Chapter Text
Catra checked her watch.
It was precisely seven minutes past nine, which meant she was late for her first shift at her new job - hardly a great way to make a first impression. She stood outside the door, hesitating for just enough time to take a deep breath and contemplate how, exactly, she found herself in this position.
She had tried. Really, she had set her alarm for 6:00, and 6:30, and 7:00, and even 7:30. She truly hadn’t planned to get out of bed at 8:00. She had stumbled to the shower, and then stumbled to the kitchen, still half drenched as she made herself a cup of coffee. That had taken a bit more time than she had anticipated. All of her mugs were dirty, scattered across the apartment and half-full of ramen and whatever pathogenic fungus had decided to call the mug home.
So, she decided three mugs would have to do, and made a jug of coffee in the green jug she had been using to water her plants for the last two weeks.
Catra didn’t consider herself a plant person. Hell, no-one who had spent five minutes in a room with Catra would consider her a plant person. She had once been assigned to keep the classroom’s plant alive over Easter break in kindergarten, because she wasn’t to be trusted with the class pet. She had managed to kill that, somehow.
The plant was grass.
The many pots which littered her kitchen was a testament to this. She had been staying up late and toiling over all seventeen of them, watching youtube videos on growing plants in an attempt to become qualified for her new position. All of them, without exception, had wilted and died.
The new position she was late to was a florist. She had been applying to jobs en mass, applying regardless of what the position was. She hadn’t expected to get an interview as a horticulturist, and she certainly hadn’t expected to have then been hired as one, but here she was, arranging flowers for dead people.
Adora woke up way before her alarm went off, because she hated herself apparently. It was still dark outside and her stomach was uneasy enough that she could almost hear her body protesting against how little sleep she had gotten for the past few days. Adora couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous if she were honest, and that was saying a lot considering it was her .
But then again, it was just a lot of stuff she didn't expect happening at once.
She didn't expect receiving an official looking letter from some "Etheria Law Group" inviting her to a meeting at one of their offices.
She didn't expect said office to be so imposing, and (feeling very underdressed in her jeans and hoodie) to be seated across some very bald, very tall and very imposing lady, who was wearing a dark blue suit and an expression so serious that made it look like she had never ever given a smile in her entire life, which, honestly, wasn't very light or hopeful from someone called Light Hope.
Continuing on her list of unexpected things, she wasn't counting on said lady telling her some old lost relative of hers had died, and left a will stating that all of her fortune and possessions should be transferred to the last girl of their lineage if, and only if, she got married before the age of 24. There was something about how it was her relative’s last wish to see that their lineage and-slash-or their family legacy would be preserved, but honestly, Adora was too busy being a little bitter at the fact that whoever that relative was, they managed to find her just fine to ensure their wish was granted but apparently had no problems letting her grow up as an orphan. That stung.
Said will also stated what would be left and while Adora didn't get a close look at it (she'd only have access to that part after she got married, apparently) the bit she saw made her feel almost nauseous. It was more money than she could even measure. She was getting married then.
The only problem? Adora would turn 24 in less than a month and she wasn't in a relationship.
Which leads us to the last thing Adora didn't expect, like, at all.
Her grand plan consisted on getting a marriage, really. She'd get the dress and everything, and then her (non-existent, but that was the point) fiancee would abandon her at the altar. Which was as good as she'd arrange at the moment and she supposed it'd have to be enough, because then she could cry about it and hopefully that'd be enough. If she told anyone 1/3 of her life they'd cry, so she was sure she pretty much had that part covered.
And finally, Adora didn't expect to actually get married at all:
1) because her supposed groom who had been in France for the past two years taking care of family business didn't actually exist .
2) Because she never, in a million years, would have expected someone to actually barge in on her wedding.
Least of all, she'd never expect that person to be Catra.