Room 509, early Wednesday evening

[trigons_child]

After Magic Reserves, Raven retreated to her room to meditate. She thought she had buried the part of her that longed so much for love, but apparently not deep enough, and she was projecting her desires again. It at least had made sense when she had affected Jono, and even somewhat so for projecting on her fellow students, but Max? First of all, he was a teacher. Secondly, she still panicked a little around him because of what his vampire self had done to her. She would never want to encourage his affections, but he'd professed his love in the park. Katchoo made more sense than Max, and she made no sense at all.

Raven sat cross-legged on her bed, calling on her Azarathian training to purge herself of the wayward desire, and on the training Anakin had given her to shield herself and stop projecting. She had no idea neither were necessary.

[ooc: for a special delivery or two. Door is closed but not locked; post is open.]

Comments

[trigons_child]

Raven really wanted to talk to Karla about what was going on with her and Merlin. "Karla," she said, opening up the door. "I am happy to see you."

[glacial_queen]

Karla couldn't be happier to hear that. "I'm glad," she said, giving Raven a big smile. "I'm happy to see you, too. Very, very happy. Can I come in?"

She glanced around and saw all of the flowers and her smile grew even broader. She wondered what Raven had thought of them.

[trigons_child]

"Of course," Raven said, gesturing inside. She still had no idea Karla sent the flowers.

"I wished to speak to you about you and Merlin," she began to say.

[glacial_queen]

Karla waved that topic away, coming in to sit down. "You don't have to, Raven. I see now that what we shared wasn't real. It wasn't true love. It was a mistake on both our parts and I'm grateful now that Arthur took him away."

Now that she remembered what true love was, here with Raven.

[trigons_child]

"Oh, good," Raven said with a sigh of relief. "I was worried that I had somehow accidentally done something to cause you to feel attracted to him."

[glacial_queen]

And soon Raven would realize that she sighed too soon.

"Oh no," Karla assured her. "It wasn't your fault that I thought I was in love with him." She reached out to clasp Raven's hand, bringing it close to her chest. "But I owe you everything for helping me realize what true love really is. Raven, I love you so. Do you think there's a chance for us to be together? It would be my fondest wish to make you happy."

She grinned and gestured at the flowers. "Like with these, for example. Did they please you? I hope so. Dinah worked hard to make them worthy of you. She's such a great friend to me!"

[trigons_child]

"The flowers are from you?" Raven said, mentally facepalming. "Oh, Karla, I care dearly for you, but what you are feeling...it cannot be real. I think I am making you feel this way, like I did to others before. I wish to know love so much that I am projecting that need onto others, like you."

[glacial_queen]

Karla stubbornly shook her head. "Raven, please. I would know if someone was manipulating my emotions. I've been trained in Craft and shielding my whole life." She clasped Raven's hand more tightly, willing Raven to feel the depth of her love. "No, believe me. What I feel for you is true and deep and enduring."

For another few hours, definitely!

"You must give me the chance to prove it to you!"

[trigons_child]

"I do not doubt that you care for me as I care for you," Raven said, squeezing Karla's hand. "But this is so sudden, and I have influenced people with my gifts before. I have tried to stop myself, but not well enough."

[glacial_queen]

Yeah...all Karla heard was 'I do not doubt that you care for me as I care for you.' The rest of it was lost in asudden rush of OMG--JOY! at her words.

"You do care!" Karla said exultantly. "I knew it! I knew a love with deep and pure could only be reciprocated! Oh, Raven, you con't know how happy you've made me!"

Tears gathered in her eyes and she swiped at them impatiently. "You'll see! We'll be together forever and I'll never let anything harm you again. Not your father, not your fears, nothing!"

[trigons_child]

Raven really really really hated that she was doing this to her friend. But she smiled with affection and said, "Just promise me you will do nothing rash? We should take this slowly, should we not?"

[glacial_queen]

"Of course!" Karla assured her, turning a smile of extreme happiness Raven's way. She was almost worried that Raven would drown under the waves of happiness that were pouring off of her. "We'll go as slow as you want. The last thing I'd want to do is push you or hurt you or anything like that."

Not that the promise of slow stopped Karla's imagination in the least. "I can't wait till we get home to Kaeleer. I'm thinking a small ceremony, something tasteful...Oh! You'll get to meet Jaenelle! She's the most important person in the world to me--other than you, of course..."