...Uh....Hi? Remember me? Wow, I am SO sorry I haven't updated for so long. I apologize, but I needed a break from I thank you all for being so patient, and now that the summer has hit and I have more free time, updates should be more frequent. But, I warn you, they will not be everyday. I have training for track in the mornings, SAT prep courses, work, friends, and miscellaneous. But they WILL be fairly often, since I get home at 11 usually and stay up til 3 writing. AND majorly cool I finally did the right writing format! It's so easy to read now! YAY FOR ME! Again, PLEASE don't kill me before I finish the story....I'M SORRRRRRRYYYYY!!!! runs away crying
Oh yeah, and this chapter is dedicated to TJ Rose and The Epyon Avenger, because their awesomely nice reviews for 'Foolish Games' and 'She Breaks', and this, were what made me get off my butt and update this bi-yotch. You're amazing, guys!!!
Raven rested her chin in her palm and propped her elbow in the banister of the boat. They were approaching the shore, and Raven was secretly savoring the serene mien. She glanced at the water dividing in waves before her as the boat cut through the surface. Above, the stars glittered affectionately, and occasionally a meteor would streak by. The warm sea breeze tickled her face and tangled itself in her lilac hair. It was a gorgeous summer night, one that should be enjoyed...but...she wasn't.
Raven wrinkled her nose in thought; an hour ago, she had been ecstatic to see Carden again. Now, she just wanted to go home. Odd. She began to ponder the reasons why.
Carden had an acute knowledge of literature, a passion for all types of music, and an extreme hatred for the government. Save for the latter, all topics interested her. (She stayed as far as she could from politics.) The two had been able to have long, intellectual discussions on their previous nights out, and Raven had always enjoyed his company. But even still, the nagging feeling of regret and reluctance burrowed into her chest as they grew further and further from the tower.
It wasn't even that she wanted to stay home, or be away from Carden, for that matter. She didn't know why, but she was drawn back to the tower, and thought maybe a night in would have been for the best. She scoffed; that was stupid, what would she do at home, anyway? Watch Cyborg stuff ten pounds of meat down his throat as he whupped Beast Boy in a pointless video game?
Beast Boy. What a buffoon. What a waste of perfectly good skin. He was always cracking jokes, getting in the way, acting childish. She rolled her eyes as the image of him sprawled out on the living room floor and covered in kernels popped into her head. He looked so stupid, so moronic. Beast Boy, the team's resident idiot.
"Although," she wondered internally as she tilted her head so her cheek rested in the palm of her hand. "I find it weird that he's even in my thoughts at all."
"Raven? Hello? Are you listening?"
"Huh?" the goth snapped back to reality and straightened herself up, innocently hiding her hands in her cape. She realized now that Carden had been prattling on about something the whole time, and she had not heard a word of it.
"Well?"
"I-uh..." she sheepishly eyed the ground, scanning her mind for something to say. She cleared her throat and took a breath, looking up to him with feigned confidence.
"Bush sucks."
"Hah, you got that right." and once again he began to ramble about the benefits of anarchy. Raven let a small smile escape; he was so predictable. Now that he had gained her full attention, she noticed finally that his arm had managed to loop its way around her shoulders. She groaned softly and shrugged it off, taking a step away from him. She'd always hated public displays of affection, and Carden's constant attempts made her uncomfortable. Upon doing that, she could have sworn she heard a small cheer, but dismissed it as something coming from the mainland.
The boat finally docked, and the two exited onto the boardwalk. Raven sighed and floated to a bench, and Carden followed suit. He sat dangerously close to her, but she merely scooted down, wincing slightly from the tiny splinters catching in the seat of her uniform. Carden stuffed his hands in his pockets and fumbled around in them to find something.
"So, what do you feel like doing?" he asked monotonously, and finally found his box of cigarettes. He pulled one out and instead of lighting it, stuck it behind his ear.
Raven watched the Tower across the bay. Her face remained impassive, as always, but her eyes still glinted mournfully and the pull to go home had never been stronger. She could see the massive silhouette of Cyborg moving to and fro in the brightly litted windows, carrying insane amounts of, what would be assumed as, food in his arms with each trip.
Where was Beast Boy?
"Oh." She finally said reluctantly; unlike a few moments ago she had managed not to slip into a trance and had heard the boy's previous question. "I'm thirsty." she said emotionlessly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Great." Carden said upon rising. "We can pick up a cup of coffee at this café nearby. Let's go."
He extended his hand to her, but she merely pushed it away and fell into step with him as they walked to the café.
Unbeknownst to them, a green sparrow watched venomously from above. It swooped in a little lower before transforming into a common moth in midair.
"Ok, Gothy Mc Goth Goth the Gothiest Goth ever to Goth the Goth's Goth of Goth." he paused, he never was very good at insults. "You're gonna learn what happens when you mess with the BEAST!"
Raven nodded appreciatively when Carden held the door of 'The Skit-Scat Lounge,' which was the name of the café they had found. They entered the dimly lit hall, and Raven breathed in the refreshing scent of coffee beans and scones. She sighed, shortly but happily, and let her eyes wander around the room. It was very beatnik for her taste, but she loved the atmosphere. Everyone there gave off a sensation of appreciation for art and poetry and cappuccinos. She did not show it externally, but inward she was grinning wildly. These were her people.
"Like it?"
She continued to allow her eyes explore the premise. "It's wonderful." she stated, and although her voice was emotionless it had an air of awe. Beast Boy rolled his eyes as Carden pulled out a chair for Raven to sit on before seating himself across from her at a high wooden table. He fluttered in closer, still as a moth, and tried to get a better view.
Suddenly, he felt a hypnotic pull draw him to the lamp that hung over the 2. He couldn't control himself as he blindly flew to it, and did not stop when he repeatedly banged into the bulb.
"Must...go...to...the....light..." he murmured, but quickly chided himself and snapped out of his trance. To avoid the event from happening again, he morphed into a fly and perched himself on the edge of Raven's hood. Since it was down, and the room was dark to begin with, he went unnoticed.
A skinny man dressed in a black turtle neck and sanded jeans approached. He was significantly older than the teens; perhaps in his mid twenties. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark glasses, which seemed odd and Beast Boy wondered how he could see. His hair was tidy and a rich brown underneath his strategically placed black beret, and a goatee of the same color hung from his strong chin. Beast Boy smiled slightly in his insect form; the guy seemed really cool, and he considered liking him.
"Heya, cool cats. The name's Beats, and I'm gonna be servin' up some fine grub tonight. Any idea what you'd like?" Raven opened her mouth to order, but Carden abruptly cut her off.
"We'll both have a regular coffee, black."
Beats wrote it down and flashed a grin. "Coming right up, swingers!"
Raven raised a finger to say otherwise, but before she could speak the beatnik had scurried back to fetch the order. She growled lightly and turned to the boy adjacent from her, glaring menacingly. "Why did you do that?"
Carden flipped the large section of hair away from his face with a flick of his head, only to have it sag back into place. "What?"
Her scowl worsened. "Order for me. I'm fully capable of doing it myself."
"I thought I was doing you a favor." he answered nonchalantly, ignoring her clenching fists.
"Well, if you're going to pull that lame macho 'guy must do everything because girls are weak and helpless and can't see past the bright lights beyond their kitchen' crap, the least you can do is get me something I like."
"You love coffee."
"YOU love coffee! I can't stand the stuff. It tastes like chalk and it yellows your teeth. I prefer tea, herbal at that."
"Whatever. Do something nice for a person and they spit in your face."
"JERK!" a high pitched, squeaky voice called faintly from behind her. She turned her head sideways and searched for the source, eyeing everything suspiciously, but when she found nothing she reluctantly faced Carden again.
Beast Boy had managed to zip beneath the table before Raven had caught him. That little outburst of his could have cost him his life, but he couldn't help it. Carden was acting like an ass, and he had to voice that fact. "Well," he thought as he whipped out a notepad from beneath his wing. "I DID find out Raven hates coffee, and likes to be independent. Despite scary kid being a jack-hole, at least something productive happened." He scribbled the information messily onto the paper, before returning to his perch, this time on the back of Carden's chair.
Beats quickly returned with the order and set it on the table before them, but Raven managed to snag his arm before he scampered off again. "Could I get an herbal tea instead?" she asked.
He gave an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, Foxy, but unless you're willing to pay for another drink I can't replace this one."
She glowered at Carden once again, but he remained unaffected. "What? You have money, don't you?"
Raven used everything she had not to blow up something. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, finally releasing the waiter's wrist. "Forget it. Can I just get some milk and sugar?"
Beats nodded and sent her a genuine, sympathetic smile before retrieving her request. When she received it, she hastily poured the entire pitcher of milk in and added a good 3 packets of sugar. She took her time stirring it, buying herself more time. Eventually, she raised the mug to her lips and sipped the liquid within, and it took ever power she possessed not to gag on the spot. She instead coughed and pushed it away.
"Oh c'mon. It's not that bad." Carden whined, and gulped down his own. Raven didn't want to look at him, and instead locked her attention on the platform in front of her. It was a small wooden stand protruding from the wall, probably about a foot or so in height, and it acted as a stage. Currently, a pretty young girl sat on a stool performing, bathing in the soft beam of light surrounding her. She strummed her guitar melodically as she accompanied it by sweetly singing a song she wrote of an unrequited love. Beast Boy found it very appropriate. The girl's performance ended and she was showered in a chorus of snapping fingers. A few well timed 'whoops' were added in, but the deafening applause was enough for her.
"Thank you." she whispered into the microphone, smiling happily and shyly tucking her curly red hair behind her ear. She stepped off the stage and leaned her guitar against a chair as several of her friends congratulated her. Beats quickly hopped up on stage, beaming and snapping his fingers. He held out a hand to silence the sound and pulled the microphone out of its holder.
"Alright, alright, that was swinging! Everyone, another round of applause for the lovely Miss Jamie and her totally happenin' song!" The room erupted with the sound of snapping once again, and the red head blushed appreciatively.
"That was really good. She has a command over her instrument." Raven commented, mostly to herself, and Beast Boy whipped out the notebook once again and wrote the word MUSIC in bold letters, underlining it several times for good measure.
Beats began to speak again, and the room hushed to hear what he had to say. "So, as you cats know, it's open mic night here at the Skit-Scat, and we encourage anyone to c'mon up and express yourself. Any other volunteers?" After a moment or two, Carden rose and slowly made his way to the stage. Raven raised an eyebrow questioningly, but continued to stir her coffee absently. She leaned in to see what her company would do.
"My man! What's your name, brotha'?" Beats asked politely when the goth reached the stage.
"Carden, and I'll be reading an original poem of mine." he mumbled into the mic. Beats smiled.
"Rockin'! Do your stuff, kid!" and he stepped off to allow the boy to perform. Carden replaced the mic into the holder and pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket.
"I wrote this about someone who's here tonight. This is for you, Raven." he gave her a smile, and her eyes widened, both shocked and flattered. Beast Boy glared at him and muttered a few choice words. Carden cleared his throat and began.
"Dark. I am dark, like the night. Black is dark, like me, the night. Dark is dark, so I am I. Me am me. Everything is black. Black is good. But good is bad. So I am bad. But I am good. Which is bad. Dark. Black. Me."
He looked up and awaited a reaction. There was a long silence as people tried to piece the work together. Many brows were either raised or furrowing in confusion. A few snaps echoed in the otherwise silent room out of sheer pity. Raven's eyes squinted as she shook her head.
"That didn't even make any sense." she said dazedly, pushing her cup to the center of the table.
Beast Boy cocked his head to the side and tried to figure everything out. "That poem was supposed to be about Raven, and it only talked about him!...I think. He probably just said that to impress her. That worked fabulously. Heck, I can write better poetry than that!" Suddenly his face lit up, and he noted it in his journal.
Carden huffed offstage, mumbling something about commoners not appreciating real art, and stomped back to the table. "We're leaving." he ordered, and dropped a few dollar bills on the table as he exited. Raven glanced over and mentally tallied the bill; Carden left just enough to cover the 2 coffees and not a cent for a tip. Without a second thought, Raven pulled a five dollar bill from her pocket and placed it under the salt shaker. She hoped off her chair and turned to leave, but a voice stopped her.
"That's a pretty hefty tip, little lady."
She turned back to see Beats cleaning the table, fingering the fiver in his fingers. He held it out for her to take back, but she declined. "You deserve it. You've been nothing but courteous, even to my friend, who didn't deserve the time of day."
Beats smiled and pocketed the money with a slight reluctance. He dropped Carden's empty cup into a black bin that he balanced between his hip and his hand and reached for Raven's. Upon peering inside and seeing it was nearly full, he gave a little laugh and glanced back up at her. "I take it your not a coffee person."
Raven smirked a little and shook her head. "I enjoy the scent, but the taste makes me wanna run into oncoming traffic."
Beats laughed. "I hear that, missy. I'm more of a latte person myself. Still the stuff, but mixed to perfection."
"HEY! RAVEN! WE LEAVING OR WHAT?!" Carden called rudely from outside. She winced at the sound of his voice and sighed, defeated.
"I'm sorry. I have to go." she muttered, and prepared to leave, but Beats's hand managed to snag her wrist.
"Y'know, babe, if I was you, I'd ditch the stiff and head on to bigger, better things. There are other fishies in the sea."
She had to smile. It was an impulse. "I bet you say that to all the customers."
Beats chuckled and let her go, readjusting the bin. "If I did, my girlfriend would beat me down with that guitar of hers." He gestured with his head, and Raven realized he was indicating the pretty red head who was performing before. She laughed a little at the turn of events.
"She's your-"
"Yeah. Jamie's mah main lady. She helps me run the place you know. She's incredible."
Raven's eyes glittered in the darkness, and she secretly loved the idea of the soft spoken musician going steady with the funny, hip beatnik. She couldn't have planned it better herself.
"RAVEN!" Carden hollered impatiently, and Raven groaned in exasperation.
"FINE!" she screamed back, drawing a few stares as her burst of emotion caused a nearby cup to explode. Beats was taken aback, and nearly dropped the bin in the process. Raven gasped, embarrassed her powers got out of control, and quickly gathered the pieces. She enveloped each piece in her dark energy, miraculously 'healing' the cup, before placing it into the bin.
"That was different."
She flushed. "Er-yeah...by the way..."
"You're a Titan? Heh, I figured. Not everyone parades around in leotards and capes without reason."
Her blush intensified, but she managed to subdue it before anything else happened. "I-I really have to go. Can't keep lover boy waiting." her last sentence was spoken with disdain, and Beats grinned a little as he extended his hand.
"It was nice meeting, ya, sweets."
She accepted it and nodded. "Ditto." She stated simply, and resumed leaving. She had finally reached the door, when Beats called her back again.
"Hey!" he cried over the noise of the coffee house. Raven turned back to see him, her hand resting on the doorknob. Beats flashed her a thousand watt, sincere smile and let his sunglasses slide down the bridge of his nose, revealing two sea foam green dazzling eyes.
"Stop by anytime you want some herbal tea. On me."
Ok, there was no stopping it. She beamed at his kindness, excited by the offer, before finally exiting. Beats gathered the rest of the dirty dishes silently and retreated to the kitchen. Unknown to him, Beast Boy watched him from his spot, grinning. He then decided; he DEFINETLY liked this guy.
HOLY FISHPASTE I ACTUALLY DID IT!!! WHEEE!!! falls over Actually, truth be told, I think this is my favorite chapter thus far. Mostly because I am in love with Beats. He was originally 'unknown waiter guy' but I liked the beatnik character so much I gave him a personality. I started running out of nicknames, though. So yeah, the chapter was just to show some of the stuff Carden does, and to be more Raven-centered, because I love her to death hugs The next half will be up soon, Robin and Starfire come into the picture, and Beast Boy is NABBED! Please review, it means the world to me. Thanks!
Oh yeah, and this chapter is dedicated to TJ Rose and The Epyon Avenger, because their awesomely nice reviews for 'Foolish Games' and 'She Breaks', and this, were what made me get off my butt and update this bi-yotch. You're amazing, guys!!!
Raven rested her chin in her palm and propped her elbow in the banister of the boat. They were approaching the shore, and Raven was secretly savoring the serene mien. She glanced at the water dividing in waves before her as the boat cut through the surface. Above, the stars glittered affectionately, and occasionally a meteor would streak by. The warm sea breeze tickled her face and tangled itself in her lilac hair. It was a gorgeous summer night, one that should be enjoyed...but...she wasn't.
Raven wrinkled her nose in thought; an hour ago, she had been ecstatic to see Carden again. Now, she just wanted to go home. Odd. She began to ponder the reasons why.
Carden had an acute knowledge of literature, a passion for all types of music, and an extreme hatred for the government. Save for the latter, all topics interested her. (She stayed as far as she could from politics.) The two had been able to have long, intellectual discussions on their previous nights out, and Raven had always enjoyed his company. But even still, the nagging feeling of regret and reluctance burrowed into her chest as they grew further and further from the tower.
It wasn't even that she wanted to stay home, or be away from Carden, for that matter. She didn't know why, but she was drawn back to the tower, and thought maybe a night in would have been for the best. She scoffed; that was stupid, what would she do at home, anyway? Watch Cyborg stuff ten pounds of meat down his throat as he whupped Beast Boy in a pointless video game?
Beast Boy. What a buffoon. What a waste of perfectly good skin. He was always cracking jokes, getting in the way, acting childish. She rolled her eyes as the image of him sprawled out on the living room floor and covered in kernels popped into her head. He looked so stupid, so moronic. Beast Boy, the team's resident idiot.
"Although," she wondered internally as she tilted her head so her cheek rested in the palm of her hand. "I find it weird that he's even in my thoughts at all."
"Raven? Hello? Are you listening?"
"Huh?" the goth snapped back to reality and straightened herself up, innocently hiding her hands in her cape. She realized now that Carden had been prattling on about something the whole time, and she had not heard a word of it.
"Well?"
"I-uh..." she sheepishly eyed the ground, scanning her mind for something to say. She cleared her throat and took a breath, looking up to him with feigned confidence.
"Bush sucks."
"Hah, you got that right." and once again he began to ramble about the benefits of anarchy. Raven let a small smile escape; he was so predictable. Now that he had gained her full attention, she noticed finally that his arm had managed to loop its way around her shoulders. She groaned softly and shrugged it off, taking a step away from him. She'd always hated public displays of affection, and Carden's constant attempts made her uncomfortable. Upon doing that, she could have sworn she heard a small cheer, but dismissed it as something coming from the mainland.
The boat finally docked, and the two exited onto the boardwalk. Raven sighed and floated to a bench, and Carden followed suit. He sat dangerously close to her, but she merely scooted down, wincing slightly from the tiny splinters catching in the seat of her uniform. Carden stuffed his hands in his pockets and fumbled around in them to find something.
"So, what do you feel like doing?" he asked monotonously, and finally found his box of cigarettes. He pulled one out and instead of lighting it, stuck it behind his ear.
Raven watched the Tower across the bay. Her face remained impassive, as always, but her eyes still glinted mournfully and the pull to go home had never been stronger. She could see the massive silhouette of Cyborg moving to and fro in the brightly litted windows, carrying insane amounts of, what would be assumed as, food in his arms with each trip.
Where was Beast Boy?
"Oh." She finally said reluctantly; unlike a few moments ago she had managed not to slip into a trance and had heard the boy's previous question. "I'm thirsty." she said emotionlessly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Great." Carden said upon rising. "We can pick up a cup of coffee at this café nearby. Let's go."
He extended his hand to her, but she merely pushed it away and fell into step with him as they walked to the café.
Unbeknownst to them, a green sparrow watched venomously from above. It swooped in a little lower before transforming into a common moth in midair.
"Ok, Gothy Mc Goth Goth the Gothiest Goth ever to Goth the Goth's Goth of Goth." he paused, he never was very good at insults. "You're gonna learn what happens when you mess with the BEAST!"
Raven nodded appreciatively when Carden held the door of 'The Skit-Scat Lounge,' which was the name of the café they had found. They entered the dimly lit hall, and Raven breathed in the refreshing scent of coffee beans and scones. She sighed, shortly but happily, and let her eyes wander around the room. It was very beatnik for her taste, but she loved the atmosphere. Everyone there gave off a sensation of appreciation for art and poetry and cappuccinos. She did not show it externally, but inward she was grinning wildly. These were her people.
"Like it?"
She continued to allow her eyes explore the premise. "It's wonderful." she stated, and although her voice was emotionless it had an air of awe. Beast Boy rolled his eyes as Carden pulled out a chair for Raven to sit on before seating himself across from her at a high wooden table. He fluttered in closer, still as a moth, and tried to get a better view.
Suddenly, he felt a hypnotic pull draw him to the lamp that hung over the 2. He couldn't control himself as he blindly flew to it, and did not stop when he repeatedly banged into the bulb.
"Must...go...to...the....light..." he murmured, but quickly chided himself and snapped out of his trance. To avoid the event from happening again, he morphed into a fly and perched himself on the edge of Raven's hood. Since it was down, and the room was dark to begin with, he went unnoticed.
A skinny man dressed in a black turtle neck and sanded jeans approached. He was significantly older than the teens; perhaps in his mid twenties. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark glasses, which seemed odd and Beast Boy wondered how he could see. His hair was tidy and a rich brown underneath his strategically placed black beret, and a goatee of the same color hung from his strong chin. Beast Boy smiled slightly in his insect form; the guy seemed really cool, and he considered liking him.
"Heya, cool cats. The name's Beats, and I'm gonna be servin' up some fine grub tonight. Any idea what you'd like?" Raven opened her mouth to order, but Carden abruptly cut her off.
"We'll both have a regular coffee, black."
Beats wrote it down and flashed a grin. "Coming right up, swingers!"
Raven raised a finger to say otherwise, but before she could speak the beatnik had scurried back to fetch the order. She growled lightly and turned to the boy adjacent from her, glaring menacingly. "Why did you do that?"
Carden flipped the large section of hair away from his face with a flick of his head, only to have it sag back into place. "What?"
Her scowl worsened. "Order for me. I'm fully capable of doing it myself."
"I thought I was doing you a favor." he answered nonchalantly, ignoring her clenching fists.
"Well, if you're going to pull that lame macho 'guy must do everything because girls are weak and helpless and can't see past the bright lights beyond their kitchen' crap, the least you can do is get me something I like."
"You love coffee."
"YOU love coffee! I can't stand the stuff. It tastes like chalk and it yellows your teeth. I prefer tea, herbal at that."
"Whatever. Do something nice for a person and they spit in your face."
"JERK!" a high pitched, squeaky voice called faintly from behind her. She turned her head sideways and searched for the source, eyeing everything suspiciously, but when she found nothing she reluctantly faced Carden again.
Beast Boy had managed to zip beneath the table before Raven had caught him. That little outburst of his could have cost him his life, but he couldn't help it. Carden was acting like an ass, and he had to voice that fact. "Well," he thought as he whipped out a notepad from beneath his wing. "I DID find out Raven hates coffee, and likes to be independent. Despite scary kid being a jack-hole, at least something productive happened." He scribbled the information messily onto the paper, before returning to his perch, this time on the back of Carden's chair.
Beats quickly returned with the order and set it on the table before them, but Raven managed to snag his arm before he scampered off again. "Could I get an herbal tea instead?" she asked.
He gave an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, Foxy, but unless you're willing to pay for another drink I can't replace this one."
She glowered at Carden once again, but he remained unaffected. "What? You have money, don't you?"
Raven used everything she had not to blow up something. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, finally releasing the waiter's wrist. "Forget it. Can I just get some milk and sugar?"
Beats nodded and sent her a genuine, sympathetic smile before retrieving her request. When she received it, she hastily poured the entire pitcher of milk in and added a good 3 packets of sugar. She took her time stirring it, buying herself more time. Eventually, she raised the mug to her lips and sipped the liquid within, and it took ever power she possessed not to gag on the spot. She instead coughed and pushed it away.
"Oh c'mon. It's not that bad." Carden whined, and gulped down his own. Raven didn't want to look at him, and instead locked her attention on the platform in front of her. It was a small wooden stand protruding from the wall, probably about a foot or so in height, and it acted as a stage. Currently, a pretty young girl sat on a stool performing, bathing in the soft beam of light surrounding her. She strummed her guitar melodically as she accompanied it by sweetly singing a song she wrote of an unrequited love. Beast Boy found it very appropriate. The girl's performance ended and she was showered in a chorus of snapping fingers. A few well timed 'whoops' were added in, but the deafening applause was enough for her.
"Thank you." she whispered into the microphone, smiling happily and shyly tucking her curly red hair behind her ear. She stepped off the stage and leaned her guitar against a chair as several of her friends congratulated her. Beats quickly hopped up on stage, beaming and snapping his fingers. He held out a hand to silence the sound and pulled the microphone out of its holder.
"Alright, alright, that was swinging! Everyone, another round of applause for the lovely Miss Jamie and her totally happenin' song!" The room erupted with the sound of snapping once again, and the red head blushed appreciatively.
"That was really good. She has a command over her instrument." Raven commented, mostly to herself, and Beast Boy whipped out the notebook once again and wrote the word MUSIC in bold letters, underlining it several times for good measure.
Beats began to speak again, and the room hushed to hear what he had to say. "So, as you cats know, it's open mic night here at the Skit-Scat, and we encourage anyone to c'mon up and express yourself. Any other volunteers?" After a moment or two, Carden rose and slowly made his way to the stage. Raven raised an eyebrow questioningly, but continued to stir her coffee absently. She leaned in to see what her company would do.
"My man! What's your name, brotha'?" Beats asked politely when the goth reached the stage.
"Carden, and I'll be reading an original poem of mine." he mumbled into the mic. Beats smiled.
"Rockin'! Do your stuff, kid!" and he stepped off to allow the boy to perform. Carden replaced the mic into the holder and pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket.
"I wrote this about someone who's here tonight. This is for you, Raven." he gave her a smile, and her eyes widened, both shocked and flattered. Beast Boy glared at him and muttered a few choice words. Carden cleared his throat and began.
"Dark. I am dark, like the night. Black is dark, like me, the night. Dark is dark, so I am I. Me am me. Everything is black. Black is good. But good is bad. So I am bad. But I am good. Which is bad. Dark. Black. Me."
He looked up and awaited a reaction. There was a long silence as people tried to piece the work together. Many brows were either raised or furrowing in confusion. A few snaps echoed in the otherwise silent room out of sheer pity. Raven's eyes squinted as she shook her head.
"That didn't even make any sense." she said dazedly, pushing her cup to the center of the table.
Beast Boy cocked his head to the side and tried to figure everything out. "That poem was supposed to be about Raven, and it only talked about him!...I think. He probably just said that to impress her. That worked fabulously. Heck, I can write better poetry than that!" Suddenly his face lit up, and he noted it in his journal.
Carden huffed offstage, mumbling something about commoners not appreciating real art, and stomped back to the table. "We're leaving." he ordered, and dropped a few dollar bills on the table as he exited. Raven glanced over and mentally tallied the bill; Carden left just enough to cover the 2 coffees and not a cent for a tip. Without a second thought, Raven pulled a five dollar bill from her pocket and placed it under the salt shaker. She hoped off her chair and turned to leave, but a voice stopped her.
"That's a pretty hefty tip, little lady."
She turned back to see Beats cleaning the table, fingering the fiver in his fingers. He held it out for her to take back, but she declined. "You deserve it. You've been nothing but courteous, even to my friend, who didn't deserve the time of day."
Beats smiled and pocketed the money with a slight reluctance. He dropped Carden's empty cup into a black bin that he balanced between his hip and his hand and reached for Raven's. Upon peering inside and seeing it was nearly full, he gave a little laugh and glanced back up at her. "I take it your not a coffee person."
Raven smirked a little and shook her head. "I enjoy the scent, but the taste makes me wanna run into oncoming traffic."
Beats laughed. "I hear that, missy. I'm more of a latte person myself. Still the stuff, but mixed to perfection."
"HEY! RAVEN! WE LEAVING OR WHAT?!" Carden called rudely from outside. She winced at the sound of his voice and sighed, defeated.
"I'm sorry. I have to go." she muttered, and prepared to leave, but Beats's hand managed to snag her wrist.
"Y'know, babe, if I was you, I'd ditch the stiff and head on to bigger, better things. There are other fishies in the sea."
She had to smile. It was an impulse. "I bet you say that to all the customers."
Beats chuckled and let her go, readjusting the bin. "If I did, my girlfriend would beat me down with that guitar of hers." He gestured with his head, and Raven realized he was indicating the pretty red head who was performing before. She laughed a little at the turn of events.
"She's your-"
"Yeah. Jamie's mah main lady. She helps me run the place you know. She's incredible."
Raven's eyes glittered in the darkness, and she secretly loved the idea of the soft spoken musician going steady with the funny, hip beatnik. She couldn't have planned it better herself.
"RAVEN!" Carden hollered impatiently, and Raven groaned in exasperation.
"FINE!" she screamed back, drawing a few stares as her burst of emotion caused a nearby cup to explode. Beats was taken aback, and nearly dropped the bin in the process. Raven gasped, embarrassed her powers got out of control, and quickly gathered the pieces. She enveloped each piece in her dark energy, miraculously 'healing' the cup, before placing it into the bin.
"That was different."
She flushed. "Er-yeah...by the way..."
"You're a Titan? Heh, I figured. Not everyone parades around in leotards and capes without reason."
Her blush intensified, but she managed to subdue it before anything else happened. "I-I really have to go. Can't keep lover boy waiting." her last sentence was spoken with disdain, and Beats grinned a little as he extended his hand.
"It was nice meeting, ya, sweets."
She accepted it and nodded. "Ditto." She stated simply, and resumed leaving. She had finally reached the door, when Beats called her back again.
"Hey!" he cried over the noise of the coffee house. Raven turned back to see him, her hand resting on the doorknob. Beats flashed her a thousand watt, sincere smile and let his sunglasses slide down the bridge of his nose, revealing two sea foam green dazzling eyes.
"Stop by anytime you want some herbal tea. On me."
Ok, there was no stopping it. She beamed at his kindness, excited by the offer, before finally exiting. Beats gathered the rest of the dirty dishes silently and retreated to the kitchen. Unknown to him, Beast Boy watched him from his spot, grinning. He then decided; he DEFINETLY liked this guy.
HOLY FISHPASTE I ACTUALLY DID IT!!! WHEEE!!! falls over Actually, truth be told, I think this is my favorite chapter thus far. Mostly because I am in love with Beats. He was originally 'unknown waiter guy' but I liked the beatnik character so much I gave him a personality. I started running out of nicknames, though. So yeah, the chapter was just to show some of the stuff Carden does, and to be more Raven-centered, because I love her to death hugs The next half will be up soon, Robin and Starfire come into the picture, and Beast Boy is NABBED! Please review, it means the world to me. Thanks!