"I am worried about him, Raven.. …."

I sigh. I shut my eyes and take a deep breath, clutching hard to the edges of my book and trying to calm my nerves within the aura of the sentimental alien girl before replying: "Starfire, you are always…. …always… … ….always worrying about Robin."

She cranes her neck to look at me from where we sit more-or-less side by side along the Titan's Tower rooftop at midday. "Do you wish to imply that that is a bad thing?"

"Starfire, does it ever concern you that maybe you obsess over Robin?"

"On my planet, there is no solid translation of this word called 'obsession' which you.. .. ..which you…. . .. …wh-which you—"

"… …Obsess over?"

"Hehehe… …Indeed…."

I flip a page and drone. "So I take it that everyone on Tamaran experiences love as a mad, stalking crush?"

"No, everyone on my planet enjoys a reciprocality of truth, commitment, and trust!"

My lips helplessly curve to some extent. I speak to Starfire without looking at her: "Starfire, as dreamy as the things you are used to are, here on Earth boys don't exactly.. .. …'frolic' into the arms of an admiring female."

"Then how is it that they find true joy?.?.?" She gasps.

"Snkkt—I don't know, Starfire. Boys are just.. … …are just boys.. …" I gaze at the pages again and murmur: "And while we're at it, girls of Terra Firma aren't all that easy-to-get either."

"And as such, the boys are similarly apt to distance themselves from significant others?"

"Boys are just distant. And it's best they stay that way, in all honesty. The world smells a bit better day by day… …."

"Ohhhh.. … …But I do dearly suspect that there is more that juxtaposes the optics when it comes to Robin."

"'More than meets the eye'?"

"Exactly."

"Starfire, Robin is… …is.. …," I wave my finger as I fumble to roll off my tongue: "He's different, yes, but nothing to worry about. I assure you."

"You kn-know this?" She asks, hands cupped together.

"I sense it. Robin has not revealed his secrets to me. Nor do I desire to exploit them. But I trust that—whatever they are—they are pertinent to Robin and Robin alone. Whatever reasons Robin has for concealing the richer facts about himself, they are most certainly trivial and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. In short, stop worrying over him when he takes leaves of action like this."

'Wh-Why, whatever do you mean, Raven?"

I glance aside at her. "That is what you're being eaten up about, isn't it?" I drone. "That Robin has left for his 'home away from home' again? His other life? Whatever it is that constitutes Batman's protégé, the Boy Wonder?"

Starfire hugs her knees to her chest and gazes sadly off into the horizon with a sigh: "Do you suppose that he hates us?"

"Nnnngh.. …Starfire.. .. …," I flip a page and sink back into my book. "Cut my heart open and eat it out already.. …."

"But I am most exceedingly serious!"

"I know. That's what doubly annoys me."

"What if it is because of some animosity that he treats us with such apathy?"

"Starfire.. .. …if Robin treated us with 'apathy', he wouldn't be nearly half the supportive team leader that he is to us. And—furthermore—he wouldn't be nearly as close of a friend to you." I look at her. "Maybe you should start considering whether or not it's all a matter of Robin being apathetic as it is a matter of him not living up to your standards… …"

Starfire gulps. She murmurs: "It is not so disastrously superficial as that, is it?"

"It never has to be, Starfire. It never has to be."

Silence… .. …

Starfire buries her face into her knees. A sigh. Her muffled voice mopes: "I only wish he could be more willing to show his trust in us.. .. .."

"Everyone has their boundaries, Starfire. Especially here on Earth—where everyone is more prone to reclusion and individualism—at least in the Western Hemisphere."

"Truly.. …"

"Robin likes to wear a mask and 'go home' from time to time.. … ..," I flip a page as an artery in my temple pulses for the slightest second. ".. … ..and I like to read my books all by myself from time to time."

Starfire winces. "I am sorry, dearest Raven. Do you truly wish to be alone?"

I wince—

Dear Azar… …

I swear.. … …

Everytime she uses that 'dearest'… ….

"Ugh… …do whatever, Starfire," I mutter. "I've grown use to reading by any sort of light. Candle-light or chatter-light. It doesn't matter."

Starfire nods with a certain shroud of silence that almost scares me.

The deadpan seconds tick away.

I start to wonder if I'm actually reading anything at all. For a matter of fact, I wonder if I've ever read anything at all since the day I first came to this dimension and housed myself with these meta-friends… .. …

"I wonder what color his eyes is… … …"

I glance above the 'blank' pages of my book. "Hmm?"

"His eyes… … ..their color beneath the mask.. … …" Her voice is drunken, but her smile isn't. She hasn't got one. "I have often envisioned a rich brown, like so many other Terran males on this planet."

"Hrmmm.. … ..," I shrug and flip a page. "Anything is possible.. …. .."

"Or what his name is… …," she murmurs. "A name befitting someone as special as him. Something mighty and yet humble… … …" She glances my way. "Gabriel!"

I do a double-take. "Uhmm … …huh?"

"Is that not a common name?"

"Erm.. ….well, I guess so—"

"Following Mohammed?"

"Well, yes, that goes without saying.. …," my lips curve somewhat. "But somehow I sincerely doubt that Robin is a 'Mohammed'."

"Oh?"

"Yeah… …," I shake my bangs loose in the Tower-top's wind. "He strikes me more as a 'Paul' or a 'John' or—Azar above—perhaps even an 'Isaac'."

"We are all in possession of truer names that define us further than our iconography allows, correct?" Starfire smiles. "Beast Boy has eluded to himself as Garfield—"

"Quite hilariously, for once.. …"

"I believe Cyborg has stated that he is 'Victor'. I am 'Koriand'r'.. … ….And by what definition may Robin's true name serve?"

"… … … …," I suddenly find myself gazing slowly, quietly towards the naked air beyond the edge of the Tower. The book feels like a distant thing in my naked fingers. I drift… …drift… …

"In truth, I have fond the name 'Robin' itself somewhat endearing.. .. ..hehehe… …for it serves both masculine and feminine connotation, does it not? And for someone who displays so much of the Terran machismo as Robin, the duality of his title must be an infrequent, antithetical deterrent to his courageous psyche, is it not? Hehehehe.. …at least in Terran terms, of course.. …."

".. … …. ….Raven?"

"Roth."

Starfire's alien eyebrow raises. "I beg of your pardon?"

I open my mouth again—pause.. … ..shift uncomfortably, bite my lip, and squeak forth a "Roth" again.

"….. .. ….," Starfire stares at me.

I half-look at her, fidgeting. "It… …. …It is my last name.. …"

Starfire slowly gasps, smiling wide. "Oh Raven, is it truly?"

".. … ..well… .. ..it's my mother's maiden name.. .. .And Azar forbid I should ever grow up to take on--…. …well, you know…."

Starfire takes a deep breath. She nods. "Yes, truly."

I close the book and run a hand through my stubborn blue strands. The wind kicks them back. I sigh in defeat. "Yeah… .. …Roth… …"

"Dearest Raven… …," Starfire leans her head to the side. "Have you ever endeavored to procure a first name?"

"I have a first name," I murmur. "It's 'Raven'."

"But—I mean to refer to a name that exists outside of the boundaries of the meditative practices you were indoctrinated into."

"Does there exist one?"

"No."

Starfire slowly nods. "I understand—"

"But… …," I bite my lip again. "I… …I-I.. … …"

She looks at me gently. Patiently. An inviting look in her sweet, green eyes of friendship.

My cheeks betray a slight red as I murmur: "I-I've always.. .. …s-somewhat taken a liking to 'Rachel'.. … …"

Starfire.. ….smiles. "That is a sweet, most deserving name, Raven…"

I rub the back of my neck with pale fingers and stammer: "Is it r-really… …?"

"Hehehehe… …," she leans over and gives me a light hug. I do not resist. "Yes, it truly is. And I am happy to see you coming to such a self-reference."

I blink. ".. .. …wh-why?"

"Because… …it thills me to witness any instance of your willingness to acknowledge your own existence."

I give her a bored glance in response to that and murmur: "It's not acknowledging my existence that I have a problem with, Star—"

"Yes! It is ours!"

"Ugh…."

"Hehehehehehe!"

I roll my violet eyes. "At least I got you to stop obsessing over Robin."

"Hehehe… …," she winks. "Indeed you have, Rachel…. …"

I blush ever so slightly again. A warm breath. "Whatever you say, Koriand'r…."

"Hehehehe…," she giggles to myself.

And I… … …to myself.