Chapter 7

Raven arched her back, and smiled at Beast Boy. Her eyes sparkled in a way he hadn't seen before. There were a lot of things unfamiliar about this new Raven. In fact…what was wrong with her outfit? "Um...Raven did you change?"

Confused, she tilted her head in question. "Change?"

Carefully, he walked closer. "Your…um…outfit?"

She smiled, and moved back to sit on her knees. "Well, if you mean color, that's because fuschia's my favorite color!"

He scratched the back of his head. "Um…no."

She opened the cloak again, and he blushed. "Then what?"

He observed her leotard, and gestured as he spoke. "Well, your leotard thingy, it's a little…tighter. And the part where it ends looks like it's a…little higher on your hips."

The Fuschia Raven blushed, and flapped her hand at him. "Aw! I'm so flattered you noticed!" she removed her robe, and Beast Boy's eyes just about popped out of his head. She wasn't wearing her typical high neck leotard. It was low cut, revealing ample cleavage. Raven never wore things like that.

This Raven traced her collar-bone with her fingers. "You like?"

He blushed, not quite sure what to say. "Um it's…nice?"

She put her hand to her cheek bashfully. "Thank you Beast Boy."

Oh! Now they were getting somewhere! "You know my name?"

She smiled, and her fingers started tracing the pattern on the cushion again. "I know a lot more than that?"

A brow rose. "Really?"

"Yes. But, we'll deal with all that later. So," She put her hands under her chin, ready to listen. "Talk to me. I never get enough company."

Feebly, Beast Boy's eyes shifted around the closet. "Well, Raven, I don't think---"

"Oh, Beast Boy please," her hand rose and she lifted his chin with a finger. "Call me Rave."

His eyes widened a little, and he looked around for another out. "Oookay."

Drawing her hand back, Raven smiled in coy satisfaction. "Well?"

After brief hesitation, Beast Boy puffed out his chest. "Well, I've got some questions, and I refuse to say anything else until they're answered!"

Rave blinked, then shrugged. "Okay."

A little surprised it would be that easy, Beast Boy's chest deflated, and he looked around. "Uh," he thought, then regained his macho-ness. "First, where are we? Second of all, why are you taking all of Raven's emotions? Third, WHAT ARE YOU???"

With amazing calm, she answered each question, with good pace. "We're in Raven's mind. Currently in Timid Territory. I'm not really taking Raven's emotions, and I'm a Side."

Beast Boy nodded, and bent his head towards her. "Huh?"

She smiled patiently. "Yes, I go into territories, but the only ones I go into are ones that aren't occupied. Currently, several territories are made up of different parts of a house. Timid, is clearly a bedroom."

Understanding a little better, Beast Boy nodded. "Ooooh. Okay. So, what's happening to Raven's emotions?"

She reached behind her, and worked at putting her robe back on. "Nothing happened to them, they're just inside me. Emotions are what create a Side."

Beast Boy shook his hands wildly. "What are you talking about? What the hell is a Side???"

Raven stood up, and went out to her full-length mirror, adjusting the cloak in front of it. "I'm just a Side. There's not much to explain."

Sarcasm, something that Beast Boy usually left to Raven herself, said, "Oh, I'm sure there isn't. Could you humor me and explain anyway? Please? I'm already getting a headache." He cradled his head to prove it.

She turned to him, and put the hood back up on her robe. "Alright then."

The next thing he knew, he was sitting in one of the swivel chairs at the table, staring at a green chalkboard. Raven had her hood down again, and a stick of chalk in her hand. The board had the word 'Side' written on it right in the middle, written in bold letters. "Okay, you know that there are Raven's basic emotions. Some examples being Timid, Happy, Anger?"

Beast Boy nodded, although Raven probably didn't see it since she was busy writing said emotions across the bottom of the board. She showed him, then loudly drew three lines under each name, like making a brainstorm web. "What you probably don't know, is that each emotion is made of dozens of smaller emotions. To make an example Timid is made of Fear, Uncertainty, and Discretion; Happy is made of Joy, Bliss, and Contentment; Anger is made of Hate, Annoyance, and Fury. Just as an example."

Beast Boy nodded again. "Is that why I've never seen them?"

She nodded. "Correct. Now, those emotions were separate at Raven's birth, but after a year, a monk bonded them together by a magical ritual to narrow the list down to eight emotions, rather than a good ten dozen. With me so far?"

Beast Boy nodded again. "Yeah."

Fuschia turned around, and drew lines between the minor emotions she had written, as if connecting them. "The original ceremony was done to reduce the risk of Raven's emotions going out of control. There were supposed to be two ceremonies. The first was performed a year after Raven was born. Still with me?"

Beast Boy nodded again. "Uh-huh."

"Now, when the monk performed the first ceremony, he determined that Raven would be on her own by this age, and no one would be fit to perform the ritual in his place. So he performed the second one then and there. But since her emotions hadn't fully developed yet, the ceremony powers wouldn't take effect until the emotions were developed. Are you still with me?"

Beast Boy nodded again. "I think so."

Raven smiled, and closed her hands around the chalk. "Well, her emotions have developed. And what Side the emotions turn into depends on the stage of life that Raven is in. At this point in life, she is quite…womanly."

Beast Boy attempted to nod, but as his chin lowered he said, "You lost me."

Raven blushed a little, and circled her hand. "Her…cycle."

Still lost, Beast Boy held out his hands. Sighing, Raven said. "Her period."

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!! WHY DID YOU TELL ME THAT??? DUUUUUDE, I SO DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW THAT!"

Raven blushed, and put a hand to her temple. "Well, since she's at that stage in life, and she's at the stage where she should be getting boyfriends and falling in love, I am the Side that was produced."

Beast Boy stopped shuddering and writhing long enough to say. "So…what are you then?"

Striking up a proud pose, Raven put her hands on her hips, her hair behind her ears, and her eyes shining, she said, "I am Raven's Feminine Side!"