Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

Grief has limits, whereas apprehension has none. For we grieve only for what we know has happened, but we fear all that possibly may happen.

-Pliny the Younger


Verbiage and Vivacity

04:45

Cyborg sat at the kitchen counter, polishing off the last of his signature five-foot meatball sub and going over the plan in his head.

Truth be told, he had expected Beast Boy to have come out of Raven's mind hours ago, and the changeling's continued absence from this plane of existence worried the android slightly more than he was willing to admit. He had briefly considered going in to check up on his friend, but realized that he'd be much more useful out in the real world- especially if Robin and Star found out. Yes, IF, because Cyborg had absolutely no intention of spilling the beans.

He hadn't lived to the ripe old age of 19 by being an idiot.

Cleaning up the mess he had made in the kitchen, Cyborg allowed his gaze to drift to the couch. He paused, wondering if he should wake up Raven and see if she was alright. The idea was dismissed as quickly as it arrived- waking her up and getting her irritable wouldn't help Beast Boy in the slightest, and he could always wait until morning to discuss whatever was going on in her head.

With that decision made, the cybernetic hero returned to his room and went back to sleep.

On the couch, Raven let out an almost inaudible whimper- one that translated into an earsplitting scream inside her mind.


Beast Boy and Hope made their way through the convoluted passageways of the maze, with Timid leading the way.

"And the time I threw you out the window last Thursday? I'm sorry about that too."

Hope laughed. "Which time last Thursday?"

Timid shrank a little. "All three times."

"I forgive you." Beast Boy wasn't really listening- he'd stopped about two minutes into Timid's list of crimes she had committed. Instead, he opted to take the easy way out- doling out forgiveness every twenty seconds.

"And the time I told you that you looked like a green Eddie Munster? I'm sorry for that."

"I for…. Wait, what? I thought that was a compliment!" Alright, maybe he was listening, just a little.

Hope collapsed into a paroxysm of laughter, gasping for air while frantically doing her best to keep her sides from splitting open.

"And that time I laughed at you for thinking that being called a "green Eddie Munster" was a compliment? I'm sorry for that too."

Beast Boy sighed as he picked up the madly giggling Hope, slinging her over his shoulder. "I forgive you."

"And the time that… oh, here we are." Timid touched a wall, revealing a wide open landscape… and no guardian statue, thank God. Beast Boy took a few steps out the exit before he realized the grey-cloaked emotion wasn't following him. Setting down Hope (who was quietly chortling) he walked over to Timid.

"You coming with?" he inquired. Timid shook her head nervously.

"I have… cleaning… to do," she mumbled. Beast Boy understood- if Raven's emotions had trashed her mind, it was only logical that they would be on cleaning duty as well.

"Alright, Timid." Beast Boy flashed the nervous girl a wide grin. "Thanks for leading us through the maze- we'd never have gotten out without you."

Timid's eyes went wide, and a tinge of color touched her cheeks. In a flash, she dove into the ground and disappeared.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow in confusion before turning back to Hope and forgetting all about Timid's reaction.

"So… tell me one more time- where are we going?"

Hope sighed. "We're not going anywhere, Beast Boy. We're trying not to stay in the same place for too long."

"And why are we doing that?"

"Because it means that we're less likely to run into one of the corrupted emotions. Or worse, run into all six of the corrupted emotions."

Beast Boy walked along with Hope in silence for a few seconds before speaking.

"Five."

The white-clad emotion looked back over her shoulder quizzically. "Five what?"

"There are five corrupted emotions left. There were only six at the Forbidden Door, and Timid's back to her normal self again."

Hope blinked. "Six? Are you positive?" Her eyes glazed over as she tried to recall the arrival of the corrupted emotions. "Yeah, you're right, Beast Boy. There were only six… I wonder which one was missing, and why?"

Beast Boy shrugged. "I haven't got a clue- the only one I can tell from the others is the one with the glasses."

"Doubt."

"Yeah, her. All the rest look the same."

"Well," conceded Hope, "for the most part they act the same. Uncertainty, Shame, Grief, Doubt, and Guilt are separated only by minor nuances-"

"Gesundheit."

"Think 'details.'"

"So why didn't you just say 'details' instead of 'nancys?'"

"I said 'nuances,' which was more accurate."

"So you're sacrificing understandability for accuracy?" Beast Boy smirked slightly.

"I'm saying what I mean as precisely as I can."

"Eschew obfuscation. Saying what you mean precisely is pointless if the intended recipient doesn't have a clue what you're saying."

About a minute passed in silence as Hope processed what Beast Boy just said.

"How on earth can you use phrases such as 'eschew obfuscation' properly and not know what the word 'nuance' means?"

"I knew- I just like getting a rise out of you." That damn smirk was still there, Hope noted.

The emotion snorted. "Just for that, I won't finish what I was saying when you interrupted me."

Beast Boy shrugged indifferently. "I completely forgot what we were talking about anyways."

"I was saying that the corrupted emotions are essentially the same as one another, except for Self-Loathing." Hope caught herself when she noticed the enormous grin on Beast Boy's face. It was the one he always wore right before doing his "victory dance."

"Damn you," she muttered under her breath.

"Unh! Unh! Oh yeah! Who's bad? I'm bad! Won an argument! Huh! With Raven! Alright! Hell froze over- get funky!"

A small rock to the head ended the victory celebrations prematurely. The changeling glared at Hope while gingerly rubbing the bump forming on his noggin.

"You should know by now," said the innocent-looking doppelganger, "that I always get the last word."

"Funny you should mention 'last words,'" said a voice behind Beast Boy. He spun to face the corrupted emotion, making sure that he was between her and Hope.

"Hello, Grief," said Hope.

"Really- Grief, right? I for-"

Beast Boy's proclamation of forgiveness was cut off by a shriek behind him. He turned to see the diminutive emotion being dragged towards a black-cloaked woman in spectacles.

"Beast Boy! Help!"


Starfire was in Heaven. Sure, she hadn't slept a wink all night, but the time spent in such intimate proximity with Robin was worth the sacrifice. Nothing could spoil her euphoria-

CRASH!

-except the thunderstorm that decided to pay a visit.

Robin's eyes snapped open as the torrential downpour thoroughly drenched the pair faster than you could say "hypothermia."

The Boy Wonder heaved a reluctant sigh. "I suppose it's time to go back to the Tower."

Starfire got to her feet, saddened that she was once again separated from the object of her infatuation. "I believe that you are correct, Robin." She gently grabbed his wrist, and was a foot off the ground when Robin spoke up.

"Hey Star… we're already as wet as we're going to get- how about we walk back instead? Maybe we can talk?" The question, delivered without stutter or stammer, still left a noticeable flush on the face of the young man.

"I think that would be a most excellent suggestion," said Starfire. She moved her hand down from his wrist to his hand, and began to walk back towards the Tower, Robin in tow.

"Er... so... Star..."


Glomp.

"Yay!" said Happy.

"Oof!" replied Beast Boy.

"Uhhh" groaned Intelligence and Hope, both rolling their eyes at the pair in front of them while putting their hoods up to hide their facial expressions.

A thoroughly surprised Beast Boy lay on the ground, the wind knocked out of him by the pink-clad woman joyfully shrieking on his chest. Eventually, she got off the poor boy, allowing him to get to his feet before once again grabbing him in a vicious bear hug.

Hope and Intelligence simultaneously slapped their palms against their foreheads before tearing Happy from the hapless Beast Boy. The excitable emotion continued to giggle, laugh, and babble gleefully while Intelligence addressed the shell-shocked changeling.

"We all owe you a great deal for your help here, Beast Boy- especially in light of previous events."

"- and it was so cute when you had Hope in your kangaroo pouch! I could have died!" Happy shouted in the background.

"Ahem, yes…" Intelligence seemed to be slightly at a loss for words- a first, for sure. "So... thank you... for... everything?"

Beast Boy smiled. "Not a problem- glad I could help!"

Intelligence stared at Beast Boy for a long moment before sinking quickly into the ground. She reappeared next to the still deliriously happy Happy, snatched her wrist, and dragged the giggling girl into the earth.

An awkward silence hung in the air between Hope and Beast Boy.

"Pretend this never happened?" asked Hope.

"I don't think Cyborg would ever let either one of us live down the kangaroo business."

"Then it's settled. Let's move."

"Yes'm."


Raven's alter ego felt its grip on the girl slip- not much, but enough to provide cause for concern.

Soon enough, she realized, she would have to personally intervene.