InsaneJournal

Who: Caleb Rivers and Raven
What: Raven’s a spirit. Just so happens Caleb can see spirits
When: 14 October
Where: Random park bench
Warnings: Low
Status: Log | Complete

This whole being invisible thing was really rather annoying. Oh, she knew that she would get her body back, but that didn’t mean she had to be happy about the current state of things. Which...seemed to be a constant in her life. Hair magically blonde? Temporary but she was still annoyed. Stuck without a body? Well she had it on authority she would get a new body. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t annoyed in the here and now that (unless when she focused really hard) she wasn’t even visible.

She officially could call in dead to work and school and it would be accurate.

At present though, Raven wasn’t focusing. She was invisible, a spirit just watching as the world passed her by. She was good at seeming invisible and just watching that way, but there was always the chance someone might recognize her and come over to talk. That wasn’t the case right now.

So people watching. And dwelling in her own head, which… never ended well.

When Caleb left Stark Tower he spotted someone very familiar just sitting on a park bench. Raven, not really a close friend, probably more along the lines of an acquaintance. But she had healed him once which he would always be incredibly thankful for. So Caleb decided to go say hi, before heading home.

“See anything interesting?” he asked casually plopping down onto the bench beside her. “Or are you waiting for someone?” In which case he would make himself scarce. No need to interrupt or whatever.

Well, that was unexpected as Raven knew for a fact she was still invisible. So unexpected that Raven actually turned her head in shock and just looked at Caleb and blinked some, brows furrowing some in confusion.

“You can see me…?”

And then it clicked.

“Oh. Right. Ravenswood.”

Yeah, that was awkward. But he knew she watched Pretty Little Liars and he did go to the Guild for the whole seeing spirits thing. It was just something that she hadn’t expected because she was used to being invisible in general that being stuck in spirit form? Not being seen was par the course.

“But no, nothing really interesting. Just… people.”

“Of course I can see you,” Caleb’s brow furrowed. Why wouldn’t he be able to see her? Did she suddenly get the ability to go invisible? Although she probably could have always had that ability and he would never know. He had seen her turn into a bird once.

But then she mentioned Ravenswood. He knew she watched Pretty Little Liars, had mentioned it to him after he realized he was from a fucking TV show. It made sense she watched the shit show that was Ravenswood too.

But that would mean-

Shit.

“Are you dead?”

As far as Raven knew, she’d never had the ability to go invisible. She had a lot of them, but invisibility wasn’t one of them. Still, it was unexpected that someone would be able to see her on first thought. She’d gotten used to the invisible thing (for the most part) so she had gotten caught off guard.

And there was the question. One she didn’t quite know how to answer because her dreams this time around really made sense. Then again, she’d already died once from them only to rise from the ashes.

“Yes… no? I don’t know. In the dreams my body was destroyed and I’m wandering around as a spirit. I’ve been informed I will get a body again. Right now I’m just….”

Hands out as a sort of shrug. Because here she was, presently a spirit. Not dead because her soul was still intact, both here and the dreams. But no body at the moment.

Well that was confusing. But hey, at least she wasn’t completely dead? “I’m glad you aren’t dead,” Caleb offered with a half smile. “It must be strange. Wandering around without a body.” He’d certainly never want to do it. Plus, who would he even talk to? Jeremy probably. He could see spirits too. But still what a boring existence. No computers or Hanna? No thank you.

“Is it going to be the same body? Or are you going to look completely different the next time I see you?” he asked as if she would know the answer. “Actually,” he continued going back to his previous thought. “If you ever get bored you can always come talk to me. Must be lonely when most people… don’t see spirits.”

“Yeah. Looks like this place is stuck with me.” Well, Raven and deadpan expressions. She was finding a home in a place she had lived her entire life, but that never got rid of the sensation (especially with the dreams) that people would be better off without her. But that was life. “A bit. I’m used to being invisible though so not all that different from before.”

And a shrug. That was life. Then the question.

“I… have no idea. I’m guessing in the dreams it will be a new body since the whole...body destroyed thing. If that will happen here though?” Though given the fact that when she did focus so that she could be corporeal for her tea she looked the same, she was hoping she would retain her normal body.

Oh. That was an unexpected offer.

“Being alone or feeling lonely isn’t exactly new to me. But… I’ll remember that in case it gets to be…. Thanks.”

“I hope you get your body back.” Because yeah, that would be incredibly weird to have to adjust to a new body. To suddenly look incredibly different. Caleb didn’t even want to have to imagine it. And then if he did see Raven how would he know it was her? “Although, you could mess with people,” he smirked at the thought. “But that would probably get old after awhile.”

Caleb just nodded. He definitely got how that felt. Most of his life he had felt alone, until he moved here. Now he had people that cared about him. Not just Hanna, although she was the first person that made him feel.. not alone. But he had friends too, that looked out for him. “Yeah, I know how that feels. But it’s better to have someone to talk to. I’ve recently learned that.” Well it had been about a year, but that was still fairly recent.

“Thanks… I’m thinking I will since when I manage to focus and go corporeal, I look the same.” So that was something. While there were always the slight variations from the two sets of dreams before, this was the first time she really didn’t think she looked like herself. So perhaps the new body would feel more like her. Though she groaned at the comment at messing with people. “I don’t understand why people always think that’s an option. Oh, don’t feel like yourself while blonde, go and do things you wouldn’t otherwise, because clearly if you’re not going to do something as yourself then it’s worth doing.”

For someone who didn’t like people, Raven had a lot of opinions on what she would or would not do and the whole mess with people just to mess with them while you don’t look like yourself? That wasn’t her and people suggesting it were stupid.

She did have to acknowledge that yes, it was better to have someone she could talk to. In theory Raven knew she had that in others, but she still didn’t feel like she could. Like she would just be made to feel worse or broken inadvertently. She didn’t need help with that. Pulling one knee to her chest, the spirit just watched people go by. Sometimes she acted and held herself together as someone who was only 17. Rarely, but it happened.

“You were blonde?” Man it had been awhile since he had last seen Raven. “That doesn’t really seem your style.” Caleb honestly couldn’t picture Raven as a blonde. He was a little bummed he had missed it. If nothing else it would have been amusing. But then he also knew better than to judge people by their hair.

“But yeah if you get lonely or bored or whatever,” he shrugged. “Besides I think Hanna is kind of used to me ‘talking to myself’ now.” Not that it happened that often. It was pretty rare actually, but occasionally some spirit or another would pay him a visit.

“Yeah. I got hit with misguided spell. Ended up blonde for a month.” Or something like that. It was a long time. “It wasn’t. But magic, dye, none of it worked to get back to my normal color. Once the magic wore off I was back to normal though.” That and she’d finished up the second set of dreams which had thrown her magic off ever so slightly that everything had been wrong.

Thank goodness she had figured out how to manage the changes in her abilities this time around. Another reason a new body would be frustrating.

“At least she doesn’t question it. But thanks.” Because hey, she could be appreciative of the offer even if she ended up not taking him up on it as she was used to handling everything herself . Even now with the changes and support she knew she had, it was just… she didn’t know how to let people in that much and she usually felt out of place anyway.

“Damn. I’m not sure what I’d do if I was stuck with a hairstyle I couldn’t change.” That was the problem with magical dreams he supposed. You got stuck with shit you didn’t want. Like seeing ghosts. Although that ability wasn’t so bad at the moment.

“No problem,” Caleb said giving her a small smile. Someone walked by giving him a weird look. Which he probably did look a little crazy sitting on a bench talking to himself, but oh well.

“It was annoying.” Because Raven usually was able to put things into simple terms. She didn’t waste energy dealing with small talk and there was no use to use a lot of words when three could cover it. Which tended to mean that when she did elaborate? That there was a lot going on. Dependent upon conversation of course.

Noticing the weird look Caleb got, Raven shot him a look.

“You don’t have to stay. I mean, talking to the air and all…. It’s not like being alone is exactly new to me.”


It was an opening. She was used to being alone, even as she had more people around her she considered her own. She was flippant but as she was still curled into herself even in spirit form, she was still a seventeen year old girl who didn’t want to put people out no matter how caustic she could be.

Caleb didn’t really care about the weird looks he got. He didn’t care much about what other people thought of him. Of course he wanted Hanna’s friends and family, or well her mom really he couldn’t care less about her dad, to like him. But that was different.

“It’s fine,” Caleb assured her. “Let them look. As long as no one tried to haul me off to the loony bin I’m good.” And honestly for some reason that did happen he knew enough people that would get him out. As long as the place wasn’t like Radley he’d be fine. But he wasn’t even worried about that. “No one should get used to being alone,” he frowned a bit. It was something he knew from experience, so he got it on some level.

“I’d fight them.” What? Raven could still use her abilities while stuck like this. It took a lot of energy to be corporeal or to hold things, but with her abilities tied to her soul self, which was in essence her spirit? That wasn’t lost to her, so she’d find a way to ensure that Caleb didn’t get locked up just because he was talking to her when no one could see her.

“I guess not.” She was told it often enough but solitary by nature, daughter of the literal embodiment of evil, a life even before without anyone caring and always expecting things to go back to that? Well. Sometimes it was easier said than done. Being physically invisible really didn’t help.

“Appreciated,” Caleb replied with a smirk. Even though there was a smirk on his face he did appreciate that Raven would fight anyone that tried to lock him up. Spirit or not. “But I mean it. Anytime you need someone to talk to, feel free to just show up… well if it’s my place maybe not in the bedroom.” Just to be safe, no need for her to walk in on him and/or his girlfriend. Especially if they weren’t exactly decent.

The comment about not going into the bedroom was just met with the teen spirit scrunching up her nose. She’d had enough awkwardness in that department to last her lifetime. Not like she could tell where she’d end up, especially the first few times of going to a new location. But still.

“Noted.”

Because really, no need to go into someone’s room without warning.