I've long thought up various alternative names that a chipped or unchipped Catra, whose sense of self has fused with her Little Sister alter ego, might end up using

Things like Wildcat, Elizabeth, Captain, Force Captain, Commander, Horde Scum (every one just using their own kitty nick names for her) etc etc

Because of course, writing a Catradora fic where adora calls catra Little Sister would be. Off-putting

But honestly after all this time none of the names I've come up with have really felt right to put in a longer fic sequence.

More and more I feel like the eerieness of a post-chipped catra who has regained her sense of self and free will, having been given a name when she'd been absorbed into a hive mind, using that name now in the modern day and refusing to hide from that part still inside her could be strong

It would be nice to have a fanfic where like. Adora tries her best to keep catra away from the prime clones because it might be triggering. But also like, catra is actually quite comfortable? I'd be really interesting to have catra recognize and greet specific clones, who look identical to every one else, and to respond to them calling her Little Sister with a smile

now that's no way to greet an old friend, is it?

Yes

i give you!! cat!!!

Glimmer and Bow Need Therapy

A lot of people in this fandom talk about how Catra and Adora have a lot of trauma to work through but I’d like to elaborate on why I think some other characters have some serious baggage they need to deal with too.

Bow is a nervous wreck and stressed beyond belief. He’s always worried about everyone else and often puts their problems and issues before his own. This often leads to the unfortunate habit of bottling up his emotions (a lot like Adora tends to do), or at least his negative ones. His friends are also a hot mess, so he constantly has to deal with being the “responsible one”, or the mediator, or the “friendship guy”. For someone who’s really good at giving friendship advice and fixing other people’s problems, he doesn’t always practice what he preaches, not when it comes to his own well-being at least. He’s also not above lying, sneaking around, or omitting the truth, if he thinks it’ll protect others or spare their feelings even if it’s only a temporary solution. He also mildly struggles with needing to be needed or feeling helpless. It hurts when it feels like his friends can’t come to him for help because he wants to provide a safe place for them. He wants them to feel like they can open up to him, even though he struggles to do the same. When there’s tension in the group and he can’t seem to fix it (like in S4) he feels helpless, useless even. His friends also have a tendency to take him for granted or dismiss his advocacy for safety and caution leaving him to feel undervalued or underappreciated. He also has a bit of an inferiority complex considering he’s surrounded by powerful magical princesses and geniuses like Entrapta, Hordak, and his dads (and possibly his brothers) who he may never feel like he can measure up to. Lastly, he’s incredibly extraverted, which is why one of his biggest fears is inheriting his dads’ library; being left, all alone, in that big, empty building in the middle of the woods, for the rest of his life. Not to mention all the PTSD he (and everyone else) must have from all those near-death experiences and being a literal war veteran.

Glimmer as the show overtly states, deals with bouts of “crippling self-doubt mixed with overwhelming hubris”, i.e. her stubbornness and pride. An inferiority-superiority complex if you will. She also has a fuck ton of anger issues, grief, and trauma that she never quite learned how to or took the time to deal with properly. She often has trouble communicating how she’s feeling, especially when it’s negative, so it usually leads to nasty comments, aggressive actions, and forceful confrontations. She’s also a magical princess who was born in a time of war. From a young age she was given a lot of privilege, responsibility, and a great deal of expectations for her to meet. Her parents, one an immortal angelic queen and the other a powerful sorcerer and martyr of the Rebellion had cast these enormous shadows for her to live up to. All of that, in addition to the encroaching enemy that constantly threatened her loved ones’, her subjects’, and her plant’s safety, put her under a lot of pressure. That enemy would eventually take both her parents away from her leaving her an orphan. And in both instances she was helpless to do anything about it. She also had a lonely childhood. She’d only ever made a single friend in Bow, until she’d reached her late teens/early adulthood. Her mother was overprotective and, more often than not, would clip her wings rather than support and trust her. Along with unconventional powers and a disposition that never quite lived up to the standard of what a “typical” princess should be, this caused people to underestimate her. Therefore, she was left with the constant, often reckless, need to prove herself, so she could finally be taken seriously (a lot like Catra, in that regard). Not to mention the fact that she got kidnapped and held hostage, twice. She’s endured psychological manipulation, physical torture, and emotional isolation. She was thrust into a position of power and authority she was in no way ready for; Forced to fight her chipped father; And deal with the overwhelming guilt of how the worst decision she ever made (when backed into a corner) nearly doomed the planet and cost hundreds of people their homes, their freedom and even their lives!

So basically, nobody in the best friend squad, or even in the whole princess alliance is ok. They’ve each dealt with a lot, and I just think all of them deserve the chance to be happy and healthy. Which is why I think they all need some therapy.

Shout out to @tippenfunkaport, @baggebythesea, @foolforshera and more for their fantastic and insightful writing about my beloved spop characters. Especially, Glimmer and Bow.

“Save the Cat” is definitely another one that’s in the running for my #1 fave SPOP episode slot. I’ve watched it so many times, but it never gets old.

There’s Catra’s struggle against the chip, with the vacillations between the imposed serenity and her real, ongoing suffering, there’s the great fight scene, there’s Adora reaching out to her and Catra trying to accept it this time (T_T), Adora jumping into an abyss after Catra, their character designs at their most adorable (I think a good 75% of my screenshots are from this ep alone), and of course, Adora’s first full She-Ra transformation since the sword broke, and into a vastly superior version of her (her S5 glow-up is a hell of a glow-up). Her “you miscalculated” is such a satisfying moment (as is “make it quick”).

But despite my love of the new form and the acrobatics, my fave moment from the episode is Catra waking to find herself in Adora’s arms, managing a weak “hey, Adora,” and then her response to Adora’s ecstatic hug:

ahhhhh this ship

There are other things than Catradora in the episode, of course—Glimmer is great, Bow and Entrapta are delightful (I love her little squeaks and laughs), and my beloved Wrong Hordak gets his introduction here, too. But it’s definitely the Catra/Adora/Catradora content that kicks this one up to such a high spot for me. It’s great.

6 (if any), 29, 35

6.What is your favorite poly-ship?

for sure zukki and shayallurelle i love those two with my entire heart my beloveds

29.What’s your favorite fanfic AU scenario or setting?

hmm oh i know, diner aus

they are so fucking adorable i cannot like have an 80s themed diner or smth and one of them being the waiter while the other is a regular<33333

35.What’s your go-to episode or scene when you need ship feels?

okay ill give some that come to mind for each ship

klance: bonding moment ep obviously but also return to balmera

zukka + zukki: boiling rock

catradora: the one with chipped catra idk if it's controversial but i looove adora's reactions man

My alternate idea for season 5 (alt title, my daydreams for the past week lmao)

1. Catra isn’t pulled onto Prime’s ship and is left on Etheria. There is some resistance and emotions (possibly her being saved by someone) before she joins the fight against Prime and fights by Adora’s side. This would make Catra’s redemption less rushed, Adora and Catra’s romance less sudden, and show that there is regret in her heart and that she does want to be better by showing it through her actions.

She could still reawaken She Ra in Adora in a different way here (I’m open to scenarios but she could still be chipped in this setting) and obviously I’d leave them going to the heart and saving the world with a cute kiss alone but I feel like Catra having a longer build up to healing and being better and Adora seeing that would make the bitter taste and implications of their rushed romance easier to swallow.

I still want her to get Melog and I’m not sure if Melog being on Krytis is a lore thing but that can happen another way I feel? I’m not sure though. She needs kitty though

2. Entrapta is the one pulled onto Prime’s ship along with Hordak and Glimmer. This would add a few interesting moments.

First of all she’d be looking for Hordak the whole time but be unable to tell him apart from the rest of the clones, while he is struggling with his memory and these odd feelings. This would flesh out both of their emotional sides (and be a lot more satisfying than Hordak just kinda not being around and not having a character arc in the season where his literal creator is there) and possibly help fill in Hordaks backstory (Why was he important to Prime? Why did Prime remember one defect out of millions of clones? I know it was before character designs were finalised but why did Hordak always have black hair? Was he suppossed to be Prime’s new body so Prime remembers him as a disappointment and Hordak thought he was more important than he was?) and I think having her there to interact with Glimmer would be interesting because Entrapta doesn’t really... Have an opinion on her? Them feeling lonely and trapped and interacting would be interesting.

Also Glimmer would be paranoid that Entrapta would join Prime’s side so tension oooo. Entrapta could be the one to break Wrong Hordak while she’s there because no way are we not having Wrong Hordak. While we’re at it this could also give moments of sympathy for the clones who were kind of ignored too. They’re suffering, help them.

Another bonus to Entrapta being gone is Bow having a chance to shine as a tech master. Without her he’d have to step up his game and really impress others with him doing his best to support his friends with his skills.

3. Entrapta is chipped on Prime’s ship after sending Glimmer through. This would cement that Entrapta does care about things other than tech and also thematically be a throwback to her being trapped in the Fright Zone as they go back to rescue her (no princesses left behind). We never see Entrapta fight. Ever. Seeing her be violent would be so jarring (imagine her carrying drills in her hair) and seeing her suppossed friends trying to reach her would make them realise how little they actually paid attention to her and make them realise they should have tried harder to understand her. Hordak could have a big moment here and reach through to her as his memory returns and Wrong Hordak could have a moment of rebellion and be like ‘I STOOD UP TO PRIME’ which would be funny and sweet.

Hordak has time to talk to Adora and Catra about the past and they can see his reason for doing what he did. They sees him wanting to defy the will of the man who abused him and sees him wanting to not be or wanting to act like Prime anymore. Catra realises they aren’t so different and relates to him about healing. Hordak actually has an end to his arc. and maybe a smooch from his beloved lab partner

Also. Bringing it back? Bow is the one who takes Entrapta’s chip off. This would make the pay off of him being the one to break everyones chips feel a lot more triumphant (not that the moment wasn’t good already but in this scenario it has a build up and a pay off) and she could have a moment of ‘Wow you’re really good!’ and he’s like ‘8D’ which would be cute.

Everything else I’m mostly fine with. Spinny and Netossa’s mini arc is fantastic and good painful, I could do with the princesses talking through losing their kingdoms a little maybe? OH WAIT

4. CASTASPELLA ACTUALLY INTERACTING AND REACTING TO MICAH

Little things about She-Ra season 5 I liked:

-Netossa and Spinerella just straight up making out in the opening after Spinny got unchipped

-Entrapta naming the ship. I love how she names things it’s adorable.

-Speaking of Entrapta naming things: “Wrong Hordak” 😂😂😂 I hope he gets to pick out his own name later on

-Bow’s dads leaving him a dad joke as the clue to their location. The perils of having two dads is no joke, because it’s entirely made up of jokes.

-Bow kissing Glimmer’s forehead. 🥺🥺🥺

-Netossa listing off everyone else’s weaknesses and half of them are just “Fire” because duh, and then the callback later to Spinerella is hers

-Netossa’s casual use of “my wife”

-Just REALLY liked Netossa this season actually

-The Spy Episode tricking me into thinking it was going to be lighthearted

-Prince Peakablue being Double Trouble. I called that it was them as soon as I saw Peakablue.

-Catra with short hair

-Older Bow with facial hair

-Entrapta’s boob window in her space suit, Bow’s commitment to crop-tops in his, and Catra’s kitty ears in hers

-Bow repeatedly thinking literally every thing Catra does is adorable and her HATING it

-Catra being tsundere every two seconds

-Bow actually being really mad at Glimmer over what happened in the previous season because, boy, me too.

-Perfuma offering to help Catra with her anger issues

-Scorpia being the only Prime Chipped main character who NEVER speaks when she’s chipped. Mermista monologues about how annoying Seahawk is. Micah talks about Glimmer being weak. Spinerella taunts Netossa and calls her “beloved”. Scorpia never says a god damn word. Not when Perfuma is begging her to come back, not when Catra shows up, never.

"Episode 7 still happens…but DT is already chipped and it’s a trap." I want to let you know that my mind jumped to two possible ways to discover it: either they say something that's slightly ODD, like Spinny's "beloved," or Perfuma/Sea Hawk notices the chip when their hair falls in a certain way as they're being carried.

One subtle sign that they’re chipped that we discussed was that they would stop using nicknames. Like Catra’s “kitten.” Scorpia might be the only one who knew they did that, and she already called them out once, sooooo....