#selina is definitely a maybe

[drbatsponge]

I think it's basically safe to say that this is probably gonna be our DCU Bat-Family for the Brave and the Bold and other projects.

[rbtura]

surely not

come on guys we can do better (←link to poll) it's what batman would have wanted

[blupenguinz]

Is it bad that I’m un-ironically shipping BatCatJokes now?

[enviedear]

HONEY DON'T FEED IT, IT WILL COME BACK

₊ ⊹ JASON TODD

in which working undercover alongside your ex-boyfriend feels like cruel and unusual punishment. like a feral hound—he keeps coming back into your life.

CW | ex!jason, petty old lovers, miscommunication (prior), reader riling him up, cursing, and somewhat ambigous ending (somewhat). 1.7k words. 🎧ྀི

you have to stop letting yourself get involved with JASON TODD. two years ago, fine. but now, you know better. or you should.

working with him is entirely different than being with him—or that’s what you tell yourself. at least vigilantism allows you to ignore his jeers to focus on dodging attacks, rush ahead of him when he tries to bring up the past, or turn off your comms if he grates on you too much.

unfortunately, you can't pull any of your normal tactics this time. not for this job.

you thought the undercover gig selina offered you was a 'one night only' sort of thing, not an entire week. Your mind could never have conjured spending seven painfully awkward days in a honeymoon suite playing blushing newlyweds with your somehow everpresent ex-boyfriend. either way, your current situation is aggravating beyond whatever you're getting paid for this.

besides his usual mouthing off and brooding, jason's been tolerable. like a bad dog gone old, not sweet—but just tired enough not to bite. you’re so unused to jason being docile, it almost aches. and maybe that's why you've been so...unruly.

unruly enough to snag yourself a date while undercover. you knew it was stupid before you did it, but said yes the minute your eyes latched onto jason's. it was the most of a rise you'd be able to get out of him the entire job. it had felt vindicated in the moment. but you played an idiotic hand, his cards trumping yours. for split second he reacted, but just as quickly as it had appeared—it vanished.

he was good at keeping his calm in public, when he had to. but he always boiled over eventually. always saved for private places and so intense. he can’t help it, you think, being so much. he has to let it out, like a poison.

his composure faded for that split second when you both entered back into the suite, voice low, snide, and angry—all to fizzle out with a huff. "go on your stupid fuckin' date. ruin the whole mission. i don't care."

he had said it so nonchalantly. as if merely speaking to you was utterly beneath him. such a reaction was new. in the year you dated him, and the two years that have followed, you've known jason to get mad. you expect it. you can always count on being able to push his buttons just enough. hell, he could count on doing the exact same to you. but the silence that followed his words, the calm way he sauntered off into the bathroom—that completely destroyed whatever game you'd built up in your head.

you got ready in spite of his strange behavior. did your hair, pulled out one of your prettiest dresses, and dabbed on a perfume he had bought you, still half full and primarily only used for special occasions. you left the room with a slam of the door.

the date was terrible to say the very least. he was loud and with a penchant to only discuss himself or his sports betting. you left before you could get your entrée, making up an excuse and promising to definitely reschedule. too embarrassed to return so soon, you took your time getting back to the hotel. three stops and one impulse purchase of a street hotdog later, you stepped back into your honeymoon suite. a cruel fate.

jason's in the bed, propped up with fluffy white pillows and ignoring you, reading an absolutely tattered hardcover. you neglect to break the silence, opting to take your makeup off in the bathroom. your waterproof mascara peels on your lashes, and you can only take so many seconds of scrubbing before you give up.

you pace around the room a bit, lost in thought as you remove your jewelry. you feel undeniably silly for risking your cover for a vengeful and shitty date. selfishly, you still blame jason for it. maybe if he hadn't whispered, "don't mess this up, act like you like me. people are watching." at a couple's excursion, or on a group hike after you laughed at one of his jokes and he muttered, "not too much, it's not real."

he was always on edge and he took everything so personally. the last two years have been a constant competition with him. a brutal tug of war that neither of you can seem to win. where he goes low, you're ready to go lower.

you're broken out of your trance by a firm grip on your wrist, followed by jason's gruff voice, "stop putting your shit on my side."

you look at him baffled, "it's just earrings. sorry i didn't want to crawl all over you to put them on my nightstand."

"save us both alot of trouble if you just didn't wear 'em." he mutters, grip loosing on your wrist. his eyes don’t leave yours, and there's an eerie firmness in his stare.

you yank yourself away fully and glare down at him, "i wasn't aware my existence bothered you so much."

jason rolls his celadon colored irises, "existing doesn’t bother me. you messing with everything does."

there's a beat of silence. you’re not sure what to say back. there's a dissonance now—and it's too quiet. it feels wrong. you wait for the sardonic retort, the simmering anger under the surface. instead, he sits back relaxed, casually tossing his book aside.

"you went on that date to get under my skin, didn’t you?" his brows narrow and his voice is rough, but there's no fire behind it, just resignation.

"does it matter?" you fire back, crossing your arms over your chest. "you said you didn’t care, remember?"

"yeah, well, i lied." he admits, his eyes finally meeting yours fully, the weight of his words lingering in the space between you.

you stand frozen for a moment, caught off guard by the confession. you’re so used to his biting remarks, the endless back-and-forth. this is new—too straightforward, too honest.

“you lied?” you repeat with an inflection, unsure whether to believe him or not. this could easily be another one of his plays, another way to draw you in and then shove you back out again. the cycle.

he huffs, running a hand through his messy hair before sitting up straighter, hands falling to his thighs. “yeah, i lied. big shocker, huh?” there’s a hint of sarcasm, but it’s mostly exasperation. he’s tired, as if he's finally had enough of the game.

you don’t know exactly what to say. so many little fights, all the times you both pushed and pulled, trying to get a reaction out of each other—it all feels hollow now. the tension’s still there, but it’s shifted, less sharp, and more fragile.

“why?” the earnest question slips out before you can stop it. you don’t know if you’re asking about his lie or why he’s admitting it now, but you ask regardless. too nervous to try and make yourself more clear.

his eyes flick up to meet yours, and for once, there’s no mask, literal or physical. just jason. your jason.

“because i do care,” he mutters, almost begrudgingly, like the words are the most difficult thing he's ever faced. “i always fuckin’ care, and that’s the problem, isn’t it? you think i don’t give a damn, but i do. too much, probably.”

jason never talks like this—had never. never let down his walls in this way. perviously the most you got was a huff and a murmured "i'm heading out".

like he’s cracked open a door that’s been locked for years, you’re both standing on opposite sides, unsure of whether to step through or slam it shut.

“then why do you act like this?” you ask, voice softer but still confused. “why do you make everything so hard?”

his lips press into a thin line, and he exhales sharply. “because it’s easier to be pissed off at you than admit how much i miss you. how much i hate seeing you with someone else, even if he's a fuckin' loser.”

“jason—” you start, unsure of what to truly say. a mixture of slight annoyance and reverence sit in your chest, your mind spinning to find the right words, “do you mean this? or are you jealous? because i’m not going to start this up again just for you to push me away when it starts getting serious.”

his eyes narrow, despite himself, “see? much easier when i’m just pissed off at you.” he shakes his head, sighing, “of course i fuckin’ mean it. i don’t lie to you. never have, sweetheart.”

you're still staring him down, the last of your resolve fading out, "you're serious?"

he tilts his head back, eyes closing, "for once, yeah."

you move to sit beside him on the bed, watching your legs bounce instead of replying. jason sits up straighter, and you can see him staring down at you from your peripheral. he's fiddling with his thumbs, a trait you associate with him muddling over his thoughts. probably contemplating exactly what you are: where to go from here?

his fingers brush against yours and he clears his throat, "i don't expect anything. hell—you don't have to want anything to do with me after this." he pulls his hand away from yours slightly, "i'm an ass. i've been angry for... well, a long time. but mostly at myself, for fucking it up with you. and i wanted to tell you."

you take his hand in yours, not missing the way he freezes up at first. still shocked by your comfort. you take a breath before you look up at him, "thank you," you start with what's easiest. "i like it when you care, when you tell me."

he hums, staring down at your interlocked hands.

"i've missed you too, jason. it's no fun pretending i don't." you keep your tone gentle.

a second follows, and then the dam breaks. jason leans into you, resting his head against your shoulder. such a simple gesture, but so unlike jason todd. there's nothing inherently romantic about it, and it's not desperate or solemn—merely human. human vulnerability so rarely displayed willingly.

you don't pull away. you could, and you know you could. but no part of you wants to. you're perfectly fine to sit like this forever. it soothes you in a way you weren't aware you needed soothing.

there's no fight left in either of you, at least none for each other. there's no kissing and making up, no loud voices and slammed doors—nothing like how it once was. just a sincere conversation and baby steps, but in truth, it's the closest you've come to reconciliation in years. and it feels good, healthy—saccharine.

you don't make any promises, nothing set in stone, but you stay like that for a long time. soaking in each other's presence. and when sleep becomes unavoidable, it's jason's arms you ease into.

[modawg]

it has always been so cute to me that even tho a war has just happened half of camp is destroyed or dead that the campers still thought it would be fun to bully percabeth

like did we ever learn why all of camp was just there when annabeth and percy kissed ??

like did annabeth recrute ppl to help ??

like maybe annabeth got malcom to help with the cupcake and he started the wildfire that was “annabeth and percy are sitting really close ALONE together for his birthday” so everyone went to eavesdrop or smth

or actually tyson definitely did that by accident now that i’m thinking abt it like he just told ppl who asked and everyone was like “thanks for letting me know >:)”

i always kinda thought maybe clarisse knew it was percy’s birthday and was planning on being a menace but when they pulled up annabeth was already there then the kiss happened and everyone was like “holy SHITTTTT”

like maybe the plan was to dunk percy in the water but they couldn’t find annabeth so they showed up late just to witness the kiss some kids probably cried a little but clarisse was like “sick now i can dunk BOTH of them” so that’s what they did

to me i always loved that clarisse was the one to be the head of that bc throwing them into the water to celebrate wasn’t for her - personally i don’t think clarisse could give two real shits abt percabeth actually dating or not (not that she doesn’t think they should- it’s just not her buisness) but yk who did ?? selina

there were probably long talks where all selina talked abt was the percabeth tea

“i have insanely hot gossip right now. >:)”

“ooo really?? >:)”

“yeah and it involves your two favorite people >:3”

“oh…really…… :|”

i like to think that was for her and i love that

[sketchp00ch]

What I Think The Rogues Would Smell Like

Joker- Surprisingly he keeps himself pretty clean when he’s not covered in blood or chemicals. I see him put on basic cologne though (a cheap on from Ross probably). But for some reason there is a hint of patchouli to him…

Harley- She smells like an older sister’s bedroom from the 2000’s, but in a good way! Like the inside of a Victoria’s Secret from 2006! I also definitely picture her smelling like vanilla or something sweet like strawberry shortcake!

Penguin- Sometimes when he’s out doing crimes, or just relaxing by himself, he smells like fresh fish (mackerel to be specific, as I like to headcanon that would be his favorite snack). But when he’s being a gracious host at the Iceberg Lounge- he wears one of the most expensive French colognes out there (Le Monde Sur Mesure maybe)! Man’s spared NO expense!

Riddler- Like Oswald, I imagine Edward would wear expensive cologne (Tom Ford or Versace) when he’s out for a fancy gathering/events or when he makes a typical dramatic entrance and starts monologuing. Majority of the time though, he always smells fresh out the shower, the man’s hygiene is TOP TIER. But, if I want him to smell like anything when he’s at home chilling: Irish Spring or Harry’s.

Scarecrow- Aside from the fear toxin smells that linger on his costume (fear toxin probably doesn’t smell that pleasant…), I imagine the man would smell like cinnamon or pumpkin pie (or just regular pumpkin). Or if he’s having a depressed week, he’d probably smell like a barn with a hint of rum.

Poison Ivy- I mean… Girlie is literally a plant person. Surrounded by flowers everyday. Roses especially so… She would smell like fresh roses. Simple.

Killer Croc- Stinky. Typical sewer water smell. With a hint of blood… I wonder why… But on his more cleaner days, I imagine him smelling like food? Like grilled sirloin with a lot of seasonings for some reason?

Catwoman- Just like Oswald and Edward, Selina spared NO expense with her perfumes. She smells like expense perfume, that she definitely didn’t steal (specifically Clive Christain or Dior).

Two-Face- Harvey may be unhinged, but stinky? Hell no. He’s got standards. Not even on his most manic or depressed days would he allow himself to smell anything but fresh. He would wear high quality Italian cologne (Stefano Ricci for example) like any respectable crime boss. But on other days I imagine him smelling like lavender/lilac, very calming smells, it’s for himself so he can feel relaxed when he’s alone with his thoughts.

Bane- I don’t know what the Venom smells like per se, I’m just gonna assume it probably smells funky… Bane to me, looks like he’s nothing but pure post-gym musk. However, he’s still a man of class, and he sometimes wears something strong like Florida Water cologne.

Mr. Freeze- Victor I feel like doesn’t smell like anything. For a man to be incased in ice 24/7 I doubt any BO would come off of him. Colognes don’t do anything for him so they’re a no. But if I HAD to think of a smell, I would say the inside of a freezer. That’s it.

Mad Hatter- I think Jervis would have a rather interesting smell to him, on one hand I’m thinking florals but soft florals like daisies, but on the other I imagine him to smell like chamomile tea.

[fishfission-dc]

Batfamily Powerpoint Night! (Part 2: Dick)

<<Part 1: Bruce    |    Part 3: Tim >>

[Masterlist]

Dick: My turn! And thank you Bruce for setting me up so perfectly!

Tim: OH MY GOD

Jason: Okay this one I can get behind

[disgruntled Bruce noises]

Babs: You prioritized those reasons... interestingly. 

Damian: I agree with Richard. My farm animals occasionally require my attention on a time-sensitive basis.

Bruce: People’s lives are literally on the line

Tim: IT WAS ONE TIME GUYS

Jason: “Great driver” is a stretch for you, Dickhead

Steph: Yeah haven’t you crashed like three cars

Dick: Okay sure but how many times has B crashed the Batmobile? Definitely more than three.

Duke: You’re a hazard to traffic in a Toyota Corolla, Dick. But I agree about Tim.

Tim: I CAN DRIVE

Dick: Plus everyone keeps changing their codename, it’s so much easier to just use their normal people names in a pinch.

Cass: (signs) Fair.

Jason: Maybe if Bruce stopped adopting so many Robins we would follow the rules.

[disgruntled Bruce noises]

Steph: SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK

Bruce: Where did you get those pictures

Jason: Wow, Bruce not following his own rules? Who could have expected this baffling turn of events

Damian: Richard this is horrific

Bruce: Dick where did you find these

Jason: That meme is disgusting

Duke: I forget how much of a millennial you are sometimes

Steph: Maybe this is why we don’t answer your texts

Bruce: I-

Jason: Th-

Dick: I will be taking no questions at this time. Moving on-

Steph: JUSTICE FOR SPOILEROFFICIAL

Tim: Bruce please if Dick stops flirting with himself online can we have our accounts back

Bruce: No. 

Steph: He’s just mad because Nightwing had more followers than Bruce Wayne on Twitter

Babs: richard

Dick: :)

Tim: Doesn’t Bruce kiss Selina with the mask off too-

Bruce: IS THIS ALMOST OVER

Damian: Todd and Father sharing a meal without injuring each other? Fascinating.

Jason: This is literally so humiliating where did you get this

Dick: :)

Bruce: I just gave a presentation on why these restrictions are important

Cass: (signing) You break them. Often.

Steph: Yeah I don’t know, Dick makes some pretty good points. 

Bruce: [disgruntled Bruce noises]

Tim: My turn!

<<Part 1: Bruce    |    Part 3: Tim >>

[Masterlist]

[restlessmaknae]

i'll be the moon // taesan

Taesan was most definitely not pining for you, he was just… curious. Curious about you, your opinion on their songs, your favourite flavoured milk, your favourite colour, the exact shade of your eyes from up-close… Wait, was that what pining for someone meant?

➳ Characters: Taesan x female reader/you

➳ Genre: high school au, rich kids au, slow burn (Taesan is down bad for Y/N, but she's oblivious at this point), fluff

➳ Words: 3.1k

➳ Warning: mentions of parental pressure, an argument

➳ A/N: Since you've voted for a Taesan POV chapter for 'i'll be the sun', here it is! This turned out to be more of a prequel story because 'i'll be the sun' picks up the storyline from senior year, but I hope you enjoy down bad!Taesan in this. 🤗

Check out the KOZ International High series masterpost!

It all started in sophomore year. At least, for Taesan, it did.

It was one of those very ordinary, very dull days at the very end of September, the chill of the October breeze already present in the air, the pressure of the upcoming tests looming above the students. Taesan, for one, didn’t care that much about academics. Even though he didn’t want to disappoint his parents and play with the money they paid just so he could study at one of the best international high schools in Asia, if not the world, he already knew that he didn’t want to be a lawyer or a doctor or a businessman like most of his classmates.

It was just difficult to break it down to his parents because when was there ever a right time for such a confession? Not to mention the awkwardness that seeped into his bones at the very thought of telling his parents that he wanted to do music. Not for fame, not for fans, not for money. For self-expression.

Besides, KOZ International High didn’t exactly favour musician wannabes. At least, not for now. However, seeing how you had set up a Maths club last year as the first freshman to do so, he felt encouraged. Maybe no one would want to join a music club, but he could give it a try. He just didn’t know how to do it, how to actually make a music club. So he turned to the only person who had actually created one (thanks for the idea to Leehan who had actually paid attention to such details in freshman year).

The problem was how to approach you, and make it seem like an innocent question, not a favour to ask or something he wanted you to help with as in ultimately being indebted to you. You already had a lot on your plate, he could tell. As opposed to him, you did well, you were neck-to-neck with the class president in terms of grades, you attended competitions, and you were also the head of the Maths club. He was constantly in awe at how you could function like a normal human being because it didn’t seem like there were enough hours in a day for his growing body’s sleeping needs, and he did a third of what you did within a day.

One afternoon, when your best friend, Selina, disappeared somewhere, and you were left alone at your table, Taesan took the chance to walk up to you. Then, he faltered, wondering how to actually get around to asking the question, but by the time he could come up with a plausible conversation starter, you had already looked at him, your head tilted in confusion.

“Can I help with anything, Taesan?” You inquired, and though your voice was void of any malice, he could tell just how odd this situation might have seemed to you. This was probably the first time Taesan willingly talked to a girl in his class, much less you.

“Uhm, yeah, the thing is…” He started, looking around once as if any of the students around cared enough to pay attention to you two. Needless to say, no one cared, so his secret would be safe with you, he hoped. “I want to create a music club like how you set up the Maths club last year, but I don’t know how to do it.”

Taesan couldn’t tell whether you were surprised or relieved to hear such words, but he could tell that you definitely didn’t expect him to blurt out something like that. Not that he could blame you, he couldn’t really flaunt his MCR shirts when he was forced to wear a uniform to school, and he didn’t really care much about classical musicians during Music class, so you couldn’t have known. It wasn’t something obvious like Anton’s swimming career.

“Oh sure, I can help you with that. There’s a form that you need to fill out, you also need to talk with the head of student services, and you need to book a room, preferably one of the music rooms in your case for the whole semester, but it’s all pretty straightforward,” you broke it down to him in one-go, and damn, was he impressed. He was completely speechless by the fact that you answered him in such detail, and that you even thought about the music rooms!

“I can send you the details via Kakaotalk if you want,” you added a bit later since he still didn’t speak up, just stood there by your table.

He pulled himself together and thanked you profoundly because it wasn’t even as bad as he had thought so. Quick and efficient, he was glad that there was no further interaction needed, but before he could go back to his seat, you spoke up again.

“I’m sure the music club will be a success, so don’t let the paperwork get you down,” you remarked with a gentle smile, and it was the first time Taesan’s heart skipped a beat due to a girl, and it wasn’t out of embarrassment.

“Thanks,” he mumbled with a probably very mismatched expression because he was partly surprised, partly touched and most definitely shy. You were the second person (after Leehan) he told about his aspirations, and even though you couldn’t have known about it, it meant a lot to him that you already believed in him and in his music club.

Sophomore year was spent focusing on music for Taesan.

Somewhere along the way, he also managed to blurt out to his parents that he created a music club because he wanted to do music – as in professionally. Though they were hesitant at first, they gave in to support his dreams if he studied well enough, so they made an ultimatum. As long as he had good enough grades, he could continue with the club and his aspirations, and he would go onto higher education to study music because if he had a certificate, he would have better career prospects. Knowing his parents, he knew that it was the best deal he could ask for, but he also knew that they wanted him to go onto university because they didn’t believe that his band would make it big.

He couldn’t blame them though. Even the recruitment for the music club was a pain in the ass because whilst Taesan wanted to make music, he didn’t want to sit through interviews with students who wanted to join the club and do all the paperwork that was needed. Initially, he almost failed to make it happen because at least five students were needed to create a club, and he only got four including himself – Yechan, Jungwon and Gyuvin. So to save him from the teenage angst of having his plans hijacked right at the beginning, Leehan signed up for the club, but he wasn’t there, only on paper.

To be honest, Taesan didn’t have a lot of choice, but to make a band with the boys who had signed up (voluntarily), but it worked out perfectly (it was ‘fate’ according to Yechan who liked to be overly dramatic with his words). There was Jungwon on the drums, Gyuvin on the synthesiser, and Yechan on the guitar alongside him. All of them could sing well, but the songwriting was mostly up to Taesan. Even choosing a name for themselves was easy because all other band names were… well… rather interesting. Take ‘Ketchup and Mustard’ (Gyuvin’s idea) or ‘KOZBOYZ’ (Yechan’s idea) for instance, so they went with one of Taesan’s ideas, and that’s how they became Insomnia.

Their first official gig was at the school’s Christmas gala which usually consisted of more and more boring speeches by the principal and head teachers regarding the school’s achievements and upcoming plans, students singing a Christmas song from their own country which took up most of the time and maybe a few dance performances that were actually fun. This time, Insomnia performed two of their songs as the ‘first band in the school’s history’, and even though they were a bit reluctant to do so because their songs were not exactly Christmas-friendly, it turned out to be much more of a success than they would have thought so.

Suddenly, students from other years knew their names and greeted them in the corridor, girls wanted to talk to them – including Taesan which terrified him at times –, and Yechan’s Youtube channel which originally documented his life at KOZ received so many questions regarding Insomnia that the boy decided to make a Youtube channel for the band itself. Soon, they started uploading covers and the followers poured in, even from non-students.

However, Taesan was curious about only one person’s opinion, but it would have been so awkward to go up to you and ask for it. What’s more, what if you thought that he was full of himself, and wanted to fish for compliments, from girls on top of it? Despite his newfound popularity with the band, he wasn’t interested in picking up girls, and it was enough for him to listen to his best friend who was completely head over heels for the class president. Taesan would be horrified if he were to say such things, let alone out loud.

“If you like her so much, why don’t you just tell her?” Taesan asked at one point, exasperated, because he was sure that he would rather poke his eyeballs with his chopsticks than to listen to his best friend go on and on about his crush’s beautiful eyes and the prettiest smile he had ever seen.

“Taesan, my friend,” Leehan leaned closer to him as if telling a secret, though in the busy canteen, he was sure that no one would hear them well if they weren’t eavesdropping in the first place. “You clearly don’t know anything about love. Love is all about timing.”

“As if you’re an expert or something,” he rolled his eyes and turned back to his half-empty food tray, his appetite gone. He grabbed the tray and walked to put his tray on the rolling cart nearby, only to almost bump into you and Selina on his way back.

“Oh sorry,” he mumbled, shooting an apologetic gaze in your direction. He would have probably completely disregarded your friend’s presence if she had not spoken up, her voice full of fury.

“Watch where you’re going, boy. Just because your band blew up doesn’t mean that this whole place is yours,” she exclaimed, totally uncalled for, but before he could react in any way, the girl stormed off.

You and Taesan both watched her go before your eyes met. You directed a forced smile at the boy, your eyes tired and telling stories that he wasn’t sure he could decipher.

“Sorry about that. She’s having a bad day today,” you justified feebly, but the boy wasn’t interested in the reasoning. Instead, he inquired, totally serious:

“Do you think I’ve changed because of the band?”

You were visibly taken aback by his question for a few seconds, your eyes furrowed in contemplation, but then you were quick to reassure him.

“No, I don’t think that you have. Not in a bad way, at least,” you let him know, and he could tell that you were genuine, you didn’t just say so to toot his horn. Before he could thank you for saying so, you excused yourself and followed Selina to a table.

Maybe this wasn’t the kind of opinion he was looking for, but it was still something, and he would take it over nothing at all.

Sophomore year gave him little to no chance to ask you about your opinion on the band, and junior year rolled by in no time. Insomnia had a performance at the ceremony for the opening of the school year, and his eyesight may be damned, but he couldn’t decipher your facial expression from the stage. He hoped you enjoyed it nevertheless.

Since Insomnia was now considered a somewhat serious band, Taesan didn’t have to go through the ordeal with the paperwork for the music club because they could rehearse in the music rooms as a band, and they didn’t break any rules over the 5-member threshold requirement for clubs. Now they were asked to perform at pretty much every school event, and Taesan enjoyed being busy with the band.

However, after a while, his band members became curious how he had come up with lyrics for their songs, and Yechan was very vocal about his curiosity.

“Dude, I know you say that you get inspiration from movies, books and such, but do you always engage with content where someone pines for the other, but doesn’t dare to confess?” The guitarist inquired once after particular practice, and suddenly, all eyes were on the leader of the band.

Taesan looked at all the boys one by one as if one would start laughing and say ‘you know what’ with a shrug, they can totally believe that Taesan is into such content. Instead, Gyuvin’s lips curled into a knowing smile, something that seemed pretty intimidating at times. Times like that exact moment.

“Wait! What if he’s the one who’s pining for someone?” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully, and Taesan’s defense mechanism kicked in immediately.

“What? No way! I don’t have time for girls.”

“You don’t have to have time for girls. Sometimes, it just happens along the way,” Yechan cooed, and Taesan seriously thought about committing crime and strangling either Yechan or Gyuvin on the spot. Or both of them.

What nonsense! He was most definitely not pining for you, he was just… curious. Curious about you, your opinion on their songs, your favourite flavoured milk, your favourite colour, the exact shade of your eyes from up-close…

Wait, was that what pining for someone meant?

“Leave him be. If it’s a girl at school, we’ll know about it sooner or later either way,” Jungwon shushed the boys, but there was a cunning smile in the corner of his lips, so the band leader wasn’t 100% reassured that they wouldn’t bring up the topic in the future.

They were right though. All of them knew that it was you he had been thinking about after the class trip during summer. He wished it hadn’t been that way, but he managed to walk in on Selina getting mad at you when he volunteered to let you and Selina know that they could come down to the bonfire which was set up on the last night of the trip.

He found the two girls in a corridor inside the hotel, and whilst Selina was with her back to him, he could see you clearly; how your usually calm and composed expression crumbled, how the bright light left your eyes, and he also caught sight of your hands shaking by your side.

“Why can’t you see that it’s been hurting me? You are such a terrible friend! You’ve never felt sorry for me even though I’ve always been a worse student than you. You are so smart, pretty and kind, but can’t you see that you make everyone feel insignificant beside you because of that? That’s why you had only me, because I thought I could tolerate that, but I can’t,” Selina bellowed, and it was just like the day she had gotten mad at Taesan. She could formulate the words so eloquently, the boy would have believed her because there was truth to her words, but since he knew what you were like, he knew that Selina was just being jealous. Instead of saying so, she masked her insecurity with jabbing at you.

Selina only realised that Taesan was there when she spun around and caught sight of him by the elevator. She let out a curse seeing him and ran down the stairs instead of calling the elevator. Taesan could have huffed at her, cursed at her or questioned her behaviour, but instead, he looked at you only.

He watched you take in his features that were free of any judgement, and maybe you hoped that he would just leave. But he couldn’t.

“Are you okay?” He inquired gently, quietly, but also a bit awkwardly because he had no idea if he had any right to ask you after what he had seen and heard. He couldn’t just leave without a word though. Maybe if you had been someone else, he could have willed himself to stay out of it, but you were you…

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you nodded after a few moments of silence, and it hurt for him to see you put on a smile for he knew it was anything but genuine. “What were you trying to say when you came upstairs?”

“Oh, the bonfire is ready. You can come down for dinner,” he responded matter-of-factly, and you thanked him for it in a similar way. He watched you walk away and take the stairs, the sound of your footsteps echoing in his mind for a long time even after you had left.

That’s why he kept gazing in your direction by the bonfire, and that’s why he decided to sit next to you on the bus the next day. He caught sight of Selina taking a seat beside Liv, and he could see that you watched the whole scene yourself. He made a lame excuse of having had enough of his friends’ chattering and didn’t want to speak to anyone during the upcoming bus ride. Then, he acted as if he didn’t see that you were the one whom he sat beside, and put his earphones in, pulling the hood of his oversized hoodie over his face, so that it could cover him while he was pretending to sleep.

In all honesty, he was just hoping that nobody would bother you after the night before, and you could rest a bit. He didn’t even do anything when you dozed off and your head landed on his shoulder. He wasn’t even sure that he would be able to do anything because it seemed just so right.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this story of mine! Let me know what you think! 😊

Click here for my BND masterlist!

If you want to read more stories of mine, let it be for BOYNEXTDOOR or for other artists, consider signing up for my taglist here. 🥰

Header taken from this WHY Concept Film.

Hope you have a lovely day/night! Take care! ❤️

[hana-no-seiiki]

cat villain reader my beloved. I'm so obsessed with it already. Please tell us more.

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA THEY ASKED FOR IT SO YOU CANT BLAME ME NOW F-

@sophiethewitch1 hi here’s your daily schizophrenic voice giving you even more mental illness

another short one cause im still lazy asf

I feel like a broken record just playing different flavors of the same oc/reader on my blog with the batfam i swear

tim is the only batfam member who figured out your identity prior to your own snooping

mostly because bruce’s identity was already aired out to your by selina and damian being his blood born son + appearing out of nowhere was a given.

as such it provided a lot of interesting scenarios

such as that one week where you were extremely active in your heists. like more so than the usual which was already a lot.

of course, you always tried to keep a sense of mystery as your cat villain self so asking you as robin wouldn’t have worked

so tim decided to approach you in class ( you were his senior or maybe even a young, fresh out of uni prof) and ask you why you seemed so…different or frantic lately

“oh. am i?” tim narrowed his eyes. it was so you to answer with another question, even as a civilian.

“sorry, i’m just really excited about this new limited edition robin figure of the new guy in the suit and—“

you proceeded to go on a ramble about your headcannons of the dude, saying how different and/or similar he was to robins of the past and ofc how much you admired him

this leads to his eventual downward spiral into depravation and horny

oh and unrelated to the boys, my headcannons for reader’s powers are as follows (mostly inspired from cat related cartoon characters)

invisibility/teleportation (from kitty chesire)

and cataclysm (from chat noir)

okay back to the boys

you and jason definitely had the biggest enemies to lovers arc out of everyone

like next to dick and damian, jason and you definitely hated each other’s guts

at that time you were dating dick and wanted him to stay as robin. pretty much in denial and anger, which led to you lashing out on jason.

at that time you still had hope for batman’s parenting skills and wanted jason to not take the opportunity he was given for granted

eventually you two found a lot in common and after a lot of deliberating and losing your mind with thoughts of “what ifs” and “but what about”s you broke it off with dick to pursue him

only to find out that jason was killed

people that knew you say you moved on pretty quickly. as if he was no more than a passing thought in your pretty little head.

but people like selina knew that out of everyone on this planet, the incident broke you the most

turning you into this near-empty husk, an imitation of what you were like

only filled with fear and anxiety

you would hurt people more, be more reckless

and boy do these men like playing savior to the fallen like you.

EXTRA:

i absolutely believe that as soon as you found out red hood was jason you two boned. like literally on whatever street/alleyway/battle you guys were in

emotions were high

and you two definitely cried the whole time im not sorry-

also you two always quote pride and prejudice lines at eachother

went from rabid dog that bit you several times to your goodest boy fr fr

[suzukiblu]

Ko-fi thank-you sentences for Derpsheep; a fake cryptid and a real romantic. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“Oh! Are you not the kind of bird who makes the nest? Because I can totally make a nest, I can definitely do that!” its new Robin blurts eagerly, straightening up in the air and brightening in excitement. 

Dick cackles, and Tim makes a strangled noise and vanishes completely inside Robin’s wings. 

“Um . . . is that not . . .?” Its new Robin trails off, looking embarrassed. The Batman is . . . puzzled. It really never has had a Robin that nested before. They’re all different, obviously, but–

Oh, it realizes, and tilts its head. Perhaps this actually isn’t a new Robin. Perhaps this is something . . . else. 

Something–new, in a sense. 

There was Batgirl and the Spoiler, but this is more . . . Starfire, maybe. More like her. Something different, that isn’t from Gotham. Isn’t of it. Something new and shiny like a just-made, just-cut diamond with no history to it. 

The Batman prefers history. Prefers old and lovely things; the long, long line of preservation and protection. The cherished, and the stories that are cherished most of all. The history of a bloodline, of a name, and the loving fear of the dark, and the flip of a decades-old coin against the shine of a centuries-old jewel, and above all, the concept of justice.

But the Batman is also a thing of change, a thing that wants to keep moving, and a thing that wasn’t there, once, but will be from now on. A thing that wants to help bring something better. 

It wants better for Gotham. 

And Superman is something bright and constant in the world, and wants better for it. So then . . . Superboy is . . . not a Robin, but . . . 

Something new and shiny and just-made, and made of a dreaming for that “better”, when the Batman looks at him the right way. 

Something that came looking for its Robin with a diamond made just for him, and caught Nightwing without a moment’s hesitation when he asked, and wants to build its Robin a nest. 

Hm. 

Selina brings it diamonds, sometimes, wrapped around Cat-claws and a slick smile. But she never stays to nest. 

But not-its-new-Robin still tastes just a bit like Cat. 

. . . hm. 

kitten, the Batman decides after a long moment, and then pats the kitten’s curly fur with the trailing edge of its cape. It leaves the rest of it strung in a net, though, because Cats shouldn't be able to fly at all. 

Not that it's telling the kitten that, because then he might realize he can't and fall. 

“Uh–what?” The kitten blinks at him, though he leans into the petting just the slightest bit, feeling like a neglected alleycat that's just feral enough not to know what to do about being touched. Dick falls over laughing–though he doesn’t actually fall; not any farther than the ledge–and Nightwing’s discordant cackle echoes across the rooftops. 

“Oh my god,” Tim mutters under his breath, and sounds very “teenage” even in Robin’s voice. 

The Batman has learned about teenagers. 

kitten, it repeats with one last patient scratch behind the kitten’s ears, then draws its cape back. Strays don’t get used to being petted so quickly. 

The kitten . . . blinks, once or twice, his eyes very large and pupils dilated far past normal human proportions behind the flat opaque surface of his glasses. 

It does look very Cat-like, in the dark. 

The Batman hums its approval and pats Tim’s shoulder where Robin’s feathers drape and cover, and then turns to leave. 

[olailamajnoon]

Selina walked onto the Watchtower along with Bruce. Zatanna "accidentally" bumped into the two. She looked up at Selina and blinked. "Oh, you're Bruce's wife!"

Selina appeared slightly taken aback, one eyebrow unfurling. "...no."

Zatanna went on cheerily, winking at Bruce with malicious intent. "Well, he takes every opportunity to call you his wife. He's like...I'm gonna marry her anyway, so might as well call her that."

Selina gave Bruce the side-eye. "Yeah, that definitely sounds like him." Her voice was dry.

"If you ever decide to marry this lummox," went on Zatanna, "remember to ask me for my list of Bruce's sixteen greatest flaws."

Selina grinned. "Thanks, but I think I know them."

"No," said Zatanna seriously, chewing her magic gum. "You only know the first nine." Zatanna sat down at the monitor console and hung upside down on the chair. "He eats with his mouth open sometimes. And he can't handle raw shrimp. It gives him...diarrhea."

Selina snorted. "How do you know this." She couldn't hide her amusement.

"We were trapped on an ocean planet for a week, and all we had to eat was raw fish. Bruce had...severe digestive problems. Clark had to cook the meat with his eyeballs." Zatanna was seemingly relishing telling the story, as much as Bruce gave her the death-glare.

"Well, I won't take him out for sushi anytime then," said Selina.

"Or...you could," said Zatanna, waggling her eyebrows. "Take him someplace without a bathroom, and watch him. He can't say no to a challenge, his ego will get in the way."

Bruce's glare at Zatanna could have melted steel as she slurped her Slurpie. Selina was trying and failing to control hiccupy laughter. "That sounds like an...idea."

Zatanna grinned from ear to ear. "You know, I like you, Catwoman. Maybe we will make good friends."

Selina hooked her right arm through Bruce's. "I'm un-uninviting you to our wedding."

Zatanna sat up. "Wait! I was...uninvited?"

"You turned Bruce's chair into mist and he sat on it and fell on his ass." Selina giggled childishly. It sounded like a kitten gurgling.

"Selina..." Bruce warned.

"...so he got upset," Selina finished.

Zatanna was smirking. "Yeah, that's always funny."

"I'm glad you two ladies are bonding," said Bruce, unamused. "But if you will excuse me, I need to work."

Selina blew him a kiss as he disentangled himself and walked away. Then she leaned closer to Zatanna. "Do you have any idea what he's like when he gets angry?"

Zatanna looked up through innocent eyes. "no...?"

"The sex," said Selina, "is so great. He gets rough, just the way I like it." She breathed in. "Any ideas how to make him just mad enough to get him to do that?"

Zatanna grinned. "Any ideas? I've got an entire encyclopedia! I've written the book on twirling Bruce round my pinkie." She flicked her hair. "What do you wanna know?"

Selina sat beside her, and propped her feet up on the console. "Let's start with everything."

[ifyoucandaniel]

once again nobody asked, but here is a comprehensive list of my favorite shorter Batman fics. my other list was mostly fics 50k and up, so this will be under 50k and oneshots :) i feel like most people have probably read a majority of these but! i love them all so much so here they are

In Love With Justice and Battling in the Wings by Jedi_olympian, 9k, 10k, T. literally who would i be if i didn't include my day one, my bbg: the justice league recruits nightwing and meets the batfam <3

Two Against the World by carolinaa, 36k, T, completed. i reread this all the time :') this is a "tim joins the batfam a little differently" fic as well as a "tim gets an emotional support dog and dick grayson won't leave the lonely kid next door alone" fic <3

Museum Mishap by prettymisskitty, 38k, T, completed. I love smart little stalker tim joining the fam in fun ways! jason and tim get kidnapped after jason tries to figure out if this scrawny jumpy kid knows batman and robins secret identities. shenanigans ensue

Jason Todd's terrible, horrible, no-good very bad week by slenderboo, 18k, T, completed. this is another one im sure everyone has read but!! it's my bbg!! hurt jason with some big brother nightwing and concerned little brothers AND its a batfam meets the justice league fic? say less.

Say Uncle by megaerakles, 46k, T, complete. this is so fun and i actually laughed so hard at jason having legal custody of tim at 19 by accident. "teen dad(?)" this is basically tim's fake uncle AU but he hires jason to be his uncle until he can figure out how to get him to go home to the bats <3

Doc Harley by starknjarvis, 15k, G, completed. this!! i love harley being friends with the bats sooo much and her slowly therapy-ing them all is so very good and perfect. harley and dick deserve to be best friends

Dangerous and Noble Things by Destiny919, 45k, T, completed. this one reminds me of hand in unloveable hand by britishparty, and in this one tim is abducted by ra's and then years later the batfam finds out and they bring him home :) cass and tim are a package deal, do not separate!! so good and i love robin jason so very much

Savior(s) of the broken by epistemology, 13k, T. this is just some good ol' jason and dick becoming brothers again and jason slowly getting to know his siblings again <3 the end maybe made me cry just a little... right in the brother feels

Living Dead Boy by terranpheum, 22k, T, completed. im actually rereading this right now! this is where tim is there when jason digs his way out of his grave and takes him home to rehabilitate him by making him play scrabble and eat with him :) so cute and very good

Even if I'm Erased by Darkness, I Will Definitely Save You by Kirazalea, 7k, T. okay so i LOVE battison fics especially ones that include dick and this one is from selina's pov so this is my bread and butter. if anyone has more battison fics send them to me i feel like ive been through the whole tag.....

of crime lords and literature by adelfie, 23k, T, completed. everyone loves some jason begrudgingly becoming protective of tim and the two of them bonding over hamlet. whats not to like :p

Juneberries by michaberry, 68k, M, completed. tim gets kidnapped and psychologically tortured while damian wrestles with his own demons and tries to bring his brother home :’) tim and damian learning how to be brothers and realizing they would do anything for their family is just <33

Robin is Magic by flames_dance, 15k, T, completed. the way my heart actually dropped to my ass when jason found out who tim was, you had to be there... very good jason and tim bonding with a side of trauma from titans tower <3

Around Red Hood's Barn by Tori1116, 24k, T, completed. jayroy where roy doesn't realize his crush red hood and his hooligan neighbor jay are one and the same and keeps ranting to his buddy hood about how annoying his neighbor is. single dad roy x jason wanting his brothers to leave him alone and stop causing misunderstandings <3

the butlers neighbor by deargalileo, 16k, G, completed. okay i almost never see fics from alfreds pov and this is even better because its alfred adopting tim into the family while bruce and jason are just in the background accepting they have another kid. 10/10 very cute bonding between alfred and tim

lashed with riot-red and black by lux_et_astra, 16k, T. yet another tim and jason becoming brothers fic <3 they start writing notes through their windows and become friends :) i think i’ve read every fic under the tim drake joins the batfam early tag

Panic Room by envysparkler, 15k, T, completed. jason being locked in a room with his trigger while actively trying not to kill him and then getting locked in a room with TWO of his triggers is insane lmao. i love damian in this actually :’) that boy needs so much love

also i realized again that these are mostly tim & jason centric so i’m very sorry damian, dick, duke, cass, babs, and steph, i do have fics for them i promise i just have so many tim and jason ones…. pls send recs for other batfam member focused fics!! <3 i feel like that tiktok that’s like I GOT LOVE FOR YOU TOO KEVIN but for the entire batfam because i just have 900 jason and tim centric fics 😭

[angelwood-if]

DEMO (EDITING)

Genres and tropes: urban fantasy, romance, found family, enemies to lovers, exes to lovers, friends to lovers, murder mystery, action

LUNAR CITY: a gritty but bustling city where supernaturals and humans live in (relative) harmony. Humans live alongside Fae, witches and warlocks, vampires, and so many more. It's normal. It's your normal.

When your father died, he left you with one thing: his antiquities/pawn shop. Decades upon decades of collecting and trading bits and bobs from all types of supernatural histories sit right here in Angelwood Antiquities, a staple of Lunar City and the shop you have now inherited.

It was his life's work, and you've done everything in your power to keep it running.

But when someone comes in bloodied and begging for you to take hold of a magical object, you don't know what you're agreeing to. You definitely don't expect him to die at your feet, telling you to take good care of...them.

Them?

Turns out the object is no object at all, but an ancient being that could be the key to stopping a multi-species war that's been brewing right under your nose..and your father may have had something to do with it. And when that being chooses and bonds to you--giving you its power--you are now thrust headfirst into the world of supernatural. The same world you've managed to avoid.

Entangled with a cast of characters who will help you save the world, you are now both human and supernatural, a rare feat. And the most important person in the city. And it will be up to you to save it.

Angelwood is an urban-fantasy inspired by stories by Sarah J. Maass, Cassandra Clare, and Holly Black. It is primarily centered around romance, with a fantasy, murder mystery, and war brewing at its core. The demo is already written and undergoing editing.

FEATURES.

Customize your MC's gender identity, pronouns, appearance, personality.

Navigate a gritty city of supernaturals.

Embark on an adventure to find out what war is brewing in supernatural circles and how to stop it.

Romance a multitude of supernatural and human characters, including a Fae, a Greenwarden, and an entity bonded to you.

Angelwood is a primarily romance and character-driven.

Play in a gritty, supernatural world where not everything is what it seems.

CAST [ROs]

IVAN CROSS (M)(FAE) - Ivan is the cold and distant Detective of the LCPD. He is also a powerful Fae, with a menacing reputation that makes most people scared to cross him. Ivan is not exactly a team player and he seems insistent on railroading this tentative partnership you didn't even want to have with him, but he's also the only one who can make sense of whats happening to you. Seems like you're stuck with him.

It doesn't help that you two aren't on the best of terms considering he closed your father's case without much effort.

FREYA (F)(GREENWARDEN) -- Ivan's second-in-command and your other partner that forms this...odd trio. You expected Greenwardens--powerful sprites that manipulate all things nature--to be smooth talking and caring. Wrong. Freya is snarky and punchy, and determined to get her mission done. Maybe it's because she's half human. Who knows.

DOMINION (DOM)(UNKNOWN) - Dom is the smooth-talking entity that is now in your head and giving you their powers. You...don't really know what to say. They sure are a flirt, at least.

KALEL/KALIS (M/F) (VAMPIRE) - K, once your old friend (and possible ex partner) is now insistent on joining your group considering they seem to have a stake in this too. (pun non intended)

SELINA (F)(SERPENT/HUMAN HYBRID) - Selina the Serpent is the owner of the biggest gambling den in the red light district, and also someone you don't want to cross. Over the years, she's traded with you on all sorts of things people leave behind in exchange for information...and now she wants to join in one the group. Having her around would really help, considering she has eyes everywhere.

QUINN (F/M)(HUMAN) - your best friend and the one you hired for Angelwood. And a human, which seems to be rare these days.

[incorrectbatfam]

I h3ad cannon athat all the batfam members have had/are still in their emo/goth phases.

Example:

Bruce dressed as a bat and punches criminals at night (I also head cannon that he listens to the rolling stones and MCR)

Anyways thoughts?

Also what were the other batfam members emo/goth phases like?

Dick: He was hella neurotic in his late Robin/early Nightwing days. That plus his mullet and guitar tells me he probably tried to live out of a used van he bought for $700 after a fight with Bruce only to come home a week later when someone knocked on his window.

Jason: He's the theater/classic lit goth. When he was younger he would read by the glow of a candelabra even though the lights work perfectly fine. Post-resurrection, he graduates to the biker anarchist who has no problem launching a molotov at a CEO's mansion.

Tim: He's from the 90s. He's sitting in that Y2K grunge-emo-punk gray area where his playlist is a mix of the Clash, Nirvana, and Green Day. He's coloring his hair with Kool-Aid, playing with makeup, ripping his own clothes, and talking about new songs on AOL.

Damian: He's aiming for dark academia, but that's hard to pull off if you know what American schools look like. He annotates the margins of his books with notes he thinks are insightful but are actually just basic observations. Also he listens to Imagine Dragons.

Duke: This kid isn't emo or goth, he is a punk through and through. Sassing the cops? Jumping off a bridge? Leading a ragtag vigilante team? If he wanted to, I bet he can pull off a leather jacket with some homemade spikes while blasting Bad Brains and Death.

Cullen: Canonically, he watches anime and Supernatural, and I've made a lot of Tumblr references with him. He's definitely your quintessential 2010s emo nerd—Black Parade, fandoms, the whole shabang. He also definitely followed Dan and Phil.

Stephanie: She strikes me as the early 2000s pop-punker—think MySpace and Avril Lavigne. She probably had a Not Like Other Girls phase that she quickly grew out of. I can see her cutting posters out of magazines and sneaking her MP3 under an oversized hoodie.

Cassandra: She canonically listens to Killswitch Engage, so I like to imagine what she was like as a baby metalhead. Maybe she thrifted a Pantera shirt and chopped her hair with safety scissors. And at concerts she's absolutely up front when the wall of death happens.

Barbara: I think she dabbled in a little bit of everything without ever outwardly expressing it. Her playlist is all over the board, from softer rock to screamo. She also experimented with makeup a little, like black lipstick, and is more involved in the activism side of things.

Harper: She's definitely industrial punk with a huge emphasis on the DIY aspect of the subculture. She strings soda tabs into chains, turns old screws into boot spikes, and even learned to give herself tattoos. She also absolutely has a drawer full of patch pants.

Carrie: She's a TikTok e-girl, leaning into the pinks and purples along with black and white. She turns fishnet leggings into gloves and has a bunch of animal ear headbands. She also listens to Melanie Martinez and Tame Impala regardless of if they count as alternative.

Kate: Queer people play a huge role in the punk scene and vice versa. I can absolutely see Kate jamming out to an early Pansy Division track or searching places like Bandcamp to support smaller indie artists. Also she has a jacket that says "Nazi punks fuck off."

Alfred: Before punk and its subgenres, Alfred was canonically a delinquent and in that day, delinquency meant gelled-up hair and moving like Elvis. The hair didn't work out for him, but he was able to catch one of the first shows Buddy Holly played in London.

Selina: Alt cultures are based on not having much and working with what you got. Selina would use the five-finger discount at big-box stores and save her money to support small businesses. She also went around listening to free local rock shows on Fridays.

Bruce: He listened to the Rolling Stones before, but his first real intro to the scene was a handmade zine he found on the floor at school. From there, he explored more underground artists and took up journaling as a way to vent his feelings. And then: Batman.

[mochinek0]

Daminette December 2023: 22-You're Drooling

CONTINUED FROM 'HIDING IN THE SHADOWS'

Marinette had adjusted quickly to working at Wayne Enterprise part time. True to his word, Damian never mentioned her actual identity. Damian had taken to asking for some designs. She never mentioned it, but she may have enjoyed measuring him. Damian took to teasing her, claiming she needed a step ladder to completely measure him. She would glare at him and go back to her deisgns.

Marinette sat comfy in her sweater dress and legging, at her home, when the doorbell rang.

'Who could that be?'

She opened the door to see Damian.

'What is he doing here?'

"Uh, come in, Mr. Wayne." Marinette spoke, opening the door wider.

"Damian." he stated.

Mari blushed, "Please, come in, Damian."

Damian entered her place. He could see her desk littered with designs and some stuck to the wall.

"Am I interrupting?" The Wayne heir questioned.

"More of...getting a head start." She answered, "Right now, I'm taking a break."

"I wanted to ask you something." Damian declared.

"Another comission?" Marinette asked.

"Yes and no." he replied.

Marinette looked at him confused.

"As you are aware, I have to go back to Gotham for the Wayne Gala." Damian declared, "I do need a suit for that."

"Okay." Mari answered, grabbing a notebook from the counter to take notes.

"I was hoping you would accompany me....as my date." Damian stated.

Marinette flushed at his suggestion.

"Of course, my date would need a design of her own and who knows; maybe, she will gain more clients." He continued.

Marinette glared at him, "You planned this."

"I like to make sure I'm prepared." Damian answered, "You can always say no to being my date."

"Would we be co-workers?' Mari asked.

"No." He spoke.

Marinette smiled, "Then, I'd love to. I'll work on your design and make sure it's up to your standards."

Damian moved closer, "When will I see your design?"

"That night." she replied.

Damian smirked, "Then, I'll wait."

Damian sighed. He was waiting inside of Marinette's hotel room. His father had insisted that he stay at the manor, even though he had brought someone back from Paris. There was no way he was letting Marinette stay at Wayne Manor with his family.

"Marinette." Damian called.

"I'm coming!" She called back.

Marinette opened the door and stepped out. Damian couldn't believe his eyes. The Wayne heir had seen Marinette stressed out, he had seen her excited, drunk, but never dressed like this. Her dress even went with his suit. Marinette walked right past him.

"Are you coming, Damian?" Marinette questioned, at the door.

Damian nodded and opened the door for her.

The Waynes were shocked to see Damian at the gala with a date.

"I love your dress!" Selina cried out, "Where did you get it?"

"I designed it." Marinette smiled, "The same with Damian's suit."

"I take it you're the one behind his new look in Paris." Bruce stated.

"When he asks." Mari answered.

"So, he's a client of yours?" Tim questioned.

"I do have exclusive clients, but Damian isn't one of them." Marinette declared.

Selina grabbed her hand and whisked her away, into the crowd.

"Who is she really?" Bruce questioned.

"Is she a target?" Jason asked.

"She is a girl from Paris." Damian answered, "I asked her out."

The Waynes were suspicious, but they could see Damian's eyes didn't wander away off of his date.

"Baby bird has got it bad." Dick whispered.

Tim handed him a napkin. Damian took it and looked at it, confused.

"You're drooling." Tim declared.

Damian wiped his mouth only to find nothing there. He threw the napkin to the floor and walked off in the direction Marinette had left with Selina.

"So?" Bruce asked, once Damian was far enough away.

"He definitely likes her." Dick smiled.

"Tim?" Bruce pressed.

"She works at Wayne Enterprise in Paris." He stated, "Seems she works part time and doesn't really need to be there. She has a giant clientele on her own. She works in the sewing department."

"What?" Jason asked.

"Damian's date is a famous fashion designer. She makes millions." Tim declared, :She doesn't even associate her business with us."

"So, then why did the brat hire her?" Jason demanded.

"Pretty sure he likes what he sees." Dick answered, "He ran off after her, like five minutes ago."

Damian watched as many people went up to Marinette. Some were complimenting her dress. She managed to swap business cards with some of them, too. The only one to bother him was a guy who kept offering her a drink. Marinette shook her head and pushed the glass away. Damian began to walk closer when he saw the guy put an arm around her and stoke her arm. He could see she was getting upset. Damian froze when he saw they guy lean in and whisper in her ear. The Wayne heir quickened his pace. As he got closer, he saw the guy rush away.

Marinette spotted Damian and asked, "Do you mind if we get some air?"

"Not at all." He answered.

Damian placed his hand on her lower back. He felt her tense up under his hand. Damian waited to see what she would do, if she wanted him to stop. She looked up at him.

"After you." Damian spoke.

Marinette nodded and kept walking. Damian followed behind her, making sure no one else disturbed her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, once they got outside, "I saw that guy touch you."

"Yeah." Marinette answered, "He started saying how he owned a penthouse and wanted me to come look at it."

"What did you say?" Damian questioned.

"That it sounded lovely." Mari smiled, "And....I would bring my date, Damian Wayne, to join. He ran away after that."

Damian chuckled, "I'm surprised you didn't hurt him."

Mari scoffed, "I'm at your family gala. Not to mention my own reputation on a different continent."

"I see." Damian spoke, "So, what did you imagine?"

"Grabbing his arm and dislocating it, followed by a knee to his stomach and if he tried anything, a kick to the balls." Marinette replied.

Damian laughed, "You are a wonder, Marinette."

Marinette blushed at his compliment and quickly turned to look over the balconey. Damian moved to stand behind her.

"You look amazing tonight." He whispered, moving her hair to one side.

"I-Is that so?" she asked, "I'm glad I could meet your expectations."

"You exceeded them." Damian spoke, before kissing her shoulder.

Marinette gasped at the slightest touch.

"I don't think we'll have much time out here. My brothers have grasped my attraction to you quickly." Damian declared, "They are likely going to ruin the night for us."

Marinette giggled, "Is that right?"

"Perhaps we can continue this at your room, after the gala." The Wayne heir suggested.

The designer smiled, "It would be nice to.....indulge in what I have seen working with you."

"I have to say, Miss Dupain-Cheng." he whispered, "I wouldn't mind indulging, as well."

Marinette turned to face Damian, placing her hands on his chest. Damian placed hia hands on her hips and brought her closer. Marinette leaned up. Bruce opened the door and realized his mistake. Marinette quickly turned away, while Damian was glaring at him. Bruce quickly cleared his throat.

"I need you inside." Bruce spoke.

"Fine." Damian growled out, "Let's go."

Marinette nodded. Damian placed his hand on her back and led his date inside. Bruce followed at a distance. He could see Damian smiling at Marinette and if they blush on her face was anything to go by, it seemed their feelings were mutual.

'The boys were right. Damian hired someone who he wanted in the family.'

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[transmasculinizing]

batman is frankly not a womanizer. im definitely not saying hes a feminist king or anything, but he just isnt a womanizer. thats his stupid playboy persona. its just what he wants you to think. he loves his 2 major love interest selina and talia and theres plenty of examples that support that he loves them and sees them as people. theres plenty of examples of comics that try to erase this, i can think of plenty with talia, less so with selina since i dont read her stuff that much so selina fans feel free to add. but anyways yes bruce loves talia. their relationship is anything but one sided. this is erased due to toxic masculinity (and racism). as ive explained in this post some writers like that hes dark and brooding but dont wanna ask why hes that way. he feels that despair in him because he loves. he loves his city, his family, his friends and at least 2 of his love interest. but we dont want bruce to show any emotion beyond anger because that would break his hypermasculine illusion i guess. its like. "of course batman can pull woman, hes batman, but hes too stoic and badass to actually care about them" when that could be further from the truth. the date rape thing in batman and son was added first and foremost to vilify a woc but also another example of writers wanting to hurt bruce but not let him feel anything about it other than maybe anger to showcase how tough and macho he is and so they can pretend brutalia is one sided. yes, batman is stoic, its a trauma response, it doesnt mean he doesnt feel love and other positive emotions. its his love and hope for humanity that drives his actions and that love is the only reason he can feel despair in the first place. that being said he cannot be made into a womanizer who doesnt care about woman because of this. the only reason so many writers have tried to erase bruces love for talia is because they dont want him to show that kind of emotion and especially not for a woc