creator_raven | (no subject)

(no subject)

Raven has been neither hiding nor regrouping--there's little need for such things, not at the moment.

Instead he's been quiet, letting himself settle.

Sleep helps for that. As does privacy.

But he's been restless lately, and so it is that he puts his boots back on and heads out his door.

Cookies are, perhaps, much more entertaining if you hunt them down yourself.

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She is gliding down the hallway, carrying a tray with a small tea service on it.

The room that Moiraine is heading for is nowhere near her study, as it happens.

Some things require time for full recovery.

Like regaining your balance after successfully avoiding trampling an Aes Sedai, perhaps?

Not, of course, that anything of the sort just happened.

Raven is, however, blinking at Moiraine, paused at the entryway to his room.

"You are, I think, not usually here, yes?"

He sounds as if he is not entirely certain about that.

She glances up at him with a faint smile, steadying the teapot with one hand.

"Not usually," Moiraine admits serenely. Dark eyes are assessing as she studies him.

"How are matters with you, Raven?"

"Reasonably well, I am thinking. It is, perhaps, no great surprise."

He shrugs, the movement light and careless.

"And with you?"

"Perhaps not," she says, still considering him. A pause.

"I am well enough for now, as it happens." She lifts the tray slightly higher, adding,

"Would you like tea?"

Raven studies her for a moment.

"Later, I think, is also important."

Then he pushes his door open a little.

"You are wanting to sit, perhaps? I have a chair."

This is not a no.

"Thank you," she says, gliding past him into the room-- where she pauses.

He has a chair, indeed-- one, near the door. The room also contains a bed, a dresser with some red-glittered miniature creature, and a very sparkly pink perch.

Moiraine blinks several times, and then moves to the dresser, setting the tea service atop it. The odd little creature gets a very wary look before she turns to face Raven.

"The decor is unique," she says tranquilly, offering him a cup of tea.

Raven takes the tea, very solemnly.

Too solemnly.

"It is better than ducks, perhaps."

Or hunting scenes. Or art deco.

"I am a very simple sort of creature."

She is pouring her own cup now, but despite that she still casts a quick, wryly amused glance at him upon hearing this.

"Is it so?" Dryly said. "Simple? Evidently there are things I have yet to learn about you."

Raven's smile is wry.

"This will, I think, always be they way of things."

Well, almost always.

"It is helpful, perhaps, when people refuse to pay attention."

"I would not disagree."

Moiraine glances around the room again, eyeing the perch warily before taking a seat in the chair and looking up at him. Her teacup is cradled in the palm of one hand, which she rests in her lap, lightly placing the fingers of her other hand around the porcelain curve.

"Was there such helpful inattention recently, perhaps?"

Raven's smile, for a moment, is very sharp.

"I think it very possible, yes."

He settles himself comfortably on the bed, watching Moiraine.

"There are, perhaps, things people do not expect of me."

"I should be interested to hear of it, I think, if you would speak."

Perhaps more than just slightly interested, if the look in her eyes is anything to go by.

Again he flashes that sharp smile.

"She offered me a choice, once, I think. A choice of what to do with her."

He is still amused by that offer, after a fashion.

"And then she forced me to make it, yes?"

"The question becomes, then, what choice was it that you made -- and what did you do?"

Her tone is slightly dry.

Raven tilts his head, black eyes bright.

"I kept a promise, I think. And there was an ending."

He blinks.

Then blinks again.

"I ripped away the Dark from her, Moiraine. It was simple enough, after a fashion."

Simple enough to say, at least.

There is a long moment's silence, in which she does not even seem to breathe, then--

"Light," Moiraine murmurs, staring at Raven. "I have seen the taint of the Shadow cleansed from people before, and aided with such; and I know of those who have been severed from the Shadow, but with one such as her..."

A beat.

"Simple enough, then?"

"She was, I think, too used to me."

He flashes another sharp grin.

"And to using me, do you see? It is easy to forget how to be separate, perhaps."

One fingernail taps the side of the cup in her hand in absent thought as she considers this.

She has ever been quick.

"The globe she wore." Moiraine frowns sharply, looking at Raven. "The prison, might be a better term."

"Less the wearing than the shifting, perhaps."

He considers.

"Though that was some of it, as well, I think."

She has ever been quick. There is something very, very wry about her expression as she says,

"The power then, that she wielded -- even though stolen -- in such proximity to her; it became a weakness, is that it?"

The Aes Sedai does not sound particularly surprised, as it happens.

Raven nods, not quite laughing.

"It is the problem with stealing, perhaps."

"Not always stealing," she murmurs dryly. "However. That explains much, I should think, about the events of that evening."

A smile curves her lips as she adds,

"You are well, then?" A beat. "And free?"

"As free as I have ever been, yes."

He grins brightly.

"It is a comfortable thing."

"I am glad," she says simply, but dark eyes are bright as she searches his face.

"Very glad indeed, Raven."

Raven grins brightly at her.

If she were closer, there would be hair-ruffling.

"I am, as well. No one was badly hurt, otherwise, I do not think."

Badly hurt meaning 'almost dead', here.

"Not beyond recovery, insofar as I am aware," she tells him.

"Will informs me that Merriman was injured, and many were exhausted, I think, but there seems to have been no permanent damage done."

"It is good, also, I think, that Dickon kept hold of the bird."

Things would have been very bad, else.

"The one that was in the silver cage," Moiraine replies instantly. "I did not know why-- are you aware, then?"

"There are some things she could not do without me being aware of them, I think."

Raven's grin is--not.

"Particularly when they involve my sister, yes?"

"Your-- what?" Moiraine stares at him in shock.

"What did she do?"

There is a moment where Raven's expression is cold and hard.

Like stone, for all that he's made of clay.

"Ace. She made her a bird, I think, and put her in a cage."

Raven, it bears repeating, has no love for cages.

The teacup in her hand jerks slightly as she reacts to this with visible shock.

"Ace? That bird was Ace?"

Raven blinks, head tilting.

"Yes. It is--"

He pauses, thinking.

"There are some things it is better to leave alone."

Understatement.

"Oh, Light," she whispers. "But she is well?"

Raven nods, blinking at Moiraine.

"It is easy enough to change things back, sometimes. If it is a thing I remember."

A beat of silence, and then, very dryly,

"I may presume that you were able to remember this?"

Raven almost fails to be amused.

Almost.

"It is easier to have seen them and know what they are, yes? Otherwise it is invention, and I do not like to do that to what already exists."

It's cruel.

"It is, perhaps, fortunate that you are so well-acquainted with Ace, then," Moiraine replies.

"Perhaps."

Raven grins at her.

It only takes one look, really.

Most of the time.

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