fandomhigh | Library, [01/09]

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Library, [01/09]

Jono was perhaps a bit distracted today as he went about his duties in the library, straightening out this and that, making certain that the displays were all in order, checking for overdue books and, failing all of that, dusting.

And if he just so happened to be lingering in sections that had books on things like demonic possession, well, that was purely coincidence, really.

Truly.

[Open!]

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Karla was actually relieved to find Jono in this section of the library--though a knot of dread hit the bottom of her stomach when she did.

"Looks like I don't actually have to ask you my questions," she said, tracing her finger down one of the spines. "You've noticed it, too, then?"

Jono looked down at the book in his hand, and then nodded a little before directing a slow look in Karla's direction.

//It's difficult not to. Professor Skywalker has, as well. I was actually going to come looking for you, luv, but you seem to have beaten me to it.//

"It helps I knew where you'd be today," Karla said, leaning over to glance at the title. "I was going to give you a call on Friday, but then the phones went crazy and...that wasn't a message I wanted sent to half the school."

She sighed. "So you, me, Professor Skywalker, and Dinah," she listed, not mentioning it was Dinah who'd tipped her off. She was still guilting over that. "Anyone else, you think? Maybe Kennedy or Tara or something?"

//I've no idea,// Jono admitted, furrowing his brow a little. //I suppose anybody whose heard that she's been a little off on th'radio, lately. Nightmares. Apologies right before being thrown into a panic. And when you ask, it's only stress. Over this, or that...//

That was what was bothering him the most, perhaps. That thought that they couldn't help unless she was willing to trust them that much.

"Hiding her fear and pain--and probably shame, too--is just how Raven operates," Karla said. It frustrated and hurt her, too, but she could be fairer when talking to Jono than when mulling it over by herself. "She was raised that those negative emotions are dangerous, that they're a doorway to that rat-bastard Trigon. Hiding from them, and hiding them from us, might just be a really shitty coping method that Azar taught her."

Karla wasn't Azar's biggest fan, in case that wasn't clear.

"Even if it's not...well, Raven hates that half her heritage comes from him," she added. "I don't think she truly believes us when we say we don't judge her or mistrust her for it. It's hard for her to get past that part and so doesn't fully believe that others can." Cue a sardonic look in Jono's direction. "I'm sure she's not alone in that belief."

If you asked Jono, he'd like to box Azar around the ears right about now. And Trigon. And possibly Karla, for having a point, but he'd actually feel bad about doing that, and so he refrained.

//I...// He did flinch, however. //No, I suppose she isn't. But that doesn't help us make it better.//

He could always try! Karla would happily box his ears right back and would do so while standing across the room, too.

"Though admitting that such a belief is wrong and does more harm than good is always a first step," she said mildly. "Realizing it doesn't hang so heavily on the shoulders of one's friends as it does on oneself might lead to trusting and confiding in them at critical junctures."

La. Just totally talking about Raven here!

"So the question is, do we confront her first and see if being honest with her makes her more honest with us? Or should we try to dig around a bit more until we have something more concrete to confront her with. Because I don't know about you--" and no, Karla didn't sound at all jealous or anything here "--but I don't have much more than some vague worries and rumors of bad dreams. That's...not much to go on."

//I have... more to go on, then,// Jono replied, and the next words he spoke were for Karla alone. //In... Agio. When Jaenelle obliterated the Jhinka. Raven had started to... to struggle. Her Soul Self was flickering, and she was crying out, saying that she wouldn't give in.//

He paused for a moment, allowing Karla to take a shot in the dark about who Raven might have been speaking to.

Karla gasped and sat down. She might have meant to make a seat of air, but if she had, she either failed or missed and instead landed heavily on the floor. Congratulations, Jono. You found a punch to the gut that was much more effective than a box to the ears.

"Hell's fire, Mother Night, and may the Darkness have mercy," she whispered. Switching to a psychic thread, she sent, *You think the shock and the horror...might have acted like a...stepping stone for him?*

Guilt, thick and black and heavy, crashed over over and through their link before her shields raised up, cutting off any emotional overtones at all.

Jono winced a little at the guilt.

//It... could have,// likely did, //but that isn't yer fault, luv. None of us could have foreseen what happened, there. And she would have felt that. Every single one of them, dying.//

He crouched down beside her, leaning forward to look her in the eye.

//If anybody should feel guilty about this, luv, it should be me. I saw her fighting it, didn't even think that it could haunt her this way. I should have said something sooner.//

They were going to play tug-of-guilt for a long time over this, weren't they?

*You never should have even been there,* Karla sent, shaking her head. *None of you. But I ran away and screwed up and put your lives in danger because I didn't think. And now Trigon is scrabbling at Raven's soul because the tragedy you all saw and the trauma you all underwent in my home gave him the opportunity.*

//Yes. Because I'm certain that Agio was all yer idea,// Jono replied, flatly. //Listen to yerself for a moment, luv. That trauma is nobody's fault. We all chose to follow. Beating yourself up over it isn't going to help anybody, least of all Raven.//

Pot, say hello to Kettle. You'll be best of friends in no time.

//And to answer yer first question... I wouldn't just shake her down about it, right yet. Professor Skywalker and I both agreed that she'd be likely to just run, if she knew that we were on to this. And when Raven doesn't want to be found...//

Well. Unless Karla had teleportation in her handy bag of tricks, and a built-in Raven homing device?

No, sadly. Tara was the one with all the keen location spells. And who knew how effective those would be if Raven decided to fly off in between worlds or into a different dimension or something.

*You're right,* Karla said, resolutely shoving her guilt aside so she could take it out and gnaw on it for awhile later when she was falling asleep. *If she runs, she'll be isolated and alone, which will just give him more of a chance to do whatever he's planning. This could be another effort to get her into Sebastian's custody again. Bastard, gutter-son of a whore he is.*

Karla really didn't get along with her supposed future son-in-law.

How much did it say that Jono had no idea who that was? And that small bit of confusion probably registered quite plainly along their private link for a moment before he was pushing himself right along to business.

//She and I will be spending th'night together,// he informed her, because that seemed like a useful little segue. //I want to keep her as close as I can, without making her worry that I'm digging about for demons.//

*I'll tell you about Sebastian's charming self another time,* Karla promised. *No reason to get sidetracked now without any reason to think he's involved.*

But if he were, he was going to find there were many worse fates than being told to go fuck yourself in a lake.

Those poor ducks.

*Maybe I can organize some small slumber party one night, too,* she offered. *Me, Kennedy, Raven, Tara....Females who won't flip out if Raven has a nightmare or something. The last thing we want is to spook her.*

//No spooking Raven,// Jonothon firmly agreed, backing that statement up with a nod. //It might take a bit of convincing to get her to attend such a party, luv, but I have full confidence that you'll be able to do so, if anybody.//

Just a hunch Jono had. Something about Raven caring for Karla, like, a lot.

Jono must just be unusually perceptive is all. Really. Speaking of, Karla figured this was probably not the best time to remind Jono of the fact that Raven had been engaged in a threesome with her, even if it was to simply assure him it was done and over with.

*It'll help if I don't frame it as a party,* Karla said thoughtfully. *Just a small gathering. Especially if I point out no one expects to sleep at one of these things anyway.* She pushed a lock of hair out of her face and added, *One of the bits of caste-Craft I get from being a Black Widow is that I understand dreams and how to navigate them. I can maybe brew her something for a dreamless sleep? Or stand guard at night over her dreams? If you think it might come to that, let me know? You know you'll have whatever help you need.*

Jonothon nodded again, and then pulled himself to his feet again, offering Karla a hand.

//We'll see how tonight goes, perhaps, and then I'll fill you in after? I've invited her to th'shop with me as well, so that might not be th'best place to talk about... all of this. But... I will let you know.//

Karla leaned over to give Jono a fierce hug. She knew how shewas feeling about this whole situation and figured he could use one. "Thanks," she whispered. "I'll do the same for you if I learn anything. We'll fix this, though. We will."

//We have to,// Jonothon said simply, returning the hug with only the barest hint of hesitation. //It's Raven.//

And that was all there was to it.

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Library, [01/09]

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