maskormenacelogs | cool i love being the center of attention

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cool i love being the center of attention

WHO: Cece, Catra, Rip
WHERE: De Chimrr, from central to outskirts
WHEN: April sometime idk
WHAT: abduction, harm, heal, big robo-stomp
WARNINGS: violence!! harm!!

[Cecelia knows better than to travel around in desolate areas -- if she hadn't already known it practical, the lesson was strongly reinforced some time ago in Heropa. she can cast all the fire and lightning she wants, but there are still crazy and awful people who can find their way to catch her unawares. it's just practical to mistrust society to be like that! crowds are safer -- more witnesses, harder to get cornered.

it's why she's not much aware of the nature of the crowd mulling around her at this bus stop this evening as she sits and thumbs through a new book. she's keen enough of hearing to trust that she'll snap out of her reading-zone when the air brakes of the bus come by, but she is not tuned into the gradual coordination of several strangers -- strangers who are, actually, interested in gnabbing themselves an imPort less common in the public eye, with hopes of a payout to particular nefarious organizations. they timed it just right for this, the longest lull in the bus schedule, several taking point to catch and hold off any possible interference as a couple move in and strike.

grabbed and lifted, Cecelia lets out a few angry shouts before settling into frightened screams, her fingers starting to crackle with electricity. when one unprepared captor gets jolted particularly hard, two more come in to bully and contort her arms in positions too painful to cast and start to drag her toward a car.]

Ah-! No! Help! HELP ME-!!

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[ As for Catra, she's just taking her evening walk (because apparently she has those now) when she hears the screaming. In a suspiciously familiar voice.

She sighs. She groans. Here we go again. And she's honestly tempted to just let Cecelia scream about whatever she's screaming about, but it sounds kinda honestly distressed, and, well... honestly, what else does she really have to do? ]

Okay, Freckles, let's see what you got yourself into now.

[ Having said that, she turns and sprints toward the direction she's hearing the screaming from. And because she can't do this without making an entrance, she jumps up onto the little glass roof of the bus stop, looming over the scene. Most of her is cast in darkness until she leans forward, revealing her face to the gangsters. Of course, she is positioned in exactly the right position for her fangs to gleam in the light as she talks. ]

Ah, ah, ah. What do you think you're doing?

Ca-Catra-!!

[there will be no offense taken by the name tonight; the second she sees her lean into the light, Cecelia's heart leaps. she's saved now, right? like during the parade! it's--]

N-no, let-! [she struggles against the heave-ho that has her getting stuffed into the back of a car, the goons now shaking out of their alarm (thankful it's not a superhero that's found them!). while some are getting the car (and the car behind it) revved up and ready to go, others are whipping guns out and threatening to shoot if the cat doesn't back off!]

[ Nope, not a superhero, just a superkitty. Catra quite easily evades any bullets as she jumps off her perch into the fray! Her claws come out as she hits the ground and pounces on the nearest gangster. ]

[one would think these guys would be more ready for a fight, considering they're out here abducting imPorts, bet these are not the brightest bulbs here. the best that seems to be on display here is one man trying to kick Catra while she's atop his buddy, but his cohorts are more than ready to bail by shoving him out of the way of the door so the car can peel out and try to make a getaway.]

No, nonono-! AHH!

[even while being half-sat upon, Cecelia flails around, trying to get her hands free. the car rocks during a sharp turn in such a way that she can least grab for her communicator and make a desperate call before it's smacked out of her hand.]

[ Catra hisses and swipes a clawed hand at the guy trying to kick her, which makes him recoil, but she notices the getaway a touch too late -- and her head whips around as the car peels out.

In response, Catra mostly just... blinks. While still sitting on the first guy. ]

[the car... does not get very far. a massive foot comes down and blocks it off-- riptide's managed to triangulate (or... whatever fancy science word) cecelia's comm signal and so! has made his dramatic entrance. only... he just has a general idea of where the comm is. not that... it's inside the car that just slammed into his foot. hm.

riptide picks the thing up, poking the windscreen in with his finger.]

Hey, shitiots! [he barks, right before he upends the van to get them out.]

[things just get wilder and wilder by the second. the feeling of the van being pitched, the cacophony of cursing and engine sounds, Cecelia screeching herself, it's all very terrible! and then everything goes all looking-glass topsy-turvy as the van is tilted like the Titanic: Cecelia tumbles over the seat and onto the van door -- and then so do the three guys with her, one after another, with the third being the weight that pops the doors open and everyone falls to the street.

she's quite fortunate to barely feel that before conking out!

meanwhile, the goon Catra's perched atop, who had been gawking slackjawed at Riptide's entrance, finally gets some sense back and starts to struggle, shimmying to get his arm out and make a grab at her -- giving a handful of scruffy hair a forceful yank.]

OW!

[ A high-pitched yelp, then she growls and digs her claws into the man's arm, hard enough to make him cry out in return and let go of her hair. Then slams both his arms onto the pavement and claws his face as well, for good measure.

Still holding him down, she looks up to observe the scene. ]

[he's very casual in how he just tosses that van aside. it breaks something. possibly someone?]

Oh! Oh jeez... Cece! You were in there! Oh, shit! Are you... still alive? Hello?

[when catra yelps, his head snaps up and he looks at her, yellow optics focusing.] Catra! Jeez, just kill that idiot and get over here to help!

Uh...hh...

[alive, yeah! not...doing great! head bleedy, elbow hurts. maybe broke? not in a great state to gauge.

the other guys want to choose life, too! especially the one getting scratched up by Catra, but he can only flail uselessly anyway. the others that can even walk from that van-drop are trying to get the hell away, into the other car they got.]

[ Meanwhile, Catra is just staring down at her guy.

Kill him. She could, couldn't she? She's been trained to do this. It could be called self-defense -- in this peaceful world that technically condemns all killing.

And yet, she hesitates. She's never done this before. Or so she thinks. Who knows, really? Maybe she has already crushed someone under her tanks, or maybe people lost their lives in burning, poisoned villages.

But she has never killed someone personally.

She should do it. She can do it. Right?

In the end, she blinks once, then punches the guy's head to knock him unconscious. Or maybe it was enough to kill him after all. She doesn't stick around long enough to check, instead jumping up and running over to Riptide and Cecelia. ]

Wow. You saved the damsel.

[fortunately, riptide isn't paying attention to what catra's doing so he doesn't egg her on, nor does he comment on her punching instead of slashing. he leans down, pushing them all out the way with his hands and giving cece a little bit of cover.]

Yeah, barely. Is she alright?

[ Catra inspects the unconscious Cecelia and... awkwardly pokes her with her foot. ]

I... think she's alive?

Shit. Okay.

[he switches to human form, crouching next to her.]

We should probably take her to a hospital or one of those medics...

[ Catra crouches down to look at Cecelia. ]

You think it's that bad? We could just let her sleep it off.

[ Her eyes widen slightly, though, when she remembers what happened after she woke up after her two-day leave of absence: she was handed a file detailing her new power.

Yeah, that's something she'd really prefer not to mention. Ever. To anyone. ]

...I'm pretty she can't sleep this off.

[he huffs, crouching down to scoop her up. fortunately, he's tall and strong enough for it.]

She could die, Catra! I did this to her!

[ Does she... have... to comfort him now... ]

Aw, man! Listen, you did your best!

[ ... she's. gonna have to use her power, isn't she.

She looks away, flushing, and half-mumbles her next words. ]

IthinkIcandosomething.

Edited 2019-06-01 19:12 (UTC)

What? What can you do?

[not even touching that comfort attempt.]

Do it! I don't care what it is! Do it!

[ shitshitshitshit

Cecelia is looking very unconscious, and she's never seen Riptide so anxious, and -- wait, should she even care?

Whatever, she swallows, then glares at him. ]

If you speak of this to anyone, I will find you and kill you.

[ DEEP SIGH to express that she feels like her soul is about to leave her body. ]

Put her back down.

[he lays cecelia back down onto the concrete lightly, taking off his hoodie to put under her head, pulling her hand into his lap as he sits next to her.]

CATRA! I don't care what it is! Just do it!

Okay, okay!

[ So Catra does the thing. Which means she crouches down and... awkwardly puts her head on Cecelia's torso.

Then she starts purring. ]

[fortunately for catra, he doesn't know what purring is, so he just watches this with an utterly bewildered expression, eyes going from cece to catra, evidently waiting for her to wake up again.]

[huh. it's weird coming out from the other side of a blackout, y'know? because all that adrenaline and terror is cut right off from the last point of reference, and you're just kind of...suddenly somewhere else, blinking up into the sky that's blotted out by some person-like shadow and your guts are rumbling in an unnatural way.]

...Uhh?

[okay, no. something's off here. guts don't do that.

Cecelia blinks a few more times, and the looming shape is--] Rip-?

[ As soon as Catra feels the stirring beneath her and hears Cecelia's voice, she stops purring and shoots up into a sitting position. Time to hope dearly that Cecelia won't remember the purring bit. ]

There you are, sleeping beauty!

[maybe cece is hungry! or maybe it's catra's purring. impossible to say. riptide whines pathetically as she comes around, squeezing her hand far too tight.]

Oh! Cece! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you so badly...!!

Wha-? I—owh... [trying to sit up is a mistake; why’s it hurt so much?!

confused, she looks from Riptide to Catra, the mysteries only growing.

wait...]

What...happened? Hello?

[ Catra points at Riptide. ]

He dropped you out of the car.

Actually I kind of just... dropped the car. In general. Sorry. Didn't know you were in there.

[a beat.]

I mean... if it makes you feel any better I definitely killed one of the guys. Oh, jeez. Is this a crime scene now?

What-?!

[she winces, wrapping an arm around her middle while her other elbow moves to help prop herself up on her side. turning, she can smell blood, nose crinkling.]

Gods, then...then we oughta get— Get away? Yes? Ooh...

[ For a moment, Catra stares at Riptide with wide eyes, because he actually killed someone?

But then Cecelia distracts her. ]

Yeah, sure, let's get going.

[ She does NOT want to go to jail, thank you. ]

Er... yeah. I'm just gonna...

[he jogs over to the van, switching back to his robot mode and just... shoving it behind a wall. out of sight, out of mind. it's fine. he clomps back to the two, crouching and holding a hand out.]

It's fine! It's fine. He's just sleeping. It's fine.

[she takes his hand and lets him help her up, but finds up unpleasant. concussed? probably.

she clings to his arm to keep upright, grimacing.]

What do we do? Call for help? Just, just leave-?

[ When Riptide claims the guy is just sleeping, Catra raises an eyebrow at him, but leaves it uncommented. Instead, she jumps up onto his hand after Cecelia. ]

We get the hell out of here, is what we do.

Yes, and I certainly won't come back here later to burn any evidence.

[he picks his hand up slowly so he doesn't cause any troubles with the two passengers and starts edging away. muttering something like stupid friggin' soft organic bodies.]

You wanna go to hospital, Cece?

[keen helf ears hear that, but she doesn’t comment.

situating more carefully in-hand, she tries gingerly rubbing the back of her head. stings.]

I...I just want to go home, but if...if something bad happens...

I'd say it's a little late to worry about that.

[ She winces, just a little. ]

Hey, we'll get you home.

I'm sorry, Cece... I really never wanted to hurt you like that...

[riptide's voice from above them sounds SO UNCHARACTERISTICALLY DEVASTATED.]

I...

[she gulps, surprised to find her eyes welling up. she sounds confused as tears spill out, voice squeaky:] I, I just wanted to go home and then...!

[ oh shit oh shit oh shit

Cecelia is crying and everyone is getting emotional! ]

Well, you're safe now. We're far away from those guys.

[ A grim half-smirk forms on her face. ]

And after what just happened, they probably won't try anything like this again.

Oh, yeah. And if they do, I'll kill 'em too.

[...]

Put to sleep. I mean. Tuck them in.

No, I, I know what you mean... [she sniffles, wiping at her eyes. the reality of oh gods I could have died just now is starting to really sink into her, right to the bones, and she quivers..] Please. Please, just! Just...let me go home, I...

[ Suddenly, Catra has an idea. It's probably a very bad idea. ]

You know, if you're scared, I could sleep in your bed tonight.

[SCREECH.] STOP MAKING FUN OF MEEE-!! [okay now she's just gonna sob.]

[ WELL THAT BACKFIRED. ]

Okay, okay! Just... ugh, stop crying!

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cool i love being the center of attention

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comes back to this 2 years later GOMEN LADS

INTO MY ARMS

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