All is Fair, Or is it?
Chapter 9: Oh so inconspicuous
By Everclueless
Author's Note:
I am confused. I really wanted to write replies to some of the reviews but then I read somewhere that we aren't allowed to reply to reviews anymore in another fanfiction story…I'm drowning in a sea of confusion…
NOW I NEED YOU PEOPLES ATTENTION:
AM I BORING YOU GUYS?
THIS STORY HAD REALLY LARGE NUMBERS OF REVIEWS AT THE START AND NOW THE AMOUNT IS CONTINUALLY DROPPING…
AM I DEPROVING IN MY WRITING?
DOES THIS STORY SUCK?
() () To the story () ()
The titans and company (Aqualad and Speedy) were grocery shopping in perfect harmony. Peace was written all over their youthful faces, and they were all holding hands singing the Jump City Anthem.
Yeah and Raven's a cheerleader, Cyborg is a girl, Beast Boy is not a vegan but a carnivore, Starfire is secretly a serial killer, and Slade is Robin's girlfriend.
The titans and company (Aqualad and Speedy) were in the shops. Awkward silence seemed to be all that could be heard.
Raven was at the counter buying dozens of panadol and trying to persuade the clerk that she was not going to get a drug overdose. After persuading the clerk, they left the pharmacy and entered the grocery shops.
Starfire was coughing and sniffling; she thought she had caught some sort of Tameranian disease. It was actually just the Earth common cold, which everyone knew except Starfire who refused to believe it.
Aqualad, Speedy, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Robin were exchanging glares and Raven kept noting everything they did.
But she couldn't note everything due to Starfire's cold.
"Starfire, I'm telling you that soup and antibiotics do help against colds"
"Friend Raven, I appreciate your efforts but I must inform you that soon I must die. It is not the "cold" that you speak of but a highly dangerous Tameranian disease! There is not enough time for me to go to Tameran to receive the proper medication!"
"Starfire, ask yourself; have you ever seen any diseases in Tameran?"
"Well, no…"
"And didn't you see Robin when he came down with a cold?"
"Well, yes…"
"And are your symptoms exactly the same as Robin's symptoms?
"Well, yes…"
"And have you been watching those cheesy soap operas again?"
"…"
"Well Starfire?"
"…yes…"
"Well, then it is definite that you have the cold, not some Tameranian disease, and that you really need to stop watching soap operas; it's making you melodramatic and stupid."
"Yes Raven"
"Now, since we've finally agreed that you have the cold, an earth disease, you should trust me when I tell you that soup and antibiotics help!"
"Yes Raven"
Raven chucked some Easy make Soup into the trolley and made sure that Starfire took a previously bought bottle of Antibiotics.
Raven also gathered some vegetables to make into soup; after all, homemade soup is healthier than soup that is bought.
While this was all happening, the boys were whispering death threats to each other, except Cyborg, who was smirking contentedly because he had not been pranked.
Raven turned around to look at them quickly to see five angelic faces looking back at her. Raven frowned and put her hood up. She turned back to Starfire and the grocery list.
The boys each soon left inconspicuously; so inconspicuously that each of them had no idea that anyone else had left.
() () At home () ()
Starfire lay down on the sofa, feeling miserable. She was white; obviously very pale because she's usually orange.
Raven was about to start unpacking the groceries when…
"Have no fear, little lady, your knight in shining armour…uh…metal…uh…robotic parts…is here!" Cyborg picked up some of the groceries, grinning at her.
"Um…Thank you Cyborg…"
"No I'll do it" Aqualad said, shoving Cyborg to the side and grabbing the groceries he had.
"No, me!" Beast Boy said, shoving Aqualad to the side and grabbing the groceries he had.
"I offered first!"
"Well, I offered second and second's the best!"
"Well dudes, you guys would put everything in the wrong place! I know where everything goes because I eat a lot of food, especially tofu. I know the fridge and the pantry the best!"
"Yeah but I have the biggest muscles; the job will be done faster 'cause I can carry all these dozens of bags of groceries with ease, whereas you two have difficulty carrying only six!"
"Yeah, well I'm not clumsy and I don't rush, unlike you two. I am careful and I'm the one who's least likely to break something but you two no doubt will break something."
Raven sighed, still trying to piece the information together…she knew most of it…but she wanted to know all of it…she was so close she could smell it…
Raven sighed again at the boys' arguing and, using her powers, she lifted all the groceries and stored them where they belonged.
The boys paused and it took them a minute to register what had happened. They mumbled a quick apology and the three of them left the room.
Raven took out the vegetables and was about to make some soup for Starfire when…
"I'll make the soup for Starfire!" Robin jumped with glee.
"Um…ok…" Raven said, surprised.
What surprised her even more was when Speedy did not argue with him like the other three boys did…was Raven wrong on her developing theory? Or was it just something to do with the oven incident that had happened just a few days ago and how you have to use an oven to make soup, or at least, the stove?
Speedy was, indeed, remembering the oven incident. He felt upset because he would not be able to help Starfire with her cold...then it hit him! He realised that soup isn't the only thing that could make him in Star's good books.
"Friend Speedy, what are you doing?"
"Oh, just fluffing your pillow. Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable while you're unwell?" Speedy asked while beginning to give Starfire a back massage.
"No, I do not need anything. But maybe continue what you are doing…it feels glorious…"
Speedy was grinning at the close contact he was having with Starfire. Robin was seething with jealousy; his rage was bubbling like the soup.
"Here you go Starfire!" Robin gently gave Starfire a bowl of soup and a spoon, trying to hide his envy.
Starfire immediately jumped up and gave Robin a, believe it or not, gentle hug.
Speedy was upset. Starfire had just jumped away from him to give Robin a hug…Robin smirked.
Starfire sat down on the other sofa where Raven was and started eating/drinking/slurping/etcetera
Speedy jumped over to Starfire and started massaging her back again.
Starfire did not object.
'Well two can play at that game…' Robin thought to himself.
He took Starfire's shoe off and started massaging her foot. Robin would have preferred to have been in Speedy's position and Speedy knew it. Speedy smirked down at Robin.
They both knew that they were on level playing fields and that it would be hard to win her heart unless she already liked them in a special way because she was a very unbiased person.
'Maybe friend Raven is right. The boys seem to be acting…a little unusual.' Starfire pondered.
Raven had spectated the whole thing…feeling rather like a referee.
She stood up and started walking down the hall.
All of a sudden, Aqualad popped out of nowhere.
"Hey Raven" Aqualad greeted, "I bought these for you"
Aqualad presented her with a box of Lindt chocolates.
"Um…Thank you Aqualad. This is really nice. These are my favourite chocolates."
"You're more than welcome" Aqualad said winking at her.
"Um…ok…" Raven murmured, feeling a bit flustered and blushing a bit.
Aqualad disappeared and Raven continued walking to her room.
'Wow. I thought he was stupid for getting me that fish present earlier…but I guess he must have some brains if he knows that girls like chocolate…does he like me? He winked at me…and it would explain the gifts…AHA! That's it; I think I know what all the boys are doing now! They're pranking each other, another way for fighting over, me and Starfire and the last person fighting over each person remaining gets to do something with me or Starfire, probably ask us out or ask us to be their partner for that gay Valentine Ball the Mayor invited us to or something... Speedy and Robin are fighting over Starfire and the other three must be fighting over me! But am I sure they're all immature enough? And who would like me? I'm a half demon…'
Raven was deep in thought until she was interrupted.
"Hey Rae" Cyborg suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Don't call me Rae. It's Raven." Raven snapped.
"Um…well…I'm sorry Raven…ok? I just want to give you some flowers"
Cyborg thrust a bouquet of flowers under her nose.
Raven sneezed. She grabbed the flowers, chucked them on the ground and started jumping on them, squishing them.
Cyborg gaped thinking, 'Shit, what did I do wrong?'
"Cyborg, you idiot! You –sniffle- bought me lavender! I'm terribly – achoo – allergic to –sniffle- lavender! Look –cough- at me; I'm –achoo- breaking out in HIVES!"
Raven teleported herself to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror…the hives…
She rummaged through the bathroom cupboard until she found the allergy cream. She rubbed it on her skin and the hives seemed to settle…fortunately she had put cream on when the hives had just started to spread…they would be gone in half an hour or so.
Her sneezing died down a bit now she was away from the flowers but she was still sniffling.
She exited the bathroom and started walking hurriedly towards her room, covering herself fully with her cloak.
"Hi Raven!" Beast Boy, who had just popped out of nowhere, sung cheerily.
Raven stumbled backwards at his voice; not only had he popped out of nowhere like the others, he'd sung! Loudly too!
"Hello Beast Boy" Raven gritted her teeth, "Now, I must go to my room"
Raven walked past him.
Beast Boy frowned, looking hurt. He ran after her and eventually was in front of her.
"Wait a second. I wanna give you this!"
'Oh no, not another present' Raven moaned inwardly.
Beast Boy gently handed her something wrapped in wrapping paper.
Raven cautiously unwrapped it. Her eyes widened when she saw it. She almost jumped for joy.
" 'The Black Rose' By Charlotte P. Ellison, wow! Beast Boy, do you know how long I've been waiting to get this? How did you know I even wanted this?"
"Oh, I just thought you would like it. It's not like I did something like read your diary…hehe…or anything like that."
Raven eyed him suspiciously but then turned back to the book.
"But this book isn't even out yet…"
"Well, I went to see the author to ask her for one early. It turned out that the author is a fan of mine so she was willing to let me have one if I paid double for it! And look, she signed it and everything!"
"Thanks Beast Boy…this is really..." Raven looked up to see that Beast Boy had disappeared.
She shook her head and finally reached and entered her room.
() () Later, in Raven's room () ()
Raven paced around her room, deep in thought.
"I've got my theory but I've questions. If I knew the definite answer, I would have questions but not regarding whether the theory is correct or not…how can I find out what they're up to so what I have is no longer a theory?" she thought…
It hit her. If Raven wasn't Raven, she would have slapped herself in the face.
"I can go into their minds! Why didn't I realise before? I know I can't exactly read their minds but if the boys are talking about what they're up to…I can find out what they're up to if I'm in one of their minds at the time!"
Raven got into the lotus position and began to chant, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"