[OPEN/CLOSED] A Robin came a-knockin’

[robintohood]

Who: Jason Todd robintohood and you
What: Jason’s been deaged back to his early Robin years. Antics ensue. Also contains one special closed prompt
When: January 3rd-4thish, during the age swap event
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: None for now. Will edit if needed.

[Somewhere in Central City is a small boy in a red, yellow, and green costume. It’s hard to forget someone in a colorful suit like that.

That is, assuming you can catch a good enough look at him. He’s effortlessly using his grappling gun and parkour skills to swing around and jump rooftops. You might see him as he tries to get a lay of the land.

Alternatively, you might see him fearlessly (or recklessly, depending on how you look at it) pounce right on top of a would-be armed mugger. He might not know where he is but that doesn’t mean he’s going to stop fighting crime. It’s what any good sidekick would do.]

Attic Safehouse above the Descendant Bar (Closed to people who use the safehouse)

[Later that night, Robin is exhausted but isn’t ready to trust just any place to rest for the night. For now, he’s just perched on top of the Descendant, near the attic window]

Comments

[robintohood]

"Why not?" Jason cheerfully chirps as he points to his red chest. "I fly around and I kinda look like one too."

He's proud to have gained the mantle and wants to do right by his new adoptive older brother.

[definecat]

"I'm almost certain no robin is green, even if some might have yellow."

Are they being obtuse? Probably.

"Of course, I try not to eat things that have turned funny colors, so I do pay attention."

[robintohood]

"Ha!" Jason laughs. "I wouldn't be good for your stomach anyway. The indigestion would hurt like crazy for one thing."

[definecat]

"I mostly eat pests like rats if I'm going for live prey. Although I have considered the odd criminal..."

[robintohood]

"Harsh," Jason murmurs. He can't tell if Sleeper's serious. Though then again, some criminals probably deserve to be threatened like that.

"Have you ever eaten humans before?" He then asks. He knows it's highly unlikely Sleeper will give him a real answer but he wants to see how they respond.

[definecat]

"Not really. I don't like to talk to my food." Also, they like humans in general, although if there were need, they wouldn't rule it out completely.

"I can get needed nutrients elsewhere, like chocolate."

[robintohood]

"Really?" Jason asks, surprised. "Because of what's in the cocoa?"

[definecat]

"Naturally." And everyone focuses on that. Not that they mind the odd chocolate bender, as long as Dylan doesn't post it online.

"Granted, plenty of other foods are high in phenylalanine, but chocolate is definitely the tastiest."

[robintohood]

Jason giggles.

"Chocolate wins for a lot of things," he smiles. "Must've been really nice for you to discover it."

[definecat]

"I was spawned here on Earth, so I've always had access."

[robintohood]

"Huh. Are there a lot of you guys on Earth?" Jason asks, curious.

[definecat]

"Well, not this Earth. Our parent is the only other one, really, with Dylan counting as a kind of hybrid," they explain. "Venom is bonded to Dylan's human father. The Dads are a package deal."

[robintohood]

"So literally two dads?" Jason says, surprised. He's not judging and remains curious. "Your species uses mutualism with other species?"

[definecat]

"Well, Dylan's unique. Possibly because both his human parents were host to the same symbiote at different times. But normally, my species reproduces asexually. I have several siblings, not that I want anything to do with them. They aren't as picky about their eating," Sleeper tries to explain.

[robintohood]

Jason pauses to think about how that could work. Assuming Sleeper isn't lying, it's a very strange lineage. He also makes the slightest wince at the mention of Sleeper's siblings not being picky eaters.

"Do... you have a human then? A host I guess?" he asks.

[definecat]

"No, I don't really want the hassle. It's a lot of work. I have had hosts on a temporary basis, but you humans are pretty high-maintenance."

[robintohood]

Jason laughs. Considering that Sleeper's species will sometimes eat people, that was perhaps for the best.

"Yeah, we're kinda jerks like that. Some are even worse than that," he grins.

[definecat]

"I won't say mine are any better. Seems like all kinds tend to have their bad apples."

[robintohood]

"You're the first one of your species I've ever met so I can't really judge," Jason says. "Can you turn into other things too and just like cats?"

[definecat]

"Theoretically anything I'm familiar enough with, I can turn into, but the details? That's the sticky part. I don't usually bother with fur or hair for that reason," they explain.

However, they might be willing to do requests...

[robintohood]

"Hmmm... Can you turn into a bird then?" Jason asks. He wants to see more of Sleeper's shapeshifting.

[definecat]

With a rippling of their mass, the oversized tabby becomes a four-eyed crow with a bright yellow beak and feet.

"I could do a robin, but that would be rude. And Dylan is currently using me as a pillow." The bird is oversized and roughly in the same place to not shift the kid.

[robintohood]

Jason giggles, failing to hide how impressed he is by Sleeper's ability.

"Yeah, it looks like he's made himself comfortable. It's been a long day for him, huh?" He says.

[definecat]

"You try going from learning to drive to learning to talk overnight and see how happy you are?" Sleeper points out. "And one of the dads isn't exactly himself, either."

They lapse back to the feline shape because that's what people are used to.

"Shapeshifting is easy when you are technically all of one substance. I just mimic bones and organs if they're needed."

[robintohood]

"I guess that would make things easy," Jason ponders. "So do you just look like an... Ooze if you're not trying to shift into anything?"