#read this post in Entrapta's voice

[whirligig-girl]

Etheria’s moons to dubious scale. The second from the right, the blue & purple one, is about the same size compared to Etheria as the Moon is compared to the Earth.

Probably the first thing I noticed when I watched She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was all the damn moons. I’d seen screenshots and clips of the show taking place on a space ship, so I figured “Brightmoon” was literally the name of a moon. But nope--the Starship Darla wouldn’t make her appearance until much later. Anyway. Despite the unrealistic appearance of the moons in the show, I resolved to Figure Out How They Work Eventually. Here’s some thoughts so far.

I’m unwilling to trust most of these sizes because of perspective effects and because it’s a cartoon. I think probably they’re all smaller than it seems. Obviously the “real” spacing is completely different than in the drawing.

If this image is taken with a telescope, or even a telephoto lens from sufficiently far away, then the original image scale could correspond to the scale of the actual planets.

we only have actual depth information for ONE moon--the blue and purple one in front of Etheria, which means its actual scale relative to Etheria is probably smaller than in the image.

each other moon could be either very large and distant or very small and near to the camera, but the way it looks in some scenes moving towards Etheria suggest that the moons are depicted not much farther or closer from the camera than Etheria itself, so I think taking these as roughly to-scale can serve as a starting point for figuring the rest out.

My progress so far in figuring out how to fit 11 large moons into orbit around one Earthlike planet:

this is only five. Four ceres in a near 1:2:4:8 resonance (such that triple conjunctions are possible, but rare), with that pink moon represented as a Mars-mass world, orbiting about once per month. If I move the Mars out much more, it might not be stable accounting for solar tides. (Etheria does have a sun? right? it’s not entirely clear to me. Does it have a different sun in Despondos than in the Universe? like, Despondos has Just One Sun? Is Despondos’ cosmic background lighting up half the sky? Or did the Etherian Sun come along for the ride through the portals, off-screen? I’m making the assumption that even if there is no real Sun in Despondos, the moon system pre-dated Etheria’s stranding, so it’s still constrained by solar tides.

anyway. the five there. I think I can add more. the Mars can support subsatellites, which I think should be allowed, and I think I can fit in some smaller asteroid-sized moons in low orbits in between the resonant friend quad.

I’m not even close to understanding their geology, yet. I need to have a grasp on their basic physical properties first. But I’m guessing magic and technology are both relevant. One of the three moons of enchantment clearly had cloud banding, not impact craters. it could be terraformed--even if the first one’s tech that terraformed it is gone, perhaps it could still carry an atmosphere for the ~thousand years or so the first ones have been gone?

I wonder if the moons were early test beds for first ones to test magic/tech integration on a planetary scale. (which leads to the dark question of “was there a Heart of the Moon Project?”)

Certainly if the first ones were spacefarers they would have had some infrastructure on the moons.

[rosicheeks]

as a fellow she-ra fan it makes me REALLY happy that you watch it too! it’s such a good show ugh and it’s so cute 🥺 10/10 i would love to cuddle and watch it with you and nerd out about it 🥺🤭💖

-🌸

[princesscolumbia]

Question for Authors

So this might sound weird, but I've gotten (I believe) pretty good at figuring out if an original fic started life as a fanfic.

Okay, so, like, you know how in fandoms there's that one fic that you love that is very clearly a fanfic because all the names are there and the characters' behavior matches their canon counterparts but the setting is different and the clothing is different and even if the story has familiar beats it's not even remotely canon?

My favorite example of this is "The Lighthouse." It's a She-ra (2018) fanfic with Catra and Adora and Shadow Weaver and Scorpia and Entrapta and etc., and there's even familiar story beats like Adora 'saving the cat' and Prime being a manipulative tool and Hordak turning on Prime because he fell in love with Entrapta...but it's a different story. There's no magic, 'Catra' is short for 'Katrina' and she's not a magicat, just a regular girl. Scorpia may be tall and built like a brick house, but she doesn't have pincers or a scorpion tail. There's no war, Angela doesn't end up trapped in a portal, there's no sword.

In short, it's pretty much nothing like She-ra 2018...but because all the characters are named the same as and behave in familiar ways as their canon counterparts, we know it's She-ra 2018.

I even left a comment to the author saying they should rename the characters so they could publish it as an original work because goddamn is it a good book and they deserve praise and money for it.

So when you get deep enough into a given fandom, you can start to recognize the 'fingerprints,' for lack of a better term, of canon even when the author has had enough drift from canon to make it fairly unique.

And then...and then you can start to recognize when there's a derivative work out in the wild.

So, like, I love the author's work, so I won't be too specific about it, but I read this original work on Scribblehub that I absolutely enjoyed...and by the end of it I could swear it was a She-ra (2018) Power Ranger's AU. I mean I could recognize characters and unconsciously started mentally assigning voices from She-ra to the characters even before the stuff that made specific things stand out to me to positively identify it as a She-ra (2018) fanfic where the setting is Late 20th Century Earth where an alien invasion is occurring (where the aliens happen to have a general who is a cat-girl) and they really need a group of teenagers trained fighters with attitude...

And then...AND THEN!

This morning I'm on Tumblr and a post from a different favorite author of mine who I happen to know likes Ranma 1/2 and writes fanfic for it posts a teaser for a WIP that...um...that could be Ranma. I mean, yeah, girl-Ranma with no curse, but...yeah, it could. And it might not have tripped my mental radar, but it's a Sapphic story where the love interest...is a blue-haired girl with a temper that starts out antagonistic to the redheaded protagonist.

I'm not gonna give more details than that, because I don't know if it's a dick move to call someone out on that sort of thing. I have, after all, written entire books of fanfic and I have a WIP that's an original work, probably a half-dozen isekai and AUs like crazy, so for me the notion that someone could come along and say, "Hey, that's a rebranded Ranma 1/2 fanfic!" and I'd be all, "...yeah? What's your point?"

But I'm also aware I have the WORST background to know how other creatives might respond to things I think are obvious, which brings me to my question:

[tippenfunkaport]

Space

"To what purpose have you brought us here?" Hordak asked. Entrapta grinned at how rumpled and put out he looked.  "What you need is a meaningless placebo so you won't worry. Like a shooting star!" "A what?" Entrapta tried to recall the details. "It's an ancient Etherian tradition Lance told me about. When want something to happen, you find a shooting star and you make a wish that it all works out how you want it to." "Hmm," Hordak replied, but he arranged himself so he was watching the sky. "And why are we not using the instruments calibrated specifically for this purpose?" "Because then we can't do this!" She settled against his side, making a nest for the two of them out of her hair.  "I see." Hordak tone was even, but Entrapta noticed the cute way his voice squeaked at the end. 

(fluff, 1,393 words)

Read on AO3

(aka I found an old fic prompt I forgot all about and decided to make a quick doodle to go with it so I had something to post for the fandom event)

[yourfellowhuman07]

Alliances of the Heart

A She-Ra: Princess of Power 2018 fanfiction

For centuries, the All Princess Ball has been a time for the nobility of Etheria to let loose. Flaunting their power, prestige, and fashion for all to see. The ball had always been politically neutral, but, as tension from the war rises, not everyone is so keen to forget what happens beyond the walls of Castle Chill.

Lord Hordak, along with Princess Scorpia and Force Captian Catra, have come to the party to make alliances and find out everything there is to know about their enemies. Careful to not arouse the suspicion of the Princess Alliance.

Princess Entrapta, being the scientist she is, decides to come to the party to decode the secrets of body language, despite getting the same data from every other party she has ever attended.

When the two rulers cross paths, their plans flip on their heads as the two grow closer. Now it is up to Catra and Scorpia to push the two together as Adora and Glimmer stick their noses where they do not belong.

________________

Okay, I know it's been a couple months since I posted another chapter, but life has been hectic lately and creativity is a struggle. Hopefully, as the school year winds down, I can find the time and creativity to write.

As always, thank you for reading!

________________

Chapter 9: A Gift

Adora paced around her room, muttering to herself like a madwoman. She had miserably failed to get Entrapta to join the Alliance, and she had spent most of her time beating herself up for it. 

In the days before the Ball, Adora had crafted a master plan to grow the membership of the Alliance (despite Glimmer telling her she was supposed to have fun). She was going to go after Entrapta first, but Hordak snatched her up before Adora could have a real conversation with her. Adora hoped she could change Entrapta’s mind about joining the Horde; however, because Entrapta and Hordak were nowhere to be found last night she was already too far gone. Thus, that left Princess Frosta and Prince Peekablue (if he ever decides to show up); therefore, right now, Frosta is her biggest target.

As Adora paced up and down her room, a plan was forming in her head. Based on her past interactions with Frosta, Adora needed to handle this carefully. She clearly can’t treat her like a child or someone her age. Right now Princess Frosta is her superior. It’s her castle, so Adora has to play her game.

___________________

Entrapta checked to see if she had everything she needed in her pockets; they were. She wiped the smudges off her goggles and mask until they were as clear as they could be. She ate a small snack and she checked her pockets again. She looked up at the digital clock on the wall;  still, 30 minutes till the party started again. The princess sighed and flopped back on the bed. 

Since her interaction with the Warlord earlier, she had been itching for the party to restart. She couldn’t exactly explain why she was so eager to see the warlord, but she hoped with time, that would be revealed to her with more research. However, for now, she will use friendship as a band-aid for her indecision.

Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door, snapping Entrapta back to reality.

The princess shot up from her bed and stumbled towards the door. She ripped open the door and looked up to see- nothing. Her shoulders slumped and she looked to her eye level, seeing one of the guards clad in a giant coat making them look like a giant marshmallow.

“You’re Princess Entrapta of Dryl, right?” They asked with a voice akin to stale crackers. 

Entrapta nodded as her confusion grew.

“Then this is for you.” The guard shoved a box into the princess’s hands and turned away to walk down the hall.

Thankfully, Entrapta didn’t give much thought to the guard’s attitude; instead, she focused on the box in her hand. The box was a deep plum with a thick, silver ribbon wrapped around it and forming a bow on top. Entrapta flipped the package around to see there was no note.

She sat the box on her bed and tugged at the end of the ribbon. She gently lifted the top of the box, revealing another package wrapped in tissue paper with an envelope sitting on top. Eyes widening, she half-hazardly ripped into the envelope. 

“So you don’t get cold.”

A smile painted Entraptas face as she reread the sharp cursive, running a gloved thumb over the lines script.

After reading the note for a final time, she turned her attention to the paper package. As gently as her excitement would let her, she pinched the paper in the middle and tore it apart. Her eyes widened when she took in the sight of a neatly folded coat.

Like the box, the outside was a deep plum, while the lining was a perfect white that looked like lamb’s wool. Entrapta took off both gloves and ran her hands over the fabric. The plum fabric was smooth and silky while the lining was impossibly fluffy and scratched an itch in Entrapta’s brain she didn’t know she had. She gingerly picked up the coat, noticing how the bottom hem was shorter in the front than in the back. She continued her examination, noting how, despite zipping in the front, there were buttons that could only be for decoration. She noticed the large, enchanted hood that could fit the tops of her twin ponytails, and it could easily be detached! Entrapta slipped on the coat, which was perfectly tailored to her, feeling all the various pockets until a small zipper at the hems caught her attention. She unzipped the hems and discovered the white fluff was removable, creating a lighter coat!

As Entrapta admired the craftsmanship of the piece, her earlier ponderings crept up her spine and into her mind.

It was obvious that Hordak was responsible for the gift, only serving to complicate Entrapta’s already confusing perception of the warlord. However, Entrapta’s rationality was firm in the notion this was an act of friendship, despite the fact this was the most thoughtful gesture someone had directed toward the princess.

Before she continued down that mental rabbit hole, Entrapta caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. It was rare Entrapta would stand infront of a mirror and scrutinize her outfit. She saw how grubby her overalls and top were compared to the lavish coat, and she started to regret her fashion choices. Not because she felt insecure, but because she felt bad she could get the coat dirty. 

She looks over her shoulder and eyes the suitcase thrown into the corner of the room.

Before Entrapta arrived in the Kingdom of Snows, Morrella visited her and, upon seeing what the princess was packing, insisted she bring along something fancier. Entrapta, of course, insisted she wouldn’t need them, but Morella insisted. Eventually, the two met in the middle, and Entrapta packed a couple of blouses and trousers.

Now, she was thankful Morella was so insistent.

[aprillikesthings]

LAST EPISODE

s5 ep13 heart pt 2

LET'S GOOOOOOO

it's 1:21pm and I have laundry to do AND Easter Vigil service starts at 8pm, can I get this all watched before 7pm?

Or am I gonna sit there in church vibrating in place for two hours knowing I have three minutes left on the episode or some bullshit lol

(That's longer than usual, yes. Easter Vigil is actually one of my fave services of the year--we start outside lighting candles (the ones inside have been out since Thursday night, even the one we otherwise never put out), then walk into the dark church, then sorta speedrun bits of the old testament (with a hymn after every reading) and then we decide OKAY IT'S EASTER NOW :D and turn on the lights and make a lot of noise and sing a few more hymns--we don't sing or say alleluia during Lent so all the hymns have that in it. There's often MASSIVE amounts of church incense, too. Anyway by the end it's a bit of a party. Apparently some churches have an actual party after the service.)(side note if you're new-ish to these posts that I'm Episcopalian, like, the priests at my church are a gay man and a woman, we're cool people mostly I promise)

See this is why these posts take forever. Why do I keep infodumping shit. This is what it's like to watch things with me in person, though.

If I get through this episode before Easter Vigil my reward is gonna be coming home and taking an edible and rewatching the last two episodes without screenshots so I can just cry over them.

oKAY

eh? that's new. like putting that on screen like that in dead silence. No intro sequence.

oh right Adora is injured. :( And it's some kind of magical monster thing that did it--a security thing put into the Crystal Castle by the First Ones

when she touches her wound the Failsafe glows, and it's making static-y noises and looking glitchy, that can't be good

the nasty tentacle monster thing is still there buT SO IS CATRA YAYYYY she shatters at least one of its eyeballs? I think?

my brain: this is like Caitlyn helping Vi after she got stabbed by Sevika, the wound is even in the same place :D me: wrong person has the red jacket on also Catra isn't going to buy some illegal potion thing to dose Adora with

(you should watch Arcane)

DOES SHE EVER SAY IT LIKE THAT BEFORE THIS?? oh god she sounds so breathless and relieved

Adora: "You can't be here! It's too dangerous"

And she stands up and starts to fall over and fucking Shadow Weaver helps her stand up, uGH

LOOK AT MY BB KICKING ASS

oh god so Shadow Weaver basically drags off Adora, Catra's like "I'll catch up, okay?" and Adora's like "no no Catraaaaa" her voice is cracking and everything, she doesn't want to do this without her and also worries about Catra and that tentacle monster thing

I'm not gonna screenshot it but poor Glimmer is fighting her dad, who is still chipped and Evil.

Bow is fighting Scorpia, also chipped and Evil. Oh hey Melog shows up and makes Bow invisible.

Micah is MEAN when chipped. He calls Glimmer a failure.

Glimmer: "My mother raised me to be brave. My friends taught me to be kind. And I'm stubborn. I get that from you. I will never stop fighting! And I won't lose another parent! I love you, dad."

She blasts him with enough magic that he collapses.

Bow, invisible, types away on Entrapta's computer she set up in the Horde thing, but when he gets it to start to do its thing he gets excited and says "I've got it!!" and Scorpia hears it and blasts him and is standing over him about to get him.

Bow: "Prime may have made you do a lot of things, but he can't turn you into something you're not. So, right now, all I need you to do is trust me."

Her eyes get normal for a second and she yells, and Bow slams a button on Entrapta's computer. There's a bright light.

Where Sea Hawk is holding Mermista, her chip goes dead and falls off. We get a lovely montage of other characters from all over Etheria, like Huntara and the folks at Elberon, who'd been chipped having their eyes go back to normal!

Scorpia: "oh my gosh I am so sorry!!"

yeah she's definitely back to normal lol

up on Horde Prime's ship:

lol

"My device worked! I knew it would!"

Bow: "Hey, everyone. I'm Bow."

(lol there's so much story in just this frame alone)

But yeah they show people from all over Etheria stopping to watch him speak, including his dads.

"Right now, we're the only thing standing in the way of him controlling it forever. You might be feeling hopeless. You might be thinking "We don't stand a chance." And maybe we don't. Prime's too strong. His army is too powerful. But that's not gonna stop us. We need to show Prime we're not afraid of him, because we have each other. And we have love. We can't give up. And if we go down, we go down together. We need you. All of you."

"It's time to fight. For She-Ra, for our homes, for each other!"

Broadcast over, back to Horde Prime. "Put an end to this mockery."

Catra injures the tentacle monster thing, but now that green is spreading into the room, and as Catra runs down the hall towards the Heart, she stops as Horde Prime shows up in hologram form

"I had such high hopes for you." like what, dude. keeping her around and chipped like a fucking puppet as an example? eugh. (something something about how her speeches to Adora while chipped were an obvious reference to people proselytizing high-control faiths)

the moment of distraction is enough for the tentacle monster to grab one of Catra's legs and she screams in pain D:

also there's still a bunch of earthquakes happening as these two limp towards the Heart

Poor Adora is just weakly going "No...no...wait" Shadow Weaver: "Don't lose your focus. We're so close."

What's this WE shit.

But also damn one thing Shadow Weaver and Horde Prime (and Light Hope!) have in common is they both believe love and affection and "attachments" are weaknesses. Shadow Weaver just cannot seem to get it through her head that Adora's love for Catra (and vice versa) is helpful here. Not a detriment. Love isn't a distraction!!! It gives us a stable ground of security and safety from which to do hard things!!

Meanwhile poor Angella told Adora "take care of each other."

This is pulsating, and so is the Failsafe on Adora's chest

OH NO oh god Okay being near that much hardcore magic is making Shadow Weaver powerful--her hair does the floaty thing for the first time since, what, s2? And she starts reaching for it, but THEN--

Adora yells Catra's name and starts walking back towards her, and Shadow Weaver's hair falls down again and she says the most weirdly desperate-sounding "Adora, wait!"

Prime's hologram is still torturing Catra along with the actual tentacle monster

(someone has drawn rule 34 of that thing but I'm not looking for it. I am content to know it exists.)

AND THEN THE MONSTER GETS BLASTED BY SHADOW WEAVER AHAHA NICE

about time she was useful amiright

okay so is this Shadow Weaver actually realizing she's been wrong about The Power of Love, or is this just her begrudgingly accepting that these two are Sold as A Set, Do Not Separate, and unless Catra's there Adora won't be able to use the Failsafe because she'll be looking for Catra the whole time???

Like is this an emotional epiphany or just pragmatism?

oh god so she magically shoves Catra away (towards Adora), but Catra runs back to Shadow Weaver

And y'all I know I talked about this a LOT way back in earlier seasons but I cannot tell you how accurate this keeps being in regards to dealing with an abusive parent. Like if you'd asked me, even after I cut off contact, if I wanted my dad to die, I would've said No! Of course not! At that point I didn't know whether the no-contact thing was temporary or not. I just knew I needed time and space to not be constantly stressed and anxious, for a notification on my phone to not immediately fill me with so much adrenaline my hands shook.

Anyway Shadow Weaver puts up a magical shield to keep Catra back

Shadow Weaver's response is amazingly calm and quiet. "Please, Catra. You need to make sure Adora reaches the Heart. The magic must be set free."

Her fight with Tentacle Monster isn't going well.

Catra's voice is heartbreaking here. "Stop it! It's going to kill you!"

"But you, this is only the beginning for you."

;_;

STICK THAT KNIFE IN AND TWIST IT! YEAH!

Catra's crying "no...no..." and a hand reaches out and grabs hers

LOL FINALLY HIT THE IMAGE LIMIT okay going to reblog

what a moment for it pfft

[phosphoruskim]

@sometipsygnostalgic​ is absolutely destroying me in sappy posting hours right now and I MUST fire back!!!

I wrote this fanfic live in our DM’s. As such it is intended to be read with no prior information or ideas of what happens! (Also it is intended to be a full frontal attack on tipsy which it succeeded in) (also check out her adorable drawing of me writing this, see below)

If you would like to see the tags, they’re on Ao3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45276979

Anyways, without further delay...

We are now ready for Ms Dryl

-----

Catra watched the florescent lights off the waiting room flicker passively, counting the hertz of the electric current powering the device. She checked intermittently to her right, seeing magenta hair flip and flap around one of those big wooden fidget cubes usually left in doctor offices. Entrapta's tongue was sticking out of her mouth as she worked on the device, loosing a few screws here and there while adding an electrical motor and wiring it up to the wall plug. Catra looked back towards the desk as a door opened from the internal part of the building.

"Hello we are now ready for a-" the assistant started to call out. She glanced forlornly at the office's newly mechanized enrichment device, before continuing.

"We are... now ready for Ms Dryl."

Catra began to rise up out of her seat, Entrapta appearing and taking her arm to help the girl up before she could even stand properly. Catra nodded at the assistant as she opened the door for the two of them. Entrapta skipped with her legs while keeping her torso and arm stable, or mostly stable, via her pigtails. They walked a little ways down a hallway, Catra glanced at the various signs and diagrams outside the rooms as Entrapta pulled out her voice recorder and started logging the details for future reference of the appointment. They were finally directed into a larger room, clearly serving multiple functions. Inside was a standard set of chairs, a height and weight measurement device with blood pressure measuring tools, and a medical recliner presumably positioned so the doctor could easily access patients.

Catra took a seat in one of the regular chairs as the assistant sat across from her, now opening a program for medical records.

"Now Ms Dryl can you answer some basic questions for me about- what- Ms Dryl!" The assistant asked exasperatedly as she caught sight of Entrapta already measuring her own height and weight with the available tools.

"Don't worry I'm just checking your devices, standard procedure!" Entrapta called out, doing just about every test the tools were equipped to do and some tests they weren't.

The assistant sighed and committed to ignoring the commotion going on with the rest of the room. Entrapta tested the full range of the medical recliner, sorted through the drawers to ensure everything that would be needed was available, and made her way over to the other side of the room to investigate one particularly large machine.

Catra focused on the assistant.

"Now I believe in a prior appointment the doctor took some reference tests, were those readings emailed over- ah yes thank you."

Catra leaned back in her chair after having offered the manila folder over. She felt the thick cardboard esque material slide through her fingers under the weight of the exceptional plurality of the contents.

The assistant accepted the folder with a nod, starting to enter in new information and double check prior readings. Catra spotted a miniature trophy on the desk. It belonged to the doctor most likely. Or had belonged, she thought, as the faux award labeled 'Best Dad' began to slide off the desk. And then some of the thumbtacks. The assistant brought her hands to her face and took some deep breaths as the electric hum of the MRI machine powered on, crescendoed, and then blew a fuse and took out the lights. The assistant lurched around to look at Entrapta. The princess hid something behind her arms, and then lights came back on as if on cue while the MRI machine taking the other half of the room returned to standby mode.

The trophy, thumbtacks, and other tiny metal items such as paper clips fell humorously to the floor.

Fortunately for the Princess, there was a knock on the door to the room. A man turned the door knob and opened the room slightly.

"Hello, I'm ready for you now Ms Dryl?" He called out, before opening it fully.

Catra recognized him by voice, the sea elf's tall stature and kind features turning to a curious smile. Perhaps wondering if the office would still be there upon his arrival.

The assistant was up and out of her seat in the next breath, mumbling both thanks and apology to Doctor Lazuli as she made her hasty retreat.

He didn't seem particularly surprised by the reaction and merely entered the room, offering Catra a handshake . Catra felt like cool water washed over as she went to take it, about to exchange pleasantries when Entrapta reappeared at her side. The Princess took his instead and said her portion of the expected smalltalk in half a breath, using the rest of it to begin drilling the doctor on various bits of research and information that had been published since the last time they'd met.

Impressively, the doctor took it in stride.  He patiently explained the various findings in relation to the medical field and exchanged his honest opinions, as far as she could tell. Catra felt the atmosphere and social etiquette of it all  begin to press down on her fur, and she raised an arm to scratch her neck. The princess took notice, glancing over to Catra.

"We should start," Entrapta said.

The doctor nodded, taking a step back. He stood half a meter behind Entrapta as the latter helped Catra up. She allowed herself to be escorted, Entrapta's touch so gentle as she prepared the measuring tools for Catra with her pigtails as they walked over to it.

"By comparing my measurements in my own data to the office's tools, I found them to be at least ninety nine point nine percent accurate! It appears they took my suggestions into account, thankfully," Entrapta explained as she took the air pump powered blood measuring device and wrapped the material around Catra's arm. Doctor Lazuli supervised from over her shoulder as Entrapta did various other tests, rambling all the way. Catra felt a secure calm, certain that her input was no longer needed. She let herself be led to the recliner, back to the chair, and then to the other side of her room. Satisfied with doing nothing more than listening to the low frequency hiss of the generator powering the machines. Catra's eyelids drooped slightly, finding herself laying down. But she felt the cold steel at the base of her neck, stopping her from reclining.

Doctor Lazuli glanced over, calling out to her.

"My apologies, Ms Dryl, the adjustments to the machine to allow a metal object to be present require that it be symmetrically centered. Please adjust the cushioning as needed to do so."

Catra nodded imperceptibly, acknowledging the comment. Lifting her torso with her legs to get a better position. Entrapta quieted, dropping back to normal height from her pigtails as she let the doctor get to work. The princess couldn't stop herself from fidgeting with her hands. She had been able to justify taking the basic metrics herself, that was easy enough, but she specialized in machines. Her friends had always handed any vaguely science related task to her anyways, but that didn't change the fact that this situation was only halfway in Entrapta's expertise.

Catra allowed herself to close her eyes as she settled onto her back. The device no longer dug into her neck quite as badly. The machine powered on, the magnetic fields around her generating noise as they did so. Catra did her best to tune out the conversation. But it was difficult to do so while also needing to acknowledge prompts.

The screen above her face lit up, simple words and sentences for her to read aloud coming up. She responded automatically, no longer feeling like she was the one speaking. Catra observed herself following instructions as if from within. Only dimly aware of it when sentences turned to images. Most of them were old. With a consistent FOV and magnetic artifacts visible from the file. Most of these had been taken by Emily. They started simple. Images of the fright zone, stills of Entrapta or Scorpia. There were images of Catra too, though in most of them she'd been attempting to escape the frame.

Not all of the photos were so simple. As the tests went on, they intermittently included other figures. The horde trio. Other cadets. And eventually, Shadow Weaver. Catra felt her body reflexively stiffen. An old mechanism she hadn't quite managed to remove. But it didn't carry the mental follow through that had once been there. She simply continued to verbalize whatever came to mind as the images flashed before her eyes.

Now there were images that Catra hadn't been there for. The ones Emily had taken with the rebellion. They passed by quickly, but not before giving Catra the first glimpse of white chassis's and green glowing lights.

The rest of it all started to meld together, Catra returning to attention, even while laying down, as the images of her Lord's flagship vessel came into view. These were poorly focused and at various inconvenient angles, owing to the tablet having been passed between Entrapta and Bow at the time. The rest of the room was so distant now, the real Entrapta no longer in Catra's periphery. Her vision once so vast and multifaceted, now her glowing green eyes saw only what was in front of her. But mostly, they saw glimpses of what had been within.

Stranded rays of light shimmered, not in darkness but in bright.

Varied intensities distinct to each.

Yet blinding outside the symphony.

Wavelengths encoded, shared and humming gentle tunes.

The ocean caressed and nurtured, accepting and free.

Harmonized and true, each part played. All but one part of-

Catra resurfaced.

Entrapta spoke out instructions, snapping her fingers when no response was given. The catgirl hummed complaint, attempting to close her eyes. But the scientist was ready, turning on a light to elicit an ocular dilation response.

The words started to become sensible to her brain, barely. And Catra complied best she could. At first simply mumbling of assent or dissent. Eventually managing to grab onto the physical sensations around her. 

The coarse grain of wood.

The cool metal of the bench's armrests against her fur. 

Catra started to respond on purpose, rather than automatically.

"Do you remember the current king of Brightmoon?" Entrapta asked.

"Bow Brightmoon." She responded.

"And the queen?"

"Glimmer Brightmoon. Or. Sparkles."

"And... Your name?" Entrapta asked, with a little lilt to her voice.

Catra smiled. Finally easing out of her rigid stance. She leaned onto her nebulously defined partner.

"Catra of Dryl," she said simply.

Entrapta pulled Catra into a close embrace, rocking forward and backwards ever so slightly. But she knew Catra liked the faint movement. The wind ruffled the leaves around them, yet to fall to autumn. It was the one consistency, every time they came here.

Catra didn't need to say thanks, even though she was once again verbal. This time when she closed her eyes, she felt a comforting darkness close in. But it didn't hold her half as tightly as Entrapta did.

Not by a long shot.

[freedfromthegalactichivemind]

Appetite for Destruction!!

She-Ra fanfiction Entrapdak Entrapdak Mini-Month Multiple characters Rated G Comedy

Summary: An Etherian festival. A pie-eating contest. A surprising contestant. A surprising outcome.   Done somewhat after a much older Season 2 fic of mine, “Pie(s) R Squared-Off,’ but in a different world / outcome setting from that, as Hordak is alive in this one. An aspect of this comes from the rumor of a scrapped idea for Horde Prime.  (Tumblr kept screwing up my formatting.  I tried to correct things, but if this posts with the italic-sentences separated all weird, I apologize. I do not know why Tumblr does this.  Pasting writing here is a nightmare). 

---------------------------

Prompt / Theme - Day 2- Challenge

Pie(s) R Squared Off II! Appetite for Destruction! The rusty scent of fallen leaves permeated the air at the Plumerian Fall Festival.  People were chatting, and dancing and making music.  More than a few of the newly-incorporated “spacebats” hung upside down from trees, hooking their knees over branches, biting into apples, peaches and pomegranates.   Deer-folk decorated their antlers with grape-leaves and hanging grapes from the vineyards.  Little children of all kinds ran about with colorful ribbons on sticks.   Somewhere, a kid picked up a stick, pretended it was a laser-rifle and his friend fell to the ground, pretending to be a stricken Horde-soldier.  This earned them both whispers and disapproving looks from the adults and older teenagers. They were ushered off to go ride the wooden-track ride that wended through the woods and they made haste to claim a wheeled cart to coast down the dips.   Bow was showing a group of people magic tricks with a deck of cards.  Entrapta was showcasing a harvester-bot she’d built.  Everyone was laughing and having a good time.   “Everyone!  Everyone!  Your attention please!”   Princess Perfuma had entered the glade, held aloft on a wave of thick, winding vines, which deposited her in the center of it. Everyone who wasn’t on a carnival ride or off to one of the tinkle-tinkle bye-bye zones turned to give her their attention.   “The Pie-Eating Contest is about to begin! Our contestants are ready to take their seats!  We’ve got two…”  Scorpia passed her a scroll of paper and she mumbled, reading it, before looking up, “No! Three contestants this year!”   She turned to Scorpia.  “Only three?”   Entrapta held up a hair-tail.  “I would have signed up if the pies were tiny. They’re so big, so I was out!”   “Still, only three?”   “Well, look who it is…” Scorpia said, pointing a tip of a claw to the form.   “There’s a Dark Horse… oh, gee, I hope it’s not Swift Wind…”   “Dish someboshy say Sift Ind?” a voice sounded as a muzzle turned their way, stuffed with a fresh apple.   “Nope!”  Scorpia announced. “Unless you’re in the Pie-Eating Contest.”   Swift Wind gulped down his apple. “Nope!” he proclaimed, throwing out his wings.  “I am in the cheering section!” “Don’t you remember who won last year?”  Scorpia harshly whispered.  “She didn’t even use her powers! Don’t you remember what happened?  It’s no surprise that no one wants to go up against…that!” Perfuma looked around.  “Someone, anyone?” she asked.  “We have loads of pies! Come on, Scorpia, you can take part!” “Sorry.  I love you, but I can’t go up against my wildcat. Or, you know…her…” Deer and goat-folk shook their heads. The child who’d previously been playing soldier said an emphatic “Nuh-uh!”   “I was happy to bake many of  the pies,” Kadroh, the clone formerly known as Wrong Hordak said, “but most of my brothers are still quite new to solid foods. Our insides would swell far too much with an eating contest.”   One of the clones hopped down from a tree with juice dribbling down his chin.  “Raw fruit is best! Why ruin it with baking?!”  he asked.   “Alright, alright,” Perfuma finally said. “Everyone come to the pavilion to cheer on your favorites!  And whoever the third contestant is will be a surprise to everybody!  Even me!”   The spectators gathered.  Pies were loaded upon a long picnic table, stacked and teetering in their tins.  Two contestants already sat at the ready, sneering at each other.   “You can do it, Adora! Just like last year!” Glimmer shouted.   “Get her, Catra! Show her who’s boss!” shouted Kyle, backed by Lonnie.   “Failure! Failure!” came a scratchy recorded voice.  Rogelio grumbled at the winged toddler that was hanging from his chest in a snuggly. Entrapta lifted herself up on her hair and patted Emily, signaling the robot to begin a video recording.  “No pie for you,” she said to the robot’s forlorn beeps. “I’ll give you the special oil when we get home.”   “Where’s our last minute contestant?” Perfuma wondered, ready to set the ten-minute timer.   Out of the shadows of the trees loomed a tall figure.  Steel-toed boots with greaves sank softly in the mud.  A red-lined black cape fluttered.  A pair of long ears flicked.  There were gasps among the crowd.   Entrapta wore the biggest, most devious smile. “Hordak?!” Glimmer choked.  “You can’t be serious!” “If he wants to eat pie, let him!” Bow said. Hordak sat down in the most serious manner imaginable.  “I wish to have a fair contest,” he said simply.   “Go, Hordikins!” Entrapta encouraged. He snorted and his ears dipped for a moment. The crowd went wild.   “Are you serious?” Catra demanded.  “I don’t recall ever seeing you eat!” “I am quite capable.”   “Hey, Catra, lay up!” Adora said.  “If he wants to have a little fun, let him. Besides, we both know I’m going to win.”

“Fat chance!”  

Some of the clones huddled, wondering just how their brother was going to do this.  Few of them were comfortable with an eating-contest, given their newness to the world of flavors and food.  The ones that did eat more than simple things tended to take things slowly, to savor it. Some couldn’t handle the idea of being in a contest in which one was to shovel food into one’s mouth in a rapid manner, heedless of waste.  A few had been the subject of one of Horde Prime’s more gruesome entertainments – force-feeding to test their devotion.  They were, nonetheless, interested in the contest and its outcome in their desire to learn all they could about various Etherian cultures. They simply couldn’t fathom entering such a contest themselves.  

And here their eldest-to-independence brother was, ready to take up the challenge.  

The buzzer sounded.  An assistant shoved pies to each contestant.  All of the fine fur on Catra’s face was sticky with blue syrup and berry-bits in short order.  Adora was knocking out tins and tossing them behind her like everything in them had been made of air.  

“Oh, such a mess!” groused an elderly woman in the crowd as she shook her broom.  “Messy, messy! You should chew your food!  Razz spent all day yesterday baking! And so did that nice young man!”

Hordak delicately pierced a pie with a claw and casually ate one berry.  He ate a single berry from his first pie, breaking not a sweat, no mess and clearly in last place.  

“Ha!” Catra shouted, diving into her fifth pie. “Did you plan to just sit here and mock us?”

“Nom, nom, nom, nom,” was the extent of Adora’s utterances as she polished off a seventh tin.  

“Time’s almost up!” Perfuma announced.  

“Hey, Glimmer?”  Bow said, nudging his girlfriend, “Do you see Entrapta?  I don’t like the way she is smiling.”  

Hordak was looking around in apparent boredom as he licked another berry off the tip of a claw.  

Suddenly – and no one knew what happened first: Entrapta laughed in a raucous cackle. Hordak stood straight and tall and his cheeks peeled back from his eye-grooves down to his upper lip, he unhinged his jaw and his entire mouth opened up in a snake-like maw, showing a glowing row of red teeth.  

His mouth had suddenly become larger than a pie-tin, and, in fact, larger than most Etherians’ entire heads.  

He grabbed pie after pie, dumping them from the tin into his mouth!  He surpassed Catra’s five and then Adora’s seven.  In roughly thirty seconds, ten pies had been deposited into that monstrous cavern and gulped down in a similar manner as a python gulps down a rat.  

Save for some very confused and innocent-looking clones (who seemed to think everybody knew that they could do this, if need be), the entire crowd was screaming..

Abject terror of a former Dark Lord ruled this day!  

“Are you getting this, Emily?!” Entrapta exclaimed, affectionately patting the robot’s chassis.  “This is the best social experiment ever!”  

Adora was panting and sweating.  She was panicked and was slightly glowing, as if she was ready to bring out She-Ra to protect the crowd at any second.  Catra’s eyes were as wide as the tins they’d been eating pies from.  

“You knew about this?!” Bow demanded of Entrapta.  

“Relax!” she said, “He’s not going to hurt anybody!  It’s fundamental spacebat physiology!”  

“None of us knew about it!” Glimmer hissed.

“Well, they only employ it in emergencies,” Entrapta explained.  “I guess…there never was one until now! Aahahahhahaa!”  

“Does this constitute cheating?” Scorpia asked.

Hordak put his mouth back together and carefully, even daintily, took a white cloth napkin and gently patted the tiniest of crumbs from his lips.  

“It appears as though I have conquered this challenge,” he said.  

Entrapta was freely doing an evil laugh. She pumped her fist as Hordak gave her a conspiratorial smile.  “Best social experiment ever!”  

Etherians were running about and cowering in terror.  Entrapta walked up to the picnic table and Hordak held out his hand to hers.  “Shall we go to the music pavilion for a dance?”

Emily continued a rolling recording of the complete chaos.  

[etheriadearie]

Hey, love your posts! They provided me with lots of good info for a future fanfic of mine! And I'm not just talking about Catradora... Anyway, I wonder what you would have to say about Entrapta, she's kind of my favorite character in the whole show

oh my gosh, yes! Entrapta really is the best… ...let's all talk about it

Decoding Entrapta's Arc

-a data driven analysis-

Firstly, thanks for reading my blog! I totally love Entrapta, too… I actually consider her to be the most likable person in SPOP. In her, we’re seeing someone being the best person she can be, always.

She's a sweetheart, and all along she's trying to do the right thing. She doesn't stray from her ideals, and that shows courage.

She’s a person who remains good to the people around her, despite their negativity, and she's the only person who is honestly trying to understand the real truths of Etheria and how the First Ones corrupted the planet. She's after answers to the important questions. Does that get messy along the way? Sure, but her motivations were always about the truth, and we can see her goodness in how she treats others.

Entrapta's inherent goodness is in contrast to those around her, who are caught up in their own trauma and ignorances and because of that behave badly and are playing out the corrupt plans the First Ones made for them all.

This is what the whole story of SPOP is about- historical traumas which they have all been manipulated into- Horde and Rebellion alike- in order to fail as the First Ones intend them to.

Both sides are wrong in how they act, everyone is hurtful including to each other in their alliances. The war continues like it does largely because of everyone's self involvement in their own trauma and emotions. Entrapta is unique in that she's mostly immune to this criticism- as the one person truly seeking answers. (Note: all -> hyperlinks <- are on tumblr)

Yes, the Horde plays their role as an enemy to a t (..and yet how did Hordak end up on Etheria-? a:The First Ones..), the Princesses are ignorant of their own role as part of this millennia old corruption, and they lash out towards others who are different, with prejudice. That they don't know their involvement in the First Ones conspiracy doesn't make their behavior right, even if the Horde bringing war upon them is so wrong. What's that war really about? Entrapta is in the middle of this mess, trying to figure out what the truth is. And her discoveries of those truths will save them all in the end…

So, this hurtfulness on all sides can be seen personally in Entrapta's arc, as a person who faces prejudice while trying her best to understand what's really true. From the beginning she knows something is wrong with what the First Ones did, it's her goal. In this way we can see her character arc as a weathervane of the plot over all- because the Princesses are wrong in how they treat her from the start. And they're wrong in how they treat the war as well.

Our sweetest Entrapta goes about her business of finding the real truths behind what's happened to Etheria throughout the story, and she does a stalwart job of it- all while being hurt by others prejudices and trauma guided actions. Yes, some of what she does is wrong, like participating in war, but she isn't being given other good options. She's doing what she feels is right and her best to stay dedicated to the truth- scientifically, but while also remaining the kind person she is.

How she gets hurt within the Horde- well, we all see that in Catra's betrayal, but the Princesses are hurtful, too. In fact, the Princesses have a casual kind of hurtfulness that’s totally frustrating to watch which comes from the privileged lives they lived, and they force that hurtfulness on each other all of the time, not just Entrapta. We’ll talk more about this later, but Entrapta gets the worst of it. Nevermind that SPOP cautiously hides this causal hurtfulness behind cute humor and excellent voice acting for the kids- the Princesses' hurtfulness is plain to see if we just look for it.

Much of our discussion will focus on this and the role of the First Ones historical betrayal in all of their actions, with Entrapta doing her best to uncover the real truths of it all. Without her doing that, the Princesses would have failed in the end, like they almost do at the end of s4, when the oldest of their real enemies- the First Ones- almost successfully use them all as a weapon. And, as they face their final true enemy, Horde Prime, they would have failed against him, too, if not for the knowledge Entrapta gains through scientific study. Both sides are caught up in the plans made for them, acting on their traumas. Entrapta works so hard to know the truth, and to use it to help, and we love her for that.

..And about above, they only avoid the weapon going off in s4 much because of Entrapta warning Adora in time, so we get to thank her yet again...

So without further ado, here's some major topics we’ll cover:

1:: How Entrapta is simply one of the nicest people, her friendly and easy going manner reflects her way of believing in the best in others-

2:: How Entrapta is a great scientist and by this very fact she's a great person, because the truth must guide them all-

3:: How the Princesses assuming Entrapta died is part of their prejudices and unwillingness to understand others who are different for them, and if not for those prejudices they may have realized that she survived-

4:: And, of course, a bit about how Entrapdak reveals Entrapta's best self, her ability to see the best in Hordak (and others) makes her one of the best people, in the end she sums up the meaning of Warriors🎶 best with her own words-

1:: So about Entrapta's positivity..

I mentioned that Entrapta is doing her best with the situations she's given, that’s true scientifically but it includes how she treats others. She's always bringing positivity, not pessimism, which is under appreciated. To sum it up, Entrapta’s philosophy towards others is to always believe in something better; she strives to see the best in them. Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but, how can we not love her for that?

This includes people who were constantly vilified, such as Catra, Scorpia and Hordak. And her jovial attitude is at times looked down on as misguided by others. Is that right? I don't think so…

This preconception to judge her unfairly is very apparent with the Princesses. They really do seem to treat her cheerfulness as if it's wrong, even part of her autistic oddness. In truth: she's funny, full of positivity and amicable to others at all times. The Princesses treat her like she's weird for it..

::So yeah, guess what- dealing with people can be confusing for anyone- autism isn't actually the story there. Her ability not to be judgey like others around her (unlike the Princesses who treat her as ‘too weird’) sets her apart. Entrapta wants others to be happy, she wants to get along, she welcomes others' differences even if she doesn't quite understand them. She, in actuality, works pretty well on a team. What's really happening with the Princesses is that by judging Entrapta they are falling short of HER level of goodness, and that shows their damage, not hers.

We’ll come back to the Princesses' harmful behaviors later, but they are absolutely there and what is happening is that they assume the worst about her. When in reality, Entrapta is an total badass.

It's also wrong to assume that Entrapta doesn't realize the people around her aren't as nice as she is. She later reflects to Hordak that 'she wasn't good enough for them’ and doesn't understand why it goes wrong, like it did in the Rebellion leaving her and then with Catra not talking to her anymore. It's confusing to her, what she doesn't realize is that they're acting out their own hurt by being mean to her. This is also when she charmingly swears to never give up trying. Most of all, as time goes by Entrapta shows us that she really does get it.

She keeps a positive beat at all points in the story, all as she goes about her business of finding out the real truths of what the First Ones did to Etheria. Even abandoned on Beast Island, she's able to make good use of her time to do this. And she doesn't hold a grudge.

Even against Catra, who we know hurts her so badly. Here's my favorite example of Entrapta ‘getting it’ all along:

Entrapta's ✨🧪amazing🔬✨ sense of humor is on full display as she humorously roasts Catra over her past harmfulness. We see that actually, she understood all along why Catra might feel threatened by her for that- but also that she wasn't considering acting on it before Catra brought it up. She's not spiteful. And, it tells us something really fun about her- that she doesn't always mean what she says as serious- she likes to kid around. ☺️ (i.e Entrapta sayings she's gonna dissect Adora in s1ep5 🙃)

So, she doesn't let Catra off easy at all for her past harmfulness. And, it's so fun to see her put the heat on Catra. She's also wise toward others, like she is with Hordak- she sees what's underneath and that Catra's apology is sincere. She's a kindhearted person, forgiving is not a hang up for her. I think she'll be friends with Catra; as she certainly knew when to humorously punk Catra's ass for what she did in the past.

So, there's really no good reason for why she gets hurt so much by others. Again, their damage, not hers.

::Also, I won't be dwelling on her autism too much- I'm not diagnosed with it so others can tell that story better- but, we can instead attribute much of Entrapta’s social struggles simply due to her lack of social experience. We don't need to look to her autism at all to understand their disconnects with her, we're seeing their damage because Entrapta is always sweet to others and which goes ignored. They're just not great people.

(For context, we know Entrapta was mostly raised away from people, by robots, so she doesn't understand their confusion with her.) Considering this, she does really well- we see her actually do a pretty good job of interacting with others on a team in s1. By the end of the series, it's quite clear Entrapta could understand where others were coming from all along- even if her processes of understanding it maybe looks different from what it does for less neurodivergent people.

So, that's what's going on from the beginning Entrapta shoulda been treated better- she was always a good person and trying to do her best with the situations given to her. And again, as a scientist- Entrapta is the only person asking the real questions about what's going on with the First Ones corruption of Etheria, something she does from the very start. Which is why we need to talk about what Entrapta's always so ecstatic about:

2:: SCIENCE DOESN'T LIE!!!

By searching for the answers to what the First Ones did to Etheria- how the planet was corrupted for the First Ones weapon- she's focused on the real issues. And science is the best way to do that, which is her skill. While the Horde and the Princesses fight each other mercilessly, she's concerned with the real plot, and their real enemy- the First Ones.

Everything in SPOP relates back to the original betrayal and the historical trauma of the First Ones- Something Entrapta is already beginning to grasp even before we're first introduced to her. Yet it takes until she joins the Horde for anyone to ask her about her research… Why is that-?

Long story short, the Princesses are way too self involved in their own hurt and the apparent unfairness of the Horde showing up out of nowhere and bringing war onto them. Yet that the Horde came from nowhere is a clue in itself, is it not? If Hordak isn't Etherian, how? (A: Light Hope is the only person capable of bringing him to Etheria- she brought him there to start the war). The Princesses totally miss this.

This doesn't make what the Horde is doing any less wrong, it just shows that the Princesses are ignorant of their own world. Is it ok for the Princesses to have spent the last millennia living in comfort, not addressing the real issues and unaware of what the First Ones turned them into?

It's not, and so SPOP is about historical trauma.

Everything is wrong on Etheria, not just the Horde. The Princesses are far too naive to face a full on evil enemy like the First Ones or Horde Prime.

.. You may be thinking of people who exclaim ‘well they couldn't have known what they didn't know’ but is that right?

No. To elaborate: NooOoOooo!! 🔬

We know they could have known better because Shadow Weaver knew all of this history, she studied it to get more power. For herself, at any cost. And if she could figure it out, they could have. The Princesses lived complacently for the last millennia.

In reality, Entrapta is basically trying to catch up to what Shadow Weaver knew from the beginning of the whole series::

Whereas Shadow Weaver never uses that knowledge for good, only looking to sacrifice Adora to release Etheria’s full sorcerous powers for herself, (read the meta of how SW is the real villain of SPOP above) Entrapta wants to help and provides actual guidance and understanding to the Princesses which they need to get free of the First Ones plot against them, and then to stop Horde Prime. She doesn't get enough recognition for that from the Princesses….

Some of her most massive achievements, which wouldn't have been possible without her study and experimentations, include:

-She's able to repair Darla and get the ship across space and back, which is no small feat,

-She's able to locate Glimmer and help rescue her and Catra,

-She frees everyone on Etheria from Prime's control.

- And many more

In this way, we can really get to understand how even some of her actions she's most vilified for are part of her seeking these truths and gaining the knowledge they will need to survive. Let's talk about a couple of them.

Why Entrapta’s search with science looks so messy: Hacking the Black Garnet

What Entrapta experimenting on the Black Garnet was really about was testing her theories of what's wrong with Etheria. She doesn't do it to hurt people (obviously) and yes it causes chaos. Yet that's a huge clue- why does a runestone used in such a way cause destruction? The Princesses miss the point.

Many other hints get dropped along the way, and they just keep missing them because of their blindness from anger over the war. You can also see Entrapta's hand in most of these other hints:

Why can Adora be corrupted by First Ones tech contacting the sword? If Horde Prime is waiting outside Despondos and can destroy them all, how and why did Etheria end up secluded from the universe?

… Where did the stars go ?

The Princesses' cluelessness is all to do about the naive way they existed for the last millennia, a historical trauma which is catching up to them in real time as our series begins. Entrapta is trying to catch up to the real truth by studying Etheria like she does- chaos and all.

...Can the Princesses really remain ignorant and just keep escalating a war over past grievances? Would defeating Hordak even stop the greater plot against them all? Not at all- most likely they would have just then reconnected the runestones and Light Hope would have blown up the planet before they even realized what she was doing. Entrapta’s study is vastly necessary, they need her help- everything is necessary learning for Entrapta.

Yeah, science tends to be messy, but when Catra asks her about her research, leading to them hacking the Black Garnet, Entrapta is testing her hypothesis- and she proves it true. Entrapta will take her gained knowledge from this and other endeavors to be the capable scientist they need her to be in s5 to stop Prime. They need to know these truths. Necessary learning.

So, even this act she's vilified for is misunderstood by the Princesses who miss the clues of how what occurs reveals their own corruption. Because of course they did.

Entrapta’s further actions such as building the portal machine are also related to finding the real truth. If Etheria is isolated, the outside universe would have answers. It's good Entrapta’s machine doesn't bring Horde Prime down on them all at that juncture, they're not ready- she also tries to stop it, only failing due to the traumatized state Catra is in that episode after Shadow Weaver shows up and nearly kills her.

I won't recap everything she does but let's talk about the one consistent criticism: Entrapta building bots.

...note: this is something the Princesses asked her to do yet she ends up doing for the Horde instead...

When in fact, are these bots the killing machines many assume them to be? No, Frosta herself reveals that they aren't. And this fact isn't about softening the show for a kids audience. SPOP isn't that story-

The Horde isn't genociding people, like some uneducated detractors suggest- because that's not what the story of SPOP is about (go watch ATLA… it depicts genocide and it's a children's show- also, the civilians in SPOP don't participate in the war). It's about historical traumas and how ALL of them are continuing violence in a way that amplifies those past evils. And, Entrapta’s work with Emily also proves something essential: that a robot can have a soul. Is that not worth exploring further?

Take such things into account regarding her actions such as hacking the Black Garnet. She's testing her theory by doing so, meanwhile the Princesses abandoned her, both physically, but also with their harsh emotional treatment of her, having never broached the topic of her research. They are angry and ignorant, just self involved with their own hurt over the war. And when they had her they acted like they only wanted Entrapta for her ability to make robots to defeat the Horde. A bit of irony, I guess…

Again, the Horde is beyond doubt wrong to bring war, but that doesn't change the fact that the Princesses are ignorant and have spent the last millennia playing into the trap the First Ones set for them. Entrapta's knowledge from experimentation helps guide them free from that.

In s4, it's Entrapta who ends up helping them avert disaster by warning Adora. Meanwhile, Glimmer is so consumed by her own hurt that she resorts to barbarism and using an evil super weapon. In s3 Adora had begun to understand the evil that the First Ones were making, but in s4 Glimmer hijacks any understanding Adora may have gained with her total focus on war. When asked to help save Entrapta and deal with the danger that threatens the planet, Glimmer is harmful and we can see her unfairness towards Entrapta, her false equivalences-

Glimmer is one of the top most guilty characters when it comes to prejudice towards Entrapta, and she's also totally prejudiced against the Horde in a way that always makes things worse.

It takes her own descent into evil for her to realize that her false equivalence of evil on all Horde may be wrong, which we see her reverse her understanding of in s5 while talking to Catra. In SPOP, everyone's trauma combines to make them nearly fail as the First Ones intended them to do. And Entrapta does her best to uncover these truths at all points in the story, she's never evil.

3:: Entrapta's emotional gains in the Horde and why the Princesses leaving her was a wrong assumption-

I think it's been said enough by others that the Horde allowing Entrapta to pursue science is fundamental. But in the Horde, Entrapta also learns about friendship and being valued.

Outside of the Horde, Entrapta faces prejudice, much because of her autism or otherwise, much like the people she meets in the Horde have. The way they treat her is different because of the backgrounds they have with having been falsely judged themselves.

In the Horde, Entrapta gains at least one true friend: Scorpia. And Catra values her: she sees how smart and capable Entrapta is right off the bat. She's not a friend, she's maybe even a terrible boss, but Catra shows Entrapta that she's valued for her hard work and unique skills. Catra also sees how others are prejudiced against Entrapta, like they were towards her.

And of course, Entrapta's relationship with Hordak is important as well. She helps him deal with his disability and their ship is adored. In short, Entrapta gains so much emotionally in the Horde.

Compare this to her time in the alliance, and we don't see much good. That the Princesses abandon her has everything to do with their inability to understand her and value her.

We're all mature fans here so let's not shy away from the difficult subject: the ableism Entrapta faces from the Princesses.

So, why Entrapta get left behind-

Once we begin to quantify how the Princesses have an ignorant approach to their world, and in how they treat Entrapta, we can see the underlying truth better.

Their behavior towards her is extremely hard to watch, and a sign of their own corrupted sense of niceness towards others who seem different: after living comfortable and privileged lives, they simply became accustomed to not accepting people who are different from their expectations. They're all caught up in their own emotional world. Entrapta’s neurodivergence is included in the harsh subconscious biases that they all have.

Again, this is a sign of how the Princesses are too immature to face a real enemy as powerful and dangerous as Prime, or even able to free themselves from the corruption the First Ones involved them in. After spending 4 seasons playing straight into the First Ones hands, Prime then descends upon them all suddenly, because of Glimmer's own mistake, when they've only just begun to see their own wrongness and to work together like is trumpeted in the theme song, Warriors🎶. They barely squeak out the win because of this slow march of learning to work together through butting heads, and that win comes much to do because of Entrapta's wise guidance...

They're also simply not nice to Entrapta…

That we're seeing ableism is what I am certain is precisely what's meant to be shown and discussed by ND Stevenson and CrewRa. It's hidden behind some layers of cute, but it's all there. Without these negative assumptions, the Princesses likely would have checked to see if Entrapta survived…

(Also, SPOP isn't a problematic series at all for showing this!! How can we discuss such an important subject if they shied away from showing it?? SPOP's writers showed courage and it's the wisest story I've ever seen..) ...back to the meta-

So yeah, her getting left behind is about their bias, but to breifly address the other thing- how did she survive? Keeping fancy details aside (my theory being saved for another time), she survives that moment <with ease> because of the fact that she's a MAD SCIENTIST. You think Entrapta hasn't had worse scares than a bit of fire?? (Clue: think about how she designs her everyday equipment, as a mad scientist, to prepare her for such situations..)

..So, back to ableism,

In s1, Perfuma putting Entrapta on a leash and then tying her up is ableist behavior. It's important to quantify this. She does it thinking Entrapta doesn't know what's going on, so she tries to take Entrapta's autonomy away. It's not necessary at all- Perfuma is bad at communication and is projecting her own fears of failure onto Entrapta, underestimating her abilities.

There's other unacceptable behaviors- Glimmer is dismissive towards Entrapta’s neurodivergence, Mermita’s constant negativity affects how Entrapta is viewed by the team as well. (If you're wondering where Adora fits in this- she ignores what's going on with others' bad behavior as part of her being consumed by her anxiety issue of failing to lead. >note: by being so blinded by anxiety, she's actually failing them in that exact way<.) But, in s1 Perfuma's actions are the worst, which is why that's what we're going to talk about.

We know how wrong Perfuma is simply because of the final outcome of the episode: after Entrapta goes ‘missing’, despite Perfuma's trying to control her, Entrapta returns triumphant, having befriended Emily and having rescued Sea Hawk- and in time to help them rescue Bow. Perfuma assumed Entrapta's excitement was inability to focus, that's only slightly true, but in truth Entrapta was mostly just multitasking. She's that much of a badass.

So, we can see how much the Princesses are underestimating Entrapta's abilities through Perfuma’s actions. And thus, it's not at all surprising that when Entrapta seemed to be in danger, they assumed the worst. The ableism, the assumption that Entrapta didn't ‘get it’, the not knowing how resourceful Entrapta is as a scientist, is why they give up on her when they shouldn't have.

... about the horde again...

In this way, it's pretty natural that she ends up with the Horde, as it is a much better situation for her in most ways- she's surrounded by people who have faced false judgements their whole lives like she has. The Princesses have so much prejudice, we can see that in how they treat Entrapta. Whatever else is wrong with the Horde, nobody is ableist towards Entrapta in the way the Princesses were.

In the Horde, Entrapta uses the access to science she has to study the real issues; she goes through hell when Catra ends up betraying her out of her traumas; she helps Adora avert the destruction of the planet at the end of s4... and yet in s5 she faces even MORE ableism from the Princesses.

When we see her in s5ep2, the Princesses say she's only interested in tech- which smells mightily of autistic ableism- essentially suggesting she's a robot. And then they blame her for everything- is that really fair?

No- it's frankly sad to watch how the Princesses spent the first 4 seasons walking straight into the trap the First Ones made for them. Also, their anger towards Entrapta comes after she's repaired Darla to fly across space so they can rescue Glimmer- have the Princesses thanked her for her unique contribution in this? Nope.

Whereas the ableism is hidden behind cute, funny sequences and excellent voice acting in s1, in s5 it's downright blatantly shown.

If Scorpia wasn't there to point out how Entrapta could help them, the Princesses would have continued in their negative, ableist views of Entrapta. Consider that- without Entrapta's one friend from the ‘evil’ Horde, the Princesses wouldn't have overcome their prejudice towards her, and so they wouldn't have even been able to save Glimmer. Hurray, Scorpia!! ❤️🖤🤍

We are once again being shown that they refuse to really try to understand Entrapta.

When Entrapta approaches the enemy base, she's doing her job and getting the data needed to find Glimmer. The Princesses force their expectation of how things should go onto Entrapta- and then blame her for ruining the mission. And yet, once Mermista finally sees that Entrapta absolutely knows the mission and is still trying to save Glimmer, she has no problem managing protection of Entrapta while she finishes getting the data..

Sure, Entrapta could been more stealthy, but their assumption that she doesn't understand what's happening was hurtful. They let their negativity consume them.

Also, we see Perfuma leash Entrapta again (briefly), and Mermista grabs Entrapta by the hair, leading to the Entrapta’s pained explanation that she 'gets it'. So, Mermista tries to remove Entrapta's autonomy- and physically hurts Entrapta with her anger. And then afterwards, Mermista can't give Entrapta a proper compliment- it comes combined with an insult when she tells her “Entrapta helped, too. You're still a wierdo, but you did good today. We've got your back, anytime."

Even if Mermista doesn't mean insult by choosing that word, she's still reinforcing the stereotype. Maybe she's using the word as a stand-in for her own past misunderstanding of Entrapta, it's still wrong. It shows her negative mindset that pervades her interactions with others. Entrapta, pure as she is, is overjoyed to get the acceptance that she's always wanted- she ignores the negativity. But, Mermista.. be better!!

A quick note, here, from the author: I *do* like Mermista and Perfuma, they're all best Princess in their ways- I'm just being real about how SPOP shows their negativity having consequences!! Thx, e.d. out ❤️

4:: Finally, let's talk about Entrapdak 🔬✨💞✨🧪

As said before, Entrapta has a pretty great way of getting past others' negativity to see the best in others, and her ability to do that with Hordak is the best example of it all.

In no time flat Entrapta bypasses Hordak's toxic negativity. She's like 'hey, let's not do that- let's be friends.' She believes in something better. Entrapta treats Hordak with the expectation that they should be friends, and she's not wrong to do it. Hordak isn't Prime, he can be better. He's still capable of being a conscientious feeling person, unlike his abuser who selfishly tried to destroy his sense of self. Her giving him a chance is what allows him to start finding that better person within himself.

And, as Hordak has faced ableism, like she has, Entrapta is the one to confront the ableism Hordak faced during his life head on and do something about it. (stating the obvious for posterity) She has empathy for him, nobody ever understands his pain better than she does. Even though they get separated half way through the series, her kindness sticks with him- helping him overcome his doubts and have a redemptive moment in s5.

Come s5, Entrapta still keeps fighting to get through to him, seeking to reestablish their friendship. That's everything to their success against Prime during the final moments before the Heart is activated. She really is unique in her determination to do better by others- nobody else in the series has as much steadfast goodness in the way they treat others as Entrapta does.

(...everyone else had to learn to believe in each other the hard way...)

In those final moments, as the universe faces destruction by Prime's hand, Entrapta best sums up in words the entire thesis of SPOP and our title theme song, 🎶Warriors🎶

“You can't control us! You don't know understand makes us strong, and that's why you'll never win!”

So much history goes into this moment, but Entrapta sums up what they've all been fighting for best. Nobody says it better- how love is strength. Not Catra in Corridors, not Adora in Save the Cat. She never gave up on Hordak, and he's about to show Prime why.

And that it's Entrapta that says it is no accident…

Entrapta gets it. She always did. They are stronger by love than Prime can ever defeat, if they just believe in each other.

And she's right to believe in Hordak, he won't do it, the love he has for Entrapta is too powerful for Prime to take from him. He's able to break free of the past hurtfulness that's controlled him.

Entrapta’s steadfast belief in Hordak saves them all- by casting down his abuser, Hordak interrupts Prime’s control of the Heart just long enough for Catra to show Adora her true feelings in the dream and to confess her love, setting up the kiss that saves the universe. (read the fun meta here) (short version here)

It's almost like Entrapta was best girl all along. I say that because she's so true to her heart that she deserves all of our love. (Sorry Scorpia, you're great, but, I stand firm!)

Final thoughts / Conclusion

In SPOP, we’re not supposed to accept the causal hurtfulness and prejudices the Princesses have. We can see how those make things worse in many ways, but directly in Entrapta’s arc. That's why s4 ends so chaotically- because they're all wrong. It's also why we see such reversals in Catra and Glimmer's arcs and things such as how Scorpia fits with the Princesses as if she always belonged. And it's why Entrapta struggles against prejudice even through s5. True wisdom cannot be gained while letting your emotions control you like the Princesses are doing.

That SPOP discussed such complex issues makes it one of the best stories ever written. I think it will have staying power and sets the bar for other stories..! (ND Stevenson told a great gay story, no doubt, but I mean it that the story is one of the best of all time, period!)

That causal hurtfulness, which is hidden behind cute animation and voice acting, is probably something we know in our own lives but grew accustomed to accepting- family members we love but hurt us or toxic societies we’re immersed in where we're told to accept as norms things that hurt people. I, for instance, can attest that I've seen it firsthand as I was totally abandoned by my parents to abuse because of their preconceived and hurtful notions of how safe and easy my life was supposed to be. ::Don't give in to base assumptions! The prejudice Entrapta deals with helps to teach us about how these biases make things worse. Also: in a lot of ways, Entrapta's dedication to science is also the best response to negative bias. Data doesn't lie, after all…

Entrapta's arc is meant for us to think deeper. War is a confusing subject. Lots of fans attribute SPOP's war to be something it's not- many wars are lead by murderous sociopaths. Other wars are about both sides acting on past grievances and inflicting trauma in a cycle that makes things worse. SPOP is this story. Like the unfair way the Princesses treat Entrapta, the way they deal with the war is wrong, too. And the Horde are repeating traumas as well- yet Hordak isn't a sociopath. His love for her shows that.

Entrapta's way of acting is the closest to a emotionally sound response to the war that there is in SPOP. In the absence of a better choice, Entrapta does what she knows best: Science, and friendship towards others. Catra, all the Princess alliance, are letting their worst emotions control their actions. Entrapta treats everyone well because that's how people should be treated. She wants to be friends- she wants to help people and be valued.

... yes... she also wants to geek out constantly, and holy cow do I get her. (I will act the same way when I'm excited about facts, space IS awesome. I will absolutely geek out over how lethal it is!!) Facts are cool. There's nothing wrong with her enthusiasm, it should be appreciated. The Princesses often take her comments in the worst way possible (such as when she's remarking how amazing Horde Prime's tech is- when it is amazing.!) Her wanting to know the secrets behind things is worth it, she's curious about everything, like we all should be.

Still, I think it's how she treats others that makes her best princess. That's why she tugs so much on our heartstrings- she doesn't just show us how she's best or good, her actions reveal the best in others, such as Hordak. Best girl Entrapta. She's also a total badass, and a genius (thanks, Bow- took 4 seasons too long for someone to say it) Do you agree? Feel free to let me know! 👍

And finally- autism aside, she's great. I'm sorry if I can't give more guidance about the subject, but, autistic people are fantastic people, period. The Princesses shoulda looked to work with her better, her sensitivity is not a barrier!! Id they had, the story may have been much kinder over all. (...But would that really be a realistic story-? probs not...) At some point, somebody has to have the courage to believe in others, Entrapta is that kind of person. We should all strive to be as excellent of a person as Entrapta is.

As always, if there's a detail of this meta (I got very meta again, sorry I can't help myself) you'd like clarified, ask me and I will gladly explain, with data, Entrapta style!! Please give THIS A 🧬🧪✨REBLOGG✨🧪🧬 and/or a like if you enjoyed it, and I hope you have a great one,

Etheria Dearie.

Author personal note:

Hey, thank you to my reader for asking me this one. Sorry it took so long, I hope I was able to speak conscientious about this subject 😔. To my readers: If it feels like I'm showing anger at ableism in my writing, ya caught me. I've been trying to correct my life to get away from abusive people and there's just no great way for someone partially disabled like I am to find good housing. Our entire society is set up to gatekeep such people from having that security, and I'm staring it right in the face now. So, I'm mad. p.s: thx for reading... anybody reblogg me? 😁❤️🙇

Here's a list of my meta's so far for new readers: https://etheriadearie.tumblr.com/post/647767378317492224/hey-i-just-found-your-blog-and-ive-gotta-say

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Post series villains

I think one of the challenges the characters would face post-series is preventing the former villains - Catra, Entrapta, Hordak, maybe even Scorpia and Glimmer - from becoming mini-Adoras. By that I mean, they are all riddled with guilt over the events of the show, and determined to work really hard to make up for it. So there's the chance they'd unhealthily put other people before themselves.

Entrapta and Hordak are already workaholics, but they also know that, so they would hopefully check each other to make sure they don't burn out in restoration efforts. Failing that, I'm sure someone like Bow would notice since he'd work closely with them. I've read *many* fanfic and even made one of my own (decidedly gentle) comics exploring this. In the show, both characters were going utterly nonstop from beginning to end, barring Hordak's month or so of moping over the portal between seasons 3/4. Entrapta was an unstoppable machine who loves her work but might not have processed everything as a result, as we saw with Beast Island. I think the fact she seems way less detached in season 5 than in prior seasons (if understandably more feral), and stops using the mask as a shield, is a good sign she's getting better with processing emotions, but they both could do with a break to sort their shit out. It's been a crazy two years for them, not just a crazy season.

Catra is someone who I think would really need the support of Glimmer and Bow among others in order to adjust, far moreso than Entrapta and Scorpia do, because she thinks everyone has the right to hate her for what she became. And a lot of characters may see her working her ass off and think nothing of it, because, well, they rarely did when Adora was doing that. It seems to go under their radar. Ive seen interesting scenarios where Catra has the resentment of the general population, and doesn't feel like she can stick up for herself against people who hate her, but her friends stick their necks out for in her defense. In some of the best works, she and Hordak stick out for each other this way, despite their resentment. I think she would need a lot of encouragement from everybody that it's okay for her to be happy, to live peacefully and not in chains or constant reparations.

And Scorpia has always put others first because that's who she is, but I like that Perfuma was trying to make her see that she deserved to do what made her happy. Scorpia's got self esteem issues up the wazoo and she's working on them but she has a long way to go. I can already see she's formed a good support system, perhaps better than the other ex villains, but her challenge would be to make her own voice heard and not spoken over by anyone else.

What would be really fun is if these characters, y'know, help each other with these problems. They're all connected and better equipped to understand each other's situation than the good guys are (barring Glimmer). With Super Pal Trio in particular, and to a degree with Hordak and Catra, it would be nice to see what were previously toxic relationships become genuinely supportive due to that understanding. We got hints of this in the show, and I am reaping them!

Also with Glimmer, I think because she literally did just as bad stuff in the end, even if by accident, she understands Catra and the bad guys better than anyone outside of maybe Adora. I think she'd get it.

[dirt-apple-productions]

Criticisms of She-Ra Season 5 Upon My Rewatch

Currently, I’m watching She-Ra Season 5 for research purposes. I’ve been trying to watch it mainly so I can view Catra and Adora’s relationship under a critical lens, and hoo boy do I have a lot to say.

If you are a Catradora shipper and don’t want to hear negative things about Catra, kindly don’t read this post. I will block you immediately if you respond in an inappropriate manner, so if you like being a jack to people, save your breath and find something you do enjoy.

I think my first issue is with Prime’s accusation toward Catra in E1. He essentially “calls her out” for loving Adora. I don’t want to get into a debate about whether abusers can love their victims, but acting as though the perverted sentimentality Catra’s had for the past 4 seasons is true love? Not a good look if you actually want to portray her as in the wrong.

People keep treating Shadow Weaver and Catra’s sacrifices like “oh look at righteous Catra and meanie ShW!” But I literally don’t get the difference between the two. Catra admitted herself that she only used Glimmer as a means to an end - saving Adora. Catra does not care about Glimmer. If Shadow Weaver’s sacrifice is a means to an end (a good legacy), why tk isn’t Catra’s? And don’t give me any of the “Catra sacrificed her life!!” BS. Shadow Weaver did too. And the reason it’s so problematic that Glimmer is just a means to an end is that Catra gave a vague apology for “”everything”” when she should have to face what she’s done and own up to it. But the show literally makes her skip that step but removing characters and flattening arcs of others to appease her.

Bow’s anger at Glimmer came out of nowhere. That wasn’t his mood at the end of S4 or in the episodes prior to #4. The show wants you to spin it as him needing to work through his feelings, but considering Bow’s emotional intelligence in literally every other episode of the show, it came off as really OOC. Meaning the show is harsher on Glimmer than it is on Catra, the person who killed Glimmer’s mother.

Later on, Glimmer tells Adora that she shouldn’t expect Catra to be completely different overnight. And I 100% agree with that statement, which is why I HATE how all she has to do is say “I want to go back”, and suddenly she’s redeemed? Why couldn’t she have at least apologized for the specific things she did to hurt Adora? And I know she apologized to Entrapta. Good. But Adora is her primary victim!

I’ve already whined enough about the Failsafe scene, but let’s do it some more. That entire subplot would have made more sense if Adora never got She-Ra back. Think of it. We were told in S4 that the shattering of the sword symbolized her picking up a new destiny, and it clearly would require her to rely on her friends more. So why not keep She-Ra gone and have Adora actually be in danger by using the Heart? Then Shadow Weaver’s shadiness actually makes sense and it’s WAY LESS insinuative of Catra still being a toxic jerk at the end who would rather the whole planet DIE than Adora do something she’ll probably survive from anyway. Freaking hate that.

More whining about the Failsafe episode! How predictable! Why the hell does Adora suddenly have trouble transforming into She-Ra in the Fright Zone?? After Catra chose to go back, there was no evidence of Adora struggling with her feelings at all. I don’t understand it.

On that note, here’s a controversial one for you: Shadow Weaver had great advice in the fire corridor and I have no idea why it’s framed as a bad thing. She basically tells Adora “look just from an outside perspective it looks like this is a recipe for disaster so maybe focus on the fate of the world instead of your pissy ex?” and the show acts like she’s SOOO unreasonable for voicing that concern. Maybe it would make sense if we actually had INSIGHT ABOUT HER MOTIVES HERE, or if Catra wasn’t still a jerkwad with a different political leaning, but I’ve never seen the issue with that advice. This is the fate of the planet we’re discussing.

[flippingfrogg]

After Hours: An Entrapdak Fanfiction

So, uh, this is my first actual fanfiction since middle school. I’m a little embarrassed to be posting this, but hopefully its well-received. I was starving for some Entrapdak family fluff and I was struggling to find the exact concept I wanted to read. I’m not the best writer, so if anyone actually wants to read more, I’d love to hear about it. ALSO, if anyone has some constructive criticism, especially on my dialogue, that’d be great. It’s also pretty short tbh!

- After Hours -

By FlippingFrogg

Entrapta sighed, setting her mask down on the nightstand near their bed. She looked over to see Hordak stretching his arms above his head, revealing a sliver of skin from underneath his sweater. The heater had recently broken in the sanctum and both had been too busy to fix it. Fortunately for her, this resulted in Hordak wearing Entrapta’s sweaters, all of which were a bit too cropped for his larger body.

Rushing over to catch him before he put his arms down, she slid her chilly fingers onto his bare torso. With a yelp, Hordak stiffened in her grasp. She tightened her fingers, not allowing him to turn around to chastise her.

“Oh, fine.” Hordak sighed and quit fighting against her grip. Entrapta giggled, fully melding her front to his back. She slid her fingers up onto his chest, searching for heat from the coldness of their sanctum. He sighed again, in contentment this time, and craned his neck backward.

“Are you feeling alright? You’ve been quiet today.” Entrapta made sure to keep her voice level and soft.

“I- I’m fine.”

“Hordak.”

“Yes?” His eyes squinted shut, already accepting the fact that he wouldn’t be able to get out of answering her question truthfully. She spun Hordak around and used her hair to set him down on the bed before he could fuss. She manually opened his arms and settled down in his lap.

“Come on. Out with it.” She prodded his chest with her finger.

“I guess- mmm, I guess I’ve just been stressed. Mermista has been fighting against my plans to improve Salineas’s water purification system. Even though she knows the prior system wasn’t good enough, she’s still just… just being difficult!” He groaned, flopping backwards onto the bed, being careful not to disturb Entrapta’s resting space of his lap.

She leaned forward, carding her hands into the crest of hair on top of his head. “Well, eventually she has to stop being a jerk about everything and accept that you are an absolute genius.” Hordak made a soft sound of disagreement from his space burrowed into Entrapta’s chest. Entrapta continued on before he could go farther, “Until then, you know I’m here for you. And if this continues, then I can have a talk with Adora, or maybe even Seahawk. He likes you, you know.”

“He only likes me because I set his ship on fire the last time we visited. But thank you, love.” He lifted his head and met her eyes. “To be honest, just being around you made me feel better. You’re wonderful.” Entrapta blushed, leaning down to press a kiss against his forehead.

“Oh, you big dummy. I love you so much.” Hordak smirked against her neck, nuzzling against her.

“What happened to me being a genius?” After a pause, “I love you too.” Imp flew in from the vents and squeaked his disapproval of being let out of the cuddle pile. Hordak lifted his arm up, allowing the small clone to snuggle in close.

“What do you want?” He grumbled and pressed his forehead against Imp’s.

“You. Want.” The little boy said in his father’s voice. Entrapta resisted the urge to coo at him. He’d only get embarrassed. He had already begun to be embarrassed of his parent’s affections towards him, especially in public. Entrapta supposed that he must be going through his teenage years, or whatever the equivalent was to the Hordu. Hordak seemed to be going through the same internal struggle over the child’s cuteness, his mouth struggling not to smile and ears down to his shoulders. The two exchanged a look together before Hordak wrapped an arm around each of them flipped onto his side. Entrapta and Imp shrieked at the sudden movement. Entrapta landed on her side next to Hordak, whose arm was now trapped underneath her.

Imp clambered over both of them after Hordak released him. He burrowed in between them and laid his head on Entrapta’s chest. She hummed and kissed his forehead. Looking up towards Hordak, she felt him move above them to turn off the light. He laughed deep in his chest and pulled the three of them together.

“We’re all tired. When we wake up I’ll ask Kadroh to make us dinner.”

“Sounds good to me.” She yawned and placed her head on his chest.

[spacebatisluvd]

Lightsmas

This is for @deckof-dragons, who I have to thank for being so patient with me when I was supposed to post this on Christmas and wasn’t able to. Deck, you are and have been a wonderful friend, and I am very excited to go read my gift fic. I wasn’t allowing myself to look at it until I posted yours, so prepare for some gushing. ^_^

Rating: G

Pairing: Entrapdak

Summary: Lightsmas is supposed to be the happiest time of year…. (Sad Entrapta, Hordak doing the comforting hours today.)

-

Hordak huffed, tugging at the knitted cap Entrapta had pulled down over his ears. “What is the purpose of this again?”

“To keep your ears warm!”

“Hm.” It was, indeed, keeping his ears warm but…

“You don’t like it?”

He glanced at her, noting the way her brows had furrowed. No doubt she was already trying to find another way to keep his ears warm if this method didn’t please him. “I did not say that.” His ears twitched, their movement restricted by the warm hat. “It is simply…odd. I will become accustomed to it in time.”

“Okay. You know you don’t have to wear it, right? We can try something else.”

He waved her off. “Yes, yes. If it becomes uncomfortable, I will remove it.”

“Just let me know. I think a hood might keep you just as warm, but it would be less restrictive….”

He paused. “A hood…?”

His interest must have been obvious, because she grinned broadly and said, “A hooded cloak would probably be perfect for you, actually. Let me go grab one—“

She was already running back into the castle before he could say another word. He sighed, but a fond smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. She’d been so concerned for his comfort when the snows first arrived, it was difficult not to find it endearing. He was grateful, too—his body fat percentage was very low, leaving him rather more vulnerable to the cold than he liked to admit.

When she returned, he traded the hat for the hooded cloak and nodded to her. “Yes. This is a significant improvement.” He adjusted the hood and looked to her. “We are ready now?”

She nodded vigorously and both climbed aboard what she was currently calling “Darla Junior”—a hovercraft with a duplicate of Darla’s AI patched into its her circuits. As they traveled, Entrapta spoke about her hopes for the craft—that she’d be able to link her back up to Darla’s main craft to expand the AI’s experiences—and her concerns—that “DJ” would develop too quickly past Darla’s capabilities and wouldn’t be able to be reincorporated.

“Of course, that just means DJ would be her own separate entity and I really can’t be too disappointed about that! I’d just like to see what Darla’s capable of when introduced to more stimuli. Space is fascinating—“ He smiled just a touch, hearing how she stretched the word out. “—but it doesn’t have nearly the same variability found planet-side. Particularly when organic life is present.”

“Are you concerned about her capacity? ‘Darla’ was developed as a spacefaring vessel. It is possible this manner of exploration may stretch her capacity for learning past her limits.”

Entrapta nodded. “That’s why I split DJ off from Darla.”

Hordak nodded. “I see. And this sojourn is…?”

“An experiment!”

“Naturally.”

Their craft slowed at the border of Torq, Dryl’s capital and the nearest city to Crypto Castle. The afternoon sun faded early at this time of year, and it was now dark enough to see the city was lit by strands of white lights. Hordak’s ears twitched. “That is…new.”

She nodded, lowering her face mask. “Mmh-hmm. It’s to celebrate Lightsmas.”

“…Lightsmas?”

Her hair coiled and her hands fluttered. “It’s a celebration. For the end of the year and the start of the new. There’s some cultural significance to it. I could find you some sociology papers on it if you like.” Her voice lacked it’s normal exuberance when revealing new information to him.

His ears folded down. “I believe I would like that.”

“I, um…forgot to mention. I have something to take care of before we go home.” She didn’t raise her mask even as DJ came to a stop in one side-street. “Do you want to come?” she asked him, head cocked but face still concealed.

He studied her. “You do not seem…pleased by this task.”

Her pigtails shrugged. “You can wait here if you like.”

That was not an answer to his implied question, but Entrapta was already heaving herself out of the cockpit and into the snowy streets. Hordak followed suit, though he used the steps.

The icy air made him pull his cloak more tightly around him. She scanned him, and he knew she was using the heat-sensor setting to check for developing cold spots on his body. “This shouldn’t take long.”

He followed a few steps behind her, taking note of their surroundings. The fine hairs on the back of his neck were pricked up, and not because of the cold. White lights were strung from every building, creating zig-zag patterns over the street. Evergreen boughs were wrapped around street lamps and hung over the lintels of every door. Orb-lights bobbed in windows and white ribbons hung from the eaves of every house.

He raised a brow-ridge. This ‘Lightmas’ had more cultural significance than Entrapta had implied if he were to judge by the amount and uniformity of the decorations alone.

Then again, he did not think it was a deliberate omission. Rather, it seemed caused by a lack of enthusiasm. She did not bounce or frolic or marvel at the streets around them. Instead, she trudged through the snow, mask down. Committed, but reluctant nonetheless.

He paused. “Starlight?”

The name caused her to freeze. Her hand clenched closed and her hair coiled into a tight knot. “Please,” she said, voice muffled by the mask, “Not right now.”

“As you wish.”

She took a deep breath, and they continued their lonely trek through the snow. Just as he was beginning to wonder where everyone was, he heard singing up ahead. His ears folded down. It was not the singing of trained vocalists, but the singing of a massive group of people. More like organized shouting than anything else. They lyrics were only occasionally audible, and made little sense to him without context.

The city square came into view, and he could see children running past with long sticks spitting sparks from their hands. It seemed much, if not all, of the city’s occupants had gathered there.

Hordak hesitated only a moment, still apprehensive of gathered Etherians, before he followed Entrapta into the city’s square. A ripple went through the crowd as they caught sight of her, parting with a cheer to let them through.

The crowd shouted at them as they passed. Hordak’s ears folded back at the assault, though he recognized by their smiles that this was meant to be a positive thing. Their various greetings and good wishes were jumbled and indistinguishable, but the general idea that they wanted their Princess and her consort to have a pleasant Lightsmas was conveyed.

At the center of the crowd, Entrapta ascended a dais to a further eruption of cheers. It was all Hordak could do not to flinch at the volume. She gestured for him to remain at the base of the dais while a man approached her. The town’s leader, Hordak thought, though he couldn’t remember his name or title.

“Greetings, Princess! Happy Lightsmas!”

Entrapta waved with one pigtail. “Hi.”

He waited, smiling, as if he expected something more. When it wasn’t forthcoming, he cleared his throat and spread his arms wide. “It’s always good to see you here, fulfilling your royal duties. Lightsmas was always so important to your parents. I know they’re looking down on you with pride—“

“Mhh-hmm.” She nodded noncommittally. “Thanks.”

His welcoming gesture flagged. “Uh. Will you be…saying anything this year? Your mother always had such heartening speeches—“

“No.”

“Oh. Um. Just the fireworks, then?”

She nodded and pulled a small data pad from somewhere. With that, she crouched, gremlin-like on the stage and began fiddling with the data pad. The man hovered behind her. He raised a finger and seemed about to ask a question when she sat back on her heels. “Done!”

From elsewhere in the city—or just outside it—a high-pitched whistle began to grow louder. A streak of light appeared in the sky, and a loud BOOM! accompanied the sudden starburst of light that shimmered over them. Everyone gathered oohed and cheered, but Entrapta just remained huddled on the dais, hunched over the pad. She passed the data pad to the main, explaining quickly how the emergency override worked if something went wrong, then she hurried down the steps toward Hordak.

“You’re leaving? Won’t you stay for the feast?”

“No, thank you.”

“Not even for the fireworks?” Another high-pitched whistle interrupted him.

The loud BOOM! made Hordak flinch, the sound bringing up less pleasant memories. “No thanks!” she said again. “We’ll watch them from somewhere else.”

“Oh. Okay.”

No one but him seemed to notice that they were leaving, too distracted by the light show. As they retraced their steps to DJ, Hordak walked beside Entrapta rather than behind her. The flash of fireworks overhead cast strange, shifting shadows in the snow and lit the powder with unnatural colors. “You are upset,” he observed.

She shrugged, but didn’t deny it. After a few moments, she said, “Everyone loves Lightsmas. It’s supposed to be fun but….” She shrugged. “It’s just loud. And bright. And cold.”

“I see.” He followed her for a few steps. “We do not have to remain where it is loud and bright and cold.”

“You don’t want to watch the fireworks?” She raised her mask, sounding hopeful.

He watched the next streak of light, flattening his ears. “I believe I have seen as much as I care to.”

She smiled a little. “Chef went home to her family for the holiday, but I think we can manage tiny hot chocolate by ourselves.”

“I am quite sure we can.”

“And she probably left some tiny cookies in the kitchen!”

They walked in silence for a little longer. Entrapta seemed noticeably bouncier. As they reached DJ’s door, though, she paused and said, “Lightsmas is supposed to be the happiest time of year, but even when my parents were here, I never….” She touched her mask, but didn’t lower it. “You can stay if you want. You don’t have to leave because of me.”

“Starlight, I have never heard of this holiday before this moment. It holds no significance for me. If you do not wish to celebrate, then we simply won’t celebrate.”

She lowered her hand and smiled. Let’s go then!” She clambered into the cockpit, and he followed in a more stately manner. “Oh! Before we go home for hot chocolate, do you mind if I run a few tests more on DJ? I want to see how she handles in fresh snow.”

“I can think of no better way to spend the evening than experimenting with you.”

Her hair wrapped around him and with a grin, she threw the craft into gear. “Then—let’s go!”

Darla jerked away from the street, engines humming as they sped over the snow. Overhead, the fireworks lit the sky, unnoticed by the two scientists encased in their craft, more enamored with each other and their experiment than the spectacle of light and sound.

[pepperminthepatty]

Entrapdak Drabble...

Years post season 5/Entrapdak married life

“Hordak?” Entrapta’s voice rang out from the bathroom within their bedroom. Hordak’s ear twitched at the sudden break in silence. He glanced up from the data pad he had been consumed with as he sat in his favored sofa chair for reading. Some news about the Etherian maker’s society had him intrigued for a moment.

“Yes, my love?”

He returned his gaze back to the data pad. A new prototype for an innovatively designed starship had caught fire. And that was not slang for popularity. Apparently, even the organizers of the Etherian Makers’s Society didn’t know if the fire had been caused by someone or if it was the result of a faulty engine. Hordak forced himself not to impulsively roll his eyes at the news story. He thought it was quite obvious...but he would continue that read later.

The drawn out silence made him glance up once more towards the open bathroom door. The light and steam that streamed out from it created an almost alien glow.

Finally, before he could worry about the silence further Entrapta’s voice returned.

“What do you like about my face?”

What had compelled her to ask such a thing? Was it not simple to deduce that he adored everything about it? Was he failing at being clear about these things?

Entrapta wasn’t done with her question.

“I find it interesting you don’t find it extremely off putting since my face is completely alien to yours. I know you probably thought I was hideous when you first saw me. But of course as we got to know each other you simply grew accustomed to it. So…I have to know. What did you absolutely hate when we first met and…what do you especially like about my face now?”

Sometimes, Hordak thought, it was easier when he had been Lord Hordak of the Fright Zone rather than Prince consort of Dryl.

[andhereisthetea]

Hordak not getting over it on Season 4

There are three scenes, three specific scenes belonging to season 4 which makes me think Hordak would have, eventually, give up his mission to conquer Etheria on a Heartbeat IF Entrapta was involved.

1) The Recordings

You know, I have read a lot of metas, very good metas and long posts about why Hordak needed Entrapta’s recordings on Season 4 to complete his weapon explaining that what he wanted was to heard her voice again, but the more I think about it, the more I belive he wanted it for more than just feed his hearbreak and longing.

He wanted clarification about why she betrayed him.

Hordak is not only a warrior, but a very good scientist, I can understand him trying to search for explanation over the most mundane things, and facing such emotional but at the same time very confusing episode in his life regarding a woman who he seen like his only and true friewnd, I am quite sure he would want to know what really happened, in fact he would want to seek *emphirical proof* behind Entrapta’s behaviours, and what would be better than to study her recordings?

Entrapta uses her recording for absolutely *everything*, it wouldn’t be weird, from the point of view of Hordak, to think that she recorded the process and steps to betray him. The thing is, as we all know, and Hordak also seen to feel (and confirm via Double Trouble), something is off about it, and the answers are in fact in front of him:

Why would Entrapta help him with such a powerful armor AND advanced weaponry IF she was gonna betray him?

The answers should be on the recordings, he would think.

Also, I would like to point out on the exact episode how Hordak, even after listening to Catra speech about “not needing anyone, not even a Princess”, he looks at the first one’s tech under the trash on his desk and realizes that is *Entrapta’s studies with this technology* what he needed all along. 

2) The Usseless Speech

Hordak has been years trying to conquer Etheria, in season 4 he is on an ongoing battle both external and internal, very personal, about which spteps to take next, but what I would like to point out in season 4 is the fact that Hordak’s fight for worthiness started to follow a very personal path regarding Entrapta, even more than proving himself to Prime. 

The scene where Catra delivers her speech to him in Princess Scorpia episode, just after he realized he would never heard Entrapta’s voice again (and never get answers about her betrayal) is very much a proof that, no matter what others would tell him about his obsession with the Princess, he just wouldn’t give up, for good or bad:

Lest take a look at the speech:

And then, just seconds after Catra’s speech:

This scene for me has always been... strange, why putting two scenes that override each othe in the same episode with seconds of difference? until I realized that the crystal Hordak had found under all the trash on his desk is exactly the same kind of crystal his Armor has, the same type as the Luvd crystal, which now powers an armor created by Entrapta, a technology that he got to understand ONLY because of her:

(thanks @cruelfeline​ for your incredible meta about Entrapta’s innovations)

This scene above is the partial answer that he was looking for regarding his weaponry (but not Entrapta’s betrayal), we even saw him stufying it on Flutterina and again thinking about her. He now knows he can complete his weapon because of Entrapta’s innovations and technology left behind, he is now gonna be capable of proving his worth... because of her. 

This dismisses Catra's speech, which actually reflects her frustration at needing to prove herself in front of Adora but her complete obsession about not needing anyone is a conflict that we don’t get to see on Hordak, and that is a big difference between them; Hordak feels no discomfort in needing Entrapta. 

This is an important fact which differentiates both characters; While Catra hates and despises Adora's intentions and beliefs about the war and hates deeply needing her, Hordak admires Entrapta's intelligence and abilities even when believing her an enemy, that admiration never disappeared, rendering Catra's attempts useless when trying to make him believe that he doesn't need her anymore to win the war.

This fact is proven exactly in the Boy's Night Out episode, when thinking that Hordak would stop mentioning Entrapta and focus on winning the War and seeking Prime's approval, he follows a path which is completely opposite to what Catra yelled about to him two episodes prior:

Ain’t missing you at all

3) The worriness

Double Trouble: I was looking forward to meeting this Entrapta character before I left Bright Moon. But, of course, as you know, she wasn't there.

Hordak: What did you say?  

Even before knowing she hasn’t betrayed him, even after speding months believing her an enemy, he still can’t help but worry about her wellbeing.

What had happened to her? why isn’t she with the Princesses? hdn’t she told him before they left her behind, that she was a failure and no one undertood her? But if she had been cast aside again by them, why didn’t she came back to him? If she hasn’t been seen on Bright Moon nor the Battlefield... where is she?!

I can truly savious the ansxiety building up on Hordak’s chets.

If he really wasn't interested in her whereabouts, if he really wanted to fight her on the battlefield instead of just checking she was fine, and if he really did not longer need her companionship and assistance, he wouldn’t have questioned DT about what did that mean. Besides, if his interest and also feelings towards her weren't so deep, he wouldn't have broken his rule of silence and coldness in front of Double Trouble, mainly because he straight up showed his main weakness; her.

I want to point out something specific about character development in Hordak; during the first two seasons, we saw Hordak being a general, a leader of a very powerful army, we see him as this mysterious but indolent, brutal, fierce figure, before his cadets and his force captains. He demands respect, responsibility and also loyalty, but nothing more.

At no point during the four seasons did we see him concerned about the welfare or whereabouts of any of his subordinates, ever.

That is in fact a basic Horde’s rule, right? nothing matters but conquering Etheria, showing weakness of any sort is forbidden.

This was the moment that made me realize Hordak’s lower point hadn’t been related to everyone else’s plotline; his lower point, the one I am sure tortured him to the point of seeking a second mindwipe at the hands of Prime in season 5, wasn’t the moment he realized he had been fooled by Catra, wasn’t even when he was destroying Salineas (is very much a neat scene for him and he actually enjoyed it), but this scene:

“Who do you think let the Princesses in?”

The very moment he chose to believe a lie instead of believing on Entrapta’s promise and also most importantly; her honesty and friendship. And the fact he just straight up believed it, after having snapped at her on a moment of frustration, adding the fact he actually didn’t seek more answers regarding Entrapta’s betrayal, and lived through it until Double Trouble told him the horrible truth.

There is a mental processing happening on Hordak’s mind when he realizes he had been manipulated that whole time: 

1) Entrapta had been on Beast Island while he had been blasting around about her betraying him, and now Entrapta is dead.

2) All was a manipulation from his most loyal Force Captain, someone he had trusted for months. He had been believing it all this time and she was laughing at his face, and now Entrapta is dead.

3) If nothing had happened, if Catra hasn’t come back from the Crinsom Waste with the Sword, maybe Entrapta’s words would have ended up being true and they would have spent all that time together, after all, what she told him, about imperfections being beautiful, about him being worthy of something, had been true. They could have been more than just friends, it would have happened, but now Entrapta was dead.

Entrapta is dead.  

And then, nothing mattered any longer.

[aprillikesthings]

more she-ra rewatch!

s2 ep3 signals

I keep getting distracted because Mal the Cat is really determined to find some plastic to chew on. He is not allowed to chew on plastic. I keep having to chase him off from chewing on random shit.

He is currently pouting.

plot

okay ngl this is a little weird bc I finally got around to reading Olivia Joy Taylor's catradora comic on patreon. Which is uhhhh very adult in nature. It's also very good. But going from that to the actual show is just slightly surreal, even though I used to do that kind of thing all the time in SU fandom lol

The first pages (which are teeeeechnically sfw? are here on tumblr.

(She's doing a CaitVi comic next apparently, my crops are watered my skin is moisturized my [redacted] is [redacted])

*cough* ANYWAY

Glimmer: "we'll handle this the way we always do!" Adora: "brute strength?" Swift Wind: "almost dying???"

No????

(he's being a dick to Catra, or at least trying to intimidate her)

do u tho

LOLOL

(they're scaring each other with ghost stories)

ngl that is in fact fucking creepy

Scorpia's unrequited love is painfulllllll

the joys of being in management. (I'd rather be stabbed in the face.)

Voice actors having to say things like "Hordak's sanctum" with complete sincerity is why they get paid

Meanwhile Entrapta:

lol

the joys of a rewatch include giggling bc you know what happens when she meets Hordak

The fact that all of Adora's ghost stories are about terrifying Princesses...

yup

damn right!

wait I know I saw a post from one of the storyboarders of this scene but she's dabbing hold on

I KNEW IT

(the original post is gone but here is my reblog of it)

What I love so much about the interactions with these two is that they only work because Entrapta is autistic. Hordak is trying to be intimidating and condescending and it is just completely sliding off Entrapta. Like I can tell she notices some of it but just does not care.

And she's just thirsty for information. Hordak is all "yes of course there's other planets, you backwater hick" and Entrapta totally ignores the insult and is like "TELL ME ABOUT THE PLANETS :D"

BEING A MANAGER SUCKS ASSSSSSS

(I am not a manager nor have I ever been one, and there's a reason.)

no he'll trust Entrapta, a woman he just met, lolol

awwwwww

ANYWAY plot stuff there was a beacon kind of thing in a village and the "ghosts" were holograms from an old message from the First Ones that kept repeating, they turned it off but there's still some kind of "degraded" First Ones' writing that Bow's little tablet keeps picking up, and in some abandoned location something full of First Ones' writing powered on, fade to credits.

Also my soup isn't done yet, I knew I should've cooked the beans first. Harrumph.