#Damned if you do; Cain

[ashoss]

side profiles.. save me. save me side profiles....

[dick-meister]

There was little stopping him from staring at her lips and even less to stop his other hand cupping her other cheek. What was he doing? God he didn’t know, not at all but he wanted something very badly. He wanted to be close to her again, to feel what he had so much that it made him sick.

Before he knew it, he’s getting closer to her, his eyelids fall briefly, his head tilts “We can… dance now… if you’d like…?” Suddenly he couldn’t breathe, it’s as if someone had taken his ability to breathe altogether and yet he doesn’t let up.

That was… until something had fallen, knocked over and a crash rang out in the large room they were in which caused Cain to jolt and take a step back. He didn’t get the chance to see anyone but what he did see was the small foot that may belong to a specific tiny maid as she fled out the room.

Cain sighs and removes his hands from her. “Sorry, maybe now’s not a good time.” He will… burn that bug maid over a damn fire…

Don’t mind Cain checking her out from afar, very obviously too.

Charlie was busy doing some more menial tasks, mostly stocking the front desk with pamphlets and forms. So it took more than a few moments to realize that Cain was there.

"Oh! Hi Cain! Didn't see you there!"

[autisticrosewilson]

It's not that I hate fanon or that I think fanon is inherently less intelligent or morally wrong, but a LOT of fanon is based in racism, misogyny, and classism that I feel like a lot of you accept without question.

WHY is Duke (Daredevil, son of a god, has never once allowed himself to be defined by anyone's actions but his own) relegated to a background role, only characterized by reacting to the whims of other bats?

Why is Babs - Birds of Prey leader and backbone of the hero society, tells Bruce to fuck off and die 4 times a day and is constantly ruining her relationships by being biased and unhinged - Gotham bound, the mature responsible mom of the group who never argues with Bruce and never gets in trouble?

Why is Dick, both a tactical genius and master manipulator, a himbo only appreciated for his sex appeal? Especially when he is both Romani (group of people demonized and condemned as hypersexual by their nature alone) and an SA victim.

WHY is Damian "feral" and "uncivilized" despite being raised as a literal prince? Half of you treat him like a sociopath with no hope of redemption for an unfunny three second joke and the other half of you go full throttle into Bruce's white savior bullshit so that Damian can be "redeemed". Y'know when you're not villainizing Talia and acting like Dick is his other parent, actually.

WHY is Stephanie - extremely intelligent detective who can't stand Bruce and has a living mother she loves - lumped in as another member of the Batfam, a blonde ditz who only cares about prank wars and emotionally supporting Tim?

WHY is Cass - intelligent, a grown adult, suicidal perfectionist - emotionally intelligent, primarily existing to support the characters around her, immediately accepting of everyone she meets regardless of her own morals?

Why is Bruce the golden standard? Enough so that though everyone in the fandom could agree that he's an emotionally unstable wreck, being considered "the most like him" is seen as a compliment and not the HIGHEST insult? Everyone would agree if I said that Bruce purposely self sabotages his relationship half the time and the other half he simply does things without caring about the emotional impact it will have on people because he has to be the smartest in the room, but if I said that makes him a shit partner and emotionally abusive parent the fandom would bend over backwards to argue with me.

Why is Tim "the best Robin" when Dick Grayson invented the mantle, it is impossible for someone to embody the spirit of Robin better than him because he made it and he created what being Robin means. Maybe Tim is the best in Bruce's eyes, but what Robin means and who has the right to give it over was a significant thing they argued about. Tim the high school drop out, and yet also somehow the smartest? Tim "the most like Bruce" except no he's not, that's Cass. Poor neglected, abused, victimized little Timmy (the rich boy at the elite boarding school with loving albeit busy parents and almost every instance of him being victimized by another character has either been racist bullshit - The Al Ghuls and Rose Wilson- or a complete 180 for the character that made no sense when examined through the lens of prior characterization - Jason for instance.)

Almost every fanon trope that gets passed around like gospel seems to deliberately push POC characters and women into the background and strip them of interesting complex traits and stories, usually for the purpose of fitting them all into bite sized incorrect quote character types and uncomplicated narrative roles that are not only completely divergent from canon, but primarily exist to prop up the two rich white boys.

Also the insistence that Bruce, a 20 year old at the time, should actually be excused for how much he mentally and emotionally fucked Dick up because really they're more like siblings! While deciding that Dick at the same age was actually the perfect candidate to be Damian's new parent/guardian...have you lost the fucking plot you don't even make sense to yourselves.

Okay I lied at the beginning, I do hate fanon. You guys are so uncritical about the media you consume it is BEYOND just letting people enjoy things and have fun. I guess it's one thing if you KNOW this stuff isn't canon and UNDERSTAND why these tropes are problematic and you engage with it as such, it's fine read and write what you want, but just spreading the same nonsense around and parading it around as "better than canon" (version of the character so bland and boring you've somehow made the old white men at DC look like geniuses in the art of representation) is just infuriating.

[theloneotaku158]

As of Batman: The Brave and the Bold #12, local precious-gremlin-who-I-would-die-for, Maps Mizoguchi, is now officially(?) the sixth Robin. Or at the very least, she's now "in" on The Secret™.

If this isn’t a set up for her taking up the Robin mantle officially then I genuinely don’t know what is.

As one of the twelve Gotham Academy enjoyers in existence, I am having the extremely normal reaction of "FUCKING FINALLY! LET'S FUCKING GOOOOO--!"

In all honesty, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't seen this coming from miles away. Like, Maps has appeared in a number of seemingly random cameo roles recently, including Batgirls (2021), and even technically as Robin in the backup issues of Batman (2016) #119-121, and in a short story in Batman Black & White. And most of those got collected in a standalone titled "Maps of Mystery", which specifically gathered all her appearances as Robin (and the Gotham Academy Belle Reve story).

And then, of course, her recent time-travelling Future-Trunks-esque appearance in Birds of Prey (2023), as the tech-based Meridian, from a potential future timeline where she apparently makes it as a superhero using gadgets she apparently designed, proving that she's hero material.

That's not something you do for a character for no reason. That's the sort of thing you do when you want to keep a character in the conscience of your readers for whatever reason, because you have bigger plans for them.

Also interesting to consider that, in the "Mother's Day" story where this took place, Alfred is standing right there and not lying down six feet under wood, dirt and a stone slab, and that Bruce is in the old Batcave under the manor so he still has Money™. So we must assume this was some nebulous time in the past (after GA: Second Semester(?), but before City of Bane)... which I won't bother to analyse the exact timeframe of because DC doesn't care about the post-Flashpoint / New 52 / Rebirth / Prime Earth / idfk / Dawn of DC timeline, so neither should I.

But I think it's really funny that this presumably means Maps has known The Secret™ for a long time relative to present-day comics, but always acted like she didn't.

But if all her appearances are in chronological order, that means Bruce is only the fourth Bat whose identity she discovered.

Like, she discovered Cass' identity almost by accident on a trip to the zoo, Damian showed off his grapple gun and gave her an actual Batarang during the three hours he was enrolled in the school (as if she wouldn't immediately put two-and-two together even back then), and she even found out Terry fucking McGuinness would become Batman in a future via a time-travelling grandfather clock.

No I did not make that last part up. Read Gotham Academy istg.

Did Cass know that Maps had been acting as a Robin when she met her, both at the zoo in Batgirls and her future version in Birds of Prey?

Does Damian know the one (1) friend(?) he made in Gotham Academy is potentially in the running for his job?

Is Bruce himself aware that she knows as much about their identities as she currently does?

How is DC going to retcon this so it all makes sense in the barely-functioning canon of the modern DC universe?

I'm digressing. Where was I going with this?

Point is, she's destined to become a Robin, and I'm glad DC finally pulled their fingers out their asses and capitalised on that destiny.

Let's just hope it doesn't take another year for them to follow up on this plotline again.

Bonus: Jason Todd, after learning of Bruce taking yet another happy kid under his wing as yet another Robin, giving her some advice:

[dick-meister]

You’ve encountered the boy! He blep!

[dick-meister]

Suddenly, wings… He could feel them, a light flutter of his new appendages was heard, he looks under his arm and sees the feathers and his eyes widen, he couldn’t see his halo at all but he knew it was there.

“Wait… You mean I’m… I’m a….” The kiss to his forehead was all that was needed to break the welling of tears in his eyes and cause a flood of them to tumble down his cheeks. Relief, for both redemption and being out of purgatory. Fuck… he didn’t know what to do with himself, never did he think it was possible for him to be redeemed but… Here he was.

Quickly, he wiped his tears away, this wasn’t the time for him to weep, he remembered why he was sent in the first place and where he needed to be.

“Thank you ma’am… But I need to go back now. Please. They need me.”

@dick-meister

"Now look into my eyes and be sent away."

Sera said as she had taken Cain for the moment, giving him a task to solve on his own. Though the time be swift for others, his own will be long and full of peril. His journey will be unforgiving, the first to fall, and just maybe the first redeemer.

Let his thousand year task in his own purgatory with the protection of Charlotte's soul, begin.

[empheralnyx]

ARACHNE MELINOË LENSTRANG

MAJOR: freshman in Yale University, majoring in Biology

LANGUAGES: English, Latin, Dutch, Mandarin, Arabic

EXTRACURRICULARS: Vocals, Violin, Speech and Debate

HAMARATIA: Hubris

AESTHETIC: goth

FRIENDLY: Arachne h a t e s being mean, and strives to be warm and welcoming even to the most cold people (minus C. Lacroix). Arachne hopes to be well-liked by everyone at Yale, and dislikes being seen as rude or unfriendly. However, just because of her friendly nature doesn’t mean she’ll take shit

PRAGMATIC: Arachne tends to take a more logical approach to problems and situations. Calculating to sometimes the point of apathy, she makes sure to take her emotions of the picture when approaching something from all angles. However, that doesn’t mean she won’t be convinced by an emotionally-driven argument

SHY: When it comes to romance, she’s almost as bad at it as cooking. She gets to caught up with her thoughts to actually do something, and it doesn’t help with how bad her last relationship went in high school. Her shyness can lead to more embarrassing situations however, which she cringes at when the day is done.

OPTIMIST: Arachne always strives to view the best in people, situations, and the world. However, sometimes her optimism can come a bit left-field, and can hide her own fears. Arachne’s hopefulness can sometimes lead her to despair, though.

C. LACROIX: She wants to put aside their rivalry, but at the same time she feeds into it a bit. They bring out her more competitive and argumentative side. She lowkey can’t handle them, but also admires their intellect and strive.

V. NÆSHOLM: Genuinly likes them! Was a bit apprehensive of them at the beginning but tried to be nice and brushed it off. Wants them to get out of their shell a little more, and is happy they’re her roommate.

W. OSTENDORF: …who? (jk jk she used to be really close friends with W. Once she meets them again, she’s sure to like them. But also the thought of “do I know them?” Keeps appearing in the back of her mind. They’re to…familiar to just be a stranger, right?)

D. DIACONU: Thinks they’re really fun and is honestly a bit confused how stuck-up lacroix can handle them. She vibes with them but also feels a bit like lacroix whenever she’s near them. A fan of The Vignettes as well—they make cool music!

M. WHITLOCK-SINGH: Tbh, she’s a bit intimated by them. But she also thinks they’re really nice and a tad bit overworked. Likes talking about philosophy with them, and thinks they’re cooking is the best thing she has ever eaten. (almost as good as her cooking though 😔)

Still is handling the death of her mom in less-then-healthy ways, and is a bit apprehensive of Elias dating again

Lowkey stingy of her height

Has a huge savior complex

Has strong morals, and can’t fathom the thought of killing someone. (bit of a hypocrite though)

Usually tries to walk out of arguments and fights (flight response) but when it comes to people she cares about it’s a different story

Likes and frequently does dad jokes

When she gets comfy w/ people she unleashes the brainrot

Jealousy scale of 4/5 🧍🏽‍♀️

Her name is based on off the myth of Arachne who was a ARROGANT weaver in Greek mythology and angered the gods

“IT CAN ONLY GO UP FROM HERE, RIGHT?” - Arachne’s famous last words

tagging my dude @childrenofcain-if and um stop putting cocaine in ur if cus i cant get it out of my head 😒

[bruhstation]

you who I called brother, how could you have come to hate me so?

[lostandbackagain]

valkyrie cain moodboard pt.5 🧍‍♀️

pt. 4 pt. 3 pt. 2 pt. 1

[dick-meister]

He was planning on sleeping in too, unfortunately for him his sister had other plans for him as his door was kicked in and suddenly he was lifted into the air and shaken like a soda bottle.

"Hey! Hey! Put me the fuck down!!!"

He hated she had such annoying ass abilities like this, it was hard to get out of and being left to her mercy was... Sometimes terrifying.

"Aclima I swear to Lucifer I will kick your ass twice as hard than last Sinsmass! Also Merry Sinsmass!"

Aclima, how do you like to celebrate the holidays? Christmas? Sinsmas? Both? Neither? Something else?

After bursting through her stupid brother's shack door, she picks him out of bed using her polarity by activating it on the metal in his blood, lifting him, and shaking him all around mid-air.

"Like this."

"MERRY SINSMASS YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE."

Giving Cain a good jostling on Sinsmass morning was the highlight of her holiday.

Muse mention: @dick-meister

[dick-meister]

"Cain you jerk. How could you get me sick like this. I hate you." She moans and kicks her twin in the leg as they share his bed to get through this awful Hell Cold.

@dick-meister

"Right, cause you're the only one suffering." Cain shakes his head, his arm curling around one of hers to gently rub at her wrist, no doubt she was at the point of pain where all her muscles ached. thankfully he wasn't at that point anymore. "Quit using so much energy already, you're supposed to be relaxing."

[kenobers]

What kind of music do you think the other Batboys listen to? (If you're interested in them ofc)

okay, first of all this is my first ask!! hello!! and it's about music, so extra bonus points to you!! 🌟

second of all, of course i'm interested in the other batboys! i'm working on their spotify wrappeds right now. for anyone’s who interested, here is my spotify!!

these are what i personally think each of them lean towards music wise based on canon and my own headcanons, please don’t stomp on me if you disagree :-)

Dick listens to clown music i really only found one panel of Dick listening to music and it was mostly Original Pilipino Music and mostly ballads, which i love. it also lends itself to Dick being a fan of indie and soft rock, as well very much being a child of the 90s. The Cure and Billy Joel are artists i see him enjoying. i know a lot of people envision him as a pop fan and i think he specifically listens to early rock-pop music from the 70s; think ABBA, the Carpenters, Donna Summer, artists who would mix well with his affection for balladeers. My self indulgent headcanon is that he's a huge Fleetwood Mac and Mavis Staples fan. i think it's a legal obligation to have an appreciation for grunge to be part of the batfam, but i think he sticks with the basics.

Jason canonically likes Slipknot, Lacuna Coil and Poison Idea (which i forgot to include on his spotify wrapped, oops). however, given his background, his continued interest in being connected to the streets of a large east coast city and the fact that we know he loves good writing, he's definitely a 90s east coast hip-hop guy. i really envision him being a huge Wu-Tang Clan fan (as we should all be) and DMX wrote his theme song Where The Hood At. both the metal/punk and hip-hop genres have heavily political roots and the flaws of political systems are a common theme, which is something he’d appreciate. however, i think Jason's criteria for adding a song to his spotify is if it's good. he's not a snob, he just likes his music to be loud and have good lyricism. he likes to be able to relate to it, whereas Dick would be more about the vibe. i love the idea that he's into Jack Johnson when he wants a softer sound. he also gives me major Artic Monkeys vibes.

Tim canonically likes The Clash, Green Day (i think this is another one they all have in common) and i believe Oasis. so one could comfortably deduce that he's into punk rock, early alternative and brit pop (which makes sense, these all tend to go hand-in-hand). i think he would be fond of alternative and indie, like i think he would dig Steve Lacy and Frank Ocean (he's also a bisexual man in his late teens/early twenties who's heavily online, so i feel like it's also a fairly safe bet that he listens to Frank and probably Tyler too). i think he goes through strong phases of certain artists/genres. i think, like Jason, he likes to be able to relate to his music, but he’s also a bit of a music snob.

Steph's most streamed artist is Mucous Membrane. i get strong punk rock, punk pop vibes from her. she likes anything she can scream along to. My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Avril Lavigne, Pierce The Veil, Hollywood Undead. she definitely had a very strong Panic! At The Disco era. she's got a soft spot for Megadeath too. but i think she’s also more than capable (and willing) to scream along to some bubbly pop music too.

Duke has been seen singing The Man on The Flying Trapeze by Spike Jones. granted, this is a fairly well known song and it had a specific context, but i also kind of love the idea that Duke listens to jazz, like also has a lot of Chet Baker and Billie Holiday saved. that’s his time-to-lock-in music. then i could also see him digging a genre that samples a lot of these artists, like r&b and hip-hop. i see Kendrick Lamar pop up on a lot of Duke playlists and i’m inclined to agree. i’d also add Jay-Z to the mix. a good chunk of his spotify wrapped is stuff he plays to get hyped up, which can vary quite a bit. there’s some Fall Out Boy, Chase Atlantic, Rihanna and some classic rock. i think he also daydreams to Holding Out for A Hero quite a bit as well.

honestly, i feel like Cass pulls the most from everyone else’s playlists. i would say that she’s family spotify stalker, but frankly i feel like she uses youtube music. anyways, her personal tastes would lean more towards the sad girl side; Halsey, Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Mazzy Star. maybe Penelope Scott and Grimes - i could see her vibing with the combination of the sad girl feel and a unique sort of sound. thanks to Jason, she also digs System of A Down. for Cass especially music is an emotional outlet, so i think she’d be drawn to more emotional stuff. that said, she’s definitely an ABBA girl.

i see people try to argue that Jason would listen to musicals, but if anyone is the secret theater kid, it’s for sure Damian. he likes the drama and the flair of a megamusical and as such, a couple of songs from The Phantom of The Opera make their way onto his playlist (he secretly relates to certain aspects of the storyline but he won’t say that part out loud). he’s a musician himself so it’s not hard to imagine him enjoying someone as genius as Sondheim, although i imagine he’s very picky about which cast albums/recordings he spins. he listens to a lot of classic music, with a special appreciation for Bach as he’s more or less the violin king. but Beethoven’s got a little more flair. i think he also has a playlist of songs he picked up from his siblings and Superboy

i think they all share an appreciation for Nirvana, The Pixies, The Spice Girls and A Tribe Called Quest.

and i do think The Spice Girls comes strongly from Dick’s influence.

what do y’all think they listen to?

[overly-hubristic-mad-scientist]

So fucking wild how Herbert spent years working with Gruber to develop the reagent in an ethical, above the board way only to fucking use it on people he killed like a few weeks after he fucking died

[iaminjail]

woke reani be like helga west: relesbianator

[crowrave]

The best of my armor and amulets I have are all Atlantean Cursed so poor Crown has to suffer for some good stats

Below are the alts (Without darker cover, + no text)

This surprisingly only took an hour because of the shading and struggle to make the red spirit thing all wispy

[messrmoonyy]

Chapter 6 literally just batters you constantly I hate this stupid game