This is insane! I started writing this story when I was a 13-year-old middle schooler and am finally finishing it as a 22-year-old college senior. Thanks very much for the reviews! I'm hoping I can keep the story writing the same as when I started it literally ten years ago. Let me know how you feel about this chapter. It has been really fun to write :)
Chapter 10 of Periodical Emotions
Beast Boy stepped across a large rocky stone. Raven, Beast Boy, and her various consciences travelled along a winding stone path and up to large tan stone stairs adorned by evenly spaced columns. "So...what's the council?" Beast Boy asked, looking down to watch his step while crossing the large rock path. They had reached the top of the long winding stone staircase that ended at large floating stones. Beast Boy jumped from one floating stone to the next and flailed his arms wildly almost losing his balance. He gulped, seeing the long distance down to the ground. Wisdom floated across the rocks next to him, adjusting her round spectacles and closed the book she was reading. "Council is a decision making process held by us emotions whenever crucial events need to be debated upon by Raven. It's a type of self-reflection that empaths have the ability to use." Beast Boy thought for a moment looking at Knowledge quizzically. "Oh ok. So it's kind of like those courts on CSI...but for Raven's emotions?" She sighed, hugging her book close. "Kind of like those, except introspective and much fairer than human courts. When Raven holds councils, she has the ability to really feel and accept all of her emotions. Certain emotions hold feelings and thoughts that Raven herself can't admit to."
At the back of the line, Rude floated up the last of the stone stairs between Wisdom and Timid adjusting her orange bikini bottom and lazily scratching her backside. Timid blushed. Brave brought up the rear, marching behind Anger. Up ahead, Raven floated forward leading her emotions with Affection trailing next to as her lavender cloak breezed around her dress. Raven stopped when she reached a huge tan stone building with tall rectangular double doors. Two tall hooded figures in black stood with large axes crossed blocking the door. Closing her eyes to focus, "Azarath metrion zinthos!" she said moving her arms out horizontally as the figures stepped back and the door encased in black slid open. The group walked forward into a huge circular stone room with navy blue floors and a clear glass ceiling. The room continued through a hallway with large glass windows. They stopped at another very tall set of tan stone doors with gold handles. Two tall hooded figures stood at either side of the door with large axes. Raven sighed and reached out encasing the door's handle in black and moved her arm back allowing the door to open. Raven walked in followed by her emotions.
Before Beast Boy could follow, the figures clashed their axes together blocking the door. "Hey!" he cried, "What about me? No fair." Wisdom glanced back, hands clasped as the wide sleeves of her brown dress swayed. "Only Raven and her emotions are allowed inside for the Council. It has been this way since the dawn of time." Happy's slightly saddened voice piped up. "You'll just have to wait outside BB." "But...WAIT!" He said rushing forward as the doors closed. He gulped and sweatdropped as the sentinels pointed their axes toward him. "Hehehe...no need for all that, I'll be leaving now." Beast Boy held his hands up and back away grinning. He had to find a way inside.
Inside the circular room, Raven and her emotions sat around a circular stone table with high round chairs. Each chair had a crystal colored sphere embedded in the back that matched the color of each emotion. Anger sat in the chair with the ruby sphere, Brave took her place in the jade embroidered chair, Knowledge sat in the chair with the yellow diamond and so on. Raven sat down taking a deep breath in and closing her eyes. As she breathed out, her purple leotard and cloak lightened from violet to lavender and finally settled at ivory before she spoke. "Now then….let the council proceed."
The emotions used council as a platform to speak to Raven, and for Raven it was a safe place where she could completely feel and accept her emotions. Knowledge and Wisdom spoke first together in unison. "We both feel as though accepting our new emotion Affection would statistically lead to less denial, less emotional conflict, and overall tranquility." Raven interrupted with an impatient sigh. "I understand that now, but why the sudden emotional changes and highly questionable outfits?" She eyed Knowledge's yellow crop top and Happy's barely there pink mini skirt. "I know the usual monthly cycle is always kind of shaky and unpredictable, but this time seems even stranger." Brave glanced around the table. "You know I'm not one to hold my tongue so I'm just going to come out and say it if no one else. You have a major crush on our green furry friend, Beast Boy. We've all known for some time."
Raven deadpanned and froze unable to speak. She cycled through a pasty shade of white before settling for a small crimson blush. The vase on the table shattered. "W- What did you say?" She sputtered, scowling, "Please. As if I'd ever like Beast Boy...he's way too immature and doesn't take anything seriously." She crossed her arms glaring, "Besides, his jokes aren't even funny." Happy giggled, "Is that why you secretly laughed at his tofu joke hours later last week?" Raven looked away still blushing, arms still crossed. "C'mon Rae, we're your emotions, we know you better than anyone." Affection chimed in with a slight smile, "Accepting your affection for Beast Boy is a wonderful thing Raven. He's honest, dependable, funny, and really good looking if I do say so myself." Affection crossed her legs giving a mischievous smile. Rude gave a lewd grin, fake-fanning herself, "Woo! Let's not forget that dream you had about Beast Boy two nights ago. Remember? The one with the handcuffs and the whipped cr-" "EHEM." Raven cleared her throat extremely loudly, coughing and almost choking. Brave patted her on the back. "Just saying," continued Rude, "It was a really good dream." Brave and Happy nodded smiling, and even Affection murmured in agreement. Raven thought she might develop an eye twitch before the Council was over. She sighed deeply. Her emotions were like annoying overly nosy sisters who knew all her thoughts and intentions. Had they all lost their minds? Was she finally going insane?
A soft, trembling voice spoke breaking Raven's train of thought and they all turned to look at Timid who shook slightly in her gray v-neck shirt and shorts. "B- b- but what if Beast Boy doesn't like us back? What if he hates us? What if he's into taller, blond girls like-" "Like Terra?" finished an angry growl from the Anger, her red dress flashing deep green for a second. It was hard for Raven to have her deepest insecurities laid out on the table. There was a short silence amongst her emotions.
"Before when we were subduing Anger in the form of Trigon," began Affection, a dreamy look coming over her face, "there was a moment when I caught Beast Boy's gaze. He was staring at Raven so lovingly, so tender, so amorously, so longingly-" Raven cut her off, glowering as she blushed deeper. "Please, get to the point already." Affection finished, toning down her dreamy look. "The point was that in the middle of battle, he was focused on keeping you safe Raven. Knowing that he cared gave me the power to subdue Anger and let her revert to normal. There's no doubt in my mind that he cares for you as much as you care for him." Happy gleefully cheered and clapped her hands. "That was beautiful Affection." Even Timid looked almost at ease. Raven blushed, covering her face with her hands.
Uncovering her hands, she looked at Wisdom and Knowledge. "Fine. Even if I do have these "alleged" feelings," her eye twitched again "What am I supposed to do about them?" Rude raised her eyebrows suggestively, grinning lewdly naughtily, "I can think of one or two things we can do about them..." Affection high-fived her and grinned, "You and me both." Raven flushed again. "Please stop." Wisdom spoke in a mature voice. "If you have feelings, you should tell him. We accept the love we deserve. Allow yourself the chance to love and to feel Raven." Knowledge and Brave nodded in agreement. "I don't know if I can tell him yet, but I'll…...work on it." said Raven. Affection smiled, Raven even admitting this to herself was a big step. "So….one thing I still don't get," Raven said eager to move away from the subject, "Why the outfit changes?" she asked gesturing towards Rude's orange bikini. "In case you couldn't tell from all the steamy dreams," Rude stopped to laugh smiling smugly, "You really need to get some!" Raven deadpanned. "Some…what?" Rude doubled over in laughter.
Affection finished for her, "Well….lately your hormones have been insane, hence the outfit changes," she blushed looking at Raven suggestively, "What Rude means is that it wouldn't be a terrible thing to act out that dream from last week. He's been looking really muscular recently since he's been working out, and we've all been imagining what he'd be like in bed." Raven turned even redder than before. Knowledge chose to pipe in, "You know Raven, physical attraction is only natural towards someone you have emotions for. It's normal and healthy for you to become sexually aroused and want to engage in intercourse with Beast Boy." The fragments of the shattered vase crumbled even more. Knowledge adjusted her glasses and blushed with a faint smile, "It might even be a fun experiment." Raven glared at Knowledge. Why were all her emotions feeling this lustful? This was going to be a long meeting.
Beast Boy stood pressed flat against the stone wall as the James Bond theme song played in his head. He stood around the corner from the room the council was held in. He stealthily sneaked around, peering at the hooded men guarding the door. He morphed into a green fly, zooming towards the men. 'Ha! let's see if they'll notice me now.' The imaginary theme song in his head got louder and louder as he flew closer. DUN DUN DUN. DUN DUN DUN DUN. 'Almost there!' he thought as he reached the crack between the double doors, he could almost see Raven inside. SMACK. The guards hand reached up, swatting the green fly as it fell spiraling to the floor. 'Damn, so close...' thought Beast Boy, buzzing away slowly back around the corner.
A green cobra slithered back towards the guards menacingly hissing and rising up to expand its hood. The guards large axe swung down and thudded loudly inches away from the snake's head. Beast Boy gulped, slithering away back around the corner. After his third attempt, Beast Boy rubbed his shoulder, safely hidden back around the corner. 'Man, who knew the guards could fight off a rhino, tiger, and a dinosaur? Raven's mind sure is heavily guarded. Guess I'll have to go with Plan B.'
Beast Boy thought, morphing into a wasp this time. He flew along the building hallways searching for a vent. 'Jackpot,' he thought slipping into a vent in the adjacent hallway. He climbed along the vents until he heard voices and looked down through the vent to see that he was directly above a room where Raven and her eight emotions sat. A clone of Raven wearing a lavender dress with heels was speaking. "-it wouldn't be a terrible thing to act out that dream from last week. He's been looking really muscular recently since he's been working out, and we've all been imagining what he'd be like in bed." Raven flushed deeply. 'She's so cute when she blushes like that...' thought Beast Boy absent-mindedly. 'Who are they talking about? Does Raven have some sort of secret crush I don't know about?' he wondered frowning slightly.
A spectacled clone of Raven wearing a yellow crop top was speaking now. "-physicial attraction is only natural towards someone you have emotions for. It's normal and healthy for you to become sexually aroused and want to engage in intercourse with Beast Boy." Beast Boy sweat dropped, almost falling through the vent. 'D- D- Did she just say MY name?"' Raven was blushing profusely. Beast Boy thought his heart might stop. The emotion in the orange bikini looked almost sinister licking her lips. "What I wouldn't do to get a piece of that ass…" she pondered. Beast Boy's mind was malfunctioning. 'Raven….liked him? Wanted to…..do those things with him?' Thoughts from the dream he had last night crept into his mind and a red blush stained his green cheeks. Damn, that had been a great dream...he wondered if Raven really made those sounds.
Below him, the conversation continued. "Let's just say that he wouldn't be a vegetarian that night," finished Rude with a wink, crossing her hands smugly behind her head. Raven and her emotions sweat-dropped at her detailed description. Beast Boy had to remind himself to breathe and prayed to think about long cold showers. Raven was frozen, trying to block the mental images out of her head. This council had been exhausting. It was overwhelming to admit her feelings to her emotions but she felt the relief of understanding at the same time. "Thanks everyone. I think we're done here," she said standing, "Let's go find Beast Boy before he dies of boredom." The other emotions stood to follow her.
Beast Boy turned into a rat and raced back out of the vent, morphing back into his human form just in time to meet Raven and her emotions walking out of room. Raven was still somewhat flustered and had a faint blush on her face. "So…." asked Beast Boy smiling, trying to sound casual, "How did the council go?" "It was very uhm...informative," Raven replied walking towards the entrance to the building as Beast Boy and the other emotions followed. Rude wolf-whistled at the two and Raven flushed glaring daggers back at her. The group exited the building. Beast Boy blushed. He couldn't help thinking about what he overheard before. They walked back to the portal out of Raven's mind, the sun setting behind them.
Raven and Beast Boy materialized into Raven's room from the gray mirror. After a long goodbye from Raven's emotions, they were finally back in the Titan tower. Raven had scowled when Beast Boy received a squeeze on his backside from Rude, and cleared her throat loudly when Affection's hug got a too touchy while hugging Beast Boy, but other than that the trip back was uneventful. Beast Boy turned to look at Raven. "Raven there's something I gotta tell you-" he started. Raven flushed and stopped him, this day was already overwhelming. She felt so emotionally drained and wasn't ready to share with Beast Boy yet. "Can we continue this later? I really need a bath after being outside for so long." Beast Boy agreed, with a smile, "Sure Raven." He left to give her privacy. When he was gone, Raven walked over and collapsed on her bed. The last few days had been so insane. The one solace was that her monthly time had finally ended. She walked over to the bathroom adjacent to her room and ran hot water for her bath.
Beast Boy laid in his bed thinking. He knew Raven wasn't the sharing type and didn't want to make her admit her feelings. If only he had some way of letting her know he really liked her too. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. He had one last prank to pull on Raven. A smirk crossed his face.
Raven wrapped a towel around her, stepping out of the bathroom. Her bath and meditation was much needed. She walked into her room and got dressed. 'Chamomile would be nice right now.' she thought heading for the door. She stopped at her door, noticing a piece of folded paper that someone had slid under it. Picking it up, she opened the note to read, "Dear Raven, I'm sorry for sneaking into your room, but had a really great time with you in Nevermore. I have something to show you, please come to the roof." The letter was signed Best Boy. Raven's heart raced and the lights in her room flickered. She went to the kitchen to get her tea, then headed up to the roof.