avatar_state | Character IC Inbox

She shrugs.

"Not really. I didn't have many friends growing up. Being the child of destiny who has to be protected from all sorts of threats did nooot exactly make it easy, there. And no, it's the magnetic south of our planet."

"Really? Bet everyone would have wanted you to be... or did you have to stay away because you couldn't trust them?"

She can't help but grin, that part, at least, sounds familiar. Totally ignoring the magnetic south part and pretending that makes sense. Her eyes trail away, watching the fish and meat getting set up and starting to cook instead.

Tail swish... swish.

"If you weren't the Avatar... what would you want to do?"

"Oh, no, I-"

She shakes her head.

"Didn't have friends growing up. I was...protected, from the time I was six years old. It was pretty lonely, in the end. I had Naga, but didn't really get to know people my own age until...well, I was sixteen."

She looked off into the distance as she thought about the question, too.

"If I weren't...heh, I've always been the Avatar. When the Avatar dies, they reincarnate into their next life. Hard to imagine being something other than I have been."

She's quiet after that, and then:

"I might have liked raising animals. Y'know, just stomping around a farm, raising critters. Something peaceful."

Catra's quiet for a moment, sharing a rare sympathetic glance as her legs bundle up, lifting to wrap her arms around so she can lean forward and rest her chin on her knees. Ears fold slightly flatter, matching the tone with a sadder look.

"So... what, you just did what you were told because it was your 'destiny' or whatever?" A shame her words don't match the sympathy in her eyes. It's a situation that frustrates her.

Still, the last bit catches her off guard, glancing up with a raised brow. Thankfully, Catra's world doesn't have that farmer stereotype to add an image to it, but it's still a little surprising.

"There's a couple farms here... Why not start your own?"

"It's...well, what I do is an inheritance. I remember being the Avatar, in a previous life. Or did. It's a long story. Suffice to say, I knew who I was and who I had been. And what it entailed."

She holds the first fish over the fire, gently using the other hand to move the flames just so. She gestures at some mixed seasonings near Catra.

"Hey, sprinkle some of those on, ok?" she says, before continuing.

"And I dunno, I might try. But this place...keeps reminding me of what I have to do, rather than what I might want."

Curious eyes follow the fish. It's pretty basic cooking, still a step up from her usual but, then, her standards have climbed a little since she got here. There's a slow tail flicker, arms folding across her chest and legs with a hint of a pout while Catra leans in.

Hmm, not too close to the fire. She sprinkles whatever smells good. mostly salt and some lighter spices, watching the flames crackle around anything that misses.

"I thought the whole point of this place was a fresh start... Nothing you do matters here. Right?" That's her thought, at least. They all return to their fate eventually.

"So why not-"

"Everything we do matters," she replies, disagreeing emphatically. "We're alive, here, now - and so are a lot of others. This place keeps...spawning horrors. Hurting people. I can't turn a blind eye to that for my own gain."

Or I wouldn't be me anymore, she keeps unsaid.

She places the fish on the ersatz grill, starting another. Once it's ready, she nods for the spices again and then - then she holds up her hands and the fire starts to spin slowly around the fish in a circle.

"Like this, right now. It matters, it's real." She pauses, offering a small smile.

"At least, I think so."

"Sure, and if we die we'll just come back. It'll suck. But it's the only reason to avoid it now." She shrugs. Really, avoiding pain is the biggest motivator to fight or survive here. If it were videogame lifey no one would care.

For now, food's their segue into a more pleasant topic, and Catra quiets down as the food gets cooking. It smells nice. Again, low standards, but it's food. Sharp mismatched eyes narrow on hers, and for a moment that interaction reminds her of something.

"Maybe..." There's a huff, but she's relenting for now, streeetching out and leaning back with a lazy curve. Maybe slightly showing off those dangerous claws. Just... ignore the slightly fluffy fur.

"So, what's the plan, just eat some food and grumble about this place?"

"Ugh, wouldn't the first time - that's been the last ten thousand years of the Avatar cycle. I used to remember every reincarnation, too," she replied.

She would be the first to admit she didn't fully understand Catra, or her body language, which was very definitely different - but food is a universal language, at least.

"Works for me," she adds in response - and offers over the first cooked skewer. "Great way to make friends. Food and grumbling about things. Heh, add a bit of talk about pro-bending and I'd be having a serious case of deja vu."

Catra's a bit of an odd case. Sometimes she seems friendly, but she flips between emotion states on a slightly unstable basis. Maybe Korra's too used to dogs and their straightforward nature.

Food works though, it's something she didn't really learn to enjoy until she got here. So she's sitting around and waiting, humouring this conversation with idle tail swishes. Mostly relaxed, from the look of it. She keeps the conversation away from herself.

"Pro bending? What do you mean?" Korra brought it up, so she may as well push those buttons.

"Oh, so, you know how benders can manipulate an element right? Well, Republic City - back home - had a pro-bending sports league...you're on a platform battling it out in teams of three! One Earthbender, one Firebender, one Waterbender. There's a bunch of other rules, but the basic one is: don't get knocked off."

She smiles, her look nostalgic.

"When I first got to Republic City, I met new friends who were Pro-Benders...they put me on their team, which was amazingly fun...and oooooh was I competitive back when I was sixteen, heh."

"uhhh... Kinda, sure." Lets pretend she knows at least. She's only met Korra. Her head bobs along, mostly listening with a raised brow and half-interested perk of her ears. Sounds like something a bit too specific.

"Right... Are you even allowed? If you're the ~all important avatar~?" Her tone jokes.

"Turns out nobody thought to write down a rule tellin' me no. Pretty much the first time nobody thought ahead on that one."

She grinned.

"It was so much fun, just getting to go guts-out against another team - and lemme tell you, none of them held back at all because I was the Avatar. That was probably the best part."

Being normal, in a way. For a while.

"Hah!" She cackles out a little laugh, nodding along with her usual fangy grin. She really likes fighting huh? Or getting to show off. Reminds her of someone.

"What else do you like to do, aside from fighting I guess?" Sharp blue and yellow eyes flash her way, amused and a bit more comfortable as the two settle down.

She smiles, in a bit of a distant way. "I'm kinda an adventure person, I guess - my girlfriend, back home? She taught me all about car racing - have you ever tried it?"

She holds up her hands as if using a steering wheel.

"You get in this fast four wheel vehicle called a car and go as fast as you can around a cool track, racing against other teams! I'm still terrible on my own, but it's so much fun!"

Definitely a bit of a thrill seeker, but...

"I think it's the time with my friends that's been the best - I miss them a lot here."

Pause. An ear perks up. Girlfriend?

Huh... There's a mix between amusement, confusion, then a little distant frown. Ahem.

Catra's expression settles, reflecting for a moment, then leaning back with a shrug.

"Never driven a car. But we had similar things back home..." She trails away for a moment. "Never really had friends. Not that I need them but- Anyway. Sorry you're stuck here."

She's at least trying to be sympathetic rather than dismissive.

"Has it been alright, being here?"

She tilts her head at part of that, but chooses to let it go for the moment. Besides, the first food is ready, isn't it?

"Aside from missing people? Yeah. There's good people here. Jinora's from my universe, as it happens, if you run into her. And then there's Luz...who I swear is like having a little sister. So at least I can help people I care about. Until...well, whatever comes, I guess."

She offers over some rather wonderfully cooked meat, with a smile.

In fairness, Catra often says things that are 'mildly concerning' that people choose to just let go. It's easier than trying to dig the information out of her. Her ears perk up slightly,

"Never heard of Jinora... but I know Luz. She's alright I guess-" Her shoulders lift with a shrug, playing off any familiarity they might have. The fish is a welcome distraction, immediately catching Catra's eyes as she picks out a skewer, lifting it to give a few testing sniffs before chomping in.

Sharp kitty fangs bite away at the fish with all the grace of... well, a cat munching on food, silent for a moment despite the slight swish of her tail while she eats, occasionally peeking up at Korra with a glance.

It might be tasty. Shut up.

As she reaches for her own, the now-prepared chicken skewers ready to go next, it might be a little bit surprising how eagerly and carnivorously she digs in.

"Mmm, not bad," she says, "just wish I had some of the spices I had back home. Fire Nation spices would really give this some kick."

"You could always wish for some." She says it offhandedly, barely thinking before she shrugs and glances up, chewing through a mouthful and peeering over Korra for a long, long moment.

"So what else do you want to have her? Aside from people I guess." She's letting Korra do the talking, mostly, easier than talking about herself. The trick is getting the avatar to actually talk about herself.

Fish BITE-

...Well why hadn't that most obvious of things occurred to her.

"Huh, right, you're...right."

Well, that'll take some thinking on her part.

"Pictures, I guess. Reminders. Little bits of home, I guess. I never had much in the way of possessions, so...not sure what I'd ask for, there."

Catra looks up, halfway through a mouthful of fish and frowning slightly. Her ears flicker with a hint of irritation.

"Yeah. What's the point of being able to wish for things if we can't have anything we ACTUALLY want?" She rolls her eyes and takes another big bite, her tail thumping lightly to one side with a grumpy flick.

"Are you bored here?"

"A little?" she replies. "But...yeah, sure, things were exciting back home - but I also had to fight so much."

She sighs, looking at Catra with a lopsided smile as the first chicken skewers get finalized.

"Is it bad I sort of wish my friends were here? This place is a vacation compared to the last few years back home."

What's with that look...? Her ears twitch, meeting it with mismatched eyes for a second before she glances away. Very intently looking at the food.

"Maybe. Sometimes things here suck. But it's probably better than a lot of places too."

Bitterly, she's reflecting on her lack of friends to want to bring here.

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