InsaneJournal

Who: Nico and Raven
What: Random meeting
When: First week or so of school
Where: UC Irvine
Warnings: Low, mention of abortion protesters
Status: Partner Thread | Complete

Raven was one of those weird people who actually liked school. She liked learning. Admittedly since she could just absorb knowledge from books now, she didn’t necessarily need to go to school. But while she tended to dislike the idiots in her classes and around her, she liked it. It gave her something to do that wasn’t being miserable at work or her patrols. No matter how many times she came to peace with who she was in the dreams, there would always be that need to make up for it. To do good. For someone Robin called ‘one of the most hopeful people’ he knew, she really didn’t see it.

At present, she was sitting on a ledge overlooking the main area, just people watching. She’d been reading but as it appeared there was some sort of display and protest trying to take place, well… it distracted her. Dealing with the heightened empathy from round three of her dreams was a headache. She had control (which was better than when she’d gotten her second set and everything had felt off) but that didn’t change the fact she was adjusting and dealing with an onslaught of emotions.

Well it wasn’t school unless some weird thing was going on.

***

Nico was glad to be back on campus and in the dorms. Even though he technically could have lived at home and driven to campus every day he liked the freedom he had in the dorms. And the fact that Will was right across the hall from him and Sans was definitely a plus in his book. He liked being able to see his boyfriend pretty much whenever he wanted. And being able to kiss him whenever he wanted. That was pretty good too.

He had a little time between classes and had planned on using the main area to finish his reading assignment for his next class but there was some demonstration going on. “Great. Just what I needed today,” he muttered, dropping his bag down on the ledge as he sat down and looked out over the area in front of them. It was too loud for him to do his reading. He hadn’t even noticed the girl nearby until after he’d spoken and he gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

***

Dorms would be nice. But as it were, Raven was still technically underage as she wouldn’t turn 18 until the middle of November, so she wasn’t able to live on campus. Yes she had her fake ID for work purposes but applying to school had been without the lie of her age that she’d used when trying to ensure she could work enough to get out of her father’s house before Zatanna had changed her living arrangements. Even if living with her aunt was awkward in what she seemed to think was the ‘next obvious step’ or whatever now that she and Ed were dating. Based on conversations she heard around campus? Zatanna was following that line of thought and well… no use worrying about it. Raven was who she was. In theory.

She had felt someone’s presence before she had heard the voice, but that was common with the empathy. It helped that it meant people couldn’t just sneak up on her. Still, she just quirked a brow at the comment then shrugged as he apologized.

“It’s fine.”

And it was. Raven was used to being interrupted and as she’d only been people watching this time around, it wasn’t so much an annoyance. Besides, she definitely got it. Despite the general loudness, the emotions were loud, so any form of focusing was long gone.

“Pretty sure the point is disruption and I’m sure they anticipated the protesting as well.” Because wasn’t that always the way of it? Someone always needed to make a statement and the more controversially it was done, apparently the better.

***

“You’d think it was too early in the school year for people to be this upset about things here on campus.” Nico said, a half smile playing around the edges of his mouth. “Unless this is a group protesting the end of summer break? In which case - no one’s forcing them to be here right? If they want to protest they should do somewhere else,” he said, pulling his phone out to check his texts and calls. A lot from his mom in Italy, thank God that his plan had international calls because he still wasn’t ready to hop on Skype with her every day but he could talk to her on the phone.

“Any clue what they’re going on about this time?”

***

“Assuming it’s a student group. At least which started it.” Raven hadn’t been down to the area, so while there might be warning signs of what was ahead, she didn’t know what it was. “Though if they’re wasting their time protesting the end of summer, that’s idiotic. It always comes and it’s not some mass conspiracy.” Honestly, Raven found people to be tiresome at best. There were a handful of them that she considered hers, but as a whole?

But right. No throwing them into portals. And no letting her demonic nature take control, no matter what Trigon wanted from her should he ever show up.

“As for what it is? I think it’s a group not affiliated with the school. They’re taped off. Students seem to be protesting their display.”

***

“You should meet some of the people in the Design major - they might be stupid enough to protest it,” Nico said drily. He didn’t have a very high opinion of some of his classmates and he never went to any pains to hide it. He didn’t get along with a lot of people, either they didn’t appreciate his humor or he didn’t appreciate theirs. Or he just flat out hated being around them because they annoyed him for one reason or another. And most of the people in his classes so far seemed to fall into the annoying category. Maybe there was a reason his roommate and best friend was a Science major.

Nico sighed when she said it was a group not affiliated with the school. He’d learned last year that if it was being protested that meant it was probably one of two things: a religious group or one side or the other of the pro-life/pro-choice debate. “Probably either a religious group or people on one side or the other of the abortion debate if last year’s were anything to judge by. You’d think by now people would have accepted that everyone’s going to have different opinions on that issue and leave well enough alone.” Nico’s mom was Catholic, had raised him in the Catholic Church until he was old enough to make his own mind up and then accepted the fact that he wasn’t especially religious. He’d gone on holidays to make her happy but then had ignored it the rest of the year.

***

Raven had to scoff in amusement at the comment about people in the Design major. Oh, she well could understand the general disdain of most people. There were very few people she got along with and she considered as her people, and she was quite protective of them. People in general? Not so much. Even as she always worked to correct the sin of her birth and do what she could to help as a whole even while being the daughter of a demonic warmonger.

“My guess is abortion.” Pointing to where the display was set up, they weren’t at a vantage point to see what was on the displays. But the supposed pro-life people (though they only seemed to care about a fetus and not what happens after birth) really did like their shocking graphics and conflating words. Calling it genocide undermining actual genocide? Who cared! They had a message to put forth!

“Because they have to be the loudest to somehow be right. Though at least it’s not on the internet.” The thought alone caused her to shudder. The internet was a cesspool of opinions and insults and general nastiness.

***

“Judging by the crowd? I’m going with your guess. They always seem to be what draws out the biggest crowds.” Nico said, looking down at the crowd and sighing. “I don’t really think either side is right personally. Only the parents have a right to decide what happens with a pregnancy. Or they should.” He said looking back over at her. “Oh God. Have you seen this debate raging on the internet? People think it’s bad in situations like this they should stumble across the forums sometimes. It’s like they forget entirely how to talk to one another like human beings. It’s just insults and a lot of comments that have nothing to do with the issue they supposedly care so much about.” He shook his head and looked back down at the crowd. Which seemed to have grown larger.

“They’ve picked the perfect spot for their display. They’re just off campus so security can’t do anything to them. Probably the same group from last year.”

***

“They’re very loud.” Which wouldn’t make much sense but god did being an Empath in situations like this suck. She just had to find a way to deal with it. Though she did quirk a brow at the comment. “Which is a matter of personal choice. Which is what the protesters are fighting for. At least those who actually care and aren’t protesting for the sake of protesting.” There were a lot of intricacies, but in the end… choice. But then the mention of the internet and Raven just had to lean back and look up at Nico, “Anyone with half a brain should know that you never read comments on the internet. That’s just asking for a headache.” Or wanting to throw people into an interdimensional portal.

“I started later in the year so I wouldn’t know but it wouldn’t surprise me. Still, they know where they can and cannot go. Close enough to get in the way, but not on actual school property.”

***

“Most of them are probably just protesting for the sake of something to protest. They want to stand up for something but after last year when I made the mistake of trying to talk to one of them,” Nico’s voice trailed off for a moment as he remembered the guy. He’d been cute but an asshole. He was glad he’d met and started dating Will instead of that guy. “They didn’t know much about what they were actually supposed to be so fired up about. Or at least he didn’t seem to. They can be kind of funny sometimes. Learned some new and creative insults from them. You just have to not take them personally.”

“Last year they got escorted off campus to that spot,” he told her. He’d actually gotten to see it.

***

“Most likely. We’re on a college campus after all.” While it was certainly better than high school (and oh was she glad she had graduated early), Raven could tell that, at least with the new students? That remaining annoying tendencies and things that always made her want to throw someone into a portal once she had developed her abilities remained. So people being well informed on the things that they want to protest? That took studying and focus and who had time for that? “That can be the problem. People take things too personally.” She’d once had someone act shocked when she actually acknowledged improvement, as if she were always cruel. She just had no time for idiots. “But yeah, anonymity does lead to creativity in terms of insults.”

And that explained it. Why they had chosen the one spot and not more on campus.

“Oh look. They do learn as it allows them to remain obnoxious.”

***

“I’ve actually used a few of them on people.” Nico said with a grin. Mostly on his former roommate and the guy’s girlfriend when she didn’t want to take a hint that he was gay. Or hear him when he said that he was gay. Not his finest moment but he’d felt good afterwards. And she’d finally left him alone. Granted it was after he’d moved in with Sans but still. He liked to think the insults had helped with it.

He laughed out loud at her last comment. “Mystery solved of how to teach people - let them know ways they can continue to be obnoxious and annoying. I’m Nico by the way.”

***

Well that was interesting. Though it wasn’t like Raven never felt the need to do as such. So she just raised a brow bemused and nodded. Given she’d been told her commentary could make someone want to jump off a cliff because she was so ‘harsh’? It was just part of her personality not to suffer fools. “Whatever works.”

A faint flicker of a smirk occurred as he laughed and she nodded.

“That does tend to be the ways of it. I’m Raven.”

Well go figure that a friendship might be forming. As someone who had spent her life isolating herself from her peers (and not just because they were morons as a rule), this whole randomly connecting to people and making friends was still new and strange to her.

Looking to the clocktower, the teen noticed the time and gathered her stuff together before standing.

“It was refreshing talking to someone who isn’t a complete moron. I’ll see you around.” Because class and all. Still, not a complete waste of time so that was always nice.

***

Nico looked down at his phone as his alarm started going off just as the girl stood up to gather her things. Well he might not have gotten to study during his break but he’d met somebody that mind end up being a friend and he could always use a new friend. Or at least that’s what he kept hearing from people.

He picked his bag up and slung it over his shoulder and gave her a rare friendly smile. “Nice talking to you Raven. See you around.” He said, giving her a wave and then walking off towards his next class.