Raven was content. She was not just content; she was alone. The whole ordeal with Mister Twister the Demon was behind her now. She found the time to meditate and rebalance her inner-self, and most importantly, she didn't have to deal with Beast boy being a nuisance.
It was perfect.
Ever since she impulsively dropped him outside the Tower, he had seemed to learn his lesson on not bothering her anymore. Did she feel guilty about hurting him? Yes, but that was then. She knew he would be fine. In the worst case, he becomes an animal of some sort and regrows the limb. However, now, with all this silence and ease, she didn't feel guilty about what she had to do to achieve it.
It was the price she had to pay, a night of slight guilt, for peace. Plus, Starfire came home, and she could entertain the green monkey.
Then the next day came, and she woke a little bit after the time she knew Starfire departed for the roof but easily before Beast boy woke up. She went about her morning routine. A cup of herbal tea and a Nutri-Grain bar were quickly consumed as she relaxed back in her room.
She had the windows to the sea covered, not letting in a glimmer of light. Her candles flickered passively with a soft-smelling apple-cinnamon today. On the corner of her vanity, a record player softly provided an ambient peacefulness to everything. Then there was her, curled up in her covers, peacefully reading a new romance book she found the other day when she snuck out to the old bookstore near the city square.
It was perfect.
She spent hours glued to her book, ignoring the buzz of her communicator. If it were pressing, it would have been a call instead of a text. She was only broken from her reading when she heard the telltale sign of the T-jet landing on the roof. That likely had to deal with the text. Deciding it was better to know than not, she finally read it.
"On our way back. ETA 6 hours of smooth flying. Robin is bringing a guest around for a bit. Prep a room. Cya soon," sent from Cyborg.
Someone else would be in the tower with them. Not an ordeal to concern herself with. She just needed to mentally expect a foreign barrage of new emotions and surface thoughts from someone so she could tune them out to the silent hums that her other teammates were. She could also do that from her room, although she did need some more tea. Her third cup was getting low.
She extended her mind and soul to the common room. She could feel all of her team on that level, along with the new person. A female, young, at ease, and with a hint of fondness. A glancing thought of elf ears came from the female's mind.
Why was she not surprised that the idiot was pulling that card? His ears, he acted like they were chick magnets. What woman in her right mind would think twice about his scrawny butt, much less his ears.
She retreated to her book, getting lost in the pages for a minute, but she kept herself aware of where everyone was at. Cyborg was actively navigating to the bottom of the tower, likely to the Computer Womb or stopping by it on his way to the T-car. The others would clear out sooner or later, and she could snag more tea without worrying about the rush of emotions that came from reunions. Starfire liked to project her feelings too much, especially more when she had not seen someone for some time.
Raven did not want to deal with that on such a peaceful day, she would wait them out and wait till later.
_
She successfully avoided everyone yesterday. She made any refills and food run unnoticed and unbothered. It wasn't that she didn't care about them, but she just wasn't wanting to be in their company. Since she had the whole weekend practically alone, besides the subtle hum of Beast Boy meandering the tower bored, she just wanted one more day before she reintroduced herself to life beyond her four walls.
Maybe that mentality kept her in bed longer than usual too. However, she did journey out to the kitchen eventually. Up the elevator and into the common room, she first saw the three loudest people she knew playing a fighting game. Cyborg was likely winning by his bragging, and Beast boy was likely losing based on his complaints. However, Starfire was floating sideways, flailing the controller around as she hit buttons. More strategy than what Beast boy used.
She levitated to the kitchen to begin her tea. Inside waited Robin and the new girl. A girl their age, adorned in purple and yellow in an outfit similar to Batman.
"You must be Raven," the newcomer started. "I'm Batgirl. I look forward to getting to know you while I am here."
"Hello," Raven merely said before going to her own cabinet that held all her needs. Lots of tea packets and snack bars.
"Don't worry about it," she heard Robin say. "She is like that with everyone. Unless you are Beast boy, then you would be falling on your head somewhere."
She didn't treat Beast boy that badly, did she? To be expected to be dropping him on his head? Could he survive another brain drop? Maybe he shouldn't be so annoying, always trying to get her to do things she didn't want to do or telling such bad jokes.
The two bat-kids began speaking to her again as she went about her tea-making.
"Raven, we planned on watching a movie tonight. You interested?"
No, she wasn't. They were often poorly constructed compared to the books. Plus, movies always made her paranoid about Mad Mod appearing in the middle of them and ruining the movie.
"I'll think about it."
"You feeling better after the whole demon thing last week?"
She never felt better. All the peace and quiet she had been able to capitalize on was lovely.
"Never better."
"Do anything of note while we were all gone?"
"No."
"Beast boy give you trouble while we were gone? I can talk to him if need be."
Well, he did, but she already handled it.
"No. I'm fine."
"Okay. Well, when we watch the movie tonight, I can send someone to knock and remind you about it."
"Thanks."
Both Robin and Raven knew she likely won't show up on her own. His best bet would be to send Beast boy, and she would cave to him to make him stop pestering her, but since he seemed to be avoiding her, it wasn't likely to be an issue.
She nodded again to the duo as she grabbed her tea and departed silently for her room. She ignored the trio on the couch, who was laughing at Beast boy's expense. The three were smiling. Good for them. She proceeded to move on. None of them paid her a moment's worth of their time, and she was content with that. After all, she had to find out how her prince charming saved the damsel in her romance novel. It was very important.
Nestled back into her room and bed, she sipped her tea and picked at the dark chocolate Beast boy always bribed her with. How he knew her favorite, she didn't know, but hopefully, he would be ever so annoying and pester her tonight by begging her to watch the movie or the like. She was running low on her chocolates.
Nestled away back in her room, she watched as every minute passed. Her mind kept her too distracted to read properly. She was ever so presently aware of the time as it ticked away closer to when possibly Beast Boy would bribe her with chocolates. She passively followed the hums of her teammates, tracking them around the Tower. The two from Gotham stuck together the whole time, even splitting off to Robin's room at one point. She stopped paying them attention for a while.
Her focus drifted back to the other three. They were all happy. Even Beast boy, who often feigned happiness to everyone whenever he was feeling nervous or upset, but here, he was actually happy with what was going on. Good for him. She tried to train her focus back to her book and ignore the hums congregating in delight in the common room.
Someone would be down soon to get her for the movie, and she would relent to join them after the second or third knocking, just as she always did. She couldn't just go out there without being invited. They would tease her relentlessly about it. Her wanting to spend time with them of her own violation? They would think she was sick or bringing the end of the world again.
She had a reputation to uphold.
So, she waited.
Plus, what if they weren't watching a movie anymore and were talking? What if she walked out there with her blanket in hand, just for them not to be watching a movie anymore, and she'd be there looking dumb, expecting something?
It was better to wait.
It would be a few minutes before she felt someone split from the group. Batgirl, she realized, based on the unfamiliarity with the individual's hum in Raven's mind. Guess Beast boy was really avoiding her. She mentally followed her as she descended the elevator and took the several steps that took to near her own bedroom door.
Knock. Knock.
The knocks were soft-measured, a far cry from Beast boy's rapid three taps.
"Raven?"
"Yes?" Raven responded as the door was still opening.
"We are about to watch that movie we talked about earlier today, and I thought I'd come and ask you if you were interested. We have pizza too for everyone if you want, that is?"
"I'll pass," Raven replied automatically, familiar with the song and dance that would follow, just as it had been done many times over the many years.
"Okay. Have a good night, then."
Then Batgirl gave a polite smile and walked away, leaving Raven watching her go with her door still wide open.
Wasn't she going to knock at her door again and pester her to come? To tell her that everyone was expecting her? Or even that she could always meditate later and only have this moment now? Beast boy would have badgered her two more times before she agreed to go. It was just how it was. Yet, to see Batgirl walk after one try. It felt wrong… A violation of the game…
Raven turned back to the dark of her room, the candles burning low in their containers. Should she go up there regardless? She already said no, however. She looked back to the closed metal door, catching her reflection waving in the flickering firelight. All she saw was her own distorted frown staring back, disappointed.
Was she really this upset over all of this? It was just a movie… right?
She returned to her bed and wrapped herself in her blankets, but she felt herself reaching to her friends above and feeling out for their emotions like she always would when she joined them to see if they were bothered by her being there.
Or, in this case, her not, and not one person felt different whether she was present or not.
Her frown deepened as she focused back on her book, alone in her dark room.
AN: Thanks for reading! I look forward to watching the statistics on where everyone is reading this from. Hope you have a great day.
If you wanna chat with me and fellow writers across the platform and fandoms, come join the Emerald Libray on discord. My username is the same, and my DMs are better managed than my PMs.
-Manke