Aww I’m sad it’s over. Thank you!

*cue sad funeral music*

Here lies Stupid Cupid, one chapter away from completion at the whopping age of twelve yet not updated after four years.

It was a divisive fic, as Robin had little presence in the first half of the story and thus Speedy took the spotlight, only for the reverse to happen in the second half of the story, causing all sorts of ruckus in the review section when the author let the triangle collapse and chose a single person for Raven.
Aptly so, as Robin and Speedy are both incredibly written, albiet in different ways.

Robin comes off as an asshole all the way up through the Wayne Ball arc, which is entirely believable as the girl he loves was seemingly taken away by someone else. It's easy to root for Speedy up to that point, because Speedy has more nuance in this fic than he ever got in the show and the development of the fake relationship is engaging.

But after Robin gets his time in the limelight, it's easy to see just how wrong of a fit Speedy is for Raven in this story. To me, it comes off more as "Speedy likes the idea of dating Raven" and not "Speedy loves Raven for the person she is". I was really pulled into this line of thinking when near the end, after Robin and Speedy fight, Raven goes to heal him and Speedy says "I didn't know you could heal others." I know, I know, I know, that it's used once in the show in a throw away episode, but still, my first thought was "How can he claim to love her as much as he does when he doesn't even know something as basic like the full extent of her powers?"

Of course, even earlier in the club scene, Robin says "Would you go through hell to rescue her?" when Speedy says he would brave any challenge to make Raven happy. Speedy really has no clue what Robin and Raven have been through while he was working with Titans East. Then he kisses her a few minutes later. Maybe you could blame it on the alcohol, but at the end of the story when Speedy is telling her the truth about his feelings, he says, "I never meant for you to find out, I let myself enjoy the game too much", that really ticked me off. There is "taking advantage of a friend" by pretending to be in a relationship and hugging/cuddling/sleeping in the same bed, and then there is a line that Speedy crosses because of his idea of loving Raven. Kissing her because he's a sad sack is wrong, plain and simple.

It doesn't help that when the other writer takes over for those couple of scenes after Robin and Raven get back from Gotham, Speedy really doubles down on being a possessive asshole who likes the idea of Raven, and not Raven herself. Pulling her away from her friends and trying to shove his tongue down her throat while thinking "she's mine Robin you can take her if you dare" was really gross and didn't do Speedy's character any favors. You can bet I was cheering when Robin came out on top during that fight.

I think the major flaw of this fic is that as the author put it in one of the chapters, this fic changed from "Raven loving one person and lying about it" to "Raven is trying to figure out her emotions."

Raven's character regresses. It's not hard to see how she could love Robin in any story written post season four, but she goes from "I love Robin" to "I don't know how to define love" then back to "I love Robin". I guess that's just a result of the story being started over a decade ago and the author changing their mind over time. Oh well.

At the very least, Raven's character regression adds more nuance to her character, as Selina put it to Robin, "It's better to be loved by someone and be loved in return than to die on the altar of unrequited love." Raven's internal struggle is interesting, it just comes at the cost of a pacing issue. Raven could have told Robin at the end of the dance, or when she was out getting air, or in the solarium, or on the ride back into Jump City that she loved Robin, and then from there that Speedy was a ruse and they could've moved on from there.

While the climax works perfectly, with the feelings cemented yet not spoken between the two, and then the fight as Speedy mistakes his ruse for her reality, then the final confession amidst all the tension, this story could probably have been five chapters shorter if instead of the detour to the Wayne Ball, Speedy had stayed at the Tower, but Robin and Raven spend some more time together doing date-like things in Jump City which leads them both to realize that Raven with Speedy is a bad idea, THEN Speedy and Robin duke it out, then Raven confesses... that would've worked better pacing wise.

The last criticism I have the story is a small one, but it still bugs me: more than once, Raven refers to her faux relationship with Speedy in a real sense when talking with Robin. As in, she's talking like it's a real relationship, even though she knows it's a fake one, to someone who doesn't know it's fake. Someone may be tempted to say "That's the point of faking the relationship", but it actually causes unneeded, dare I say it, contrived drama whether than if Raven was taking her time to play up the falsehood of the relationship in order to get the desired response from Robin. The whole point of the relationship was to make Robin admit his feelings, not for Raven to lead him to believe he didn't have a chance because she's referring to the relationship as a real thing when, in fact, it is not.

Either way, this story is incredibly well written. Everyone's written incredibly well and the drama is engaging, even if the drama in the reviews was kind of... dumb. People should behave themselves, because all the shippers had something to say about this one. I like this story. Good job. This is a long review so I'm gonna end it.

*sad funeral music ends*

You have to do at least one more chapter with Raven and Robin, pleeeaaasseee. I follow all Robrae obsessively and you are my favorite author and this is the best story but you need to wrap up Raven and Robin because it doesn't feel complete without a scene of them peacefully sinking into their love for eachother. Also just a side note too late in the story for it now but you could have had an awesome subplot with Chang pulling together the criminals to kidnap Raven for some reason and that's why it had been so unusualy quiet from criminals lately. Could have had Robin and Speedy forced to pull together and save her. Would have made for an interesting shift in their dynamic to have them pull together to a common cause. Overall I just absolutely love this whole story and how you write and I urge you to ignore any anonymous a-holes who aren't brave enough to write anything themselves and can only bring themselves to spread hate from behind the safety of their computer screens. Anyways love your creations! I've been a fan for years.

Gosh. I totally forgot to mention this in my last review (of chapter 26 that I put on chapter 24). So I signed out just to leave this review. Lol.

BUT I AM SLIGHTLY ANGRY AT SPEEDY. It probably seems more than slightly since I wrote that in all caps, but I am irritated with him. But I also totally get it.

I am angry at Speedy because this totally feels like manipulation of Raven at this point. Raven reluctantly agreed to this arrangement with Speedy because it was supposedly to help her get closer to Robin. And it worked. Raven and Robin are very close to outright confessing (I hope), or at the very least, know they are each other's most important person in their life. BUT, and it's a big honking but, Speedy is against the very result Raven (and supposedly Speedy) hoped to achieve. Robin is oh so close to confessing to Raven, but Speedy won't let that happen.

I get it, Speedy, you love Raven. BUT, you are lying to her. You lied to her when you made up some random chick to fit your story, and now you're lying to her about the ultimate goal. He's no longer trying to help Raven by being in a relationship. He's full on trying to be in a relationship with Raven. And what's bad about this is Raven has no clue. Raven doesn't know Speedy doesn't want them Robin and Raven together deep down. Raven doesn't know Speedy (at times) acts with the intention of driving Robin further from Raven. It happened in this chapter.

I get that Speedy is conflicted, but it's totally not okay to do to someone you love. I think Speedy will probably fess up soon, rightfully so. But I also don't think he should get off scot-free. If I were Raven, I would feel lied to and used. I am obviously not Raven, but still. I just think that's so not cool of Speedy, regardless of his feelings. I just wanted to say that because I forgot in my review and I really feel strongly about what Speedy did. Very not cool, Speedy. I have no issue with Speedy loving Raven. I just have an issue with his love leading him to lie and actively work against her interest, unbeknownst to her. I hope at least Raven acknowledges this is some way, but I can't remember if she did. So I look forward to seeing how this is resolved.

I was not prepared for the feelings.

I am steadfastly a Robin Raven fan, but I felt so bad for Speedy. ;_; He's a good guy despite what's happened. Both Speedy and Raven lied and used each other, Raven just didn't lie about it. Still, I can't help but feel that secondhand sadness for Speedy.

Ahhh, I can't believe this is the last chapter. It's been a wild ride. I have read this before, but I must've stopped at Raven and Speedy's confrontation in the medbay. I almost didn't read this again because I saw the reviews say it was unfinished. But after not finding any good RobRae stories, I told myself I'd read this and just come up with an ending in my head. I am SO GLAD I decided to re-read this. I am definitely favoriting this story because I think this is the best RobRae story I've read.

Although it's so close to completion, I think I can accept if it ends here. I will still hold out hope that one day you'll end this story with one last chapter (hopefully with Robin and Raven after a little confrontation with Speedy and Robin). But even if you don't, thank you for writing this story. Maybe it may not seem like much to you, but your story has made a lot of people happy reading it. There's a lot of things in my life I don't like to think about and this was a welcomed escape from it. I really, really enjoyed reading this. Wish I could wipe my memory and read it again. (I probably will in the future because I have crap memory.) So thank you, once again, for sharing your writing with the world. You've helped people as a lawyer and with this story. I'm actually studying for the bar exam and I read fanfics during downtime.

It was such an experience reading this. I'm so glad I took the plunge.

Preface: This review is written while I am reading the chapter, not after I read it. I just have a lot of thoughts so (for this chapter) I wrote my review as I was reading. Hence, I write as if I come to epiphanies because that's exactly what is happening.

It makes me laugh that Robin and Raven had the same thought (Robin's confession evokes the same feelings in Raven as the end of the world). It shows that they think a like and are a good fit. I'm not sure if that was a happy coincidence or an intentional hint on your part. Either way, superb writing. I love little tells like that.

One thing I haven't mentioned in previous reviews, and forgot to, is how does Robin feel about this whole thing happening cause of a lie. On the one hand, I am extremely happy Robin confessed. But on the other, I am torn that Robin was also essentially manipulated in a way. It's slightly different as Speedy and Raven weren't trying to make Robin fall in love with Raven - the basic assumption of Speedy was that Robin was already there - it was more getting Robin to finally admit his feelings. So while not the same outcome or goal, it is still manipulation, nonetheless. It's also kind of sad because it seemed sort of hinted that Robin wasn't as emotionally mature as he should have been. Maybe not as emotionally inexperienced as Raven, but still not as mature as, say, Speedy. So, I do think it's kind of sad Raven did manipulate Robin in some way. Sure, it was mostly at the prodding of Speedy, but she eventually became a reluctant accomplice.

That's why I'm glad Raven does take the blame on for herself. Both boys have stressed she was not at fault. And I agree to some extent. It's not her fault Speedy or Robin love her. It's not her fault they were punching each other's brains out. But it was her fault that Robin was distressed, or at the very least, she was a cause of it. Had the whole arrangement not happened, Robin wouldn't have felt so much disdain towards Speedy. However, had the arrangement not happened, Robin would've never confessed.

This brings me to an alternate scenario that I'm glad you didn't touch on. If Robin were truly hurt and bothered by Raven's manipulation, he would have to face the dilemma of letting it go and accepting Raven's lie or holding a grudge and possibly driving Raven away (and towards Speedy). I'm glad you didn't go this route because I want my ship to sail, but I do think it's an interesting aspect to explore. However, I'm not sure if Raven and Speedy's arrangement would warrant a very strong response from Robin as the goal was ultimately to get Raven and Robin together. It was more Speedy who ran the show than Raven. If anything, the parts Robin had a problem with were Speedy's ideas and not Raven's. In fact, Raven didn't really have any ideas and kind went along for the ride. Although still culpable, she is less so than Speedy. I'm hesitant to even call it manipulation, but for lack if a better word, Raven's manipulation does not seem so wrong compared to Speedy's (and maybe in general). Still, it isn't nice though. So, kids, if you're reading this, don't manipulate people!

Oh, wait, my point. My point was that I'm glad Raven did take the blame on for herself. She still did something bad and it should be acknowledged as bad. However, I don't think the same repentance as Speedy is warranted. I'm just glad Robin and Raven are sailing. My birds are flying high. If anything, I think Robin is just glad and relieved Raven didn't have a fling with Speedy - even if it sorta was a fling.

Wow, I just don't shut up, do I? Lol. I am just floored at the writing, honestly. The intricate emotions of the story is just so pleasing to me. I can't help but add my two cents.

That being said, I will now switch to fan-girl mode. AHSHSHHSJSHDJDJSJD. WHEN RAVEN ADMITTED SHE REALLY HAD THE HOTS FOR ROBIN, I AUDIBLY SQUEALED. OUTRIGHT SQUEALED BECAUSE IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH FOR MY ROBRAE HEART. AHhshshs

Honestly, I actually forgot that was the lie that started it all. Not the lie of Speedy and Raven, but just Raven's (innocent) lie. So when you went full circle and had her confess, I COULD NOT HELP BUT FULL ON SQUEAL. I am writing this as I read the part just to take a break and relish the moment.

Okay, I'm back after reading the part where she admits it and AHSHSHHSHSHS. Also, her reasoning is so similar to Robin's. Birds of a feather, as they say...

I just finished reading the chapter and OMG I DID NOT EXPECT THE ****. Is it weird I did that to avoid spoilers when this review spoils so much already? Let me tell you, that was 100% a very welcomed surprise. I honestly didn't think it would get to that because so much happened already.

There's so much more I wanna say. Like about Raven and Robin fighting a bit. I do think Robin needed to chill because Speedy did try to help and his intentions were pure at first. But I do find it strange Raven didn't acknowledge Speedy did manipulate her since they did fight about it a bit. But at the same time, it's true that Raven was defending herself when she was defending Speedy. They were in it together, after all. So it made sense to me. I'm actually glad Raven and Robin fought a bit because I do think things needed to be said.

Man, this story is just too good. I'm gonna be so sad reading the last chapter. Especially since I don't know how it'll end.

It doesn't look like one of my reviews posted. (I signed out to review.) So I'm gonna post it here.

Gosh. I totally forgot to mention this in my last review (of chapter 26 that I put on chapter 24).

BUT I AM SLIGHTLY ANGRY AT SPEEDY. It probably seems more than slightly since I wrote that in all caps, but I am irritated with him. But I also totally get it.

I am angry at Speedy because this totally feels like manipulation of Raven at this point. Raven reluctantly agreed to this arrangement with Speedy because it was supposedly to help her get closer to Robin. And it worked. Raven and Robin are very close to outright confessing (I hope), or at the very least, know they are each other's most important person in their life. BUT, and it's a big honking but, Speedy is against the very result Raven (and supposedly Speedy) hoped to achieve. Robin is oh so close to confessing to Raven, but Speedy won't let that happen.

I get it, Speedy, you love Raven. BUT, you are lying to her. You lied to her when you made up some random chick to fit your story, and now you're lying to her about the ultimate goal. He's no longer trying to help Raven by being in a relationship. He's full on trying to be in a relationship with Raven. And what's bad about this is Raven has no clue. Raven doesn't know Speedy doesn't want them Robin and Raven together deep down. Raven doesn't know Speedy (at times) acts with the intention of driving Robin further from Raven. It happened in this chapter.

I get that Speedy is conflicted, but it's totally not okay to do to someone you love. I think Speedy will probably fess up soon, rightfully so. But I also don't think he should get off scot-free. If I were Raven, I would feel lied to and used. I am obviously not Raven, but still. I just think that's so not cool of Speedy, regardless of his feelings. I just wanted to say that because I forgot in my review and I really feel strongly about what Speedy did. Very not cool, Speedy. I have no issue with Speedy loving Raven. I just have an issue with his love leading him to lie and actively work against her interest, unbeknownst to her. I hope at least Raven acknowledges this is some way, but I can't remember if she did. So I look forward to seeing how this is resolved.

OH MY GOSH THAT CONFRONTATION WAS EVERYTHING I HOPED FOR.

Maybe I'm biased because I like Robin and Raven, but Speedy needed to hear that from Raven. It's true that tricking her into loving him isn't a fair description of what happened, but it's a close characterization. And I don't hate Speedy x Raven, but I do think the better fit for Raven in this story is Robin, despite Speedy and Raven having the most development.

I think, if anything, it shows Speedy could've had a chance with Raven if she were willing and if he came at her honestly. However, he did not. Although Robin hasn't been forthcoming in his feelings, he hasn't (from what I can recall) ever lied to Raven. In fact, he stopped himself from kissing her because he wanted to be more truthful with her before doing so. This is a direct opposite from Speedy who has been relying on Raven's confusion to his advantage. Where Robin doesn't want to advance the relationship without disclosing the extent of his true feelings, Speedy wants to hide the extent of his true feelings in order to advance the relationship. Speedy wanted to rely on Raven not knowing he actually loved her in hopes of having her actually fall in love with him. While this is not uncommon in real life, it is especially hurtful to Raven as she likely thinks of her emotional inexperience as a weakness. This is why I think Speedy went wrong. Raven, Speedy and Robin all know Raven is someone who needs feelings spelled out for her. This has been stated time and time again throughout the story. So for Speedy to use this weakness against her must feel a lot like betrayal.

Excellent writing. I'm sooo loving this. What I really love about stories like this is that there isn't really a bad guy and a good guy. Sure, what Speedy did was not cool, but he's human. Humans act irrationally, hurtfully, and selfishly. This is precisely what happened here. Ultimately, Speedy didn't want to hurt Raven; he wanted her to be happy. It just so happened that, in his mind, happiness didn't have to come from Robin anymore. AAHHHHHHH. I love this so much. Haven't read a good story like this in so long.

Speedy is a good guy, but what he did to Raven, knowing she's emotionally experienced and hoping to take advantage (and did take advantage) of that was not nice.

Starfire is such a friggin gem in this story (and in the show). I love her so much. She's so sweet.

This review is actually for Chapter 26, but since I reviewed it years ago, I can't post another review for the same chapter. So I'm moving it to this chapter.

REVIEW FOR CHAPTER 26:
I feel like the minority here as a lot of people seem to root for Speedy, but I gotta say that I really did not like Speedy in this chapter. This is not a reflection of your writing, in fact, your writing was superb. But more that Speedy was being kind of a butthole here.

He *says* that he's not hiding behind excuses, but that's exactly what he's doing. Sure, the arrangement with Raven didn't start out as an excuse to get close to her (maybe), but now it sort of is. And Speedy uses the guise of the arrangement to get closer to Raven. It no longer is about getting Raven and Robin together as evidenced by Speedy's thoughts and actions in this chapter. "You can't have her" is the exact opposite of his and Raven's goal. So I was thoroughly disappointed in Speedy, but hey, I totally get it. He's angry, hurt, jealous and scared. He doesn't wanna lose Raven to Robin though he knows it's already happening. Thus, he acts the way he does in this chapter. It just made me scoff when Speedy was trying to egg Robin on. Not that Robin is a saint. Both boys should've been smart enough to realize where their little sparring match would go. For shame, boys.

However, totally did not like how Speedy talked about Raven. I know he's angry, but talking about her in that way (especially since it's lies and only meant to aggravate Robin) was so not nice. Lmao. I'm great with words, aren't I? But seriously, he talked about Raven as if she was just a piece of ass and not someone that he cared about. Like he was reducing her to all the girls he's been with instead of acknowledging how she's different. Still, I understand he's mad and wanted to get back at Robin essentially. Especially since Speedy knows that, from the outside perspective, the physical relationship is all that he really has with Raven. Yet, thinking that also cheapens the supposed relationship since Raven has repeatedly acknowledged she liked Speedy as a person and liked spending time with him as well. But since Speedy was just trying to make Robin mad, it makes sense that he said what he did. I guess I just personally have an issue with people who talk like that about others as I've heard it one to many times in my life. And I personally find it repulsive behavior.

That being said, GREAT AMAZING FRIGGIN' WONDERFUL CHAPTER. I can't wait for the next chapter, but I am also dreading the end since I know it's not the end end, but it's essentially the end.

AHHHHHJDKDNEJFHEJDJBFJEJE

I JUST COULD NOT STOP SMILING THIS CHAPTER. YOU GO, ROBIN! SO PROUD OF MY BIRDIES. ;_;

I reacted to this chapter like how I'd react to the best part of a movie: yelling at all the good parts and smiling like an idiot.

I haven't reviewed the other chapters, but I could not resist reviewing this one. That last part where Raven smiles? Ugh! Sign me the f up cuz I wanna ride this roller coaster and never get off. The slow burn has been real, but very satisfying imo. I'm honestly amazed at how well you paced this story. It doesn't feel too slow as there's always something interesting happening. I haven't gotten to the ending yet and I know this story is unfinished. But here's to hoping you still read reviews and maybe will consider finishing. Anyway, just wanted to drop in and say heck yeah to all the people giving Raven and Robin a pep talk and knocking sense into them. I really like how you flipped the perspectives and showed them having epiphanies. I felt the same. When something was explained in a different way, I was like THAT IS SUCH A GOOD POINT I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT THAT WAY. Seriously love it. I think this is one of the more maturely written stories as the emotions the characters are dealing with are a little deeper and fleshed out. So good. Whether you continue this story or not, thank you for writing it. Your writing is more my style compared to other RobRae stories here on ffn. It's been hard finding one where I feel genuinely satisfied at reading it. I know I'll be sad when I get to the end, but the ride has been great so far.

This story is just so good! Please if you plan to write more I'd love to see it!

more please?

I’ve read this from start to finish (well, the last chapter) a couple of times a year since I first read it 8 years ago. You’re honestly an excellent writer, and this is funny, exciting, heartbreaking and romantic all at the same. I hope you get chance to get it over the line and the last (few) chapters up sooner rather than later! Thanks for all the hours of pleasure reading your work.