Robstar Week Days 5, 6 and 7: Long-Distance Family (Prompts: Beautiful/Other Titan's POV/Chocolate)
And as we head into the final day of Robstar Week, I present to you the last of the Three Futures! Those of you who follow my various Robstar Weeks probably saw this one coming: it's the Royal Family Verse! For those who don't, the short version of what's going on here is pretty much covered in this story and you can get the long version by looking at the "Royal Family Verse" tag on my blog.
Combining three prompts at once was an interesting challenge. Using another Titan's POV was the easy part – I picked Cyborg partly because he felt like the obvious choice and partly because he becomes the Titans' leader in this 'verse and thus seemed like a good fit for showcasing the rest of the group as well. Since I knew I wanted this to be my RFV fic, making it about the other Titans visiting Starfire and Nightwing seemed like the logical next step. I kind of wove the other two prompts in to provide details and some of the direction, and the end result is probably one of my most unabashedly fluffy feel-good fics, lol. Enjoy, and happy Robstar Week!
Long-Distance Family
“Earth Vessel designation 0-0-1 requesting clearance into Tamaranean skies.”
Cyborg couldn’t quite keep the giddy note out of his voice as he held the T-ship steady just outside of official Tamaranean airspace, awaiting the go-ahead to enter the atmosphere and start making for the capital. This was always his favorite part of making the trip – outside of finally docking, of course. To him, it was that magical moment that let him know he was on the final stretch. Calling in to request clearance tended to invite some fun reactions, too.
“Designation 0-0-1?” The voice that came back through the transmission signal sounded impressed, and Cyborg allowed himself a knowing smirk. New blood, probably. “We do not get that very often. Are you friends of the Empress?”
Definitely new blood. “Only the best!” Cyborg answered back. “We come bearing gifts.”
The crackle of a second T-ship radio heralded Changeling hopping in. “Tell them about the chocolate! They love it when we bring fresh chocolate.”
A sudden excited clamoring sounded from Tamaran’s end of the conversation. Cyborg laughed, giving up the last vestiges of official formality, and glanced back toward Changeling’s pod. “I think they heard you just fine, string bean.”
It wasn’t long before all official identifications had been made and clearances were sent through, and the Titans started flying through Tamaran’s skies to their final destination.
That was a treat in itself, really. Cyborg still remembered when the Titans had made their first trip to Tamaran, and Starfire had gushed over the seemingly desolate wasteland of rocky desert that surrounded her home city. He recalled that he and the others had been too overwhelmed by the recent attack on their ship and the idea that they were there for an arranged marriage to look past the barren landscape.
By now, though, the subtle, stark beauty of the Gikha desert had started to grow on him. He watched the delicate blend of oranges and tans pass below with an affectionate smile on his face, and let the twisting, precarious rock spires serve as landmarks. It was starting to become a home away from home for him. He suspected that was part of what drew Starfire’s awe as well – the feeling of home.
Then the other spires gave way to one that dwarfed them all, a lone mountain built out into a shining fortress and testament to Tamaran’s resilience and national pride. The capital city – its name something Cyborg had firmly given up on being able to pronounce – beckoned to the visiting Titans like a beacon.
“Home sweet home,” Raven said over the radio, a note of her own brand of wry affection in her voice.
Soon after, the T-ship docked on one of the landing pads in the 0-0-1 zone, just outside the palace and reserved for those associated with royalty and the court. (It had long ago occurred to Cyborg that, had he known what that designation meant on his first trip to Tamaran, Starfire’s own royal status would have been less of a shock.) He opened up his pod and stepped out to take a good stretch, before looking back to check on the rest of his team.
“Whew, looks like we made it y’all. Anyone need anything?”
Changeling had already taken to the air in eagle morph to stretch his wings with a few laps around their landing space, and he chirruped what sounded like a response in the negative.
Jinx shook her head and replied, “Nah, I’m good.” She’d just popped the ship’s compact trunk with a well-placed hex, and now watched in amusement as Flash and Raven made short work of removing everyone’s luggage and host gifts.
That was about when the great doors into the palace opened. The smile that had hardly left Cyborg’s face since they broke atmosphere broadened into a grin as he turned around to face the entryway.
“Friends!” Starfire chirped, flying forward. Any sense of queenly – empressly? – decorum she might have had was lost as she scooped up the Titans one by one in tight embraces. Nightwing followed close behind with Galfore and a scattering of royal guards. By the look on his face, Cyborg suspected that the only thing keeping Nightwing from hugging everyone too was the wriggling toddler in his arms.
“Well look at you, little lady,” Cyborg cooed as soon as Starfire detached herself from him to welcome her next visitor. He leaned down until he was eye level with the little princess. “You’ve sure grown since the last time I saw you. You remember your uncle Cyborg, right?”
The little girl stared wide-eyed at him for a moment. Then, when Changeling returned to human form to accept his mandatory Starfire hug, her eyes suddenly lit up.
“Uncle Beasty!” she cried out, launching out of her father’s grip to hug Changeling as well.
Nightwing let out a guilty little chuckle at Cyborg’s betrayed look. “Sorry,” he said. “Junand’r is going through both a shy phase and an animal phase right now. I guess the animal phase is just winning.”
“Hey, for the record, the princess is the one who touched me!” Changeling called out to the guards. “So you’re not allowed to get me in trouble.”
“That joke stopped being funny after the first two times,” Raven said dryly.
Changeling stuck his tongue out at her, still holding on to Junand’r. “You’re just jealous because I’m Junebug’s favorite.”
Cyborg chuckled and took a moment to survey the scene. It had been about three and a half years now since Starfire had taken the mantle of Grand Ruler, returning permanently to Tamaran with Nightwing by her side. They seemed to be doing well: Starfire laughing as brightly as ever while she coaxed her daughter into giving the rest of the Titans a proper greeting, Nightwing looking very much at home as he made his own rounds and accepted the chocolate box for his family that Flash had shoved into his hands. Even Galfore seemed a bit steadier on his feet than he’d been the last time the Titans visited.
While the royal family was busy with the others, Galfore walked up to Cyborg. “They make a fine picture, do they not?” he asked in a low voice, his broad face wrinkling with warmth as he leaned on his cane.
Cyborg folded his arms and nodded. “Yeah, that’s Star and Nightwing for you. Keep them together, and they can make just about anything work.” He snorted. “And look good doing it, too.”
Galfore let out a deep, throaty laugh. “Very true. The empress has built quite a lot upon the tasks I began during my brief tenure as Grand Ruler, and I believe the emperor helps in more ways than even he realises. Juksa’akth is finally spreading beyond the mountain’s base again.”
Cyborg grinned up at him, hoping that the irrational nerves he felt at just thinking about trying to say the capital city’s name didn’t show. “Yeah? I thought I saw some buildings down there.”
“Buildings and more! I believe Starfire was hoping to show you some of it today,” Galfore replied.
Then, raising his voice so everyone could hear, he called out, “We may wish to begin travel if we are to see the city this day, Your Majesties.”
Starfire’s expression somehow managed to brighten even further upon hearing that. “Oh, yes!” she replied, scooping her babbling daughter into her arms. “We wanted to show you the orchard tonight.”
* * * * * * *
It took some coaxing – and just a bit of bribery with first dibs on the chocolate that had been brought in for the court and palace staff – to remind the guards that the Titans were all capable warriors more than suited to the task of bodyguarding. Eventually, though, the royals and their visitors managed to descend without escort into a broad swath of purple-leaved trees that the mountain had hidden from Cyborg’s view on his first arrival. Young Jun, her shyness forgotten, floated between Cyborg and Jinx and sucked on a milder piece of chocolate (most Tamaraneans preferred the bitterness in the darker varieties). Starfire and Nightwing led everyone through rows of broad-leafed trees dotted with small knobs of pale pinkish fruit.
“Juksa’akth was designed to be self-sustaining in the event that a conflict or disaster cut our supply lines,” Starfire was saying, “but it is difficult to defend open farmland. Back during the Gordanian invasion, their soldiers targeted the less fortified lowlands first in an effort to starve out the capital. Fortunately, the stored food and subterranean fungus farms allowed it to hold out until the Gordanians were repelled. The farms that dominated this space were wiped out, however.”
Her voice faltered and her face pinched at some painful memory. Nightwing took notice and picked up the thread, placing a comforting hand on her forearm as he did so.
“For a while, recovery efforts from the invasion were focused on regions of Tamaran that had weaker defenses and were hit harder,” he said. “This orchard is the first part of Juksa’akth’s lowlands to have new irrigation systems completed and crops established. Everyone’s pretty excited about it.”
Changeling wandered to a tree with a lower hanging knobby fruit and pulled it over to give it an experimental sniff. “Hey, isn’t this one of those citrusy things you used to share with us back on Earth?” he asked, eyeing it hungrily.
With a knowing smirk, Nightwing replied, “It will be when it’s ripe.”
“Yummy fruit! Akzel!” Jun announced, punctuating the name of the ripening fruit with a wave of her chubby, chocolate stained fists.
Jinx dodged a grubby hand. “Okay, who thought giving chocolate to the baby was a good idea?”
Flash’s face suddenly and deliberately shifted to a look of pure nonchalance at the question.
Starfire clicked her tongue and turned to clear off the young princess’ hands with a wipe. Cyborg wondered if it was at all possible to maintain regal grace while parenting a two-year-old, or if she and Nightwing just didn’t bother with the airs of “regal grace” around their honorary family. If he had to guess, he’d probably say no to both counts.
“We may not have local akzels just yet,” Starfire said when she finished, “but there should be some fresh imported ones available for you tomorrow.”
“Yay!” Jun cried out while Changeling fistpumped.
Raven raised an eyebrow. “Looks like you just won both of the kids over.”
Nightwing smirked. “You forgot Kid Flash.”
“Hey! You know full well that I dropped the “Kid” part, Robin,” Flash countered. “That makes me a proper official adult.”
Starfire shook her head and laughed a little at everyone’s antics. Then, with a deep breath, she took a few steps back and spread her arms to gesture at the trees surrounding them.
“So, what do you think?” she asked. “I believe it provides an extra splash of color to this part of our desert city, and it is doing wonders for morale. Do you agree?”
Cyborg took his own deep breath of the crisp air, moistened by the trees’ recent watering. With complete sincerity, he said, “It’s beautiful, Star. The orchard, the city, the desert, all of it.”
And, eyeing the empress and her emperor, hands unconsciously linked as they stood under the budding fruits of their hard work while their daughter yawned and finally touched down to toddle at their feet, he thought to himself, “And its leaders, too.”
Jason: I didn't mean to do it, it was behind me, and I didn't see it, so it fell, and I accidentally stepped on it.
Kori: W- Wh- You know what? We'll come back to this later on because I have no idea what you're talking about.
Jason: ...
Kori: Anyways! Kom wants to do this family dinner crap, and you're coming whether you like it, or not.
Jason: Is it wrong that I got turned on by you saying that?
Kori: Ignoring that. So, Galfore will be there, so you're most likely going to be interrogated by all of them.
Jason: Wow, reformed sister wants to be protective now, huh?
Kori: Shut up. As I was saying, Galfore will most likely threaten you while also making it seem like he's not, so when you start to feel like you're imagining things, you're not.
Jason: I can handle him.
Kori: Yeah right, he'll snap you like a twig.
Jason: Love you too, babe. What a boost of confidence, I can feel the love.
Kori: Kom doesn't like you-
Jason: WHAT?
Kori: To be fair, she didn't like Dick either, so. It's just her thing, she's always been possessive, she just... hid it, and now she has no reason to. So if she gives you something to drink that you didn't see her give to the rest of us, don't drink it. Or food. Actually just keep your distance.
Jason: I am extremely intrigued by your family, yet also really disturbed.
Kori: Valid. She won't try to kill you, unless you hurt me of course. If anything she'll just make you sick. Now, Ry won't like you at all, so there's no point in trying.
Jason: Uh-
Kori: He has a thing against anyone who gets close to us, he's also extremely overprotective, like... dangerously, BUT, unlike Galfore, he will threaten you out loud, and without shame, AND he won't try to kill you.
Jason: Wai-
Kori: Unless of course, you're left alone, then without a doubt, you will get attacked as a warning so uh... watch your back.
Jason: Kori?
Kori: He'll try to intimidate you, and will succeed, so just keep that in mind.
Jason: Uh, Kori?
Kori: Anyways, the dinner is at 8 this Friday, and if you go with a hoodie, I will kill you. From royalty, remember? So if you go in looking like crap, I will never hear the end of it.
Jason: Kori.
Kori: Hm?
Jason: Who's Ry?
Kori: ...
Jason: ...
Kori: Oh. Yeahhhh, so I may have a younger brother that I've just... never mentioned to... anyone. Not even Dick.
Jason: WHAT?
Kori: THERE'S NEVER BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY!
Jason: WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!? We've been together for a year!
Kori: I just- I'm so used to not talking about him that I.... may have... forgotten to mention him.
Jason: What else don't I know?!? What are you going to tell me next? That you've been married?
What’s scarier: Batman glaring straight into your soul because you hurt his partner Robin OR Galfore growling at you because you hurt the Princess Starfire?
Can I be a weenie and say neither are a situation I would ever want to be in? Lol.
