The Dark Lords, possibly the only book shop that was not a coffee shop slash bookstore. Set on a corner just down from where the old Gotham movie theater, the same one Raven remembered where she had hear that Bruce Wayne's parents had met there fate one late night, it was a wonder it stayed open in this part of town. Yes three stories of dark black stone that seemed to draw light away from the rest of the street even in the middle of a hot summers day. Black thick steel bars blocked all the windows, though they seemed to be there to keep something in. Two large oak doors, that rumor had it had been made in Scotland and flown in by the owner, sat as a sort of a portal between the cruel out side and the dark lit area that lay beyond. A portal that Raven happily entered, for this portal was the gateway to not only freedom for a time from the annoying out side world. But it also gave her the small security would need to let her guard down and relax. And such was the rush of emotions that she felt for this place, a hair line smile broke the ice solid mask that was her outer face. When window broke across the street it caused her to quicken her pace hurried inside as not to be around when the police got there and started asking questions. Because as much as Raven didn't care about getting into trouble, the Orphanage was very strict on the punishment for ditching school.
As she push through the large wooden door the soft smell of old books, and melted candles engulfed her, she breathed deep the smell as she walked in and headed for her usual spot way back in the corner. As she walked among the large rows of book shelves she took in her surroundings. Long thick oak and pine shelves that where 3feet wide, and stretched as high as the ceiling. While in the inner most part of the room where tables and soft chairs where placed in neat rows so the many people that came here could work, and read. Yes this place was the home to Raven, here she wasn't a freak or weird just one of the many that came to read and enjoy the quite company.
As she ran her fingers over the titles of the books trying to decide what to read today, she noticed a soft scratching sound. After a few moments of listening to the sound, her own curiosity got the better of her as she moved among the towers of knowledge she came to one of the off corners of the arts section. As she neared she crouched closet to the floor, peeking around the corner she saw a small figure hunched over a table with many, many stacks of books about it.
The figure seemed to be taking notes, satisfied Raven start to turn away when the figure stop his writing and stood to stretch. Her breathe caught as she was shocked to see that the figure had almost pure white hair, and his eyes held a kind of violet tint to them, eyes that seemed to take in the world and learn everything about it. Eyes that always seemed to be searching for something, something that seemed to just be beyond this persons reach. He wore a dark orange sweater, and black cargo pants. Though hints of a deep red scar where seen on his right hand, also near the neck line of his sweater. But what really caught her attention was that his face seemed to stand out in her mind. As if this was something she had been missing all her life and now had found it. Scared by these feelings she hid behind the shelf a books, taking a deep breath she wanted to glance back, to run to this person and tell him that she was the object of his search and she was looking for him too. But fate was not with her totally on this day, for as she turned the corner to look again a large hand grabbed her shoulder saying "there you are Miss. Roth" was the ruff voice of one of the orphanage workers "you are going straight to the head man" he said as he pulled her off.
All Raven could think about was running back to the young man with the white hair, but struggle as she might she wasn't strong enough to get away from the iron grip. After much yelling and grounding and such Raven was sent back to her room at the orphanage. And there she cried, and as she cried the weather out side seem to reflect her moods as a thunderstorm the likes Gotham hasn't seen in years ravaged the city. And for the next few years she would go back to that book store, but never to see the boy with the white hair, and searching eyes.
4:30 am, Friday in the bird coop atop the orphanage
All night Kitten and Terra's words echoed in her head, and as Raven thought about it the more she cried and the more she cried the more she thought about it. And the freak thunderstorm that seemed to engulf the city wasn't making things any better. Looking up to the sky Raven searched the clouds for some kind of answer knowing all to well that one would never come.
Or so she thought, but what she didn't see is that lurking in the shadows just behind her was a small figure who crept silently towards her, holding something close to it so form of this late night stalker can't be seen, during the many flashes of light from the thundering colossus from over head. As neared this dark figure neared Raven, the hair on the back of her neck stood up and she shivered spinning around just in time to come face to face with this cloaked figure.
Never being on to play the damsel in distress, Raven lunged at the figure and started to wrestle it to the ground. In the fray of arms and legs Raven be came pinned to the ground under the figure who said, "Rae calm down, I think you broke my nose" Painting heavily she said "Garfield? What the hell were you doing?" She said climbing off of him, for the first time she noticed the blanket wrapped around him as she grabbed his arm to help him up.
"I went to see you because I missed ya at school, but you weren't in your room so…" he shrugged as he pointed up here. He held out the blanket to Raven and smiled, but this smile wasn't as goofy as the ones he did to everyone else. No this smile was the one that he saved only for Raven. It showed a warmth and welcome that some times scared Raven, because when she would look into his eyes she would notice that there was something for than just friendship there.
With a sigh Raven took the blanket and wrapped it around her self then moved back under the shelter of the bird coop from the storm. Gar Moved to sit next to her and just sat there quietly, just seeming to be lost in the sounds of the night air. Then softly he said "So you going to the dance on Saturday?" When Raven didn't answer he pressed on saying "Because I don't have a date and was kind of you know….wondering if…ya might" He trailed off and started to blush looking down at his shoes.
Raven just sat there watching him for a long time trying to figure out why he was doing this. When she finally spoke her words had a cold edge to them "Don't need any pity from anyone" He saw the sting her words made, the look of pain on his face and the water forming around those big green eyes of his. Her heart began to burn, with something that she had never new before, all of-sudden the only thing she wanted to do was wrap up this little green hair boy in her arms and never let him go. She wanted to feel his touch on her skin, hear is stupid jokes and never be apart from him.
She shook off the feeling with a cold shiver, but for some reason it didn't seem wrong at all to have those feelings. Gar's words brought her back to the real world "Hey I am not trying to pity you, I just wanted to go to the dance with you. Just as friends, but if you think I am doing it out of pity you can just go and ….." before he could finish his words, and long before Raven actually new what she was doing. She leaned over and had kissed him on the cheek and said "I would love to go with you Garfield" Stunned he just looked at her and nodded, because what was more surprising than that kiss was the fact that Raven Roth was smiling. And to this little man with Green eyes and hair was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
And just that moment the clouds stopped there torrent of the earth to give the two a moment of pure silence. But like anything being held back it had to break, and break it did as he rain came crashing down around them so did the windows below them on the building across the street. The two jumped up and ran from the noise hand in hand.
As raven snuck back into her room using the fire escape she felt, for the first time since she could remember, happy enough to fly. Like she was floating on air as she changed and went to sleep to have dreams of Dancing the night away she didn't notice that a few things in the room were really floating. Nor did she notice that a figure with yellow eyes was watching her through the bared window of her room……