You would tell me about your goals, wouldn’t you?”
Odessa’s eyes flit over Hordak’s face, his expression earnest, open. “Yeah, Dad. I would.”
At his smile, Odessa stands up, “I’m going to get a snack. Do you want anything?”
“No, thank you. I’ll wait for you to return.”
“Okay,” Odessa tells him, walking out of the room.
Hordak’s smile fades, unable to shake that niggling sensation.
-
“Launch day!” Entrapta yells. “Are you excited, my little cupcake?”
“I’m born to be excited!” Odessa shouts.
The two look at each other, shaking their hands and screaming in anticipation. Emily spins in a circle, letting out a long beep, as Imp yells in his natural voice.
Hordak stands with his arms folded, chuckling.
Entrapta kicks her legs in the air, cackling at the top of her lungs, “This is an absolute thrill, and I’m not even going! Ooooh, my baby is going away for a while! Ah, I’ll miss seeing that cute widdle face every day!” For added emphasis, she squishes Odessa’s cheeks together, kissing her nose.
Odessa doesn’t pull away, a light blush on her cheeks, “I know, Mom. I’m gonna miss you too.”
Withdrawing, Entrapta goes into scientist-mode, “Now, remember: your uncles will be there to greet you and answer any questions you may have. By the time you arrive in Inicos, they should have a portal functioning again, so they can send you back to Etheria directly. Make sure to contact them when you are nearby.”
Odessa nods, shaking in place. Her heart always beats faster when she’s about to head out into space. She hasn’t been to Inicos in a long time, that it’ll practically be new. She has so much to look forward to! She hopes this won’t be a dead end before her true exploration begins.
She looks to her left, waving, “Gea! You’re here!”
Hydrangea walks up, Scorpia at her side, “Hey!”
Entrapta scuttles over to Scorpia, the two going for a large hug. Scorpia picks up Hordak, and he shakes his head in resignation, despite the smirk on his face.
“Must you?” he asks.
“Every time, Lord Hordak!” Scorpia teases.
“Scorpia,” he threatens.
“Whoa, haven’t heard that tone for years!” Scorpia says, setting him down. “Brings back memories.”
“I know,” Entrapta says in a softer tone, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
Hordak blushes, clearing his throat.
Hydrangea glances around the hanger, “Where’s Tristan?”
Odessa shrugs, “I’m not sure. I haven’t heard from him in a while.”
“He’ll be here soon, I think,” Hydrangea replies.
Odessa isn’t sure. She’s been holding out on his reply for weeks. Well, it’s not that she isn’t sure about his intentions; it’s his parents she isn’t certain of, and even then it’s just the one.
Hydrangea touches her shoulder, “I’m going to get my things inside the ship. Relay the plan to me when I get back.”
“Alright,” Odessa says. Arms folded, she taps her fingers quickly against her skin.
The hours pass and Odessa sets the final cargo in Celeste’s compartments. Sighing, growing frustrated and upset, she continues moving about the ship.
Hydrangea stares out at the front, equally worried.
Entrapta walks up to Odessa, “Has he arrived yet?”
“No.”
“I have everything set up for you in the cockpit,” Entrapta says, sitting on her hair.
“Thanks, Mom.”
Entrapta pats her back, “You still have an hour before you head out.”
“I know.”
Hydrangea suddenly yells, “Tristan! There you are!”
Odessa looks up, screaming at him, “You son of a bitch, where’ve you been?!”
Tristan runs up to them, an apologetic grin on his face, “Packing!”
Hydrangea holds a hand to her chest, “Thank goodness, we were beginning to worry.”
“If you missed out on this trip, I was going to be pissed at you forever,” Odessa tells him.
Tristan laughs, placing his luggage in the ship, “Well, you can love me more now.”
Odessa rolls her eyes, despite the smirk on her face.
Soon enough, they’re heading inside the spaceship. Entrapta is squealing in joy, kissing Odessa’s face. Scorpia hugs Hydrangea tightly, and pulls Tristan in for good measure.
“Have fun! Keep me updated on all the cool stuff you find!” Entrapta says.
“You got it, Mom!” Odessa replies, giving a salute.
Hordak comes up to her, patting the top of her hair, “Take care, Odessa.”
She pushes the top of her head into his palm, “I will. You know me, I can handle anything.”
He smiles down at her, “I know you can. But…”
“But?” she repeats, eyes bright and alert.
“Nothing,” he replies. He draws his arms behind his back, “I wish you safe travels.”
Odessa beams at her parents, kissing both of them on the cheek. She runs into Celeste, and waves at her family as the ramp closes, “I’ll see you all soon!”
Hydrangea and Tristan are already in the cockpit, awaiting her instructions.
“You guys ready?”
“Ready!” they crow together.
“Let’s go!”
Celeste rises into the air, and once it breaks the atmosphere, it gives a jolt of energy and light.
Scorpia wipes her eyes, “Ah, I forget they’re not little anymore.”
Entrapta pats her shoulder, “We made food, do you want to join us?”
“That’d be nice,” Scorpia says.
Entrapta turns to Hordak, “You coming?”
“In a moment,” Hordak replies, staring up at the sky.
Smiling, she pushes up from the ground on her pigtails, placing a soft kiss on his lips, “She’ll be okay.”
Hordak’s gaze scans the stars. Wondering if he should’ve been more forthright with his thoughts. He supposes he can talk to her at a later point…
Observing the sky, he waits until it darkens before heading inside.
Alright it's time for more of my controversial opinions on the she Ra finally, as some might know I didn't like it too much. To clarify I thought it started out really well at first and I was really excited to see where it would go, but by like episode 5 or whatever I just knew. It was sort of anticlimatic if I'm honest, and I have a few honest criticisms. Now I'm not gonna go through all these now, I'm actually just gonna focus on what I considered to be the biggest problem of season 5 and honestly the whole show.
Before I get into it this is just my honest opinions and if I hated the show I wouldn't have kept up with all the season and been a fan. I love she Ra and I really wanted to love season 5 I just couldn't. That's not to say it was bad, there was a lot of good stuff.
Also, also I am going to be talking about Catra and adora and their relationship. I'm not an anti or anything it's just a few comments about the execution. This is about Catra as a whole not just this one ship.
Let's begin: Catra has always been a well liked but controversial character back in seasons 1 and 2 her actions were fine, while harsh she was at least understandable to an extent. Most people who liked her wanted to she her growth and redemption. Me on the other hand I've never been a fan personally but I didn't mind her too much early on. Later, however is where the problems come into play.
In order for season 5 to have worked Catra needed to be properly redeemed because she's done some awful crap. And to make my case I'll list off a few things she's done: actively attacked adora and her friends on multiple occasions, took enjoyment out of hurting others and seeing the horde take over, stabbed entrapta in the back literally, threatened scorpia, and opened the portal.
Now I know what you're thinking, yes we know this, so what she's better now in season 5 she's redeemed herself. Yes at the end of season 5 Catra is redeemed but the question is how? And why?
Catra and her redemption story has been compared to zuko and his story. Which I think is a little unfair because it's just not on the same level. Don't get me wrong compared to other redemption attempts it's definitely a win. I don't wanna compare these two it's not necessary people learn and grow in different ways.
I didn't like Catra's redemption because it felt too easy. It didn't hurt and because it wasn't painful it didn't feel earned. However people who talked about Catra and season 5 talked about it making them cry and honesty it only made me tear up one and it wasn't ever in a scene about Catra or adora, or even glimmer. It was when entrapta was talking to mermista and she realized that everyone was mad at her. So maybe my emotions are just shot, or something.
Despite not like season 5 all that much I did however like Catra this season. I've never liked Catra, I liked her momentarily in season 3 before she started making horrible decision, but other than that I didn't like her. So in season 5 Catra was well written. And it's because of character interaction.
Something spop has always done well is showing us how characters interact and what their dynamic is which makes scenes more interesting and how Catra talked with everyone was great it felt natural, almost too natural. I get that our heroes are supposed to be forgiving they're heroes but it's one thing to forgive and another thing to forget completely. There are only two times Catra really gets called out for her previous actions. The first is when frosta bless her heart, punches Catra right on the face and this scene is played off for laughs because Catra brushes off the punch and also frosta apologizes because she didn't realize Catra is on their side now. They all just too adora's word about Catra being good now. Then she's confronted again by perfuma who's just upset about how she treated scorpia. Which was bad we'll talk about that later but she's done so many other things to get mad over. Like anyone remember when mermista's home got taken over Catra pratically led that siege, mermista was heartbroken she lost her home.
So that's issue one how she integrates easily into being friends with everyone else.
Next is...
Oof, let's talk about Glimmer and Catra. Them being stuck together was interesting because their situation helped them both grow and tested their resolve which is great. Their relationship is really well written. We just have one small, tiny problem... Catra killed glimmers mom!!!
Are we just never gonna talk about that I mean the opening of the portal in season 3 and the death of Angella are two really big issue because they're the point of no return for Catra and Glimmer.
Catra actively opening the portal to spite adora and potentially destroy the planet turned Catra from a simple kid making mistakes because of her circumstances to someone who genuinely doesn't care about the suffering and potential death of others as long as she can prove a point. It made her a real threat and a potential villain.
Angellas death made glimmer queen and it also made her cold and willing to seek vengeance despite them being the good guys. She was willing to take matters into her own hands even if it meant going a little too far. Both of these characters changed in season 3 and those continued into season 4.
So if these events had such a great impact why aren't they brought up??? Simple because we need a happy ending and that can't happen if we're talking about dead parents.
Out of all the people that Catra apologised to shouldn't glimmer be first on that list. Doesn't she deserve at least that much.
My next point and the one I'm probably most bitter about is Catra and scorpia.
It's safe to say their relationship has always been a little weird. In the very beginning of seems very one sided with Scorpia hanging onto catra's every word. Then with time we see that Catra does actually care about scorpia she just doesn't like to show it. Which is fine until you guessed it season 3 where Catra's character really falls down to the point of no return.
So let's recap throughout season 3 while Catra and scorpia were together you could see the beginning of something and honesty it was pretty cute. Then the ending happened and Catra attacks entrapta and threatened to do the same to scorpia and suddenly everything was broken. All throughout season 4 we see nothing but hurtful words from Catra towards everyone but especially scorpia who's just being loyal. Finally scorpia gets tired and she basically puts Catra through one more test involving Emily before deciding to leave.
This relationship was the one I was really looking forward to seeing in season 5, but all we get is one small apology in the last episode and that's it.
Throughout this season they pratically had scorpia and Catra forget about each other completely.
When scorpia left the horde she did it because she felt she had to in order to both save entrapta and Emily. She wasn't fully okay with her decision until she met the other princesses and realized they're nothing like the horde. Still she never forgot about Catra because scorpia's whole thing is loyalty so how did she just get over her feelings for Catra especially when doesn't know where she is and hasn't heard anything about her. I know the situation was dangerous but still.
It was all pretty upsetting. Moving on...
In my final moments I wanna talk about catradora and also a little about shadoweaver.
Shadoweaver died and well... I expected that you really can't redeem her. It's not impossible but no one would ever accept it because people can't really change and nothing can ever make up for the mistakes she made in the past and the way she manipulated people. It's weird how I can't tell of I'm talking about shadoweaver or Catra anymore. They did a lot of the same things and yet... Catra is never really blamed for anything. Same with Hordak the fandom blames him for crap all the time but when Catra hurts people it's okay. Shadoweaver and Hordak are different cases they're older than her, well let's compare glimmer in season 4 grieving over her mother and making mistakes and everyone getting mad and expecting her to be held accountable, why is there such a double standard for Catra???
Anywho Catra and Adora's relationship is apparently the only thing everyone cared about will they be together??? After season 3 the chances were very small, but guess what they ended up together. Honestly when I say I get a little annoyed around episode 5 it's because they made it really obvious they're gonna end up together happily ever after style. Honestly I don't have the energy after this long post to criticize it. I just wish it was a little more tactful in the beginning and less blatantly obvious. But whatever!!!
Scorpia/Entrapta? (I don't ship them but I just love your take on she ra ships and this one is your otp, if I'm not mistaken 🤔)
1. My take on their canon relationship:
They ARE my OTP!!!!! THEY!!!! LOVE EACH OTHER!!! SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!
Every season I am fed with loving content between them, even the ones where they barely have any time to interact. Entrapta, upon meeting Scorpia, is captured and held prisoner, but like… she doesn’t mind? There is no part of her that distrusts Scorpia, largely because Scorpia is giving her nothing to distrust. Where the Rebels and Horde both wanted Entrapta for her technology, for what she could do for them, Scorpia exclusively wanted Entrapta around just because she… likes her. She likes hanging out with her, she likes talking to her, she likes helping her move in and likes assisting her in her lab. Scorpia prattles on and on and on about mundane things that happen in her life and Entrapta listens. More than that, Entrapta records her, she has determined that what Scorpia has to say is important enough to have on record and easily refers back to what was said later (”Did I ever tell you about how Catra and I were on a boat?” “Pretty sure you did *checks* Yup! You did :D). What Scorpia says and does has value to Entrapta, Scorpia is heard by Entrapta! And Scorpia never judges Entrapta for multitasking or not making eye-contact during their conversations. The two, if you pay attention (which I do) only very rarely look each other directly in the eye. A lot of times, Entrapta’s busy with a project, or they’re both looking at a screen or piece of machinery or something. And we know this is something relevant to Entrapta, because in her conversations with Hordak she DOES clarify (No no no, I”m listening, I’m listening!)
And Scorpia listens to her! She doesn’t understand a ton of it because Entrapta’s expertise is a little out of Scorpia’s league, but she listens to her! When Entrapta’s excited, Scorpia gets excited! When Entrapta talks about her passions, Scorpia listens and remembers. Her impression of her in s4 was adorable and hilarious, but also pretty on-point. There’s this beautiful mutual give and take to their conversations, and I love it. They’re also, just, like, friends?? Neither of them wants the other FOR anything, they just like each other! They enjoy their time spent together, and seek each other out when they’re not busy. They fling themselves into each other’s arms and start dancing within a DAY of officially meeting each other (while still technically being on opposite sides), they eat tiny cupcakes and hold hands on the couch, they make tiny hot cocoa, they work on projects together, they laugh and they get into each other’s personal space and they just. They like each other. Also, while I’m on the subject, Entrapta specifically hid the fact that she’d already gotten the first one’s tech in the northern reach because she didn’t want to go back to the Horde yet, because she was having so much fun! Sure Catra was part of it, but she just genuinely likes hanging out with her friends!
And oh, then, after everything went down in the end of s3, Entrapta was Scorpia’s reason for growth and healing. The guilt of not protecting Entrapta was a contributing factor into how protective Scorpia was of Emily (do you even eat?), the harsh realization that Catra doesn’t care about others came ONLY at the reminder that ENTRAPTA was hurt. She left the Horde. FOR HER. She made her way through the shifting landscape of the whispering woods, FOR HER. She placed herself in front of the other princesses, who she knew had no reason to help or trust her, FOR ENTRAPTA.
And, if you’ll note, on Beast Island, when Bow and Adora were squished into the big robot with Entrapta, they try and get her onto the same page as them. Being on Beast Island destabilized Entrapta’s thought process a little; she wasn’t remembering everything, some stuff seemed hazy to her, she recorded “I have confirmed that the outside world still exists” like that was revolutionary info, she was BLOCKING out anything that could count as a bad memory. However, it was only when Bow said “Scorpia told us what happened, she and the other princesses are waiting for you in Bright Moon” that Entrapta actually stopped the bot. Until then she’d only really shown any sign of actually listening to them in the form of lowering her face guard when Bow brought up Hordak, but it was SCORPIA that brought everything to a grinding halt. And then she just sat there. Staring straight ahead. Unmoving. Until Adora brought up the heart of etheria project and her brain could switch back to something “fun and lighthearted and easy” by Entrapta definitions of fun, lighthearted, and easy.
Even when they’re apart, they’re just. *clenches fists* soulmates
2. Do I ship them:
YEAH MY MAIN OTP DUDES
3. Reasons why I do/don’t ship them;
All that love, all that devotion, all that friendship, plus the hottest character in the show, plus the size difference, plus the monsterfucker mad scientist aesthetic, plus the lesbianism? How could I not???
4. Headcanon, if any:
Entrapta’s had a crush on her since sometime mid-s2 but knew Scorpia had a crush on Catra and has resolved to never ever bring it up bc her friendship means far, far too much to her to risk making it awkward.
5. How much do I ship (%):
101% I know I swore I wouldn’t go over 100 but listen. Listen. They deserve it.
