World Tree MUSH

     Raven got to visit Damian's parents, and now she gets to see his friends! More specifically, the school they all attend, Zoo Phoenix Academy in the city of Safe Haven. The area of the city which houses the academy is pretty much what one would expect of a modern day setting, with the usual office buildings and grocery stores and such, albeit with a lot of bizarre creatures wandering the streets. The academy itself is quite large, with multiple buildings surrounding the main school that appear to be the usual assortment of gymnasiums, dormitories, and the like.

Once past the front gate, it's a somewhat long walk across a concrete pathway surrounded by expertly cut grass and neatly trimmed trees, before they come to the front doors of the main building itself. Several other pathways branch off of the main one along the way, leading toward areas that shift into different environmental aesthetics (jungle, ocean, etc) but they're irrelevant for the moment as Damian throws the doors open wide, showing off the main lobby.

Here, the clash and blend of numerous ecosystems becomes readily apparent, with each section of the walls painted to represent each wing of the academy... and some not painted at all, but rather made up of glass to show what lies beyond, with one wing for aquatic students visible while another above shows glimpses of dense treetops with some vines and flowers peeking their way through and hanging over the balcony, which is in turn connected to the first floor by a set of stairs that split off in two directions partway up.

"It's kinda crazy here sometimes, but you get used to it." Damian says with a wide grin, floating aside for Raven to enter.

Raven would be floating as well, then! Because, well, why not? If he was, so was she. Of course, she had her hood up. Why? Because it was nervous. And the moment she was inside of empathic feeling range, he might notice her cringe a little. It was a school, alright. She floated a little slower for a moment, but soon caught up to him as she re-hardened her shields and blocked it out.

Once inside, however, she actually dropped, just a little bit. He could see the wonder in her eyes(the only part of her face that showed, due to the hooded shadows). "This is incredible, it's..." She trailed off. "It's so much like Wolf's universe. But... nicer. I wonder if this is what their schools are like. No. They seem far more... distraught, there," she mumbled as she looked around. She flew around a little, looking through the first floor, before effortlessly floating up to the second to peer around. No. It was... different. A little. Why? Wolf's, she'd only seen the rough, grizzled side. This was...

This was nicer than wolf's world. These were kids. Like her. She could feel it. Banging on her ways. Idle teens, gossiping, talking, all that fun stuff that seemed so... simple. Sure, there were bits of.... darker. But for the most part....

     Damian watches Raven look around, his joy at her reaction incredibly obvious to her empath senses. "Well, this city isn't called Safe Haven for nothing, you know." he speaks up, leaning against the wall and pretending to idly pick underneath his fingernails. "This is the safest place on Earth, or this Earth at least. As long as you're within these walls, nothing bad's gonna happen to you."

There /are/ some students crossing through the lobby on their way to other parts of the school, but it seems most are in their classes, or taking the day off in their dorms or rec rooms. One in particular, an anthropomorphic cat with purple fur and a book clutched tightly to her chest, stops near the middle of the lobby and glances up at Raven. Her eyes are yellow in color, seeming almost as if they could glow in the dark, and for a few moments her stare seems like it might be trying to pierce Raven's soul... Only for the cat to simply give a small nod, before continuing on her way.

"Wow, I think she likes you. She never acknowledges anyone if she doesn't have to." Damian speaks up, having levitated up to Raven's side. "Her name's Vanex. Or maybe Vanexa? She's never corrected anyone either way, so I guess it doesn't matter."

"Laying" on his back, he drifts through the air as if he were floating on water. "She's cute, but kinda bookish. Spends a lot of her time in the library or checking out books. I think she's read the whole collection twice over, and trust me, that's a hell of a feat."

Raven had been a little fascinated as she flowed around the room, as if on the wind, catching in the sights. And then... She'd turned. And she looked into the eyes of the other cat. For a moment, there was stillness. Quiet. There was just the two of them. The other girl nodded. And she nodded back. The acceptance of two who really understood... themselves. Then the other girls was walking off and she glanced back to Damian.

Then her eyes lightened up. And there was just a hint of excitement in her eyes. Which ,for her, was practically giggling with glee. "... Did... you say library? I would appreciate a chance to see it," her voice was calm, collected.

"Remind me to show you the royal library when I show you the Mushroom kingdom. There appear to be thousands of books there..." Most of which, now, she had read. Well. The ones she cared about. "I would be fascinated to see just how similar the books are between this world and others. For example, are you aware that there are at least 57 different versions with only minor differences of romeo and juliet? And it's amazing since in so many of them, the names matches, but the creators are entirely different people. Now, I have a theory that there's set points in the dimensions that..." Annnnnd now she was on a spiel.

     Damian guesses he shouldn't be surprised that Raven's into books too. She certainly reminds him of Vanex in some ways! "Yeah, we have a huge library! Some say it's infinite... but that's just an urban legend of course." he says, a slightly teasing tone entering his voice.

And then Raven goes on that spiel about dimensional somethings and Shakespeare whatsits, and Damian ends up tuning out after a few seconds. All that stuff is just a little over his head, so after several awkward moments of silence on his part, he interrupts with, "So, uh, you wanna see the library, then? You might even find a book about all that... stuff."

Raven glanced over as she finished and then... She sighed. "I'm boring you, aren't I? My apologies," she said before nodding and following him. "Please. LEad the way," she said before glancing around. As they went through, though, she hummed.

"It's an interesting feeling. All these different people. There's..." she sighed. "In a higher floor, a boy just had his heart broken. In one of the rooms, a girl is terrified because she's scared she'll be called on to answer a question. Not far away another is hating the fact they have gym later. It's all so... so... mundane. So simple. So... safe. It's like... Different from the mushroom kingdom. Closer to my world, I suppose. But... with just..."

"An air of peace about it, I supp--" And then her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. "Aaaaaand two of your teachers just started making out in a broom closet somewhere. At least, I hope they're teachers." Gosh being an empath sucked sometimes.

     No point in lying to an empath. "Yeah, kinda. That all went right over my head, sorry." Damian sheepishly admits, but happily leads Raven toward one of the doorways on the second floor, set into an old-style stonework wall that resembles an ancient castle. Beyond this portal lies a hallway like that one might find in an old manor, with creaking wooden floorboards underneath faded red rugs and torches hanging from the walls at regular intervals, though they seem to be electric rather than actual fire, for safety reasons.

There are several doors that branch off from this hallway, each leading to a different style of room, all seemingly based on places of learning and research: There is a study that seems perfectly suited to the hallway itself of course, but also a modern-style classroom, a pristine labratory with white walls, and another castle-like interior that matches the entrance to this wing of the school, with warmly glowing magic sigils lining the walls to provide light.

"Heh, /just/ two? Must be a busy night." Dame chuckles at Raven's remark as he leads her up to an ancient-looking wooden door with iron bands studded across its width near the top and bottom, and an iron doorhandle rather than a knob. Turning to give Raven another grin, he adds, "Here we are. This place is nice and quiet, and there's lots of places to get lost. Who knows what we might get up to in there~?"

Raven can feel that he's mostly teasing, though. Mostly.

She might be distracted from that mote of sincerity once the door opens, though, as it opens up into a sprawling space lined with immeasurable bookshelves, and 'space' is not just a metaphor. The walls, ceiling, and floor all resemble the depths of the cosmos, with softly twinkling stars, comets streaking across without a care in the world, and mysterious nebulae simply drifting aimlessly in the distance. If not for the seemingly endless bookshelves to provide visual context, it would be very easy to lose one's sense of grounding, and feel as if one were flying off into the ether, never to return.

"Don't worry about getting hit by any of those comets, by the way. It's all just a fancy illusion, accidentally cast by one of the staff members a while back. They decided it looked cool and added an extra air of mystique to the place, so they let it stay like this." Damian helpfully assures his companion.

Raven actually lowered herself to the ground as they entered the hallway. She LIKED the sound of the creaking floor. The old and ancient. It felt like the kind of place you could disappear into and end up taken over by some kind of spirit, or haunted mansion. Or perhaps a place with a dragon, keeping its hoard safe. Or great and dangerous kings, with courtiers and... all of that.

Then she saw into the different rooms and nodded, looking... well, fascinated. "Are all schools like this? I've never been to one before," she mumbled softly as they walked. "I'd heard stories, but... Azaroth didn't have many such places..." she umbled.

Then glanced to him and said, in a completely dead pan voice. "I don't believe there is anything you and I could get up to here." Ouch.

She stepped in and... she was taken aback. "It's..." she whispered. IT was obvious how impressed she was. Her cloak hood had lowered. Her hair was flowing as if through water. HEAVY OBJECTS WERE BEING LIFTED INTO THE AIR AS SHE WAS SO DISTRACTED SHE FORGOT TO BUTTON DOWN HER EMOTIONS. She caught herself after about a minute of staring in awe, yelping and making things crash as she cringed. "Err... s-sorry..." Fortunately, it didn't seem she broke anything, and with a wave of her hands, things quickly righted themselves. "Would... I be allowed to visit this place? On my own?" she asked. "What are the requirements?" she asked, before she glided up, flowing around the book, slowly gliding her fingers along covers as she went...

     "Yeah, it's pretty great. I've never seen another school like it." Damian answers, though it's not like he's really /been/ to any other schools. He's seen movies, though! And this school is way cooler than all of them, except maybe that one with the wizards and some dude who works with pottery or something.

As Raven coldly shuts him down though, he clutches a hand to his chest as if he were shot straight through the heart, his other arm laying across his eyes. "Oh, you wound me, madame! Not even a moment of your company in this peaceful place? How heartless of you!" he melodramatically declares, but is soon back to his usual cheerful self, following Raven further into the library. "That was pretty good, huh? I've been practicing for drama class. Mrs. Jackie's gonna love my performance~"

If she isn't too distracted, his emotions don't seem too wounded. Indeed, it seems teasing is all it was. However, a flash of worry strikes as Raven yelps, and Damian does his best to grab as many falling books as he can before he realizes she's got it well in hand. "Heh, well, if you don't destroy the place while you're here, I don't see why not. Just one little thing though..."

The demon prince quickly zips in front of Raven, floating at eye level with an excited gleam in his eyes. "You gotta enroll in the academy. Book checkouts are only available to students~"

Raven chuckled softly at his sillyness. "Well... I am a demon, am I not? I'm bound to be heartless," she joked back to him. "Though your drama is quite good. I look forward to seeing you in a play sometime." ... Wait, was she serious? Wait, no. With her tastes she probably LIKED plays.

She nodded. "I will not allow any damage to befall the books. I will protect them as if they were my own." She could hardly believe it. She could come here all the time, to study! She... Wait... there was a catch.

And she waited for the hammer to fall. And then her eyes widened and she recoiled. "W-what? That's impossible. You know that. I am a demon, from another dimension. There is no way they would accept m..." Then blinked. Stared at him. And the grin likely growing on his face. "Don't. Say a word," she said, face palming. "I realized who I was talking to. You told them what and who you are, didn't you? No. I suspect you did. You're honest, enough," she said with a sigh. "Ish. I doubt you'd hide this... you didn't, did you?" she asked, lowering her hand.

"What would be my... duties here? And what are the requirements? Are there trials I must face?"

     Damian is indeed grinning, wide enough it almost seems like it's stretching his face out. That could just be his shapeshifting powers though. "Heh, demons are illegal here in Safe Haven because a lot of them are destructive assholes. I'm an exception to that rule because my family's known to be trustworthy about following rules. It's a delicious irony, don't you think?"

Turning in mid-air to float upside down, his gown-like shirt somehow staying properly in place, he shakes his head. "Nah, we were upfront about it... with the staff, anyway. Only a few students know what I am, 'cause I don't make it super obvious or anything. You, though... You could easily pass for a normal sorceror around here. Heck, one of my best friends is from a whole family of magic-slingers! So, y'know, you don't have to come out to anyone about your dad if you don't want to."

Returning to that "laying" position he used earlier, resting his cheek on his hand, he continues. "No trials or anything. Just gotta be honest with the guys in charge, take some standard testing to determine your academic level, boring stuff like that. Mostly paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork." His tail is wagging up and down by this point as he speaks, betraying his excitement despite his attempts to sound cool and smooth. "After that, you just gotta attend a certain number of hours' worth of classes each week, doesn't really matter which ones. Find one that suits you! Oh yeah, and don't start any fights, because the faculty /will/ end them."

Raven stared at him and then snorted. "Really. Your family is known to be trustworthy about following rules? I wish I could say the same about my own." To his credit, he didn't say the words. Though she KNEW he was thinking them. She chose to ignore it. "It is an irony. That may work in my favor, at least."

She nodded. "That's.... good. Your school is weird. I think I would... I could likely pass for human, at least. And no, I won't. You... are the only one who knows about my father. And that's only because you're special. Don't let it go to your head," she said the last bit in a dry tone. "But... I suppose if I was justi ntroduced as... a half demon to them, there is no reason to expand on... what I am, fully," she said with a nod. "That would be... sufficient."

She sighed and then looked forelornly at the books. Man, if only she looked at people like that. Then perked up. "Oh? I've always found paperwork quite delightful. It's so incredibly soothing." ... Oh my gosh she was such a nerd.

She started heading towards the door. "Start a fight? I would never. Aside from training, I try to never perform such acts. The azarothian's are pacifists, you know. Aside from myself, there's only been one who tried to resort to violence. And even I only do it as a last resort that... is disturbingly frequent. And I'm sure it could be... fun. Doing classes like that. Now... We can do that soon. But... You said you were in the drama class, correct? Would youl ike to show me?"

A very... subtle way for her to try and show that she appreciated what he was doing for her. Then... "Oh, do those three girls you were with when we met come here as well? They seemed... nice."

     Damian chuckles a bit at Raven's response, righting himself into a vertical position again. "Oh, I'm special, huh?" he says, winking. "I'll try not to get a swelled head about it. Maybe I'll even refrain from telling anyone you said it~"

As they head back toward the lobby, Dame continues to tease her a bit about her nerdish tendencies, but at that last question, he shakes his head. "Nah, they're not students here. Sometimes they follow me, but never into the school proper. They're mischief makers, even more than I am, so they aren't exactly welcome here."

This time, the pair go down to the first floor, toward a doorway set in a purple-ish red wall, inside which is another winding hallway with red mood lighting. It almost resembles Hell, but... not. Instead of malicious intent around every corner, there's creativity, joy, frustration, a dash of melancholy, one or two students panicking over deadlines. One door leads to a large pink-walled room filled with desks, easels, and painting supplies, another, grayish room shows several students engaged in what looks like the filming of a cheap movie, and a third painted blue with students practicing on various musical instruments. Damian hurries past one which appears to be a dance class, silently gesturing for Raven to quicken her pace as well before they're spotted by the garishly-dressed instructor.

Finally, they reach an auditorium, just as red as the hallway leading up to it, with hundreds of seats surrounding a stage that looks like it's designed as much for fashion shows as it is for plays, with electric lights lining the edges to light up the green-painted wood of the stage and its golden trim. A lone piano sits off to the side of the stage, while a runway extends from the center of its forward edge, with a small group of students apparently practicing lines or simply hanging out.

"And here we are, my favorite part of the arts wing, the drama club! Woooo!" Damian cheers, pumping his fists in the air.

Raven cocked an eye at him. "You can tell people if you like. No one would believe I said it, and I would merely deny it," she said flatly. "Or well... they'd assume I meant 'special'," she said in her deadpan voice. Though she had a hint of a smile when she said it.

"... Wait. Why would anyone think to cause mischief in a school? It is a place of learning. Shouldn't people desire to learn?" Pause. "Well, I suppose there is also the courting I've sensed from people. There is quite a lot of that."

And, of course, she paused in front of it. Just NARROWLY avoiding being seen by the instructor. "What's wrong with dance? It doesn't look much different from meditation. And perhaps I'll try, I've always wanted to try dancing." Oh ho! Something she DIDN'T know about! "I've read a few books on it." ... How did she have time to be a universe ending threat as much as she read?

She looked around. "Everything in this place is so... incredible." She then motioned to the stage and... "Well? You are a part of the drama club. Shouldn't you attempt a 'demonstration' for me? After all, you are a demon, I imagine you must have quite the flare for it," she teased and gave... more than just a subtle smile. It was a bit easier for her to be relaxed around him. Namely because he felt so much like her. She didn't have to be afraid she'd hurt him or horrify him.

     "Pfft, of course they'd believe me. I never lie!" Damian says, clearly lying. However, when the subject turns to the matter of dance, he glances around as if in search of a particular face before he speaks. "Well, the dance instructor can get very... /intense/, or I guess a better word would be 'overwhelming'. How do I put this, he's uh..."

"My perfect lovey-dovey husband Alanzo~" comes a sudden, singsong-y voice from a woman who seems to have just appeared OUT OF FRIGGING NOWHERE behind the two, tugging them into a tight, breath-stealing hug for a thankfully brief second before she lets go of them. Upon further inspection, her caramel-colored skin and bright blue, green, /and/ yellow hair combined with her blue dress with yellow highlights suggests... well, someone who loves to stand out, if nothing else. Caribbean maybe?

"Urghk... Hi, Mrs. Jackie." Damian manages with a wave after sucking some air back into his lungs. "Raven, Mrs. Jackie. Mrs. Jackie, Raven. She was thinking of enrolling, so I was giving her the tour of the place."

"A new student? Oh, how wonderful! I do hope you'll choose my class, dear~" Mrs. Jackie exclaims as she practically bounces in place with joy at the prospect. "In fact, I'm already thinking of the perfect part for you! You must tell me, are you familiar with the works of Poe? Because there's this play I've been wanting to try, and I need someone with a certain gloomy air about them..."

Damian just groans and rolls his eyes, leaning in to whisper to Raven while the brightly-colored drama instructor continues yammering on. "She'll be at this for at least twenty minutes. Come on, let's get down to the stage so you can meet my friends... unless you wanna sit here and listen to her yap."

Raven actually shrieked. Partly because the woman was suddenly there. And partly because, oh my gosh she was over whelming. Her special powers sent off like alarms in ehr head and, where raven had stood, now a giant black raven flew up about five feet, and moved BEHIND Damian before she regathered her controls and managed to thrust THAT out.

The biggest problem being the panicked crater she left in the ground from her surge of magic.

"W-who? What? Why? What?" Okay, so she was a bit... tense, after that, though she quickly capped the lid on THAT particular boiling pot and stared. "R-right. Right. We're... right. I'll be trying to enroll. Yes. Works of Poe? I don't--" Then her eyes widened. "Oh! You mean Edgar Allen Poe? Yes. I've actually read his complete works a dozen times, it was one of the books Azar had me study when I was a child." Of course. "Err... I'll... think on it," she said, before quickly following Damian.

 She did NOT want to be alone with her for long. Once they were a bit away, and walking, he might notice... She had grabbed his sleeve to ground herself. "It was... As intense as she is. Trust me... She is even more intense on the inside. It was like having a tsunami slamming into me and threatening to bowl me over... She seemed nice, though. I like her." Then, pause. "... Do I really seem that gloomy? Is... that bad?"

     "Oooooh, another avian! Great! It's been a while since we had more birds show up! Actually, you're a raven right? That makes you even more perfect! You see, this musical..."

Mrs. Jackie just keeps on going like that, staring off into space as she gets absorbed in her own little world, rambling about Poe musicals for whatever reason. She doesn't even seem to notice the crater left by Raven's panicked flight, or the two teens hurrying away from her.

"Yeah, she's... like that. Her husband's the dance instructor, and not dealing with /both/ of them is why I told you to hurry when we went by his class before. They're perfect for each other, is all I have to say about that." Damian explains, then shakes his head and... doesn't pat Raven's shoulder, but the idea is there for her to pick up on. "Nah, not at all. I mean, I'd love to see you smile more, but you're you and I'm not gonna change that. Heck, nobody can tell you who you are but you, right?"

As they reach the stage, a couple of the students take notice and approach, among them a female kangaroo, a strange yellow creature with a green snake-like tail (head included), and a nervous-looking brown-furred jackal covered in scars and patches of missing fur. Damian introduces them each in turn. "Raven, this is Kayla, Zillion, and my cousin and gooooood friend Jackson. You can call him Jack for short."

"Uh... Hey, Damian. New friend, huh?" Jack asks, offering a nervous smile and little else. He seems reluctant to touch anyone, much less someone he's just met. In fact, to Raven, he's an open book filled with pain and fear, someone who suffers every day yet survives just to suffer more.

"Nice to meetcha, Raven! Dame already introduced me, but you can call me Zill, alright? Everyone else does!" comes the bizarre yellow chimera creature, holding out a hand for Raven to shake. He's brimming with confidence and excitement, definitely a natural leader.

Kayla the kangaroo, in the meantime, places one of her hands on Zill's arm and gently pulls it down. "Come on Zill, give her some space. She doesn't look like someone who's into handshakes, does she?" This one is more levelheaded than the rest, warm and gentle... but a sense like her warmth could explode into a fiery blaze if provoked. Definitely not one to trifle with.

"So yeah, these are some of my friends! You'll meet the rest later, probably. I think I saw Lenny and Vinny back in the film room..." Damian speaks up, settling down into one of the front row seats to relax. It's very comfy.

Raven nodded, following him. "She... knows I'm not an actual bird, right? That's just the shape of my soul. It's... Azarothian magic, not demon magic," she added. With just a hint of pride. "Azar taught me it. And perfect for each other? I... suppose that... makes sense. Finding someone who you can... understand and connect with. I imagine for most people that's important and... feel nice." And then he said that and.... she couldn't not smile back and give his sleeve a little squeeze.

And then her eyes fell on Jack. She just... stared at him. With pitty. She had the over whelming feeling to just hug him. And she... NEVER had that. Then the others spoke and she was shaken from her thoughts. She quickly shook her head. "Em... path," she mumbled. "I'm an empath. Generally touching is... I do not like it. It creates a bond and..." She then glanced towards Jack. The pity was clear on her face. "It's... altogether unpleasant to have the feelings of others flowing through you," she mumbled.

"But I suppose there are worse things..." she mumbled, before glancing back to Damian and moving a bit closer. In all the chaos, and weirdness, he was quickly becoming the ground, the 'base' she could rely on to focus. "I may be enrolling here soon to gain access to the library," she said bluntly. She then reached up and lifted the hood over her head, so only her... oddly glowing eyes peered through it.

"Perhaps we will eventually be... friends," she mumbled. Then glanced to Damian. "You have a lot of friends, it seems. You must be quite... Popular." Woo, a compliment! "I never would have guessed having met you." OUCH! Did she always have to be so deadpan when she said things like that?

     Jack nods, sad yet understanding. "Yeah, I'm... used to it. People keeping their distance from me. Usually it's because they're afraid my c-curse might rub off on them..." he trails off into stuttering mumbling, his eyes focused firmly on some spot on the floor that is anywhere /but/ looking at Raven.

"Empath, huh? I don't think I've met one before. Well, good to meet you anyway, Raven!" Zill says, giving Jack a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder in the meantime.

Kayla simply nods, her guess proven correct, and offers a warm smile to Raven. "It's a good library, and a lot of people here are very nice, including us. I hope we can be friends after you sign up, Ms. Raven."

Finally, as Raven remarks on his seeming popularity, Damian shrugs and smugly replies, "Hey, I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm likeable~" However, the followup comment causes him to react as if he were punched, with a little "oof" and everything, as he doubles over in his seat. "Oh, man, did you have to? Right in front of everyone too."

"It's more like we tolerate him, really." Zill adds with a shrug.

Raven froze then. Those words. Those words of his. they were... not the words she had used. But they were so, so close. The feelings others had for her. The way they avoided her. The way they fled for her. That sadness... She did something she didn't do over.

She stepped forward and hugged him. This was different than the hugs she normally gave. Normally... when she hugged someone, it was because SHE needed a hug. She needed someone to hold her. To tell her it'd be okay. To just for a second pretend things wouldn't be terrible. This wasn't that hug. This was a hug of comfort. Of protection. "I am so, so sorry," she said gently. "You poor, poor child. Whatever curse you--" And then there was an awful shriek from above. The stage lights above, one of them snapped and dropped and THEY WERE GOING TO BE CRUSHED!

"Azeroth metrion ZINTHOS!" she cried. Dark magic flew up, grasping the chunks of broken metal... Then crushing them into a can sized ball that was tossed harmlessly to the ground. "I see... it is one of those curses," she said flatly. Before looking to Zill and giving a small, weak smile. "I am very sorry you have to endure such things. But do not worry. I am incredibly difficult to kill."

She then stepped back, giving him his space before looking to the others. "Huh? Oh... Um. Yes. I hope we can as... well." And then glanced to Damian. "Of course I did. It is..." She hopped down from the stage. "What friends do, is it not? Teasing of such... manners." She then sighed. "Though, I suppose even I have to admit you're likeable. Enough."

     Jack looks shocked as Raven hugs him, his body going stiff as a board and eyes darting around as if this is some kind of trick. Even when she lets go of him, he stays rigid right up until she stops the stage light from falling on them, finally relaxing a bit as he lets out the breath he'd been holding. "T-t-t-thank you, I-I... N-nobody's... not since Z-Zill..." he stutters, sitting down and trying to keep himself from hyperventilating.

"Yeesh, that's the third time this week. Maybe we should find somewhere else to put those." Zill suggests, leaning down to give Jack a gentle backrub with one hand. "Easy now, Jack. Just breathe. In, out..."

"Zill and I do our best to look after Jack, but his curse always finds some way to slip through the cracks." Kayla calmly explains to Raven, pulling a bottle of water out of a cooler set by the side of the runway and handing it to Jack. "We can't be there for him 24/7, after all. Thanks for your help."

Damian, meanwhile, has floated over to join Raven's side. "Yeeeaaah, I think we should get the nurse. It'll be good to know where her office is anyway, in case of emergencies." he suggests, giving a little wave to the three. "You guys just chill for a little bit, I'll get a mop too just in case anything goes wrong. Raven?"

Raven blinked and just stared at them. "Have you considered maybe NOT putting massive, heavy and incredibly deadly lights directly over his head? No. Don't answer that. Chances are something else would find a way. Err... Sorry. I've studied a lot of curses. Never put them on anybody!" she added quickly. "Purely scholarly." Surrrrre. 

She did nod, though. "I imagine it would be quite difficult." Then turned to Damian. "A nurse? Is there a hospital on site?" she asked in confusion. "Is that normal for schools? I didn't imagine there would be that must medicinal classes here..." Oh dear heavens she was serious.

She'd then follow him, of course. She was silent for a long time, as they went through the halls. But... Eventually... She reached out and tugged his arm. His actual arm. She then stared at him with an... odd intensity. Finally... "Damian... I... Thank you..." she whispered. "Thank you for... for letting me into your life. It's..." She stared at him and then... "You know what I am. You know more than anyone what I am capable of. What I could be. And you don't have my empathic abilities to check if my intentions are pure. Or... well. Mostly pure, in your case. You know the depths of pain and suffering I can blossom forth... And yet you invited me into your life. You've shown me your world. You've trusted me. Treated me as... a friend. Even though we have only just met. And more than that..."

"... You've given me... Hope... if you can be like me... And be like this... Maybe... I don't have to be... all those things they said I would be. So... thank you. For... being you." And then she hugged him.

Yes. This... was kinda that first hug. The 'I need to hug you' type. She pulled back after a few moments. "I just... wanted to say that. So, let's get to showing me around and signed up. Okay?"

     As Raven questions Damian about the nurse, he nods and answers, "Yeah, they're pretty standard in schools I think. They don't like, /normally/ do surgery or anything, but ours does. She's kinda weird though, so don't be too startled when you see her. On the bright side, she's used to Jack."

And then suddenly, physical contact... from Raven!? Dame stops, turning to look at her as she thanks him for trusting her, for being a friend, and for giving her hope. Even through his red fur, she might be able to make out a blush on his cheeks when she pulls him into a hug. "I, uh... Heh, this is pretty nice..."

He returns the hug, wrapping his arms around the girl for a moment or two before she pulls away. "Trust me, I've known a /lot/ of demons, and you're either better at lying than all of them, or you're telling the truth. I don't think it's the first one." he reassures her with a smile, a genuine smile without any of the usual smugness or that sort of thing, and starts floating off toward the nurse's office again. "Anyway, you're welcome. You keep being you, and while we're doing that, we can get you set up for enrollment. You're gonna love it here~"