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Published:
2020-03-27
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2020-03-27
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2/2
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Flip the Script

Summary:

This is basically a really short rewrite of the Princess Prom episode where Adora is super confident (or at least is trying to be) and it completely throws Catra off

Based off of that one drawing from Molly and Noelle's stream. You know the one ;)

Notes:

I got the idea for this late at night and then I went into a fugue state typing the whole thing down. I just couldn't stop thinking about Adora being so smooth that she completely turns the tables on Catra lol. I ended up writing Adora as more of a smug asshole than someone who's just confident but I think it still works

Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1: Hey Catra

Chapter Text

The icy hall was filled with a cacophony of raucous laughter, whispered rumors slipping through hushed lips, and the clinking of glasses as party-goers celebrated what they assumed would be another conventional Princess Prom. Colorful lights flashed across the room and airy pop music pulsed through the air. On the dance floor, flushed bodies danced in rhythm to the beat.

Catra smirked. This was gonna be fun.

“Wow,” Scorpia breathed as she stood beside her. “I forgot how exciting this whole thing was. It almost makes me wish we weren’t gonna crash it.”

Catra waved a hand. “Don’t think of it like that. These princesses have been throwing the same old party for like, what? Hundreds of years now? We’re doing them a favor by finally spicing things up.” She turned to Scorpia and lowered her voice. “Do you remember the plan?”

“Yup! I’m supposed to-”

“Don’t say it out loud.”

Scorpia scratched the back of her head. “Sorry, got a little ahead of myself there. But yeah, I remember. Do you want me to go ahead and…” She made air quotes with her claws. “...do ‘the thing’ now?”

Catra scanned the room. “...No, not yet. We shouldn’t start until we know exactly where Adora is. We can’t have her ruining everything at the last minute.” She turned to Scorpia and grinned. “For now, go have some fun. You’ll know when it’s time to pop things off.”

Scorpia smiled and saluted. “You got it, boss.”

Catra watched her wander off for a moment before turning back to gauge the room. It looked like Adora still wasn’t here. It would’ve been a cakewalk to pick her out of the crowd if she was. Knowing her, she was probably wearing something that would win an award for most boring outfit at the party. Her hair would almost definitely be in that same little poof, too.

Not to mention the fact that the blonde would be so stiff and awkward around everyone here that all Catra would have to do to find her was follow the trail of second-hand embarrassment back to its source. Adora might’ve gotten the best scores in a lot of things back in the Horde, but social interactions were where she fell flat on her face. This was Catra’s territory, not Adora’s.

Catra’s smirk grew. She couldn't wait to see the priceless look on Adora's face when-

“Hey Catra.” Adora’s voice came from behind her.

Catra turned, a snide barb already on her lips-

The words died in her throat the moment Adora entered her view.

Instead of the simple outfit Catra had expected, Adora wore white, high-waisted pants along with a matching, sleek white blazer. Under that was a jet black tube top that showed off her stomach. And instead of her usual hair poof, a few locks of her hair were tied back in a loose bun while the rest hung loose around her shoulders. Her ears were lined with sharp, black piercings.

She actually looked… good.

“What’s wrong?” Adora smirked. “Cat got your tongue?”

Catra shook her head. Whatever. Some princess must’ve helped Adora with her outfit. “Don't be stupid. I’m just surprised you managed to put together something that actually looks decent.”

“Aw, thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Was… was Adora flirting with her?

Catra cleared her throat before saying, “You don’t sound surprised to see me.”

“Why would I? I heard that every princess gets an invite, and that includes Scorpia. It was obvious that you’d wanna to come to this party as her plus one.” Her voice purred, “After all, you knew that I would be here.”

Catra’s eyes widened. “You think I’m here for you?” She scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself, Adora. Not everything is about you.”

“What’re you here for then? The buffet?” Her tone was ripe with sarcasm, but she stopped and said, “Actually, that isn’t that hard to believe. The food they have here is a million times better than those crusty old ration bars.”

Catra put a hand on her hip. “Maybe I’m just here to have fun. Have you thought about that, princess?” She sneered. “Oh, sorry. You probably don’t even know what ‘fun’ is anymore, do you? What with you spending all your time running around as She-Ra.”

Adora raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think I remember how to have fun?”

The lights suddenly dimmed. A spotlight in front of the room flashed on and shone down onto Princess Frosta. In a high voice, the ten year-old announced, “It is my solemn duty as hostess to now announce… it is time for the first dance of the ball.”

Adora perked up. “Ooh, perfect timing!” She held out a hand to Catra. “Come on.”

“What?”

“You don’t think I can have a good time? Well, I’m gonna prove to you that I can. Dance with me.”

Catra blinked. This was not how she expected things to go. Adora was supposed to be paranoid. Panicked. She was supposed to be freaking out about what Catra was planning to do. She was not supposed to be this calm and collected.

Catra took Adora’s hand anyway. There was no need to worry. As long as she kept Adora distracted, her plan would still work.

The blonde led her through the gaps that opened up between the pairs of dancing couples. She stopped when they reached the middle of the room, under a neon blue spotlight. The glow added a highlight to Adora’s outfit that accented her eyes to the point where it looked like they were glowing.

The air here was already warm with energy, but Catra felt her skin heat up when Adora gripped her hand, wrapped her other arm around her waist, and pulled her close.

For a while, Adora didn’t say anything, so Catra didn’t either. They swayed back and forth to the soothing music, their feet moving in perfect harmony. Catra tried to get read on what Adora was thinking, but for once, the girl’s face betrayed nothing. Well, nothing but a hint of what looked like smug satisfaction. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and her half-lidded eyes gave off a lazy, confident vibe that Catra was definitely not used to.

Finally, Adora spoke, “So, you enjoying yourself yet?”

Catra tried to act nonchalant and shrugged. “As much as I can, dancing with you.”

Adora let out a mock gasp. “That hurts. What, am I not a good enough dancer for you?”

“Actually, I’m impressed you can dance at all with your two left feet.” She smirked. “No, I’m just waiting for something.”

“And what’s that?”

Catra’s smile grew. “Don’t worry. You’ll find out in a few minutes.” She cocked her head. Her words took on a mocking tone as she said, “By the way, I haven’t seen your friends with you at all. You three are usually so inseparable. I wonder where they could be.”

Adora pressed her lips. “Yeah… it’s been a while since I’ve seen them, too. That is weird.”

“You don’t think something happened to them, do you?”

Adora fell silent. She lifted her head and looked around the room. As she did, the orchestra filled the space between them with a slow melody, which began to rise in pitch as anticipation grew in Catra’s stomach. This is what she’d been waiting for. The confused look on Adora’s face as she realized that everything around her was about to fall apart.

“Huh,” Adora finally said. “You know what’s also weird? I don’t see Scorpia anywhere either.”

Catra furrowed her brow. She knew Adora was dense, but this was bordering on stupidity. “Yeah. Are you starting to get why, or do I need to spell it out for you?”

“No, no. I think I understand.” She looked back down at Catra. “She’s off doing your plan while you keep me distracted, isn’t she?”

Catra’s eyes narrowed. Adora still looked as calm as ever.

Adora continued, “And since you mentioned Glimmer and Bow being missing, I’m guessing that part of your plan was to kidnap them and take them back to the Horde.”

“You’re taking this really well,” Catra slowly said. “Sounds like you don’t care as much about your friends as I thought.”

“Oh, I do. But the thing is… I figured that a big part of your plan would involve Scorpia, so I gave Glimmer some special instructions.”

The couples around them twirled as the music began to speed up.

Adora continued, “I told her that the instant she saw Scorpia, she would teleport her into a special little trap we set up right outside this castle.”

Catra’s eyes widened.

Adora smiled. “And that’s exactly what she did! I’ll admit, I felt kind of bad. Scorpia was in the middle of eating some of those small samples the waiters carry around when Glimmer did it, but…” She shrugged. “I couldn’t take the risk of leaving her alone.”

Their movements sped up with the music.

“And now, Glimmer’s probably taking her back to Bright Moon to be put in the ‘holding cell’.” Her smile grew. “Isn’t that great? I managed to capture a Horde Force Captain, and I didn’t even need to be She-Ra to do it!”

“You really think I’m stupid enough to believe that?” Catra asked with a scowl. Her heart was starting to beat faster. “If you really did capture her, the toddler princess over there wouldn’t be too happy, and you need her happy if you want her to join your little ‘princess alliance’. You wouldn't risk all that just to capture one Horde soldier.”

“You’re right. That’s why I’m going to make sure she doesn’t find out.” She added, “And don’t bother trying to tell her yourself. All you have is your word against mine.”

Catra’s throat was dry. Adora… actually sounded serious.

What was going on? She’d never seen Adora act like this. Like she didn’t have a care in the world. Like she was on top of everything. No, the Adora she knew panicked at the slightest sign of trouble. She always worried when things weren’t going perfectly. This Adora seemed to be free of those worries. It was as if she was a completely different person.

In the background, the notes of the melody began to lengthen as the song drew to a close.

All of a sudden, Adora yanked Catra close, eliciting a squeak from the magicat. Their bodies pressed together, and Catra couldn’t tell if that rapid thumping sensation was her own heart beating or Adora’s.

Adora, her face just a few inches away from Catra, said in a low voice, “Well, this has been really fun, but I have to get going. You probably wanna go and chase after Scorpia, so I’ll let you go and give you a head start. But before I do...”

The song came to a close, and Catra’s breath hitched in her throat as Adora suddenly dipped her. Catra found her thighs pressed too close to Adora’s, and a blush crept onto her face. The air around them seemed to burn. Her grip around the girl’s waist tightened as the space between their bodies seemed to disappear completely.

Strands of Adora’s blond hair fell and brushed against Catra’s face, whose eyes snapped up. The gaze Adora met her with was soft and free of malice, but Catra couldn’t help but feel vulnerable all the same.

Then, Adora leaned close.

Catra’s heart was about to burst. The air in her lungs grew stale as she held her breath. All she could focus on were Adora’s lips.

To her surprise, Adora shifted her head to the side while she leaned further down, until her mouth was right next to Catra’s ear. Catra’s hair stood on end as the girl's hot breath tickled her neck.

A soft whisper, loud enough to cut through the noise. “I’ll see you around, kitten.”

And then just like that, Adora pulled her up again.

Everything was a haze of colors as Catra tried to get her bearings. After a few seconds, she blinked and snapped out of her trance.

Adora was nowhere to be seen.

Catra just stood there, her heart still racing, as the couples around her began to disperse.

What…

What the hell just happened?

Chapter 2: Behind the Curtain

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Adora rushed through the ice covered hallway. There was no time to appreciate the ornate carvings decorating the walls and ceiling. She needed to make sure Glimmer and Bow were ok. She needed to know that their plan involving Scorpia had gone without a hitch. Then they needed someone to make sure Catra didn’t come rescue her if it did. And then she needed to come back to the party and convince Frosta to join the Princess Alliance. There were so many things in this plan that could go wrong.

But try as she might, she couldn’t concentrate on any of them. Her conversation with Catra had left her flustered to no end. It felt like her heart was racing a million beats a second.

She stopped and leaned a hand against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

“I can’t believe I just did that,” she muttered beneath her breath. Her ears burned. She could still recall the sensation of Catra’s body pressed against hers. “I can’t believe I just did that.”

Behind her, the faint clacking of heels bounced off the walls.

“Bravo, blondie!” Their owner’s voice called out. “That was truly awe-inspiring!”

Adora sighed. She straightened back up and turned to face the Princess Alliance’s newly-acquired ally.

The reptilian figure, draped in pink and purple silks, grinned as they snaked up to Adora. “I must say, darling, for an amateur, you gave a fantastic performance.”

Adora skipped the pleasantries. “I know we asked for your help outsmarting Catra, but can you tell me again why you thought it was so important for me to act like-” She frantically waved a hand down the hall. “-like that, in order to do that?”

Double Trouble rolled their eyes. “We’ve already been over this. You needed to show confidence in order to sell the illusion. Without that bold front, she never would’ve revealed what her plans were.”

“Yeah, I remember. I didn’t argue back then because it sounded like you knew what you were talking about, but now I’m not so sure.” She crossed her arms. “I still think it was too much. Why didn’t you just shapeshift into me and do all that yourself?”

“I’ll be honest, it was tempting.” They grinned. “But this was much more fun to watch.”

“I knew it,” Adora grumbled

“Oh, don’t look so sour. I could tell you enjoyed it too.”

“W-what?! No I didn’t!”

“Didn’t you? What about that passionate scene you added at the end there? I don’t remember telling you to do that.”

Adora stammered, “I-I didn’t mean to go that far. I just… got caught up in the moment.”

“I see.” The smug look Double Trouble gave her was unbearable. “Well, your friend Bow gave me one of those tracker pads you carry around, so you can contact me again if you ever feel the urge to get ‘caught up’ in more moments like that.”

Adora blushed. She pressed her arms to her side and stormed off without another word.

Notes:

Turns out this is also an AU where DT offers their services to the Rebellion instead of the Horde early on in the show

Thanks for reading!