Chapter Text
There was a popular saying— ‘like a magicat in water’. If one was distraught enough, uncomfortable enough, they would be told they looked like a magicat in water. It was often used as an insult, and magicats particularly took offence to this.
Catra, for once, was a literal magicat in water. She was uncomfortable to a degree, but certainly not because of the deep tub she was currently lounging in. She had her speakers on full blast, the bass rumbling through the house in the perfect combination of too loud and distracting.
Still, Catra couldn’t help herself. She was in her favourite bath, soaking in rose scented water with a comically large goblet of wine on a small table nearby. On any other day, this would be pure bliss. Catra often liked to banish social media, especially her cellphone, when she took to the bath. This was her time to self-reflect, to go over her lines and analyze the day’s interactions.
But no, this time she was breaking her own damn rules, and she was growing more irritated by the second. The wine was still sweet on her tongue, but she was biting down hard on it, trying not to break skin and bleed.
Her latest movie had gone to theatres, and the reviews were in—and they were all negative. Catra wasn’t so weak that a few nasty comments could beat her down. No, her childhood had done enough of that to her that she knew how to shove it down and aside, ignore it like a scabbing wound. What was irritating her particularly was the near lack of comment on her. For once, she hadn’t been a two-second background character. Sure, her role hadn’t been that big. Her script had been three pages in total. But still, it was more than Catra had gotten in a long time.
It was easy to get the toothpaste adverts, the modelling for new gardening tools and the like. But the real challenge was getting a role for something big. Something that would put all eyes on her, that would make people recognize her.
That thought, and the memories that it brought up, made the sweetness on her tongue turn bitter. She was half tempted to simply toss her phone in the bath water, so done with everything in the dampness of her mood.
But no, her music switched off and she heard familiar heels clicking on her floor before the bathroom door burst open with flourish. Double Trouble filled the doorway, their pale blonde hair spilling over one shoulder. They glanced about the room, eyes lingering on the cellphone in her hand.
“DT,” Catra sighed. She dropped her phone on the table and grabbed her massive glass. “What is it?”
Double Trouble was undeterred by her sour tone and mood. This, of course, was the norm. They were quite similar in personality, though they had more of a spicy bite to their attitude. Catra was more fiery resentment and bitterness, Double Trouble was always vindictive amusement.
“Kitten,” Double Trouble purred. They stalked over to sit graciously on the edge of Catra’s tub. “I have the most delectable news.”
Catra relaxed in the water, ears twitching at the sound of sloshing against the tub edges. “What news?”
Double Trouble’s grin split wide around their sharp teeth. They were always a little terrifying around all that beauty, and Catra sometimes envied their complete ease with which they just let themself be. They were both the most secretive and honest person Catra had ever met, and that was why they got along so well. That, and they were both terrible people.
“A certain popular teen drama show just announced their need for a new actress.”
Catra took a heavy sip of wine. She was already missing her music and the relief it offered. “So?”
“So, darling,” Double Trouble purred. They slid down to the floor to rest their arms along the edge, regarding Catra with undisguised enthralment. This grabbed Catra’s attention, making her sit up straight and set her glass down. Neither of them cared about the state of her nakedness. Double Trouble had already seen way more than her tits, and once Catra shared her deepest pain and trauma with someone, there were no boundaries left. There had only ever been one other person that Catra had trusted her heart with. And that, well, had ended rather badly. She would not be doing that again. Double Trouble was the exception. “You’re aware of that obnoxious show Wolf Spring, yes?”
Catra let out a groan. “Of course I know that show.”
Double Trouble’s grin only broadened. They knew this too, of course. They knew everything, so when Catra’s ears pressed flat, Double Trouble understood immediately that she was already pulling away, her irritation flaring. If this wasn’t good, she was about to snap.
“Well, casting wants a devious lady to play the part of their shiny new antagonist.” Double Trouble lifted their phone, showing the ad description. Catra leaned forward to read it, her tail sticking out of the water and draped over the edge, dripping water onto the floor with every irritated flick. “The antagonist, Queen of the vampires,” Double Trouble finished.
Catra’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me that they’re specifically looking for a hybrid actress to play the part of their new antagonist?”
“Bingo.”
“An antagonist that will be a thorn in the main character’s side?”
“You’re reading my mind, love.”
Catra’s lips split into a venomous grin. Double Trouble chuckled at her, stowing their phone away. “And so you see why, Kitten,” they sighed, “I rushed back here so urgently.”
“How soon can we go?”
Double Trouble stood and reached for her towel. “As soon as you dry that furry ass of yours. I already booked your audition. It’s in an hour.”
Catra’s heart skipped in her chest. Double Trouble strode out of her bathroom to give her space while she hurried to dry her fur and dress. The whole while, her mind was racing with thoughts. The loudest was always the same: Am I good enough to get the part?
The problem this time, though, was that it didn’t matter. Catra needed to get this. Nothing else in her life had mattered as much as this suddenly did, at least, not until everything with... her, went wrong.
But this... fucking this, it was like the universe finally felt sorry for all of the shit it flung her way and was handing her the most golden opportunity.
If—no, when—Catra got this part, she would immensely enjoy playing the role of enemy and overall shit stirrer, doing nothing but antagonizing the show’s beloved main character, Dominique.
Who, of course, was played by Adora.
Catra’s fingers were twitching as she left with Double Trouble, but there was an eager bounce to her step. She hadn’t felt this excited in years, and the confidence was nearly flowing through her veins.
Madame Razz was an anomaly in the film industry. No one knew where she came from, or how she really got started, only that she did and she was phenomenal. Every single thing touched by her creativity was simply transformed into gold and success. So, when Madame Razz wanted something specific for a scene or a character, one didn’t argue with her. Madame Razz knew what she was doing.
Adora had been surprised when Madame Razz announced that she specifically wanted a hybrid for the part of the vampire Queen. She didn’t specify what type of hybrid, but of course Adora could only picture a certain magicat.
“Do you think we’ll find the right hybrid?” she’d asked. She realized she sounded sceptical. The industry was still far behind in terms of inclusion, and this was evident even with Madame Razz. Hybrids simply weren’t offered the same opportunities, which was a damn shame. Adora had met many hybrids with insane skill, who were not hired because they were too scaley or had tails or fur or too sharp claws.
“Of course, dear,” Madame Razz drawled in that half-crazed, half-wise way. “I can feel it in the stars. This is what we need.”
Who was Adora to argue with the great Razz? Following Razz’s confident announcement, Adora couldn’t stop thinking of Catra. Despite so much time having stretched between them, Adora’s most vivid memories were still those of her days in Shadow’s group home, training from the early hours of the morning with Catra at her side. It made her chest ache, as it always did.
Now, the ache was pure fire in her veins. Adora stood frozen in the doorway, her hand still curled around the handle, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. Adora felt the sudden, intense urge to scream—in happiness, in frustration, in anger, in longing. She didn’t, of course. She could barely even move. She felt paralysed by the rush of clashing emotions through her body, beating against her chest cavity, dripping off the tips of her ribs. If her heart could explode from the sheer force of her feelings, then she was already a dead woman walking.
“Adora?” Angella asked, her voice tinged with worry.
“Come in, deary,” Razz encouraged. “Come in and meet your enemy!”
Adora forced her muscles to unlock. Her eyes were still stuck on the person at the other side of the room, sitting at the end of the table—Catra. It was Catra.
“Adora, is everything alright?” Angella asked. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
Razz started to cackle, but Adora had no idea what amused her so much beyond the shock on Adora’s face. She swallowed thickly. Her mouth was incredibly dry and her body was still pulsing with adrenaline. But she moved forward, closed the door and took a seat at the other end of the table. Razz and Angella were to her left, and Catra... right before her.
“I’m fine,” she managed to croak, sounding decidedly not fine. But they had no way to know the thoughts swirling in her mind, the emotions crackling underneath her skin.
Catra looked good. She was calm, sitting comfortably and lightly drumming the tips of her claws on the table. Her hair was cut short, slicked back. She was wearing a dark maroon suit and a nearly feral look in her eyes. Despite the ten years between them, Adora could still tell that Catra was angry. Her tapping nails, the subtle tilt to her ears, the way her body was tensed like she would pounce at any second.
Adora recovered quickly from the rush of seeing her childhood friend again after so long, and she was reminded of why they hadn’t seen each other in so long. With that memory came her own anger, and she settled on banishing her expression of dumb awestruck to tentative annoyance.
“Right,” Angella said, interrupting her internal battle. “Adora, we would like you to meet Catra Cyra. She will be our Queen Cassandra.”
Adora’s eyes widened slightly and she turned sharply to regard them. “It’s already decided?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Adora spotted Catra’s tail flick upwards just long enough to be noticed.
“I’m just that good,” Catra drawled.
The sound of her voice sent a shock through Adora’s heart. All in the span of a second she was already willing to discard her own hurt feelings and anger, and drop down at Catra’s feet to beg for her forgiveness, for her attention. Catra’s nails scratched against the metal table.
“She was breathtaking,” Razz told her, eyes big and bright beyond her glasses. “You should have seen her, Adora. The talent! The depth!”
Adora knew that once Razz was this in love, there was absolutely no changing her mind. Not that Adora wanted to. She wasn’t such an asshole. In fact, she was happy that Catra was doing well—clearly—and getting roles. She just... she never expected this.
“Shouldn’t we do a chemistry read?” Adora decided to ask, because she had nothing else to say.
Catra’s eyes landed on her, studied her. Adora felt the pull of her gaze, but she stubbornly refused to look at her again. Her emotions were so hot and cold—one second she was angry with Catra, and the next she wanted to draw her into her arms, never let her leave.
How could she still feel this way, after everything? After all these years?
“Not needed!” Razz cackled. “I could feel it the second you walked into this room, deary. Your chemistry is off the charts.” She started rubbing her hands together and exchanged a look between them.
Could she tell? Did she somehow know that Adora and Catra knew each other? Had history? There was no way, and Adora knew—or at least used to—that Catra wasn’t the sort of person to freely share her life story.
Adora swallowed and finally regarded Catra again. She was more relaxed in her seat, tail openly swaying behind her. Her smirk was smug, pleased, but her ears were slowly twitching backwards.
“Since we are skipping a few steps in the appointment of Catra, I thought it would be prudent to at the very least introduce the two of you before she meets the rest of the cast.”
Razz’s head bobbed enthusiastically at Angella’s words. “Yes, yes! We begin filming so soon. So soon, dears. This is going to be magnificent. Catra will take Wolf Spring to new heights!”
Catra’s smirk broadened, her ears pricked forward and Adora stared, wondering what she was thinking and feeling.
Razz rattled on about a few more things, and Angella asked Catra more questions, but Adora didn’t hear them. She could only stare at Catra, could only wonder what this would mean for them. Without her consent, a tiny bud of hope settled in her chest.
After the discussion, Razz and Angella left to deal with whatever it was they did when they approached filming. The cast would start returning to the city if they’d left, and soon the studio would be bustling with activity again.
Catra didn’t even look at her as she stood and left the room. Her previous calm was gone, and there was a deep furrow between her brows. Adora could see how frazzled her tail looked, knew what a warning that was. Still, she launched out of her chair and out the room, her heart shooting into her throat.
“Catra, wait!”
Catra paused and gazed over her shoulder. Her blue and yellow eyes were still so damn beautiful, even filled with that much hate.
Adora’s nervousness doubled, but so did her annoyance. Who did Catra think she was, looking like Adora had been the one to hurt her, to shred their relationship to pieces? Adora’s words dried up and she stared, heart pounding. Catra seemed to grow impatient with her.
“What, Adora?” she growled.
Adora sucked in a sharp breath at the sound of her name in Catra’s voice. It had been so long, and still it sent a punch of longing right into her gut.
“I just, it’s... it’s been a while.”
Catra’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not here to play catch up.”
The amount of bitterness in her voice was surprising. Adora narrowed her eyes. “Oh, of course not. Silly me, thinking maybe ten years was enough for you to get over yourself.”
It was the exact wrong thing to say. Catra moved quickly, and then Adora was roughly shoved against the wall and claws dug into the brick right beside her head. Catra bared her sharp teeth and hissed.
“Get over myself?” Her voice was soft, but shaking. She looked barely controlled. “All the success has gone to your head, Princess.”
Adora trembled. “Princess?”
Catra’s smirk was cruel. “That’s exactly what you are. Your life given to you through no effort of your own.”
She pulled away. Adora wanted to continue fighting, but Catra’s proximity had ruined her. Catra’s smell was all around her now, and the heat of her had been distracting. Catra started walking away, but Adora just remained there against the wall, afraid that her shaking legs would not support her.
Catra walked away, she didn’t look back, and all Adora could do was watch her until she disappeared beyond the double doors. Adora let out a breath, and then the tears pressed at her eyes. It took every breathing technique that she had to calm herself down and not sob right there on the floor.
Catra was shaking. As much as she kept trying, she just couldn’t sheath her claws. The second Adora stepped into that room, her scent had smacked into Catra like a battering ram. Looking at pictures of Adora on the internet over the years had not prepared her for the full sight of her now, so grown up and strong. There was an easy smile on her face, a softness that Catra wished she was familiar with. Of course, as soon as Adora looked up and their eyes met, Adora froze.
Satisfaction had rocked down Catra’s spine at that. Adora looked devastated, and it simply kept getting worse. Of course Adora would be upset to learn that Razz wanted to overlook their conventions in order to sign her on. Adora didn’t want her to succeed, certainly not on her show. That made this whole thing even better.
When Catra had auditioned, she had channelled all of her own emotions into the scant lines given to her. It had been enough for them to immediately end auditions and claim her for the role. Catra wasn’t used to this, and she was living for it. Razz looked at her like she was the shiniest diamond she had ever seen, and Catra honestly wanted to kiss the wrinkled woman right on the forehead.
Catra really liked the character she would be playing, too. Cassandra, Queen of the Vampires, a low-born vampire who had clawed her way to the top and ripped the Queen right from her throne to claim it for herself. It was the perfect role.
Double Trouble was overly pleased with themself, so Catra bought way too much alcohol and together they celebrated like they were still teenagers in high school. Catra vented a lot of her frustrations and Double Trouble listened, swigging vodka right from the bottle and humming their acknowledgement of her slurred words.
“Darling, we need to get you laid,” Double Trouble told her, grabbing the bottle of wine from her hands before she could take the last sip.
Catra wasn’t really that drunk yet. It took a lot for her to even feel a buzz, which was why she had indulged and bought a lot. Double Trouble held their alcohol even better than she did, so they were still mostly put together besides a light dark flush over their cheeks. Still, their eyes were bright and alert.
Catra groaned and flopped down on her couch. “I do not need to get laid.”
“Yes you do.” Double Trouble set the bottle down. “You land a big role and the only thing you’re going on about is Adora. You’re still in love with her.”
Catra sobered up at those words. She sat up, arms coming up to hug herself. Her ears pressed flat to her head, but she didn’t try to dampen her tells. Double Trouble knew her too well anyway.
“That doesn’t matter,” she muttered quietly. “I’m going to play this part, annoy the hell out of her and remind her of her mistakes.”
“Why can’t you simply move on, Kitten?”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is. You just... get over it.”
Get over yourself.
Catra hissed, but she didn’t aim it at them. “Get over it?” she snarled. “She just... she left me. She stole from me, ruined me. How can I ever just move on?”
Double Trouble assumed a sheepish expression. “Sorry. I know how touchy this is for you. I just think it’s in my adult opinion that ten years is a long time to pine over someone you hate. Aren’t you tired of it?”
Catra’s claws dug into the couch beneath her. It wouldn’t damage, since it was made to withstand the abuse—exactly for moments like this.
“I’m exhausted,” she shot back. “I have no choice but to work with her now. I’m going to use this to my advantage, and once this puts me in the spotlight, I won’t need her. She’ll be beneath me.”
Double Trouble hummed under their breath. It was clear they wanted to continue arguing, and Catra knew it came from a place of concern. After all, she wouldn’t be where she was if not for them. She owed them her life—literally.
“Just think about this, DT,” she drawled, draping herself over their lap and lashing her tail. “I get to annoy the hell out of her every day on set. She’s not very good at hiding her reactions to me despite her acting skills.”
Double Trouble chuckled. “Devious little kitty.”
Catra’s grin was as sharp as Double Trouble’s. “Now give me my fucking wine back, bitch.”
A short struggle ensued, but Double Trouble gave up quickly and Catra was able to down another bottle before she stood and dragged herself to bed. She felt a blanket drape over her body, her boots pulled off and tossed to the floor, and then she listened to Double Trouble’s footsteps echoing in her apartment before they finally let themself out and she was left alone with her thoughts.
Alcohol in her system, bitterness in her veins, Catra clenched her teeth together. She grabbed one of her pillows and shredded it to pieces between her claws. The tears fell silently, but they felt crushing.
So many years and... Adora still couldn’t be happy for her? Couldn’t congratulate her on her success? Support her?
“Asshole,” Catra growled softly. She tossed the shredded pillow to the ground and ran her fingers through her hair. She hated how weak she felt, how much the hurt blossomed in her chest. It was easy before, to keep all of this away, to not feel it.
But seeing Adora again in person, hearing her voice and smelling her scent, had opened the floodgates. It was strange to think that she still felt so much for her, despite everything. But they needed to work together from now on, and maybe Double Trouble was right.
Maybe Catra should just get over it. Get over her.
Things started moving rapidly towards filming. Adora received a message from Glimmer saying that her and Bow were back in the city, but that they were too busy and would only see her again when they attended their first table read for the season. Adora had already been pouring over her script since the moment Razz had it sent over to her. She heard that right after Catra was cast, Razz had gone and heavily edited the script, much to Angella’s exasperation. No one questioned Razz, though, and if she felt the script needed changing then the script needed changing.
Adora was surprised to see how prominent Cassandra would be this season. Their antagonists never usually took up this much screen time. They were usually in the background for the first handful of episodes until it was their turn to reveal their dastardly plan. But no, this time Cassandra was front and center. She was the opening scene.
As Adora went through the script, she was drawn in by the story and the clear conflict between her character, Dominique, and Cassandra. It made her cheeks burn, and she really wondered if Razz had picked up on the actual tension between them. It was as if Razz had reached into their brains and plucked out all their angst, then tossed it between the pages. The most puzzling of all, was that Razz had left half a page blank towards the end of the script, for the last episode. This usually meant that she wasn’t certain how the season would be received by viewers, and that she had something big planned but wanted to wait it out before committing.
This made Adora nervous. But more than that, so did the table read. Razz reworking the script pushed their schedule back, so they had to do the read earlier than planned to get things back on track.
It had been a couple weeks since being introduced to Catra again, since she snagged the role of Cassandra, and Adora felt just as much of a mess as she had the first time. Because of that, she barely slept the night before and accidentally dismissed her alarm. She was running late.
When Adora arrived on set she sprinted into the studio at full speed. She nearly spilled into the conference room, and she barely had time to flush when the entire casts’ eyes landed on her curiously. She was gasping on big, hurried breaths and wiped a hand across her sweaty forehead.
“Adora!” Razz yelled, delighted. “I was worried you would miss the speech.”
Adora offered everyone a nervous smile. “Sorry, guys. Slept through my alarm.”
“Again,” someone muttered. Everyone in the room chuckled.
“Adora.” Angella placed a warm hand on her arm. “You are just in time. Please take your seat and then we can begin.”
Adora nodded and headed over to her usual seat beside Glimmer and Bow. Her heart leapt into her throat when she realized Catra had been seated directly beside her to her left, with Glimmer on her right and Bow beside her. To her surprise, Glimmer and Catra were laughing at something.
“Adora!” Bow exclaimed happily. “Thought you were having a heart attack with the way you busted in here.”
Adora’s cheeks flamed. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep well.”
“Still can’t manage your time well, huh?” Catra piped up, casual and almost... teasing?
Adora swallowed and stared at her. Catra’s face was actually relaxed. Her tail was still at her ankles and her ears were pricked forward. Nothing about her body language said that she was in any way uncomfortable, despite this being her first time meeting the entire cast. The room was bustling with hushed noises, Razz cackling about something one of the actors was telling her, Angella muttering as she scrolled on her pad to make sure her notes were in order. Catra’s ears twitched towards any sudden loud noise, but then swiveled forward again.
“Yeah,” Adora laughed nervously. “Bad habit.”
“Adora,” Glimmer cut in. “Why didn’t you ever tell us about Catra?” She leaned against Adora’s side to give Catra a big grin. “She’s hilarious.”
Adora squirmed in her seat.
“Yeah, Adora.” Catra’s tone was light, but Adora sensed a hidden layer of bitterness. “Why didn’t you tell them about me, your childhood friend?”
“It was a long time ago,” Adora explained. She could feel her face harden, saw the surprise flash over Glimmer’s face. Bow reached over to put a hand on her shoulder.
“Did something happen?” he asked her.
Adora gently shook his hand off and Glimmer sat up properly. Catra had her elbow on the table, chin propped up against her palm. Her tail gave a languid sweep behind her.
“No,” Adora shot back too tersely. “Nothing happened.”
Catra grinned, all teeth. “Nothing important,” she added. “Adora got her role, was adopted by Mara. All good things for our favourite superhero.”
Her voice was sickly sweet, but Adora knew better. Catra made a joke and sent Glimmer into a snort-attack, and Adora just sat back in her seat and glared down at her script.
Why was Catra doing this? Being so sweet? Just a few weeks ago Catra had been eager to claw her head off. Was she trying to make amends now? Was she pretending?
Once again, that flame of hope flickered. Adora needed to stamp it out quickly before it turned into a blazing inferno.
Angella’s clapping hands silenced conversations and brought all eyes to her. “Welcome back, everyone,” she started. “Madame Razz and I would like to thank you for your hard work and dedication on season 4. Our ratings have gone up again. This show would not be what it is without every hand that helps mould it.”
“Especially mine!” Razz cut in with a pleased grin. The cast all laughed.
“Yes, yes,” Angella sighed, rolling her eyes. “After casting of Cassandra,” she pointed at Catra, and more curious gazes swept her way, “Madame Razz had to rework the script nearly entirely. We have casted a few more minor roles. I would like to introduce Catra.” Catra gave a little wave to the room. “She will be joining the team as our best antagonist yet. Please work well with her. Now, you will all have noticed the blank space at the end of the script.” Angella took a step backwards and Razz filled the spot. She adjusted her glasses to study the room.
“Often, creativity is like water.” A very low chuckle passed through the room, people sharing glances. “Sometimes I will be swimming in a very tiny lake, and then BAM! I realize that there is an underwater cavern, and I must explore it. Catra’s addition will set Wolf Spring to new heights. I had no choice but to change the script. Because of all of this, I have a few little noodle ideas simmering away. I will bake them when the time comes, but for now they are in the freezer. Please have patience with me, and I hope we all enjoy this story we have been crafting for the last few years.”
Despite how bizarre she could be, there was no doubt that the entire crew, from management to cast to cleaners, adored the hell out of Razz. She was like family to them, and she treated them that way. That was the biggest reason people didn’t begrudge her the strange or sometimes sudden changes to story or set. Razz gave them her unyielding love, so everyone gave her their loyalty and their talent. It was such a beautiful give and take, and Adora felt grateful to be part of this.
Angella introduced a few of the new side characters, and listed the names of the batch of new extras who would be sprinkled in the background. Razz didn’t like to leave anyone out, not for anything.
The only other major role was Cassandra’s sidekick, Theo, who would be played by a woman named Scorpia. She blushed furiously when introduced and mumbled a host of thank yous when everyone clapped for her. She looked new to the industry, but Razz knew what she was doing, and if Scorpia was a fresh-faced actor, then being in this agency was the best possible start for her.
After all of the introductions, Razz accepted a few questions and refused to answer any of those asking about the blank page. When all of that was done and the cast settled, they had to start the reading.
They would do a reading of episode 1 first, before shooting for it. Adora had the episode memorized by now, of course, but this would be the first time hearing Catra say her lines.
The episode—and the season—started in a bar. It was described as being run-down and seedy, the sort of bar where illegal magical trades were often made. Dominique was there to wallow in the knowledge she had received during season 4, about her origin and heritage. She was just looking for a drink and some clarity. Cassandra was there for other reasons, but Cassandra noticed who she was immediately by scent alone.
Catra had been oddly friendly before, but when it came time for them to speak their lines, she slipped into her role perfectly. Adora was so taken aback that she fumbled many times and they had to start over. Catra’s body language changed as well. As Cassandra threatened and snarked at her, so did Catra. Adora started to get the sense that this was less Cassandra calling Dominique an idiot, and Catra calling her that.
Catra’s tail lashed behind her, thwapping against the back of her chair. Her ears flicked downwards sharply as she snarled her next lines, and Adora could only stare at her with wide eyes and a thundering heart. Catra’s nose twitched and she glanced away, sighing.
“You have no idea, do you?” Catra said to her, the venom no longer dripping from her voice, but still laced with it. “Such an ignorant puppy.”
Adora stared at the side of Catra’s face. She had to remember they were acting. She needed to play the part. Right now, she wasn’t Adora Gray, she was Dominique. She was the alpha werewolf, the strongest of her kind. She was a werewolf struggling with figuring out where she came from and why she was born at all.
“No idea about what?” Adora snapped back, letting all of her real frustration leak into Dominique’s lines. “Who the hell are you, anyway?”
Catra turned bodily to face her, then. She was smirking, one fang laced over her bottom lip. This wasn’t needed in the table read, but she still leaned forward and grabbed Adora’s chin. Her claws were out, and she dragged the sharp point of her thumb across Adora’s cheek.
“I’m your nightmare,” Catra purred darkly, her eyes flashing with wild delight. “You can call me Cassandra.”
“Cassandra,” Adora repeated, not intending for her voice to sound so breathless. She knew her face was dark red. Dominique was supposed to be annoyed and cocky, not... this. Not flustered and devastated.
Catra dropped her chin, pulling back. She let out an attractive, crazed laugh. “Remember my name, Pup,” she drawled. “For when you’re bowing down before me.”
The scene ended there after a bar fight broke out and Cassandra slipped away without Dominique even seeing. As soon as it was over, Catra relaxed in her seat and seemed to become someone else again. Everyone at the table clapped and Razz made a very loud noise of excitement.
“That was phenomenal!” Razz cried out. “Catra, Adora, phenomenal! Please do the scene exactly like that when we film! Oh, this was so much better. I knew I could trust both of you to go on your feelings.”
Adora could feel Bow’s eyes on her, a question in them. Had others sensed that most of that hadn’t just been acting? Hadn’t been pretend?
Catra was drinking in the praise and the attention. For a second, Adora thought she could hear a low rumbling, but it disappeared too quickly.
The table read for the episode continued, but Cassandra and Dominique didn’t have another scene together until the next episode. Adora was still out of sorts, kept mixing up her lines, and the more she fell apart the more concerned Bow seemed to be. Glimmer didn’t really notice, and she kept giving Catra heart eyes.
As soon as the table read was over, Adora was up and out of her seat. She grabbed Bow by the hand and tugged him with.
“Adora?”
“We need to talk,” she told him. “I need to talk about this or I’m going to explode.”
She glanced over her shoulder and saw Catra smirking at her. Despite the way the look was clearly mocking, she couldn’t stop her heart from giving an uneven thump.
“Fuck,” she mumbled under her breath.
“Adora, what’s going on?”
“I’m going to lose my mind.”
She had no idea how true that statement really was.