#the length they go

[hoechlinth]

eddie for literal months: I can’t ask chris to come home, I deserve to stew in my misery.

eddie the literal second he makes buck sad: chris you have to come back home rn, buck is sad.

[drawerbread]

what if in atn harrow resurrected g/k. and then they cuddled. what then.

[shouyuus]

18+, vi-shaped brainrot, mdni

consider college roommate!vi who is the star of the rugby team and just such a fucking jock about it, spends hours at the gym, has pre and post workout drinks and never closes her door when she's blasting rock music, leaves pink hair dye on the bathroom counter, stains the tub when she gets drunk and tries to redo her roots, calls you everything but your name -- sweetcheeks, dollface, cupcake, princess -- isn't shy about her hookups, doesn't even bother to apologize the mornings after another pretty cheerleader scampers out of her room, shrugs and winks when you come out of the bathroom with a tiny thong dangling off your finger that's clearly not either of yours.

college roommate!vi who does kickboxing on the weekends and teaches a kid's course at the local gym. the first time you go there to drop something of her's off as a favor, you can't help but stare at the way she laughs and chases the kids around, so gentle with her movements, so careful, guiding their punches, correcting their forms. and the kids love her -- it's so easy to see, the stars in their eyes, the color high in their cheeks, the way the girls cluster around her legs and the boys are constantly vying for her approval, how she tries her best to divide up her attention equally between all of them.

college roommate!vi who goes real quiet the first time you laugh in her presence, a real laugh, not one of those ha-ha ones you snipe at her when she's trying to get a rise out of you, or teasing you about spending all your time in the library, but one that shakes your shoulders and makes your whole face light up. who has to blink when you cock your head and ask if she's okay bc she was so busy staring at you, wondering about the weird thumping in her chest, the tightness in her throat.

college roommate!vi who's there for you when you're stressed about your dissertation, and she knew you were smart, but listening to you rant about it at 3am in the morning, she's starting to realize that... you're kind of a genius. to be so young and already doing a doctorate in mechanical engineering, and the things you're trying to do -- they could conceivably change the world one day. who freezes when you let your head drop onto her shoulder with a heavy sigh, telling her that you don't know what to do.

"you'll figure it out, cupcake. with a brain like yours? you always do."

college roommate!vi who realizes way too late that she's kinda got it bad for you, bc since when did she start getting used to the sight of you wearing one of her gym shirts in the mornings, making scrambled eggs, rolling your eyes when she yawns her way into the tiny kitchen, leaning an arm against the fridge as she looks you over before asking what's for breakfast. who's gotten so used to falling asleep to the soft clatter of your computer keys that when you leave to visit your family for a weekend, she tosses and turns and can't figure out why it's impossible for her to get to sleep, wanders into sliver of space you guys have crammed a couch and tv into to call a living room, slumping down there to stare at the ceiling, only to feel her fingers graze against something on the ground, who tugs out the thing from under the couch only to find herself staring at one of your bunched up socks with the goofy cartoon cats pattern, and she remembers (suddenly) finding you tearing your room apart the week before trying to look for it because it's your favorite pair of socks.

she finds herself chuckling, letting the sock fall again, but the tightness in her throat doesn't recede, and invisible fingers clench in her gut as she lets her eyes fall shut.

"well... fuck."

college roommate!vi who doesn't know how to act when you get back from your weekend away, when you throw yourself into her arms, your skin still smelling of the crisp fall air and something warm, and spicy -- it reminds her of the holiday market you dragged her to last year, the cinnamon and spiced apples, the hot, mulled wine, the way it burned all the way down when she took the first sip, the way it worked the most darling flush into your cheeks above your pink knit scarf.

"i've got a present for you!" you say, when you finally extricate yourself from her gasp, your arms still around her shoulders, her hands still settled around your waist.

"y-yeah? you didn't have to do that, sweetcheeks --"

"yeah, but i saw this in a store window and -- well i just... it reminded me of you," you say, pulling back to dig something out of your travel bag, and it takes everything in vi not to tug you back into her chest. so instead, she settles for knitting her arms across her front and coughing to hide the fact that her throat's just tightened over itself at your words. you? seeing something and thinking of her? gods, she was so far gone.

"here," you say, pulling a small black box out and offering it to her on the palm of your hand.

vi stares, before reaching out to take it, her eyes flickering up towards your face, only to catch you chewing on your bottom lip in a way that makes her mind frizzle out at the edges. she refocuses her attention on the box -- opening it, she finds a tiny little gemstone, set on a thin golden chain --

"oh..." she breathes, tugging out up to let the gem dangle from between her fingers.

"it -- it's an alexandrite stone," you say, your voice a bit reedy, but you push on as vi continues to stare, "it's uhm -- one of the rarest gemstones in nature, but the cool thing is it changes colors depending on what kind of light it's under --" you reach up to grasp her wrist, her lungs seizing at the contact as you tug her into the incandescent light of the kitchen. "see? it was light blue a second ago, right? and now it's --"

"violet," vi says, her voice soft and disbelieving.

you quickly let go of her wrist, pursing your lips and wrapping your arms around yourself, looking anywhere but at her face.

"yeah -- i just --" your shoulders shrug up as she stares at you, her sky-light eyes wide, "it... it reminded me of... you."

college roommate!vi who, ever since the "necklace incident" (as the rest of the rugby team likes to call it), hasn't really been the same. she's put on the necklace and not taken it off for even a second since the day you gave it to her, but now she doesn't really know how to act around you -- bc did you actually like her? i mean, the necklace is... a pretty big thing to just give someone, but what if you were just giving it to her as a friend? as a roommate? she agonizes over it to the point that the rest of the team are so, so sick of hearing about it, they lovingly tell her to just fuck her and get it over with already. but vi insists that she can't -- it's different with you.

college roommate!vi who's stunned speechless when she gets home to find you staring at your computer, your expression blank. and at first, she thinks something's horribly wrong, but then you're slamming into her, squealing about how you've done it -- your thesis defense went well, that you're a doctor now -- and she's picking you up, spinning you around, buoyed up by the effervescence of your happiness, pressing a kiss to your cheek --

"oh my god, congrats princess! i knew it! i always knew you could do it!"

"thanks -- god, i just -- i've wanted it for so long i... i don't know what to do with myself now that i've got it, y'know?" you say, still suspended in vi's arms, your feet lifted off the ground. it takes a moment before you both seem to realize the position you're in, and vi clears her throat as she lets you down, you looking away, pressing your palms to your cheeks to cool the heat gathering there.

after a brief pause though, vi chuckles, reaching out to slip a finger beneath your chin, tilting your face up towards her's.

"c'mon, put on one of those pretty dresses of yours. we're going out."

"out?"

"yeah. to celebrate."

you blink as vi pulls her hand away.

"but it's like... 4:30 on a tuesday."

vi cocks an eyebrow, a smirk twitching at her lips, "yes, and? c'mon cupcake --" her eyes catch yours and instead of looking away, she holds it this time, something flickering behind their powder-blue depths that makes your skin prickle with heat, "i'll show you a good time."

college roommate!vi who takes you to one of her favorite clubs, tugging you through the crowd, the jostling bodies, holding your hand in her's, trying really hard not to think too much about it (or the fucking insane little black and pink miniskirt you put on), telling herself that it's just to make sure she doesn't lose you in the crowd, grinning when someone knocks you into her chest, and she finds her arm wrapped around your waist, fingers scrunching the material of your skirt, your palms splayed on her chest.

she buys the both of you a round of shots, watching with a hitched breath as your tongue flickers out to lick the salt daubed on your wrist, the way your eyes squeeze shut when you take the shot and your lips wrap around the lime slice, tries to ignore the twist in her gut like a turning blade, the way her whole body flushes with heat, the dull ache caught between her legs when you wipe your lips, your eyes bright and a little blown out, your cheeks flushed with color as you giggle and lace your hands with hers again --

"come on! i wanna dance!"

college roommate!vi who is just drunk enough to let herself dance with you, to let herself lean in to the way you're twisting your body, fingers in your hair, your eyes closed, an indulgent smile on your lips, who let's herself imagine (just for a second), pulling you in to kiss you, how soft your lips might feel on hers, how silken your skin might be beneath her hands, who tries not to groan when you lean in closer, link your arms behind her neck, press your whole body against her's, who grips your hips just a little too tight, grinds you against her, sees the way you gasp, your eyelids fluttering as you eyes glaze out --

college roommate!vi who can't help how she groans at the sight, tugs you in by the back of your neck to mash her lips to yours, crushing you to her as she kisses you (finally, finally) and you let yourself he kissed -- your fingers tangle in her choppy pink hair, and she swears you make this sweet, mind-bending whimpering noise in the back of your throat that drives her up the wall and right over it --

but when she pulls back, she sees the look on your face -- shocked and little confused, but you're drunk, and she doesn't wanna do this with you -- at least, not like this.

college roommate!vi who pulls away, only to have you follow her all the way out the club, into this small dark alley, her shaking her head, feeling a strange, saltwater prickle at the back of her throat as she says --

"shit -- sorry. i didn't mean to -- i just -- you were just so -- and i -- fuck, i didn't --"

"vi -- vi -- no, violet, listen to me --"

it's her full name on your lips that makes her pause, makes her turn to find you walking towards her. your lipstick is smeared, your hair a waterfall mess around your shoulders as you corner her against the rough brick of the club's exterior. faintly, she can still feel the pulse of music reverberating from inside the club, but out here, the air is damp and cold and quiet.

"i -- i'm sorry i kissed you," she says, her voice cracking over the syllables. she bites her lips as you frown up at her, your eyes searching her's before you let out a soft sigh and a scoff.

"well. i'm sorry you feel that way. cause..." you take half a step back, your arms curling around yourself before you glance back at her with a hard, determined light to your eyes as you press back into her space, your cheeks bright with color.

"i was really kinda hoping you'd do it again."

vi's breath punches out of her chest; it takes a few seconds of sputtering before she gathers herself enough to speak.

"wait -- what? you..."

you crinkle your nose, rolling your eyes, "i -- i thought i was making it obvious -- i mean, with the whole necklace thing -- it doesn't take a genius to figure how i feel about --"

you squeak as she pins you against the opposite wall, her lips seeking yours out, her fingers rucking up the material of your top, making you hiccup as they tease under the wire-rim of your bra.

college roommate!vi who can barely control herself when you sink your fingers into her hair, tugging lightly as you gasp out a breath, her lips tracking fire along the side of your neck, intent on making you whimper again, just the way she likes, grazing her teeth along your collarbone even as you jerk at her hair --

"vi -- fuck -- vi, not here --" you swallow around the burgeoning desire, and when you glance down to find her looking up at you, her eyes so dark they're almost black, you fight back a groan, cup your palms around her cheeks and pull her up for a long kiss.

"let's --" you suck in a breath even as vi whines at the loss your lips, "let's go home --"

"holy fuck," vi swears, somehow managing to pull herself back just far enough to taste the misty night air. she stares at you, your chest heaving, a daisy-chain of hickeys blossoming along the long expanse of your neck, your makeup good and smeared, your hair a mess, your eyes bright and so full of love as they flicker over her face.

vi smiles, helpless to the loud, uncertain drumming of her heart as she says, "y-yeah -- let's get you home, princess."

college roommate!vi who barely waits for the elevator door to close in your building before she's got you shoved up against the wall, hoisting you up, her fingers seeking out the softness of your skin, tugging up your shirt, her other hand dipping into the waistband of your skirt, her mouth open and hungry as she kisses your neck, bites down at the junction of your shoulder just to hear you moan.

college roommate!vi who's way too good at undoing your bra with one hand the second you get back to your apartment (if you were more coherent, you might've thought it hot), the door slamming closed, the pair of you toppling onto the room, breathy laughs and panting whines as she hoists you into her arms and carries you to your bedroom, laying you down so gently, kissing up your stomach till you're whimpering, your own hands pulling your top off your body, leaving you in an undone-bra and a miniskirt, your cheeks flushed. you push yourself up onto your elbows, watching as vi peaks up at you from between your legs, shooting you a wink before she's tugging down your skirt and panties all in one, an eyebrow ticking up at the lil lacey thing you had on beneath the skirt all along.

"all this for me, pretty?"

you press your lips, eyes cutting away as she looks between the bra dangling off your shoulders and the panties caught round your ankles. her lashes flutter.

"oh, a matching set," she cocks her head, running her palms up your thighs, pinning them open again as you try to press them closed, feeling suddenly much too seen (bc you'd be straight up lying if you hadn't put it on in the vague hope that the night might evolve into something like this).

she clicks her tongue, shaking her head with a cocky, shit-eating grin that makes your heart skitter in your chest. her drops a light kiss to your inner thigh, savoring in the way you whine again.

"nope, keep 'em open princess."

college roommate!vi who takes her time with you, bc rly she's been waiting way too long for this, has imagined it one too many times, but nothing can compare to the way your hips jerk up against her mouth, the way your fingers tighten in her hair every time she licks up the seam of your cunt, the way your breath catches on her name over and over again, like you can't quite get the word out even though it's just a single syllable. she groans against you, too lost in the taste of you to care about what a mess she must look like, with her tongue fucking into your desperate hole, her nose nudging your clit, her fingers digging crescent moon marks into your hipbones.

she's sure that if this were an old-fashioned cartoon, there'd be big, balloon hearts popping out of her eyes. she can't get enough of you like this -- moaning her name, your legs on either side of her face, your skin littered with the remnants of her. she has the eye-rolling thought of you the next morning, of how all these marks will still be there to remind you of her every single time you see one of them.

college roommate!vi who doesn't expect you to flip over after she's literally eaten you out seven ways to sunday, to tug her in for a soft kiss (though she really does like pressing your own taste back into your mouth with her tongue), before your fingers are inching down the length of her body to tease at her hips, trailing circles down the lines of her abs, toying with the thin line of hair that leads into her black boxer briefs.

"what are you --"

you shoot her a look that has her mouth going dry.

"what? didn't think i can give as good as i get?"

college roommate!vi who's literally going to lose her mind with the way you're fingers (at first sight so thin and delicate, but gods are they stronger than they look) are pressing into her, curling up with the kind of precision usually only associated with doctors, and then a voice in the back of her head reminds her -- oh, right, you are a doctor now. but logical thought dies after that, bc you've somehow worked your way between her legs and are looking up at her with those big dark eyes of yours, smiling sunshine bright before you drop a kitten-lick against her clit and she's twitching, keening as she cums all over your fingers.

"jesus fuckin' christ, doll -- is that what you're learning in those engineering classes?"

she's breathless, cheeks flushed, and honestly just a little embarrassed at how quickly she came, but she has to bite back another groan as she watches you lick your fingers clean, grinning sweetly up at her as if you didn't just get her off in record time.

"no, but i did do my dissertation on human-based robotics, which included a lot of late nights memorizing anatomical models so..."

vi pulls you in for a kiss, laughing against your lips.

"you're amazing, y'know that?"

college roommate!vi who can't really believe how much she's lucked out, sharing an apartment with her girlfriend, who literally cannot shut up about you, but the rugby team all agree that they'd rather have this than the months of endless pining. who brags about her genius gf to anyone who'll listen, and looks for you in the stands of all her practice matches when you can make it, who kisses you in front of everyone even when you make a show of trying to wiggle away bc she's sweaty (you don't really care).

who loves telling the story of how you guys met bc she still can't quite believe it herself, and the story always starts with --

"well, actually -- we started off as roommates."

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The Murderbot TV show is finally here!

[kokodrawings]

It's ok, Minato asked for permission first

[theshitpostcalligrapher]

FEED, MY CHILDREN! FOR I HAVE BLESSED UPON THEE COLOURED DISKS OF MUCH SUSTENANCE. LEAFFALL SHALL ALSO BE PROVIDED FOR THINE LARDERS, TO SHORE UP FOR THE COMING MONTHS

(it's leaf litter refresh day and I've provided a few slices of carrot for the isopods)

[ciil]

what makes us any different?

[superbat-love]

Batman: I’m taking you off the mission, Superboy.

Superboy: What? No! You can’t do that-

Batman: I’m the strategic leader of the Justice League, and if I say you’re out, you’re out. It’s too dangerous. Go back to Metropolis.

Superboy: I’m staying!

Batman: Do not make me repeat myself.

Superboy: You can’t make me go home! You’re not my dad!

Batman: [glares at him, then walks out of the room]

Superboy: Ugh, I knew he’s gonna get Superman involved.

Batman: [walks back into the room alone]

Superboy:

Batman: I’ve obtained clearance. Now go home, Superboy.

Superboy: Clearance? Did Dad…

Batman: [raises his hand, revealing a wedding band] I married Superman. I am your dad now. Go home.

Superboy: Nooooo!!!

[akagi0021]

somebody pls get these mfs to a hair salon or sumn cause these haircuts are diabolical💀

[valkugo]

▪︎ All I want... is my partner back.

▪︎ [I persist after everything you've done] because I promised you.

▪︎ We finish this together.

“To have something you can't give up on must be a kind of blessing in itself.” - Tokyo Ghoul: Days

[johnnyshrine]

★ 093 // “POV: You Died :("

[coochiekrab]

Have u ever done kuri/aubrey wedding pics? Im obsessed w the recent lavendar marriage wwc and would love to see them w their colors n everything

i decided on their colors long after i decided aubrey would wear bubblegum pink but whatever who cares if it doesnt perfectly match. salmon wouldnt be as peacocky. i think it would be really funny if kuris dress was characteristically plain but stupid expensive. she picks it with his mom who was given strict instructions to spoil her

[barefeet-only]

Shakespeare in the Park Got Nothing on This

Danny felt death in the air. He first felt it when Talia started following him. It was like he wanted to cough but just couldn’t. His ghost sense wasn’t fully activating but he knew someone death touched was near. One of the ghosts in the area gave him a description of who was following him and he knew it was her. 

Despite his first instinct being to run, Danny quickly realized that it wasn’t like Talia could hurt him anyway. Being half-ghost had its perks, and his life away from the League of Assassins had taught him some perspective on threat levels. Besides, it had been nearly twenty-two years since he last spoke to her, and he had some things he wanted to say to Talia. 

So Danny wandered randomly throughout the city as he thought of all the things he wanted to say to his mother. When he finally felt confident, he walked into a random coffee shop and ordered a drink that would signal to her that he knew about her presence. He couldn’t force Talia to sit with him and talk, but he hoped that she had just enough interest in him to try. As they had their conversation he could tell Talia was on edge the entire time. His presence was making her nervous, and for the life of him Danny could not figure out why. 

But when she said the name Damian and the teenager walked into the coffee shop, Danny instantly knew. 

“He’s your son isn’t he?”

Talia tensed, her back had been to the door of the cafe so she didn’t see the boy walk in, but she definitely heard the door chime ring. In a moment of weakness that she would normally never allow, she turned away from Danny to look at her son. Their green eyes met and Talia made a reckless decision. 

The assassin pulled the knife from Danny’s hand and moved to puncture his larynx. Just as the tip of the blade reached his skin, Signal appeared next to her, forcefully grabbing her arm and slamming her onto the table. The drinks spilled and everyone in the coffee shop took notice of their situation. People quickly either took photos or fled from the scene, the baristas only stopped for a moment before continuing their work. 

Spoiler stepped forward to direct the scene. 

While Talia was being held down and restrained Danny got a closer look at the boy who had entered. Initially the guess had nothing to do with the teenager, but the closer he looked at ‘Damian’ the more it became clear that this was Talia’s son. The same death-touched aura that surrounded Talia was shared by this boy, likely the Lazarus Pits. Beyond the metaphysical traits, their physical traits were very similar as well. They both shared intense green eyes and warm brown skin, their lithe frames were practically identical and the sharp nose was a dead ringer. Damn, Fenton luck strikes again, Danny thought. The chances of running into his unknown half-brother had to be near impossible, and yet here he was. 

Danny looked down at Talia who was seething, not that anyone but him would be able to tell. Danny would always be able to tell if his mother was angry; it was about the only feeling besides hate or indifference he was ever able to associate with her. So, in true Danny fashion, he did something reckless. He leaned down towards Talia’s ear, despite Signal loudly telling him to step back, and began to whisper. 

“Good talk Talia, kind of nostalgic the way it ended.”

Danny knew there was no way to keep her away now that she was aware of his presence. But he also knew that he didn’t fear her the same way he did as a child. He no longer worshipped her as the faultless assassin, instead he felt an indifference towards Talia. She wasn’t the woman who raised him, no longer the tormentor of his childhood, just a hateful woman with no bearing on his life. If she wanted to interject herself in his life then Danny had plenty to say to her. And if she tried to hurt anyone he cared about: well let’s just say that there were plenty of ghosts that Danny could call on to hunt her down with. 

Danny stood up and looked towards Damian, the teen seemed to be in a fluid flux of emotions. Indignation for the treatment for his mother, condescension at the heroes (likely because he knew that his mother could easily escape the cuffs that were put on her), and a calculating eye towards Danny himself. He was clearly League trained, and was very quickly sizing up Danny’s threat level. Danny wanted to laugh at the idea, but then he saw how viciously Talia was staring at him for even looking at Damian and all he could feel was bitterness. So she can love a child, he thought ruefully. Danny and Damian looked so similar, yet so different that a part of his soul hurt. Danny was pale in comparison to his brother (ever since he died he had never been able to get back to the darkness of his youth) and where Danny’s proportions were a little awkward, Damian had the figure of a supermodel. Whoever the teen’s dad was clearly had some killer looks, the father’s genes were clearly strong in him. 

Wait, isn’t that Damian Wayne? 

-

When Duke had seen the vision of Talia attacking their mystery man he had acted quickly. He grabbed Steph and shadow travelled them into the Batty Grind. When they reformed inside Damian entered at the same time. Signal didn’t spare him a glance, he pulled at his powers again to reform next to the table. He caught the blade just before the tip punctured the man’s neck. Quickly, Signal slammed Talia down onto the table (very satisfying by the way) and cuffed her. 

Spoiler grabbed the knife that had been dropped on the table in the grapple for Talia. 

“No sharp objects for you. Didn’t your dad ever teach you not to point these at people?” She teased. 

Signal knew that he couldn’t keep Talia there forever, but Spoiler was quickly directing the scene to get the civilians' attention off of them. This gave him enough time to readjust his grip on the assassin and observe the target more closely. 

The man had deep blue eyes and sharp facial features, Duke still couldn’t tell if he was Middle Eastern or White. He reminded Duke of Damian, so he could be mixed. However the most striking feature of this man was that he had no aura. Everyone has an aura, it’s normally just a small flicker of colour that emanated from a person. But this man has nothing, it was almost like Duke wasn’t allowed to see into this man’s soul. The same thing happened when they were in the alley as well, his Ghost Vision hadn’t let him see the potential victim, only Talia attacking. Even now when he tried to use his telescopic vision he couldn’t observe the man before him, he was too smooth, almost into the uncanny valley. Duke’s abilities kept sliding off of him like water off a duck. It was honestly kind of frustrating. 

He was so distracted by his powers not working that he overreacted to the man leaning down to whisper in Talia’s ear. Signal held tighter onto Talia after the man stood up. Something about him made the hero tense up and his fear seemed justified as the man stared down Damian. 

-

So Talia fucked Bruce Wayne…Why?

If there was one thing that Danny knew about his mother it was that she never would have a child willingly after he was born. And she clearly seemed to care about Damian, since she didn’t even want Danny to look at him. So Talia obviously had to care about Bruce Wayne to have his child but that brings up the question of why. There had to be something special about him for Talia to have a child with him. 

Part of Danny wanted to ask her what about Bruce Wayne made her happy to have his child but his father made her consider filicide. But he knew he would never get the answer, just like Ra’s would never tell him who his father was. They were truly father and daughter in that aspect. So instead of cursing himself to a lifetime of what-ifs, he left. 

“Thank you Signal and Spoiler, I would have been a goner if you guys hadn’t stepped in. Guess this will teach me about stranger danger.”

The vigilantes were trying to corner him and get him to give a witness statement or get medical attention for his hand but Danny wasn’t part ghost, and an ex-assassin, for nothing. He evaded them before they could get him in a bad position and gave them a salute on the way out. Danny had less than a week left in Gotham and then he was heading back home to Illinois. This would be the last time Danny would ever see an Al Ghul if he had anything to say about it. 

-

Signal and Spoiler brought Talia to an abandoned warehouse owned by Wayne Enterprises and waited until everyone could converge in suit for a discussion. Talia had tried to escape three times in the hours they had to wait for everyone to get there. Duke’s abilities allowed him to predict what she was going to do but it did not help the stress of the situation. Especially since the assassin seemed determined to escape. 

Her tenacity to presumably finish off her target had everyone on edge. Especially since the man in the cafe was nowhere to be found. Oracle hadn’t been able to get a visual on him as the footage from the cafe was too low quality and both Signal and Spoiler’s cameras weren’t able to clearly get his face. They had been forced to use a sketch made by Damian to try and find him. Not ideal but better than nothing.

Duke and Steph had been trying to get Talia to reveal who her target was with no luck. But the roar of the Batmobile let them relax, Bruce and Damian were always better at getting Talia to loosen up than the rest of the brood. Batman stepped out of the vehicle with Robin in tow. 

“Signal, Spoiler, any updates?”

“Three escape attempts and no answers on who she was trying to kill.” 

“Hmm.”

Batman looked at Talia and approached her. 

“Talia, why are you in my city?”

Talia leaned forward and looked up to Batman through her lashes, a seduction technique she had used with him many times before. 

She hummed, “Can’t I visit my beloved and child, or am I barred from even that?”

Batman growled. 

“Don’t play games with me Talia, who was the man you tried to kill?”

Talia rolled her eyes and sat up straight, knowing she wasn’t going to get out of this. She’s never been so sloppy before and this was the price she was going to have to pay. However she needed to get out of here quickly, the longer she wasted time here the more time she gave to her target to plan. 

“He’s an ex-league member. He escaped twenty years ago and now I must complete the task that should have been done when he left.”

“Twenty years ago, that doesn’t make sense,” Spoiler interrupted, “I saw him myself and that guy was barely into his twenties. You telling me a four-year-old waddled his way out of the League of Emos?”

Talia glared at the blonde girl. 

“Danyal is in his thirties, though I do not know why he is so youthful. He might have found a Lazarus Pit for himself and harnessed its power. However it is not his physicality that concerns me, he demonstrated a phase shifting ability as I was following him, and the knife I stabbed him with had no blood on it when I pulled it out.”

Batman looked to Spoiler and Signal, Signal showed him the dagger that had been put in an evidence bag as proof. There wasn’t a drop of red on it.  

“Beloved, I know you don’t kill but you must let me complete my task. Even if you must assist me in capturing him we have to take Danyal out before he is allowed to act. If not for me, then for our son, Damian cannot be tainted by that man.”

-

It was not the last time Danny saw an Al Ghul. 

Danny didn’t want to know how, but for some reason, Damian Wayne had cornered him while he was on a walk through Gotham Park. Now, Danny was here because it was one of the few places in Gotham that shades didn’t bother him every ten seconds. There was something about an agreed neutrality zone that some spirit told him about in relation to the park. In the end it didn’t really matter, Danny just wanted to sort out his thoughts after seeing Talia and finding out he had a half brother. Frankly, he wasn’t super thrilled about discovering he had more family from his psychotic genetic creators. Maybe the kid was chill but not likely, the League was a stifling place that made a person freeze their heart instead of cope with their feelings. In the end, Danny just didn’t know if he could keep the bitterness of his mother away from the association of Damian. 

Frankly the only reason Danny had recognized the boy was because Sam had called him about some article about a gala thrown to raise money against animal testing. She even made a joke about how the goth vegan rich kid tradition did not die with her when she left her teenage years. To which he joked that he wasn’t sure if the kid was goth or just angsty. 

Danny had just stood up from the bench he was occupying with the intention of returning to his long term hotel when his brother dropped down before him in full Robin regalia. 

Great, more information I didn’t want to learn today.

Once again the taste of death had spoiled the identity of Damian but Danny was going to elect to pretend that he had no clue who the teen before him was. Ignorance was a gift and he certainly wasn’t going to throw it away. 

“Danyal, alias Daniel Fenton, here in Gotham to supposedly sell his security device company Spectral Protection to a well-known subsidiary of Lex Corp. A valiant cover, especially with the devotion to stay in Gotham for three months, however all your effort was for nothing when a League of Assassins member spotted you. Whatever your plans are, reveal them to me now and I shall not let you fall into their hands. We both know what they do to traitors.” 

Robin’s voice was cold and confident, but his unease with the situation was apparent; his hand rested on the pommel of his katana, ready for any sudden moves. For a moment, Danny was tempted to play dumb, mainly because that actually was the reason he was in Gotham. However, it was clear that his mother had spoken to his brother and told him of who he was. Well, probably not everything; because a) Talia didn’t know anything about Danny and b) she was an Al Ghul through and through, if there was an opportunity to be cryptic and withhold information she would do it. 

Danny sighed and resigned himself to the idea that his last week in Gotham was going to be way less peaceful than intended.

“Just call me Danny, I hate my full name being used, gives me the heebie jeebies.”

Robin narrowed his eyes, “You did not answer my question.”

Danny rolled his eyes and put his hands in his pockets. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m sure Talia gave you some bullshit reason about why you should kill me, or let her kill me. But do you think you could do me a favor and let me go home? I promise I’m not here to take over the world or something stupid like that. I’m just a guy trying to get a sweet paycheck so that I can achieve my lifelong goal of retiring by thirty-five.”

Robin did not move, if anything his glare got more intense.

“I’ll promise to never step back in Gotham again. I can even sign a contract. Lord knows I’ve been signing a lot of those lately.” He mumbled the last part. 

Robin still did not move.

“Want me to throw Metropolis in there too? I know the big bat has some kind of homoerotic situationship with the Man of Steel, would that make him happy?”

Danny swore he heard giggling in the distance, but it was hard to tell if it was a ghost or a snooping vigilante. Both were likely options, in fact both might have happened since Danny could see some spirits very badly pretending not to listen in. Damian however, did not seem to find his semi-joke very funny. If anything the shaking seemed to be from anger if anything. His half-brother did not seem to develop a sense of humor in his time outside the League. Damian breathed deeply and released his hold on his katana. 

“Do not try to distract me by making light of the situation. What are your plans?” His voice was cold and steely. Effectively cutting to the core of the problem with as few words as possible. 

Danny sighed. “Exactly what I told you before, and highly unlikely but do you think you can keep the information you have on me away from Talia? I tried really hard to disappear from the League of Assassins and specifically her influence. It really sucks that a stroke of bad luck is what got us back in touch after all these years.”

Unfortunately that hope died pretty quickly because Talia’s presence was immediately detected by Danny. She had just arrived and was getting into position over by the trees to their left. Danny has spent years perfecting his ghost sense, no longer did he just have a vague awareness of when ghosts were in a general radius. Now he was able to tell their exact position once they were close enough and he was even able to get their intentions by probing into their energy. If only that trick worked on the living, it would make his life so much easier. 

Danny shushed Robin, who was ranting about his foolish behaviour, and turned to where Talia was. 

“Twice in one day? Really trying to make up for twenty-one years of missed birthdays aren’t you?” Robin, who looked infuriated at being silenced quickly turned to his mother who was taking aim from the tree line. “Do emancipated children qualify for child support checks, or does that only count for genetic donors?”

Three things happened at once. The assassin shot a blow dart out from her hiding spot, Batman dove down from wherever he was hiding to tackle her, and Danny dodged the projectile before making his way to his mother. Robin quickly chased after Danny, making a motion to tackle the man to the ground. He missed. Danny wasn’t sitting on his ass for all his years outside the advanced ninjas club, he knew how to dodge a tackle. Robin landed on the ground but quickly rolled and popped up next to Batman. Who had a slight death aura, but that was to be expected after nearly thirty year of vigilante work. Danny ignored both and squatted before Talia.

“Two failed assassination attempts in one day, getting rusty in your old age.” He teased. 

The assassin glared at him.

“You were fortunate enough to find refuge in a city where those who protect do not kill. Had I found you elsewhere, we never would have had a conversation in the first place.”

Danny felt a rueful smile grace his face. 

“It’s not like I chose the setting; if it were up to me, we never would have met.” Danny stood up and looked at Robin. “You would have continued with your life thinking I was dead, and I never would have learned you had another son.”

Batman and Robin stiffened at the information, both so identical. Almost like they were father and son. Batman took his eyes off the man in front of him and looked down at Talia. 

“You did not inform me that Danyal was your child.”

Danny scoffed. “Of course she wouldn’t, she hated me from the day I was born. I’m not really her child, just the unfortunate thing she was forced to give birth to. But instead of throwing me away like any rational parent would do, she tries to kill me.”

Danny looked up to Batman, who was very stoic despite the information that was being thrown at him. 

“Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, but I’ve spent my life trying to escape from the shadow of the League. Please, if you have any sympathy let me go back to my normal life far away from here.”

Well, as normal as a half-ghost’s life is, but he doesn’t need to know that. 

-

Batman stared at him for a long time, thinking deeply. He was seriously considering letting the man before him leave. However he knew it would be fruitless to let him go now, Talia was aware of his presence and his team had given her that information. Batman knew they were being hasty with the knowledge they shared but when Talia said his son was a risk he believed her. Talia never played with Damian’s life, for all her failings as a mother she did love her son. Her hysteria and paranoia had fed his own, and now the consequences of that choice were staring him in the face. 

Danyal, or rather Danny as he liked to be called, clearly operated as a civilian. His bangs sat too far down his face to be practical, the piercings in his ears were minimal but identifiable, and his clothes were professional but not fitted. Cheap and not name brand. The “cover story” was looking to be a reality and not a fabrication to get access to the city. It was tempting to believe that the young man before him had actually escaped the life of bloodshed.

Talia scoffed. “You can’t believe his story can you? He’s playing to your weakness, beloved. Your want for the violence of the world to be gone. The desire that a person could change from their upbringing. Danyal may be a blunt sword but he is a sword nonetheless.”

Danny glared at her but it didn’t cover up the raw hurt in his eyes. It would seem parents always knew how to hurt their children no matter how long they are apart. Batman turned to Robin to gauge his son’s reaction. Damian seemed conflicted, while he had long since become disillusioned with his mother there was still the hurt of finding out she had a child before him. That he was once again a shadow for someone else.

Bruce pressed harder on Talia. 

Clearly she was worried that Danny would kill Damian. It was a fear Bruce shared as well. The prodigal son versus the one who was forgotten, a story of David and Goliath. Yet Batman wanted to believe in a world where someone who learned the trade of bloodshed, and decided to drop the knife. Someone who had seen the violence of the world and said they did not want to add to it. It was a naive thought, not suited to someone as old and jagged as him, so he looked towards his son. 

“Why did you let Danyal go, mother?”

Talia stopped sneering and looked at her son, her gaze softer as she looked at Damian. It was impressive since her stoic features never betrayed her, yet something in her eyes softened looking at him. A flaw that both Bruce and her shared when it came to their son. Her brow arched at the question, the what do you mean was implicit. 

Damian steeled himself and met her gaze. 

“Never once in my life have I known you to leave a job unfinished. There is no world in which you would have let this man leave unless you wanted it to happen.”

“It’s because she didn’t know.”

Danny spoke up, Batman focused his attention back on the man before him. Danny seemed tense and ashamed, all the bravado he had earlier was quickly draining from his body. The broken boy was slowly being revealed. 

“Her attention was drawn away from me. Some new recruit to the League that had impressed Ra’s. I was already quickly losing favor between the two, and when the new guy on the scene seemed like he was a potential successor to the Demon’s Head, I was to be discarded.”

Bruce felt his blood turn to ice. He was the reason that the man before him had to flee from the League of Assassins. 

Danny smiled, but it was grim and weak.

“I had already been planning my escape for months, since Talia and Ra’s weren’t around to monitor me. The assassins pushed up my schedule, but I knew that those two were going to try something sooner rather than later. So I ran. They hunted me down and cornered me, left me bleeding out in the middle of a bazaar.” Danny shoved his hands in his coat pockets as a poor way to hide how they were shaking. “I guess they pitied me since they didn’t stay to confirm the kill and a passerby found me and brought me to the local doctor.”

Moments passed as his son took in the new information. Conflicting feelings passed through his eyes and Batman knew that this was one time where he could not help Robin. Damian looked to Talia. 

“Would you have done the same to me, mother?”

Bruce felt his heart break. While he might not have approved of Talia’s teachings, he knew she cared about her son. That she was a ruthless instructor, but it was because she believed that was what Damian needed to survive. It didn’t excuse all the horrible acts she had committed towards her son – sons. But it gave context to the woman’s actions. With Damian it was never about hatred, but pride and fear. And now all of her choices were being brought back and presented in a new light, not for the first time Damian was doubting if all he had been put through had been worth it. Bruce longed to take his son away from here, where he could feel the love of one parent who would not give up on him. Unfortunately Batman could not present that weakness for all to see. He had to remain impassive to his son’s struggles else he risked getting distracted. 

Talia squirmed below him, getting some leverage to force her torso upwards. She stared at Damian with all the love a murderer like her could muster. 

She spoke softly. “No, habibi,” Danny flinched, turned away from his mother like the words burned him, “That never would happen to you, Damian, because you were so talented and because you are my son.”

“I was your son too!” Danny shouted. 

Everyone flinched at the outburst. They turned to see the shaking form of Danny, his eyes glowing a familiar green. It seemed like air around him turned to ice as Batman tried to assess the threat before him. He still had a hold on Talia, but it was loosening. If Danny began to fall under the influence of the Pit then he would have to release her. Batman could not let Robin face a raged out ex-assassin alone. 

But then the strangest thing happened, Danny calmed down. Like the strings being cut off a marionette puppet, all the tension left his body and Danny’s eyes returned to their ice blue. The man before him took a deep breath and then stepped back. He took one last look at his mother and half-brother before turning around. Danny barely even turned his head to deliver his last words. 

“I’m done playing this game, I tried to do this peacefully but I’m only going to say this once. Talia, if you ever try to find me I will kill you in a way that not even your soul will reach the afterlife. Stay the fuck out of my life, enjoy the son you finally wanted and leave me alone. That goes for you two as well.”

And with that Danyal disappeared into the night. Fading far too quickly to be natural yet none of them could do a thing to stop it. 

[nikoisme]

Malam doodles

[miothle]

here's to another year🍵🔶

[exutrio]

orym and dorian in c3 x 120: "the red end"