#Although on the one hand I would love for Cass or Steph to be the student

[lar-mx]

writing prompt #7

A new enemy has appeared, nothing they try works. No magic swords, no sacred weapons, no cursed weapons, divine objects. The only way to defeat this new enemy is to challenge him to a duel and whoever challenges him has to use a weapon made "by hand" by the challenger and made of a very specific material. The problem does not "exist"; no one alive knows how to work with said material "manually", only a few with technology. Well, John knows someone not so alive but he only accepts a disciple every so often which is bad, although that moment is in a week which is good. The question is…who would be qualified to be his student?

[brucewaynehater101]

That Wingless Wing AU, I’m guessing that it’s probably like a 25-75 of whether people have wings or not? Because otherwise Jack and Janet wouldn’t hate the idea of wings, because they’d be normal, expected.

Anyway, what would the wings look like? Would they be regular bird wings? Angel wings? Bat wings? Dragon or devil wings? Any and all combinations? What do you think everyone’s wings would look like, and is there any meaning behind them?

Also, if the Joker removed Tim’s wings, I can only guess that it would leave a NASTY couple of scars. It would be easy enough to hide them… at least until Tim gets injured. How do the Batfam react when they realize what happened?

Finally, you specifically used the word “hybrid” to refer to winged people. Does that mean they have other instincts/characteristics, and are there other types of hybrids?

(Sorry it’s such a long ask!)

Og post for anyone who wants to check it out!

Fantastic questions! Let's get into it ^^

I didn't think about specifics for winged/hybrid population distribution, but it would be on the lower side. Less than 50%, but you could play the Drakes' attitude as a common sentiment of rich folk (something about dehumanization, lack of rights, history, increased prevalence of hybrids, etc).

In Gotham, the social attitude about hybrids is better. The Waynes are famous for their wings, after all, and Martha Wayne had gorgeous wing decorations/jewelry.

As far as wing type, it depends on how far you want the AU to go. For this one specifically, it's simpler for there to only be winged hybrids. This still opens the AU for tons of exploration on the types of wings each person has (although, I'm curious if Penguin is a hybrid and how that works).

Overall, their instincts/needs/behaviors are similar. There may be some small distinctions (like wing type care or personality), but they all desire connection, a nest (both in a metaphorical "home" sense and a physical cuddling space), helping their loves ones, preening, and calls/coos/vocal stuff (not all of them are birds). Add more if you'd like!

Dick's wings are colorful. He's also more vocal and cuddly. He's often cooing and being physically affectionate with others (such as rubbing his face against someone else like some birds do).

Jason's were white. Because of his inability to take care of them, they were grey/dirty and wilted at first. If you want to hc the Lazarus Pits gave him his wings back, then they came back black (like a crow or raven).

Oof.... So I know I said Joker saw Tim as a bird with his wings... But I really love the idea of Tim having dragon wings. They had holes and were shriveled due to his constant disuse and the amulet. The wings he makes for Robin are mechanical bird ones, but he does miss his own wings.

Cass isn't a hybrid, but she does understand the others' instincts. She gets eerily good at mimicking different calls and will be first to drag someone into the nest.

Steph has gorgeous bird wings that are one vibrant color. Purple sounds like a cop out, so maybe a midnight blue or deep pastel yellow.

Damian and all of the al Ghuls have bat wings. Bruce, on the other hand, has red wings that he uses black temp die for patrols.

Jim Gordon doesn't have wings. He would not have made it to Commissioner if he did (anti-hybrid sentiment has gotten better, but not enough). I can't decide if Barbara should have wings or not. Either way, she can't use them when she becomes paralyzed :(

Duke's wings are either orange or yellow with cool black highlights and patterns to them ^^

Alfred is not a hybrid, but he was in a thruple with Martha and Thomas Wayne. He helped them with their preening and helped Bruce (and later all the batkids) as well

I could give all of them specific meanings behind their wings/what animal they are closest to, but not now. Instead! Let's get into Tim's scars.

TW: wing removal, torture, JJ

The Joker was not kind nor careful about the removal. The pain and gore were as much the point as the removal themselves. Tim still wakes up choking on his breath over the feeling of his wings being removed. The physical pain, emotional, and hybrid instinct hell were brutal for the kid.

The scars were gnarly, but his parents paid for treatments to lessen how much they etched into Tim's skin. By the end, they were a bit thinner and paler. They were still very visible but not as painful to look at.

For humor and angst sake, let's say the batfam learns about Tim's missing spleen. He shows off the scar and shrugs.

The others are having a reasonable breakdown over Tim losing his spleen when one of them asks, "Have you lost any more body parts?"

Tim pauses too long.

The Bats freak out some more.

[aangelinakii]

BATFAM LOVE LANGUAGES.

characters written about in this piece : bruce wayne, dick grayson, jason todd, tim drake, barbara gordon, duke thomas, stephanie brown, cassandra cain

not proofread !

note : i don't know too much about cass, duke and steph as i haven't consumed a lot of media featuring them, but hopefully i understood their characters well enough !!! thank you for reading <3

BRUCE WAYNE — quality time ( && trust. )

i don't think bruce would be a very obvious boyfriend, especially in the public eye. he's a very private person; i mean, he's managed to keep his secret identity just as it is for years now (if we exclude arkham canon lol). for him, trust is something very important. he needs to be able to know and feel that you trust him, and that you won't tell anyone else his secrets so that he can fully trust you. when he does trust you completely, he will tell you about his secret identity, and feel able to express a more emotional side of him.

as well as trust, his main love language would definitely be quality time. as i said, he prefers a private, calm relationship, and he likes doing things that are exclusive and important to the two of you; something where you can just bask in the essence of each other, and talk about your days, or share secrets you've never told anybody else. or even if either of you have had a long day and don't feel like talking, he'll gladly sit with you in silence and watch a movie you both enjoy (or even one that he isn't too fond of, but knows you love, so he'll push through it just for you).

his favourite ways to spend quality time : going out for dinner together, or even cooking at home and eating just the two of you at the table , spending five more minutes in bed together in the morning , watching favourite movies on the couch (only exclusively at home; he never goes to the cinema) , talking about how each other's day went

DICK GRAYSON — physical touch && acts of service.

dick is an easy guy to impress, and once you have him, he's like putty in your arms. when he's in love, he never wants to let that person go, and quite literally is almost always clinging onto them in some way. he's definitely one for physical affection, but is also conscious of boundaries. at home, away from prying eyes, he is attached to your hip, your essence completely comforting him; but in public, he knows better than to overwhelm with touch, but will opt for holding your hand if that's what you're comfortable with.

when he's in love, not only does dick want to always be with that person, he also is conscious that he's showing his love in a way that is clear to them. he never ever wants them to doubt his love, and so he shows acts of service that won't get mistaken. dick is very deliberate with his actions, and makes mental notes of things you like and don't like, so he knows you'll be happy with everything he does for you.

things he does to show his love : cooking breakfast in the morning, possibly bringing it in to you on a tray so you can eat in bed , offering to help you with your chores or errands , remembering your likes and dislikes

his favourite ways to express love through touch : holding hands whilst walking in public , fixing your hair or tucking hair behind your ear , pulling you away from your work for a moment to give you a hug , offering to give you a massage after a long day

JASON TODD — words of affirmation.

although many iterations of jason in the fanon world see him as a person who adores physical affection, i feel that he would actually be more opposed to physical affection. i think he's been through a lot, and actually physical affection could be quite triggering for him, too overwhelming. instead, i think he would appreciate words of affirmation. when he pays someone a compliment, he truly means it, and often says things to show his love instead of through grand actions. and if someone pays him a compliment, especially a love interest, he knows it's genuine, because people don't ever give him compliments. words mean a lot to him, out of anger, out of love; they all mean something.

words that mean a lot to him : "i'm so proud of you" , "no one makes me as happy as you do" , "i appreciate you so much" , "i trust you" , "thank you for always listening to me"

words that he means : "i'm so lucky to have you" , "you make me so happy" , "thank you for everything you do for me" , "you're so good to me" , "thank you for respecting my boundaries, i appreciate it more than you know"

TIM DRAKE — acts of service.

i saw somewhere that said tim puts his all into everything he does, eager to prove himself somehow, and i think that even follows through to his (romantic) relationships, which is why he opts for meaningful acts of service to show his love. i don't see him being too big on physical touch, but not minding it, and he appreciates little gifts, but is always one to go above and beyond for someone he loves. due to the way he became robin, he feels some sort of guilt, and wants to show that it wasn't a decision made in vain, so he really pushes himself to his limits. in a relationship, he doesn't push himself to his limits per se, but he can sometimes outdo himself.

things he does to show his love : running your errands for you if you're busy , trying (and sometimes failing) to make a romantic dinner for the two of you, but sometimes just turning to uber eats , booking fun activities for you to do when you're both free, like paintball or pottery painting etc

acts that he appreciates : being made a packed lunch, or being brought one of his favourite snacks , being run a bath after a long day/patrol shift , booking out days in your month to spend with him , memorising his schedule

BARBARA GORDON — quality time ( && listening. )

barbara, although she can be upbeat with friends, takes some time to allow the walls around her to thaw. she probably isn't big on physical touch, partly due to trauma and partly due to simply preference, but adores quality time with loved ones. she really enjoys just being in the presence of those she loves, talking about interests or each other's day, or even just those really specific conversations neither of you are too sure how they began. but she loves those conversations the most, where you say something and she listens because you're really pouring your heart out here, and she reciprocates by opening up something sensitive about herself.

her favourite ways to spend quality time : watching movies and tv shows together, and then talking about them over a cup of hot chocolate the next day , doing work side by side, just the fact that you're together makes her work to a better standard , laying in bed late at night just talking

DUKE THOMAS — giving && receiving gifts.

duke is a really lovely guy, and is very thoughtful when picking out gifts. he is attentive to your interests and makes sure to remember everything you like and dislike; so that when he's out and about, if he sees something that he knows you'll like, he'll get it, no thoughts. not only does he shamelessly buy you things, if he gets the time, he'll even make some cute handmade trinkets just for you, and they're even more special because he thought the thought and then made it, just for you.

obviously his actions can't just go unreciprocated, so he also like receiving gifts as well, but would never say it, as he'd feel guilty, so he just hopes you'll do it. and when you do, well, he couldn't be happier. he adores that you remember his interests, or remember that thing he said he wanted a few weeks ago, or even a few months if his birthday is coming up. he's always grateful for anything he gets, and always gets you something in return.

things he likes to give : photo albums of cute moments you shared , little trinkets that reminded him of you , plushies he won at the arcade or carnival , flowers when he comes home after a long day because he wants to make up for being a little late

things he likes to get : lego sets , his favourite snacks from when you walked past the corner shop on your way home, and you had to turn back because you thought he'd like something , the video games he's been raving about for months

STEPHANIE BROWN — physical touch.

this girl is just a bundle of joy, really, especially when it comes to you, and getting to spend time with you. at the beginning of a relationship, she is practically aching to cling to you all the time, but is aware that physical affection may be a bit awkward. it's not her fault she likes you so much! but as the relationship strengthens and continues, she'll slowly ease into her true clinginess. her love language would be a mix of physical touch and quality time, but leaning more towards physical touch, because as you spend time together she likes to be in contact with you somehow.

her favourite ways to show love through touch : linking her arm with yours , holding your face and stroking your cheek with her thumb , pulling you up from the couch when your couple song comes on so you can dance together in the living room , ruffling your hair , leaning against you

CASSANDRA CAIN — acts of service && quality time.

as cass is a woman of few words, she tries to find other ways to express her admiration or affection. specifically, she enjoys spending quality time with her significant other, even if it's in silence. she enjoys working around you, and living her life by your side, and taking time out of her weeks, her days, and her months, just to be able to spend some time with you.

when she can, cassandra will show you, rather than tell you that she cares. it's a lot easier for her than getting all sappy with her words. so she sticks to acts of service, usually small, but still meaningful. she can get quite shy when expressing her emotions, so i don't think she would go above and beyond, but if she did something more obviously meaningful, she would try to act nonchalant about it.

things she does to show her love : memorising your food and drink orders , helping you put on jewellery, like put the backs on your earrings, or clasp your necklaces, watches, bracelets etc , surprising you with having done the chores you'd been wanting/needing to do , picking lint or hairs off your clothes that you don't realise are there , taking time out of her days to spend specifically with you

[starwarsmum]

Day 7 of Maribat BioFamily September! I managed a whole week! Prompt of the day is Love Languages

@maribat-calendar-events

The manor has been quiet ever since Marinette had gone home after the trial of Hawkmoth had ended. Damian had resorted to his usual grouchy manner and everyone was much less physically affectionate with one another.

The change hadn't been immediate. Tim had made a point to do a daily video call to begin with, and anyone who was available would crowd around the laptop to say hello. But as they all fell back into their routines, video calls became phone calls, which became texts. And the thing with texts, at least for the Batfamily, was that there were certain times they couldn't answer.

So now, after two months, the family were back to their emotionally constipated ways and Dick hated it. As another person who thrived from physical affection, he missed the way his new little sister would launch herself at him to say hello. Or the way she would spend quiet time with Damian, which seemed to mellow him out more than anything else anyone had tried.

Or how, when Tim was crashing from a caffeine high and needed more to keep going, she magically appeared with a fresh cup, and some cookies she'd baked with Jason who, surprisingly, found a sense of calm in kneading dough and learning something new. Even Steph, exuberant as she was, had withdrawn somewhat, no longer having Marinette to watch sappy romcoms with.

So when Bruce suggested they invite Marinette back for the summer, Dick had been overjoyed. He had immediately booked off two weeks so that he could fully immerse himself in the experience of Time with MarinetteTM. He even decided he would live in the manor with everyone else as much as he could.

They all made a special effort to be at the manor when Alfred told them that he would be collecting Marinette from the airport. Well, all except Damian who everyone said would probably do better picking her up than helping with the welcome party effort. To everyone's surprise, Damian agreed to go without any argument.

Dick was charged with getting the decorations up, given he was the most able to climb. Steph and Jason were choosing music, having agreed that they would both add songs into a playlist and go from there. Tim was arranging some party games - karaoke, a few board games some cards - while Cass stayed out of the way. 

Duke was still on the day patrol, although they planned for him to arrive back while the festivities were still happening and swap out with Bruce and Steph. Barbara was due to arrive any second with a trivia quiz to round out the night, and Dick couldn't wait.

_ _ _

When Marinette landed in the airport, she had so much energy that she practically vibrated while going through customs. Everyone who spoke with her gave her indulgent smiles, and she dragged her luggage into arrivals. Looking around, she squealed as she spotted the green eyed boy that she had been steadily falling in love with over the past couple of months.

He caught her up as she flung her arms around him, tucking his face into the crook of her neck. He had grown a little taller in her absence and her toes scraped the floor as she clung to him. He put her down after several moments, smirking down at her before she pulled him down into a kiss.

“Alfred is waiting for us, Angel,” Damian said at last, brushing a hand against her cheek gently. She beamed up at him, heart full of joy, but she let him pull away and take her luggage. “You have brought a lot with you, were you planning on staying for longer than the summer?”

“No, silly,” she giggled, picking up one of her bags. Damian grabbed her rolling suitcase and the other bag, motioning towards the door. “I brought the gifts I've been making for everyone. It's been kind of…lonely without you all in Paris.”

Damian hummed in agreement before pulling her to a stop just before they stepped into the open air. He leaned towards her, kissing her softly and she melted into him again. They had agreed that they would keep their budding relationship to themselves for now, not wanting the others to meddle before they knew if it would work.

While they had been long distance, they had gotten to know each other fairly well; Marinette asked questions about his favourite classes, hobbies, his friends, and Damian asked about her dreams for the future now that there was no supervillain terrorising Paris. They'd watched films for date nights, streaming things at the same time and chatting about them. 

In spite of that, it just wasn't the same as being in the same city. So before they were sucked back into the family dynamics, it was nice to reconnect by themselves. And when she pulled back again, he chased her for a moment which filled her with warmth.

“Hi, Monsieur Alfred,” she said as they approached the car. The butler smiled at her, helping to put her luggage in the trunk before opening the door for Damian and her. They talked quietly in the backseat, not touching but not leaving a lot of distance between them. When they pulled up to the manor, Damian stepped out of the car first and offered his hand back to her. She giggled as she let him pull her out and said softly, “Thank you, Dami.”

Inside the manor, everyone cheered when she came in, and Marinette was overwhelmed with happiness at how much effort they'd gone to for her. They spent the next few hours playing games and catching up until Dick excitedly said that they had set up karaoke.

“Before we move over to that, I need to give you all something!” Marinette trilled, grabbing one of the bags and pulling out delicately wrapped parcels. She moved around the room, handing them out and she could see the surprised faces of everyone except Damian. When someone asked what the occasion was, she merely shrugged and blushed lightly. “I just like making things for people, and since you all are basically family now, I wanted you to have something from me.”

There was a moment of silence before Steph impatiently ripped open her parcel. She stopped short as she pulled out a pair of pyjamas that was reminiscent of her Spoiler suit. Nobody else having waited to open the gifts once they heard Steph do so, they all similarly pulled up short as their alter-ego personas were put into sleepwear form. One by one they all swung back to stare at Marinette, although Damian merely looked amused.

“Was I not supposed to work out that Jason and Tim, who are exactly the same size and shape as the two vigilantes I met on the Watchtower, were Red Hood and Red Robin? Please, I'm a designer, measuring people by sight is kind of my thing. None of you even have magic to disguise you, how no-one has worked out that the Batfamily just so happens to be the same number of people as all of you is absurd.”

There was silence throughout the room until Tim pulled the rest of his gift out of the wrapping and gasped. Marinette giggled when he turned back to her, gaping. His hands were gripping the clothes tightly and the rest of the family were watching him with concern in their eyes.

“I figured if I was telling you I knew your identities, you deserved to know my other secret,” she said, the words making Tim stare at her wordlessly for several more minutes. “I mean, aren't you all supposed to be the world's greatest detectives? Kind of embarrassing that I had to spell it out for you, my initials are literally MDC.”

Her words were met with stunned silence as everyone immediately turned over their gifts to find her signature stitched into the tags. She was then buried under a pile of loving people.

[spite-and-waffles]

Someone explain to me why Jason feels more Bruce's son than any of the others. Especially considering Jason would have lived and thrived with any parent except Bruce.

Maybe because Bruce is only a father figure to Dick and Tim‚ who loved and preferred their own fathers. Damian's Dad is Dick (I will not be taking questions). Cass wanted Bruce to be her father so bad but he just wouldn't. Even the belated adoption was mere formality. But Jason? He probably did love Willis but he adored Bruce, and Bruce adored him back. I don't think he loved him more than Dick, who will always be his favourite because he was his first partner and child, and because of all the ways he isn't like Bruce. But Bruce and Jason were always father and son without any of the complexity between Bruce and the others.

And Jason is so like Bruce. Everyone says Tim is most like him because of the way their brains work, but it's Dick who actually has been moulded into Batman-lite. Damian is his mother's child; always craving connection and acceptance to anchor him within his inner tempest. He'd die in the kind of darkness Bruce enshrouds himself in. Cassandra has Bruce's drive and focus and inability to conceive of herself as person outside of the mission (although lbr they're all like that. Sigh) But her open compassion, unguarded empathy and playfulness characterizes her more than even Dick.

Jason, otoh, is a thing that will grab a sword by the blade and cut himself to the bone forcing it back. His light and darkness are one and the same. He's the one who can match Bruce's fear and fury and hubris that tries to bend the world into the shape of his choosing with his bare hands.

Idk why I hate Bruce and love Jason. They're both equally myopic and hypocritical and selfish‚ as unable to see past their own trauma, as lacking in self-awareness. Maybe because Jason's just a boy who needs someone on his side while Bruce has too many on his. Maybe because he was born and raised among the people he wants to protect, unlike Bruce, and has so much more excuse for being the way he is. Maybe because he never takes himself so seriously, and uses his sense of humour just like Dick and Steph do, just in an entertainingly assholish fashion.

But if any child could have been biologically Bruce's it would be Jason. Which probably lies at the heart of their eternal conflict. Neither of them will give, neither will blink first. Two men made to forever burn alive.

[greelmonte]

I wanna talk about the dynamics in the batfamily, but not actually the dynamic in its own, but the way the members of the batfamily acts towards it.

Tim and Damian are the most aware of the existence of a dynamic within the family. Dick's also very conscious of it, but he prefers to ignore its existence, tries to step outside the box and encourage others to do so while pretending that there is no such thing as a family dynamic.

Tim's very aware of the dynamic, and at first he tried to get out of it, but eventually he gave up, resigning himself to his role in the family. Sometimes he gets fed up with it and tries to get out of it, but he does it by trying to get away from the family, like going with the Titans or just his friends, over time also with Bernard or by moving out. Damian, on the other hand, was very aware of the dynamic and his existence since he arrived in the family, and at the beginning he followed his role without hesitation, believing that it was what he should do and that way he would fit in. But I feel like as he grew up and started creating his own sense of identity (probably since post-Lazarus Island) He began to try to break off of his role and get out of the dynamic, which I think is one of the things why he clashes so much with Tim, not believing that Tim (from whom he least expected it) would surrender to his role so easily (it wasn't actually easily, and Tim still has problems with it). But unlike Dick, Damian tries to break down the dynamic by pointing it out and acknowledging that it is there, highlighting that it as a problem.

Jason, for his part, I think he is aware that there is a dynamic, but he is completely unaware of the real one. He believes in a dynamic where he is the 'bad one' or the 'black sheep' and completely loses the true dynamic that affects the family by believing in a reality where he is the villan, but not because he thinks to be the victim or because he wants to blame the others, but because he honestly thinks that it's like that.

But the worst of all is Bruce, who dispite everything, is unaware that there is a dynamic at all and completely denies the existence of such a thing, even though without knowing he is the main cause of it. But not because he's a bad father, I completely believe that Bruce is a loving father (leaving certain comics aside) but more because he simply cannot accept the idea that it's that way and prefers not to acknowledge it at all. Come on, he's a denier, which bothers Damian a lot, since when he points out the dynamic directly to Bruce and brings it to his attention, Bruce completely dismisses it without missing a beat, which is really frustrating for him. This it's also the reason why Tim has resigned himself to his role, he has tried, like Damian, to confront him, but seeing that it had no point with Bruce, he decided that it wasn't worth it.

Duke's not very aware of the dynamic, mostly because he is the most recent addition to the family, he's still not completely up to speed with it. I think he knows it exists, he just hasn't quite figured out how it plays out and works yet, but he'll get there at some point.

Steph knows about its existence and is the one who refuses the most to play along with the dynamic, she completely refuses to participate in it, because she would never allow someone to tell her what to do or act within a role. She is the bravest when it comes to stepping out of her role and pointing out everything wrong with it, and has even confronted Bruce about it, although it didn't help much, but at least she's independent.

Cass is the only one who managed to completely get out of the dynamic and her role in the family, although she did it unconsciously, she is not aware of a dynamic in the family, nor does she recognize it, since she was able to snap out of it before she could even notice it. Her role changed over time, and she is now able to control it, even without realizing it.

Barbara doesn't have a role, nor is she part of the family dynamic, but she knows of his existence, and she is the one who tries to convince Dick to stop pretending that it isn't real, trying to get him to acknowledge its existence, telling him that pretending that nothing is happening isn't going to change anything.

[dairy-farmer]

I am someone who absolutely believes in the shortest family member Tim Drake

Even Cass and Steph are taller than Tim, at least close to 5 centimeters in length

And the girls often use this advantage by putting their chin or their heads between Tim's hair

Of course, since the height difference between them is not so much, they need to stand slightly on tiptoe while doing this, but this is not something that stops either of them

Tim's hair always smells with a different aroma. Since he doesn't go to the grocery store to buy shampoo for himself, he usually uses anyone's belongings that are in the bathroom at that moment. And since everyone likes Tim to smell like them, if they're acting by watching his bathroom hours, it's not a very important information

Bruce uses his tall stature advantage mostly to stroke Tim's slightly wavy hair when he comes out of the bathroom. He chooses the shortest but still effective way because of his structure, which still cannot decide what he should do about physical contact

Of course, there are also cases when he holds the boy when he is very tired, but this is more related to the fact that Tim is a very thin person

He has strong muscles under his weak-looking body, but it's never noticeable in the moments when he's standing next to Bruce

Dick is very fond of burying Tim in his chest. It gives a separate happiness to watch the stress in his body gradually disappear as a result of the boy hearing his own heartbeat

When Tim absolutely refuses to get up from the computer and blackness forms under his bloodshot eyes from insomnia, Dick takes the little body in his arms, puts Tim's head on the point of his neck and begins to sing a lullaby. Just like when a mother puts her baby to sleep on her bosom, Tim begins to sleep soundly after a certain period of time

Of course, it should not be forgotten that if Dick tries to leave Tim on his bed, the boy will wake up, so Dick sits in the rocking chair that used to be left in the house, and in that position they both share each other's body temperature until morning, having a peaceful sleep

Jason especially likes to move by throwing Tim on his shoulder. Tim has normal feet for his height, so trying to run away from someone means equivalent to Jason staying too far ahead, so if you see an angry Tim swinging on Jason's shoulder, you need to stop them

Jason also likes to shake Tim from side to side by grabbing him by the armpits

Although he knows that Tim can get into a scratching cat mode when he's angry, the momentary look of surprise on his face is worth the nail marks that will form on his arms later

And although he will definitely be much taller than Tim, Damian has no right to make such moves

Because if he did it Tim's pride can't take that...

Since their relationship has improved over the years, it's not a strange image that Tim is touching Damian

So if Damian made a move that made Tim proud, Tim would go up to the nearest chair and stroke the hair of his younger brother, who was much taller than him

Or if he suddenly becomes full of love for him for no reason he pinches his cheeks

Or jumps off from the chair onto Damian's shoulders when he wants to pick up an item that has been left too high, or when he gets angry, he gets on the nearest climbing material again, hitting the book he picked up very lightly on Damian's head

Although it was a very funny sight for the others, Damian got so used to this situation after a while that he started lowering his body to certain levels depending on Tim's body movements

If he was sulking by looking up at a point, he was preparing himself to hold Tim's ankles or bringing his head below Tim's hand level at the moment of frowning for a hit that never hurt

Or if the fingers of both hands were swinging quickly, he was waiting for his cheeks to be pinched, and when one hand was raised in the air, he brought his head to full hand level

And although everyone loves the fact that being taller and older than Tim gives them the opportunity to embrace his small body, it is inevitable that they will be jealous of the gestures that only belong to Damian

And Damian doesn't hesitate to slap it in their faces whenever he wants to annoy the other family members

Big little brother advantages you know...

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺tim being the smallest of all the bats and picked up like a little kitty, moved around and adjust, kissed, and rocked to sleep. he's treated so tender and lovingly by his family and then damian!!!! their relationship coming so far that tim shows damian loving affection and kisses his little brother whose grown so much bigger and so tim needs to use step stoos in order to kiss his forehead and pat his head 🥺🥺🥺 and the the imagery of time hopping on damian's back!!!!! this is just so sweet and cute!!! all of them doting on their smallest member including damian who is the youngest but of course he keeps an eye out for his little big brother!!! 🥺🥺🥺

[britcision]

Happy WIP Wednesday everyone! And no, no I’m not giving you Constantine early, because I think it’s funny to make you all wait 😈

How about a little Danny instead to get y’all ready for chapter 12 (which is just over half done, so we’re moving along swimmingly!)?

————————

Never Make A Promise You Can’t Keep

Harley had gotten back just before Sam had to leave, with perfect timing to see her to the door actually.

The look on Pamela Manson’s face when Harley kissed Sam on each cheek and waved her off would keep Danny warm on cold nights.

A quick check of flight times back to Massachusetts (like Danny wasn’t going to take shortcuts) confirmed that Tucker could have one more night in Gotham.

Tim immediately offered to put him up in Wayne Manor again, clearly not allowing the chance to slip by him two nights in a row. Tucker was only too happy to accept, although Steph and Cass begged off.

Probably for their hero patrols. Danny wasn’t exactly sure how many vigilantes Gotham had, there seemed to be a new one every few months, but having six of them at the gala last night probably meant all the rest had been out.

Obviously Red Robin wouldn’t be out tonight either, but there were enough of them to cover for each other.

Danny was kinda jealous of that. It had been just him for so long, and then him and Valerie, which hadn’t been better until she stopped hunting him too. He’d have loved a night off.

Still, their numbers meant that Jason probably wouldn’t need to go back to the night life unless he actually wanted to. He was definitely still built for it, but Danny couldn’t imagine anyone wanted to ask him to.

Most of the bats had clearly had their own run ins with death, but Jason’s had stuck in ways even Danny knew he didn’t quite get.

Jason had been so tense at just the thought of Danny being a teen hero. It wasn’t like that’d get easier when it was his little siblings swinging from rooftops.

Danny’s hero career might have started with his own death, but he personally was of the opinion that that’d be a perfectly fine reason to end one too.

So Dick, Steph, and Cass headed out not too long after Sam, and Danny wasn’t exactly surprised when Jason’s background angst jumped.

He’d stayed on edge since Danny and Bruce got back, even when Harley told them Bruce was off dealing with his own shit and probably wouldn’t be out of his room all night.

Danny’d bet fifty bucks that the arrival of Constantine actually meant Bruce was in the Bat Cave being suspicious, but he wasn’t gonna say it.

Tim had shown them to a games room, for all that he’d apparently also moved out. He still knew where everything was, and soon had them hooked up for Mariokart on the biggest TV Danny ever saw.

They’d played a couple rounds (Harley was expectedly devastating with red shells) and while Danny and Tucker were having fun, he could feel Jason stressing.

Like, even if he stuck his fingers in his ears and ignored the aura. The guy was tensed so tight his shoulders strained at his shirt, which woulda been visually interesting if Danny didn’t know why.

Cass was one near death experience from slipping back across the boundary for good.

Cass was off punching criminals with rocket launchers in body armour and spandex.

Duke was probably actually in bed, Signal did morning patrols, and Damian was obstinately refusing to play video games with them perched on the back of the couch, but still.

Dick and Steph had both given one life to the cause too, and for all Dick was a cop and in danger on his day job too, cops pretty famously showed up after the vigilantes ended the party.

More than half Jason’s immediate family were back in the line of fire and Danny could practically taste Jason’s Obsession eating away at him.

As much as he tried to pretend he was playing along and gave a shit about winning, the controller creaked in his hands more than a couple casual races should allow.

So, yeah, if he couldn’t get Jason to crack a smile with this one, he was gonna gently bow them both the fuck outta the manor.

He kept half an eye on Tim, who had a glass of water.

“Hey, you guys heard the theory about Batman?” He asked casually, just as another round of Mariokart started.

Jason kicked him in the ankle but otherwise ignored him, which was fair. He’d been exposed to Danny’s bullshit.

Tim stiffened and then forced himself to relax, Tucker rolled his eyes and jostled Danny from his other side, but it was Harley who answered.

Innocent as the day she was born.

“Oh? What? Is it that he’s a lizardman? Cuz I got right up on that cowl and he’s definitely a mammal,” she said casually, not even looking away from the screen.

Danny was pretty sure he heard Damian almost slip off his perch.

He was a little bit in love with Harley Quinn. He should get her number for Jazz, maybe his big sister would learn to have a little fun.

Grinning broad and only half fake, he drifted a turn to pick up a double item from under Tucker’s nose.

“Shit, yeah, you might actually know! It’s his secret identity!” He exclaimed cheerfully, and felt the tension in the room ratchet up.

From Tim and Damian. Jason… still wasn’t paying attention.

Not like he was deeply immersed in the game, for all he kept up he was nowhere near the speed demon that handed Danny his ass the night before.

Hmm. Better get his attention.

Tim and Damian had already settled again, probably remembering he was already In The Know even if Tucker wasn’t, and Harley had given him a very knowing look right before she fire flowered him.

Almost ready.

He waited until Tim had taken a hasty sip of water on a calm stretch, nudged Jason in the shins, and made sure he was louder than the music.

“So d’you think it’s possible that Markiplier’s Batman?”

Tim sprayed water across the couch, Harley fucking cackled, and Jason snapped his head around to stare at Danny so hard he cricked his neck.

Danny red shelled him for good measure, just so he wasn’t missing anything on screen.

Tucker rolled his eyes, also deeply deeply used to Danny’s bullshit and much more interested in gaming revenge.

“Fuck off Danny, Markiplier isn’t even a Gothamite,” he said disdainfully and Danny shook his head, grinning.

“That’s why it’s the perfect cover. I mean, Batman wants to keep his secret identity a secret, right? So having an identity that very publicly “isn’t in Gotham” makes perfect sense!” He argued cheerfully.

Jason half snorted a laugh beside him, picking back up and speeding his way back into the race. Across the couch Tim wiped his face, still catching his breath.

“I fucking hate that that made sense,” he moaned, and Harley cackled again.

“Nah, he’s got a point! How does anyone know where a youtuber lives? We only see one room!” She agreed cheerfully, clearly leaning in.

It was so nice to have a true showwoman in the crowd.

Damian looked angry in the confused way now, and Danny would hazard a guess he didn’t watch youtube at all, let alone a lets player. That might have made it funnier, had there been no other concerns.

Beside him Jason huffed out another dry chuckle, shaking his head with the barest hint of a smile.

“I can’t believe Batman has an OnlyFans,” he said in a solemn, almost sorrowful voice… and dropped a blue shell.

Tim groaned like his soul had gone with it, clinging desperately to his first place lead. Harley cackled and added her own green shells to the mix, dropping all three as they came to the home stretch.

“Don’t forget the calendar of tasteful nudes! All for charity, just what Batsy would like,” she crowed with evident glee, and Tucker snorted a laugh.

“It’d explain all the surgeries,” he agreed reluctantly, and Danny had a sudden, utterly wicked idea.

“Hey… now that Batman’s on OnlyFans, d’you think he’ll convince the whole Justice League to do a pinup calendar, or just the other bats?” He asked innocently, watching said bats from the corner of his eye.

Well, Robins technically, but since only Tim was of age birds didn’t seem appropriate.

Tim himself threw his controller to the ground, abandoning the game and throwing himself over the back of the couch and almost hitting Damian on the way.

Damian definitely hissed at him like a startled cat.

No way Danny imagined that this close to the finish.

Tucker hesitated for a long moment, clearly considering his odds of winning, but when Harley blasted past Tim’s spun out corpse and across the finish line he abandoned his controller too to check on Tim.

Harley was surprisingly good at the game when flopped sideways on her chosen couch, laughing too hard to breathe. Danny breezed into an easy third behind her and Jason, giving the other man an assessing look.

A little wary of reaching out with his aura, especially when Jason was on edge. He didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

Didn’t want to be too invasive, if he was honest. Danny had… kinda always been the one who was new to aura stuff before. And he’d gotten used to it, in the Ghost Zone.

He’d never spent this much time with another halfa before. Especially not without a single trace of punching or stabbing.

Except in Mariokart, where the Geneva Convention held no sway.

He’d have to get Ellie to give it a shot the next time she came by, she could join them remotely from an internet cafe anywhere on Earth.

Jason had clearly noticed him looking though, and read the concern even without Danny pushing. He gave Danny’s shoulder a gentle bump, a nudge of fine-stop worrying alongside.

Danny nudged back, his own disbelief tinged with understanding-empathy-worried too.

But, that was kinda the other thing… the thing he didn’t really want to bring up around the other bats just yet.

And while Jason had smiled, Danny didn’t think he’d mind them dipping out.

Faking a yawn, he stretched, cracked his back, and looked over to where Tim had rejoined the couch.

“Honestly, I’m beat. I gotta try and get back into a better sleep schedule before classes start,” he said, pulling a face at the self-reminder.

Their break was coming to its end, and then he’d be back into university. His class schedule was flexible, more afternoons than early mornings, but he’d… miss this.

Free time to just spend the whole day hanging out with friends and catching up. Meeting Jason’s family, Jason meeting his.

Danny didn’t actually know what Jason did, whether he was working or going back to school, but it was gonna come up soon.

They had a trip to Frostbite to plan, some ecto shots from Danny’s fridge, and at some point he still had to introduce Jason to Frighty… and probably ask the guy if he wanted to be called that still.

It’d be a little weird to start calling him Halloween or whatever, but frankly him obeying Danny’s orders and calling him “my liege” was way fucking weirder so it’d be fine.

And about four more days before half of Danny’s time would be eaten by lectures, study halls, and projects. Fuck, maybe Jason would give him a hand with those too.

So long as he wasn’t sick of Danny by then.

Another quick glance showed that Jason’s face had reset into that tense almost-scowl again, staring past the TV.

At the other end of the couch, Tim gave a disgruntled huff.

“I’m gonna make you pay for that next time,” he grumbled, shifting to Tucker with an adorable moment of sudden concern. “Do you need me to show you to a room too, or…”

Tucker shook his head with a snicker, giving Danny a side eye.

“Nah, unlike that weakling I got used to the vigilante sleep schedule back in high school. I’m good for a couple more hours at least,” he bragged.

Danny flipped him off, hauling himself to his feet and giving Jason a nudge.

“Yeah, well, this weakling fought a croc last night and needs his sleep. Mind giving me a ride back?” He asked when Jason looked up at him.

Gently offered a touch of easy out-reassurance-trust me.

The deep furrows in Jason’s brows twitched until he caught on and his expression cleared. He nodded quickly and pulled himself to his feet.

“Yeah, we can take my bike.” Then he hesitated and looked a little uncertain. “You never told me where you live.”

It took Danny a moment to realise that… no, he really hadn’t, because that just plain didn’t feel right. But no, he’d met Jason again in that coffee shop, then come to the gala with Sam.

Hadn’t gone home last night, just stopped at one of Jason’s apparently multiple places; at least he was doing better than Danny had thought from the first apartment.

He found himself chuckling at the thought, shaking his head.

“Oh yeah, we’ve only been to your place… I’m at the south dorm at Gotham U, I can give you directions as we get closer,” he offered and Jason nodded.

He felt… weird? Like he was surprised Danny had told him where he lived, and ashamed of being surprised.

Danny decided not to dig into it, offering Jason his arm and bowing like all those Shakespeare plays he knew Jason loved.

“Shall we?”

Jason’s moment of surprise was quickly swallowed by delight and he bowed back, then tucked his hand into Danny’s elbow. Almost definitely knew etiquette better than Danny did, so Danny wasn’t gonna doubt him.

“We shall. I’ll drop you off and head home,” he agreed, then paused and glanced back at Harley.

Whose giggling had completely ended and was now watching them like her favourite sitcom. Chin in hands and all.

“Did you wanna meet up here tomorrow, or…” Jason trailed off, obviously also a little put off by her intensity.

She perked up when addressed, giving him a cheery grin and a double thumbs up.

“Here or th’ station, I don’t mind! Hey, did ya wanna come too, Danny boy?” She asked sweetly, head cocked to the side and just waaaay too innocent.

Not that Danny could work out what she was up to.

“Uh… to do what?” He asked carefully, head cocking to match hers before he noticed and straightened up.

Her grin widened, so she noticed.

“Oh, Jason an’ I are gonna go check on my buddy Waylon, see if we can’t work out what he was doin’ at the gala. If y’ouse threw down he might like ta see ya there?”

Which honestly left Danny at a loss, until Tim explained.

“Killer Croc. His actual name’s Waylon Jones, and he was Harley’s tenant in Coney Island before coming back to Gotham,” he said casually, and Danny stilled.

Felt something cold and all too familiar at the back of his neck. And felt Harley notice it, suddenly predator sharp in a way he hadn’t felt since Skulker was a serious threat.

For the life of him though, he couldn’t put his finger on what he felt, since she didn’t move. Just grinned like she had been all along.

“People called him Killer Croc cuz of his skin condition. He gave up tryin’ ta change their minds,” she said with a light shrug, completely belied by the intensity of her stare.

Danny couldn’t look away until she released him, something satisfied in the quirk of her lip. Like she could feel the sudden well of tension in his chest.

He’d never actually given in to all the things his parents had called Phantom. They’d been ashamed of all of them when the truth came out, and he’d only had to put up with them for a few years.

He tried to imagine decades of it, being called a monster for things he couldn’t control. For nothing more than a weird scaly skin condition.

He couldn’t imagine going full bomb vest over it, but Danny was man enough to admit he might just be a little touchy because of Jason’s death.

Which Waylon might not even know about.

Suddenly he actually did want to know why they’d attacked the gala.

Until now it had just been inevitable, someone was going to so why not them, but… well. He’d felt it under the whole plan, every stupid step.

Jason had trusted Waylon, not Danny, to keep things from getting out of hand. To know that a tussle was part of the fun.

Danny hadn’t planned on asking, but. Yeah.

“I’d like that,” he agreed quickly, nodding, at about the same time as Tucker found his own voice.

“Wait, that’s a skin condition? He’s just like that?” The techie asked sharply, staring around at Tim and Damian to confirm.

And got a disdainful look from Damian back.

“Tt, what else would it be? Do you know many scaled people?” He asked archly.

Danny’s mind snapped directly to Dora and her asshole brother. Knew Tucker’s had gone to the same place a second later.

“More than you’d think,” he and Tucker said in unison, and they shared a grin. If there was one benefit to their fucked up ghost hunting years, it was shutting down smart ass remarks.

Damian only looked more annoyed at being corrected, and Tucker shrugged.

“I thought he mighta been a scientist and tried to fuse himself with a lizard or something, like in Spider-Man,” he elaborated, and Danny kinda hated how much their lives resembled superhero movies.

Not that he’d say that in a room full of bats.

Damian’s brows drew down even further and he sneered, displeasure evident, but Jason cut him off before he could speak.

“Before you make a comment about mad scientists I’m gonna remind you we live in a city with Viktor Fries,” he said dryly and Damian’s mouth snapped shut.

Big brother privileges.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Ellie had given Danny those?

Tucker gave Danny a confused look, and Danny just shrugged back. He didn’t pay much attention to Gotham’s various rogues; he didn’t want to tempt his Obsession.

Tim chimed in again, without actually looking at Tucker which was kinda impressive.

“Dr Freeze. He uses a lot of liquid nitrogen and freeze rays, he’s usually after money or diamonds to try and cure his wife,” he explained with a slight shrug.

Tucker made a confused noise.

“So… couldn’t Bruce just pay him off and keep him from bothering the city?” He asked carefully, glancing around the room.

Jason actually snorted a laugh at that, shaking his head.

“If he could, he would have. What Fries wants isn’t possible yet.”

Not possible for humans. Part of Danny perked up, wondering if Frostbite might have the answers… but no. It wasn’t his job to solve every problem in the world.

Bringing healthy humans to the Zone was iffy. An already sick woman… well, she might get hastened along her journey to the afterlife.

And this was a conversation he really wanted to keep away from, honestly. Gotham’s rogues weren’t his problem. Couldn’t be his problem.

Danny fought ghosts, unkillable entities who enjoyed missile attacks as sport. He wasn’t interested in learning how squishy human rogues were; it had been bad enough with his friends in the line of fire.

Mega pass on being the firing squad.

He almost reconsidered the trip tomorrow, but… he trusted Jason. Trusted Jason knew where he was coming from, and that neither of them wanted to trip Danny’s Obsession.

So he gave the big guy a smile and an elbow nudge, nodding for the door.

“Not that rogue chat isn’t fascinating, but you were taking me to bed?” He asked hopefully, and only realised what he’d said when Harley stuffed half her fist in her mouth to laugh.

—————

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[cephalog0d]

I just found you venom!steph stuff and I absolutely love it! Would you be willing to share a bit about this whole idea?

BOY WOULD I. I’ve got a few things I need to wrap up before I can really dig in properly to this AU but I have SO MANY IDEAS.

The basic concept is that it’s a canon divergence at the end of War Games, where Steph nearly dies (as normal) but instead of the whole faking-her-death-and-going-to-Africa-with-Leslie thing she instead acquires a symbiote that bonds to her and heals her and now she’s super strong/fast/tough/agile and can basically shapeshift and they proceed to make it everyone’s problem.

So you’ve got Steph being angry and traumatized by the whole tortured-almost-to-death thing and also dealing with the fact that Tim is right back out as Robin as if nothing happened to her. (Nobody is a reliable narrator in this story, I should mention right up top.) And then I’m still solidifying exactly what I want to do with it, but my current thinking for the symbiote is that it’s also had its own run in with Batman (probably without Bruce really knowing about it or recognizing what it was) and has its own grudge, so you get that great relationship of the two of them bonding and then proceeding to be just the worst influence on each other, specifically with regard to their Bat Hate. Plus Steph knows who all the Bats are and they all think she’s dead. It’s a great time for everyone!

(I’m definitely playing fast and loose with the Marvel canon half of things and mostly just inserting a symbiote into the DC universe, and not necessarily THE Venom symbiote although that’s easier shorthand. But there are also definitely some parallels there between like. The idea of Steph blaming Batman for everything that’s happened and how that’s maybe not entirely unfair but also she definitely did make her own mistakes that led to things vs. Eddie’s whole thing with blaming Peter for ruining his life even though he did, objectively, mess things up his own self Peter is just how he got caught.)

(Also there’s definitely some parallels between Steph and Eddie in terms of the whole “having a shitty dad and being desperate for approval and willing to do some unwise things in trying to get it” thing. Just saying. I think that’s part of the whole “give her a symbiote” thing for me is that she spent so long trying so hard to be good enough and gain the approval of others and falling short and I think having that immediate connection where she doesn’t need to do anything different or be better by some impossible metric, she’s already exactly what the symbiote needs and wants, would be a big factor in her bonding so closely with it.)

So yeah, Steph with a symbiote who knows who all the Bats are while they think she’s dead becomes a real Problem for them, obviously. They’re pretty anti-Bat, between Steph’s recent history and the symbiote’s own experiences, so that’s a fun thing to play with, but then there’s also lots of other complicated relationships because obviously it’s not JUST Batman out there.

I think Tim especially is a messy one and her feelings about him swing pretty wildly depending on the moment. I imagine she probably spends some time needling him about her own death trying to get a reaction out of him, which he probably is trying to not give her because he doesn’t know yet who she is and thinks she’s just a new villain who knows way too much about them, so I’m sure that goes great. (On the other hand, I can definitely see her doing like a surprise coming-to-the-rescue thing, partly because it is still Tim and she doesn’t actually want him dead or seriously injured and partly because it’ll throw him off his game and be funny to psych him out.)

Cass is probably a little more straightforward because their relationship wasn’t quite as messy before she died but I also think there was probably a bit of resentment Before, where Cass excelled without any apparent effort at so many things that mattered to them while Steph struggled to even slightly keep up, which is probably only heightened by everything else that’s happened. On top of that there’s Cass’s extremely inflexible moral code causing problems. I do think Cass is the one who actually realizes who Steph is, because she’s different now and it’s wrong in a kind of uncanny valley way but still recognizable. (This does not immediately fix anything, because Cass still has very firm ideas of what Steph SHOULD be doing or not doing and Steph, at least at first, does not want to hear it.)

My thought is that there is an eventual shift where Steph reconsiders things and decides she doesn’t want to keep doing what she’s doing. (It’s probably helped by the fact that she misses Cass, and sometimes Tim, but that’s only part of it. I think the other part is her realizing she’s a little too like her own father and not wanting to be that anymore.) Which is obviously a long and messy ordeal to reach any level of reconciliation after everything.

(I confess I haven’t decided how the whole “Jason’s Red Hood Rampage” plot point fits into this AU. XD Eventually I’ll sit down and decide if/how I want any intersection there but. We’ll see. I feel like Steph would have absolutely negative patience for any of Jason’s bullshit given her own experience, honestly.)

The really fun part of this (well, one of them, but the one I’ve already written a couple times because it’s obviously the part my brain really latched onto) is the idea of Steph in this universe after Bruce’s death, because she definitely has some feelings about that, but also her relationship with Dick (such as it is) is not at all the same thing as her relationship to Bruce. But now Dick is Batman and there’s some instinct-level reactions there, especially on the symbiote’s part, so I think that’s fun.

PLUS we get the addition of Damian, and I am always and forever on my Steph and Damian bullshit. And I’m just very fond of the idea of slightly-more-anti-hero-than-villain Venom!Steph finding the mean, stabby child adorable and deciding that if there has to be a Robin (because she can’t really stop them) she’s going to make damn sure there aren’t any more dead ones after her.

(Of course, if you’re following the canon course of events that will go super great eventually, but shhh it’s fine.)

(Dick, obviously, has more than enough going on in his life and isn’t thrilled about this but if it means the quasi-reformed-villainous-alien-goo-monster is looking out for Damian instead of attacking him he’s sort of willing to accept that for the time being.)

This is probably very rambly despite my efforts to organize my thoughts a bit, but I just have so many feelings about the idea of Steph getting superpowers and a symbiote buddy and getting to have a little villain arc and a subsequent redemption(ish) anti-hero-y arc and all the mess of her relationships to the various Bats. I have a ton of little moments and ideas floating around and jotted down and one of these days I’m going to clear my current WIPs enough to really sit down and work on it and I cannot wait.

Thank you so much for the ask!! I’m so glad you like the idea and I’m thrilled to be able to share it with others!

[puppiesandnightlock]

Link: A Robin's Song (Chapter 3)

Summary and age information found here

Two years ago, July.

“DAMIAN!!” Jon pounced on him the moment he opened the door, shoving a little plastic card in his face. 

“Jon-” He shoved the taller boy off of him, snatching the card and reading it over. “Holy shit, you actually did it!” 

“SWEAR JAR!” a little voice came from inside the house.

Both ignored it in favor of the growing excitement between the boys, Damian feeding off of Jon’s hyper attitude. 

“WE'RE GOING TO MALIBU!” Jon shrieked. “I told your dad yesterday and my parents said yes a while ago cause they thought i wouldnt get it but guess what i did and SUCK IT MOM AND  DAD CAUSE I HAVE A DRIVER’S LICENSE !”

“To be fair, you did crash a few cars. And failed your learner’s permit test, like five times.”

“Shut up, you promised not to bring that up.”

“I didn’t promise .”

“Whatever, D, nothing is bringing my mood down, so get your butt in gear and pack your stuff cause we’re heading for Cal-i-fornia tomorrow!!”

“We’re literally going to be there for like five hours, Jon.”

“Literally nothing you say is making me less excited!” He beamed at him, making Damian's stomach flip pleasantly. 

That had been happening much too often lately for his liking. 

“Alright, alright.” Damian huffed, but not before turning a genuine smile, soft and sweet towards Jon.

“Seriously, though. Congratulations, I’m proud of you. I know you worked hard.” 

Jon flushed, Damian assuming it was from the praise.

“T-Thanks, D. See you tomorrow?”

“See ya, J.”

Damian shoved his backpack into the Kent’s car, Jon grinning like a maniac as both of their families surrounded them.

“Riding the waves up in Malibu!” Kon sang, bouncing around with Cass and Steph.

“They really get, get to you!” Tim joined in, the four of them singing loudly and off key.

“So let's give it up for those L.A. boys!” They finished off, laughing with each other. Damian turned to Jon, whispering.

“How long is this phase going to last?”

“Excuse me, Damian, the Victorious soundtrack is iconic.” Jon gasped, the perfect portrayal of offense.

“Iconically stupid.” 

Insulted gasps sounded from all around him.

Dammit, he forgot he was surrounded by preteens.

After much bedraggling and hugs and kisses for their parents, (“We are merely driving two hours away, we will return alive, I promise.”) the two set out on the drive, turning up the radio and singing even louder.

They spent the whole day on the beach, wandering the shops beachside, sharing a better version of the strawberry ice cream they’d get at school. Both had even gotten hit on, and offered a few numbers to each other's amusement. 

As they drove into their small town and pulled up into Damian’s driveway, unlocking the car.

“Had a lot of fun today.” Damian smiled, letting his hand rest on top of the other’s. “Thanks, J.”

“N-Not a problem, D. Thanks for coming.” Jon stumbled over his words, the tips of Damian’s fingers brushing over his.

Damian ran inside, blushing red. He didn't dare look back, although, if he had, he would have seen the blue eyes he’d loved so much staring back at him, lovesick grin and flushed red face to complete the deal.

                                                     Present day

The raven-haired teen watched his friend worriedly. “Are you okay? You look sick.”

“I’m…I’m so happy for you!” He croaked, throat dry. His face had drained of blood, a woozy feeling coming over him. Putting up a brave face, he bumped his shoulder with Jon’s, forcing the smile so wide it hurt physically.

“You can tell me all the details later, I don't want to be late for class.” He moved his backpack so that it hung on one shoulder, quickly speed walking towards the hallways. Jon trailed after him, chattering excitedly per usual. 

“It was so romantic, Dami, just like I planned! We’re going out for almost three weekends straight!”

Damian felt his heart drop, and as it hit the bottom it cracked in half, pouring out all the memories and weekend plans they’d had together.

“You’ll be free for the new movie coming out in a few months, right?”

This franchise was the most important thing to them, something they bonded over as children and even now knew every bit of lore it offered, and as preteens even collaborated on a fanfic, although their current persons have burned it from their minds. To miss even the latest picture between the two of them was a travesty.

“Course! I would never dare miss it, D, I'm sure Haisley will understand when I tell her!” Jon chirped. 

The bell rang, and Jon’s joy filled eyes were all he saw as he turned and ran towards his classroom, the knowledge that that emotion would never be because of him burning in the back of his mind.

 A few weeks after that, Damian had been finding new ways to avoid not just Haisley, but the couple as well. He could only be with Jon for a bit every day before the conversation turned to Haisley, which both pained and irritated the pining boy to no end.

For the first time, Damian had felt a surge of unpleasant emotions towards the girl, sometimes so strong he nearly classified it as hate. 

The thing that kept him from doing that was coincidentally the same thing that brought him back towards Jon.

He was sneaking out of the library, unceremoniously shoving his sketching pad inside his backpack when a flash of deep brown caught him and he was met with Haisley’s dashing blue eyes.

“Hello, Damian.”

“H-hi?” He stuttered, surprise and confusion clouding him.

“Can we talk?” She asked innocently, although to anyone else it would have sounded dangerous.

“Make it quick, Parker, I have things to do.” He muttered, having regained his senses. The challenging air surrounded them, and Damian deflected, presenting his confident, nearly arrogant air, his head filled with snappy comments and snarky responses, ready to fire on command. 

She had her own way of doing this, seeing as she seemed to be the challenger. Poised and ready like a snake, with all the grace and intimidation of a lioness. 

“It’s about Jon.” She said after a moment, surrendering first. 

He dropped his quickly after, turning defensive. “What about him? I won’t have you hurting him, and if you do I most certainly will not have a hand in it.”

Her eyes widened, and she was quick to steer him away from the negative. “No, no, it’s not what you think!”

She looked down rather bashfully, Damian contemplating whether or not this was genuine or a manipulative tactic.  

“You’re his best friend and he trusts you and your judgment over anyone’s, more than mine or even his parents. You’re super important to him, and that means your words carry a lot of weight. You are said to be a good judge of character, and I just wanted to ask…if you approved? I know it's not like the olden days where you ask for things like that but-”

He let her ramble on as he mulled over her words. What she had asked was kind, considerate and only would have been thought of by someone completely genuine.

Goddammit.

“Haisley!” He cut her off. “Yes. yes, i’m okay with it, you’ll be...a very good match for him.” 

The last few words were spit out like gravel in his mouth, somehow gone unnoticed by the girl as she smiled brightly and leaped up to hug him, before letting go quickly and scurrying off, but not before calling “Thank you so much!” 

That would be that, he assumed, after screwing his whole love life over. There was no possible way he could hate Haisley, no matter how much he wished to despise her, due to one simple little question asked with all the innocence of a puppy. 

It would have all been easier if he only had to talk to her every now and then, only for formalities and necessity, but she persisted, and he was weak to the joyful looks Jon would give when he saw the two getting along.

Haisley would start conversations and he would mostly tune them out, adding a ‘mhm’ and ‘yeah wow’ every few minutes. He only started paying attention after she said something that caught him off guard.

“Repeat that, sorry?” It was about the latest date she and Jon had gone on, and under normal circumstances, he would never listen to this.

“Oh, we went for ice cream, and shared a strawberry one! Watching the sunset and everything, it was so romantic.” the girl gushed. 

His throat felt like sandpaper as he swallowed, painful sparks of some emotion starting to sprout.

“Ah...sounds amazing..” 

That was HIS thing to do with Jon, something they did less of now but used to when they were younger. 

He began paying more attention to her talks, spotting more and more similarities.

“He took me to a beach in Malibu!”

“We just stayed inside that day, watched Glee!”

“I forgot my jacket and we couldn't go out that first date. He gave me his, and I knew he was a keeper!”

These, all of these things, were Jon-and-Damian things, not Haisley-and-Jon things. These were their things to do, their pastimes, their comfort late at night, their history…all of it was being taken and twisted into stupid, STUPID , dates.

(And maybe, throughout this bout of anger, the thoughts that it could have been him in Haisley’s place, could have been him laughing at the stupid jokes and the ice cream on the tip of his nose and the jacket that was too big for him.)

The entirety of this time, after such talks like these with her, he would take out a writing pad and scribble on it, the hurt overwhelming the anger. 

Towards the last talk, he’d formulated them into lyrics, his brothers reading it over with worry on their faces.

“This…seems a little vindictive, Dami.” Tim said, holding the piece of paper between his forefingers. 

“It’s not even based on them this time!” He defended himself with lies. “Could be about anyone, really.”

“ Car rides to malibu?” Duke read out loud, incredulous tones to his voice. “That alone is a giveaway.”

“Shut up, no, it’s not!” He sputtered. “Besides, even if it was, which it's NOT, get that smirk off your face this instant Timothy, this sounds more like they actually dated and the person singing is angry over the reuse of the things they used to do. And ‘Damian’ does not sound like ‘Haisley’. I could defend this for hours.”

“Whatever makes you feel better, Dames.” Tim handed back the paper, shaking his head.

Duke hung back a bit longer, going through the rhythm and lyrics with him again.

When they’d finished, he turned to his older brother and asked again. “Are you positive you wanna do this one, Dami? This one…seems kinda vengeful. And when it comes to Jon, I know you're anything but. Plus, don't deny it, I know you've been getting along well with Haisley too, so...”

“My coping method, my life, not yours, Duke.” Damian reminded him a bit sarcastically. He softened a bit after saying it, replacing it with “Thank you for this though.”

“I know you are worried but I'm fine, this is fine, honestly. And besides, only the beginning would ever align with me anyways.”

Duke sighed, a tiny smile appearing. “Okay, Dami. Just let us know when you want to record, i guess.”

Damian sat back on the couch, posting an update on the song that would be uploaded tomorrow. 

In a way, his brothers were right. This one was different from the first two, not much pining and more anger. He’d written when emotions were high, and when he sang it, it was less fire and more of an ‘I miss you’. 

This whole mess couldn’t be put on anyone but him, after all, it was his dumbass who encouraged Jon to ask her out, and himself who didn’t tell him earlier. 

His phone lit up with a text notification from Jon, attached was a screenshot of the post he’d just made and an all caps key smash.

It was selfish, but for a moment he pretended that it was really him that Jon was excited about, not Robin.

He wondered for a bit, if Jon would react the same way if he really knew it was him.

This was how a double life worked, he supposed.

His condolences to the vigilantes in the fictional world.

[hellishattempt]

surprise !

so because i'm the best i've decided to write for steph, cass and babs with the leftover angst songs i have from superache. i also just really love the girlies and want to write for them.

this is the last part in my four part series of angst superache songs as relationships with the batfam. part one ( dick + jason ); part two ( tim + dami ); part three ( bruce + duke ); and now part four!

as always, no pronouns used / gender neutral reader.

( art is from wayne family adventures on webtoon, which you should totally check out because it is the fluff batfans need )

astronomy - stephanie brown. before stephanie became robin, the two of you were as close as siblings. you would drive through the woods of rich neighborhoods, where the waynes lived, just to watch them. you joked as you looked that they were too good for you and stephanie. socially speaking, you were the same, with deceptive fathers and mothers who drank. you found your comfort in each other. you could escape your lives with each other. it got worse when stephanie woke up one night, only to find batman's hands around her father's neck. it was then that stephanie realized what her father was. a villain. stephanie ran from her home that night, seeking comfort in you. she stayed with you for a while, and your love for each other grew, blossoming into something deeper. but it's a tale old as time, young love doesn't last for life. things started to change when stephanie became batman's newest robin. it was obvious, steph was never able to keep any secrets from you. you just knew her too well. these changes weren't good for your relationship with the blonde. these changes weren't good for you. trying to stay with her, adapting to her insane hours, while trying to juggle your school and job, it was taking too much out of you. you still look back on the day you had to break things off with her. every night, before she was a vigilante, you two would go lie out on your roofs and watch the stars. astrology was your thing, and your thing only. you tried to explain things in a soft way, so you tied astrology and astronomy into it. "we've traveled the sea, we've ridden the stars," you were holding her hands in yours. tears were kissing her eyelashes, but stephanie was desperately trying to push them back. "we've seen everything from saturn to mars, and as much as it seems like you own my heart, it's astronomy: we're two worlds apart." those words still haunt you to this day. from far away, you wish you'd stayed with her. stephanie was the best thing in your life, and you hate that the two of you couldn't make it work. but, sitting there, in that memory, you were face to face with a stranger you once knew. old you thought that you'd fall back in love if you wanted. stephanie tried to preserve the relationship, saying "distance brings fondness." but not with you two. you were so hopelessly in love with each other, steph was saying anything and everything to keep you. "i'll change. i'll stop being robin. i'll leave it all for you. we can change. we can be what we once were. please. i'll do anything." you just shook your head. "stop trying to keep us alive. you're pointing to stars that have already died. you can't force the stars to align when they've already died, annie." annie. that was your nickname for her. only you used it.

summer child - cassandra cain. the mesmerizing, ruined cassandra cain was the subject of your bountiful, pure love. you knew everything about her. although the two of you are just friends, you want so much more with the silent girl. her inability to speak well means nothing to you. cassie has a language of her own. she speaks it when she sees all the flowers in the weeds. the way that she's scared of the dark when she sleeps communicates her trauma. she covers up her arms with sleeves so she can hide her scars, even in a hundred degree heat. her small, stuttering voice carries the weight of the world. a single whisper could part waters. cassie doesn't have to tell you anything. you've sat in silence many times before. it's not uncomfortable to you. these moments help you learn her language better. her father was awfully mean, he's the one who did this to her. but you know she still has some happy memories from her childhood. for instance, her favorite color is green. it reminds cassandra of the summer she turned three, running through the sprinkles in the street. cass tries to be happy all the time for her family. she doesn't want to burden them as she's burdened everyone else. so she'll laugh, and dance in the wind, and she'll sway and hug and kiss, but there's a darkness behind those eyes. even when she smiles. you wonder if you're the only one who sees that darkness. you aren't. but you're the only one who doesn't try to change that darkness. you instead try and help cassandra embrace it, trying to learn how to live with it. "you don't have to pretend that all you feel is mild," you tell her. you don't try to make the dark into light. she doesn't really like the sun, it drives her wild. she's a lying summer child. "aren't you way too busy taking care of everyone else to take care of yourself? when the sun goes missing aren't the flowers just as pretty?" you press on. "aren't the oceans just as deep? the trees just as green?" and as for me, i'll just watch you weep. the words are better left unsaid. cassandra's not ready for that. and you're not sure you are either. so you stand, tired of trying to get the love of your life to understand what she refuses to see, and you walk out. "remember, my beautiful summer child, you don't have to act like all you feel is mild." it's fitting that those should be your last words to the stoic, emotional daughter of bruce wayne.

yours - barbara gordon. you messed up the best relationship you've ever had. it's one of your greatest regrets. barbara was someone you'd call when you're alone; someone you use but never own; someone you touch, but never hold. you were somebody she would never really know. barbara only saw the front you put up, never allowing her to get to close to you. when the two of you first started going out, you knew that she wasn't the one for you, but barbara fell hard. she knows she's not the one you really love, but that's part of the reason she's never given up. barbara went through something similar with dick. he chose kori over her, doing stupid things like sleeping with babs, but leaving the wedding invitation to his and koriand'r's wedding on her nightstand the next morning. barbara could give you all you wanted- the stars and the sun, and still, it's not enough. she's not enough. but she stays with you, because all babs has ever really wanted was the look in your eyes, like you already know that she's the love of your life, like you already know you're never saying goodbye. but, begrudgingly, barbara is coming to terms with the fact that's your not hers, that she's not yours. she wants more, but she's not yours. and she can't change your mind, so secretly, you're still hers. so tell barbara that it's time to go, because god knows she can't leave on her own. the only thing harder than sleeping alone is sleeping with your ghost. "i shoulda known that it was dumb love." you're in her living room, having just gotten dressed from the previous night. it was nights like these that kept barbara hooked on you. "what?" you call out, having barely heard her words. "fifteen dozen roses." her tone is bitter. "all the things i've done for you not to notice. i can't believe i chose you over all my best friends. what the hell did i do in the end? just to not be yours? what was the point of it all?" you just stare at her. "what?" you repeat. "get out of my house." barbara snaps abruptly. "i'm not yours. i'm not your lover, not your girlfriend, not your anything. so there's no point for you being here. get out of my life." that was the last time you saw barbara gordon.

[lavenezolanarusa]

დ .•*””*• 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘! •*””*•.დ

@stephcass-week ꨄ

𝐷𝑎𝑦 4: 𝐻𝑢𝑟𝑡 / 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡

Cassandra always kept herself busy with any task, so much so that sometimes she didn't even leave time for herself. And That made a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed patrolwoman a little angry.

She knew that her girlfriend had things to do and that she couldn't leave them, but she wasn't going to let her overdo herself with difficult tasks for the fun of it, so she decided to follow her and maybe take some tasks off her; she stole some nights of patrolling, took care of organizing some papers, arranged important matters... all in order to see her beloved a little less stressed.

But one night, the last straw came. It would have been more or less 4 in the morning, and Stephanie could clearly hear some tired footsteps entering, she would have been alarmed if it weren't for the fact that she knew that those footsteps belonged to Cassandra; She decided to go meet her to at least lift her spirits a bit, but what she didn't expect was to find the love of her life covered in her blood while she walked slowly and it seemed as if the world had fallen on her shoulders. Her entire body ached. Her half-closed eyes didn't make out very well what she was doing and when she tried to hug Stephanie she almost fell to the ground, which made the blonde run towards her to catch her.

▪Cass? -she called her, hoping that she would answer him, even if she went with a simple sigh

• Steph... - The Girl replied, trying to seem calm- Don't worry, it's nothing... just-

▪Let me help you, and you better not say it's not necessary. -warned the blonde in a serious tone, helping him get up from her and taking her to the bed so she could make herself comfortable. Needless to mention the fact that she took it upon herself to disinfect and bandage her wounds as much as she could under Cassandra's tired gaze.

A couple of minutes later, the brown-haired woman dared to speak, although it was more of a question than a neutral phrase.

• Why?

▪ What do you mean by that, Cass?

•Why do you worry about me? -That simple question made Stephanie's whole body freeze- You're wasting your time... I can take care of this on my own.

Cassandra had never received affection from anyone, while other children had functional families with games and hugs... Cass spent all day being "the perfect weapon", going so far as to say "My father has always had the weapons dangerous to use against anyone... And I'm one of them."

No one had ever shown her affection like a hug, pat on the back or if she wants a compliment... And it was something that a certain blonde with eyes like the ocean had given her to see for the first time. For once in her life she was seeing how someone cared for her and...she didn't know why.

She didn't deserve it, she didn't deserve that she worry about her well-being, she didn't deserve that she was so loving when she saw her like this... Or at least that was what her mind told her. Her gaze lowered, her spirits dropped so much that for two seconds she thought they were greeting Satan, she entered a terrible trance and just when she was going to plunge back into everything she did wrong-

▪Cass! Cassandra! -before she could get lost in her mind, she could feel the arms of her girlfriend surrounding her

•What's happening? -she asked confused, taking Stephanie's face in her hands.

▪ I should ask you that question! - the blonde told her, hugging her tightly- I went to put some things away and when I came back you were having a panic attack.

The mere mention of it made the almond-eyed girl feel bad for worrying her girlfriend.

"I'm sorry..." -she murmured.

▪You don't have to apologize, darling... Listen, I know your life was hell, I know you've suffered like nobody else, I know you've seen things that don't do you good... but that doesn't mean you have to swallow everything that you feel without a specific reason... you have me here, I'll be with you until no one remembers us and we're just stardust... until the sun explodes, the sky falls and the stars go out... I'll stay with you without no matter what happens... even if I have to sacrifice myself millions of times... I would do it to see your smile.

[brucewaynehater101]

I want Duke included in batfam family fics. being the older sibling Damian needs, relatable yet guiding. Tim being ‘Dukes robin’ and having lots of respect for Tim yet he’d also steal his slice of pie. Duke and Jason hanging out, and Jason appreciating how he never tries to lecture him. Duke and dick matching vibes (or as much as they can) when on patrol and somewhat in the family, and both trying to make their brothers calm tf down. Bruce trying desperately to not fuck up with Duke like he did his other sons, only serving to confuse and slightly alarm Duke. Alfred and duke being the only ones with more then *1* braincell.

he also has so much potential for angst of being a meta in a family everyone thinks hates metas, and people somehow forget him???

(I have more just don’t have the energy to write it all down)

Heck yes! I agree that Duke needs to be included in more batfam fics (and especially as a more pivotal role). I personally try to add him a bit, but I fear I do not include him enough as a key member of the batfam.

Duke is hella important and should be treated as such. I'd love to see more fics with him pissing off GCPD for fun. Just chaos and pranks against GCPD, rogues, Batman, and the Batkids. Also, he should he allowed to punch (or kick) as many JL members as he pleases (Hal was just the first).

Duke and Dick having similar fashion ideas is a cute idea I've seen in the fandom. I would also just love to see more fanart of Duke rocking some fun outfits for galas (especially if the galas follow the AU of Gotham being super weird with their social norms). Duke being featured on magazine covers, being asked to model, and being interviewed would be cool fanwork ideas to play around with. I've seen so many of the other batboys and none with Duke as a magazine cover.

Here's my ideas on how Duke could interact with different batfam members. Feel free to reblog if you have ideas yourself or think the dynamic should be different.

I feel like Duke and Cass would get along really well as chaos gremlins who get away with their shenanigans. Messing with Commissioner Gordon is a favorite pass time of theirs. For some reason, even when presented with evidence, Bruce doesn't believe that Duke and Cass would do the things they get away with. It's both impressive and annoying to the other batkids.

Duke could have a weird relationship with Tim. On one hand, Tim is Duke's Robin. The cases he's solved, feats he's accomplished, and respect Gotham has for Tim's Robin in general (for being Batman's therapy kid) are unfathomable. On the other hand, he's seen Tim walk into the same wall four times within three minutes. They both share a love for riddles, but Tim can be an idiot at interpersonal relationships.

For Damian, Duke has seen how the world picks up kids and spits them out. He's seen kids lashing out, how they merely want to defend themselves, and how fantastic they are once you get to know them. He's been angry and spiteful at the world too. For Damian, Duke's hella impressed at the kid's heart despite all the shit he's been dealt. Duke would encourage chaos, talk with the kid about how different emotions have impacted Duke's actions and life, and is an overall supportive figure. They can often be seen doing both wild stunts and "common for their age group" activities for fun (although the game Sorry is banned because of them).

Jason and Duke would probably have a complicated relationship due to Red Hood's actions. Their similar childhoods (as far as economically and location based) would lead to jokes and shared customs that they chat with Steph about (such as Creepy Toe Joe or that specific gas station or the phrase they say as they passed that one pothole). Despite that, they have different viewpoints on Bruce and murder.

Duke is probably one of the more emotionally intelligent and communicative batfam members. If Alfred is the sassy version, Duke would get a good laugh out of those remarks and the astute observations.

Bruce and Duke angst could go hard. Bruce is trying so hard not to make his past mistakes. Duke and his perception of Bruce (he holds Bruce in high regard) and how that affects their relationship.

As far as Duke being in a "perceived to hate metas" family, that could either be hilarious or angst. I imagine people trying to intervene or "save" Duke from the Bats would be infuriating and sad to see.

Duke could also laugh at the batkids' superhero friends and how they, even as adults, are banned from entering Gotham. Duke is free to live in the manor and come and go as he pleases. Any of the batkid's meta friends have to be snuck into Gotham.

[blenderfullasarcasm]

Batfam, favorite Duel Monsters archetypes/strategies, go.

gonna preface this by saying that while i do play duel monsters and have never lost a game, that’s because i’ve only played like. five games ever.

also i haven’t touched my deck in at least five years so. that being said.

i think most of the batfam would tend towards strategies that rely on trap or spell cards rather than drawing a specific powerhouse monster (looking at you kaiba)

dick has two different decks - one he uses to play for fun and one he uses when he wants to win. the first deck is mainly made up of cards with puns in the name bc he thinks it’s funny (and also because he loves the look of dawning horror on his opponent’s face as they start to realize that the puns won’t stop). unfortunately that leaves that deck not super well-balanced but he enjoys the mental exercise of trying to win anyway. his deck for winning is made up of mostly water/wind type monsters and one time it made wally cry.

jason’s deck is the most well put together (by which i mean every card he draws enhances whatever cards he has in his hand) and it’s pretty well balanced although he does tend to go a little heavy on the trap cards and field cards. it works for him though. a lot of his monster cards are fiend or psychic type.

tim learned how to play via the yugioh tv show so while his deck is pretty well put together and has a bunch of intricate almost instant win combinations, he mostly relies on luck of the draw (and the heart of the cards ofc) to actually get those combos. tim is not a lucky person, and although those combos are devastating to his opponent when he does pull the right cards, they’re much less effective when he keeps pulling one card from each of his combos instead of a complete combo. his main monster type is dragons bc he made his deck when he was like twelve and he thought they were cool (secretly he likes the pun).

cass has a super op light/fighting type deck. i forget which card it is but there’s one that’s like “every light monster on your side of the field gets 500x(# of light monsters on field) points added to their attack score” and once she plays that it is over. she mostly relies on monster effects over spell cards though so even if she doesn’t draw that card she usually wins.

damian loves using field cards to give himself an advantage or to give his opponents a disadvantage but he also shoots himself in the foot a little because whenever he comes across a card he thinks looks cute he adds it to his deck. he tries to incorporate the cute monsters into his strategy but it doesn’t always work. yes he has at least one kuriboh in his deck. kind of reminds him of goliath. he owns like fifty monster reborn cards.

duke’s only just been inducted into the secret batfam duel monsters competition and he’s having to overhaul his deck from when he was like ten. it’s mostly warrior and winged beast type monsters and he’s a little low on spell and trap cards. jason’s offered to let him have some of the cards he isn’t using (he has a stash of old DM cards bc he refuses to throw them away) but duke hasn’t had a chance to look through them yet.

steph refused to play the first time tim asked if she wanted to join and now there’s a bet going on to see who can get her to cave first. she knows about it and refuses to give them the satisfaction. she does know all the rules though and often gets pulled into being the referee (mostly to stop the peanut gallery demo interfering tbh)

[starspatter]

Heroes and Thieves, Ch. 20

Title: Heroes and Thieves Fandom/Universe: BTAS, pre/post-RotJ flashback

Summary: A story about second chances, healing, and having hope.

Rating: PG-13, for references to character death, child psychological torture and trauma.

Genre: Romance/Family/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

Word Count: 4,019 Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

Also on ff.net and AO3.

Well my head is dead and my mind is fed up of all this stupid time That has dropped off the clock and I've avoided the knock From the monster that's been running my life He's ugly as hell and well, his heart is broken His eyes tell a tale with words unspoken He dreams of a day when he can honestly say he's alright

-This Love, “Free”

————————–

Then.

“What do you mean you guys haven’t kissed yet?”

The end of December was drawing near, and they had just finished with first semester finals.  The four of them trekked through fresh snow back to the dorms, Steph and Cass taking the lead while Conner and Tim tailed behind, the latter lingering a distance so as not to let the girls overhear their conversation.  Tim watched as the blonde in front of him stretched her arms to the air, blissfully exclaiming: “Ahh freedom at last~” before anxiously asking her friend what she got on one of the more difficult Physics questions.

“It just… hasn’t really come up…  We’ve been studying so much since then, there’s never been a good time…”

Conner shook his head.

“Dude, that’s no excuse.  You gotta keep her satisfied if you plan to hold onto her past holiday break. Sometimes you just gotta go for these things, man.”  He paused, clapping a hand on his companion’s shoulder as he suggestively leaned in closer.  “Listen, Christmas is coming; that means mistletoe season.  It’s a prime opportunity.  If you want, I can totally set something up for you two…”

“I don’t need your assistance.”

Although Tim scoffed at his roomie’s waggling eyebrows, the worry of not measuring up to expectations had been weighing substantially on him over the past few weeks.  Dick kept trying to push him to be more assertive as well, and had even insisted on lending him a collection of certain kinds of “magazines” as “reference material”…

“Hey, what are you boys whispering about back there?”

Stephanie had swiveled around and approached the pair, suspicious of Conner’s smirk and Tim’s evidently embarrassed expression.

“You wouldn’t be bullying my boyfriend, now would you?”

She wrapped herself protectively – possessively – around Tim, who bloomed an intense shade of pink at suddenly finding himself being fought over.

“Me?  A bully?  Wherever would you get that idea?”

Conner whistled innocently, while Cassandra observed the three in silence.  Tim shot her a pleading look to get him out of this predicament, thinking “free me” as hard as he could, but she simply smiled slightly.  Damnit, was she actually amused by his humiliation?

“Tim, don’t listen to what that mean ol’ brute says.”  Steph squished her mortified prize tightly, magnifying his discomfiture further as she stuck her tongue out at her opponent, who huffed in indignation.

“Please, if I were actually a bully, I’d do something like this.”

Without warning, he stooped to scoop up a clump of crystal flakes, flinging the freezing projectile at Stephanie, who screeched and released in order to defend herself.

“Why you-”

She laughed like a shriek as she shivered and shook the ice shavings out of her mane, crouching to collect ammo herself.  Packing heat – or rather coldness in this case – as she launched a quick counterattack. They began pelting each other gleefully with polar pellets, while Tim spectated uncertainly, wavering whether to break the battle up…  Until a wayward missile errantly missed its mark, instead splatting straight onto his face.

“…Ah.”

The combatants immobilized, glancing in nervous remorse at the unintended casualty, who stood there in complete shock for a moment.  Stephanie instantly flashed back to the water gun incident, and gulped apprehensively, afraid they might’ve made another mistake.  (At least she wasn’t entirely the one to blame this time.)

As before, Tim wordlessly wiped the wetness dripping down his cheek – before calmly bending down and gathering a lump to lob right back at his assailant.  Conner yelped as the unanticipated retaliation caught him by surprise, while Steph burst into an excited beam.

“Boo-yah!  Tim’s on my team!”

She eagerly declared as she aided her partner in an aggressive revenge, ruthlessly ganging up on their target as he raised his hands in a desperate attempt to shield himself.

“Hey, no fair!  Cass, help me!”

Fair?  They were up against a superhuman and a psychic, Tim privately thought to himself.  Although to be fair, Cassandra denied the other’s turn to beg for mercy, merely casting a lolling glimpse that quite plainly said: “You brought this on yourself, mister.  Now deal with the consequences.”  …As she simply sidestepped any stray shrapnel without choosing sides.

As they clobbered each other with clods of frost, people stopped and gawked at the infamous group of so-called “freaks” playing enthusiastically like little kids in the courtyard, but none of said shunned subjects even cared, too engrossed in their game to pay patronizing passersby any heed.  Tim could sense his self-consciousness slipping away as he pitched and dodged, slipping back into old practiced habits of evading punches and bullets.  The exhilaration he felt now was perhaps even more fulfilling though, without real risk of legitimate danger to his life or others’.  …When he witnessed Steph was right in the path of a sizeable snowball’s trajectory though, he dove on instinct, tackling directly to the ground.

He blinked as they abruptly found their features so very near to each other, flushed and respiring heavily from combined adrenaline and chill.  Rapidly beating hearts and heat of their bodies connecting through thick sugarcoated layers.  He could distinguish individual flecks of powder from the fluffy pile they had landed on dusting her long lashes as they fluttered up at her “hero”, feathery and fair. Complexion as rosy as her lips, waiting with bated breath.  Tim swallowed, before hastily rolling off.

“S- sorry.”

Stephanie sighed at the release of pressure, flopping back in familiar disappointment.  She soon started giggling though, and before long Tim joined her as they took a timeout to just lie there laughing for a minute. …And maybe after a while he’s laughing a little too loud and too long, but by God it felt good to let his happiness out uninhibited like this, after so many years of holding himself back.  He couldn’t remember the last time he had this much fun.

As soon as the chuckles subsided and they sat up though, Stephanie was startled by a sudden smack to her temple.  At first they both assumed it was a signal of resuming the bout, but for some reason the assault seemed a lot harsher and more painful than before.

“Ow!”

She cringed on contact. Tim’s pupils widened when he saw scarlet seeping down her forehead, staining the rich white beneath them. …Where a rock jutted out from the bank.

“Steph, you’re – you’re bleeding…”

She touched a finger to her brow in disbelief, stunned to discover drops of crimson come off on her tip. Tim spun around towards Conner, who immediately denied any involvement, shaking his head in equal horror.

“Tim, I swear to God, bud, it wasn’t me.”

Tim swerved and glared angrily at their surroundings, as every member in the audience awkwardly averted their gaze.  He grabbed the stone and stood up, grip so severe it stabbed into his own flesh.

“Who the fuck threw that?!”

He shouted at a volume high enough for the entire yard to hear, likely disturbing some of the classes where students were still testing as well.  He didn’t give a shit about that though, seething to the core.  Doubt darted in every whispering, snickering direction, until his vision landed on their other comrade, who remained oddly mute even in this situation.  His perception narrowed.  She didn’t look guilty per se (and he refused to believe she would ever dare renege on her pledge to never do anything to harm Steph), but something about her shifty, shrinking appearance told him she was definitely hiding something.

“…You know who did it, don’t you?  You can tell.”

Cassandra bit her lip, declining to answer.  Tim stalked towards her, seizing her shoulders roughly as he demanded a response.

“Tell me who it was – right now.”

“I…”

She winced at the strength of his clutch, cowering under his looming fury. Conner’s own lion rage awakened as he lunged forth to fasten around Tim’s wrist like a vice, violently pulling him away with a far greater force.

“Oi, get away from her!”  He barked as he twisted Tim around, locking both limbs in a firm hold.  “You need to cool it.”

Tim’s view darkened with a grim pall, as he lowered to avoid meeting the larger male’s lecturing look.

“Let go of me, Conner.”

He growled, glowering defiantly.

“And what’ll you do if I release you?  Supposing you do find out the culprit?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”  Tim’s irises flared dangerously.  “I’ll beat ‘em to a bloody pulp.”

“And then what?  Get your ass suspended again?  Kicked out? Lose your scholarship?”  Conner hissed in a cruel, but concerned tone. “Stop and think for a damn second, will you?”

Tim scowled, but eventually his fist uncoiled.  Conner loosened a little, relaxing as Tim’s appendage obediently descended.  Stephanie spoke up softly.

“It’s all right, guys.  I’m okay, really…”

There was liquid leaking through her cupped palm though, and Tim bristled again, but Conner clamped him down, resolutely shaking his head.

“Let it go, Tim.  Let’s just get her to the infirmary.”

Conner offered his hand to help her up, while Tim looked on uselessly. He eluded Steph’s perspective as he stuffed his own empty paws into his pockets.

“You guys go on ahead,” he muttered.  “I’m gonna… go cool off.”

“Tim?  Wait, where are you going?”

Stephanie strove to stop him, struggling against Conner’s support, but Tim had already taken off, escaping towards the dormitories.  When he reached his room, he slumped against the entry, sinking to the floor with his own cranium cradled in his hands.  Reflecting back on his confrontation with Cassandra, for even though she hadn’t acknowledged anything aloud, he could still hear the reluctant reply resounding inside his brain:

…They had been aiming for you.

“Goddamnit!”

He revolved and pounded his knuckles into the wall, not caring if he caused any damage to either it or himself.  Another voice murmured mildly beside his ear, smooth and satiated by the display of outright hostility.  Insanity.  Delightedly feeding on such delicious despair and self-loathing.

Now you see what happens when you get close to others?  Let this be a lesson to you, JJ.  Don’t you get it?  You’re a blight, diseased.  A dirty, perverted curse that contaminates, taints every single thing you touch – nothing but a burden, who brings suffering to everyone around you.  A monster just like me.

“Get.  Out.  Of. My.  Head.”

Tim screamed as he slammed his skull against the partition to try and get it to shut up, and when that didn’t work, he hurled himself onto the bed, trying to cover his crown with the pillow. Of course it didn’t succeed in suppressing the scalding speech either though, slowly consuming, corroding his corrupted soul from the inside out.

You’re toxic.  Don’t forget that.  Your existence is poison – pure and simple.  I’m the only one who can withstand it.  You don’t need them.  Nor do you belong with them.  Come back to me, my darling.  Daddy will make it all better, I promise…

“Leave.  Me.  ALONE!”

Tim yelled at the top of his lungs as he chucked the cushion at his hallucination, who only hovered out of the way and cackled.  The boy buried his visage into the sheets, smothering his polluted presence, shoulders shuddering as he began to laugh like crazy again – until he cried.

…

Some time later, he heard a knock on the door as it creaked open cautiously. He didn’t elevate to look, but he knew Conner was standing there, taking in the pathetic sight of his flatmate flat on the mattress.

“Yo.”

He entered, closing the access behind him as he crossed over and sat down gently next to Tim.  After an uncomfortable gap, he cleared his throat.

“Cass reported the one who did it to the dean.  They won’t be coming back after break.  …She told me what happened.  It’s not your fault, man.”

“The hell it isn’t.”

Tim spat as he flipped over, sleeve still shrouding his inflamed eyes. At length he removed a fraction of fabric though to peek at the other boy’s back, inquiring fretfully:

“…How is she?”

“They’re treating her at the nurse’s office.  It’s not as bad as it looks.  She’ll be fine,” Conner reassured.  “She kept asking after you though.  She’s worried about you, bro.  …We all are.”

Tim said nothing, scrutinizing the ceiling.

“She wants to see you.”

“I don’t… deserve to see her.”  Tim choked, eyes welling up again.  “How can I face her like this?”

Conner’s countenance soured as he started to lose patience, resorting to somewhat stricter tactics in an effort to snap him out of it.

“Stop being a selfish prick. This isn’t about you.  It’s about what she needs.  And right now she needs you.  So stop feeling fucking sorry for yourself, get the fuck up, and go see your goddamn girlfriend before I fucking kick your ass.”

He snatched Tim’s collar as he said this, in order to prove he would make good on the threat if necessary, hoisting the sagging sad sack up and half-heaving him towards the exit.

“I’ll help you get started on packing, so go.  And don’t come back until you’ve apologized for leaving her alone.”

With that, he swung the doorway shut, bolting it determinedly behind Tim, who stood there dumbfounded in the hall as curious onlookers halted their own parting proceedings to goggle at him, gossiping in a susurrant hush.  Shuffling sheepishly, he complied to abide by the directive for now, advancing in the direction of the health center (recalling its location from when he himself had to be carried there following his “fainting spell”).

When he arrived at the entrance, he waffled for a long while, inhaling deeply before finally rotating the handle.  The clinical smell that greeted him made his stomach sick at first, but he shoved revulsion down and quietly asked the receptionist on staff as to the whereabouts of the patient he was seeking.  She smiled and pointed him towards a curtain in the rear.  Upon lifting it back, he encountered Stephanie propped up on a cot, dome swathed in bandages in a manner that rather resembled his own injured image shortly after they first “met”.  She relieved visibly upon recognizing the visitor.

“Tim!  Thank God you’re here.  I was beginning to get bored out of my friggin’ mind.  Can you believe they’re making me stay in a bed while they run some tests?  It’s just a tiny cut, c’mon.  Plus it’s the last day of school before winter vacation.  We should be out celebrating right now.”

She bounced restlessly on the bedding, as Tim absorbed the ruby dye soaking through her dressing.  He clenched his fist in crushing shame and repentance.

“I think… maybe we should stop seeing each other.”

She stiffened sharply, fixing him with a flabbergasted gape.

“…What?  Just now, that was… a joke, right?  You’re not serious?”

He regarded her with a grave grimace.  Confusion and dejection distressed her chest at such curt rejection.

“Tim Drake, are you actually breaking up with me?”

“Yes.  Let’s break up.”

There was zero emotion in his tenor, as her own lips quivered, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

“But…  But why?”

Tim exhaled as he spouted was probably the most cliché line in the history of bad breakups, but he didn’t really care about circumventing social pitfalls right now.

“It’s not you, it’s me.  I mean it. Nothing… good can come of being with me. I’ll only end up dragging you down.”

“Tim, don’t say that…”

“You got hurt because of me.  Besides, I… can’t do anything to make you happy.  Believe me, you’d be a whole lot better off without me in your life.”

“Tim…”

She tried to extend towards his hand, but he backed away.

“I’m sorry.”

He turned and fled before she could react, leaving her bewildered and brokenhearted beyond belief.  His own breast ached as it felt like something within him had shattered – shred into pieces once again.  Whatever light had been reignited was now eclipsed, extinguished by his own hand.  He should have known better, never tried to chase it in the first place.  Having been burned once before, only an utter fool would run right back into the flames.

…This is for the best.

For both of them.

…

It didn’t take long for Tim to realize he couldn’t well return to the residence hall without invoking his roommate’s wrath, so he was stuck outside for the time being.  Wandering back to the quad, he massaged his mitts together and blew out a puff of condensation, briefly wishing he still had some actual smokes on him right now.

Parking himself beneath the shadow of a barren tree, he idly surveyed the scene of classmates bidding goodbye before heading home for the holidays.  Some were being picked up by their parents, and his intestines constricted a tad more as the swarm of “normies” joyfully received their relatives whom they hadn’t seen in so long with hugs and ecstatic chatter.  He felt filthy – a black and ugly beetle, insignificant insect – petty and out of place compared to these bright, carefree families.  So Hallmark picture-perfect against a pristine postcard background, shining silver and gold.

Acquiring a fallen branch, he started to scratch absently at the slush, doodling a nostalgic depiction in the dirt.  Gradually, the symbol of a bat took shape – and beside it, a crude carving of two beings in capes – one big, one small.  He stared sullenly at the sketch for a minute, before striking the stick simultaneously through both stick figures’ axes in an “X”.

“Tim?”

He jumped, and hurriedly scraped over the rest of the illustration with his heel as he whirled around to face his… well, he supposed “ex” would indeed be the proper term to describe her now.

“Steph?  What are you doing here?”

“I managed to convince them to let me go.  Wanted to catch you before you left at least.”

She fumbled with a parcel in her hands.

“I know it’s kinda early, but… I wanted to give you your Christmas present. Didn’t want it to just go to waste, after I worked so hard on it and all.”

She fished inside the bag, and retrieved a folded red scarf.  It looked a little lumpy and misshapen, clearly clumsily homemade rather than a commercial product.

“Mom’s been teaching me how to knit.  It’s my first time making one, so it’s not very good, but I hope you’ll still wear it, and… think of me sometimes.  I guess now you could consider it something to remember me by?”

Tim remained reticent as she unraveled the muffler and draped it around his nape, tucking it tenderly so it was snug.  She reviewed her handiwork, nodding in admiring approval.

“As I thought.  You look good in red.”

Tim tugged the textile, fingering each fiber that was filled with such fondness – feeling his own thawing heartstrings being tugged at – torn.

“Why… would you go to all this trouble – for someone like me?”

She smiled.

“Isn’t it obvious?  It’s because I love you.”

…

“Eh?”

It took a bit for the statement to sink in, and the cloth’s color seemed to creep up his mug as the significance of the confession belatedly registered. She took his trembling skin in hers, keeping it cozy as his now cherished neck was.

“Plus I wanted to pay you back for letting me borrow your jacket,” she half-kidded, concealing her own blush behind blithe humor.

He shook his head.

“This is… too good for me.  You’re too good for me.  You shouldn’t have wasted your time…”

“Tim, how many times do I have to tell you?”  She squeezed his palm, praying he’d actually listen to – believe her for once.  Believe in himself. “You’re so much better than you think you are.  You’re kind, sweet, and caring – you’re not like any other guy I’ve dated before.  I like you for you, no matter what you or anyone else says.  If other people can’t see that, then to hell with all of them.”

He held her resolve for a long interval, before shyly expressing regret over his actions.

“Steph, I-”

She put a pointer to his lips before he could progress.

“Sh.  You’re forgiven.  Now let us never speak of splitting up over something minor like this again.”

Softening, she added:

“As for what I said before, you don’t need to answer me back right away. We don’t have to rush into anything if you’re not ready for it yet.  I’m happy so long as you’re happy.  As long as we’re together, that’s good enough for me.”

She boosted onto her boots’ toes to provide him an affectionate side-peck, sniggering as his cherry virtue exposed further at the gesture.  Yup, red really was his hue, it seemed.  …It suited him (more than he’d ever care – dare – to admit).

She started to separate, but he grasped back, bowing profoundly towards her as if to an angel.

“What… did I ever do to deserve you?”

He beseeched sincerely for a sign – that it was really okay for him to accept this much adoration from someone.

“Who knows,” she teased with a smug shrug, basking indulgently in flattering worship as she winked.  “Maybe it’s karma from a past life or something.”

Patting his hair like a puppy, she dotingly brushed off some sunken pearl beads from the strands – like a laurel of tinsel to match her own heavenly halo; planting another precious token on top in pardoned blessing – a starry seraph ornament – before bidding him rise.  As they strolled back to the quarters together, limbs still linked together in open broadcast of their bond, Steph piped up with another proposal.

“By the way, I wanted to ask you something else: I was wondering…  Do you want to come spend Christmas at my place? I already invited Cass to stay overnight on Christmas Eve, and Conner said he’d come too if you would.  Can you imagine it, both of them said they don’t have any plans this year, and that their folks were out of town.  I mean, what’s up with that?”  She shook her head.  “Christmas is supposed to be a time for people to spend together.  No one should have to be alone during the holidays.”

For the fleetest of seconds, an impression intruded on Tim’s conscience; of a solitary man holed up all by himself in a huge, vacant manor atop an isolated hill, hunched by the fireplace with a glass of brandy in hand, longing wistfully at his mother’s and father’s memorial portrait overlooking the mantle.  He urged it aside though, and smiled appreciatively at the offer.

“I’d love to.”  A nagging notion occurred however, as he agonized over accommodations on her behalf. “…Can your house really fit that many people though?”

She put on a persevering aura, pumping her fist.

“We’ll make it work somehow.  Worst comes to worst, we’ll just have to share some beds.”

He arrested in alarm at what she just said, as the implications dawned on both of them.  Steph swiftly endeavored to clarify, flailing and failing miserably.

“Uh, I mean, Cass and I can share a bed, of course!  I wasn’t insinuating anything else by it…”

The tables had reversed now as Tim snorted at her chagrin, and she grinned as well, goading his arm.  Clinging around it, she nuzzled up intimately against his shoulder, both marveling at the broad sky as it started to shed sparkling glitter again.  Safely cocooned by both her company and the gift she had granted him, there was no space left for someone else to come between; waking, walking nightmare to worm its way into his warmed spirit.

…And, for the first time in a long time, what he feels isn’t fear anymore – at allowing a new stranger into his narrowly confined world once again.  Chip through frigid barriers and sculpture’s solid shell in order to stir up the dormant globe – revive its stalled clock, frozen in stasis for so long.  Finally melting an age of presumed permafrost; nudging, encouraging cold feet to steadily begin moving forward again.

…

It’s hope.

————————–

Well keep it in mind I'm not as stable or able To use all my guts and turn over the tables Or open the door and stare the monster between the eyes But the times have turned and burned a hole in this heart Confronted the face of what tore my life apart And I'll start by living every moment like it was my last

[soleminisanction]

If you ever have the time/interest, would you break down the canon surrounding Stephanie’s economic circumstances/home life? It seems like a lot of people have chosen to take it a specific way so I’d love to see your reasoning

Sure. Thanks for asking, it's honestly a fun topic.

Y’know it’s funny—I actually happen to own something that I think most people, even most Steph fans, haven’t seen: Steph’s first appearance. Not her Robin first appearance, her Detective Comics first appearance, her actual introduction. I happened to pick them up by accident at a con a few years ago because they’re also some of Tim’s first cover appearances. 

Other people might disagree with me on this, but I like to go back to the characters’ origins whenever I can to find the baseline of what they were originally intended to be and try to bring later interpretations in line with that. I like to think of retcons as new revelations, new plot twists in an ongoing story, and not a way to reset aspects of the past just to fit your story. It works especially well for this because Steph’s socio-economic status doesn’t actually change, there’s just kind of a game of telephone that happens across the decades that leads people to misunderstand. 

One thing worth noting in these early issues is just how much Steph, a 16-year-old girl, has at her disposal before she ever even glimpses Batman and Robin. Literally the first shot we ever see of the Spoiler is this: 

And because I am, in fact, that kind of nerd, I have gone in a couple of times and dug out old era-appropriate electronics magazines to figure out what that piece of equipment would cost you in 1992. Baseline for a parabolic microphone is $600, and that price is for much larger, more delicate pieces of equipment meant to be used for like, outdoor nature shoots, which wouldn’t be able to hear through glass. Steph probably dropped $1,000 on that microphone alone. 

Remember also that her costume is homemade—she doesn’t have any other way of getting it. She’s also shown using some pretty elaborate climbing and painting gear, with no indication that they were stolen or borrowed or anything, and you can see that she’s got a pretty well-stocked utility belt there.

Again, for some reason people tend to forget or overlook this but, right up until she demanded Bruce make her Robin, Steph operated as Spoiler with zero Bat support. She got some hand-to-hand training from Cass late in the game and tagged along on some of Tim’s assignments, but was otherwise being actively discouraged from vigilantism for most of her career. She made her own costume, bought her own equipment, and maintained her own motorcycle, all without the financial support of either Batman or her parents. 

So right off the bat we know she’s a teenage girl with a not-insignificant amount of personal disposable income, the only hinted source of which is the implication she works a part-time job somewhere—which I don’t think is ever brought up again when she reappears in Robin. 

We all know minimum wage went further in 1992 than it does now, but it didn’t go that much further. So it’s reasonable to assume that Steph has access to at least some money from her parents to support her vigilante habit, whether that’s in the form of an allowance, gifts that she carefully manages between Christmas and birthdays, or money that she’s able to just, take from Crystal without her noticing. 

But this page is more important to our current interests because it’s also when we see Steph’s neighborhood for the first time. We’re told here that Steph and her mother (who is called Mrs. Agnes Bellinger in this comic, although it’s possible she was using a fake name to visit her ex in prison) live in what is described as “115 South Holden Street, in Manchester.” 

Now keep in mind, the Gotham City map can be extremely fluid and tends to change depending on the needs of the story. But there have been attempts to map it, and “Manchester” has never been on any of those maps, so we have to do some extrapolation. At the very least, we can tell the neighborhood is clearly not in the city, given the very deliberate angle there in the first panel to show that they’re well away from the crowded downtown Gotham skyline.

This implies that Manchester is intended to be one of the mainland suburbs that feeds the island city of Gotham, similar to Bristol Township where the Wayne and Drake Manors are located. It’s not nearly as nice a neighborhood as Bristol—note the fenced-in front lawns, the broken shutters on the neighboring houses, and the vaguely racist lawn ornament on the Brown’s property—but it’s also not some rundown slum. People aren’t afraid to let kids play in their front yards or leave their garage doors standing open. And you'll note those aren't trailers, either, they're decently-sized suburban homes.

Also worth noting: Crystal seems to keep this house perfectly fine on her own as a single mother. Arthur doesn’t live with them; when he’s shown having residences it tends to be apartments in the city by himself, and it’s not like he could support them from prison or with his ill-gotten criminal gains. And yet, we don’t see Steph or Crystal worrying at all about bills or mortgages or anything like that throughout any of their appearances. We see the interior of their house on several occasions and, while it’s often messy, it’s not in disrepair or neglect.

This is a constant portrayal throughout all of Steph's appearances, from Robin through even her run as Batgirl. So, with that in mind, where does the idea that Steph is poor come from? Well, I’ve got a couple of theories.

One is the usual comics fandom problem: canon is huge, nobody can keep up with all of it, and some people go out of their way to be assholes about it, so misinformation gets spread like wildfire, in no small part because Steph is a character that a lot of people use as a self-insert and therefore she must be the misunderstood underdog in all things.

But on the more-interesting-to-talk-about front… I don’t think it’s controversial to say that Steph’s first big storyline was her pregnancy. Yeah? Like, it’s the first story involving her that really started getting critical attention. Whether it deserves that attention is more open to debate—personally, since reading Icon & Rocket for the first time, I’ve come to view it as Dixon pulling the comic book equivalent of white guys repackaging black music and watering it down—but the important thing right now is that it’s the first time people would’ve been specifically reading the Robin comics for Stephanie Brown. And in those comics, Steph’s house is shown as visibly run-down, covered in cracks and disrepair.

Thing is, there’s a context that people miss if you’re reading for the baby storyline and nothing else: this storyline plays out over the last days of “Aftershock” and early months of “No Man’s Land,” the storyline where Gotham is racked by a destructive earthquake that nearly levels the city and is abandoned by the federal government.

Again, we get the reinforced confirmation that Steph’s house isn’t actually in Gotham because it’s not destroyed in the quake—the neighborhood is damaged and briefly evacuated due to a gas line rupture in the immediate aftermath, but once that’s cleared up they’re free to return home, and their suburb is not part of the federal government's evacuation. Nearly every building in Gotham is shown with similar damage during this time, including Drake Manor. 

This storyline also plays into, I think, the stereotypes that people jump on when it comes to Steph’s socioeconomic status. Like I’ve mentioned before: Arthur is a criminal, Crystal is a drug addict, and Steph is a teen mom. Therefore, they must be poor, right? Because good middle class families supposedly don’t have those kinds of problems.

But, as I’ve mentioned before, that’s an inaccurate stereotype that ignores reality: plenty of drug addicts, criminals and teen moms live in the suburbs. And the Browns’ specific circumstances are distinctly atypical of the stereotype—Arthur’s not some down-on-his-luck thief pushed to crime by economic hardship, he’s an arrogant former gameshow host who thinks he’s smarter than everyone else and resents the world for not handing him the success he feels entitled to. Crystal’s not some crack addict, she’s a working nurse who used to get her doctor friends to write her scripts for prescription painkillers. And Steph is just a teenage girl who slept with a boy and got pregnant, with the costs of prenatal care and/or childrearing never seeming to be a factor in her decision to bring the child to term and give it up for adoption. 

I could go on but that’s pretty much the long and short of it: Steph is simply not shown as being poor in the comics. Ever. She’s not rich, she does clearly rely on her fists much more than any gadgets or fancy gear and lives with her mother rather than moving out on her own for college, but she’s also never shown worrying about student loans and can apparently pay for all her classes with some government assistance and a part-time job alone.

People just assume that she’s poor because they’re misinformed, or they’re projecting, or they’ve got biases they haven’t examined, or they need her to be an underdog to justify their argument against one of the other characters, or they really want her to be buddy-buds with Jason for some reason. 

Or, y’know, they just don’t want to acknowledge that they’re rooting for a middle-class white girl from the suburbs who commutes into the inner city to pick fights for fun.