Disclaimer: I don't own teen titans, a hippo or the words to the song
Rags And Bones by Thea Gilmore...as promised my dear and loving reviewers...I
have updated! Woohoo! Go me! I would have updated yesterday but for some
reason I couldn't log on...
Hand in Hand
Chapter Eight: Rags And Bones
"C'mon man, I'll show you how good I am." Boasted Beast Boy pointing a thumb to his chest and grinning at Aqualad. Terra looked up from her conversation with Starfire and grinned at her boyfriend.
Aqualad looked around at the titans tower, he had just come in a second ago, he had arrived on a wave about ten minutes ago had had proceeded to head for the tower almost instantly. Despite the fact that he was supposed to be challenging Beast Boy, the real reason he was there was to face Raven and find out what was really wrong with her. But he had to admit, there was something different about the room he was standing in. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.
A breeze ruffled through his hair. A breeze? He looked up. There was huge gaping hole where obviously a window had once stood. He raised an eyebrow, "Don't you normally just open the window if you want fresh air?"
Beast Boy scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, the Boy Wonder made Raven angry this morning."
Robin turned around from where he sat on the sofa, "I did not!" he said heatedly.
Aqualad looked between the two of them.
"But you were the only one talking to her when she blew up the kettle and the window!" pointed out Beast Boy. That comment made Robin turn around and mumble something that Aqualad didn't quite catch.
##Through the iron winter,
To the fires of June,
Through the five 'o'clock skyline,
To the deadlocked moon##
"Speaking of Raven, where is she? I have to have a talk with her." He tried to sound casual but despite his tone, everyone in the vicinity turned to look at him goggle eyed. "What?" he asked defensively.
Starfire and Terra started giggling uncontrollably.
"What?!" asked Aqualad as Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy continued to look at him as if he'd just told them all he loved Starfire's cooking.
"You want to talk to her?" asked Beast Boy looking around nervously, "Dude, she's not in a sociable mood."
Aqualad stared at him.
"You see what she's done to the window!" Beast Boy exclaimed, "Don't throw your life away!"
Three pairs of eyebrows rose at the little green elf that was waving his arms.
"Isn't that just a tad dramatic?" asked Aqualad.
"I guess..."
"So...Do you know where Raven is?" he asked again. He was really tired of talking to Beast Boy already; the boy must have taken too much caffeine this morning. He half expected him to start ranting about the end of the world. He supposed at any other time he would have found it funny. But now...he was only concerned about Raven. He was beginning to think...in fact...that maybe he liked her as more than a friend.
##There's a flickering figure,
Dancing alone,
Making her junk pictures,
Out of rags and bones##
"I don't have a clue." Lied Robin from the sofa as he turned back to the TV.
Cyborg looked at his leader strangely but didn't comment.
"She's uh, probably up on the roof meditating." Answered Beast Boy inching away from the leader of the titans as Robin turned his head to glare darkly at him.
Aqualad nodded his thanks; he looked intently at Robin for a moment. It was obvious that he had known where Raven was, but for some reason he hadn't wanted Aqualad to know. The black haired teen wilted under the atlantian's gaze and turned away.
Aqualad smiled slightly before he turned on his heel and headed towards the stairs. It still unnerved him that Terra and Starfire were still giggling. Frowning he began to climb the steps.
His plan was to get out of sight and then listen in to their conversation for a moment; he just had to find out what the girl's were giggling about. Somehow he knew that it had something to with him, and maybe Raven as well.
##Well the vapour is rising,
Between the seedling and the vine,
And all the shadows in waiting,
Are wasting their time##
He paused at the top of the stairs and tilted his head to the side as he listened to what was going on back downstairs.
"What are laughing at?" he recognised Cyborg's irritated voice.
"Well, isn't it obvious?" he estimated that the person speaking was Terra; her voice wasn't as sugary as Starfire's.
"Err, no." that was Beast Boy.
"Aqualad likes Raven!" Terra again.
Aqualad nearly choked in surprise, but he steadied himself and continued to listen in.
"Is it not wonderful?" Definitely Starfire.
"And maybe she likes him back."
"SHE DOES NOT!" Aqualad scowled at Robin's outburst. He knew that the boy wonder might feel something for Raven, but it was also public knowledge that he was fixated of Starfire at the moment and so any attention he was paying towards Raven was not fair on either of the girls.
"How do you know?" asked Beast Boy.
"Err, I'm just guessing..." muttered Robin.
##Because my veins are tracking street maps,
And the compass and the stones,
And I'm still making my junk pictures,
Out of my rags and bones##
Aqualad was good friends with Robin, he respected the teen titan but sometimes he wondered if Robin had any idea what he was doing. Aqualad turned away from the conversation that he had been listening to and resumed his trek up to the roof.
He pulled a face as he thought about what Raven would say to him for disturbing her meditation. He knew that if she was in a bad mood it was not likely to be pretty. But still he knew that he had to talk to her. Maybe even convince her to have fun for once.
Atlantians were good at persuasion.
##Oh yeah the hammer and the nail,
Oh yeah the hearts and the small change,
Oh yeah and the devils in the detail,
And in my rags and bones##
He stuck his head around the roof door. Raven was sitting cross legged in the air about five or so metres in front of him. But, what he noticed more than that was how stiff her posture seemed to be. And she was silent, he knew from what the other had told him over the years that Raven always chanted when she was meditating. He frowned.
"Raven?" he called quietly, he didn't want to startle her.
##Well it's a fist through the window,
And the wine that you bought,
It's a far cry from the shackles,
Of cognitive thought##
Raven stiffened slightly and cast a quick glance over her shoulder, "What do you want?" she asked, her voice was raspy as if she had been crying.
Aqualad's eyes widened, Raven couldn't be crying. She couldn't be.
##It's the lines on the fridge door,
Oh see how they've grown,
Up from little junk pictures,
Made from my rags and bones##
He slipped through the door and closed it softly behind him. "I came to see if you were alright." He moved over to her, but even as he did she turned her face away and looked out across the ocean.
"Is it nice to live in the ocean?" she asked suddenly, her voice only the barest of whispers.
Aqualad was caught off guard by the abruptness of the question. He sat down next to her and rested his chin in his hand, "Well, I've never thought about it much, but on reflection it is a marvellous place filled with wonders that most people never have the chance to see."
Raven made a noise that was a cross between a groan and a sigh, "It must be nice for you."
##And now the candle's flickered out,
The walls have been built,
And they are wracking up the weapons,
Of blood and piss and guilt##
Aqualad, quite frankly, didn't know what to make of that. "It is." He agreed, he tilted his head and tried to see her face, but her purple hair had fallen in the way, it was like a curtain between him and her. He scowled at it.
##The voices have been silenced,
But they belong to anyone##
Eventually when she didn't reply or move, he reached up and brushed her hair over her shoulder. He didn't know what he expected, tears stained skin maybe, eyes full of tears but neither was what he saw. Her expression was that of a corpse. It was dead, as if all the happiness and joy had been sucked from her. Her eyes were half empty. He could see the darkness in them still, but somewhere in the depths in he saw pain. "Raven? Tell me what's wrong."
She turned her head slowly to look at him, "They don't like me you know." She muttered blinking several times.
Aqualad put his hand on her shoulder, "That's not true. You're their friend."
Raven stared at him for a second, "It makes me want to cry."
Aqualad stared back at her, "Then why don't you?"
Suddenly, he wasn't quite sure how it had come about, but he wasn't complaining. He had his arms wrapped around her shoulders and her face was buried in his chest, he expected her to cry her heart out. But she just clung to him.
"You can cry Raven. It's okay. Why don't you cry?" he was concerned that she wasn't letting her tears fall. Surely it would be better to let it all out.
"I can't." she whispered into his chest.
He tightened his grip around the girl he had come to care for, "Why not?"
She didn't reply straight away. He waited patiently, emotions were tough things to handle, he knew especially for Raven.
"I think I've forgotten how."
##These little junk picture,
Made from my rags and bones
These little junk pictures,
Made from my rags and bones##
Hand in Hand
Chapter Eight: Rags And Bones
"C'mon man, I'll show you how good I am." Boasted Beast Boy pointing a thumb to his chest and grinning at Aqualad. Terra looked up from her conversation with Starfire and grinned at her boyfriend.
Aqualad looked around at the titans tower, he had just come in a second ago, he had arrived on a wave about ten minutes ago had had proceeded to head for the tower almost instantly. Despite the fact that he was supposed to be challenging Beast Boy, the real reason he was there was to face Raven and find out what was really wrong with her. But he had to admit, there was something different about the room he was standing in. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.
A breeze ruffled through his hair. A breeze? He looked up. There was huge gaping hole where obviously a window had once stood. He raised an eyebrow, "Don't you normally just open the window if you want fresh air?"
Beast Boy scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, the Boy Wonder made Raven angry this morning."
Robin turned around from where he sat on the sofa, "I did not!" he said heatedly.
Aqualad looked between the two of them.
"But you were the only one talking to her when she blew up the kettle and the window!" pointed out Beast Boy. That comment made Robin turn around and mumble something that Aqualad didn't quite catch.
##Through the iron winter,
To the fires of June,
Through the five 'o'clock skyline,
To the deadlocked moon##
"Speaking of Raven, where is she? I have to have a talk with her." He tried to sound casual but despite his tone, everyone in the vicinity turned to look at him goggle eyed. "What?" he asked defensively.
Starfire and Terra started giggling uncontrollably.
"What?!" asked Aqualad as Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy continued to look at him as if he'd just told them all he loved Starfire's cooking.
"You want to talk to her?" asked Beast Boy looking around nervously, "Dude, she's not in a sociable mood."
Aqualad stared at him.
"You see what she's done to the window!" Beast Boy exclaimed, "Don't throw your life away!"
Three pairs of eyebrows rose at the little green elf that was waving his arms.
"Isn't that just a tad dramatic?" asked Aqualad.
"I guess..."
"So...Do you know where Raven is?" he asked again. He was really tired of talking to Beast Boy already; the boy must have taken too much caffeine this morning. He half expected him to start ranting about the end of the world. He supposed at any other time he would have found it funny. But now...he was only concerned about Raven. He was beginning to think...in fact...that maybe he liked her as more than a friend.
##There's a flickering figure,
Dancing alone,
Making her junk pictures,
Out of rags and bones##
"I don't have a clue." Lied Robin from the sofa as he turned back to the TV.
Cyborg looked at his leader strangely but didn't comment.
"She's uh, probably up on the roof meditating." Answered Beast Boy inching away from the leader of the titans as Robin turned his head to glare darkly at him.
Aqualad nodded his thanks; he looked intently at Robin for a moment. It was obvious that he had known where Raven was, but for some reason he hadn't wanted Aqualad to know. The black haired teen wilted under the atlantian's gaze and turned away.
Aqualad smiled slightly before he turned on his heel and headed towards the stairs. It still unnerved him that Terra and Starfire were still giggling. Frowning he began to climb the steps.
His plan was to get out of sight and then listen in to their conversation for a moment; he just had to find out what the girl's were giggling about. Somehow he knew that it had something to with him, and maybe Raven as well.
##Well the vapour is rising,
Between the seedling and the vine,
And all the shadows in waiting,
Are wasting their time##
He paused at the top of the stairs and tilted his head to the side as he listened to what was going on back downstairs.
"What are laughing at?" he recognised Cyborg's irritated voice.
"Well, isn't it obvious?" he estimated that the person speaking was Terra; her voice wasn't as sugary as Starfire's.
"Err, no." that was Beast Boy.
"Aqualad likes Raven!" Terra again.
Aqualad nearly choked in surprise, but he steadied himself and continued to listen in.
"Is it not wonderful?" Definitely Starfire.
"And maybe she likes him back."
"SHE DOES NOT!" Aqualad scowled at Robin's outburst. He knew that the boy wonder might feel something for Raven, but it was also public knowledge that he was fixated of Starfire at the moment and so any attention he was paying towards Raven was not fair on either of the girls.
"How do you know?" asked Beast Boy.
"Err, I'm just guessing..." muttered Robin.
##Because my veins are tracking street maps,
And the compass and the stones,
And I'm still making my junk pictures,
Out of my rags and bones##
Aqualad was good friends with Robin, he respected the teen titan but sometimes he wondered if Robin had any idea what he was doing. Aqualad turned away from the conversation that he had been listening to and resumed his trek up to the roof.
He pulled a face as he thought about what Raven would say to him for disturbing her meditation. He knew that if she was in a bad mood it was not likely to be pretty. But still he knew that he had to talk to her. Maybe even convince her to have fun for once.
Atlantians were good at persuasion.
##Oh yeah the hammer and the nail,
Oh yeah the hearts and the small change,
Oh yeah and the devils in the detail,
And in my rags and bones##
He stuck his head around the roof door. Raven was sitting cross legged in the air about five or so metres in front of him. But, what he noticed more than that was how stiff her posture seemed to be. And she was silent, he knew from what the other had told him over the years that Raven always chanted when she was meditating. He frowned.
"Raven?" he called quietly, he didn't want to startle her.
##Well it's a fist through the window,
And the wine that you bought,
It's a far cry from the shackles,
Of cognitive thought##
Raven stiffened slightly and cast a quick glance over her shoulder, "What do you want?" she asked, her voice was raspy as if she had been crying.
Aqualad's eyes widened, Raven couldn't be crying. She couldn't be.
##It's the lines on the fridge door,
Oh see how they've grown,
Up from little junk pictures,
Made from my rags and bones##
He slipped through the door and closed it softly behind him. "I came to see if you were alright." He moved over to her, but even as he did she turned her face away and looked out across the ocean.
"Is it nice to live in the ocean?" she asked suddenly, her voice only the barest of whispers.
Aqualad was caught off guard by the abruptness of the question. He sat down next to her and rested his chin in his hand, "Well, I've never thought about it much, but on reflection it is a marvellous place filled with wonders that most people never have the chance to see."
Raven made a noise that was a cross between a groan and a sigh, "It must be nice for you."
##And now the candle's flickered out,
The walls have been built,
And they are wracking up the weapons,
Of blood and piss and guilt##
Aqualad, quite frankly, didn't know what to make of that. "It is." He agreed, he tilted his head and tried to see her face, but her purple hair had fallen in the way, it was like a curtain between him and her. He scowled at it.
##The voices have been silenced,
But they belong to anyone##
Eventually when she didn't reply or move, he reached up and brushed her hair over her shoulder. He didn't know what he expected, tears stained skin maybe, eyes full of tears but neither was what he saw. Her expression was that of a corpse. It was dead, as if all the happiness and joy had been sucked from her. Her eyes were half empty. He could see the darkness in them still, but somewhere in the depths in he saw pain. "Raven? Tell me what's wrong."
She turned her head slowly to look at him, "They don't like me you know." She muttered blinking several times.
Aqualad put his hand on her shoulder, "That's not true. You're their friend."
Raven stared at him for a second, "It makes me want to cry."
Aqualad stared back at her, "Then why don't you?"
Suddenly, he wasn't quite sure how it had come about, but he wasn't complaining. He had his arms wrapped around her shoulders and her face was buried in his chest, he expected her to cry her heart out. But she just clung to him.
"You can cry Raven. It's okay. Why don't you cry?" he was concerned that she wasn't letting her tears fall. Surely it would be better to let it all out.
"I can't." she whispered into his chest.
He tightened his grip around the girl he had come to care for, "Why not?"
She didn't reply straight away. He waited patiently, emotions were tough things to handle, he knew especially for Raven.
"I think I've forgotten how."
##These little junk picture,
Made from my rags and bones
These little junk pictures,
Made from my rags and bones##