#having a batman-centric blog

[hiero-green]

Top 5 Batman portrayals? 👁️🫦👁️💕

OOOO OK OK

So Misha said they don’t have to be live action portrayals so there’s a mix in here! This was also SUPER HARD TO CHOOSE so for the record these aren’t so much ranked as they are a nebulous cloud of a top 5

Kevin Conroy in B:TAS/TNBA/JL. This was probably pretty predictable. Come on. He’s first voice I hear in my head while thinking about Batman (a close second tho actually is something like his voice in Arkham Origins and the Hush movie! Idk their actors tho) and he played one of if not the most important Batman portrayals ever. To get NUANCED about this briefly, I do have issues with the DCAU’s later writing for Bruce, namely how everything about him seems to get so grimdark and edgy compared to his warmth and gentleness in B:TAS BUT how and ever SO. Kevin Conroy king forever 👑

Robert Pattinson in The Batman. You know I love me my Rpatz. I can absolutely understand why he might not be someone’s favourite, especially if they’re a fan of the classic depiction of Bruce, but what I really love about him (and this extends to Riddler too!) is that despite being different in some ways on the surface, all his traits ultimately come from the same core character and experience as depictions that feature more galas, swimwear models and ski trips in the Alps Brucie Waynes. He’s both a very grounded depiction of a deeply troubled man yet he toes the line between the “realism” of ‘verses like the Nolanverse and more camp superhero stuff so well and he has so much potential for his sequel, as well as of course giving us the chance to see him be a detective!! Finally!! To mention Robert himself then, he did such an amazing job playing Bruce. I love Robert Pattinson, I really do, I seek out movies with him in them, and still every time I see him in a movie, Rob completely melts away and it’s just… the character. There truly are few actors I can say that about, but I feel it so strongly for him, and his Batman portrayal was no different. (Also autidm bruce yuh). I also love his dynamic with Jim, Rob and Jeffrey are so good together.

Bruce in Batman: The Imposter. A non-actor one on here! Admittedly I don’t read as many comics as I’d like, but Batman: The Imposter was one I had to buy in May after seeing The Batman and having it recommended to me. For a lot of the same reasons I like The Batman 2022 Bruce, I like B:TI Bruce. I find with him that there’s such a… a softness to him. When he’s Bruce, there’s such a quietness, almost a meekness to him. He really reads as very pained but still somehow managing to find a kindness in his heart, even when he’s so isolated from the world. I also think it’s interesting — if slightly concerning — that Alfred is pretty much gone from Bruce’s life. A while after Bruce comes into Alfred’s care as a child, Alfred can’t handle him anymore, sends him off to boarding school, and dips from the Wayne family completely. Absolute worst Alfred I’ve ever seen, we do not stan. BUT my point is that, while I feel like there’s a chance the author wrote Bruce to be alone for the sake of cliche lone wolf edgelord, it just makes his shy nature outside of the Batman suit stand out to me more. Even so alone, he hasn’t lost hope. And. The page where he’s talking about his effect on Gotham, and he sheds a tear from under the cowl. Yeah. Yeah it got to me. Also! He’s the closest we have to a canonically autistic Bruce!

David Mazouz in Gotham. Okay. Okay. Gotham is not well-written, nor do I like the fact that Bruce plays a part in the show at all, I don’t like him being on a path to Batman from the moment his parents die. HOWEVER. I think David is a fantastic depiction of a young, struggling to grieve, anger-filled, doesn’t-want-to-feel-powerless Bruce. He’s a kid trying to understand himself and the world that’s been turned upside down on him, and David portrays a great balance of innocence and blooming maturity. Also, the older he gets, the more he looks like a perfect Bruce I swear to god. Even if I don’t like Bruce’s role in the show, I always thought David Mazouz was a great fit.

Bruce in The Batman 2004 cartoon. This one’s just fun. They don’t really touch on the darker aspects of him and they don’t mention his parents much at all (they don’t pretend they never died, but they’re very *very* vague and rare about their mentions of them) but I just think he’s really fun. He’s young and energetic but he’s not a party animal, and I think he’s interesting as a,, surprisingly stable Bruce. He also doesn’t have as much separation between Batman —> Bruce and Bruce —> Brucie as other depictions which I think is interesting! He feels very genuine and always like himself, but they’re also not afraid to show him being self-destructive or neglecting his needs for his work.

BONUS MENTION BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS: Ben Affleck in the DCEU. Okay okay OKAY I do not like the DCEU. I really don’t, and I think Bruce is grievously miswritten (???) in BvS. But. Ben deserved better. I can very easily see him as Bruce. I think he makes a very good older Bruce, AND he was great in the party scene in BvS where he meets Clark and they butt heads. Same as with Henry Cavill, they deserved to play better written versions of their characters.

Thank you for the thought provoking ask, Mish!!!!

[radrobotz]

cant stop thinking abt scene girl barbara

[911-on-abc]

please sir can I have a Batman/DCU fic written by someone who has actually read the comics

[boyfridged]

hello! can i request some Jason centric fic recs?

this is actually such a difficult question. in spite of years spent reading jason-centric fanfics, it is very rare that i find something that i genuinely enjoy. still, i do have some favourites that i go back to.

beneficiary by @sirsparklepants (1/1, 2k)

my favourite post-death jay fanfic. it's such a beautiful, bitter-sweet conclusion to his legacy.

untitled by @pendulum-north (1/1)

this is a very short ficlet. absolutely riveting language, as expected of a poet. my favourite take on the canon divergence that is bruce dying instead of jason. would sell my soul for north to actually write more on it.

what the living do by Anonymous (1/1, 6,5k)

stunning. perhaps my all-time favourite. jason believes he's dead. dick takes him on a road trip.

complications by JHSC (1/1, 6k)

i want to tell you so badly why i adore this fanfic but that would spoil the conclusion. so instead i can just tell you that it contains my unpopular agenda for jason's character development.

the (family) doctor's appointment by smleeish (1/1, 4k)

i have some qualms with the minuatiae of this work but this sickfick surprised me with the depth of the character study. the conclusion is so beautiful in the way it gets to the core of jason's values.

jet black crow by starknjarvis (series, 2/2, 19k)

i normally avoid sex-worker aus so please do know that this had to really impress me to be found on this list. the main reason for which it winded up here is a conversation jason has with bruce in the second installment.

the clay steals the clay by zipadeea (1/1, 2,5k)

just give it a read. a haunting... fix-it. i think about the usage of catholic themes in this fanfic often.

PLUTO. by orpheusaki (@damianbugs) (1/1, 22k)

a huge reason for which i love this one so much is the thematic similarity to the earth-51 arc in countdown. there's such good understanding of what made jason who he is as the red hood & his relationship with batman as the symbol and with bruce as his father.

things that make it warm by one_step_closer_to_death (@hopeworth) (1/1, 4k)

my favourite jay & dick fanfic! if you've been following this blog for a while, you know i am very particular about their relationship. you also know that i believe in jason's need to reconnect with his childhood and that dick should be a part of it, and this piece delivers that in the sweetest way.

of broken, blazing wings by FrEShAVocaNoob (44/44, 190k)

before i get to the praise, i have to say that this fanfic does talia very dirty and that i am not a fan of how it deals with mentions of jason's childhood & his robin days. however, it is also 190k of jason having a perpetual mental breakdown and it follows canon event starting from the lost days and finishing with countdown. it has great pacing and an admirable balance of being plot-driven and the focus on character development. jay is so painfully young and lost. i also really enjoyed dick's attitude. it's a riot and an emotional rollercoaster. i will never recover from it.

compulsory (shameless) self-promotion:

leave no trace, a ficlet on ouroboros.

black out days, a lost days au which is not a story at all. about talia, jason, the need to mythologise and staying away.

and my wip robin (vol 2): future nostalgia, a jay lives au that is to contain follow major batman plotpoints such no man's land and murderer/fugitive.

[marinettesaltprompts]

The Maribat deconstruction got me thinking: am I the only one who thinks Adribat is a more....plausible (??is that the word) concept than Maribat? Like, not even in a romantic sense but a familial platonic sense.

Think about it, he's :

got the tragic backstory & suffered from neglect

canonically been abused waaaaay beyond school bullies

taken for granted by adults (primarily his dad & Master Fu) and by his peers (LB)

dealing with the existential crisis of not being human if we go the sentimonster route.

Look, I get that trauma & suffering should NEVER be a competition but when you think abt it, Adrien's suffered just as much, if not more so than Mari ever did even with Chloe & Lila in the picture. You could argue that some of what she suffers in salt fics (isolation, no support system, emotional suppression, harassment) are ALSO things Adrien goes through bcz while he's a superhero like her, UNlike her, his home life sucks.

So if there's either hero the Bat Fam would empathize with more, it's him. Yes, they can hold him accountable for screw ups but if we go the Good Parent!Bruce route, he can give Adrien the physical & nuanced emotional training he needs to spot red flags & deal with them beyond passivity. The training is harsh but at least he doesn't play favourites, giving Adrien no excuse to slack off & proper motivation to mature. Plus, in the Bat Fam, everyone has clear roles & secrets aside, nobody strings anyone along, offering him a reliable structure to fall back on.

He doesn't come into the Bat Fam expecting to be in charge. Instead, the nitty-grittiness would push him to be more independent & decisive instead of impulsive.

If LB tries to call him out, he could point out how for all she claims to be the 'responsible professional hero', she REacted instead of acted & if real IDs are thrown in the mix, he can call out how she just went with the 'woe is me' route, resenting that everyone didn't jump on her call for a witch hunt when she could've communicated to them privately.

Sorry, this turned out longer & less explicitly mari salt-centric than I thought but I tried to stay objective. I hope you don't mind.

Technically everyone would have their own opinion about whether a Miraculous/Batman crossover could actually work. In my opinion however, I believe that the best bet for a good crossover would be through Adrien more than Marinette, in part because of the reasoning you gave, but also because Adrien would fit the idea of a Batfamily member more thematically than Ladybug ever could. If anything, he's like Catwoman but without the whole stealing bit.

Keep in mind that the whole Maribat AU was created with the goal of creating a salt fic (albiet with a crossover), and the OG creator even took a character that was no way romantical and turned him OOC to make their convoluted idea work, ironically in a method reminding me of the "My Immortal" Harry Potter fanfic. Regardless how it later developed, the original idea was pure salt, albiet one that took off because of everyone's hate boner for any character that wasn't Marinette, with people later trying to justify it for one reason or another. It's an idea that should have never worked in the first place outside of this context. In contrast though, Adribat would actually work because of a genuine commonality connection.

Also I don't mind talking about Adrien on this blog. In my mind, Marinette salt and Adrien sugar are the one and the same on this blog, because the salt of one character is usally sugar of the other due to how these prompts go.

Hell, my entire blog was made in opposition to the more well know Adrien Salt Blog made by another individual, which has both plenty of Adrien salt and LOTS of Marinette sugar, though I would call the latter justification for Marinette's own bad behavior as it never discusses her own issues, it just let's her go off scott free by pinning the blame all on Adrien.

In any case, I like your idea! If you or anyone else want's to share any Adribat prompts that you got, feel free to send them here!

[butcherlarry]

hello! I got your blog recommended to me by frownyalfred when I asked for whump bruce recs, and I have already put sooo many of your recs in my "to read" list, they all look so good! That poly lois/clark/bruce one especially!!

If you ever feel like it, could I humbly request a bruce whump rec?

It's your lucky day Anon! You ask is my weekly fic rec list! Everyone clap for Anon!

Weekly Fic Recs 79

I've had an ask before wanting some Bruce centric fics, here is a link for you! Some are angst-y with a bit of whump, but let's see what else I can find for you ;)

A Bat with a Broken Wing by agoldengalaxy @agoldengalaxy - Battinson, General, 3048 words, complete. Battinson gets injured and Jim helps him find medical attention. For some reason, Batman want Jim to take him to Wayne manor. Weird.

A Sacrifice Love Demands by second_hand_heaven @second-hand-heaven - Trinity, General, 1453 words, complete. Bruce gets hit with fear gas. Good thing Clark and Diana are there to help.

A kindred bond by Nyszu @theocddiaries - Superbat, Mature, 76,971 words, wip. Bruce gets kidnapped by an evil Superman from another universe. He Does Not Have A Good Time. Bruce's Clark (and Justice League) save him, but struggles with his mental health after.

The Xenomorality Hypothesis, Revisited by MaskoftheRay @ray-gurl - Superbat, Teen, 4508 words, complete. A different first meeting of Batman and Superman in BvS: Dawn of Justice.

control by TheResurrectionist @frownyalfred - Bruce & Clark, Not Rated, 2008 words, complete. Bruce gets roofied, Clark is there to help.

pull out the pin by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, Not Rated, 4488 words, complete. The Justice League get stranded on a supposedly empty planet. Bruce gets possessed. Shenanigans and feels ensue.

Bruce Wayne and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Sleepyhollow_101 - Superbat, General, 4104 words, complete. Bruce as a civilian gets kidnapped and Has A Bad Time. Clark is there to the rescue.

Worth It by Noknownname @allgremlinart - Superbat, Not Rated, 845 words, complete. Battinson falls into Gotham Bay. Clark helps warm him up.

Bruce Wayne Being a Good Dad (Bonus Whump) by WhumpTown - Batfam, General, 4170 words, fics complete, series not. Bruce gets injured while Batmanning. His kids are there to help while he recovers.

Monday, You Can Fall Apart (It's Friday, I'm in Love) by BatsAreFluffy @silivren-vera - Superbat, Teen, 6487 words, complete. Four times where Bruce gets injured and is Not Having A Good Time. Good thing Clark is there to help. Very whumpy, very hurt/comfort, a favorite reread of mine :)

Tropical Vacation (Sun, Sand, Sea, and Superman) by cattyk8 @cattyk8fic - Superbat, Mature, 12,279 words, complete. Three times Bruce is forced to take a vacation because of his injuries, and one time he goes on vacation on purpose (with Clark).

Maybe You'll Learn to Live with What's Inside Your Head by not_whelmed_yet @notwhelmedyet - Batcat, Teen, 8410 works, complete. Hey, remember how in the The Batman movie, Battinson at shit after trying to use his wingsuit to escape from the top of GCPD building? Or when he got shot in the chest point blank with a shotgun? Or when he cut that live wire and fell into the water below? And then just got back up and did some rescue work like he was fine and nothing was wrong, no bodily injuries to worry about, at all? Well, this author remembered and wrote a fantastic fic about him dealing with all those injuries in the aftermath. Don't worry, Selina is there to help :)

Happy Reading!

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Don't Tell Batman

by Writer_loves_tropes Jason's mom just died a few months ago, and suddenly, at sixteen years old he has no parents, no home, no money, and is literally starving. Things aren't looking good for poor Jason, but then he stumbles across a man bleeding on the side of the road. He doesn't hesitate to help, because Jason always helps people in need. Good deeds are always rewarded, even in a grimy crime-ridden city like Gotham, and just like that, Jason's bad luck starts to turn around. Tim is living the thirteen year old dream as Batman's sidekick. As a little kid he grew up in Metropolis with an unhealthy hyperfixation on Superman - he created the #1 Superman blog when he was five, and had his nanny sew a tiny lead lined vest so he could take pictures of the hero without Superman hearing his heartbeat and stopping the little stalker. When his mom died he moved to Gotham and Bat-stalked Batman and Robin so hard that he eventually became Robin. Life is great, but when he stumbles into Crime Alley Medical Clinic, meets Jason Todd, and instantly gets a new best friend, life gets even greater. - or, Gotham finally gives Jason a break, he meets a Robin with no chill, and slowly gets absorbed into the Batfamily. Words: 3655, Chapters: 1/13, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Jason joins the Batfamily Late (maybe joins, maybe just hangs around as their cool civilian friend) Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake (DCU), Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Leslie Thompkins, Alfred Pennyworth, Jack Drake, other characters make surprise appearances but I don't want to spoil it Relationships: Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd-centric, Tim Drake-centric (DCU), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Vomiting, Fever, Allergies, Medical Conditions, Jack Drake Being Jack Drake, Jack's a bad parent but actually redeemable in this story, Tim Drake is Robin (DCU), Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Jason Todd Joins the Batfamily Early, which changes a lot of canon and the timeline, Sicktember 2024, Jason doesn't become Robin but he still becomes a lifesaving hero, Jason Todd has Anxiety, Jason Todd Has PTSD, Tim Drake is Neurodivergent, Tim Drake Has ADHD, Dick Grayson Has ADHD, Fluff and Humor, Secret Identity, identity reveal but don't tell Batman, Rated T for language (Alfred would not be happy lol), Tim and kon are dating but they're both 13 so its just part of the fluff, tim is bi, Dick has dated everyone in dc with red hair, and Bruce may have a tiny crush on Clark Kent via https://ift.tt/0BmqUOP

[blade-that-was-broken]

Intro, Stories, and Commissions!

Heya! This is my anonymous little blog for my current fixations and interests!

Name: Luthien or Blade

Age/Gender: adult woman

Level: family friendly with some violence.

Current Fixation: Dreamworks Trolls

Notes About My Work

Focus on familial and platonic bonds

Any romantic notions are never the focus

Minimal swearing on my part

Family friendly art and writing with some violence

No nudity, serious gore or smut

Feel free to ask any questions about anything - I absolutely love answering comments and questions in the asks.

Listed below not only my current series but also some other writings that I have finished! Feel free to check them out! I'd love to know what you think! Also listed are other fandoms that I am interested in and feel free to ask me about any of them! Enjoy!

Series!

Here is a Link to my AO3

I’m Still Here - BASIC Finish

An AU where John Dory comes back to the Tree a bit earlier to raise Branch only for sixteen years later of traveling on the road with his little brother to give his life for him. Branch finds Pop Village at 16 and goes through the events of the canonical movies with the background of being a wandering traveler with his brother.

Status: Ongoing

Type: Multiple Books

Question to the World - prequel mini series - ✔️

Head Above Water - movie one - ✔️

World to Change - movie two - ✔️

Moment to Be Real - movie 3 - ✔️

Words and Whispers - Collection of Snippets

For This You Were Born

In an AU where Brozone doesn’t exist and trolls can trade their lives for the safety of their families, a mother tricks her eldest son only for him and her youngest to end up in a fight for their lives against a Bergen.

Status: Ongoing

Type: Multi Chapter Short Series

For This You Were Born - finished ✔️

Silence the Doubt - finished ✔️

By Design a Victor - currently ongoing

Half Life

In a human AU, John Dory has been working for years to get custody of his four brothers from his parents. When he finally gets it, he finds he had to fix what he inadvertently broke. As he tries to juggle a new life and protect his brothers, he does his best to repair his relationship with them.

Status - Ongoing

Type - Single Multichapter, Extra shots

Breathe Again - multi chapter - Ongoing

Unnamed - multi chapter single shots - unwritten

One Shots/Other

Trolls

Something to Believe In - An amnesiac John Dory arrives at Pop Village and ends up raising his youngest six-year old brother. (Ongoing, non-sequential shorts)

Things We Lost - Clay is snatched one day, only to be saved by his amnesiac older brother, who has no idea who he is and believes his brothers to be dead. (one shot, finished)

Divided Frame of Mind - Branch, Bruce, Clay and Floyd search for John Dory, only for Holly Darlin' (Trollstopia) to tell them he's staying in Lonesome Flatts. However, when they get there, they are not greeted how they expect. (one shot, finished)

Smoke and Starlight - a continuation beyond TBT, helped Poppy with an annual world meeting and learns about his parents and his brothers as he helps set up. (multi chapter, wip, Branch, JD and Floyd centric)

Keep Me Breathing - Upon being rescued and traveling back to Pop Village, Floyd makes some observations about his older brother and gives him a hug - which, turns out he really needed (one shot, finished)

The More I Learn, the Less I Bleed - an argument erupts in the bunker one night where the brother learns a horrifying truth - their oldest has been living his life in time loops; one of which including the last performance they did as a band. (one shot, finished)

Soldier On AU - human au, concept - John Dory hasn’t seen his brothers since their parents divorced when he was fifteen. Twenty years later, he is discharged from the military after an explosion and is slowly reunited with his brothers. (concept, snippets only)

Batman/Nightwing

Halfway Gone - Damian comes to Stephanie about Dick Grayson's apparent death with a theory. She believes him. After all, he is their Batman. (one shot, finished)

I'd Give You My Lungs - Jason had never heard the wail of a father losing his son tragically too young before. But when Damian dies, he does. (oneshot, finished)

I've Got You, Brother - Jason is glad he's the one who finds it. Jason hates that he is the one who finds it. But his brother is alive. And he needs to find out what happened. (one shot, finished)

Other Interests Include (Not Limited To)

Star Wars (Jedi specifically), Lord of the Rings (my username lol), Tangled (New Dream), The Mummy 1999, Psych, TMNT (2012 mostly), Transformers Prime, ATLA, Bones, Leverage, Nightwing (my favorite bat), Smallville (Clois), GotG, Treasure Planet, HtTyD, Elementary, Chuck, Stargate (Mostly Atlantis lol), X-Men, GL:A, VM (Logan Echolls deserved better), Once Upon a Time (captain swan, oof) and Narnia.

I have a few pop funkos, love getting involved in zines, and collect art and pins (collections being mostly AragornxArwen and New Dream but small collection of Nightwing, Star Wars, the Mummy 1999 etc).

This Post will be subjected to editing and reclogging with continued works, interests, changes and fandoms.

[celaenaeiln]

I know your blog is Batman centric but like, do you have any thoughts on Kara never being allowed to go past teenager? Because I feel like she really should've been allowed to grow up and be in an age range that's like, between Dick and Babs instead of being Dick's age, then Jason's age, then Tim's age... (Raven and by extension Gar got a similar, perhaps worse treatment too but I'll die before I accept anything other than her being Dick's age and him being only a few years younger than them)

oh my gosh Raven can not be anything other Dick's age, that's just too weird. It's so awkward even thinking about her deaging. But raven being Dick's age is also the most fitting because of her character and personality. Gar should also grow because yes, he has a youthful personality but also he's mature enough to be fun and experienced.

Kara though, I'm actually okay with her being deaged only because it seems to suit her for some reason. Like Gar and Raven are a hard no. It's like deaging Dick and Kori constantly but Kara just has that ever-present teenager life sort of thing. I like reading about her being the same age as Stephanie because it feels like they were always meant to stay that age. I can see Kara getting slightly older but I can't imagine her middle-aged at all 😭😭. Maybe I'm used to the other Titans being grown up because of the Titans Academy comic but not kara. For me she should stay at Tim's age but still keep her experiences from Dick's age. Immortality maybe?? 😂😂 Absolutely should not be aged down any lower than that because her at Damian's age is just unthinkable. On second thought maybe she should stay at Dick's age because I love her teenager type personality but I can also see her being mature and grown up. Leading other supers and taking care of them and being a symbol of hope like the rest of the Superfam family. She would've been a GREAT mentor to Cassie. Yeah, I change my mind. She definitely should have aged up with Dick. I think we missed out on a lot of fantastic interactions with her and the other supergirls because DC kept aging her down into a perpetual state of "I trying to learn about myself" forever :'( We missed out on so many Donna and Kara interactions!

[popironrye]

So I've finally accepted the fact I'm gonna post on my blog whatever it is I'm into at this precious moment in time.

It's a silly thing to have even worried about I know, but I can't help it! I can't help but get nervous when my brain hyperfixates on an old media I love. My blog has been so vampire centric with ocs for said vampires thrown in for good measure, but as it goes there's way more stuff I obsess over and they're constantly fighting for dominance. XD

I feel like my brain is the dvd video logo bouncing off a black screen and ever part of the screen is a different fandom. And I hope to keep posting at the same rate as the bouncing logo. As almost every fandom is always there somewhere.

Yesterday it was the Lost Boys. Today it's Gravity Falls. Tomorrow it might be Hellsing. Then Good Omens. Then Renfield. X-Men. Venom. The Mummy. Helluva Boss. Overwatch. Mario. Rango. Adams Family. TMNT. Batman. Danny Phantom. Lord of the Rings. KND. My DND inspired campaign. And the half dozen other media and self sona content I've created.

[starwriterulia]

Tomb of the Goshenite Stargazer Dragon - Chapter 3

SUBJECT MATERIAL WARNINGS FOR THIS FANFICTION ARE INCLUDED IN THE MASTERLIST POST OF MY BLOG AND THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS FANFICTION.

Bat dividers by @violetbudd

Scene cut and creator support banners by @cafekitsune

Latest revision: August 18, 2024. Added scene cut "Support your creators by reblogging" banner. Added ⏭️ emoji below end of chapter banner with text explaining its function as a navigational button.

Fandoms: DC Comics, Batfamily centric, no Batcest, Thalassic Space (OC; takes inspiration The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, and other sci-fi, fantasy and horror titles, as well as original concepts, such as the science and lore of the galaxy.)

Chapter summary: Faith shares her full life story with Barbara, who brought soup, and with Dick and Bruce. Bruce tells his wards that he thinks Faith has a story she's withholding. Dick says he sensed that too, and they agree to wait for her to share it.

[In order of appearance] Characters: Faith Lawson (TBA; self-insert), Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Bruce Wayne (Batman).

Word Count: 3966 4486 (really short /still short, for something from me lol) 8165 (August 10 revision)

Content warnings: Extensive discussion about the loss of Faith's adoptive father, discussion about Faith's psychopathic ex-boyfriend Todd, brief light-hearted discussion about the difficulties of living with dwarfism, it's light-hearted because one can imagine how tiring that much talking would be for someone, especially with the flu!, discussion between Bruce, Dick and Barbara about what the story Faith might be hiding is likely about based on existing information.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

My eyes and throat were so sore, but I couldn't drink too much tea, or I'd throw it up, and my legs and arms were so chafed that I was really uncomfortable, so I couldn’t close my eyes. I wished I had a maternity pillow and a soft light source. I brought my Marley wired headphones with me, and I listened to "🏴‍☠️Pirate Tavern Terrace Ambience: Night Nature Sounds, Seashore Waves & Calm Ocean Breezes 🌌" by Sam'Relaxe - Ambiance Nature. My phone was tucked under and up to the right of my pillow, and I had another pillow between my legs. I groaned and sat up, turning from my left side with a third pillow under my chest, to my right side, facing the door. I fanned my legs out and tucked on arm under the pillow I laid my head on, and the other arm over its lower corner. The bedsheet was too hot. No, my legs were too hot, so the bedsheet was too hot.

I groaned, felt a burp, let it happen. Felt tightness in my chest, too much air, tried to burp it out. The burp came after two bumps of my left fist to my sternum. I sighed. I was too hot, and I was so incredibly uncomfortable.

I couldn't focus on the sound of the waves and birds, couldn't picture myself asleep on the sheltered upper balcony of the tavern, couldn't imagine the sounds of pirates, merfolk, anthros, elves and mages mingling, gambling, singing and dancing below. I couldn't keep my little grip of a peaceful night, and so I let go of it with my gaze to the floor as the bedroom door opened. I painfully looked up and saw Bruce in the glow of the hallway, wearing a charcoal blue shirt and black slacks. I smiled a little. "That's a nice colour on you." I croaked, then coughed, and it hurt. "Ow. May I ask you for a maternity pillow for my back, 'cause scoliosis sucks, and my legs, so they don’t chafe so much, and a soft light source? My brain goes nuts in the dark, and I know we're gonna work on that, but…"

"Yes, I'll get you both of those things, Faith. You're allowed to have a nightlight." His voice was nice. I felt my eyes flutter, caught in emotion.

"Thank you."

Bruce entered the room and sat on the floor, our eyes never breaking contact. "Do you get sick often?"

"No. I think I got this from a customer."

"You don't wear a mask at work?"

"Most people don't. I know, as a Liberal who gives a crap, that I should. But I'm from a small, country town that's still learning to accept queer people. We have Pride, and it's a pretty good turnout, but you get what I mean."

"Mhm."

"You really think people are going to look at me kindly if I wear a mask in 2024?"

"That's the thing, isn't it? You learn that COVID is here to stay, about its long term affects,"

"Mhm." I nodded a little.

"And it makes you want to mask-up. I get your concern. Have you ever had COVID?"

"Nope. As you can imagine, me being a writer with physical disability and a personality disorder, I don't have much reason to go outside. But I need to, and when the snow is gone, I try to go out for walks to one of the parks that are both, like, really close to my apartment."

"Good."

"Ferland Park is the smaller one. It's got a water park, a playground that gets updated every so often, and a nice area for the Farmer's Market, every Thursday in the summer and early fall. Riverside Park has the big loop, a playground, and a sheltered picnic area, and I hear its beach and water is quite nice."

"That sounds nice. Do you like to go to the market or river often?"

"Oh, I go to the market, but I can't swim, I-I've always had anxiety in pools, so I'm like, what's the point of wading?"

Bruce hummed. "Another thing we'll have to teach you."

"Oh yeeeah. The vendors are varied enough, the food vendors are good, and there's even an open mic, if you bring an instrument or just want to sing."

"Nice."

"Yeah, it’s a nice little town."

"You haven’t told me what town it is." He probably already knows which town.

"Oh! Vanderhoof."

"Oh, I love Vanderhoof." Bruce said. I giggled. "I haven't been there in a while."

"Well, swing by some time on a Thursday in summer, and I'll take you to Fields to meet my boss, if she's there! Please buy our socks." I laughed. Bruce chuckled.

"Too many socks?"

I used the cutesy, voice my co-workers and I used. "Oh, so many socks, please help us!" I used my normal voice. "Then again, bringing Bruce Wayne on this Earth, they'll be like, "Oh wow, how did you me-et?"," Bruce chuckled. "If it's on my Earth, they'll be like, "Oh my God, that's so cool! You're gonna be Batgirl!"" Bruce chuckled more. ""And you made a perfect copy of yourself so you could be in both worlds at once? Wow!"" I said, deadpanned, "My boss will want to meet Green Arrow." Bruce laughed in his chest.

"So, along with your goals for your physical health, we've now got two other things to cover."

"Yeah. I'd really like my legs back. I forgot how to run and jump, after I broke my knee."

"Fear."

"Yep. I watch people do it, and I can't figure it out in my head."

"We can help you with that."

"Mhm!"

"And Faith?"

"Mhm?"

"It's OK if you get hurt. We'll all be there to help."

I nodded. "Thanks."

"You also look very uncomfortable and overheated."

"I aaaam. I don't sleep with clothes on. Our bodies sweat, so it's healthier and more comfortable to sleep nude. The first part of that, my mom taught me."

"Hm, well, it's true. You can take your clothes off to sleep, if you want."

"Thank you." I sat up, removed my shirt, "Ugh, ew." And threw it behind me, heard it collide with the wall, and took off my pants and underwear, and threw them in that direction too. I bent my arms in and stretched my shoulders. "Guh." Then rolled my shoulders a little.

"Your muscles sound very tense."

"They usually are." I said, and laid back down, sighing with content.

"Better?"

"Yes. Actually, there's a thin blanket, right?"

"Yep, right here." Bruce stood up and reached over me for a thin fleece blanket. His arm brushed against my lower thigh, and I failed to cover a soft exhale. "Sorry."

"You’re uh-OK." I stifled laughter in my throat and looked down at the bed.

"Faith Indianna." A light redness was in Bruce’s cheeks.

"Oh, of course you know my first middle name, without me telling you." I had three, total. The first one was given to me by my birth mom, and the other two after I was adopted.

"I am Batman."

"You are Batman. Blanket, please." I said. Bruce draped the blanket over my body from the shoulders down. "Oh, perfect. Actually, a little below the shoulders."

"Don’t wanna be too hot under there."

"Nope." I said, as Bruce took hold of the blanket and moved it to the middle of my back, briefly touching my skin and hair. His fingers were large and coarse, but the sensation of a masculine person's skin was lovely, and I didn't care this time when I let out a sigh.

"How about there?"

"That's even better."

"Good." He said, softly. I blushed. Bruce chuckled through his nose, and rose from the bed, walking to the door. "I'll leave you to sleep. Maybe you'll have better luck now."

"Thank you." I closed my eyes, and heard the door close.

Faith stirred from her light sleep as the early morning sun shone through the curtains of the guest room. She said, "Why did I have to submit to the horny thoughts just a little bit when Bruce Wayne is like the gayest bisexual man to ever be a gay-leaning bisexual man?" She giggled and groaned to cringe at herself.

"Like, I’m sure it’s fine, but in retrospect, that was just disrespectful enough that I’m sorry." She looked up at her nightstand, sat up, and grabbed her tea. It was cold, but Faith didn’t care. It helped a little bit. “Oh, how long…?”

She turned on the bedside lamp to check the time. It was 4:53 AM. “Eh, I got a little bit.” There was knocking at the door. Faith scrambled to cover her chest with the blanket. “Hello?”

“Can I come in?” It was a woman’s voice.

‘Barbara?’ Faith thought, her mouth opening all the way. “Uh, yeah girl!”

The door opened, and when Faith saw that it was Barbara, she gasped and lifted her upper lip to smile. “You knew it was me right away, huh?”

“Eh, it was more of a guess. Actually, it was all a guess.” Faith said, as Barbara entered carrying a tray with a steaming bowl and a bun, with a spoon and a little plate with butter on it, a butter knife beside the plate.

“How are ya feeling?” Barbara said, setting the tray down on the bed, at Faith’s feet.

“A little better. I probably wouldn’t have slept much better at home.”

“No?”

“No, I’d have to step outside for some fresh air. It’s still winter, so I can’t have a window open.”

“True. You don’t have a fan?”

“I do, but I didn’t think that would help.”

“Oh, it would, believe me. You can’t be hot all the time when your sick, even though that’s what your body does to fight infection.”

“Oh yeah, right. Could you grab me my shirt from the floor?” Faith pointed to the pile of clothes against the wall. “I don’t wanna get soup droplets on the blankets.”

“Sure.” Barbara went, picked up the black T-shirt, and offered it to Faith. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Faith dropped the blanket and put on the shirt.

“Oh, you had a breast reduction?” Barbara said, sitting on the bed as Faith lifted the tray into her lap.

Faith blew on what she scooped up in her spoon. “Yeah, I used to be an F cup.” She ate what was on her spoon, filled it again, and continued eating at that decent pace.

“Ooh, yeah, I get why you got rid of them. What are you, now?”

“C cup.”

“Nice. Bet your back feels better.” Barbara said. Faith nodded while blowing on her spoon. “You said you have scoliosis, but I’m assuming it’s minor.”

“Yeah. I’ve got it in two places at the small of my back, and surprisingly my adoptive mom has it in three places, at the same area.”

“Oh, OK. Is your dad doing all right?”

“He’s dead.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“It’s all right. Huh, I didn’t tell you guys in the group chat?”

“Nope.”

“Eh, well, I’ve had a rough life, lots to talk about.”

“Does Bruce know?”

“Yeah, he knows.”

“How did he pass?”

“Aortic dissection.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Faith inhaled and exhaled through her nose and stopped eating. Barbara shifted her lips. “When was the last time you saw him?”

 “Early November. Mom, Dad and I went to the Co-op Hardware Store to buy new Christmas trees. Mom found the fully-frothed tree she’d always wanted, and I got a small tree that’s actually about my height.” Faith lifted a spoonful and blew.

“Oh nice. Did you not have one, before?”

“I had one a little shorter than me, and it was kind of skinny, and in a pot, with the lights already in it. Grandma gave it to me.” Faith blew on the spoon again and ate its contents.

“Cute.”

“Dad wasn’t feeling well. He was pale and sweaty.”

“Why hadn’t he seen a doctor?”

Faith set her spoon on the tray. “He thought his blood pressure medications weren’t being paid for, and he had to go to camp for his new job. He left his old job because of his boss, I think. When Dad’s doctor found out, he said that if Dad had called, he could have helped.”

Barbara clicked her tongue. “Oh.”

Faith picked up her spoon and filled it. “He stayed in the car as Mom and I went into the Independent Grocer that I used to work at, trying to get back into his Facebook.” She blew on the spoon. “And he kept trying, even after I failed to help, as Mom and I decorated my new tree with the decorations Grandma gave me. November 27th, I was watching YouTube, and I remember having a dream, though I don’t remember it anymore, and waking up knowing something wasn’t right.” Barbara hummed. Faith ate what was on her spoon. “At 1 PM, my brother, Tanner, texted me that Dad had fallen at his new job. We don’t know how long he was unconscious before the girl who worked at the office found him and took him to the Burns Lake hospital.”

“Are you from Burns Lake?”

Faith shook her head, filling her spoon again. “No, Vanderhoof. He was an hour and a half away. And it was 2021.”

“Oh, so you couldn’t even see him!”

“Doctor didn’t get there until four.”

“Oh no.”

“He woke up twice.” Faith blew on her spoon. “Once in Brie’s truck, once at the hospital. The nurse was pumping a dead man’s chest.” Faith moved her bottom lip with her teeth, eyes watering. “Tanner texted me just before four o’clock, offering to drive me to our grandparents, where Mom was with auntie Penny, her older sister. Auntie Melanie is the little sister.” Faith ate the soup on her spoon. She held the empty spoon in the air as she continued.

“When we got there, Grandma and Grandpa met us at the door. They had just found out that Dad was gone. Tanner softly said, “No.”, and I softly said, “Fuck, why?” as our grandparents hugged us and walked with us to the living room. I sat on mom’s right, Tanner on her other side. We cried for forty-five minutes.” Faith sighed. Barbara sighed sympathetically and rubbed Faith’s back a little. Faith lowered the spoon to the tray.

“Tanner called Dad’s brother and step-mom, Grandma Edie. She’s having a tough battle with cancer. Tanner’s girlfriend, Melanie, came over, and uncle Dale and uncle Daren, auntie Penny and auntie Melanie’s husbands. My grandpa and uncles drank beer for Dad while we all talked and cried. Auntie Ruth and uncle Russ came over when it was dark out. They live on the same street as my grandparents, and they brought pizza and sparkling water.” Faith repleted her spoon, blew once, and ate.

“I forgot my meds, so my brother drove me back to my apartment with Melanie, and a deer ran across the driveway. When I got back, I told Mom about the deer, and that it was Dad, but she shook her head. I wasn’t going to tell her, but as a pagan, I genuinely was shocked and touched that mother nature had sent a sign.”

Barbara hummed. “I like that you remember that.”

Faith sniffled and smiled a little. It sank into a frown as she continued. “We didn’t sleep well. Mom didn’t sleep at all. That morning, older cousins in town came to visit, and brought flowers and cookies. I learned that my dad not only gave money to family and friends in need, but would take time out of his day to help with mechanical problems, if he was able to. He was very much a good example of a family man, a redneck with a heart. He was from Texas, too.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, a small town called Gilmer that’s I think five hours away from Houston?”

“Oh, OK.”

“And, uh. Oh. I know it was November 27th because SNL was doing a Thanksgiving skit.” Barbara gave a hum of intrigue. “Grandpa changed it to fishing, after a while. We watched for Dad. Most of our family loves hunting, fishing and camping. We used to do it every fall, but it takes time and money to go camping.”

“True, you need lots of supplies. What lakes did you usually go to?”

“Mm, Grizzly Lake a few times, but we stopped ‘cause it’s so cramped, so fast. Frank Lake, I remember, uh… there’s a couple I’m not remembering. I liked to play with my toys and the Internet as a kid, but I was only allowed to take books, paper and writing supplies, and my brother and I used to take our bikes, when we had them. I remember the rocky shore of Frank Lake, it was nice. I love rocks.” Faith said with a funny accent and smiled.

“You love rocks, eh?”

“I love rocks. Gimme a rock that’s got some shine, or a cool colour or pattern, or transparent agate, and I will literally be so happy.”

Barbara giggled. “OK, I’ll remember that.”

“I mean, thanks to my Dragon Persona, I can grant you a wish if you give me a rock, gem, flower, plant seeds and saplings, or art of any kind, but you can also just give ‘em to me for fun.” Faith giggled.

Barbara laughed with her. “All right then! You like to garden?”

“I love plants, but I’ve never grown one on my own.” Barbara hummed. “Um.” Faith sighed. “We didn’t see Dad until two weeks later. Or was it three? No, two. I think.”

“They did a good job on him. Mom picked out a nice green and blue flannel for him.” She held up her hands. “But his hands. They were purple.” Faith laid her hands on her lap. “And I just wanted him to hold a cup of coffee, or even just a beer, again.” Barbara gently held Faith’s left hand. “I remember Mom sitting on the chair, her, Tanner, my grandparents and I about six feet away. Mom said, “I love you”, Tanner said, “Goodbye, Dad.”, and I said, “Thank you.”.”

Faith sighed. “We walked out of the room, and Mom had to sit on the bench and cry. Auntie Melanie came in, and then auntie Penny, auntie Ruth and uncle Russ, and they comforted her. We went out while my aunts and uncles saw my dad. I had to stop after I descended the stairs to cry. But when I looked at my brother, I stopped. I just… he was so close with my dad. He lost the most important man in his life, just like my mom. They were married for twenty-four years.”

“Were you close with your dad?” Barbara gingerly asked.

Faith sighed again. “Maybe? In our hearts, we were. I never spent much time with either of my parents because of my personality disorder, and j-just how difficult it was and how long it took for me to feel at home, like I had a family, after how my foster parents treated me. But I know he loved me,” Faith bowed her head and tears began to fall, her voice becoming murky. “And I know I loved him because I miss him every time I see something he liked, every time I don’t know what to make for dinner and I think of his favourite meals that I’m able to make without a barbeque, and whenever I see or hear or think of something that’s just him, and then I see him in my dreams sometimes, and it’s so surreal to almost see his face, but not quite, and hear him, but it’s not quite right either, and I just want to hug him again.” Faith sobbed.

“On Thanksgiving, C-Canadian Thanksgiving, apparently I ignored him? I didn’t even say hello or hug him! He thought he had done something wrong, and I told Mom ‘no’, and Dad dropped something off a few days later, and I hugged him, and told him I loved him, and he said it back. And before then, I missed my mom’s message about there being a barbeque on the weekend near my birthday, so I could have had his food one more time.” Faith cried, wiping her tears with the back of her hands.

“I’m sorry, Faith.” Barbara whispered, rubbing her back.

“My mom was the type of mourner who got rid of most of his stuff, and she regrets that. And she had a hard time finding love, again. Roger treats her OK, but she’s had times where I’ve had to offer my ten cents, and she’s always in awe, and the reason I know what words to say is because I read! And I like video games, and other media. I read people’s comments and watch videos of people talking about stories and characters, and how realistic and compelling they are or are not. Dad was so loved, and when we had his memorial, on his birthday that year, I think? Family, friends, and even strangers came by, and I remember hugging and crying to my mom as I looked at the pictures on the table, ‘cause there was this one of me and Tanner on the beach when we were driving down to Texas in Easter of 2008 or ‘9, and I told her I just wanted to travel and come back with stories, and now Dad would never hear them.” Faith sobbed.

“Thalassic Space exists because I lost him. Sorcery on Grace, planet Grace, was its own thing, I was just gonna do a slightly unique fantasy story, and then I made a whole galaxy so I could have Santa, and if you lost your dad and were close with him, or you just miss him like I do, then he sounds like him. Otherwise, he sounds like a German man, ha ha ha!” Barbara chuckled. “My parents saved me from my foster home. I was trying to take my time with adjusting to adult life after finally getting therapy and going to a group home in Terrace in May and June of 2019 for mental health work, which I only took advantage of during the second and last month I was there because, well, free Internet and food,” Barbara snickered. “But it worked, and I even saw a stop the violence councillor, and talked with her about my feelings and memories about my life as a foster kid, and she helped me realise I needed to talk with my mom about it. So, I did, when I came home, and I have the full picture now. The group home forgot to book my seat, but a kind Christian lady paid for me,”

“Aw.”

“And when the bus pulled up to St. John’s Hospital, and I saw Mom standing at the curb, I gasped, and I got off and hugged her and cried.” Faith sniffled, eyes still watering. “And I chatted with her as we drove to the homestead that my parents, auntie Melanie and uncle Daren bought in 2019, it’s almost seven acres out on Highway 27.”

“Ooh, nice.”

“Yeah, they’ve really made it homely. My parents had a small house built, and my aunt and uncle had a trailer home moved in. Mom started crying and reached over to touch my hair because she missed me talking.” Faith laughed through her tears. “Of the Mr. Men, I have always been Miss Chatterbox.”

“Aw.” Barbara giggled.

“I moved out the next month, in July, and then COVID got serious. It was an interesting first winter, as an adult. I-I hadn’t moved out before because of my anxiety and depression, and my one boyfriend I had, Todd, he was still in town. He’s not anymore.”

“Oh, good.”

“He was a real psycho. Tried to kill his parents and younger brother with poisonous berries from the woods outside their house.”

“Oh!”

“He hid them in his room until his mom found them, and he would’ve gone to juvey had he not cried ‘child abuse’. I think that’s why he was put in the safe home. Either that, or I only remember that because that’s how Todd put it. He said it was ‘cause his parents wouldn’t buy him the Lord of the Rings books.”

“And you were willingly friends with him?”

“Well, both of us were desperate for friends, and in our own ways, social outcasts. It was all fine, or as fine as a friendship with someone like Todd could be. On Halloween, we needed volunteer hours, and handed out candy at the Pumpkin Walk our town has almost every year. The only reason we had a Halloween without one was COVID.”

“Mhm.”

“So, we held hands in the car as our teacher drove me home first, which, if they didn’t want him to know where I lived, he should’ve been dropped off first, but I dunno. The teacher insisted I go home first.” Faith sighed. “He came over like, a week later, on a Saturday.”

“You had him at your house?” Barbara and a young man outside the door said.

“Oops.” Said the young man.

Faith gasped and smiled. “Is that you, Dick Grayson?”

“Yeah.” Dick opened the door, exposing himself.

Faith noticed a figure at the side of the door. ‘That’s definitely Bruce.’

“Sorry for eavesdropping.”

“Eh, it’s kind of a Batkid thing, ain’t it?”

“Yeeeeah.” Dick and Barbara laughed.

“You can sit on the floor if you want. Storytime is gonna take like, fifteen more minutes, if y’all wanna hear everything I remember. Maybe ten, if I continue to try to time-crunch.”

Dick and Barbara laughed more. “Sure.” Dick sat on the floor near the bed.

“Anyway, yeah, I had him over for dinner, and we played video games with my brother. Our house had two sections, a mancave above the garage connected to the other part of the house via a breezeway to the basement and a bridge to the kitchen.”

“Ooh, that’s unique.” Barbara said.

“Yeah, it was a nice house. Surrounded by a fence of tall fir trees. Or were they spruce? We lived there for two years. Then we bought the homestead. Um, over dinner, Todd did mention that he got in trouble as a kid, but didn’t elaborate, so my parents were suspicious. Mom had already been told that I should be careful around him by a teacher, who couldn’t say more,”

“Because it was confidential,” Dick said with Faith. “Right.”

“Mom asked me if he told me anything. I’m not a good liar, and I always get in trouble when I try, so she knew that I knew something, when I told her I didn’t. He was supposed to come over the following Friday, but six o’clock came and went, and I kept trying to call the safe home. He finally picked up at 6:15 saying something had come up.” Faith patted the bed. “He had a black eye on Monday.”

“He punched himself.” Said Dick.

“He first told me that the Bible-thumping ex-friend he told me about at the library, which we frequented, gave him a ‘hello’ present. That day, I went outside with him, and watched him go into an insurance building as I went to the store I now work at for candy.”

“He was paying off a felony, wasn’t he?” Dick said.

“Bet you he was.” Said Barbara.

“When I told my mom this story, she basically said it was bullshit and to ask him what really happened. The next day, he said that a staff lady had punched him, and then he went to the police.”

“Still doesn’t explain the felony.” Said Dick.

“Dick, she’s trying to say all of this as quick as possible.” Barbara said.

“Sorry. Sorry, Faith.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Faith said, exhaling. “Gives me time to breathe.” Barbara giggled. “Mom didn’t believe that either, of course. OK, I usually don’t say this when I’m telling this story, but I’m missing a day in my memory.”

“You are?” Said Dick.

“I know the last time we went to the library was Thursday, and we hugged goodbye on Friday. So, either Mom found out about Todd’s black eye on Tuesday, not Monday, or I forgot what happened on Wednesday because nothing happened.”

“Hm, OK. Just something to note?”

“Yeah, just a little gap in my usually really good memory.”

Bruce poked his head through the doorway. “Sorry.”

“Hi, no, you’re fine.”

“That’s not important to why Ra’s brought you here, is it?”

“No, it’s just my brain not remembering.”

“OK.” Bruce occupied the doorway.

“Anyway, Thursday,” Bruce came into the room, sitting beside Dick. “Wow, what a nice little story time circle we have going on, here.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Barbara said. She, Dick and Faith laughed. Bruce’s body moved.

“We knew we were going to be broken up, and we sat on the couch at the kids’ section. We didn’t kiss, thank God,”

“No kidding, yeesh!” Barbara said.

“But we did kiss each other’s hair, which was just as awkward and dread-filled as the entire forty-five minutes we sat there. In hindsight, I feel a different kind of dread than I did.”

“Oh yeah.” Said Dick.

“Todd sounds like he was scary.” Bruce said.

“Yeah, and now I can’t read or hear that name without panicking a little, and I don’t like men with particularly triangular faces. Extra red flags if he has blue eyes and curly dark blonde hair. He was cute, but now I realise he looked like an abusive pretty blond who thinks Andrew Tate is all the shit, and I just get the ick.”

Barbara hummed. “Yeah.”

“So, that day, while we were at Valhalla, I think in the morning, he told me the truth. Because none of the staff would drive him to my house, because he’s dangerous, he went outside, where there were cameras, gave himself the black eye, and went to the police, saying that a staff lady did it,”

“Hence the felony.” All four said.

“Yep.” Faith said.

“Knew it.” Said Dick.

“I remember looking at him as we were in the little computer room, asking him why. And he said he just wanted to see me. And my mom knew that was true, he did actually like me, and I felt the same. He just was not a safe person.”

“You can say that again, yeesh.” Said Barbara.

“We weren’t allowed to go outside together on Friday, and before we hugged goodbye, he gave me his favourite necklace: a silver Triforce on a black string.”

Barbara asked, “Do you still have it?”

“No. Some time earlier in that semester, Todd had given me a bunch of his stuff. A couple of D&D books by a famous author, and some banned, older Yu-Gi-Oh! and MTG cards. It was pretty cool stuff. He’d also given me a green bandana that smelled like him to me, but it just smelled like his wool jacket, and rain. When I got home on Friday, my parents had, of course, been asking around, trying to find out what Todd did. His uncle drove a truck for the logging company my dad was the shop foreman of, and that’s how Dad found out.”

“Ahhh.” Said Dick.

“My memory of the lecture is kinda hazy, but I think that’s just because I was so dazed that I had been manipulated so easily by my first close friend since Lisa, and before her, Fenna, both a year, or maybe it was two, after the other. Lisa was a Jehovah’s Witness who was using anime and yaoi to rebel, and Fenna was a wolf girl. Both of them loved writing and reading, like me, and were social outcasts who couldn’t even hang with the punk kids. Lisa stopped rebelling near the end of my tenth-grade year, and I know that because I broke my knee after she dropped out, but that was because she was being bullied. She didn’t tell me, her friend, that she was being bullied. Not my friend.”

“Not your friend, all right.” Barbara said, nodding.

“Fenna and I had an argument. Don’t remember what about, but I said something, as I tended to do, and it hurt her, but I didn’t understand why because I was probably being brutally honest. I haven’t talked to Lisa in years, though she did dye my hair brown the summer I moved out of the homestead. Fenna, I see now and then, and they’re now non-binary and pansexual, so it’s cool to have that in common.”

“Nice.”

“And we get along better. She doesn’t remember what the argument was about, either.”

“Oh, good.”

“Anyway, I remember doing the dishes that night, it was usually my chore, and I’m always mumbling or singing to myself ‘cause my brain is busy and there’s imaginary people in my head, always stirring up some kind of scenario. I don’t think I was, that night. I must have been so quiet that my parents noticed, ‘cause they came in to hug me and tell me they were sorry. Mom kissed me for the first time. The next time was a few weeks after we lost Dad, and we were sitting in her truck after doing something in town together.”

“When I came back from the group home, we finally connected, but I really got to see how emotional and special my mom is, when Dad died. Uh, Mom helped me write a letter to Todd, and she brought his stuff to Valhalla and brought back the rest of my schoolwork for the semester. I kept his bandana, but couldn’t for the night, the day she returned the stuff. I came out of my room crying, and told my mom to hide it, ‘cause I couldn’t have it. And she said, ‘Oh-Kay!’, in a very baffled way, and put it in the master bedroom. I think I remember finding it, later. I just left it there. I think I remember giving it a stank face.”

“Like the one you’re making right now?”

“Yeah.” Faith laughed. “I was so depressed when school started again that I had no energy or desire to do my schoolwork. I handed in the last of it, and a few pages related to poetry weren’t done because I hated it, which is funny because I’m a writer and I write songs, and that was just enough to pass. I was one of the kids whose yearbook picture was taken in the media arts room, instead of the auditorium. I had a blackheads issue on my nose, and I’ve always been a skin picker, and to that extent, a scab picker.”

“Todd’s yearbook quote was about him being excited to travel to Japan and Korea with me. I don’t remember my quote, exactly, but it was about me wanting to publish and something else I wanted to do at the time. And my name isn’t on the back of the book, because they didn’t think I would graduate. Didn’t do prom or grad. I probably would’ve hated both.”

“The one school dance I went to in early tenth grade, I danced alone for most of the time. It was exhausting, boring, and depressing.” Barbara clicked her tongue. “I wanted to see what they were like, is all. I danced with a sort-of friend, a girl who was nice to me, probably because she had seen the little bit of light that my disorder shadowed. But she remembered the shadow again because I probably reminded her of it, so our friendship ended.” Barbara and Dick hummed.

“And grad just sounds boring. I would’ve been looking at the audience, observing people’s hair, clothes, faces and accessories, trying to learn something, and been brought out of la-la land by my name being read aloud.”

“Ah, so you literally zone-out while studying people.” Said Dick.

“Yeah! It’s part of my disorder.”

“What were you trying to learn?” Barbara said.

“How friendship worked.”

“Oh.”

“My books, toys, digital media, the Internet, that was all I had. Because I wasn’t nice to my brother, I didn’t learn from him, and our personalities and interests clashed. He wanted to play racing games on the Wii, and I wanted to play LEGO games because they were telling a story without using words, and I could look up the story online and even ask Mom and Dad if we could watch the movie. Tanner had LEGOs, by the way. It and the video games were supposed to help with his hand-eye coordination and his nystagmus.” Barbara hummed.

“Anyway, if I had done grad, Mom probably would have told me she thought I was going to miss my call, and I would have told her ‘No, I wouldn’t have’, and she would have said, ‘Yes, you would have, Faith’, probably condescendingly. Did I use the right tone, when I said that?”

“Yeah, that sounded right.” Said Dick.

“OK good, I get vocal tones wrong sometimes, when I’m not using my customer service voice. Even that breaks, sometimes. Yeesh. Dad would have been smiling, just glad that I got through it, and Tanner would’ve been awkwardly glad, too. Like I said, I was really mean to him. Then my mom literally slapped me, pulled my hair and called me a cow, some time in tenth grade.”

“Ow.” Said Barbara.”

“Or was it would-have-been-eleventh? Did I tell you I tried homeschooling?”

“Yes, in the group chat.”

“OK, good. Did I tell you that being on QuoteV while I tried homeschooling is how I assumed the title of pansexual?”

“No, you did not.” Said Dick.

“Uh, painful story short. I told you I’m an Internet addict, right?”

“Yeah.”

“OK, Homestuck was popping off in 2015. That’s how, but I was also discovering how awesome American horror movies, Creepypasta and SCP are, and I made a friend.”

“Yay, Faith!” Barbara cheered.

Faith and Barbara giggled. Faith said, “I lost touch with my Homestuck friends, and I even remembering hurting and apologising to one of them that I was pretty close with. But this genderfluid friend, who is now Michael, they weren’t particularly cute or handsome. Buckteeth, big eyes, ovular face. But I trusted them, and we had a lot of good times together.”

“So much that we tried being a couple. For one day. No, five minutes. See, part of my disorder is that I say things out of the blue. I’m an impulsive speaker, and when I was younger, even up to the end of high school, I was an impulsive actor. My mom had a friend over when I came out, and it didn’t go well.”

“Well, of course it wouldn’t, what did you expect, hon?” Said Barbara.

“I was just so excited to give my mom a new word to explain why I was so weird! And she had already suggested I might be autistic, but that made me cry ‘cause 2012-2017 was even less of a friendly time for neurodivergent kids. Not that I had any friends to worry about, I just felt like it made me even more of an ugly duckling.”

“But that means you’re a swan.” Bruce said.

“Oh yeah. Thanks. I’m too used to being mean to myself.”

“Time for that to change, Faith.” Faith lifted her cheeks to smile. Bruce mirrored the motion.

Dick said, “So, how did you react, when you got diagnosed with your disorder?”

“Everything made sense! I felt better! For the record, now that I’m more familiar with how autistic people actually live, how most of them are just friendly people who literally see and interact with the world differently, I-I just feel less stressed, and I think they’re cool! It’s always neat to learn from the person themselves, or whoever is assigned to help them, what their experience is like.”

“Oh, definitely.”

Barbara said, “Would you feel those good thoughts towards yourself, if you were to be diagnosed, today?”

“Yeah. It’d make sense. I think there’s a bit of overlap. I’m probably Level 1, or borderline, and both would be good.”

“Good.”

“Uhhhh, where the heck was I…? Oh! Michael. He commented on one of my K-pop album unboxing videos that I made in 2019, and it was nice to hear he was doing all right. But I turned off the comments of the videos because I was trying to obey my mom’s insistence that I was not gay.”

“For four years, I was vaguely transphobic. Trying to convince myself that my mom was right, but something just felt off, when I tried to look at them meanly. It’s because I loved them. I love queer people, and while I don’t know any neo-pronouns or xeno-genders, if a person with them were to be comfortable around me to share, I would use the heck out of them. Because it’s right, and it’s who they are.”

“Damn right, girl!” Barbara said.

“Damn right!” Faith repeated. She, Barbara and Dick laughed. “All of that, just to please my mom. Just to make her shut up and like me.” Faith was quiet for a few seconds.

“My dream world mom is like that. We argue. I try to kill her, lots of the time, and she tries to kill me back. It’s just like our arguments we had when I was a kid and teen, but without the violence. The same reddened face, the same raised voice, and my tears and stammering. She’s still transphobic.” Faith’s phone vibrated and jingled.

'I believe Chandra just gave Faith an update from the future about that issue.' Bruce thought.

“But I finally stopped giving a shit, when I moved out and reconnected with the community after I turned off the comments. I wish I hadn’t, so I could read the little conversation I had with Michael. But I’ve got my Homestuck friends now, even though I don’t interact with them often ‘cause I’m either at work, doing house work or other things. I’ve always played by myself, and playing with other people is a challenge. I have times where I have to keep my mouth shut so I’m not narcissistic, but sometimes I fail to do that, and I want to apologize, but instead I try to focus, but by then, the topic or joke has changed. All of this because my foster parents didn’t give a damn.”

“That’s rough, Faith.” Said Dick.

“Yeah, that sucks.” Barbara said.

“Thanks. Geez, that’s not even talking about my physical struggles! Basically!” Faith clapped once. Barbara giggled, and Dick snickered. A breath came from Bruce. “Being a dwarf sucks! It’s hard!”

“Short arms! Almost long enough to reach what I need to, but nope! Scoliosis! Mine ain’t debilitating, and it doesn’t affect my posture that much, but I can’t sit or stand for too long, and I can’t sleep on my back, even with smaller boobs! Except for when they were healing after my surgery, but my back did hurt in the morning. I toss and turn about eight times, sometimes less, or much less if I’m exhausted and in pain already, and I sleep on my stomach with my arms tucked under my chest like a penguin.” Faith put her arms straight down over her boobs and giggled. Barbara and Dick laughed. “And no, this doesn’t make them numb! The left one can be, if I sleep with it under a pillow, though.”

“Huh.” Said Barbara.

“Interesting.” Dick said.

“Oh God, my feet. Did I tell you about them, in the group chat?”

“Yep.”

“You did.” Said Barbara.

“Oh, good. ‘Cause they suck, too. Last but not least, my knees. Did I tell you the story?”

“Yes.” Said Barbara, Dick and Bruce.

“And the story of your foster care life, and adoption.” Said Dick.

“Oh wow, I actually told you that, before now? Nice.” Barbara giggled. Faith sighed. “OK! I think that’s all the details you need to know that I didn’t tell y’all, yesterday.”

“Thank you, Faith.” Said Bruce.

“Yeah, thanks.” Dick said. “That was really helpful.”

“And interesting!” Barbara said. “You’ve had such a detailed life, in twenty-four years!”

“I’m going to eat my soup, now.” Faith picked up the spoon and ate.

“Is it cold, now?”

"It's warm, but it’s fine. I’ll puke it up later, and that’ll be fine too. I’ll just keep stuffing my face with soup until my stomach stops being angry, and then the moon will be like IT’S TIME.” Barbara laughed loudly.

“Yep, all right.” Dick said, standing up. “Did you get any sleep?”

“Three hours, give or take.”

“Well, that’s all right, I guess.”

“I’ll get more.”

“Yep.” He said to Barbara, “I’ll be downstairs.”

“OK, babe.”

Dick said to Faith, “See you when you’re not sick, Faith.”

“OK, bye! Thanks for visiting.”

“Bye.” Dick exited the room.

“Got everything you need, hon?” Barbara said.

“I think so. Oh, no. Actually, yeah.”

“Hm?”

“My tea can stay cold for now.”

“Oh, your tea!” Barbara dismounted the bed, stepped around and grabbed the cup. “Sure, I can heat that up for you. I’ll even throw it in a little thermos, so it’ll stay warm.”

“Oh, that’d be great, thank you.”

“Mhm! Back in a sec.” Barbara left the bedroom.

“Do you tell your story often?” Bruce asked.

Faith nodded. “I make friends easily, now. I just don’t talk to them often, er, well, my Homestuck friends, because, like I said,”

“I make myself busy.” “You make yourself busy.”

Bruce said, “That’s OK. It’s good that you don’t have issues making friends, now. Maybe we can help you with your time management, too.”

“Oh, that’d be nice. A real challenge, but I’d like to try that, too.”

“It’s hard to break a habit you’ve had all your life.”

“Yeah. It’s possible, though.”

“Oh yes.” Bruce inhaled and got to his feet. “I’ll be off, too. I was just checking on you when I heard you talking with Barbara, and then Dick was standing there, so I joined him.” Faith giggled. “Oh, and don’t worry about that.”

Faith furrowed her eyebrows. One second later, she inhaled. ‘OH, the skin-grazing thing I was panicking about.’ “Oh, oh good. Thanks.” She chuckled. She furrowed her brow again. ‘Wait, I said that before Barbara came in.’ “There’s a spyhole to this room, isn’t there?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Your parents’ bedroom is to the left of this one. You never go in there. Ooh, no! It’s a spying room.”

Bruce said nothing for two seconds. “The Internet has my house plans.”

“Someone on DeviantArt made them.”

“Well, they’ve got a creative mind.”

“Apparently, it took them a lot of time and research to make it work.”

“I bet it did.” Bruce approached the bed, took the crown of Faith’s head into his hand, and kissed her head. “Have a good rest of your sleep, Faith.”

“Thanks, Bruce.” Faith said. Bruce exited the room, leaving the door cracked open. Dick knew the small head movement Bruce made to pull him aside. Barbara tailed along, out of curiosity.

"There's a story she hasn't told us yet." Bruce said, quietly.

"You think so too?" Said Dick.

"I dunno, I think she got it all out." Barbara said.

Bruce shook his head. "There's a memory she's ashamed of. One that she feels will offend us too greatly."

"Gee, what could that be?" Dick said.

Barbara said. "I guess all there is to do is wait for her to share with us."

"We could also try to coax it out of her." Said Bruce.

"No." Said Dick.

"No!" Barbara said, hushed.

"Bruce, she could probably use Platonia to leave us whenever she wants to. Then it'd be her, without any help or training, against Ra's, and she'd be doomed."

"Exactly." Said Barbara.

Bruce said, "She wouldn't leave out of fear of our reaction. I think it's a story she's been wanting to tell someone who will understand why it wasn't her fault. That it was just another mistake she made as a child, that, I'm guessing, she was disciplined for immediately. This is a story she has likely only told to her closest friends, who she doesn't talk to because of lifestyle and socialisation habits." Dick and Barbara hummed, each nodding.

"She needs a new close friend to share this with." Barbara said.

"Yes."

"She doesn't share it because she was dicisplined without an explanation."

"People with Reactive Attachment Disorder know right from wrong, just like any other child. What matters is how, and how frequently, their guardian corrects their behaviour. Faith was likely disciplined many, many times by her adoptive parents, but it didn't make any difference because they never explained in extensive detail why her actions were wrong, or perhaps did once, but never did again. She'll share her story. And she'll need a hug instead of a scolding."

"Right." Said Dick.

"She's been so willing to share her life story because she was left behind by the people who were supposed to never do so. When I reached over to grab that light blanket for her, my arm brushed her leg, and she made a small lewd gasp, and blushed, and apologised, though I let her know it was fine. I think the story she's afraid to tell us is related to why her hormones are so bottled up, and maybe why she found asexuality to make sense for her identity. It might not be sexual assault, it might just be Internet exposure."

"Mhm." Barbara nodded.

"We should try not to judge if she intitated the act with her Internet addiction and lack of meaningful parental guidance in mind, and tell her that what happened is in the past."

"Absolutely." Said Dick.

"She is obviously very affected by the memory. We have to try to help her move on, as well as conquer her fears. Then we can properly train her body."

"Yeah." Dick nodded.

Barbara bobbed her head, too. "OK."

"I'll be in the cave. Thank you for coming to visit her, Dick, Barbara."

"Our pleasure." Said Dick. Faith finished her soup, put the tray on the nightstand, and laid on the right side of her ribs. Her eyes felt heavy, and her throat was sore from talking. Barbara knocked on the door, making Faith jolt.

“Oops! Sorry, hon!”

“No, you’re fine. Come in.” Faith said. Barbara entered with a small two-tone grey thermos cup.

“Here you are.” Barbara said, switching the places of the cup and the tray.

“Oh, thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome. You going straight to sleep?”

“I think so.” Faith yawned, then nodded, Barbara giggling.

“You’re welcome to text me or Dick anytime you need to get something out, or have a question you don’t wanna ask Bruce for some reason, or anything else, OK? You can even call us, if we’re available. I think you, as a person from Earth-33, know as well as we do, that he’s not exactly the best at extending his emotions.” Faith sleepily bobbed her head in agreement against the pillow. “OK. And we are taking you of the house when you’re done being sick!”

“Yay! Yes, I remember from the group chat.”

“Good. All right, my girl. Have a good rest and get well real soon.” Barbara smiled. Faith mimicked her. Barbara left the bedroom with the tray and closed the door. Faith relaxed her body and fell asleep right away.

Click emoji to navigate to next chapter. ⏭️

[lol-jackles]

Hi! I like your blog, it's very informative. Thank you for answering the questions. I have a couple, I hope you can answer.

So, the first one. I noticed that Jared is officially declared at only three of the eleven Creation conventions. Given the rumors about his participation in the upcoming Disney series about Nova, could this be the reason for his absence from most of the cons in 2024? The contract with the studio would oblige him to be available to work on their projects, right? Would that be a priority?

Although Disney isn't having the best of times right now, are they still developing this series?

In this regard, one more question: for what period is a contract with such corporations concluded? I read that they used to be imprisoned for five years. Has anything changed? That is, I am interested in this point: if work on the series has been suspended, the contract is not broken. So for the duration of the contract, Jared will not participate in other projects, including conventions?

If that's not the case, what is your opinion on why Jared is almost not participating in SPN cons next year?

And the last question: your forecast, how will Jensen's career develop next year?

I'm sorry if my questions are a little silly, I don't understand the movie business at all. And in how the organizers of the conventions work, too. I hope you can help me figure it out.

My guess is yes, Jared may be limiting his convention appearances due to filming commitments for non-Walker projects.  Jared has repeatedly told Gilmore Girls stories when he wasn't scheduled to film on a particular day so he slept in.  But GG had rescheduled filming and decided they would film Jared's scene on the said particular day.  Jared's friend had to break into his apartment to wake him and get him to the set.  The experience gave him nightmares and he vowed to always be available even if the AD said he's not scheduled to film that day.  Disney is notoriously unforgiving so IF he will be working in the Nova project then he best make himself available.

Disney had a series of film flops this year, including a Marvel film with the lowest box office opening. Every long-running franchise goes through growing pains. Just as James Bond franchise didn’t die when there are a few clunkers at the box office, and Batman managed to survive the Batman & Robin debacle, the Marvel franchise won’t die, it's an institution at this point. Sure it's a little tired and nursing a black eye, but as we all know, that’s often when heroes rise to their best selves.

While Disney and every major studio are cancelling projects, they still need new contents.  Recently Disney's CEO has pretty much said that going woke is making them go broke so they will be course correcting their Marvel brand by returning to more traditional storytelling entertainment aka more male-centric contents aka Chippendale for the female gaze.

"imprisoned" for 5 years??  Maybe you're thinking of a typical 5-year tv series contract.  Studios have these contracts in case the show is a big hit and syndicated in season 4 or 5 will make them even more money as long as the lead actor don't run away, which is why tv contracts are at minimally 5 years.  This doesn't prevent the actors from taking other projects, it just prevents them from leaving the original project. So yes, Jared can technically take on other projects but his first obligation is to fulfill the requirements of his first contract, which means being available for filming.  

With that said, while TV contracts are typically 5 years, it is easily 7 years because in California all personal service contracts well limited by law to a maximum of 7 years without re-negotiation.  With that said, if the show is a hit, the actors will often band together and ask to re-negotiate their contracts after 2 or 3 years. The studio will usually accede to this, because they don’t want to jeopardize a hit show, though the actors are technically in violation of their contracts.

But regardless, I also think in general Jared is moving away from SPN-only conventions anyway.  Not only because he has a fanbase outside of SPN and its genre, but he also he wants to find work for his Walker colleague where multi-fandom conventions are more suited.

[violet-catsarelife]

Question, I’m seeing a lot of bat fam content and I’m interested in the interactions between the characters, I have near zero knowledge about canon, where would you recommend I start? (Comics? Movies? Idk if it comes in other mediums, but if it does which? )

Thanks in advance <3

Ah, hello hello, welcome to the dumpster fire that is DC comics :D

I'll admit that I'm probably not the best person to answer this, since my DC knowledge is very Jason Todd-focused, but here's what I have:

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures on webtoon is pretty newcomer-friendly. It's great for knowing who's who and seeing the dynamic between batfam members. It's more lighthearted than main comics but still has emotional beats that hit hard. I think you'll enjoy this one if you're coming from fanart and fanfics.

Under the Red Hood (2010): This is a Jason blog, I can't not rec this one lol. It's an adapted animation movie about Red Hood's reintroduction. Very solid, though it does have some not-insignificant differences from the comics.

Personally I find animated shows and movies much easier to get into than following a comic run. I was introduced to DC through Teen Titans and Young Justice (not to be confused with the comic run with the same name), but those focus on the wider DC cast instead of just the Bats.

For bat-centric animation, Batman: The Animated Series has a good characterization for a compassionate Batman, and its follow-up The New Batman Adventures includes Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin. (Note: the Robin in here is supposedly Tim Drake, but come one, that's really just Jason with Tim's name slapped on him.) These are part of the wider DC Animated Universe, check out other shows in there if you're interested in other heroes like the Justice League.

If you're feeling more adventurous and wanna go into comics canon, the only character I can speak for with any authority is Jason. Start with:

Batman: Under the Red Hood (also known as "Under the Hood" in earlier editions)

Red Hood: Lost Days

But! @fantastic-nonsense has an incredible comics reading guide for all batfam members. I know it can look pretty intimidating, so my advice is to just ctrl+F your favorite character and see if anything there interests you. The OP even has a convenient tl;dr at the end for each character lol. There's also a section near the top for 'whole batfam' comic recs.

Just a heads up though, the batfam's actual relationships in the comics are, ah, complicated and not always fluffy. (Look at me being civil and polite lmao.) So you might wanna manage expectations.

Tl;dr: Start with the WFA webtoon if you're not sure who the characters are yet.

Hope this helps! If anyone has starting recs for other characters, feel free to pitch in too.

[oraclebabsday]

um hello!! im very new to comics, but of the characters I’ve seen so far, I really like Barbara and I was just wondering if you had any comic recommendations on where to start..? its very confusing trying to get into it all, but I’d like to be able to hold a conversation about someone I find interesting with my boyfriend so I can hear him info dump on me more cus he’s deep into dc so :)

Hi!!! That is so sweet omg 😭 Welcome to the weird wonderful world of comics!!! and also i’m so sorry for what I’m abt to throw at you lmao

Since you’ve sent this ask into an Oracle-centric blog, I’m gonna keep this rec list Oracle!Babs-centric (& also encourage my fellow mods to add on if they also have some recs!) I actually don’t have a whole lot of recs for Batgirl!Babs anyways, but I’ll be tagging my gen dc blog at the end in case you’d like to talk abt those or any other characters!

Also before I get Into the recs, I wanna give you some words of encouragement: there’s no right or wrong way to read! You’re also likely gonna have some well a lot of confusion at the beginning, esp bc there will be Events™️ that have ramifications™️ and you’re not always given full context of what’s come before or what’s happening concurrently with what you’re reading. I’ve been doing this for awhile and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that the more that you read & explore, the more fun you’ll have & the more things will usually start to make sense! But it’s all gotta start somewhere first! :D and you’ve def chosen a great character to be your launching point!

Im gonna be hopping around a bit in my recs here but I’ll try to keep it mostly in chronological order. That said, first up:

Suicide Squad (1987) - she appeared semi-regularly starting in #23! This was also her debut as Oracle! I really enjoyed the overall run & would normally highly recommend it, but also want to warn that it’s a pretty heavy read in terms of content itself (canon-typical violence ofc esp for a SuiSq comic, discussions of suicide ideation, period typical stereotyping/‘subversion’ of said stereotypes, but that’s a deeper discussion for a different blog) For that reason, I don’t necessarily recommend it for a first-time reader, esp if you’re wanting to solely focus on Babs. Team books usually aren’t super great when you’re reading for an individual character, in my experience, esp in a case like this where the character isn’t always necessarily part of the team or appears sporadically enough to disrupt the flow of following a storyline.

Birds of Prey (1999) - This team book breaks that prev rule tho, bc Babs is the leader & is in Damn near every issue of this run 😂 There’s several smaller team-ups before the main ‘99 run (BoP:Manhunt, BoP:Wolves, etc), which are also good as a prelude before the main run itself. This will be the longest thing that will give you a LOT to parse through & ymmv with a lot of it. (Dixon & Simone are the most prominent writers for it & without getting Into It they each have their Issues™️ & Crimes™️) It also crosses over with a few events/references others. Imo it’s a good window into what comics are like overall, esp when you get into a longer run with multiple writers at the helm. But it has an added bonus of keeping a pretty small cast at its forefront (for about half the run, it’s solely Babs n Dinah!) It also has a follow-up run in 2010 which is broken up by-

Oracle: The Cure - (technically a 3-issue mini-series but!!!) this one’s a culmination of Oracle & Calculator’s (it’s not rivalry? That can’t be the right word… Uhhh, nemesis-sitch?) from BoP & leads right into bringing Babs back to Gotham in Steph’s Batgirl run as well as the next BoP run I mentioned just a sec ago. It’s what I like to call connective (t)issues lol. Ymmv I think depending on if you’ve read BoP ‘99/TT ‘03 beforehand, but I hadn’t read a lot of TT before reading it at the time, and I enjoyed it a lot!

A couple individual issues I wanna suggest:

Batman Chronicles #5 - Oracle: Year One!!!!! Cannot rec this one enough!!! In lieu of reading Killing Joke (which really only serves Bruce, Joker, Jim Gordon’s characters) read this!!! LICHERALLY her origin in coming into her own as Oracle!!! This one is THE place to start, actually, before you read anything start here 😂

Batman: Gotham Knights #6 - okay, this one is admittedly a self-indulgent rec. Without spoiling the plot, it’s CLASSIC soap-opera level shit. The TENSION at play & the layers of Bruce & Babs dynamic, the messiness of the batfam!!! 👌 *chefs kiss* GK as a run in general too was a LOT of fun for me & Babs is a pretty prominent player in much of it, but this issue rlly takes the cake for me ngl

And to tie it all together for an extra couple of Important Event recs that you’ll run into esp if you pick up BoP first:

Batman: No Man’s Land - okay, this event was a Behemoth. It’s a LOT to read, but it is REALLY good imo as a launching point for where Bat-comics were at the start of the millennium. Babs takes the narrative role SO many times throughout & she rlly comes into her own by becoming a linchpin for the info system she builds for the batfam. Again, I don’t wanna discourage you when I say it’s a Long read, bc it’s well worth it imo, but also 100% okay to skip when you’re just starting out! It’s a big time sink!

Batman: Officer Down - okay put away the meme forJUST A SEC, our old friend Jim Gordon’s been shot & it’s up to Batma- oh wait bruce sulks by Jim’s bedside while Babs rallies the troops and GETS SHIT DONE to find who shot her dad? INTERESTING 🧐 In all seriousness tho, & compared to NML, this is a much easier bite-sized event that can give you a taste of what Event/crossoverComics™️ are generally like 👍

Bruce Wayne: Murderer?/Fugitive - okay so, take that same energy of the batfam having to Put In The Work to help Bruce out & flip it around bc now Bruce is the Main Suspect. The drama, the Intrigue™️. Pretty much everyone in the fam gets a moment to shine & this is def peak of how Babs fits into the fam during this era. This one runs a bit on the longer side & babs is again, more of a support role here, but god damn I loved it a lot!

I feel like I’m obligated to at least Mention Batman: War Games, mostly to note that it finally shakes the foundation of Oracle being the batfam’s main support (her CLOCKTOWER gets nerfed in this event 😭) If you read all of BoP and skip over this event & then are confused abt why Babs is suddenly being ejected from Gotham, just remember that her clocktower gets blown up, Steph dies, Bruce n Babs have a falling out & that’s basically why Babs starts flying around the country & settles in Metropolis for a bit instead of going back to Gotham. I reread this event at least once a year bc it gave me brainworms, I can not in good conscience recommend it to anyone bc no one understands her (War Games) like i do 💕 Godspeed if you decide to read it o7

Other recs/mentions:

Batgirl (2000) - okay if you end up reading NML, you’ll be introduced to Cass in it, & this run picks up with her. Babs is in it a LOT at the beginning as supporting cast to Cass (up to War Games ofc, but I won’t say much more abt that lol) I’m ngl, when I was trying to get more into comics, this run was what HOOKED me

Batgirl (2009) - so in a similar vein, Babs also features as a support for Steph too in her batgirl run. It’s… different from Cass’ run, but I also rlly love this one too. And also am forever bitter that the Batgirls run didn’t realize their potential BUT WE’RE NOT GETTING INTO THAT HERE.

Gonna mention Batman: Gotham Knights one more time bc again, while Babs isn’t a main focus, I think it’s rlly good at tying the batfam together during that era & giving a reader glimpses into other characters/dynamics. I think I got more out of it after I had read a few other runs from this time period (namely Robin, Azrael & some prominent stuff with Huntress), but can also see it as a potential launching point for new readers too 👍 if you wanna get more into the batfam/Batman but are intimidated by the Big Runs, this can potentially be a good bridge!

Gonna rapid fire mention that Babs as Oracle has a lot of appearances in Robin (93), Nightwing (96), JLA (96), Azrael (95) and obvsly Batman/Detective Comics from the 90s into 00s. I’ve read a few of these runs, and ymmv depending on how attached you may get to certain characters. But that’s what comics is all about! Getting attached and exploring other characters n teams n stuff!

A Gen note that I wanna end on: I wasn’t exaggerating when I said earlier abt how the more you read the more you’ll have fun. I can’t even begin to count the number of times that I’ve read something from a 90s/00s comic & was essentially jumpscared by a sudden Oracle cameo that I wasn’t expecting! She pops up in so many things throughout the universe at the time!!! She was THE info broker for all the supers!!! It makes me so insane that DC threw that all away to magi-cure her and demote her back to batgirl when she had grown so much 😭

anyways I hope you have fun!!! And again if you’re ever looking for other recs my more Gen dc blog is @dyketectivecomics! If my fellow mods or anyone else have some recs to add or to dispute haha, I’ll be tagging this so others can see/rb/reply to add their recs too 👍

Okay! \o/ that’s all I got for now! Happy reading anon!!!!

[cairoscene]

went like a not insignificant distance into your blog because I can feel the batfamily consuming me and eating my heart and so on. haven’t ever read or watched or played batman however. as I trust your opinions Where do you suggest I start

omg welcome. i have recently been afflicted with something similar so i do have recs!! in terms of canon — which i will say i have middling opinions about, and i'll admit that i haven't really read any comics older than the 90s — i'll recommend the comics that really got me In Trouble: Batman: The Knight (2021). 10 issues by Chip Zdarsky and Carmine Di Giandomenico. this remains my batman holy grail. it's about bruce's journey to becoming batman and focuses on pivotal experiences in his education. it also features my favorite hot sexy murderous ex husband, minhkhoa khan. also, and most importantly, has some of the best written bruce and alfred interactions that i've read.

Nightwing (2016) #78—. by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo. idk this was one of the first ones i read and i just really enjoy the punchy art and the action and the dialogue. from my understanding from #78 onward, the issues are trying to maybe breathe more life and color into nightwing's stories, and for me it works. it's just super fun and cute and i love dick grayson.

Dark Knights of Steel (2021). another Tom Taylor, this time with Yasmin Putri. idk if you told me a year ago that i would be into reading a DC fantasy AU where superman is a prince and batman is his loyal guard i would have laughed in your face. but it's really very fun and the art is excellent. i have quibbles about the worldbuilding, but the robins make it worth it. the robins feature and they are delightful. excellent brainworm material overall. it's still ongoing and i'm not sure how many issues are planned.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest (2022). this one's by Mark Waid and !!! Dan Mora (whose art i cannot stress enough makes me cry) and it's set to be 10 issues, there's one more coming in december. it's got great sort of vintagey vibes and is just really really fun, featuring dick grayson robin who i would run into a burning building for.

for batman proper i'll say i've been kind of cherrypicking issues to read, but i read a good long run of Batman (2016) starting with #102 because, you guessed it, it's the introduction of minhkhoa khan, aka the ghost-maker. i also enjoyed the Fear State saga (#112-117), but most recently i've been very into the recent issues by Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez starting with #125, which sets up a conflict between batman and failsafe—an AI bruce himself created in case he ever needed to be taken down. so far the failsafe saga has given me:

bruce badly beaten and bleeding <3

the whole family banding together to try to stop failsafe

batman zur-en-arrh, which is like, if batman fell into a bucket of colorful paint

so, so many tim drake feelings

just to name a few.

PHEW so for non-comic media, i recommend:

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures. a webcomic from Webtoon by CRC Payne and Starbite. new episodes every week and they're FREE and they focus on slice-of-life family stuff and some character-centric episodes, which is all i've ever wanted really. this was the first batman thing i read, which kicked me off into looking into canon more, resulting in this hilarious set of messages to my friend spanning probably no more than a few hours:

for movies, i don't tend to vibe with the characterization of bruce (and damian. and dick. and talia..) but i enjoyed Batman: Bad Blood (2016) and Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010). also Please Watch The Lego Batman Movie. seriously it's really good and fun

for video games, i've only played Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) out of the legendary series of games by Rocksteady. but man is it A Game (admiring). i also do have a lot of fun playing Gotham Knights (2022) because it's focused on the kids in the batfamily, but i will admit that it sure is A Game (derogatory).

jesus this is getting long. in terms of fic, i would probably have to make a separate post for all of the fic that's lit my brain on fire but you can check out my fic rec tag here on tumbo and my public bookmarks on AO3 for some of my favorites. i also highly endorse all of the fics in @vinelark 's batfam fic rec thread on twitter.

thanks for this opportunity to gush incoherently and i hope this helps <3

[pumpkinfreak]

Plastic Inferno

Hey if you fallow me for horror stuff you may not like this, or maybe you will. I don’t feel like making a second blog for comic related stuff so I’m posting my fics here. I have too many fixations and too little patience. Anyway, Plastic Man centric fic starts below. ***

Plastic man stared, eyes unfocused, into the vast expanse of space. The Watchtower hummed around him, rotating at an almost imperceptible rate. The conversations behind him fade into the hum. He shouldn’t be here, but Woozy said it would be good to get away for a few hours. “You alright over there Plas.” Superman called from behind him. Twisting his midsection around he smiled, “Oh me,  I’m great!” Plas had never craved a cigarette so bad in his life. It made his teeth itch. “ Probably gonna head out early.” Not waiting for a response, Plas stretched over the table and out of the room. They watched as he left. 

The sound of the Teleporter rumbled through the walls, finally Wonder Woman broke the silence. “I’m worried about him.” Kyle Rayner, Green Lantern, nodded in agreement. “He’s been weird all day. Well, weird for Plastic Man. He barely spoke!” Superman swiveled his chair to face the Flash. “Explain again what happened last night?” The Speedster shrugged. “Not much to tell. He was on monitor duty. Called me at midnight, and said he had a family emergency. So I took over for him.” 

Superman rubbed the back of his neck. “Huh,  Never really considered that he had a family.” One by one guilt clouded over their faces, as they looked at one another. Plas talked a lot, but what did he ever say about himself? None of them had bothered to ask. Exception is Batman, of course, but never asks, he just finds out. “Kyle, you should go talk to him.” Wonder Woman offered, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You spend the most time with him.” Kyle crossed his arms. “Yeah, but we never talk about anything serious.” Batman stood up sliding past Kyle on his way out. “Now is a good time to start.” Kyle sighed, he was right. 

Kyle followed Plastic Man’s coordinates, teleporting to an alley in Brooklyn. Powered down, he stepped out into the street, and began typing out a message to Plas on his phone. Kyle stopped when a tall man walked out of the corner bodega ahead of him. Black pants, red shirt, white goggles tucked into the back pocket. “Plas?” Kyle called out tentatively. The man turned around, eyebrows raised. 

“Kyle, what are you doing here? Did something happen?” He asked, coming close. “You're not…shiny.” Kyle replied, caught off guard. When meeting Plas a few years ago he had been so put off by his appearance. Shiny, perfectly smooth skin, no pores or wrinkles. Except when he smiled. Plas was a walking PVC mannequin. Seeing him now, as a normal middle aged man, it felt almost wrong. 

Plas smiled. His first real smile of the day. “This is what I looked like before my accident.” He popped a cigarette in his mouth,  spreading his arms out. Giving Kyle a good look. “You’re older than I thought you were. No offense.” Plas waved him off. “None taken, I’m frozen at thirty five. No matter what I look like.” Plas lit up the cigarette, storing the lighter and pack inside his body. Yup this was Plastic Man. “So why are you here?” 

Kyle rocked on his heels. May as well be honest. “You just seem down today . I thought I’d come check on you.” Plas exhaled a puff of smoke. “It’s nothing, I just have a lot on my mind.” 

Kyle crossed his arms. “Since when do you smoke?” Plas grinned, biting the cig between his teeth. “You sound like the nuns.” He remarked. “ Cut me a break, this is my first one in three years.” Kyle nodded. “It must be pretty serious then.” Plas’s smile went flat. He looked tired. Kyle used his ring to fly them up onto the rooftop. “I’m pretty sure this is kidnapping.” Plas remarked. 

They sat on the edge of the roof, their feet dangling off the edge. “It feels weird to call you Plastic Man when you look like that.” The older man glanced over at him. “ Patrick O’Biren, but everyone calls me Eel.” He offered his hand to Kyle, who shook it. Then they were quiet for a while. It was different, being quiet with Eel, who was always joking or rambling about something stupid. 

Right now he just sat, glassy blue eyes heavy, as he looked out over the street. Smoke swirling up from his mouth into the cold night. Kyle could see it in his body he was agitated. Shoulders rounded and high. Clenching and unclenching his hands. 

Kyle waited until Eel lit a second cigarette. “So are you going to tell me what happened?” Eel sighed. He wanted to scream it from this rooftop. Maybe that when lighted that weight in his chest, but he couldn’t, he couldn’t face the fullness of it yet. So he met it halfway instead. Rubbing out his cigarette he confessed. “My son was in an accident last night.” Kyle turned to him, Eyes wide. “You have a son? I mean, is he okay?” Eel looked out into the city like the void of space. Unbothered by Kyle’s surprise. “He’s stable now.” Kyle felt a pit grow in his stomach, there was something else. 

“Luke, that’s a good name. How old is he?” Eel faced him. That familiar smile tugging at his lips. “Twelve, although he’s quick to remind me he’s nearly thirteen.” Shame washing over Eel. “I didn’t know about him until he was ten.” Kyle frowned and opened his mouth to speak . “Don't pity me. You know the story. I was a thug long before he was here and too long after.” Eel interjected as he stood. To pace back and forth on the ledge of the building.  

“Can you believe she recognized me?” He morphed back to his shiny body, for a moment. “ Saw me on T.V. next to Superman. Decided maybe I deserve a chance to meet my boy. My Angel…” He stopped, cursed himself for slipping up. She hadn’t been his Angel. Not for over a decade. He cleared his throat roughly. “His mother, Angle, offered to have him tested to prove it . I laughed at her. He looks just like me.”  

Kyle knew he wasn’t really talking to him anymore. Eel’s eyes looked wet, straining to keep from crying. Kyle stood  and Eel turned away from him. “Eel, what happened to Angel last night.” Neither of them could hear the city anymore. 

“Kyle, did I ever tell you that my mother died when I was thirteen.” His voice was choked, his body didn’t want these words to escape. It made it real to say it. Eel bitterly wiped away tears. Kyle kept his distance, uncertain of how to proceed. 

“Does Luke know?”

If Plas said anything he didn't hear him. Not over the sound of the explosion below them. A massive plume of purple flame came roaring out of the sewer. Fire bursting manhole covers out of the ground. The force shattered windows down the block. “Let's go.” Plastic man said, stretching down to the street. “Wait, Plas I’ll handle it. You should get back to the hospital.” 

Plas didn't look back at him. “ It could be hours before Luke is coherent, I may as well be useful.” He was already lowering himself down into the sewer. Kyle tried calling after him, eventually giving up to fly after him.    

Using his ring Kyle lit up the space around them. Chill damp air made them shiver. “What do you think could make a blast like that?” Lantern asked. A shrill screech came howling from down the tunnel. Both men covered their ears, the sound piercing threw their skulls. “I think it might be down there.” Plas sarcastically replied. Kyle flew them down the tunnel, avoiding the slimy dark water below them. 

The tunnel opened to a much larger chamber that dropped down into a dark abyss. “It's too quiet here.” Plas whispered. Both men could feel it. Something in this place was wrong. The darkness was different, As though you could reach out and touch it. “Hey, just let me call someone else. Go be with your boy.” Kyle offered again. “GL I appreciate it, I really do, but-“

A strong gust of wind came up from the darkness, knocking them back, and Kyle cried out. The two began falling. The ring lighting the way down. Plastic Man managed to reach Kyle. Wrapping him up as he formed into a ball cushioning the impact. They splashed into warm water, an acrid sour smell washed over them as they broke the stagnant surface. 

Plas reformed holding Kyle, eyes watering from the stench. That oppressive darkness still gripped them. The ring only illuminated a few feet around them, and Plas saw the gash in The Lanterns side. 

“GL, Lantern, Kyle!” Plas shook him gently, but Kyles only limply moved his head. “I should have listened to you.” Plas Whispered to himself. His rubber skin rippled, and he searched the darkness. There was someone watching them. “Who’s there!” he shouted. The blackness disoriented him. If Plas couldn’t feel the water around his ankles, you could convince him he was suspended in an endless void. He shouted again, searching up above him, hoping to see the shaft they fell down.   

There was a pinprick of light, he noticed, just outside the reach of the light. He moved toward it, stopping, when the light multiplied to two, then five.

In the green glow of light, a tall figure melted out of the shadows. stepping forward on bird-like feet. Plas pulled Kyle closer. The creature's five eyes, fanned out over its white disk-like face. They blinked in unison at him. It was an owl, or something like one. “You should not be here.” Its voice is like the rumble of a furnace. 

“Did you-Did you do this.”Plas meant to shout it, but it came out soft. It flapped its large black wings. The feathers on its long neck and chest bristled. It raised its hand, human-like and bone white like its face, fingers tipped with long thick claws. Plas instinctively wrapped one arm around the creature's neck. It didn't flinch, only blinked again. “Please, I only wish to help.”

 A purple flame emerged from the creature's open palm. Plas’s grip on its neck tightened. “He will die.” Eel felt sick loosening his hold as the flame wafted over from its hand and into Kyle's wound. The flesh coming back together. Kyle groaned and then sighed in relief. “He will sleep for some time, You must follow me.” 

Plas moved Kyle onto this back. Tendril of his body kept him in place. The creature swept past, Plas noticed the glint of metal in its opposite hand. A sword. “Lantern was right, I should call back up.” The creature flapped its wings, agitated. “It is too late for that. You are no longer on earth.” Plastic Man squinted trying to see more of the creature. 

“Fat chance, I’m listening to you.” He stretched up quickly, only to have his body pulled back. He tried again this time he was pushed down by what he did not know, but it nearly knocked him off balance. “It’s not you, but your friend.” It said gesturing to the unconscious Lantern. “He cannot leave, my opponent took his blood. He is trapped here until I find his enchanter.” 

Plastic Man perked up. The word enchanter caught his attention. “Magic! Of all the heroes to get sucked into this…it had to be me.” Plastic Man lamented. “You must follow me. Neither of you will survive, unless you go back to Earth alone.”      

Plas furrowed his brow, his goggles going u-shaped. “Fat chance of that.” He quipped. The creature nodded, “It is your choice O’Brien.” Plas cringed, he needed to keep his distance from this thing. It knew his name, who knows what else. “What are you anyway, Where are we?” The creature blinked its eyes, and came close in a single stride.

“ You are in Hell Patrick O’brian.”