Chapter Text
"This is impossible. There’s still time, I could still join my masters program” Catra pouted as she tapped her pen anxiously on her notebook and bounced her leg under the table.
It was warm inside the cafe Scorpia picked to meet, but the strong wind outside of its big french windows felt like the rampend nerves that rattled her ribcage. The warmth was nice but only succeeded in making her drowsy and a little grumpy as she resisted the urge to nap. Instead she tortured herself with job searching instead of enjoying the strong bitter coffee and a dramatic story told expertly by her best friend. Actually anything would be better than job searching at this point with a needle of pain pressed against the back of her eyes.
“Don’t say that wildcat, we’ll find something. We just have to keep looking.” Scorpia said, petting Catra’s hand with one of her big red claws. Catra huffed and looked at the screen of her laptop again.
“If I just did my masters I wouldn’t have to worry about a job, or lie to mum about it,” Catra said, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms as she gave in to her foul mood.
“But you want this, you can’t give up! Uh, remind me again why we are lying to your mum though?” Scorpia asked, looking sheepishly confused with her most supportive face firmly in place. Catra rolled her eyes.
“Because! She will worry and I don’t need her to worry about this, I’m not a burden” Catra said huffing like a petulant child. Scorpia smiled, gentle and understanding.
“She just wants to help though, right? She wants you to get a good education and to do what you want in life,” Scorpia reminded her and Catra nodded her head. Her mum had gotten pregnant young and had to delay her studies to raise her. Her father didn’t want anything to do with her and her mum had plenty of jobs over the years with horrible hours for raising a child.
When Catra was older and could be left alone at home after school her mum could work longer hours and finish her studies. It worked for them, but it was something her mother didn’t want for Catra. She had no doubt that her mum loved her and just wanted to support her. But Catra didn’t want her mum continuing to pay for her schooling when she didn’t have to. She deserved to relax now and let Catra take care of her for a change.
If she took a gap year and saved her money she could pay for her masters herself so she would stop being a burden on her mum. She might even manage to help her mum pay her bills so she didn’t have to work so hard.
“Yes, but I’m going to help her this time. She would never let me work if she knew. She would want me to focus and say it wasn’t a problem when it clearly is!” Catra said with frustration. She had spoken to her mum many times about this and she just wanted to do right by her. She had enough qualifications to work as a Nanny for a year and save enough to pay her Masters degree starting the next year. It was a perfect plan.
Except. Catra looked back at her laptop screen. The email that was open before her was her twelfth rejection email. She didn’t think her qualifications would make it so hard to secure a position in a big city like Brightmoon. But she was clearly wrong.
She interviewed well, she had the qualifications but with every interview they took one look at her and decided they wanted someone else. Catra had thought they might have been judging her because she was a magicat and quite rare, but she had it spelt out for her by one particularly snarky woman.
“You are too attractive to be a nanny, so it’s a no. I would never let someone as pretty as you around my husband,” the woman had said, and Catra was shocked. She didn’t know how to respond so she just thanked the woman and left.
Catra later considered if mentioning she was a lesbian would have helped but decided it wasn’t worth it. She didn’t want to work for someone who judged people by their appearances and didn’t want to use her sexuality to reassure these women that she was not trying to steal their husbands. She wasn’t even looking to date! But that was too personal and they didn’t deserve that if they were going to judge her anyway.
“It's your choice wildcat, but I still think you should tell her,”
“I will take that under advisement, now, have you found anything?” Catra asked and Scorpia shook her head sadly.
“No, looks like there’s no new ads up. I thought I found one but it was caring for someone's dog,”
“Not a big fan of dogs, but I’ll consider it if I get desperate,” Catra said, waving her hand and picking up her coffee to sip the black bitter liquid. It did something to wake her up at least.
“Great, I’ll keep that in mind. Otherwise, I checked this cover letter and you can send it now,” Scorpia said and Catra nodded. Scorpia was already a nanny but she worked for an agency and didn’t live with her clients. She would arrive in the morning and leave every night. Scorpia liked that arrangement much better since she lived with her girlfriend and would miss her too much if she lived with her clients.
Catra decided to be a live-in nanny because she was unattached and her lease was coming up for renewal. Not to mention her apartment sucked. If she could secure a live-in position it would help her save money over the next 12 months.
“Let’s talk about something else. What are you up to this weekend?” Catra asked as she decided to just drink her coffee and enjoy a Scorpia original story.
“Oh boy! I’m so nervous, I’m meeting Perfuma’s family for the first time and it feels like a lot of pressure,” Scorpia said, tapping her claws together anxiously as Catra scoffed. “Perfuma is new to the family and I just don’t want to embarrass her. They are SO important to her so they are important to me too,”
“You have nothing to worry about. If they don’t adopt you immediately then they have terrible taste,” Catra said and Scorpia’s eyes watered which made Catra’s ears pin back. She didn’t like big shows of emotion. Yes, she meant everything she said but there was something embarrassing about overwhelming someone in public. It felt like a violation.
“Aw thanks Wildcat, I hope you are right,”
“Of course, I’m always right,” Catra smirked and Scorpia laughed. Catra asked a few more questions about Scorpia’s weekend as she finished her coffee. She finally looked at her watch and sighed. She had more packing to do and some emails to send.
“I should get going, thanks for all your help Scorp,” Catra said, packing away her things into her backpack.
“Not a problem. I’ll keep an eye out for anything my agency can’t take. But you’ve got this Wildcat!” Scorpia said, giving her a gentle hug. Catra heard Scorpia whisper to herself ‘gentle’ as a reminder of Catra’s request for less bone crushing and it made Catra smile.
“Thanks, I’ll talk to you later,” Catra said as she wrapped her scarf around her neck and dipped her ears into her mane to brace against the cold air outside.
[...]
Catra was pacing back and forth in her living room. It was only four steps in one direction before running out of room and turned to walk the same path back. Her apartment was a modest hole in the wall. It was a studio apartment above a music shop where the living room was also the kitchen and bedroom. She had placed a bookshelf between her bedroom and the back of her couch to suggest there was a wall there but her tiny bathroom was the only real room in the house. The kitchen was a non-event, the oven hadn’t worked for most of the time she had lived there but she used her microwave and stovetop for all her cooking needs.
Catra stopped in front of her open laptop to glare at the email, sitting bright and clear in the poorly lit room. She has gone to a couple of interviews over the last few days and has just received the last rejection email. She felt like she was going insane. She tried to dress differently to make herself look less threatening somehow but it still didn’t work. She was overqualified apparently.
One woman took one look at her and just said no. No interviews, no nothing. It was so frustrating. For smart, beautiful women, they were very threatened by a smart woman in well-fitted $20 jeans. With private work, she had very little say over being discriminated against. They would never admit it anyway.
Catra flopped onto her couch as her phone started to ring. She jumped to answer it and was only slightly disappointed to see it was Scorpia.
“Hey Scorp,” Catra said, pulling every shred of excitement she could find in her body and into her voice.
“Hey Wildcat, I have great news,” Scorpia said, as she sounded like she was barely holding in a scream of excitement. Catra moved her ear away from the phone slightly in preparation in case she suddenly lost that battle.
“Sure, what happened?” Catra asked, leaning back onto the couch to get comfortable with the long story that was no doubt coming. Scorpia’s great news could range from "I saw a cute dog today" all the way up to meeting her favourite celebrity at the grocery store so she tentatively had her attention.
“Ok, so you know how Perfuma’s mum just started dating again?” Scorpia said and Catra nodded despite Scorpia not being able to see her.
"Yep," Catra agreed.
“Well, her mum’s girlfriend has a stepdaughter around our age,” Scorpia said and Catra felt her stomach drop. She hoped Scorpia wasn't about to suggest a blind date or something ridiculous.
“Uhh, yes?” Catra asked tentatively.
“Well, Perfuma’s mum's girlfriend's mother-in-law is getting too old to take care of her daughter's kid,” Scorpia said excitedly and Catra nodded along. She was following so far.
“Ok?”
“So! She’s looking for a live-in Nanny and I told her your details!” Scorpia said and Catra felt a tentatively excited smile spread over her face.
“Scorpia that's great!” Catra exclaimed with delight. It was almost a relief to have Scorpia know the family personally. Surely that would help her in the interview process or was that weird?
“Right?! I told her she can call you any time, she has some weird work hours so it might be in the evening,” Scorpia said and Catra grinned.
“That's fine with me, you know I’m a night owl. Are you ok with this? It's not weird?” Catra asked and Scorpia hummed thoughtfully.
“Thanks for asking, but I think it's ok, they are great people so they will have to love you,” Scorpia said and Catra snorted before she grinned.
“Thank you for telling them about me Scorp, it means a lot,” Catra said, trying to show her appreciation despite her dismissal.
“Of course Wildcat! They would be lucky to have you,” Scorpia said with affection and Catra couldn’t help the feeling of excitement growing in her chest.
[...]
Catra was watching television while folding laundry on the floor of her living room the following night when her phone lit up in the darkness. Catra looked at the screen to see a private number and felt nerves explode in her stomach. She didn’t even notice how dark her room had gotten as the sun dipped below the horizon. She quickly muted the TV show she was watching after a mildly panicked search for the remote under her laundry piles and grabbed her phone.
She took a few deep breaths for good measure and answered the phone.
“Hello, Catra D’riluith speaking,” Catra answered in her best professional voice. The sound of clicking keys came to a stop on the other end of the line.
“Hello Catra, my name is Adora Grey, your friend Scorpia gave me your number,” A smooth feminine voice greeted her. Catra felt nerves build in her gut as the pressure grew under her skin. She wanted to make a good impression and she really wanted this job.
“Yes, she told me to expect your call. She mentioned that you were looking for a live-in Nanny,” Catra responded carefully, trying to sound equally professional as she picked lint off one of her old sweaters.
“That is correct. I apologies for the late hour. I hope I’m not interrupting your night,” The voice responded and the sound of soft keys clicking started up again.
“Not at all, I’ve got time,” Catra said. She heard a soft hum from her conversation partner.
“If it suits you, I’ll text you my email so you can send your resume, but perhaps you can tell me about your recent work history,”
“That suits me fine. I am taking a break in my studies before I start my master's degree. I have a double major in law and social science and a diploma in working with children and child care. My last three jobs have been working with children from ages one to eight, part time,” Catra said and heard a thoughtful hum from the other line.
“Those are quite good qualifications, are you sure you are not overqualified to be a Nanny?” the woman asked and Catra flushed. She had this question many times and it felt like part of the reason she was being overlooked.
“I love working with young people and I don’t think you can ever be overqualified to help raise a child,” Catra said and heard a soft hum.
“That is true. Thank you for your time. I will send through the details and please have a lovely evening Miss D’riluth,”
“Thank you, you too,” there was a soft click and the woman was gone. Catra hoped she said enough to get an interview at least and was relieved when she got the text with an email address.
Catra quickly sent through her resume and now all she had to do was wait.
[...]
Catra was surprised to find when she woke the next morning at the humble time of ten that she had an email from someone called Mermista to set up a time to meet with Ms Grey. Catra was bouncing with excitement as she picked out an outfit for her interview very carefully. Oversized sweater and boyfriend jeans with her hair up. It was the best she could do to downplay her petite frame and still look tidy. She could be fun and flowy, that was a good thing for a nanny to be. Right?
She was notified that her references and background check had been cleared over the days before the interview. This was already more than other interviewers had achieved and it filled her with more confidence.
Initially her interview was on Monday first thing in the morning, but after three calls from Mermista to adjust the time to later in the day they elected to move it a day later. Adora Grey was a very busy woman it would seem. The interview was now at nine o’clock on Tuesday morning.
She was sent details for a security check-in and Catra was surprised at the level of security a prosthetics company needed.
Entering the building was a dwarfing experience. The lobby was made of large glass walls and a loft half level hung above the security desk. Catra went to the desk to check in after a slow perusal of the entryway.
“Good morning. I’m here to see Adora Grey” Catra said and the woman behind the desk took one look at her before she stood. She was so tall Catra had to crane her neck to look at her face. She was very muscular which was visible through her black suit and white shirt. She had long white hair and a light purple tone to her skin.
“Why?” The woman asked and Catra tried to stop her tail puffing up under the looming threat.
“I have an appointment?” Catra offered with visible confusion at the icy reception “For a Nanny position?” Catra said and the woman looked surprised and looked Catra up and down.
“Really?” The woman asked and Catra glared before she could stop herself.
“Yes and I would like to keep my appointment time if you don't mind,” She said curtly and the woman chuckled.
“Fair enough, fill this out and then we will need to take a photograph. You’ll have to have a visitor's pass but I’ll get someone from upstairs to collect you,” the woman said. Catra filled out what she was told and had a terrible photo taken before the woman called someone on the desk phone to come get her.
The woman who arrived was taller than Catra with long blue hair braided into a ponytail and was definitely dressed to impress. Her shoes sparkled like fish scales and her pantsuit was a deep navy blue with gold accents. Catra wasn’t sure who was coming to meet her and smiled when the woman offered her hand to shake.
“Mermista, come with me,” Mermista said curtly.
“Catra, thank you,” Catra said and followed her through the security doors and to the elevator. She was a little distracted as they passed the security doors but she was almost certain she had been scanned by a red light.
“Ms Grey is in a meeting right now, but she should be done shortly,” Mermista said as they went up the elevator. Catra nodded her head.
“No trouble, she's a busy woman,” Catra said, trying to be friendly. Mermista snorted.
“You can say that again,” Mermista said and brought Catra to the top floor before sitting her in a waiting area and returning to her desk to work on her computer.
Catra fidgeted and pulled at her clothing as she waited. She was trying to squash her nerves when she checked the time again. It had been almost twenty minutes past the time of her interview. Mermista hadn’t looked at her again since she went to her desk and Catra wondered if she might have been forgotten.
While Catra was watching her, Mermista tapped her ear quickly and started to speak.
“Ya?” Mermista asked, continuing to type as she listened. “Ugh, really?” she asked next.
“Got it, don’t stress,” Mermista said and tapped her ear quickly. She clicked around on her computer for at least another minute before she stood and turned to Catra again.
“Ms Grey’s meeting has gone overtime, she would prefer we didn’t reschedule the interview, are you ok if I take you through it instead?” Mermista asked with practised politeness and Catra was already nodding.
“That's fine with me,” Catra said carefully and Mermista nodded.
“Good, follow me,” Mermista said, leading Catra into another room. The office behind Mermista’s desk seemed to take up most of this level but there were a few smaller meeting rooms as well. They passed other offices, both empty and occupied, on their way down the hall to their room.
Mermista motioned into the room and Catra went inside and sat at the table. Mermista sat opposite her and pulled out her phone. She quickly clicked into something and placed her phone onto the desk.
“I have the interview questions, but is it alright if I record our conversation for Ms Grey?” Mermista asked with her finger hovering over the record button on her phone. Catra paused for a moment to consider the question before she nodded her head.
“Yes, that's fine,” Catra said, straightening her clothing again to try to dispel her nerves. Mermista clicked the button to record and made eye contact with Catra across the desk.
“Great, thank you for coming in for this interview Catra, is it alright if I call you Catra?” Mermista asked and Catra nodded.
“Yes, that’s fine,” She agreed.
“Great, do you know anything about what we do here?” Mermista asked curiously and Catra paused.
“Yes, Greyskull Enterprises is one of the leading manufacturers of biotechnical prosthetics in the world,” Catra said, mentioning something she had read months ago in passing. “Other than that, technology is not really my field of interest, so I can’t say much more,” Catra said and Mermista nodded.
“You’re not trying to steal company secrets are you?” Mermista asked and Catra bristled under the accusation.
“I hardly think that a billion dollar company is going to trust trade secrets to a Nanny, and if they would, you should seriously rethink your security measures,” Catra snipped and Mermista smirked a little.
“Good response, I guess you really are a lawyer after all,” Mermista said and Catra felt like maybe she had just passed some kind test. Mermista sat forward against the desk as she looked more invested in this interview.
“How do you feel about some rapid-fire questions?” Mermista asked, a twinkle in her eyes as Catra leaned forward too, keeping her gaze.
“Love them, they’re very efficient,” Catra responded, as she thrived under pressure and her quick wit was one of her most discerning features.
“First aid and CPR Certified?”
“Both,”
“Do you drive?”
“I can, I don’t keep a car in the city,”
“Smoke?”
“Never,”
“You swim?”
“Yes,”
“Water safety training?”
“Of course”
“How’s your home security?”
“Impeccable,”
“How would you deal with unexpected visitors?”
“I imagine there is security at the home,”
“Naturally,”
“If they make it past that, I would cross check them with the list of known associates, otherwise call the emergency contact, security or the police,” Catra said and Mermista nodded.
“We will provide that list of course, your first point of contact will be Ms Grey, you will have her private number and it is not to be misused for non emergencies, otherwise, you can call the office and I will make myself available,” Mermista said and Catra nodded her head firmly, committing the information to memory.
“Sure,”
“Do you cook?”
“I love to cook,”
“How do you manage mealtimes?”
“It's a sit-down event, it should be fun and stimulating without being too distracting. In the past I’ve made games out of mealtimes but every child is different,”
“Excellent, Finn is intolerant to milk and has a mild allergy to tomatoes,” Mermista said and Catra nodded as she committed that to memory too.
“I can’t have milk either,”
“Snap, Ms Grey only keeps milk alternatives in the house to avoid any mishaps,”
“That's good,” Catra said and Mermista sat back in her chair.
“What made you want to work as a live-in nanny?”
“I decided to take a gap year in my studies to work. I was considering working as a nanny for an agency but my apartment was coming up for renewal and it seemed like a sign to try something new,”
“What was your last experience in childcare and why did it end?”
“It hasn’t ended yet, I still work once a week at Bimbo’s childcare on fifth, I love the work and working with young people. Their minds are like sponges and it's such a pleasure to help them learn new things,”
“What was your worst experience there?”
“Because of my studies I have a lot of exposure to cases with children being neglected or abused. I had to report a parent at Bimbo’s because the signs were all there,”
“How horrible. How do you feel about managing more than one child at a time?”
“That's fine with me, I’ve done it before,”
“Finn will be starting school next year, how are you with homework?”
“Good, I have helped with work up till grade three already,”
“What are your thoughts on discipline?”
“I believe strong boundaries and open communication are always the best way to help a child understand. If you talk to them like adults they can understand why a boundary is there,”
"Good, do you have a boyfriend?"
"Ew no," Catra said before she thought better of the knee jerk reaction.
"A girlfriend?" Mermista asked curiously, leaning forward again and Catra frowned.
"I'm single and not looking to date. What does this have to do with the job?"
“Ms Grey would prefer no unknown people are brought around Finn, if you do have or will have a partner they will not be allowed to meet Finn unless they have passed the same security clearance you have,” Mermista said, sitting back in her chair and clicking her phone.
“That makes sense, but it won't be an issue,”
“Good to know,” Mermista said, stopping the recording and looking back at Catra.
“You have answered all the questions to my satisfaction. You can meet Finn now and they will make the final decision on whether they like you or not,” Mermista said, getting to her feet and adjusting her clothing to lay flat. Catra’s stomach swooped at the information.
Ms Grey’s 5 year old will be deciding her fate? She was not prepared for this.
“O-oh, right now?” Catra said, getting to her feet and Mermista nodding.
“Yep, follow me. Don’t worry, they have only rejected the last 5,” Mermista led her out of the room again and back to her desk as Catra silently panicked. Once she arrived she put her finger to her ear and spoke into the Bluetooth headset.
“Finn my love, can you come out to my desk for a moment?” Mermista asked in a soft and sweet tone that did not sound like it came from her body.
Catra waited by the desk for a few moments when the door cracked open and a small blonde child let themselves out of the room and closed the door behind them. They turned to face Mermista curiously.
“Finn, this is Miss Catra,” Mermista said motioning to Catra as they turned to her. Catra could see their darker ears poking out of their blonde mane of hair and their dirty blonde tail flicked with curiosity as they looked up at Catra.
Catra had never in her wildest dreams thought she would be taking care of a magicat kitten. Her chest burst with affection at their little round face and perfectly fitted suit. Catra felt her ears twitch atop her head, her eyes blown out at the adorable sight before her. Finn’s little ears twitched in return as they looked up at her.
She finally managed to get herself together and crouched down to Finn’s level to smile at them.
“Hi Finn, how are you today?” Catra asked and Finn smiled as they were eye level. Finn had possibly the biggest ocean blue eyes Catra had ever seen and they stepped closer to Catra, their little nose twitching as they tried to smell her.
“Your eyes are pretty,” Finn said plainly as they looked at her and Catra smiled.
“Thank you Finn, your eyes are very handsome as well,” Catra returned and they beamed happily.
“Miss Catra would like to take care of you when your mother is working, do you think that would be ok?” Mermista asked and Finn looked at her before they looked back at Catra in consideration.
“Yes, I think I would like that,” They said and Catra let out a breath of relief.
“I would really like that too,” Catra said and Finn beamed.
“Great, I’ll help Miss Catra get set up and you can go back to your mum,” Mermista said and Finn nodded, giving a little wave before they went back inside the office.
“Looks like you got the job. Come with me, we have so much paperwork to do. When can you start?” Mermista said, waving Catra towards the elevator again.
“Uh, as soon as you like?”
“Great, how's tomorrow?”
[...]
Catra’s morning was a whirlwind of security checks to have a keycard for the building created and a new, much better photo taken for the card. She was advised that she would need to return to collect it in the next few days once it was printed.
Mermista took Catra to the penthouse uptown using a car service which was apparently now at Catra’s disposal. The car and driver were so fancy that Catra felt out of place sitting in the back seat. Mermista seemed to know the driver personally and listened to his rattling stories as they weaved through traffic.
When they arrived at the house Catra was shocked that the whole top story was theirs. The space was clean and tidy with a homey feel to its walls. It had pictures and paintings and drawings all over the walls. So many faces to remember that apparently all knew Finn and Adora. She will have to look at them later. The house smelt of the little blonde kitten but also of another scent which was warm and woody. Catra’s nose twitched with distaste when she suddenly smelt something she wasn’t expecting.
“Oh, I forgot to mention Swiftwind,” Mermista said casually as she walked down the entrance hall. Catra frowned in confusion as she hoped her nose was wrong.
“Swiftwind?” Catra asked and a responding "boof" came from the living room. A dog, great. Catra didn’t love dogs, not from any negative experiences but simply lack of exposure. At the end of the hall there was a pure white giant staring back at her.
“This is Swiftwind, they’re a Great Dane. He has someone to walk him and mostly lounges around all day, so he won't be much of an issue,” Mermista said, petting him as he wagged his tail happily.
“That's fine,” Catra said nervously, approaching the dog and offering her hand for him to sniff. He headbutted her hand without a care in the world.
“He's a bit chatty, but if you tell him to keep it down he will listen,” Mermista said and Catra nodded. “He's fully trained, I’ll make sure you have a list of his commands,” Mermista said, making a note on her phone.
“Thanks,” Catra continued to pet the dog for a moment and he melted at the affection.
Where Catra was standing at the end of the hall made it easy to see into the large living room with bookshelves lining all available walls and into the adjoining kitchen which was bigger than Catra’s apartment. Catra looked at the soft grey countertops and the fancy appliances on the counter including a coffee machine with more buttons than a keyboard.
“Right, I’ll show you your room. Ms Grey is in the master bedroom at the end of the hall, Finn’s is on the right and yours is on the left,” Mermista motioned and Catra nodded. “Ms Grey has a study which is the door on the other side of the family bathroom there, no one is permitted to enter when Ms Grey is not inside and she often keeps it locked,” Mermista confirmed and Catra nodded her head slowly as she looked at the door curiously.
Mermista opened the door to Catra’s room and it was much bigger than she expected for a Nanny. It had a king sized bed, a dressing table, a couch, heating, shelves, a dresser and bedside tables. There was already more furniture than Catra had for herself.
“If you don’t like any of the furniture we can switch it out for something else,” Mermista said boredly, and Catra blinked at her with wide eyes.
“I can’t tell if you’re joking,” Catra said, feeling a little in awe.
“I never joke about ugly furniture. I suggest replacing the drawers with a closet so you can hang your clothing,” Mermista said, tapping on her phone again like she was going to do without Catra’s input.
“Oh, no, that's fine, I don’t have to hang my clothes,” Catra said, not wanting to be a bother, and Mermista looked her up and down before she made eye contact.
“That leads to my next point. The Grey-Skull-Moon family takes appearances very seriously, so now you are in their employment you are required to dress appropriately,” Mermista said motioning to herself and Catra flushed with embarrassment.
“My clothes are fine,” Catra defended and Mermista snorted.
“No. Ms Grey’s personal shopper will buy you appropriate clothing that you are required to wear. It's part of your employment package so I will make sure you have a closet delivered tomorrow so you can put them away,” Mermista said and tapped on her phone once again.
“Oh, what kind of clothing?” Catra asked and there was movement in the doorway as a tall platinum blonde with green skin entered the room.
“Only the best my dear. You can call me Dee,” they offered their hand and Catra took it to shake.
“Catra,” Catra offered and they smirked at her. Catra felt like she was under interrogation.
“A pleasure, I’ve got it from here Merms,” Dee offered and Mermista rolled her eyes.
“Fine, I’ll get back to my actual job I guess,” Mermista said dryly, and it was mere minutes before Catra was swept up in another car and taken to the fanciest boutique she had ever seen. The boutique had a high glass ceiling with actual live vines growing along the roof to let in speckles of light from the sun.
Dee took Catra straight to the back of the building and into the large change room. They held up some options of different styles so Catra could decide.
“What’s your look darling?” Catra herself liked tidy presentable clothing for work but she preferred comfortable soft clothing when she was relaxing.
“I guess a mix between professional and comfortable clothing for around home?” Catra asked a little unsure what was being offered to her.
“Well, this is a travesty,” Dee said as they picked at her oversized clothing and Catra frowned at them.
“It’s comfortable,” Catra defended and Dee snorted.
“Darling you are swimming in it, what size are you?” Dee asked and Catra told them her petite size and they clapped their hands with delight.
“Perfect, let's get started,” they said with a devious glint in their eyes. Trying on clothing, critiques and analysis.
Catra was instructed to undress to her undergarments before Dee had plenty to say about that too. They ensured she had new bras and underwear added to their purchases. Catra quickly learnt that fighting Dee just made the process longer and they would win in the end regardless.
Catra stood in front of the full length mirror that reflected at least 8 versions of herself from slightly different angles. She was wearing a beautiful silk blouse and a pair of incredibly well fitting jeans. She knew the clothing was expensive just from how amazing it felt against her soft fur. The tailor made adjustments to all her tail holes and ensured everything fit her like a glove but were easy to move in.
Dee was looking at Catra with a look of contemplation on their face and Catra frowned slightly before she asked.
“What?” Dee brought their eyes up to look at Catra in the mirror.
“I was just wondering what a pretty thing like you are doing hiding under all those frumpy clothing,”
Catra tried to hide the blush the complement burnt into her skin and Dee smirked deviously.
“People as attractive as us, kitten, should make the world jealous,” they said and Catra laughed before she looked back at herself in the mirror.
“I suppose there is no harm in well fitted clothing,” Catra conceded and Dee clapped their hands with delight.
“I’ll take it,” Dee was quickly identified as a menace, none of the clothing had price tags on it but Catra knew they were the kind of clothing that if you had to ask you couldn’t afford them. Apparently nothing was off limits and Catra got every possible clothing type she could need.
She had to stop Dee from throwing her jeans and sweater in the bin and instead hid them in one of her many bags of clothing.
The car was full of her spoils and Dee told her they would be in her room ready for her tomorrow. If she could arrive before 9am at the house Finn’s grandmother would drop them off at 10am and she would be on duty from that point.
With new keys on her fluffy purple cat keychain, she was dropped off at her own apartment to finish packing and arranging for her things to be collected for storage.
The whole day felt like a dream, it was all so unreal. She was waiting to wake up but when she sat in her living room staring at her wall for almost an hour to process everything from her day she realised it was all real.
She was so excited to spend the following day with Finn and get to know them better. She didn’t care at all about the perks of her new job, her only real care was about spending time with this little blonde kitten. She knew she had to be careful not to get too attached but with eyes like those she couldn’t help but be smitten.