14327/Fifty Shades of Raven

Fifty Shades of Raven
Date of Scene:	18 April 2022
Location:	Raven's Room, Titans Tower
Synopsis:	Conner accidentally ends up in Rachel's brain. They have a talk and somehow, despite how rough it started, they get closer.
Cast of Characters:	Raven, Superboy

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Raven has posed:
Raven's room was laid out like all the others in Titan Tower, aside a custom shelving unit that had been put in to hold her various artifacts and books that she didn't trust to be left with the communal collections. Everyone knew to generally leave her alone when she was in her room and you especially did not try to go in that room when she wasn't there. On rare occasions, the door would be left open while she was in there and it meant she would be open to talking.

Today was a little odd though. Conner, and anyone else with super hearing, would have heard her usual meditative chanting and then an abrupt silence. Anyone passing by her door would find it open and see Raven sitting cross legged on the bed, eyes closed and still as a statue. In front of her lay a strange looking hand held mirror.

Superboy has posed:
Conner was just minding his own business. He was in his room, staring at the ceiling. Remembering Raven's touch on his hand. So far the only real physical contact they've ever had. He was on cloud nine, despite freaking her out the other day - he felt bad about it of course, but it somehow made them stronger. He had extended his hearing in case people needed help and when he heard Raven's chanting, he honed in on her voice.

Less on what she said and mor ethat she was speaking. When her voice suddenly abruptly ends? Superboy immediately heads toh er room to make sure she's okay. He finds her door open and Raven sitting cross-legged and still as a statue. "Raven?" He asks. "Raven?" He asks a second time, waving his hand in front of her face as if to try and get her to notice him.

He looks at the mirror. "What's this?" He moves to step in front of the mirror, curiosity in his eyes.

Raven has posed:
When Conner walks in, the door to the room slides closed. There's silence from the mystical titan as he tries to get her attention. When he looks into the mirror he sees his reflection, of course, but then the mirror starts to swirl and moments later Conner would find himself in a very strange, darkened landscape. He stood at a bridged crossroads, four possible pathways to go. A little ways down each path was an archway, fashioned to look like gnarled tree branches. It was almost reminiscent of space - this area. Oppressive blackness dotted with thousands of tiny red stars. Twisted trees floated on broken boulders here and there and ravens with red eyes could be seen resting on some of them.

Superboy has posed:
"What the?!"

Conner is transported into the dimension of the mirror, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched like he's ready for a big fight. Did Raven get sucked into a demon portal and is now fighting to the death with a bunch of monsters?! Conner...slowly goes back to a more casual position. He looks at the four possible pathways.

"Raven?"

He calls out. His hearing was on overdrive trying to find a direction. He walks down one of the pathways, looking up at the gnarled tree branches and the floating broken boulders where ravens with red eyes watched.

"Where am I?"

Raven has posed:
"My head, silly." Raven's voice manifested beside Conner. Well, more accurately, Raven did. Except that she was wearing pink instead of the usual dark blue, and there was a bright grin on her face that Raven would never be caught dead showing. "Thoughhhh I don't think you're supposed to be here." Her brow furrowed as they walked along the path. "You probably should leave. I can show you the way!"

"Don't mind the birds. They don't really like outsiders. But I'm glad you're here! It's always good to see you." Raven hums a little, pointing towards the archway. "Just through here and we'll be on our way.

Outside, in Raven's room, Conner's body was laying on the floor near the bed, Rachel's brow twitched a little.

Superboy has posed:
"Raven?"

Conner snap-turns when he looks at Raven, but a...much happier Raven with pink robes opposed to her normal blue ones. "Raven?" Conner says again in complete and utter confusion. "You look...different. Sound, different even. Are you okay?" Conner asks as she seems to be walking up next to him. "It's always good to see you too." It was different seeing Raven happy.

He had no idea his body was on the floor.

"I don't want to leave until I know you're okay."

Raven has posed:
"Of course I'm okay!" Raven insisted. "Glad to see you! There isn't often visitors here..." They pass through the archway and the whole scene changes. It goes from a dark, strange, space-like abyss to a bright and sunny park. There were trees and flowers dotting the landscape and a lake not too far off. Pink Raven was gone but Conner could see another Raven sitting underneath a tree, reading. Her robes were yellow and she seemed absorbed in whatever the book was about.

Superboy has posed:
Conner looks at Raven. "Thank you." He smiles at her. Maybe everything was just fine. But as they wqlked through the archway, it's noticed that the scenery has changed from dark and gloomy to a sunny and paradise-like landscape. "What in the world? Where am-"

She's gone.

"Raven?" He looks around, only to find Raven wearing a yellow cloak as he walks up to her. "Raven? Don't disappear on me like that, okay? I got really worried." He looks at the book she was reading, his eyes focusing as if to read the print.

Raven has posed:
Raven looked up at Conner as he spoke, raising a brow. This Raven also appeared to be wearing round Harry Potter-like glasses. "Fascinating." She closed the book as she rose to her feet but before it closed he'd be able to catch a few snippets of words that might give him the impression that it could be something to do with Raven's memories. She lightly prods at one of Conner's arms and then inspects his face, his eyes. It's like she's inspecting a specimen for a science experiment. "How did you get here? She-"

Yellow Raven's voice trails off, leaning to peer around Conner as the actual Raven's voice come from behind him. "What are you doing here, Conner?" There it is. The familiar dead pan tone and neutral expression. The Yellow Raven poofs from in front of Conner to appear a couple feet away behind the real Raven.

Superboy has posed:
"Fascinating like how? and when did you wear glasses?" Conner remembers Rachel having incredibly sharp eyes. But he hears a voice even when she's prodding him and poking him. "I-" Before he could answer, he hears the voice of the real Raven behind him. Conner turns on his heel to look at her.

"I was worried about you. You weren't making a single sound. I came to check on you. I looked at your mirror and I ended up...well." He gestures all around him. "Here. You were wearing pink and you told me I was in your head."

Raven has posed:
"I was meditating. Am meditating. The mirror is a pseudo gateway of sorts to my mind, yes. When I need to process things, sometimes this form of meditation is easier, and lets me make sure all of my emotions are in check." Raven explained. Her gaze flicks upward, a light frown curving her features as she saw some gray clouds off in the distance.

Looking back at Conner, "You shouldn't be here. It isn't safe and it is a massive violation of privacy. Though I do understand it is not exactly your fault in this situation. I will make a portal that will let you leave."

Just then another Raven popped up, this time next to Conner. She was wearing violet robes and she takes Conner by the arm, looking up at him with an adoring expression. "Don't listen to her. You don't have to leave just yet. Isn't it beautiful here?"

Raven looks like she might die as the Violet Raven says such things. "....These are manifestations of my emotions. If you have not pieced that together yet." She elaborated for him.

Superboy has posed:
Conner looks at Rachel with a look of mild embarassment. 'I'm sorry, Raven. I wasn't trying to impede on your privacy. I just looked at the mirror and...this happened." He looks around the place, a place that looks like it's constantly shifting and ebbing and flowing. "I respect you enough to leave." But the Raven that appears at his side, wearing violet robes and looking at him with adoration.

"Uh...It is." Conner gulps a little bit as he looks at the real Raven, his cheeks flushing brilliant red. "Manifestations of your emotions..these are the emotions you rarely, if ever, show?" Robbie asks of her with a curious expression on his face. He steps closer to her, no doubt bringing Violet Raven along with him as he looks at Rachel earnestly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to enter your...uh...safe place?" Conner questions her. "I can know more of you...if you want."

Raven has posed:
Rachel doesn't know how she wants to handle this. She doesn't like the idea of anyone being in her head but her. "All of my emotions." She drew in a slow breath and exhaled just as slowly, concentrating a moment as Conner stepped up to her. The Violet Raven disappeared as her eyes opened again and she looked up at him

"You shouldn't stay here. However..." She considers for a moment. "...We can speak. In my room. Not in my head." She concentrates a moment longer, opening a portal up behind him. "And perhaps we can learn more about each other.."

Superboy has posed:
Conner's in a similar position. He doesn't like making Raven uncomfortable, yet this is his chance to understand her better than he ever has before. He's in her head and when Violet Raven disappeared? He looks at the real one.

"Okay." He says with a small smile. He turns around and walks through the portal that she made unless he was stopped. Best not to upset Raven, regardless of what he thinks. He's surprised Violet Raven and Pink Raven liked him so much. He's not sure about Yellow Raven.

Raven has posed:
Rachel watches him leave and then moments later she is waking up. She looks around her room a moment and then leans over slighty to see where Conner should be coming around as well from his spot on the floor. She lifts the mirror up and climbs off the bed from the other side to set it back on it's proper shelf. "Do you feel okay?" She asks, turning her attention back on to him. "I have never had someone else in my head like that before." So she isn't sure what, if any, consequences exist.

Superboy has posed:
Conner opens his eyes once he steps through the portal. He was lying flat on his back on the floor, stil lwearing the same clothes. The floor was a little bit cold, but hte wasn't too bothered by it. Raven comes over to check on him as he sits up, cracking his neck. "Ow..." Conner lifts a hand to his head. "My head feels funny, but I'm okay." Conner suggests as he gets back up to his feet, dusting himself off.

"I'm sorry I was in your head. It was an accident." He lowers his head and turns his eyes away from her. He didn't want to upset her any further. He does keep his attention largely on Rachel. "...want to talk to me about it?" Conner offers her with a largely friendly smile.

Raven has posed:
"You're likely fine, though if the funny head feeling doesn't go away soon, let me know." Raven tilted her head slightly, looking up at him at his apology. "It is okay, really. Now you know to not touch or look at the mirror in the future." A small smile appears for a moment. "I am not sure what there really is to talk about on the subject...I could feel you. When you entered. Well not *you*, you, but that something was off." She moved to sit down on her bed again and motioned for him to join her.

"Ironic that it was you though, since my meditation and processing was largely focused on you." She admits, looking to the floor a moment, watching her toes curl against the carpet. Then her head tilts to look towards him again. "You scare me. Not in a...bad way necessarily. More like a 'this is all new and I don't know how to handle it' kind of way."

Superboy has posed:
"Good to know. I don't have much experience with magic and I don't know how to handle the aftereffects too much." Conner tells Rachel with a little bit of a frown on his face, but he nods. "I do now. My saving grace, I think." Conner smiles at Rachel a moment. Though she seems to tell him that she could feel him there...or at least, that something was off in her mindscape. Those Ravens probably ratted him out. Not her emotions given form, but the actual birds with the red eyes.

Advanced scouts. Though Raven telling him that she's scared by him. Or at least scared that all of this is so new and she doesn't know how to handle it. "I don't know how to handle it either." Conner tells her. "The only thing I know for sure is that I want to be around you. All the time. I can't get you out of my head." Conner looks at Rachel then, long and hard. His hand moves ever so gently to brush the back of her hand with his.

Raven has posed:
Rachel listens to Conner's admission with a slow, even breath, trying to keep her heart rate controlled. She watches his fingers reach out to touch hers and she doesn't pull back this time. He can hear her heart beat pick up again, see the vaguest touch of pink to her cheeks as she looks back up at him. "I...have had crushes before. One night stands. Things that are easy to suppress or drop. I consider all of you friends and I want make sure you all stay safe."

She looks down at their hands again, considering. "I like you Conner. A lot. I want to keep getting to know you...get close to you. But I don't want to rush it. I don't want to risk things getting out of hand. It's a precarious balance." She swallowed hard, looking up at him once more. "But if you are willing to be patient with me...I am willing to try."

Superboy has posed:
Conner can hear her heart beat rising. She's had one night stands, while this is the longest that Conner has talked to a girl - one that was interested in him and he her. "I'll be okay, Rachel." He uses her real name for the first time. He maintains that physical contact, his hand looking to curl itself around hers. He does the same act with the other hand. He doesn't reach for her further in respect for her comfortability. But if she can read emotions as good as she has in the past...

He felt nothing but love and affection for her. Adoration. A desire to keep learning and keep getting closer to her. "Then we won't rush it." He tells Rachel with a kind smile. "I'm more than willing to be patient Rachel. We'll go at your pace. I want to keep getting to know you, to get close to you. To know you better than anybody, even yourself." Conner smiles at her, his eyes staying on hers.

"I'll keep us both safe. Just like I know you'll keep us both safe too."

Raven has posed:
Conner's emotions are so *big*. That scares Rachel a little too. The idea that someone could care so much about her. As his hand curls around her own, she gives a little squeeze. "...Thank you." She says softly after a moment, daring to lean into him, resting her head against his shoulder. Her eyes closed and she drew in a soft breath, starting to relax again as she just let his emotions wash over her, resonate. Accepting them will help her deal with them better in the future. This she is sure of.

"Well...I did tell you I would let you get to know me better." She says after a moment, lifting her head and turning some to move further on to the bed so it was more comfortable to sit. She keeps hold of his hand though. "Is there anything specific you would like to know?"

Superboy has posed:
She leans against him and she can feel his warmth even through his clothes. Like the sun radiated off of him and inside of him. She squeezes his hand and his cheeks flush a bright red color. He leans back against her, his head lowering to rest itself on hers as he just stays close to her for a moment. His emotions wash over her. Almost overwhelming as someone who had never experienced such emotions tends to feel stronger emotions more affluently than others. Conner nose catches her scent. It was incredible. She made him feel...normal. Human.

"You did." He confirms, though he watches her move further onto the bed so he could sit with her. He gulps in inexperience, before he moves to sit with her on her bed. He keeps hold of her hand as he looks at her.

"Tell me about where your from."

Raven has posed:
*Tell me about where you're from.*

It's a loaded question even if Conner doesn't realize it. After a moment or two of thought, Rachel finally begins to tell him of Azarath, the place she was born. It was it's own world, a dimension set apart from Earth and other places. Her mother had fled there shortly before she was born to try and keep her safe and hidden from her demon father, Trigon. It was there that she was raised and taught the arts of emotional suppression because if her anger and hatred were to get the best of her, it would be very bad.

She stayed there until an attempt was made by Trigon to retrieve her. Now she was here, on Earth. It was decidedly riskier to stay here, but over time she realized it would be better to have allies that could help her should father decide to come calling than trying to deal with him on her own.

By the time Rachel finishes speaking, she is laying back on her bed, eyes up on the ceiling. After am oment of silence she adds, "It's been a long time since I've poured out my life story..." A dry chuckle following. "You know it is only fair you do the same, hm?" Glancing over towards him.

Superboy has posed:
Loaded question indeed! Conner to Raven's story and how she comes from a completely different dimension and that her father happens to be the root of all evil that is Trigon. She stayed on earth to have help, to not have to do it alone or go through it in vain. "Wow. You have a story for the ages, Rachel." Conner smiles at her as he scooches next to her, resting his back on the warm sheets as he looks up at the ceiling. "Mine is different." Conner tells her with a light frown.

"I wasn't born with a name. I was born with a number. I was experiment 13. Project Kr. " Superboy doesn't like talking about it, like his existence is a stain on someone else. "I grew up in a vat. Combining the DNA of Lex Luther and Superman. I'm Superman'sclone, created to replace him if he died or kill him if he became a villain." Superboy frowns as he stares at the ceiling. "Robin and Kid Flash saved me. I've been trying to figure out me ever since."

Raven has posed:
A brief frown touched Rachel's features as Conner shared his own story. "I am glad they were able to save you from that. No one deserves to be treated like a test subject or an experiment." She tilted her head ever so slightly so it leaned against his shoulder as they laid on the bed. "You are figuring out who you are still, that makes sense. I think some things are evident already. The most important of all is that you are *not* a carbon copy of Superman. You are your own person, no matter how you came in to this world."

Superboy has posed:
"Me too."

Conner frowns a little bit at the thought. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. I'm tempermental because of genetic imperfections. I don't have some of Superman's powers because of my human DNA." He hums as she rests her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for being understanding, Rachel. I feel like I don't make much sense sometimes. I feel like I'm always in his shadow and trying to realize who I am."

He looks at Rachel as he rests his head on hers. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me." Conner's voice became soft. "I might not be the most normal person...but at least I'm not boring?"

Raven has posed:
"Maybe you are thinking about it the wrong way. I sensed when we ran into him the other day...I think you try to compare yourself to him too much. You overthink it" Rachel carefully turned so she was facing him better, head still resting on his shoulder. "He may be a part of you, but you should not try to fill in his shoes. You should make your own shoes." A small, brief smile is given to him. "Stop caring about what you are supposed to be and focus on *who* you want to be. I believe you will find it helps." She sounds like she speaks from experience on some level at least.

"I am glad I can help you in some way." Rachel kept her voice soft as he said she was the best thing to ever happen to him. "You are not boring. Neither of us are. Which will likely come with its own hurdles down the road. We will see."

Superboy has posed:
"The wrong way?" Conner turns his attention to Rachel as she turned to face him more clearly, though he enjoyed the weight of her head on his shoulder. Like he wasn't alone. He had kept his hand in hers, fingers caressing her own. "It's hard not to. I was created to /be/ Superman. I can't live up to him." Superboy pondered the nature of the whole thing. She tells him to stop caring about who he's supposed to be and start on who he wants to be.

"I know my ambitions are. My goals. What...what I want." He looks at Rachel, a softness to his voice. "I'll jump over the hurdles with you." He tells her with a smile. "I think you told me what I tell myself...but I needed to hear it anyway."

"Thank you, Rachel."