Who: Dick Grayson, Raven and Zatanna Zatara What: Raven accidentally portaled into Dick's room. Zatanna comes to pick her up When: [BACKDATED] 12 January 2015, eveningish Where: Dick's apartment Warnings: None~ Status: Log | Complete
Sometimes when she was feeling exceptionally lonely, Raven would wrap herself in the purple cloak she had received from the Dreams and sit in her room. It came with the lack of friends she had. There was Regina, yes. And on some level she got along with Damian, but over all, Raven still felt isolated and alone for the most part. In her Dreams, she had a team, she had friends and no matter what she claimed, it sometimes hurt she didn’t really have that here. Zatanna’s question about friends only drove the point home as there was no answer to that. She didn’t know the woman and it had gone way too serious and so she had ignored the question.
But the question continued to bother her. Remind her of what she didn’t have here that she had in the Dreams. She was able to keep herself (mostly) busy with school and researching to help find a way to save Neal’s life. To get the man out of his head who would hurt them all, but there was only so much studying and research she could do before she ended up thinking about the Teen Titans. She may have felt isolated there at times, but it was nothing compared to how she felt here.
Following school, she had gone home and locked herself in her room, pulling the purple cloak from the footlocker she’d put her dream items in and wrapped herself around it before she started to meditate. She needed to be focused. She couldn’t let herself be distracted when there was so much on the line.
A flash in her mind and she was remembering Robin, the one she had trusted with the information about her father, about her destiny. Going through Hell with him. The trust she had and the mental link the two shared and suddenly an interdimensional portal opened and Raven found herself in an unknown bedroom.
“What the….”
Dick had finally gotten a chance to get back to his apartment. Things had been so hectic on the streets he really hadn’t gotten the opportunity to use it much beyond a bed. The room Raven landed in was basically bare save for said bed, and a gym bag in the corner that hadn’t been unpacked. It could have been homey when made over but for now it just looked empty. Felt empty, except it wasn’t.
Across the hall there was steam coming from the bathroom and the sound of water running. The occupant inside had no idea there was anyone else in his apartment. The water didn’t stop upon Raven’s arrival, in fact it continued for a good twenty minutes before Dick decided he was finally clean. He’d been working so much and using the work showers, that his own almost felt foreign.
Finally he finished, the water turned off and he reached for a towel to dry off with. Wrapping the towel around his waist he headed toward his room. He opened the door and saw the girl there, his eyebrow raising and his body freezing. “Uhh hey? Got the wrong apartment kid..?” Maybe she’d gotten lost?
Logically Raven knew she should have just portaled out of the apartment. That was what normal and sane people did. Then again, normal and sane people didn’t have magic portal abilities that had her inside some random apartment. The teen barely noticed the sound of the shower running, instead focusing on the area around her.
It felt lonely.
Was that why she was there? Two lost souls who were lonely and her mind had latched onto it in her own feelings of loneliness and isolation? Or was there something more to it. Because she had been looking around, the empath didn’t realize that Dick was there until she heard his voice and looked up.
Yep. Awkward.
“Raven.”
Because the proper response was to say her name. Obviously. But this wasn’t a situation Raven had ever expected to find herself in.
“Sort of.”
Because answering the question was also important.
Dick quirked an eyebrow. Okay, not the most talkative girl he’d ever met. “What are you doing in my room?” Most guys probably would have been thrilled to find a girl in their bedroom. This however was creepy. Dick was not into teenage girls. Sorry. He didn’t want to wind up on an episode of America’s Most Wanted, or lose his job and reputation as a cop in a brand new city.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You mind?” He wanted to get dressed at least. Standing there in a towel was only making the situation seem a hell of a lot worse than it already was. “Gimmie a sec and then you can tell me what exactly you’re doing here.”
What was she doing in his room? It wasn’t like Raven herself knew. She’d been meditating and suddenly she was here. It had just happened, which meant that she had to come up with a plausible reason, so she just shrugged at the question and tried to seem less put together and more confused. Given the fact she wasn’t the most expressive of people, it actually took energy to do that.
Then she shook her head at the question. Clothing was good. Clothing was very good. And hopefully in that time she could figure out something that would at least seem feasible because she hadn’t seen him on Valarnet, he hadn’t just assumed Orange County thing, so surprise portal wasn’t going to cut it.
Dick had been so busy he hadn’t even been able to check the network thing he’d been given the address to. The crime wave had the entire police station in a frenzy. He was exhausted and didn’t seem up for many questions fortunately for Raven.
When he came back he was dressed and a bit more presentable save for wet hair. “You hungry?” He was starving, it was hard to find a minute to himself these days much less have time to actually cook something.
A lack of questions was definitely a good thing. She was still curious about what was going on, about why she had shown up here of all places in the middle of her meditation but that was something she could figure out on her own.
“No. I’m fine. Thank you.”
She might be antisocial and sarcastic, but Raven still had manners. When they counted. This was one such situation given how awkward it already was. Absently, she tugged on her cloak to wrap it more around herself.
"Hmm well that's awkward me eating in front of you. Cmon there had to be something you want. I'm a fair cook? " He'd been a bachelor long enough, he'd picked up a few food tricks. Teenagers were supposed to be easy to feed. He had been. "How about a milkshake. Or a smoothie?" She really wasn’t the talking sort but that was just too bad, he was.
Bruce had warned him his mouth would get him in trouble, and now he’d made probably the worst first impression possible. He was a talker, but that wasn’t always a good thing. Dick had of course by now slid off awkwardly to get changed into real clothes, and left Raven to her own devices for a bit before returning with an exasperated sigh. He ran a hand through his still wet hair and looked over at her.
“Your aunt is coming to get you and potentially murder me.” Welcome to Orange County indeed. “Wanna juice box or something?” What did he even offer the kid. He liked juice boxes. Did teenagers still like them, or were they to cool for juice boxes now?
Raven was trying to put together just what had happened. She had a theory but it wasn’t one she could share, especially with someone who didn’t automatically assume Orange County thing, which meant he was new. So she just sat where she was on the floor as he went to put his clothes on and had planned to get her phone when she remembered that it was still in her room.
The fact Zatanna was coming to get her was also awkward. She barely knew the woman. Waffle discussions really didn’t lead to ‘come get me from the stranger’s apartment’. At least with Regina if she mentioned it was an accidental portal, it would make sense.
“Right…” And then he offered her.. a juice box. Having lowered the hood, Raven just quirked a brow at him. She almost asked for herbal tea but decided she’d just get that when she was home, “No.. I’m okay. Thanks…”
On the way to the address this asshole had given her, Zee tried to figure out the right thing to say and the right thing to do, when it came to Raven - but she was coming up short because for all her good intentions, and desire to connect, to be a family, she just...was nervous. Pathetically so. It wasn’t something she could pull from a hat or attach to a scarf or snap her fingers and make appear, thus it was foreign to her - she couldn’t make Raven want to connect with her, but Zee would just have to keep trying. Because it was something that would take time, and not happen overnight. Then when they finally became a family it’d be worth all the work, because most things that were worth the work didn’t come easy.
First she was going to string up this Dick by his balls. Maybe. Possibly.
Why did his name sound so familiar?
In her boots that could easily kill a man without the want of firearms, she marched up to the front door of the address he’d given her - after parking her rental car out front and praying nothing happened to it - and knocked. Forcefully, but politely. Not ‘huff and puff’ level, but it wasn’t no shave and a haircut shit either.
“I got strawberry, or grape.” He Tempted one more time as he went to get himself a grape one. The threatening women told him not to move, but to hell with that it was his apartment. He wanted a juice box. He went to go get one when he heard the knocking. “Tis some visitor rapping at my chamber door.” He muttered as he shut the fridge, Zatanna threatened him so much he decided to mentally cast her in Poe wit that knock.
Never the less he didn’t ignore it, juice box in hand he crossed the apartment to open the door.
“Zatanna.” He moved aside with little fight or argument and motioned to Raven on his couch. And of course he now was perfectly dressed, and she was untouched. “She’s all yours.”
With Dick getting his own juice box, Raven moved to the couch, remaining quiet. It wasn't like there was much to say. Theory on who he was didn't give her much to go with. Especially when he didn't know how Orange County worked.
Then there was a knock on the door and Raven stood as Dick opened the door and just waved at Zatanna in seeming boredom. She had no idea what reason to give on how she ended up there. Would silence work? Probably not. Oh well, she'd figure something out.
Zee wasn’t certain what she was expecting, but it wasn’t a grown man (a cop? Had she read that right?) with a juice box in hand. She was immediately suspicious, and yet the whole thing just seemed so odd it wasn’t exactly teeming over into dangerous territory. Unless Dick Grayson was proficient in the art of switcheroos when it came to preying on teenage goth girls.
“Thanks,” she spoke, narrowing electric blue eyes, giving him a sweep-over with them as she stepped past and further inside the place to claim her niece. “Raven, are you ready to go?” They’d talk about this in the car. Whatever the reason was for being over here, it would be sussed out. Mostly because Zee was hoping for it to not be some Romeo and Juliet thing. Anything but that, please.
Then all of a sudden it hit her like a pile of bricks. “Hey, I rememberyou - “ She swiveled toward the cop, hand on her hip. “You and your...tights.”
Maybe he should have chosen Snow Queen the way she was glaring at him to cast her in. Of course he couldn’t blame her, he was a police officer but they weren’t exactly popular lately. He had hoped it might defuse her somewhat, but so far he was out of luck. She brushed right past him toward Raven, and he raised an eyebrow at the kid.
His apartment was basically bare but didn’t scream creepy murderer or child abductor. He really just didn’t have a chance to move in. He’d been swept up in the recent crime spree and hadn’t even unpacked his bags. There were still a few strewn about.
When she whirled on him he practically choked on his juice. “Sorry?” He stumbled in confusion, tights? So many circus memories also hit him in the face. “I rocked those tights thank you.” He was grinning now. “Zatanna Zatara. See you’ve gotten over the pink phase.”
All Raven could do was shrug and nod. Because really, what the hell? Yes, she’d discussed the whole concerned guardian thing with Edward, but she had been on the ‘doesn’t have that’ spectrum and someone she just met filling that role? It was weird and uncomfortable. So silence it was.
Or Zatanna could mention...tights?
And cue the confusion when it seemed the two knew one another. Did that mean he knew her mother, too? Any planning Raven had on trying to figure out an answer to a question she knew was going to come was gone at the sudden turn of events. It was official. This was up there with weirdest day ever.
Some of the ice chipped off, and Zee relaxed. Because she knew the guy, and was assured he wasn’t some creepy predator. It had simply taken a bit for the pieces to all click into place. “As good as I look in pink, it doesn’t usually set the right tone with the black fishnets I wear now,” she said, her posture not so knotted and rigid. She added, for Raven’s benefit, “Dick Grayson. There was this...family of acrobats, and we met when we were kids traveling with our circuses.”
Her own had been like family, but they never really rooted for very long. Hence why she hadn’t had a ton of time with Dick and his tights but obviously the memory had lodged itself in her head firmly - just needed some dusting off, was all.
“Do you remember Kat too?” she asked, leaning against the edge of the sofa. “Or was I your favorite Zatara sister?”
“Of the Flying Graysons.” He took a dramatic bow toward both with a broad grin. He really wasn’t just some creeper, no. He was a harmless guy who liked Chinese takeout and juice boxes. “Man I haven’t seen you since you were maybe this big?” He motioned a hand down by his hip. He couldn’t blame her for forgetting, it was a long time ago. If they were all held responsible for everything they forgot as kids the world would be a sorry place.
“I kept most of my attention on you.” He winked playfully but shrugged soon after with a laugh. “I remember she once pushed me into the elephants trough for telling her her she messed up on a routine.” He rubbed his neck at the memory. “I was picking elephant food out of my hair for like a week.” Blue eyes shifted back toward Raven with a smile. “Told you it’d all work out somehow.”
Dick Grayson? The name sounded familiar…. The name Damian had told her was the Raven she knew from her Dreams? Add in the fact that he was from a circus family and the Flying Graysons? Her theory was right. She had just shown up here because she’d been thinking about her team, and the last bit had been about Robin and everything from dealing with her father. Somehow her subconscious had known he was there.
At least, that was the theory as she needed to verify the name. Not being one who was talkative, the teen just nodded as Dick turned to her and said that things had worked out. She was more distracted by putting the pieces together, as well as the random anecdote about the mother she had never known.
“Most of your attention? Sure you did, honey,” Zee laughed too, mostly because the thought of someone going flying into the elephant’s trough was amusing as hell. Maybe she could recall it too; it was dusty, but there, pleasant memories of her youth when things hadn’t gotten bad yet - there was a family, granted, an unconventional one. But a family all the same. No parental death or shady Russian criminals coming in between sisters. “I remember you filled out the tights pretty good. I’m sure if you put them on now it’d be even better.”
But alas, that was probably a conversation for another day. Raven probably had a rough night, and she looked to be eager to be anywhere but here. “Okay, well...” A glance at her niece, and Zatanna rummaged in her handbag for the keys to her rental. “I guess we should get going. Thanks for...keeping her, until I could come get her.”
Dick was curious about Raven, the girl really didn’t talk much..Maybe one of these days he’d be able to change that, but for now his attention turned entirely back to Zatanna. A grin tugging back into the corners of his lips. A laugh followed, but then he looked back at Raven and bit his tongue. Anything he was going to say in return was completely inappropriate for someone her age to hear with their very attractive aunt involved.
“We should catch up. Maybe dinner? Friday?” He gave his wet hair a flick away from his eyes as it irritated them.
Yep. Still awkward. At least the awkward was about to come to an end. Though she did quirk a brow at him when Dick looked to her and looked to hold back what he was going to say. Okay then…. she probably didn’t even want to know.
“Yeah. I guess so.”
Maybe she’d have Zatanna take her to Regina’s. There was research that still needed to be done and she doubted the woman would be wanting to take her back home given her feelings about Raven’s father. Okay, so Raven hated him as well. But still.
Zatanna blinked, a brief flutter of feather-duster lashes. Was he asking just her to dinner, or what? Then she mentally hit herself in the face for being silly. Why would he want it to be a group thing? Though maybe Raven wouldn’t immediately have responded with abject horror, if it meant she got to hear stories about her mother. And Zee had plenty of those - plus, she was also curious about the younger-looking version of Kat.
Mostly, at the moment, curious about why she’d ended up in a stranger’s apartment. But that would be discussed.
However, for now she’d just assume Dick was talking solely to her. “Sure,” she grinned, a bright smile that was red-splashed-on-white. “Catching up would be nice. I’m on Valarnet, and...you have my card too.” Or he would, when he checked his pants pocket. She was ever-so-fond of that trick.
“See you,” she added over her shoulder, shuffling the morose teenager to the door.
He watched Zatanns's reaction and gave her a bright grin when she agreed. Of course he was interested in Raven too but not in the wine over dinner sort of way. Later his brain would catch up to asking her more questions about just why exactly sure was in his apartment, but for now his attention was distracted by a fishnet clad magician.
"See ya. " He responded with a goofy wave at her and mentally sobered before addressing Raven again with a less smitten and more friendly wave. He wasn’t turned off by her silence but more intrigued. Dick was a sucker for a good magic trick, so maybe it wasn't a fat cry to assume if she was with his friend she was her apprentice or something. As they headed for the door he felt that card in his pocket and his grin only returned. Orange County was going to be more fun than he thought.