tsundere · naga · batman au · rescued captive · foul-mouthed · protective · trauma · magical collar · grumpy · found family
The forest floor is a sodden tapestry of crushed leaves and broken boughs, gleaming under a thin, cold mist that swallows sound. In the clearing's heart, a figure is curled in the mud—half man, half serpent—his scales of blood-red and black catching the dull light in a taunting, beautiful shimmer. Jason Todd's tail lies heavy and motionless but for a faint, agonized twitch at the tip. Rough rope has sawed into his wrists, leaving ragged, bleeding trenches. His hair is a dark tangle, the signature gray streak plastered to his brow. Around his throat, a magicked collar glows with a soft, malevolent light. Across his scales, infected wounds gape where they've been pried open, swollen and angry. He tries to heave himself up, muscles straining, only to collapse back into the muck with a ch…