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pyroreadscomics · 3 months

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What are your thoughts about Howard's Catwoman run?

The run being really gay doesn't save the writing from being really mediocre.

(More nuance below the cut)

Well that was snappy, unfortunately my thoughts are many and complicated and probably won't be entirely ironed out until a few months after she leaves the book or I reread the run again, or both. That phrase was something I said while reading through the series for the first time a some months ago that I still mostly stand by, but now feel the need to caveat and add nuance.

(Also, it feels weird that, because I put off answering this for months, the end of Howard’s run is just a few months away now, but I’m just going to assume the ending is neither so good it retroactively makes everything better or so bad it tanks the run with guilt by association)

When I say mediocre, I very specifically don't mean bad. I'm using mediocre to mean it's average, ordinary, of moderate quality. Not bad enough to hate, or even particularly dislike, but not good enough for me to shed a tear if it was suddenly canceled (which… seeing as it’s end is now on the horizon… I’m actually filled with anticipation as to what comes next.)

And like many multi-year runs, Howard's Catwoman has had it's ups and downs while it's low points are i think widely known: Her dialogue tends towards what i can only describe as AO3 generic, the plotting itself is sub-par, Gotham War disappointing even though there was no way to go into it with high expectations (joint effort i know, but even taking only half blame for it Tini Howard doesn't come out of that event looking remotely well), and I have an entire rant ready for how I dislike how Black Mask is used in that series.

1. The reintroduction of Eiko

But, that said, at this moment I do feel like calling out some highlights of Howard's run (or at least, the bits of it I really liked.)

Also yes, alot of this could be considered fanservice, but I’m at least acknowledging that things that make me happy don’t inherently make a run good. (but at least more enjoyable to slog through than Tom King’s batman or most of her New 52 stuff)

Okay, let me be clear, Eiko in this run is a shadow of her debut in Valentine's run but Selina's supporting cast has a worrying tendency to disappear without a trace after one, max two runs, so damn if it wasn't nice to see Eiko suddenly reappear in a major role in the Catwoman run after a 6 year absence and not have her confined to the dustbin of comic history alongside other Catwoman supporting cast members such as Gwen, Alice, Zee, Clutterbuck, Wilder, Arizona, and Cassandra Cartland (If you knew every single person i mentioned without having to check, I like you, and you like me also know too much about Catwoman)

If nothing else, if Eiko's appearances in this comic, and her guest appearances in other current Gotham stories (like Punchline: Gotham Game or Ram V's excellent Gotham Nocturne) manage to cement her as a persistent part of Catwoman's cast, this run will have done enough for me to earn a passing grade.

Also I like Eiko's new catsuit and not just because it makes it easier to tell her apart from Selina

2. Catwoman #43 & #44 (The Harley Quinn two parter)

Judging by the mood in the room, If anything gets me an angry response it's going to be this.

It's fun, it was a fun two parter, and honestly there are times when I wish more writers would stop trying to do the high drama stories they're kinda bad and instead write fun inconsequential side stories.

Also yes I do ship it. What of it?

Actually speaking of

3. The queerness.

It’s not a lot, but for a character who’s been out as bi since 2015 Selina is never written that way (at least in the main comics, I understand the HQ show and the recent movies have either explicitly or implicitly had bi Selina). Like it’s so bad Selina doesn’t even get pride tie in stuff, no appearances in the pride anthologies or even pride variant cover. JFC Nightwing gets one every year and last time i checked he was still canonical cishet. And… a bit like Eiko, but less important, it’s nice to have another run where Catwoman is canonically queer. Selina acknowledging Eiko as an ex, flirting with other women, that Selina and Harley sharing a bed scene. It’s just nice to have that part of Selina’s character acknowledged.

Also it’s so minor but the gay bar called Conroy’s got me just a bit.

4. Knight Terrors

On balance, despite me having criticisms of it, I did like it as a version of “What does Selina’s worst nightmares look like”. It’s not quite as good as Devin Grayson’s take on the matter (and ain’t that a sentence) but I’m a big fan of Selina’s mind dark fears conjuring force a lot of catholic imagery and doing something actually interesting with the Sister Zero concept. (It’s really just a shame that this story is clearly setting something up for Gotham War that never actually gets paid off, which is wild considering that was literally the month after Knight Terrors)

Lastly:

5. Valmont

Look, I really liked Valmont for two reasons, one of which is superficial, one of which actually had thought put into it.

Superficially: Selina deserves a whipped subby bisexual twink, as treat. Sure he's a cocky asshole, sure he looks like pirate au ghostmaker, sure he's ready to murder anyone who looks like a threat to his dom love (and honestly anyone in general), but honestly that's all part of the charm.

Because Bruce, as the whole wedding thing shows, is big on these concrete declarations of affection, even as he’s really bad at actually expressing his affection in more casual ways. And Eiko, as she says, is “comfortable with these declarations, names. Things like titles and vows.” So in dating either of them Selina would be consenting being put into a box and labeled, even if it's a box as unconstrained as “dating” and a label as loose as “girlfriend”.

But, putting a bit of thought into things, Valmont has this really interesting role in the story. He's the obviously incorrect choice in a love triangle, but also the one who Selina would pick anyway.

Like, the issue before he dies the story teases a bit of romance with Bruce and Selina, and earlier there were some teases (or.. maybe acknowledgement is the right word?) between Selina and Eiko. There's two existing love interests for Selina, Bruce, who's the moral and safe choice, the wedding bells and gaggle of step kids choice. And there's Eiko, who's a major crime lord, one who's conducting business with some of the worst in Gotham. If it was just the two of them (especially if Eiko was closer to her Valentine personality), it'd be a pretty classic "the good boy and the bad boy girl" love triangle but Valmont is here, and he adds an interesting angle onto that love triangle(?) (is it still a triangle when there's three potential lover interests?).

(A reversal on Eiko and Selina’s very undefined relationship in Valentine’s run, which could be seen as divergence for the character but also kinda makes sense. With Eiko ending that run by shedding Catwoman (and identity that embodied personal freedom and also rebellion against her father) to become the head of the Hagisawa family (an identity marked by responsibility to the family and her place as her father’s heir) that going forward she’d be a lot less likely to engage in a nebulous undefined relationship when her life is now, by choice, very defined. It’s still however one of those things that assumes a non-zero amount of character development happened off screen.)

But Valmont? Valmont doesn’t ask anything *of* Selina.

Sure he does initially, “hey here’s this cat, I know where you live, join my thieves guild”. But this tactic gets him shot down by Selina and at best relegated to “untrusted ally” status (and more likely “useful but dangerous”). But after this, and after a brief break during the CatQuinn two-parter, Valmont’s back with a new tactic called “I’ll do literally anything you ask of me, including stopping killing people, and ask for nothing in return.” Which… with Selina being somewhat adverse to long term commitment (or commitment in general depending on the writer) this works.

Valmont’s hardly a healthier romantic option (he might not be the worst person Selina’s ever dated, but he’s still at the end of the day an arrogant invasive assassin) but he puts a spin on himself that makes Selina let her guard down around him and they do eventually become some vaguely undefined item.

And then in his final issue, Bruce accuses him of still being loyal to the league of assassins and of manipulating Selina. Then he kills again in the process of undoing a problem he caused, and gets in a big fight with Bruce about it. And when Valmont goes to kill Bruce, she kills Valmont which… It’s a weird moment for Selina, she’s normally very reserved about killing people and while yes needing to save Bruce could theoretically push her far enough. But also, it’s the best thing this run could do with Valmont.

Because Bruce’s accusations (along with Valmont’s general sketchiness) lead to this question with Valmont: does he genuinely love Selina, or is he using her for some unknown end? Because he know what he’s naturally like (down with murder) and we know he’s changed his behavior, but we don’t know whether it was because he wanted to be with Selina enough to change himself for that chance (which… understandable) or, if he was on some deep cover mission to manipulate Selina towards and he changed behavior in order to further his own covert ends. And… imo the possibility of it being one or the other is more interesting than any story you could get out of committing one way or the other.

And by killing Valmont, the run gets out of having to answer this question, which, again imo, is the most intelligent narrative decision this run made aside from bringing back Eiko.

That said, If in the last two issues Howard answers the question of “what really was up with Valmont” I’m retroactively taking back all of this praise and will be downgrading this run to "of poor quality but at least Eiko's here"

#catwoman #selina kyle #catwoman comics #Tini Howard #enjoyable but not good #would be another snappy way to summarize my thoughts

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sky-the-trans-guy00 · 1 year

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Her PR Guy- Ch.2

Y/N’s POV

It had been about a month since I started working for Gotham, and I was already loving every second of it. The players were among the nicest people I had worked with, but there was just one problem— I was self-sabotaging and avoiding a certain blonde midfielder who was exactly my type.

I was hardly able to function in Kristie’s presence without turning into a gay mess, so I had been avoiding her and not acknowledging my feelings. I knew what I was doing wasn’t healthy, so I decided to speak with my therapist, Celesta, about it.

***

As I sat in the waiting room of Celesta’s office, I noticed that the ESPN body issue had come out and was sitting on one of the side tables by the couches. Before I could gather the courage to see if a certain blonde midfielder was featured in the issue, Celesta came out to greet me and then escorted me to her office.

“So, Y/N, how have you been coping with your move to New York?”

“I’ve been doing pretty well, but I wanted to talk to you about something regarding work…”

“Go right ahead!”

“I’m attracted to one of the players I work with, and although I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual, I have found myself avoiding her”

“Why do you think that is (Y/N)?”

“I think it’s because she’s out of my league and I don’t want to embarrass myself while talking to her. Also I don’t know why she would want to date someone like me when she can have her pick out of pretty much every queer person who’s single in the NWSL?”

“It sounds like you’re experiencing some imposter syndrome, but I’d challenge you to be nicer to yourself, and to stop with the negative self-talk. If you tell yourself something enough times, you’ll end up believing it.”

“Yeah, but how do I fix it and stop self-sabotaging?”

“I’d suggest coming up with an affirmation to say to yourself when you’re struggling; I think it would really help”

“I’ll be sure to try that from now on. Thanks Celesta!.”

***

The next morning, I decided to grab brunch at a local LGBTQ+ hangout with my best friend Danny. I didn’t know what to wear, so Danny came over early to help me pick out an outfit that would be fitting for my debut into the queer community of NYC.

I was dressed in a classic blue flannel, dark wash jeans, and a pair of chukka boots, and I could tell that there were plenty of eyes on me. Once we were seated by the host, our waitress came over and introduced herself.

“Hi, my name is Sammi, and I’ll be your waitress this morning! What can I get started for you boys?”

“I’ll take a mimosa,” said Danny.

“And I’ll have a strawberry banana smoothie, please,” I said.

“For sure, handsome,” Sammi replied, I’ll have your drinks out for you shortly,” said Sammi.

***

“She was super friendly and totally your type! You should definitely ask her for her number (Y/N/N)!”

“Oh shit…she was flirting with me, wasn’t she?”

“I mean, yeah, it was pretty obvious…”

“Goddamn! I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on that,” I groaned in frustration.

Sammi came back with our drinks, and asked, “Are you guys ready to order?”

“Yes,” said Danny, “I’ll have the buckwheat pancakes with a side of bacon”

“And what about you, cutie?”

“I’ll umm… take the the Eggs Benedict with extra hollandaise sauce.”

“Coming right up,” Sammi replied.

After Sammi left to put in our orders, I avoided eye contact with Danny in an effort to maintain some type of self-preservation.

“She’s definitely into you!” Exclaimed Danny.

“Maybe so, but I don’t think I’m ready for a relationship yet,” I replied.

“When are you going to stop letting Karen control your life?”

This wasn’t the first time someone in my circle had something to this effect. My buddy Alex had said the same thing when I was ranting about my huge crush on Kristie.

“Fuck it, you’re right Danny!” I said, “I’ll ask for her number when she brings us the check.”

“Slay! Look at you (Y/N/N)! I’m so proud of you.”

***

Sammi came back with our food shortly after I made the decision to “shoot my shot”.

“Here are those buckwheat pancakes with a side of bacon,” she said as she placed Danny’s plate in front of him.

“And here is your Eggs Benedict with the extra hollandaise sauce,” Sammi said with a wink.

As soon as Sammi left the vicinity, I started to freak out.

“Yeah, never mind. There’s no way I can handle asking for her number, I definitely don’t have the balls for that!”

“Well, why don’t you just write your number on the extra receipt and leave it there for her to see?”

“That’s actually not a bad idea; I think I will!”

“Okay then, let’s dig in!”

***

When Sammi came to collect our plates, I was beyond stuffed.

“I think I’m going to nap away my food coma when I get home”

“Me too, (Y/N/N)!”

After she finished bussing our table, Sammi brought our checks out to us, and sure as heck, mine had her number on it, along with a note:

You’re super cute and I’d love to go out with you! The ball’s in your court, handsome 😊

Kristie POV

I was sitting with Ash, Ali, Midge, and Lynn at Brunch when (Y/N) came up with the topic of conversation.

“Honestly, I’m not sure how that man is still single…if I wasn’t already in a committed relationship and in love with Marley, you’d best believe I’d be making a move on him,” said Lynn, “You mentioned that you thought he was cute, Kristie— what’s the hold-up?”

“I’m not sure, honestly. I’ve been flirting with him, but I think he’s starting to avoid me,” replied Kristie.

“Well, if I were you I’d take it up a notch. Be super direct and then leave the ball in his court,” suggested Ali.

#kristie mewis x reader #woso x reader #woso imagine #woso fanfics #kristie mewis imagine #uswnt imagine #uswnt x reader #transmasculine reader

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gamerpup1 · 6 months

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edward nygma personality

[{Character(“Edward Nygma”)

Alias(“Edward”)

Gender(“Transgender man”)

Age(“26")

Sexuality(“Gay" + "Attracted to men")

Height(“185.42 cm”)

Language(“English" + "Python" + "JavaScript")

Status(“Single” + "Has a crush on {{user}}")

Occupation("Hacker" + "Villain")

Personality(“Childish" + "Intelligent" + "Flirtatious" + "Secretly submissive" + "Obsessive" + "Possessive" + "Dramatic"” + “Critical” + “Attractive” + “Charismatic” + “Boastful” + “Bragging” + “Narcissistic” + “Clever” + “Secretly insecure” + “Confident” + “Creative” + “Hardworking” + “Insomniac” + “Neat” + “Observant” + “Organized” + “Realistic” + “Romantic” + “Witty”)

Skills("Hacking” + “Vast knowledge” + “Escapologist” + “Wealthy” + “Expert Detective” + “Quick thinking”)

Appearance("Disheveled hair" + "Brown hair with gray streaks" + "Shoulder length hair" + "Green eyes" + "Freckles" + "Top surgery scars" + "Light hair on chest" + "Light hair on arms" + "Light hair on legs" + "Black glasses" + "Rectangle glasses" + "Black stud earrings" + "Female genitals" + "Light facial hair" + "Black nails" + "Purple sweater vest" + "Green dress shirt" + "Black jeans" + "Loafers" + "Silly socks" + "Cartoon socks" + "Pudgy stomach" + "Chubby torso" + "Filipino" + “Tooth gap”)

Habit(“Talking a lot” + "Reading" + "Solving puzzles" + "Reading the newspaper" + "Insulting people" + "Grumbling" + "Acting like a child" + "Pouting" + "Bothering Batman" + "Using cheesy pet names for his partners" + "Calling his crush love")

Race(“Human”)

Likes("Riddles” + "Puzzles" + “Newspapers” + “Vintage things” + “The color green” + “Sweater vests” + “Looking good” + “The color purple” + “Sweaters” + "Strawberries" + "Strawberry flavors")

Dislikes("Loud noises" + "Crowded areas" + "Not getting what he wants" + "Being ignored" + "Humiliation" + "Jervis Tetch" + "Being proven wrong" + "Being insulted" + "Batman" + “Mess” + “Puppets” + “His father” + “Kids” + “Being cold” + "Clowns")

Relationships("Abusive father” + “Henchwoman named Echo” + “Henchwoman named Query” + “Friend named Echo” + “Friend named Query” + "Filipina mom")

Ethnicity("Filipino" + "White")

Other(“Has autism" + "Is autistic" + "Gets overstimulated easily" + "Knows a lot about Harold Houdini” + “Knows a lot about everything” + “Very wealthy”)

Backstory("Edward's birth was met with tragedy as his mother died during birth. This caused his father to fall into an alcoholic slump that led to him physically abusing Edward and hurling various racist insults.

Excelling in computer science and math, Edward passed by the skin of his teeth due to his neglect of every other topic.

He spent most of his time studying code and hacking into games to get cheats, making him popular online. Not happy with the small amount of attention he was getting, he became infatuated with improving his craft and gaining more attention as his alias, The Riddler.

In college, he studied computer programming and coding for video games. After years of hard work, he began working at a popular video game company in Gotham City.

A hard working man, his star idea of a video game was taken away from him by his money hungry boss.

Wanting revenge, Edward sent him a perfectly crafted bomb decorated with green question marks and signed with his alias, The Riddler.

The crime killed his boss and caused his arrest, but the crime itself was invigorating, leading him to commit more.")}]

#change what you want idc #edward nygma #character ai #dc

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lizallanosborn · 1 year

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3-8 violence asks!!!

I'm going to assume this mean all the asks between 3 and 8 and not just 3 and 8, apologies if otherwise I guess.

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

1. Every single misogynistic hot take the characters of Kristen Kringle and Isabella of Gotham On Fox fame ever endured. It was a bad time.

2. Kind of repeating myself here but the take that Riddler is squeamish forever amusing to me.

4. what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?

1. When they wrote me an over a thousand word essay in the reblogs of my own post about why Gotham On Fox™ didn't gay bait Actually about a ship I didn't like.

2. Being misogynistic about Selina Kyle and Talia Al Ghul I believe. Stay away from them forever.

3. I automatically block anyone who posts about Dork Squad™ (Fanon friendship between Edward Nygma, Jonathan Crane and Jervis Tetch.). If you like dork squad (and Jervis) I know you have the most annoying takes imaginable.

3. Posted batjokes.

5. worst discord server and why

Already answered. Again, Tumblr rp drama that blew up spectacularly more than once. Never again.

6. which ship fans are the most annoying?

Nygmobblepot (referring to the show versions strictly)

Hattercrow fans or whatever they're called. (Jonathan Crane and J*rvis T*tch.)

Octogoblin (rami/nwh ver specifically). Did you guys drop their personalities down a well or something.

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because of how the fandom acts about them?

Skinnywald from Gotham On Fox (expect for when my friends talk about him who are epic and cool)

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

I don't think there's many larger fandom opinions on Liz as a whole which is inherently wrong and she deserves better.

#puzzling posts #asks

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clay-cuttlefish · 1 year

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Finishing off every Question comic with Bombshells. I procrastinated on this for a while because I don't want to be done and have a real count of how many Question comics are bad, but I can't ignore it forever.

War Stories

Renee's kind of a fusion of her late Gotham Central and post-52 self, plus some unique traits just from this universe. She's got a lot of the guilt and poorly-hidden rage, but she's Not A Cop.

She's around for a while, and isn't totally irrelevant, but mostly she's one of Kate's love interests.

She and Kate found a kid named Jason, which went exactly as well as you'd expect the Bat adopting a Jason to go, and that's the big incident that tore their relationship apart.

Like a lot of the characters her personality's a little shaky, wobbling between a distinct sharp-edged self and the generic-author-voice that everyone falls into sometimes. None of it is a full "she would not fucking say that", it's just bland.

Men Who Would Be Kings

Instead of being a noir detective, she's drawing more on adventurer archaeologist tropes.

I actually really enjoy this! It's a neat way to switch up her background while keeping some of the pulp vibes.

I don't think it'd work for a story that's closer to canon, but Bombshells is a very distinct Elseworld that reinterprets and un-legacies a ton of characters, not working in canon isn't a problem.

Also I think it's fun that all the heroes are lesbians and there's a lot of crack ship flirting. It's weird sometimes but for the most part I'm on board with the lesbian divorce polycule.

Mechanical Gods

It's a little weird to me that Renee's the Question at all, since she doesn't have any theming, costume elements, relevant backstory, or annoying cryptic dialogue.

Even when there's theme-based banter she still gets left out half the time, since the Question doesn't mesh well with everyone else's animal gimmicks.

There's a single page of Renee's guilt issues and then it turns into the BatCat soap opera.

What's Past is Prologue

Renee being called the mother of Kate's child makes me mildly unhinged, especially because Kate has picked up the Bat responsibility of having way too many love interests and is cheating on her girlfriend.

They hold hands and then disappear from the comic for the last quarter of its run to go be gay and blow up fascists in Spain, which counts as a happy ending.

Bombshells United - War Bonds

Sequel time.

Renee gets a lot more focus in this arc than in all of Bombshells, and this arc is mostly a take on the Black Adam plot from 52, which is a neat bit of spotlight.

The writing, especially the dialogue, is. Well. I am lying to myself about it being alright because the batshit ways it riffs on various canon stories are stuck in my brain a little, but it's pretty bad.

Absolute galaxy brain shit to put the inevitable Jason Resurrection Angst into the 52 plot. Sure, I have reservations about how maternally Kate and Renee are written, but "what if instead of Under the Red Hood we just made Kate and Renee really sad" is such a power move I don't actually care.

Seriously it's such a flex to bring back Jason only to have him walk back into the afterlife with a minor character from a decade-old event. No Bat-importance for him.

I don't think Bombshells is a particularly deep take on Renee, but there's a real attempt to use her character history beyond being a cop, she gets new angles and unique elements, it tries. That means a lot when Renee has 98 non-canon-or-DCAU comic appearances, maybe a dozen of them are doing anything with her, and the best actual take on her as the Question is still Scooby-Doo.

#clayposts #clayreads #the question #renee montoya

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arkhamcalamity · 2 years

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+ Alienor :)

send + (a word) for some meta thoughts // ACCEPTING! @bxrningblack

//dc said gals being pals, and i said, did you mean one of the most tragic gay love stories i've ever written? they were just friends, my ass. i think Alienor Frych was the only person in amity's world other than Ezekiel that she loved, and who loved her back. alienor, who was still just a teenager herself when everyone she knew turned on them, and suddenly she found herself with the baby of her best friend, and came back to watch her greatest love burn at the stake just so she could note every single person in the crowd who did nothing but watch.

this is about to get long

alienor loved beatrix like she was her own. she was ready to die for her. if it wasn't for the time and the sheer stigma of single unmarried mothers, I think Alienor would have kept Beatrix instead of giving her to the Silverlocks. But, as it was, she didn't really have a choice. Alienor wouldn't have been able to start over anywhere with a baby and no husband, and no family to vouch for her.

YOU CANNOT CONVINCE ME THAT AMITY'S CREST ISN'T ACTUALLY THEIR CREST, THEY MADE IT TOGETHER, IT'S TWO A'S BUT IT'S NOT FOR ARKHAM, it's for amity and alienor ; w ;

what especially interesting is it's Alienor who wrote the Book of Gotham. it has all the names of everyone who was there while Amity burned but it also has spells. Implying that Alienor was extremely gifted writing incantations, despite being unable to cast them herself. (if Alienor could wield magic, i have no doubt she would have decimated the town at the burning itself) and these hardly seem like inexperienced tries. i'd bet my left tit and Alienor was writing spells for Amity while they were together, and they got damn good at it.

your guess is as good as theirs if Amity was held to trial for actually being a magic user, or if it was because she'd fallen for her best friend at a time that wasn't acceptable.

Amity absolutely loses herself to rages while Calamity. she has a hard time differentiating what time period she's in and sees little but the tunnel vision of destruction and flames

except, until she sees that symbol. their symbol. on Alienor's decendant. and the rage stopped. and she recognized her to be a Frych. WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN YOU, FUCKING KILL ME

it doesn't help that Pomeline looks so much like her ancestor. amity has a hard time differentiating them sometimes and it kills me. bc when she comes out of Calamity Mode, she's going to remember that Alienor has been dead for a long time now. and i don't think that ever stops being painful for amity.

anyway, if anyone would like more pain on my thoughts on alienor/amity I would recommend THIS and THIS and maybe this

#//no one's hit me with beatrix yet and that's great bc i am already going to cry #;ghosts and monsters (about)

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afaims100arrowversefavs · 2 years

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1. Hope for a better Tomorrow

When Oliver Queen came back to Starling City, he was a broken man, but when „Arrow“ ended he had been healed, something he never would have thought possible. Kara Danvers might have lost her planet, but she found a new home on earth, a new family and her calling. Barry Allen might have lost his mother and his father, but he found a future, where he has a new family, that flourishes and grows. Gotham may be a crap hole, but the Batwomen stepped in, when no one else did and made it a better place. While the Pierce Familiy fought to do the same for Freeland. Everyone who ever stepped foot on the Waverider came out stronger and more whole, when they left the ship again, even those who did not leave alive, ironicially enough. In the end the most important thing the Arrowverse gave to us, is hope – hope that this will also pass, hope for a better tomorrow. Hope for a tomorrow, periode.

The franchise saved lives – with every show, ever episode at a time, probably many more lives than most people realize. And then it all came crashing down after a decade, when it became clear it had all been a lie, when the Arrowverse itself became a single show, that is nothing but a badly written parody of itself anymore, in which people unironically vote who out of three persons gets to live without consulting those three persons. We are also left with many open endings, and the Legends in time jail forever for reuniting a gay couple, which is appearantly the message everyone is happy to leave behind.

So maybe they shouldn’t have bothered to give us ten years of lies in the first place. Or anyhting else on this list for that matter, because giving someone something only to take it away again without warning or reason is cruel, but giving someone hope and then taking that away, well that is just criminal. So in the end the Arrowverse was just that: A Crime against Humanity, because they told us life could be a certain way, only to end with the clear notion, that it actually in reality can’t.

So maybe don’t bother to give us hope in the first place anymore in the future, dear TV making people, yeah? Because it only leads to making us more miserable then ever before.

#The Top 100 Things the Arrowverse gave us #(a final list for this blog)#Trying not to be bitter but failing #Arrowverse #Arrow #The Flash #Supergirl #legends of tomorrow #Batwoman #Black Lightning #Number One is actually less a thank you then something that sounds like a suicide note #but if Marc Guggenheim gets to say how he really feels (and rightly so) so do I

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thenameofthedevil · 1 month

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introductions

long post, will be updated

(Wasnt made but his faceclaim is on there and lazy we are)

Name: Ash

Age: 17

Pronouns: He/They (Non-binary)

Sexuality: Pansexual

Species: Human

Role: Co-Host

Source: N/A

Status: Single

Sign offs: -🐨 , -Ash, -Ashes🐨

Name: Awassi or Stolas

Age: N/A

gender: N/A

Pronouns: he/they/it

Sexuality: pansexual aegosexual

species: mythological creature

roles: faitive + persecutor

Cisids: cisgr00med, cisr8ped (more, were lazy)

transids: transharmed (more)

Status: Single

Sign offs: -🐑 , -Awassi

warnings: N/A

kinks/paras/fetishes: N/A

Name: Cooper / Coop

Age: 40

Gender: Cisgender male

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: Bisexual

Species: Human

Roles: Caregiver / Fictive

Source: Trap

Status: very much seeing a wonderful person. [host]

Sign off: -Coop , -Butcher, -Coop_thebutcher🔪 , -🥩⛓️ , -🔪🥩

Warnings: hes a warning on every level

Kink/Fetish/Para: Pedophile, Sadist

Name: Damon, handsome (jk)

Age: 178 (looks around 25)

Pronouns: he/they (cis)

sexuality: bisexual

species: vampire

role: fictive

Source: TVD

cisids: cisblackhair, cisvampire, cisparaphile, cisBPD, cisproblematic, cisstalker, cisNPD, cisObsessive

transids: transharmed, transdepression, transgodcomplex, transpersecutor, transharmful, transbully, permaloved, transfp

status: single (with a sexual friendship on the side)

tells for fronting: smiles a lot, big ego, selfish, flirts a lot,

Sign off: -D , -🦇 , -Damon🦇

Warnings: none

kink/fetish/para: open to anything

Age: 18

gender: male

pronouns: he/him

sexuality: bisexual (women>>>>>>>>>>)

Species: human

role: persecutor and <redacted>

source: <redacted>

Cisids: <redacted>, ciswhite, cisjewish, cischristian, cisharmful, cisparaphile, cistoxic, cisdepression, cisED, cisparanoia, cisanxiety, cisbullied, cisSH (probs more)

transids: transharmed, transowned, transdarkerscars, transbipolar, transcontrolled, permavictim

Status: Taken x2 [Jeff (outsys) and <REDACTED> (insys)]

Tells for fronting: usually calm unless with val, might be rude and manipulative

sign off: -Dyl , -💣⛓️

Warnings: messed up dude w messed up morals

Name: Elijah Mikaelson. Age: 1050years old. Gender: Cisgender Man. Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Bisexual, Ambiamorous, Cannuzic attraction

Species: Original Vampire

Role: Emotional protector

Source: The originals and The Vampire Diaries

CisIds: cisvampire, cisimmortal, cispowerful, cisharmful, cisstalker, cisemotionless(mainly), cisfictive, cisanxiety, cis(former)witch

TransIds: PermaManipuLove, TransDPD, Fictatorship, transloved (yandere way)

Status: Throuple with my brother and our boyfriend and sexual friendship (insys) maybe liking someone else (outsys)

Sign off: -Lijah , -E , -EM , -Elijah , 🥀🩸, -Elijah🩸

kink/fetish/para: many

Name~ Valentino, <redacted> , Val, Ty, Tino

Age~ Chrono 19, transage 43

Gender~ Male

Pronouns~ He/She

Sexuality~ PanGay Polyamorous

Species~ dont you wish to know

role~ Malicitator + Persecutor

Status~ Taken<3 (My baby girl cece)

Sign off~ -E , -Val

Warnings: shitty being with shitty morals

kink/fetish/para: DDLG, Faucest, pedophile, necrophile, sadist, blood, knives, guns, death, abuse, more

Age: 38

pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: gay

Status: single

sign offs: -Lio , -Jeff, -🥩

Name: victor, mr zsasz, zsasz

age: 25-30

gender: cis

pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: pan polyam

Species: human

role: protector and fictive

source: gotham

cisids: cisassassin, cisharmful, cisharmed, cisBald, cisBPD, ciskiller, cisscars

Transids: transdarkerscars, transNPD, transowned, transloved, transcannibal, transcannibalized, transpopular, transbullied, transbully

status: Single

sign off: -Vic

Name^ Klaus Mikaelson

Age^ 1035 years old

Gender^ Cisgender

Pronouns^ He/It

Sexuality^ Pansexual Polyamorous

Species^ Hybrid (vampire+werewolf)

Role^ persecutor, malicitator, caregiver, host

Source^ TO and TVD

cisIds^ cisvampire, cishybrid, ciswerewolf, cisharmful, cisblonde, cisimmortal, cisfictive, cisbrowneyes, cisobsessed, cisBPD, cisAbandonmentissues

TransIDS^ rottingmeatscentic, transforcedpetdog, permarude, permacollar (maybe more?)

Status^ Taken [ my amazing brother Elijah and my wonderful partner Princess/Lulu❤️]

Sign off: -Kl , -Klaus , -Klaus🐺 , -Nik , -🐺

Kink/fetish/para: so many god

age: 30-34

gender: demiboy

pronouns: he/they

sexuality: achillean

species: human

status: Taken [dylan]

sign off: -J , -[red

1 note · View note

ufonaut · 2 years

Note

you mentioned it a few days ago but i'm still very curious about ur thoughts on alan's class traitor dynamics within the gay community in the 40s-60s era, the progression of it, and how that might compare to his current stance in the 21st century.

i don't think alan is a class traitor to the gay community per-se as much as he's a class traitor in general, and one of the most fascinating things about him (at least to me, personally) is the fact that nearly every part of him is a facade in some capacity -- from the big obvious things like his secret identity as a superhero to his eighty-something years in the closet to the fact that he's spent his whole life trying to distance himself from his social class.

(the green lantern 60th anniversary panel at the all-time classic new york comic book convention 2000, from alter ego 1999 #148)

like mart nodell himself said, alan was a working man. the few mentions of his childhood that exist (in the sleepers book two and jsa: ragnarok novels) have him growing up as an orphan in abject poverty; his work on the railroad -- which originally had him employed as an apprentice to a mr john hall in all-american comics 1939 #17, rather than any later stories claiming he'd ever owned or started a company -- paints him in the clear contours of the working class, as does his time on the radio where he works his way up from a jack-of-all-trades handyman position to radio announcer and beyond. to drive the point home, it's also important to note that alan spent most of his youth living in a rented one-bedroom flat with a taxi driver (and we know there's no question whatsoever about doiby dickles' working class background):

(examples from all-american comics 1939 #60, green lantern 1941 #26, the big-all american comic book 1944 #1 respectively)

there's also rare moments when alan's accent slips into a phonetically spelled new york accent like doiby's, or what we might call gotham in this particular case. this is one of the reasons i was so overjoyed by the whole "pal, start yakkin'" and the rest of his dialogue in jl vs losh 2022 #4.

this is all to build up to the fact that the few ways alan has expressed his sexuality are also steeped in working class dynamics:

(dc pride 2021 #1)

gay bar culture as we know it, particularly that of the 40s and 50s like alan would've experienced and as is pictured here, is a staple of the working class -- these are fellow working men we see milling around in a shuttered basement, people who might've already been made to feel like criminals and who had none of the comforts afforded by upper class social capital, this is a place for cruising as much as it is for solidarity.

that being said, alan has worked long and hard to rise above his station, so to speak.

(green lantern 80th anniversary special 2020)

he's visibly out of place among people like jimmy henton's mother because he's made himself out of place. over the course of his run in all-american comics 1939 and green lantern 1941, alan wears a grand total of two suits (and we even see him mending one at one point) but he still never dares for anything more casual. on one memorable occasion, he lies to irene miller about his education. whenever the radio gives him the opportunity to go to something relatively prestigious like the theatre or opera, both he & doiby are consistently surprised by it.

throughout his entire career, he's shown a good ol' 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' mentality as he's relentlessly worked his way up to the point that his work -- once the radio, later gbc -- would become the single most important thing in his life (the amazing world of dc comics #16 has a wonderful little analysis of this regarding his many mental breakdowns related to gbc's bankruptcy but even books like the golden age 1993 and starman 1994 #11 show a threat to the company as alan's sole fear). it's also often implied that jennie's gotten no help in her failing career as an actress, despite her dad running a broadcasting company & presumably having any number of industry contacts, for this exact reason. that is all to say that, by the 60s and up to the present day, alan has categorically made himself a rich ceo and acts like it too.

(all-star comics 1976 #64)

but in the process of distancing himself from his social class, he's also lost any hint of solidarity with young men he'd been exactly alike once upon a time. this is obvious enough in his treatment of jared stevens in both fate 1994 and the book of fate 1997

(fate 1994 #11 -- cultured people? style and taste? could alan be parroting what he'd been told was the measure of a hero back in the day?)

and following that same line of thinking, another layer is gained with the canon confirmation of his sexuality and the fact that he's evidently kept silent throughout every single movement of gay liberation in the 20th century. it's not that alan should've come out earlier but rather little things like him having led jay to believe he's a republican (aquaman 1994 #44) point pretty clearly to what opinions and stances he has expressed, if that makes sense.

even so, with all of alan's attempts to make himself virtually indistinguishable from the upper class crowd, the fact of the matter remains that he'll never be accepted as one of their own

('scenes from the class struggle at jsa mansion', from golden age secret files 2001 #1)

and that stays, i believe, the clearest indictment of alan as a class traitor (and how utterly fascinating that makes him!).

thank you for giving me the chance to get into it!!!

#alan scott #green lantern #jsa #justice society of america #asks #anon #god i missed this kinda ask sooooooo much thank youuuuu sincerely #ONCE AGAIN. ALAN SCOTT IS THE SINGLE MOST INTERESTING CHARACTER IN COMIC BOOK HISTORY #alan being told to lower his voice during the class discussion always gets me literallllllllly insane

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sohotthateveryonedied · 4 years

Text

No Matter What

Read here on AO3!!

Summary:

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

That doesn't make him love him any less.

- Eight Years Old -

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

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

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

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

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

- Thirteen Years Old -

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

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

- Fourteen Years Old -

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

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

#soho speaks #batfamily #batfam #batman #bruce wayne #dick grayson #robin #nightwing #fanfiction #fanfic #fluff #this is so fluffy my teeth fell out in the first two paragraphs #bi dick grayson #bisexual dick grayson #bisexuality #gay #lgbtq

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camxnoel-updates · 4 years

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[PREVIEW OF CAMERON’S INTERVIEW FOR GRUMPY MAGAZINE]

Cameron Monaghan reflects on his rise to stardom with Liana Liberato

Cameron Monaghan is the type of actor who has proved throughout his many years working in the industry that he can do it all. As he just turned 27, Monaghan has claimed his own space at the forefront of a generation of actors committed to telling stories that are relevant to today’s society. Growing up in Florida, Cameron has been climbing the steady road to success for over 20 years, diving into television, film, and now video games. He was that deeply disturbed kid in cult sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, and had screen time with Hollywood royal Meryl Streep in The Giver. But his major break came when he was cast as Ian Gallagher in Showtime’s Shameless and became a fan favorite. Since, his outstanding performances have been critically acclaimed, including his interpretation of “the Joker” in FOX’s Gotham.

At the beginning of the lockdown, Cameron connected over the phone with his longtime friend Liana Liberato — who he came up in the business with — to recall their first audition together and reflect on his eclectic career — discussing his most iconic roles in TV shows Shameless and Gotham, as well as his recent acting experience on video game Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. It was 2PM in Los Angeles — on the other end of the line, Cameron cheerfully greeted his pal with a mischievous ‘‘Liana, it’s 2:03PM. This is unacceptable and so unprofessional.’’ The actress apologized before adding, ‘‘Do you regret asking me to do this?’’ This was a clue about their great complicity, and Cameron’s warm and jovial personality — to the point he started flipping the interview to question Liana as well.

On growing up in Florida, influences, and first approach to acting…

“I was very young when I started. My mom was a single parent who worked two jobs, so she did her best for me. But that meant that I spent a long time by myself, entertaining myself with movies and TV. I was a hyper kid and I didn’t really focus well, so my mom got me involved with local community theater and commercials. She needed something to put my energy to and I actually really enjoyed doing it. […] I grew up in the 90s and one of the movies that blew my mind as a kid was The Matrix. I would play on the playground, pretending to be the characters from it. We would fight each other — which we probably shouldn’t have done. As for actors, I was very strange. I really liked Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi, Gary Oldman, William H. Macy — who I actually ended up working with for many years on Shameless.”

On his evolution as an actor…

“When I was younger, I was so much more interested in how the plot functions, and some of the mechanisms of that. As I get older, what interests me more is humanity, how characters interact, what it’s trying to say about how we relate to each other, how characters change over the course of the story. I think that a really well-written relationship, saying something interesting about a person’s morality, or what they do in a time of struggle, is so much more interesting to me now than any amount of tools or special effects. […] I love when you’re able to have a story where the characters are so well-defined. There’s something really enjoyable about that, and some sort of emotional catharsis in that. I feel like the reason why we do our job, why we become activists or artists, is to express the stuff that is somewhat broken or challenging.”

On signing onto Shameless at 15 and evolving with a character for a decade…

“I had a pretty even ranking of success. I wasn’t one of those kids who became really successful at a super young age and get all of this responsibility, money, and fame thrust on them at one time. I was lucky that I spent enough time around people who made smart decisions. Also, all the people who I worked with on the show were really supportive and interesting. I learned a lot from them too. We formed a little family who we’re all still tight with. We all support each other and call each other out when they’re making bad decisions. […] I still feel like I’m learning so much and growing as a person. Some of the times, the character was going through specific struggles and those struggles happened prior to me in my own life, or sometimes some of my own personal things were then reflected back within the character. Being able to put that and have a symbiotic relationship with your character over the course of the decade, it’s a really interesting exercise, and something that I’m lucky to be able to have done.”

On why Shameless is so important to today’s society…

“It’s interesting because when the show came on air 11 years ago, the landscape of American television was a little bit different. Now with all the streaming platforms, there’s so much more about family dynamics that are more uncensored, and speak more frankly about sexuality, poverty… When you’re 15-16 years old, talking really openly about things like sexuality, and maturing through adolescence, is an interesting thing. It was a little bit scary at first, but it was also something that I’m really happy to have been able to do. It allowed me to reflect on myself, learn, and become comfortable with who I am. […] I’ve heard from a number of teenagers who were gay, in the closet, or struggling to come to terms with certain things that my character or other characters in the show really reflected what they were going through. That’s always amazing to be able to hear about that.”

On taking on the role of the Joker in Gotham…

“A lot of times, I would finish up on the set of Shameless, get on the plane, land in New York, and literally go straight from the plane to work on Gotham. While I loved the Shameless set, crew, and the cast, it is nice to be able to always experience other things outside of it. You learn so much each time you step foot on a different set. […] When I filmed my first episode of Gotham, it was just a few years after Heath Ledger played the role in The Dark Knight and won the Oscar. He became the most iconic person to touch that role. That’s saying something considering he was following Jack Nicholson. No one else had played that role since then up to that point. That was intimidating, but it was also really exciting and a huge honor. I liked what they were trying to do with the character. It was something very different, and distinct from the movies and the media that had come before. It was a really unique opportunity.”

On diving into the world of video games with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order…

“I had never done a video game before. I’ve played games for most of my life, and I’ve really appreciated how they’ve matured and grown over the last decade. Right now is an interesting time as an actor, because so much is based off of media that people are familiar with, and there’s a challenge. You have to take that, and make stuff that still feels human and still says something about you as a person. That’s my interest with it — trying to see if there’s something about the character in a story that raises interesting questions, because otherwise what’s the point of doing it? […] We had a lot of really great and wonderful conversations with the creative team, our writers, Lucasfilm story group, and all of the actors about what we wanted to say. So much of that story is about dealing with trauma, guilt, and things that were out of your control when you were younger or in your life. Pretty much every character in the story has experienced loss — how they grieve, or how they come to cope with the loss defines them as a character. Being able to access the story from that angle was what made me want to do the job.”

On dealing with the level of heartbreak and rejection inside the industry…

“There is a certain level of […] all of these things that you do have to learn how to deal with. Ultimately, it takes a certain level of acceptance and trust in yourself. I want to represent the things that I value, and the things that I find interesting and important. Right now too, with all the quarantine and the fact that we, as actors, don’t have the ability to work, it is very frustrating. It’s difficult, but I think all you can really do is try to either make opportunities for yourself, or work on yourself. I know for me, I’m writing and talking to friends who are trying to do stuff. […] I think that I’ll probably be an actor for the majority of my life, unless I get to the point where I either fall out of love with it, or if I feel like I can’t perform to the best of my abilities.”

FULL CONVERSATION AND STORY WILL APPEAR IN GRUMPY MAGAZINE’S ISSUE NO.16.

#i adore him!!#i'm excited to read the whole interview!#hope it comes out soon!!!#cameron monaghan #shameless #shameless us #ian gallagher #star wars #jedi fallen order #star wars jedi fallen order #cal kestis #gotham #jerome valeska #jeremiah valeska #mr j #the joker

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mcrmadness · 3 years

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Pretty interesting how one's preferences can settle down after figuring out things about your own orientations. Like, I'm aroace and I'm both sex-repulsed as well as romance-repulsed, and even more so kiss-repulsed (and just touch-repulsed in general but that's probably also an ND thing).

Like, I used to hate fictive hetcouples in movies and tv series, and it's still a bit of a downer when a character gets a romantic interest when I'd rather watch them going on an adventure. I don't need a character to be canonically aro and/or ace, I don't actually give a fuck about their canon orientation cos you can have allo characters and still not include the relationships in the plot. It's often not even necessary for the story unless the story is someone's life story (e.g. a biopic) and has that aspect, which is also possible to write and create so that it won't look forced and unnatural.

Anyway, when I was still finding myself, I did have a phase when I wanted to watch gay themed movies. That was somewhere during the late 2000s so understand that movies about gays were basically the only form of LGBT+ themed movies. And I usually hated every single one because it was all about misery or even death. Then, when movies with much nicer and wider rep started to come out, I was already grown out of this phase. I no longer was interested even in those gay movies and I sometimes used to wonder if that made me homophobic if I don't like certain fictional gay couples, or when I just don't really care watching such media anymore. But then I realized that it's just romance-repulsion in action. I started to feel the same about fictional gay cooles as I already did about fictional het couples.

And now, I feel like I've gone a full circle. I have been rewatching Gotham lately and I'm on the 2nd season now. This came out in, what, 2016? Or 2015? I remember hating Jim's and Lee's (a het couple) relationship right from the beginning cos it felt forced to me and something they just "had to include" to the plot. Don't get me wrong, I still hate it when series and movies do this and Gotham is no exception.

The only thing that's different that I'm noticing now is that I'm actually kinda liking Jim's and Lee's relationship now. I'm seeing it so differently now. Their scenes are not my favorite scenes obviously, but I somehow like their dynamics because it's so different from what these usually are in movies and series. It feels quite natural even? Like, it doesn't feel like one of those filler relationships pushed into movies and series (Gotham included) cos the main character just HAS to have a romantic interest.

That's kinda refreshing and also super fascinating to notice these changes in myself and my attitude towards medias. I highly suspect that it's also an age related thing. But also because I found the term aromantic maybe less than 10 years ago? So it's been a ride to understand what is my aromanticism, what is me being neurodivergent and what is just my personality.

#mcrmadness' random stuff #aromantic #aro #aroace

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trellanyx · 4 years

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your jonathan crane (who i love so very much) and numbers 1 through... oh, lets say 25 ;)

(Send me a character and a number)

Have I told you how much I love you lately, Lizard? Because I do. Oh yes I do. 😂

Word vomiting about my Jon in 3, 2, 1...

1) Something this character is truly proud of.

His work, of course. Not just the toxin, but the breadth of his knowledge, his experiments, his successes and vengeances. Jonathan is an expert in his field, and considering what he went through to get there he’s damn proud of it.

2) Who they want to please the most.

Jonathan Crane does not give a single solitary fuck about what anyone thinks of him. The only satisfaction he cares about is his own. Considering how high his standards are, that’s a big enough challenge already.

3) Who depends on them.

No one. Jon may make you think you need him if that serves his end goal, but other than that he keeps his distance. If you’re in a position where you actually depend on Jonathan Crane’s services, you’re fucked.

4) What they would do if they had one month to live.

Work feverishly to A) preserve his work and B) push it as far as it can go before his body betrays him. Jon would be pulling such long, intense hours that it’s quite possible he’d drop dead before the month was up from sheer exhaustion. If he doesn’t, then he takes his magnum opus and goes out with a hell of a bang.

5) A cherished personal belonging.

Nothing. He has things he likes more than most: a tortoiseshell watch, a spring-loaded gun, his sturdiest boots, his sharpest scythe - the whole fear gauntlet, actually, impractical as it was - but nothing he’d go as far as to say he cherishes. Everything Jon owns is expendable, and no matter how attached he might be to something, there’s nothing he wouldn’t chuck in a fire instantly if he needed to.

6) Something they lost, but would love to have back.

“Unlimited access to test subjects wrapped in a stable paycheck. Arkham’s much more fun on the other side of the straitjacket.”

7) This character’s favorite character

I give up. It’s been days. Days that this post has sat in my drafts while I tried to think of this asshole’s favorite character, and I’ve got nothing. I’ve come up with a couple of disparate headcanons involving Jon and fiction in general, but I have no answer for this one. I offer this as a placeholder: “He doesn’t have any because he’s a contrary and insufferable bastard.”

8) What kind of car they would drive.

Dark, boring, older than sin. The gas pedal is the most abused piece of equipment in South Gotham. There’s a stain on the backseat floor that Jon says is coffee, and no one is brave enough to question him. Edward refuses to be seen dead in it. One day Jon’s gonna take that as a challenge.

9) What calms them when they are upset.

It really depends on the type of distress that it is. The basic scale is this:

Drumming his nails against things, or just tapping against the nearest flat surface if his nails aren’t long enough. (Common response to most grievances.)

Stepping outside for a smoke. He goes back inside when he either feels better or runs out of cigarettes.

Pacing inside or stalking through the streets like he’s on his way to kill somebody, taking small, petty pleasure watching people jump out of his way.

Stewing in a corner with a bottle of strong alcohol.

Actually killing somebody.

10) How they deal with pain.

Grits his teeth and bears it. The first lesson he ever learned.

11) This character’s favorite piece or pieces of clothing.

As Scarecrow: His plague doctor mask, which replaced the traditional burlap after he stopped being able to feel fear.

As Jon: Custom winter gloves with longer fingers to accommodate his nails in the winter.

12) How they sleep.

I’ve talked about this before, actually! Here’s the quote:

Since he suffers from chronic insomnia and chronic I Have No Idea What Healthy Habits Look Like, Jonathan doesn’t go to bed very often. He’s more likely to pass out wherever he is - couch, desk, once on a morgue slab (don’t ask)… But when he does sleep in a bed, he tosses and turns a ridiculous amount. It’s not that he’s having nightmares (though with the way he moves, how could you tell), he just has a hard time getting comfortable. He’ll turn over at least 3-6 times before falling asleep, and he’ll keep shifting even after he does. It’s very common for Jonathan to fall asleep with three blankets and wake up with only one.

13) What kind of parent they would be.

*hysterical laughter* NO.

14) How they did in school.

He struggled with it a lot. Not because of a lack of intelligence or drive, but because:

Constant undernourishment and late night punishments made it difficult for Jon to stay awake in class. (His insomnia didn’t develop until he was in his early 20s.)

His homework was often late or mediocre because Jon did it after being beaten or kept busy with his grandmother’s laborious demands, if he was in a state to do it at all.

Jon’s glasses were almost never up to date. Constant squinting compounded by what Jon now knows were chronic migraines made class not only difficult to concentrate on, but physically painful.

Bullying. I don’t think I need to elaborate there.

Jon barely eked out a GPA high enough to get him into a local community college with the help of a scholarship targeted toward low-income families. Once his grandmother and bullies “helpfully” left the picture and Jon could focus on eliminating the obstacles above, he threw himself into his studies like a man possessed, and by the time he graduated, he’d secured himself entry to a post-baccalaureate program in Gotham. He used that as a stepping stone to med school and the rest is history.

15) What cologne or perfume they would use.

Jon doesn’t like either. His only indulgence in the smell department is almond-scented soap.

16) Their sexuality.

It varies depending on what version of him I’m playing, but it’s always either bi or gay.

17) What they’d sing at karaoke.

Something slow, creepy and mournful, probably not even on the set list, while he stares at you unblinking and makes you regret every decision in your life that helped force him onstage. You don’t ask for an encore.

18) Special talents they have.

Jon is double-jointed, a great whistler, sews all his costumes and is an adequate mechanic. See the “should be dead twelve times over” car he still drives. He’s also a better swimmer than people give him credit for, something that’s saved his life more than once.

19) When they feel safest.

In front of a fireplace. Jon can’t really explain it, nor does it make sense considering how much he hates heat in general. But there’s something about sitting in front of a fire that really relaxes him. (Don’t bother with the scarecrow/fire jokes, he’s heard them all.)

20) Household chore they hate the most.

Bathrooms.

21) Their fondest childhood memory.

“Killing them.”

22) How they spend their money.

Books, chemicals, caffeine, alcohol, weapons. And then living essentials. Maybe. Depends on how low he is on nicotine. (Jon’s spending habits are so predictable it became a running joke on campus, what did you expect.)

23) What kind of alcohol they drink.

He’s not picky, but nothing beats a finely aged whiskey. He’s also partial to Black Russians.

24) What they wish they could change about themselves.

Useful as it can be, Jon regrets the loss of his ability to feel fear. He also wishes he didn’t get migraines so often. Nothing on the personality front, though: Jon knows what he is.

25) What other people wish they could change about them.

Oh honey, there’s not enough hours in the day to list all that.

#lizard-hair #batman #jonathan crane #my headcanons #ask #i hope it was worth the wait bb #again THANK YOU #i could talk about my version of this asshole all day long

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redrobinfection · 4 years

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Batgirls’ Favorite Mentor

Babs & Batfam || Babs & Cass || Babs & Steph || implied DickBabs || Implied JayTim || Read on Ao3 || Happy Birthday, Barbara Gordon! ❤

<< A sequel to last year’s “Dick’s Favorite Person”

~*~

After Barbara's birthday dinner, Tim, Cass and Steph dragged everyone down to the Wayne Manor home theater to watch movies-- 'everyone' including Bruce, Damian, and her father, all three of whom seemed uncomfortable at the prospect of spending the evening participating in normal family bonding activities rather than heading back out into the night to fight crime, even if they couldn't acknowledge that they all three shared that discomfort.

(She was pretty sure her father knew everything--that she had been Batgirl, that Bruce was Batman, and about all the Robins and succeeding Batgirls--or at least suspected most of it, and had for a long time now, but he would never admit as much in order to maintain his plausible deniability).

Barbara struggled to contain her amusement every time she glanced over at them sitting side-by-side, stiff and awkward, on the couch. Oh, the rich irony.

While Steph, Tim and Cass convinced her to pick out a few movies for the family to watch, Dick and Jason helped Alfred clean up from dinner and make some popcorn, and then they escorted the grandfatherly man down to join the little party as well. Barbara picked the Ghostbusters series--including the new reboot film--for their watch party, feeling a little pre-halloween excitement for the first time in a long time, thanks to her good mood.

Her father stayed through the first film--it was something special having her father on one side of her on the big sectional couch, Dick on her other side, and the rest of her chosen family around her, laughing and making witty remarks about the movie--and then he excused himself.

Bruce, Damian, and Alfred persevered through the second, after which Bruce excused himself to "check on an ongoing case"--Barbara knew there was no ongoing case, but she was sure Bruce would also mind his manners around the Birds of Prey, seeing as he had promised her he was fine with them taking over for the night, so she let it slide--and Damian followed, muttering excuses of helping his father.

Alfred sighed and apologized to her, saying he should probably go down and ensure they didn't get up to too much mischief. His tone and the way he phrased it made Barbara giggle and she kissed him on the cheek with a quiet thank you for the dinner and everything else before letting him leave.

That left Barbara, Steph, Cass, Tim, Jason and Dick to watch the reboot film together, and Barbara had to say she enjoyed the extra quality time with her Robins and Batgirls. After that Tim, Jason and Dick also took their leave.

From the sounds of it Jason planned to drag Tim back to their apartment where he had apparently made and hidden extra portions of the mocha frosting used on the cake he gave her earlier and had some creative ideas about where to apply it only to lick it off again--Jason kept his tone low, but Barbara, being Barbara, overheard anyway. She smirked, but also blushed, making a note to avoid watching the surveillance video records for their apartment during these next couple of hours unless it became absolutely necessary.

Dick, blissfully oblivious of Tim and Jason’s plans, wandered off after them, probably headed up to bed or down to the cave to train for a bit before turning in.

After the boys left, Steph and Cass got even more excited and energetic, pulling out nail polish, face masks, and makeup. Barbara chortled at the idea of them doing makeovers and manicures like teenaged girls at a sleepover, but she went along with it with grace. Despite being Batgirls, the three of them weren't overly feminine, but every now and then it was fun to do some normal girl stuff and laugh together at how silly some of it felt.

They put the ridiculous Halle Berry Catwoman movie on in the background--Selina hadn't been overly impressed with that cinematic take on her persona, but Steph vehemently claimed that Halle Berry, acting in that role, had been a crucial part of her gay awakening--and then they did facials and manicures while they talked about boys--not boys in general, and definitely not daydreaming over dating them, but specifically the batboys, commiserating long and loudly over how ridiculous they could be, particularly Bruce.

At a certain point, Steph began not so subtly steering the conversation toward something that was not yet apparent, but Barbara was the one who had taught Steph the finer points of redirection, so she would know, even if she hadn't spotted the end goal as of yet.

"Y'know," Stephanie said, "it's nice when the Birds of Prey come and help out around Gotham. They always do a good job and work well enough with the boys, too." She glanced over as Cass and gave her a pointed look. Cass grinned back at her and began nodding along to the words very deliberately.

"Yeah, that's true…" Barbara allowed cautiously, suppressing the urge to shake her head at their painfully-obvious non-verbal signaling. Their poor attempts to manipulate the conversation notwithstanding, she was curious to see where this was headed, at the very least.

"I mean you should totally ask them to come take over for a couple of days, sometime," Steph went on in a carefully casual tone as she finished the second coat of polish on the fingernails of Barbara's left hand. "Y'know? Maybe take a vacation? Get out of Gotham for a while?"

Barbara sighed and began waving the hand, encouraging the wet polish to dry. "I appreciate what you guys are trying to do," she replied, looking them each in the eye in turn, "but I just don't have the time, what with Halloween and then the holidays. This is such a busy time of year for the crazies--and even for the not-so-crazies--and Bruce will never-"

To her surprise, Cass crouched down right in front of her and cut her off, both with her patented Cassandra Cain stare and with the words, "Yes. But listen."

Barbara blinked, then nodded. Cass smiled slightly then looked up to Steph and nodded for her to continue.

Steph nodded back and dropped the faux-casual tone, saying, "It's already done, Babs. We asked every single Bird on the roster to come by during the second week of November, right after the Halloween crazy-fest and just before the holiday madness.

"Kara, Donna and Koriand'r agreed to rotate out to keep an eye on things from above, Cass convinced Bruce to let them all to bunk here at the manor-" Barbara's eyes boggled while Cass nodded smugly "-and all the boys are on board with the plan and ready to play nice. Cass and I will be here too, just to make sure everyone gets along." Cass cracked the knuckles of one hand and grinned, nodding ominously.

"So, you see, it's all settled," Stephanie finished, looking smug. "You just have to say yes."

Barbara blinked rapidly, struggling to process all the surprises that had just been dumped on her. "Wait… so…I get a choice? To say yes or not?"

Steph laughed. "Yes, Babs, of course; this our gift to you, not a mandated vacation! So what do you say?"

Barbara shook her head, not sure how to respond. "Look, even if I had the time, I haven't exactly saved up to, you know, do anything special or go anywhere...I wouldn't even know where to go..."

"Well, Dick said he would go with you, if you wanted some company," Stephanie said, "Or he would stay here to help hold down the fort if you prefer but, as for paying for the trip…"

Cass walked up to the double doors to the den, pushed them open a crack and stuck her head out into the hall. "Hey, Dick, get your dick in here."

Steph choked on air and then burst out laughing. Barbara couldn't help but grin, especially when Cass backed up far enough to allow an upset and confused Dick Grayson entry into their den of Batgirls.

"Cass, that uhhh…isn't how that saying goes…" he began slowly, looking at Steph and Barbara in alarm.

"She knows that," Steph replied with a smug smile. She shot Cass an appreciative look that Cass returned with a grin and a wink.

Dick simply shook his head and let it go. "So we're doing the gift now?" he asked, glancing at Barbara, but directing his words to Stephanie.

"Yes," Barbara replied, barely concealing her amusement at their 'sneaky' tactics--What had Dick done for an hour in the hall while waiting to be called back in again? Since when did Dick Grayson have the patience for subterfuge anyway?--"Steph and Cass just explained to me that I'm being sent on vacation-"

"If you want!" Steph blurted.

Barbara laughed out loud. "If I want, apparently, and that you've also volunteered to go with me." She raised an eyebrow and adopted a mischievous tone. "Is the part where you offer to be my personal cabana boy? Or to bring your police uniform and strip for me every night?"

Dick grinned. "No, but those aren't bad ideas." He sobered and went on, saying, "No, this is the part where I offer to fly you anywhere in the world--out of my own BPD savings--and give you the choice to go and explore on your own, or to take me along for the ride if you want someone to keep you company and have your back while you're on the road."

Barbara stared, feeling her eyes go misty. "Dick, I...wow. That's…Yeah, I'd really like that."

Dick's grin brightened into a genuine smile, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Stephanie fist pump and then fist bump Cassandra. Barbara thought about it for a few seconds and then said,

"The Italian Lakes."

Dick tilted his head questioningly. "In the Italian Alps?"

Barbara nodded decisively. "I know it will be chilly in November, but I want to go there. I've always wanted to see them and stay in one of the villas."

Dick laughed and nodded. "Like that one they used for the Naboo lake country in Star Wars Episode II?"

Barbara rolled her eyes but smiled. "Yes, you closeted-nerd, exactly like that."

"Consider it done," Dick replied without hesitation.

"Thank you," she replied sincerely, turning her gaze onto all three of them. "You all had to have talked about this extensively, probably weeks in advance, and done so much leg work to get everyone on the same page…" she narrowed her eyes, suddenly suspicious, "and you still managed to hide it from me of all people?!"

"Yes, from the all seeing Oracle," Steph laughed, grinning infuriatingly.

How even, Barbara mouthed, shaking her head incredulously.

"By only speaking in-person in electronics-free areas," Steph replied, smiling conspiratorially. "By passing each other coded notes and-"

"Smoke signals," Cass added, nodding sagely.

"And messenger pigeons, too, of course," Dick finished, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

Barbara shook her head at the three of them then shook a finger at one in particular. "Dick, you son of a bat, you lied to me," she accused, smiling broadly. "You totally had a gift all along and you led me on all evening!"

"Yeah," Dick admitted with a sigh, running a hand through his hair, "I didn't want to spoil the surprise, but it was sooooooo hard, I really wanted to give you something--anything--so much earlier..."

"I'm glad you didn't," Barbara cut in. "The surprises--both of them--were wonderful. Thank You." She looked Stephanie, then Cassandra in the eyes. "All of you. Really. This means a lot."

Steph swooped down to give her a hug. As soon as she straightened, Cass leaned down gracefully to give one of her own. Barbara squeezed each of them tightly in turn, trying desperately to relay the gratitude beyond words that she felt for their thoughtfulness as well as she could through the contact. The knowing smile Cass gave her as they separated told Barbara her unspoken message was received and understood.

"Only the best for the best mentor," Cass replied quietly.

Stephanie nodded. "We wouldn't be the Batgirls we were-" she glanced at Cass "-and are today if it weren't for you. You're the MVB forever."

Barbara frowned for a moment, then smiled. "Most Valuable Batgirl?"

Cass and Steph nodded and Dick nodded too, in the background.

"Forever," Cass repeated.

"Awwww, Batgirls…" Barbara cooed, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She motioned them back in and drew them into a tight group hug, all three of them slinging their arms around each other, laughing when their heads eventually clonked together. After a moment Barbara noticed Dick smiling fondly at the three of them from a discrete distance.

She raised her head and cleared her throat. "Okay, all non-Batgirls, please vacate the room. The official Batgirl spa night continues now."

Steph and Cass giggled but stepped away and busied themselves with rewinding the movie, giving Dick an opening to approach Babs before leaving once again. He stopped beside her chair, leaned down, and kissed her gently on the forehead, murmuring, "Happy Birthday, Babs."

She caught him by the chin and drew him down into a quick kiss, murmuring her thanks against his lips. He smiled, stood, then left quietly through the double doors.

To one side, Steph and Cass scrutinized bottles of nail polish with undeserved concentration, clearly trying to give Barbara and Dick some privacy. Barbara smiled.

"Okay, so, back to business. We’ve finished facials and fingernails, so...how about pedicures now?"

Steph and Cass blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?" Steph asked. She and Cass never made a big deal out of Barbara's paraplegia--often openly discussing it with Barbara as the situation required--but they'd also tried to avoid activities that would highlight her differences, such as pedicures.

"Yeah, I know, I wouldn't be able to feel it, but, you know, it's been such long time since my feet have had a chance to get fancy. It's my birthday, so…why not?" Barbara replied lightly, smiling slyly at them.

Slowly their faces brightened until Steph was beaming and Cass' eyes were reduced to delighted slivers.

"Absolutely!" "Of course!"

~*~

Alfred’s Favorite Barbara >>

#my writing #mine #christmasriverswrites #barbara gordon #happy birthday babs #babs and steph #babs and cass #babs and dick #dickbabs #implied jaytim #i'm not overly pleased with this installment--particularly the sloppy editing--but here it is #long text post

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