Chapter Text

Chapter 1

“How is this even possible?” Robin’s voice was tight with worry, a worry that echoed in the expressions of his friends scattered around the medical bay.

Eyes fixed on the screen, Cyborg shook his head. “I don’t even know.” He reached forward and typed into a console quickly, double-checking the results. “There’s no mistake, man.”

Robin folded his arms across his chest. “We were supposed to return to normal. All of us.”

“And the rest of us are,” Cyborg said, nodding at the readouts on the screen. “Katarou’s gem’s neutralized.”

Raven curled her cloak around her. “Maybe we shouldn’t have been so quick to do that.”

“You were the one who said we should, Rae,” Beast Boy said, staring at her. “We were all switching so fast, and everything was crazy, and you said—”

“Yeah, I know what I said,” Raven responded, solemn. “I just… it wasn’t the best idea. I should have waited, made sure we were all correct first before I—”

“Nah, don’t second guess yourself, little lady,” Cyborg responded, waving his hand in her direction. “You did good. You both did. And ya’ll saw Katarou’s face. He didn’t know this would happen, either. That gem was supposed to transfer powers by storing people inside it, not switch powers, and certainly not duplicate species.”

Starfire stared at the screen, concentrating on the results of Cyborg’s scan. A Tamaranian. Not a hybrid human-Tamaranian, a full-blooded Tamaranian, with all the necessary parts for space travel, the correct amount of stomachs, bone and muscle density, and a prehensile tongue. The only things that seemed to be lacking were his skin tone, which was still his normal pinkish color, and ocular adjustments that would make Robin’s sclera green (at least, that's what he said when he checked them).

“I am not human,” she whispered, mostly to herself. “And now, neither is he.”

What did that mean? Had Robin’s personality and human abilities been lost? He seemed so different when under the influence of the gem. The way he soared through the sky, more joyous than she had ever seen him. The cadence of his speech, the excitement in his stance, the smile on his face, all things she had rarely seen in him, expressed freely. She had loved seeing his typical self-restraint gone, and he had obviously loved testing her abilities. 

But hearing Robin’s intelligence and confidence coming from Raven, and seeing her with Robin’s innate dexterity and fighting skills had been… weird, to say the least. 

They had all been affected by the gem. Powers switched at a whim. She’d been cybernetic, a shapeshifter, a martial artist, and a spellcaster today, and now, back in her true form, she still felt…

Not herself. A churning in her stomachs. A body that didn’t fit quite the same way it used to. A starbolt that felt like it seared when it didn’t. A sense of foreboding. 

She didn’t think any of them were themselves yet.

She peeked at Robin.

He stood, one hand on his hip, the other flicking through data screens with his brow furrowed as he studied the readings. He certainly looked Robinesque, gathering information and formulating ideas. But his uniform was a replica of hers. Purple and green, not red, green and yellow. A mask, because he was Robin, and an insignia, because, again, he was Robin, but he could stroll around Tamaran and fit in perfectly.

He could fly and use starbolts. Had superior strength and eye beams. Could do everything she could. He should be happy, yes? She should be happy.

But she wasn’t because he didn’t appear to be.

If Robin were Tamaranian and didn’t retain any of those abilities that made him… him… was he still Robin?

“If our powers have returned… where have yours gone?”

Robin frowned. “They’re not technically powers, Star.” He opened his hand and stared at the palm as though it had all the answers when in reality, it had none. “But I get the question. My… ‘abilities’ are intrinsic to me because I earned them. They didn’t go away because we switched.” Contemplating, he rubbed his chin as he spoke. “They were… suppressed. Muscle memory went in the transfer, but I could still do everything if I thought about it. Like Raven could still cast spells without having her powers. So, I have them. And yours. Which is… weird.” He glanced at her, and his expression softened. “Nice, ‘cause I mean, flying is amazing. But…”

She agreed with a nod. “It is weird.”

“Yeah.”

Tapping her finger against her folded arms, Starfire pondered. “Perhaps that is why the gem… I am not human. While I could be not-human and share Cyborg’s implants, or Beast Boy’s shapeshifting, or even Raven’s gifts, but my abilities are intrinsic to my race. To have them, you must be Tamaranian.”

“But I had your powers too, Star,” Cyborg said. “And I’m not Tamaranian.”

“You didn’t have them as long as Robin did,” Raven pointed out.

“ I was the one who broke the gem,” Starfire told them. “And I was the one who stopped the switching. Perhaps, being alien, that somehow interfered in the restoration of it? It was… trying to make and unmake humans and Tamaranians and…”

“You think it got muddled,” Beast Boy said, nodding. Sitting on one of the benches, he swung his feet as he spoke. “Don’t blame it, really. I can still feel Raven’s powers, even if I don’t think I can Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos myself out of a paper bag anymore.”

Robin slowly nodded. “It makes sense.” 

Raven echoed Robin’s nod with her own. “So… this could be… residual magic.” She paused and glanced at Starfire. “Absolutely no offense to you, Star, at all. You acted quickly and decisively once you had my powers.”

Starfire nodded, following Raven’s line of thought. “But I lack your knowledge and could only copy what you had done without understanding why it would work. So the reversal spell did not take as we expected it would.”

Raven nodded. “It’s possible. It’s the best theory we have at the moment, anyway.”

“So, this is temporary?” Robin asked, rubbing the back of his neck like he had pain there. “How can a complete species change be temporary? Am I just going to ungrow nine stomachs?”

Beast Boy winced and clutched at his own stomach. “Dude, that’s gonna hurt.”

“What if it’s not?” Cyborg asked, worry creeping into his voice. “What if he’s stuck like that?”

Raven shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s ancient magic, and I don’t want to mess with anything else without thoroughly researching it.” She touched Robin’s shoulder. “I’ll find out. Top priority. I’ll fix it.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Robin said, smiling for the first time. It was brighter and wider than his normal smiles and his feet lifted from the ground. “Having two Tamaranian powerhouses on the team is awesome. The bad guys won’t know what hit them.”

Raven tried to hide a smile. “And you get to fly.”

Robin vibrated with happiness. “And I get to fly!”

Starfire brightened at seeing the joy she hoped was there about the situation. 

“There it is!” Cyborg crowed, and shared a high five with Beast Boy. “You gotta be ecstatic, man.”

“Star’s powers are so cool,” Beast Boy added, swinging his feet as he shook out his hand from the force of Cyborg’s slap. “You’re gonna have a blast.”

Robin bounced on the spot, his feet never touching the ground. “Star, you gotta teach me everything.”

Starfire gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “You have nine stomachs!”

Robin lost his smile a fraction. “So?”

“You must be starving!” Oh, she was horrible, allowing nine stomachs to remain empty for so long. She’d returned ravenously hungry, snacked, and never even thought to offer any to him. 

Robin tilted his head. “Well… now that you mention it.”

She bounced over and grabbed his wrist, dragging him toward the door. “You must eat immediately.”

Robin allowed himself to be dragged, although he protested, “I’m not sure—”

Behind them, Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged excited glances.

In her head, Starfire was already listing the meals she wanted him to taste. “I will make you a—”

“—want to try—”

“—fast-breaking snack.”

“—Tamaranaian food.” He tugged her in an attempt to slow Starfire’s flight. “Look, Star, while I appreciate the thought, I’ve tried your food before, and I really don’t feel like enduring another week of digestive trouble."

“Oh, but you must. Your body is Tamaranian,” Starfire said, still dragging him through the air by the wrist. “You must respect it. It is most unpleasant when all of our stomachs are empty and human food… is an acquired taste.”

He seemed surprised at that. “It is?”

She paused, turning toward him and released his wrist. “I know you tolerate my food, Robin, and I greatly appreciate the attempt to enjoy it, but I also am aware of what can do to the human constitution.” She threaded her fingers together. “But trust me when I say you will do your body great harm if you eat human food right now.”

“Wait, really?” he asked, slightly panicked. “Even pizza?”

“If you want pizza, you will have to eat it the way I do, with the flavors I use, the ones you consider too strong and weird for pizza, and I do not believe that would be helpful at present.”

He seemed discouraged at that. “Oh.”

“So.” She squared her shoulders and turned away to fly toward the common room, allowing Robin to follow her at his own pace. “I will feed you some of the more visually acceptable food and then I will teach you how to recharge.”

“Recharge?” Robin asked as he followed her through the air. 

“Food recharges the body,” she explained. “Sunlight recharges our green energy. We need both to survive.”

“Seems I have a lot to learn.”

Once they reached the common room, Starfire gestured to him to sit at the dining table. “Wait. This will not take long.”

He gave her an uncertain, kicked-puppy look. “Star…”

Cyborg and Beast Boy slunk into the room, totally not following the pair to see Robin’s reactions to Tamaranian food, at all. Both Robin and Starfire watched them enter, then shared a look. 

Knowing no matter what, there would be witnesses, Robin groaned, scrubbed his face with his hand, and then nodded at Starfire. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Trying not to take his reactions to heart, she smiled and patted his shoulder. “I will start simple. I promise.”

Cyborg flopped into a seat near Robin. “This’ll be interesting.”

“Since when was eating a spectator’s sport?” Robin muttered, slouching.

“Hotdog-eating competitions,” Cyborg retorted, then laughed. “C’mon, man, you’re curious too. Admit it.”

Robin glowered. “Yeah, of course. Doesn’t mean I want to be watched.”

“I’ve got an iron stomach, and I can barely scratch the surface of what she can eat. It’s fascinating, and you have the proper taste buds to taste it.”

Robin eyed him. “Are you jealous?”

“Absolutely!” He leaned over, hiding his mouth behind his hand. “You know our Star. She loves sharing her culture, and now you get to appreciate it. Look how happy she is.”

Robin smiled, his eyes on Starfire. “Yeah. You’re right.”

Starfire looped through the air as she flew over to the cupboard where she stored her food, planning the meal in her head. Something simple. Isodorian fungi would be the best place to start. Although it had movement, it had a mild taste and could easily be cut into strips that resembled bread.

Meal time on Tamaran consisted of the entire meal mashed up together until it was goo and then thrown on the table where they could gorge to their heart’s content. Starfire had grown to love the way humans made their food, the preparation, and presentation that went into it all, and had experimented with variances.

She’d already developed a Tamaranain version of sandwiches, a pizza dish, something akin to pasta, puddings that were not sad, pickling and jamming, and various other human practices. In her spare time, she liked researching human recipes and substituting Tamaranian ingredients. She produced interesting results, enabling her to have sit-down meals with the other Titans in what she now considered more socially polite. 

Starfire hummed to herself as she cut the fungus into a semblance of a piece of bread. He would be more comfortable eating it if it looked as human as she could make it.  

“What is that?” Robin asked.

Cheeks reddening, Starfire kept her eyes on the fungi and stopped humming. She’d forgotten in her moment of happiness at properly sharing some of her favorite foods with him, that human ears could not handle Tamaranian vocals.

“You know Tamaranains,” Beast Boy said, shrugging. He bounced up to sit on the kitchen counter and watch Starfire. “They growl at their food.”

“But that wasn’t—” Robin’s head swiveled toward her. “Star?”

“You’re gonna have to learn to do a proper growl too—” Beast Boy peered closer at what she was making. “Star, that's not an animal, is it? It’s wriggling!”

“It is a non-sentient fungus native to one of Tamaran’s moons,” Starfire explained. “It does not wriggle but undulates as it seeks out nutrients. Much like an Earthen coral does.”

“Corals are animals, Star,” Beast Boy said.

“Oh… then not like the coral,” she replied, frowning. “By Tamaranian classification, it is a fungus. I do not know what you would classify it as.”

“Fungus are… kinda a grey area,” Beast Boy said, eyeing the food. “But I can’t transform into that, so… I can probably… er… What is that?”

“A decador nut paste and zorkaberry jam sandwich.”

Cyborg twisted in his seat to stare at her and blurted. “You made him PB&J?” 

“You made me PB&J?” Robin echoed, perking up.

PB&J was one of Robin’s favorite snacks, especially when he was working. She’d bring several to his office when he was on a case to make sure he’d eaten, and while she didn’t enjoy the human flavor of it, she copied it for something she would enjoy, something they could share. 

Seeing their sudden interest in her foods, she asked Beast Boy and Cyborg, “Would you like to try it?”

The boys looked at each other, then back at her. “We’ve had zorkaberry before,” Cyborg noted.

“And that was pretty tasty,” Beast Boy added. 

“You know what?” Cyborg said, nodding. “Yes. I’d love some.”

Starfire beamed.

“No animal products?” Beast Boy asked, his ears going down.

“Yes,” she assured him. “No animal products.”

“Then me too, please.”

Starfire grabbed some extra plates and pulled one of Raven’s mugs from the cupboard. With everyone sharing a meal, Raven would be drawn to their emotions and appreciate a cup of tea when she arrived.

Once everything was ready, Starfire slid the plate of sandwiches into the middle of the dining table and handed out plates. Sitting beside Robin, she took a sandwich for herself. “For a while,” she told Robin, “please do not eat anything without discussing it with me. You will find most human fruits to be an… unpleasant experience now, and I want to ensure you have a smooth transition.”

Robin reached for a sandwich. “Really? Damn?”

“We should get him to try mustard,” Beast Boy suggested, watching Robin. He made no move to select a sandwich for himself.

Starfire nodded. “That is a good idea. We do not need to ingest as much water as humans do. You may find yourself partial to thicker liquids like mustard.”

“Ahh. That makes sense.” Robin stalled, cradling the sandwich in his hands.

With the boys watching her, Starfire took a big bite of her sandwich. Experience told her they would try it when someone else did. The three of them watched her chew before they rushed to take their own bites.

While she was interested in Robin’s reaction, she instead focused on Raven as she entered, carrying a large spell book. “Greetings,” Starfire called. “I have done the boiling of the kettle for your tea.”

“Oh, great,” Raven said, placing the book on the table beside Starfire. “Thanks. What are you eating?”

“Tamaranian equivalent of PB&J,” Cyborg said, chewing around a mouthful. “It.. ain’t half bad.”

“Don’t eat with your mouth full,” Raven chided, and received an open-mouthed ‘nya’ from Cyborg for her trouble, making Beast Boy copy him with his own half-eaten mouthful. It earned both of them a rolling of Raven’s eyes.

“This is… really good,” Robin said, staring at the food in his hands. 

Returning her attention to Robin, Starfire smiled. “Yes?”

“Yeah! It's… sweet and tangy and creamy all in one, it's like… comforting but alien and like, a burst of flavor I didn’t expect and… it's incredible!” he announced, taking a huge bite. He chewed furiously so he could take a third bite, then a fourth, then grabbed another sandwich.

Starfire watched him wolf down that sandwich in just as few bites and then reach for a third. Something was wrong with the way he ate; it was… too fast, too… human, chewing and swallowing.

Alarmed, she said, “No, Robin, you—”

“Slow down,” Raven said and turned toward the kitchen. “You’ll get gas. And no one wants to hear that.”

The warning came too late. A deep rumble followed by a loud explosion of swallowed air burst from his stomachs and took the only path to escape it could. The belch Robin emitted would have put Galfore’s to shame.

Robin’s face flamed with embarrassment, and he clapped his hand over his mouth.

Raven huffed. “I told you so.”

Cyborg and Beast Boy applauded heartily. “Magnificent!” Cyborg announced, pretending to wipe away a tear. “Bravo.”

“Impressive, dude. Ten outta ten on effort.”

Starfire covered her face with her hands. 

Mortified, Robin’s voice was muffled, as though he was speaking through his hand. “Star, I’m so sorry. I—”

She shook her head, removing her hands to stare at the table. “No, Robin, the fault is mine. I had thought that… digestion would come naturally. But you were human, you have preconceptions on eating and… I am sorry. I will attempt to explain more thoroughly. Tamaranians use our tongues to aid in digestion and—”

A mischievous gleam appeared in Cyborg’s eye. “Oh, yes, Robin. You definitely need to use your tongue.”

“Shut up, Cy,” Robin said with a glare.

Without understanding Cyborg’s leer nor Robin’s glare, Starfire said, “Um…” Shaking her head, she decided this was one of those boy interactions she would never understand. “Surely you have noticed it.”

Still glaring at Cyborg, Robin said, “Well… yeah.” Switching his attention, he turned sheepish. “But I… er…  wasn’t sure… how to ask.”

Cyborg lost his smile, snapping his head toward Starfire. “Say what now? Noticed what?”

Glancing at Cyborg, she fixed her eyes on the sandwiches and took a deep breath. “In many cultures, including Earth, the presentation of a tongue is considered quite rude, so please understand I do this for educational purposes.”

Beast Boy sat up straight. Cyborg stared at her.

Starfire opened her mouth and ejected her tongue. It shot forward and scooped up a sandwich. Its muscles undulated, sliding the sandwich along it and toward her mouth. She tilted her head back to allow for smooth passage down to the first of her stomachs, then retracted her tongue.

Though he tried to curb his reaction, Cyborg recoiled and hid his expression behind his hand.

Beast Boy bounced on the spot in excitement. “It’s like a chameleon or frog! That’s so cool, Star.”

Robin’s face was devoid of expression. “Oh.”

Starfire curled in on herself. “I apologize. It…. is easier if I demonstrate.”

Robin shook his head. “No. No, it's fine.”

“A prehensile tongue,” Cyborg said and nudged Robin. “Huh. Never would have guessed. You know, I always wondered, with your flexibility—”

From across the room, Raven slapped a black band of power across Cyborg’s mouth. “Let’s not go there.”

Cyborg smirked and dodged the swat from Robin. 

“Can you, like, use it to fight?” Beast Boy asked excitedly. “Slap someone silly with your tongue or use it to throw people around? How strong is it?”

“Our tongues are quite sensitive. That would hurt greatly.” Glancing at Robin, she said, “I would advise you not to use it in battle. It could easily incapacitate you.”

With a dead straight face, he nodded. “Right.”

Cyborg nudged Robin again. “Notice she—” 

“Stop.”

“—didn’t say anything about—”

“What are you suggesting, Cyborg?” Starfire asked, dialing up the innocence in her tone. While Cyborg’s insinuations were clear, she would make him explain them in detail if he remained determined to embarrass Robin. She wasn’t sure why Cyborg’s teasing of Robin had increased of late but it was reaching the point where it was becoming worrisome.

Startled, Cyborg lifted his hands up, palms up. “Nothing.”

She narrowed her eyes on him and said, “They are also very strong. We can use our tongues to crush.” Watching Cyborg wince, she then explained to Robin. “We do not swallow our food. Chew and then let the food slide down your tongue, it will deposit food in your first stomach. I would not recommend taking it whole like I did, that was a demonstration.”

“Let it slide?” Robin asked, mostly to himself. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Starfire tilted her head at him. “Describe how you make your blood move in your veins.”

“Huh?”

“It is not something you think about, yes?” she explained. “Not something you even are aware of until it is brought to your attention. This is the same situation. I was not aware. And possibly will not be aware of other processes until asked.”

Robin brightened. “Oooooh. I get it. It’s like…” Smirking at Cyborg, he said, “You’re now breathing manually.”

Cyborg scowled. “That’s mean.”

“Payback.” Grinning, Robin looked at Starfire and made his expression neutral. “Bite, chew, and then don’t swallow. Slide.”

“Take it slow.”

“Alright then.” Robin picked up his sandwich. “Here we go.” Taking a bite, he chewed, then stopped. After a moment, he screwed up his face, tensed all the muscles in his neck, then shook himself out. “That has to be the weirdest thing I have ever experienced.” He smiled, looking at Starfire. “But hey… that actually felt kinda cool.”

Clasping her hands together, Starfire smiled and relaxed. “Glorious.”

Robin took another bite and devoured it. “So, I mean, we can swallow, but you said we shouldn’t. What happens when we swallow?”

Starfire waved her hand over her belly. “We store. Food will go into the ninth stomach, where it can be regurgitated later, or digested at a slower rate. As for the other stomachs, food will pass to them naturally for digestion. Once through the last, any waste will be disposed of.”

“Disposed of?” Cyborg smirked. “You’re a big girl, Star. You can say ‘poop’.”

Ignoring the tease, Starfire shook her head. “While we can, our bodies are designed to waste very little. Our energy can take care of what the body has not absorbed.”

“Really? No pooping? Lucky,” Beast Boy said. “Wait, does that mean you don’t a—”

Raven sighed. “Beast Boy, don’t be rude.”

“But it’s fascinating!” Beast Boy responded, and waved his hands around. “There’s a bunch of animals that don’t poop, and their bodies are really cool, so I’m curious!”

“No wonder she can eat anything,” Cyborg noted.

Starfire said, “It is easier to let the energy consume it. It is believed we evolved with the ninth stomach as a form of hibernation, but my people do not need to anymore. It is wise to put some food in every meal, but not much.”

Robin said, “Tamaranian bodies have such cool quirks.”

“So do humans,” Starfire exclaimed. “I have often wondered how you sweat, and why your faces can turn so many strange colors.”

“But if she doesn’t have— can she even fart?”

“Beast Boy!”

“She just said we could,” Robin said. “Put your listening ears on.”

“But—”

“What is your infatuation with butts today?” Raven asked.

Beast Boy wilted. “Um…”

“Hey, Star?” Robin asked, waiting until she looked at him before he said, “Can we go flying after eating?” 

“Of course.” Starfire beamed at him, smiling even harder when he floated out of his seat in happiness. 

His knees hit the bottom of the table with a loud thump. Robin laughed and gripped the table to keep himself there. “Whoops. Why do I keep doing that?”

“Unbridled joy,” Starfire replied. “The strength of our powers are based on our emotions. The more you feel, the better.”

Beast Boy laughed and clapped his hands. “Man, this is gonna be fun!”