#johnrae

what is it about night in an unfamiliar city that makes it feel like you're even further away from home?

Vampyroteuthis infernalis, lit. 'vampire squid from hell'

oh to love a deep sea mermaid, counting down every second together in the measured oxygen of a submarine's tank. the phantom touch of her hand through the inches of acrylic plate between you. knowing that to hold her would mean your instant destruction, or hers.

how do you explain love to a creature who knows neither warmth nor light? how do you explain love to a world that has never held it's breath, just to linger a minute longer with that which you cannot hold.

im crying :*(

happy mermay

Read from the beginning on AO3!

The dream came to Raven as a dark, suffocating fog, a memory that had long since settled into the cracks of her mind like an old wound never allowed to heal.

She was back there.

The night Slade had hunted her down. The night her world had cracked open and the darkness inside her had nearly consumed her completely.

“You’re going to destroy the world, Raven.”

The words echoed through her mind, louder this time, jagged and sharp, slicing through the quiet of her dream like a knife. The cold wind blew through the desolate landscape, howling in her ears as she saw him standing before her—Slade, the assassin, his mask gleaming in the moonlight, eyes cold, calculating.

Raven could feel her heart pound in her chest. Her powers, her dark magic, had always been a burden, a curse that she fought to control. But in that moment, she had felt the very earth beneath her tremble, as if it knew what was to come, as if it could feel the rising power of her father’s influence inside her.

His words were a prophecy, a death sentence.

But the worst part? She’d believed him.

His hands were on her then. Rough, unyielding, the sound of her cloak tearing as he yanked it from her shoulders. The cold air hit her skin, biting into her as the remnants of her leotard clung to her, shredded by their battle. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to move, tried to push him away, but Slade’s strength was too much.

Her powers flickered inside her, but she couldn’t summon the strength to fight him. She was paralyzed, trapped in the swirling chaos of her own mind, her body breaking under his touch. And then—

It happened.

Her hands were shaking, her body trembling as the memory flooded back, a feeling of violation, of being broken in a way no one could understand. No one could help her. She had never told anyone what happened that night. Never told her friends, never let them know the depth of her fear, the part of herself she had lost that she couldn’t get back.

It burned like a brand in the back of her mind, searing her soul, a secret that had poisoned every relationship she had since.

She could still feel it now, a dull ache in her chest, the way it had twisted inside her when Beast Boy had reached for her, his touch too familiar, too close. She had recoiled from him, had pushed him away, and he hadn’t understood. None of them had.

Suddenly, the scene shifted.

Now, she was in the Tower. Her friends were fighting—Robin and Beast Boy, shouting at each other, the words jealousy and control floating between them like poison. Raven stood in the middle of them, trying to stop the argument, but her voice was drowned out by theirs, their accusations building on top of each other, both of them looking at her like she was the source of their pain.

Her heart ached, a pang of hurt and betrayal cutting through her. She wasn’t a prize to be fought over. She wasn’t an object. And yet, the way they looked at her, the way they fought—it was as if they saw her as one.

She tried to speak, to stop them, but the words were lost, drowned by the sounds of their anger. And then it happened—the breaking.

Her powers surged to the surface, an uncontrollable tide of darkness, a violent wave of emotion and power.

No!

But it was too late. The damage was done. She had lost control, and in that moment, she had destroyed everything.

Her friends—her family—had been caught in the explosion of her rage, the echoes of her fury leaving scars that could never be erased.

And then, in the aftermath, she had been alone. Alone with her guilt, her shame, and her inability to undo what she had done.

“You’re going to destroy the world, Raven.”