Chapter Text
Everything was soft when she opened her eyes. Despite falling asleep with no blanket the night prior, she felt a suffocatingly warm and heavy weight on her body, as she tried to move it away, the mass only grunted, a frustrated huff, before it slid off of her with the gentleness of a brick wall. She grunted in return, a silent communication, and pushed past the fog in her head, trying to decipher at what hour could she be waking up as her eyes barely peeled open, the city around her still fairly quiet for the middle of summer, the sun still shy in the sky, and finally her eyes sleepily landed on the alarm clock beside her, reading a soft 8:36 AM, and Adora's day was ruined. She grunted once more, all her senses attacked and numbed all at once as she took in the room. The small area was fairly cozy, the AC was running still, and Swift Wind now laid down on the wooden floor, melting on the cold ground as he, too, seemed displeased about being woken up so early. Adora pet him lazily as she slowly got up, movements stiff and clumsy, her mind already getting to work despite sleep pulling at her, a woman of efficiency she was, and there war no way she could fall back asleep now, instead stretching on her disheveled bed as her brain got to work.
Have to clean up room today, there are still clothes from last week on the ground, laundry too. Breakfast ? No. Yes. Eh. I smell, I should shower before everything. I don't wanna, it'll be fine if I wait. Gotta walk Swift Wind today, and I have brunch later. I hate Sunday brunches. I wanna explode right now, someone give me coffee. Buy more coffee later.
She was trying her best to get started, slipping out of her comfortable outfit and facing the day head-on, she pulled out the only pair of bras not dirty yet, mismatched socks, her jean shorts, a white fitting shirt, and her trusty jacket, the vibrant red shining in the room as the sun rays landed on it through the window. She could in fact wait before showering today, it's not like she planned anything that required her at her best, she kept that amount of energy for emergencies only, and brunch wasn't one, it was a torture, one she will not deem worth showering for right now. She only needed to take her usual set of complements, her shaker, and her brightest smile. She could get through this. She needn't to linger on all the other times brunch had went wrong for everyone involved and yet nobody felt brave enough to cancel the meeting, fearing the wrath of a certain pink demon. She still remembers the the dazzlingly pretty table they had been sitting on last time, the way the food tasted, the incredible view of BrightMoon city, almost perfect. Before a storm poured in 15 minutes in and forced everyone inside while their food was getting washed away by wind and rain... She also remembers being the last one willing to let the food go.
Ah yes, needn't to linger Adora, focus on the day ahead, a normal, emotionally stable day. It was that lie that drove her to finally get dressed, ready to open her door before she paused, her body was already starting to build sweat even the AC couldn't find back, and she listened closely. Nothing, not a single noise. No TV running, no complaining right in the morning, no loud music blasting her sensitive ears. It seemed calm, too calm... Living with two roommates only taught Adora that silence was only ever the calm before the storm - damn it, brunch thoughts again - and she warily creaked her door open, revealing nothing but stillness. The humble apartment her and her roommates shared was completely silent, windows closed, heat built in hitting Adora in the face uncomfortably as she pressed forward, summer was set to stay for a couple weeks still, and she couldn't hide the discomfort her jean shorts already gave her as she strolled into the small kitchen, open with a living room adjacent, still nothing or no one in sight. She finally allowed herself a breath of relief. She loved her sister but sometimes having the equivalent of an atomic bomb of energy dropped onto you when it wasn't even 9 am yet just wasn't something she could handle. With hope she was still asleep with Bow, the young man saving Adora some precious alone time without even knowing it, she could bless his soul if he wasn't just as annoyingly energetic in the morning.
Summer was a moment out of space and time, vacations from work, lunches with friends, beach trips, staying up all night until the sun showed up again, it was the one moment the world allowed Adora to be free of routine, of discipline, to let go and relax. She hated it all. She was a creature of routine, of discipline, she loved her job and she loved loving it, she loved doing things all day and tuning her brain out, coming home to find her two best friends just as worn out as her as they all melted in the couch and ate in front of a show. Now this was enjoyable, not the parties after parties Glimmer was throwing, alcohol and music booming everywhere, not the fact their own couch was filled with dirty laundry and other mick-macks nobody knew belonged to who, at least Adora kept her mess in her room. She hated that when she opened the fridge for some well earned cold milk she was met with nothing but bottles after bottles of liquor, having to dig in for her precious. When she finally managed to grab a bowl that wasn't already filled with... Something resembling food, and had to resolve to using a baby plastic spoon that nobody knew why it was even here, she settled on the small table by the kitchen, listening as the city woke up in waves, cars, people, animals, buildings. For a moment it brang her a pinch of peace, settling into the chair.
Then of course she got turned over and fucked because life just loved messing with her small victories.
The dangling of keys and heavy footsteps were her only warnings. "I CANNOT believe that lady at the register ! She was TOTALLY checking you out and-" door blasting open like hell was let loose, and maybe it just was, because Glimmer walked in, all sparkles, zero shame, followed closely by Bow who's arms supported some groceries, the poor guy seemed about melted on the floor, glistening with sweat. On the contrary, Glimmer was as unbothered as ever, her sunglasses hanging on her nose and her hair perfectly stylized as her skin also glistened, but it wasn't sweat, it was pure sprinkles, glitter, makeup, foundation, perfume, and everything still held in the heat. The glowing woman was nursing a bobba tea as her giant set of keys hung in her other hand, the drink a color of chemical blue, definitely too sugary for this early in the day. She gasped when she spotted Adora. "Well look who's awake ! We almost debated waking you up to come with us this morning sleepy head." She said too casually, and the horror of the potential scenario settled into Adora. She had avoided the worst.
"Buuut we decided to let you rest because we're good friends and respect your boundaries." Bow gently swept in, dropping the grocery bag on the table next to Adora, he was likely the one who saved her from Glimmer's wake up call, she'll thank him later. In secret. When her sister doesn't know they've been saving each other some hours of sleep for the past years by distracted Glimmer with her favorite hobby, shopping and complain about everyone. "And we took the time to make some well needed refilling for next week !" He started laying down items and Glimmer went on about her rambling.
"Well clearly it was a mistake because that woman kept on checking on you I swear it, she was basically eye fucking you and I'm NOT letting this slide." She dramatically pulled away at the sunglasses, her keys in her bag and bobba probably already forgotten as she helped Bow storing the food away, just some butter and eggs - that thankfully fit among the many bottles, chips, some fruits, and bread as well as other things Adora didn't pay attention to. Despite the petty complaints she found about her friends sometimes, she was still grateful to have them help run their home, she would trade them for the world, though she could trade the dirty laundry..
"She was not 'checking me out' Glim, I already told you, she clearly looked at my shirt, not everyone goes out on a Sunday morning with a crop-top labelled "Trans Men Are Hot Men", which by the way I love." He quickly added, his beloved shirt was more so a joke gift that had been offered when they first rented their shared home, more often than not used as pajamas, but Adora could guess the lack of laundry was affecting even Bow's crop top supply. She personally found the shirt delightful (she was the one who bought it).
"Oh sure, the shirt that encases perfectly your chest and thistled abs." Her sister scoffed as she sat on a chair next to her, "How convenient would that be ? And even after we paid to leave and it was HER turn, she kept glancing like I wouldn't notice." If there is one thing Adora was always proud of when it came to Glimmer, it was her passion to grab onto petty things and turn them into hours long arguments, this was one of the reasons why their parents had been more than eager to help them move out when they all turned 20, even though they would deny it, Adora was sure her and Glimmer had drained them to exhaustion. Three years later, so many yet so little changed, and that sends the blonde in a part of her mind she doesn't have the energy to deal with today.
Almost perfectly seven years.
Let's not dwell on it. "Glim, if you had to square up with every woman who looked my way... I have a weird feeling you'd still win." Bow admitted defeatedly, closing a drawer after he had managed to retrieve one of the rare clean knives still there, and proceeded to cut himself and his friends some apples, 'A fruit a day is always important' he always had repeated them, and the two siblings knew better than to argue with the sweet cinnamon that was Bow. Glimmer only laughed, the kind that said "damn right i would", and immediately started picking small cuts of apples. Here. Finally. After the very loud interruption, Adora had her calm, her and her friends eating breakfast together, the comfortable silence surrounding the space, the heat no longer as uncomfortable, she finally allowed herself the satisfaction of bathing into it, feeling her energy for the day coming to her slowly. She really needed to stop going to sleep at 4 am. It took her mind away, the quiet, it made it easy to focus on the things she'll do next, not to get lost on the past, not think about what she shouldn't think, the secret reason she's been so uptightly annoyed since this morning and still hasn't spared a word to her friends. Bow didn't pressure but she'd felt his eyes on her concernedly, checking the vibes before speaking to her.
"So, Adora, minus Glimmer's intervention over here-" 'HEY !' "-How has your morning been ?" He gently asked as his girlfriend gasped, hand full of tiny bits of food she ate away. Maybe the apples had only been from Glimmer, Adora now guesses, that woman knew how to make Bow do anything for her, even cutting her an apple without having to ask. The two of them had always been a dynamic duo, even before Adora, and that made her somewhat proud to be part of such a close bond.
You're avoiding the question.
Ah, yes, "Except the fact my morning started less than an hour ago, I would say it's been pretty good !" She smiled lazily, hiding the swirl of her mind behind her two diamond eyes. Bow didn't seem to buy it, but he didn't comment immediately, he just watched, observed, sometimes his gaze reminded her or Lonnie, that intensity behind concern, even if the other girl his it with annoyance and irritation... Even Glimmer, usually nothing but a firework or emotions, stayed quiet, clearly assessing Adora and getting into Serious Glimmer mode. That was the mode Adora liked the least after Psycho Glimmer. They both could see the numbness of her mind today, and they both already had an idea what it could be, but they waited anyway, because they cared.
She complied, "Well, just some stuff on my mind, I can tell you already know what, it's," She breathed, "The usual." And she was done explaining further, and it was enough for her friends to understand. They both looked at her with a warm gaze, not pity, but care, purely care, and Bow spoke again.
"We know it's almost, that day, it's important to you, but don't close up on us alright ?" He pushed his hand on the table, palm facing down, as if reaching for Adora's hand. Glimmer added without hesitancy, "We've been doing this for seven years together Dor, you got us !" She joined in with her own hand, the both of the waiting for Adora. And they were right, they had been with her for seven years, and more to come. She could do this, it didn't take the pain away, but she could do this. She finally put her hand between theirs, a familiar, warm squeeze followed, the three of them bathing in a reassuring presence.
Then why are you still thinking about it ?
After a bit, Glimmer chimed in, "Me and Bow will take care of the apartment tomorrow, so you don't have to stress about that either. We know we've been... A little excited over summer-" Adora's head flashed with images of Glimmer chugging down around 26 cans of beer in their living room while music blasted in the background, Bow was here too, passed out in his own vomit after starting how comfortable it was to lay in, drunk to the very last nerve. "-But we're here, all three of us, and our friends ! So try to enjoy today Adora." She smiled warmly, and Adora nodded in return. Then suddenly her hand squeezed Adora's so hard the blonde squealed, and Glimmer's tone became much more serious, "Because you better NOT have forgotten we got brunch."
Ah yes, back to her day being ruined...
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"Hold it ! No- Hold ! Not push ! Am I expressing myself incorrectly ?" The last place where you'd expect the metallic noises of machinery and tools being passed and used, echoes of voices rivaling a construction site, and an unnecessary amount of cables laying on the floor, it would probably be a small coffee shop downtown in the crisp of a Sunday morning. Yet here we were.
"I'm sorry ! When you talk like that I get stressed- You know that !" The plan had been simple; more AC's running without over running the electricity bill. Oh and, fix the freezer that's been off for weeks now. Perfuma had come to them after a specifically hot shift at the café where she states to have almost passed out and most of the customers had chosen to leave with their orders and escape the gasping, humid heat trapped inside the little building that had yet to possess more than a weak ceiling fan. Sadly, not everyone can afford to get over 5 air conditioners running at once while counting all the other coffee machines and the many freezers containing frozen sweet treats ready to be heated, not only was it a jab at the bill for the poor independent owner, but it also risked power cutting out, the old and frail circuit of the coffee shop barely able to withstand it's own light system sometimes. Cons of owning a century-old building when your career path was yoga and search of the soul rather than an actual business path.
"I talk in a direct and comprehensible way, the most efficient one to lead !" It had been Entrapta who, a couple weeks ago, had slip the proposition on the table, the genius could probably find solutions to all those problems, fast, and for free nonetheless, even though everyone knew letting Entrapta unattended around electricity came with a price of it's own, that's why she had to be 'babysat' (not that she was told about it that way, keep your mouth shut) the entire time, and sadly it also meant she'd get to pick an assistant for the ordeal. Today the wheel stopped on Scorpia, currently holding up and trying to keep it still against the wall as the tiny genius worked her magic. 'I could fix you those old and busted cables AND even make it Eco-friendly if you were just willing to let me experiment a bit, I'm pretty sure I could even cut the power usage by two if i had access to the main unit...' 'Nothing... Illegal, right, my friend ?' 'Perfuma, I have learned my lesson five days ago when I was taught you were not allowed to break into a hotel's central data server just because their security chains were outdated and accessible to anyone smart enough to bypass a firewall. No law shall be involved in this, you have my word !"
"I know I'm the muscles here 'Trapta but could you not have asked someone more qualified ? I can't even hold a fork right with those pincers." The coffee shop was closed until Entrapta managed to get all the conditioners up and running, Perfuma tended to her usual preps in the back, probably trying to use "good vibes" to cope out of her growing anxiety after letting the purple-haired woman in charge of something without being sure that nothing could explode, and said woman was nursing the last machine that needed to be fixed up and secured on the far right corner of the building while berating a very nervous and confused Scorpia, who'd been nothing but running around all morning to follow Entrapta's pace. The scorpioni still had no idea what a size 12 wrench was. "I mean, you literally could've asked Catra ! She's right there and all she's been doing is sipping on iced tea and silently judging us."
Ah, here was her cue to stop observing the scene around her like she had been for the past hours. It is true Entrapta could've asked her, but it's also true Catra is known to immediately refuse any offer the small woman had to ask of her because she valued her survival and sanity more than being kind, not that it still stopped Entrapta to sometimes get something out of her, because even someone as cold and brutally honest as the feline had a soft spot for her friend, and she was often promised a free meal for the effort. But today Catra chose to stay in the back and let someone else be her minion for the day, she was already struggling with the heat on her own terms, her fur practical to filter the sunlight but terrible when it came to keep the heat away, she was a walking fur ball and not even her shortened mane could help her with that. And it was always funny to see Entrapta in Leader mode after some researches she made had assured her taking on a more authoritative and commanding presence could boost the efficiency of a room by 15%, too bad Scorpia was the exception that confirmed any rule, the poor nervous giant fumbling her pincers away as the final screw was finally settled in place and the AC held securely on the wall. "I'm silently judging you, big gal. Also I already promised 'Trapta i'll help her back at the house with one of her projects, I'm sitting this one out." The familiar rasp of her voice surged to life, her tone light and now constantly the same she's been sporting for a few years, as she took another sip of her drink and laid back on the leathered seat of the booth.
The shop was modest and kind in appearance, cozy and, even if not Catra's specific tastes, she could assure the drinks were far from disappointing, Scorpia's girlfriend truly had a way of hushing people into a sense of comfort, and this coffee shop was the best example. The two women had been running and serving up the place for a little over six months now, and it wasn't too late before they started being the talk of the town, a small independent business owned by two lesbians with mochas that could rival Starbucks for half the price and home-made food frozen every weekends to last another seven days even though everyone knew they'd all be sold out by the third. After college, Entrapta herself had convinced Catra to move in to the big city with them, even offering her own studio to share when the feline brought up her financial budget, and who was she to refuse an offer so kind and selfless ?
'I wouldn't forgive myself to lose a project partner as good as you are !' And the magicat folded immediately. Ever since then they all had been helping around the shop, Scorpia was officially branded co-owner (and self-branded Master Of The Coffee Machine), always here during busy times when the few employees already here struggled, Catra vaguely remembered their faces, most of them either being generic or not showing up often enough, she only had in mind a certain blue-haired teenager, a rude but funnily straight forward girl who didn't hesitate to tell annoying customers to suck it up and shove it in. A friend's niece, she recalls Perfuma telling her. Entrapta was always visiting for her daily portion of tiny cupcakes and a small, very small cup of espresso , and often asked questions about anything that needed a fix around the place, always ready to help when it came to those things. Catra... Was just Catra. She had never lived in a big city before and since her move-out to stay at Entrapta's, she's mostly just been around as support. Her roommate and her both chose similar career paths, often offering their services to start-ups or blooming companies as tech heads, setting up servers, coding websites, fixing internal issues in short deadlines that always left them with a decent paycheck by the end of it, but nothing that could afford them the luxury life at BrightMoon. She hung where her friends dragged her to, bars, shops, parks... Though she avoided friends events, Perfuma was the only other person she had ever met - along with Entrapta's seemingly shady but quiet boyfriend - and the woman managed through the feline's blunt and unkind attitude, now a good friend of hers, and one of the few who saw Catra's soft side.
"And it's done !" The voice snapped her out of her bubble, Entrapta and Scorpia now standing by her side at the booth, expectantly waiting as Perfuma finally stepped out of the kitchen in the back, apprehensively eyeing the work they had done. She stood there until Entrapta pulled a remote our of her overalls' front pocket, clicking on a button and, as if called to life, the soft hum of every AC started echoing in the shop, gently waking up at first before settling into an even whistle. Nothing exploded, nothing lit on fire, and Entrapta gave herself a fist bump as she squealed in delight. "Success ! And dont worry for the power either, I've fixed things by changing the internal circuits to a more modern one that I connected to the central- OOF !" Her rant was cut short by Perfuma's crushing hug, the flowery woman more than content with the result as she- was she tearing up ? Oh well, happiness really comes from small things huh.
"Thank you ! All of you ! It'll be a matter of time before the word spreads and customers finally have a place to settle in this heat." She took Scorpia's hand next and kissed the gentle giant, just a small peck, yet it was enough to send the scorpioni blushing and blabbering. Next, she turned to Catra who, to her credit, stood perfectly still and neutral when her arms wrapped around the feline, the feeling of hands on her back through the fabric of her summer jacket sending the smallest spike in her spine, but she knew the gesture was kind, Perfuma didn't press much, simply letting the ghost of her body hug her before stepping back, a gentle smile on her face.
"You know I didn't do anything, flower girl." She chuckled as she finished up her iced tea, but the hug still felt abrasive in her mind, she would never tell but she enjoyed Perfuma's hugs the most, they felt safer than what she's ever admit. The taller woman simply shrugged, holding both her hands out and grabbing Catra's free one, "I'm still happy to have you here, Catra, I think you all deserve a little treat for showing up in this heat and helping me out." That girl had always been so kind, sometimes it felt impossible to believe, but on the other hand she did date Scorpia, and Scorpia was already the biggest softie, it tracked. Speaking of, her muscled friend chimed in.
"Oh, something small for us love ! You know we still have this whole brunch thing soon, I don't want to get my appetite spoiled." She joyfully explained as her and Entrapta finished tidying the place up of their work. The 'brunch thing' was a tradition the three city women attended to religiously, no matter how much Catra heard them complain afterward, something about friendship duty and murderous sparkles ? She didn't get it and that was okay, because Scorpia always tried to invite her and she always declined, friend brunches were for friends, not a random stranger sticking her head in. She made a deal with Scorpia from the very start, she didn't talk about Catra to her friends and she didn't talk about her friends to Catra. It sounded too special for Catra's social anxiety, something her friends never seemed to get, because- "Speaking of... You know you're always free to join, right, Wildcat ? Scorpia smiled at her and oh boy, it was hard to meet her gaze without folding, but Catra needed to stand her ground from time to time, "You know, there's a guy that always comes too, and he's -" Like a broken record.
"Scorpia if you say what you're about to say I will officially title you the whitest white woman on earth." It wasn't the first time her friend tried to use the argument to convince her to join, and it was making Catra roll her eyes more than anything else. Thankfully the threat of such a name shut Scorpia's mouth for a bit, clearly embarrassed. But she didn't falter, instead going for a more subtle approach. "Wildcat, you've been here for what, almost a year now ? You helped us forge this place and you've been our best friend since college ! You out of anyone should have a right to show up," Ah, she was smart. Going for the emotional manipulation, "And I'm sure Entrapta and Perfuma would also love you have you there, you'd fit in just fine ! Pleaaaase ?" She was good at this, too good, Catra needed to retreat before-
"I, for a fact, would love nothing more but for our friend Catra to be here !" Perfuma added as she came back from the kitchen sporting a plate with four little brownies, "You have been here for so long, and you've done so much, yet we're barely able to talk about you to the others, you never allow us to, you're like a ghost, it would be nice to finally make you part of the group." Her wise voice was only accentuated by her radiant smile. ABORT ! ABORT !
"I have no one else here to talk about my projects with ! You're my one lab partner and the only one able to follow without me needing to explain myself like a toddler, do you know how that feels ?" And now Entrapta of all people joined in, they definitely planned this attack, Catra was cornered, she had no choice. Damn emotions and being so soft and understanding. She sighed defeated. "... Maybe." And then they all gasped and cheered and freaking hugged her again, and Catra was so pissed off that she couldn't help the small smile on her face at her friend's stupid antics, "I said maybe ! And I'm allowed to leave unprompted if I want to, and one of you is paying for my part." Scorpia immediately proposed, more than happy to treat her friend as long as it meant she'd be there, and with that out of the way, they opened finally as the clock chimed 10 AM, and customers, at first hesitantly walking in, sighed in delight at the refreshing air, filling up the space fast. No employees planned for today, Scorpia took the role at the register and Entrapta slipped an apron over her outfit with a sense of habit, and so did Catra after pushing her sunglasses off her face, because friends were about that too, no need for words sometimes.
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Buzz !
Glimmer looked down at her phone as Adora hurriedly put on her sneakers. After a very emotional breakfast, the trio had chosen to start cleaning up around the house by piling up every dirty laundry into one big corner that'll be taken care of tomorrow, as well as getting rid of some bottles still laying empty around the house and even tidying up the fridge of alcohol and half eaten dishes (to Glimmer's immense dismay she was not allowed to drink up the remaining puddle of liquid before the bottles got thrown away, because getting tipsy before 1 PM wasn't an option). For the past seven years of living here, Adora has never gotten quite used to her sister's alcoholic tendencies, Glimmer preferred the term being fun. It was now nearing their usual Sunday Brunch time, clock ticking in the apartment, and Bow even made the effort to change out of his amazing crop-top into something more formal and colored a soft creme white. Glimmer as usual sported her flashy outfit of the day, shorts and tee sparkling, even her shoes seemed to glow. Adora humbly chose to stay in her morning clothes, considering her jean shorts and light jacket a good enough effort for eating with friends. The pink girl unlocked her device at the notification.
"Oh ! Wonderful !" She squealed happily, seemingly a good news must've appeared on her screen. At the questioning glances of both her roommates as they neared the door, she continued, "Scorpia is bringing in a friend today ! New face to meeeeeeeet~ !" She sang out and showed her phone at them, a message conversation open, the newest one reading 'Hey Glinmer ! I've got somoene new to bring today, hope that'z cool with you guys, I promise you'll love tham !' (Scorpia's pincers never mixed good with the tiny screen of her phone), and the short glittery girl hummed joyfully, already going on a rant about every question she'll ask the new addition, sounding more and more concerning as her topics went from 'What music she listens to' to 'How she'd go about hiding a body' and Adora reminded herself to shut that down as soon as possible for the stranger's sake.
"I didn't know Scorpia had a new friend, last I've checked her socials didn't seem to show anyone new, and you know she loves to post about her friends all the time." Bow thoughtfully commented as the group started down the stairs of their building. Scorpia had been the very latest addition to their friend group along with Entrapta, Perfuma had introduced the both of them after she and the scorpioni started dating and Glimmer promptly invited them to join Brunch Sunday a few months ago, the same time the couple chose to open their very own coffee shop. Ever since, the place had been where most of the group hangs out from day to day, though one thing that's always seemed a little weird is how insistent Scorpia had been about texting her first if they ever were to show up, Adora easily could reasonate that maybe having friends show up all the time on your workplace unprompted and for hours could be distracting, but with the mention of this 'new friend' that seemed important enough for Scorpia to bring them to meet everyone else, her curiosity was picked.
"It must be related to Entrapta's mystery roommate, I knew I was right ! Frosta sometimes tells me what's up at work and she mentioned her talking about them, though I don't remember quite what she told me..." Glimmer sighed, her inability to remember information that wasn't straight up gossip material would sometimes be the end of her, but her niece did work at the place on certain days, the high-schooler already seemed sturdy enough to survive work life, sometimes Adora felt envious when her own self was still unable to choose a job, switching careers so often she was basically qualified for anything. Glimmer kept going in the background, "She'd tell me that she caught glimpse of a girl leaving from the back when it got busy, but it was never enough for her to catch her name, apparently the mystery roommate is also the mystery friend, I bet you Mermista would have a blast resolving this case." The friendly jab made Bow and Adora chuckle, but they couldn't hide that all three of them were greatly interested in the mystery too; a secretive figure who's apparently been around for months but never spoken of, close enough to share a living space with the science girl and get invited to brunches by Scorpia, but yet not a single mention of her online and maybe even avoidance in public... "I once even heard myself, Perfuma talked about college days and when her and Scorpia met for the first time and she very clearly said something along the lines 'When you three came to the city' before cutting herself off ! I dont know who that person is, but I'm finally gonna meet them !" And the energy was shared, Adora felt something in her chest at the thought of a new face, someone for her to learn about with all her friends, she hoped it would go well, already imagining what that mystery friend could be like, maybe they'd be sweet and kind like Scorpia after all, or a nerd like Entrapta, maybe they'd lean into gossiping like Mermista, Netossa and Glimmer, or be more the listening kind like Bow, Spinnerella and Perfuma... She really hoped they wouldn't compare to Sea Hawk's love of adventures though.
Maybe they'd be the charmingly snarky type with a soft side only for you.
Well, too much thinking wouldn't do good, and Adora promptly shut down her brain as her sister kept ranting about the situation until they all safely reached today's brunch haven. Adora had never shared much about exactly what happened in her past to her family, they all knew enough to know she lost someone dear to her back then, but the blonde never felt the courage to talk about it in depth, and she'll keep it that way, thank you. She thought many times about looking up online for that someone, but it seemed that, just like her, their online presence was one of a ghost, anonymous and left alone, in peace. To Adora, that secretiveness online was to protect herself from a past she wasn't ready to face yet. She couldn't blame them for doing the same.
Before any of her friend could notice her zoning out, they had arrived at the place, a pristine restaurant that looked like the expensive kind that only served sparkling water, clinical colors of beige and dark wood, people sitting at outside tables, dressed formaly, waiters walking around with efficiency, the usual place Glimmer always chose when it was her turn. She could already hear everyone else complain about the prices before they all inevitably agreed to share the bill after they had ordered half of the menu. Nobody else seemed here yet because they were early, soothing Bow's anxiety of always being 30 minutes ahead in the process, but then they spotted the source of Glimmer's never ending rant; Scorpia stood there, seemingly in an active speech of her own, moving her pincers around as someone stood beside her, just slightly hidden by her impressive frame. From the looks of it, Scorpia looked like she was trying to reassure her companion, or more so, convince them, pointing at the restaurant and the streets and then laughing audibly at something the stranger said. She backed up a bit and finally let a view of them, and Adora's heart actually stopped for a second.
It had never been common to see magicats around, her eyes locked immediately on the tail at first, relaxed and swinging lazily, but the smallest tension could be seen if you looked enough. Her gaze drifted up from the effortlessly stylized cargo pants held by a belt, to the fitting shirt with an engraved 'Wild Cat' on it, old but still readable, a short sleeved jacket that held perfectly on tanned, fuzzy arms, ears sprouting from short, well kept but still messy hair, that hugged the side of their face and oh, that face. A firework of yellow and blue caught the sun, a soft looking but sharp angles jaw framed everything, from the small, feline nose to the freckles seen under the small fur, and fangs resting over the lower lips. Her vision zeroed in, at the familiar yet so strange figure. Everything was the same but, softer, thinner, more quiet and subtle, and then Adore spotted the pink, blue and white bracelet on their wrist and her world turned. She didn't snap out of it until mismatched eyes looked back at her, and they didn't widen, they didn't flee, they didn't frown, they looked, and looked, and softened. A voice, theirs, but different, different from what she remembers but the same, called out, hesitant.
"Hey, Adora ?"