#all i hope is that hes not just constantly showing up in damians books
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roseworth · 2 years ago
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with connor being damian's new bestie or whatever it's only a matter of time until batfam fanon consume the arrowfam like the ravenous beast it is
yeah :( :( :( robin 2021 has done so much to the perception of connor since. its one of the only things hes been a recurring character in in like 15 years. and it physically hurts me to see batfam fans calling connor and damian Good Pals then reducing connor to "damians friend" in the same way that roy has been reduced to dick's/jason's friend
i saw a post a few months ago that said something along the lines of "i just want connor to act like an average 16 year old" and i had to put my phone down and close my eyes for a second so i wouldnt kill someone
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eclips-moon · 11 days ago
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Batboys and them having a crush on you:
Let me know what you guys think!!!
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Dick Grayson (Nightwing)
Hero Moments: Dick can’t resist showing off when you’re around. Whether it’s flipping through the air during a mission or effortlessly taking down a bad guy, he always glances your way to see if you’re watching. When you cheer him on, he gets all giddy. “Just doing my job,” he’ll say, but you can tell he loves the attention.
Jealous Vibes: If he spots you chatting with another guy, his friendly demeanor shifts. He’ll casually walk by, pretending to check his gear or adjust his mask, but you can see the twitch in his jaw. “Hey, you need help with that?” he’ll say, trying to insert himself into the conversation. He acts like he doesn’t care, but you know he’s dying to get your attention.
Awkward Compliments: Around you, Dick transforms from suave to stuttering mess. “You look… um, amazing! Not that you don’t always look amazing!” His cheeks go a shade of red, and he quickly looks away, pretending to be focused on something else. You can’t help but smile at his clumsiness.
Jason Todd (Red Hood)
Secret Stares: Jason tries to play it cool, but he often gets caught sneaking glances at you when he thinks you’re not looking. His friends are quick to tease him about it. “Dude, you’re not even trying to hide it!” they’ll laugh, making him scowl and deny it, but you can see a faint blush creeping up.
Tough Guy Act: He acts all tough, but when you crack a joke or tease him, he can’t help but smile. “Yeah, real funny,” he’ll say, but his eyes sparkle with amusement. He tries to keep his cool, but the way he lightens up around you is undeniable.
Protective Instincts: Jason’s protective side really comes out when you’re around. He’ll hover just a bit closer during missions, making sure you’re safe. “Stick close to me,” he’ll say, acting like it’s no big deal, but you can sense the underlying concern in his voice. He’s always ready to jump in if you need him.
Tim Drake (Robin)
Overthinking Everything: Tim’s mind is constantly racing when you’re around. He’s always plotting how to ask you out or impress you, but when it comes time to actually talk, he freezes. You catch him staring off into space, and when you ask what he’s thinking about, he panics. “Oh, uh, just… strategizing!” he’ll say, fumbling for a way to change the subject.
Thoughtful Gifts: Tim is secretly the best gift-giver. He leaves you little surprises—a book he knows you’ll love or a custom gadget he made just for you. When you find them, he pretends it’s no big deal. “I just thought you might like it,” he says, trying to act casual, but you can see the hope in his eyes for your reaction.
Nerding Out: When you express interest in his hobbies, Tim’s face lights up. He goes into full-on nerd mode, excitedly explaining tech or comics. “So, this is how it works…” He’s totally in his element, and you can’t help but be charmed by how passionate he is.
Damian Wayne (Robin)
Awkward Teasing: Damian’s idea of flirting is to poke fun at you. “You call that a punch?” he’ll smirk during training, but you can tell he’s impressed. His teasing is playful, and it makes you laugh, even if he acts like he’s being serious.
Jealousy Fits: If he sees you talking to someone else, he turns extremely protective. He’ll huff and challenge that person to a duel, trying to show off. “You think you can impress them? Let’s see what you’ve got,” he’ll say, clearly trying to establish his dominance.
Small Acts of Kindness: Despite his tough exterior, Damian has a soft side. He’ll bring you snacks or offer to help with training, and he tries to act like it’s no big deal. “It’s just efficient to help,” he’ll say, but you know it’s because he cares.
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jasmines-library · 8 months ago
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hello darling🤭i live here now, hope you don’t mind🤭🙏
I was wondering if you would mind writing smth with the batfamily having a danish sibling, or maybe jason or dick having a gf who knits/crochets a lot, and then the gf shows up with personalised gifts for everyone?
this is oddly specific and you don’t have to do either but i’m addicted to your writing😞🙏
love, ur robin <3 !!!
Arts and Crafts
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⛤⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽⛧☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⛤
Note: Hello my lovely! sorry this took a hot minute...I have so much in my inbox right now it's insane, but you guys are awesome. I hope this is okay, I tried my best with the Danish words, there aren't many of them and I also had to use online sources so I hope they're correct. Please tell me if they're wrong. I hope you enjoy!
Word Count: 0.9k
⛧ BATFAM MASTERLIST ⛧
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“Move out of the way!” Dick barged past his brother who was clearing up the room much too slowly for his liking. He took the pile of books out of Damian’s hands and began placing them back on the shelf, making sure that each of the spines lined up perfectly.
“Tt.” Damian rolled his eyes. “I really don’t think she's going to notice if the spines aren’t matched up, Grayson.”
“You don’t know that.” Dick practically snapped as he darted across the room to adjust the curtains for the fiftieth time that day. 
You were coming over for dinner, and Dick felt the need to make sure that everything was perfect. It's not like you hadn’t met his family before. In fact, you often asked after his brothers and had spent countless hours chatting away to them over a good book or a movie. However this was the first time you had been around: you had caught a rather nasty cold and so had decided to stay home. But, being the perfectionist he is, Dick felt the need to make everything perfect for you. It was overkill in Damian’s opinion, but he just shrugged and let him get on with it. 
The doorbell rang and was shortly followed by the sound of Dick’s shoes against the wooden floorboards as he raced to beat Alfred to open it. When he did open it he was greeted by the sight of you smiling. You were bundled up in a coat and a scarf that covered the lower half of your face as you sheltered from the biting cold, but as you gazed up at him, he could see the corners of your lips turned up in one of your smiles that he loved dearly. 
"Min elskede.” You greeted him as he removed and hung up your coat as you unwound your scarf to hand beside it. 
“Hi my lovely.” He placed a kiss on your forehead softly. “What’s all that?” He asked, gesturing to the neatly wrapped gift parcels that were poking out of your bag.
“Gifts.” 
Dick turned it head. “You didn’t have to do that.”
You shrugged, picking up the bag with one hand and lacing the fingers on your other with Dicks. “I know, but I wanted to. Besides, I had plenty of time to do it.”
He kissed you again as he led you into the living room. “You’re too good for me.”
“Y/N!” Tim called out from across the room, standing up to hug you. He had grown rather fond of you. “How have you been? It’s so nice to see you again. I was beginning to think that Dick was going to go mad if he had to go another day without constantly seeing your face.”
“Hej, Tim. It’s good to see you too.” You chuckled.
Deciding to take a seat next to Dick after he informed you that dinner would be a little wait, you settled the bag between your legs, propping it up with your feet so that it didn’t fall over. At your arrival, the rest of the Wayne’s slowly made their way to the living room to catch up.
You pulled out the first gift from the pile. It was oddly shaped, wrapped in brown paper and adorned with a silk ribbon tied into a large bow. The gifts caught the boy’s eyes and they leaned closer as you handed them out: First to Damian, then Jason, Dick and Tim. You even had one for Bruce and Alfred, who were both out of the room for the moment, so you made a mental note to make sure you gave them theirs later. 
Damian tore into his first, peeling away the paper to reveal a black scarf, neatly stitched together with rows of red and green in interlocking loops. He unravelled it to reveal its full length and grinned at the delicate handiwork. 
“You made this?!” Damian exclaimed, turning it over in his hands. 
“Yep.” You hummed “I hope you like it.”
“I love it!” He ran over to embrace you in a hug.
Then came Jason who pulled out a red beanie you had crocheted, and Tim who you had crocheted a pair of fingerless gloves and a sleeve for his coffee cup to keep it warm. They were also both very appreciative and their smiles warmed your heart. 
Finally, Dick took time and care to untie the ribbon and peel open the wrapping paper. Inside was a black jumper that you had crocheted for him, on the top was his nightwing logo which you had surface crochet on the top of it. Along the sleeves, you had also added a strip of blue to add a pop of colour. You had been working on it for a little while now and had had a hard job trying to hide it from him whenever he came over. 
“You made this for me?” He asked.
“Of course.” You nodded. “I hope it fits-”
“It’s perfect.” he told you, slipping it on. It fit like a glove. “You didn’t need to do this, Y/n/n… you’ve outdone yourself.” he tugged you to his side tightly. 
“I’m so glad you like them.”
“We love anything you make. They’re amazing.”
“Tak.” You smiled, settling into his side, savouring the feeling of the soft wool against your cheek. He held you close, not quite believing how he had come so lucky to have a girlfriend quite like you.
⛤⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽⛧☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⛤
BATFAM TAGS
@aestheticdaisies @hearts4robs @xxrougefangxx @mamapucket @hell-o-kittys @harleycao @batfamsstuff
⛤⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽⛧☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⛤
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damiansgoodgirll · 1 year ago
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hey can you write about damian and reader running from the rain and getting home drenched and they get in the tub and finish cuddling in the couch
this was so cute 🥹
damian priest x reader
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you and me, under the rain
“this is a bad idea” you said to damian, watching the rain hitting the ground.
“it’s the only idea i have…do you have a better one?” he asked you.
“maybe we should call a taxi…” you suggested.
“for what? ten seconds? the hotel is right in front of the restaurant, we should run and get back to the hotel…” he said and in the end you ended up nodding with him.
you and damian had the worst timing ever. you wanted to spend some time together since you’ve been constantly busy working and you barely saw each other. but since the both of you had matches on the same night, you booked a room together and you basically spent the whole day before and after the show together.
there was a nice and little restaurant in front of the hotel you were staying at and before leaving you both wanted to spend some more time together so you had a nice and romantic dinner there. but what it started as a beautiful evening, it turned into a very rainy and windy night.
you didn’t have umbrellas with you because the weather didn’t say it was going to rain. so that’s how you found yourselves standing in front of the door of the restaurant, hand in hand, ready to run a few miles just to reach the entry of your hotel.
“you ready?” he asked and you weren’t sure.
“we’re gonna get sick damian, it’s so cold…” you whispered.
“don’t worry, i’ll keep you warm tonight” he teased you and you slightly punched his arm “okay…one, two…three!” he said and you both started running under the pouring rain.
it was really dark and you had no idea of where you were going, you were just following damian and trusting him with your life - literally .
the hotel doorman saw you and he immediately opened the door just for you two. once you were inside, you took a few minutes to catch your breath, your hair all over your face, completely drenched. you were slightly shivering and damian saw that.
“we should go to our room or you’re gonna catch a cold” he wrapped an arm behind your back and led you towards the elevator.
once inside your room, damian took you to the bathroom and prepared a very warm bath for the two of you.
he helped you getting undressed and he undressed himself too. when the water was warm enough he helped you sitting in the tub, a very pleasing sensation filling your body as you weren’t trembling anymore.
damian sat behind you and helped you laying on his chest.
“that was the worst idea you’ve ever had” you said laughing a little.
“next time we’re calling a taxi even if it’s for one second” he said and you agreed “i hope you don’t get sick tho…”
“nah…i won’t…hopefully” you joked.
once you were both washed, he helped you getting into some of his clothes, a black hoodie and a matching pair of pants , knowing how much you loved wearing his clothes.
you both laid under the blankets, the tv playing in background, knowing that it would help damian fall asleep better and the storm going out outside, a few thunder lighting up the sky - that was the perfect lullaby for helping you fall asleep.
comforted in the arms of your lover and the sky dancing a sad song.
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anangelwhodidntfall · 2 years ago
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Clingy: Damian Priest
WWE Masterlist
word count: 540
description: You overhear some comments about how clingy you are with Damian so you back off out of fear but end up pushing Damian away in the process. 
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Damian knew something was up with you and so did all your friends. Every time he tried to touch you would either wig out or not respond to it like you usually do, he assumed that he must have done something to upset you. You, on the other hand, had done nothing but overthink about some of the comments you heard from a few mean girls like Eva and Carmella, and then the Twitter comments only seemed to confirm what they were saying so you backed off not wanting to annoy Damian but not realizing you were pushing him away.
It had been nearly three weeks since this happened and Damian has had enough of this. He made his way upstairs to yall's shared room where you had been quiet reading for the past hour and took a seat on the bed which made you look up at him.
“My love, can we talk?" He asked gently placing a hand on your leg.
"Sure, what's up?" You ask closing your book and setting it on the table.
"I was hoping that we could talk about what's been going on between us?" He said looking at you.
“What's there to talk about?" You said pretending not to know what he was referring to.
"The past three weeks! You have barely let me touch or show any type of affection in public, or when I do, you ignore me. Did I do something and not remember? Because if I did, I'm sorry." He says making your heart hurt as you realized how much you had been hurting him.
"It's not you....it's me and god it's really stupid because I didn't think it would've affected me this long." You said.
"Sweetheart, what's going on?" He asked looking at you concerned.
"Umm the resident mean girls who normally don't bother me, well I overheard them talking about how clingy I was with you and how annoyed you seemed by it, and I thought I would just forget about it but then I went on Twitter and saw some of the same comments so I figured that maybe I was annoying you by being upon you 24/7 but didn't think it would affect me this long." You said on the verge of tears.
"Hey, hey it's okay. Sweetheart, I love that physical touch is one of your love languages. Do you know how long it's been since I had someone show me that much physical touch the way you do?" He said. 
"Really?" You asked kinda shocked. 
"Of Course, trust me I would've told you if I thought you constantly being with me was annoying me or whatever but it doesn't, in fact, one of my favorite things that you do is when you're cold instead of grabbing a blanket, you snuggle into me." He said reaching for your hand. 
"I'm sorry." You said. 
"It's alright. Just promise you will come to talk to me next time something's bothering you?" He asked as you nodded your head before wrapping your arms around him.
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cipheress-to-k-pop · 4 years ago
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A Sister's Love
Pairing: Platonic Damian Wayne x Al Ghul!Reader
Warnings: Injuries and blood. Drugging, Trafficking and sexual assult but these are not the main themes.
Word Count: 4.9K
Summary: You realize you have a lot to learn about yourself outside of your little brother, Damian's, shadow.
A/N: Was originally gonna make this a Dick Grayson x Reader but realized it would be weird cuz of mixed families and stuff. And I don't wanna be pushing the boundaries of incest.
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Growing up in the League of Assassins meant a lot of things for you. It meant that you were raised to be powerful and commanding. It meant you knew how to kill a man in 47 different ways and counting. It meant that you were raised to rightfully think that you were the best.
Although for every good thing there was always cons. Your schedule was rigid and your peers were unfeeling. Your mother most of all, but that didn't stop you from trying to win her affection. It was the reason why when your little brother was born you felt threatened.
That was until you met little Damian. Your mother had handed him to you with a smile of pride that she never showed you and you hated him. But then you saw his precious little face, a nose tinier than a button and adorable lips that were curled into a pout. He was so beautiful.
Since then, you put any differences you might have had with your mother behind you. According to Ra’s it would have been a mistake to show Damian such tenderness, to teach him about loyalty to your heart, instead of without it.
But Talia couldn't ignore the tug she felt in her heart seeing you and Damian together. You still worked hard, harder than she had ever seen before, now determined not to show that you were weak and have them take your brother from you. Damian followed your example, training to her approval, however taxing it was for him.
And more importantly, Damian loved you. You were the first woman he had ever loved and he was smart enough to know that would never be a mistake. You were his shelter in a storm, his fire in the cold. You were the best sibling that anyone could ever even dream of.
But then you had to part. At age 10, Damian went to live with his father, Bruce Wayne. You had never met the man when he was with your mother and you assumed you wouldn't need to, he wasn't your father.
Both you and Damian didn't want to leave each other. You'd miss your little brother and you'd miss the feeling in your chest whenever you'd look at him. Damian would miss home; he would miss your presence and he would miss the familiarity. But he couldn't stay.
That's something you learnt at the League. Damian couldn't stay, with you. He was meant for bigger things than you.
Another thing you learnt was that you didn't have to stay either. You wanted to see the world, see what everything else had in store for you. And your mother, bless her, gave you her blessing.
Of all the things the league taught you, there were things they missed out on. And a part of you was thankful for that. Because you enjoyed the feeling of wide-eyed wonderment when you stepped into a train station for the first time ever.
You had never tasted a chocolate muffin before, you realized as you stuffed your face at a local bakery. Coffee and chocolate muffins went well together. You liked sweet things better than spicy things, you noted when you didn't enjoy the tteokbokki you bought at a Korean food stall.
People were kind, not foolish. They smiled at you when you came in and genuinely asked you where you were headed. Like the woman you met on the tram who was heading to Washington DC. Even through the short ride, the two of you had bonded and she had left you with her phone number and a promise that if you were ever in DC, you would ring her up. Diana was trusting, too trusting. You could have assumed it was because she was stupid, but you wanted to believe it was because she was smarter than even you.
Some people were kind like her but of course, some were impolite and pig-headed. You of course didn't waste any time putting them in their place. Maybe that was why you shouldn't have any faith in humanity.
But isn't humanity just the thing you should be putting faith in?
It was fun at first, discovering new things, seeing how people really lived outside of books and things taught to you back at the League. You knew everything, you weren't naive enough to be oblivious but reading about something was miles apart from actually experiencing it.
After a while however, you got lonely, it was a huge world with people constantly moving and you've come to realize that unless you're with somebody, you can't really move from your place. Instead, you'd be stuck watching all of them. So, you sought after your brother.
It was easy enough to track Bruce Wayne, he lived in a house large enough to be seen from outer space. Getting to Gotham took longer than you expected. Time passed so easily when you didn't have a purpose but now that you had somewhere you needed to be, the train couldn't go any slower.
Gotham City was less gloomy than people made it out to be. The sun was shining and the city was bustling. In some ways, it seemed a little homey. Maybe that was because you didn't have to worry about someone hurting you. If anything, they should pray that they don't choose you as their next victim.
Of course, you could've gone to Wayne Manor and introduced yourself civilly but you wanted to see Damian more than anything and didn't want to delay it any longer. And more than that, you wanted to see Damian is his cute little school uniform.
That's what led you to wait outside of the well-reputed Gotham University, waiting patiently for the bell to ring and students to file out of it. You already knew that they wouldn't come out singing like in the movies but a very small fraction of you still hoped.
Your heartrate increased with every passing minute, excited to meet your brother after nearly a year of being apart. Eventually, the bell did ring and students began trickling out of the doors, looking like bumble bees, excitedly zipping around and talking to their friends.
'Would this have been my life if I was never born in the League?' You wondered, looking at a girl who was animatedly chatting with her friend, arms interlocked as they moved towards the parking lot where their parents were waiting.
When you finally saw Damian, you suddenly felt out of place. Like an outsider watching someone else's brother when you saw his eyes lock onto someone in the commons. Even though you weren't on the school campus, you could still recognize who it was.
Richard Grayson, oldest son of Bruce Wayne, waiting to pick up your little brother on a motor cycle.
And for the first time in your life, you experienced insecurity, watching them greet each other like brothers. The feeling was sour and you wondered if it was a mistake coming here, thinking that you still had a place here.
It was true, people didn't move from their place unless they had someone to go with. You hadn't felt fulfilled like that since your brother stopped being at your side. He was everything you knew. It was just your mistake for thinking that in the year apart your brother wouldn't have found anyone either.
***
"Drake, pull up the security cameras from today at my school parking lot." Damian ordered, stepping into the Batcave.
"No 'Hello', no 'How you doing?', it's always 'Tim, do this' 'Drake, do that'," Tim commented sarcastically but still pulled up whatever he needed, "And then as soon as I give you what I want, you're going to forget me again. And not even visit the kids."
Dick spared him a laugh at his dramatic scene, ruffling his hair as greeting and then turned his attention to the screen. The footage was played at double the speed until Damian's eyes locked onto just what he wanted to find.
It was just for a second, when Dick's motorcycle had zoomed past but that was all he needed. Damian had seen your face and it wasn't any mistake, he'd know you even if he was blind. Even though he was so sure it had been you, he still couldn't hide the way his body froze, eyes wide when he saw your face.
It was the same face he'd see every night before he went to bed and the very first person he wanted to see every time he woke up. Your image was what came into his mind when he thought of being nurtured, when he thought of being safe.
There was a time when he was younger, too young, there was a thunder storm. He doesn't remember much from the night, just hiding his face against your chest and you wrapping a blanket around him. His mother trained him even harder the next day, until he almost dropped but he'd never forget curling up to your warmth. Not even now, when he knew that thunder storms were the least of his fears.
It was as simple as that. With his father and brothers, he didn't have to worry about looking weak, he didn't think of love as a weakness, rather he considered it as the fuel behind strength. Yes, his father taught him well. And now he would show you just how much he's grown. So, you can be proud of him.
"We need to find her."
"Why? Who is she?"
"My sister."
***
Of all the things you wanted to experience, visiting a bar was one of them. Was the air really enough to intoxicate you? Were you really going to lose all sense when you stepped into it? Would be able to drink your troubles away?
You were sorely disappointed. The alcohol didn't taste good, it burned when you swallowed it and made your tongue feel fuzzy. The music was so loud that your brain began throbbing against your skull to the beat of the song.
Men were picking fights and women were having fun but even then, you couldn't find it in yourself to get up and actually have fun. I mean, how were you supposed to? How was cosying up against a drunk man supposed to make you feel better? How was getting lost in throngs of sweaty people who didn't know what personal space was meant to improve your mood?
If anything, it just reminded you of just how pathetic your life was.
You were realizing you had no purpose. Damian was all you had known for years now, knowing only to protect him with your life and love him with your heart. Who were you without him? What did you like? What made you happy outside from your duty at the league?
A man knocking into you brought you out of your thoughts, which had been happening all night. Except this man stopped in front of you and gave you a smile that turned your stomach upside down.
"Sorry about that pretty lady, let me buy you a drink to make up for it." He spoke with a voice that was trying to be smooth but instead sounded like metal scraping over each other.
"No, thank you." You said sharply, not yet done with your Manhattan anyway. You were barely enjoying your time here as it was and you were sure another drink wouldn't change your mind.
"Not a fan?"
You shook your head at him, choosing to humour the man.
"Then let me buy you another one, if you don't like it then you have nothing to lose."
You pretended to giggle at him and he swelled with pride. Did he think he was winning?
"One Boulevardier." He told the bartender who nodded and began preparing the drink. Until it was ready, you indulged the man in front of you who reeked of cigarettes and alcohol.
He placed the drink in front of you and if you hadn't known that it would burn going down and turn you into a shell of yourself, you might have been curious to what it tasted like.
"You see that dude over there?" He nodded to a man standing in the other corner of the bar and you turned to look at him. Another man, covered in tattoos who didn't look any different than the one standing behind you.
"He's my pal, owns the bar. Ask him and he'll hook you up with free drinks tonight. For a price, of course."
You turned back around to face the man and out of the corner of your eye saw something dissolve into your drink. It was only for a second but you saw the last remaining grains turn invisible and you definitely noticed the way the once steady drink was now swirling into a vortex in the middle.
"Drink up, princess."
You smirked. Tonight, might be fun after all.
***
This was boring.
You had been pretending to be unconscious for about 40 minutes while these men drove you to some undisclosed location. Their conversations were unbelievably dry and it's not like you had anyone else to talk to. Everyone else who might have been even mildly interesting were knocked unconscious.
Eventually they pulled up to some sort of holding facility and if your assumptions were correct then this would be a midpoint before they sold all the girls here to some sort of pimp.
Once they lugged you off the truck and threw you into a room with so many other people, you could hear their breathing did you open your eyes. It seemed like this was some sort of abandoned butcher or meat factory, judging by the ominous hooks hanging above your head and the metal walls. The door had been bolted shut, the only way to look through it was a small glass window.
Only after you finished taking in your surroundings did you even look at the other women who had been trapped in the room along with you. Your stomach turned.
There were so many unsuspecting faces who looked like they didn't sign up for this. Half of them looked under the influence of something, sweating profusely even in their sleep, faces scrunched up in pain. The other looked like they were forcibly taken, bruises covering their skin, hair and clothes in disarray and more than half of them had either a black eye or a swollen lip.
Maybe it was their fault for not being trained, that's what someone at the league would've said. But isn't it their captors’ fault for misusing their training, their strength, for something as vile as this?
You decided to wait, you couldn't assume that this small group of girls was the only one in the confines of the building. How many more were here?
You weren't feeling overwhelmed, not at all, not with the weapons that were littering you. A kunai hidden is either of your boots, throwing stars in your pockets hidden underneath your vest and a war fan in your pocket. You could handle these clowns without even looking up.
But it wasn't your life you were concerned about. It was the lives of these underaged, vulnerable girls who had fallen prey to these monsters.
While you were waiting a couple of the girls started to wake up. Some were still heavily drugged, still groggy when their eyes fluttered open and unable to focus onto anything. Others shot up straight as an arrow and began crying, screaming, begging for them to let them out.
They were ignored, by both their captors and you. Why try and reassure then when you weren't sure what was going to happen. More importantly, why throw off the monsters lurking outside the door that there was one woman who hadn't been phased.
Instead, you just stared blankly, trying to get comfortable and hear anything through the walls. Eventually, you heard the sound of footsteps coming towards the room. You covered the lower half of your face with a scarf, making sure that anyone who left here alive today, wouldn't be able to remember your face. Whether it be as a saviour or their punisher.
The girls whimpered and curled into one another, crying quietly and you felt sympathy. There was no way they'd be able to move forward from this without having fear stab at their heart with every step they took. You could only hope they had something in their life that would make them feel safe.
For tonight, you'd be that for them.
A few men opened the door with a cruel smile, stepping inside for a second before bolting it shut. They flaunted guns and other weapons to the girls, finding pleasure where there should be compassion and worry. You were disgusted watching their smirks twist maniacally when the girls cried harder seeing them brandish their weapons.
One of the men stepped forward and grabbed the girl closest to him who begged and cried to spare her. His disgusting hand might as well be made of acid because you almost felt the sick burn when it snaked between her legs and copped a feel while she sobbed and screamed, trying to fight him off.
You grabbed one of your weapons and returned their sick grins with one of your own.
It was going to be hard to cop a feel when he can't feel anything.
You were going to break each and every bone in his hand to ensure that.
***
"Can I borrow your phone please?" You asked the bloody and broken man by your feet. He glared at you and spat blood on your boots, unable to do anything else. You sighed and faked a pout.
"Is it here?" You wondered, holding the dirtied boot over his ribs and his eyes widened, catching drift of what you were about to do. You rammed your foot into his broken ribs, courtesy of yourself, and he screamed bloody murder. Music to your ears.
"Apparently not. Want me to check your pants?" You asked, raising a brow and he frantically shook his head, using whatever strength left to pull out his phone from his pocket and you smiled, thanking him quietly.
"Now, let's hope that one blow is enough to put you out of my misery." You sang, punching him right in the face and he passed out. Lightweight.
You took a look around the place, seeing bodies littered over the place like confetti. Blood was scattered on the ground and you're sure if people looked hard enough, they'd find someone's teeth. You on the other hand looked fine.
You sat on the floor, crossing your legs comfortably, tired after the fight and dialled a number onto the phone.
"Hello, police?"
"Yes, how can we help you?"
"Well, there's a sex trafficking scam going on at my location. Quite shoddy but they have a number of women trapped here and it would be nice if you could send backup to have them escorted home safely."
"A sex trafficking scam?"
"Well, it could be just a regular trafficking scam but I'm not too sure."
"All right, I'll have someone check it out."
"Good, and I realize you might get a lot of calls like this but please don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. Tell your people to send a couple of ambulances as well, you'll need them."
"Of course."
You could only hope the person on the other end of the line would eat their words when it was on the front of the newspaper. For now, your work was done.
In the meantime, how were you going to get anywhere from here? Where even were you? Was there anyone even conscious here who could give you directions? Or would you have to call the police again to find out where to go?
Not that you'd wait long enough for them actually arrive here. You'd return to the bar way before that for another drink. Maybe now you'd actually be able to enjoy one.
Just as you were about to leave, you heard a creak coming from the other end of the warehouse. It echoed through the halls and you leapt to your feet, soundless moving to hide in the shadows and pulling out a kunai.
The footsteps that followed it were light and airy, barely even touching the ground. They were trained, whoever they were. You kept your ears open in order to hear something.
"Whoever was here was trained." You heard someone comment.
"Are you really that stupid, Nightwing? It's obvious that my sister was the one who took out this ring and reported it." Came the snappy reply back and your breath caught in your chest. Make no mistake, that was your brother's voice.
"We must find her."
He was actually looking for you? He knows you're here? You're not entirely surprised, you haven't exactly been careful or stealthy when it came to concealing your face around Gotham. A mistake on your part but you couldn't have been more relieved.
You still remained quiet, not wanting to disturb the flow, not wanting to interrupt. You had the mind of a soldier but when there was no one to follow you seemed more like a sheep. It made you feel slight shame, that you were unable to stick up for yourself despite being so many things.
Maybe, the league wasn't the best thing for you.
Immediately you scraped the thought from your mind, berating yourself for even thinking that. The league had given you everything, everything you were today was because of them. You were strong and calculating, the leagues proud soldier.
You were proud of your roots, thankful that you grew up to be the person you were. They had given you everything, and your brother was just one of the gifts that you had been blessed with in your life.
"Damian." You spoke softly, stepping out of the shadows. His head snapped towards you, eyes widening when he took in your form. It really was you. His sister.
Damian wasted no time in bounding towards you and you knelt down to meet his eye level, catching him with open arms. A part of your heart sang when you realized he was still small enough to fit in your arms. He still held you close. He still loved you.
"I've missed you, Ya Amar." You spoke softly, cradling his head that was buried in the junction of your neck.
"I as well, Okhti."
***
Damian was ecstatic that you were in Gotham. Of course, it didn't look like it to anyone but everyone who knew him well could tell that he was happy that his sister was home with him. He didn't wait for even two seconds when you got to the Batcave (much to Bruce's surprise) to show you all his pets.
The next few days would be considered the best of his life.
Damian wanted to be as close to you as possible, sitting near you during meals, training with you, talking with you, even going as far to sneak into your temporary bedroom at night for cuddles. He certainly got more comfortable showing affection since the last time you were around.
He showed you his hobbies like painting and sketching and you were impressed. He had the skills to be doing something like this? Damian had picked up many new talents and many new stories since you last saw him and he was eager to share them all with you.
The next few days would be considered the worst of your life.
You had found Damian now, so why didn't you still feel fulfilled? Why did you feel like something was missing? Like this wasn't meant for you? Why weren't you satisfied?
Why did you feel envious that Damian got to experience so many things? Why did you feel resentment against him when you realized you never got the same things he has?
Your life felt like it amounted to nothing.
You loved your brother but so far you had just been living for him. And now that you realized there were parts of the world that you wanted to see. There were thoughts in your mind that were of your own and desires that you didn't have to explain to anyone. As long as it made sense to yourself.
And you realize one thing with an aching heart.
You couldn't stay here in Gotham.
"Does Damian know?" Bruce asked you one day when you had asked him a favour. Bruce so far had been a little cold and unfeeling ever since you had met him in the Batcave uninvited. His feelings towards you got more negative when you gave an offhanded comment about how you thought he was taller. But he was the only one you could ask for a favour. He was the father to your beloved brother and you could only hope he would offer you the same consideration.
You had asked him for a flight to Washington, to see if Diana really meant what she said. To take a leap of faith for the first time in your life.
You shook your head no, "Not yet. I'm hoping he will take the news well. It's not like I'm leaving forever. I just—I need to—" You trailed off, unable to find the right words.
Bruce nodded, "I understand. Just tell him before you go. I don't think I've ever seen him this happy before."
"It makes me feel worse." You admitted, feeling a little guilty. How could you not feel happy at your brother’s happiness?
"You need some time to figure out that your world is yours. No one else should determine how you feel about yourself."
"You are very wise," You said softly, "Thank you."
***
"I love you dearly, Damian." You tried to coerce him from his room where he had locked himself in only 5 minutes ago. No doubt he was sulking since he found out that you would be leaving for DC in two days’ time.
"If you did, you wouldn't be leaving!" His voice was muffled, as if his face was buried in his pillow or even Titus. You had been trying to coax him into open the door for 20 minutes now and had multiple offers from Grayson, which you turned down.
"Oh, for the love of—Damian Wayne, you open this door right now!" It was silent for a moment before you heard the lock click open and took that as the indication from him to step into his room.
It was large and from the moment you stepped in, it was easy to tell the space was his. There were swords mounted on the wall, paintings on the wall adjacent to it. His desk was tidy and in the corner of his room, there were multiple easels and sketch pads.
Damian was sulking on his bed and you sighed, feeling guilty. You sat beside him and ran your fingers through his hair. Even though he was upset with you, he still sank into your touch, feeling comforted by mere contact.
"It's not forever, Damian. Wherever I'm going, I'm going to come back. I just need some time to myself." You tried to explain.
"But why!"
"The league taught me well, Damian. But it taught me to live like a soldier, but not as a person. There are so many things that I don't know about myself. What do I like? What do I want to do with my life? And I need to figure it out for myself."
"Why can't you do that here?"
You gave him a pained look and realization dawned on him, "Because of me."
"Damian, in the time we spent apart you learnt so many things about yourself. That you like animals, that you like art. There are so many blanks in my life and I need the distance to figure it out. I need to understand myself." You explained wistfully.
It was true, there were so many blanks in your life. You didn't even know what food you liked better, what hobbies you enjoyed. You wanted to experience new things, without the influence of Damian, without relying on him. And more importantly, you were scared you would put Damian above yourself time and time again.
It was all you knew. Damian was worth more than your life, worth more than your heart. But if that was true, you wanted to know at least what your heart was worth to you. If you didn't hold any value to yourself, it would be foolish to think you would to anyone else.
You needed the distance. You needed something new. You wanted to dive into uncharted waters and figure out the magic for yourself, without anyone to help you.
"It's not forever," You reminded gently, "I'm going to come back, I can promise you that."
Damian began leaning until his head was settled in your lap and you chuckled, gently scratching his scalp and he nestled into your belly. Hard to believe this was the same boy who left only a year ago. You wondered if you would change as much as he did or if you were stuck in your ways now.
"Okay," He said, voice muffled and you smiled, "I hope you find what you're looking for."
"Thank you for your blessing, Ya Amar. It means the world to me. I love you; you know that."
"I do." He said, now wrapping his arms around your waist, "I love you too."
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boldlyanxious · 3 years ago
Text
In the Dark
Masterlist
Marinette saw Damian headed down the hallway and she quickly turned down the back hallway and slipped into a costume closet. She had already had a long rough day with one of the supporting actresses causing a series of problems that somehow were all Marinette's fault. She did not need to deal with Damian as she was headed out the door. He was arrogant and always found something to complain about and it was usually about her. They had gotten off on the wrong foot and now the only thing she had ever seen him happy about was her being unhappy.
She only planned to be here for a moment but she heard him curse as his footsteps moved past the hallway and then move quickly down into the hall and the closet door opened. She pushed back into the corner hoping whatever he needed was in the front and he wouldn’t see her. She couldn’t imagine what he would need to get from there anyway. He had made it very clear that as the star of the show everyone should be meeting his needs and he had no need to know where to find his costumes or props.
Instead of getting something out of the closet he opened the door and stepped in, closing the door behind him. She had no time to shift away or any way to hide that she was in there. She held her breath and backed into the corner. She couldn’t fathom why he had followed her into here anyway. He shifted the costumes and pushed himself right into the corner until he was against her. There was nowhere for her to escape to, she let out a startled squeak as he pressed himself into her.
---
Damian could not stand Cecile. She was vapid and loud. She never had an end to her questions or ideas. She had gotten a good supporting part in the movie, but she was not a lead role for which she constantly complained. He did his best to avoid her off set but she had a habit of showing up everywhere. Honestly the entire movie was a waste and he wished he could get out of his contract. The other lead was fine. They had little interaction outside of the set and she did well with the part. Everyone else on the cast and crew were extremely tiresome with the exception of one costume designer. She was an apprentice and this was her first project on her own but it was overseen by her mentor. She was efficient and had a great eye. She had a hesitancy and stammering manner but she didn’t fawn over him like many of the others did.
Cecilie had been even more insufferable today than usual after catching Damian not listening to her because he got distracted watching the costume designer, Marinette. When Damian heard Cecile loudly talking about how she was looking for him so they could leave together and check out the new tapas place he panicked slightly. He did not want to deal with her anymore so he rushed down the back hallway and through the first door he saw. He pulled the door closed behind himself. He was moving too quickly for the small space. He thought it was an office or workspace but it turned out to be a small closet. A very small closet and it was pretty full of costumes. He tried to halt his movements and remain silent. He ended up right in the corner, or would have if someone was not already occupying it.
The other person made a startled eeep sound and he covered her mouth before they could be discovered. They were silent and listening as Cecile wandered around shouting for Damian. He was so focused on listening for her that he didn’t realize for several moments that his hand was still covering the mouth of the other person. There was no light in the closet so he wasn’t sure who was in here with him, or why. Hopefully they could be persuaded to refrain from mentioning this incident if he offered the right incentive.
---
Marinette was certain the loud sound of her beating heart would give them away. She would probably have been breathing heavier but Damian’s had covered her mouth and his other arm had moved to the back of her head holding her head still. She didn’t dare try to get him to stop. She quickly figured out why he had jumped in here and it had nothing to do with her. She could hear one of the other actresses screeching around looking for him. She couldn’t blame his escape, especially since she had just done the same. Maybe she could convince him that she was also hiding from the odious woman. She was pretty nasty to Marinette and honestly she might have made the same choice if she thought the woman was looking for her.
She could feel every one of his muscles tensed against her as Cecile continued screeching out Damian's name. She would never give him the satisfaction of saying how that made her feel. He had already wanted his distaste at her mentioning anything about how the costume would look on him or display his muscles. She had just been making conversation while getting measurements but he had mistaken her inquiries about the costume's fit and material preferences as trying to make a pass at him. He told her to just do her job and leave her personal opinions out of it so she had just made the best choices she could without his input then or in the future. If he wanted to be a diva she would wait for the complaints.
Marinette shifted in his hold. She was right against his chest but she was still holding herself back into the corner with her arms at her sides. It had been quiet for several minutes when Damian released the pressure from her mouth pulling his hand away. His other hand seemed to release the back of her head slowly, almost threading through her stray hairs. She stayed rigid in the corner and she still remained silent. She didn’t know the protocol for greeting a person you randomly hid in a closet with, maybe she could find a book or a humorous blog post about it. He seemed uninterested in coming up with small talk and simply turned away from her and turned the door handle. Then he twisted it again with the same result. Several more times before he seemed to accept that there was a problem.
---
“It's locked,” he said.
“No, are you sure?”
“If you can manage to open it, be my guest.”
Damian felt the woman shift and he turned so she could reach the door. Same result. It wouldn’t twist. That didn’t stop her from trying several more times and then making an irritated sound before rattling the door against the jamb.
“I’ve left my phone in the dressing room. Use yours to call someone to let us out.”
“My phone is in my office. But great news. I have the keys. Unfortunately the lock is on the other side of the door.”
“That is useless.” he sounded angry. “Why were you in here anyway?”
“This is a costume closet. I have every right to be here.” she said. “You are the one who followed me in and locked the door.”
This gave him the information to place her voice which helped make sense of her having an office instead of a dressing room. He didn't think she would accept any bribery from him to keep quiet but fortunately it was because he didn't think Marinette was the type to talk about any of the cast or crew. He had heard her be asked questions by reporters before and she always expertly sidestepped the questions to focus on aspects to promote the movie or her own work on the costumes.
He wasn't sure how to bring anything up with her. He had his first meeting with her directly after the initial meeting with the cast that has reporters. He had gotten along great with the other lead Amy and her husband at the meeting but that is when he first met Cecilie. He had been very grateful to get away from her for a quiet fitting but on her first day Marinette was distracted and fumbling. He had later found out she hadn't been told to be there at all and had rushed in to get measurements. He had been her first fitting and he was already in a foul mood. Her innocent questioning felt too personal so he scolded her harshly.
---
She released the handle and turned away from the door, bumping into him in the process. He stepped back from her but he was against the wall so he reached out and nudged her away. Marinette stumbled when he pushed her and hit the wall on the other side. She pushed against it to keep herself up. She tried to smooth out the costumes so they would not be damaged in the small space. She felt around trying to think through everything that was located in this closet. She was hoping something would prove useful for their current predicament. She didn’t even realize she was talking quietly to herself until he asked about it.
“What are you muttering about?” he asked.
“I’m trying to inventory the costumes to see if there is anything here that can help us get out of here,” she said.
“I thought you were very professional until I found you hiding in a closet and now muttering to yourself.”
Marinette turned quickly to confront him. How dare he suggest she was the one being unprofessional when he had tried the same thing. She turned on him quickly. Too quickly. She slipped on a piece of fabric when she spun back towards him and stumbled. Her arms flailed out and grabbed for anything to keep her from tumbling. She cringed as she felt herself grasp at the costumes but she couldn’t seem to stop it. She made a series of noises to go along with the sounds of the hangers being yanked to the side.
But then she felt his arms go around her and pull her back to her feet. She latched onto him in an attempt to stay upright but he had lunged too far. She was only on her feet for a split second before he crashed into her and they both fell down into a heap. He was fully on top of her and she twisted to try to get free of his weight. Like a game of Twister she realized her back was on top of one of his arms and her legs were tangled in his.
His chest lifted as he shifted against her. She tried to move again but she could not get her arms under her with his weight on top of her. She froze as his hand moved against her and down the outer part of her skirted side and leg. She pulled away from his hand causing both of them to collapse back down again. His arms pulled her against him tightly as he started twisting. She struggled against him until he told her to stop. She froze again and he flipped them over until he was sitting with his back against the wall with her straddling his lap.
---
Damian was regretting not just letting her fall. He could hear her flailing and reached out without thinking but now they were on the ground tangled together. She seemed to be panicking so he took charge. He felt around a bit to find out how they were tangled before making his move. She was not cooperating with any of his attempts to get them apart. She was doing the exact opposite of what they needed to do to get back to their feet.
“You are making everything worse. Just hold still,” he growled.
Finally she stopped and he was able to lift her to him and turn them both over. Now she was on top of him but they were in a better position to get untangled. His hands were resting at her hips as she moved forward, leaning against his chest. Everything in him told him to wrap his arms around her and keep her close to him but she pushed off and got back to her feet. He was shocked that he missed the feel of her against him. He chose to ignore that and pushed himself to his feet.
She was already back to going through the costumes to find a way out of here. He considered what would have happened if he became locked in a closet with almost any other woman who had been around today. He didn’t think that any of them would be trying very hard to get out. They would probably be trying to find a way to get closer to him.
---
Marinette tried to contain her breathing so Damian would not notice how affected she was. She had to get out of this closet. It was not doing her any good being this close to him. She was shaking remembering the feeling of his body on top of hers and then shifting until she was on his lap, against his chest. She had known he was attractive. That was clearly printed in every magazine that had ever had a photo set of him. But being pressed against his muscles was very different from taking his measurements and checking the fit of his costumes. She just had to remind herself that he hated her.
She had gone through all the costumes on the first row and she hadn’t come up with any brilliant ideas. A couple of the costumes had pins in them that might be used to push into the back of the lock to force the mechanism open but she didn’t think any of them were stored here. She wondered if the hangers could force the handle open. They were pretty sturdy. She moved back to check the costumes to decide which ones would be least harmed by not being on a hanger for a bit. She found 3 that should work and so she went through the process of removing them.
---
“You’ve had an idea,” Damian said.
He had taken a moment to calm himself after he stood back up but suddenly her movements felt feverish and hurried. He could tell she was working on some sort of plan even without being able to see her.
“I’m getting hangers. I think they could be used as a lever to force the handle open.”
“That sounds possible. How can I help?”
“I think it will have to be you doing all of the work. I’m not tall enough to put the pressure in the right spot.”
Damian reached out for her to get the hanger. Her hand pulled back suddenly when their fingers touched. He wasn’t sure how to react to that. He wasn’t one to be overly touchy and definitely not pushy about the feelings he thought might be developing but it was unexpected. Before he had time to consider further she had pushed it back and it poked into his chest and he was able to get it from her.
He reached out for the door handle and settled the hanger over it to apply the pressure. It was very tight and he could feel the handle turning but when he added a bit more pressure the handle snapped. He cursed while Marinette checked to see if it had opened. She made a disappointed noise and handed him the next hanger. Possibly he was a bit too frustrated because it snapped almost immediately. The broken wood jammed into his forearm. Marinette tried to pull his arm into the thin strip of light coming under the door.
“I don’t think it broke the skin but it will probably have scratches or bruising.”
He made a noncommittal noise and tried not to focus on her fingers gliding along his skin. It didn’t even hurt that bad any more. It had just been a sudden pain. But he found he liked being the target of her concern. He reached out to stop her fingers on his arm. She sucked in a breath at the unexpected contact and pulled back. He could practically feel her shake herself out of a daze. They were too close to hide much of anything in here. He just wasn’t sure if she was reacting to his touch in a good way or just trying to get away from him.
He instead focused on getting them out of there.
---
Marinette jumped when Damian grabbed her hand from his injured arm. She had completely lost all thought about what she was doing. He had never given her any sign that he wanted her to continue touching him beyond the initial check of his injury. Luckily he could not see her face heat up in the dark. She pulled away quickly so he wouldn’t notice how much she just wanted to hold onto his hand. His focus had returned to the door handle so that is where she would focus too. She was too quiet for him to hear her stammering apologies but just handed off the final hanger she had gotten. She could tell the difference with this attempt immediately. The handle was making a noise as it turned and Damian was adjusting it as it moved so the hanger wouldn’t snap.
Then just like that, the handle fell to the ground with a clatter. Marinette couldn’t contain her excitement. She laughed with joy and grabbed Damian and pulled him into a tight hug. She hardly even noticed that he was hugging her back because she was bouncing around. She didn’t notice until the hug didn’t end when she expected. She tended to be a hugger so she was accustomed to pulling back when the other person pulled back but after the excited feeling was washing away she started to step back only to realize that he was still holding on. His head tilted into the crook of her neck before with one final squeeze he slid away slowly. Marinette had to hold onto the wall for a moment when he released because her knees were suddenly too weak to hold her up.
---
Damian held her in his arms and wished the feeling could never end. He didn’t often hug people. He rarely enjoyed it when he did, aside from a few close family members and friends. But holding Marinette in his arms just felt right. She fit against him. He could feel her pulling back but they were about to be out of the space and he may never be close to her like this again. He tightened his hold for just a second before releasing her slowly. He hoped she couldn’t feel how hard his heart was beating just now or that she would not tell everyone how he gave awkward long hugs. He squared his shoulders and pushed against the door.
The door didn’t just push open so he looked at the mechanism stuck in the handle hole. He pushed on the tab and it did nothing. The locked handle was still stuck on the outside and it wouldn’t budge. It was fastened on with screws. Marinette had picked up the handle and tried to get it to connect to the piece but it wasn’t working. Damian didn’t think that would help anyway but she was clearly in distress.
“Is there a screw to use to push in the pin hole?” Damian asked.
“No. There are no screws on this side. It was connected with threads to connect to the other piece of the handle.”
“Where is the hanger? I can use the piece that holds it to apply pressure.”
Marinette handed him one of the hangers.
“I don’t think that will work. The hanger doesn’t have the piece like that. They connect directly onto the rack so the costumes are less likely to fall and be damaged, especially during shipping or when people get locked into the closet and stuck for all eternity.”
Damian started to laugh at her joke but then he realized she wasn’t actually joking. She was breathing heavily and was backed against the wall.
---
Marinette didn’t know what else to do. They had tried everything and they couldn’t get out. No one else would be there for hours. She held onto the wall and while her head was spinning. At least Damian couldn’t see her acting so foolishly. She bit her lip to control her breathing and hot tears ran down her cheeks. She could hear Damian moving but even with another beam of light shining in she still couldn’t see what he was doing. Maybe it was good that he hadn’t given up yet. It wouldn’t be great to have them both breaking down at the same time.
But Damian had not stopped at the door. He was right there in front of her. He rested a hand on her shoulder and she just knew that he could feel the wet spot where her tears had dripped down. She felt the fingers on his other hand on her cheek, gently wiping away her tears. She couldn’t hold in a sob at his tenderness. She covered her face with her hands but he didn’t let that stop him. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
---
Damian was not the first person anyone would go to when they were in distress but in this case he was the only one available. He made gentle hushing noises and smoothed her hair back from her face. He breathing had calmed but she was crying into her hands. She was struggling to get some distance so he could hear what she was saying. He caught just the last bit through her muffled tears.
“I’m crying all over your shirt,” she said.
“Don’t worry about my clothes. They will be fine,” he said. “Are you okay?”
“I think I’m just not a huge fan of small spaces.”
He brushed the last of her tears from her cheeks. Her breathing was calmer now and he wasn’t sure what suddenly came over him. His hand was on her jaw and he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He could feel her gasp against his lips but he realized she had stayed rigid and not melted against him. She wasn't kissing him. He had kissed her while she was against a wall trapped with him in a small closet. He stumbled back from her.
---
Marinette was so distraught about being such a mess in front of him it took her a moment to process what had happened. He had just kissed her. He seemed just as shocked as her when he pulled away. She didn’t think he had planned it. She didn’t even think he could stand her. She could still feel him standing right in front of her. Not that he had many options for where to go. His hands dropped from her and they just stood there, inches apart for a moment.
He turned back to the door and tried to mess with the lock again. She could see his face in the light coming from the hole in the door. Two separate strands of light hit his face. She could see the tenseness in his cheekbone that she imagined moved down to his jaw. The other was shining directly on his lips. She touched her own remembering the feel of his on hers.
She could feel his bicep tense as she reached out and touched him. She had to force herself to breathe. He didn't pull away but he reserved any reaction waiting to see what she would do. She knelt down next to him and slid her hand up to his shoulder. If possible he tensed even more. She reached up with her other hand and tentatively touched his jaw. She could feel the bit of rugged stubble required for the scene today. It was much softer than she had imagined.
---
Damian didn't think he quite stopped the groan that came out as her fingers brushed along his jaw. He generally preferred clean shaven but as her fingers continued to move through his stubble he was gaining an appreciation for it. He moved slowly as her second hand moved up to his jaw. She seemed over the shock of being kissed against the wall while crying but he wanted to wait for her to make a move. It was torturously slow. She was being cautious too. But he felt her body shift and then her thumb brushed along his bottom lip.
Her lips met his as she leaned forward. Her hesitancy vanished when he responded. His hand moved back to her hair where it had been when he first entered the closet and covered her mouth. She pushed herself against him from her knees but he craved her closer. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his lap. She planned a knee on either side of his hip and wrapped her arms around his neck. He kept one arm around her waist and one threading through her hair as it cascaded out of the bun.
Damian wasn't sure how much time had passed. They had pulled away for air several times and shifted positions as well. Marinette's hair was fully down from her previous hair do and her clothing looked delightfully wrinkled when the door opened and light poured in. He watched her squint at the sudden brightness. He must look something like her. Her chest was heaving and her lips red and puffy. He was tempted to shut the door again and stay hidden with her longer.
---
Marinette was dazed when the door suddenly opened and poured light over them. Her eyes were shocked at the amount of light too quickly. She knew the person who opened the door could clearly tell what they had been doing. She looked away from the man's smirk and down at the floor. She glanced back up at Damian. His hair was sticking out in all directions and his shirt was untucked. He stood and reached to pull her to her feet. She noticed a couple buttons undone at the top of his shirt. She suddenly wondered about the buttons on her own blouse and turned away to fix them.
"Jon, it's great to see you. How did you know to look for us?"
"Your brother called and said you missed dinner and wouldn't answer your phone. I sent a video of a baby elephant being cute and you didn't react so I knew something had to be wrong," Jon said.
"We have been locked in here for hours. No phone or tools and the handle was broken."
"Sounds," Jon cleared his throat, "rough."
Marinette wasn't making eye contact. She had readjusted her clothes and pulled her hair into a low ponytail. She couldn't avoid the awkwardness anymore. She stepped into the hallway and both men looked at her. She opened her mouth but realized she had nothing to say. She turned on her heels quickly and started to rush away. Her cheeks were burning and she thought she might start crying again.
What had she been thinking? There were all sorts of rumors about what kind of man Damian might be. It was widely thought that he remained single so he could hook up with women from all over and pay them for their silence. There had been all a lot of suggestions about who he might secretly be involved with but there had never been a confirmed relationship. She just knew things at work would end up very awkward if anyone found out. Both her and Damian were professional so perhaps they could manage to hide the awkwardness until the end of the project and then never see each other again.
"Marinette?" Damian's voice was quiet and he stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Would you like to go to dinner tonight? I need to freshen up a bit but I imagine you are as hungry as I am."
He sounded so uncertain. She wondered what he was thinking. Everything felt perfect when they were alone but in the sudden light and openness they were uncertain again.
"I'd like that," she said.
They both took a few minutes making themselves presentable and gathering their things. Marinette was happy she wouldn't have to catch the late night subway. Damian introduced his friend Jon and said he would keep everything about the incident to himself. She was grateful for that and for him waiting on the introduction until she had fixed her appearance. His hand hovered at her back at they walked out. Jon excused himself and left them alone as they got in the car.
Marinette buckled her seatbelt in silence. When she looked over Damian hadn't started the car. He was watching her. When she looked at him he leaned towards her. She met his lips as they gently brushed against each hers. Her heart was suddenly pounding again.
"I was aching to do that again," he said.
He turned back and started the car to take her on their first date.
Taglist
@theymakeupfairies | @emjrabbitwolf | @vixen-uchiha | @trythisagainlove | @trippingovermyfeet | @tbehartoo | @adrestar | @zynna
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taggingtim · 3 years ago
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Why I love Pre-Boot Tim Drake and why the Reboot has ruined him
I love Tim Drake.  He is my favorite comic book character of all time.  I’ve been really upset the past few days about what DC has been doing with him lately, and I thought it would be cathartic for me to write something up about it.  (No, this isn’t a rant about Tim being bi/gay; it’s a much larger problem than that. But I’ll get to that in a bit.) Bear with me for a bit of history, first.
When I was a kid I loved the Batman Animated Series.  I know this will lose me a lot of internet cred, but I always preferred the fourth season. In particular, I loved Tim Drake. He was fun and funny and I absolutely adored him.  I used to beg my mom to take me to the mall so I could buy issues of Gotham Adventures. For my birthday one year my parents got me a subscription to the comic, and I was blown away by the idea that I could have comics MAILED to my HOUSE.
Around middle school I started collecting Marvel comics, mostly X-men stuff.  I loved them, but when I started college I quit the hobby for financial reasons.
 Fast forward a few years, and I felt I was financially stable enough to start buying comics again. Rather than going back to Marvel, I decided to give Batman comics a chance.  I had no idea where to start, and when I found out my beloved Tim had his own comic series, I thought it was a perfect entry point into the Batman universe. I bought the complete series from a local comic shop and dove in.
 Tim’s Robin series was exactly what I was looking for in a comic.  He was very different from little Timmy Todd from BtAS, but I loved him. I built the rest of my comic collection around him, grabbing up every book that he was featured in, from Young Justice to Teen Titans to Batman, Detective Comics, Nightwing, Red Robin, and many others.  I have random books from series like The Demon just because Tim was in them.
 So why did I like Tim so much?  What about this character made me so excited for more?  I found in Tim something that I had never seen in a comic book before: character growth.  Somehow, though he was written by many different authors over many different years, Tim managed to have a character arc that is consistent and makes sense. Sure, there were a few small bumps along the way, but on the whole Tim has always stayed true to his character, and he’s developed in a way that the big name characters, like Batman, never can.
 When we’re first introduced to Tim, he’s a young teen who has been neglected by his parents growing up. He’s smart, healthy, and strong, but he lacks so much self confidence and has little sense of self worth.  Tim notices Bruce’s increasing violence as he grieves for the loss of his son, and Tim knows he needs to step in and help.  Batman needs a Robin.
 For most characters, this would be the part where Tim put himself forward for the job.  But he doesn’t.  He seeks out Dick Grayson and begs him to come home instead.  It’s only when Batman and Nightwing are in danger and there is literally no one else to help that Tim steps up and dons the cape. And once he does, he’s constantly plagued by self-doubt, terrified he will screw up and leave Batman worse than ever before.
 From there, Tim undergoes intense training.  He never begs to be in the spotlight, doesn’t push to go out on the streets before he’s ready.  His goal is to help Bruce as much as possible.
 Here’s where I started to fall in love with him.  All that self-doubt, the constant need to be useful?  That’s exactly what you would expect to see from a child whose parents had ignored and neglected him.  He finally has a parental figure who sees him, who values him, and Tim does everything he can to make himself worthy in the hopes that Bruce will keep him around.
 This is the first example of character consistency that we see with Tim.  And it continues.  When his mom dies and his dad is put in a coma, you see Tim struggle to come to terms with losing the people he loves, but never had a relationship with.  Tim almost never mentions his mom after her death, because she just wasn’t present in his life.  When his dad recovers and decides to stick around, Tim struggles to build a relationship with him.  He’s plagued with guilt because he’s finally found the father figure he needed in Bruce, but he thinks that he’s supposed to feel that way for Jack.  It’s a running undercurrent in their relationship that creates distance between them for years.
 This is already so long, so I’m going to try to summarize a bit more.  We get to watch Tim grow up.  We see his awkward relationship with his first girlfriend, Ariana.  He doesn’t know how to treat her; he’s never had the opportunity to observe a healthy relationship.  But he tries so, so hard.  All of Tim’s relationships are awkward, because he’s never had a model of a good one. Steph is a great match for him, because she’s very vocal about what she wants and needs, and she isn’t afraid to call Tim out when he messes up, which is exactly what Tim needs.
 Big things happen to Tim. He’s stuck with Jean-Paul Valley, who slowly goes insane, leaving Tim to try to keep the city in one piece.  He’s infected with the Clench, a plague that sweeps over Gotham and kills everyone it touches, and barely escapes with his life. His girlfriend is sexually assaulted, leaving him to deal with the fallout.  His family moves out of Gotham, and he has to sneak back in during No Man’s Land to help.  His relationship with his dad has intense ups and downs, resulting in him being sent to boarding school, punished in a variety of ways, and generally caused a lot of trouble in his life.
 Then people start dying. Over the course of about a year in his life, Tim loses his girlfriend, his dad, a close friend, and his best friend, each of whom dies under tragic conditions.  Tim’s grief is intense, and he is understandably traumatized by the losses. We see fundamental changes in his character.  He changes his costume from something bright and cheerful to something darker that reflects his emotional state.  He’s more subdued, his adventures a little more serious.
 When Bruce first tries to adopt him, Tim literally creates an uncle and hires an actor to play him, just to avoid dealing with the situation.  Bruce has viewed Tim as a son for years, so to him the adoption is an obvious step.  For Tim, it feels like a betrayal of his father, and it takes a while before he’s ready to accept Bruce’s love, home, and a place in his family.  
 When Damian shows up on the scene, Tim really struggles with him, and not just because early Damian is a horrid brat who tries to kill Tim on multiple occasions.  Tim has always felt the need to earn his place with Bruce, and Damian constantly throws all of Tim’s biggest fears in his face—he’s not wanted or needed now that the “real” son is here, he’s not worthy of a place in the family, he’s not good enough.
 Tim tries to clone Conner, his best friend.  He’s lost so many people, and he’s desperate to get them back.  Conner was cloned to begin with and fully matured over a very short period of time; the technology clearly exists, so why can’t Tim use it to get his best friend back?  And if he can get Conner back, why not the others he’s lost?  He eventually gives up, but when he eventually gets access to a Lazarus Pit, he immediately wants to incorporate the waters into his process so he can revive his loved ones.  With Dick’s help, Tim eventually decides to let it go, but it’s such a poignant moment for the character.
 Then Bruce dies, and Dick takes Robin away.  Tim switches to the Red Robin persona as he travels the world, alone, trying to prove that he was right.  He has to deal with the trauma of losing another father, finds out that his girlfriend never died but let him hurt so much for so long.  His brother and the only close friend he has left both think his grief has overwhelmed his sense and that he’s gone crazy.  He’s utterly alone.
 The Red Robin series is such a great culmination for Tim.  He finds a place for himself as a hero, as a CEO.  He gets parts of his family back—Bruce, Steph, Bart, Conner.  He finally figures out who he wants to be and creates a place for himself.
 This overarching character development is what I love about Tim.  His many, many traumas impact his decisions, and you can clearly see how he changes over time as a result of them.  I didn’t even go into his development as a leader from his early fumbling with Young Justice to his strong leadership of the Teen Titans, or how his relationships with Conner, Bart, and Cassie develop so fluidly and realistically over the years.
 This is why I love Tim. Characters like Batman are static; nothing that happens to them will ever have a lasting impact, because in the end the character always returns to what they were.  Tim, on the other hand, has changed and developed A LOT since his initial appearance.  His growth has always been consistent and logical.
 When the reboot happened, all of that character growth was lost.  Tim was replaced with a jerk who betrayed his friends and cheated on his girlfriend.  DC has basically retconned all of this and tried to turn Tim back into who he was, but by taking away all of the things that have happened to him over the years, Tim has lost SO MUCH.
 I keep looking for my Tim in recent comics, and I just can’t find him.  It breaks my heart, because I love him so much, and it feels like he’s lost to me forever.  The most recent Young Justice comic series actually gave me hope; I felt like maybe, finally, someone was going to write Tim correctly.  He had his primary friendships back, his relationship with Steph was developing (even if they seem to have completely dropped all the development around Steph’s decision to let Tim think she was dead).  The actual book itself wasn’t fantastic, but it felt like they were headed in the right direction.
 Over the last few days, I read the Batman: Urban Legends books.  I actually read the Batman/Red Hood story first, which was fantastic.  I was really excited to read Tim’s story (though I already knew how it ended).  Jason’s character was handled so well, and he seemed to actually have some character development that will hopefully last.  I anticipated the same for Tim.
 But Tim’s story was awful. The plot was all over the place—kids are being kidnapped, so Tim has to join a pain cult to get them back?  He’s somehow helping Oracle with computer issues while simultaneously questioning witnesses?  He’s broken up with Steph, off camera, shortly after telling her how much he loves her, but Steph somehow thinks that they should have a caring relationship where Tim tells her what he’s feeling?  Bernard has somehow become a good enough fighter to stand side by side with Robin?  Tim STILL doesn’t have a code name?  Why is everyone suddenly hounding him about what he wants to do with his life?
 It’s just such a mess of a story.  If it didn’t end with Tim agreeing to go on a date with Bernard, no one would ever have even mentioned it.  There’s nothing particularly re-readable or enjoyable about it.
 I actually liked that they brought Bernard back. I really enjoyed him in the original Robin series. It’s been a while since I read that part of the series (I’m actually working my way back through it now).  I know Bernard always read as gay to me, yet somehow I felt like he was out of character in these books.
 And then, the climax of the story.  Tim is bi, or gay, or has at least agreed to go on a date with a boy.
 If this had happened in the pre-boot, when Tim was Red Robin and had an actual character arc, I honestly wouldn’t have had an issue with it.  I do think it would have needed a LOT more build up than it was given here.  Tim has always been a very introspective character, and we’ve been party to so much of his internal monologue over the years.  It seems very strange to me that such a huge thing just sneaks up on him out of nowhere when he’s never even thought about it before.
 But more than that, this story just feels like the final death blow for the Tim I loved.  The whole arc is about how Tim doesn’t know who he is or who he wants to be.  What will his hero name be?  Will he go to college?  What is he going to do with his life?  These are all great questions, and his answer to all of them is… date a boy?  
 Is this going to be his defining characteristic going forward?  From here will we just see Tim exploring and discovering his sexuality?  The Tim we have now doesn’t have a family, a team, a purpose, or even a code name.  Why was this the thing that DC decided to give us?  It feels like they wanted to make a gay Robin and decided it would be Tim because they didn’t know what else to do with him.
 It’s stupid, but I honestly feel like I’ve spent the past few days grieving the loss of a loved one. The Tim that DC is presenting now is just not the person that I knew.  Tim would never break up with Steph that abruptly for what he admits is no apparent reason.  He would never say “just call me Robin, since Damian’s out of town.”  Everything that I love about Tim seems to be gone, and in its place DC has given me a date with a boy.  
 Again, it’s not Tim being not-straight that I have an issue with.  I’ve never read the character that way, but it’s something I can live with. My issue is the way it was handled. Why not make Tim an actual person first, and then explore his sexuality?  Send him off to college!  He’s obviously thinking about it!  It’s the perfect opportunity to give him his own book.  He can move to a different city, choose a new name, and DC can introduce a whole new set of characters.  Figure out which parts of Tim’s backstory are still canon, and which have been dropped. Make him a person again, and then let him explore his sexuality.
 I know this post is all over the place, and I don’t have time right now to go back and edit it.  I just really needed an outlet for my frustration.  Right now it feels like there are so many people who are so excited about Tim being bi/gay, but they don’t know anything else about him.  I keep seeing people comment how DC has been “dropping hints for years!” with no evidence other than “he and Superboy were really close!”  I guess I’d just really like to have some dialogue with other people who are fans of Tim, rather than fans of Tim-as-bi/gay or fans of Tim-as-straight.
 Does anyone else feel this way?  I’d honestly like to have a dialogue about it with other long time fans.
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anothertimdrakestan · 4 years ago
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Having Anxiety And Dating The Batboys HC
req: “Dating the batboys and having anxiety hc? Thank you!”
awh this is such a cute ask, just know that when i talk about anxiety or panic attacks it’s from my own experience or generalizations! everyone’s mental health is different and that’s okay : ) i love you! hope you enjoy
Damian Wayne:
- dami would be really good at noticing your stressors in public and pulling you away from stressful environments
- he’s always been a silent observer and none of that changes when you’re having a panic attack
- just walking around the gala with your breath shaky and feet wobbly he’ll grab your hand and pull you to the outside of the room “beloved your breath is ragged and i can see your hands shaking, here, hold mine”
- he isn’t big on physical touch in public but will always be your rock, your steady hand to hold when everything else just seems shaky and unstable
- you always like to focus on his face, the way they flit over yours taking in all the signs of your anxiety, his lips ever so slightly turned into a frown while he’s focussed solely on you, his nose scrunched up in that cute way that always makes you want to sigh at how cute he is and suddenly it’s okay, because dami is there.
- and he’s always there.
- a constant source of structure and stability when you need it most, it’s his way of constantly reminding you he loves you, not directly through saying it but by showing up, coming to your aid whenever you call for him and always there to hold your hand and tell it’ll be okay, that’s how damian will show you, his slightly anxious but perfect s/o that he loves you <3
Tim Drake:
-  i can’t explain why, but i just know tim is always there after the panic attack- does that make sense?
- when you text him that you had a rough, anxious night his response is always “omw love” and you best believe he’ll fly across country to bring you little candies and coffee and cuddles at any time of the night
- you would bond over shared mental health and your relationship would be so understanding, there would never be shame in canceling a date for a night of Disney movies and deep breaths or, on days where you feel amazing he’d be ready to actually let go of the cases and go out with you on one of your good days
- tim would be so lucky to have you in his life, you’d be there to advocate for his mental health and he’d always be there to help you
- there would be a bit of a learning curve for both of you, learning that now you have another person to lean on, i think that the both of you would be used to going it alone for so long it would be strange to actually have someone to rely on but once you did it would be like unlocking a new secret best friend 24/7
- imagine him zipping into your window late at night, his lightly shaky hands holding yours while you both tell each other to breathe, laughing at how you both were two messes trying to help the other
- laying down while he tucks a piece of hair behind your ear with a faint smile you’d cling to each other through the toughest nights or the best days- always together
Jason Todd:
- with an anxious s/o jason would be an affectionate monster!
- just imagine him busting through your door, arms filled with takeout, icecream, and your favorite goofy grin ready to cuddle happiness into your body while he smothers you with his affection
- if your hands are shaky he’d just hold it between his massive ones, toying with your fingers- kissing the pads, then the knuckles, to your wrist, until you’re giggling too hard to be crying
- speaking of crying, imagine his rough, slightly calloused fingers swiping away rogue tears that try to slip out whispering “c’mon baby i’m here no need for the tears”
- if you’re having an anxious day he’ll love to curl up with you in his lap while reading a book or working on research, just being in the room with you makes him happy and he loves to be there for you when you need it
- if you’re in a room that’s loud and doesn’t have to be (especially the mansion when tim and dami are having a screaming match) he won’t be afraid to pull you into a hug and scream “EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP” (think THIS VIDEO at 2:37)
- he’d be soooo protective of you when you’re having a rough day, like someone could look at you the wrong way and he’s smothering you in affection and flipping people off behind your shoulder while he does : )
Dick Grayson:
- dick hates that you get anxious, if he could he’d beat up all the stress in your life and cuddle you the whole time
- he’d want to do little breathing exercises with you, then he’d get excited when you’re doing better and forget to breathe, breaking your focus as he turns purple, you’d always break out laughing but it helps all the same : )
- he’d make little signals with you to check that you’re doing well, think tiny little thumbs up or down or sideways so he knows how you’re doing without anyone else even realizing
- imagine the cuddle pile with you in dick’s lap while you relax your head back on his shoulder and dami cuddling in your lap, the both of you held in by dick’s arms wrapped around all of you, quietly running your hands through damian’s hair while dick presses smiley kisses to your neck asking if you feel better now
- you guys would go on long walks together, i think dick would really want to understand what your anxiety is like, he’d want to know the best way to help you and understand every part of who you are
- when he notices you’re anxious he likes to pull you out of the room and check in, he’s really attentive and kind about it and never EVER thinks less of you because of your anxiety, he constantly reminds you that he loves every single piece of you always
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rookiesbookies · 3 years ago
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Adding more Jason headcannons, cuz yall like them.
Jason’s natural hair color is a dark brown, Bruce had him dye it black hoping villains would not realize there was a new Robin and Jason dyed his hair red because he, like myself, just really wanted to dye his hair his favorite color
Jason’s white streak is from a scar, like I said earlier, and Jason cannot dye it. But he can hide it in his hair since it’s a pretty small spot.
Jason was actually a super sweet kid, and still is. He has this “I came back a different man” act and while in some cases it’s true he’s still Jason
Jason’s eyes were a teal color that leaned more green when he was a kid and after coming out of the pit they became an eery green color
The pit did not make Jason super buff, after coming out the pit Jason did have strength he did not have before but after the pit he trained at places like the League and All Castle and that’s where he got super buff
When Jason fights hand to hand he throws his weight around, he’s a big dude and he knows it
Jason is not a super pretty person, if you are mad that DC drew him “ugly” you seem to forget he got BLOWN UP he’s not MAGICALLY going to be beautiful with pit water. He is handsome, and if you’re opinion on him being a great character changes on how he is drawn you are WRONG. In fact if you were able to express that and he saw that people thought that, he’s feel like more of a monster than he already does
Continuing on my previous point, Jason is a super self conscious character, he feels like a monster, he feels ugly, he thinks there is nothing for him and that no one could love him because of how he looks and his past. And 👏he👏 is 👏WRONG👏!
Jason is a character who, I feel, needs a family and an SO he can come home to more than the others. Jason spent so much time after coming back alone and training that he is tired of being alone, which is why he constantly has Outlaws now
Talia has offered to let him put Bizzaro and Roy in the pit but Jason, because he knows the effects, says no. And it hurts more than anything
Jason and Talia have a godo relationship, that is more mother/son than anything. Yes, they fucked, and I will not ignore that but I’d like to believe that was a one off. Jason doesn’t view Selina like that because Selina isn’t really mom material, she really tries, but I get the feeling she just isnt.
Jason has a good relationship with all the Robins, past and present, and has a better relationship with the batgirls (past and present). I’d like to believe that they invite him to their girls nights and stuff because it helps him feel better about himself and they know this. I think that, of all the Robins, Jason and Damian have the best relationship because they share a lot of traits and ideals, Jason and Dick is only second to that because of their time apart, they spent so much time together when Jason was a kid, Jason truly views Dick as his older brother
Tim and Jason have a very sibling like relationship but they can be awkward around each other because Tim hasn’t totally got an idea of Jason’s sense of humor yet, but they’re getting there
I believe that Jason knows Damian the best, we saw bits of this in a Titan’s comic book when Damian was going through something and led the Titan’s on a scavenger hunt for him. Jason shows up and helps them find him and thats because he knows Damian and knows what he’s going to do. Damian and Jason will jokingly roast each other and rough house but at the end of the day they are truly like brothers and I feel like Damian messages Jason a lot, and we know Damian and Dick are tight but I feel like thats more of a Father/Son bond while Jason is more like Damian’s older brother
Ight lemme know if there any questions you have or maybe what to know more on a topic
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artbyblastweave · 4 years ago
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Thoughts on the Invincible Show
Episode 8 is fantastically visceral, but I feel like the increased focus on the human carnage is going to make Omni-Man’s inevitable redemption arc a much harder sell around here. I mean jesus fuck, Steven Universe makes people foam at the mouth, Omni-Man’s redemption arc is going to be like a mustard-gas bath bomb.
I did not anticipate everybody on this Hellsite thirsting after Cecil. I probably should have. Cecil-Thirsting aside, they seem to be whitewashing him a bit from the comics (morally, I mean) by making a point of how much he hates sinclair on a personal level, and introducing the reanimen during the no-holds-barred desperate last stand instead of during a time of relative peace. The comics questioned the ethics of things like the GDA and shadow-governments pretty extensively, so I’m curious to see where they’re going with it.
I love most of the cast changes from the comic! Amber has a personality beyond acting as a case study in why it would suck to try and date a normal person as a superhero. William is a funny douchebag instead of a genuine douchebag.   I do feel like they’re riding for a fall, in that a lot of the characters they’ve diversied also eventually either fell out of focus or got killed horribly for tragic effect in the comics, in a way that could read poorly now that they’re no longer all white. On the other hand, having a character in animation is significantly more of an investment than in a comic book.
I also like Debbie’s boosted agency! Her sequences felt like a Hitchcock thing. Damian Darkblood is much more interesting in this as well.
I’m curious what they’re going to do with Shrinking Rae. Her comic’ counterpart was pretty one-note; he was a fairly competent superhero who was constantly undercut by the powerhouses, which in turn lead him to have a suicidal inferiority complex (IIRC he ultimately got eaten alive trying to pull off a thanus maneuver on a supervillian.) Rae has demonstrated in passing at least three times as much personality as he did, and they’re going out of their way to demonstrate that the guardians actually like each other on a personal level in this, as opposed to in the comics where they were all kind of just vaguely putting up with each other. So I’m interested to see what that arc is gonna look like.
No Bulletproof this season! I like him, I hope they bring his fucked up backstory in earlier when he makes his debut, his fucked up family dynamic makes him an excellent foil to Mark.
No Magnattack in the Machine-head sequence. I guess he’d probably be a bitch to animate, so it makes sense. 
Doc Seismic is funny! He was funny in the comics as well. I’ve already seen a lot of the standard issue “why-are-you-booing-he’s-right” discourse surrounding his Mount Rushmore rant, and, like, fair, but sometimes you just need to accept that’s it’s really fucking funny for the tiny wizened mad scientist to be the one spouting off contemporary social justice discourse. And given how much the comics ultimately went into the question of whether Superheroes are just propping up an ecologically untenable status quo, and whether the world shaking supervillians ought to be cooperated with and given a voice rather than pounded into the ground, I think they’re entitled to one joke on this point.
I’m glad that everyone was more expressly weirded out by Robot! It’s not the writers dropping the ball, the clone thing was always intended as a massive red flag about the guy’s sense of boundries in the comic, but everyone sort of shrugged it off in the comics (where Rex is, on the whole, also much more self-aware and pleasant, and was like, “dude, just ask next time.”)
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inomana · 5 years ago
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Damian Wayne and Pets
I think Damian's love for animals is more important than more important than what we make it out to be
Like I get that it's cute and it helps portray him as a kid but
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Its what humanized him...
Damian's entire life it was 'kill or be killed' but Goliath showed him mercy. It probably broke him to see someone forgive him.
It's also pretty obvious he projected himself onto Gotiath, calling it the runt, saying he had it had to honor the family cause, fight for family...
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Damian ends up sparing em and In turn Goliath protects him.
Goals amiright?
Damian gets a lot of shit from fans for having a crap personality completely forgetting his situation.
This boy was raised as a weapon, he was not given any real childhood experiences.
From the moment of being born he was given tasks endlessly to commit wrongdoings which he'd later normalize until the point in his life where he had to meet his father.
Even then the very first thing Bruce did was completely view this child as a problem. He thought it could have been the Trap or something set up by Talia so he completely just told this kid to change in the blink of the eye.
Bruce basically told Damien everything he's ever he's ever known as a child was a lie and he had to change if he wanted to stay.
Then all hell breaks loose he changes and the time comes where he has to choose between his mother the person raised him and his father the person gave morals and he's put in a very tight situation.
People think just because he chose the right side, the heroic side with his father that he didn't lose anything. He abandon his mother the person who he's been with for 10 years.
Like yeah she's horrible but she's kept him alive considerably well for that time. Damian even said that he would hope that his parents would just stay together instead of choosing between them. She all he has for years.
Then you have his brothers which I love dearly but, Dick who kind of gave him the cold shoulder until he realized he didn't want to have a Timothy and Jason situation repeat again.
Or Tim, Damian's Grandfather himself called the equivalent to Batman and is known as the real detective of the four it's one of his biggest competitions.
And Jason who is a constant reminder of his mother's teaching, and the aftermath of the pit
So even after escaping such a horrible situation that was the League of Assassins he was still in a very tight place where everything had to do was supposed to be by the book or else he would just be compared to someone else or something and dude
Growing up he's constantly dealing with all these horrible situations and then one day while he's fighting and fighting for real something just doesn't it just shows him kindness shows in the form of love licks his nose.
It's probably something you didn't experience as a child because he'll nose Talia never showed him in a love
And it just keeps happening where animals are treating him better than people around him. He finds a loving dog that sticks by him, a cow he saves to a slaughterhouse, he finds a cat that listens to him. He finds these stable like relationships and it helps him become a better person it's practically therapeutic.
I personally don't think Damian is my favorite character Jason for Life man, but there's a struggle with his character that I can never understand and I sympathize with that because I'm not an douchebag.
He's 13 and he's already had to make the world's craziest Life Choices, killing people, abandoning his parents, change his lifestyle, he's leading a group of crazy super-powered teenagers in a t-shaped building, he's even died and come back to life.
Damian is a very complex character and people are throwing him to the curb because of the person his mother designed to be , and yeah he makes little snide comment every once in awhile, dose wrong and messes up, but he's still always helping people to the best of his ability. Sometimes it's just not the right way to do it. It's not fine but it's not terrible.
So here's my point
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Give this kid a chance,
And also fuck DC
3K notes · View notes
sixtyeightdays · 4 years ago
Text
you reap what you sow
prompt from @mialuvscats : i hope this meets your expectations ! im sorry this took so long, i tried uploading it from my phone but it glitched and i could only get my hands on the computer today 
i’d like to say that i think if sabine and mari are there, damian and talia willl be relatively looser and not as uptight . mari and sabine are cold but loving and sunshiney. they keep talia and damian in check, essentially. which is why i wrote them in to be loose and free but able to be openly happy when they want to be, even if they are only happy around each other.
with sabine here i also thinkt hat talia will be slightly easier on damian, which also ties to the fact that he will not be as cold and uptight.
talia will be a good mother in this fic bc i want her to be and itll be ooc but its okay its my fic anyway
and the timeline is kinda messed up and all over the place sorry
that aside, have fun reading and i hope you enjoy!
--
talia and sabine are best friends, and before most of the class joins francois, marinette ruled the school after coming to paris with sabine. mari and damian are betrothed and the two are best friends. they can be icy one minute and sunshiney the next, although the sunshiney part is more mari than damian.
maybe the waynes come to paris, bc if theyre in gotham the others wont really know if the queen is back, and theyre kinda unsure why marinette is being timid and very unlike her ice queen demeanor she sometimes uses. mari is closest to jason in terms of batfam because firstly maybe she cleanses jason of the lazarus pit after helping damian using tikki's creation magic to counteract plagg's destruction one. since the waynes are here theres no point in mari hiding her queen status anymore and queue lila reveal
-
Talia al Ghul and Sabine Cheng were an unlikely combination, but worked perfectly well.
The two women were extremely close. Sabine was almost as deadly as Talia, but she made up for it with her devious mindset. She was the one who steered Talia away from doing anything wrong --well more wrong than usual-- and the one who was assigned to dish out punishments to usurpers.
The two could read each other like open books, and hence, when both Talia and Sabine became pregnant, Talia one month before Sabine, the two knew immediately.
They had debated whether or not to have their kids be betrothed, and eventually decided to let their children make the final call when their kids were old enough to understand.
Nine months later, Marinette and Damian were born. In the League infirmary, an hour after the two were cleaned and left there to rest while their mothers did the same, the two had already grown rather close.
Their baby cribs were next to each other, and somehow they were staring at each other through the walls of the crib, and were making small grabby hands to the other.
When Talia and Sabine were sufficiently rested and came to pick up their children, they were slightly shocked, yet gratified by their children. Sabine smiled and draped an arm around Talia’s shoulder, smiling lazily.
“I guess they’ll be as close as their mothers, non?” 
Talia smirked, and the two walked forwards, lifting their respective children in their arms and walking to their quarters.
-
The two mothers did not regret it. Their kids were enamoured with each other, practically joined at the hip.
By the time Marinette and Damian were 5, they had a very extensive vocabulary, since they had learned to speak Arabic, French and English. They were also extremely smart and skilled with weapons. 
Marinette was extremely adept at using a yoyo. It seemed weird, I know. But when the League was stormed when she was 3, she had taken out 4 men with her yoyo alone. Since then, she had been teaching herself how to use the yoyo effectively.
Damian preferred to use a katana. He looked much scarier than Marinette, even if the two were the same age. He had found a natural talent in using blades, knives, katanas and daggers included.
Marinette was the Rain to Damian’s Fire. 
She was the only one who could calm Damian down when he was mad, mad.
But make no mistake, Marinette could switch personalities in a heartbeat. She was one of the League’s most skilled interrogators at the age of 5.
After all, who would suspect a pigtailed 5 year old in pink to be scary?
Damian much preferred his stoic and icy attitude. The only people he ever let loose around was Marinette, Sabine, and Talia.
Talia and Sabine loved the children to an almost deadly extent, and the four were extremely overprotective of each other.
Marinette had taken to magic as well. She had been trained by many people in the League about sensing magic. Damian did not have the patience for magic and rituals. 
Marinette knew Damian was more of a ‘attack first ask questions later’ type of fighter, a stark contrast to Marinette’s ‘i will curse you and you will suffer in agonising pain for the rest of your life’ preferred type of fighting.
She’d never really liked getting her hands dirty, hence the magic. Killing people with magic was so much cleaner.
Sabine and Marinette had to leave for Paris when she was 9. For what, she wasn’t sure, but regardless of the distance, she and Damian constantly traded calls and letters. They would never go even a day without contact.
They were staying with one of Sabine’s old friends. His name was Tom Dupain, and he was an old wrestler and had worked with the League before. He and Sabine pretended to be married and Marinette’s name had hence became Marinette Dupain Cheng.
Damian and Talia stayed at the League, although all of them knew that Damian was to meet his birth father when he turned 10.
Marinette adapted her icy demeanor in Paris, never wanting anyone to get as close as she was with Damian. 
A few hours in, walking around Paris, she had met an elderly man in a red Hawaiian shirt, emitting the aura of magic. She had confronted him, and eventually, he opened up to her about the Miraculous. Tikki, the Ladybug kwami, and Plagg, the Black Cat kwami had taken a liking to her.
Marinette was apparently something called a True User, a reincarnation of the first Ladybug miraculous wielder. Plagg just rather liked the aura of death and chaos she apparently gave off, from the League.
She and the other Kwamis also had a rather amicable relationship, and she’d go to the ends of the Earth for the tiny gods, and vice versa.
The elderly man, named Fu, had also started to train her into becoming the new Guardian of the Miraculous.
Before, Marinette had been planning on laying low and not drawing atention to herself, but once she had beaten up two upperclassmen for bullying her classmate and somewhat accquaintance Nino, she had been fiercely regarded by both the students and faculty. 
As a result, she eventually grew close to Nino, and his friends, Kim, Alix and Chloe. She only ever let down her icy demeanour around them, showing the bright and bubbly girl persona she kept hidden. She wasn’t as close to them as she was to Damian, but they were all still quite close friends. 
It wasn’t long after that Marinette became the queen of her school, at the tender age of 10, earning her title as the Ladybug. Or, as Chloe liked to put it, the Lady, because she was lucky enough to ‘get a friend like her’.
Marinette didn’t protest. She rather liked Ladybugs, and besides, it was ironic and it reminded her a little of Damian, who sometimes liked to call her his Maribug. Because she was sometimes a pest, he deadpanned. Marinette had whacked him with a pillow. 
Everyone in the school feared the Ladybug. No one knew anything of her past. She was a mystery, an enigma that no one could solve. When new students came in after Marinette turned 14, everyone was slightly shocked to see their Lady change.
She was much more bubbly and approachable. Word had spread around that Marinette, the Lady, was trying a clean slate for the new kids. After all, not everyone should fear her.
Probably.
School eventually returned to what it was like before Marinette became the Lady, although she did still rule the school, she did it much more subtly, with more restraint and secrecy.
One of the new kids, Alya, had taken a liking to her. Marinette did not like her  very much, she was loud and clingy and drew a lot of unwanted attention. 
Marinette and her old crew, who had playfully called themselves her Consorts before the name stuck, had split up temporarily, to cover more ground and spread their branches.
Chloe was to pretend to be Marinette’s bully, Kim and Alix rivals, and Nino a shy recluse. They had had a good laugh about it beforehand, before watching Moana, because Kim wanted to compare the size of his muscles to Maui’s.
None of them had accounted for Adrien Agreste, who had tried to get the gum off Marinette’s seat like the naive, sheltered boy he was. Marinette had admittedly gotten mad at him for screwing up a perfectly good plan, before ramping up her ice persona to like, a 2/10, to get the newbies off her scent and scare Adrien away.
It hadn’t worked, because the boy was apparently as stubborn as he was naive. But besides that, Alya had been really grating on Marinette’s nerves, especially since she was convinced that Marinette had a crush on the model. It was not true, of course. 
Honestly, Marinette thought dryly, as Alya dragged her all over the place to.. somewhere, she wasn’t even sure anymore. But frankly, she didn’t particularly care. Honestly, the only boy she’d probably ever have a crush on would be Damian.
Not that she’d ever admit it.
-
When Marinette and Damian turned 10, she and Sabine had taken a plane to Gotham to meet up with Damian.
Damian had not been having a good time. He was very much unwanted here, that was clear. 
Grayson seemed to be the only one trying to interact with him. His father, had been trying his best to stay out of Damian’s way, which he reciprocated. Todd was flat out ignoring him and Drake just seemed to be busy all the time.
After all, who would want to interact with a grumpy 10 year old assassin?
He missed Marinette.
It was the day Todd finally tried to open up to Damian, that Marinette had arrived. No one had told him that she was finally meeting him again for the first time in a year. Sabine had left Marinette to figure out where Damian was on her own. She was more than capable of it.
With a quick scrying spell, she found him, and Kaalki opened a portal headed in the direction of Wayne Manor.
Meanwhile, Damian just appreciated the fact that Todd was finally extending an olive branch. He was lonely.
It hurt seeing his father care for everyone in the manor apart from him.
He had been walking along the gardens in the manor. Todd had joined him.
“Listen, I know it’s hard to feel accepted here. Sometimes, I do.” Jason gazed wistfully at the sky above him.
Damian was unsure of where the ex-Robin was getting at, so he just kept quiet. It wasn’t as if Damian didn’t know who Jason Todd was. Before he had come to the manor with Talia, he had read the Waynes’ files. In addition, Damian had known of Jason while he was affiliated with the League. They had never talked, or interacted, but he had known of the elder boy. 
“I just, uh, wanted you to know that if you ever need anything, you can come to me.” He finished lamely, running a hand in his hair.
Damian opened his mouth, then closed it, hesitating. “Thank you, Ja--Todd. I will.” He settled on saying dryly.
Jason visibly relaxed and cracked a miniscule smile. There was a sudden ‘swoosh’ sound, and both Jason and Damian turned around, bodies automatically going on the defensive.
Stumbling out of Alfred’s rose bushes, trodding on a few accidentally, was Marinette.
“Angel!” Damian exclaimed, moving forwards to help her forwards.
She brushed her shoulders off, looking around before freezing, staring at something behind him.
“Jay?”
“Pixie?” He asked, sounding incredulous.
Marinette rushed forward and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Jason laughed and hugged her back, chuckling.
Damian quashed down the bubbling feeling of rage in the pit of his stomach and settled for casting a frosty glance in their direction. Not that they noticed, since they were too busy embracing each other, Damian thought scornfully.
The two pulled apart after too long in Damian’s opinion, laughing.
“Angel? How do you know Todd?” Damian asked coldly, ever so protective.
If Jason noticed the sudden reversion to his surname instead of his first, he didn’t say anything.
“Oh, he came to Paris with Lia once and I cleansed him of the Lazarus pit madness, like I did with you.” She replied.
“What are you doing here?” Jason asked. Damian had forgotten about that.
“Visiting, of course!” She winked. “Now, let’s give your old man a good scare.” She pecked Damian on the cheek before vanishing. (Thanks, Trixx.)
Jason and Damian looked to each other. “Did you know she could do that?” Jason questioned. Damian shook his head before pausing.
“Wait.. how did she get into the manor?” 
The only response was the faint echo of a laugh.
-
It was time for dinner anyway, and only Damian, Jason, and Alfred knew of Marinette’s presence. Marinette had voluntary evelaed herself to the elderly butler after noticing his aura. 
It was Miraculous tainted. If Marinette could guess, he had been either one of Duusu’s, Sass’s, or Nooroo’s.
When the butler had retired to the kitchen alone, Marinette had unraveled Trixx’s magic veiling her and waved at the butler.
To hi credit, he didn’t so much as bat an eye before his eyes widened as he took her in. Marinette cut to the chase.
“Who was your kwami?” Alfred had surveyed her for a second before seemingly trusting her.  
“Duusu.” He answered.
Marinette smiled. “I’m Tikki’s.” From her perch in Marinette’s left pigtail, the red Kwami pried open the folds of her hair, waving once at Alfred before sinking back into the recesses of the bluenette’s locks.
Alfred blinked. Once. Twice. “I’m presuming you’re staying for dinner?”
Marinette beamed. “I’m gonna scare the big bat.” Alfred nodded, accepting this. Marinette clapped her hands and she disappeared again. Alfred shook his head, smiling faintly.
Conveniently, it was one of the times where everyone was there. Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian. Rare these days, what with Dick in Bludhaven, Tim at WE, and Jason off being Jason.
Bruce was currently on his way back from WE, although it would take around half an hour. He had told everyone to start eating first. Perfect. 
After Marinette’s encounter with Alfred, she had reappeared in Damian’s room, where she and Damian caught up. Just like old times.
She had disappeared again once she left the room, and Damian wasn’t entirely sure where she went.
Alfred set the the table as per normal, which Damian and Jason noticed right away. They looked to Alfred, who merely winked before stepping back into the kitchen and laying out the food.
There was a screech of a chair as Marinette, disguised as Bruce (Trixx in her right pigtail and Tikki in the left) sat down. Dick looked startled. 
“I thought you wouldn’t be back till later!” Dick exclaimed.
Mari-Bruce shrugged. “Faster than I’d expected.” She answered, securing the veil of Trixx’s magic around her vocal chords, making her voice sound exactly like Bruce’s.
Jason inched away slightly from Bruce, though she pretended not to notice.
Alfred nodded at her as he reentered the room.
Everyone dug in, occasionally talking. It had been about 25 minutes before the sound of the door opening could be heard. Damian and Jason’s head shot up, thinking it was Marinette.
Mari-Bruce smirked. Showtime.
Bruce entered the room, not noticing Mari at first. Until the batboys gaped at him. He looked confused. What--?
Mari-Bruce was a pretty great actress. “Who are you?” She thundered, internally laughing.
“Who are you? I’m Bruce Wayne.” He answered, looking befuddled and frustrated.
“Impostor.” Mari-Bruce accused. 
Bruce spluttered. “No! I’m the real Bruce!” 
Mari-Bruce scoffed. “That’s what an impostor would say.”
Damian and Jason seemed to figure it out, although they probably weren’t sure which Bruce was the real one yet.
Tim rubbed his eyes. “Am I seeing double, or?” 
Bruce said, “Ask me something the real Bruce would know.”
Dick looked torn, but did as requested. “Who murdered your parents?”
“Joe Chill.” They both said at the same time. Mari-Bruce and Bruce winced, selling the act.
“When’s my birthday?” Tim asked. 
“July 17th.” Both Bruces answered.
Tim looked surprised. “You actually know my birthday?”
“No shit, Tim.” Mari-Bruce said, rolling their eyes. She rather wanted to proceed to the next part of her plan. 
“Would I say that to you, Tim?” Bruce asked slightly desperately. 
“Maybe?” 
Bruce facepalmed. In the confusion, Mari took the chance to slink into the shadows where she rewrapped Trixx’s invisible magic around her.
Only Damian noticed. He smirked. “Where did he go?” He asked, placing a hand on the hilt of his katana for emphasis. He didn’t see Marinette smile at him.
Everyone looked panicked. “Search the manor.” Bruce ordered.
Jason still looked slightly skeptical but did as he said. Damian drew his katanas and tilted it in the direction he was going.
Amongst everyone, Bruce was the most attacked. While Jason and Damian paired off, Tim and Dick did as well, ("Don’t go alone!” Was Bruce’s admonished cry), Bruce had gone alone. 
If she were being honest, Marinette had always had a grudge against the billionaire. He hadn’t saved his son, he had tried to kill his son, even though he had a no killing rule --which Marinette thought was plain stupid--, and he had left Damian to suffer at the hands of Ra’s Al Ghul.
Talia could only do so much to save her son.
Yes, Marinette was aware that Bruce hadn’t know Damian existed, but now he was still treating Damian as if he didn’t exist. Marinette knew how much Damian craved affection, even if he never admitted it.
Yes, maybe Bruce was getting better, but maybe she could.. spur the process.
So Marinette retaliated in one of the many ways she knew how.
Messing with them.
So when the Waynes regrouped in the dining room, Jason, Damian, Dick and Tim came back unharmed, and Jason had been filled in by Damian of his suspicions. But Bruce? 
He came back covered in honey and feathers, drenched with water and covered in pink slime. 
“Why is he going after me?” Bruce had questioned in that annoying voice of his, after looking over his spotless sons.
Jason shrugged. “Maybe he doesn’t like you. God knows he’s not the only one.” 
Bruce looked slightly hurt but Jason didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
“Maybe this person is infatuated with you and is vying for your attention.” Damian deadpanned dryly. Marinette had smacked him on the back of his head, still invisible.
But the damage had been done.
Bruce snapped his fingers and ‘aha!’-ed at Damian. “That must be it!” Bruce crowed.
“Are you that narcissistic, you arrogant plebeian?” Marinette’s normally cheery voice was dry and dripping with distaste as she unwrapped her magic.
Bruce, Dick and Tim immediately went on the defensive, shifting into a battle stance. Marinette only scoffed.
“If I wanted to harm you, I would have already done so.” Marinette waved a hand in their direction dismissively.
Dick looked confused. “You’re like, ten.” He pointed out.
Damian glared. “I am ten as well, Grayson.” 
Tim butted in. “Are we not going to acknowledge the fact that this tiny ten year old broke into the manor unnoticed?” 
That brought everyone to their senses.
They were suddenly surprised by Marinette running at Jason, full speed. They expected him to duck or whip out a weapon, but all he did was stand still as she flipped in midair to land on his shoulders.
To their utter shock, Jason grinned, even as she fisted her hands in his hair for a better grip.
Damian only smiled fondly at his Angel. She was as short as he remembered, Damian noted. 
He missed her. More than anything.
Marinette beamed, and slid off Jason’s shoulders.
“Why did you attack me?” Bruce asked.  “Isn’t it obvious, fool?” Marinette revamped her icy demeanor and glared at the civilian Batman. “I despise you.”
Bruce looked very affronted. But Mariinette ignored him, even as he continued talking and made her way over to Damian.
“Damibear!” Marinette sang, as if she hadn’t seen him less than an hour ago.
The Waynes looked as if they expected Damian to attack her just for calling him that. They were not expecting him to grin and say, “Angel.”
Mari jumped on his back, and Damian merely repositioned himself accordingly, used to this from all her previous piggybacks.
“Okay so Jason and Damian helped her get into the manor.” Tim deduced, only to notice Jason and Damian shaking their heads.
“All by herself.” Damian and Jason chorused. Marinette made bunny ears on top of Damian’s head.
She kissed Damian’s forehead lovingly, replying to his ‘i am older than you’ with a ‘yeah by like a week’, and looked to his family. 
She winked.
Then disappeared.
There was silence, and then, “Wait, we didn’t even get her name!” From Dick.
Damian and Jason were interrogated that night, and they refused to tell them anything related to Marinette.
Marinette smiled from where she had hidden in the shadows, and made her way back to Damian’s room. She curled up in Damian’s bed, drifting into sleep. She was almost asleep when Damian returned.
And when Damian pressed his lips to her forehead and whispered, “Goodnight, Angel”, a smile made her way onto her lips.
By the time Damian had slipped into bed with her, her head leaning comfortably on his chest, she had fallen asleep.
-
When the two turned 15, Talia and Sabine sat them down and told them about the betrothal. Damian had been visiting with Talia.
It had been almost two months since Lila had turned her classmates against her, not that she cared, of course. She still had her Consorts after all.
“Marinette, Damian, we’d like to tell you something. An offer? Of sorts. I’m relatively sure you will accept, however.” 
Talia smiled as Marinette dragged a grumpy Damian over to them by the head, beaming brightly.
“Oh come on, Mian! Don’t be such a grumpy banana.” Marinette reprimanded the older boy who was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
The boy only smiled lazily, and ran another hand through his best friend’s hair, the girl making a small noise of protest. “Thats what you get for calling me a noodle, Angel.” (if you didn’t know miàn means noodle in chinese)
Sabine cleared her throat but looked at the two with amusement clear in her eyes.
They straightened. “Sorry, maman,” Mari muttered.
“Now, before you two were born, Sabine and I had an agreement. We are perfectly fine with this and the implications of it, so it is up to you to whether to accept or not.” Talia got straight to the point.
The two children looked to each other curiously before turning back to their parents. Damian nodded in acknowledgment and Sabine picked up where Talia left off.
“How do you feel about each other?” Sabine asked, watching the two closely for their reactions.
“If that’s your way of asking us if we’re okay to be siblings, since you and Lia are dating, Maman--” Marinette started but was quickly interrupted by a barely noticeably flushed Talia.
“No, not that, and we aren’t dating, Nette.” Talia aimed a playful glare at the girl, who grinned and blew a raspberry at her.
“How would you and Damian like to be betrothed?” Sabine asked, smiling at her friend and daughter fondly.
Marinette spluttered and Damian coughed. 
Talia and Sabine burst out into laughter.
After the adults got their laughter under control and after a few glares from their kids, Damian spoke up.
“Marinette is my best friend. If I had to be betrothed to anyone, I’m glad it’s her.” Damian looked away and Marinette coughed awkwardly into her elbow.
“You misunderstand us. You don’t have to be betrothed. The choice is yours.”
Damian felt slightly attacked. He really did like Marinette, and the betrothal was an easy excuse to ask her out (even if he was a 15 year old). He didn’t know if Marinette felt the same way, and he didn’t want to impose that on her, so he kept quiet.
Marinette, who was looking deep in thought, answered.
“Can I talk to Damian for a while, privately?”
Damian, despite his better judgement, winced. This was probably the first time in a really long time that Marinette called him by his full name. It was normally Dami, Damibear to annoy him, or some other weird nickname like Mr Grumpy Banana this morning.
Regardless, the bluenette hadn’t called him “Damian” for a very long time. Two years, maybe.
She walked out of the room, Damian trailing slightly behind, before stopping a few feet outside the room.
Marinette slid down onto the floor, her back pressed against it and head in her hands. Damian frowned. He didn’t want his best friend looking so.. dejected. He ignored the slight pang of hurt that the thought of being with him could get this kind of reaction out of her.
He sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder like he always did when any of them felt upset. He was happy to feel her lean into his side like she always did. 
She turned her head and buried it in Damian’s side, breathing in his comforting scent of paints and nature. He tightened his hold on her ever so slightly and she almost burst into tears.
It wasn’t that she was opposed to being in an engagement with Damian, it was just that she didn’t particularly want to be with anyone or love anyone, especially after her father died and Damian’s father abandoned him.
Her mother and aunt didn’t show it, but they were sad about their fathers. She had heard Talia interacting with her ‘beloved’ before, and it almost always ended up in tears or frustration. (Not that Mari blamed her, Bruce was kind of an asshole.)
She felt Damian’s chin press into her scalp and a hint of a smile grazed her lips. But this was Damian. Damian who was her best friend. Damian who supported her no matter what. Damian who comforted her and was there for her whenever she needed it.
Damian would never hurt her. And she was determined never to hurt him, ever, if she could help it.
She looked up and smiled at Damian. The smile he loved so much, the smile she always had on whenever she saw him, the smile that would unconsciously fly to her lips whenever she heard his voice.
Maybe it was then that Marinette should’ve known that she loved her best friend, but then again, she was only fifteen. She didn’t know what love was. But she would. Very soon.
“We accept.” Damian told Sabine and Talia when they reentered the room.
“We thought you would.” Talia replied.
-
When Marinette turned 16, her last year at Francois Dupont, six months since she’d made Lila’s time a living hell with her Ladybug (both in suit and in school), and fashion clients connections, the Waynes had visited.
Turns out, Damian and Jason got caught trying to sneak onto the Wayne private jet but instead of stopping them, they insisted they came along too, having pieced together that Damian and Jason were going to visit the mysterious tiny girl they couldn’t find the name of.
So they had no choice.
And os that leads to now, with the Waynes standing in the courtyard, elicting a growing crowd as they waited for Marinette, looking the part of scary rich people that can end your life without a problem.
Damian suddenly started running, and he hugged a girl. No one could see who the girl was because her head was buried in Damian’s chest and his body was shielding hers.
Not many people in the courtyard was surprised when they pulled away and standing there was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. After all, she was one of the most successful students in class that didn’t get fame from famous relatives. No, al her fame was hers alone.
In fact, the only people surprised were Marinette’s class, not-so-fondly referred to as the Akuma Class.  Her Consorts were the only one who knew of her betrothed, Damian. Other than that, Marinette had never been willing to share. 
When Marinette saw the other Waynes however, after hugging Jason, she rolled her eyes. Bruce, Dick and Tim stalked forwards, looking every inch the scary billionaires they were.
It was broken by Dick hugging the girl and gushing over how cool she was. Tim smiled at her and she had smiled back. Marinette flipped Bruce the bird.
“Why are you... so sunny? You definitely weren’t like that when you threatened us in Gotham. You were such an ice queen.” Tim mentioned, failing to keep the amusement out of his tone.
“What do you mean? Marinette’s always been like that, even if she is a bitch now. There’s no way she can be cold.” Alya remarked snidely.
Alix and Chloe stalked forward, raising thier fists threatningly. But Marinette only laughed coldly.
“You wanna see cold, Cesaire?” Marinette snarled, dropping all acts of being nice. 
The Lady was back. Publicly.
The silence was interrupted by Rose, who asked, "But Lila, don't you know the Waynes?"
Said Lila had been trying to slink away unnoticed, but when her name was mentioned, all attention diverted back to her, effectively keeping her in place. Her pale face and scared eyes were enough to tell that she had indeed been lying. 
Yells and screams broke out across the courtyard as the Akuma Class berated Lila for lying to them all this while. Until, Marinette interrupted, face set in a ice cold, stony position 
"Okay, blame her for lying." She started. "But why did you believe her?" 
The Akuma Class drew a blank and didn't respond. Partially because they didn't know what to say, and partially because Marinette's mere presence was overwhelmingly intimidating. Marinette sighed and pressed on. 
"Everything the Liar has said can be found faulty by a simple internet search." It was true, and the class knew it. When no one replied, Marinette shook her head sardonically. "You reap what you sow." 
She turned to her betrothed. In an instant, her icy mood was gone, replaced with the sunshiney-ness the Akuma Class had grown used to. 
"C'mon, Dami!" She gave him a quick peck on the lips, hoisting herself up on Damian's back. Damian grasped her legs tightly, as she continued to be piggybacked by him. 
"Onward!" She cried out dramatically, pointing to the school exit. 
Damian only rolled his eyes fondly at his beloved, steering themselves out, her Consorts and his family behind them. 
None of them looked back. 
If they did, they would've seen the expressions of disbelief and regret etched onto every one of her old classmates' faces. 
Not that they would care.
-
5k words yay
also uh yeah again, sorry this took so long, i kept hitting a mental block while writing this and it didnt manage to upload from my phone for no good reason :( 
but anyway its up now, i hope u find this acceptable! :)
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yellowocaballero · 4 years ago
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Your reverse robin au is such an odd take on Tim? I don't hate it though? I am... confused
YES I GET TO TALK ABOUT TIM. Warning that this is probably going to be long, because Reverse Robin!Tim is probably one of the most complicated characters I've ever written, psychologically. Because Tim is my favorite character in comics, just behind Bart Allen, and I've been in love with him since I was 9. Also I'm going to talk about how we write comic book fanfic I am SO sorry you've unleashed a kraken. I'll put a cut later because Tumblr's bugging and not letting me. Content warning for discussions of suicide, self-harm, PTSD, drug and alcohol mentions, addiction, and homicidal urges.
 How do we write comic book fanfic? It's tremendously difficult. Especially for the Batfam: it's such a soap opera, if you take every single little thing as canon everybody ends up a sociopath. In comics, Bruce has PUNCHED Dick in canon. So we make up our fanon. But if we keep too closely to fanon, then you end up with fairly unrecognizable characters, which is no fun to read. And...a lot of Batfamily fanfic is just Bruce as a great dad with a hoard of adorable children. It's boring to me.  So what do we do? Well, I like to keep a character recognizable while still kind of doing what I want and what I find most nuanced and realistic. You can't completely divorce from canon, but you really should just keep to the essentials of the character. This is subjective - I find it essential to Bruce that he's not really a great parent, but he's constantly trying and working on it. Not everyone feels that way - valid. 
 So what I consider essential to Tim is this: he's a socially awkward nerd. He always feels extraneous and neglected, because he's insecure, because he was a victim of childhood neglect. For most of his life, he really doesn't consider himself Bruce's kid. He's crazy intelligent and good with computers. He's a better detective than Bruce. He has a ton of friends who love him very much, but he shows a different face to them than to his family. He has lost basically everybody he has ever cared about at one point or another and just kinda gotten on with his life, which if you want to be realistic about it was probably hugely traumatizing and a huge sign that Tim kind of boxes himself away. That's Tim to me. Everything else is flexible. And although Tim in the Reverse Robin AU is a COMPLETE FUCKING MANIAC, he is still all of those things.
 I've done it differently in other roleswap aus, but the idea behind the Reverse Robin is that everybody is half themselves, half who they were switched with. Damian is reserved and cold, but he is just as much 'oldest daughter syndrome' as Dick. Jason is intellectual and rough (which is canon!), but he is just as much of a mediator who feels like he has to single-handedly keep the family together as Tim (which is canon especially in very early Tim - check Knightfall, the stupid Gotham Earthquake thing, and his introduction). Dick is loving and hyper, but he's just as reserved and resentful and alien to America as Damian. So, Tim is all of the things I listed, so I can establish that he's basically Tim. But he is as batshit crazy as Red Hood!Jason. He's just as cruel, resentful, self-harming, desperate, alienated, attention-seeking, groomed by Talia and Ra's, and just bugfuck insane because of the Pit. He's also been low-key mentally ill his entire life due to his complete and total isolation and childhood neglect. His life ended through torture and suicide. In 'the prophetic spring', he is at Jason's lowest point in his life - and his own.
 But, and this is important, Tim as Red Hood does not work. Jason became a drug lord because he came from that background. Tim's spoiled and rich. Jason had a motivation, a reason to live, a Bruce to hate and a Dick that always reached out. Tim doesn't have this. Tim is listless and purposeless - and I say several times that Tim is cosplaying this life. He's cosplaying wanting to kill his friends, being an addict, being a supervillain. Without Bruce, without that target of hate, Tim is lost. Without his dad, who loved him, Tim is lost.
 It's important to understand that everything he does in 'the prophetic spring' in self-harm. He thinks of himself as a monster (because Tim was raised by Bruce and he's extremely rigidly moral, and he can't reconcile his morality with what he did while he was pit-mad), and as a result he wants everybody else in his life to think of himself as a monster. He wants to be hated as much as he hates himself, because at least that's real and validates his feelings. He thinks of himself as the lowest of the low, so he performs his image of a spoiled party boy - the kind of person he's never been, and who he always hated, because he thinks of himself as the person who ruined Tim Drake, not Tim Drake. The drugs and alcohol are self harm (and I'd say, in my essential interp, that Tim has an addictive personality). Having sex is self-harm for him specifically because he's sex-averse. Alienating everybody who ever loved him is self-harm. Practically begging Damian to put him in Arkham is self-harm. This is a 20 year old unstable kid who wants to self-harm until he dies or his family kills him, because he is suicidal. He's still clinging on because he doesn't want to do it himself, but if someone kills him no big deal, and if he overdoses he probably deserved it.
 It IS confusing! As readers we are used to traumatized characters who seek catharsis, affection, and safety. We want the hurt and the comfort. But I really wanted to highlight how fucking ugly PTSD is. It can genuinely make you into a cruel and hurtful person. Tim is suicidal and he responds by becoming an addict, rejecting his family and friends so nobody can try to help him, and lashing out nonstop because he wants to punish the people who love him for loving a monster. And because he wants to punish the people he blames for his death - Bruce and Damian. The Joker. But Bruce is dead and the Joker’s dead Damian isn't giving him the attention he wants...so what does he do? He's lost. And so 'the prophetic spring' is the story of someone who is so fucking lost that he tries to destroy his own life because he can't bring himself to end it again. 
 Hope that cleared stuff up. I really love Tim. You probably didn't need that amount of detail but I am psychically compelled to share these things...partly because most people take Tim's incredible trauma and just make him a cute woobie..no guys make him mean. People are mean sometimes. Fiction exaggerates and magnifies - so many hurt people WANT to do the stuff Tim does, but their lives aren't a comic book soap opera so they don't. I wanted to highlight that real pain. Thanks for asking!!!
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hains-mae · 4 years ago
Text
Flowers - Pt. 5 (The End)
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 (The End)
(Damian x Reader) Soulmate AU
The Flowers: @call-me-prodigy @annoylinglyaries @zphilophobiaz @comic-brew @biglilwing @awkwardspontaneity @lozzybowe @mariiecapo @distressedearie @diyosku @dracoaereum @thesuitelifeofafangirl @chims-kookies @blade-xingston @danicalifxrnia
Rating: T
Ages: Damian and you are 16, everyone’s ages follow after.
Summary: Soulmate AU where the wounds on your soulmate turns into a flower tattoo on your skin, if it heals with no scars the tattoo goes away, if it heals with a scar then the tattoo stays.
Notes: Wow that was a fun ride. But every story comes to an end, I hope you guys enjoy the final chapter! And thank you everyone who has taken their time to like, comment, and reblog. I appreciate it a lot <3
Disclaimer: I do not own DC. If I did, I wouldn’t make it as confusing as it is now.
Robin visited every other night after that. It was surreal to have a hero that you’ve so long admired become your frequent visitor. Then again, nothing seemed normal anymore.
“It’s past the convention week. How do you keep coming here?” I asked curiously one night.
Robin gave me a lopsided grin and tapped the side of his nose. “I have my ways.”
After Mom’s week long leave was up she begrudgingly had to go back to work. The hospital assured her that I was healing fairly well, and that I would be transferred to Gotham Hospital the following weekend.
I was never really lonely though. Besides the friendly staff, my midnight visitor always came right on time. I wondered why he would take the time. Maybe it was to get to know me better? Perhaps my speech that night managed to get through to him. I had hoped it was both.
If I was being honest though, I was a little more than glad he did. I had meant it when I told the boy that I found him intriguing. He was a tough nut to crack though. I couldn’t blame him.
During the day when I would shower, I’d trace the flowers across my frame and wonder just how much he had gone through.
Soul marks start to appear at 10 years of age. You could imagine the shock (and worry) my parents had gone through when they found me one day absolutely covered in flowers.
From a young age I would hide them. Always wearing my sleeves till my palms, my neck constantly covered with either my jacket, scarf or high placed collars. It wasn’t that I was ashamed, but Gotham liked to talk – and when you’re the subject of attention, then you’re an easy target for criminals.
As I got older, the marks around my neck forearms slowly faded. I had worried about my soul mate and their well-being. Now that I understood everything, it was a different type of worry all together. The kind that would sit at the pit of your stomach and tie knots, heavy enough to keep you on edge.
My T.V in the hospital room was always on the same channel, Gotham News. Every battle would have my heart clenching as the camera’s desperately tried to follow the fight. Most of the time’s they wouldn’t be able to capture the end, and I’d be left holding my breath.
That’s one other reason I looked forward to our nightly visits. I could relax knowing he was alright.
I still wasn’t sure what I felt for this enigma of a person. But I knew that I wanted to get closer.
“I have an idea.” Robin said one evening. There was a glint his eye, the mask was off since my mom wasn’t around anymore. “And it’s got something to do with your invention.”
I arched a brow. “The bullets are complete but I still have yet to finalize the counter measures.”
He nodded understandingly. “Counter affect can wait. We don’t want to encase anyone in rock at the moment, but I’m putting it out there since you wanted to help.”
Intrigued, I urged him to continue.
Damian was quite brilliant in his own way. After much thought and planning, we had about 3 more types of chemically enhanced concoctions laid out. All of which were to go through Batman before beginning the experimentation process. He has assured me that I would be leading the research team for that under Wayne Ent.
I couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital.
“Do you like sweets?” He asked randomly.
Arching a brow I studied him. He was slouched on the couch with his leg dangling on one side and a book in his hands.
Charles Dickens.
“Yes.” I said, noting his obvious attempt to look natural. “Do you?”
“On occasion.” The boy shifted a shoulder to mimic a shrug.
The very next visit he had a black bag slung across his shoulder. His face gave nothing away but from the times I’ve spent with him, I realised it was his eyes that did most of the talking.
“Whatcha got over there?” I asked curiously, scooting closer to him at the edge of the bed.
“Patience.” He said and pulled up the make shift table that was attached to the side of my bed. Placing a medium sized box on top, he carefully undid the lid and opened it. “I present to you, baklavas.”
In the dim light I saw that they were flaky, almost like a croissant. There were some with a mix of nuts, from pistachios to almonds. Others were plain but still looked heavenly. They gleamed with a moistness, as if coated with a syrupy substance. I picked one up and popped it into my mouth.
It burst with flavour and dissolved much too fast. I squeaked at the exotic taste.
“Oh my gosh these are so good.” I said, licking my thumb.
Robin looked pleased.
“You should have one.” I pushed the box towards him but he shook his head.
“They’re yours.” He said.
“Nonsense. Food always taste better when shared.” I picked another one up intending to eat it.
“If you insist.”
I had barely managed to register the wicked glint in his eye before he took hold of my wrist and brought my hand that was holding the sweet close to his mouth. He took it carefully from me in one easy motion and lightly licked my finger.
“You’re right. It does taste better when shared.”
I felt the burn on my cheeks and ears before I heard the warning blare of the heart monitor. Immediately, Robin slipped behind the couch just as the nurses for the nightshift burst into my room in a panic. They fussed over me as I repeatedly tried to tell them I was alright. My heart finally calmed and once they left, Robin got up covering his mouth. He was trying to keep himself from laughing.
-x-x-x-
The weekend came much faster than I had anticipated. When the doctors checked on my progress, they gave the thumbs up for me to be transferred to Gotham’s hospital.  Mom was relieved, and wouldn’t stop fussing over me when we got there. I let it be though, thinking it was more for her own peace of mind than mine.
After that it was a short two weeks before I was fully discharged.
Robins visits never wavered though. If anything, he had stayed for longer periods of time. I got to know the boy under the mask more than I had hoped for and opened up in return more than I had intended.
I found out his brothers were vigilantes too. He pointed them all out one evening with a family picture he’d secretly stashed in his wallet. They were a “thorn” to his side — as he had so eloquently described, but I could see just how much he loved them. That was another thing I learnt about him, his speech patterns were very posh. He liked to use formal names and slang was not completely in his vocabulary. I asked him about that one time, to which he only replied “another time”. It was probably a touchy subject, where he exactly grew up.
His favourite colour was green, and his adoration for animals was as deep as black hole. It was crazy how perfect my mind painted him to be, and the more I knew, the harder it was to ignore the feelings growing inside me.
He enjoys reading, but would gladly spend the day locked in his room with his tablet and pen drawing the day away. He is good both in traditional and digital art, and sometimes dabbles in graphic design when he feels like it. He prefers his tea without any additives, but would not hesitate to pour bucket loads of milk and sugar in his coffee during the rare moments he drinks it.
I could list everything down but it would just solidify my attraction to him, and honestly I doubt this was he needed right now. Juggling a double life sounded a lot more stressful than he showed it to be. He hardly ever talked about it but from the amount of flowers blooming on me, it was difficult to see it any other way but exhausting. He’d kick butt at night, get hurt, then go to school the very next day like nothing happened.
He arrived one evening like he normally did and I had rushed up to pull off his glove. I felt a sting earlier and found a Sakura branch littered with pink flowers. I was right, his arm was soaked in red, and the gash looked bad.
“It’s just a scratch.” He promised me.
I didn’t reply. Taking him straight to the bathroom, I rinsed out the remaining blood and addressed the wound. After bandaging him up I finally looked into his eyes and showed him just how worried I was.
That evening we sat next to each other, with our fingers intertwined and his thumb randomly brushing against my knuckles.
-x-x-x-
Finally I was able to return home. Being able to lie down on my own bed, inside my own house, I could let loose and properly relax. I threw myself onto the soft comforters that smelled like fabric softener and smiled to myself.
Home sweet home.
But not for long, I reminded myself that this evening I would be dining with the Wayne’s. Swallowing hard, I hurried my face onto the pillows. I can’t mess this up, not after everything they’ve done for me.
Damian’s smirking face suddenly came to mind, and all his welcomed visits. It made my stomach grow warm. Remembering us sharing the sweets he gifted – soft lips against my fingers.
I groaned into the pillow, the room was getting a little hot. Getting up gingerly, as to not aggravate the newly healed stitches, I manoeuvred my way to the window and pushed it open. The cold evening air felt good against my heated skin. I sighed in content.
If I were being honest, I didn’t know what exactly was happening between us. I didn’t know if I wanted anything to happen between us. Wouldn’t it be weird, considering that I’d be interning for his dad in just a couple of months. Possibly work there if my luck doesn’t run out first. Not to mention WHO he was.
You’re just a normal girl, I chided myself. Not someone important enough to stand beside such a prestigious boy and his ridiculously wealthy family.
But even then – I found myself wondering. Seeking. Imagining… What if we were to become something more? What if it works? What if we fall in –
“Y/n!” Mom’s voice broke through my reverie, waking me up from the needless train of thought.
Closing my window, I poked my head out the door and found her putting on a bracelet.
“Are you ready? The cab is nearly here.” She asked.
I nodded and took a step closer to her. Looking quickly at the vanity mirror in the hallway, I gave myself a once over to make sure everything was in place. I had on a slightly fitting turtle neck sweater, paired with a high waisted pleated skirt and dark stockings. On my feet I sported on my boots. It was safe to assume no one would be able to see my soul marks.
My mom grabbed her purse and headed downstairs. I followed close behind her, handing her her coat before locking up the front door.
The cab driver arrived a few minutes in, and we drove off straight to Wayne Manor.
“This is exciting isn’t it?” She said to me with a lift in her voice, as she exited the cab to get the gates opened.
Once we could enter, we were greeted with a very large land that was pristinely kept. The grass was cut evenly, and the trees lining the estate were trimmed to perfection. Bushes were perfectly shaped into different animals, and flowers systematically grown to create swirls and shapes beside the road. A big fountain was situated just in front of the mansion while a man in a black suit waited beside the opened doors.
We exited the cab after paying and did our best to take it all in without looking like fishes out of water.
“Ah, Mrs. & Ms. Y/l/n.” It was the man who I saw pick up Damian that one night in Metropolis appeared. I also remembered him in the family photograph. His accent was thickly laced with British poise. “My name is Alfred Pennyworth, I shall be you’re attendant for the evening.”
“Thank you.” Mom was quick to compose herself.
As soon as I entered the house I felt my breath stolen away. It was huge. Everything looked so new and polished.
I barely registered my mom and Alfred chatting away as he led her to the dining hall.
“I know what you’re thinking.”
I nearly jumped at the voice that startled me. Whipping my head around, I found Jason standing with his hands in his pockets.
“I remember my first time coming in here. Completely floored.” He chucked.
I waved a small greeting. “Everything looks so –“
“Expensive? Exorbitant? Grand?” He tried to guess.
“Beautiful.” I breathed out.
He laughed. “Not what I expected. But you’re full of surprises aren’t you.”
I blushed. “Ah, I’m not sure about that. I’m just me.”
“Hey, no stealing our guest before dinner.” Dick walked down the stair case with Tim beside him.
“Feeling better Y/n?” Tim asked as we grouped just below the stairs.
“Yeah, thank you.” I answered, suddenly feeling flustered as they surrounded me.
Stay calm.
“Don’t be nervous.” Dick said with an air of comfort.
I wanted to ask what made him think so, but he answered before I even began to articulate the words.
“You’re fidgeting like a college student during a thesis debate.” He said simply.
“You’re… very good at reading people.” I arched a brow at him.
“One of my many amazing abilities” He winked.
Jason let out an air of playful frustration and pulled Dick aside. “And now you’re stealing her. Can’t hold a normal conversation can you Dickie, always a flirt.”
“First of all – do I need to remind you who mostly does all the talking during dad’s parties. And second of all – I am not a flirt. I can’t help it if I’m charming.” Dick mocked a suave look and shot it as his brother.
Jason looked like he was about to gag and Tim was less than pleased. I laughed at their antics.
“What’s funny?” Damian appeared beside me. I jumped and held a hand to my racing heart.
“Jeez, do all of you have a talent for sneaking up on people?” I wheezed out, trying to gather my bearings.
They all grinned at me without answering.
Robins, my inner muse whispered. I brushed off the thought as quick as it had come.
We had made it to the dining area just in time for Alfred to begin serving the meals. My mother was already chatting up a storm with Mr. Wayne. A wine glass in hand and a slight tint to her cheeks. She looked happy.
I began walking towards the seat beside my mother when Damian pulled out the chair like a gentleman. I bit the inside of my cheek and mumbled a thank you.
He took the space beside me and the rest of his brothers seated themselves opposite us.
As we opened our plates for dinner, I was amazed to see how well it was presented. Mr. Pennyworth continued to serves other dishes, and once he was done he left the room.
The food tasted just as good as it looked.
Easy conversation wafted around us, the usual topics of school, and future plans. Mr. Wayne brought up the internship which I nearly gushed over due to my excitement. Damian held back a laugh with a cough when he noticed my little slip up before I composed myself again. I bumped his knee under the table and playfully glared at him. He smirked and bumped me back.
“My compliments to the chef Mr. Wayne.” Mom said.
“I’ll be sure to tell him.” He smiled through a glass of wine. How many glasses in were they at this point? Damian and I were the only ones who weren’t allowed so both our glasses were filled with water and juice.
“And, please,” Mr. Wayne continued. “Call me Bruce.”
“Hey, we should give the women a tour.” Dick suggested. “I’m sure you’ll both love it.”
Jason and Tim had excused themselves, and I had an inkling as to what they were up to. Patrols were a common thing, as Damian told me.
And so with Dick and Bruce leading, my mother and I followed as they showed off the grandness of the manor.
I couldn’t help but be awestruck all over again. The library was huge. Their shelves towered from ceiling to floor, and filled with all kinds of books. From novels to more informative documents. I recognised a couple of titles from the times Damian spent the night reading.
The sunroom was next. The glass was near invisible. I took in the sight of the gorgeous garden just beyond the panels, being able to outline a gazebo at the far end with flowers twisting around its pillars. I unconsciously touched my stomach where the stitches were, randomly pondering what kind of flower had bloomed from such a brutal wound.
“Are you okay?” Damian was beside me immediately and his hand supported my elbow. His voice was laced with concern.
“Oh.” I realised what he was talking about and pulled my hand down. “I’m okay, just a little tired.”
“Honey?” My mom’s face pinched in concern. “Is it hurting again?”
“I just need to rest Mom, I’m fine.” I assured her. “You should continue, I’ll just sit here for a bit.”
Mom was hesitant but there wasn’t much she could do, and she knew it. So they moved on, but not without Mr. Wayne asking for some painkillers to be brought to me.
After taking the medicine, I thanked ‘Alfred’ (as he had asked me to call him) before he left.
Damian was sitting on the arm rest of the couch. My hand was in his and he rubbed random circles around my knuckles. His brows were furrowed, and his features were set in a deep scowl. I could practically feel the guilt and worry radiating off of him.
“I have to be honest, I thought I’d see more animals around.” I said, trying to lighten up the mood.
“Father asked me to keep Titus in my room for the time-being, he didn’t know how you two would react to a Great Dane, or vice-versa.” The boy said simply.
“Great Dane?” I asked flabbergasted.
The corner of Damian’s lips turned upwards. “When you feel better I’ll introduce you.”
“It’s a date.” I answered before thinking. All at once I realised what I said and felt my cheeks burn. “Ah – I mean, not date. If you aren’t comfortable with that, people just use the word date as a meeting time or –“
“It’s a date.” He brought my fingers up and ghosted his lips over them. I had to hold my breath fearing that my heart would stop.
I was momentarily stunned by his forwardness and calm. Looking away I managed to slow down my heart rate to a regular beat.
“I still need to guess the rest right?” I asked coyly.
He gestured for me to continue.
“Let’s see.” I rested my head on the couch and closed my eyes to recall our conversation back in the ball room. “We’ve got a dog, a cat.”
“Mhm.” Damian nodded, moving from the arm rest to the empty space next to me.
My brain brought up an old song from the Princess and the Frog, when they had to ‘Dig a Little Deeper’.
A dog, a pig, a cow, a goat – the lyrics were sung in my subconscious before I could stop it.
“A cow.” I guessed.
Damian’s eyes grew a little wide, before a grin made its way to his lips. “Yes.”
“What seriously?” I giggled. “You actually have a cow?”
“Bat-Cow.” He chuckled. “I was a child, and that was the first name to come up.”
I was full on laughing now. “I cannot wait to meet them. But that was seriously a random guess, now I feel like my confidence is dwindling.”
“Then how about you wait till you see them?” He suggested.
I bit my lip and shifted in my seat, our knees brushed and I felt that warmth spread across my chest. We’re close. A little too close.
When I looked at him I found he was staring at the garden outside. I didn’t mean to be rude, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him. There was something about this boy that just drew me closer, making me want more. I traced the little moles across his cheek and wondered when I had let this magnetic pull take over me.
“Take a picture. It’ll last longer.” Damian commented. His intense green eyes bore into mine as he threw a deviously charming smirk my way.
I blushed and looked away, suddenly finding my shoes a lot more interesting than it was. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”
He turned towards me. And I made the mistake of facing him again, because now our faces were just mere inches apart.
I found myself gazing at his beautiful green eyes that contrasted so well with his tanned olive skin. There were so many different shades of green looping and mixing with one another, it felt like a maze – one that I would willingly get lost in.
My fingers rested in the spaces between his, and I marvelled at how everything in that moment felt right.
I tilted towards him, and he did the same towards me.
“What are we doing?” I whispered, stealing a glance at his lips.
Heart pounding.
Blood racing.
It left me dizzy.
“I’m… not sure.” Damian replied, his tone low. “But if you asked me to kiss you, I would.”
His thumb grazed the inside of my wrist with a feather-light touch and I burst into flames.
“Kiss me.”
And he did.
-THE END-
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afni-fics · 4 years ago
Text
My thoughts on canon: Red Robin - The Grail (1-4)
Researching original Red Robin comic series plot points - The Grail - Ignoring all the globe trotting instances of these first 4 books for now. Focusing on the Gotham backstory, which is the chronological start of Tim’s journey.
It’s a bit much, so since I’m writing this on my laptop instead of my phone, I’m slipping it under a cut.
Timeline in Gotham City I. Dick takes the mantle of Robin away from Tim and gives it to Damian without talking to Tim first II. Tim has an epiphany moment where he realizes Bruce Wayne is alive and he leaves to prepare to search for him IV. Steph tries to reach out to Tim, which Tim rejects because he doesn't trust her V. Cassie (WG) tries to speak with Tim, but when she doesn't believe him/hear him out, he rejects her V. Dick eventually confronts Tim and the two have a spectacular falling out before he leaves to go overseas
Tim's emotional/mental state - Has an "epiphany" he can't explain where he "knows" Bruce Wayne is alive (even Tim questions his own sanity about this at several points in the first 4 books)
- Dick betrays him. He takes (without warning or permission) the most important thing Bruce ever gave to Tim and just gives it away to Damian, a person who's tried to kill him and has caused him a number of severe injuries
- Damian is still a spiteful arrogant child who continuously looks down on Tim both in words and actions despite now having the Robin mantle, and Dick does next to nothing to reprimand him in the moments when those hateful, verbally abusive actions happen
- Tim doesn't trust Stephanie. He thinks Dick was the one who sent her to check on him and makes a lot of angry assumptions, but that point is never really made clear (could it have been Alfred? could she have gone just on her own?)
- Cassie does check on him of her own free will. Learns Tim had been exposed to the Anti-Life Equation during the most recent Crisis
- Anti-Life Equation: loneliness + alienation + fear + despair + self-worth ÷ mockery ÷ condemnation ÷ misunderstanding x guilt x shame x failure x judgment n=y where y=hope and n=folly, love=lies, life=death, self=dark side
- Tim tries to open himself up to Cassie by telling her how he believes Bruce is alive. He doesn't even get a chance to explain how or why he feels this way before Cassie shuts him down by saying, "Oh, Tim... He's not. He's gone. Superman said so..."
- When Tim finally responds to her saying "This was a mistake," can be interpreted as Tim berating himself. "He" made the mistake of opening up to someone he thought he could trust.
- Tim knows his epiphany sounds crazy. He says as much to Dick during their final fight. "You don't think I don't know how it sounds?... I know how it sounds. I lost everything. I snapped... I know how it sounds. But I know that I'm right, Dick, and I'm going to prove it!"
My thoughts: I. Dick fucked up. Point-blank he fucked up his relationship with Tim and has no one to blame but himself. He keeps "saying" that he considers Tim his equal and that he knows how Tim feels. However, for Tim "actions" always speak louder than "words" and Dick's actions (giving Damian the Robin mantle w/out Tim's permission, not reprimanding Damian's constant verbal abuse, not asking "why" Tim might believe Bruce is alive and just "assuming" Tim's being affected solely by grief and denial) completely undercut Dick's words and paints him as a liar.
II. Tim's still being affected by his past exposure to the Anti-Life equation. With all the pain and suffering and loss he's experienced in the last few years, even if he's not under Darkseid's control anymore, the wounds of that trauma are still there. I have a mental image in my head of the equation existing in the dark corners of Tim's psyche in fragments. Tim's last days in Gotham before going on his search for Bruce and his experiences with Dick, Steph, and Cassie basically prove fragments of that equation as true. The Anti-Life equation fragments, when validated, makes Tim strongly feel depressed, angry, distrustful towards the person or event that triggered it, and other negative emotions
III. The fact that Tim is looking for proof shows some indication that he's open to being proven wrong. Tim knows this epiphany about Bruce is not normal. He is constantly asking himself "What am I doing?" "I know how it sounds." The logical side of his mind knows it doesn't make sense, but there's a part of his psyche that has latched onto this theory and won't let it go. He can't get it to stop nagging at him. So, he feels he has no choice but to go looking for proof that this epiphany is either right or wrong. How differently would his journey and his relationships with his friends or family have been if even one person, upon talking to him, just said something like this before he left Gotham:
"It sounds unbelievable, but this 'theory' is obviously important to you. So let's make a deal. Let's investigate this together. Let's BE the detectives Bruce taught us to be. I'll watch your back while you just be you. If we can find proof that Bruce is alive, that... would be incredible! HOWEVER, if we can't find proof within six months, we come back home and we accept this reality. We grieve... we mourn... we go to therapy... but whatever we do, we do it together. Is that reasonable?"
I could see Tim asking for at least one year... but the fact that his friend/family is willing at least to indulge in entertaining this notion, to agree to watch his back even for a set period of time while he goes on this journey and investigates this crazy feeling of his... To promise to be there for him on the very high chance it will all fall part in the end.
What kind of different story would this have been?
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