#yes this is about 'dick was a bad brother to jason' yet again

[tiffanybluesclues]

Every week someone makes a post about how annoying it is that Dick Grayson fans don't acknowledge his flaws, and every week someone replies with an explanation that the flaws OP listed are entirely fanon and inconsistent with canon as it actually happened and at this point I have to assume that none of those explanations are ever going to stick because clearly some people just want the fanon to be true.

Anyway, I'm just putting this here for me to edit and add relevant-to-the-topic links later so I'll have them nicely at hand to read and sooth my frustrations when it gets real bad out there. (Echo chambers are good when we use them to drown out character mischaracterizing fanon.)

[jasmines-library]

Okay that one with baby batsib learning about Batman was so cute but what about the opposite? Imagine they decided that they hate Batman 💀 love your writing 🥰

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Note: LOVE THIS. sorry it took me an age.

⛧ BATFAM MASTERLIST ⛧ READ PT1 ⛧

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BRUCE:

The look on your face when Bruce picked you up from school that day was not the look he expected. Your arms were folded, and your eyebrows were knitted together in a tight scowl as you stood at his feet.

Ruffling your hair in an attempt to wipe the pout off of your face, Bruce knelt down to your height and spoke to you gently. "What's that look for, Sweetheart?" He asked, unable to hide the hint of amusement lingering in his tone.

You didn't answer. Instead you just huffed, turning away from him. Bruce just tilted his head, rather amused by your mood. "Come on, kid. It can't have been that bad. What did you learn about today?"

With one drawn out movement, you turned back to face him, a stony expression chiseled onto your face. "Batman."

"Oh?" Bruce raised an eyebrow. He was wondering when you would come across Batman. The family had agreed that you were far too young to know the secret yet, so had avoided telling you.

"I don't like him." You declared, sticking your chin up.

Bruce frowned a little. "And why not?"

"He stops people."

"He's trying to help the city, kid."

You huffed once again. "I don't like him."

Bruce couldn't help the slight grin on his face. He found it rather comical that you hated Batman so much. You were going to have one hell of a dilemma when they reveal their identities to you.

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DICK:

Your little hand was stretched above your head as you clung onto Dick's hand. He had decided to take you to the park to enjoy the most of the summer weather before Gotham shortly returned to its usual doom-and-gloom rain. Your feet shuffled on the pavement beside your brother as he walked you towards the ice cream parlour just across the road. Your eyes practically lit up as you saw the abundance of bright colours and flavours all lined up in neat rows.

"Alright kiddo. Whatcha having?" Dick lifted you up and placed you on his hip so that you could see properly over the small line of people. "They've got strawberry, chocolate, vanilla.....oh look." He pointed to one of the drawings on the specials menu. "You can get a batman sundae."

Your face twisted with disgust. "Yuck. Batman."

"You don't like Batman?" Dick raised an eyebrow, adjusting you on his hip.

"No."

"Where'd you learn about Batman?"

"At school." You replied, trying to look over the people at the counter, clearly more interested in the ice cream than in the conversation with your brother.

Dick shook his head with amusement. "Why don't you like him?"

"He's boring."

Your answer took Dick a little off guard. "Boring?" He frowned.

"Yes. Boring. We spent all day learning about him and it was very boring."

"I see" Dick chuckled, making note to tell Bruce about this later. "So i take it no Batman sundae then? Because Batman is boring?"

"Yep." you said proudly.

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JASON:

Jason was in his bedroom reading comics on his bed when you wandered in.

"Jay-Jay?" You called out for him, turning the corner and stopping when you saw him on his bed. you looked at him, eyes wide with curiosity. "What are you doing?"

"I'm reading, Little Wayne." He answered.

"Reading what?" You asked, wandering to the bed and standing on your toes to peer over. He lifted you up to sit beside him.

"Comics." he showed you. "See."

you pointed to the figure on the page. "Who's that."

"That's Batman."

"Who's Batman?"

"He saves the city. He keeps Gotham safe." Jason explained, giving you a rundown on Batman. His gadgets, his cars.

"Thats booorringgggg." You drew out, looking at the illustrations on the page.

"Boring?"

"yes." You huff. "I don't like him. He does boring things."

"If that's what you say, kid."

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TIM:

Tim was in the kitchen with you. He had you sat in a chair as he made you a snack. The news was playing in the background, with Batman and his sidekicks' faces flashing across the screen. You paid little interest to it as you ate you breakfast, but as time went on, you began to grow fed up of seeing him and his fast car driving through the streets.

"Timmy. can you turn it over?"

Tim reached for the remote and flicked to another channel, but it was also playing the same footage.

"Tim." You whined. "Turn it over. I don't like Batman."

Tim turned around to face you. "No?"

"No." You said, taking another bite of your breakfast. "He destroys the city."

"He doesn't do it on purpose, kid. He destroys it to get the bad guys."

"But sometimes he doesn't even catch the bad guys. And he has sidekicks to help him."

"He can't stop all the crime on his own, kid."

You paused for a moment, outspoken, but pout and take another big bite, speaking with half of your mouth full. "Well i don't like him anyway."

Tim changed the channel to something else. He found your slander of the vigilantes amusing, considering you would more than likely become one in the future. he just hoped that he would be there to see your face when you found out the truth.

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DAMIAN:

You were watching Damian play video games in the living room one evening. He was supposed to be babysitting. out of the window, the bat-signal flashed into view.

You tugged on his sleeve, pointing it out to him. "Dami. Look. Batsignal."

"Where'd you learn that, kid?" he asked, pausing his game.

"At school."

Damian took in the look on your face. "You don't seem that excited. Most kids are excited about batman."

"I'm not." You folded your arms. "I hate batman."

Damian chuckled in interest. "Well, you're not like most kids then, are you. why do you hate him?"

"He doesn't change the city."

"Hm?"

"There are still bad guys."

"There are." Damian hummed. "But he's trying his best."

"And he hasn't got the monster under my bed yet."

Damian couldn't help the snort of laughter that slipped past his lips. "Oh well, thats not very good of him, is it?"

"No its not." you scowled.

"I'll have to have a chat with him then, get him to sort it out for you. will that make you like him more?"

"maybe."

Damian smiled softly. "I'll see what i can do."

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BATFAM TAGS

@aestheticdaisies @hearts4robs @xxrougefangxx @hell-o-kittys @harleycao @batfamsstuff @alicedawitchbish @killxz @rosecentury @lara20aral

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[p1nkshield]

Welcome esteemed guests to chapter four of my still unnamed fanfic! Please place your suggestions on a name in the comments if you feel so inclined. :)

Bruce massaged the bridge of his nose as he turned on the coms, hopefully one of his family members would have one in right now.

“Team, Constantine will be here in five to visit our guest. Either be in gear and in the bat cave or make yourselves scarce.”

“Understood Father.”

“Why is Constantine coming here?”

“You got it, b!”

Bruce did his best to answer Tim’s question as he surveyed the confiscated items from the self proclaimed guys in white, eyeing the vials of bright green liquid he had yet to finish analyzing.

“The infinite realms sounded familiar to me so I posed some inquiries about it to Constantine. This apparently set off the alarms for him as I attempted to elaborate. Now he’s on his way.”

Bruce made no efforts to hide his exasperation as he headed towards the zeta tube entrance of the bat cave.

Jason sat in a large ornate chair vigilantly as the boy he was tasked to watch slept in the plush guest bed. He looked no older then seven. Who could hurt such a small kid? The thought made Jason sick.

Dick entered the room after knocking gently. “Hey little wing, did you hear Bruce earlier? Constantine is really gunning it over here. We need to either get lost or put on our dominos at least.”

Jason scoffed at the cutesy nickname and made a move to get up until Danny stirred in his sleep. Jason stopped in his tracks.

“Can’t” Jason uttered

“What?” Dick said inquisitively

“Can’t leave him.”

Jason really couldn’t. It was like he was glued to the chair at the bedside of this kid.

Dick looked with concern at his younger brother. “I see… how about this! I will go get your gear and keep an eye on him while you change in the en-suite. That way you aren’t far!”

Jason squinted his eyes at the proposition.

“Jason, I promise Danny is safe here. You don’t have to worry.”

It ended up working out perfectly.

“Hey Disco boy”

“hm?”

“I don’t know what came over me, thanks for not giving me a hard time.”

“Aww you’re welcome mama bird!”

Jason met this teasing with a myriad of expletives that were whisper-yelled at his brother.

“Try not to be a helicopter parent!” Dick laughed as he retreated from the room.

Danny stirred once again as his eyes flitted open. He sat up groggily and surveyed his surroundings. Jason could tell panic was seeping into his veins as he saw his unfamiliar environment.

“Hey, it’s okay”

Danny’s head snapped towards the source of the voice.

“You’re safe” Jason continued “ someone named CW sent you here to heal”

Jason’s soothings seemed to reach him as he relaxed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Where is he?!? Bats,this could be the catalyst of an inter dimensional war! A war against a people who’s base power set is comparable to Martian Manhunter do you understand?”

“Constantine”

“This literal child usurped Pariah Dark Batman.”

Batman blinked as that name held no weight for him.

“Pariah Dark was a ruler so cruel and powerful that he was banished by his own subjects. The only way for power to change hands is via single combat but no one could do it.”

“Constantine?”

“Until the new king broke him out of his sarcophagus and promptly handed his ass to him! Rumors are that he’s not even full grown yet!”

“Constantine!”

The magic user paused, snapped out of his hasty exposition.

“The boy is still resting and hasn’t woken up yet. In the letter we received we were told that this is the safest place for him to recover. I’m sure that whoever is in charge is doing everything they can to keep the child safe.”

Just as Batman was about to continue to explain how he managed to get in this situation Jason exited the elevator to the bat cave.

“Yes I promise he’s nice. No, he dresses like a bat to scare bad guys.”

Danny who was holding tightly to Jason’s continued to rattle out questions.

“Who is that?” Danny asked as he pointed towards Constantine who looked thoroughly confused.

“This tiny tyke is the Ghost King? Oh come on you’re pulling my leg or something spooks.”

Constantine then addressed the boy

“You defeated Pariah Dark single handedly?”

Danny replied to his questioning with a crinkled look of confusion.

“… Ghost King? …Pariah Dark?”

Realization dawned on Constantine.

“Was he reduced to his core?”

Jason replied with another question.

“Is that why he looked like a fancy rock?”

A beat of silence filled the room.

“I can’t help you with this. Let me know when he remembers enough for me to grovel for the sake of this dimension.”

Constantine made his way towards the zeta tube and swiftly left.

Danny blinked a few times, processing the strange man and his strange questions before letting go of Jason’s hand.

“Where are you headed kid?”

“I’m thirsty.”

“There’s not much in terms of refreshments down here how about we- hey woah don’t drink that!”

It was far too late Danny had phased his hand through the container holding several large ampules of a glowing green liquid. He snapped off the top at the scored break point and began to drink it.

“Danny! Danny spit that out right now!” Jason hurriedly approached.

“Why? It’s good! See?”

Before Jason could protest Danny offered some of his drink to Jason.

Despite his best efforts he smelled some of the unidentified liquid. It smelled … really good. Before he himself or Bruce could stop him, he took a small sip. It was sweet, citrusy and effervescent. He took another sip before finishing the whole thing. It lessened a headache he forgot he had.

“Heeeey! That was mine!”

Jason regarded the boy who looked at him with intense betrayal.

He reached into the containment unit and uncorked another ampule with some effort and handed it to him absently, still confused as to what just happened.

This is the second time this week Bruce has been genuinely shocked by something. He did not like this feeling at all. He looked forlornly at his samples that had just been raided like a fridge. He let out a long sigh.

@boo-ghosties @skulld3mort-1fan @addie-lover-of-stories @isaactheautobot @krzys2000 @ectoradiation @worthlesswall @mewzaque @mnemovoid @phantom-dc @justwannabecat @kitty-page @cutelittlebeanie @meira-3919 @amyheart19 @scarlette-foxx @thegatorsgoose @farmercale

[bluebellhairpin]

Thou So Long Hast Mourn'd

Bruce Wayne X Batmom!Reader

Summary: After Jason's passing, your grief and anger combined causes you to leave Gotham - swearing only to return when you have a perfect chance to kill the Joker for what he did to your son. (Part 2 to 'Hell Hath No Fury')

Warnings: Loss and Grief (Mentions of a funeral and repeated mentions of Jason dying. We miss Mumma's Boy Jay a lot :( ). Bad coping mechanisms all round. Clark Kent acts as a marital buffer. (Reader is fem coded; has she/her pronouns; is referred to as ‘wife’ multiple times. Has the hero name of 'Valentine'.)

Listening to: 'Skyfall' By Adele - "I know I'd never be me without the security of your loving arms keeping me from harm."

Series Masterlist || Masterlist || Ko-Fi

Yes, thou shalt know, spite of thy past Distress, - 

Jason’s funeral was attended by a very small number of people. Yourself, Bruce, Dick, and Alfred all front and center. 

For days, weeks, the media pestered asking question after question. “A tragic accident.” Commissioner Gordon would reply. It became you answer too, like a well-rehearsed prayer. 

A tragic accident. Tragic. Accidental tragedy. Accident. 

Except it was no such accident. Someone killed Jason. A man, who still walked free, murdered your son. 

Even now, a month after you buried the child, as you sat listening to rain pat against the window panes in Wayne Manor, you remembered what you’d told Bruce the night he brought Jason home for the last time. 

“I’m going to kill him.” you said. “I’m going to kill the Joker.” You told Bruce you’d do what you’d vowed to never do again. You promised yourself to avenge your son, to make sure no one else would ever lose a child to that monster ever again. 

Ever since that night you’d felt a wedge slide between you and Bruce. Dick, only sixteen and having lost the closest thing he had to a brother was feeling it - you could see it on his face, and they way he held his shoulders at dinner. How you were feeling, how little Bruce was doing about it - none of it was doing Dick any good. 

Aside from the anger, you didn’t know how you were feeling. You never thought you’d ever be a mother - you had no idea what to do to help anyone. So you left. 

Bruce was out on patrol - he dove into Batman head first, a bitter feeling in your stomach had you thinking he was compensating. Dick was out - gymnastic practice, which Alfred was in charge of tonight. You were left alone in a huge house, and you couldn’t stand to stay there any longer. 

A small bag was packed with basics - clothes, cash, a few weapons from the cave, and a single family photo taken while on vacation just that past summer (stolen from its frame and folded into a jacket pocket close to your heart). As you walked past the main living space, you stopped, and looked up towards the item hanging above the fireplace. 

The sword - Excalibur - a god-given gift to humankind to exact true justice, now resting as a collectors antique catching dust. You knew if you took it that you would be able to do what you needed to. During your time using it there was no greater pull than to execute Joker - yet something always stopped you. 

You knew it was Bruce. 

Even already, your own guilt over what you meant to do wouldn’t let you take it with you. 

Naturally, on that night, Alfred brought Dick was home first. It was already nine thirty, and while Dick would be up for a long while, he knew the boy wasn’t sleeping proper anymore. 

Alfred sent him up to his room anyway, reassuringly with a hand on his shoulder, telling him to go try and get some rest. 

But Alfred knew something wasn’t right in the Manor the moment he stepped inside. It was too quiet. Like it had been empty as long as they’d been away - even though he knew full well you should’ve been there to keep the house alive. 

Although not trained, the butler had a sixth sense for a lot of things - he was a natural at whatever he sent his mind to (in his youth it was acting, and hence so seeing through lies and reading rooms (for improvisation, obviously) went with it). He set out to find you. Looked in all the usual places, and the unusual ones, in the big rooms and the small ones. 

In the last week or so you’d taken to spending time sitting in the walk-in-fridge. He worried about you a lot. While Dick still had school and his friends, and Bruce threw himself into Batman, you only really had yourself. It wasn’t healthy. 

But no matter how much he looked, or where he looked, you were nowhere to be found - not in the house, nor in the grounds. You’d said nothing about going out when he left, he would’ve remembered. In a last ditch effort to find you, he looked in one last place. 

But you hadn’t been in the Batcave since Jason came home. 

It was there, as he walked down a set of stairs, that he noticed a piece of paper haphazardly taped to one of the center computer monitors. 

He grabbed it, and flipped it open, reading quietly to himself the words inside, scrawled in your handwriting. 

‘Bruce, Don’t look, you know I won’t let you find me. I’m going to do something you will hate me for - probably forever. I can’t keep living like this knowing Jason’s killer is out there killing more mother’s sons. Take care of Dickie. Don’t take Alfred for granted.’

The older man found himself sinking into the chair beside him.

He had a hunch this was coming - he wasn’t in the cave the night Bruce brought Jason home, instead at the time he was upstairs taking a call from an excited Dick who was recalling his day spent doing a treasure hunt around Blüdhaven for a school camp trip that lasted the whole week. Alfred had no idea how you first reacted - he didn’t know how Bruce reacted to your reaction. 

He knew it wasn’t good. Especially since in your note you didn’t even say goodbye to your husband. 

You’d been hiding in a place you knew Bruce wouldn’t ever look - he always hated visiting Metropolis, the city was too bright.  

You knew no one there would snitch on you - most didn’t even recognize you, and the one person who did, conveniently the man who was the closest thing Bruce had to a best friend, wouldn’t ever snitch on you. Not for this. 

‘I needed a break,’ you’d lied, ‘Couldn’t handle being in Gotham after…’ You never finished, and you knew Clark could see through a lie like glass - but the grief he could see. He could also see the anger simmering underneath. He never called you out for it though. 

You’d been there a while, waiting, watching Gotham from a distance Bruce wouldn’t see you from. You kept tabs mostly on Batman - although interviews with Bruce having to explain where his wife went were entertaining (in a sick, satisfying way). Sometimes you were sick, others you were out of town, most times you ‘weren’t feeling up to it’ - the latter two would be closest to the truth, not that he’d know that. 

You often looked fondly at whatever information came though about Dick - he took out the gymnastics first place for his age bracket in the Gotham state. The picture made your heart ache - his smile was wide and toothy, but even though your printed newspaper you could tell it wasn’t reaching his eyes. 

Who you were watching most, though, was the Joker. You combed through old reports and new ones. Even called up Harley Quinn a few times, just to get a perspective on him from someone who was - at one point - much closer to him. She asked you why you wanted to know. 

“I need to know.” 

“O-kay. And where exactly have you been Val?” she’d said, voice crackling down the hotel landline, “You ain’t locking yourself up in that Mansion are ya?” 

“No. I’m not in Gotham right now.” 

“So what’s even the Joker to ya if you ain’t even here huh?” 

“When I come back,” you said, “I’m going to kill him.” 

You became a Joker expert in almost one night.

You got a late night visitor less than a week after that phone call. Clad in red and blue, with a gaudy cape and that stupid ringlet you and Bruce would always bitch about on late nights under bed covers. 

You were a little happy to see Clark - you actually had nothing against him, it was all just in jest (or solidarity because Bruce was your husband). He was let in pretty quickly. Mostly to avoid questions from the nosey couple who’d been staying in the room next to yours for the past three days. 

He stood around awkwardly while you watched him from the seat next to the room’s microwave, posture screaming Clark Kent, journalist, even though he looked like Superman, world-know superhero. 

“I’m, uh -” he started after you stared at him hard, wordlessly willing him to speak, “- I’m worried. I think you should go back to Gotham soon. To Bruce, specifically.” 

“And why’s that?” He looked at you like you’d just said you had Kryptonite in your pocket. 

“Because you’re in trouble.” 

“I’m here in Metropolis, I’m with you right now, I couldn’t be in less trouble if I tried.” 

“You know I have super hearing.” he said sheepishly. It was like he was telling his Ma he ran over her peonies with a bicycle. You put two and two together quickly though. 

“You’ve been spying on me?” 

“For me!” He said, stepping back with his palms towards the sky, “I feel better about not telling Bruce if I know what’s going on with you.” 

“And so what part of your spying brought you here tonight?” Both your arms and legs crossed, you could tell from his face he didn't mean for you to get so offensive so quickly. 

“You were talking to Harley Quinn?” 

“Oh that,” you scoffed with a wave of your hand, “Even Bruce does that. She’s not so bad. Taught me how to roller-skate you know.” 

“About the Joker?” 

“That happens often when my husband is being a pain in my ass,” you said, “Reminds me he could be much, much worse.” Clark motioned his head - ‘fair’, but then he returned serious once more. This time it wasn’t a question. 

“You said you were going to kill him.” 

You knew he couldn’t read your mind, but he could hear how your heartbeat picked up. He had to know you knew you’d been caught. He sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting for your answer in the most approachable way he knew in that moment. 

“I’d be doing everyone a favor.” 

“Bruce - I don’t know what he’d do. He could hate you.” 

“I’m sure he hates me right now anyway.” 

“You can’t believe that,” Clark said, looking up at you with blue eyes that almost looked like Bruce’s. “You don’t really believe he hates you right now?” You took a great interest in the patterned carpet. Clark said your name, and you reluctantly looked back at him. 

“He misses you.” 

“I miss my son.” You bit back at him bitterly. His face remained hard. This was suddenly no longer Clark. You were talking to Superman now. 

“I’m not sure how to say this kindly,” Clark said with a firm voice, “But you’re so focused on the child you lost that you’re abandoning the one that’s still here. Bruce misses you, but Dick misses you even more. He doesn’t need to lose another Mom.” 

His stare was hard, stubborn - he wasn’t going to let up. Your stare was hard too - sour and angry, not because you didn't believe him, but because you knew how right he was. 

“I think you can leave now.”

Two weeks later, after a late night grocery run that consisted mostly of chicken noodle cups and instant coffee, you found a lump of black sitting in the dark with its back against the door of your room. 

Clark told Bruce. 

He didn’t seem to notice your approach, but once you stood toe-to-toe with his polished Oxford shoes, you kicked his leg. 

“Get up.” 

His head of messy hair lifted, and when his brain fully processed you - his wife, finally! - standing before him, he almost jumped to his feet. Uncharacteristic of him outside his prior - and now ditched - playboy persona. 

He breathed your name, stepping forward with hands outstretched as if to hug you. You took a step back. Clark, apparently hadn’t told him everything - if he had, he was taking it very, very well. 

“Where’s Dick?” 

“With Alfred,” he said, hands falling to his sides again after you hummed in acknowledgment. You both stood in silence for a while, before you gestured to a door with a full hand. He got the hint, stepping away, then taking the bags away from one hand as you fumbled for your keys. 

The quiet continued as you let yourselves in, you sat the shopping on the bench, and he made himself at home at the table near the door. You sat back down in the microwave chair, the furthest place from him you could be while still staying in the room. 

“Been keeping busy, Bruce?” you asked, he turned to fully face you in his seat. 

“Not really,” he said, “I’ve been looking for you. Never thought you’d be here,” You almost smiled, thinking about how right you were for coming here. Almost. 

“Heard you went to Saudi Arabia while I’ve been gone.” 

“It was nothing. Really.” 

“You couldn’t have been looking too hard if you were able to take a ‘nothing, really’ trip to the Arabian Mountains.” 

“I’m not here to fight with you,” Bruce said, resting a palm on his knee, “I’m here to ask you to come home. We all miss you.” his last words came out very quietly. “It’s been months. Nothings going to get easier if you stay away.” 

“Are you listening to yourself?” you said with a soft scoff, “He who literally spent every single night after Jason died away from home. He who spends every moment he can down in a dark damp cave rather than with his family - I don’t think you get to tell me where I should be.” You felt tears well in your eyes - hot and fat if they fell, but you willed yourself not to let them. Bruce’s shoulders softened, and he stood and walked closer slowly, coming to kneel before you with his fingers just touching yours. 

“We both haven’t been doing well, have we?” his head shook and his voice was barely audible. It was like he was speaking to himself. His admission - finally, his own pride and stubbornness aside, and it made yours disappear like dust in the wind. 

“You need to see my bathroom,” you said. His head cocked, a sly smile twitched onto his lips. 

“Oh?” he said, “And what might I find there?” But you weren’t smiling. You were trying to be honest.

“Just go look.” you said, turning away from him, bringing your hand away. Telling him with your actions that you weren’t going to be talking until he did. 

He stood, opening the bathroom door behind you and flicking on the light. You could feel how still he was. Taking in the room, and what was inside it. 

All across the mirror and walls were taped up newspaper clippings and photos and articles printed off from the library, old and new, a few of him - Batman - but most of the Joker. Beside the toilet was a case - one he knew would hold parts of a rifle (parts he'd seen you pull apart and put back together in a minute flat) - and across the sink were knives and gun magazines. 

Bruce stepped off the carpet and onto the tile. There was a little list in the center of the mirror, written in red and with the last line underlined.

‘Kill the Joker’. 

When he returned to you, he was holding the list in one hand. 

“When were you planning on doing this?” he asked. You weren’t able to meet his eyes when you answered. 

“Whenever I go back to Gotham.” His body went rigid beside you. Audibly, he let out a breath.

“I’ve thought about it too. Just getting rid of him like that.” he admitted, voice quiet and with a rough edge, “But I know it won’t help. It won’t bring him back.” 

“This isn’t about bringing him back. If I knew it could bring Jason back I’d have done it weeks ago.” You looked up at Bruce as you spoke, watching as his face crinkled in disbelief. 

“You’re so serious about this.” 

“How could you still think I’m not serious?” you said, standing to help convince yourself you weren’t as unsure as you felt. “I will do it. A time will come when that monster dies - wherever it is I will be standing by watching.” 

He watched you. Analyzing your face and the way your eyes moved. His face set like stone, hard and sure and you knew he was much more upset now having found out than what he was when you were missing. He took a step back. 

Bruce was moving towards the door. 

“I won’t stop you. I couldn’t bear to.” he turned, hand on the door handle, “But Batman still will.”

As far as you knew, you’d made it back into Gotham City undetected. 

You knew the route’s Bruce - no - Batman, took while out on patrol. You knew the surveillance he constantly would check. You knew because for years you’d helped him do it all. 

Thankfully, you had a not-so-little little helper - Joker assassination aside, Harley was more than happy to put you up for a while. After you’d killed Joker you’d planned to turn tail and leave again - maybe hide someplace in Australia where no one barely goes. It wasn’t like you had to put up with her long anyway. 

Harley was great, but you’d have to love her a whole lot to live with her longer than a week. But you weren’t planning to stay that long. 

You’d tracked Joker to an apartment complex near Arkham - you knew he wouldn’t stay there forever, so you needed to act fast. 

Your weapons of choice were clean and ready to go, your escape routes A through to D were memorized, a hood and bandana combo were acquired to hide your identity long enough for no one around to know it was you. By all means and definitions you were ready to go. 

You left Harley’s place wordlessly. You were sure she didn’t even know you left. 

A cloak and the shadows of night concealed you from most passersby. Slowly, slowly you stalked towards where you knew the Joker to be. When you climbed the fire escape to find your vantage point, you almost didn’t make it all the way there because you saw Him. 

Sitting, lounging. Acting like there was not a single thing in the world to worry about. It made you so angry you could scream, claw your eyes out, you could do so many things all because that man couldn’t care less about your son dying. 

In fact, you didn’t make it to your original vantage point. 

You settled right there, three levels lower than planned, and took the rifle off your shoulder. Clipping on the scope, twisting the silencer on, packing the magazine in. Settled your body into a comfortable position, then raised the gun to look at your target through the scope. 

With greasy green hair and yellow teeth, you watched him smile through the crosshairs. With a sneer you flicked the safety off. You were ready to take the shot.

A flash of red, green and yellow came in front of the Joker. You frowned, confused. Pulling the scope back you looked again with a wider range and saw something that made your heart drop. Someone was tied up and presented to him like a present. 

The Joker had Robin. 

Your Robin. Your son. Your Dick Grayson. 

Suddenly this was more than just a chance to avenge Jason. A switch flicked inside your heart. This wasn’t a chance to avenge Jason anymore; this was you, saving the son you had left. This was you not giving that monster the chance to keep you in black. 

The lethal rifle was ditched right there on the fire escape, not caring if a lowlife found it before you could return. The knives you’d stashed - ‘just in case’ - were now your swords. Their piercing blades becoming the only thing shielding those who stood in your way a feral beating from bare fists. 

No one was standing in your way of taking Dick home safely. 

Your veins pumped white hot, you saw red all over. This was not going to happen a second time. It wasn’t ever going to happen again. 

A goon at the door stood in your way, he was met with a knee to the crotch and a wound to his shoulder to keep him down. More on the stairs were thrown over bannisters. One had his head smashed into the doorway of the Joker’s apartment. Another was given a hard elbow to the back of his neck. 

You weren’t aiming to kill - you were aiming to get them out of your way, and keep them that way. 

When you reached the room which window you saw through, there were only four other people aside from yourself, your son, and that murdering bastard. They all stayed quiet, goons waiting on a call to action from their boss. You missed the way Dick’s eyes widened as he realised his Mom was here. You were busy staring down the Joker, trying to make him feel just how much pure hate you had for him without a single word. 

“Give me Robin,” you said, voice low, venomous. Dangerous. 

“Well if you want him so bad, and since you asked nicely,” His smile spread wide and uncanny. “Come and get him.” 

So you did. 

Like a blur of back and blue, you had all four men either out cold or groaning on the floor. The Joker himself was under your kneeling form with his teeth now stained red and an eyes swollen shut. 

“Listen well because I’ll only say it once.” You said, your hand a rough fist in his hair to make sure he looked into your eyes and saw exactly how much of a threat your promise was. 

“I spared your life today. I will never do it again. I am not the Batman. The next time I find you trying to pull something with one of my Robin’s and you see me coming you'd better run the other way because I will kill you.”

After untying Dick, retrieving your abandoned gear, and throwing Joker into Arkham, you reconvened with Dick on a nearby rooftop. 

You barely stood upright on two legs before he barreled into you, arms thrown around your waist with his face squished right into your collarbone. He’d grown taller in the time you’d been away. You felt tears fall as your arms wrapped around him in kind. 

“I’ve missed you Mom.” he mumbled into your shirt, “Please don’t go away again. Please.” 

A hand raised to the back of his head as you pressed your covered nose into his hair. You took a deep breath with your eyes closed, then opened them, peeling you both apart just enough to take in each other's faces. Even with his mask on you could see how much he was pleading with you to stay.

You brushed his hair away from his face - he needed a haircut soon. 

You wanted to stay, you never wanted to leave him ever again, not after tonight. But would Bruce let you? 

Out the corner of your eye you saw a black drop fall onto the rooftop a little ways off. Batman. He stood, tall and intimidating. In that moment you had half a mind to take a step back even though he made no move closer to you. 

Instead you just held Dick a little tighter. 

Bruce's hand reached out to you, palm open, outstretched, and empty. Waiting for you to take it. 

“I think we can go home now.” he said, “We all can.” Like that, Batman disappeared. Bruce was here. You guessed he bluffed - when it came to you Bruce was always there. 

Things were not going to go back to normal. They weren’t for a while. But the best thing you could do was stay together, all together. As a family. 

Nothing was going to push that away from you again. 

- And all those Ills which thou so long hast mourn'd;

[thesummerstorms]

Still got the Annabeth BatFam thing stuck in my head. Mutuals blacklist "Annabeth Wayne" if you like, but here else can I be silly if not Tumblr?

Anyway. Most fics have this version of Annabeth running away shortly after Jason Todd dies. Dick Grayson may or may not have even made it back to Earth yet. Bruce is quite literally unraveling.

So Annabeth runs away. And she runs into Thalia and Luke. And like, right from the get go Luke, in his POV, is describing himself as the "father" and "older brother" combo of this "family". Like, as soon as he and Thalia acquire Annabeth he sorts himself into that role.

And don't get me wrong, I feel like Annabeth definitely bonded with Thalia. Because Thalia has been the primary caregiver for a little kid before (Jason Grace) and Annabeth is probably only a few months out from the death of Jason Todd.

But the thing is, Annabeth is extra primed to accept an older brother. She's had two at this point, both out of her reach, and in my head it makes sense if she found them much easier to connect to that famously-bad-at-expressing-emotion Bruce Wayne. And Luke is perfectly big brother shaped and promising *he* won't leave her.

And it's only a few weeks until Thalia dies. Just like Jason Todd. It's just Annabeth and Luke left. Even when most of the campers leave for the school year, they don't have anywhere else to go. Years pass that way.

And then she's twelve. She's twelve, and Luke betrays them all to Kronos and tries to kill Percy. The only brother she has left runs away from her.

She's thirteen. Luke poisons Thalia's tree.

She's still fourteen, by a handful of months, he begs for her to save him, and he traps her beneath the sky.

She's turning fifteen and she watches him be consumed. The thing that wakes in his body is their greatest enemy.

And this whole time, Annabeth desperately wants him back, despite everything. Because when one brother left and the other died, he was supposed to be the one who stayed. The one who loves her.

(and he does, still. She isn't wrong about that. In little, flinching moments, he still loves her. Just not enough to stop him using her.)

But no one is left to listen to her. Her only friends are angry with her when she tries to explain it. They get mad that she would give him grace after everything he's done. They don't and can't see past their hurt, the lives he's destroyed, to understand why Annabeth clings the way she does.

(If she's selfish to wish they could, so be it. She's alone no matter what.

She's only just turned sixteen when he does. He dies to save the world. He dies by suicide, as a result of his choices. He dies on her blade. He kills himself because she made him promise.

Less than a year passed before she's thrown to war again, desperate to find Percy, then to avert Gaia, to escape Tartarus without going insane.

No one really talks about Luke at camp, even when she startles sometimes seeing Jason Grace's scar from the corner of her eye.

And somehow, after all of this, she ends up back in Gotham face to face with the first brother who left her behind and the first brother who died.

None of it is Dick Grayson or Jason Todd's fault. They were just kids, and they didnt actually betray her, unlike Luke. But the lesson is burned deep into her nightmares and insecurities.

You can't tell me that's not a shit show of a reunion.

Yes, she still loves them. But what does that matter, when she loved Luke to the end too?

[zaceouiswriting]

The good Dad

Character: Bruce Wayne (father), male reader (son)

Universe: Somewhere in DC

Warnings: Fluff

You've never been more nervous than you are right now. Asking your father to talk was nerve-wracking enough, but sitting in his imposing office? That was something completely different. There are only two reasons anyone would set foot in it. Firstly, to do business with your father. Or secondly, to get yelled at. Which, unfortunately, Dick and Jason had to do many, many times.

For you, however, it was a first. Your hands were sweating, and your left leg was jumping as if you were preparing to break a world record while sitting across from your father, waiting.

Your father hasn't looked at you once. Yet your heart is beating ten times faster than it should be. Even a strange pressure affected your ears, making them unable to hear. The only thing that pops into every corner of your brain is: "What if he's gonna hate me?"

“So!“ 

The sudden, booming voice broke the self-imposed silence in your head. His gaze had lifted from the papers he had been working on, his mouth moving, but you couldn't hear anything else, terrified out of your mind.

"Son?" His voice sounded worried, which somehow had a calming effect on you.

"Y-Yes?" Your voice cracked with nervousness.

"Why did you have to talk to me?"

He didn't mention his busy schedule as he does with your brothers - to make them hurry - which made you smile inwardly as they always whine that you're the favorite, even if you don't see it that way.

"Uh-I-I..." When you tried to say it, you panicked again. Your eyes widened and even winced slightly as you imagined what might happen if you actually admitted what you were there for.

Your father rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Calm down. It can't be that bad."

"I fell in love," you suddenly blurted out. As soon as you understood what you were saying, you clasped your hands over your mouth and immediately looked away.

The older man looked at you confused and even tilted his head slightly. His two hands now lay relaxed on the table. He was worried because you've never been so nervous, especially in front of him.

"So? What's the problem? And why are you telling me this? It's not like I thought you'd never fall in love. Rest assured that I'll support you with whoever you want to be together because-"

"It's Conner. We've been doing so much together lately and-"

Without batting an eyelid, your father's calm, cheerful demeanor soured, "Absolutely not!"

Suddenly a silence fell over you both. Finally, you looked up again and stared at your father in shock. He gazed at you in disappointment, even slightly angry.

"But you just said you'd support-"

"Everyone except the Clark boy! He's bad news and would only break your heart!"

You were shocked. Conner was so sweet and caring. How could your dad even think he would do something like that?

“But Dad!“

"No buts, young man! I would care less if you wanted to be with one of your brothers!"

"First of all: Eww. Second, why? What has he ever done?“

Your father banged his hands on the table in anger. "I said no! Everyone except that boy!" He screamed. "I'll buy you the perfect boy if you want, but I won't let you date the Clark boy! Does he even know about your feelings?"

A bright red blush began to glow on your cheeks. Your father had brought up a subject that was uncomfortable for you. Even though Conner was touchy and slightly lewd, neither of you had said or done anything in particular.

Seeing the sudden sadness in your eyes, your father sighed heavily, got up from his office chair, walked around the desk, and sat on the edge right before you. He carefully lifted your head with one of his hands. "I mean it. You can be with whoever you want: I don't care if it's a boy, his age, or his ethnicity. Everyone except the Clark boy and, by extension, Clark himself."

"Why Dad? Dick and Jason never had restrictions like that!” you blurted out, getting angry yourself.

But your father just sighed. "Because they didn't want to get into the pants of people who weren't good enough for them."

"But Conner is a hard worker. Yes, he still has a lot to learn, but-"

"Little sprout!" he said sternly, silencing you immediately. "I'm just warning you this once. Don't even try to get together with Conner, do you understand?"

Defeated, you suddenly stood up. Forcing your father's hand off of you. "I understand," you mumble sadly.

"That's my good boy!" Your father said happily, pulling you into an unwanted hug. Out of nowhere, he put a kiss on your temple. "You will find someone far better, little sprout. Someone who truly deserves you!"

When he let go of you, your heart was pounding in your throat. It hurt like never before. Your father was always relatively distant. That he was like that made you wonder if it was still your father. What was refuted in the second moment, he sat behind his desk again. He ignores everything that happens around him, as he always does.

You left the room in silence, not wanting to disturb him again. With tears in his eyes, barely able to hold back the sobs, dangerously close to breaking free.

[Masterlist]

[deepwithintheabyss]

Dick takes everyone’s virginity in the family. He’s their big brother and he will make sure they will have a good first time whether they want it or not

yessss exactly, it's his responsibility as a big brother

Oh Jason got a girlfriend? (referencing the like two panels that exist about this) well Dick has to make sure he's thoroughly educated on the ways of pleasuring someone. Even if he and Jason haven't gotten along that well it doesn't mean he should shirk his important responsibilities like that, even more because he just KNOWS Bruce won't have The Talk with Jason.

Heavens knows how Dick managed to avoid any accidents without it, well maybe Alfred forced Bruce to it but it was so traumatizing for the man (especially because I can see Dick being a little shit, even when mortified, and just asking all the questions and playing innocent. "oh is that what you were doing with Catwoman?") that he won't ever do it again. Jason is pretty studious and he reads all the romance books so he probably got a more rose colored view on it as well, Dick is just showing him the reality of it. It's for his own good, even if Jay can't see that yet. He'll come to thank him later.

And the same just goes for all the other Robins like, of course he's going to teach them (see what happened to Steph who he couldn't teach in time, she had a bad ex and got pregnant, just means he has to make up for it and replay her first time and make it so much better)

(oh also related to a StephCass snippet I have) Cass would surely want to have a thorough lesson on boundaries and that even if a body screams yes or no that the person could want something entirely else.

Tim the little stalker would also need a lesson on boundaries but for different reasons.

[lordwisteria]

Going off that “Jason Todd should be Catholic” post I reblogged....this is so ridiculously niche lol but I need to get it off my chest....Jason Todd is so Ronan Lynch coded

Traumatic reaction to violence that unexpectedly changed them forever, into darker and harder versions of themselves

Molten eyes and a smile made for war!!!

How do you live if you think you were maybe supposed to be dead?

How do you kill yourself again and again, even if it keeps you alive?

Just to get it out of the way yes Gansey died and came back but Jason and Gansey are like the least alike of anyone

Complicated relationship with a parent they once adored

Inexplicable magic that is difficult to explain and makes their lives harder (Like everything about Ronan/Jason coming back to life and the Pit)

General asshole who actually does care a lot

Cared the MOST about one person (Gansey) and slowly came to care about everyone else; fighting and clawing their way back into their own families

It is about RAGE and REGRET. FEAR and FORGIVENESS. It is BEING THE MONSTER AND ASKING FOR LOVE ANYWAY

Ok but. But but. Are there any other parallels? You could go the Lynch brothers route (Dick as Declan, Tim or Damian as Matthew, Bruce as a complicated and dead Niall whose obsessions killed him without considering what it would leave behind for his sons). But I think this really only considers the characters relationships with Jason, not who they are as a person. IF we are looking at who they are instead of their relationships (so yes this does not consider romantic/platonic/blahblah):

It would be easy to say Dick is Gansey. They have the same name, are ~leaders~, and are canonically the prettiest princess in any room. I get it and maybe in the Titans you'd be right, but here, Bruce is Gansey. He is the one with the quest! He is the one driving things forwards and bringing the others along. He's the one with the family name and the family wealth and the family home. He went through something traumatic as a child that irrevocably changed him, fueled his intense guilt and obsession. He brought the group together, and yet feels left behind by them. Someone who cares deeply about the people immediately around him, and yet will not stop pursuing his other goals even if it's hurting them or himself. Obsessed, I think, with proving that he deserves to be here.

Which means that Dick...is Adam Parrish. Like. The constant search for independence. The perfectionism. The bad relationship with his father that forced him to need to be his own man. (Sorry real Bruce but you sucked in batman #416) Loving someone so much and yet always thinking the worst of them. Refusing to be a burden and yet accepting any yoke that comes his way. The intensity of the performance, of pretending to be who you wish you were for the people you care about. Taking on responsibilities because there is literally no other choice, nothing else you could do. Picking the best of your options and knowing that none for them are to rest easy. Valuing freedom so much and giving up your literal body for the quest.

PLUS (less perfect but): Cass as Henry Cheng (and not just bc they are both asian do not look at me like that) Narrative outsider who was watching from afar and put themselves in the narrative. Was molded by shady parent's shady business practices. Was put in a situation as a child they should not have had to endure, which challenged their beliefs and shaped them anew. And maybe like, later Tim as Noah, a bright, fun, young kid on a skateboard who gets himself involved in something too big for him and is undeniably damaged by it. Tim isn't betrayed by someone the way Noah is, but he's kind of...betrayed by the narrative, in a way? Betrayed by the adventure that he thought he was getting. Too clever for his own good, but sometimes naive about people. Lowkey a mirror that lets people see whatever they want to see lol

(I don't see super clear parallels for anyone else lol but I did have a fun time with the thought of Damian as Blue (short/down to fight/has another family/environmentalist/kind of feels fundamentally alienated as someone who is not like everyone else/wears green))

[bluboothalassophile]

jayrae as a married couple with kids ? yk living their type of normal as a request

Hello,

How about hunting for a babysitter?

Death or the Devil?

“Bruce is not babysitting her, just no, Zatanna interfered, and no, Jay,” she shook her head.

“We didn’t know she could do magic like that,” Jason reasoned as they both went through the list of family members to babysit for their date night. No way they could hire some poor, unsuspecting babysitter to babysit their child. They’d seen the Incredibles Jack-Jack adventures which had pretty much summed up their child.

“I know, but Zataras are… untrustworthy, and your family trusts them too much,” she explained.

“What about Dick? He raised Mar'i,” Jason pointed out.

“And he hasn’t passed a sobriety test in three months,” she countered.

“Fuck, why’d he have to fall off the wagon,” Jason groaned as he rubbed his brow.

“What about Mazekeen?”

“Your step-grandmother’s affinity for weapons…”

“Tinuviel is part demon,” Raven reasoned.

“And part archangel, celestial, Endless, witch, mortal, god… Jesus… Rae…” he groaned as he listed off her heritage.

“She is not related to Jesus!” Raven strangled out.

“God is your great-grandfather,” Jason countered.

“So? We are not trusting God to babysit Tinuviel,” Raven muttered. “And Maze can babysit when Tinuviel can actually hold a weapon and not hurt herself. What about Luci?”

“You want Lucifer, the devil to babysit her?” Jason reasoned.

“He’d give her too many ponies…” she muttered as they both looked at their daughter.

“What about Alfred?”

“He’s got the night with his daughter Julia, otherwise, I’d say yes. What about Constantine?”

“I don’t think that’s wise,” he grimaced. “She might have her first drag in his custody, and I’d really like for my daughter not to have my bad habits.”

“Harley and Ivy could babysit?” Raven offered.

“Harley had our daughter help her rob a bank last time.”

“Shit.”

“What about Tim?”

“Zataras!” she quipped. “Or Fate. Dr. Fate does like Tim, so that would be so much worse…”

“Fuck.”

“Victor?”

“Remember when Tiny accidently summoned Darkseid in challenge?”

“Oh right, Vic did say he’d BOOMTube Apokolips to Hell if that happened again, but I don’t think it’d be a bad thing?” she reasoned.

“New Genesis threatened war if he did that,” Jason sighed.

“Why would they care? They’re always at war with Apokolips,” she muttered sourly. “What about Dream or Destiny?”

“No! You uncles would never return her if they got a hold of her, and then they’d pull the, she’s an Endless crap and we’d have to fight the Endless to get her back.”

“Dream is unusually fond of her,” Raven muttered in agreement.

“What about Roy? He raised Lian, and is sober,” Jason pointed out.

“He’s on mission with the Arrows, remember.”

“Artemis?”

“She’d take Tiny to Themyscira and then we’ll never get her back,” Raven sighed. “Also, Donna and Diana think she need training.”

“She’s a year old!”

“I know. What about Death.”

“I want you to think about what you just said, little bird.” Jason waited and then his wife groaned as her head fell forward.

“I really suggested that?” she grimaced.

“Death is lovely, and I like your grandmother, but I don’t think we should entrust our daughter to her just yet, or ever, you know, implications and all.”

“Why is it so hard to just find a babysitter?” Raven demanded.

“Duke?”

“Midterms,” she countered.

“Kents?”

“Again, Zataras.”

“Fuck the Zataras, fucking goodie-two shoe, problematic assholes,” he grumbled.

“So just to clarify, we can’t leave Tiny with my dad, my brothers, Kents because of Zataras, we can’t leave her with Arty because of the Amazons, we can’t leave her with your moms because she’ll be an alibi, we can’t leave her with Roy because he’s busy with the Arrows right now, can’t leave her with my grandfather because he’s having a night with his daughter, we can’t leave her with your grandfather because he’s the Devil, can’t leave her with your grandmother or her brothers because we’d have to break reality to get her back, can’t leave her with your brother because he threatened to have intergalactic war break out because of the lengths he’d go to defend her, can’t even leave her unsupervised because everyone wants to kidnap her, so what are we supposed to do?”

“Luci is looking like our best option,” she sighed sourly.

“I like Luci, but we’ll have to barter him not creating a universe for her,” Jason sighed.

“Well, the only unasked guardian is my great-grandfather and he is a big fat NO,” Raven muttered.

“What about Arella’s family?”

“Alice?”

“She’s raising a set of Charmed Ones,” he pointed out.

“Charmed Ones are not Tiny,” she countered. “Also, I think if anything it’d be more of a beacon for people to come after them.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Jesse, Jared, Jacob, Jack, James, and Jude are on the loose, and demons always like to challenge people for power, Tiny is very powerful, and that is the challenge.”

“So… Maze and Luci are the best options for us to have a date night?”

“How is it the Devil and his Consort are the best options!?”

“It’s them or Death.”

“I’ll call Luci,” she sighed. “I’ll have to get his word not to give her a universe.”

“You are a very difficult child for being an easy-going baby,” Jason informed his daughter who was sucking on her elephant pacifier. She blinked her big blue-green eyes at him and he smiled softly as he ran his hand over her black curls. Tinuviel was a very easy, quiet baby, she just liked being held, and she had a surplus of family always wanting to hold her, between his family and Raven’s family, it was nearly impossible for her to put down. But a year of antics from outside forces trying to snatch her or steal her, it was enough to have them wary about who they left her with. They were always careful, but goddamn it, they needed a date night.

“I was summoned, now I want to see my favorite great-grandchild! Have a lovely date night, I want another great-grandchild, call sometime tomorrow or the day after,” Luci appeared and smiled as he snatched up Tiny and disappeared.

Jason was left sitting there bewildered.

Raven stood there equally bewildered as they looked at one another.

[sunlitlemonade]

Jason and/or dick, for the ask game?

First, I'm very sorry for taking so long to answer this.

Second, JASON!!!! DICK!!! I'll do my top five for both, let's go!

Jason-

Oof, kinda difficult for me to select just five for him because he's my ultimate blorbo and I like to explore him with all sorts of characters. But! For the sake of this ask game, I will whittle it down to five:-

Dick & Jason - My Ao3 is proof enough of my obsession with them. Not a single moment that I don't spend thinking about them. It is borderline insane at this point. Their relationship has LAYERS,,,, like an onion- too many and every single one of them will make you cry. They were each other's first brothers, they love each other, they scream, they mess up, they still reach out. T H E M. (Sorry to my mutuals who don't get a break from me screaming about them skskssk. Especially Scarlett and Perse.)

Jason/Roy - I have covered it in Roy's post for the ask game but the baseline is that -> them = perfect for each other. I rest my case.

Jason & Rose & Eddie - Jason and Eddie being pen pals was one of the best things to have happened in his Robin era. I want them to be friends again soooo bad. Elseworlds might show them to be married but I honestly think Rose and Jason work better as chaotic bffs. Rose and Eddie have interacted and I don't need much more to work with. They would be an amazing trio and I stand by that.

Jason & Talia - Best mother-son duo, I don't take criticism. No one can or should fight me on this ever. It's not perfect but they care for and understand each other deeply. I think about them for one second and get emotional.

Jason & Kyle & Donna - Cosmic mistakes. Need I say more? Each of them are a glitch on the fabric of reality and its w o n d e r f u l. So much to explore - from themes and motifs to the inevitable crack-y trope of them babysitting each other. (People would expect me to say Donna but she's honestly just as chaotic lololol)

Dick-

Dick & Jason - for exactly the reasons I have stated above. The other relationships on both the lists take turns on my brainrot slot but this remains at the top.

Dick & Donna - Exhibit A: "Donna, we've gone through so much together and in not all that many years. Yet, I feel as if I've known and loved you all my life. Terry is a remarkably lucky man to have found you." "I'm the lucky one. I've known so much love and now all my loved ones are here to share my happiest day. Dick... I love you." Exhibit B: "Me? I can't even listen to a bike go by without thinking of you." Like,,,,,, literally no one does it like them. They are platonic soulmates and that's on that.

Dick & Damian - I love the banter and the sweetness in their relationship. They quipped with each other just like any other dynamic duo but there's a gentler, sincere side to them that I absolutely adore.

Dick & Clark - They're besties. Dick got his mask name from a Kryptonian legend, Clark called him the "multiverse constant". What else do people want me to say on the topic?

Dick & the Titans - listen I know I talked about Donna and his relationship BUT all of the Titans are so important to him and his journey. Those were some crucial years for him as a leader but also as a person. It was a,,, Process for sure and these people were with him throughout that trip. So yes, him and the Titans are very near and dear to my heart.

[trust-and-jump]

Problems with Reverse Robins Tim Drake again (he's evilllll) (not really)

I KNOW I SAID I WILL POST ABOUT RED HOOD ARC WITH TIM BUT I JUST CAME UP WITH SOMETHING MORE INTERESTING TO ME. /I don't even like Tim and still, I don't know why i post and write about him more than about Damian who's more interesting to me, or about Jason, who is my favourite, but NEVERMIND/

This is going to be bad. Tim is not good. He's not truly bad either but.. Nah.

Bad English and typos, by the way! But here's this dumb post- - - - - - - -

Okay but even after returning to the family my Tim still has very few limits. He admits to himself that he loves and needs his family and he welcomed Dick and tries to fix things with Jason (and, well, he did some pretty bad things in cold blood with Jason, but he did regret it after everything), and he follows Bruce's rules, trying to redeem himself, but.

But.

Just when things are starting to get brighter than ever - Gotham finally gets actually better and safer, Bruce becomes a human being, Alfred is no more a soldier in a war, Cass almost completely stops being a vigilante and tries to build a new life, Jason decides he should get a new identity since Shrike's darkness is no longer needed in their city and to their Batman, Damian is calmer and more relaxed than ever— Jason dies. Not gonna explain how because it's a long story and it's different from canon (bc Jay is more confident with his place in the family and Bruce is more emotionally open and he has a brother Damian who cares about him a lot and actually spends time with him) but it's still a Joker mess and he still gets beaten with our favourite crowbar and blown up and dies.

And, ah, don't get me wrong, they are all shaken by it (Bruce is Bruce, all his emotional progress being ruined, Cass is cold and uncaring and angry and feels she should fill the gap and be vigilante again even though she doesn't want to, Damian, after some time, stops talking, Alfred is distracted, distant, Dick's 'confidence in tomorrow' is under threat, he just started building relationship with others), but Tim? Tim's a desperate young man, and he clings to his family and he, not unlike the others, didn't have a lot of experience with family. And he's, ah, he still didn't learn. Dami, Cass, Jason - they didn't have much of a child hood, but Bruce gave him a little of it, just a bit, just enough to find out how to love and how to express it. But when Drake got to Bruce he still had parents and kept emotional distance because, well, Bruce was a mentor, a close teacher, a worried adult, yes, and "it's good to be with him", yes, but Tim had living parents, so no, no, no. And it's not like Damian was nice to him once he found out that Tim stole Shrike and Bruce let him do it. Then the incident with his parents happened and then, at the end, he died the same day his father died, at the hand of the same murderer.

Again, Tim's childhood before joining Batman was more or less ordinary. Yes, his parents loved him but, sadly, starting from a certain age, weren't around much. And despite having babysitters and going to school, it's just... well, you know the opinion that almost all kids by default are sadistic psychopaths a little, and what makes some of them so insufferable is that they didn't learn better yet? Well. I, for example, was a little psycho because I remember really fcking well how I couldn't comprehend very 'simple' things such as love and genuinly caring about someone closer to me, and why putting myself in danger can upset the others (because I didn't feel it). And you know what, maybe it was because my parents were working hard and i almost never saw them back then. i wasn't lonely or something, I had A LOT of people around me. I, like, knew i wouldn't really care if anyone of them died. I know, it's horrible, I'm not like that anymore, it was late but I somehow learned how to love, i worked hard on it, i woke up when I was 16 or so and it was so, so exciting to realize that I'm not mimicking feelings anymore, and that I now know from an experience what others are feeling. And i was learning and it was very interesting to actually know what are the emotional problems in my family and i started to fix them using my old knowledge and my new experience and it actually sometimes worked. Just. Wow. I felt like I'm the puppeteer! I was burnt by this few times but mostly it was all great. Sometimes I still feel it, when I'm not busy deciding if i should kill myself or shouldn't.

So, Tim is a fictional character, and he's, like, a genius, so it wouldn't be the same, but.... But.

I'm obsessed with Tim "failing successfully".

You know that thing when a grieving family often has that one person in it who's more ready than others to keep everyone going? Look. It's supposed to be Cass here, but she's 16 and still not good with words and she feels too helpless. So she does that, but... Ah, just, look.

So, like I said, Tim got attached to Jason, of course (especially because of guilt), but when he died, after the initial shock dissapeared, Tim was much more worried about others. Jason was dead, but others weren't. And their job is dangerous enough to kill them if they are not at their best.

So. Are you ready? Because it's going to be a shitshow. Not as bad as it could be, but definitely a Tim Plan™️. Not much of a plan but something like that.

How WRONG is it to use your youngest recently adopted brother to emotionally replace your deceased brother in order to keep your grieving family from imaginary collapse (because you are a sucker with the IQ of a genius but you are not able to treat the family object humanely), literally instructing this little brother about how he should behave in order to, quote, "save" the others, and trying to make him a new Robin (not a Shrike because nooo, it wouldn't work with others) in order to fill the hole left from the one who died?

you know what Dick should say to Bruce, you know when Dick should try to cheer up Cass, you know when Dick should be vulnerable with Damian, you know how Dick should spend time with Alfred, and you teach that Dick, because you're smart enough, and you understand now, and it terrifies you how everything seems to fall apart, how every member of your family is acting different and how something worse is bound to happen.

Oh, yes, about the question of who "you" are: you're a person who died once as a civilian and, after resurrection, got rid of the remnants of your flimsy morality with help of Ra's al Ghul; you are a person who worked for the League of Assassins for a couple of years by your own choice, and then, upon returning to the family and realizing that Ra's left you a 'gift' in your body, agreed to follow the Bruce's rules and redeem yourself for some of shit that you did to this family both when you were sane and when you gave in to Pit madness. And when everything just started to look good, and you even realized that you love this imperfect family, the bro you once tortured (while you were "on the bad" side) and regretted about it later, died, and now you see how bad everything is and decide with your stupid smart head that, in order to reduce suicidal tendencies of the head of the family, to return to the older brother something he could focuse to protect and care about, as well as to make your sister Cass once again be kind and gentle and caring/not angry to everyone, you need a plan for the emotional replacement of this deceased brother, who, it seems to you, was a glue, and your youngest sibling — (you should first get him out of Kent family where he was sent to spend a little time while the bats deal with shithole Gotham became again after Shrike's death and Joker's latest joke) — is the ideal option, being naive and selfless enough to do whatever you say, because it "helps our family to keep their sanity, see? Damian can talk again, Cassandra is at home more often, and Bruce finally started to come to his senses! Be patient, everything will be fine, you're doing great, it's almost done."

You're Tim Drake.

And... Two things.

This scheme worked, it helped.

Tim doesn't understand few things: you shouldn't try to 'save' family from grief. The family wouldn't fall apart without you trying to do it. Things would get better after some time. Tim is DUMB. DUMB. And Dickie doesn't exactly suffer but. It's just a lot. It's a very hard thing to do even when you are an adult. And when you're a child? Well. It's exhausting and it feels wrong to always behave around others exactly as you told to behave. And when it's suggested like a mission, and when Tim played it as the first step to be a bat like EVERYONE ELSE in this family, so you can finally help instead of just watching how everyone gets hurt in their nightlife. It's just. Wrong. Even though he's supporting Dick all the ways he can and spends a lot of time with him. It's still terribly wrong.

Guys, Tim is dumb here, sorry. He is clever. But he is dumb. I mean. He used himself like that in canon, but here he is a young adult (20-22 y? I'm not sure) and he knows much more, enough to do it much better. He would do it himself, would work hard to make each of them happier, but he thinks he's not the right person for this, considering how much shit he's done to them. He is wrong, because he definitely could do things better if he tried. But he didn't try. He just thinks that this plan with him would be 'Inefficient'. He is dumb.

AND ME TOO. I WOULD TOTALLY DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS IF I WERE IN HIS PLACE. I KNOW IT. OH MY GOD 😭😭😭 i know that maybe this whole mess doesn't make sence to some of you but i swear it does to me because I would do it. I would do it.

[batstorm93672]

Plauged by nightmares for a whole week.

Damian doesn't know why or how it started, it just wouldn't let up. Now it's getting in the way of school and his nighttime work.

There Damian sat up with unfallen tears in his eyes and sweat trailing down his face. He barely remembers what it was about this time, lately the nightmares have mushed together, so either the League or Hell or his death. All of them bad and annoying him to a far extent. He had his knees to his chest, resting his arms on the top of his knees. Damian could see the shaking of his palms in the dark, it was an aftereffect he can't stop. Lately it's just been a cycle of waking up at night and trembling until he can go back to sleep then waking up feeling as if he got no sleep whatsoever. Damian watched Titus's body heave up and down in a rhythm of sleep. Blissful sleep that Damian wished he had, sometimes Titus would be awake to comfort him, but tonight he was out playing for so long Titus tuckered himself out.

.

How long has it been since he fell back asleep? Maybe three hours ago he was staring at his trembling hands, now he was greeted by light through his blinds. Damian wanted to shut the world out so he could sleep longer, but he knows better (sadly he does, the temptation to rest his head back down and close his eyes was immeasurable)

"Hey Dami? You awake? Alfred made breakfast. If you're not awake then he can save it and I'll reheat it for you if you'd like" Bright sunny Richard. So much energy that Damian doesn't have, of course Richard had his dark sides and Damian knows that as well as everyone else. Yet that cheery optimism was a sight indeed.

Damian was debating on whether or not he should pretend that he's sleeping and be alone with his dog for awhile. The temptation is so difficult...

"I'll be there soon Richard"

"Okay, see you downstairs"

.

"Hey, you listening? You wanted to hear about the case right? You gotta pay attention" Tim snapped his fingers and Damian blinked looking at his brother who had a laptop in front of him. "Tt. Continue, you don't need to hold my hand in order for me to listen" "Hm..." Tim stared and Damian could see the questions bouncing around Tim's mind, as if Damian was a puzzle. Damian kept a straight face, don't let anything slip and Tim will find that this puzzle is guarded away and won't go into it.

As wanted, Tim went back towards the case and Damian listened.

.

Damian sat up, everything was blurry and a mess. His mouth was dry and all words were pushed away as he looked at his trembling hands. Again it continues, this cycle of nightmares.

Why won't it end? Why did it begin? Why every night?

Damian covered his face, he could feel some tears at the edge of falling down so he wiped it away before it could.

.

"Demon, you alive there? Don't go drooling in your food"

"Oh, my apologies"

Damian felt like a robot, holding the fork in his hand and stabbing at the eggs in order to shove it down his mouth. This routine was sickening. He can't even think properly.

"You seem out it"

"I agree, Master Damian, how have you been feeling?"

"I'm well, simply trying to wake myself up is all"

That's not a lie, he had to mentally make himself stay awake long enough for the day to end, only to awaken and start over.

"Damian?" Father, was calling him

Damian looked up to see that everyone around the table was looking directly at him. What did he miss? Did he make a mistake?

"Yes father?"

"Dick was calling your name. You weren't responding"

Richard?

"What was it you were saying Richard?"

"I was calling you for three minutes and you sat there looking lost, are you okay? Do you feel sick?"

"I assure you, my physical condition is well. I am not ill, merely-"

Jason cut Damian off "What about mentally?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Physically you are well, what is your mental condition?"

"Fine as well Jason" Damian glared a bit and turned back to Dick "As I was saying, I'm not sick. Merely shaking off some of my slumber" Alfred cleared his throat "That is quite common, wouldn't you all agree? How about we leave the questions and let Master Damian be able to eat?" Dick and Jason mumbled out apologies and Damian mentally thanked Alfred for that. Alfred doesn't know, but still not having to keep this conversation was better than having to force himself to talk and appeal to everyone.

.

Damian sliced the head of a dummy off clean, his body felt heavy with having to stay awake. So badly did Damian want to sleep, but the outcome would always be nightmares.

"Nice cut"

Stephanie

"Thank you"

"Mmhm, having fun?"

"I suppose if slicing off heads is an ideal part of one's stimuli of enjoyment, then yes I'm having fun"

"Hehehe yeah, every person's go-to. I wanted to ask if you've been feeling okay? At breakfast you seemed out of it and at lunch you almost looked like a zombie" "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine" "Damian if something is wrong, you should tell someone before it gets worse"

"Everything is fine, I'm fine, it's all fine Stephanie"

"Damian, you're crying"

"Wha-"

Damian felt at his face, he was indeed crying as mentioned. "I'm not crying" Turning away and wiping his face with his sleeve roughly. "I'm fine Stephanie" This conversation was getting difficult for Damian to keep going. His mind was getting foggy and the rush of exhaustion wavered his movements "I'm sorry I pushed you there. I was worried. I'll let you be" Damian nodded and left.

.

Reaching out of the dirt to escape the flames. The screams rang in his ears as laughter came from below. So badly he wanted to escape and make it back to them. Just a little more! The light of the dirt making it's way he kept digging himself out. His hands hurt, but it doesn't matter, just a little more! Just-- The burning chains seared into his legs, the burning flesh making him cry out. Then the plummeting feeling in his stomach as he fell back down farther away from the light of freedom.

He sat up. With a small shout escaping his lips he had to make himself aware of his surroundings. Damian looked at his shaking hands, feeling his body crumple under the weight of the lack of sleep he's been receiving lately.

Damian put his hands in his hair, the trembles wouldn't stop. Tears ran down his face and he wanted to stop it. To stop the nightmares that haunted him, the pain that never ended and the amount of times he awoke only to stare at his shaking hands.

Damian looked down and buried his head into his knees.

His door creaked open and Damian wasn't fully aware to pay attention to it. Titus walked in followed by Richard.

"Dames?"

Damian didn't respond, it seemed that Titus brought help this time. Normally it would be Titus by him sleeping or being there to help. This night was worse than the others, so Titus brought backup. Dick walked over and sat by Damian.

"Damian, baby, what's wrong?"

"...m-make it stop p-please make it stop"

"What do you want to stop?"

"Nightmares... so many of them"

"Oh, is this why you've been so out of it? Come here" Damian pressed himself into Dick's embrace the tears falling faster. "Oh my poor baby, it's okay. It's okay. I'm here, you're okay now" "R-Richard... Richard don't leave me please don't leave me don't let me go" "No, no, no I won't let you go. You're with me Dames. I won't let you go. I got you, you're in my arms and I won't let you go" Damian buried his head in the nook of Dick's neck and cried. "Don't leave me... don't l-leave me alone again" "I won't, I won't leave you. You're okay and you're safe"

Damian wore himself out, holding Dick as much as he could before his cries became sniffles. Dick rubbed Damian's back in small circles as he held Damian. "There we go... you're okay Damian. You're okay, no one can hurt you. Nothing won't take you away"

"I didn't want to tell anyone... I thought if I just let it happen then it would go away... it doesn't. It hasn't gone away, I haven't been able to sleep for a week now... everytime I wake up and I can't stop shaking, I can't focus on anything. I'm sorry Richard... I'm sorry"

"There's no reason to say sorry, nightmares are scary and it can make the most toughest people cry. It's okay Damian, it's okay to have nightmares and want to come to someone and cry. Cause I'll be here with open arms to help you. Okay?"

"Okay"

"Do you want to go back to sleep?"

"Will you stay..?"

"You don't even have to ask"

[ali-annals]

2: one single thread of gold tied me to you

Invisible String Masterlist PREVIOUS NEXT AO3

Time/Curious time/Gave me no compasses/Gave me no signs/Were there clues I didn't see?

Damian al Ghul had never heard about soulmates. No one in the League of Assassins had one. Why would he? So Talia and Ra’s never mentioned them to him.

He was six and a half and on a mission in Paris. Talia and Damian silently passed by a bakery in a quiet corner in the middle of the night.

He lurched towards the door, stumbling.

“Stay awake!” whispered Talia sharply.

“Yes, ummi.” He didn’t tell her he was not falling asleep but felt drawn to something.

He was nine and in Shanghai on another mission, this time by himself. 

He was passing an enticing-smelling restaurant when he lurched towards it again.

He would have investigated but he caught sight of his target when he jerked.

Damian silently thanked his luck and stalked after the target he was supposed to trail.

When he went to visit live with Father, none of his family had soulmates either, at least not that he had heard about.

He still didn’t know about them, and when he heard people mention them, he dismissed it as figurative speech.

{Alfred had a soulmate, a romantic bond with a girl who became his wife, Eleanor. She died from cancer three years after they were married. As she was Alfred’s soulmate the family didn’t know about her.}

Bad was the blood of the song in the cab on your first trip to LA/You ate at my favorite spot for dinner

August eighth, the day he turned nineteen, his annoying brothers took him to LA for ‘brother bonding’ which was code for ‘Road Trip’, which was an excuse to attend Jagged Stone and Fairy’s concert.

Dick had the cab driver take them to a diner that had really good reviews, insisting they had to try local LA cuisine while they were there. Donna had tried it and raved about it, apparently.

Dick and Jason started bickering about something inane while Tim dozed on his shoulder and Damian tuned out the horrible music playing over the radio.

The cab slowed to let a car exit the driveway, and Damian’s head bumped against the window. “Ow!”

He turned to Tim, who was now drooling on his shoulder, rubbing his forehead in annoyance.

“Really, Drake?”

The food was quite good, however, with an extensive vegetarian selection.

~~~~~

All along there was some/Invisible string/Tying you to me?/.../A string that pulled meOne single thread of gold tied me to you

In October, Damian and Tim were casing a dive bar suspected of being a drug-smuggling front.

Tim was working on his laptop, so Damian got up to get a drink.

He stumbled down the aisle, acting drunk already without his intention.

His mind whirled.

Had he been drugged somehow? He hadn’t drunk anything yet, and Tim had only ordered water when they entered.

He hadn’t felt a needle prick…could it be a gas? But no one else seemed to be affected… unless this was a mind-warping gas? But he hadn't felt any typical gassing side effects…

A soft body crashed into him. He looked down and saw dark hair and tear-filled blue eyes staring up at him blankly.

“I’m sorry for bumping into you,” she whispered in French.

A taller blonde girl came marching up. “Watch it, buster. She just lost-”

“Chloe.” The brunette laid a hand on the blonde’s arm. She glanced up at him again. “He’s my soulmate.”

He scoffed inwardly; he couldn’t believe she would use that absolute rubbish to try and get close to him for his name and money.

She looked so innocent, yet so broken before she revealed her true colours. He’d actually thought her intriguing before that.

He frowned and looked down to harshly disabuse her of her notions, then stared blankly at the gold thread glowing around him and the gold digger.

He blinked and cleared his throat.

No, this must be the drug. I’m just hallucinating. This is a trick like some adversaries have used against Father. Snap out of it, Damian Wayne al Ghul!

He slapped his cheek hard.

The two girls stared at him, the gold illuminating their incredulous expressions. He shook his head and slapped himself again.

The girls looked at each other, then asked him carefully, “How much have you had to drink?”

“Nothing; I’m just drugged-was it you? Soulmates aren’t real; I'm hallucinating. Where is Drake; he can get an antidote…DRAKE!”

Tim’s head snapped up and he came over when he saw what was happening. “You called?”

“This guy started rambling, says he’s drugged and we did it even though we met him a literal minute ago, and that you’ll have the antidote. Seems pretty lucid for a drugged guy.” Chloe eyed Tim carefully, who shrugged.

“It’s Gotham; we’re all used to being drugged. Thanks for finding my brother, Miss…”

“Bourgeois. As in Andre and Audrey Bourgeois, Paris. Bon soir.” She turned and dragged the other girl home.

Damian stared blankly after them until Tim dragged him out to go back to the Cave.

~~~~~~

Marinette slept for six hours, then woke up and demanded, “What happened?”

“Lieutenant Feuillet called, you found your soulmate and he said he was hallucinating you, but I gave his brother my name so he knows how to contact me.”

“Right. Lt. Feuillet. Plane tickets?”

“Mom’s in New York and said I could take the jet. We leave for the airport in an hour. I packed for you, so all you have to do is shower and eat the breakfast Tikki made.”

“Yes ma’am.”

The plane landed safely in Paris, and Jean picked the girls up and took them to the police station, where Lieutenant Feuillet met them.

“Mlle Dupain-Cheng, my condolences.”

“Can I see…them?”

“Oui, Mademoiselle. The coroner’s office is just down the block.”

Marinette flinched at the word ‘coroner’ and Chloe wrapped her arm around her.

Marinette stared at her parent’s faces on the cold white slab and cried in Chloe’s arms. 

“They...they’re really…really gone!”

“I’m sorry, Maribug.”

Marinette numbly walked to the charred ruins of the bakery, escorted by Chloe. Gina was there and came running to hug the girls.

They stayed with Rolland and Gina for the week until after the funeral.

~~~~~

Tim took Damian straight to the Batcave to analyze his blood. Each sample came up clear–no alcohol, no drugs, and everything looked good.

“Dames, you’re clear.”

“Question: why is his cheek red like he was slapped?” Jason strolled over, having just come in from patrol.

“I slapped myself twice to stop hallucinating.”

“Aw, shucks. No girl giving Demon Spawn what-for?”

“There were two girls, but they were quite nice,” Tim said.

Damian stared at him. “You saw them too?”

“Yeah, they talked to me. At least, the blonde did. The other one seemed a little out of it.”

Damian stumbled to his feet. “What did they say?”

“You said you were drugged and hallucinating, she said her parents were Andre and Audrey Bourgeois of Paris…that’s all. Are you sure you didn’t insult her and she slapped you?”

He glared at his guffawing brothers and headed up to his room to think and research.

By morning he discovered that there were three types of soulbonds, each demarcated with a colour to distinguish them. Some people had two or three, a few even had four. Sibling/familial bonds were silver, platonic were red, and romantic soulbonds were gold.

His soulbond type was the string, as best as he could figure out. However, everyone else’s record of the string was visible before they met their soulmate– some since birth, some when they were within a certain distance.

The invisible-string bond might have simply not been recorded– string bonds were less common than telepathic or physical bonds, and research was still quite incomplete on the phenomena.

Once he recovered from the realization that soulmates did exist and weren’t just a figure of speech, and that he had one , he searched up Bourgeois, Paris.

Andre Bourgeois, former mayor of Paris, and Audrey Bourgeois, Style Queen, showed up.

Then Chloe Bourgeois, MDC’s friend and Fairy’s manager. She introduced Fairy and MDC, who was now the singer’s main designer, blah blah blah...ah! He found the Parisian airport’s records and hacked in to discover that the Bourgeois jet had flown from New York to Paris that morning, carrying just the heiress and a companion, Dupain-Cheng, Marinette.

She must be her friend and his soulmate.

Now what? He’d said to her face that she was a hallucination.

How long was she staying in Paris? Did he drive her away after he unknowingly rejected her? What would he say when he saw her again?

Hopefully, she wouldn’t hold his ignorance against him…if he got to explain what happened to her.

Her friend seemed a bit protective of her.

From what he’d gathered in his soulmate research, the bonds were special and highly precious to those who had them.

Wait, why was he so worried about a girl? He was Damian Wayne for goodness’ sake.

Ah, because he didn’t believe someone would be able to deal with him being Robin, the first decade of his life, the press and scrutiny of the world for being involved with a Wayne if she made it that far…

That she would be complementary to him and his skills–what did that even mean, anyway? Soft and gentle, hopeful, with a heart of gold…he should stay away.

It was too good to be true. He’d drag her down. She’d be in danger as a Wayne Friend and al Ghul enemy, if she allied with him, never mind all of Gotham’s Rogue Gallery.

Yet he found himself planning what he’d say when he saw her again.

He was lost already and didn’t even know it.

~~~~~

Damian set an alert that would tell him if she flew anywhere, so he could find her easily if he left Paris.

He didn’t tell his family about his soulmate–he’d wait and see if it worked out first. It had been almost a year since he'd met her, and she was still in Paris. Either she had been visiting (which was strange, because no one visited Gotham), or he had scared her off when he didn't acknowledge her and claimed she had drugged him.

Which...was not very welcoming, he realized. (See? Those therapy sessions were helping him.)

Just because they were supposedly perfect for each other (a fantastical concept, and one he still didn’t fully believe in), didn't mean they had to have a relationship, or that she wanted one after he so harshly rejected her.

But he wanted to make a better second impression if he ever ran into her again, so a new, elaborate suit went on the list. Also, if he continued gradually acting out of character while he waited to find his soulmate again, it would be less out of character to his family when he did meet her and acted strangely.

A new seamstress had moved to Gotham recently, opening a shop called Lucky Charms. She had high ratings and an exclusive clientele. He’d try her –his family hadn’t met her yet, so no alerts should be triggered that he was acting out of character, right?

He could ask her to sign an NDA.

Chains around my demons/Wool to brave the seasons

He dressed in his favourite jeans, a dark grey T-shirt, and his vegan leather, wool-lined jacket Tim had gotten from MDC for him last Hanukkah.

(It was his favourite, though he never said so.)

Even though it was late October and Gotham (read: dark, foggy, even at noon) he put sunglasses on to help disguise himself.

Apparently, it worked for Superman and Kent. (He privately thought that Metropolis knew Clark Kent was Superman but humoured the alien and kept their mouths shut; a whole city couldn’t possibly be that dense.)

Lucky Charms looked nondescript, a wise choice in Gotham, where standing out meant you were a Rogue or a target for said Rogues.

On second glance, it showed a cozy charm and welcoming atmosphere amid the red-and-black theme.

No one was in the store when he walked in, the bell walked in, the bell on the door chiming.

“Come to the back if you’re my 1:15 appointment! If you’re not, look around or get out,” called a voice from the back of the store.

He chuckled silently and walked to the back, which was twice as tall as the front. A young woman was bringing a mannequin down the stairs to the main level.

She ignored him and set the form in the corner, so he assumed she hadn’t heard him, but she turned to face him.

“My 1:15?” she asked.

He nodded, looking around at all the sewing paraphernalia.

“Name?”

“Damian Wa–” She was his soulmate! “You’re real,” he blurted.

She gave him an amused smile. “I should hope so, considering you’re my soulmate.”

When they reached 10 meters apart, the gold thread reappeared and pulled them together. 

“I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“Damian Wayne.”

“It’s nice to properly meet you, Mr. Wayne.”

“Likewise, Miss Dupain-Cheng. …I apologize for my behaviour when we first met. I did not know soulmates were real and not simply a figure of speech, never mind that I would have one, so I was…reevaluating everything and did not act appropriately.”

“Hmm. “ She looked him up and down. “I understand. When were you born?”

“August eighth, twenty years ago. You?”

“July ninth, twenty years ago. Were you in Paris fourteen years ago?”

“Yes. So it was the bond in Shanghai eleven years ago as well?”

“I believe so,” she replied softly. “Were you at Lucy's Diner in LA on the twentieth of August last year?”

He blinked. “Yes, my brothers kidnapped me for my birthday. That was you ? I thought it was my brother pushing me.”

“How many brothers do you have?”

Everyone knows the four Wayne boys. Is she really that naive or is she playing dumb? Wait, when did she come back? My alert never went off…something’s off about her. Of course, my soulmate is suspicious. I must have Father’s luck with women.

“Three– Richard, Jason, and Timothy. I have a sister, Cassandra, and a sort-of sister, Stephanie, as well.”

“Wow, that’s a big family. I’m an only child, and my parents…died on the day I ran into you -I’d just found out, so I wasn’t very coherent right then. I didn’t even remember what you looked like,” she chuckled.

“Oh…I’m sorry for your loss, Marinette.” She smiled a little at him. “Thanks. Um, do you mind if I take your measurements while we talk? The string disappeared so I don’t have to worry about accidentally tying us up while I work.”

“Not at all.”

“So what did you want me to make? The description was only for a suit fitting, so…that can be quite broad.”

“I was planning on a more adventurous suit than my typical tuxedo for events. I’m trying to loosen up lately, and I also wanted a new suit for when I found you again.”

She laughed at that. “Too late!”

~~~~~

Marinette had no other appointments and few customers that afternoon so most of the time was spent getting to know each other.

She had started designing him a suit from when she’d met him, so a few alterations and hemmings later, she handed him a rough draft of the finished product.

He tried it on, and it fit perfectly. “How? You eyed me up once.”

“You have the same measurements as Robin. I’ve seen him enough to get a close estimate. I’ve also been doing this for years, so I have a pretty accurate eye for sizing a person up.”

He turned to grab her wrist, but his hand closed around air and her image disappeared completely.

“You are a hallucination?”

A musical laugh sounded from above him. “No. You just discovered one of my secrets. Fair’s fair, after all.” She landed lightly in front of him and the ‘ghost’ Marinette appeared behind him. “My superhero alter ego is Ladybug. You just met Trixx.”

After she demonstrated the kwami and her powers, she told him, “Sass saw you were on the offensive, high alert when I mentioned you and Robin. Trixx created an illusion of me while the others flew me up. Thanks for confirming you’re Robin, by the way.”

“Well, we’re starting off with no secrets. What could go wrong?”

They shared a glance. “Everything,” they said in unison.

“Would you like to come to my house for dinner?” she asked after tidying her workspace.

“If you’re sure. We’ve been talking all afternoon, after all.”

“I don’t mind, but if you have things you need to do, or you need some space-”

“I’d like to continue getting to know you. Are you ready to go, then?”

“Yep, just locking the door!” she called from the front. She returned and handed him a piece of paper. “My number and address.”

“You don’t live above the store?”

“No, that’s my storeroom and the kwami playroom. I bought a house instead.”

“You walk home alone?” Even if she was a superhero, that was risky.

“No, Kaalki portals me. I do have a motorcycle, though.”

“Good, I brought my bike. Can you direct me?”

They climbed on.

“Sure, I’m used to being my Nonna’s backpack."

Fifteen minutes later they pulled up in front of a large two-story stone house.

She walked up to the porch and unlocked the door, disabling the security and warning the remaining kwami she had a guest.

“Welcome to my humble abode! I know it seems a bit big for one girl, but Chloe lives with me when she’s not in Paris or New York, and the kwami like lots of space, and I often have friends and family drop in without warning, and my parents…were maybe going to move here.”

“It looks quite welcoming and cozy,” he commented, looking at all the pictures of Marinette and random people, some of whom seemed very familiar, scattered around the house.

“I'm glad you think so! You’re vegetarian, so…tofu stir-fry?”

“That sounds good. Would you like me to help?”

He followed her to the kitchen.

“Could you set the table? The cutlery is in the drawer by the sink and the dishes are in the cupboard above the peninsula. Just snoop around till you find what you need.”

Damian set the table while Marinette sliced vegetables and cut tofu for the stir-fry.

The kwami drifted in and out of the kitchen, snacking and spying.

Marinette was obviously accustomed to it, but it was a little strange for Damian. He’s seen weirder things, so soon it barely registered.

“This is delicious, xin gan . Did your parents teach you to bake as well?”

She glanced up. “Yes…Wait, what did you call me?”

“Uh…” his face pinked as he realized what he said.

“I like it, if that’s going to be your nickname for me,” she declared. “Can I call you ma lune ?”

He blinked at her. He had no nicknames besides Demon Spawn and the like. "Y-yes. Why ma lune , though?”

“Your past is too dark to be the sun–and I also know an actual sunshine child– but you’re overcoming it, so moon it is.”

“How did you know that?”

“Partly the kwami rubbing off on me, but you also think yourself unworthy of happiness, so something major happened in your childhood. I’m not pressing, but I just want you to know I’ll never judge.”

“How did you know that I think myself unworthy of happiness?” He put his fork down.

“You said you’d never thought you’d have a soulmate. Most people like to imagine they have one, even if they don’t. You also looked so …conflicted, like you couldn’t believe you had one and didn’t deserve it, or some guilt over it?”

“I was raised in a place called Nanda Parbat until I was ten when I was sent here to live with my father. My grandfather and mother–”

Marinette jumped up, slamming her hand on the table, her eyes flashing. “Those ravagers! How dare they! A child! I ought to have kicked their butts harder!”

“What?”

“You were referring to Ra’s al Ghul and his daughter Talia, correct?”

“Yes, but how-”

“They wanted my Miraculous; I refused, of course, and told them in no uncertain terms to leave me alone or I would Cataclysm Nanda Parbat too. I destroyed 'Eth Alth'eban to prove my point. It was kind of funny, watching them run.”

“You beat them?”

“Yes, my mother was League; she left as a reward for saving Talia’s life. She moved to Paris and met my father. She trained me in the League’s ways but with non-lethal techniques. I’m assuming you did not have that mercy?”

“It was not that bad…but yes, I was sent on missions.”

“Can I hug you?” All the fire had dimmed, and Marinette looked…sad.

He almost thought it was pity, but he saw the look on her face, and having someone be mad for him and not at him because of his early years was…a very nice feeling. So he nodded and opened his arms a tiny bit, letting Marinette wrap her around him. 

She fit perfectly, and he rested his chin on her head.

“I’m sorry, Damian.”

“Me too.”

~~~

Marinette washed the dishes and Damian dried them, while the kwami put them away.

“I haven’t told my family about my soulbond,” he confessed.

“I can see why. That’s okay; tell them when you feel comfortable. If it’s for my sake, I assure you I’ve dealt with much crazier and scarier stuff.”

Damian smiled at her. “You survived the maternal side of my family. That paternal side will be much less deadly…they’ll probably give me the shovel talk, actually.”

“Well, my uncle will threaten to feed you to his crocodile-”

“What?”

“He won’t -–Fang won’t eat you, anyways— but he’ll threaten you with Fang.”

“Your uncle is Jagged Stone?”

“Oh right, I never told you….yeah. He adopted me as his niece. My biological uncle, my mom’s brother, is a chef –Wang Feng.”

"His recipes are quite delicious– Father hired him one year. I quite enjoyed…Marinette’s Soup…”

“He named it after me. All my friends are famous, at least in their fields. Not one person I’ve met has been normal–even you are a vigilante. It’s like I'm cursed to know celebrities.”

“It must be because of your genuine character and beautiful smile.”

She blushed bright red and dropped the bowl she was rinsing, which he caught thanks to his reflexes.

At the door, Damian put his jacket and shoes on. 

“How’d you get my jacket? Your name was new on my client list.”

“My brother got it from MDC last year.”

“What’s his name?” she furrowed her brow.

“Timothy Drake…”

“That’s why his name sounded familiar! I am MDC.”

That makes sense. Their styles are similar.

“My family will be jealous. They love you already, so they’ll never let me go unless I bring you to meet them. But I don’t want to let them know about you just yet.”

She smiled slyly. “Secret romance? I’m shocked– behind the big bad Bat’s back?”

He smiled back. “Absolutely. We’ve got a running bet on who can figure out who MDC is and another bet on who Fairy is. I don't suppose you would give away client confidentiality, would you…?”

She smirked and shook her head.

~~~~~

A/N: Xin gan is a Chinese nickname that means 'my heart and liver' or 'my other half' (according to the two websites that were not Google Translate that I visited.) I thought it was fitting for a soulmate story to have Damian call Marinette his other half. Also, people seem to forget that Damian is part Chinese on his maternal side (at least in some depictions), and I think more people should capitalise on the potential to have Daminette bond over their shared part-Chinese heritage

[to-the-stars8]

hii im a big fan of you

can you do a love triangle

(dick grayson x yn x jason tood)

long version plss

i'd appreciate it if you make it xx

Ngl, I don't know what a long version is so hopefully, I did this right lol! I kind of put my own twist on it so I hope you like it!! xoxo Part 2

You never considered yourself a genius, but you would say that you were certainly smart in some sense. At the very least, you could point out something that was right in front of your face. And that something was the fact that you were being pulled by Jason Todd and Dick Grayson in an unexpected, poorly realized love triangle. 

It was over the past few months you had started to notice it. You mostly noted the different ways they flirted and approached you. Dick was much more forward since he had the confidence. You assumed it was because he often exceeded the high standards held to him. On the other hand, Jason was more reserved and quiet in his approaches. 

Dick played with your hair, gave you hugs when needed, and spoke to you in such a way that made you feel like the most important person in his world. He would bring you onto his lap, running his hand through your hair as he whispered the things he wanted to do to you. There were plenty of nights you laid awake thinking about the things he said and did. 

Jason, on the other hand, loved presenting you with gifts, and his hushed, hidden compliments made you feel like the main character in a romance novel. He had been a lot braver lately, pressing against you in a hidden part of the corridor in Wayne Manor or pressing a kiss to your shoulder when no one was looking. 

Now, there you were with Dick, leaning against him as the two of you watched a movie. You weren’t entirely paying attention as he was mumbling dumb comments about it in your ear, bringing giggles out from you. 

“Do you think we could try that?” It was insane how seven little words could cause you to go speechless. 

Burying your head in your hands, you leaned away from him to spare yourself from any more embarrassment. “What?” He moved toward you, grabbing your wrists gently to move them away from your face, just for you to see his sweet smile. “You don’t want to?”

“You’re being so weird!” You giggled.

“He bothering you, sweetheart?” You both turned to see Jason standing in the doorway. 

You shook your head, sitting up straight, away from Dick. “No, not at all! Jason, come and join us.”

Off to your side, you could see Dick rolling his eyes as the two of you had to move over for his brother. Jason sat down close to you, like leg touching leg close. Huffing, the oldest brother squeezed your upper thigh, keeping his hand there, before starting the moving again. 

Jason winked and you looked away to hide the red you could feel rising in your cheeks.  Satisfied by the reaction he threw his arm on the back of the couch behind you. Slowly, his hand reached the back of your neck, messaging it in languid circles. It was hard to try and not moan from the relief the message gave. And, yet, neither was none the wiser of what the other was doing. 

You hated to say it, but you liked it. It could have been because you liked being spoiled with attention, or maybe it was the fact you liked them both. You just weren’t sure who you liked most. For now, both would do, and it wasn’t too bad since neither of them was aware of the other's feelings for you.

Yes, you were smart, but so were Jason and Dick. That didn’t sway you from the little game you initiated. It was going to be interesting to see how long it took the other to catch on to exactly what you were doing. The result was certainly going to be fun to see.

[dick-nightwing-grayson]

Some random incoherent thoughts on the latest issue of DC vs Vampires:

Jason went back for what he assumed would probably be nothing more than a body because he valued his brother's lives more than his. Jason once again was killed by trying to save someone who didn't view him as that important.

Jason Todd given his life twice to save other people, but just because he murders others some think he doesn't value life. He will literally give his life for those he loves. Jason cares so incredibly deeply that he will and has given his life for others. I will never recover

Bruce taking EVERY precaution and it not mattering is so good. I HATE toxic positivity. The whole "you can do anything you set your mind to" is nonsense. Bruce did everything right and still lost. I think we can all relate

Ollie outliving Bruce would piss Bruce off so much.

So many thoughts on Dick. I am unsure why some Dick stans hate it. I mean first, yes he killed his brothers and family, but look at the return of competent Dick! No oen suspected a thing. Dick really is just out there being undetected and winning, what a vampire king. This is an elseworld, it doesn't need to fit in his canon characterization, but fascist Dick should still make you angrier. Dick only being able to be "corrupted" as a turned vampire king though is in character. It is the only version that would be bad. Also just lol at Dick being the only person capable of killing Tim.

Also I just love how Dick heard Hal make an argument to keep Barry alive and he wasn't having it. Obviously we don't yet know what has become of Wally, but Dick only has room in his cold vampire heart for one speedster and it was NOT Barry.

If Bruce had lived and learned that Dick turned Hal first and used him as his plot device to infiltrate the JLA, he would be sooo mad. Essentially everything about what happened making Bruce angry will forever be funny to me. Poor Brucie. I am so surprised DC let him be killed like this. F in the chat.

[vinnybox]

Do you like Danny Phantom?

If so, I wanna know what you think would happen if the Batfam adopted Danny in a Talon Dick au where Dick has wings. (I want this specific au crossover for some reason.) Any headcannons for if that was the situation?

DANNY PHANTOM BELOVED <3 Used to watch that when I was a wee kid

I hadn't seen the show in forever and I don't remember much anymore .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.  I've seen a lot of fics with the crossover but I hadn't read any of them yet. The concept is COOL tho n I'd love to see if I can explore it one day!

at the moment I don't think I can offer much since my memory of the show is very fuzzy. If Danny were to be adopted tho, I think the gaggle of brothers are gonna get even more chaotic, especially with one who has ghostly powers that shoot beams and can turn invisible and do a whole bunch more.

Maybe I DO have a few headcanons of things in mind based on my... VERY limited knowledge for both Danny Phantom and Batfam 👉👈 Im doing this purely out of “What if?” and “This would be funny” mindset hGDSHD

Headcanons undercut!

Another son/brother with the ability to turn invisible? Cue the family getting startled when Danny and Dick suddenly appear out of nowhere. More sneaky stealthy brothers. Im sure all the batfam does this, but Danny and Dick probably do it more often than the others, keeping scores of who could sneak up on who the most. 

Danny using his cryokinesis (if I remembered correctly that he had this power) to prank his brothers like pelting snowballs at them or making his hands cold and touching the back of their neck (I do that with my friends cause our university is fucking COLD and my hand just absorbs cold a little too well). Danny did it once with Dick but then never did it again after Dick had a bit of a bad reaction since it reminded him of the time back in the court when they put him in the coffin or put him to sleep by freezing him.  (I think at some point Dick WILL eventually recover enough to not have as bad of a reaction to the cold after a few years or something. I want my hurt then going to path of recovery thing 😭) 

Danny tries to sneak up on Dick as a ghost and even while invisible, Dick almost always can tell where Danny is. It's like the cat staring at the wall kind of thing.

Jason: Goldie, what are you looking at? Dick: [Staring at one corner of the wall] Jason: Dick: Dick: Danny [silence] Danny, turning visible: uGH- how do you always know??

Even funnier is the reason Dick always seems to know where Danny is is because he'd just choose to stare at a random corner or part of the room where he thinks Danny is and if he stared long enough Danny just gets too awkward that he eventually reveals himself from Dick's literal unblinking stare. So Dick sometimes DONT actually know where Danny is half the time, he just stares at a part of the room and hopes he's right or close. OR he'd just be doing something and randomly calls out Danny's name, to which the chance of Danny ALSO being in the room is almost a 100%. Danny don't need to know that tho.

Tim also does the name callout thing too and Danny just assumes that Tim and Dick just KNOWS where he is. Bruce probably does this too but he likes to pretend he doesn't know where Danny is until Danny comes out to surprise him. Which, isn't much to be honest HDSGHD

Danny sneaking up on Bruce

Bruce: Danny? Danny, appearing: Boo! Bruce, not even startled: Oh! There you are Danny: You already knew Im here, don't you? And Bruce just laughs and confirms that yes he did know Danny is here.

Its hard to sneak up on the batfam I'd say, even with ghost powers, but on some occasion I think Danny could actually catch them off guard. Cass is impossible to sneak up on tho. (I'd like to touch up on the other's relationship in the batfam as well, just need to learn more about them)

Just like any members of the batfam, he receives Winged hugs, and Danny learns to help preen feathers. Its fun but oh my god there’s so MUCH. But I also think he’d absolutely get slap in the face with Dick’s wings if Dick isn’t careful. Other members of the family has had plenty of experience, trust them.

Cue moments where three brothers (Dick, Jason and Danny) are in the kitchen at 3 am and someone walks in on them and almost had a heart attack at 3 glowing pair of eyes.