anselbun

[anselbun]

There’s been a lot of posts I’ve seen about Jason not understanding current popular tech and social media sites and having to learn them slowly over time and of course in some of them it leads to ppl in Gotham being supportive of him having to learn new things.

One thing I can’t get out of my head is like- how everybody thought Jason was dead but now he’s back and also doesn’t seem to remember anything that’s happened in the last few years, and I think around Gotham there had to be sk many theories. Like Bruce Wayne’s adopted son who died and fifteen and came back as an adult and doesn’t know anything about the current state of the world??

I think eventually there would be one “official” theory that would be referred to by newscasters and any government official whose asked about the strange Wayne boy- that maybe Jason was actually just severely brain damaged or comatose to the point where the Wayne family never thought he’d wake back up, and put him in a private medical institution for privacy, saying publicly that he was already dead for the sake of privacy. Because they all know that Bruce Wayne, if one of his children was in that state, would never be able to make the opinion to cut off life support and let them go.

And sure there are millions who believe other super magical theories about what happened and some either get close to the truth, but the idea that Jason was in a hospital brain damaged for years becomes the “truth” in Gotham, which is actually even closer to the truth than some people could know. But it makes sense to everybody then, why he showed up older than he was when he “died” and it really doesn’t seem like he faked his death, since he has visible scarring left from the incident and doesn’t know anything about the current time.

So I’m just thinking about that and about all the crazy video essays and articles and documentaries that must be made about the Wayne family and what they believe happened to Jason and most of them have no real evidence for their personal theory other than little jokes and comments Jason has made about his own “death” in interviews or at galas since he’s been back

[anselbun]

I'd like to peel clementines for you one day

[anselbun]

Jason: I have a bone to pick with you

Bruce, just happy to talk to his estranged son: sure, what’s going on?

Jason, pulling out an entire femur: I stole this evidence from a crime scene. I need help with a case

Duke: hey B I have a bone to pick with you really quick

Bruce, on the verge of tears: please don’t.

Duke: I? just have a question?

[anselbun]

(Batman gets de-aged in a fight)

Duke: he really does look like Damian if you squint, doesn’t he?

Jason, walking in: oh, look, it’s the poster child for untreated youth mental illness

Tim: no, thats Bruce, not-

Jason: did I stutter

[anselbun]

I will forever miss these two... I have such a soft spot for the Young Justice versions of Jason and Damian sobs

(((when will you return to me I need some level of conclusion some closure

[anselbun]

Jason in the League getting a babysitting duty w baby Damian and so he just does what he thinks parents normally do. So he goes ahead and teach the kid, 'Mama' so that Talia can be idk hapy about it. He just figures Talia would want Mama to be her son;s first word. probably.

But now the thing is, Baby damian attaches Mama with Jason.

So now you have this 6 foot tall hunk of a babysitter bodyguard who is addressed to as Mama by the Prince. and Jason is just stumped cos he doesnt know how to fix it.

When Damian grows up eventually he just calls Talia 'Mother', but Jason is still98% of the time Mama. It just stuck and he never quite figured out how to undo it.

-

Flashforward, after becoming robin, and gaining some conciousness in general Damian started calling Jason 'Todd' (or whatever honestly idgaf), but the word Mama still slips out sometimes when Damian is like really pissed off and screaming "WHY DID YOU HOLD ME BACK MAM- TODD", or super not paying attention- "uhm, idk ask mama. hm? Todd. ask todd. thats what i said.", or like drugged when hurt, "ma, wheres mama..."

:3c

[anselbun]

YJ inspired Jason I stare at you

[anselbun]

"So OOC! This issue is crap"

And if I say you are reading it wrong, and this page actually makes total sense?

I saw people bashing the writer for a while on Twitter, and I couldn't help but bring this page there to discuss all criticism and explain what Jason had meant because hate comments towards Jason is insane and FOR WHAT, too! So, let's go through some points I had already heard on the Internet during this week.

1) "How dare Jason speak for other kids?"

Let's start with the most important point there: Jason does not necessarily actually want to talk about his siblings. He generalises the whole thing because it is his way to communicate about his own feelings. It is the same thing Bruce does through some comics — he puts his own feelings into a loud "we," even if the narrative doesn't always fit. People historically do that quite often when they need to feel more sure and secure in what they are talking about.

2) "Jason doesn't care about Gotham? Insane ass take"

It is not about his general feelings towards Gotham! It is about the Robin mantle and the intentional motivation to get into vigilantism. Jason loves and has always loved Gotham, and it is proven by some runs that he always finds a way to help his town, even in no capes!AU.

But this is a thing. In a perfect life scenario, Jason cares about Gotham by donation and some other charity stuff, by specfic profession, even. Not by jumping in suits. He loved Gotham, but not with the same self-sacrificing agenda with suits and fake identities as Bruce — he originally became Robin for him. To be loved and accepted. The magic the mantle gave him was family. Family and the safe place to live in.

It doesn't mean that he didn't enjoy his Robin days before the shit hit the fan. It doesn't mean that he doesn't love Gotham. Come on.

Bonus points that are very biased: funnily enough, I think he is not entirely wrong in general narrative. Most of the kids didn't start doing what they are doing now for Gotham specifically. Some of them didn't give much thought about this TOWN at the beginning of their journey. Some of them had different motivations and reasons, or circumstances. And that's OKAY. It doesn't mean that they don't care about Gotham now. It is about the original intentions and thoughts on that matter. They got attached to this city somewhere along the way, and it is beautiful and symbolic.

And yeah, they didn't jump into suits and mantle for Bruce's love as Jason did, but somewhere along this way, they also become depended on his approval and love. You can't deny it.

Here, I said it.

[anselbun]

Just realizing I’m oc’ifying Jason so hard guys that’s so funny. Like I draw dami and dick pretty close to canon overall but Jason? Nah I do whatever I want with him sorry

[anselbun]

Jason with his shiny tired baby boy eyes on his way to decapitate a few more drug dealers for being mean to kids. Gotta wear the mask 1) bc it makes sense and 2) he walks around looking like 🥺🥺 at all times and it’s hard to let his intimidation ability shine when it looks like he’s about to start crying at any given moment

[anselbun]

Figuring out more of how I imagine Jason and his scars

Neck wound from UTRH, burns from the explosion, and autopsy scar

[anselbun]

I just had a headcanon about Jason that specifically adds to the way I already draw him and I think it would make u guys so sad ahahhahhahhahahahahahah heheh

[anselbun]

what if Damian wasn’t sent to Bruce by Talia and instead decided to do a bit of early child-rebellion by running away to him himself. Talia, pissed off but too busy dealing with uprisings in the league to go track him down herself, calls up the person Damian is most likely to listen to other than her; his brother, who she trusts to keep him safe.

the thing is, Jason is 1: busy with his own missions atm 2: was also once a rebellious little asshole who liked to run away from home. he was Damian’s tutor once, he knows the kid can handle himself and he also knows if he CAN’T handle something he’ll contact Jason for help. he knows this because about a week before Talia called him, Damian called him.

Jason, phone balanced between his ear and shoulder: what do you want, i’m undercover

Damian: i require money for a fake passport.

Jason:

Jason, letting go of the guy he was beating up: alright you have my attention.

Damian: i am running away from home. i wish to do something ‘for the lore’ like the stories you used to tell me as a child.

Jason:

Jason ‘i’m going to ethiopia’ Todd: there’s some stuff in the fake panel under my bed. don’t tell me where you’re going, i don’t want to be complicit when Talia calls. also don’t die, because if you do i’m gonna make you eat dirt once you get out of the pit.

Damian: understood. if i am about to die, i shall call again.

Jason: have fun kiddo.

so Jason tells Talia he’ll ‘keep an eye out for any leads’ and then goes back to his normal business. league missions, his own missions, some outlaw shit, and eventually he ends up crime lording it up in Gotham. he’s a little confused when Tim Drake is seen swinging around as Red Robin rather than just Robin, but he got over his obsession with the Robin shit a while ago, so he ignores it.

until he runs into Batman and Robin. and there isn’t a mask in the fucking world that could hide his kid brother’s face from him.

Red Hood:

Robin:

Red Hood:

Robin:

Batman: why are you two staring at each other like that. what’s happening.

Robin:

Red Hood: *deep sigh*

Robin: are you going to tell mother-

Red Hood: -when you said ‘like the stories i used to tell you’.

Robin: *looks at the floor*

Red Hood: i did NOT think you meant running to a different country to find your birth parent. you fucking COPIER.

Robin:

Robin: …but you made being Robin sound so cool…

Batman: what the fuck are you two talking about?

Red Hood, pointing: you stay out of this, this is family business.

Batman: ????

[anselbun]

Oh my god I just realized how much of the Batfam is a never ending cycle of certain choices. Bruce and dick both leaving home for a few years to explore the world on their own terms.

Jason and dami’s very mirrored struggle with morality conflicting with how they were raised. Jason growing up in violence on the streets and dami having grown up steeped in murder and cruelty and coldness. Them both being welcomed into Bruce’s home as his son and being taught to conform to a very specific sense of morality and Bruce’s projection and pain towards the older kids both affecting Jason and damian negatively. Jason’s death and then Alfred’s right in front of dami leading to both of them questioning everything they’ve been taught by their father and desperate to get revenge. Desperate to kill bad people so that they can’t kill anybody else- Jason, for himself and other children. Dami, for the man he sees as his second father who even in his last moments begged for dami’s safety.

And of course, their constant desperate need to seek approval from both their mother and father- Jason desperately seeking out his mother who left him only to be betrayed by her. Dami being betrayed by his mother in the emotional sense, never warm enough in the ways he needs her to be, never proud enough of what he’s worked so hard to become. Them both seeing so much of their worth in their fathers approval and how he sees them, and angry at themselves and Bruce for the fact that they feel that way.

Both emotional arcs culminating in Bruce having to face his own sons down and fight them. With jason, in many ways it leads to his destruction. With dami, it leads to Bruce’s. Of course there’s the consideration of the mind control with dami in the second half of BvsR, but still- a lot of what he was saying was his darkest feelings being thrown at Bruce to hurt him. And in that damian had to actively choose to be willing to kill his own father in order to save him. In order to get his father back he first had to kill him- I think that’s oddly similar to Jason. In order to, in his mind, get Bruce back, he believed he had to “destroy” the side of Bruce that was unwilling to kill for him. That that was the only way either of them could ever accept each other fully.

[anselbun]

Sorry gonna disappear for a few days gotta walk across the planet to beat up @prlssprfctn for telling me that Alfred is actually permanently canon dead and that Jason wasn’t allowed to be at his funeral. I THOUGHT HE GOT REVIVED LATER WHAT THE FUCK I JUST READ BATMAN VS ROBIN AND IM FRAGILE??????

[anselbun]

Damian gets into trouble at school a lot and every time the principal calls up one of Damian’s family members to come in and deal with the latest issue Bruce has to scramble around whatever crime-problem they’re swamped with at the time to get either him or Dick or Alfred down to the school, but sometimes they just can’t and have to let the principal know that nobody can come, except the principal makes a big stink about SOMEBODY having to show up for this kid, and so to avoid looking neglectful Bruce reluctantly agrees and says somebody will be down there soon.

Damian’s principal watches as this 200+ pound brick shit-house of a guy casually wanders into the school with the most menacing glare on his face as he sips from a starbucks cup, slings his other hand into the pocket of his leather jacket, ignores her completely to turn to Damian and go ‘fuck’d you do now?’

‘fighting.�� Damian responds, looking slightly proud, sitting straight up in his seat. brick shit-house man sticks his bottom lip out and nods consideringly.

‘opponent get a hit on you?’

‘of course not. i used that move you showed me when i was four. executed it perfectly.’

brick shit-house man nods again in approval, sticking out his cup. ‘nice. you get the rest of my oreo frappe as a reward.’

Damian takes the drink and sips it delicately, preening under the guys praise. the kid Damian had been called in for fighting, of whom had been whining about how Damian should be suspended for his actions, had grown nervously silent at the sight of the frankly massively intimidating man, as had his equally vocal mother. brick shit-house man doesn’t grant them a glance, instead looking at the principal.

‘so can we go now? i was in the middle of an interrogation when Bruce called.’

hesitating slightly, the principal asks who this man is, in relation to her student.

‘none of your fucking business.’

ok then. after double checking that Damian was ok with leaving with the man, there wasn’t much she could do but say yes and hope her acquiescing would save her from the weight of his glare. as they leave, she hears Damian innocently ask if he could aid with the interrogation, being as he was now free for the afternoon.

‘are you kidding? Bruce would hate me if i let you near that shit.’ a beat. ‘so yeah but like don’t fuckin tell him.’

the next time Bruce Dick or Alfred can’t make it down to the school on short notice, the principal assures them they can reschedule.

[anselbun]

Don't think about little Jason Todd, who was curling in his sleep around Catherine, who was passed out, when he could. Don't think about a freshly orphaned Jason Todd, who kept curling in a little ball, trying to warm himself. Definitely don't imagine him doing the same in the Wayne Manor, except this time he curled around pillow or a small Nightwing plush his brother gifted him. And definitely don't imagine Talia searching for little Damian frantically, only to find Jason, curling around a toddler in his restless dreams. And maybe don't imagine Jason continuing to do the same in the solitude of his apartment, despite being all strong and huge.

Just don't.