#tim is oblivious in this but no less SAD

[methoughtsphantom]

- tim and danny meet while tim is searching for clues that bruce is alive

- danny meanwhile got stranded by clockwork in this point of time, got told he had to find his own way back. so guess he’s going along the ride now

- he finds out it’s very early onto his days of vigilante so he tries not to get into anybody’s radar

- except he’s already headfirst into assassin drama that he only manages to get by because he is in all times with a full face mask and body suit that conceals his identity so the assassins don’t know he doesn’t stay unalived (tim told him about ra’s and yeah no thank u)

- he helps tim get his info while he struggles to appear a civilian and hide he’s a ghost. he fails successfully. tim thinks he’s a meta.

- that is. until tim gets thrown to the pits. danny immediately dives down to get him. what comes out of the pit? void!creature danny. light plunges, his eyes are green leaking void and his outline blurs around the edges.

- his core desperately trying to stabilize tim’s premature one that beats erratically because tim got drowned in ectoplasm except he was very much not near dead

- the core killing tim

- danny absorbing the core to stop the process and doubling in pain because of it and smiling in relief when tim wakes up no memory of his pit dip

- except ra’s saw

- ra’s now thinking the lazarus pit possessed one of his assassins. he wants to study it tim

- danny who is now in chronic pain because if he lets go tim will die.

- tim not aging because of it.

- danny trying helplessly to handle the burden of keeping an unformed, cracked at the seams core away from the boy smirking and fighting alongside with him. turning over and over the thought of telling his friend he’s living on borrowed time. straining his power thin to not destroy the core along that pain and spirit alike alight on his eyes.

- danny having a strain smile on when they discover the way to access the time stream

- danny dawning with realization that this was clockwork’s way of forcing him to take the throne

- danny crying

[suzukiblu]

Been looking through your assorted aus page and the link for "weird amnesia Timberkon"/"for the game young" is broken (as in, the tag does not appear to exist). It seems like you put a lot of time into that page so I figured you'd want to know (and also selfishly I am very interested in finding out what weird amnesia timberkon entails)

WHOOPS, my bad, messed that one up. Should be all fixed on the page now, though! Oddly I only seem to have one teeny lil' snippet up for that AU, to my surprise, could've sworn I'd posted more? Sooooo as thanks for catching that busted link for me, have a nice big chunk of the WIP behind this read-more, hah.

So Superboy is apparently an idiot. Then again, whatever, if Bernard were an indestructible telekinetic half-alien he would probably also not worry too much about looking subtle in his civvies or maintaining a secret identity, and also it's been a while since he's heard anything about the guy doing any active superheroing anyway so maybe Superboy is just assuming that the entire planet somehow forgot about his teen heartthrob superhero posters and all those close-up high-def publicity shots of his very public face and whatever? Oh, and also that one time that he literally fucking died to save the whole freaking world and the big ol' memorial statue. Statues? There might've been two, come to think. 

So maybe an idiot. 

A very hot idiot, though. 

Well, whatever, Bernard figures, taking a sip of his boba tea and idly watching Superboy check out his boyfriend from the far side of the cafe like he's a sad puppy in a shop window who just wants a little love. Tim is looking at his phone and appears oblivious to Superboy's existence. 

Bernard assumes Tim's doing that thing where he pretends to not be Robin, for obvious reasons. That thing remains adorable but is getting increasingly less convincing as time goes on. Like, he really doesn't know what Tim actually thinks he thinks he does in his downtime? There is no logical reason for a civilian to be either as ripped or as scarred as Tim Drake is, but part of being Tim Drake's boyfriend is pretending to be oblivious to those facts and also never questioning his flimsy excuses to run off at a moment's notice or disappear during a crisis or whatever else. 

Bernard tries to figure out how to politely extricate himself from the situation for long enough for Tim to go check up on Superboy, because Superboy very clearly needs to be checked up on. Unfortunately he went to the bathroom like ten minutes before the guy walked in all sad-puppy so the obvious option is out, and Tim knows damn well he isn't gonna call his parents for anything less than a full-on emergency, and his friends it'd be weird not to just text, and . . . fuck, he doesn't know. He needs an angle here. 

"I'll be right back, babe, just gotta duck into the bathroom real quick," Tim says, glancing up from his phone with an apologetic smile. Bernard relaxes slightly. Okay, that works, thank you, Bat-planning. Superboy can just follow Tim back to the bathroom and they can do whatever superhero sidebar they need to do back there. 

But then Tim gets up, gives him a peck on the cheek, and heads back to the bathroom, and Superboy . . . doesn't follow him. 

The hell? 

Bernard represses a frown and takes another sip of his boba. Superboy continues not to follow Tim. He just sits there at his own little table with his completely untouched drink, looking like the saddest puppy that has ever sadded. 

Bernard is mystified. 

Are they having a fight, maybe? Is Tim ignoring Superboy because of that, not the secret ID stuff? That seems weird and not very Tim-like, fighting or not. But Superboy's in Gotham and came into the cafe after they did, so he can't be the one avoiding Tim. But also he didn't follow him to the bathroom when presented with the very unsubtle opportunity to do so, so . . . what the hell? 

Weird. 

Bernard takes yet another sip of boba and keeps watching Superboy. Superboy seems oblivious to said watching, but he guesses the guy is pretty famous and is a very public superhero and is always doing impressive shit and all that, so he's probably used to being watched. Oh, and also he's stupid, stupid hot. 

Bernard cannot imagine being this used to attention, but apparently Superboy is. Bernard, of course, is not a punk idol superhero built like a porn star and a supermodel had a threeway with a bodybuilder. So like, that particular bit of mental dissonance probably makes sense and all. Life experiences are not universal, and all that. 

Especially not when the life experience one is comparing oneself to started in a cloning tube. 

Well, it's not like it's a burden for Bernard to have a free pass on checking out a hottie while he waits for Tim to come back from, presumably, waiting for Superboy to come and talk to him. Which Superboy is just . . . not doing, still. Inexplicably. 

Still, sad puppy or not, Superboy's civvies look damn good on him, so that's something. Bernard's enjoying them, like as an aesthetic experience and everything. Superboy's wearing an unbuttoned red flannel shirt with rolled-up sleeves over a very tight black tank top and even tighter light wash skinny jeans that are bafflingly intact, considering the fact that a dude with Kryptonian-level super-strength is currently vacuum-sealed into them. 

Does tactile telekinesis work on skinny jeans? Is that a thing? Like, are Superboy's jeans currently indestructible? 

That sounds amazing, actually. 

Also, those buckled-up black leather boots he's wearing look like they could straight-up kill a dude, Kryptonian power-assist or not. And the shiny mirrored sunglasses and ridiculous multitude of even shinier gold piercings all suit the guy, somehow, and even without looking like too much. 

Relatedly, Superboy's tank top is very, very tight. 

Also relatedly, his nipples are apparently pierced. 

And so is his belly button, it looks like. 

Ngh. 

Superboy's vacuum-sealed jeans are not quite tight enough for Bernard to figure out if he's got any below the spike-studded belt piercings, but his imagination is happy to fill in the blanks there. He's tempted to ask for Tim's theories on the existence of any such piercings, because yeah Superboy has super-hearing but Bernard has no shame and Tim logically should know, buuuuut he's still pretending not to know Tim is Robin so yeah, probably he shouldn't do that. 

He could start a new conspiracy board for it, maybe. That'd be fun. 

Superboy also has leather cuffs on his wrists and mismatched rings and necklaces and a really hot fade haircut that is noticeably windswept, and really, really looks like something that Bernard would like to see somebody dig their fingers into. Just–look, there's curls. Bernard cannot be blamed for curls. 

And he's trying not to eye the cuff bracelets too much, but they provide very nice inspiration for a certain style of kinky thoughts. Not that Superboy couldn't snap basically any set of cuffs that wasn't made of kryptonite or promethium or like a magical kryptonite-promethium alloy or whatever without even trying, obviously, but like, somehow the thought of the guy having to restrain himself more than anything else makes the whole mental image hotter? Like, somehow? 

Bernard pictures Superboy wearing a pair of cheap flimsy sex toy handcuffs and trying very, very hard to keep himself in them while someone else takes very careful inventory of all his piercings, wherever and whatever they all just so happen to be. 

Jesus. Yeah, there's a thought. 

Is it weird to consider flirting up your boyfriend's superhero bestie while he's badly pretending to be a civilian, Bernard wonders? Is that a thing? 

Probably, but he still has no shame and is also in an open relationship, so whatever. 

Hell, who knows, in retrospect maybe Tim actually arranged this setup specifically for Bernard to get an eyeful of his work crush. Like, Bernard always felt like Robin and Superboy had some significant UST going back in the day. Maybe Tim wants to finally do something about that, and the setup idea sounds like a very "Bat" approach to doing said something. And it'd explain why Superboy didn't follow Tim to the bathroom and maybe even why he's coming across kind of anxious right now, if he's trying to psych himself up to come over or something. Like, if he's nervous about making a good impression, though Bernard cannot imagine why he ever would be. Well, not like Supers are known for their undercover skills, so . . . 

Either way, if that's the plan, Bernard is very fine with it, so he decides to go find out for himself and picks up his drink to head over and chat the guy up. Worst case scenario, he’s just gotten his hopes up a little, he figures. Best case, he’s putting Superboy out of his “oh god, how do I do undercover” misery. 

"Mind if I sit?" he asks, and flashes Superboy a grin as he gestures at the empty seat at the other half of his table. Superboy looks weirdly startled, like he somehow expected to go unnoticed despite being a literal superhero who is also unspeakably hot and is also wearing very, very tight clothes that he's this close to busting out of. Like, at least half a dozen girls are actively checking him out right now, as is the dude behind the counter and the old guy on the sidewalk outside who’s busy badly pretending to be reading the outdoor menu board instead of checking out Superboy’s ass through the front window. 

So yeah, Bernard really does not understand that apparent assumption. 

Come to think, maybe Superboy has some self-esteem issues or something. Bernard admittedly might also have self-esteem issues if he were Superman's clone. Then again, if he were Superman's clone, he would look like Superman and also be very aware of how Superman himself looks, sooooo . . . 

Seriously, "younger and sexier punk rock Superman" is not a vibe that Bernard can imagine going ignored all that often. Or ever. 

“Uh–what?” Superboy says. 

“I’ve been temporarily abandoned by my boyfriend and I’m easily bored,” Bernard clarifies politely, though obviously Superboy was staring at Tim long enough to have noticed said abandonment the moment it happened. “So, mind if I sit?” 

“I–sure?” Superboy says, looking nervous. Bernard puts another tally in the “too bad at undercover work to follow the Bat-plan” column. Whatever, the guy’s trying his best, he’s not gonna judge him. 

There's a pin on the inside of Superboy’s flannel, Bernard notices as the other shifts awkwardly in his seat, and is vaguely puzzled by the sight of it. Like, it's just a little thing and he doubts he'd have even seen it if he weren't in this close to the guy, but . . . 

Just–yeah. Little pin. Just like a cheap little round button, like the kind that comes out of the dollar bin at all sorts of random stores. And it's hidden inside Superboy's flannel, mostly, but it's definitely got the S-shield on it. 

Bernard is perplexed. Even in Gotham, it's not like it's weird to see people wearing Superman merch. So like, why is Superboy hiding that?

“Cool,” he says as he files that away as a little oddity, and takes the empty seat. Superboy continues to look nervous. Bernard continues to work on figuring out if his weird Bat-boyfriend who he’s not supposed to know is a Bat set him up on a blind date with his superhero bestie. The nervousness supports the theory, anyway. 

Man, this dude really is even prettier up close. How was he Tim’s bisexual awakening with this guy around and in close quarters with him? Like, he’s flattered, don’t get him wrong, but also maybe Tim has some vision problems and he should get that checked out before it inconveniences his nightlife. 

"Sooooo like . . . what do I call you?" Bernard asks, peering across the table at him curiously. "Because the obvious option seems like a bad idea, obviously.” 

"‘The obvious option’?" Superboy stops looking nervous long enough to look confused instead. 

"Yeah?" Bernard says, cocking his head. Superboy cannot possibly think he’s being subtle here, so . . . "I mean, I assume you don't go by 'Superboy' when you're dressed like that. Like, that's the whole point of being dressed like that, right?" 

Superboy stares blankly at him. Bernard cocks his head the other way, now officially the confused one. 

"What?" Superboy says. 

"Okay, sorry, this is the thing where you-know-who still insists on pretending he's not Robin, isn't it," Bernard realizes, which he really should've realized would be a thing from the start. He supposes that makes sense even with Superboy’s total lack of subtlety, though, superheroes probably do have to really commit to that thing. Especially ones who work for Batman and Superman. Or . . . just around Superman, maybe? Bernard is not fully clear on that particular superhero hierarchy. "My bad. So, uh, what do I call you, because there is obviously no obvious option. Obviously.” 

"You . . . recognize me?" Superboy croaks. 

"Uh," Bernard says, brow furrowing in bemusement at the very weird expression the guy's currently wearing. "Yes? No offense, you're kind of recognizable. Like, do you even have a secret identity? I mean, you're a clone, right, and I know you were just doing the full-time hero thing in at least Hawaii, so I actually have no idea if you ever bothered making one up or not?” 

"You recognize me," Superboy chokes, just staring at him, and then bursts into tears. 

. . . well, that can't be good.

[theflyindutchwoman]

Hello! Do you think Tim only realized he had feelings for Lucy after their kisses in 4x22 and 5x01? Wouldn't it be a little odd?

I mean, in one episode he is telling Ashely he thinks they are "magic together" and being sad that she doesn't want to get married or have kids, and the very next episode he is all shook when Lucy kisses him, like he's just realizing in that moment that he might have romantic feelings for her.

Isn't that, like, juvenile? I would understand it if Tim was a boy falling in love with the first girl he kisses, but he's a grown man who was married before and knows what love feels like. He shouldn't need a kiss to realize it.

I guess I'm just trying to make sense of things. Because in the end I just find it very hard to believe the path the show chose to follow, of Tim beeing so oblivious of his feelings for Lucy, to the point of seeing his future with another woman, and then the kiss just turns a switch and he is suddenly aware of her romantically.

(With Lucy, at least, the emotional came before the physical. In 4x21 it was explicitly shown that Lucy had romantic feelings for Tim. And she also never considered a future with Chris like Tim did with Ashley - Lucy didn't want to be called his girlfriend, didn't want to meet his parents and ultimately didn't want to move in with him. So I can understand it better.)

Let me start with the usual disclaimer : this is merely my interpretation, so take this with a grain of salt, of course. And since this is going to be an essay (as always), I broke down your message point by point.

Do you think Tim only realized he had feelings for Lucy after their kisses in 4x22 and 5x01? Wouldn't it be a little odd? I guess it depends what we mean by "realise" here. I think the kiss is when it really hit him and he could no longer be in denial. But I'm a firm believer that Angela's wedding/the sleepover at his place was when Tim started to get some inklings that there might be more to his bond with Lucy than mere friendship. The elevator eyes, the almost-kiss, the fidgeting in bed… Those were classic signs of pining. But with Angela's abduction and Jackson's death, whatever realisation he might have had, took a step back. It wasn't the right time. Neither him, nor Lucy were in the right emotional space for pursuing these feelings. And with time, it was probably easy to just chalk it up to a one time thing or ignore it altogether. Especially once Lucy became his aide and thus, his direct subordinate once again. He was not going to entertain the thought. Or at the very least, try not to. Not to mention that he didn't have any real reason to believe it was reciprocated, so why rock the boat? But the kiss was a game-changer. It happened after a season of them getting even closer and it brought back to the surface all the things he had buried, consciously or not. Only this time, he couldn't put a lid back on those feelings. It was a full-circle moment.

I mean, in one episode he is telling Ashely he thinks they are "magic together" and being sad that she doesn't want to get married or have kids, and the very next episode he is all shook when Lucy kisses him, like he's just realizing in that moment that he might have romantic feelings for her. Tim telling Ashley he thought they were great together is absolutely fascinating… partly because that was pretty much how Lucy described her relationship with Chris (only in a less hyperbolic way) right before she decided to break up with him… But most of all, it's the context surrounding this "confession" that makes it interesting. It all started because Lucy asked Tim if he was planning to propose. Since he looked completely taken aback, odds are it wasn't something he was remotely considering before she brought it up. The more she talked about it, the more he looked annoyed and uncomfortable. It took hours of needling for him to finally take a second and ponder about it. But look at his face. I'm sorry but like my husband said the first time we watched this episode : curb your enthusiasm Timothy! This was supposed to be an epiphany of some sort for him… And yet, he remained pretty stoic. Compare that to his reaction to the kiss. This was a proper reaction. And after this supposedly epiphany, here's what he exactly told Ashley :

The reason Lucy was so annoying today is that she is convinced that you think I'm taking you to Hawaii to propose. But, I mean, you don't… you don't think that, right? 'C-Cause I'm not. I mean, I-I think we are magic together, but I…

Does that sound like a love confession of some kind? Or does it sound like a guy starting to panic and trying to make sure his intentions aren't misconstrued? Personally, I'm leaning towards the latter : I read this as someone trying to soften the blow before he tells his girlfriend he doesn't intend to propose. His "we are magic together" is immediately followed by a "but", downplaying the statement… And in case that wasn't enough, the fact that he was able to prank Lucy with a fake proposal two seconds later tells me that he wasn't that devastated about Ashley's desire to not get married and have children. I'm not saying he wasn't sad at all : he did look disappointed. It's just that he was able to bounce back very fast and I'm honestly not sure he would have been able to if that was something he was truly planning with her. Most importantly : if he thought they were truly magic, he wouldn't have been shooketh to the core by just a kiss (mere days later) or consider cheating on his girlfriend (again mere days later). It's not a coincidence that this declaration happened right before the kiss.

Isn't that, like, juvenile? I would understand it if Tim was a boy falling in love with the first girl he kisses, but he's a grown man who was married before and knows what love feels like. He shouldn't need a kiss to realize it. To me, it's not that he wasn't aware of his feelings for her : it's that he didn't even let himself entertain the possibility. The kiss changed that. Especially with Lucy initiating it. Let's also not forget that, unlike with Isabel, he didn't meet her as his equal. He was her training officer and then, her sergeant. That's a complete different dynamic here. And another layer of complexity. Especially for a rule follower like him. There's a reason why he kept repeating that Lucy wasn't his partner. He was trying to maintain a wall. So yes, he might know what love feels like. Like I already said, I think he might have recognised the early signs, he was just in denial. Something that Tim can be very good at. That is, until he couldn't any more. But again, things were so different with Lucy, it was never as clear-cut as in a regular relationship. Romance was never the intent. He started as her boss, then colleague/partner/friend. To the point that she became his person. Speaking from experience, it can be difficult to fully recognise when things turn romantic when you already have a deeper bond with someone. And that's why I don't mind the kiss as his light bulb moment : when the lines get blurred, you sometimes need a (metaphorical) slap in the face to get some perspective. That's what the kiss was. It cut through all his defenses, all the chatter in his head. His brain short-circuited and that's exactly what he needed. To stop thinking and start listening to his heart.

I guess I'm just trying to make sense of things. Because in the end I just find it very hard to believe the path the show chose to follow, of Tim beeing so oblivious of his feelings for Lucy, to the point of seeing his future with another woman, and then the kiss just turns a switch and he is suddenly aware of her romantically. Did Tim really see a future with Ashley though? I know he said as much but he might not be the most reliable here. Because here are the facts : marriage was not on his mind until Lucy talked about it. Not only that, but Ashley and him apparently hadn't even talked about the future since he didn't know how she felt about kids or marriage. As far as we know, he never told her he loved her. He never talked about them moving together. The closest thing we got was Ashley daydreaming of moving to Bali… which he entertained for a minute before reminding her he wasn't going to retire. Keep in mind that this is the same guy who told Lucy that if she and Chris were serious, moving in was the next logical step. Or that if she wasn't fighting in her relationship at all, maybe it was because she didn't think it was worth the bother. Since all of the above apply to him, what does it say about his own relationship? I honestly always felt like Tim was just going along with the motion with Ashley. He was around 40 and divorced ; one of his closest friend Angela got married and had a child a few months earlier ; Nyla - who, like him, went through a divorce - also got married and was expected another child… Things he told Lucy he thought he would have by now. So to me, he was simply tired of being alone. But that didn't make him more committed. He just didn't think he would get something better. Those are two different things.

As for why it was the chosen path : I believe that the writers chose this because they wanted to make a full circle moment for Tim and Lucy. They started the season with a hug, almost kissing. They ended it with the kiss and the realisation that they might have feelings for the other. It was the culmination of all the little moments that happened during the season. But I perfectly understand if you feel differently. I just hope all of this can shed some light on those scenes... and that it actually provided some answers. Let me know if you want me to expand on some points.

[paceywittters]

Hey!! There's been a lack of Chenford promo/sneak peaks for this ep?! Thoughts/expectations...

listen...tv being this accessible is so wild. it makes me feel soooo old. like, tv has never been this accessible prior to an episode airing in the history of the format. the idea that we see press photos and releases and 10000 sneak peeks and spoilers is just so...bleh. i'm not into that. it can be fun to follow but idc about anyone's speculation but my own, other people's thoughts/expectations stress me out and i honestly very rarely share my own bc they just get me hate mail ✉️

i miss when the only thing i knew about an episode of upcoming tv was what i read in like, tv guide. i realize this is such an old lady take but as a person who loves the art of tv writing, i just feel like all this shit does the story such a disservice. think about the fact that until like, 10 years ago, honestly a little less, we didn't really see hoards of press photos for every single episode. we didn't see a bunch of sneak peeks so we knew what was to come. sure, there were spoilers, but idk - i yearn for tv to be able to operate in that oblivious space again, i hate knowing what's coming for an episode and forming expectations bc i'd rather just...enjoy television. it's honestly sad to me bc all this shit has changed the way tv works, the way it's written, etc.

anyway all of this is to say: there's been a lack of promo/sneak peeks in general for this ep. that's not abnormal, it just feels weird coming off 2 weeks in a row of a season premiere/100th episode level of hype. the chenford element of it is also not weird to me. they're 2/8 main cast members. other people are going to get the sneak peeks sometimes, just gotta roll with it. if you like the show, it shouldn't matter. ngl, i hate seeing chenford in sneak peeks bc then not all of the content is new for me. i'd so much rather be surprised.

i'm sure there will be some chenford content since there are press photos of them together and we know lucy will wind up riding with celina/tim from spoilers when they were shooting this ep. i'm personally hype not to have to go into this ep assuming i know anything. having all these preconceived notions, imo, is not a healthy relationship with tv so i just try to avoid doing it at all.

tl;dr: i have no expectations of this ep, i'm sure i'll like it bc i like most episodes of this show. i don't think it's weird there's been a smaller amount of promo bc we're coming off two major episodes and i enjoy the rookie without solely caring about chenford.

[thattimdrakeguy]

sad to report that it's all of your guesses, tho i see less of the 'h/cs masqueraded as jokes' stuff. but misinterpretations and exaggerations of his actions jokes, "he's boring and not popular" jokes "he steals other characters spotlight" jokes "he has no skills and any writer who claims he's better at something than another character is showing favoritism" jokes "he's too old to be robin and should be retired" jokes etc etc. in summary, stay away from the fandom. it'll only depress you.

Is it truly a fandom if the fandom doesn't make itself look like an ass to the out existence of the further fan group?

I've been around the fandom long enough to know that it has noticeably decreased, and there's a reason for that. The ones left are often so oblivious to themselves, that they just make people not care anymore. Which leaves the dastardly side effect of the remaining assholes thinking they're on to something and totally hysterical.

They don't even know how characters work.

For fucks sake a lot of the traits they loved Damian for during the destruction of his character were often plucked from classic era Tim. Which I couldn't help but notice really made them try to make no one care about even classic era Tim.

The thing I couldn't figure out though, is if they were aware that classic Tim would be a character they'd like if they didn't make fandomness seem like a gang thing, or if they were subconsciously threatened.

Like oh yes, the character that has the second longest lasting teen super hero comic book run, only behind SUPERMAN as a teenager, is unpopular.

Truly that is the fault of the character that he's no longer relevant and popular. And not a sign that how he's been written and treated is terribly wrong.

While these newer characters can't hold a single series for long, because their fandom is only loud and aggressive, not large and impressive.

It's not anything that takes the World's Greatest Detective. It's just obvious to anyone that's willing to look into it a bit.

Plus, seeing how a lot of these people try to be writers with fan fictions, eesh, you'd think they'd try to understand how good characters work. But that seems to be beyond them.

[marauderundercover]

Hanging by a Thread (3)

Prev

Throughout dinner, Tim tries his hardest not to stare at the Manor’s newest residence, but it was hard. Especially with her sitting right between Bruce and Damian. Pursing his lips, Tim wracks his brain in an attempt to remember any of the confidential information he’d glanced at before blowing up Ra’s bases a couple years ago. Nothing was coming to mind. In his defense though, he was more focused on bringing Bruce home and less focused on the possibility that Bruce and Talia had another kid together. And one younger than Damian. Subtly glancing at his younger brother, Tim frowns. Neither Damian nor the new girl had made any attempt at conversation with the other the entire time. But if she was younger, surely they knew each other?

“So, Marinette, Alfred tells me that your parents own a bakery in Paris?” Bruce says suddenly, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Tim’s eyes narrow. Did Bruce not see it? Glancing over at Jason, Tim raises an eyebrow. The older man shrugs, visibly fighting off a scowl. The girl, Marinette, nods slowly.

“Um, yes. It’s why they didn’t leave Paris, too.” She says, frowning down at her plate. Tim frowns.

“Is something wrong in Paris?” He asks. Marinette’s eyes widen slightly, scanning the room until she spots Alfred. He gives her a small smile.

“I didn’t share the details your grandmother gave me with anyone other than Master Bruce, Miss Marinette. It is your choice if you wish to talk about it.” Alfred says, his tone gentle, but a clear warning in his eyes. Tim fights the urge to scowl. He’d just look at the info in the Cave later if he had to. He wouldn’t interrogate a kid. Well, he would but not in front of Alfred-

“There’s uh, a villain? In Paris now.” Marinette says softly. Everyone’s attention snaps to her.

“Just one?” Damian asks, eyebrows raised. Marinette’s eyes narrow and her gaze turns cold.

“Oui, but we’re not Gotham. We don’t have experienced heroes. We have two people who showed up right after the villain. Two people who obviously have no idea what they’re doing, by the way.” She huffs out, glaring at her plate.  

“Has no one called the Justice League?” Damian presses. Marinette looks up at him and scowls.

“We did. The first day that Hawkmoth was there, almost everyone in Paris called, but no one came. No one. And once we figured out what Hawkmoth does, the Mayor ordered that no one else call the League.” She says, stabbing at her food instead of eating it.

“Marinette,” Dick says softly. She glances up and Tim’s slightly taken aback to see her eyes were bright with tears. “You don’t have to talk about this.” He adds. She frowns, her shoulders slumping as she closes in on herself.

“But that’s the whole point of me being here. So I can talk about things and be frustrated and upset without getting turned into a villain.” Marinette says.

“I’m sorry, what?” Jason asks, voicing what everyone was thinking. Marinette blinks.

“Hawkmoth controls people with negative emotions.” She says flatly. “That’s why my parents sent me away. It’s why the Mayor doesn’t want the League coming in. Any negative emotion: sadness, anger, frustration, anything. It can be used against you.” Tim frowns, a million possible plans running through his brain as he tries to think of a solution.

“And yet, your parents thought they should stay. Do they think they can resist this, Hawkmoth?” Damian asks, and Tim purses his lips to keep himself from saying anything. Damian’s questions were valid, but if the look on Marinette’s face was anything to go on, he was obviously pressing the wrong buttons.  

“They said they just needed to protect me. Apparently when they- when they took me in,” She pauses, her gaze growing distant as she sets down her fork. “Apparently, they promised my birth mother that they would protect me and keep me safe. This was them keeping their promise.” Tim makes eye contact with Jason across the table, tilting his head towards Bruce (who was still obviously suddenly oblivious). Jason nods, and Tim feels his shoulders relax slightly. If anyone could push Bruce’s buttons enough to make the man admit that this was clearly his daughter, it was Jason.

---

“So Marinette is obviously your kid, right?” Jason says bluntly, arms crossed as he stands next to the Batcomputer. Bruce glances over at him and frowns.

“I didn’t even adopt her, Jason. She’s here as Alfred’s guest.” He says. Jason blinks.

“Are you seriously telling me you don’t see the similarities?” He asks. Bruce raises an eyebrow.

“Similarities between?”

“You, Dami, and Marinette.” Dick says, applying his mask glue as he walks over. “You can’t honestly tell me that all those glances at Marinette during dinner were just because you’re worried about her villain situation.” He adds. Jason narrows his eyes.

“B, were you gaslighting me?” He asks. Bruce rolls his eyes.

“I was not gaslighting you, Jason. I just- well-” He tries, but Alfred cuts him off.

“He was instructed not to do a DNA test on Miss Marinette without her explicit consent. She is my guest here, and will be respected as such.” He says, his tone firm. “Her grandmother is one of my dearest friends. She told me that Marinette was not aware that she was adopted until shortly before she came here. If she decides she wants to find her birth parents, then I will allow a DNA test. Otherwise, leave her hair on her head.” Jason’s shoulders slump. He may be a reformed crime lord, but even he wouldn’t go against a direct order from Alfred. Even if he wouldn’t let them do a DNA test on Marinette, there was no doubt in Jason’s mind that the kid was related to Bruce.

“Are you saying that you believe that girl upstairs is my sister?” Damian asks, suddenly appearing, arms crossed.

“You can’t honestly tell me that you don’t see the similarities, Damian.” Tim sighs. Damian scowls.

“There are no similarities. You are simply seeing things.” He says, sticking his chin up. Jason snorts.

“Kid, I would literally eat my boot if that girl isn’t related to Bruce.” He says, holding his hands up in surrender when Alfred opens his mouth. “I didn’t say I was gonna do a test or anything. Just that if it happens at some point, I’m not gonna be surprised at the results.” Alfred quirks an eyebrow, but leaves, probably to check on Marinette before she goes to sleep.

“Do you really see the similarities too?” Bruce asks quietly, looking intently at Jason and Dick. Jason nods immediately.

“DNA test your first instinct when ya met her?” He asks quietly. Bruce nods.

“Alfred forbade it right away.” He says with a frown. Dick frowns, looking thoughtful.

“You may not like it Bruce, but why don’t you just call Talia?” He suggests quietly, stealing a glance at the Demon Spawn who was beating the shit out of a practice dummy. “It’s about time for her to make a trip to stalk Damian at school anyway.” Jason nods at Dick.

“He has a point. You know she makes a point of checking in every couple of months. Just expedite the process.” Jason says with a shrug. Bruce purses his lips, but nods slowly. Silently, Jason hoped that Marinette wasn’t Talia’s kid. Just because he knew it would upset Bruce, and probably Damian. And once Marinette found out, she’d probably be upset too. Especially since Talia kept Damian til he was eight, and she obviously didn’t keep her. Jason drags his hand over his face and sighs. Things just got complicated.

Next

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[pithyorangecurd]

On the matter of Jon and Martin's descent into Nightvale Citizens I would say.

Jon's died three times now.

Once by Tim, buried in rubble.

Once by Elias, calling on the end of the world, calling all the powers that be into his mortal form, crushing him into a spec and a blip and then exploding inwards out.

Once by Martin, gouging his eye out, and severing him from the only thing maintaining him. Everything cut off again, but this time there's no explosion of power to bring poor little Jon back, just everything inhabiting and crushing him out of the way as it sucks into him.

Jon died, and he wasnt coming back, except Nightvale is a living beast and the roads pathe her body, and she Cares for the people she holds. And especially she cares for her Voice, who hates gore. Jon died, but he and Cecil are the same beast, so they can inhabit a single soul together, because Cecil died too. He's being inhabited the same as Jon, and what chaces Cecil is just as happy to haunt and linger on the sides of Jon's vision just out of the way, waiting for him to See It so he can be hunted.

Jon missed being hunted, I imagine it feels special. He's not alone anymore, and this one he can't help but to love because this hunting nourishes him. He just can't hunt back, lest it consume him.

That's his to deal with!

Anyways, Jon sharing CECIL'S soul, which is the hard to explain part to Martin. Do I love him?? I dont THINK so? But I feel like I'll die if I take ten steps away. Sharing Cecil's soul makes you less than human in a weird way. He shows you so much, and forces your eyes to glaze over the bad parts of things, he turns you stupid. Jon in s5 would have seen the bowing chipping painting of a sky and been worried, but wtse hardly notices the creak and blames the footsteps on bad weather. When he has paintchips fall in his ice cream he just makes a face at cecil when he leans over to lick it off and laugh and say its just sunlight its not going to HURT you, Jon.

Cecils making him oblivious.

It would take Martin noticing, and it's Martin's job to. But Martin was born of Jon. Sad!

Martin died of heartbreak, and accepted a seperation from everyone and everything. And left his soul attached to Jon, who accepted it. And then Jon died, and now Jon's soul is a distorted thing that hops and skitters and caws and is that a caw? It sounds like an owl, but it certainly isnt. It clicks.

Martin's turned weird, as Jon is turned weird. Martin's supposed to be Jon's Earl, but he's turning into his Carlos. Earl was made FOR Cecil, but Martin was made OF Jon.

They're turning into citizens quicker than either would care to notice, which is a lot quicker than they actually WOULD notice. Kinda cute!

[vvideonasties]

I’m in love with your drabbles!!! If you’re still taking requests plz consider: jmart in 11? Have a lovely day!! 💕

aww yay i’m so glad you’re liking them, i hope your day is going well!!!

things you said when you were drunk

“They did this on purpose.”

Jon puts down his glass and raises an eyebrow. He’s on his third drink - the first he bought himself, the next courtesy of Martin. That’s the reason he decided to stay longer in the bar, in the beginning. Martin bought him something, so it was only polite to stay. But after that was drained, he had an out, an excuse to leave. Instead, he decided to bring in the next round. To return the gesture. Which makes the initial offer moot, of course, but wine makes him a bit fuzzy headed.

At that point he decided to stop pretending that he was staying because of silly courtesies. He’s here because, despite it all, Martin is very good company. They’ve rarely associated with each other outside of work, and have certainly never done so alone. This night wasn’t supposed to be an exception - Tim and Sasha were on their way, but as soon as he arrived at the bar Martin received a text telling him that they wouldn’t be coming. Their reasoning as to why must have been strange, considering the way Martin glared at his phone afterwards. 

Outside of that, he hasn’t thought of the two of them much. At all, in fact. He’s been too busy sucked into conversation with Martin all night. Or, rather, the other way around. Panicked upon realising he’d be alone with him without any buffers, Jon had started rambling about whatever he could first think of to fill in the awkward silence. He then discovered how good a listener Martin is. He asks insightful questions and nods in all the right places, making the appropriate oohs and ahhs when necessary for the topic. It’s been pleasant.

“Who’s they?” Jon asks, feigning ignorance. 

“Tim and Sasha.” Martin polishes off his (fourth) mojito forlornly. 

He’s quite drunk. He never thought Martin was a heavy drinker, but he’s been gulping down cocktails all night, becoming more relaxed with each one. God, those things are brutal. He can smell the rum from across the table.

Is he drinking like this because Jon makes him nervous? The way he seems to catch his eye often then look away quickly as if he’s committed some great sin would suggest that could be a possibility. That makes him sad, actually. He’s been quite harsh on Martin, he’ll admit that, but he doesn’t want to be a source of discomfort for him. 

“Why would they do this on purpose?” He prompts, trying to make his voice softer and kinder. The alcohol helps. 

Martin puts his head in his hands and sighs. “Because they know.”

“Know what? That’s awfully cryptic.”

“Oh, like you can talk,” Martin hits back, and the edge to his voice makes Jon laugh. He’s been like that for most of the night. Less afraid to call him out on things. 

Jon sets down his glass and nudges Martin with his free hand. He doesn’t miss the way Martin sits up a bit straighter with it, his face getting redder than the alcohol could ever manage before.   

“They know that I...likeyou.” He says the last few words in a rush. 

“Oh. Oh! That’s- I’m glad you do. It’s good to have camaraderie between co-workers. I can still be a friend, even though I’m your boss.”

He seems to have completely missed the mark on that one, as Martin’s face immediately crumples, and he flops on the table. 

“Noooo,” he groans into the wood. 

“Martin,” Jon says, bewildered, “are you quite alright?”

Martin pries his head off of the table and points a finger at him accusingly. “Jon. Jon. Jon. Jonathan Sims. You are so oblivious. I can’t believe I’m- fuck, I’m so drunk.” He hiccups. “I like you.”

He stops. Takes a sip (gulp) of his wine. “Like...like like?”

Christ, is he ten? Jon wipes his suddenly sweaty palms on his trousers and decides that eye contact would be the worst possible thing to happen to both of them right now. He...doesn’t know how to feel about this. There’s mostly just confusion bubbling up inside him. So, he asks.

“Why?”

"Ha! Do you want a list? Wait, no, that’s a joke- but I think I made a list at one point. It’ll be in my notebook somewhere. Should probably burn that, now. Oh, god. You know when you’re that kind of drunk where you consciously know you’re ruining a kindling friendship with your boss but you can’t stop bloody talking about the massive crush you have on him? Also, you’ve kind of had the shame burned out of you with the sheer power of alcohol?”

Jon doesn’t know. He nods regardless, baffled, then has another sip of wine. His mouth stays dry.

Martin slumps and looks at him, eyes wide and pleading. "Please don’t fire me.”

“Wh-why would I-” Jon sputters, “I wouldn’t! This is...this is...”

Thinking back on it, it really shouldn’t be all that surprising. He’s been a willing subject to Martin’s care and attention. He’s liked it. A lot. But he's tried not to think about it much. It would be improper, unprofessional, not very becoming of the new Head Archivist-

“This is not exactly unwelcome, I suppose.”

Red wine is a menace.

“What?!” Martin exclaims, voice far too loud, even for the rowdy bar.

“Shush. What I mean is, I wouldn’t be opposed. To you. That’s- christ, that’s an awful way of putting it. I mean that you’re nice to talk to, and I’ve enjoyed your company very much tonight.” And you’re very pretty, his brain supplies unhelpfully, but he waves it away, “So I would like to talk about it. Us. At some point.”

He’s being stared at suspiciously. Martin leans back into his seat. “Has someone spiked my drink? Is this real?”

“Oh, it’s real. And no one has. I’ve had my eyes on your drinks all night.”

“How noble of you,” he teases, and there’s this fondness in his eyes and smile that are obvious now Jon is searching for them. He tries his best to dampen the wide smile that is threatening to take over his own face and drains the contents of his glass. 

“Right. Well. Tonight probably isn’t the best time to discuss this. Let’s wait until we’re sober. On Monday, perhaps? Around lunch time?”

"...Are you scheduling a meeting for us to talk about our feelings?”

Jon rolls his eyes. "Just get your coat, Martin.”

The look he gets in return is nothing short of captivating, and it makes him quite excited to see what exactly he’s gotten himself into. 

send me a ship and a prompt and i’ll write a mini fic!

[elyreywrites]

do you know who you are?

a fic written for Pride Month 2020!! (yes, i know pride month is over, but i posted this on AO3 on June 30th so.) this is a projection fic. it’s not an exact projection of my experience, nor is it meant to be a generalized representation. this isn’t everyone’s experience.

warnings: slight mention of Jack and Janet Drake potentially being homophobic, and discussion of compulsory heterosexuality

thank you to my betas in the Capes & Coffee Discord - Bumpkin, ZulieTheProgrammer, and Oceans!!

title is from Moana’s “I am Moana”!

please REBLOG - DO NOT REPOST

AO3 Link

Teen 1,678 words Bart Allen & Tim Drake & Kon-El | Conner Kent slight one-sided Tim Drake/Jason Todd - as in, tiny-Tim has a crush on Robin-Jason

Summary:

He’s twelve and watching Robin fight. He’s seventeen and staring up at the ceiling. He’s nineteen and text-spamming his best friends.

Tim’s growing up and finding himself, and he would really appreciate if the Realizations didn’t happen when he’s trying to sleep. Kon and Bart would probably appreciate that as well.

- - - - -

It starts as he’s watching the second Robin knock out some muggers. It’s not the first time Tim has seen Jason’s Robin take down a group of criminals, but it’s the first time that he nearly gives himself away as he squeaks.

 Jason’s so strong, and cool, and pretty, and – oh. Ah. Okay.

He calls it a night at that, bright red from the questions that are swimming around in his head. He spends most of the trip home lost in thought. When he’s sitting on his bed, one of his best pictures of Jason’s Robin sitting in front of him, he gives them a voice. Talking usually helps him get his thoughts in order. “Okay,” he whispers, “do I like boys?” He doesn’t dislike them – not at all. But does he like them? Maybe, but… how is he supposed to know? “Is that too big of a topic?” he wonders aloud to the picture. “Let’s start with this: Do I like Robin? Jason-Robin.”

That doesn’t turn his brain into a jumbled mess like the previous question did. Of course he likes Jason-Robin. He’s absolutely amazing, protecting people and checking on the working girls and kicking criminal ass! He’s only a couple years older than Tim is, but he does so much more! And he’s real in a way Dick isn’t.

Jason’s just a kid like Tim, though they have such different backgrounds. Dick was a trained acrobat, with skills Tim never really believed he could learn. Jason seemed closer. He was still more amazing than Tim could ever hope to be, but it wasn’t an entirely impossible stretch like it was with Dick.

“And he’s so passionate, especially when it’s a kid that’s in danger. And every time he smiles, it just makes me so happy that I kind of want to giggle and—” Tim stops babbling. He doesn’t need to anymore, after basically answering his own question. Yes, he does like Jason Todd, the current Robin. As in, he has a crush on him. Tim falls back on his bed to stare up at the ceiling.

“Well,” he says, “that explains the weird, squirmy feeling I get in my stomach every time I imagine talking to him.” That feeling is always accompanied by a fierce blush and Tim hiding his face for a good two minutes. He thinks he probably should have caught on sooner. Deciding that was enough Realizing Things for the night, Tim quickly locks the picture of Robin up with the rest and collapses on his bed to sleep.

The next day – a Saturday, which is Mrs. Mac’s day off – Tim hops on the computer and starts researching. He has a crush on one boy, but Tim still thinks girls can be cool. Batgirl is pretty awesome, after all! After a few hours and a lot of new information, he settles back on his bed again. He’s bisexual, and sexuality can apparently be really fluid. In all honesty, it didn’t take him hours to find the term, he just fell into a rabbit hole of researching sexual orientation and gender identities. Tim’s fairly secure in his gender, but he’s glad to have learned. It’s something to keep in mind about other people – to not assume anything based on appearances.

He’s bisexual, with a crush on a boy, and his parents will still expect him to only date girls. At least the boy was Robin and completely unattainable.

- - -

Years later, Tim is laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling once again. It’s a different bed by now, in his own apartment at seventeen. The thing is, he’s pretty sure he has no interest in romance. And now his brain was mixing everything up in a tangle of thoughts and feelings again.

“Holding hands is nice,” he admits. “I like cuddling. That was fine.” He hasn’t gone further than making out with anyone, so that’s about the limit of his physical experience. It’s the implication of emotions that makes him want to skitter away. Specifically, emotions of the romantic variety. Now Tim’s reassessing every romantic relationship he’s had, though he’s only ever dated women.

At the time, he had thought he was happy while in each relationship, but… it’s becoming much more likely that it’s because he was previously starved for affection. He suddenly got that affection while dating someone. That thought makes him want to hide from everyone he’s ever dated. Stephanie is the only one he really still has to see, and that has him burrowing under his blankets.

It sounds awful, honestly. Like he was using the relationship to get the affection he so desperately wanted. Logically, he might be overthinking this. He just wishes his dumb brain would tell that to his anxiety and the ingrained societal expectations. “I didn’t mean to,” he mumbled into the blankets.

Romance, dating, being happy in a relationship? He has no other experiences to reference! He didn’t know that something wasn’t right.

Hell, he’s only having this Realization because a woman was flirting with him at a gala and asked if he would like to get dinner together sometime. A romantic dinner date with a woman he wasn’t close to. The entire scenario would be romance with no physical affection, and that didn’t sound pleasant in the slightest. It did, however, make him realize that he might need to think things through again.

So, here he is. Thinking things through. No romance – if he’s remembering his research correctly, the term is ‘aromantic’, similar to ‘asexual’. Asexuality was something he’d heard more about over the years, but he rarely heard of aromanticism. It had just stuck out because while the terms were similar, their meanings were pretty different.

Now he’s glad it stuck in his mind. It gives him less reason to panic about being confused. So, he was bisexual and aromantic. That’s fine! He’s a vigilante, romantic relationships would be difficult anyway.

- - -

A year and a half later, Tim’s fingers fly across the screen of his phone, sending text after text without waiting for a response. Either his friends would wake up or they wouldn’t. Hopefully they would.

Tim: Oh my god. Guys, wake up, I’m an idiot. Bart, Kon, please. I’m so dumb. How the hell am I this oblivious? I’m not bi-aro at all. I’m just fucking gay. It’s 5 am and I can’t sleep, and I just want a boyfriend. I want to do couple things, like cuddle up while watching movies.

Clone Trooper: dude, it’s the middle of the night. why do you do this to us?

Tim feels no sympathy for his friends – he’s been running on less than six hours of sleep for years. Sometimes less than four hours. High school and vigilantism don’t mix well. Anyway, they can deal with waking up to deal with his Realization.

Sonic: bro we cuddle up when we watch movies are we not good enough for you anymore

Tim: Yeah, but that’s platonic, Bart. And yes, I’m aware of the time. I’d like to be asleep too, but I’m lonely and sad and having Realizations! Suffer with me.

Clone Trooper: … suffer how? are you expecting us to have an existential crisis too, or is this just suffering by being awake?

Tim: Being awake. It’s not an existential crisis, it’s just a Realization.

Sonic: its the middle of the night i think it can be deemed an existential crisis

Tim: But seriously, someone please tell me how I jumped passed the logical conclusion I should have come to of “I’m just not attracted to women” and directly to “I have no interest in romance at all”? How did that make sense to me?

Sonic: society conditioned u to like women

Tim blinks at his screen. Bart isn’t wrong, but Tim has absolutely no idea where he’s going with that. He already had the Realization about societal conditioning, thanks.

Tim: Okay? I’m aware, but I’m not sure how that translates to how I didn’t think of the logical conclusion.

Sonic: dude. for years it was a fact – since you were a kid u were so conditioned that u should like women it was just a fact

Clone Trooper: think of it like this, tim: as far as you knew, you liked women. later, you figured out you like guys, but you still think you like women too.

Tim: We’ve established, yeah.

Clone Trooper: so, suddenly something is weird. the only really new thing is that there is romance involved. so that’s clearly gotta be the issue.

Oh. He stares so long the screen goes dark. He drops his phone on the bed and stares up at the ceiling, turning that over in his head. So. He jumped to not wanting romance because it was so deeply ingrained that he was supposed to like women? His exhausted brain seems to accept this explanation enough to calm the edge of self-recriminations.

Tim: That. Makes sense, I guess. But still, it really seems like I should’ve realized a while ago. Also, I’m kind of surprised that you aren’t teasing me for being oblivious.

Sonic: oh thats coming but teasing is saved for when u arent having a crisis

Clone Trooper: later, we’ll absolutely laugh about that jump in logic. but right now it’s too early and you’re already having A Time.

He’s not sure if he has wonderful friends or terrible friends. Tim suspects that he’s still going to hear about this in a few years. It’s the kind of thing they won’t let die for a while.

Tim: Fair enough.

Clone Trooper: great, glad we got that cleared up! now tim...

Tim: What?

Clone Trooper: please. GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP.

Snickering, Tim plugs his phone in and smothers his face in the pillow. He’s still lonely and he still wants to analyze every missed evidence over the years, but he’s also exhausted. The chat with his friends did get his brain to shut up enough that he might actually be able to sleep. He can rethink his entire life again after he wakes up.

[mydeardeath]

To belong with (6/8)

Whole series on tumblr (to belong series tag) or AO3

---

At first, it had seemed to be a good idea. Take Tim with him to do groceries shopping. Let him pick whatever he wanted, what he had missed. But seeing Tim pull another bag of candy into the cart made him regret his decisions. Part of him hoped that this wasn't what Tim usually ate, that he was just going for that junk because he had lacked food when he was... away. But Damian suspected that it was just what the other considered food. He was quite appalled. He knew that Tim wasn't the best cook. But that! Damian was quite horrified. Good thing that Tim had him now.

Damian had to restrain himself for throwing it all. Who could have imagined that courting would be so hard? Maybe he should invite Bart too. He was Tim's friend as well and a speedster. He would make all this junk disappear in a matter of seconds then he would show Tim what real meals were like and how amazing he was at making them. Damian pulled out his phone to tape a quick text to Conner, one eye still on Tim. He was still so scared of losing him. His heart had jumped in his chest when he had lost sight of him earlier. Tim hadn't been far, just in the next aisle. But still, Damian preferred to have him where he could see as much as possible. Tim had been taken away from him once. It could happen again. For all he knew, the ones that had taken Tim in the first place might want him back. There was no certainty that Tim was safe, that they would leave him alone. And Damian wasn't going to let that happen again.

He quickly caught up to Tim, receiving a little smile when he asked if he wanted anything else or if he was ready to leave. Tim was oblivious to Damian's feeling, his fear of having Tim disappear once again. He was just enjoying being back in Gotham. Being free after all this time. Because even if it had not been years but weeks for Tim, it was still a long time being prisoner.

***

Preparing lunch didn't take long considering there wasn't much cooking to do. It was good working in tandem with Tim even for such a simple, domestic task.  That not something Damian had imagined he would be doing. He had shared a few nights with other people. Nameless people, he knew nothing of. He had not cared to create a romantic connection with anyone. It was kind of illogical. He had loved Tim, but they had never been together. Most people had seen his feelings for Tim as a simple crush, then they had seen it as an unhealthy obsession. And maybe they had been right. He had been a kid back then. He had started to spend time with Tim had the end, had started to know him. But that wasn't enough to form a true relationship. He could admit to himself that he had been born on a childish caprice. Thing is, Damian never had closure. He was given hope that one day he would have the chance to prove himself worthy of Tim's attention. Maybe, in the end, Tim wouldn't have been able to return his love. Maybe Damian would have grown out of his infatuation for the Omega. There was no way of knowing what might have happened. Damian never got his opportunity. All he could do was wonder "what if?". That thought had held him back for years. Now he would get his chance. He would take his chance with Tim. Whether or not he would be successful didn't matter. Well, it did matter a bit. But Damian could accept not getting him if that choice was theirs and not the outcome of outside forces.

For Tim to make a choice about their future, he first needed to get his life back. Damian didn't want to share his return with the family quite yet. He was still mad at them. It didn't stop him from knowing that it needed to happen. He couldn't keep Tim locked up in their apartment. Of course, Tim would end up attracted by Damian if it was only the two of them. Whatever had happened to Tim had been traumatizing. Damian had been the first familiar face he had seen in weeks, the first safe place he had found. If he kept Tim away from the other, the Omega would become dependant of him. No matter how much he desired him, that wasn't the way he wanted to get him.

He was informed of Tim's friends arrival just a minute before they were at the door. He had put a satellite in place to inform him of their movement. Tim was excited to see them. They were his friends after all, but Damian could tell that he was also anxious. He had preferred being warned in advance and not have them suddenly banging on the door.

Tim's hands had started trembling when Damian had told him they were almost here. The youngest Robin had taken them into his own, gently squeezing his hands to make him understand that he was here for him.

"I will get it" Damian let go of Tim when the doorbell rang, maintaining eye contact as long as possible before turning to his guests.

Kon was here with Bart as well as Cassie. Damian hadn't thought of inviting her. He hadn't wanted to crowd Tim with multiple people from the start. The invitation to Bart was solely for the junk food that needed to disappear. He should have guessed that it would have been hard to have the two of them without her tagging along. Not that he minded her company, he just hoped that it wouldn't feel overwhelming to Tim. Maybe that would prepare him for their family.

"Damian", they saluted him, "so why did you needed us here?"

"I don't need you. He does." Damian made a vague motion behind him even if they could not see Tim from the threshold.

Conner was confused. He had not expected anyone else to be here. Damian didn't hang out with that many people. He had made some friends within the Titans but most of the time he was the one that came to see them. When he was in Gotham, he was either alone or with his family. Kon didn't imagine that Batman was waiting in the living room. Damian would have rather went to the manor than invite him over. It was way too calm for Dick and his daughter to be here. But there was someone here. Now that Damian had said that he wasn't alone, Kon could clearly hear another heartbeat not far away. One that seemed oddly familiar. One that brought back memories from years ago.

Kon rushed past Damian without a word, leaving his flabbergasted friends in his wake. In less than a second, Kon stood before Tim. Or someone that looked exactly like him at least. But it couldn't be. Tim was dead.

Kon knew that Tim had tried to clone him when he had died. Maybe he had kept trace of his works and Damian had found them. Kon knew what Tim had meant to Damian. The youngest Robin had never seemed to grow past his lost. He had never heard of him dating. Yes, he had a few flings. But one night stands weren't close to a relationship. Maybe Damian had broken down and decided to create a new Tim.

But as he was thinking about that, some part of him couldn't shake the feeling that this was the real Tim. He knew one or two things about clones. He had learned to recognize them. One of the easiest ways was listening to the heartbeat. That not something you could simply replicate. You could learn, but it was a long process. And, unless Damian had records about the rhythm of Tim's heartbeats, he would not have been able to get it right just by pure luck.

They were used to people coming back to life. Him. Bart. Damian. But six years was a long time. And the man before him didn't look older than the last time he had seen him. He had not been raised from the dead and waited years to return to Gotham.

Yet, somehow, this was Tim standing before him.

Kon didn't waste another second before pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.

"I may be civil to you now, Superboy, but if you hurt him when he has just come back to me, I will make you chock on kryptonite."

Kon released a bit of the pressure he had put on Tim, apologizing quietly to his friend.

"What the fuck?" Cassie nearly yelled. She and Bart had been following Damian into the room. They hadn't been able to get a clear look on who Kon was hugging, the other person almost disappearing under Kon's form.

They hadn't known why Damian had asked for them. Kon's reaction had raised even more questions. They hadn't known what to expect. But Tim wouldn't have been their first idea. Nor the tenth.

Bart and Cassie hadn't been exactly enthused to answer Damian's invitation. Yes, he was somehow civil now, but he had yet to be anything close to friendly to them. They were glad that Kon had convinced them to come. This was the best surprise they had had in forever!

For a long time, none of them said anything, simply joining in the hug while Damian watched from a few feet away. Bart was the first to pull away.

"Have you always been this short? I don't remember you being that much tiny. But I was shorter back then. Probably why I didn't notice. Wow, and look at this babyface. You are so cute. How come I never noticed you were so cute." Bart was gushing, even attempting to pinch Tim's cheeks.

"I am not cute" Tim spluttered, offended. He had always been one of the shortest in the family. He was roughly the same size as Cass and taller than Damian. But Damian had been 12 years old, so he hadn't meant much. It was expected that Damian would grow but Tim had thought he would too. He knew he would never have the same bulk that Bruce and Jason had, but he could have hope for a late growth spurt. Seemed like Bart had had one. Cassie too, even if on a smaller scale. They had all been teens the last time he had seen them. While he was still one, his friends had grown into adults. He had missed so much.

"Hey, are you okay Tim?" Cassie asked him gently.

"Yeah. I'm happy to see you guys." He smiled faintly. He couldn't quite hide his sadness. He should have aged with his friend. Experience the start of adulthood with them. How many things had he missed in their lives? They would probably tell him everything but he would never get to experience them, and that hurt.

"Ow, Tim. We are so happy to have you back." Cassie smiled at him.

"Yeah, especially if you want back in the team. Imagine, with his adorableness, villains will stop fighting right away. Make our jobs easier." Bart joked.

Tim gripped his arm and threw him on the grounds.

"I see why you would need an easier job, you're getting slow kid flash." Tim teased him, earning laughs from his former team and a proud smile from Damian. He may not have returned at his highest form, but he could still kick some ass.

[xaphrin]

A Thousand Secrets and One Truth

Raven annoyed the hell out of him.

Absolutely annoyed the hell out of him. And, honestly, Tim wasn’t even sure why she annoyed him. For the most part, she kept to herself - either quietly taking notes in their two classes together, or staring out of the window, looking off into the distance. Even when she did talk, it was to ask a usually ask a poignant question, or make a point the professor wanted the class to learn. She was smart, observant, and unnerving. There was something about the way Raven looked at him that set Tim’s entire body on edge. It wasn’t so much like she was checking him out - like some of the other girls on campus - but that she could see into him. Past the designer clothes and dimples, like she was trying to pull apart his entire being and then piece him back together with better understanding.

And sometimes it was as though she somehow knew that he wasn’t entirely what he seemed, or what he claimed to be.

Tim wasn’t sure how she knew, or even how he knew that she knew, but there was something about the side-eye she gave him that made him feel like she had figured him out. It set him on edge, and while he hadn’t mentioned it to Kon or Gar, it was enough to make him wary. He had tried to avoid her the best that he could, but she kept reappearing - no matter what the time or circumstances.

Like now - at two in the morning, in the school library.

Tim swore under his breath and closed his laptop, pretending to be flipping through a book next to him. He watched as she stepped through the shelves, and her eyes settled on his form, watching for what felt like an eternity. His lips twitched as she lifted her stare towards his, her eyes settling on his brow. Of course she noticed him, they were the only two in the whole building. His body stiffened as she walked up to him and set a paper coffee cup down in front of him without any kind of ceremony. He could smell the scent of unsweetened coffee with a small amount of cream, exactly how he took it. How in the world did she know?

Her voice was somehow loud and soft at the same time, like she was screaming, but her words were being swallowed by the stillness of the library around her. “I thought you’d be here.”

Tim’s lips twitched and he stared at her, his face blank, but Raven seemed unfazed.

“I thought you had already handed in all your midterms. So, what are you doing in the library in the middle of the night? Shouldn’t you be out partying with all the other students?” She didn’t sit down, but she stared at him as though she were expecting him to invite her to join him. He didn’t.

“Mm. I see you’re as talkative as ever.” She sat down anyway, her lips pulling up at the edge as if she knew something he didn’t.

Tim’s stare flicked down to the coffee cup. It did sound good. He’d been up for nearly twenty hours at this point, and he couldn’t remember a time when his mind wasn’t racing. If he ever needed a shot of caffeine in was now.  “What do you want?”

“You’re doing something not school-related.” Raven crossed her arms over her chest, still staring at him. “I’m not oblivious. I just want to know what it is.”

“It doesn’t concern you.” He grabbed the offered coffee cup and took a long drink, keeping his stare leveled on her. It was good. It felt like it was going straight into his mind and was slowly lifting him back up where he needed to be. His eyes closed for a brief moment, savoring the taste as if he were being transported to Nirvana. Maybe Dick was right, maybe he did rely too much on coffee.

“You’re not enrolled in this school for education. You have a 4.5 GPA. A four-point-five.” Her sharp reiteration of his current GPA made it clear she had been studying him, and probably for a while. He wondered how long it had taken her to get into his records on campus, and almost felt a little proud that she’d managed to get the information.

Raven continued, her voice barely above a whisper, but no less heavy. “You could have easily tested out of every single class you’re enrolled in, but you didn’t. You should be in master-level classes, but you’re not. Instead you’re taking Chem 100 and Intro to Algebra like every other student on this campus.” Her lips twitched, and she continued to stare at him, eyes steely. It was like something in her had flipped, and she was no longer the quiet girl who sat next to him in chemistry. She was something different, and he could feel it crackling just under the surface of her skin.

“I won’t ask why you’re here, and enrolled in classes way below your level. If it’s something you can’t or don’t want to divulge, I won’t force you to talk about it.” She pressed her lips together and glanced away, as if there was something inside herself that felt as though it was eating at her. “But… if it has anything to do with the disappearances… I want to help. I think you owe me that much at least.”

Tim was honestly surprised he was able to keep his face as calm as he did. She was smart. “I don’t know what you’re-”

“My friend was one of them.” Her voice was soft, but it had an edge to it that seemed to cut deeper than he was expecting. Raven set her hands on top of the table, her fingers tightening into fists, as if she was ready to fight him. “Look, it doesn’t take much to realize that you magically showed up after the third disappearance, that you’re far too smart to be in any of the classes you are enrolled in - classes, by the way, that the missing girls were enrolled in. Or had a connection to.”

Holy hell. She was definitely smart. Tim felt a small amount of pride fill his chest as he stared at her. He was impressed that she had figured it out so quickly.

“Look… my friend was the only one who’s known me for what I am and still been kind to me. She made me feel like I had a place here, so if something happened to her, then I want to bring her back and keep her safe.” Raven lifted her eyes to Tim’s face, and he felt something odd in his chest turn over. His stomach knotted and he watched as she glanced away, dropping her voice again. “I don’t think that’s so much to ask for.” She paused. “Besides, I can be useful.”

Her words itched at the back of his mind, and he felt the question fall from his lips before he realized how rude it really was. “What are you?”

“What are you?” Her voice turned painfully sharp, and she leveled another stare at him. Something sparked at her fingertips and she shoved her hands under the table. “Genius boy who sits next to me in Chem 100? You can’t just go around and ask people what they are, it’s rude.”

Tim shook his head, trying to make heads or tails of his own thoughts, but everything suddenly felt out of focus. “Look, if you’re asking about the disappearances, then you know something more than most people. Tell me what you know.”

Raven crossed her arms over her chest, the stillness in her unnerving. “Tell me why you need to know.”

“If I was investigating the disappearances, then I would need to know all the information you have.” Tim realized that made him sound like he was actually trying to investigate the missing girls, but obviously this girl knew more than anyone else had at this point. If he could get her to open up a bit more about what had happened, then her knowledge could shave off weeks of his investigation. He played to her heart. “It would help me find your friend quicker.”

That did the trick.

Raven shifted, obviously trying to play her hand close to her chest. She knew that if she gave too much information, Tim would take it and not include her any more. But she also seemed to know that giving him the information would lead to her finding her friend quicker. It was a choice she didn’t want to make, but there were no other alternatives. Tim felt a thick black feeling of guilt tighten around his heart and he looked away. He shouldn’t antagonize her like this.

She picked up her phone and flicked through the screen. “Runes.” Raven handed her phone to him, pictures up on the screen. “There were runes all over where she was last seen. The police dismissed them, and said they were just gang symbols or bad graffiti, but I know better. They weren’t gang symbols. They were runes. Old ones.”

Tim looked down into the screen, flicking through the pictures. This was useful. It was the most information he’d gotten since he arrived here. None of the police reports he’d read, or the roommates he talked to mentioned any of this. “You can read these?”

Raven nodded, her expression cautious and a bit guarded. She was trying to read how much she could trust Tim. “A little. I was taught some of them when I was younger, but I haven’t really read them in a long time. I’m… probably a little rusty.”

Tim flicked through the pictures of the runes, until he saw a cute selfie with a redhead with bright green eyes pressing her cheek against Raven’s and smiling into the camera. Wait. That was… Tim’s eyebrows knitted together and he stared at the screen. “Kori?”

Raven snatched her phone back, her face serious again. She held her phone close against her chest, as if she had been burned by something he said. Her eyes were wide. “How do you know Kori?”

“She’s my…” He snapped his mouth shut, too much information all over again. Tim shifted, looking away as he reached for the now half-empty coffee in front of him. “That’s not important.”

Raven glared, her stare sweeping down the length of him still trying to read him. “Are you Dick? Is that why you won’t tell me who you actually are? I’ve never seen a picture of him, but Kori said he was a great detective. That he trained with the best.”

“No! I’m not Dick.” Tim shook his head. “Dick is my… friend?” He didn’t really know what to call him. He barely knew what to call the other Robins. Sometimes he called them brothers, but that wasn’t exactly right either. Dick tried his best to be inclusive, but there was always a sadness when he looked at Tim, Damian was threatening to kill him half the time, and Jason barely tolerated him, although Tim didn’t really blame him for that either. “Dick is someone I’m close with, but our relationship is… complicated.”

That was about as close to an explanation as he could get.

Raven blinked, and she kept staring at him as if she was determined to figure him out. A long stretch of silence passed between them, and she cocked her head to the side. “You don’t sound so sure of that.”

He wasn’t sure. Tim changed the subject quickly, hoping he could turn her observant stare away from him. “How do you know Kori?”

“She was a TA in one of my classes my sophomore year. We became friends after that.” The explanation was simple, but honest. She wasn’t lying.  

“Did you know… about her?” Tim made sure to leave the question carefully open for interpretation. If Raven knew the truth about Kori, she would pick up on it. If she didn’t then they weren’t as close as Raven let on.  

“Did I know… what? That she was an alien?” Raven nodded, looking down at the table. “I knew. I think a few of the professors knew too, but no one mentioned anything. At least not to her face.”

“Do you know anything about the other girls that disappeared?”

Raven shook her head. “I know that it can’t be… human. Whatever is taking them, I mean. Kori is the strongest person I know - mentally and physically. If someone has taken her, then this is…” She trailed off, and Raven took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Her hands were starting to shake. “Then, it’s dangerous. I’m worried for Kori, but I’m worried for the other girls too, and… and anyone else on campus who might not be what they seem.”

There was something in her voice that told him that she included herself in that thought.

Tim looked at her, and for a moment, Raven looked so small and vulnerable. In the dark quiet of the library, with the shadows trying to pull tightly around her form, he could tell that she wasn’t entirely human. There was something more to her that she was offering to show him, but he didn't know what it was or how to interpret it. And he certainly didn’t know if he should trust it or not. It was one thing to put himself in danger, but it was something else entirely to jeopardize the integrity of their mission and the rest of the team just because she had information.

And yet… his gut was telling her to trust her. He’d met Kori several times, and while she could be a bit of a space-case sometimes, but she was wise beyond her years. So, if she called Raven a friend and trusted her with Kori’s own secrets, then Tim could probably do the same.

“Okay…” His voice was low, and he took another long drag of coffee. “Tell me what you know, and I’ll tell you the truth.”

Raven lifted her face towards him again, the dim light of the abandoned library filling her face. “And I can help find Kori?”

He really should talk to the team first, but…  

“Yes.”

Raven’s eyes widened, and Tim felt that weird feeling in his chest again, like his heart was practically vibrating inside him. He should have wondered exactly what he had agreed to with this, but looking into her face, he realized he didn’t care. She was just… kinda cute. And for a split second, that took over all logic in his brain. He’d take the wrath from the team later, but right now he could only see her.

[redrobin-detective]

Lesson One: Be Yourself, Lesson Two: Forget Lesson One

I’m back on my bullshit again with a Wayne Girls shot. I think I’d mentioned waaay back in the day when I was talking about my genderbent Robins/Batgirls that fem-Tim/Tabitha would have a much more complex and kind of ugly relationship with her father. Jack Drake strikes me as a man who wouldn’t be happy to learn that his precious princess was actually a scarily competent combatant. Uh expect more stuff like this because I’m trash. 

“Don’t stand like that,” Jack Drake said in a quiet, irritated voice out of the corner of his mouth while Dana was on the other side of the kitchen putting away leftovers. Tabitha looked over at her father in confusion as she set down the dish she was drying.

“Like what, Daddy?”

“Like you’re about to punch some hopped up junkie drug lord out,” he responded harshly, taking a moment to frown at her in a way he probably thought was intimidating but she’d learned to weather Batman’s disappointment so it was lukewarm at best. Still, she mentally assessed her position and posture. Had the reveal and forced retirement of her cape caused her to slip into fight mode even at home? Her shoulders were back, she was comfortably balanced with one hip jutting slightly off to the side. True, she could be battle ready in moments but she didn’t feel like Robin right now. She felt just like Tabitha Janette Drake, as much as she knew who that was nowadays.

“I’m just standing here, I’m not-” she defended

“Are you two keeping secrets from me?” Dana teased from across the room causing her and Dad to freeze but Dana seemed oblivious to the palpable tension. “Well I think it’s great the two of you are connecting, I’ll be watching TV in the living room when you’re done conspiring.” She added with a wink before leaving the kitchen entirely. Tabitha wrung out the semi-wet dishcloth, trying to figure out how to navigate this awkward situation. Robin training didn’t cover ‘how to cool your parent’s jets about your vigilantism’ if only because pretty much everyone else was an orphan. Dad sighed roughly, rubbing his eyes with one hand while the other braced on the counter.

“Honey, we’ve talked about this.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” she frowned back, putting her hands on her hips. “All I’m doing is washing the dishes; you’re the one making this weird.”

“No, this is what I’m talking about,” Dad said, angrily gesturing over at her. “You never used to do this before, you never used to-,” he stopped suddenly, pressing his lips together into a hard line.

“Never used to what?” Tabitha asked with annoyance.

“You never used to talk back to me like this,” he said finally. “Before, before Wayne you used to respect me. It was always ‘Yes, Daddy’ or ‘sorry Daddy’ and you were my perfect little princess. And now, now you’ve got scars and muscles and you’re looking at me like you’re contemplating the best way to crush my windpipe.”

“Daddy, that’s not even close to true,” Tabitha soothed, holding up her hands.

“See?” He gestured back, “Even my name doesn’t sound sincere, it just sounds fake. Everything you’ve been doing since I found out has seemed fake.”

“That’s because it is fake, Dad, it was all just an act to get you off my back,” she snapped before retreating back, demurely crossing her arms over her chest. So much for Father-Daughter bonding time. “I- you and mom didn’t want a scientist or president or, god forbid, a fighter. You wanted a princess and so I played the part, it began long before I approached Bruce and then it became a convenient way to divert suspicion about what I was doing.”

“What? So you faked your entire personality? Jesus Tabitha,” Dad laughed, leaning back against the counter and running his hand through his hair. “I feel like I don’t even know who you are anymore!”

“Well you never even bothered to learn about me in the first place, just as long as I was sweet and pretty and compliant you let me do just about whatever I wanted,” Tabitha shot back.

“That’s not true,” Dad retorted.

“Did you know I used to sneak out late at night and take pictures of Batman and Robin throughout Gotham when I was eight? I caught a plane to San Francisco when I was trying to convince Dick to become Robin again, used your credit card and everything. I’ve come home with everything from split lips to broken bones but as long as I covered it with enough make-up and charm, you didn’t notice. You were too busy chasing after your physical therapist.”

“Tabitha Drake that is uncalled for, you apologize right this minute,” Dad growled, putting his finger in her face. In the past, Beth would have simply lowered her eyes, said what her dad wanted to hear and that would have been the end of it. But now that he’s in on the big secret, taken Robin from along with all her friends, confidence and independence, she’s grown tired of all the deception. She looked him in the eye and gently but firmly brushed aside his patronizing finger.

“You’re right, I’m sorry, Dana is the best thing that could have happened to you but my other points remain,” she said resolutely. “You’re my dadd- my dad, I love you very much but this is who I am, who I’ve always been. It’s true I like sundresses and cute things but I also like punk music, skateboarding and putting together puzzles. Did you know I’m considered one the best bo staff users in the League and people look to me for answers and help. I understand why you don’t like me being Robin but I feel like I was doing something meaningful with my life, I felt like I was finally me.”

“No,” Dad laughed dismissively. “That’s Wayne talking, he turned you into this. You might think you like all this fighting and other nonsense but I know men like Wayne, they make manipulating sweet young girls like you into an art form.” He set his hands on her shoulders, “and now that I’ve gotten you out, you’ll see. You’ll go back to being my little princess and forget all about this nightmare.”

“Oh what, you think you saved me?” Tabitha spat, “like I was some damsel in distress? I was doing just fine before you decided being Robin was ruining my life.”

“You’re just a child, Tabitha, you don’t know what you want and don’t act like I’m some raging misogynist here to crush your dreams,” Dad rolled his eyes. “I’ve always supported women’s lib, your mother was tough as nails and Dana is smarter than me any day of the week. You’ve got to learn being a strong woman doesn’t mean you have to be, well, strong.”

“Because you’d prefer being the strong one in any relationship, usurping Mom’s family company and running it into the ground, pursuing Dana until she caved to your advances. You just want to control me like you have all the other women in your life,” Beth sneered, knowing she was going too far but when one truth came out, the rest tended to come along for the ride.

She saw it in his eyes, in his body language before he even started to move. It began with the twist of his back as his arm came up, preparing to strike her. Time seemed to slow down. She’s stunned in a way, her parents may have been negligent but they’d never raised a hand to her. True, she’d never spoken like this before but it’s still a bit terrifying in its own way. Had he ever hit Mom? Or Dana? Was he going to try and hit her anytime she said something he disagreed with? The open hand approached her and she watched it with detachment, as if it was a scene from a bad movie instead of her life.

She supposed she could let it connect, god knows she’s taken far worse hits. Maybe hitting her would release some of the tension and things could go back to normal. The thought startled her enough that pretty soon her instincts cut through the fog of her emotions and reacted. Her hand darted out and expertly struck his elbow, throwing off his momentum and allowing her to easily grasp his wrist before he managed to slap her. She could easily subdue him from this position but this was her Dad and instead she locked herself before she really hurt him. For a second, they stared at each other with matching looks of horror over what they’d each almost done.

“Are you guys still whispering in there?” Dana called from the other room and the spell was broken. Tabitha’s grasp slackened and Dad pulled his hand away and held it against his chest.

“Oh god Tabitha, I’m, shit, I’m so sorry I don’t what came over me, I- you know I would never hurt you, right baby?” Dad babbled, looking sad and pathetic. The hand that had almost slapped her said otherwise but she decided she’s spilled enough ugly truths tonight. She pulled the curtain closed around her heart and started in on damage control.

“I’m sorry too Daddy; I said some things I shouldn’t have,” she said, lowering her head and playing lightly with her fingers. “Is your wrist okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, quite a grip you have there, Tabby Cat,” and that brought a small smile to her face. He hasn’t called her that in years, hardly anyone called her Tabby anymore. It’s a childish name for someone who punched out people’s teeth on a nightly basis but she liked hearing it none the less. It felt a little bit like normal, even the fabricated normal she’d learned to live with. “And Tabitha, don’t- don’t act like that.”

“Like what?”

“You’ve got to stop pretending, baby girl,” he sighed and turned away from her. “I’m clearly not as good a parent as I thought I was, letting you live this whole other life behind my back. I’ll do better to get to know the real you if you stop hiding behind this imagined person you think I want you to be. Just be yourself, that’s all I want. Now that this Robin nonsense is over with, we have a chance to start over.”

“And what if you don’t like the real me?” she asked quietly.

“Oh I will, I’m sure,” he mumbled before twisting his mouth and looking away. “Come on, Dana’s waiting on us,” Dad said sternly before shoving his hands in his pockets and stalking out of the kitchen. He’d never been much of a liar preferring to ignore and redirect. Her mother had been great at it, telling bold deceptions with a sweet smile. Tabitha wondered if Dad saw Mom in her or if he saw something else entirely. 

Either way, the full truth wasn’t going to do this family any good. Dad was already strained by recent revelations, her constant mouthing off and bossiness would be the final nail in the coffin of their relationship. Bruce and Rachel would give anything to have their fathers here, alive and worried about them, she should make more of an effort to get along. He doesn’t like this new, confident, domineering Beth and he’s seen through her saccharine pretend Tabby so perhaps something in the middle.

She’ll exchange ‘Dad’ for ‘Daddy’ and tone down the sweet, submissive innocence she’s used to sprinkling around him. It’s not quite the real Tabitha who swears like a sailor and can fit 8 marshmallows in her mouth and orders adults and metas around with the expectation of being obeyed but it’s close enough. Well not really but if she’s lying to everyone else she might as well lie to herself.

“Tab, are you almost done in there? Bring out some ice cream when you come,” Dana’s voice carried from the living room.

“Sure Dana,” Tabitha smiled a sweet smile that would fool almost anyone, and set out to do what her stepmother asked. It was what a good daughter did after all.

[sam-miniature-pigeon]

I saw Dumbo last Friday! On one hand, I loved it, on the other hand, I hated it.  Here are my thoughts! (Spoiler warning!!)

When I was little Dumbo was my favorite movie. I would watch Dumbo 6 times in a day if my ma let me. I heard the announcement for Dumbo (2019) and was so excited! I noticed it was going to be directed by Tim Burton, got a little nervous, but mostly excited. I knew the story was going to change a bit because that’s usually what happens in remakes. However, this movie took change to a new level- it quickly stepped out of the label of “remake” and became it’s own, new idea.  The movie starts off with the classic train scene. The train has its cute little face, it’s sunny instead of storming like in the original. The main theme kicks in and I’m bouncing in my seat with excitement. But, the second they stop the train, the movie itself derails- it’s not the Dumbo we grew up with anymore.  Right away, I couldn’t even express my hatred for Milly Farrier, Holt’s daughter and one of the protagonists. As the movie continued, I hated her more! She completely pulled me out of the movie almost immediately and it was so hard to get back into it because she played such a big role. It’s not Nico Parker’s (the actress who played Milly) fault. She did a pretty good job of portraying her character, it was the writing! Her lines were copied and pasted over and over again. “It’s an experiment.” “We’re conducting an experiment.” “We did an experiment.” “It’s science!” “Science is so important.” And other like-phrases. Just the “I’m better than you” attitude and the “I’m the smart one” character was stretched way too much. Right when the kids discovered Dumbo could fly, “We were conducting an experiment!” You were playing with the elephant. The constant validation of “I’m the smart one” was too much for me.  Once Holt is introduced, we see that he is a war hero who has lost his arm in battle. His kids have a very hard time accepting this and he becomes almost a laughing stock. All of this pressure of the world laughing that he’s missing an arm, while also being a failing father for a majority of the movie weigh down on him, but he never cracks even once. He maintains his role as a loving and caring father and an overall great guy. A very minor complaint, explaining human concepts to a baby elephant is wild. The only gripe I have about Joe, Holt’s son, is when he explains to Dumbo how to blow his ears out of his face. It’s so innocent and establishes a relationship between Dumbo and the kids, but...it’s a newborn elephant. What are the chances that it understands that? I enjoyed Joe’s character because he was fun and obnoxious! He was like 11? He acted like an 11-year-old usually does and it’s great! We have new characters, new personalities, new scenarios! Overall very fun. Instead of a car full of pretentious elephants harassing Mrs. Jumbo over her baby, there is no elephant personality except for Dumbo. Mrs. Jumbo wasn’t even part of the circus until a week or so prior to when the movie was set! Delivering Dumbo, I understand that Disney was going for a much more realistic movie, so I understand why we couldn’t have the stork song with all the baby circus animals being brought to their mothers. Dumbo is born and everyone immediately rejects him, which I suppose is the same in the 1941 version. Mrs. Jumbo got locked away for the same reason- attacking the audience/kids for harassing her son. However, I could have done without the “evil” caretaker who just harassed the elephants. The death of the caretaker was a big eyeroll because of course, mayhem happened. Of course! When you have an angry elephant, why would you harass it even more and endanger the audience? I don’t understand why that was thrown in there other than “Holt’s a good guy, look!” Along with this, I adore “Baby Mine,” because it’s such an iconic part of the movie. It felt less so in this remake. You don’t see the mother, that I remember, anyway. You don’t see the emotion of joy, sadness, and desperation to see her baby while locked away. As well as Dumbo’s confusion, fear, joy, and need to be with his mother after she’s been ripped away. It felt forced, as I should expect from CGI elephants and Miss Atlantis (the mermaid, played by Sharon Rooney) singing the song for whatever reason.  Dumbo learns to fly. We see “Timothy” maybe 3 times in the whole movie. It really bothered me that he wasn’t in the movie at all. Even just having Dumbo befriend a mouse and have it around whenever he was resting would have been enough for me. Introducing him for no reason other than companionship while he was alone would be okay- especially considering this newborn elephant was alone for most of the movie other than two kids. The feather was of great importance, as an ode to the original, but he didn’t get it in the same manner, which is alright, but the way Dumbo had the feather the entire time made me very upset. Why did he swallow it? Why did Dumbo feel the need to inhale and swallow the feather even after he knew how to fly? He wanted the feather, felt he needed the feather, could easily fly and hold it, but he just felt the need to suck it up through the nose and swallowing it just for the hell of it?  After Dumbo is discovered, the circus is offered an act, as well as a home for all the members, by V.A. Vandevere, the owner of Dreamland. It was a very cliche “I’m the rich evil guy who is here to use you” trope. I suppose Max Medici, the circus owner, was blinded by money and an opportunity to give his performers a better life. But Vandevere was clearly the antagonist from the beginning. Not just how he looks, but the way he talked, strange way he acted, etc. It was far too overexaggerated. From the second he offered an act, you think “Ok, he’s lying and stealing your discovery. He never cared about your circus until you got this elephant. He’s exploiting you to benefit himself and will keep you in the background or kick you out the second he gets.” After they join Dreamland, it seems that literally everyone who works there is also evil. But why? Abuse the baby elephant! This whole, huge park agrees! Everyone except for Colette Marchant is evil in Dreamland.  Going into Colette’s character, the tension between her and Holt was overpowering. Even when they first met. She introduces herself and Holt immediately jumps to a “Soo...you single?” sort of statement. Subtly, of course. But the straight-up tension was insane, especially when they placed so much mourning at the beginning of the movie for the deceased mother and wife. Overall, I enjoyed her as a character. I think Eva Green did a great job and I think the character was written well. I don’t understand why we had to have her ride Dumbo? Was a flying elephant not impressive enough? Did we really need a pretty french lady riding it? I know that it had to happen to start a relationship between Holt, Milly, Joe, and Dumbo. As well as providing Dumbo the “training” for the climax of the movie. But as an idea itself, even though it served a purpose, I thought it was silly.  Elephants on Parade was impressive. I thought it was very cool! I am okay with the fact that it wasn’t alcohol induced and fit pretty well into the circus-like performance. However, it’s unexplained if that was real? I thoroughly enjoyed the scene, but my mind was racing with questions of: How did they get the bubbles to do that? They’re bubbles. Is Dumbo imagining the elephants and it’s a normal bubble show? But why would he see or interpret things that aren’t happening if he’s never done it before? How would they essentially train bubbles to do that? And so on.  Long story short, the circus is fired and only Holt, his kids, Max, and Dumbo will stay. It’s sad but fairly predictable.  Once we discover that Dumbo’s mom is at the park, Vandevere orders to have her killed. Ok! If you didn’t already pick up on the fact that he’s the bad guy, we took it to the extreme of killing the elephant instead of selling her somewhere else. Of course, the circus team bands together to save her and they succeed, but the rest of the movie was plain nonsense to me.  In Nightmareland, or whatever that section of the park was called, the animals looked so horrifically fake. They looked like animatronics or horribly funded CGI. Along with that, there’s literally no purpose in having live animals in that part of the park. Vandevere is portrayed as a manipulative entrepreneur who loves his fame and money. But does he not realize that it would be more cost-effective to not have live animals chained to the floor? Do inspectors not come to look at the park and think ‘You can’t have these animals chained up in here all the time!’?”  Moving to the climax, the circus creates a plan to save Mrs. Jumbo and Dumbo from Dreamland and release them into the wild. The park catches fire due to a tantrum in the power towers by Vandevere, who is oblivious to everything burning around him. Dumbo lands with Colette to see his mother and makes the decision that he must first save his friends. Holt, Milly, and Joe are trapped inside of a burning tent until Dumbo miraculously saves them with an excessive amount of water in his trunk. He loses his feather in the flames and cannot fly anymore. Milly gives him a dramatic and symbolic speech about how he doesn’t need the feather to fly. A symbolic speech to an elephant. He understands and takes the kids to safety, weirdly knowing exactly where in town everyone would be. Meanwhile, Holt rides off on horseback. Vandevere chases him down and insists that he will lose everything he loves or something cliche. Holt directs Vandevere’s attention to Dreamland which is collapsing and engulfed in fire. The movie ends with a touching reuniting of the circus family, an introduction of the circus new and improved with no animals, and a scene of Dumbo and his mother in the wild meeting the other elephants as Dumbo soars above them.  A number of issues I have with that:  How do you not notice your entire livelihood burning and collapsing around you? Upon immediately complaining about this, my friend leaned over and went “Uhm...what happened to the people on the roller coasters?” And I suddenly remembered them specifically showing roller coasters full of people stopping with the power outage. Knowing how little big parks care about getting people out in a timely manner I said, “They either jumped out or I guess they died, oof. I totally forgot about them.” Along with unnecessary and unexplained death, while evacuating Mrs. Jumbo- where did the other animals go? Were they released? Were all of them except Mrs. Jumbo in holding pens? Did they burn alive? Are they running rampant through the streets, terrorizing people? What happened? The new introduction to the circus was nice. I enjoyed it. It promoted a good message of how they refuse to partake in animal cruelty and want to improve the circus. However, I really didn’t need Danny DeVito staring directly into the camera. It’s not a complaint or bad part of the movie, but it’s more of personal uncomfort because it’s so rare to see characters look directly at you. Finally, while it’s a good idea, there is almost no way that all the released animals would survive in the wild. Especially Dumbo who lived the entirety of his life so far in captivity. I feel like it’s safe to assume Mrs. Jumbo was also in captivity a majority of her life. Elephants are very intelligent and I’m sure they would teach them if accepted into the herd, but it drew concerns when I saw it. I remember bears and tigers and such in the 1941 version, where if they were released into the wild, would surely die.  Despite this long “review” that turned more into a rant, I did enjoy the movie! On its own, minus the plot holes, I think it would stand as a great movie! I had a good time watching it in theaters, but I always have a great time at the movies. I enjoyed most of the characters! It was a fun and entertaining movie, which at the end of the day is what matters for kids.  Dumbo had a mid-range review- 40s-60% or so. Which I feel is fair, even though reviews are often harsh.  Going off the specific topic of Dumbo, I’ve not seen many live-action remakes. I’ve seen The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, and Christopher Robin (if you would consider that a remake). I adored The Jungle Book, though Beauty and the Beast was ok, Christopher Robin was heartwarming, and I both liked and hated Dumbo. I’ve given up hope on Mulan, The Lion King looks pretty good (worried about cast), and Aladdin looks nice and more true to the story than the past few have been, but because of these past few and especially Dumbo, I’m worried on how it will turn out in the long run. In all honesty, Disney is just about only making remakes to keep their characters from entering the public domain. Which is kind of shitty. Thinking of Disney now makes me very sad knowing that it’s purely money-driven. I don’t know too much about Walt Disney, but I would like to think that he was purely into joy and entertainment for all. I wish Disney would go back to wanting to promote joy and entertainment (and maybe throw an animated movie in the mix every once and a while).

[forthemultiverse]

Countdown Pt 2 - Jason Todd x Reader

Request: If requests are open, could you do a part 2 to “Count Down” where Jason gets injured and the reader winds up being the one to patch him up. And during the commotion, his helmet comes off and the reader freaks out because IT’S THEIR SOULMATE!?!?! Or maybe Alfred tells Jason about how she was his soulmate and so he keeps an eye on her as much as he can until one night he has to step in and save her? If this is too much I completely understand and sorry for it being so long. Have a nice day 💗💗💗!

I hope you like it since I hadn’t even considered a part two to this but the second I saw this request my head went wild. Thank you for the inspiration, I just pray it’s good!! (Also, this is my 100th post and I’m nearly at 400 followers and freaking out inside. Thank you everyone for coming along for this ride)

- People have asked to be tagged (<3) in this Part Two so here you go: @sailorsolar12 @satansspacebubblegum

Soulmate AU: A Soulmate Universe, where the clock on your wrist counts down to the day your soulmate dies.

Part One

Sad to say, you’d been permanently stuck in Gotham since the day he died to the present. Every time you tried to leave, you felt the tug in your gut. The Universe wanted you to stay, which gave you even more motivation to leave, but still. You didn’t date, and most people worth being friends with didn’t cause a fuss if you rejected them once they saw the burnt date on your wrist. You didn’t want to go through that pain again. No more Soulmate deaths.

Your best friend didn’t get it. She thought you’d be desperate to meet your second one so you could have all the time you could have together. She also thought you wouldn’t want anyone else to know you for a minute then lose you to death. You thought avoiding dating would make it even easier for this mysterious soul number two. They could make their assumptions about soulmates, and you could die without causing them a minute of stress.

You’d probably change your mind about that when you were older, but for now, you were twenty, at Gotham University, and working for a section of the police that tried to reach out to teen runaways and orphanages. You’d spend your evenings at the orphanage, talking and getting to the know the kids, taking the older ones out and driving them to any parties they might have, baking with the younger ones, and you’d sleep there to make breakfast and tutor anyone on Saturday morning. You also found yourself playing video games and sports with them before having to leave after lunch on Sunday. Sometimes the police would have you come and talk to the kids they’d found on the streets since you always had a way with people. The kids listened to you and put up less of a fight if you were trying to convince them to get help.

Your introduction back into the Wayne Family life had been when you’d been asked to check in on one Stephanie Brown. It was separate from the police, but the Hospital also asked for your assistance when they were dealing with broken homes and kids with abusive parents. Not only was she the daughter of the Question, but she had been pregnant and had given the baby up for adoption. The Hospital asked you to check in with her, and you had information on her hold of she ever wanted to know where it was. You’d been against it first. You didn’t want anything to do with the Wayne’s, and she was dating Timothy Drake-Wayne. Surely you’d end up having to go to the Manor to meet her one time, and then you’d feel bad for never answering the butler’s calls and never explaining to Bruce why Alfred had tried to reach out to you. Ignoring his butler had resulted in multiple stroppy emails from the billionaire - and you didn’t want to know how he got your email.

You were right, but you were also too much of a pushover to say no when Stephanie sent you the location for your check-up.

You pulled up in the long driveway, suddenly hit with what it would have been like to visit the place when you were younger. You’d barely known Jason, you couldn’t make assumptions about what he was like beyond your one evening together, but you were a hopeless romantic and a very vivid daydreamer. You didn’t think about it. You refused to. You were a smiler, and bright face, a positive energy people needed in their lives. You wouldn’t let yourself seem down.

Steph had said to go round the side and into the gardens, claiming that you’d spot her easily. She was right. She sat, laughing and tangled with Tim Drake under a tree while the sun shined on them. You smiled to yourself, the aura coming off both of them was the aura of soulmates. Their legs were on top of each other, and there was a share bag of crisps knocked over slightly a few metres away.

“Hey?” You broke their bubble.

“Hey (Y/N)!” Stephanie straightened herself up slightly, her legs still tangled with Tim’s. “He’s been stuck in front of a computer for about three days and heavily sleep-deprived, so Alfred called me in - you don’t mind if he’s here right?” She suddenly sounded tense and panicked.

“I’m good if you are…what we might be talking about…?”

“He knows about the baby. We started dating right after I found out…is that weird, Nah, he was helpful and stuff. It was pretty great. Flew back into town just to help me through it.” Steph was a living heart eyes emoji for a good second, and you chuckled. The bags under Tim’s eyes were oblivious, but he was smiling softly back at her.

“Well, how are you doing? And I mean that to both of you,” you raised an eyebrow at Tim.

“Tired.” Tim sighed, leaning back on the tree.

“Agreed.”

“Agreed.” You thirded. “Anything cool going on in your life.”

“This is super casual, don’t you have to ask like a list of questions and stuff?” Tim asked

“Not a therapist yet, just helping out teens for the police and the hospital in the hopes of making people’s lives better.” You shrugged.

“Why do you wanna do that?” Tim asked, and Steph’s eyes went wide.

“Tim!”

“That came out wrong. I mean, helping people is great, what’s your inspiration?”

“I’ve always been good at getting people to talk I guess, plus I have a pretty good way of getting runaways to talk to me.”

“Which is?”

“Are you a runaway?”

“No,”

“Then you don’t need to hear it.” You turned back to Steph, “How’s school going?”

She groaned “I’m assuming you’ve been given information?”

“Just some missing homework and an absent from yesterday.”

“I overslept.” The phrasing was careful.

“Not sleeping well?”

“Nope, been up late at the moment,”

“Any reasons, or just, it’s Gotham, and no one should sleep if they want to live.” You joked and the look Steph and Tim gave each other couldn’t have been more obvious. Everyone was a bit stressed at the moment. Batman seemed to be at war with the Red Hood a few months back, then he disappeared, and reappeared about to unmask Batman and the latest Robin, then he disappeared again, and Batman disappeared. Then they both reappeared a few weeks back and even though there didn’t seem to be a problem between them this time - guns were a tense subject in America and having him just running around Gotham kept everyone on their toes and well behaved. “Wanna talk about that look or are you going to make me analyse it?”

“How are you doing at the moment?” Stephanie changed the subject. You stood up walked towards her and held out a hand. She took it and once you’d pulled Steph to her feet you gave her a tight hug. “Everything you say is between us and only us. No judgement. It’s okay to be scared.”

“There’s just a lot of stress at the moment.” You felt Stephanie relax slightly until the butler appears from the back door.

“Master Tim - ” his sentence was cut short when he saw you. “(Y/N)! What a surprise!”

“You know Alfred?” Stephanie pulled away to look at you closely. “Do you work for Bruce?”

“God no, well he basically owns the city so technically I do, but Bruce Wayne probably hates me. I never answer his emails.” You said while lifting your head to the side slightly.

“What?” Tim was looking at you, a gleam in his eye that made you feel vulnerable. Like he knew everything about you - or he would by the end of the conversation.

“What are you doing here? Not that you aren’t welcome,” Alfred had hurried over to the pair of you.

“What’s going on?” Steph’s walls were going up which meant you two were probably going to have a Bruce Wayne conversation in the future. There were some issues and anger to be dealt with there.

“Miss (Y/N) here, is…was Master Jason’s - ”

“Alfred!” You cut him off before he could finish the sentence, your voice raised slightly - something which didn’t happen often.

“Jason’s Soulmate…” Tim finished the sentence looking at the inside of your wrist. “You were - ”

“Yeah, you don’t need to say it again.” You sighed.

“Jason’s Soulmate…” Stephanie muttered in shock. “That must have been awful.”

“I knew him for about an evening of talking and a few days of texting…” your voice was low. You knew going to Manor wasn’t a smart decision.

“Anyway, you two are needed in Master Bruce’s…office,” Alfred said to Tim and Steph, and they disappeared in a second.

“I should probably go.” You didn’t like how stiff your voice sounded.

“You should come back for another visit,” Alfred suggested.

“I’m sure you’re very nice and all, and you mean it with the best intentions - but the last thing I want to do is be at the home my soulmate ran away from before he was killed.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you. Tell Steph she owes me a full half hour of chat,” you didn’t wait to hear him say yes as you exited the garden and hopped in your car to drive away.

Since that afternoon, something was off around you. Not with you, just around you. Gotham suddenly felt a lot safer. You spotted Red Robin and Spoiler watching you and the older orphanage kids head into a bowling alley, and you kept seeing red flashes when you walked anywhere at night. It took you two days to get curious as to what was happening and test this new aura. You did something very unlike you and went for a rooftop walk in the more dangerous part of Gotham.

Most of the buildings were tall and closely packed together, a few alleys ways every now and again - and you weren’t stupid enough to try and see if you could cross them. You walked across four buildings, waiting for anything to happen, anything at all.

“What are you doing.” You tensed up, turning round to face the Red Hood in all his hun slinging glory.

“Wandering.” Your voice was tight, and you started to regret your evening out very much.

“It’s not safe.”

“Has Batman been sending his army of smaller selves to watch me?”

“Why would I know?”

“Cos you’re clearly involved with him somehow.” Red Hood laughed.

“Just get back home okay.”

“Aren’t you going to try and shoot me?”

“My line of work is a lot more complicated than that.”

“How old are you?”

“20.”

“My age, I might know you.” You said without really thinking the sentence out fully, it just slipped out and he didn’t deny it. “So what’s your business with the city tonight?”

“I’m not going to tell you that.”

“Why not? You’re in the works with Batman, so anything you do will be all over the papers by next week, to my knowledge we don’t know each other, I have no place better to be. Talk to me.” The sentence felt all yo familiar but you didn’t click why you just had a weird sense of Deja vu. Something obviously bugged the Red Hood too as you noticed him tense for a second before relaxing.

“Do you always walk around smiling and saying things like that?”

“Not purposefully.” You shrugged. “Does it bother you that I’m smiling right now?”

“I just don’t get how people can be that happy all the time.”

“Maybe you should try it sometimes. Being positive is actually quite fun.” You teased and turned to look at the sky. Gotham was the city of clouds, the Batman symbol shining exactly where it always did. “So what are you dealing with tonight.”

“Just a surveillance job.”

“And why did you come talk to me?”

“You’ve been walking on these buildings for a good half hour, and I got curious.”

“It’s been half an hour?” You looked at your watch “Wow, time does fly when you’re alone with your thoughts.”

Jason didn’t like being at the Manor any time of the year, but when the whole family were together, it was the worst. The only reason he was there was because Dick had saved his ass and taken him back for stitches - now he was stuck listening to Stephanie half Yelp half encourage him.

“She’s so nice! Don’t you dare be mean to her and screw this up! Literally, how did someone so kind-hearted end up with you for a Soulmate! She’s the most supportive person I’ve ever met!”

“Cut it out already!” Jason snapped, grabbing some toast and contemplating shoving it in her mouth.

“I can’t believe you spoke to her but didn’t tell her!” Stephanie complained and Jason froze. He hadn’t even known who his soulmate was until Steph started screaming about it, and he only took it seriously when Alfred told him what had happened. That was the real reason he was still in Gotham. He didn’t care about Bruce’s job for him; he cared about the fact someone out there had been hurt by his death. Someone had really cried for Jason Todd - not Robin, not Bruce Wayne’s ward. Jason Todd.

“How do you know I spoke to her.” He spoke very quietly and everyone in the kitchen tended. He wasn’t sure if everyone in the room would ever trust him over than Alfred - but him speaking calmly terrified them more than him yelling.

“This is your first time in town not trying to kill one of us; you can’t blame me for wanting to know what you’re doing.” Bruce was observing him, and Jason didn’t enjoy being treated like a bomb about to explode.

“So that’s why you’ve been spying on her!” Jason almost laughed. “She’s seen you, you know. She knows somethings up because she’s seen you guys watching her! But you’re not watching her. You’re watching me.”

“Why are you just watching her if you aren’t going to talk to her?” Tim finally asked what they were all thinking.

“I died, Tim.”

“I know. It’s your favourite topic of conversation.”

“I can’t just walk up to her as Jason Todd. The second I do anything, everything comes out about what happened, all of you guys, and this entire world. She becomes apart of it. And I don’t even know her that well.”

“She’s your Soulmate. You are one of the few people who have 100% proof that they’ve found their soulmate.” Stephanie said, looking slightly towards Tim.

“Wooo, dying has one plus side I guess!” Jason said sarcastically. “The universe can say all it wants but let’s be real, whether she’s my soulmate or not, it’s my choice to be with her. My choice to use this information. If I ever decide I want to be with someone; it’s going to be my decision, not the universes, not you guys, mine.” Jason stuffed another piece of toast into his mouth and left the Manor as quickly as he could.

“He’s going to spy on her some more, isn’t he.” Dick mused

“Oh definitely,” Steph responded. “She just has this quality about her that makes it impossible to dislike her.”

So that’s what Jason did. He watched and he watched and he stayed in Gotham. Taking down bad guys and causing no trouble. He even started to obey some of Bruce’s rules. He didn’t want to be driven out of the city until he made up his mind. This was his choice to make - and yours he guessed. He didn’t want to cut you out of the conversation when it was your future he’d be deciding too. But talking to you meant he had to choose before someone in his family did it for him. He didn’t trust Stephanie not to somehow do something about the situation the next time she saw you. He also didn’t think Steph would do it with any cruel intentions. She understood where Jason came from, she was similar to him in many ways - and she justed wanted to help.

The gun rule was not one of the ones he followed. He liked using guns, but it was also guns that meant he was bleeding to death in an alley. He’d seen you walking around late at night again; you were coming back from dropping some kids off at the orphanage and obviously tired. A tired young woman was a prime target, and someone had grabbed you. He had to interfere, but his game was off. He kept expecting you to freak out, say his name, and he was worried you’d already been hurt. They’d pulled out a gun and shot six bullets while he was distracted. He was going to hunt them down and make them pay once he could move.

“Oh my god.” he heard your voice and for a second he thought his brain had made it up as some sick twisted way to give him comfort, but that wasn’t the case. You were there. You were talking to him. “You need to stay awake!”

“Get away…”

“No way, you need help, I’m going to get you help.”

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah, bullet holes and blood equal fine.”

“I’ve been through worse.”

“Sure, and I’m sure that’s not part of the reason you’re running through Gotham as a gunslinging vigilante. Therapy’s a thing, and this is not normal. You’re not fine.”

“Just, get -”

“Get you some help? Sure.”

“That’s not what I was going to say,”

“Well, it’s what I said.”

“I’m -”

“In need of help, yes, I know,” you were searching him for any way to call any of the other superheroes to come help. You doubted he’d want to go to a hospital.

“Getting a bit feely, at least buy me dinner first.”

“Isn’t that normally the girl’s line?” You finally got sick of looking at the stupid helmet.

“You need air.”

“I’m -”

“Need to breathe.”

“That one didn’t work.”

“Doesn’t matter, you need air, and you need to text someone your location.”

“Please don’t take the Helmet off.”

“Would you rather die.”

“A little bit.”

“Very funny.” You felt around his head and found the two clasps, pulling the helmet off and take advantage of the fact he seemed unable to move the rest of his body. He wore a mask over his eyes which made you laughed, “See, isn’t it nice breathing fresh air?”

“I can -”

“I can breathe now, and it’s beautiful.”

“That wasn’t what I was going to say,” it wasn’t even close. Jason was going to say that he could explain. But the mask and blood meant you didn’t recognise him. Even without the mask you might not, he’d changed quite a lot since he’d died. He was safer than he thought, and sadly that fact hurt him a little bit.

“I’m taking this,” you pulled out his earpiece and put it in your ear, tapping the side to turn it on. “Red Hood’s bleeding to death in an alley.”

“Um…hello?”

“Hi, Anyway someone can come and get him?”

“Getting your location now.” you recognised the voice, but not well enough to place it.“I took the helmet off so he could breathe properly, he can talk, but he’s really pale and was shot like six times,”

“Spoiler and Nightwing are on their way.” the line went dead, so you assumed the person had ended the call.

You looked at the face beneath the helmet very carefully. Some part of your mind was turning and putting the dots together - I mean, there’s only so much face a mask can cover. Something was there, something you couldn’t figure out and it was infuriating.

“Do I know you? I know you probably won’t tell me, but like…”

“Kinda.” He didn’t say anything else as you suddenly gasped. He’d changed, he changed a lot. And you didn’t understand how on earth he was alive. He couldn’t be alive. Your mind was playing tricks. A similar voice and facial structure didn’t equal Jason Todd. Jason Todd was dead and people don’t come back from the dead. You were being crazy, and irrational. But if laser shooting flying men were real, was resurrection really that impossible? You’d been at the funeral. You’d seen Alfred and Bruce’s reaction. You’d seen his older brother Dick beating himself up for not trying to be a good brother to Jason. You’d cried. You’d cried for someone you barely knew. He couldn’t just be alive. You were assuming things.

But you had two dates in a world where you only get one soulmate. It would make sense.“Your friends will be here soon…”

“Take the mask off.” He could guess what you were thinking based on the reaction.

“No. I will not have that conversation now. You can’t be -”

“Jason Todd.” he tried to nod.

“Nope.”

“I can-”

“Nope.” You took a step back, your breathing picking up. “I went to Jason Todd’s funeral, and I can’t yell at you while you’re dying.”

“Yell?” he didn’t expect you to yell.

“I’m freaking out a bit right now so yes I will probably yell.” your voice was all over the place, but you were determined not to yell. He didn’t deserve to be yelled at. “You can’t be Jason Todd, Jason Todd died.”

“I can explain everything.”

“Then do that, when you’re not dying.” You refused to believe it. “Jason Todd’s already dead, so he can’t be dying right now.”

“Take the mask off.“

“Fine, but only to prove you can’t possibly be Jason Todd because I went to Jason Todd’s funeral.” you were shaking slightly, wishing Nightwing and Spoiler would just show up already to end whatever mind trick Red Hood was playing. You leant forward slowly, peeling the mask off and trying to convince yourself not to. Not knowing the answer would be better than knowing because then you could pretend your first and real soulmate was out there. You could also assume that this was all some evil game and that Jason was dead and continue living your life just the same. It would be your choice.

The Red Hood, had been a killer, he’d gone rage on Gotham more than once and he used a gun. He killed people, and he worked in the shadows. You’d seen the amount of chaos and fear he created. If this was Jason, you didn’t know what you’d do. You’d want to give him a chance, and in a way, he was more effective than Batman, but you weren’t one for violence. You’d never been. You liked positive thinking and smiling faces. But it this was Jason, it was your soulmate. And he had really died, so whatever brought him back would’ve messed him up pretty badly so could you blame him for wanting to be a bit more permanent with his methods of dealing with crime. Every thought in your head was running wild and merging faster than you could cope with. You were overwhelmed and ready to break down. You couldn’t deal with all of this; no one should have to deal with all of this.

The mask fell to the floor, and it may have changed, but it was Jason Todd’s face. You’d stared at a picture after he’d died to help you process everything. You’d memorised his face and thought about how it may have changed if he’d been given a chance to live. You may not have known him all that well but you didn’t want to forget him.

“I went to your funeral.” you started to cry. The third time you’d let yourself cry over it, “You better recover and explain what the hell is happening.”

“Can I see your wrist?” he asked. You raised it slowly to show him.

He ran his fingers over the scaring on the first date. The burns had never faded and you could still vaguely still the numbers underneath. The 0 had turned into minus numbers just to remind you how long you’d survived without the universes input. He kissed the burn lightly.

“Crap, that’s a large number…”

“Which one?”

“Both of them.” you laughed slightly, still crying. “I guess you’re going to be living quite a while then, no dying tonight..”

“Your number’s big too.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“We’re here!” Spoiler announced, stopping dead when she saw you.

“We’re taking her to the cave,” Jason instructed.

“Obviously.” Spoiler nodded while Nightwing picked his little brother up.

“So, Dick Grayson?” you assumed, pointing to Nightwing and trying to piece everything together in your head.

“This is going to be a fun week.” Dick laughed

Part One 

[thattimdrakeguy]

I’m writing this fic about the Batfamily and I’m afraid of writing them as OOC. If you are able to, could you please give some tips on each of the Batfam’s personalities and characteristics? To specify, Dick, Jason, Tim, Steph, Cass, Babs, Damian, and Duke are the characters I’m using. It would be really helpful! Thank you!!

This is a tricky question, because I don’t know the story of your fic to help you in any specific way. So if after this you wanna DM me for more specific help on how to work things out, I’ll be there to help you right away unless I’m doing something, but I have no plans.

I’m going to go from easiest for me to do to least easiest, because I obviously know Tim the best, but even then, it’s hard, because going off the character’s you are choosing, it’s set during the part of the timeline were he went OOC, but I’ll do my best just to say his general character so you can use that as a base for things. Like how he was developed in his origin and all that, and notable characteristics he’s had as he grew while still in character. With some that even if they weren’t around with some of those characters, would apply to them.

His is also going to be the longest, like way too long, because he’s a way more nuanced and complex character than anyone ever gives him credit for. So he takes a lot longer to explains by a freaking large margin. Like sorry if it’s too big, I just kept saying more as more came to mind because I feel like his nuances are what makes him interesting and easy to right. Once you get a hang of his nuances, and you get used to it, it makes it easier to put yourself into his mindset to how he works, which makes him easier to write as well.

(THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY LONG POST, AND I APOLOGIZE. I just really wanted to be thorough and give contexts to stuff. It’s less of tips and more of an overly long description of what I know about each character and what’s in-character and what’s not going off of how the character’s were developed to be, and not counting the out of character writing. So really sorry about this being so freaking long)

Tim:

Tim’s origin right off the back is having met Dick at a very very young age, I don’t think he could even strongly walk yet, so I’mma say three. He was instantly attached to Dick, he just admired him instantly just for giving him affection. He was his hero. But he was also there the day Dick’s parents died, which traumatized Tim and gave him nightmares for years. But being able to remember that night so thoroughly, he remembered a specific move that Dick could do that very few could, and that’s how he found out Dick was Batman, and logically, Bruce Wayne was Batman.

There’s a large misconception that as a little kid, Tim followed Batman and Robin around, but that was not the case. At least not physically and literally followed them around. Closest being when I believe he happened to come across Batman in his origin story, and purposely did his best detective work to figure out where Dick would be.

As shown several times but most strongly in his origin, but wasn’t as strong the more he went on, he’s sort of socially oblivious to what’s considered normal or not, or what other people are thinking of him.

For instance he just knocked on Starfire’s and Dick’s apartment, asked Kori (Starfire) if Dick was home because he needed his help, and when she said no, just bolted even when Kori asked his name. Just concerning the crap out of her. Even when he first met Dick, he just wouldn’t say his name because “NO TIME”, he just squirmed around place to place on his bike being completely oblivious of himself. In his first miniseries he searches up information on Clyde (a former government agent he saved and befriends) that he shouldn’t have, unaware that that’d obviously be crossing a line for some people. Even taking his girlfriend to a car show, where there was a lot of bikini models around, and it didn’t even occur to him what it’d look like he was there for. He was just genuinely bubbly to see the cars.

He doesn’t do any of those sorts of things out of malice, he’s always just presented as being incredibly oblivious of himself quite a bit. Most likely from not having his parents around that much as his childhood progressed, and typically just living in boarding schools, or with a nanny. So he didn’t really developed right as one interpretation, and another being (that was actually almost confirmed if it wasn’t for Tim getting a writer before another could say it) is that he’s on the Autism spectrum. Which is technically verified, as he has many symptoms of Asperger’s. But that isn’t technically canon, as it never got to be officially said. But it’s valid enough.

Tim’s main strength is his detective work, he also knows how to use a computer to his advantage. Many modern comics act as if Tim is a master hacker who could hack into anything. But he actually mostly used them for detective work, and small hack jobs, some of which he failed. He seemed to have learned more about hacking from Barbara, or at least some what implied, as Babs let him help her build a big computer, or something of that sort.

He also took karate as a kid, and is implied to have also taken gymnastics. It’s stated that he’s actually really good at gymnastics by Alfred in Tim’s origin, but his fighting skills, despite the karate lessons he had previously taken, isn’t as good as the others. Hence his staff, and having to be clever in how he goes about a fight.

How Tim operates as far as emotionally or mentally depends too. Sometimes he’ll go straight from the heart and get himself in trouble, but other times he’ll take his time to really plan something out for himself on the spot. It depends on how his emotions are at the time. If he was just picked on or beat up, he’ll be more agitated, and if something really really bad that happened, he just go so far in he just beats the crap out of everyone as bad as he can. As shown by trying to apprehend someone that shot someone he knew at school, or Batman betraying his trust (in an honestly out of character story). If he’s calmer though, or at least doing his best to be, he’ll use his brain more before he starts. I think his talents in planning have been overstated for ages, because while he’s good at it, he’s not exactly the greatest or overall good. Just enough to work fine enough to get the job done.

One of his biggest mental weakness’s, is his constant insecurity. Somethings that’s so constantly on his mind is letting someone down, rather it be Batman or his dad Jack, or even Nightwing, or his team. The reason why Tim acted so different and more of a seriously brooding personality in Young Justice, was because he was so insecure about not having powers that he thought he had to push himself to his limits. So he used some Batman leadership tactics, and fought harder than he ever fought before just to seem like he was even worth having around. When by himself though, it’s more of a sadness, an upset feeling in his gut. Tim has anxiety about things, rather or not he’s good enough. He’s not a super confident person when it comes to himself. He doesn’t think much of him.

One editorial person answering fan questions in the back of comics as they used to, even described Tim as meek. He doesn’t brag or think much of himself as super according to it.

He’s also stated and shown to be internally scared quite a bit, even shaking when he first got his own Robin suit. Another occasion saying the cold water might excuse his shivering. Which goes along with his anxiety.

Another thing about him that is more low-key and not as noticed, is how Tim, even though he clearly thinks of himself as a kid, heck even the letter column above says so, he has also said since being Robin he’s never had time to be a kid. But he is also still a kid.

As they specified his voice a bit more, he tended to use heck, Holy crud, dang, fudge, weenie, and even Pus Bucket (a reference to Ghost Busters) as his choice of cussing (if that even remotely counts).

And even if it’s not noticeable at first, is shown as having a secret teddy bear that he kept hidden under his mattress so I assume no one would see it.

He’s also a pretty innocent kid despite what all he sees. His mind doesn’t go to the gutter. He trusts people far faster than he should, even trusting Lady Shiva, the world’s most dangerous woman and know criminal right away.

Even Tim’s step-mother saying so out-loud. Showing that this is also the case in his personal life as well.

It also goes along with his social obliviousness. This stuff being rounded into not having any street smarts, which was a main theme for Tim directly in his first miniseries. As well as being naive.

Of course as life went on that wasn’t the case as much, but in the above screenshot, Dana (his step-mom) is saying that as Tim is already 16.

Tim in-general also being a super hero fanboy. As a kid he watched the news, clipped out the papers on them, collected, and even drew his own Batman art (and potentially) others to put on his wall.

Tim’s general behavior while socializing also depends on his emotions at the time. He’s normally very nice and friendly, when not super depressed or down on himself he’s bubbly. But he’s also still a kid, he can pout when he’s hurt, and passive aggressive to people he doesn’t like. Examples being, literally not listening to a jock that picks on his friends, an over-arrogant jerk he met in France, and even Steph because she kept being reckless and flirting with him when he didn’t like it.

Nothing straight up insults, but just generally passive aggressive, give them a clue he doesn’t like them very much even if it never worked. He just wants them to go away, unless they’re a straight up bully. Tim, if it’s no one he specifically knows that will invade his personal life, will beat up bullies. He really can’t stand a bully.

Another thing about Tim is that even though he’s an introvert typically, he’s also not very shy. A shy kid wouldn’t travel miles on a bike (and I freaking hope busses) to meet someone he barely knows because he believes in Batman needing a Robin. He also stands up to bullies, and unless he’s really uncomfortable could talk to about anyone. He even slept in only his briefs and undershirt in the house of someone he doesn’t know, with two people he also barely knows. With that example also probably adding up to the socially oblivious part of his personality.

As far as his relationships go, he canonically thinks of the Bat-Family as his family. Dick calls Tim his little brother, Babs treats Tim as her baby brother as well as acting like his/ Aunt/ Mom depending on the situation (I think Tim fell asleep on her couch after eating pizza while using his cape as a blanket and drooling. So Mom’s a stretch but still), Bruce is his distant but still father figure, Alfred is his grandpa (who he actually plays video games with), even Cass to an extent treating Tim as a baby brother as well.

He is very much the baby of the family. And Tim talks to them about personal stuff (bar Cass cause he was scared of her in the beginning), most of them from Alfred and Dick, to the mute hunchback in the Batcave Harold (who is a real character and I love him). He was always collecting advice from where ever he could get it.

He’s also intensely morally operated. He hates killing. He said he took an oath to let himself be killed before ever killing, getting PTSD from feeling responsible for a death, and even crying when he had genuinely thought Bruce killed someone.

As far as how he tries to present himself, he is constantly doing his best to take everything as seriously as he can, even shunning himself when he starts to stop taking things as serious, he wants to be seen as serious, trustworthy, and reliable desperately so he doesn’t let anyone down. He is constantly hard of himself, and is always trying to be what he thinks Batman wants him to be. Which is were a lot of his anxieties from. Even trying to think of what Batman or Dick would do because he regards them so highly. Even calling Bruce the great man he’s ever known I believe during one of his post-origin pre-Robin appearances.

He’s naive and oblivious of himself, as well as childish in some areas (I think his nanny yelled at him once for it), but overall what he tries to hardest at is taking everything seriously as possible, and using his brain as much as he can. He may not be the most mature, often actually handling situations very immaturely, but he does his best to at least seem like he’s mature, and to an extent he actually can be genuinely very mature, or at least as much as a naive oblivious child can be.

Dick:

This ones a lot shorter probably, because I don’t read him as much, but still have a good handle on him.

I think he’s a character very few always write correctly, because they ride too much into the friendly, compassionate guy. Which, compassion being his main motivator in how he goes about as much as he can, and he’s incredibly friendly, he’s also a very angsty and angry person deep down.

He’s a perfectionist, a trait fics tend to give to Tim more, but actually belongs to Dick. He gets really hard on himself when he thinks he messed something up badly, having nightmares over it, he doesn’t like himself when he messes up something badly. And even if he’s not a naturally angry person, when he is angry, he can be VERY VERY angry.

And until Batman writers in the early 00s started it, I wouldn’t even had considered him all that chatty. He had some jokes in him, was very light hearted when not in distress or mad, but as he was developed by Marv Wolfman, who basically created the Dick that has remained the base for him ever since, he was relatively a generally calm guy when he wasn’t emotional.

He was polite, a charming guy, the type of person you want to bring home to your parents basically. He dressed well. Did his best to keep people accommodated. 

He wasn’t a goofy, constant jokester that’d talk your ear off or keep begging for hugs. 

He’s not that kind of guy. He’s just a gentlemen.

He’s also not that much of a thot. He’s a “wait till it’s right” sort of guy when it comes to sex.

He’d do anything in the world he could to make sure his friends felt right too, and that they were okay.

But all this doesn’t mean he’s not just a one note personality. Depending on how bad he feels like he messed up, he’ll distance himself from people, stop caring as much about his appearance, get more violent and mean. He also doesn’t take well to Batman’s nonsense, he’s probably the person he got specifically mad at the most. He didn’t like the way Batman went about stuff after a while. He had complicated feelings towards him.

Despite people nowadays just thinking of Dick being Batman’s son officially, adopted, end of. That wasn’t exactly their relationship. Dick had a complicated relationship with Bruce. Part of him looked at Bruce as a big brother, and another half a dad, and he wasn’t even adopted, just a ward. Something that Dick was actually quite insecure about, till apparently he got adopted as a grown adult man (which I dunno is true or an edit, but I’ve seen it somewhere).

Dick’s relationship with Tim is pure big bro baby bro. He was very protective of Tim, calling him the closest thing to a brother he ever had, and little brother, before they were ever even officially brothers. He’d push Tim out of the way in times of big trouble, make him stand back, ruffled his hair all the time, and loved teasing him. But when they started off, Dick just sort of thought Tim was a weird annoying kid, given that Tim was acting so screwy during his origin, Dick really didn’t know what to make of him, but the closer they got, they got very very close. Dick cared a lot about Tim a ton once they got accommodated. Tim would even call Dick on the phone just to talk to him about anything from his day to his problems. Tim could count on Dick to help when ever he could. Tim was Dick’s dweebie baby brother who he took care of when needed. Even teaching Tim how to wash clothes personally since Tim didn’t have a clue. 

I don’t think him and Jason really had a relationship. He gave him a number to talk about stuff like Robin angst, and a few pics show they hanged out at least once or twice, but nothing suggests they were close. It seems like Dick was hard on himself, because Jason died before they could get close. After the Red Hood, Dick’s just kind of a-- dick to Jason, and Tim was too, but I don’t consider that in-character. Neither Tim nor Dick would be even remotely okay about the killing, but I can’t picture them treating him like he’s a joke and less than trash. Too much emotional baggage there. Tim would be distant to Jason, and Dick would be uncomfortable and conflicted. That’s my guesses on a more accurate relationship.

Dick’s always had a really big crush on Babs ever since he was a kid to the point they were stuck in a small area together and Dick lost dignity over-- I dunno, puberty effecting him. There’s no way I can put that that’s comfortable. But Dick has a crush on Babs, that got put into a romantic relationship both ways when they aged down Babs, but for some people the relationship is relatively gross because of the age gap, and feeling the need to age down a character like Babs, who just looked at Dick like a kid, to just date him. It’s complicated, and I dunno enough about them besides that exactly. I’m not the guy to ask on that.

He doesn’t have a proper relationship with either Duke or Steph, but it doesn’t seem like Dick’s ever been the fondest of Steph. And Duke’s new, and they only ever been around each other in fan service moments. So I don’t think he has a real actual relationship with Duke.

Dick and Cass despite I don’t think ever being shown much together, also had a sweet relationship. With Dick doing his best to make sure his sister (before she was adopted, but Dick treated her as one nevertheless much like Tim as Dick’s baby brother) was comfortable, acting goofy, and to  me coming across as if he’s always really wanted a sister. But they weren’t super close, but there’s enough there to say that they easily could become close.

Dick and Damian was mentor mentoree, and to a large extent Dick was Damian’s father figure as Bruce was dead. As written by Damian’s creator, Dick didn’t seem to like Damian at all in the beginning, but as Dick could realize and understand his responsibilities more, they did gain a closer bond. Dick would put Damian in line (besides when bad writers were too afraid to make Damian seem like he’s in the wrong fully), sometimes even the hard way, and could be very proud of him. They aren’t big bro little bro like how some current writers act for pandering purposes. But they did grow to be close, even if Damian’s naturally really emotionally distant. Dick always wanted the best for Damian, even if he couldn’t always handle it the right way or knew what to do. He was a guy in his early to mid 20s with the responsibilities of reraising a 10 year old kid that was raised and abused by a cult, who can blame him.

Damian

I’m kind of just getting Damian out of the way, because to be frank, he’s been a really crappily written character since his origin, because he personality just absolutely switches between every writer, and he’s just so badly written that way.

But I’ll go off of what I believe to be what his writer wanted, since that’s the most accurate you can get.

Damian was raised and abused in a cult. That dictates a lot of how he thinks.

He was not close to his mother (which is out of character for Talia, and they later switched that after the reboot, but to be frank if Talia was always in-character Damian wouldn’t exist as we know him. He’d be a total different person and character). And he seemed to despise the way his dad goes about things. He seemed very indifferent and had his mood set to angry in general when he first met.

Which made it all the weirder when an issue later Damian seems to want his parents to be together, despite making it clear he doesn’t even like or think much of either one of them at all.

He was also very entitled, because despite being treated as an experiment some of the time, he was also treated as a prince the other half of the time. He thought the world was his, and he deserved everything.

He nearly killed Tim because he thought he deserved being Robin, as Tim was just adopted and not a “real” son. Seemingly he thought that was what he had to do to have his dad accept him and treat him as he thought he should.

He also seems to think he’s above Jason as well.

He’s also shown as sexist and homophobic.

He was brash and reckless about everything. Had a talented in just about everything just because of how he was raised, and goes off on his own to do stuff, because I assume he thinks everyone else holds him back.

After Dick though, Damian learned to not be a murderer (which I also think he might’ve learned before cause he wants to live with Bruce, It’s a little weird and not given enough time to actually be developed fully in an easy to digest way. Which is another reason why I think he’s such a poorly written character), also more reserved, and reckless.

As he was originally intended, he was very tall and not cute. His height being around 5′2 to 5′4 at age 10. Meaning he was an inch taller than Tim was at 13 when Damian was 10 off of that first one, and only an inch shorter than Tim at the age he  met him, where Tim was 17 going on 18. It may not be drawn that way, but you also have to remember this is 00s and beyond era DC Comics were Tim despite being described as looking 12 got drawn as big as Dick sometimes. Don’t always use the art to go off of certain information. I say he wasn’t intended to be cute, because there’s a scene were he was at a gala, where a woman clearly wanting to gold-dig Gotham City’s most eligible Bachelor Bruce Wayne by getting close to her son, but she immediately backed away when she saw him.

Which sounds harsh, but Damian’s also basically the “anti-Robin”, he was everything a Robin wasn’t meant to be and he was intended to just die and that’s it. Hence why he was with Dick to keep the Batman and Robin dynamic intact, just in reverse. As you can see, they completely forgot what made Damian interesting when his character gained some consistency with his creator.

Damian’s development was that he grew a actual caring heart even if he still carried the generally same personality. He was dismissive of people, sexually harassed Steph, was generally anti-social-esque. 

And honestly because every writer after (even the one everyone seems to think is his best writer, which I massively agree times a billion and infinite more) just kept reverting him, again and again, even when they wrote stories with character development, it was gone again. And applied a whole bunch of traits that aren’t like Damian in the slightest, so if you pay attention. Ya can tell Damian’s not Damian, he’s literally not even a shell of his self. They just painted another one to look kind of like him, and even then they don’t do that because he freaking looks completely different some of the time. They botched him so much.

But that was the main thing about Damian. 

I think one reason he got close to Dick and no one else was because Damian from his origin (no matter how poorly written they showed it), always wanted to have a proper parent. Which it seemed he could never have. And Dick grew to serve that purpose, as Dick was the one teaching him lessons, and making sure he was actually safe.

But of course later on DC Comics literally forgot everything that was letting him slowly become a better character. So that sucks.

I partially came into this fandom because of Damian. So when I actually got to read him, I was so freaking miserable after. I genuinely wanted to like him so bad, even voicing that to people I was chatting too as I read the comics, but I literally just couldn’t see why anyone cared for his comics. I don’t think any of them are fully well-written.

But it did help me grasp what Damian’s suppose to be like as I could tell what he’s suppose to be and not suppose to be, much like how I learned about Tim’s actual personality vs the one writers that don’t care about him write.

Steph

Just doing this one to get a more negatively centered one out of the way, because I struggle to find any personality traits I deem actually likable when put under context.

Because she’s full of her self, reckless, cynical, more or less sexually harassed Tim, kissing him against his wishes (and before ya say Tim did that first. it’s a little less offensive when Tim didn’t do it sexually or romantically. That was just for a dumb trope. A reward kiss. It’s still gross, but it’s a different context that’s less directly offensive), goes behind people’s backs sometimes, can be emotionally abusive, and shows signs of physically abusive.

So I don’t exactly find her super likable. And her spot in the Bat-Family was so contrived, that often nowadays I just don’t pay attention her anymore, but in fairness a lot of that’s just cause she has crazy stans that start fights that were barely there, be hypocritical, and group bully folks. So it’s relatively hard for me to wanna look at her these days.

But to be more specific before she seems like an actual freaking demon woman or what ever. Some of that doesn’t come across as bad compared to what it could be. Besides the emotional abuse, that was just a thing and the comics and people just elected to ignore it even though that was written by her creator.

She’s reckless in a way where she clearly doesn’t have proper training to make sure no one or herself gets hurt. She’s been shown causing herself to get hurt or underestimate stuff. She also doesn’t listen to people that know more about what they do, and she usually relies on luck to get by.

She’s full of herself, because she more or less says she’s an adrenaline junkie, and might just be beating up bad guys because she finds it really fun and exciting. She likes the thrill. And tries to put a title of super hero on herself sometimes, because she tries to seem heroric as she does it. She also does it to make up for her dad, which is more admirable, but behavior wise and focus wise it’s more pinned on her just being an adrenaline junkie.

She also just constantly just flirt with Tim even when he didn’t want it. Which is what sexual harassment is. She also kissed him for her own satisfaction twice, once nearly getting them both killed cause people were shooting at them, and another as them and other people were close to freezing to death because they were stuck under snow. That kind of behavior able to be under sexual assault given the context for her kisses was just for herself. Even the time she tried to say it was to make up for Tim’s reward kiss, she quickly makes it obvious it was just because she’s very sexually attracted to him.

She also just nearly lets criminals die a lot because “What’s one more life”, and seems to not care much for the lesson of not killing, specifically her dad. Like she still has the moral standard not to kill, but compared to the others it’s not one she takes as serious. She learned her lesson on being cynical, but it’s still ingrained in her personality.

I also have a whole very long post on why her relationship with Tim doesn’t work, and how she was abusive. I don’t feel like going over that again but that’s a thing.

Besides Tim she has no real relationship with the others besides Cass, which is another relationship I don’t fully understand, because Steph borderline insults her, and Cass thinks she gets in the way so much she just fractures Steph’s jaw to knock her out. They gave them some admittedly cute moments, but it’s never felt right to me. Always felt forced and pandery, but it’s a thing. They’ve played tag each other, and talked about how both of their parents are abusive.

She also had one with in Batgirl, but the best I can describe that is, she helps Steph so she doesn’t hurt herself, and she can be pretty gruff sometimes, but is also caring. it’s just kind of a been there done that sort of thing.

A lot of Batgirl is sort of forced. Bat-Family has reasonable criticisms of her, writer does something to make them more unlikable so readers still like Steph, Steph proves them wrong, they respect her. It’s a formula for a few stories in her Batgirl run.

People have also said her and Damian have a sibling relationship, but I don’t agree with that. Damian sexually harassed her and kept looking at her boobs. Damian had a crush on her, but he was also a stubborn entitled jerk to her. Steph just got back at Damian by making him dress as a normal kid to embarrass him, and when she saw Damian never played before got him to jump on a bouncy castle. Besides generic banter that’s about it. And given Damian’s personality, they never did anything like that bouncy castle thing again. It’s a really big stretch to call that sibling-like. And even the stuff you could stretch is still doesn’t pay attention to the Damian talking about her boobs constantly thing. Parts of it was just pandery, as a lot of that Batgirl run was.

So I don’t overall have a good opinion of her. She’s perseverance and doesn’t give up, and won’t take no for an answer, but given the context it’s not in a good way besides saving Tim’s and others lifes a few times.

Babs

Despite having read her a lot I don’t know her a lot, because she’s typically always the other character in things. The lady that gets the information.

So I only know a few things about her.

She has the perseverance and won’t take no traits, but in a more positive context. She has no use of her legs but that doesn’t stop her from fighting crime and helping people.

She’s a serious, and mature personality. Every case is very seriously to her, besides a few Tim got into because they were just very goofy.

She can also joke a lot. She has a very teasing personality in her as well. Especially with Tim, she seemed to find Tim really cute and loved teasing him.

I pretty much only have panels of her and Tim besides a rare few maybe, cause as I said she’s mostly a side character helping out.

I have read Birds of Prey but that was possible a year or two ago, and I didn’t really pay attention so I’m not as sure.

She’s very leaderly, and will direct the traffic so to say. She’s a magnificent detective and hacker. Stands up for herself. Inquisitive. Her mind always seems to be thinking of the next thing to think about.

She’s a character I can’t talk about as well without it being one dimensional.

Cass

Cass is another character I don’t have the best grasp on but been trying to learn because she’s probably my second favorite Batkid even if I don’t understand her as strongly. But I do get a lot of her basic personality, and a bit of the nuances, even if I’m not ultra confident on it yet.

She’s quirky, she knows how to tease, but she can also be a bit objective based unless she’s bored it seems, like she does watch TV, but when she has a goal she will not stop until the goal is done. She’s a fully compassionate person as well, she sees little kid needing help, she helps little kid.

Also given her upraising she can be more socially oblivious than anyone else, even Tim. She’s walked around an apartment she was sharing with others butt naked. I think she accidentally flirted with Babs (not a shippy thing, it’s a, Cass said a thing she didn’t understand thing), because she couldn’t tell the difference between a platonic thing and cheesy romantic thing as she watched TV. 

She doesn’t always listen. She will just beat by her own drum unless she believes in something someone else said more.

Given her mind wasn’t raised to be socializing, a lot of this stuff makes sense and is kind of obvious when you think about it.

Cass can also be very stubborn when she has a goal, even when it’s against someone else’s wishes.

She’s mostly been a loner by herself, but she has grown to seem to genuinely like having company around to bond with.

She’s been shown being protective of Tim. Literally carrying him out of a fight zone.

Babs’s is more or less her mom.

Dick and Steph’s I’ve described before.

Distant with Alfred, but Alfred will occasionally drop by to help out. They’re still carrying if they aren’t as connected as others.

Not gonna lie I can’t remember her relationship with Bruce.

But that’s some of the basics and slight nuances of Batgirl. I’m still in the early part of learning about her. So I’ll probably understand her more later on. I genuinely really like her though. I like how she isn’t a one dimensional character like some writers make her out to be. She’s genuinely really fun to read.

Jason

I actually know Jason quite a bit because I made a big long post about his time as Robin (post-crisis only, not counting the scripts written before the 80s reboot, or anything inconsistent).

He’s anti-authority, angry, cusses, smokes, violent, murderous tendencies, aggressive, but also has a genuine heroic spirit, is appreciative of the opportunities he was able to have, loved being able to learn especially, had insecurities, and a lot of his violence was in the name of being a more aggressive way of justice. He’d never hurt an innocent.

A lot of this is explain by the fact he was raised on the streets more or less.

When ever he got especially violent was because of a bad guy hurting or killing an innocent or committing abusive acts of any sort. He probably seen a lot of bad stuff on the streets and doesn’t handle it.

He’s pretty decently cynical because of thinking that’s the best way to deal with it.

He was also moody, but after his upbringing that’s to be expected, and unlike what some thinks, Batman was actually understanding and did his best to help Jason back even if he didn’t get it as first.

Jason isn’t a villain, he is a pure anti-hero, he wants to help, he loves to help, when he feels like he should help he does. He just has his own way of doing it that lots don’t agree with.

When he became the Red Hood, all of this stuff just became amplified because of the traumatic event he went through and the feeling of not being avenged and abandoned again.

Where as before he’d nearly kill people, he outright does now with even left empathy. He had a sack of decapitated head once just so other criminals knew he wasn’t playing around. 

However his moodiness came out in different ways. He was actually a very calm, chill personality as the Red Hood, until his traumas got poked at, where he’d go back into his angry bitter ways, but to a more unstoppable way. He’d be more violent, more angry, more inconsolable, more unstable.

As the Red Hood, he is a very far ahead planner and tactition. People always call Tim the planner, but to me Jason is the planner and tactition of the group. He had a large plan that took a while to do, but caused him to accomplish a lot in a short time. Tim does it in the moment or moments before and does a fine enough job, but he isn’t a good leader. Dick is a good planner tactition and leader, but it can also just be shortly before he does something. Jason thinks very far ahead and how people will react and think, how to get under their skin, what will piss them off, what will give him what he once etc.

When he’s not unstable, he’s calm and collected, and is always trying to get under people’s skin. Not in a large over the top way, but just a bit. In an almost charming sort of way. A sly way. He pokes buttons when he’s calm and collected.

As to be expected his relationship with the Bat-Family is complicated. He’s mostly just in the Bat-Family almost purely because of his past in it, more than what he is currently. He’s more of a loner type that will get help when needed, but until the New 52 said otherwise, he’s not much of a team player as he mostly works by himself.

Bat-Family wants him to get better, but at the same time I think they recognize it’s gonna take a lot for Jason to get better, and since Jason is dangerous it creates a lot of overwhelming feelings. Bruce is upset at himself and is almost grieving Jason all over again, Dick has regrets he never had a chance to know him till then, and Tim’s relationship has been so varied and never really felt right, I’d say  most likely Tim would be scared of Jason, and upset at him. Jason was a Robin that killed. Going off of how Tim reacted to thinking Batman killed, he’d probably be genuinely miserable at the thought of what Jason became, and be distant from him.

Jason is sly and hard to read unless he’s emotional.

Duke

Duke is the hardest to say anything for, because he’s the newest, most obscure (even tho he is gaining quick prominence), and so therefore has less to go off of. Not helped by a lot of writers making him very two dimensional at best a lot of the time.

He is a natural leader, a dare-devil, very willing to put his life on the line at any time, and passionate and almost stubborn about helping people. He wants to save people, and he’s always wanting to help, because he wants to make his neighborhood a better place.

And that’s almost all I can say, because having read his mini-series he doesn’t have many character traits, and WE ARE ROBIN, where he was introduced and I got that from was short lived.

He’s only with the other Batkids when they really wanna pander, so I can’t even accurately say anything, and the few times you could make a guess it’s not in-character for the other. So he’s just hard to tell. Besides Cass.

I think he’d naturally get along with Bruce, Dick, and Tim, and he’s shown being closest to Cass in the Outsiders series. Considering Cass a sister I believe. They console in each other, care about each other, worry about each other, and look after each other. That’s the closest relationship he has.

But it’s hard to say a lot for him.

AGES:

To be blunt I can’t say with full accuracy because there’s so many inconsistencies plus reboots.

But I’ll go into oldest to youngest, because some don’t realize some ages.

Dick, was 21 when Tim was 13

Jason was 18 when Tim was 15

Cass is the same age if not older than Jason

Steph is two years older than Tim

I believe Duke is around the same age as Steph

and Tim and Damian’s ages off of that is pretty obvious.

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Sorry this is so freaking long, but like I said, just DM me. I’m about to watch a movie, but I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. I at least hope this helped some, and if it’s too long, just message me because it’ll probably be less overwhelming then.

[serceleste]

baby’s first convention

So last Sunday I went to my first convention! It was super last minute, I’d thought about going but then got overwhelmed with RL and mostly forgot about it. But then the work friends who were going were working with me Saturday and were all, we wish you were going too, and I was all, I wish I was too, so before you know it I’d bought a ticket lol. It was at Navy Pier and the weather was great, cool but sunny, so all the walking around was nice.

I looked into who the guests were Saturday night so I could be prepared, I brought some of my comics to get signed. \o/ I knew I wanted to meet Tim Seeley, whose Nightwing was the first Nightwing I met, and Ashley Witter, whose Doctor Aphra cover art I adore. Sadly my absoulte fave Aphra cover is the Aphra/Hera one that was still sitting on my desk at work, lol, so I “settled” for this amazing Aphra/Sana one.

I was super nervous because I’m an awkward shy dork, we were standing huddled in front of Tim Seeley’s booth for long enough for one of my friends to be like, ‘I’ll ask him for you!’ But then I worked up the nerve to approach him, and he apologized and was like, ‘I thought you guys were trying to see Chris Evans’, lol, because the photo/autograph area was set up behind the booths. I was like, no, I’m just shy and awkward, so he shook my hand and said ‘hi, I’m Tim’, and he was super nice, and I think he was genuinely flattered when I told him he was my intro to Nightwing.

It was only 5 bucks so I bought a trade for Tim Seeley to sign too. He and Ashley Witter were both doing sketches but sadly I was too broke for anything as cool as that. (Though now I know for the future I need to calm myself down and spend less on comics so I can buy some art; this time I just bought art for my friend who couldn’t come. And it was printed on a bottle opener so useful! LOL.)

And I bought some other stuff, my friend and I picked out good Winter Soldier ones and then decided between us who got what, lol, as you can see I made out with my ship, and then I found a Poe variant I didn’t have! I bought another 5 buck trade as well, I didn’t take a pic, and then the Rebellion and Empire pins from this really amazing cosplay booth, they had lightsabers and Cap’s shield and so much awesome stuff. (Later I saw a girl who’d had Chris Evans sign her high quality Cap shield and I died of jealousy.)

There was so much amazing cosplay and I was a little bummed I hadn’t pulled out my Black Widow costume to wear, but it’s also hard to go to the bathroom in, ha. I just wore my semi-cosplay Scarlet Witch jacket. We took pics with the 501st Legion and I got to hold a blaster, and I took one pretending to open the TARDIS door too. :D

The day we went there was a panel with Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen so we got to see that! We got to move up into the empty VIP area so our seats were pretty good. They were so lovely, really invested in their characters and just fun to listen to, I took some video and some pics, I posted a couple of them on Sunday. Highlights included Elizabeth having the revelation that Loki wasn’t just a comic, and Tom getting asked by a small child whether Loki was really dead, and Elizabeth (and Tom, a bit) talking about anxiety, which really meant a lot to me. Also Tom’s butt is fiiine in person, fyi. I wish I’d gotten a better angle but this will have to do, haha.

We got lost on our way to Navy Pier and had to call a Lyft and then we accidentally ended up in a scary tunnel on our walk back to the train station in the evening, lol, and I coveted so many things I couldn’t buy, and didn’t get a glimpse of Chris Evans or anyone else, and was too poor for photo ops, but all in all it was an amazing time, I had so much fun, I loved being surrounded by comics and nerddom, and now I have a better idea of how these things go so I won’t be quite so oblivious when Star Wars Celebration rolls around! (None of the three of us had been to a con before so we were periodically sad our con veteran friend couldn’t come and help us navigate!) Would con again. <3