noknives

[noknives]

it is perhaps a testament to bruce wayne’s ‘parenting’ that damian no longer keeps silent in front of his grandfather -- then again, the child still shows the same amount of deference to his mother as he always has,  so . . . 

the child does not smile,  but he does not flinch,  either.  he simply twirls away with all of his mother’s grace.  he does not say that his father does not allow him knives,  not for play,  rarely on the field -- he does not trust this new grandfather,  does not understand what he wants.  

“ i am not a child.  i do not play. ”

even as he says it,  he can hear grayson’s voice in his head,  reminding him that he is.  he snaps the stick in half with one hand,  offering one half back to ra’s. 

“ mother will be displeased if you injure yourself. ”

@noknives ( @crimeloyalty​ sent an ask ): * poking ra’s with a stick * ( that’s from @noknives )

“< why is this infant here? someone – take him away, at once! >”

an assassin scurries quickly to scoop the toddler into their arms, whose only crime was tugging on his grandfather’s lush, silken green robes. they mumble an abashed apology about the boys’ mother, his curiosity, that they have no idea how they ended up in this place.

“< children should neither be seen nor heard, >” ra’s remarks, hardly casting the assassin and his grandson a glance as they quietly shuffle out past the heavy door propped open by two servants.. “< not until they are proven, bathed in blood. >”

today, a different ra’s al ghul acknowledges a different damian al ghul. in a sunnier place, not alone – but close to it.

the stick is caught in an easy movement, pulled smoothly from his hands in but a fraction of a second. this is play – just as how he lightly raps the stick on the boys’ belly, just once.

“disemboweled. it is a good thing you’re not playing with knives, damian.” with that, he offers the stick back as if it were an estoc. “are you in the mood to spar?”

[noknives]

‘you can come with me if you want.’

“ i’m -- ”  seven?  nine?  eleven?  “ i am fully capable of being left home alone.  and alfred will be returning soon. ”  his arms are folded over his chest as he stares down the redhead ; he holds her gaze far longer than is comfortable before he shrugs,  walking after her. “ but i have no other plans for the evening. can we go to gamestop? i have father’s credit card. ”

[noknives]

❛  if  you  need  me ,   let  me  know .  ❜

“ we will not.  father is in peak physical and mental condition.  he has been ready to return to patrol for weeks.  it is only your misplaced concern that has prevented him from doing so. ”  brave words from the child who slept in bruce’s hospital room for a week after the bat was injured.  brave words from the child who recently admitted that he was afraid for the first time in his life.  

damian tips his chin up defiantly,  staring up at richard.  there’s a trace of worry in his eyes that only one of his siblings would be able to identify. “ but if you are so concerned,  i suppose father would appreciate your assistance tonight. ”

[noknives]

🐈

[noknives]

there aren’t two seconds between when bruce tucks the blanket around damian & when damian wiggles free of its confines.  ( it is a miracle that they have gotten him to stop wearing his robin uniform to bed ; he has insisted since his arrival at wayne manor that he must be prepared for anything at all times. )  he can read,  but grayson has explained that allowing their father to read him allows bruce to feel he is adequately fulfilling the role of ‘father.’ damian does not understand,  but he trusts his eldest brother,  so he no longer objects to his father’s stories.  his eyes narrow in response to his father’s attempt to provide comfort -- he does not need comfort,  he needs facts. 

the seconds tick by.  damian does not speak.  his eyes stay narrowed -- or are they scrunched? then,  there is a tiny shadow flying towards bruce wayne -- his son wraps his arms firmly around his father’s neck.  “ you will communicate your status to me or to oracle every hour.  i will monitor your location throughout the night. ”

@noknives said: how will i know you’re okay? ( from dami / noknives 😩 )   >   chorus    >    accepting.

the pause is tense: the question comes as unexpected, filled with a childish edge that bruce has not yet known from damian (he never allows him to forget damian’s youth, despite his training  &  skill,  &  he tries make sure that his son never forgets it, either… still, damian is not the type of child who reaches for his hand to cross the street). he tucks the blanket a little tighter around damian’s shoulders to distract himself. the book is turned over in his lap, resting over his knee. already, all the lights are out, except the one that sits comfortably on his son’s bed side table. he lets damian decide when he wants that one on: he knows how daunting the darkness can be. sitting back, he stares at damian’s open face, the question still clinging to the stiff air around them.

‘‘because i will be home before you are even awake,’’   he said, eventually. it is rare that he patrols without a robin, but damian needs his rest… on this, bruce will not budge, no matter how many scowls or puppy dog eyes are thrown his way.   ‘‘it is no different to when i attend late - night galas. do you spend your time worrying then?’’    there is a sternness to his voice that he allows to soften, if only a fraction.   ‘‘i will be alright… do you want me to finish the chapter?’’

[noknives]

bctglrl​⸻ 

“I don’t see why not – I could help you with homework, too.” The scowl does not go unnoticed, but Babs mimics him with her arms crossing over her chest. “If we move to a bigger place, you might even have your own room.” She’s not going to mention that they haven’t even discussed moving, though she expects it to be happening eventually.

“I can’t imagine your brother disagreeing to that.” 

“ i don’t need help with my homework. ” as if the son of bruce wayne & talia al-ghul struggles with the task he’s assigned.  homework is for children,  which damian firmly believes he is not. still,  the scowl on his face eases when she mentions his own room. “ i will consider your terms. ”

[noknives]

robin!dick the original little gremlin

[noknives]

never let your guard down around a kid with an ipad

by niteween on twitter

[noknives]

@acrobatick​

Anyway I'll now present to yall dick grayson's entire character arc using only two memes, behold:

[noknives]

By @ endure_gif

[noknives]

“ . . . ” for some reason,  he never expects barbara to push back on anything he says.  he’ll just fold his arms over his chest and ignore the comment altogether.  he’s scowling,  though he thinks he’s put a neutral face on. “ on school nights . . . ? ”  no father,  no alfred . . . he might be getting the better end of the deal,  here.  maybe he’ll allow this wedding to go on,  after all. 

@noknives​​ + continued from here ! 

“You dislike Grayson? Sounds like a lie.” Babs teases gently, keeping her tone light around Damian. She rationalized that this was a big change for him, that acting out wouldn’t be unheard of. “I might. But Gotham is home to both of us. Our family is here.” A shrug. “If I do, you’d be the first to know…You know, even if I did, you could still stay over.” 

[noknives]

a small head snaps to the side,  eyes narrowing as damian stares at the offending hand.  does grayson think that he isn’t capable of handling matters on his own?  he is here,  in the batcave.  he thinks that speaks for itself. 

after a second,  damian’s shoulder’s slump -- not so much that anyone who wasn’t familiar with the nine year old’s perfect posture would notice.  he leans ever so slightly towards his brother,  and it’s the only signal he’ll give.  what if his mother is watching him here,  now?   

“ your friends would have been slaughtered. and father does not believe in armies. i made a calculation. nobody was hurt. ”

@noknives​​ continued from here

he pushes a nearby chair over to him, ableing him to sit next to damian, to be on the same level as him. he hadn’t bothered getting masked or dressed when he’d heard what happened, all that mattered was reaching his brother.

“dick grayson couldn’t do much but nightwing has vigilante friends all over the world that wouldn’t hesitate to come if they knew what was happening.” not to mention the villains. “I woud’ve gather up an army if I’d known what was going on.”

he places a hand on the back of the chair, not really touching damian in case he wasn’t up for it but still being there. any sign of acceptance of the comfort and he’d move accordingly.

[noknives]

❛  god ,   stop  growing !  ❜

“ stop calling me a child ! ”  . . . oh shit,  the nine year old’s got a knife. 

[noknives]

❛  why  didn’t  you  tell  us ??  ❜

“ what would dick grayson do against the full might of the league of assassins? not even batman stands a chance. ”

he’s wearing the uniform ⸻ he doesn’t need to be wearing the uniform.  he doesn’t need to be in the batcave,  either,  but he is,  sitting in the chair he normally finds his father in.  he looks so small,  short legs folded underneath him.  

translation : i didn’t want you to get hurt.  

[noknives]

  oh ,  please !  i’m  getting  married ,   not  joining  a  convent !  ❜

" i don’t care.  take him.  i don’t like him anyways. ”

no comment on his feelings towards barbara ⸻ it’s okay to tell your brother you hate him,  but your friends?  damian thinks alfred would disapprove. ( damian doesn’t think bruce has friends,  so his father’s opinion is moot anyways. )  

“ . . . are you going to go live in bludhaven with him? ”

[noknives]

‘you’re the most important thing, today.’

silence,  for exactly thirty seconds.  yes,  damian counts.  no,  he doesn’t blink.  then,  arms folded over his chest,  he gives grayson his best bruce wayne ‘ i’m not mad,  i’m just disappointed ’ face. 

“ . . . today. ”

[noknives]

𝑴𝑨𝑴𝑴𝑨 𝑴𝑰𝑨 !    (   lyric  /  sentence  starters  originating  from  the  2008  film  “ mamma mia ! ”   &   its  origins  in  the  “ GOLD ”  album  by  ABBA .   feel  free  to  change  pronouns  as  needed !   )

❛  i  have  a  secret …    and  i  can’t  tell  anyone  else .  ❜ ❛  i  always  kind  of  accepted  that  that’s  all  i’d  ever  know .  ❜ ❛  [ name’s ]  the one .   i  know  he  is .  ❜ ❛  god ,   stop  growing !  ❜ ❛  you  sound  like  you’re  having  fun  already .  ❜ ❛  i  used  to  have  fun .  ❜ ❛  ‘mother’ ?  we’re the same age !  ❜ ❛  you  make  me  sound  so  unromantic .  ❜ ❛  [ name’s ]  gonna  absolutely  kill  you  when  she  finds  out .  ❜ ❛  i  feel  like  there’s  a  part  of  me  missing .  ❜ ❛  you  look  like  an  old  hippie !  ❜ ❛  i  bet  you  don’t  remember  me .  ❜ ❛  you  haven’t  changed  at  all !  ❜ ❛  oh ,  please !  i’m  getting  married ,   not  joining  a  convent !  ❜ ❛  there  never  seems  to  be  a  single  penny  left  for  me .  ❜ ❛  don’t  sit  down  there !   it’s  broken .  ❜ ❛  all  the  things  i  would  do  if  i  had  a  little  money …  ❜ ❛  it’s  a  rich  man’s  world .  ❜ ❛  come on ,   let’s  go  have  fun .  ❜ ❛  do  you  wear  it  or  floss  with  it ?  ❜ ❛  that’s  the  price  you  have  to  pay  if  you  want  to  drink  before  eleven  o’clock  in  the  morning !  ❜ ❛  god ,  i’m  just  whining ,   you  know  me .  ❜ ❛  are  you  being  taken  care  of ?  ❜ ❛  are  you  getting  any ?  ❜ ❛  i’m  so  glad  that  whole  part  of  my  life  is  over .  ❜ ❛  it’s  an  adventure ,   [ name ] ,   it’s  good  for  you .  ❜ ❛  please  stay .  ❜ ❛  i  made  up  my  mind ,   it  must  come  to  an  end .  ❜ ❛  will  i  ever  learn ?  ❜ ❛  why  did  i  ever  let  you  go ?  ❜ ❛  i  can’t  count  all  the  times  i’ve  cried  over  you .  ❜ ❛  you  always  did  know  how  to  make  an  entrance .  ❜ ❛  you  don’t  know  each  other ?  ❜ ❛  why  are  you  here ?  ❜ ❛  it’s  good  to  see  you .  ❜ ❛  i’m  a  shoulder  you  can  cry  on .  ❜ ❛  you  were  always  sure  of  yourself .  ❜ ❛  why  didn’t  you  tell  us ??  ❜ ❛  i  can  still  recall  our  last  summer .  ❜ ❛  no  one’s  seen  you .  ❜ ❛  i  just …   lost  track  of  time .  ❜ ❛  you’ll  never  leave  me ,   right ?  ❜ ❛  you’ve  turned  my  world  upside  down .  ❜ ❛  i  wasn’t  jealous  before  we  met .  ❜ ❛  i  still  don’t  know  what  you’ve  done  with  me .  ❜ ❛  is  that  really  your  dream ?  ❜ ❛  well ,   now ,   that  takes  me  back …  ❜ ❛  are  you  okay ?  ❜ ❛  how  old  are  you ?  ❜ ❛  will  you  excuse  me  a  minute -  ❜ ❛  i  can’t  breathe !  ❜ ❛  give  her  some  space !  ❜ ❛  i’ve  been  tossing  &  turning  all  night …  ❜ ❛  last  night  i  discovered  something  wonderful …  ❜ ❛  you  didn’t  even …   SUSPECT  that  you  were … ?  ❜ ❛  it’s  absolutely  hush - hush  for  now .  ❜ ❛  tell  me  what’s  wrong .  ❜ ❛  i  don’t  know  what  to  do .  ❜ ❛  you  know  what  to  do .  ❜ ❛  you  don’t  have  to  do  anything .  ❜ ❛  that’s  what  YOU  want !  ❜ ❛  i  don’t  know  why  you’re  going  off  on  me  now .  ❜ ❛  what  are  you  doing  here ,   [ name ] ?  ❜ ❛  this  is  my  reality .  ❜ ❛  i  can  deal  my  own  disasters .  ❜ ❛  i  didn’t  think  it  was  any  of  your  business .  ❜ ❛  i  love  being  on  my  own .  ❜ ❛  what  ever  happened  to  our  love ?  ❜ ❛  you  made  me  feel  alive ,   but  something  died .  ❜ ❛  let’s  pick  up  where  we  left  off  last  night .  ❜ ❛  last  night  never  happened .   i’ve  drawn  a  veil  over  last  night .  ❜ ❛  i  can  read  in  your  face  that  your  feelings  are  driving  you  wild .  ❜ ❛  does  your  mother  know  that  you’re  out ?  ❜ ❛  there’s  no  plan ,   god  knows  there’s  no  plan .  ❜ ❛  what …   is  this ??  ❜ ❛  i  can’t  accept  this .  ❜ ❛  no ,   you’ll  have  to  catch  me  first .  ❜ ❛  you  have  to  help  me .  ❜ ❛  baby ?   [ name ] ?!  ❜ ❛  you  don’t  know  if  you  love  me ?  ❜ ❛  of  course  i  love  you ,   i  just  wish  you’d  told  me .  ❜ ❛  don’t  do  this  now .   i  can’t  hear  this  now .  ❜ ❛  i  don’t  want  to  talk  about  things  we’ve  gone  through .  ❜ ❛  the  winner  takes  it  all .  ❜ ❛  i  was  a  fool  playing  by  the  rules .  ❜ ❛  you  know  i  miss  you .  ❜ ❛  what  can  i  say ?   the  rules  must  be  obeyed .  ❜ ❛  this  gives  me  an  excuse  to  come  here  much  more  often .  ❜ ❛  i’m  not  entirely  sure  what’s  happening  right  now …  ❜ ❛  it’s  only  the  rest  of  your  life .  ❜ ❛  you  love  me   &   you  know  it .  ❜ ❛  if  you  change  your  mind …  ❜ ❛  take  a  chance  on  me .  ❜ ❛  if  you  need  me ,   let  me  know .  ❜ ❛  speech !   i’m  gonna  make  a  speech ,   everybody .  ❜ ❛  i’ve  got  so  much  that  i  wanna  do  when  i  dream  i’m  alone  with  you .  ❜ ❛  i  think  you  know  that  i  can’t  let  go .  ❜ ❛  i’m  gonna  do  my  very  best .  ❜