#bruce is right this isn't the same thing... he had a baby with his robin hoodie and dating another one lol

[gothamite-rambler]

Stephanie (staring at a picture of Robin Hoodie): I don't think he did it... there's no way this fairly attractive rich man who likes Mcdonald's could have possibly done it.

Bruce glared at Stephanie for a second, but returned to reading reasoning to not respond.

Stephanie: You know what, even if he did do it...

Stephanie circled her hands together, then held out her arms, leaning back slightly.

Stephanie: You know what I mean?

Jason nodded in agreement as Bruce gave him a side glare, shaking his head in disappointment.

Duke: I... Okay, it's not right that the CEO got popped... but you piss someone off enough, like... some people though not all people will take matters into their own hands, but like...

Duke crunched the numbers in his head, then nodded.

Duke: Yeah, I see what you mean, Steph.

Stephanie: And if he's single and ready to mingle—

Bruce tossed a pillow at Stephanie's head, annoyed.

Bruce: I will call your mother and tell her how you're talking! Don't test me!

Bruce left the living room in a huff as Stephanie laughed, amused that she managed to anger the Dark Knight.

Stephanie: Jace, have you brought up he's being a hypocrite?

Jason: Numerous times before this and more after this.

Bruce (hearing them talk about him): THAT IS NOT THE SAME THING!

[prlssprfctn]

A fun little headcannon is that everyone believes Jason to prefer paperback and physical paper but he honestly doesn't care. Maybe it stems from his Robin days reading for hours in the manor library. Or how'd he always tell Bruce to write down the details of the case to solve it faster. Or even that they needed to have physical copies of each file in case the Batcomputer got hacked. It just stuck with Bruce and by extension everyone believes it.

But like he would totally love an eReader with how many books you can fit on it. Audio books are even better because he can listen to them anywhere. The man likes the stories people have to tell. How he consumes it isn't a concern. But of course he has a flare for dramatics so he plays into this misconception.

Steph: Jason, I know you'd prefer a physical book but I got a Kindle that you could use more than me.

Jason who already owns the newest model takes it and chucks it at the floor: Disgusting.

Tim at the Batcomputer: Why do we need to write up a report for Condiment King of all people. Its the third one this month!

Jason: Back in my day we would hand write each and every report.

Dick: No we didn't???

Jason magically pulling out a file cabinet with said case files.

Jason: Honestly we should start doing that again let me go ask Bruce.

Bruce: Honestly if you'd wait five more minutes someone would have come in as backup. You don't need to do everything on your own Hood.

Jason completely ignoring him because he's got books downloaded on his helmet.

Damian next to him knowing what Jason is up to because he did the exact same thing with Ra's.

YES, YES!

i think Jason loves paperback when it is his already favourite books, the ones he knows he loves and wants to annotate and explore — otherwise, he prefers to try books in e-version first. or borrow books from the library if he is in the mood. he strikes me as someone who loves supporting local libraries! plus, listens audio-books on missions and during work-outs, yep, yep.

do other family members have a wrong opinion in that in their minds because Bruce is the "heard my kid mentioning something once, now i think their whole personality evolves around this thing" type of parent sometimes? oh, fucking absolutely. does Jason love to play on the stereotype of "boomer" sibling? yeah— lol.

also, he is a type of kid who would remind the teacher about homework (i think he genuinely cared about this as a kid and didn't understand why everyone got mad, but now he knows WHY, and he will do it EVERYONE'S problem) and combined with him, writing reports on papers, i raise you this:

Bruce, tired by the end of the patrol: Had we discussed everything? Hadn't I forgotten something?

literally everyone but Jason, quickly: no, no, we are fine. ha-ha.

Jason, appearing behind them: well. actually. we all now should write our reports.

Bruce: oh, right.

Jason, smirking: here is mine, by the way. i wrote it while you are all was bickering.

Bruce: so competent! thank you, lad.

Other kids, fuming: -_-

also, the image of Jason blasting audio-books through his helmet is frying me. so, get this:

Dick: Jason is so suspiciously calm for the last few days! like, seriously. proud of him.

Tim: right? it is actually hilarious. Bruce was screaming at him yesterday, and Jason was just staring at him silently, no word, no remark... he was so quiet that Bruce instantly felt bad and apologised. like. master-tecnique. lol.

Jason, who was listening to audio-book all this time, and didn't even hear what Bruce said, just nodded when he started randomly hugging him and murmuring "my baby": whatever.

[reginalusus]

Just a sketch that I was too tired to finish... And since it's Father's Day I'm just gonna dump a bunch of my more silly (mostly) headcanons about their dynamic below, teehee.

General - They argue. A lot. About anything. Jason is the instigator. Harvey is almost always correct. - There has been a karaoke battle at some point. - They smoke far too much and smoke breaks are common occurrences during anti-hero outings. They are no longer mere breaks; they are rituals. - One of the only things they are comfortable openly bonding over is their alleged hatred of Bruce - and weapons. - Actually work very well together in combat. Jason's accurate, hard-hitting martial arts expertise and agility compliment Harvey's more elegant and violent approach. Gotham's scumbags are cooked. - They were both slain by Gotham, and reborn. They are now both living their second life - neither want to admit to each other that they find comfort that they're not alone in this. - They will take any opportunity to bring up each other's past interactions; the two-toned car, the two-story building fiasco, the kidnapping, anything. - Jason's biological father is the root cause of their most explosive, brutal fights. Both of them, however, are exhausted and have other shit to worry about, so they avoid this topic as best as they can.

Jason's POV - Teases Harvey about twos, duality and doubles to distract from the horrors. - When angry, will call Harvey 'Apollo' to piss him off. Sometimes it's 'Ex-District Attorney', with emphasis on the 'Ex'. - He doesn't like it very much when Harvey attempts to get close/connect with him; relationships are transactional. At least that's how Jason views them. - Hates being passenger in Harvey's car because he doesn't get any say over the radio. - He does view Harvey as a parental figure, or something like it, but he's conflicted. - Actually appreciates it when Harvey helps him through PTSD episodes. - Sadly, he isn't very good at helping Harvey through dissociation/depressive episodes yet. He sort of stands there like the man emoji. - Will randomly come out with courtroom related lines when Harvey does something bad, like: "Your honour, my client would like to plead Gemini," or "Your honour, in my client's defence, he didn't know the safety lock was off." - Makes jokes about Harvey's thugs all wanting to have 'a night' with Harvey. - Absolutely refuses to call Harvey "dad", even jokingly. He will have sightseen everything in Hell before that happens. - But at the same time he cries out for a father figure, one that is proud of him, that loves him. He secretly loves it when Harvey pats his shoulder or gives an approving nod.

Harvey's POV - Will make jokes about Jason being alive again to distract from the horrors. - When angry, calls Jason 'Robin' or 'Pup' (name of a baby bat) to piss him off. - Tries to bond with Jason - he *wants* to - but he's a big dumbass about it. - Does not understand Jason's music taste and doesn't have any desire to. - Views Jason as the child he never had the chance to have. In a sense, that makes him quite protective of Jason, but he hides this. He tries desperately not to be like his own father. - Is quite good at understanding Jason's emotions; he knows how to deal with his attacks and does, begrudgingly, use tips he learned from his previous therapists. - Doesn't wish to burden Jason with his own episodes. Unfortunately it's not always possible to hide them. - Just as Jason tortures him with puns, Harvey will do it right back. He'll come out with things like, "We only put up with you because you were the SECOND Robin," or "How would you like to die a second time?" - He will stand and stare awkwardly when Jason brings (sneaks) lovers back to the hideout. But he minds his business. - May have accidentally called Jason his son a few times. Or his "kid". But not to Jason directly, only in his talks between himself and Two-Face. - He likes seeing Jason happy. So many kids and young people are let down by Gotham's corruption and he'll be damned if Jason becomes a victim of it (again).

[spinstertheuncommon]

Take me to war. Come on, I dare you - Batfam x Neglected!fem!Reader

(Oneshot)

Inspired by this post by @astraeasworld !!

Reader looks and acts deathly like Martha Wayne, and it scares Bruce into avoiding and neglecting his daughter.

I did only use the 4 robins in this story, cause I kinda made Bruce a sexist dad so Cass isn't here cause I ain't doing that to her ƪ(ツ)∫ .

Title is in reference to the Crane Wives song of the same name, and it influenced the story heavily as well as the rest of their discography.

Cw: implications of unprotected sex (readers conception), neglect, postpartum depression, physically absent parent and emotionally absent parent, emotional distress and abuse, tropes of avoidant personality disorder from both reader and Bruce, tropes of paranoia from Bruce, grief, one swear.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You were the product of a lapse in judgement. A trust in a pill, a lack of rubber, and a restless night.

Now, you’ve grown to embrace your status of a regret, no matter how that title is gifted. It’s never really your fault, is it?

Your mother didn’t hide the pregnancy from your father, instead informing him of practically every aspect. Monitoring your growth, health, gender, complication’s; practically everything tangible to a baby. Your mother even asked if he wanted to gift you your middle name.

A gift he’ll say he gave irresponsibly, yet one you brandish with petty pride.

Neither of your parents desired shared custody. Your mother wished to raise her baby herself, and your father merely requested annual updates on you, masking his indifference. He had no intention to claim custody rights, and preferred to keep to himself. Said he had no intentions to raise a kid, to busy for it.

A month prior to your birth, he publicly adopted a son.

It's only so much a neighbour could offer, especially when she hardly knew them. Instead, she’d put you in your crib, and hide in her closet, wailing and trying to outcry you.

A year after that, your mother was at her boiling point. She would say that she wasn’t informed, that no one prepared her for how hard single parenting is. But the truth was that she lacked support. Her parents were to busy to just move across country from the west coast to Gotham, and her brother was unprepared to uproot his life and move from Star City, already settled down with his own partner and child. Sure they helped the best that they could, but no one, not even your mother, was prepared to move.

So she was alone.

Eventually your uncle reached out to child services to aid your mum, after she called him, weeping at her inability to parent. Due to your cousin, born with a low independence disability, your uncle couldn't house more children without concerning child services. So, you were filed, and put in a foster home until they could get a hold of your father.

8 months later, he returned their calls.

♧♧♧♧

Growing up, you learned to not ask of much from the man you called your father. Don’t expect his yes, don’t expect his time, and never expect him to remember anything.

You tended to inform Alfred of things. School trips, fund raisers, teacher-parent conferences, birthday parties you were invited to, company at dinner, extracurricular, ect. He’d set up whatever you need, get you there and back, and would even ask you questions about your well-being.

Bruce funded all these acts, courtesy of pressure from the family law court. He can't have you taken away, for he'd loose Dick too, so he let you do near everything with a wave of his credit card and an absent glance.

With this freedom, you became the golden child of the city. Using every spare second of your time to stay out of your father's way, you did every sport, from tennis to dirt biking. You were a girl scout, volunteering to sell with any troupe. You went to spelling bees and language competitions. To art groups, museums, local gigs, band practice. You volunteered at shelters, at theatre departments as a usher or techie, at soup kitchens and clothing drives. Every parent, teacher, political figure, event planner and sports player in the city knew your name. Yet you were known for being humble about it. You were shy about status and kind to a fault, not someone anyone could bully or argue with. Even when asked about how your father never showed up for awards, you took it on the chin with the grace of someone much older. 'He's just busy,' you'd say, 'I know he loves me.'

You became a brilliant liar.

♧♧♧♧

Bruce wasn’t aware of any of it. Sure he had a calendar with every single event in there, courtesy of Alfred, but he never bothered to look at it. His job was to keep you alive, not entertain you. The sand of your life kept running through the timer, yet he never bothered to know each grain.

Never bothered to know your birthday.

To the press, however, he was the dream. The father to every orphan, the money man of every hospital, the dreamy breeze under Gotham's wings, to lift them high, high above their troubles.

Never to touch the solid ground of lies below.

♧♧♧♧

You respected your brothers, as they came along. Didn't ask them anything, didn't approach for nothing. Gave them space, and occupied yourself with anything. But that distance may have aided you.

While being only a year younger than Tim, as you got older, forced to be wiser beyond your years, your older brothers would come to you with their troubles; of mind or of heart, you were the mediator.

They knew your troubles with your father, and while they never helped you through them, you helped them with their issues.

With the countless seeds of doubt and hate you've unearthed from them, Bruce should owe you limb and life. Too bad he never respected you, despite what he tells the press.

He talks big game of absolute bullshit.

♧♧♧♧

Years passed, and you got over it.

Well... not really.

You more grew a habit of biting your tongue, the worst truths bubble bitterly like bile so they hurt nobody but you.

You don't want your brothers to get wrapped up in your loose ends, so you don't acknowledge the fraying.

Instead, you graduated high school a valedictorian, went to college with a full ride scholarship paid by the Hamilton Foundation,- thank you, Great Aunt Catherine- and moved out into your own home at 22, all with money you earned in college and highschool from awards and spare jobs. You still show face at the manor, not wanting to ghost the rest of your family just because your dad didn’t like you.

You worked hard, graduating with your PhD and a research placement in England, all lined up for after graduation season ends.

And the season ends tonight.

♧♧♧♧

All scholarship programs in Gotham come together at the end of the season and host a gala, each host on rotation. This year the world decided that dramatic irony would be your greatest adversary, as your father would be hosting in honour of the Thomas Wayne scholarship.

Your father found it distressing that you'll enter with your class instead of with him. He, however unbothered he claimed to be, was aware of how much the Gotham public love you. So if he was seen beside you, as a father shaped man, then he could leech that pride of you to be his own.

How terrible is it that unfortune favours the ugly souls.

Instead, he gave you a job, one you had taken upon yourself years ago.

Be quiet.

Fine.

I can be quiet.

♧♧♧♧

You sit in your room at the manor, all members aside Alfred already left to go organise the party. Facing the dressor, one your grandmother used to use, you run your index finger around your lower lip, to rub off any excess lipstick that may have dodged your liner.

Your other hand follows the curves of the faux marble, the ivory leaves and roses smoothed out with years of embrace. You used to daydream of your grandmother sitting there, on the same poof, brushing out her pin curls before going out on the town for the night, your grandfather chasing her wild fervour.

Many a times have you been told you are the spitting image of her, a face you’ve grown into. You started following her makeup rituals she would publish for the press, writing your letters with the same flick she did. Maybe you were selfish, but seeing how your father’s shoulders would tense at your signature always gave you a little pep in your step.

You fiddle with the knobby surface of the dresser a bit more, pulling at the bud along the side.

Click

The draw drops down from underneath, revealing the secret compartment. You've known about this for years, but never shared it with anyone, for it was your little secret.

Yours, and Marthas.

Inside it held three things: a diary with a canvas cover and well loved corners, one you would read yourself to sleep to, a pen etched with Martha's name, and a long box, containing what you felt was emotional dynamite.

You never sought a need for the context of the box, but tonight, a night before you leave the country, is a night to never forget.

♧♧♧♧

You drift through the crowd, your black, sweetheart dress glides around you. A simple look. Your evening gloves land just below your armpits, each side seam dripping with pearls, to compliment the strings around your neck. The same strings that haunt Bruces dreams; his nightmares of crushing reality.

Your grandmother's prized pearls.

His mother's lost pearls.

Or, assumed lost.

But instead of retreating into the confines of the Bat-suit, he instead has to bear the reality that the ghost of his mother haunts him through you.

He is tonight's host after all.

And he hates it. Forced to beside himself with your little revenge act in front of all eyes of power. He is meant to be the beloved, single, socialite dad of Gotham, not a neglectful father. And he’s not… is he?

You take pride in yourself that night, something you were uncommon to do. But with a final lap, you soak in every stare, every congratulations, every kiss on the cheek as stamps of victory.

Never would you let your status claim you, but god, you smiled like a rich snake.

♧♧♧♧

In the morning, as you boarded the plane to England, your full name will be plastered over the Gotham news-

“Y/n Martha Wayne-L/n stuns crowds in her grandmother’s wedding pearls at the Gotham Scholars Graduate gala!”

You’re beloved Gotham, always singing your prayers as you make the public appearances that your father butchered and ignored. While he kissed babies and sponsored orphans, you volunteer at shelters and escort patients into clinics, with welcome baskets for all.

You pride yourself on the war you’ve brought; to be the constant torment to Bruces suffering.

A tourniquet to his grief, locking down all the worst parts of Bruce, never letting him let go.

The city will haunt him with you. With your image.

With his mother's face, reincarnate.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ehehehehe i had fun with this one

Gonna be posting a few more oneshots b4 getting back to the Gotham sewist chapters

Byeeee!!

Do not copy, steal, or repost my works!

[iconicname]

What I hate most about fanon woobie Tim drake is that he has to be the center of Jason's world. It literally doesn't matter what type of dynamic they have.

If they're acquaintances jason will be dumbed down and has to ask Tim for help, putting Jason in his debt.

or worse Tim will just insert himself without any social repercussions (as in no one fucking likes it when they're boundaries are violated even if they "need" it).

If you're going with the family routes where everyone is brother or sister, Tim has to be Jason's favorite brother (Dick Grayson who?). Because of how "nice and cool" he is or alternatively because tim is some poor wittle baby who needs big strong jason to take care of him.

Or jason and Tim are just "best friends" but it's never shown, jason just takes one look at this expensive saltless cracker and gets hit with the "omg child soldiers are bad! This poor kid 😟" but it only applies to Tim and Tim only.

If they're angst in the dynamic, there's never any nuance. Because they lovvveeee to hammer in the "titans tower incident😱😰😨😱😭😢😥😩" but never how tim was speaking so nasty about jason (a dead kid he did. Not. Know.) Because he was insecure.

It'd be nice if it was a story about how Tim was insecure ( not in the cutesy uwuw baby kinda way i mean the i shit on the dead because i can't handle feeling inferior to my predecessor) and Jason just didn't like him, but they work their differences and they wouldn't exactly be friends or anything but they were least acknowledge each other in a positive way through being Robin and stuff but that would never work because Tim is a character who can never be lifted without bringing others down. Because outside of Robin, he literally has nothing for him, and he knows it.

And like it's one thing if jason was like Dick. (Got fired. Had a crisis. Moved on.) because at least Jason would have the ability to defend himself/prove tim wrong whatever. But he wasn't. He was tortured to death for the cause.

The total lack of empathy from Tim is astonishing. It reflects a lot on his character. Forget Jason for a second. what type of hero shits on the lives lost to your villains?

Imagine your crying because your loved one died in a villain attack and Superman is like "ummmm they died because they fucking sucked and were inherently inferior. Not me though, I would have survived I'm better than them"

Yall don't think that attitude didn't stay when jason got revived? It definitely would, jason is the pariah, and if Tim felt safe enough to shit on a dead kid who at that point has not directly "defied batman" you think he wouldn't say that type of shit to the other robins, around jason or to his face?

Even if he didn't, jason would know because let's be real 🙄

But no, there's no nuance. Instead, jason has to grovel at Tim's superior feet, while Tim gets to feel benevolent and magnanimous with every godamn interaction.

(Also Canonically jason was basically testing Tim's mettle as Robin which Tim supposedly succeeded, thats why Jason left instead of idk knocking Tim out or something. If Tim is truly traumatized and can't be in the same room as someone who aggressively sparred with you, what the fuck are you doing out in the streets in tights you bitch baby go back home.

And if Tim isn't traumatized, the flinching and godforsaken whimpering just reeks of someone using their higher status "elite class robin" to get someone of lower class "street rat, pariah" into trouble. Like Tim going, " All I have to is flinch and act scared to get Bruce and other vigilantes to hurt you. It doesn't matter what you do, they'll never take your side. "

Which sounds ridiculous, but I've seen fics do this many times, and it's never acknowledged outside of "jason should stop being evil and keep apologize over and over"

Because fanon woobie Tim is never with fault. Even if he does something that might hurt someone, it's always overruled because he was "right" or too socially inept to understand what he did wrong thus instantly forgiven (a trait Bruce shares)

Fanon woobie Tim's feeling and conforts is always the priority, it doesn't what any other character is going through, Damian, Jason, Dick, Stephanie, Tim is automatically more important, and if another character has conflict with him that means they're in the wrong.(another trait Bruce shares)

Fanon and Canon Tim is defined by his insecurities, and he refuses to acknowledge or overcome it.

Which is why even in "jason centric" stuff Tim is always there in his face, and jason HAS to have a good opinion of him, he HAS to say you're a good robin. He HAS to say you're my favorite brother. He HAS to constantly affirm that Tim is smart and a good person. It doesn't matter if the titans tower Chapter is included or tim was on a victim blaming spree. jason has like/admire him anyway and should feel so stupid for not seeing it sooner.

[eggfriedricedwasian]

Witching Hourror Au (Hour/Horror) (TW: Cannibalism (semi-descriptive?)

Bruce is 3 for 6/8 kids that are monsters (Depending if you're including Babs and Steph as his).

He had to adjust his morals quite... a lot. The morgue wouldn't pass, it had to be fresh. He wouldn't bring himself to do it. Alfred could, but he mostly just cooked the stuff in a separate kitchen for them.

They all ate humans. It wasn't cannibalism, per se, since one was a Talon zombie, one was a werewolf, and one was a siren/vampire. Even though one was human, he isn't anymore, and his appetite for human flesh only worsened after he was taken in.

The three little monsters he's talking about are his first three Robins.

As monsters, Dick, Jason, and Tim all found mellow ground when it came to being monsters. They bonded over eating human. Although, no one knows about them being human eating monsters except for Bruce, Alfred, and Helena Bertinelli. (Tim's to thank for that one).

They don't eat human often, but when they do, one, two, or all of them go hunt for the nastiest guy they can find and kill him. They enjoy the hunt, watching their prey cowers in fear trying to out run them.

Then, they bring the food home through the backdoor of their own separate kitchen and watch hungrily as Alfred expertly(3 times the experience) cooks their human food.

They all had their favorite body parts. Dick enjoys eating the hearts. It provides him false imaginations of ripping out and eating the hearts of the Court of Owls, because he technically no longer has one because of them. Jason enjoys the limbs because they're full of meat and are the best parts to cut to shred and make jerky out of. Tim enjoys the spleen and small intestines. The spleen because he no longer had one, and as an undead mer, him not having one means eating one will taste the best. The intestines part is purely just because he likes playing with his food.

Bruce never pays mind to their eating, he just relishes in the fact that Alfred makes it look like what they're already eating for that night's dinner. Meat Thursdays after all.

Sometimes, Helena will even come knocking on the kitchen door with a body. Bruce has to bare the grunt and take it to the separate kitchen from her because she insists on using the other kitchen door because it's closest and because she has to feed her baby brother(Tim) since his dad(Bruce) ain't doing it for him.

No one knows.

The only reason they would even find out is because for some reason, let's say Council of Spiders, kidnaps all the heroes. Justice League, Titans, Outlaws, and Young Justice.

They're all locked up to where they can't move. One thing they didn't account for was the three BatMonsters. Jason, Dick, and Tim haven't eaten their food in a long while. Regular food tastes like nothing and gives them no nutrients, so it's like eating candy.

The three are starving. Writhing and groaning from how hungry they are.

"You wouldn't want your opponents to give you an unfair fight, right?"

Bruce was doing his best to get on the Council's ugly side and pray they were cruel enough to feed them human.

They were.

"Here then, some human."

The council sneered at the three as they dropped. On singular human body lay in their containment cell.

Bruce winced and closed his eyes while everyone stared in horror as the three launched and devoured the person in 3 minutes flat.

"More!"

Tim groaned out, having gone an extra two weeks without food because of a space mission.

Jason and Dick took it upon themselves to break the glass and help get their baby brother more food.

No one ever sees the three the same ever again. perhaps the Outlaws and Young Justice will be more understanding as the family outcasts though.

[ladytauria]

for ur ask game! would love to see a scene from “to have, to hold, to own” 👀👀

heheh

i decided to do tim's pov! it... got longer than i anticipated dfghjk also i only gave it a cursory proofread so i may have missed typos and stuff haha

also this got so long i'm linking the ask game at the top rather than the bottom like usual lmao

hope you enjoy anon!

[ fic author ask game ]

01. Write a scene from [insert fic] in another character’s POV

[main fic link]

“Dick, have you seen—” Tim stops abruptly, taking in the scene before him.

It takes entirely too long, as if his brain doesn't want to accept what his eyes show him to be true. He blinks once, twice, three times before the scene clarifies in his mind.

Jason is there, naked as the day he was born. Blue rope twines over his skin, holding him in a kneeling position while also emphasizing the shape of his chest, the dip of his hips, the swell of his ass, the thickness of his thighs. Contained and on display all at once. It's a position Tim has had him in before, though those ropes had been red.

His face hadn't been nearly as lax then, either—not even when he was deep in subspace.

Drugs? But—

"Hello, baby bird."

His gaze is drawn back to Dick. Something is—off about him. He looks the same as he always has, of course, but there's a subtle menace in the air. It's more Nightwing than Dick, but... no, that's not right either. Nightwing's menace is different.

And never directed at Tim.

There's something else, too; something niggling at the edge of his memory. He'd seen something, he thinks, when he first opened the door. But what was it—?

Jason stirs. "Timmy?"

His voice is slow, confused. It tugs at something in Tim. Something protective. Jason hardly needs his protection usually—but this isn't usually.

Something is wrong.

(But this is Dick's place, and Dick is safe. He's— Dick is safe.)

He swallows once. Twice. "Dick. What's... what's going on?" His own voice sounds almost distant. That's not good, he thinks. He needs to be here.

Dick smiles. It's the most beautiful thing Tim has ever seen. "Jason and I are just having a chat," he says. "You should join us."

"A chat." That sounds—nice. Tim enjoys talking to Dick. He enjoys talking with Jason, too. He finds himself drawing closer.

He's rewarded with Dick's presence at his side, an arm draping over his shoulders. Dick is— He's not quite as warm as usual, but his presence is solid. Comforting. "Yes," he says airily. "A chat. A tête-à-tête, if you will.”

Dick's hand drops from his shoulders. Tim doesn't have time to be disappointed, not when it finds his way to his ass instead, squeezing with intent.

Tim's breath hitches.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. About Gotham, about Bruce, and, well… us. And I’ve come to a conclusion.”

Tim swallows. There's something— Something almost hypnotic about Dick's voice. His gaze darts to Jason again. Jason can't quite look back at him; his gaze is cloudy, glassy. Not quite there.

Not good, whispers the voice in his brain. You need to get out. Now.

Dick's lips brush his ear. Tim can't help his shiver. "We belong together, baby bird." Dick whispers it like it's a secret, only just loud enough for Jason to hear, too. "Us Robins. Being apart only makes us miserable. Gives Bruce more opportunities to twist things, manipulate us to his liking."

Tim opens his mouth—not to argue, necessarily, but to defend Bruce. A knee-jerk reaction. He's been working on it.

Dick beats him to it.

"Oh, all for the greater good of course. But we deserve more say, don't you think?"

Yes, of course, they do, but—

“Well, yes, but— why…” He looks at Jason again, and then back to Dick.

Dick just shrugs at him. "He's pretty."

...

What?

Tim blinks at him, vaguely aware of the way Jason's breath hitches.

"Don't you agree, baby bird? I wanted to look at him… to see what you see when you spend time with him. I know it was presumptuous, but— Well. Surely you understand the temptation.”

Tim does. Jason's gorgeous, especially like this; wrapped tight in rope and trusting Tim to take care of him, to fulfill his deepest desires without ever stepping too far.

Drugs are too far.

"I... Dick—"

"Shh." Dick cuts him off. "I asked you a question. Don't you think Jason is pretty?"

"Of course I do."

Jason's breath hitches again—followed by a whimper. Tim loves that sound. These days, it's his and his alone to hear... or it should be. But Dick is here, impossibly beautiful with a voice like a siren, clouding Tim's head, making it so hard to fucking think—

He shakes his head, hard enough it almost hurts. "Dick... I'm serious. What's going on?" His voice is more solid, sure; less like it's coming through water. He searches Dick's face. He doesn't know what he expects to find, only that Dick has to know something.

Dick cups his face. His hands are cool. People are never cool when they touch Tim. "What's going on is... I love you." Tim's heartbeat ratchets up at the confession. "Both of you. All of you, all of my Robins. And I want to keep you safe, and close, and mine."

There's something almost like a growl on that last word—Tim can't help the way he shivers.

The predatory light in Dick's eyes gleams brighter. "You want that too, don't you?"

Dick's whisper is one of the most tempting propositions Tim has ever been offered. "I— Dick." He swallows. His eyes flutter.

His head is getting cloudy again.

"I know," Dick says, voice dripping with sympathy. "Come on, Timmy. It's alright. Come sit with us."

Tim looks at him, searching his face again. He's always thought Dick was beautiful, but he's never been this beautiful, has he? Perfect, seemingly unblemished, looking like he just stepped off the cover of a magazine? Tim shakes his head again, harder, his hand coming up to clutch his temple.

It hurts to fight off the fog.

But he has to.

He has to.

"Shh, baby bird," Dick whispers, drawing him even closer, pressing his mouth against Tim's skin. "Let it happen. I’ve got you. Both of your big brothers are here.”

Tim shudders. There's a part of him, one not nearly as small as he'd like it to be, that wants to give in. But—

He rips himself out of Dick's arms.

He can't.

He can't.

He presses the heels of his palms to his eyes as he stumbles backward, hoping that the pressure will help ground him. "Stop it," he snaps. "Stop— Stop it. Whatever you're doing to me—to him."

“I’m not doing anything, Timmy." Its a lie. He's lying. Tim doesn't know why but Dick is lying. This can't be Dick. It has to be—mind control, maybe. Or something pretending to be him. It does his mannerisms well, but not as well as it could. Dick is never so still. “Jason is here because he wants to be here. Isn’t that right, Jason?”

Jason's him is distinctly agreeing. "He kissed me," he reports. His voice is—dreamy. "My neck. It felt really nice, Sir."

God.

Normally the title would make Tim feel hot under the collar, but now— It's ice down his spine. A welcome chill, though. It makes things a little clearer.

“Don’t you want to join us?”

"Stop it," Tim snaps again, mouth twisting. "Let— Let us go. Dick... This isn't you."

“Oh, Timmy. This is me. I’m just finally doing what I’ve always wanted.” Dick draws closer—Tim draws back. "Please don't fight me, baby bird. I don't want to hurt you."

Dick keeps advancing.

Tim slows his retreat. As soon as he gets in arm's length, Tim lashes out with a fist.

Dick dodges, leaving Tim to stumble. He curses at himself; he's too off-balance for this.

He half-expects Dick to trip him, but instead, he manages to right himself. At the same time, he hears the door click shut behind him.

Fuck.

There's still the windows. Tim doesn't have his gear on him; he'd brought it in a backpack, but— It's fine, that's fine. Dick's apartment is near the roof. He can climb up, get to the stairs. Dick could follow him, but that would mean leaving Jason unguarded, and— Jason might be drugged right now, but, once he's separated from... whatever influence Dick has over him, he'll be able to think more clearly.

And if Dick doesn't follow him—if he stays with Jason—

Then Tim will be back. With back-up.

Or, well. Probably not back here. Dick's too smart for that; he'd leave. But Tim would track him down. He won't stop until he knows for sure Jason is safe and Dick is— Whatever needs to happen to Dick.

“I… I don’t know what happened to you, Dick, but— I swear I’m going to fix it," he promises.

Dick doesn't look discouraged by that in the slightest.

"What's... What's going on?" Jason again. He sounds clearer now. Tim can't risk looking at him, but Dick does. He takes that moment to creep backwards a little more, toward the window.

As much as Tim wants to alert him to the fact they're in danger— Jason is so loopy, his distress wouldn't be productive. He needs to stay calm until his moment to escape comes.

"Don't worry, Jay." His voice softens. "Everything is going to be okay. I've got this."

The last part is more to himself.

Dick beams at him—Tim glares back.

They circle each other slowly. It becomes clear Dick isn't going to make the first move. Fine.

Tim lunges at him.

It's not the first time he's fought against Dick. They spar all the time—or they used to—and well. The nature of vigilantism means they're exposed to all kinds of substances; sometimes they end up on opposite sides through no fault of their own. Tim knows how Dick fights. But there's something different about the way he moves, now. He's faster, stronger. Tim's hits land, but they don't seem to do the damage he expects.

Tim realizes, even before his back hits the ground, how this fight is going to go.

That doesn't stop him from trying valiantly, to get away from Dick's grip. "Let—let me go." His voice cracks around the last word.

He can feel Jason's eyes on them. He's only inches away from them right now. If Tim's hands weren't trapped, he could reach out and touch him.

This time, Tim can't stop himself from looking at him. Jason's eyes are still cloudy, but less so than before. He's fighting. Of course he is. Jason fights like most people breathe. He doesn't give up. Even if Tim fails now, they'll— They'll be okay.

He hopes.

Dick shifts on him. His cock presses against Tim's stomach. It's hard, hot, even through the fabric of his pants. Tim stills.

Dick grips Tim's wrists in one hand. The other cups his cheek. The show of strength is— Tim swallows. A new picture is painting itself in his head, and he doesn't like what it shows. Because if it's right...

This is Dick.

And he's beyond Tim's ability to save.

He'd called the killer Jason and he were tracking a vampire as a joke. He should have known better. All the crazy shit they've seen, it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths with a real one.

But...

Did it have to be Dick?

"No more fighting, Tim," he says gently. It's not a request. "Let me take care of you."

Tim's nostrils flare. Oh. Fuck him. He snaps his teeth, nearly catching Dick's thumb.

Dick frowns. “That wasn’t very nice. Where are your manners, Timmy? You’re usually such a polite boy.”

Tim snarls, thrashing against Dick's grip. Even one-handed, it holds strong. "Fuck you."

“What am I going to do with you, baby bird?” Dick asks, humming thoughtfully. “It’s not very polite to barge in, especially not when I’m trying to spend time with little wing. I neglected him, you know. You got all the attention, baby bird. I don’t see why you have to be such a brat about sharing.”

About—

"I— I'm not..." Tim shakes his head. He can feel the anger coursing through his veins, heating his body. "That's not why I'm upset and you know it," he snaps.

Dick raises his eyebrow. “Isn’t it? You never have liked to share me, baby bird. Remember how you acted when Damian came? You threw such a fit!”

It would have been kinder if Dick had slapped him. How dare he.

Tim reels back like Dick had slapped him. “I— You’re twisting things!”

“Am I?” Dick counters, his voice low. “Just admit it, baby bird. You don’t know how to handle sharing my attention. It’s partially my fault, I know… I indulged you for too long. You were just too cute!” He boops Tim’s nose, causing Tim to blink rapidly. “Don’t worry, Timmy. Your big brothers are here. I’m sure Jason will be glad to help teach you a few lessons about sharing.”

The words are spoken so lowly, so sweetly that Tim— For a second, he almost buys into them. Almost lets himself be lulled into belief that that's all this is; some petty scrap between himself and Dick over Jason.

That second passes quickly.

His struggles renew—harder this time. Dick's grip loosens, and Tim doesn't waste time, forgoing grace for speed as he scrambles to his feet and makes toward the window.

"I'm sorry, Jay," Tim says over his shoulder, voice cracking again. "I'll come back for—"

A sudden strike to the back of his neck cuts him off. His body crumbles under him—arms catch him before he hits the ground. Dick lifts him easily.

"Tim?" There's a panicked note to Jason's voice now, and if Tim could move—

If Tim could move he'd already be gone.

“It’s okay, Jay,” Dick soothes immediately. Tim glares at him. “Timmy was mistaken. He doesn’t have anywhere else to be today, so all three of us are going to spend some time together. That sounds nice, doesn’t it, little wing?”

Jason hums. It's agreement, but there's doubt laced in it.

Please, please, Tim thinks. Figure out what's going on. I know you can, Jay. Between the two of us we can get out of this.

Dick sets Tim down by the bed. He pulls out a box. There's nothing good in there, Tim's sure. Sure enough... Dick pulls out more of that blue rope, the same kind that's binding Jason. He doesn't bother undressing Tim the normal way. He just rips right through Tim's clothes—Tim's leg twitches slightly. He can't kick him, but oh, he would sure like to.

Dick makes quick work of binding him in the same position as Jason—with one exception. He secures Tim's hands behind his head rather than his back.

And then Dick gets out a muzzle.

Tim's eyes go wide—but he can't fight it, can't do anything at all as Dick secures the bit inside the muzzle between his teeth and then locks the contraption behind his head.

He pats the side of Tim's face when he finishes—condescending.

The anger burns. It fills his chest, making it tight, heavy; there's no way to express it, not when the nerve strike is still keeping him limp, pliable.

When he gets out of this...

When he gets out of this, he's going to make Dick regret this.

[celaenaeiln]

Do you think (I hope this doesn't sound as if I hate the batkids but im just genuinely curious), if the bat kids (Jason, Tim, Damian, Steph, etc) came earlier, like Robin Dick and Batman when they have still a rather good(?) relationship and before Dick leaving and before canon time of Bruce meeting Jason) met Bruce, will he take them in and/or adopt them?

Tbf, Dami is biological son so Bruce might take him in either way, but what do you think?

No it doesn't sound like that at all! :)

Honestly I don't think it would've mattered if any of the robins had met Dick and Bruce when they had a good relationship. First of all, Bruce only took in Jason because he missed Dick and wanted a Robin. So if Dick was still with Bruce, Bruce would feel no desire or thought to take in anyone. Furthermore, Jason isn't the first troubled talented kid that Bruce has met over the years. Bruce and Dick have been solving cases and helping such kids for years so Bruce taking in Jason during Dick's absence was more of a "right place at the right time" sort of thing.

For similar reasons, that's also why he wouldn't have taken in Tim. Bruce took in Tim under Alfred and Dick's encouraging and also because Tim made a good point about Batman needing a Robin. B was literally killing himself through self-destructive techniques because Jason died and grief does that to people. He lost a robin. If Dick had been the one that died during his Robin years, then Tim might have ended up Robin but it's debatable because he would've been younger than 13 at the time. But if he waited until he was old enough, then Bruce would've killed himself in grief by then. However since Dick is still alive, healthy, and on great terms, Tim wouldn't have entered the picture. Although, if he worked up the nerve to reach out to Dick sooner, Dick would've had a new baby brother a lot earlier.

Stephanie only became Robin because Bruce was trying to manipulate Tim to come back. He knew that Tim would hate him if he endangered his loved ones so by making Stephanie robin, Tim would have to return because he knows the dangers of being Robin. So no Tim, no Stephanie.

Damian. Damian would become Robin and that's canon! THERE'S ACTUALLY A SAME AGE DICK AND DAMIAN STORY!!!!

In this story, Talia suddenly drops off Damian with Bruce and he finds out that his father has another kid-Dick. It's a heart warming story of them getting to know each other with Raven, Gar, and Maxine.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #1

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #1

When the tracker doesn't work he gets really worried so he calls Bruce about it. And Bruce is just like, "Whatever, it'll be fine, Dick. He was raised by assassins, he can take care of himself. I need to go."

But Dick is in full Big Brother Mode. So what does he do? He spies on Damian through CCTV cameras and then gets even more worried that Damian might be kidnapped or involved in something dangerous because oh my god there's random people whose identification don't come up with Damian.

So Dick then rushes out of the manor and goes on a road trip, tracking him down. Damian's friends are surprised and creeped out to see a guy and when Damian looks, he is not happy. Damian does not like Dick. But Dick in any universe will always be a responsible older brother.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #1

At this point Dick is fed up.

Is that what Damian wants? Fine.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #1

So they have a bunch of mini-competitions from archery to hacking to parkour to fighting to etc and Damian's getting more and more frustrated that he keeps tying while Dick is in it for a good time. I think Dick's genuinely happy about this because he's viewing it as a bonding experience but everything comes to head when Damian reaches his limit

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #2

Things don't get better but the event progresses because Slade's wife Adeline (to whom he's still married to) is working with an evil organisation that collects metas and non-humans is searching for Gar so they need to do something fast. There are also flashbacks from Damian's side of him being jealous that Bruce trusts Dick so much and how perfect he is which don't help. It makes Damian really furious that Dick doesn't even realize how Bruce trusts him and instead acts like he's best friends with Damian which just serves to tick him off more.

Dick and Damian end up working together, find out about Kori, escape Slade, and all's great in the end. They become the brothers they were always meant to be.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #2

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #2

And then it becomes the real formation of the teen titans. Dick and Damian - brothers for life.

I wish there was an entire series on this! I want to see the continuation.

Putting aside the logistics of whether they would meet or not, if Dick had met any of the robins at any age, he would've adored the heck out of them. I think they all would've ended up in Damian's position but they would definitely warm up to him by the end because it's impossible not to love Dick, especially if he loves you.

There's also a canon comic moment where Robin! Tim meets Robin! Dick, and they get along far better than Damian and Dick here but still the same emotions run in the scenes.

Robin (1993) Issue #10

While Dick and Tim solve a case, Tim is just amazed by Dick.

Robin (1993) Issue #10

Robin (1993) Issue #10

He's a little salty too. "Dick's going to beat me to the punch. I'm older than him. At this point I've got more experience than him. And he's got me playing catch-up. The little gloryhound..."

Robin (1993) Issue #10

"Like I need him to remind me."

Robin (1993) Issue #10

The way Tim and Damian feel the same way - it's two different comics, but they both feel stressed by Dick for the same reasons.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #2

They feel like the need to live up to Dick but Dick doesn't feel that they have anything to prove because he just genuinely likes them for who they are. This feeling is a source of friction on the Robins' side, but it's also important they have this because you can't really know someone if you don't overcome your differences. The fact that they have to learn about each other brings out both of their greatest strengths.

Like in the Robin comic, Tim suspects something is off and Dick goes along with it. Tim's right and in the end they catch the bad guy and figure out the escape plan.

Robin (1993) Issue #10

To which Dick says, "Oh yeah! I can see how you got your job. Robin."

Robin (1993) Issue #10

Tim's happy face <3333

Overall, I'd say that Bruce wouldn't take any of the Robin in during Dick's younger days. But if he did, Dick and the Robins would become the best of brothers.

Oh but you know what'd be exciting? Dick and Stephanie's same age Robin au! Tim, Damian, and Jason's would all be sort of the same. They would struggle with Dick's standing but love him possessively in the end. But I have no idea how Stephanie and Dick would go. Of course they would love each other but same age brother and sister?! I WANT THAT SO BAD!!! Their dynamic would be crazy!! The amount of grey hairs Bruce would have? The ultimate chaos duo, they'd feed into each others' energies! Gotham would be a goner.

[camillomea]

red ghost new episode

okayyyyy. soooo. since ao3 doesn't open, i don't want the chapter to go to waste, so i'll put it here. enjoy reading I would be happy if you could express your thoughts

When Red opened his eyes, he felt relaxed and safe. There was a hand on his head. He opened his eyes and Harley was next to him, "Hey baby" he said smiling.

Red said "Hello Miss Harley". Harley asked "Hello little red. How are you?"

Red said "I'm fine and you".

Harley said "I felt pretty good when I saw you".

Red said "Nice to see you too baby. You're hungry, breakfast is ready". Red nodded silently and sat up. Harley ruffled his hair. Red got up and went to the bathroom. He came out when he was done in the bathroom. The table was ready. He sat down.

Ivy asked "Did you sleep well Red".

Red said "Yes Miss Ivy. Thanks for letting me stay".

Harley said "Oh sweet baby you'll always have a place here". Red hummed quietly. He started eating. It was obvious that he liked it very much. The 3 of them were eating breakfast. While Red was quieter, he listened to the two of them talking and chatting. He was comfortable among them. He knew he was safe.

Bruce was in his office. He was looking over the reports in his hands but he couldn't focus. His mind was constantly on his 3rd Son. He had nightmares about him all the time when he was asleep. When he was awake, he couldn't get his son out of his mind. When the door opened, he was lost in thought again. It was Jason. He looked angry. Bruce said, "Jayland, I thought you weren't going to stay here today," he said with a smile. He froze when he saw Jason's expression.

Jason said, "Timmy."

Bruce said, "Jayland."

Jason said, "Oh my god, it really was him." Jason said, "Oh my god, it really was him."

Bruce said, "Jay."

Jason said, "DON'T CALL ME JAY! HOW DID YOU NOT SAY ANYTHING? HOW DID YOU NOT TELL ME BEFORE? HOW LONG HAVE YOU REMEMBER?!" he shouted.

Bruce said, "Do you think I've been remembering for a long time. Would it be the same as last time? Even Alfred, the oldest one, remembered about a year ago. I'm not sure how long Timmy remembered. But this time he never tried to be Robin. Yes, he was still in touch with us, we were working together in the city, but if there was one thing he said clearly, it was that there would never be a bat. So he's probably remembered for a while. I remembered right after you showed up as Red Hood. Dick remembered when Dami came back. As for why we didn't tell you. What did you expect me to tell you? "Oh, we're living our second life, he's your little brother who committed suicide because of us" he said.

Jason flinched. Bruce remained silent.

Jason said "he hates us". It wasn't a question.

Bruce said "no, more like he stopped feeling anything about us".

Jason ran his fingers through his hair, groaned "who else knows" he said.

Bruce said "I'm not exactly sure but I know some of the Rouges know. Tim usually goes to Ivy's to get away from us, and Ivy isn't one to swindle us to keep us away from him," he said.

Jason snorted. “Tim was always Rouge’s favorite. If Tim had agreed, he would have probably been adopted by them a long time ago.”

[fae-morrigan]

hi…I was thinking about your jay/damian step-brothers au (I hope I got the right blog bc I searched through your blog and didn’t find anything but like I’m so sure it was you), but anyway…any scraps you have about this au that you can share…pleaseee

like their initial reactions and whether or not this is something Damian would flaunt, or anything else you have 🙏

How about a little more than just some scraps? For you, my lovely anon, who asked about the thing I've been circling in my brain for WEEKS?!

Sara and Talia get together when Damian isn't born yet. It starts as just a convenience thing, putting aside their nasty breakup as college students to raise their kids with a more unified/powerful house. And then of course they re-catch their feelings and their marriage becomes For Love.

Jay, who's of course around 6 (and just lost his other mom) thinks Damian is a very ugly baby. He comes around eventually.

Sara and Talia's respective influence on their sons ends up changing a lot about these two in this AU.

For one, Jay, like Damian, is trained from combat from childhood, and ends up taking a specialty in bladed weapons (where Damian is more of a jack of all trades). He ends up also being a lot less shy and even is actively assertive even before the experiments, making him a bit of an oddball in Gamorra (which retains Japan's culture of politeness) but also a bit of a leader. He ends up taking after Talia in terms of her strategic cunning when it comes to people, more than willing to pluck a person out of the crowd if he thinks they have a shared goal.

Meanwhile, with Sara's influence (specifically kicking Ra's to the curb immediately because only son boy allowed and Gamorra MORE than has the resources to tell him to shove it) Damian has a much more... Normal isn't the word, but happy is, childhood. They still have their grand political goals that these two are being raised to help realize, but Gamorra has a huge culture of 'it takes a village' when it comes to kids and so from the start Damian sees himself less as the top of a lateral hierarchy and more a leading part of a grander horizontal convoy.

(I'll elaborate a bit on Ra's in a later post once I pin down Jon & Nika in this au. Stay tuned!)

The fall of Gamorra goes, somehow, even worse. Talia and Sara in this au are not above rigging the election to make sure Bendix, Least Obvious American Plant Ever, doesn't win and take control of all their combined assets, except Bendix decides an election is for suckers and in this au just straight up stages a coup with American backing. Both Talia and Sara get captured: Sara gets taken first, with Talia and Jay getting captured together while ensuring Damian escapes to Bruce.

Damian's first meeting with Bruce in this au is not precipitated by his final birthday victory over Talia- In this AU, they never played that game at all, as Damian had zero interest in ever knowing his father (why dad when perfectly good two moms?). Rather, its precipitated by being the only survivor of his family when imperialism came knocking.

He still becomes Robin, and he still has an arc around learning the true power of violence and Why Killing Is Bad, but its with a different set of challenges: Rather than trying to help Damian unlearn his arrogance and deep-rooted trained violence, Bruce has to help Damian overcome his survivors guilt. Part of Damian's motivation for staying Robin and becoming the strongest is to save his mothers and his brother here.

He hates the other bats even more at first, here. They're not Jay, so why bother? His brother is gone.

Jay's story also goes almost the same but with slight differences- He still finds the revs, and still founds The Truth, and still sets out on a quest to exploit and destroy Bendix, but....

Everyone he exposes in The Truth's pages as helping Bendix's regime? Yeah, he kills them. With a sword.

(Also he's a bit of an arrogant dickhead here because he immediately gets to the revs and decides it is HE who is in charge. Dont worry, they soften him up a bit.)

The plot of this au formally kicks off when Robin (Damian), during the We Are Robin arc (which plays out almost entirely the same) gets wise to a string of mysterious murders that has seemingly migrated from Metropolis to Gotham.

I'm really proud of these designs btw, lol. Jay's especially.

Thanks for asking! I'll have more on this AU soon and will absolutely accept any more questions you guys have.

[zahri-melitor]

Okay, I see the angle of the complaints but you all really should chill out: Z starts Tom Taylor's Nightwing run

I am exactly one story arc into Taylor's Nightwing and I wanted to pause right at the start and chart out my feelings, because I do try to avoid commenting on these things until I actually see them myself, and I want a record of my feelings right now, where I just finished the Ric Grayson arc.

The problem isn't 'this is a bad Nightwing run' or 'this is an uncharacteristic Nightwing run'. I've read those. This is not Bruce Jones with TentaTodd or Tony S. Daniels' frankly meandering DickBats run on Batman (or Judd Winick's overlapping 'what if this was actually about Jason not Dick' stories) or the multitude of 'this isn't right for Dick' problems with the Seeley & King run of Grayson, or the entire Ric Grayson saga.

Because look, from the opening moves of this story, Taylor's doing a whole bunch of things that signal that he knows the stories he's working with.

It's set in Blüdhaven. It's using existing supporting cast who should be around. It's reflecting on and referencing previous Blüdhaven stories and and parts of Dick's background and linking things up and picking up old stories to work with.

Even just take Nightwing #78, the very first issue of the run, the first issue of Nightwing under Infinite Frontier policies: we see Taylor picking up the threads left by Tim Seeley's run, and dumping in a decent selection of Chuck Dixon and Devin Grayson references.

The very first thing Taylor has Blockbuster do is twist someone's head off, which is the exact same beat Blockbuster had on his introduction as a Nightwing villain in Nightwing #6 1996. My instantaneous thought was "oh shit, are we going to run a Dudley Soames plot?" because that's preboot Blockbuster. That's the guy who haunted Dixon and Grayson's runs, with a level of very personal violence that wasn't as clear in Seeley's portrayal.

Dick immediately points out his apartment building, which he owns, and which by implication he plans to have as affordable housing. Dick's apartment complex is obvious important during the Dixon and Grayson runs right up until it blows up. His apartment is empty looking and sad, because Dick's just moved back in; because Dick's terrible at unpacking; because Dick doesn't decorate until he feels comfortable with his situation.

He also sets up the first indications of the Heartless parallels he's planning to build.

Taylor's calling out the falling-and-catching themes of Nightwing and explicitly building them in and acknowledging how important they are to ground a run in terms of Dick's motivations and his fears.

It's even, as one of the markers I like to point out, using a Flying-Graysons-In-Robin-Costumes reflection from Bruce Redondo, and the choice of which costume to put the Flying Graysons in does actually say a lot about the trajectory and beats of the plot. It means Dick is being reflective and looking back and relying on his background, not pushing Bruce and his childhood away.

Also in the 'this is Infinite Frontier, it's all back baby!!!' category that I noticed: Dick's past as a cop is referenced; Barbara's law degree (though Dick having one as well is new-to-me); Barbara is tracking Dick and has eyes-on him (both the mask lens camera but also fond memories of Babs just having cameras all over Dick's apartment and him being perfectly fine with her 'watching'); Tim is the very second visitor Dick gets (after Babs) and the first thing they do is make terrible jokes and go train surfing; and Tim naming the dog a terrible pun (which he used to do to Dick's car and so on just to annoy him). And that's just stuff that immediately leapt out at me and not all of the layers and layers of artist and writer references layered in in the tribute way comics do.

He's even using the right villains, from Dick's actual rogues gallery: Brutale! Electrocutioner! Using the Maronis alongside Zucco for drama is clearly leaning into The Long Halloween and Dark Victory for a Dick origin! Dick does actually have the various Gotham crime families as an ongoing set of shared villains because Two-Face is one of his major enemies in his set of Gotham Rogues and all the themes around that.

The problem isn't that Taylor doesn't know what he's working with, or that he doesn't know where to pitch a Nightwing run, or that his writing sucks. It's that he doesn't deliver on the potential he's offering, and that's what is aggravating because it's close but not quite exactly what people want (but that's also the zone that generates some of the best fanfic, because the potential is there and people want to fix it).

My other immediate impression is that Taylor does, yes, fail to think through the implications of what he's just set up, in any meaningful sense. Which is probably why I've found his single issue stories and minis are generally fine to read; there's not enough space for the situation that's just been set up to come back around and whack the characters in the head; and in a longer run and some of what Taylor is setting up here, there are all sorts of threads possible to set up that you should expect to come back around and cause Dick problems later on, and from what everyone's said Taylor's had issues delivering on that.

Taylor gives Dick a fortune via Alfred's estate because he wants to play with the idea of Dick stepping into that role of philanthropist that Bruce is currently unable to occupy, and reflect on the differences between the characters. And it's a late delivery from the executor (Barbara) due to the whole Ric Grayson situation, so we don't actually see what other distributions Alfred made in his will: if he left anything for any of the other children he helped to raise; if he left anything for his own daughter Julia Pennyworth, and so on. (It's also a reflection of Bruce showing up and giving Dick his trust fund from his parents early on in Dixon's run to allow Dick to finance setting up as a vigilante, I will note)

It's a convenience for the plot. It's also clearly "Taylor hasn't stopped to think through how this would affect any other character". And look, he doesn't have to; he's writing Nightwing, not the entire Bat book line, and so a full discussion of probate is a bit silly in a book that does not and probably will not ever contain Julia Pennyworth.

It really feels like the problem is it's 'close enough but not quite' that the small aggravations build up on people, to the point that all they see is their frustration rather than the fact that at least 80% of the story is targeted in the right zone, where people want it to be.

(And hey! I will also say that, for instance, I find Tim Seeley's Nightwing run specifically to also fall into that 'close but not quite' zone where it gets Dick and it gets what a Nightwing story should involve, but tragically Seeley is more interested in elaborating plot beats that I would prefer to leave lying and focuses on things I would overlook in favour of more-interesting-to-me storytelling opportunities. It happens. Seeley's a huge fan of a bunch of elements of Devin Grayson's Nightwing stories that, while I am a Devin defender, are definitely not beats that I would be prioritising in terms of rescuing from her work)

It's just to me... "I really wish Taylor wouldn't tie off things quickly and neatly and solve situations within an issue or two" and "I wish Taylor was better at long term payoffs" and "that has a bunch of unfortunate implications that aren't played out" and "the characterisation is too nicey-nice and smoothed over" are accurate complaints from what I've seen so far, but they're also reflecting on how to take adequate or good to great, rather than "this is a title lost in the wilderness, please bring it home" like a bunch of people are acting that it is.

[ziipzeepzop-eez]

OKAY SO-

I had an idea for a silly goofy au where Damian, Jon, and reader are like the scooby gang and go around solving mysteries.

Reader is like a magic user, and they're job is to keep the evil entities away from everyday people, (Like Supernatural! But kid friendly🩷)

Damian has been stalking them as Robin and that's how the supersons get involved in the mystery gang.

It's just wholesome crime solving amongst the baby heros, and they have fun adventures (that sometimes end in sleepovers).

It think it would be funny too if paranormal assistance was needed and Dickie walks in on the three of them performing a seance in the theater room-

"What the hell is happening right now?"

"Magic."

"..."

"Why."

"Because, Richard. It is important for our investigation."

"Okay." *Turns to leave*

"No, no, no. You have to stay until I close the ritual so the spirit doesn't attatch to you. :D"

"WHAT-"

But he can't complain, because at least little wing is making friends...?

Bonus if Bruce has no idea where Damian is going almost every night. Like he just dissapears for a few hours then just returns wuth Jon and no explaination.

Clark and Lois know obvi because Jon is just so excited to tell his parents all about the latest mystery.

I know this isn't alot but I have more but I think imma go take another nap rq-

Imma sleepy-

NORMIEEEEEE AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Nono because--

I'm-

How'd you know that my absolute weakness is the Supersons with a same age reader completing the baby hero trinity??

I'M NOT JOKING IT'S SERIOUSLY ONE OF MY FORGOTTEN SOFT SPOTS FOR THESE GOOBERS!!!! I remember a long time ago when I read this headcanon post about the Supersons with a reader who was the child of Wonder Woman and they were basically the Big Three next gen!! 🥹🥹 I have no clue where it's at now :sobs: BUT IT WAS REALLY GOOD AND FUELED MY LOVE FOR DC CIRCA 2015-2017!!!!

Now. As for YOU, my dear boba bubble.........

*deeeep breath in-*

FRICK YEEEEAAAAAAHHHH

THEM!!! THE KIDS EVER!!!!!!!! BEING A LIL SCOOBY DOO GANG!!!

I ain't gonna tell no tall man's tale, as SOON as I got this gist for this - the Scooby Doo theme song was playing in my head and now I can't stop imagining it with them getting into funny dramatic thematic situations:

It's just-

🎶 WHAT'S NEW SCOOBY DOO? COMIN' AFTER YOU ✨🏃🏽‍♀️💨 WE'RE GONNA SOLVEEE THAT MYSTERY!!🎶 and it's all a rush of cutscenes of the Big Little Three getting into all kinds of fun supernatural filled shenanigans — crazy and wild and sometimes very scary, but they've all got each other's backs.

Point being: yes yes, 100% yes.

Magic user?!??!!?!?!!! THAT MEANS.... MAGIQUE~~~ (◠‿・)—☆

let's say bro (you) can fly - maybe not as often nor as naturally as Jonny boy, but hell you can levitate for more than a few minutes at a time, it's something!

you both take turns carrying Damian - the only non-flyer of the group lmaoooo

you're all the "middle man" between you all at one point or another. sometimes dami leads with his head and instincts; you and jon reel him in. sometimes jon leads with his heart and just finally fudging snaps because even the sweethearts go apeshit sometimes - you and dami do damage control and console the poor boy in the emotional aftermath. sometimes, you either lose yourself to the supernatural aspect of it all: it's either a overflowing, overwhelming rush of magic that zaps you dry and you're withered to a delicate, fragile thing in your own destructive aftermath or you go full on Avatar (tla) State and become something just shy of not human and need to be tethered back to the ground by your boys.

whatever the case may be, you all work around and through it all. you adapt to each other's needs. you're all there for each other, no matter what.

The bit with Dick and the seance. In the Manor, no less. I applaud you - it's too canon not to be.

You, hands glowing and a little too cheerful - like this is normal (it is. to you, at least) but still wary: "WAIT DON'T LEAVE YOU'RE NOW A LIABILITY TO THE DEMONS!!"

Dick:

Yoooooo, imagine pulling up to the function while Dami's at school LMFAOOOOOOO

HE'S IN A LAB OR ART CLASS JUST VIBING AND HAPPENS TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW TO SEE YOU: LEVITATING AND WAVING FRANTICALLY TO HIM AND JON RIGHT BESIDE YOU, LOOKING EXTREMELY SHEEPISH AND WAVES INNOCENTLY:

Damian: Oh, Grandfather's head on a stick.

Classmate: Woah! What happened? *sees Damian looking right past them to the window, also looking like he's about to have an aneurysm*

Classmate: Bro, what-? *goes to turn*

Damian: *grabs them by the shoulders and turns them around* AH YA- YOU- YOUUuuuknow, what? It's nothing at all. Nothing of the sort. It was . . . a bird. Yes. A bird. It flew away. But I must leave now.

Classmate: *stunned* I-uh- okay-?

Damian: *gathering his things while retaining intense eye contact* Yes.

Classmate: ......... Bro you good? Seriously-

Damian, interrupts: It would seem I have a . . . Previous engagement. I'll tend to the bird on my way.

Classmate: Oh-

Damian, already out the door because you just deactivated your levitation spell and just, went right parallel downwards without a word and Jon panicked and flew down after you to try and catch you and the both of y'all disappear from his view and most likely ate absolute shit in the school's compost bin outside the window: Your understanding is appreciated.

Classmate: .......................

Classmate: It's first period??

LMFAOOOOO AND AS FOR CLASSMATE, bro's weirded out but probably unaffected nonetheless because Dami has a rep for being a little weird and disappearing out of the blue from time to time but is a relatively pleasant classmate nonetheless!

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

Damian, Jon, and you being the next Big Little Three.......

But there's magic and ghosts involved!!! 👻✨

Idea: maybe you end up being Zatanna's apprentice/family member and inherited your magic through that! Orrrrr, you're just a freelance magic user, a bit of a vagabond of sorts, a total enigma and have it under your belt, no mentor, just doin' your own thing. (Miles Morales ref. 🙌)

Either way, you're a well-meaning kid with a good heart and have an absolute time hassling all these spirits like cattle back to the netherworld that nobody else can see.

Kinda like Danny Phantom!! (I loveeee dc x dp) or somethin' to that effect haha.

Wouldn't it be even funnier if reader has like, no known records? At all? They just showed up one day and came to clean out the supernatural aspects of the city ('ole goth here's messed up enough without all the vengeful ghosts in it! just doin' a little favor, no? *blows a kiss*') and gets roped into the adventure- and friendship/found family circle- of a lifetime.

Stakeouts that turn into sleepovers at the Manor. Very rarely down at the farm in Metropolis, but sometimes!! Big open cornfields, it's a hotpot for Prime Supernatural Activity. You make insufferable jokes (even tho they're like, true) and Damian scolds you for scaring Jon. Tt.

But you save his favorite cow Betsy from getting attacked by some random ghost demon and Jon nearly crushes your ribs in a hug.

As for Damiiiii, bro- I came up w/ something--

You pop up at some Wayne gala inexplicably at first.

Damian spots you for the first time (y'know, before y'all all become friends hueheuhueuhue *chokes, coughs*), completely out in the open, and spews his drink.

He'd immediately stomp over to you, aghast, because what in all the names of the Lazarus Pit are you doing here?! He'd been stalking you for weeks from afar! He was a master of stealth!! How did you even manage--

I- what? No, he does not like your outfit! It's rather spiffy, you say? HE DOESN'T CARE! THAT'S THE LAST THING HE'S THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW?? How did you even GET IN??

He's steaming and flustered while also trying to not make a scene because the place is crawling with socialites and high society aristocrats whereas you're cool, calm, charming, blending in too well as you down your own drink. [It's icy apple juice.] and just, bamboozles him further.

'Excellent year,' you suddenly say rather seriously, peering down into your glass of icy apple juice with an impressed expression, effectively cutting off Damian, who was in the middle of a hushed, barely watered down tirade.

Y'all stare at each other for all of two nanoseconds and the events happen as follows:

you turn a bottle of iced apple cider to Damian (where did you even manage to nab one?), pointedly at the label to further explain your comment,

he slaps it out of your hand in a rush of overwhelming emotion and thereby catches the attention of everyone within y'all's general vicinity,

BOOM - you're both circled out and being stared down from all sides.

Damian wants to crawl in a hole and die, maybe.

You raise your hand and twiddle your fingers in a sweet wave and- you- that's when he sees it-

Sparkles. Real, genuine, sparkles. Come right out from your fingertips.

Damian is at a loss while you suddenly garner an audience!! An applauding audience!!! What the hell is going on-?

You disappear in a puff of smoke! Oh my!!

And in a grandiose puff of sparkles and thematic smoke (it's like regular smoke but cooler), you reappear with a flourish on the stage on the other side of the room! Thereby catching everyone's attention.

"Good eveninggggg, my fellow Gothamites! Wowza, I see some sexy faces here tonight! *twirls magician's hat and releases an entire army of butterflies* Enchanted to see you all! I'm (Name) and I'm your prime rib for the night! (cue pulling a whole ass pig, cute and with a bowtie, out from the inside of your coat) Or so to speak!"

Gasps and claps arise from the audience!

Damian is terse, a little terrified, and a little impressed. And he watches the entire time as you pull off a literal magic show! An interactive one, too!

Afterwards, you stand in front of an enchanted crowd and bow with a proper flourish; when you peek out over the rim of your hat, you make direct eye contact with Damian, a mischievous smile playing at your lips.

A proper introduction for you, your Highness? - echoes in his mind. Magic.

That's when he knows. He knows, he's in for a wild ride.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I'VE STARTED AND NOW I CANT GET ENOUGHHHHHH OMGGGGGGGG

(Also! Dick would totally be gushing over y'all all the time. His baby wing made friends! And such Good Ones too!! Awwwww! <33)

(And Damian just snaps at him to be quiet, orrrr frowns from where he's trapped in between you and Jon in a group hug. He secretly, not-so-secretly loves it.)

[starsapphire]

3, 10, 12, 22 for the violence asks

answered 3 at the bottom

10. worst part of fanon

i couldn't decide so i went into the dc tag to see what horrors may lurk within and then had to go do something else for an hour to recover. anyway i think maybe... there's this tendency in fanon to make all of the bats nice. nice to each other, nice to their teammates, nice to strangers. and they're not nice people. i don't mean that they're (all) bad people or needlessly cruel and unkind. i mean they're not nice people. they're rude and they're assholes and they hurt each other and they hurt their friends and they insult people. to make #batfam content work they need to be sweet and pleasant to one another and not hate each other and frankly that's not how it is. wayne family adventures only works because they're nice to each other! the real, canon batfamily (as in wayne family not necessarily the entire group of allies) is a bunch of people who are technically family but it's held together by spite and pipecleaners. in actual canon, dick and bruce fight all the time, and bruce says hurtful things, and jason is a mass murderer before he's ever even like, despised coworkers with any of his siblings. tim is not a sweetie who rolls over and shows his belly when bruce gives orders. dick is not a doting big brother "mama bird". babs loves bruce but she very much does not give a shit what he thinks, and he is NOT her father. they are not a nice, perfectly-balanced nuclear family. they are a bunch of horrible people with mental issues. what the fuck is a little wing i'm going to kill you

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

AMADEUS CHO. and i'm not talking champions-era totally awesome hulk amadeus cho. i'm talking incredible hercules era. off the fucking shits. calling people cunts. including government officials. taking occupied helicarriers out of the sky. destroying government property. doing it all on a modified gameboy. his weird toxic relationship with a gorgon. taking over a multibillion dollar conglomerate from the gods themselves. his best friend being a 3000 year old himbo. the coyote pup plotline. breaking into banner's lab multiple times. going to hell because he might as well. him being a cunt to total strangers. he's such an asshole you don't understand how much i adore him 😭😭 mark waid's champions amadeus was a rare flop unfortunately

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

all of it timsteph... they're so fun i love them so much... i know steph gets in the way of shipping tim with boys and interfering with yaoi is unforgivable or whatever but their relationship is such a huge part of who both of them are as characters. like they're so... sorry i don't have coherent language skills ever but they're like. you know. they. tim took steph to birthing classes. he held her baby. steph saved his life. they do crosswords together. did u know that. and don't get me wrong! their relationship had a lot of bad parts. i honestly don't think they were right for one another romantically, especially at the time. they both had a lot of growing up to do. but they love one another in a way that's beyond platonic or romantic. they need each other. steph is silly where tim is too serious and she's serious where tim isn't. they balance one another out in the best way

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you’ve seen on tumblr

these are from the same post. i promise you someone the extent of whose interaction with batman and robin is the phrase "batman and robin" is not shipping br*dick. they don't know what that means. like, either of those words. i'm pretty sure if you told literally any normal person that robin is actually batman's son, they would be disturbed. and i promise you that your incest yaoi has bever been "vanilla" and "completely unproblematic". go outside

[astorianyxkings]

Dick Grayson is a hyperfixation I'll never get over and him being prepared to be the next Batman is something I physically can't get over. Let's get into it.

Dick's filled in for Batman before, whenever Bruce needed to make a public appearance or when Vicki Vale starts her whole "never seen Mr Wayne and Batman at the same time" thing. And you know he's pretty good at filling in for Batman, criminals and villains can't really tell the difference when he does, but the Bats can, because Dick is Dick and they know him.

But this was different. Bruce was gone (dead, maimed, lost to the world, take your pick) and Dick picked up the mantle. And at first no one really batted and eye, he's been in the suit hundreds of times by now, this isn't gonna be very different.

Except it is. Because even in the cave, there's no smiles, no quips, puns or jokes to make them groan, no stories about things he remembers doing as Robin when dealing with a certain villain. There's none of the Nightwing left in him. There's just Batman now. And you know they thought things wouldn't be so bad, they thought they could laugh with him, talk about how he's "like the old man now, huh Goldie?" but they can't.

Because seeing him in the Batsuit looks right and that feels so damn wrong. This isn't who he is, this isn't what he wants. Nightwing may be like Batman in theory but ask anyone who's fought them both, they're different entities. One of them still has hope.

And it's borderline freaky because he even acts like him. The JLA and their teams love to tease the Bats about how they all have the same mannerisms, like a creepy bat cult. But this is weird because Dick's acting exactly like Bruce, like he's freaking possesses by him.

He sits the way Bruce would, he stands in the shadows the way he would, he fires his weapons the way Bruce would. He has the goddam gravelly bat-voice down the way Bruce perfected it. He is Batman, and it's so wrong.

It's also a moment of realization for them, because even though they're all fast learners, they can't perfect being Bruce the way he does. This isn't something he perfected over weeks or months, this had to be in practice for years.

For years Dick Grayson trained himself to not only embody his own persona as Robin and then Nightwing, but to also be the ultimate clone of Batman. It makes their skin crawl, Dick was the eldest, he was the first Robin. Jason liked to say that Bruce may have been the ring leader but Dick started the cult. But this? His ability to be Batman, to turn himself into Bruce? Into their father so easily? It's a transition that sets them all on edge.

The Bats are quite that first night on patrol. Damian's with Dick because duh Batman and Robin. But the baby bat keeps shifting, his eyes darting back from the streets they're watching to Batman's shadow in the corner of his eyes. Because he feels like throwing up. He's partnered with Nightwing before, and secretly he loves it because Nightwing in Blüdhaven is like breathing in fresh air after Batman in Gotham. But now Nightwing is Batman and like always, Batman dominates all. So he remains silent, silently wishing and praying Dick will crack a joke once they're alone, make him laugh the way only his eldest brother could.

The rest of the Bats are shocked when Dick's voice comes across the comms. Because he sounds just like Bruce and he isn't asking for help or suggesting what they do, he's telling them where to go, how to handle something and where he wants them to reconvene. And yeah Dick's a great leader, by now they've all either seen him with The Titans or worked with them before. But this is different, he's a hasn't got that Nightwing charm on.

Oracle's hands shake as she types back at the cave. She knows better than anyone how much Dick hates this. He's prepared for it since he was like nine when Bruce took him in but he still hates it. No son ever wants to truly be his father, and Dick never wanted to be Bruce and he's long since stopped wanting to be Batman. The cowl comes with a price he hated to bear.

When they return to the cave, everyone kind of lingers. Usually, once they've given their reports, everyone goes their separate ways. Tim and Steoh have to get back to college, Duke and Damian head upstairs, Cass and Babs leave to help Cass pack for wherever she's going, Jason and Dick head back out, one to Park Row, the other to Blüdhaven. But instead of that they all kind of linger in the cave, they're expecting Dick to break character by now, to say something so unbelievably ridiculous that they can't all help but laugh along with him. He does no such thing.

Instead he takes off the cowl, confirming that he's not their dad but rather their brother, and sits at the computer to work through the open cases Bruce left. When he dismisses them and they all leave, Kate and Luke hang back. They too, know how much he hates this. How much he wants nothing more that to scream and break down. They linger for about a half an hour, finally leaving when Dick says he's going back to Blüdhaven. Thank the gods he isn't staying here, they don't think they could leave him alone if he did.

When Dick gets back to Blüdhaven, he scrubs himself down after the Gotham patrol and finally puts on his suit. Its the later half of 4am almost 5, but he doesn't care. He needs this. So he goes on patrol, he flips and flies in the sky, as the gods had always intended for him and he makes stupid jokes when he takes down the criminals who thought they got away when he didn't patrol around 2am as usual.

The next morning, the Bats all let out sighs of relief when they see Nightwing's blurry figure on the online news articles. They never wanted him to give up who he was for Batman. Bruce, emotionally constipated as he is, never wanted them to give up themselves for his mantle.

When Bruce is either revived, wakes us or returns from whatever hell he's been in, the Bats hug him a little tighter, but its his second eldest who lingers. Jason stays in the cave when the rest of them filters out, Dick tried to stay, but eventually left when Jason promised not to cause an argument. "You can't do this again, Old Man." Jason says, he sounds so exhausted so hurt that Bruce wants to hug him. But that action would result in him getting shot so he refrains. "I don't plan to," Bruce responds, "But even without me, you all managed to keep your heads on straight."

"Because of him." Jason responds, he doesn't need to clarify who, they all know who's the one aside from Alfred making sure they stay in touch, stay a family. "You can't do this to him ever again." Jason finishes and Bruce nods, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, "I won't."

And if Bruce does managed to catch a stray tear falling from Jason's blue-green eyes, that's no one's business but his.

“The Batkids probably gave Dick so much shit when he first put on the Batsuit.” No. The Batkids all saw Dick in Bruce’s suit and all secretly felt nauseous about how wrong it looked. How wrong it felt.

[kaylinlmao]

could you do yandere! poly! TBP boys x reader when someone is sexually harassing you (I only say this because I need some more comfort while this is going on)

I'm so sorry that this is happening. The world is fuxked up. I'll try to make it super long to maybe make you smile. That's all I wanna do with these stories is make friends and make people smile! 😁 everyone in this fic is 18+

As I was walking down the halls, I heard someone whistle and say "looking good baby. Come down to my house. I'll show you what good sex is really like" He grabbed my arm and I saw it was Moose, the school bully. "No thank you." I said quietly, pulling my arm away from his grasp and walking off. "Why not? You already have 5 boyfriends! How can you even keep track, you slut?" I looked at the ground and ran out the double doors at the front of the building. I feel yucky. My arm doesn't feel good. He squeezed it too hard. I go slide down the wall on the side of the school.

He's right. I am a slut. I'm dating 5 boys. Billy, Bruce, Vance, Robin, and Finney. I never thought it was wrong to love so many people. My mom always said that I had a big heart full of love and that I should share it. So I do. She supports our poly relationship entirely. Even if my boyfriends do act a little weird, I still love them! Is that wrong? I understand that they don't act. Normal. I've had boyfriends before. I don't know where those guys went by the way. I woke up one morning to the news saying that they were missing and two weeks later they were found off the side of the freeway downtown.

I never really thought about it but over the past couple weeks they've been acting really off. I think I'll just avoid them until they move on to another girl. Yeah. Hailey says they're toxic anyways. The next day, Moose did the same thing. Asked me to go with him to the janitors closet, I declined, he called me a slut and a whore. I know, Moose. I know. The avoiding the boys wasn't going too good. I have at least one class with them everyday and they always demand I sit by them. Why would they want a slut to sit by them? Why would they want to date a whore?

I sat next to Donna in all the classes I had with her. Everything went smoothly until my class with Vance. I was sitting next to a girl named Maddi, who I had hung out with a couple of times when I saw Vance hovering over the desk. "You're in my seat." He said. "No she isn't! I want to sit by her today! I sit by you everyday!" I butted in. "Its OK, Y/N. I can move." Maddi said. "Yeah, Maddi here can move." Just then the teacher walked in. "Have a seat over here Vance." She said. It was a seat at the back farthest from the door. Perfect! Maddi and I were sitting at the desk closest to the door. That means I can sneak out of class before he can grab me!

After class was over, I got up and bolted out the door. As I was pushing through the doors to go outside, someone grabbed my wrist. Robin. He dragged me around the building to where the rest of them were. "Hey, I really have to go. I have a lot of homework" "Why have you been avoiding us, pretty girl?" Billy asked. "I haven't been!" "You have!" Vance said. "No I haven't! You guys have been avoiding me!" As they looked at each other confused, I took my chance to bolt. You are diabolical, Y/N. Absolutely diabolical. I got to my house and ran up to my room, shutting and locking the door. As I turned, I saw them climbing through my window.

"How did you get here so damn fast?!" "We ran, doll. You walked." I rolled my eyes. "Now, princesa. Cut the attitude and tell us why you've been avoiding us." "I wanna break up" I whispered. "What? No!" I heard a chorus of. "Why, baby?" Finney asked, looking heartbroken. I had a soft spot for all of them and I couldn't stand them getting hurt. Finney started to cry. I layed on the bed, his head buried in my neck and me stroking his hair "No no no. Finn, I'm sorry. I don't really wanna break up. It's just, Moose was sexually harassing me and calling me a slut so I figured it would be best to break up. And you guys are kinda toxic."

Finney looked at me with doe eyes. "Please don't leave us angel. We're sorry. We'll be better, right guys?" I felt so bad when Bruce said, "yeah darling. We'll be better." "And we'll help deal with Moose." Vance added. "Please don't leave us." Finney said again. "Ok." I sighed. "I won't leave you." "Ever?" "Ever" I agreed.

Little did I know that Finney was smirking over my shoulder.

Love y'all! :) -Kaylin

[oh-mother-of-darkness]

How do you respond to people who say Batman is just a rich guy who beats up poor people? Not to take it too seriously, I’m wondering if my love for him is blinding me to parts of him that are problematic. Because I don’t see him that way?

Oh sure, I guess I should begin by saying that I don't think you're being blinded to anything. I'll divide my thoughts into two sections here: out of universe and in-universe.

To start, I really can't stress enough that we're talking about a fictional character in a genre that requires considerable suspension of belief.

Batman comic books ask me to accept a world where there are superpowered folks that shoot lasers out of their eyes, an entire universe of inhabited planets and sentient aliens, underwater cultures, and technology far past my current reality. I'm also supposed to accept this improbable, human guy who runs around rooftops in a cape fighting crime.

He's supposed to be one of the best fighters in the galaxy, and he's a master escape artist, and he's the World's Greatest DetectiveTM, and he can hold his breath obscene amounts of time, and he has near-perfect aim, and he can operate any vehicle you can think of, and he's dizzyingly intelligent, and he's unimaginably rich, and all the most powerful people in the universe are his best friends or his worst enemies, but either way they're obsessed with him.

Ah, what a realistic man.

Here's the thing, anon. I really think that any argument that asks you to apply, I don't know, real-world consequences? To Batman is either made in bad faith or missing a pretty necessary piece of framing. Take what I would consider the obvious example: doesn't Batman use child soldiers?

Well, yeah. He's had roughly 2,086,917 sidekicks, several of whom have met gristly, if impermanent, ends. Whether they survive or not, those kids all sustain significant mental and physical damage. If Batman were a real person, I would personally skin him alive for child endangerment. Luckily for me, he isn't a real person-- he's a comic book character in a universe where minor sidekicks are a normal part of the fiction.

Why? Out of universe, Robin exists to give child readers a character to identify with and root for. It expands the potential audience, which means more sales, which means more money. It opens up all kinds of interesting narrative angles. It's also a twist on the Watsonian figure in traditional detective fiction, which is one of the genres Batman came out of.

In the same way that we're supposed to accept that Bruce can do Batman stuff for something like 15 years, surviving the whole time and maintaining a secret identity, we're asked as an audience to agree that in this universe, a child could do the same, and it might be the right thing to let them. Maybe the child in question is already a talented athlete. Maybe the kid can read body language so well that they're near-unbeatable. Maybe this ten year old is so well-trained it's actually not that big of a deal.

In real life? Unequivocally immoral. But that's comics, baby! That's the rules of the fiction. Child sidekick? Fine. Vigilantism? It’s chill, and if the government or anyone else tries to shut it down, they're the villains. Ethical billionaires? Possible, and Bruce Wayne is one of them. 

Let me briefly flash my politics here, just so we’re all on the same page: I think that in real life, it’s inherently unethical to hoard wealth. I don’t care for rich folks or capitalism, and I have a lot to say on the subject, though I don’t intend to say it on this particular blog. If Bruce Wayne were a real person, I would want him to give away almost all of his money as fast as possible. 

Why is Bruce a billionaire? Out of universe, we’re creating a character that can fight crime without institutional support. He isn’t government, and the money has to come from somewhere, so maybe the best way to justify it is independent wealth. We want the aesthetic of opulent corruption (keep this word in mind)-- balls and champagne and luxury cars-- and our hero slips away from it, into the night where he belongs. 

We’re designing a character who everybody knows and recognizes, and he’s American, and our celebrities are the rich. We want him to be, and to have been from birth, one of the most important people in the setting he inhabits, because we need that for a dozen different plot points. 

So Bruce Wayne is rich. Why does he get to be a vigilante? Out of universe, we’re writing a response to the institutional corruption in law enforcement and the judicial system-- we’ve got a dark city full of people that the police aren’t helping, and we’re creating something to save them that isn’t the police. He’s going to appear from the shadows and protect folks in the way that he wasn’t protected. 

As a recap, Batman is a fictional character in a fantasy universe, and there are narrative reasons for him to be (1) rich and (2) a vigilante that beats folks up. I’d invite you to think of those qualities primarily as creative decisions made to tell a specific story-- a dark knight protecting a city that corrupt powers abandoned. I would also invite you to consider as context the time period (1939, the beginning of WWII) and the folks that created Batman (Bill Finger and Bob Kane, two Jewish men), and why they might be invested in telling that story. 

All of that is my out of universe answer to your question, and I do actually think it’s the more important one, because Bruce isn’t a real person. I’ll be brief with my in-universe answer. 

Within the fiction of the DC universe, Bruce spends a lot of time and resources on aid and reform that doesn’t involve punching folks. I’m sure you can find comprehensive lists of this stuff, so I won’t go on another research spree to pull panels. 

Off the top of my head, he has progressive hiring practices, then pays tuition for employees and their families. He canonically donates far more money than I’ve ever seen a real billionaire give, to the point where he’s almost singlehandedly funding most aid operating in at least Gotham, if not a bigger chunk of the country. He’s proactive about creating community resources and personally involved in city development. He’s outspoken to other one percenters and politicians about his beliefs and projects. He’s also behind anything monetary the JLA puts out, which I have to assume means his international impact is pretty big. 

How ever you come down on the ethics of vigilantism, Bruce is not just beating folks up. He seems to canonically understand and acknowledge addiction, institutionalized discrimination, and socioeconomic privilege. 

On a larger scale, I would argue that Bruce is canonically driven by compassion and the desire to protect folks, and characterizing him primarily as violent sort of misses the point. As I say that, though, I have to acknowledge a feature of comic books as media: there’s canon that’s “out of character.” 

I can’t get around the fact that there are very much real Batman stories that portray Bruce as violent for the sake of being violent, as well as all kinds of cruel. I think of them as the temporary runs of writers who just don’t get it, but they’re canon too, and we may reach a point sometime in the future where those stories outnumber what I think of as “good” Batman characterization. If we get there, I guess I’ll reevaluate. 

Until then, here’s a tl;dr

Batman is a fictional character that exists in a fantasy universe. The rules of that universe aren’t the same as ours, and many things that would be immoral in our universe are features of his. We as the readers are asked to suspend disbelief and accept the framing of the fiction. 

Bill Finger and Bob Kane, two Jewish men, created Batman at the beginning of WWII to tell a specific story that’s sort of fundamentally about vigilantism-- about protecting a community that institutions aren’t protecting. 

There are narrative reasons to make Bruce wealthy. 

Within his own story, Bruce is socially aware and active. He does give away a lot of his money, and he does use his wealth to help folks just as much as he uses vigilantism. 

Yes, there are stories were Batman comes across very badly, and it’s possible to look at those and think, “wow, am I rooting for the wrong person?” Unfortunately, that’s a function of the medium. Batman comics are contradictory because they’ve been written by hundreds of different people with varying levels of skill and character knowledge, and any discussion of Batman needs to remember that fact. 

I hope all of that at least a little bit answers your question. I’d apologize for length, but I figure you knew what you were getting into

XOXO, A