This story takes place during Titans chapter 7...
Roy knocked at the door. "Raven? It's me. Roy"
"Hello..." The girl only known by the name Raven opened the door. "I made tea."
"And I brought you a present. Happy whatever." Roy took out a little packet from his left pocket. It was wrapped in blue paper.
"That was very thoughtful of you... But you didn't have to."
"I know, I just wanted to get you something. It's no big deal."
"No... I mean that you really didn't have to. I don't celebrate the holiday."
"Well, I can still be nice to you, can't I?"
"That is true. I did not mean to say that I dislike the gift. It is very nice."
"You haven't opened it yet."
"But I am sure that I will like it very much."
Roy smiled and took a chair in the little room and st on the other side of the small table.
"Mr Roy Harper?" Raven said.
"Just Roy, Raven. Roy is fine, we talked about that already."
"... Roy... I was raised to hate this season."
"Look, I don't know what Brother Blood has told you, but..."
"He says that the mob uses the time to justify gluttony, and that the obsession or materialism is most visible in December."
"... Okay, that is sorta true."
"With my ability to sense emotions, I can detect so much sadness and anger in this town. Possibly more in December than the rest of the year. Why should we ignore all his pain and just be jolly?"
"Raven, I think you misunderstand. Sure, to a lot of folks, Christmas is pretty much the worst day ever. But Christmas is most importantly a ideal. And sure, a lot of people overlook this and just focus on buying the biggest presents they can, so they won't look like cheapskates to their friends and family... WOW..." Roy took a big sip from his teacup. "Just talking about it makes me a bit depressed."
"I could take the sadness away..."
"Don't worry, Raven. I'm fine. Look, my point is, that Christmas is pretty much an ideal. Even though a lot of people overlook it. The point is... Well... You SHOULDN'T overlook all the pain and sadness in the world. You should notice it, ESPECIALLY at Christmas. Christmas is... it's about being as good a guy as you can be. Trying to remember that even though there is a lot of dirt-bags out there, there is a lot of nice people too. Actually, you should open my present. It's sorta relevant."
Raven took off the paper, and held in her hands a little book with the title A Christmas Carol.
"It's an abridged version. It's my second favorite book, actually. I hope you like it."
"Thank you. And... Happy Christmas."
"It's actually merry Christmas."
"Why?"
"... I don't know... I will figure it out tomorrow. See ya."
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Tommy sweated like a pig. He always did when he was nervous, even when it was winter. He had never held a gun in his whole life. But what else could he do? He had no job, and getting one was easier said than done. He saw a family coming from the other end of the street. They looked like they were loaded.
... but he couldn't make himself do it. His nervousness, desperation and fear was tiny compared to the feeling that filled him now; guilt. For gods sake, they had their little boy with them. Imagine if it was him and his little girl being robbed at this night? Tommy sighed, and dropped the gun at the nearest trash can.
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Sarah looked down at the cold water. She had met Dan at this very bridge. She felt like her life really started here, the day that she met the man who became her husband. It would be appropriate that it ended here as well. She had been told that he was missing in action, but that was a just a nice word for; your husband is most likely dead, but we haven't found the corpse yet. She cursed the war, she cursed the army for taking her husband away, she cursed herself for letting him go. But she could't make herself be angry at Dan. And now, he was gone.
... But maybe not? He was missing, and there had been soldiers who were missing in action, and had been found alive, weren't there. Sarah didn't know why, but she felt hopeful. Maybe Dan WAS alive, and would come home? And she had been a fool and taken away her own life due to assumptions? She dried her eyes and went home.
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He had the stuff. He just had to prepare the needle, and a trip to Happy-Land was one injection away. Ned had heard all the argument for NOT doing drugs as a kid rom TV as well as school. But why not? His life was in the toilet anyway. Since Dinah had left him he had been unhappy. It wasn't so much losing her as it was being lonely. And he had tried getting another girlfriend, but with no success. And being alone at Christmas REALLY sucked. He had been alone for a year now. Been unhappy for a year. But now, it was going to end. He didn't care that he would be a junkie.
... But his parents would. It would break their hearts. They had always been there for him. Kept telling him how proud they were. Ned took one more look at the syringe, and decided that it was just not worth it.
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"Raven? RAVEN?!"
"Hmm?"
"Raven, is something wrong?" Dr.Adams asked. "You been sitting cross-legged on the floor and starred into the wall for half an hour. Are you sad?"
"No, Doctor." Raven said with a smile. "Not sad at all. Happy Christmas."
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