12 Days of Christmas [RobStar]

[Silv]

Characters: Starfire (Elenaphant) & Robin (Silv)
Possible cameos of other characters.
Setting: Titans Tower
Previous Threads: None
Plot Summary: Starfire has a Secret Santa~ ten guesses who. (Hint: you won't need ten.)

[Silv]

Day 1
He was the first one in the common room that morning. Robin smirked lightly as he glanced around the large room one last time to make sure no one else was around. No one was. He pulled out a package that he'd left hidden in his cape and gently placed it on the couch in the spot Starfire frequently sat. It said her name across the front, typed out in letters across a shimmery bow, but beyond that it was just a package in brown wrapping paper. Inside was the real treat: a small collection of Christmas movies and a note that read:

On the first day of Christmas 

your Secret Santa gives to thee~

To get you in the Christmas light
enjoy some good old black and white.

With Christmas cheer,

Your Secret Santa

With the gift safely stowed away for the recipient to find Robin wandered off. He planned to stay far away from the common room, going to the gym for his regular morning warm-up, before coming back up to see if Starfire had found the gift. That should remove suspicion. And off he went a-Robining~

An hour later and he headed into the kitchen. His hair was still damp from a post-workout shower, hanging in dark spikes onto his face, and annoying him as he was pulling open the fridge. He pulled out the egg carton, skirting around the blue fuzz as it made a grumbling noise and reached out for his green gloved hand. Robin quickly shut the door, masked eyes wide in comedic horror, and edged away from the fridge to start cooking.

[Elenaphant]

Starfire woke up bright and early like any other day. She started her day with light stretching so that she could prep for her morning training. First, she needed energy and that meant breakfast! It just so happened that she saw Robin in there making his own. "Good morning!" she greeted to him with her usual chipper tone. She observed his damp hair and figured he had an earlier start to the day than she did. Their shared tendency to wake up early meant they usually met up in the gym for their routines. It seemed this time she slept in longer than he did--but it was nice they would at least break fast together.

Starfire was a fan of the blender. She popped in washed fruit and veggies, secured the lid, and pressed the button with glee. Then she poured the sludge into a cup, poured herself a bowl of cereal, and walked over to sit in her favourite spot so she could watch some morning news. That was a pretty standard routine, except...

"What is this?"

Sitting on top of the cushion was a brown box and a bow with--ooh, her name on it! Starfire knew very well about the season and its gift-giving, but it was twelve days away from that day. She knew, because she had been recently fretting over what to buy her friends. She placed her breakfast down on the dusty coffee table and leaned in to read the tag. 

The first day of Christmas? 

Secret Santa? 

She gasped. "I have a present from Santa--oh!" She covered her mouth. It said it was secret. Or, was this a Santa all for her own? She did not know, but she eagerly ripped the tag from the package before shredding the brown wrapping in one impressive swipe. It flew over the back of the couch to land discarded on the floor. They were movies! Black and white movies. The little rhyme made sense now!

There were still many things that did not make sense. Since the bag no longer had a cat, she figured she would ask Robin. "I thought the Jolly Red Man only gave presents on the birthday of one of your important religious figures?" Starfire mused, because she very much believed he did indeed exist. "That's still twelve days away, and yet the card says it is the first day?" Had they entered some temporal vortex?

Silv
Note: Santa is real!

[Silv]

The door to the common room swooshed open, catching Robin's attention, and he watched as Starfire appeared in the doorway. He paused in his breakfast making, his masked eyes widening in surprise, before he remembered he was supposed to act cool. Collected. So she wouldn't suspect anything. He cracked one of the eggs he was holding, hiding his nervousness in the easy movement.

”Morning Starfire!” Robin greeted as she entered the kitchen.

Sounds of sizzling eggs on the pan reminded him that he should be paying more attention to his food than to her. The walking traffic light turned away from Starfire's blending to flip over a slightly burnt egg. He frowned, but there wasn't much he could do about it. His nerves didn't subside as she left the kitchen to take her breakfast over by their massive screen. Robin waited anxiously to hear if she noticed the gift as he buttered his toast.

Her question had him glancing over his shoulder towards her. ”What?” he echoed. But she didn't need to explain it. Especially since she seemed so surprised to get a gift from Santa. Robin smiled to himself as he went back to the fridge for a glass of orange juice. He almost poured too much juice into his glass as he watch her open the present. She was asking more questions, and so Robin wandered over towards the couch with his food.

“Santa only delivers presents on Christmas eve, yeah,” Robin agreed with a nod as he set his juice down by her smoothie concoction. “but sometimes he'll have other people deliver gifts for him. Sometimes you know who it is. Sometimes it's a secret.” he explained to her as patiently as ever. The Teenage Thunderbolt took a bite of his eggs. They'd get cold and gross quickly.

“The twelve days are probably a reference to the song,” he added. “I'm sure you've heard it. On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me~”

He cut off nervously. “So...uh...what did you get?” the Boy Wonder asked, leaning forward to see, even though he already knew. “Those are pretty good movies. We could put one in now. If you'd like.”

[Elenaphant]

Starfire listened to the explanation and felt her confusion be replaced with excitement. By some fortune it had been decided this year she was to have a mysterious gift-giver. Now she could wonder, with more intrigue than misunderstanding, who it could be. Did she know them? Was it a special helper of Santa's? That was part of the fun. If it was meant to be a secret, she supposed the appropriate thing was that it remain so. All in all, she felt very fortunate and special because of it.

The second part of her inquiry was melodically answered. She recognized the tune, having indeed heard it before, and chimed in with, "A partriage in a pear tree~" 

He was spared her musing about the 'true love' bit when he offered they watch it. "Oh, yes! You'll watch it with me?" she asked to confirm, and with a happy bite of her lower lip spun around to set it up. Once the movie was in, she floated back to her spot and grabbed the remote. Once she got the movie started, she adjusted the volume and placed the remote nearby for easy access. Then she grabbed her cereal bowl and commenced with watching. 

There had started out a respectable gap between them, but with plates and glasses left empty from a finished meal, time progressed and lessened the divide. She had naturally gravitated toward him, drawn by his comfortable presence without even noticing, their hands resting side by side as they experienced A Wonderful Life together.

Notes: Second day?

[Silv]

Day 2
The first day had gone better than Robin had ever expected. He grinned as he lightly set the next box against her door on his way to his early morning workout. It was wrapped in the same brown paper, but the ribbon with Starfire's name on it was a different color. Today the box had a camera inside, and the note read:

On the second day of Christmas 

your Secret Santa gives to thee~

Make a new memory that will last.
Do what your Titan friends did in the past.
Go to the mall - follow children small -
they will lead you to the one who started it all.
Sit on his lap, and whisper in his ear,
what you would like for Christmas this year.

SAY CHEESE!

With Christmas cheer,

Your Secret Santa

He vanished down the hallway and downstairs to the gym. Hopefully she would find it and come to ask him what it meant. Robin's fairly rigid schedule made him the easiest Titan to predict in the Tower. He hadn't exactly seen that advantage before, it was mostly something he picked up from the Circus and then from Bruce. The walking traffic light made it to the gym and began his stretching routine.

[Elenaphant]

Perhaps as predictably, Starfire went straight to find Robin at the gym when she found her present. He was, after all, the only one in the know as she had done her best to keep it a secret. She had no idea of any behind-the-scenes planning, or who was involved. All she knew was that she was immensely grateful for the gifts and the treats she had to look forward to.

On her own, she understood the idea of children taking pictures at the mall. She supposed that was where she would go. There was something else she wanted to ask Robin. She peeked in through the doorway to see if he was there and if he was alone. She saw him over by the mats doing his stretches. Good. She hadn't caught him doing something intensive. She floated in with her new camera in one hand, and the tag in the other. "Robin!~" she called in a cheerful lit to greet him. "I got another one! My secret Santa is doing the twelve days," she announced gleefully, then looked behind her once more to make sure no one was going to walk up behind them.

She hovered and touched down closer to him. "Is it not lovely? A camera! How thoughtful. This time, however, I have instructions," she said and leaned in to show him the card. "See? My secret Santa... wants me to sit on Santa's lap! How fun. Though, I do not know if it is allowed? I am not a child," she wondered; although, there were some that would call them 'meddling kids'. "Do you think they'll let me if I explain?"

[Silv]

The Boy Wonder pulled back into a sitting position at the sound of his name. Robin tilted his head back to look up at Starfire as she floated in with the present and the tag. He couldn't help but smile at the excitement in her voice. “That's great, Starfire,” Robin said as he hopped to his feet as she moved closer to show him the tag and the camera.

“Very nice,” he commented with a nod. Robin listened as she explained the bit with Santa, and her fears that she wouldn't be allowed to take a picture with him because they really weren't children anymore.  He'd considered it maybe for moment, but he wasn't too worried. Many people considered them to be kids, and even of those that didn't, nobody could ever refuse Starfire. She was too adorable. Maybe it was flawed logic caused by hormones.  “I'm sure they would,” the Titan leader replied. “Santa would never turn anyone away. No matter how old,” he informed her confidently.

“I can go with you,” Robin offered. “I don't think Santa arrives at the mall until later, but we could get some Christmas shopping done.”

[Elenaphant]

He assured her it would be alright, but she was happy he offered to go with her. She nodded eagerly. "Yes, please, to both. We can shop for our friends together," she said and then slyly bumped shoulders with him and said, "so we can be the 'Santas' too." She did a little happy wiggle on the spot. She was in a glorious mood. Giving and receiving gifts, shopping, and spending time with her favourite person? It was as though someone out there knew exactly what she wanted. 

"I will go get a bag to put my new camera in," she said. "You take your time getting ready--I will meet you in the garage." She figured it would be easier if they took a mode of transportation other than flying. They had gifts to carry after all. Once it was agreed, she left to get ready. 

x~~x~~x~~x~~x~~x

The mall sure was busy! It was the grandest in Jump City and managed to make the space feel full with holiday decorations. Festive fixtures hung from the cealing and garlands lined upper floor rails. Starfire took it in as she looked about with one hand to the strap of her bag. That hand dropped to grab Robin's as she walked with him past a crowd of holiday shoppers. "Look at that one!" she said, pointing up to  a particularly impressive decoration that hung above their heads. She was tempted to fly up with him to inspect it closer, but they had a mission! To buy presents for their friends!

It went from browsing one Hallmark store for cards, to exploring nearly every store to try and get ideas for their three friends. There was also getting distracted by stuff she wanted for herself. Time flew as fast as she did. When she rode down a cramped escalator with her three bags, she glanced over to the once empty Santa Station to see the man sitting on his festive thrown to a long line of children. As if an eager child herself, Starfire suddenly exclaimed, "Santa!" which cast some glances her way. 

Not even noticing any stares aimed toward her, she took Robin by the side and simply flew them off the side of the escalator so they may faster make their way in line. Children stared at her wide eyed. It wasn't a rare thing to spot the Titans out. Many people were used to seeing them living their lives out and about. Children, however, with all their wide-eyed wonder, didn't get the chance to have them standing with them in line.

For Starfire, she was right at home surrounded by little ones and their parents. She simply adored children. A little girl beside her asked if she was really going to sit on Santas lap. She had captured their curiosity and answered every question. As they waited in line, more children became bolder. Some told her what they were going to ask Santa; others told her she was their favourite Titan. Some told her one of her friends were their favourite. She pointed out Robin waiting for her to one that admitted he was their favourite, and the child promptly hid behind her leg so he wouldn't see them and Starfire wanted to melt from the pure adorableness.

If she couldn't sit on Santa's lap, just waiting in line for it would have been enough for her.

Thankfully, when it was her turn they were all more than happy to accomodate. She had drawn quite the crowd of spectators outside the line who had come to see the Titan take a picture. There was something amusing about an alien and Santa taking a picture together. Like her tag said, she whispered in his ear what she wanted most for Christmas. The jolly old man smiled and told her a sweet girl like her was sure to get it. Then, at special request, she asked Santa if he would 'take the selfie' with her, explaining she had gotten the camera from her 'secret' Santa. 

That too was allowed, and she got her selfie with Santa. She thanked everyone and waved to the children still waiting in line. She went back to reunite with Robin. "I guess we shall go home now?" she asked, and just as she was about to turn around...

"Excuse me? Do you mind if we took a picture with you?"

Starfire looked to Robin. It was his call, because she could already see people looking their way for an answer who would also like one with them. 

[Silv]

Shopping with Starfire was always an adventure. They tracked back and forth across the mall, finding things for their friends, finding strange things in general. He hadn't expected to be pulled into the air upon seeing Santa, but besides his masked eyes widening comically as he was startled, he accepted being carried with no complaint beyond the reddening of his face. When his feet hit the ground again he had no problem with taking the shopping bags and waiting outside the line to Santa.

Watching Starfire with the children brought a smile to his face. She was always so sweet. His grin widened when she gestured to him, and the little kid she was with suddenly ducked away. Robin could only imagine what that was about. But he didn't have too long to ponder it. The line moved quickly, and soon she was talking with Santa himself. He had no idea what was said up there, and he moved listlessly towards the exit of the display to meet Starfire there.

She'd exited one photo opp to jump right into another. Robin chanced a glance at Starfire, and since he was feeling particularly generous this holiday season, he nodded in agreement. “Sure.”

He had inadvertently created a monster.


Day 3
The next morning Robin left his present in the kitchen. It might not have been a good idea to put it in the fridge, where the worrisome blue sludge crept instantly towards it, but when he closed the door again he put it out of his mind and wandered over to the main computer with his breakfast. Today the ribbon was a new color, containing a box with a brightly colored ladle, and the note read:

On the third day of Christmas 

your Secret Santa gives to thee~

The best present is to give
food the less fortunate need to live.

With Christmas cheer,

Your Secret Santa

Robin turned his attention to the Titan mainframe. They'd spent a lot of time yesterday at the mall. He had to make sure that they hadn't overlooked anything while they'd been busy taking photos with their fans. Not that it wasn't important to do that of course.

[Elenaphant]

By then Starfire was waking up bright and early with an excited flutter to find her new present. She checked outside her door with full bedhead, and when she didn't find it went back to actually get ready before resuming her hunt. Hair and teeth brushed, she left her room and decided the best way to go about it was to find it during her usual routine. It was still dark outside and she went to the training room to stretch and do some light exercises. She had skipped them two days in a row, which was not a problem in the long-term but she liked to keep herself prepared.

By 7:00am she had two hours of work-out and felt the morning grumbles hit her. After a quick shower and clean clothes she felt fresh, if starving. She entered the common room through the sliding doors and immediately spotted Robin sitting at the Titan mainframe. She simply smiled in his direction and left him to his work. She poured granola and cut fruit into her bowl, and as she reached for the milk in the fridge...

A present! The granola and fruit bowl was momentarily abandoned as she took out the box. It was thinner and longer than the others. What was it doing in the fridge? She read the tag and lifted the lid to see a shiny ladle. She smiled at the thoughtfulness of her gift-giver. This was the season that lauded generosity. She knew what she was to do.

Starfire floated over to where Robin sat holding her new tag, and landed softly behind him to press one hand to his shoulder and bring the other around to show him. "Can you give me the number of the nearest community kitchen?" she asked. She leaned in, her chin tickled by the spikes atop his head, and gave him a hug from behind the chair. "You have been so good keeping me company and helping me with this Secret Santa stuff," she said, having no idea that he was the one orchestrating everything on top of his help. "I can do this one on my own if you need to stay here and do work."

[Silv]

Robin glanced up from the computer when the door whooshed open. He tried not to react, but his heart always skipped a beat in anticipation. The last time it had been a false alarm, but this time it was her. The boy smiled back, watching her for a moment with that same stupid smile on his face, before remembering himself and turning his attention back to the Titan mainframe.So far the holidays had been suspiciously quiet and-

He felt a hand on his shoulder and his brain shut off for a moment. The Boy Wonder turned to get a face full of ladle. His eyes scanned the note he'd written, even though he already knew what it said, before darting up as he tilted his head back to look up at her. He felt his face heating up at her nearness. She smelled good. Kind of sweet, like honey and- right. She was asking to get ahold of the nearest soup kitchen. "Sure Starfire," he replied easily, pushing aside the window he had open to pop open a new search. It took seconds to find the number. He left it on the screen as she informed him that if he was too busy here she could go alone.

"I- no!" Robin spun his chair around to look at her, "I mean, I'm not too busy. Volunteering at the community kitchen would be a good for the Titans to give back...with less property damage." he joked weakly.

To avoid any more awkwardness he quickly called up the number he'd looked up for her initially. The elderly woman in charge of the Soup Kitchen was more than happy to talk to the pair of Titans and the entire team was invited. Robin said he'd let the others know, and that he and Starfire would be there to help set up lunch.

"I'm going to finish up here," Robin said, gesturing weakly to the screen in front of him. "I'll meet you at ten to head over?"

****************************************************************************************************************

Hours later and Robin's spikes were in a ridiculous hair net and he was spooning out meatballs in the spaghetti line. Helping at the kitchen had been kind of fun. They'd been put to work instantly upon arrival, and Robin found himself first hauling supplies inside from the delivery truck. When it became obvious he wasn't the most efficient hauler he was tasked with tracking supplies. The amount of clipboards they had to keep track of was dizzying, and Robin felt even greater respect for the kitchen's regular volunteers.

Even though he'd come with monogrammed oven mitts Robin didn't actually get to cook anything. He helped moved the food out into the lines wearing a borrowed apron with a fuchsia shade just hideous enough to clash horrendously with his uniform to avoid ending up covered in food. Once all the food was ready to be served he was pushed into one of the serving lines.

Meeting all the people was eye opening. The Boy Wonder couldn't help but smile as one family with young children told him how much they looked up to the Titans.

"It's snowing!"

A burst of cold air, fresh from outside, whispered past him. Robin glanced up from spooning three meatballs onto an older gentlemen's plate to look with widening masked eyes at one of the older ladies who'd been bossing them around in the kitchen. She was laughing, and snow did seem to be glittering as it melted on her hair.Snow? A white Christmas was more than he could have hoped for. He turned to look at Starfire excitedly, before looking out the window.  Sure enough, large lacy flakes danced past the window, thick as they would back in Gotham. 

[Elenaphant]

It put into perspective how much work went around such an endeavour and how many people relied on it. There were whole families who came hungry to them. Some admitted to her it was the only meal they were likely to get. It felt good to know she had made a direct, positive influence on a person's day even if it was just putting food on their plates. Still, there had to be more that could be done. She resolved then and there that she would put more effort not only into saving lives, but improving them. 

She was laughing at something a person said when there was an exclamation about the weather. Like Robin, she turned her head to the nearby window and indeed, there was snow falling in Jump City. That was unusual for them, but in this case it was fortuitous in fitting with the typical holiday themes. She looked to Robin and caught his smile, returning one of her own. "♪Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow~♫" she sang. 

That was how a soup kitchen became impromptu carollers. It was magical. 

At the end of a day of volunteering, it was nice to take a step out from the warm kitchen to cooler weather. It wasn't freezing, even for humans with lower temperature tolerances than she. Her head tilted up to catch snowflakes on her face. She turned her gaze fondly to Robin, saying nothing, but just sharing the moment with him. Then, she reached out her hand and took his, threading their fingers as they walked back to his bike.

"♪Walking in a winter wonderland~♫"

[Silv]

Day 4
Waking up the next morning Robin was greeted by a winter wonderland. Alright, so, it was mostly grey on grey shifting across the already grey city, but if he peered out the bottom of his window he could see that their island was blanketed with snow. Perfect. The sun wasn't up yet, but the snow seemed to gleam. A smile lit across the Boy Wonder's face as he grabbed the next president and raced out of his door.

On the fourth day of Christmas 

your Secret Santa gives to thee~

I’m big and white and made of snow, 
So I’ll never have a tan. 
When the sun comes out, I melt away. 
Each year, I’m a new ______ 

With Christmas cheer,

Your Secret Santa

Inside the box were a pair of buttons, a corncob pipe, and a carrot. It wasn't that large of a box, but finding the next hiding spot took some thought. Robin did a circle around the common room before deciding that no place up here suited it. Instead he made his way down to the lobby and hid the present there. It peeked out of the umbrella stand it's sparkly ribbon winking in the pale light from the window. Robin paused to survey his hiding spot, checking to make sure it wasn't so good she wouldn't find it, before he headed back upstairs to continue on with his morning.

Note: watching the presidential debate and writing posts is a bad idea xD

[Elenaphant]

This time, her present was harder to find. She had guessed it would be in another position. It was not out in the hall, or anywhere she could tell in her room. When she entered the common room, where two of the three had been, she hadn't been able to spot it immediately. It was not in the cupboards, at the table, on the counter, around the TV--it didn't seem likely it was in the room at all! She searched after eating breakfast and was quite obvious about it. No, she was quite certain it was not. It could be anywhere in the Tower, then.

As she passed by the large windows, she looked out at their little island covered in snow. She grinned as her breath fogged up the glass. The snow looked like a glittery white blanket. It looked so soft. Then she thought about the people who had left the community kitchen early and her smile fell somewhat. It was cold out there. Some did not have have shelter. She had decided that she was going to make more of an effort. Perhaps she ought to look into what programs existed in Jump City. That meant getting out there and taking initiative to learn and engage herself.

"I will be going out," she announced, feeling resolved. "Yesterday inspired me to do more to help the city. I'm going to find out what I can do." She turned and left the common room through the doors, and since she could fly, she forewent waiting for the elevator and simply flew down the spiral staircase down to the lobby. 

She reached it in no time at all, being a flying superhero and all, and was about to leave through the door when she happened to see something shiny. Ooo, what was that? She realized, peaking out of the umbrella, was a ribbon and--AAAH! It was her name! She got her claws on it like a cat to tinsel and excitedly read it. It took her a moment to understand what it was saying. She was not very good at riddles. Anything made of snow would melt in the sun? A new what? She opened it and found... a pipe, buttons, and a carrot? Was she feeding the bunny rabbits?

She didn't even recognize what the pipe was for. She stared at the object with alien curiosity. It was a bit harder for her this time, because Starfire never built a snowman.