The Dorm Grounds, Saturday Evening

[furnaceface]

Jonothon was sitting in the rain.

Why was Jonothon sitting in the rain? Mostly because it seemed like a very Jono thing to do. He'd had half a mind to head into town today, possibly to open up the Groovy Tunes just to pass a Saturday by in the company of some of his favourite recording artists. But then it had started to rain, while he was not more than halfway across the school grounds, and for whatever reason, he felt inclined to just sit down at take it in.

... Mostly by ducking under the nearest tree in the vain hope that it would keep at least some of the rain from soaking into his bandages, which had been rearranged to cover the clawed-up shoulder he'd gotten earlier in the week. His jacket wouldn't do much good in that regard. The shoulder of it was shredded, too.

If nothing else, he could certainly appreciate that it was cooler out thanks to the rainfall than it had been in entirely too long.

All in all, he supposed it wasn't terrible. Just bloody annoying.

[Yeah, it totally seemed like a sitting in the rain kind of day. The grounds are open for all your rainy day needs!]

Comments

[trigons_child]

Of course, Trigon was family, too, but he had his own ideas about priorities.

"Arella never told me she loved me before I left Azarath," Raven said, looking out at the rain. "I just wish I could have heard her say it long ago."

[furnaceface]

Now, there was a phrase that Jono couldn't remember ever hearing from his own family. He gave her shoulder a light squeeze, nodding a little.

//Better late than never?//

[trigons_child]

"Yes," Raven agreed. "She has always loved me, she could just never say it. Azar forbid it to shield me from emotion." She sighed and gave Jono a tiny smile. "And we have seen how well that turned out."

[furnaceface]

//Well,// Jono said, perhaps a touch stubbornly, //I think you turned out quite alright, emotions and all.//

[trigons_child]

"I still have much to learn," Raven said, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "But I think they have made me stronger, not weaker. I would not know friendship if I could not allow myself to care for my friends."

[furnaceface]

//Then it's their loss,// Jono decided, nodding firmly. //A person can only be so strong when standing on their own. When they've got a friend at their side, they're doubly strong.//

And when they had a small army, they could defeat demons who had destroyed entire worlds.

[trigons_child]

"There are times when I regret embracing emotions, but they are fleeting," Raven said. "The good, I think, outweighs the bad. By a great deal."

[furnaceface]

//And I sincerely hope that it continues to, luv.//

He looked her way, offering her the barest hint at a smile. //You still have friends, luv, no matter how difficult it gets. But I think you know that well enough, don't you?//

[trigons_child]

"You are still speaking to me after I brought you to another dimension where you were assaulted by superheroes and demons," Raven pointed out. "If I did not believe you were my friend before then, I would certainly believe it now."

[furnaceface]

//Perhaps I'm just incredibly stubborn,// Jono suggested. Which was quite probably true, yes, but it didn't change the fact that he did consider Raven to be a friend, of course.

[trigons_child]

"Of course you are," Raven said with a knowing smile. "That is why you spend so much time with Didi as well."

[furnaceface]

That statement actually earned the effort that it took in order to project a soft laugh Raven's way.

//I think in that case, Didi is entirely more stubborn than I am, gel.//

She would have to be, in order to put up with his constant issues, really.

[trigons_child]

"Oh, she must be indeed to put up with you," Raven laughed, the first time she'd done so in days. "It is such a hardship."

[furnaceface]

//I think she'd be completely at a loss if all of a sudden, I didn't give her any trouble,// Jono decided, leaning sideways now so that he could give her shoulder a light bump with his. //Fortunately for her, I haven't got a chance when faced with her particular sort of mettle.//

[trigons_child]

Raven turned her head to press a kiss on Jono's cheek above the bandages. "You are very lucky, and so is she," she said. "And so am I for being friends with you both."

[furnaceface]

It was possibly a testament both to how much he trusted Raven, and how much he'd grown to trust himself in his time since coming here, that he didn't freeze up or panic at that kiss. It was a gesture from a friend. Friends who could do that sort of thing? Did do that sort of thing.

//It goes around full-circle, I think. I can't speak for Didi, but I don't think she'd disagree if I went ahead regardless and said that we're both grateful to have you as a friend, as well.//

[trigons_child]

"Thank you," Raven said. "It gives me strength to know that, and I will need it should my father ever find his way back to this world."