Catra sat neatly cross-legged in the middle of the bedroom she shared with Adora, hands resting on her knees, eyes closed. Beyond the even, slow rise and fall of her chest and the tiniest flicking of one upright ear she was motionless. Melog was stretched out beside her, dozing, and Adora sat by the window, reading. The atmosphere in the room could hardly have been more peaceful or content-

"Hey guys!" With a blinding flash of light and sparkles Glimmer burst into being right next to the cat-girl. Anything else she tried to say was lost behind an indescribable screech. Blinking in confusion and shock, she looked up at where Catra now hung by the claws of all four tense limbs from the suspended bed, tail, hair and fur flaring, ears flat back, eyes burning with fury. Melog was a blaze of jagged red below them.

"WHY...DIDN'T...YOU...KNOCK?!" they screamed through a grimace of of pointy teeth.

Glimmer started releasing short snorts of laughter, then clutched her sides as she dissolved in mirth completely. "Why are you so jumpy?"

Catra's glower found a way to become even more murderous. "I was trying to meditate, Sparkles!"

"You caught her by surprise, is all," Adora tried to placate.

"Is that it?" Glimmer's eyes shone in a way the feline girl really didn't like. "Or is it because she's a cat? And she can't help it?"

Catra started growling, claws digging deeper into the fabric.

"Why don't you tell us why you came, hm?" Adora suggested, hands wringing nervously.

"Oh! Yes. I just wanted to let you know the kitchen has a new flavour of ice cream. Chocolate chip!"

As Catra's yellow eye started twitching erratically, Adora hastened to bundle Glimmer out of the room. "How lovely! Thank you so much for telling us and now I think it might be a really really good idea you leave and maybe think about actually maybe possibly knocking next time?"

"I'll think about it!" the Queen of Bright Moon trilled.

Adora latched the door, span round and leant against it, directing the most ingratiating grin she could muster up at the cat-girl. "Catra..."

It was almost done. Every card perfectly positioned, expertly balanced in a pyramid eight tiers high, and all Catra needed to do was place the last two. She took several breaths, stretched and flexed her arms, gave both cards a wipe, then carefully, oh so carefully, eyes laser focused, a card in each hand, reached out for the top of the stack, angling them to settle perfectly in p-

"Hey guys!"

Catra jolted, her arms jerking violently down to grab the table, claws digging in, an explosion of cards erupting. She turned round to glower pure hatred at Glimmer, tail stiff and spiky, ears flat to her skull, teeth clenched so tightly their grinding was audible, a queen of clubs lodged in her hair. "I was almost done!"

"Oopsy," the other girl giggled. "Sorry!" She looked around. "Where's Adora?"

"Not...here," Catra nearly snarled. "What...flavour...this...time?"

Glimmer blinked a moment, then giggled louder. "Noo, I would never interrupt you for something so inconsequential. This is about cakes."

"Cakes?" Catra's blue eye started twitching.

Glimmer nodded. "But if you're busy, I'll ask Adora. Bye!" She blinked out of existence.

Catra closed her eyes and took in very many, very long breaths, then started rebuilding her pyramid, all the while silently mulling over ways to murder a Princess with a sharpened playing card.

The climax was near. The tension was unbearable. She honestly didn't know how much more she could take. Only a little further, an-

"Hey guys!"

Catra, two halves of the hardback book she'd been reading gripped so hard in her hands they were buckling, claws scraping the covers, glared at Glimmer, then panic set in. "Adora's gonna kill me!"

A wave of magic from the Princess and the book floated up, knit itself back together, then plopped into the feline's lap. "No harm done. I've missed her again, haven't I?"

Catra nodded, clutching the book to her chest, glare returning. "What is it this time, Sparkles? New kind of bread? New flavour of soup?"

"No. Just wanted to say hi! So hi! And now bye!" Glimmer vanished.

Both of Catra's eyes started twitching.

Catra sprawled nude across the bed, her ears flushed and limp, panting heavily with tongue lolling, feeling like she was slowly dissolving into a puddle of dishevelled fur. The heat was truly intolerable, and if Adora didn't find a fan or something to help cool her, she was sure she'd have to be collected in a bucket before the day was done. Melog lay out on the floor, not looking a great deal bett-

"Hey guys!" Glimmer clapped her hands as she appeared. "I've..." She sagged. "I missed her again?" Then stiffened, eyes widening. "W-why are you n-naked?!"

Catra gave her something that bore a vague, half-melted resemblance to a glare. "It's hot. I have fur. You do the math."

"Well yes, but..." Glimmer stared fixedly exactly two feet to the right of the feline. "Th-there's still the matter of decency..."

"Says the Princess who barged in without knocking," Catra drawled, a flicker of irritation in her tail. "'Sides, it's just a body, Sparkles. You've got one yourself. Same major bits, and everything."

"Yes, but..." Glimmer stammered for several seconds, then turned on her heel. "IIII should go find Adora. Byenow." She flashed away.

Catra rolled her eyes, then they started to widen as an idea began to take form. By the time Adora reappeared with a fan in their arms, she was wearing an expression so wicked the blonde could have sworn her ears were curving in.

"Do I want to know?" they asked, tentatively.

"I think I know how to stop dear Sparkles sparkling in uninvited."

"Should I be worried for her?"

"Oh, it should only leave her with mild trauma. Moderate at worst."

Adora groaned. "I'm really not going to like this, am I?"

Catra lounged nude on the bed, waiting not-very-patiently for Adora to finish in the bathroom. It was late in the evening, and she had serious snuggling plans for at least another hour. Maybe two. A glittery flash announced the arrival of Glimmer, and she quickly shifted position.

"Hey g-" The Princess froze, eyes practically popping out of her head, colour rushing from her face, as she took in the sight of a naked Catra lying on their side, facing away from her, one leg lifted high, back bent round so their head was tucked beneath that limb, soft licking sounds reaching her horrified ears.

"What?" they asked, looking up, tongue extended.

"Why are you...?! That's just..." Glimmer spluttered. "EW!"

"I can't help it," Catra responded, deadpan. "I'm a cat."

Glimmer looked about to throw up. "I am never...ever teleporting in here again." She vanished, shuddering as she did so.

Catra straightened out, lay back, picked up the bowl of chocolate chip ice cream that had been hidden behind her haunches, and lapped at it with an air of supreme satisfaction. "Mission complete."