CATRA CATCHALL

[divineimpulse]

Comments

[supercatty]

[oh NO. she is CORNERED]

[her expression grows a bit slack, ears perking forward, before she huffs and folds her arms

Well, you know.

You guys seem like the type to freak out? I didn't want you freaking out.

[divineimpulse]

We definitely would have freaked out.

[she says with the neutralest expression to ever neutral.

byleth sits on the bed.]

Would you like to share some tea, before you go?

[supercatty]

[. . . well. everyone else would have freaked out. in her mind, Byleth would have stared blankly into the distance]

[she flicks her tail, then shrugs]

It's not until tomorrow anyway, right? So sure. Whatcha got?

[divineimpulse]

Do you have a favorite? [tea.]

[supercatty]

[uuuum]

Nnnno. We didn't have tea in the Horde.

[divineimpulse]

[hmmm]

I think I have an idea.

[she gestures. follow.]

Do you like smoke?

[supercatty]

Smoke? Like. . . fire smoke?

[following, but she seems a bit bewildered]

[divineimpulse]

Like that.

[she leads her to the mug, tea, and pastry collection, and turns the kettle on, then rifles around until she finds something.]

Smell this.

[she opens a box, and

it smells like? woodsmoked tea? almost... bacony? but it's probably just because of the smoke??]

[supercatty]

[Catra obediently leans forward to sniff in the box, ears perking forward when the smoky notes of the scent reach her sensitive nose]

Oh. . .

[she does like that, actually!!]

. . . it smells nice, for being smoke.

[divineimpulse]

[she nods happily as she extracts two teabags from the box, and sets about making tea for the both of them.]

It's a smoked tea. So, less delicate—but just as good.

[supercatty]

[watching this whole process. she actually has never seen tea made before]

. . . I don't know anything about tea? We didn't have tea in the Horde.

[divineimpulse]

[gasp! her eyebrows quirk at the idea of none tea. she is now addicted. but.]

I never had tea until I went to the Monastery, either.

[supercatty]

. . . oh.

[someone. . . like her? though there's something else in that statement that piques her interest]

What's a monastery?

[divineimpulse]

It's a center for the main religion of Fódlan.

It's also where the Officer's Academy I taught at is.

[supercatty]

[RELIGION. . . makes a face at that, and then kind of stiffens a bit when she mentions an Officer's Academy]

That sounds like a military training post.

[divineimpulse]

It was a place for young people to train to become accustomed to warfare, combat, and leadership.

So... something like that.

[supercatty]

[. . . aha. . .]

Like the Horde.

[she says quietly, without any accusations]

[divineimpulse]

[...]

What's the Horde?

Is that where you grew up?

[supercatty]

[bluntly]

An alien army trying to take over the entire planet.

It's based out of a place called the Fright Zone. And yeah; that's where I grew up.

[divineimpulse]

[...]

Those names seem rather intimidating.

[but it was good of her to share—that has to be reciprocal, in her experience.]

I grew up as a mercenary from the time I was born.

[as she speaks, she withdraws the teabags from both mugs, and sets one mug in front of catra.]

[supercatty]

[she picks up the mug, cradling it between her hands as she takes a sniff. it smells so nice. . . she doesn't know why she finds the smell of fire smoke so soothing, but. . . she does]

So a lot of fighting for you too, huh.

[a different kind of fighting, but still]

I feel like that explains a lot about you.

[divineimpulse]

[she nods.]

My Father was a mercenary, so I was, too.

I can't remember a time I wasn't holding a weapon in my hand.

[so, yeah. a lot of explanation.

she sips the smoky tea, and lets out a little satisfied breath. good stuff.]

[supercatty]

[Catra follows sut, sipping at the tea as well, ears flicking forward when she tastes it. pretty good. . .]

That must be why you're so hard to read.

I can't ever tell what you're really thinking.

[divineimpulse]

[...]

I've been told that I've always been that way.

Some people don't like it.

[supercatty]

[oh. . . well, Catra can't deny that it's a bit unnerving, but--]

It doesn't really matter what other people think. It's just who you are, right?