fandomhigh | Library, Sunday 04/29

"Your brothers?" Now Karla was definitely worried. "Radio said that you ran into me but it wasn't and just that 'shit got real.'"

Because Deadpool was super-helpful that way.

"What did they want? What did they do?"

"Jesse -- Envy -- is apparently able to reach into someone's heart and find who they envy most and transform himself into that person," Raven said, frowning a little because she was still upset with herself for falling for that. Karla had seen right through the other Raven pretending to be her, after all. "In my case it was you. I think I felt that something was not quite right, but I was quite tired from graduation and shielding from so many people so I did not pay it much mind. He led me to the causeway where two more of my brothers waited, Wrath and Lust. They attempted to use me to open a portal to allow my father entrance to this world."

Oh yeah, she hadn't mentioned that to Karla yet, that her father was definitely still alive, had she? At least that problem was taken care of now.

Right then, Karla was kind of reeling. That was a lot of information for her to take in right there. Raven's brothers. One who could take the form of someone people envied. He'd taken Karla's shape, which meant that Raven...huh? Raven had been outnumbered. They'd opened a portal.

Trigon was still alive.

"How?"

There. That summed up just about, oh, everything.

Raven had to pause for a minute, pressing her hand to her mouth to fight back another wave of sickness. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, at least, so she didn't have anything in her stomach.

"Azar's power did not completely destroy him, as I had feared," she finally said when she could trust herself to speak. "It banished him back to his own realm. I encountered his presence while meditating. He was greatly weakened, though he tried to hold me there, and he may have been successful had not Cassidy woken me from my trance. But I am certain now, at least, that he will not be any threat to me or any world."

Her brothers, on the other hand....

"Thank the Darkness Cassidy was there," Karla murmured, pushing away that knot of guilt that rose up with the comment's counterpart 'since I wasn't.' Raven didn't need to deal with her guilt on top of everything else that she was already facing. "Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. After everything..."

After everything, it seemed almost unfair to have Trigon come back yet again. Hadn't everything they'd gone through to get rid of him all those other times been enough?!

"He has no power anymore," Raven said, shaking her head. That much was a relief. "He cannot hurt me now. He is alive, but he is powerless, and trapped within his realm, and another portal there cannot be opened for hundreds of years."

If what her father said was true, and she suspected it was. He didn't have the strength to do his part, and hopefully she'd be able to prevent her brothers from making another attempt.

"You'll forgive me if I don't take that as a given," Karla muttered sourly. "He's far too tricksy for me to just write him off like that."

She done so two other times and yet he still came back. Dammit, Trigon was a tall, red, loincloth-wearing cockroach.

"So, what stopped your brothers from using you as a portal to try and bring him back again?" She wanted deets, Raven. Deets.

"My brothers can only tap into the power of just one of the deadly sins," Raven said, unable to help but feel proud of herself for how she'd trick them. "But I am able to control them all. When they started to draw power out of me to open up the portal, I used Greed against them, greed for power. Instead of freeing our father, they stole all his power from him and left him trapped. But they did not know as I did that his power was virtually gone. They may have gotten a momentary increase in their abilities, but it was fleeting. They thought they had won, but I tricked them."

Devious wasn't something she was good at, but in this case, she was pleased with it.

"Good job!" Karla congratulated. "I almost wish I could see their faces when they realize they've been duped."

Except...not really. Karla would actually be quite happy to never see them again, thanks. And even happier for Raven to do the same.

"That gets me thinking, though. You might want to make yourself scarce on the island for awhile. I know you have your library shift and your date with Jono, but is there anything else you've got planned for your summer?"

"I have no plans," Raven said. "Though I am uncertain if the library counts as a summer job, which is required to stay on the island. If not I would have to seek out additional employment. And I may wish to visit Dinah as I am considering going to her school in the fall. So there is very little binding me here."

Especially as more and more friends left the island. Getting away might be good.

"I'm going home this summer," Karla told her. "Haven needs me, and I need to get some kind of practical experience actually ruling. And Warren is going, too, so he can spend time living in Kaeleer and learning what being a Consort is really like."

She gave Raven a small smile. "Having my Court Healer around while we learn the ropes would always be welcome."

"It might indeed be healthy to spend some time away," Raven said, needing little time to think over the offer. She'd missed spending time with Karla, and she didn't want to be lonely while she was away. And karla's world was dangerous, so she wanted to be there to protect her. And her brothers surely couldn't find her there if they came looking for revenge about how she'd tricked them.

Lucivar and his sticks, well, she'd keep fending him off. Somehow.

Suuuure she would. Just keep telling yourself that, Raven.

"Think about it," she suggested. "We leave next Friday, but you don't have to leave with us. Or stay with us, either. Come and go at your leisure, whatever works best for you."

"Perhaps Sunday, once I am done with the library for the day," Raven said. "I could join you then. And of course I will stay with you while I am there." She really didn't want it any other way if it could be helped.

"We'll be at the Hall for a little while, settling in," Karla told her. "And then heading to Haven to unofficially rule there for the summer. But I'll have my phone on me, so no matter what, I can be found."

"I will look for you in the Hall then," Raven said, nodding. "But wherever you were, I would find you, no matter what." She'd find a way.

"Will anyone else be accompanying us to Haven?" she asked.

"Warren, of course," Karla said. "And we might have other Fandom visitors. But the coven and boyos have to tread lightly there, for political reasons. None of them are involved with ruling land in an official capacity, so there's a little leeway, but we have strict laws with people interfering outside of their Territories without express permission."

That had been what had led to the last war, fifty thousand years ago.

"So you don't have to worry about Lucivar hunting you down in Haven and making you practice with sticks," she added with a wink.

"Well, that is a relief at least," Raven said with a tiny smile. "Though I am certain he will try to corner me while we are still at the Hall. I will never be able to convince him I do not need to learn the use of his sticks, will I?"

"Nope," Karla said. No reason to sugar-coat it, was there? "I'd suggest giving in gracefully and trying to think of it as a kind of fancy exercise? Because eventually he's going to start offering you choices and you don't want that."

Raven shook her head. "I cannot strike someone, not with a weapon," she said. "What sort of choices would he offer me other than that? Perhaps it would be something more agreeable."

"Trust me, Raven, you won't actually land a strike," Karla pointed out. "He wants every witch under his care to be able to take care of themselves under any circumstances. I know you can teleport things into your netherverse--" that was a sharp glance being directed Raven's way, yes, "--but you're welcome to argue with him."

Hey, she tried to avoid taking anything evil into herself if she could avoid it. Really!

"I can pull them into the netherverse, teleport away, take away their aggression, fill them with peace," Raven said, ticking things she could do without sticks on her fingers. "I have learned to fight in play with things that can do no harm, but should Prince Lucivar strike me, what if I lose my temper and become angry? I do not wish him to see that side of me."

"Then he'd know how far he can push you, wouldn't he?" Karla asked, shrugging a little. "And between him, Uncle Saetan, and Jaenelle, I'm pretty sure they could keep that side of you contained."

Though it was entirely possible that Lucivar would poke at that side of her just to see what it was capable of. He had tangled with Witch on more than one occasion, after all.

"And he'd probably just say that if that side of you has a habit of coming to the forefront unchecked, you should probably do your best to get it under control. Or something."

"It is under control," Raven said, bristling just a little bit. "But it is part of me, and there is always some risk if I become very angry or afraid or someone I love is in danger."

Which in Kaeleer would be Karla. Constantly.

Not true! Karla was planning to get into absolutely NO trouble while in Kaeleer.

Sure, there was some kind of proverb about the best laid plans of mice and men, but who paid attention to saying about mice, huh? Exactly.

"No getting all snarly at me," Karla said, raising an eyebrow at Raven. "I'm just giving you a sneak peek at Lucivar's arguments."

Raven had met Karla, thank you very much. And she'd been to Kaeleer. And she could do math.

"I am sorry," she said. "I did not mean to snap. I suppose my nerves on edge after what my brothers attempted."

Stupid math. When had math ever done anyone a bit of good? Bah!

"All the more reason to come along, at least for a little while" Karla urged. "If the worst thing to have to dodge is Lucivar trying to get you to practice with sticks, you're not doing half bad."

She leaned in and tapped on Raven's nose. "It'll do you good to get away from the island for a bit anyway. You know the week right after graduation is hard. So many goodbyes and then newbies right on top of that."

"They give me a headache," Raven agreed with a wry smile. All their excitement and anxiety as they settled in took a lot of effort for her to shield out. And the goodbyes brought sorrow and heartache, and she'd had more than enough of that as well.

"Yes, it will be good to get away from everything." She just hoped nothing really bad happened in Kaeleer.

What could possibly happen in Kaeleer?

...Don't answer that.

"Good!" Karla said, bussing Raven's cheek. "I'll tell Saetan to prepare a suite for you close to mine. Feel free to come and go as you please, but don't be surprised if you cornered for lessons. I know that the art and dancing masters are still at the Hall."

Art and dancing didn't involve sticks, well, at least not that she knew of. She could handle those type of lessons.

"And I must learn more of protocol," Raven reminded her. "I do not wish to unintentionally cause offense."

"You can join the coven in lessons," Karla promised. "And help Uncle Saetan despair at getting us all to behave appropriately in a public setting."

"I would appreciate that," Raven said. Well, not the making Saetan despair part. But she just might if she had any questions.

She had to turn her head away for a moment then, clamping a hand over her mouth as another wave of nausea swept through her. At least the time between feeling like she needed to throw up was growing longer as the day wore on.

Karla watched her with concern. "Are you sure you should be here?" she asked. "Maybe you should head home early and lie down. I can make you a soothing tea. You're having some kind of nervous reaction, sweetheart."

"I am feeling much better than I was last night," Raven said, once the wave of nausea had passed. "I became very ill after my brothers' attempt to open the portal. Pulling the power from me seems to have had a physical affect."

Or it was something else; the beginnings of a theory were forming in her mind. She just didn't know how to test it.

She glanced around the library. "But it is usually quiet here on Sundays, and I suspect no one else will come today. Perhaps it would be wise to get some more rest."

Karla nodded. "I agree. Healer's orders, dammit." Hell's fire, she'd be willing to stay and woman the desk if that's what it took to get Raven to agree to leave. "Come on. I'll tuck you in, put something cool on your face, brew you that tea. I can't have the Court Healer getting sick. What kind of message does that send?"

"It does not happen often," Raven protested, but she was already shutting down the library computer and gathering her things.

She hadn't eaten all day, and her stomach was roiling to think of food. Tea should be all right, though. She hoped.

"That's a better argument to make when your face isn't paler than milk, sweetheart," Karla said, batting Raven's hands away so she could grab her belongings for her friend. "Home. Bed. Naps."

Don't make her call Lucivar, Raven. Because she would.

"Yes, my Queen," Raven said meekly, but she was still smiling. "I am sure I will feel better tomorrow."

"That's right you will," Karla said, winking at her. "And I'll be hovering over you to make sure of it."

Library, Sunday 04/29

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