Could you write something with Beast Boy and Starfire? I love BB/Raven, but BB/Star is kind of just a guilty pleasure for me. They make for a very dynamic couple!
“I do not understand, what cards am I to acquire?” Starfire asked, confusion riddled across her face. Beast Boy couldn’t help but chuckle, and he leaned closer to the Tamaranean.
“You’re still looking for two sets of three. Like, three of the same card.” He pointed to some of the cards in her hand. “You can get three eights, or three fives. See?”
“Oh, I see. And what of the twos?”
“They’re wild cards,” Cyborg said nonchalantly, beating Beast Boy to the punch. The five of them were seated at one of the tables in the ops room, playing a game of cards called Phase Ten. It was a somewhat complex game of patterns with the cards, requiring the players to get a variety of ‘sets’ or ‘runs’ of different numbers each round. Beast Boy was a bit of a pro at the game; it was all the Doom Patrol would ever play.
Starfire, on the other hand, was struggling a bit.
“And I’m down,” Raven said, swiftly displaying her set of cards. She was neck and neck with Beast Boy; on the second to last level. He scowled, glaring at his shitty hand.
Well, shit.
“So, I must pick a card, yes?” Starfire asked, drawing his attention back to her. He grinned, reaching across the table and swiping a card off the deck.
“Yeah, here.”
“She’s supposed to pick her own cards, Beast Boy,” Robin said flatly, shooting him a glare. Beast Boy merely flashed his leader a cheeky grin.
“Oopsies.”
“Now what am I to do?” Starfire asked, flashing him her hand. It wasn’t a bad hand; she had two wildcards and a pair of nines. He furrowed his brows, chewing on his lip as he deliberated.
“Hmm…you need to discard one,” he said. “So throw that one out.”
Starfire plucked the card in question, a King, and gently placed it onto the discard pile, glancing back at him for verification. He flashed her a smile and a thumbs up. “See? You’re gettin’ it!”
“Come on!” Robin whined. “He can’t help her, that’s cheating! Right?”
Cyborg waved him off dismissively. “Star’s in last place, man. She could use a little help.”
It was true. The poor girl had yet to lay down, and often liked collecting the Kings and Queens, which happened to be the cards with the highest points. In a game where the idea was to have as little points as possible, that wasn’t exactly the best strategy.
Beast Boy stuck his tongue out at Robin, earning a glare from the Boy Wonder and a giggle from the alien princess.
The game went on another round. Robin was down, and Beast Boy knew Cyborg was close, though Raven had yet to go out. Thankfully. His hand really sucked this time. He muttered curses under his breath after drawing yet another card he didn’t need, tossing it angrily into the discard pile.
“Which card should I dispose of?” Starfire asked, showing him her hand once again. He peered down at her collection of cards, his gaze flitting back and forth between the different numbers.
“Well, you should probably…” He trailed off, his eyes going wide. “Hey, look! You can go down!” Beast Boy reached over and snatched the appropriate cards, laying out two sets of three; one of nines and one of fives.
“Yay!” Starfire cheered, throwing her hands up into the air. “Thank you, friend Beast Boy!” She gleefully reached out to toss a card on the discard, before Beast Boy stopped her.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up, Star!” He grabbed at her hand, pulling it back. “You’ve gotta see if you can play off of anyone else, first.”
Starfire shot him a baffled look. “Play off of anyone else?”
“Beast Boy, stop cheating!” Robin snapped. He was rewarded with a smack upside the head, courtesy of Raven.
“Let him help her,” she said. “This is Star’s first time playing this game.”
Robin leaned back and sulked, much to Beast Boy’s amusement.
“Yeah, Rob, let me help! Right, Star?”
She nodded vigorously. “Yes, please! What is this ‘playing off of’, you speak of?”
He draped his arm across the back of her chair, peering over her shoulder at her cards. “Well, we need to see if you can lay more cards down. See, look at what Robin’s got on the table. There’s a run of four, right?”
Starfire nodded, her gaze flicking back and forth between hers and Robin’s cards.
“Now, see how that run goes up to the number five?”
She nodded again.
“Okay, well you can add to it, using your six.” He pointed from her card to Robin’s run, watching as understanding dawned on Starfire’s features.
“Oh! I see! Like this?” She tossed down a six and a seven, before glancing back at Beast Boy.
“Yeah! Can you play off of Raven’s?”
Starfire furrowed her brows, peering intently at her dwindling cards. She glanced at the empath’s set, before grinning and laying some more down. The two glanced at the table one last time, before Beast Boy spotted something else. “Oh! Lay that down!”
The Tamaranean threw down another card, staring in confusion at the final one in her hand. “What shall I do with this?” she asked.
“Damn, Star!” Cyborg said, “you get to go out!”
A wild grin adorned her features, and she threw the final card onto the discard pile. “Yes!” she shrieked. “I’ve won at last!”
Before Beast Boy could respond, she grabbed his shoulders and yanked him close, planting an impromptu kiss onto his lips. It was over as quickly as it started, leaving Beast Boy dazed. He blinked a few times, turning to meet the rest of his friends’ equally surprised expressions.
“Uh…you’re welcome?” he stammered, his face burning. Starfire merely grinned, reaching for the leftover cards.
“We shall play again, yes?”
Everyone tossed in their cards, leaving Beast Boy to wallow in his bafflement.
Here you are! I like Phase Ten, but it can get confusing. Especially if you’re an alien from another planet. xD Hopefully this tickles your feels a bit!