A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply

A/N: Well, I have to confess I "jumped the shark" with "KP and the O'Connell Legacy." Once I get it outlined, faithful readers, I will restart it. But, in the meantime…..

Chapter One: Inspiration

"Friend Raven?"

Raven took a deep breath before glancing up from one of her ubiquitous books. Her deep, large, violet eyes lazily glanced upward to see the tall, willowy girl with cinnamon colored hair and deep gold colored skin standing above her. The willowy girl held a half-used legal pad and four pencils, two with broken tips.

"Yes, Starfire?" Raven said.

"I could use your help. Next week is the Day of Valentine, and I wish to write a poem expressing my emotions about Robin."

"Okay, but I'm not so sure I'm the right one to ask, Star," Raven started.

"Oh, but you are! I have tried to write many, many times, but I find that all I can do is the Hexambic Trimeter of Tamaranian Epic poetry. But it does not translate well into human languages, and I so want to write this so he can read it."

Raven raised an uncertain eyebrow.

Starfire folded her arms around the legal pad. "And there is another reason why I have asked for your assistance. I realize I am very emotional, for, as you know, we Tamaranians were taught not to hold them in. But I wish to be more subtle, more mysterious. And, you do write very well although I do not always understand your symbolism."

Raven allowed a small grin to escape. "Thanks, Star. Okay, I'll help."

"Oh thank you!" Star exclaimed and threw her arms about her pale friend, nearly squeezing the air out of her. The alien girl floated out of the room, doing a happy pirouette as she passed through the doorway.

Raven closed her book and shook her head, "What have I gotten myself into now?"

…..

Raven knocked on the door to Starfire's room and sighed deeply. She brought a blank journal and her favorite pen, a fine quill pen with a gold nib that was her birthday present last year. She glanced at the case and felt her cheeks blush. The pale girl opened the pen case and read the dedication: "To Rae, may your creativity flow through this always. –R." Raven flung open her journal. It, too, was a gift from Robin.

"Raven!" Star exclaimed merrily. The pale girl hadn't heard the door swish open, and she slammed the book closed and hid it under her cloak. "Come in! Please!"

The willowy girl literally pulled Raven into her room. Star's taste in décor was, at best, eclectic. Trinkets from her homeworld hung on the purple walls next to mementoes of her earthly travels. Masks from Africa, jades from the Far East, Russian fur hats, and empty jars of mustard made up some of the hodgepodge. Raven slowly made her way to the table and sat down not before glancing quickly under it. She gently pushed a sleeping giant mutant moth larvae away with her foot and couldn't help but to grimace as Star swept it up and hugged it.

"Oh, Silkie," the alien girl cooed. "Your K'Norfka has missed you so."

"Yeah," Raven said as she sat down. The young witch opened the journal and quickly took out her pen and ink vial from its case. She snapped it shut and quickly put it back into her cloak.

Star watched as Raven, almost ritualistically, shook the ink and slowly opened the vial. The pale girl gently dipped the quill into the dark ink and wrote the date on her journal page. Star put her pet down and flipped open her legal pad and took an unbroken pencil, mirroring her friend.

"Okay," Raven said, "what's your poem going to be about?"

Starfire blushed. "It's…" She smiled coyly and glanced at her papers. "…a poem about desire."

"Oh really?" Raven asked, her curiosity piqued.

Star slowly nodded. She looked as if she had a thousand or so things she was about to say, but couldn't find the words to vocalize them.

Raven scratched thoughtfully behind her ear and took a deep breath. "All I can say now is, thank the gods for metaphors."