Volte-Face

(hits face on keyboard)

Technically, I was supposed to update AMO today… (I'm sorry…)

Thank you…
FREAKSHOW1- I am indeed writing a ReksVaan, but it's not quite ready for prime time...
Xment2bursX
Insect-Queen- Ahh! A new slasher-buddy! That's very exciting... I'm glad you're enjoying this! As for the Robin/Raven bit... Well, you'll see where that's leading in a few chapters. A quite of bit of drama happens, and though it's not directly stated, there is something of a Robin/Raven-ness cause to it. (That made no sense... xD)
SaoirseWaveglow- Glad yer likin' it! (I can't spell your name for the life of me... xD)
Mutou Yasu- Every multi-chapter story I touch seems to reek of confusion and plot twists... Sorry. (looks guilty) It's kind-of an addiction...
Dancing through the Storm
The-New-Nightingale
greetings from lala land
Desinere- (Refer to my reply to Insect-Queen for the Robin/Raven question.)
Crested Kid
kill the flamers
anonymous- Captivating...? That's so... nice of you to say...!
GoldenMerlin- I'm only good at going slowly because I'm horrible at going fast. (amused sigh)
Blondi89
Azur twilight

Since it's been three months (which is basically for-ev-er), I have a slight summation of things to talk about that may or may not interest you. If you care about what I do in my free time (Freizeit!), then… here we go!

I've realized an obsession with the movie Stick It, which has a character (Frank) played by Kellan Lutz who, by chance, is going to be Emmett Cullen, which is the only casting choice that I agree with thus far for Twilight. Also, I've gone to see Avenue Q (oozes love) which I think every slash writer, plus everyone in general, should go see. Rod and Nicky are adorable and there are some scenes that are too cute to miss out on. The sweetest conversation isn't on the soundtrack, so you actually have to go to the play to hear it. (It's between Christmas Eve and Rod, and it's about Nicky, and awwww…!)

On another play-related note, I've seen Wicked three times in the past three weeks, and I'm actually going again tomorrow. (If you think that's a lot of Wicked… Well, you can never have enough Wicked. Tomorrow's performance will be my eighth time seeing it. Yeah, it's that good.)

I've gotten into some random pastimes (for instance, looking up Dolce & Gabanna ads or reading the pocket medical encyclopedia (which does not actually fit in one's pocket)). Today I took the SAT—don't believe the hype, it's very painless—which basically wasted five hours of my life, but still…

Sorry, sorry, we'll begin now…!

"I'll give you a definite maybe."
—Samuel Goldwyn

Roy slumped into the couch, trying and failing to inhale through his nose. His head felt heavy as he let it fall onto the pillow; he felt horrid, absolutely sick, and as if he wasn't cold enough already, it had started raining. Just seeing the rain made his shivers turn into tremors, and soon enough he was shaking.

A head suddenly popped into his field of view; the Atlantean was leaning over the back of the couch, mouth set into a frown. "You okay?"

The archer stared up at him, snapping out a curt, "Peachy." He sniffed—it didn't help—and tried to swallow the coating of phlegm that had settled in his throat. "Karen's cold medicine not only tastes like shit, it works like shit too."

Garth reached down, setting a hand on his forehead. Roy batted it away with a shiver and buried everything but his eyes under the blanket.

"You still have a fever," Garth sighed.

"I figured that out after I couldn't stop shivering," Roy growled half-heartedly, nestling into the pillows with closed eyes. "You're a real genius. When is Bee getting back?"

He shrugged. "She should be back by now… Listen, Speedy…"

"Stop it," the redhead groaned, glaring at Garth as he circled around to the front of the couch. "That's what you use to start conversations. I don't want conver—"

"It's just two questions…" Garth sat down in the tiny rim that existed between Roy and the edge of the couch.

"Aqualad…"

"Okay, first question," he continued, despite the noises of protest. "If Raven only came over here and got nervous only a day after you went over to talk to her—"

"Is this question theoretical, metaphorical, symbolical, grammatical or… real-ical?"

The corner of Garth's mouth turned up into a humored smirk. "Grammatical? Funny, very funny. But really—if her reaction was delayed an entire day, is that problem and this new problem the same thing, or different, or are they related, or…?"

Roy shrugged with one shoulder, imperceptibly from under the blanket. "They're different," he sighed, "and I don't think they're related. They have to be related, though, but… they can't because it doesn't make sense if they are."

"I see." Garth filed it to the back of his memory. "Second question: Does it—or they, I suppose—involve me?"

Roy flipped onto his side, hiding his face in the back of the couch again. "The second problem involves everyone," he said, sniffing. "So, yeah."

"And the first problem? The one you saw Raven about?" He prodded Roy's ribs. "Does that have to do with me?"

An ostrich burying his head in the sand, Roy swatted the hand away and yanked the blanket over his face.

Twenty minutes and two bowls of tomato soup later, Garth had yet to weasel any more information out of Roy, and had only just started to give up when the team leader herself waltzed into the room, composed and cheery.

"Hello, boys," Karen waved. Garth looked up and waved back, while Roy groaned and re-covered himself with the blanket.

"How's Raven?" the Atlantean asked.

"She's fine." At least, she should be now that Robin's taking care of her. "How's that cold, Speedy?"

Roy sat up and peered over the back of the couch, scrutinizing her face for hints of disgust, mockery or anger. Unable to find anything but curiosity, he shrugged. "The medicine and soup helped a little, I guess. What did you talk about for so long?"

The grin that lit up Karen's features gave everything away to Roy. "Your little"—her eyes wavered to Garth, and then back to Roy—"problem."

Roy felt his face start to burn and instantly hid it from his teammates, lying on his side with his face under the blanket.

"Is this the first problem or second problem?" Garth asked so only Roy could hear.

The archer grunted, "First."

Bee had walked closer and taken a seat by Roy's head, prodding the lump under the blanket. "You're silly." To Garth, she confirmed, "He's silly."

The Atlantean simply raised a brow.

Karen turned her attention back to the archer, grabbing the blanket so she could see his face. "Really, Speedy, you didn't need to keep it a secret. Not a very good secret, even, seeing as all the Westers know—why couldn't you tell me, at least?"

Roy turned slightly redder, if it were possible, and made a face. "Because… you'd get mad?"

"What are you talking about?" Garth wondered vaguely.

"Mad?" Karen continued, ignoring him. "Speedy, I'm happy for you… and I'm hoping it works out. God knows someone on this team needs a break from hero-work, and if it keeps you from moping around like this—"

"I'm sick!"

"—then I don't give a damn who you're sleeping with, even if—"

Roy groaned. "Karen, please!"

"So you are in love with a Titan?" Garth interjected. Karen smirked, which was the only response she needed to give for him to once again get the wrong impression. "You are in love with Raven!"

"No," Roy moaned, "I'm not, I'm not even in love, you two are idiots…"

"Aqualad," Karen suddenly said, and turned to him. "Can you go find the twins? They're probably getting hungry and I want to make lunch. Ask them what they want to eat."

The dark-haired prince nodded and rose, walking purposefully into the hallway. As soon as he cleared the door and it closed behind him, Karen continued with increased fervor.

"So, about Garth"—Roy let out an anguished sigh—"do you really like him?"

"You already heard all about it from Raven, I'm sure…"

Karen smiled. "So it's true? Well, then, you'll have to tell me if he's a good kisser. Oh, but give him some time, he's never had a relationship before…"

"Bee…"

"Oh, and then there's the sex!"

Roy grabbed a pillow by his feet and hit her with it, sitting up with a grimace. "You've got to be kidding me—"

She shrugged. "Every relationship has sex. And if two attractive people are together, they will have really good sex." She paused, then hummed. "Ohh. You want me to call it making love or something…?"

"You're psychotic!"

"So? You're in denial!" She sighed in amused frustration. "You boys and your inability to accept your feelings…"

"Feelings?" Roy rolled his eyes. "Bee, you can't honestly expect us to get together! That would never work! He's straight, and I used to be straight, and… and then there's the image the media will have…"

"Media, schmedia. And I think he's gay. He's never had a girlfriend, he's never brought anyone to our holiday parties, and as far as I know he hasn't had any escapades, like you have!"

Just then, the doors opened and the two boys sped through, forcing an end to their conversation. But even though Roy shook his head and silently told himself that Karen was wrong, a tiny flicker of imagination allowed the dangerous possibility that Garth might actually like him back.

xXx

It wasn't far past lunchtime at the West Tower when Raven appeared in the doorway of Robin's office, hair mussed and eyes glazed with sleep. "Thank you," was the first thing she said as he allowed her into the dim room. "What happened to Karen, after I…?"

"She went back to Titans East," Robin smiled, sinking into his chair on the far side of the desk. He leaned down again, pen in hand, unmasked eyes focused on the paper before him.

"So you two didn't talk about anything else," Raven nodded, sitting across from him. She also focused on the paper, easily recognizing the chart that she herself had drawn. "What are you adding to it?"

Instead of answering, Robin simply turned the paper to face her. Around 'Slade,' he had written two things: 'satisfied' and, branching from 'shoots Garth,' 'shoot, not kill?' Raven looked up at him, a silent inquiry.

"You, actually, pointed that out," he laughed. "You said that Slade didn't know where he shot Garth—but that he was satisfied. Slade doesn't do that; he aims, he shoots, he kills. I think he only wants to hurt Garth for the sake of hurting him, but not killing him. And, thinking about it now, there's a good chance he aimed not to kill, just so the wound could stay in his mind."

Raven's brow rose, but her lips quirked up at the relatively-positive outlook. "So Slade just wants to hurt Garth? Why Garth?"

"Maybe he did something against Slade—"

"What could he have done?" Raven interrupted, instantly fervent. "He's never been involved in the same matters Slade has—"

"But maybe, by this point, he will have done something against Slade."

"What makes you so sure—"

"Raven, a Titan is allegedly about to be pursued by the police, the armed forces and Slade," he sighed. "My creativity is growing more and more lenient by the hour."

Raven pursed her lips, staring down at the chart. "But Slade hasn't shown his face in months, Robin, maybe even a year or two if those Sturghem Street threats last winter were by a copycat. Do we even know where he is, or what he's been doing?"

The Boy Wonder sighed again. "No, we haven't been keeping any tabs on his whereabouts. We've had other felons to babysit—and that's what worries me. We don't know what he's been doing… For all we know, he could be sitting in a Titans East supply closet right now, waiting for Aqualad to walk by."

Raven suddenly looked puzzled. "Wait. If he wants to shoot Garth, why is he in the circle around Roy?"

He shrugged, bit his lip. "No ideaaactually," he slurred, eyes brightening, "I do have an idea. He must know what kind of relationship Roy and Garth have. Or what kind of relationship they don't have, I guess."

"What they don't have yet," Raven amended, tapping the words Karen had written. "'Returns feelings,' remember?"

"Yet," he allowed. "But that means… Slade wants to make Roy suffer, so he'll shoot Garth?"

"It's sounds plausible. But that just poses the question of what Slade has against Roy, and we're back at the drawing board."

"Not exactly," Robin said with a smirk. "Unlike Aqualad, who hid out under the sea helping lost fish or something"—Raven raised a brow—"Speedy doesn't have the most noble past. He and Slade might have crossed paths indirectly at some point."

"And Slade only now wants revenge?" Robin gave her a look, and she nodded to concede. "It's a start, I suppose. Will you check the records?"

"Naturally. I'll send out tracers, too, to find out where Slade's been hiding out these past few months. We'll have to avoid asking Roy directly…"

Raven nodded again, turning to leave.

"Oh, and Raven?" She looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at the expression on Robin's face. "Get Karen on the phone and… would you distract Star for me?" He chuckled guiltily; "I just… can't have her knowing. Not that I don't trust her, but… she'd… talk."

Raven smiled, looked at the ground. "I guess it's good I'm antisocial. But sure," she said before Robin could argue. "I'll ask her if she wants to go shopping."

Robin thinks Slade is 'in the closet'… (giggle)

We're finally getting into things here, so don't expect this to be ending any time soon. If I can estimate properly, I think it'll be about thirty chapters, maybe more… But who knows, things change.

I feel like I've said that before. Have I said that before? I don't remember… I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself. It happens.

Coming up are things like a Garthy-rant, a motorcycle crash and, more imminent than those, snooping gone awry. Next chapter, a certain someone who I make one-eye jokes about may come into play… I vondah who that will be!

On an additional note, I now have forums! (I'm excited by that… You don't have to be…) I also have a betaprofile, but that's not as fun… Because on the forums (and everybody, listen up!) I have a little topic called "SpAqua Hot Potato" which I'd like everyone to check out, if you could. It's an amusing project that I've wanted to do… And if you're reading this ("this" being the thirteenth chapter of a SpAqua fanfiction), you're right for the challenge…

Just sayin'. (grin)

Question: Jacob Black or Edward Cullen? (Hint: He doesn't smell like wet dog…)