[another nod, and she produces her phone, sliding it across the table so Viola can see the MIND CONTROL, UNSUED coupon clearly]
It makes sense with a lot of things we've discovered so far. [tail flick] Like that one night when you and the other dorm heads "fell ill" and couldn't remember what had happened to you. Not to mention the supposed inaccuracy of those applications we've found.
So-- with your permission, I want to see if I can use this coupon to try and unlock any memories you might've had erased or rewritten.
[her eyes widen slowly as the request dawns on her - to see if she can have any memories uncovered? it's a little daunting, given how the coupon system is out of her hands. in a way, catra would be able to really inflict anything she'd like on her, and she wouldn't be able to fight it presumably.
I'm going to trade it in for a "coupon that can restore rewritten memories." I don't know how powerful it'll be, or of it'll be permanent, or if it'll work at all.
[and once Viola gives the okay, Catra wordlessly picks her phone up to put in the coupon request. she waits a few moments for it to be approved, and once it is. . .?]
[she uses it without further preamble. do I have to report this in an item thread or smth]
[actually yea just report to your other top-level please so we can cross our T's and dot our I's!
Viola looks over the coupon request, also waiting for a long moment, wondering and curious -
and then she blinks and something shifts. she blinks again in rapid succession, once, twice, and brings her hand up to her head as if to ward off a phantom headache. she looks left, right, observing the surroundings, before her gaze falls to the used voucher and then it seems to click very quickly. she looks up to catra and - her gaze softens, fondly, just a little bit.]
Oh.
Very clever.
[approving and the corner of her mouth pulls up into a smile, even though there's a certain steely, focused, and fiery quality to her gaze now that wasn't present before]
[Catra watches the fidgeting with ears swiveled forward, eyes narrowed, like she isn't really sure how well this is going to turn out? her fur is slightly bristled too, because the mind control nature of this still has her on edge]
[but]
[then the evident confusion subsides, and Viola (???) turns her gaze on Catra, and she finds some of that unease settling even as her ears twitch in obvious interest]
[. . . . . . . . if it were bite week Viola would get a little nibble. probably]
[either way, Catra does not at all mind the immediate leap into business, because it's true-- neither of them know how much time she has like this. and the fire, the cold simmering anger, is something that Catra recognizes and respects. Kon and Crow had told her that Iris was angry, but. . . it's different to see it for herself]
Unfortunately, no. Nothing big that they've shared with me. [another tail lash] Did Crow tell you about the script he bought from Viola? Leo got one too, apparently-- only it's a "cast list," not a full script.
A script and a cast list - [she taps her fingers against the table, drumming in thought as she narrows her eyes] - it makes you wonder why these are available, why you're being given answers that are in fact truthful given that it led you to correctly assuming Viola and I aren't the same. If there are nuggets of truth to them...
Are we being baited? Or is—
[she pauses and finds herself out of breath again]
[OH NOOOO. . . that was far shorter than Catra had hoped for, and it shows in her expression, in the way it twists into frustration as she leans over the table]
-- Viola?
[her ears flatten]
No, it. . . it worked.
It worked like a charm, but only for about ten seconds.
[it's not touch week, so Catra does flinch a little bit at that contact, surprised by her own reaction. it takes a few deep breaths, but she relaxes moments afterwards, allowing Viola to keep her hand there for as long as she'd like]
I get it.
[and she does. possibly more than Viola knows]
It's impossible to really accept, when someone is telling you that everything you know is a lie.
[. . .]
It's not. . . I mean. You're not the only. . . one, though. To-- you know.
[and another breath. she's going to keep pushing herself, even if the wounds are still fresh. even if it's still hard]
So, like-- before Adora and I came here, I was. . . part of an alien army, I guess. I fought with the Horde to take over the planet, and somehow got beamed up onto the space ship of the big head honcho in charge.
[. . .]
He had the power to chip people. To put microchips in their necks and control their minds. They'd. . . uh. You know. . . they wouldn't be themselves.
It was like. . . having a piece of him inserted into their brains.
[ah.... viola listens and - she hears the way that it's all spoken in third person. it must be such a raw wound. her brow furrows, frustrated over something that she had no control over, but something that clearly hurt catra deeply.]
.... they didn't deserve that. They never should've had to endure something so cruel.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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It makes sense with a lot of things we've discovered so far. [tail flick] Like that one night when you and the other dorm heads "fell ill" and couldn't remember what had happened to you. Not to mention the supposed inaccuracy of those applications we've found.
So-- with your permission, I want to see if I can use this coupon to try and unlock any memories you might've had erased or rewritten.
[a pause]
Is that okay?
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[her eyes widen slowly as the request dawns on her - to see if she can have any memories uncovered? it's a little daunting, given how the coupon system is out of her hands. in a way, catra would be able to really inflict anything she'd like on her, and she wouldn't be able to fight it presumably.
so there is a beat of hesitation.
before she nods.]
Yes.
[the reason being - ]
I trust you, Catra. I'm in your care.
1/2
[that make her cheeks flush and her heart hammer a little too loudly in her chest?? Viola???]
no subject
-- okay, right.
[RIGHT. FOCUS, CATRA]
I'm going to trade it in for a "coupon that can restore rewritten memories." I don't know how powerful it'll be, or of it'll be permanent, or if it'll work at all.
But does that sound okay to you?
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viola turns the words in her head for a moment, calculating to make sure that nothing could go wrong from them - and then she nods.]
... that should be alright. I hope that you're able to glean from the experiment what you need to.
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[and once Viola gives the okay, Catra wordlessly picks her phone up to put in the coupon request. she waits a few moments for it to be approved, and once it is. . .?]
[she uses it without further preamble. do I have to report this in an item thread or smth]
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Viola looks over the coupon request, also waiting for a long moment, wondering and curious -
and then she blinks and something shifts. she blinks again in rapid succession, once, twice, and brings her hand up to her head as if to ward off a phantom headache. she looks left, right, observing the surroundings, before her gaze falls to the used voucher and then it seems to click very quickly. she looks up to catra and - her gaze softens, fondly, just a little bit.]
Oh.
Very clever.
[approving and the corner of her mouth pulls up into a smile, even though there's a certain steely, focused, and fiery quality to her gaze now that wasn't present before]
Hello, Catra. I'm Iris.
1/2
[Catra watches the fidgeting with ears swiveled forward, eyes narrowed, like she isn't really sure how well this is going to turn out? her fur is slightly bristled too, because the mind control nature of this still has her on edge]
[but]
[then the evident confusion subsides, and Viola (???) turns her gaze on Catra, and she finds some of that unease settling even as her ears twitch in obvious interest]
-- it worked?
[IT WORKED???]
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[clears her throat and leans back in her chair]
I mean-- yeah, of course it's clever. It's me we're talking about.
What's up, Iris? I'm Catra.
[she. she knew that, Catra. don't try to be cool]
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I'd say it's a pleasure but I think there's still quite a few problems on our plate - and I don't know how long I have.
You've spoken with Crow and Kon, correct? Do we have any new insight on our enemy or why they've decided to make a mockery out of me?
[sometimes you are just war ready. her words are more measured than that of viola, carrying a certain level of intent and sharp, sharp anger]
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[either way, Catra does not at all mind the immediate leap into business, because it's true-- neither of them know how much time she has like this. and the fire, the cold simmering anger, is something that Catra recognizes and respects. Kon and Crow had told her that Iris was angry, but. . . it's different to see it for herself]
Unfortunately, no. Nothing big that they've shared with me. [another tail lash] Did Crow tell you about the script he bought from Viola? Leo got one too, apparently-- only it's a "cast list," not a full script.
[1/2]
Are we being baited? Or is—
[she pauses and finds herself out of breath again]
Ah—
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Viola's expression turns confused, wondering.]
Oh...
Did it not work, Catra?
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-- Viola?
[her ears flatten]
No, it. . . it worked.
It worked like a charm, but only for about ten seconds.
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What did I forget? I hope I didn't tell you some kind of embarrassing childhood memory.
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[okay Catra can't help it. she laughs a little, but it's a bit humorless]
Don't worry, you're safe from childhood memories.
But you forgot that your name-- your real name-- is Iris.
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[her brow furrows, a little put out. she recognizes how serious catra seems to be feeling about it but....]
That's not the name I was raised with... How could it be Iris...?
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[fidgets a little bit in her seat, gaze flicking up to meet Viola's]
So. . . you'd trust me when I say something at this school messed with your memories, right? We don't know what it is, or how to stop it, but. . .
[she trails off]
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Of course I trust you. It's not about how much I trust you.
[ . . . . she just sighs.]
It's just... hard to wrap my head around... How could my memories be wrong? I have 22 years worth of them...
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I get it.
[and she does. possibly more than Viola knows]
It's impossible to really accept, when someone is telling you that everything you know is a lie.
[. . .]
It's not. . . I mean. You're not the only. . . one, though. To-- you know.
Have someone mess with your head.
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... did something happen...?
[to you?
she sounds distinctly unhappy - her tone taking a more protective quality to it]
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[. . .]
Don't-- like, don't tell anyone, okay? I doubt I need to really ask you that, but. . .
[it is clearly a very sensitive memory for her]
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I'd never.
.... thank you for trusting me with that.
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[another pause]
[and another breath. she's going to keep pushing herself, even if the wounds are still fresh. even if it's still hard]
So, like-- before Adora and I came here, I was. . . part of an alien army, I guess. I fought with the Horde to take over the planet, and somehow got beamed up onto the space ship of the big head honcho in charge.
[. . .]
He had the power to chip people. To put microchips in their necks and control their minds. They'd. . . uh. You know. . . they wouldn't be themselves.
It was like. . . having a piece of him inserted into their brains.
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.... they didn't deserve that. They never should've had to endure something so cruel.
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