A/N: This was originally uploaded to my AO3 on November 22nd, 2018, under the same title and author. Rated M just to be safe, since there will be some horny interactions, but no actual sex scenes.


Scorpia trudged through the underbrush, watching the tracker in her hands carefully. Entrapta said there were definitely signals of Old One's tech somewhere in Plumeria, but Scorpia needed to retrieve the actual technology. She squinted at the tracker. Although at a distance it seemed like one big dot, there were actually two little red dots, and she was not sure which one she should check out. Fortunately, since they were so close together, she guessed it would not be hard to grab them both.

She tried to focus on both the tracker and the foliage around her, but it was a challenge to watch the tracker for too long. When she got too absorbed in watching the dots get closer to her location as she walked, a stray root caused her to trip and fall, eliciting a mumble, "Oh geez, I didn't see that there..."

She got up again, and tried to pay more attention to environment. So long as she held her path straight-ish and checked the tracker every now and again, she should be able to keep the right direction. And there was so many interesting plants here! Up until recently, Scorpia had mostly been on battle missions, so she didn't usually have time to stop and stare at the scenery. She hadn't realized how many different colors ferns could be! Honestly, if she were to take a vacation, Plumeria might be the place to go. Something in the back of her head niggled at her, warning her that there was a very good reason not to run back and grab Catra or Entrapta right now to enjoy it with her. But she couldn't quite place her finger on what the issue would be.

"Halt!" Oh yeah, the Rebellion.

Scorpia raised her tail, poised to stab the general direction where the voice came from, but was assaulted on all sides. The plants she had been admiring twisted and wrapped themselves around all of her limbs, almost instantly immobilizing her.

She tugged at the plants, but they criss-crossed and wrapped with a strength so great she could not even break it with her claws. "Wow, these are super secure!" She exclaimed.

Some trees parted to allow a woman through. "Scorpia," She hissed, arms crossed.

Scorpia looked her up and down. Long, gorgeous blond hair, with flowers woven through… "Perfuma?"

"What is the Horde doing, poking around Plumeria?"

"Well honestly, not all that-"

"I should warn you," Perfuma, with roots moving beneath her feet, practically flew up to Scorpia's face, "That we are no longer the wallflowers we once were."

Scorpia stared up at her, she wasn't used to craning her neck up to see someone. "Sure, but I can assure you that-"

"We are the thistle in the bush, the bramble in the woods, the thorn of the rose! Pick a fight with us, and you'll see just how deadly nightshade can be!"

Although they were threats, Scorpia had to share some feedback, "Very intimidating, while also being poetic. I dig it."

Perfuma narrowed her eyes at her. "Why are you here?"

Scorpia laughed. "Well, as I started to say twice before, I was just looking for something."

Perfuma looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. When she did not, Perfuma asked, "...What are you looking for?"

"I, um, wow this is awkward," Scorpia sighed, "See, I'm kind of technically sure I'm not… supposed… to tell you? It's like, Horde stuff, nothing to worry about."

Perfuma jabbed a finger towards her. "You think I'd just let you go after hearing that?"

"I can't actually tell you details, but I can assure you I'm not trying to, like, directly hurt Plumeria or anything."

Perfuma rolled her eyes. "Wow, that was super convincing."

Scorpia grinned. "Really? Thanks!"

For a moment, Perfuma just stared down at her. Then, she smirked. "You know, I've always wanted to try… torture."

"Really?" Scorpia exclaimed, "Can I join you? They gave us some training on that in Force Captain Orientation, but I haven't had many chances to use it-"

A leafy vine slapped itself over Scorpia's mouth. Perfuma turned, and with the flick of her hand, used the vines to carry Scorpia back to her private grove.


Okay, Perfuma had never actually tried to torture someone before, but she could… she could try! That's what big, tough, war generals did. When they found the enemy prowling in their territory. They did what had to be done. She took a deep breath, and uncovered Scorpia's mouth.

"Firstly, beautiful grove! I love those big red flowers over there, the little stream with the itty-bitty waterfall, so cute! Also what are the yellow flowers? And the orange flowers?"

Perfuma was a smidgen taken aback by Scorpia's word dump. But she was determined to stay tough. She raised herself up with vines to tower over Scorpia. "I'm the one asking questions around here."

"Alright, alright," Scorpia had the audacity to chuckle at her, "But before you ask: Yes, this is my natural hair color."

Clearly, Scorpia was not taking Perfuma's threats seriously. Well, Perfuma would just have to show her she was serious. She slowly squeezed her fist, compelling the vines around Scorpia to tighten. Scorpia's face changed; for once a cloud of worry started to come over her. A self-assured grin came over Perfuma's face. "I can squeeze even tighter than that if you keep playing games."

"This is cool in a being-squeezed-by-a-snake-about-to-eat-me sort of way, but could you maybe loosen it a bit on the tail?" Scorpia's face was starting to redden.

Perfuma chuckled. "What? Sensitive there?" Highlighting her ruthlessness, Perfuma deliberately squeezed specifically the tail tighter.

Scorpia gasped.

Perfuma was not used to people being scared of her. She liked the feeling.

"Yes, it's sensitive, but-" Scorpia was interrupted by Perfuma squeezing tight again. When she caught her breath, she continued, "-not in the way you think."

That caused Perfuma to pause. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you really gonna make me say it?"

Scorpia's face was now as red as her claws. Internally, Perfuma patted herself on the back for being so intimidating. "Say what? 'Oh Perfuma, please have mercy on me, I'll tell you everything'? Because I might consider being kind if you beg." To emphasize her current mercilessness, Perfuma squeezed the tail again.

"Okay, I didn't want to make this weird, but I gotta confess: My tail is what one might call a 'special area' that's very sensitive in a specific way, and your vines are currently…" Scorpia was sweating now, "Well, they're, um, to put it delicately, 'stimulating' it."

The implication dawned on Perfuma. Her eyes widened.

"...And me. Stimulating it, and by proxy, me." Scorpia squeaked out.

Perfuma immediately loosened all the vines to have only the slightest grip on Scorpia's tail. She buried her face in her hands and turned away. "Sorry."

Scorpia glanced away. "No big, it's not very obvious, and you didn't know after all."

Perfuma groaned, embarrassment and frustration bubbling in her stomach.

"You okay there?" Scorpia asked with a gentle voice.

"No!" Perfuma exclaimed, turning on her, "I'm trying to interrogate you and be a leader and war general, but I don't know what I'm doing! I'm not scary at all!"
"Aww, don't say that," Scorpia assured her with a sweet voice, "You're plenty scary."

"Scarily bad at threatening people, you mean?"

"No! Honestly Perfuma, I'm a Force Captain. That's like, the third highest position in the Horde. I'm well trained in both battle and stealth, yet you were able to sneak up on me and immobilize me in literally less than a second."

Perfuma looked at Scorpia with wide eyes.

Scorpia continued, admiration in her voice, "That is so – forgive me for my language – so badass! You're able to use your powers effectively and efficiently, enough so to take down a powerhouse like me!"

"I am pretty good with my powers," Perfuma admitted.

"And besides, by the laws of the jungle, if you beat someone you're officially stronger than them. And you've defeated me, who's rough and tough, so you're at least rougher and tougher than me."

Perfuma laughed. "Are you really?"

Scorpia pursed her lips. "That's the impression people give me."

"Would someone tough immediately start comforting their captor?" Perfuma smirked. "If anything, you seem awfully sweet to me."

Scorpia began to redden again, so Perfuma loosened her grip on the tail again just in case. "Sweet? Me?"

"Like sugarcane," Perfuma assured her.

The two of them did not speak a moment, unsure of where to go from there.

Finally, Scorpia coughed. "Um, I 'beg for your mercy', because I have this terrible itch on my nose, would you mind-"

Perfuma laughed, bathing in the glow of being called strong. "Maybe enduring that should be your torture."

"Oh pretty please, it's so itchy, just an itty bitty scratch will do, didn't you say I was sweet? Couldn't you spare some kindness for such a sweet friend?"

Perfuma's heart sped up at being called a friend. Was that alright to be with a… a Horde member? Like this? Perfuma took a breath, it's not like a little bit of banter ever hurt anyone. And, although Scorpia was the enemy, her words had comforted her. Perfuma could not pretend it was not a kind thing to say.

"It itches so bad, please," Scorpia begged.

And Perfuma liked being begged.

She came up to Scorpia, her vines keeping her towering above. She liked looking down on Scorpia, and seeing Scorpia crane her neck (at least, as much as she could crane in those vines) to keep Perfuma's face in view. She reached out a single finger to scratch the nose. Her eyes focused on Scorpia's white hair. It looked soft to the touch.

Dismissing a strange urge to run her fingers through the white strands, she refocused on the nose. Using a single finger, she scratched the tip.

Scorpia sighed. "Thank you. And sorry."

Perfuma noticed the poised stinger a moment too late to dodge. She felt a pinch in her thigh, then darkness.


By the time Perfuma woke up, it was nearly sun down. She cussed herself out for trusting the enemy so easily. She gave herself a wake up slap using her own vines, as punishment for believing a Horde soldier so easily.

The movement of the vines disrupted something, though. A single slip of paper floated up, landing next to Perfuma. She lifted it up and gaped at the contents.

Hi Perfuma,

Sorry about leaving so abruptly, I didn't want my other friends to worry about me not returning. Thanks for your kind words. Good luck with your torture studies!

Love,

Scorpia

Beneath that, there was a cute stick figure drawing of two girls holding hands. One with big claws, which had to be Scorpia, and one with long hair and flowers. Perfuma peered closer at her portrait. Scorpia had even remembered to add some freckles.

She sighed, leaning back against a tree. Just how much of that had been faked?