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Catra and Glimmer are hanging out in Glimmer’s room. Glimmer lays on her window seat, while Catra lounges next to it on a pile of pillows (pillows probably taken from said window seat). Glimmer is listening to Taylor Swift. Catra is hostile towards Taylor Swift, mostly just to be contrary.
But maybe she hasn’t noticed who’s singing this song yet. She isn’t really paying attention to it at all.
Then-
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me
Catra jolts upright. “WHAT SONG IS THIS?”
Glimmer startles. She pauses the song. “‘Anti-Hero’ by Taylor Swift. Why?”
But did you ever stop to think, maybe they’re not the problem?
It’s you. You drive them away, Wildcat.
Catra smiles awkwardly. “…No reason.”
Pause.
“Taylor Swift, huh?”
“Yeah. She’s good!”
“Is not!”
“Is too! She’s great! Her songs are great!”
“No! She’s overrated!” They’ve had this argument many times before. “Of course you’d like her, Sparkles.”
“I guess you just never learned to appreciate good music!”
Glimmer’s so easy to mess with. Almost as easy as Adora. Catra’s already extremely skilled at pissing Sparkles off.
“I know way better music than this junk!” Catra retorts.
“Prove it!”
“Why should I? You probably wouldn’t appreciate it. ”
“Ugh!”
Catra laughs.
Then, sheepishly, she adds, “Skip the song back? I missed the beginning.”
Glimmer grins teasingly. “So you want to listen to Taylor Swift?”
“Just do it, before I change my mind.”
Laughing, Glimmer obliges.
I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser
Midnights become my afternoons
When my depression works the graveyard shift, all of the people
I've ghosted stand there in the room
Catra listens, rapt.
I should not be left to my own devices
They come with prices and vices
I end up in crisis
(Tale as old as time)
She finds herself staring at Glimmer’s music device.
I wake up screaming from dreaming
One day, I'll watch as you're leaving
'Cause you got tired of my scheming
(For the last time)
And the song continues, still painfully relatable.
The song ends, and Catra is left staring off into space for a moment.
Then, Glimmer says, “So you like Taylor Swift now!”
“What? No!” Catra hits her with a pillow. “Give me the thing, I’ll show you some good music.”
Catra puts on “Bad Reputation”.
They listen for the 2 minutes and 48 seconds. Catra’s just vibing to it. She relates to this song, too, but in a more fun way, not in a painful angsty did-you-have-to-call-me-out-that-way-Taylor way.
When the song ends, Catra says, “See? Way better than Taylor Swift.”
“That was good,” Glimmer says, “but not better than Tay Tay.”
“‘Tay Tay’?”
“Did you know she has an album called Reputation?”
“Don’t wanna hear it. Joan Jett’s way better. Taylor Swift’s just a dumb popstar.”
“SHE IS NOT! Come on! You liked ‘Anti-Hero’!”
“Shut up, Sparkles,” Catra grins, throwing another pillow in Glimmer’s face. Glimmer retaliates with a pillow of her own, and a full-on pillow fight ensues.
They hit each other with pillows until they are both left laughing on the ground.
Catra thinks again about how glad she is that this is her life now. After everything before…
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
Ha. Try villain .
“I bet Bow and Adora will agree that Taylor Swift’s great!” Glimmer says.
“Nah. Not even Adora’s dumb enough to like your ‘Tay-Tay’.”
“Well, we can ask her!” Glimmer reaches for her, but Catra jerks away.
“No! Nuh-uh. I mean, can we not teleport?”
“Oh! Sure.”
Catra stands up and heads toward the door, and Glimmer grabs her music-player and follows. Then, mid-step, Glimmer disappears in a flash of pink sparkles.
“Hey! What happened to no teleporting?” Catra calls, before running after her.
Oh, Sparkles.