driftfleet | Let's all hold hands and sing Kumbaya

Only a brother. [ And she rarely told Charles anything, really. ] He always knew when I was upset, at least. He's like that.

[ The age-old argument about telepathy that she regrets. ]

Yeah, but knowing isn't the same as understanding.

Tell me about it. [ Again, part of the problem, and Raven huffs a noise. ] So. Can I ask what else Hank has told you about me before I show off?

That you're proud of who you are, it's complicated between you two, and what happened in Cuba. But otherwise, not many details.

[ What happened in Cuba. That's enough for her, and she swallows, nodding her head. Those are the sort of things she keeps locked away, and she has to focus on something else before she huffs a noise. ]

Complicated, huh. That sounds right.

Seems like it.

And, listen. I'm not that interested in talking about your business with other people. I don't want you to worry about that.

But I totally do want to see you show off.

Like I said, I'm just not. Used to it.

[ All her girlfriends are dead, after all, and it's not as if she and Erik were prone to gossiping. ]

And I'm not worried. Hank trusts you, and that means I can too.

Thanks. I feel the same way. I haven't known him as long but he's pretty dang endearing.

Endearing is a word for it. [ A shake of the head from the woman that loves Hank. She's very verbose. ] He gets under your skin and that's it, even if his idea of a first date is taking your blood.

Wait, what?

[ asking for blood wasn't her experience but this is a story she has to hear ]

It was a couple of days after we met. He wanted to look at my DNA, so he asked to do it over a picnic.

[ Which sounds a little ridiculous, but knowing why he wanted her blood... Well, that's no one's business but theirs. ]

Well, that's one way to handle it. The geneticist's perfect date night?

I don't think he even realised it was a date, honestly.

[ But that was ten years ago, more than that. It's all different now. ]

Sounds likely.

Okay, I have to tell you this because I really like you, but I don't want to make anything more awkward. Awkwarder? Anyway, before you showed up, I kind of was interested in Hank and we went to a masquerade party together, but to his credit he wasn't really interested in pursuing anything and then you showed up and the whole idea got shoved off the table. He's really into you, and I really like him just as a friend, honestly. I just don't want you to think you have anything to worry about or like I'm going to be trouble or anything but also it seems silly to dance around since everyone's an adult and nothing happened anyway.

[ jesus, kara, take a breath ]

[ ... alright.

Raven knows she has no right to be jealous, not really, not with what happened between her and Azazel, but a part of her does. She feels twitchy, thinking that if she hadn't turned up when she had then Hank would have moved on for good. A part of her, now, almost wishes she hadn't, because she earnestly believes that Hank deserves better than the uncertainty that she offers him when they're together, never knowing if she's going to stay forever or disappear as soon as they get home.

It's not really fair on him, is it?

At the same time, there's a violent flush of possessiveness that overcomes her, and she has to glance away to shove it down. ]

I don't think it's really any of my business, but. Thank you.

[ Kara instantly regrets taking that risk. conceal, don't feel is CLEARLY the correct course of action. It's hard for her not to get that pang of feeling foolish like she had with Hank in the first place—feeling her age in particular around them—but she's determined to move on from that and from this conversational faux pas ]

Right. Yes. Of course. Sorry. I definitely just made things more awkward. All of this "not having to hide being an alien" stuff has gone to my head. I'm getting so wrapped up in the fact that I can I didn't stop to think if I should.

Anyway.

[ It's mostly borne from the fact that Raven is incredibly awkward and still a little lost when it comes to her life here and her relationship with the others, Hank included. She might be able to tell him she loves him and lie beside him and know that it's true, but it doesn't make her other choices easier. It just makes her confused, and she's not good at working her way out of those things alone. It's hard, and she's still learning. ]

It's probably better that it's out there, but - I don't care. Not in a 'I hate you, go away' way, but... I wasn't here. I wasn't around. If Hank was going to be with someone else then... It might as well be with someone that might be able to understand what it's like to be a mutant, alright?

[ She glances away, hesitant and a little angry with herself. ]

Sorry I screwed it all up.

If anything, it was a group effort. He was never really that into me, he was just too nice-slash-oblivious to turn me down until he didn't have a choice. It was silly to pursue anyway, and knowing how cool you are definitely takes the sting out of it. Not that there was any sting left. Definitely in the past.

There's someone at home I'm still really into, anyway.

I'm not - [ But she bites it back, shoving it to one side. 'I'm not cool', she tells herself, still awkward and uncomfortable with being in the spotlight, still not used to her face being known. There were newspapers and reports and articles and she had seen them all, hiding with fake faces under different countries, and she knows she's not what Kara thinks she is.

Whatever Hank had told her... It couldn't be true.

She shrugs a shoulder, trying to be nonchalant. ]

He was the only person I was into. At home.

[ he never really told her anything, she's just aggressively optimistic about people ]

Sounds like maybe you've had other things to worry about, anyway.

Yeah, something like that.

[ Raven is so incredibly awkward that for a moment she feels like she could trip over her own feet and it would still be better than this conversation. ]

There wasn't much time for any of... That.

You know, it's probably not so exciting for you since you know like a ton of mutants, but if you want to fly around with me, let me know. I also found out that my heat vision is strong enough to make glass out of the sand, so that's great, too, if you want to see that.

[ she kind of feels like she lost her "watch raven do cool things" privileges but she's determined to not leave the conversation on an awkward note, so she's trying to recover ]

I haven't flown with anyone before, not really. I've teleported, but I don't think it's the same.

[ Raven looks down at herself and breathes out. ]

I can just turn into people.

"Just"? That's pretty impressive to me. There are definitely times I've wished I could shapeshift. It would make my boss a lot less suspicious of me, for one.

[ Raven has to try hard to smile - there's more to it than that, but no one gets it. It's fine. ]

It does come in very handy.

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