#Talia al Ghul is a good mother

[captainshadowgirllostfan]

You know I remember watching the video of Talia telling Cheshire that Damian will be alright because he has his mother at his side in the Young Justice video and everyone saying the Chashire is right but they're basing it on the comics. In Young Justice, Ras is currently not the Demon's head or Leader of the Shadows...so at this moment they are all unemployed assassins...I mean it's likely all they do is train people in martial arts at their estate but even that is questionable. The estate is pretty empty

It seems like a peaceful place to grow up

So idk maybe Young Justice Damian is not gonna have that terrible childhood because maybe Ra's had gotten soft and Talia is free to love him

And Jason seems to be healing

Maybe right now where the storyline is with Jason and Damian, they're alright...

At least until or if Ra's gets back into the Light and become leader of the Shadows again

[fanfic-writer-and-rambler]

Bruce meeting his son: Damian. This is my headcanon and a comedic spin on the meet up. I just love the trope of "I have a child?!" Don't worry, Bruce loves his son, it's just a bit of a shock he wasn't rendered impotent from all his excursions as Batman.

Talia: Bruce, this is Damian. Damian, this is Bruce.

Damian holds out his hand for a handshake. Bruce obliges, but is unsure why he was being introduced to the young child.

Damian (confused): Why is he dressed like a bat?

Talia (mock sweetness): It's a thing he does.

Bruce (offended): Okay you don't have to talk about me in front of him. Why are you showing me this child?

Jason behind Bruce covers his mouth, chuckling.

Talia: He's my son.

Dick (instant realization): He's your son? That is your son? Which means... Oh wow. Wow!

Dick laughs, but stops when Bruce stares at him confused. He turns back to Talia and Damian, confused.

Damian (waving): Hello.

Bruce: Hi... And Talia?

Dick Grayson: Oh... Oh you don't get it?

Jason: He doesn't get it. Hahahaha!

Talia: Bruce, I'm going to hold your hand when I say this.

Talia takes Bruce's glove hand. Ra Al Ghul walks over holding up a camera to record the exchange.

Dick and Jason stood by waiting to see how Talia would word her reveal.

Talia: He is my son... And he is your son.

Bruce blinks not responding. He heard what she said but he was not sure what to say himself.

Damian (confused): The guy in a giant bat suit is my father?

Damian taps his chin.

Damian: Not the craziest thing I've had to deal with.

Talia: Bruce, you going to saying something?

Dick: Bruce?

Bruce (gulps): ...

Jason claps while laughing.

Jason: This is great. I am so glad I got to be here today for this.

Bruce (finally speaking): I'm sorry. I hallucinated that you just said the little boy standing in front of me is my son.

Talia (repeating herself): Bruce, he is your son.

Bruce (disbelief): No he's not.

Jason (enjoying this): There's the denial.

Talia (exasperated): Here we go again, yes he is.

Bruce (panicked): No... no he's not. I can't have kids my swimmers are broken.

Damian: Swimmers?

Talia covers Damian's ears.

Talia: They most certainly are not.

Dick: You can have kids?

Jason: I know right!

Bruce: He's not... I'm not... The kid is not my son.

Talia (uncovering Damian's ears): Yes he is! I got a DNA test done! He is your child. I have your blood from a... Not important and he is yours! The baby is yours!

Damian: I'm 9.

Dick (holding back his laughter): Oh God.

Jason walks while clapping again.

Ra Al Ghul (continuing to record the reaction): She unfortunately speaks the truth. I'm disappointed you share DNA with him, but we have the test. He's yours.

Damian: The guy dressed as a bat is my father? I'm sorry to repeat myself, but he's dressed like a bat.

Ra (Regrettably): I know. I know.

Dick: Bruce, say something other than, "No he's not." Or "He's not mine."

Bruce stands stunned and silent. His oldest son walks over to him and waves his hand across the man's face.

Dick: Oh he's actually speechless.

Talia (sighing): To be expected. Jason I'll send you a video of his reaction like we discussed.

Jason: Thank you.

Dick: You knew?!

Jason: For 9 years! Yes!

Dick: Why didn't you say anything?

Jason: I was fucking mad at him and wanted revenge and this... This is the best revenge.

Dick: I'll deal with you in a second. Bruce, are you with us?

Bruce faints, falling backwards. Damian looks down at the man in a batsuit.

Damian: I'm not sure I want him to be my father.

Ra (ending the recording): I agree with you child.

He walks off with the camera.

Ra: I'm going to burn this on to a DVD and keep a copy.

Talia (frustrated): You do that father.

Dick walks over to Damian, stepping over Bruce.

Dick: Um, Bruce is just a bit shocked he actually can have kids without adopting them. He's a good guy though.

Damian lightly kicks his father's leg, but all the man can do is twitch his leg while still unconscious.

Damian: Are you sure about that? Jason told me he was 'not bad' I'm not really seeing that.

Dick glares at Jason. Jason shrugs with a smile. Dick turns back to Damian.

Dick: Yeah, he's an amazing crime fighter and usually can compose himself. I'm Dick, by the way.

Damian: That's your legal name?

Dick (upset, but hiding it): My birth name is Richard Grayson.

Damian: Why do you go by-

Talia and Jason: Don't ask.

Dick groans annoyed then holds out his hand. Damian shakes his hand to show respect, but remains perplexed by his strange new family and that was saying a lot.

Pt 1

[spider-jaysart]

Sad baby Damian

[starry-bi-sky]

Do you think anyone ever tells fem!Danny that she looks like Talia?

Yes! Anyone who knew Talia would probably point out that she resembles her mother. Danny's got her old man's blue eyes and black hair and eyebrows, but predominantly her mother's features. Danny's a momma's girl even with the difficulties of leaving the League, so she would take that with pride honestly. Her mother is the most beautiful woman in the world in her eyes.

I'm thinking about when Damian and Danyal reunite and they're trying to reconcile/reconnect, I'm imagining that Damian just staring at his sister one day. When Danny calls him out on it, he eventually admits that she looks like mother. Danyal stops what she's doing for a moment, and then quietly preens because it's what thing to hear it from other people, its another to hear it from her brother.

[spacedace]

Had an idea, thought I'd make it a prompt, 3k+ words later realized this wasn't a prompt anymore but a ficlet 🙃

Anyway, here's the first almost 2k of Talia being a good parent and deciding to not go with either Bruce or Ra's and go off and do her own thing and raise Damian and oops she got attached to Jason while checking in on Bruce and saved him from dying in Ethiopia. & now has 2 sons lol

-

When her Beloved and her father demanded Talia make a choice, of who she would choose, she didn't hesitate.

She chose neither of them. She chose her child. She chose herself.

Outwitting both Ra's al Ghul and Batman was no simple feat. They were both brilliant, relentless and with endless resources at their command. It was why their clashes were as devastating as they were. Immovable objects and unstoppable forces the both of them. If there was something they wanted, it was something they would have.

But not her.

They would not have her.

She had her own networks, her own people, her own keen intelligence and sharp cunning. It took time - time she really didn't have - and a great deal of pain and loss, but she slipped them eventually. Shrugged off the shroud of who she had been - who she was made to be - and stepped confidently into her new life.

Her son was born nine days after her freedom had finally, fully been assured.

He was small and perfect in every way. Soft and warm cradled close to her chest, unblemished by the cruelty of the world as he slept soundly in her arms. Even as exhausted as she was after such a long labor, she couldn't bring herself to sleep. Her attention narrowed down entirely on his every quiet breath, his downy soft hair, his round peaceful face.

In the weeks that followed his eyes would shift and change from a newborn's blue to her own green. It would take years before she could know if he inherited any of his father's features, but that was fine. He was hers and hers alone.

She named him Damian.

In another life she would name him with her father in mind. That her son would rise as Heir to the Demon and conquer the world. That he'd stand as ruler of all.

In this one, she named him with hope in her heart that what he would master was his own life. That he would never be forced to bow to the will of anyone else. To be made to act as servant or puppet. Let him tame his fate into something good and kind and happy.

She did her best to give him the life he deserved.

Lavished him with all her love and affection. Gave him everything he could ever want or need. The friends she began making for herself - not just trusted allies, but friends - laughed that she would spoil him rotten. It was probably true, but she didn't have it in her to care.

Her son would have the childhood he would have been denied if raised raised in the home of either of their fathers. Her father would have demand harsh lessons and frightened obedience and impossible standards. Damian's would have tried - she knew her Beloved would have tried - but his heart would always be for his city first and all else, even his children, second.

Talia kept tabs on both of them, covertly. Ensured she always kept a healthy distance from anything that involved her father or his people. Gathered stories of her Beloved's exploits to share with her son when he was old enough to hear them.

It gave her insight on just what choosing her Beloved would have meant. Reassured her that while not choosing her father had been the right choice, choosing her Beloved would have been the wrong one.

Bruce Wayne was a good man. Brilliant and driven with his kind heart and admirable goals. Breathtaking in his skill and ability.

Disappointing in his parenting skills.

Talia knew she was lacking as a parent herself. That her own upbringing had left its scars and that try as she might she'd undoubtedly end up doing the same to her own child over the years. But she always pushed herself hard towards improving, in making herself better for the tiny boy that she loved more than anything else. And she felt satisfied that in the very least that when presented with options on how her and her son's life would be, she'd made the one that was best for Damian.

Not the life of an assassin or a vigilante, but the life of a child.

A child who was taught some of the skills of both the worlds she'd turned her back on, admittedly, but only ever for his own protection. Damian was safer knowing how to hide, how to escape, how to fight. She had done her best, but there was always the looming threat that they might be found one day. She needed to be sure he was ready, if that time ever come.

She didn't teach him the way she was taught.

When her son fumbled or failed she gently corrected him. Walked him through what he'd done wrong, how he could improve. Made a game out of the experience so that he came running up to her on toddling feet with bright eyes begging that they have a lesson. His excitement and delight in it all made him a better student then her fear and desperate need for her father's approval and affection.

There was a day she caught sight of him, all of four years old, tiny face scrunched in a look of concentration as he practiced the form she'd taught him the day before with his small, wooden practice sword. Some of his father's features lingered at the edges of his face, but he'd deepened his resemblance to her by picking up her mannerisms and expressions. Her son, going through the same steps and motions she had when she'd been his age, little body wobbling as he turned to fast before plopping on the ground with a tiny oof.

Talia had small silver scars on the back of her hands, so thin and so old as to nearly be invisible anymore. They burned all the same as she recalled herself stumbling in nearly the same way. Stomach churning as she remembered the terror she'd felt as her instructor had snatched her up by her hair and drug her over to a low table, holding her hands in place with a massive hand. The way she'd bit her lip hard enough that her mouth filled with blood as he struck her with the thin lash, knowing that if she cried the punishment would be all the worse.

Damian only blinked his big green eyes and scowled the same way she did whenever something of minor importance didn't go the way she wanted it to. Then he saw her standing there in the doorway watching him and his face lit up, bright as the son and just as beautiful as he jumped to his feet and darted over to her. Tiny hand clinging to the loose fabric of her pant leg as he begged her show me again Mama!

It was moments like that where she knew beyond any shadow of a doubt she'd made the right choice.

Her father would have broken her brilliant, kind hearted son. Would have done to him what was done to her to forge Damian into a weapon.

Her beloved...

He would never hurt her son like that. Not the way her father and his loyal followers would. But she couldn't ignore the fact that Damian would still be hurt all the same under his father's tutelage.

Talia knew the man she loved well. Adored his strengths, but was not blind to his flaws. He kept his heart well guarded, hidden behind imposing walls of silence and razor wire of words he didn't truly mean. Still kind, but horribly distant when it came to those he cared for most. It shielded him some, perhaps, but it left those who loved him feeling lost and alone.

She saw how Dick Grayson had grown over the years. Tall and clever and lonely and bitter. Fighting for independence, for acknowledgement, for his father to speak words of love and respect. Things Bruce felt but almost never said unless he thought things were dire.

She saw too how the heavy weight of her Beloved's priorities weighed up on his second son.

Young Jason Todd who saw magic in the harsh world he'd been drawn into and desired to be the protection for others that he never had growing up. She saw much of herself in him, though he faced the world with far more hope than she had at his age. He was a bright boy with a good heart that had weathered a harsh upbringing that Talia could sympathize with. There was a familiar anger in him too, broiling just beneath the surface, flaring up and burning him as much as everyone else when triggered.

Most of all though Talia could see the desperate loneliness that had marred her own life in the boy. The soul deep fear of abandonment. The painful desire for love from a father that always seemed to stay at arm's length who spoke rarely of affection and often of missions to be completed.

She kept a close eye on her Beloved's second Robin.

When he left for Ethiopia, searching for family in a stranger that had already given him up, she'd followed.

Jason only ever wanted family and love. A good boy, bright and fierce and brave. A boy Talia saw a lot of herself in, who faced the world with such determined brightness in spite of the pain and hardship he'd known.

Shelia Haywood took that boy that Talia had grown so fond of, took his trust and his love and crushed it beneath her heel. Callously handed him over to the Joker without a second thought. As if he was disposable, as if he was nothing more than a puppet to use and toss away when it suited her.

Talia had risked everything when she'd decided she would not choose either her father or her Beloved. She'd turned her back on her entire life, everything that had ever been and ever could be on either side. She spent months running, hiding, fighting and killing, in orchestrating a plan that could outwit and outmaneuver the two most brilliant men she knew. And she'd done it all so that her son could live free, as master of his own life.

Jason Todd had come to Ethiopia looking for a mother.

Talia, with blood on her hands and a burning warehouse behind her as she carried his broken body to safety, made sure he found one.

[smallbirdy]

more talia and damian

- mother and son ✨️

[littlefankingdom]

As a follow-up from this post, Talia who starts to present herself as "your mother" to any new batkids she meets, because she is living in her reality, where Bruce is her soulmate whatever he says or does. He may have another girlfriend, another partner, even a spouse, it doesn’t matter, they are just a "plaything" and he is her betrothed. And those batkids (Duke, I'm imagining Duke) being totally lost because "who the fuck are you????".

And Dick, as her n°1 hater, is screaming that she's nobody's mother (apart from Damian, he has to accept that), she is certainly not his mother, nor his stepmother, and she needs to back-off.

[cheeserobin]

robin has a metal backbone, don't forget

Haganse la idea de la Batfamily peleando con un grupo de villanos, criminales o lo que sea en una noche normal para sus terminos, todo esto en algun almacen o edificio en plena contruccion ( que gracias a la pelea ahora los trabajadores del lugar tendrian que hacer todo de nuevo ). Cada miembro estaba metido en su lugar en la pelea despreocupado porque ¿que podrian hacerles este pequeño grupo de payasos que hizo un mal intento de robar un banco?.

Uno de estos picaros en un intento desesperado por escapar va y prende una de las maquinas de contruccion que tiene un iman gigante, todo esto en un contexto caricaturesco y espera que esa maquina le saque todos los gadget a los vigilantes para hacerle el trabajo mas facil a su bando.

De la nada se escucha un grito y alguien aparece siendo arrastrado o succionado por una fuerza extraña, llevandose en el camino sin querer a Red Hood y a Orphan consigo, quedando los tres uno detras del otro atrapados contra el gran iman en el aire. El tipo atrapado es Robin, que para su mala suerte se habia olvidado que toda su columna vertebral era de metal pesado y que nadie de su familia ni el esperaban que esto pasara.

Por suerte la noche se salva, los criminales son capturados y los tres vigilantes logran safarse del iman. Nada salio mal ¿no?

En la semana siguiente se filtra un video de las camaras de seguridad del lugar mostrando el incidente de Robin y el iman. Damian desde entonces se aguanta las burlas o preguntas personales sobre lo que paso alli y que el claramente quiere evitar contestar.

Damian ama a su madre, pero esto solo le renovo el enojo inicial sobre el tema de su anatomia alterada.

[lewoooooo]

My thought: "Son of the Demon" Talia will be very angry with "Batman Incorporated"Talia

I wrote down the story of the picture of Talia that I thought about but didn't draw:

Talia will pretend to be Talia in red and give orders to save Damian. She gets extremely angry and hurts everyone who stands in her way.

When she almost killed Talia in Red, Bruce stopped her. He comes with Damian. (After confirming that Damian is okay, he wants to know why Talia changed her mind.)

Talia calms down when she sees they're all right. She accepts not to kill Talia in red, but on condition that she is imprisoned. Then she continues to pretend to be Talia in red, cooperating with them to solve the remaining problems.

Talia in Red: You're pathetic.

Talia: You don't know what you hurt.

Before returning to the original world, Talia had some conversations with Bruce and Damian.

With Damian

Talia: Habibi, your name is as good as I thought. I'm glad you're living so happily with your father.

Damian: …Am I not in your world? …or did you abandon me too? You didn't even give me a name.

Talia: I—I don't know if I'm right. I want you to grow up safely and happily, so I sent you to a good family.

Damian: …If I were him, I'd want to live with you.

Talia: Thanks, habibi. I'll always miss you.

With Bruce

Bruce: I just heard your conversation with Damian. Sounds like we broke up? What happened to us?

Talia: As long as I'm by your side, you'll put yourself in danger to protect me. It's not always that good luck, if…so I left.

Bruce: *sigh* Talia, I really love you. When I knew you had a miscarriage, I felt more pain than I hurt physically. I feel guilty that I didn't protect you. I thought you left me because you were disappointed in me.

Talia: Beloved, I'm sorry…

Bruce: We'll never get out of danger, but at least you'll be by my side. So when you get back, please don't leave me again.

Talia: I PROMISE. Beloved, promise me you'll protect our son and yourself, even if it's me.

Bruce: I will.

🦇🏠

Back in the original world, Talia brings Damian back and explains everything to Bruce. Bruce forgive her.

They live together at Wayne Manor and met a circus boy who lost his parents, a hungry boy who stole the tires of a Batmoblie, and a lonely neighbor boy.

[fanfic-writer-and-rambler]

Damian stands in a cage with his brothers. He taps his foot impatiently.

Damian: Where is she?

Jason: She?

Damian: I texted my mother before they stole my phone. Father is going to take too long.

Dick: What... What did you tell her?

Damian: That I've been captured, she's close to our location and they're torturing me. She should be here-

Screams are heard from the top floor of the lair.

Damian: She's here.

Talia running down the stairs: Tifl! Tifl!

The door knocked down with a battery ram. Talia spots Damian, ignoring the other captured Wayne boys.

Talia: My tifl! Hold on let me just the keys from this man's corpse.

Talia snatched the keys to the cell from the dead guard's hands and unlocked the cell, snatching Damian out and closing the cell before the other boys can leave.

Tim, annoyed: Thanks for that!

Talia, tightly hugs Damian. He pats her arm, uncomfortable but happy she saved him.

Damian: Um, thanks mother.

Talia: No thanks needed, my tifl is safe.

Damian: And my brothers.

Talia: Yeah... Good for them.

[spider-jaysart]

Some Damijon headcanons inspired by me being sick rn

As kids, when Damian became sick one time, Jon was at his house right away to see him. Damian was ready for their patrol with a stuffed nose, baggy eyes, and coughing with a sore throat and everything else, but Jon didn't let him go and made sure he stayed in bed, then he made his own space in there too and got in somehow to cuddle lol. He didn't wanna leave until his boyfriend was much better again and Damian just had to deal with it. Damian's annoyance about it later faded away though, cause being in Jon's loving arms definitely made it feel all so much more easier to deal with

When Jon got sick, he called Damian for comfort and chatted with him for a good while. What he didn't know though is that during the call, Damian was actually busy getting things for him the whole time, and then he later surprised Jon with a visit. He brought him so many things, like for example a box of tissues, some new mangas of his that he's been meaning to lend him for a while after their last swap now that he was finally done with them, his favorite candies, some cookies that Alfred had made earlier (which he had to fight his siblings for before they could even snatch the last ones away lmao), some sunflowers held together by a red bow, and some fresh, hot tea and soup he made at the Manor with Alfred's help, which were made using the special, delicious recipes that Talia uses all the time when making it for him. Jon was so excited to see him and also very delighted by all the items and gifts he had brang for him too, and so so much that he wanted give him millions of kisses to show it, but Damian immediately stopped him right there because he was NOT willing to get sick lolll, even though he really wanted to kiss him too. Damian then spent the day with him masked up, making Jon's previously horrible time a much more better and fun one that he enjoyed now, all while also taking care of his dear boyfriend. They later ended up cuddling and falling asleep together and when Damian woke up the next day in Jon's arms...he was sick and Jon was all perfectly better again. Damian was in distress with this but Jon just hugged him even tighter, seeing it as just more lovely time with his boyfriend and to also payback for yesterday's wonderful favors

Another time when Damian got sick, they were both in their teens. Talia found out and told Jon everything she knows on how to make Damian feel better again, which were things she would used to do for him all the time herself. She also told Jon that if he succeeded in making Damian well again, he might just gain her approval in dating her Son (that was a total lie though, because he had actually gotten it a long time ago already, since she had been noticed his good qualities before and how happy he makes Damian). Jon made sure to do everything he could after that, especially because Damian definitely needed it. Damian was also secretly in on this the whole time too, since he knows Talia already really likes Jon loll, so he was really enjoying all of the wonderful pampering he was receiving

As young adults living together, one time Jon was making out with Damian and then later he was like "Oh yeah...I'm sick btw." And Damian jumped away and was like "WHAT?!?!" He was so upset that Jon didn't tell him before and caused him to become contaminated now as well. Then Jon was like "Damiiiii! Take care of me plssss!!" And Damian was running away like "NO! You did this to yourself now!" Once Damian soon became sick too, Jon ended up being the one taking care of him instead for most of the time, while he still had to do many things for himself too lmaooo (plan failed lolll)

During their more mature and married years, whenever their daughter Nadja got sick, she would usually jump into their bed in between them both for comfort and pass it onto them that way. She has done this multiple times no matter how many times they told her she's spreading it to them like that, because she just really needs her Dad's whenever she's feeling terrible. They usually end up getting sick lol but always try to take care of her together still no matter what and then she starts feeling bad later and ends up taking care of them both herself like a sweet daughter

[syresdcthings]

Okay I haven't read ALOT of comics including Talia but so far out of everything I have read, the best characterisation for her (in sense of being a mother but also in the sense of being a daughter ) is in Batman: The Resurrection of Ras Al Ghul.

I mean, I'm not completely finished it just yet but so far she has been a delight to read. It shows that she's been manipulated by Ras since childhood and that there are after effects left on his treatment to her.

It also shows that although she isn't inherently a good mother, she cares a tremendous amount for Damian and would go lengths for him.

Idk... maybe I'm seeing it wrong but here are some of my favourite panels so far

[damnianalghulnotwayne]

Talia Al Ghul, bc we dont talk ab this womans trauma, or the way that the writers have mistreated her ENOUGH

[smallbirdy]

more for my little collection of talia telling damian stories <3

[evilhorse]

Good mothers don’t program their children to become killing machines.

[pen-and-paper-sword-and-shield]

“not a lot, just forever” by Adrianne Lenker is so Talia Al’Ghul coded im gonna CRY