Anime hotty lover 18 : Gald you think so
KaliAnn: This part is going for romantic comedy here...
The Keeper of the World: Thank you for calling it a beautiful moment
Yoko Takara: Yep, I sure did!
S.Y.G-14: more Robstar feels comeing up! I think you'll get a kick out of this.
Chapter 38
Whoa.
That was the only semi-intelligent thought Robin was able to form when that smile was thrown his way, he couldn't help it. He had never seen anything so...so...naturally pretty. Come to think of it, everything about the Shieldmaiden from Space was natural -organic. It was something different from a lot girls here on earth, and defiantly from the debutante-in-training that stalked the halls of Gotham Academy, most of whom relied on layers and layers of make-up and superficial charm, due to a lack in confidant in their natural appearance.
But the moment those shapely pomegranate-red lips pulled back to reveal perfect white teeth, something in his brain glitch. And a very foreign zing -of which he normally associated with his friend/ not-so-secret-crush Barbara- shot down his spine.
"Y-Your welcome," he somehow managed to reply. God, it was a good thing dark out...maybe that way, she wouldn't be able to tell that his face matched his uniform.
Nodding, Starfire turned her attention back to the ocean, one hand reaching down to pick up another rock. "Can we continue with this?" she asked him, suddenly looking very childlike in that instant; her green eyes were wide with trust, and she was looking at him like he had the answers to everything.
Was it wrong to say that he found that kinda flattering? Cause it was a definite change from nobody taking him serious around here...emphasis on the def.
"Sure," he said easily, with a lopsided grin; because at this point, he was willing to do nearly anything that wasn't illegal, so long as it kept that smile on her face.
Y+J
So for a few more minutes the two of them skip rocks, watching them sprint together over the surface of the moon-lit water. But soon that peaceful illusion was once again broken -this time by a small sigh. 'Great, what now?'
Equal part hesitant and earnest -but all together young- when the Boy Wonder turned his head he saw -to his immediate relief- that the alien-girl wasn't in tears again. Instead she...she was looking up at the sky, wearing an expression that could only be call reverence.
"Uh Star..." Robin began uncertainly, wanting to help, but sensing this to be a personal revelation; his voice was unusual soft -reflecting his unsureness. "Um...you okay?"
"Hum?" she replied in answer, her eyelids fluttering briefly as her head turned back to meet his, strands her red gold hair falling over her shoulders with the motion. He couldn't help but notice that it was so long, she could almost sit on it.
"Oh yes my friend," Starfire said briskly, in answer to his question. "I'm fine...just...thinking."
"Bout what?"
"The stars."
"Stars?" Robin echoed, blinking. "Why stars?"
Again she smiled, but it wasn't the same smile she'd shown him before. This one didn't show her teeth. It was just a quirk of her lips, a secret smile with a thousand hidden meanings...of which she decided to share a few.
"...To my people stars are regarded as holy," the warrior girl explained, her voice soft as a mom singing a lullaby -speaking ages old truths and comfort. "We see them as X'hal promise of eternity for those who are good and faithful in this life, and besides that they represent many things-love, deliverance, redemption, and memory..."
"Memory?" Now Robin's tone was hushed, mesmerized by the serene joy that had come over his friend's face.
"Oh yes," she said passionately, eyes alit to the point where they nearly glowed. She believed this stuff...and believed it deeply. "after all stars see everything, so they must remember everything. We Tamaraneans see memory as holy as well..." here her voice dropped, and her eyes darken. " We see memory as holy because it is precious and pure...and it's the one place where the people you love can never die."
Robin look away at that, he had too.
"Yeah, that's the truth," he agreed lowly, fists clenching against the rocks.
Y+J
"Yes it is, isn't it?" the girl said mournfully. She blinked again, and swiped her eye before lifting her chin proudly, though her voice trembled. "You know...for the longest time, I thought I would never see stars again-when I was imprisoned on that slave-ship...I don't know how I would have been able to stand that. It was like the Gordanians were trying to rob me of everything-even hope. Even faith."
"Well your here now Star," Robin told her immediately, reaching up a hand, and griping her shoulder. "Your safe here, and we'll find a way to get you home. That's a promise."
"Yes...thank you-I'm sorry," Starfire said suddenly, throwing her hands into the air. "Here I am talking nonsense like a mad-girl...you must be bored to tears-"
Robin thought he exactly heard his jaw drop. Bored to tears?! Was she crazy?!
"I'm not bored at all! Everything you said is really, really interesting!"
The Shieldmaiden blinked. "Truly?"
"Of course! Why did you think it wasn't?"
Starfire looked down, biting her lip. One hand picking at her leggings, she slowly replied in hesitant tones, "In my experience many cultures find my people's beliefs to be...primitive."
"Well their idiots," Robin stated, deadpanned and totally serious. "I want to hear more."
A small, but delighted grin lit up Starfire's face at that. "Very well then...we also use stars to tell stories-folk tales. I believe than on your world the word is...is...con-sta-late-on?"
Her brow furrowed at she tried to form the difficult word.
"Constellation," the boy supplied readily, feeling a pleasant warmth spread inside him when the girl's eyes lit up.
"Oh yes, that's it. Thank you...yes constellations...matter-a-fact, you can see some from Tamaran here. Like that one. See the one that looks like a crown?"
Robin followed the heavenward trial made by her outstretched finger. "Oh yeah...we humans call that Corona-Borealis. The Northern Crown."
The girl let out a snort of laughter at that, eyes glittering. "It seems our people think alike," she commented teasingly. "-to us it is a crown as well. The crown of the Royal Household. It always appeared over the palace at a certain time of year...what your story for it?"
The Boy Wonder's face perked up at that, and without hesitant, he launched into the tale of Princess Ariadne, the hero Theseus, and the monster that lived in the labyrinth. The alien-girl make a good audience, gasping at all the right moments. And at the story's end she was quiet.
"So after all she did for him...Theseus just left Ariadne stranded on the island?" she shook her head. "Such behavior is not what I would expeacte in a hero."
"I agree with you, it was a jerkish thing to do," the boy concurred to the point -after all, he'd often thought the same thing as a kid when his mother told him the story. "But people defined heroism differently back then. It was more about being powerful than being good...you should hear about what some of the ones did. Though Perseus wasn't bad, come to think of it -that's why he's my favorite."
"Perseus?" Starfire repeated, the Greek name rolling clumsily of her lips. "What did he do?"
"He killed a monster that turned people to stone," Robin recited, ticking the great hero's deed off on his fingers,"turned a greedy giant into a mountain so he'd stop harassing his visitors, and rescued the princess he fell in love with from a sea-monster. And later rescued his mother from a jerk who wanted to marry her."
Star hummed approvingly at that, arching an slim eyebrow. "You are right, that is very impressive...does he have a constellation as well?"
"Well...yeaaaah," the Boy Wonder said slowly, not wanting to disappoint her. "But you can't really see it this time of the year."
"Oh...very well...then do you see that one over there?"
Robin look up. "Oh yeah, Gemini-the twins."
Starfire laughed. "We call it the Twins as well...Biligori. It's Brash and his sister Sweet Moon-they rescued their parents from slavers..."
And back and forth they went. Robin telling her of Hercules, Draco, and Cassiopeia, while learning about the Loyal Twins, Bloodfire the Fury, and the great Gorback...whatever the heck that was.
But his favorite one was unquestionable Nightstar. When Star pointed out her constellation after telling the story of the Raven-haired Shieldmaiden, his face lit up in delight. "Hey! That's Polaris...the North Star!"
"What does that stand for to humans?" the Shieldmaiden inquired curiously.
"It stands for freedom...back in the day, runaway slaves used it to guide their escapes," Robin explained with a grin. A grin that widen when the girl beamed with joy. "That is very good then," she said. "A good star..."
Y+J
Letting out a low sigh, both teens relaxed for a few moments, content...until Robin's glove beeped.
Starfire instantly tensed. If she had been a canine, her ears would have shot up. "What's that?" she demanded.
"Nothing Star," Robin rushed to reassure her. "It's just my clock-I set it on a timer...it's five o'clock, we've been out here for a full hour."
Starfire looked surprise. "Truly? It feels...shorter than that."
"Well, you know what the say," Robin said in a joking manner, spreading his hands. "Time flies when your having fun...but I think its time we headed inside."
With that said, the boy stood and held out his hand, and Starfire took it after a moment's consideration, wearing a thoughtful expression.
"Fun," she breathed out gently, as she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "Yes...this was fun. Thank you."
Robin would have told her not to mention it...but he couldn't, because suddenly she lean forward and kissed him lightly on the mouth. Robin squeaked, he couldn't help it. Te merav...
The Shieldmaiden must have heard him, because she immediately pulled back, eyes wide with panic.
"W-What? What is it?" she asked desperately. "Was that wrong?"
"Wron-No, no it wasn't," Robin stammered, his face and ears burning once more. "I just-that was unexpected."
From the way Starfire stared at him, it was clear that this was the last thing she expected to hear. "Unexpected? But-but I thought that was how humans girls showed affection for their friends..."
"Well no-I mean yes-I mean...well yes... b-but normally that's on the cheek." Smooth Grayson, real smooth.
"Oh...alright then."
And she did just that.
At this point, it amazed Robin that he hadn't caught on fire. Devel te merav...
"Um-th-thanks," he murmured awkwardly, his hand going up to grip the back of his head. "Sorry for spooking you."
"Ov yilo isi," Star replied calmly. Upon seeing his stunned look, she blinked. "...What?"
"Did-did you just speak-"
"Romanes?" she finished for him. "Yes, you were thinking in it when...I kissed you, so now I speak it as well."
Y+J
Okay then, at this point, Robin just decided to roll with it.
'Well look at the bright side,' he thought as the made their way back over the rocks to the beach. 'at least those kisses won't end up on YouTube-oh, I should probably tell her about that-'
"...Robin," Starfire voice interrupted his musings. "You know those old earthen heroes you told me about?"
He nodded. "Yeah, what about them?"
By this point the had crossed the beach and were at the door, Robin was just punching in the code to reopen the door. Turning his head, he saw the alien-girl giving him a warm, if somewhat shy smile.
"I think that in the end..." she began carefully, her voice soft with unmistakable affection. "You and the other boys will be the greatest of them all."
Robin swallow hard at that. "Nais tuke Chakano," he replied quietly, thanking her in the sincerest way he knew how.
Starfire's smile widen...and then it grew mischievous. "Your welcome...and I can just picture what your constellation will be called- The Laughing Imp."
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Well, I bet you didn't see that last bit coming! It's Robin's lucky day...and I hope you chuckled at the last line. Up next, Robin and Starfire spar, and we finally learn what the heck happen to the League. P.S the tital means playful love...
Romani words are
Te merav- let me die, or kill me now
Devel te merav- God let me die
Ov yilo isi- it is okay
Romanes- Romani
Nais tuke Chakano- Thank you Star