The 31st Night
Tria A Nox Noctis
Chapter 2: Acedia
By the time the sun had met its crescendo in the sky, Starfire and Beast Boy had finished with their Halloween preparations. The bats were hung, the spiders curled in their web and Cyborg had finished his touch on the creaking doors and fake blood.
Beast Boy, upon finishing his work, sat back down on his favorite couch and flipped on the television. Hours of mind-numbing television would pursue.
Cyborg sauntered over to a temperamental Robin. "I guess you've been up to the infirmary."
Robin shot him a dark look. "She's hiding back in her room."
"You can't blame her, she probably figures the moment she shows her face you'll pounce with questions." Cyborg added, taking a seat across from Robin at the kitchen bar table.
"I just need to know what she conjured." Robin rubbed his knuckles together, the heating friction helped to steady his anger.
"I'm sure if it was anything too bad she would have told us." Cyborg grabbed his glass of water, downing the rest of it in one swallow.
"Like she did last time?" Robin gave him a hard stare.
"Point taken." Cyborg set down the glass and got back up. "Would you like to go knock her door down then?"
"No need for that." Came a silky voice. Raven materialized before sliding past the two boys to grab a mug. Robin watched her put a put of water on to boil before she turned to them.
"Who broke down my door?" She asked. Her face betrayed no emotion.
Cyborg tentatively raised a finger up. "That'd be me."
There was a barely-frown that pulled at her lips. "I am disappointed in you Cy."
"What was the spell for?" Robin finally asked, it was wrenching inside him too tightly.
Raven's violet eyes flickered to him for a moment. "That concerns you none." She turned her back to go to the pot that had started bubbling. She grabbed her mug and had started pouring the water into it when Robin spoke.
"Like Malchior did?"
Raven slammed the mug down, clanging on the counter strongly. Any more force and it may have shattered.
Robin watched her knuckles tighten white around the black cup. She stayed frozen for a moment before her fingers loosened. Raven grabbed a small bag of tea and dunked it into the mug water dying it a muddy color.
When she turned back to them her expression was tense. "The spell was perfect, you needn't know what it was for."
Before Robin could go arguing the girl pushed past him and vanished through the living room door.
"Why didn't she just use her powers?" Cyborg asked about her quick exit.
Robin's eyes bore on the door that had shut after her. He was just wondering the same thing.
Cyborg had given up trying to calm Robin. He seemed hell-bent and obsessive on finding out what Raven was hiding.
Instead he tried to rally Beast Boy and Starfire into a game of football. At least that would get them out of the tower and doing something. Starfire had happily agreed, but Beast Boy was a little more difficult.
"Nah, I'm not feelin up to it." The green skinned boy waved him off, eyes still glued to the television.
"But Beast Boy it is most enjoyable to toss around the skin of pigs!" Starfire poked the boy, glowing with energy.
"Maybe next time." He clicked the channel feeling sluggish.
Starfire shrugged and moved back over to Cyborg. "We will be able to play with only two people, yes?"
Cyborg shrugged, a football tucked in his arm. "I'm sure we can find some players at the park."
"Glorious!" Starfire smiled radiantly and went over to bid Robin good-bye.
"Man, you haven't been out in a while." Cyborg noted, touching his friend's shoulder.
"Next time, I promise." Beast Boy muttered still watching the tube.
Cyborg shook his head, hadn't he said that last time? Starfire was calling him now to hurry up. "Coming." He called throwing one last look to the couch potato. His loss.
He hurried after Starfire.
Raven spent the rest of the day in meditation. She made herself forget the words exchanged this morning until the sun was nearly setting.
Even with an entire day of rest the girl was still weak. She may have been able to portal herself into the kitchen, but it had drained nearly all her energy reserves. For that one trip she had to spend the rest of the day recuperating.
It was ridiculous.
Raven laid back on her bed contemplating a nap. She didn't want to try and retrieve food until later tonight or early morning. At least then Robin wouldn't be around to pester her. His caution and detective instincts sometimes were simply too much.
Her spell was flawless. With all the rumors following her last casting she had been extra careful.
The spell would not effect them, no one needed to know. She had done it for herself.
By Halloween Raven would be free.
A yawn escaped her lips as she stretched back on the silky covers. Her room was dark, especially dark with the sun from outside gone. It lulled her into submission. The girl closed her eyes and surrendered to sleep.
Beast Boy was the last one awake. He was still settled in front of his lovely television watching some kind of reruns.
Robin had stormed off to his room early having given up on catching Raven again. Starfire was next, closing her book Halloween: A History and skipping off to her room. The Tameranian was really getting into the spirit.
Cyborg had cleaned up the kitchen and locked down the tower before bidding good-night, he had files he wanted to cover before shutting down. This was typical, he was at a constant pursuit for knowledge.
The changeling was contemplating bed, but then figured to just sleep on the couch. He was rather comfy where he was and it seemed a whole lot of trouble to get up and trudge to his room only to return upon awaking.
He stretched his stiff limbs a moment, the lids of his eyes hanging heavy in his vision. The television was getting fuzzy and far away as Beast Boy began to fall into the lull of sleep.
"Acedia…" Someone was still speaking. Was it the TV? Beast Boy closed his eyes too lazy to check.
"Acedia!" It came louder now, demanding almost. So near as well… like someone was whispering it into his ear…
The boy had been a moment from unconsciousness when something closed around his throat. The force of its lunge made the boy tip, lading on his back on the couch. Green eyes shot awake as he gripped his throat, trying to throw off the intangible force.
He writhed unable to stop it. It constricted his lungs, he couldn't breathe.
Beast Boy tumbled onto the floor in urgency and tried to call for help. No sound burst from his lips to save him. Speech required oxygen and he was running just a little short.
Banging into the coffee table his nails were still digging at his throat trying, without results, to push the force away. Already the loss of air was slowing his mind, shutting down all non-vital body functions.
"Te contemno nam Acedia." It was the same voice he thought had come from the TV. It was hissing into his ear, into his mind. In the darkness he could see no owner to the voice.
He had rolled into the table again causing something to fall over and shatter. The glass that cut into his skin bothered him none. Lack of oxygen was already drowning him.
Beast Boy's hands fell from his throat, his muscular function having been shut down to preserve the oxygen for his heart and mind.
Noise faded out, followed by his sense of smell and eyesight. Beast Boy could tell the world was folding in on him. New thoughts to longer processed his mind. He could not feel the coldness of his limbs anymore.
Mouth agape in a plea for air, Beast Boy lost consciousness. The voice continued to murmur into the darkness. "Acedia…"
The television that had been previously running shut off, leaving the living room in a blanket of black.
Raven shot up out of her bed. She was breathing quickly and she pressed a hand to her throat, feeling the wind pass in and out.
How long had she been sleeping?
She pulled herself out of bed snatching up her cloak. It was probably safe to go and try to grab some food. Internally she contemplated the reasons for her uneasiness.
Robin was a safe bet. He was so uptight about her conjuring he must have gotten her subconscious questioning herself.
That was bothersome. She should not, would not, let his worries influence her. Her spell was perfect, if anything was going to go awry, it would have already.
She took the stairs down two at a time, her deep velvety cloak swished after her. The tower was silence and peaceful. She used the fact to poke at that unsure part of her mind. Nothing was wrong.
Raven passed through the living room and into the kitchen. She briefly wondered what the Titans had cooked up for dinner and moved towards the refrigerator.
There was blue mold, tofu, and old meat that assaulted her senses upon opening the door. The light lit up the kitchen as she judged whether any of it was edible. The blue fuzz might be with a little salt…
She sighed and moved to the wall to flick on one of the kitchen lights just as the frig door closed. Maybe there was chips or something, it didn't take much to fill her stomach. Most of her demonic powers took care of her appetite and energy.
Upon close inspection she found a bag of pretzels left on the counter. Lucky her.
She snatched it up and returned to the refrigerator to grab one of the bottled waters. It was cold in her fingers and she re-closed the door.
Passing by the light switch she hit it off. Darkness restored itself over the room. Raven paused surveying the living room she had just entered. The back of her neck prickled curiously and Raven was temped to scout the room over.
You'd only be feeding Robin's paranoia, her mind countered. The room was calm, there was no need for such alarm. The mystic shook off her hypersensitivity and walked to the sliding doors that lead to the Titan rooms.
All the way back she had a nagging perception that something was wrong.
By the time she had settled back into her bed and opened the bag of pretzels that sense had been pushed to the furthest box of her mind. You'd think after living around Robin for so long she would have escaped his mind games.
She made a contemptuous noise in the back of her throat and downed a large sip of water.
Introducing… the Seven Deadly Sins. I was happy to find they are all guilty of one or more of these.
Acedia: Also known as Sloth. Beast Boy is the only who has lazy tendencies.
Next chapter: Gula
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