Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.


CYBORG

Getting something that could fit me in such a short amount of time was difficult, but nonetheless I managed to scrape together a suit in time for the party. I'm basically wearing a giant button-up coat with gloves and dress pants. Not the best, but all I could do on short notice. I never thought I'd say it, but I really wish I could wear a dress. Younger me would have scoffed, but I secretly always wanted to try one...

Ah well, just another thing on the list of stuff I won't be able to do… At least not this time.

Now that I think of it, how the hell are we getting to the party? Are we flying? Wouldn't that mess up someone's outfit? I hope someone planned that out.

Well, there's only an hour until we're supposed to be there, I guess I'll make my way to the cafeteria.

I say that as if it takes a while, but considering it's just a floor down, it takes less than two minutes. The door slides open, and I see that Robyn and Starfire are already here.

Robin has on a pure black tuxedo, complete with a matching bow-tie and a red handkerchief in the chest pocket. If it weren't for her hair (still in a ponytail), you could easily mistake her for a boy.

Starfire also has a tux, this one purple, though he seems to lack the white undershirt, leaving to top of his chest bare. The cool part isn't the suit though, it's his hair. Rather than his long-ass ponytail, he got his hair straightened out and it drops all the way to his waist. Simple, but very effective. He doesn't seem comfortable with it though, and subconsciously runs his fingers through it, only stopping when he actually notices what he's doing.

"We just waiting on Changeling and Crow?" I ask.

"Yes." Robyn says tersely. "And they need to get here quick, our transportation is arriving soon."

"Ah, so you arranged for a ride." I say, relieved. "It occurred to me that I never asked how we were getting there."

"I didn't organize it." Our leader mutters, looking away. "Changeling did. I… forgot as well."

"Good that one of us was thinking ahead then." I chuckle. "You both ready?"

"As much as I can be." Starfire grumbles. "I feel strange with my hair not tied…"

"It was your choice." Robyn grunts. "You said you felt it looked better."

"Just the same…" The orange boy murmurs. "It is still unusual."

The door behind us hisses open again, and the last two members of our team walk through.

Crow's outfit is rather unique, if not that different from his usual. It's basically just his normal outfit with no hood (turning his cloak into a cape), a high collar on his shirt, and silk gloves to cover his hands. He looks very dramatic; it's cute.

Changeling… well, I know who all eyes will be on tonight. The dress she has on is reminiscent of the one Robyn wore on her 'date' with Conan. That is to say: it's skintight, just above floor length, and has slits on the side all the way up to her hips. It differs from Robyn's in that it's purple, has a rather deep v-neck, and drops rather far in the back as well. Combine this with heels and Changeling's already jaw-dropping figure, and you've got quite a look.

"Alright, if we're all ready, let's get moving." She says, giving us a once over. "Don't forget to smile!"

"I'll smile once this is over." Robyn grumbles, following the green girl to the elevator.

We all squish into the small space (apparently forgetting we have stairs) and I, as the last person in, jab the button for the ground floor. We all wait in mild discomfort as the elevator travels down, and burst out when it finally opens.

"So," our leader says grumpily, "where's our taxi?"

"Taxi?" Changeling says with a laugh. "You think we're going to go to a fancy party in a taxi?"

"Well yeah." Robyn mumbles. "What did you…? Of course you did."

I presume she's talking about that limo I see on the edge of the street across our bridge with a man in a suit standing outside it. Seems Changeling wants to enjoy herself tonight. That's fine with me, I've always wondered what it would be like to ride in a limo.

"Come on Rob, we're basically celebrities now, we can't be cheap about these things!" Changeling teases. "Good impression and all that!"

"You just wanted a limo." Our leader huffs.

"Yeah, that too." The green girl grins cheekily. "Now come on."

We (carefully) walk across the thin steel beam bridge connecting our island to the mainland. I'm surprised Changeling doesn't topple over needing to walk with heels, but she struts along just fine. I guess she's used to it, or just a natural. Crow and Starfire just float, it must be nice to be able to fly…

"Miss Changeling." The man says, bowing his head a bit and opening the side door when we approach. "Your ride is ready."

"Why thank you." The green girl says, sliding elegantly inside the vehicle. The rest of us pile in after her, and with significantly less grace.

"Your destination is the Nightgale Banquet Hall, correct?" The man reaffirms as we sit.

"Indeed." Changeling says, relaxing back onto the seat (which is really more of a couch than anything) as Crow happily plops down next to her. "We need to be there by seven."

You know what? I never noticed before, or maybe she just started now (or I need to spend more time around my friends), but Changeling's voice actually has a rumble to it; a purr that puts a sultry edge to her naturally low voice.

"Ah, so not the scenic route then?" The man asks, and the green girl nods. "As you wish."

The door closes and the man moves to the driver's seat, which is in a separate compartment from us, giving us a measure of privacy. The limo starts to move, but aside from the quiet noise of the engine there's silence.

It's remarkable how much body language can tell you about how someone's feeling. I'm not very good at reading it but most of my teammates are very telegraphed at the moment.

Starfire hides his feelings the best, probably thanks to that military training of his, and has a completely straight posture, with hands folded in his lap. It's only the way his eyes constantly flick around and his slightly uneven breathing that give away his nervousness. I can only tell all this because he's sitting right next to me.

Robyn has a frown, which tells me pretty much all I need to know, but the looseness of her muscles says that she's not nervous, just annoyed. This isn't unusual for her, or not something she feels the need to be concerned about. This is just an irritant to her and nothing more.

Crow is about as unsubtle as you can get. He's bright-eyed, bouncing in his seat a bit, and childishly kicking his legs as he glances around the vehicle. Clearly excited, if nervous.

And then there's Changeling. Everything about her is relaxation and easy confidence. She's focused on Crow right now (as she tends to be, no surprises here) and is watching his childish bouncing with an amused smile. Otherwise, she has an arm thrown over the back of his seat and is relaxing into the back of her own. She's the only person who seems truly at ease.

Robyn eventually clears her throat to break the silence. "So, uh, I'm sure you're all aware, but it bears repeating. The media will be allowed in for an hour or so, politics and all that, then be pushed out. Always be careful what you say and do, but especially so while they're still there."

"No worries Rob, we'll be fine." Changeling says, directing her easy grin at our leader. "Besides, I doubt I'll have to say much in the first place."

"You got that right." Robyn mutters under her breath. "But still, be cautious. You can't trust the media. They'll bend words just to make a good story."

"I'd say you're too cynical… but I've seen little to suggest you're wrong." I chuckle. "We'll be careful."

"Should I just avoid them?" Crow asks Changeling in a whisper. It carries to the rest of us because, well, we're all less than a meter away. "The media?"

"Probably." The green girl nods. She glances at me. "Cy, you won't be dealing with them too much, right?"

"Uh, probably not?" I say, uncertain. "I usually leave it to you, Rob, and Star."

"Good, then look after Crow for me." She says, prompting a surprised blink from the sorcerer and myself. "I'll be busy while the media are there, and it'd be a good idea for Crow to stick with someone." She explains.

"Alright then…" I nod, still not totally sure if this is a good idea. Me and Crow basically don't know each other, so I'm worried this won't end well. Then again, it's not like he knows Rob or Star better so… ugh, just hope for the best. "You fine with this?" I ask the boy.

He nods silently, though only meets my eyes for a second before nervously glancing away. Well that's a great start.

There's a knock on the window separating us from our driver, and it scrolls down after a moment. "We will be arriving momentarily." Our driver informs us.

"Alright kids, look alive!" Changeling says, grinning. She sits up properly in her seat and smooths out her dress. "Their eyes are on us, so smile!"

"No." Robyn says bluntly. "I want to look serious, not friendly."

"Me as well." Starfire nods.

"Party poopers." The green girl scoffs, stretching her legs and arms out in front of her. "Alright, let's do this."

The way everyone talks about it, you'd think there were cameras everywhere and all eyes on us… and apparently they're right. I had the thought that maybe there wouldn't be a lot of reporters or whatever here, and I was dead wrong. Apparently parties held by the mayor are big affairs.

Changeling takes the lead, pulling all the cameras almost immediately. Crow and me go next, with both of us just ignoring the media entirely (or at least trying to). Starfire and Robyn bring up the rear, just nodding to the cameras and brushing off questions.

Right, the building. The building we're at is all gothic, with cobble pathways, ominous architecture, and bonafide gargoyles. Basically, it's tall and spiky. Luckily, the inside is much more pleasant than the outside. The dark stone is still there, but the light wooden floor and the pictures and banners help it to not be quite as dark and gloomy.

"Alright…" I think, glancing around as we move into the main room. "We should probably stick to the sides, all the reporters will be mingling, so that should help us avoid them."

I tap Crow on the shoulder, causing him to jump slightly, and whisper the idea to him. He nods, and timidly follows me when I start walking, though he constantly glances at Changeling, who we can still see through the crowd (she's already started 'entertaining' the media, she sure works fast).

"So…" I say as we walk, "what do you think so far? You seemed excited before, is this living up to expectations."

"K-Kinda." He murmurs, glancing at me. "L-Lots of people i-in suits, like I-I th-thought."

"What's different?" I question.

"No m-music, and some p-people l-look angry…" He mumbles.

Crow's not exactly wrong, some of the people here, usually the more serious men in suits, seem to have frowns permanently affixed to their faces.

"I doubt their angry." I grunt, "but you're right, they certainly don't look like they're enjoying themselves."

"I, uh…" The sorcerer shifts uncomfortably. "What a-are we supposed t-to be doing?"

"Honestly? No idea." I admit with a shrug. "I think it was mostly just so we don't seem like shut in. So that we can show our support for the mayor."

"Why?" Crow asks, cocking his head.

"Because he gave us a good deal. One good turn and all that." I reply, shrugging again.

"Oh."

We walk in silence for a moment, with no real destination as we casually circle the outer ring of room and watch as new faces walk in and start filling up the room.

"D-Did you have d-dinner?" Crow asks, looking up at me.

"Uh, no." I shake my head.

"W-Want to eat?" He asks, pointing at a table just starting to be loaded with various snacks and food.

"Sure." I shrug. "Might as well grab a bite. Not too much though, the others will probably want to eat together later."

"I w-wonder if they have pizza..." Crow wonders, trying to get a glimpse of the food as it comes out.

I can't help but chuckle a bit. "Somehow I doubt that."


Hey, first chapter fully from one character's perspective in a while, and from Cyborg at that!

I realized that Crow wouldn't be able to stay with Changeling just after I finished the last chapter, and since I've been meaning to give Cyborg some more chances to interact with others, I didn't waste the opportunity! The awkwardness is palpable though.


Jaalk5: Did you know that this little story is actually based off another one of my stories called Social Time? I took the Nightgale Banquet Hall directly from that. Maria is confident yes, but also a bit shameless and manipulative. Remember, she doesn't care what anyone but the Titans think of her. So a grain of salt my friend, take her attitude with a grain of salt.

Origami Stars: There are some other tidbits about demons that I'm holding off on for a while, so look forward to those little facts. Robyn won't be caught dead in a dress if she has anything to say about it!

A Person: Yeah, I kinda put off the whole 'Starfire needs to get home' thing for a while, and I felt it was about time to address it. I have plans for Tamaran, oh yes I do… Azarath actually doesn't have that many laws, and a drinking age is not one of the few that do exist. It's up to whoever is in charge of you to tell you what age you need to be. In this case, Ruban's dad made the decision to allow Ruban to drink as soon as he stopped aging, because that is basically as much resistance as Ruban is ever going to get. For all he knew though, Ruban might have barely been able to drink a single glass of wine, but he would rather his son actually be able to drink if he wanted to than being forever forbidden because of a physical condition. You're (mostly) right about Ruban not doing anything illegal knowingly, except, well, escaping Azarath. Azarath (in this story at least) is a pocket dimension so small that it holds a single city and nothing else, so 'the city of Azarath" and "the dimension of Azarath" are basically the same thing; the city is the dimension, and the dimension is just a city.