This is another fic where I used an idea originally based on one of last year's prompts, specifically day 5's "Movie Night." Because movie nights are a pretty great way to use your downtime, right? For this one, I decided to do a little flipping of the script, as it were, in terms of Robin being the one to get lost in understanding pop culture from Starfire's home planet. I thought it would be a fun idea for the Titans to watch a movie from Tamaran, and it also gave me an excuse to indulge my headcanon of Cyborg and Starfire working together on cross-planetary (usually food-based, but nobody said it all had to be cuisine) projects.

Culture Clash

Starfire could barely keep herself still as Cyborg made one last check of Titan's Tower's main viewing screen. The two of them had been working on this project for months now, and Robin could feel the energy buzzing between them.

"Alllll righty, then, we should be good to go," Cyborg said, backing up and wiping his hands more as a gesture of completion than any real need.

"Are y'all ready to witness the historic occasion that is Earth's first interstellar movie night?"

Beast Boy raised his hand. "Question: Are we sure this is the first one on Earth? Because there's kind of a lotta aliens in the Justice League and –"

"First. Ever," Cyborg insisted. "Even if those guys have any, the Watchtower is in orbit above Earth so it doesn't count."

"Cool then! Heck yeah I'm ready!" Beast Boy replied enthusiastically. Raven simply nodded, Robin grinned and shot Cyborg a thumbs up, and nobody even had to ask Starfire with the way she was practically vibrating out of her seat.

"Oh, it has been so long since I last watched Lover's Grove properly! It was one of my favorites growing up," she gushed.

Beast Boy sprang up in his seat. "Wait, that title translates to 'Lover's Grove?!' That sounds like a total chick flick!"

Starfire gave him an even look. "If you are using the term 'chick' in regards to a female individual, then wouldn't any movie I enjoy constitute a 'chick flick?'"

Beast Boy opened his mouth again to retort, but paused. Robin could practically see his brain trying to parse whether she was joking or not.

Cyborg chuckled. "Easy, B. I had to watch it a bunch to put the subtitles together and I still didn't get tired of it. Star has a good taste in Tamaranean movies if this one is any clue."

Starfire blushed and giggled at the praise, and Robin smiled at her and loosely swung an arm around her shoulder. Beast Boy, still a little put off, rolled his eyes and gagged teasingly at the show of affection.

By the time they were about an hour into the movie, Beast Boy had changed his tune. He and Cyborg both laughed raucously as one of the characters on the screen made a comment about gloorgs and some place called the Deksa Mountains. Starfire was grinning and giggling along, leaned forward in her seat with her chin propped in her hands.

Robin didn't get it.

When the laughter died down, he leaned over to Cyborg and spoke in a voice that he hoped was low enough that Starfire wouldn't catch it. "Okay, I know gloorgs are those big guard dog-things, but what do they have to do with anything?"

Cyborg sniffed and wiped a mirthful tear from his human eye. "I have no idea," he muttered back, "but I bet the Deksa people wish they didn't either!"

He chuckled again at his own joke, but Robin only frowned. This wasn't the first cultural reference that had been lost to him – it felt like every other joke, and several of the more dramatic moments, had some distinctly Tamaranean element that he didn't quite understand. Cyborg and Beast Boy seemed to be following along all right, but Raven was watching the movie with a bemused little frown on her face that said she was as lost in the references as Robin. At least that meant he wasn't just clueless.

Starfire suddenly placed a hand on his arm and leaned over toward him. "Do you need help understanding the plot?" she whispered.

Robin jolted a little and winced, ashamed that his confusion was so obvious to her. He didn't want her to think he couldn't appreciate her favorite movie.

"Not… really," he hedged. At her patient stare, though, he gave up and let his shoulders slump.

"I guess I just keep getting lost in all the Tamaranean cultural stuff," he confessed. "I'm following along with the main story about the two families all right, but some of the details are… confusing."

To his surprise, Starfire smiled and nodded in understanding. "I know that feeling very well. You doubtless recall how often I was confused by your Earth ways when I first moved here."

Robin frowned. "Yeah, but you always seemed to just, I dunno, roll with it. I keep getting distracted and completely missing the punchlines."

Starfire shrugged. "It was not always as easy as you make it sound. But… I suppose I made my own fun, in a sense. I made a game of sorts out of trying to learn or guess the situation from context, and simply followed the energy of you and the others when I was completely lost."

She paused for a moment to glance back at the movie and snicker at some obscure joke – the comedy relief was stealing the show at the moment, so there'd been a lot of those lately – while Beast Boy cackled from the far end of the couch. With a thoughtful eye on him, she added, "I suspect Beast Boy and Cyborg are doing the same thing now."

Robin's brow furrowed and he hummed a little to himself, deep in thought. It made sense, but…

Starfire's expression lit up with an idea. "Perhaps after the movie is over, I could explain the meanings behind any references that are confusing you. Then you will understand it better the next time."

Robin smiled at that. It was such an obvious solution, but somehow hearing it out loud – and having Starfire suggest it, so he knew it would not be a bother for her – was enough to brighten his mood considerably. He was becoming increasingly interested in Tamaranean culture as time went on and everything about it seemed a little less daunting, and getting a better understanding about a piece of media that was so important to Starfire sounded like a wonderful way to learn even more.

"You know what?" he said, resting his shoulder comfortably against hers as they both settled back in their seats. "That sounds like a great idea."