Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

Now that Ethics class was on Thursday, Anakin switched his office hours back to Tuesday. He worked on his syllabus as ABBA played in the background.

...no, he wouldn't admit to missing Drake, so don't ask him. The door was open.

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[trigons_child]

Raven totally had memorized Anakin's schedule like a stalker knew that Ethics was usually on Thursdays, which meant that Anakin would likely have his office hours on Tuesdays, so before her morning class she checked to make certain. Of course she was right.

"Good morning, Professor Skywalker," she greeted him. She was in a better mood today than yesterday after talking to her friends. But that was because she hadn't run into Zatanna in her morning class yet.

[sith_happened]

Anakin glanced up and smiled. "Good morning, Raven," he replied. "How have you been this week?"

[trigons_child]

"I believe the phrase is 'ups and downs,'" Raven said, moving inside and sitting down. "I met two people at the picnic on Saturday, and while one was very good, the other distressed me a great deal. It had been a difficult week with people leaving and I fear I did not react well."

[sith_happened]

"Tell me about it?" Anakin requested, leaning forward. "Whose arrival distressed you?"

[trigons_child]

"Zatanna, the one who proclaimed me evil and bade the Justice League to chase me from their hall, and then led them to disrupt the ritual that would have barred my father from this world," Raven said unhappily. "She is a student here now. She claims not to know me and seems younger, and I know I must learn to accept that this is not the same Zatanna, but to look upon her all I could think of was how I lost my mother because of her interference."

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded, looking serious. "It's very difficult to not hold someone's potential future against them. I've fallen into that trap myself."

Sorry, Tahiri.

"Zatanna is in my ethics class," he continued. "Perhaps I can help lead her away from the path of mindless stupidity she has followed in your version."

Anakin had been wildly impressed by the Justice League. Really.

[trigons_child]

"Part of me knows that if she is not the same Zatanna, then it is terribly wrong for me to hold what her other self has done against her," Raven said quietly, frowning. "As wrong as it is when someone holds what some other version of me has done against me, like that boy on the roof." Thanks, Tim. "But it is difficult not to do so, yes."

When Anakin mentioned Ethics, her expression brightened. "I would appreciate that," she said. "And there is one other person I would like you to keep an eye on, if I may ask. My little sibling said he will be taking Ethics this semester. His name is Kon, and he is from a world like mine." Her displeasure with Zatanna melted away as she smiled. "He knows of a Raven in that world. He says she is a hero there."

[sith_happened]

"Does he know Zatanna as well?" Anakin asked, already mentally slotting who should sit where and handicapping potential fights.

[trigons_child]

"I do not know, I did not ask him," Raven said, "for when I spoke to him, I had not yet realized Zatanna was here. Kon is a hero in his world as well. He claimed the powers of flight, enhanced strength, invulnerability, and telekinesis, though I did not have him demonstrate for me yet. I hope that one day I may meet the Raven of his world to see how similar we are."

[sith_happened]

"You wouldn't find it odd to have a conversation with yourself?" Anakin replied.

[trigons_child]

"Yes," Raven admitted, "that would be very strange. But after so many have told me that I am my father's daughter and am destined for great evil, it is refreshing to have an example of a Raven who is not."

Of course, Raven had no idea of what this other Raven had gone through already, but details!

[sith_happened]

"There are many possible futures," Anakin said, nodding, "and destiny can be avoided."

[trigons_child]

"And I have tried very hard to believe that," Raven said. "Knowing there is a me who is a hero in her world will make that easier."

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled. "I believe that is going to be your destiny as well."

[trigons_child]

Raven nodded. "My father is bound to his own dimension, and will hopefully never free himself, and I am learning to control myself better. Trigon's plans will not be my fate."

[sith_happened]

"Good," Anakin said. "His plans, like his outfits, are ill-conceived."

[trigons_child]

"I am glad I was raised to wear the garb of Azarath," Raven said with a tiny smile.

[sith_happened]

"So is the rest of the student body," he replied, grinning.