#bruce and kate are from high society

[angstandhappiness]

NEAT

Best to Worst Dancers (Batfam)

Cassandra Cain

Barbara Gordon

Jason Todd

Bruce Wayne

Kate Kane

Dick Grayson

Damian Wayne

Luke Fox

Stephanie Brown

Tiffany Fox

Duke Thomas

Tim Drake

Harper Row

[sbrinnie]

Even if you bribe a kid into accompanying you, there is no guarantee that said kid would behave, there are negative guarantees if the kid is Richard Grayson.

Of course Bruce could just leave him at the Manor, but then he would have no excuse to leave the galas early. Taking Dick to the galas was for his benefit more than anything else. But he also knows that if he takes that path his responsibilities double.

Dick needs to be entertained, which is no problem, even though Alfred has a no-screen policy, Bruce is delighted not to be entangled in any unfruitful conversation and just have conversations with his son ward.

Dick doesn’t like any of the other kids from high society, so Bruce is prepared to have a child-shaped koala with him all night. They just need to get to 11 o'clock, and then Bruce can excuse them because Dick is tired.

The real problem was the speeches, oh my god, the speeches.

They were too long for Dick’s attention span, and there was not much a napkin could do to make someone distracted, they couldn’t talk, or it would be seen as disrespectful (they did it once, and this led to Alfred scolding them both). So, the solution they found was Bingo.

Dick's family used to play Bingo with him while traveling with the circus. “The showman will forget his lines,” or “The clown will have its nose stolen by a baby,” or even “It will rain” – anything was on the table. The bingo cards were made beforehand by them and could list at most 15 things they thought would happen while in the city. Whoever got the most correct wins and could ask for anything they wanted.

Alfred found the idea genius. He did something of the sort with Bruce when he was younger, trying to distract him while Martha and Thomas made net worth. By that day, the Waynes had a bingo card for almost every gala they attended. It also served as memory game, trying to remember everyone in high society, and made both of them train their stealth. No one could know what they were doing. The most common to appear was “Drakes will not go” since they were always traveling, and “Kate will be late” once they knew Kate would do everything in her power to not make an appearance.

The rules were simple: 1 - Behave, if there’s anything but a well behaved appearance the game is over; 2 - The events can not be provoked, you can’t influence the outcomes; 3 - No one can know what they are doing.

Even Barbara got to play! Alfred described it as a gladiator's fight, both having competitors' souls and hating to lose for one another; the end of the night, when the points were counted, sounded like a deputy election. Jim almost never went to galas, but he knew Babs and Dick were good friends, and sometimes the kid wanted some company at the tedious events. Plus, Alfred would babysit for free. He didn’t know what those kids did to have so much fun at a fundraiser, but he was glad they were having fun, and were in Gotham is safer than Batman's house.

And so, the tradition carried on. By Jason's first gala, Dick was so excited that he even spent the night before at the manor helping him complete his card. Soon enough, they noticed the great sibling bonding time in that. Sadly, Bruce had lost his spot in the competition but was happy his kids were having fun together. Tim received his at a patrol before the gala from Dick and just answered, “Oh, that’s what you guys were doing all along?” He admits it was his funniest night and less stealthy bingo ever. The Drakes were seated two tables away from the Waynes, and Dick couldn’t stop glaring at him every time Tim made a point. Just how the kid predicted a whole fight between two mistresses? The first place was never more difficult to win.

Cassandra and Stephanie almost couldn’t contain their laughter when they scored “Mayor will say ‘and’ at least 37 times.” By Damian's time, it was a day’s thing preparation. The whole family was entangled in gossip about high society; they knew about pregnancies, affairs, and money laundering. Damian found the game nonsense and refused to play, but they could see him perking by Dick's shoulder to see if he got the point or not.

When Jason was back from the dead and in civil terms with the family, he was given a card by mail and small instructions on the back. Somehow, Jason got the second-highest score that night. When Duke came by, it almost looked like a casino house! They started to make chips to know how many times someone won, and they were exchanged regularly and could also be passed down for favors with each other. Bruce and Alfred were the only final line; they cashed the chips for days without patrol, favorite foods, bigger allowances, etc.

[fortuna-majoris]

Give me Cass who is willing to show Bernard all of their secret hiding spots

Give me Steph who will pretend to be heartbroken and create a whole scene just because Bernard looks overwhelmed

Give me Bruce and Kate, flirting with the same lady who was Targeting Bernard for not being from the High Society

Give me Selina who shows him all the best food on the tables

Give me Alfred who helps Bernard get away from everything when it gets too much

i do love the idea of the wayne kids giving bernard shovel talks about taking care of tim and all that but also give me batfam who are just as protective of bernard as they are of each other.

give me bernard, attending his first wayne gala as tim's significant other. having a suit custom tailored and funded by bruce even if bernard insists it's not necessary because he already has one. arriving at the gala anxious because of course he is, it's a goddamn socialite event, but being protected from every side by the wayne kids even when tim is dragged away.

Socialite: Oh, and who might you be?

Bernard: Oh, um, hi. I'm Bernard Dowd, nice to meet you.

Socialite: Dowd? I've never heard of your family before. Who...?

Bernard: I'm not here with my family, miss, I'm here with my boyfriend.

Socialite: ... Boyfriend?

Bernard: Yeah, I'm here with Tim.

Socialite, frowning: Tim... as in Drake-Wayne? He has a boyfriend?

Dick, coming up next to Bernard: He sure does! Bernard here is practically one of ours now, aren't you? He matters to Timmy, so he matters to us.

Bernard: Dick—

Dick: C'mon, let's get you back to Timmy. Farewell, Mrs!

Bernard: I could've handled that.

Dick: All the rules that apply to my siblings during galas apply to you too. I'm sure you could've, but you shouldn't have to. I've got your back too, now, yeah?

Bernard: ... Yeah. Thanks, Dick.

Jason, coming up to Bernard at the bar: Not to freak you out, kid, but there's a guy starin' at ya from the other side of the bar. Y'know him or should I encourage him to look away?

Bernard, startled: Huh? (looks around) Oh. No, I don't know him. Why... is he looking at me like that, actually?

Jason, scowling: 'S just how the slimy fuckers at these events are. Can't keep their eyes off anything that's small, young or pretty. Disgusting. I'll deal with him— where's your annoying other half gone, inferior blondie?

Bernard: Tim? He got pulled away for quote; 'something important' by some lady. He said he'll meet me here after he's done, so I've been waiting.

Jason: Huh. If I see him I'll point him yer way. Hey, don't be 'fraid to ask any of us questions or for help if ya need it. We know the best how daunting this shit can be.

Bernard, genuinely touched: ... Thanks, Jason.

Jason: Yeah, yeah. Don't tell Timmers I said that, though, he'll call me a loser.

Bernard, laughing: I won't.

Bernard, being talked to by several people at once and a bit overwhelmed by the attention: Uh— I'm—

Damian, stepping between him and the socialites: Dowd. I require your assistance.

Bernard: Um— hi, Damian— with what?

Damian: You will see when we get there. Follow me, Drake's more tolerable half.

Bernard: Okay... so what do you need from me?

Damian: Nothing. You seemed to dislike the attention from all of the nosy adults over there. It was the most efficient way of extracting you from the situation.

Bernard: Oh. Thanks, Damian.

Damian: Tt, don't thank me yet, Dowd. I am still criticising your choice in romantic partners.

Bernard: Didn't you threaten me with a katana to not dampen Tim's mood in any way shape or form?

Damian: Slander. I said quote 'if you make Drake more annoying by breaking his heart I'm going to maim you.' I don't see how you got the message you did from that.

Bernard, grinning: Sure, Damian. Sure.

[red-robin-not-yum]

"Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowy perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them or they'll send the Talon for your head."

An Exposé on the Court of Owls, by Red Robin (NOT THE RESTAURANT, HOOD!)

The Court of Owls. Known throughout Gotham, but thought to be myth. A simple children's story, like the Boogeyman or Solomon Grundy (Who's also real). Immortalized in various rhymes told throughout the ages, most boiling down to a few simple commonalities.

They're always watching

They rule Gotham

Don't talk about them

Or you'll get a "talon" sent after you.

They're real. And I've fought Talons and made it out. Here's what I've learned about the Court:

It's a secret society of an undertermined amount of members of Gotham's Elite. Constance Cobblepot, formerly John Wycliffe, and formerly Maria Powers, to name a few. They rule the city, influencing policy and projects undertaken.

What are Talons?

That's probably one of the biggest questions most people have. Talons are one of two things.

"Volunteers" resurrected using a substance that we have yet to identify, into a crude simulacrum of life.

Volunteers who serve as still-living assassins for the Court.

They are all incredibly skilled fighters, the former due to feral unpredictability and the latter due to being put through rigorous testing to become a Talon.

What is the Goal of the Court of Owls?

The Court of Owls has many goals, none extremely clear, but all boiling down to one core principle. Control. The Court of Owls wants to control Gotham, and I'm sure they also want to control other cities if they don't already. They have money, influence, and power.

Who is in the Court of Owls?

Obviously we don't know every member, but some notable members in my home universe who I have reason to suspect of being involved in the Court in this universe as well include:

Jacob Kane

Constance Cobblepot

John Wycliffe

Maria Powers

And more.

The only people of Gotham's high society who I have managed to clear are:

Kate Kane

Bruce Wayne

Tim Drake

Other members of the Wayne and Kane families are either heavily suspected, or close to being cleared but not quite.

Or deceased.

I will update this study as I learn more and gather more data about the Court of Owls.

The people deserve to know.

So talk about the Court. And don't let them hide beneath their granite and lime.

[cjsmalley]

A Wayne Gala:

Damian’s first gala as a Wayne adjacent was a classy affair; he was introduced to Gotham high society and Bruce was happy to do the introductions.

His appearance had been something of a bomb in high society. Though everyone was too polite to say much to his face.

Though some had mentioned his dark skin and young parents and whether he was suited to high society.

Damian could not tell anyone who he was exactly; it would make too many waves and raise too many questions so he relied on his Court training to remain polite and sociable.

“Bruce!” a redhead swanned up, half full wine glass in her hand, “What’s this about another child?”

“Kate,” Bruce replied warmly, “Damian, my cousin, Kate Kane. Kate, my biological son who was adopted out by his mother, Damian Fenton.”

Kate crouched down, setting her wine glass on the floor and ignoring the muttering about her actions, and looked, really looked at Damian’s face.

“Talia?” she murmured to Bruce who nodded.

“I’ll tell you the full story later,” Bruce murmured back.

“Well, then, Damian,” Kate raised her voice back into normal range, “just call me Aunt Kate. All of Bruce’s kids do. Welcome to Gotham, kiddo. Glad to meet you.”

“It is nice to meet you too, Aunt Kate,” Damian held out his hand politely.

She shook hands and grabbed her glass, standing up, “Well, Bruce, you put the kid to the wolves, you know that right?”

Bruce grimaced a smile, “I know, but there’s been too many questions, Kate.”

She nodded before looking back to Damian, “If you get overwhelmed, Damian, just come find me and we’ll hang.”

She disappeared into the crowd.

Damian mingled gracefully but was soon saved by the appearance of his parents.

“Danny, Sam,” Bruce called lightly, snagging two non-alcoholic drinks, “glad you could make it. Lovely dress by the way, Sam.”

“So sorry we’re late,” Sam replied, taking a glass while Danny took the other, “Anakin was fussy and we weren’t going to leave him like that. Thanks, Mari made it.”

“I get it,” Bruce smiled; he was well-known for being late or skipping parties entirely if one of his children needed him.

Of course, he wouldn’t mind if two parents were late to a party of his.

“Mother, Father,” Damian joined them.

Danny handed his glass back to Bruce, to kneel and hug his son, “Dami! Doing okay?”

“Yes, Father.” Damian nodded seriously, before lowering his voice, “It is rather like Court, isn’t it? And Grandmother Pamela’s own parties.”

Danny nodded back, “It is. Well, let’s get to it.”

The next few hours were ones of polite interrogation for the Fenton-Manson adults; everyone wanted to know more about these newcomers, these complete unknowns.

Occasionally they would be rescued by a Wayne, or Kate, but mostly they just repeated the cover story and politely exited from conversations that became too probing.

The couple danced as well; mostly with each other but they also took turns with the Waynes regardless of gender and each took a spin with Kate and then Damian at some point.

Damian danced with his would-be siblings, also regardless of gender, and his Uncle Bruce, surprising their audience with his skill and grace at his age.

Unlike his father, who still had two left feet despite countless hours of classes and tutoring which was a direct contrast of his wife’s perfect steps in all the classic dances.

“I do better in the air,” Danny complained lowly to Dick, who stifled a laugh, as they both grabbed a snack from one of the tables of finger foods, “I swear I’m a better dancer when I can fly.”

Sam was dancing with Tim, each looking as if they had been born dancing those fancy dances.

Though in a way, they had been.

Sam had been trained since childhood in formal dancing, one of the only parts of her wealthy upbringing she hadn’t rebelled against.

No doubt Tim’s childhood curriculum had been similar.

Dick nodded sympathetically, still chuckling, “I get it. Being in the air’s so freeing.”

As the two commiserated, Damian started to tire.

Jason found him resting his eyes in a corner and simply hefted him up, “C’mon, brat. Let’s find a parent.”

As if summoned, Sam appeared, “What’s wrong?”

“I am tiring,” Damian admitted with a yawn.

“Alfie has a bedroom ready for him,” Jason said, already making his way from the party, Sam right beside him.

“Okay. Danny, it’s okay. He’s just getting sleepy.”

Danny had joined them, worried that his son was being carried instead of walking.

“Oh, d’ya want me to come?”

“Nah,” Jason shook his head, “I’ll just show Sam here to the room Alfred’s set up for Damian and we’ll put the kid to bed. We’ll be back before you know it.”

“Okay”

It only took fifteen minutes at most for the two adults to return, sans Damian, and the party went on.

Wished Away 5

Damian's First Cold:

The first time Damian got sick was an ordeal.

His parents fretted and worried, hovering, helping clear his little nose with a suction bulb.

It was just a cold, all the medical professionals agreed, but little coughs broke hearts.

The yetis refused to cure him, citing his immune system needing to develop, and his pediatricians could only treat the symptoms.

They shushed and they cooed; they walked and rocked him. They sang and cried with him.

Then Sam got sick as well.

She refused to stay down in bed.

Then Danielle got the cold as well. She at least had the sense to suffer in bed. But her powers went on the fritz. Which was when they discovered her own ice powers.

Danny and Tucker were near run off their feet and the Fentons and Mansons had to step in.

“I’m fine,” Sam protested from her bed, as everyone had relocated to the Mansons’ Mansion.

“No, honey, you’re not,” Jeremy replied, patting her back through a coughing fit.

“But Dani and Dami—”

“Are well in hand, Samantha,” Pamela arrived with soup, “they have their father, uncle, and both sets of grandparents. It’s okay to rest.”

Sam sagged back slightly, “Frostbite—”

“Is monitoring Danielle,” Pamela informed her simply, handing over the soup, “Doctor Peterson is on-call for Damian. Clockwork is handling the Realms for Daniel.”

“Fine,” she accepted the soup with some grace, “I want updates though; and I will get up if Danny goes down with this cold.”

“Understandable.

Thankfully, Danny never did get the cold and everyone was well enough a few days later.

The last holdout was Tucker, who isolated in his house so as not to infect anyone again.

[arctimon]

The Beta Team That Never Was - Fanfiction Corner (BH6 Edition)

So all of this Peni Parker comic talk actually got me thinking about the process of her being included in my fanfiction.

I wish I could tell you it was a long and arduous process, but...

OK, maybe some of it was hard.  But when you have a virtually endless supply of Marvel characters that you can use for possible teammates for Big Hero 6, you have to go with your gut.

We all know that the team will be Robbie, Aspen, Peni, Doreen (eventually), and Kate.  But there were six other candidates that could have been in the mix as well.

And five of them have their emblems here:

These were made before I actually knew how to make hero emblems properly.

Some of them you might recognize.  Some you may not.  But we’re going to go through them all, from left to right.

And to start...it’s really hard to draw tiny hearts.

1.) Riri Williams/Ironheart - Ironically enough, it was around the time that Hiro started chasing Sirque around the town in “Portal Enemy” that I started brainstorming her.  A teenage genius, stuck as to what to make, sees “Captain Cutie” and the chase on the news and gets brainstorming.

Thus, the Power Armor is born.

And she gets so excited that she bolts off to San Fransokyo to show her idol what she’s created.

And then, as per the Big Hero 6 Fanfiction Clause states...shenanigans ensue.

It was an interesting possibility, but the thought of Ironheart was really late into me doing the backstories of the people that I had chosen, so she was pushed aside.  I don’t personally see me revisiting her in the future, but who knows?

2.) Nadia Van Dyne/The Wasp - Back when Karmi had first been pulled out of SFIT, there was a young woman who wanted to recruit her into a special organization.  It was one that brought together the greatest female minds in their fields, and Karmi was on said recruitment list.

The organization?

Genius In action Research Labs, or G.I.R.L. for short.  And it was led by the Wasp’s daughter, Nadia Pym (later changed to Nadia Van Dyne).

Plot-wise, this was probably the person that I got the farthest with, since the story would’ve been more of a focus on Karmi than anyone else.  Also, the idea of writing someone with Bipolar Disorder (which Nadia was confirmed to have in her latest solo run) was intriguing if nothing else.

Unfortunately, it sort of dried up from there.  A lack of a central conflict, uncertainty as to how many of the other girls (Taina, Priya, Shay, and Ying) to have, and how to handle her actual powers stopped it cold.

But seriously, how do you write in the ability to shrink to microscopic size?  That’s not really a thing, even in a world as futuristic as San Fransokyo.

3.) America Chavez/Ms. America - The mere idea of a Superman-esque Latina teenager was enticing, especially because America, in her relatively short comic history, was with the Ultimates and the West Coast Avengers (meaning there was a possible Kate/Hawkeye angle).  Making start-shaped portals was the Silent Sparrow angle, and the all-around badass, headstrong attitude would be the counter to Honey Lemon’s more nurturing personality.

But being from an alternate universe (which has very recently been retconned in the comics in part because she will be appearing in the MCU and Doctor Strange 2), no real villain to play off of, and becoming possibly way too overpowered for the BH6 universe, she was scrapped.

It’s quite a shame.  I really like her in the comics that she’s in.  Perhaps there will be an opportunity for her somewhere down the line...

4.) Alison Blaire/Dazzler - A pop star with light-based powers?

Or better yet, a struggling artist with acoustikinesis?

Her power to convert sound into light was what originally drew me to her.  Something that could be made into a technological ability, unique enough to put a (pardon the pun) spotlight on it.

An actual blonde instead of whatever HL’s hair color is.

Heck, she even has a half-sister named Lois that could have been the antagonist (death tough, destruction waves, and the like).

But she quickly got lost in the fold.  Better ideas (like Kate and Doreen) got more of my brainstorming, and she was eventually given up on.

But funnily enough...

It’s almost like she’s already in the show.

(See, for the people who may be new, one of the many Marvel theories that I’ve touched upon is that High Voltage is actually this universe’s version of Dazzler.  Juniper is Alison and Barb is...well...Barbara London, Alison’s mom).

Hey, @baymaksu​ totally agrees with me kinda sort of.

5.) Cindy Moon/Silk - I knew right from the get-go that I wanted a Spider-person on the beta team.  I also knew that I didn’t want Peter.

No offense to Peter Parker.  He’s fine.  But there’s a billion other Spiders out there, and I wanted someone out of the normal vein of Peter, as well as even Miles and Gwen.

And in came Cindy.

Locked away in The Bunker because of her spider powers manifesting, she was eventually released by Peter and thus began her entrance into the main Marvel world.

Her “unique ability” is her improved Spider-Sense, which Peter has said is even better than his own.  That, plus her other powers, brought her the closest out of anyone to being a member of the Big Hero 6 Beta Team.

As we all know, however, Peni ended up getting the spot over Cindy (for the family angle with Hiro and the giant robot that she pilots).  On the other hand, Cindy would later make her debut in the stinger of the last chapter of Along Came The S.P.I.D.E.R., along with Miles, Anya, and Joey.

Unlike Riri, Nadia, America, and Alison, Cindy and the rest of Peni’s little Spider Society are going to be showing up in future stories.  And if I can get everything in order, they will be starring in their own story set in the Big Hero 6 universe.

Finally, I have no emblem for them, but the honorable mention goes to...

6.) Lunella Lafayette/Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur - Yes, there was a point in time where I was seriously considering putting a nine-year-old super genius and a giant red T-rex into my stories.

Ignoring the giant...”red flag” here, the reason why Luna never made it is the same reason why I haven’t put Rishi in anything yet.  It’s because I don’t really know what to do with supergeniuses that young.  Hiro is at least a teenager and thus has teenager-y problems to fall back on (like puberty and Karmi and all that jazz), but a nine-year-old?  That’s a little too extreme for me.

When I was nine, I was busy playing with sticks in my backyard with my brother, not solving unsolvable puzzles from Bruce Banner.

...All that, and the giant dinosaur.

But hey, at least Disney is jumping on the MG/DD train.  That’s good to see.

Crossover potential, perhaps?

P.S. - As I was finishing putting this post together, it occurred to me that I may get this possible question in the comments, so I’m going to head it off at the pass.

“You know that all of your possible superheroes are girls, right?”

First of all...sexist.

Second of all...true.

That was about 90% on accident.  The actual team (Robbie, Aspen, Peni, Doreen, and Kate) has only one guy on it (two if you count Eli, three if you count Tippy-Toe).

I don’t really have a good explanation for that.  I like all superheroes, but I think that the girl and woman superheroes need some spotlight, you know?  I could have pulled people like Namor or Miles or the male Hawkeye into the mix, but to be honest, I find the characters I chose more interesting than a lot of the guy characters I was contemplating.

Of course, nothing is stopping any of you from using those characters in your stories.  Be my guest, not that you really need my permission or anything.

But you can’t take Aspen.  Aspen is mine. (Spoiler: Aspen is not mine.)

[legomocfodder]

Quick warning before today’s post: This post does briefly mention abuse. It’s a very brief mention in Harley’s backstory, but I want you all to be aware when reading this.

Now, with the serious stuff out of the way, Here’s some more Galaxy of Justice characters!

Pamela Isley: A former Jedi, Pamela always had a very deep connection to the force and nature. She was just a Padawan when the Clone Wars started. She believed the Jedi were wrong to become generals and when she saw what the war was doing to the natural life in the galaxy, she left the Jedi order. During the reign of the Empire, Pamela traveled to different planets, trying to stop the Empire's attempt to strip planets of their natural resources. During this time she gave into her hate and anger, over the destruction of the Jedi and nature. While she does occasionally ally with the Rebellion, her first priorities are always the nature of the galaxy and her wife Har'lequinn.

Harle’quinn: She tried to make her name as a bounty hunter, but wasn’t taken very seriously for most of her life as a Twi’ek. She eventually found a partner named Jack Napier, an infamous bounty hunter who promised to help her make a name for herself, but he was actually manipulative and was incredibly abusive. After Napier’s attack on Senator Wayne's family, she realized how truly evil and crual he was and snapped, leaving Napier dead on the lowest level of Coruscant to be forgotten. After leaving the planet, she met Pamela Isley. They quickly became friends and eventually married.

Kate Kane: A former Protector of Concord Dawn, Kate is Bruce’s cousin and was a very well decorated pilot for the Protectors. She left after they allied with the Empire, wanting nothing to do with them and joining Rebellion instead.

Selina Kyle: A prominent member of Coruscant High Society and the wife of Senator Wayne, Selena is a Fulcrum agent on Coruscant and will often attend high society parties on the upper levels to gather intel to help the Rebellion. Aside from just spying, Selina is a master thief, who will often work with Zatanna.

NSFW blogs do not reblog!

[sohotthateveryonedied]

No Matter What

Read here on AO3!!

Summary: 

Bruce figures out that his son isn't straight from an early age.

That doesn't make him love him any less.

- Eight Years Old -

Bruce is finally starting to get a hang of this parenting thing.

The first few months were rough, there’s no disputing that. Bruce lost track of how many times he panicked and called Leslie Thompkins whenever Dick burst into tears over something and Alfred wasn’t home. Not to mention all the times when Alfred would leave Bruce on his own for dinner, insisting that one must learn how to raise a child without a butler to help. Bruce fed the kid burnt chicken nuggets and garlic bread for two nights straight. Now, though? Bruce is immensely proud of how far he and Dick have come. He’s even taken to attending PTA meetings, if only for the free coffee and doughnuts. He hears the front door open right on time, then wet boots hitting the floor. Dick had a half day today to make room for meet-the-teacher night later. Bruce isn’t looking forward to spending two hours sitting in a chair made for eight-year-olds, listening to a teacher in plastic pearls talk about an elementary schooler’s oh-so challenging curriculum. At least he’s only got the one; he has no intention of having more kids after Dick. Bruce busies himself with his mostly unburnt slice of toast, one ear trained on the footsteps through the foyer accompanied by unceasing chatter that Bruce has grown quite fond of over the months. “—and then they let us outside for recess even though it was raining, and I went on the swings and my hair got all wet and it was so cool.” “That explains the muddy clothes,” Alfred says. “Sorry, Alf. I’m not immune to mud puddles.” “It would appear so, Master Dick.”

The two of them enter the kitchen, Dick working his elbows out of his yellow rain slicker to reveal the school uniform beneath. His cheeks are rosy, his eyes bright. “Hiya, Bruce!”

“Hey, champ. How was school?” “It was awesome. It was raining all day and at recess there were a ton of puddles all over the playground and a million worms. I didn’t touch them though, ‘cause the teacher said not to.” “What snack would you like, Master Dick?” Alfred asks, taking Dick’s discarded raincoat and folding it over his arm. “Can you do ants on a log?” “Coming right up, sir.” Dick heaves himself up on the bar stool beside Bruce, his sock feet kicking against the lower cupboard. Bruce spreads marmalade over his toast. “Tell me more about school. Any fights today?” “Nope,” Dick says proudly, flashing his gapped teeth. Dick and another boy got into a scuffle on the first day over a comment about whether Dick’s parents being from the circus meant they were part monkey. It’s a miracle Dick only gave the kid a nosebleed and didn’t break anything. The principal let Dick off with a warning since it was his first time at a normal school, but Bruce has a feeling the only reason he wasn’t expelled was because his guardian is the most powerful man in Gotham City. Bruce had a stern talk with Dick when they got home about the importance of controlling one’s actions. Traveling the world in a circus train car doesn’t do much to help one’s impulse control. He also banned Dick from watching television for the rest of the night, but Dick’s crocodile tears swayed him to balance it out by letting him have ice cream before dinner. That’s good parenting, right? “I even made a friend,” Dick says. “Oh? What are they like?” “His name is Caleb and his desk is right next to mine, so we talked during reading time. Then he gave me some of his chocolate during lunch and we played on the swings together at recess.” “Ah, the wonders of childhood friendship,” Alfred says from where he’s slicing up a celery stalk at the other end of the counter. He sounds relieved, and Bruce finds himself matching it. Dick has been at Gotham Elementary for almost a week and hasn’t made a single friend until now. Bruce can’t tell if that is more because of Dick’s circus background or because he is a tan-skinned boy with the barest of Romani accents attending a predominantly white private school. Sometimes (all the time) Bruce loathes being associated with Gotham’s high society. If you’re not white, straight, and rich, you are automatically shunned in their minds. “He sounds great, Dick.” “Yeah! And he’s got really pretty eyes too. I can’t tell if they’re brown or green, but they’re sparkly like glitter.” Bruce arches an eyebrow. “You must like him a lot.” He takes a bite of his toast, making eye contact with Alfred over the boy’s head. Alfred doesn’t react but for a twitch of his mustache. Dick nods, focus switched over to the plate Alfred slides in front of him. Dick takes a celery stick and picks off the first raisin coated in peanut butter, licking it off his thumb. “I hope he talks to me again tomorrow. Alfred, can I bring an extra snack to lunch tomorrow so I can share it with him?” Alfred smiles. “Of course. I will pack a second cupcake in your lunchbox tomorrow morning just for him.” “Thanks, Alf.” Dick goes right back to eating his ants on a log, cheerful as ever, completely unaware of the swarm of question marks buzzing around in Bruce’s head. Huh. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Eleven Years Old - Bruce gets home from a three-hour business meeting, his sandpapery eyes aching to close and stay shut for...let’s go with ten years? That should be enough. He loosens his tie and prepares to go upstairs to his bedroom where he’ll spend the next decade of his life hibernating, until he sees his ward on the living room sofa. Dick is lying on his stomach with his face buried in a throw pillow, as if he’s waiting for the sofa to swallow him whole. Must have been a bad day if he’s not sliding down banisters and flipping over chairs like usual. Sighing, Bruce goes over. “Dick? You alive over there?” “Mmph.” At least he’s conscious. Bruce sits on the arm of the couch, shaking Dick’s thin shoulder. “Come on, kiddo. Use your words.” “Mmph.” “Bad day, then?” Dick nods. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” Dick shakes his head. Bruce sits back with a frown. “Alfred?” he calls. Alfred pokes his head in. “Yes, Master Bruce?” Bruce gestures to their anguished preteen. “It would seem that our lad had a rough day at school. He wouldn’t tell me what, but I’m making his favorite casserole for dinner. Hopefully that will perk him up.” Bruce turns back to Dick, who hasn’t moved. “C’mon, Dickie. Sit up so I can see your face.” Reluctantly, Dick forces himself upright with one last groan into his pillow. His hair is mussed, standing up on one side. There’s a pillow crease on his cheek. He sits back against the sofa, miserable. “Better.” Bruce prods Dick’s ribs which earns him a giggle, goading the kid into sliding over a few inches so Bruce can sit beside him. Dick leans into his side immediately and Bruce puts his arm around him. “Now, tell me what’s got you down.” “I want to transfer schools.” “How come?” As far as he’s known until now, Dick has loved middle school. His childhood took a bad turn when his parents’ ropes snapped, but preteen life is at a good start. Until now. Dick’s gaze is trained on his sneakers, kicking them where they hang over the edge of the couch. “Some kids in my science class were talking crap about me.” “Don’t say crap.” “Can I go to a new school? Please?” “What did those kids say about you?” Dick picks at a dime-size hole in his jeans. “They called me gay,” he says quietly. Bruce tightens his arm around the boy, his heart panging. Of course someone had to bully Bruce’s kid. As if his life hasn’t already been hard enough without stupid teenagers making it worse. “I wasn’t even doing anything wrong. I was just talking to my lab partner, and the guys at the next table over started whispering about us. Then they started throwing papers.” “Did you tell the teacher?” “No. But I know she noticed. Everyone did. She just didn’t do anything about it.” That sets Bruce’s blood to a boil. Teachers have a responsibility to protect their students, no matter what. What gives her the right to turn a blind eye to bullying, just because a couple of students might not fit the agreed-upon standards of “perfect” upper class society? “I’ll set up an appointment with the principal,” Bruce decides. Dick’s eyes get wide. “Bruce, no. Please. It’s fine, really. I don’t want this to turn into a big deal.” “What did you do when it happened?” Dick shrugs. “Nothing. My lab partner stopped talking to me, so I just asked to go to the bathroom and didn’t come back until the bell rang.” Bruce sighs. Middle schoolers are the worst, every last one of them. (Except for Dick, of course; he is perfect.) “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Kids can be cruel—especially at your age, when they start learning new words that they don’t understand the way they should. They think some words are insults or something to be ashamed of when they’re not. Most kids grow out of this. Too many don’t.” “People suck,” Dick mutters. “I don’t even know why they were saying all that stuff. I’m not...I’m not like that” Bruce bites his cheek. He’s going to have to be careful about this. “Dick, do you know what being gay means?” “Duh. It’s when two guys date each other. I’m not stupid.” “I know you’re not stupid. But gay can mean a lot of things. Men can like other men, just as women can love other women. Like Kate, for instance. Then there are bisexual and pansexual people who love all genders, and asexuals who don’t like either.” Thank god Bruce thought ahead and read some LGBTQ+ research books all those years ago when he first began to suspect that Dick wasn’t heterosexual. “And transgender is when someone doesn’t identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. Sometimes people feel more like a man, a woman, neither, or both.” “...Okay?” “I just want to make sure you understand these things, because part of being a respectful person means respecting others for who they are. And if you don’t completely understand the label they identify as, then it’s your job to try and understand it the best you can.” “Why?” “Because too many people in this world judge others for things they can’t control, and that’s not right. No one should have to feel like they were born wrong. And I want to make sure you know this, that way you can be better than those who choose to hurt others for things they can’t control.” “Does that mean the guys who made fun of me are bad people?” “I’m sure they aren’t. They might just be confused because they don’t understand that being gay isn’t anything bad or dirty. The people in this part of Gotham...they don’t accept a lot of things. They think that being queer or a person of color means you don’t deserve respect, and that’s wrong. It was wrong of those kids to tease you and your lab partner the way they did.” Dick nods slowly. “I’m not gay.” “I know. I just want you to be aware of these things. And if you ever have questions or need to talk, you can always come to me.” He ruffles Dick’s hair. “Even when other people are nasty, remember that I love you no matter what, got it?” Dick shoves Bruce’s hand away and smoothes his hair back out, grinning. “Yeah, yeah. I got it.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Thirteen Years Old -

What’s the difference between a growth spurt and a shark? 

Dick doesn’t have any sharks. “We’re home!” Dick announces. He and Alfred stumble into the house, their arms filled with all kinds of shopping bags. With Dick shooting up half an inch nightly these days, he’s growing out of his clothes at a rate even Bane would gawk at. Bruce and Alfred can barely keep up with the kid. “Want to see what I got?” “Show me, pal.” Bruce sets aside his tablet and pushes his reading glasses up on his head. (He does not have poor vision, thank you very much. Leslie just made him get a prescription as a precaution, that’s all. He’s still young by anyone’s standards, just ask Selina.) Dick starts pulling clothing out of the boutique bags, showing off every one of his new sweaters and pairs of Alfred-approved jeans. After ten minutes that Bruce desperately tries to look interested during, Dick pulls out what looks like a t-shirt that’s been sliced in half horizontally. The fabric is bright pink with a chibi whale on the front. “This one is my favorite,” Dicks says. His grin is blinding. Bruce stares for a long moment, his brain a lagging computer drive. “What is it?” “It’s a crop top. You know, like a belly shirt?” Memories from Dick’s Kim Possible phase flash in front of Bruce’s eyes. “Alfred let you buy that?” “Yeah?” Dick’s smile flags. He lowers the crop top, suddenly self-conscious. “Do you not...like it?” “You were supposed to get winter clothes, Dick. For cold weather.” “So?” “That’s clearly something you’re supposed to wear during the summer.” Dick pouts. “But I like it.” He holds it up against himself, twisting this way and that like an amateur model. “Sorry, kiddo. You’re not leaving the house in that until springtime.” “Oh, so Robin can wear tiny shorts in the winter, but Dick Grayson can’t wear a harmless crop top? I smell hypocrisy.” “Yes, because Robin has thermal leggings and a built-in heater in his uniform.” He looks back at the pink monstrosity, at Dick’s pleading eyes. “I would be open to negotiations if you’re willing to wear a sweater under it.” “That’s not how fashion works, B.” “I don’t care. You can wait until it gets warmer out to wear it.” “You’re such a drag,” Dick whines. He lifts his dozens of shopping bags and goes to leave, then turns right back around. “What if I wear a jacket over it and promise to keep it closed whenever I’m outside?” Bruce considers that. “Fine. But not below fifteen degrees, got it? And if I see you outside for even five seconds without the jacket, I’m confiscating the Xbox. Deal?” “Deal.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Fourteen Years Old -

Something is different about Dick today. You’d think his boots were made of helium with the way he floats through patrol, and then smiles into his late-night milkshake like it did his homework for him. Bruce sits beside his Robin on the roof of Wayne Tower, silent for as long as he can bear before he can’t hold it back any longer. “Did anything interesting happen today?” “Huh?” Dick looks up as if Bruce pried him and his thoughts apart with a crowbar. “You’ve been...different. Happy.” “Am I not usually happy?” “No, you are. Just seems like you’re...extra happy, for whatever reason.” A blush dusts the kid’s cheeks. He sips his chocolate shake and shrugs. “Dunno. It was just a good day. Nothing special.” Yeah, and Bruce is a goddamn unicorn. Still, he knows better than to pry where Dick doesn’t want him. It’s a delicate thing. “If you say so.” “I got a hundred on my English essay,” Dick offers. It’s a start. “Was that the one on Grapes of Wrath?” “That was last month. We’re on Animal Farm now. It’s not my favorite.” “Yeah, I wasn’t a fan of Orwell either. Shakespeare was okay, but I preferred his tragedies over his comedies.” “Of course you did.” That makes Bruce laugh. He’s not worried; the two of them are high enough that no one can hear it. Bruce even has his cowl down, his face exposed to the cool air. “They had quinoa burgers at the cafeteria today.” “Mm-hm.” Dick is dodging something, beating around whatever bush he wants to talk about. Bruce can be patient while he figures it out. “And I spent some time with Barbara after school.” “Oh?” “Yeah. We walked home together and we took this old path through the park. Then we kissed.” Bruce chokes on his milkshake. He coughs, his sinuses burning and eyes watering. When he recovers, he says, “That’s...that’s great, chum.” “Yeah.” Dick can’t stop smiling, a true schoolboy in love. “And she asked if I wanted to patrol with her tomorrow night, but I said I needed to check in with you first.” “I don’t see why not.” It’s not like Bruce hasn’t patrolled without Dick before. Sure, he misses the company on the few days a week he’s alone, but he’s not about to deny Dick the thing he clearly wants. “You sure? You look...freaked out.” “No, no. That’s...great, that you kissed. Congratulations.” Awkward. He’s so fucking awkward. Stop being awkward right now. He doesn’t know why this is messing with his head so drastically. Bruce has listened to Dick moon over girls for the entirety of his pubescence, talking about them like they’re goddesses he’s forbidden to look upon, Barbara included. And Bruce has seen the way Dick and Barbara interact with each other in between muggings, always talking with their heads bent close like they’re the only two people in the world. Who would have thought Batman could be a third wheel? “I’ve liked her for a while now, but I didn’t know if she liked me back and I was too nervous to ask.” Dick’s face goes even pinker. “Kissing her was cool.” Part of Bruce’s brain jumps at the realization that, holy shit, Dick just had his first kiss, my little boy is growing up, what a milestone. The other part is far less happy about this new development. Yes, Bruce has seen Dick win brawls with men three times his size. He can fly the Bat-jet on his own, knows six languages, and is even leading his own superhero team. And yet, all Bruce can think is, no, not my little boy, he’s just a baby, Batgirl is corrupting his innocence and She Must Be Stopped. With great effort, Bruce holds it all back. He’s read the parenting books, he knows that it’s important to be supportive when they’re at this age. “Good to hear. I’m happy for you.” He pats Dick on the shoulder. “Thanks, B.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Sixteen Years Old - “Hey, Bruce? Can I talk to you?” Bruce doesn’t look up from the metal flakes he’s testing. “What is it?” “I can come back later if you’re busy.” “No, I’m just analyzing some samples. I’m looking for residue from one of Zsasz’s blades.” Dick steps forward, tentative for once. “Need any help?” “I would like for you to come out with whatever it is you clearly need to tell me.” Dick snorts quietly. “Nice phrasing.” “What?” “I think I’m bisexual.” Bruce turns around, forgetting about the samples entirely. Dick’s arms are crossed over his chest, his eyes skipping between everything that isn’t Bruce’s face. At sixteen years old he’s finally tall enough that he doesn’t have to crane his neck to look at Bruce anymore. “You...think?” “I am. I’m bisexual.” “Okay.” “Is that cool with you?” The question shocks Bruce. “Of course it is.” Did Dick honestly think this would change anything? Has Bruce done something wrong, made Dick think that he wasn’t loved unconditionally? Dick squints, appraises Bruce’s reaction. “You knew, didn’t you.” “No.” “Bruce.” “I knew a little bit.” Dick rolls his eyes. The tension slips from his shoulders. His arms uncross. “Of course you did.” “Well, you weren’t exactly subtle about it.” “What the hell does that mean?” “Language,” Bruce chides, more out of habit than anything. “And do you realize how often you would come home after elementary school complaining about stupid pretty boys?” “That was just me being dramatic.” “I’m not disputing that. But they were still crushes, pal.” “I figured you thought it was just a phase.” Bruce shrugs. “Maybe for the first few days. But trust me, I have known you liked boys since you were a kid.” “Then why didn’t you just say so? It took me years to figure this all out, and you’re telling me you’ve been sitting on this info the whole time?” “Because this is your truth, not mine. I knew that you would tell me about it when you were ready. And you have.” Dick is clearly fighting a smile. He bites his lip instead, runs a hand through his mop of black hair that not even Alfred can wheedle him into combing anymore. “Well, I’m heading to the tower for the night, so don’t wait up, ‘kay? Kay. Good talk.” He goes to leave, but Bruce stops him. “Hang on. Why choose now to tell me?” Dick stuffs his hands in his pockets—an obvious tell. “No reason. I just...wanted you to know. Just in case.” “In case of what?” “Oh, you know.” Dick waves his hand in a gesture that clarifies absolutely nothing. “Life happens. People meet each other. You know how it is.” Bruce’s soul implodes. “You have a date?” “I never said that.” “You implied it.” “Real detectives rely on evidence, not theories.” Dick winks. “Tell me who it is. Are they a civilian? A hero? Do they come from a respectable family?” If it’s Roy Harper, Bruce might have to bury a body tonight. Especially after learning about Harper’s drug problem. Dick is too pure for someone like that. Or—heaven forbid—that Wally West kid. Dick is already walking away. “See ya, Bruce!” “You come back here, Richard John Grayson! Do I know him? Does he know your father is Batman?” Dick’s cackle echoes around the cave. “It had better not be a speedster!”

[wolfiso]

All right, let's play!

Let's start with the stuff that works for both versions including logistics. For the sake of the setting ages will be Drastically Compressed. Bruce is only a couple years older than Dick and was a respected upperclassmen, but not his legal guardian. For the sake of having a little more room in ages I'll use American/Gotham high school years rather than Japanese/Ouran years. So in this Bruce is 20, and Dick is now 18 and in his last year (a senior). Cass is 18 but behind a year due to inconsistent schooling in primary school and undiagnosed special education needs (now better addressed). Steph and Tim are 17 but she's a third year and he's still in second year.

Bruce was actually the one to start the club, but he's off to college now. He only shows up a couple times, but Brucie is legendary among the clientele, and any time he's rumored to be making a visit there are far more upperclassmen than usual.

Bruce's cousin Kate goes to a different high school but crashes the club, ala Lobelia Academy. She doesn't convince Cass to transfer schools, but she does convince Steph halfway through the season.

Richard Grayson argued against his nomination for club president, as he had nominated Babs and he meant it darn it! She's the best suited to dealing with the school administration and they each know it, but she resigned the club and now he's stuck. Dick is a master of several different roles, as he and Bruce workshopped many options when the club was new. Now he generally goes for Sincere Romantic Lead.

Barbara Gordon should have been club president, but is graduating a semester early and resigned the club to keep them from having to settle the matter of officers mid-year. Jason is interested, but she doesn't trust his temper when dealing with school administration. She's taking all honors classes, serving in the tutoring society, and prepping for an internship abroad, so she's only got so much time.

Jason Todd La Rouge, Vice President of the Club, fills the Bad Boy with a Secret Heart of Gold. He quotes classic literature at the girls and has a wannabe rival who tries to do the same thing, but has a habit of quoting things that sound romantic but have terrible context, giving Jason Literary Constipation. In every instance of dress up, Jason wears the shortest tiniest hotpants they can find, except for swimming. In the beach episode he's the most covered of all of them because he's in a wetsuit and leading the group that's going surfing. For the Halloween episode Jason bitches because the others insisted he dress as the Opera Ghost, but he loathes the book.

Tim is the club secretary, and with Dick and Kate's encouragement, has been trying to 'queer the space.' His freshman year they tried his club role as Skater Punk, but he's a little more adrift this year.

Stephanie is a regular and self-appointed club manager. She tried dating Tim when they were freshmen but it didn't work out. It's been two years since then, and she knows all the boys' pet peeves and pressure points, and has, at least once, stepped in to impersonate one of the boys for a client. Steph's departure is a mid-season cliffhanger when she announces she won't be coming back in the New Year, but doesn't announce where she's going right away. Everyone assumes she's moving somewhere horribly far away, or that her family are suddenly too destitute to pay tuition, or she's been expelled for fighting in the locker room, or she's pregnant and going away to have the baby in secret. The resolution of 'she's just going across town' is played for comedy.

Since Bruce is only 20, either Damien isn't present, or he's unrelated. Or he only gets a cameo when Dick tells Cass about a client who tried to trap Bruce with a faked pregnancy, and Damien is illustrated in chibi as the nightmare spawn those two would raise in their dysfunctional rich-idiot-shotgun-marriage.

Duke, I admit I don't know what to do with, but it seems wrong to just leave him out, you know?

Alfred is not only the Dean of Academics, but the club's official staff sponsor. He was Bruce's legal guardian through middle and high school and despite how outlandish the club is, he couldn't deny Bruce the chance to do something he was so ready to be dedicated to. Alfred never expected it to last, but here they are, six years in and the club is still growing both in members and clientele. In fact, this year they are piloting a program to allow students from other campuses to visit.

I blame Prof's potential-stock-AU post for making me think about Gotham High School Host Club in which sports scholarship student Cassandra Cain is the one who breaks the vase (not looking for a place to study, but while defending another student from a bully).

I want Babs mentoring Cass somehow, but keep the gender disparity of OHSHC, so she's either Cass's tutor (for classwork) or sports team coach, not a club member.

Helena Bertinelli just straight up keeps her canon job.

Alfred is in charge of distributing resources to after school clubs so there are periodically episodes where Club President Dick Grayson has to convince him why this week's shenanigans are good for Student Enrichment and/or Educational.

[thebravexandthebold]

@ccfstarter​

OPEN

“Son of a bitch” 

The groan spewed from tense lips was unequivocally a result of the overly vigorous bodybuilding she’d forced herself to endure the evening prior. Her muscles felt as though they had been flash-burned with acid from the inside -- just sufficient to move like the living cells had been replaced by aging rubber, thick and twisted. But Kate didn’t regret her dedication, the aches and pain she’d earned were the ones she’d grow strong from. Her training was even more essential now that she’d donned the cowl. Her father argued it was too soon to assume the role, Central City was nothing like Gotham perpetually riddled with crime and depravity. The citizens of Central might be adverse to a Crusader with her brutal flair. Even in Gotham she’d been careful not to allow the public to credit her as an established vigilante. She preferred to operate with only speculation and rumors as evidence of her existence; just a scarlet spectre instilling fear in Gotham’s underbelly. A necessity after Batman vanished, taking with him the only symbol of hope and courage. But after witnessing the aftermath of the devastation Poison Ivy inflicted on Central City her call to justice wasn’t up for debate.

These streets though unfamiliar would soon know her name. 

As for the reason why she’d relocated, it was Bruce’s sudden return that ultimately made the decision for her. A curiosity and desire to understand the man who inspired her to take up the mantle. Central’s nightlife wasn’t as lively as home, but it sufficed for the weeks the city acted as her temporary base of operations. Kate easily integrated herself into the city’s elite, more than comfortable in the high society lifestyle. But now, after the event, her social life consisted of organizing fundraisers to provide aid for the city’s repairs and citizens still suffering from the toxins effects. Her nightly patrols were essential in preventing looters and low level criminals running amuck, taking advantage of demolished properties. Kate revelled in the routine, brining a sense of normalcy in her temporary surroundings. She’d even encountered, and befriended, a few of Central’s staple heroes.

Coaxing herself from beneath her sheets, she limped towards her bathroom. She sauntered like her limbs didn’t really belong to her and each step was a negotiation rather than an order. The acrylic, clawfoot tub, filled to its rim with bucketfuls of ice. Before my toes has even sank beneath the frosty surface her jaw clenched in anticipation and already she’d resigned to the discomfort to follow. By the time she drained the water her appendages had regained their vitality and she was prepared to take on the day. Well, at least after she’d had a decent cup of coffee. 

“Dark Roast, splash of cream” Kate’s head lifted from the tiny menu she was examining to vocalize her order. Her slender fingers, painted blood red, lifted to rearrange a stubborn curl. The woman behind the counter quirked a smile -- to which Kate acknowledge with a bemused wink -- before tapping Kate’s order into the electronic register. There was a ding, indicating the order had took, and a ticket was spat out. The coffee at this particular establishment, so inventively named ‘CC Jitters’, had become part of her morning routines. Kate loved it mostly because it was quick and conveniently a few blocks from her penthouse. Starbucks was never her jive anyhow. As she stepped aside to wait for her order she overhead the customer behind deliberating out loud which speciality cup of joe to purchase. 

“I’d go for the Vibe-uccino,” she drawled, head tilted in their direction. “And a cronut while you’re at it, just the right amount of sugary and addicting. Really hits the spot.” she wiggled her fingers at the barista with a charming smile, indicating to put their order on her tab as well. “My treat” 

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Let's eat all the cicadas!

Brood 17 - the unbelievable large swarm of 17-year cicadas - is already emerging in parts of America. This summer, Americans in the brood's path will experience a plague(ish) of locusts(ish), as the skies darken and the roads run slick with bug-guts.

Writing for Wired, Kate Knibbs brings us the cuisine of Bun Lai1, a renowned chef who has pioneered "sustainable sushi" and is now foraging in DC for early B-17 bugs to turn into chow: pizza, paella, and sushi.

https://www.wired.com/story/eating-cicadas-brood-x/

In much of the world, eating bugs is no big deal, and not just novelties like chocolate ants: think of chapulin tacos, the Oaxacan grasshopper delicacies. These are a serious seasonal delight in LA, and I can personally attest to their deliciousness.

https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-eat-your-crickets-los-angeles-chapulin-capital-20130709-story.html

The most exciting thing about eating bugs is not in the fact that they're bugs, but rather in that they are considered a pest and a problem, which we can turn into a delicacy. Bugs (including "pests") are high protein, low-carbon, and abundant.

If you pay attention to the climate emergency, it's hard to avoid the nagging sense that every time you eat, you're contributing to the planet's destruction. Food's got a heck of a carbon footprint, especially farmed food, *especially* farmed *meat*.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/06/methane-diet/#3kg-per-day

Which is why the idea of eating pests and invasive species is so exciting. It's not just the idea that you're eating "guiltless" food, it's the weird sense that maybe we can turn the destructive power of the capitalism machine on things we want to get rid of.

Capitalism, after all, is true star of Nick Bostrom's thought-experiment of a paperclip-manufacturing AI that optimizes and optimizes itself.

https://nickbostrom.com/ethics/ai.html

It barrels on and on until it turns the entire universe into paperclips. The "slow AIs" of shareholder capitalist enterprises pursue profit to the destruction of their environments, workforces, customers and societies:

https://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/index2.html

It's a cruel irony that our asset bubbles are always fueled by destruction of something we need (like a breathable atmosphere and a planet that isn't on fire), rather than, say, the destruction of invasive species or pandemic viruses or similar.

https://boingboing.net/2021/05/10/power-plant-using-whole-output-to-mine-crypto.html

Wouldn't it be great if, instead of a foie gras-eating fad, we had a *kudzu*-eating fad, one that saw all the kudzu in the American south harvested to feed the rapacious kudzu-barons' vast kudzu empires? (Kudzu cookery exists, but has not caught fire).

https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/kudzu-invasive-species/

The closest thing to this that I've encountered in the wild are the delicious lionfish tacos in the scuba towns in Roatan, Honduras, where invasive lionfish (possibly descended from aquarium escapees) are destroying the reef ecosystem.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/ecosystems/impacts-invasive-lionfish

To be clear, lionfish taste good! But also, the experience of lionfish is doubly delicious because you know you're creating a market for scuba guides and fishermen to hunt lionfish, and if this drives them to extinction, that'd be a *good* thing for the planet!

This idea - driving a social phenomenon with markets - surfaces from time to time in science fiction. In Damon Knight's 1992 comic masterpiece WHY DO BIRDS?, an ad-agency is recruited to convince the entire human race to climb into a box (!).

https://memex.craphound.com/2018/12/28/why-do-birds-damon-knights-amazing-underappreciated-science-fiction-novel-about-putting-all-of-humanity-in-a-box/

The agency hits on a winning strategy: they announce that only rich people are *allowed* in the box and that box-berth prices are sky-high.

Soon, plutes are clamoring for spots, while the rest of the world demands climb-into-the-box equity to end being-in-a-box inequality.

Eight years later, Bruce Sterling proposed something similar to deal with climate change, in his brilliant 2000 Viridian Design Manifesto, which called on ecologists to rethink ecological measures as exclusive luxuries.

http://www.viridiandesign.org/manifesto.html

The idea wasn't to actually make ecologically sound living into the exclusive purview of the wealthy, but rather to make ecological living into something both status-defining *and* aspirational, creating demand across the board for sustainable technology.

But markets have a failure mode, that paperclip tragedy mode, which is that they are purely instrumental, driven to maximize their victory conditions irrespective of whether these become detached from their underlying goals.

Universal Paperclips are a subspecies of Monkey's Paws, in other words, a "be careful what you wish for" parable.

SF's got you covered here, too, as in Harry Harrison's "Make Room! Make Room!" (turned into the movie Soylent Green), where the invasive species we devour to save the planet is…us. (BTW, the Tor edition of the novel has a stupendous cover).

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765318855

Alas, the actual situation is more Make Room! Make Room! than Viridian. Our carbon offsets are a market for lemons, useless performances of conservation what will always be cheaper - and thus more successful in the market - than the real deal.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/12/fairy-use-tale/#greenwashing

And nothing epitomizes the hollowness of the eco-luxury market like Tesla, a company that is only profitable because it sells carbon offsets that keep the SUV market alive - a company whose longterm stability involves bitcoin holdings with the carbon footprint of 1.8m cars.

https://news.yahoo.com/tesla-bitcoin-emissions-carbon-footprint-co2-bank-of-america-153636398.html

Still, I would happily eat some Brood 17 I-can't-believe-its-not-foie-gras.

Header image: Toby Hudson (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AustralianMuseum_cicada_specimen_11.JPG

CC BY-SA: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/au/deed.en

Kudzu image: Natalie Maynor https://www.flickr.com/photos/nataliemaynor/296950248/

CC BY: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[lunap95]

Chapters: 7/7 Fandom: Super Sons (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Jonathan Kent/Damian Wayne, Jonathan Samuel Kent/Damian Wayne Characters: Damian Wayne, Jonathan Samuel Kent, Maya Ducard, Collin Wilkes, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain, Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Kon-El | Conner Kent, Kara Zor-El Additional Tags: Roommates, Domestic Fluff, adopting a pet, High School, Jealousy, Running Away, Partners in Crime, Fake/Pretend Relationship, getting caught, Heartbeats, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Masquerade, Family Vacation, Marriage Proposal, JonDami Week 2021

Hey, hey, hey! Last day of the @jondami-week  Thank you so much for reading and leaving kudos and comments, it makes me super happy! As I mentioned I'm planning on doing a longer (but not too long) fic about Damian and Jon so please if you like anything of these prompts tell me so I can have a clearer idea on how to write them. Thanks!

Day 7: joint family vacation | proposal | free day

You can also read it under the cut

“Stephanie, I swear to God if you play that stupid song one more time.”

“Shut up, Jason, you didn’t have a good music taste even before your first death.”

“Come on, guys, I’m sure we can find something nice for every-” Duke dodged a hamburger and decided it was better not to get in between.

“Has anyone seen my sunglasses?” asked Conner, his sunglasses obviously over his head.

“No,” answered Tim not even making an attempt at pointing his mistake.

“I’m just saying, it would totally rock if you made a ‘Is Bruce Wayne Batman?’ headline,” Cassandra nodded at Dick’s words.

“You know it would actually be really funny,” Lois smirked, her smile too similar to one of the evildoers they usually fought.

“Not it wouldn’t!” interrupted Barbara visibly angry. “Because then we, instead of him, will have to deal with it later.”

“I stopped dealing with Bruce’s shit a long time ago, you should do the same,” proclaimed Kate taking a sip of his wine.

“This is the fourth time I have to repair a train, Kent,” argued Bruce on the other side of the field. “Is it really too much to ask to show a little restrain?”

“Oh, excuse, mister billionaire, next time a train is about to run over some innocent citizens I will kindly ask the train to stop,” refuted Clark.

“The only thing I’m saying,” not too far Alfred was in the middle of another discussion with Martha and Jon Kent. “that the recipe is obviously done with raisins.”

“Raisins? Maybe in that rainy spot of yours,” Martha seemed to be terribly offended. “But not here.”

Damian sighed for the hundredth time that day watching how the whole family continued creating absolute chaos. If his calculations were right there were just a few minutes left before someone screamed “food fight”. Next to him, Jon munched on a hamburger as if the picture did not bother him at all.

“Let’s have some picnic together, you said,” said Damian. “It would be fun, you said.”

“I think is nice.”

“Your cousin tried to throw Todd over the roof just an hour ago.”

“And I think Steph is about to ask her to do it again,” laughed Jon pointing at were Jason and Steph continued to argue about the music, Duke and Cass now enjoying their exchanged while eating popcorns.

“At least Grayson has stopped with the puns,” he was starting to question why the hell he had accepted Jon’s idea, this was bound to end in disaster.

“Well, actually I think he is telling my mum that story about the Napkin man.”

Jon could not help but smile at his groan. Maybe their families were a bit… chaotic when they met, but he actually enjoyed spending time together like this. As long as he kept a safe distance between him and Jason’s guns there should not be a problem (he still remembered when the Red Hood first discovered he was dating his younger brother, that had been a fun chase). And deep down he knew Damian enjoyed them too, but his boyfriend was too stubborn to admit it.

“I just don’t understand why you insisted so much on this.”

The box in his pocket seemed to get heavier with his words. They have been dating for almost eight years, living together for six of them. While he worked as a journalist in the Daily Planet, Damian had his hands full with inheriting the Batman legacy and leading the new Gotham Justice team along with Duke, although he still made some art exhibitions from time to time. He still went out as Superboy, mostly with Damian, but the defence of Metropolis had gone mainly to Supergirl and Conner, who now called himself Supernova. Their fathers had told them they would soon pass their mantle to them and Jon had decided he wanted to ask the big question before that happened.

“D, mind walking with me for a minute?”

Damian raised an eyebrow confused as to why his boyfriend wanted to walk on the same fields that had seen him grow, but he decided it would be way better than staying there. They walked while holding hands, chatting about their little things until they reached a familiar forest.

“Does it ring a bell?” Jon smiled.

“This is where we first met,” realised Damian. “Well, when I kidnap you after discovering you were a threat to society.”

“Well, you suspicious turned out to be correct, only not to society,” he winked at him. “Only a threat to you.”

“Hmm,” Damian wrapped his hands around his neck. “Maybe I should have let you tied on the examination table of the Batcave.”

“Then, you wouldn’t have this.”

Jon then proceeded to kneel in front of him, taking the box out of his pocket. Damian didn’t say anything but his eyes widened.

“Damian Wayne,” he proclaimed. “I never thought I could hate anyone more than the first time I met you. But with time, you showed me the great person you are. Because many might think of you as brash and arrogant, but I know your actions speak more than your words. I have seen you bleed for your teammates, cry for your brothers and sister and take care of your pets as if they were the most valuable thing on this planet,” he opened the box to show a ring with a green gemstone. “You became my best friend and later the love of my life and I can’t think of a better person to share the rest of my life with so… would you do me the super honour of becoming my husband?”

“Did you have to add the super thing?” but Damian was smiling and he could swear his eyes were shinning. “Of course I do, you sap.”

Jon did not waste any time jumping to capture his lips while putting the ring on his finger. The gem was the same shade in his eyes and the moment Jon saw it he knew he wanted his boyfriend to wear it.

“I’m going to make you the happiest man on Earth,” he whispered between kisses.

“I already am.”

There were still a lot of hardship to face, millions of adventures waiting for them on the corner, but in that instant, in the same forest where they met, both could feel the strength of their bond. A union that could not be broken by time or dangers, a connection that will be with them until the time they expired their last breath. So for the moment, they enjoyed this moment and the pure bliss of knowing they would never be alone as long as the other was next to them.

[dc-earth53]

Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

Age: 31

Occupation: Police officer, adventurer

Marital status: Married

Known relatives: John Grayson (father, deceased), Mary Grayson (mother, deceased), Bruce Wayne (adoptive father), Damian Wayne (adoptive brother), Jason Todd (adoptive brother), Cassandra Cain (adoptive sister), Helena Wayne (adoptive sister), Koriand’r (wife), Mar’i Grayson (daughter), Jacob Grayson (son), Komand’r (sister-in-law), Ryand’r (brother-in-law).

Group affiliation: Titans, Gotham Knights, formerly Justice League of America, Outsiders

Base of operations: Bludhaven, Gotham City, New Jersey

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 175 lbs.

History:

31 years ago: Richard “Dick” Grayson is born to circus acrobats Mary and John Grayson.

25 years ago: John and Mary begin training Dick in gymnastics, and he joins their act: “The Flying Graysons.”

19 years ago: 

Gotham City crime lord Tony Zucco murders John and Mary during their act, sending them hurtling to their deaths from the high wire. 12-year-old Grayson is adopted by Bruce Wayne, who was in attendance that evening.

Grayson sneaks out of Wayne Manor to investigate the murder of his parents, and is nearly killed but saved by Batman, who he discovers is his adopted father.

Afterwards, Grayson becomes Robin, Batman’s crime-fighting partner.

18 years ago: Alongside Aqualad and Kid Flash, Robin helps found the Teen Titans, a group of young superheroes who felt ignored by their mentors.

17 years ago: Barbara Gordon debuts at Batgirl, and Grayson develops a precocious crush on her.

13 years ago: 

The mysterious Raven brings together Robin and several other young heroes as the New Teen Titans, to combat the threat of her father, Trigon.

Dick meets Koriand’r, a former alien princess who had been taken into slavery and escaped to Earth. The two quickly fall in love.

12 years ago: 

Grayson is shot in the shoulder by the Joker, and retires from being Robin, moving away from Gotham to attend Hudson University. Soon afterwards, inspired by old Kryptonian legends told to him by Superman, Dick takes the identity of Nightwing.

Nightwing re-joins the Titans to help them fight against Deathstroke, the Terminator.

11 years ago: Grayson, along with Earth’s other heroes, fight against the Anti-Monitor.

10 years ago: 

Grayson is shaken when Jason Todd, his replacement as Robin, is beaten to death by the Joker. He takes a temporary leave of absence from the Titans.

Grayson meets Tim Drake, a fan of Batman and Robin’s, who petitions him to become the new Robin. Grayson refuses, but encourages Drake to take the role himself.

9 years ago: After a long battle against the Wildebeest Society, Dick proposes marriage to Koriand’r, and she accepts.

8 years ago: Dick and Kory are married, although circumstances conspire to keep them apart. Dick returns to Gotham, where his relationship with Batman is on the mend after Batman’s back is broken by Bane. 

7 years ago: 

Dick and Kory settle down in the beleaguered Bludhaven neighborhood of Gotham City, which is soon shaken by an earthquake that renders the city a no man’s land.

Dick and Kory have a daughter, Mar’i.

6 years ago: After leaving the Titans in the capable hands of Tim Drake, Grayson is tapped by Batman to lead the newest incarnation of the Outsiders. He accepts.

5 years ago: Grayson and Kory part ways, as she’s recruited to fight in the war between Rann and Thanagar. Grayson, meanwhile, adopts the identity of the Renegade to infiltrate Lex Luthor’s Secret Society.

4 years ago: After a mission to Oolong Island goes very wrong, Grayson turns leadership of the Outsiders over to Kate Kane, the Batwoman, and returns to the Titans.

2 years ago: Batman is seemingly killed by Darkseid, and Grayson takes the role of Gotham’s main defender until Bruce’s return, fighting in broad daylight with a variety of allies by his side.

1 year ago: Dick and Kory’s second child, Jacob, is born, shortly before Kory travels into space once more with the Justice League.

Present day: Shortly after Kory’s return, Dick is seemingly murdered by Rose Wilson, as part of a cover-up to infiltrate the Leviathan organization.

Commentary:

Dick Grayson. Nightwing. The successor. Batman’s greatest success. The Batman who laughs... okay, maybe not that last one. (note: there is no Dark Multiverse in this canon, you’re safe from that fucker.) Dick Grayson is by far my favorite Bat-family member, and one of my favorite DC characters in general. 

This version of Dick is sort of the anti-Batman: where Bruce is paranoid, Dick is trusting. Bruce operates in the shadows, Dick prefers the light. Bruce pushes away those who aren’t in his inner circle, Dick is second only to Superman in how many people get along with him. You get the idea. In taking in and raising Dick Grayson, Batman achieved his stated goal: making sure that he wouldn’t end up like him. Instead, Dick is a well-adjusted adult with lots of friends, a family of his own, and a job he loves.

(to the tune of “the Election of 1800″ from Hamilton)

Starfire or Babs! If you had to choose, if you had to choose...

Dick also is a major part of what’s probably my most controversial change to the canon in this universe: his wedding to Kory gets to go through as originally planned way, way back in the early 1990′s, which permanently ties Dick to the DCU at large rather than confining him to Bat-family stories (which he still takes part in a decent number of). This reality’s Barbara Gordon retains much of her pre-Crisis history, making her significantly older than Dick is - the only remnants of their relationship here are a little bit of a precocious crush from young Robin. I don’t hate DickBabs, but I prefer DickKory, and this is reflected in the timeline here.

(And yes, despite continually being separated by their jobs, Dick and Kory have a wonderful relationship, built on years of mutual trust and companionship. A couple doesn’t need to be together all the time to be a couple, after all.)

Dick really only has one iconic costume, and that’s Discowing, I mean- um... yeah, it’s the black suit with the blue bird emblem on the front, specifically inspired by the Young Justice cartoon version. I’m not convinced anyone really liked the red New 52 Nightwing costume, and Ric is definitely not the answer. Agent 37, however... hmm...

Next up: Psimon, then at long last Zatanna!

[cardest]

New Jersey playlist

It's a place between heaven & hell. No need for a map, just follow the smell. A place full of filthy air and dark despair. A place called New Jersey. If this New Jersey playlist won't save the Garden State, nothing will. Hit play: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC192SSgXShuxLj6wA3Kcaolf 

Toxie approves of this playlist!!

NEW JERSEY

001 Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back - Jays Rap 002 The Time - Cool 003 The Night Flight Orchestra - American High 004 Kool & The Gang - Open Sesame 005 Bon Jovi -  Born To Be My Baby 006 Monster Magnet - Supercruel 007 The Dillinger Escape Plan -  When Good Dogs Do Bad Things 008 Misfits -  Green Hell 009 Over Kill - Welcome to the Garden State 010 Skid Row - The Threat 011 X-Cops Welcome to New Jersey 012 Clutch - Pulaski Skyway 013 Lee Fields & The Expressions - Special Night 014 Bruce Springsteen - Badlands 015 Weird Al Yankovic - Ill Sue Ya 016 Nona Hendryx - Run for Cover 017 Freddy Cannon - Palisades Park 018 Operation Ivy - Hoboken 019 Twisted Sister - The Kids Are Back 020 Ruby The Hatchet - Vast Acid 021 The Drifters - Under the Boardwalk 022 Symphony X - Premonition 023 Screaming Females - Something Ugly 024 Calendar - Monster From The Black Toms 025 Nat Adderley - St. M 026 Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) 027 Evoken - The Fear After 028 Misfits -  Earth a.D. 029 Bon Jovi -  Burning for love 030 Ella Fitzgerald - The Jersey Bounce 031 Dillinger Escape Plan - Sugar Coated Sour 032 WEEN - Frank 033 Monster Magnet -  Slut Machine 034 Overkill - Feel The Fire 035 Ice-T - New Jack Hustler 036 Incantation - Unholy Massacre 037 Franke & The Knockouts - Sweetheart 038 Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight 039 Looking Glass - Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) 040 Seven Witches  - Fever In the City 041 Michael Jackson - Got To Be There 042 Instant Funk - I Got My Mind Made Up 043 The Phil Bernardi Band - I Like Jersey Best 044 The Moments - Look At Me (I'm In Love) 045 Bobby Rydell - Wildwood Days 046 Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive 047 BON JOVI -  In And Out Of Love 048 The Misfits -  From Hell They Came 049 Jason Lindner - New Jersey Ballad 050 Toxic Avenger theme song 051 Monster Magnet - Black Balloon 052 Voltaire - Bomb New Jersey 053 Revenant - Prophecy Of A Dying World 054 Cyclone Static - Runaway 055 Old Wounds - Stripes 056 Aqua Teen Hunger Adult Swim theme song 057 Overkill - Never Say Never 058 Love Among Freaks- Clerks 059 Toothgrinder - Diamonds For Gold 060 The Toxic Crusaders Intro 061 KATE PIERSON - Throw Down The Roses 062 Dillinger Escape Plan - Sunshine the Werewolf 063 WEEN - Tick 064 Twisted Sister - What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You) 065 Smart Remarks - Reverse Velocity 066 Bon Jovi -  Let It Rock 067 Skid Row - Can't Stand the Heartache 068 Misfits - Vivid Red 069 McCoy Tyner - Vision 070 Over Kill - World of Hurt 071 Monster Magnet -  Mindfucker 072 Oblivious - Mob Justice 073 Pride and Glory - Losin' Your Mind 074 dEUS - Theme From Turnpike (from In A Bar, Under The Sea) 075 Mishka Shubaly - New Jersey Valentine's Day Orphan Blues 076 Danzig - Am I Demon 077 Tom Waits - Jersey Girl 078 Coheed And Cambria - Devil In Jersey City 079 Player Hater - Smb 080 Donald Byrd - Elijah 081 Bon Jovi -  Bad Medicine 082 El Drugstore - Samaritrophia 083 Gothic Slam - Who Died and Made You God 084 DÄLEK - Guaranteed Struggle 085 Trixter - One In A Million 086 The Break Lights - Why Don't You Call Me 087 Wayne Shorter - Schizophrenia 088 Skid Row - My Enemy 089 Samhain - Black Dream 090 Bayht Lahm - To Serve Your Bottom Line (Oligarchs Fuck Off!) 091 Whitney Houston - Thinking About You 092 Fit For An Autopsy - Your Pain Is Mine 093 Black Label Society - Fire It Up 094 Monster Magnet - Dopes To Infinity 095 Herbie Hancock - I Have A Dream 096 The Dillinger Escape Plan -  When I Lost My Bet 097 Over Kill - Necroshine 098 Alice Donut - New Jersey Exit 099 Toxic Avenger Musical - Who Will Save New Jersey 100 Misfits - Static Age 101 MilesDavis - The Theme 102 Pattis Smith - Pissing In a River 103 Whiplash - Snake Pit 104 Evoken - Omniscient 105 God Forbid - Antihero 106 OLD - Corpse Full Of Gunk 107 Nudeswirl  - F sharp 108 Sugarhill Gang- Rapper's Reprise (Jam-Jam) 109 Danzig - Snakes Of Christ 110 Bruce Springsteen - Growin' Up 111 Doyle -  Cemeterysexxx 333 Twisted Sister - I wanna rock 666 Bon Jovi -  Homebound Train

Play the songs here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC192SSgXShuxLj6wA3Kcaolf

[doubleattitude]

NUVO Dance Convention, Pittsburgh, PA: RESULTS

High Score by Age:

NUbie Solo

1st: Penelope LeMieux-’These Boots’

2nd: Harper McCarey-’I Can Go the Distance’

3rd: Brynley Brett-’Let Me Entertain You’

4th: Ava Edmonds-’Baby I’m A Star’

5th: Elliana Macioce-’Dreamer’

6th: Adelia Paulino Elisio-’Grace’

7th: Emma Sweat-’Stupid Cupid’

Mini Solo

1st: Kensington Dressing-’Confliction’

2nd: Lexus Natalie-’Alternate World’

3rd: Ashley Otano-’Dark Matter’

4th: Jasmine Pando-’Strains’

5th: Kennedy Thompson-’Light Of the Seven’

6th: Aili Joyce-’Hurricane’

7th: Emily Polis-’Hypnosis’

7th: Morgan Gilbert-’Just Watch Me Now’

8th: Lola Rodi-’Sweet Child O Mine’

8th: Kendall Bruce-’Swing Phenomenon’

9th: Giada Reino-’Nature Boy’

9th: Mya Lanigan-’Roxy’

10th: Jaelyn Ward-’No Sunshine’

Junior Solo

1st: Eric Poor-’Swan’

1st: Cameron Vorhees-’Unplug’

2nd: Giselle Gandarilla-’Expressions’

2nd: Bella Rose Penrose-’Schindler’s List’

3rd: Adelina Belusko-’Odalisque Variation from Le Corsaire’

3rd: Londyn LeMieux-’Tar’

4th: Nadia Wilde-’Goodmorning Midnight’

5th: Maura Matsuka-’This Is War’

6th: Alexcia Shannon-’Passacaglia’

7th: Shayla Blair-’To Be Free’

8th: Audrey Mayernik-’Anchor’

8th: Lexi Pawelchek-’Red Violin’

9th: Kate John-’Dreaming Awake’

9th: Eliza Mercer-’Goetia’

10th: Elliana Quiner-’Hidden’

Teen Solo

1st: Ava Carroll-’Are you sure’

1st: Xander Perone-’Finding My Path’

2nd: Rachel Quiner-’In Case You Don’t Live Forever’

2nd: Ava Wease-’May It Be’

3rd: Zoey Schneiter-’Do You Feel Real’

3rd: Kelsey Erdely-’I Like It When You’re Gone’

4th: Piper Panek-’Alone’

5th: Elyse Wingertsahn-’I Cry For Daylight’

5th: Caroline Quiner-’The Corner’

6th: Britton Johnson-’Monolithic’

6th: Samuel Evans-’Que Bueno’

6th: Samantha DeFabio-’Unhinged’

7th: Scarlett Szewczyk-’Be A Lady’

7th: Camryn Lanigan-’Fall Creek’

7th: Olivia Martin-’Smile’

8th: Calico Reyes-’Trust In Me’

8th: Shay Kaminski-’Love and Respect’

9th: Maranda DiNinno-’Are You Evenn Real’

9th: Posey Zielinski-’Cat’s Cradle’

9th: Emma Middleton-’Unraveled’

9th: Lindsey Weaver-’Vacant’

10th: Brooke Phillips-’I’d Hoped to Settle This’

10th: Maeve McCormack-’Maybe We’ll See’

10th: Sarah Georgiana-’Without Permanence’

Senior Solo

1st: Julianne Doner-’May I Carry Your Heart

2nd: Alexandra Pignone-’Questions’

3rd: Gionna D’Alessandro-’Wish you were here’

4th: Avery Earle-’Marks’

5th: Riley Miller-’Dress’

5th: Isabella Torres-’Medora Variation’

6th: Brooke Givens-’Return Them To One’

6th: Emma Racunas-’Tenderness’

6th: Kylie West-’What A Little Moonlight Can Do’

7th: Ava Sacco-’Elephants’

7th: Anna Miller-’Go’

8th: Claire Faust-’All I Need Is You’

9th: Lydia Taylor-’As The World Caves In’

9th: Mackenzie Seifert-’Want You Back’

10th: Bella Mills-’Can’t Stay Away From You’

10th: Morgan Faust-’Final Curtain’

10th: Kendall Lilley-’Piece of My Heart’

Mini Duo/Trio

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Gallows’

2nd: Thomas Dance Studio-’Little Shop of Horrors’

3rd: Artistic Designs Dance Company-’Two Birds’

Junior Duo/Trio

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Exiles’

2nd: Center Stage Dance Studio-’Dancing In the Dark’

2nd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Two’

2nd: Lanzi Dance Academy-’Watch Out Here We Come’

3rd: Studio 412-’Nature Boy’

Teen Duo/Trio

1st: Viva Dance Co.-’Fate Playing’

2nd: Artistic Designs Dance Company-’Postcard’

3rd: Viva Dance Co.-’Ne Me Quitte Pas’

Senior Duo/Trio

1st: Artistic Designs Dance Company-’I’m Not My Own’

2nd: Artistic Designs Dance Company-’Blue’

3rd: Queen City Dance Academy-’Find A Place’

Mini Group

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Undertow’

Junior Group

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Hope There’s Someone’

2nd: Studio 412-’Afraid To Go’

3rd: Thomas Dance Studio-’Can Can’

Teen Group

1st: Elite Dance By Damien-’Cringe’

2nd: Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts-’Approach with Cubism’

3rd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Debut’

Senior Group

1st: Ultimate Dance Complex-’We Have It All’

2nd: Ultimate Dance Complex-’I Keep On Falling’

3rd: Artistic Designs Dance Company-’Passionfruit’

Mini Line

1st: Jamie’s Dance Force-’Lose Control’

Teen Line

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Cruelest Month’

2nd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Pump it Up’

3rd: AVID Dance Productions-’Let Me Think About It’

Senior Line

1st: Elite Dance By Damien-’Comrade’

Mini Extended Line

1st: Jamie’s Dance Force-’My Way’

Teen Extended Line

1st: Elite Dance By Damien-’Bring Me To Life’

2nd: AVID Dance Productions-’All I Really Want’

3rd: AVID Dance Productions-’I Love You Always Forever’

High Score by Performance Division:

Mini Contemporary

Evolve Dance Complex-’Undertow’

Mini Tap

Jamie’s Dance Force-’Lose Control’

Junior Jazz

AVID Dance Productions-’Anything I Do’

Junior Contemporary

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Hope There’s Someone’

2nd: Studio 412-’Afraid To Go’

3rd: Thomas Dance Studio-’Can Can’

Junior Hip-Hop

Jamie’s Dance Force-’10 Bands’

Teen Contemporary

1st: Evolve Dance Complex-’Cruelest Month’

2nd: Elite Dance By Damien-’Cringe’ 

2nd: Evolve Dance Complex-’Pump it Up’

3rd: Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts-’Approach with Cubism’

Teen Tap

1st: Ludovici Dance Academy-’You Make Me Feel’

2nd: AVID Dance Productions-’Baba O Riley’

Teen Hip-Hop

AVID Dance Productions-’Rich Girl’

Teen Ballet

Mid-Atlantic Centre for the Performing Arts-’Gypsy Dance’

Teen Musical Theatre

AVID Dance Productions-’All I Really Want’

Teen Jazz

AVID Dance Productions-’Let Me Think About It’

Teen Specialty

Jamie’s Dance Force-’Head Over Heels’

Senior Jazz

1st: Ultimate Dance Complex-’I Keep On Falling’

2nd: Elite Dance By Damien-’Pretty In Pink’

3rd: AVID Dance Productions-’Fancy’

Senior Contemporary

1st: Ultimate Dance Complex-’We Have It All’

2nd: Elite Dance By Damien-’Comrade’

3rd: Thomas Dance Studio-’All At Once’

3rd: Elite Dance By Damien-’Standards of Society’

Senior Tap

Jamie’s Dance Force-’The Fear’

Senior Specialty

Artistic Designs Dance Company-’Passionfruit’

Best NU Group:

Mini

Evolve Dance Complex-’Undertow’

Junior

Studio 412-’Afraid To Go’

Evolve Dance Complex-’Hope There’s Someone’

Teen

AVID Dance Productions-’Let Me Think About It’

Ludovici Dance Academy-’You Make Me Feel’

Thomas Dance Studio-’In Another Life’

Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts-’Approach with Cubism’

Elite Dance By Damien-’Cringe’

Evolve Dance Complex-’Cruelest Month’

Senior

Thomas Dance Studio-’All At Once’

Ultimate Dance Complex-’We Have It All’

AVID Dance Productions-’Goliath’

Elite Dance By Damien-’Comrade’

Artistic Designs Dance Company-’Passionfruit’

Studio Pick:

AVID Dance Productions-’Let Me Think About It’

[our-happygirl500-fan]

If DC had used her properly Steph could have been a major character in the world of super heroes, not only with everything she went through but the fact that she manages to keep up with the Batfamily and stand on level with people who have had some of the greatest training in the world through pure will power. Not only that but DC really should have done more when showing just how integral she is to the Batfamily.

- Let's start with Tim, she's his main love interest but also she's a huge light in his life. Tim's life only really starts to spiral once Steph dies, after war games things get dark. Though there are some issues here and there between the two Steph is one of Tim's closest allies and someone he can rely on. Steph is one of the most important people in Tim's life.

- Steph is Cass's first and best friend and the two of them are an integral team to the point where it is so incredibly rare both in comics, other media and especially fandom to see one without the other they are literally always paired together not just as Batgirls trained by Barbara, but also as best friends.

- Steph is one of the most important people to Damian, pre reboot, she was the Batgirl to his Robin and she's arguably as important to Damian as Dick is. Dick taught Damian how to be a hero while Steph taught him how to be a kid. Damian and Steph are very important to each other and have a little sibling relationship going on.

- Barbara is Steph's mentor and during Steph's batgirl run they two care about each other a great deal. Before Steph had become Batgirl Barbara had been actually having a rough few events after everything that happened in war games even leaving Gotham for a bit. Steph helped Barbara regain her hope and belief in what they were doing my favourite line that Barbara says in Steph's Batgirl run is “Remember Stephanie Brown saved me”. Steph is also said to remind people of Batgirl Barbara both Commissioner Gordon says that Steph reminds him of Barbara and Dick says that Steph reminds him of Barbara “before...everything”.

- Steph and Bruce's whole relationship is so complex you could write a whole thesis on it but he does care about her shown and acknowledged multiple times and even though she's not one of his kids he's still one of his /kids/ (Bruce has 5 sons a daughter and one Stephanie Brown). Also Steph's his future daughter in law anyway because she's Tim's only even remotely good relationship that or she’s going to marry Cass, Steph’s going to marry in we all know this.

- Alfred is shown morning Steph’s death and talks about how much it affected Bruce and is incredibly happy when Steph comes back to life. He also defends Steph saying Bruce didn’t need to test her when he comes back from the dead.

- We didn't get an incredible amount of interaction between Steph and Dick due to the Dickbats era only being around two years but the stuff we did get is very good, like she parallels Jason, Steph also parallels Dick. They both have their similarities, Bruce even saying that Steph reminded him of Dick at times, however Steph was also the batgirl to Dick's batman and when Dick starts to accept her and trust her he cares a lot about her. In the Batman reborn era where Dick, Damian, Steph and Barbara were Gotham's main protectors if Steph and Damian were siblings Barbara and Dick definitely had a parents vibe going on to the point where Dick literally called Damian and Steph 'the kids' if they were allowed to interact more I think people would have portrayed a father daughter relationship between Dick and Steph just as much as Dick and Damian have a father son relationship (Being Batman comes with Big Dad energy the moment you take up the cowl you start emotionally adopting every child you come across). Not only that but in Batfamily meetings in the Dick bats era Dick, Damian and Steph are almost always shown standing together (they're batman, robin and batgirl they're a team!) and the only time Steph isn't shown with them is when she's shown standing next to Barbara. In the 2016 Nightwing comic Dick is shown to be impressed by Steph to the point where he relies on her to hack into Strange’s files. Though Dick didn't know Steph much before she dies during the period where she was dead Dick notes how much her death affected Bruce and even tries talking about Steph with him multiple times.

- Duke though he hasn't met/ interacted with Steph, Steph is already important metaphysically to his stories. You could argue that Steph was the first We Are Robin kid in the sense that she was one of the first 'normal gotham kids' to just start fighting crime and she even made herself a home made Robin costume. Also the main antagonists of the We Are Robin kids were the Talons and the Court of Owls. You know the secret society that Steph's father was able to uncover by himself and steal from and a Talon killed Arthur Brown. So Steph has the potential to be really important to Duke's story.

- You can write so much about Steph and Jason. Jason though has had little to no interaction with Steph in comics is actually an integral character to Steph not only because DC repeatedly drew parallels between Steph and Jason (and then didn't do anything with it) from criminal fathers, drug addict mothers, growing up on the poor side of gotham, to being dead robins, to Black Mask the one who killed Steph being one of Jason's primary antagonists. Heck even in the new 52 Steph has Jason parallels what with homelessness, living on the streets and being betrayed by her own mother. Bruce's regrets about Jason are even the explanation to why Bruce used to act the way he does to Steph. Their birthdays are like a week apart, I've literally seen people jokingly call Steph 'girl Jason'. I think if Jason ever met Steph properly he'd be very protective of her like how Bruce cares a lot about Dick because they have the same tragedy yet Dick turned out as such a good person someone commented that Bruce sees Dick as the good version of himself I think Jason if he was feeling particularly angsty would view Steph as the good version of himself in the same way.

Let’s also not forget that Selina has been shown to care for Steph a great deal and even helped train her, Kate gets concerned about her emotional wellbeing and helped train her and even had Steph on her team for a little bit. Steph was Harper’s room mate and Jim Gordon states that Steph reminds him of his daughter.

Also Leslie was her guardian for nearly two years while they were in Africa and Steph had already gone back to high school before she told Tim and her mom she was alive and it was long enough that she made friends and got invited to parties but you can't register for high school without a legal guardian which we all know was Leslie which means Leslie was more likely than not, legally Steph's foster mother for the two years in Africa and for the first few weeks they were back in Gotham.

So yeah Steph is a pivotal member in the Batfamily even without DC trying so imagine what it would be like if they did use her properly.