Chapter Text
ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ found extreme comfort as he navigated the logistics of returning back to ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈ. It was something that kept his mind busy off of his terrible first impression as a sire to his newfound hatchlings.
It was something that was deeply familiar to him. Something that he knew how to handle.
The first problem was leaving the main station settled in the space above Terra. Typically, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ would leave alone, whether that was early or late. With his rank and status, that was hardly an issue.
In this case, his rank and status along with his quite vicious and perhaps unbecoming appearance as he boarded his personal ship, should still allow him to leave with no further regard to protocol.
If news somehow escaped to the Council before ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ made it to ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈ, then his status would be significantly less helpful. Everyone is mandated to follow proper protocol–
Which was not a problem for ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ, but anything was possible with Terra and Terrans, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ was quickly learning, given the culture shocks and what protocols and orders he already had disregarded.
–Regardless, every ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈꀧꇞꁄ was to obey the laws from the Council. It was natural and expected.
Every ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈꀧꇞꁄ but the famed ꋫꇸꁍꑛꐇꇸꌚ, given their ancient lineage and thus their significantly higher status, which provided significant advantages. Famed ꋫꇸꁍꑛꐇꇸꌚ who ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ did happen become mates with one…
That would be extremely useful when he would have to figure out the best legal status for his hatchlings. He simply needed to reach ꓅ꅔ꒒ꀧꅔꋫ꒒ꁍ꒦꒒ before the news arrived at the Council, thus limiting what defenses and moves, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ could play.
So, while ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ hated it, he would rely on luck. That he would be lucky enough, despite his planned long trek back home, that news would travel slowly. Quite slow.
With that, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ began to plan various stops for fuel and a large variety of supplies ranging from physical items to informational. He had made many excursions to Terra before, and with his own connections and status, along with his connections through the ꋫꇸꁍꑛꐇꇸꌚ, he was privy to much deeper knowledge of Terrans than others.
But it was already very clear to him that he was lacking. Regardless of how much he read from official reports and research, along with his personal observations from his excursions, there was still much to be learned and known.
At least, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ understood that his hatchlings and himself were quite different species even if his instincts demanded he treated them exactly as he would ꄤꅔꉈꀧꅔꍈꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ.
Different species that would require different supplies. He would need to stop at a variety of markets to obtain cloth that would fit his hatchlings better and provide similar, if not advanced protection that was similar to what ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈꀧꇞꁄ naturally had on their body–
A decision that was purely made rationally and not at all to soothe something deep within ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ.
–It was not like ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ planned for his hatchlings to be in any situation where such protection was needed, but ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ was sure that the ill-fitting guest clothing for hatchlings could not be that comfortable.
His hatchlings were also on the younger side though according to the suspiciously few and not quite as through compared to other published finding on other species research regarding Terrans’ biology and development, Dick was supposedly nearing Terran adulthood given certain traits and smells ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ had detected. Another misunderstanding, surely, given how small the eldest was.
Adult Terrans of both sexes were not tall individuals but ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ found a pattern of the adult males being on the taller side and Dick did not seem close to that average.
Thus, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ had hatchlings, and while Terrans were not like much of the established species out in the universe, even their would need some form of enrichment especially given the long schedule ahead of them.
Lastly, nutrition. Specifically, nutrition that was better suited to the hatchlings while they traveled. This was something he would develop even more, fine-tuning until his hatchlings were properly fed with every specific nutritional requirement needed when he returned to ꋫ꒒ꌺꎡꁄꁕꇛꁄꍈꍈꒄꋃꅂꎡꇞꀟ.
But to deprive them of a variety of meals that would at least sustain them of the common requirements that similar bipedal species needed would just be monstrous. Especially given the nature of their lives before, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ impulsively picked them up.
Thus, food markets that ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ knew from past experiences and from a quick skim of their descriptions, along with checking what planets and species were nearby which would contain meals that hopefully would be nutritious enough for the hatchlings, were marked down.
With those points of interest set, there were no more stops that ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ would wish to make. Already, these stops felt too much like a risk, extending a trip that he wished to be shortened so his hatchlings could be properly integrated and the legal processes could be done as soon as possible, protecting them.
But at the same time, it would be better for the hatchlings to have this situation where they were forced to acclimate to ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ alone first so when they meet the rest of the pack, they would be in a much better state of mind. ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ could better act as a mediator as he introduced them to his pack than another threat.
It may also be helpful for the hatchlings that were used to scraps and grim to become acclimated to the vast majority of luxuries they would be faced with as the “property” of the ꋫꇸꁍꑛꐇꇸꌚ and ꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ heirs.
With no fearful and fragile hatchlings nearby, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ was finally able to let out a frustrated growl as he was reminded of what he had just done.
Logically, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ knew it was the smartest decision. After today and with his actions, there was no possible way to gather the hatchlings into his nest filled with the most luxurious plush and if he had tried to just leave them in one of the bare and empty and completely unused guest rooms, he would ended up traumatizing them more with how his instincts would have caused him to react to the disrespect.
Placing them in…that room was best.
It had the scent of a fellow pack member, deeply embedded in the nest. It may not be as richly filled as his, but it was filled sufficiently. It soothed his instincts that a pack member was protecting his brood from a nonexistent threat.
Now if that pack member was not his ꉣꁄꇞ.
ꋫꏸꍟ was a truly valuable pack member ever since he was found on one of the many expeditions ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ that had gone on. He was a vicious predator when needed but ever so gentle with the youngest member, ꄤꅔꉈꀧꅔꍈꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ.
While his presence was certainly missed by ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ, he was relieved that he had left the ꉣꁄꇞ for a plethora of reasons. The ꉣꁄꇞ would have been overwhelmed by the sour stench of terror and while his scent was soothing his instincts that there was a “protector” with his brood, the ꉣꁄꇞ would not be able to resist jumping into his own nest to be a proper protector as he sure he was doing this very moment with ꄤꅔꉈꀧꅔꍈꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ.
The difference was that ꄤꅔꉈꀧꅔꍈꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ relished the attention while his Terran hatchlings would be terrified, ruining whatever extremely small progress ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ had managed.
Having the hatchlings in ꋫꏸꍟ’s nest meant that ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ ‘s instincts were soothed while not risking any further progress being ruined, given they had no reason to know what they were laying in.
It would only be for now.
Another growl escaped his lower maw.
꓅ꅔ꒒ꀧꅔꋫ꒒ꁍ꒦꒒ and ꋫ꒒ꌺꎡꁄꁕꇛꁄꍈꍈꒄꋃꅂꎡꇞꀟ would be furious when–if– they discovered what he had done. ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ was furious with himself.
But it had to be done, and it had solved a few problems, which was familiar to ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ, being a problem solver.
So it was what it was. There were other issues to be resolved.
Such as setting up a very temporary nest in one of the guest rooms.
Something that was a complicated issue when ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ first mated ꓅ꅔ꒒ꀧꅔꋫ꒒ꁍ꒦꒒ due to clashing ideas regarding how their nest should be arranged, then arising again with the hatching of their youngest was now even more complicated.
ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ certainly had ideas for how the nest should be arranged, but he did not have the proper nesting supplies to ensure his Terran hatchlings felt the luxury that they would become accustomed to soon enough or to soothe his instincts.
Instincts that would demand his constant scent over every single item and his hatchlings to soothe, given how he would not join them in the nest. Another struggle he would deal with.
For now, he could enter one of the guest rooms that had a bare nest and fill it with as much plush as he felt was reasonable to keep his bare hatchlings warm while not risking suffocating them, given their smallness and thinness. He would also have to add in items from his nest along with ꋫꏸꍟ.
Hopefully, with enough time and a thorough scenting of his items, the nest would be adequate enough to soothe his instincts.
Another growl escaped his lower maw.
Highly unlikely, given that he had become very spoiled with his nest smelling like his pack, especially of his newest –youngest– hatchling.
The nest would be inadequate just as ꋫꏸꍟ’s nest was inadequate. It was not his nest back on ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈ which was created with much thought, time, effort, plush, fluff, scent, and so much more with ꓅ꅔ꒒ꀧꅔꋫ꒒ꁍ꒦꒒ and ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ painstakingly planning every item to accommodate their pack.
This time he allowed his tentacles to be freed, a small relief given the rising stress as he thought of his nest on ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈ.
That nest was perfect for a sire, a dam, and their single hatchling.
It was not perfect for a sire, dam, and now five hatchlings. One that was still a quite young ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈꀧꇞꁄ and now four Terran hatchlings ranging in age, and while ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ had witnessed many Terrans sleeping in nest-adjacent platforms and the four Terrans currently resting had no complaints–
Not like they would issue a complaint to ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ.
–ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ also had seen multiple Terrans sleeping on other platforms along with many abandoned buildings with these platforms thus making it seem that it was rather an adaptation rather than a natural inclination to nest as ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈꀧꇞꁄꌚ. Thus they would have to either hope the hatchlings found it as comfortable as they did or have to figure a way to have them in the nest despite not being in the nest.
And this was excluding ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ and ꓅ꅔ꒒ꀧꅔꋫ꒒ꁍ꒦꒒’s clashing opinions on certain items in the nest—
“ꃲꁄ꒒ꅂꃴꁄꁕ, you cannot truly believe that shade of yellow is appealing! You wish to have our hatchling have to stare at that rotten shade every moment when they are resting?”
—And if ꋫ꒒ꌺꎡꁄꁕꇛꁄꍈꍈꒄꋃꅂꎡꇞꀟ decided he had to speak his mind…
ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ compared the pros and cons to delaying his arrival at ꁍꅂꇞꀟꅔꉈ perhaps just a tad longer.
If news hadn’t spread by the original timeline then what was spending some extra time with his hatchlings before facing his adopted sire and mate with their outrageous and extravagant opinions?
The biggest con was by delaying his arrival, he would be of course risking his hatchlings given how anything could happen in that small timespan.
And the fact that he would be delaying the opportunity to clutch ꄤꅔꉈꀧꅔꍈꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ close and tight. To coo at the hatchling’s feisty nature.
Well for the time being, ꃲꎡ꒦ꄡꁄꅐꅔꒄꍈꁄ was the sole authority on the ship. If he wished for his hatchlings to be nested with a wonderful shade of yellow plush, then he could.
Tim seemed like the agreeable kind, he surely would like it? Cassandra as well, she seemed reasonable though the little information he could gather from her. Jason and Dick, he wasn't sure but surely if their nestmates were reasonable, they would be too.
Surely.