Thorn-Tree

-ancient roman posca: water, red or white wine vinegar, honey, salt, herbs (coriander, mint, thyme)

-switchel: water, ginger, vinegar, sweetener, lemon, salt

-ayran: yogurt, water, salt, mint

-sees the reports of the heatwave in Europe-

Warmth

While I am more of a Robert=dog person, I do like this idea a lot!

This probably isn’t what you meant at all, but this is what came to my head as I was thinking logistics

Robbie knows that he doesn’t have time to scout and woo a woman with favorable traits (he has to reduce the odds of his kid having a genetic disease). His desire for an alternative option brings a witch to him. She transforms her familiar’s newest kitten into a baby for him. She’d been meaning to get rid of it anyway because this kitten has brown fur and everyone knows black cats are the best familiars. She explains that when he’s older, he’ll be able to switch between human and cat as he pleases, but for right now, he should stay human to help the magic settle

And of course Robert will stay human because Robbie doesn’t tell him—or anyone else—about the cat thing. The Brave Brigade just think Robbie had a drunken hook-up and she left the baby with him

Despite not knowing his nature, Robert still develops some of the tendencies. Scratching and hissing during a fight. A greater sense of flexibility (despite his body always hurting, which obviously isn’t because he’s supposed to be in another form sometimes). A preference for fish but an aversion to water. Loves playing with his food before he eats it, and always has this desire to hunt. Gets distracted by lasers and feathery objects. He also really likes curling up in people’s laps, but he doesn’t do it often because Robbie doesn’t like it and he doesn’t want to weird Chase out

Robert suppresses a lot because he doesn’t want to seem different. In particular, he tries not to let other people know he hates dogs. Cannot stand them. It isn’t a fear. It’s actually vitriol

And this hatred is present when he finds a sickly, starving, abused puppy. His instincts want him to finish the poor thing, but Robert—who’s been Mecha Man Blue for a few years now—sees himself in the puppy. He decides to save it since he knows he can’t save himself

Spending time with Beef turns his aversion right on its head. He hates all dogs but adores Beef. He’d do anything for the silly canine

And years after that, a little after the events of the game, the witch that transformed Punch Up visits as a sort of wellness check, making sure the magic is still working. Everyone’s surprised when she recognizes Robert. She ends up having to explain everything because Robbie apparently didn’t even have a “in case I die, here’s the truth” letter. She even goes so far as to help Robert with his transformations until he can do them by himself. He doesn’t want to at first, but his body feels marginally better after the first transformation. Turns out a lot of the chronic pain was magic build-up

Beef still recognizes Robert even in his cat form. They can get up to pet shenanigans together

Robert could even meet his cat-mom. As a familiar, she’s able to talk, and if she wanted to, she could transform, too. So now, Robert has a mom, and he doesn’t know what to do with that

Imagine Robert, Punch Up, the witch, and the cat-familiar having brunches to get to know each other. It’d be so awkward. The witch is this old crone who loves teasing and tricking people. The cat-familiar is appropriately cat-like and cares little for human customs. Robert is dying from embarrassment. Punch Up’s just happy to be there

Part 1 Part 2

They end up back at Robert's apartment. Robert needs to walk and feed Beef, and Flambae is not waiting any longer for answers than he has to. He's never been to Robert's place before, but what greets him upon entry is not what he was expecting.

"Wow, your place fucking sucks." Flambae says as he looks around the barren home.

"Thanks," Robert says dryly. "Wait here while I let Beef out for a bit."

"You trust me alone in your apartment?"

"What are you gonna do? Steal my chair?" Robert quips back as he hooks a leash on Beef's collar. "Feel free to look around." And then he's out the door.

Flambae chuckles. He inspects the apartment while Robert is gone since he has permission to, although he would have done that anyway. He's a nosy bitch, he can admit that. And wow, it really is empty. And depressing as hell. No bed, no closet, Robert is just living out of boxes. He has his priorities straight though, Flambae notes as he sees a proper dog bed in the corner. At least the small kitchen island has two bar stools bolted into the floor. They won't need to sit on the concrete for the ensuing conversation. A noise at the door grabs his attention, and he watches Robert and Beef walk back inside. Robert unhooks the leash and fills Beef's food and waterbowl. Then, he takes a six-pack of beer out of the fridge and sets it on the kitchen island with a soft thunk. Flambae takes that as his cue to seat himself on one of the bar stools, Robert taking the other one and handing Flambae a beer before he opens one for himself. They sip at their beers for a bit, the silence dragging on except for the crunches of Beef going to town on his dinner.

'Fuck it,' Flambae thinks, 'I'll start then. My therapist will be so fucking proud of me.'

"So, I thought I just had a really vivid and fucked up dream, but your reaction has me thinking otherwise..." he trails off, giving Robert the chance to jump in.

Robert sighs, running a hand through his hair and throwing back the rest of his beer.

"The short of it is: I'm in a time loop. Have been for a while now."

"Shit, for real?" Flambae's eyes widen in shock, mouth hanging open. That wasn't the answer he was expecting to hear. He was thinking more along the lines of a shared hallucination or something, not a fucking time loop of all things. At the same time, Robert wouldn't lie about something like this. "How the fuck did that happen?"

And so Robert tells him about the original timeline; how the Astral Pulse explosion send him back in time to the end of his coma and how he hasn't stopped looping back since.

"Wait, the end of your coma?" Flambae asks.

"Yeah, is that not when you turned back?" Robert asks confusedly.

"No, I woke up in bed right after you exploded your Mech suit during your fight with Shroud four months ago."

Robert furrows his brow in thought. Then he says, "If we're both in this time loop, shouldn't we be looping back to the same point in time? Us going back to two separate points makes no sense. Well, as much as a being in a time loop can make sense anyway."

"Hmmm," Flambae says. "Well, what if you don't remember? I mean, looping back shocked me awake; my heart was racing. You can't do that if you're in a coma. You'd just stay asleep or whatever."

"That would mean the Astral Pulse explosion is somehow connected through time to the first explosion that put me in a coma," Robert hypothesizes.

Flambae hums again and takes another sip of his beer. "That would make more sense than us going back to separate moments. By the way, what triggers a loop back anyway?"

"My death. Every time I die, I turn back time. Nothing else has triggered a loop," Robert says tiredly.

Flambae puts his drink down. A sickening feeling roils in his stomach. It hits him all of sudden, what it means that his dream wasn't actually a dream but a previous time loop. It happened. It was reality, even if for only a moment. He really...

"How are you okay with me being here right now?" The words come out softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Bob Bob, I murdered you." Flambae says in an anguished tone, his hands shaking. He turns away, unable to look Robert in the eyes. "How can you just sit here with me?"

"Because you didn't mean to," Robert says, as if it's obvious. As if that makes it okay.

"And how the hell would you know that?! I-" Flambae cuts himself off, unable to say the rest, the smell of burned flesh brought back to the forefront of his mind.

"Flambae," Robert says emphatically, causing Flambae to look back at him, "I lost count of how many loops I've endured. To be honest, they kind of started blending together after the tenth one. But, in every other loop that I confessed to being Mecha Man, you forgave me. Yes, you would lose your shit at Del Taco, but we would make up afterward. So I know for a fact that you did not actually mean to kill me last time."

"Oh," Flambae says in a small voice. Somehow, Flambae is both equal parts relieved and angry with himself with that information. Relieved, because he was not some murderous psycho who killed Robert every chance he got, and angry -and let's be honest, disappointed in himself- that the one loop he remembers is him killing Robert and now he has to live with that knowledge, the guilt, possibly forever.

Flambae clears his throat, then, "You're right; I didn't mean to, but I did it anyway. So, I'm sorry. For killing you."

God, his therapist was gonna be so fucking proud of him.

Robert gives a tiny smile, "Thank you, and I forgive you."

Something small unfurls in Flambae's chest as a weight he didn't know he was carrying falls off of his shoulders. He feels ten times lighter.

"You know," Robert says, as he leans and places an arm onto the kitchen counter, "I wasn't expecting this kind of character growth from you."

"Oh fuck off." Flambae grumbles halfheartedly. "I went to therapy, bitch."

"They teach you to call people bitch in therapy?" Robert teases.

Flambae hesitates. 'Might as well tell him. In for a penny...'

"No, Mecha Bitch, I just figured out I don't actually blame you for putting me in prison." Flambae says.

"You... don't?" Robert asks confusedly, his brow slightly furrowed as his eyes flick down towards Flambae's right hand.

Flambae rolls his eyes. "Oh, don't get me wrong, I totally blame you for cutting off my fingers. But I was doing villain shit and you were doing your job as a hero, so I don't blame you for like, the actually arresting me part, you know?"

"I see," Robert says. "Well, for what it's worth, I am sorry about that. Not about arresting you, but for cutting your fingers off, I mean."

That small thing flutters inside Flambae's chest.

"Thanks," Flambae says. He takes a deep breath, then sighs loudly, "I suppose I can forgive you as well. In time. Maybe."

"Oh how benevolent of you."

"Shut up and give me another beer, Bitch Bob."

"Well now I don't want to."

"Bitch, I pour my heart out to you and this is how you repay me?!" Flambae exclaims in mock outrage. He makes a grab for the pack of beers, but Robert snatches them up and holds them behind his back with a chuckle.

'It's a nice sound,' Flambae thinks.

"Give me a beer before I scorch your eyebrows off," Flambae threatens, "You don't have the face for it, trust me."

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Robert smirks, but he hands Flambae a beer anyway.

"Mecha Bitch."

_______

Okay so they had their heart to heart pretty early, but in my defense, Flambae has like, 4 months of intense therapy behind his belt, Robert has been looping for months and has a had a lot of time to think, and also they're drunk. Or tipsy, at least. Yeah, let's go with that.

How he would get pregnant, nobody would know. But that man will show up with a 3-month baby bump and casually request paternity leave information from Blazer.

his condition and hunger worsened badly post-coma, so he keeps having to keep himself busy to recover his strength and return to the sated sanity that he’d managed before

the only people who know are Chase, Royd, and Blazer at first, considering the familial connection and the need-to-know basis. but he isn’t exactly opposed to the Z Team knowing either, especially as he spends more time around them.

it just becomes something he doesn’t tell them because it never comes up in conversation.

he gets to work before the sunrise and leaves late every day. multiple people tell him how unhealthy it is, but he waves them off and keeps pushing himself to the absolute limit to make his condition as little of a bother or detriment to his work as possible

but he still slips often, having to take breaks even during shifts to give himself small doses of blood while he works his way back to the rate he was at before the explosion and coma

and the Z Team starts gettin hella suspicious of their dispatcher who they never see outside, who only hangs out with them on weekends if it’s a nighttime thing, who always leaves in a jacket even in the oppressive warmth of September, and who keeps disappearing during the day and returning a little too attentive and alert.

Prism calls him deathly pale once as a joke. Coupé follows it up with a theory of him secretly being a vampire like one of the books she’s reading right now.

And they all take a pause. The dots are connecting.

Wait a minute.

Shit, maybe he is a vampire.

Then, that’s when the experiments start happening.

Sonar puts a bunch of garlic in his food to see Robert’s reaction when he opens it in the break room. Robert only wrinkles his nose and comments on Sonar’s taste, then leaves.

Invisigal tries to follow him on some of his breaks, but she suddenly loses him every time, despite her sneaking skills.

Flambae ignites more often around him, to see whether his flames would affect him. But it only results in more triggers of the smoke detector and an even more eternally exhausted Robert.

Punch Up wears a set of silver brass knuckles and playfully punches Robert after a mission. It only leaves a nasty bruise. No mysterious burning.

Coupé wears a crucifix rosary on her wrist, “trying something new with her costume” but only ends up making Malevola hiss and stay ten feet away from her the entire shift.

On that note, Malevola doesn’t participate, but she does weigh in on the fact that she can’t easily tell if someone’s supernatural if they weren’t born that way, and she doesn’t sense anything.

Prism just straight up asks Robert if he’s secretly a creature of the night.

And Robert just admits it.

“Yeah, I’m a vampire. What about it?”

And the entire Z Team is jaw dropped at how he just casually says it, sipping his coffee like it’s the most normal discovery. Though, come to think of it, it’s not all that unusual. I mean, heck, Sonar drinks blood often.

Maybe it was the mysticism and lore of it that blinded all of them to the very real possibility that this was just a fact of Robert’s life and not a secret.

But first of all, they could’ve just asked??? the whole time????

I mean, pretty insane thing to learn about their dispatcher, but also there are a few people who are genuinely quite interested and invested now.

Also, as time goes on, they all eventually offer their own blood for Robert instead of the shitty blood bags. Robert says the latter tastes mostly like old leftovers, stale. He hasn’t tasted blood from someone living in a while, so he considers it.

Then it becomes a competition for who can get Robert to drink their blood first. Bets are made and now everybody is trying to seduce this man into getting him to bite them.

Robert is a little overwhelmed and tired of their antics, but also kinda flattered by the attention and how much effort they’re putting into flirting with him and attempting to convince him.

Waterboy gets to him first because he just asked nicely and Robert couldn’t resist.

Waterboy is the first on the mission to get his earbuds taken out by one of Banshee’s dozens of drones, and Flambae is suddenly reminded that he does, in fact, also have superhuman strength

Song: https://open.spotify.com/track/1XvAsK3kDB6dHpcQaexprf?si=GIHgb6-rTiWS4etnjfmV3g

"You guys know I don't get paid to deal with you, right? I'm pretty much doing this out of love for the game-" "Awww you love uuus~" "Did you just fucking say you're not getting paid?"

Now, imagine if he was there when Robbie does the rare love scream to Elliot.

Robbie: *SCREAM*

Elliot, who was intentionally misinformed by Robbie that screaming=pissed off: Jesus- I just got here, what did I even do?

Chase, who has crammed an expert’s level of fox behaviors into his head and knows DAMN WELL that that was a love scream: … wait-

Robbie: … Chase, the scream just means I’m pissed off. But I’m not at you-

Chase: WAIT-

Elliot: geez, fine, hang out with each other. I’m going back to the garage, say hi to little Ro-Bo for me.

Chase, doing a mental punnett square in his head:

On another note, for the foxtrot-FTtC crossover, what kinds of things do you think Grandma Su-jin does for her great grandkits that she allows them to indulge in? Like extra sweets, piggyback rides, little dress and make up sessions, that kind of thing. I can see her absolutely spoiling all of them behind Robert’s back

1: Oohohoh! If Chase revealed that tidbit of knowledge to Elliot, there'd be a confrontation! I also love Elliot's nickname for Robert being "Ro-Bo" its so cute <3

Robbie, flustered: "Absolutely not!" (*fox love scream!*) "I am NOT in love with Elliot!" (*fox love scream x2*) "It's like a dog barking, I'm just pissed off!" (*uncontrollable fox love screaming!*) Robbie: (*realises he's losing, goes full fox-mode, and runs deep into the garage to hide*) Chase, Elliot, and Su-jin: "..." Chase: "That man down fucking bad." Su-jin, nodding: "Absolutely." Elliot: (*complete and utterly confused??*) Baby Robert: (*does a baby fox "I love you Mom/Dad!" version of the scream*)

In an alternate world; these disasters got relationship counselling and/or Robbie got hit with a Truth Serum, and Robert could have had two whole happy gay dads. (and maybe siblings) But alas, Robbie had to be emotionally constipated about his fears of letting his non-superpowered "research partner" join the Brave Brigade. ┐(´∀｀)┌

(I hc that a good portion of Robbie's issues have to do with separating his identity from Mecha Man + 90s/00s internalised homophobia.)

I have seen Astralshroud (A-tier ship name) AUs where Robbie was still shot and killed, but not by Elliot - the later being framed by a particularly manipulative villain wanting to break up the Brave Brigade at its source. It's an interesting concept, but the tragedy of canon events are also very juicy.

2: Su-jin takes one look at Robert's horde of kits and decides to spoil them within an inch of royalty.

Me and a mutual (@silverlycanthropelover) came up with an idea that Su-jin has a cabin up in the forests of Northern California - an anniversary gift Bobby helped build himself. An escape to the wilderness for when city life became too much. Su-jin moved into the cabin exclusively after Bobby's passing, only making her way down from the mountains to visit her son and grandkit. Some of Robert's happiest childhood memories are of staying for the winter holidays with Grandma. A place safe for a little shapeshifting fox spirit to run free through the underbrush and powdery snow without care.

Needless to say, in the AU that Robert has children of his own, Grandma's cabin becomes very lively. Robert had wondered if his grandmother spoiled him so much because he was her only grandchild, but is proven wrong the moment he introduces her to his growing litter.

Great-Grandma Su-jin is like a real fairy godmother to the Robertson kids. She's all magic and smiles, and endless traditional Korean sweets. She also lets them use their powers in the forest just outside of the cabin, encouraging them to "stretch their limbs" in ways made difficult in the city. The first time Rosie ever learned how to grow vines from her fingertips, Su-jin was there; cheering for her in a fox's cry as the girl's thorns encompassed a redwood tree.

Great-grandma also sometimes turns into a beautiful nine-tailed fox. The animals of the forest seem to treat her like royalty. The sounds of nature going quiet as she steps forward, followed by three playful kits and their more-shaky footed parent.

Visits to Great-Grandma also mean that their Papa is lot happier! He shrugs off his human form like it's a heavy coat, his fox form sinking in front of the fireplace like a silk scarf dropped to the floor. He always looks tired, but in Su-jin's care, he can rest easily knowing his kits are safe to be themselves away from prying eyes.

Even away from Great-Grandma's forest home, Robert still finds evidence of Su-jin's doting love. Goody bags before they leave for home, presents in the mail, "coincidental" visits to the city to see her dear Bobo and his kits etc...

Thought this would a cute lil lore dump for the "Fourth Time's the Charm" kiddos. :3

Present Kiddos:

Rosie: "Beef!" - Said to then-puppy Beef. Robert hadn't officially named the puppy yet, but it did have a habit of stealing (i.e. begging) Robert's food, particularly burger patties. Rosie said "Beef" and nothing else for nearly a whole year, breaking her streak with a "Dada". Robert cried.

Teddy: "Fuck you, Uncle Chase." >:( - to Chase. Completely silent until this moment. Teddy was watching cartoons, and Chase briefly switched over to sports to see his reaction. In addition to his regular exaggerated frown, Teddy took the moment to eloquently express his dislike of his Uncle's antics. Chase panicked and told Teddy not to repeat that to his dad. Robert gets a call from daycare the very next day cus Teddy called another kid "Motherfucker".

Abby: "GOJI!!" - to Golem's adopted Baby Kaiju. A case of mistaken identify when Abby first met the baby Kaiju. XD Abby has an obsession with kaijus, dragons, and dinosaurs (not unlike a certain famous rugrat). She saw Jurassic Park for the first time with Rosie (the intended audience) and was fascinated ever since. Robert has no idea why his tiny toddler loves Godzilla so much. He only shows her the less violent b-movies, but still he finds it a little concerning that Abby idolises a city-stomping lizard.

Future Kiddos:

Howie: "Mecha Man!" - to the mech suit. He hugged it like it was a grandparent. Robert sighed tiredly.

Layla: "Baba." - to Flambae/Chad. Very normal. Albeit, Flambae hadn't realised Layla was picking up the Persian phrases he'd ramble whenever helping Robert with the kids. Or that she saw him as "Baba" (she only ever said it to him). Chad nearly burnt down the kitchen.

Robert's first "born" (i.e. he got her from a plant a witch gave him) Rosie is very prickly. Not just in personality, but literally grows rose thorns on her body like hair. This means that despite being fairly affectionate, Rosie is at risk of hurting others if she forgets her thorns. It makes her sad.

Sidenote: because of Rosie's thorns, Robert had to use oven mitts and similar to hold her when her plant powers started to manifest. Think of that porcupine baby in Bojack Horseman.

Robert and Rosie are also starting to butt-heads due to the eight(going on nine)-year-old legitimately wanting to carry on the Mecha Man legacy. Due to her stunted size and relatively weak powers, Rosie believes that there's no other way for her to become a hero besides the Suit and by extension - the Astral Pulse (foreshadowing). However, Rosie's opinions begin to change after chameeting a certain Phoenix Program hero with similarly reduced height.

Rosie's powers have an... unsettling condition. Roses in older folklore are associated with vampires - being both a blood-loving plant (irl roses freaking love bone and blood meal), and their thorns are said to act as barbed wire for bloodsuckers. Not to mention the fairytale connection where the baby-sprouting plant requires the blood of the parent to work. If Rosie consumes blood or bone, her plant powers go sicko-mode - the strength dependent on the similarity to human blood. Robert discovered this when Rosie's thorns sprouted for the first time. Hedge clippers and an ER visit was needed in the aftermath.

Vitalia reappears in Robert's life once Chase learns about Rosie. She's been retired from active hero work since the passing of Robbie, and now uses her healing powers as a civilian physiotherapist. Robert swears he probably wouldn't have survived Rosie's terrible twos without her. The girls adore their glamorous "Auntie Thalia" very much, even if she's somehow more protective than their dad.

During the Mecha Man vs Flambae fight; the hero actually jumped out to tend to the fire-villain's injuries. Mecha Man was present in the ensuing trial, and gave his opinion that Flambae's act of arson may have been one of self-destruction rather than malice, given that it took place at night and no civilians were injured. This got Flambae's sentence reduced, at the cost of putting him on 24 hr safety watch.

Robert hadn't been involved in a case so closely before, and felt it necessary to check in on the fire-villain after he spent some time in prison. Mecha Man kinda rage-baits and reverse-psychology's Flambae into declaring his intent to surpass Mecha Man as a hero. Robert wishes him well in that endeavour.

Robert and Chad (Flambae) accidentally meet in civvie-mode after the Mecha Man Blue explosion, but before Robert was well enough for the press conference. It was the first time since the coma that Robert was able to take the kids out for a day at the park, and Rosie befriended a fiery little girl there with her uncle. Robert and Chad have a casual talk about their respective kiddo having powers/physical traits with the chance to cause harm (Rosie's thorns, the niece's fire powers), that spirals into a heart-to-heart about feeling like they've missed out on too much of their lives. The exact contexts are unsaid; Robert's hero work + coma, and Chad's supervillainy + jail time, aren't exactly stuff you bring up to a stranger. The two families leave the park cautiously optimistic of their new friends (and maybe more if the number Chad snuck into Robert's pocket means anything).

Beef is the kind of dog to get tired while on a walk, and climb into the baby stroller to finish the rest of the journey. Chase has returned from walks around the park/neighbourhood with Beef guarding a sleeping baby inside the stroller. The baby(s) don't mind in the slightest, that just means they don't have to stretch to pet him.

Robert: "He's supposed to walk when he's out." Chase, defensive: "He did walk! He walked for five minutes, took a crap, cleaned himself, then he climbed in." Robert: (*disappointed eyebrow raise*) Beef: (*happy dog noises*) Baby in stroller: (*fast asleep, subconsciously petting Beef's fur*)

Beef is also the Robertson girls' best friend in the whole wide world. He was adopted just around the time Rosie was sprouted. He's about nine years old now, so Robert lets him get away with everything.

Robert is required to undergo 911 dispatch training alongside his regular shifts at SDN. It prepares him for the worst possible calls. He hugs his kids super tight afterwards.

Abigail/Abby makes a... splash on Robert's first day at SDN. Specifically during the scene where Robert is arguing with Visi after the Granny's incident. When Visi did the "went invisible and yelled" bit, Abby's response (still grumpy from Sonar's screech) was to copy the power of a different super. Everyone in the room was surprised and a little bit disgusted. And for Robert; worried that the 1-year-old had eaten something that disagreed with her. Visi immediately shut up and left without saying anything (asshole or not, she wouldn't punch a guy holding a baby). Sonar compliments the baby's aim. It's only afterwards when Robert runs into Waterboy that he pieces together that Abby used her Copying Ability to replicate the new recruit's unique water generation.

Abby mainly hangs out at Robert and Chase's desks in a pack-and-play or a carrier. She developed pretty bad separation anxiety after Robert's hospital stay, and will literally scream and turn into a monster if she can't find him. Robert doesn't want to admit that he also has anxiety giving his girls more independence.

The Z-Team as a whole meet the girls during Episode 3. Robert giving this huge inspirational speech in the conference room while a baby rocks happily in her carrier. Learning that their dispatcher refused to cut any member of the Z-Team, encouraged by the words of his furiously noble-minded 9-year-old daughter. (Rosie: "You're supposed to help them, not kick them out! You're just gonna make them bad guys again!")

The Z-Team will literally destroy anyone that harms the girls - mortally and/or socially. They love their tiny superfans.

Abby becomes best friends with Golem's adopted kaiju baby. Because of Abby's unique transformation/copying power, she's able to interact with Baby Kaiju like an equal and not worry about getting hurt accidentally. Robert offers parenting advice to the 20-year-old mud man, as the kids wrestle in the background.

Robert is still somehow pregnant. No one is really sure how cus he forgot to tell anyone it was magic-assisted. Flambae/Chad does a lot of confused math when he first finds out about it. (Chad: "Did we-? No, no, we didn't... Unless...") Depending on the level of Z Team polyamory, everybody in the gang is doing some confused mathematics.

Shroud is literally dumbfounded to learn that Robert is a dad now. Like, what do you mean you became a single dad in your 20s!? Your dad- no, wait, Chase raised you better than that! Kinda gets a bit creepy, stalking Robert and the girls. Depending on how things really were between him and Robbie... those could be his granddaughters. One of which seeks the Astral Pulse like he does...