"Oooh! Oooh! Raven, before venturing upon the mall of shopping we must take one glorious detour!"

"Starfire…..," I groan and dig my hands into the pouch of my blue sweat jacket. Clad in jeans and a t-shirt underneath, I follow the sweater-and-skirt adorned Tamaranian down the sidewalk this fine evening as she happily skips her way to a conspicuous store front. "You said you were okay with going to the mall. Not this place…."

"It will be but a moment…," Starfire turns and winks at me. She opens a door to a shop marked: 'Pets Plus'. "Please, do follow. There are friends of mine I am most ecstatic to show you!"

"Friends….Starfire?" I raise an eyebrow. I hesitantly trod after her. "Don't tell me you're fraternizing with the goldfish again…."

"Hehehehehe…come seeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

We enter the pet shop with a ringing bell noise from above the door. Instantly puppies bark, parrots squawk, and various winged, furred things dance around a series of metal and plastic cages.

An elderly woman from behind the sales counter looks up from a crossword puzzle, adjusts her glasses, and smiles at the sight of Starfire. "My my, back again are we?"

"Greetings benevolent pet owner!" Starfire clasps her pink-sweatered wrists together and smiles happily. "And how do the Terran animals fair today?"

"They seem quite cheerful! Especially when you show up, Miss Starfire. I still think taking one of them home with you would make 'em even more cheerful, but…."

"Alas….," Starfire hangs her head and looks like she's giving a eulogy. "….it is the rules of Titan's Tower not to have animal companions on the premises…."

"Besides Beast Boy," I mutter. I'm eyeing a hairy black tarantula inside a tank of glass.

"Oh! My heavens!" the owner looks over at me. "Another one!"

"Yeah……"

"Are you also from the Tower?"

"Feh….unfortunately…."

She blinks her elderly eyes. "I beg your pardon?"

"Please do not fret over the somber face of my supernatural companion," Starfire looks up and regains her brilliant smile as she walks sideways towards me. "We have most recently overcome a stressing situation involving the Puppet King." The Tamaranian hugs me from the side, her happy cheek against my shoulder. "Heee! We know so much about each other now!"

I clench my teeth. "You are hugging me again…."

"The litter is still here…," the owner says.

Starfire gasps and all but drops me. "Oh, the fuzzies?"

"Heheh….yes, Miss Starfire. The fuzzies."

"M'kratta synh de X'Hal!" Starfire clasps her hands and drifts across the pet store. "Please allow my friend and I to visit them! I have missed them so!"

"All right…," the woman smirked and waddled over across the store to a metal cage on the far end of the pet shop.

Starfire tugs me along with a strong hand to my wrist. "Please, Raven! You must see the fuzzies!"

I groan, violet eyes rolling. "Star….can't we just go to the mall and get this evening over with?"

"This is well worth the time, Raven…."

"Here we are!" the owner opens the cage and switches into cutesy mode. "Guess who came to visit! Yes yes yes! Guess who came to visit! Yes yes!"

"Nnnngh….," I mutter under my breath. "….I think I'm going to be sick…."

"Ohhh….you are the same cute size as when I first held you!" Starfire lifts from the cage and cradles a tiny, orange kitten. The infantile feline blinks its beady eyes up at Starfire and sniffs at the open air. "Hehehehehe….," Starfire smiles and lightly taps its tiny nose with a finger. "Hello there, my little bumgorfffff!"

I can't help but smile ever so slightly. My eyes thin. "This…is a 'fuzzy', Starfire?"

"Raven," Starfire rocks the joyous little kitten in her arms. "Have I ever told you how heavenly blessed Terrans are to be populated with such wondrous furry entities as these adorable 'mammals'? There is something far more pleasing in being able to soothe an animal of fur without the thought of tentacles reaching for your grebnacks."

"Uh…..I think I can only sympathize, Star….," I gaze over at the owner.

She smiles at me. "The litter was born two weeks ago. Your redheaded friend here insists on paying them a visit each time she's in the area. I must ask…are all Titans so appreciative of little things?"

"Only the alien ones…."

"Here, Raven!"

"……," I gaze over at Starfire.

She smiles proudly at me and offers the kitten. "Do you wish to cuddle the fuzzy?"

I bite my lip. "Erhm….Star….," I glance at my black sweatjacket and then at the orange hairs of the youthful feline. "I am not exactly a….c-cat person…."

"Hehehehe….here…."

"St-Star! I…"

"Be gentle."

I flinch, but sooner than naught I am cradling the kitten deposited into my arms. I remain still "………" and slowly gaze down.

The petite orange thing flicks its tail about and moves its head around like a tiny tiger. It tilts is nose up and stares at me for a few blinking second before letting out little mew sounds. Whiskers spreading and relaxing. Tale flicking.

"…………….," I take a deep breath and manage a single left handed pet over its soft, furry head. "Well….it certainly is….small…."

"Sooooo cuuuuuuute," Starfire coos.

I glare at her. I look bat at the kitten again. Such a tiny thing. Warm and fragile. Young.

"There there….," the shop owner reaches over for the kitten and I hand it to her. "I think he's missing his brothers and sisters."

"Yeah….," brush a few orange hairs off my sweatjacket. "I think it's had enough of the giants manhandling it…."

"It deserves to be with its family as long as it can manage….," Starfire says. "……" She looks over at me. Silence. She leans her redhead to the side. "Raven?"

"Raven?"

"Hmmm?" I look up from the cage and towards her. Deadpan.

Starfire smiles. "If Robin did not have his household stipulation, would you actually consider adopting one of these pretty lives with me?"

"………..," I gaze down at the cage again. I sigh. "I dunno, Starfire. I don't do pets."

"Oh? Truly? Why is that, Raven?"

I shrug. I run a hand through my blue bangs. "I…I'm not particularly fond of surrounding myself with things that I know are going to live out their lives and die before I do."

An exhale. I turn and look at Starfire. "Are we done here…..?" I pause.

Starfire is hugging me. And it's not one of her giggling, sanguine hugs of annoyance. But rather….soft. Inviting. Warming.

After a few breathless seconds, she parts the hug and stares at me with a kindly face. I a gentle voice she utters: "Are we not all temporary things, Raven?"

"I am….enraptured to 'surround myself' with you….." And her eyes positively sparkle.

"………….," take a deep breath. I brush the incessant strand of blue out from over my brow and gaze aside. My throat is sore….

Starfire's hand gently rests on my hand. "Shall we enjoy this evening together? At the mall of shopping?"

I swallow. I gaze up at Starfire with a soft attempt to smile. My voice shakes a little: "Y-Yes, Starfire. I would….like that…."

She smiles. "Let us make haste before the first sales end!"

"Heh….allright…."

She dashes out of the store, tugging my petite self along. The shop owner waves at us as we leave. The cages and animal faces blur by in furred, dark streaks. The bell above the door tolls the second we leave. A happy cry. Like kitten voices on the other end of a tunnel.