ILLUSION || Jason Todd

THIRTY-TWO

❝WANNA SEE WHAT'S UNDER THAT ATTITUDE LIKE❞

TAYLOR SWIFT, I THINK HE KNOWS

It had officially been around three months since the relocation to San Francisco and approximately half that time Lorelei had spent fulfilling her promise to herself of opening up to her team. The young mage had been adjusting well to her life in Titans Tower; her weekly movie nights with Jason had become her favourite time of the week.

Though she had kept to her promise and continued to open up - not just to Jason, though the blue eyed boy certainly got the most - to everyone, it had been hard. Some explanations and words of honesty were harder for Lorelei to spit out. But she continued to try.

The ice blonde mage had even admitted to Dick that she knew why she wouldn't wear her suit. Though, in the same breath, she also said she wasn't open to wearing her suit yet and to not pressure her to wear it. And he respected that, truly.

That was something Lorelei had come to discover. When she fully trusted people, navigating her communication skills in her personal relationships; people gave her the same energy back. Where the young mage once lacked initiative which resulted in being pushed to open up and feeling corner was replaced with her speaking her mind freely and being met with true understanding and patience.

It was a refreshing experience, despite its difficulties.

Lorelei was always the one to be understanding. Whether using her abilities - because she was a mind elemental and if she wanted to, Lorelei could see your thought process - or just using her general empathy and sympathies, Lorelei understood people. Of course, that was a completely different story if it revolved around herself.

But now she was on the receiving end of the blind empathy and help her friends - her family - offered. Lorelei had found her chosen family and with that, she allowed them into her heart. More importantly, for the first time since her youth, Lorelei allowed herself to have a form of vulnerability.

And Jason, more than anyone, loved it. It was evident before, with his attempts to barge through Lorelei's tough exteriors, but now? It was nothing but a painting offering its glee to Lorelei. They were there for one another, guiding each other through whatever they could and whenever they could. Lorelei and Jason held a special friendship.

And, fuck, did Lorelei hold that dearly to her chest.

It was different to the sisterly bond she had with Rachel or the friendly bond she had with Garfield. Special was the only way she could describe her friendship with Jason. Friend. Lorelei was still having a hard time whenever that word circled her mind or was brought up regarding the bond she held with the young Robin.

An emptiness would flutter through her veins whenever the word rotated around them but there was nothing she could do; she would swallow the feeling and move on. The violet eyed mage couldn't face the consequence of exploring the sudden feeling of dislike to the word. It was too dangerous.

Besides, Trigon's alternative universe would still occasionally appear in her mind. That, in itself, was a topic she had yet to bring up. Lorelei was the only one in the group to leave out major details of the alternative universe experience.

Her friends knew Joker was presented to herself on a silver platter - that she took it, slipping into the darkness. Then, explaining how she snapped out of it and the conflict of her Archmage helping her and how awful it felt.