#basically been every robin except for jason

[hanshenrykcd]

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Steve was lying on the floor of Robin's room, his back against the wall as he let Robin paint his toenails while he flipped through one of her magazines. The radio played softly in the background.

"I am totally new to having a girlfriend, and by girlfriend, I mean platonic girlfriend," Robin said.

"Well, that's one thing we got in common, I don't think I've ever had a girl who's just a friend," Steve said.

"What about Perkins?" Robin asked.

"She doesn't count, I hated her. She's the reason Tommy became such an asshole," Steve said.

"Hm, yeah," Robin said and paused. "So, how close were you and Tommy?"

"Well, we were friends since we were eight. We pretty much bonded over the fact that we both had assholes for fathers. We shared everything and told each other everything. He told me about his first crush, and I told him about my first crush. We practiced kissing, practiced having sex, and when I got first kiss, I told him immediately," Steve said.

"Woah, woah, woah! Back it up!" Robin exclaimed, and she closed the nail polish. "What the fuck do you mean you practiced kissing and having sex with Tommy Hagan?"

"Exactly what it means," Steve said, rolling his eyes. "We hadn't gotten girlfriends yet, and we wanted to get good before we did. It doesn't mean anything. We like women, so it didn't count."

"It still counts!" Robin shrieked. "Did you or did you not put your lips on Tommy's?"

"Yeah, and I also let Tommy put his dick in my ass. I was basically his pillow," Steve said as he continued to casually flip through the magazine. "It doesn't count if you're not gay, Robin."

"It doesn't work like that! Steve Harrington, the first time you had sex was with Tommy Hagan!" Robin exclaimed.

"It was not!" Steve exclaimed, throwing down the magazine.

"Was too!" She yelled.

"Was not!" Steve yelled.

"Okay! So, let's say if I kissed you right now. . .," Robin said.

"Wouldn't count as your first kiss, you're a lesbian and I'm straight," Steve said.

Robin grinned, a manic look in her eye. She pulled her hand back and slapped Steve across the face. He screamed.

"Didn't count! I'm a lesbian and you're straight!" Robin yelled.

"Okay, okay, I see your point. Jesus, did you have to hit me so hard?" Steve asked, rubbing his red cheek.

"Yeah, dingus, I did," Robin said.

"Okay, so my first kiss was with Tommy, and I lost my virginity. We're not gay, though," Steve said.

"No, just desperate and very horny teenagers, apparently," Robin rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you had gay sex before me, and you're not even gay. I bet you pictured some blond with big boobies."

"Well, no, actually," Steve shrugged.

"Hm, what do you mean?" Robin asked.

"I didn't have to picture a woman. I liked it," Steve shrugged.

"You liked it?!" Robin asked.

"Well, I am a man, Robin," Steve said.

"Uh, except not every man likes it when another man rams it up his asshole," Robin said. "Okay, I kind of wish I had been more delicate about this, but I didn't know this was you being in denial kind of situation."

"I'm straight, Robin, I like women," Steve said.

"Yeah, and did you know that you can like men and women?" Robin asked.

"What?" Steve asked.

Robin smiled and got up to pull out a box from underneath her bed. She pulled out a magazine and tossed it at Steve.

"Read it, study it, learn from it," Robin said.

Steve looked at it quizzically for a moment before opening it. He stared at it for the longest time before finally closing it.

"I am an idiot," Steve said.

"No, you're not. You just didn't know," she said softly.

"Bisexual," Steve whispered, and then he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh my god, this whole time, I thought I lost my virginity to Chrissy Cunningham."

"Chrissy Cunningham?" Robin asked.

"Uh, we used to hang out all the time before she started dating Jason Carver," Steve said. "Our parents ran in the same circles."

"Well, you know, I guess you could say you lost your guy virginity to Tommy Hagan and your girl virginity to Chrissy Cunningham," Robin said.

"Yeah, that's true," Steve grinned. "Thanks, Robin, and especially thank you for giving me that slap. I definitely needed it."

"Anytime that you want me to hit you, I'm your woman," Robin replied.

They moved towards Robin's window sill and sat on it, opening a window to get some fresh air.

"You know this means that I'm not straight," Steve said.

"Something else we have in common," she said.

"You ever wonder how many out there who are like me and who just don't know?" he asked as he looked up at the moon. "Here in Hawkins, I mean."

"Probably a lot more than we think," Robin said. "And they're out there, sitting in their closets wondering if they're ever going escape themselves or be rescued."

"Isn't crazy how we found ourselves?" Steve said.

"Maybe queer people just end up finding each other," Robin said.

"Well, maybe they'll find their way out themselves," Steve said and then he looked her, hazel eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "Seriously, Robin, thank you."

"You did that yourself, you know, you just needed a nudge. I mean, you could have told me to go fuck myself and continued to live in denial," Robin said. "You're a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for."

Steve smiled bashfully and glanced back at the moon. He looked at her, with tears in his eyes.

"Is it possible to be platonically in love with someone?" he asked.

"I think anything is possible," she said. "I think it's a definite because I know that I'm absolutely, platonically in love with you."

They dangled their feet out the window and leaned against each other, Steve resting his head on top of Robin's.

"I wish I'd known you sooner," he whispered.

"I wish I'd known you sooner, too," she whispered back.

They were here now, though, and absolutely nothing could get in between them.

Part Two

[brucewaynehater101]

Jason Was Never Robin AU

Or Matt Murdock-ing Jason Todd

Jason still steals Batman's tires and gets caught. However, Batman actually takes 5 seconds to verify that the orphanage he's personally dropping a child off is safe. It's an exceptional orphanage well-known for supporting its charges.

The orphanage isn't corrupt. There's no reason for Jason to seek out Batman. Jason never gets adopted.

It's hard for him, incredibly fucking hard for a kid with no family support and no money, but Jason manages to get himself through law school and become a practicing lawyer. He is exceptional at his job, head hunted even before he graduates, but he doesn't sign on with a big name firm.

He easily could have with his skills. Yet, he remembers his dad. He remembers his father struggling to make the bills, trying his best to support his family, and resorting to crime to feed them. Jason was young, but he knows his dad loved him. He remembers a dad that wanted to give him the world but could hardly afford winter clothes. He's heard the scorn others had whispered about the meassures Willis had to take, the judgment of those never in Willis' shoes, and the way the law was set against them. Then, there was the day that Willis never returned. The weeks Jason and his mom waited wondering what happened to Willis while plagued by the sinking feeling that he would've returned if he could.

Jason will never forget his days on streets, the working girls that protected him, and the cops that spit on him. He had to resort to stealing, running, hiding, and bargaining to survive. He lasted by the kindness of others in only slightly better situations than him.

Thus, when Jason is able to take clients, he sets up his own firm in a run-down Crime Alley building.

It's slow going, with the inherent distrust of Crime Alley residents who have been screwed over by the system at every turn, but he gains trust. He helps his neighbors fight greedy landlords, defends people from police misconduct/abuse, and takes cases against major corporations. He's not paid well, working out of a crumbling office and most of the time pro bono, yet he never goes without his basic needs.

Miss Haya drops off the occasional meal after Jason helped her grandson. After saving Samuel's place to live, the man knitted a beautiful turquoise scarf and hat. Mr. Tau replaced all of Jason's office furniture with handcrafted pieces. Sandra fixed up the leaky pipes, and Deno has repatched the electrical a handful of times.

Over time, Jason becomes an integral part of Crime Alley who is known for helping its citizens no matter their profession or opponent. He has hard lines, there are cases he refuses to take, but he can't be bought or threatened. He works with the community and uplifts the organizations that seek to aid and support its citizens.

Hits are constantly taken out on his life (by mobs, gangs, rogues, elites, corporations, and others). He defends himself and his community from these threats even at great cost to himself.

Best of all? Batman isn't welcome in Crime Alley.

Jason Todd is thankful to the man for dropping him off at a decent support system. Yet, Batman is an unchecked enforcement whose main response to Crime Alley is violence or neglect (in this AU). As a lawyer who continuously takes up cases against the GCPD, he takes issue with the fact that no one can hold Batman accountable for his actions.

Thus, Jason's feelings on Batman are complicated. He can appreciate the desire to help. He can understand that some people escape the law and that the system is corrupt. He even acknowledges that the GCPD is not equipped to handle meta humans or certain other threats to public safety (such as the Joker).

Yet, what do they do when Batman goes too far? Even if Gotham could trust Batman to always do what's right, what about the precedent Batman is setting for future vigilantes?

So, Crime Alley doesn't welcome Batman. They don't support him and may even harass him if he passes the border into that section.

[gravebirds0dmnk]

DAMIAN WAYNE RANT

Once again!!

Damian Wayne is not just a bratty, murderous goblin child who hates everyone except his dad and his cat. The fandom loves to flatten him into this one-note "feral gremlin" who snarls at everyone and occasionally gets chucked off a rooftop for laughs. But if you actually read the comics, his dynamic with the Bat-family , especially his siblings..is a lot more layered, meaningful, and dare I say... human?

Dick Grayson (Nightwing):

Canon Damian sees Dick as a role model. Period. End of story. Dick was the first person who treated Damian like more than a weapon. He gave him a chance to be Robin, he mentored him, he made fun of him like a real older brother would - and Damian grew for it. He mourned Dick deeply when he was presumed dead, to the point that it shattered him. But fandom? Nah. Let’s just make Damian constantly call him “Grayson” like a snob and ignore all the warmth and growth. Or make him his father figure when he's obviously not!!

Tim Drake (Red Robin):

Okay, yes - these two butted heads hard. The early animosity is real, and it makes sense. Tim felt replaced, and Damian felt defensive and superior. But even that evolved! They’ve saved each other’s lives multiple times. They’ve come to respect each other, even if grudgingly. Damian has acknowledged Tim’s intellect and leadership. But fandom loves to freeze them in that "I tried to kill you once so we must always be enemies" phase, forever.

Jason Todd (Red Hood):

Now this one is where fandom either completely ignores it or just makes it into the “edgy murder bros” trope. But in canon, Jason and Damian have bonded. They both have complicated relationships with Bruce. They both hate authority sometimes. Jason has gone out of his way to help Damian in more recent comics, and Damian has trusted Jason when he wouldn’t trust anyone else. But fandom wants Damian to be scared of Jason or constantly annoyed by him for some reason?

Barbara, Steph, Cass, Duke, etc.:

This is where the fandom just gets lazy. Damian’s relationships withthe extended Bat-family are often nuanced and evolving. He’s had sweet moments with Barbara as Oracle, and his interactions with Steph and Cass (especially post-Rebirth) are often respectful. Damian clearly values Duke and even helped him during the Robin War" stuff. But fandom? Let’s erase all of that and just make Damian a sexist, rude little troll to all women and a lone wolf to everyone else.

Bottom line:

Canon Damian Wayne is a work in progress. That’s the whole point of his arc - he was raised to be a killer and chose to be a hero. His journey is messy and difficult, but it’s full of growth, love, and actual relationships with the people around him. The Bat-family, dysfunctional as they are, is his family. He fights for them, mourns them, learns from them.

Fandom Damian? Often just a punchline or a one-dimensional trope.

Let the kid be complicated. Let him grow. And for the love of Gotham, stop acting like he’s never hugged anyone in his life.

I am begging the fandom to make up its damn mind.

Is Damian Wayne a violent little goblin child who kicks puppies and bullies everyone in his path - or is he a soft, baby-faced toddler who can’t lift a sword without help and needs to be swaddled by every older Bat-sibling in sight?

Because I swear, the whiplash is real.

Let’s start with “uwu baby Damian” syndrome:

This version of Damian is everywhere. The one who’s four feet tall and always sobbing. The one who can’t tie his own shoes but calls Bruce “Father” like a formal Victorian orphan. The one who is basically just a house cat in a cape, curled up in Dick’s lap with his eyes big and sad because someone said “no.”

And look, I get it — young Damian moments can be adorable. He has his sweet scenes. He’s been through hell. Seeing him relax with a pet or accept a hug can be genuinely moving.

But when fandom strips away all his sharpness, his intelligence, his pride, and yes, his snark, just to turn him into a plush toy that needs cuddles and protection from the world, it’s not just inaccurate - it’s insulting. Damian isn’t soft by default. He chooses compassion despite his upbringing. That’s what makes it powerful.

Then there’s “bully Damian,” aka pure Gremlin Core:

This is the version of Damian who never grew past his first dozen issues - the one who tried to stab Tim, called everyone beneath him, and needed a muzzle at all times. Fandom loves to make him the mean little kid who mocks everyone and has zero emotional intelligence.

He’s always the problem. He’s the one who “ruins” family dinners. He’s never learning, never softening, never changing.

Do y’all just not read comics past 2011? Like seriously??

Because here’s the truth: Damian Wayne is both. He’s complex. He’s a product of being raised by assassins and then adopted into a family of emotionally stunted vigilantes. He’s a genius, he’s arrogant, he’s twelve years old and figuring out who he is - and sometimes he screws up, badly. But he also has heart. He loves his family, fiercely and awkwardly. He shows growth. He learns humility. He grieves. He sacrifices. He becomes a better person.

And fandom constantly shoving him into either “misunderstood cinnamon roll” or “demon spawn tormentor” completely erases what makes him interesting.

He’s not your emotional support baby.

He’s not your chaos gremlin for comedic relief. He does not bite people

He’s a character with layers - and he deserves to be written like one.

--

Why is it that every time fandom finds a close, emotional bond -especially in the Batfamily - someone has to ruin it by shipping it?

Seriously. The Batfamily is made up of siblings, adopted kids, traumatized teens, and a dad who can barely handle his own emotions. But somehow, people look at Bruce and Dick, or Tim and Damian, and go, “Yeah, that should be romantic.”

No. It shouldn’t.

Batcest isn’t “deep,” it’s not “exploring dark dynamics,” and it’s definitely not some brilliant subversion of tropes. It’s just weird. The Batfamily works because they are a messy, complicated family learning to love and support each other. Turning that into shipping fuel is a huge slap in the face to what these characters are actually about.

And let’s talk about proshippers who act like they’re fighting for free speech or artistic integrity by defending these ships. You're not standing on some grand moral hill - you’re just defending the right to post gross, tone-deaf content. Nobody’s stopping you from enjoying angst or morally gray stories. But there's a huge difference between writing flawed characters and turning adoptive siblings into a romance plot.

Also, can we stop with the “aged-up Damian” excuse? If you have to age him up just to make your ship barely legal, that should be a sign. You’re not clever -you’re just side-stepping the fact that he’s a kid in almost every version of canon.

The Batfamily already has a thousand ways to be messy and dramatic and interesting. You don’t need to force romance between family members to make it compelling. These characters are rich with story..why flatten them into shock-value shipping?

You want to write drama? Betrayals? Complicated emotional arcs? Go for it. But maybe, just maybe , keep it in-character, in-universe, and not in the realm of “hey what if these siblings kissed?”

It's not edgy. It's not cool. It's just... tired.

Do better.

....

Everyone loves to slap the “Best Dad Ever” badge on Bruce Wayne - especially in fanon. And look, sure: he took in a bunch of traumatized kids, gave them homes, trained them, and cares deeply in his own broody, emotionally-stunted way. But can we talk about how all that dad energy seems to magically vanish when it comes to Damian?

Let’s be clear: Bruce is not abusive to Damian. He’s not cruel. But if we’re being honest? He’s not the father Damian needed either - at least not consistently.

Bruce adopted Dick, Tim, Jason, and Cass under tragic circumstances, but once they were under his wing, he fought for them. He took time (as best he could) to emotionally connect. Even with Jason, whose arc is full of tension, Bruce has shown deep remorse, grief, and desire to make amends.

But with Damian? The literal biological son who was raised by assassins and came to his doorstep at age ten?

Bruce treats him like a soldier first, a liability second, and a child maybe third - if he remembers.

Damian came into Bruce’s life wanting one thing: a father. Not a mission. Not another cape. Not a training regimen. Just a father. He may not have known how to express it (because, again, he was raised in a cult by a mother who taught him love = loyalty = survival), but he wanted love and structure — and Bruce didn’t give it to him.

Instead, Bruce gave him expectations. Be better. Don't kill. Be a Wayne. Be a Robin. Be like your brothers. Don’t embarrass the legacy.

That’s not parenting. That’s PR.

And the fandom? Just sweeps it under the rug. We write fics where Bruce is the perfect dad making pancakes for everyone, but we forget that Damian spent years trying to earn what his siblings got automatically: validation. Trust. Love.

Bruce has grown with Damian, yes. They've had incredible moments. But you can’t call Bruce the ultimate Batdad without admitting that his approach to Damian was stiff, late, and sometimes cold - not out of malice, but out of ignorance of what Damian actually needed.

And that’s the tragedy. Not that Bruce didn’t love him, but that Bruce didn’t know how to show it - and Damian felt the gap like a knife.

Bruce may be a “good father” to many of his kids. But for Damian? He was a father who had to learn, and too often, he was late to class.

[ficcerspam]

DCxDP MULTIS [AO3]

Super Strength Shenanigans - 12.10.23* [AO3]

DCxDP - When Danny gets an internship in Gotham, concerned for his and his identity's safety they figure out he has super strength he can't control for human-standard fights. Shenanigans ensue.

Horror Movie Child!Danny AU - 12.18.23* [AO3]

DCxDP - Danny is adopted into the batfam having a coming of age movie, whilst the Batfam are going through Summer Horror Special.

Puppy!Danny AU - 12.28.23* [AO3]

DCxDP - Danny is Ace the Bathound AU! With Bonus Dan as Titus, Dani as Haley/Bitewing, and Jazz as Sparky and Dog. There have been multiple tags for this, so please be warned you WILL cry at part 3. Now with meme post. Any additional non-story posts will be under "phantom pups" tag on my main blog!

Preschool Teacher Danny AU - 01.26.25* [AO3}

JLxDP - Clark comes across a meta-teacher with a class of seemingly meta toddlers. He asks if there's any room for Jon.

This work is semi-abandoned, and will not be updated on Tumblr. Please subscribe to the AO3 on the off-chance my real life preschool teacher friend Naynay's stories inspire me once more. [please do not ask for more]

Sunshine and Stardust - 02.16.24* [AO3]

YJxDP - Danny is a clone of Superman AU, but he's a failure, a test dummy. Amidst the days of pain and experimentation, he hears another clone is being made.

WITH AMAZING FANART by brainman1987

Villain!Jazz AU - 04.07.23* [AO3]

**Disclaimer, NOT Jazz centered and heavily DP leaning** After lots of thought this AU will be exclusively updated on AO3 from now on! Please subscribe to it on AO3 instead of following it here :)

“Jazz’s Errands, and Gotham’s Curse” - Chapter 10 Snippet and Podfic

Grunkle John AU - 06.24.24* [AO3]

JLxDP - Batman finds out that John Constantine is basically Danny Phantom(high level threat, ghost king)'s weird uncle. I tell you the story of how that came to be.

Why you should date Superboy, a powerpoint presentation by Red Robin (and Danny Phantom), extras brought to you by @ashleyreyland!

Mama Canary AU - 07.13.24* [AO3]

JLxDP - Suddenly de-aged Danny meet Black Canary and accidentally ghost-wails at her...except all it does is push her back a couple feet, and make her think he's the cutest lil' canary in the world. Eventual Dead On Main.

Murderbros AU - 11.09.24* [AO3]

DC - I explore the brotherly relationship between Damian and Jason, tracing all the way back to their days at the LoA. Damian POV, Catatonic?LoA!Jason.

Mechanic!Val AU - 11.27.24* [AO3]

DCxDP - Val’s pretty sure her new boss Jay is actually a crime lord... mostly background Val/Steph, focus on Outsider POV Dead on Main. Val-centric.

Deleted Scenes/ Extras! - 01.15.25* [AO3]

The Infamous Chair Fic (Val/Steph Smut) -01.13.25* [AO3]

Tentacle Smut? In MY Wholesome AU?? (Dead on Main Smut) - 02.09.25* [AO3]

Fanart of Val the awesome @belfry-ghost made before this AU even existed on tumblr, and was just an idea in discord---

FANART OF VAL!!! by the lovely @phantomfen <3

FANART OF MY GIRLS!!! by the antagonistic (/j) @psyscha

Haunted Mansion AU - 11.04.24* [AO3]

DCxYJ - What it says on the tin---Dead tired, with background Dark Ages!

Amazing fanart of Ember's opening scene by my lovely VP @void-of-unparalled-chaos

A Christmas Carol AU - 12.25.24* [AO3]

DCxDP - Christmas Carol Inspired AU where the three Phantom siblings visit a 15 year old Jason just before he decides to go looking for his birth mother.

The Boy in the Mirror - 03.10.25* [AO3]

DCxDP - Tim has noticed something strange about his new brother, how he looks to his left and avoids the mirror. Demon Twins AU. Angst.

Building Graves like Homes - 03.21.25* [AO3]

DP- In which Danny unknowingly builds his own grave...in an unconventional way.

Now with Podfic, read by me!

Family Reunion AU - 05.13.25* [AO3]

DCxDP- In which cousins Maddie and Clark try to smuggle their clone children into the family reunion that happens every 5 years and pretend they've been there the whole time to varying successes. Mainly Kid POV.

[windybluebelles]

Batman au where nothing changes except, every hero in Gotham is a bat and their costumes all have the ears to prove it.

Dickbin would have his cape cut similar to Bruce’s so that it’s batwing shaped and he’d have a little hair and with thin, long brown bat ears. Real pointy, probably got thrown at some poor thug

JayBin would have a shorter cape that has more defined wings. I imagine when he’s younger he has a little dark red helmet with the ears on, shorter and thicker ears, probably got a hood when he got older.

Timbin who started out with hair clips (dark green, similar shape to Jason’s) but managed to convince Bruce to let him get his silly Cowl while he’s still Robin. It would basically just be his RedRobin cowl but with a more square shaped head bit and the ears , it’s also only black at the top but fading to a dark green at the ears and then to yellow by the sides.

Stephbin literally had a cute little bright red hairband that had tiny devil horns so I’m just giving her Dick’s headband, hers would either be the same bright red as in canon or a dark purple. It would have thin but stubby ears, very sharp. I think her cape would have a jaggey cut at the bottom, not like wings but like teeth. Her green SHORTS (cause I fucking hate the mini skirt) would also have the little sharp teeth pattern but they’d have a red layer underneath. Girlie went less bat more vampire apparently.

Damibin (also known as, normal Damian, whoops) would have the ears on his hood, he’d have a cape similar to Dicks in the way that it’s cut like Batman’s. His boots would have the teeth pattern like Stephanie and the top and around the soles.

Dick as Nightwing would have nothing similar to the bats when he first starts out, when he gets closer with Bruce again he’d style two bits of his mullet sticking up like ears but after he changes out of DiscoWing than he’d get little clip on blue ones (like Tim’s at the time)

Spoiler would have nothing bat related the first time round, she is not affiliated with them officially. After she’s been Robin and Batgirl she would have subtle ears on her hood and her face mask would curve up into sharper points at the sides, her cape would have a small over layer in the shave of a V to create a kinda wing silhouette when it flows behind her.

Red Robin would be almost exactly the same except with the cowl I already described but now it’s in the normal black and red colours.

RedHood would originally just have his normal helmet but after he rejoins the team, he’d get a weird mix of his two Arkham knights helmets. The general shape and silhouette of the normal Arkham Knight one but with the red colour instead of the blue. (That helmet is so fucking cute oh my goddddd)

Cass would obviously still have her BlackBat full cowl costume, but for her orphan outfit she’d have the same ears as Damian and Steph. Probably more pronounced and obvious, made of stiffer material.

These are all just silly ideas and probably don’t make much sense, but the idea of all the Batbabies having little ears on their costumes made me want to die. If i could draw I would show y’all but ehhhh I can’t

[hanihazeljade]

Three Settings

Christmas is around the corner and the manor is exceedingly overflowing of it's spirit, except Tim.

Part Five of Three Weeks

Prev - Three Events

Next - Three Videos

(CW: namecalling, explicit sexual intercourse, hatred of christmas, liquor)

Tim hates Christmas. 

It is a holiday that the Drake household never celebrates. Jack and Janet’s belief is that why do you need a holiday to spend with your family when you can do it whenever you can. Maybe it's because of the fact that their family cannot be together every Christmas as his parents are in their digs. 

So, Tim never really likes Christmas that well.  He never liked the idea of celebrating Christmas, he never did it with his parents and never in the house of Wayne's, and he basically used Christmas in Japan as a way to have a new guy in his bed, fucking his brains out.

So, seeing the Waynes to get some Christmas spirit in him. He wanted to roll his eyes at them but he, unfortunately, was trying to be civil with them. However, one more offer of decorating another tree, he has half his mind of jumping to the nearest window and breaking his leg so he won't be able to celebrate it. But he wanted to dance at Cass’ wedding, so that is a no.

It seems like the world's greatest detective family is a fucking idiot. Intellectually intelligent but emotionally unavailable. A fucking hypocrite he is. They can’t seem to comprehend that Timothy hates being around Christmas things  or just being around the vibe of Christmas.

Timothy is an amazing human being who practised patience and meditation but he once again has his limits. So, he escaped to the comfort of his room, as the Christmas jingles echoing throughout the hallway of the manor. This is the worst. He wished that he could just sneaked out and go to the clubs in the Diamond District and have someone to fuck his worries for a while, after all it’s been a while since he got laid back in Japan.

But then again, why can't he do it here? He is a well functioning adult, has a good income and anyone can’t say shit about him bedding anyone. After all Bruce had bed women as the same number of the days of the year, Richard has also had his fair share of laying some women in his bed to please. Jason may have died virgin but definitely likes to have a taste of Richard’s leftovers and maybe some original taste to himself. Damian may look rigid but Gazette saw him going home with some models. And Tim is a healthy man, he has needs. He was not the same stuck-up Robin that they know.

So he gets up from laying down and starts cleaning himself well. He has guys to woo to satiate his needs. 

He has some worries that he will get caught but he remembered that it is near Christmas Eve, the Christmas related crimes are on the top, so therefore all hands on the deck, even Alfred. So he just whooshed to the front door, and he was gone to the Diamond District.

He turned on the radio on his phone to listen to some news as to who is the main rogue for the night and it looks like Ivy and Harley are having a date and Mr. Freeze is doing a scene from Frozen. With that he knew to avoid Robinson Park and the Cherry Hills. He took a cab to take him to some club in Diamond District,  after all, Richard will probably patrol around the Robinson Park, Jason will continue his route to the Crime Alley, Cass and Steph will be trying to find where the two love birds to stop their date, the only vigilantes he could meet is Batman and Grackle, Damian new mantle for now.

But it is not like they would stop by the rich ass bar when there are major rogues out loose. Tim would rather not risk it to choose a run down bar. After all, he is a delicate maiden.

The bar he chooses is filled with different men, as it is a gay bar. Some are ogling him not so subtly and he knows, after all he wore one of Steph’s see through blouse and the tightest jeans that he had. His hair was styled to a calculated messy bun and his body was adorned in different accessories. And his makeup that makes his blue eyes popped so much more and the lip oil he applied to make his lips so juicy.

He is getting drinks left and right but he the one that he fancies are some stuck up assholes, so much for his type, that probably doesn’t do shit in bed. But of course, he got one. There is a tall, buff man with tattoos lingering on his skin. The man’s gaze is as sharp as a viper waiting to plunge on its prey and Tim is feeling things for himself.

Not wasting any more time, Tim strikes up a conversation to the guy, “Hey handsome, nice tats.” he said as he walked closer to the man.

The man eagerly put his hands on Tim’s waist and put Tim on his lap as Tim squealed flirtingly, “Would you want to explore more of my ink?” He said as he tightened the grip on his waist and Tim was loving the grip.

Tim giggled, “Then may I know the name, first?” he asked cheekily.

The man smirked at Tim’s coy display of naiveness, “Name’s Nathan, baby. How ‘bout you, angel?”

“Mine is Timothy, but angel works just fine too.” Timothy said as he closed their distance and kissed the guy, passionately and hard. They were going with it like a man discovering an oasis in the middle of dessert. Both of them groped each other until they separated to catch some breath.

“My place or yours?” Nathan asked, as he grinds his hard on to Tim’s ass.

Tim giggled as he rocked back, “Yours, just visiting here.” He said as he can feel the package beneath him.

Nathan chuckled, “Poor little angel, visiting a family in this wicked city.” Having a family in this godforsaken city when you already escaped is such a pain.

Tim rolled his eyes at such remarks, “Let’s not talk about them when we could be going to your place right now.” he said as he pouted as if upset that someone is talking about his ‘family’.

Nathan just quirk his brow, Gotham has a lot of kids that don't have a good relationship with their family, and he was just here for some pretty boys, not to settle with someone. “Eager little vixen you are, angel.” he redirects the topic to the beautiful man in front of him, after all, he doesn’t want to let this angel go just because he is curious about things that he doesn’t care about.

It seems like the pretty angel took it, as he caressed his biceps, “Well, I need to be if I want a strong man to handle me.”

“Then shall we get out of here, huh?” 

++++++

Tim left Nathan’s apartment at 10 in the morning. Nathan is a beast in bed, one of his best sex in his life. The morning sex is a plus and he will never complain about the surprises staying over. His horny self is now satiated.

However, his good mood was once thrown outside of the window as he went back to Wayne Manor. He was not expecting such commotion in this early morning. He was about to leave them to argue some more but Damian saw him.

“Timothy! You are finally home.” With Damian’s declaration of his presence, everyone went to him and they definitely all can see the bruises and bites of Nathan through the see through blouse. Honestly he likes those marks of possession.

Steph reacts first after seeing her blouse that was gifted by Cass, “Is that my blouse?”

Jason saw all the dark marks behind the see through blouse, “What is that?!” he reacted. 

“Why do you smell like sex?” Richard asks as he wants to hug Tim but he rather not as he smells the strong smell of intercourse. “Tim you did not hook up, right?!”

“It’s hickeys, Jason.” Tim rolled his eyes, everyone was acting like a virgin. “And I did hook up with someone, they are very good at bed.” he smirked at them, and he saw each of them have a shocked expression, especially Grayson. But he never expected the words coming out of Richard’s mouth.

“Stop whoring around Tim, this isn’t like you!”

A slap cracked in the atmosphere. Tim was also shocked that he slapped Dick Grayson across his face, but his anger was far more superior than his shock.

“So what? I changed, Richard, just in case you still haven’t noticed. I am not like who I was seven years ago, because now? I love myself, I know my value without pleasing anybody. I know who I am. So what, if I am sleeping around with different guys each week? You never heard jackshit about me when you are preening with your gaggle of redheads.” He said as he went back to the front door, but got held back by Damian.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Tim pulls his arm away from the tight grip of Damian, “Away from you, if your feeble detective brain couldn’t recognise what I am gonna do, Damian.” 

“Where?”

“That, I believe, is none of your business.” And the door was slammed shut.

++++++

A knock in the middle of the supposedly peaceful Saturday in her apartment woke her up. She doesn’t know who in their right mind knocks on her door, on the weekend, that she knew, to wake her up before the sun starts setting down?

She opened the door and was surprised to see Timothy Drake, the man that she knew to rather sleep until the sun was halfway down if he had a choice, standing outside of her apartment, and asked, “Hey Tam. Mind if I stay over?” with a miserable face and anger was still lingering in his eyes. But Tam just let Tim in, by opening her door wider.

Tim plopped down the couch and wanted to scream as Tam went to her bathroom to freshen up and have a mind to look after Tim. 

When she finished, she finally looked at Tim properly. Tim’s hair that was normally was in such perfection but now there strays. The smell of sex and the hickeys were also a dead give away that Tim had a nice night. And honestly, Tam was jealous. She could also have the best night of her life if just a certain baldie just stops pushing her. But enough of Prudence, she has a Timothy to babysit. 

Tam sat beside him and asked, “What happened?” because Tim is obviously not fine and would not ask any unnecessary questions regarding his feelings when it was so obvious.

Tim just sighed loudly, and screamed in the pillow he had on his lap. And once he was done, he raised his head and finally responded, “Just got called a whore, nothing more.” His answer was muffled by the pillow as his head was still buried on it. 

‘Whore?’ Tam thought to herself as she thought of all the people around Tim,“By who?” It cannot be within the family of Waynes as each of the Waynes have a notorious long notch to their bedpost.

But alas, Tim destroyed her thoughts, “The second whore himself, Dick Grayson.”

Tam was taken aback, after all, Richie Wayne is next to Brucie Wayne in the most notches. He was like Brucie but in moderation. “Wow. Didn’t he have like a harem of ginger fuckers?” She told Tim as she had been so active in the capes scene.

And with that Tim explodes, as he finally has someone to know how he actually feels! “He told me to stop whoring around! Like I am making money by getting fucked by those guys, well maybe I should. Just to pissed him off more.” Tim said as if he was thinking of going back with a bunch of dollars in his hand as if he just finished a night being a stripper. That was a nice thought, maybe he would do that.

Tam pat Tim’s shoulder, “Petty, but how about let’s drink our asses tonight? It’s Sunday tomorrow.” she proposed to Tim as she knows Tim just went to the bar to hook up but not to drink and she has some strong beer and no one can blame her. She is a hardworking woman under the Wayne Enterprise, with scandals far deeper than the Mariana Trench.

Tim had a thought for a while and he didn't have any to lose, so he agreed. “Sure.” Maybe he can use the hangover as an excuse not to celebrate Christmas.

Tam stood up, “I’ll order some chicken and pizza, and some fries too.” and went back to her room to get her phone. But she quickly came back throwing clothes at Tim, “Wear this, I don’t want to have a reminder that you got laid before me.”

[capricorn-the-goat]

times the bat family broke the no kill rule

I like to think that the no-kill rule is ingrained into everyone’s head from the moment they start working with Bruce. He cuts people slack if they’re not a part of his team, he’ll actively go out of his way to convince them to adopt this rule and won’t let them become mass-murderers and / or will stop them from killing while on missions with him, but this rule is only actively enforced if you’re working in Gotham.

but as much as it’s engrained into every Robin’s head, I think each of them has broken it at least once for various reasons. Bruce has never broken this rule, but his kids sure have.

Dick is the most accepting of this rule. Maybe it’s because he’s basically a force of light who’s inclined to see the good in people. Maybe it’s because he has such skill and precision that (outside of invasions and situations far out of his pay grade) he’s never forced into the situation where he takes another person’s life. But there have been some- disgusting killers, p*dos, r*pists- where Grayson has willingly, knowingly, and intentionally ended someone’s life. The universal reason being children. And everyone (except Bruce) accepts this and doesn’t fault him, especially Gordon and the police, because they know if you can get Nightwing angry enough to kill you, you probably deserve it.

Jason is the exact opposite. He’s killed as Red Hood, he’s killed as Robin, he’s killed as *Jason Todd*. In recent years he’s calmed down, trying to solve situations without having to resort to murder. But he still kills if criminals cross the line, and there are situations where the family will actively go out of their way to keep Jason from these situations, especially Bruce. In his mind, if they’re willing to cross the line where they lose their humanity, then he is too. Because someone has to, and he doesn’t want that to be Bruce.

Tim is an enigma. He has the second strongest will next to Bruce in this regard, and he can only count the number of kills he has on one hand. He’s able to solve situations without needing to resort to extremes through sheer intellect and tactical knowledge. But unlike Bruce, he’s able and willing to take a shot at a villain, to kill them, if he’s certain that it’ll prevent greater loss of life. On multiple occasions, he’s advocated for taking out villains and is able to justify them in a way that nearly convinces even Bruce. And he’s also the most chilling and cryptic about his kills. As he once said- “are we talking about making them die, or letting them die?”

Damien has the most kills- league of assassins- but he doesn’t have any *real* kills. Sure, he’s killed dozens of henchmen and guards, and he’s won plenty of duels, but those were kills made in the heat of a fight. He’s never made an intentional, deliberate kill- the difference between an infantry kill and a sniper kill. And despite how close he may get, despite how much he wants to and how much he says that, his will is only slightly less than Tim’s.

everyone in the family besides Bruce has at least one kill. With the exception of Bruce, it’s an almost universal fact that if you’re going to be a vigilante in Gotham, than you will- intentionally or not- cause the death of another person. It’s just about how far you’re willing to fall into that rabbit hole.

[algernonagon]

All of the Wayne kids’ favorite Leaguers: True and Real and Accurate

Dick: Wonder Woman! Bear with me. Please. I think Superman was his favorite BEFORE he met Clark. Once he learned how big of a dork he was, the magic was sort of lost, doubly so when Clark became his unofficial stepdad. Diana? She stayed cool. Not to mention that in his Robin days, she often humored whatever hare-brained impulses he’d get. Please picture Batman’s bewildered expression when he finds Dick dangling from the Watchtower light fixture he specifically designed to be impossible for him to reach. Diana just, -shrug- “He said please.” You threw him Diana. You threw that child. She’d probably still throw him if he asked nicely, hell, she’d probably do it even before he has to ask. It’s ‘Boy Wonder’, not ‘Boy Bat’.

Jason: Black Canary. ‘Wonder Woman is Jason’s fav’ believers PLEASE hear me out. I think that Diana is Jason’s favorite in a ‘celebrity crush’ way, but Dinah is Jason’s favorite in a ‘cool aunt’ way. He met her unofficially at the Watchtower, but actually started hanging out with her thanks to Roy. They both like motorcycles and kicking ass, plus Young Justice having Canary as a therapist melds well with my vision of her helping Jason heal. And I think she’s used to yelling at Bruce on Oliver’s behalf, so it’s no big to do it on Jason’s too.

Tim: The Flash! If Dinah is the cool aunt, Barry is the cool uncle. Guy that shows up at the function with all the best snacks. He might eat half of them himself but damn if he didn’t bring them. In all seriousness, Tim saw pretty great merit in knowing a forensics guy that he can basically talk to anytime he’s stumped with a case without having to go through the “sorry to wake you” song and dance. Barry occasionally gets unhinged texts that are in the vein of “hey can you go about ten minutes back in time and tell past me about _____”. They’re usually pretty low stakes but sometimes there’s just a “got stabbed, do-over?” jumpscare sprinkled in. Bruce will never ever get shit from Barry about kid troubles. That man is a saint in Flash’s eyes.

Cass: Captain Marvel. She didn’t like him at all during their first meeting. For a person that’s good at reading body language, I imagine that seeing genuinely childish behavior on a grown man would be giving some crazy mixed signals. Once she learns that his powers are magic in origin rather than being alien or meta, her mind opens up a little more to the possibility that his exterior appearance might not be indicative of his actual identity. Cass guesses his age by their next proper meeting and makes it her business to keep an eye on him, always asking Bruce about him after he returns from League missions. Your honor, that 7’5” brick wall Champion of Magic is actually just Cass’ little buddy. She’s gonna get him some ice cream or something.

Steph: Green Lantern. Hal and Barry are like uncles, except if Barry is the cool one, Hal is the cringe one. Lucky for Hal, being a boyfailure is a good way to amuse Steph. Those two are gonna spend hours arguing with Bruce just for the hell of it, backing each other up on completely incorrect claims (Steph does it because it’s funny, Hal does it because he believes her). He does get bonus points for bringing her cool space snacks whenever he comes back from trips off-world. One of her favorite foods is a sort of hi-chew/gum thing from some other planet in Sector 2418 that doesn’t dissolve or lose its flavor, even after chewing it for days on end.

Damian: Aquaman. He’s a king. Like, an actual king. And he can communicate with fish. Arthur heard about Damian’s temper from the rest of the Leaguers and straight up does not believe it because every time he’s spoken to Damian, it’s been “hello your majesty can you introduce me to an octopus I have a few questions for it”. This one’s short. But I feel it speaks for itself.

Duke: Superman. Clark was NOT told about Signal taking up the day shift in Gotham until he was flying in to compare notes (read: flirt), with Bruce and met Duke when they both went to intercept a carjacking. Clark tries to be responsible like “I feel obligated to let you know that Batman doesn’t take kindly to metas in his city”, only for Duke to point at the big ol bat on his chest. After that, Duke usually intercepts Big Blue’s flight path anytime he comes into Gotham and the two just kind of hang out and shoot the shit while he does his patrol. Duke is also a little bit stoked to be regularly hanging out with The Superman, but even after the awe wears off, he can’t help but still think of Clark as just a cool, friendly guy. He gets someone to share the airspace with, Clark gets a bat he can stay in the sun with, it’s a win/win all around. Congrats Clark, you got one.

[whore-mel]

My draft got deleted. ☹️

But here’s what I was originally yapping about. So I’ve been thinking of a Horror Au. Or more like…expect everything to go wrong Au for DC. So I didn’t think of every character. But here’s what I thought of:

Bat Family

So, Bruce is crazy. The Batman who laughs, I’ve never read any comic about it or any game but yeah. So I think he like kills anyone who isn’t from Gotham, with the help of Nightwing and Robin.

Dick had no choice, either help Batman or Damian dies. So he had to help. Same goes for Damian.

They both patrol Gotham and kill any outsider or anyone who defies their orders

Steph and Cass are running around with Dinah and the birds of prey. They’re probably the only sane ones

Jason has killed the joker and went on a rampage killing tons of villains, and innocent people in the process.

Tim is the new joker. He’s batshit crazy.

Alfred is a spy, giving the speedsters Info.

Flash Fam

Barry Allen has died. 😨 (didn’t think of how, he just did)

The speedsters are trying to figure out where it all went wrong and fix it. So that why Alfred I giving info on Batman and what happened/ happening to him.

Themyscirans

If you watched Flash Point, yk what I’m talking about.

They’re at war with the Atlanteans.

Donna and Cassie are like..Captain and Lieutenant to Diana.

Diana is the Colonel, while her mother is the general. Like level of command

Atlanteans

At war with the Themyscirans.

Super fam.

Superman lost Lois, got angry, took over the government.

Now he’s the one controlling everything. Basically blood shed

Jon is by his side

Kon is with Tim, helping him.

Arrow Fam

Don’t. Trust. Any. Of. Them.

Literally, if you see anyone with a bow..RUN RUN RUN

They’re all cannibals. Star city is out of food, they had to resort to animalistic ways.

It took a lot of convincing, but eventually everyone got convinced…expect for Dinah (black canary)

And also, they hunt in packs. So..you see one, there are probably three more staring at you.

Oliver lost all his money, so they don’t have any equipment except to make their own. So their suits are all covered in blood..and their nails are probably cracked, and they’re all insane

Dinah refused and recruited Selina Kyle, Barbara Gordon, Ivy, and Harley.

They’re helping the homeless and the innocent, and they’re also helping the speedsters

Tamaraneans

They have their own problems off earth, but Kory is now against humanity and if she wants to help you have to give her an offer of some sort.

Also, she probably won’t take money. So you’ve gotta think.

The lanterns

They’re also trying to deal with the other worldly stuff.

But they take turns going to earth to see what’s going on. It’s not like they’re helpful though.

Magic users

They dipped.

They saw the state of the world and dipped. “I ain’t seen nothing.”

They didn’t want to deal with this shit.

well…Constantine convinced the rest to dip.

Others

Raven is all demon now, she’s taking control of earth slowly.

Beast boy got killed by raven.

Shazam got killed by supes.

The hawks are helping super man

So I guess that’s it 😨😨

[thegremlininyourcloset]

I’m back bitches!!!

and I’ve got a poll!!!

Vote for the fic wip/idea u like best, and I will write a snippet of it!!

a description of each under the cut, (although not all of them have proper descriptions ehe)

and this time it’s ✨multifandom✨

Step Left For A Better Future

Starring: Stephanie Brown and Jason Todd, with a fair bit of background bats

Inspired By: the handful of Steph in Titans-Tower fics in existence

Stephanie Brown knows she was never meant to be Robin. She knows she’s just a stand-in till Tim’s dad pulls his head out of his ass. She doesn’t even mind it! (Mostly) 

But she is getting pretty fucking tired of literally EVERY SINGLE asshole in the entirety of Gotham City waving that fact directly in her face.

So when the Red Hood shows up in Titans Tower, yammering about replacements and revenge, Steph is at her limit.

And when the Red Hood reveals exactly who he used to be?

She snaps. 

Notes: You’re kidding yourself if you think Jason wasn’t Steph’s Robin. Also, no batcest here or ever

Angst Level: This one is significantly less humorous than all of the Steph-in-Titans-Tower fics I’ve read. Steph’s going through it, Jason’s going through it…everyone suffers before we get any joy. Has evolved into a series. (Or rather it will. Once I write it)

the latchkey cryptid Steph AU

(title pending)

introduced in this post

keep on walking (don’t look back)

Inspired By: borderline, by theressurectionist (well, the mindlink bit is. The plot is very much not)

the one where Steph gets kidnapped by someone (maybe aliens or some evil organization) and has to fight her way back to Gotham, while the other Bats try to find and rescue her. It’s gonna have lots of Steph badassery and reflections on her self-sufficiency. Steph is worried no one is coming for her. The Bats are losing their minds with worry. (with borderline-style mindlink/empathy bonds involved)

The demon! Lucy AU

Akutagawa goes undercover in a college.

his roommate might be the devil herself

(Yes it contains akulucy)

the ruination of a moonflower

Starring: Ozaki Kouyou, Izumi Kyouka, and Nakahara Chuuya

Ozaki Kouyou knows that the Port Mafia is the only place for her. She’s poured years of effort, and pints of blood both hers and not, all to mold this organization into one she can be proud to be part of. And then suddenly Chuuya’s been attacked. And this wouldn’t have been a problem because her protégé can take care of himself just fine—except it is. It is a problem because now her little brother’s in a hospital bed and she doesn’t know what went wrong. It was supposed to be an easy mission. And now Kouyou has revenge to enact. And then before she knows it…something’s changed. Somethings broken. And something has to give.

Notes: I have a whole-ass series planned for this one, and it’s a wild ride.

Angst: a lot. This one hurts, guys

Kids In The Dark

Starring: somewhere in early years! Kon (who doesn’t have a name yet) , an original character of mine, and a surprise crossover character (and trust me, it’s not someone you could have predicted (if I didn’t tag them))

In which Superboy meets a mysterious vigilante known only as Rebel, who seems to have an odd interest in his… health and wellbeing?

Notes: all the relationships between our main trio are completely platonic! Found family, baby!!

Angst Level: Some (Threat)

The Lizzie timeloop AU

Basically, Lizzie is stuck in a time loop. She keeps dying. She really doesn’t want to die.

And then things get weirder. 

Much, much weirder.

@fictfrenzy @themoonwitch-mustspeak @thebestusernamepossible @illustrativewriter @lena-thinks-too-much @lordbasilsnek @adragonsdance @ellipsis-dotdotdot

[forwards-beckon-rebound]

of the father and the son

warnings: major character death, referenced assault and battery, religious themes, weird references to cumbia and salsa, basically just every warning related to the events of jason's death

it started as all rendezvous do. knowing glances, a delicate chase between tomcat and robin. a dare: catch me if you can. his partner slips out of the room unbeknownst to all except his target. the game is afoot.

they meet alone in a room. it starts with a dance. a cumbia variation. right step, left step. cross body lead. a slide to the left, a turn to the right.

“agua!” his partner cries in delight. their movements are a blur as he fights to keep control. hesitation, block, check. and then, a change of place. a change of pace.

time comes to a stand still. his head dips. he has been ensnared.

but what type of dance would it be without music? there’s not much to work with, so they improvise a duet. his partner provides the rhythm, and if done well, his jaybird rewards him with an “a” note. it’s syncopated.

clang, a-lang, a-lang, a—clang, a-lang, a-lang, AH—

but every cinderella’s evening must come to come to an end. and the clock is about to strike midnight.

                               before they part, he leaves him a small gift.

                                a gentle caress of the cheek, so he won’t

                                                             forget

                                                              their

                                                              time

                                       to                   gether.

                                        the            wound,

                                               it burns.

the spell is broken. it is 12 o’clock. and the jaybird is all alone.

12 is a funny number. it was the egyptians, who had first decided to split the night into 12 parts based on the 12 asterisms. it was caesar, who had ordered the creation of a 12 month calendar. it was jesus, who had 12 apostles before he was betrayed and that number became 11. and soon, the 12 seconds jason todd had left were about to become

11.

on good days, his mother (no that wasn’t right. his real mother was the unconscious woman the joker had left sitting across the room from him. his mother was the woman who had brought him into this world just so he could die for humanity’s sins. her included, for she too was only human) caretaker was atheist. it was only on the nights when the electricity bill had not been paid and the snow piled high on their window ledge, that she began to pray. a private mass, just the two of them. a confessional without a booth, a church without a father.

10.

he had thought she was silly then, all pressed up against the wall to steal the warmth from the next unit over as she preached of loving thy neighbour. they were bundled up in as many layers as they could wring out of the closet. under the last-washed-in-august comforter, he wore a puffer and under that, his sunday best. it was the warmest he had, all wool and short around the ankles, with a bulky security tag pressed against the small of his back. it was the only thing his father had ever left for him. he had hated her perpetual prayers that kept him from sleep. now, he longed for those days. at least then, he wouldn’t have died alone.

9.

our father, who art in heaven. did jesus pray like this too, when he was on the cross? did he ever curse the fact that even as he bled out, he could not say “my father”? for everybody is a child of god. even the prostitutes who sold themselves for a full stomach and a roof over their heads. even the criminals on either side of him, who committed sins much worse than telling the truth. even the very soldiers who had hung him there and pierced holes in him that would never mend. did jesus ever wonder why, out of all of god’s children, he had been the chosen one, born to die?

8.

he had always been taught that good things come to those who do good. he had always tried to do good by others. he had stopped his classmates from being bullied. he had fought that mugger who was about to take some old lady’s purse. he had tried to take down the joker all alone despite orders because he had wanted to save his mother. surely, those were all good actions. surely he was good.

7.

did jesus’ father ever take pity on him? god must have seen him bleeding out. even if he had accepted this fate, surely every parent’s instinct is to protect. the child’s role is to be foolish, and the parent’s role is to forgive. so surely, his own father could overlook this mistake one time. he would be rescued and they could pretend this was nothing more than a bad nightmare. but jesus hadn’t made it off his cross alive, had he?

6.

everything would be alright. his father wasn’t god. his father was batman. and batman would never let anybody die on his watch. hell, even if it was the joker locked up in here with the bomb about to go off, his father would probably save him too. god, though? god couldn’t even save his son.

5.

what was he worried about? his father would break through this door with a badass kick and save him just in the nick of time. that would show that stupid clown.

4.

any second now, his father would break through this door and save him in the nick of time.

3.

any second now, his father would come to save him.

2.

his father would come to save him.

1.

dad…save me

0.

.

.

.

they created a lovely tableau. a broken figure, no more human than he is alive, cradled in the lap of a parent he no longer fits into. mother and son, engraved in marble. father and son, covered in ash. time continues on its lumbering path, but a parent’s grief never changes.

[thebibliosphere]

What is the gameplay like on Gotham Knights? I have poor coordination so I have trouble with anything more complex than LOZ: Ocarina of Time. Like, on a scale of Pokémon->Dragon Age->LOZ->Dark Souls?

It's a bit clunky like Dragon Age 2, tbh. Except it doesn't have the excuse of coming out in 2011. The mechanics and camera controls are one of the things that let it down a lot, IMO.

I’m constantly getting stuck on walls and the edge of ledges because the controls feel laggy and the game’s not consistent about which surfaces you can climb and which ones you need to grapple. It's fine if you’re fighting in more open spaces but it turns the timed events into an exercise in frustration. Not to mention the number of times it feels like I’ve taken damage through an obstacle from enemy ranged attacks when my own ranged attacks bounce off invisible walls if I’m not standing in the exact spot the game needs me to be in. This results in me just key smashing melee a lot until every around me stops twitching.

I’m still enjoying it, but it is v. glitchy and I understand why people are leaving angry reviews. Especially if they are deeply committed to the immersive elements and were expecting the same level of polish from the Arkham games, which this studio also made.

I’m just casual enough a gamer that I’m enjoying muttering “parkour” to myself as I accidentally fall off buildings and plumet to my death because my graple hook glitched out and went the exact opposite way I’d been aiming.

I’m really just playing it for the characters. It feels like playing a a game written by people who understand the appeal of found family that went hard on the campier elements of the franchise while still maintaining a decent level of aching sadness for the tragedy they’ve endured.

You can feel the group fracturing under the weight of Bruce’s death with Dick doing everything he can to fill the void and stay positive and “normal” for the sake of everyone around him, including Alfred who is devastated but also trying to keep it together. Barbara, mourning an extra loss, is trying so hard to stay level headed and useful for Dick. Being both Oracle and Batgirl while also acting like a fun big sister to Tim who stands out as really young in this iteration.

Sure he’s a kid genius, but he’s also only 16 with a monumental caffeine addiction (you can’t tell me all the energy drinks on the shopping list pinned to the fridge aren’t for him) and mourning the loss of Bruce while also just wanting to do normal teenage shit, like asking the group for help with his art homework and being annoyed that his role as Robin is keeping him from spending time with his online boyfriend.

Jay is very raw and angry and obviously processing his own trauma on top of everything that just happened but even he steps up, trying to be there for Tim, teaming up with Babs to gently pick on Dick when he’s being particularly Boy Wonder-ish. Seeing him stress cook is also a nice added touch as are the photos of him and Bruce working on stuff. Bonding.

Which is another thing I Love. From what we see of him, Bruce is in his absolute DILF element in flashbacks and in recordings. All sad smiles and a gentle, head-shaking tolerance for the absolute ribbing the kids put him through for being too serious and neglecting himself. Not to mention all the pictures of him with Dick and Tim and Jason. And so many of him and Alfred and Ace. (The one on the fridge of him and Alfred showing them adopting Dick at the courthouse almost killed me. They all looked so young and happy.)

I’m getting serious “Bruce is a good dad with a warped sense of humor who hugs his kids and spends quality time with them, actually, and you’re wrong if you write him otherwise” fanon vibes, and that's honestly my favorite Bruce.

It’s basically appealing to everything I love about the franchise while scratching an itch in my brain the way crackfic taken seriously does.

And that’s enough to make me forgive the bad controls and glitches. But I could see it not being enough for some people, especially if you’ve already got poor hand eye coordination. Which I do. But again, I don’t really care about being good at games. I’m just dicking around and having fun wringing dopamine out of the narrative.

[searchforahero]

reverse robins jaytim!!!! pretty please!

-mel 💜

(for this ask game)

OH i love this one i'm always thinking about and never writing it

basic premise is that tim got joker juniord but instead of doing that he became savior after. jason had interacted with tim both as a civilian and as bruce's sidekick before the jj stuff and really looked up to him (and had a massive crush) he is Not Normal about tim once he becomes bruce's sidekick.

i am having a really hard time putting my thoughts in order so i'm just going to. put a bunch of random ones in no particular order. this makes no sense T-T

-jason was very much obsessed with tim before he went all rogue, but his thoughts on tim get even more complex after jason becomes bruce's sidekick. bruce acts like tim was The Perfectest Sidekick of All Time and If Only He Had Done Better, he very much has tim on a pedestal, and jason can never ever live up to bruce's flawed memory of him. however jason also has a rose colored vision of who tim was, so he frequently finds himself agreeing with bruce and feeling like he's disrespecting tim's memory. they all have a problem with acting like tim is dead <3 BUT ALSO when things are Bad with bruce? jason becomes deeply frustrated with tim, and will often use the fact that he's still alive and out there killing people as a "gotcha" with bruce. it's very much he's right there killing people, and somehow jason is still a worse sidekick?

-jason and tim meeting and jason trying so hard to convince tim to come back and it very much almost works every time because tim doesn't believe in what he's doing, and just feels like he has to. tim will sometimes get violent with jason in these instances as a thinly veiled attempt to convince himself and jason he is indeed evil and unworthy of redemption.

also this ramble i went on. it isn't really about jason. but. its in the same AU so.

damian and tim love each other more than anything and long for nothing but to be reconnected but are too bitchy and stubborn to say it. i think damian would have been quite hostile to tim at first when he joined up, and would have considered him a lesser replacement, but being older and more mature and having more time to sort out all of the league shit than he did in canon, i think he would have handled it a lot better. he and tim would have had a relationship on the more hostile end of brotherly bickering, but loved each other none the less, but would have been unwilling to say it due to complicated feelings regarding bruce & vigilantism & how that intersects with each other (also tim "replacing" damian). i see them as siblings who don't get along except for in those few moments where it becomes incredibly obvious they love each other more than anything. tim would fight with bruce and damian would take him out places to get his mind off it, that sort of thing. when tim dies (or whatever) damian feels deeply responsible (he thinks he should have been there to save him or have discouraged him from their life in its entirety) and can hardly manage to even think about tim. then jason comes along and its like tim is everywhere all over again. both in the way jason loves to talk about how much tim inspires him, but also just in the way he moves and talks and jokes around. it's like this wound he's been ignoring is suddenly green and infected and begging for attention. this strains his & jason's relationship, although damian is too reserved about the tim topic for jason to really understand why, and it makes jason feel like damian thinks he's trying to replace his lost brother and doing so Badly. i think damian would house savior!tim if it ever came to it, regardless of his own feelings on tim's actions, he could never just let him suffer alone, and he wants so badly to see him again, and those short quiet moments frozen in time where he gets to touch tim's skin, even just to stitch him up, are more precious than anything else these days. tim absolutely holds himself off from meeting with damian, until he misses him sososo badly he orchestrates an injury or a murder attempt or something (he's half convinced himself damian wouldn't speak to him if his life wasn't on the line) to get him back in damian's arms. they just need to talk about it i swear but they. will not! because they're both stubborn and hurt and lonely.

ALSO i think tim becoming savior shakes damian's belief in the mission & his moral code on a very foundational level. damian had to learn all of it, he had to practice and work to solidify his belief in the mission & not killing. it isn't something he believed initially it's something he had to foster, whereas tim showed up with the most unshaking belief in the mission and absolute conviction that everyone needed to be saved. he kind of became a pillar or representation of these ideals to damian, and when he starts killing people it upsets that foundation, even if it doesn't actually do much to change damian's moral code, it does make him feel uncertain and anxious about it

[threewaywithdelusion]

Flirting with Danger (Robin & Eddie & Steve snippet)

“Hey, Eddie? Why do you flirt with Steve so much?”

Eddie froze. Eddie was always in motion, so it was strange to see him still. Eddie thought he ran, but that wasn’t true. He deflected, he made himself larger than life, turned parts of himself that he was confident about into a target. Unless he was really, really afraid. Then he froze. 

Robin understood his other habits. She babbled when she was nervous. She preferred being teased for talking too much or for being a klutz than the other things she was worried people noticed about her. 

But Robin had never used outrageously flirting with Steve as a tactic. She’d made fun of him, sure, but it had been hilarious watching The Hair strike out with literally every single girl who’d ever walked into Scoops Ahoy. 

What Eddie was doing was different. 

Robin forged on, her mouth running ahead of her brain, as usual. “Cause, like, I get it. He’s pretty and all and he makes some really funny faces when you do that. But he doesn’t really reciprocate so I would have stopped by now if I were you, but who knows, I’ve never even been on a date so maybe my problem is that I give in early. Oh my god. Maybe you’re actually doing this right.”

Eddie raised his hands in a wide gesture. “Woah, Buckley, chill. And lower your voice.”

Robin looked around. They were still alone, the only ones in Steve’s living room. But she understood why Eddie was afraid of this conversation being overheard, even if she thought anyone with eyeballs must have realized he was hitting on Steve by now. Except maybe Mike Wheeler, who was blind to just about everything, and Dustin, who was still determined to set Steve up with either Robin or Nancy, and Lucas, who was still distracted with his girlfriend’s recovery. 

Okay, maybe not everyone had noticed. 

“Sorry,” Robin said. “But come on, you can tell me.”

Eddie looked around again, then leaned in dramatically. “Okay, this is going to sound stupid, but. I don’t know how well you knew Steve a few years ago.”

“Not well. We had Mrs. Click’s class together two years ago, but besides that our paths never really crossed.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “Well Steve and I didn’t exactly run in the same circles, but we ran in overlapping ones. I was a junior when he was a sophomore, and then we were seniors together. And I’ve been dealing to the basketball jocks for years, so I saw him around at parties and shit. And he was… very different than he is now.”

“You don’t have to tell me that Steve was an asshole. I know that.” Robin eyed Eddie, confused on what this had to do with all the flirting. Was Eddie just irresistibly into people who did hardcore self-improvement? “He knows that too, by the way.”

“I guess,” Eddie said. “I mean, he seems to. But that kind of evolution? It’s basically unbelievable, right. Like, if I wrote some DnD campaign where someone started out as a villain like that and turned into the hero, no one would buy it.”

Robin was taken aback.

Hold up. This wasn’t lovestruck gushing. The only person allowed to insult Steve like that was Robin. Maybe Dustin on a good day. 

“He wasn’t a villain,” Robin said heatedly. “He was an asshole and an idiot, but he was no worse than every other jock who goes to our school and he was a hell of a lot better than a lot of them, even then.”

Eddie’s face turned dark. “You didn’t hear the shit he said.”

No, she hadn’t. She’d overheard sometimes, when he’d called some kid or another a freak or a nerd, but she’d had no reason to hang around Steve back when they’d both been in high school. She was thankful for that sometimes. She knew Steve was different now and that he regretted the things he’d said and done in the past. But it was easier to forgive him when she didn’t know exactly what he was guilty of. 

“He can’t have been worse than Billy Hargrove. Or Jason Carver.”

Eddie scoffed. “Yeah, cause being better than Billy Hargrove or the guy who convinced the whole town I was in a satanic cult and then tried to murder me is a real selling point. What a high bar.”

He leaned in closer to her. “He was a bully, Robin. He made life awful for kids like me. Like those kids in there.” He jabbed a finger at the kitchen, where Steve was teaching The Party how to cook. “The nerds, the geeks, the outcasts, the queers. And I guess you and I and those kids are proof that he doesn’t care about the bullshit high school social hierarchy anymore. But there are some things people still hold against you out here in the real world.”

Robin scoffed. “So you’re trying to prove that Steve — Steve who fights monsters from another dimension off with a baseball bat and babysits a bunch of fifteen-year-old nerds — is still the guy you knew?” Robin fought to keep her volume down when she wanted to scream. “Cause Steve is the best person I know. He’s brave and selfless and so fucking kind, like good from the bottom of his soul, and he’s a little vain and a little slow but he isn’t anything worse than that. And fuck you for thinking that kind of thing about my best friend.”

Eddie shook his head slowly. “I’m not denying he’s good to you, Robin. But in this little group, our fucking lives depend on each other. So excuse me for trying to find out if he’s good to people like me.”

Robin only had time to blink before Eddie continued.

“I know flirting with him is insane and maybe a little suicidal. But I just want to know how far I can push him before he snaps. If he’s gonna say some shit or hit someone for acting queer, I’d rather it be me than W- one of those kids. And I’d rather know before I’m trusting him to have my back in a fight against a monster that preys on our fucking fears and traumas.”

Robin stared at Eddie for a long moment. She couldn’t believe that she and Steve had both been wrong. Eddie hadn’t been genuinely flirting with Steve, but he also hadn’t been using Steve as a safe option. Hell, Steve had been so far off it would have been laughable if it wasn’t so sad.

Robin remembered when she’d come out to Steve, stinking of vomit and high out of her mind and just as afraid as she’d been in the secret Russian bunker. 

She understood why Eddie was afraid. She probably would have been too, if she didn’t know Steve like she did. If the drugs hadn’t loosened her tongue and allowed her to tell Steve a secret she’d never shared with anyone else. 

There was only one thing she could think to do. 

“Steve!” Robin called. 

A moment later Steve came running through the doorway, a kitchen knife in his hand. He visibly relaxed when he saw that Robin and Eddie were just sitting on the couch and not being attacked by monsters from the Upside Down. 

“Robin! How many times have we talked about this? If you just scream for me, I’m going to assume something is trying to eat you.”

Robin snorted. “You say that, but you called me in a panic when you ran out of hairspray before a date and you started with the words ‘Robin, this is an emergency. I need your help.’”

Steve dragged a hand over his mouth. “I- okay, I did. But-“

“Anyway,” Robin cut him off. “I wanted to tell you earlier, but all your little ducklings were crowded around you learning how to use a stove.”

“Tell me what?” Steve asked. 

Robin grinned. She pulled a little slip of paper from her pocket and waved it out towards Steve. “Vickie’s digits.”

Steve’s eyebrows shot up in a slightly offensive look of shock. “Holy shit, Robin, you actually managed to get her number?”

He shot a glance at Eddie, probably wondering why Robin was choosing to have this conversation in front of Eddie Munson. 

Robin ignored the look and smirked. “Vickie was complaining about how she hasn’t seen a movie in ages, since the mall burned down. I told her that I work at the video store and that my very platonic best friend has a giant tv we could borrow if she wanted the full experience. And that we could make popcorn and eat candy and do all the things teenagers are supposed to do in movie theaters. And she said ‘everything?” all suggestive and I almost died! And I told her everything, so I need to steal your house and I need you not to be in it.”

Steve sputtered. “You totally stole my line. Oh my god. You said you didn’t want my dating advice, and then you stole my exact pickup line! And my house!”

Robin rolled her eyes. “What’s yours is mine, Dingus. Even your cheesy pickup lines.”

Steve grinned, looking proud. 

Robin beamed back at him. She loved that she could go to Steve, that he was her biggest cheerleader when it came to her love life. That he had never once, from the moment he had learned she was gay, made her feel strange or freakish or different for liking girls. She’d tested him, maybe, a little. In the beginning. When she’d started with innocuous little comments about Molly Ringwald looking generally pretty in the Breakfast Club or the cute girl at Family Video having a nice smile. Steve hadn’t blinked, which had given her the courage to say more, to comment on actress’s collarbones or chests or thighs, to talk about her crushes growing up, to call dibs on customers and be pleasantly surprised when Steve refused to flirt with the girls Robin had chosen, even if they were hopelessly straight and even if they flirted with him first. 

Robin had never trusted anyone the way she trusted Steve, with every part of herself, knowing that there was nothing she could show him that would make him love her less. 

Eddie was staring between them, dark eyes wide in shock and disbelief. 

“Wait,” Eddie said, waving his arms wildly. He pointed at Robin. “You are a lesbian?”

Robin nodded. “Yep! 100% all into the ladies.”

She knew Eddie was safe. There had been rumors about him being gay for years and she’d just watched him spend the past several weeks flirting with Steve Harrington of all people. He’d all but just told her he was queer. But it was still terrifying. She’d only ever told Steve, and she’d been high on Russian truth serum then. 

Robin’s heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. Her hands were trembling. 

Steve, bless his head of beautiful hair, realized at that moment that Eddie hadn’t already known about Robin. He walked closer very quickly, putting himself between Robin and Eddie as best as he could while he was standing and they were both sitting on the couch. 

It was a sweet gesture, especially from a man who had lost every fight he’d ever been in. 

“And you,” Eddie said, swinging to point his finger at Steve, jabbing it into his stomach, “knew about this?”

Robin could only see the side of Steve’s face, but he was watching Eddie with a hard look. “If you have a problem, you and I can take this outside.”

Eddie’s jaw dropped. He looked from Steve, to Robin, then back to Steve. 

Steve didn’t move. 

“Holy shit,” Eddie said, more to himself than anything. 

Steve tensed. 

“I don’t have a problem,” Eddie said, leaning back against the couch in an artful slouch. He turned to look at Robin, trying to hide his wide-eyed surprise behind a casual look. “Damn Robin, good for you, finding love in the apocalypse. While the rest of us suffer the woes of portals to hell and the perils of monster attacks, you’ve actually gone and found yourself true love.”

Robin smiled. “Or a movie date. You know. One of the two.”

Steve was looking between the two of them, his brow furrowed in that adorable look of confusion that he got sometimes. 

“I don’t understand anything that just happened here,” he said. 

Robin snorted. She was about to tell Steve that he should mind his business when Eddie said, still in that fake-casual tone, “I’m gay.”

Steve blinked, his eyebrows raising slightly. He looked taken aback. “Um, yeah.” He glanced at Robin, then back to Eddie. “I know I’m not the sharpest bulb in the box, but I’m really good at reading people. Especially when they’re flirting. Flirting is my specialty. You were really obvious, man.”

Eddie’s dark eyes were wide as he watched Steve. 

Steve pushed his hair back nervously. “Was I not supposed to know that?”

Slowly, a grin grew on Eddie’s face. “No, that makes sense. I was just making sure we were on the same page.”

Steve started frowning again. “About…? Oh. Wait. Is this- are you trying to ask me out? Because, I’m flattered dude, but I’m not- I mean. I like girls. A girl. Who doesn’t like me back, but, you know, the heart wants what it wants and all that shit.”

Eddie shot Robin an incredulous look. She gave him a close-lipped smile and a nod. 

Yeah, dude. Her best friend was awesome. 

“No, Steve,” Eddie said. “I’m not trying to ask you out. The last person I wanted to date got murdered by a super-powered psychopath right in front of me and it was quite traumatizing, so I think I’m taking a break from all that dating-slash-falling-in-love stuff for a while.”

Steve’s face scrunched up as he thought for a long moment. “Patrick?”

Robin snorted, feeling hopelessly fond. 

Eddie looked stupefied. “Chrissy, Steve. Remember Chrissy? Who was beautiful and sweet and not actually trying to murder me for starting a cult?”

“But… Chrissy’s a girl?” 

“I like both, man,” Eddie said.

“Oh,” Steve said. Then a second later, “That’s a thing?”

Eddie laughed. He had a look in his eye, like he still couldn’t quite believe Steve was taking this so well but he was grateful for every second of it. 

“Like Bowie,” Robin tried to explain. “He likes both.”

Eddie snapped his fingers and pointed at Robin. “Exactly. Bowie’s metal as fuck.”

Steve looked like he was about to say something when Dustin’s voice came from the kitchen “Steve! Come tell Mike he’s doing it wrong!”

“I’m not doing it wrong! The pasta’s supposed to look like that.”

“No pasta is ever supposed to look like that,” Erica’s voice sounded loudly over the rest. “What? Just the facts!”

“My mom’s pasta looks like that.” That was Will. 

Then Dustin again. “Thanks for proving my point, dude. Steve!”

Steve was smiling softly as the kids all roared for his approval. 

“Go help your kids, Dingus,” Robin said. “And know that I’m not eating anything made by Mike or Dustin.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve said. “I’ll make you something else. Eddie?”

Eddie grinned. “Nah man, I’m with you. It’s our job to eat whatever the little shits made and pretend it’s good, right?”

Steve grimaced. “Yeah.”

He left, muttering about being the goddamn babysitter under his breath. 

Robin turned to Eddie, eyebrows up, expectant. 

“Alright, fine! I believe I owe the Lady my apologies,” Eddie said. “I didn’t mean to malign your best friend’s honor and besmirch his good name.”

[fantastic-nonsense]

Now that we're a few months on from Batgirls ending, and with solicits out for the next few months, how are you feeling about where they're situated within DC right now?

(With the possible exception of Babs. I suspect I know exactly how you feel about Babs, because I feel very similar. About how she's situated in DC. right now.)

My short answer for how DC is treating the Batgirls right now is "much better than where they were in 2020 but significantly worse than where they should be, especially compared to all of the Robins."

In order, I think Cassandra is (ironically, considering the history there) being treated the best, being given the meatiest stories, and being utilized in ways that actually showcase her motivations and skillset. She co-starred in Spirit World, is a major supporting character in Ram V's Detective Comics run, and is now co-starring in Birds of Prey. Her pre-reboot history and characterization has basically been completely restored (except for that awful era we Do Not Talk About™, which. good.) and we have a concrete and tangible narrative direction for her again. Frankly, it's absolutely wild to be a Cass fan in 2023 seeing how she's being treated right now after 15+ years of some of the worst character treatment imaginable.

Barbara is in a very distant second place largely because of the implied elephant in the room (Tom Taylor's usage of her in the Nightwing book, the ableism, and DC's stubborn refusal to commit to letting her be Oracle full-time again). I'm also still....very frustrated and upset by Kelly Thompson's decision to relaunch Birds of Prey without her given that Babs has headlined BOP since the very beginning, in every iteration of the team, and the team would not exist without her. However, I do have to note that she's once again being showcased as a fully grown adult woman, is being regularly featured in comics, and is being utilized as Oracle in books like Ram V's Tec run, so there's potential there despite no one at DC seemingly being very interested in doing anything substantial with her beyond letting her be "Dick's computer geek girlfriend."

Which ultimately puts her above Stephanie...who basically isn't appearing anywhere significant now that Batgirls has ended and she's not dating Tim anymore. Which is...not great, to put it mildly. If you ask me why that's happened, it's because Steph has spent the majority of her appearances since her reintroduction back in 2014 being treated as "Tim's girlfriend" rather than her own character with her own wants, goals, and potential storylines. So where does she go now that Tim's dating Bernard? I don't know, but none of the writers at DC seem very interested in doing anything with her right now.

This treatment is of course very much in contrast to every single male Robin and ex-Robin character...where everyone except Tim (whose dedicated solo ongoing just finished) will either have active solo ongoings (Dick, Damian) or a solo mini (Jason) running as of February 2024. The difference in treatment is stark...but of course, that's nothing new to fans of the Batfam women. At least Kate is getting some chance to shine over in Outsiders, I guess, however poorly titled the book is.