yurrrsssss-ghoul

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

@thegremlininyourcloset

This is them in that bouncy house.

Stephanie doesn't really consider any of the batfam her "brothers" or "sisters" in a traditional sense.

Except for Damian. That's her little bro.

He's the only one that can (and will) call her a bitch without get his ass kicked, only a very intense noogie.

Likewise, she's one of the only people he lets himself do kiddy things around. Mostly because she gets into it. Like if they're going some where and it has those cheesy boards with face holes carved in so it looks like you're doing something stupid. She'll be the one to hand Damian her phone and be like "take a pic of me and I'll do you!"

Or like if they're at an event and there's a face paint booth, she will race him to get inline first. And Bruce and Dick will be like "oh wow Steph, you're really good at getting Damian to relax and be a kid for once." and she's standing there with her face painted like spider man like, "... yes... that's why I nearly trampled a child to get in line... for Damian..."

Damian gets his face painted like a tiger.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

Headcanon: Bruce became extremely generous when Talia became pregnant with Damian. If you didn't know Bruce was canonically overjoyed at Talia's pregnancy.

The main beneficiaries of Bruce's extreme generosity was Dick's friends. First time they came over to the manor after Talia told Bruce she's with child, Bruce gave everyone a $100 then handed Dick his wallet saying he can order every and any food for him and his friends but Dick has to order a burger with double bacon no, triple bacon for Jason.

Roy casually complained about his bows and arrows in the proximity of Bruce. The next time he came to the manor high end bows and arrows were waiting for him.

Kor'i and Donna complimented Talia's outfit stating how they'd love to dress like her and commented that her bump was starting to show. Bruce bought both of them an entire new wardrobe of designer clothes.

Bruce was writing a cheque as a birthday gift for Wally's birthday, Talia walked into the office stating that the baby is kicking and wants their baba. Bruce added another zero to the cheque before swiftly dragging Talia to the bedroom to cuddle with her baby bump.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

CRACK POST!

Something something about Damian being the comfort child to everyone within reach.

It started when Dick would lounge the boy around during one of the harshest weeks of his life, and I'm talking full-on mental breakdown filled, grey-hair inducing level of stress. Blüdhaven has become a cesspit of crime and corruption, and that's not even covering Gotham.

It wasn't that Dick physically carrying Damian around that made others turn their heads— because, believe it or not, that's quite a common occurrence— no, it's the fact that Dick was willing to make the 3 hour drive back to the Wayne Manor just to hold Damian that makes people raise their eyebrows.

"What the hell are you doing?" Asked Tim, halting in his steps when he saw Dick cuddling Damian on the couch. The kid barely looked bothered, if anything, just mildly inconvenienced as he continued playing on his rubix cube.

Again, not an odd sight to see Dick openly displaying his physical affection, especially when it comes to the baby of the family. However, it's the fact that Tim hadn't seen their eldest in weeks, at least not outside of costume, with how swamped he was with life stuff.

"Composure..." Dick drawled, his face practically buried into Damian's hair. "Regaining them... Seizing the day... Carpe diem...".

Not the most concerning thing Tim has heard, but alright.

The trend continues with others. Bruce would have Damian on his lap, even when the boy was sleeping, as he goes through another sleepless night working on an obscure case. Tim would have Damian on his side as he goes through another clue, thumb-tacking the bulletin board with near incomprehensible photographs. Hell, even Duke and Stephanie would kidnap Damian when they dropped by.

Later, Damian would be known with his... Lesser popular title; stress ball. It's one of those things people know, but never really say aloud or even acknowledge it directly. No one really knows if Damian himself is even aware of the fact that he has become the resident plush toy, only that he's (for whatever reason) perfectly okay being carried around with others.

The title was further cemented when Diana came around.

Nobody was expecting thee Wonder Woman to suddenly drop by the Wayne Manor on a Tuesday afternoon, but no one was surprised either. Bruce himself has been going back and forth about something, though he hasn't been exactly clear about what it was exactly. Only that it has the League's attention, and it was stressing everyone out.

Make no mistake: Diana is a strong, scarily competent woman. She is, after all, one of the most prominent faces and figures that represent the Justice League, and has been known as an icon throughout the globe.

So when she was suddenly seen sitting in the common room, with Damian on her lap holding a tub of ice cream, they were... Inclined to ask, to say the least.

"I am not interested in answering questions," Diana was quick to say, her voice lagging with exhaustion, dull with fatigue. Damian wordlessly holds a spoonful of ice cream, to which she took it gratefully. Bruce momentarily wonders if they somehow managed to break the tub that's from his home and pass through Alfred to make it to the fridge, or if Diana brought it with her. Either way, it looks like they're massacring it.

"I... Understand, Diana, but um— why are you here— and why are you holding Damian, exactly?" Asked Bruce, skeptic.

"It has been... A very... Something... Week," she sighed, glancing down at the boy in her lap, "And your son is very comforting, Bruce."

Right.

Bruce wonders if he had to upgrade the defense system around the manor, hoping to lessen the circumstances where people would break into his home and kidnap his baby.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

Damian is getting special attention from Bruce BECAUSE HE'S A LITTLE BOY

Hes 10-14 in the comics. His brothers and the people Bruce mentor are late teenagers or adults

It's nothing to do with blood relation, you're just gonna give different attention to a 12yr old alot more than a 25yr old.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

Tim: Why aren't we close?

Damian:

Damian: Because I don't think we could do that without ruining ourselves in one way or another.

Damian: In order for us to do that, we must first acknowledge the harm both of us have brought to the other person. You feel vindicative despite my absolute attempt of wanting to change— antagonizing me at every steps of the way as if my past relationship has been the symptoms of an incurable disease, dismissing my attempts at redemption, and I have yet to properly heal before forming any real relationship that isn't stemmed from unhealthy attachment.

Damian: And I get it. It's difficult. You feel as if you're justified for the little comments you made, justified for treating me as if I'd chuck a knife into your neck at a moment's notice because I have given you all the reasons to; you were hurt by me, and I have hurt you. I cannot blame you a bit for the way you've reacted. It's also difficult for me to simply let go of any and everything you didn't like for it is still the things that I love— my grandfather and my mother and the League— killers of whom I treasure. My hands are always so red and I am unsure if I could scrub it clean.

Damian: You want me to go, to leave the home you've so carefully built and invited people in but you cannot let me go. You refused to. You keep me here like a prisoner and as a brother. I wanted to leave this family sometimes but I am unsure if I could leave healthy. In the end, both of us are doomed either way, and I think there's no possible way for us to be closer than wanted without sitting down and processing all these things, to acknowledge that both have their reasonings but putting them aside regardless.

Tim:

Tim: I found a documentary you might like. Want to give it a watch?

Damian: As long as there's animals in it, sure.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

Just to spite those kinds of batfam 'fans' that say Damian is a gremlin child, I like to hc that Bruce was the gremlin child growing up.

Like in a public setting or something, someone has the mistake of saying that Damian was a gremlin child and immediately someone from Bruce's generation corrects them that actually that's tame. At least this youngest child of Brucie only snapped at them when annoyed, Brucie bit people when he was younger.

Alice couldn't help but to grumble her way as she stomped towards her group of friends— her supposed 'cliques,' as some would suggest— face red with anger and her hair, once pristine and well-kept, somewhat disheveled. Her heels clicked rather loudly, echoing the enormous room, but it was drowned with others' idle chatters.

How dare he! How truly dare he!

That baby Wayne!

All she did was say something about the boy. Sure, it might've come across as hurtful, but it was an honest thought! She didn't expect the boy to be so— so— outrageous by it, so much so that he said she looked like a baby the doctors know experienced fetal alcohol syndrome.

And he said with a completely monotonous voice, somehow being able to deadpan and sneer at her. Seriously, what a freak! Who does that?

"Alice! Alice darling!" A woman called out to her, probably because she saw how disgruntled she had looked as she hastily made her way towards the bathroom for a quick touch up. The woman was dressed rather boldly for her age, though she strides rather confidently towards the woman regardless. "My, don't you look stressed. What on Earth happened?".

Seizing the opportunity, Alice immediately opens her mouth and complains.

"It's the Wayne kid!" She cried out, her face contorted into fury as she gestured at the kid subtly; even with a few more feet added between them, Alice could still feel the kid glaring daggers into the back of her head. "He's so sure, don't you think?".

"Damian, wasn't it?" The old woman asked, before her voice booms and a chorus of rich-sounding laughter erupted from her mouth when Alice nodded, "Oh! Isn't that boy such a darling one?".

What?

"What—? No!" Alice shook her head, "He's a darling one? Please! He's nothing like Brucie!".

And suddenly the air went still.

The old woman, once so cheery and full of laughter, only stares at Alice with a silent fury. A kind of a thousand yard stare you'd give to someone so horrendously misinformed, it genuinely offended you.

"Dear girl," the woman spoke after what feels like eternity, "You do not want Damian to be anything like his father."

__________

I couldn't help myself lol.

People who genuinely believe that Damian would go around and bite have been completely fooled by WFA. That boy is an angel. Sure, he might have the tongue of a serpent, but God knows how better he is compared to Bruce by a wide margin.

I also do a lot of things to spite those BatFam fans who insisted that the BatFam are barely tolerating Damian/looking for many ways to 'humble' Damian/thinks that the BatFam are the best thing that has ever happened to him.

For example, that one discourse where 'Damian is the only one Bruce didn't choose to love/is stuck into loving' out of the virtue being his only biological son.

I would say that Damian could choose to leave. I would say that whenever Damian says anything about being the 'blood son' (he hasn't for years now, and only said it like twice) it's more or less to convince himself into staying because FUCK if these people are annoying. I would make Damian leave and stay with his mom because if these people don't want him around, fuck if he wanted to stay.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

me looking at any variation of tim "healing" talia ... for some reason its a popular concept ?? variations include tim marrying ras or tim taking over ras body and him doing whatever white man savior business they have going over there . like the al ghuls are some kind of broken family that needs tim to fix them ?? "oh ras is a terrible father so tim is there to save talia and treat her like a human !! also talias a terrible mother and tims the one that fixes her!!" am i crazy for thinking this is really weird

You're not weird for thinking it's wrong, and you're definitely not alone in this side of the discourse either.

It's genuinely abhorrent and disgusting; it perpetuates a distasteful 'White Savior' trope where the world had to be upheld according to white people's standards, otherwise they're either wrong or brainwashed. I do agree that Asians/POC tend to justify abuse with discipline and mixing them with culture, but then again that doesn't mean all the things we say is inherently wrong until a white person comes up and says otherwise.

The al-Ghuls aren't perfect, and even I can't write around that. Some of the things they have done to each other, inflicting years of generation trauma is something that has happened— but that doesn't mean they need the help of a white man to make them realize that. In fact, Talia has shown early on that she planned on breaking the cycle herself.

Even if that didn't work, we were shown how Damian was able to help them heal and make amends with both his mother and grandfather; neither of which any of his white family were present.

Not to mention, Ra's is the girl dad rep people hope Bruce was. Don't get it twisted. My man loves and adores his girl Talia. Please free him from this 'evil. Just an evil guy's narrative when there's so much depth to explore his character.

I feel like people who unironically believe in this kind of thing also genuinely believe that the BatFam is the best thing that has ever happened to Damian. They believe that the BatFam is the poster example of a happy, united family when some of the things they've done would probably add more to the time Damian needed in therapy. That isn't to say that the al-Ghuls are marginally better, but to say that the BatFam is the best one would be willfully ignorant as well.

ALSO STOP IT WITH THE "RA'S MARRYING TIM" BS THAT MAN LOVES HIS WIVES STOP ITTTTTT.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

I was like yeah ur opinion based on whatever Batfam character is ur favorite is 100% accurate, then I remembered I'm biased too. Its still 100% accurate.

But honestly, there's a not insignificant number of Tim fans who have wildly racist hc's for the al Ghuls and I dont see people calling them out more. I swear at least half the posts in the Ra's al Ghul tag are about Tim somehow, and theyre so iffy? I get he's the specialest little white boy ever but COME ON. It takes zero effort to think abt what ur posting. I beg Tim fans to think before they post

Lmao tbh I was 100% expecting to have more backlash, but thanks dude I appreciate it ♥️

And honestly? Yeah. It's getting exhausting at this point having to baby talk every T*m Drake stans and explain to them why certain things are just racist/horrible content. I get 'just have fun' or maybe I should stop policing others in the fandom, but holy fuck. It genuinely feels like I'm screaming into the void considering how many posts I've made on this very topic, and I've been vocal about it many times too.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

I've been reading a lot of posts lately, particularly ones that talked about race-bending/making an originally white character other race and how it's not inherently racist unless it's blatantly obvious. A lot of them claimed how it's unfair that their every action is scrutinized under the intense gaze of the fandom, going back to the drawing board more often than they actually produce any content, thus taking the fun out of it.

And, to some extent, I do agree.

I do think it's fucked that people has to do a double take each time they make a headcanon in fear of an immediate backlash. I see you, and I do read the many responses I get from people outraged that I'm turning 'nothing into something.' Let people have fun, they say, and maybe you'd have fun too if you stop policing others.

However, some lines have to be crossed. Your idea of fun doesn't make it right for you to make assumptions stemmed from extreme prejudice against a certain group of people. You screaming that 'It's not that deep' doesn't exempt you from deriving content from stereotypes that can be harmful for others.

I hate to be that guy. Genuinely. I wished I could go my merry way and make my own content as freely without making what kind of content others make my personal business. It's one of the reasons why I triple summersault away from any forms of 'ship wars' that existed. But it can be frustrating when someone portrays a character in a certain light that can potentially be detrimental to others, and it's especially stressful that said portrayal is a direct correspond to your very group— be it ethnicity, race, disability, or even religion.

Your restrictive way of thinking restricts others' view into forming their own independent thoughts. I remember sitting down and having to have a full-blown conversation with someone who's convinced that Damian doesn't have anything to offer other than being a kid full of rabies who bites others at the slightest inconvenience. And I doubt that's going to be my last one, considering that the very portrayal of Damian is relatively popular among the fandom folks.

Representations are what makes each individual character unique, but each character is more than their representation. It's more fun if you acknowledge that in comparison to you stripping down their traits to fit into a certain mould.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

This is my opinion based on who's your favorite BatFam member. Warning, I'm biased:

Bruce Wayne: You're choosing the safest option, but it doesn't change the fact that your feed is either flooded with utter bimbo-ification of your guy or people making him out to be the most abusive guy ever. Ship wars is an actual battlefield. I actually feel bad for you sometimes but then some of you turned out to be the most obnoxious guy ever. Some of you make Bruce out to be an actual Gary Stu, and I'm talking violently ripped out from the sketchbook of a 12 year old who doesn't know it's okay that her favourite OC doesn't have to be the centre of everything yet.

Dick Grayson: You're cool, but go pick up a comic of a female character for once. I know you think that you've done the most compelling character study ever when you make that one TikTok slideshow with a Mitski song, but calling a grown man 'Oldest Daughter coded' just makes you pretentious. Sure, the first few thousands might agree, but it doesn't change the fact that you see women's suffering as a characteristic or a trait to be inherited, you performative fuck.

Barbara Gordon: You're getting sick and tired of Babsgirl. Thinks that writers of the older comics put some sort of cocaine or heroine in them because it's so good, and you want Barbara to keep being Oracle because that's when she's the most flashiest. Tired of seeing her work getting discredited in favor of other white men, and oh my God can people stop piling on her like dogs on a DicKory vs. DickBabs discourse???!?? STOP PITTING WOMEN AGAINST EACH OTHER!! Probably wanted to shoot Bruce Timm. Has the most potential of getting one of the coolest cyberpunk fanart but Goddamnit it's so hard to draw this woman and you're clawing at what's left of good writing DC has of her.

Jason Todd: Booktok girlie pipeline, in most cases. A huge and concerning chunk of you were bewitched by that one J.T art. Probably goth, punk, or alt and thinks red and black are the two sexiest colours. You think JT is the most tragic character ever in BatFam, and I'm talking full on Greek tragedy. Probably still hung up on his death certificate, and a concerning number of you are weird towards POCs. Also, instead of saying "Jason Todd hasn't got good writing since forever" maybe recommend something he has good writing with. And, please leave the al-Ghuls tag. I'm getting sick of seeing this guy over a RETCON.

Cassandra Cain: You're cool, and you're probably annoyed how the majority of the fandom mischaracterised your special girl to a boot to prop other white men or how little she's involved in with her own family. Start seeing red when you see one of those "Tim is Cass twin!!!!" For the 193829293 times. Wishes she got explored more and makes more appearances in collaborative works, otherwise you're pretty content with Batgirl. Also, I don't know if you know this but spamming "Cass is the best" for the 192947 times can be somewhat annoying, but I get it. It's your turn now. Go insane because you are and Cass is.

Tim Drake: There are two types of you— the first one that's pretty chill. Maybe you have interesting headcanons you want to explore, just think Tim is a fugly dude that's somewhat charming with a bowl cut and then we have the other half. You have one of the worst rep out there and I'm inclined to say that's your own fault. Some of you are very weird towards Asians, particularly people from the Middle-East. I'm begging you to please drop the Red Robin run and go pick up something else; I swear that Tim has more potential and you are butchering him actually by denying him all of those. Please stop shoving him in other people's places I swear. I don't want to see a cover made for CnY and see this guy omg Cass and Damian are already Asians (AND CHINESE!!) you don't want representation you just want this white guy in others' places.

Stephanie Brown: Honestly, I don't see much of you. You guys are actually great people to hang out with, and suspiciously a lot of you are lesbians. How does it feel like to get the Sakura treatment in the peak of yaoi? You wish her anger and grief and tragedy gets talked about more but honestly half of you don't even do much about that. And the other half doesn't even do much of a good job either. You wish people to stop piling Stephanie with Tim and wishes that her writers actually give a fuck about her for once, like Bruce.

Damian al-Ghul Wayne: How does it feel like being a fan of a character the fandom widely perceived as the anti-christ? Also we're getting fed good recently, but you're still holding a grudge for this guy. Because he might've forgiven others in his life, you don't. Wants people to stop depicting the al-Ghuls as the bad guy in Damian's life and the BatFam as the ones that save him. You're wasting spit by saying "Ra's and Talia are doctors too" for the 293892 time btw when discussing Damian's interest in medicine. You also get the double whammy of having another POC/minority as your other fav character, mostly Talia, Or Cass, or Stephanie, or Duke. Thinks Damian is the little brother ever.

Duke Thomas: You're begging on your hands and feet for people to finally stop mischaracterise your guy so horrendously, they might as well take his melanin away. Duke's synonym might as well be 'prop' or 'accessories' because what the hell. Your thumb probably has developed a muscle by now by how much you've been refreshing your feed for more content of him. Just, just let it go. Probably developed an allergy reaction from the sentence, "The only normal one" That it sometimes manifested into nightmares. Rich because Duke has all the tokens— the token black guy, the token straight guy.... Anyways, you probably have an interesting love hate relationship with fans of the BatFam's white boys, and I don't blame you one bit.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

The way people talk about this kid makes you think he's the antichrist

Continuing the heartbreak, I think it's important to remember that this is the face of the deadly assassin everyone was so rude to when he first came to the manor.

"He was a brat"

He was TEN— ok I'll calm down

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

okay question!

thoughts on people in fanfic and fandom having the depictions of Ra's being a bad person & the LoA being a cult? (this is excluding talia being a bad person and ra's being creepy)

(also as someone who also almost purely just visits the damian-centric tag on ao3 for batfam content, I totally agree with you on how every time I venture away from it they do my son so dirty and it makes me so sad TT)

DC fandom on ao3 is the trenches of war and the 'Damian-centric' tag is my only ammunition against the enemies.

I like how you already filter out the Creepy Ra's al-Ghul. Makes this way easier.

Anyways, regarding your question, it ultimately depends on what crimes they're making him commit. I'm Genderfluid enough to admit that both Talia and Ra's are morally grey, the man more so than her, but not enough that they'd be pinned down to just as the villain.

It also brings conflict when it comes to reading Damian as a character, because most (if not all) of his backstory stemmed from Ra's/Talia being inherently morally-ambiguous or a straight up bad person.

Here's an artistic rendition from yours truly:

However, I also believe that both Ra's and Talia can be good people with good intentions gone bad. It's like how a certain parenting style from a certain region won't be favoured in another country, or how at one point neglect was normalized.

I don't want to pin people who think that Ra's is just a bad person as anything through and through— I used to be in a similar boat. It's easy to believe that Ra's is a horrible man considering that he's often narrated to be the bane of Damian's existence, even in comics.

Damian's fans are put in a confusing conundrum of having to nit-pick at Ra's every intentions, as Damian himself could be some sort of an unreliable narrator when it comes to unpacking his trauma (tm), and having to substantiate Damian's own story— not wanting to disregard anything but not wanting to assassinate Ra's character either. It also certainly doesn't help that a huge number of DC executive writers had it out for Arab people/POC (fucking Tom King when I get you).

So, unlike the people who pinned down Talia as a bad mother, I wouldn't be as harsh when it comes to people who make Ra's to be some sort of a villain. BUT, there still needs to be a limit; all of Ra's 'crimes' should be ultimately tied down to him wanting the best for the planet.

He trained Damian so harshly so Damian could one day lead humanity in his absence. He kills because those people are posing as a threat to the environment. He does this and that for the planet, if not for his family.

See my post of my ideal characterisation of the al-Ghuls. You'll understand what I mean.

In retrospect, I do believe that people who are convinced of the depiction of LoA being a cult could have an interesting conversation to be had. This argument was first brought to my interest by @daminette-56 's post where they claim that it's inherently racist/stemmed from racism that the only 'cult' within DC-verse is the LoA and isn't the Court of Owls, who, to be fair tends to act more cult-ish in comparison to the LoA.

However, this topic could be pretty messy and sensitive, so let's go through them one by one:

According to Wikipedia (and this is taken in verbatim) a 'cult' is defined as:

"Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term has different, and sometimes divergent or pejorative, definitions both in popular culture and academia and has been an ongoing source of contention among scholars across several fields of study."

And this is what the Oxford Dictionary has to offer:

"A system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards a particular figure or object."

I don't necessarily agree that people who enthusiastically agree on something is a cult—because then it'd be stupid, and then presents the idea that there's a lot of marginalized cults around us. Religions would be cults. A political belief could be a cult. Lydia from two blocks down who watches WitchTok religiously might as well be part of a cult.

So, no. Boiling the LoA down as a cult because they have a shared belief of achieving the perfect future utopia is, arguably, narrow-minded. If anything, it'd make them an organisation with shared value of preserving the environment.

Not to mention, it perpetuates an orientalist idea often spread by the Western of any and every radical organisation from the Middle East is immediately a cult. Like how all Arab women are either oppressed, forced to cover head to toe and wear the burqa or scantily clothed with sexualized belly-dancers attire. Or how Arab men are either angry Muslim terrorists/evangelist that's perverted towards young white man or a sheikh.

However, this doesn't deter the fact that Damian was isolated from the world. He didn't go to school nor have friends his age until he was well over 13 years old, and that's horrible news for his social development assuming that he was meant to socialize at all. You'd see me referencing Damian as a refugee seeking shelter as someone who just escaped from a cult— but that's because Damian exhibits signs often associated with victims who just left a cult, even though I don't even see LoA as a cult necessarily. While Damian looks like he just escaped from one, doesn't mean the LoA is one.

However, I often make a follow-up joke that Damian escapes a cult just to enter another one, that being the BatFam.

The LoA is a cult because they believe in the future of utopia? So does BatFam, except it's limited to just Gotham. The LoA dabbles in a pretty violent way to achieve that goal? So does BatFam, where they beat up criminals and play the part of the executioner.

So, it's either I see both as a cult, or neither.

Hence why I insist that it's stupid to chalk what's a cult and what isn't on a few checklists.

Again, I can't punish the people who believe the LoA is a cult too harshly considering that I see where they're coming from. I can, however, ask them to not participate in a trend where people approached Ra's and the LoA with a close-minded view.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

Bruce Wayne, Father of the year

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

daily reminder that Talia is not a rapist and Ra's did not "steal" Tim Drake's spleen or try to assault him.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

Saw this and thought of u in the sense you would probably hate this as much as i do:

context the post is about how everyone thinks bruce’s are biologically his. this is just irking me it feels gross. like oh damian couldn’t possibly be related to these perfect rich white people, he’s a gremlin.

Is your thought process, "I hate this. Eddie/Yurrrsss will hate this too. I'm going to send this to them so they'll be angry too."? Because, congratulations. You've filled your quota.

I hate this so much.

You can probably assume that the op doesn't know the loving touch of a single issue (at least, ones that are Damian-centric) to unironically assume Damian is some gremlin child that doesn't activate your maternal/paternal instinct. They're living under the assumption that Damian is completely rowdy, rude and those traits are just him and him alone.

You don't think Bruce didn't go through a period where he's all dark and brooding even in public? You don't think Bruce has a phase where he's angry at the world for everything that it took from him? Get out of here.

"There's no way this rude and feral child that looks like he's going to assassinate you comes from the line of people that are good-doers, saints and meticulous!".

And this is Damian:

"But he just looks so unfriendly! He looks like he'd kill people for looking at him funny!".

You mean this kid that openly cries in front of others? This kid that has a warm, loving smile and people, especially ones that went through hell and back, are attracted to him.

This kid that looks at things that was born from violence and decided to cradle its face? This kid that sacrificed himself for others on so many occasions? Him???

This doesn't even take into account when Damian gave himself up to the Court of Owls during the Robin War. Doesn't even touch the bit where he sacrificed himself for Dick or even how quickly be adopted both his clones and Respawn as his brothers.

Not even in the DC vs. Vampires series (before it was butchered anyway) where Damian is the only vampire that refused to drink human blood, thus freeing himself from Dick's hold. He drinks pig's blood for sustenance, and is even regarded as 'The Key for a world where both humans and vampires can co-exist.'

Even in that one comic series that single-handedly ruined Damian's PR, Injustice, had him introduced as someone so caring and loving.

"But this is just the public reception of Damian Wayne! Not Robin!".

Again, Bruce probably had the same phase where he's angry and scowling at everything when he's a child (which, again, I cannot stress this enough, Damian is). He probably glares at people too.

"Thomas Wayne is a renowned surgeon and philanthropist and"— so is Damian? Both of his mother and grandfather (Ra's) are doctors in one way or another?? He could literally perform complicated surgery? And this doesn't even account where Damian donated (I think) $ 50,000 to the animal shelter under his name, and how he volunteers at a hospital— both of which would be public knowledge.

"Martha is a saint that would carry candies for children—" and Damian would carry cat treats and bird seeds.

I don't know. I think these kinds of headcanon stemmed from the idea that "al-Ghuls are bad and horrible and— and they kill and cannot do good BUT the Waynes are good and they are so pure and—". Totally playing into the 'White Savior' trope where the only reason Damian possessed an ounce of goodwill is because he was 'saved' by these white people.

[yurrrsssss-ghoul]

Hi, sorry for invading your inbox again but I'm glad to see that I wasn't the only one bothered by the way people are making 'those kinds' of skits. So to answer your probably rhetorical question about how Damian was acting in the skit. The funny thing is, the skit didn't even show Damian.

It was a skit about the Justice League going to the Batcave for a case and then hearing Alfred beat Damian with a belt.

Probably blowing this out of proportion now but as a person that deals with children, it just rubbed me the wrong way. Like call me crazy or dramatic but to me, if a hero willing beats their child and/or witnesses a child being beat and turns a blind eye because that child was being a 'brat' then that person isn't a hero.

Promise that this will be the last time I disturb you about this. Hehehe, ilyyy

Reference to post.

Hi! It's fine my inbox is a free real estate and can be invaded anytime 🫶♥️ I enjoy reading all of your questions so feel free to drop by whenever.

Ngl I feel like considering Alfred as a father, law he really has no room to say. He abandoned his own daughter, he does not get to ride the high horse here.

But anyways.

I feel like lots and lots of notions of 'protecting children' within the DC fandom are performative; done to either convey a certain message or carry it out. Not all of them, but a lot of them. Damian is a prime example of this.

Sure, he deserves shelter and whatnot, and he gets it, but that doesn't necessarily entitle the people providing him those shelters the right to hit him whenever.

Discipline could be a slippery slope, and it's especially true when it comes to physical methods. One blow might be because the person (the one making the hit) just wants the best for the child, the next could be because they hit one too many vodka and decided to make the child's Tuesday afternoon memorable in one of the worst ways possible.

A popular trope I see when discussing this issue is Jason and/or Tim threatening Damian to have sex with his living maternal side of the family (Talia and/or Ra's) in exchange of his obedience. His silence, for a possible humiliation. Even then, he's still the butt of the joke.

Surprise, surprise! These types of behaviors are still categorized under abuse! Coercion is not cool because the white men are doing it, it's still not cool because the end goal is to get the kid to shut up. It also delves into the yucky territory of sexual abuse undertone— like, maybe dipping its toes into the volcanoes before diving head first.

Not to mention these types of post exploit Damian's fear of being replaced; mocking his status as 'the only one Bruce didn't choose' and downplaying his phobia because he decided to let his mouth run loose.

Also, the very implication that these grown men would straight up disclose what kinds of things they'd do to Damian's maternal side of the family, sometimes going into details in order to buy Damian's submission/silence? Yikes! Yikes I say!

It certainly doesn't help that these kinds of tropes were rooted from the pre-conceived assumption that Talia/Ra's or any other adults prior to the BatFamily in Damian's life never makes an attempt to discipline him, thus playing more into the bit of white saviors. It's also pretty confusing considering that these people (the al-Ghuls) also would be make out to be people who'd hit Damian in every opportunity so.... Which is it?

There's always room for discipline— don't get me wrong— I don't expect every grown person in Damian's life to bend at his every whims.

I do think it's horrible when a child is so spoiled that they thing they could get their way every time, thus reflecting the parents' parenting style, but there's also a need for boundaries. Damian isn't given agency within those walls, and as such he is the most vulnerable. Just because he has the capabilities of an adult, doesn't mean he should be treated as one and I believe that's one thing most people often forget.

It's easy to be angry towards children. Easier to act on them, even. But it's difficult to undo the effects of those angers.

Look, I've made many posts of similar nature before. I'm sure all of you are tired of seeing them, and I'm tired of screaming into the void as well. I gotta admit that some people just like satisfactory justice, and I can't do much about that— not to yuck anyone's yum, but it rubs me off the wrong way immensely.