"Here ya go, Raven! Here's the perfect pair of jeans to go with your blue jacket!"

"No."

"Terra has exceptional taste! Hehehe...Raven, would you not benefit from partaking in her flavor of garb?"

"No."

"Ooooh! Berets, Raven! You'd look great with a beret!"

"No."

"Come onnnnn, Raven! Work with us a little!"

"Heeeee! This skirt has your titleage plastered figuratively all over its surface area--!"

"Nnnngh!" I gently shove Starfire away. "Will you two please just--...LEAVE me out of this?.?.?"

"Ohhhhh," Starfire mopes. "But what joy is there to be had if we are not mall-of-the-shopping together?"

"Face it, Star," Terra smirks and measures a blouse up to herself within the aisles of an air-conditioned department store. "Raven's just a spoil-sport. Through and through."

I adjust my robe and glare at her from under my blue hood. "And since when have you been Miss 'Princess-Uses-Debit-A-Lot'?"

"Hehehe...," Terra smiles. "I can't help it. Starfire's girlishness is just too contagious."

"Heeeeeee!"

I drone under my breath: "Or maybe you just enjoy being on the Titans' allowance..."

"Ya know...," Terra winks and points a sly finger at me. "...You really should have ditched the robe-and-hood ensemble at the Tower, Raven. Somebody's going to pull you aside under suspicion of 'shoplifting' for sure."

"I'm a sorceress, not a Klepto...," I drone. "Besides..." I fold my arms and give her a contemptuous glare. "It's not like you disrobed out of your Titan's gear too."

"Oh, that'll happen soon," Terra grins wide and holds up two sweaters. "What do you think, Star? Pink...or pinker?"

"Ohhh, heavenly! Pursue the fuschia with great fervor! Fuschia fervor! Tee hee hee!"

"Nnnngh...," I run a hand over my face. "I stand ashamed at the Temple of Athena..."

"If you don't like it, Raven, Spencer's is just a few stores down," Terra motions with her head. "Nobody's stopping you!"

"Fanboys are stopping me..."

"Why, whatever do you mean, friend?"

"... .. ..well... .. ..y-you know...," I shrug. "... ..."

Terra and Starfire stare at me blankly.

A beat.

"Fanboys?" Terra raises an eyebrow.

"I-I have them...," shrug.

"Heh...," Terra smirks. "Fat chance."

"Hey, it's not something I'm proud of," I sigh. "The last time I so much attempted to use a park's water fountain on my own--"

"She was verily pounced!" Starfire grins. "Oh, is not this City's admiring populace just glorious?"

I pulse an artery in my forehead. "They were all over me, Starfire.. ..."

"Hahaha...," Terra laughs, hugging a pair of jean shorts to her chest. "S-Seriously?.?.?"

"It was endearing!" Starfire cups her hands to her cheeks.

I frown. "It was smelly. And if you wouldn't mind, I didn't come here to talk about traumatic moments with obsessive admirers..."

"Then just HOW did you manage to let us talk you into coming with us, Raven?" Terra smirks.

"... .. ... ...," I sigh. ".. .. ...Beast Boy was cooking, and every inch of the Tower smelled like tofu."

"Ohhhhhh," Starfire nods. "How honestly... ... ...honest..."

"To be honest...," Terra winces. "That's... .. ...k-kinda sorta why I left the Tower to begin with too..."

"Wow," I drone. "For once... ...something we have in common..."

Terra smirks. "Besides ovaries, of course?"

".. ... .. .." I say nothing.

Terra blinks...

"Friends!" Starfire hovers over between us, grinning. "You must accompany me to the perusing of lingerings!"

Terra makes a wyrd face. "'Lingerings'?"

"She means the Intimates Section,"I droningly explain.

"Eh heh heh heh...," Terra sweatdrops and waves a hand. "Maybe another time, Starfire..."

"Ohhhh," Starfire looks saddened... ...but immediately brightens. "Never worry! I shall go by my solitary! But fear not... ...if I find the pantings to your liking, I shall verily choose them for you to save the hassle!" Swooosh! And she's gone.

"Whew... ...," Terra manages a weak smile. ".. ...and to think... ...I once knew friends who could get that excited over lingerie shopping before.. .. ..heh...hardly 'alien'..."

"... .. ...," I glance over at her. "Your friends?"

"... .. .. ...," Terra deflates with a sigh and rummages through a stack of jeans, looking away from me. "That was long ago."

I bite my tongue.

For an awkward set of seconds... ... ...I just stand there...

I just stand there while Terra shops, shops, shops...

"Hehe...now these are cute...," she holds up a pair of ankle pants with sunflowers embroidered into the denim at random spots. "Wouldn't Beast Boy just love me in these?"

"... ... ...uhh...," I shrug. "I guess..."

"I bet he would," Terra smiles warmly to herself. She pushes back a lock of blonde hair and searches through other sizes. "Mmmm...ya know, he's into those really girly, 'Sunday-Church Buffet Special' look or what have you..."

"... ... ... ...," I stare at her. "... .. .. ... ..." I open my mouth. "Terra, honestly, what do you--"

"--see in him?"

"He makes me laugh."

"It isn't simple as that...," I murmur. "Beast Boy--you have to understand--he's more than just a joker..."

"And how would YOU know this...?" she winks mischievously.

I resist the urge to frown. "Beast Boy is... ...very needy..."

"Uh huh...," she stares at a pile of sweaters.

"... ...he gives so much because he wants so much. In the way of attention."

"Mmmhmmm...," she rummages through some sandals.

"... ... ...and he likes to eat baby fetuses with chopsticks..."

"Uh huh..."

I groan. "Terra, are you listening to what I'm saying?"

"Why are you even telling me what you're saying?"

"Because--"

"You want to look out after me?" she smirks. "Wow...didn't know you cared..."

"... ... ...I... ...I don't want you to hurt him."

"... .. ...I don't want you to hurt Beast Boy..."

She looks at me. She softly murmurs: "Raven, I don't want to hurt him either..." She gulps. "What makes you think that--"

"I know you don't want to hurt him... ...but when you give into his attention, please...please just know...just acknowledge the fact that if you go anywhere with him in terms of... ...of being close, you'll have to expect going in for the long haul."

"Heh...," Terra plants her hands on her hips and smirks. "Raven, it's boys who are afraid to commit! Where were you when the grand Book of the Sexes was being written?"

"I don't think in terms of sexes..."

She blinks. "Whoah--What?"

I raise a hand. "J-Just listen to me..."

Finally, she does...

I sigh and manage: "You're here with the Titans for many reasons, Terra. Your powers are remarkably useful. You're a very self-assured and flexible person. You know how to bounce back and take care of yourself. But.. ...when we go back in time and look at things--I mean really look at things closely... ..." I narrow my eyes and nod. "It was Beast Boy who made you staying at our Tower possible."

Terra bites her lip and gazes aside...

"Yes, Starfire and Cyborg were excited to invite you over for a place to stay as well," I continue. "... ...but Beast Boy truly, truly pushed for your initiation. Fate would have it that a misunderstanding nearly put you two at odds--"

"Y-Yeah...," Terra shudders at the thought...

"--but he's... ...Beast Boy has changed a lot, Terra. And he's changed for you."

She blinks. "F-For me?"

I nod. "He's more of a team player. He fights and struggles harder. He's focused, agile, concentrated.. .. ... ..he's become a true hero. Something to be admired and trusted. And he does it now because--for once--he has something to believe in, Terra. After so much compensation and loss in his life, he has something to fight for."

I lean forward.

"It's you, Terra. Your his hope. And it'll take more than just dressing nicely or making jokes or playing stinkball to be there for him as he's fought to be there for you. If you respect him at all.. ...and desire anything for the two of you.. .. ...you'll have to be very.. ...very... ...very careful..."

"...y-yeah..."

"Do you understand me?"

"I...," she bites her lip and squeaks out with a nervous smile. "I'll do my 'best'... ..."

"... .. ...," I lean back and take a breath. "S-Sorry... ...uhm...Mother Hen mode kicked in..."

"Hehehe...No, thank you...Really," she nods. "Wow...You really are protective of Beast Boy, aren't you?"

I rummage suddenly through a few skirts. "I'm protective of all the Titans..."

"Really?"

"Yes, believe it or not."

"Including me?"

"... ... ..do you even need to ask?"

"Hehe...," Terra winks. "What if maybe I do?"

Thwump!

She awkwardly catches at skirt that I toss her.

"Try that on for looks...," I drone.

"Uh...R-Raven?" Terra sweatdrops and stretches out the waistline of the article with an awkward rise of the eyebrow. "This is.. ..a t-tad bit too big for me..."

"You're a twig. For Azar's sake, eat...work out...and you'll grow into them."

"But seriously! I can't possibly--"

I hover above her. My eyes flicker in four red spots as I hiss and warble: "YoU'lL gRoW iNtO tHeM!.!.!.!.!.!"

Darkness.

Flickering lights.

Frost in the air.

A wide-eyed Terra blinks...nods shakily...and hurries off to a changing room with the skirt.

"R-Right! Yes! I-I-I'll grow into them! I'll grow into them!"

"... ... .. ...," I hover back down to my feet and take a calming breath...

Swooosh!

Starfire flies back. "Friend! I must inquire of you.. .. ..am I fit for a G-String? Or would it not be more appropriate for me to attempt sizing myself into an H-String or an F-String?"

"Just do pajamas, Starfire..."

"Oh?"

"Trust me..."

"Oh, merrily-merrily thank you, friend! Heeee!" Thwooosh!

I take a calm breath and hold up a pair of denim leggings.

"... .. .. ...I want these overalls..."