869/It's ChristmasTime! Episode 869: Sometimes ChristmasTime is early!

It's ChristmasTime! Episode 869: Sometimes ChristmasTime is early!
Date of Scene:	10 December 2023
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Catra and Adora bump into each other at a ramen stand. Before things can get TOO awkward and/or violent, a surprise visit by �c#FF00F7�L�c/��c#E20BDD�a�c/��c#C616C3�d�c/��c#A922A9�y�c/� �c#713875�C�c/��c#54445B�h�c/��c#384F41�r�c/��c#1C5A27�i�c/��c#00650E�s�c/��c#1C5A0C�t�c/��c#384F0A�m�c/��c#544409�a�c/��c#713807�s�c/��c#8D2D06�T�c/��c#A92104�i�c/��c#C61603�m�c/��c#E20B01�e�c/� changes the vector of the meeting...and hopefully improves the week of both young women.
Cast of Characters:	Catra, Adora Rainbowfist, Setsuna Meiou

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Catra has posed:
Well, it's been an uneventful week for Catra. Aside from Sailor Moon literally disintigrating someone powerful in Obsidian, but Catra wasn't there for that, she just heard about it. The feline herself hasn't really gotten into any scraps since the last time she met up with Adora and the friends she brought along.

So now, wearing her Rachel Miller disguise, she's out and about late at night in the less affluent parts of Tokyo that she tends to frequent, away from the throngs of tourists and all the lights and glitter, prefering the gritty sidestreets and back alleys, where people scraping to get by rub shoulders with liars, thieves, and Yakuza.

Right now she's at an outdoor kiosk, one of those places where you can get food and eat it, right where you can watch a couple of cooks make it for you. As long as you don't mind the chance of getting rained on while you dine, of course, but for now the night sky is clear enough -- and if one weren't in Tokyo, there'd even be a chance of seeing the stars.

Catra's already ordered, and has a bowl of tonkatsu ramen in front of her that she's busy slurping away at, with a couple rolls of sushi waiting for when she's finished. stumbling off down the alleyway is a young would-be scoundrel holding his hand after attempting to pick her pocket, and discovering that bones really just aren't that difficult to break if you know what you're doing.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Adora has found herself leaving the school late and night and wandering the rougher parts of Tokyo. Why? Well, she's been hoping to spot Catra, of course. A few times some jerk has said or done the wrong thing, and just like Catra, Adora has hurt them. That Horde soldier is still in there, somewhere, and she doesn't take kindly to bullies on top of that.

Tonight, though, she's been unbothered. The girl moves down the street, dressed for evening chill. A pair of tight jeans and matching athletic shoes, with a flannel over a shirt that simply says 'Girls <3'. A baseball cap is pulled low, her blonde hair pulled back into the usual ponytail. She's peeked into sushi bars, ramen shops, and various back alleys, and she's just beginning to give up hope. That is until, of course, she spots 'Rachel' perched on the stool at the food stall.

She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves, before crossing the street and sliding onto a stool a couple down from Catra, and fishing out her battered San Diego Padre's wallet. "I'll take the Shoyu, please. Extra spicy. And a plate of that tuna nigiri for the girl over there." She's pretty much sitting right next to Catra, due to the small size of the kiosk and the short counter.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sometimes bringing the Joy of Christmas does not take much work.

Sometimes, it's just being there and maybe helping with dinner.

And sometimes it takes a bit of work.

ESPECIALLY when you want to do something special for special people.

This is Setsuna's first Christmas with other people...and she wants it to be Special for as many people as she can arrange.

Thus, she's made a bunch of presents and has acquired a small artifact to assist in their distibution:

    "Disguise Pen, transform me into the lovely and talented Lady ChristmasTime!"

And with a burst of disguise magic, the sometimes nurse is now standing bedecked in a very 'Chistmas' outfit consisting of a long, ankle-length wine-colored dress with matching red heavier-weight overskirt edged in fur and with a black tartan band around the bottom. A black blouse with that wine colored ribboning on either side of the central button line adorns her torso, and a shoulder cloak with the hood down is in that black tartan with the fur lining and held together with a ribbon that matches the white fur but edged in black with a gold star in the middle holds the two sides together. Black fur-ringed gloves protect hands from the cold...and she holds what appears to be a wand styled like a candy cane with a ribbon matching the one on her cloak tied up near the crook end. Her hair is long, green, and has a single odango up near the back of her head...and for some reason, she's got a 1/4 scale top hat perched off-angle on the top of her head with another matching ribbon and tied with a bit of holly and a wine-colored flower of some sort.

For her part, she's been sticking to rooftops as she shadows Adora. Frankly, she's got a gut feeling that Destiny has it's fingers in the relationship between the two...as for good or for ill, the two seemed to keep running into each other over and over again.

Thus, if she follows Adora, she'll probably find Catra sooner rather than later.

And it seems, that at least tonight, her supposition is correct.

For the moment, the two seem to be having a bit of a talk, so she waits on a rooftop nearby where she can watch from the shadows until a better and less public time.

Catra has posed:
Sometimes, no matter how good your senses are, you're just oblivious to the world.

Catra's senses are extremely good. Better than most humans. But, she's got food in front of her, she's in the sort of melancholoy mood she's usually in, and she has her earbuds plugged in absolutely blasting something loud and obnoxious -- much to the irritation of the people near her, but she seems not like the person to trifle with. She's got her hoodie drawn over her head, and exudes an air of extreme introversion.

By the time the tuna nigiri shows up in front of her, she's almost finished the ramen, and is about to move on to the rolls. At first she doesn't clock that it's for her; and when it does, she thums down the volume on her music to tell one of the guys working the kitchen that she didn't ask for it.

Thus Catra finds herself looking over to the side, right in Adora's direction.

Adora's here.

Catra stares for a moment, before going right back to her food, staring straight ahead and down at the volcano roll she had lined up, all while turning her music back up again.

You'd think she'd notice Setsuna up there in her current get up, or at least have heard her, but she's got her music turned up loud and she's distracted. And so Setsuna has the perfect opportunity to sneak up on the feline. (Or at least as good an opportunity as she's ever likely to get.)

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Adora gets her bowl of ramen and sets into it slowly. She's in no rush, just as Catra does not appear to be. For the moment the blonde is content to just be here, even if Catra is being...well, Catra. She slurps down some noodles before she finally glances over at her. She speaks loud enough to be overheard over the blaring music...at least by Catra's ears. The near-yelling draws some glares, but she does not care.

"I know you like tuna, so..." She trails off for a moment and glances back down at her bowl. She takes a deep breath and eats a bit more, before taking a few spoonfuls of the very spicy broth. It makes her cheeks redden and everything burn, but she enjoys feeling...anything, really. It reminds her she's alive, and that's good. There have been many chances for her not to be.

"I know a cool shop I go to sometimes for clothes," she adds. "They have a thick black hoody with some red accents. I could get it for you..."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Seeing that things between the two seem to be 'stable' if...perhaps...SUPER awkward..., Lady ChristmasTime decides that now is as good a time as ever. Thus, she steps over through a nearby alley to drop down to street level...and a few moments later, she walks over to stand behind the two young women with her arms behind her back, "Greetings, ladies."

Catra has posed:
At first, Catra seems to be taking the 'ignore it an it'll go away' approach, as she munches her way through the volcano roll. Each piece gets a dip in the soy sauce that's been generously loaded with wasabi, but it seems like she's eating a bit... quickly to be actually enjoying it.

About halfway through, the music gets turned down enough that Adora doesn't have to shout, even though it doesn't get actually turned off.

"...Yeah I like tuna," she mutters, just loudly enough for Adora to hear and probably understand what she's saying.

The feline eats another roll, and shakes her head. "Not like we even knew what Christmas was until we got here," she points out, "And I'm not getting you anything, so you probably shouldn't." She eats another piece, "I--"

Whatever Catra had been about to say is halted by the appearance of one Lady ChristmasTime, which prompts Catra to finish chewing, swallow, and slowly turn her head to eye up the person standing behind her. "Uhm... Hello...?"

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"Yeah, I know. But...we're here now, not there. And Christmas is fun. Well, it can be, from what the school seems to show, and...the manga I've been reading and stuff." The blonde plucks her ballcap off and adjusts her ponytail.

"I mean, a gift from you would be cool, but...I wasn't offering to get you the hoody in return for something. I...you're just out late at night a lot and--..."

She blinks and turns towards the festive heroine, looking just as confused as Catra. "I...um..."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As both young women turn to address Lady ChristmasTime, she brings her arms out from behind her back and extends them to each of them.

Somehow, she'd been holding two roughly cubical boxes about two feet a side behind her back and unnoticable. Each is done up in nice if generic red wrapping paper with a green 'ribbon' and bow at the top.

However, a second glance will spot that both boxes are not ACTUALLY fully wrapped. Instead, they're wrapped to LOOK like they are, but each one's top is actually a removable lid.

As the boxes are held out, the heroine says in a cheerful voice, "Merry Christmas!"

Catra has posed:
Catra just kind of... stares. There's a random strange lady in the grotty part of town offering her and Adora each a present. One minute ago, she was eating ramen and sushi, by herself, only got interupted by a pickpocket once, and everything made sense.

Now it's all just weird.

The feline eyes the present suspiciously. Really, who on Etheria shows up in the middle of nowhere, by herself, to give *her* of all people a present? It's not like she's done anything to deserve a present.

"...Is that a friend of yours?" she inquires, glancing sideways at Adora, previous conversation forgotten. (Or at least on hold for a moment.)

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"I...don't know. She doesn't look like a villain, anyways. Most of your co-workers look...well, pretty obvious." She quickly adds a, "Not you, though."

Adora turns on her stool to face the Unknown Magical Girl, and she offers a nervous, but wide smile. "Oh, um. Thank you, miss! Merry...Merry Christmas."

The blonde reaches out to take the present that's held out to her, and she sets it in her lap. She glances aside at Catra. "If it explodes or something, it'll snag me, so...just get outta here if that's the case." She takes a breath and pulls thye top off the box, peering inside.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Inside the box is...an absolutely adorable plush...Catra.

Not the Rachel Miller persona, but actual, full-on Catra.

The look is based on the pictures Setsuna got from Adora.

It's just about big enough to fill the box and it looks and feels totally huggable.

While the subject matter and various little tells here and there make it obvious this is a handmade one-off...at the same time, the build quality looks VERY professional.

Frankly, it's like what one would imagine one would get if someone went to the madmen at the WETA Workshops and said 'Hey, we've got a scene where we need the world's most huggable adorable Catra plushie. Can you do us up one?' and gave those blokes a few days to see what they came up with.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
She gasps softly, a hand moving to her chest as she stares down into the box. "Oh wow! It's...wow!" She sets the box on the counter and fishes the plush out, cradling it in her arms. "It's so freaking soft!"

She hesitates, then, and glances aside at Catra. Adora turns her core slightly away from her, as if shielding the stuffy from any oncoming attack from the girl. Adora looks towards the Magical Christmas Girl, then. "It's...this is so well-made. Thank you!" She sideglances Catra again, and the anime sweatdrop can practically be seen.

Catra has posed:
A stuffed... Catra. A stuffed Catra? A stuffed veresion of herself, is what Catra is currently looking at, which came out of the box.

It might well have been wise for Adora to guard it, but the thought of using her claws to erase this thing from existence hasn't actually occurred to Catra, she's just... basically dumbfounded by what's just unfolded in front of her. And, apparently, the desire to remain aloof and villainous is at war inside her head with the overwhelming need to know what's in the other box.

The latter wins out. Catra turns to stuff a piece of tuna nigiri in her mouth, before returning to face Lady ChristmasTime; she eyes the box offered to her with undiminished suspicion, but does finally take it and crack the lid open just enough for her to eye the contents.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
And in the box given to Catra is a matching She-Ra plushie. Made just as huggable and squeezable and with similar build quality.

It even has a stuffie little Sword of Power held on by a tiny spot of velcro.

Catra has posed:
Catra peeks inside, eyes the contents, and swiftly shuts the lid again. She takes the box and holds it in her lap, one hand resting on top of the lid to both steady the box and keep it shut. The feline's reaction is entirely unreadable -- especially given that her Rachel Miller disguise mans nobody can see her ears or tail.

"Uhm, cool," she mumbles, already turning to face back towards her dinner. "Thanks."

It's a reaction that might seem ungrateful; rude, even, or it might simply be -- it might likely be -- Catra simply doesn't know how to process having been given a present. Particularly one that seems so relevant to her life, having been given to her by a stranger.

Also, she's trying to hide the flush to her cheeks, since her illusory disguise is not.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Adora furrows a brow at Catra's response to whatever is in her box. She wants to know, but also can see Catra's reaction and knows to just...not bother her. Especially when the girl actually says thanks. She blinks and turns her attention back to Lady ChristmasTime.

"Yeah, seriously. Thank you! I wish I had a gift for you, too but...um. I don't really know who you -are-. Which, I guess is the point."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
And during the moment the two aren't looking at her Lady ChristmasTime steps back out of the light, and with a bright, cheery, "Merry Christmas!" she's just GONE by the time Adora can look back at her to thank her.

And if one is wondering if there was any magic involved...the bystanders seem to have UTTERLY FAILED TO PERCIEVE anything odd happening...a fairly certain sign the Veil is in full effect.

Catra has posed:
The fact that Lady ChristmasTime has vanished is more or less lost on Catra, as she's basically oblivious to her surroundings, just this once. Instead, she's busy devouring sushi and nigiri almost fast enough to give herself a stomach ache, almost like she's back in the Horde again and has to worry about people taking her food when Adora's not looking.

After a moment of this, she pauses, about to stuff the last piece of nigiri in her mouth, and looks sideways at Adora.

"...What?"

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"Nothing! Nothing." She gently tucks her Catra back into the box and closes the lid, planning to carry it home that way. She turns back around and works on her ramen for a bit before glancing aside.

"I hope I see you again before Christmas, not not when we're swinging swords at eachother. But...I'll take what I can get."

Catra has posed:
Catra doesn't immediately respond, though she does slow down eating the last few bits of sushi that are in front of her. Mainly so she doesn't give herself indigestion. Yes, that's the reason.

"No promises," she mutters.

Even having slowed down, all too quickly Catra is finished eating. She dumps a small pile of yen on the counter, and beckons one of the chefs to her, so she can lean over the counter and mutter something in his ear. He nods, and goes back to his cooking.

Afterwards, Catra doesn't say a word. The cat just waits a moment, and then takes her box and slips off her stool, retreating into the alleyway without looking over her shoulder.

And a minute later, a plate of steaming hot Yakitori slides across the counter in front of Adora.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
The blonde glances over as Catra departs, and she offers a small smile at her back. This was good. Well, better then last time, anyways. She glances down to brush her fingertips across the lid of the box, and gets ready to leave when the yakitori arrives.

She blinks at it, and then can't hide her wider smile. She glances towards the darkness her Catra departed into, and she sighs. She slides the plate in front of her, and gets to eating. Catra knows she needs a lot of calories.

Mabye this will be an alright month.