Takes place after 'Things Change.' I'm inventing the Loyalty concept and I am inventing SOME of Star's background and changing some of it.
It was 6:30 in the morning. The kitchen smelled amazing. Pans were piled with food, and sizzling in a tantalizing manner.
Starfire blew a wayward hair out of her face. She had been awake since two in the morning. She had waited until Robin had finally stumbled to bed to start. She had a plan, and she was executing it. All the days of research had lead up to this morning. She was making her friends an amazing breakfast. She waited until it was one of Robin's days to make breakfast. He was very busy with all the paperwork from the events with The Brain, and she decided that it would make his life easier, and she hoped that since it would be her first real attempt at an Earthen meal, he would actually eat it. It'd probably be the first real meal he'd had in a long time.
Starfire glanced at the clock again, uneasily. Her nerves had been growing in her stomachs as the time went on. Growing closer and closer until her friends would be up to greet the day.
Robin had been getting them up at 7:30 daily, now. The events with the Brain had made him doubt how good the Titans, and himself, really were. He was training and pushing them harder than ever. The team was losing patience with their leader. Starfire sighed. She knew that Robin was just nervous for them. They had almost failed the mission. After all of the others had gone home after dealing with the Dr. Light, Robin had come to her. He had hugged her. He expressed to her how scared he was when Kitten had attacked. Then how none of the other titans, nor Starfire would respond to his calls. Starfire knew how dependent on each other the team had grown. They were fine physically. Their skills had grown considerably from their last mission and they could hold off most enemies singlehandedly.
But emotionally…
Cyborg had begun to refer to Star as his sister. He would ruffle her hair before he retired for the night, and he had no qualms about showing physical affections towards all members of the team. Robin had once gotten caught in a Cyborg hug. Starfire giggled remembering how Robin had awkwardly smiled and patted Cyborg's back in an attempt to end the hug.
Beastboy was more affectionate towards the team as well. When he wasn't training, playing video games, or making himself food, he was in animal form. Usually as a cat or a dog, cuddling with who ever was sitting closest to him. He did seem to enjoy the belly rubs he would often receive. Starfire, herself, had even gotten her hand licked a few times. But she did not mind as much as Raven did. Though Raven often received hers in the face.
Raven… Towards the others she was the same. Though towards Starfire, she was the 'best friend'. She now would opt for a mediation stance that involved their palms to be pressed against one another's. She expected that this was for the affection she knew the empath wanted to share with her, and it flattered her that her friend was trying. Starfire did have to admit that the touch helped her find her center faster with Raven's energy transferring through her hand, for Raven seemed to be able to find her own center instantaneously. Raven also began to offer to explore new places within Jump City with Starfire. Starfire had come to enjoy her visits to the park with Raven.
Even Robin was more affectionate toward the team. He would often pet Beastboy while he was in animal form and would allow the changing to lay by him upon the couch. Robin made much more time to help Cyborg with the T-Car, or to play the video games with the other boys. He often sat with Raven at the kitchen table discussing, in detail, the other dimensions she had seen. They would do this for hours. Robin also seemed to enjoy touching Starfire more. He would come collect her for morning training, leading her to the training room with his hand on her lower back despite the fact that she had lived in the tower for years and knew, quite well, where the training room was located. She, however, wouldn't complain about the affection, at all.
She sighed again. It was strange. She understood that the Titans had almost lost their lives, but was this not normal? On Tamaran, lives were very often cut short. She had lost so many comrades who had trained on Okaara before her. Since she was a princess she was often sought out by those who had been on Okaara longer for extra training, especially with the war with the Citadel raging. She smiled as she remembered one particular female, Rege'v. Rege'v would spend hours teaching her the pressure points that many different races possessed. Starfire had even learned a few human ones, but since she preferred fighting at a distance the information hadn't yet been useful on Earth. Rege'v was a truly glorious fighter, her physical strength was astonishing, even for a Tamaranean. Her kindness and patience made Rege'v the closest thing Starfire could have had to a friend, by Tamaranean standards. Starfire's heart wrenched when she saw Rege'v on a pyre after Rege'v's defeat in battle. The Citadel had taken so many Tamaranean lives.
Starfire shut her eyes tightly and shivered with rage, many memories leaked through her mind. She exhaled, it was over the past was the past. She was brought back to thoughts of her friends. Perhaps, even though they were heros, her friends were not as familiar with death in battle, she loved her friends, she intended to keep it that way.
"What are you doing, Star?"
Starfire jumped and turned her head towards the door so quickly a pain shot up her neck, "What?"
Robin smiled sadly and walked from the door to her side, "it's my turn to make breakfast, Star. You didn't have to worry about it."
Starfire watched his features twitch nervously as he looked into the pan, relief followed when he saw the Earthen cuisine, then surprise, "You made a human breakfast?" though he tried to reign it, the surprise was in his voice as well,
"Well, yes, Robin," Starfire began, blushing at his astonishment, "I believed you could use 'the break' and our friends would like a treat." Starfire grinned wickedly, "Do not tell Cyborg, but it is all vegan. I plan on telling friend Beastboy in secret."
"He'll like that. You're sure it's all vegan, Star? There's no-"
Starfire huffed and interrupted, focused on stirring the waffle batter rather than looking into his mask, "Yes, each dish is adequately free of any dairy, egg, any other animal by product, or animal."
He touched her shoulder, "Well, that's nice of you, I would have just made him make his own."
Starfire allowed a smile back on her lips, "maybe that is why he cherishes my belly rubs more."
Robin chuckled, but an unreadable emotion was on his face, "Maybe."
"Morning y'all! Rob! Something smells great, man!" Cyborg entered loudly, causing Robin's head to snap towards the door, and Starfire to squeal in surprise,
"Wasn't me." Robin chuckled, "Star made us a surprise."
Utter fear overtook Cyborg's features, "Oh yeah?"
Starfire nodded excitedly, "Oh yes! I have made the Earthen breakfast! Waffles, toast, the home made jam, potatoes, and the fresh squeezed juice! Oh Robin,I had forgotten, there is coffee in the pot on the table!"
Robin sat at the already set table and poured some in his mug, "Thanks, Star. How did you make all of this? You haven't really tried before."
Starfire grinned, "I have done 'the research'! I found the recipes," her smile got even bigger, "I even used the 'Google'."
Robin laughed at the same time that Cyborg said "Well alrigh'!"
"Did I hear right? Star made breakfast!?" Beastboy came running in the Ops room, Raven trailing close behind.
Starfire smiled knowingly at the two, Raven narrowed her eyes playfully at her. Starfire spoke, "Raven there is tea for you on the table, Beastboy may I see you for a moment? I require assistance with the waffles."
Raven levitated the serving plate of potatoes, toast, juice, and the jam container over to the table. Beast boy approached "What's up, Star?"
Starfire quickly glanced at the eating Cyborg and whispered to the changling, "Everything is vegan." She took a waffle out of the iron.
Beastboy's eyes widened in joy, "Really, Star?! No joke?"
"I promise. I would not trick you, friend." She smiled at him while pouring more batter into the iron.
Beastboy took the batter and loaded the other iron with the batter, "Thanks, Star. I owe you one."
Starfire cautioned a look at Robin, he was staring at her, "May I redeem 'the one' now?"
Beastboy flipped the iron and looked at her, "Huh? Yeah sure."
"Would you mind asking Raven to make sure Robin eats?" Starfire whispered this, she did not want Robin confronting her and telling her that she had nothing to worry about. Not again. She would be worried regardless. Raven could get him to eat by raising an eyebrow and threatening Hell's wrath. Starfire decided it was best not to push Robin too far, and that single confrontation had been enough for her.
She placed another cooked waffle on the plate. Beastboy nodded and smiled, "'Course Star, that's free of charge. You still got a favour coming your way." he grinned at her, "that should be enough waffles." He placed another waffle on the plate and carried it to the table, "c'mon, Star. Let's eat."
Beastboy took his seat next to Raven and whispered in her ear. She glanced at Starfire, a reassuring smile on her lips, and nodded. Starfire looked at Cyborg. His plate was nearly cleaned off already. But Robin was merely picking at his, taking a few bites now and then, his mind was definitely elsewhere.
"Sis, this is so good," Cyborg mumbled, his mouth full, "I will not doubt you again," he loaded more onto his plate.
Raven took another sip of her tea, "yeah, Star, this is amazing. Even the tea is perfect. How did you do this?"
Starfire blushed and wrung her hands together nervously, incoherent babbling falling from her tongue, "Oh, I have ben watching the foodnetwork, and I have been 'Google-ing'. Google is an expanseve website, yes? Well, I found recipes and I made sure to follow them exactly, and I got up at the two o'clock to begin and I-"
Robin blanched, "you got up at two in the morning to make us breakfast?"
Starfire looked at him questioningly for he loaded more food onto his plate and began to eat with more vigor, "Yes?"
Cyborg put his fork down and stared at the girl, "Thanks, Star."
Robin stared at her and ate for a while before a small smile graced his features, then he smirked, "Hey Cy?"
"Hmm?" Cyborg replied, his mouth full again.
"It's all vegan."
Starfire giggled.
Cyborg spat his food all over the plate.
This was just a little intro to try to get the ball rolling. It will get more interesting for you, hopefully. But shit will actually happen, I promise.
