World Tree MUSH

     Raven may visit Hell often, but there are still some things Damian hasn't shown her yet. Today, he's offered to bring her to visit one of his old friends, and given the excitement radiating from him, it might just be too hard for Raven to refuse.

"You're gonna love her. She's great!" Damian gushes as he skips along through the brimstone wastelands on the edge of Hell's kingdom... or rather, above them, a few dozen feet in the air so as to avoid all the sharp, rocky terrain below. Soon enough, they come across what looks like a southern-style mansion, albeit carved out of the same dull red rock as its surroundings, virtually no light emanating from within.

Coming down for a landing at the front door, Damian turns to Raven and spreads his arms. "Here we are! Nice, ain't it? Not as cool as my dad's palace, but..." he says, then shrugs and turns again to give the door a knock.

Raven had come with him, of course. She did visit hell often, primarily for him. But... Also because it was so unlike anything she expected. She didn't really like it, it was a terrible place. But compared to the hell she was used to? It wasn't so bad. Perhaps she wouldn't have been so terrified of her future if this was the hell she knew. That and his dad kind of felt like her dad b ut not as... terrible. Evil. Awful. Terrible. But not AS terrible. It was grading on a curve.

So when he told her he wanted to introduce her to someone new, she'd been fine with it. She'd been happy to come with him, to see the strange place he mentioned. A southern place... She looked it up and down, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It's... interesting."

She then glanced to him. He was interesting, too. Such a strange creature. Like her, but not. She found it so odd that a creature that, for so many, would be the embodiment of evil, was for her a beacon of hope. A hope that she might not have to be the monster she believed...

     Damian may not have Raven's empathy powers, but he's learned pretty well how to tell what's on her mind. That's a large part of /why/ he's been showing her around Hell, getting her used to the idea that while it may be a morally bankrupt place full of all of the worst scum of the Earth who ever died, it's not /all/ bad. Maybe he's a little biased, but it does seem to have helped her...

But back to the present. As Damian's knock rings hollowly through the manor, Raven may feel an overwhelming aura of disdain coming from within. Not just that of someone who doesn't like visitors, but of someone who gets the exact /same/ visitor every time, and despises them with a deep-seated loathing. The door opens slowly, a single red eye peering out from the darkness inside, and then the mysterious being steps out into Hell's daylight, gently shutting the door behind her.

Yes, her, a spindly girl slightly taller than Raven. She's entirely chalk-white, from her skin to her long hair that hangs almost all the way to the ground, though said hair seems to have been dipped in black ink which drips occasionally from its tips. She's dressed in a very southern belle style, long skirt and simple blouse with black flowery patterns here and there, as well as a pair of long gloves that come up to her elbows. Upon closer inspection, her clothes are dripping that same inky substance, as if they were literally drawn onto her and haven't dried yet.

"Oh, Damian. I was wondering when you'd arrive. Mother is in a terribly bad mood today... er, I mean, worse than usual..." the girl meekly addresses Damian, then gives Raven a glance for a moment before curtsying politely. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had a friend. Um... hello, my name is Ink, well, that's what Damian calls me at least, my actual name is Nightmare, but um... Pleasure to meet you, miss...?"

Raven cringed at that sensation. Oh, someone was not happy they were here at all. She reached out towards Damian, just giving his sleeve a little tug. "Are you sure--" But then the door opened. She let the sleeve go and instead stared at the strange woman.

Dripping... ink. Oh, that sounded... interesting. "I can tell. Perhaps this wasn't the best idea..." she said gently to Damian.

However, once she felt more of the other girl's feelings, she relaxed. Jsut a little. She... curtsied as well. In the cloak, it wasn't the most graceful movement, but it was polite. "Hello. My name is Raven. I'm one of Damian's friends," she said softly. "Would you prefer that I call you Ink or Nightmare?" she asked, before glancing past the girl.

"Are you permitted to leave the house? Perhaps we should all go somewhere... else." That hate. That raw hate. She didn't like it. But, you know. Mom's. They were never very... pleasant./

     "Ink." the girl answers hastily, staring down at the floor of the porch and twiddling her thumbs. "I mean... y-you can call me whatever you want, but I prefer Ink. It's... nicer."

Damian reaches forward to give Ink a gentle pat on the head with a comforting "There, there." Then, to Raven, he explains, "Her mom's in charge of watching people's dreams or something. Ink here, as you might guess, makes nightmares. So, you know, Nightmare. But Ink's a better name."

Ink nods in bashful agreement, blotchy black spots fading into view on her cheeks that look somewhat like freckles... or a blush. "Y-yes, mother is... busy. Very busy, very often. My presence distracts her, you see. In fact, we should... go... um, now."

That wave of hatred grows even more intense all of a sudden, as if the person- this "mother", apparently- has just realized they haven't left yet. Ink, as if feeling it too, cringes away from the door and then hurriedly steps out into the yard, daintily holding her skirt up in both hands so as not to drag it on the stairs of the porch. "Yes, now is a good time to leave, anywhere but here..." she shakily reaffirms her earlier point.

Raven nodded. "Okay. A pleasure to meet you, Ink," she said just a hint curtly. "... You make nightmares. Why? No. Wait. Hell. I figured it out," she said with a sigh, shaking her head. "Sometimes I forget how... different this place can be from what I'm used to," she said with a sigh.

Raven turned and followed after the woman. "I see. Your... mother seems..." She trailed off. "But how about we get to know each other a bit. I am from Azaroth, a sorceress. You said you create nightmares, correct? What kind of process does that entail?" she asked, not so much smiling as just... Kind of relaxing a little. Raven wasn't really a 'smile' kind of person. More a 'I will look at you with accepting indifference' type. "How did the two of you meet?"

     As the three of them walk (or float) away from the house and back toward civilization proper, Damian strums on his banjo while Ink chats with Raven. "Well, you see, I can create things with my, um, 'ink'." Ink explains, demonstrating by flicking her wrist and causing a small, vaguely dog-like creature to form from the black goo that makes up her glove. It hops down from her palm to trot over to Raven and nuzzle at her leg, wagging its slimy tail. "It can be anything, as long as I'm given time and preparation. I can make very elaborate scenes, too, but they take a lot of energy."

At the second question, Damian takes over. "Ooh, I got this one! I was exploring one day, you know, bored and stuff, ran away from school, Major Styx was pretty mad about that. But anyway, I just kinda wandered my way out here and found the mansion, and one thing led to another, bam! New friend!" He even claps at the "bam" part, the banjo simply levitating slightly to the side before he grabs it again to resume playing. "Tell you the truth though, I don't think her mom likes me much. Or my dad. I overheard her saying some pretty nasty stuff about him once."

Raven cringed when the dog touched her. She shook her head. "Please, don't touch me. I'm... sensitive to things like that. Being touched by magic, people, anything. My magic is... very attuned for that," she said. She didn't want the girl to feel b ad. But she also didn't want to be touched. Ever.

"And no, you are correct, Damian. She very much does not. But from what I felt, I don't believe she liked much of... anything," she said, her arms around herself. She then glanced to Ink. "Oh. Err. I am an empath. I can... feel the feelings the others are feeling. It's part of why I am so sensitive to touch."

She then glanced towards Damian and well, gave just a single, short chuckle. "Yes. Meeting someone in that manner does seem natural for you. Though I still don't understand how you could feel bored at school. I have found it to be an absolute delight. Then again, I don't think I've actually seen a school in hell..." she mumbled.

     Ink brings the dog back with a silent gesture, frowning and turning her gaze to the ground again. "Oh, I'm... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..." she stammers, trailing off into an awkwardly long silence as she shrinks. Literally. Her body actually shortens below even Damian's height, her rail-thin body becoming thicker and rounder like an elastic band that's been stretched but is now returning to normal size.

Fortunately, Damian is there to pick up the conversation again, groaning as Raven talks about school being a "delight". "Ugh, school in Hell is so BORING!" he dramatically declares, throwing his hands up into the air (and the banjo, which goes flying before disappearing in a puff of smoke). "'Sit up straight, eyes ahead, no fidgeting, write a ten page essay on the history of mortal sin.' Never anything interesting like practical demonstrations, all the other students just kowtowed to me constantly, nobody cared about me for /me/, just the fact that my dad wears the crown. At least in Safe Haven I have real /friends/."

Ink finally breaks her silence by murmuring, "I like you for you..."

It's Damian's turn to go quiet now, though it doesn't last long before he gives the girl a quick hug. "I know you do, Ink. You're the only real friend I have down here. I just wish your mom would let you come to ZPA with me, I could introduce you to a lot more people too."

Raven couldn't help but eye the other girl, feeling remorse for such a poor thing. She'd tried to be gentle. Just... being touched was not good for her. It wasn't her choice, it just was. Of course, Damian distracted her.

"... No fidgetting. I am amazed you weren't expelled. I don't think I've ever seen you sit for more than five seconds without fidgetting." She, meanwhile, would... have likely spent the entire class in meditation. Without learning anything. "Still. I can understand... that. It is not often fun to be treated... differently. Especially not for that reason."

Of course, THAT surge of emotion from the girl made Raven's eyes narrow. Just a hint. Her? Jealous? Not at all. "I... see. Does her mother need to know where she is?" she asked. "Though being there might be odd for you. People are very..." She trailed off. "Eccentric, in ZPA. Nice. But... more like Damian in that regards. Full of energy."

Definitely not at all annoyed by the girl... feeling like that. Nope. Not jealous at all.

     Raven's jealousy goes unnoticed by Damian, who just gives Ink a pat on the shoulder before grinning mischievously. "I got away with going to ZPA without my folks knowing for a while. I don't see why Ink couldn't. Hell, I'd help her sneak out."

Ink's eyes immediately shoot wide open as she's filled with panic. "A-a-a-all the way to S-S-Safe Haven!? Mother would f-find out, it's impossible t-to hide anything from her. She watches dreams... And she w-would /not/ be happy..."

Damian gives her a startled look at the outburst, then lets out an awkward cough as the three of them come to the side of a black asphalt road winding through the otherwise dull red brimstone. "Er... okay, we can talk about that later, then? Or never? Let's just focus on having fun today while we're out. Maybe there's a good movie showing in town." he suggests, glancing up and down the road. "Now, knowing Hell like I do, a taxi should be coming along any time now..."

Raven gave a small nod, before glancing back towards the other girl. She kind of floated along behind him, gliding through the air like a ghost. Because this was literally hell and she did not always like walking on it. It felt... weird.

Either way, she cringed slightly at the outburst of the other girl. After a moment, she spoke up. "If you live your life trying to satisfy her, you'll be nothing but miserable," she said softly, her voice calm and firm. "Even if you cannot find her. You are a demon of sorts, or you not? You will likely live forever. Do you truly desire to be under her thumb for an eternity?" she asked, giving a small glance to Damian.

"As much as I may... object to much of Damian's... decisions, in many ways he is correct. His parents are not him. Nor can he allow them to envelop every aspect of his life. He will never find his own happiness by just obeying." She then paused.

"That does not count as permission to skip your homework, however. So don't even think it, Damian."

She then shuddered. "A... taxi. Oh... how... delightful." Yes. She would STAY hovering for that....

     Sure enough, a yellow taxi, exactly the stereotypical type you'd imagine, rolls up a moment or two later, and Damian waves it down. Popping the door open to allow Ink to daintily step in (while offering her his hand to help her up, of course), he soon joins her in the middle of the back seat, then pats the last one as a gesture for Raven to join them. Sitting between your best friend and girlfriend, what could be better?

"W-well, I... m-mother... um..." Ink stammers some more, unable to get the words out. Raven can feel the struggle inside of her, /wanting/ to agree, but still filled with dread at the prospect of her mother finding out. There's also something else in there, bubbling just underneath the surface, though hard to discern.

"Yeah! I gotta be free, man! Free to roam as I please, and play my banjo wherever I want! Fight the power!" Damian says, excitedly pumping his fist into the air and accidentally punching the roof as a result. As he holds his smarting knuckles to his lips, his ears droop at Raven's continuation. "Aww... fine. Nothing gets by you, does it..."

Raven would, very, very, very slowly crawl into the seat. And kind of... hover there. With a barrier of dark energy between her and the seat. Because it was wet. The seat was always wet. With something... sticky. Probably. That and there was just that weird taxi smell. And just... so many other things....

"My father is a monster. My mother hates me," Raven said calmly. "I've accepted this." Yet she keeps the demon side secret from most, usually. "Damian's parents are... literally. I understand the fear. Trust me. And if you do not feel you are strong enough... then you cannot shake them," she said calmly. "But if you do... I am sure Damian will protect you. I will, as well." what? She couldn't just LET someone be hurt.

"If she tried to come into my dreams... she would not be the first to try," Raven said calmly.

She then turned her calm, flat gaze to Damian. "Nothing does, no. The school is not the 'power' to fight. It still boggles my mind that you would fight so desperately to go to this school, then not desire to do the homework." She then gave another sigh. "Even worse when I know you're more than capable of doing it. sometimes I wonder if you just enjoy being difficult about it..." she mumbled in a soft, teasing manner,.

Damian eyes the dark energy cushion curiously for a moment, but soon just shrugs understandingly. He isn't bothered by that sort of thing, and it seems Ink isn't either, though in her case it's because she has much bigger things on her mind. As Raven speaks, he nods along in agreement, wrapping an arm around Ink's shoulders and ruffling her hair just a bit. "Yeah! Raven and I will keep you safe, no matter what your mother tries to pull. There's three of us and one of her, what could she do against us?"

Then, as Raven teases him, the little prince pulls his arm back to his side so he can shrug at her with a nonchalant look. "Eh, the material's easy enough. It's just the principle of the thing, you know? Homework's like chains trying to hold me down, I can't just /do/ it without putting up a fuss. I gotta show it I ain't afraid to be a rebel!"

This rambling goes on for a while, and the whole time Ink just fidgets in her seat, that feeling growing stronger and stronger. There's something she wants to tell the two of them, but it's held back by her fear of her mother. Some kind of... secret, something she isn't supposed to let out to /anyone/...

Raven may have felt another hint of jealousy at his... touching and rubbing of the other girl. Though, she controlled it well. She eyed him for a few more moments before she glanced towards the other girl.

She stared at her, her eyes glowing dark for a moment. Then they were all wrapped in darkness, the entire inner back area of the taxi hidden from the rest of the world. "I don't know you, Ink. I won't claim to know your mother is. what she is capable of. And I understand you being scared, as well. Parents can be scary. If you don't want to say it in front of me, that's fine. But if there is anyone you can trust, it is Damian." Then the darkness disappeared.

"He's someone you can trust with your life. He's far too simple to be anything but," she said, her voice dry and calm, with just a hint of that teasing tone of hers that she used so often... Ah, her dry, flat humor...

     The sudden darkness takes both Damian and Ink by surprise, the two of them glancing around as if some unknown threat might come out of the blackness. Of course, Damian's more used to Raven than Ink, whose panic expands to near-hyperventilating levels until Dame puts a hand on her shoulder again, shaking his head. "It's okay. Raven isn't going to hurt you. She's just... I'm not sure actually, I think she wants to make sure nobody overhears?" He gives Raven a look that clearly asks for confirmation... and then lets out a "Hey!" of protest at the "simple" comment.

However, as Ink gets her breathing back under control, she gulps and finally speaks up. "I... er, I mean, m-mother... she tried to usurp the throne, a long time ago. The reason she lives so far from the rest of Hell's civilization... is because Damian's father banished her..." Her speech is still hushed, as if worried her mother might overhear her somehow, and her eyes dart around the taxi's interior and out toward the red landscape passing by.

"Huh. I think I remember that in one of the history lessons Major Styx tried to give me in class once. Her name was uh... Jestine, right? Got a little too big for her britches and tried to take over Hell for herself." Damian adds, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I never put two and two together before. Weird."

Ink nods, shrinking back into her seat some more. "W-w-well... yes, th-that's why she watches dreams. It's p-punishment for her treason, but I think... I think Damian's mother persuaded him to take pity on her instead of... annihilating her." Her bright red eyes continue to avoid the other two's gazes as she very pointedly stares at the floor. "I th-think she took it poorly. I've heard her... talking to someone before. I don't know their name, b-but they were scary, scarier than any nightmare I've ever created. I think... I think they're planning to... to..."

She chokes up again, but takes a deep breath and swallows. In a very small whisper, she finally finishes, "...to t-t-try again."

Raven jsut had that small hint of a smile on her lips at Damian's reaction to her comment. She then glanced towards the woman, her eyes narrowing slightly. That didn't seem pleasant. "That sounds like a very... standard demon story, actually. Usurping and all that," she mumbled.

She then glanced back to damian, then back to Ink. She didn't say anything for a long time before... "I see..." she mumbled. "I very much see, then. Ink, you do know what this means, don't you?" she asked. "This does explain why her mother dislikes you so much, Damian. Those there are likely countless other reasons. Just as there are many reasons to enjoy your company," she said firmly, her smile getting a little wider.

She then glanced to Ink. "You have a few paths ahead of you, Ink. Chances are, you'll need to choose between Damian and your mother. Eventually, she'll likely try to turn you on him." She paused for a moment. "That's a... common... trait amongst demons with children, I've found. Turning you on the ones you care about..." she said, before giving a soft sigh. "I do have no desire to hurt you, either. But... I should... tell you. I am... Ahem..." She kind of mumbled something, very gently, under her breath.

Damian might recognize it as 'Damian and I are dating'. She was terrible at telling this...

Damian rolls his eyes at the both of them. "Yeah, pretty standard. I've seen it a million times before in the Pentagram. Backstabbing and lying and using people to get ahead in life. Or afterlife, for a lot of them. It's nothing new, and it's hardly news that someone who hated my dad before would still hate him. Lots of people hate my dad. And if they hate me for who my dad is, then fuck 'em, they aren't worth the time." Despite his trying to play it off though, Raven will still feel a growing worry coming from him, as well as a bit of anger.

"O-oh, yes, I am sure she will... b-but I would never betray Damian. Even if... even if... even..." Ink tries to say, but her breath starts to come in quick, short gasps as she imagines the potential consequences of betraying her mother.

"Hey, hey, don't forget, we're here for you, Ink. You aren't alone." Damian reassures the girl with another pat on the shoulder, but it does little to persuade her as she shrinks even further back into her seat, her body practically resembling a ball at this point as she trembles under Damian's touch.

"Even... e-even if... I would n-never..." she continues to stutter, tears streaming down from her eyes at this point as her loyalties clash like never before, feeling as intense to Raven as a literal battle... until she overhears Raven's mumbling. It seems, despite being said under the goth's breath, Ink heard it /just/ fine.

Her body returns to its normal shape then, but draped limply over the seat as exhaustion takes its toll... and as Raven can feel, a deep feeling of hurting resignation. Outwardly, however, she doesn't express it, simply smiling and nodding as she says, "O-oh, that's... that's nice. You two must be so happy together. Damian's a great..." She hiccups. "...person, I'm sure he's a fantastic boyfriend."

It's Damian's turn to sit in awkward silence now for a moment, before he wraps his arms around both their shoulders and pulls them in for a double hug. "Hey now, let's not get too serious in here. We're supposed to be having /fun/, remember? I love both you guys, and the last thing I want is to see either of you stressing out. Let's uh... let's see what's on the radio, yeah!"

His words do seem to have a calming effect on Ink, quelling her pain somewhat. She wipes her tears on her sleeve as she nods and quietly leans against the jackal, who reaches up toward the front of the taxi to turn on the radio, allowing a scratchy voice come through like something on a record player. "Hello again, all you wretched souls! It's time once again for everyone's favorite host, the Radio Demon, to bring you a lovely panoply of entertainment! On tonight's show..."

Raven blinked and glanced towards him. "I... don't hate you. I don't think anyone would," she said with a small smile. "Anyone who was smart. You are not your father. Besides, your dad isn't so bad." She paused after a moment. "Wow. Considering who your dad is, I feel a little dirty saying that," she said flatly.

She then glanced to Damian. "I... would be careful, though. We don't know what her mother is capable of. While she's with us, her mother couldn't harm her... but once you go back to her, we cannot. So it is your choice if you want to return to her or not," she said firmly.

"If you so desired, it w ould be... possible to take you from here. To other realms. Ones where your mother has no power. Though, it may not... be easy for you. There. Your powers and abilities might be lessened."

She cringed and let out a low cringe. "Damian... touching..." she muttered. ".... Radio demon? Is... that their real name?"

     Damian beams at Raven's words. "D'aww, I know you don't. Lotta religious jerks who hate me for things I have no control over though. Like, come on, I can't help that my dad is the lord of all evil!" he says with an exasperated wave of his arms. He's about to return to hugging them both when Raven reminds him of her little issue, and instead just sits with his hands in his lap, the picture of innocence. "So anyway... yeah, we'd gladly take you anywhere you want to go, Ink. Like witness protection, but for demons."

Ink thinks it over, very deeply, and for quite a long while. Finally, she whispers, almost inaudibly, "Okay."

And then Damian answers for Raven, "Nah. That's just what everyone calls him. He likes to broadcast his displays of power for everyone to hear-" The sounds of screaming and rather worrying cracks and squelches come from the radio, accompanied by mad laughter and... dad jokes. Terrible, awful, incredibly lame dad jokes. "-like that. His sense of humor's pretty lame though, wish he would get new material."

And then he gives Ink another hug, pressing his cheek against hers as he gleefully adds, "Alright, it's a plan! Maybe not Safe Haven, I doubt that'd go over well bringing /another/ demon there considering how much trouble I caused on my own, but definitely gonna get you away from your horrible mom! But for now..."

The taxi crests a particularly tall hill, and in doing so, the blinking neon lights of the Pentagram come into full view, like something right out of Las Vegas but even more bustling with hedonistic activity. Damian gestures toward it, tail wagging behind him as he stands up from his seat. "We're here! The possibilities are endless! So let's make the most of our night~"