622/Shall We Dance

Shall We Dance
Date of Scene:	21 October 2023
Location:	Plot Room 2
Synopsis:	Amidst the glitz and glamour of the Masquerade Ball, one love story properly begins, while another continues on. Hearts race, tears fall, and everything ends happily ever after. Okay, not really.
Cast of Characters:	Adora Rainbowfist, Rashmi Terios, Chrono Harlaown, Catra
Tinyplot:	Masquerade of Princess Dia

---

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
The D------ Kingdom Embassy rests at the bottom of Sendai Hill, in Tokyo. The event being helt tonight is one of lavish and supreme importance. The royal family of the kingdom will be presenting Princess Dia with a stunning crystal. It is a present from her father. Due to the honor of the occassion, the Embassy is hosting quite the event. Only the press and elite have been invited, and everything about the setting bleeds wealth.

The lights are dimmed in many areas, and the lights are perfectly placed. A white marble dance floor is flanked by numerous tables, with even the cutlery showing opulence. The colors of the evening are blue and silver, and those colors accentuate all of the stunning decorations. A group sits on a stage, performing perfectly performed classical. All of the servants wear matching uniforms, with all of them in black tie, formal suits. Even those identifying as women.

The people that mill about are celebrities, politicians and one percenters. The beauty and resplendant nature of the entire situation simply bleeds romance.

Adora, like a number of others, have snuck their way into the event. She stands to the side, watching the various folks muill about and talk. She doesn't look in awe of the people (As she has no clue who any of the celebrities are), but she certainly is in regards to everything else. Back at the Princess Prom she was dressed in a fine red dress...and she didn't feel comfortable in it. This outfit, though? She stands with her back straight and her hands in her pockets, shining with it confidence.

A white suit jacket and matching slacks, with a deep red shirt with a hint of a shimmer to it make up her outfit tonight. Golden stitching has been embroidered on the coat and slacks, looking like stunning constellations to most, but visible as First Ones glyphs to those in the know. A pair of white shoes and her mask finish the outfit. Oh, the mask! Silver and white, with pointed tips on either side, bedecked in fake diamonds. It frames her big, blue eyes in a perfect fashion.

"I hope she comes," she whispers to herself.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The problem with ball-type events is, one generally has to dress for them. And while Rashmi's family may be comfortable enough to weather the purchase of a pretty okay dress, it's still something that *requires* an explanation.

And Rashmi is an *absolutely terrible liar.*

So she told them the truth; that she, and a bunch of other students, plan to try to sneak into a big fancy masquerade ball, and if successful they get to attend a big fancy masquerade ball. And as far as 'teenagers getting into trouble' goes, sneaking 5000-yen-per canapes and spinning on a dance floor is the *least* awful thing she could be doing.

Fortunately for her, Goro Terios thought the entire idea was a laugh riot, and a *definite* improvement on the trouble he got into at her age. Which is how her mother came up with the embellishments for her dress.

-- THUS --

Now Rashmi finds herself sticking very, very closely away from sightlines in a fairly plain off-the-shoulder red dress accented by a belt of copper-and-brass discs from her mother's wardrobe, a matching clutch, and a plain red domino mask with black sequin bordering.

And even if she doesn't go within eyeshot of the snacks for the rest of the night, just being here with the music and the opulence, and the beautiful people gliding around the dance floor means it'll make this the best maybe-international-incident she's ever taken part in.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown hadn't snuck in. In fact, he'd gotten an invite... through Adrien. You know, because the fancy boy's got connections. He'd also helped get this suit. And well... while Chrono looked small and like a child at the event, he still managed to seem as if he belonged. He didn't seem the least bit distracted or confused by the glamour. In fact, he... fit in. Then again, Rashmi knew his 'history'. This likely wasn't the first event of this prestige he'd been to. And he'd invited Rashmi, of course...

Where she got the idea they'd be sneaking in, he'd never know. Sure, ADORA was sneaking in. But he wasn't. Why rashmi seemed so nervous he couldn't understand...

He was wearing one of Adrien's old suits. A glamourous, sparkly blue and black number. With a rather... villainous mask to go with it. He had the buttons up, and looked like he belonged just fine.

He'd actually gotten a plate of finger food... And come back to see her. "Here," he said. "Are you feeling okay? You seem tense. The target isn't even here yet."

But she'd come. He knew she would. After all... Catra had been called out. He doubted she'd have it in her to chicken out, now...

Catra has posed:
Catra has most definitely snuck into the place. Well, if you use the term 'sneaking in' at least somewhat loosely. ...Oh, no don't worry, that security guard will wake up in a few hours and he'll be just fine, other than wondering why his head hurts so much and why he's in stashed in a broom closet. Also why his radio earpiece is missing. (Hey, Catra needed it to avoid the rest of the guards so she could make it to the dancefloor.)

In true Catra fashion, the feline didn't bother working on an outfit until quite literally the last minute, but luckily for her, Obsidian has... resources. Getting dressed for a ball might not be in line with world domination, but nonetheless, here we are.

Catra has arrived in a plum colored tuxedo, much like she did at the Princess Prom. Well, similar anyway. This one doesn't have ripped knees, for one thing. She's got a full tailed jacket with silver embroidery, that depicts a group of panthers climbing up sleeves and lapel. She wears it over a black dress shirt with the top two buttons left undone, a white bow-tie left untied and hanging around her neck. Black gloves with pieces of obsidian to look like claws on the fingertips cover her hands, and she's wearing matching black shoes (wait, hold on, Catra's wearing shoes?).

On her face, she wears a mask, made to project a feline countenance; in color it is divided perfectly down the middle, black on the right, and white on the left, with decidedly... angry looking eyebrows.

Before entering the ballroom proper, Catra turns off the security guard's earpiece and slips it into a pocket, and brings up her illusory disguise; keeping the outfit, but no longer looking like she has an actual tail and ears and... tan color with stripes and...

As long as she doesn't have to look in an abundance of mirrors, anyway. At least she's got the mask.

She pauses, taking a deep breath, and steps out into the ballroom, strutting like she's always been there and basically owns the place. In passing she swipes someone's drink before they've had a chance to taste it themselves, and continues moving through the crowd.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Adora watches people on the dance floor as she waits, idly sipping a flute of champagne. Oh yeah, absolutely nobody is getting carded here! It's that 'celebratory champagne', like at a wedding...only much, much fancier. She adjusts her somewhat popped red collar and takes a deep breath. She turns from the marble dance floor and eyes the crowd.

She saw Catra's false form at the mall when she stole the Sword. Also, the outfit is hard to deny. Her heart races as she admires her for a long moment before she moves into the crowd. She slips this way and that until she suddenly appears a few feet from the feline, offering a wide smile.

"Heeeey, Catra."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi actually looses a startled squeak when Chrono arrives with the plate, wheeling around with an apology already on her lips and a deep bow ready to execute... Then looks down to realize it was Chrono.

Her shoulders *sag* in time with a deep sigh, and she reaches up to scratch the back of her neck, cheeks aflame. "Hi Chrono-kun, sorry, just... I feel like any minute now someone's gonna see my dress and realize I shouldn't even be here, because I mean look!"

She gestures to herself, the very picture of 'did the best I could with what I have,' then to the sparkling tulle-and-lace confection spinning past on probably a movie star, on the arm of a deeply elegantly scruffy man in a hundred-thousand-yen tuxedo.

"You look *great* though Chrono-kun, that jacket works *really* well on you.

A canape is plucked off the plate with a murmured 'Thanks,' and she scans the crowd as Adora moves off. And she's *halfway* through her bite when she spots Adora rocking up on Catra.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced towards Adora when she went on the move. It wasn't long before he found the target and...

... And she was wearing cat dress. Wow. She... really wasn't being subtle, was she? Still, if not for Adora going after her, he might have missed her. Okay, he would have.

... She wasn't the only one in a cat mask.

Then he glanced back towards her. For the third time. He tossed on of the little sammichs into his mouth and finally asked the question... "What? You look breathtaking. Why wouldn't you belong?" he asked, before glancing towards Adora.

"Think that's her cat, though. We should probably be ready. But hey... if you're worried about it? No matter how fancy their dresses are? You're the only one with an alien from deep space and serving as escort for two other offworld princesses so they don't maim each other. So you're probably the most interesting one here."

... He uhhh... may have paused a second to take another look at her, though. After that. His cheeks going just a teensy bit red before he started maneuvering slightly in their direction...

Catra has posed:
'Hey Catra'? That's *my* line you're stealing, Catra immediately thinks, but she doesn't protest about it. She didn't come here for a fight, afterall. She came here to be in control. Afterall, she's the one who suggested coming to a dance. Why she suggested a dance, she's trying to figure out; this isn't anything like the Princess Prom. She isn't here with Scorpia. She doesn't have a plan. She certainly isn't going to kidnap whoever Adora brought for backup, and to top it all off...

This place is *loud*. It's full of humans all working their gobs about nothing relevant, all at the same time, none of them caring about how loud they are -- and in fact competing with each other to be loud enough to hear their own conversations at the expense of the people beside them and there's music on top of that (and it's bad music, let's face it) and people chewing on things and clinking glasses and loud shoes foot-stepping all over the place and

"Hey Adora."

Catra turns to face her fellow Etherian, holding up the purloined glass as if to toast. The mask covers her nose and everything above it, and even with her fangs removed by the disguise, her smirk is absolutely unmistakable. "You made it, I see. How's your stomach? Heard you got hurt real bad there." She lifts the glass to her lips to drink it. And it tastes absolutely terrible. What the heck do people here drink? Rotten fruit? She sips the dark red liquid again, while maintaining a straight face.

"Didn't think you'd be coming." She looks over her shoulder, scanning the crowd. "Where're your friends? You can't have come alone or things will just be disappointingly easy if you did." Is she planning anything? No, but there's no need for Adora to know that.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Catra's lack of reaction to her outfit honestly hurts more then the claws to the stomach, and the blonde hesitates for a moment, her confidence briefly shook. She straightens her back, then.

"A lot of the school are here, actually," she offers over the sound of the fine music. "But Chrono and Rashmi are over there. I didn't come to see them, though." She cocks her head a bit, watching the other girl.

"You look really nice. I didn't exactly get a chance to compliment you at the Prom...y'know...with everything going on. I didn't wanna miss another chance." She hears that idle threat to the Ball, of course, but she trusts her friends to keep a look-out for anything that might happen. Personally, she doesn't think Obsidian would be stupid enough to tackle something like this, anyways. So no, her attention was solidly on the kitten tonight.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Upon being told she's 'breathtaking,' Rashmi's eyes widen, and she just sort of stares off into space for a moment, not really *seeing* Chrono for the amount of time it takes for her brain to boot back up from its segfault. "...Am I really?"

It's the tiny, quiet voice of a girl who has spent too much of her life in the background to gather up compliments, and still needs to learn the trick of accepting them gracefully. But then Chrono continues, and it's a good thing he stops when he does, for the blush has completely suffused the visible parts of her entire head. "*I'm just the book-girl tagging along!*" Rashmi whispers frantically, trying not to wave her arms around.

Clutch purses are great for a lot of things. "The *alien space cop hero movie star* or the *actual princesses* are a million times more interesting!"

As Chrono circles in on the two, she falls silent, sticking close and nibbling at sandwiches to distract herself.

Luckily, trying to determine if gold-leaf *actually has a taste* is very, very distracting.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was doing pretty good, all things considered. And seeing her flush, get all fidgety, embarrassed? It made his own cheeks get a little redder. Oh. He should NOT be thinking that. It was a mission. DUTY. He couldn't...

"You're hardly 'tagging along'. You're my partner, assistant at worst. I can trust you to have my back. There's not a lot of people here who have something like that for them. And trust me. The backup is way, way more impressive than the fancy people in over priced dresses." He then popped in another mini sandwich in his mouth.

"Besides, you've gotten pretty of looks tonight as well. Don't... don't ask your device to keep a scan and running tally whenever someone looks at you. I did it at my first party like this. All it does is make you more self conscious."

Ahhhhh, so even HE wasn't immune to such things.

"... You going to be okay to dance if they go out there?" he asked, offering her the plate again.

Catra has posed:
Catra snorts derisively. "Yeah, *you* look good," Catra counters, reaching out to grab Adora's jacket by the lapel and promptly mess up how it sits on her shoulders, but not in a bad way. Strangely enough. "I look like..." she gestures towards the crowd. "Like one of them, and I hate it. I hate this place. I hate these people. I hate this *planet*."

The feline turns and stalks a couple of steps away, before she turns to face Adora again. The motion lacks her usual aggression, but it shouldn't be mistaken for anything overly positive nonetheless.

"Everyone here is... They're so..." She throws her hands up in the air. "Majorina told me I have to keep hidden. *Hidden*. Obsidian told me if I show myself, if I let people see *me*, I'll get attacked for being different and carted off to be, I don't konw, dissected or something."

Catra knocks back the rest of the drink in one gulp, before she sets the glass down and thrusts her hands in her pockets, sidling back up to Adora. "And everyone says *I'm* the bad guy," she comments. "You look fantastic. You always have. You'll fit in with this bunch just fine. ...You can't tell me that, no matter *which* side I'm on, no matter who I'm with... I'll never be anything but an outsider and a monster here."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Adora doesn't flinch away from the touch to ruffle her coat, and she doesn't rush to fix it, either. If anything, it makes her blush a hint. She watches and listens to Catra, draining her flute and setting the empty glass on a passing tray. But her attention doesn't leave the girl.

She frowns softly as she listens, letting Catra get all of that out without interruption. When she is done, however, she sighs. She pauses, then. "I don't know, actually. I mean...did Obsidian teach you about the Veil?," she asks. "It's this thing that hides magical or non-Earthen things from normal people. It's why our fights aren't really noticed, and why I can walk down the street as She-Ra if I have to. People either don't notice, or they forget. I mean...doing it too much can hurt people, yeah but...I don't -think- you being YOU every once in awhile will hurt anyone. But I'm not a scientist or wizard or anything..."

She trails off and then steps closer to Catra. "I don't fit in outside the School," she adds. "I'm a big, weird foreigner who's bad at their etiquette and doesn't get their customs. On top of that, I don't know what half of this stuff they take for granted even is. It makes me one heck of an outsider. I stand out, and not in a good way. I'm weird to them. But..."

She takes a deep breath. "...I get it, to an extent, is all. This place isn't home for either of us. And I saw Etheria after it was fixed and all the magic was returned and the Horde was overgrown with green. When the magical beasts returned. Everything after the War. That was like night and day to our Etheria, just like this is night and day from there. But...hey?"

Another step closer. Slowly, with that soft, warm smile of hers and those big blue eyes. "Thanks for the compliment." Her tone is teasing. Playful. Flirtatious.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...Wait, what? I have? You can *do that?*"

For a moment, Rashmi gets a faraway look in her eyes, as if talking to her device Which, good job Chrono for telling someone not to think of a purple elephant.

"A-anyway... I mean... thanks, that... y'know, means a lot to me. I've just... never been to fancy shindigs like this, and when you invited me I figured we'd be flying in through the roof or something, but like..." Trailing off, she shakes her head. "...Forget it. I, uh... guess this probably isn't even the most impressive one of these you've ever been to, huh?"

And at the question, Rashmi blinks sharply. "I... Dancing? Um... I... hope you don't mind if I step on your toes a few dozen times, but su-- wait three already, are *any* of them my age?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown sighed and then sent a message to her device, through his. << Nico, stop telling her. It'll just make her more nervous. >>

"Not really. Mom was an admiral, got invited to a lot of these kinds of things. Add in being one of the TSAB's prodigies and... you show up to a lot of these things. They're... different here, I guess. Less magical, I guess. Everyone is human. No familiars. You'd turn a lot of heads at one of those as well, human and all. There's a few subtle differences from midchildians," he said with a smile.

"And you'd hardly be the first one to step on my toes. And so long as you don't try to pick me up and *carry me* while dancing, we'll be fine. I've led before." Of course he had. He was super shrimplet agent man, he'd done everything.

Except ask a girl out.

Catra has posed:
"You don't have hearing like I do," Catra responds sullenly. "You aren't overwhelmed by all the noise like I am. And you're at least *human*, Adora, even if someone finds out you're weird they're not going to take you away and either lock you up or cut you up. Worst they'll do to you is take your sword away and try to talk to your parents about it. Big weird foreigners are at least a normal thing, a big weird cat person is a monster."

Catra sighs, and turns to walk away; but she only goes two steps. And then she just stands there, until she tilts her head, looking over her shoulder back at Adora. "You keep talking about stuff that you say happened. After the war. Horde Prime. Me saving prisoners." She sighs, tilting her head to stare off into the distance. "Maybe you're making it up. Maybe you think it really happened, it's not like you haven't hit your head before. Magbe it even really did happen. But it doesn't matter."

Catra turns to face Adora once again, "Because it didn't happen to *me*, Adora. *I* never saw or heard or did any of that stuff. And even if that's the way my life went once, it doesn't mean it will again."

Catra takes a step closer, "But if you want to be friends again? There's one way." She holds out her hand, "Come with me. Join Obsidian. Screw those nerds at the academy, they're going to lose and you know it."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
The blonde furrows her brow under her mask as she listens to Catra. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, and she glances down at that offered hand.

"I can't do that, Applesauce. And I know you know that. Part of me thinks you'd be dissapointed in me if I did, too."

She glances about at the big, fancy party. Chrono and Rashmi are forgotten amid this conversation. The people and din of conversation. It's all gone.

She reaches out, then, to take Catra's hand in her own.

"Forget all that for right now, though. For tonight. Let's dance, okay?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi cannot help but blink as Nico telepathically reports an 'Out of memory error, script will cease function' message. The 'how in the hell' of this will definitely be enough to tie up her subconscious for a good few minutes, forcing her to devote the bulk of her attention to Chrono's words. Which are embarrassing, and only serve to make her blush *once again* and fidget just a little bit more -- And thank the kami for clutch purses keeping her hands busy -- before finally clearing her throat. "...Subtle differences? Like what?"

And then remembering what they're supposed to be here to do, she scans the crowd, spots Adora in the classic 'wanna dance?' pose, and a small part of her *really, really hopes* Catra will accept. If only because then she'll be on a marble dance floor soon after, because a boy had asked her to dance.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced back towards her and... "You have the most beautiful eyes," he said. "They glow in a way at times. Midchildians have a lot of magic in us, so there's a lot of... glowing, as it were. But yours glow in a way that has nothing to do with magic. They almost sparkle at times. There's a lot of little things like that about you, that come from being on a world where active linker cores are the minority, not the rule. Nothing bad, mind. But... different," he said with a small shrug.

"Sorry, I'm not sure I'm explaining it well. Most of my studies were more on magic and fighting than inter-planetary social interactions and biology," he said, reaching up to rub the back of his head with a nervous smile. "Oh.... looks like we'll be dancing soon."

Well, with the last of the finger food gone her just... tossed the plate. Straight into the trash. With barely a look, so smoothly he could have been in a movie of some kind. He then held his hand out to her, palm up. "Shall we?"

Catra has posed:
"You have really strange ideas about what would make me happy," Catra answers. "Like... *wrong* sort of strange ideas." She lets her hand be taken, but doesn't immediately move; she just sort of stands there, like an unshiftable rock, immobile in the way that only a cat can accomplish. She looks down the length of her arm to Adora, her friend -- her only friend -- who's holding hands with her, but as far as Catra's concerned she might as well still be on Etheria she's so far away.

Catra isn't usually one for an unreadable expression. Her face generally gives away whatever emotional state she's in, even when she doesn't have a tail to display. Wearing the mask however, changes the equation. Her lips are pressed into an inscrutible line, and behind the mask all that's visible are her eyes, mismatched even in disguise; one blue, one green.

She stands there, clasping hands with Adora, not letting go but not following, either. Adora can't follow her? But always expects her to follow Adora everywhere she goes, from going to the dance floor to literally who's side she's on in a war. The cat chews that thought over in her head, watching the blonde, staring up at her, and finally exhales.

"Sure. Let's dance."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
She starts to say something, but stops herself. She rethinks her words as she begins to move towards the dance floor with the cat. "I want to be with you, Catra. And I -know- you didn't live through what I lived through. That it wasn't you who got that weird, glowing cat friend or...told me you loved me or...helped me save the universe. I know that. But what those things mean to me is that those are all things that grew out of who you are right now. So...it's just something I hold onto is all. Now dance, silly."

She moves to place her other hand on Catra's hip and moves as best she can to the music, following the movements of the other dancers. Her eyes are on Catra's, though, as they sway and slowly turn, only inches from eachother.

"But I also know that this you hasn't been shaped by the stuff that happened to you in your future. Change doesn't just come from inside us, right? Stuff needs to happen around us to spur our own...stuff on." She's trying, but...come on. Girl go vroom, not smart. But it's clear in her voice, and the way her hand trembles ever so softly on Catra's hip that she is trying so, so hard.

"I know you don't believe me when I say I love you Catra, but I do. And not just that future Catra that doesn't exist here. I love who you were when I found you in that box, and who you were when you stoof up for me, and when I stood up for you. Who you were when we sat above the Fright Zone, and looked at the world liked it belonged to us. And I love you in this suit and mask. But I also won't stop protecting innocent people from groups like Obsidian who want to enslave and dominate and kill.

Her fingers brush the fabric of the girl's slacks at her hip and she sighs, resting her masked forehead against Catra's.

"I don't hate easy. And I could never hate you. But I do hate what they want to turn you into when I know who you are better then Obsidian...or the Horde...or Prime or...any of them ever did or will."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Yeeeessssss..." It's hard to tell whether the sibilant, quiet whisper is an answer to Chrono's showmanship, or Catra accepting Adora's offer. In all likelihood, both. Either way, she takes Chrono's hand with much blushing but no hesitation.

"...I can promise I *will not* swing you around like a doll," she says. "That would be rude."

Part of the problem with being a fantasy-literature otaku, is that it's *so easy* to become enamored with moments that even nod toward fictional life else-world. Every time she casts a spell, she squees internally.

Perhaps Chrono will forgive her for the joyous teakettle noises she's trying very hard not to make, as she steps onto a *marble dance floor* at a *royal ball,* *with a boy* who is wearing a *glittery sea-themed tuxedo* and told her *her eyes are beautiful.*

Perhaps he will also forgive her for running on autopilot for a bit, because the teenaged girl mind can really only support so much romance before it collapses in on itself and needs a time-out.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was very fortunate he didn't have an intelligent device. He was INCREDIBLY lucky he didn't have an intelligent device. RIGHT HERE AND NOW?! AN INTELLIGENT DEVICE WOULD BE BAD!

Because when he went out on the floor, his hand locked with hers, and glanced towards Adora and Catra to ensure they were good and not in need of backup, he'd had fully intended to focus on them. It was a job.

But then his hand hand wrapped around her waist and his other hand gripped hers and they began to dance... All of those thoughts of the job faded.

Yes, she had almost a foot of height on him, but he was used to that. But she was *letting him lead*. More impressively, she wasn't pinching his cheek and telling him how cute he was and he'd called her cute and slowly a bit of red was creeping into his cheeks.

And sure, his face was against her shoulder a bit, but she likely couldn't see it too well like this and oh gosh he had no idea where Adora was and if he had an intelligent device it would likely be commenting on how his blood pressure was rising and his heart was beating faster AND AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Catra has posed:
This is not Catra's style of dancing, but she can do it. It's the sort of dancing that the music demands, anyway. Of course, usually when she's this close to Adora there's claws out and swords out and all kinds of things happening. But, Catra isn't quite at her usual level of agility, not with the sword wound that, even with Obsidian's help, isn't quite totally healed yet, so this will be fine.

So she dances; one hand on Adora's shoulder, one on her hip, the closest she's been to Adora for a long time. She lets the taller girl lead; and it's not a concession of any sort, she just doesn't want to worry or care where anyone else is on the dancefloor. Not even Adora's friends. If they're going to betray her they won't do it here -- to many people who'd get caught in the crossfire or... whatever.

The cat looks away so Adora can't see her close her eyes for a moment. Her earbuds are far away, so she can't do anything about all the sound, but she can reduce the sensory input that way for a moment. Just for a moment, all while Adora is busy talking about the way things were and love and possible futures and things that happened to her, but not to Catra.

Eventually it's just too much. Not Adora talking, just... that on top of everything else.

"Just..." Catra breathes out a sigh, and shakes her head. "Shut up, okay?"

There's no malice to Catra's tone, just a simple, quiet request. She continues to let Adora lead them, to the middle of the dancefloor or... wherever. It doesn't matter right now.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"Shutting up. Roger that."

She says it with the smnallest smile, and said loud enough for only Catra to hear. She'll take it. She simply holds the girl close and moves with her on the dancefloor, accepting thise moment for what it is. A chance to be with her girl without the battlefield. She steps in as they move, and soon they are closer then most of the 'proper' dancers, but Adora doesn't care. She prefers it, of course.

She doesn't recite any rhetoric or preach or anything. She simply holds her and moves. Her fingers are entwined with Catra's, and jher other grips the tight curve of her aehltic hip and she...just enjoys it.

She enjoys it while she can.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Internally, Rashmi is jumping around and making squeaky noises and *everything is so amazing ohmygosh you guys,* but outwardly, all she can manage for the longest time is just this goofy grin.

Chrono called her breathtaking. He said she has beautiful eyes. He *asked her to dance,* sure it was partially for surveillance but when you're even *pretending* to do TSAB work some things are just gonna be like that.

Rashmi blinks, realization striking.

He'd said she was pretty before. In fact, he'd done rather a few things that, at the moment, had her tangled up in what she'd suspected were 'boyfeels.' Tipping her head back, she looks down at the top of his head, an idea slowly taking shape in her mind.

...But perhaps something to be solved later. For now, didn't they have a job to do? Scanning the crowd, Rashmi's eyes alight on Adora and Catra, and a quiet smile tugs at her lips.

Maybe everything won't get fixed immediately, but... They look nice. That looks nice.

Which brings her back to her dance partner, and the fact that his head is, fairly awkwardly, level with her shoulder. "Hey," she says, gently. "How're you doing, Chrono-kun?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was doing fine. Was doing very fine. Was definitely good. So good he had no idea where Adora or Catra were. So incredibly good that he didn't even realize Rashmi had talked to her for a moment.

Then he glanced up, his cheeks a little rosy. Seemed he got it under control. Mostly. "Uhhhh. I was just thinking you're not a, uhhh, bad dancer. My feet have mostly remained unstepped on. And ummm... you smell nice. Like the korma. It's a very nice smell, reminds me of when we first met, actually."

When he was hurt. And she saved him.

And then HE tripped and stumbled slightly, spinning them both a bit with a little squeak.

Catra has posed:
And just like that, for a moment at least, Catra can just... be.

Nobody's telling her who she is. Nobody's telling her she's not good enough. Nobody's threatening her life or making her feel small and afraid and vulnerable. And it's while she's dancing with Adora.

How does that make any sense?

It doesn't make sense, but it is. And for a few minutes... maybe just for a minute... maybe even just for a moment, Catra lets it just not make sense and exist anyway. Is it making Adora happy? Maybe, even if that happiness can only exist for as long as Catra lets it. Or for as long as Catra's ongoing turmoil of emotions lets it, amidst all the rage she uses as a shield, always angry about everything so nobody will know how much pain she's in.

For a moment, just for a moment, she even cares about how long she'll live, and she wants it to be a long time.

What if everything Adora said really is true?

Could she be happy?

Even though Adora can't know what Catra is thinking about, she'll certainly feel the moment when Catra's state of relaxation ends. The moment when a thought enters her head, and it's just... too dangerous a thought to hold on to. There's far too much danger that it'll lead to immense, unbearable suffering for the scared little girl that Catra hs built emotional fortresses to protect.

The feline doesn't pull away, but she's no longer quite letting Adora lead, like she was a moment ago. She's not trying to herself, just... it's like she's calculating an escape route, now, just in case.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Adora knows Catra. Well, she knows she's scared and hurt and puts up the anger as a defense. She doesn't know the specifics of all of those thoughts or how deep it goes. But she does know her more then well enough to geel that shift in her when it comes. She doesn't complain or pout or anything. She doesn't pull away, either.

With her foreheard still against Catra's, she turns her face aside an inch or so to give her some semblace of space, even though she wants to kiss her so, so badly. "Do you want to lead for a little bit?," is all she whispers. Her heart is beating so fast. This is the closest Catra has been without violence since the last night before she found herself in this world and now that felt like millions of light years away. Okay, it WAS, but metaphorically, too.

She was trying to not live in her past, which was Catra's unlived future, but it was so hard. Those memories were REAL and they weren't going to go anywhere. But she also had to learn how to live in this world, with this Catra.

"I'd love to dance for one more song, Ms. Meowmeow. If you'll have me."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
'You smell nice. Like when we first met.'

Seriously how is a girl supposed to have any room to think with all this romance being wrapped around her head?!

When Chrono stumbles, and sets them both into a spin, she squeaks as well... but it's her feet that are planted first, her hands that steady him. "Careful, Chrono-kun," she manages to say... then laughs at the tone of her own admonishment.

"Y'know... I know you don't realize it, but... Sometimes, the way you talk? If I didn't know better I'd be *shocked* you don't have a girlfriend already. It's no wonder you get so many confession notes."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was caught by her. His footing was lost and she... caught him. And they were close. And he was actually a little flustered. He looked up into her eyes... and then glanced away. Towards the job. Adora and Catra.

"Sorry. Uhhhh. Still... learning all of the human dances." Liiiiiiies.

"Yeah. I've... never actually had one," he said as he walked. "I had... a few who tried, when I was younger. But wasn't really interested then. And to be honest I was a little young." Young. Smaller, too, but we don't talk about that.

"Eventually, though, my mother set me up with an arranged marriage. Partially to avoid any scandals, partially because I think she was concerned for me." Partially because she thought they'd be cute together, but he didn't comment on that.

"... Admittedly, at the time I was annoyed by it." Wait, why was he even telling her this? Why couldn't he STOP himself from telling her?! "But my mother outranked me, so wasn't a lot I could do." WAIT WHAT?! WHAT?! "I just kind of accepted it. I've never been... good at those kinds of things. And Amy just kind of... frustrated me. She was a few years older, but found me 'adorable'," he mumbled softly. "Never really felt like she really respected me. Eventually she became my assistant, but well... still always felt kind of... annoyed by it..."

"... Now I'm trapped on this world and I'm kind of coming to terms with I'm likely never going to see TSAB space again. I'm not entirely sure I want to and I think you're part of the reason and Idon'tthinkIaskedyoujustbecauseIthoughtyou'dbegoodbackup!" That last bit kind of splurted out and he just... kind of locked up, unable to move. Unable to breathe. And oh gosh he just kind of confessed, didn't he? Oh gosh. What was WRONG WITH HIM DID HE REALLY JUST CONFESS ON A MISSION?!

Catra has posed:
The tension is still there; and probably will be, for the rest of the night, since Catra's thoughts have come around full circle. But she hasn't left Adora yet, either. And she's pretty focused; she hasn't even clued in that Rashmi and Chrono are the ones here, backing up Adora. Well, sort of backing up Adora, when they're not drinking in each other's eyes.

Honestly, the entire population of the place could be Adora's backup, and Catra wouldn't have noticed. Maybe an opportunity nissed there.

Or maybe not.

The music is still playing, people are still dancing. Catra's time here is growing short. Maybe she'll have to fight another security guard on the way out. Maybe she'll make sure of it, just to get the catharsis of a good fight to help her bury any other feelings.

But for now, she just... answers Adora's first question by leaving it unanswered. But to the request, she looks up, and nods, just once. "One more," she replies. "One more."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Adora Happysmile Rainbowfist, so named by Catra Applesauce Meowmeow, continues to lead, then. Her grip loosens on her hip enough to make sure Catra knows she is free to flee at any moment, and Adora won't stop her. Comfort is something hardwon by the cat, and so rarely experienced, so she tries to give her at least a level of it. She isn't trapped, and she isn't in danger. They're just here, alone together in a crowded room.

The song moves on to a new one, and they continue to move in their own world, each thinking their own deep thoughts. The blonde will take every moment of this brief respite with her that she can get, because she knows after this they will be swinging swords and raking claws again. At least for awhile longer. Fingertips lightly brush the deep reddish purple of that suit, lightly playing with atailcoat as they move, the girl lost in the catgirl's presence.

Eventually, though, the song has to end. Before removing her hands, though, Adora does the bravest thing she's done in a good while, and she lightly kisses Catra on the cheek.

"Thank you for tonight, Catra."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi is a very good listener.

She subscribes to the philosophies of 'When people tell you who they are, believe them' and 'The tongue has no bones but is strong enough to break a heart, so be careful with your words.' So, she listens, closely and completely, as Chrono starts spilling out all the things he's been keeping bottled up.

She also has a terrible poker face, so all the questions and realizations are nearly as loud as if she truly did speak them.

...But then he gets to the part he has to rush out. He might not want to leave, and *she* might be part of the reason. And that... Is a lot. A *lot.* A big chunk of his heart has just been exposed, so she needs to be sure what she's saying is the right, the kind, and the *good* thing to say. Luckily, hugs make *excellent* stall-for-time moves.

When she's finally worked it all out, she pulls back a bit, looking down at Chrono and smiling gently. "...I kinda wondered, honestly. You've been confusing me for awhile like that, y'know? Do you like me, don't you like me... I'm usually pretty good at that stuff, but when it's me? Blind spot the size of a moon, I guess. So... I usually need it spelled out for me, or I'm just gonna miss it."

She pulls back a little bit, to give her room to put her hands on Chrono's cheeks. "...So I'm gonna warn you, I've never had a boyfriend either. But I guess... If I can learn how to fight monsters and cast spells by figuring it out as I'm going along? ...Maybe I can figure out dating too. ...I mean, if you're okay with that."

And she ducks her head to plant a quick kiss on Chrono's lips.

Apologies, Adora, but it looks like you didn't need backup anyway.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gulped and nodded along. "Y-yeah. I mean, I think... I kind of just... realized it myself. I don't... I mean... I didn't really... I uhhhh... I'd been kind of making excuses for a while and... so I kind of missed it too... I guess..." Yeah, he had a bit of a blind spot towards his own feelings too it seemed.

... But he trusted Rashmi. He BELIEVED in Rashmi. He had faith she would be there when he needed her. So... it wasn't... quite as hard...

And then her hands were on his cheeks.

And he definitely gave a not-so-enforcer squeak. "Y-yeah. I think... I'll need to figure it out too. Uhhhh. The TSAB doesn't train this in boot camp. Heh. Eh."

"... But... I mean... of course I don't mind learning with you. It means I get to come and leave this party with the most beautiful girl here."

Okay, so he had SOME smoothness too him.

It all disappeared when she kissed him. And he gulped, opened his mouth. Then stopped. Opened it again. And... "... I think that is the best kiss I've ever been given." ... He really was bad at this.

Catra has posed:
Catra isn't really capable of serenity. Not at this stage of her life, anyway; and even while she's here, immersed in the music and Adora's embrace, she's still in pain and unending turmoil. That kind of thing doesn't just go away. You can't turn it on and off like a switch.

But sometimes, just sometimes, you can hold it at bay for a little while. Maybe just for a few minutes. Maybe just long enough for a couple of songs.

Catra dances with Adora, eventually closing her eyes and just trying to kind of... ignore the world that she's found herself in, that's full of people she hates on general principle and so much noise. At least there's someone familiar here. Even if they're on opposite sides, Catra can manage to just... be, for a minute, and even if her defenses aren't all the way down, she's not a spitting ball of claws, and that's something.

But eventually the song has to end. And maybe she doesn't return the gesture of thanks from Adora, but she doesn't throw it in her face, either; and maybe that's a thank you all of its own.

Catra pulls away, and stands just out of reach, looking back at Adora. Her hands go back to her pockets; she watches the taller blonde, until another dancing couple come between them and she's gone.

A few minutes later, Adora might find the mask; a black and white, feline mask, left amongst the food table, near all the protein options; left like it was carelessly dumped.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
She doesn't stop her from going. She knows it has to happen. The fact that she leaves in such a Catra fashion even makes her smile for a brief moment, but then the smile is gone. She runs her hand up under hask to rub at her eyes, which are suddenly very, very wet.

After a moment to collect herself she glances over and spots Rashmi and Chrono, and she feels a brief surge of victory. She wasn't crazy! But it's not enough to fix everything going on inside her heart right now. She fishes her phone out of her pocket and shoots them a quick 'Heading home. Thanks for the help. Everything went fine. Happy for u 2. Chrono dont be dumb.'

She then makes her way over to the refreshment table for a cookie to take home with her when she spots the mask. She picks it up and brings it up to smell it lightly. It's Catra's scent, of course. A smell she remembers and misses and loves as much as she once feared it. She decides it's going up on her wall, beside her posters. A keepsake of one good night. Well, decently good. Better then the others by a mile.

She makes her way out of the party by the front entrance, because nobody checks invitations on the way out. She rides the bus home, two masks in her lap, staring out the window at the bright lights and dark, hard corners of Tokyo, and wonders where Catra is sleeping tonight. Does Obsidian give her a nice room, like they had in brightmoon? Some barracks, like in the Fright Zone? She hopes she at least has a nice bed to sleep in, even if it's short someone.

Eventually she gets back to her dform room and curls up on her bed, one mask sitting on her niughtstand, the other in her arms. It's a long time before she sleeps, and when it does find her she dreams of an orange-skinned, wild-haired teenager with a raspy voice and a loud laugh.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Well good," Rashmi says with a chuckle. "It's the best kiss I've ever given."

Oh my glob she's such a dork too.

And in the back of her head she's still running around, but the squeeing has been replaced with yelling and questions and yelled questions, because this is Super Uncharted Territory. But all of that can wait, because right now, there's a--

    --text message--

--there's a text message, and when Nicomachea reads it off to her she can't help but snrrk, sigh, and shake her head. "Okay, well... everything seems to've gone okay for *them,* so... Whaddaya want to do now?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown stared up at her. "Huh?" he asked. "What do I want to do?" There were things? He could do? Other than dancing with her? There were things? Then... "Oh. Right. Adora... texted. Right. Well... what I'd like to do is henshin, pick you up, fly you out the window and like... go get ice cream. But that might be a little too much. So... I think... I think I don't care about seeing the jewel. We can only be out so long after the dance ends... So... do you want to go on a date? That's... that's what people on this planet do, right? Dates?"

"... I've never done it before but I'd like to learn... with you..."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...We can split the difference and go get ice cream?" Rashmi says, grinning. "I know a place over in Mitakihara that does couples sundaes. Because I would *absolutely love* to go out on a date, in this dress, with you wearing that suit."

And it's true; something about going on a date in ballroom-wear is as tickling to her sense of 'is this really happening?' as the last time she stopped at a food cart in henshin for post-fight yakitori.

"...Though I gotta say, for someone who has no idea what dating's like, you've got *good* instincts. So..."

She holds out her arm for Chrono to take. "Shall we?"

Catra has posed:
In the end, Catra didn't encounter any more security guards on the way out. She dumps the earpiece in a trashbin once she no longer needs it, and wanders off into the night, dressed in a plum tuxedo with a black shirt and a white bow tie, left undone. She opens a couple more buttons on the shirt as she walks off, and the night finds her wanderin the streets, aimless and alone.

She could just pick any door and turn the handle hte wrong way, and go straight back to Obsidian, and her room and her bed, but she doesn't want to do that. Obsidian Tower is the last place she wants to be. It's the only place in the city that even begins to remind her of the Fright Zone, and the Fright Zone reminds her of when she used to be friends with Adora. When she used to have a friend. Before she switched sides.

So she wanders, eventually finding the dingy end of town after a couple of bus rides, where wearing a tux might absolutely mark you as a target, but who cares. Maybe she wants to wreck the tux by getting in a scrap. Maybe she wants to wreck the person who tries, and their friends.

In the end she finds her way to a kiosk, one of those places that's open all night, and buys herself some cheap noodles in a styrafoam cup. She takes them and bounces up between a couple of buildings in a back alley, ascending with three hands until she reaches the top, where she sits beside a noisy air conditioning unit and eats her food.

She gets halfway through before she winds up and throws the noodles, then puts her hands to her face, growling into her palms and trying to hold back the tears; until she can't, and she throws her head back and screams into the night.