#so...why was he fine with not being part of Damian's life for so long?

[wesavegotham]

I had kind of erased the fact from my mind that for a time in the Snyder Justice League run Bruce took care of a little Starro, dressed him up as a Robin and cared for him like he was a son while he also apparently couldn't be bothered to get off his ass and check in on where the hell Damian was and what he was doing for pretty much a year of Damian's life.

[luludeluluramblings]

Smalltown!Neglected!Meta!Reader x Yandere!Batfam ☁️ Part Two

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

Part One ☁️ Part Three ☁️ Part Four ☁️ Part Five ☁️ Part Six ☁️ Part Seven ☁️ Part Eight

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

A/N: Still establishing some more lore and feelings. Currently, the Batfamily has two yanderes. With more yandere’s being revealed outside of Gotham and some in Gotham about to start falling into obsession. Also, my favorite Reader is one who is manipulated into thinking the collar around their neck is a necklace. Will be working on Part Three, but it might take longer because we have obsessions starting and Reader starting to get to a breaking point.

Warning(s): Yandere themes, Obsessive behavior

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

Poor Reader has it rough. Not too rough, but still life kinda sucks and they wanna go home now, please and thank you.

But, as always, things start to brighten up a notch or two.

Reader is thriving at school, sure they can’t hang out with their friends, but their friends understand (which honestly kinda odd, but they’ll roll with it)

There is a small issue.

Reader is a metahuman. (I know, shocking. So unique.)

Reader controls the weather, at will or with extreme emotions (oooooo interesting)

Back in their hometown, Reader didn’t have to hide said abilities that much. (Hell, more than a few people knew about it. Such an understanding community.)

Here in Gotham, in a practical stranger’s house, they’re not gonna to that.

Which is fine. Fine fine fine

Okay, so Reader is tense. Doesn’t have a healthy outlet, and is bottling things up. So that storms brewing. Gonna be fun when that comes back to bite Reader in the ass.

But, things are looking up. (I swear this time!)

Duke and Cass are hanging out with Reader more. They’re sorta becoming a trio of amigos.

Though, they do disappear often. For long periods of time.

Reader is pretty sure Bruce is Batman, at this point.

They’re not stupid, it’s in their damn genetics to be somewhat intelligent, so to speak.

But, no one actually tells reader. It’s lead to some awkward situations of them going silent when Reader enters the room, or the manor being unusually empty after everyone went to the ‘library’.

(Smalltown doesn’t mean stupid, bunch of jerks.)

It just makes reader feel even less like they’re part of the family. Even Alfred disappears for a time, leaving Reader completely alone with nothing, but portraits and old wood furniture.

No one says anything. No one mentions a single thing. (Am I not worthy of the secret? Why did you drag me here only to ignore me?)

Bruce continue to bounce between ignoring and coddling. Yet gets upset if Reader does the same. (Making them anxious.)

Dick pops back in, immediately showering Reader and excessive amounts of affection before shooing them off cause he’s gotta take care of somethings. (It makes reader feel like a pet in a degrading way.)

Jason gets caught harassing Reader by Alfred. Which leads to a screaming match between Jason and Bruce. It’s a violent one, but Alfred drags Reader out of the room before they can see. (But they hear things breaking and It’s terrifying.)

After that, Reader is extremely cautious around Jason. Which for some reason makes him angry and more violent. (Why does he hate me? This is scary.)

Stephanie starts to come around. Slowly. They’re getting there. (Stephanie still prefers to hangout with Tim and Tim…)

Tim ignores Reader the most. Will not talk to Reader at all. Which sucks because Teader thinks they would total get along. (But, nope. All they get is the cold shoulder.)

Reader just avoids Damian like the plague.

Reader talks more often to her other half-brother living miles away than the one she’s currently living with. (That’s gonna piss Damian off later)

While Barbara remains cordial.

Life is moving on. We’re good. Everything’s good.

Wait? Gotham Academy is having its own student Gala? That sounds amazing! Getting dolled up, having a night with friends. Maybe…. Having a date escort them….

And the best part is, Bruce says Reader can go.

Now, Cass and Duke and Damian won’t be going. Which is a bummer, but Reader understands.

Bruce even buys reader something to wear.

An obnoxious designer outfit. (A couture ruffle monstrosity that’s all the rage on the runway.)

It’s so terrible you have to laugh. (Just to hide how upsetting it is that no one actually knows what you like here or bothers to ask.)

Reader even shows Stephanie and they share a laugh. (It’s great. Reader needed that laugh.)

But, there’s no way Reader is going to wear this. So, Reader calls their childhood friend and favorite fashion designer.

Commissioning a more mature outfit. (Reader is almost grown, time to take a break from the ruffles and embrace the sexy.)

BFF comes through and then a week later someone shows up at Wayne Manor. (Damn that was fast.)

Someone from Reader’s hometown, and this starts to set things in motion.

BFF’s older brother, Reader’s childhood crush, shows up holding a dress and driving Daddy’s old truck. Which he hands Reader the keys too.

Nana and Grand Daddy, the Step Grandparents, wanted to surprise reader with a gift from home. (Remind Reader how much better living in a smalltown is compared to somewhere like Gotham. How much their town adores them and misses them.)

Poor oblivious Reader. Not realizing their smalltown is so desperate to have them back. (Reader was their’s first, they know Reader best.)

Nor how desperate Gotham is going to be to make force reader to stay.

[tsuvvy]

Oh Sister of Mine - Chapter 5

Poison Constriction

Cassandra explores her feelings of having a new little sibling while the others work to get information on where the seemingly invisible father might be. Instead, they find someone heavily involved in this situation and discover a disgusting truth.

Warning: Talk of a controlling serum being put into y/ns blood, mentions of bruising and blood, the poison serum has been an idea cultivating in my mind for awhile, pls just let it cook 😥

Word Count: 3.4k

“Miss Cassandra,” Said woman turned around, seeing Alfred with a tray of little sandwiches. No doubt for you. “While I have you here, Master Bruce asked to see you. He is paying the garden a visit, he asked that if I should see you I should invite you for him.”

“Oh..” Cassandra’s lips parted in a small surprise. Bruce wanted to see her? Why? “Okay, thank you Alfred.” She gave the man a soft thankful smile.

Alfred returned the smile with a gentle one of his own. But before he could walk away, Cassandra spoke up.

“He didn’t say why, did he?” She asked abruptly.

“I am afraid not,” His soft smile turned a bit apologetic.

“Alright, that’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Thank you again.” Alfred gave her a nod before walking away.

Cassandra stayed where she was for a moment, watching as Alfred walked down the hall with the tray still in hand. She might have needed a moment to build up the courage to go speak to Bruce, or maybe she needed to come up with what she would say to the man. Either way, her nerves were aflame before and while she made her way to the garden where Alfred said Bruce was.

She spotted him on a bench. He was calmly sitting still, almost mistakable for a statue.

Bruce looked at Cassandra, an uncharacteristic subtle smile reaching his lips at the sight of her. It was odd, even if it was common. Bruce saved that smile for only those he cared for deeply. His adoptive children and Alfred getting it most often. Though it was still rare, especially for someone like Jason who made it his own part time job annoying and angering the man. Dying and coming back to life sure didn’t change that habit, if anything it made it worse.

“Cass,” Bruce called out, pulling her out of her thoughts, “Sit.” He didn’t need to gesture to the empty spot next to him.

Cassandra listened. She moved to sit next to the man.

The two sat in silence for a while; silently watching over the flowers and listening to the soft wind and how it would shake the branches of the trees.

“How are you feeling?” Bruce asked abruptly. Cassandra looked at him, staying silent for a second.

“I’m okay..” Her voice was soft as she looked to the ground.

Bruce nodded slightly at her comment. “But that isn’t true, is it?” He looked down at her, his subtle smile gone now. It was never a luxury anyone close to him could ever witness for a very long time. You had to savor it for the small amount of time it was there.

Cassandra didn’t say anything to his comment. He already knew her lies were just that, lies.

“How are you feeling about everything?” He asked instead.

Cassandra thought about his question for a second. “I don’t really know how to feel.”

“Understandable.” Bruce responded.

The two sat in silence for a little while.

“Y/n,” She looked up at him, and he looked back, confusion written subtly on his stoic face, “Their name.” Cassandra clarified. She saw his eyes widen slightly, “Their name is Y/n.”

“When did they tell you this?” He asked.

“They got out of the room, they picked the lock when Damian wasn’t there,” She told him while turning back to look out at the flowers and delicately crafted and cut bushes. “They weren’t looking for a fight, pretty much all we did was.. Talk,” She shrugged her shoulders lightly, “They asked why I’d left David, and…” She paused.

Bruce gave her a second before pressing her to continue, “and?”

“And they.. I told them they were safe. They didn’t know what it meant. So I. I taught them what the word safe means. And they told me their name.

Bruce nodded his head lightly, turning to look at the flowers and bushes himself.

“That's a start, they’re starting to trust you and Damian a bit, however surprising it may be.” Bruce said. He lifted up a hand and gently placed it on Cassandra’s head. “You did good, Cassandra.”

Her eyes widened at the contact and the praise. In a sense, she was still a lot like you. No matter how long she’s been with Bruce and the Batfamily, she might not ever get truly used to being in a healthy environment. Not fully, anyway.

“Bruce…” Her voice was soft. He didn’t do anything to tell her he acknowledged his name slipping from her lips, but she knew he was listening. “I don’t..” She hesitated, “I don’t know how to be a big sister..”

Silence overtook the two, apart from the gentle wind rustling the nature around them.

“It’s not something you can just know, Cassandra.” He told her. Cassandra didn’t respond to that.

A silence once again overtook the two.

“There's this feeling in my gut, like a weed growing in it.” Cassandra abruptly spoke through the silence.

“What do you mean?” Bruce asked.

“What do you mean you haven’t seen him for a year!?” Jason yelled.

“Red Hood calm down!” Kate yelled at him.

The two were at Ace Chemicals in their vigilante suits. They hadn’t expected to find someone that has been involved with David in the past.

“I mean exactly that!” The guy yelled, a desperation in his voice as the Red Hood shook him by the collar of his shirt. After his statement, the vigilante dropped him and he fell to the ground.

The man rubbed his neck, trying to soothe the pain of how his shirt was so tightly held.

“Do you know what happened to him?” Kate, or Batwoman, asked him.

“No, he just straight up vanished,” the guy said.

Batwoman looked to Red Hood who had taken a few steps back.

“Mind if we look around?” Batwoman looked back at the man.

“N-No! Go ahead!” He quickly answered, almost fearful of what either vigilante might do to him if he said he did actually mind.

“Great,” Batwoman answered, “Glad you don’t.” She commented, an amused smirk on her face as she moved past him.

She started looking around; not that she had anywhere to specifically start.

And for the first about 14 minutes, nothing was found by either vigilante.

“This place has nothing,” Jason said, making sure to keep the man he was once interrogating in his view.

“It’s gotta have something,” Batwoman sighed, looking behind a few tubs of chemicals. She hadn’t met you yet. All she knew about you was pretty much the extent of what everyone else minus Cass knew.

Red Hood crossed his arms, huffing in annoyance as he looked at a few jars on some random desk. They looked poisonous. Probably gas too. One wiff would probably kill you.

“I’m gonna check further in,” Batwoman said, coming back out from behind the tubs of chemicals she had found nothing out of the ordinary behind. “Stay with him,” She told Red Hood.

“Yeah, alright,” He said.

Batwoman began walking into a back area of Ace Chemicals. There was a door into one room and then stairs leading upward to a few more rooms that were all next to each other.

She decided to go into the room on the bottom first.

Batwoman cautiously turned the rusty old knob, keeping her guard up. Ace Chemicals is known for criminal activity, I mean, it’s quite literally the birth place of Harley Quinn. It’s where Joker had pushed her into that vatt of chemicals all those years ago. You had to expect anything in this place.

“Ugh,” Batwoman cringed, bringing a hand to her nose, “Jeez, it smells like three month old eggs in here.”

She stepped into the room, keeping a hand over her nose as she began to look around.

There was really nothing to note in the room. It was obviously some type of hang out area no one had been in in probably years. A lounging couch that stank of rat poop and an assortment of other things that were just rotting under the cusions. Then there was a counter with a sink. One that had piles of dirty dishes in it. She had found a few rats licking off the plates; she didn’t bother them, but she did cringe. Then the fridge. She didn’t even want to open the thing. She could already tell that’s where the smell was coming from. And sure enough, inside the fridge was a variety of disgusting, old, moldy, and rotted food inside.

“Don’t think Kelsey is gonna want this muffin anymore,” Batwoman commented, looking at the container with a chocolate chip muffin inside and branded with the name Kelsey on the lid of the container. It was all moldy and gross.

“Blegh,” Batwoman gagged, closing the fridge with her foot.

She looked in the old wooden cabinets, behind and under the tables. Everywhere she looked, nothing but rats and their feces and disgusting bugs were found.

“Well that was a waste,” She grumbled as she walked out of that room, closing the door behind her. Now it was time to look in the two rooms upstairs.

Batwoman walked up the stairs, deciding to go to the first room. She read the plate next to the door that read, ‘lab room.’

“This should be fun,” She sighed, opening the door and cautiously peeking in and looking around. From first glance, there didn’t look to be anything in here of note. “This better not be a waste of time,” She grumbled as she stepped in.

“Alright, I brought a new kind of food this time.” Damian said as he entered the room.

You hadn't turned to look at him from where you sat kneeled on the floor, your head resting on your arms that rested on the window sill.

Damian didn't move, you knew he didn't. There weren't any footsteps coming farther into the room.

“What are you doing?” He asked, and you finally heard him start walking, and soon you heard something being placed on the nightstand.

“Out.” You said, finally turning to look at the boy and raising one of your hands to tap on the window. He was standing staring at you near your nightstand, his hands in his pockets.

“Outside?” He questioned as he finally started moving throughout the room closer to you.

You had turned back to look out the window once more once he was standing at your side.

Damian's gaze rested downward on you. You looked so calm staring out the windows. Though your blank face looked as if you were displeased, he knew you weren't. He was the same way with his own blank face.

“What that?” He was pulled out of his thoughts by your voice. He looked at what you were looking out the window at.

Your pointer finger which rested against the window pointed towards two creatures in the air, gracefully maneuvering through the gentle breeze.

“Birds,” Damian said bluntly. “They’re birds.”

You looked up at the boy, “Bi..” You paused, unsure of if you were going to say it correctly or not.

“Birds.” He said one more time. “They’re flying.”

“Bird.” You finally attempted.

“Mhm,” he nodded.

You looked out the window once more. Watching the birds fly through the air. “Want that.” You said.

“Want that?” Damian repeated in the form of a question.

You nodded, “Want that.” You pointed to the bird.

Damian wasn’t quite sure if you meant you wanted a bird or if you wanted what the birds had. Freedom.

“Bird is…” You paused, watching the bird in awe.

“Pretty?” Damian questioned after a few seconds of silence. You nodded.

“Yeah..” He agreed softly, looking away from you and out the window at the birds again. “They are.”

“Dami.” His eyes widened a bit and he looked down at you again. Dami? Dami..? You were looking up at him, your face a blank one like his.

“Yeah..?” He managed to ask.

You pointed to the free spot on the floor next to you. “Sit.” You told him. Not in a commanding way like most would hear from your tone. He knew you didn’t mean it like that.

He listened and sat down on the floor next to you.

For you to actually invite him to sit next to you, and so close, was honestly a big step. He noticed you’d opened up a bit quickly with him, but he assumed it was because of the age difference between the two of you. There wasn’t really a big one.

“Dad..” You said softly. He looked to you, waiting to see where you would go with this, “You hate him.” It was more of a statement than a question. You didn’t look at him. You had rested your chin back down on your arms that rested on the window sill.

Damian stayed quiet, keeping his gaze on you for a moment before letting it drop down to the surface of the window sill and then out the window. “Yeah.” He answered. Though he knew you already knew that. “I do.”

A quiet fell over the room. The two of you staring out the window.

“He scares me…” You admitted.

He looked at you. Your expression, still blank, had grown a bit more solemn. Like a little puppy that had just been yelled at or hit for just trying to get love or have a bit of fun. It broke him to see you like this. So young and yet already so broken and wounded.

“Ugh,” Batwoman groaned as she walked out of the room she had just been looking in. “Theres nothing in this disgusting dump..” She grumbled, looking down at all of the chemical pits and barrels that Ace Chemicals held. “I doubt there’s anything actually here all these chemicals haven’t hidden.” She sighed, now making her way down the stares and back the way she came.

“Oh, don’t give me that crap!” Red Hood exclaimed. Batwoman started walking a bit faster, hoping to get there before he would probably kill the guy the two found.

“Please, please,” The man cried desperately, “The guy is going to kill me!”

Batwoman was met with a familiar scene. Red Hood holding the man in the air the collar of his shirt. But this time, the man’s face was bloodied. Blood ran down from his nose, he had a busted lip that was bleeding, and an array of cuts on his face.

“Red Hood!” Batwoman yelled, “What the hell are you doing!?”

“Tell me!” Red Hood yelled, shaking the man within the air. Tears were bubbling in the guy’s eyes.

“He.. He’ll kill me!” The man repeated. Red Hood scoffed.

“And if you don’t tell me what the hell you know, I’ll kill you!” He told the man, his red helmet growing an eary and angry sense to it.

“Fine! Fine!” The man screamed, his legs flailing around in the air, “Please, I’ll tell you! Just put me down!”

“Red Hood put him down!” Batwoman demanded.

Jason dropped the man, letting him fall to floor with a thud.

“Well,” Red Hood demanded himself, looking down at the man on the floor, “Go on!”

The man winced at his commanding and angry tone, “The guy you’re looking for. Cain or whatever.” His voice was shaking in fear, and he was looking down at the floor in shame. Of himself, or maybe something else. “He came here a few months ago after his disappearance. Vanished for about 3 months, came to me. He had some..” He sounded unsure. “He was asking for some weird stuff,” he shrugged his shoulders lightly, “Said he needed it for some project, I didn’t ask what. But he did have this weird sense of pride to him. One he never usually had.”

“Can you get to the damn point!” Red Hood demanded.

“Hey,” Batwoman said sternly, “Let him speak.”

The man recieved a nod from Batwoman, telling him to go on. “Cain wanted some type of like.. Serum. Said it needed to enhance and quicken the development of metahuman abilities. Then he had a thought to make another serum that would make someone more…” The man paused and sighed loudly, “Hell, I’ll just say it. More easily manipulable.”

Batwoman and Red Hood stood silent for a moment. Batwoman’s lips parted as she took in the information, and her eyes widened behind her domino mask. The two vigilante’s exchanged a glance.

“Hey,” Batwoman started, looking towards the man.

“Y-Yeah?” He looked back, a bit nervous of what might happen to him.

“Do you have any samples or spares of that?” She asked.

The man sat for a second.

“Well!” Jason exclaimed, making the man jump.

“Yes! Yes, I do!” The man scrambled to his feet, walking to a station a little ways away behind some tubs of chemicals with the two vigilantes close behind him.

“Damnit..” The man muttered as he scrounged around in the desk, throwing papers and gadgets sloppily in his hunt for the serum. “Here!” He announced, pulling out a green liquid serum in a small tube. He handed it to Batwoman.

“Not a lot, huh.” She commented, swishing the liquid around in the enclosed tube.

“Sorry,” He apologized, his expression growing a bit solemn, “I tried to save at least a bit, but. The recipe was tricky.” He began to scrounge through the desk once more before pulling out a paper with sloppy handwriting on it. “The ingredients were hard and illegal to get, then the only perfected batch he took immediately. It was hard to even steal that tiny bit out of it.” He handed the paper to Batwoman as well. “That’s the recipe for it.”

“Alright.” She nodded, turning on her heel and beginning to walk away with Red Hood next to her.

Batwoman stopped however, turning to look at the man and Red Hood went ahead, “C’mon (nickname).” She said, gesturing her head for him to follow and speaking like it was the obvious that he come along.

“Huh..?” His brows furrowed.

“Hurry it up!” Batwoman called. “You have vital information about this stupid serum and we can’t have you getting caught by the wrong people.” The man was startled into pace. He began to catch up with the vigilantes, still confused and quite bewildered by what the hell is happening.

“Damn, this just keeps getting messier and messier..” TIm groaned, running a hand along his face and moving it up to run through his hair. He was tired, anyone could tell at a glance. “Alright, give it here.” He spoke, putting a hand out to take the serum from Batwoman. “Who’s the straggler?” He asked as he got up and walked towards a machine.

“Hm,” Batwoman turned to look over her shoulder at the man.

“Um.. My name is Sullivan Bishop.” He answered her unsaid question.

“He’s got connections with Cain. Helped him make the serum.” She said as she crossed her arms, watching Tim carefully pour the bit of serum into a compartment of the machine and clicking a few buttons. Soon, it started up and started analyzing the liquid.

“Do you know what he used the serum for?” Sullivan asked. Everyone was silent. Sullivan visibly curled in on himself in defeat. He was terrified. He was in the batcave, surely not going to be let out anytime soon. And he was so lost. He had no clue what was happening. He’d never wanted to get involved with Cain to begin with. He knew he was shady, knew that Cain would get him in trouble. But this? This serum that was testing positive for countless things on the Batcomputer. This serum that could be considered a poison.

This was beyond anything shady he’d heard or expected from Cain. Whatever he used this serum for was downright psychotic.

Tim stared up at the computer, honestly at a loss for words.

“What the hell did you use?” Tim’s voice was breathless. But the look he gave to Sullivan sent chills down the man’s spine. “Toluene, lead..” His voice trailed off. “No wonder the kid was so set in killing Cassandra. This serum makes it so she can’t think for herself.”

“What the hell..” Red Hood’s voice trailed off.

“We can only imagine how long this was being administered into her blood stream.” Tim finished.

“I..” Sullivan’s eyes bubbled with tears, his voice breaking. “I didn’t know.. I… I didn’t know what he would use it for. I… Please I. I didn’t know..” He was rambling.

“You didn’t know?” Jason questioned, his tone growing angry and threatening.

“N.. No. No I didn’t I promise!!” Sullivan’s waorks were jumblings up as they tumbled from his mouth in fear of what Red Hood might do.

“Red Hood!” Batwoman stopped him from walking toward the shaking man with a hand on his chest, “Take a walk.” She made eye contact with him through his helmet when she ordered him.

<- Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ->

@redh00dsbf @02006 @shikanosn @rainnyydaysworld @notsaelty

[confused-wanderer]

How would Jason react, or even know about Bruce nearly killing the joker?

He doesn’t hear it from Damian, Dick nor Barbara. It’s only when a few years have passed and relations between Bruce and him slowly start cooling that he starts being able to return to the Manor more often without feeling pangs of guilt, longing, nostalgia and overall the Lazarus Pit screaming to be let out.

However, he isn’t dumb. Whenever he complains to Tim about how Tim’s been treated better and loved more than he was, he’s quick to notice how Tim’s jaw tenses, with fingers spastic as if they wanted to curl into fists. Nor does he miss what Tim whispers under his breath twenty minutes later.

If only you knew..

Bruce keeps trying to make amends, tries engaging with him face to face before a few bullets got the message across and he retreated. But Jason could still feel him waiting, hovering, for the signal to light up and let him know he was needed.

He could go to hell though.. Every single time he looked at Bruce he felt safe, followed by fierce anger burning through his veins. He hated that he felt at ease when Bruce entered. Hated that he almost fell back into their old banter. Hated that he missed him. Hated that he still trusted him.

Hated that he still loved him.

One night, after giving Bruce the cold shoulder the entire time and watching in satisfaction as Bruce’s shoulder slumped in defeat, he felt the sudden need to comfort him. He’s the batman, he chided himself. If he could get over your death, he can get over this.

Standing out on the balcony, he never spoke to the presence already there.

“Master Jason..”

“Hey Alfred, it’s pretty cold out you sure you’d be fine?”

“I’ve faced worse winters.”

Jason sighed. That old man always had an air of expectancy around him, just like when he was robin, like a mother waiting for their child to tell them what they did wrong.

“What do you want?”

“I want to know what the bloody hell you think you’re doing?”

That caught Jason’s attention. Hatred and stoic ness quickly melted and all he could do was stare at him in shock.

“Why are you tormenting him?”

“Are you fucking kidding me??-“ “Language master Jason.”

“Alfred. You were there.”

“There was nothing master Bruce could do to save you-”

“I DONT CARE ABOUT THAT ALFRED! He-“

Shoulders slumped, he looked down.

“He replaced me.” Jason whispered. “He didn’t even wait till my body was cold he just fucking went ahead and replaced me. Even after knowing I died, he still put another child in that suit, MY suit! And then, HE DIDNT EVEN AVENGE ME!! He just took Joker back to Arkham, which is basically just like a vacation for him, and LEFT. After all these-”

A shivering cold current of electricity ran through his body and he could feel the Lazarus Pit rising, making his body grow colder by the second.

“After all this time.. he never did anything.” Jason muttered. “So yeah, not only was knowing I was dead for four years a slap to the face.. but to come back home to find another kid in my room and business as usual? As if I never existed? That just made me realise I didn’t matter.”

CLINK

The tea cup in Alfred’s hands was shaking, and a wave of concern overtook Jason. He was about to reach a hand out to steady it when Alfred put the cup down, sighed and looked at the moon.

“Master Bruce never gave Robin to Tim. I did.”

“.. Come again?”

“I gave it to him myself. After you died.. he was a shell of himself. He started pushing himself more, brutalising criminals to the point of hospitalisation. After you died.. a big part of him did too. He refused to be around people, friends, to be happy, to eat. He was punishing himself for your death by refusing to live. And I never forgot you either my boy.. Every night for months I stood by the windows, staying awake and looking outside..hoping to catch a glimpse of you. For the first time in my life I prayed for you to be beaten and bruised, but alive. Locked myself in your room, in your memories, as if standing over your bed was guarding you even in death..Master Bruce missed you so much he played tapes of your missions, just to hear your laugh.”

The older man shook his head and refused to look at him.

“He rejected Tim, but I couldn’t watch him destroy himself. I’d already lost one son..” Alfred paused, looking at Jason with such fondness and pain. “ I wasn’t going to lose another.”

A long pause lingered in the air, and Jason could hear his heart racing as it processed what he’d heard.

“As for Joker,” Jason looked up, and saw the most terrifying scowl he’d ever seen before, with eyes filled with hatred and a craving for retribution.

“Jason Bruce almost killed him too. Like you said, I was there. I was always there. He had chas- hunted Joker down, torturing him slowly and violently until the air was thick with his screams. How every bone was shattered, with so much blood you couldn’t even tell the tiles underneath were white.”

Alfred closed his eyes, and Jason couldn’t help feel that though he was remembering the scene, he was also reveling in it. “His body shattered, smile gone replaced with pain and the howls of misery that he emitted that night.. alas-”

“He didn’t kill him.”

Alfred’s eyes bore into his, and reflected the darkness of the shimmering sky.

“You’re not hearing me. He damn well nearly did. There are things worse than death in this world and Bruce made sure to make Joker feel every single.one. But Superman.. heard him. He heard the roars of fury and grief, and stopped him. All while Bruce stood over the broken body of what once was human. All while muttering your name over and over again, like it was a prayer that kept him grounded. With every hit he took, with every ounce of pain he delivered, he did it with your name on his lips.”

They both just stood there.. shadows in fading moonlight as the noises of life started waking the world with their song.

“Unfortunately, his voice was recorded on one of those surveillance cameras. Tim wiped it, but we kept one copy.. and though the footage is corrupted, the sound is crystal clear.”

Alfred hesitated, before gently cupping Jason’s hands and placing a cold weight on them.

“I hope you never hear it..my boy. I’d rather you burnt it. But if you want to hear the raw truth.. I wanted you to have proof.”

Sunlight burst through the horizon, and with it came the dawn of a new time.

Jason heard the tape as soon as he left.

And burnt it right after.

Alfred was right.

All he had heard were the guttural cries of a broken man..

A father, grieving for his son.

Jason finding out Dick killed joker post:

[rapz-rites]

Is it alright if i request Batbros finding out Damian has a s/o

But it’s not just any s/o he’s dating his best friend and his partner in vigilante work

Love your work and I hope all is well

Best-friends and Girlfriends

Damian Wayne x Meta!Reader

Why were the Batboys surprised to find out you and Damian were dating? Aren’t they supposed to be great detectives?

A/N: OMG I GOT MY FIRST REQUEST. I HOPE I DO RIGHT BY YOU 😤✊🏾 Sorry it took so long. I had a background story about the reader activating/getting her powers here

Word Count: 2.1K+

Warning: kissing, cockblocking, Damian being a dickhead

-You got into the vigilante business much later than the others

-You were brought to the leagues attention after an accident you accidentally caused (see background story for details)

-You already lived in Gotham so they decided it would be best to work under Batman

-Because you were part psychic and could feel peoples emotions

-In the beginning Batman tried pairing you up with a few of the others to too how you would work

-You were relatively new to your powers, especially your element powers

-You’ve had a tiny bit of experience with people emotions but now that they’ve been fully activated, it overwhelming

-That’s why you had a hard time being paired for patrol

-You didn’t want to be a Bat

-You appreciated Batman taking you under his wing but you could stand having the same logo on your chest as 5 other people

-And each of them had very different personalities

-Jason had too much unreleased aggression

-Dick was a bit too chipper for your taste

-Tim was too jittery from the surplus of coffee and lack of sleep

-Stephanie was fine but she would just have random burst of emotions that startled you and you couldn’t deal

-You almost fell of a roof with her cause of that

-Cass was also nice but you couldn’t get too comfortable or else you’d end up in a void of nothingness

-That’s how you ended up fall off a roof

-Luckily Batman caught you and had Damián take you home

-You didn’t snap out of it until the next day

-Damian tried his best to avoid you

-He didn’t trust you

-Especially with your ability to read minds

-He thought you would read his mind and use it against him

-But, as a last resort, you two were paired together

-Damian tried to fight it

-“Little D. At least try for her sake. She’s going through a lot with all these unwanted thoughts and feelings”

-Unwanted?

-“Fine, Grayson. I’ll try but I won’t like it ”

-“Thank you”

-When Bruce told you you were going to be on patrol with Damian you were nervous

-When you first got to the manor, you thought he hated you

-I mean… he probably did

-It wasn’t like you were another kid he was trying to adopt

-You parents were very much active in your life

-They sent you to the manor because they thought being with other people and hero’s your age would help

-Though none of the Bats have powers you would still see the other super powered sidekicks often and learn whatever you can from them

-Surprisingly to both you and Damian, patrol went well

-You could feel Damian had a lot of emotions

-But they were quiet

-Like he was hiding them

-Suppressing them

-You would definitely ask him about it later

-After that patrol you went to talk to Damian but he disappeared

-And everytime you tried talking to him about it something keep getting in the way

-Other than that, over the next few months you two got closer

-Since you were new to the whole vigilante scene you let Damian lead

-Which he appreciated

-His siblings usually didn’t let him

-You two would have some nice conversations during patrol even if they were cut short

-Sometimes you two you just hang out in each others presence in the library or you’d watch Damian paint in the art room he had Bruce make

-You both enjoyed each other’s company

-But his thoughts and emotions confused you

-One night you couldn’t sleep

-Both you and Damian were off from patrol that night

-Making your way to Damian’s room, you knocked on the door

-Damian opened the door before looking at you

-“Grayson, what do-”

-He stopped once he saw you

-He was clad in just pj pants

-You we’re wearing a oversized shirt you cut into a crop top and shorts

-“Hi”

-“It’s late. What are you doing?”

-“I'm sorry, did I wake you?”

-“No. I couldn’t sleep”

-He opened the door wider so you could come

-As you walked in you took it upon yourself to look around a bit, not touching anything

-“Cool swords”

-“Thanks”

-You went to sit near the end of his bed, and he sat in the center, resting his back against some pillows and his headboard

-“Why are you here so late?”

-“I wanted to talk to you about your thoughts and emotions”

-Damian wasn’t look at you before, but now he was

-“What about them?”

-You could hear a slight venom in his voice

-“You’re suppressing your emotions and your thoughts are always against each other. ”

-“So what?”

-“I’m just… worried about you. I want to help you”

-“My thoughts and feelings are none of your concern so you can leave now”

-You were a bit hurt by this

-But you tried something

-You moved yourself closer to him

-You put your hand on top of his and had him feel you emotions

-You could tell by the look on his face that he could feel how genuine you were

-“Fine”

-You we’re glad that he allowed you to help him and you face didn’t hide it

-That entire night you helped him

-At the end you couldn’t help but smile

-“What are you smiling about?”

-Damian was confused

-If you saw what he saw you shouldn’t be smiling

-“You think I’m pretty and you want to kiss me again”

-Of course you saw that

-“It late. You should go to sleep”

-“Wait no. We never got to talk about it but I enjoyed the kiss too”

-Damian kept a straight face but you could feel he like hearing it

-You smiled at him

-“If you enjoyed it that much, we can do it again”

-He took initiative to kiss you

-And you kissed him back

-He pulled you closer so that you were on his lap

-It was nicer than the last time

-Don’t get me wrong, the last time was great but this kiss was way better

-Had more emotion and wasn’t rushed

-You groaned when Damian broke the kiss

-“Let’s go on a date”

-He wasn’t asking

-It was more like a very strong suggestion

-One someone couldn’t say no to

-Not like you would ever say no

-“I’d love that”

-You smiled and kissed him again

-That’s how the two of you started dating

-Since then whenever Damian got in an arguement with his brothers, just one touch from you and he would instantly calm down

-His brothers were grateful

-They figured you had just used you powers to help calm him down

-They thought he opened himself enough to you for you to become best friends

-They weren’t wrong but Damian knew that you would help him get through any negative emotions he had

-They didn’t know that you two were dating though

-It didn’t take Bruce long to figure it out

-He knew the first time you calmed Damian down after a fight with his brothers

-“I know about your relationship and I figure that your parents know”

-You nodded

-“I would just like the be sure that you two are using protection-”

-“Bruce, please. My parents gave me the talk years ago and we both know how babies are made”

-“Ok good”

-Once out of ear shot, Damian smirked and said

-“Glad you didn’t tell we are using protection”

-You rolled your eyes at him and walked away

-Which brings us to now

-It’s the annual Wayne New Years Gala

-You’re wearing a beautiful green dress that matched the accents on Damian’s suit nicely

-By this point you and Damian have been dating for over a year

-There were so many people

-Usually you would have left by now with all the people and their thoughts and emotions, but Bruce asked if you could try to stay the entire duration

-You knew he would ask if it wasn’t important to him

-So you stayed

-It was about hour and a half until midnight when you disappeared

-You were fine speaking with some of the older women and girls your age

-But you drew the line at the persistent boy who kept flirting with you

-You told him you had a boyfriend and didn’t appreciate his constant flirting

-But he didn’t get the hint

-NO MEANS NO

-When he was distracted you slipped away from everyone

-Luckily no one noticed your disappearance but Damian

-You hid in the library

-You couldn’t feel other people or hear their thoughts

-it was nice

-However a opening door broke your peace

-It was your boyfriend

-After a few weeks of dating you and Damian decided to share your presence

-Meaning that you both could faintly feel what the other is feeling and are aware of each others presence

-Once Damian couldn't feel you in the ball room he just followed your presence leading him to the library

-“I don’t know why father insisted on you staying when he knows you can get overwhelmed with all these people”

-You had mild social anxiety before

-You did fine with crowds but after a certain period of time you could do it

-Once your powers activated it got worse

-You could be around remotely large crowds for too long or else your powers might fritz out

-“It was going fine until…it doesn’t matter. Stay here with me”

-Damian sat down on the couch next to you

-Damian didn’t hesitate to agree

-He hated these galas

-Especially the girls throwing themselves at him even after politely turning them down

-“Let’s finish reading that book”

-You suggested

-But Damian had a different

-“Or… I can get my New Years kiss a bit early”

-You couldn’t help but chuckle

-“I like that idea very much Mr Wayne”

-At the same time Dick wondered where you and Damian went

-He got his other 2 brothers to help with the search

-In the library, Damian was on top of you while you kissed each other

-You tugged at Damian’s jacket and tie

-“Take it off ”

-You didn’t have to tell him twice

-Once they were off his went back to kissing you

-So passionately

-So lovingly

-So not what Dick and Tim expected to find

-Jason caught up with them and saw

-“OH MY GOD!”

-That startled you and Damian away from each other

-“What’s going on”

-Steph and Cass came into the library to see what was happening

-She looked at you and Damian and the shocked look of her brothers face

-She laughed

-“Oooh. I see. Did you guys not know?”

-Dick was offended

-“You guys knew”

-Cass let out a simple

-“Of course”

-Steph intervened

-“Bruce was the first, then Cass, and Duke and I”

-Jason was shocked

-“Even Duke knew”

-You could just sit there

-Uhm. We’re right here“”

-Martian Manhunter taught you how to knock people out with your mind

-You could easily do it to his siblings and take Damian to another room and continue where you left off

-Bruce might not like it though

-But who cares

-You have needs

-“Let’s go. Father is most likely expecting us for the countdown”

-You looked to your side a notice Damian had put his jacket back on but left his tie

-You pulled yourself together before standing up

-Damian have you his hand

-“Come on, Beloved”

-You took his hand, and both of you walked out

-And his brothers followed you pestering for answers

-“Here is my youngest son, Damian”

-Saved by the Bruce

-You planned on staying at Damian’s side for the rest of the night

-But Bruce just had to ruin it

-Damian had to give a speech

-It was just 2 minutes before midnight when Damian finished his speech

-“Before I go I’d like to mention my gorgeous girlfriend-”

-The amount of gasps from the crowd was astronomical

-Boy, we’re the tabloids going to love this

-“Y/N L/N”

-You got on the stage next to Damian

-People were recording and cameras were flashing

-You could see the the headlines already

-Damian Wayne No Longer a Bachelor

-Damian Wayne and Y/N? Who Knew?

-“Im am glad to be able to step into the new year with her by my side”

-10

-9

-8

-7

-6

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

-“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

-And with that Damian pulled you closer to him and kissed you

-Of course he had to be extra with it and dip you a little

-And yet you still smiled at him

-And he smiled back at you

-You could feel the flashes from the camera and the jealousy radiating of Damian’s fan girls and that boy that kept pestering you

-But you ignored all of that and focused on Damian

-Your Damian

-Your heart and soul

OMG IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG

[ladytauria]

kissing in a stairwell, giving them an artificial height difference with jaydami <33

*puts on clown nose*

reverse robins, anybody? xD

thank sm for the prompt maya <3 i knew p much immediately what i wanted to do with it, but it took a bit for the fic to actually take shape, lol.

i hope you enjoy!

>> AO3 <<

Jason’s life would be so much easier if Damian wasn’t so damn pretty.

Every so often, Bruce is expected to host some of his peers for dinner and drinks—some long-standing tradition that Bruce can get away with skipping out on sometimes, but too much, and people will start to talk. It's stupid, but part of the cover.

If you ask Jason, they're worse than galas. He misses the days he could duck out after dinner. He guesses he still could, but— Now that he's older, it's a little more expected for him to actually participate.

Jason would rather not. He knows plenty of Gotham’s upper crust would rather he didn’t, too, no matter how well Jason has managed to assimilate. But… he has plans, and unfortunately, he can acknowledge that they’ll be raised if he’s in somewhat good standing among the folks with the money.

Doesn’t make attending any easier.

At least he only has to worry about attending the ones Bruce hosts. Eventually his peers will start inviting him to theirs, but for now, he’s still being very quietly snubbed. Which—for the moment at least—suits him just fine, plans or no.

Damian showed up this time, an hour before dinner started; wrapped in green and gold and looking like he just stepped off of a magazine cover. Jason barely paid attention at dinner tonight—too busy trying not to blush anytime Damian sent him a sly smile, or covertly rolled his eyes, or signed something discreetly across the table. He knew it was hardly private—Bruce had been there, he’d surely caught every one—but. The attention—

It made him feel… special.

Stupid, of course. Damian hardly sees him that way. He’s… To Damian, he’s family, and that’s all he’ll ever be.

But it’s kind of nice to pretend, when he gets the chance.

Bruce’s final guests are finally on their way out the door. Jason sits, chin in hand, at the top of the stairs, watching as Damian and Alfred see them out. He thinks the whole house breathes a sigh of relief when they finally leave. Alfred excuses himself to the kitchen, likely to oversee the temporary staff Bruce hires for these things. He’ll have them out the door as soon as possible, too, and then Jason will finally be able to sleep.

Damian lingers by the door for a moment. Then, finally, he begins to ascend the stairs. "Jason," he says. It’s a greeting and a question all in one.

Jason stands, smoothing the wrinkles from his slacks. “Can’t sleep until I know everyone’s gone,” he says. He knows they’d never be able to get into the family wing, not with Bruce’s security, but—

Old fears are hard to shake. Jason never sleeps well when there are strangers around, no matter how many locks Bruce gives him for his door.

Damian nods, like this is perfectly reasonable, and not a weird hang-up of Jason’s. ‘Course, considering... Damian probably feels the same way. That— It’s not comforting, ‘cause Jason hates to think of why he might, but… At the same time... it's reassuring to know he’s not alone.

Damian stops a few steps down from him. Like this, they’re almost at eye level; Damian’s eyes just past Jason’s nose.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Jason says. Mostly just to say something. Keep the conversation going, even if just for a little while. It’s not often anymore that it’s just the two of them. He can’t begrudge Dickie the comfort of Damian’s presence, nor would he ever want to lose his time with Tim, but—

He does miss, sometimes, when it was just Damian and Jason—and sometimes Steph or Cass.

Damian hums. “Father is not as unbearable at these as he is at other functions, but. I’d still be remiss in my obligations if I left you to deal with him alone for too long.”

Jason knows his ‘obligations’ are purely platonic. He knows. His heart flutters, though; the traitorous bastard putting a more romantic lilt on the word. “Well. I appreciate it,” he says, softly. He bites his lip. “I… It’s nice. Having you around.”

Damian smiles. It’s small; mostly in his eyes, the way they upturn at the corners. “It is nice to, ah, ‘be around’,” he says. He reaches up to smooth down the lapel of Jason's blazer. Even through the layers, his touch burns like a brand. “You’ve grown up well, habibi.” His mouth curls up, just a little bit more.

The compliment is unexpected. The smile even more. And the touch—

Jason flushes scarlet. Every blush he’d fought back at dinner hits him now, and he feels a little lightheaded with it.

That, he decides, is the reason he leans down, foolishly, and presses a kiss right against one of those upturned corners. “Thanks,” he breathes—and then, heart threatening to beat right out of his chest, he flees to the safety of his bedroom, leaving Damian alone in the stairwell.

[ 50 Types of Kisses ]

[m-jelly]

Chapter 11

Thank you @ladycheesington for the perfect banner

Vampire Levi x fem!reader

Victorian era like world, vampires, secrets, romance, falling in love, vampire lore, sexual tension, possessive Levi, mentions of pregnancy, protective Levi, stalker like behaviour, forced kiss, forced blood drinking, crying child, dad Levi.

In this chapter: While Levi is away at a meeting Damian comes over. Damian is losing his mind and forces a kiss on you and bites you. You do everything to protect your son. Levi saves you but you two end up having a little emotional moment before making up. You and Levi look to the future after moving into a big house in the country, but you both have a feeling things aren't over yet.

Part 12

You watched Levi get changed. “How has Damian been since his sister’s death? He’s kind of disappeared. I’m worried.”

Levi huffed. “Thinking of another man around me? You’ll make me jealous.”

You giggled. “More fun that way.” You grabbed your son before he crawled off the bed. “How is he?”

He hummed in thought. “Something is off about him.”

You stood up with Evan and walked with Levi. “Off? Is it a twin thing?”

He nodded. “I suspect it. They were twins and connected through blood and tragedy. She hurt him a lot, but they still had a connection. She put this weird fucked up structure in his life. She told him what to do, where to go how to think and now that’s over.”

You hugged Evan. “Has he gone into hiding?”

“We think so. It’s like he’s falling apart mentally. It’s hard to explain, but he’s not himself but at the same time he understands he is free.”

“Poor thing.” You let out a long sigh. “Oh, so you have a meeting today, right?”

“I do.”

You adjusted Evan on your hip as you smiled at your handsome husband. You reached over and placed your hand on his chest. “You’re going to do fantastic. You and Erwin have already paved the way for vampires. People are so accepting.”

He smiled softly. “Thank you.” He leaned closer and kissed you. “But I’m not pouting about that.”

You frowned a bit. “What has you upset then?”

He whined. “I don’t like being away from you and Evan for a few hours.” He slipped his arms around you and hugged you as you held your son. “I want to be with you both.” He turned his head and kissed Evan’s puffy cheek.

Evan giggled. “Dada.”

Levi took Evan from you and squeezed him. “Be a good boy for mummy, okay?”

“Mm.”

“My precious little flower.”

Evan rubbed his eyes and hummed. “Dada.”

Levi groaned. “When you say my name like that and look at me with your big and beautiful eyes, it makes it harder to leave.”

You hummed a laugh. “Levi.”

“I’m not looking at you.”

You rubbed his back. “Why not?”

He sighed. “One look at you and I won’t be able to leave.”

“Levi, you need to hand Evan to me so you can go to your meeting.”

He lowered his head and handed you your adorable baby boy. “Here.”

You smiled at Evan. “Hello, my little flower.”

Evan smiled at you. “Mama.”

You covered Evan’s face in kisses making him squeal with laughter. “Good boy.” You looked up at Levi. I know you’ll miss us, but we’ll be here when you return. Isn’t that something wonderful to look forward to? You get to return to the two of us.”

Levi grabbed you and kissed you. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He sighed. “I’ll see you soon. Be good.”

You followed him to the front door. “Oh, where would the fun be in that?” You giggled. “I’m playing with you. We’ll be good, I promise. We have a house full of butlers and maids, along with other staff and Hange is here. We’ll be fine.” You kissed his cheek. “I’m going to do some work for my business.”

He smiled a little. “All right. I’ll be back soon then.”

You waved to Levi. “Bye, Levi.” You looked at your son. “Say bye to daddy.”

Evan waved. “Dada!”

Levi waved and blew kisses. “Love you both!”

You waved to Levi until the carriage was gone. You looked down at your son. “Shall we get to work?”

Evan giggled. “Ba! Ba, ba, ba, ba!”

“My goodness, you are very vocal today.” You carried him to your office to see Hange working away. “Hange.”

She perked up at your voice. “Hi!” She gasped when she saw your son. “Evan!”

You walked over to the playpen and put him down inside. “Baby prison for you.”

Hange crouched down by the pen. “He’s so big and strong.”

“He’s on blood only now. You know, it’s weird feeding a baby blood.”

She laughed. “I can imagine. Being a human before this.”

You sat down on the floor and wiggled a toy for Evan. “Helping a baby eat and drink blood is just weird to me.” You checked your side bag and pulled out a new blood candy. You had made a hard candy in the shape of a ring that a little kid like your son could get his hand in. “Here you go, Evan.” You smiled as he grabbed it from you and started sucking on it. “Such a great invention.”

Hange hummed a laugh. “Right? The sales of them are going fantastic. Our blood shops are popular.”

You blushed a little. “That’s wonderful. Who knows what the future holds?”

“I know it’ll be incredible!”

You handed Evan his toy. “So, let’s talk business.”

Hange gave you a breakdown of the successes and losses of this month. Everything was going well, but there were just a few small things that weren’t selling as much. So you planned to change the way you were advertising the blood treats. You were also going to stop selling other things because you couldn’t think of another way to sell them.

“Lady Ackerman?” The butler smiled when Evan stood up and waved at him. He chuckled and waved back. “Little Lord Ackerman. So, my Lady, I have something to tell you. You have a guest.”

You rose to your feet. “I do?”

“Yes. I’m sorry to disturb your meeting and playtime.” He turned. “Your Highness, please, wait in the other room.”

Damian stumbled into your office and looked over at you. The darkness under his eyes was heavy, his hair was oily and the redness of his eyes was becoming dull. The man looked like he hadn’t eaten blood in days. He looked over at you and said your name. “Can we talk?”

You nodded and smiled at Hange. “Could you give us a moment?”

Hange grabbed your elbow. “Shout if you need me. I’m strong.”

You hugged her. “I know. Thank you.” You smiled as everyone left the room. “Damian, it’s good to see you.”

He walked closer to you. “You too.”

You reached over and took his hand. You gave him a gentle squeeze making him smile. “I’m glad you came.”

He perked up. “Really?”

You nodded. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be happy? You’re the man who saved me. I owe you my life.” You released him. “You saved me from the sun pit.” You walked over to Evan and picked him up and out of the pen. “This little guy was saved because of you.”

Damian gazed at Evan. “Look at him. He’s so cute.”

You hummed a laugh. “Right? He looks just like his daddy.”

“His raven hair reminds me of mine.” He reached over and lightly touched Evan’s hair. “He’s like me.”

You gulped a little. “Yeah, his hair is like yours.” You kissed the side of Evan’s head making him hum. “Do you want some blood tea?” You put your hand in your little bag. “How about a blood sweet?”

He took the blood sweet and smiled. “Thank you. These are good. You’ve done amazing.”

“Thank you.” You smiled at him. “How are things? How are you?”

“I’m…coping.” He walked closer to you making you tense up a little. “You…bring me…comfort.”

You hurried over to the pen and put Evan inside. You turned and gasped a little to see Damian was right in front of you. “I’m glad you feel a bit better. I’ve been worried about you. Everyone has been worried.”

He reached over and caressed your cheek. “I didn’t think I’d be like this. I wanted her dead and yet I feel like I’m missing a part of me. Maybe I should find that missing part.”

You smiled a little. “I’m sure you will.”

“I miss her. It’s fucked up but I miss her.” He laughed a little and walked towards you causing you to back up. “She would torture me and beat me, but sometimes my sweet sister was there and we had fun.” He locked eyes with you when you bumped into the wall. “Am I scaring you?”

You gave him your best reassuring smile. “Not at all, you’re just walking up to me and I like space.”

He chuckled. “Forgive me.” He placed his hand on the wall and hummed. “It’s just you’re so alluring.” He laughed as the light in his eyes went, a flicker of insanity consumed him. “When I think about where all this started, all these things link back to you.” He reached over and gripped your neck and watched as tears filled your eyes. “You caused all this.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” He tilted his head. “You’re sorry?”

You gripped his shirt. “Damian, before you kill me let me do something first. I want to give something to my son so he can remember me and my love.”

He clenched his jaw. “Kill…”

You nodded. “I’m the reason why Levi killed Rosaline. She went after me and Evan, so he took her life. I know you wanted her and he took her from you. It’s my fault. All this chaos started because of me. I know a sorry won’t do, but I am.” You moved your hands to his arm. “Let me say goodbye to my son.”

Evan gripped the bars of his pen. “Mama?” He welled up as looked over at you. “Mamaaaa.” He sobbed hard and reached for you.

“Damian, please let me say one last goodbye.”

Damian roughly kissed you. “I don’t want you dead. I want you.” He yanked your head to the side and bit you hard on your neck causing you to scream. Damian held you in place as you tried to fight him off but he held you against the wall and growled.

You welled up. “S-Stop!”

Evan screamed and cried. “Mama!” He was never known for crying, which means he was in massive distress. Hearing your son cry broke your heart. “Mama!”

“Damian, my son.”

Damian released you and turned to Evan as your blood dripped down his lips. “Such a cute boy.”

You slipped down to the floor and panted. “He needs me, his mother.” You crawled over to your son. “I’m coming.”

Damian watched you. “Why are you so weak?”

You gasped when he grabbed you and lifted you. “N-No. Let me go to him.”

He held you. “My sister made you like this, didn’t she? You’re another victim like me.”

You let the tears roll down your cheeks. “Levi is too and Evan. She hurt so many of us.”

Damian sat with you. “I didn’t mean to feed from you.” He looked down. “I am worse than my sister.” He hummed in thought. “Though I feel strong.” He released a long sigh. “Your blood holds power.”

You shook a little. “Please, let me go to my son.”

He caressed your cheek with the back of his hand. “You should have some blood from your bag.”

“Damian!” You saw him flinch. “Let. Me. Go.”

He released you. “Yes.”

You slumped to the floor and crawled over to the pen. “Evan.” You reached for your son as he cried. “It’s okay. Mummy is here.” You lifted him out of the pen. “I’m here.” You held him against you. “I’m never letting you go.”

Evan clung to you. “Mama.”

Damian walked closer to you and Evan. “Our perfect family.”

The door slammed open and your husband stood there with Mike, Hange and Erwin behind him ready to attack. Levi snarled. “Damian! Step away from my wife and son.” He walked over to Damian. “You’re tired and hungry. You’re not yourself. You care about my wife, remember? You saved her life. You’re a little weak and confused after your sister died.”

Damian stopped approaching you. “You’re right…I’m…confused.”

Levi moved closer. “You need human blood. You need rest.” He offered his hand. “Come with me. Step away.”

He took Levi’s hand and walked closer. “I should…get some…sleep.”

“You should. Why don’t you go with Mike, okay? He can take you to a nice carriage so you can rest.”

He hummed. “I will go.”

Levi handed him over to Mike. “Get him to the carriage.”

Mike nodded. “I’ve got this.”

Levi turned and ran over to you. “Darling!” He saw the blood drying on you and his sobbing son. “My little flower.”

You offered your crying son to Levi. “Take him.”

“But.”

“Please.” You shivered. “I need to feed and he needs love.”

Levi carefully took Evan. “I’ve got him.”

You opened your bag and fumbled with your blood sweets. You shoved a few into your mouth and hummed. “Better.”

Erwin grabbed a blood tea from the butler and hurried over to you. “Drink this. I know your sweets are perfection, but you need direct blood.”

You smiled at him and downed the tea. “Thank you. I made sure I protected Evan.”

Levi rocked his son. “You’re amazing.”

You took another cup of blood tea and downed it. “Thank you again, Erwin.” You sighed. “I feel stronger again.” You let out a long sigh. “Damian is broken. I don’t know how he can be fixed.”

“It’s not your job to figure it out.” He kissed the top of Evan’s head as he calmed down. “It’s okay, Daddy’s here.” He kissed Evan’s cheek. “You did well, Evan.” He looked up at you. “Evan was the one who called me through the blood connection.”

You stared at Levi. “Are you mad at me?”

“Darling.”

You stood up and sighed. “I understand. I mean, I put your son at risk and instead of calling for your help I just stayed with Damian.” You let tears roll down your cheeks as you laughed. “And on top of that, I am talking about fixing him.” You held Erwin’s hand and squeezed. “Thank you for giving me blood.”

Levi stood up with Evan and called your name. “Wait.”

Erwin stopped Levi from running after you. “I might not understand what’s going on with you, but your wife, the woman you turned into a vampire and locked into living for eternity was attacked and in need. She did what she had to so she could protect Evan. She has a lot of empathy towards people. She suffered at the hands of Rosaline and so did he. She wants to help someone who is broken and in need, just like she helped you.”

Levi hugged Evan. “I know. I just…I…I didn’t mean to make her cry. I love her.”

“I know you do and she knows that. I can’t imagine how terrified she was facing Damian alone as Evan screamed and cried for her.”

Levi looked down at his tired son. “I fucked up.”

“I don’t think you did. I think emotions were high. Go to her.”

Levi bowed his head and ran down the halls until he reached the bedroom and heard you crying. He slipped in to see you curled up on the bed. He softly called your name. He walked over to you. “Can I sit?”

You sniffed and sat up. “Yes.”

He sat down and lay Evan on the bed next to you. “Sorry, he’s out for the count.”

You giggled through your tears. “Well, he’s had an emotional day. His daddy left him alone with his bad mother and then his bad mother made him cry hard.”

Levi wiped your tears away. “You’re not a bad mother.”

“I put him at risk.”

Levi slid closer and held you against him as you cried. “You did incredible. He doesn’t have a single scratch on him. You got hurt and put yourself at risk for him. I shouldn’t have been so short with you.” He pulled back and cupped your face and kissed you. “Thank you for protecting Evan. You’re an incredible mother.”

You smiled. “Thank you. Sorry I ran away crying, I’m just very emotional these days.”

He rubbed your tears away. “I fucked up. I should have supported you. I should have asked if you were okay. I should have fed you the blood.”

You clung to Levi’s shirt. “I love you.”

He kissed you and sighed through his nose. “I love you too. I love you so much.”

“I love you forever.”

Levi growled. “How fucking dare he touch my soulmate. What did he do to you?”

You whined a little. “He umm…he kissed me roughly, touched me a bit and bit me really hard.”

He shoved you down on the bed and panted. “You’re mine. How dare he touch what is mine.”

You rubbed Levi’s cheek. “I’m yours. I’m forever yours, my love.”

“Forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive. You did nothing wrong, Levi.” You caressed his cheek. “You were worried for our son, there was blood everywhere and Damian was getting closer to us both.”

He tapped his forehead against yours. “I should have run to you first. I just…I…made it sound like Evan was protected because I was there, that I saved him. You saved him.”

“I kept Damian distracted. He commented that Evan was like him, but he’s yours. I needed to keep him sane. So, I used myself to distract him.”

“You put yourself at risk. You’re incredible. You’re amazing.” He showered your face with kisses. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

“Forgive me.”

You sighed. “Levi, I told you there is nothing to forgive.”

He whined. “But.”

Evan slapped Levi’s cheek. “Dada!”

Levi flinched and looked at his son. “Hey.”

You laughed hard. “I think that’s punishment. He’s telling you off for being mean to me.”

“I guess he is.”

“Levi?”

He looked at you. “Mm?”

“I love you and all is forgiven.”

He smiled brightly. “Thank you.” He flinched when Evan slapped him again. “Someone is violent.” He sat up. “You wanna fight me?” He picked up Evan and wiggled him. “I’ll beat you easily!”

Evan squealed with laughter as Levi blew on his belly and then used his little fists to hit him. “Dada!”

You sat up and smiled. “Look at you two.”

Levi sat Evan on his lap. “Are you okay?”

You nodded. “Yeah. I just...yeah.”

Evan reached for you. “Mama.”

You took Evan from Levi and cuddled him. “Hi, my baby. Hi.” You showered his face with kisses. “My sweet boy.” You looked up at Levi. “Levi?”

“Mm?”

Your cheeks heated up a little. “I think I’m pregnant.”

Levi stared at you. “What?” A cute sparkle entered his eyes. “Really?” He grinned. “Really, really?”

You hugged Evan. “I’ve been emotional recently and when Damian took a lot of my blood, I sensed another heartbeat other than mine.”

He welled up. “Shit…another baby…I didn’t think it was possible.”

You hummed a laugh. “We must be special.”

He chuckled. “Yeah.” He shuffled closer to you. “Do you think it’ll be a girl?”

You looked down at Evan and smiled. “Maybe. You going to be a good big brother?”

Evan giggled. “Mama.”

“I knew it.” You kissed his nose. “Good boy.” You lifted your head and gazed at Levi. “What are we going to do about Damian?”

Levi sat behind you and hugged you tightly. “Don’t worry about him, okay? I will take care of him. You just need to sit back, relax and let me spoil you, Evan and our baby.” He nibbled your neck making you giggle. “Promise?”

“Promise.” You turned a little and kissed him. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

You held your daughter against you as Evan held your hand. You gazed at the home before you and turned to Levi. “This is…”

Levi smiled. “Yes.”

You bounced up and down as you squealed. “It’s the perfect home!”

“Wait until you go inside.” He ruffled Evan’s hair. “Here’s the key son, you open.”

Evan gasped in delight. “Okay, Daddy!” He ran up the stairs to the grand double door. He unlocked the door carefully and pushed it open. “Wow! Big home!”

Levi chuckled as Evan ran inside. “It’s our home now.”

You put Lilly on her feet. “Go explore with your brother.”

Evan ran over and held her hand. “Come on, Lilly.”

Lilly giggled. “Evan! Go!”

Levi pulled you close and kissed you. “Want to know the best part everyone?”

You frowned. “What’s the best part?”

He moved you to a black switch on the wall. “Flick that up.”

You reached over and flicked it up causing the lights to come on. You squealed and hugged Levi. “Is this? Do we have lights!?”

Levi chuckled. “We have electricity, a radio and full top-of-the-line plumbing.” He chuckled. “Even a pool.”

You jumped into Levi’s arms. “Levi!”

Levi spun around with you as his kids jumped around and cheered. “It’s for us all. I want you all to live the best life possible.” He looked at his kids. “Go explore. There’s a toy room for you both. I’m going to stay here with mummy for a bit.”

Evan giggled. “Daddy is gonna kiss mummy a lot.”

Lilly laughed. “Kiss, kiss!”

Levi waited for them to run away. “It’s also far away from the ex-prince. We’re safe here. He won’t be stalking you anymore.”

You released a long sigh. “No more gifts or love letters.”

“Only ones from me.”

You hummed a laugh. “I can’t believe after all these years you still act like we’re young lovers.”

He grabbed your ass making you gasp. “And I will continue to act this way for centuries.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him. “You spoil me.”

“I just love you, Evan and Lilly with all my heart and soul.”

You gripped his shirt as you nibbled your lip. “How big is the bed?”

He growled. “Huge.”

You moaned. “You know I love a big comfy bed.” You kissed him over and over. You lowered your voice and whispered to Levi. “I want you to fuck me tonight like I might disappear any moment.”

Levi nipped your neck. “I would be happy to do that. We do have plenty of rooms to fill.”

You purred as he kissed your neck and touched you. “Are you hoping for an army of children?”

“Maybe.”

You cupped Levi’s face. “Levi, you know vampires have fertility issues.”

He pouted. “But we had two close to each other. We might have more.”

You smiled softly. “I bet we’ll have four.”

He perked up. “You think so?”

“I have a feeling.” You hummed a laugh. “But it’s always fun to get some practice in, right?”

Levi lifted you. “I have made sure all our furniture is strong as well. You know what we’re like.”

You giggled. “Every surface possible.”

Levi started dancing with you. “I have a dance hall for us. We can host some parties for our friends.”

“We can.”

He bent you backwards. “I’m glad the world is changing for the better.”

You hummed a laugh. “Me too.”

He sighed. “I will miss corsets though. Your breasts were incredible in them.” He purred. “What am I saying? Your breasts are always incredible.”

“Thank you.”

He pressed you against the wall. “Fewer layers for me to get through to your perfect body.”

You moaned. “I love that too.”

He massaged your breast as he kissed your neck. “I want to fuck you against this wall so bad.” He pulled back and sighed. “But, the children are awake.”

“Later.”

“DADDYYY!” Lilly ran with Evan behind her “DADDYYY!”

Levi pulled back from you and knelt on the floor. “Yes, my little flowers?”

Lilly jumped into his arms and then Evan. “Daddyyyyy.”

Levi squeezed them. “What’s wrong?”

You sat down. “Are you hungry?”

Evan threw himself at you instead of Levi. “Mummy.”

You hugged him. “My goodness, what’s going on with you two?”

Evan clung to you. “Something scary.”

Levi stood up as he held Lilly. “I’ll get rid of the scary thing. I promise.”

You carried Evan. “What did it look like?”

Evan whined. “Big. Scary.”

Levi led the way. “Whereabouts?”

“Garden.”

Lilly pointed. “Orange.”

Levi walked outside and saw a fox happily eating. He chuckled. “Is that it?”

“Yes.”

 “That is a friendly fox.” He crouched down and offered his hand. “They seem to get on with vampires. It probably wanted to be your friend.” He smiled as he petted the fox. “See?”

Lilly reached over and petted. “Soft.”

You brought Evan closer. “You’ll see a lot more here in the country. They also scream loudly but they’re just talking. They won’t hurt you. Animals and nature are our friends.”

Evan giggled as the fox nuzzled its head against his hand. “Cute!”

Levi smiled. “You’ll see so many animals now we’ve moved to the countryside. It’s a more fun and safe place for you two to grow up. No more city life for us.”

Lilly hummed. “Fairies?”

Levi chuckled. “Yes, you’ll see fairies.”

She gasped. “Yay!”

You stood up and sighed. “Let’s get something to eat, okay?” You smiled as both kids ran inside. “They’re safe here, right?”

Levi nodded. “I swear, they are safe here. He will stick to cities. He’s addicted to that life. Plus, we left nothing behind to show where we went. Mike and Hange are helping us with business connections in the city. Erwin is now a vampire representative and he’s working with others to keep the ex-prince under control. We’ll be okay.”

You hugged Levi. “I’m glad, but I still have this bad feeling.”

He walked with you inside your new home. “Me too. I have a feeling the whole family is cursed. I hate saying it, but it might be better to get rid of the last of them.”

You hummed. “I think so too. He was a good man once, but I am starting to suspect he helped me because he wanted me.” You smiled at the kitchen staff and found something for you, Levi and the kids. “It might not be, but I just have a gut feeling and the way he spoke to his sister when I was involved.”

Levi pulled you close. “I believe you are right. We should stay far away from him.”

You sighed. “I think so too.” You carried everything into the dining room and smiled at your kids waiting. You placed the blood food down and sat with Levi. “For now we should focus on being a family.”

“And adding more to that family.”

You hummed a laugh. “We’ll try our best.”

[petrichor-and-moondust]

As asked by @cynicallyoptomisticdaydreamer - another 5 songs playlist breakdown!

In line with the last 2, today I'm doing my Tim Drake playlist, which you can listen to here. Again, the rest of my playlists are all public on my spotify account.

Our first song is Out of Touch by Addison Grace! I think this one just oozes Tim Drake vibes. The lines about isolating yourself so as not to draw attention to yoruself but simultaneously worrying what your worth is to others if you can't provide for them just hits me in the feels.

Next wong is Mid 20s Skateboarder by Pkew Pkew Pkew. I like the vibe this song has and the unpolished roughness of the vocals. The feeling of grasping onto something that doesn't belong to you anymore- drowning your feelings and praying you don't ruin yourself in the process. Yeah.

This one followed by Ain't No Rest For The Wicked by Cage the Elephant. I think it is reflective of all the Batfamily, but Tim especially, who comes from a place of not quite understanding why people do what they do, because he was born into a background that's so far removed from the streets of Gotham. The song's a goodun and I reccommend it!

Next up we have Imposter Syndrome by Sydney Gish, which solely by the title is definitely a Tim Drake song. My boy has struggled with identity his whole life and it's shown in the comics- the constant switching from hero name to hero name and back, his struggles with sexuality, and his feelings about being Robin and part of the batfamily speak volumes. I especially like the lines in this song that goes "Nobody even knows my name and/No one suspects that I'm not fine, and/Nobody outs behavioural Frankenstein" like that is HUGELY autism-coded and man...man.

Finally, we have Family Line by Conan Gray. I'm not gonna lie- I think this song is in most of my batkids playlists, and I definitely feel it applies more to Jason and Damian than Tim, but I still out it there for a reason. I think it really shows the dysfunctionality and breakdown of communication we have been getting in modern DC comics in the batfamily. For Tim's case, I especially feel the lines "All of my pain and all your excuses/I was a kid but I wasn't clueless/(Someone who loves you wouldn't do this)" hit home hard not just in terms of the absence of Jack and Janet in his life, but also of Bruce's apathy and how reluctant he was warm up to Tim. He was harsher on Tim during his term as Robin than he was to most others except maybe Steph, and it took him a long time to view Tim as a son, and even then Bruce fell short as he does so often on that front.

[wordingg]

Mattress Store

Summary: Are mattress stores all fronts? Why are there so many of them? Why does it suck so much to buy a mattress?

The bat boys discuss.

*****

Dick’s life was perfectly comfortable, if maybe not exactly what he would have expected for himself when he was a kid.

He had his own apartment, he ran free gymnastics and yoga classes in his spare time, and had a complicated on again off again relationship with his long time girlfriend. He was also the general manager of a mattress store, one of the most comfortable if also the most boring job he had had since he turned eighteen.

Being called the general manager sounded a lot more impressive than it was. He only had one full time employee and one part time employee that he had to keep track of. Running the store itself was incredibly easy compared to some other management positions he’d held before. The only somewhat frustrating part of the job was that his boss had recently asked him to pick up his son from the nearby elementary school and keep him at the shop until he could come to pick him up. Maybe if it was a different kid it would have been fine, but Damian was one of the most prickly and surly kids Dick had ever met. Luckily, Dick had never met a kid he didn’t like.

Unfortunately, he didn’t think that was true for the rest of the employees at the shop.

Damian pushed through the front door of the shop, the bell above the door giving a cheery ‘ping!’ as he did so. The inside of Mattress Deals looked the same as it always did. Bare mattresses lined up in rows and columns on top of stained and scratchy carpet that probably hadn’t been replaced since 1996 topped with water stained drop ceiling tiles and big salt grimed floor to ceiling windows. The two other employees of the store were sitting at the back of the showroom floor at the only desk visible from the front.

Dick hurried after Damian carrying his backpack that felt like it held at least five encyclopedia volumes. What were they teaching these kids in that fancy academy?

Dick almost ran into the back of Damian halfway to their destination, having to skip around him to stop a collision. Damian had stopped to stare imperiously at the other two employees, tiny fists on his hips and nose in the air already wrinkled in distaste.

“I see that you two drawlatches are still managing to slack off on my father’s dime,” Damian sneered at the two other men in the shop.

“What the fuck is a drawlatch?” Tim asked without looking up from his phone. He put as much disdain on the last word as possible without actually moving his face.

Tim was their only part time employee. He attended Gotham U full time and was majoring in Computer Science, apparently to the great scorn of his father. Dick didn’t really know what the whole deal was there and honestly it wasn’t any of his business. Tim was a viciously efficient sales person, which more than made up for his weird personality. Despite being part time, he made the most commissions of any of them.

“A guest who overstays their welcome,” Jason replied dryly, turning the page of his book also without looking up at Damian.

Jason was their only full time employee. He was only a few years older than Tim, but already had a felony on his record which made it pretty hard for him to find work. Another thing that really wasn’t any of Dick’s business, but Mr. Wayne had assured him that Jason’s felony was from when he was very young, almost criminally young to have a felony attached to his record. Either way, Mr. Wayne trusted him and Jason was always on time. That’s all Dick could really ask of him.

“Wow, fuck you too, Gremlin,” Tim drawled, holding his phone up briefly as the tinny artificial shutter sound of the camera on his phone went off.

Damian snarled, “Did you just take my photograph?!”

“It’s called a pic. Are you sure you’re not like a hundred?” Tim sighed.

“Okay, okay!” Dick intervened, physically stepping in front of Damian when he started to stomp toward Tim. The last time the two of them had tussled across the store it had ended with Tim sporting a bloody nose and Damian with a split lip. He wasn’t looking forward to a repeat performance explaining something like that to his boss. “I know you’re all happy to see each other, but I need to get Damian set up at the desk so he can work on his homework.”

Damian clicked his tongue and dodged around Dick, but luckily he made his way toward the desk that Jason was lounging at rather than charging at Tim. Jason got up out of the chair and flopped down on a nearby mattress without once looking up from his book. Obediently, Damian got out his books and worksheets and pulled one of the pencils from his pencil case and started to work on filling out his worksheets.

Sighing, Dick rubbed a calloused hand through his hair. He cast a glance out over the store, but it was empty as usual. It was three o’clock on a Thursday, so it wasn’t like he was expecting a rush anyway. A few old sun bleached SALE! signs hanging from the ceiling floated in the slight breeze from the central air units. The only noise was the quiet scratch of Damian’s pencil, the muted tap of Tim’s thumbs on his phone screen and the occasional flap of a page turning from Jason. Stretching backward, Dick bent until he felt a few of vertebra pop satisfyingly before retreating to the broom closet that he charitably called his office. It was barely two steps from Damian, but at least there was a wall shielding him from the rest of the store.

The peace barely lasted for fifteen minutes before Damian seemed unable to help himself.

“How much work have either of you actually done today?” Damian shouted, slamming his pencil down as if the quiet of the store infuriated him. Dick put his forehead down on his desk and prayed for someone to set the store on fire or something. Not like a big dangerous fire. Just dangerous enough to close the store for like a week or something. A nice relaxing paid renovation, that sort of thing.

“Sooooo much work,” Tim moaned with a completely straight face.

“I’ve worked so hard today. I’m completely wiped,” Jason agreed, not looking up from his book.

Damian jumped to his feet in a fit of pique. “You terrible people dare to leech off my father like this! Off of his kindness and charity! As if anyone else would dare to laze about on the job!”

“Jesus, calm down. It’s just a front. Who cares,” Tim said with a roll of his eyes.

Jason snorted from behind his book, but otherwise didn’t respond.

“Guys,” Dick moaned. He wished Tim wouldn’t bait Damian constantly. He understood the temptation, he too was once a surly teenager or at least hung around them. Damian was such a fiery little guy that it was incredibly easy to wind him up. But, Tim didn’t have to deal with the hours of grumping, and growling, and fussing that came after.

Damian made a high pitched noise of outrage and looked at Tim as if he had just taken a shit right on his cat.

“My father’s business is not a front for money laundering!” Damian screeched.

“Oh, come on,” Tim said, finally putting his phone away and giving Damian his full attention. “There’s another Mattress Deals right across the street. What reason would there be to have two of the exact same store so close together?”

“Unless you don’t have to worry about competition,” Jason whispered from behind his book.

Dick threw Jason a dirty look, but he just grinned back at him with his uncomfortably pointy incisors.

“The store across the street used to be a Sealy’s and corporate bought them out last year. That’s why there’s two of the same store so close together,” Dick said, trying to be the voice of reason.

“Exactly,” Damian said with a nod. “There is a more than reasonable explanation. It’s just that the two of you are buffoons who are jumping to the worst conclusions.”

“Well, how about the inventory then. When was the last time you saw one of these mattresses actually sell?” Tim asked with an arched brow.

Damian was not cowed however. “I know for a fact that this store is one of father’s most successful. In fact, I’ve heard him say that it is the store with the most units sold in his region,” Damian said with an imperious tilt of his chin.

“Exactly,” Tim said, pointing one long pale finger at Damian. “So, why are most of these mattresses older than me?”

“Tim,” Dick said in exasperation.

“It’s true,” Jason said with a mischievous grin, finally putting aside his book and sitting up. “This mattress has the same stain on it from when I dropped chili on it the first week I started here.”

“Jason! There’s a stain on it?!” Dick yelped, jumping to his feet to inspect the mattress that Jason was still reclining on.

“Yeah,” Jason said with the same inflection that most people said ‘duh’. “I just pull the little velvet logo thing over it so people don’t see it,” Jason explained, pulling aside the long dark blue velvet strip of fabric with the manufacturer’s name and logo that wrapped around the lower half of the mattress. There indeed was a rusty red stain in the lower left corner.

“Jason, what the hell,” Dick whispered as he rubbed at the the stain with his thumb, despite knowing that it was years old.

“What? I was new. I didn’t know if you’d fire me or what,” he said with a shrug. “Now I know that you bitches don’t even pay for these things,” Jason kicked the side of the mattress he was sitting on with a dirty steel toe boot and the cheap metal frame groaned dangerously.

“You don’t pay for them?” Damian asked, his fury momentarily derailed into honest confusion, his little angry face instead twisted into befuddlement.

“No. The manufacturers give the stores free mattresses to display,” Tim said with a lopsided close mouth smile that looked like he was holding back laughter.

“If you knew that, why did you imply that the floor models didn’t change because the store made no legitimate sales?” Damian barked, his fury building back.

“Because sitting here all day doing nothing is mind numbing and riling you up is the only break I have from the monotony,” Tim deadpanned.

Damian made a strangled whistling sound in the back of his throat like a teakettle getting ready to boil. Dick swept in, turning Damian with a gentle press of his shoulder to get him to focus on him instead of Tim. See again, bloody nose / busted lip encounter.

“We’re just a showroom. All the actual product is stored in warehouses. People come here to try out the mattresses and make the payment and then we coordinate the delivery with the warehouse. That’s all. Nothing nefarious there,” Dick explained with his best soothing manager smile and voice. It didn’t usually work on customers, no matter how much Mr. Wayne assured Dick that he was very reassuring and charming. Luckily, Damian was still eleven and so it seemed to soothe him well enough.

“So, then there is a reasonable explanation for everything. This store is not a front,” Damian mumbled, sticking out his lower lip in a mulish expression as he seemed to turn all this information over in his head.

“Who said this store was a front?” a rumbling voice asked from the front door, the bell chiming halfway through the sentence.

Dick turned around to see his boss, the regional manager of Mattress Deals, Mr. Wayne, walking through the front door. He looked tired and harried, but that was his default expression.

“Father!” Damian exclaimed in excitement. He dodged around Dick and seemed ready to throw himself at his father’s middle, but apparently caught himself a bare second before he launched himself off the ground. He balanced on the balls of his feet for a fraught second, while Mr. Wayne put out his arms to catch him in case he toppled. But, Damian found his balance and bounced back into a straight backed stance and quickly tucked his hands into the small of his back.

In a much more somber (if somewhat embarrassed) tone, he said, “Father, you have returned early.”

Mr. Wayne very slowly moved his hands from where they hand been held out to catch Damian, one going to the back of his head to mess up his already ruffled dark hair and the other to his hip. It was an awkward movement that didn’t fool anyone and seemed completely for Damian’s benefit.

“Yes…” he said slowly, then blinked and seemed to come back to his normal monotone. “Yes, I had intended to do a quarterly evaluation of the east side store today, but it burnt down.”

“What?” Jason laughed, elated.

“What?!” Dick gasped, aghast.

“Fucking unfair,” Tim muttered to his phone screen. “Some bitches have all the luck.”

“Yes… Well,” Mr. Wayne said awkwardly. “The police are investigating it as a case of suspected arson. I’m sure they have it well in hand. In the mean time, I can’t very well assess their finances if all their paper records just went up in smoke.”

“Geez, did everyone get out okay?” Dick asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he nervously considered all the planes of foam and fabric surrounding them.

“Yes, everyone evacuated before smoke was even detected. Someone pulled the fire alarm,” Mr. Wayne said, putting a reassuring hand on Dick’s shoulder.

“Hence, the suspected arson,” Tim sighed.

“Yes,” Mr. Wayne agreed with a frown.

“I guess a mattress store would catch fire pretty quickly,” Dick said slowly and uncertainly.

“Mattresses are actually treated to be highly flame retardant,” Mr. Wayne recited dryly. “The internal layers are interspersed with flame retardant material and some fabrics are treated with boric acid to make them more flame resistant.” Turning to Tim, he added darkly, “The fire started in the break room and didn’t spread much further.”

“And those ungrateful bastards even had a break room,” Tim hissed back theatrically.

Tossing Tim a wry smile, Mr. Wayne put an arm around Damian’s shoulder. His small son, proud though he was, seemed to soak in the affection, leaning into his father’s side unselfconsciously. He led him back to the desk and helped him start to pack away his homework supplies.

“We were just discussing how all mattress stores are a front,” Jason said with a mischievous grin as he lounged on the chili stained mattress that Dick was realizing was the one he usually sat on if the desk was occupied. It was also the mattress that Dick had to clean most often out of all the ones in the store.

Mr. Wayne’s mouth pulled into a similar smile at the leading statement. “I think looking in from outside it makes sense,” he said slowly. “But, that’s only because people don’t understand how incredibly lucrative mattress sales are.”

“I did not know that, Father,” Damian said stiffly, a textbook clutched to his chest. He stared up at Mr. Wayne with restrained curiosity as his father tucked his unaccountably cute dog patterned pencils into his also incredibly cute cat patterned pencil case.

“Oh, yes. Mattresses enjoy the highest markup of all furniture items,” Mr. Wayne explained as he continued to pack his son’s school supplies away. “A mattress usually costs between $75-$150 to manufacture, because the materials used are very cheap. However, because it’s a purchase that most consumers only have to go through every ten years or so, because it’s a purchase they likely have put off until they have to get a mattress quickly, and because the used market is practically non-existent, mattress sellers can basically pick their price point.”

“That is…” Damian’s face was making some entertaining fluctuations between horrified and impressed.

“Almost criminal,” Tim added when it didn’t look like Damian would come up with anything.

“My father is not a criminal!” Damian was quick to snap.

“Well,” Mr. Wayne said with a shrug. “That’s business, I think.”

Tim snorted and let himself slide off the mattress and onto the nasty carpet below.

“And, we can all be grateful for it, because it’s the reason we all have a job! Right, guys?” Dick said loudly.

“Yes, boss,” Jason and Tim chorused like two recalcitrant school children.

“And I, as always, am grateful for all the great work you all put in. Keep up the good work and please do not burn the place down,” Mr. Wayne said with a long suffering laugh.

“You got it, boss,” Dick said with a laugh.

“Apparently these bitches don’t burn anyway,” Jason said with a suspicious look at the mattress he was sitting on.

“Get us a break room and I’ll think about it,” Tim said from the floor.

“It was lovely talking to you all. Dick, feel free to close up early if business is dead,” Mr. Wayne said with a sympathetic glance around the empty storefront.

“Sir, yes sir,” Dick said with an enthusiastic salute.

“What do you say to take out for dinner?” Mr. Wayne asked Damian with an indulgent look down at his little scowling face.

His big green eyes got bigger. “From White Elephant?” he asked hopefully.

“I can never say no to their samosas,” Mr. Wayne agreed with a pleased grin.

Damian practically skipped out the front door, his father following behind him with his son’s small red backpack slung over his forearm.

The second the door closed, Tim’s head popped up from below a nearby mattress. Dick suppressed an unmanly screech only at the last second. That was not the mattress that Tim had slid off of. How had he gotten so close so quietly?

“So… We’re closing now right?” he asked with a face that said he absolutely saw Dick flinch.

“Guys, it’s not even four,” Dick sighed. “Tim, you’ve been here for like an hour.”

“But, you’ll pay me for my whole shift, right?” Tim asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I want to go see the Barbie movie before it leaves theaters,” Jason put in.

“You’ve already seen it like a dozen times,” Dick said aghast.

“It’s a feast for the eyes! A distillation of our culture! A tour de force-” Jason began to go off.

“Let the man see his Barbie movie, Dick!” Tim shouted from somewhere around Dick’s ankles.

“Oh my god!” Dick groaned at the ceiling. A sad gray water damaged ceiling tile looked back at him indifferently, like the uncaring god that put him in charge of these two fuckos. “Okay, god. Yes. Go.”

“Finally!” Jason exclaimed and jumped to his feet, shoving his paperback into his back pocket and already making his way toward the exit.

“Yay~” Tim sang somehow making it sound like the most sarcastic yay that any teenager had ever said. Dick didn’t see him emerge until he popped to his feet a few feet from the glass doors.

After the two of them had disappeared out the front door, Dick walked around trying to clean up and put things away. Not that there was much to tidy. They hadn’t had a customer all day.

As he was straightening up the small desk in the back, he laid eyes on the old desk lamp. It was a classic with a basic incandescent bulb, the kind that got pretty hot after you left it on for a while.

Dick stared at it thoughtfully. He looked back at the chili stained mattress beside the desk. The mattress was so close to the desk that if someone bumped the desk hard enough, the lamp could easily fall onto the mattress.

As Dick stepped out of the front door for the night, he looked back at the mattress, the bright desk lamp glowing faintly where the bulb lay right against that damn chili stain.

“We’ll see how flame retardant you are,” he muttered. Then, he turned and locked the door behind him before sprinting for his car. He wondered if Barbara would want to make up with him that night. He could always buy some nice flowers and chocolates and give it a try.

[strangeshoepatrolbandit]

Really excited for how your brotherly love series will go. And I just love how you included Tim and Jason because they’re my faves.

Can’t wait to read about some bonding between Jason and the reader

Sorry this is gonna be a long ass ask because there’s just a lot of things I want to comment on and ask.

There’s so many avenues you can explore. I’m kind of surprised only Damian is the only one who decides to take up crime fighting while the twin is fine with staying behind and exploring the mansion. One question I have is does the reader ever feel as if they’re living in Damian’s shadow? Like especially since Bruce bonds with Damian since Damian has taken up the mantle of Robin, then I’m gonna assume that Dick and Tim also spend time training their successor. Between training, vigilante duties, and time running Wayne Enterprises, that doesn’t leave a lot of free time. Does the reader ever feel left out/ignored or that Damian is the favorite? Or in other words, since the reader hasn’t thrown a tantrum that they’re stuck at the manor and they mainly seem to keep to themselves, do Bruce, Dick, and Tim seem to think Damian is a higher flight risk/the twin that is more reckless and needs more attention?

Poor reader. It hit a little close to home on the insecurities of being irritating/a nuisance to those your love.

Two, I think it’s so sweet that the reader was able to open up to Alfred that Damian yelled at them. I love how at least one of the Wayne’s is able to be open and express their emotions in a healthy way.

Three, you know how DCAU’s Batman vs Robin, Damian has a hard time getting past the security system. Idk but especially since Damian is the one who took up the mantle of Robin and it seems as if his primary focus is on training, I think it’d be such a funny thing to see him frustrated that his twin can bypass the security system with ease when the last time they picked up a sword or did any kind of conditioning was months ago before they lived with Bruce. And even Bruce, Dick, and Tim are scratching their heads since they thought you were the more well behaved and quiet one they didn’t have to worry about.

Damian: *fuming* I trained 18 hours every day for the past two months and couldn’t bypass the electric fence. How were you able to get pass the security system and then travel all the way to another country without any one detecting you until you got back?

Reader: *shrugs* don’t know. Maybe you’re rusty.

Next point, I mean especially since you mentioned that Jason’s eyes were an unnatural shade of green and he has that white streak in his hair, you can have the reader get inspired after hearing Jason’s story. They sneak away from the manor and try to (or successfully??) revive Ra’s by digging up their grandparents corpse and dunking it in the Lazarus pit.

That would be such an interesting parenting moment between Bruce and the reader. Poor Bruce can’t catch a break. He has to sit one kid down to explain why murder is not justice and then talk to the other kid that death is a natural part of life and it is not normal and somewhat questionably unethical to sneak out of the house to dig up your grandfather’s corpse and dip them in a magical lake to bring them back to life

Bruce: *sitting across from the reader rubbing his temples* so hypothetically if your hamster died, would you dunk it in a Lazarus pit because you missed them

Reader: I don’t know. I’ve never had a hamster.

But judging by your tone, I assume you want me to answer no..? You told Damian it was wrong to kill Deathstroke to take revenge for killing grandfather. Hypothetically, if if a very very very bad parakeet killed your hamster—

Bruce: dear god you’ve spent way too much with Jason

Anyways sorry to bug you with the long ass ramble. Hope some of it made sense. Bottom line, I’m looking forward to what comes next and if you ever need a beta reader or just want to spitball/brainstorm with anyone I’m all ears

You were not bugging me at all, I'm so glad that you enjoyed my story!!<333.

(I hope I make sense in this I have issues explaining things so bear with me)

To go over some of your topics, I feel that Damian is more career driven and felt comfortable being Robin because his life was spent being trained to be an assassin. I feel as if the reader is taking a break from the life they were forced to have by trying to live a "normal" life at the Manor. I will now go more into the topics of reader's insecurities, as we know they feel like they are annoying the people they are around, after a while they start to see how everyone is treating Damian like a normal person, whilst they are being treated like a child(even though they are), and they start to think that since Damian has been proving himself they just like him more. Everyone in the Manor does love them though, it's just Damian has hobbies in common with them so they feel that they have more to talk about(Wayne enterprises/Vigilante work), plus reader just stopped hanging out with everyone so how can people get to know them?

Yes, I wanted the reader to be able to have a healthy coping mechanism such as talking, literally all of the batfam has bad issues with talking except for Jason because homeboy goes to therapy(he too is an ex emotionally constipated person). Also yes reader does just have that magic touch, they are an Al-Ghul/Wayne, everyone knows reader was trained the exact same as Damian so it's a little bizarre that they are so good at something after being away from their training.

The reader is much aware of Ra's dips in the Lazarus pit and how it's kept him alive all these years, but I think that they understand that there is no help for Ra's, just like Talia said "the pit can't help a body that far gone"(or something), the reader is a little upset that after Jason had been beaten and put in a building with a bomb that the Lazarus pit still had a way to revive him(Reader and Damian both love animals and have definitely been in trouble for reviving random animals with dips in the pit LMAO). Reader, Damian, and Talia all share the same hatred for Deathstroke and all want him gone, whilst Damian and Talia are attempting to find and kill Deathstroke, reader just sits back because they know Talia has it handled. After spending time with Jason and sympathizing with him about his death, Bruce realizes that reader is all for getting revenge on people, they never did anything about Deathstroke but fully agree and understand Jason's reasoning behind wanting the Joker dead.

This actually meant so much, I'm sososososo glad you enjoyed Pt.1 of Brotherly Love!!! I have had a terrible night and this made it better!!!<33

( I definitely projected in this story, does anyone else have sibling issues?)

....Much love, Strangeshoepatrolbandit....

[lloydfrontera]

Is the end of CPSM is more bittersweet than TGED ?

What happened with Rakiel and Damian?

What happened with Llyod and Javier?

yes. absolutely. it's not a tragic ending by any means, but it is much more bittersweet even if bk moon does try to end in a happy and hopeful note

full spoilers under the read more

in tged the ending was pretty straightforwardly happy. i have many, many, many thoughts about why the ending kind of sucks a little bit after ch 401 but the important part is that after lloyd sacrifices his life to keep his loved ones (specifically javier) safe, it doesn't take that long for him to be able to come back and he gets to live a full, happy life surrounded with people he loves until he eventually dies of old age (and is then elevated into being an archangel by his codependent bestie but like. details.) so while lloyd's self-sacrifice is pretty heartbreaking everything resolves so quickly and neatly that i wouldn't even really call it bittersweet.

that doesn't happen with cpsm. when rakiel sacrifices himself to stop acheros, he's gone for nine years. and while the people who love him, like damian and asterion, never quite lose hope of bringing him home one day, trying over and over to find him even while risking their lives in the process, he's still gone that entire time. they still have to move forward without him. rakiel was the biggest loss that day but by no means was he the only one. even nine years later and with the dragon king, the archangel and king of hell working non-stop that entire time, the world still hadn't been fully repaired from the damage acheros inflicted on it. the three more powerful beings in existence are right there and they cannot help to bring rakiel back because the entire world is depending on them to fix everything else first.

and when rakiel does come back, he's no longer human. his hopes of living a normal and quiet life, of having children and then grandchildren, of eventually growing old and peacefully passing away are gone. he's now the demon king. he's immortal. he's going to live and live and live while everyone around him (besides damian) doesn't. bk moon very carefully doesn't touch this topic in the ending, probably because he didn't want to sour what's meant to be a happy ending but it's a pretty inevitable conclusion. he makes it very clear through lloyd and even a little with javier that being immortal it's not really all that great. especially in this universe where time passes differently in other realms.

so while rakiel manages to come back it's not without a price and in this case the price was becoming an immortal surrounded by mortals. and this is especially heartbreaking for someone like rakiel, someone who dedicated his life to healing and saving people. being stuck watching people pass away without being able to do anything about it, because there's just simply nothing to do, not against the passage of time itself, is pretty rough for everyone but especially someone like that.

of course it's not all sad! the ending is actually pretty sweet and hopeful, because now rakiel gets to spend his time doing exactly what he loved, running his clinic and helping people without worrying about almost anything. plus he does get to keep damian with him for the rest of eternity. and there are other immortal beings out there to keep them company. they hang out once a year to have dinner together. he even gets to have kimchi. life is pretty great overall.

so while the curse of immortality is hanging over his head and the eventuality of losing all his loved ones to time itself is inevitable, for now he gets to be happy. and he gets the rest of eternity to figure out what comes next.

as for what happens with lloyd and javier. they're fine. they got to hang out for almost a decade in the mortal realm and cheongi is making them have dinner at her house once a year so they can see each other more regularly than they did before. lloyd does mention he'll have to go back to heaven to be nagged at by his wife for being one nine years which. okay. but they'll be okay too.

[fareehaandspaniards]

can i get uuuuuuhhh Olek for the character ask game !

HOLY MOLY yay!!

Favourite thing about them:

I can summon him so often! And I like him being ONLY in pthumeru chalices. I suppose this is his special interest

Least favorite thing about them:

Wasn't really helpful in a battle with Amygdala in the Chalice. Queen Killer won this round

Favorite line:

favorite LINE. in a FROMSOFTWARE game. when 5/7 of my favs have no LINES

Can I put there quote from my fic then? XD

"I don't know. They're all heavy and… To me, they're all equally uncomfortable and incomprehensible. I have to learn to work with all of them though. Olek, why did you choose the kirkhammer… You're Olek, right? I apologize if I-”

Damian nodded his head in apology, but his speech was interrupted by the other.

"Nevermind. Yes, the name is Olek. You see, buddy,” and the conspiratorial tone made Damian laugh. "this weapon is a contrast in itself. Deafening power and deadly speed"

Olek said it with feelings, and his eyes widened with emotion. It seemed like he is about to press his lips to his hammer.

"I don't know how to wield it myself, but for the sake of such a juicy silver lady, I should at least try…."

-------

"People usually end badly when they think too much of themselves"

Olek rubbed his chin thoughtfully, the light stubble growing on his darkish skin.

brOTP

Olek x Gremia. No, really, their union is something incredibly silly and funny. They are two guys who grew up on the street, so they understand each other perfectly, communicating with the "lower" Yharnam dialect. They had each other always, until the very end, and Olek healed Gremia's broken heart many times (when Damian left Tomb Prospectors) with drinks and walks around the city, as well as sometimes making fun of the Church servants. And Gremia did for him the same, when Olek felt sad or tired!

The two of them would look in the direction of a beautiful girl, and Olek would be like, "What a hot chick 😏😏😏" and Gremia would be like "Yeaaaah 🤤" and everything is fine, until it turns out that Gremia was staring at the old hunter with a cane standing behind this girl (and it's not even Damian)

OTP

Olek x Lady Maria.

I can elaborate!! I don't ship them, because for me Maria will always be with Gehrman. BUT. According to the plot of my fic, Olek often visited the Research Hall, where he met Maria. And of course he was attracted by her ancestry. At first, it was even more of a scientist's interest, and he tried to find out from Logarius, from Gehrman and from Ludwig who she was. And when he tried to get to know her to learn more about Cainhurst Castle and its queen, he found that next to Maria's straightforward kindness and politeness he was speechless. Literally couldn't say a word because of embarassment. And he couldn't ask her anything. He fell in love with her, but the feeling remained unspoken, and Olek tried to kill it in himself. And although he often made small signs of attention for Maria, like bringing treats or tea or flowers, he was never able to get close to her or at least find out what was weighing on her heart and soul. He did his best 🥺

And Logarius ridiculed his sensitivity

nOTP

doesn't exist

Random headcanon

Throughout his life, Olek is haunted by failures in romantic adventures. Although he is a kind, caring and rather reverent guy, he does not manage to build a long-term relationship due to various reasons. He is hampered by his work, stubborn nature, and obsession with the Pthumerians (which makes him think about them almost constantly). He would make a wonderful family man, but in the end he gives up in search of his soulmate and remains forever in the dungeons of Ptumeru.

When he reached the tomb of Queen Yharnam, he took a blood oath and in madness asked for communion to pthumerians

Unpopular opinion

There are probably no Popular opinions here. I don't know actually. Only that he is much more important than it seems and a part of the story just as other old hunters

Song I associate with them:

Language of Love by Ylvis or Janym by Ylvis lol

Favorite picture:

[mangoisms]

WAITTT, I just saw ur reply to my previous comment. I didn't like Tim too (lmao). The debates between Tim and Damian fans can (and do) get so annoying that I just started disliking his character (not the greatest). Reading Red Robin on a whim was when I started to warm up to his character, he was just some weird dude. The sentiment about him being a chew toy...so real, and perfectly captures how I feel about him. He is so cringe-fail to me.

To touch upon Red Robin relationships...I wish I could peek into the writers' brains and conduct experiments to begin to understand what they were trying to accomplish...Tam, then Lynx II? Rekindling moments with Steph, and I always forget the last girl's name... I just never understood why they thought giving him so many love interests was necessary for the plot (he is quite literally spiraling, absolute rock bottom, can not go any lower, and yet forced so many women into his life; were they expecting me not to feel bad for them?). On top of that whole mess, the last few issues were like a fever dream, I can not properly summarize them for the life of me if asked.

On a side note, Circle K has also inspired me to pick back up my reading on Steph. I started in the summer, and the summer session (I completely forgot I signed up for classes?) completely ruined that for me...

Very random but, what are your thoughts on WFA? Everyone on Twitter is fairly convinced it's absolute garbage. I never read it myself, but I see complaints about characterization all the time. It also seems to be a lot of people's introduction to Batman-associated characters and content, so I can understand why people are upset if it truly is inconsistent with canon writing.

Young Justice anon (as always, hope you're doing fine and that school is manageable and well!!)

it’s so interesting that red robin 2009 is what softened you up to him because that run still remains a sour point for me HAHA like he is compelling but he is sooo annoying </3 getting into his origins in a lonely place of dying and then robin 1993 was what slowly got me, though he still actively annoyed me for a lot of it… it’s Weird i know i like him in a silly weird way where he annoys me but. yeah. he is my chew toy ❤️‍🩹

oh absolutely it makes NO sense that he had so many love interests and. Ok rant incoming let me also put this under the cut because this got LONG

the thing that bothers me is that none of it was EVER addressed. for sure it was a questionable decision on the writers’ part but none of them had the thought to maybe address the fact that he was flip-flopping so badly? i consider tam to be the strongest out of all of them (as in the one with the most chances to have been with him) and even tim acknowledges that at some points and YET. he kept having those weird moments with lynx. like obviously he and tam weren’t necessarily in a relationship but There Was Something There and of course while tam remains ‘loyal’ to him, tim just gets to mess around with other people… and then when he needs something he relies on tam’s affection to help him out… and then of course the way their falling out was set up was sooooo obvious and i don’t think certain plot decisions are necessarily Bad when they’re obvious but they were clearly gunning for the usual ‘superhero withholds important information from the civilian love interest and they break up’ and i just feel like There were so many OTHER things they could’ve had a falling out over 😭😭😭😭 like Come on…

okay that got longer than i wanted sorry for the impromptu rant 😭😭😭😭 i just. argh. most of my grievances with it is the treatment of the female characters LOL but it’s honestly par the course for tim, he has a long string of love interests and those relationships have been. interesting. quality aside my favorites are probably tam and ariana, if only because they had So Much Potential. anyway!!!!

STEPHANIE MY BELOVED <3333 once you find the time (and i hope you do so you can rest! good luck with your classes <3) i would HIGHLY recommend batgirl vol 3, it’s her batgirl run and it makes up for all the shit that went on in war games (which i didn’t actually read, well i did read some of it, mostly steph’s parts, which i wouldn’t recommend because it is… heartwrenching) and it’s just SOOOOO good i have SOOO many thoughts on it. one of my favorite runs i’ve ever read!!!

umm i’m kind of in the middle on wfa. i read it when it initially came out and it was pretty neat! i liked the art for one. but i’ve stopped keeping up since then. as an elseworlds comic with no bearing on current canon, it can be fun! and it has some things i would like in canon (like them keeping babs as oracle, when current canon refuses to do so), but thats hmmm probably it? and honestly it’s not totally my taste, if only because characterization can be a bit iffy (there was one moment with jason early on that kind of turned me off a bit because. i’m sorry. He would not say that. but in fairness to wfa we have a lot of that going on around now in current comics! wrt him, dick, tim, etc) and well. i like drama HAHA. i have also seen that it is the ‘easy way’ to get into the bats and yeah, there’s nothing wrong exactly with that being someone’s introduction, but it should be kept in mind that it’s not canon and things aren’t like that at all in current canon at all! but yeah not everyone does that and it does admittedly get kind of annoying 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

it is kind of funny in that initially wfa wasn’t a true representation of the ‘batfam’ (at the time it was coming out. i think anyway) and more of an ideal glossy one that, well, ignores a lot to get it to that point. but now we seem to be having that go on in current comics, at least with their attempts to try and absolve bruce of his abuse (which i think they are doing in a dumb way that does absolve him of responsibility and agency and thus makes it. well. redundant. because he isn’t owning up to it and it ignores years of him doing it) so it is kind of. equally bad. except that wfa is elseworlds so it honesty can get away with it but uhhh. current comics don’t have an excuse and that’s. well. Hngh. kind of creates double the bad effect but ANYWHO!!!!!!

SO. YEAH. those are my thoughts. many thoughts. so sorry about that i just got carried away 😭 anyway!! good luck with your classes!!! thank you sm i am doing better too ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 i hope you’re doing well, take care of yourself!!!!

(also i am gonna go ahead and make a tag for you ^_^ under yj anon … if u have any emoji preferences lmk i was trying to think of something yj-relevant but not sure…)

[occult-roommates]

I’m putting my baby for adoption (not clickbait)

In the middle of the night, Akva couldn’t sleep, and just felt bored. Great, as if the rest of the time she didn’t felt constantly exhausted! At this hour, Kino was studying for their upcoming sociology exam, Charlie was at the vampire blood/food bank, Dawud was working night shift, while Rudi and Daniele were sleeping. She tried texting with her friends living outside the apartment, all of them were offline...

Speaking of her friends, first of all, none of them knew she was pregnant. This was out of fear one of them would tell her ex-boyfriend behind her back before she’s ready to tell him. She should do that soon, her second trimester is coming, same thing with making a decision on whether she’s raising the kid or putting it for adoption, since she decided to keep the pregnancy in general. That’s when a video popped up in her recommended, a random influencer crying about her recently found infertility, which make sense, she had watched a bunch of those in order to guilt-trip herself into not getting an abortion which...is honestly an awful idea but ok. Why is it always the one that want a baby that can’t and those who don’t want one who end up knocked up while actively trying to avoid it? Anyway, that one random influencer was different though, cause she remembered one of her friend was obsessed with her back in high school. 

That woman was named Paisley Cox, she was your run-of-the-mill fitness/lifestyle influencer, mostly known for also being the daughter of a Hollywood producer...And also for causing a power outage all across Del Sol Valley by partying too hard on her 21st birthday. 

Paisley: And so the doctor said it quite bluntly. I’m infertile. Even if I managed to conceive, odds are I wouldn’t be able to carry to term safely. And you know, I’m an Italian Cath, I spent my entire life thinking I’ll be a mommy some day. Akva: Ok, yeah, the classic.

Akva kept on watching, the video was like 20 minutes long and she had nothing better to do...

Paisley: My husband and I have talked about adoption. The other day, we were walking around the beach and we saw a family of mermaids with their toddler, and that toddler was so freaking adorable. Damian joked we could get ourselves a little mermaid, if we can’t have our own might as well get something cool like that.

Akva ignored that red flag of a phrasing and ran straight to the part about adopting a baby mermaid. She was a track-star back in high school, running is what she does. But like, she is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a merman, which means their baby has a 100% chance of being born with gills and a fish tail! Without thinking, Akva opened Instagram and slid into Paisley’s DMs, with an offer you normally don’t randomly make by sliding in someone’s DMs.

The next morning, she went to the café a block away with Charlie, to have a little girl to girl talk...And then Dawud walked in, having just finished his shift, and blissfully unaware of what was going on, he invited himself at their table. 

Charlie: Please Dawud, this is not the time we are talking about women stuff. Dawud: Well sorry, I wasn’t intending on making you fail the Bechdel test. I just wanted a coffee. Akva: No, it’s fine, he can stay. I mean, it’s not really that womanly of a topic anyway. We’re talking about adoption. Dawud: A sweet, we’re getting a cat!? Akva: I am literally pregnant and you know it but somehow this is the conclusion you jump to?? Charlie: Anyway, as I was saying, putting your child for adoption is not a decision you should talke lightly Akva. It can mess up both the mother and the baby, and you’re already so young and a bit messed up. We all are in our apartment.  Akva: And you know what can mess a young mom? Raising a child she does not want! Which also, surprise surprise, will mess up the child too. Dawud: I don’t understand why you don’t just get an abortion. Charlie: She doesn’t want one. You can’t force someone to carry a baby but you also can’t force someone to abort. Dawud: I’m not forcing her, I’m just confused. You were right, this conversation is too womanly for me I guess. Akva: Anyway, it’s pretty obvious Charlie you don’t want me to put the baby for adoption because you want to raise it. Dawud: By the way, my friend Ralf was adopted and he turned out perfectly fine. Like he’s married and has kids and stuff.

Maybe not the best example though, cause at that very moment, at barely 8:30 AM, Ralf was busy uh...drinking whiskey while crying in his underwear...yeah...

Prev - Next

[ficrecslist]

Fic Rec Sunday #1

This week's fandoms include Boku no Hero Academia and Batman. Please make sure to look through the fic tags for content warnings before reading.

Batman

Brilliant Analytical Minds by stuckoncloud9 (62k, WIP, T)

When one of Bruce Wayne's socialite friends is murdered, her grieving uncle shocks Gotham by hiring the Riddler to deduce the identity of her killer.

An interesting and yet plausible take on a pairing I've never read before: Bruce Wayne/Edward Nygma.

the higher fidelity by birdsofthesoul (3k, T)

Bruce goes sheet-white, looking like Dick’s just cut him to the quick, and Dick can’t help but think they should have booked a flight, discretion be damned. This — this is why they don’t do road trips. Cars are like confessionals, cramped spaces built for coercing confessions, and neither of them are good with words.

Recollect, re-collect by Ptelea (94k, T)

Jason would tell you that his most recent case, where he stopped a wannabe warlock's spell-in-progress, went just fine.

Jason would also tell you he was fine with the distant, prickly status quo of his relationships with the other Bats.

(Jason is maybe not the most reliable of narrators.)

Or: A spell gone wrong leads to Jason hashing some things out--with himself, with Dick, and with the rest of the Batfam. Featuring: rather a lot of thoughts and conversations about memory, change, damage, love and trust, accountability, family, hurt, lies, death, Spyral, pedestals, cases, memorials, stories, and Robin.

Recced two works from this author just because their characterisation and writing is so good.

Chatterbox by Ptelea (24k, T)

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dick said. Then he frowned, because he had not just meant to say that.

Or: Eight times that spells or serums affected Dick's ability to speak and / or their aftermath.

Life Happens by Cdelphiki (176k, G)

While walking home from an event at Wayne Enterprises, Tim and Damian are kidnapped and sent to an alternate dimension. In a world where superheroes are merely comic book characters and the idea of the multiverse is only a theory found within the pages of science fiction, how are Tim and Damian going to return home? How long will they be stranded on this strange Earth? And will the boys murder each other before they figure it out?

the prophetic spring by yellow_caballero (32k, T)

When Tim Drake was seven years old he found 4chan. This would eventually kill him, and then proceed to kill very many other people afterwards, thus adding to the website’s already considerable body count. It would also save a few lives, which was a first for 4chan.

Part of a series, and is my favourite role reversal Robins fic. Definitely give this one a try.

Boku no Hero Academia

reconcile by whatagoodegg (100k, WIP, T)

Midoriya and Shigaraki get hit with a Quirk that basically locks the both of them in an indestructible box and makes them unable to physically harm each other. The only way for them to get out?

They have to reconcile their differences.

Obviously, this is easier said than done.

Really well done so far, and it digs deeply into both Shigaraki's and Midoriya's dynamic. It's sympathetic to Tomura but the writer pulls off the tension being stuck with the villain who tried to kill you and your classmates very well, especially in the first few chapters, and their relationship development comes across organically and authentic. (Note: Shigaraki is portrayed younger than in canon)

Singularity by BonesOfBirdWings (8k, T)

Yoichi dreams an impossible dream - one perfect day as a hero.

A nice little bodyswap fanfic where the first OFA user wakes up in Midoriya's body for the day.

Japan v. Shigaraki (2237) SCOJ No. 4401 by Anubis_2701 (21k, T)

After months of delay and bureaucratic mishandling, the Japanese Supreme Court has confirmed that the trial of Shigaraki Tomura, the mass murderer, supervillain and terrorist responsible for a slew of horrific crimes across the country, will begin on the 4th of September. Prosecutors say they are confident they can obtain convictions for all 408 charges. 

It is unknown at this stage whether Shigaraki himself will take the stand.

The author has put a lot of work into this fake court case and I think it's simply incredible. Lots of things to commend here.

By Any Other Name by SatelliteBlue (258k, T)

Through some freak accident of the universe, Dabi has been invited to compete on The Bachelorette. Have they actually seen his face? Surprisingly yes, and they still want him. For this season they apparently need a ‘bad boy’ to both balance out the hero contestant (why in hell is Hawks involved?) and to trash talk the show in interviews to appeal to audiences who don’t like the scripting. Getting sent on a vacation away from his annoying bandmates to complain and eat as much free food as he wants? Sold.

If there's one BNHA fic you have to try, this is the one. This and the fic below are DabiHawks.

The Sword of Damocles is Swinging by Princeliest (60k, T)

When the Hero Public Safety Commission says ‘jump,’ Hawks skips asking 'how high' and works his way from jump rope to jumping jacks before opening his mouth to complain that he can fly. Their latest request, a PR campaign geared to present Hawks as the heroic icon of the masses, at least seems easier than getting his feathers burned off by Dabi’s pet noumu… Right?

In which Hawks gets surgery, defeats a traumatized villain, receives some unwelcome fanmail, garners the sympathy of terrorists, accidentally forges enough relationships to cumulatively value as at least one friend, and maybe, eventually, asks for help - not necessarily in that order.

Missing Everything by Haptronym (59k, WIP, T)

Izuku misses a very important reveal and ends up with a villain-filled soda bottle instead. In the ensuing chaos, he befriends someone named Toshinori Yagi.

All Might misses the chance to make a snap decision and ends up mentoring a very heroic, very determined child who has no idea who he really is.

[lazerswordweilder]

I, Damian Ah Ghul Wayne, walked through a crater. I followed the amulet I had been given, it tracked my brother and it had led me here. Led me to a dead city, every house charred or destroyed, I followed the amulet and walked to the centre of the crater, an explosion had created morbid but beautiful green patterns on the wall.

“Brother?” I asked, I wondered why my brother was exploring such a horrid place. Suddenly mist swirled in front of my eyes, gathering into a human form, I had my sword out as I analysed every detail of the new person, looks about fourteen, snow white hair, glowing green eyes, a charred hazmat suit, lichtenberg scars creeping up his body, and in his eyes- recognition?

“Damian?” the figured voice asked, it has wispy and sounded painful “Brother?” my eyes widened

“Danyal?!” I sheathed my sword and took a step forwards “What happened?” a sad smile crossed Danyals face

“I died.” Danyal said “Did you come to claim revenge?”

“No! I figured out the truth, how Ra’s made you hate me, and you died because of it and I hated you and I’m so sorry-” I started

“Damian.” Danyal stopped me

“Yes?” I asked

“Tell me your life.” Danyal asked, I blinked “At the very least tell me if you’re happy.” Danyal asked

“I’ll tell you all about my life, I- I meet father and I live with him, and I have many animals, and-” I started and Danyal stopped me again

“No need to rush, I forgive you for hating me.” Danyal said “Please don’t cry.” he said and I realised I was crying “Tell me about the outfit you wear, are you a hero?” Danyal asked hopefully, with a wave of his hand two comfortable chairs appeared and I sat down

“It’s the robin uniform. Father is Batman, I am the fifth Robin in the family, first Grayson, then Todd, then Drake, then Brown, and now me.” I said

“Batman?” Danyal asked, I blinked

“Are- did you not die at fourteen? Father’s been operating since before your birth!” I said

“Amity had a tech block out, completely separated from the outside world. I forgot parts of my old life- well pushed them to the back of my mind until they were useful again.” Danyal said

“Oh, Batman- his secret identity is Bruce Wayne-” Danny seemed to recognise the Wayne name

“Batman’s his hero name!” Danyal said excitedly “Our dad is Lady Gothams Knight?” he asked

“Lady Gotham?” I asked

“The cities ghost, I talk with her a lot.” Danyal said, I blinked

“Wait, tell me about your life! Both after you faked your death and your afterlife!” I asked

“Okay. First I need to explain what happened here, it’s a long story, sorry I don’t have any human food.” Danyal apologised

“It’s fine brother.” I said and Danyal relaxed

“Well, first of all I go by Danny Phantom and if I need to act human then Danny Nightingale even though my adoptive parents were Fentons. When i faked my death I chose a house at random, which might not have been the smartest choice given that my new parents- Jack and Maddie, were pretty much science supervillains, they believed in ghosts which I previously thought was stupid, and they built a portal to the ghost zone, although it’s proper name is the Infinite Realms. They made me clean up their messes and while inspecting the portal I must have hit the on button because it came to life, the explosion killed all of Amity Park but lasted everything in the city (human, animal, object) with just enough ectoplasm that it basically just brought everyone to the Infinite Realms and made them ghosts and there were no other changes, just the species change; I however got blasted with far more electricity, ectoplasm, and radiation, it killed me and revived me several times and my body (being in the activated portal) was spilt between dimensions, betweeen life and death, between human and ghost, I became something called a halfa which is why I can come into the physical word and be- you know, physical.” Danny said, I nodded, it explained how ghosts could be real but we rarely saw them and there were a dozen things about Danyal both big and small that shouted he wasn’t human “You’re taking this well.”

“You had the same childhood, I’m used to world breaking revelations.” I said, brother laughed

“Yes, well. Anyways, my parents had been at the edge of town in Hazmat suits so the accident only normally killed them, if they’re ghosts, they probably don’t remember their lives and I haven’t met them. By the way, the ruins of Amity are my haunt is this realm (my living realm) which is how I knew you were here. Anyways, before the accident I lived a surprisingly normal life, I pretended my parents had drove by and kicked me out of the car because I had amnesia which was a great explanation for why I was here and couldn’t explain anything. Not that my ‘parents’ cared, they forgot about me and my sister Jazz. Anyways I went to a school called Casper High, it looked regular on the surface- bullies, nerds, popular kids, but when push came to shove we all stuck together, everyone was a community there. I had too great friends, Sam and Tucker.” Danny beamed “Anyways, I got okay grades in most subjects and downplayed my physical abilities because I didn’t want the attention. Then the accident happened, like I said Amity basically got teleported to the Infinite Realms and everyone was made into ghosts, weak ghosts though, I’m the strongest by a lot especially when you add my training to the equation. So older ghosts came to pick on us and claim Amity as their haunts and I fought them off and claimed Amity as my haunt, then Pariah Dark woke up from the Coffin of Forever Sleep.” Danny said, I knew the tone he used, it was the ‘this is a really big deal but I’m so used to this kind of stuff that I’m going to say it normally’ and that did not bode well for my brother

“Pariah Dark?” I asked

“Oh right you don’t know! The former ghost king, not to brag but he was super powerful, took several Ancients (ghost gods) to put him to sleep the first time.” Danny said proudly, it took me a second to pry together what he meant

“YOU’RE THE GHOST KING!?!?” I yelled, a green crown which was on fire appeared above Dannys head, a ring with a skull on it appeared on his gloved hand, a cape made of galaxies swirled around him, the white ermine around his neck had frozen skulls in it, and he had an aura of power to him that made me want to bow.

“I have a castle.” Danny said “Also when I said Amity was my haunt it’s technically closer to this entire planet is my haunt because I’ve forbidden ghost from coming here with a few exceptions- but it’s not a haunt, like how the Infinte Realms are my territory but isn’t my haunt.”

“Brother I don’t know what haunt means.” I said

“Oh, right. Well, I’ll brief you on the ghost stuff later… do you want me to meet your ‘friad- family?” Danny asked “I can explain to them too.”

“Right now?” I was disappointed I’d just gotten my brother back after finding out he really loved me and now he wanted to meet everyone else?

“Later then.” Danny said “Come on, let me introduce you to everyone!” Danny said with excitement “You okay with that?” he asked

“Yes.” I said, that might of been a mistake because Danny pulled me through a portal into a place with swirling green sky, we were standing on a balcony of a castle

“What’s your full name or the name(s) you go by?” Danny asked

“Damian Ah Ghul Wayne if I’m out of the uniform, Robin if I’m in it.” I said. Danny nodded and suddenly I was in a suit and my domino mask was off, then Danny turned to face the void and called out in a language I didn’t understand. Creatures- ghosts started flying into the courtyard or just floating at the area around the island (I realised the castle was on a floating island) and every ghost chattered to one another in a langue I didn’t understand, Danny yelled something and everyone went silence, then switched to a mix of English and the other langue which I was called ghost for lack of a better term.

“GHOSTS OF ALL SPECIES AND GENDER, I CALL YOU HERE TODAY TO WELCOME DAMIAN AH GHUL WAYNE. MY BROTHER AND THE NEW PRINCE OF THE INFINITE REALMS! PRINCE WAYNE HAS TRAINING AS AN ASSASSIN AND IS A KNIGHT OF LADY GOTHAM. HE IS HUMAN, AND I EXPECT YOU TO TREAT HIM WITH THE SAME RESPECT YOU WOULD TREAT ME WHILE UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR TWO SPECIES AND RESPECT HIS LIMITS UNTIL PRINCE WAYNE JOINS US IN DEATH!” Danny yelled. I knew most species wouldn’t take well to a species weaker than them ruling them and I held my head high, the ghosts studied me for a moment and I expected at least some negative reaction, then the crowd broke out in noise

“What?” I asked

“That’s the equivalent of cheering, a stand up applause.” Danny said,

“Really?” I asked “Surely they would view me as less because I am human?” Danny smirked

“We’re ghosts Prince Wayne, we don’t care about your skin tone, or your gender, or even your species, we care about strength. Doesn’t matter if you defeat someone with smarts and human stuff, or raw power and ghost stuff, or whatever in between, all that matters is that you can beat them. Lady Gothams Knights have an impressive reputation here, everyone can sense her approval on you and she respects only the best. They can see and feel and have heard about your strength Damian, they don’t care if you’re human.” Danny said

“I did not need a lecture on self confidence.” I said

“Yeah, you say that, but you haven’t met Paulina yet.” Danny said “Anyways you’ll pick up on ghost speak soon enough.” he reassured

“Is that really what it’s called?” I asked

“I didn’t name it.” Danny said

There are two things that Damian knows that he knows Father doesn’t.

He has an older brother

He was dead

(And a secret third thing: Damian was glad he was dead. They did not get along.)

Well. No, correction, they were two things that Damian knew that Father didn't. Past tense. Strange magic swirled through the air and created a mirage before his eyes, and immediately a scowl forms across his face.

The mirage shifts and shimmers like the light hitting a slowly turning prism, and then it settles into a memory. One that Damian does not recall. Like looking into a tv screen, it shows, faintly, a room, with most of the magic going into the image of a crib.

His mother was standing on one side, and next to her, standing on his tiptoes was a small five year old boy looking up at her. With dark hair and skin that was only few shades lighter brown than Damian's, the little boy's resemblance to Damian was undeniable.

However, his eyes were blue. Not green. Damian's scowl deepens, and he sinks back. "Danyal." He mutters, and feels eyes turn on to him.

Danyal Al Ghul. Damian's older brother. A prodigal swordsman like Damian, and five years his senior. He'd be fifteen if he was still alive. His memory of the last time he saw his brother was still clear in his mind.

(A sword to Danyal's neck. Stars were glittering through his window. Damian was five, Danyal ten. He is not sure why Danyal had snuck into his room, all he remembers is hearing a sound and on instinct reaching for his sword.)

(His brother had intercepted easily. But had not shoved the sword away. Moonlight hit his blue eyes, and Damian remembers seeing the pupils shrink to let the light in. His eyes looked almost silver.)

(His brother bares his teeth at him. Damian wants to slice his neck more than anything, and he bares his teeth back. "Good." Danyal says, his voice low in a hiss, "Your reflexes are good, little brother.")

("Of course they are," Damian remembers snarling, and presses the sword closer. But it does not budge. "I am an Al Ghul.")

(Something unrecognizable passes through his brother's eyes, and his mouth twists into something like a smile. "I know." He says, and tilts his head downwards at him. "And you will be great.")

(His brother shoves the sword back, causing Damian to stumble. And like the wind, he is gone.)

(The next morning, he goes on a mission with mother and a few others. Mother is the only one to return with Danyal's sword, and a red-eyed look in her eyes. Damian does not mourn. Now there's only one of them.)

"Momma." The little Danyal-mirage speaks, a furrow between his childlike brows as mother lowers a bundle into the crib. His blue eyes watch her, and lifts onto his toes to peer into the crib as she sets the baby down. "Who is this?"

Their mother's hand comes to rest along his back. "This is Damian, my son." She murmurs, voice low. "He is your little brother. Protect him well."

Damian scoffs internally -- not likely. He remembers every spar he ever had with Danyal, every harsh word and insult. His pushing, pushing, pushing for Damian to get up. To try again. Do it again. The only kindness he ever showed him was when his fingers bled. And even that was harsh, firm. Rolling gauze around his wrist and scolding him, telling him how to wield his weapon better.

(It was the same as everyone else, but somehow it hurt worse coming from his own brother.)

But he watches his older brother's youngest self tilt his head to the side, and then reach his chubby hand through the crib's bars. He runs small, blunt fingers over the baby's arm, and the baby jerks. Through the crib's bars, Damian sees himself grab Danyal's fingers.

And he scowls even deeper.

And Danyal's eyes... widen. He lets out a little gasp, and a small smile Damian's never seen him wear tilts at the corner of his mouth as he looks up at their mother. "Mother," he whispers, "he grabbed me!"

Damian... his scowl falters, for a moment.

He doesn't wait for a response, he looks back to the baby with sparking eyes. His expression melts like sugar as he bounces the finger being gripped tight by the small hand. "Hello, little brother." His brother says, voice its of usual firmness, but there's more fondness underlying it than Damian's ever heard. "My name is Danyal."

The mirage shifts before Damian can comprehend his older brother's voice. It shows the crib again, appearing as if a few days had passed. There is night lilting through the nearby window, and a creek of the door. The baby doesn't stir.

Danyal sneaks in, still wearing his training clothes and a sword strapped to his side. Damian's scowl returns, watching him creep over to the crib. Of course -- the last night he saw his brother wasn't the only time he'd snuck into his room.

Would he go so low as to attack an infant? Damian wonders, watching his brother cross the room to his crib. But while his fingers rest against the hilt, they never curl to unsheathe.

His brother peers into the crib again, and there it is again, that smile wider in the corner of his mouth. It's not a full one, but its as uninhibited as it gets. Dripping honey-sweet with awe. "You are so tiny." Danyal whispers, and pokes a finger back through the crib. It wriggles, then pokes Damian's cheek gently. "Was I as small as you when mother gave birth to me?"

There is no response from the baby. Not a coherent one anyways, the little thing snuffles and turns his head, mouth open to latch. Danyal stills, his eyes grow ever wider again.

Danyal says nothing else, just rests his cheek against the crib and watches the baby sleep in silence. The affection never leaves his young face.

Damian feels unsettled. Off-foot. This Danyal is foreign to him... He wonders what happened to have changed his brother's mind on him.

There's a scuffle, quiet, but there. Danyal picks up on it just as Damian does, and his head pricks up like a deer, head already turning away from the crib. The affection leaves his face, falling away like water into something serious. His blade is already slightly unsheathed.

Two assassins, belonging to grandfather, burst out of the shadows. Their swords swinging into the air and ready to strike.

Danyal kills them both, his back to the crib. It's not without struggle, and when the two assassins lay dead on the floor, the baby is wailing at the top of his lungs. Danyal has a laceration cleaving down diagonal of his cheek. It's close to his eye, just barely missed blinding him.

Damian never knew how he got that scar. He does now. (He doesn't know how to feel about it.)

His brother clutches his bleeding face, sheathing his sword as tears well up onto his face. But he turns towards the crib, and hurries over. "You're okay, you're okay, you're okay." He hushes rapidly, the League-drilled seriousness fallen away to reveal a panic-stricken five year old. He sticks one hand into the crib, the one not clutching anything, and grabs little Damian's hand.

Their mother comes bursting in that moment, and Danyal turns his head towards her. "Mother." He says, his voice cracks un-wantingly. Their mother steps over the bodies of the assassins easily. "They tried to kill Damian."

"But they did not." Talias says, kneeling down next to the crib to inspect Danyal's face and Damian's well-being. When she finds nothing of concern beyond the injury, she continues. "You killed them before they could, Danyal. Well done."

The mirage of his brother nods, his eyes teary and red.

Damian... is discomfited. he never thought Danyal would kill assassins for him. He would have thought his brother would sooner look the other way. The mirage shifts again, and it quickly shows time passing.

Danyal sits in Damian's nursery every night, after that. He lays at the foot of the crib with his sword, a pillow and a blanket with him. Some nights there is nothing but peace -- or as close to peace as a baby could achieve -- and some days assassins break in.

Danyal kills each one.

The mirage shifts again, and it shows more memories of Danyal interacting with Damian during his youth too young for him to remember. His first steps, his first words.

"Danya." The small toddler of Damian says, arms reaching for Danyal.

A frown curls across Danyal's face, and pulls Damian into his lap. "No, no, little brother." He scolds, voice firm but.. softer. "It is Danyal, Damian. Danyal."

"Danya!"

Damian's brother sighs, but there is that same-small tilt at the corner of his mouth. A glimmer in his eyes. A glimmer... that Damian is finding he recognizes.

(He always thought his brother got that look in his eyes when he was mocking him. Was he wrong?)

The mirage shifts again, and this time it shows only mother and Danyal, alone. Danyal is older, taller. Seven, if Damian had to guess. Mother has a stern look on her face, her hands tight on his shoulders. "Damian will be starting training soon, my son."

Ah, then close to eight then. Training starts, always, at three years old. He watches Danyal nod, his expression mimicking their mother's. His arms are folded, always folded, behind his back, always neat.

"You can no longer have the relationship with your brother as you did before." Mother says.

Danyal's expression... falters. It shifts, it fluctuates. He looks surprised, thrown off. Like he isn't quite sure he heard what mother just said. His brows furrow. "What... do you mean, mother?"

"I mean what I said, Danyal." Mother says, stern, "Ra's will be keeping a closer eye on Damian now that he is of age to begin his training. He will not like if he sees you both getting along."

"I am sorry, my child. But your relationship with Damian ends here. You are rivals now, not brothers." In a cruel form a gentleness, mother raises her hand and tucks a stray curl out of Danyal's face.

Of course. Damian never had a relationship with his brother because of Grandfather. Of course. No, he's not feeling a little bitter. No. There's not an inner child that still, like a candleflame, wishes that he'd had a bond with his only flesh and blood.

Danyal is dead now. So it's not like it matters. He's happy about this.

Danyal frowns, and he steps back. He looks lost in thought. "We are still brothers, mother," he says, argues, and looks up to meet mother's eyes. "Let me train him, I will make sure he gets the skill he needs. If we must be rivals, then I will teach him how to defeat me. If he can defeat me, he can defeat anybody."

Their mother, and Damian, both blink in unison. Then mother smiles something sharp, calculated. She folds her hands behind her back. "Then do it. But you will make him hate you."

"...So be it."

Damian.... Damian is silent. His world axis has been tilted on its head. He is sliding, and sliding, and sliding down. Spinning. Many things click into place at once.

More memories from the mirage show. It shows Danyal training Damian. It shows their arguing, their bickering. It shows Danyal going to their mother to praise Damian and his skills, how fast he is picking up on the sword. How one day he will surpass even him.

It shows Danyal sitting outside Damian's bedroom door every night, listening in for anyone who dares to break in. His knees drawn to his chest, his sword at his side. Sometimes he sneaks in, sword drawn, when he hears a sound.

Some nights, Damian wakes up. He remembers those nights. Danyal standing over his bed with his sword unsheathed and tight at his side. He remembers the instant terror as he immediately reached for his own weapon.

His brother always scolded him for his lack of vigilance. That had he been anyone else, Damian would have had his neck cut. He would've been dead already. It only made Damian's hatred of him grow.

But he understands now. Because there were assassins in the room that Damian, four years old, three, did not notice. Not until later. He always assumed the attacks on him after Danyal's death had been because now there was a new heir to target.

It had been the only lesson he'd been even somewhat grateful for.

Then finally the mirage shimmers, and it shows Danyal, ten years old, in one of the training rooms, mid-spar with Mother. It's fast, sharp, impressive and like a blur. Damian is unsure if at ten which one of them was the better swordsman. Some of the assassins who have never met Danyal said Damian was, but the ones who had said it was Danyal. He'll never know.

In a lull in the fight, when their swords are crossed, mother speaks. "Ra's wants you and Damian to fight." She says, teeth grit into a deep scowl. The cross breaks and Danyal jumps back, he frowns.

"We have fought, mother." He says, and dives in first, swinging for mother's feet. Mother dodges, and slices at his arm. He swerves out of the way, twisting on his feet like a dance. "We are always fighting, doesn't he see our spars?"

"Not a spar like that, my son." Mother says, a snarl in her voice. She lunges, and Danyal blocks her blade. "A fight to the death. Father has grown tired of having two heirs."

That gets Danyal's attention -- or, more accurately, it distracts it. His eyes widen, and his sword lowers for a single moment. A mistake. "What?" Is all he gets out before mother has him on his back, her blade pressed to his throat.

He freezes. As does Damian. Danyal's brows furrow, then unfurrow, only to knot up again. "Mother, what do you mean a fight to the death?" He flips to his feet when mother removes the sword. She walks over to grab her water.

"Must I repeat myself, Danyal?" Mother snaps, rubbing her forehead before swigging from her canteen. "Father wants to find out which one of you is the stronger heir, and so you will fight to the death after your training in a few days."

Danyal's tan face loses a shade of color, he looks ashy. "There must be some mistake!" He exclaims, his arms gesturing out as he peers around mother. "There is a five year disparity between us, Damian has only just started training two years ago. It would be an unfair fight!"

"Do you think me unaware?" Mother whirls on him, and there is a grief-stricken look on her face. Like she is already mourning Damian's death. Damian feels ill. "Your skill is far beyond what Damian can accomplish right now, and there is nothing that I say that can convince Father otherwise."

Danyal wears an expression like he is scrambling for answers. A white knuckle grip on his weapon. There is a long silence, and his lower lip curls up. His throat bobs, he swallows. "Is there really nothing we can do?"

Mother makes a frustrated sound, pushing her loose hairs out of her face. "Not unless Father changes his mind, or I send one of you away. But Father would surely send someone to look for you or Damian."

"What if one of us faked our death?"

Mother stills. As does Damian. No, he thinks, stiff as a rod, no way. These mirages were lying, nothing but figments of an imagination. Of some quiet what-if that Damian had not yet stomped out.

Mother's expression shifts, and then turns contemplative. Danyal notices, and keeps pushing, he looks as hopeful as he could get beyond his usual unwavering, stone-like expression. "One of us could go to father--"

"No." Mother cuts off, voice sharp. Danyal wilts, confusion flittering across his face. Damian, from the corner of his eye, sees Father tense as stone. His white-slit eyes have not left the mirage. Nobody's has.

"Father will undoubtedly check there first, it would not be a good idea. You or Damian will have to go somewhere where he would not think to look. Someone unaffiliated with the League."

Danyal's face falls, shutters, and then closes up again into stone. Mother begins to pace, and Danyal's blue eyes follow her. "So a stranger?" He asks, and there is disgust lilting into his voice.

Mother nods, and she looks just as offput as Danyal.

The mirage of Damian's brother rolls his shoulders back. "Then I will do it, mother." He says, voice unwavering. There is a stubborn note behind it all, one that Damian recognizes. "I will fake my death, and Damian will stay here."

Mother's eyes turn sharp on him, and she stops in her spot. She pivots. "Are you sure?" She asks, eyebrow raising, "There is a chance you will never meet your Father if you leave. Nor will you see I or Damian again, if you do this."

Something like fear flickers across Danyal's face, eyes widening momentarily -- as if that very thought had not crossed his mind. But then it smooths over to sharp determination. He nods. "It would be the same for Damian if it was him instead. I will do it, Mother."

Damian feels ill again. Father has a strong set in his jaw, his teeth grinding.

Mother stares at Danyal, and then her expression softens. And like before, it is grieving. "In a few days time, I and another member of the League will be going on a mission to the American States. I will tell Father that you will accompany me, once there we will dispose of the other member and then orchestrate your death."

The American States. Danyal was here, in the country. He was out there somewhere -- but no this was fake. It had to be. Danyal was dead. A fool who got himself killed on a mission with mother and left the title of Heir to Damian.

Or maybe it had been his plan all along. His and mother's both.

...Was mother ever going to tell him?

The mirage of Danyal nods, sharp. Understanding. There is a gleam in his eyes that is not pride, it is tears. And when Mother leaves the room and leaves him alone, the stone-like expression on his face crumbles and falls.

His brother, ten years old, curls up his lip in an ugly way. It wobbles as the tears in his eyes do, and he brings up his hand to slam it over his mouth. And sinks to his knees, a yell-like sob muffled behind the skin.

His brother, ten years old, looks smaller than Damian remembers him being, and cries.

Damian has never seen Danyal cry. Not once in the mirage of memories, nor in his own.

The memory holds for a minute, and then disappears. And no new one shows up. The magic is gone, and it leaves a silence in its wake. Heavy, staticky, and full of revelations.

So there are two things that Damian knows that his Father now knows too.

He has an older brother

His older brother is alive.

(And a new secret third thing: Damian wasn't sure how to feel about it.)