#everyone: when she ate babs....

[thebonejunky]

since im talking about my tlt interpretations, i didn't think there was any actually cannibalism involved in the lyctorhood process. i thought they were only eating their cavalier's souls. but flesh cannibalism on top of that really adds another layer so i like it

[theriverbeyond]

comprehensive list of Ianthe's crimes:

looked really hot that one time she wore leather pants and also Bab's body

bad at making soup

being a freak and a creepy weirdo (but who isn't!)

when she cut open Harrow's hand in the horniest possible way (the object lesson)

saved John from the river vs Augustine (doing otherwise would kill everyone in the 9 houses due to the sun collapsing if John dies)

gave Harrow a makover (could have gone better!)

grew out Harrow's hair (not her best moment)

gave Harrow a lobotomy (consensual)

that one time she stabbed Camilla in the gut (not great but still incredibly sexy)

not giving a shit about what anyone else thought of her various terrible Mithraeum outfits and leaning into Looking Like That

killed and ate Babs (real crime)

did not kill and eat her sister (heart crime but only to Crown literally no one else is upset about this)

fell in love with Harrow (literally who can blame her for this)

insane gender outlaw (hot)

space imperialism

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

maybe the reason I simply cannot vibe with all the aggressively fluffy batfam content is because one of my personal favorite things that's ever happened is when Bruce was like "yo Bruce Wayne is widely believed to be a murderer now and that's really cramping my Batman style so I'm not him anymore. Bruce is dead to me, forget about him. call me Batman. everyone get out of Wayne Manor and the Batcave. figure it out."

and Dick, rightfully, is very upset about this, because it's a bad and stupid thing to do, and first tries to appeal to emotion by asking who the fuck adopted him if Bruce Wayne doesn't exist (aww baby boy), but then when that doesn't work he just. lmao. he just jumps Bruce's ass and starts fighting him right there in the Batcave in front of Tim and Cass and Babs (who can't do anything because she called into this insane exchange via zoom).

and literally all that Tim contributes to this situation is turning to Cass and going "I always figured this would happen eventually but I thought Bruce would kick Dick's ass way harder, it's amazing he's doing this well."

and reader, I ate that shit up.

[chocobosdungeon2]

Anyway Ianthe has absolutely been emotionally manipulating/abusing Coronabeth since they were children. Their whole dynamic seems to be Ianthe lording guilt and shame over Corona to control her. Corona almost killing Ianthe in the womb is something she is NEVER allowed to live down. In Nona, Ianthe has ascended to lyctorhood and she still brings it up.

When Gideon first sees the pair, she describes it looking like Corona had been sucking up Ianthe's life force. This is revealed to be true in a roundabout way as Ianthe has been pretending to be two necromancers because their father wanted a "matched set." While Corona does allude to her father's role in this dynamic, Ianthe seems to imply that she does it all for Coronabeth's sake. This dynamic that requires them to be constantly together also seems to have been used by Ianthe to deepen her enmeshment with Corona. How enmeshed Corona is (in GtN) is evidenced by a desire to be Ianthe's cavalier or to play a similar role in her life. The Cavalier/Necromancer relationship is established to be one of the most intimate between two people in the culture of the Houses. Scenes in GtN including when Naberius stops Corona from practicing with a rapier and then at the end when she laments that Ianthe ate Babs instead of her point to this desire to be Ianthe's 'cavalier.'

From GtN to NtN, Ianthe negs Corona at every opportunity, reminding her that she's stupid, overemotional, and hopeless without her. She nitpicks her appearance in particular, implying she looks awful when everyone else in the room is swooning (or at least our POV characters lol). Ianthe is awful to everyone, but there's something really pointed about her insults to Corona/Crown. Such cruel comments dressed up as casual terms of endearment. Something you can only accept as love when its all youve known.

Its understandable that Camilla doesnt trust that Crown wouldnt defect immediately upon meeting Ianthe. Camilla had seen first hand how attached the two were. But I think in seeing Crown work against Ianthe, and even using their old dynamic to manipulate her, we see that she's broken free of that toxic relationship. We dont know much about what happened between Corona and Judith while they were travelling during HtN, but we know that it taught Corona a love that didnt depend on her sister's disapproval, and that she has grown and changed because of it.

[rokishimizu4]

BatFam x Symbiotic Reader: Barbara pt. 1

When Red Robin was taken back to the Batcave, still asleep, it became very clear that there was something powerful out in Gotham and it was all hands on deck.

Alfred had made it very clear in the beginning that, from the scans and his own experience, that Tim was in fact sleeping, that his body and mind were getting the rest it deserved. That there was only simple bruising from hitting a brick wall, but nothing was broken.

It surprised everyone at first, but also so terrifying when he didn’t wake up until three days have passed, with Alfred making sure that he got food and water, which Tim ate and drank in his sleep to the surprise of everyone.

But in those three days time, Oracle was busy.

———

“What the?” Babs stares unblinking at her own computer in the Watchtower, going over the mysterious voice again and again. “There’s no fucken way that this voice has no owner! Even Bat’s computer has an identity for every beings from another dimension!” She growls as she tries another tactic, only to get another dead end.

“26 voices detected! But not a single one can be put to a face!” Babs screams into the night as she hides her face in her hands, groaning at the bullshit on her screen.

However, before she can throw herself a pity party, a familiar voice rattles her back into reality.

“Babs, you forgot to turn your com off.” Tim’s voice rings out, groggy like he just woke up from the best, and worse dream.

Babs takes little time replying as she saves what little information she got, shuts off her computer, and rolls towards the elevator.

“You’re telling me what you remember, or so help me.”

[paradoxcase]

Chapter 28 of Nona the Ninth

A broken Sixth skull this time, but I'd guess probably not for any kind of deception

Honestly curious about who Gideon thinks Nona is at this point. I guess it's plausible that she does know Nona is Alecto since she did think Harrow was in love with Alecto

Are we ever going to find out what happened? Because I would like to know

Also, this kind of raises the question of why Alecto forgot she was Alecto here? Did she forget when John put her in the tomb? But even if she forgot who she was at that point, she spent all of Harrow the Ninth interacting with Harrow and even giving her advice (and her advice to lie to Mercy about her age indicates that she remembers something about who she is, at any rate) and Nona doesn't remember anything about Harrow here. So did something that happened at the end of Harrow the Ninth cause her to forget?

A ward of some sort, I guess

This reminds me of the whole "why does Ross, the largest friend, not simply eat the other friends" thing. Maybe this isn't just because Alecto has a resurrection beast perspective but also because this story is actually full of people eating each other, also, can you really blame her for making this assumption?

So the resurrection beast doesn't just drive necromancers mad, it also makes doing necromancy dangerous, at least for regular necromancers anyway, this didn't seem to be an issue for the Lyctors at the end of Harrow the Ninth

Camilla is like, half-dead in this scene, but she's still making jokes

So if I understand this correctly, they're making plans to somehow travel physically through the River in this BOE truck to Pluto, which for some reason isn't going to be dangerous the way it usually is, but no one has explained why yet

Something that's slightly confusing to me here is that they're talking about Gideon telling them things, and We Suffer is part of this conversation, and I think later GIdeon is outside the truck and sitting up and all, but at the beginning of this chapter Gideon claimed she was still pretending to be dead. So does We Suffer and the rest of BOE know that Gideon isn't really that dead right now, or what?

I think after the last John chapter, it's been sort of established for me that there isn't a right way to do Lyctorhood and there was never any kind of "perfect" Lyctorhood like whatever Mercy and Augustine though John was hiding from them. I guess Pyrrha wouldn't know, though, even if she does somehow remember the story John told, she wasn't alive at the time that John ate Alecto

I guess this is the gay sense and not the political sense?

This is mouth-to-mouth kiss #2, and so far neither of them have been between characters who actually have any kind of romantic hinting

Who is "she"?

I guess Camilla saved some of Palamedes' bones just so that she could eat it to fulfill the cannibalism part of the Lyctorhood ritual?

I don't think we've actually seen what happens during the standard Lyctorhood process looks like - we didn't see Ianthe's, we didn't get a detailed description of Harrow's, and everyone else's happened 10,000 years ago, so I have to wonder how this differs from the others, other than obviously they would usually wind up in the necromancer's body

Also, this seems like possibly a worse or at least not better version of what happened to the other Lyctors, since it seems like both Camilla and Palamedes died and they have become someone new instead

I mean, maybe for Ianthe, but I think Babs is long gone at this point, no?

I guess Ianthe noped out because she realized that there was no way she was going to be able to get back to the shuttle and therefore return with either Gideon or Pyrrha or the Sixth House, and she's obviously been aware of what's going on. But this also means she knows the approximate location of the Sixth House and what their plans are for Gideon's body, which I'm sure will be of great interest to John

[citrenecult]

Bishop Headcannons because I’m bored and should be going to sleep but I’m not :)

- Shamura, before getting their brain split in half, had really good photographic memory. They often did sketches that were almost exactly true to life.

- Kallamar is the squid equivalent of a magpie. Just collects all the shiny shit he can and stashes it away.

-Leshy can and will eat anything. He is eat first, ask questions later.

-Heket had mixed feelings about having siblings and took a while to warm up to Kallamar and Narinder, but almost immediately took to Leshy. (Definitely her favorite.)

-Narinder attachment to Shamura from the very start was strong. He clung to them, only ever wanted attention from them, and as he got older, heavily studied under Shamura’s guidance. They had much closer relationship because of this.

-Leshy is cannibalistic. When they first found Leshy, he was a wee bab and had already killed and ate another god. Heket’s reaction was basically “wow my new brother is metal as hell!” Perhaps that why they are so close :)

-Kallamar really likes weapons. Like, REALLY like them. It’s a little concerning how many he owns and even more concerning that he knows how to wield ALL of them.

-Heket loved to sing, and would hum lullabies to her brothers when they were babies. With her throat slit, she no longer can talk and by extension can’t sing anymore. She’s has learned the skill of telepathy and can technically sing that way but it doesn’t hit the same way.

-Shamura is a history geek all the way. Loved learning about historical figures, great battles, and even more obscure facts that the average person/god would not know about. Has to be stopped before going on a history info dump, else you’d be sitting there for many, many weeks.

-Narinder and Kallamar used to be super close, as Narinder would help with Kallamar anxieties and generally was a source of encouragement. Kallamar in turn let Narinder run free in Anchordeep, which caused a lot a chaos but Kallamar thought it was funny at the time.

-Leshy and Narinder are partners in crime. If one is in trouble, you bet the other one is also. If Leshy caused a forest fire, you know Narinder participated as well. If Narinder is stealing spell books from Shamura, you know Leshy will join in on the fun.

- Everyone is super sadistic, no matter how sweet/cowardly (looking at Kallamar) they appear to be. Heket and Leshy especially like torturing mortals, whether it be turning them into mushrooms or feeding them to the big worm himself.

-Kallamar embodies prey aggression, despite not being prey. Being cowardly has its downsides, sure, but if Kallamar is in fight or flight mode, god forbid he thinks flight won’t work. If literally left with no other options he has a sword, a staff, and fucking holy grenade bomb to chuck at you, and he’s not going to hold back.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Eyes and Ears

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: An AU where Barbara finds Jason instead of Bruce.

Chapters: 19/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Sheila Haywood, Original Character(s)

Relationship(s): Jason Todd/Original Character(s), Past Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson

Additional Tags: Canon Divergent AU, Older SIbling Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd-centric, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Jason Todd is NOT Robin, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Has a Crush, Adopted Siblings

Chapter Nineteen: Last September

Barbara poked her head in the workshop, and Jason looked up at the source of light as he talked with his friends. He smiled and jumped down from the stage to help Barbara with the pizza boxes in her hands. "What are you doing here?" Jason asked.

"I heard you guys were working on costumes. I could help," Barbara suggested. "If you don't want me here, I could just—."

"You're the best, Babs," Jason whispered, grinning as he set the pizzas on an empty table. Barbara pulled paper plates out of a tote bag, and Jason started eating.

"Jason, use a—."

Jason took a plate from her and finished chewing. "I want you to stay. I'm glad you're here," Jason whispered before turning to introduce her to the other kids. They all thanked her for bringing pizza and ate together.

"You should see Jason's mustache—."

"Gabby, no," Jason laughed nervously. Gabby gave Jason his mustache, and Jason put it on. Barbara grinned. "It's not my official mustache. It's just mustache number one."

The kids fooled around and showed off what they'd done so far. After everyone was done eating, they went back to work, and Barbara helped with some of the sewing work. She and Jason worked side-by-side, and after a few hours of working, they stopped to finish the pizza. Jason was different by that time. He'd grown quiet and business-like, reserved to a specific spot on the stage where he sat alone listening to music. Barbara followed him and nudged him. "You okay?" Barbara asked. Jason nodded and took a deep breath. "Do you want to be alone?"

"I don't have to be. I just wanted some quiet," Jason whispered.

"What are you listening to?" Barbara asked. He passed her one of his earbuds, and she sat down next to him and listened quietly with her eyes closed. After a few minutes, Jason lay his head on Barbara's shoulder, and she looked over at him to see that he'd started to drift off to sleep. "Know what's funny? I've known you for over a year, and this is the first time I've ever heard the music you like," she whispered. He opened his eyes and sat up.

"This is my mom's music taste. It just helps me relax," Jason whispered. She looked over at him again.

"Your mom had great taste... Jason, can I ask about her? What was she like?" Barbara asked.

"She was safe. When she wasn't sick, she was so much fun to be around. Mom was funny and spontaneous, and sometimes she'd get so sad she couldn't—. She made everything okay when she could," Jason explained. Barbara messed up his hair.

"Her best was beyond good enough. She made you the person you are now, and Dad and I love that person," Barbara reassured him, and he smiled.

Jason waited a moment before getting up and stretching. "I'm glad you came to help tonight," Jason thanked her again. Their teacher called them together and had them run through a few scenes. Barbara wrapped Jason's headphones up and held onto his phone for him.

His phone vibrated, and she answered. "Hello?" Barbara answered.

"Hey, Pumpkin. Where's Jason?" Jim asked.

"He's got his hands a little full," Barbara replied.

"Did he eat?" Jim asked.

"I brought pizza for him and his friends... Oh, I'm taking him home later, so don't worry about picking him up tonight," Barbara whispered.

"Thank you, Babs. I'll see you kids in the morning," Jim replied before hanging up. Barbara charged Jason's phone until he was freed up to come back.

"We can go now," Jason replied as he put on his backpack and took his phone from her. He waved goodbye to his friends and followed Barbara out into the parking lot before doing a cartwheel.

"Tonight was fun, huh?"

"You had fun?" Barbara asked.

"Yeah, you were there, and we got to hang out and—. Do you want to help work on the floats tomorrow?" Jason asked. Barbara nodded as she unlocked the car.

Jason threw his backpack in the backseat, and he lay back and closed his eyes. By the time they both got home, Jason was fast asleep. "Jay, psst. Wake up. We're at home," Barbara whispered, and he took a sharp inhale of air before grabbing his bag and following her up. Jason stretched out and said goodnight before taking his shower and going straight to his room.

Once Barbara was asleep, Jason came into her room and got on her computer. She opened one eye and watched as he searched something up. "What are you doing?" Barbara asked.

Jason exited out of his tabs and turned to her. "Were you awake this whole time?" Jason asked. Barbara nodded as she lay on her side facing him. "I can explain... I'm working on something for you for Christmas. I figured that if I started early, I'd be finished by early December."

"Well, what is it?" Barbara asked. Jason smiled a little half-smile before getting up.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Barbie," Jason whispered on his way out of her room. He stopped in the doorway to offer her one last thought for the night. "Let it be a surprise."

Barbara turned on her back after Jason left, and she stared up at the ceiling. As she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but wonder what Jason was doing.

When she woke up that morning, Jason sat at her desk in his uniform while eating breakfast. "Good morning," Jason greeted her, "Pop can't take me to school this morning. He had to go in early. I made you breakfast." Barbara sat up and looked around her room.

"I have to take you to school?" Barbara asked. Jason nodded. "What time are we looking at?" She scratched her head as she tried to wake up.

"You've got forty-five minutes. Your breakfast is made, the keys are on the counter, and I made your lunch for work," Jason whispered. Barbara got out of bed and dressed to take Jason to school before eating her breakfast, and Jim came out of Jason's room with a cake.

Jason came out of her room, and they both sang her the happy birthday song. She smiled and thanked them both.

"You guys didn't have to do this," Barbara replied.

"You gotta make a wish," Jason whispered. She smiled and closed her eyes before blowing out the candles.

"Thank you guys," Barbara replied as she looked back at Jason, "How much time do you have before—."

"Barbara, it's Sunday," Jason laughed. She scrunched up her nose and cut the cake. "Yesterday was Saturday."

Barbara gave Jim his piece and then Jason his. "Jason ordered the cake," Jim replied. Barbara ate a little bit of her cake, and a grin spread across her face. She kissed Jason on the cheek.

"Gross," Jason complained as he wiped his face.

"You're the best little brother a girl could ask for," Barbara whispered.

"It was nothin'," Jason replied, pausing a moment before asking, "Did I get it right?"

Barbara smiled and nodded as she ate. "It's perfect, thank you," she smiled. Jason lit up. He and Jim started eating their slices of cake, and Jim nudged Jason.

"Good pick," Jim commended Jason.

[ragnarokhound]

the what time stamp from sit, stay, speak 👀👀 i ate that fic up i need to know all extras about it

fjsldkajf Ok. When I wrote those tags this timestamp was PURELY HYPOTHETICAL. BUT WHELP.

Cross-posting it to AO3 too lmao

“Wait, wait, wait. I can’t be hearing this right. You were a dog? For a week?”

Tim sighs. He looks over at Dick before returning to the surveillance clips he’s sorting through.

“Yes.”

“And Jason didn’t know.”

“No.”

“Jason took care of you. For a whole week. Thinking you were just a normal dog. Jason.”

“Yes, Dick,” Tim says, long-suffering. 

And how long he has suffered.

Ever since Babs let it slip to Dick that Tim had been AWOL for a week and could use some help getting his cases in order, he’s been subjected to grilling from everyone. Even Cass texted him, demanding he spill it all. (She sent a single dog emoji, followed by an eyes emoji. Her methods of interrogation are as effective as they are inscrutable.) He’s had to explain the entire thing at least four times now, and it always comes back to the same ribbing questions.

“Wait. So does that mean— you actually ate dog food?” He stares at Tim with wide eyes, equal parts aghast and intrigued.

Tim wishes he were surprised.

“What— yes, Dick, I was a dog. Jason bought dog food and wouldn’t really feed me other stuff. So I ate dog food.”

“What did it taste like?”

“I don’t— like it smells? I don’t know, Dick, dogs have less oral sensory receptors than humans do. It was food. I was hungry. I ate it. It didn’t smell as good as the eggs or bacon did, but—”

“Todd fed you bacon,” Damian interrupts, eyes narrowing. 

Tim glances at him, not sure what to do about the weird note in his voice. 

It’s the first thing Damian’s said about the whole affair other than to roll his eyes and mutter a scathing ‘typical’ under his breath. He couldn’t have projected ‘I don’t care about your incompetencies’  any harder; but he also didn’t leave the room when Dick finally cornered Tim into explaining it all in detail.

And he’s here in the first place, in Tim’s Nest, helping with the mess. So.

“...Yes? A few times.”

Damian’s face twists into a dark scowl. “Tch. Idiot. There’s far too much salt in bacon, was he trying to kill you?”

Tim stares.

“Humans can eat a much wider range of foods than many animals,” Damian sniffs. “Most of what we eat should either be considered a treat or not eaten at all. This is basic. A child would know this.”

Tim doesn’t say anything about getting this unprompted lecture from a teenager.

“If Todd couldn’t be bothered to do even a basic internet search, I loathe to think of that man ever owning a real dog.”

“Who’s getting a real dog?”

Jason comes clomping down the stairs from the apartment with a grocery bag in hand. Tim’s heart does something he didn’t tell it to when he comes into view, holding a pack of Tim’s favorite energy drinks tucked under his arm. Jason doesn’t even drink those. He says they taste like death and chemicals, and he should know. Tim might swoon.

“No one,” Tim says at the same time as Damian says, “Not you.”

Jason frowns. “I could get a real dog, why can’t I get a real dog?”

Damian immediately rounds on Jason. “Please. You’re lucky it was Drake you were caring for and not an actual animal. You would have killed it!”

Jason scoffs as he crosses the walkway to lean casually against Tim’s computer desk. “Oh, come on. No way I would have killed it. Dogs are bouncier than that.”

Damian sputters, before launching into a tirade about proper animal care. Jason smiles serenely, always ready to wind up Damian as Dick looks on, partly amused and partly concerned, and Tim tries to bite down on his snickering. 

Jason sets down the six pack and pulls one off, handing it to Tim. Their fingers brush over the cool, wet metal, and Jason winks at him. Tim nearly fumbles the can.

“Maybe I should get a dog,” Jason muses, interrupting Damian’s rant before he can get started on the importance of socializing. He slants a grin at Tim. “What do you think, Timmy? How would you rate the Jason Todd experience?”

Tim’s thoughts go briefly X-rated before he gets ahold of himself. 

“Zero out of ten,” he says flatly, cracking the tab on his drink. “Would not recommend.”

Jason’s grin turns sharp. It's an expression that clearly says 'that's not what you were saying last night'.

“Oh?”

Tim makes a face at him around the can as he takes a swig. He hopes Jason reads it as ‘shut the fuck up, Dick and Damian are right here’ and not a challenge to see how far he can push it.

Thankfully he’s saved by Dick. First Robin, best Robin.

“You here to help out too?” Dick asks, clearly excited at the idea and trying not to show it, in fear of scaring Jason off.

“Nah,” Jason says, not unkindly. “Just swingin’ by. I had a suspicion that Timbit’s fridge would be about as empty as the last time I saw it.”

Tim squints at his screen, thinking back to lunch and trying to remember if he can defend himself honestly, but he’s pretty sure he just ate a snack bar from the pantry. He doesn’t think he’s so much as looked in the fridge since the morning he turned back into a human. He’d watched Jason make them breakfast from his place seated on the counter; Jason nearly burned the bacon, then blamed Tim for being…distracting.

(He maintains that the spell simply wore off after seven days. Significant numbers are also a thing in magic. Or was it nine days? It doesn’t matter. It was not true love’s kiss. Jason kissed him on the head the night before he changed back, but that doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t.)

Anyway.

Dick and Jason are chatting idly while Damian sulks in his corner. They seem to be comparing notes on Tim— and Damian’s— bad habits, but at least they’ve stopped asking him about the dog thing. Jason’s timing couldn’t have been better.

Gratitude for Jason swells in his chest. Tim watches him with a growing flutter in his stomach, and when Jason glances his way, caught, he smiles at Tim. It’s soft, conspiring. It rivals the moon.

“Alright,” Jason announces. “It’s about time I headed off.” From his corner, Damian grumbles something that sounds like ‘finally’.

“Thanks for coming by, Jay,” Dick says, clasping his arm. “Always good to see you.”

Jason ducks his head. “Yeah, yeah.”

He turns to Tim. “Try not to die of starvation while I’m gone, princess,” Jason says, ruffling Tim’s hair with a heavy hand.

Tim’s cheeks pink up. Princess? He’s about to— protest, surely, but Jason leans down over his chair, leaning in close.

“I’ll see you later?” He asks quietly, looking hopeful, his hand still warm on Tim’s neck. Tim can’t help how shy his answering smile is. In his periphery, Dick’s eyebrows shoot way up, and the tips of Tim’s ears go red-hot.

“Y-Yeah,” he says, super smoothly. “I’ll be here.”

“Good.”

All hope of playing it off to Dick and Damian goes right out the window when Jason leans in and pecks his mouth with a short kiss. And then a not so short kiss. 

Tim untangles his fingers from the lapels of Jason’s jacket reluctantly, opening his eyes in time to see Jason’s pink face and self-satisfied smirk before he’s turning around and hustling back up the stairs to the apartment. Presumably he’s putting the groceries away before going on his own patrol. Dick and Damian stare after him.

Tim can’t even be mad at Jason for dropping that little bomb and then escaping. He’d have done the same if their positions were reversed.

Of course, the second Jason disappears, Dick and Damian whip their heads around to look at Tim with big-eyed stares, one maliciously gleeful, one truly disgusted. Then they start talking over each other. Loudly.

“Timothy Drake-Wayne, explain yourself immediately—”

“I need bleach for my eyes, Drake—” 

Okay. He can be a little mad.

[solitaireships]

41 for the kiss ask! (@eid0lons)

Kiss prompts: 41 - while one is sick

I decided to go with my beloved Bruce for this one! Lord knows that he needs to take better care of himself, and I will always be happy to help him with that <3

Rating: G

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 747 words

Divider by straywords

Alex is used to doing the impossible. She’s managed to win cases where the odds are stacked against her clients. She’s fought countless supervillains as Solitaire, protecting Gotham. But all of that is nothing compared to her current challenge— keeping Bruce from working when he’s sick. 

“Put the phone down,” Alex says as she comes into her and Bruce’s bedroom with a bowl of chicken soup. 

He scoffs, but the noise forces another cough from him. As he recovers he says, “People use their phones for more than just work, Alex.”

“Mhm, they do,” she replies, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. “Do you want to show me what game you were playing on yours, then? Since you apparently were doing something relaxing and not work related.”

Bruce grumbles, leaving his phone on the bed’s quilt next to him. The screen is still on, so as Alex takes a seat next to him she can see that he was in fact looking at work emails.

“You’ll get better faster if you rest, pretty boy,” she states. 

“There are people who need me,” Bruce replies.

Alex knows that he’s not just talking about his official work with that. Batman keeps the city safe, and it’s rare that he ever takes a night off. Any criminals who might notice the city’s protector is gone for the night could try to take advantage of that, and that could spell disaster for everyone. 

Bruce is a workaholic in every sense of the word. Alex can’t judge him too much for that, not when she is too. It’s hard to just sit and do nothing, and she’s sure she would be in a similar position to Bruce if she were the one sick right now.

But the longer it takes for Bruce to get better, the less effective he’ll be. And that’s something that Alex can see much more easily than he can right now.

“The city won’t burn to the ground if you take a day or two off,” Alex says. “Cass will be out tonight. Same for Steph, Tim, and Damian. And Duke is handling things in the day to day, and Babs is keeping an eye on things for them too. They’ll be able to handle everything on their own, and I’m sure that they'll be happy to if that means you get better soon.”

“You’re not going out tonight,” Bruce notes with a sniffle.

“Obviously not. I need to make sure my very handsome husband rests so that he can heal up.”

“I’m handsome right now?” he echoes, raising an eyebrow.

He does look a little worse for wear. His nose is red and his eyes look even more exhausted than usual. The stubble he usually has is a bit thicker than usual, and his hair is a tousled mess. He looks pale too, it being obvious just from looking at him that he has a bad fever. 

But he’s still Bruce, and that’s enough to make him very attractive in Alex’s book.

“Mhm,” she says, leaning over to give him a quick kiss on the side of his head. “You’re very good looking. And I think you’d look even better if you ate the soup that I made for you and took your medicine.”

“You’re frustrating sometimes,” Bruce says, but there’s no real annoyance in his voice.

“So are you.” Alex offers him the bowl of soup. “Eat.”

He makes an overly dramatic sigh of acquiescence in response. “If you insist.”

Bruce eats a spoonful of soup, looking at Alex out of the corner of his eyes as if to make sure she’s watching him do what he was told to.

“Thank you,” Alex says.

“The soup is good,” Bruce says.

“It’s canned.”

“It’s good canned soup then.”

“Thanks.”

“Thank you for making it,” Bruce says. 

“You can thank me by resting.”

“I’ll think about it,” he replies.

Alex rolls her eyes. As much as she loves him, he’s frustrating when he gets stubborn like this. 

“Well, I’m going to get your meds. Behave yourself until I come back,” she says, standing up.

“No promises,” Bruce says, interrupting himself with a sharp cough. 

Alex had figured that he would say that. But regardless of whether Bruce will be cooperative or not, she’s going to make sure that he gets better. She’s faced countless challenges in her life, and the last thing she’s going to do is back down when her husband needs some help.

[centrumlumina]

I posted 6,803 times in 2022

That's 2,308 more posts than 2021!

47 posts created (1%)

6,756 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@astercrash

@cynassa

@scienceandstarlight

@floralprintshark

@voyaging-too

I tagged 6,799 of my posts in 2022

#batfam - 1,505 posts

#random - 783 posts

#pretty things - 777 posts

#jason todd - 504 posts

#the locked tomb - 437 posts

#writing - 422 posts

#cuties - 397 posts

#capitalism - 340 posts

#dick grayson - 295 posts

#sci fi - 293 posts

Longest Tag: 125 characters

#but also immediate headcanon that cass also felt betrayed when sheldon and amy's relationship got forced into allonormativity

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I didn’t want to have to say this, but: anyone who thinks that the Boathouse Scene was a “Girlboss moment” has completely missed the point of Katya’s character arc and, frankly, the movie as a whole.

Katya’s arc is about the ways that her life is defined by the men around her. Goncharov, Andrey, Valery - they all have their own ideas of how she should act, who she should be. She doesn’t want to be a housewife, but in the strictly gendered society she lives in, she isn’t allowed to seek fulfilment beyond that.

The subtext of the conversation in the market is pretty blatant - Katya wants to be allowed to discover who she really is away from the obligations of her family, lovers, and husband. Sofia giving her the apple represents the offer of that freedom. Some people have interpreted this as a temptation - the serpent with Eve, and all the pseudosexual tension that implies - but I view it as an intentional subversion of that image, given the way Sofia is haloed in light throughout the scene. (The homoeroticism is real, though!)

I can see where some people get confused by the ending, because Katya does successfully escape her domestic life - but she doesn’t achieve that through the spiritual offer of self-knowledge Sofia represents! Her love for Goncharov and Andrey won’t allow that. Instead she betrays Sofia and winds up in the boathouse, holding the gun; the men around her have finally dragged her into their life of violence. She might survive the end of the movie, but she has lost everything she cared about, and instead of pursuing the independence she initially wanted, it’s implied (I heard confirmed in a cast interview? if anyone has a source for that let me know!) that she returns to Russia to pursue further vengeance.

Katya’s story arc is not about her being a Girlboss - she isn’t beating the men at their own game, or if she is it’s not a game worth playing. Katya is a tragedy, and a warning about the way the violence of men damages the women around them. Killing is never something to aspire to - it is only, as Valery says, “a clock ticking down to midnight.”

260 notes - Posted November 22, 2022

#4

Did your ship make the top 5?

View the full list now on my AO3, along with the Top 100 Overall and the Top 100 Femslash pairings.

539 notes - Posted August 4, 2022

#3

What fanfic was the world writing in 2021? (AO3 Year In Review)

Click through to AO3 to read the full top 100 list of the most popular relationship tags of 2021!

637 notes - Posted January 1, 2022

#2

pre-resurrection gang is like: every friend group should include

a bimbo (cristabel)

two mean bisexuals (augustine & mercymorn)

an even meaner lesbian (cassiopeia)

she/theys (pyrrha)

he/theys (gideon)

a token straight that’s on thin ice (alfred)

two preserved corpses you puppeteer around with you (ulysses & titania)

an astrology bitch who has everyone’s birth chart memorized (nigella)

and a short king (john)

708 notes - Posted October 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Here is my Hot Tridentarii take: Babs is not Ianthe’s cavalier. Coronabeth is, and always has been, Ianthe’s cavalier. The reason Ianthe ate Babs had nothing to do with who he was, and everything to do with him not being Corona.

Ianthe and Coronabeth represent a model of the Lyctor/cav relationship to parallel Harrow & Gideon, just like Pal & Cam do. But where Pal & Cam loved each other so much they became one person, Ianthe’s choice was that she loved Coronabeth so much that she could not stand to consume her, and as a result pushed her away.

...which is exactly what Harrow did to Gideon with her home-grown lobotomy in HtN. I gave you my whole life and you didn’t even want it.

741 notes - Posted November 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[saving-ray-23]

BATGIRL (EIGHT)

Barbara was beyond bored. She was suspended from practicing until the next Monday when the trainer checked her over after school, meaning she missed three games and nearly a dozen practices. The Commissioner started driving her to school, so she missed Chess practice and arrived with barely ten minutes to spare. He must've thought he was being helpful, but Babs was just annoyed.

The medicine James gave her hadn't worked nearly as well as she'd hoped, leaving her sore and tense throughout each school day. Her head was hurting constantly for some unknown reason and Barbara kept zoning out during class. A large part of her was tempted to stop taking the pills, but she was desperate to get back on the field.

Babs hated being alone with her thoughts.

She was having nightmares most of the time she tried to sleep, dreams that she hadn't even thought about it months. Barbara kept seeing things she desperately tried to scrub from her mind, memories she didn't even know she still had. A lot of the last summer was blank for Babs, but the nightmares filled in gaps she didn't want to be filled.

The teen had worked for months to move past the dreams and all thoughts she had of her— of Bess.

Not a lot of people talked to Barbara or about her. But, when anyone did, they nearly always brought up Bess.

Elizabeth Keller was Barbara's best friend, up until last summer. They met Freshman year and instantly hit it off, both within a few blocks of each other in Somerset. She was the sister Babs never had and Bess's mother was the closest thing Barbara would ever get to one. And then, shit went south.

Bess was gone now, maybe forever. Barbara lost her best and only friend the summer before their Junior year.

A few times, people had actually tried to befriend Babs just to hear about Bess. Everyone at Gotham Academy wanted to feel like they were a part of the narrative, claiming they had a pencil they once borrowed from Bess or that they ate lunch together. In reality, nobody had noticed Bess until she was gone.

Barbara wasn't the type of person to yell, at least not in school. But, while she never used her fists, she had made it clear that anyone who talked about Bess— anyone who lied about her —would learn what it felt like to have a Lacrosse stick jammed up their—

Well, Barbara had gotten interrupted by a teacher before she could finish the threat. But, a week of detention was worth getting the lies to stop.

And they did, after that. Instead, people would call Babs crazy behind her back, separate her further from the pack. She felt like absolute shit most days and the school year passed in a blur.

And then, she started talking to Dick. And he was . . . great. Sure, she had known him from middle school, but she had changed over the course of her Junior year of school and suddenly everything else had too. It felt like she was in a whirlpool, struggling for air. And nobody noticed or really even cared.

But, then, Dick was there. And he would actually give a shit, ask her about her family and about her. It wasn't just sorry about Elizabeth, it was we still hanging after school?

And she had fucked it up.

It had been weeks since she spoke Bruce Wayne's ward and she realized belatedly how much of an idiot she had been.

__

She saw him that Monday. The trainer had just cleared her for practices starting the next day and it had completely slipped her mind that Dick Grayson waited for his rides outside of the athletic entrance each day.

She saw him as soon as she pushed open the door, crouched at the top step and tying his shoe. He turned as soon as the creaky door slammed shut behind her and was in front of her before she could think to retreat. The two looked at each other for what felt like hours and Barbara swore it felt like someone was hitting her repeatedly with a baseball bat. And then, everything rushed forward and Babs was suddenly exploding with all of the dumb thoughts she'd had in the past few weeks.

"I'm so sorry, Dick." She breathed out, avoiding his eyes. "I— everything was . . . good for once and then that dumb Arkham trip happened and I was so fucking convinced that you weren't who you said you were and I— "

"I'm not." 

Barbara blinked, peering up at him. "What do you mean?"

The teens' eyes met for barely a second before Dick looked away. "I'm— I . . . There was a reason I asked you to hang out that day."

Babs stared, silent.

"We wanted to find some more information out about— . . . about Bess Keller. And you were the only person she was friends with." His voice took on a worried pitch Barbara had never heard before. "But, I swear— I swear to you Babs, I never meant to hurt you. And— and I don't know, I figured you'd get a friend out of it and no harm, no foul, right?"

The redhead's breathing hitched, eyes tearing up uncontrollably.

"Barbara, please. I didn't realize how cool you were back then and now that I do, I just want to say I'm sorry and— Babs, please don't cry." His hands cupped her cheeks, brushing away tears as they fell. "Barbara, Babs, please. I didn't— I'm sorry."

Barbara couldn't— she couldn't do this, not after everything. "I thought you were different."

The girl pulled away, walking because she didn't have the energy or focus to force her legs to move any faster. 

Once again, her cousin had been right. Friends just hurt her and would always hurt her.

[lilyqueenoffrogs]

Hcs that once again no asked for;

-Tim is scared of the dentist

He watched Little Shop of Horrors when he was itty bitty and the dentist guy scared him (he scares me now)

- Tim had a over bite and people called him “rabbit boy” he got braces but cried every time he had to go back to the dentist and Bruce physical dragged him out the house

-Jason makes peanut butter and jelly sandwich with extra peanut butter

- Damian hates radishes

- Alfred’s favourite breakfast is oatmeal with blueberries, granola and sweetened with honey

-Bruce once ate one of those giant containers of licorice (he hate it now)

- Duke’s in the rhythm section of the school band

-Cass has a box full of sticks and rocks she finds on walks

- Dick once dragged everyone to go see the a movie at the drive in theater

- Babs had a smoothie faze

- Damian and Cass like to paint rocks

- Tim has a fast metabolism

- somewhere in the house there a jar of sour gummies

- Jason has a collection of marbles

- Dick has been known to take batteries out of remote if he’s upset at someone

- pillow forts

- Duke can and will explain every episode of Wild Krats

- Cass will kick your ass in hacks sack

Okay this was fun! Bye!

[paradoxcase]

@wellhappybirthdaytomeiguess:

The 'she' is the one other person that mattered to Cam and Pal, though they never met in person. I look forward to your thoughts on The Unwanted Guest!

@eye-lantern:

"she" died before Gideon the ninth without ever meeting them. And now they melded their souls together, so Cam is wondering wether she would be able to recognize their melded soul

Oh, I see. Does Camilla think they are going to like run into Dulcinea in the River on the way to the Ninth House, or is this like an "after we're all dead" kind of wondering? That is an interesting question about what happens to the immortal soul that goes to the River after you've Lyctorized, like presumably G1deon and Pyrrha continue to be separate entities, but who knows what happens to Camilla and Palamedes. And for Lyctors like Ianthe, they are basically holding their cavalier's soul and drawing energy from it, right, so presumably Babs is not off in the River somewhere currently. If Ianthe dies, does he get released from bondage, or is he linked to her forever?

@wellhappybirthdaytomeiguess:

The glimpse we get of Alecto, in her rant to Pyrrha about keeping house, was brutal. Such clear anger and bitterness. And I think that's part of why Nona has 'forgotten'; trauma, anger, rage...she doesn't want to remember.

Yeah, it sounds like Alecto went through a lot of trauma even before John ate her. But correct me if I'm wrong, but it feels like there's something about her occupation of Harrow's body that is allowing her to forget? Varun the Eater obviously didn't have that happen to them when they possessed Judith, but that seems to be more of a temporary measure that it uses to talk to Nona, whereas Alecto seems to be sort of stuck in Harrow's body and it's not clear where she'll go when she leaves

@samgemrus:

I guess I thought Pal was talking about G1deon, not Kiriona?

Well, G1doen has been dead for most of a book at this point, and hasn't come back yet to the best of my knowledge, and I also don't think he knows a lot about the layout of the Ninth House

@sirjuggles:

I'm so excited for you to read The Unwanted Guest.

Everyone keeps saying this, haha. Well, there are five more chapters and an epilogue, and after that the Unwanted Guest appears to be at the end of this ebook

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Little Bones 3

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape (series); harassment, general creepiness.

This is dark! (biker) Thor x chubby!reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Series Synopsis: You’re a city girl stuck in a small town, but Birch isn’t as sleepy as it seems.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown and When the Weight Comes Down

Note: Another random update of a series for y’all as I toil away at drabbles in between!

Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Masterlist

Your skin crawled as you walked to work the next morning. The memories of the night before made you cringe and tuck your chin down as you kept your eyes ahead of you. You feared if you looked around, you might summon the incessant biker from his hole.

The library was as empty as any other day and you claimed your seat at the curved desk. You booted up and sipped from your thermos, the coffee bitter on your tongue as you watched Melissa appear from the non-fiction section. She sat in her own chair and yawned as she signed on.

The monotony of Birch was sobering after the night in the dank bar. The bikers and their own little world, a microcosm of the worst types all in one place. You went about your usual tasks, there were a few returns on the cart to put back on the shelves and you walked the shelves and checked for out of order codes.

The hours slaked by like the peaks of a mountain against ancient gales. The stale lights made the days stretch to tedium and the grey without added to the sense of listlessness. Colin’s low snores escaped the back room and Melissa sorted through bent paperbacks in a far aisle to put out for the Sunday penny sale.

As the windows darkened, Colin gave his usual grumbled farewell and further mussed his wavy hair as he tried to smooth it out. It didn’t matter much as he covered it with the old faded Leafs toque and left through the automatic doors. His shadow was soon followed by Melissa as she looked forward to seeing her daughter and watching some new program on the local channel.

You were the last as you walked the aisles before final lock-up. The automatic doors were off as you checked for unlikely stragglers. You came back to the round desk and flipped off the lights for all but the entry way and the back office. You pushed open the door and locked the outside ones with a jangle of keys. As you turned back, you gripped the big key to the back door and shook your head.

You stepped through the space between the inner doors and stared at the man behind your desk. He sat in your chair, your purse sat before him on the counter as he shoved a large hand inside. You crossed your arms and watched Thor as he pulled out your coral coloured wallet and unsnapped it.

“What are you doing?” You asked harshly. “How did you get in here?”

He snickered and pulled out a card and lifted it up to look at it closely. He leaned back and flicked it with his thumb. “I knew you were a city girl.” He said.

“Get out. We’re closed.”

“Sorry, I’m late. I’m a busy man.” He slid the card back in place and searched the rest, uninterested by the few bills inside the fold and your various reward cards and outdated alumni ID.

“Late? You don’t seem the reading type. We don’t have that many audiobooks.” You neared and grabbed the other handle of your purse. “There’s an app for that now.”

Again, he laughed and dropped your wallet into the depths of your purse. He released it and pushed his shoulders back as you dragged the bag off the desk. He tilted his head and held up your phone in its shiny lavender case. He smirked as the screen lit up and he swiped it open. You never should have added the library as a trusted location.

“Hmm,” he turned it to face him and scrolled with his thumb, “I think you’re missing a number in here.”

“Give it.” You reached for the phone and he held it away from you like some annoying teenager. “Hey… Thor! Give me it. It’s mine!”

His blonde lashes flashed and he looked at you with delight. “Oooh, I love it when you say my name.”

“Stop. You can’t be in here and you certainly can’t--” 

You swiped for the phone again and he caught your arm. He yanked you so hard you almost left the floor and you dropped your purse and keys. He held you over the counter as he twisted your wrist just a little.

“And who exactly is going to make me leave?”

He kept his thick fingers locked around your wrist as he searched your phone. You struggled with him but it only sent a violent jolt up to your elbow.

“I can do whatever I want and you can’t do anything to stop me. In fact, there’s no one in this town who can.” His jaw clenched and he locked your phone. “Well, kitten, I’m going to hold onto this.” He let go of you and stood as you retracted your arm and rubbed your sore wrist. “And when you want to be a good girl for me, you can come find me and ask for it nicely.”

“Ask? You’re crazy. It’s mine. You’re--” you sputtered.

You swallowed as his hand balled to a fist and his brow twitched. It was the first hint of anything but amusement. It was much more troubling, a slight tell. He was angry.

“I’ve been nice, kitten. I like you and your claws but don’t scratch too deep.” He warned as he backed away. “I’ll see my way out unless of course… you would take me up on my offer from last night.”

“Go. Keep the fucking phone.” You snarled and reached for your purse and the keys. 

You stood and watched as he ran his tongue just below his teeth and turned away. He snaked his way through the back office and you heard the heavy metal door whine in his stead. You locked the inner doors and grabbed your jacket from the rack.

You went to the same door and hit the lights. You activated the security system and stepped out with a cautious look around the vacant parking lot. You locked the door and headed around the side of the brick building and out into the glow of the streetlights.

You could get a new phone, that was nothing, just a chunk out of your check. He could search your contacts, your apps, your phones, he’d find nothing but the pathetic life of a thirtysomething wash out. That wasn’t what worried you. 

He was watching you. He had to be. He knew when you were alone and he knew how to get in. You might not see him but you were certain he could see you. You shivered and pulled your hate over your head and puffed out a cloud. 

💀

You went home angry but slightly addled from the encounter. You watched over your shoulder the entire way home and locked your door with the tarnished chain. You found it hard to settle as you debated marching over to the bar and demanding your phone back and opening the wine you hadn’t touched since your impulsive purchase. You really hated Thor but you knew you could push him much further before he did something much worse.

You ignored your wrath and ate your dinner in front of the television before hiding under your covers and watching the snowfall until you fell asleep. Every night was as dull as the one before and the morning always came too quickly.

You woke and readied for your day with a cup of home-brewed Colombian roast and packed your lunch. You searched for your phone for two seconds before you remembered where it was. Your neck prickled as you thought of Thor with access to all your information and the barren social media accounts. 

The snow was even deeper that day and you fought through the thick carpet. The library felt twice as far by the time you reached it and you were panting as you entered and shook off the powder. You took your usual spot at the usual time with your usual thermos and usual disillusion.

You whiled away the hours without the distraction of your phone. You realised how easily this man could torture you and not even be in the same place as you. You went searching in the aisles for something to do and scraped the gum off the bottom of the tables. A disgusting task but work nonetheless.

When the end of the day came, you were all too happy to go home and hide under your duvet with a tea and a sitcom. You hated this. You would go to the city and get a new phone if you had too. God, how much would that cost?

💀

The days slogged by and on your first free day, you were too tired to make the drive out of town. You resigned to your procrastination, instead taking a short walk down the main street to Babs’. Your usual order, but cinnamon instead of caramel in your latte, and a scone to enjoy at home.

The snow remained as thick as days before. You looked out the bakery window in dread as you awaited your order at the end of the counter. You still caught yourself reaching for your phone. If you waited too long, you might not even be able to make it into the city. Well, you could always order something online. 

The door chimed as Steve’s girl came to the other side of the counter and placed your latte out for you. She smiled and you thanked her but her eyes rounded as you heard boots come close. You turned, barely surprised by the man who was better described as your shadow those days. 

Since his visit to the library, Thor had made himself known in several instances, every day as you walked home he was outside the asp, watching. Other times, he’d be waiting by the steps of the library, mocking you silent as he pulled out your phone. You had too much pride to ask for it back and you knew that it would take more than asking.

You tried to sidestep him and he blocked your path. The foam pushed out through the hole in the plastic lid and you sighed.

“What do you want?” you hissed.

“I should ask you. I don’t know many girls these days can go days without their lifeline,” he taunted, “You know, it’s dangerous how much of ourselves we keep on these little things.”

He patted his jacket where he no doubt had your phone hidden. You looked down at your latte and thought of popping the lid off and tossing it at him. That wouldn’t be any good. You shrugged and looked past him.

“I gotta go--”

“Is there anything I can get you, Thor?” Steve’s girl eked out as if her voice could barely fit through her windpipe.

“I’ve come for something sweet but I think I found it,” he smirked, his eyes stuck to you.

“Give it up,” you scoffed and elbowed past him. He chuckled and followed you to the door as you sped up, your treads squeaking on the salt-stained floor.

“On you? Never,” he purred as you pulled the door open and he caught it behind you.

“You can break the phone for all I care,” you snarled, “just leave me alone.”

He kept up with you as flakes gathered on your scarf and you peered down the street and ran across. His boots crunched in time with yours as he lingered in your peripheral. You spun as you came to a stop on the other side and scowled.

“Jesus, I thought dogs were supposed to be obedient,” you snapped.

“I can be,” he winked and reached to brush the snow from the hair poking out from under your cap, “I’ll gladly get to my knees for you, kitten.”

You snapped at his hand and he pulled away with a surprised laugh. You gritted your teeth and took a step back.

“I won’t tell you again and I’m getting real tired of this.”

“You keep forgetting who you’re meowing at, kitten,” he stepped closer and you backed away again.

You turned and flitted away from him. You had not planned for him in your day off and you weren’t going to let him ruin it. You wanted to go home and enjoy your coffee, alone. However, that meant leading him to your front door. You stopped again.

“Go,” you pointed across the street at the Asp, the town’s marquee.

“Oh, kitten, you’re so cute,” he tugged on your scarf and you swatted him away.

“Alright, that’s it!” you smashed your cup against his chest and the hot liquid steamed as it splashed across his front and dripped down his leather jacket. 

He held out his arms as he looked down at himself and slowly back to you. His blue eyes dilated as the ends of his golden hair sopped with caffeine. It was too late to apologize, too futile. You sputtered and quickly turned away.

You were thankful when you didn’t hear him behind you. You stopped and peaked back at the corner of the next side street. He watched you still and even at a distance you could see his rage.

If you hoped he’d lose interest, that optimism was dead.

💀

A snow storm stagnated the already stale town and you could guess that the highway was even worse. You could replace your sim online but that would take at least a week to arrive and with the weather, likely longer. It might be quicker to wait out the blizzard. You stayed in limbo, reluctant to pull the trigger.

You kept to your apartment for the rest of the weekend, with no reason or want to leave. On your way, you didn’t see him. You sighted a few figures through the falling powder but they were faces familiar to the streets. You kept an eye over your shoulder, glancing around every few steps.

You avoided the cafe. He might look for you there, he might even be waiting for you. You sat down at your desk but felt out of place. He could walk through those doors like he had only days before. He could taunt you and tease you. What made you so antsy was that he could do worse than that. You knew it but you’d let your temper get the best of you. A wasted latte might have cost you everything.

By the end of your shift, it was decided. You were leaving Birch. No one could know until you were gone. Not Melissa, not Colin, no one. You old all-weathers would have to get you down the highway, just to the city so you could lose yourself there until you had a real plan. Even as the snow piled higher and higher, there could be no delay. You’d waited long enough.

Paranoid, you were certain you’d be met again on your path home. The town was dead as the soft blanket covered the ground. The flakes turned to mounds and the tops of your boots let in errant clumps of snow. The store may as well been closed for the day, the library had been little different but its lethargy was expected. Even The Asp seemed to have dulled with the pale gusts.

You packed a bag. One. The apartment came furnished and you never cared much for miscellany. Anything you left behind was replaceable. You went down the back stairs and cleaned off your small Focus. Used but reliable. You were out of breath as you climbed into the driver’s seat and threw the brush in the back.

You drove carefully down the side streets, snaking around as you knew the main fair would give away your escape. You stopped at the sign that pointed to the highway ramp and wondered. 

What if he had got the clue? What if you were running from nothing?

You remember the look in his eye and shivered. No, that glimmer assured you that return to your mother’s was as wise as it would be torturous. You followed the arrow and took the curve steadily with your foot planted on the gas. The traffic was slow and cautious as headlights were barely visible through the snowfall.

You gripped the wheel tightly and let out a breath. You would be gone before he knew. You’d get a new phone, a new job, a new life. Even if it was just pay-as-go, a McDonald’s visor, and your mother’s couch for a while. What good was a job in a place like Birch anyway? Just as good as your irrelevant degree.

You were startled and nearly lost control as a set of lights appeared behind you in the next lane. They were dangerously close to dinging your rear bumper as the reckless driver took a u-turn right before the upcoming barriers. You wrinkled your brow as you glared at them through the white haze. What kind of maniac was pulling shit like that in this weather?

And then, they did hit you. A nudge but enough to send you veering in the thick lines of snow. You clutched the wheel and tried to steer into it, tried to right yourself as you were knocked again. Your heart was in your throat as the engine revved and you hit your brakes, not knowing what else to do as a third collision came.

You spun out and hit the cement wall along the far lane, narrowly missing another car as it pulled ahead. You stilled, your seatbelt saving your face from a smack against the wheel, and stared down the highway as you stared at oncoming traffic. You were completely turned around on the arm.

You caught your breath and reached for your purse. Fuck, you had no phone. What was that asshole thinking? It didn’t seem like an accident.

The car that had bullied you into a crash pulled up along the barrier. You watched in the rear view as the barely visible tail lights glowed and a dark figure appeared between the car and the concrete. You squinted as the man neared, a long coat flapped around his tall figure as he held his hand to his face.

He came up beside your car as you heard his voice muffled through the glass and tapped on your window. He bent and knocked again as you shot him the finger. You were ready to give him a piece of your mind. You rolled down the window with the manual crank and growled, “what the fuck!?”

“Can I have your name, darling?” he asked in a sinisterly familiar accent.

“Screw you! You almost killed me!”

He turned his phone out as you screeched at him and quickly put it back to his ear, “that sound like her?”

A deep voice rumbled in the speaker and the dark-hair man nodded as he shielded his face from the blowing snow, “you owe me, brother.”

“Who the fuck are you?” you spat and reached to your glovebox. You grabbed the heavy flashlight and swung it at him, “get away--”

He caught with a leather-gloved hand and glared back at you. He tucked away the phone in his jacket. His nostrils flared and his green irises caught fire. 

“Let’s not do this, darling,” he warned, “my brother has given me clearance to use whatever force necessary…” he pushed the button and pulled open your door as he wrenched away the metal flashlight, “and while he seems the bigger brute, I assure you his cruelty cannot match mine.”

[leonicscorpio]

Batboy Headcanons because I made this for me but you all can enjoy this too if want. (May contain mild NSFW)

Dick:

Has a weird relationship with unwanted gaze and the attention he receives because of his physique. He genuinely likes the attention but he draws the line when people start getting touchy. Just because he's shirtless working out doesn't mean he gave you consent to touch him.

Has good dieting skills but he's in his mid-late 20's and his metabolism has 0 signs of slowing down. He once ate a whole xl bag of M&M's in front of Steph and Babs and both said they wanted to murder him because he won't gain a pound.

Dick has ADHD and I'm sorry if you don't think otherwise. He has hyperactive type ADHD and while he's gotten better at controlling his symptoms he still stims stretching and flexing his arms and shaking his arms.

While not so much in Gotham, Dick is very politically active and volunteers at voter registration and working with organizations with the mission of police demilitarization in Blüdhaven.

Dick is a very sexually driven individual. However, I don't think it's entirely healthy. His ADHD also comes into play with this but Dick just needs to have a release at least twice a day or he'll feel physically sick.

I don't know if you all have seen male gymnasts. But Dick, like the rest of them, has FREAKSISHLY large biceps. Everyone talks about Dick has the best ass in the bat family and while Jason may be larger and stronger, Dick has the best physique.

Dick's apartment is littered with sticky notes in places such as the fridge/in front of his computer. If it's not written down and in a place where he can't ignore it, it's not going to get done.

I'm sorry I know everyone says his birthday is in March but I have to go to the older Nightwing comics and say his Birthday is December 1st. I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me this man doesn't give off Sagittarius energy. You can't. I respect you but you can't look at that and tell me that man isn't a Sagittarius or has super heavy Sag in his birth chart.

Dick's at home doing nothing but chilling? You best believe he's gonna be shirts off, tits out, and rocking some blue flannel PJ's.

Dick is currently the only member of the family asides from Barbara who is regularly attending therapy. And he actively encourages each of his brothers and sisters to go every time.

After his Agent 37 days. He sits down with Jason and talks about having to use a gun and how hard it was. And how having to kill people has affected him. When he had to kill the KGBeast (Agent 37 days he snapped his neck) I headcanon Dick just trauma v*mit*d. Jason hugged him and just consoled him.

It's canon that Dick has anger issues but to me, it's not explored or talked about enough and not a lot of people like to talk about it. Dick is very much the 'if I ignore it it'll go away' type when it comes to his anger and he can brush most insults or harassment off fine enough. But when he breaks, he makes Jason look like a saint. I'm talking slamming you into a wall and screaming in your face angry. He'll be profusely apologetic afterward but still.

Despite popular belief, I don't think he's that bad of a cook. He's just not very experimentative. He can follow a recipe and does look at some guides. But to me, Dick Grayson just is that guy who is like Chicken veggies and rice are a meal that I can cook 4-6 times a week.

Dick has a slight fear of dentists. He doesn't have bad teeth and has good dental health. He just doesn't like the idea of a drill going in his mouth and the few times Bruce has to take him to a dentist he had a panic attack every time.

Everyone lives for the fics where Jason beats the shit out of Tim and everyone is just like lol well Bruce and Dick just forgives him. No. When Dick found out it was Jason who beat Tim to the ground, Dick was literally seething and told Jason "Pick on someone your own size or else I'll make you wish you back in that f'ing coffin."

Dick's favorite foods (some based in Canon*): Milk Chocolate*, Cereal*, Asparagus, Bananas, Banana flavored candy, Hawaiian Pizza* (suffer its canon) Rum, thanksgiving Turkey.

Jason:

He may be the self-diagnosed black sheep (rightfully so) of the family, but Jason does genuinely love spending time with his siblings. Whether it be sharing memes with them on social media or just randomly showing up where they are and abducting them to go get ice cream/coffee/snacks.

He'd probably attempt to harm you if you told him this to his face. But he is the closest acting to Bruce out of all of the family. In terms of mannerisms and inherent warmth and kindness behind a dark façade.

Has two moods: either exceptionally, almost neat-freak levels of clean, or his life is completely falling apart and Jason can't tell you for sure what color his floors are because there's so much stuff scattered about.

Despite their initial hatred of each other, Jason truly feels closest to Tim and Tim is the only person asides from maybe Barbra who he can just talk to without feeling any judgment.

Jason only smokes when he's extremely nervous about an operation or a hit. For those who don't know criminal justice cigarettes are the fastest way to get genetic material on someone. That being said he does still like to smoke occasionally.

Me, plus a lot of people give him this sort of 'Lazarus Rage' as I like to call it. When he's in the heat of a mission or if he's getting upset/angry his vision will get blurred with green, and it feeds on his anger and just gets perpetually harder to contain until he releases it. Jason has gotten much better at controlling it. But as he will tell Tim or Babs, he's "seeing green" which means they need to be careful because Jason could kill.

Everyone says Dick is the mother hen. I see you, I accept you, but let me raise you. Jason came to realize that he died because of his rash decision to go after The Joker alone. If Jason finds any of his siblings out acting alone, or even at the very least without Oracle. Jason WILL forcefully interject himself and ask them what the fuck they think their doing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Trying to get close to Jason is hard. He will degrade you can attempt to try to get you to hate him before he lets you in (that cheeky Tsun of him)

He genuinely cares for and supports all of his siblings but has been rough on them needlessly. But if Bruce is being the distant or absent parent he is, you better believe if any of the siblings drops him a text or a call, Jason will be there in a heartbeat.

He's the most physically powerful of the whole Bat Family. You don't understand because of his time in the League, his time with the All-Caste, and having abused Venom for a time, he can snap an arm bone like it's a carrot with little effort.

Everyone in the family likes dogs and goes out of their way to gush over a dog, but Jason takes it to a whole new level. And even when he's masked up dogs just gravitate to Jason.

Can and has grown a beard in a matter of a few days. He usually likes to be clean shaven but some days he likes to wear a beard just to throw everyone off.

One time him, Steph, Tim, and Duke all went to a restaurant (Red Robin lol) and the waitress got his order wrong and his burger had raw tomatoes on it, Jason took the tomatoes off and ate it while looking absolutely miserable. Tim: Jay why did you eat that you didn't have to you know you could have asked the server to fix your burger. Jason, almost in tears: "She works really hard and she tried and I'm a scary dude I don't want to make her upset.." Duke: "... Jason you literally shot at a cop for looking at you funny the other day. But you're afraid of upsetting a waitress?!? I mean ACAB but dude.. "

Jason's happiest big brother moment™ was taking Tim and Damian to the shooting range and watching them both get their first bullseye.

You can't tell me Jason Todd was into the Emo/Screamo/Warped-Tour Scene. His favorite bands/Albums in no particular order, That's the Spirit (Literally the whole album is Jason Themed and I'm gonna die on this hill) & Sempiternal by Bring me the Horizon, Digital Renegade & Everyone's Safe in the Treehouse by I See Stars, The Resistance: Rise of the Runaways by Crown the Empire,

Jason Todd's favorite foods: (Also some based in Canon*) Burgers, Chili Dogs*, Lager-style beers, Freshly baked bread*, Neopolitan ice cream, grilled corn, and Chinese Chicken noodle soup with Duck.

Tim:

This boy *slaps car roof* gives off so much asexual energy. I know New 52 exists but I just feel like Tim is the person who really, REALLY has to trust you and like you before he's sexually active with you.

HYPERFIXATES. You also can't tell me Tim isn't on the spectrum/or has ADHD.

Is the only member of the family who regularly checks up on Jason and talks to him every day via text message. The two are memelords together and love to play pranks on the other members.

While Dick may give the most frequent hugs and Jason gives the tightest, most secure hugs, Tim's hugs are always the warmest and make you just feel good.

Tim's birthday is July 19th. Meaning he's a Cancer. Let that sink in.. no, really let that information just soak. (Note I have nothing against Cancer women, cancer men however....)

All of the bat boys really struggle with talking about their feelings. Dick will manipulate you into changing the subject via twisting it to be about you, Jason will just cut you off or will ignore you, Damian will deflect everything and harass you until you stop, Tim however, Tim is very emotional and while he's very calculated about who he's emotional with, he's not afraid to break down and cry if he trusts you.

Everyone who says he's the level headed Robin haha how's it feel to be WRONG. Tim is at best the least functional college student and at worst a lemming. 'No Tim, coffee isn't a meal I'm going to make you some food or I'm going to stick you in a room with Damian for an hour.' Richard (Dick) John Grayson.

People overblow how addicted to caffeine Tim is. But it's true. Just overblown. You can talk to him before he's had his caffeine just don't expect him to be anything but curt and blunt.

Everyone says Jason would be the worst at texting but it's Tim. He's the master of leaving you on read. While Jason may do it on purpose, Tim is just really bad at texting people and while he always will read your messages he forgets to respond unless it's really funny or really pressing.

Everyone sees Tim as this bean pole super skinny boy Robin. Tim may not be stacked like Dick or a freaking tank like Jason, but Tim is NOT super skinny. He's just as muscular and likes to work out as anyone, but he just is super lean, so he looks a lot bigger and his muscles are more defined because of how thin his skin is. He has those almost disgusting spider veins on his arm. Kind of gross to look at, but he's the dream of any nurse. This means Tim is also the king of accidentally sending/posting thirst traps.

He really is the glue of the Bat Family. Everyone kidnaps Tim for 'Tim Time'.

Dick likes to spar with and in general just hang out with Tim. Tim tried to teach Dick how to skateboard and you'd think the boy who mastered the trapeze would know how to skateboard but you'd be wrong.

Babs and Tim always hang out and talk about computer stuff and Babs knows she can vent to Tim about anything and he won't say a word.

Tim and Steph were a thing for a while and even though they're just friends now, they still are very close and the two have a very deep bond, liking to shop with each other and watch movies,

Cass just loves to be around Tim because of how calming he is but also she knows she can spar with him AND Cass can also skateboard with Tim too.

Even though him and Damian are always fighting, the two still end up being together and have this unspoken bond. They work great together on a team but other than that they still hate each other.

And while everyone still is hesitant around Jason, and despite the fact that Jason literally beat Tim to within an inch of his life, AND would still trigger Tim and taunt him about it. The two have this odd closeness that rivals even him and Steph. Tim will always be the first to bat for Jason. Jason was Tim's Robin. And despite the fact Jason literally beat it into Tim's head to "never meet your heroes." Tim will always be there for Jason should he ask. The two are just close. And it's hard to describe. Bruce has caught Tim and Jason just platonically sleeping next to each other or just doing their own things shoulder to shoulder silently, just enjoying each other's company.

Tim and Duke also have a really positive relationship with one another and the two can stay up all night just talking about anything. Their minds just mesh well together. The two also love to team up and prank the other members of the Batman Family.

Tim's favorite ASMR/Stim? Watching those Tik Toks of people cleaning computers or cleaning phones. The sound of an air duster is like music to his ears and if any of the Bats need their technology cleaned it secretly makes Tim so happy to help them.

Wear his hair up or wear his hair down? It depends! While Tim likes his long hair he also has gotten plenty of compliments for his short hair and likes to style it to suit any occasion.

My one pet-peeve with Tim is that he probably is that person who lets his privilege show from time to time. While he was essentially raised to just sit down, shut up, and be a perfect trophy son to the Drake's. The Drake's were in the same tax bracket as Bruce and Tim definitely was a rich kid. He never means to come across as spoiled, but sometimes Jason will give him harsh looks if Tim just throws away food he doesn't like or says things like Chipotle is 'poor people food'

Tim Drake's favorite foods (you know by now*) Donuts*, Shallot and Artichoke Pizza with Canadian Bacon* (odd choice but it could work) Artichokes in general are his favorite vegetable, Strawberries, and Beef Pho.

Damian:

I headcanon that he has the worst teeth of all of the Bat Boys and he actually has to use lingual braces. (Hence why you can't see his braces)

Canonically is a very good artist and while him and Tim don't get along, Tim introduced Damian to digital art and gave him a photoshop pack and a nice tablet for his birthday one year and Damian loved it so much.

Damian is a capricorn and I will die on this hill. A January capricorn too.

Now you want a good chef? You've got Damian. Having converted to veganism Damian has had to get creative whenever he goes out to eat so he tends to like to eat more home cooked foods. Damian loves all matters of mushrooms, eggplant, and bell peppers.

Damian really struggles the most with his wanting to just be a normal kid. Despite the fact he will dismiss you for it, anytime he gets to spend at Gotham Academy with Jon and the rest of the kids he's naturally the happiest.

Damian LOVES to give gifts. He loves the look on people's faces when they are shocked when they actually get something from Damian.

Despite the fact that he's been traumatized from both his times with Ra's and Talia as well as with Bruce. He just wants Bruce and Talia to be together because he loves them both equally.

While he's the least flexible and least gymnastic of the Robins do let your guard down around him. He is the fastest runner and the guy is rivaled only by Jason in terms of lethality.

So someone (Jason Todd & Duke Thomas) introduced Damian to trap music and ever since anytime his phone gets stolen people will be shocked to find he's listening to some combination of Lil' Yachty, X, Kendrick Lamar, Wiz, and Kodak.

If any random person tries to hug Damian he'll immediately push them away, he'll bitch and moan about just about anyone hugging him other than Bruce & Dick.

Damian loves to go to the beach/the ocean. He just thinks it's so vast and he loves the brineness of the air. Also being half white, quarter middle-eastern and quarter Chinese (Yes everyone forgets Talia is half Chinese) Damian gets DARK. And although he's just okay as a swimmer he still likes bogeyboarding and eventually wants to learn how to surf.

I'm genuinely afraid once Puberty is done with this kid and everyone in the family is. He has Bruce Wayne AND Talia Al-Ghouls genes and those are two SEXY human beings. Damian's gonna grow a beard one day and people aren't going to know how to act.

Damian secretly plays Fortnight and not even Jon knows. He doesn't want to get shamed. He'd rather lose a match and ruin his streaks than deal with the shame of anyone in that family finding out he plays Fortnight.

Damian Wayne's favorite foods (canon*) Cereal*, Avocados, Grilled Tempeh, his mom's Tabbouleh, Mushroom Tacos, and Vegan Sushi rolls, and grape juice.

Duke Thomas

Duke is like, freakishly good with a piano, and he picked it up naturally!

Also everyone says Tim brews the best pot of coffee in the Bat Family, cue to everyone's surprise when Tim was sick one day and couldn't make a pot. Only to find the coffee was freaking amazing. Duke didn't take any credit at first until Alfred let it slip that Duke was the one who brewed the pot.

Duke being the only Meta of the family originally thought he was the double-token because he was a Meta and a black boy. Needless to say his fears were seriously unfounded the moment he got to know everyone.

Although he somewhat fears Jason and his temper initially, he and Jason have one of the closest relationships in the family. If Tim isn't around to bat for Jason, Duke will happily take his spot. The two work on each other's bikes and grew to share the same taste in music.

Duke uses his Photokenetic powers as a force for good and for shenanigans. Jason wants to play a prank on Dick and Damian while Dick is reading Damian a story? Duke will hide Jason in the shadows and will cover up his shadow. Alfred dropped something in the dark? You better believe Duke will find it in 3 seconds or less.

Duke makes it a point to visit his parents every weekend to talk to them. Although they are making some progress in their recoveries, it's still slow going. Eventually, he starts bringing members of the family to see his parents. It started with Cass, then Jason, and the rest followed suit.

Duke loves playing video games with Damian and even helps Damian beat some tougher levels when Damian is about to rage and destroy the console.

Duke is into Magic the Gathering and you cannot tell me otherwise. Duke also is the DM for the Bat Kids annual D&D games. I can and will make a D&D Batfam Headcanons if asked.

Loves Pho just as much as Cass and Tim and they all call it a date night every now and then where they can go to a hole in the wall pho place. It's really a secret between the three of them.

DUKE THOMAS IS THE BEST SWIMMER OF THE BAT BOYS AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL. HE JUST THRIVES IN THE WATER.

Finding out his birth father is a supervillain was really tough for him. He went into a shell for a little bit afterwards. Cass and Steph were there to help talk him out of his funk.

Duke Thomas's favorite foods (lol what canon DC hasn't acknowleged our boy in a while..) Chicken Pho, Thai Iced Tea, Papaya, Crab Cakes, Italian Hoagies, his mom's Lemon Poundcake, mint chocolate chip ice cream.

I hope y'all enjoyed! Up next (eventually) will be the Bat Girls!