#selina works there for 3 days and quits after this

[bpdpenguin]

kylecat: my evil manager won't stop bringing his cringe bf into our store just to shove him against the displays + makeout w him. they had a v dramatic public breakup this morning. i fucking hate Gotham mall !!!!!

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

Poor Barman Part 3 

~and “There’s a dead cat on the line”~

Barman realize it's time to check if he has an aneurysm. The weird teenager didn't seem to embarrass anyone but him. Although his clients are all psychos so this is not an objective assessment.

Riddler: If Schrödinger's cat is either alive or dead then when you open the box, what do you think will happen? what is the probability of..

Danny: I prefer not to open the box. Cats love boxes! I would never even leave my room if food itself appeared in my room three times a day too. Meow! Beware!

Bartender dives under the bar at the same moment when a strange man in a work uniform attacks the Riddler and begins to demand something from him.

Riddler: But this is not the answer to the question! Сome back!

Danny: Curiosity killed the cat! Some things are worth leaving unanswered.

~and “Who is going to bell the cat?”~

Danny: Selina! I would like to offer you one interesting case.

Catwoman: I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I have a truce with Batsy right now, so I shouldn't unleash my claws in Gotham.

Danny: Come on, big cat should not leave kitty to his own device. It's in Wisconsin. You need to rob an old man in a vampire outfit.

Catwoman: And what do you get from it?

Danny: Moral satisfaction. His money isn't even earned honestly so I'm helping this poor guy to pay back his karmic debt.

~and “The cat’s out of the bag.” about half of it to be specific.~

Bartender pours a glass of water and looks at the pale teenager.

Barman: Here, it's on the house. What the hell did Riddler want from you? Aren’t those weirdos your friends? You were so uncomfortable.

Danny: He just wanted to confirm his investigation of me. and even couldn’t think of anything better than this scientific allegory.

Barman: I don’t quite understand

Danny: Yeah, just Google it, dude.then..can I trust you? You don't look like a bad person.

The bartender thinks for a second and nods.

Danny: Okay. Then just remember, I’m the cat in the equation.

Barman: You will not tell me directly, right?

Danny:..over my dead body

The bartender felt again that he had missed an inside joke. From the context he could only assume that this boy is terminally ill and the criminals somehow conspired to brighten his final days. God, he hopes he’s wrong. Despite the painful look, the bo- Danny seemed to really enjoy life. After all, that doesn’t explain the guy’s frightening abilities. Science experiment? Pretty likely.

[cherryaxiel]

Kiss Me (Sequel to 'Misunderstood')

Character: Chester Lake

Description: You and Chester go on your first date!

Rating: Mature - Strong language

Monday

7:00 am

Ever since THAT happened, I've been thinking about him for the past two weeks. Daydreaming and coming up with dumb scenarios. I can't help it. We've been texting, but haven't gone on a date because of our busy schedules. I'm trying to get ready for work, but he's still running through my mind. I'm imagining different scenes, waking up in bed with him, him making me breakfast, cuddling on the couch, watching movies together, late night dates- okay I need to focus. It’s Monday, and it’s going to be a long work day. I get dressed after a shower, eat breakfast, feed my cats, it’s my usual morning routine. I work at a thrift store which is just a few blocks from my house so it’s quite convenient. I’ve always loved clothes but I am someone who is big on sustainability, hence why I chose to work with preloved clothes specifically. 

While walking to work, my mind remains plagued with thoughts of him. I sent him a good morning text, wishing him a good day at work. I’m listening to music, allowing myself to seep into my desires. Once I arrived at work, I put down my headphones and prepared myself for the day.

3:00 pm

Oh my god, it was a disaster of a day. The only way I managed to go through it was thinking about him. I’m so fucking pathetic. Oh wow, a guy helped me go through the worst day of my life by invading my brain without even meaning to. Whatever, my shift is over, I’m going home. I packed my shit and left the store. I looked at my phone to see if there’s any messages from him, nothing, not a single message from him the entire day. I feel a certain sadness in my heart. I shrug it off and start walking home.

3:30 pm

When I reached home, I flopped on my couch, stretching all over as my body aches from the day’s labor. My cats came over to me, one loafing on my chest and another laying between my legs. I looked at my phone again, my eyes widened. A text notification from him. I sat up so quickly, shocking my cats. They jump up and about from the sudden movement. “Omg, I’m so sorry,” I blurt out to my cats, before unlocking my phone and pressing on the notification. 

‘I’m so sorry for not texting you the whole day, got held up with a case but no excuses. Let me make it up to you?’ The text from him reads.

I’m giggling and kicking my feet. I calm myself enough to reply, ‘It’s okay, I understand! How are you going to make it up to me?’

‘How about I take you out on a date? Dinner’s on me.’ Free food with a cute guy? Why not, right?

‘Sure! When?’ I replied.

‘Tonight, I’ll pick you up at your place, 6 pm, wear something cute ;)’ 

My cheeks are red, ‘Alright! Here’s my address :) Looking forward to tonight <3’ I managed to send out before turning my phone off and burrowing my face into the couch pillow. My heart’s beating fast. Oh my god, I need to figure out what to wear. 

4:00 pm

I’m stressing out, laying on the floor in defeat with piles of clothes scattered around me. I literally couldn’t find anything to wear. I decided to get back-up and called Selina. Thankfully she lives nearby, so she was able to get to my house quickly.

“OMG babe, did a hurricane come through this place?” Selina walks into my room, seeing the mess I made, and carefully making sure she isn’t stepping on my clothes.

“I don’t know what to do! I have nothing to wear!” I sat up on the ground with my face buried in my hands.

“Don’t worry, I got you.” Selina gets to work almost immediately. 

5:45 pm

Selina managed to get me cleared up and dressed, having enough time to clean up the mess I made earlier in my room. It’s 15 minutes before Chester arrives and I’m a nervous wreck. It’s my first date in a long time after all. Selina is comforting me by providing me positive affirmation and making jokes. 

15 minutes later, I could hear the sound of a car parking in front of my apartment building. It doesn’t take long before there’s a knock on my door. Selina does one last check of my appearance. I walk towards the door, prepping and hyping myself up. I took a deep breath and exhaled, opening the door to Chester holding a bouquet of flowers and a cheeky grin on his face. He’s wearing a black blazer, trousers, and shoes with a white dress shirt that has the first button unbuttoned. He looks me up and down. Oh my god, he’s checking me out. 

“Good evening, love.” He says in such a sensual voice that I feel like I’m about to fall to my knees but I stood firmly.

“Good evening, Chester,” I smiled with my cheeks all flushed, I tried very hard to hide my infatuation even though in my brain, I’m screaming.

“These are for you, flowers as beautiful as you,” he passes the flowers to me. I took the flowers and enveloped it into a slight hug while smelling it.

“Well, well, look who’s here,” Selina approaches from behind me and stands beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, “Take care of my sibling, will you?” She plays it off as a joke, but there’s a hint of aggression in her voice to show she actually means it.

“Of course, I’ll take care of your precious gem.” He extends an arm out to me, prompting me to hold his hand, which I do. “Shall we?” He asks, I nod. As we walk out my door, I look back mouthing ‘Oh my god’ to Selina, who gives me an encouraging smile and two thumbs up.

As we approach his car, he opens the passenger seat door for me. I thanked him and sat inside with the bouquet of flowers in my hand. I’m nervously picking at my fingers as he gets into the driver’s seat, putting his seatbelt on after helping me with mine which was totally unnecessary but he did it anyway. I thanked him again. He gives me a smile before we drive off.

6:30 pm

We parked near the restaurant and it didn’t seem too crowded. Chester was able to get a reservation from this place since it was a Monday night. He opens the car door for me again and I get out of the car, leaving the flowers in the car and giving my thanks to him again. He closes the car door and locks his car before extending his arm towards me, wanting me to hold his arm closely. With me practically clinging onto him, we enter the restaurant.

Once we’re inside the restaurant and the waiter seats us at our table, we go over the menu. “Been here before?” Chester starts the conversation. 

“Nope, it’s my first time, what about you?”

“Same here, I heard good things about this place so I thought it was a good idea to experience it for the first time with you tonight.” His eyes were sparkling in the candle light and the way it made him look was making my heart flutter.

“Ah, I see.” I looked back down to the menu. I didn’t want to meet his gaze again, it was so captivating that I thought I was going to be pulled into him like being drowned by the thundering waves of the deep blue sea.

After a while, we ordered our food. I felt awkward in his presence. I’m not sure what it is about him but I’m anxious and I’m picking at my fingers again. He notices this, so he takes my hand in his, laying it gently on the table and caresses it. I let out a light gasp but all he does is give me a reassuring smile. For whatever reason, it comforts me. My heart slows. Maybe it’s also the calm atmosphere, or the jazz music playing in the restaurant, but I start to feel comfortable and my body relaxes. 

7:45 pm

We’re sitting for about an hour, talking about our backstories and lives. We eventually talk about our love life and how it has been. At this point, I’m sitting next to him, caressing his arm, and we’re looking deeply into each other’s eyes.

“How many dates have you been on?” I asked him.

“Too many to count, honestly.” He shrugs.

“Really? Can’t relate, it’s hard for me to find anyone I’m interested in.” I look down at his arm, drawing hearts on it with my finger.

“Oh? So, I’m interesting?” He jokes, making me lightly smack his arm.

“Were any of them bad?” I looked up, waiting patiently for his answer.

“This one time...” He recalls a story.

“Oh my god, that’s so bad.” I laugh at his story, appalled by it.

“Is my pain funny to you?” He laughs, which makes me laugh a bit harder. We tried to silence our laughter as we remembered we were in a restaurant and people were starting to stare at us.

“Hey, I'm craving ice cream. I noticed an ice cream place nearby, let’s leave and buy some. The desserts here don't sound too good.” He chuckles at my last comment and agrees. We left once he had paid for our meals.

8:15 pm

After getting ice cream, we decided to walk through a nearby park. The sky was so clear that we could see the stars and the moon. Other than the crickets chirping loudly, there was silence in the park. It was just us, and I found profound peace being next to Chester.

“Let’s sit here.” Chester gestures to a bench, holding my hand and lightly pulling me to it before I follow him. We sat down on the bench and finished off our ice cream. We looked up to stare at the starry night sky. The night was becoming colder, and I realized I was starting to shiver from it. I’m guessing he was feeling cold too because unconsciously, we got closer to each other. It was almost as though our bodies were seeking and moving towards each other for warmth. Chester notices that I was shivering, so he wraps his blazer around me, our faces closing into each other. So damn close. He looks at my eyes, then to my lips, and back to my eyes again. I did the same to him. His hand reaches to cup my face, holding me so gently. I sink into his hand, into his warmth. Before I knew it, he’s leaning in, we're both leaning in. Our lips meet, and my heart bursts like fireworks sparked on New Year's. Butterflies swarm my stomach. His other hand holds my waist, and my hands are on his chest. His lips are so soft, a juxtaposition from the rough hands on me. In each second, we deepen the kiss as if we're going to swallow each other whole. His hands move to my back to pull me closer, like he doesn't want me to leave his grasp, as I cup his face with both of my hands. After a few while, we pull away, breathless. All we could do was look into each other’s eyes as we catch our breath before we laughed at how flustered the other looked.

“Let's get you home, love.” He sees my tired eyes, and stands up, extending a hand to me once again. I nodded and held his hand. We walked back to his car, he opened the car door for me, I gave my thanks, and we drove back to my apartment.

9:00 pm

We arrived at my house. I tried leaving the car first with the bouquet of flowers but he told me to wait, wanting to open the car door himself.

“Aren't you tired of that?”

“Of course not, anything for my love. It's only the bare minimum.” I blush, giving him a peck on the cheek as a ‘Thank you’ after leaving the car. We walked up to the front door of my apartment.

“I had a wonderful time, we should do this again, Chester.”

“Me too, I hope to see you again. Have a good night, love.” 

I give him a kiss on the lips before bidding him farewell, making the both of us smiley and giddy. Chester leaves as I open my door with my house keys to see Selina on the couch with my cats, watching a movie. 

Once I closed and locked the door, placing the bouquet of flowers onto a nearby table, Selina urged me, “Oh my god, spill the deets!” Selina and I spent the night talking about the date with snacks and movies before passing out on the couch, with me still wearing his blazer.

[coffeeandmagicaltales]

Spare some lore about Selina and Sting Sharp and their parents? It’s been a stupid 2 days at work and I think they’re so cute 😭. That sketch you did of them all made me so happy!

If not no worries! Just wanted to drop in and say your OCs always pique my interest!

OHHH I feel so honored <3 I'd love to answer <3

Spoiler free (I still haven't finished writing my fics)

Sharp Sisters

Lets's start from the oldest- "Sting".

She's about 6 in the drawing. Adventurous, curious, pretty mischievous, and very brave... Also getting into trouble a lot. A LOT.

Both of her parents work at Hogwarts, so she spent her childhood in the castle (when possible), sleeping in her parents' chamber or at her Muggle and magical grandparents' house.

She got sorted into Hufflepuff and immediately fell in love with Quidditch, becoming the youngest beater on the team. That's where her nickname came from - dressed in Hufflepuff black and yellow colors, flying recklessly and incredibly fast, giving hard blows to opponents, she looked like a dangerous little bee.

(below how I imagine her in my delulu land in my head)

She spends lots of time in detentions at Hogwarts due to the crazy ideas she comes up with (that make her parents roll their eyes and just say "ugh, again"; they've become so done with it, they just don't care anymore, and the only thing they ask is: "Is she bleeding? No? Oh, well, just take as many points from her as possible."). She's a free spirit who doesn't like being closed in between walls and loves to explore the world on her own, unlike her younger sister, who prefers to study in the library.

Her relationship with her sister is very profound, and even though they are like fire and water and sometimes disagree, they love each other unconditionally. Sting spends lots of time with Selina and gives her support. She deeply worries about her little sister's timid nature and gets into fights each time someone calls little Sharp "a weirdo".

Her relationship with her parents is pretty complicated. It was really wonderful until her 6th year at Hogwarts when she decided to become an Auror despite her... well... certain health issues. Aesop argued with her many times, trying to convince her to find a less dangerous job, but she already set her mind and was too stubborn. It is said that Sting was the only person Aesop ever raised his voice at, too scared of her being injured just like him, or even worse. But, as a rebellious 17-year-old, she did what she wanted to do, ignoring her father's plead. Her mother, Morana, was more optimistic about her life choices (Sting was a Sharp for Merlin's sake!) and convinced Aesop to train her as best as he and her could, preparing Sting for the worst.

She became an Auror, one of the best in history, duh! If you were a criminal and somebody had spilled the tea that Sting Sharp is investigating your case, well, better head to Nepal and intend to live as a goat... But! She didn't like this job at all. Ministry's orders, things against her moral compass she was told to do frustrated her, and after a few years, she quit. Waiting for Aesop's retirement, she took many part-time jobs, also helped her godmother Poppy to catch poachers, and when her dad was finally retired, they both opened a private detective office, also working with Morana and Selina.

Lesbian, she married a long-time girlfriend of hers, had no kids.

The youngest Sharp- Selene (sometimes written as Selina, more Slavic version of that name, as she is half British half Slovakian)

This little grumpy pumpkin, about 1 in the drawing, was literally born at Hogwarts and spent her time close to her parents. Sometimes with daddy: sitting on his desk, incredibly interested in classes, lulled to sleep by his lectures, or playing with vials (unbreakable) filled with glitter and colorful water. Sometimes with mummy: sleeping in a scarf wrapped around her body during her lectures. Sometimes with her many teacher aunts and uncles, who loved to take her to their classes (especially Ronen and Garlick).

Her interest in potions was obvious from the beginning, but soon Aesop discovered that, in her case, there was a thin line between genius and obsession, and she preferred to experiment rather than play with her peers. Only her older sister seemed to understand her and accept that Selina is a bit different than other kids her age: always gloomy and avoiding anyone's company. She stood out from the crowd also thanks to her dad's tall genes, his grumpy and dreamy nature and, well, his look in general, along with dark eyes and hair, crooked teeth, big nose. She was never considered "pretty", often being compared to her father. Other kids giving her unpleasant comments like "I wouldn't date old Sharp's lookalike".

(below how I imagine her in my delulu land in my head)

Other kids hated the fact that she's two teachers' daughter (and other teachers are her aunts and uncles) and bullied her a lot, calling her "a weirdo" or "a teacher's favorite" (Sting, ironically, never had that problem). Her parents and sister tried their best to make amends with anyone who dared to hurt Selina, but she felt sad and lonely anyway. She was often found hidden somewhere behind dad's cauldrons in his class, crying. Her situation was breaking Sharps' hearts, and they came up with an idea to sign her up for an internship at Parry Pippin's shop during her 3rd year. That was a jackpot; Selina made friends with adult potioneers, no longer feeling alone, and her talents began to thrive. After Pippin's death, she, not his children, became the shop's owner and one of the best healers in Europe, working occasionally at St. Mungo's or giving lectures at Hogwarts when Aesop was not feeling well.

Her relationship with her sister is stronger than diamond. She supports the sometimes annoyingly talkative and loud Sting and is always ready to help her. Their hearts were both broken when Selina got sorted into Slytherin, away from the older Sharp.

She's a daddy's daughter, and, no matter how much she loves her mum, it's Aesop she runs to first and clings to his jacket. She preferred to spend time with him as he was quieter and calmer than Morana, who loved wild adventures, that, on the other hand, Sting preferred more. Morana sometimes felt guilty that she couldn't approach her youngest daughter as well as Aesop, but she found out that they both enjoy slow hikes and exploring the calm Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. Selina anticipated those even few weeks long lonely trips with her mother.

She met her husband in Pippin's shop (Selina and Aesop both found a cure for his quite rare sickness), Garreth Weasley's son, who later took Sharp's surname. They had a beautiful red-headed son - Aesop Sharp Junior.

I hope you enjoed this little spoiler free backstory of my characters <3

It was hard to find a NPC mix of Morana&Aesop but this one is the best option:

Sad dark eyes, dark brown hair, high cheek bones, bushy arched brows, big nose, upper lip shape- Aesop

Tanned skin tone, 10K freckles, round face- Morana

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

More Batman head cannons please and thank you!

Hi! 💖 Thank you so much for the ask! I always love sharing these or talking about this series!

Batmom Before Bruce:

Batmom's mother was killed in a robbery when she was a baby. Her father raised her alone, teaching her from a young age how to protect herself. Then, when she was 8, her father got sick. Batmom tried to take care of him but he passed away six months later, leaving her all alone. She ended up on the streets but thanks to what her father had taught her, she was able to survive. She picked up more skills from others around her and soon became quite an accomplished petty thief.

When Batmom was 17, she met Selina Kyle who was only 13 at the time. Selina was new on the streets and didn't have the knowledge or skills to survive. Batmom couldn't just leave her on her own, so she let Selina stay with her and she taught her what she knew about fighting and thieving.

Bruce x Batmom:

The two of them eloped a few months after getting engaged. They tried planning a traditional wedding but the tabloids never gave them a break. They all tried spinning a "Cinderella Type Fairytale" where the wealthy Prince of Gotham was marrying a poor, ill-mannered, woman of questionable background. It soon became too much for Batmom so Bruce surprised her by flying them both to a private island owned by Wayne Industries. They were the only ones at the wedding besides Clark who flew there just for the ceremony to officiate and then left them to celebrate alone. Their anniversary is March 4.

Batmom absolutely ADORES Alfred and now sees him as just another part of their family. However, when she first moved in, she was very uncomfortable having someone do things for her all the time especially when she was capable of doing them herself. It caused a little bit of friction since Alfred was accustomed to having his things just so and not having others messing with them. Bruce eventually had to step in and mediate between the two most important people in his life. They both compromised slightly and, over time, Batmom felt more comfortable letting Alfred do more for her once she realized how much pride Alfred had in his job.

Dick x Batmom:

About seven months after they were married, Bruce took Batmom to the circus where they witnessed Dick's parents' murders. While everyone seemed preoccupied with the bodies, Bruce noticed her focus never left the poor boy huddled in the corner with a blanket around his shoulders. Bruce asked if she wanted to see about giving him a place to stay while this was all sorted out and Batmom jumped on the idea. A few days later when they found out Dick didn't have any other family to take him in, Batmom asked him if he wanted to stay with them and Dick shyly said yes.

When Dick was 18, he was shot by the Joker while on patrol as Robin. He recovered but the incident shook Bruce so much that he said he was retiring the mantel of Robin and thus, Dick. Dick was furious and the two fought with Batmom trying to keep the peace between the two. Finally, Dick packed up and left Gotham to Batmom's devastation. Bruce was hurt by Dick's leaving and the fact Batmom hadn't fully supported his decision to bench Dick. For a few weeks, they fought almost constantly and slept on separate sides of the manor. Eventually, they began to try to work things out and the discovery that Batmom was pregnant only helped speed up their reconciliation. Dick was overjoyed to hear the news, but was still mad at Bruce and refused to come home. Only the loss of the baby and Batmom's depression afterward got him to the point he was willing to face Bruce face-to-face (as well as the fact that Bruce had also just lost a child). The two reconciled though Dick decided he still needed to branch out on his own and find out who he was beyond Batman and Robin.

I have a ton more so if anyone wants more or specific HCs, please let me know! 🥰

HC’s Part 1, HC’s Part 2, HC’s Part 3, HC's Part 4

One Bad Day.... Series Masterlist

[braingray]

10 First Lines Tag Game

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

I was tagged by the amazing @fangqueen, and I’m with you on the haven’t-written-anything-in-a-while thing. I keep saying that I’ve been “getting back into it,” but I’ve said that for months now, lol. It has been a rocky process for sure. Thank you so much for your tag! I loved reading your snippets, especially number 10. 👀

My first four entries are from WIPs, since those are technically my most recent even if they aren’t published yet. The rest are in chronological order from my AO3. Looooooong text below the cut.

1. Cleaning out the studio was an all-day endeavor. There were old instruments gathering dust and new ones littering the chairs from their earlier practice, leaving no room for walking when combined with the boxes and knickknacks strewn across the floor. Roy carefully stepped over a fallen mess of rolled-up posters, then sidled on tiptoe around the corner of a CD rack he’d gotten from Ollie years ago, back when CDs were still cool. (Roy/Dick/Joey band AU.)

2. Harley can admit she’s a party crasher. That’s what she’s doing now, since she wasn’t officially invited to Mister Wayne’s fancy shindig at the opera house, but Selina had insisted her presence wouldn’t be a disturbance. Harley believes her. After all, Selina is Brucie’s favorite on-again-off-again squeeze, so she would probably know. (Harley/Selina cross-dressing PWP.)

3. Dick can admit when he has made a bad decision. The thing is, admitting his problem does not actually solve it, so here he is, the day after Bruce fucking Wayne put his phone number in Dick’s contacts list, paying more attention to the man’s texts than he is to his own job. He can feel Tim’s eyes on him from across the locker room, but he waits until he finishes replying to Bruce before he acknowledges the stare. “You look cute,” he says, like he wasn’t just ignoring him for the most eligible sleaze in Gotham City. (Club AU, part 4!)

4. The wind was picking up early tonight. Jason shivered through another gust, the chill biting through his insufficient layers like nothing. There would be no glory in quitting patrol early, though—least of all on Halloween night, when Gotham’s most colorful rogues always liked to create pandemonium. ‘Tis the season. (A Man-Bat/Jason PWP that was supposed to have been for Halloween/Kinktober last year...oops.)

5. Tim sits in the center of a dark garage, feeling hunted. There are two things he knows to be true in this moment. One of them is that he’s sitting on a chair with his arms bound behind it, wrists locked in place by mere cuffs. Nothing he can’t pick his way out of, given enough time. The other thing, the one that makes goosebumps rise on his skin, is that he’s here because he has pissed off the wrong man. (Caught On Tape. JayTim CNC kink—rated E.)

6. Dick had been working at this gaudy little nightclub for months. For a case, of course, and although the term undercover didn’t technically apply since he was using his real name and face, he considered it a near thing. (Let the Whole World Look In. BruDick costume kink—rated E.)

7. He found the Bat in the rubble of their latest engagement.Tonight had been disastrous for a variety of reasons, and with the latest Batarang swipe to the face—close enough that Slade swore it trimmed some stubble—he could admit he was reaching his patience threshold. (Gridlock. SladeBru stuck-in-a-wall non-con—rated E.)

8. The training room was supposed to be empty. Considering the time, with the sun beaming at its midday peak, Dick’s assumption had been that no one would be around to disturb his quest for solitary gymnastics. Damian was at school, and everyone else was usually still sleeping off the events of the previous night. (Whatever We Deny or Embrace. BruDick family fluff—rated T.)

9. Right now, there are a number of things Jason would like to address. An elbow is digging into his ribs, and he isn’t bound to anything, so it’s reasonable to assume he and whoever Dingus here is have been carelessly knocked out and dropped somewhere unsavory. (Boxing Clever. A body-swapping fic with many ships, but mainly SladeJay and RomanDick—rated E. This is only in my most recently published fics because of the final chapter update. This fic is from Kinktober 2020, lol.)

10. Tim was standing outside the door to Bruce’s office, headset hanging around his neck, mouth full of bubblegum, one hand poised and ready to knock. Casual as could be. A simple man on a simple mission who did not anticipate anything other than a brief interaction with his father figure. Inside the office, though, two voices spoke. (The Importance of Knocking. BruDick Tim’s POV—rated M.)

That’s a lot of text, phew. Tagging @withthekeyisking-writer @zeroducks-2 @sladedick !!

[sinvulkt]

Chapters: 3/11

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences, Category: Gen

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Summary:

Batman was never late.

Batman couldn’t afford to be late.

Bruce repeated that thought as he raced towards the source of the explosion. It echoed with each of his steps against Gotham’s dirty concrete, the batmobile long abandoned at a nearby road.

@whumptober-archive @angstober

*** ** * ** ***

Dick stayed at the manor after the funeral. He smiled and joked that with how old Alfred was, there was no way he could take care of the whole manor alone. He didn’t mention that with two fewer teens on the manor ground, Alfred’s burden had been alleviated rather than increased.

No one commented on Batman’s absence during the mourning; or on the additional flower that complemented each grave.

There were signs, however, that it had been noticed. Dick’s absence of anger. Alfred’s careful tending to the graves. The way they glanced at him when he put on display Cass’ and Tim’s outfit.

A reminder to continue the investigation.

Bruce was no fool. He knew Dick hadn’t moved in because he suddenly hated Bludhaven and wanted long holidays. He knew what Nightwing's presence at his side during patrols meant. He knew what Dick’s forced jokes during too-long silences were intended to replace. He knew if Dick had moved in, it was for the same reason Alfred hadn't taken a true holiday for years: to keep an eye on him.

Batman was trying very hard to ignore them.

It was hard to, when every battle was swept away and dealt with before he could raise a knuckle. When every injury was met with a scowl. Dick flinched when Batman dodged just an instant too late. Barbara held back information when she thought he wasn’t ready. Alfred hushed him out of the batcave after barely half a day's time. They threw worried glances at him when held a batarang just too long, when they thought he couldn’t see. It tempted Batman to actually do something with it, just to see what their contingency plan was.

Their hovering frustrated him. It came in the way of The Mission, and was wholly unnecessary.

He was fine.

It was Jason all over again. Except Jason was in the Narrows, alive and hating. He was there. As close as the distance separating two Gotham neighborhoods.

Cass wasn’t. Tim wasn’t.

○ 🃟 𓃭『S』𓋭 • • 𓅨 ☗ 𓁿 𓅓 🦇 𓐟 🦇 ☗ 𓁿 𓅚 ☗ ☗ ☗ 𓋭『S』• 🃟 |

Tim was impressively awake during the next morning. He barely stumbled down the stairs, and was able to respond through grumbling before even his first coffee. Perhaps Bruce should invite Selina more often, if a sparring session with her was all it took to deal with the boy's insomnia.

Between Tim’s unique awareness and Dick’s excited chatting, breakfast was animated. Selina had left during the night, but Dick had come during early morning. A sudden free day, he had said. The darkness behind his eyes told Bruce it wasn’t so simple.

Dick’s presence made Tim happy, however. And with the boy's happiness, the whole manor shone brighter. Alfred’s lips turned just slightly upward at the chaos raised by the two boys. Bruce felt a strange warm bubble up in his chest. Like a hole had not quite been filled, no, but softened around the edges.

An additional bonus to Dick’s continuous visits was the slow healing of their strenuous relationship. Arguments still arose, of course- Dick had not lost all of his independence streak that led him out of the nest. But tolerance grew. Bruce learnt to refrain from certain triggering subjects, while Dick took a page from Alfred’s book and just gave up on unimportant arguments.

A recent increase in issues on the Teen Titans side meant Bruce scarcely saw Dick despite their relationship improvement. It opened back way for a yearning pulling at his heart, and Bruce was shamed to admit having Tim over often doubled as a good excuse to have Dick stay home for the week-end.

| 🃟 •『S』𓋭 ☗ ☗ ☗ 𓅚 𓁿 ☗ 🦇 𓐟 🦇 𓅓 𓁿 ☗ 𓅨 • • 𓋭『S』𓃭 🃟 ○

Scarecrow escaped Arkham. Again.

Read the rest on ao3.

[necarion]

Plot points from the Ankh-Moorpork / Gotham merger:

Lady Sybil starts a charity for Gotham's sewer alligators. Vimes is quite pleased that his home now has moat alligators because it keeps the assassins away. He wishes Killer Croc would change his name. But he makes an amazing nanny for the swamp dragons and that makes Sybil happy, which makes Vimes happy.

Somehow Nobby is the most bribed officer in the watch. Nobody knows what happens to the money. But Nobby has never arrested any of the criminal masterminds so obviously it's working.

Nobby persuades Bane to join his Morris dancing group. Bane does indeed wear the bells.

Three-way antagonistic relationship between Batman/Vetinari/Vimes. Vimes knows who Batman is immediately of course. He can see through the Bruce Wayne facade toward the guy who really cares. And still hates his guts.

Wayne Manor ends up stuck right next to Vimes' mansion. This means Vimes has to get invited to all the Wayne parties. This is Alfred fucking with Vimes; Bruce can't get Vimes uninvited because Alfred goes mysteriously deaf. And Vimes can't avoid the parties because Alfred is smart enough to sent the invitations to Sybil.

Somehow Carrot ends up as Robin. Absolutely nobody is confused about his secret identity and nobody wants to do anything. He wears the traditional Robin, boy wonder, outfit. It looks exactly as you expect. There is also an unsubstantiated rumor that he's somehow the heir to like 3 different major crime families. He might also be Superman pretending to be Robin as a really bad disguise.

Instead of on Batman, the Riddler fixates on Fred Colon. Cheery Littlebottom is doing all (not very hard) riddle solving for him. Everyone involved (including Vimes, Batman, and the Riddler are satisfied with this dynamic).

Granny Weatherwax ends up visiting some week when the Joker is back on his bullshit. Things go as badly for him as you'd expect. And then Nanny somehow persuades him to move to Lancre where he is pitting himself against the Witch population and not really doing any harm to anyone anymore.

Poison Ivy gets adopted as one of the witches, who are impressed by "headology for plants". Zetanna is also a no-brainer addition to the club.

Two Face ends up retiring after attempting to bring the wizards to justice for crimes against reality. His coin keeps landing on edge. Except for the time he tries it on the Librarian. Except the Librarian picked his pocket at the start of the exchange, and starts flipping the coin in a way that (a) looks in theory like he's just admiring the shiny thing and (b) is deeply threatening coming from a 200 lb sack of muscles.

Mr. Freeze and Ponder Stibbons end up as pretty amicable colleagues.

Clayface spends a lot of time with the Golems. Nobody is sure what they get up to, but it keeps him out of trouble.

Angua has this inexplicable urge to charge straight for Selina Kyle every time they're in a room together, and is constantly growling at her under her breath. Angua doesn't notice the growling. Selina thinks it's a come-on from Angua and kinda hot. Angua is super straight and does not understand what the heck is going on, other than that she generally dislikes Selina (for her slightly shifty attitude, and that she always smells like cats). The only person who has this dynamic fully figured out is Bruce who thinks it's hilarious.

Sacharissa Cripslock and Lois Lane become correspondence buddies. William de Worde becomes self-proclamed rival to Perry White. Both of them are friends with Clark, and neither suspect anything.

Moist von Lipwig, on the other hand, meets Clark at a random party and IDs him immediately. One of these days he's going to blackmail Superman. Yup, definitely eventually. Because he's that type of scoundrel. He also has Bruce figured out, and he's not stupid enough to even *think* about trying that.

The Nac Mac Feegle end up in the Penguin's gang. This is the most serious increase in petty larceny Gotham has seen in decades.

I bet Vetinari could fix Gotham. Mostly because he would create a Supervillains Guild, then sit back and watch them destroy each other with petty in-house politics.

[distort-opia]

first of all I wanted to say that I really like reading your takes on batman and I have throughoutly enjoyed reading your fics. i wanted to ask what you think would make bruce permanently retire from his batman persona and his crimefighting? or do you think it’s more of a ‚my retirement is death‘ situation?

Thank you for the ask, and I'm glad you've enjoyed reading my stuff! <3

I do think the most realistic take is 'I'll retire when I'm dead', though Batman stories tend to have various alternate takes on the subject. Most recently, in Batman/Catwoman, Bruce married Selina and had a kid and died peacefully at an old age -- but he still trained Helena and they fought crime as a family. Earth-2 Batman did end up retiring for a while and working in police (once again married to Selina and having a daughter called Helena), but then he still went back to the cape and cowl when provoked, and died in it. The Dark Knight Returns Batman retired too when Joker killed Robin, but Miller’s Bruce famously went back to being Batman when he felt the call again. In Batman Beyond Bruce also retires when he nearly shoots someone and feels that he’s not worthy of the Bat anymore, but seeing as he’s old and alone and latches onto the chance to continue his legacy via Terry McGinnis, I wouldn’t call that a retired Bruce either.

Actually, there’s way more alternate Universes in which Bruce dies in the line of duty and someone else becomes Batman, or Universes in which he kills Joker and goes dark. (Batman Who Laughs is just the most spectacular version of it, not the only one.) And if that’s not telling enough, even the stories that have Bruce retiring don’t have him fully let go of Batman. Going by the stories we’ve had in the past... the only thing to have Bruce more consistently retire the crimefighting is someone directly dying because of him. If he broke the Vow, he might indeed feel unworthy of the cowl, but it’d have to be something quite extreme. After all, plenty of Robins have died, but it’s not stopping Bruce from currently Batmanning. Also, he’s killed people in other Universes, and it didn’t make him give up -- rather, it turned him into a villain or into a much more brutal vigilante. Hell, in King’s run, Thomas Wayne himself tries to traumatize Bruce into giving up being Batman and it doesn’t work.

So... I do think Batman Beyond had the right idea? The first way in which he’d retire for good is if he violated the very foundations of the Bat’s existence. If he was forced into a situation where he became like the man who killed his parents; superstitious and cowardly. This way would either lead to Bruce dying old and alone, or him... well, killing himself in the absence of a purpose. However, then there’s the hypothetical retirement scenario where he does it because he came to terms with his grief over his parents. The Batman persona is fuelled by it, and Bruce has articulated more than once that he’s consciously making the choice not to let go. So, if some extraordinary person/circumstance got him to genuinely confront his grief and his anger, if he managed to deal with his trauma... that might end ‘Batman’, and Bruce might not die unhappy and alone. (So maybe if someone brought his parents back to life and dumped them on his doorstep? Hah. That’d be interesting for Bruce to deal with. Basically how Ra’s threatened to do it in JLA: Tower of Babel, but... better. And conceivably without his parents having Pit madness.)

To be honest, though, I don’t think the current Bruce has any realistic chances of ever letting go. He’s been Batman for too long. He’s had multiple attempts to be happier, to perhaps try to be Bruce Wayne and Batman at the same time, but not only did these fail -- they failed because he self-sabotaged. He’s deeply self-destructive and intentionally fuelling himself with anger and misery, because he can’t see any other version of himself than one who’s Batman, so... myeah. At the end of the day, I’m still going with ‘I’ll retire when I’m dead’.

[filthy-vigilantes]

Batman: Where to start

***long post***

Getting in to comics is rather hard and finding a good starting place or a good recommended must-reads is hard and confusing and you typically get hundreds of different answers.

This is my personal list, that I'm working through and hope to collect. I've done quite a bit of research and feel like this is a adequate reading list for modern (post-crisis) Bruce Wayne

Anyways here's the list in primary chronological order:

Batman: Year One (Batman Vol 1 #404-#407)

This story line established the back story for Batman in the post-crisis timeline, along with the back stories for Commissioner Gordon and Selina Kyle. Not necessarily canon anymore, but a good story to get the feel of the characters

Batman: The Man Who Laughs

This is a one shot that was published in 2005 that tells the story of Batman's first encounter with the Joker roughly a year after the Batman's debut in Gotham. Based on the Joker's original first appearance in Batman Vol 1 #1.

Batman and the Monster Men

This is a 6 part mini series that takes place sometime after Batman: Year One and Batman: The Man Who Laughs. First half of the Dark Moon Rising series. Story revolves around Batman's first dealing with Hugo Strange

Batman and the Mad Monk

This is another 6 part mini series that is the second half of the Dark Moon Rising series. It is a retelling of a story from Detective Comics Vol 1 #31-32

Batman: The Long Halloween

This is a 13 part limited series, that serves as a re-introduction of the Calendar Man and features a wide array of Batman's rouge gallery such as Two-Face, Scarecrow, Riddler, Joker, and Poison Ivy.

Batman: Dark Victory

This is a 14 part limited series that is a sequel to The Long Halloween. The main case in the story is a turf war between Two-Face and the Falcon Mafia. It also serves as a re-telling of Dick Grayson's Robin origin.

Batman: Birth of the Demon (TPB)

This is a collection of 3 Batman one shots: Son of the Demon, Bride of the Demon, and Birth of the Demon. All stories center around Ra's al Ghul and Talia al Ghul.

Batman: Strange Apparitions (Detective Comics Vol 1 #469-479)

This collection reintroduces Golden Age villains such as Hugo Strange and Dead shot along with introducing new villains such as Doctor Phosphorus and Clayface III.

Batman: The Killing Joke

A 60 page one shot that hints at the Jokers true identity, along with pushing the Jokers madness to new extremes, and showing just how dangerous he can be.

Batman: the Cult

This is a 4 issue mini series, in which Batman gets captured, torture and brain washed by Deacon Blackfire. This is also one of the few stories written by Jim Starlin that shows Jason Todd in a favorable light, as Starlin had a dislike for the character and kid sidekicks.

Batman: Death in the Family (Batman Vol 1 #426-429)

The famous 4 issue story arc that allowed readers to vote on the fate of the then current Robin, Jason Todd.

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (Batman Vol 1 #440-442)

This story is the introduction of Tim Drake and his taking of the Robin Mantle. The story also involves a case with Two-Face

Batman: The Last Arkham (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4)

This story shows us the inner workings of Arkham Asylum, along with introducing new villains such as Zsasz, Jeremiah Arkham, and Amygdala

Batman: Gothic (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10)

In this story we get to see glimpses of Bruce Wayne childhood.

Batman: Venom (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20)

This story introduces us to the strength-enhancing drug, venom

Batman: Knightfall (Batman Vol 1 #492-510, #512-515; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-30, 32-35; Catwoman Vol ? #6-7, #12-13; Detective Comics Vol 1 #659-677, #679-682; Justice League Task Force #5-6; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #59-63; Robin #7-9, 11-14; Showcase '93 #7-8; Showcase '94 #10)

The Knightfall collection is a trilogy consisting of Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd. In the story, Batman is crippled by Bane leading to him enlisting help from Jean-Paul Valley, while he recovers. Jean-Paul becomes increasingly unstable and violent, ruining Batman's reputation until Bruce can finally put an end to it. The story had long term ramifications in the batcannon as Bruce had to rebuild the trust everyone had for him.

Batman: Contagion (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #48-49; Detective Comics Vol 1 #695, #696; Robin Vol 4 #27-28; Catwoman Vol #31-32; Azrael #15-16; Batman Vol 1 #529; Batman: Chronicles #4)

A cross over even where a deadly virus sweeps through Gotham. One of the story lines leading in to the No Man's Land event.

Batman: Legacy (Batman Vol 1 #533-534; Batman: Bane; Bane of the Demon #1-4; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53-54; Catwoman Vol 2 #33-36; Detective Comics Vol 1 #700-702; Robin Vol 4 #32-33)

Another crossover, this storyline serves as a wrap up for Contagion as well as Knightfall. One of the story lines leading in to No Man's Land event.

Batman: Cataclysm (Azrael #40; Batman Vol 1 #553-559; The Batman Chronicles #12, #14; Batman: Arkham Asylum- Tales of Madness #1; Batman:Blackgate- Isle of Men #1; Batman/Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73-79; Catwoman Vol 2 #56-57; Detective Comics Vol 1 #719-722, #724-726; Robin Vol 4 #52-54)

The final crossover storyline leading in to No Man's Land. After a earthquake, Gotham's heros have to band together to help the citizens in the aftermath.

Batman: No Man's Land (Azrael #47-61; Batman Vol 1 #560-574; Batman: Harley Quinn; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-126; Batman: No Man's Land #1-0; Batman No Man's Land Secret Files and Origins; Batman: Day of Judgement; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #80-94; The Batman Chronicles #16-18; Catwoman Vol 2 #72-77; Detective Comics Vol 1 #727-741; JLA #32; Nightwing Vol 1 #35-39; Nightwing Secret Files and Origins; Robin Vol 4 #67-73; Young Justice: In No Man's Land)

After several catastrophic events in Gotham, the US government decides to cut off Gotham, destroying all bridges to the city leaving Batman and allies to keep order in the city.

JLA Tower of Babel (JLA #43-46)

This story deals with the discovery of Batman's plans and files on how to take out the members of the Justice League in the event of them going rouge.

Bruce Wayne: Murderer? (Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1; Batgirl #24; Batman Vol 1 #599; Batman: Gotham Knights #25-26; Birds of Prey Vol 1 #39-40; Detective Comics Vol 1 #766-767; Nightwing #65-66; Robin #98-99

Bruce Wayne is arrested for murder and the rest of the bat family are forced to solve the crime and help clear his name.

Bruce Wayne: Fugitive (Azrael #91; Batgirl #27, #29-33; Batman Vol 1 #600-601, #603, #605-607; Batman: Gotham Knights #27-28, #30-31; Birds of Prey #41-43; Nightwing #68-69; Detective Comics Vol 1 #768-775)

This story is the follow up to Bruce Wayne: Murderer. After getting out of jail, he must full solve to murder, as those around him begin to doubt his innocence.

Batman Hush (Batman Vol 1 #608-619)

This story arc share a bit about Bruce Wayne's childhood along with introducing a new billion, Hush and furthering Batman and Catwoman's romantic relationship. This story also teases the resurrection of Jason Todd, the second Robin.

Batman: Heart of Hush (Detective Comics #846-850)

A follow up to Batman Hush, once again furthering Batman and Catwoman's romantic relationship. Also serves as a prelude to Batman R. I. P.

Batman Under the Red Hood (Batman Vol 1 #635-#641, #645-650, Annual #25)

This Story focuses on Jason Todd, the second Robin's resurrection and return to Gotham

Batman R. I. P. (Batman Vol 1 #667-669, #672-686, #701-702; Detective Comics #846-853; Nightwing Vol 2 #147-153; Batman and the Outsiders Vol 1 #11-14, special #1; Robin #175-183)

This story leads up to Bruce Wayne's apparent death in the DC Final Crisis event.

What Ever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Batman Vol 1 #686; Detective Comics Vol 1 #853

These two issues deal with the aftermath of Bruce Wayne's apparent death.

Battle for the Cowl

This is a 3 issue minis series that shows the remainder of the bat family hold Gotham together in the wake of Batman's death and Nightwing ultimate decision to take up the mantle.

Batman: Hush Money (Detective Comics Vol 1 #852; Batman Vol 1 #685; Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4)

Batman's enemy Hush alters his face to look like Bruce Wayne and begins pretending to be him.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne

A 6 issue limited series that shows Bruce Wayne's journey through time to return to present day Gotham.

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home

A limited series that details the return and aftermath of Bruce Wayne's return. Batman Vol 1 #703 is a prelude to the series.

Batman: House of Hush (Batman: Streets of Gotham #14, #16-21)

A story arc that ties up the Hush Money story and the return of Bruce Wayne.

Batman Incorporated

This series focuses on Bruce Wayne franchising the Batman name across the globe, while Dick Grayson still serves as Batman in Gotham.

Batman: The Gates of Gotham

A limited series that features Dick Grayson as Batman, but was used as a lunching point for major Batman story lines in New 52.

Batman New 52

After the New 52 reboot, DC began Batman Vol 2, aka Batman New 52

Batman Eternal

A weekly limited series that ran for a year, reintroducing numerous villains in to the New 52 canon, along with Stephanie Brown.

Batman and Robin Eternal

A weekly limited series that ran for 6 months as a follow up to Batman Eternal. The story jumps between Dick Grayson's first year as Robin and the present. Cassandra Cain is reintroduced in to the New 52 canon in this series.

Batman Rebirth (ongoing)

Current Batman title

[pandoraimperatrix]

caught between goodbye and I love you

DickKory | Pining | Eventual smut | Two shots | Post season 3 AU

Chapter 1: My heart is a sad affair

Nobody could say he didn't have been trying. Well, they could but it wouldn't be true.

Even though Bruce had made sure Dick knew how to attract the female attention, nobody told him what to do when it didn’t work as planned. Or how to stanch the wound.

Hell, Bruce made sure he could seduce anyone that could be seduced. "It is a very useful skill to have in your utility belt, Chum" he said then. But it didn't mean Dick didn’t pray for the sweet release of death back then when he was being forced to have seduction lessons under Alfred's or worse, Selina's tutelage.

He should have payed more attention to when they broke up, not that he’d have learnt something useful. They always got back together. He and Kory on other hand…

Well, been taught how to seduce someone for ulterior motives didn’t mean he knew what to do when his goal was not mission oriented. Usually in a mission, after the seduction part was over, even if he had to date the person for more than one night, he had a script and a clear goal. But what if there was no mission? What if he had hopes instead of goals? What to do without no script to follow? No set of rules to guide him?

And he was especially bad when he genuinely cared, never being able to judge if he was trying too hard or too little, usually finding himself overcome with anxiety which resulted into pushing the object of his affections away in the long run. That happened to Dawn, to Babs, hell, despite being a completely different kind of relationship it almost happened with Rachel and Gar too. Thank goodness his children were way more forgiving.

Since Dawn was gone for good and he and Babs had broke up again after deluding themselves for a whole five minutes that their childhood trauma bonded romance could have a last hurrah. He was back to reality. The depressing reality that he, to his absolute despair, cared for Kory, so much, too much, more than he had thought that he ever could for anyone.

Read on AO3

Despite all his overthinking tendencies, all his overplanning, all his precautions, he really didn’t see that coming. Of course, he was aware he was attracted to her from day one, it was nothing alarming back then, at least in the beginning. It hurt when she told him she needed to find out who she was before it got too serious, but he understood, and it was fine. They had time. And time they had, after their reunion, raising a household together, his physical attraction to her remained, and new set of feelings started breeding from their partnership. Something way more aggravating than the constant desire to fuck her brains off every time she entered the room, something deeper.

It took a while, because he was known for being stubborn as fuck, but he knew that a good detective can’t cherry pick evidences, and eventually, he admitted to himself that he wanted to be with her forever. Which not only was a scary thought by itself, considering how much time he spent running from everything serious and true, but it made his insides twist in fear.

Because nothing that good could last. When the love of you life quite literally fell from heaven, heaven can take her back whenever. And the thought of losing her at any moment pushed his anxieties to the roof. Her behaviour haven’t been exactly helping. Despite of not having anything substantial of proof, Dick could feel something was wrong with her, something that she wouldn't talk about no matter how many times he tried to approach her.

Maybe it was his fault, maybe he put himself in a position in which she felt responsible for his wellbeing but not trustworthy to be relied upon after the mess he had made with Slade and with Jason.

Besides, what claim did he have to demand any clarification from her? They weren't together.

But it still hurt. That feeling of uselessness, of having nothing to offer when she gave so much just being by his side.

They lived in the same house and were currently raising super powered teenagers together, everybody outside their tight circle assumed they were a couple, married even, hell, her sister thought they were together. And Kory hardly flinched when they dined out and the waiter called her “Mrs Grayson”, she joked about it, that also hurt, because it wasn’t true. Yes they used to have sex, and yes he was trying to make his grimaces of pain to look like smiles on regular basis to hide how much he wanted her, but they are not together.

But it wasn't by Dick's choice.

It was Kory's.

And the rejection hurt, especially when he didn’t expect it.

From all his many faults, Dick wasn't that kind of guy, it wasn’t as if he didn’t think that her rejection was impossible or insulting due to some high opinion of himself. But it just didn’t make sense. He wasn't deluding himself, although he sometimes had no choice but doubt, wanting to believe and respect her choice, but when it had such dissonance with her actions…

Because, as much as he sometimes wanted to take the easy way out that his internal self-hatred provided – that he was crazy, pathetic and there was no way in heaven or hell such woman would have feelings for him – Dick had also been trained in reading body language and micro expressions.

Everything about how Kory interacted with him felt like an invitation. Unless he had been suffering from a very serious case of psychosis (again), he couldn’t have been imagining the longing in her gaze. Sometimes, even when he thought she wasn’t in the room, he could feel her eyes in him. And it wasn’t just the hot looks he was used to get from people that only thought he was attractive – even though Kory would give him plenty of those too, his skin had been reaping the benefits of all his ice cold showers. But, sometimes, especially when he was giving attention to their children, or just doing something mundane like reading or meditating, he could feel her watching. A gentle smile on her face, eyes like pools of warmth and endearment. Nobody ever looked at him like that, with such unadulterated fondness.

Or the way she found excuses to touch him. He always loved the feeling of falling, doing unnecessary stunts so he could only feel that special kind of rush. With Kory around to catch him whenever he needed, he had been doing that even more often so he could feel her strong arms around him, and she never denied him.

When they fought enemies, or trained, she always found a way to make skin contact, throwing him at their mark to give him an extra boost, instead of shouting for him to clear away from danger, she’d physically pull him away in very unnecessary and unfortunately fast hugs.

She’d lean on his shoulder for no reason at all, even after her powers returned and she told everyone she was not feeling tired all the time anymore. In the mornings, while they washed the dishes together – since Gar banned them both from cooking – she’d bump him with her hip to make him move out of her way, and her hands always lingered when handing him an utensil.

Kory was always pressing away invisible wrinkles on his clothing, and picking things from his hair, so much he could hear muffled giggles from the children every time she did that.

And how could he have been imagining the way her face lit every time he entered the room, or when someone mentioned his name? He couldn't have made anything like that up. Didn't have the self-esteem necessary, or the self-hatred necessary to imagine such torture.

Dick did wonder, though, if living with a woman that looked like what poets sang about, that had the personality correspondent of the most golden of summer’s day, and flirted with him mercilessly, but yet dismissed every attempt he made to turn their relationship into something romantic was just karma. In the past, he had abused his own good looks and knowledge. Hearts had been broken because of his folly, and now the universe was punishing him or something.

Yeah, right, as if the universe cared that much.

But then, when his bitterness and confusion were not settled at all, and he was getting ready for another night of delicious horrible dreams about the woman that did not want him, something weird happened.

Kory Anders, knocking on his door, with a bottle of tequila, just a few days after he finally asked her out and she destroyed his heart and made a mess of his head by saying no. Not only no, she said she didn’t like him like that. That she loved him as a friend, and didn’t want to make things more complicated.

What a bunch of garbage.

For a fraction of second he wondered what she'd do if he closed the door on her face. But he'd never be able to do that, so, wordlessly, he gave away the space she needed to enter his room.

“Can I help you?” he said when she just stood there, looking everywhere but him, as if his room were a great novelty.

Kory bit her lip and he wanted to die. He didn’t want to believe she did those things out of malice, but sometimes one cannot help but being angry over such carelessness.

“Kory?” he asked in that bitchy impatient way of his.

“I lied,” she finally said in a puff of breath.

“What you mean?” His heart was racing, it couldn’t be. Was he asleep? Most of his dreams began with some sort of flashback of their first night. Terrible, terrible dreams that always ended too soon.

She looked away, searching for something, his heart shrank when swayed her body aside, thinking she was about to leave, but Kory placed the bottle and the cups on his dresser and turned back to him, the look she gave him making his throat feel raw. In two powerful strides she was all over him, firm elegant palms cradling his head as she tilted his face to the angle she wanted for their kiss. It was like if time went back.

He pulled her closer carefully, afraid she’d disappear in the smoke of his lust filled memory if he went too hard or too fast, but even when she remained solid, warm under his touch, her teeth pulling his bottom lip mercilessly, then spreading licks and soothing kisses, her perfume making him dizzy, he let her lead. It was easier, which considering his tendency for always taking the most tortuous path, added a layer of pleasure in a luxury hardly ever taken.

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

Notes:

I started writing this before season 3, because I wanted to write a fic in which Dick was pining, and also I wanted it to be steamy and smutty. But since the smut part is taking forever to finish and the pining part became bigger than what I planned, you get a two shot.

---

Preview:

“Please don’t this. I don’t want to pretend. I’m so tired of lying to you and I’ll have to pretend to the rest of my life. This might be the last night I will ever have to be myself, to be with you. I need this to be real.”

Kory took one of the hands off his hair, bending her arm backwards so she could rub him trough his trousers. Dick let out a moan and she used the opportunity to make a wet path of kisses across his cheekbones, until she reached his ear. She whispered something in her native language and licked his earlobe.

What else could he do? She wanted real. He’d give her real.

Dick pulled her up as his lips claimed hers again, her powerful legs crossed around his hips. He held her up like that for a while, just enjoying the feel of her body pressed flush against his. His hands giving her support by moulding her round butt with his palms.

Dick he walked backwards until his chins hit the bed and he fell sitting with Kory on his lap. She stopped her ministrations to pull her hair from her face and look down at him.

“Hey,” she said, her eyelashes were still wet, but her tears had stopped falling, she looked so… No wonder she belonged to the heavens, no being in the planet could be so perfect.

[randishm]

The number three 3

Oh I was hoping for this one to be asked cause now I have a legitimate excuse not to keep them to myself anymore XD

Its a bit long and well I know it said one idea but I give you three because I cant keep them to myself anymore XD

I have 3 fanfic ideas for batjokes

One being an apocalypse type thing but I started this I believe last year back in November

I usually write down a paragraph or more plus the summary so this is the summary:

Scarecrow had sprayed a deadly gas showering the city with it creating Gothamites to turn into zombies. Batman meets up with the Joker after encountering a tough spot. And they must learn how to work together in order to save the city of  its demise. But working with a clown is easier said than done.

First paragraph: Time slowed in the moment everything went to hell, the once clear sunny day in Gotham turning a cold grey as gas spread over the city like a wildfire. Consuming the lives of innocents...

Body after body falling to the ground in a heap as blood curdled screams of terror and fear seemed to echoe endlessly through the clouds of smoke, only wishing to be heard.

Within fifteen seconds the once lively city became nothing but a ghost town….

And Batman couldn’t save anyone…

Still in the works lol but thats what I have so far xD

The second Idea is a Collage AU Ive had this sitting since the beginning of last year where Joker and Bruce are more or less eachothers wingbuddies lol

Summary: Bruce Wayne is quite popular around campus but, for all the wrong reasons. In his eyes everyone is a villain, they just hide it well within their masks of fake. When a guy named Jack, learns the billionaires ways, he becomes intrigued and decides to cause a little bit more chaos then necessary.

First paragraph: Bruce hated lectures, he detested them so. ‘Why can’t they just leave me in peace.’ he would ponder this daily. He was thinking about it while eavesdropping on his roommate, Harvey recite his lines for he's assuming that'll arise very soon. “Listen Bruce, I’m worried about you… I will be moving in with Selina soon and frankly… I am terrified! I mean who will be here when I am gone? Dicks is in the Bahamas, Alfred’s going to Hawaii! You need to find friend’s man. Open up, live a little!” Bruce could see friend reciting it like romeo and juliet.  “Now I get you see everyone is bad but, you need to get out there and show the world just who Mr. money bags is!” Ever met someone and went ‘wow I really hate you’. That was the infamous Bruce Wayne motto, everyone wanted a piece of him.

I really had to hold back the rest I have for that xD

Another one is Phantom of the opera AU I actually started working on it I don’t have a summary for it yet lol but this is the first paragraph:

It was years ago when the tragic accident took place, Selina could still remember that day vividly as she held the familiar music box in her frail hand. “Is this it-“she choked softly fighting back the tears threatening to spill from her emerald eyes. Caressing the indents that carved a bat she smiled softly as she remembered Bruce standing on that stage, his onyx locks slicked back as he belted out the lines, his chest heaving heavily in his diamond suit as the crowd cheered. Sapphire eyes gleaming against the illuminated flames below.

XD this will be a Joker as the phantom and Bruce as Christine because of the differences they have in behavior and ways lol I actually had to buy the movie off YouTube because I needed a refresh but I started writing this one XD

But I do have a fnaf sun and moon one I want to do just don't have ideas on that one yet lol I'd love to post what I have of these fics so far only problem is I'd lose interest in my other stories ^^; so I treat them more of a reward if I wait after one stories complete to keep the motivation xD

Thank you so much for asking and playing the game with me!! ❤ I hope to be able to get these out there and share them one day along with my own personal stories ^^

[filthy-vigilante]

Batman: Where to Start

*** long post***

Getting in to comics is rather hard and finding a good starting place or a good recommended must-reads is hard and confusing and you typically get hundreds of different answers.

This is my personal list, that I'm working through and hope to collect. I've done quite a bit of research and feel like this is a adequate reading list for modern (post-crisis) Bruce Wayne

Anyway, here's my list:

Batman: Year One (Batman Vol 1 #404-#407)

This story line established the back story for Batman in the post-crisis timeline, along with the back stories for Commissioner Gordon and Selina Kyle. Not necessarily canon anymore, but a good story to get the feel of the characters

Batman: The Man Who Laughs

This is a one shot that was published in 2005 that tells the story of Batman’s first encounter with the Joker roughly a year after the Batman’s debut in Gotham. Based on the Joker’s original first appearance in Batman Vol 1 #1.

Batman and the Monster Men

This is a 6 part mini series that takes place sometime after Batman: Year One and Batman: The Man Who Laughs. First half of the Dark Moon Rising series. Story revolves around Batman’s first dealing with Hugo Strange

Batman and the Mad Monk

This is another 6 part mini series that is the second half of the Dark Moon Rising series. It is a retelling of a story from Detective Comics Vol 1 #31-32

Batman: The Long Halloween

This is a 13 part limited series, that serves as a re-introduction of the Calendar Man and features a wide array of Batman’s rouge gallery such as Two-Face, Scarecrow, Riddler, Joker, and Poison Ivy.

Batman: Dark Victory

This is a 14 part limited series that is a sequel to The Long Halloween. The main case in the story is a turf war between Two-Face and the Falcon Mafia. It also serves as a re-telling of Dick Grayson’s Robin origin.

Batman: Birth of the Demon (TPB)

This is a collection of 3 Batman one shots: Son of the Demon, Bride of the Demon, and Birth of the Demon. All stories center around Ra’s al Ghul and Talia al Ghul.

Batman: Strange Apparitions (Detective Comics Vol 1 #469-479)

This collection reintroduces Golden Age villains such as Hugo Strange and Dead shot along with introducing new villains such as Doctor Phosphorus and Clayface III.

Batman: The Killing Joke

A 60 page one shot that hints at the Jokers true identity, along with pushing the Jokers madness to new extremes, and showing just how dangerous he can be.

Batman: the Cult

This is a 4 issue mini series, in which Batman gets captured, torture and brain washed by Deacon Blackfire. This is also one of the few stories written by Jim Starlin that shows Jason Todd in a favorable light, as Starlin had a dislike for the character and kid sidekicks.

Batman: Death in the Family (Batman Vol 1 #426-429)

The famous 4 issue story arc that allowed readers to vote on the fate of the then current Robin, Jason Todd.

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (Batman Vol 1 #440-442)

This story is the introduction of Tim Drake and his taking of the Robin Mantle. The story also involves a case with Two-Face

Batman: The Last Arkham (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4)

This story shows us the inner workings of Arkham Asylum, along with introducing new villains such as Zsasz, Jeremiah Arkham, and Amygdala

Batman: Gothic (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10)

In this story we get to see glimpses of Bruce Wayne childhood.

Batman: Venom (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20)

This story introduces us to the strength-enhancing drug, venom

Batman: Knightfall (Batman Vol 1 #492-510, #512-515; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-30, 32-35; Catwoman Vol ? #6-7, #12-13; Detective Comics Vol 1 #659-677, #679-682; Justice League Task Force #5-6; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #59-63; Robin #7-9, 11-14; Showcase ‘93 #7-8; Showcase '94 #10)

The Knightfall collection is a trilogy consisting of Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd. In the story, Batman is crippled by Bane leading to him enlisting help from Jean-Paul Valley, while he recovers. Jean-Paul becomes increasingly unstable and violent, ruining Batman’s reputation until Bruce can finally put an end to it. The story had long term ramifications in the batcannon as Bruce had to rebuild the trust everyone had for him.

Batman: Contagion (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #48-49; Detective Comics Vol 1 #695, #696; Robin Vol 4 #27-28; Catwoman Vol #31-32; Azrael #15-16; Batman Vol 1 #529; Batman: Chronicles #4)

A cross over even where a deadly virus sweeps through Gotham. One of the story lines leading in to the No Man’s Land event.

Batman: Legacy (Batman Vol 1 #533-534; Batman: Bane; Bane of the Demon #1-4; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53-54; Catwoman Vol 2 #33-36; Detective Comics Vol 1 #700-702; Robin Vol 4 #32-33)

Another crossover, this storyline serves as a wrap up for Contagion as well as Knightfall. One of the story lines leading in to No Man’s Land event.

Batman: Cataclysm (Azrael #40; Batman Vol 1 #553-559; The Batman Chronicles #12, #14; Batman: Arkham Asylum- Tales of Madness #1; Batman:Blackgate- Isle of Men #1; Batman/Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73-79; Catwoman Vol 2 #56-57; Detective Comics Vol 1 #719-722, #724-726; Robin Vol 4 #52-54)

The final crossover storyline leading in to No Man’s Land. After a earthquake, Gotham’s heros have to band together to help the citizens in the aftermath.

Batman: No Man’s Land (Azrael #47-61; Batman Vol 1 #560-574; Batman: Harley Quinn; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-126; Batman: No Man’s Land #1-0; Batman No Man’s Land Secret Files and Origins; Batman: Day of Judgement; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #80-94; The Batman Chronicles #16-18; Catwoman Vol 2 #72-77; Detective Comics Vol 1 #727-741; JLA #32; Nightwing Vol 1 #35-39; Nightwing Secret Files and Origins; Robin Vol 4 #67-73; Young Justice: In No Man’s Land)

After several catastrophic events in Gotham, the US government decides to cut off Gotham, destroying all bridges to the city leaving Batman and allies to keep order in the city.

JLA Tower of Babel (JLA #43-46)

This story deals with the discovery of Batman’s plans and files on how to take out the members of the Justice League in the event of them going rouge.

Bruce Wayne: Murderer? (Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1; Batgirl #24; Batman Vol 1 #599; Batman: Gotham Knights #25-26; Birds of Prey Vol 1 #39-40; Detective Comics Vol 1 #766-767; Nightwing #65-66; Robin #98-99

Bruce Wayne is arrested for murder and the rest of the bat family are forced to solve the crime and help clear his name.

Bruce Wayne: Fugitive (Azrael #91; Batgirl #27, #29-33; Batman Vol 1 #600-601, #603, #605-607; Batman: Gotham Knights #27-28, #30-31; Birds of Prey #41-43; Nightwing #68-69; Detective Comics Vol 1 #768-775)

This story is the follow up to Bruce Wayne: Murderer. After getting out of jail, he must solve the murder, as those around him begin to doubt his innocence.

Batman Hush (Batman Vol 1 #608-619)

This story arc share a bit about Bruce Wayne’s childhood along with introducing a new billion, Hush and furthering Batman and Catwoman’s romantic relationship. This story also teases the resurrection of Jason Todd, the second Robin.

Batman: Heart of Hush (Detective Comics #846-850)

A follow up to Batman Hush, once again furthering Batman and Catwoman’s romantic relationship. Also serves as a prelude to Batman R. I. P.

Batman Under the Red Hood (Batman Vol 1 #635-#641, #645-650, Annual #25)

This Story focuses on Jason Todd, the second Robin’s resurrection and return to Gotham

Batman R. I. P. (Batman Vol 1 #667-669, #672-686, #701-702; Detective Comics #846-853; Nightwing Vol 2 #147-153; Batman and the Outsiders Vol 1 #11-14, special #1; Robin #175-183)

This story leads up to Bruce Wayne’s apparent death in the DC Final Crisis event.

What Ever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Batman Vol 1 #686; Detective Comics Vol 1 #853

These two issues deal with the aftermath of Bruce Wayne’s apparent death.

Battle for the Cowl

This is a 3 issue minis series that shows the remainder of the bat family hold Gotham together in the wake of Batman’s death and Nightwing ultimate decision to take up the mantle.

Batman: Hush Money (Detective Comics Vol 1 #852; Batman Vol 1 #685; Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4)

Batman’s enemy Hush alters his face to look like Bruce Wayne and begins pretending to be him.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne

A 6 issue limited series that shows Bruce Wayne’s journey through time to return to present day Gotham.

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home

A limited series that details the return and aftermath of Bruce Wayne’s return. Batman Vol 1 #703 is a prelude to the series.

Batman: House of Hush (Batman: Streets of Gotham #14, #16-21)

A story arc that ties up the Hush Money story and the return of Bruce Wayne.

Batman Incorporated

This series focuses on Bruce Wayne franchising the Batman name across the globe, while Dick Grayson still serves as Batman in Gotham.

Batman: The Gates of Gotham

A limited series that features Dick Grayson as Batman, but was used as a lunching point for major Batman story lines in New 52.

Batman New 52

After the New 52 reboot, DC began Batman Vol 2, aka Batman New 52

Batman Eternal

A weekly limited series that ran for a year, reintroducing numerous villains in to the New 52 canon, along with Stephanie Brown.

Batman and Robin Eternal

A weekly limited series that ran for 6 months as a follow up to Batman Eternal. The story jumps between Dick Grayson’s first year as Robin and the present. Cassandra Cain is reintroduced in to the New 52 canon in this series.

Batman Rebirth (ongoing)

Current Batman title

Previously posted on @filthy-vigilantes

[viciousapathy]

( lesley-ann brandt . cis woman . she/hers ) ➶ DID YOU SEE THEM ?! they’re finally back as a SPECTATOR , and you know they’re one of my favourites ! it’s JOHANNA MASON , the FORTY ONE year old WINNER of the SEVENTY-FIRST hunger games! i’m just so excited to see them returning to the capitol all the way from district SEVEN ! they won their games using AN AXE / DECEPTION so their tributes will no doubt be desperate for their wisdom. the capitol just loved them for being so CALCULATED , even if they have been known to be VICIOUS at times. they DON’T have a tribute in this years games . ( character IS part of the uprising )

Name: Johanna Mason. Age: 41. Gender, Pronouns & Sexuality: Cis Woman, She/Hers, Demisexual. District: Seven. Affiliation: The Resistance. Job position: Former mentor, currently a simple lumberjack. Skills: Strength, endurance, and agility attributed to her life’s work in district 7. Limitless rage, honestly. Relationship status: Single. Family: All deceased. Don’t mention them. Children: None, she had her tubes tied shortly after her victory. Positive traits: Challenging, efficient, honest, loyal, resourceful. Negative traits: Aggressive, deceptive, dominating, stubborn, unhinged. Character Comparisons: Selina Kyle (Gotham), John Murphy (The 100), Billy Butcher (The Boys), John Bender (The Breakfast Club), Anakin Skywalker (Revenge of the Sith), Bellatrix LeStrange (Harry Potter), April Ludgate (Parks & Rec), Octavia Blake (The 100).

— BIOGRAPHY —

All of the pieces of Johanna Mason’s life that anyone would be interested in have already been telecasted live to the districts and Capitol. It’s a fact she’d rather not relive in any sense of the word, but is routinely reminded thereof.

She was always a rough child ---around the edges, in personality. Growing up in a family full of brothers did that to her. Five older brothers, one younger ... the only girl. They teased her as if she were one of them, and showed her the way of being a Mason.

Climbing trees, playing tag after work, or hide and seek. Johanna was taught to carry and swing an axe almost as soon as she could walk ---put to purpose to help feed the large family she’d been born into. Her bond with her siblings was strong, unbreakable. Life was much simpler when she was younger and couldn’t quite grasp the dangers of living in an outlying district.

Somehow her brothers had avoided the reaping. Johanna almost made it herself ---a late seventeen, budding eighteen when she was reaped. Her siblings couldn’t do anything to help (not that she expected they would) and her parents wept for the assumed loss of their only daughter.

She spent a good portion of her time quiet. Silently seething at the circumstances she’d been played into, angry at the smallest of things. Her stylist for his ridiculous taste, her escort for being overly bubbly about the death of a child (that’s what it was, wasn’t it?), her mentor for attempting to ease her into reality. They all saw her as a weak little girl, thin and wiry, so she let them. Johanna barely scored a 3 in her personal session, and even the careers didn’t believe she was worth the effort. She’d likely die to exposure ... or maybe fall on something and kill herself.

Three days before the games Johanna celebrated her 18th birthday alone. She told nobody.

And she took everyone by surprise. Nothing worth watching for the longest stretch of the 71st Annual Hunger Games, until it came down to the last handful of tributes. The games ended swiftly when she played her hand: vicious, strong, capable. Johanna showed no mercy at all in her methods. Putting an axe in her hands, assuming she was just a weak little girl had been their largest mistake.

Peace did not last long. She hadn’t made it to her victory tour before she was propositioned. The Capitol wanted her ---citizens wanted a piece of someone so malicious, but Johanna refused. In an attempt to call their bluff, she denied becoming a toy of the citizens. Her family was killed for it.

Just like that. Six brothers. Sisters-in-law. Nieces. Nephews. Parents. Gone, because of defiance. Gone, because she’d underestimated the Capitol, Snow, the way everyone underestimated her. And it only made her more angry.

For 9 years she served as mentor, passing the torch along to Mina DeWitt after her victory. In Mina Johanna placed all of her rage. In Mina Johanna placed all of her desire to lash out and cause harm she knew she otherwise couldn’t. And with Mina’s victory Johanna retired, disappearing into the woods of District 7.

She doesn’t remember who approached her about joining the Uprising. Someone who recognized that rage, that anger, the hurt. Someone who knew it could be weaponized and put to use. Someone who knew she was a weapon, a sharp axe requiring something to sever. Johanna will never thank them, but that purpose is the only thing keeping her from falling into nasty habits, to numb herself from the guilt.

— SMALL FACTS —

Her home in the Victor’s Village is filled with mementos of her family. Every single decoration, even the clutter, is something from them. The jackets she wears are cycled between brothers. Her axe is her father’s. The flannel blankets her youngest brother’s. She lives in their memory as a means to remind herself that she is the reason they’re dead.

Johanna had her tubes tied shortly after her Victory, after she had been propositioned by the Capitol. If it had ever come to it, if they ever forced her into it, she refused to carry a child ---someone to be possibly reaped in the future and used. Now that these games are drawing upon a pool of relatives to the Victors, she’s silently thankful for that decision. Besides, she stands she’d be a horrible mother.

Don’t speak to her about her games unless she mentions it first. Never speak to her about her family. It’s a great way to lose a limb.

— WANTED PLOTS —

the person who recruited her into the uprising

perhaps a romance? it’ ain’t gonna be easy, godspeed (any gender welcome).

[plasticnightmaredoll]

I’m still working on the NSFW Alphabet for Enigma/Edward Nashton/Riddler-Before-He-Was-Riddler from “Arkham Origins,” and it’s going to take some time because of my work schedule being the PITA that it is...

However, I do have some snippets of an Arkham Knight!Riddler x female!Reader fic I’ve been working on here and there over the last few weeks. 

Now, these are not beta-read, so there may be some mistakes, and some things might change or be added or rearranged, etc. when I do get around to proof-reading the complete fic, but the basic idea of each snippet won’t change from here on to the finished product. 

The general concept behind this fic is what would it take for AK!Riddler to, well, get his shit together? We all know how he started out as a snack -- or more accurately, a damn MEAL:

then became a...well, a hot mess (still adorable, though):

Possibly having someone in his life who actually appreciates him and shows him some affection could get him to clean himself up? Because we all know this boy is most likely touch-starved and would probably cry if someone was actually sweet to him, and he’d probably do whatever he could to be as presentable as possible to keep them around -- anything to keep them from vanishing from his life and leaving him all alone and unwanted again.

Anyway, here are the three (non-beta’d!) snippets from the fic:

Snippet 1:

Initially, Edward told himself it was for his own good. He was Gotham’s one true genius so why shouldn’t he take better care of himself? Cloning was not possible, nor was there any way to transfer the human consciousness into a machine. All of this meant there was only ONE Edward Nigma, and he deserved to look and feel his absolute best. 

Besides, he thought it was yet another way to one-up anyone who opposed him. Yes, of course he could look just as put together as anyone else -- or better. He was superior in every possible way after all.

It had all started with a comment from Selina as she was leaving to take care of the job Edward had assigned to her.

“You know, Eddie,” she said, turning to look at him over her shoulder. “Ladies like men who don’t smell like a car repair shop.”

With that, she was gone and Edward was, at first, not even registering what she had said to him. But it did creep into his thoughts faster than he would have liked, and he analyzed every piece of it. Why would Selina say such a thing? Then again, most people said pointless -- or more accurately, stupid -- things. Normally, he would have disregarded and forgot about it as he went about his work, but it nagged at him like a mathematical equation without a proper solution.

Taking a break from working on some new Riddlerbots, Edward went to the bathroom to locate anything he had on hand to take care of the headache he was currently dealing with. He found a bottle of Aspirin in the medicine cabinet, but when he closed the door, he stared at his reflection for a moment (When was the last time he’d given himself a proper glance in a mirror?)

As Edward took the Aspirin, he remembered Y/N was coming to see him that day -- soon, actually. Perhaps a shower would be a good idea? She would probably appreciate it if he didn’t smell like a car repair shop. And he probably would feel better being clean. Could help him think a little more clearly.

As he showered, Edward told himself this was primarily for his benefit and he wasn’t trying to impress Y/N -- or anyone for that matter. Deep down, though, he knew this was part of something he didn’t quite understand, something dealing with Y/N, something he hadn’t experienced before. That part of him was too afraid at that time to come forth and propose an answer to this dilemma. This was unfamiliar territory, something that wasn’t logical or scientific but emotional and...no, that “strange” part of him needed to stay quiet if he wanted to keep his thoughts together.

This was nothing. Nothing was going on. Everything was normal. And no, Edward didn’t feel relieved when Y/N complimented him on his appearance upon arriving. Taking a shower and putting on nice, clean clothes had nothing to do with gaining her approval. He did it for himself, to give himself a “refresh” before getting back to work. He wasn’t aiming to please or impress anyone, remember? Not even Y/N.

Especially not Y/N.

Or so he thought.

Snippet 2:

Something was different when Edward put someone else before anything of his, namely his work. Had it been anyone else, he’d have tossed a bunch of insults and told them never to bother helping him again. 

However, with Y/N, it was completely different -- and he didn’t even realize it at first.

She was carrying a box of mechanical parts to bring to Edward to aid in constructing new robots, and he had warned her to be careful, to not overload the box or it would be too heavy for her. While carrying the box of gears, wires, and metal bits, she tripped over her own feet and fell forward. The box toppled over onto the floor, spilling the contents everywhere, and she collapsed on her left forearm and knee.

“I told you to be careful!” Edward growled as he rushed over.

“I’m sorry!” Y/N said, pushing herself up and looking at the mess. “I don’t think I broke anything--”

“Let me be the judge of that.”

Y/N fully expected Edward to examine the scattered parts to see if they had sustained any damage but he went right by them. Kneeling down beside her, he gently took her left arm and briefly studied the scratched skin. 

“I don’t think it’s broken,” Edward said as he carefully felt her forearm and elbow. “And your knee….”

“I think it’s ok,” Y/N said as she moved to sit. “It hurts, though.”

Edward placard his hands on Y/N’s left knee, feeling around and noting how she winced several times. 

“Not broken,” he said. “But most certainly will be sore and bruised for a while. Here…let’s get you up.”

Edward let Y/N put an arm around him to steady her as he helped her to stand. Of course, her left knee ached far too much for her to walk on her own, so he continued to guide her to the bathroom.

“I’m sorry about the stuff,” Y/N said, looking and sounding as guilty as she felt.

“Don’t worry about it,” Edward said absent-mindedly as he located some clean bandages and antiseptic cream. “Most of it probably won’t even be needed for what I’m doing now, and I can always acquire more. In fact...I have more in storage.”

Edward turned on the faucet and tested the water until it was comfortably warm, then he gingerly took Y/N’s left arm and began cleaning it with soap. It stung a little but she tolerated it, studying his highly focused expression and wondering if this was even happening? He truly wasn’t upset that she dropped the box of bits and pieces? She just couldn’t wrap her head around it, and doubted that anyone would believe her without proof.

Edward dried Y/N’s arm with a clean towel before tossing it in the trash. After applying some antiseptic cream to a strip of bandage, he proceeded to wrap it around her arm, covering the wound. 

“There…” Edward said, admiring his handiwork. “How does that feel?

“Good,” Y/N said.

“Now for your, uh, knee.” Edward swallowed, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. “It...doesn’t appear to be bleeding so...I think we can just put, um, ice on it. Unless you think it needs to be looked at?”

“No, I think it’s fine. Ice is fine. Thank you.”

Edward nodded before clearing his throat and reaching out to Y/N.

“Come,” he said. “Let me help you to the couch.”

Snippet 3:

“Ok, who are you and what did you do with Eddie?” asked Selina as she looked Edward over incredulously.

It appeared that Edward finally got his shit together and was taking care of himself. Not only was he free of grime and grease, he was dressed in rather impressive attire: black dress shirt, green gloves, green trousers, and dark brown boots. Even his hair was cut and styled differently as it was shorter with subtle layering, the offset part causing bangs to fall over most of his forehead and just above his brows. 

Another noteworthy change was Edward’s weight. Instead of surviving on snacks and coffee, he must have been eating actual food again as he was no longer skin and bones. Actually, he looked a little bit...toned? Was he back to his old routine of perfectly planned, ultra-healthy, balanced meals coupled with a decent amount of exercise? Selina remembered he used to get up early in the and exercise almost right away most days of the week. It helped him “get focused” before even having coffee, he had said.

“What are you going on about?” Edward asked in an agitated tone. “Nevermind. It’s nonsense anyway.”

“Personality is still the same,” Selina muttered as she followed Edward to a workbench.

Once he was done explaining in excessive, almost condescending detail the particulars of the items she needed to steal for him, she decided to ask some questions.

“So, tell me, Eddie,” Selina began, turning to him. “What inspired you to finally start looking like a professional criminal mastermind as opposed to an overworked grease monkey?”

“Not that it’s any of your business,” Edward said, before clearing his throat and straightening, a smug smile on his face. “I came to the long overdue conclusion that, as Gotham’s one true genius and Batman’s superior, I should look after myself and be presentable. What’s on the outside should reflect what’s going on inside, so to speak. I mean, what a waste of a brilliant mind such as mine to live in a body akin to a starving, filthy rat scurrying about in the sewers?”

“So you are basically telling me you did this for yourself,” Selina said resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Edward’s narcissistic ramblings. “Are you sure you didn’t do this for any other reason?”

“Like what?” Edward asked, clearly puzzled by such a question.

“Hmm...well, let me ask this: Has Y/N seen your ‘transformed’ self?”

Selina noted how Edward’s blue eyes lit up upon hearing Y/N’s name, and suddenly, his obnoxious personality changed to a much more amiable one.

“She likes it,” Edward said with a bright smile. “Her compliments about my appearance go hand in hand with her compliments about my genius. It’s wonderful having someone around who actually appreciates my existence.”

“I take it that her approval means a lot to you then?”

“Of course! Considering she’s the only person who treats me with respect, I think she deserves the privilege of having me listen to, accept, and sometimes take her advice.”

Selina smirked as she had received the answer to her question.

“Well then, I must be going, Eddie,” she said as she turned to leave. “I’ll get you what you requested in no time.”

“Yes, please do,” Edward said sternly, going back to his arrogant tone. “My request should be of the utmost importance compared to whoever else you’re working with at the moment.”

“Yes, yes, Eddie, of course. Bye!”