#even if dc won't! even if dc never does! that's what fandom is for!

[inamindfarfaraway]

There's Selina Kyle and Holly Robinson as well, if you want a character with that trauma in Gotham! They've both been protective mentors, protectors and gang leaders to the homeless children of the East End (the area containing Crime Alley) at different times in canon, running the Alleytown Kids/Strays, while Jason has never done anything of the sort to Crime Alley kids in canon.

im also at a point where if someone tries to derail criticism about how male characters are often gifted trauma in fandom from the female characters with actual trauma in canon with “not my fault those female characters aren’t popular/interesting” instead of. reflecting about why they’d rather make up shit for a dude than care about a woman. with just. straight violence.

[dg-outlaw]

Batman #148 Thoughts... or Why Jason Todd is Awesome and Batman Doesn't Deserve Him.

So... I know a lot of the discussion about this issue has been about what happens to Jason, and IYKYK. What I want to discuss are parts of the rest of the issue and why I think Jason is one of the best characters (and more than how many perceive him). *spoilers ahead*

I know many outsiders and even those in fandom look at Jason Todd or the Red Hood and think of him as the hot, angsty edge lord who isn't afraid to break Batman's one rule. He's cool and badass so you want to be like him or he's the romantic fantasy bad boy with a soft side. These things are fine, but this is often where people stop with Jason or if they dislike him the above descriptions are why.

Some people want him to be an antagonist again because villains are cool and this is where we get things like 'The Boys' because it's edgy, subversive, or some intelligent deconstruction of superheroes. Colorful and honorable superheroes like Superman or Spider-Man are boring, just a fantasy, or for kids who don't understand the real world. Again, fine if that's your take, but I don't believe that one "graduates" from one to the other.

Beyond the Fast and Furious style cool factor of fast cars, guns, and explosions that often get associated with Jason, there's more to him than that and it's why he's still one of my favorites. Hell, this is the same character that writers thought would be a priest in the Flashpoint universe, a universe that had gone to hell in a handbasket but in all that chaos and darkness he became a PRIEST.

(The World of Flashpoint: Issue #2)

Say what you will about organized religion, Christianity, or the Catholic church (because there are definitely issues there), but I think two of Jason's core traits that I admire are his faith and hope. Traits that often get Jason hurt by the people closest to him, but that often see him through the darkest times.

The cheapness of using Jason's "death" aside, these traits are seen again in Batman #148. Not only is Jason willing to put his faith in Bruce again (after everything "not" Bruce did to him in Gotham War), but he's the first down into the cave.

This isn't blind faith, but a willingness to try. A hope that maybe this time he won't be hurt, even if time and time again history has proven otherwise. Note: This can be a slippery and dangerous slope and not one without consequences as many people fall into the trap of going back into or staying in toxic relationships that only bring them pain. (And I never said his greatest strengths can't also be his greatest weaknesses).

We also see some emotional maturity and growth in this issue and I love that for Jason. Has he been going to therapy? Maybe, but my money is that he's probably been reading lots of self-help books or something.

Does Bruce deserve this level of forgiveness and compassion from Jason? No, but Jason gives it to him anyway. I also feel like this is a soft challenge from Jason. "I'm not here to save you from yourself or to ask you to save me. We do this together or not at all."

And if you're thinking, "Oh no, Jason has gone soft. Not my Jason Todd!" He's still a cheeky bastard in battle, even when he's on the ropes.

Now, for Jason's "death", one could say that it was a cheap ploy by the writer or DC to get people talking or to have a random "Jason dies" scene (though he's revived in the same issue so I feel the emotional stakes/hype are less compared to leaving it open-ended until the next issue).

One could also look at it in a cynical light given it's Jason that Bruce brings down into the cave during the flashback reveal with the secret Lazarus Kool-Aid. Did Bruce plan that knowing Jason would volunteer in some sort of reverse psychology manipulation? Was it just a random plot explanation to justify having the "Jason dies" scene? Who knows? Though I think Dick or Tim would've volunteered as well. But my focus is on the conversation.

This is another example of Jason's hope and faith, and his faith in Bruce. Bruce's plan isn't tested, though one could assume that he's done the math so to speak, but it's still Jason literally putting his life in Bruce's hands. It's also fairly clever because if Failsafe is some echo of Batman, then something in his programming probably knows about the emotional pain of Jason's initial death. So not only is "killing" going to make him glitch out, but killing Jason is probably the ultimate Failsafe glitch.

Deep down I think Jason knows how much he means to Bruce, even if Bruce is terrible at showing it sometimes. He's willing to take the risk and die, not for Bruce, but for the greater good of saving the day.

Let's also not forget that in the span of a short amount of (in-universe) time, Jason has saved the entire East Coast (end of Gotham War), Gotham City (end of The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing), and is now ready to die again to stop Failsafe--all while his brain is still probably a little messed up from Gotham War.

Let this young man take a damn vacation!

Was this issue perfect? No. And I agree with others about it not being cool that Steph, Cass, and Duke got sidelined as the clean-up crew, but I do think it showed a lot of Jason's deeper character (flawed or not) and how he's more than just the edgy, sarcastic bad boy. That part of him is just the hard candy shell he's had to create to protect the gooey center that is his hope, faith, and love. After all, Damian has previously (and rightly) called him out as the "emotional one".

P.S. I know my previous post picked on Jason's Red Hood outfit at the end and I still stand by the fact that it wasn't my favorite, but seeing that it's Jorge Jimenez's art, I can forgive it. I love most of Jorge's art and would kill (not literally) to be as talented as him, but that outfit design is still a no for me. Sorry, Jorge. :(

[simpingforblackfire]

OMG I DIDNT KNOW YOU CONTINUED WRITING PLATONIC YANDERE STARFIRE AND DICK ELWKWIQJAKA

They were one of my favourite platonic yanderes, can you do one where the reader gets sick and starfire starts panicking because she doesn't know what to do and dick has to calm her down??

A/N: Haha yes I'm still writing DC is one of those fandoms I just don't think I'll ever leave like I have never not liked it. My bad this took so long I actually wrote most of this fic a lot closer to the time it was requested but then it was so close to being done that I procrastinated in finishing it anyway I hope this works for you babes x

Had you not been in the agony you were in and had you been fully coherent you would have thought of some snarky comment about how under any other circumstance you couldn't have possibly felt any worse than you already did but knowing your captors the pink-haired idiot and the simp would undoubtedly manage to find a way.

But you weren't. Pain rippled through you and your eyes felt as though they would forever sting with your tears and all you could do was lie there and take it all.

You brought your knees to your chest, tucking into yourself like an infant and quietly cried.

Unfortunately you could be silent in your pain and Starfire would still be able to hear it. 

Dick had been in the living room when Starfire practically shattered the door against the wall with how hard she smashed it open.

"Dick! Dick! Something's wrong she-"

Dick took in Starfire's appearance. Her face frazzled with worry and his hands itched to reach out and smooth all of her pain and all of her panic out of her expression as though he could simply massage the tension away. He couldn't. But even still his hand reached across and soothed her face.

His free hand he cautiously placed on the back of your head that was exposed to him, gently turning your head until your skin peeked out. 

"She has a temperature" Dick mused quietly.

"What does that mean! Humans you- she cannot survive past certain temperatures I know that! she-"

"She" Dick cut through Starfire's sentence before she spiralled any further "will be fine".

Starfire's panic seemed to press on "How can you be so sure?"

"She has a human illness Star. I know you don't understand it, but if you could you'd know she's not in any danger"

Starfire held your lithe form a little tighter "I know that she is in pain Dick! I know that she is suffering!"

"Still she needs rest and for us to take care of her. Her fever should calm down soon. You're being-"

"No" Starfire glared viciously.

"Do not tell me I am being paranoid! I am not being paranoid! That is my baby!"

"Star" Dick grabbed Starfire by the shoulders.

"I know. You're not being paranoid you're being concerned. But I love her too. I know you're scared. I know. But it scares me when I see her like that too and I need you to remember that."

"I don't know what to do Dick" Starfire said quietly. Her throat chafed from screaming. "What do I do Dick"

"This is a human illness, Star." Dick gripped her shoulders, assuringly. If he could not ease her pain he'd hold her through it. "I know you don't know it and that is why. So, I need you to trust me when I tell you it won't kill her. Can you do that?"

Starfire wasn't listening her eyes stuck looking at you. Dick snatched her sight away from you when he grabbed either side of her face and tilted it to look at him "I said can you do that Star?"

She nodded and brought her hands up to hold his arms there.

His stare softened as her look of terror eased "I promise you she'll be okay. I wouldn't lie to you about her. She's mine too."

"I know" Starfire nodded "I know".

Dick let Starfire see you first. He knew she would not cope well with waiting and he did like the furniture in their home in a non-destroyed state.

She had been deeply emotional. She thought she lost you and she just grabbed onto you and broke into tears whispering earnestly against your cheek “I love you I never want you to think I don't because I do I always do no matter if we're laughing or fighting. You are mine. Mine to raise, mine to hold and mine to love.” Her fingers brushed the skin of your cheeks tenderly and she knew you were alive because she could feel your little heart beating against her and she remembered just how delicate and fragile and little you were.

She cherished the moments where you just let yourself be still with her. In a world that always seemed to find a way to spite her it was beautiful that she could just lay down and hold you in her arms. She relished in knowing that in that moment she was your shield from everything bad in the world "as long as I am here to do so you will always be loved and you will always be protected"

It doesn’t matter how big you were physically because Starfire was both bigger and stronger by a mile and you were always going to be her little baby.

You couldn't make out much more than the figures outline, but in your turmoil you couldn't help but reach out to the only comfort you could get. You nestled into the warmth and your body seemed to ease at the comfort. Starfire gladly took up all of the contact you were willing to share.

Eventually Starfire had calmed down enough and while Dick hadn't wanted to overwhelm you he couldn't resist seeing you the moment Starfire was out the room, though by then you were barely conscious at all having been overrun with the attention Starfire had undoubtedly smothered you in. He tucked you into bed, pulling the sheets over you carefully and pressed them down on either side of you before leaning down next to you and placing a tender hand on the side of your cheek before pressing a kiss into your hair. You looked so small and sweet and young and you were all his. Your eyes sleepily closing and smoothly shifting from a crumpled up exhaustion into a gentle tranquility as your body relaxed against the soft soothing of your pillow that you couldn’t help but just melt into like warm butter. Dick couldn’t help but be quietly affectionate to you “I love you” he spoke the words quietly into your hair and pressed another kiss to your cheek, smiling as he lingered by the warm, softness of your skin. 

So few times had he had the privilege of admitting love to someone verbally without it being on their deathbed. He almost hadn’t even noticed until he was already outside your door. It was so sweet and mundane and he was immediately addicted.

A/N: I was too lazy to proofread this so hopefully its okay and everything makes sense lol

[brucewaynehater101]

I'm seeing a lot of asks about this and I want to give my two cents: I'm cool with Bruce being a bad father, but only if DC admits that he is a bad father.

You can't have him doing downright abusive shit only to never address it. The only character that consistently criticizes Bruce parenting is painted as entitled and vindictive. I genuinely think the reason why we can't have a decent Red Hood arc is because if you want Jason to make sense you're gonna have to admit Bruce is a fucked up father or rewrite canon.

Same reason for Tim "never aging", not so much physically but emotionally. Because to have the character establish itself like Nightwing did you would need to address at some point all the bullshit he went through. Even with Dick. Like sometimes it looks like they want to recognize how being raised by Batman fucked him up by they end up settling for "oh it's the pressure". Like that's the most DC will say "Batman puts his kids under a lot of pressure buuuuuut it's justified because they're fighting evil :)".

Not just the kids, I think Batman himself would be so much more interesting if DC was willing to let him confront these things. As a redemption arc or as a fatal flaw that keeps his family at arms length. But they want to have their cake (have Batman be edgy and give the Robins Character Development™ through good old child abuse) and eat it (have Batman be Dad of the year). And that's what doesn't work.

Batfam fandom is great because you have people making content for Good Father Bruce, Bad Dad Bruce (he's trying and it's a bit funny/tragic), Awful Father Bruce (with no intention of changing. Every option is way more interesting than DC's directionless mess. Like, we don't even need them to make Bruce Good™ we just want them to pick a side and stick to it.

Thank you. My gods that sums it up perfectly.

Like, I've got no problem consuming Good Dad Bruce content... if it's not the comics. The animated stuff is usually fine, and fanwork is also great. There's a ton to like about it.

Hell, I'm even chill if Bruce makes mistakes and errors and fucks up with his kids. That's realistic, as long as they address that he did, in fact, do that shit. They need to talk about how his actions have hurt his kids and his relationships with them. He can try to do better, or he can stay distant with his kids because of it (low to no contact). It's truly not that difficult to chat about.

Now, media that addresses all of the horrid stuff he's done and considers realistic reactions/solutions to it? Fantastic. I love that so much. It's so cathartic watching him get his ass handed to him.

It's not necessary, though. I'm chill with good dad Bruce.

Despite that, outright ignoring what he does or brushing it under the rug? That's horrific. That reads like a sickening cycle of abuse, and I can't stand it. It's the exact same shit an abuser pulls by harming their victim (psychologically, mentally, physically, etc.), apologizing (ish), finding a way to pin the blame back on the victim, and then love bombing. Like, my gods. Bruce will beat the shit out of Jason and say it's Jason's fault for killing someone... "I wouldn't harm you/take a machine to permanetly fuck up your brain if you didn't do that. It's not my fault that I decided to hurt you. It's your fault that I did."

I just fucking can't.

I think Tim, with his little statement of "I don't expect you to apologize" after Bruce caused him to have a nervous breakdown post 16th birthday, that's a close approximation to admitting that Bruce is a piece of shit that does tendencies like an abuser. No matter what someone's intentions are, they should still apologize if they've cause unjustified/unintentional harm. Only assholes who don't regret their actions or people who feel their actions are justified won't apologize. There's times when apologizing isn't necessary or desired. That's fine. I won't apologize if Comic!Bruce and I are in a room, and I "accidentally" set him on fire.

Yet, Bruce is out here fucking up his kids. At the very LEAST, they deserve a fucking apology. Maybe a restraining order.

I ranted a bit. My bad. Anyways, have DC acknowledge the shitty actions Bruce does or don't have him do them. It's simple.

[highlordofkrypton]

Thank you so much for the tag @zenkindoflove, I freaking love being tagged in writing games!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 32 (To think I started??? This year??? Or end of last year???)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 271,982

3. What fandoms do you write for? ACOTAR & DC Comics.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Regrets (Superbats, DC Comics)

Little Secrets for my Soul (Batjokes, DC Comics)

The Lighthouse (The Aquaman Family, DC Comics)

Wildflowers (Tamsand, A Court of Thorns and Roses)

The Justice League's Mom's Book Club's Guide to Vampire Slaying (Martha Kent, Alfred Pennyworth, Hippolyta & Atlanna, DC Comics)

5. Do you respond to comments? Always! My readers made the effort to comment on my fic, so I will absolutely respond with the utmost enthusiasm. It means the world to me when I get comments.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Oh, it's absolutely Wildflowers. I mean, it's canon ending so does it really count?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I think most of them have happy endings, especially the oneshots. If they're not happy, they're some kind of tender, or sweet. I do think Regrets has the most upbeat ending.

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes. More and more lately. I would say I write the kind of smut that makes you question yourself (and I haven't even dived into the kinkiest kinks). Are you confused? Yes. Do you know what happened? No. Do I know what happened? No. Were we all entertained? HELL YES.

9. Do you write crossovers? I didn't name my blog home of the crackships for nothing. I LOVE crossovers. I have a few on my AO3, but so many on my to-write list.

10. Have you ever had a fic translated? No.

11. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nope! Not formally. I do roleplay with a partner. I tried to re-write one of ours as a fic, but it's soooo tricky.

12. What is your all-time favorite ship? SUPERBATS SUPERBATS SUPERBATS. At least, if we're talking something that has a fandom. If we're talking my fav ships forreal, it's Lambert x Gojo Satoru x Clark Kent, Orm Marius x Clark Kent x Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen x Hal Jordan x Komand'r, Lilith x Eskel, etc.

13. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? None that I know of. I usually circle back and/or can be swayed to finish one.

14. What are your writing strengths?

Details. I think I have a few. I get weird fixated on details that I think make the writing feel more 'lived in' and immersive.

Side characters. I think I'm very good at creating intriguing side characters that you'll get attached to. My trick is that the character is fully developed with their own story before they appear on my page. How else will I get their interactions down, even if it's for a chapter and they're never seen again?

Humour. I literally cannot be serious. I have to shitpost halfway through my story.

15. What are your writing weaknesses?  

Pacing. I am impatient, I wanna get to the juicy parts, but some stories need to cook a little before getting to the fun stuff. I tend to use the excuse that since it's fanfiction, I can #yolo and post.

I cannot write something short for the life of me. Everything needs to end up being multi-chapter, I'm TIRED.

Smut. It's not raw enough. It's not filthy enough. I need to let go and be less formal about it. Just dig right in and have a meatier writing. I just don't think my current style fits pure smut. It does fit trying to fuck an eldritch horror and soul-shattering orgasms tho 😂 But sometimes, I just wanna go to pound town, not achieve self-actualization through butt stuff, you know???

16. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I have some foreign words in my Illyrian fic, and I am fluent in french. I do hate seeing other people write dialogue in different languages SPECIFICALLY FRENCH, so I won't be doing that.

17. First fandom you wrote for? A Court of Thorns and Roses.

18. Favorite fic you’ve written? I have different favourite ones for different reasons.

I like cosmic bloom because it's unhinged smut.

I like Regrets because it's my first ever Superbats fic and got so many kudos!

I like Wildflowers because it's my first story I ever wrote from start to finish.

I like Needle & King because it's healing a lot of trauma to write it, and I get to discover my identity and explore lore/worldbuilding that I've been putting off for ages.

NO PRESSURE TAGS: @goldheartedchaoticdisaster @praetorqueenreyna @achaotichuman @arson-09 @unanswered-stars @matrixsss @watcherintheweyr @witch-and-her-witcher @chunkypossum @foxcort @positivelyruined @angelosearch @goforth-ladymidnight @themildestofwriters

[uniiiquehecrt]

I'm thinking in terms of actual real life experiences I've had when I say this, but I'd imagine part of what makes being a Thor enjoyer so frustrating in 2024/MCU's phase 4+ era is that... you're effectively not allowed to enjoy your favorite superhero.

I once had a conversation with a close friend of mine during a casual outing, and without going into very many details, this particular person is an enjoyer of Ragnarok, and enjoys Tailka's work overall. Now, I should say right off the bat: there is nothing wrong with these opinions. Everyone is entitled to like what they like and enjoy the work of creators just the same as other people are allowed to dislike them. For this particular post, I'm not here to get into fandom wars or "reasons why taika waititi is a terrible director" beef. I have other posts in line for that. But what I will say is that I already knew this about my friend, so it never surprised me when the topic of Thor came up that it would be a point of disagreement.

The issue I've found that continues to circle in the general space of "being a Thor fan" came when I expressed that I don't like Ragnarok, I do think Thor was funnier (and just better overall) before Ragnarok and therefore Taika's involvement, and quite frankly Taika had very little business taking on the mantle of director of a superhero franchise he has never liked or understood in his life just because he had mouths to feed. (There are other opportunities to fulfill that. And filmmakers know going into this industry that it's all gig-based and - if they're smart anyways - work around that.) I hadn't even gotten a chance to go through all of the reasons WHY I feel that way, of which I have had before compiled an organized list of about 16 talking points off the top of my head, so as far as that particular discussion goes... it didn't go anywhere. We were busy at the time.

But namely what I want to talk about is this:

The response I was given, in summary, was something along the lines of "well I think Thor was boring, and he wasn't my cup of tea, so I'm glad he changed."

But, you see, there's just ONE small issue with that: Thor isn't meant for everyone.

In fact, no character is meant for everyone. So why is it that Thor needs to change to be "for everyone" and be the MCU normies' "cup of tea" when no other character has to? Why does he need to lose his core identity (both as a character, as a franchise, you name it, it's been done) just because people like my friend don't understand him as well as Tony Stark or Spider-Man? And why should Thor fans have tow watch their favorite superhero get stripped down and turned into something completely divorced from the character, world and cast we were first involved with from the beginning?

Nobody at any point has been able to answer me that besides "well just because I didn't like Thor personally."

Iron Man won't appeal to everyone. Neither does Captain America, neither does Spider-Man, beloved as even Spidey is. They have their own quirks, their own villains, their own storylines... Every superhero has a core to them that their stories revolve around. He's from DC, but Superman, for instance, has the core of: love, justice and the American Way. Therefore, his stories revolve around challenging that core, and making Superman prove it. Steve Rogers/Captain America has a similar core. Justice, freedom and the American Way, is what I'd mostly boil his core down to. Thor's is "love" all around. I've written about that '(here)' in my post about his 2011 themes. Maybe it's different for other fans, but for me personally? I adore that about Thor. It's one of the many reasons I'm drawn to him over any other marvel Super besides Spider-Man. (not you tom holland ... yes you andrew garfield...)

So when I go to Thor for entertainment, I'm going to him above the other superheros because I want a story that revolves around HIS core and how Thor goes about reckoning with his challenges. I also go to MCU Thor specifically for his quiet, kind, regal nature. I come to him for his gravitas, his passion, his relationships with his cast of companions.

I go to him for high-sci-fi action/adventure, or for the "what if we took norse mythology and made it an alien superhero" route they took him in for the MCU. I go to Thor because he IS different from the rest of the Avengers... and that's the point.

So when someone says to me: "Well Thor wasn't for me so I'm glad he changed", or "Well I really liked Ragnarok because Thor kind of become more in line with the other Avengers"... they're fundamentally missing the point of why Thor has a fanbase at all.

[justwinginglife]

Rafayel Headcanons

I swear to heaven, hell, and back that I am a Zayne girlie through and through, but Rafayel cracks me the FUCK up, I cannot get enough of just listening to him talk, I wanna listen to him talk all damn day, he's so funny for no reason so here are out of pocket things that I think he'd say.

*when you're driving him home (you're driving him home from the restaurant that is literally two minutes down the street, he could've walked, he could've called a taxi -though they might've ridiculed him for the short drive as well- but you are his favorite mode of transportation, how is he supposed to get around if not from you driving him? He doesn't even remember other modes of transportation exist anymore at this point. He called you out of work for this, spouting nonsense about it being an emergency, just for this two minute drive home)*

Rafayel: Ugh if you just run that pedestrian over, we can get home much faster. It's fine. If they didn't want to be run over, they shouldn't have been crossing the street.

You: But... it's their right of way.

Rafayel: It's my right of way wherever I am, maybe they should've thought about that before they decided to cross the street that I'm trying to drive on.

You: But... I'm driving.

Rafayel: God, do you have to ruin literally everything? Do you even love me anymore? Do you just want to run off with that pedestrian? You do, don't you? That's why you won't hit him for me. Well go- be with him then. Wait. I don't know how to get home. Don't go. You're supposed to be my driver. What are you even doing, considering leaving me here, to be stranded and die all alone?

You: ...Rafayel I haven't even said anything.

Rafayel: Your eyes say everything. You've done enough.

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

*in a coffee shop and your name gets called*

You: *takes coffee cup from male employee*

Rafayel: *snatches coffee cup out of your hand, glaring at your name that's written on the cup* Why is he writing your name? Why does he know your name? Why are you letting him give you gifts?

You: It's... not a gift? I bought it? For... myself?

Rafayel: That's just an excuse, that's just what he wants you to think, I know how people work. *Eagerly tries to rub name from the cup but it's in sharpie so it doesn't come off, gets annoyed and literally goes behind the counter where the employees are, takes the sharpie, crosses out your name emphatically, then rewrites it in prettier handwriting. Then gets distracted and starts drawing cute little hearts and fishies all over the cup until someone kicks him out of the store. Then acts all butthurt because he "wasn't even doing anything"*

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

(This one is a stretch and just for my own personal amusement because I am multi-fandom and I was just thinking about DC)

*you're watching Justice League and Rafayel walks in on the scene where Bruce Wayne buys the entire bank to get Clark Kent's house back*

*Rafayel crosses his arms and pouts because you're paying attention to the movie and not him (it's literally the movie he picked out)*

Rafayel: *grumbles under his breath* I can do that too, ya know.... *goes and literally buys you a bank*

You: Um... why do I now have ownership of a bank?

Rafayel: To get your house back, duh.

You: I don't... have a house? I live here with you?

Rafayel: ...To get you a house eventually, duh.

You: So... you don't... want me to live with you?

Rafayel: oh shut up, I never said that, I don't know where you're getting these crazy ideas, you're never leaving me ever.

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

I'm sorry guys, these might not even be accurate, but Rafayel is just so extra and so hilarious, I couldn't help myself. I really do love him, he makes me giggle so much.

[thattimdrakeguy]

What Happens When You Only USED To Care

I find it extremely hard to take any person in the fandom that does that schtick where they make fun of Tim based on made up or overly exaggerated stuff seriously.

I can't even find it within myself to give them the power of my hate, because it's more like a fly near your ear. You swat em away and bye bye bye.

Maybe it's because I know so much about how DC ended up being, that I can tell when they're bullshitting and saying stuff others put in their ear.

I mean you take a kid's favorite toy, and add modifications and paint jobs that take away the whole point of the toy, the kid's aren't going to want to play with it anymore.

Am I expected to blame the toy itself?

Especially with how the fandom has bastardized these characters that they so clearly love, but they still constantly get cancelled.

And I won't make mention of who, because someone will get sensitive, and plus then say "WELL TIM DID TOO" showing they're completely missing my point and didn't read the whole post.

I'm not sure why the fandom thinks taking complex and fascinating characters that allowed readers to escape their potentially bleak lives to jump into something more joyful (at least in an entertainment kind of way) and turning them into sitcom tropes is a great idea that OH IS SO GREAT, and EVERYONE WILL PREFER.

'Cause when the comics start copying that trend, you're actually scaring most people away.

Sure it's different from the big bad edgy we had to deal with a while, but it's still not getting these things back to were the once were.

You're replacing the bad, with a different flavor of bad. This time coated in a superficial dusting of praise that doesn't help anything get anywhere.

See, the fandom isn't as big as it may seem. It functions as an echo chamber which gives the illusion of their being way more. These comics wouldn't constantly be cancelled if they were as good or as popular as people make them out to be.

So all those posts praising the nonsense are as functional as having that one friend who praises you no matter what while the rest of the world says otherwise. Might feel good at the time, but let's face it, it gets you nowhere.

And that's just how the internet works. A bunch of little weirdos sitting around making their chamber, and thinking what they say to someone else still matters.

But it don't.

It doesn't.

They're all just so confident they mean something, when they mean as much to the greater world as a weed so far out of view, you don't bother trying to pull it.

You can make up what ever you want, and try to be as abrasive and irritating about what you made up as much of you want, go out praising when some desperate writer that settles for brownie points over critical praise and legacy puts it into a comic to find validation also as much as you want.

But the lack of genuine interest from most people still leaves it as a dud.

So many characters people think are popular, when they're tragically not, no matter if they were formerly good, is saddening. Because a lot of these characters at one point were good, and interesting, and genuinely popular beyond the small pond filled with indignity.

At best they have fan bases that once cared but now no longer do. That don't bother paying attention, because why should they after being denied the simple thing they want--good writing and characterization. The whole reason most start reading in the first place.

I might point one finger at one of these dudes, because I can comfortably say I used to love them too.

No one bothers trying to help out, and bring them back up though.

They want the instant glorification from a bunch of nobodies, who don't care about them as a person, and are only a validation machine instead of anything with a beating heart in it that will truly be there for them when times gets rough besides thoughts and prayers alone.

And as many years as I've seen this stuff, it never stops.

If I haven't been in a better place since I've almost entirely left DC behind in the dust, I would consider that depressing.

These people are online doing this so much that it is what they dedicate their lives to.

It is their life.

They made themselves so unlikable though, that a lot can't be bothered to find pity.

If you have to rewrite reality in your brain, what's the point of living there? You're just convincing yourself you're the only one not wrong, with no hint of irony. What a weirdo thing to do.

Clinging on to things with no solid backing.

In the grand scheme of things they are that insignificant unless you're also stuck in the chamber.

Hell, the only reason I made this post as long as it is, is less out of care and passion, and more because I can't help myself from being overly wordy.

If only DC could be fucked to remember what it takes to write good stories instead of ripping fandom people off. Maybe something would click in and once again take off.

And giving the illusion they now care--

As we can see with the frequent cancelations--

That only works when you have the talent and know how, to tell good stories, with great characters once again. A retro paint job and partially putting the character where they should be can only do so much, when limited talent has to take the rest of the wheel.

Otherwise all you're gonna get is a month or two of decent sells...and it's back into the dumpster again. Where the higher ups might eventually decide to blame the toy and not the manufacturers.

Unless you're Batman or Superman or that level of iconic/popular.

Disappointingly and quite obviously, it's not hard to know if not assume most characters don't have that level of icon to have their back in the dark times. Meaning most go back into the void unless the ones upstairs think this time their new failed from the start scheme will win them all back.

The secret of success in comics is simple, now it may not go back to the way it was, but they can still come back a bit, and here's the secret--

Learn how to fucking tell good stories, with good characterization, with artists that are beyond simply having good talent, but actual passion that shows them how everything's supposed to be.

If I order a nerf gun, and comes not looking anything like what it did on the box.

You know damn well the person who bought it is going to be displeased and not order from them again.

You're testing customer loyalty, and the economy not doing as grand, and prices going up--

The amount of time you have to get them back is depleting.

So get your head out of your ass and actually do something.

[mistress-of-vos]

Idk where the whole "Tim hating Lex and being annoying to him and somehow being smarter" comes from... Oh, wait! I know where it comes from!

Annoying, ignorant batfam fans

And it's not even surprising if we take a careful look. We're talking about the fandom that doesn't understand Clark, Kon and Jon at all and uses them for batfam prop up purposes. It's the same fandom that doesn't even comprehend Batman characters and says the most disgusting stuff about Jean-Paul Valley (aka Azrael) as if his character wasn't summarized in like, five comics you can easily read. The same fandom that doesn't get Selina Kyle despite the fact that movies like The Batman exist, that the Long Halloween got an animated adaptation, that she has DOZENS of praised comics you can pick up to understand her. The same fandom that doesn't understand freaking Ra's al Ghul as if the guy didn't have a trilogy that literally summarizes his character and also he's an archetype, how the hell do you get an archetype so popular as his as wrong as batfam fandom does?

*insert Misty breathing loudly here*

Okay I kind of got off the point. I was talking about the annoying portrayal of Tim and Lex, because those who do that don't even understand Tim. Tim would *love* to interact with Lex.

This is Lex Luthor, Superman's nemesis, the smartest man of earth. Tim would be thrilled that he can have a chance of going against him even if he's actually just standing next to a Bruce who tries to get Lex to answer a question just to get Lex drinking wine and telling Mercy to call security.

Tim is a detective, and we have seen how, despite everything, he admits greatness when he sees it. I do think he could get a bit sarcastic with Lex when on his Red Robin persona (we have seen how sarcastic he got with Ra's even when Ra's is definitely more likely to shut him up than Lex is) but I actually don't believe he would do that often as he would be too conscious that if someone is a master of speech, it's Lex Luthor. His words got him all the power of the world after all. You don't wanna start a sarcasm fight with someone like Lex.

And I believe as Tim Drake, he openly admires Lex. Maybe not in a idol way, but Lex is a genius, and I bet on the DC world Lex's career is studied both by people in economy and politics and STEM. Lex did so much with so little that I highly doubt there's a way for Tim to not admit that yes, Lex may be *bad* but he's certainly a genius and perfect at what he does. Credit where it's due, or something.

Lastly, I don't think Tim hates Lex. They aren't close enough for that, and Lex is often dancing in a grey area, and don't forget Tim is already fine with many figures in said grey space. Tim would consider Lex a danger, of course, because getting on Lex's bad side can get him killed. He also considers Lex someone who can and will do good, but Tim isn't gonna be the one to go on that trip of getting Lex to see what his genius can make for the world (that's on Clark).

The only thing Tim could dislike about Lex it's that Lex hurt Kon. And Tim loves Kon (in whatever way you prefer) and Tim comes to me as the kind of person who can't quite forget those things. He would be wary, perhaps, constantly on his tip toes when operating too close to Lex's doings and clenching his jaw when Kon interacts with the man because as much as Tim knows Lex is always in control and won't hurt Kon again... He still did. But if Tim held that against Bruce, wouldn't Bruce lose on the number of children he has hurt? Tim can't quite settle his feelings on that, but Kon got over it, so it's not something Tim keeps against Lex.

Tim is careful around Lex, and he's also a bit of a fan.

And well, he is thankful too. Lex brought Kon into the world, and Tim is thankful for that.

(My conclusion is that some batfam fans have clearly never read Superman comics but also it's funny they haven't read Batman comics either and maybe they shouldn't speak on stuff they don't know but that's just my opinion right)

[tate-lin]

Jason Todd is my favourite character in all of DC but:

If someone doesn't want to kill, you can't ask, tell, or expect them to kill for you

Or, you can, but you'd be a complete asshole. The only time those expectations are valid is when a person signed up for a job where killing is expected (e.g. the military).

But as we all know, Batman is not the military nor the police. He only has one rule—or only one rule he truly cares about—and that's to not kill.

And frankly, I don't care what his reasons are for that; the bottom line is that he doesn't want to kill and we should respect it. Because at the end of the day, when you take a life, you're the one who's fully responsible for it. You're the one who has to live with it. And because of that, nobody should force you to do it.

Look, like I said, Jason Todd is my favourite character too. But that doesn't mean I don't find it disturbing or unfair when he expects Bruce, and only Bruce, to kill the Joker for him.

Do I find it understandable and human? Of course! Jason died horribly and gruesomely to a madman who'd do the same to anyone else so long as he finds it funny enough. It's only natural for him to want and expect someone—especially his father, the one he loved the most and the one he'd been searching through the thin crack of the door for even as the countdown struck zero—to put an end to the clown permanently, but. Does that mean he should? Absolutely not, and I think it's straight-up awful that so many people in this fandom encourage this take.

And the kicker is, if Catherine was still alive, if Catherine was the sort to become a vigilante and this happened to the both of them, do you think Jason would have the same expectations for her? I bet not. Not because he's sexist, but because Bruce is Batman and we take Batman for granted.

Yeah, you heard me. We take him for granted. We expect too much out of him.

This has been a slow-coming realisation, but it comes after a particularly harrowing conversation with my sister during which she told me that I was taking her for granted and I surprised myself by agreeing with her. I won't go into the nitty gritty details but what I took away from the conversation was that just because someone can do something, and you yourself would do that something for them, that does not mean you should automatically expect them to do the same for you—especially if it goes against their character and what they stand for.

This goes the same for Bruce. Just because he's capable of murder and is justified in doing it, that does not mean that he should do it if he doesn't want to. And just because Jason would do it for him if the reverse happened, that still does not mean he should do it if he doesn't want to (which Bruce would have never asked for anyway because that's just not part of his character). No matter their similarities, Jason and Bruce are two completely different people and they can't be expected to do and choose the same things.

Batman, of course, chooses to take responsibility for many, many things, most of which are completely optional. He's a billionaire, he doesn't have to help his city by spending his nights saving people, facing the worst the city has to offer, and risk his life and sanity on the daily. He's the CEO of one of the most wealthy companies in the world, he doesn't have to uplift his city by donating to orphanages, hospitals, and charities, creating programmes to help the youth, the poor, the disabled, ex-convicts, and other minorities, as well as funnel any struggling person he encounters to his company so that they can be assured of a job. He was a single and free man, he didn't have to agree to care for several angry, reckless, and bitter kids with death in their hearts.

All of the shit he does is completely optional! Yet, the one thing he explicitly chooses not to do, the one thing he absolutely refuses to take responsibility for and takes great pains to avoid, is killing.

And I get it, this is murder we're talking about here. You can't just expect people to be just okay with doing that, even if that person is a demented dude in a bat costume.

Actually, why are we expecting so much out of such a person? Cause Batman can do anything? Cause Jason is his son and Gotham is his city? Cause if given half a chance, we wouldn't let Jason down? Cause if something happened to us, we hope that we mattered enough to someone for them to avenge us, no matter if doing so would completely destroy them? Tear them apart from the inside-out? No matter that we're already dead and they'd have to live the rest of their lives like that?

Just something to think about.

At any rate, I think it's wrong to look at someone and expect them to kill for you. If Gotham wants Joker gone, they're just gonna have to do it themselves cause expecting a volunteer to do this extra shit they never asked for and explicitly does not want to do is more than just appalling.

It's cruel.

[leoruby-draws]

in your training wheels AU w rose, jay, and eddie … i think it’s clear that eddie has a crush on rose, but who would end up being the pairing between the two boys with rose considering jason and rose are a “couple” in main continuity? also, love the au and amazing art! :)

Yes, there does seem to be something going on with all three of them, doesn't it? Atm, everyone's just kids, so romance won't really pop up (unless like, for a gag or whatever). Maybe as they hit their teens, there might be crazy love triangle drama going on. Its ok if it does, they are superheroes, dumb drama is the name of the game in DC comics lol. Lemme see if I can get my thoughts in order for this..

Your 100% correct that Eddie has an enormous crush on Rose, just like in canon. Also like canon, it was pretty much a love at first sight kinda thing. As for why, well there's the fact that he thinks Rose is very pretty and cute. But also he loves how skilled she is as a fighter and how dedicated she is to her craft. She can do anything according to him! Even as they grow older, that infatuation never really goes away. If anything, it grows stronger.

It's also extremely obvious to just about everyone on the team (and off!), only question is if Rose knows and just ignores it. Or if she's genuinely oblivious, she's pretty focused on protecting her mom and training her martial art skills.

As for Rose, she's not interested in romance at the moment (she is a kid after all), that might change as she gets older and gains more control over her life. And while she may or may not be aware of Eddie's crush on her, she might have a minor thing for Jason. It's not nearly as overt at Eddie's thing, so only some of the more perceptive team members might know. It's kinda of embarrassing for her to be all 'girly' like that.

As for why Jason, well not only is it a reference to canon JayRose, there's also the fact that in this au Jason was willing to help her out when he didn't even know who she was. He's a dedicated fighter like her, smart, and she thinks he's cute (at least once he reveals his secret id).

This crush is something that develops very slowly over the years, it kinda catches her off guard almost. I don't know if she ever tries to ask him out or anything, once Jason hits his fifteenth birthday, she might just miss her chance perhaps...

As for Jason, well that's just a mystery! But seriously, whatever his own opinions on all this, he seems to be keeping his cards close to his chest. Does he gain a crush on Rose too? Is it Eddie he has a crush on? Is he jealous of how easily Rose steal's Eddie's attention? Or does he see Eddie as competition for Rose? Every member of the Outlaws has a different idea on what's happening on Jason's end, and none of those idea's overlap lol. Just like in the fandom, every member of the team seems to read Jason differently (and for some, just straight up don't understand him).

It seems for now, Jason would rather not think about stuff like that and just concentrate on having fun with friends! He's just a kid you know!

Anyways here's a funny doodle that's just perfect for this question:

Thanks for the question, that was interesting to think about! Have a good day!

[mysterycitrus]

Clearly you’ve got a lot of opinions abt the characterisations of the batfam in fandom /pos

Can you elaborate on your interpretation for all of them? /gen

it’s called caring too much — and it’s incurable! wrt my personal interpretation, that's a long and complicated answer, so ill just focus on the internal character of the waynes (specifically bruce and his five canonical kids).

bruce wayne is a control freak, we know this. his parents were killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he has literally never ever been able to truly process it. the degree to which he is controlling - firing robins, survelling his allies without their consent, compiling personal information from others, disregarding others feelings in favour of his own - is all about trying to achieve the best possible outcome. everything he does is justified, because if he's in control then he can stop bad things from happening. it is all in favour of the greater good. it's the logic of an eight year old who's just lost everything and hasn't grown up.

if bruce's trauma manifests control then dick's manifests personal perfectionism. he holds himself to such an absurd standard because he's a flier - when you're catching someone on the trapeze you quite literally have to be there, always, ready to take their hand. if you don't, they fall. if there's no net, if dick isn't the net, then they die. he’s always swinging back out and in again, waiting for the next person to slip through his fingers. he does not fear falling, only what will happen when he hits the ground. he’s a born performer made to be an atlas, carrying an unbearable weight that anchors him to the earth.

jason after death is a tragedy of his own creation, and dc's worst crime is trying to justify the terrible decisions he makes. jason isn’t right, because what he wants is not about protecting other kids from his fate or being a better batman. he wants to be personally vindicated, even though he knows it's impossible. jason rejected himself, bruce, everything, in order to transform into a weapon to enact violence. deep down he's so angry, so hurt, that he'll go after other children - tim, damian, mia - and still decry bruce in the same breath. killing the joker, killing bruce, killing dick, killing every robin before or since won't take him back to who he was before. you cannot go back. you can never go back.

cass sees everything. she can't unsee it, she can't ignore it, nothing in the body can be truly hidden from her, but like bruce that doesn't mean she's always right. she killed a man and witnessed his death, and thus will never take another life. she is all knowing, but she was not born knowing herself. she's jason in reverse — she turns from steel to flesh and bone. she will do whatever it takes to be good. she has made herself real.

tim chose this life in the most literal sense of the word, and then kept choosing it. it’s his duty, it’s his honour, it has hollowed him out and left nothing behind. his tethers to the world snap one by one — janet and jack and darla and dana and steph and kon — and suddenly it’s much harder to extricate himself from the black. robin, dick grayson, is his guiding north star, but his north star is only human. he knows he is capable, he knows this is his choice, and he knows he has long since lost the chance to unchoose.

damian is raised in the shadow of the bat. he is born of blood. he knew death before he knew his father. he is a child. he is ancient. he is a killer. he only wants to do good. he loves his mother. his father is gone before he learns to love damian. damian loves someone else who wears the bat but does not carry wayne name. everything he knows about himself is questioned — robin is given to him, and suddenly he can decide his own fate, make his own family. he wants to be the best, but he doesn’t know what he wants that to mean anymore. he wants the chance to find out.

[50-states-50-pynch-fics]

Do you write fic for The Raven Cycle and The Dreamer Trilogy (or do you want to)? Does the epilogue of Greywaren leave you yearning for more about what Ronan Lynch and Adam Parrish do in their post-canon life together?

Then this is just the thing for you!

50 States, 50* Pynch Fics is a fandom event seeking exactly what it sounds like: fifty-one Pynch fics, one set in every state and Washington, DC, following these two assholes around as they go about the United States together, fixing ley lines and doing other magical nonsense in their post-canon lives.

Have you ever wanted to write Pynch running into Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest? How about having a grand old time in Palm Springs?

If you answered yes to the above, or if you have other ideas about Pynch interacting with cryptids, this is the place for you!

Sign up here!

FAQ

What fresh hell is this?

This is an attempt at a fandom event. In Greywaren's epilogue, we learn Ronan is wandering around working on ley lines and Adam works for "an organization with a dot gov email," and that they often work together across the United States. I thought it'd be fun to follow them on that post-canon journey and write a fic set in each of the 50 states (plus DC).

Is there a deadline?

Nope! I want this to be as low-key and low-stress as possible for everyone involved and there's no hard deadline for posting fics. Life happens. Stuff gets in the way of writing. All I ask is that if you claim a state, you make your best effort to post the fic for it, and if it ends up you're not in a place to write it, just contact me.

Is there a word count requirement?

Again, nope! Write a microfic, write a drabble, write 100k. Write however much or as little as you want.

What can I write?

Literally anything. Fluff, smut, hurt/comfort, whatever you feel like. Go crazy. And if you feel like an AU, I'm not gonna stop you. You don't even need to know anything about a state. Pop them in a hotel room and say it's in Montana for all I care. What if you can't contain yourself and want to write fics for the entire West coast? Go ahead and write fics for Washington, Oregon, and California. I won't stop you. And if one fic for Maine doesn't satisfy you, write more! Multiple fics per state are welcome.

How do I sign up?

There's a prompt challenge here on AO3 with all 50 states and Washington, DC. If you want to write a fic for a state, hit the "Claim" button for that state. Please note, I have never created a prompt challenge before and I'm still trying to figure out how this thing works. If you run into issues, just contact me. We'll figure this thing out together!

Ultimately, I just want everyone to have fun. That's what fandom is all about. So let's write and read some great fics!

- @kelliealtogether, who doesn't know what the hell she's getting herself into so please be patient 🥰

*Though Ronan would be pleased if I went "Fuck Washington" too, we can't leave out DC. 😌

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Hair Trigger

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam, Superfam, YJ98

Summary: A junior at Gotham University, Jason finds it difficult to conceal his worsening mental health from his family and his friend, Jon Lane Kent. Family secrets are revealed and boundaries are pushed as Jason and Laney struggle to navigate through school, their romantic feelings, and their trauma. Could the reintroduction of Laney Kent be more trouble than it's worth, or is it just what Jason needed to confront the demons of his past?

I will also do trigger warnings for chapters and if there is smut I have the chapter(s) tagged so you don't have to worry about nsfw in the fic if you're just here for the story itself.

Chapters: 11/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Jonathan Lane Kent, Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake, Conner Kent, Natalia Knight, Jonathan Samuel Kent, Cassie Sandsmark, Chris Kent, Bart Allen, Original Character(s)

Relationships: JayLaney, Clois, TimKon

Additional Tags: University AU, No Powers AU, Sharing A Bed, Romance, Angst

Chapter Eleven: Home Dining

Jason took his shower and got dressed for work that morning, and Laney sat on his bed swinging his feet. "Jason?" Laney called.

"I'm done with the bathroom," Jason replied. He walked over to the doorway, stopping at the threshold as if he were waiting to be invited in.

"You run hot, you know that?" Laney asked. Jason nodded, rubbing his neck out of embarrassment. "What?"

"I usually sleep in my underwear, and I've never shared a bed with anyone before," Jason confessed. Laney chuckled.

"C'mere," Laney whispered, gesturing with both hands for Jason to enter the room. Jason walked over and stood in front of Laney. "I'm messing with you. Jason, I don't care what you sleep in or how warm you sleep... Tonight was the first in almost a month that I've slept through the whole night. I wasn't saying it because it bothered me, but I'd like it a lot if the next time you stay over, you really make yourself at home." Jason sat down next to Laney and lay his head on Laney's shoulder.

"You want me to sleep in my underwear next time I come over?" Jason asked.

"It'd be preferred, yeah," Laney joked. Jason chuckled and interlaced his fingers with Laney's. "You wanna know what I'm thinking?" Laney asked. Jason nodded.

"Sure," Jason whispered.

"I'm thinking this could really work... I'm also wondering if you want a ride to work or school or wherever you're going," Laney replied. Jason nodded.

"I work in the tutoring center at school—." His phone rang.

"Is that your dad?" Laney asked.

"Actually, no, it's your dad... Should I tell him I spent the night here?" Jason asked.

"Wait and see if he asks... It's not like anything happened. We didn't even kiss... Go ahead," Laney whispered.

Jason answered the phone, whispering a polite, "Good morning, Mr. Kent."

"Good morning, Jason... Are you busy?" Clark asked.

"No, I'm not busy... Is something wrong?" Jason asked. Laney gave Jason a peck on the cheek and took his clothes to the bathroom.

"No, actually, I just wanted to call to ask if you were okay. I know you and Bruce aren't exactly on speaking terms right now, but—."

"I understand that you might feel partially responsible, but it's on him because it was his decision," Jason interrupted.

"Can you afford to miss school today?" Clark asked.

"I have work, and then I have a test today. I won't be free until almost seven... Is this why you called?" Jason asked.

Clark took a deep breath over the phone. "Yes, Jason. Bruce just wants to talk to you in person. Bruce knows what he did hurt you, and he wants to speak to you to work things out," Clark replied, "And trust me, talking things through isn't really something he's used to doing... Parents are still learning too. It doesn't mean you have to forgive him, but it does mean that you might have to look at things a little differently."

"Well, he can meet me at school at six-thirty by the cafeteria... But only because you spoke on his behalf, Mr. Kent," Jason replied.

"Okay. I'll let Bruce know... Oh, and Jason, tell Laney I said good morning—."

"Mr. Kent, I can—."

"I was going to say when you see him," Clark chuckled, "How's Laney feeling, by the way?"

"He's doing good," Jason whispered. He could hear Laney's brothers yelling in the background.

"Boys, please... Thank you, Jason. Feel free to call me if you ever want to talk," Clark offered.

"Thanks, Mr. K., I will," Jason replied before hanging up. Jason walked out to the living room and tied his shoes while he sat on the couch.

"What'd my dad say?" Laney asked as he walked out of his bathroom. Jason shrugged.

"He told me that my dad wants to talk to me... Oh, and he asked if you were okay," Jason replied, "Can we get breakfast on campus?"

Laney nodded. "Jason, come here," Laney replied. Jason smiled and walked over to Laney.

Laney threw his arms around Jason's neck and pressed a kiss to Jason's lips. Jason smiled and opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find the words. Laney kissed him, and before either of them could think, Jason lay on the couch as Laney kissed his neck, and he took his hands and held Laney's face. "Laney, no, remember," Jason reminded him, a tinge of nervousness in his voice. It was just enough for Laney to notice. Jason maintained eye contact with Laney as Laney took a deep breath, and he nodded. Laney rested his forehead against Jason's shoulder.

"I'm sorry... I forgot," Laney whispered. Jason smiled and pressed a kiss to Laney's cheek.

"I forgot too... We gotta go anyway," Jason whispered. Laney nodded, and they both got up and grabbed their bags before they made their way downstairs to the car. They rode to school in silence, and after they got out, Jason went around to the driver's seat and took Laney's hand in his.

Laney followed Jason to the cafeteria, and Jason ordered a coffee for himself, tea for Laney, and some french toast for the both of them. After their order was ready, Jason ate with Laney, brushing Laney's hand with his pinky. "What are you thinking?" Jason asked.

"I don't want to rush you, Jason... That's all. I'm sorry if I—."

"You didn't rush me. Laney, you weren't pushing me to do anything back there," Jason interrupted as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Swear?" Laney asked.

"Swear," Jason answered.

Laney went back to eating before looking up once more, "You really had a crush on my mom, huh?" Laney teased.

"Shut up," Jason laughed, "She smells nice..."

"How do you know what my mom smells like?" Laney asked.

"She hugged me once... What? I was upset about something, and she gave some weird sports reference I didn't understand, and she hugged me," Jason replied. Laney chuckled.

"Yeah, that sounds like Mom... Bet she called you Champ or some shit like that," Laney whispered, "I can see it now. I can see why you liked her... Unless you still—."

"No, I don't still have a crush on your mom. Actually, in a way, most of the stuff I liked about her helped me like you... I mean, you're a huge jerk sometimes, but underneath it all, you're one of the warmest people I know," Jason whispered.

"You mean that?" Laney asked as he finished up. Jason nodded. "And what are you?"

"Oh, I'm just an asshole—." Laney chuckled. "No, seriously. I'm mean as fuck," Jason laughed.

"Yeah?" Laney asked. Jason nodded. "You know what, now you sound like yourself. Want me to walk you to the tutoring center?"

"Only if you'll let me walk you to class next week," Jason replied. Laney got up and threw their plates away before taking a sip of his tea.

"Mm, Jason, okay... Oh! Jay, um, if I don't call you this weekend, it's because my mom and I have therapy on Friday," Laney whispered, "And I'm pretty sure she's gonna spend the weekend with me." They walked hand-in-hand, and once they got to the tutoring center, instead of kissing Jason, Laney hugged him. He held onto him for a while.

"Lane..." Jason whispered. Laney let go. "I'm gonna meet my dad here at like six-thirty tonight."

"If you want to talk after you see him, I'll be here," Laney whispered, "I'll even come and pick you up if you want me to." Jason nodded.

Once Laney was gone, Jason went back to work, and he couldn't help but smile.

The day didn't seem to drag on like it usually did for him. It wasn't until late in the afternoon that a wave of discomfort washed over him. He wished that he hadn't agreed to see Bruce after class. After Jason's class ended, he walked over to the cafeteria and stood outside. He took out his phone and called Laney. "Hey, you and your dad talk yet?" Laney asked.

"Are you still on campus?" Jason asked.

"Uh-huh, want me to wait for you?" Laney asked. Jason leaned against the wall and looked up at the stars.

"Yeah, Lane... I don't know how long I'll be, though—."

"That's okay. I told you I'd stick around," Laney whispered, "I'll be here. See you in a little bit, okay?"

"Okay," Jason whispered before Laney hung up.

He waited for about ten minutes and decided to walk home, but before he could move, he heard a woman's voice. "I hate to be late, but I just spent an absurd amount of time arguing with your father about which one of us should come out to speak to you."

Jason turned to look at her, and she was just as he remembered.

"Natalia? Mom?" Jason's eyes filled to the brim with tears. He embraced her, almost lifting her off of the ground. She hugged him back. "What are you doing here?" Jason asked.

"Will you walk with me?" Natalia asked. Jason nodded and followed her as they walked toward the park. "Jason, blame for my absence does not solely rest on Bruce. I chose to stay away because I thought it would benefit you."

Jason looked at her and took a deep breath. "You left me?" Jason whispered. His voice broke, and he stopped walking.

"No, Jason, you don't understand. It wouldn't have been easy for you if I stayed," she whispered, "It wasn't until Bruce sabotaged my plans to meet with you that I realized I was being incredibly selfish. I had to separate myself for your own good—."

"You never called or wrote... How was that good for me?" Jason asked.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I just wanted you to move on with your life. I thought it would be best—." Jason started walking again, and Natalia followed. "Jason, I understand if you're upset with me—."

Jason pulled out his phone and sent a text. "I am upset with you, but I think we should have dinner at my apartment. I'll walk you back to the parking garage because that's where my ride is waiting," Jason replied. He turned back toward the school and walked a few paces ahead of her. Jason blinked away a few tears, walking to the lot, and Jason waited until she got in Bruce's car before letting his tears fall. When he got to Laney's car, he got in and slammed the door.

"Jesus! Jason—. Hey," Laney's voice softened, "Hey. What happened?"

"She doesn't—." Jason swallowed hard. "She didn't want to come back."

"Jason... What are you talking about?" Laney asked gently. "What's wrong?" Jason wiped his face with his sleeve, and Laney put his knees in his seat to lean in and wipe Jason's face with his jacket. "Hey... It's alright."

"My mom didn't come back because she didn't want to," Jason wept, and Laney moved Jason's hand away from his face. "She could've come back, but she didn't."

Laney nodded. "I don't really know your foster mom all that well. I only met her once, but I know that sometimes parents rarely ever just wake up and decide they don't love their kids anymore... If she didn't come back—. You don't want me to explain things to you. I'm sorry," Laney apologized. Jason embraced him and cried. "I've got you."

Laney allowed him a few minutes to pull himself together, and Jason sniffed as he mumbled, "You're probably right." Jason inhaled sharply, and Laney kissed his cheek. "We can go now..."

"You sure?" Laney asked. Jason nodded. "It's gonna be okay. Dinner's gonna be fine. I'll even help cook." Jason bit his nails. "Hey, I'm serious. It's gonna be fine."

Laney buckled his seatbelt and started to drive toward Jason's apartment. "I couldn't even say how I felt. I don't have the words. I can't—."

"That's okay... Sometimes talking about your feelings is like that... Just do and say what you feel—."

"I change my mind," Jason blurted out, and Laney turned to look at him. "Maybe we should just go back to—."

"Jason, what's up with your family and feelings. Just tell them exactly how you feel... Isn't it better that everyone knows what's going on?" Laney asked. Jason didn't answer. Instead, he covered his mouth and looked out the window like a scolded child. "If you don't want to talk to them, at least text them and tell them that." Jason shook his head.

"I'm gonna go..." Jason mumbled.

"I know it's a lot, but I don't think you'll regret dealing with things," Laney replied, "I know I'm not as in touch with my emotions as my brothers and dad are, but I do know that talking things out does work."

Jason didn't say anything else until they got to his apartment and Natalia and Bruce stood at the door as if they'd been there several minutes before Jason and Laney arrived. Jason let them all in, and he went to the kitchen to wash his hands. Laney greeted both of them and washed his hands as well. "Laney, can you make the salad?" Jason asked. Laney nodded.

"I like your apartment—."

"You don't," Jason interrupted, and Laney nudged him.

"Just change the subject," Laney whispered.

"So, have you both been lying to me as a unit, or did you part ways completely when I was fourteen?" Jason asked his parents.

"Jason, that's not fair. I thought it was what's best for you—."

"It wasn't... Everything was different. I lost you and my best friend. I wasn't happy—."

"Because it wasn't fair... I should have been there. I should've made better choices so that I could have been there... I couldn't come back to you without learning to be the parent you needed," Natalia interrupted, "I know now from what you're saying and from what Bruce has told me, we were wrong about the way we handled things... That's why I'm here now. I want you to know that I never stopped loving you, even in my absence. I just wanted you to feel normal."

"Dad, why didn't you just ask me if I thought about running away? And Mom, why didn't you ask me if I had feelings about being around you after what you did?" Jason asked. "Why didn't you two ever ask me about how I felt?"

"You seemed fine," Bruce replied from where he sat on the couch.

"I wasn't okay. I disappeared, Dad, and you would've known had you just asked me. You never asked me how it felt to know my mom was going to jail or what it felt like to know I wasn't allowed to see my best friend anymore or how it felt to have my whole life turned upside down again...

I've been thinking these past few days, and I just have to ask... Mom, did you ever once think about how hard it was for me to trust you when you met me? And Dad, why is it that you won't allow me to know the causes for why I always feel like this?" Jason asked. Laney looked up from the lettuce he'd cut up.

Natalia opened her mouth to speak, and no words came out. Bruce took a deep breath. "Is this about the hospital?" Bruce asked.

"That's what all of this is about, actually," Jason replied harshly.

"I don't know what led up to it because you wouldn't speak to me afterward, but you kept telling me that you just needed some air... And then you drove your fist through your window," Bruce replied, "You don't remember that?"

Jason chewed his lip. "No, I don't remember..."

Laney cleared his throat. "Jason, you should go sit and talk with your parents. I'll cook dinner..." Laney whispered the words in Jason's ear. Laney kissed him on the cheek. "Okay?"

Jason nodded and sat in a chair in his living room. He listened to Bruce speak for a while about what happened all those months ago. "I chalked it up to you being stressed about school... I never really thought to ask why," Bruce replied, "It doesn't mean that I wasn't concerned about you..."

"I know," Jason replied, "But sometimes I feel like you don't really hear me."

"I do. I just sometimes don't know what to say or do in response," Bruce replied.

"We did agree on one thing in the car... We should have been more of a team when it came to caring about you. We'd spent so much time competing for your time and affection we never realized how much that hurt you," Natalia added. She reached out and waited a moment as if she were waiting for his permission, and Jason embraced her. He took Bruce's hand and pulled him into their small embrace.

Laney's phone rang, startling the three of them, and he apologized before answering his call. "Conner?"

"Hey, Lane. Are you busy?" Conner asked.

"A little busy... Why? What's wrong?" Laney asked as he stepped outside.

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to show you a picture of my tattoo," Conner replied.

"I feel like you could've texted me—."

"I wanted to get your reaction in real-time," Conner replied, "Did you get it yet?" Laney looked at his phone and opened a text from Conner.

"Give me like two seconds... Wait—." Laney stopped talking for a moment and smiled. "You know, you lied to me."

"I'm sure you're used to it. What do you think?" Conner asked.

"I think you're an idiot for doing this, but it looks great. I'm surprised you remembered that... But you know what, maybe it'll keep Mom from killing you when she finds out you got a tattoo," Laney replied.

"I decided I'm gonna tell her right before you go to therapy—."

"Wait, no, don't do that. I just remembered I gave you my fucking ID. She's gonna be pissed at me too," Laney interrupted, "Shit. Mom can never find out about that tattoo ever. Or I literally will kill you, and I mean that."

"Oh, I found my ID. So, I didn't have to use yours. I had to tell the girl who did it that my older brother scheduled it for me," Conner laughed, "I think she bought it. What are you doing?"

"I'm supposed to be helping Jason make dinner. I'm having dinner with his parents at his apartment... I'll call you back later—."

"Or I can just stop by your place—."

"I'm staying over Jason's," Laney replied, "But I'll call you back if you want me to."

"No, I'm good. Have fun at Jason's. I'll see you Friday when Mom comes back," Conner answered. Laney smiled.

"Okay, now... But that makes you sound like you're staying the weekend with Mom and me—."

"Love you, mean it!" Conner interrupted before hanging up.

"I hate when he does that," Laney whispered before going back to Jason's apartment.

Jason was at the stove, opening up cans of ravioli. "Do you like living alone?" Natalia asked.

"Sometimes I do," Jason replied. Laney came over and tapped Jason's arm.

"Do you want me to do anything else?" Laney whispered in his ear.

"Do you think we should tell them?" Jason asked. Laney smiled. "I think so too." Laney kissed him on the cheek.

"What's going on?" Bruce asked.

"Turns out Lane and I like each other, like a whole lot. He's my boyfriend," Jason smiled, "He's finally my boyfriend."

"I like the sound of that... Jason's boyfriend," Laney whispered.

[isfjmel-phleg]

At the antique store today, I found a Batman comic from 1989. I didn't get it (although I did pick up another from the previous year that has a brief Angry Jason moment), but in the back was a letter page with responses to A Death in the Family and I took pictures. Here's a glimpse of what the 1989 Discourse was around Jason's death:

Some readers approached it in terms of story quality, like Bob U., who wrote a lengthy piece comparing it in quality to a previous story and concluded with

The voting, well, that was rather crass, if you ask me, but all in all, I think the characters stand up, and the pure adventure of it all will be remembered for years to come. You allowed the fans to contribute, and that couldn't have been easy. So thanks, I guess, for a few fun months of Batman and Robin, and what I hope will be some really brutal Dark-night Detective stuff in the months to come.

But other readers, like Rene S., had more emotional investment--in case some rather harsh and uncalled-for hatred of a fictional teenager:

After reading the conclusion of "A Death in the Family," I've only one thing to say: thank you very much for killing off Robin! I never liked the little gnat; he is not even the original Robin! I always thought that Batman looked a little bit silly running around with a fourteen (?) year old sidekick. Now the Batman is restored to his old glory, and I sincerely hope there won't be another Robin for some years to come (although I liked the girl Robin in DARK KNIGHT [i.e. Carrie Kelley], maybe you can do something with that...) Robin is dead, long live Batman!

Mitchell K. had none of that meanness but showed a fan-like interest in alternate endings:

I have been an avid Batman fan since I was a boy, and I just finished "A Death in the Family" series and thoroughly enjoyed it. I voted for Jason to live and was very shocked to see him die, but I was still very impressed with the rest of the story. But I can't help wondering how the story would have gone if Jason had lived. I would like to know if there is any way that DC Comics will ever publish the second ending.

To which the editor replied:

Mitchell, while we understand your curiosity, we have no plans at present to ever publish the "alternate" ending to BATMAN #428. Very few people even at DC have seen those pages, and sorry to say, but that for the time being the material will stay locked up tight in my file.

I hope Mitchell was inspired to create his own version of that ending! (Those top-secret alternate pages have since been glimpsed; they feature Batman holding Jason as he does in the original but exclaiming, "He's alive! Thank God!" and then Jason in the hospital in a coma with his recovery uncertain.)

Alvis S. has an unfortunate story about his thwarted intention to vote for Jason to live:

As I read "A Death in the Family," this time in the Graphic Novel form, I relived the frustration I felt when I read BATMAN #428. Why did I feel this frustration? It could be that on September 15th and 16th, the South Texas area was being threatened by Hurricane Gilbert. At that time, the Phone Company asked that the phone lines be kept clear for emergencies. Maybe my friends and I, who had planned to vote on keeping the late Jason Todd alive, could have made a difference. We made sure we voted on November 7th, though; but this time we have no excuses. What is done is done, but I will miss the effect Jason was having on our hero.

Shon G. was disgusted by the fandom's murderous attitude toward Jason:

It saddens me to see that comic fans are becoming so blood thirsty. I have never seen a character like Jason Todd be disliked so much. Maybe it was because he was no Dick Grayson. Who knows? But I know this: it tells you how far some people will go to get their way. I have also noticed that when a writer terminates a character, most people write in that it was a cop-out. This time it is not the writer's fault directly. It is ours. And it appears that a few people are being quite hypocritical. It is a shame you let us choose, for it is very frightening to know that, if given the chance, people will vote for the death of someone because of dislike. People always seem to miss possible alternatives. That makes us not only ignorant, but also narrow-minded. I am aware that this letter does not apply to everyone, but I wanted to, at least, voice my opinions on this situation. [...] P.S. Whatever happened to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"? Especially for those heroes who have given us so much--whether we admit it or not.

To which the editor replied:

Voicing opinions is what letter columns are all about, Shon. But I really don't think you give your fellow readers enough credit. Try to keep in mind that Jason Todd was a work of fiction (despite the incredible feelings of angst and finality we all felt as the votes came in [...]). You know as well as I do that if the phone vote was over the life or death of a real-life, living, breathing PERSON, the results would have been a little different. A LOT different.

...would it have been? For someone so apparently hated? Some people can be surprisingly just as cruel with real people as they are with fictional ones.

Similarly, Rob H. is concerned by such attitudes in the fandom:

First of all, let me say that I am not writing to complain about his [Jason's] death, nor am I writing to cheer about it. Personally, I do wish he had survived, although I must admit I wasn't fond of his character after his origin was changed after the Crisis; however, he was still an interesting character. I don't mind the fact that he is dead as much as I mind the manner of his death. The Joker didn't kill him. The readers did. He didn't die for any good purpose that I can see. He died because of some stupid idea to garner some free publicity. Look at all the media coverage it got. If it hadn't been for the phone-in poll, I doubt his passing would have gotten much attention at all. It just seems to me that the only reason he died was to make some money. I am not so concerned about the money aspect of his death, but with many readers' outright joy that he died. The letter column seems to be full of people gloating that they helped kill him. Why are they so overjoyed? They really seem to have hated him a lot. Why? It seems more and more readers are calling for the deaths of characters. In SUICIDE SQUAD, the readers keep pleading for more people to die. In NEW TITANS, readers seem to be calling for Danny Chase to die. What is this obsession with death? Admittedly, these characters are merely fictional, but doesn't this fixation with death seem like a sad commentary upon society? I, for one, like it when the heroes prevail. Sure I like realism in comics, but I also like the escapism. There is enough death and destruction in the world today. It seems to be getting harder to occasionally escape from the madness for even a short time.

In light of the outcome of the vote, it's good to know that there were some people who were disturbed by all that. Sure, it's "just a fictional character" whose death wouldn't matter in the same way that a real person's would, but if a fictional character is ultimately so inconsequential, why was there enough investment to warrant that level of vitriol? I tend to agree with Rob; it's "a sad commentary on society" that readers were so harsh.

Even if it resulted in some fascinating storylines, both shortly after and much, much later.

[itashiro-hitsuchiha]

My thoughts on the shutdown of RT by Warner and on RWBY

Read on if you wish.

Ok so there's a good bit of things for me to say on this matter. Normally I don't do personal posts a whole lot like this but I want to express my thoughts on the matter. I will disclaim that this is a matter of opinion based on my understanding of the situation and I will explain more on certain subjects when I get to it. This is more of my inclination towards RWBY as a series than anything else.

So let's start with the short and simple part of my thoughts on it. It does suck that the company is shutting down mostly for the workers involved. As I understand from secondhand knowledge and statements by other onlookers that the company leadership has made very poor decisions with their franchises, both in writing direction and with treatment of the staff and also consumers. I can't say much more on that front as I will admit I haven't looked into it much and I haven't delved into that matter too much either so that's about all I have to say with that.

Onto the thoughts/feelings on RWBY. Now I enjoy RWBY as a franchise and series to a degree. I know lots of people have issues with how the show's writing became after some points in the series, myself included, but I remain hopeful. Warner still tried to do stuff with RWBY by aligning it with DC comics for crossovers. I haven't watched the two crossover films but I do intend to check them out despite what others say. I am more driven by curiosity with the show than much else. I won't sing it's praises nor will I bash the hell out of it. I get my initial impressions then I gauge what others think and adjust based on what I may or may not agree with after giving much thought on it.

My opinions on things can change drastically. One example which I will use as a somewhat loose comparison, is with Star Wars. I love the world of Star Wars and I always have since I was a kid. I was excited for the sequel trilogy and gave it a go. Force Awakens was an ok start, nothing spectacular, but its problems were showing but they still had time to pivot and correct these errors with the next two movies. The Last Jedi came out. I watched it and was at least entertained on the first watch. Then I saw the discourse erupt in the fandom. So I was curious to what made people so mad. I looked at a lot of writing critiques of the movie by fans of the series. Then I saw the behind the scenes things going on and it changed my view. At first I liked TLJ but that opinion quickly fell into greatly disliking it. I didn't even want to see Rise of Skywalker based on rumors of the plot of the movie. Mostly the ending. But I still watched it just to finish what I started. Even though I disliked it heavily and never touched that trilogy again.

What's this have to do with RWBY? Well it's the same thing for me. I started watching with a friend who was into it. I got into it. And for the most part I enjoyed it. After the fiasco with Star Wars I refrained from giving full opinions until after viewing the show or movie and thinking about it after. I also look into viewpoints of others to see what people liked and didn't like and see if I agreed or not. I seek to understand what turned people away and what made others stay. While I don't agree with everything others list I at least understand why they think about it the way they do. But in the end even if I agree with them I still want to see where it ends. I want to finish what I started. I can understand other people leaving the show after a certain point and not coming back out of outrage or disinterest. But I enjoyed the show at first and even if the ending is dog shit, much like with the Sequel trilogy, I will stay on this ride until it ends.

Now onto extra thoughts. So I did read the article explaining the closing of RT and based on my understanding, Warner may still be looking to complete the series they have, even if its just to milk what they can out of it, at the very least the final season of Red vs Blue is confirmed to happen. I haven't seen anything regarding the state of RWBY but I remain optimistic and hope they will keep most of the hardworking team (the ones that make the show happen and not the dumbasses who mistreat them) and treat them fairly so they can end the series on at least a decent note. There's no undoing what they've done at this point and it's naive to expect one or possibly two final season(s) to fix it. But they can at least try to give it a respectful ending. It is optimistic and it may be a long shot or very unlikely but even so I want to see what they do.

Hopefully this is clear enough in my thoughts and opinions on this matter. I haven't stated anything specific to the series in terms of writing but I don't feel it necessary to do so at the moment. Especially since I still need to catch up on it. You may not agree with my viewpoints or reasons for things but that's ok. I just wanted to get my voice out there.