Teen Titans: Head Full of Ghosts

[TheVertigo]

Teen Titans: Head Full of Ghosts

I resigned
From myself
Took a break
As someone else
- Bush, Inflatable



Raven fell backward with a dull thud, her eyes closed, and her chest heaving heavily. She took comfort in knowing that her head rested on the carpet-floor that belonged to her own room and that everything she had just witnessed was a dream.



Just a dream.



Lately, she wasn’t able to meditate properly. She was losing her focus and often found herself slipping off into slumber rather than appropriately channeling her thoughts. But the most troubling thing was that her dreams were growing increasingly violent and seemingly more real than ever before. However, they didn’t start to bother Raven until she began waking up in a cold-sweat and curled up in a fetal-position on the floor. This all just meant that she was feeling overwhelmed and that it was harder and harder to keep those fearful emotions in check.



There was no sense in telling the other Titans--- in reality, there was nothing that they could do. Her dreams were things that she could only battle on her own. It simply meant that she would have to work harder to focus.



However, for today, Raven was certain that she had done enough meditating. That last vision had quite literally knocked her out and she was in need of a break. Picking herself up from the floor, she dusted herself off and headed out of her room with the intention of finding some sort of other diversion in the common room.



Starfire’s bedroom door was slightly ajar and as Raven passed by, she was suddenly assaulted by a flying, material projectile. Momentarily blinded, Raven peeled the discarded shirt from off of her face, and whipped her head in the direction from which it had come. Through the crack in the doorway, she witnessed a slice of the chaos that was happening on the other side. There seemed to be a growing mountain of clothing that had arbitrarily sprung up in the centre of the room and there were more shirts and blouses whipping left and right, sailing through the air.



Uncharacteristically curious, Raven pushed the door open the rest of the way, and confronted the body behind the mess. “You dropped this,” she said wryly, holding up the red piece of clothing that had just moments ago face-hugged her.



Starfire looked up, startled at first, but quickly floated over to Raven, pulled the other girl into the room and shut the door.



“Oh Raven!” she exclaimed. “I am as flustered as a marpolzinger without its warts! I am in desperate need of your advice.”



“My advice?”



“Yes,” the alien girl nodded. She held up two identical-looking, violet evening gowns in either hand and took turns pressing them up against her chest to demonstrate how each would look on her. “What do you think? This one… or this one?”



“Um? The one on the right?”



Starfire didn’t even seem to notice Raven’s confused hesitation; she seemed to take the other girl’s word as good council. “Yes,” she affirmed, holding up the gown of choice. “I thought so too. Thank you, Raven.”



She disappeared behind her wardrobe screen to change, leaving Raven to fully drink in the sight of Starfire’s bedroom turned Fashion War Zone. The pile of clothes in the middle of the room was not the only place where material had accumulated--- there were clothes scattered everywhere. There were clothes strewn across the bed, draped over chairs, sprawled virtually over every piece of standing furniture and there were even some shirts hanging from the blades of the ceiling fan. It seemed as though Starfire’s closet had exploded; Raven had never seen such a variety of brightly colored fabric in her life.



“So,” the sorceress began, vaguely gesturing at the room in general. “What’s all this for?”



“Well, Raven, I should not say because it is supposed to be a secret, but…” There was some shuffling from behind the wardrobe screen as Starfire struggled to pull on her gown. “…But I am too excited to keep secrets.”



“Oh?”



Starfire stepped back from the screen, fully dressed in her purple gown. The material shimmered as it caught the light, the dress fitted to her form nearly perfectly. Even Raven had to admit that she looked lovely.



The red-head step forward toward Raven and leaned in conspiratorially. She had lowered her tone, but there was no masking the giddiness in her voice. “Me and Robin are going out on a date!”



The news was strange. Or maybe the news just made Raven feel strange, because this ‘news’ wasn’t really ‘news’ in the least. She had known for a long time that Starfire and Robin shared mutual interest in one another, long before even they themselves realized this. It was curious, however, that Raven, so inexperienced with any form of emotion besides apathy and annoyance would have even so much monitored the recent change in Robin and Starfire’s relationship.



And the affirmation of her suspicions, for one reason or another, simply felt different from the apathy she was so used to. For some reason, her body had reacted and it felt as if her insides were flung from the top of the Titan Tower and freefalling through space.



An obscure flash. She was suddenly feeling woozy.



“Oh,” was all Raven could manage.



“I was not supposed to say,” Starfire was still prattling on, “because both me and Robin agreed that it would be far too…too… Oh, what was the word that he used?”



“Awkward?”



“Yes, awkward. It would be too awkward if everyone else knew…Beastboy and Cyborg would tease especially, but I suppose I can tell you, right? You are good at keeping secrets, Raven.”



Raven only smiled dryly at the comment.



“This can be our secret; we never shared a secret before, Raven.” Starfire turned her attentions to the closet mirror, rotating this way and that, posing and modeling admiringly for her reflection. “Robin is probably telling all the others that we are going out scouting together tonight, but you will differently.”



Raven crossed her arms, her lips twisting slightly at the alien girl’s naivety. Any gesture that seemed remotely related to things only friends could do, Starfire pushed forward into their relationship---there was no denying that she was still very much keen on becoming Raven’s very best friend, every since the two of them discovered that they were a formidable puppet-arse-kicking team. “Don’t you think it’d be a little suspicious if you’re going out scouting together and you’re all dressed up so nicely?”



Starfire bit her lip. “Oh…yes, well… maybe I should just go with this, then?” She held up her regular two-piece outfit and boots.



The sorceress only shrugged; it was about time she’d make her exit. “Sure. Good luck with that.”



“Raven?”



“Mm?” She stopped at the doorway.



“Thank you for your help,” Starfire smiled. “When we are ready to tell everyone, promise that you will act surprised?”



Raven almost chuckled---- she doubted even someone as occasionally dim as Beastboy would show any astonishment. However, she settled for nodding her head instead. “I don’t ever have to act like anything, Star. Have fun on your date.”



She shut the door, suddenly wondering where that urge to give off a solemn sigh came from.



**
End Pt. 1

Comments?

[Sproxie]

First Post!
Nice Job, This is a great start! I think you depicted everyone's character very well, I can't wait to see more.

(yay, another Star/Rob relationship. But ignore me, Its about 100 against like 3 anyway )

[TheVertigo]

Originally Posted by Sprox 083

(yay, another Star/Rob relationship. But ignore me, Its about 100 against like 3 anyway )

Ah, but Sprox, that's where you're wrong

[Kregor8]

Did I ever mention that I have no time to start in on reading another story, and keeping track and all that? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I have. So why am I reading this? Can't tell you. But I like it.
Reasons:
1) So many people start out fics with Raven that it's practically become a convention. But this one isn't really about Raven. It's about Starfire. Who is always a riot.
2) The whole wardrobe scene is great. Clothes went everywhere - and you had this line.

I am as flustered as a marpolzinger without its warts!

Not exactly sure how you came up with that, but it shows that you're putting some thought into this.
3)

Originally Posted by Okami

Ah, but Sprox, that's where you're wrong

That sounds like fun. I'm a fan of the Star/Robin relationship, myself, but we all write about that. Except Sprox and Reid. So it's always refreshing to have something new.

Still, this isn't a particurally long chapter by my standards (a long chapter has over 6,000 words. This is 1,203 words. Not short short, but not long). So I can't make many judgements yet. I have some ideas about where you're going, but I'll hold my tongue for at least two chapters more.

I'll try not to fall behind.
7<regor

[TheVertigo]

Thank you for showing interest, Kregor. For a while, I was worried that this was yet another clique-y writer's community where everyone only comments on their friends' posts.

I'll see if I can upkeep interest. I've only written dark and dreary Batman fiction before, so a little light-hearted Titan fun is a little bit different for me. I'm not sure if I can keep up with the wacky humor as its simply not my style, but I'll try and keep the Titans as I see them now...and how I remember them from the early 90's comics.

[Crowgirl]

This forum is not like that at all. Very few people here have another friend that they know outside of this forum on here, so our friends are made my PMing and posting. Anyway...

This is great. I liked how Starfire was wearing the dress, but eventually changed. It seems so... Starfireish. I also loved Raven's reaction to the Fashion War thing, brilliant. Can't wait for more!

Originally Posted by Kregor8

I'm a fan of the Star/Robin relationship, myself, but we all write about that. Except Sprox and Reid. So it's always refreshing to have something new.

I would just like to point out that I have not written about the Starfire and Robin relationship, and wouldn't mind seeing Robin with Raven or Starfire. I'm kind of torn.

Crowgirl