They-Call-Me-Orange- Yeah, I don't know what to call the emotions either. They're parts of her, but can think independently. Grammar doesn't have a provision for pronouns for emotions. I had to rewrite my explanations a few times- sometimes, I leave off a part. It makes sense to me, but no one else really understands. Starfire needs a little boost in the maturity section. Cyborg gets his section sooner. Poor BB- he had a reason to be confuzzled, there. Don't hold your breath for a confrontation- that won't happen until they're good and ready.
Jim Starluck- Sorry, but there will be absolutely no spoiling of what kind of fight it shall be until the man himself says it. That is if Raven doesn't kick him forcibly from Nevermore first, of course. She's a bit protective, just because they're in her mind and Malchior's really annoying and dying while inside someone's mind is never a good idea. As entertaining as the image of a T-Rex in shining armor is, I already have the match-up planned out. Maybe next time I have a shape-changer facing a dragon that doesn't have a physical form while all combatants are inside of someone's mind.
The Last- I can't keep a story entirely serious. That's usually a good thing, when you try adding a few funnier parts to a story. That isn't good when writing a scientific (read: dry and boring) paper. Referrals gladly accepted. The answers to their little lingo talks aren't that bad, really. What's implied is just your basic adult couple, but I won't say if they're that together. Starfire has already threatened me, and Robin knows that he'd be blamed.
mirsan4ever- I just was kind of hoping people would forget seemingly insignificant little details. Then, of course, you have the people with good memories that actually keep track of things, which makes me think I forgot some other detail, and- actually, it's nice people notice little details. Don't mind my rantings- I'm a bit insane, but sanity just limits creativity.
Regrem Erutaerc- Mel has been replaced- I'll fix that little problem when I go through the chapters to fix the smaller errors. She's basically Timid, but I changed the emotions to get them closer to the real things. The nicknames will be explained eventually, when they show up.
XPhoenixX- That was my major twist for the story, to explain absolutely everything, including why she wouldn't just fess up after about a year of being really bored. The story doesn't really have lead-in clues for that twist- it's supposed to come out of the blue. There shall be much more action in a soon-to-be-posted chapter, as soon as I clear up what I'm picturing. Some scenes are just not done often, but I want to get it right. He would cross his toes, though. She knows him well enough to glance at fingers.
YumeTakato- Yeah, I know. Those characters always make me want to hug them. Beast Boy would be freaked, Raven would kill me. But- since I'm acting as author/narrator- she couldn't do it- probably. She would at least take a few extra seconds to see how to blast through the narrator-ness to do that. Malchior did mess with Raven, and the annoyance isn't even done yet.
Moonjava- Thanks for the review. I like this story, too, mostly because I'm having a great time getting someone in and someone out of Raven's head.
D- You probably wouldn't want to be in my basement. It's a complete disaster and is worse than my closet. If you can find room, other than the area scattered with needing-to-be-washed clothes, be my guess. (There's something rotten in the state of Denmark- Hamlet, Shakespeare.)
I was ready to post this Sunday night, but something in the Fanfiction server was off. Due to extreme stress in my life for the next few days, the next chapter or two may be (read more than likely) delayed. I have an extremely important research project to present worth a huge grade in three classes, SATs to take on Saturday, and two hundred miles to go to a cousin's party. I'll do the best I can, but I think the one-a-day groove won't be back for about a week. After this, there will be a new Teen Titans fanfic, all about Cyborg because I feel like he was a side note in this story. Besides, he's fun to write about, even if Raven is the most amusing. CyOC, so I can really know who and what I'm talking about.
"We're here," Raven whispered.
"I think I would have noticed, Rae." Gar knew they would find something after a cross-Nevermore trek. He had expected something grand, overpowering, and foreboding. He had expected a fusillade of walls large enough to keep a dragon resting inside comfortable, preferably with all the needed emotions in a line with the famed Dovey at the head, ready to tell him what needed to be done. Instead, he was looking at a massive stone castle that would have dwarfed any construction in medieval or recent architecture.
"I'm scared," Timid protested quietly, hiding behind Gar.
"For once, I agree," Rude added. "We're all going to die if we go in there. Can we leave now? The front door is a drawbridge, the place is at least a hundred of us high, and there's a dragon inside."
"Let me at him!" Rage fumed. "Dovey was the only one of you whiners I ever could get along with, and she's in there."
"Everyone likes Dovey," Vee complained. "No one likes me, but I still can't hate Dovey."
"Envy, quit whining." Raven rarely had to use the poison-green emotions name, but when she did, Vee knew Raven was serious. "I like you, but I'd like you more if you could be the quiet, seething type of jealousy."
"You let Pinkie use your real voice a few times," Vee reminded her. "And you listen to Knowledge and Wisdom all the time."
"Envy, it's your job to be jealous, but do you really want to warn Malchior?" Raven didn't know what else to do with the emotion. As far as she could tell, Envy had never done any real good, and only made Timid more depressed than ever.
"Oh." For once, the green emotion was quiet.
"Timid, can you find us a side entrance, please?" Raven asked politely. There was no use in frightening Timid; it took forever to calm down the emotion.
"Yes. Over at the right edge, by the bottom corner of where the tower begins. I think that's the best bet; it would be hard to see from the inside, is pretty close, and should lead into a main hallway." She turned a bright shade of crimson when she saw Gar staring. "I like finding back ways in or out, and was close to here before."
"You're good at it," he told her. Timid was close to flushing with pride, and looked him in the eye for a fraction of a second before ducking her head again to stare at the ground.
Raven hid a smile, only from years of experience and careful practice. Timid was hard to get along with, even for Raven. She hushed Vee, asked Rage to list out her battle strategies instead of muttering about beating the dragon, and made a few quiet threats to Rude that shut even that emotion up. Timid was being remarkably sociable- she hadn't started apologizing yet.
"We have a plan," Raven announced, sorry to interrupt a smiling Timid and Gar. "We're going in through Timid's door. First, we find Dovey. Gar needs to ask her how to find the others. Rage, Rude, and Vee will find them, and Timid will keep Dovey safe- Dovey is not a fighter, and Timid knows who will be the best help, if needed. Find Knowledge and Wisdom as quickly as possible- Knowledge will know a few things about dragons, Wisdom will help us find the others. Once we have everyone, we combine and I, or we, go after Malchior."
"That is our master plan?" Gar asked. "Can't we have something a bit more- planned?"
"We're fighting an unknown battle in new territory without any real idea how powerful he is," Raven explained. "I don't know anything else."
"Are you sure we can't just find a bridge to jump off of instead?"
"Not entirely."
"Well, what am I doing once you join up with the you-squad?"
"Going back."
"Where?"
"Out of my mind," Raven said firmly.
"No way."
"I'm going to be fighting someone who doesn't have a physical form. He's already caught five emotions- this is different. You can't save me this time, Gar."
"I'm not leaving you." He could be just as stubborn as she, given half a chance.
"You're not already back to the waking-world because you need to talk to Dovey. Once I'm together, you're out. And this time, the mirror won't get you back in. I have a sort of control over the place, and will be blocking you out. I'm serious, Gar. This is my fight."
"You're always serious. But if I'm leaving, you'll have to force me, in the form of the largest and bulkiest animal I can think of."
"That can be arranged."
"Hush!" Timid was terrified that she had spoken out, while they were both speaking- arguing, even. "I think that we should go now. Someone might be coming. It's- one of my hunches, Raven."
"Thanks, Timid." Raven knew that Timid's hunches were usually correct, if she went far enough to speak of them. Raven glared at Gar- she wouldn't let him get hurt because she hadn't noticed someone infiltrating her mind. She couldn't understand why Malchior had done nothing but wait for emotions to come to him. "Let's go." She walked towards the door, Gar at her side. They were trailed by four emotions. Timid had been in the lead, but Rude shouldered her out of the way and was fighting Rage for the position of first in line while Vee took a place in front of Timid.
"I'm going after a dragon in a castle in Raven's mind. I think we're all certifiably crazy here, but doesn't that strike anyone else as strange?"
"Gar?"
"Yeah?"
"You're inside my mind. Insulting my sanity isn't the wisest of moves; the mind can accommodate perceptions."
"I'll just keep hoping you're sane, then."
"No more talking." She knew he would understand; they had all just crept through the side door. Wasn't it just her luck? There was a castle in her head, and it wasn't even hers. Instead, it was the enemy she had loved, once.
"Which way?" he mouthed, for once not saying a word.
Raven deferred to a blushing Timid, who pointed. They followed her. Vee made faces, Rude mocked Timid's shuffling steps, but for once, Rage had nothing to vent about. She was saving her fury for Malchior.
"Can we go do something now?"'
"No. We will wait for Raven and Gar." Starfire was still insistent. Robin was still impatient. Cyborg was still blocking their voices from reaching his mind, and would do so until they were ready to discuss something else.
"We can go for coffee."
"No."
"We can go see that new movie."
"No."
"I'll let you fly me there." This was the ultimate bribe. He hardly ever would let someone else have control, even if he did like the sensation of truly flying.
"No."
"Twice?"
"No."
"Is there anything I can offer?"
"No."
"I'll let you fly me three times?"
"No."
"Is there anything I can offer to make you agree?"
"No."
"Are you sure we can't leave?"
"Yes."
"Can we just go out for a minute?"
"No."
"Star-"
"No."
"Come on, Starfire-"
"No. No, no, and no. Stop asking. Don't even talk to me."
He didn't, for a minute. Cyborg stopped filtering out their voices. Robin gave in first.
"I'm sorry, Star. I just wanted to do something more exciting than sit around Raven's apartment."
She turned away.
"You can pick the movies tomorrow." He knew what he was offering. Starfire, given a choice, wouldn't watch the soppy films known as 'chick flicks.' Given the chance to view them with someone more easily annoyed than she, Starfire would do it, however. He knew exactly what he was getting himself into.
She considered, then nodded. She leaned against him again, for all the world like nothing had happened since she finished baking a few minutes ago.
Cyborg looked at the two of them and decided that there was nothing for it. He had looked through all likely cabinets- if she had any movies here, they were hidden very well. He leaned back into the couch cautiously- many items of furniture couldn't deal with his weight. It held.
He then tried his best to ignore the lovebirds beside him, doing his best to concentrate on the T-Car, parked safely in Raven's assigned place. Her car had been totaled a few months ago, so she wouldn't mind if he kept his baby away from the outside world. He would go visit the car, but someone had to remain and keep all the happenings PG, or at least PG-13. He had an idea the other two might need a censor, no matter what they said, and he would be more than ready with the always-convenient fire hose attachment to the sonic cannon. Even if they were teenagers no longer, they still had enough hormones and pheromones to drown a whale. Beast Boy's comment from years ago still applied. Sometimes, when least expected, the green guy actually made a semi-useful comment or did some act that was useful and not at all expected. This wasn't too often, though- no need to get everyone's hopes up.