#robin hatchling

[lavenoon]

Can we have more hatchling AU plz?

Pain? You asked for pain? I come to deliver! <3

So the angst is canon - both boys get that moment where they just snap at the baby bird.

Dawn has had enough - and after the nth time that Robin tries to tag along for paperwork too, he asks them why rather harshly. And while their response didn't actually aim towards friendship, the immediate rejection gave them a good idea of what he thinks of them. Dawn leaves them easily, not quite thinking about the impact he left, only glad to finally have some peace and quiet. He does get that pang of not quite regret, but the thought "Maybe there would have been a better way to handle this"

Can't argue with the results however. They do lay off after that, acting much more subdued during missions. As impressive as it used to be that they actually seemed to be able to keep up with him, that performance is now slacking. Dawn is a good agent. So when he starts listening to the rumor mill, and pays attention to context clues, he knows it's not a general drop - only on missions they share with him. They're jumpy, hesitant, and their acting has become subpar, but only when he's around. That... That doesn't sit right with him. There's also the fact that he starts getting bored - Robin doesn't join as many missions, actively bowing out of shared missions offered to them, and he gets paired with other agents that don't know him or how he works. None of them stick around for a second time, so he has to work with someone new every time. It's familiar and frustrating, and he starts missing Robin's little quips and enthusiasm.

He's not sorry. That would imply he didn't mean what he said, and they aren't friends. But Robin gets little gifts in their office's pigeonhole, cereal bars and water bottles, and while their decision to have Dawn for a rival somewhat isolated them from other field agents, they do ask around and figure out that he hasn't been making any friends. Even snappier than usual, they hear - how did they stand it for so long? Well, he's not too bad usually... He just really can't stand them, so...

But then, after about two to three weeks (don't quote me on that, I may change my mind, but it works for now) they just hear their code name called out to them on the way to their office, and when they turn Dawn is just approaching them with... well, the best pokerface they've ever seen. No reading that expression.

"I see you're well."

"Uhh."

It's awkward, the silence that follows. They have no clue what he wants - and he's a proud idiot who can't articulate it either. They both fumble, and Dawn tries to take control of the conversation, "subtly" asking if the cereal bars were to their liking. That was him? Yes, obviously it was him - he knows about their atrocious self care habits! Completely ignoring his initial question, they now crack half a smile, as confused as it is. Did he... Did he feel bad?

Dawn flinches, and looks away, and they know they hit gold where they never would have expected it. Getting the words out of his voicebox feels like pulling teeth, but he forces them out.

"I may have... reacted rather harshly. While I stand by the content of what I said, there were better ways to establish that, and it wasn't relevant to our conversation at all. We don't need to be friends to work with each other, and... And you are the one agent at this location who actually seems to understand how I work, even if I can't claim the opposite yet. I would like to, with time, if you're willing."

It's not really an apology, but Robin sees him, stiff and uncomfortable, admitting to his own faults, and they have to bite back a grin. So he's scary, alright, and ruthless, yeah, but also kind of... Kind of an idiot, huh?

"... I'll be annoying."

"I'm aware."

"And you won't mind?"

"... Less than the alternative."

They snort at the honesty, even more so as it comes hesitantly. They grin, then.

"You're a real ray of sunshine, aren't you? I'll take the next one. Just know that you chose this."

Dawn sighs, eternally suffering, and Robin chokes on another laugh. It's easy to swallow when his next words are quiet, barely audible, and something he never said to them that genuinely before.

"Thank you."

They aren't friends, Robin knows. But maybe they can be. They already made the big scary star agent admit he works best with them - surely everything else is possible too <3

(The initial conversation also is what made them cry enough for Moon to notice later that day - and something that Dawn will thus regret all over again) (Dawn starts calling them "little thief" soon after, as they stuck with the "Sunshine" for him, and it's only another step in the right direction)

Dusk technically has even less tact, and snaps at them in the middle of a mission. They just almost walked into the path of a camera again, distracted by their own energy, and he's had enough. At the very least he has the sense to immediately regret it - but the words are already out, and Robin is already withdrawing. "I'll focus," they say, and they do, and Dusk tries hard not to feel bad about the suffocating silence following those two words.

He certainly feels very bad when the next time he moves his hand near them, they flinch back. Eyes wide and trained on his fingers, even without the claws and electricity dancing between them. Oh no. He was angry, yes, and maybe upped the intimidation factor, but he didn't actually want them afraid of him.

Because while he figured that they simply don't take anything seriously, including him, Robin was being lighthearted despite the respect they have for him. They aren't as oblivious as he thinks they are (they're oblivious in different, exciting ways), and to them that little intimidation display was not the attempt of a senior agent struggling to be taken seriously, but rather a senior agent they admire all but declaring his willingness to hurt them.

Dusk done fucked up.

Robin stops "hijacking" his missions, and Dusk starts making mistakes. Because he wasn't the only one interfering to prevent mistakes, they covered his back as much as he covered theirs. And seeing them actively dodge him in the hallways of HQ just stings, even without the reprimands towards himself ghosting around in his head. He needs to fix this.

He's not as much of a mother hen as Sun, but he does know a thing or two about taking care of others still. He also has the advantage that he isn't quite as much of a peacock as Dawn, and opts for the direct approach. His pride hates being scary to the nice if reckless new agent more than apologizing. He doesn't take as long as Dawn either, and approaches them after just a few days.

Robin still jumps when he's suddenly there, but his hands are hidden behind his back and he's standing there almost hunched. They wait, silent, for him to speak - and he does, with a grimace. Still similar to his counterpart, this next bit grates.

"I'm... sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean to do that - I didn't... I didn't realize."

Well, cheers, he managed the apology - as much as it sucks. Robin scoffs, not impressed either.

"What, didn't realize that someone three heads taller with sharp teeth and literal tasers for claws wouldn't be my favorite company when angry? Shocker."

Now it's his turn to flinch, but reaching out still forces them a step back, so he pulls his hands back. Fidgets with them, a nervous habit he knows he shouldn't indulge, Sun already does that more than enough.

"I underestimated you, on multiple accounts. And I guess... I got used to you not being afraid. Everyone else is."

His fingers creak then, and when Robin glances at his hands, he hides them behind his back again. It makes them think - and well... They know what the other agents think of Dusk, always reacting with disbelief when they mention joining him for missions, and rather unwilling to discuss him as if he has eyes everywhere. The others are afraid.

But the agent in front of them right now? Is... kind of a dork, who hides his hands because he thinks they're scared of every little movement, and he's kind of weird about eye contact too, as if even his normal eyes would scare them, and they are pretty sure they've never seen him without the sharp teeth before, either.

He's trying. He's just kind of stupid about it. They sigh, and decide to offer an olive branch.

"Fine, Mr. Sandman, apology accepted. You can stop looking like the strangest kicked puppy I've ever seen now."

"... Mr. Sandman?"

He looks at them, somewhat hesitant - that won't do. They exaggerate a shrug.

"What, would you prefer Moon man?"

"No."

"Neat. You're getting that, then."

He smiles then, somewhat slowly, but it morphs into a grin easily. It's new, still, but it's nice, and he can't help but try it out.

"Chirp chirp chirp, the little robin sings again."

"... Hood. Robin Hood."

They squint at his grin, and sharp teeth click back into place. They aren't scared.

Dusk straightens, and then moves to walk past them. It's sudden, and they don't quite process it until his hand is already on their head and removing the little hair tie. They gasp, offended, and he twirls it on his finger when they turn.

"Give that back!"

"Next mission, little bird. Try to get it back."

He whistles as he leaves, and Robin has the sudden urge to strangle someone 1) who's neck they can barely reach and 2) who doesn't need to breathe. But he invited them - well, he better not complain then. If he insists on the bird names, well, they'll be a canary - he'll regret ever asking them to be loud again.

(He won't regret it. After this, Dusk is well aware why it's bad news when a canary stops singing - and he'd rather not have a scare like that again. They aren't quite comfortable after this, at best comparable to early rivalry senior agent Robin and rookie Dusk, but they're getting there, and both are too stubborn to work with anyone else. Works out for them, after all)

[msb-lair]

Clutch #3592 - Telmarines/Telchines

Mated On: 2024-05-25 # of eggs: 3 Hatched On: 2024-05-30

Progeny:

Hatchling 9550 - Aether XXY Male, Phthalo Fade/Phthalo Blend/Jade Glowtail, Rare - 15,000 on 2024-07-03

Hatchling 9551 - Aether XXY Female, Phthalo Fade/Phthalo Blend/Jade Glowtail, Uncommon - 15 gems on 2024-06-08

Hatchling 9552 (Nightlight) - Aether XXY Male, Phthalo Fade/Phthalo Blend/Robin Glowtail, Common - 15,000 on 2024-05-31

Comments: 

[all-consuming-sand]

I got the flavor of adhd that makes me violently hyperfixate on specific characters

Why couldn't I get that the kind that makes me hyperfixate on helpful things like cooking or drilling for oil

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Hatchling robins in a nest

COURTESY SCOTT MILROY

[xeneric-shrooms]

!!! Dragons For Sale !!!

Candy is still up on AH but for 20kT now!

Blossom Gaoler 'Grape' has been sold, and Fizzy Refreshment Pearlcatcher 'Seltzer' is 10g!

[scryingworkshop]

[thebackyardbirder]

On the same day as the first egg was hatched the second American Robin egg in a bird nest on my window ledge started to hatch. The female American Robin continuously left and returned to the nest.

[mjrtaurus]

Alternative, healthier Crocomom/dad/parent theory to juxtapose the previous one I posted.

Luffy was still a Cryptic pregnancy, because if he and Dragon had known, they would have very likely aborted so as not to bring a child into a world that would be irrationally dangerous for them (See: Ace and Robin being hunted like dogs by the WG for the "sin" of their heritage). But Dragon and Croc would have embraced this surprise baby boy with open arms and open hearts.

But they still would have to give their baby up. They both knew this. To make sure their son has the very best bet of survival in this world, he would need to have as few ties to his parents as humanly possible.

They couldn't even bear to name the boy, knowing they would have to let him go.

It... tore them both up. It ended up with the two men growing distant, and eventually having their relationship fizzle out. They still loved each other, yes, but the magic just wasn't there anymore. It all went away with their baby boy.

Cut to Alabasta.

Crocodile is fully transitioned by this point, thanks to Iva. He's a Warlord now, he's feeding the Revolutionaries a steady influx of information on World Government activities, but he's seeking out Pluton on the down-low to wipe the WG off the face of the earth.

He is, unfortunately, not as merciful or patient a man as Dragon. He wants shit done and he wants it done as fast as possible, consequences be damned.

This attitude also contributed significantly to the distancing between himself and Dragon.

And now Luffy arrives and starts to put a wrench in his plans.

Crocodile doesn't recognize him. Not his face, as he'd all but blocked it from his memory. Not his name, as they chose not to name him.

As for the surname? Well, he and Dragon had an unspoken thing between them. Neither of them knew the other's full name so that information wouldn't get out if either were captured and interrogated.

Crocodile didn't know Luffy was their son until Sengoku dropped that particular hazardous info bomb in Marineford.

So, he did as any crocodilian parent would do when their hatchling is in distress and wrecked house.

His goal? Draw as much attention to himself as possible. Instigate total chaos.

Stopping Ace's execution and jumping in the middle of the crowd to announce how petty you're feeling? Attacking Whitebeard with reckless abandon in broad daylight in front of his crew?

Bet.

He wanted all eyes on him at Marineford so none of them would be on Luffy, which worked on just about everyone but a volcanic freight train named Sakazuki.

The horror of realizing he had stabbed, mummified, and poisoned his own son back during the Alabasta coup only hits him later when the dust has settled.

And man does it hit him hard.

[golden-buddle]

@puppetmaster13u

——

The Bat was old. It was easy to see, especially with the numerous artifacts that covered Gotham. But, though the Bat was old- The Robins were young.

It started with a small pup, one that flew through the air with colors of Red, Green, Yellow, and Black.

The First of the Robins was bloodthirsty, a pup that grinned in the shadows of his mother, one that chirped and cheered when his mother shed blood and fear for him to feed on.

Though the pup was dangerous, he still was kind. And since he was much smaller than his ferocious mother, he was able to sneak away.

And sneak away he did. Often, the little bird would creep away from his mother, crooning to the victims and feeding off of the remnants of their fear as his mother shredded those who hurt his City.

But like most young children- Robin eventually grew up.

His colors darkened, falling away as the small blood thirsty bird grew fangs. Colors faded, darkening and shifting until only electric blues and blacks remained. The First Robin became a new bird- A Nightingale, and oh did he Sing like his namesake.

The Nightingale would croon, would sing, would talk, and when he talked- people found themselves lost to even themselves. Unable to stop themselves as they followed the now grown Alpha who had become almost as terrifying as his mother.

It was then that a new bird hit the streets, one that was said to have come from the Nightingale’s long shed feathers.

It’s said that when the colors faded, that when each color finally dwindled into blacks and blues, more Robins, more Birds came to life.

Each color that the first Robin shed came to life in their own right, with their own thirst for the fear that their Mother and elder Brother fed on.

The first to appear was the Cardinal, the one who came to life with as much blood-blood-blood as it left this world with.

The second was the Crow, the one who came to life under the Bat’s grief and the First Robin’s anger.

The third was Starling, but unlike the others, she found herself unhappy with the remaining colors. So she left, following the steps of the Cuckoo to become a Bat rather than a bird before settling into something entirely new.

The forth was, and still is, hidden- unknown but talked about in hushed voices from those who are brave enough to sneak up on the pack that protected the city. Though the Forth hasn’t been seen quite yet, the air drips with rumors about the forth Robin being a Drake, one that clad themselves in the dark greens that once covered their source.

Each Robin, each bird, the Bat took in gleefully.

The Bat cared for each of his hatchlings like any other omega- But protected them with enough fury that blood dripped from his talons and mouth.

[lavenoon]

Hiya! I went to have a nap to get rid of a headache and ended up having a small dream of Hatchling AU but with a slight twist.

After the angst of one of the boys snapping at them, instead of just bowing out of missions/avoiding them, they swap time slots entirely. Now instead of working the Day, they work at Night and interact with Dusk.

They thought maybe this would work out better for them and it did!... For a bit. Dusk also snaps at them, scaring them in the same way in the little angst drabble you wrote.

Robin starts thinking that maybe being an agent isn't what they thought it be and starts second guessing themselves to the max. Robin, desperate for some form of 'good enough', asks to get swapped to Tech in the guise of 'will improve my performance if i could make these work/fit better'.

Robin is unaware of how well they've actually been doing because of Dawn and Dusk's reactions to them and the Heads (cant remember the word) decided that if this really good up-and-coming agent will work better with gear/tech made by themself then hell yeah.

Robin gets to work in the labs/on tech for as long as they want so long as they accept any mission the Heads deem as needing their immediate attention. Robin agrees and that's where they've been for a few weeks now.

They've managed to dodge Dusk and Dawn while heading to the labs and neither know where Robin went.

Dawn and Dusk both still want to apologize but their little thief/bird has vanished, leading them to thinking they may have quit or been fired.

The Heads send them a mission detailing they need to use a special device/trinket a lab tech made and have to go pick it up.

Not in the mood to be dealing with another person that probably doesn't like them/is afraid of them they barge right in.

The Tech tells them to hold for just a moment so they can grab the device. A moment that told them that the Tech was Robin.

Robin turns around, with their mask on, mid-explanation of the new device only to freeze at the realization of who they're debriefing to.

I woke up after that.

As I type this i have no idea how the living/home set up would work (maybe the tenant thing didn't happen in this version) since the dream never left the agent side of things.

I also have no idea if the other ever found out that they started getting visited/working with the person their counterpart was annoyed with.

I'm going to have another nap now because typing this out without glasses brought the headache back.

Hope you have a wonderful day/night dear, Take Care!

Oh I am totally normal about you dreaming of Hatchling AU totally totally

I went a little off the rails, so the rest goes under the cut - 1.7K words, and I won't apologize <3

So like this the neighbor thing really wouldn't work - only creating more isolation for Robin. They go home to an empty house, and they have nothing to soften the blow of everything happening at work.

So when Dawn snaps at them, they decide to take the hint and just switch shifts entirely. There they run into Dusk - and they're already more hesitant about everything.

That's a bit of a speedrun there - because Robin then obviously finds out there's another celestial animatronic star agent, one they haven't been aware of at all. And Dusk knows of the newbie Robin too - so it's not hard to connect them back to the agent Dawn used to work with. He's quiet, not as flashy as Dawn, and doesn't outright snap at them - so that's good?

Dusk has to wonder just how much Dawn exaggerated, because what he sees is a quiet agent who is obviously still having new job jitters. There's none of the crazy ideas or impulsive comments that Sun always complained about, and he wonders how much of that was exaggeration or maybe just an indication that they weren't suited for the undercover work.

They do look happy parkouring, and he doesn't begrudge them the glee of that - it's the first time in a long time that he doesn't look for the fastest way to a target, but rather the most thrilling one. And they keep up!

So for Dusk, this is an arrangement he can live with, even if he feels a bit like a babysitter for the rookie sometimes. Dawn meanwhile goes through much of the same, more agents refusing to work with him, and then he hears from his counterpart that Robin works with him now and has undergone a rather drastic personality change, and somehow... That doesn't feel right.

Dusk also doesn't stay happy for too long, because when there's a group of hostiles and Robin is just way too reckless? They can't take that seriously either, and suddenly he knows what Dawn was talking about.

That... Maybe isn't the most tactful thing to point out while he's making sure they aren't bleeding out from their freshly acquired stab wound.

Robin doesn't say anything after that.

They're dead silent, and don't look at him anymore.

He's obviously not surprised when they don't come back for a while - but when weeks turn into months and there's no sign of them again, he does kind of get antsy.

Because Sun and Moon continue to share notes, and Moon does feel bad about his almost panicked comment that, well... He wasn't actually angry, just frenzied by the newbie he decided he'd keep an eye on actually getting stabbed while he was there. Sun of course also isn't happy - somehow hearing that Moon threw Dawn's words back at Robin in that kind of situation also makes him think that he wasn't quite the friendliest person either. He didn't even give them the benefit of doubt - and their sudden personality shift does make him think.

They somewhat settle for the thought that Robin quit after getting stabbed - surely that just wasn't what they signed up for. And while it hurts to think that they'd never get to apologize, they feel like a short-lived rivalry is better than a short-lived rival.

So when Dawn is instructed to pick up a new spy device from the labs, he's certainly not expecting to see a familiar face. (It does explain the almost ridiculous design of the device, but he can't deny that it could work)

They don't expect to see him there either though. And, oops, they aren't really in the mood to be bubbly or quiet now (: He gets a glare, before they turn back again, continuing with their explanation of the device in a much sharper tone than before.

Dawn deflates, just a little. He did that - Dusk and him, both of them.

"You still work here," also isn't quite the best way to voice his surprise, as gentle as he does it. Because Robin has had enough. They snap around to him, barely contained fury evident in their expression.

"What, expected I was fired for being that much of a failure?"

Uh oh.

If there were anyone else in the room, they might have been surprised at the ruthless star agent pacifyingly raising his hands and stepping back from the tiny in comparison lab tech now glaring daggers at him. Hell, even Dawn is surprised that this is his course of action. But still, he's proud, and he needs to set the record straight.

"That's not what I said -"

"Yeah, but you said plenty. And Dusk made sure I remember, too."

They turn their back again, and Dawn... Dawn doesn't like this, at all. None of this. They sound sad and angry and almost crushed and he hates that. That's not how they're supposed to be.

So for the first time in ever, maybe, he swallows his pride.

"We were wrong. I was wrong. To say those things, and for how I said them. I'm sorry."

If he had a tongue, he'd bite it, but even so the excuses and justifications struggle to escape anyway. They have no place here, and even Dawn is aware of that.

Robin doesn't react past hunching their shoulders, but he can't see their expression.

"... Didn't know you know those words. So what, how's Dusk gonna surprise me?"

He clenches his fingers, then slowly unfurls them again. Easy, easy - do not snap at the newbie. That's what caused this mess in the first place.

"Dusk watched you get stabbed. He was concerned, and acted out of line, and I'm sure he'll apologize himself. I cannot and will not do that on his behalf."

"It's great that he watched, I didn't quite get to. Was a bit too dark."

"The lights -"

Robin throws him a withering look past their shoulder. He flinches back, and not just because of how their eyes shine with tears they're holding back.

"I was preventing the lights from being turned on. Dusk was busy, he didn't even see the guy aiming for the switch - and I didn't see the knife. We're even."

Wait. Wait a moment - gears start turning, and Dawn's eyes widen in realization. Dusk saw, and Robin didn't -

"He was using nightvision. The sudden light would have overloaded his optics, blinding him for at least a few seconds - if not damage them entirely."

Seconds of blindness or even total loss of vision - neither are good in a fight. And Dusk didn't even see? Didn't even pay attention?

It seems he trusted his little rival more than he was even aware of.

Robin continues to mumble, fiddling with the device in front of them, unaware of his little moment.

"I wasn't sure. I just know how afterimages work, and nightvision binoculars. I was thinking. Just not enough."

"You were thinking more than him. Or me, for that matter. We both got used to our routine, and that's on us, not you. We falsely took it out on you."

Because isn't that exactly what he did? Got angry at them for thinking outside the box he built around himself?

Robin turns back to him, sizing him up - as if they hadn't seen him before. Fresh eyes, maybe, or a new light now. Maybe they're a bit of a sucker, but they haven't forgiven either of them yet - they just want to, because they don't enjoy the grudges. They also, deep down, still crave that validation - the acknowledgment of the star agents. Having one of them admit to his own mistakes and apologize seems like a reasonable first step. Maybe there's hope for them yet.

But they're also curious, and now thinking of routines and being stuck in old ways helps a certain question they kept to themself resurface.

"... How'd you two get this job?"

Dawn wants to balk, shoot it down - where did that come from? It's irrelevant, and frankly -

And frankly, the hesitant look on Robin's face extinguishes all the fight in him. He's not Eclipse, he can mention some things without revealing his entire identity.

"We have family, at another location. Code name Horizon -"

Their eyes light up, and he wonders if they've worked with his blueprints before. They sure had all the opportunities at the lab.

"- and he got us the job. We were transferred, to keep the risk to a minimum, but we got in."

"That's lonely."

He doesn't want to think about that.

"And you, little thief? Got caught stealing?"

The deflection works - they smile, and puff out their chest just a little.

"Got scouted. Guess how. ... Not the stealing."

Dawn laughs softly, just for a moment, but the amusement rings in his tone, too.

"With you, I wouldn't be surprised if you simply walked in and declared yourself an agent."

It catches them off guard, and they snort - a hand flying up to cover their mouth immediately, but he heard. It gives him hope, too.

"... Almost. Caught someone on the roof during their smoke break, and apparently me dodging the alarms was cause enough to drag me right in and well, a job that condones climbing around on other people's property? I got excited."

But then their expression falls again, and their shoulders slump. They aren't doing that anymore, or any of the other things that excited them about this job. They're just hoping to not mess this up, too - it's all they have left here.

Dawn notices, too, and does correctly reach the assumption that they grieve the fun they used to have. And as much as it stings, he also knows a single conversation won't fix that.

That's okay. He'll come back - and he's sure Dusk will, too, as soon as he tells him about this development. For now, he points towards the spy device still lying on the table.

"Tell me how it works. I'll take it seriously."

Because that's what he can offer. He can be professional, and he can treat them as an equal - he didn't before, but he'll be sure to do so now.

Robin smiles, if a little hesitant.

"Take it with some fun, too. You could use it."

... Yeah, maybe he could.

[msb-lair]

Clutch #3749 - Anisette/Ouzo

Mated On: 2024-10-30 # of eggs: 3 Hatched On: 2024-11-04

Progeny:

Hatchling 9973 - Spiral Female, Spruce Crstal/Robin Shimmer/Turquoise Soap, Unusual

Hatchling 9974 - Spiral Female, Teal Petrified/Caribbean Bee/Seafoam Glimmer, Rare

Hatchling 9975 - Fathom Female, Pthalo Petrified/Seafoam Bee/Spruce Soap, Common

Comments: 

[inkstainedheartbeats]

Two days after they nearly lose their daughter to a fire the Buckley’s open the door to find a woman with curly red hair on their porch step. Claudia Henderson. They’ve heard the rumors, Hawkins does so dearly love them, about why she moved to Hawkins when her child was six. They’ve heard the rumors about rumors. About how her boy is friends with the boy who did but didn’t. They’ve seen her out and about. Mousy. Timid. Flinching when yelling gets too loud and over protective of her boy. For a moment, just a brief one, they think she’s here to blame their hatchling. Their fledgling. Backs straighten, mouths flatten.

“I do hope I didn’t wake Robin, knocking on your door,” is what they get instead. The mousy, timid woman not as noisy and timid as they thought as she manages to smile and talk her way into their home. Robin is still asleep.

“Now I’m sure we’ve heard the fire story.”

They nod. It felt wrong, smelled fishy. Dottie has never been a fan of the government and River saw the damage to the Harrington boy. No falling debris could cause that.

“I don’t know much. Dusty won’t say much and always looks so scared when I ask. But it’s a load of cow manure. Something happened though.”

Claudia talks in a soft low voice, even when agitated and upset. Her hands moving in eclectic patterns. She tells them what she’s seen, what she’s guessed, put together with the Sinclair’s and oddly enough Ted Wheeler.

“Karen is of the opinion we should wait for the children to tell us. She listens in but doesn’t offer anything. It’s sweet really,” she says and they both notice that her cheeks get the same pink tint that Robin’s does when she talks about Tammy or Heather or Vickie or even Chrissy. Dottie raises an eyebrow, River tucks his chin.

They’re interrupted by noises coming from upstairs. A thump like a body hitting the floor. Followed by two sets of running feet. A door opens, closes, a few minutes later the toilet flushes. They wait and listen as two try to become one on the walk back to Robin’s room.

“Steve likes to think he’s sneaky, but his nightmares give him away. He’ll… he’ll probably cycle through houses. Will try not to be seen. Especially now.”

“Now?” River asks because he’s always been nosier than Dottie.

“Him and Hopper.”

There were rumors, some nastier than others.

“Hopper had practically adopted him.”

Dottie makes a pain filled noise. She’d had a different upbringing than River. His grandmother joining the little commune of hippies and nature lovers, those who wanted peace and a greater feeling of unity, than her parents. And the parents that had basically adopted her.

“We shared custody, Hopper and I. So he comes through my front door. He’ll collapse on me and cry. He probably won’t with you. I know he doesn’t with the others.”

It’s not quite what they left behind, what grief caused them to flee. But it’s still a village and Claudia is there to welcome them in.

—/—/—/—/—/—

Later. Not even a year later. They, and the others, stand up in town hall. Call Jason Carver a fear mongering asshole and condemn anyone who believes him. Jason calls them satanist sympathizers. They aren’t quite run out of town but people side eye them. Some of the more religious threaten them.

They’re there when Claudia get the call Dustin and Steve are in the hospital. There to take Steve’s place protecting the Munson boy. Worry deep set on their faces when he faints the moment Dottie takes the nail studded bat from his hands.

They’re there when Steve flatlines twice and Eddie does thrice. They’re there when Wayne Munson gets the Claudia treatment. They’re there because that’s what family, what a village does.

[puppetmaster13u]

Oneshot Mini-Ramble Three

For This: https://www.tumblr.com/puppetmaster13u/749966584630673408/thinkin-of-several-oneshots-and-i-wanna-ramble

ANYWAY. Day 3, doing another middle one: Shadow Dragon Au

Well first off, this is a reverse robins AU! Bruce gets baby- around 3 or 4- Damian due to said baby taking after him draconically. The Al Ghuls are more serpentine dragons, more eastern-style mixed with sea serpent. And it's just not healthy for Damian to live there in the desert, so he's brought to his father instead.

There's of course adjustments, and then in the middle of all this? Finds the neighbor's toddler digging through the trash with another blonde toddler. Apparently someone left a cursed item or three be easily accessible and yeah, there's two more hatchlings in Gotham.

Now Damian? Relationship with his siblings is quite different because older sibling? Bad. Younger siblings? Why that's a small creature that looks up to him, that sees him as a role model. And dragons? They hoard.

So is it really that big of a surprise when more hatchlings follow?

[ghost-bxrd]

You know, just read that prompt about Timmy quietly accepting his own death at Jason's command...

I kinda want the opposite.

I want a furious, yelling, fighting Tim, with a major broken pedestal as far as Jason is concerned.

Okay, he can get why Jason blames him, for taking the Robin suit. And maybe Bruce deserves a bit of it too.

But what he absolutely can't and won't forgive is Jason going after Dick. Especially since Dick forgives it so readily, since Dick is the one pleading for forgiveness.

Tim was there. He saw what Jason's death did to all of them. And he can't believe Jason would ever doubt Dick, that Jason would turn up to hurt him worse.

Tim being like... "You know, all the time I was trying to keep them from killing themselves, I kept telling myself, telling them, that you wouldn't want them to hurt like that. But you wanted it, didn't you? Want it. You never wanted them to heal. You never wanted them to move on. Maybe, if you had come back then, come back when B was trying to get himself killed, when Dick was catatonic curled up on your grave and trying to starve himself to death, maybe you'd have been happy at last? Or would you have decided that isn't enough either? Not enough punishment for not making you his absolute top priority for once, just once, in his life?"

And Tim going "I hate you. But I'll pretend to love you, because everyone knows Dick will choose you anytime. And I daren't leave him at your mercy."

I want post-Red Hood Jason working to earn Tim's forgiveness and trust again.

Oh yes, that’s also an interesting take! And one that (I think) comes closer to how he would react in canon. Tim is a spitfire and we love him for it 💚

And while I definitely want to explore this version of him eventually, I think it wouldn’t tie into how the Owl Song verse is set up.

Although if Owl Song does get its continuation, I think there would be some struggling on Tim’s part. Not for himself (never for himself) but for Dick and Bruce. A struggle to make Jason understand that nobody ever wanted to replace him.

In this universe, Tim wouldn’t be able to scrounge up the anger that would result in him hating Jason. Jason did too much for him to do that. He brought Tim into the family fold. Without Jason, Dick would have never accepted him. Jason, though it wasn’t his intention and he genuinely loved Tim, built the stepping stone that resulted in Tim becoming Robin.

Because any other kid trying to be Robin after Jason? Dick wouldn’t have stopped his mad pursuit for anything. Tim having “hatchling” status (ie family) is literally what saved him.

If you look deeper than surface level, the Owl Song verse is pretty twisted in its own way. And Dick could very quickly become a real monster if nobody keeps him grounded at least somewhat. With Jason gone and Bruce being someone Dick now borderline despises— yeah, it’s very lucky that Jason met Tim in school and went “must protect” and had Dick pick up on that. 🦉

[scryingworkshop]