#I just think this Batman fits that vibe really well

[avengerraven]

I think we’re going to get the War of Jokes and Riddles in the Reeves’ Batman trilogy. Hear me out! I will start with my weakest point which is that comic canon puts the War of J and R in the timeline of Zero Year which is a modernized version of Year One which The Batman movie was inspired by. Anyone who doesn’t know, War of J and R is a chaotic feud between Joker and Riddler after Joker tries to kill Riddler. Ed declares war on Joker and the two build their own armies out of their Arkham allegiances. The only way they’ll agree to call it off is if Batman surrenders himself to execution. Reasons I think it would be a smart story choice- War of J and R Batman has a confessional vibe to it which would fit well into the narrative journaling Bruce does in the movie. We’d get to see Gotham rebuilding after the flood and dealing with two rogues on the loose in the chaos. Following that, War of J and R includes a serious romance with Selina Kyle. Another weak point, because Bat and Cat are often in a relationship depending on the comic you pick up. We’d also get to see the relationship Joker and Riddler formed in prison develop and devolve in the world outside Arkham. It’s a great use of many rogues all at once and an excellent opportunity for cameos which Hollywood loves right now. It’s also another chance for Bruce to sacrifice himself for the greater good, which he loved doing in The Batman. He also loves Gotham more than life in this series, so it makes sense for him to give himself up in this version of Batman. Also, remember his no guns rule? Yeah, we test that real good in War of J and R.

[garpen]

if ur still doing the Q&a I have one.

Tim drake to me gives andrew Garfield's peter parker vibes. Skateboarding, photography, troubled teen vibes, etc. Why isn't Tim an actor??? Why hasn't he made a special appearance or smth on a highschool tv show like?!

Unfortunately, can't answer this one in the Q&A since it's a question related to Tim and not one of the vigilante personas.

But I love this!! I have TOO many unfinished fics but this scratched my brain in just the right place and now I have to stop myself from writing this ahhh

Like right before he confronts Batman and inserts himself as Robin, he's on a school field trip to someplace like Lex Corp, gets bitten by the radioactive spider, and becomes his universes Spiderman??? I love this idea so much!!

And bc of Batman's "no meta's" rule, he doesn't insert himself into Bruce's life and actively hides his civilian identity from him. Tim as Spiderman though still looks out for him and tries to help as he would have as Robin.

And Spiderman is on the scene now helping out, and Batman has to take a second to figure out if this is another rogue. It takes a while but relents that the kid is not a bad guy. But Batman also sees that this is a KID, a kid not too much younger than Jason was when he dies. And after the recent loss of Jason, Batman does not want another kid on the scene. So Batman is actively trying to figure out this kid's identity and trying to get him to stop.

Eventually of course identity reveal would happen, Bruce realizes like "Hey where the fuck are this kids parents?" and they develop a father/son relationship (but bc of how fucked Bruce is mentally at this time bc of Jason's death, sometimes it's Tim parenting/taking care of Bruce and vice versa)

Spiderman!Tim would probably take on Lex as his Green Goblin since LexCorp is where he got bitten. Plus green and tech guy. OOh!! and with Kon as Harry!! Son of the evil guy!! Fits so well!!! (won't make kon evil of course I love Kon, maybe a little mind manipulation arc that made him go off the rails)

Starting to think too of how Jason would react to this new dynamic since Tim wouldn't be taking the Robin mantel? Probably still angry bc his emotions were everywhere at this time + manipulations by Talia (I love Talia and don't agree with a lot of what the writers have done to her character, but yes to an extent she did manipulate Jason to a degree). Jason would probably just be more angry about being "replaced" as a son versus as a Robin. Titans Tower probably wouldn't have happened the same. Maybe more so he went to Spiderman!Tim to fight, but it ended in a really heated verbal fight.

Stephanie as his Gwen!! She "dies" like Andrews, Gwen (but like in the comics Steph doesn't actually die so no sadness forever). And then Kon or Bernard as his MJ. I'm an indecisive multishipper ahh. However if Kon fits the role of Harry, that would more likely make Bernard MJ. (but there is tons of shipping between Harry and MJ AND MJ and Peter so it could of course be a poly situation).

So many ideas running through my head now HOW DARE YOU do this to me. And now I wanna do art I can't ahhhhh

[callmerainman]

Oh my gosh! You should make an Adam x reader playlist on like what you think the vibes and aesthetic of the relationship would be like!!

BEING IN LOVE WITH ADAM | A PLAYLIST

"but it's not forever, it's just tonight. oh, we're still the greatest"

Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon fits Adam's rock vibe, first of all. I see him performing it at his shows, and thinking about Reader in the process, it's just passionate in every way possible.

"just to cure it 'cause I can't ignore it if it's love"

Adam is definitely bad at feelings. Has a hard time understanding when he's in love, and when he does it really feels "accidental". Also, Adam gives romantic 2000s rock love songs vibes.

"honey, we can see right through you. girl, you can't conceal it. we know how you feel and who you're thinking of"

This all time classic goes for Reader, who I can picture struggling to accept that they're falling in love with Adam (I mean, it's Adam). But they're having it bad, so they come to terms with it (but won't say it).

"where can I find a woman like that?"

Watch Adam writing a whole-ass song if he ever were to fall in love with Reader and they're taken. Performing it a show and looking at them in the eyes and everything. He can't help it, he wants them to be his.

"some things just make sense and one of those is you and I"

Still into You just fits the vibe, just over the top love rock song that would go well with a possible Adam love story perfectly imho. Maybe after a break up.

"oh I, I just died in your arms tonight, it must have been something you said"

Would comedically work as either Adam or Reader suddenly realize that they're in love in a very specific moment. Reader being vulgar or violent? This song starts playing as Adam goes all wide-eyed looking at them as his cheeks get red. Adam playing the electric guitar? Reader goes full Lego Batman GIF looking at him.

"Don't go breaking my heart"

"I won't go breaking your heart!"

Throw this song in Hazbin Hotel as a duet between Adam and Reader where they profess their love for each other as soon as they realize it.

"(s)he ain't got no money, her/his clothes are kinda funny, her/his hair is kinda wild and free"

I see this more applied to Adam. Because people will ask Reader WHY Adam, and he's just that guy. Can work the other way around if Reader is particularly unique.

"one good girl is worth a thousand bitches"

Adam, in my opinion, is capable of serious relationships even if he's kinda hinted to be a fuck boy. He definitely has many flaws in relationships but he would be willing to work on them. Also, I headcanon him to listen to Kanye even if he's a rockstar lmao.

"the soul you bring to the table, the one that makes me sing in a minor key"

I'll finish this on a tender note. Adam and Reader come full circle about how much they love each other, they accept it, they know. And love changes both of them, both their souls. It can be that deep, even if it's Adam we're talking about. Reader makes his soul sing, and Adam theirs.

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

"Murder is Werewolves" - Batman

I don't got the SPOONS to do this thought train justice, I have seriously been trying to write this thing for MONTHS so just, idk, have this half baked skeletal outline of the essay I guess:

I don't believe that Batman's no-kill rule is primarily about rehabilitation or second chances.

His refusal to believe that Cassandra could have killed someone when she was eight years old because "how could a killer understand my commitment not to kill" is absolute fucking MOON LOGIC from a rehabilitationist standpoint. No jury on the planet would think for even a second that she could reasonably be held accountable for her actions in that situation! Her past cannot condemn her to being incapable of valuing human life under a rehabilitation centering framework. However, Batman's reasoning makes perfect sense if he believes that killing is a spiritually/morally corrupting act which permanently and fundamentally changes a person, and that corruption can never be fully undone.

Dick Grayson killing the Joker is treated both narratively and by Batman as an unequivocally WIN for the Joker. The Joker won by turning Nightwing into a killer. Note that this is during a comic in which the Joker transforming people was a major theme! Batman didn't revive the Joker because the Joker deserved to live; he revived the Joker to lift the burden on Dick.

His appeal to Stephanie when she tried to kill her dad is that she shouldn't ruin her own life. He gives no defense of Cluemaster's actual life. Granted this is a rhetorical strategy moment and should be taken with a generous pinch of salt, but it fits in the pattern.

When Jason becomes a willful killer, he essentially disowns him, never treats him with full trust ever again, and... Well, we can stop here for Bruce's sake. Bottom line is that his actions towards Jason do not lead me to believe that he thinks Jason can become a better person without having his autonomy taken from him, either partially or fully.

The Joker is, for better or worse, the ultimate symbol and vessel of pure, irredeemable evil in DC comics now. He hasn't been just another crook in a long time. He will never get better, he will only get worse. If you take it to be true that the Joker will not or can not rehabilitate, then there's no rehabilitationist argument against killing him.

Batman does not seem to consider it a possibly that he'll rehabilitate. Batman at several points seems to think that the Joker dying in a manner no one could have prevented would be good. Yet Batman fully believes that if he killed the Joker, he himself would become irredeemable.

Batman's own form of justice (putting people into the hospital and then prison) is fucking brutal and clearly not rehabilitative. He disrespects the most basic human rights of all criminals on a regular basis. It is genuinely really, really weird from a rehabilitationist standpoint that his only uncrossable line is killing... But it makes perfect sense if he cares more about not corrupting himself with the act of killing than the actual ethical results of any individual decision to kill or not kill.

In the real world cops are all bastards because they are too violent to criminals, even when that violence doesn't lead to death. Prison is a wildly evil thing to do to another human being, and you don't use it to steal away massive portions of a person's life if your goal is to rehabilitate them. In the comic world, Batman is said to be necessary because the corrupt cops are too nice to criminals and keep letting them out of jail. I don't know how to write a connector sentence there so like I hope you can see why this bothers me so damn much! That's just not forgiveness vibes there Batman!!

I want to make special note here of the transformative aspect. You don't simply commit a single act when you kill, no, you become a killer, like you might become a werewolf.

The narrative supports this a lot!

Why did Supes go evil during Injustice? He killed the Joker. Why did Bruce become the Batman Who Laughs? Bruce killed the Joker. Why was Jason Todd close to becoming a new Joker during Three Jokers? Because he killed people, to include the Joker.

Even if these notions of redemption being impossible aren't the whole of his reasoning (people never have only one reason for doing what they do) it is a distinct through-line pattern in his actions and reasoning, and it is directly at odds with notions of rehabilitation, redemption, and second chances.

So why does he give so many killers second chances?

Firstly because this doesn't apply to all versions of Batman. Some writers explicitly incorporate rehabilitation and forgiveness into his actions. You will be able to provide me with examples of this other through-line pattern if you go looking for them. The nature of comics is to be inconsistent.

Secondly the existence of that other pattern does not negate the existence of this one. People and characters are complex, and perfectly capable of holding two patterns of belief within themselves, even when they conflict to this degree. You can absolutely synthesize these two ideas into a single messy Batman philosophical vibescape.

Finally and most importantly to this essay: he has mercy on killers the same way that werewolf hunters sometimes have mercy on someone who is clearly struggling against their monsterous nature, especially if they were turned in exceptional circumstances or against their will. They understand that they are sick, damned beasts, cursed to always be fighting against themselves and the evil they harbor within. It is vitally kind to help them fight themselves by curtailing their autonomy in helpful ways and providing them with chances to do some good to make up for their eternal moral deficiency.

I think in many comics Batman views killers as lost souls. Battered and tormented monsters who must be pitied and given mercy wherever possible. (The connections to mental health, addiction, and rampant, horrifying ableism towards people struggling with both is unavoidable, but addressing it is sadly outside of the scope of this essay.)

Above all, the greatest care possible must be taken to never, ever let yourself become one of them, because once you have transformed the beast will forever be within you growing stronger.

To Batman, it is the most noble burden, the highest mercy, the most important commandment: Thou shalt suffer the monsters to live.

[batmanfruitloops]

Happy 1st Anniversary to the Batmanfruitloops!!! 🎉

Whoo! This is such an achievement, but also it's such a crazy thought that it's been a WHOLE YEAR??? It means a lot that so many other people like our au as much as we do, and even more that we've been able to make friends; we want to thank all of you new and old for joining us here to have fun and enjoy the journey of our au!

With that said, I'd like to share some old art that's "behind the scenes" stuff from out time since we started our au.

also if you've been here since these were the profile picture and banner, you're a real one;

Fun fact, I (Sarsee) don't like fruit loops, but it was the first thing I thought of to name the blog, plus it was memorable. The au name being "Batman: A New Gotham" came later! Double plus, the abbreviation is BANG and I find that coincidence just delightful.

One of favorite changes that happened out of nowhere was John's eyes changing from more round to almond. He used to look a lot more like the Telltale Joker, but I feel like his current eyes fit better with his personality in our au. This also isn't going to show up because it's file names, but I had originally wanted to call the Joker "Jbird" like Batman calls him in the Lego Batman movie. (for context, it's the scene where Joker is tied to a bunch of balloons - you know the one - and side note, I want to redraw a screenshot from that with our Joker eventually) I don't have any pictures with a "Jbird" design because I never got the idea to work, I just thought it could have been interesting considering Joker works with Batman in our au and that would put him on theme with the Batfam being flying mammals/avians.

Most of the other original designs aren't too drastic either - or at least it doesn't feel like it to me. Scarecrow and Riddler have changed a lot though. And I think the changes that came about with Fluffy joining on board were much needed (Scarecrow's costume was always done by Fluffy, but I designed him out of costume originally -I was originally making the au myself, but that didn't last long when we started yapping about ideas to one another and never stopped) She also couldn't understand how I stylized his hair, so it became puffy and unruly instead of curly and gelled back. Ed can still gel his hair if he wanted to, just for special occasions.

Some old sillies as well from Fluffy;

we find the contrast between Batman vs. Scarecrow and Joker vs. Riddler very funny because it's so drastically different. The Joker and Riddler never really try to hurt each other, they just like to play into the dramatics and vibe while still on their separate sides. Batman and Scarecrow want to tear one another's throats out and watch them suffer for it because they have no idea what's going on in their heads.

with the villain!joker timeline, there's an alternate version of the Goon squad (Dork Squad + Joker) where it's Harvey instead of the Joker. Or as well, there can be all five of them. Harvey is the only person who can scruff Jo like the gremlin he very much is and he'll just let it happen.

I don't know if this will show up in the comic anymore, but at one point the Joker was going to refer to Scarecrow and the Riddler as Samhain and a leprechaun because they're both partially Irish - couldn't really be that specific with voice claims, and they'd be offended

and lastly, Ed gets cranky when he's tired

Batman and Riddler are the only two to get digital references at the time and man, do I much prefer how streamlined the final ones look. I mean, what was the dingy brown I had behind Batman? For a split second, Ed's coat was almost purple, but thankfully, Fluffy convinced me otherwise and suggested his shoes be purple. This is also before his vest, and now there's an in story reason for why he doesn't have it in the beginning. Also look at how skinny and tall Ed looked!! (he was still short, he's not allowed to be tall in our au)

That's all I have for now, we'd love to hear any thoughts/memories/etc. in the comments!

Love, Sarsee and Fluffy, your batmanfruitloops creatures

[noneorother]

The art director & the Good Omens book cover tier list of doom, part 2

Part 1 l Part 2

I am your resident Art Director/Good Omens enthusiast, and welcome to my completely meta-free book cover tier list. Listen, making a book cover is HARD. I should know. But while we salute these artists for their hard work and time, I think we can all admit that once in a while, the vision is just not on. And on very rare occasions, publishers seemed to have managed to commission the cover art directly from hell... here's where we left off last time:

Onwards and upwards, as they say. 11. International paperbacks, Goda Omen

It is inexplicable to me but I LOVE this cover art. It's so sweet and innocent, the colours are contrasty and fun, and the layout leaves enough room for the text. Maybe I would call it slightly inaccurate to have our boys dancing on Greenland while the UK has drowned in a great flood, but hey. It's charming. The international cover gets a thwack with a ruler for trying to fit "creator of Discworld" in between the two wings like that, though. Tier: Great

12. Italian Cover, Buona Apocalisse à tutti!

The Italian translation of Good Omens into "Happy Apocalypse to All!" really tickles my funny bone. Unlike this cover which is trying to scrape at it with a dull knife until I'm screaming on the floor. I know demons can only dance badly, but does Crowley *really* have to fracture both ankles while trying? Aziraphale pelvic thrusting his way into heaven is a visual I didn't think I'd ever want. Minus so many points for random murder alley where this is all occurring. At least the designer managed to wrangle the type into one of the best proportional layouts I've seen thus far? Tier: Bad

13. Italian Cover, Good Omens

A truly valiant attempt here to rectify a terrifying situation with that earlier Italian version. While this one actually seems much more interesting at a glance, the details kinda get to me. The Bentley's steering being on the wrong side, the word Omens kindasortanotfquite fitting on the black wing, the motorcycles with no drivers... TIMES NEW ROMAN FOR THE AUTHORS NAMES. I don't think it can even be redeemed by the most powerfully rendered Sacred Heart/Cardi B W.A.P. imagery I've ever seen. Tier: Good (Omens)

14. Japanese cover, Good Omens

Look, this designer GETS IT. Crowley and Aziraphale are a pair, a group of the two of us. Do not separate. It's also the only cover I've seen that uses shades of grey! The woodcut vibes are STRONG AND POWERFUL. The type is well placed! I should love this, except the end result kinda looks like a manual for clinical depression in the workplace? It's ending up higher on the list than it deserves, frankly.

Tier: Good (Omens)

15. Japanese cover, Good Omens

This cover might as well be an Ethereal/Occult firemen's calendar. Someone wanted teens to cut off this cover and tape it to their bedroom wall. I can't even judge the typography or the symbolism because I'm just getting hit with waves of pheromones and angst. I can't even tell if it's good but it's going in the Good pile because I can't look at it anymore...

Tier: Good (Omens)

16. Japanese covers, Good Omens

Other people have assured me that this is, in fact, a dual Good omens cover. Alas, I cannot tell. I don't possess compound eyes or even an exoskeleton, and as such lack the ability to decipher these decisions.

Tier: WTF

16. Japanese cover, Good Omens

Holy overlap, Batman! I can’t fault this designer for wanting to reuse the wonderful dual illustrations in a Ying-Yang layout, all the elements are there, but there’s a clinginess to the type and positioning that makes me feel like someone is trying to hurt the letters? Is this designer okay? Do they need a hug?

Tier: Does the Job

18. Chinese cover, Good Omens

Can I say how charming it is they’ve managed to conserve the halo and devils tale on the Chinese title, as well as the woodcut detailing? However, the simplicity of the cute, contrasting wing design is sadly swallowed by the intense, New-York taxi cab vibes coming off the yellow and checkerboard text block. It could have been so good! Chinese readers: I am mad on your behalf!

Tier: Not so good (Omens)

19. UK 1991 paperback, Good Omens

What are we doing here, people. I think I've stepped into a Jungian analysis of what it feels like to have read Good Omens. It's dreamy yet unsettling. Right yet very wrong. And Ol' "Tiny Hands" Aziraphale up there is really judging me for what they found inside my mind. In less upsetting news, we've kept the improved typography and layout of the authors and book title. All is not lost to the nightmare.

Tier: Not so good (Omens)

20. 50 Shades of Gray rip-off cover, Good Omens

*panic* WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE, PEOPLE...?! Bonus : the guardian quote is almost as much of a mystery as the cover it’s on.

Tier: WTF

End of round 2.

[alcorianight]

I did not realize this got so long, so rambly word vomit under the cut

I do think more attention should be paid to the absolute horror Jason must have felt after coming out of the Lazarus pit like a foot taller and built like a damn fridge.

Like he died at 15, tiny, still small due to malnutrition and then the leading theory is that the Lazarus pit cures that and beefed him up. For one, that's gotta mess with his motor control a ton, especially when you consider that normal growth spurts cause a period of clumsiness (think jarring steps, toe stubbing, knocking your elbow on doorknobs or whatever), so a total body overhaul -Lazarus Edition™ - might be enough to keep him from even walking properly, let alone fight skillfully and gracefully.

Even if you say he got his coordination back from training or comic book science meant the pits didn't fuck that up, being small was probably a major part of his identity. Consider Jason before Bruce. He was tiny, but still resourceful and strong enough to jack tires. But being tiny was useful. Being tiny meant more hiding spaces were available. It meant he was unassuming. It meant people's eyes skipped over him. It meant avoiding attention. It meant safety.

And sure, Jason probably complained about being small when he was Robin. Probably even dreamed of being big as a street kid because being big meant having power, but being big on the streets meant being noticed and he knew that. It was something to dream about when he was older but not what he needed then.

I've also seen people headcanon that Jason is claustrophobic from the coffin, and I kinda vibe with that, and being bigger also screws with that because things feel so much bigger when you're small. If you think about it, elevators and the like probably felt a lot more spacious when you were a kid. So not only has his body been drastically changed without his consent (and I haven't really touched on that here, but also consider how it has to affect Jason Todd (who champions consent and autonomy and personal safety of the little guy) to have experienced nonconsensual body modification first hand like that) but it can actively cause him more mental distress.

And I think, coming out of the pit, the memory of his death still fresh in his mind, and stuck in the League of Assassins, maybe being small would have been comforting. He could still access all the same hiding places he would immediately clock. And while the image of a big man hiding somewhere clearly too small for him might be funny, it's also heart wrenching because he's lost so many safe places in a single moment.

Of course when Jason does go back to Gotham he's learned to use his new body and the fact that it makes him intimidating as hell, but I think there's another negative there as well. Because as Robin he comforted people. No Robin is ever soft but they are all almost definitely better at comforting victims than Batman (maybe not Damian, but he's a baby which is simultaneously more and less comforting) and a big part of that is because they're kids. Kids just aren't as intimidating as giant ass adults and I can imagine that this probably messed with Jason when he first got back to Gotham and tried to talk to the street kids or the working girls because those are groups of people who are going to be suspicious of men built like a goddamn fridge. He can't come up to them like he did as Robin, and I'm sure over time he's won their trust and they find him a symbol of safety, but the first few interactions have to hit hard because it feels like he doesn't belong in a place that's been his first home. That somehow he no longer fits right where he always did before.

I also can't imagine how disconcerting it must be to not recognize your reflection for like every part of yourself. Like, this one time I had makeup done for an event (not my idea) and it was so heavy that I didn't recognize myself and I felt so uncomfortable with that and that was just my face. My hair, my height, my build - all of that was still familiar, comfortable, but can you imagine being unable to recognize even that? And if he avoids mirrors to avoid seeing his reflection, he might not even be able to recognize himself in pictures and videos. (There's a fanfic with this idea and it definitely inspires this post because I honestly never considered this before and I thought it was so well written and such a good point that we don't pay enough attention to. You should totally check it out if you got this far.)

The last point I have for this post has to do with his relationship with Bruce. So typical timeline (I think) for Jason is he dies at 15, crawls out of his grave about 6 months later, is catatonic for 3 years, and then spends a year mentally present training with the League of Assassins on his world tour or whatever. I am fuzzy on the details here but basically from his birthday, Jason can't be older than 19-20 when he comes back to Gotham (I think 19 is the accepted age) but mentally he's 16 and for some fucking reason DC artists like to draw him like he's over 30. THIS IS A PROBLEM! Like this is an extremely fucked up 16 year old kid that should be trapped in a 19 year old's body but instead it's so much worse because (and I've seen someone describe him like this before) he's actually trapped inside the body of a 35 year old divorcee AND THAT IS NOT OKAY! Like even if we're gonna say that the Lazarus pit alters the body to peak physical health that would be like 22 or some shit. Past 30 is not a physical prime. You can be fit for sure at 30 but that doesn't change the fact that your ability to build muscle and heal and whatever else are probably better in your early to mid 20s and hey guess what that's still younger than Dick's accepted age (or maybe about the same (I have stayed up too late writing this to keep proper track of numbers)). But Jason looks older than Dick more often than not (the Gotham Knights game will never be forgiven for whatever the fuck happened to Jay's character design).

Okay sorry for the sidetrack, but Jason looking older is gonna fuck with Bruce because Bruce is gonna have a real hard time seeing his tiny, malnourished, never gonna top 5'4 Jaylad in this giant hulk of a figure, especially when the age is so off. Like imagine you have a kid who goes to college and does a ton of internships or research so you don't really see them for 4 years, you're still gonna expect your kid to look like they're 22-23. If they look like they're 35 you sure as hell are not gonna pinpoint that as your kid. So Bruce sees Jason and it makes sense that he doesn't think that's his kid BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE HIS KID! (I'm ignoring the moral differences in this post) So Bruce doesn't see a kid when he looks at Jason but Jason is mentally 16 and, despite everything he says to the contrary, he sees his dad when he looks at Bruce. Jason doesn't see an equal, someone who is just another adult. This is his dad, an authority figure in his life, someone whos opinions and words hold power over him whether he wants them to or not. But Bruce can't see that. Because Bruce doesn't see a kid. He doesn't see his son. He sees an equal and that's tragic because you're always supposed to be your parents' baby. Even when you're 50 with your own family and nearly adult kids, you're still gonna be your parents little baby. Because parents see their kids at all the ages they've ever been and it's the fact that Jason doesn't have someone who looks at him and sees him how he was when he was 2 and 7 and 10 and 13 and 15 when he still feels 16 that makes this so sad. Because no one's been his parent for long enough to really build that and Bruce can't see Robin!Jason in the Jason that came back.

Wow, uh, I'm really sorry to anyone who reads this. This really got away from me and it's super unorganized and I just kinda word vomitted all over this. This was just supposed to be about how his body was different. How did Bruce end up in this?

[clementianos-blog]

From the beginning, Tim and Steph had a kind of chemistry in their lack of chemistry. They were very different - backgrounds, perspectives, family influences, etc. About all they had in common was that they were only children with family troubles, but even those similarities were abundantly different once you scratched the surface even a tad.

But what I find interesting, and seriously questionable, is how their actual relationship comes about. Steph repeatedly makes choices that aren't the best while "trying to help" and Tim repeatedly has to correct her. He's more-or-less acting like a conscience to her. I guess you could look at this as being that strong part of Tim's personality that drives him to help others. It's why he's Robin. Unlike his predecessors (and successors), the main reason he became Robin was to help Batman; helping everyone else was a secondary (and Batman's primary). To Batman, Tim's Robin is the "I'll help you so you can help everyone else." It's ingrained into him to see the shortcomings of others and he intrinsically wants to help.

There are multiple moments in which Steph is ready to walk away from a lowlife thug who is vulnerably facing certain death - and Tim explains why they need to help. But that's a major theme in the Batman comics in general, so it doesn't really fit the bill of what we're talking about here in a way that is unique to Steph and Tim.

But this does:

Steph is willing to steal two Zesti sodas from a convenience store after she and Tim cleared out the bad guys. He sees no problem in taking the Zestis as long as they will be compensating the store for them rather than stealing. He probably thinks "we COULD go to another, open store, but I'd rather help this one out" or even "best to be seen as little as possible" etc. It doesn't really matter. What matters is that he anticipates that she's thinking about stealing them. He asks "this your treat?" to put the burden on her since she was the one who offered to pick them up.

This could also be his subtle and not-enough way of pushing the "this is not a date" vibes he's been lazily humming out at her lately. Which brings us to the scene that follows this directly:

Tim has been emotionally cheating on Ariana for quite some time, relying on Steph for the emotional pick-me-ups and help-me-outs as well as leading her on. He's reflected on this a few times and even tried to do something about it several times before this point. But here, he is pretty open about his resignation.

This is the kind of thing teens do a lot - really, everyone does it at some point or another. We redefine our understanding of the world, of our morals, of our personal resolve to suit what feels nice. Exactly this is why it's a very good piece of advice to write down your goals in distinct, objective terms and keep them visible to you when you make them. If you say you aren't eating sweets for a month, be specific about what that means. If sugar in your coffee is an allowance, then say so. If desserts, pastries, jams and jellies, and candy are not allowed, then say so. Without being specific... we start to think things like "Well, a blueberry muffin isn't really a sweet (even though this one is covered in sugar crystals and tastes sweeter than the candybar I had last month)."

I'm not really cheating on Ariana. I haven't held Steph's hand. I haven't kissed - er, I haven't intentionally kissed Steph.

The problem is often that we don't see the danger of this stage. Just like Steph saw no danger in stealing two Zestis from the convenience store, Tim sees no danger in letting Steph treat their outings as dates. It's just a buck. It's just a game. It's not serious. No one's getting hurt by it.

And this is a problem for the exact reason Tim gives Steph.

What Steph did was so small, so simple, and seemingly so harmless. The shopkeeper probably would have handed them a case of Zestis each for what they did. But the shopkeeper isn't there.

Steph has Tim here to help her understand why it's wrong to compromise even an inch of her integrity.

What Tim is doing is so much worse. SO much worse. There is no justification, no excuse, and no good reason other than "this makes me happy right now."

But unlike Steph, Tim doesn't have a... well... Tim to put it in perspective. To help him see why it's wrong. Why it starts like this, and soon he'll be bending all the rules.

Instead, Tim has a Steph who is the one dragging him into this quagmire where he's blatantly cheating on his girlfriend and cannot see it for what it is.

And yes, it's clear he can see that it's wrong - just like Steph knew that taking the sodas wasn't really right. But just like with the sodas, neither of them recognized the action for what it truly was: stealing/cheating. Once put into that context, Steph immediately pays. If it were simplified like that to Tim, he would cut it off. The end. No more. I'll either say goodbye to Ariana, or I'll say goodbye to Steph.

But he sees something else: he feels happiness, he sees two happy girls, and he thinks, "No one's getting hurt here. It's not really right but it's not like I'm, you know..."

It starts like that. And soon you're bending all the rules.

TimSteph has a lot of positive qualities to it, but the fact that Steph's a project of Tim's - to build into an upstanding citizen from the rough place she's been raised - means that he needs to stay in the role of her pillar of morality. If he doesn't, as we see, then he falls himself.

Tim managed to say no to the Zesti, but the apple was just too tempting.

[carrotkicks]

some designs for the evil Young Injustice team i've got in my head, here's some ideas i've got too if you want to see:

Tim is a sniper bc "evil au so Bats use guns lol." he doesn't really enjoy getting his hands messy so prefers long distance stuff rather than actual fighting even tho he's perfectly capable of hand to hand.

He's got a really lazy and childish personality, and his costume is just a Robin vest layered on top of sweats to visualize it. He also has an eccentric/batshit crazy and obsessive side but i didn't really want to draw that atm. he's also the very human protege of an Eldritch Horror Batman.

Cassie was prty much the origin of making all these designs. I had this idea that her Amazonian brace thingies are replaced with gold handcuffs bc Evil Cassie has a cop fit because yeah. She fights with a sword because i think that would be cool.

She's still the leader, and pretty much has the same personality as YJ'98 Cassie, just meaner. She curses in every instance she can, and insults her friends as a love language.

Also i think the world of this au is somewhat inspired by flashpoint, so Cassie's like, the general of WW's world domination scheme

Conner is Lex Luthor's bodyguard/ top henchman, hence the business suit/mobster vibe. He's a very moody, angsty dude, and prty violent. The collar Lex gave him has a little kryptonite in it to keep him in line. It's why he looks kinda sickly.

He's not necessarily as morally twisted as Tim and Cassie, but he's still loyal to Lex, so he commits crime because he's very ride or die, and also Luthor could very well exterminate him and make a replacement.

Bart is literally just normal Good Boy Bart who took an unfortunate wrong turn while time traveling and ended up in the evil fucked up timeline instead. Bart doesn't really wan't to be violent and hurt people, so he doesn't and usually tries to convince the others to lay off the murder when they do team stuff at the least.

He's super nervous around the others because they are absolutely insane, but also he still loves them a lot and because he's naturally chaotic like that, commits so much crime with them because friendship comes first, morals second.

[hisaribi]

so, a batfam as hsr paths and types and maybe some backstory they might have in the universe

Part 1 of ???

I'll start with Gotham being something like Luofu or Penacony, they aren't really a planet, but they fly around, my guess because of the Court of Owls they're more on the Abundance path, as dudes were searching for eternal life, and also Talons fit abominations pretty well, or they were a mining ship, that got rich for some time but now they have like incredible crime-rate and a difference between rich and poor to cause another great october revolution, but alas. maybe they're on the Beauty or Elation path, they also aren't a part of IPC, but this one is weird, so don't worry

Then let's go to my favorite, Dick. He was born on a ship traveling the universe, performing life, circus, so basically he has no roots or home other that the ship. Most Carnies are following or blessed by Elation, so Dick grew up around mentions of Aha eon and Fools, also probably somehow connected to Masked Fools (and honestly this way for Dick to be, like how he deals with the world, being constantly happy as a pretend, keeping laughter to fight the misery, a light and a hope or whatever, I'm sure he has his mask somewhere), but because elation isn't a playable path in hsr, we need something else for Dick. I'm actually torn between Abundance and Preservation for him. Abundance blesses selfless, altruistic and healers (though ok Dick isn't really a healer of the party, I guess), and Preservation is for patient, sacrificial and proactive, they act like support with a shield role. Let's stick with Preservation. As for the type, also torn between lighting and physical. maybe we can pull Dan Heng and make his Robin physical with healing (hey, Natasha), and as Nightwing he's Preservation and Lighting, so let's stick with that.

So the story, they come to Gotham, his parents die, Bruce takes him in and Dick stays with him on Gotham.

let's move to Bruce then. He's either on Nihility, Erudition or Destruction path. actually Erudition fits most Bats, so let's stick with Nihility for Bruce, because fighting crime in Gotham is pretty meaningless thing. It also puts a bunch of DoT (Damage over time). I also think he should have Quantum type of damage, once again, because it gives a neat debuffs. so as for his life, his family was killed the same way, as in canon, then he run away from home and traversed the universe, maybe even with trailblazers, he studied blade and all that to become Batman, to help Gotham. Also just thought that now Gotham being a ship and it makes so much more sense to call her a She.

actually @brucewaynehater101 suggested for dc having their own aeons, or some entities, so Lady Gotham might be really cool, but I'm probably not in the mood for recreating a whole world building for this silly small thing that's already way too long

anyway, I'm sorta tired of thinking for now, so let's finish with Alfred being Hunt with Ice type of damage, because of his spy bg and because he has such vibes.

anyway, strike me with who to do next or your ideas about other characters, ye. don't donate to gacha games, good luck in pulling, I want Avanturine rerun

[sa1808fi]

I don’t think this has been mentioned, but has anyone thought about the way Rex and his ‘tough’ aesthetic kind of contrasts with Apocalypseburg's ideas on what being tough look and act like?

Like if you compare the two, there is a big difference in the way the two look, and I guess act as well.

With the Apocalypseburgers, they mostly stick to a brown color palette, and kind of have a steampunk/gangster vibe to them? (I don't know how to describe it). They also don't seem to look as 'cleaned' up, more like trying to show off their supposed toughness by looking all roughed up and like they've been in a fight (tbh they probably were).

Rex also goes along with the darker aesthetic (Since that's basically the stereotype for toughness), but less of the exaggerated rough dirtiness the Apocalypseburgers have, and edging more onto the sleek and sci-fi side. The dark blue and bright green accents also contribute to it, making him seem much more cleaned up (and I guess futuristic?(ha)) compared to the Apocalypseburgers.

I guess the way Apocalypseburg do their hair is also really distinctive. It kinda has a punk rock feel to it? Mohawks, tied up, or just long and messy (I could be leaving some out but that's the general ~vibe~).

Not too sure how to describe Rex and his hairstyle, because I would assume it's something that (If we're talking real-world rules) he would have to grow out from his 'Emmet' hairstyle, and it's a lot more -I wanna say- fluffy?

Apocalyspseburgers also have-like- an excessive amount of accessories, with all the heavy metal shoulder pads, spikes, or metal accents to their clothes. It gets just a bit obnoxious at times like they're trying just a bit too hard to fit in (But it works anyway). And besides, that makes it hard to do things sometimes because of the overwhelming amount of just straight-up metal on them at all times.

Rex... see for him I like to think that he has an absurd amount of weapons on his person, but he hides them well so you don't really notice them unless you know where they are (It's like that Lego Batman scene where Batman just pulls out a whole ass bazooka when going through security check), and he just has the most random things that actually end up being really useful (Plot device, also... a lot like Emmet). So he doesn't have as many accessories as an Apocalypseburgian, but still has a few things here and there.

I guess in the end it's really just Rex wanting to develop that tough personality that he was pushed into, but in a way that still sets him apart from Apocalypseburg since he has so many bad memories and experiences in that place (Also he just straight up hates all of them).

[brucewaynehater101]

Santa AU

Gun batman is unhinged and doesn't notice he lost his gift, his own deductive skills have degraded significantly but he's too arrogant to really realize, none of that group realize because they're so caught up in their own heads and trauma

Tim's ability to realize what someone wants most isn't just a matter of looking at the person and having it pop up in his head, he needs their name and has to actively want to know what the person wants, otherwise it would be too obvious and too overwhelming, and once he thinks of what the other person wants, his own deductive abilities fill in why whatever thing is definitely the answer

kon doesn't know why some people give him rancid vibes, which is why he points them out to Tim, he gives his bird enrichment and he starts to trust his own judgement a bit more so it's a win-win all around and kon does eventually start to figure out who he can trust without the vibe knack as he gets more experience with people, the knack just makes things easier

Cassie, again, is pretty sure her sudden talent with languages is because zeus and zeus is a jerk who is totally fine with stealing someone else's credit

Bart hasn't really ever kept track of how much he eats at any given time, he can make a general estimate if needed, but that he needs to eat less sometimes hasn't really registered, and no speedster is going to race another for no reason since no one wants to risk falling into the speedforce or whatever because they were curious about who's the fastest so no one knows Bart got an extra edge in speed

People being naturally inclined to trust Greta only works as long as Greta doesn't do something that would hurt that trust in her and since she's basically a decent person, she's good

Cissie figures that blonde girls are a dime a dozen and that's why people don't spot her and she needs to work harder to stand out in acting if that's the case but she's fine with that, she's always worked hard anyway

Anita doesn't realize her illusions that make people happy have some extra oomph and she doesn't actually like gingerbread enough to make it very often.

Slobo is super strong already, being able to pack away more things and balance them on one another isn't something he thinks to do very often or need to do very often so it goes unremarked

The gifts santa gave them are powerful but subtle, little things to give them an extra edge but nothing they'll rely on like a crutch, but things that'll definitely help them make their delivery to apocalypse and survive to do it again the next year

I like how subtle the gifts are and how personally they fit. They aren't overt, and thus nothing that would become something they rely on. It makes sense that Gun Batman wouldn't have the gift, nor would anyone on his side.

Kon giving Tim cases is exactly the same as giving a bird enrichment. That's a perfect description of it ^^

Kon's morphing into him just eventually knowing without needing the power is fantastic. It probably still works, but he's got the initial step down.

The others not realizing why they have their powers on explained well. I probably wouldn't notice being able to pack things away well or the gingerbread houses (I haven't made any in years).

[laughterbynight]

Pretty consistently there are posts about how Tim should have a new identity but the problem is DC has tried before and it just doesn’t stick. Tim doesn’t *want* a new identity, he’s only interested in working with Bruce. It’s built into his character. He was designed to be the perfect Robin to Bruce’s Batman. That could morph into its own thing maybe down the line, but tbh Damian has a better shot at having a new identity of his own. It’s established he works well with Dick and I quite like the solution tumblr had for this years ago where he became Rook, Nightwing’s sidekick. If you dig hard you might even find the old art if it wasn’t an accidental casualty of 2018’s insane bots.

If Tim does get a new identity it will probably need to be more subdued than a lot of the brighter birds I’ve seen thrown around, as he’s pretty much confirmed to be a “bat” personality wise. Obvs more well adjusted than modern versions of Bruce but my point is he would need to blend in with Gotham better. Raven, Crow, something darker if the bird motif sticks. I do like the gray ghost thing I’ve seen but he would seriously stick out, and I don’t see that working. Tim’s thing is he’s either working with Bruce or he’s not doing the hero deal. He was still acting as his Robin even when Bruce “died” so whatever he becomes, If anything else, would still need to fit the Batman vibe.

Regardless I think Damian should probably still work with Dick. I agree that none of the boys will probably take the mantle. Cass is the one who feels the strongest about it the way Bruce does, so why not start establishing something new for Damian now? He’s already pulling away although idk if that’s being well received by fans or not.

I didn’t dislike Tim as RR and I think a lot of other fans enjoyed it too, but it’s hard not to think of it as a placeholder identity. Especially since it was meant for Jason (not that I think DC will ever do the work to finish bringing him back into the fold proper). I’m used to Jason as hood, but it doesn’t make much sense to me tbh. None of the aspects of joker that Jason integrates into his identity do, but y’know logic whatever.

I think DC really needs to clean all this up but I don’t know if they care to. It’ll be about what makes money and is easy to market, not what makes sense, sadly. Granted…seeing some of their past attempts maybe this is best. We get enough character assassination as it is.

[internetgiraffekid1673]

Did you know you can move onto other brainrots and STILL be stuck brainrotting on the old thing too? My brain is a decaying piece of wood that has become an essential breeding ground for several species of rot. One of them is still the BatFam variety, so onto the next member!

Initial traces of Carrie Kelley, my child! Be honest, how many of you who have seen the Nightwing and Red Hood posts thought that I was doing Tim next? Well HA! Joke’s on you, I make the rules here! I have a very specific order in my head, and I will stick to that order!

Carrie is technically an elseworld’s Robin from The Dark Knight Returns, but Robin is my favorite superhero, and anyone who has been Robin will get my attention (yes Robin. Not Batman or Nightwing or any of the individual characters who have been Robins. Robin as a hero, regardless of who it is, is my favorite). At this point, she’s actually graduated to Catgirl and then her own iteration of Batwoman, but in my head, she’s the same age as Damian or younger, so she gets to stay Robin in my art for a bit.

I did two traces here because, unlike other Batfam characters, Carrie is in so few comics that I can’t just FIND a perfect, full body action pose from an angle that I like. The first trace is by far the most popular and easy to find picture of her, but it has her hair blowing around in the wind. This is a Problem, you see, because Carrie’s hair is a special challenge for me. In The Dark Knight Returns, she has this very distinctive hair shape that I do not like looking at OR drawing. So I knew the pose I used for my reference was going to need to be a pose where I could update her hairstyle. But, I also needed a full body, and that first photo is iconic, so two for the price of one again.

Stylization time! Carrie was honestly really easy to stylize, her hair is just a bit of a nightmare for me. I finally got a handle on it after the complete project, but it took a WHILE! Anyway, I more or less just lifted her updated hairstyle from her Batwoman costume and some cosplayers. And no, I’m not giving her pants. Damian and Tim are edgy Robins, they can have pants. Dick, Jason, and Carrie are not edgy Robins, so they get short shorts. I did give up on coloring her sleeves green. Too much of one color for me to effectively handle when her gloves overlap her sleeves. Also, I need to draw more characters with capes. They’re so fun to draw!

Characterization pose! In the comics, Carrie wears her goggles as a civilian too. I interpret this as her needing glasses, so I gave her regular glasses instead because wearing the same distinctive goggles you wear as a superhero is maybe not the best way to keep your identity secret. Comics Carrie has like one friend that you don’t see after she puts on the costume, and her parents don’t remember they have a kid, so it’s not like she has a whole lot of people to be hiding her identity from, but it’s the thought that counts. Schoolmates and random civilians and nosy reporters and all that.

I put her in a Girl Scout uniform for her civvy outfit because I think that it’s important to her character. The whole reason Batman took her on was because she was 1) crazy/traumatized/determined enough to buy herself a Robin costume, fight petty crime on her own, and follow him into dangerous situations and 2) used her Girl Scout first aid training to save batman’s life and splint his arm after he got his sh*t rocked in an ill-advised fight. I figured a salute, even if it’s a bit of a sassy one, was a good pose for her not just because of this, but also because The Dark Knight Returns is a very depressing comic, and so Batman calls her “good soldier.”

If you saw the first two posts, you may notice that I did not trace the hero text for this one, and that I used the same font for both names. This is because 1) I didn’t feel like the regular Robin font with the spiky R fits Carrie’s vibe, but she doesn’t have any comics covers of her own I can steal from and 2) I feel like Carrie’s personality is the same as Robin and Carrie. Unlike with almost everyone else, there’s no posturing, no distinction, no divide there. So the same font works for both personas.

Nightwing Edition

Red Hood Edition

[storiesforallfandoms]

my favorite superhero ~ robert pattinson

word count: 2601

request?: yes!

“hii, recently saw that u write for robert pattinson, if ur requests r open, could u write something about being his gf and going to the batman premiere with him and overall just being excited that he is Batman, thank uuu”

description: in which she goes to support him on the biggest night of his career

pairing: robert pattinson x female!reader

warnings: swearing, lil steamy moment but nothing explicit, rpf

masterlist (one, two, three)

From the very beginning, Robert had zero confidence that he would get the role as Batman.

He had mentioned it so casually to me during dinner one night, as if he was telling me about a mundane thing that happened in his day. “Curtis put my name in for some Batman movie.”

I nearly dropped my fork in shock. “What?! As which character?”

“Batman.”

“What?! Babe, that’s exciting! Why aren’t you more excited over it?”

“I’m likely not going to get it, so why get my hopes up?”

I looked at him, stunned. I couldn’t believe he was saying this. Robert loved acting, and he was excited over every character he had even a chance of playing. To have the opportunity to play one of the biggest and most loved superheroes in the world should’ve had him giddy with excitement, even if there were a number of steps until he knew whether or not he got the role.

“You have just as much chance as anyone else whose names are in for the role,” I said. “I think you can be excited over it.”

Robert shook his head. “I’d doubt it. I’m just the Twilight guy, I’m not a real candidate to play Batman of all characters.”

“I’d argue that playing a vampire makes you the best candidate to play a bat.” My joke finally coaxed a smile out of him, and I smiled back. “You don’t have to be excited if you don’t want to, but I’ll be excited enough for the both of us.”

And I was. I continued to be excited when Curtis called Robert to let him know that the director, Matt Reeves, wanted him to audition for the role. I hyped him up the day of the audition, which I could tell was making him feel a little more confident, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. I held that confidence when he was one of few actors that was chosen for a callback. I held it all the way to the day that Robert got a call from Matt Reeves himself.

His face gave everything away during the phone call, but I waited until he gave me the news himself before I celebrated. “I got it. I got the part!”

I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly, kissing all over his face just to be a little more extra with my celebrations. I refrained from the “I told you so” in that moment. I figured it would be best to save that for when the movie came out and was a massive hit.

It was a long process. Robert didn’t change much physically as he didn’t agree with actors basically completely changing their bodies to play superheroes, but Matt still figured out a way to make the process incredibly long. The costume fittings and fight choreography took weeks before filming even began. When filming did start, it lasted for many months. Robert would never admit to how exhausted filming made him, but I cold see it on him after his long days on set. Despite all of that, though, Robert was beyond happy in the role and excited for the movie’s release.

That day arrived a lot quicker than we expected. It felt like one day the filming was just starting, and the next the two of us were getting ready for the premiere. I had picked out a silky black dress to wear and was in the process of putting on a smokey eye look as my tribute to Robert’s character when he walked into the room.

“You really do not need that much makeup,” he said as he came over to kiss my cheek. “You look so beautiful without it.”

“I know,” I responded with a shrug. He chuckled. “But I wanted to base my look on Batman. So, black dress, and I think smokey eye makeup works really well for the vibe of the character. Especially after your raccoon eyes in the trailer.”

Robert laughed again. He sat down on the bed behind me and watched me finish up my makeup. I caught a few glimpses of him through the mirror every so often. He was dressed in a black suit, looking incredibly dapper and handsome, and he was watching me with this dreamy look on his face. I smiled to myself as I put on my foundation. I felt incredibly lucky to have such an amazing and loving boyfriend. Here he was, a big named actor who had just played the role of a lifetime and was about to debut that movie, but he was looking at me as if I were the star.

“What if we ditch the premiere and you let me take that dress off you and make your makeup run?” he asked once I had put the finishing touches to my look on.

I spun around to look at him, trying to seem shocked but I knew my amusement was outweighing the shock. “Robert!”

“What? Can you blame me? You look so good.”

He took hold of me and pulled me up from my vanity. He sat me down on his lap and started to kiss my neck. I tried to fight back the tingling feeling that was running from where he was kissing me down to between my legs. If I gave into that feeling I knew we would miss the premiere, like Robert was trying to do.

“We are not missing the premiere of what will likely be the biggest movie of your career,” I said as I reluctantly pushed him away from my neck. “Besides, I took too long getting ready for you to mess it all up so soon, and for no one to see how good I look.”

Robert groaned and rested his head against my shoulder. “I don’t want to go.”

“Why not? I thought yo were excited about the movie.”

“I am. I’m proud of what we made, and I can’t wait to see the finished product. But...what if people don’t like it?”

I took his face in my hands. “There’s always going to be people who don’t like it, baby.”

“I know that. But what if no one likes it? What if they all think it’s garbage? That I’m garbage?”

“You can’t let the what ifs stop you though. There’s always a chance people won’t like it, that’s just how being in the entertainment business is. But you put everything into this role. No one can say you were garbage in this role. And if they do, it’s because they just don’t like who you are or they can’t see past your role in Twilight to realize how amazing you truly are as an actor, not because you did bad in the role.”

He looked at me for a while before leaning forward to kiss my lips. “I don’t deserve you.”

I giggled. “I wouldn’t say that. I’m your girlfriend, I’m supposed to support you and tell you not to sweat the haters because they suck anyways and you’re cool, and stuff like that.”

He smiled and gave me another kiss. “I guess we should get going then, before I change my mind.”

“I guess we should.”

I could feel Robert’s anxiety as we drove to the premiere. I held his hand the entire way, giving him reassuring squeezes every now and then. I knew there wasn’t much else I could do for him besides just support him until the premiere started and he got to see everyone’s reactions to he movie. I had nothing but faith that the movie was going to be good, and I knew that Robert had done amazing in it. I just wished he had that same confidence in himself that I did. But, once again, I didn’t mind having enough confidence for the two of us.

When we arrived to the red carpet, I felt his entire body tense. There were so many people there already, all cheering and taking pictures. They knew who was in the car before Robert even opened the door. So many excited people there to see him in this role.

I squeezed his hand again, drawing his attention back to me. “You’re gonna be fine. The movie is going to be amazing.”

He gave me a small smile before opening the car door. Deafening cheers filled the air as everyone saw him. He held out a hand to me to help me out of the car as well, ever the gentleman that he was. We both smiled and waved at the fans who had been waiting for him. Robert took the time to sign some autographs and take pictures. I could see the fan interactions were helping to bring down his nerves a little bit. If he could, I knew he would’ve stayed here with the fans all night instead of actually doing an interviews or going in for the premiere. But, unfortunately for him, he had to move along eventually.

He stopped to do a couple of interviews on the red carpet. All of the questions were basically the same: how did he prepare for the role? What was his reaction when he got the call about getting the part? Could he see this movie becoming a franchise of it’s own given that it wasn’t a part of the currently established DC cinematic universe?

Robert answered each question with the same generic answer before moving along to the next interview. He tried to move through them as quickly as possible so we could get into the venue, but being he main star of the movie meant that every interviewer was trying to stop him for a couple of questions, and there were a lot of interviewers. I wasn’t even the one talking and yet I could feel myself growing tired of it all.

One interviewer did spot me behind Robert and said, “I see you’ve brought the lovely (Y/N) with you tonight.”

“I have indeed,” Robert responded, turning to extend an arm to me so I would join them. “If it wasn’t for her endless support throughout the entire process, I may not have even be here tonight.”

“What does that mean?” the interviewer asked.

“It means that I forced him to be here tonight,” I responded, keeping my tone light. “He’s a little nervous, as one would be playing such a huge character, but I think he’s done amazing and the movie is going to be amazing.”

“There seems to be a lot of good buzz around the movie from critics so far, so I don’t think you’ll have anything to worry about in that regard.”

I smiled up at Robert, mentally preparing for that “I told you so” moment.

We finally managed to get off of the red carpet and into the venue. I felt the tension in Robert’s body deflate once we were away from all the cameras and the screaming fans. The next step was going to be the Q&A, and then finally the movie.

“The movie has good buzz,” I repeated to him as we walked through the venue.

He playfully rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I heard her. I guess I’ll know tonight for sure how much positive buzz it will have.”

“You gotta stop doubting yourself. It’s going to be amazing!”

Robert wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him. “What would I do without you?”

“Crash and burn,” I teased before kissing his cheek.

~

Hours passed. The Q&A went smoothly, and then it was time for everyone to finally see the movie. Robert’s knee bounced anxiously almost the entire time. He kept glancing around the quiet room as we all took in the film. I noticed him look over at me a number of times during the film, but I was so entranced by it that I couldn’t pull myself to look back at him.

I had no idea what he was so worried about. The movie was amazing! Probably one of the best movies in general I had seen in such a long time, let alone the best superhero movie I had seen. And I can promise that wasn’t just because my boyfriend was in the starring role. It was genuinely amazing, and I was prepared to sing its praises to Robert when it ended, but it seemed I had to wait my turn. The moment the credits started to roll, the audience began to clap and raise to their feet. Robert looked around him in surprise at everyone facing him, and the rest of the cast, as they applauded. I smiled brightly at him as I also rose to my feet to be a part of the standing ovation.

Robert, Matt, and Zoe moved towards the front of the room so they could bow for all the applause. The standing ovation went on for some time, which they definitely deserved but my hands began stinging after a minute or too, so I just stopped and smiled happily at Robert. I could see that the weight had been completely lifted from his shoulders. He was standing a little taller, and a little prouder now that he had gotten to see the positive reaction to the movie first hand.

When the applause finally died down, Robert was kept around for another few minutes as people came up to him to congratulate him on how great it was. I stood by and watched, feeling extremely happy for him but also starting to feel the pain of wearing heels for basically five hours straight. Robert looked over and spotted me, then thanked those around him for the kind words before excusing himself. He took me into his arms the moment he reached me and pulled me to him to kiss my lips.

“They really loved it,” he said, as if he still couldn’t believe it. “Everyone did.”

“That’s because the movie is incredible, babe,” I told him. “Seriously, I think it’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.”

I could see the tips of his ears turning pink at the compliment. “Well, let’s not go that far.” But the smile on his face gave away the humble act he was trying to pull.

“Let’s go home?” I asked, leaning into his touch as I felt fatigue start to wash over me. “I’m ready to take all of this off and let you do whatever it was you had planned for me earlier.”

He smirked. “Oh, I’ve been waiting to do that all night. I could barley keep my hands off of you in this dress. I can’t wait to see how nice it looks on the floor next to our bed, though.”

We started for the exit. Our ride was waiting for us just outside the door. Robert thanked a few more people who stopped him to compliment him on the movie before the two of us finally got into the car and started back towards home. My head was resting against his shoulder as we drove along, the car dark except for the occasional street light shining in through the window. We were close to home when something popped into my head.

“I told you so.”

He looked over at me, an eyebrow quirked. “What was that?”

“I said I told you so. I’ve been waiting a very long time to be able to say that, and now I can.”

Robert chuckled and kissed the top of my head. “You did tell me so. Please keep telling me so for the rest of time.”

I smiled. “I will.”

[pralinesims]

Hi! I was a first-time anon who had asked about the movie theater story you were working on a little while back (I never got to respond but I always like making people happy, and I'm glad I motivated you to continue it bc I love it so much).

But anyways, I wanted to ask this because I was genuinely curious: if each of your OCs had a Letterboxd, what would be their four favorite movies? Some might be bigger movie buffs than others, probably, but for the ones who are obsessed with them, is there a way they would organize their favorites, or do they just go with vibes?

HIYA and welcome back aaaa ;_; MWAH thank you so much!

Emilio: is totally into action movies, especially loves stuff where he can identify with the main hero. Laughs tears when watching movies like Hangover or other bromance comedy typa shit.

Vale: Give him anything sci-fi, horror or thriller and he'll be happy. For example I feel like he'd be obsessed with The Thing. Also probably enjoys stuff like Mad Max.

Luca: MAJOR MOVIE BUFF ALERT. Enjoys watching indie movies, even if they're a total slog. Also loves the classics from the golden age of Hollywood and things like comic adaptions, think of Batman and such. He'd probably be a very active Letterboxd user. I truly feel like he'd watch every movie out there.

Sharon: Hmm I don't really see her watching much movies. I'd figure she'd rather be into documentary typa things.

Aaron: I think he'd watch stuff like The Matrix, The Godfather, and similar movies which are rather hard hitting? Enjoys a good plot twist. Also The Lord of the Rings and such, he'd love adaptions of his fav books. Genres wouldn't matter much to him I feel like, but he'd DEFINITELY cringe at romcoms.

Gina: Something she can cry her heart out to. I'd figure she'd love dramas. Titanic and other tearjerker kinda stuff. And anything Ghibli!!! I'd believe she'd like the animated kinda type of movies a tad more.

Devyn: Hmm, I feel like he'd be a Fight Club and American Psycho typa guy. Prolly always rewatching critically well acclaimed classics. But also does not say no to sillier movies, and sings along to musicals.

Kaia: She's that kinda girl that probably almost exclusively watches horror movies. Has built up a heavy tolerance over years, so nothing is really shocking to her anymore. Yet she still can't be assed to watch another type of movie for once.

Maggie: Regularly watches the most disgusting, goriest splatter movies you can find, and laughs out loud when people die. Besides these, she's totally into sillier, lighthearted movies, like romcoms or stuff like Mean Girls.

// some whining from me + extra explanation under the cut:

...and to be frank, but THIS is one bigger aspect I kinda struggle with assigning to my OC's, only rarely I directly know which movie fits, bc I simply don't know enough ones. I do know what THEY like. Just no very specific examples. But generally, I am able to assign their preferred genres or type of movie. But really like. oh man. forgive me. I am the absolute WORST person to ask when it comes to movies because I very rarely watch some?

So here have my vague answers bc with this theme, I legit have to base it just around my general feel for it, cause my movie knowledge barely is developed lmao. Nor do I know anything about Letterboxd, but I might update some answers once I remember specific movies I felt like were right assigning to? But so far please have these ones ok!