"I am most glad you had accepted to venture into purchasing these up-and-the-trending beauty kits with me!"
Starfire grabbed one of such stylised beauty kits from their shopping bags as Raven and herself walked through the mall's main entrance, exiting to the outdoor garden. The sky was now a gradient of orange and lilac. The sun was close to be fully set, the full moon in view.
Raven glanced at the one tote bag she was holding, versus the seven Starfire had in her grasp. The contents of Raven's bag was a simple goth makeup set. It was the least unappealing item to her in today's spree.
"It was probably an improvement for me to get out of the house," she said. If it weren't for that letter impressively sent by Gar from the past, she figured she would have remained where she was the past few weeks.
Starfire giggled. "Indeed! You were keeping yourself up the hole."
Raven turned her neck to give Starfire a quizzical stare.
"... You mean I was 'holed up'?"
"Indeed!"
Raven's stare transitioned to the moon as daybreak transitioned to evening, the two females now on the San Francisco streets bursting into nightlife. If she had to be completely honest with herself, although some fresh air and a change in scenery and activity were very welcome, her mood had not livened one bit. Her monotone demeanor had refused to give in.
Perhaps Gar's evening reservations for her would change her ongoing disposition.
"We have Beast Boy to thank for that, I guess," she uttered quietly.
At that remark, Starfire's eyebrows rose.
"So, the letter from this afternoon, it was in fact from Gar?" she wondered. "From the grave? Is that why you Earthlings perform these burials of the deceased, to be able to continue this form of communication?"
Raven shook her head, though inwardly wished that were the case.
"Somehow, he'd crafted this birthday surprise of a greeting card, and a dinner booking weeks or even months before his passing," she explained. "Unbelievable, if you ask me. But, impressive, I'll give him that."
Starfire erupted in a giddy squeal followed by a sigh of affection. Her uprise in emotion caused her to jump and hover, her bags bouncing.
"His gesture of undying love for you is oh most romantic! He always did love engaging in such discussions, and was most meticulous when planning the parties and the pranks!"
Parties and pranks? Raven's pupils shifted away from Starfire with a slight frown. "Tonight's dinner better not be either..."
A few minutes later, the two had arrived at their destination.
Starfire pointed at the banner above, tugging at Raven's cloak.
"Raven, we have arrived at the Sacred Grounds Cafe! It turns out I was correct in suggesting making the short journey on the foot!"
Within her cloak, Raven finally lowered herself from the few inches she'd risen on their 'walk' from the mall to the poetry cafe. She thanked Azar that she had just enough power to do that and spare her feet.
"Let's just get this over with," Raven muttered as they entered.
After confirming their booking, Raven and Starfire were seated inside the cafe. Starfire quickly made herself occupied inspecting the menu. On the other hand, Raven was distracted studying the cafe's interior, currently not too busy in terms of its patrons.
Dimly lit with a glaring spotlight in the center of the room, the shelves of high-brow book collections, the counter display of Danish pastries, the contemporary gothic interior design; the whole place was a nagging reminder of the last time she was in a poetry cafe. In a cafe in Jump City where she and Beast Boy had one of their dates.
She could almost envision Beast Boy sitting across the table from her at that moment, and the enchantress felt a wave of sadness hit her once more.
Although, her thoughts and the rest of the patrons were interrupted by the high-pitch feedback coming from the microphone in the center of the cafe.
Starfire gasped as she dropped the menu, her attention on the MC with the mic.
"Has Mic's night been opened?" she asked Raven.
Not wanting to take the time and effort to correct her friend on 'open mic night', Raven merely responded with a curt nod.
The MC made an audible awkward noise as he cleared his throat, which was picked up by the microphone for all to hear. He proceeded to tap said microphone a few times, testing if operable.
"Hello, all," commenced the MC, capturing everyone's quiet and patient attention. "Lovely evening it's shaping out to be, listeners, diners, and poetry slam diviners."
"The eventide weather is most pleasant, yes!" Starfire blurted out, her volume a trumpet in a room of violins.
A sweat dropped on the back of Raven's head, along with an eye twitch. She looked back at Starfire and politely shoved the menu on to her face.
"Maybe you can quietly order the food for us first," Raven emphasized pleadingly. Starfire nodded apologetically as the MC continued.
"I see many familiar faces, welcome back. And also a few newer faces..." The MC almost gave Starfire a shady side-eye, but stopped himself. "This is Open Mic Night. This week's menu are inspired by the word 'Open'."
Starfire could see that, having to decide amongst a myriad of open-face sandwiches.
He continued, "For the group of you who is here for the first time, allow me to spend the next couple of minutes to give the low-down on our Open Mic Nights. First of all..."
Though Raven was paying half her attention to the MC, intently staring at him, she couldn't help but wonder why Gar chose this place for her birthday. She had never been here, nor was she aware if Gar had been - not like he would be interested anyway.
At the most, she could chalk it up to the fact that the place was her kind of vibe. Gar at least had that figured out. But she had a feeling there was something more, and that it had something to do with Open Mic Night...
The MC had completed the initial briefing.
"Now that that's cleared up, let's begin with our first poem and speaker, which was via a generously sponsored special request."
Raven suddenly tensed up. She had a strong feeling something surprising was going to happen.
"... is a Raven present tonight?"
She was right, and now she was frozen in terror. Open Mic Nights meant that people would have to stand under the limelight and share a poem, typically spoken word.
Raven could sense heat from behind her. From Starfire peering from behind the menu she'd been holding.
"My friend Raven is in attendance!" she blurted out once again, putting down the menu so that she could fling her arms at Raven, being a marquee sign for the shy empath. Raven heaved an exasperated sigh, dropping her head in embarrassment.
Did Gar leave something for me, on this day, in this cafe? To be read in front of everyone? He wouldn't dare have someone read a poem for me out loud, right? Or worse, have me read it out loud? He wouldn't...
Would he?
The MC did not seem content at Starfire's energetic confirmation, but nonetheless continued.
"We received this request, which came with a birthday greeting, along with a poem, by one Gar Allan Poe.
Hilarious, Raven mentally muttered sarcastically. She could even hear a couple of snickers from fellow listeners.
"Hey Raven! Look up!"
Raven's head shot up at the sound of Beast Boy. Or, at least, she thought she heard Beast Boy. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, not seeing him. She definitely was imagining his voice again.
"On the mic! Beast Boy at your service!"
Raven's gaze homed in on the microphone, and there he was - a minuscule Beast Boy in his formfitting superhero outfit, waving at her. She blinked, startled. He definitely was a figment of her imagination, but he looked so real to her.
She jumped upon being held on the shoulders.
"Raven?" Starfire asked. The two stared at each other in bewilderment. Raven turned her head back at the microphone. Beast Boy was still there, now grinning that dastardly goofy grin, but Starfire seemed to not see him. No one else seemed to.
"So you're Raven, okay..." uttered the MC, visibly growing impatient at the weirdness he was witnessing between Starfire and Raven. "Cosplay day, huh?"
Starfire leaned towards Raven, whispering, "I had no idea Gar's family name was Allan Poe. On records, it was written as - "
"It's a pun," Raven answered, cutting her friend off.
"It's a great pun!" exclaimed the imaginary tiny Beast Boy.
The MC looked at Raven. "Gar requested that you read this poem."
Raven's eyes widened. It was at that moment she most felt palpable the attention all the patrons were giving her. Raven's wide-eyed stare drifted to the chuckling Beast Boy.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
Beast Boy replied, "I'm not really serious... but I'm not joking, either."
The MC added, reading off Gar's request letter, "It says here that he knows how you appreciate certain kinds of poems, and so while he was resting, he had come up with a poem of his own, dedicated to you... And now he wants you to read it for the living world to hear."
Starfire gasped. Still leaned towards Raven, she was now egging her on to approach the mic.
"Go on, Raven! I shall cheer you on!"
"You and me both, Star!" seconded the imaginary Beast Boy.
"For Gar!" Starfire added.
Raven groaned, but gave in. The tense silence from the strangers in the room plus Starfire's insistent noises influenced her to walk to the spotlight as the MC stood back, hiding now in the shadows as he handed her the piece of paper.
Raven stood in front of the mic, heavy breathing, staring at the mic and the grinning Gar.
The quiet clapping from Starfire disrupted her daydream-like state. One positive note was that the cafe became so dim that she could almost not see anyone's faces.
Her pupils lowered to the paper in hand. This wasn't her first recitation ever. But it was her first time reciting a poem without ever reading it prior.
"My Raven by Gar Allan Poe..." Raven inwardly groaned at the rest of the poem's opener. "Parenthesis 'heh heh'."
"I'm a pun pundit!" quipped the little Beast Boy. "Come on, Raven! I don't care if you wanna resurrect me just to kill me again for this. Totally worth it!"
Raven gulped. She refrained from rolling her eyes at the first few lines.
"Snap peas are green
Blueberries are blue
Adorable are penguins
Awesome are emus..."
Starfire quietly clapped again. Raven could almost see the dead stares from the patrons and the MC.
Raven's eyes drifted to the next few stanzas, and her heart started fluttering.
"But ravens are the best
And mine most of all
I love her so much
Her beauty makes me... bawl...?"
He was doing slightly better until that last line, she thought, directing her thought to the small Beast Boy. The dead silence was tense.
Beast Boy flailed his arms at her. "Hey! I'm trying my best over here!"
The room was still silent save for Starfire's toned-down cheers. Raven continued.
"The blue to my green
The beauty to my beast
The love of my life
The most in my least...
Happy birthday, my sweet, sweet Rae..."
And with that final couple of lines, Raven inadvertently destroyed the one spotlight with her stray powers, turning the room completely dark. Starfire conjured a concealed star bolt in her hand to illuminate the cafe.
In the dimmed green glow, right underneath her nose, Raven could see Beast Boy pumping his fists in the air.
"Dude, now you can't deny that emotional awesomeness!"
Raven let the room simmer in a quiet pause.
"Thank you," she uttered with deadpan finality as she stepped out of the limelight, the uninspired MC stepping right back in. Starfire finally erupted in unwarranted, supportive cheer. The rest of the crowd remained indifferent. A couple of them even groaned.
Before Raven could reach her seat, the host handed her a sealed envelope.
"From Gar Allan Poe," he explained succinctly before letting her go. "You're gonna have to pay for the light repairs, by the way."
Raven nodded unenthusiastically as she briefly examined the envelope.
On the exterior, the envelope read, Open this Friday!
That's in three days, Raven thought, frustrated and wondering why Gar needed her to wait that long to open the envelope currently in her hands. She looked up at her imagination of Beast Boy as if he would have the answer to that question, but he was long gone.
Her flustered thoughts were interrupted by the MC once again.
"Also, I have notes on your poem, if you're open to criticism."
Raven rolled her eyes as she returned to her table and Starfire. "I think I got that part covered, thanks."
As Open Mic Night moved on, Starfire noticed Raven's stern look of disapproval, as if she had just received a punishment.
"Friend, Beast Boy's present was entertaining and non-physically touching. What seems to be dragging your dregnax?"
It took everything in Raven not to slam their table when she set down Gar's new envelope for Starfire to examine.
"I don't know what Gar was trying to play at," she muttered, quite in a staccato rhythm. "Whilst he was supposed to be resting, he was setting me up on this dumb scavenger hunt of his."
Starfire studied Raven's irritated face.
"Friend, I know for certain you do not think it dumb of friend Gar to have come up with this, or else you would have disobeyed the orders pertained on this letter."
Raven crossed her arms.
"Are you going to unseal it before Friday?" Starfire asked.
To that, Raven did not answer.
"Let's just see through tonight. Have you ordered?"
Just as Raven was about to look at the menu, one of the workers of the cafe came to their table, and served each a plate of a slice of confetti cake.
"A little birthday treat from the booking request," explained the worker. "Enjoy."
Starfire happily dug in while Raven took a moment, staring at the cake with a fork in hand, in thought.
It was thoughtful of Gar to still honor his self-proclaimed annual tradition of 'Operation: Surprise Raven for her birthday'. In spite of the frustration brought about by the instruction on the latest letter, Raven allowed the faintest of fond smiles form on her lips as she sunk her fork into her confetti cake.
I've been in limbo for weeks. I can deal with three days.