2541/Cat on a Roof

Cat on a Roof
Date of Scene:	17 May 2025
Location:	Cafeteria Plaza
Synopsis:	Rashmi happens upon Catra in the Radiant Heart Academy cafeteria, trying to exist without being unhappy, and introduces her to the trainquility of the rooftop -- whereupon both of them have important advice for each other about their current struggles.
Cast of Characters:	Catra, Rashmi Terios

---

Catra has posed:
It's the middle of the day in Tokyo. Specifically, at Radiant Heart Academy, it's the part of the middle of hte day where everyone eats, which means the cafeteria is basically packed, which for most of its inhabitants is a pretty positive thing -- people are gathering into groups of friends and engaging in whirlwind conversations, getting all excited and making a lot of noise.

Not quite everyone is doing that, though. Sitting in one corner and looking like she'd prefer to just... shrink all tye way into the wall is Rachel Miller, the ever obnoxious American tourist who's been turning up here from time to time lately, even though she is most definitely not a student at the academy.

It's Catra, of course, but she's not letting on to that part. Not since last time.

Currently she has her headphones on, blearing some German heavy metal with the volume maxed to the point that it can't not be painful, and is picking at a bowl of noodles that just... doesn't, somehow, seem to be to her liking.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The cafeteria plaza is unlike any central food room in any school in Tokyo, and even if one of her other friends are here, it's where Rashmi can be seen, eating, chatting, and enjoying the simple fact of *having* friends, at lunchtime.

Unfortunately, schedules haven't meshed well today, and two of her *best* friends are still too taken-over to attend school at all, so...

Once Rashmi selects Entrapta's lunch, and has it sent on its way -- nothing that can't be eaten in one bite, but a balanced and healthy meal all the same, and accompanied with a cute little note -- Rashmi gets her own lunch... And spots Rachel Miller as far away from others as she can possibly get while still being in range of the food.

After a moment's thought, she snags a bowl of beef teriyaki to add to her tray, and carries herself to Catra's vicinity, where she... simply stands, tapping on the table to get attention. Vibrations transfer from table, to bowl, after all, and with enough patience...

"Hey," she says simply, once Catra takes off her headphones. "C'mon, I'll show you a place you can eat in peace without needing your music."

Catra has posed:
It's not that Catra didn't know Rashmi was there -- she didn't, but that's off the point -- she was just so entirely absorbed in dire thoughts that it took several moments of tapping before she'd look up and turn her music down, much to the palpable relief of everyone within about twenty feet. She looks up at Rashmi, then down at her bowl of noodles, then back up at Rashmi, and shrugs her shoulders.

"Sure," she replies, which for anyone who knows Catra is extremely positive.

She stands up and is about to take the bowl of noodles, when instead she just looks at it where it sits on the table and sighs, shaking her head. "They don't put enough meat in stuff here," she grumbles, before tossing her chopsticks on the table beside the bowl, and just... leaves it there.

"Lead on. At least I'll know where to go next time I end up here." She pauses, and even without her real ears being visible Rashmi can probably sense them flattening out. "And, uhm, thanks."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"You're welcome... but grab your chopsticks," Rashmi says, the corner of her mouth twitching upward, as she sets a the beef teriyaki down in front of Catra. And it is *just* teriyaki; while dishes are meant to be accompanied with rice or noodles, they're also their own separate bowls. And given the eating habits of teenagers, the school knows very well that if one fills a normal-sized bowl with beef and sauce, *someone's* going to eat it.

With that, she gestures for Catra to follow her back to the classroom building... And up the stairs. And up, and up, and up, and finally to the rooftop-access door. "It's kind of a tradition with Japanese schools," she says, pushing the door open to reveal a plaza-sized rooftop area, ringed in chainlink fencing, with only the wind, view, and HVAC units for company. "You wanna be by yourself, have lunch on the roof. You wanna talk to someone where no one else'll bother you... Have lunch on the roof."

Catra has posed:
Catra's eyes light up at the sight of the teriyaki -- the bowl of noodles she had looked like it might have been just one step removed from vegetarian, which might be why it now sits abandoned on the table. But the disguised feline wastes no time snatching her chopsticks back up (one of them before it rolls off the edge of the table) and grabs the bowl as well.

"That's way better," she comments as she falls in alongside Rashmi, "Something I can actually eat." Not that she couldn't eat the other thing, it just doesn't have her nutritionaly requirements in it.

As they emerge up onto the rooftop, Catra pauses to gaze about herself for a moment. And, this place is a far cry from the grungy places she's usually found hanging around in, and for a moment she once again looks like she just wants to melt into the wall an disappers. But, she doesn't (at least partly because she can't), so she just... follows Rashmi, looking for a free table. While she's at it, she resists the urge to turn her music back on, just in case.

"Alright, so this is clearly the best place in the whole school," she mumbles. "If only because you can hang around here and nobody will bother you."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Yyyyup," Rashmi agrees with a grin, then waves at one of the HVAC units. "C'mon... Have a sit, let's talk. You look like you've been gnawing on your leg since before we got back, and don't forget you *matter* to me, so... We can just take the 'I'm fine' and 'no you're not tell the truth' and 'why do you care' and 'because you're my friend, duh' and all the rest as read, and get down to it."

As she leans against one of the boxy ventilation units, she looks down at her food, then back up... and she's not looking so assured. "I'm serious, Catra-chan... It'd do me good to have a problem I can *help* for a change..."

Catra has posed:
Catra follows, and plops down where she can sit with her back against the chainlink fence that's basically just there to stop people equipped with the IQs of demigods and the survival skills of lemmings from falling off the roof, and doesn't say anything at all until she's had several mouthfuls of the teriyaki, by which point her stomach is sufficiently impressed that it tells her brain to let her hands stop shaking now that there's some protein present.

"So like. Why'd I even go? On that whole thing to the future," she grumbles. "The only reason -- the ONLY reason -- I went was to look out for the kid, 'cause I like her, and not only did I fail to look out for her but she got taken when I wasn't even there, I was off... screwing around with whatever, I can't even remember now. But it was clearly pointless."

Catra is about to eat another piece of the beef, but it jus tends up hovering halfway between bowl and mouth. "So what now? Do we even know where they are? And it's not like I can go back to Obsidian to ask for help there's still kind of that shoot-on-sight thing."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Why'd you go? Because you care about Chibiusa-tan," Rashmi says simply, closing her eyes and sighing. As much as she's been spinning her wheels about the 'what to do' part, the 'why'd we go?' has never been in question. "You could have done literally *anything* else, and no one would have minded, but you showed up when she needed you, and *that matters.* Also, remember... 'screwing around with whatever' means *helping us fight a dragon and win,* which there's *nobody* who thinks that was pointless."

Tapping on her charm, she extracts a pair of bottles of some fruity-flavored soda or other, and slides one Catra's way. "Maybe you could have gone after Chibiusa-tan, instead. Maybe it would have helped, maybe it wouldn't have. But Catra Applesauce Meowmeow -- And I use your entire name so I *know* I have all of your attention -- there are people who *owe their lives* to you being there when we needed you."

Rashmi busies herself with her lunch for a moment, then comes up for air. "And I promise that's the last time I call you by your full name."

Catra has posed:
The piece of beef finds its way to Catra's mouth, and she eats it in silence, sitting there on the roof in the disguise that she hates, and just... sits there, wearing an expression that could win a poker game, as she tilts her head to gaze out over the roof.

"Yeah well... still didn't save her," she mumbles. "Whatever good I might've done," An acknowledgement that clearly clashes with her self-identity, "And just... whatever. It doesn't..." She sighs audibly, "Okay fine it matters but it doesn't change the fact that I didn't save her. And yeah I know, neither did anyone else but nobody else's actions are what keep me awake at night turning over everything that happened and trying to figoure out what I should've done differently. I'm not just the Horde's best fighter, I know how to win wars, I missed something I shouldn't have missed."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"You're right," Rashmi sighs. "You're *not* the only one spinning their wheels over that problem. I'm wondering what I could've done different too. So're the Senshi, Mamo-kun's boys, Chrono, and just about everyone else that happened to be there... Including the King who is *still a coma ghost.* And I'll bet you none of them have gotten any closer to an answer than you or I have."

Closing her eyes, Rashmi draws in a deep breath, and lets it out in an explosive sigh. "...But it doesn't really *matter* what we could've done different. What matters is what we do next, and... honestly I have no idea. I know the end goal... Kick the snot out of both of them until they can be sat on and purified, or however we need to get them free of the Dark. But the steps between here and there? ...No real idea, except get better, get stronger, and fight harder when they show up."

Cronching on some katsu, she mulls this over for a bit. "Speaking of... Spirit Ember really *does* suit you."

Catra has posed:
Catra sighs loudly, a wordless utterance of deep frustration that intervenes between mouthfuls of teriyaki.

"Yeah well when you get to that part, let me know and I'll be there," she mumbles. "Guess I gotta save Twinkletoes and the Kid." Her brain visibly thinks that one through, and she shakes her head, "And no, I don't think I gotta do it alone. I don't even thinkg I can do it alone. So..."

She trails off, and pats the pocket of her jacket where something is still residing. "Just don't start referring to me as a princess or anything," she grumbles. "I am not one. Even if I have the special rock. ...And technically rule the Fire Kingdom now. Which is lame anyway 'cause there's nobody in it and it's basically just a big hole in the ground."

Catra picks up the bottle of fruity whatever it is that Rashmi slid her way earlier, and twists the cap off so she can have a few swallows. "So... how're things going with your other friend? You figure out how to get her back yet?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"No," Rashmi groans, "And she's stepping up her game too. She's got *monsters that make monsters,* how unfair is that? Worse... the way she acts, I want to punch her in the mouth every time she opens it, except *she's wearing my best friend's face.*"

Setting her tray aside, she drops her head in her hands. "And this year alone I have had *five friends now* that have been taken and made into other people. Two of them we got back, which gives me hope, but... Catra-chan *I am so tired.*"

Catra has posed:
"When I was with Obsidian," Catra begins, carefully, "I never knew about anything to do with... what they did to your friend," she mumbles.

She pulls the Spirit Ember out of her pocket and looks at it, a bit like a fortune teller staring at a crystal ball and summoning someone's fate from within the stone. Except there's no fate to be found in the Ember, just... fire. (And it's definitely been glowing more brightly since the fight with the dragon.)

"Get some rest." The instruction is given in a firm tone of voice. "People need rest. You can't just... get driven into the dirt trying to win... I already made that mistake. You're not going to do your friend or Usagi or the Kid any good if you just keep beating your head into the wall the same way." She shrugs, "What do you do for fun? Just... spend a couple days doing that."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Yeah," Rashmi says, shaking her head. "That's not surprising. They're not *super* big on co-operation, I've noticed... Don't worry about it, Catra-chan, I'm sure I'll have a good reason to ask for your help before everything's done."

And when Catra orders her to take a break... Rashmi can't help but seriously, genuinely smile. "You're not wrong... but I'll make you a deal. I'll take your advice -- and it's *good* advice, too -- but only if you do too." Her smile widening into a grin, she snags an adorable little hot-dog cut and cooked to resemble an octopus, and holds it out in offering. "Deal?"

Catra has posed:
Catra looks at the little hot-dog octopus, and sets aside the uneaten third or so of teriyaki (Just for a moment, her body language screams 'I'm still eating that'). And, sure, this whatever it is is coming from a reasonably trusted soruce (in as much as Catra trusts anyone that is), but as she accepts it she still holds it up to sniff at it. Which, in her human disguise, looks properly hilarious.

it's obviously food, so she nibbles on the end of it experimentally, and ends up giving it a mildly distrustful look.

"What is this?" she asks, looking like she just can't decide what to make of it. "It... just tastes like it's trying to be everything." Her mismatched eyes glance up at Rashmi, and back to the hot dot. "And... yeah, sure. We can take each other's advice."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"It's a kind of sausage, it's called a hot-dog. And no I don't know why, and no it's not actually dog, it's just like... really, really fine-ground meat. But... okay, deal. I'll try to find a way to relax and recharge, and you do too. Then call me in a couple days, okay? The Spirit Ember helped a lot, but you're gonna need practice, and *I* spent a whole bunch of time, thought, and energy in coming up with ways to keep fire from hurting me too much. So if you wanna spar with someone, and not worry about hurting them... I'm the girl."

Catra has posed:
"Hey." Catra looks around, and then drops her disguise, revealing her properly feline visage as hse sits there, holding the hot dog. "Look. You're gonna manage it, alright? You'll get your friend back. We'll get Usagi and Chibiusa back. You taking a couple days to look after yourself oesn't mean you aren't trying, and it doesn't mean you're betraying them or anything. It just means you wnat to be ready to go when the opportunity to do something is in front of you."

She downs the hot dog in a couple of bites, and washes it down with the rest of the fruity whatever drink. "And, it's been a long time since I've sparred with anyone, so I"ll take you up on that. ...Maybe even teach you how to use a sword if you like. Or claws, if you can," she waves chopsticks around in the air, "Use magic to give yourself some or something."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi nods slowly in the face of Catra's surprisingly good attempt at encouragement. "Thanks, Catra-chan," she says, smiling. "And if I get my hands on a sword... *definitely* I'll take you up on that."

Finishing off her meal, she sets her tray to one side, and looks up at the disguise-less Etherian, head tilted. "Y'know, Catra... you're a *good* friend to have. Maybe you don't think so, but... You are. And you really helped, so... Thank you."

Whatever sputtering negations Catra might utter, they slide off a visibly cheered Rashmi like water over oil.