View source for 716/It Ain't Easy Being Gar, or I Stood Up to Raven and Lived to Tell About It

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2020/03/23
|Location=Titans Tower
|Synopsis=The aftermath of Gar vs. Raven leads to further developments
|Cast of Characters=325,339
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>The rest of the tour, for what it is, is about as quiet as Titans Tower itself. While it has managed to remain remarkably clean given the fact it's primarily had one resident for quite some time, there's just a different feel when there aren't others around to see enjoying themselves, watching TV, working out, chatting around the dinner table, and so on.<br><br>It's even extra quiet as Gar points out different parts of the Tower in a voice that's barely above a whisper.<br><br>Raven withdrew back to wherever she went, possibly her room, which they are going nowhere close to ("Uh, women's dorms that way. Let's keep going" was the gist of it). Colette had other things to tend to, part of which may be finalizing Kian's visitation to the place.<br><br>Gar was growing distant again, but it's not hard to figure out why after what he did a short time ago. His expression was just...subdued as they turn toward the male dorms.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>Terry is quiet, too, and it doesn't take a genious to know why. He's shaken and looks paler than usual- if that is possible. He does pay attention to the tour, as the Titans is definitely an interest of his, but what he pays attention to the most is Gar: his body language, his mannerisms. His distance.<br><br>Whatever was that had taken him over back there was gone, or at least it had retreated. He didn't want to dwell on what it was, it felt /strange/.<br><br>He reaches out and tries to grab Gar's hand in his, a gesture of comfort while they were both still awash in spectral ice. If it's not rejected, Terry will hold on. "So what's your room like?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>The hand is weak. The tour is monotonous. The Titan is spooked, though thankfully not catatonic because that would be pretty bad. Still, Gar being skittish when it comes to darker corners or shadowy areas is understandable, given the circumstances. Almost mouse-like, sans mouse. "It's, you know, a room. It has a bed, a place for my clothes, a chest to keep some stuff in, a desk. Oh, and windows."<br><br>Sounds like quite a room, doesn't it? "If you want to see it?" he offers, his eyes trailing down the doors until they see the one that has a nameplate on the wall reading 'Beast Boy.' Must be his.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>"Yeah, let's go in," Terry says quietly. He might even lead Gar towards the door of his own room. The teen was scared, but that fright was beginnning to get overtaken by worry. What could possibly go wrong, he had asked. <br><br>Idiot.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>The door creaks open. "Welcome to my nest, or my den, or my pasture..well, there's no grass here, so that kind of doesn't work."<br><br>Gar moves in and while the room does show signs of being lived in, mostly tidy, the personal touches are minimal so far, as if the occupant has been just using it like a hotel room instead of his own. "Not much right now, I know, but I think I'll be putting a poster or two back up soon."<br><br>Hey, things could have been a lot worse.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>Terry gives a perfunctory look at the apartment, but then he pulls Gar by the hand, walkingg towards the bed and sitting dow. He pats the bed right next to him- because he's not going to yank Gar into a sitting position. His eyes are full of worry.<br><br>"Sit by me?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>Led along almost like someone who needs direction just to do the basics, Gar plops down on the bed and swings his legs back and forth off the edge for a moment, then he stops to peer Terry's way. "You look like you saw a ghost," he points out.<br><br>Which, really, is not far off from the truth in some ways.<br><br>"Or, you're turning into one." A green finger points at a very pale hand.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>And Terry smiles a little, "That's cause green doesn't pale. Lucky you." He slides closer and throws his arms around Gar, pulling him into an embrace, two parts comfort, one part protection. His hand rests at the back of Gar's head and strokes his hair.<br><br>"Gar... " he tries again, "Oh god, Gar.... what /is/ she? I've never seen anyone do... /that/."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>Or does it? Gar seems to be looking a lighter shade of green, regardless. "That's what you think," he says just before the arms have claimed him, one of his hands bracing against a Terry knee just so he doesn't topple over in the process. There comes a brief tensing at the hand up around his hair, then a touch of relaxation.<br><br>"That was our welcoming party. You can see why nobody really comes around here these days, unless you're as stupid and willing to get erased from existence as me," he explains.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>"That... wasn't stupid." Okay... maybe it was, "But it was brave. I don't think I could've done it."<br><br>He strokes Gar's hair and sighs. He slides closer, so Gar doesn't have to balance, but those arms aren't leaving him just yet. "I've been in fear of my life before, Gar, but this is the first time I've been in fear of my /soul./"<br><br>Terry rubs his other hand up and down Gar's back, "Geez, I can't leave you here alone with that... bundle of darkness on the loose..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>Gar Logan laughs softly, but it's on the hollow side. "Haha, yeah. Raven has a way of making you question your whole being sometimes, but she's...hnngh. You heard what she said, didn't you? She's hurting, too. Even more than anything you've seen with me. Everyone abandoned her, and so did I. We all left. She stayed here, in the place that probably reminded her every day of what happened while I was off in Hollywood trying to act like everything was great. I didn't realize everything hit her this badly, and she's been the only one here pretty much ever since we all fell apart, with nobody to try to help her get through it."<br><br>He leans into the stroking of the hair, which is not unlike a general petting, then he adds, "She scares me on her good days, but she's super awesome to have on your side. I was terrified down there, but I had to do that. I had to show her someone cared enough to try, and give her a chance to see that. I have to be there for her."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>"Okay... just remember you have to be here for me, okay?" Terry asks, his hand running his fingers through Gar's hair. "Who's going to save me from certain doom if you get eaten by a sorceress?" <br><br>He slowly draws back so he can look at Gar in the eye. He suddenly asks a very honest, somewhat blunt question. "This is the point at which people bail, isn't it?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>"She doesn't really do that, the whole 'eating people' thing," Gar replies, enough of a shake of the head that it can be felt through the closer contact. "Usually."<br><br>So it was possible Raven could have swallowed him up, all of them, or even done the dark things that were going through her mind.<br><br>He adds, "But, dude..she's not well. I almost never saw her like that before. She was spooky when D..when Nightwing and I came back, but it's gonna take more to get her back to normal. I mean, to /her/ normal. I guess I can see why everyone else stayed away. Maybe they tried this already and decided it wasn't worth it, but I think it is."<br><br>His eyes and his expression still show he's spooked, but it's fading slowly. "Yeah, it kinda is that point. But I'm not running away again."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>Terry nods slowly and reaches over to take Gar's hand in both of his. "Well, guess we see this through to the end, whatever that is, because I'm not bolting either. I just saw you put yourself in mortal danger to try and save a friend of yours from... whatever horror is eating her up."<br><br>He smiles a little. "You're... I am glad to see I wasn't wrong about you. But I swear to god, if you walk into mortal danger like that again-"<br><br>He pauses, and then raises an eyebrow. "... I think I just realized how you felt when I did... you know .The thing."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>Gar Logan squeezes back, the hand no longer feeling weak like it did before. He's getting some of his strength back after it was sapped during the Raven Encounter. "Things fell apart because nobody was ready to do the hard thing and try to stay. There's a good chance if we do all of this again that someone else might die someday, but..dude, I need the Titans. I think Raven does, too. I did that because I really do care about her, and she can be pretty cool in a spooky, weird way when she's more...under control."<br><br>Yeah, Terry saw more of what makes Beast Boy who he is, and it nearly got them all splattered in the clean lobby of Titans Tower. But, they got through it. Maybe it was by the slimmest of margins, but that's how it is in this line of work.<br><br>At the veiled threat that cuts off when Terry figures out how it compares to himself, Gar just nods once, emphatically. "Yeah. The thing." He taps Terry's nose once with his other hand. "But I guess that comes with the territory."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>Terry smirks a little. "I see your point. I do. I will be more careful. But you do, too, when you can. Still..." he tilts his head a little, "I think you were in full knight in shining armor back there." One hand leaves Gar's hand and reaches up to touch the green teen's right cheek. "And if my books are even remotely accurate, I believe you deserve a reward for a brave feat like that."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>"No, you probably won't be. I'm usually not, and you seem to want to take after me for some silly reason, soooo..." Gar is blunt yet light-hearted in his response, for he's already seen Terry's penchant for getting himself into hot water. Some people are just that way. "That just means we're going to get into more stuff we have to get out of."<br><br>He snrfs out the nose at the shining armor comment, replying, "I could have used some, for whatever good it would have done, but what kind of reward?" A leading question, but one that sees his head angling toward one side in open curiosity and wonder following the touch.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>Terry is more than happy to provide an answer to that. He leans forward without saying a word and, just like that, breaks through the invisible barrier. Lips touch, and although it is a rather chaste kiss, it is a kiss nevertheless, and it's one that lasts.... quite. bit, as the arms wrap around Gar again to hold him.<br><br>Terry's chest feels like a drum, and he isn't sure this is going to down well. What exactly drove him, he's uncertain. Probably a lot of different things, not the least of which the combination of almost losing Gar (and his own life) and Gar's bravery in the face of abject terror.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>This was a moment Gar would have been supremely naive to think wasn't coming sooner or later, and maybe it makes more sense in light of what happened - and what nearly happened - in the lobby.<br><br>It's still not something he's prepared for.<br><br>When it happens, his eyes widen. Is it the first time he's kissed another guy? Well, he did say a lot of people in Hollywood have tried 'going the other way,' and he was a little evasive when it came to discussing what he may or may not have done.<br><br>No matter. Irrelevant now.<br><br>The eyes then shut, his arms impulsively slipping around Terry's body, and after a quick swallow he's pressing his lips against Terry's with something behind it. His heart is racing like it did in front of Raven, just for an entirely different reason.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>Terry prolongs the kiss for a while, his arms holding Gar to him. There's even a little tipping involved, until he breaks the kiss and stares at Gar breathlessly, cheeks flushing red and copper hair falling over his face. His arms still hold o, and his chest rises and falls with the unusual intensity.<br><br>"I... " he tries to say something, but he seems to be unable to form a coherent sentence for some reason. He gulps and watches Gar attenttively. He sure felt Gar kissing back. But it's almost like he needs to check again that it wasn't justs him feeling it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>Gar Logan holds it for a couple more seconds before he leans back, wiping at his mouth as if to taste it somehow. The color in Terry's cheeks definitely removes some of that pale complexion, enough that he has a half-smile in response to it.<br><br>"That was..nice," he determines, but he is disentangling himself from Terry and the bed, adjusting his shirt as he looks around. "Suddenly I'm hungry! I think everything is catching back up to me!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>"Oh. Er, right, the food." Terry says, hastily standing up and combing his hair back with his hands. His face goes to a casual expression, carefully maintained as he readjusts his t-shirt. "There's the pizzas in the lobby. C'mon, we should get them before they get cold, right"<br><br>He makes a beeline for the door. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>Oh, the pizzas have surely cooled off by now, if not quite as cold as Raven was down there. "..yeah!"<br><br>He's a few steps behind Terry, only because he's still processing the multiple ways his life has probably changed in the last however many hours that have gone by, ranging from meeting Kian to encountering Raven, and finally this moment with Terry.<br><br>Nothing will ever...EEEEVER...be the same again!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>As they head for the Lobby, Terry puts his hands inside his pockets. Once the treasured pizza boxes come into view, Terry opens one of the boxes. Hmm. <br><br>"Nothing a bit of a stint in the oven can't help," he says, sounding very, very casual.<br><br>Internally, though, he's all a-turmoil. Gar's detangling and quick change of topic, and no further mention of what happened read completely different to Terry, quite the opposite of how Gar reads them. <br><br>While Gar is distracted with the pizzas, he whips out his phone and pretends to check it. "Uh. Gar, I need to head back," he says, trying to keep his voice steady, "There's another sighting of that red-and-blue blur people are saying is a Superman wannabe. Miss Lane wants to meet up with me to see if we can catch..." his throat tightens for a second, "But I'll call you when it's died down..." <br><br>Jingle-jngle, the key come out.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:325|Gar Logan (325)}} has posed:'''<br>Gar Logan follows back down to the lobby, peering toward the pizzas before something else creeps into his head: Terry is acting a bit odd for someone he just enjoyed a first kiss with. Almost..detached?<br><br>There's a reasonable excuse. They were through some pretty serious stuff with Raven, and both of them are a bit out of sorts. Gar starts gathering up the pizzas to say, "I'll just take these to the kitchen and..." But, Terry has his phone out, and he's sounding a little more weird all of a sudden.<br><br>Confused, Gar just accepts it for what it appears to be, answering, "Okay. You just..do what you have to do, and I guess I'll see you later?"<br><br>It leaves him standing alone in the lobby, boxes of pizza in hand. Raven: gone. Colette: gone. Terry: going.<br><br>"Well, these pizzas aren't going to eat themselves," he tells himself, voice suddenly much smaller.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:339|Terry O'Neil (339)}} has posed:'''<br>Terry is back at his car in record time, which does lend credence to his claims of a Superman imposter. Door closed, heat on, stereo blasting. He pounds the wheel a couple of times, for good meaure.<br><br>"You IDIOT!" he hisses, furiously rubbing at tears that are coming out despite his best efforts. "You just had to go and kiss him. Just had to go and rush things!" <br><br>He steps on the pedal after switching out of park, zooming out of the parking lot and onto the bridge. It made sense. Gar was too kind, to nice to outright push him off. He'd been taken by surprise by the kiss, but the sudden shift in everything immediately afterwards? Deflection He knew what that looked like. Heck, he was a master at doing it.<br><br>So it only makes poetic justice that the moment he decided to be completely direct....<br><br>"I've probably screwed it all up.." he says to himself, to no-one in particular. He needed to get home and burrow under the covers and put his phone on silent for the next twenty years. <br><br>And then go to work in the morning.<br> <br>
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