This is a songfic, even thought I don't like them much myself ironically. I'm also changing a few lyrics to fit my narrative, but the Gorillaz do that themselves when sing live so it's cool right? Cool.
As always, me not americano or englisho, me Dutcho. So if things are wonkey, throw them in the review. Oh and leave one of those, please and thank you.
Song is Kansas by Gorillaz
Bolded is Raven's lines
Italic is Beast Boy's Lines
Both is both.
Takes place after Aftershock and Spellbound, but before Birthmark.
"I implore you friends, we must take action." Starfire sniffled
"I'm with Star, my little buddy has been hiding away far too long." Cyborg agrees. He turns to Robin. "Just give the order and I'll hack his door and drag him in here."
"For the last time." Robin sighed, handing Starfire a tissue. "He has come to us. We can't force him out of this state, it'll only make things worse."
"These discussions are pointless." Raven stood up from the table and started to walk towards the door. "I'm going to meditate."
"Oh sure, just hide away too. You're just as bad sometimes, Rae." Cyborg snapped.
Raven stopped walking as if she wanted to turn around and retaliate, but after standing a few seconds she just phased through the floor. Subjected to glares from both Robin and Starfire, Cyborg sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Me and my big mouth."
Raven floated around her room, repeating her mantra to herself to eat away at the pinch of anger and sadness she felt, Raven started to reflect on this recent development. It had been exactly one year since Terra's betrayal, and news stations and tv shows around Jump City were holding discussions on what happened to the blonde titan. Now Beast Boy was always an emotional timebomb, switching between them in an instant. All these shows jump started memories in the boy he had hidden away.
Resulting in Beast Boy holding himself up in his room for 5 days now. Raven herself understands how he feels, she did the same thing after Malchior's betrayal and that still had his marks on Raven's daily thoughts, but something else was looming over her. A few months away from her birthday, she can feel Trigon strengthening every day, thus she has to meditate more as well. Coupled with the fear she was feeling over het destiny. it wasn't an easy feat.
Right on cue some started to play with a guitar in the room beside Raven, causing her to stop her mantra. Even though she'd never admit it, she likes the fact that Beast Boy's room is next to hers. Aside from the fact that his snoring makes her feel safe when she wakes up from another nightmare, it makes listening to Earth music more available to her. As knowledgeable as she is in Earth's literature and culture, she's embarrassed to confess that music isn't something she followed. Her hands started to fiddle with the cassette player Beast Boy gave her on Christmas.
"I heard you say to Starfire that Azarath doesn't really have much variety in music, so here!" She fondly remembers Beast boy blushing when handing it over to her. "I made these mixtapes for you too, my mo-"He coughed and corrected himself. "Rita always says that nothing heals a soul more than music."
Her musings were interrupted by Beast Boy's soft singing next door.
"i'm not gonna cry
I got more time to give
I'm not gonna cry
I'll find another dream"
He'd been working on that song the last few days, but Raven suspected that the chorus is the only thing he felt was good enough to keep. Although she did feel like she was spying, the gentle music did help her relax. In fact, listening to the song and making up her own lines for it had replaced meditating almost entirely lately. Even with all the emotions she was dealing with. She listened enough that she knew the timing and as tonedeaf as she thought she was, Raven had no trouble keeping rhythm. Caught in the flow of the music, she started to sing the lyrics she made up softly to herself.
"Am I incapable of healing
Someday I will fall from grace in your heart
I feel away from home with no fuel alone
I think I'll ghost a while"
Beast Boy started to join in right on cue.
"I'm not gonna cry
I got more time to give
I'm not gonna cry
I'll find another dream"
But this time was different from the other times. Instead of taking a instrumental break like usual, Beast Boy continued on, as if he was responding to Raven's lyrics.
"I think we can solve it
we'll put our engines back into overdrive
So we can breathe again, photosynthesize again
With the green hills of our home"
Raven wanted to slap herself for being this careless, how could she forget Beast Boy's inhuman hearing. Torn between being embarrassed and thankful for his encouragement, she kept listening on.
"I'm not gonna cry
I got more time to give
It's okay to cry
We'll find another dream"
Gaining some courage Raven decided to join in for the final verse
I'm not gonna cry. (Save the way for me)
I got more time to give
I'm not gonna cry (It will get nasty)
We'll find another dream.
The music stopped.
What followed was a silence of a few minutes, before it was broken by a knock on Raven's door. Still shaken by the sudden and unintended duet, she waited before opening. It was Beast Boy, unsurprisingly.
He fidgeted with his gloves, avoiding making eye contact. Debating on what he should say.
"Do you need something?" Raven said impatiently, but her tone was softer than her usual monotone.
"I just wanted to say that." He paused again. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here." He gestures around him. "Hell we're all here for you Raven, you never have to go at it alone."
Raven raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "Thanks, but that's rich coming from you."
Beast Boy chuckled and scratched his neck. "You got me there. I guess I just needed some time for my own y'know? I think I'm done for now though."
Raven's face softened. "Just know that there are three people in the common room waiting until you reach out to them." She smirks. "And I swear to god, Beast Boy. You better go there right now or I'll drag you there, understand?"
"Yes ma'am!" Beast boy gave a mock salute, before walking towards the common room whistling a tuneless tune.
Raven looked at her calendar. She hesitated, but then Beast Boys words echoed in her head. With a soft smile she left her dark room and headed in the same direction as Beast Boy.
Alone she has no chance against her destiny, but she doesn't have to go at it alone, she has her family. Defeating Trigon might be just a dream, but it is a dream worth focusing on.