[ Claude grins at her as she comes closer. She looks cute all bundled up. ]
You might be able to squeeze into one, but I like to think I have a little more bulk. [ Then, a little more genuine, ] I hope you haven't been having too hard a time so far.
[whew! that's. . . a lot, but. . . it's not unlike some of the hazing that would happen in the Horde. she may have a newfound respect for Claude, here]
Hah. That's usually the only way to get them to stop, is it?
Be bigger, badder, and stronger than they are. [. . .] No matter what.
[ He crosses his arms, glancing down as he thinks about her words. ]
Maybe at first. Eventually I realized that it didn't matter how much stronger or smarter than them I was, they'd always hate me. I don't think it even mattered to them whether or not their attacks were effective, they just wanted me to know that I was nothing to them.
Still. It's pretty terrible you had to go through that.
[another pause. her ears flatten a bit, and she opens her mouth like she wants to say something else, to tell him that she understands-- unfortunately-- what it's like]
[ Claude's fists are clenched even before the memory fades. He'd felt Catra's grief as his own, the loneliness, betrayal and desperation. He remembers it for himself, and seeing it in her makes him furious.
He has to take a breath to reign in his emotions. ]
[Catra is curled in on herself by the time the memory ends, arms crossed over her torso and ears flat, eyes wide and tail curled at her feet. that. . . was a memory she never wanted to relive]
S-- Shadow Weaver. . .
[even now there's a note of fear and grief in her tone, intermingled with obvious rage, before she bites her tongue and swallows it all down]
[ He says this with the utmost seriousness, body still tight with rage until... he sees her. Curled in toward herself, and the sight beats the anger out of him.
She shouldn't look like that. ]
... A poison that no antidote can easily cure, I'm afraid.
[ He moves closer, but doesn't touch her. ]
But I hope that you at least never need to swallow it again.
Last time I checked, she was with-- [Adora. because of course she was. abandoning Catra to return to her golden child. . . typical Shadow Weaver behavior]
[Catra swallows down the bitterness and looks away]
Anyway, I don't know where she is now. And I don't care, either.
[she stiffens, fur standing on end slightly, but that's not his fault. despite touch week being last week, she's not used to this kind of physical affection]
[plus, what he's saying is--]
[. . .]
[. . . she doesn't look like she believes it. but she isn't arguing, either]
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There's no point in keeping his distance, so he wanders over, not wanting to yell his response to her. ]
If it's anything like our sudden predilection toward hugs, I'd say the rest of the week.
[ He looks tired. ]
A long time to try and avoid people.
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[she pads towards him as well; he'll notice she's wearing boots (BECAUSE OF THE SNOW) and a nice scarf around her neck]
Well, I have always been a loner. Seems like a good idea to hole up in a closet somewhere until it all blows over.
[so. wry]
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You might be able to squeeze into one, but I like to think I have a little more bulk. [ Then, a little more genuine, ] I hope you haven't been having too hard a time so far.
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I've been managing. Just like I always do.
[. .. ]
[and then, super casually, because she's nosy--]
Were you poisoned like that on a regular basis?
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Yeah, for a while. Until they realized that I could poison them better than they could me.
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Hah. That's usually the only way to get them to stop, is it?
Be bigger, badder, and stronger than they are. [. . .] No matter what.
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[ He crosses his arms, glancing down as he thinks about her words. ]
Maybe at first. Eventually I realized that it didn't matter how much stronger or smarter than them I was, they'd always hate me. I don't think it even mattered to them whether or not their attacks were effective, they just wanted me to know that I was nothing to them.
I'll never understand why, though.
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[haha wow!! this sounds familiar!! in some ways!!]
People like that don't matter.
[says the girl who always let other people's opinions of her matter, whether she wanted to or not]
You have your own goals and dreams. And you're not going after them to prove yourself or anything.
You're just doing it to be yourself.
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You're right about that. Thankfully I stopped caring what they thought of me.
And I decided to create a world where people like that have no ground to stand on. As difficult as it is.
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[another tail flick]
Still. It's pretty terrible you had to go through that.
[another pause. her ears flatten a bit, and she opens her mouth like she wants to say something else, to tell him that she understands-- unfortunately-- what it's like]
[but]
[a memory speaks for her]
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He has to take a breath to reign in his emotions. ]
That woman is dirt.
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S-- Shadow Weaver. . .
[even now there's a note of fear and grief in her tone, intermingled with obvious rage, before she bites her tongue and swallows it all down]
[. . .]
. . . my own version of being poisoned, I guess.
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[ He says this with the utmost seriousness, body still tight with rage until... he sees her. Curled in toward herself, and the sight beats the anger out of him.
She shouldn't look like that. ]
... A poison that no antidote can easily cure, I'm afraid.
[ He moves closer, but doesn't touch her. ]
But I hope that you at least never need to swallow it again.
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Last time I checked, she was with-- [Adora. because of course she was. abandoning Catra to return to her golden child. . . typical Shadow Weaver behavior]
[Catra swallows down the bitterness and looks away]
Anyway, I don't know where she is now. And I don't care, either.
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[ He reaches out... tentatively putting a hand on her shoulder. ]
You're worth much more than her opinion of you.
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[plus, what he's saying is--]
[. . .]
[. . . she doesn't look like she believes it. but she isn't arguing, either]
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[ He doesn't mind the lack of response, smiling softly at her. ]
I have to lie to myself a lot until it becomes true too.
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[and then, quietly, like she isn't really sure how to admit to this--]
How long does it take?
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Hard to say. Weeks, years? Depends on how much you have around you that helps you believe it.
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Up until recently, I really thought I was the only one who cared about-- well.
Me.
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... Yeah. I know the feeling. [ He perks up a little though, winking at her. ] But now you have plenty of annoying people in your corner, you know?
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Yeah? And I have no idea how to get rid of them, either.