#but yeah honestly apart from the big ones (Main/ Reverse/ Hatchling) I doubt any are gonna come back

[lavenoon]

luce!!!! i just wanted to say i love accidentally undercover SO MUCH!! all of your art and writing is just so good!!!! robin and their silly little guys (competent secret agents) my beloveds 💚 i do have a question though, if it's not too much trouble!

i've read through the master post, but is there a single place/post that breaks down what each AU of accidentally undercover is about/switches around? like a brief description of what the changes from the canon accidentally undercover story are sort of thing! i love all the aus too, but sometimes my brain crosses wires and i confuse them ;;; but regardless i love robin and your versions of the boys!!! (and also your art for cryptid sightings waaah you make those big ole demon boys so soft and tender with their hunter and it kills me!!! T^T )

I'm back from work and can finally reply!! I'm so happy to hear you've been enjoying AU and my CS art!! It's been a lot of fun to explore both, and with CS I got the excuse that I don't know canon, but yeah I get that all the AU variations can be a bit confusing!

I think I had one ask before asking for the difference between Canon and Reverse, but it's been a while and there's a lot more variations now, so under the cut I'll break them all down and link to the introductory posts!

AU variations I write for and thus may appear in the AO3 main story:

Canon/ Main Accidentally Undercover: Senior Agent Robin, Rival Dusk, both with a nightly break-in/ evidence collection focus, Neighbor Sun. Robin and Dusk have a somewhat tense, but with time more and more playful rivalry based on mutual trust, while Sun and Y/N are friends, if not especially close (though they would like to be).

Reverse AU (sometimes "canon" Reverse AU, to differentiate from the newer Hatchling AU): Senior Agent Robin, Rival Dawn, both with an undercover focus, Neighbor Moon. The rivalry between Dawn and Robin is tenser than canon due to the "ankle grabbing" incident, though they still trust each other (on a more professional level - both quietly wishing for more). Moon as a neighbor is more subdued, but not immune to Y/N's charms, and they become friends too, also wishing for more.

Hatchling AU Canon adjacent: Rookie agent Robin, Rival Dusk, Neighbor Sun. Robin is a lot more playful and open, if just as competitive, while Dusk and Sun are more distant/ aloof. Big fight between the rivals forcing Dusk to realize that he wants the rivalry, and he apologizes to Robin. Sun thinks he's a martyr and can't get close to Y/N, who is still lonely and still a "bad" landlord and thus tries to befriend their tenant. The neighbors need the reveal to grow closer here, teetering the edge between acquaintance and friend. Reverse adjacent: Rookie agent Robin, Rival Dawn, Neighbor Moon. Similar dynamic shift, with Dawn being rougher around the edges than even in canon Reverse AU. "Everything is the ankle-grabbing" with things coming to a peak with their fight, after which the peacock learns to apologize too. Moon, being more of an introvert anyhow, keeps a distance from Y/N until he catches them crying one day (unbeknownst to him, because of Dawn), and they become friendlier then, if not close friends. Same martyrdom as Sun in canon adjacent. The big fights are detailed here

AU Dynamic Swap Canon adjacent: Robin welcomes another judged for their methods rookie rather than go on the defensive, and becomes fast friends with Dusk thanks to their shared interest in being a menace. When Sun moves in, they don't try as hard to befriend him, and a few misunderstandings push the neighbors in the opposite direction of passive aggression and the energy of a hostile HOA consisting of two members. Reverse adjacent: Robin welcomes Dawn in their own way, and the suave bastard finally gets to shine. They make everyone else either cringe or wonder if they're actually a couple with their constant "just kidding haha unless" flirting. Moon is jealous, and lonely, and ends up snapping from that unfamiliar pressure - just unfortunately at the nice landlord, who promptly stops being nice. Misunderstandings here, too, though Moon already shows signs of wanting to fix things pre-reveal.

One off AU variations that may or may not come back, but to be safe I'm telling you not to get your hopes up:

Double Rejection Hatchling: No neighbors, and rookie Robin gets first shut down by Dawn, then Dusk, and switches departments to the labs (where they work with Horizon's designs, if not him personally). Dusk and Dawn think their rival quit, until the encounter in the labs - after which they try hard to apologize and make it up to them, including getting them their job as field agent back. Only after that do they grow close enough to stage a reveal and move in together

Lab Techs Dusk and Dawn, Field Agent Robin: Technically further separated into canon and reverse adjacent, but never elaborated on. Lab tech Dusk or Dawn quicker to flirt and more open, with senior agent Robin very awkward around the nice newbies they don't see as competition. Neighbor dynamic does not significantly change compared to the other senior agent Robin timelines.

Command Center/ Field Agent matchups Command center Robin and Field agent Dusk and Dawn: Y/N knows both neighbors, who cover up gadget noise with the DIY explanation. Robin was too reckless and got delegated to Command Center work until they could be trusted - and they feel bitter about it, taking it out through passive aggressive communication with Dusk and Dawn. The voices get scrambled and thus no one recognizes the other, with their work relationship rather tense but the neighbors being friendly as can be with the secrecy of their work! Field agent Robin and Command center Dusk and Dawn: Robin works undercover and for evidence collection, while Dusk and Dawn are delegated to CC work until the agency trusts them enough for the field due to their unorthodox application (through Eclipse). Robin doesn't feel threatened but is too awkward to analyze why these CC guys are so nice to them. Sun and Moon have a podcast to cover up any noise for the rare cases they work from home, and invite Eclipse to join sometimes. Y/N knows them both (all, perhaps), and listens to the podcast to fall asleep.

All senior agents: No neighbors at all. Robin gets paired up with the difficult star agents from another location, and has to adapt to suddenly working with a partner. They are all snarky and territorial and kind of pissed about the situation, but once they realize they all like to have fun with the job and don't hate each other, they get friendlier to the point that when the boys do move and accidentally trigger a reveal, they are all happy with that development too.

Speedrun AU/ all rookie agents: No two locations in this one, Eclipse, Sun and Moon still live together and in the same town as Y/N. Dusk and Dawn start their training, only to be joined rather soon by the even greener not-yet-Robin, who befriends both before even settling on a codename. Eclipse and Y/N meet and become friends, with Eclipse figuring out that his friend and the newbie his brothers keep raving about are the same person, and leads the charge for that particular reveal. Dawn and Dusk don't get transferred upon completing their training due to already being a team with Robin, so HQ pushes them to at least move - and Sun and Moon promptly move in with Y/N.

These are all major variations that change the dynamics between the characters, so I haven't counted alt reveals - there are. so many. But those are (mostly) for Main AU, and thus those dynamics apply!

I'll also probably edit this post whenever I add a new timeline, just to keep things cohesive (or as close as anything AU is cohesive lmao)