#the superbat fandom just has such good fanart

[onnahu]

Batkids as AO3 users

Dick - I don't think he'd be a writer. He just don't give me the vibes, ya know? He would, however, read fics about people he knows. And himself. He's deep in superhero fandom, and at some moment he gets super invested in some rarepair and actually menages to set them up. I also think as a teenager he would stumble upon some E rated fic for someone he knows, then promise himself he'd never touch it again, and then a few years later he reads them a lot, is just super secretive and guilty about it. He does not, however, touch Batman E rated fics with a ten foot pole.

Tim - you'd think he'd write Hero RPF, huh? No. He's deep into Formula 1 RPF. He writes, he reads, he's just very active in fandom. Most of his works are some kind of Formula 1 murder mystery.

Jason - he is the one from Hero RPF. He doesn't read it, he just writes it. In various AU's, ranging from some inspired by his crazy adventures to those from classic literature. When he was still Robin, he wrote Pride and Prejudice Superbat fic, that became crazy popular. After ressurection he sweared he wouldn't touch it, but after checking it out once and realising how tragic his writing style was, he rewrites the whole thing. He reads fics from fandoms he does not know the original works of. He finds a fic he likes, and learns things from it. Then he spirals deep into fandom. Like many of Batfam fans I imagine. That's why he doesn't write, because he feels he can't without knowing the original, and he sure as hell ain't watching some kids show called Ben 10.

Babs - I think her beginnings were in something like Twilight of DCU. She would regret it forever. Currently she's involved in some shows she watches when on break from work and Oracle. I'm not really into TV series but maybe something like Bridgertons or The Boys or something like that. She writes only one-shots and is active on Tumblr. She has like a thousand bookmarks and she posts fic recs with the most wild analysis of writing style, plot consistency and just vibes. She stays away from any RPF's, but esoecially Superhero RPF. She's got it enough on day to day basis thank you very much.

Steph - that girl post Robin writes the most sick gore body horror fics change my mind. And she does it in fandom's you would least expected. She also writes Spoiler/Batgirl fics, that are really fluffy but also full of action and actually made the pairing wildly known.

Cass - she reads everything Steph writes for Spoiler/Batgirl. Steph does not know Cass knows she writes them. Cass is really charmed. She tried writing one, but it came out really dark and she didn't like how clumsy it was and gave up on trying to be an author. She reads heavy angst, crack, or Steph's Spoiler/Batgirl fics, nothing else. She's the person that leaves very short but very sweet comments on literally averything she likes.

Duke - that boy is in the same circles as both Tim and Dick. He actually finds out it's Tim that writes his favourite Formula 1 fics as Tim finds out it's Duke that leaves those super insightful comments on them that start's conversations with author and other readers. They have one talk about it and then forcefully forgets about it and continues as it was. He writes Batman and Robin and Robin Gang fics. He's really good at it, and that's how he found Duck Grayson. Not that any of them knows that's the other on the other side of the screen. And yes, he's Steph's beta reader, and she's his. They don't talk about it, it's just how it is.

Damian - he reads Batman and Robin fics but only about himself. He also draws fanart and makes comics about Batman and Robin (himself). Later he gets involved in Teen Titans fandom, then the Justice League one, and suddenly he's a wildly known fanartist in the whole Hero RPF community. And he did draw a fanart for Jason's fic ones. They both don't know it's the other. He also gives aby superhero an emotional support fictional pet. Dick think it's adorable. (He was the one that introduced Damian to fandom.)

[lovesick-joey]

I love you art. Your use of colors is very nice. Also I mean this in the nicest way possible, but how many people do you ship batman with??? Every bruce wayne rare pair I see on my dash comes from you and I think I've counted like 5 by now. I'm not against it, but how many people does he date in your mind??

(thank you!)

this is so embarrassing. I ship bruce with basically everyone.

if you show me some obscure character my mind will go to "I wonder if they have had any interactions with bruce"

I really like putting bruce in romantic situations. I just think it's so fun to pair him with characters and figure what their dynamic would be like. It's easy with let's say superbat or batlantern (hal x bruce) because those characters are relatively popular and also the relationship dynamics have already been explored both in canon and the fandom. I think that's pretty much the appeal of rare pairs tbh

I will now list some characters that are rare in batman shipping, that I personally have constantly rotating in my head

1. carter hall (hawkman) — I made art of him and bruce together like three times(?). they're both kind of dysfunctional and they're a little freaky when fighting... I feel like they'd be bad for each other (to quote a reblogger, "make each other worse"). other than that they look very good together imo. also, bruce's kids are "birds" so, having another "bird person" in the family wouldn't be a crazy thing.

2. alan scott (green lantern) — I love this as much as I really love hal x bruce. In fact I might choose this over hal (sorry). I feel like this ship makes so much sense. they team up a couple of times in the comics. I'll admit I don't know a lot about alan but I really love art depicting them partnering up.

3. harley quinn — I actually picture her and bruce to be more like best friends, but I do like the romantic ship. imagining them walking away holding hands after beating the shit out of the joker because fuck that guy!!! clown haters fr!

4. arthur curry (aquaman) — does this count as a rare pair??? tbh I'll stop seeing this as a rare pair when more fanart is made of them (and so far it's only. me. crickets). massive soft spot for them as a pairing. I remember shipping these two when I was younger and it was all because of batman: the brave and the bold's fault. so it's been a while.

honorable mentions: lobo x bruce and lex luthor x bruce. I don't ship these in a traditional sense but I do it for goofy hahas. I think they're so funny because both of them have beef with superman. imagine being clark and finding out your best friend has been sleeping with the people you hate. how do you work together with that knowledge.

[devine-fem]

lol might get hate for this but in my opinion in terms of the ranking the SuperBat pairings….

1.) Damijon/Jondami- Yes I’m completely bias but I never felt this strong for such a pairing (regardless either platonic/romantic! ) Such an iconic (chaotic) duo! I’m glad the dynamic of Damian and Jon worked out well and is well loved!

2.) Superbat-I mean they are the OGs and I can get why fans love their dynamic and pair them! I’m more bromance for them but I do look forward to their interactions whenever the two appear together!

3.) Timkon-I’m neutral for them. I like the fanarts if I see them but otherwise I think they seem more aesthetically good together than like actually together. Hey at least Tim has Bernard now and personally Kon deserves better.

Jon + Damian have squashed potential. Their friendship would have done both their characters so much good. Eventually, as they grew Jon would have felt like he’d have to chase after Damian and keep up and Damian would seek and find in Jon when it comes to anything he can’t obtain as a hero.

Out of all the popular ships, this one is particularly rare.

Imagine a world where Jon and Damian did engage in a romantic relationship in later years. I think it would be great queer rep to show two people who knew each other as friends - grappling with the same heroic pressures and coming to terms with the fact that they might not want to be just friends anymore (a common queer experience) I also think that in stories where they are do become Batman and Superman, it’d feel very refreshing to see DC have the courage to portray an iteration of their most popular characters like that.

These characters are both fairly new and not so much engraved into the audience. They both know each other and share chemistry so there wouldn’t be a lot of room for complaint.

Superbat is meh to me. Over the years, It has done a lot regarding DC fandom, it’s a ship that’s become iconic and is popular amongst passive fans which could become quite annoying.

Superbat is realistically, never going to happen. Respectfully, I doubt DC would do anything in all seriousness when it comes to anything romantic between these two.

Especially with the obvious things like how Batman is and how Clark has a wife and kids.

Although, no ship is shipped under the ideation of becoming canon so I give this pair its flowers because honestly, it could be nice in domestic situations or maybe a workplace relationship but I don’t see it being endgame or like anything happening at all in a likable way.

Timkon, I’m very, very bias about how much I dislike Timkon. Most Timkon shippers realistically do not read comics and I know this because I was one at first for a short amount of time and realized how deluded and far off from the truth Timkon actually is.

It’s crazy to me because fandom is so intense about this ship and all for it to be… alright?

A lot of Timkon stuff is boiled down to being one-sided on Tim’s part. It really irks me that Timkon's evidence is like Tim trying to clone Conner while knowing that he has a thing about not being cloned because he’s a clone himself which irks me.

Then him dating his ex-girlfriend is a HUGE red flag to me, especially when their relationship was semi-abusive and built on grief but good thing it didn’t last.

Also, Tim and Conner are NOT as close as people pretend they are. Conner doesn’t know much about Tim beyond him being Robin, they don’t hang out outside of being heroes.

In reality, Conner doesn’t know much about Tim at all and he’s much closer with his other teammates - literally any other YJ teammate other than Tim. Conner's established friendship with Tim caused a lot of really horrible character assassinations on Bart, Cassie, and Conner. It pushed all characters aside in an attempt to emphasize their relationship.

If they were to have a relationship then people acknowledge its toxicity - see toxicity doesn’t take away from shipability but frankly, I think both these characters deserve to be happy.

If they did date, I seriously give them half a year before they break up. I’m happy Tim is with Bernard because he seems much happier than he’s ever been. I’m sorry, reading those comics it felt like Tim was just grieving his friend after having lost a family member and he was spiraling and needing help, that’s not ‘cute’ to me.

Anyway, I notice Timkon shippers use Kon more as an accessory to Tim and melt his character down for that. If they read his comics then they’d know that he is canonically attracted to Bart anyway (I say canonically because of the on-the-nose insinuation which I take as gospel because it’s crazy for a writer to just outright mention Conner might be attracted to Bart.) Which Bart is most of the reason Conner is queer coded like he is now anyway.

Anyway, not saying all Timkon shippers are horrible but I don’t like the shippers or the ship. It’s substanceless for me. If you like it I’m very happy for you. I think all of these ships are iconic and adorable. This is just me being a person with an opinion.

Anyway, my thoughts.

[aimmyarrowshigh]

5, 11, 14, 15, 16, 22? :)

5. Favorite song, album, or artist to listen to this year

According to my Spotify Wrapped, my most-listened to artist was Chappell Roan, which makes sense. But I think my favorite song this year was "Taste" by Sabrina Carpenter.

11. Biggest squee moments of the year

Hmm... that's a good question! I'm trying to think if I had any super squee moments this year. I feel like there have been a lot of fanart posts or gifsets that made me squee and fall in love all over again with Stucky, but that's not really the same thing. Prrrobably the Billy reveal in Agatha All Along was my biggest kicky-feet squee of the year! I was just so happy not to be getting Ralph Bohner'd again, lol

14. Favorite m/f ship of the year

I'm trying to think if there were any that particularly struck me this year that aren't just like "yeah I still like these two," and I'm not positive that there are -- like, most of the books I've read this year haven't been very -- you know what, that means that by default it's Nancy Drew/Ned Nickerson. I'm okay with that.

15. Favorite f/f ship of the year

Claudia Kishi/Stacey McGill, due to my BSC reread. Listen, my heart has wanted what it's wanted since 1993. I knows what I likes.

16. Favorite m/m ship of the year

I mean, Stucky, obviously. If I have to apply the rules of #14 and name a ship that I STARTED shipping in 2024, as opposed to one that I just still ship, then I started reading Superbat in 2024. I know. It makes me feel feelings about myself, too.

22. Your main fandoms throughout the year

Marvel, Nancy Drew, and the Baby-Sitters' Club have been my big fandoms this year, although the only one that I really "participate in" is Marvel, probably. Although I guess I write drabbles for all three (and many others) -- at least, in theory.

[samstree]

Rules: show your lock screen, last song listened to, last pic saved on your phone.

Thank you @bloodbuzz-smartypants for tagging me! <3

Credit to the superbat artist here.

Tagging: @wren-of-the-woods @witcher-and-his-bard @horsedadgeralt @yeraskier and whoever wants to do it consider yourself tagged ;)

[tired9432]

General Question to Superbat Fans

Why do some superbat fans disrespect Clark so much? 🤷‍♀️

Whenever I see superbat posts in the Clark/Superman tag most of them ignore his history, his trauma, personality, his family/friends/allies [Lois, his parents, other Justice League members, Jimmy, Kara, Perry, John Henry, Pete, Steve, Cat and etc] his city, his children, [Conner, Chris, Mia, and Jon] and general mythos.

It seems people are only interested in Bruce's character and his family. The general vibe I get looking into this fandom is an odd combination of being heteronormative [strict top/bottom debate], misogyny [Lois, Selina, Talia, Diana, Lana] and sometimes even highly abusive! [Evil Clark but no Evil Bruce] It's a very crazy combo, but that's how it seems to me from looking at the majority of works.

For example, people typically make Bruce the bottom or feminine one. When realistically they would be switches. Yet, overwhelmingly all the work is dedicated to "Brucie Wanye." Even though most of the time his true personality is a cold, macho, caring man. Heck, I see Clark preferring more the bottom role. But, why the strictness when it comes to these positions?

To my other point I'm personally going to focus on Lois since, I prefer Superman's stories more than Batman. Anyways, this brings me to the lack of care towards Lois, where she is either villainized or not made to be an important person in Clark's live. Regardless of ships and platonic/romantic feelings, Lois is Clark's closest friend. Yet, none of that is rarely displaced in fanart, headcanons, and fics. Yet, Bruce's people are always made sure to be included.

Also, what's with the influx of evil Superman and poor innocent babyboy Batman. Look I like dark tropes, fluff, and all in between. I wouldn't mind the dark stuff so much if we at least kept the same treatment with both parties. Instead of only favoring one person.

To me and I'm sure many other people, it's deeply upsetting and disturbing to see the kindest original hero immigrant aka the champion of the oppressed. To be used for such weird, oc, fetishistic works.

Again, it's odd due to Batman having so much privilege and is known for being very controlling, yet it's never displayed in these darker takes. Batman is a good man, and can have troubling qualities, as all good characters have. Clark has his darker attributes too, but that’s okay as long as it presented fairly. Which from the looks of things isn't in this fandom.

Lastly, Clark and Bruce have a close friendship. Yet, again I see no one making art/fics about Clark's other close relationships. But, everyone seems to be a huge fan of being a multishipper for Bruce. Example being Selina, Talia, Joker, Harvey, Ghostmaker, Hal, Barry, Arthur, Diana, and etc. Seems to be to be a bit biased no, for fans that claim to love Clark and ship superbat have no problem doing this for Bruce.

Where's the love for other Clark ships like Lois, Lana, Lex, John Corben, Brainiac 5, Hal, Arthur, Diana, Barry, Maxima, Volcana, Blanque, and etc.

Also, just want to point out it's not really special that Clark recognizes Bruce's heartbeat as the go to superbat trope. He does that with everyone like again to list Lois, his parents, his children, his friends both in the Justice League, at the Daily Planet, and in Smallville. Heck, he's even given Jimmy his own personal watch to call him!

This is not an attack towards anyone's preferences. I just sincerely want to know why there's such a strong bias in superbat. It's so overwhelming, this disparity. I personally, do like superbat as long as they are both treated like equals.

***TLDR

I’m tired of Clark Kent being used as a tool to prop Bruce or the batfamily, rather than a true equal.

It just seems to me everything that makes Clark a beautiful character, with his engaging personality, mythos, and family/friends were thrown under the bus for the superbat ship.

To me a ship or an OTP should be an additional expansion and fun for both characters. Not a definite favoritism towards one person in the majority of content.

If you like one character in a pairing a lot, why wouldn’t you want to know more about their partner? It just doesn’t make sense to have an extreme bias. Again, this is in reference to the majority of superbat shippers, not to anyone personally.

Thank you, for reading this and have a great day! 🌟

[thursdayforeverafter]

5 and 6 <3

oooo fun ones ty asta ☆

5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

once or twice; not enough to make me ACTUALLY dislike the pairing, just the fanworks surrounding it. mostly some dickkory stuff where most of the art and fic is based around teen titans 2003, so there isn't much depth to the characterization in fic and the colors are yucky because let's face it borrowing the 2003 character design for art means it's going to be shade-based colors because they didn't have steven-universe-esque color palettes for tv shows back then. mmm there's also stuff like stephcass which imo would never actually work out given all the shit between them, but even if it did I don't like the fanstuff around it because it's so cutesy and like ??? no???? do better

6. Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

I wasn't a huge superbat fan because if we're being honest I like platonic-sibling found family more and the bruce-clark-diana friendship is genuinely one of my favourite things, but there is some truly BEAUTIFUL superbat fanart out there what with the sun/moon light to his darkness imagery etc etc it's just. well made and that makes me go YESSS CERTIFIED GOOD SHIP. only sometimes though

[sweet-sammy-kisses]

The Annual Shipping Polls

Fandom: Batman/DC Pairings: Dick/Tim, Bruce/Diana, Roy/Kory/Jason, Stephaine/Cassandra, mentions of fandom Kon/Tim, fandom SuperBats Summary: Dick is brooding, Jason is amused, Tim is confused, Damian is annoyed, Stephanie and Babs want to knock some heads, and Cass and Diana are all-knowing. Author notes: This is my first time writing Dick/Tim and I owe a huge thank you to @iphoenixrising who’s amazing Tim stories got me longing to write my own Tim stories. 

Like many things Jason will claim that it was all Roy’s fault he discovered it first and after laughing for several moments sought out Jason.

It was the annual shippers poll that happened once a year where fans of superheroes would vote for their favorite ship as they went head to head to see who would win. There was favorite slash, female slash, het, poly and superheroes, and their villains.

When it was first discovered an amused Lois sent the links to Clark.

Diana had been amused.

Bruce grunted and glared.

Clark feared just a little for his life.

SuperBats had won favorite slash pairing while WonderBat had won for favorite het pairing and The Trinity had won for favorite poly pairing.

It stayed like that for many years until other heroes started appearing Wally and Dick to their amusement learned that they were a much loved BirdFlash and one of the few that could give SuperBats a run for their money but sadly always came a little short of beating them. Nightwing/Starfire was a much-loved pairing and one year managed to defeat WonderBat only for the WonderBat fans to come back next year and claim their crown.

To Barry Allen's shock and Leonard Snart amusement, ColdFlash was undefeatable as the fans' favorite hero/villain pairing. No one was really surprised when those two actually did end up together.

Roy had been checking to see where the Outlaws ranked and was pleased to see that they had won favorite poly pairing. "Finally, good to see that people have some good taste."

Continuing on Roy fought back the laughter when he saw that Nightwing/Red Hood had made it pretty far. "Oh, this is priceless." Roy printed out he wondered how long it would last before Jason used it for target practice.

Moving up the list Roy was waiting to see that once again SuperBats was named as the top slash pairing only to stop and stare. "No way."

But it was there SuperBats was in second place.

"JASON! SOMEONE BEAT SUPERBATS!" Roy shouted with glee.

Jason was at Roy's side in a second all but shoving him out of the way he was a little bummed to see that Bruce and the boy scout were no longer number one, he loved using it to annoy Bruce. Jason loved the little twitch Bruce developed when Jason brought it up. "Who beat them?" Jason growled out. "It better not be me and Dickie!" Jason could do so much better than Dick. 'So could replacement but for some reason, he is hooked on him.'

Roy's body hummed with amusement, "A new version of SuperBats."

For several moments Jason could only stare at the computer screen as he processed what he had just read. “Oh, this is just too good.” Forget teasing Bruce this was glorious.

+*****+

Diana Prince -Wayne wasn't at all surprised when Jason breezed into the cave a mischievous look on his face. She knew that she shouldn't play favorites and she did her best not to but Jason out of all of Bruce's partners had a special place in her heart. "I take it that you have seen the outcome of the latest results of the annual polls?" She knew that Jason loved to tease Bruce about the fact that people loved the Batman with Superman he had even gone as far one year to cover the cave in fanfics and fanart of the couple and even got Babs to have the bat computer play Superman's theme for every little thing.

A small smile appeared on Jason's face she was one the few people that he genuinely liked to see. Personally, Jason thought Diana could do better she is fucking Wonder Woman after all! But for some reason that Jason couldn't understand she had fallen in love with Bruce. 'Bruce is one lucky son of a bitch.' "I did indeed but I am going to wait until everyone is here to tell the wonderful news."

"Just go easy on Dick, he is still in denial." Diana already knew she was curious about the outcome of these polls and she knew what had Jason so happy.

Jason knew that Diana had a point, he wasn't blind he saw the glances Dick tossed Tim’s way when he thought no one was looking, the longing and desire to fix things. Jason knew that Dick’s feelings for Tim were far from brotherly but he wouldn't act on them. Dick still carried guilt when he made Tim think that he wasn't wanted anymore when he took Robin from him and gave it to Damian, Tim was just starting to come back to realize that they did want him and Dick wouldn't risk Tim running away again.  

"Alright, I won't tease Dickie too much," Jason promised.

"That is all I ask of you." Diana smiled serenely at him before pulling out a copy of a much loved Jane Austen novel, "Something to keep you entertained until the others get here."

Taking the novel Jason pressed a kiss on Diana's cheek, "And this is why you are my favorite."

+*****+

Dick Grayson stepped one foot in the cave and saw that Jason was already there, the grin on his face promising a good time for Jason and humiliation for anyone but him. Dick knew what day it was today but he never cared much about it, unlike Jason who loved it, mostly because he loved to tease those who won.

Jason grinned at the look of dread on Dick and Tim's face, the grin that grew as Bruce looked even more gloomy than normal.

Stephanie's hand in hand with Cassandra entered the cave with a bounce and a wide smile on her face, "Guess who won favorite female couple?" She beamed at Cass who returned it with a small smile.

Tim smiled at them, he was happy his favorite sister and Stephanie had found happiness with each other. "Like there was any doubt."

Stephanie preened, "It just shows that people have good taste."

Tim did not like the look on her face, it matched the one Jason was wearing.

“It would seem that after many years ranking at the top SuperBats has been at last defeated!” Jason announced.

Bruce grunted he didn't understand why people shipped him and Clark together but he was curious as to who finally dethroned them. ‘Maybe this will finally stop Hal and Barry from sending me SuperBats fanfiction and artworks.’

An unholy gleam appeared in Jason's eyes, the look that he aimed at Dick and then Tim before pulling up the article on his phone, “Yes folks, it has finally happened the long regaining SuperBats has been defeated by another that has been gaining on them for years. Congratulations Superboy and Red Robin.”

“WHAT?!”

Dick’s enraged bellow sent bats flying as Tim could only stare at Jason.

"Kon and me?" Tim could understand why people shipped them, best friends to lovers was a very popular trope but he didn't think that he and Kon had that big of a following. He felt kinda flattered even if he never thought of Kon like that. No his heart belonged to only one person.

An annoyed look appeared on Damian's face, he didn't understand why Todd and Brown made such a big deal about these foolish polls. "Ridiculous, if anyone should have defeated father it should have been Grayson and Drake they have been pining over one another for years it is sickening."

Dick and Tim both paled, both had been so sure that they hid their feelings for each other so well that no one else in the family knew, let alone their crush.

"Silly." Cassandra moved away from Stephanie coming to stand between Dick and Tim she took their hands in hers.  "Love each other. Stop denying it."

“I couldn't have said it better. Everyone is tired of the two of you pining for one another." Babs voice echoed around the cave, no one was surprised that she hacked the comm system.

Rising gracefully to her feet Diana took Bruce's hand in hers. "I think that we should give them a few moments alone."

Never one to deny his princess Bruce led Diana from the cave. 'At least now I don't have to put up with Jason decorating my cave with all that artwork of Clark and I.'

Dick and Tim avoided looking at one another as the cave emptied as their family left them alone.

"Do I need to worry about you going after Kon with a chunk of kryptonite?" Tim found himself asking the last thing he wanted was for Kon to be in danger.

'Now that is an idea.' Dick was tempted, oh was he ever tempted to take some and hunt down Kon and ask him what his intentions were towards Tim. 'No Tim would be mad at me.' Dick forgot the idea right away.

Dick looked at Tim and was once again blown away at how beautiful Tim was. "All I want for you is to be happy and if that is with Kon then so be it."

"Kon and I are friends, best friends but just friends." Tim wanted to say, 'How can I be in love with Kon when I am in love with you?'

"You're in love with me?"

Tim's eyes widened in horror as he realized he had just said that out loud. Slapping his hands over his mouth Tim took a step back.

Only Dick followed his moves smooth and seductive until he had Tim pinned between him and a workbench. "Answer me baby bird. Are you in love with me?"

Tim was tempted he could nerve strike Dick and high tailed it out of the cave but he knows that Dick will just follow him. "I have been for so long. Before I even knew what love was."

Reaching out a hand Dick cupped Tim's face and nudged his head up to look him in the eyes, "I love you too, pretty bird. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to push you away not when you have just returned to us." Dick explained.

Tim was sure that his heart was pounding so loudly that Dick could hear it. "Kiss me?" Tim pleaded softly.

Dick's face lit up in a smile, "Nothing would make me happier, pretty bird." Dick had dreamed of his moment for so long and nothing he had imagined was like the real thing. Tim fit perfectly against him like Tim was made just for him.

+*****+

Jason grinned as he heard Bruce mutter about "slideshows" and "protection" this turned out even better than he thought and if Dickie got one his nervous he had tons of Baby Bird and Superboy artwork saved away for revenge.

[superbataddicted]

Writer's Month 2019

Day 17 Prompt: Accidental Baby Acquisition (Warning: AU and Canon Divergent)

Fandom: Superbat, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Superman/Batman

Writer: batzmaru65

Batman landed quietly on the GCPD rooftop, his body outlined by the glow from the floodlight. He straightened up just as Commissioner Gordon flipped the switch off, and the Bat signal winked out of existence, returning dim darkness to the rooftop.

Batman looked at Gordon who immediately cut to the chase. There was no need for greetings and pleasantries when you were dealing with the Bat.

“There’s a package for you. Left on GCPD’s doorstep a few hours ago.”

Gordon stepped aside, revealing a baby car seat placed against the wall behind him. Tiny feet were sticking out of it, kicking happily in the air, and soft cooing could be heard coming from within. Batman stared pointedly at Gordon.

“Is this some sort of joke?”

“I swear it’s not. Here...there’s even a note addressed to you,” Gordon took out a piece of paper and handed it over.

Batman took the note and read quickly, mouth pressed into a thin line. He eyed Gordon for a moment longer, evidently still suspicious and Gordon simply shrugged.

“Everyone’s hyped up and rumour’s spreading. Say you must have raped someone or who will want to bed a Bat.”

Deigning to give a reply, Batman approached the baby seat, kneeling down to peer inside. A pair of eyes, the bluest he had ever seen, peered up curiously at him while tiny fists waved energetically in the air.

“...so is he really yours?”

Ignoring Gordon, Batman searched through the baby seat for clues, handling the baby with the gentlest of touch. None could be found, at least none that could be seen with the naked eye. He would have to bring the baby back to the Batcave where other means could be used to find out his identity. And if the rumours were spreading as fast as Gordon said, it would not be safe for the baby to stay here. Not everyone could be trusted at the GCPD. There were many corrupted cops and many who resented Batman.

Making sure that the straps were tightly secured over the ‘bundle of joy’, Batman picked up the car seat as he tucked the note into his belt.

“I’ll take it over from here,” Batman nodded to Gordon and stepped up onto the parapet, grapple gun in hand.

“That’s good,” Gordon heaved a sigh of relief, “Please take good...you do know how to take care of a baby, right?”

Silence greeted Gordon. Batman was already gone with the strangest package Gordon had ever received while working here.

-

To Alfred, everyday is full of unexpected surprises, especially when you are working for a vigilante dressed up as a Bat. But tonight truly takes the cake.

When the Batmobile roared to a halt in the Batcave, Alfred was already prepped to deal with any situation. The medical bay was ready, a change of clothes was on standby and coffee plus cookies were waiting by the Batcomputers.

However, he had not expected for Bruce to alight with a baby seat in tow. Walking up to him, Alfred looked in and found a baby blowing bubbles, cute and endearing.

“Master Bruce, I hope you have not acquired Master Damien’s habit of picking up strays.”

Bruce huffed in annoyance, “Really not in a mood for sarcasm, Alfred.”

“Then by any chance...”

“No, he’s not mine. Someone left him at GCPD. Claim that he’s Batman’s.”

“Then by any chance Batman...”

“Alfred!” Bruce barked out in frustration at Alfred’s teasing. If Alfred was already like this, he could imagine how bad it was going to be for him once the Batfam found out about the baby. Jason would be merciless and Bruce groaned inwardly at what he had to go through for the next few days.

Finding a relatively empty worktable, Alfred quickly cleared a space and Bruce heaved the baby seat onto the table. Delighted squeals filled the air as Bruce began unbuckling the straps and Alfred’s expression softened. It had been such a long while since he had heard baby noises in the manor.

Bruce carefully lifted the baby out, holding him up with his hands under the baby’s arms. Together, the two of them looked up at the baby who in turn stared down at them, a thumb in his mouth and legs swinging in the air. The baby was totally unafraid and truly super-cute. Besides the striking eyes,, chubby pink cheeks and a small button nose added to his adorability. An unruly curl of black hair fell across his forehead. Alfred tried to sweep it back, but it refused to stay with the rest of the hair, flopping back down again.

“So what do you intend to do, Master Bruce.”

“Find his parents, of course, and then shout at them for being such bloody fools.”

They were fools indeed. Fools for abandoning their baby and fools for putting their baby in grave danger by claiming he was Batman’s. Don’t they know how many enemies Batman has?

“But first, let’s check his medical condition,” Bruce handed the baby to Alfred before he headed towards the medical bay, returning with a syringe and some wipes.

While Alfred cradled the baby, Bruce swiped an antiseptic wipe over the baby’s arm. He then positioned the syringe and pressed the plunger. The needle broke and both Alfred and Bruce stared at the syringe and the baby in startled surprise.

“Maybe the syringe’s...”

Wordlessly, Bruce trotted to the medical bay and was back with another in no time. With bated breath, he tried again and the needle snapped into two without leaving a scratch on the baby’s skin.

“What in the world are you?” Bruce muttered in astonishment and the baby gurgled back, a string of nonsensical sounds.

“Well, at least that prove that he’s not yours,” Alfred remarked drily.

Bruce pursed his lips, his mind already coming up with a list of tasks needed to be done. No wonder whoever had abandoned the baby had chosen to claim him as Batman’s.

“May I presume then, Master Bruce, that he’s here to stay while you solve the mystery?”Bruce nodded his head.

“Then, my dear darling, you will need a name, won’t you?” Alfred tickled the baby and he giggled, arms and legs moving excitedly.

“That’s true.”

Bruce thought it over, listening to the baby’s laughter which reminded him of the larks that would occasionally disturb his sleep in the summer months.

“How about Clark then.”

“Clark...” Alfred spoke the word aloud, testing the sound of it and the baby squealed as if in approval of the name.

“Clark it is then,” Alfred smiled, “Welcome to the Wayne family, Master Clark.”

(Inspired by the numberous fanarts with Batman taking care of a baby Superman. This is an AU where Superman did not come to Earth from Krypton but was genetically created in Star Labs. Taking pity on him, his caretaker had smuggled him out and in the midst of being pursued, came to Gotham. In desperation, the baby was abandoned and claimed to be Batman's in hope that Batman would take care of him.)

[blakedawson76]

Why Sheith just does it for me

Well hello 😊! I´m Blake and I´m new to tumblr (I´ve had my account for years but haven´t really understood how this works, still trying to figure it out) and to the Voltron fandom. To be honest, I am a bit scared to post this, I don´t know how some people will take it or even if anyone will read it. Even so, I wanted to write this because I´ve been watching from the sidelines for several months now and after finishing season 6 I don´t want to hold it in anymore and I´m diving into the fandom full force, and I want to do it by writing something that hopefully someone can relate to so they don´t feel ashamed or alone 😉 (I´ll try to make this as short as possible, I promise).

I first learned and heard of Voltron because of Fictional Crystal´s videos on Youtube. I never really watched them or the Voltron videos in my recommendations, but then I got into DC, Jason Todd came into my life and I started seeing pictures of someone who looked like Jason but it wasn’t. So I went searching, found Shiro and finally decided to give Voltron a chance. I had heard so many things from the fandom and especially Klance, there was art everywhere and I thought “hey! They look cute, and they say it´s practically canon? I have to watch this!” I was really excited going in, fanart started popping up everywhere, and then I started watching Voltron for good. And kept watching not because of the ships but because of the plot, of the characters themselves, but after a short while more fanart kept popping up not of Keith and Lance but of Shiro and Keith. As the episodes went on and I saw more fanart, I found myself liking those arts more and more, and I knew that Sheith was going to be my OTP from the show. Why?

Well (and please keep in mind this is my very personal opinion):

·         I like ships that have had a relationship in the past. That´s just the thing. I really enjoy ships where the characters have had a past relationship and some history to them, be it as friends, enemies, family, lovers, anything. I like the idea that there is a lot in the current story we haven´t seen, but that it is there, that two characters have gone or lived through several things together that we discover as we go along or we are free to imagine. I like characters being comfortable and free with each other because they aren´t strangers and trust one another, and that´s what I saw between Shiro and Keith. They share a past, they already have an established bond and status that allows them to behave, talk and overall interact in ways they don´t really do with the rest of the Paladins. I like the closeness they´ve had from day one. I like that they already know each other.

·         I like ships where the characters are friends. I´m not sure how to go on about this, but see, I prefer ships where the characters have a civilized relationship with each other, where they are alike to some extent, where they agree on some things and where they enjoy each other´s company. Mind you, I have nothing against the whole rivals to friends to lovers thing, it´s not that I don´t like when the characters of a ship are polar opposites, because I like those too! But I prefer it when the thing goes from friends and then to lovers. Much like my first point, this is all about an established bond where they make each other smile and are able to laugh together, are able to hold conversations that don´t end up in banter or discussions.

·         I like the brotherly/sibling bonds. I´m just going to put it out there, all right? I like incest, but more than that I love it when a ship sees themselves as siblings. Why? Because that means there´s love in the purest of forms at the beginning, and because I believe this can lead to this love developing into something much more romantic and meaningful. I´m in the Saint Seiya fandom, and my OTP? In our roleplay forum they grew up considering each other brothers and are currently madly and sweetly in love and planning to spend the rest of their lives together with their dog son. Keith and Shiro aren´t brothers, but if they were, so what? Trust me, that would just make it better for me. They see each other as comfort and as somewhere where they can be safe and be at home.  Sure, this is what family makes people feel like, but isn´t that what love overall is supposed to make one feel like? There is love there, and even if it´s platonic at this point, I ship them so hard because it´s right up my alley, it has that starting point of love that can change from a pat on the shoulder to the holding of hands. To me, a ship where there is a sibling bond (by blood, by name, whatever) is the best because to me it´s always so sweet, so very deep, so darn meaningful yet conflicting and angsty but the characters can overcome this. And why do I think that? Because bonds as deep as these ones have a foundation on love, pure and plain love.

·         I don´t mind age gaps. Nope. I mean, I have been in different fandoms for about five or six years and in that time I´ve figured out what I like and what I don’t, what I care about and what I don´t. So yeah, Shiro is older than Keith by seven years (five, after this season, eh? XD) but guess what? For starters, my parents have an eight-year-old gap between them and let me tell you, it has never mattered. Several of my OTPs in the DC and Saint Seiya have an age gap too. It doesn´t matter either. Why? Because it´s not about how much older one character is from the other. It´s about the way they interact, how they behave, how they click and of course how much chemistry one sees between them. And besides, come on. Age gaps… there are so many worse things to make a fuss about.

·         I like power bottoms and gentle giants. I don´t really have much to say on this one. Keith is a power bottom and has Shiro wrapped around his finger, and I love that dynamic so darn much (Superbat, the Egoist couple, etc.).  I like the idea of a prince and his loyal and beloved knight, and I think Keith would make a beautiful prince and Shiro the best knight XD.

And I could go on and on about this, but this post is already too long. So I´m just going to cut it here. I´m not trying to put down any ship. Please don´t attack me. I live by the ship and let ship motto. Today, I merely wanted to write down why Sheith calls to me personally. I really hope at least someone reads it and finds it somehow relatable. And if anyone does make it to the end of this thing, thanks for your time and attention :D

[winteriron-trash]

Ok, so that fanfic questions ask meme? You wanna do ALL OF THEM?!

YES, LET’S DO IT, HERE WE GO, PREPARE YOURSELF I’m copy and pasting answers I’ve already done just so I don’t have to retype them and there’s a break because god this got long. I might link this on my About Me post, cause holy shit I spent time on this

1. What was the first fandom you got involved in?

Actual fandom? Probably DC. That’s when I started reading fanfiction and really poked my head around online communities dedicated to media and all.

2. What is your latest fandom?

I don’t know, probably Marvel? Maybe Riverdale, but I was a fan of the comics before so

3. What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in?

If I’m assuming this question is about the actual fandom and not the source material and the people in the fandom and its community as a whole? Probably the Percy Jackson fandom. Not really into it anymore so I don’t know the state of it now, but it was a pretty wholesome and positive community. Any community that calls it’s creator “Uncle Rick” has gotta be pretty dope.

4. Do you regret getting involved in any fandoms?

Oh lord save my soul for admitting I like this, but definitely Five Nights at Freddy’s. The indie gaming, creepypasta, underground subculture as a whole is something I regret getting into. Don’t get me wrong, I usually love the source material, but the fandom is just so bad. You probably know what I’m talking about, the fangirls who insist they’re insane and are in love with Slenderman or something.

But specifically on FNaF, lord, I don’t even know what the fandom is anymore. It’s a meme, a fetish, and a hellspace all at once. And I’m not gonna fucking lie, I’ve been in this hellhole long before any of that. Like, I can’t even try to escape it, I’m in it for the long haul. I was just someone who joined for the lore and now we’re here with fucking casual bongos and trash gang and fuck I didn’t ask for this. I can’t escape. I know so fucking much about the franchise it hurts my fucking soul. I remember when the FNaF 2 trailer came out and we were all micro-analyzing London Bridge Is Falling Down. I remember when Springtrap didn’t have a name and we called that fucking Spring Bonnie or Golden Bonnie. I survived that era and I have PTSD from it, trust me. I remember when we were naive enough to think FNaF 3 was the last game. I know what channels were born and what channels died because of that series. I know it all.

I’m sorry, I got off topic. BUT I DON’T GET TO FUCKING RANT ABOUT IT ENOUGH, FUCKING FUCKSHIT

Oh, and a lot of bandoms I was in too. I went through an alt phase where I’d only listen to shit like BVB, BMTH, MCR, PTV, SWS, and so on. Once again, that sort of fandom was the same as the indie/creepypasta in being ‘different’ and ‘insane’ and all that and I was no different. I was a weird fucking kid when I was like 13. I regret all of it.

5. Which fandoms have your written fanfiction for?

Marvel, DC, and a couple Riverdale. 

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in.

Not in many fandoms but

Marvel - WinterIronDC - SuperbatStar Trek Voyager - Captain Janeway/Seven of NinePercy Jackson - Solangelo

7. List your NoTPs from each fandom you’ve been in.

Marvel - Stucky, Stuckony, Romanogers, Clintasha, any incest ones, (save me for admitting this) SpideypoolDC - Any batboys shipped together, Bruce/Talia

And I don’t really have NOTPs for my other fandoms? Marvel and DC are really the only two things I’m invested in the fandom of. I guess you could count Wincest as well for Supernatural.

8. How did you get involved in your latest fandom?

What even is my latest fandom? Um, we’ll just say Marvel because I’m really not into joining fandoms much anymore. Honestly, I was a big DC fan who felt the need to hate Marvel because no shit. Eventually, I just got sick of the absolute shit movies DC had and I decided I had nothing to lose by just watching Iron Man. When I watched it I realized “wow, superhero movies can actually be good???” and I just binged the entire MCU in one month and was ready to see the next movie in theatres and I think I’ve seen every single MCU movie in theatres since Civil War? Definitely since Homecoming. I gave up on DC movies. The new Aquaman looks like shit, I’m so fucking pissed they redid Mera’s look when she looked perfectly fucking fine before and now she’s oversexualized and it’s gross. I’m excited for the new DC Batwoman TV show because I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO SEE A LIVE ACTION BATWOMAN SINCE THE DAWN OF FUCKING TIME

9. What are the best things about your current fandom?

Probably the Tony Stark Defense Squad. As a collective whole, I think the Defense Squad is one of the sweetest, nicest corners of the fandom. We’re incredibly kind to each other, write great meta and fic, and it’s just a great community. Of course, there are assholes, but you know.

I might get flamed for saying this, but also the HYDRA Trash Party corner of the fandom is actually really nice? Like, they understand consent and abuse aftermath and all the real shit better than the rest of the fandom, not gonna lie. Like, for as dark as the fic is you’d expect the people to be fucking nasties, but I have never met a rude HTP enthusiast. Or even one who’s unaware of how consent and whump work. They’re all very aware and kind. It’s bizarre, considering the source material. They get an awful rep though.

10.  Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

Literally any fandom I’m in besides Marvel and DC. I think I wrote like 2 Riverdale fics. Getting into reading fanfic and getting into writing fanfic are two entirely different ballparks. I don’t really read that much fanfic anyway, especially not anymore. I read Marvel and DC, but even then. I think it’s hard because sometimes you can’t switch off the whole ‘reading like a writer’ thing. That’s why I enjoy classic literature. I’m a slut for some good ass prose and symbolism.

11. Who is your current OTP?

WinterIron, of ducking course.

12. Who is your current OT3?

I’m not really a fan of OT3s, to be honest, I find I’m personally pretty weak with writing poly relationships and I don’t really enjoy reading them because one character is usually focused on a lot more than the other two. But if I had to pick, I would say T’Challa/M’Baku/Bucky only because I am solely responsible for the creation of that abomination and you have no idea how much people begged me for a series after the first one, it astounded me.

13. Any NoTPs?

As before listed, Stucky, Stuckony, Spideypool, Clintasha, Romanogers

14. Go on, who are your BroTPs?

IronWidow is my top BroTP, but I also like WinterWidow as a BroTP. Stucky is good as a BroTP too, as well as Tony & Rhodey.

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love?

Literally any ship I have. Yall I’ve been here since WinterIron was obscure. But to name a specific one I’m just gonna go with Pietro/Tony. I don’t know, I just had an idea I was writing for them and I was thinking about how much missed out potential there was between them. And with Pietro as a whole, but you know. Marvel has to kill off the only good Maximoff they had.

Oh, Natasha/Pepper too, but they aren’t as obscure, I guess.

16. Are their any popular ships in your fandom which you dislike?

Stucky, clearly.

17. Who was your first OTP and are they still your favourite?

Stony, and no. They fell apart for me, at least MCU-wise.

18. What ship have you written the most about?

By now, WinterIron, I believe. I recently passed my count of fics for Superbat.

19. Is there a ship which you wished you could get behind, but you just don’t feel them?

Pepperony, probably. I think it’s actually a cute and sweet ship and I like their in-canon moments, but I just can’t get behind reading fanfic of them? It never works out for me, I don’t really get it. It sucks because I do enjoy seeing their cute moments.

20. Any ships which you surprised yourself by liking?

I’ll do a different answer I thought of besides the first time I answered this. But Thruce was a big shocker for me. I didn’t even think about it during Ragnorak but then I saw an incorrect quote for it and I was like? Oh? This? This is a good, pure ship right here. The funny thing is, I actually wrote a fic with them as a side ship long before they hit it big so like, I was shocked when they came out of nowhere. But hey, I’m fucking here for it. I’ll probably never write it, but I’m here for it. 

21. What was the first fanfic you ever wrote?

Goodnight, My Angel. It was a Superbat fic and really sad, but I still love it.

22. Is there anything you regret writing?

Probably... You Deserve Love And You’ll Get It. No, I won’t link it because I hate it that much. I’m not even gonna talk about it.  It’s my most popular fic too why

23. Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of & explain why you like it.

Super dorky, but The (Un)Wanted Kiss. It’s my first finished chapter fic, and the first chaptered fic I did on Tumblr and it just brings me a lot of nostalgia. It reminds me of where I was as a writer when I started it and it was an entire fic spawned from people wanting more of a simple 500-word prompt and that just blows my mind. It reminds me of the power of fans and how much love and support I got from it. It really kicked me off as a “serious fanfic writer” I think.

24. What fic do you desperately need to rewrite or edit?

All You Are Is All I Need. That is a hot fucking mess. Probably The Red Halo too.

25. What’s your most popular fanfic?

*sigh* You Deserve Love And You’ll Get It

26. How do you come up with your fanfic titles?

I bullshit my way through them. My most recent fics have actually followed a trend of being named after songs.

27. What do you hate more: Coming up with titles or writing summaries?

Summaries. I always make them so fucking corny, I hate it.

28. If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story, which story would it be and what would the picture be of?

One Foot In Front Of The Other, probably. Just because I want more fem!WinterIron fanart. I can’t say what scene because spoilers but.... yeah, anything from that would be great, really.

29. Do you have a beta reader? Why/Why not?

Sort of. I make some of my friends like Pizza read over my shit before I post it, but that’s not often, only when I think I need it. I don’t just because I write a lot and I’d feel bad for constantly annoying someone with making them read everything I write. I hate inconveniencing people.

30. What inspires you to write?

The better question is what doesn’t. I never stop thinking like a writer. My brain forgot how to turn off that feature.

31. What’s the nicest thing someone has ever said about your writing?

Ummmm, I can’t think of an exact thing? I get so many beyond sweet comments and messages, it’s hard to pin down one comment. I think if I had to pick, I once got a message from someone on Tumblr who was old enough to be my mother complimenting me and telling me I didn’t write like a teenager and I think that was really sweet.

32. Do you listen to music when you write or does music inspire you? If so, which band or genre of music does it for you?

Yes, yes, yes, yes. And honestly, any genre. I listen to everything. Everything. But specifically, Emilie Autumn has inspired a lot ideas/fics I’ve written.

33. Do you write oneshots, multi-chapter fics or huuuuuge epics?

All of the above.

34. What’s the word count on your longest fic?

Around 23k, I think?

35. Do you write drabbles? If so, what do you normally write them about?

Yes, and whatever I get prompted for, really.

36. What’s your favourite genre to write?

For fanfiction, I guess romance? I mean, that’s really all my fanfiction is. Otherwise, I’ll write quite literally any genre I feel like. I go wherever an idea takes me. I’m character based, not genre or plot based.

37. First person or third person - what do you write in and why?

Third. I fucking despise 1st person. I just do. That’s an entire rant we ain’t here for today.

38. Do you use established canon characters or do you create OCs?

Usually canon characters. I only use an OC when I absolutely have to, to make the plot do the plot stuff.

39. What is you greatest strength as a writer?

Nothing. My writing sucks. All of it is shit.

40. What do you struggle the most with in your writing?

Everything. I screech the most about pacing and sentence structures though.

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

Most of these are actually on my to-read list but whatever.

Winter's End by ali_aliska Winter is Coming (aka Fifty First Avengers Dates) by 27dragons, tisfan My Love is Vengeance by seikaitsukimizu The caged Hawk by asamandra Fertile Ground by 27dragons, tisfan

42. List and link to 5 fanfiction authors who are amazing:

27dragons tisfanChiaki_Hamano arianapeterson19 thepartyresponsible

43. Is there anyone in your fandom who really inspires you?

Not really? I’m not knocking any of the other ‘big names’ in the Marvel fandom, but I don’t really draw inspiration from other fanfic writers. Not for plot, and definitely not for writing style. I get inspiration from fanart I see sometimes, but it’s never one main artist who I stalk to be inspired, just whatever I happen across online.

44. What ship do you feel needs more attention?

WinterIron, duh. I will not rest until WinterIron is the biggest ship in the Marvel fandom.

45. What is your all time favourite fanfic?

I’ve mentioned this fic before and honestly, it hasn’t been topped yet, but  In the Company of Monsters by Chiaki_Hamano. It’s not even a Marvel fic, and it’s not even a ship I like, but god, I fucking adore it. I’d love to write something like it, but with WinterIron if I had the time, I think the entire world and setting would fit WinterIron beautifully.

46. If someone was to read one of your fanfics, which fic would you recommend to them and why?

Well, that all depends on what they’re looking for in my fanfiction. If they’re looking for WinterIron, I’d probably tell them to start with The (Un)Wanted Kiss just because that’s one of my most loved fics and I think I did really well with it. But if they just want a general fic, A Great Connection is one I’m really proud of and I still get gushing feedback about.

47. Archive Of Our Own, Fanfiction.net or Tumblr - where do you prefer to post and why?

For just writing fanfic, Ao3. Tumblr can be a pain in the ass, and I don’t even use ff.net.

48. Do you leave reviews when you read fanfiction? Why/Why not?

Yes. But only if 1, I really, really loved it or 2, I don’t think the fic has enough attention. It also helps if the writer responds to comments. I don’t see the significance of saying “I loved this!” if the fic has dozens of other comments saying the same thing. As a writer, I know what comments writers prefer. Longer ones, deep comments pointing out what things they liked, and so on. However if I write a comment that long, I like to get a response because you know, I love seeing the writer talking about the elements of the story I liked. 

49. Do you care if people comment/reblog your writing? Why/why not?

Not really, to be perfectly honest. Yes, I love and cherish every kudos and note I get, and the sweet comments make me want to die of joy. But I write for me. Even when I take prompts, in the end, I write because it makes me happy. Yes, I love the validation. But even without it, I would still write. I do not write fanfiction for you, I share fanfiction with you. There’s a difference. Writing makes me happy. If I only cared about the validation, I wouldn’t have a folder reserved of fics I’ll never post but I wrote just because I wanted to. I write to write. The moment I start writing for validation, I might as well stop writing, because it’s not worth it.

50. How did you get into reading and/or writing fanfiction?

Ummmm I think I was just curious? I was new to internet culture, I saw fanart of Superbat and I discovered Ao3 and was like “wow, this stuff exists??? Words for free????? About my favourite characters being happy and dating each other??????????” and it was a downward spiral. I was like, 11 when I read my first fanfiction. I was obsessed with Superbat fanart, and I thought, what would it hurt to try actually reading it? Like, that was so taboo to me. And now we’re here. Tadaaaaaah

51. Rant or Gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction! Go!

Oh, a chance to ramble. Yay. I’m gonna rant because I’m a rant-y person.

I think something that annoys me about fanfiction is not necessarily a probably within fanfiction, but rather the outward view of it. Fanfic has an awful rep within the real world. The one-time fanfiction really took centre stage was when Fifty Shades came out, which only hurt the platform by furthering the stereotype that it’s all porn made for horny freaks who just want to get off.

I should not be ashamed to say I write fanfiction. I should not feel childish saying it to myself. No one should. At least half of my ‘fans’ are nearly a decade or more older than me. It’s clearly not something that’s immature or silly. Of course, it can be, but any hobby can be dumbed down to a kiddy version.

But fanfiction at its core is ignored for what it really is. When adults talk about fanfiction they belittle it and only see a tiny subsection of it, ignoring what it’s supposed to be about. It’s about creating transformative works for media you’re passionate about.

Fanfiction gets a worse rep than other transformative works such as fanart or whatever. Writing as a whole does. Fanfic is painted as this utter trash.

I’ve read fanfiction that made me cry, laugh, feel shit. I’ve read fanfiction that tackled heavy topics. Even on a sexual standpoint, I’ve read fanfiction that was willing to write erotica that published authors wouldn’t fucking touch. Both in a kink sense, but also in terms of how the relationship functions. I’ve read shitty fanfictions, sure. But I’ve read fanfictions that were better than 90% of the published books I’ve read. Even fanfics I didn’t like.

To put fanfiction into perspective, the average YA novel (the age group fanfiction is generally but not always aimed at) is 70k words. I’ve read fanfiction that blows that word count out of the water. And it takes fucking skill to write something that long. It’s not just writing a bunch of porn or cute scenes, that takes serious world building and character arcs.

Fanfiction kills so many tropes that are common in YA and literature in general. I read a YA after reading nothing but fanfiction for a long time and I was fucking appalled? It was a popular YA too. I won’t name what one because you could literally imagine anyone and it’d probably fit. The characters were flat, the romance was outright manipulative and toxic, the plot was dull, even the writing itself was bland. This was the type of book years ago I would’ve loved. But compared to most (of course, not all. Shit exists, but I think in fanfiction, we’re able to better filter out the shit) fanfictions, it was fucking trash.

When I started reading fanfiction, I assumed it’d lower my standards. The first time I picked up an actual novel I was relieved, excited to not have to deal with the problems that are in unpublished writings. But I quickly realized it was the complete opposite. Fanfiction threw my expectations through the roof. I expect fiction to include representation, fresh plots, interesting characters, thrilling romances, and decent fucking sex scenes if they’re there. But it just wasn’t there. It all fell flat. As someone seriously into the writing and reading community I hear so often that it’s hard for plots to be original and you shouldn’t judge on originality, but then I read fanfiction written by fucking teenagers that’s fucking mind-blowing with plot twists and original ideas, and I have to wonder is it really that hard? It’s clearly doable, you just have to take away the fanfiction part.

I have YA novels sitting on my sheld I know I’ll never read and enjoy because fanfiction just made my expectations too high. Which is good in a sense because I pray some of these amazing writers, when they get older will go on to write mind-blowing original novels and I hope that this generation of writers will put out great literature in ten to fifteen years, but for now I’m just… underwhelmed. I think it’s why I read a lot of classic literature too. Shit was better back then.

And yet despite all that, fanfiction is still made to look like shit in the modern media. It sucks so badly for fanfiction writers not to look like serious writers. I could publish one book, have it get the amount of attention my biggest fanfic got and be considered a serious author. My biggest fanfiction currently has 40k notes on Tumblr. Imagine if that were a published short story. It’d be a fucking hit. And there are others that make my numbers look small. And yet it’s brushed aside as unimpactful.

I think a lot of that stems from the fact that fanfic writers do generally start out younger. I’m 16. Others either are or were my age. But age does not equate to skill in writing. Sure, that is a factor, but it is not the entire story. I know a 14 yr old who writes some of the best prose I have ever seen. And even if younger fic writers aren’t on level yet, fanfiction is what’s helping them grow as a writer. But because we’re teenagers, we’re turned away just because of that. Even more specifically because we’re teenage girls (for the most part, I’m not saying other genders and/or age groups aren’t writing/reading fanfic) and we all know how society feels about them. It’s just a fucking shame that fanfiction can’t be respected for the legitimate form of writing it is because of the stigma. I’ve seen fanfic writers say they aren’t real writers because of the stigma, it’s awful. We feel the need to tear ourselves down for an admirable hobby. I can’t say my favourite book is a fanfiction I read, when I has every right to be a valid answer.

We’ll cut this ramble off here because wow I really went on didn’t I.

[chimchiri]

I'm kinda glad that you ship batlantern cause it's a ship that gets a lot of hate and that makes me nervous to write fics for it right now.

I get why you would feel like that. People on tumblr can be very intimidating and usually the most aggressive are the loudest. It’s even worse when people seem to agree with them. Anyway, let me tell you an ironic story:Besides Superbat, Halbarry was my first ship after getting into comics again (and it’s still my ‘main’ ship). Unfortunately that fandom is disappointing, as is every fandom on tumblr. That is, there are a few people that are very negative and loud when expressing their opinions.When I first got into Halbarry I read some fics on AO3 and one of them was really good! I liked it so much I anticipated drawing a scene of it. But when I checked their tumblr I saw not only quite some negativity in general (e.g. the new Flash run) but also – tadaa ! – an anon hating on Batlantern and the fic author heavily agreeing in a pretty rude manner.I never thought about Batlantern before that, but people trashing other ships – even if I dislike them – is an absolute no go for me. So I went into the tag, admittedly also out of spite. I saw fanart, read some fics and … I liked it. So kinda ironic how I got into it.Anyway you wanna know what’s really sad? That thing about the fic and finding out about the author? That has happened more than once.There’s nothing quite as disappointing as seeing that someone, whose art/fic you love, behaves like that.It resulted in me always checking a users’s tumblr first to see if they, in general, blog anything negative or trash other ships/people.

What I really wanna get to is this: I started blocking users. I started having a zero tolerance on people posting negative things/bashing in the tags, no matter the age, no matter the popularity. Will they gossip about me behind my back? Maybe, who knows. That’s not important. The important part is that my enjoyment on tumblr has increased significantly. I’m having fun in fandoms, though I’m still cautious about new contacts and still check blogs first before following or messaging someone.

If you enjoy Batlantern, don’t let people stop you! Be brave, be creative and don’t shy away from blocking people (The button is there for a reason. Do you really wanna keep seeing their negativity and sacrifice your joy? Btw you can also block anons. It will block their IP). Trust me, most of the users will not dare attack you directly. And if they do, don’t answer. Block them, report them. Don’t give them the gratification of attention, even if you wanna defend yourself. Sometimes it’s better for yourself to just ignore them.

And don’t forget: Happiness is the best revenge. Enjoy your ship and keep creating. Your psyche will thank you.

Aaaanyway I don’t wanna end this on such a serious note! I do enjoy Batlantern. So, dear anon I’ll post my so far only sketch I have of them just for you :>