| Rave's Better! | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary: Violet learns that Raven is no longer possessed! So of course she rushes out to see her.    |
The door opens and in skips an unusually chipper half-elf. Ari looks around and sees Violet and.. stops skipping. She takes a deep breath and heads to the bar, hopping up suddenly on the stool next to her former step-niece. "Hi!" Violet blinks as Ari outright bounds up to her. "Uhhhh... Hi, Ari... What's up? You seem... oddly energetic." The bartender's only tell to his surprise at the same thing is a slightly raised eyebrow. Ari thinks for a quick moment. "Well, blunt is best, right? My issues are gone.." she taps the side of her head. "And Raven's back to her normal black- haired self. Well, she's almost normal, anyway." Violet blinks as the gears seem to slowly turn in her head. "Wait... what?!" she exclaims, nearly falling out of her seat. "How? When? Why? What?" It takes another second for her to realize this is a very good thing, causing her expression to turn from shock to joy. Ari can't help but to chuckle at Violet's reaction. "Well, as far as I can tell because I didn't ask specifics, Skeeve summoned something that ripped the evil bitch out of her. But.." of course there's a but.."Basically it means she was possessed and not in control of herself for the past few years, which means all the stuff she did here? Wasn't actually her. And now that it's just her in her head, she's not doing too good." Violet blinks a few more times, her expression falling, and her complexion paling somewhat. "Wait... what? It wasn't even... What?!" This time she does leave her seat, though of her own volition. "I.... I have to go see her!" She looks over to the bartender. "I'll... Uh, just, do whatever with the rest of it." Ari blinks, then nods. "Er, alright. She's probably at home... well still in the workshop at home, anyway." Violet blinks at Ari's surprise at her own actions. "Uhhh... Am I overreacting? I mean, uhh..." She frowns, then sits down on the stool again. "...I don't even know her, do I? I only knew... the other. Damn, I feel like an idiot now..." Ari shakes her head. "You knew her before the whole.. collapse or whatever happened here. That's her. Well.. it will be once she recovers. If she does. The bitch used bits of her personality to act like her, or something. So it's not far off, I think. Violet shakes her head. "No, I... I had that whole... fuzziness, remember? I honestly... I honestly don't remember her... before." She bites her lip, clearly nervous about this now, and no longer seems to be able to look Ari in the eyes. Ari smiles a little. "She remembers you. Still can't hurt to go talk to her, you know?" Violet looks back up with a weak smile. "Yeah... I guess you're right... Well... I guess I should... be off, then?" Ari grins. "Sure! I'll be around." she chuckles. Violet pauses again, still looking uncertain of herself, then silently nods and heads for the door at a hurried pace. The workshop, which is usually neat and orderly, is disheveled to say the least. There are schematics and tools everywhere, and one desk has three separate meals left out, all cold and untouched. Raven, hair now black like the day she was born, is at one of the desks, looking tired and covered in grease and oil stains, some fresh, most not. She seems to be drawing... something, and muttering to herself the whole time. Outside, Violet comes in for a landing, having flown the way here to arrive as fast as possible. Though she doesn't typically need them to fly, her wings are out as well, though they vanish into smoke as she lands with a stumble as she tries to litterally hit the ground running. Arriving at the door, she pauses, unsure of what to do. Just burst on in? Or knock? Her stomach sinks slightly, as she's once again unsure if she even really knows the person in there. With a light bite on her lip, she taps the button to announce her presense at the front door, rather than just entering. Rave literally jumps as the door buzzer goes off, dropping her pen in a spectacularly clumsy fashion, and just shouts a "Come in if you want." Violet carefully opens the door and calls out, "Hello?" as she looks around for where Raven might be. She steps in, carefully walking through the warehouse until she spots her. "Uh... hi." Rave blinks at her visitor. "Oh, hi Violet. How are you?" she practically stammers, trying to force a smile but it doesn't look right. Violet pauses for a moment, clearly not sure what to say. "I'm.... good, I suppose... I...." She tries to mouth out some words, then leans heavily on one of the desks as she nearly stumbles. "I'm... I'm so sorry... I didn't... I don't... I don't remember the real you anymore," she says as she glances away. "Damned fuzzy memories..." Rave nibbles her lip a little. "Well, real me is um, kind of like possessed me, except with black hair, a bit klutzy, and less thoughts of killing my sister?" she offers. "But also... well, right now a bit more paranoid and um... alone." Violet sighs and pulls out one of the desk chairs, sitting in it. "How are the kids? I mean... she... with..." She leans forward to put her elbows on her knees and her forehead on her hands. "This whole situation was just so f---ed up..." Rave nods a little. "No kidding. They're good. They sort of figured it out a while back." she paces a little, looking sort of jittery. "I mean, I could see everything. I was a passenger in my own head. It.. sucked. But I do remember everything. Like um... meeting your girlfriend, for example." Violet offers a weak smile, but clearly a bit nervous at the way Raven worded the meeting. "Yeah, eheh... Um... look, if you need me to move back in, if that was more... uhh... Her that was okay with it..." Rave shakes her head. "No, that's one thing she and I agreed on. Different reasons, sure, but still." Violet breathes out in relief at that. "Well, um... You, uh... name it, and I'll do what I can to help you... out..." She glances about at the uneaten meals. "Raven... You really should be eating, though." Rave shakes her head. "I'm not hungry." she says rather unconvincingly. "I'll be fine Violet sighs and shakes her head... "Rave... Mom... The human body can't go for long without food. Who made these? You're just going to continue to let their work go to waste?" She stands up, and for a moment it looks like she might go in for a hug... but she notices the fresh grease in time and pauses. Rave actually offers a small, genuine smile for a moment. "The um.. the kids did. I just.. I need time. I haven't been in control.. in real, total control since..." she goes silent. Violet frowns again. "...Since before I can remember. Ari told me. Well... At least I don't have to hide that I'm still friends with her behind your back anymore..." Rave nods a little. "Since before this place disappeared. Since.. since the last time I said goodnight to your dad." she says quietly. "Before Ari did what she did. And I forgive her for it. Violet nods. "She... she really regrets it. It's been eating her up inside, I can tell." She sighs, sitting down again. "So... now what? You're in the pilot's seat, where are you going to fly?" Rave sits down on a desk, on top of some schematics, and brings her feet in, tucking her knees to her chest. "Here, I guess. Half the city seems to know what she was going to do, I... I can't show my face out there again." Violet says, "That was her. This is you. More people than you may think probably know about... her. As far as the police is concerned, Ari'd have to press charges, and you know she ain't gonna do that now. But really, I meant 'where in a more figurative sense." She pauses, tilting her head. "You know, your hair's different, if you changed the style, changed your typical dress, you could call yourself 'Tilly' or something and I bet most people wouldn't realize you were the same person!" She grins. Rave thinks about it a moment, nibbling her lip. "Probably the same answer. Work, and the kids. I.. have really not much more than that, well, that I can throw myself into." Violet sighs as her attempt at humor fails horribly. "Well... it ain't right. I'm gonna have to say again, you shouldn't just keep yourself cooped up in here like that. Alone by yourse..." She blinks, then shakes her head. "I was worried about you before, and now only one thing is gone that I was worried about. I'm still gonna worry about you, now." Rave shakes her head. "I'm alive, the kids are fine.. what else is there to worry about?" Violet sighs, looking down. "I worry because you still sound depressed. There's more to life that work and kids." She glances away. "Or at least there should be." Rave shrugs a little. "Maybe there isn't for me. Maybe I had my time." she takes a deep breath. "Not everyone gets a happy ending, Vi." Violet shakes her head. "We ain't at your end yet, Rave. Stop acting like we are. You don't even qualify as 'middle aged' yet." She frowns, fingering her phone in the pocket of her jacket. "Alexa... ran into someone looking for work in tech or something. Maybe having someone to work with could revitalize you, maybe?" Now she's just throwing ideas out in the wind. Rave nods a bit. "Maybe, I mean, I do have a project I wouldn't mind some help on. It'd take me well over a year by myself." Violet pulls out her phone and looks around for a pen and blank paper. Finding them, she writes down the number, reading it off her phone.. "If you want to find out... here's her number. Sorry, it's not a guy, so she can't fix every problem, but she can help out with... well, I dunno, I didn't actually meet her myself." She shrugs, setting the number down, as well as the name 'Zelan Darkflower' on it. "I think it was just a random kinda lead Alexa was helping her out with. I'm pretty sure Alexa made no promises, and I wasn't really clear on what it was she did..." She frowns again. "So... I'm gonna guess you still don't wanna go out to clubs or anything." Rave gives Violet a 'look' at the 'it's not a guy' line, then sighs after the rest. "I.. I don't know. Going out just seems like an exercise in futility. It doesn't help that I was pretty much mocked because the only date I've been on in ten years wasn't me, and it was with an alternate version of.. you know. She loved screwing with my mind like that." Violet sighs, hanging her head. "I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm not gonna stop worrying about you, Raven." Rave shakes her head. "You have your own life to worry about. I've got the kids. They keep me busy." Violet says, "So you'll just worry about what you'll do when they're out of the nest when you get there?" Rave shrugs. "I'll work. If I wasn't going anywhere in that respect now in my mid-thirties, I sure won't be in my forties. Violet slumps forward, her head hanging down. "Well... I guess I tried. I don't know what else I can really do for you." Rave says, "I'm not asking you to do anything, Vi. You've done a lot. I know it. Just.. come visit every once in a while." Violet smiles weakly. "I'll try to be better about that. I've got a lot of things coming up... Alexa and I are gonna start patrolling the Badlands before long, me in Vic and her in a VF-22 that... I got my hands on." She frowns slightly, not wanting to bring up where she got it from right now. "Though I suppose with Vic in the hangar downstairs, I guess I'm gonna be around here for a bit every time we do that, right? We're hoping to come across a ship we can use or repair... I think I mentioned that before?" Rave nods a little. "I vaguely remember that, I think." Violet frowns slightly. "You... she... said you'd... she'd help us fix one up if we find one that's not flyable... is that, uh, still valid?" Rave smiles a little. "Definitely. I'd be better at it than she was anyway." she actually chuckles. Violet smiles back. "Well, that's a relief, because if we do find something in the badlands, I'm gonna assume it's gonna be a wreck." She straightens up slightly, then glances around. "I, uh... Well, it's good to have the real you back, Raven." Rave nods slightly. "It.. it's good to be back. Almost." she sighs. Violet raises an eyebrow. "Almost... good? Or almost back?" Rave nibbles her lip. "Little of both?" Violet says, "Well... We need to make it entirely on both, then." She leans forward yet again. "Just lemme know what I can do to help. Ooh! You want a party to celebrate that mess being over?" She smirks, expecting an answer somewhere along the lines of 'hell no'. Rave blinks. " A party? I hadn't even... I mean, who would even go?" Violet blinks as well, surprised it wasn't immediately shot down. "Huh. Well, everyone that you... she? encountered over the past few months. Make it a... 'nice to meet you for real now' kind of thing... Me, Ari, Miriam, Skeeve, Alexa. Friends of the kids? I'm sure you've run into some more I'm not aware of?" Rave says, "I..well, maybe a couple of people, but not really. If you want to.. I guess." Violet smiles. "I think it'll be good for ya! We can invite just the people you want, of course, if you're still nervous about anyone. But having a get together would be nice." Rave nods a little. "Yeah, it might be. At least for the kids. Violet tilts her head, pondering something. "Is Lishra still banned from the UR for the next few years?" Rave shakes her head. "No, she finished what she needed to do. Why?" Violet raises an eyebrow. "I think she told Lishra something about waiting until she was... fifteen? I don't remember exactly. When Lishra snuck in." Rave sighs. "That was her. Not me. Besides, it's Lishra, do you honestly expect she's going to not sneak in anyway? Violet laughs. "No, but it might be a nice gesture to Lishra to let her know that's not the case anymore. The fact that she's no longer breaking the rules by going there would probably make her not go there as often, anyway." Rave chuckles a little. "I can't argue that. But yeah, I'll let her know." Violet leans back now, looking upward as she ponders. "Lessee... Ari has that place she's gonna open up... maybe we can do the party there? She probably has an 'in' for catering, too." She laughs, shaking her head. "Not that we'd need a whole night club, I'm sure. As far as parties go, I'm sure it'll be small, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself." She glances around at the mess and uneaten food again, frowning. "You're... you're sleeping at least, right?" Rave hesitates, realizing her eyes must look red rimmed. "I.. no." she says. "I'm not. Violet groans and rolls her eyes. "Damnit, Raven. That's it. You're done working tonight." She stands up from her chair and starts taking steps towards her. "You are going to eat something and go right to bed, do you hear me young lady?" Rave shakes her head and takes a step back. "No, no I'm not." Violet shakes her head as well. "Your work is gonna be garbage if you keep this up. Do you honestly think these designs will be sound when you're not giving your brain the nutrients it needs and the rest it needs to regenerate itself?" Rave sighs. "N-no, but what if... " she frowns. "What if she's still there to torment me if I close my eyes?" Violet sighs and steps in to hug Raven. Grease stains be damned! She can get a new jacket and skirt if she needs to. "Then you torment her right back. Remind her how she got tossed out as soon as she made a move. Remind her she spent all that time building up to just throw a tantrum like a little child and get sent back to her room." Rave kind of freezes for a moment as Violet hugs her, then very carefully hugs her back. "Thank you." she says quietly. Violet says, "Hey... Someone's gotta look out for you. I may be technically younger than any of your kids, but I'm still the sibling that's an adult." She soon lets go, however... and can't help but inspect her jacket for grease stains. "So... will you do it? For me, for your kids? Get some food and sleep?" Rave swallows, avoiding Violet's eyes as her own dart around for a moment. "I.. I can try, I guess. It um, won't be easy." Violet sighs, putting a hand on Raven's shoulder. "Do you need someone to sleep by your side the first few nights?" Well, it keeps nightmares away from her! "I've not spent enough time with my siblings to know how they would react to it, but... Maybe one or two of them would?" Rave nibbles her lip. "It might be something. I'll think about it, promise." she smiles just a little. "This just really, really sucks." Violet reaches in for the hug again. "I know. I just... I remember what I was like when I first showed up here again. I didn't feel like anyone knew me, I felt like I was alone. But I had family. And so do you. Don't forget that. We're all here for you, even Ari." Rave hugs Violet back, a little more confident this time. "Yeah, I know. She um... she's offering to draw up a new tattoo for me, since mine's gone now..." Violet pulls back again. "Oh, really?" She glances at Raven's shoulder, even if it's covered. "Huh. What are you thinking for it?" Her shoulder is bare, and well, bare. "I don't know. I.. I had that little snake since the day I was born. I feel kind of naked without it. Violet shrugs, pulling her hands to behind her head. "Well, I'm gonna assume it's not gonna be a snake this time. I'd suggest a phoenix out of vanity and symbolism, since you're starting anew and stuff, but I'm guessing you'd prefer something else." Rave says, "Um.. yeah, I think a phoenix might be.. well, might send the wrong message to some people. Ari's drawing some stuff up, and trying to convince me to get a fiber optic one." Violet raises an eyebrow. "So it... lights up? Weird. Cool, but weird." Rave nods. "It does! Well, they're everywhere back home, but I uh, don't really care for them because they're implants. I don't like implants. But maybe it's time I branched out, right? Violet closes an eye to look at Raven and points to the open one. "Technically, I've got some implants, ya know. Well, I think they're still in there. The batteries are dead, or something, not sure. I've not been able to get 'em to work." She opens her other eye again and frowns. "Not that I had a choice in that matter, but still. At any rate, I'm sure she'll come up with something good." Rave hehs. "Yeah, I've gotten better about implants. Especially since Ari's got a bunch, but..." she looks like she's about to say something, but stops herself and shakes her head. "Well, they don't bother me as much." Violet raises an eyebrow. "What? Oh, never mind." She glances about, then frowns. "I probably shouldn't stick around, though... I... didn't tell Alexa I was gonna be here, I just kinda... rushed over. She's probably wondering where the hell I am now and is either worried sick or pissed off." She looks right back at Raven. "Probably both. So I'd best get going home now." Rave smirks. "If she's pissed at you for being late, she's an idiot." she chuckles. "Get on home. Have a good night, Vi. And thanks again." Violet waves a hand to Raven. "I'll see you later, Rave. Promise me you'll get some food and sleep tonight, all right? Set a better example for the kids than you have been the past day or so." Rave waves back. "I'll try. That's all I can promise." Violet shrugs. "Well, that's fair. I'm out! Good night!" She then heads out to go fly home. | |
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