#You just have to pretend you live in Gotham and tell a story like the Joker set a truck on fire

[thesillydoll]

I wish Oz would follow me on Tiktok like Maroni. I'm sure it would boost his ego to see the edits and the thirsty comments.

[messenger-of-babel]

Dick Grayson Who...

Summary: Thoughts about your relationship with Dick Grayson.

Word Count: 1.3K

Notes: Was written in a half daze if I'm being honest.

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Thinking about a Dick Grayson who...

Is hardly ever home and has hardly ever been since you began your relationship. When he is home, he sleeps heavily and is exhausted in everything he does. Yet he still finds just enough time to talk to you when you climb into bed, forcing his eyes to stay awake so he can listen to you talk about your day. Little do you know that he fights to stay awake because hearing your stories is the favourite part of his night.

Thinking about a Dick Grayson who...

Comes home black and blue, and not just in the suit. In fact, you don't even know the suit exists, stashed behind his tuxes worn only for Bruce's galas and date nights. He comes back riddled with bruises that shiver under your touch, and he feels like he's been beaten all over again when he sees the grimace and worried expression on your face. It all comes to a head one night when you tearfully confront him, asking if he's fallen into the wrong crowd, and if he's in trouble. You offer him a way out if he is, worriedly telling him that you'll ask your friend at the GCPD to put him in protection if he needs to be. He assured you that wasn't the case and you reluctantly bought it. The subsequent patrols were noticed by Robin and Spoiler, with many less quips than usual from the cocky vigilante and him dodging before any thug could lay more than a hand on him.

Thinking about a Dick Grayson who...

Takes you to every and any gala that Bruce throws, despite his half-hearted attendance at those events before. He had enjoyed them of course, more than his other family members at least, but not to this extent. Now everyone knew that he was an expected face at whatever fundraiser or ball that was held in the Wayne name, but very little knew why. Only a few knew that he went to every event just so he could have you on his arm, all dressed up and beaming with the smile that lit up his world. That every gala was an excuse to be able to kneel down in front of the bed as you put on your heels, taking the shoe from you so he could do it himself, or to let his fingers brush against the back of your neck as he fastened the necklace he got you last anniversary.

Thinking about a Dick Grayson who...

Worries constantly that you'll find out that he's Nightwing, but more than that, that you'll leave him if you do. Who sneaks home to slip in next to you every night, pretending that he hadn't left. When he wraps you back up in his arms and can feel the tension of his patrol melt away, he can almost pretend he never did. He fiddles with your hair as you sleep, lost in thought and eyes boring into whatever wall or ceiling is his victim that night, running over all the ways he could tell you if he only had the courage. If he wasn't so scared of you leaving, but more than that, if he wasn't so scared of you wanting to join him.

Thinking about a Dick Grayson who...

Has his identity revealed regardless, in a way that he hadn't planned. The suit was his second skin, the persona he had lived and breathed in more than the life of Dick Grayson, until you came along and brought Dick Grayson a life he never knew he wanted. When Red Hood had called in over the coms, letting everyone know that the Bristol area of North Gotham was the target area of Scarecrow's fear gas, he hadn't thought twice. His heart beat as if he himself was affected by the fear gas, slamming hard against his ribs to the point it hurt as he raced to your apartment. He had thrown open the door in a hurry, out of breath and Batman yelling in his ear to fall back. You had just stared at him as he ran to you in the kitchen, gripping your arms and telling you to leave. It was only once he caught sight of himself in the shiny fridge reflection that he glimpsed the black and blue of his second skin, blood freezing in his veins. He looked to you, your eyes widened in shock and mind trying to process everything.

He wasn't sure whether to cry or laugh as you opened your mouth, lips curling into a confused smile and shrugging lightly.

"At least it's not drugs."

Thinking about a Dick Grayson who...

Feels like the weight of the world is off his shoulders as you accept and understand his night life. Any scolding of Batman for revealing his identity pales in the light of your worry when he comes home, and the constant fussing of your hands turning his face. He would never admit the selfish part of himself that likes the nights that you stay up, tucked into bed with the bedside lamp on, book in your lap. Your eyes are always tired when he appears at the windowsill of your bedroom, and there's no greater joy to him now than not having to sneak into bed. Instead, you welcome him in with open arms and a tired smile, a siren's call to him after a rough night. The light in your eyes is still flickering despite your exhaustion, and he takes it all in before kissing you on the forehead with a soft, "Sorry I'm late." Then he leans over the both of you to turn off your lamp, book discarded on the bedside table as he settles into the darkness with you for sleep, muscles relaxing under the warm weight of your body against his.

Thinking about a Dick Grayson who...

Decides one day that he doesn't want to be your boyfriend anymore.

He wants to be more than that, wants to be something where he can feel closer to you than he already does. he craves it, and it’s clear in the way he trawls through jewellers on his days off, searching for something in particular. He wants the days of coming into the kitchen to see your sleepy form making coffee to last forever. He wants to be the one with you when you grumble about work and wipe the frustrated tears from your face when you get overwhelmed. There's no one else he'd rather send flowers to at work when he felt bored, or swing by to take on coffee dates in their lunch break. He wanted to be there for every birthday and Christmas and Valentines Day, to see you smile at whatever he had carefully wrapped just for you. He wanted to be there to see you bathed in candlelight at every anniversary dinner, except this time he wanted the anniversary to be for something else. As he watched how you laughed with Alfred in the sitting room of Wayne manor after a family dinner, his heart thudded violently. The old man cast a knowing glance at the way Dick wiped his palms on his dress pants, and the harsh swallow of his throat. Everyone else had left earlier to grab either drinks or dessert before curling up by the fireplace, giving him the perfect opportunity. The old man bowed at you, making up a kind excuse that he needed to fetch something for Bruce. As he passed Dick, he gave him a fatherly smile, calming his nerves only slightly. When your eyes meet his it’s like his heart as stopped, your smile chasing away the cold the beginning of winter brought. He smiled back, and it's like the world was lifted from his shoulders as he approached you, the weight of the sapphire studded ring in his pocket now non-existent.

Thinking about a Dick Grayson who...

Wants nothing more than to be your forever.

[littleredwing89]

FAMOUS [PART THREE]

Bodyguard!Jason Todd x Singer!Reader

Summary: There was something about the way the dim light softened his features, made his usual tough-guy exterior seem more approachable.

Warnings: None really. Building tension between you & Jason.

A/N: So here is a very-very-VERY long overdue part 3 - Wooo!! 💛💛 if it makes you all feel better - I have completely written this story (40k words approx) so I’ll just post 1 or 2 chapters a week for you. I’m sorry this took so long my loves 😘😘 - sending all my love & please enjoy the next chapter - I really hope it was worth the wait.

Elle xoxo ❤️❤️❤️

———

HARDER THAN NECESSARY

———

***

The apartment was eerily quiet, the soft hum of the city beyond the window the only sound filling the space. You tiptoed across the hardwood floors, your oversized college sweater hanging loosely on your frame, hoping to make it to the door without disturbing the brick wall of a man currently asleep down the hall.

Just as your fingers brushed the doorknob, a loud click echoed through the room.

“Freeze,” Jason’s deep, gravelly voice commanded, his gun trained on you in an instant. His eyes were sharp, scanning you for a threat before recognition dawned on his face.

“Holy shit,” you gasped, raising your hands slowly. “Slow down, cowboy.”

Jason cursed under his breath, quickly holstering the gun. “Shit. Why are you sneaking around your own house?”

“Because!” you snapped, not wanting to admit why you were really sneaking out. The idea of telling him you were trying to repay him for the burger and chips he got you last week was… embarrassing, to say the least. “I am… I just…”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Why are you dressed sketchy?”

“It’s comfy, sue me,” you huffed, tugging at the hem of the oversized sweater.

“Don’t tempt me,” Jason muttered, crossing his arms and planting himself between you and the door like the human wall he was.

“Look, just go back to bed,” you sighed, trying to push past him. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

But Jason didn’t budge. “You’re not going out.”

“Yes, I am,” you shot back, frustration bubbling up. “Alone.”

Jason’s expression darkened, his body language shifting from casual to protective in an instant. “No—I’m going with you. Let me just get a jacket.” He reached for his brown leather jacket draped over the kitchen barstool.

“No!!” you blurted, panic rising in your chest. You hadn’t planned for him to come along. “I’ll be fine! I do this all the time on my own! I really don’t need an escort.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed as he grumbled, “This is why Mr. Sionis hired me. You can’t do this shit alone anymore—it isn’t safe.”

“Roman’s an overprotective idiot,” you muttered, arms crossed over your chest. “He doesn’t know the half of what I do.”

Jason sighed, clearly losing patience. “We either go together, or you don’t go at all.”

You looked down at the floor, knowing you were defeated. All you wanted was to repay Jason’s kindness from before, but now it felt like the universe was against you. Keeping your emotions in check, you let out a long breath. “I’m not used to this…” you muttered.

Jason softened just a little, sensing your frustration. “Let me go with you. I’ll pay. If we pretend it’s a date, people are less likely to even recognise you.”

Your face flushed pink at his suggestion. “What?!”

Jason fumbled, his own face heating up. “Just—just pretend! Look, I’m here to stay, okay? Mr. Sionis wants you safe, so we should probably get to know each other better. I mean, I am living in your box room down the hall.”

You shot him a look. “It’s not a box room—I gave you a room with a nice view of Gotham.”

Jason smirked, clearly amused. “You’re deflecting.”

With a dramatic sigh, you threw your hands up. “Fine. But I’m driving.”

Jason tossed you his keys, surprising you. “Don’t scratch it. I just got it fixed up.”

You smirked, twirling the keys in your hand. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt your baby.”

Jason’s face flushed slightly as he looked away. “You better not, or you’ll be paying for her next paint job.”

You grinned mischievously. “Her? Does she have a name, tough guy?”.

Jason ignored your teasing, shrugging on his jacket. “Come on—I thought you were hungry.”

Stifling a laugh, you headed out the door, calling back over your shoulder, “Yes, sir.”

Jason bit back the smile threatening to spread across his face, trying to ignore the way that “sir” made his stomach twist in a way it definitely shouldn’t.

——

The diner was quiet, the low hum of neon lights flickering above as you and Jason sat across from each other in one of the old booths. When the food arrived, Jason reached for his wallet, but before he could pull it out, you quickly slipped your card over the machine with a smug smile.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Jason grumbled, clearly caught off guard.

“I know,” you replied, giving him a teasing smile. “But it’s nice to repay the favor, y’know?”

Jason gave you a rare, small smile. “Thanks.”

You nodded, a little flutter of satisfaction warming your chest. “However, if I’d known that, I would’ve ordered more,” Jason teased, leaning back in his seat.

You rolled your eyes, playfully scoffing. “Jerk.”

“Eh, sue me.”

You tried to focus on your food, but your eyes kept drifting back to Jason as he casually leaned back in his leather jacket, looking more relaxed than you’d ever seen him. There was something about the way the dim light softened his features, made his usual tough-guy exterior seem more approachable.

Jason noticed you staring and raised an eyebrow. “What? Is there something on my face?” He wiped at his chin, checking for stray ketchup.

Flushing red, you shook your head quickly. “No! No… sorry, I just zoned out. I was thinking about a new song I’m working on.”

Jason smiled, the edges of his lips tugging upward. “Yeah, I heard some of it last night. Or, well, early this morning.”

Your eyes widened. “Oh shit, sorry—I didn’t realise the noise carried that far down the hall.”

Jason shrugged, his smile still lingering. “It’s not a complaint. It sounded great.”

You were about to say something in return, something sweet and appreciative, but Jason—being Jason—slurped his drink loudly through the straw, completely killing the mood. You furrowed your brow, muttering, “Mood kill.”

Jason looked at you, confused. “What?”

“Nothing,” you said with a sigh, glancing at the clock. “We should probably head back.”

——

The drive back to the apartment was quieter than usual, but not uncomfortable. Jason had his elbow resting on the car door, his other hand draped casually on his thigh, looking out at the city lights. You glanced at him every now and then, trying to shake the lingering thoughts of how natural it felt having him beside you.

As you stopped at a red light, you couldn’t help but ask, “So, you really heard me working on the song last night?”

Jason nodded, glancing over at you. “Yeah. You’re good. Like… really good. You’re not just some pretty face in a band.”

You felt your face heat up. “Thanks, but you don’t have to say that just because you’re protecting me.”

“I’m not,” he said, his tone more serious than you expected. “I mean it. You’ve got talent. Don’t let Roman’s overprotectiveness make you forget that.”

The compliment caught you off guard. Jason wasn’t the type to throw praise around carelessly, and hearing it from him made it feel different. More genuine. You smiled, turning back to the road as the light turned green. “That means a lot coming from you.”

Jason shifted slightly, as if uncomfortable with the sentimentality. “Yeah, well… don’t get used to it. I’ve got a tough reputation to keep.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that, the sound filling the car. “Sure, big guy. I’ll keep your secret.”

The rest of the drive passed quickly, and soon enough, you were pulling into the underground parking lot of your building. You killed the engine and sat there for a moment, neither of you moving to get out.

Jason was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat. “You really didn’t need to sneak out earlier, y’know. I get that you like your independence, but… I’m here to help. You don’t have to do everything on your own.”

Your hand hesitated on the car door handle, his words sinking in. He wasn’t just talking about tonight. He was talking about more than that—about your habit of handling things solo, even when it wasn’t safe. You bit your lip, looking down at your hands. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the help… It’s just hard to adjust to having someone around all the time. I’m used to taking care of myself.”

Jason watched you carefully, his voice softer than before. “I get it. But you don’t have to anymore. Not with me.”

You glanced over at him, meeting his steady gaze. The sincerity in his eyes made your heart skip a beat. It was as if he wasn’t just saying it because it was his job—he meant it, and that scared you a little.

“Thanks, Jason,” you said quietly, feeling the weight of his words.

He gave a small nod, reaching for the door handle. “Come on, let’s get inside before Roman tracks us down.”

As you both stepped out of the car and made your way toward the elevator, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between you. It wasn’t just the professional relationship anymore. It was different…in a good way.

When you reached your apartment, you turned to face Jason before unlocking the door. “Hey,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “Thanks for tonight… and for everything.”

Jason gave you a half-smile, his eyes softening just slightly. “Anytime, princess.”

***

[pluckyredhead]

“I have larger thoughts about how DC has kind of written themselves into a hole with Jason and now he's stuck in this limbo that's unsatisfying to everyone which is why so many Jason fans are mad all the time, but that's for another ask.”

🤓 Do tell…

Okay, let's see if I can do this in less than a thousand words!

So Jason, at his core, represents a challenge to Bruce's ideology, right? Bruce's #1 rule is No Killing, and Jason's basic idea is: "That doesn't work. Some villains are bad enough that they have to be killed for the greater good." (There's something very funny about Jason, famously undead, thinking killing stops ANYONE in the DCU, but we'll leave that aside for now.) This is a really interesting ethical quandary to throw Bruce's way, and by having it voiced by his beloved son, his greatest failure, his second most profound tragedy, it becomes a deeply thorny emotional problem as well as an ethical problem. That's all great.

The problem is, DC can't allow Jason to be right, for two reasons:

Batman must always be right and must always win.

...I mean, come on. They can't actually publish a story advocating for a traumatized 19-year-old with assault weapons to be the arbiter of who lives and who dies, that's nonsense. I love Jason but really.

The problem with that is, Jason is a major recurring character.

UTRH works great in a vacuum. But if Jason is showing up in a comic every month, or even just a few times a year, this central conflict has to be addressed, and the options for doing that are limited:

Bruce and Jason fight and Jason wins. DC will never let this happen. (And what would "Jason wins" even look like, honestly? He's not going to kill Bruce.)

Bruce and Jason fight and Bruce wins. They've done this a bunch (sometimes with Dick in place of Bruce), but Jason fans don't want to see him repeatedly getting his ass kicked while being lectured, and frankly it doesn't make Bruce look great either.

Bruce allows Jason to kill people. This can't happen either; it would be wildly out of character for Bruce, not to mention literally everyone in the Batfamily. They are all canonically pretty opposed to murder.

Jason continues to operate however he wants, but outside of Bruce's reach/jurisdiction. As wretched as RHATO was, I actually think it was a smart decision to keep most of the action outside of Gotham, because then we can pretend Bruce doesn't know what Jason's up to, just like we pretend Clark couldn't super-hear everything in Gotham and save Bruce's ass every single night without breaking a sweat. The problem here is that it means Jason is unavailable for the kinds of casual team-ups and crossovers that fans of all stripes crave - plus, every time he comes back to Gotham, he and Bruce have to relitigate their entire relationship AGAIN.

Jason compromises and agrees to follow Bruce's rules in order to have a relationship with the Batfamily. This is basically where DC has landed, and I understand why they did, because it's the option that allows them to publish the most comics with Jason in them, which they want to do because he is an immensely popular character who makes them money. However, it leaves him in this awkward position where instead of being a tragic villain/badass antihero, he's just...the sassiest member of the family, while simultaneously always being available to be treated like shit because he's Bad. He gets punished without even the fun of doing the crime anymore.

So what's the solution? I don't know. Theoretically, DC could try to do what Marvel does with the Punisher. People always get mad when I say Jason is DC's Punisher, but he kills pretty much indiscriminately in UTRH and RHATO, for pretty much the same reasons. ("Dudebros think it looks cool.") And Marvel heroes inexplicably let Frank just kill however many people he wants unless they're appearing in a Punisher comic, at which point they go "Frank, you naughty boy, I shall stop you!" and then Frank kicks their ass and makes them look like an idiot. DC is never going to let Jason do that to Bruce, plus it would put a real damper on the Wayne family Thanksgiving dinner.

Alternately, they could make him a Nightwing villain. Dick has spent 40 years fighting inconclusively with Deathstroke; he's much better suited to go endless rounds with Jason without either of them Always Triumphantly Winning than Bruce is. I don't personally want this option because I just don't care that much about Dick, but it could be really interesting, though it would limit Jason to fewer appearances and primarily in Dick's book. (Jason would have made a superb Red Robin villain 15 years ago for similar reasons.)

My vote, I think, would be for a really good (god, if only), really thoughtful Jason series where he has reason to seriously reevaluate his philosophy towards crime - something that reshapes him into a character who can still challenge Bruce's entrenched ideas without being so diametrically opposed to them as to make him a villain. He needs to be close enough to Bruce's rules to appear in crossovers, but far enough and specific enough that he's not just Meaner Nightwing. Jason is a passionate character; DC needs to find a new way to let his passion work for him, because right now he doesn't have anything driving him, and it's satisfying no one.

(900 words, BOOM!)

[igotanidea]

It was worth it :Dick Grayson x f!reader

Massive thanks to @pinkcherryblossom18 for letting me use her idea for this story: Titans!Dick who unexpectedly shows up at his old friend house to seek help for Rachel, even though he knows how pissed said friend is going to be at him. So, the girl is just spending the day with her adoptive mother, Selina Kyle, planning on doing sth fun when someone knocks on the door. And even after being welcomed in a vigilante/villain style, Dick still thinks it was worth showing at reader's doorstep.

“So…..” Selina started stretching her arms lazily and leaning back on the couch, crossing her legs

“So what?”  the younger girl, her not-so-official adoptive daughter rolled her eyes trying not to show how annoyed she was

“So, I was thinking about a little bit of a mother-daughter time would be fun….”

“You’re not my mother.” The girl pointed out. They may not have been related, but during the years Selina Kyle raised Y/N Y/L/N the latter took a lot from her. Teasing and playing around was definitely one of those traits.  “But I’m listening. Honestly, it’s getting boring living in this hell hole. God, I miss Gotham sometimes.”

“From what I can tell you keep yourself rather busy” Selina leaned down and grabbed one of the stray cats Y/N was taking care of, absentmindedly starting to rub its fur, much to the animal’s delight “Such a cutie” she purred at it “though I miss this freaking city too. Sometimes.”

“Let me guess why” the girl smirked “I bet it’s because of one particular Gotham vigilante…”

“Watch your tongue, dear. Such insinuations are way beyond your level. I taught you better.”

“Yeah, yeah you did. No matter how hard I try I always get back to the old ways.”

“Call it instinct, honey.” Selina flashed a smile and fluttered her eyelashes.

“Oh, stop it. Can’t fool me with that trick” Y/N rolled her eyes again “Cut to the chase”

“You won’t let me have my fun, do you?” Selina sighed dramatically but soon turned back to her calculated self. “You know, there’s a new boutique on the 34th. We can go full fashion. My wardrobe really need some renewal and judging from your T-shirt, yours as well.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Y/N took a quick glance at her hoodie and tilted her head. “besides all the cut fur, of course.”

“Oh, honey….” Selina sighed “I’m gone for what? Two weeks….”

“Two months.” The girl corrected crossing her arms

“And you’re already turning into someone …. Ordinary. Such a shame. I really need to get you back in shape. What do you say? A little shopping spree. Don’t you miss that thrill?” she smiled and a few flashbacks run through Y/N’s head. One of them of how one night when she and Selina were running the streets after one particularly good action and surprisingly were stopped by two male-counterparts. But. Putting that aside, Y/N did miss some action and night blood rush. The cold night air on her face as she was jumping from one rooftop to another. The chills and adrenaline when she was flexing and doing her most crazy acrobatic shit. The act she put on while flirting with whoever could her to the object of interest, pretending to be innocent and gullible only to show her mastermind and perfect plan behind all of this. She was smart, she was shrewd, fast-think and ….. lazy. As much as she hated to admit it, moving out and being left all by herself made her…. Unwilling. Selina was right. It was such a shame that of late her abilities were going to waste.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Selina asked a bit worried about her protégé.

“Nothing” the girl shook her head “But….. can I ask you a question?”

“I don’t need to answer, right?”

“Actually, I would like you to answer. Please” Y/N looked at Selina with pleading, honest and sad expression and it moved something inside the Catwoman’s heart.

“All right. Don’t make me go all soft on you.” she hissed covering all the feelings raising in her chest. Despite everything, she treated Y/n as a daughter (or maybe younger sister, since thinking of herself as mother made her feel old. “What is it?”

“How do you still find all of it funny and thrilling?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You know. For me, the best part wasn;t the fact that we… I…. was doing something forbidden. It was rather the part of being chased. And sometimes, getting caught. And… you know…..” Y/n’s cheeks were now a bit flushed and Selina knew exactly what, or rather who she was referring to.

“Oh, honey. You really do need something to get your mind off things” she gently caressed girl’s face. “you reminiscence too much and that is no good. We’re going tonight. Hope you can still use that charm of yours.”

“Right” Y/N looked down. “I…..” before she could say a thing she was cut off by a firm knock on the door “Sorry, let me just check who intend on ruining my evening.”

Unwillingly she stood up from the couch and with a couple quiet long steps opened the door.

“I’m not interested in whatever you are selling so leave …. Oh, shit…..”

“Hi Y/N” the young man on the other side smiled lightly and awkwardly.

“No.” Y/N was quick to reach the frame and shut the door close. What the hell!? What was he doing here?! It’s been what? Three years? Three years since his titans team fell apart and he rushed away from everything he knew, her included. Three years of radio silence on his part (well, she did not reach for him either, but still it was his fault since he was the one who disappeared without a trace). Shit! And now he was standing by her door and she was wearing an old hoodie and stretched pants. Her hair were a mess and she still had that freaking pelage everywhere. Damn it! Her heart was pounding like crazy, blood rushing straight to her head. Even after all those years, he had such an effect on her. Groaning in annoyance she leaned her back on the door, praying he would just go away.

“Who is it?” Selina emerged from the room with her most hypnotizing stride “Definitely someone worth attention if you’re left like this.” She chuckled

“Dick Grayson” Y/N smiled viciously watching Selina’s expression drop

“Is he….?”

“From what I can tell he’s alone, but who knows?” the girl shrugged “You know the bats, they lurk in the shadows.”

“Fuck. “ Selina cussed “This is not how I planned on this day to go.”

“You think I wanted this?!” Y/N scoffed

“Well, you mentioned something about missing being chased…..”

“Oh, shut up!” the girl finally let her rage go. “Sorry.” She chucked “I know the rules. Play it cool. Play it nice.”

“Precisely. You did it so many times before, what’s one more. Deal with it fast and I’ll meet you on our rooftop at 10 p.m.” she patted girl’s cheek in a condescending manner. “Don’t let me down.” And with such words she slipped through the open window.

“Don’t let me down.” Y/N mocked sticking her tongue out in a child-like behavior. “Whatever you say, mother. Coward. Running away because the bat may be on her track.” She muttered to herself.

“Y/N. Please, open the door. I need your help.”

“You need my help, now, huh?” once again she opened the door abruptly, standing face to face with her old (more than) friend. “How about I give you a hand?” she raised an arm in attempt to slap him, but he was faster and grabbed her wrist. She did not falter as she used another hand, that reached the destination and with a loud snap met with his cheek.

“Ouch.” He hissed and let go of her arm.

“You deserved that! Three years, Grayson! Three fuckign years and now you just appear out of thin air with….. a child?”

“Y/N, meet Rachel. She’s ….. she has some powers….. Can we come inside so I will explain it further?”

“No.” Y/N took a step to the right blocking the entrance.

“Y/N. I’m begging you…..”

“Well that is a new thing…..”

“Don’t make a scene.”

“And why not exactly?” she pondered.  “Because you are afraid of being embarrassed in front of…..” she hang the sentence waiting for them to remind her the name of the girl

“Rachel” the youngest of the three helped

“Right. Rachel. Sorry for that little display, bet your friend Dick did not mention who I am.”

“Not…. exactly….”

“Oh, okey. Well, long story short, we used to be….. frankly, I don’t even know how to describe our relationship….”

“Y/N…..” Dick sighed, his face still red from the slap. Y/N was definitely stronger than she looked at first sight.

“I am talking now.” Her face was now filled with rage and it made her look so powerful and fierce the boy shut his mouth instantly, suddenly being reminded why he fell for her so easily in the past. She was a force not to play with, but on the other side she had this soft side, only a few people knew how to reach.

“I already like her” Rachel smiled.

“Y/N look, she has nowhere to go. Her mother was shot, she never knew her father and I know you know how that feels……”

“I…..” she dropped her gaze. He knew exactly where to hit. The point was, she really did know the feeling. Her parents abandoned her when she was barely 9. For four years she was running around foster homes, never really wanted, tossed like a used glove, never really taken care of, until Selina saw something more to her and took her in, and trained her and showed her something better in life. “I hate you, Grayson. Now, get in, both of you.” she pulled her unexpected visitors into the narrow hallway. “You can go wait in the living room, pet the cats or whatever. They are not as predatory as they seem.”

“Just like someone else I know” Dick smiled at Y/N when Rachel left.

“Stop it.”

“What?”

“You know what. Why did you come to me? Why not any of your Titans friend? Donna? Dawn? Hell, even Hank would be better choice than me.”

“No.”

“What?”

“They wouldn’t . They don’t really know how it feels like to be raised without parents. You and I. We do. And you have a thing for stray living beings.”

“I ….. I don’t…..” she snorted with disgust but couldn’t hide the fact that only a second later she was checking out what Rachel was doing, making sure the girl was all right “I’m not like that….”

“You are. Even if you don’t want to admit it. I know you.”

“You knew me years ago. How do you know I did not change for worse?”

“I know.”

“Ok, I’m gonna ask you again” she punched his chest only to get some of the accumulated energy out “why. The hell. Are. YOU. here? And how did you even find me!?”

“I missed you.” he confessed

“Oh, hell no! I’m not falling for that. Our parents followed that path and look where it got them. I’m not making the same mistake. I can take the girl in and that is all. I want nothing to do with you. Not after….. after everything…..”

“I made a mistake, all right? I never should have….”

“Shut up! Just shut up! I don’t want to hear you!” she covered her ears not wanting to let him sweet talk her “ I’m over you, don’t you understand that. I never wanted you to come back and haunt me and …..DAMN IT!” out of frustration she started throwing punches. The kind of kicks he could have easily dodged, but didn’t “why don’t you just fight back?!” she hissed and finally her fist met with his jaw, taking them both by surprise.

“Selina would be proud of you.” Dick muttered making sure his maxilla wasn’t dislocated.

“Don’t think so. It’s hard to impress people who take their alter-ego from an animal. You know that” he nodded taking a deep breath “If anything she would be disappointed I lost control like that. Does it…. Does it hurt much?”

“See. Soft spot. Told you.” Dick smiled widely and immediately hissed in pain

“Do you want another, symmetric punch on the other side.”

“It was still worth it, you know. Coming here. Seeing you. I meant what I said, I really did miss you.”

“If you keep running your mouth I’m gonna kick you in the groin.”

“Ok, all right. I’ll stop. You really did not change a thing.”

“I hate you. Now, tell me what is wrong with that demonic child you decided to put on my shoulders.”  

@pinksirensong @somest1

[klbwriting]

Broken Prism

Chapter 14

Fandom: Red Hood

Pairing: Jason Toddxfemale!Reader

Warnings: some violence

Summary: Jason wakes up

Notes: so I got another pretty nasty anon ask about this story, I deleted it because I didn't want that kind of negativity again, but I want to thank all of you who have liked, replied, or reblogged this fic and I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Jason woke up to the familiar sight of his room at the League of Assassins stronghold. He sat up and stretched, feeling bones creak and muscles relax after a night on the uncomfortable cot. He grabbed his clothes and dressed, going to find Ras for his assignment. He greeted no one as he walked to the head’s office, and no one greeted him. In fact, he noticed that anyone he passed he immediately forgot their face as he went. This was strange but he ignored that and knocked on the door. Ras called him in and gave him a list of targets in Gotham City. Jason nodded and bowed before leaving and getting on the private jet of the League.

Upon arrival he looked at the first names on the list. Catherine and Willis Todd. Those names were familiar, but he ignored that and went to the address listed. It was just an apartment, they were already in the living room, sitting on the couch watching TV. When he came in they didn’t say anything, the woman looked almost dead already, eyes gazing unfocused at the screen and the man just grunted. He was confused. They didn’t have any crimes he knew of, and the woman had his eyes. He heard Ras’s voice telling him that he needed to kill them, for him. They held him back. But they were his parents. He ignored this thought and shot the woman in the heart, the man in the head, placing the revolver he used in the man’s hand. Murder suicide, easy to cover up. Jason left the way he came in, forgetting about them as soon as he was on the street again. Strange.

The second pair of names sparked more recognition, Tim Drake and Dick Grayson. His…brothers? Well, no not brothers. Dick had forgotten him, and Tim replaced him. Not brothers, traitors. He could feel Ras urging him on as he approached Wayne mansion. He had the key and walked in, going into a familiar living room. Tim and Drake were on the couch waiting, TV on. This time the TV was big enough to see what they were watching. Some action movie with fake Batman, Nightwing, and Robin, they were fighting someone in a red helmet. Stupid. Jason looked at them, choosing this time to just shoot them both in the heart. Once that was done, he looked at the list again. Last name. Bruce Wayne.

He headed down to the Batcave, finding the playboy sitting at the large computer, watching something playing on the screen. It was like a home movie, on the grounds of Wayne manor, the basketball court. Bruce held a ball and was showing a younger Jason, around maybe 12, how to shoot it properly. Jason watched, not sure where the tears had come from, but they were rolling down his cheeks. Ras’s voice told him to stop that crying, that Bruce Wayne wasn’t his father, he had to kill him. He was a pretender, not a protector. Jason pushed all the warmth out of himself, walking up behind Bruce.

“You’ll always be my son Jason,” he heard the man murmur before Jason cut his throat. He turned and came face to face with the Joker, pulling off a Ras Al’Ghul mask.

“Didn’t think I would let you get away that easy did you little Jaybird?” he said before laughing. Jason covered his ears, that sound like an ice pick to his brain. Joker calmed after a time and held up the target list. “One more name.” YN, who was that? Jason took the list and Joker pointed to a door. Jason walked over and opened it.

She sat on her bed, reading a book called The Red Hood’s Soul. It made him sick to see that. Why would she care about his soul? Why would anyone care about him? She looked up and smiled at him, standing and moving towards him. He walked over, dagger ready. She saw it but didn’t stop smiling.

“Jason,” she said, and he stopped right in front of her. “I lov…” He felt a hand on his, the dagger sticking out of her chest, the hand holding his belonging to Joker.

“You just have to kill everyone you love before they can love you back don’t ya? Me too” the clown said before laughing.

“No…nonononononoNONONONO” Jason was screaming, looking at YN still standing there, still smiling at blood poured out of her.

“Jason, JASON!” he heard yelling and sat up, eyes suddenly open as the real world closed it. He was in a nice room, he old room at Wayne manor. He was soaked in sweat, shirtless, and surrounded. He growled and shoved away the person holding him, jumping up and off the bed, getting into a fighting stance before his mind cleared. Alfred was helping YN off the floor, Bruce, Dick, and Tim were watching him, even Barbara was there behind them. It had been a long time since he had seen her. She wasn’t in a wheelchair then. He shook himself.

“What am I doing here?” he asked, looking around. The others looked to YN and Jason did too, finally realizing he had shoved her to the ground. “YN? I’m, I’m sorry…” She looked like she had been crying, face red and eyes puffy. “Did I hurt you?” O God, what had he done.

“Jason I’m fine,” she said. She scrambled over the bed and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tight. Something in him broke at that moment and he knew he didn’t want anything like what that dream to actually happen. He wanted family again, desperately. He wanted YN, desperately. Why had he pushing that away? YN led him to the bed and motioned for him to sit. “Do you remember what happened?” He blinked a few times, trying to clear the cobwebs.

You had Jason sitting on the bed, you were still holding his hand, watching him trying to process what the last 24 hours. You had watched him the entire time he had been unconscious, sleeping bent over his chest, just making sure his heart was still beating. It had been terrifying, you were waiting for the gray to seep in, the only comfort you got was still seeing the color of his skin, his hair, his helmet as it sat on the side table. While he was under you had talked to Bruce who was a wreck.

“Its like I was too late again,” he said, sitting in a chair on the other side of the bed. “That night, when Joker…and Jason…I hadn’t felt grief like that since my parents died. What in your mind tells you that you should stay with him? I know he’s your soulmate, but you don’t have to be together, you could run. You wouldn’t be the first.” In that moment you realized that Bruce had found his soulmate, and they hadn’t stayed around. “How do you possibly deal with this kind of life?”

“Because I know what its like not having him in it, why see color when the person who sees it the same way as you isn’t there?” she said. “I’m sorry, about whoever they were, no everyone can handle this, but I assure you I can. I may not be Barbara or Bernard, I don’t have super smarts or martial arts training, but I’m not afraid to knife someone or shot them. I’m not a vigilante, but I’m enough for him, I hope, because he is more than enough for me, and I won’t let that go. I won’t let him go.”

“I don’t like what he’s become,” Bruce said. “I hate that he didn’t become more like me.”

“Well, honestly, what did you expect? You let Joker live, which I am angry at you about, and he’s your son, not you. You want a carbon copy of you, well you’ll have to get married, have a biological kid, go to a theater and let yourself get murdered when he is 10, and even then, that kid might go the opposite way and become another Joker,” you said. Bruce stared at you, and you were worried he was going to kick you out but then he actually laughed.

“God I am fucked up, aren’t I?” he said softly, more to himself. You just nodded. “When he wakes up do you think he will talk to me, a real talk?”

“Maybe, but you’re going to have to go easy on him for killing Ivy,” you said. Bruce nodded and looked at Jason and you saw in his face how much he was conflicted. He clearly loved Jason but was trying to come to terms with who he was now. You now hoped with Jason awake that they could work things out for the better.

“…and then I remember passing out in the back of the car,” Jason said, finishing explaining the incident with Ivy. Everyone looked from you to him, and you dared them to say anything about him killing Ivy at the moment. If they did, he would feel attacked at his weakest and bolt, they all knew that. Tim opened his mouth and Dick put his hand over it.

“You scared the shit out of us little bird,” Dick said. “Alfred said you need to rest for another day or two, you willing to do that here?” Jason was silent for a long time, then he looked at you as if asking your opinion. You smiled and nodded.

“Ya, I’ll stay here,” he said. “It’ll be weird though. And she has to be here too.” He nodded his head at you.

“What makes you think I want to stay here?” you asked, that little bit of anger you had at his disappearing act rearing up. He looked at you and swallowed.

“Perhaps we should allow Master Jason to get some rest and quality time with Miss YN,” Alfred said, shuffling everyone else out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“Look, I know I fucked up by just vanishing but let me explain,” he said. You opened your mouth to argue, and he held a finger to your lips. “Please.” It was almost pleading so you took a breath and nodded.

“Alright, talk,” you said. He took your hands in his, staring at them like he couldn’t look you in the eye. You gently took his chin and made him look at you. He swallowed hard.

“After that night I went to fuck up a bank job Two-Face was doing. He had Joker with him. I heard that laugh, it still haunts me to this day, and I panicked, full blown attack that had me running to my parents’ apartment, Bruce bought it after they died for a safe house, anyway, and I was there for days, just spiraling. How could I face you? How could you expect me to be anything good for you, to you, when I can’t even be good for myself?” he said. You sighed and took his face in your hands.

“Jason, I’m recommending this with all the soulmate love I have in my heart for you, get therapy,” you said. “Listen, your family, in this house all have a therapist, ask them, get one, and then use them. And this may not be something you want to hear, but talk to Bruce, iron things out with him and Dick and even Tim.” He stared like he couldn’t believe you were saying this.

“Why?” he asked softly. “I only hurt them, I only hurt you.”

“Bullshit, everyone here loves you, you running away is what hurts. You need this family and they need you. I’m not even part of this family and I can see that,” you said. Jason shook his head.

“No, if I’m going to be part of it you are too, you’re my family most of all,” he said. You smiled and leaned to him, hugging him tight. He gripped you for dear life and breathed in your scent, letting it calm him.

“Now, I think you should lay down again and get some more rest,” you said, gently pushing him back to lay down. Jason relented, sliding under the covers before lifting them up. If he was going to rest he needed you with him. You smiled and climbed in, rolling so that your back pressed against his front.

“I missed you,” he said softly, voice already shrouded in sleep.

“I saved where you were in your book,” you answered. You felt him chuckle behind you.

“Thanks,” he slurred out before falling into sleep. You listened to his even breathing, feeling his arm around your waist, your body heat mingling with his until you too fell asleep.

[hinako-supremacy]

please tell us killer cupids lore PLLEEEAASSEEEEEEE

i usually just reveal and come up with little tidbits of lore in random kilelr cupif posts (sometimes having different versions and universes) but i will try to write down the most consistent. i may be forgetting some things though hehe

(btw the lore isnt really static, it can be kind of all over the place and inconsistent. and for the little tidbits just go through his tag)

here we go v

one fateful day somewhere in pennsylvania, madsion valentino was born into a very large family of criminals(secret style) and general weirdos, so yeah from the start he was gonna turn out weird. he spent his days reading fairy tales, folk tales and horror stories, and oh how he loved to dissect roadkill! he loved all things scary and all things lovey

in his younger years, he would be bullied a lot, by teachers and students alike, but also he'd beat the shit out of his bullies in blind rage (berserker style) and there would be one million horrors and living nightmare redacted trauma, and he would keep mostly to himself and read (haha, kind of like scarecrow). hed like animals better than people, seeing himself more as an animal, kind of like

a very creature guy

further on he would actually grow more interested in people then become fascinated by humans and love to study them!!! anatomy and anthropology and psychology, wonderful!!! dissect things always <33 study peoples reactions to things and their behaviors and the way they think (and hed get a little silly with it, a little terrorizing with it) hed also love history!! and research history of gotham. interest!!!! hed be in awe of the history of gotham and the architecture and all that

so. when he went to college to become a doctor, hed go to gotham university, since its like. right over there. and gotham!! interest!!!! (hes like with gotham the way i am with boston (GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD 💪💪💪)) so then he becomes a physician at arkham asylum cause hes like "ohoho i'll meet all SORTS of interesting people there." and thats where he meets jeremiah, and let me tell you, the second he meets this man its love at first sight. he wants to know all about him, become his bestie, put him under a microscope and all that. and jeremiah is so nice to him... madison finds him so kind... so.. interesting!!! and hes so cute when hes stressed!! want to give him a big smooch!!! and bite him and be with him forverv all time!! and keep him in his basement i mean what

madison always tries to find out everything he possibly can about jeremiah and get close to him. though he finds that jeremiah doesnt like to be asked about himself... but the scarecrow, one of the inmates hes very much grown to like, admires even, and become a bit of friends hehe, he used to be with jeremaih!! find out some things from him 🔍🔍🔍 and madison has definitely heard stories and done research about arkham itself and the family. each day his obsession grows more and more <3 start following him around and stealing from him

and with scarecrow, the two find they have so much in common, similar interests and things, two peas in a pod!! he finds he feels so comfortable around him.. so free... wiow! he can say batshit crazy things to this guy! he can BE batshit crazy with this guy!!!

some point, madison sees some rando that reminds him of jeremaih, he thinks "hey. what if i brutally murdered that guy. what if i cannibalized that guy while pretending he was jeremiab." (i got this idea from the first episodes of hannibal, yes. the whole "i killed them so i wouldnt kill you" thang) and so he does, and as he rips the heart out he has an idea "what if i mail this heart to jeremiah, how would he react? would he be horrified? i hope so." so he put it in one of those heart shaped boxes for chocolates and thehhrehes his valentine <3

also, how he became a werewolf: same reason gregor samsa became a bug, god said "why so creatureous?" and turned him into wolf becasue

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is part one of chapter five. If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder lost a lot during really formidable years. Our Ryan had faith she could overcome those losses. This Ryan doesn't have that same hope...

Since you've been so patient for the last two weeks, I've given you a nice chunk of words in this chapter, and part one. I'm excited to see how you feel about the direction the story is taking.

Happy reading!

CHAPTER FIVE - CHARADE (Part One)

Ryan’s double life becomes harder to maintain as she’s confronted with the realities of her choices, and the potential for everything she’s worked for to slip through her fingers. 

MONDAY, JULY 10TH, 1:00 AM, THE LOFT

There’s an urgent knock, and Ryan knows it’s time to face whoever is on the other side of that door head on. 

Ryan: “Who is it?”

The person calls back, ‘it’s me,’ and she can’t believe her ears. She walks over to the door, her frown lines creasing deeply between her brows, and opens it with haste. 

Ryan: “Angelique, what are you doing here?” 

Angelique: “I need you.” 

She walks in, without an invitation, and starts pacing in the living room as she tells her story.

~~~~~

ABOUT 5 DAYS EARLIER, TUESDAY, JULY 4TH, 11:00 PM, KANE MANSION YARD - INDEPENDENCE AND WELLNESS DAY BANQUET

Ryan: “Angelique, what the hell are you doing here?”

Angelique was preoccupied, looking at the tablet used to keep track of the drink orders she’d taken and was headed back to the bar to retrieve. The Kanes had servers ordering and delivering them as if their guests were at a restaurant. She initially assumed the person was an agitated employee of Catherine’s who felt entitled to speak to her any kind of way.

Angelique: “I’m on my way to the bar to get these orders in. So you can chill.”

Ryan tries again with a different tone, since Angelique hasn’t connected who is standing in front of her. 

Ryan: “Ange, why aren’t you in Freeland?” 

That catches her up short. She swallows hard when she makes eye contact with Ryan, and immediately stiffens, defensively.

Angelique: “Ryan?”

Ryan looks over her shoulder to make sure they’re still alone.

Ryan: “Robyn.”

Angelique: “Right. Whatever. I’m working.” 

Ryan: “Why are you working here, in Gotham?”  

Angelique:”Because the pay is good. By the way, thanks for telling me you took Candy down.”

Ryan: “It’s still not safe.”

Angelique: “Safe for who?”

There was that question again.

Ryan: “I thought you were good in Freeland. You had everything you needed.” 

Angelique: “How do you know what I need? If you think Freeland has a better shot at keeping me clean than Gotham, then maybe you’re the one on something. Besides, Freeland isn’t home.”

Ryan: “Freeland was a chance at a fresh start. You’re making it sound like Gotham was good to you.”

Angelique: “Didn’t stop you from coming back.”

Ryan: “You know why I’m here. And you could have at least told me.” 

Angelique: “Oh, we talk now? Send good morning, how are you texts?”

Ryan: “Ange, I have always been there if you needed me.”

Angelique: “Actually, you haven’t. I’ve been on my own. You sent me off with a bag of cash and a lease, and thought that’d be enough for me, but it’s not. I wanted to come home, so I came home.”

Ryan: “You work at the Hold Up.”

Angelique: “They were hiring. I needed a job.”

Ryan: “No you didn’t…”

Angelique: “Again, you have no idea what I need. And, unless you want your little frienemies to find out that you know me, you should let me get back to work.” 

She ended the conversation by walking away from Ryan. 

~~~~~

Tommy: “Why don’t you stop pretending you’re not staring at her and just go talk to her?”

Kate: “I don’t want to force myself on her, especially if she’s moving on.” 

The second part was a low ramble, and whether Kate had said it that way because she felt sad or defeated was unclear, but it could have been both.

Tommy: “I knew you should have never trusted Robyn.”

Kate: “What are you talking about?”

Kate sips her drink, annoyed by the sudden accusation and shift in conversation. She wasn’t even aware that Tommy had an issue with Robyn.

Tommy: “Isn’t she supposed to be your friend, but she’s moving in on your girl?”

Kate sighs through her nose. 

Kate: “Regardless to how I feel, Sophie isn’t mine. And neither is Robyn. We all met her at the same time. She doesn’t owe any allegiance to me.” 

Tommy: “Right. What a coincidence. She just drops into all of your lives out of nowhere, and now she’s an integral part of it from every angle? You don’t find that odd?”

Kate: “Are you jealous of my relationship with Robyn? Because she’s been nothing but nice to you, so I don’t understand why you would randomly attack her, especially after you saw what just happened to her tonight.”

Tommy: “Seems pretty convenient to me.” 

Kate: “What the hell is convenient about having your recorded therapy session shared with a bunch of strangers?”

Tommy: “Exactly! Strangers! What do you even know about this woman? Because what I see is that your ex seems to be coincidently falling for her, she’s become besties with both Catherine’s and your most trusted employees, and she’s been in Gotham for 5 minutes and is suddenly included in a video leak of Gotham elites.”

Kate: “She IS a Gotham elite, or whatever, if you insist on using those terms. She’s the CEO at Jetirian. Of course she’d use the top recommended therapist. You know what, Tommy? I was just trying to confide in you about Sophie, and this insane rabbit hole you’re digging feels like you’re questioning my judgment in friends. And maybe you’re right about that, because I thought you, my friend, were supposed to be helping me figure out how to get out of this merry go round of feelings about a woman I still love who can barely tolerate me. But maybe you’ve had so much to drink that you’re becoming delusional.”

Tommy, relatively sober, because he’s been more focused on feeding drinks to Kate than consuming them himself, fights back the urge to follow up on the mysterious selection of Robyn as CEO of Jetirian, because he can tell she’s not going to listen to reason tonight. Tommy doesn’t know exactly what’s going on, but as someone who’s pulled a scam or two of his own, he knows one when he sees one. He throws an arm over Kate’s shoulder, bringing her in for a side hug.

Tommy: “Truce bestie! Maybe you’re right. I’ve missed you, and she gets to do all the fun stuff we used to do together. I’m sure you’re right, and I just need to get to know her as well as you do. So, let’s talk about how we get your girl back.” 

Kate: “I don’t know if that’s on the table. I just don’t want her to hate me anymore.” 

Tommy: “Bro. You’ve done nothing worthy of being hated. You just need to get out of the ex zone.”

Kate: “Funny. That’s what Robyn said.”

Tommy: “Well there you go. Seems we have something in common, after all.”

Kate: “How do I do that, though?”

Tommy: “Standing over here brooding with me all night isn’t going to do it, that’s for sure.”

Kate thinks about that for a second. Robyn did also say she should just talk to her, and clear things up. She slams back the rest of her drink, and passes her cup to Tommy. She steps back and salutes him, before turning to try and not stumble towards her destination. 

Tommy: “Atta-girl.” 

~~~~~

Luke: "Can't believe all that happened in the time I went to the bathroom."

Mary: "Well, when you trekked all the way back to the house and there are bathrooms right over there."

Luke: "I'm sorry that I didn't realize I was at Gotham royalty's Coachella. Anyway, how are you doing?"

Mary: "I don't know. A part of me is just tired of all the drama. It's like my parents are lightning rods asking to be struck repeatedly. And the second hand embarrassment alone feels like getting a shock through osmosis everytime they're electrocuted. But another part of me just…I don't know, sometimes I'd trade all of this for parents that had the capacity to care about something more than their image and this family's reputation."

Luke: "I honestly can't imagine what that's like."

Sophie: "...Me either."

Sophie's timing is off. It takes her too long to add in her agreement, and her voice sounds far away.

Mary: "Earth to Sophie. Are you even listening to us? Or would you rather be listening to someone else relive how embarrassing tonight was for her?"

Sophie: "Huh?"

Mary: "You've been staring at Robyn's back for the last 3 minutes."

Sophie: "Because that's how long she's been talking to Angelique."

Luke: "And that bothers you because…?"

Sophie: "I didn't say it bothered me. Angelique isn't even working for me tonight."

Luke: "So then…?"

Sophie: "I don't know. Do they know each other?"

She sounds confused, because their energy seems familiar but they both just moved here from different places, and different worlds at that. Angelique had just walked off, and it seemed to take Robyn a second to restart her journey to her car. Sophie kept watching her, taking note of her body language.

Mary: "Sophie, are you jealous?"

Sophie: "What? Why would I be jealous."

Luke: "For the most common reason why someone is jealous. You like her."

Sophie: "I just know Robyn is new here, and still getting to know people, and, while I try not to let a person's past dictate their future, I'm still not sure Angelique is the best person to know."

Luke: “Right. Wouldn’t want the wrong woman getting too close to someone you’re interested in.”

That finally gets Sophie’s full attention, and she meets her friends’ prying eyes.

Sophie: “What?!”

Mary: “Luke isn’t wrong.”

Sophie: “Not you too.”

Mary: “And Jordan.” 

Sophie’s eyes widen in shock.

Sophie: “She told you…?!”

Luke: “So, are you going to do something about it?”

Sophie: “Do about what?”

Luke: “Drop the confused act, Sophie. We all have eyes.”

Sophie looks back at her employee and the mysterious but generous woman talking to her, and then returns to her interrogators. 

Sophie: “I don’t know. She’s so hard to read…” 

Mary: “Is Sophie Moore backing down from a challenge?”

Kate walks up to the trio before Sophie can defend herself.

Kate: “Hey, can we talk?”

Sophie raises an eyebrow at Kate, surprised she’s finally speaking to her. She’d sat across the table all night hardly making eye contact. After witnessing Robyn putting her number in Sophie’s phone, she wasn’t sure if they were currently on speaking terms. Kate only really talking with Tommy, who'd never let her find the bottom of her glass, was only reinforcing her hypothesis. But, maybe Kate was coming to get some things off of her chest.

Luke and Mary walk off, answering the question for her.

Sophie: “Look, you guys are going through a lot already, tonight. I don’t want to add to the drama. So, I can just go.”

Kate reaches out to grab Sophie’s hand, and she frowns, narrowing her eyes. Kate quickly releases her, and shoves her hands in her pockets. 

Kate: “That’s not it. I don’t want you to leave.”

Sophie: “Then why are you making it so awkward?”

Sophie’s undertone implies she isn’t just talking about tonight.

Kate: “I know. I’m sorry. And that’s actually what I want to talk with you about. Can we have dinner or something, so I can explain, and try to make all of this up to you.”

Sophie: “I don’t know… I’m not sure that’s a great idea.”

Kate: “Is it because of Robyn?”

Sophie: “Okay, yeah, I’m leaving.”

Sophie turns, and Kate quickly shuffles to block her. She throws her hands up in apology and surrender. She’d been trying hard not to let seeing their moment earlier influence this, but after a lot of old fashions and Tommy bringing Robyn up, it was almost impossible not to go there. 

Kate: “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Sophie: “Kate, what do you want from me?”

Kate: “I miss you.”

Sophie: “How? How can you possibly miss me?”

Kate: “What do you mean? I loved you.”

Sophie: “Yeah, loved, like in the past, where missing me and thinking about me like that should stay. You don’t know anything about me now. And I wish you’d stop trying to act like you have some role in my life. Tyler told me you said not to give me that job, which I actually needed, and I figured you’d at least get that, but once again, you’ve never really been able to see me.”

Sophie had lowered her voice and leaned in closer for the second part, so others wouldn’t get wind that she is working for The Crows. Kate drops her head, ashamed.

Kate: “You’re totally right. I should never have done that - it wasn't my place. And I do miss your friendship, too. Sophie, you knew me better than anyone.”

Sophie: “I must not have known you that well, because I never expected you to try to interfere in my life. I don’t need you, or anyone else for that matter, speaking for me, or making decisions for me.”

Kate: “I know. And that’s why I wanted us to go to dinner, because I do owe you an apology. A huge one. Ever since you got back, I’ve been handling things with you all wrong. I just…at least want us to be able to be friends. Like, a fresh start. So, if you’ll let me take you to dinner, so I can apologize more thoroughly, maybe we’ll have a shot…I mean, at being able to be in the same room without making everyone around us uncomfortable.”

Sophie wants to say no. She’s always trusted her gut, and lately, she’s had equally less trust of Kate’s intentions. Kate's eyes are pleading, seeing the rejection that hadn’t yet been spoken form in Sophie's face. Sophie catches Luke and Mary whispering not far from them, both chancing glances in the exes’ direction as they tried not to be obvious about the fact that they were very curious about what they couldn't hear. She decides Kate might have a point for once, and changes her mind.

Sophie: “I agree that this isn’t fair to everyone else. So we can have lunch, and I’m good with paying for myself.”

Kate’s shoulders relax in relief. 

Kate: “That’s great, really. Tomorrow?”

Getting this over with as soon as possible doesn’t sound like the worst thing to Sophie.

Sophie: “Sure. I’ll meet you at Mary Kate’s at noon.”

Kate: “Perfect. Thank you.”

Sophie: “And maybe get some water? You smell like a walking bottle of Jameson.” 

Sophie gives her a half smile that’s marred by the frown she never really released, and then starts to walk over to Luke and Mary.

~~~~~

Evan: “Gawd, I need to find a new job before Catherine fires me.”

Evan had been in earshot of Kate and Tommy’s conversation. When it ended, they took Tommy’s hand and escorted the two of them to the poolhouse to debrief. Tommy actually seemed fine with everything, but once they were away from all of the people, Evan realized they were probably the one that needed comforting. This summer had begun to feel like one catastrophe after another. Somehow, it seemed like Evan was the common denominator, having planned all events, and they were worried their days working with Catherine were numbered.

Tommy: “Are you crazy? You couldn’t have made out better than working for Catherine! And you’re doing an amazing job. The Kanes just have a target on their backs because of their status. There’s always going to be someone coming for them. Trust me, I know from experience.”

Evan: “While I can admit that the visibility of this job is clutch, all this drama is not good for a girl’s forehead lines. I’m going to end up spending every dollar I make here on Kheil’s line reducer and botox treatments.” 

Tommy: “You’d be buying those things whether you worked here or not.” 

Evan: “Rawr. You’re feisty tonight.  

Tommy takes a calming breath, to ensure his tone is controlled when he replies. And he steps a little closer so he can lower his voice, to reinstate the trust he's gained from Evan. 

Tommy: “I just think you need to refocus your priorities. You’re trying to work your way up the food chain, and it’s not just hard work that’s going to get you where you want to be. You need them to trust you. You’re right there…Get Catherine to see you as more than just her events person. You need to become an insider, her partner. Then you’ll be heading somewhere.”

Evan: “Is that what you’re doing with Kate? Trying to get on the inside?”

Tommy: “Not with Kate. She’s frivolous with her position and power - totally underutilizes it. Even Jacob. He might as well be Catherine’s trophy husband. She’s the key.”

Evan: “How are you going to get close to her? And, why is this so important to you? Doesn’t your family have its own money-made fans in Star City? Why not climb up through Oliver Queen’s people?” 

Tommy: “My dad got greedy and misguided, and lost everything. And Oliver and I haven’t seen things the same way in a long time…So, I’m making my own opportunity. That’s why I accepted the internship Catherine offered me when Kate was doing her fitting.” 

Kate: “So that’s the reason you showed up out of nowhere and have all but moved in?”

Kate had come looking for Tommy, to tell him how the conversation with Sophie went, and that they were having lunch tomorrow. He and Evan had left the pool house door open, and she could hear their conversation before she reached the door. She’d finally heard enough, and decided to call him out.

Tommy: “No. It’s not that simple.” 

Kate: “Sounds pretty straightforward to me. And you what, wanted to distract  me with your made up theories about Robyn. I can’t believe you."

Kate turns and walks out, leaving the door to the pool house open like she'd found it.

~~~~~

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH, 12:00 AM, THE LOFT

Ryan’s been home just long enough to wash her makeup off, shower, and throw on some running shorts and a tank. It is a holiday, and it feels too soon to get into bed, but she’s not really sure what to do with herself. She has so much to process, and what feels like decisions to make and yet, she’s also too exhausted to really focus on any of it. She sits on her couch with her mama’s box, and pulls out the journal, thumbing through the pages, searching for a lighter read. Hopefully, she can find something with a touch of advice in it. 

She flips to a page that she remembers helping her through one of her harder decisions, but before she can read more than a few words, she hears a knock at the door. She glances over at the clock to find it’s nearly 1AM, and frowns. So far, every unexpected visitor has been friendly, but this tendency of the people she’s now regularly associated with is definitely taking some getting used to.

She quickly places the journal back in the box, and shuffles to her kitchen to stow it in the cabinet above the stove, where it still resides. Because she hasn’t responded, her visitor knocks again. She throws on a zip up hoodie that was hooked onto the coat wrack hung along a wall near the door. 

Ryan: “Coming.” 

She cracks open the door and peeks her head out, very much shocked by who’s on the other side of it. 

Kate: “Hey.”

She takes in Kate’s appearance, and becomes visibly concerned.

Ryan: “Did you actually drive here?” 

Kate: “Yeah, guess I probably shouldn’t have done that. Can I come in?”

Ryan swiftly opens the door, and Kate walks through it without making eye contact. She looks around, surprised, but then heads straight to the couch, where she plops down and makes herself comfortable, sinking into it. Ryan closes the door, and heads to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She walks around the couch and places it in front of Kate who takes it without a word, and then Ryan returns to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Kate drinks the water down in several loud gulps, and then clanks the glass onto the coffee table, immediately returning to her previous position. 

Ryan: “Are you okay?”

Kate: "You really haven't changed anything in here..."

Ryan: "That's right. You dated the woman who lived here before me."

Instead of responding to that, she comments on a different ex. 

Kate: “I took your advice and talked to Sophie.” 

Ryan is grateful for the distance between them, and that they're talking to each other's backs while she continues preparing the coffee. It takes effort to manage the expression on her face at the mention of that name, and she's already tired. Controlling her tone and words is much easier.

Ryan: "Should I assume it didn't go well, since you look like you want to hit something?"

Kate: "She's pissed at me for trying to stop my dad and Tyler from hiring her to figure out who sent them all those videos about Circe Sionis that were leaked, but we're having lunch tomorrow. She agreed that it's not fair of us to make our friends so uncomfortable all the time."

Ryan digs deep to not zero in on the fact that Sophie's been hired to track her down. She knows that's not the point of what Kate just unloaded, and asking questions about that could be suspicious. So, she stays on topic.

Ryan: "Okay…that's what you wanted, right?"

Kate: "I want to move forward with the community center."

Kate is all over the place, and while Ryan isn’t slow by any means, keeping up with the rapid shifts in conversation requires work. She'd done a casual pitch during their hike that wet Kate's appetite, and motivated her to want to see the full plan for the community center. Ryan felt Gotham needed a safe place for youth to spend their time outside of school, that would also protect them from predators on the street. They needed people they could trust to come to for guidance and resources if they didn't have that at home. They needed a place to eat dinner if they didn't have that either. Fixing systems took a long time and plenty of politics. This could be immediate support for the most vulnerable, so that they had a chance. It'd be a tax write off, and since the Kanes were already fundraising, this could be promoted along with everything else they were doing.

Ryan walks back over to the couch with coffee. She knows Kate drinks it black with a teaspoon of sugar, since they've eaten out together so many times now. After Kate takes the mug, Ryan sits across from her, folding both legs underneath her.

Ryan: "This is really great news, Kate, honestly, but why did you feel like you needed to come over here to share that after midnight on a holiday? What's going on?"

Kate: "My dad's a cheat. My step mom's manipulative and conniving. My best friend is a scammer. The woman I love is falling for the only other person I've come to trust in years. My twin sister is a ticking time bomb that I have to stay close to, so no one else catches her flames, and I try to keep my step sister at a distance so she isn't tainted by us Kanes, because she's t good for us. This can't be my life. Maybe it's me, and I'm actually the problem. If so, I've gotta do something different, and maybe I can start to offset all of this bad with your help."

Ryan: "Is this because of the counseling videos? And your best friend is a scammer…? Do you mean Tommy?"

Kate: "So much for offsetting the bad. I'm such an ass coming to you with my problems after what happened to you tonight."

Ryan drops her eyes and stares at her hands in her lap. Then, she fixes her face and looks back at Kate.

Ryan: "I'll be fine. I don't know those people or care what they think. And I'm glad you felt like you could trust me enough to come here, even though you should have called an Uber instead of driving."

Kate: "Or called to tell you I was coming."

Kate is speaking in more and more hushed tones, and she seems to be calming down. She's facing the ceiling, with her head rested against the cushion, and her eyes are closed. She hasn't drunk the coffee, so Ryan reaches over and takes the cup from her hands, placing it next to her water glass. Kate is drifting off to sleep, which is probably a good thing. She grabs the blanket that was draped on the arm of the couch behind her, and covers Kate with it. She gets up to grab a waste bin, and places it at her feet, just in case. 

She and Luke need to find out who Tyler is, what he knows, and how much Sophie might already know, too. She heads towards the kitchen to pull out her laptop and get to work, but is stopped in her tracks when her watch vibrates and she sees Sophie's name flash across its screen. It was like she had some kind of sixth sense. Ryan instinctively looks over her shoulder, back at the couch, as if the small sound would have been enough to jolt a very asleep Kate. Ryan pulls out her phone to read the text. 

Sophie's Cell: I know it's late, but I feel like you might be up. So I'm checking on you.

Ryan walks to the kitchen table and takes a seat. She peers over to the couch again, deciding if she should respond now or wait until the morning, or until she could learn how close or far Sophie was from figuring her out. She tells herself it’s always better to prepare, and that she needs more time. Then she looks back at the text, willing herself to close it, but can't bring herself to do so. 

Robyn's Cell: Wide awake. Did you make it home alright?

Sophie's Cell: Not quite.

Ryan frowns, because the first text didn't read like a call for help. Before she can type the words, 'is everything ok,' another text comes in with a picture of two empty glasses and a bottle of tequila on the bar counter top, with the words 'Take 3?'

Could she really take the risk and leave Kate in her loft? She wasn't even dressed. And more, what about keeping a safe distance from the woman who was only getting closer by the day? What would Luke say?

Robyn's Cell: We definitely don't look like we were at the same party tonight. I flew out of that dress when I got home.

Sophie's Cell: That's an image…and I'm sure you look amazing in anything.

Fourteen year old Ryan, the one who still had hope, hobbies, and a safe home is having a crisis of gay panic. She's shouting because it looks like the lean and leggy, caramel toned, golden eyed junior in her gym period who she’d felt a connection with but couldn’t believe would ever want her back is hitting on her. At the same time, this Ryan is reminding herself that her facade is at least in part kept up by all of the makeup and accessories. The young girl who hadn’t started to grow into her adult body and voice, or grown out of her rounder facial features is harder to miss without all of the glam. 

Sophie's Cell: I keep clothes here. We can match at our own party.

Ryan looks over her shoulder again, and takes a deep breath. Being cooped up in her loft, working while Kate slept did not sound better than this option. And this could still be an avenue to uncover something of what she needs to know. But she couldn't go like this. 

Robyn's Cell: Give me 10.

She throws the fastest beat that allows her to feel like she resembles her usual self onto her face. Then she switches into black denim and a black cropped top, with a blue and pink plaid button down, which she leaves open and rolls up the sleeves for. Her loose curls are still bunched high on her head from after her shower. She adds some combat boots and steps up to her full length mirror to assess. The look will have to work.

She walks to the spiral case that will drop her off in The Hold Up, and gives her unexpected guest one last glance before proceeding into the unknown.

~~~~~

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH, 1:00 AM, THE HOLD UP

Sophie isn't behind the bar tonight. She's at the same table she sat at with Jordan the morning after Ryan closed the bar up for her. And she seems prepared to stay a while. She has two glasses with large blocks of ice, a tray of sliced limes, two shot glasses, a bottle of tequila, and two tin shakers, which Ryan assumes are filled with her Tequila Sour. There's also a large bowl of chips and a smaller bowl of salsa. The scene makes multiple statements at once. 

And Sophie did change into a pair of blue skinny jeans and a fitted white tank. She even let her braids out of the pinned up style from earlier, so they’re flowing down her back, as is her preferred style. Ryan can only see her from the back at first, which proves to be a mercy, so she can make sure that screaming teenager inside is in check. It's possible Sophie's taking the moment too, because Ryan's combat boots aren't silent against the bar floor, but Sophie hasn't budged to acknowledge her presence. There are four seats at the table, as always, and Ryan has to make the same decision about where to sit as she did when she approached Sophie just hours ago. Besides the chips being in the middle of the table, everything else is placed in front of Sophie, so that’s no help.

Instead of deciding, she walks around to the side of Sophie and greets her. 

Ryan: "Hey."

This time Sophie's relaxed, and happy for her company. 

Sophie: "Hey! How are you?"

Ryan: "I'm good…"

Ryan's expression says 'you don't have to worry about me.’ They linger for a few seconds longer than others might, and then Sophie gestures to the seat next to her, deciding where Ryan should sit for her. Ryan obliges, and places her phone on the table, faced down. 

Ryan: “When you said we were having a party, you meant it.” 

Sophie: “Kinda trying to salvage this holiday for us.”

She pours the two shots that they always start with, and slides one to Ryan. They each grab a lime, throw them back, and then take matching bites, dropping their limes in their shot glasses after. Then Sophie pours some of the drinks out of a shaker into their glasses, and hands one to Ryan. 

Ryan: “I take it you didn’t have the best time after I left.” 

Sophie: “Is it just me, or do you ever find yourself wondering why we keep going to those things?”

Ryan: “They’ve definitely been interesting, but they're not all bad.”

High school Ryan is still out and about, testing the waters, because in a rare moment of freedom, she doesn’t hold back her brightest smile. 

Sophie: “I have to admit, I don’t fight as hard against going as I used to.” 

Ryan takes a chip and nibbles on a corner, literally chewing on a thought. There’s so much she can’t share, and also so much she wants to know. The tequila is warming her up, and she’s probably a little too tired at this hour to be as diligent as she should be. So, she starts a conversation without a full proof plan around where it will lead.

Ryan: “So you and Kate…that's why you were fighting so hard before, right?”

Sophie looks at her glass for a second and takes a sip from it before answering. 

Sophie: “We are exes that apparently have to learn how to be friends, if that’s even a thing. But I'm guessing you knew that."

Ryan brings her glass to her lips and nods yes, and decides to divulge a little before taking her own sip. 

Ryan: “That friendship starts with lunch later today…?”

Sophie: “Wait! How do you know that part?” 

She smirks, because she’s having a little fun trolling Sophie. She puts down her glass, taking her time to answer.

Ryan: “She showed up at my door a little while ago, although she shouldn’t have been driving. She was pretty upset, but she’s asleep on my couch right now.”

Sophie: “Damn. Did she say what she was upset about?” 

Ryan: “She mentioned a few things, like not being in love with her family dynamics, and then…” 

She looks pointedly at Sophie, raising her eyebrow as an answer.

Sophie: “...And then me, or…us?”

It was clear they were both unsure if there was in fact an ‘us,’ as it related to the two of them, but that didn’t change the fact that Kate believed there was one.

Ryan: “Both. She also said she pissed you off.” 

Ryan takes another chip, curious about which part of that Sophie will want to discuss further. Sophie rolls her eyes and takes a drink. She puts her glass down, and shifts with a lot of intention towards Ryan. 

Sophie: “I’m not hers, in any way. That’s a far away past for me. And she can get on board with that or not, but I’m not letting her stand in the way of anything I want or need in my life.” 

Ryan is rethinking her layers in this moment. The air is blasting, and her hands are cold, but her neck feels very hot all of the sudden.

Ryan: “Is that why you’re upset with her, because she's not moving on?”

Sophie sits back in her seat, and traces the rim of her glass while she decides how to answer.

Sophie: "I'm more frustrated than upset. I don't really get it. That was so long ago."

Ryan: "I kind of get it."

Sophie frowns, and looks up, confused. She understands that Robyn and Kate have some things in common, since they've clearly become friends, but the idea that she'd be on Kate's side catches her off guard.

Sophie: "What do you mean?"

Ryan: "I mean, I get how it could be hard to just move on…why she wouldn't want to let go..."

The unspoken ‘of you’ in that sentence makes Sophie's face feel flushed. She’s unaware of just how much Ryan understands why Kate is struggling. Sophie has proven to be the one memory from her past that can take her back to a version of herself she'd thought was long forgotten. After so many years and all that's happened, to discover that even a glimmer of that girl still exists, and that she’s tied up in time she spent with Sophie continues to surprise her. Sophie takes this as an opportunity to shift gears.

Sophie: “So, are you going to tell me how you’re doing, for real?”

Ryan stalls with another chip, and Sophie takes one too, to busy herself while she waits. 

Ryan: “I’m processing a lot, but I’m fine. I’m not easily rattled.”

Sophie: “I’m really sorry that happened to you. I can imagine it took a lot to be so vulnerable, and how something like tonight might make a person want to retreat.” 

Ryan: “Retreat is a good word. Not exactly the audience I would have voluntarily said those things in front of.” 

She quickly pulls her eyes from Sophie to stare at the chip bowl. 

Sophie: “Maybe it’s not the worst thing... Of course, I’d rather learn those kinds of things about you like this, but...” 

Ryan: “You mean learn that I have abandonment issues, that have turned me into a loner, and drove me to therapy.”

Sophie: “I was going to say that, at least now I know if you disappear again, I should probably go looking for you. Robyn, your past doesn’t have to be your future. Not everyone leaves…And, going to therapy is courageous. Hell, I think we should all go, just maybe not to that sociopath.” 

That makes Ryan chuckle, and return her eyes to Sophie. 

Ryan: “You caught that too? She was so cold about everyone’s problems. The way she pretended to care and then judged us all so harshly.”

They both laugh at that. Even though Ryan’s moment of truth being shared so broadly was a sacrifice of her choosing, somehow, Sophie’s been able to comfort her.

Sophie: "Robyn, why do I feel like I know you, and I just met you? Why are you the first person to look at me like you truly know who I am, and…somehow, I believe you might actually? How is it that talking to you feels like we’ve done this a hundred times, and like…I found something I didn’t know I’d lost every time you walk into a room? Am I just crazy…?"

Another surprise from Sophie. Ryan really hopes the first questions are rhetorical. At the same time, she's fighting back her own warm cheeks, hot chest, and every form of panic. She just shakes her head no, so Sophie can at least know she isn't completely imagining things, before taking another sizeable drink. 

Sophie reaches over and places her hand on the one Ryan had left on the table. She lets herself have a moment, flipping her hand around to clasp Sophie's back. Her thumb automatically grazes Sophie's skin, and her touch makes Ryan feel like she’s gone backwards in time to a memory of holding this hand before. 

Ryan’s pacing her breath again - in through her nose, and slowly out through her mouth - trying to compose herself. She stares at Sophie’s hand in hers, reflecting. She puts her glass down, and wraps her other hand around Sophie’s, so that she’s holding her wrist, and Sophie reciprocates, doing the same thing. They’re arched towards each other, so closely that Ryan can smell Sophie’s Cherry Blossom sent on her neck and wrists. 

A really unfamiliar sensation takes over, and her chest starts to ache. She hasn’t cried in so many years, but she feels like she could right now. When was the last time she held someone’s hand? But she didn’t want that - not to hold just anyone’s hand. In fact, she never wanted to care about another person the way she once cared about Sophie...to be that close to someone she could so easily lose. 

Sure, a fourteen year old’s most trusted friend and crush might seem inconsequential to some. What did kids know about love, anyway? But for what Ryan understood at that time, it was the closest she’d come to ever loving someone that wasn’t her mom, in a healthy, unconditional, and what she’d believed to be a mutual way. She wasn’t given the chance to say goodbye, or give Sophie the Christmas present she’d bought and wrapped for her well in advance of the holiday. She was just gone.

Sophie squeezes her hand back, reading the shift in her energy. Then, she mirrors the motion Robyn had just made with her thumb, circling her skin. It’s like she can see the processing Robyn had referred to before happening in real time.

Sophie: “Hey…what’s going on in that head of yours?”

Ryan finally looks up, eyes brimming and pleading. She can’t do this. How can she do this? 

13 YEARS AGO, GOTHAM CITY HIGH SCHOOL

When Ryan arrives on the roof of the gym, Sophie is already there waiting for her, with Selly in her lap, like she is nearly every single day. She sets the cat down in its bed, and quickly jumps up. She almost runs to Ryan, and hugs her.  Sophie: “Everyone on my side of the gym was talking about what happened the period before. Are you okay?” Sophie pulls back, but keeps Ryan’s shoulders in her hands, looking down at her for an honest answer. Ryan smiles wide, appreciating her concern.  Ryan: “Wow. News travels fast. I’m okay, though. I’m sure you also heard that Angelique got involved.” She drops her hands then, seeming slightly more irritated than concerned.  Sophie: “Yeah…I guess I’m glad she was there. I can’t say I would have handled things any differently.”  Ryan grabs her hand, then. Their relationship had grown a lot in the over-four months they’d been meeting up here, and co-parenting this baby cat. They’d overcome a lot with her, and spent so much time together, that they’d become really close. They’d chat about school, life, parents, celebrity crushes, and dreams for the future while bonding with their little one. And, hugging when they first saw each other and before they parted ways was a norm for them.  As it had gotten colder with the change in seasons, they naturally sat closer together on the ground next to their kitten’s bed. Selina would climb between their sets of laps or lay across both of them at the same time. So, it wasn’t uncommon for one of them to rest their head on the other’s shoulder while they’d play with their pet. The whole thing really lended itself to a cuddly kind of relationship for all three of them. Ryan: “I’m sure you wouldn’t have.”  They hear Selly meow for them, and look over at her. Sophie starts walking towards their fur baby, without releasing Ryan’s hand. When they get to her, Sophie picks her back up and fills her in on the tea.  Sophie: “Selly, some meanie heads tried to bully Mama Ry today. And a girl we’re not sure we like stood up for her, thankfully. But mommy Soph is still waiting to hear exactly what happened. Be sure to give her extra snuggles, okay?” Sophie touches noses with the cat before passing it to Ryan to greet. Then she plops onto the ground, crossing her legs, and awaiting the story. Ryan does the same, and skoots in close, so that she’s facing Sophie, and there’s no break between their legs. She sits the cat in her lap, and it stretches across both of their legs, beginning its daily prance between them.  Ryan: “I promise, I’m okay Soph. It was hardly anything. And, honestly, I was more worried that Angelique would get kicked out for trying to defend my honor. I wouldn’t have wanted that for you either, if you were there.”  She rubs Sophie’s knee, to emphasize her point.   Sophie: “I don’t think that girl is worried about getting kicked out. And, even though I’m really glad you had help today, I hope you don’t think you owe her anything…” Ryan: “How don’t I? She didn’t have to do that for me. I think she could make a good friend.”  Sophie: “She’s not the kind of friend you need.” Ryan: “What am I missing? Why do you sound like you hate her?” Sophie: “I don’t hate her. I hardly know her. But what I know of her… I care about you too much to see you get wrapped into what she’s got going on.” 

Ryan: “Sophie, if you want me to stay away from someone who protected me today, I’m going to need a good reason why.” 

Ryan starts playing with Sophie’s fingers on her lap, while Sophie pets Selly’s head. She takes a deep breath, not making eye contact, and prepares to answer. She wasn’t one to gossip. She kind of prided herself in minding her business. High school wasn’t her favorite thing. She’d be around a group of people who seemed to be having a great time, and she’d laugh and smile along, but not really participate, because before Ryan, she’d felt out of place everywhere. She was still figuring a lot of things out, but she didn’t need to think with Ryan. She could just be. 

Sophie: “We get to school around the same time. I’ve seen her get dropped off, and the people she runs with are not known for great things. I’m not sure how or why she’s involved with them, but I just think it’d be safer to keep your distance.”

Ryan squeezes her hand, grateful for her constant concern.

Ryan: “Thank you for worrying about me, but I’m not worried. I’m not going to do anything crazy. But maybe she needs a friend. Maybe I could even be a good influence on her.” 

Sophie: “Ryan, if anything happens to you, I’m kicking both of your asses.” 

Ryan: “You’ll have to catch me first.” 

She snatches their cat, jumps up, and takes off running. Sophie is fast, because her stride is longer, but Ryan is quick too. So, they play one of their favorite games of Steal The Cat, running around the roof, trying to catch and tackle each other. 

Ryan: “Sophie, I…”

Ryan stutters, struggling to figure out how to tell her this will never work. She can’t form the words. It’s what she knows she needs to say. It’s what she has to say. And she just can’t. 

Kate: “Hey…I texted, looking for you. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to find you here, though.”

Both of their heads shoot towards the hallway that the stairway from the loft leads to. Kate is standing there, looking heartbroken. Ryan takes her hands out of Sophie’s, grabbing her phone to read the missed text, and sits back in her chair. Sophie quickly looks at her, left literally empty handed, and the disappointment can’t be missed by anyone in the room. 

Kate: “I’m better now, so I’m going to go. Thanks for…you know...” 

Kate heads to the back exit, where she’d left her car. 

Ryan: “I’m sorry...” 

Ryan jumps up, and runs after Kate. She catches her opening the door to her Maserati MC20.

Ryan: “Wait. Don’t leave like this.” 

Kate: “I knew…”

Ryan: “Nothing has happened with me and Sophie.” 

Kate: “Sure, nothing has happened, yet. Stop pretending you don’t have feelings for her, Robyn.” 

Ryan: “I...I want us to be okay, Kate.” 

Kate: “Look, I meant what I said. Sophie deserves whatever she wants, even if that’s you. I just need some time, okay?” 

Kate gets in the car, starts it, and speeds off. Ryan hasn’t felt this out of control in a long time. She turns around and looks at the bar door. She wonders if Sophie is waiting for her to come back, or if she was too let down to have stayed. She’s not even sure she can face her again, right now. 

She takes her phone out and opens their texts. 

Robyn’s Cell: It’s been a long day, so I’m going to call it. Sorry for the abrupt ending, and thank you for tonight.

She takes the outside stairway back up to her loft, to avoid exposing herself to the scene she’s abandoned. Those tears she didn’t know she could still shed find their way out of her eyes on the walk to her door. She’d broken so many rules, already, what was one more?

~~~~~

To be continued...

How did that feel? Tell me your thoughts!

If you pay super close attention and noticed that the season changed in the high school memory, that's sort of the tricky part about posting as you go. Sometimes, things you wrote before fully ironing out what you plan to write don't fit as neatly as you need them to. It was a tiny edit to the text that made a significant difference in the story. But yes, originally, Angelique defended Ryan earlier in the school year and I changed it to closer to Christmas, because it worked better for this part and more. Thanks for going with it.

Come back next week for part two. There's soooo much more to this chapter!

All #Batwoman things I do now are in the name of #SaveBatwoman. The month of May has so many fun activities planned for the campaign, including some committee members posting live updates from the #Starfury #Ultimates-Apokolips convention. Go follow @savebatwoman on social Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

[clay-cuttlefish]

Gotham Central 1-24 and the stories in between, splitting it where The Question 2005 starts. I feel so incredibly normal about this era. Definitely not putting off my school readings for this. (In my defense Plato is a long-winded bitch.)

In the Line of Duty (GC #1-2)

This is a really strong start. Gotham Central works because it makes dealing with supervillains feel meaningful to the average person in Gotham - sure, Batman shows up and gets them eventually, but that doesn't mean everything just goes back to normal.

Freeze is barely in this and he's unsettling as hell. The cold gun is creepy!

Dead Reckoning (Ted #777-782)

Immediately derailed by a Tec story. It's a good one, at least.

I like that Gordon became a teacher, even if he's not qualified at all.

Why does Arkham have an isolation cage.

I'm with Two-Face here, if he can drive an Arkham employee to a nervous breakdown it's probably better that he do it instead of Scarecrow or whoever.

Harvey ignoring his coin for Gordon's sake... they are friends...

As a guy who loves the imposter Two-Faces and the pile of miscellanous Clayfaces I love this story.

All the side villains are very fun here. Scrungly gossip Riddler, wacky self-sabotaging Joker, no-nonsense Penguin, mad scientist Scarecrow... I like these guys a lot.

Harvey's out. That's probably fine.

Motive (GC #3-5)

Mostly Reneeless. A good episode of a cop show. Idk what to say about it.

The Queen is Dead (Gotham Knights #38-39)

Helena's been kidnapped by Checkmate, and Vic shows up to tell Nightwing about it and beat up a goon. I miss them.

Half a Life (GC #6-10)

Screaming, crying, throwing up, etc.

Renee's talk with Maggie about their different experiences being out is a really good moment.

God I don't have coherent thoughts about this it just kills me.

Crispus. Dude. She's been framed for murder and you're annoyed she didn't come out to you?

At least Josie's here.

HARVEY YOU SON OF A BITCH. You don't get to blame Two-Face for this one! This is on you for being a creepy possessive fuck to the point you were flipping on it!

"You've been living two lives, and I've broken down the wall between them" we're still a few years out from that one and she'll do it of her own volition with some help actually but thanks

"I don't see what that has to do with us." I am going to put my head through the drywall. What are you talking about! What am I supposed to do with this!

"You're welcome." Bruce I will actually kill you.

Soft Targets (GC #12-15)

Renee's back! Nothing too major for her here, but she's... levelled out, I guess.

Hub City mentioned! As the one police department more corrupt than Gotham. Sounds about right.

I'm not generally a fan of the Joker but this is a pretty good story. it's an elaborate scheme to mess with Batman that hurts a lot of people along the way.

Maggie should've killed him. I am not on the "Batman should just kill the Joker" train but she shot him like five times and at that point him surviving is just overkill.

Life is Full of Disappointments (GC #16-18)

No Renee but Helena's here! Just for a moment to ask Mafia questions.

Unresolved (GC #19-22)

There's a Previously On segment now, this really is Law and Order: Gotham.

I don't have it in me to feel bad for Bullock. He's been an awful bastard this entire time and trying to pretend he was a "good cop" just makes me like him less.

Thank you, Josie, for being the voice of reason.

Ohhh my god girl why are you immediately willing to defend him.

Corrigan (GC #23-24)

Crispus bringing his wife and kids to Renee and Daria's for brunch... this is the one real friendship Renee has.

Unfortunately Renee getting a nice thing means her life immediately gets worse.

This guy being named Jim Corrigan is. A choice? I get it when there's last name overlap between characters, or when it's minor characters overlapping, but the Spectre's not niche. Maybe it's intentional foreshadowing of Crispus' time as the Spectre but I seriously doubt that was on the table at this point.

Her and Daria's relationship makes me implode.

[requitals]

@folie2deux: what twenty-something hasn't fallen for some creepy asshole? ( tess. )

it's nice, with everything else, to meet someone who's basically, well, normal. sure, charlie's sure tess is fucked up, but it's in pretty normal ways. she does normal shit. she doesn't care when charlie kicks back on her couch with the six pack of heineken from the corner store and smokes like a chimney, with just enough decorum to pop open the window. might not help much in gotham, but you can pretend.

they can talk like people. this isn't to say tess is more honest than anyone else. people lie like second nature, even when they don't mean to. usually it's about meaningless shit, things they'd rather swallow down, trying to make their lives sound better or more extraordinary.

she used to sit outside in the laughlin heat, when it was hot but not unbearable yet, and listen to the cicadas. that's what lies start to sound like when you're tuned into them long enough, an endless buzzing.

but tess doesn't seem to lie about the big stuff. she's also not so obsessed with winning a stupid race around a circular track that she committed murder over it, or some jumped-up heir to a casino that couldn't even begin to handle the books. when charlie thinks of it like that, it really starts to crystallize, how insane her life is now.

not that it's ever been any different, except for the more boring laughlin years. back in her twenties, she was—what? sweeping through poker games like it was nothing. she used to watch the faces in smoke-filled rooms. true. lying. lying. true. living with plenty of money, which, as it turned out, didn't make you any happier at the end of the day. took her too many years to figure all that out.

charlie points her nearly finished cigarette towards tess for a moment. "you don't have to tell me twice. i was hopping all over the country in my twenties, and, honestly?" she scoffs. "you would not believe some of the creeps you meet in philadelphia."

a pause as she stubs out the cigarette in the ashtray, leaving it smouldering. then she reaches down to pop open the next can of beer. "worst part is that once you get over falling for assholes, they don't stop falling over themselves for you. i was a cocktail waitress, and let me tell you, there's a lot of men who get very fucking weird about any girl, regardless of age, in a short enough skirt with a big feather arrangement on her head." her free hand hovers at about the appropriate height, six or so inches above the top of her head. "maybe i'm, uh, inoculated against it, but i really do not get the appeal. you look like a malformed bird. but if you want to swap 'shitty ex from your twenties' stories, i've got plenty."

[mjmagics]

NEWEST CHAPTER, ILL MAKE IT LOOK NICE LATER

Word Count - 1700+

Warnings - Swearing , writing isn’t the greatest but ya know

Rating - 14+

Chapter 3

Eliza’s apartment was grander than Jade had expected. It was a one-bedroom with an open floor plan on the tenth floor of a very tall building. Jade was thankful she napped through the drive home, it stopped her from realizing how small she was.

“The tallest building in North Dakota had 19 floors, and how many does this one have?”

“I think 30,” Eliza answered her little sister with a grin. “I know I live pretty low, but the ten flights of stairs at least twice a day is like a full cardio workout for me.”

Jade giggled, before playfully poking her sister's stomach. “I think you could use a bit more.”

“More cardio?” The woman laughed, giving her younger sister a shove. “I like my curves, you little shit.”

“Woah, did you just swear?” Jade gasped dramatically.

“You told me ‘fuck you’ just a week ago! Don’t pretend you’re innocent,” Eliza rolled her blue eyes before taking Jade’s bags. “So I have some disappointing news.”

“What?” Jade pondered.

“Well, truth be told, I only have one room.”

“I know that?”

“Yeah, and you’re not going to be living here.”

“What?” Jade shouted. “Bro, I almost just got kidnapped not even two hours ago, and now you’re telling me I’m not living with you? Where am I going?”

“You’re right, I should have saved this for later.”

Jade shook her head and began looking in the living room of the apartment. There was a white sectional couch that took up the north wall, the west wall was just floor-to-ceiling windows, and in the middle of the walkway, a glass tv stand held a small tv. It was simple, but what piqued the girl’s interest was a school uniform in a plastic laundry bag.

There was a blue plaid skirt, a white dress shirt, a blue knit vest, and a black blazer with a crest on the left side that was composed of a ‘G’ in the middle of a diamond.

“What’s this?” Jade questioned, zipping open the laundry bag to touch the fabric. The vest was made with a smooth yarn, making it feel lightweight, but the blazer was a tough fabric though the inside was lined with a material close to silk. The skirt was made of the same fabric as the blazer, perfect for the winter months.

“Gotham Academy’s uniform. They’re the best school around. I wrote an essay a few months ago on your behalf, and they granted you a full ride if you meet their requirements.”

“A private school?” Jade questioned.

“I know it sucks-“

“Sucks? I’ve always wanted to go to a rich kid's school!” The girl cheered.

For the first time in their life, Eliza seemed pleasantly surprised by the words coming from her younger sister’s mouth. “Repeat that.”

“What? I know I was a bitch-“

“Please, for the love of Azarath, you’re happy with something once!” Eliza let out a laugh of relief. .

Jade felt hope swelling in her chest. “Yes I am very happy,” Jade hugged her older sister, a warm and truthful embrace. “I’m so happy to finally be with you, sister.”

“Me too,” Eliza wrapped her arms around her younger sister, a wide grin on her face.

The two sisters spent the rest of the day telling stories. Jade recollected her time being a vigilante and Eliza spoke about her stay in the hospital she was sent to as a child. Foster homes, empty promises, and different towns no longer separated them. After a long night of catching up and eating sweets, Eliza set up her couch for her younger sister. Goodnights were said, and Jade quickly opened her phone once Eliza had settled into her room.

Jade already had missed four video calls with her friends by the time she was able to get back to them.

“Alex, Emma!” Jade cheered as the group call finally connected on her smart-phone.

“Jade!” The other two greeted in unison.

“How is it going?” Alex asked. Without his ‘Lightning’ costume on, Jade rarely recognized him.

Emma, on the other hand, was more recognizable without her “mountain Lion” persona on. “Yeah, Jadie, how is it?”

“We’ll, my plane ride was fine. Obviously my goodbyes to Emma a the airport and my foster mom were a bit sad.” Jade watched Emma nod her head in agreement. “But when I got to Gotham something weird happened.”

“Oh my god, did you meet billionaire Bruce Wayne?” Alex questioned, a smirk painted on his face.

“Actually,I did! Oddly enough, looks way different than he does on TV. So different, it wasn’t him and some stranger tried to nab me.”

“You kicked his ass, right?” Emma asked.

“Oddly enough, no. I felt scared. Usually bad guys are so easy to take down. I feel so much anger and hatred when we do our work, and at the airport- I was so afraid.” Jade looked away from her phone, feeling embarrassed. She had taken down at least 4 villains (or people doing crimes in her area) in the last year, and she never once felt that type of anxiety before.

“Hey,” Emma began. “It’s okay to be afraid, Jade. We all get scared. When I found out I was a meta, I thought I wouldn’t be able to be a part of society. Changes are difficult, intimidating, and being afraid is a normal feeling. I’m sure Eliza would tell you the same.”

Jade smiled a little, “thanks, Emma.”

“Yeah! I mean, I had my dad helping me the whole time I got my powers, but you didn’t have anyone, Jade. Your sister was so far away. You were fighting the world alone before you met us. You’re stronger than you know, and I agree that fear is good. It’s there to protect you. That's what emotions do.”

“I never thought about that.”

For a moment the kids pause their discussion. Emma was busy looking at a pimple in her camera, Alex was petting his dog, and Jade let their words sink in. Soon a fourth member tried to joint the call.

“It’s Jessica.” Emma stated. Alex nodded his head and hung up on his end as the girls accepted the new line.

“JADIE!” The new member, Jessica, cheered. When her picture focused in Jade could make out her friend’s bright pink hair, the pink colored contacts she chose to wear on a daily basis, and a Pink Floyd shirt on her person.

“JESSIE,” Jade exclaimed back.

“EMMIE.” Jessica cheered once more.

“Jessie,” Emma formally greeted, not too amused about the new member.

“Awe, I think its sooo cute when you don’t reply to me, Emma,” Jessica stated before turning attention to Jade. “How was the flight?”

“It was great!” Jade said with a big smile. Jessica wasn’t like the rest. In fact, she didn’t know they were crime-fighters. She barely knew they were friends with Alex. “Guess what?”

“You already have a boyfriend after ten hours of living in Jersey?”

“Shut it! You know I don’t have a boyfriend. Though, I might get one when I go to the most prestigious private school in Gotham City!” Jade squealed, cited for her first day already.

“Girl, a private school? You better have a cute uniform!” Jessica hummed. It was obvious in her face she was a little jealous.

“Anything Jade wears is cute,” Emma interjected.

“You shouldn’t say that about me, Emma,” Jade teased. She got up from her sister’s couch and grabbed the dry cleaning bag the uniform resided in. “Should I try it on?”

“Yes!” Both Emma and Jessica agreed.

Jade went to Eliza’s bathroom and began to put on the uniform. It took Jade about 15 minuets to get everything on, something she noted in her head for when she had to get ready for class at her new school. She gazed at her reflection in the full length mirror attached to the wooden bathroom door. The blue, plaid skirt rested just above her knees, showing the scars caused by the fights she had been in. The white button down was unflattering to her form, a bit of childhood weight left over in her stomach was easy to see but with the sweater she was fine. Her blazer felt heavy, but as she buttoned it up and saw the completed look (minus the tie as she couldn’t figure out how to get it) she felt dread as well as anticipation for the days ahead.

Jade returned to her phone to find Emma and Jessica laughing at one another. The moment they saw Jade they stopped.

“We’ll, I don’t even like you, Jess,” Emma spat, holding out the ‘s’ in Jessica’s name like a snake.

“I don’t like you either, Em-uh,” the other girl snapped back, crossing her arms.

“Mom, dad, stop fighting,” Jade laughed. The two others on the phone focused on her.

“Solid seven out of ten.” Jessica stated after studying Jade’s outfit. “I wish there was more color. Greys and blues are kinda lame.”

“Yeah, I thought Gotham Academy;s uniform was red or something like that,” Emma replied. “Still, nine out of ten.”

“How am I supposed to know the color of Gotham’s uniform? I’m not obsessed with the adopted kids of Bruce Wayne like some people.”

“Uh, you should be. The royal family’s next in line is waaaay too young for even my niece. If we wanna marry rich we need to keep our options open.”

“Emma!” Jessica groaned. “The likelihood of any of us marrying rich is laughable.”

“You could marry a farmer,” Jade pointed out.

“Ew, no! They live comfortably half of the time and broke the other half.”

“How do you know that?” Jessica interrogated.

“Over fifty percent of our school’s male population are sons of farmers who one day are taking over tge family business. All they talk about is how much the money in crops change and how dry the soil is and how all the soy beans are bad.”

“One kid talks about that,” Jessica pointed out.

“Well its annoying and I can’t handle that for the rest of my life!” Emma huffed,

Jade giggled at the two. They always were arguing around her, but she always assumed it was because they found it fun. “I gotta go to bed guys. It’s late.”

The girls said their goodbyes, and Jade messaged Alex, telling him she enjoyed speaking with him and to have a good night. She put her uniform back in its plastic dry cleaning bag and put her pajamas on before laying on the couch, waiting for a dream to present itself.

[variablejabberwocky]

thinking about potential names for bitty!bruce's vigilante persona (didn't want to put this on the long chain of good ideas so i found the bit with the first mention of anti-robin, but they ARE good ideas and people should follow that thread for delicious funny angst) and i think WHICH name he goes by is gonna shape how the story unfolds but here are some ideas:

ROBIN - just strait up robin. little bruce did his research and saw kid vigilantes have themes based on where they're at/from and in gotham kid heroes are Robins, so he's a robin. obviously. it was good enough for his new dad guardian its good enough for him. dick is unhappy this little shit is being brainwashed into everything he thought he got PAST as robin. damian is pissed this pretender who has already slandered his honor is also Taking His Spot that Father refuses to give him yet. even funnier if while bitty!bruce was stealing jason's memorialized suit he also like idk stole tim's old suit? just ripped the trackers out of it/hacked them to be on hood's wavelength instead of the bats and went 'hey its a free costume'. tim would be so confused and OBSESSED. someone is pulling a him, is it damian? is he trying to take robin from him? is everyone else in on it? is this them trying to train his own replacement without telling him? are they trying to let him down easy or just slowly stonewall him out? like the confusion would be cleared up when he's spotted with hood, but there for a hot second? oof tim's insecurities would act up

ANTI-ROBIN - bitty!bruce did his research like above but CLEARLY he is the superior bruce, and his new dad guardian can beat up your dad is OBVIOUSLY training him better than big!bruce trains his robins, so clearly he is a living critique of big!bruce's methods and the antithesis of his robins. (let little bruce give off maximum damian vibes! its funny AND sad!) the costume could be like inverted colors of robin or the same colors but in the opposite locations.

BAT BOY - let this little angry spicy bean take one look at his alternate universe Big Self and go 'hold my flower'. he WILL be the superior bat themed vigilante, he's already got a head start by Not Sucking At Caring About Jason. he's Got This! your choice of if its just a robin costume dyed black/grey or if he goes full Batman But Miniature about it.

MINI HOOD - maybe he doesn't pick a name on his own, maybe he just gets called something enough to answer to it. i mean he follows Hood around like a lost little duckling and his glower is no joke either. look they even have the same temper! plus this is bruce we're talking about, he ABSOLUTELY has the capacity to be a little mimic. i mean 'brucie wayne' had to come from somewhere. so what if he intentionally picks up on more and more of jason's little mannerisms and body language. he wants to be more like his new dad guardian! plus helmets are practical.

BLUE JAY - i've seen a lot of stories where ALL the former robins become other birds when they outgrow the robin mantle and a frequent one is cardinal. but this is the antithesis of a robin and i've seen a lot of stuff with bluejays and cardinals together as Opposite Brightly Colored Birds Of Winter. so: blue jay. it would also be a little bit of a fuck you to nightwing since he went from mostly red outfit to mostly blue and i can see bruce planning to do the opposite of the Original Robin AND its a subtle nod to jason being his guardian. and you could do so many different things with the costume! is it basically a black and blue robin costume? is it a miniature of the old grey and blue batman costume? is it a tiny red hood but with blue instead of red? is it an entirely different costume unlike any others? is it modeled after the current robin (tim) to show he's the equivalent?

Prompt:

Jason gets booted to another dimension and adopts a recently orphaned Bruce Wayne.

Whom he also takes along for the ride when he’s pulled back into his own dimension.

[fanaticalthings]

I've always wondered how Jason would be publicly integrated back into the family without it seeming suspicious as fuck (because let's be real, legally reviving your son who turns out to not actually be dead is gonna be real hard to explain to the public)

So instead of going through all the hassle of paperwork and a cover story, what if Jason just sorta...popped back into the family without any explanation whatsoever?

But instead of explaining his reappearance, Jason just doesn't fucking say anything and acts like the once dead Wayne kid suddenly being alive isn't the biggest fucking deal in Gotham right now

and when someone tries to approach him he just looks at them wide-eyed and says in his most startled voice "...you can SEE me?"

and then the second the person takes their eyes off him he just ✨disappears✨ (because bat powers obviously) and it freaks everyone the fuck out

and when the other batkids get interviewed they just put up their best act of pretending they have no idea what anyone's talking about

Reporter: Mr. Drake, what do you have to say about the impossible return of your late brother?"

Tim: Who?

Reporter: ...

their performances range from straight up ignorance to dramatically bursting into tears whenever someone brings up the topic

Reporter: Do you have anything to say about the recent events surrounding Jason Todd?"

[Cue Dick letting out the most obnoxious wail possible and crying all over the reporter]

Reporter: Oh-I didn't mean to upse-

Dick: I just wish I was there for him more when he was alive, yknow?

Reporter: Ah, well-

Dick: And sometimes I wonder what he would've been like now...All grown up and going to college...[more sobbing]

Reporter whispering under their breath: What the fuck is going on

everyone stopped asking Dick after that.

these shenanigans get so ridiculous to the point where Jason's even started standing RIGHT NEXT to his siblings whenever they're in public and they just pretend like he isn't even fucking there

it's come to the point where ghost!Jason (?) even has his own wiki page where people just talk about his weird ass appearances and the possibilities of him being a cryptid

and oh yeah this all happens during the span of one week while Bruce is (conveniently) off world

when he comes back he's just met with half of Gotham in hysterics over his dead son and theorizing if the Waynes are being haunted and he has absolutely zero clue about what the HELL is going on

he first finds out from an interviewer asking him how he feels about his ghost son and how any of this is even possible

but I imagine that Bruce's brain kinda short circuits and the only thing he's processing right now is that Jason is back in the family and he just starts tearing up like, "My son is back in the family? He loves me? 🥺"

and everyone in Gotham is like Mr. Wayne did you miss the fucking part where your DEAD son is just ALIVE again and just chilling around the city??

anyways you CANNOT tell me Jason wouldn't use this opportunity to pull the biggest prank in Gotham history like that boy LIVES for drama

[books]

Writer Spotlight: Claire Ahn

Claire Ahn grew up in Seoul, Korea, which she still considers home. She moved to New York to attend university and now lives in Long Island City with her husband, newborn daughter, and their dog, Dante. Claire writes about transcultural experiences and the traditions, values, and legacies that shape who we are. I GUESS I LIVE HERE NOW is her debut novel. Click through to read about mouth-watering food and homesickness remedies, and for some really good writing advice.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to write I GUESS I LIVE HERE NOW?

I think most debut authors would probably divulge this, but the first novel is always a bit of a circuitous path. You can never really pinpoint the beginning of the first because it’s just this blurry idea you had years ago that somehow—through repetitive classes and workshopping and rejections—becomes a novel. I suppose this idea was conceived back in 2016, but it’s gone through many transitions, from a children’s book to a middle-grade book, then a young adult novel, and within it, about four to five full revisions. 

I started writing to release stress from a grueling job in public relations, where writing felt so formulaic and not at all creative. I’ve always loved storytelling, and was told PR is the world of storytelling as a profession, but it wasn’t enough to fill the creative well in me. So I took up course writing at Gotham Writers Workshop, which is how this all began for me. Plus, I got free wine every week. How could I have stopped attending? 

You’ve written your own experience in reverse, going from New York to Seoul, and made it YA. What were some challenges you faced in doing so? 

From a craft perspective, it was hard to write Seoul as if it was the first time. Everything there feels second nature to me, from the street foods to the lavish grocery stores and intensely beautiful cafe culture. It’s never a shock when I go back home, so having to write it fresh was hard. Hopefully, I somewhat successfully captured the newness of it from Melody’s eyes. From a personal experience perspective, my constant fear is that someone in my life will be convinced a flawed character was inspired by them! Woof. If you’re reading this, close friend or family member, this is not the case! 

Melody and her friends are all navigating parental expectations while trying to make their way in the world. What do you hope readers take away from seeing these character dynamics represented?

 Am I the only one feeling like I sometimes live my life intensely trying to please my parents? Oh God, I hope not. I hope readers feel seen and less alone in having dreams that may defy the wishes of parents or guardians or even of peers and the capitalistic society in which we live. I hope readers feel reminded that they can simply be. They can have lofty dreams like Melody, or they can want to dream of being comfortable and accepted in their skin, like Kimbeom, or they can just want to live in their present, and that is all okay and good. Let’s change the narrative of having to stamp influential footprints in this world. 

Seoul is your home, but you live in Long Island City. How do you approach writing about being in between two cultures, and what’s your favored remedy for homesickness?

I think I operate on a default state of longing and clinging. I’m always longing to visit Seoul any chance I get, and I live in a state of clinging onto my culture tighter than my high school banquet dress. I release myself from those states of being by writing stories where I get to pretend like I’m in Seoul again or where I imagine my life as a teen in New York, fresh from Korea. My favored remedy for homesickness is buying a plane ticket to Seoul and immediately texting my friends back home that I’ll be there soon. Then, every day until I’m on that plane, I dream of being surrounded by faces like mine, speaking in my native tongue, and stuffing my face with high-quality rice cakes (dduk). Does that sound sad? I swear I love my life in New York, too. 

The descriptions of food in IGILHN are incredible. What’s your favorite Korean dish, and can you make our mouths water describing it?

Thank you! You know, I didn’t know food was a theme in the book until people pointed it out. Food is such a deeply ingrained part of Korean culture that it wasn’t an intentional ploy, but as it turns out, it is impossible to write a book set in Seoul without a proper description of the bounty of food on offer. My favorite dish has got to be my mom’s homemade galbi jjim, braised short ribs. I can’t even eat ones from a restaurant because it tastes horrible compared to her concoction. It’s a common holiday dish for New Year’s or Chuseok, but for me, it was the dish my mom made every time I landed in Seoul from New York. An expression of love poured into a dish that takes hours to make. I always imagined her making it in the kitchen the night before I arrived, eagerly waiting for her younger daughter to come back home. It’s a thoughtful dish because it’s not something you can whip up at a moment’s notice, and if you try to, you will never mimic a galbi jjim that has been simmering for hours. It’s both a deliciously sweet and intensely aromatic and savory dish. When done right, the meat falls off the bones at the softest pull with chopsticks, and it’s generously coated with a sauce made from Korean radishes, jujubes, pears, chestnuts, and garlic. As my husband says, it’s a ‘flavor explosion.’ 

What made you want to be a writer? What advice can you give to budding writers working on transcultural narratives?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but growing up in an Asian household, I wasn’t made aware that writing was a chosen profession. I was sort of led to believe it was something you did on the side of your ‘real’ job, which just meant making a stable income with the goal of homeownership. As a daughter of immigrants, stability was highly valued in our household, so writing wasn’t really a ‘serious’ option. But I wrote my first play when I was in the second grade, a whopping eleven pages of some friends living on Mars, spying on Earth people.

My advice would be to find a writing community and celebrate small milestones. I couldn’t have gotten here without my group of writers that I met through Gotham Writers; equally, I might have given up if I wasn’t so damn good at celebrating even the stupidest things: Submitted a manuscript? Buy myself a typewriter! Read a book during a desolate book lull? Eat my favorite ice cream! The journey to finding an agent, revising, then selling your book, then revising again (and again and again and again), then finally seeing it hit shelves (which I haven’t yet) is LONG! So, unless you’re a total Grinch and happy to be one, celebrate; because you can’t go years without that celebratory joy to keep you motivated. 

What does Melody’s Tumblr look like? Obviously, she’s got some interior design in there, but what else does she post? What’s the vibe like?

The vibe is definitely a modern cafe look with a splash of pop, which is also her fashion style. Isn’t our Tumblr vibe just a digital reflection of our fashion? Mine definitely was. Mel’s Tumblr is probably like Comme des Garcons meets Alexander Wang. 

IGILHN is your debut novel—what’s next for you?

I’m working on my second book now, and it’s not set in Seoul! It’s set right here, in my second favorite city, New York. Everyone says book two is the worst. Surprisingly, I don’t want to rip my eyes out, and I’m thoroughly enjoying exploring my new fictional friends and their immigrant families and New York’s Asian food culture. Soup dumplings have already made their way into my pages multiple times. I can’t share too much yet, but I hope it stays as fun as it’s been so far and that it finds its people. 

Thanks so much for answering our questions, Claire! I GUESS I LIVE HERE NOW will be hitting shelves on May 24. That’s today in a week! 

[dragon-kazansky]

This Bruce Wayne

Val! Bruce Wayne x Reader

Gender neutral reader

Requested by @potashiuhm​

♡♡♡

Living in Gotham, you were used to all sorts of characters. Gotham was full of interesting and unusual people. Gotham was known for it.

Gotham was also known for Wayne Enterprises. Bruce Wayne is the richest man in the city. Everyone knows who he is, so when he walks into the room, all attention is on him.

Like now, as you stand to the side at one of his company’s galas, he has arrived and without introduction to anyone people gather to greet him. You watch from the other side of the room as he smiles at people and shakes their hands. 

You’re here to write an article about his company, but you would rather be writing about the things happening in Gotham that some people seem to forget. The people who live here, but are struggling, all the while Brue Wayne is throwing a huge party for his company wearing a suit that probably costs more than your apartment.

Any story would be more appealing to you than Bruce Wayne.

You turn back to the gathering crowds in the room and ignore him. You had no reason to actually talk to him, just to report on his party. You don’t quite understand why there was a need for an article, other than just to make him look good to people. You roll your eyes at the thought.

Turning your back in his direction, you go to get yourself another drink and perhaps take a peek at the food being served. Maybe you can make a comment about that in the article.

Standing over the table filled with lots of wonderful looking treats, you think about what you’re actually going to say in your article. You have to pretend to actually like the man for it to be convincing. Your boss knew about your disdain for the man, but at the same time would remind you that you don’t actually know Bruce Wayne. You would just reply with ‘I don’t have to know him to not like him,’ and then just walk away.

The billionaire just caused you to have such a burning rage for him, even though he hadn’t actually done anything to spark this hatred. He just... existed.

Lost in your thoughts, you hadn’t noticed the very man you were thinking about approaching you.

Bruce Wayne knows you. He reads your articles often. Mostly, they are about him. You have a way with words that certainly captivate your audience, and for that he finds your articles fascinating. However, within your words he finds some... resentment. Though you try to disguise it, he can’t help thinking you don’t like him for some reason. Your words come off as strained to him sometimes.

So, seeing you here, he had to approach you.

A tap to your shoulder has you turning around and coming face to face with Bruce Wayne. Shock immediately sets in. During all these parties you’ve ever come to in order to write an article, you have never come face to face with Wayne ever.

This was a new development; one you can’t say you were too pleased about.

“Mr Wayne,” you say, finding your voice.

He smiles. It’s polite and his eyes seem to light up slightly. This smile was genuine, and you began to wonder where this was going. 

“An honour to have you here,” he says.

You look around you briefly, wondering if he was actually talking to you or not.

“Me? Shouldn’t people be telling you that it’s an honour to meet you?”

Bruce laughs. You grow all the more confused.

“I suppose I do hear that often enough. Still, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he says, holding out his hand.

You glance at it before reaching for it.

“You know who I am?” You ask him.

His smile seems all the more cheerful. “I do.”

You lower your hand after shaking his and stand awkwardly in front of him. He doesn’t seem to mind though.

“I read your articles,” he admits.

“Oh. I see.”

“Fascinating work,” he says.

“You think it’s fascinating? My works are mostly about you, why would that fascinate you? I’m pretty sure you’re aware about what happens at your events.”

He chuckles. You have a bite to you, and he likes that.

“Almost aware of everything. This is the first time I’ve actually taken notice of you being at one at these.”

You grin. “I prefer it when you don’t know I’m here.”

Bruce laughs again.

“You don’t like me very much, do you?”

“What gave it away?” You ask, dropping your smile. You might as well be honest with him since he seems to know already.

“Your words. Though you say such wonderful things about me and my company, I can’t help picking up your spite for me. Have I done something to offend you?” He asks.

You stare at him.

The way he is looking at you seems a little... sorrowful. He seems bothered by your lack of interest in him.

“I... uh... Well, I...” You can’t seem to think of what to say. It’s only then you perhaps realise what it is you hate about him. “It’s not exactly your fault...”

“I don’t understand,” he says.

You look around you. People are looking.

“Forget it. It was.... nice meeting you. I’ll be on my way now. I have all I need.”

You go to walk past him, but he reaches out, lightly brushing his hand with yours before pulling it back again. You stop as you glance at him, seeing his eyes shift to the floor before looking back up at you again. He hides his hands behind his back as if to stop himself from reaching out again.

“Don’t go,” he says.

You glance around you again. People are still looking.

“I have to, I’m sorry.”

You bow out, leaving as quickly as possible. Bruce wants to go after you and pick up where you left off, but his attention is soon stolen away by some other guests. However, as they talk to him, he can’t help but look up at the doors you just disappeared through.

A few days later you’re sitting at your desk. You had written the article from the gala that night and it had been published yesterday. You were currently gathering information for your next one. As you were scrolling through the web, your mail for the day gets dropped off at your desk. You stop your scrolling to pick it up and go through it.

The first couple envelopes were some potential story leads for your next one, which you would have to run by your boss. Though you know he’ll say know because he just wants to write about Wayne.

The last one was different. You stare at the envelope. Your name was written in neat penmanship on the front. You flip it over and open it, taking out the note inside. The writing on it was the same neat handwriting from the envelope, and you just knew who it was from.

The note was an invitation to Wayne manor.

You scrunch it up and toss it into the waste basket by your foot. You were not going to walk into that.

As you throw the note out, your boss walks by.

“What is that?”

“Nothing, just rubbish,” you say, turning back to your computer.

Your boss doesn’t believe you and bends down to fetch it out of the basket. You groan as they open it and read it.

“An invitation to Wayne manor? And you’re throwing it out?”

“Yes.”

“Go.”

You look up at your boss.

“What? No! I already attend his parties for you, I am not going to his house.”

“You are. We’ll need another story to tell, so why not tell one from inside his home. Give his fans and admirers something new to think about,” your boss says.

“No.”

“I’m not asking. I’m telling you.”

You glare at them. They glare back at you.

“Bruce Wayne has invited you to his home. It has your name on it and everything. You will go to his house. You will get another story. You will do it because I am telling you to do it.”

You sit back in your chair in defeat.

“Fine.”

Your boss smiles at you and leaves the note on your desk. You glare at it.

Damn him.

As the evening rolls in, you find yourself outside of his home. You’re buzzed through the gates and told to wait by the door. You sigh as you look around. The door opens and you turn to find yourself with someone you don’t know.

“Oh, um, hello,” you say.

“Mr Wayne is this way,” the man says, gesturing for you to follow him. You step inside and wait for him to close the door before following him in to the house.

You gather this is probably Wayne’s butler, because of course he has a butler.

You’re led into a nice open room where Bruce is standing by a fireplace, waiting for you. He seems pleased to see you.

“Thank you, Alfred,” he says. The man beside you bows his head and leaves. “You came,” he smiles.

“You invited me...”

Bruce’s smile falls.

“You don’t want to be here,” he says.

“My boss told me to come, otherwise no, I wouldn’t be here.”

Bruce gestures to the sofa in front of him. You sigh softly and sit down, looking around the room a little. It seems nice in here, though a little cold. You get the feeling he doesn’t spend much time in here.

“Why don’t you like me?” He asks.

“Is that why you invited me here?” You ask in return, turning to him.

“No... well, actually, yes.”

“You invited me to your home because you’re so bothered about one person not liking you?” You clarify.

“Not just one person. You.”

“This is a waste of time. I’ll write something lovely about your home, but I think I’m done here,” you get up ready to leave, but Bruce steps forward. His hand rises from his side, but he lowers it again. He’s restraining himself from stopping you.

“Please don’t leave again,” he pleads.

“What is it with you?” You ask him.

“I want to know why you don’t like me so much. I’ve never been bothered by this before, but now I’ve met you; I want to know.” He knits his eyebrows together and his lips pull into a frown.

You can’t help thinking he would look far more handsome with his smile.

“It’s not you. It’s the fact I have to write about you,” you say, sighing softly.

“I don’t understand,” he says.

“Look, I don’t have anything against you. I just didn’t want my career to be just writing everything about you and your company, and your galas, and the girls you take home. So many things happen in Gotham, but no one knows about them because all Gotham wants to hear about is who Batman is chasing away at night, and what Bruce Wayne is up to. 

“I’m sure you are lovely underneath that public appearance, and I’m sure Batman is a swell guy, but I wanted to be a reporter when I was little. I wanted to report on the little things and make them more important than they are now. People forget half of Gotham struggles to pay their bills and feed their families. I could be making a difference in the world, but my boss sends me off to your parties only to get an article about the exact same stuff I saw last time.”

Bruce stands there listening to you.

“I don’t hate you. I hate that I have to write about you every single week while people struggle to live,” you confess.

Bruce bows his head down in silent thought. You watch him quietly, wondering what’s going on in that mind of his.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

“Sorry? For what?”

“For your boss thinking I’m more important than the people of Gotham. Perhaps I can help in some way.”

You shake your head.

“You don’t have to. Thank you for inviting me here, but I’ve got all I need now.”

Bruce steps forward again.

“Please stop trying to leave,” he smiles softly. “I would very much like to help you.”

“How?”

Bruce smiles at you.

A week later and you’re awaiting the responses from your article. Bruce and you had sat down and come up with a plan. Bruce threw a charity gala to raise funds for the poorer side of Gotham. You felt like he was just doing this because he wanted you to stay longer, but two days after that chat, Bruce threw the event and went off without a hitch. You attended as his guest of honour and spoke to some of his acquaintances.

Not only did he put in a large donation himself, but he raised quite a bit of money from his guests. At the end of the night, he went with you in person to donate the money. A day later you heard back from the charity thanking you for what you did. They were going to put those funds toward helping people.

You wrote all about it.

The responses were overwhelming. You had written about Bruce in a different light to your usual articles and people loved it. Your boss was over the moon as they patted you on the back and celebrated with the office.

As you were leaving work, you saw a sleek black car waiting outside of the building. Standing by it was Alfred. You walk over to it and watch him open the door for you. You climb inside and find Bruce smiling at you.

“I liked your article,” he grins.

You chuckle softly.

“You helped me write it.”

He smiles even brighter.

“Your boss just has you write about all the friends I have, and all the money I put into parties, all the girls I’m seen with. You don’t get to write about this Bruce Wayne, the one sitting here with you. I do what I can for Gotham, more than you know, but people don’t get a chance to see it often. You helped me.”

You look at him in silence.

His hand gently covers yours on the seat between you. Your eyes glance down at them and then back at him.

“Bruce....”

“Maybe you could write more about this Bruce,” he suggests.

“I would like that,” you smile.

He smiles softly too, his eyes bright. You like this Bruce.

“It’s a date then.”

Maybe there was still hope or Gotham after all. 

[lovysmtalks]

Oh, How I wish

TW: cursing, slut shaming

Maribat normal plot with a twist, and some inspiration from a writer who's no longer active from my knowledge. Enjoy <3

P.S: all the characters are very much ooc.

Chapter I.

another day has started

Marinette was tired of living already at the age of barely 17.

All her hard work that she but HALF her life in to be liked by others, was ruined. She tried her best to be there for everyone, even if they were good or bad to her, she was always there.

How the hell could everyone be so fricking dumb to believe everything people were saying about her. HER! The one who always was so kind and helpful to all of them, ALL of them, even damn Lie-la Rossi before she saw her actual true colours.

The lies of the so called angel girl, got even into her family. Breaking it apart into pieces, ending up with her father divorcing her mother because Sabine got accused by liars, of cheating and being a prostitute out of her work hours. Which was no way fucking true, her mother worked her ass off at the bakery, making deliveries anytime she had to, even if it would have taken hours.

Sabine loves her job. Of course she would do everything for it! How could people be so cruel towards the kindest woman in Paris?! All her poor mother could do is cry into her daughter's shoulder, apologizing for not being by her side sooner and for not being a good enough mother for poor Marinette.

Marinette had enough. The only damn reason she didn't give up on living yet was because she still had to save Paris, even if Paris didn't damn deserve it. She had to take care of her poor heartbroken mother and Chloe, who changed drastically once she saw how badly Mari has been treated the past 2 years.

"Marinette, are you ok?" A sad Tikki said, wiping an unwanted tear off the small girl's cheek.

"Do I look ok to you Tikki? I don't want to live anymore, I lost everything I had. MY OWN FAMILY IS BROKEN AND I FEEL WORTHLESS!" Her voice losing control with each word, til the end of her speech, she was a sobbing mess on the floor.

Tikki's bottom lip started to quiver, the poor kwami was just as lost as her hero. She did not understand how people could be so cruel without proof.

After a while in which all you could hear was Marinette's sobs and the gentle hear patting of Tikki, trying her best to confort her master, a small ding was heard from heard from the girl's computer, who was once filled with pictures of no other then Adrien fucking Agreste, who turned out to be just a horny son of a dog, and a betraying bastard- wha, you lost your temper a bit. Calm down you're still telling a story. Ahem.

Her computer made a small noise, probably being a new comission or just a random fan email. Oh. Didn't you know? Marinette because a anonymous singer. All her songs being about everything that happened in her life. Her songs were really emotional, captivating the hearts of millions of teens from across the globe. Anyway.

Marinette found a bit of strength to get up to her computer, to see what the only thing that brought her joy needed.

Mari opened her mailbox, to see it was her school email. What, you thought she was that much of a dummy to use her work email and school email the as one and only? You silly goose, she's much smarter then that, she has a good hacker in her class. Who not once hacked her emails trying to find incriminating stuff but ending up not finding even the smallest proof that she was a bitch as they claimed her to be.

She opened to see that it was a... response from a competition she won some months ago? Oh. That was when she had hope she could fix everything with a school trip.

The girl opened the email to see it was a congratulations. Saying that she won the event, which meaning she and her class are supposed to go to Gotham. Why the most dangerous city in the world besides Paris would be open for tourists? Well don't ask me, its a story, just pretend it's normal.

Mari smiled a bit. Maybe this could keep her dark thoughts away for a bit, even if the others will ruin it for her. But there was a small blup of light brighten in her head.

They wanted a villain right? They're going to have a bigger villain then the Joker himself. Well, were getting there slowly.

Tikki probably read her mind since she didn't see the girl smile in months, but didn't know on what exactly she was thinking about.

Marinette rushed to her dresser and then got a scissor and cut a good chunk of her hair that has long grown longer then it was before, since she stopped taking care of herself. She looked at herself with a seductive smirk, liking the haircut. Kinda reminded her of Alice from Twilight.

Tikki watched shockingly the sudden change of attitude, but she didn't want to admit, she kinda liked seeing Marinette happy, plus, she didn't have her rebellious phase yet, did she?

"Mari, what are you doing?" The small creature flew next to her master, landing on her shoulder.

"Oh my little god, I'm gonna give them a lesson. To not mess with 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿." The girl said in a low tone.

Tikki couldn't help the tiny smile. She was happy that her holder was going to have a bit of fun.

------------------------------------------

The next day, Marinette woke up early, getting ready for her rebel arc.

She woke Tikki up with a gentle cheek kiss and then went to get dressed

The girl dressed up in a black tank top, with a pair of big long pants along with a black jacket 2 times her size.

She out a very noticeable choker with a skeletal hand on it. Put on a bit a eyeliner and then checked herself out in the mirror

"Damn" she says then turns around to look at her back, while flirty smirking at herself

"I look hot as fuck"

-----------------pass time-------------

The girl walked confidently through the school hallway, catching everyone's stare

Who cares what others think? She's fucking hot!

Everything was going well, she was walking through the hallway like a bad bitch, humming some new Jagged Stone song, from an album that she got to participate in!

Everything was going smoothly until-

"Well hello slut, looks like you're walking in your mother's foot steps" no other then Alya said.

That caught Mari's attention

"What dear Alya? Mad that I'll never fuck you even if it was the end of the world? Sorry baby, I have my own standards." Marinette smirked as she finishes

A long 'oooh' was heard from the halls

The embarrassed expression of Alya was priceless, ah, so good to be a villain. Maybe Mari began to understand Lila, but She'll never have that much snake blood in her to become as much of a bitch like Lila.

"She's right Marinette! You kinda look like a whore, and I'm not trying to be rude. Cmon, let's fix you up" Agreste comes behind them with a sympathetic smile, with Nino next to him, who looks embarrassed by his girlfriend's words

"Hm? What? You've never seen a pair of tits before Agreste? With the way you're talking you'll never make a girl finish, stop with the hero act and man up" she pushes through the duo and gets upstairs slowly but surely

Adrien's anger started to build up and he unconsciously yelled-

"YOU'RE SUCH A SLUT!"

Mari paused.

"I'm trying to be the biggest fucking slut in the world...But not with you" she says as she blows them a kiss as she turns around and continues to go upstairs.

------------------------------------------

Miss Bustier was watching the whole thing, mind her, she was kinda giggling to herself.

She missed Mari, being more confident even if she never was.

She wished she could have stopped the bullying, but the principal said that to save their school face, there should be no bullying record, and even threaten the teacher to fire her if she said something.

So the teacher had to watch the sweetest person in the world suffer, from a distance.

The bell rang and she started to walk to her class.

She got a message from Marinette last night, with information about the trip, but the woman had other plans.

------------------------------------------

"Good morning class!" Said the teacher in an unusual happy voice

A very annoyed 'good morning' was heard from the other side of the room, probably the class being mad at Mari's sudden change of attitude.

"Before we begin, I have an announcement to make." She smirked, knowing what she will say will shock some people

The class peaked their ears and payed close attention

"One of your dear colleagues won a trip to Gotham, including full payed hotel for 2 weeks, with tour in the W.E tower, spending time with couple of celebrities and a big gala at the end of it all!" She clapped as she saw how excited they were getting.

"OMG, GIRL CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MANY INTERVIEWS I CAN GET? IM GONNA BE FAMOUS AFTER THIS!" Alya jumps excitedly while hugging a smiling Lila

The other classmates started to chat about stuff they will do

Then.

"Who won the competition, Miss?" Rose asked shyly

"It has to be Lila, cmon Li, you didn't have to" Ivan says happily

Bustier smiled as she looked up from the trip papers slowly

"Marinette won the competition." She says with a dark smile

Everything froze, they couldn't believe their ears.

They slowly turned to the small girl who was sitting in the back, writing some notes down, not listening to anything that was happening. Until she noticed the stare fixed by so many people

"What" she says narrowing her nose, staring back at the class

"Well, since you won the competition, I say you go alone on this trip. You need a break my dear. You've been studying so much. You may take anyone who you want to take with you. Or you can take the class" she offered with a smile.

The class looks back at her with a death stare

After a bit of silence, in which only the clock was heard there was an answer.

"I'm going alone."