#suddenly all my hate has fizzled because I need this large man to slam his belly down on this smaller old man

[bottomvalerius]

SUDDEN GAME CHANGER: GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT NEEDS TO CLAP THOSE OLD MAN CHEEKS IMMEDIATELY

[titansandothersrp]

Beauty in the Strange

(This is a compiled roleplay between my Beast Boy muse and the Raven muse of @azarathian . This is a very old roleplay we wrote under different usernames, but I labeled our writing with our current usernames.)

azarathian (Raven): “I vote tacos!” bellowed the tall man strolling merrily beside her. “Ehhh, not really in the mood for—” The exuberant red-head cut right through their leader as her own ideas swarmed. “Ooooh, I would be most favourable towards the Bee of Apples!” “But guys, that new burger joint has an offer on that ends today!” the masked boy exclaimed. Raven stared off ahead of her, nonchalant to the bustle of her team’s suggestions. Wherever they ate would be fine with her, as long as they didn’t spend the next hour trying to choose somewhere (which she feared they would, knowing them).

Despite the squabble, it was honestly nice to just be outdoors. When Starfire had suggested they all treat themselves to a meal out for dinner, Raven entirely approved. The days leading up to the outing had been spent tirelessly working through chores in the tower, combat practice, crime-fighting, more chores. To say the least, it had been a hectic and less than enjoyable week so far. Now the weekend was here, their leader had finally opted to give them a break. So, dinner out with her friends it was. In truth, she wouldn’t have even minded if the evening led to somewhere else after dinner; a movie, bowling… anything but karaoke. titansandothers (Beast Boy): “A meat free bean burrito sounds good. I vote tacos.” Beast Boy said, getting a high five from Cyborg. “But I don’t feel like-” The leader started, only to be cut off by the green teen. “Too bad! Majority rules!” “But Raven has not voted.” Starfire commented. “Please, do you not wish to visit the Bee of Apples?” “C’mon, Raven. You know you want tacos~” Cyborg added, grinning as Beast Boy nudged her. azarathian (Raven): Exasperated from the endless gabble, she sighed. “As long as we pick somewhere, I really don’t care.” “That counts as a taco vote!” Cyborg chimed, flinging one arm triumphantly around the girl’s shoulders whilst the other sported a giant thumbs up to the sky. “But-” Robin rose a finger in protest, but was once again overruled by his boisterous companion. “Ah ah ah, did ya not hear the guy?!” he tutted, prodding the boy’s forehead as he fizzled in anger. “MAJORITY RULES!” With their point made, both Cyborg and Beast Boy paraded ahead of the three, intent for the Mexican goodness that awaited down the block. A bitter Robin huffed with crossed arms as he begrudgingly followed on, Starfire floating patiently beside him. “Oh, the Bees shall have to wait…” she pouted in defeat. “Nightmare,” Raven muttered to herself before following in the others’ path. titansandothers (Beast Boy):

“Yes! Bean burritos, here I come!” The others ultimately caught up to the two excited teens and they made their way to the restaurant. Starfire sat next to Robin, as to be expected, and Beast Boy sat between Raven and Cyborg. “I hope they have Dr. Pepper! I hate it when places only have Mr. Pibb. Why can’t Coke and Pepsi be served in the same building?” The green teen talked to no one in particular. azarathian (Raven):

“Life’s mysteries,” she remarked, reaching across the table to pick up a menu. As the titans browsed over their choices, a particularly chatty group of girls entered the premises behind their table. Being an individual as intolerant of noise as she was, she couldn’t help but glance behind her as they gaudily strode past. Her brow twitched a tad at the commotion; they were talking amongst themselves as if they wished for the whole street to hear what they had to say. Because of this, Raven wasn’t the only one in the diner to send a glare the girls’ way, but she was the one to let it linger when they didn’t take the hint. “He did not say that!” one squealed aloud. “He did, I’m telling you!” another shrieked, voice like a seagull. “He did NOT!” “I think he did,” Raven mumbled out of ear-shot to the rest of her own table. titansandothers (Beast Boy): “Ckkkppphhhthhh!” Beast Boy tried to stifle laughter, as did the rest of the team. The chatty clique sat at their table, continuing to squawk about nonsense. One caught a glimpse of Raven and nudged her friends. “Hey, look at that creepy girl.” The other girls tittered. “Where does she buy her clothes; Dracula’s castle?” The group laughed obnoxiously. “Careful! She might suck your blood!” “I don’t know about blood, but she sure does suck!” In the past, Beast Boy might have laughed at their jokes, but not today. He darted over to their table, scowling fiercely.

“You do not talk about my friend like that!” He was furious. He knew that it hurt Raven to be called creepy, even if she didn’t show it. And they just had to pile on the insults. “You don’t know her!” azarathian (Raven): The instant a ‘creepy girl’ was mentioned, her shoulders stiffened. Nonetheless, despite the taunt, composure had become an easy thing for Raven to preserve in such situations; she’d been an outsider her whole life, the jeers of a few immature school girls weren’t about to get to her any time soon. Citizens were citizens. They weren’t villains. And yet she secretly relished in the knowledge she could send them flying off the nearest coast if they were. Propping her elbow up on the table, then her cheek on her palm, she merely scrunched her lips and waited for the mocking to subside. Surely they’d come up with some more pointless blather any second. To get angry over it was too much of a risk, not to mention futile. Some people were just born to be jerks. Her head tilted to her left when she heard the movement of the chair, and at once her eyes grew large and head rose when the boy beside her stood and walked away.

“Beast Boy? What are y–” In seconds he was over to the posse’s table, and it was all Raven - all the other titans - could do but to watch him with mouths agape. “Who asked you?” the girls proceeded to taunt, clearly remorseless. “Are all your friends goth freaks or is she special?” titansandothers (Beast Boy): “When you talk so loud that people in Gotham can hear you, I can only assume you did!” One girl scoffed. “We’re not loud; your ears are just too big!” He ignored them. Usually, he would retort that chicks dig the ears, but he had more important things to address. “She’s not a freak, but she is special. And that’s more than I can say for you.” “Pssh. Yeah, you two are special all right.”

“I’m sorry. I guess my big ears didn’t quite catch that. Care to repeat it?” He morphed into the beast, silently daring them to say another word.

azarathian (Raven): By now the entire diner seemed to have their eyes hooked on the unfolding scene, a certain indigo pair holding the most shock in its stare. Behind her, the three teens ogled along with the crowd, mouths ajar. As the shapeshifter morphed, suddenly leering over the girls with his threatening fangs, shrill squeals erupted from below and in a frantic rush the group was fleeing the site. Before Raven could blink, the slamming of hands flat upon the table behind her shattered the air. Her head flung back to see a furious Robin, shoulders high and mask pointed down to the bridge of his nose. His eyes were like needles, piercing the green figure from across the room. “We’ll be going now,” Robin said lowly to a fearful waiter stood beside him, glare not breaking from his teammate. Raven merely watched on, entirely unsure of what to do, and only moving to stand when the rest of the group did. Robin led their exit from the building as the many sets of eyes followed the four teens. Raven turned back to Beast Boy before passing through the door, offering an unsettled look to her friend that urged him to follow suit. Once outside, the interrogation began. “What the HELL, man?” came Cyborg’s voice. “So much for that burrito!” “Beast Boy.” Their leader’s voice was a lot less forgiving, stern and blunt as he walked towards the boy. “What was that?” titansandothers (Beast Boy): Beast Boy hadn’t really thought about the fact he would scare the whole restaurant. He just wanted those girls to stop insulting his friend. Mission accomplished, sort of. Hearing the slam on the table behind him, the beast turned around… and immediately reverted to human form. His ears drooped as he looked at their leader, feeling both afraid and guilty. He sulked out of the restaurant to be berated by his teammates. So much for a nice day out. Raven was insulted, he’d scared a restaurant full of people, and now his teammates were mad at him. He avoided eye contact with anyone, opting to hang his head instead. “I just wanted them to leave Raven alone…”

azarathian (Raven):

She looked to him, both perplexed and grateful. It was unlike anything he’d done before, and especially in a setting as public as the restaurant they’d been in. Truth be told, it was incredibly seldom such a situation would arise in the heroine’s day-to-day life, yet somehow she doubted he would’ve reacted in such a way to the same scene a few months ago. This was Beast Boy, and though his friends meant the world to him, it was a great rarity for his temper to show - and especially towards a bunch of moronic members of the public. What had he been thinking? “Raven can take care of herself,” Robin asserted. It was clear he was trying to take hold of the situation without creating too much of an atmosphere. This was meant to be their night-off, after all, yet as their leader he undeniably felt the need to set his peer’s unsuitable behavior straight. “I know those girls were out of order, Beast Boy, but you can’t go turning on people like that. You’re a titan. It’s not how we handle things.” As the masked boy delivered his lecture, Raven watched the expression in the younger’s face. For the moment, she let Robin speak, for he was right - they couldn’t just enter a place and proceed to threaten the guests with their powers. Not even for a few callow insults thrown her way. titansandothers (Beast Boy): Though the changeling knew Raven could take care of herself, he also knew that she wouldn’t. He knew the others wouldn’t either. That’s why he did it. If he could have resolved the situation through words alone, he would have. Unfortunately, he was not the most intelligent or well spoken person in the world. He couldn’t just sit there and do nothing, so, intimidation it was. He didn’t respond to the scolding, opting to react only by nodding his head solemnly. Despite the scolding, he couldn’t say he fully regretted it. In the end, the girls left her alone and Raven knew that he wouldn’t stand for anyone insulting her. With the way Raven wouldn’t let him insult himself, even after she had been insulting him for years, he wasn’t going to let anyone insult her either. azarathian (Raven): With the menial response, Robin deemed his point made. It didn’t please the leader to see his teammate shot down for trying to do the right thing, and so with one last steely frown, he turned to proceed down the street. “Guess Applebee’s it is,” he grunted in his step. Starfire would’ve rejoiced, had she not been glancing worriedly at her friend. After a moment, though, she followed Robin, meeting his pace and floating beside him. The metal man was the first to attempt to salvage the situation, disturbing the tension with a forced smile and a joke. “Probably best not to mix BB and beans anyway,” he snickered to himself, giving a nudge to his friend as his way of saying ‘forget about it B, Rob’s just being Rob’. Once the three were ahead, Raven made a point to walk slower behind, Beast Boy at her side. “You didn’t have to do that.” titansandothers (Beast Boy): “Better than car exhaust,” he managed to joke back, giving a slight smile. The smile faded once the others were ahead of him. Upon hearing Raven’s words, Beast Boy turned to face her. “Yes, I did. I know you hide your emotions. I know you can be hurt. I know you won’t tell anyone you’re hurt. So, I took care of it.” He spoke quietly, not wanting to alert the others. “You’re not creepy. You’re different. You’re special. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” He knew he was guilty of the same thing in the past and he regretted it. “Even me.” azarathian (Raven): His words sank into her. As of the past month, she’d been seeing several subtle changes in Beast Boy, each becoming more notable than the last. And it wasn’t that she disapproved; if anything, it was oddly refreshing to see the boy’s disparate and intricate qualities showing through that ever-present grin, one by one. It was as if his comedic veneer he so stubbornly adorned was slowly giving way to a more involved, more illegible soul within. But the thought plagued her: what was the cause of these unique and obscure displays of emotion, seemingly emerging from nowhere? Anguish, panic, guidance, patience, embarrassment, defence, anger; they’d all seemed to make an appearance before the girl at some point or another in the weeks passed. And in many ways, she felt privileged to witness such rare displays from the usually unflappable changeling. And now, he’d succumbed to anger, for her sake. To defend her feelings. She couldn’t bring herself to judge him at this time, but only look on at him and eventually let the smile tugging at her lips flourish. “… Thanks,” she returned, a strange but welcomed lightness in her stomach. titansandothers (Beast Boy): Despite how he was feeling moments earlier, he was elated now. He’d made Raven smile and he knew he made her feel better. It was a welcomed change of pace to believing himself nothing but an annoyance to the girl. He gave her his usual toothy grin. “No problem. If this happens again, I’ll try not to get us kicked out of anything.” He gave a nervous chuckle. “Yo!” Cyborg called back to the two when he realized they were behind. “Could you two stop chewing the scenery so we can start chewing some food?” azarathian (Raven): There it was; that same, signature laugh that could only come from the boy she knew as Beast Boy. Through her nose, she exhaled a certain tension she hadn’t known had been there, smile lingering even as their hungry friend called out from ahead to move them along. Her eyes darted to the man, catching the quick movement of Beast Boy running along past her to catch up with their friends. For a moment, she found herself fixed where she stood. Her subconscious told her to question it all; why he’d chosen now to stick up for her, why she’d been the one to see him exposed in his grief, why he’d sought her out in his distress, why she was saying no less and less. Why things were feeling… different. But she didn’t. For her thoughts were adrift, unable to fully focus on anything besides the familiar figure jogging ahead of her. It wasn’t until second later, when her senses returned that she realised the simper still etched upon her face. With a start, she shook her daze to the wind and was once more tailing along with the rest of the group. titansandothers (Beast Boy): The five ultimately made their way to the restaurant and had a pleasant and (mostly) uneventful dinner. (Cucumber slices are not monocles, Beast Boy.) Afterwards, the five discussed what to do next. “A movie?” Cyborg suggested. “Dude, we just ate! I don’t have room for soda and popcorn!” Beast Boy argued. “Oh, you are such a lightweight!” “Hey, not everyone can have an iron stomach!” “Friends!” Starfire interjected. “There is a showing of fireworks at the park tonight in celebration of the new hall of town. Perhaps we can partake?” “Mm. I dunno. I know Raven’s game.” Beast Boy gestured with his thumb. “Loud noises and bright colors are her two favorite things, after all.” azarathian (Raven): Through the meal, Raven kept quite quiet. Thankfully, the others had enough liveliness to lift the ambience and keep conversation thriving as she fiddled with her food. Her thoughts weren’t present, but instead meandering in random succession amidst the restaurant’s bustle. Even so, she was aware of all exchanges her friends made around her, and would look up now and then to affirm her attention to the group. She couldn’t quite place the cause for her sudden reflections, but wasn’t all too bothered by them either. Eventually, their plates were empty and bill was paid. Once outside and standing again, Raven became more alert to the current chatter. “Kind of you to notice,” she bounced back at the jokester, inflection satirical as ever. It didn’t take much discussion for the team to agree upon Starfire’s suggestion. Raven had noticed when pacing the streets earlier that the event was advertised on a few posters and billboards. Seemed like quite a big deal, so she imagined it was worth going. By the time the titans reached the park, twilight was dying the sky a lavish shade of teal. It was deep and rich in its hue, foretelling a clear, obsidian night was upon them. Clearly, news of the event had spread as masses of Jump City’s citizens cluttered the grassy verge. Raven inwardly winced at the number of people, hoping the group would be able to find a quieter spot before darkness fell and the show began. Instinctively, her hands rose to lift her hood around her face. “Over there!” Starfire pointed, having sought out a more sparse area for them to settle. Raven followed her finger and spotted the turf, breathing a sigh of relief.

titansandothers (Beast Boy): The changeling simply responded with a cheeky grin. Upon reaching the park, he turned to Raven. “And crowds; your third favorite thing.” Fortunately, they seemed to find a slightly less crowded area. Starfire looked at the sky. “Though the show has not started, the sky is already beautiful.” “Just like you.” Robin added and wrapped an arm around her, eliciting a giggle from the Tamaranean. Beast Boy rolled his eyes and Cyborg commented. “I guess those mozzarella sticks weren’t enough cheesiness for one day.” azarathian (Raven): Raven completely respected the couple’s occasional displays of romance, but even she had to admit, it was both a culmination of awkward and amusing when the masked wonder spouted such cliches to his girlfriend in front of them. The three third-wheels exchanged their own glances, a snort begging to escape the hooded girl. “Come on.” She was the first to offer a mature approach, though still secretly entertained by the sight. “Let’s give them some space.” Motioning to the two boys, she put some distance between herself and the love-birds, finding a spot not too far that they’d lose each other into the show but still far enough to grant Robin and Starfire their own privacy. A few other groups of people were scattered between. “She’s got him wrapped ‘round her finger, huh?” Raven smirked at her friends, hand on hip. titansandothers (Beast Boy): The two boys followed after her. “Like a yo-yo.” Beast Boy agreed, nodding. “Took ‘em long enough.” Cyborg added. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pair so obvious take so long to get together.” The changeling looked to the sky. “Gotta say though, he picked a good time to be romantic. Just look at that sky… Bet you can’t get that in Gotham!” Cyborg looked up and whistled. “Sure can’t!” azarathian (Raven): As Raven joined the two in admiring the view, a sudden scent crept into the surrounding space, followed by a loud, strident shout. “HOT DOGS! GET YOUR HOT DOGS, HERE!” She didn’t even have to look to sense the wide eyes plastered on the metal man beside her. Any second, she was certain he’d be running over to the man behind the stall, a wad of cash in hand to fill his supposedly empty belly. “Well, all right!” She’d assumed right. “Anyone who’s not a vegan,” he squinted his eyes at the younger boy, “want one?!” “We just ate,” Raven remarked. “Suit yourself, more for me!” Cyborg beamed down at the two before taking off in haste towards the hot dog queue, elated as a child at Christmas. She watched him disappear off into the crowd, knowing he’d be back in a few minutes with stacks of snacks piled in each hand. And suddenly, she was all too aware of the last remaining presence to her right. “…” Her gaze wandered around, as if seeking something but for what, she didn’t know. titansandothers (Beast Boy): Beast Boy scrunched his nose at the scent and cringed at the voice. Hot dogs; ick. He stuck his tongue out in disgust as Cyborg made for the stand. Once they were alone, the green teen looked at the empath, forgetting his distaste for meat. Their conversation kind of got cut off earlier. Maybe he could take the few minutes they had alone, well, as alone as you can get in a crowd, to continue it. “So… I never got to ask. Are you okay? Y’know, after what happened at the taco place?” azarathian (Raven): “Hm?” She’d almost not heard his voice peek out from above the throng, but looked to him once she did. The mention of what had ensued earlier sent a tremble through her ribs, and only then she realised she’d spent all the time since mulling it over in the sanctum of her own mind. Surprisingly though, it had not been the words of the girls that occupied her, but the words of her defender. It had only been at the distraction of Robin and Starfire that the thoughts abandoned her, and now all at once she was brooding again. “Oh. Yeah, it was nothing,” she surmised, attempting to brush off the incident as if she hadn’t been dwelling on it for the past hour. titansandothers (Beast Boy):

“Are you sure?” He looked concerned. thinking she looked a little uncomfortable. “If you’re upset, you can tell me. I’ll keep quiet.” It was a bit ironic that he would say that, given he was half shouting so she could hear him. There’s also the fact that he’d had issues keeping her privacy in the past. Even so, he was telling the truth. “You have no problem letting me know when you’re angry.” He half joked. “So, don’t have a problem letting me know when you’re hurt.”

azarathian (Raven): He wasn’t naive. Obviously the boy had picked up on her repose since the event; though Raven was a woman of few words anyway, it was evident she’d been more talkative beforehand. Still, how was she meant to tell him that her behaviour was evoked not by her taunters back at the restaurant but by his own response to them? The passing comments of some ignorant girls was to be expected; Beast Boy’s defiance was certainly not. Raven ultimately opted to appease her inquisitor, even if it meant lying. She wasn’t willing to divulge the truth of her quietude, for even she didn’t quite understand the meaning behind it. “Well, it wasn’t the best start to the evening.” At least that part was truthful. “I’m fine, though. Some people aren’t worth dwelling on.” titansandothers (Beast Boy): He gave her a nod. “Well, if you won’t dwell on it, I won’t either.” He continued to smile. “I was only mad because I thought they upset you. I didn’t really care about the ears comment. Chicks dig the ears, after all.”

He thought for a moment. “Then again. They didn’t dig the ears.” He shrugged. “Eh. I like them. They make me me.” He smiled and gave them a wiggle.

azarathian (Raven): She gave a half-smile teamed with a brow-raise at his gibbering, slightly bemused by his confidence in the anomalies that were his ears. It was almost endearing. With his smile, her gaze wandered from him to the grass beneath her feet. Though her voice carried a certain rumination, it was undetectable; neither poignant nor pleasant. Merely stating what she considered a fact. “Can’t get hung up on people just pointing out the obvious, anyway, I guess.” titansandothers (Beast Boy): “You’re not cree-” He slapped a hand to his face, realizing lying won’t help. She is creepy, but that doesn’t make her bad. How could he show her that?

He looked down in thought, spotting something in the grass. Was that-? Perfect! He knelt down and ushered the little spider onto his gloved hand. Keeping the little critter cupped in his hands, he approached Raven. “Okay. Maybe you are creepy. But who says that’s a bad thing?” He opened his hands to reveal the little spider, fuzzy with colored fangs. “Spiders are no doubt creepy, but they’re awesome! This is a jumping spider. They can jump distances several times their body size. And even though they’re creepy, I think they’re kind of cute. Look at the colors!”

“If spiders can be creepy and awesome, so can you!” He smiled at her. azarathian (Raven): Her gaze descended to the spider cupped in his hands; something most would look upon and scream, fleeing in fear. She’d always found the concept rather foolish. The creature before her, though unsightly to some, was ultimately harmless. Even those with the potential to harm had little to no intention of doing so, unless threatened. And yet people still deemed them something to be avoided; gruesome, awful… creepy. Beast Boy made a very good point. She watched as the spider scuttled across his glove, so small in the curve of his palm. And with a slight hesitance, she raised her own hand, cupping it in the same manner his was as it hovered below, awaiting the insect to crawl or jump - whichever it chose. “Hm. Didn’t know you were a philosopher,” she said blithely, eyes flitting up at his before landing back on the spider. titansandothers (Beast Boy): “I’m as surprised as you are.” He chuckled. It wasn’t often he felt smart, but he had his moments. It felt nice. He watched as Raven offered her hand to the spider. The spider opted against jumping down and instead continued crawling on his hand. “Aw, c’mon, little guy~ Raven won’t hurt ya~” He lowered his hand to be touching Raven’s, making a little slope for the spider to crawl down. This time, the little spider left his hand and walked on Raven’s. “There ya go~” He pulled his hand back. azarathian (Raven): When the tips of Beast Boy’s fingers lowered onto hers, she made a point to keep her own still and welcoming to the potential guest, careful not to frighten it away. Ironic, really. The thing so many saw as threatening was merely existing, and yet could easily become the one to be threatened by doing so much as wandering into the wrong path. Something so vulnerable and small. Why did people fear it? Because of its appearance? She suddenly felt rather fond of the creature, especially so as it gently darted along to her own open palm, offering her its trust.

Her smile was reflective as she looked down at the aphid scampering across her skin, her hand tilting slightly to accommodate its quick and aimless movements. Perhaps creepy wasn’t always bad after all… She silently let it wander, exploring the back of her hand now as it bustled across the mount of her gem. “He’s not shy, is he?” she mused aloud, tilting her hand again as it moved back to the dip of her palm.  She flinched when the creature suddenly decided to jump into the air, and in a blink was gone, leaving her hand empty. Her eyes lingered on her vacant palm for a second before bringing her arm back to her side. titansandothers (Beast Boy): “Aw…” His ears drooped a bit as the critter hopped away. “Oh well. Was fun while it lasted. At least we won’t be distracted from the show now.” He looked up at the sky, which now had a purple tint, signaling the arrival of nighttime. Shifting his gaze to the side, the changeling realized the magus still had her hood up. Why she felt the need to wear a hood when it was already getting dark out was beyond him.

“Are you going to leave your hood up the whole time? You should take it down for a better view. C’mon. It’s pretty out~” azarathian (Raven): “Yeah.” Her eyes wandered past the crowds to see Cyborg almost at the front of the hot-dog queue. Night was falling upon the city quickly, an inky tint melting over the remaining wash of light just across the horizon. She turned to the boy addressing her, considering his words. She’d only raised her hood in the first place to shield her ears from the noise and calm her senses. But as they’d settled into a quieter spot, the crowd now an indistinct muffle, she felt it fair to unveil her face from the shadows. And so her hands held onto the sides, letting the fabric fall to her shoulders as she breathed a “fine” to the boy. A cool breeze caressed her exposed cheeks whilst her gaze ascended to the sky, now almost entirely swallowed by darkness. titansandothers (Beast Boy): He smiled when she lowered her hood, glad she was letting her guard down a bit. It wasn’t long after that the sky had darkened enough for the show to start. As the first firework screeched into the air, Beast Boy looked up in anticipation.

With a boom, there was an eruption of color and light. “Coooool~” He uttered in awe. Glancing to the side to see how Raven was enjoying the show, he found his gaze stuck to her.

It hit him all at once that he had yet to realize something about Raven. All the years he’d known her, he’d never noticed. But now, as the fireworks illuminated her, highlighting her features in colorful lights and causing her eyes to shine, he realized… Raven was… really pretty. azarathian (Raven): Raven winced at the first blare as it rocketed up, but quickly adjusted to the roaring sound. The crowd cooed in awe, all eyes clung to the sky as it boomed and fizzled with striking iridescence. The blackness was ablaze in colour and sound as shimmering flames pierced the dark and danced in the air. The magus, too, was captivated; it wasn’t often she got to see fireworks, and sometimes it was easy to forget the beauty of something when deprived of it for too long. This night was proving to be a stunning reminder. Her lips parted as she drank in the sight, cloak sweeping around her frame in the gentle wind. For what felt like ages but could’ve been mere minutes, she stood gazing to the sky, wordlessly, until with a blink she caught eyes upon her to her side. Naturally, her senses cast her own sight away from the fireworks to acknowledge the presence upon her. “What?” she asked, face glowing beneath the lights. titansandothers (Beast Boy):

He hadn’t noticed he was gawking or that he was starting to smile… Until she spoke to him. “Gah!” His eyes widened as he realized he’d been staring and she’d noticed.

Was he just ogling her? He was ogling her! What the heck, dude! You don’t ogle your teammates! Get it together! Your teammate is pretty; big deal!

“Um… what what?” Playing dumb was something he could do pretty convincingly, he thought. Despite the efforts he had been making to make Raven feel better today, he doubted telling her she was pretty would go over well. Plus, how dumb would he look saying it took him four years to realize she was attractive? azarathian (Raven): A little confused, she eyed the boy as he seemed to start from a daze. As the sky continued to boom above them, her brow rose a tad to better seize his attentions.

“You were just–” “Aw maaan, did I miss the start?!” A dejected Cyborg abruptly hindered her speech with a rowdy whine as he returned to the scene, several hot-dogs piled in his hands. Nonetheless, with another eager bite, he was munching away and let his despondency slide, almost instantly grinning again and regarding the display. “Now that is a sight worth seein’.” titansandothers (Beast Boy): He let out a sigh of relief when their metal friend returned. He’d never been so happy to see Cyborg. “Yeah, dude! If you weren’t so busy stuffing your face, you wouldn’t have missed it!” Beast Boy was quick to take the opportunity to change the subject. Cyborg merely scoffed as the three resumed watching the fireworks. Even with the rocky start, today turned out pretty well. {FIN}

[onceuponaprime]

Prompt: Drautos and Cor at guard duty during a nocturnal event at the citadel (inside or outside).

I won’t lie writing this super fluff made me more sad than writing my usual angst. They deserve a little happiness somewhere. And I maybe definitely used this prompt as an excuse to write a dance, because damn ballroom dancing I’m weak. 

So a while back I mentioned a “what if Titus hadn’t joined the Empire AU” and uh yeah I’m finally writing something for that. So Titus joined the Lucian Army after he lost his home at fifteen and joined with the Accordo group soon after. They took his grumpy ass back to Insomnia with them and the rest is history that I definitely need to write at some point. Hope you feel better soon friend!

If there was one thing Titus hated more than Niflheim it was these damn political functions and all the grandstanding that came with them. He stands stiffly at his post, watching over the room at perfect attention while nobles dressed in gaudy clothes dance and drift across the room. Almost twenty years in Insomnia had done nothing to acclimate him to such customs as this, and even after all this time Titus found it overwhelming. It didn’t help that his new armor was just that and he hadn’t quite broken it in, the leather was stiff and stifling and he was quite sure it creaked whenever he moved his arms. There was no way he could be more uncomfortable in such heavy formal garb unless they added lace to the high collar and he had to fight the urge to fidget. How Regis managed to stand holding these functions year after year was beyond him, but it didn’t seem like the king had any intention of stopping soon, much to his dismay. Speaking of Regis, Titus couldn’t see his head in the crowd even when he leaned on his toes to get a somewhat taller view. Just as he’s about to go looking Clarus breaks through the throngs of people and heads straight for him.

“Is everything alright, Clarus?”

“What? Of course! Regis wanted to speak with you, it’s nothing serious.” Titus falls into step with the man easily, lets him guide them through the crowds with the sort of awkward grace of someone well practiced in balance but not so much in the more frivolous entertainments of the upper class.

“You’re sure everything’s alright?” He nearly collides with a nearby couple spinning across the dance floor and the man carrying a large tray of champagne across the room while he follows Clarus and the Shield’s miraculously easy strides.

“Calm down, Titus, if there were any sort of emergency you’d be the first to know.” Clarus almost has to shout to be heard above the music and conversation, but Titus catches the exasperation in his voice and decides to let his baseless concerns fizzle to little more than an itch at the back of his mind.

“Are you at least going to tell me why Regis sent you to drag me across the ballroom to speak?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

Clarus leads him to a set of the large double doors leading out to one of the ballrooms private balconies, and he hardly has a moment to enjoy the fresh air before he notices his king.

“Your Majesty,” he says with a quick bow, though the man has his back to them.

“Ah, there you are, what took you so long?” Regis turns to greet them with a warm smile, pushing away from the balcony rail to lean on his cane. The movement gives Titus a clear view of the figure beside him and he feels his breath catch in his throat.

“It is a rather crowded ballroom, Regis, that was the point of getting fresh air.” Clarus rolls his eyes and closes the balcony door behind them, blocking most of the clamour save the now faint music, ushering Titus forward though his feet feel suddenly leaden.

“I suppose that’s true,” Regis chuckles. “And how are you enjoying the festivities, Titus? I know you hate these things.”

“It’s,” he trails off, unable to form much of a cohesive thought when Cor looks so stunning in his new regal finery. “It’s… breathtaking, Your Majesty,” he finally gets out. Cor meets his eyes over the king’s shoulder, almost shy, and Titus feels struck dumb for a moment. Clarus clears his throat, and he drags his eyes away, face heating slightly as he turns his attention to the man beside him.

“I’m sure you will be missed at the festivities if you’re gone for much longer, Regis.”

“I suppose you’re right, Clarus, best not keep them waiting. Would hate to repeat the New Years celebration we had two years ago.” The king takes a few steps forward, gait surprisingly steady. He and Cor make to follow in unison but Regis raises a hand before either of them can get very far and shoots them both a stern look over his shoulder. “You two stay here, enjoy the night air,.”

“But-” Before Cor can protest further Regis stops him and Titus dutifully closes his mouth.

“I am quite well protected with or without the two of you in the room. It won’t be all night, please just enjoy yourselves, at least for a few minutes.” It is hard to argue with Regis once he’s set his mind on something, be it as friend or king, and Titus chooses not to argue.

“As you wish,” he bows, somewhat mocking, and Regis makes a pleased hum in his throat.

“Don’t have too much fun without us,” Clarus teases at the open doors, winking at them without subtlety.

“Enjoy the nobility,” Titus replies, the heat in his cheeks forgotten as Clarus’s expression falls into an irritated scowl before he slams the door, shutting them off from the world once again.

“I don’t know if I’ve already said it but you look good in your new armor, Captain, the red suits you.” Titus turns around to look at Cor as he speaks, suddenly closer, close enough to reach out and brush the edge of the weighty cape.

When he finds his voice he says, “It’s been an adjustment. I’m used to more mobility.”

“You’ll break it in with time.” Cor smooths out the length of black beneath his fingers, eyes downcast, something Titus can hardly bear when they’re alone. He reaches out and tilts Cor’s chin up gently, until those blue eyes meet his own.

“You didn’t tell me they’d fitted you with formal Council garb.”

“Figured you would think it’d look ridiculous. No reason for the Marshal of the Crownsguard to be all dressed up.”

“You’re more than that, Cor, and you look…” Once again he loses his words, unable to think of any that would do the man any justice. “Breathtaking,” he settles on after a moment. A flush rises to Cor’s cheeks, and he pulls a hand away to smack his arm lightly.

“Shut up, you sap,” he scolds without heat, and they stand in the relative quiet of the balcony for a long moment laughing softly before Titus composes himself. The muted band from within the ballroom rising into a grand waltz whose beat could almost be felt through the marble beneath his feet.

“Well Regis and Clarus have given us quite the opportunity, I’d be loathe to waste it.” Titus takes a step back and gives a little bow and extends his hand. Cor looks back and forth between his face and his hand rather comically.

“Are you serious?”

“Absolutely.” There was that delightful flush again and Titus felt like they were mere teenagers, awkwardly prancing around each other once more.

“If you step on my feet there will be hell to pay,” Cor mumbles, but takes his extended hand and lets himself be drawn closer. His other hand settles on Cor’s waist and Cor’s lands on his shoulder and he wishes their formal garb didn’t have so many damn layers, but the light pressure is enough.

“Shall we, my Lord Leonis?” Cor gives him a look but says nothing and they fall into the slow movements of the simple dance. One, two, three. One, two, three. A steady rhythm for even he to follow and together they dance, some moonlit waltz beneath the stars. One neither of them would forget.