'Kay. So, I quit one of my jobs. And picked up babysitting again. C: So, my... hiatus, unplanned, should be over. Especially since I wrote a few short stories for gaia and... Well, my writer's block and time have both freed up a little. Sorry for making you guys wait. ;-;
But uh, yeah. So, I'm babysitting right now, which is awesome... but the girls are asleep, which is not. I want to play princess and horses and airplanes and color... but...naptime. Guess I'll write, instead. *hearts* So, I'm eating some of the leftovers from last night, because their mommy wanted me to try her new Tex-Mex lasagna. And Oh. My. God.
IT IS THE BEST LASAGNA EVER (besides my mother's). It's got beans and chicken and corn and it is SUPAH SPICY. But oh, so so SOOOO delicious.
Edit: Oh, man! I remember that. Brightside: Your stepdaughter and step..niece? Are also way fun.
–
Slowly, Robin's head turned, and his eyes were met by soft, disarming hazel ones. The moonlight cast them in a dreamy fog. It was like looking into liquid amber. The loud, raspy bark it gave made him tear his eyes away, and roll on top of his sleeping friend, then onto shaky knees, in a shabby defensive position. Not being able to see anything but those hot, amber eyes in the dark was alarming, and the slim pupils dilated as it stepped into the moonlight.
From head to tail, it was at least twelve feet long, but probably longer. Its head was catlike, save the two horns protruding from its skull. The fur was short and dark, almost a burnt orange-red color. The teeth were big, but not more than six inches a fang. Its maw was shut, the two largest fangs yellow and wet-looking. It stepped towards him sleekly, a soft, motor-like purr emanating from its throat. Misshapen, probably useless, tattered wings flapped lazily in the night. Whatever it was, its ancestors could have flown, easily. He heard a snap behind him, and the thing bark-shouted again. The snaps occurred again, and Robin was aware that there was another thing nearby. This one was claiming its meal. The face was again sheathed in shadow as it moved towards him. The tattered, pitiful wings were next. The tail was long, and looked well-kept. It was not bitten or ragged. It flicked around lazily, and Robin, scooting himself back and shaking BeastBoy gently. Vacantly, he noticed that the fur had faded into tiny, black scales as the animal crept closer. In the next patch of moonlight, he saw the change, rippling across the entire animal. The horns stretched and grew, and the amber eyes had faded into an ugly, dull brown, then into a hateful yellow. The slitlike pupils were small, and followed him hungrily. The teeth were hidden in the scaly snout of this new thing that was the same, and the tattered wings were suddenly full, black and leathery, fluttering excitedly in the night stirring.
"Ach-tey," Robin whispered, "the changing dragon, nightwalker." He started pulling at BeastBoy as the dragon opened its mouth, in a wide, stretching yawn. It roared.
BeastBoy's eyes popped open, dazed with sleep, and he stared into the cavernous gullet of the creature. He stood, panic setting in, and Robin pulled at the green one, trying to grab his X-tend, flailing for it with a free hand.
The black thing snapped loudly, gnashing its teeth, and leapt at them.
–
Raven sat in her room, putting on a little makeup. Her hair was dried, and she had put on a pair of loose-fitting jeans and a snug "The Assassins" tee. The Adverse shoes on her feet were new-looking, since she rarely wore them. There was a tapping at her door, and she smudged eyeliner unevenly on her eye.
"It's unlocked," she said, a hint of annoyance in her tone, as she fixed her makeup, and unlocked the door with a little energy.
Starfire poked her head into the faded room. Raven was sitting in front of a black vanity, doing her makeup. The redhead walked to her, slowly and shyly, her pink tennis shoes padding softly on the dark carpet.
"Friend Raven, I am sorry about-"
"I told you, Star, it's fine," Raven said, finishing her makeup, and snapping the case closed. The paler teen stood, grabbing a slim black wallet off of the vanity. "Are you ready to hit the road?
Starfire nodded, smiling.
The two left, and Raven glanced at her teammate. She looked happy again. Her pink lip gloss glinted in the sun, making her smile all the more dazzling. Her skin looked soft, and her snug pink shirt and denim shorts showed off a pierced belly button. Raven pointed at it as they got into Raven's car – which she had purchased with money from her own investments – and asked when that had happened.
"Oh, well, I saw some women on television, and I saw girls in town..." Starfire said, thinking aloud, "Anyways, it seemed popular. I thought Robin would like it."
"Oh," Raven said noncommittally, revving up the Benz.
–
Robin's eyes fluttered open, and he stared into big, green pools of worry.
He sat up, looking around frantically, grabbing the young man in front of him, and holding him protectively. "Where is it?" he whispered roughly, unable to feel his legs.
"Whhrr ss wht?" came the muffled question, and Robin felt BeastBoy wriggling against him.
"The dragon-thing! The nightwalker!" Robin said, relaxing his hold some.
"Uh," BeastBoy muttered, pulling his head free, "I'unno, but it was gonna be here soon if you didn't stop shouting and moaning in your sleep."
Robin let the changeling go.
"Oh," he said indifferently, frowning.
He hadn't dreamed in a long time. Weird.
"You okay? Should we try to move in the night?" BeastBoy asked, squinting at his friend in the dim light of the moon.
"No," Robin said, "Yes. Well, I guess if you want to. But the poisonous things are out at night."
"We can fly, it'll be faster."
Robin stared at his friend, thinking. He should have reached this conclusion faster.
"Yeah," he said slowly, "But your metabolism will skyrocket. We have no food."
"We do at camp, and we might could make it to the village, even."
Robin considered it. They had slept for many hours, and flying would be faster. In the coolness of night, it would be easier on BeastBoy, too.
"Alright," he conceded. "We'll go as far as you can without hurting yourself. If you feel weak, you stop. We can find... something in the morning light as we get farther inland. Water, at the very least.
The green pterodactyl nodded, flapping its healthy, striped wings impatiently. Robin laced his hands tightly around its neck, and he felt the wind start whipping in his hair.
–
Raven nodded, and didn't have to force a fake smile at the seventeen thosandth dress Starfire had tried on.
"I like that one, and the violet one, and the red one," Raven said, meaning every word of it. "The violet one was my favorite, though."
Starfire smiled at her teammate. "Really?" she asked, looking into the mirror.
"I thought you might like this one, because of its color," she said.
Although the dress was tight in all the right places, the black dress, criss-crossed with wildly designed laces, chains, and zippers didn't fit Starfire's... Starfire-ness. Strappy black stilletos were laced up to her mid-thigh, and it was sexy, but not in the way it would have been, say, on Jinxy. Starfire disappeared into the changing room, returning in the cute tennis shoes, cropped tank top, and short denims she'd worn originally. Over her arm was the violet dress.
"I think I'm going to buy this one," she said, leaving the others on an overstuffed clothing rack. The poor employee who had to put them all back, after checking them for tears and such, was crying in the corner, into the arms of an obviously startled, shocked manager.
"Cool," Raven said, standing. Her butt was numb from sitting so long. "Wanna hit the arcade? I thought I saw a new DDR in there."
"Sure," the Tamaranian said, as the clerk handed her back her credit card and the big, white bag with the dress in it. "I love DDR."
–
Robin looked down at the ground. There was the river. They were getting close. Camp was a two-hour hike from this point, so they were nearly home free.
Seventy feet behind them, the SladeBots followed.
–
"Great!"
"Good!"
"Killer!"
"Great!"
"Okay!"
"Perfect!"
The machine spat out praises as a blond girl danced on the machine. She was on Hard, and all the boys were clapping. A few girls looked at her jealously, but clapped nonetheless.
"New Hi-Score! B+!" the machine read, joyous music playing. The girl jumped from the machine, and Starfire gave her a high five. Raven frowned. She didn't much like DDR, but she knew how to do it.
"Let's play, Raven?" Starfire asked.
Raven grinned, nodding. Even though she didn't like it, doing it with Starfire made it more bearable.. And kind of fun, really. "You go first!" The dark-looking girl encoraged, pushing Starfire onto the dance pad.
Starfire inserted her quarters, and as they clinked to the bottom, she chose her level – Expert – and the bounciest song she could find.
Hundreds of arrows flooded the screen as the song played.
"Okay!"
"Good!"
"Good!"
"Great!"
"Perfect!"
"Perfect!"
"Perfect!"
"Killer!"
"Killer!"
"Killer!"
The small crowd shouted merrily, cheering her on. A thunderous applause appeared as the words flashed on the screen, "New Hi-Score! Expert! A++!"
Raven clapped along with everyone else.
"Dude, did you see the way her tits jiggled?"
"So freaking hot..."
A black aura suddenly filled Raven's head, and a sick greenish energy found the two snot-mouths. A candy machine exploded, as she read the thoughts in their mind.
Regardless, she forced a huge grin for Starfire, and stepped onto the board.
"Level – Expert!"
Raven stared at the screen, and let her feet dance along the buttons.
"Okay!"
"Okay!"
"Good!"
"Great!"
"Good!"
The crowd began to dissipate as Raven's game finished.
"Okay! C+!"
Starfire patted her friend's back. "That is a very good score," she said, "would you like to play again?"
Raven glanced at the two who'd made her mad. They won the game they were playing, but Raven jammed the tickets, and they looked angry and started beating the machine.
"Nah," she said, "All this dress-picking and dancing has made me hungry. Let's hit the food court, and do some other things. I heard they put in a new bookstore on the second floor that I'd like to see."
As they left, the security was dragging the two snot-nosed geeks that had pissed Raven off out of the arcade.
–
Robin fell from BeastBoy's back with a light thud. The changeling returned to his human form, and his face looked sunken and tired.
"Let me carry you," Robin commanded, "The tribe is close. They'll give you food and rest. We're going home soon."
Rather than a response, BeastBoy fainted into Robin's arms, breathing shallowly.
Robin tenderly picked him up, hanging him gently over his shoulder and marching towards the tribe grounds. He felt a prick on his ankle, and picked up the pace. BeastBoy seemed to get heavier, five minutes later. His vision swam, and the fire on the watch-post at the side of the village seemed far too green for fire. He laughed, but water came out. Absurd. Absently, he felt himself step in a gooey water, and BeastBoy was actually a part of him.
'Look at me, I am the Hunchback!' his mind laughed, spinning merrily with his vision.
A night watcher ran towards him, silently, and Robin tried to shout.
"Why won't Aaron give me his candy?," came out as a raspy whisper as the Boy Wonder fell to the ground.
–
I think I'mma have some sushi for dinner...
Edit: I see a lot of sushi in your future. Hopefully this looks better! Yeah, hallucination.