Fan Fiction ❯ Birds of a Feather ❯ Chapter 8
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: King Cheetah 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.16.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 392 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.16.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 392 | Status: Completed
Birds Of A Feather...
Part Eight- Starfish
by King Cheetah
I don't own any of these characters,
so don't rub it in...
Now I start holding the chapters hostage to get more
reviews, BWAH-HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA-HAH!!!
Kinda sorta Robin/Raven pairing; you've been warned....
------------------------------------------------------------------------ -----------------------
Raven remembered it all so clearly. Walking along the beach that cool autumn morning, she must have only been five or so. Patiently, her father pointed out the various sea flora and fauna that had washed ashore after the torrential storms of the previous few days. Everywhere along the white silica of the beach were the treasures that the sea guards so jealously. She marveled at a small nurse shark, still, but menacing none the less, the sand dollars she gathered and swore to keep forever (they lasted seven weeks), and the nip of the crab not so ready to surrender it's home, even for the sake of scientific curiosity. This, her fathers said, is the good that comes of the storms that had frightened her so. Stagnant, still places are roiled and made new again. She remembered it all so clearly, but it never happened to her. This was Robin's childhood.
In much the same way, Hurricane Starfire had served to loose some of her own personal flotsam which now littered the beach of her present. Across her bed were littered boxes of various personal effects that she'd all but forgotten about, but all sand dollars none the less. Letters, CD's, pictures, charms, amulets, and fetishes. Of it all, her hand tarried over a small strip of photographs from a mall photomatic booth. Five small pictures, each about two inches across. Not images, she thought; moments. These were frozen time. It was last year as she recalled...
An unavoidable shopping trip to get a new bra had turned into girls night out, much to Raven's annoyance. Starfire and Terra in tow, she made her purchases in mere moments, but her two friends proceeded to bludgeon her senseless with a good time. They shopped for swimsuits, Raven to act as judge and jury in Hottie Court, even though she kept calling for hard time with no chance of parole. They got their ears pierced, though she declined, sighting a pronounced allergy to lame social trends. And finally, after ice cream bars and the resulting dry cleaning bill, they piled into the photobooth like clowns into a Morris Mini.
Raven stared solemnly down at the pictures, running a finger softly across their surface, as if to bring a bit of that moment back. Terra and Starfire, so full of life flanking her own dour countenance. One to each side of her, she glowered at the camera as her friends lived these moments. In the first three pictures, they vogued and played to their unseen photographer, as she fumed between them. In the forth picture they lifted their shirts to flash, while in the final picture, each grabbed one of her breasts as they kissed her cheek, causing her expression to change from one of stoic patience to one of a person who's just sat on a bobcat. Raven sighed. Why had she never loved Terra this much when she lived?
But it was less the dead girl in the pictures that disturbed her as the living one. She could only stare dumbfounded at the sad, gray visage that was herself, living, but without life. Who are you, she thought. It was becoming more and more difficult to remember her own feelings from this period, so buried beneath the common past she now happily shared with Robin. Her former self and former life were becoming more and more dreamlike as the days past, not that she missed it. But... where would she be now if the unintended merging with Robin hadn't happened? She shuddered at the thought. To not know him as she did, to not feel the life inside her she now felt, to... to still be that cold gray woman in the photos.
Raven felt her before she heard her. "Raven, may I please enter?" asked Starfire softly. Looking up, she smiled and just motioned her friend to sit beside her, as she held aloft the living record of their mall excursion.
"Glorious! I had not known that you treasured this picture set!" she paused, "It was a good day to be out with Terra, do you not agree? I had almost forgotten how pretty she was on that day."
Raven closed her eyes, trying to bring forth what images she could from that day. Starfire stood, and walked over to the window to look out at the new day. The storms had finally passed and sunshine was back with a vengeance, much to everyone's relief. She seemed to admire the view for a while before turning to face Raven, wringing her hands like Lady MacBeth. "Raven... how do you feel? You have had several days to become... accustomed to your new situation. Are you pleased?"
She took longer to answer than she should have, she knew that much. Finally, she said softly, "I was just thinking about that. These pictures... seeing myself them. It's... eerie. I almost can't remember being that person anymore, y'know?"
Starfire nodded, "Within the Pax Galacti, there are several species which utilize a similar bonding. Mated pairs will exchange genetic encoding of each other's synaptic architecture, essentially infecting each other with their own intellects. Several cultures that have not developed this talent naturally, induce it through scientific means. These societies are all praised for their peace and stability. Divorce is unknown to them, although a widowed being almost always resort to suicide, the pain of seperation being overwelming."
There was a hollowness to Starfire's voice which unnerved her. "Wow" was all Raven could manage.
"Such is the state for Robin and yourself, is it not?" she asked with a tiny skip in her speech.
"Uh... um, well, that's hard to say. I..." she stammered.
"RAVEN PLEASE!" cried Starfire in a rare show of anger, then regaining her composure, she said softly, "We have all noticed the changes within the two of you, but I had hoped that as my best friend that you would have come to me about... your feelings. During our festival of slumbering, I spoke all night of Robin, hoping that you confess your true heart."
Shamefaced, Raven turned her eyes away as spoke, "I... I didn't want to hurt you. I thought that this might be just temporary, y'know? That in time we'd acclimate to the changes and everything would be back to normal." She was trying not to cry, with little success. "I'm sorry, Kori. I really didn't mean for this to happen." she said just above a whisper.
Sighing, Starfire approached her friend, "I think that it is for the best. If I was not to have his love, I'm glad that it is you."
"What?" Raven gasped, wiping her eyes, "Hold on there. Robin really does love you. I KNOW. Maybe... maybe we will..."
"Raven, stop this foolishness! After years of my best efforts, Robin and I were only friends. But he looks at you with a lovers eyes. I..." she faltered, "I have never received that type of attention from him."
Trembling, Raven gave weak shrug, "I'm sorry." Starfire stood silently looking at her friend. Sighing she said, "There is nothing to be done of this, I think. The three of us, our fates knotted together. I... I wish things could be as they were, but this is not to be."
"So, what happens now? What will you do?" asked Raven, fearing the worst.
Starfire smiled, "I will love you even more. I will dance at your wedding and I will spoil your children with affection!" she said, hugging her friend, "This was all an accident, so to blame you would be like cursing a storm. What has happened is what was fated to happen. We must accept this and move onward." Raven was beside herself with joy.
"Raven, you truly are the sister that I never had, and I love you. I have no other that I call a closer friend."
Choking back tears, Raven could say nothing.
"Though, now that I consider this, Blackfire also stole all my boyfriends. We truly are sisters..." said Starfire absently.
Gasping, Raven pulled away from her friend, only to see her huge grin.
More hugs and they talked quietly about Terra for a time, but finally Starfire took her leave and left Raven to her task of organizing her new room. As she closed the door behind her, she looked up to see Wonder Girl standing in the hall, waiting. "Well, how'd it go?" she asked softly.
"It is resolved. We may all continue with our lives." she said, not meeting Donna's gaze.
"Well, it was your decision kiddo, but I think you made the right one. Very gutsy..."
They walked in silence for a while when Starfire asked softly, "Donna.... have... have you ever suffered this heartache?"
"Oh Yeah!" chuckled Wonder Girl, "A couple of times, actually." More silence.
"When will it cease to hurt so?" asked Kori.
They stopped at the intersection of the hall before Wonder Girl answered, "It won't. Period. You'll get used to it, you'll even love again and set it aside. But it never really goes away." she shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry I can't give you a more upbeat answer."
Nodding, she said, "It was as I feared,"
"But, " Donna said, wrapping an arm around Starfire's shoulder, "That is why woman invented ice cream, for truly it is the only balm to soothe a bruised heart."
"Really?" asked Kori hopefully.
"Indeed, and this Athenian can hear the siren's song of Ben & Jerry's even as we speak." she grinned.
"Who are they?"
"Just a couple of guy who know how to make a woman happy..."
More Writers Notes--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks again to everyone for the reviews and e-mails about "Birds of a Feather", I'm really glad you're enjoying it. Chapters seven and eight were short, housekeeping chapters allowing me to clean up a bit of cliutter in the storyline before jumping into the second half. So as it stands, Beast Boy has finally made peace with Terra's death, the love birds are reconciled and tacitly acknowledged by their teammates with Starfire giving her blessing to the union, and being Saturday, the new chores roster is up, meaning Wally gets something to do besides making breakfast. We'll intro a few new twists in the plot, and some other characters from old school Teen Titans will begin to make their appearances (including a certain brain in a jar and his gorilla).
Two other things I'd like to say a few things about; Reviews and Lemons. I know where I'm going with this story, but I have a lot of ways to get there, so if you'd like to see more of something, let me know. Want to see Robin and Raven make kissyface some more?Fine just let me know. Want to see more fun with the team just goofing off at the mall? No sweat, just say the word. If you'd like something clarified, and bit more back story, just ask. It's just words on the screen folks, I'll give you as many as you like. ^__^
On the matter of Lemons, or Adult stories if you please. While I don't have a problem per se with writing erotica, I'm very much of a mind on how it should be done. Sex, much like a fine meal, is something better experienced than talked about, so I as a rule tell you as much as about the characters sex lives as I feel the story warrents. Long passages about what is inserted where and how often, I find to be neither stimulating nor good story telling. My description of BB & Terra's love making was less to titilate, and more to show just how very much they loved each other. So, for those of you requesting that I reconsider my Raven/Starfire slash story, I might go back to it, just be warned that it might not be what you're expecting.
Keep readin', keep writin'!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------
To be Continued...
Next time; Come the Revolution
Part Eight- Starfish
by King Cheetah
I don't own any of these characters,
so don't rub it in...
Now I start holding the chapters hostage to get more
reviews, BWAH-HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA- HA-HAH!!!
Kinda sorta Robin/Raven pairing; you've been warned....
------------------------------------------------------------------------ -----------------------
Raven remembered it all so clearly. Walking along the beach that cool autumn morning, she must have only been five or so. Patiently, her father pointed out the various sea flora and fauna that had washed ashore after the torrential storms of the previous few days. Everywhere along the white silica of the beach were the treasures that the sea guards so jealously. She marveled at a small nurse shark, still, but menacing none the less, the sand dollars she gathered and swore to keep forever (they lasted seven weeks), and the nip of the crab not so ready to surrender it's home, even for the sake of scientific curiosity. This, her fathers said, is the good that comes of the storms that had frightened her so. Stagnant, still places are roiled and made new again. She remembered it all so clearly, but it never happened to her. This was Robin's childhood.
In much the same way, Hurricane Starfire had served to loose some of her own personal flotsam which now littered the beach of her present. Across her bed were littered boxes of various personal effects that she'd all but forgotten about, but all sand dollars none the less. Letters, CD's, pictures, charms, amulets, and fetishes. Of it all, her hand tarried over a small strip of photographs from a mall photomatic booth. Five small pictures, each about two inches across. Not images, she thought; moments. These were frozen time. It was last year as she recalled...
An unavoidable shopping trip to get a new bra had turned into girls night out, much to Raven's annoyance. Starfire and Terra in tow, she made her purchases in mere moments, but her two friends proceeded to bludgeon her senseless with a good time. They shopped for swimsuits, Raven to act as judge and jury in Hottie Court, even though she kept calling for hard time with no chance of parole. They got their ears pierced, though she declined, sighting a pronounced allergy to lame social trends. And finally, after ice cream bars and the resulting dry cleaning bill, they piled into the photobooth like clowns into a Morris Mini.
Raven stared solemnly down at the pictures, running a finger softly across their surface, as if to bring a bit of that moment back. Terra and Starfire, so full of life flanking her own dour countenance. One to each side of her, she glowered at the camera as her friends lived these moments. In the first three pictures, they vogued and played to their unseen photographer, as she fumed between them. In the forth picture they lifted their shirts to flash, while in the final picture, each grabbed one of her breasts as they kissed her cheek, causing her expression to change from one of stoic patience to one of a person who's just sat on a bobcat. Raven sighed. Why had she never loved Terra this much when she lived?
But it was less the dead girl in the pictures that disturbed her as the living one. She could only stare dumbfounded at the sad, gray visage that was herself, living, but without life. Who are you, she thought. It was becoming more and more difficult to remember her own feelings from this period, so buried beneath the common past she now happily shared with Robin. Her former self and former life were becoming more and more dreamlike as the days past, not that she missed it. But... where would she be now if the unintended merging with Robin hadn't happened? She shuddered at the thought. To not know him as she did, to not feel the life inside her she now felt, to... to still be that cold gray woman in the photos.
Raven felt her before she heard her. "Raven, may I please enter?" asked Starfire softly. Looking up, she smiled and just motioned her friend to sit beside her, as she held aloft the living record of their mall excursion.
"Glorious! I had not known that you treasured this picture set!" she paused, "It was a good day to be out with Terra, do you not agree? I had almost forgotten how pretty she was on that day."
Raven closed her eyes, trying to bring forth what images she could from that day. Starfire stood, and walked over to the window to look out at the new day. The storms had finally passed and sunshine was back with a vengeance, much to everyone's relief. She seemed to admire the view for a while before turning to face Raven, wringing her hands like Lady MacBeth. "Raven... how do you feel? You have had several days to become... accustomed to your new situation. Are you pleased?"
She took longer to answer than she should have, she knew that much. Finally, she said softly, "I was just thinking about that. These pictures... seeing myself them. It's... eerie. I almost can't remember being that person anymore, y'know?"
Starfire nodded, "Within the Pax Galacti, there are several species which utilize a similar bonding. Mated pairs will exchange genetic encoding of each other's synaptic architecture, essentially infecting each other with their own intellects. Several cultures that have not developed this talent naturally, induce it through scientific means. These societies are all praised for their peace and stability. Divorce is unknown to them, although a widowed being almost always resort to suicide, the pain of seperation being overwelming."
There was a hollowness to Starfire's voice which unnerved her. "Wow" was all Raven could manage.
"Such is the state for Robin and yourself, is it not?" she asked with a tiny skip in her speech.
"Uh... um, well, that's hard to say. I..." she stammered.
"RAVEN PLEASE!" cried Starfire in a rare show of anger, then regaining her composure, she said softly, "We have all noticed the changes within the two of you, but I had hoped that as my best friend that you would have come to me about... your feelings. During our festival of slumbering, I spoke all night of Robin, hoping that you confess your true heart."
Shamefaced, Raven turned her eyes away as spoke, "I... I didn't want to hurt you. I thought that this might be just temporary, y'know? That in time we'd acclimate to the changes and everything would be back to normal." She was trying not to cry, with little success. "I'm sorry, Kori. I really didn't mean for this to happen." she said just above a whisper.
Sighing, Starfire approached her friend, "I think that it is for the best. If I was not to have his love, I'm glad that it is you."
"What?" Raven gasped, wiping her eyes, "Hold on there. Robin really does love you. I KNOW. Maybe... maybe we will..."
"Raven, stop this foolishness! After years of my best efforts, Robin and I were only friends. But he looks at you with a lovers eyes. I..." she faltered, "I have never received that type of attention from him."
Trembling, Raven gave weak shrug, "I'm sorry." Starfire stood silently looking at her friend. Sighing she said, "There is nothing to be done of this, I think. The three of us, our fates knotted together. I... I wish things could be as they were, but this is not to be."
"So, what happens now? What will you do?" asked Raven, fearing the worst.
Starfire smiled, "I will love you even more. I will dance at your wedding and I will spoil your children with affection!" she said, hugging her friend, "This was all an accident, so to blame you would be like cursing a storm. What has happened is what was fated to happen. We must accept this and move onward." Raven was beside herself with joy.
"Raven, you truly are the sister that I never had, and I love you. I have no other that I call a closer friend."
Choking back tears, Raven could say nothing.
"Though, now that I consider this, Blackfire also stole all my boyfriends. We truly are sisters..." said Starfire absently.
Gasping, Raven pulled away from her friend, only to see her huge grin.
More hugs and they talked quietly about Terra for a time, but finally Starfire took her leave and left Raven to her task of organizing her new room. As she closed the door behind her, she looked up to see Wonder Girl standing in the hall, waiting. "Well, how'd it go?" she asked softly.
"It is resolved. We may all continue with our lives." she said, not meeting Donna's gaze.
"Well, it was your decision kiddo, but I think you made the right one. Very gutsy..."
They walked in silence for a while when Starfire asked softly, "Donna.... have... have you ever suffered this heartache?"
"Oh Yeah!" chuckled Wonder Girl, "A couple of times, actually." More silence.
"When will it cease to hurt so?" asked Kori.
They stopped at the intersection of the hall before Wonder Girl answered, "It won't. Period. You'll get used to it, you'll even love again and set it aside. But it never really goes away." she shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry I can't give you a more upbeat answer."
Nodding, she said, "It was as I feared,"
"But, " Donna said, wrapping an arm around Starfire's shoulder, "That is why woman invented ice cream, for truly it is the only balm to soothe a bruised heart."
"Really?" asked Kori hopefully.
"Indeed, and this Athenian can hear the siren's song of Ben & Jerry's even as we speak." she grinned.
"Who are they?"
"Just a couple of guy who know how to make a woman happy..."
More Writers Notes--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks again to everyone for the reviews and e-mails about "Birds of a Feather", I'm really glad you're enjoying it. Chapters seven and eight were short, housekeeping chapters allowing me to clean up a bit of cliutter in the storyline before jumping into the second half. So as it stands, Beast Boy has finally made peace with Terra's death, the love birds are reconciled and tacitly acknowledged by their teammates with Starfire giving her blessing to the union, and being Saturday, the new chores roster is up, meaning Wally gets something to do besides making breakfast. We'll intro a few new twists in the plot, and some other characters from old school Teen Titans will begin to make their appearances (including a certain brain in a jar and his gorilla).
Two other things I'd like to say a few things about; Reviews and Lemons. I know where I'm going with this story, but I have a lot of ways to get there, so if you'd like to see more of something, let me know. Want to see Robin and Raven make kissyface some more?Fine just let me know. Want to see more fun with the team just goofing off at the mall? No sweat, just say the word. If you'd like something clarified, and bit more back story, just ask. It's just words on the screen folks, I'll give you as many as you like. ^__^
On the matter of Lemons, or Adult stories if you please. While I don't have a problem per se with writing erotica, I'm very much of a mind on how it should be done. Sex, much like a fine meal, is something better experienced than talked about, so I as a rule tell you as much as about the characters sex lives as I feel the story warrents. Long passages about what is inserted where and how often, I find to be neither stimulating nor good story telling. My description of BB & Terra's love making was less to titilate, and more to show just how very much they loved each other. So, for those of you requesting that I reconsider my Raven/Starfire slash story, I might go back to it, just be warned that it might not be what you're expecting.
Keep readin', keep writin'!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------
To be Continued...
Next time; Come the Revolution