Raven loves waffles more than life itself (ofevilsfire) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-11-05 15:23:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !partner thread, rachel roth (raven), regina mills (evil queen) |
Who: Raven and Regina
What: Bonding
When: Recently
Where: Regina’s crypt
Warnings: None
Status: Partner Thread | Complete
Regina’s crypt had come together nicely. It’s not like the remodel came willingly, with Emma have had no choice but to obliterate it and the Dark One’s essence when Shattered Sight ran rampant. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, however - part of her would miss the mysterious sort of ambiance (albeit a bit dungeon-y and dank), but it meant she could rebuilt something new. Something better among the rubble. Henry and Neal had helped clear it out and restructure it, but magic filled in the rest. And instead of cobblestone there was marble, every surface almost like a mirror. Most things stayed in tact, from her Vault of Hearts to the various enchanted items propped up against shelves.
It held the scent of cinnamon, maybe candles burning. With a wave of her hand she could reshelf every book of magic in her possession, but she took her time to comb through the pages of each of them. Get re-acquainted with the knowledge they possessed, the words of power, before putting them away.
And today she had some company to help with that. Her sanctuary was a quiet and private one, not for the public use. Her personal underground lair.
“How is school going, hm? Don’t they have homecoming coming up soon?” A curious lift of her brows, naturally nude lips quirked. “Or is that too mundane for you?”
It wasn’t that Raven disliked the Magic Guild. She was there often enough. It was just that so many people would show up at times and they would end up distracting her from whatever it was she was doing. So sometimes she just needed the quiet that was Regina’s crypt. It was easier to focus and she knew that was something she desperately needed at the moment. She was trying to keep from any more… driving people to madness… incidents, but it was hard when there were people out there who didn’t care about whom they harmed.
Having chosen a book for the time, the teen was levitating in lotus position, flipping through the pages, letting the knowledge be absorbed.
“Dull. I think Ed plans to test out.” Which… well, it sucked. He was the only one who kept her sane in that forsaken place. And while she no longer had to worry about testing for her GED to move out, she still didn’t want to be stuck in that place. So she continued her consistent studying in case she decided to see about testing out as well.
It would be better for her empathy at any rate.
Though the comment about homecoming was met with a shrug. Raven wasn’t really the dance type. One? Too many people and too high of emotions. Two? Well, no one would bother asking her anyway because she was creepy and weird and she didn’t like the idiots anyway. “That was last month.” During which she had decided to patrol because she was a Teen Titan, even with Dick being older and doing his own thing and none of the others there.
Oh, by now Regina was well aware that she wasn’t a girl of many words. Raven was frank, every sentence short, but eventually she learned how to somewhat decipher the unspoken thoughts behind them. Sometimes it was a gamble, but the queen sought to understand as best as she could - being a teenager brought enough baggage, but being a teenage demon that was a vortex of power brought a couple more complications.
It was one of the reasons why she’d been so hesitant to even have Henry live here, as much as her heart yearned for it. If dreams ever start for him, it’d be nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. He’d see her at her worst, eventually at her best - but he’d dream of his father’s death, Neverland, being trapped within Pandora’s box. If only these things had an age limit.
“You’ll miss him,” she deduced, snapping the tomb shut and sliding it into the bookcase. Arms crossed, she leaned against it. “You two seem close. And I know he frequents the guild for practice every now and then.”
Complications was one word for it. A lifetime of training and learning control in the span of a few months really didn’t translate well in having that constant control she needed. Even if Ed were exceedingly loud in her head, he was still grounding. Emotions were intense in high school and while Raven could block out most of it, well… it was a headache. And while she wanted the others there, she also didn’t want them to dream because it was a constant gamble. Though Raven supposed that was the struggle for those who dreamt. Missing their friends yet not wanting them to suffer the dreams.
“I guess we are. Not sure how it happened.” Which really summed up all of Raven’s friendships. She tried so hard to keep people at arm’s length. First of because who her father was, and then because of her powers and lack of control. Yet people somehow found a way to become one of her people. The ones she was always aware of. The ones she would drive someone insane for to protect them or avenge them. It happened without realising and next thing she knew, it was what it was.
Raven didn’t know how to express herself, it was her rare moments of panic that probably said it depending on the situation. “He does. But that still leaves idiots at school.” And that was a whole different problem.
“High school isn’t forever,” Regina chuckled huskily, circling the levitating demon in disguise - she even peeked over her shoulder to view the text she was reading, knocking their temples together as gesture of affection. “Though to pop your bubble, you’ll continue to deal with all sorts of idiots after your four years mandatory education is completed. Maybe not as often, but they’ll be around.”
It was all about faking a brilliant smile and pretending as if tolerant sunshine was streaming out of her asshole, all while she was cursing their very existence in the back of her mind. A finely honed skill perfected throughout the years, a necessary evil in a business that was about pleasing every client that hired her to make sure their decor decisions weren’t an absolute travesty. Morons lurked in every corner, sadly. “You might as well enjoy the normalcy of high school before your thrusted into adulthood. Things were much easier when I was sticking gum in a nerd’s hair.”
Everyone was on her about a normal experience. Raven was pretty sure she didn’t know what that was. She felt awkward and uncomfortable around most people and not just because she could feel their emotions. She didn’t mind being an outsider, not really. But that didn’t mean she had to be stuck there if she could get out. Right?
“I deal with idiots at work as well.”
Really. Peter Pan as her manager. What the actual hell was her life? Though he had seemed oddly concerned about her, which meant that Raven was doing her best to avoid the talk he seemed to want to have about the changes she had dealt with because of the dreams. It was just far too strange to think that the obnoxious college student was more than just that.
“So I keep getting told.” Sighing, Raven ran her fingers over the text and absorbed some more information before turning the page. Supposedly there was a balance between normal and being able to help and find some way to balance the destruction within her. So far though, it seemed like a lie.
In the center of this particular room was a round table - a round table that also doubled as an enormous black mirror, the edges etched in symbols for power enhancement. It was another set of eyes, a window to memories when the right potion mixture was sprinkled atop. Regina perched herself on it, fingers tracing senseless pictures on smooth surface.
“Well, considering your patience is like mine - which is practically non-existent - if you ever need a quiet place to hide, let me know. I’ll grant you access here.” Raven knew better than to mess with certain things, but overall she trusted the teenager.
Which was also a frightening statement, as not many adults would say they put their trust in one.
There was a flicker of a smile from Raven at the quip about how she had practically non-existent patience because, well, it was true. She could try to her heart’s content but at the end of the day, she usually wanted to put at least one person in a portal daily. Which apparently wasn’t how she was supposed to deal with idiots. And it wasn’t like teenagers were known for their impulse control. Raven was good at it, but sometimes it was really hard to make sure to do so.
“Thanks. There are a lot of people going through the Guild.”
Which Regina obviously knew since she had her own crypt and didn’t need to use the guild as much. But between idiots at school and work, Raven would find herself easily jolted from whatever she was doing when new energies disrupted her, even when meditating.
Raven wanted to portal shitheads, Regina wanted to either set them on fire or strangle them with a telekinetic chokehold - but handling things with magical violence wasn’t a socially acceptable norm, sadly. Either way, the sentiment was very much understood.
“It’s good that they are,” she expressed, knees crosses. Today she’d been walking around barefoot. It was after hours from work, she dressed comfortably for organization down there, she’d walk without shoes across her own floors if she damn pleased. “Best that they have a safe haven to practice magic without causing damage to public areas, but I understand that it can get overwhelming. I prefer privacy. And control of who goes in and out.”
But it was nice to visit and occasionally chat, see what others were up to and what they’ve accomplished. No one’s magic was exactly like, and that was the beauty of it - there were so many things they could all learn from each other, new ways on how to concoct potions or perform rituals. In there, everyone was both a student and teacher.
“I know.” And she did. She wouldn’t begrudge people a place to practice. She was all too aware about what could happen if people didn’t have that. Didn’t make it any less disturbing though. “Well. It’s here or going into my mirror.”
Which was actually a thing. Because Raven had gotten the mirror that had allowed Beast Boy and Cyborg to enter her mind. And while it was easy to slip into it, or another dimension, Raven knew that would probably end up badly if she used it too much. The mirror was more for housing her different emotions so that she could (in theory) remain calm and not lash out or break things at school or work because of idiocy or heightened emotions around her.
“Sometimes it’s necessary. The privacy. Each person is different.” And that wasn’t bad. Though try telling that to teenagers.
“Well, I’m glad the sanctuary of my crypt is preferred over your mirror?” Yes, it was worded as a question - a bemused one more than anything. “I’m almost flattered. It gives me the impression you actually like me.”
A joke, clearly. Raven preferred to keep people at arm’s length and so did she, but Regina knew that existence was a lonely one. And while she strived to tear herself away from the presence of those deemed aggravating, it was still nice to be around someone. Even in comfortable silence. Knowing that they were there, but also allowed you respectable space.
“Which is very rare.” Raven could pick up on joking, and she had a slight, nearly invisible, smirk as she responded. But it was true. Raven did actually like Regina. The crypt was also definitely better than the mirror. She didn’t mind it, but Raven preferred not going into it where there was always the risk of Trigon and those particular demons.
Besides. Regina understood the idea of comfortable silence. Just because you might be sitting with someone, or just around them, didn’t mean there always had to be talking. Raven was lucky that it seemed those she had adopted as her people understood that concept and didn’t seem to mind if she said nothing, that it wasn’t actually an affront to them.