purrrnicious | Heart Game: Run #3

[Still no Shadow Weaver!

Instead, a mulish looking Catra is huddled in the corner, glaring sullenly at the wall. She looks like she’s nine or ten years old. She’s in a standard uniform and appears a little roughed up, her cheek blossoming into a bruise and her knees scraped. Her tail lashes back and forth and her ears are pinned back. ]

[ she'll find her,
and when she does... ]

..!

Catra? [ blinks, staring at her. ] Catra! [ she takes a knee just inside the cell and reaches out to her. ]

[She hunches up a little tighter and scowls, tucking her tail in close.]

Go away.

Do you want me to take a look at that?

[ motions to her wounds. ]

I... I don't want to leave without... without you...

[She folds her ears back, knees pulled tight to her chest.]

I'm not falling for it, so just give up already.

So you'd rather stay here?

[ she stands up, turning away from the cell. ]

[No answer.]

...alright. I won't bother you anymore.

[ she turns back and heads to the lift. hits 3. ]

[This floor looks similar to the main floor, mostly normal. You might find that the shadows in corners are a little deeper, a little thicker, and that if you look at them for too long you get a creeping sense of unease, like you’re on edge for a sudden attack, but otherwise it’s fine.

Three cells are occupied (for simplicity, we’re refer to them as 1, 2 and 3).]

[ she's getting a touch... frustrated. ]

Shadow Weaver! Are you in here?!

[ stalks over to 1. ]

[No.

This cell’s light flickers now and then, but when it does, you could swear the shadows linger a little longer than they should, hanging off the corners and dripping down the walls. If you watch for long enough, you start to feel a creeping panic, the hairs on the back of your neck raising. You feel agitated and anxious, and with that comes frustration — the next flicker of the light and you swear, you swear you see something rearing at you, some inky black shadow creature, one glowing red eye set in what would pass for its head. It lunges for your throat with a jagged claw, it bears down on you, and you react, you step back half a step and raise your arms and the instinct is to shield your face and you know it’ll hurt and you know it’s too slow and—

. . . The light flicks on and stays on. The cell looks perfectly normal.]

[ as soon as she drops her arms she glares into the cell. ]

I know you're here, somewhere, and I'm coming for you.
I'm going to make you pay... [ she starts chuckling and it becomes a bit unhinged as she starts towards cell #2. ]

I'm getting closer.
I can feel it.

[ or maybe that's the blood loss. ]

[D.Va pls.

This cell contains nothing but a massive, glowing red crystal. It’s strangely ominous, makes your hair stand on end. There’s a steady low hum of power that permeates the room. Lodged in the crystal is something small and rectangle-shaped.]

[ SHE'S ON TO YOU, SQUARES. ]

[ she'll skip this for now just because she'd like to see if shadow weaver is in cell 3. ]

[This cell is littered with battered, broken bots and discarded batons. A screen above flickers with static. You can see the telltale signs of a fight with scorch marks and gouges in the walls, and if you watch long enough, the screen flickers to a scoreboard, ranking performances from best to worst: Adora, Catra, Lonnie, Rogelio, Kyle.

You might be able to find something interesting among all the debris, but it’s hard to tell from here.

Still no Shadow Weaver.]

[ she is going to see if there's anything she can salvage. ]

[It's mostly scrap. There might be some sharp-edged stuff you can use as a makeshift knife.

Also, you know, another one of those pesky cartridges.]

[ she's going to pocket one of the sharp things and then just kind of stare at the cartridge. ]

No. [ turns tail and heads back to the other one. if she's touching any cartridges she'll touch this one. ]

[ ominous crystal tell me your secrets! ]

[Well, this probably won't help.

[Catra is leaning up against a wall in the sorceress’s inner sanctem, frowning and defensive. The sorceress leans over a cauldron glowing eerily with golden light. She drags her fingernails over the surface, causing swirls and images to form.

“For the last time, where is Adora?” she demands.

“For the last time, I don’t know! What, do you think I keep her on a leash?” Catra retorts.

“I know you’re lying. You two are close, she would never depart without telling you,” Shadow Weaver replies, narrowing her eyes, and Catra hunches up her shoulders and glances aside.

“Then I guess she let us both down, huh.”

“Have it your way. I already know where she is. We’ve been tracking her.”

Surprised at this, Catra finally approaches, planting a hand on her hip and demanding, “Uh, then why did you ask me?”

“Because you are going to bring her back,” the witch replies, derisive.

“I don’t think so,” Catra snaps, turning away — she doesn’t even make it a step before Shadow Weaver is using her magic, paralyzing Catra’s movements with a crackling red power as she makes small, gasping sounds of distress. Shadow Weaver creeps over, laying her hands on Catra’s shoulders she she stands, frozen, ears flat and fear plainly written on her face.

Shadow Weaver leans in close and says, “Your insolence will not protect her. You will do as I ask.”

Catra, trembling a little, answers, “Oh yeah? Or what?”

Shadow Weaver grips her by the chin and forces her heads around to look at her and calmly replies, “Or you’ll suffer the consequences in her place.”

The correct age, now, and you don't feel any of the childish confusion or sadness that would have come with the earlier memory. This one is just an old fear –– you know this person can and will hurt you.]

[ ...no. no it didn't help. she screams the moment she's finished seeing that STUPID MEMORY. if the crystal is still there it's getting KICKED. ]

SHADOW WEAVER, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, YOU BETTER BEG. FOR. MERCY!

[Maybe she heard you but she's probably not doing much begging.]

[ heads back to the lift. ]

[Where to, Johnny?

Main Floor
Floor 2 - Childhood

Floor 4 - Force Captain
Floor 5 - (Whatever label was here has been scratched out.)]

[ FOUR. ]

[This floor is darker than the ones below it, and has fallen into disrepair. Like some of the hallway areas you may have encountered, the metal panelling is dented and scored, some hanging from loose bolts or fallen altogether. The shadows are deeper, and there’s a sense of menace in the air: you know you can’t trust anyone, and you can’t relax at any time.

~~Three~~ FOUR cells are occupied (for simplicity, we’re refer to them as 1, 2, 3 and 4).]

Re: Lvl. 2: The Prison

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Floor 4