( Boring Page Break-Muahahahahahahahahahahaahahah! )
Hi, y'all! This here is yore good buddy Brain! Guess whut's comin' up? That's right, buddy, yup-yup!
'Brain's Shoutouts!'
warprince: Good things come to those who wait. In your case, just things.
Artemisgirl: How nice of you to take the time to criticize me for my beta methods here! You see now what you get when you ask for a full-blown editing anal-probe…and I was still being nice! (Besides the fact the Brain gets really annoyed when you ignore some of his suggestions.) I loved the review you got for 'inconsistant style!' Excuuuuuuse Meeeeeeeee! What a pinhead! You actually commented twice on my being amusing! Thank You!
D M: Huh? Brain IS me…Vinnie is a disfigurement of my imagination. Don't stop the rock! Roll on! You rock also!
MisstressofAzarath: Check your predictions against this. (Brain: She's probably right. She's smarter than you-she knows when to stop talking…)
Visigoth: You have too much time on your hands. And as for your toes… You ever heard the one about the guy who goes to the doctor with V.D. of the big toe…? (Brain: Shut up, Vinnie!)
Change-Of-Heart-2: Aww, all people who take the time to review are special! (So few do. And what? You think I'm writing just for my own gratification?) You did not have much to comment on last time, so I assumed you were just dying for a chance to say something-which is why I am here, after all. (Brain: And because he is a pervert, and likes girls to say they love his stories…) Dammit Brain! Oh yeah-I have problems with the egomaniacal Boy Wonder also…
Lady of Faerie: Dying? (Hmmm… ) Don't get any ideas, Brain. Thanks for the offer, but my Psychiatrist would get jealous, I think.
Quite-a-shame: Yes, you did owe Vin that crack. As long as you do not criticize Brain…
CalliopeMused: Thank you! Off the wall is good…we shall try.
Nibbles: Such a cute name…(No, no, Brain-you can't kill them all, just because their names arecute!) I promise to write more if you review. Well, not story necessarily…
AstaOmega11: Ha! I still have the universal destructo-thingy that that nice Zim creature sent me. So bring it on-puny hu-man!
Black Bird: It's good, but it is killing you? I am not sure I know how to take that. But it is very tempting to write no more…
2Lazy2Register: Nice! I like how you think. Would you like to replace my (ancient and insubordinate) vessel, Vin? We do not appreciate your OOC comment, however…that smacks of thinking too much. Raven is assumed to have been spending some time before this story takes place contemplating her little green friend…
FuzenNinja: He ate a late night snack. It was a reviewer who was a bit too curious for hisr own good…
Raven entered her room, still elated at her clever manipulation of Bird Boy. She was fully aware, however, that the proud leader of the Titans would not allow himself to be disarmed in a similar manner twice. No matter; she needed rest if she was to confront the changeling later, and still be available for kitchen duty in the morning. It was true that she could get by on less sleep than the others, but even the dark sorceress had her limits. She wondered how Beastboy was able to do it...
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Raven was waiting for Beastboy on the roof, as the first rays of the sun washed over the calm surface of the bay. If the changeling had intended to avoid her, he didn't show it, landing neatly right in front of the hooded figure on the tower.
"You look like crap, BB," Raven observed wryly.
"Thanks – you're looking good, too." The pointy-eared one had a smart comeback for almost any situation. "Why the sudden interest in everything I do?"
"Not everything. Just one unusual behavior that seems to be developing into a habit," Raven stated. "You sure you don't want to talk to someone about it?" She thought back to the book she had seen. Should she mention it to Beastboy? Would he forgive her for snooping on him? Worse yet, considering her feelings for her teammate, would he hate her for pressuring him with an implied threat?
"Please believe me, Raven. If I was gonna talk to anyone about my – about things, it would be you." His big green eyes pleaded with her for understanding. "I wish I could tell you, Rae, but I can't."
"Beastboy, please. Don't push me away. I'm trying to help, because... because I care." Raven turned away, eyes downcast. "I care about you." There it was – she had confessed. It was her last trump card. If he were to reject her now... oh Lord, she didn't want to think about it.
Beastboy walked around to face Raven. His eyes were filling with tears, just as his soul was filled to overflowing with the bitterness of his guilt. He hugged Raven, falling to his knees, as his sorrow came pouring out.
Raven was caught off guard, but only for a moment. She knelt before the sobbing young man, and cradled his head to her bosom. "It's okay. It's okay, Beastboy. I'm here for you, even if you can't tell me now." A small shudder passed through the tower. "It's okay, Beastboy; just hold me. I trust you."
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A golden sun was already warming the two figures on the roof of Titans Tower by the time Beastboy regained some measure of his composure. Raven held her silence, fighting back the overwhelming urge to press her teammate to confess all. She normally trusted her instincts, but she could not risk their relationship; she had only now told the little changeling that she had feelings for him, and his reply, although seemingly indicating reciprocity on his part, was still not certain.
Beastboy wasted little time, once he felt able to speak clearly. "Thank you, Raven," he whispered. "I care about you, too. I care for you so much..." He sniffled. "Please don't hate me for not telling you..."
Raven waited for her friend to continue, but he spoke no more. Confused, the sorceress watched as Beastboy went inside to get some rest. What did he mean by his last incomplete statement? Was she to understand that he felt remorse for not telling Raven sooner about his feelings for her, or did he refer to his recent behaviors, and that he still refused to take her into his confidence? The frustrated girl headed down the tower to the kitchen, her heart still heavy, even though she should have been rejoicing in Beastboy's confession of warm feelings towards her.
( Lame Page Break Forced Upon Unsuspecting Readers by Anal-Retentive Administration. )
Two days passed with relatively little criminal activity in the city, and no unusual late night antics from Beastboy. It seemed that life in the tower had returned to normal.
The teens were eating breakfast, prepared by red-meat chef Cyborg. Beastboy had warmed some leftover mystery-tofu, but he seemed more interested in trying to get Raven to play a video game with him than he was in eating. The demon girl probably would not have given a second thought to the changeling's lack of hunger, until she came to the sudden realization that there had been no argument this morning about Cyborg's breakfast menu. Taken together, those two minor anomalies did add up to something strange.
Robin had just finished the front page of the newspaper, and folded over to page two. He arrested a forkful of food midway to his mouth. "Hey, this story on page two, here-" he scanned the other's faces, ensuring their attention- "…a hunter was attacked Saturday, in the South Woods area. They just found him yesterday, pretty badly injured. Cut up; mauled. He says he doesn't remember much, but the doctor says it could be anything from a mountain lion to dogs or wolves-possibly even a small bear..."
Raven found her breath catch in her throat. She glanced over at Beastboy, trying not to appear obvious. He, too, seemed to be listening with keen interest.
"Do you think it is an act committed by some criminal?" asked Starfire sincerely.
Cyborg blinked, "I don't know of anyone with that M.O., Star."
The redhead opened her mouth to ask for clarification, but Robin jumped right in.
"He means, Modus Operandi, or 'Method of Operations'. It's not the style of any of the criminals in our database, Star. No one who uses dangerous wild animals to do his dirty work for him." Robin considered for a moment. "I guess it could be a man using the ancient Filipino – hey, Raven, what's wrong?"
The dark girl sped out of the room without answering.
Starfire rose to follow: "I will ask what troubles Raven."
"No, don't Star." Robin held up his hand. "Let her have a little time alone, first."
Beastboy and Cyborg looked at each other and shrugged.
( Lame Page Break Forced Upon Unsuspecting Readers by Anal-Retentive Administration. )
Raven studied a page of hastily scribbled notes; notes she had copied from the book she had 'chanced upon' while inspecting Beastboy's room. She had yet to understand what they meant, or how they were related to the book, although she had a strong intuitive feeling that answers to her green friend's odd behavior were contained therein. The book itself was odd, being a picture book; something a child might read. The subject matter also seemed unrelated to Beastboy's normal interests, which generally consisted of comic books and strategy manuals for popular video games.
Bearing the title 'Mythology, and Things That Go Bump in the Night,' the book contained single page descriptions of most of the well-known fiends of literature, and creatures from old oral tradition. The alphabetical entries ranged from A, 'Abominable Snowman' to Z, 'Zozobra.' Raven wondered why the shape shifter was interested in a child's book of monsters.
The marginal notes had been written in pencil, obviously not meant for another's prying eyes, as they were nearly unreadable. By Raven's interpretation, the notes consisted of the following entries:
'Steak;'
'rem' and 'head,' the readable portions of two words;
'Lon, Range,' and 'bllt,' two incomplete words and an indecipherable word containing the letters b,l,l,t;
'Rm-' This entry was lined out;
'Bsmnt-' An unreadable word which also was lined out;
'Soth Wood,' the first word being indecipherable;
'G C Zoo,' followed by a question mark, and then lined out;
'B Cav,' followed by a question mark, and then lined out;
'C,' followed by two question marks;
'R,' lined out double;
'S,' followed by a question mark, and lined out;
'Ra,' with no additional notation.
A book of monsters, Steak, Room (?), Basement (?), South Wood (?), Gotham City Zoo.
How did they fit together?
( Lame Page Break Forced Upon Unsuspecting Readers by Anal-Retentive Administration. )
"Hi Raven," Beastboy bounded over to the couch, seeming to be back to his old self, after a few more days back in his normal routine. "Sorry if I'm disturbing you..."
Raven looked up from her book, interested in what her mysterious friend might have to say. "That's okay, Beastboy, you're not bothering me."
The green one took heart from a pleasant reply by the normally sullen dark girl. "Uh, I was just wondering…" He fought down the lump in his throat. "If, like, since we talked – you and me – on the roof?" He took another breath, determined to just go for it. "I was kinda wondering if you would like to go to a movie or something. With me." He slowly released his breath, anticipating an awkward silence to come.
"Uh, sure. Tonight?" The words came surprisingly easily to Raven. "It is Friday, after all. Why should we be the only ones staying home?"
Beastboy was overjoyed. "Cool!" he shouted, as he ran towards his room. "Wait!" he cried, halting his headlong flight. "I'll pick you up at six... No, I'll meet you here at six-thirty-" He folded his arms, blushing. "Ummm… what should I do, Raven?"
Raven suppressed an urge to giggle. "Just go ahead and get ready, and I will change, and meet you back here, when you're ready." She smiled slightly. "Take your time – no prob."
"Okay!" The happy metamorph turned once more in the direction of his room, and bounded off down the hall like a jubilant five-year old.
Raven nodded her head. 'Well – they do say opposites attract,' she thought in amusement.
Please review-Brain is hurting me!
