Chapter Text
The sky outside of Titans Tower is clear today. Birds fly about, and a few fish dance across the shallow shores of the surrounding ocean. The air is warm for this area of Earth – not as hot as it was back home, on Tamaran, but it is still pleasant. By all accounts, it should be a wonderful day.
Yet Koriand’r still feels uneasy and restless. It’s been nearly a week since her return to Earth – her new home – and she still cannot seem to sit still. Her experience on Tamaran, with the Citadel, and Komand’r’s betrayal cling to her like a grime she can’t wash off. She flies another circle around the tower, hoping the air running across her skin and through her hair will help calm her down. Even if she shouldn’t be fighting her emotions. Even if it would be better to acknowledge them. What more can she think or say about what happened that has not been thought or said already?
As Koriand'r finishes her circle, she sees someone she had not seen on her last trip around. Raven. Raven is sitting on the ground, a blanket laid out in front of her, and holding what looks to be a ball of yarn in one hand. Koriand'r flies down to her, curious.
“Koriand'r,” Raven says, before Koriand’r has finished landing.
“Raven,” Koriand'r says. “It’s good to see you today.” Though she’s not sure the empath feels similarly. Koriand'r knows that agitation is dripping off her. And, while she knows it is not her duty to change her emotions for her friend, she does wonder if Raven will truly wish to be around her in her current state.
However, Raven just says “Likewise,” and continues with her ball of yarn. She is holding some strange, small object in her right hand, and as she moves the object, the yarn is tied in knots around itself, getting bigger and bigger.
“What are you doing?” Koriand'r asks, now curious.
“Crochet,” Raven says.
Koriand'r had not heard that word before. The curiosity must show on her, even through her restlessness, because Raven explains. “ It’s an Earthern craft. One does it to make clothes, or other cloth objects, such as blankets.”
“Ah,” Koriand'r says. Such sorts of crafts existed on Tamaran. But Koriand'r had not partaken of them. They’d sounded a bit dull when she was a young child, and after going to train with the Warlords of Okaara, well… they still sounded dull, to be honest. “Do you enjoy it?” Koriand'r asks Raven.
“ At times,” Raven says, and she sets her yarn down for a moment.
“ Should I let you continue?” Koriand'r asks. After all, it would seem rude to interrupt Raven if she is busy, Koriand'r thinks.
“ It is your call,” Raven says. Though she does not re-grab her yarn ball.
Koriand'r shifts her weight from one leg to another. She does not want to be alone right now. Well, not alone from Raven – there were some at the tower she was fine … not avoiding, but not actively pursuing at the moment, anyway. She should tell Raven such, she thinks. That she does not wish to be alone. But it is hard to say aloud. Even if it makes little sense to hide from ones emotions – be they rage or passion – she dislikes being alone with her agitation right now. Something to take her mind off it would help. Maybe.
Koriand'r sits next to Raven when the other does not object. For a moment, both are still, before Raven picks up her yarn again and begins ‘crocheting.’
After a few minutes of silence, Raven asks, “What are you seeking, Koriand'r?”
Koriand'r inhales slightly. What a question. And how could she answer it? There were so many different ways. So many different truths – or lies. Koriand'r pauses for a moment, before deciding to be forthright. “ I did not wish to be alone today,” Koriand'r admits.
Raven nods, though Koriand'r does not know if Raven understands. Raven often sought isolation. Even among friends.
“ Something is bothering you,” Raven says slowly. She sounds uncertain as she says it, even though she surely could detect Koriandr’s emotions.
“It is,” Koriand’r says. “But I do not wish to talk about it right now. I simply wish to be with you.”
Raven nods yet again. “ I do… different things when I am bothered,” she says. It is a strange bit of information for her to volunteer. Or, perhaps it is simply strange that she volunteers such information at all. Raven could be quite reserved at times. ‘At times.’ Koriand’r was not fooling herself with such thoughts. Raven was most often reserved.
“ What do you do?” Koriand’r asks. “You often leave us when you are upset. I do not know what you do when you leave, though.”
Raven squirms slightly, and her crochet motions seem to pick up in speed. Perhaps that was the wrong thing to ask. But Raven herself seemed to have been offering such information. So Koriand’r is just confused.
“ Often times I meditate,” Raven says. “Or go… places.” Though, where to, she does not elaborate. “But, sometimes, I do this,” she finishes.
“You...crochet?” Koriand’r asks.
“Yes,” Raven says. She must see the confusion on Koriand’r’s face, or perhaps she simply senses it, because she elaborates. “It helps me clear my mind and calm down.”
“ How?” Koriand’r asks. She does not mean it maliciously. It is simply hard for her to imagine how sitting still and creating an item from yarn could help one calm down.
“ I’m not sure the process behind it,” Raven says. “Perhaps it is the focus and repetitive motion. But, sometimes, when I feel…” she pauses for a moment. “When I feel perturbed, I do this.”
“ When I feel perturbed,” Koriand’r says, “I prefer to do something physical. Like sparring.”
“Do you wish to spar?” Raven asks. But, before Koriand’r can ponder how the former pacifist would spar, she clarifies, “You could ask Donna, perhaps.”
Koriand’r shakes her head. She is unsure if Raven is trying to get her to go away, or simply be helpful. “Truthfully, no,” Koriand’r says. “I have already sparred Donna much in the past week… Perhaps too much. She complained she was sore the other day.” From the work out, no doubt. Koriand’r… Koriand’r could not have hurt her friend. Could she have? “Is Donna okay?” Koriand’r asks quickly, before realizing that maybe Raven would not know.
“I do not believe she is physically harmed,” Raven says, however. “Though she does seem worried. Koriand’r, we…” Pause. “We are all somewhat worried about you.”
Koriand’r nods. She’s not sure if such a sentiment should be sweet, or condescending. She did not want to worry her friends. And, even if they could not help but feel it, she does not know what to do when they do feel it. Had she, herself, not already been through enough? Was it her duty to comfort them, to reassure them that she was okay? The thought sits badly with her.
Raven keeps crocheting.
“ I understand your worry,” Koriand’r says, “But I will be fine. I have survived worse.” Five years worse. Koriand’r stands back up, stretching her legs, before she looks towards the tower. Perhaps she should return to the room. Maybe Victor, or even Garfield would like to spar her. She’s just not sure what help that would do when she’s already done it so often. It would help her training, yes. But would it help her… help her feel free of this agitation?
“ Koriand’r,” Raven asks. Her voice is cautious as she speaks, though Koriand’r does not know why. “Would you like to crochet with me?”
Koriand’r pauses. “ ...Would that help?” she asks. She does not clarify what it would help with. Perhaps Raven already knows.
“It helps me calm down,” Raven says. “Sometimes.” Raven does not elaborate for a moment, she simply runs her fingers over the yarn ball. Koriand’r does not know why. “I haven’t… tried it a lot,” she admits. “Since our return from Tamaran.” Something goes unspoken in Raven’s words, but Koriand’r does not know what. “ But it is helping me somewhat, at the moment,” Raven finishes.
“ Are you bothered?” Koriand’r asks. After all, Raven had admitted she crocheted when she was bothered just earlier today.
Raven drops her crochet, and her hand clenches around the tool she’d been holding. She inhales, then exhales, before continuing. “Of course,” Raven says slowly and carefully. “ Th e battlefield was… not something I am accustomed too. I felt many die. ”
“ I am sorry,” Koriand’r says. And she truthfully is. She had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she had forgotten about her friend. Besides, this is something she can respond to truthfully. It is not like the worry Raven and the others had for her, a feeling about Koriand’r. It is it’s own separate thing. A problem Raven, her friend has. A problem that Koriand’r knows Raven is unlikely to want help addressing, but perhaps Koriand’r can still talk to her friend this moment.
“ It is not your fault,” Raven says. “ My empathic powers create this burden .”
Koriand’r nods, though she’s not sure that her friend is being fully honest with her . She recognizes, however, she should not prod . So she changes the conversation back to what Raven had said earlier. “Do you want me to crochet with you?” Koriand’r asks Raven.
“ It would be nice,” Raven says. “If you so desire.”
“ You would have to teach me…” Koriand’r says. “I did not do such crafts on Tamaran. And, either way, I doubt they would use the exact same techniques.”
“ That is fine,” Raven says. She pulls out another tool from her bag, and begins explaining the craft to Koriand’r.
Koriand’r listens to her friend. She is not sure how this exercise can calm her nerves. But being with Raven is nice. The two do not talk often. But here, on the island where Titans Tower sits, Koriand’r does feel a bit of her agitation come off. Perhaps such a feeling will return – it is likely, in fact. However, Koriand’r wants to take in this moment. Listening to her friend.