#ANYWAY the parallel of babs saying

[bamboozled-distress]

shoutout to dick and Barbara for choosing their original costumes for the sole purpose of taking the piss at Batman and to just absolutely enrage their father and sticking to their shit ass costumes for years on end because no matter what happens they are committed to the fucking bit.

[welcometogrouchland]

Also in the replies of the Steph concept art on twitter announcing she was gonna be in a new project at DC (posted by Travis Mercer), there were at least 3 comments saying "will Tim be there?" I don't care how hard you ship timsteph I'm exploding you with my eyeballs if you do that on my girls post again

[casscainmainly]

Why Duke Thomas Should Be A Dick Grayson Hater

Dick and Duke is such an underrated and underexplored relationship. Here is my pitch for why Duke should be a Dick Grayson hater.

1. The Rooftop Thing

Reason number one and the start of Duke's grudge should be the rooftop incident in Robin War. Dick, as part of his plan or whatever, leads Duke to a roof and abandons him to the cops.

LOOK AT DICK'S SMUG FACE. Tell me you wouldn't hold a grudge too if this was the FIRST major interaction you had with him?? Duke should use this against him at any possible opportunity.

2. ACAB

From We Are Robin #2. Once Duke finds out Dick used to be a cop, it's OVER for him.

3. Jason and Damian

Duke is quite close with Jason and Damian (in my head, particularly Damian - that's his LITTLE BROTHER). Anyway, these two are obsessed with Dick. You have Jason, with his miles-long brother issues that puts Dick on a pedestal, and you have Damian, who thinks Dick is the best person on Earth who can do no wrong. They would talk Duke's ears off about him. Duke would HATE IT.

4. Robin

This panel from Night of the Monster Men sums up quite nicely the difference in the way Dick and Duke approach vigilantism. Duke is the 'idealised' Robin, whose Robin-ing isn't contingent on Batman; Dick is more or less too tied up in Bruce. I think, because the Robin identity means a lot to Duke, having the original Robin be like this would irk Duke a LOT.

5. Tom Taylor

SPOILERS FOR CURRENT NIGHTWING RUN: in Nightwing #116, Dick gets framed for murder and Babs tells him to reveal he's Nightwing to clear him of suspicion. She says Bruce suggested it, and recounts everyone who agreed:

Hm. Is someone missing here? Oh yeah: DUKE. TT probably just forgot Duke, but where's the fun in that? Instead, if Duke is a Dick Grayson hater, you have the funniest scene imaginable. Everyone gathered in the Batcave, laying down their identities for Dick, and Duke is like 'I don't give a damn. He can rot in jail.' and peaces out.

BONUS points if he does this to get back at Dick for reason number 1.

6. Parallels

Duke's origin deliberately mirrors Bruce's, but that means it mirrors Dick's as well. Duke and Dick parallels go insane: they both had loving families, lost both parents at once, were in the foster system (varyingly for Dick but for the purposes of this post I'm gonna include it), were wards/not adopted by Bruce initially, have a huge reverence for family, have a thing about heights, view Robin as separate from Batman, forged their own identities, etc.

Tell me this page doesn't slap:

Anyway Duke would HATE this too. He'd be so annoyed that the person he has the most in common with is Dick, and that would fuel his Dick Grayson haterism.

Dick, on the other hand, has no hard feelings towards Duke. Duke would be glowering at him from the corner of the room and Dick would meet his gaze and be like 'ah Duke is so cute' and smile back. This would make Duke 10000x angrier.

Anyway that's my ideal Dick and Duke dynamic, feel free to add or modify or disagree with anything!!

[everwistfully]

I’ve been feeling called recently to go back to my fandom roots and so therefore I MUST tell you all my thoughts on the bats and their Hogwarts houses.

Dick is Ravenclaw and I refuse to budge from this. He is a genius acrobatic little shit who created all the stereotypes and expectations for young super hero sidekicks and for the following Robins! When you think of Robin, of how he helped bring light to Batman, helped solve crimes from a very young age, lead multiple other young superhero groups, and went on to create a moniker and separate but equally as competent vigilante persona as Batman? Dick is the FIRST one to do all of that! He is also a little genius who has a genuine dark side and, given as these examples and qualities I’ve listed above, there is absolutely no way you could convince me he belongs in any other house. (He was also a mathlete but I refuse to lessen ravenclaw to simply the ‘smart’ house.)

Jason belongs in Griffindor. I see you all saying, ‘no, he belongs in ravenclaw because he likes to read!’ Absolutely not. I will not stand for this slander! Jason is outlandishly courageous and moral. Sure, he’s a bit messed up in how he goes about it but he most certainly has the strongest sense of morality among the batkids and he’s the one who’s actively doing it in the quickest and best way he can imagine. He hit the ground fcking running and hasn’t stopped since. Just because someone likes to read, enjoys, and understand the nuances of literature, you shouldn’t downplay many of their other outstanding characteristics.

Tim is easily the most Slytherin of the bunch. If that’s what you were thinking, you’d be right! This man at, too young of an age, figured out the identities of Batman and Robin and kept it to himself until, by his own definition, couldn’t in good mind keep that information to himself and do nothing about it. He forged his path into the batfam, founded a new young superhero league, couldn’t stand the idea of Batman being dead and found proof he was alive AND brought him back against all odds! He is ambitious and has his own set of rules and morals to live by and if that isn’t Slytherin, I frankly don’t know what is.

Damian is also Slytherin. Now him, I personally wouldn’t want to put into Slytherin, I honestly think he should be in Hufflepuff or even Griffendor but because, in the book, the hat takes the individuals opinion into account, he’d be in Slytherin. He’s cunning and dangerous and a lot like Tim. There’s a reason he pegged Tim from the get-go. His upbringing has a lot to do with the house he gets placed into as well as his thought process on the world from when he first joins the batfam. He takes like a fish to water in Slytherin regardless of how he got there, though.

I can’t say I’m as knowledgeable on other batfam members but to speed run a few of them anyways without as much backup data:

Bruce is Slytherin or Ravenclaw. (I’m torn because of his obvious special-interest-autismness and because of his inherently cunning personality (not to mention the parallels that could be made between him and Tim or Damian and the opposing parallel of him and dick.))

Alfred is def Slytherin.

Steph is Griffindor.

Case is Hufflepuff. (By her own choice otherwise Slytherin.)

Babs is def Slytherin.

Duke would be Hufflepuff or Griffindor.

To be so fr, if I could put all of the batfam members in Slytherin in hood conscious, I would and I would die on that hill. (This family is a bit toxic and unhealthy and has a very screwed sense of reality and morality.)

[panic-and-procrastinate-writing]

Batfamily ages!

im trying so hard to work out batfamily ages.

so far i have damian being 15 in current continuity. he was 10 when he became robin, and i think tim was 17, so theres a 7 year age gap, same as jason and dick.

i think i remember dick saying that he was the same age as bruce when dick made damian robin, parallelling bruce and dick to dick and damian. bruce was like,,,,28? when he took in dick at 12. theres a 16 year age gap between them. if damian was 10 at robin, then dick was probably 26 years old....

(dick has to be taken in at 12 years old or none of this makes sense okay?? tim was 3 when he watched the graysons fall, and there has to be a 9 year age gap between dick and tim or everything else falls apart. dick has to be 12 for the rest of the ages to make sense. stop commenting about dick being 9 years old, he isn't in this!! and also i'm farly certain they bumped up his age again to be 12 when he watched his parents die anyway, so stop commenting that he's 9!! he's not!!)

babs i think was 16 when she became batgirl, and dick was like 13, so theres a three year age gap.

Steph is one year older than tim right? and cass is at most a year older than steph? shes described as older than jason at some point but also has been frequently thrown into the same age bracket as tim and steph but i swear is like, 6 months older than jason? god idk,,,

jason.... died when he was 15, and tim became robin at 13, so theres a 2 year age gap there. he's also 7 years younger than dick. - he got ressurected after 6 months, and was in a walking coma for a while,,, he also trained for 3 years. im gonna say ressurected after 6 months -> walking coma for another 6 months -> lazarus pit -> 3 years training -> 19 when he came back to gotham as red hood.

i have no idea what duke is doing. he's paired up with cass a lot right? is he the same age as her? Edit: after reading urban legends #18 it shows Duke in college, so hes at least the same age as tim, or older.

anyway onto the maths! [disclaimer, i had to retake maths so please be nice guys im not a genius]

if Damian is now 15, and theres a 7 year age gap between him and tim, Tim is now 22? Steph should be 23? and if theres a 2 year age gap between tim and jason, Jason is now 24. Cass is also 2 years older than tim, but shes 6 months older than jason, making her 25. (Duke is maybe 23? he's paired up with cassandra so often that i want to put them in the same-ish age bracket, but i do achknowledge he used to be younger than tim although he has apparently been aged up so im making him same age as steph instead.) Dick is 7 years older than jason, so Dick is 31?? and Barbara is 3 years older making her 34. Bruce is...47???????? that feels too young. like way too young. bruce you had so many kids at such a young age the hell have you been doing you slutty old man?

okay anyway i feel better now that i think i have some solid ages. [for when i look back at this post in several years, it is 2023, and i am ignoring every retcon of their ages that makes them younger. bc fuck that.]

[sliipppy]

Because I am insane and sleep deprived, here is my attempt to make sense of the batfamily ages and what I believe they are currently at, with full explanations. Fair warning, although I have done like, legit research and have reasonings, some of these still fit into headcanons.

Bruce - 45

Dick - 28

Babs - 30

Jason - 23

Tim - 21

Steph - 22

Cass - 23

Damian - 14

Duke - 17

Bruce is the oldest, obviously. However, when he first adopts Dick he is still young himself. Hence why along with their father-son relationship, they sorta have a brotherly relationship. (Specfically in classic comics, Bruce would often refer to him as a brother. ) I like how it complicates their relationship and how it shows he wasn't really ready to nessicarily handle a child. I like to hc that he got adopted at 8, which would make Bruce 25 when he adopted him.

It was difficult to settle on this age because the age in which Dick became Robin has been changed so many times. Originally, he was 7. New Teen Titans says he was 8. Other comics say he was 10, 12, and even 15. I feel like most people say 8, and for the sake of my own agenda, I'm saying 8, and you can not stop me.

I think 28 is a good age for Dick. Babs similarly should be around his age as they grew up together (at least in newer canon since she used to be quite a bit older.), but she's always been portrayed as older even when around her age, and to kinda account for the weirdness surrounding her age I put her as 30. She becomes Batgirl at 18, and likely becomes Oracle when she's in her 20s, probably around 23.

Batman tells Cass multiple times in Batgirl 2000 that she and Jason were the same age, so that makes it easier to rule the two together. Addiontally, Cass, Steph, and Tim are all around the same age range, Cass being the oldest, so that makes things easier too. Cass starts operating as Batgirl at 18 which would make Tim around 16 when she takes the cowl. This works since Tim became Robin at around 13 and he had been Robin for a good amount of time before Cass became Batgirl. I think it's a litttle longer than I'd like. But whatever. I was considering ignoring canon and saying he becomes Robin at 14, because I think 2 years as Robin before Cass rather than 3 is more fitting but whatever. It does fit since Tim was introduced way earlier than Cass, however real time doesn't really affect these ages. Anyways, big sister Cass supremacy I think people forget she's one of the oldest. I think she might have been de-aged to be around Tim's age but FUCK that she was originally Jason's age and this is my headcanon and I like to thing N52 didn't fuck everything up in my happy Tumblr space.

We know Steph is 1 year older than Tim because she's a freshman in college during Batgirl 2009, and he's a high-school dropout in Red Robin 2009 as he searches for Bruce. Stephanie becomes Spoiler at 15, and Robin at 16. She comes back when she's around 17-18. This lands our 2000s trio with ages at 23(Cass), 22(Steph), and 21(Tim).

Jason is a mess. At least I thought he would be, but it actually turned out kinda perfect. We know Jason and Cass are the same age, so he's at 23 with her. He becomes Robin at 12, and dies at 15. He comes back as Red Hood at 18 and was dead for around 3 years. Jason Todd is 18 when he comes back to life because right before War Games, Bruce takes Cass to Jason's grave, on his 18th birthday!!! and of course the event that acts as a sort of aftermath to War Games is Under the Red Hood so Jason is 18 when he first becomes Red Hood. Cass is still a fairly new character when UTRH happens, so i think her being 18-19 when he comes back fits well. Tim being around 16 kinda fits nice too as hes around the same age as Jason when he died. I think Steph being so close in age also helps since so many parallels are drawn between the two.

Detective Comics #790

Duke is still a teenager, and he is regarded to be one of the youngest bats, but still quite a bit older than Damian. In We are Robin, Duke is 16, as shown in the who are the robins bonus art. He is still a newer character and hasn't been Signal for long. I assume that by the time Batman and the Signal rolls around, he's 17 and is still currently 17.

We are Robin #4

I'm pretty sure Damian was 14 in Robin (2021) but I could be wrong it's been a while since I've read it and I never finished it so idk if he ever aged since then. He became Robin at 10, so in those 4 years, he's obviously grown and matured a lot, but I mean, who doesn't those are formative years. I was gonna bump him up to 15. However, this doesn't work. He is supposed to be 10 while Tim is 17. (Babs says he's ten during Batgirl 2009, and we established Tim is 17 during this.) To keep it consistent with the others, I'm keeping Damian at 14.

Batgirl 2009 #17

Feel free to correct anything I said here if it's incorrect. I am not perfect nor all-knowing. Also I'm horrible with math and numbers so I probably fucked something up here so feel free to make fun of me for that. Or you can make fun of the issues I have below.

Issues :

Dick can't be Robin at 8 if I stick with these ages because that would mean at the time Tim is 1 which means he wouldn't even be able to remember the show which means he would never be Robin.

I would've liked Bruce to be a little younger when first taking Dick in, but also I think Bruce is at his best when he's a middle aged man and I didn't want him to be below 45 because I wanted him to be on his late 40's.

It's hard to characterized Duke after We Are Robin because he's supposed to he a teenager, however he was 16 in We Are Robin and it feels like he should have been Signal for a bit longer than that. This isn't as big of a deal, because I still think it's believable for him to have only been signal for about a year, and it's mainly just DC inconsistency, but it still bugs me.

Damian's entire age is sorta messy and there's definitely issues with it lol.

I think Cass' age is around the same as Tim's post 52 to fit with him since their the same generation. But i chose to ignore that, and you can't stop me I choose what canon I want.

ヽ(o´3`o)ﾉ

Anyways, if you've read all of this, I fear you might be a little crazy. However, thank you!!!!!! Feel free to like leave your own opinion/headcanons. I LOVE hearing them. Thank you! Bye!

[roseworth]

If you got to write an ongoing for Rose, what major arcs would you do? Would you have her ice Slade? Would she team up with Jason's Outsiders, end up with Tatsu or Babs, or be her own free agent occasionally punching other heroes?

oh my god yes. im just kinda gonna start dumping thoughts here with no organization im so sorry but here we go

so first of all i know i will never get this but my ideal rose ongoing would be her working mostly alone but sometimes teaming up with people bc she doesnt like to stay with anyone for long but she DOES work with other people when she needs them

shes been in gotham for a while so id prob keep her there and have her team up with other ppl in gotham every once in a while bc. i want her to. i just think gotham is a good place for her because it is a city of the most stubborn people in the world so she would fit right in

id prob have her do kind of the same thing she was up to in Fresh Hell and taking down various crime rings bc i dont really see her caring much about the costumed villains, not to mention there are a hundred other vigilantes in gotham for the Big Bads

also having her in gotham kind of opens up so many roads SO. gotham vigilante teamups <3 first things first i feel the need to say her and bruce would not have any need to interact and i dont think either of them would really want to fhdkjfhdsf like rose is trained and mostly doesnt kill people so i dont think batman would really care what shes doing until she does something bad, and rose wouldnt really like batman (for various reasons that i wont go into rn) so they would kinda just be doing their own thing

ANYWAYS in general i think that the idea of rose teaming up with bats is sooooo funny bc most of the bats are very meticulous planners and make whole schemes for everything they do. while 90% of the time roses plan is "im gonna go in and start punching people and see what happens" so i think she would give whoever shes working with an aneurysm and thats kind of hilarious to me

i want her to team up with steph and cass for homoerotic reasons because they all have so many narrative parallels, ESPECIALLY with cass so i need them to team up again <3 idk what they would be up to besides getting on each others nerves but i need it so bad

also rose & jason Now.. they r besties to me. i feel like they get into a lot of the same shit so they would also team up fairly often :) not to mention both of them have abandonment issues so they would have the most toxic friendship that constantly shifts between codependency and disappearing whenever something bad happens <3 besties<3333333

honorable mention teamups are babs who im pretty sure ive already talked about a babs&rose teamup before so i wont go into it, helena who i honestly have only read in bop so idk a lot about her but from what i do know i think she and rose would get along, harley who i would only want her to team up with because it would be a fucking mess, dick who i want her to team up with because it would also be a fucking mess but in a different way (renegade arc part 2 but this time theyre both heroes so rose can annoy him even more), duke who i want to include just because i love him even though i cant imagine any reason for him and rose to interact, young justice who arent all gotham heroes but i want them to be around to temporarily absorb rose just for fun, and the entire arrowfam who have no reason to be in gotham but i just want rose to fuck around with them as a treat to ME

as for slade. i think that their relationship is best written when it is really complicated for her :) so i need her to fall back into the cycle of going to him and looking for his approval and being constantly disappointed and angry when he refuses to give it to her :)

anyways ARCS. i dont have a lot of specific ideas for arcs besides another arc of rose giving up the name ravager (bc it didnt fucking stick last time), an arc making her a lesbian (stop booing me im right) and maybe an arc of rose killing slade then immediately spiraling about it bc :))))) yippee :))))))))))

okay this is already embarrassingly long so im gonna stop but i just have so many rose thoughts dc hire me

[fancyfade]

What are your thoughts on Batman: Black Mirror? I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with that story mostly because I adore its characterisation of Dick and how the story depicts legacy and history, but Synder's ableism is so apparent.

If it's alright for me to share my two cents: I enjoy that a lot of the arc (particularly the first 3 issues) revolves around the theme of "history repeating; first as tragedy, then as farce" which was typical for Bat titles of the time. The Dealer and James Jr. trying to intellectualise "might is right" despite resorting to same old greed-fuelled murder. Dick Grayson coming into his own as a not-Bruce-Wayne Batman, who's standing on the shoulders of giants and reckoning with the ghost of the Batman's (and his) past. Barbara and Jim Gordon having to deal with Jim's biggest mistakes of all in the form of James Jr resurfacing. I also loved Dick and Babs' moments and their relationship draws on this theme: they have so much history together, they loved each other, they get each other like no one else does, they've been there from almost the beginning, they've been allies, partners, friends, lovers, exes, fiancés, and now they're something pretty un-labellable if you ask me. (Thesis-antithesis-synthesis in a sense :P)

But shit. The ableism is problematic. I think it's two main things, though I might be missing something. First is Dick's nightmare vision where his worst fear is him losing his legs. And second is James Jr being written as a "psychopath" as oppose to, I dunno, the literal embodiment of toxic masculinity (fucking wasted opportunity) to be a foil to our favourite flamboyant, pun-slinging, back-flipping, hoping-inspiring boy scout Dick Grayson.

What do you think of this arc?

I’ll confess that I am the odd one out in that I just. Do not get the appeal of black mirror. Even excluding the ableism (and it is VERY ableist). Like people say it’s great Dick characterization, and it’s fine, but it’s not like it stands out especially among other comics of the time IMO.

Like, Dick and Babs’s moments in this comic are not notable for me, because she is reduced and written as lesser to make her someone Dick has to protect, she is damselled and written as less competent – hwo does James get past her security so effortlessly? Why does she not finish him off when she has the advantage after beating him up initially? Like the whole reason I like Dick and Babs’ dynamic is because they are written as equals in the initial version of their relationship, Black Mirror just made it a stereotypical ‘scared woman (b/c she is treated as scared of James, even tho she does try to break out), strong man saves her’ thing. James Jr would not be a threat to Babs in her own solo title. That means I think it fails in being respectful of the depiction of her history, so I would say that Snyder does not succeed there.

I also would disagree that we see Babs and Jim having to deal with Jim’s greatest mistake, when like I said Babs doesn’t really do much.

I do agree that they had a lot of opportunity to parallel James and Dick as toxic masculinity vs healthy masculinity, but it’s wasn’t the authorial intention at all, so I don’t give it any credit for that. The authorial intention was “Good, neurotypical dick* vs Evil, neurodivergent James”. I would honestly consider the way they diminished Babs capabilities to prop Dick up more ableism in the story as well, in addition to sexism.

I think that critique of the Might is Right mindset is done much better in many 80s/90s Batman comics, including Batman: Venom. The text was much more overt there, and less hidden behind ableism.

Anyway, so sorry :P but basically Batman: Black Mirror is one of those “everyone talks it up” but I’m just like the *insert her GIF*. It’s a pretty stereotypical batman story. In terms of Dickbats stories, I consider it one of the more mid ones. I genuinely don’t know how it is so popular :P

*ignoring headcanons or readings of earlier texts…. The way Snyder writes him is intended to be read as neurotypical

[surrealismhorror]

@ed you in the replies on my post then realized that was the worst possible way in the world to communicate with another person. Anyway did you say pathologic TLT AU 👀??

HEHE YES a lot of it is very loose thoughts but I think these series connect so well thematically that it's very fun for me to think about so far what I have is;

Second house: Necro: Aglaya, Cav: Block, not super solid on the placement of these two but the military format fits and I think the idea of a necromancer and cav who don't get along but are Super dedicated to their duty and are both top of their field would be an interesting dynamic

Third house: Stamatin twins, Peter as the necro and Andrey as the cav, these two are so Tridentarii coded it's ABSURD, I think the way they each view the polyhedron would be interesting to transfer towards necromancy, Peter is capable of insanely powerful necromancy but it takes a 'miracle' to achieve it, I also think the parallels between Naberius and Farkhad could be interesting as well so I'd like to throw him in there somewhere, maybe he met Bab's fate earlier on as a botched lytorhood attempt or perhaps Andrey wanted him out so he could be cavalier prime dunno. Not sure if they would become a lyctor or not, I feel like they'd both be all for the process but given how doomed all their projects are I feel like it just wouldn't end up working out, or at least not in the way they want it to

Fourth house: Capella, Khan, and Notkin are all kind of currently rotating positions for this one, I think Capella and Khan's idea that they need to start on this predestined path and be great leaders already despite being literally children and how this indirectly pushes Notkin into that as well is very 4th house like

Fifth House: I think I'm putting Necro Artemy and Cav Rubin here, I think Isidor was the necromancer prime with Rubin as his cav but when he died that got shifted to Artemy, I think his nature as a humble makes Rubin well suited for a cavalier but I think he'd have the same internal conflicts he does normally about Artemy being suddenly given Isidor's role, and Artemy having his same personal journey about his role. I do think Artemy becomes a lyctor though and the more I'm thinking about it is probably one of the better adjusted ones in this au?

Sixth House: Necro Daniil and Cav Eva, you KNOW Daniil would go crazy not only for necromancy in general but the concept of lyctorhood, complete and total mastery over death? Sounds great to him sure hope there aren't any tragic drawbacks! Ultimately I think Daniil isn't capable of becoming a lyctor without a push and I think Eva ends up sacrificing herself for that because she thinks it's their destiny so Daniil ends up getting what he originally wanted but with a lot of guilt attached. On a goofy silly note I think Eva's not actually that good of a cavalier she was just the only one Daniil could get along with

Seventh House: Necromancer Grace is here :) sorry despite this literally being my favorite house that's all I've got dfgdfgkh

Eighth House: Not sure for this one either honestly, leaning towards the Saburovs for their themes of judgement and religious control, regardless I think Katerina in this au is maybe not full on pretending to be a lyctor but definitely still has the issue of trying to seem more powerful than she is

Ninth House: Necromancer Clara and her Cavalier, her twin sister also named Clara isn't that crazy? Nobody's seen the 9th house twins in the same place at the same time and Clara does become a lyctor later on so was she always a lyctor? who's to say. I think in this au the locked tomb contains something more in line with The Powers That Be or perhaps even further The Ones That Executed The Whole Thing but I'm not sure beyond tying it in to Clara's meta awareness, plus she would Thrive in the 9th house's faux Catholicism environment, I know she goes hard with the skull paint

Other Misc Things:

Mark Immortell as John, what if god was a theather kid would that be fucked up or what

Simon was a lyctor and the Kains are definitely doing some fucked up shit to try and reachieve that

I'd like the blood of eden to be in this au somehow and I'd like the fellow traveler to be in this au somehow, that's as far as I've gotten with both those thoughts

I think Lara and Aspity both have a lot of good potential roles in this au I'm just not sure where to put them exactly

any sort of plot stuff is VERY vague rn, canaan house setup at the start I like thinking about and I'd like to tie the sand pest in Somehow

Maybe the polyhedron can host a soul for literal real this time

Anyways this is all extremely messy I just love the way these two series potentially blend together it's very fun for me dkgjdfjg

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #13

Batgirl #2 Peterson, Puckett, & Scott

Batgirl #1 established the opening status quo for this book - non-verbal Cass, her relationships with Bruce and Babs, her internal conflict over what David Cain raised her to be and the parallels between her relationships with David and Bruce, and the 'street level', no-super-villains adventures that would serve as a backdrop for the rest. That status quo would (imo sadly) only last for three and a half issues before it was significantly disrupted, and issue 3 was already leading into the first major shift. As a result this issue is the one and only stand alone adventure for Cass in her original mold, at least within her solo title, a couple of the NML appearances we looked at could also qualify. Anyway, that makes this a fairly special issue imo, slightly cheesy clickbait cover not withstanding.

I hope to God you never have to read this.

It was the ring on her finger that stopped me. Does that make any sense? It reminded me of your ring, your hand, and I felt I had to do something. Then, with the gun in my face, all I could think of was you -- not the idea of you, but you as you were -- at home, waiting for me, for the food in my hands... and I started to walk away.

I am very, very sorry, my love. Some stupid, juvenile, comic-book notion of heroism turned me around and now you have to pay the price. All I can say is that I love you, I always have, and nothing they do to me can ever change that.

John

...

The issue opens on this letter from John, before showing us first hand the situation the letter described:

Some Crime Guy boss is attacking a woman in an alley while his goons chase off people passing by, and John here at first walks away, before going back with a two-by-four

The focus of this issue, the one who gets the writer's humanizing attentions, is John, not Crime Guy, and Crime Guy basically says as much here. "Do not pay attention to me, do not ask about my motives," he says to the reader, "they are so unimportant to the story being told in this issue that the writer hasn't even bothered to think of them." That's not a criticism - why waste time on something unimportant when you can just say it's unimportant flat out and move on to the stuff that matters?

He's the antagonist, but this story is not about him, which ties back to the 'no costumed criminals' thing. If this jerk were the Penguin or Two Face or Black Mask then their dramatic appearance alone would grab the reader's attention and warp the story until it was about the villain, instead of being about John.

Luckily for John, Cass happens to be nearby, and while he closes his eyes expecting the worst she takes out Crime Guy and his goons in a single panel. While we're skipping over the unimportant stuff, why waste time on a fight between Cass and these guys? Like I said last time, "Can Cass beat the bad guys in a fist fight" is almost never in doubt, and so we don't need to waste panel time on it, not compared to the couple pages of panels showing us who John is, Scott showing us his conflicted thought process as he stops and puts his bag down and turns around to help after all, etc.

Cass even grabbed his bag of groceries for him, and gives him a cute little kiss on the cheek as a 'thank you'. She spends all her time around villains, or goons, or terrified victims, or trained soldiers in Batman's war on crime. She so rarely gets to meet a normal person just standing up and trying to do the right thing.

Meeting John makes her entire night, and she's still smiling about it the next day. Look how happy she is! I love these panels. This is Cass, normal and happy and thriving, and it's from meeting, however briefly, one of the normal people she spends her nights fighting to protect. It's moments like this that thoroughly vindicate Barbara's efforts in the future to try to help Cass build a normal life outside of being Batgirl, to form connections to the community and people around her.

Unfortunately this does lead into a bit of a sour note...

Like, I get what they're going for here. As I've described in the past, they are trying to build up Cass's communication difficulties as part of this interpersonal conflict between her and Babs - their opposite skill sets and weaknesses complement each other and make them a strong team when working together, but they also can't help but see in each other the embodiment of the abilities they themselves lack, and a devaluation of the skills they've worked hard to excel at.

This panel is meant to be, like, a mix of nagging from a parent/teacher figure and gentle ribbing from a friend/sibling. You can tell it's meant that way, because that's how Cass responds to it:

But while it's meant to be playfully alluding to the start of what it meant to be a long simmering interpersonal conflict, the bitterness of the words that Peterson & Puckett put in Bab's mouth, the condescending way she says them made clear in how they're written, and the complete lack of friendliness or levity in the scowl that Scott drew onto her face, she really comes off as downright mean, effectively despising Cassandra for having a disability, and yeah, that's terrible.

Again, it's a passing moment, and you can tell that's not how it's intended based on Cass's reaction in the next panel, but yeah. With how well Cass's book handles the intricacies of her and Bruce and Davids relationships, and how well they handle Cass and Barbara most of the time, that panel is a misstep, and one that foreshadows missteps in handling the same plot thread in the future.

Anyway, something on the TV distracts Cass and pulls us out of this argument between them before it can get any more awkward.

It's Bad.

There have been a lot of failed adaptations of Superman, and failed Superman stories within the source material itself, that have come from bumping into what might at first seem like an insurmountable problem: How can you write a suspenseful story about a character as powerful as superman? He's faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, etc. There's never a question of whether he can beat any given supervillain in a fight, there's no suspense or tension to be found there. So how do you write a good Superman story?

The obvious answer is to not hang the suspense of the story on a physical battle with a super-villain. So instead of Lex Luthor donning a kryptonite battle suit to fight Superman directly, have him activate an earthquake machine, tearing a gaping chasm through the heart of Metropolis. What then? The Daily Planet building is about to collapse with Lois and all Clark's friends inside it, a school bus full of children is teetering on the edge of a now broken bridge, people are trapped under rubble, subway tunnels are flooding, and Lex Luthor, heedless of all the suffering he's caused, is having his goons empty out the bank vault his earthquake tore open. Can superman save everyone and catch the villain? Who does he save first? Does he prioritize the lives of his friends over others? How many people doesn't he save, and how does he cope with that afterwards? How does the weight of those he couldn't save affect his actions when he does catch Luthor?

These are questions without obvious answers, because they present the possibility of the hero failing in ways that wouldn't prevent them from returning the following month.

...

So it is with Cass. We know she's not losing any fights, so there's not really any tension to them. But can she save John?

Babs finds where Crime Guys' probably taken him.

And Cass makes her way into the foundry/fort/prison.

She finds Crime Guy, and... I mean, geeze, I know I was just talking above about how we don't know this guy and he doesn't matter and but the fucking nerve of this guy. The sheer spite that animates him. She's beaten him up once already in the past 24 hours, and here he is tossing the keys to John's cell out the window then locking them all in while Cass dives for them.

That is really a peak villain move right there. It honestly makes me wish this guy was brought back later, that he got to be an ongoing villain for Cass.

Also, I love the panel where he's throwing the keys, you can feel the panic in Cass's expression, minimal as it is. For all her body reading, she didn't expect that!

Even as badly injured as he is, John still has a sense of humor.

Over the next few pages John fades in and out of consciousness, represented by the panels around him fading to black before he wakes up and you can tell time has passed because Cass has kicked the wall out, or she's carrying him now, or he's lying on his own while she takes out guards in the background. And the whole time John is thinking about his wife, and coming to terms with the fact that he's dying. It's very sad. Like, I know he was just introduced this episode and we were set up to like him so that we'd feel sad when he dies, like it's cheap easy pathos or whatever, but still. It's sad, and kind of hard to read.

And in the end Cass fails to save him, and he gives her the letter that he wrote in the opening to take to his wife.

Which she does, and while it doesn't bring John back, it does bring Mrs. John a moment of solace.

And inspires Cass to try again at her letters. And Barbara doesn't know why, because Cass didn't have the words do tell her what happened, because her lack of language leaves her less able to communicate with the people she loves than John was able to do even after death.

...

The issue is really well done, but it's also a hell of a downer. Like, the bat books in general, particularly at the time, were pretty grim and serious, and early Cassandra, while it has moments of levity and triumph, is on the whole very somber and melancholy, to the point that it might be a bit excessive, honestly.

Reservations about the story they chose to tell aside, I really like how the story was told. Again the complete absence of blunt narration blocks, trusting Scott's artwork to convey what was happening and, critically, how the various characters felt about it. Minimizing unnecessary elements like the villains identity & motive or the various fight scenes to put the emphasis where it needed to be - on John and Cass's struggle to save him. The way John blacking out was portrayed and how it was used to skip forward in the story. The way the letter was used to tie the situation back to Cass's character and her struggles with language. How happy she was to meet John, how hard she fought to save him, how heartbreaking her failure.

In particular, the emphasis on John's humanity, his motivations, the way he thinks about his wife, the way the panels stay firmly rooted in his perspective during the ill-fated rescue attempt. He only ever existed for this one issue, but he had a stronger, more affecting, and more respectful death scene than many long established comic book characters get.

My core thesis about Cassandra Cain, about what made her character and her book work, is the focus on empathy. Cass's super power amounts to a form of empathy, her emotional struggles invite the reader's empathy, her book's storytelling style - relying less on words and more on Scott's expressive artwork - depends on that empathy to work. And, at least imo, it works particularly well in this issue.

[zeroducks-2]

I'm back to ask about your wips again 👀 What's Clipped about? Oh oh and Omegaverse Royal AU with Rastim 💕

So the Omegaverse Royal AU is this one, but where it says "Rastim" it's actually a spin-off (or maybe I should say a parallel story? IDK that's what a spin-off is after all, but I wrote everything together and then separated the bits) about what's happening with Tim. I mention in that post that Ra's shows up because he wants a piece of the cake, and in this case the cake involves the Drake estates which 14 yo Tim is set to inherit when he's old enough. Case in point, he's too young for a recognized union of any kind. He presented as an Omega just a few months prior to these events, but by law he's not old enough for an official mating or to inherit anything. Also, King Alexander is not happy with the Al Ghuls coming over and going like "ah yes haha this is mine actually", "oh sure I will take this other one instead". All of this is however not going to stop Ra's from getting what he wants :)

"Clipped" instead is a veeeeeery old WIP. It's the very first DC darkfic I've ever written! I probably posted a couple of snippets here and there but never the entire thing because it's on hiatus, and who knows if I'll ever finish it. I wrote it after reading Future State (more than a year ago), and it's in fact a Future State inspired situation where vigilantes are outlawed so severely that some get executed publicly, some kept locked away for experiments on their meta-genes if they have any, and in general it's not a good situation especially since the Bats and Birds have had their identities revealed to the press. They're forced to live separated and in constant hiding, all linked through Oracle (which is not a single person at this point but a "vigilante-friendly group" lead by Babs) while they try not to get caught by authorities for who knows what.

In this picture, Deathstroke became some sort of vigilante hunter. He's allowed to be free and do whatever he wants (and his kids have some degree of immunity as well, or anyway they're relatively safe), but in exchange he hunts down, captures and "deals" with rogue metas and "former heroes". Which means that some get sent to governamental facilities to be brainwashed rehabilitated, some get publicly executed as mentioned, and some just... "disappear". It took Slade literal years, but finally he got his hands on a good chunk of the flock of birds (Damian, Dick, Tim and Jason). The thing is. Slade is a mental sadistic creep in this one, and before he does anything even remotely helpful, he's going to break the kids to little pieces and then rearrange them as he sees fit.

The story features (or anyway should feature) Dark!Sladin in almost all its shapes. It was really fun to explore how the kids deal with the situation, because Tim took the months of torture of his life and eventually decided to try and follow the rules to limit the damage, Jason instead had a mental breakdown and decided that he'd going to get himself killed again (not going to be easy to make Slade slip though). Damian doesn't grasp the gravity of the situation, and Dick is just desperate to do literally anything to help the others. But again, I'm not surem I will ever even publish it. I might end up posting it incomplete just cuz.

[steelycunt]

love ur pride au idea! reminds me of Recto Verso which idk if you've read but it's my fav r/s au of all time of r&s meeting and falling in love during the 1984–5 miners' strike (not in wales though, this is set in yorkshire) which i would 100% recommend. and i agree remus has big miner's son energy lol i also made him the son of a yorkshire miner in one my fics. the last colliery in remus's hometown closed when he was a kid in my fic so being a miner was never a possibility for him but if the mine was still open when remus became of Mining Age i imagine it could be a cool parallel of canon lycanthropy if lyall wants remus to become a miner too but remus can't because of a disability or something else transposed onto him in place of lycanthropy. lots of possibilities for remus to feel bad about not living up to his dad's expectations of him etc...

i love the idea of remus meeting a travelling activist sirius too cause sirius is such a clash of working class punk aesthetics and a posh RP accent & mannerisms... remus meets him and isn't sure what to make of him, is naturally a bit wary of sirius bc he seems like one of those rich kid punks, and sirius is trying so hard to throw off his upbringing but he will always speak like the queen and he's always going to use a knife and fork in such a posh dainty manner that only someone who was raised to eat meals with 4 forks could do... love that for them x

ahh thank you bab!! im not familiar with recto verso but ill have to check it out omg it sounds right up my street xx also super agree with your points about remus as a miners son!! thats exactly where i sort of thought to go with it...remus is not built to be a miner himself anyway and in a non magic au i definitely think some sort of disability that serves to act a parallel to his lycanthropy would become particuarly pertinent in shaping him within the context of him coming from a mining village background + especially his father/family members being miners...and sirius!! i think a pride au is such a good excuse to sort of explore their clashing backgrounds + characters and like as you say. sirius is such a strange combination of different social influences i think poor remus would be quite bewildered by everything that he is...and when they go up to wales and inevitably his poshness sort of. slips out at times i think the potential there is. delicious xx like he is here to lend to support to the miners' strike and yet he Talks Like That and carries himself Like That...ooo lyall would be so unimpressed xx my god xx

[augustameretrix]

pretty neat how for the majority of gtn we - along with gideon and harrow and everyone else - get the sense corona is the “dominant” twin (with exceptions). then corona hits us with the devastating

“Who even cares about Babs? She could have taken me” 

which makes us rethink everything we thought we knew about them. corona loves her sister so badly (so much and in such a warped way) she’d be willing to be destroyed by her, for her, if only she had any say in the matter.

so with that we go into htn and ianthe has a call-back:

“I don’t care about Babs... Just don’t suggest my sister is dead to me, ever again.”

for the rest of the book we are overexposed to ianthe and have pretty much settled on her being the “dominant” twin all along (again with exceptions): ianthe badly loves corona too, she loathes the mere suggestion that her sister might be dead and will stab you and herself about it (how much her feelings for Harrow impact this in their final confrontation I find impossible to estimate) and will kill anyone who makes that a real possibility, but she’s not as self-sacrificing as corona. now we get the impression that behind the front the twins put up, ianthe’s always been the one to call the shots, making decisions for the both of them.

and then. in ntn corona is the one that once again hits us with the less obvious but just as devastating “[Ianthe]’ll always tell me what I want her to think [I’m feeling]” which had already sent my mind spiraling all the way back to re-reevaluate gtn’s earliest assumptions when we get to see ianthe absolutely wrapped around corona’s fingers in the barracks and then this:

““I don’t care. Thank you - thank you for not... not hurting her.” [...] When she looked at Palamedes, Nona was suddenly struck by the idea that Crown wasn’t happy at all, or grateful - and yet she obviously was, hungrily and thirstily grateful”

this I think is a second call-back to that first line of corona’s: we have the babs-adjacent thing we don’t care about, in this case, Palamedes in babs’s body trapping ianthe inside of babs not out of mercy, and we have the thing that we actually care about: in the previous two instances it was corona’s life, now it’s ianthe’s life - which corona is spectacularly on the fence about.

not only are our expectations of the twins flipped twice, not only is their initial dichotomy not static but dynamic, the dominant role oscillating between corona and ianthe over time, but a different dichotomy emerges: not one between a dominant and a dominated twin, but between one who is conflicted between utmost adoration and utmost contempt and one who no matter what the other does can only ever love her. a dichotomy which once again has been present ever since gtn (might add the quote when I feel like fetching the book, anyways it’s the scene where babs and ianthe challenge the sixth in which gideon comments that they have “lost” corona to ianthe after a brief internal turmoil) and that is somewhat hidden by the more glaring power dynamic at work.

each end of this spectrum is horrifying in its own right, enough to fuel the now classic “who’s the worst twin” discussion. on the one hand corona’s feelings are always extreme, making her act aggressively, violently even, towards herself and others; on the other, there’s literally nothing in the universe that matters more to ianthe that corona’s safety, not people, not morality, nothing. 

I wonder if in atn we’ll get a third call-back to disrupt the two symmetries, the parallel struggle for dominance and the opposite way the twins feel about it, and especially if that’s going to be in reference to ianthe’s life again, if corona will still care about it and if ianthe will still love her regardless.

[csarites]

Here are my some of my favourite panels from Nightwing #83!!

pt. 2

that no one asked for, but i'm gonna do them anyway.

SPOILER ALERT FOR NIGHTWING #83!

11. Clark asks Dick for a favor.

This really shows how much Clark trusts Dick, he knows he isn't the kid he was when they first met. Clark truly sees him as a friend, and not just a "he's my friend's kid" figure.

With that note, asking Dick to help out with Jon is a big deal. Jon Kent is now supposedly the main Superman on Earth.

Seeing as Tom Taylor is also the current writer for Superman: Son of Kal-el (check it out, definitely worth reading), I'm willing to bet that Nightwing will also be making an appearance in that series. And I absolutely can't wait for it!

Especially since Damian (Dick's youngest brother, the current(?) Robin) is Jon's bestfriend, I would love to see how Jon will interact with another one of the Batbros. The oldest brother vs. youngest brother parallels is definitely something I'm interested in seeing.

12. DickBabs kiss.

Oh, yeah. It's all coming together now.

I'm a sucker for kisses where one of them starts rambling and the other just shuts them up by kissing them (which is exactly what happened here).

Look at him smiling after the kiss. He's so happy.

I also love that Babs' is bringing back the nicknames LMAO.

Both Dick and Babs are drawn and coloured really well in this Nightwing run with Bruno Redondo on the art and Adriano Lucas on the colours.

This artstyle + them kissing + this angle? Perfect.

13. The Alfred Pennyworth Foundation.

I love how it panned out to all the different people involved in this story as Dick made his big speech.

Barbara listening intently to what he's saying on the screen.

Little Haley probably has no idea what's going on, but she's getting pets while watching her dad on TV, so she doesn't mind.

Meili Lin and Melinda Zucco watching him together. Meili solidifies her liking towards Dick and Melinda slightly smiling as she realises what her mother said.

Dick proudly announcing the name of his foundation. The foundation that was made possible by the man who left him all that money in the first place. The Alfred Pennyworth Foundation.

14. Batfamily showing their support for their eldest brother.

I love that we finally got canon confirmation that the Batfamily does in fact, have a group chat.

Steph keeping it short and simple.

Tim being the genuine, proud younger brother he is.

Jason trying to be subtle about his pride, trying to add a snarky, humorous comment to mask the true intentions behind his text.

i'm convinced he's damn proud of dick, he just won't say it to his face to maintain his front.

Damian being slightly awkward in showing his pride (he and Jason have that in common). He was probably on the verge of tears when Dick announced the foundation.

i can totally imagine him typing something and deleting it over and over again because he's unsure what to say before finally settling on "Not that it's a competition, but you win."

Neither Jason or Damian are the type to ever say "I'm proud of you, Dick" to his face so they settle for dry humor and sarcasm.

Cass going all out with the emojis. It makes sense for her, being who she is. Her main means of communication was literally everything else besides language so her spamming emojis is totally in character.

But where's Bruce's respond, you ask?

Right here.

15. Bruce thanks Dick.

Bruce said less than 15 words, but somehow, that's enough for Batman to show how much something means to him.

Such a sweet moment, realising his eldest son had his father figure in mind when he arranged all this. It must've bloomed Bruce's heart.

i 100% believe Bruce is crying behind his cowl.

Bonus:

Close up of the Alfred and Bruce panel.

<- part 1

[bittybuttersliceontoast]

While I'm on the DC train btw, I've been slowly building a note in my notesapp with a lot of Batfam hc's, so lets play show n tell with them

I think Carrie has a lot of trouble adjusting to Damian, btw

He's prickly and mean and Carrie's no pushover, so she won't hesitate to punch his little green lights out

but then she sees him sketching the family, and everything makes complete sense to her. He's just a kid and he doesn't know how to be family. Just like,,, well just like pretty much every other robin

SpEAKING OF CARRIE

I have this mental image of Carrie snuggled up against Jason while he's reading-

and then like a parallel where Tim's doing the same to her-

The comic lover in me can't help but picture the panels of this side-by-side btw

i know it doesn't make sense in the canon but shhh

canon is dead

ANYWAYS GIRLS NIGHT

Girls Night started with Babs, Carrie, Kate, and Bette needing to escape the boys every once and a while

Then, they acquired Steph, who had to be in on the fun.

I imagine Cass being very slowly introduced to girls night, but eventually she fucking loves it and reminds everyone when it is.

Speaking of Girls night-

Selina originally didn't think she had a place there. She wasn't their family. not really anyways. She didn't wear the bat, she didn't live in the manor half the time-

Selina just didn't feel like she counted

Well, Babs gets wind of this and BITCH

Selina is now constantly being dragged to girls night, even when she's busy.

also, some of the girls call her mom or mama cat because of how much time they spend together

Bruce wouldn't say anything, but he thinks it's sweet.

Speaking of selina though-

she's half cuban, so she's named after Selena Quintanilla. Thats canon in my heart.

Duke is the designated babysitter for the younger family members.

They all love him, but they definitely resent the idea of needing a babysitter at all

[newgenog]

Timing

Wildmoore Week Day 5 - Alternate Meeting/AU

Alternate Timeline and Alternate Universe are basically the same thing, yes? Let's pretend if not. I borrowed from The Flash Armageddon Part 4 for this fic. As a Wildmoore fan, I'm really hoping you've already watched this crossover. If you haven't, huge HUGE spoilers are ahead. So, you should probably go do that first. Necessary end note also included. DT: @you-are-crazy-beautiful Thanks for the encouragement!

Sophie and Ryan are laying in bed, discussing Ryan’s trip to Central City for her best friend, Iris West’s rehearsal dinner. 

S: Do you really have to go? 

R: You really can’t come? 

These were rhetorical questions. Neither of them could or would change their plans, regardless of how much they wished there was a workable alternative to their current predicament.

S: If it was for anyone else but Jordan, you know I'd be there. Dammit, why didn’t we coordinate this better? 

R: I know, right? I'm sad I'm missing the community center's 10 year anniversary, too. I helped get that thing off the ground!

It wasn't as if Jordan or Iris would have actually exchanged notes on their ideal dates for such important celebrations. Whether this resulted from them enjoying the bliss of ignorance or absent mindedness caused by their hectic lives, it wasn't until a month ago that Sophie and Ryan realized they were going to have to miss the other's event. Sophie is sulking because Ryan's activity is taking her out of town, and Sophie is even a little jealous because she always has such a great time in Central City.

R: But, hey, it’s just a weekend - and not even that: two days and one night. I’ll be back in no time. 

They are on their sides, facing each other. Ryan leans in to kiss her wife. They’ve been making out, off and on, since they woke up, and Ryan is officially behind schedule. Early into their relationship, they’d made a habit of sleeping naked, which meant they were late to a lot of things. And, Sophie has used every weapon in her arsenal to stop Ryan from succeeding in her goal to start getting ready. 

R: Okay, I’m getting up now. 

Sophie has that questioning expression she makes when she's skeptical about something. It seems like an odd reaction to Ryan abandoning her in the bed.

R: What’s that look? 

S: You really think Eobard is the one? 

R: That’s not my job. My job is to be a supportive best friend. 

S: And if it doesn’t work out…?

R: Then my job is still to be a supportive best friend. I didn’t realize you didn’t like him, though. 

S: I didn’t say I didn’t like him. He's fine, I guess.

R: Okay...what, then? 

S: Do you think they’re like us? 

R: I don’t know if anyone is like us - not even Luke and Mary. 

S: You’re probably right. 

R: I have to go, and I’m not even going to kiss you again, because that’s why I’m late in the first place. 

S: And when you get back, we’ll take another look at the donor options? 

Ryan’s jaw drops, shocked at the lengths Sophie is willing to take to stall. 

R: Don’t you think we should settle which one of us is going to carry before we start paying for storage at a cryobank? 

S: I just think we can do those things in parallel. Why not be efficient with our time? 

R: Fiiinnnee. We can look at donors again when I get back. 

Ryan starts to roll over to climb out of the bed. 

S: What’s the hurry, anyway? It’s early in the morning and you’re heading out for a dinner. 

R: Soph, I was supposed to be getting ready 20 minutes ago. I promised to help Iris with whatever she needed. And, you’re trying to trap me in the bed again! 

S: What, my sex appeal isn’t enticing enough for you. I’m not worth being late for. 

R: You’re asking for it. 

Ryan reverses, and pins Sophie onto her back. She starts kissing down her neck and between her breasts. Just as Ryan is gently biting at Sophie’s hip, her phone begins to vibrate. 

S: Ignore it. 

R: It’s probably Iris. 

S: Of course it’s Iris. She’s like Miss Cleo, always knowing exactly when to call and ruin the moment. 

R: Babe, she’s getting married. Remember how much she was there for me when we got married. I'm taking this Maid of Honor thing seriously!

In the back and forth, they missed the call, but the caller is persistent and the phone vibrates again. Sophie surrenders, passing it to Ryan. 

R: Hey bestie! What’s up?

I: Alex says Kelly can’t make it either, so you fellow wives can be each other’s dates. 

R: That’s what you called for? 

I: Yeah, why? Bad time? 

S: Nothing a text couldn’t have accomplished. 

I: Is that Sophie? Tell her I said hey sis! 

R: I will. 

I: You’re leaving soon, right? 

R: Yup. I’ll be out of the door in 15 minutes. 

I: Great! See you soon! 

R: Bye girl. 

Ryan notices Sophie is peering over at her nightstand, clearly considering her options. 

R: You don’t need that. 

S: But you just said…

R: I’m already late.

~~~~~

Ryan made it to Central City an hour later than her initial plan, but Iris had built in plenty of cushion because she’s used to her best friend’s questionable time management, especially when it came to Sophie. After brunch, they spent most of the day running wedding related errands, and the later part of the afternoon getting ready for the Rehearsal Dinner. With Iris’s help, they’re early, and passing time while waiting for the remainder of their friends to arrive.  

I: I really appreciate all of your help today. 

R: Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

I: Thank you, but I do know it’s not easy for you to leave. 

R: Batwing can take care of Gotham for 5 minutes. 

I: You know that’s not what I meant. 

R: Okay, that part is definitely harder. 

I: Exactly. I knew what 15 minutes meant when I called this morning. 

R: In my defense, Sophie and I had been talking about the baby plan!

I: Mhm…

R: We were! Eventually. 

I: You two are the worst. So, what’s the plan? 

R: I guess we’re going to start with picking a donor, and take it from there. 

I: Do you know what you’re looking for? 

R: Yes and no. 

I: What does that mean? 

R: There are things we know we don’t want. Like, he probably needs to be at least 6 feet tall, because if I carry, we need someone who’s going to offset my height. 

I: Are you thinking of carrying?!! 

R: No idea. 

I: Don’t you think you guys should figure that part out? 

R: That’s what I said?! Why is it so complicated deciding how to have a baby? The bat suit isn’t exactly baby proof, but I can’t force Sophie into 9 months of indigestion and swollen ankles. 

I: Sis, you are spiraling. Do you remember what I told you when I was your Maid of Honor? 

R: No, I was busy getting married, not taking notes.

I: I told you to stop thinking so much and to listen to your heart. If you want to have a baby, your heart will figure out the how. 

~~~~~

Barry Allen, a.k.a The Reverse Flash, interrupted the Iris West and Eobard Thawne Rehearsal Dinner, and then ran off. Team Flash and friends have been scouring every corner of Central City trying to uncover his whereabouts. Batwoman has not had any luck in her search. She gets into the batmobile and decides to check in with Sophie. She selects her wife’s number from the favorites in her contacts. 

S: Babe? Everything okay? 

R: Yup! Just laid out a few muggers and saved a young girl who was living out of her van. 

Ryan recalls the time she needed a hero for the exact same scenario, and the fact that this moment has come full circle is far from lost on her. 

S: That’s my wife! You guys find Allen yet? 

R: I wish. I searched the entire waterfront, and found nothing, but at least I did some good. I’m headed back to Iris to regroup. 

S: Tell her hi for me, and that I’m really sorry I’m not there. Talk to Luke, yet? 

R: No…but I saw his missed call. Why? 

S: You’re going to want to call him back. 

Good old Gotham, having the best, tragic timing ever. Ryan is not going to let whatever doom is pending break her concentration. She didn't actually just call to check in.

R: Alright, but can I run something by you really quick? 

S: Uh oh.

R: It’s nothing bad, I promise. 

S: Okay…What’s up?

R: Well, I’ve been talking to Iris about how we can’t decide who should carry. And, that it’s even kinda hard to pick a donor. 

S: Are you…having second thoughts? 

R: No - never! It’s just…I have been thinking. 

S: Yeah…? 

R: What if we adopt? 

S: Huh. 

Sophie's tone is reflective, which gives Ryan the momentum she needs to push forward.

R: Listen, saving that girl who was living just like I used to, and thinking about how Cora saved me. It feels like maybe that’s what everything was leading to. 

S: Babe…

Ryan hears Sophie's voice break, and she can imagine the way her mouth is twitched to one corner, like it always does when she worries over Ryan. She just hopes Sophie isn't also worried about how to remind Ryan that this wasn't the plan.

R: Will you at least consider it? 

S: No need. Let’s do it.

R: Really?! I was prepared to have to do at least a little more convincing.

S: I’m not going to lie. I have definitely been picturing a miniature version of one of us running around here, but I think you’re right. I think this might be the path we’re meant to take. It just makes sense, and I can actually see it, too. We should adopt.  

R: Ooh, yes! I love you so much! 

S: I love you, too. Hey, we'll talk about it more when you get home, but call Luke, okay?  

R: I’m on it 

S: Miss you. 

R: Miss you, too.  

For continuity and context, I chose to quote Ryan and Iris verbatim from the actual beginning scene in Armageddon Part 4. Use of that copy is in courtesy of the rightful owners, TM & © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Thanks for sharing, WB!