Maclay Residence, Weaverville, CA, Friday Morning

[life_inshadow]

Marie Maclay	It was a quiet weekday morning, and, with her husband and son both off at work, Marie Maclay was going to take a few hours just to herself before she started on the round of housework that awaited her. She settled in at the kitchen table with a novel she knew the men would roll their eyes at and a mug of tea, and let her thoughts drift. She wondered, a bit, how Tara was. She still thought sending her daughter off to boarding school had been the best possible thing she could have done, but being in the family without her still got terribly lonely.
Raven	Tara had told Raven that her mother should be alone in the house at this time of day, but the sudden appearance of her daughter and her friend was still going to be very startling. So she projected a feeling of calm as she teleported herself and Tara to California, black and purple smoke billowing around them as they appeared in the kitchen.
Tara Maclay	Tara knew the feeling of Raven projecting an emotion by now, and she gave Raven a wary look as she fanned aside the smoke. She appreciated the intention, but she wasn't sure her mother would. "Mom?" she said. "It's me. My friend Raven ... is a really wonderful friend." She went over to her mother to give her a hug. "You can come see me at school this way."
Marie	Marie hugged back, but looked confused. "It's nice to see you, but I don't understand," she said, as she clung to her daughter. "What ... you travel by magic now?" Her tone held skepticism. The only magic she knew of that would let this happen was distinctly dangerous, and she had to look at Raven as a potential threat.
Raven	Considering what Raven was, Marie was probably justified in feeling that suspicion. "I am sorry to startle you in this way," Raven said. "My gifts allow me to move between dimensions, and to take others with me, such as your daughter, when I do. Tara is a dear friend to me, and when I learned of her wish to see you for Parents Weekend at school, I offered to bring you to Fandom, if you so wish it."
Mother & Daughter	Marie nodded, then looked over to Tara. "How is she doing this?" she asked plainly. "I can tell it's not a spell." "... it's demonic," Tara admitted softly. "But the, um, the good kind of demon." Well, in a way. "I trust her, Mom," she continued. "She can get us to school, and ... that's what matters, okay?" She knew this might be a hard sales pitch, but it was all she had. "The good kind of demon," Marie repeated, in a tone that said she didn't believe it much at all, but if anyone would convince her, Tara could. "Well, let me get a good look at you." She held out a hand, beckoning Raven closer.
Raven	Raven obediently stepped forward, taking the offered hand. "Tara speaks the truth, I am a demon," she said softly. "My father is -- was -- a powerful creature of evil, but I have dedicated my life and my powers to fighting him. I swear I mean no harm to you or your family. I only wish to help a friend." She knew how Tara had thought she was part-demon and how relieved and excited she'd been when she found out she wasn't, and she braced herself now for whatever her mother might see or sense from her.
Marie	Marie squeezed the hand, using her gifts to read Raven's aura as closely as she could manage. She couldn't get an exact bead on what the girl was, but she knew it was different -- and that it held no ill will. She swallowed. "Tara knows something about bad parents," she offered. "I think ... I think I can go with you."
Raven	"It will be perfectly safe," Raven assured her, giving her a smile. "We will pass from your home to Fandom in mere seconds. It may be a little disorienting, but other than that there will be no lasting effects." She glanced over to Tara. "How long will your mother be staying? There is time to pack a bag and write a note to the rest of your family, of course."
Tara & Marie	"Just until Sunday?" Tara said, glancing to Marie. "Mom, will that be okay with Dad?" Marie waved a hand through the air, dismissing the concern. (Though Raven might realize she was more worried than she wanted Tara to know.) "No, but he'll have to manage," she said. "I think I've earned a weekend away with my little girl."
Raven	"Then as soon as you are prepared, we may go," Raven said, giving Marie a concerned glance and hoping this wasn't going to cause any difficulties with Tara's family. "You may take whatever you wish with you. There are no restrictions to what I may bring with me when I travel this way." None that she'd ever encountered, at least.
Marie & Tara	"Just a small bag," Marie said firmly, moving toward the bedroom. "Sit down, have a drink if you want. I'll be ready in a minute." Tara waited a moment until her mother was out of sight. Then: "Thank you."
Raven	"You are very welcome," Raven said. "I am glad I can help you spend time with your mother. Though I sense she is worried -- not about you, but about leaving her home, I think." She could sense the feelings, but the cause was not always as apparent to her.
Tara	"My dad's kind of..." Tara went over to the cabinets, because she was having a hard time meeting Raven's eyes. "Um. Possessive? He'll be fine, but ... maybe not at first." Which probably explained more about the whole situation than Tara even realized. "It's not your problem."
Raven	"I am sorry, I did not intend to pry," Raven said, not sure how to interpret Tara's tone and the way she evaded her eyes. "I was merely concerned."
Tara & Marie	"Don't be," Tara said apologetically. "I'll explain --" She stopped talking when shew heard her mother leaving the bedroom. "Another time. Mom, are you ready?" "As I'm going to be," Marie said, a bit dubious. "Do we click our heels three times or anything?"
Raven	Raven practically ached to meddle -- she was Raven, after all -- but she nodded at Tara. "There is no heel clicking necessary," she said to Marie, not getting the reference. "My Soul-Self will take us into the netherverse, which is the space between dimensions, and from there I will be able to take us to Fandom in but a heartbeat. You may wish to close your eyes so you do not become disoriented."
Marie	Okay, so this was the part where Marie had to act like she was completely all right with the whole travel-via-demon thing. She took Tara's hand and reached out instinctively toward Raven, eyes obediently shut. "I am ready whenever the two of you are."
Raven	"It will be all right," Raven murmured, taking Marie's other hand. Her Soul-Self rose around her shoulders, wings sweeping out to envelop herself, Tara, and her mother, taking them into the coolness of the netherverse. If Marie opened her eyes, she would have seen the fleeting glimpse of red-purple skies dotted with stars and galaxies and floating islands of stone before they appeared in Fandom outside the school.
Marie	Marie had opened her eyes for an instant during the travel, and she looked amazed as she dropped Raven's hand and looked around the school grounds. "This is Fandom," she said. "Tara's sent me pictures. That was ... extraordinary."
Raven	"It is a gift I am always pleased to share with my friends," Raven said, basking just a tiny bit with Pride. "And when you are ready to return home, Tara knows how to find me. It is no trouble at all for me to aid you -- in any way."
Marie & Tara	"We'll let you know if we need you," Marie promised, already heading off to explore the grounds a bit. "Tara? You have to show me your shop, and your room, and..." Tara flashed a grateful smile at Raven before following her mother. Thank you wasn't big enough.

[OOC: Preplayed with the splendid trigons_child. NFI, NFB due to distance. OOC is love.]