Daydream
By: Tina the reviewer
Chapter rating: PG because of Starfire.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, nor will I ever, unfortunately... (It's so dark. Just so, so dark…)
A/N: Hello everyone, sorry it took me so long to get this out, but I had a bit of a writer's block, plus college life is just so stressful and time consuming – so expect really slow updates ok? Plus, Raven and Robin are not the most open of people, so expect this relationship to also go very… very… slowly… It shall come in due time. Patience, friends.
Won't waste anymore time on the author's note, but I just want to say thank you to all those who reviewed and patiently wait!
Chapter 4: Green Eggs & Ham
Start:
Breakfast the next day was an exciting affair that the Titans could not wait for. Outside, the summer sun was shining brightly again, bringing extra cheer into the kitchen as Cyborg sang a loud boisterous song of his own composition, about meat and tofu. The atmosphere was hot from what was cooking in the kitchen and filled with anticipation. Raven and Robin had been deployed to help set up the table for breakfast, and were quietly discussing of how Beastboy might try to wiggle his way out of today's ordeal.
The entrance of Starfire and Beastboy was surprisingly quiet. Wordlessly, and without any eye contact whatsoever, everyone took their normal places at the dining table and waited for Cyborg to amaze them with his 'culinary wonders'. Warm and wonderful aromas wafted through the air and with itchy fingers, Robin straightened Starfire's fork, which was slanted slightly to the left. After that he decided to just gaze contentedly at Raven's person, an attempt to ignore the tension that was swirling about him.
Although you wouldn't be able to tell behind his mask- on the surface he looked like he was looking at his place mat like the other seated Titans.
Starfire looked at hers in contemplation, giving nothing away to anyone.
Raven, despite her poker face, was decidedly anxious. Her empathetic abilities were catching all the waves of anxiety from everyone at the table, unhelpfully adding on to her own impatience from all this waiting. Robin was broadcasting some strange emotion though. It was something she could not recognise but decided to let it go once more- it felt rather comforting; besides, Beastboy's nervousness was more than enough for the both of them – she was beginning to twitch bodily… She wondered if anyone would mind if she decided to wear her hood up at the table but just kept herself and her gaze still and steady.
Beastboy, under his stony façade, was trying to calm himself down. His vision was swimming slightly, blood was rushing through his ears and his heart was beating so loudly he would not have been surprised if the others could hear it too. His throat was dry as well but he did not dare take even a sip of the apple juice (his favourite) that Raven had kindly set for him – he was too afraid it would just come back up together with his stomach.
Noticing movement coming from his left, he took a cautious but brave glace to where Raven was sitting. She was trying to stop herself from twitching in her seat too much.
"Rae?" he asked in concern.
"All of you are broadcasting pretty strongly this morning – my empathetic abilities are picking it up and it's making me twitch," she explained with a slight frown. "Control yourselves please," she addressed the entire table.
"Perhaps we should partake in the calming meditation that Raven often does to settle our nerves?" Starfire suggested.
Yeah…yeah, that sounded pretty good to Beastboy… It worked for the girls, so maybe it would work for him too…
Now what were the words again?
"Ajarat Zynthiot Mentos?" Beastboy said out loud. But before Raven could properly berate/punish him for his ignorance, Cyborg practically flounced in from the kitchen, with various dishes and plates of food carefully balanced on his arms. His loud voice only added to the deafening silence.
"How're all my fave people in the world doin' today?"
He seemed to be unaware of the rising emotions in the room.
"Well, I just so happen to be fine and dandy this morning, how nice of you to ask, Robin."
Robin, who had been silent all the while, remained so as he watched a large platter of bacon was placed in the space in front of his plate.
"And the ladies! My, don't you both look so beautiful this morning! Look at you Raven! So full of energy, can't even keep your fine self still!"
Raven's eye gave a funny twitch as a plate of star shaped pancakes, presumably soy based, was placed in front of Starfire. A larger plate of pancakes made with real eggs was also set down in the middle. A plate piled high with scrambled eggs and another with breakfast sausages came next. Cyborg stood up straight once more to survey the scene.
"Oh, almost forgot!" he exclaimed before running to the kitchen. In his hand, as he came out, looked undeniably like a bottle of–
"Mustard of the Dijon!" Starfire announced happily.
With dramatic flair, Cyborg presented the mustard to Starfire.
"Your highness, breakfast - is served."
"WHAT?!" Beastboy raged, "That's not fair! She guzzles the stuff down more than alcoholics drink booze!"
"What are you talking about dearest friend Beastboy? Sure you see that I am merely using it as a spread for my soy based pancakes?" Star said calmly as she poured the jar's entire contents onto her short stack.
"Besides, mustard doesn't have any meat in it, right?" was Boy Wonder's two cents.
"Exactly. So now, as I am keeping up my end of the bargain-" Star said with a distinctly feigned air of innocence, "will you not hold yours, Beastboy?"
All eyes turned towards the team's changeling. This was the moment they had been waiting for, up almost all of last night thinking about it.
"I suggest you eat the scrambled eggs first, then work your way up to the sausages, and then the bacon," Cyborg said, already heaping a generous portion of scrambled eggs onto Beastboy's plate.
The eggs were yellow and fluffy, but all Beastboy could think about was how those eggs should have been allowed to grow into yellow and fluffy chicks instead. The more he looked and smelled it, the sicker he felt.
How would he like it if his unborn child was made into somebody's breakfast? And all those other meat things – they made his mind's eye see himself in his various animal forms, all being sent to the slaughterhouse and then served hot to satisfy the hunger of another.
Sick images of him eating his own flesh began to form as the smell of eggs began to intensify as Cyborg held a forkful of yellow murder under his nose, encouraging him to eat. Beastboy began to feel even more nauseous. Bravely, he opened his mouth to accept his fate.
Sadly, it was the empath, Raven, who threw up first, upchucking what little breakfast she had been eating. Seconds later, Beastboy had spat out his mouthful of eggs, the queasy feeling far too great for him to even swallow. He felt like throwing up too, but all he did was a lot of dry heaving.
The other three immediately rushed to their aid. Robin had rushed to Raven's other side (oh so coincidentally) the moment she bent to the side in agony, reacquainting herself with her food. Cyborg was comforting poor Beastboy with gentle reassurances that it was ok and rubbing his back, waiting for his breathing to even out once more.
Starfire had gone to get a mop and bucket, all the while singing the Tamaranean song of guilt and lament, very loudly and translated into English.
"OH HOW FOOLISH I WAS!"
"You alright Raven?" Robin had slowly brought her to the couch, trying to put her somewhere comfortable. After getting a drink for her, he surveyed for 'damage'. Robin was glad to know that at least all of Raven's breakfast had managed to get on the floor with none on her person. Raven would have been pissed later if her cape got messed up.
"I'm sorry," she said with a slightly embarrassed sniffle, "I've made such a mess."
"Don't be silly, it's not your fault. But what happened? Are you sick, do you want to see a doctor?"
"No, it was Beastboy, his nausea overwhelmed me and made me sick…"
"Oh… well… just know that I, I mean, all of us… will be here to look after you… 'Cause you know… we care a lot. About you…" stammered Robin.
"Thanks." Whispered a quiet Raven. Robin was glad to see that she seemed pleased to know she too, had people who cared for her.
That was when Starfire emerged from the elevator with mop and bucket in hand, her song of misery still going strong and only half way through. She proceeded to the dining table to clean up.
"I'M SO VERY VERY VERY VERY SORRY! HOW I HAVE WRONGED YOU!-"
Sitting on the other side of the couch, Beastboy had finally started to breath normally again, although he would never read or hear "Green eggs and ham" the same way ever again.
"Man, I'm really sorry BB," apologized a truly guilty Cyborg.
"…SINNED IS WHAT I HAVE DONE! OH THE GUILT THAT ECHOS THROUGH MY HEART!!!-"
"And from the sounds of it, Star is too," joked a much better Beastboy. Starfire's song went unappreciated and ignored.
"Yeah… man, if I had known you would have a reaction like that-"
"No, it's cool – I didn't know I was that weak…"
"You're not weak…let's… just call it an allergy to meat…"
"So you'll leave my tofu alone?" said Beastboy with a grin.
"… Maybe… there are other things that a vegetarian can eat besides that white shit…"
"THIS IS THE TAMARANEAN SONG OF GUILT AND LAMENT!!!"
But before Beastboy could voice his indignation, Starfire appeared before him with a mournful expression. At least her song was over…
"Oh friend Beastboy, I'm really, really sorry! I promise never to force you to eat meat ever again. Please forgive me!"
Now, how could Beastboy, being the ladies' man that he was, deny such a pretty face?
"And what about me?" asked an annoyed Raven, who's nausea had already faded, "I didn't have anything to do with this… someone has to pay…"
The other Titans merely awaited whatever punishment the mighty Raven would bestow upon their mortal beings.
At the end of a while day carrying out Raven's every whim and fancy, the exhausted Titans (not including Raven) learnt a few things:
1. Do not toy with nature – vegetarians are vegetarians for a reason.
2. Never give Starfire a reason to sing- as sweet and sincere as she was, she cannot sing.
3. Queen Raven is all mighty and can do whatever the hell she wants – obey and you shall live.
To be continued…
A/N: yeah, no real RxR yet. It's coming eventually people! This is an RxR fic after all! This chapter was merely to get Star and BB's deal out of the way, so please be patient.