This chapter is dedicated to Necronom Hezberek Mortix, my sole reviewer and the reason I was able to write this without going against my word, Timballisto and Ar- Ru-Vista-frelia-frame, who expressed interest in seeing where this went with another method, and the roughly 28 people who've read this.
)o(
`Delany opened her eyes. The small flames topping each of the many candles circling her seemed to flicker once collectively - as if a breeze had just passed through, yet the windows were all closed. Some magical breach perhaps? An intruder? Whatever or whoever it was, Delany intended to find out. Rising slowly to her feet, she glanced around the circular room before walking to a large wooden table. Various tubes, distillers, and burners covered half the table top, while the other half was obscured by an assortment of chemicals and powders. Delany mixed a few substances together in a small metal bowl, before placing it in a claw-like stand. Casually flicking a flame to life, she took out a hollow glass sphere which she placed above the bowl. Taking a seat, she peered intently into the sphere as gases rose from the bowl to fill the hollow interior.
Inside, she saw the hazy silhouette of Morvan's Academy in the dawn light, familiar shadows sweeping across the grounds. However, there was one shadow that seemed out of place, somehow darker than the others. And it was moving. Delany's eyes narrowed as she watched it circle her family quarters in the East tower, and the turret she herself was in at that very moment, before it sped off down Calaveras street. She followed the trail to the edge of Chinatown before it vanished. With the aid of the seeing glass, she combed through the settlement for another sign of the moving shadows, but all she found were Hawkers, tourists, and tai-chi-doers.
Oh well, strange happenings had a way of resurfacing at Morvan's. She'd just have to wait. It wasn't like there wasn't plenty for her to do in the meantime.
)o(
It was almost seven o'clock when Raven finally left the square and returned to the tower – in a normal, walking, civilian fashion – and so she almost missed seeing Robin before he went to the training room.
"Hey, Raven. What you doing out so early?" Robin asked, folding his newspaper, and looking at her civilian clothes curiously.
"Tai-Chi"
Behind his mask, Robin raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"
Raven permitted the smallest of half smiles, but ignored his question and stated instead, "I found a school."
Now Robin was really confused. Hadn't she lectured him, not twenty-four hours ago, about why school was such a bad idea? Just when you thought you understood a girl…
"Which one?" was all Robin asked.
"Morvan's Academy. It's essentially a school for artistic geniuses, but there seem to be a few students who are gifted in more… uncommon ways."
Robin frowned and picked up the newspaper again "I just read something about it in the paper..."
"I don't doubt that."
"I'll get you the papers than. But just out of curiosity, what does that have to do with tai-chi?"
"I was doing a bit of reconnaissance, when somebody sensed my presence, and I didn't want them to recognize me, so I merged with the crowd of people in Chinatown."
"Oh. And you lost your shoes in the process?"
Raven might have blushed if she were a normal girl. As it was though, she wasn't normal, which was why-
"All I own are Combat boots, so I didn't wear any shoes. A lot of the people weren't wearing shoes though, anyway."
Robin laughed "I'm sure Starfire would be glad to remedy that."
"Don't remind me," Raven groaned, putting a hand to her forehead. She could feel the beginning of a Tamaranian-chatter-induced headache already.
"I need to go meditate."
)o(
Raven sat on a small stool, gazing with a vaguely thoughtful expression at her own reflection. It had been a while since she'd made a 'second' identity, and even longer since she'd had the chance to actually plan said identity ahead of time.
Someone reserved, shy, and self-conscious would be ideal, since there's no way I'm going to suddenly become a chatterbox, Raven thought. That would also allow for fewer slip-ups… and maybe give an excuse for my lack of facial expression - of course, I'll still have to show some emotion, but that doesn't mean I want to wear my heart on my sleeve. I should be polite to some degree too, but not a complete goody-two shoe. And then there's the question of appearance…
"Raven? Are you ready to accompany me to the mall of shopping?" Starfire asked, her ever-cheerful voice slightly dimmed by Raven's door.
"Sure, Star." Oh well, she'd just figure out hair color later.
)o(
The entire team had to go to the mall, but only Cyborg and Raven had to get uniforms, so with a relieved expression on her face, Raven walked with Cyborg in the opposite direction of Starfire, Robin, and Beast Boy. A middle aged clerk greeted them when they entered the uniform shop. He didn't recognize either of them, since Cyborg was wearing his holo-ring, and Raven looked like she was just another punk. It was amazing what a hair tie, some fake piercings, and a black hoodie could do for you.
"I'm going to Madison Tech" Cyborg told the clerk.
"Yes, that would be right over here. And you ma'am?" The man asked.
Psh, ma'am. That term did not fit her as Raven, and it certainly did not apply in her current guise. "Do you carry Morvan's Academy?"
Was it just her imagination, or did his smile falter for a moment? "One second, ma'am. Alice! This young lady needs a uniform for Morvan's!" A young woman, presumably Alice, looked up at the clerk's call, and hastily put the box of empty hangars she was carrying behind the counter. Then she turned and beckoned for Raven to follow her towards the back while the clerk led Cyborg somewhere to left of the store.
"Are you in Art, Music, or Drama?" Alice asked, pulling a key from her belt and opening a door that said 'STORAGE. EMPLOYEES ONLY.'
Raven thought fast. Music was out; her violin was too recognizable, and she wasn't sure she wanted to be surrounded by so much noise all the time. Drama would be confusing; she'd be pretending to be a person pretending to be a person, and she didn't do drama anyway. Which left-
"Art." Alice nodded, sized her up for a minute, and then disappeared behind the door. When she appeared again moments later, she carried a green cloak.
"Here you go. Counter's that way."
Before Alice could disappear again, Raven said "Wait!" Alice paused and leant against the doorframe. "Is this all I need for my uniform, or do I have to wear a polo or something?"
"That's it." Alice confirmed, and then she was gone.
Back at the checkout counter, Cyborg raised an eyebrow at the green cloak in Raven's hands, but she just shrugged. He himself was carrying an armload of navy pants and white polo shirts with small emblems on the chest. As they walked out, he decided to voice his thoughts.
"Interesting uniform you got there."
A nod.
"Can't say I'm all that surprised."
A shrug.
"Sooo, what, are you gonna learn how to wave a wand and cast spells?"
"No. I've already gone to a school like that."
A long pause.
"You want to just walk around?" This time it was Raven who started the conversation. "It looks like I'm going to need some civvies after all. And shoes."
"Sure." Cyborg started to follow Raven, but then he paused. "Aren't the others that way?" He asked.
"Yes, but you have a few screws loose if you think I'm going shopping anywhere near Starfire. I need sneakers, not heels. Come to think of it, you probably need sneakers too." Raven stated, before continuing to walk the way she had been headed.
Cyborg cracked a smile, and together they walked as far away from where Starfire was as possible, which was good, because at that moment she was trying to convince Beast Boy and Robin to buy matching pink shirts.
)o(
A/N - This might be just me, but I think that scene-dividing-doohickybober looks way cooler in bold...
Anywho, I could write about how bummed I was when no one sent me a review asking to 'update soon,' but I did that enough to a bunch of TMAU (Temporary Mental Alternate Universe) versions of ya'll, so instead I'll just ask if there are any villains in particular that you'd like to see. Or any errors I made - the usual you know. I wouldn't mind some critique. And in case you're wondering about the TMAU thing, it's what I do when I'm down, 'cause I'm just a pacifistic nerd-geek-outlier like that, who doesn't explode at people in school or slap at the mosquito-flies when I want to.
~Juniper