To The Stars and Back

Episode 7

The night draped its dark cloak over the city, and the small restaurant, modest in its appearance, became a refuge for those escaping the evening chill. Inside, the warm glow of lights created a cozy atmosphere, complemented by the soft murmurs of diners and the clinking of dinnerware. This was where Adora and Catra found themselves.

Adora, her eyes bright and demeanor light, engaged joyfully with the array of dishes spread out before them. The restaurant's charm was its central cooking place at the table where guests could watch their meals being prepared, a spectacle that fascinated Adora. She nibbled eagerly at the food, her hand gripping the edge of her seat for balance as she leaned in to reach for another tempting morsel.

Catra, on the other hand, wore her reluctance like a second skin. She had draped her coat casually over an adjacent chair, choosing instead to sit beside it, her body language closed off. Hands resting uneasily on her thighs, she bore an expression that mixed irritation with resignation. Internally, she chastised herself, "Dammit, I went after all." The thought gnawed at her, even as her gaze followed Adora's cheerful sampling of the culinary delights.

Breaking the pattern, Adora's attention shifted from the food to Catra, just as the latter raised her hand, chopsticks ready to pluck something from the shared plate. It was this moment that Adora chose to broach a topic she'd been curious about.

"Uh, I'm sorry for interrupting you with that boy. Was he your boyfriend?" Adora's voice was gentle, tinged with genuine curiosity as she watched Catra maneuver her chopsticks.

Catra's hand paused, the chopsticks hovering above the bowl as she glanced down, her eyes narrowing slightly before responding.

"They use the 'they' pronouns. And no, we were just hooking up. Nothing serious." Her tone was matter-of-fact, aimed at putting an end to any further probing into her personal affairs.

Adora, however, seemed puzzled by the concept as she continued to munch thoughtfully on her food.

"Oh okay, but 'hooking up'? Isn't that dating?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Catra looked away, visibly uninterested in dissecting the semantics of modern relationships.

"Nevermind. Let's not talk about that," she dismissed, ending the conversation abruptly.

"Oh okay then," Adora replied, her response simple and accepting.

The silence that fell between them was filled with the subtle sounds of their meal being enjoyed—or in Catra's case, endured. She found herself grappling with the awkwardness of the exchange, her mind racing for a change of subject. As she chewed on her next piece of food, her eyes stealthily observed Adora, who was blissfully unaware of the tension, her attention wholly captured by the flavors bursting in her mouth.

Deciding to steer the conversation away from personal territories, Catra finally spoke up, a hint of irritation lacing her tone.

"My name isn't 'Humph', by the way..."

Adora looked up, her face opening in a smile.

"It's Catra Martinez."

"Catra Martinez? I like that. It suits you!" Adora's enthusiasm was palpable, her eyes closing in a delighted smile as she savored the name.

A groan was Catra's only reply, her frustration audible but her face unreadable.

Catra was deliberately slow in her movements, her chopsticks picking up a piece of food and carefully directing it towards her mouth. As she chewed thoughtfully, her eyes surreptitiously drifted towards Adora. Despite herself, Catra couldn't help but quietly study the girl sitting across from her. "This girl..." she mused internally, her thoughts trailing off into a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Adora, on the other hand, was the picture of contentment. Completely engrossed in the act of eating, each bite seemed to bring a new level of joy to her face. Her smile was broad and genuine, lighting up her features in a way that was almost infectious. The sheer simplicity of her happiness, centered around the food in front of her, was something to behold.

Meanwhile, Catra's mind was a whirlpool of thoughts. She couldn't shake the feeling of being unsettled by Adora's unchanging demeanor. "No matter how much I've been rude to her or ignore her..." she pondered, her thoughts deepening into introspection. With her eyes closed briefly, Catra allowed herself a moment to retreat into her own world, her face a mask of contemplation. "...She just isn't fazed."

Catra's memories began to rewind, replaying countless interactions where she had been less than kind or outright dismissive towards others. Typically, such behavior would lead to dismissal or even aggression from those around her, a predictable human response to confrontation. Yet, with Adora, the outcome was starkly different.

Adora was an anomaly in Catra's experience. She radiated a cheerfulness that seemed impervious to negativity, a constant beacon of positivity that neither waned nor faltered, regardless of Catra's mood or manner. Even now, as she ate with evident pleasure, Adora's demeanor remained unchanged, marked by a persistent joyfulness that seemed almost otherworldly.

This peculiar trait was puzzling to Catra, who found it unusual that Adora didn't seem to care or even notice the rudeness directed at her. Such indifference or perhaps resilience was a novelty to Catra, something she hadn't encountered in anyone else before. It was both baffling and, in an unspoken way, refreshing.

As these thoughts occupied Catra, Adora, oblivious to the internal conflict she had sparked, continued to savor her meal. Lifting her chopsticks with a sparkle in her eyes, she turned towards Catra with a smile that seemed to light up the dim corner of their table.

"It's so tasty, isn't it, Catra?" Adora asked, her voice filled with genuine enthusiasm for the shared meal.

Caught slightly off-guard, Catra felt a twinge of awkwardness. Here was Adora, unfazed and joyful, making an innocent remark about the food, yet it stirred a deeper question in Catra about Adora's awareness of their dynamics. "...Or she's completely clueless. That could be it, honestly," Catra thought, her mind grappling with the puzzling simplicity of Adora's unburdened spirit. This possibility lingered in her thoughts, adding another layer to the enigma that was Adora, leaving Catra to wonder about the true depth of understanding behind that ever-present smile.