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confused-wanderer · 13 days

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Damian realizes he fucked up his second week at the manor.

He’s walking around, warily eyeing the shadowed areas that serve as perfect spots for reconnaissance. Father was keeping tabs on him. Father should be keeping tabs on him, or else Damian would be disappointed in the man he is supposed to look upto. Hah..

Supposed.

Damian’s not a stranger to that word. He’s supposed to be strong, he’s supposed to be an al-ghul, supposed to always fight first and ask questions later, supposed to be a weapon, supposed to be a good one, supposed to be a successor, supposed to be worthy of robin, supposed to learn the world was his enemy, supposed to be good enough, supposed to-

A bounding figure snaps him out his his thoughts, and a rare smile stretches across his face as he hears the familiar sound of paws hitting the grass. Father had told him to make himself at “home”. Robin can’t help but wrinkle his nose at that memory. Home? Home wasn’t supposed to exist for him. So he’s taking to test the Batman’s limits by sending Titus to retrieve anything and everything he found for reconnaissance. He could always claim he was exploring if someone caught him. He keeps his hand out, eyes scanning the horizon for any witnesses until he feels the soft touch of cotton brush against his palm.

He glances at it, the stuffed elephants eyes boring into his skull. Who in the manor was so childish they’d keep such an irrelevant thing around? Was it Drake? Todd? It was a pathetic display, and Damian tutted at his disappointment. This was the people he was supposed to succeed?

The toy was tattered, and Damian made no move to tell Titus to be gentle with it. Why would he? This just gave him the perfect opportunity to humiliate his predecessor. To yell at him about how foolish he was, how childish he was acting for keeping this stupid waste of cloth by his side. So he grips the torn elephant, and storms into the manor, heading straight for the bat cave.

He had never seen Tim’s eyes go from wary to alarm so quickly when his eyes land on the toy.

“What the hell did you do?”, Drake hisses, chair screeching as the man shoots up from his chair, marching over to Damian and grabbing his victim from the others hand.

“What you should’ve done a long time ago Drake. Why would you ever keep such a vile abomination with you? It’s childish.”

Tim’s eyes snap back to him, eyes widening as his hands cradle the toy closer.

“Di- Damian did you ruin this because you thought it was mine?”

“I am correct in my presumption Drake”, Damian fires back, arms crossed, ready to fight. Had he finally found Drake’s breaking point? “The animal serves as a childish companion. Todd would never have one, nor would father and quite frankly you’re the most immature out of them all so it-“

“Oh my god you idiot this isn’t mine this is Dick’s!”

Damian’s heart drops at that. Was he lying? Why would Grayson ever keep it around?

Images of the first robin flashed through his mind. His warm smile, his patience while Damian toed the line, his forgiveness and passion radiating off him in waves. He’d looked at Damian and hadn’t flinched or tried to rip his head off. That… that had earned him a bit of Damian’s respect. And now.. gods what the hell has he done? He’s taken that.. and thrown it away. Ripped it apart. Perhaps.. perhaps this was for the best..no? He was no friend of Grayson’s, this would take care of any fondness the man had for him. That would be good.. right? This is how things were supposed to be…right?

Damian suspects his heart has dropped to his stomach, creating knots as he tries to digest it. He didn’t need his heart. It’s fine. It was fine. Something must’ve seemed off though, Damian isn’t sure what gave it away, if his body betrayed him or if the silence stretched on too long, but something in Drake’s gaze softens a bit as he looks at him. His predecessor lets out a sigh, blowing his hair out of his face before brushing past Damian and heading for the manor. He pauses at the exit, glancing back at Damian.

“You coming?”

Robin stiffens, his legs moving without permission towards the other man. The silence stretches on as he follows Drake through the manor, and his thoughts grow darker and more confused. The most logical choice would be to throw out the animal. The second to ask the butler, yet Tim steered away from where the servant was cleaning the kitchen. So, what did Drake have planned for him? Was he about to stab him? Should Damian make the first move?

“What are you doing Drake”

“Fixing your mistake brat, that’s what.”

“How? Are you going to tell Grayson? Or perhaps father?”

“No. I’m gonna fix it.”

“You know how to sew?”

“Only wounds and barely suits. You?”

“…”

“So the same. Figured. I’m going to the only person who knows how to. He’s not gonna like this though.”

Who? Damian wonders, before his reflexes force him to stop walking. Tim had paused at a door, finger hesitantly curling into a fist before knocking twice. He mutters something under his breath, before the door swings open.

“Alfred I-oh what the fuck”

Jason stares at them, gaze flickering intently between the two. He’s about to slam the door in their faces, Damian’s sure, before Tim holds up the limp toy and Todd freezes.

“Oh..shiiiit..”

Tim breaks eye contact, head bowed down before entering the second robin’s room, Damian hot on his heels. He can feel Todd’s gaze on him, he knows that Jason must’ve figured out who did the damage. He needed to figure out an exit plan. He needed to be safe before they jumped him. They were supposed to be enemies after all?

That’s how he ends up watching Jason take out a sewing kit and gently assess the damage before proceeding to start stitching up the creature. Time ticks by as Damian sits tense and stiff a good few feet away from the two. Drake’s nodded off, head resting against the bed’s end while Jason works away at his desk, his back facing them. This was a good opportunity to take them out, Damian realises. He could take Drake out first, the fool-

“Don’t you dare wake him brat.”

The youngest’s eyes flicker upto Todd, who hasn’t moved an inch, eyes squinting at the needle under the light.

“.. does he know about us?”

Todd pauses at that question. Damian’s seen the other man before, seen his mother train him, seen the rage of the Lazarus pit that screamed for victims. Jason knows him. And he knows Jason. They had to work together as assassins. They were supposed to be ruthless killers. Yet here sits the fearsome man, with the same hands Damian has seen ripping people apart gently cradling a ripped elephant toy.

“No.. atleast I don’t think so. Replacement’s slippery though,. dunno how much he knows. My turn for a question, brat. What the hell did you do to Zitka?”

Who? There is no way that Todd is referring to that creature, Damian thinks. “Titus found it. He thought it was a toy. I didn’t feel the need to correct him.”

Jason clicks his tongue.

“Not very nice to be so rude to the only person who tolerates you well”

“It’s not like you’ve done the same to him”, Damian shoots back. “You’ve been a jerk to Grayson in the past. You’ve said his name with contempt, given spiteful remarks and insults and treat his existence as a personal insult to you. You haven’t treated him with respect, yet his behaviour hasn’t changed towards you. Grayson’s a simpleton, Todd. And if he saw fit to keep that thing with him, he’s a childish one.”

“Firstly, my history with him is none of your business, brat. I’ve known Dickie longer than you’ve been alive, so there’s no fucking point trying to be nosy. Secondly, you’re wrong. Dick.. Dick’s no simpleton. If he was, he wouldn’t have beaten you every time you fought now would he? Wouldn’t have survived Bruce, hell not even Gotham. He’s the first goddamn robin, and we have a rapport I don’t think you can even hope to understand.Thirdly.. why do you think he keeps zitka?”

“You insisted on calling that.. a name. You support his childish delusion?”

“Not answering my question brat.”

Damian huffs, inching closer.

“You don’t know do you?”, Jason teases, and Damian can hear the grin in his voice.

“It’s not that I don’t, it’s that I can’t fathom any coherent response-“

“You don’t know.”

“I never said that Todd, has no one taught you not to interrupt others? I know that.. that Grayson has-“

“You don’t know”

“I will personally finish what the joker started and use the crowbar myself Todd”

There’s a bark of laughter, before Jason looks back at him. But there’s no heat behind those eyes like there’s supposed to be. Why isn’t anyone in this damn manor acting like they’re supposed to?? They’re supposed to hate him! They’re supposed to be professional! To be trained soldiers!! Not.. not family.

“No.. I don’t know.”, Damian admits quietly, eyes trained on the ground. He doesn’t want to look at Todd. Doesn’t want to feel the tirade of insults hurled at him for not knowing like he’s supposed to. So he focuses on Drake’s breathing, the long slow heartbeats coaching his to join them.

“These.. are symbols. Do you remember when we were talking of symbolism in literature? Our discussions of metaphors and how they allude to other things? Bigger pictures?“

Damian nods.

“What does your katana symbolise?”

“Myself.”, his answer is instant. “It serves as a lesson to how I must view myself. Sharp, and ready for attack. Poised and deadly.”

Damian’s ears pick up the repressed laughter the other man tries to hide.

“My god they’ve fucking drilled that into you huh? Tell me brat, honestly. What does the katana mean to you?”

Damian’s hands unconsciously drift to his side, gripping his weapon. To him? Not what it was supposed to.. but what it meant to him…

“..my duty. It reminds me of the people who have trained me. Of my purpose. Of my mother, and grandfather. It reminds me of their lessons, their instructions.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. So your katanna represents your memory of them right? It’s a symbol of their training, it your childhood- even a sorry excuse for one. So it holds memories for you doesnt it?”

“I.. I suppose..”

“So tell me. What do you think Zitka represents for Dick?”

He pauses. Memories sift through his mind as he remembers all he learnt about the first robin. Of his past. Of the circus, of the death of his parents. Of who he was-oh..

It hits him, and it hits him hard.

“It symbolises his past, represents his memory of.. the circus? Of himself and his parents?”

“Bingo brat. Everyone has stuff that stores memories, and they choose what represents it. It depends on the person, their characteristics and attachments to that memory. So while yours serves as a reminder of how you’ve been taught to view yourself, Zitka is a reminder to Dick of who he is. Who he was, and who he became. It’s a tether, a reminder of everything that he was before and after. So yeah, this thing as you call it, it’s a symbolism of something special for Dickiebird.”

And with that, Jason swivels around, presenting his creation to the younger child. Damian inspects the stitches, careful to conceal the awe he felt at the impressive work. It was as if nothing had ever happened to it.

“Now, you take this back to where you found it. And I will kick replacement out of my room.”

Damian nods, surprising himself with the gentle way he accepts the elephant. He never knew his grip could be this soft. This wasn’t how he was supposed to be.. was it? He nods his thanks, subconsciously cradling Zitka to his chest before heading out.

“.. Damian.”

He turns around, meeting Todd’s eyes.

“You.. you’re not at a training ground. You’re not supposed to act how people think you’re supposed to. You’re not how you’re supposed to be.”

Damian visibly flinches at that, taking a step back while gripping the toy closer to his chest. Jason seems to notice that as his eyes soften, hands held up in surrender.

“All I’m saying is.. that’s not always a bad thing. And it’s not supposed to be. You’re not supposed to be a weapon. You’re supposed to be you. Damian Al-ghul Wayne.”

“And who is that?”, Damian rasps. Jason just shrugs, flashing a grin as he stands up and stretches.

“That’s something you’re supposed to figure out.”

Damian leaves with his heart thudding in his chest. He carefully leaves Zitka in Grayson��s room, paints a self-portrait with shaking fingers and breaks it apart when he realizes he doesn’t recognise the reflection. Who the hell was Damian Al-Ghul supposed to be??

He receives a gift the next week. There’s no note, and it contains the soft toy inside. He has a sneaking suspicion Grayson or father saw him carrying Zitka and thought he’d like one of his own. The handiwork is one he’s seen before, and he wordlessly places the robin Todd made on his table, far from anyone else’s view but his own Perhaps.. perhaps a bird was a symbolism. A puzzle Damian was supposed to solve.

A bird was supposed to have a nest.

Perhaps Damian was supposed to realize that these people were his family. Perhaps.. perhaps this place.. these people.. were supposed be his home. And perhaps, just maybe, he wasn’t supposed to fight that.

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confused-wanderer · 14 days

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How to spot signs and symptoms of Breast Cancer

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confused-wanderer · 18 days

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The Iranian Regime is going to execute rapper Toomaj Salehi for supporting protests of Jina Amini’s murder by the regime in his songs.

Iranian activist Elica Le Bon says, “Iranians in the diaspora picked up on the fact that the regime tends not to execute people who become known to the international community. We have seen many examples of prisoners that were either released on bail or had their sentences commuted through our “say their names to save their lives” campaign on social media, using hashtags to garner attention for their causes, and even before social media existed, through getting the stories of political prisoners to international media outlets. Once reported on, and once the eyes shift to the regime and the reality of its pending brutality, realizing that the action is not worth the repercussions, we have seen them back down and not execute. For that reason, this is part of an urgent campaign for readers to talk about Toomaj as much as you can, using the hashtag #FreeToomaj or #ToomajSalehi. Every comment makes a difference, and if we were wrong, what did we lose by trying?”

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confused-wanderer · 19 days

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The villains are utterly confused.

They remember the first robin. They remember how bloodthirsty the little gremlin was, how he appeared out of the darkness with a “HIYA FOLKS” that gave people near heart attacks with PTSD so bad they flinched everytime they walked into a dark corner. They remember his grin, baring few too many teeth with a glint in his eyes whenever the bat wasn’t around to curb him. They remember the death stare, the brooding that made no one doubt this was the Bat’s son. They remember how a punch would land a lot harder than it was supposed to, or the screaming that followed. Oh they remembered him alright.

The second one thank the stars was better. The second robin was giggly. He would hop around town, offering his help to everyone who needed it. Sure he was rough with abusers but hell no one cared about them. Matter of fact, the villains were glad because those assholes deserved no sympathy. They remember his puns, his wonder, his innocence and his spark. They remembered his laughter, his concern - the kind that only comes from one who’s been on the streets. This one was better, and the villains thanked their lucky stars. They remembered him alright.

But now, as the years passed and new characters emerged, the crime city saw the rise of two characters - a sunshine happy nightwing and a ready to kill red hood. And naturally, from their experiences in the past, the villains ended up making an honest mistake that ruined the two vigilantes’ reputation:

The villains assumed the first robin was Red Hood and the other was Nightwing. And BY GOD Gotham has not seen unhinged chaos like this.

SCENE 1

Red Hood *drawing his pistol* : Please, reach for your weapon. I’m itching for an excuse for my intrusive thoughts to become extrusive.

Two-Face: You dare mock me little bird?! Well.. I may not have my weapon.. but I have something I know you’d like..

Red Hood: Oh yeah?What’s that?

Two-Face: TAKE THIS! *slams button and coconuts start falling from the sky, all cracking and spilling as they hit the ground*

Red Hood:

Two-Face:

Red Hood: .. the fuck was that supposed to do?

Two-Face: .. HOW ARE YOU STILL STANDING?! YOU HATE COCONUTS ROBIN!!

Red Hood: The fuck- .. wait did you call me robin?

Two-Face *grins* : Yea.. robin. The first one. Thought I didn’t notice?

Red Hood: The first one? Does this *gestures vaguely to himself and his weapons* seem like something the first robin would do?

Two-Face:

Goon 1: I mean.. yeah

Red Hood: What! The first robin was nice!

Goon 2 *guffawing*: I beg your fucking pardon??

Two-Face: .. you took my coin and attached a magnet beneath it so everytime I flipped it it wouldn’t stop spinning. Do you know how long that took me to figure out?? Do you know how insane it drove me?? Joker had to help me out of pity. OUT. OF. PITY.

Red Hood:

Goon 1: ..Also you did steal some of our bones

Red Hood: hedidfuckingwhatnow-

SCENE 2

Nightwing: Hey there buddy! You look frostyl!

Dr. Freeze: Aha! You are too late to stop me robin!

Nightwing: .. robin?

Dr. Freeze: why yes! Don’t act coy, I know it’s you there. Now that we’ve got that clear.. I was wondering if you remembered all those years ago when you gave me a source for electricity to power a hospital keeping my Nora?

Nightwing:

Dr. Freeze: well you weren’t careful enough and never told me how much I could take from it.. so I used it to power so many of my inventions that came after

Nightwing *remembering when Jason was robin and every damn time he came to visit Wayne Manor his room would always run out power and the countless cold showers in freezing winters he had to take because of it*: .. oh? Well, sorry to break your bubble, but that wasn’t me Elsa.

Dr. Freeze: no? You joke around, make puns and I’m supposed to believe it’s NOT you?. The first one brooded like there was no tomorrow. He pissed me off so bad once I overheard him saying his favourite ice cream flavour and I made sure it wouldn’t be available in Gotham for YEARS. You’re not as bad as the first one. I’d remember if you were him.

Nightwing:

Nightwing *firing up his escrima sticks to maximum voltage*: Oh let me jog your memory then :)

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confused-wanderer · 20 days

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Theories for helluva boss

1. Stella and Andreaphus get into Octavia’s head about Blitz being more important than her

2. The royals find out about the little book grimoire deal going on between Stolas and Blitz, this leads to them going after Blitz and Stolas

3. Stolas goes on the run, and his duties are transferred to Octavia. I also feel like since he ran away abruptly he didn’t have time to say goodbye to Via, making her more hurtful and resentful towards him.

4. This whole transfer of duty to Octavia could also give potential to a foreshadowing from “You Will be Okay” like perhaps Stolas is hiding in the stars or something and that’s how Olivia finds him maybe?

5. (It’s a long shot) Perhaps when Stolas and Blitz get into trouble Octavia is the one to rescue them in her demon form like Stolas did for Blitz in “truth seekers”. Also Luna + Octavia team up 👀

6. Blitz is so nonchalant and Stolas is increasingly more fed up of Blitz not taking this seriously.

7. Stolas perhaps abdicating the role of title or becoming a member of IMP maybe?

8. Octavia learning the truth of Stella’s assassination attempts and going full demon mode on Striker perhaps?

9. An angelic weapon might harm Stolas or Blitz might take damage trying to protect damage after the “he can get hurt?” Angst we got because my heart didn’t break for nothing

#helluva boss #blitzo #blitz angst #blitz x stolas #helluva boss blitz #stolas angst #helluva boss stolas #stolas #helluva boss Luna #helluva boss Octavia #helluva boss Stella #helluva boss Andreaphus #helluva boss striker

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confused-wanderer · 21 days

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Holy shit this is incredible

I hate Bruce's "I don't kill because once I start, I wouldn't be able to stop"

Like I simply do not buy it. Murder is not a potato chip Bruce. I think he is full of shit and a messy bitch who lives for the drama. I am certain Bruce has some kind of valid reason for not killing, but I don't believe that this is it.

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confused-wanderer · 23 days

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Everyone gets terrified when they see Dick put on the Cape and go into downright brooding shadow death aura mode, capturing Bruce’s scowl and glare to an uncanny extent.

They don’t know that the real reason Nightwing had to get real good real fast at transforming into batman is because in his early batman days he accidentally smiled while trying to talk down this guy from blowing up a building.

They made eye contact for a split second, before the guy burst into tears. He then proceeded to rip off the bomb, throw up, faint, wake up, throw up again before immediately running for the window of the 45th floor of a building.

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confused-wanderer · 28 days

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@vi-reads I can IMAGINE the whole batfam and vetoing his idea and him being so defensive about it. And he is *NOT* taking any shit from Bruce. This has caused WARS.

Bruce:

Dick: : D

Bruce: .. you- you can’t do that

Dick: : (

Bruce: No not because it’s not fun it’s cuz they’re light up.. and it won’t be very good for blending into the dark

Dick:

Bruce:

Dick:

Bruce *realising what’s about to happen* Now wait a second-

Dick: YOU LET ME PARADE THE STREETS IN RED, YELLOW AND GREEN. AND YOU’RE GETTING ON *MY* CASE???

Tim and Damian *who’ve been listening to this for the past month*

Jason *secretly loving it but feels like he should be concerned as to the extent the matter is being taken*

Batkids all missed out on their childhoods, Bruce included. Give me them trying normal kid things for the first time in their lives and going crazy

Like Jason seeing a kid have one of those fake phones where you have to press buttons and water pushes the rings floating on the screen onto the poles, and he can’t get it out of his head for the next few days until Bruce gifts it to him one day. He doesn’t know how the old man knew, Jason’s still not used to Bruce’s I don’t know how to express affection here’s a gift for you but hey, he wasn’t complaining. Jason picks up the phone, and he’s hooked. He carries it around with him everywhere and it’s now become his comfort thing.

Or when the whole family went out to a night tour and saw the light up sticks. They all spent hours fencing with each other and just enjoying how bright the lights flashed. And when someone showed them the lights could flash and change colours? They. Lost. Their. Damn. Minds.

Jason gets Dick a pair of light up sneakers as a joke, but somehow the older boy fell in love with it. He didn’t know they lit up at first, wondering why Jason had a smug grin on his face when he put then on. But the look on his face when he saw the colors, the lights all flashing was one that Jason would never forget. It was a look of surprise, followed by an expression of such pure joy and excitement Jason could’ve sworn he felt his heart melt. Dick refused to get his shoes dirty, only wearing them on special occasions or when he was genuinely happy and showing them off to everyone, constantly stomping and jumping around to see them flash.

Stephanie? Stephanie accidentally walked over one of those roll up pianos and jumped back when she heard the music play. It’s now her favourite accessory in her home and she has many more instruments and customised musical rugs in her home (courtesy of Barbara). It’s one of her favourite things in life.

Damian somehow got addicted to Club Penguin after Tim introduced him to it. He spent hours hooked on that game, saving every puffle he could and collecting them. After the game vanished for the internet, he was so distraught he refused to eat his meal for four days straight. This ended after a new version somehow made its way onto Damian’s laptop. Tim will never admit till his dying breath that he brought the game back just for Damian.

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confused-wanderer · 1 month

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An arc that should’ve been added in Merlin was just how downright terrified Merlin was of him.

Especially with the whole magic thing. He was scared of Arthur. Scared of him as a warrior. Scared that everytime he wielded a sword Merlin thought it was meant for him. Scared that every glare just a little too harsh, every comeback just a little too snippy and suddenly he’d be staring at Arthur from the guillotine.

Arthur was his executioner. Arthur was his grim reaper, waiting for an opening so he could swoop in. But most of all, Merlin was scared of him as a friend. As someone he trusted. Because if he let magic slip around him, even just one flicker that’s the last time he would see Arthur smile at him.

And Arthur notices. He doesn’t know why Merlin flinches a bit too hard when Arthur mock draws his sword in a show of anger, he can’t place his finger on how if he added even a little heat behind those words his friend would stiffen.

Until one day Merlin has to accompany him to face a magic kight who he’s clearly nervous about. And it’s only when Merlin flinches do the pieces slide together for him. That it clicks why Merlin’s face looked so familiar whenever Arthur accidentally overstepped a boundary he never knew existed.

I want to see the look on his face as he stared at his best friend, and realised that he was afraid of him.

And obviously the Angsty arc following Arthur trying to redeem himself and be better towards Merlin without changing their dynamic too much and Merlin is getting more and more tense because with how soft Arthur’s acting it’s like he’s winning Merlin’s trust, and maybe Merlin wants to tell him if the man keeps this up.

#bbc arthur #bbcmerlin #merthur #Arthur x merlin #bbc Gwen #merlin bbc #bbc Merlin #Merlin

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confused-wanderer · 1 month

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Batkids all missed out on their childhoods, Bruce included. Give me them trying normal kid things for the first time in their lives and going crazy

#batman #dick grayson #nightwing #jason todd #red hood #tim drake #batfam #bruce wayne #damian wayne #headcanons #stephanie brown #spoiler #robin

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confused-wanderer · 1 month

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Dicks the reason more than half of the villains check themselves back into Arkham and break down crying in therapy.

Absolutely no one else believes this

I think we’re not fully utilising Dick’s potential for fuckery. This mean was raised in a circus. Surrounded by trapeze artists. And wild animals. What makes you think he has any regard for safety or self preservation?

So I like to think that sometimes, just sometimes there’s a switch that flips inside him and instead of being mature and practical about the system he lets his intrusive feral child win.

Two-face: Heads or tails little bird. Heads, I kill you. Tails, I surrender.

*flips coin*

Nightwing *throws his escrema stick and it hits the coin which lands in his palm*

Nightwing: Hey Harvey. If I flip it around in my hands I can change the outcome of this

Two-face: .. wait-

Nightwing *flipping his hand around with the coin inside* : Say why don’t we make it more interesting?

*takes out three more coins and puts them all in his palm before switching them around a bit*

Two-face: oh.. no..

*Red Hood and Red Robin watching in horror*

Red robin: .. should we.. should we stop him

Red hood *remembering when a villain knocked away Dick’s weapons and told him if he could draw blood without landing a hit on him he’d tell his army to stop and Dick didn’t wait a second before biting the fucker’s neck and taking a good chunk out of it*

Red hood: he’ll be fine.

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confused-wanderer · 1 month

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THIS-

And I also kinda feel like maybe all of his siblings had different talents that were more recognised as “social”. Johnny was good at math, could outdo anyone hand to god but his siblings could play the piano. They could sing, they were more well-liked and since Johnny went to the same school they did, the same family gatherings everyone sort of.. well forgot he was there in their shadow. It’s easy to be small when you’re younger, even more when your siblings shadow swallows every step you try to take.

Soap’s given up trying to impress anyone a long time ago. He’s more or less accepted he’s the black sheep, and now when any of his family ever does ask him what he’s good at or his talents, he just shrugs, lies and jokes someone had to be ordinary in the family.

So when he joins his military, it’s hard not to see the unwritten disappointment and judgement in everyone that he could’ve done something better. Something more.. legacy worthy. Something that gained him money and fame.

The Taskforce doesn’t know Soap still thinks he’s always the least valuable, the least talented. What’s worse is it’s so ingrained into him he becomes immensely self-conscious when he becomes aware other people are watching him perform his talents. He was Soap. God knows how he conned them into believing he was good at anything. But whelp- he was here anyhow. He might as well try his best to play his part so they don’t leave him in their shadow too.

Is the reason soap is the least favourite child because he’s genuinely a nice and caring person and the rest of his family view it as a weakness? I think he would have joined the military as a way to protect others (and escape). When it comes to people who despise weakeness/kindness there’s really nothing you can do to change there perception without becoming like them or worse and a part of soap has to realise that and fear his own capacity to hurt those around him.

I left it kind of ambiguous because I wanted people to be able to see it how they wanted

......that being said I did also make my own ideas about it.

And they way I see it, soap grew up in a large family, with one house of multiple generations, aunts, and uncles that feel more like secondary parents. Cousins and neices and nephews that feel more like siblings. And in my head he was the middle-est child out of him and his cousins and siblings. Meaning all the new stuff has already been claimed, attentions spread thing across some dozen or so children, and more on the way. There was just no chance of him ever getting as much attention as the older or younger kids.

That being said I do like your perception of it too, it simply would take the idea in a seperate direction (and I love it)

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confused-wanderer · 2 months

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After Jason came back, he’d catch glimpses of the Waynes on tv.

One day he’s changing, half heartedly tuning into the voice of Dick on camera as he’s happily talking to a child, ignoring the pang of hurt that he barely talked to Jason like that.

“…- Jason.”

That catches his attention. He freezes, keeping his helmet on the stand which he was about to put on, years of habit and familiarity itching for him to answer.

He looks to the screen, Dicks look of shock and guilt matching his own before it’s quickly gone. He’d called the child Jason. By accident. And there’s this heavy cloud of silence that settles over Dick, his eyes far away as his fingers, outstretched towards the child suddenly flinch as if muscle memory of the past had evaporated once reality settled in.

The channel pauses, everything in the room goes silent and Jason’s head is buzzing with dread, and a hint of longingness to hear Dick say his name again with such fondness.

The feeling lasts only a split second, the same amount of time it takes the facade of social charmer Dick Grayson to slide back into place. The channel flickers, and when it returns the host drones on and in about the new Wayne Foundation shelter for children living on the streets. But Dick, Jason noticed, is nowhere to be seen.

And when a couple weeks later he runs onto Nightwing’s territory , he hears his henchmen mocking the man from the other side of the warehouse.

“Where’s the little robin aye? Poof! You lost him!”

He doesn’t hear from them again, and they all don’t stop shaking after Nightwing done with them. They haven’t spoken since, but they all scream in terror and vomit every time they see a bird.

Or more specifically, when a robin sings.

#batman #nightwing #dick grayson #red hood #jason todd #bruce wayne #tim drake #damian wayne #batfam #headcanons #robin!jason todd #robin!jason #nightwing angst #Jason todd angst #red hood angst #robin!jason angst #robin #batfam angst

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confused-wanderer · 2 months

Text

❗️❗️❗️

Your mission: reblog if you think: boop should stay

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confused-wanderer · 2 months

Text

TW: mentions of touch-starvation, brief mention of thoughts of suicide (just one line, nobody actually dies)

Hug me

Cass was new. New to life, new to everything. But she was fluent in the langue of the body, and could always hear it whispering away their secrets to anyone that could hear them. And that was only Cass.

Now she’s in front of a child whose posture screams for comfort, on the verge of a breakdown. It screams for warmth. It screams two words:

HUG ME

Cass doesn’t move - simply stares at him from a distance, watching and waiting. But then Steph is behind her, and nudges Cass aside before crouching in front of the child and opening her arms up. The child shrinks, flinching and folding into himself with choked sobs, and Cass listens to Steph kindly asking the kid for permission to let her in, telling him he’ll be safe and warm and she’ll listen to him. She tells him he’ll be safe, and whispers to his heart to trust her.

Cass watches this all happen without a single word being spoken. Afterwards, Steph asks Cass why she didn’t do anything. Cass can hear the question that she never says though:

You’ve stayed with us, you’ve seen our family comfort people in distress, and you know this kid needed it. So why didn’t you do anything?

Unfortunately, Steph couldn’t notice the silent question Cass is begging her to answer.

Why was this kid different from their family?

The family where Nightwing tries to hide by hugging himself, fingers closing around whatever he was sitting on to prevent himself from launching himself at a family member. How Jason refuses to be close to them, because every step he takes towards them Cass can hear him screaming that he desperately wants a hug. That he wants someone to offer, and he wants them to hug him even when he half-heartedly threatens to shoot them if they don’t let go. Cass is convinced he’d then turn the trigger onto himself if they did.

The way Bruce suddenly curls in on himself like a child, arms tightening around each other in a desperate attempt to console himself. And Tim does the same. As does Damian. As does Stephanie, as does Barbara, and the list goes on and on. They were all in pain too. But nobody ever did anything, and Cass thought that that was how you dealt with pain.

But the longer Stephanie tries to explain to her how one must help those in pain, the longer she sees Nightwing refuse to leave a single family member struggling if he notices, the longer she sees Jason spend nights in alleys so the kids can rest easy knowing they’re safe, the longer she sees Tim hesitantly stay with a teen so she won’t be alone, or Damian always making sure all the strays he’s collected never have a wound untreated, she realises something that sends a chill down her spine.

Her family was eerily good with words. With languages they’d been taught over the years. But they still did not know each other’s language of pain. They weren’t ignorant, Cass realises. They were deaf.

And so nobody could ever hear each other’s heart break. Nobody could hear the deafening noise of each other’s body chattering from the coldness of loneliness.

Nobody, except Cass.

#batman #nightwing #dick grayson #red hood #jason todd #bruce wayne #tim drake #damian wayne #batfam #headcanons #batfam angst #cassandra cain #orphan #stephanie brown #spoiler #robin #batfam angst headcanon

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