CALL ME OVER!!

Illustrator, ocxcanon artist, non-binary, 22, any pronouns are fine. Currently into Jason Todd.

[0verslept]

I miss Jaybin so much :(

sorry tumblr for being so offline hope you can forgive me with some good jason todd angst, stuffed so many details in this thing so i hope yall vibe with me 🫶🏻

|| heavily inspired in alphonse mucha's Primrose and Feather

[fallen-jpg]

jason doesn't want any of that wholesome family bs (they stayed for 2 more hours)

[delavegaaaaa]

𝒥𝑒 𝓉𝑒 𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓈𝓈𝑒𝓇𝒶𝒾 𝒹𝑒𝓈 𝓂𝑜𝓉𝓈

Cw: 18+ MDNI, suicidal ideation, arranged marriage, slight (okay alot of) angst, Lover boy Jason Todd, Idiots in love, strangers to lovers, religious imagery and suggestive themes, breif loss of virginity (Jason and Reader), pregnancy (either use a condom or peg them: be safe and pick one), mentions of medicinal prevention herbs.

Historical AU. Prince!Jason x fem!reader

4.6k words

DCU Garden. M.List

Prince!Jason, who learned on his sixteenth birthday that he’s in an arranged marriage and has been engaged since the age of four.

Being the Blood Prince, Damian became Crown Heir at birth. Damian’s birth put Jason third in line. So, why should he have to get married? It’s not like Damian or Dick are dying... Jason now had a new fear: being left in charge of a kingdom he didn’t want. He begged Dick and Damian not to run off and die. 

Prince!Jason, who immediately chooses to serve (run off) in the royal military. A choice made in hopes of dying or becoming so unrecognizable that the woman's family will back out. 

Most Lords and upper-class families were snobby; he’d seen the way they looked down on those who didn’t meet their physical or financial expectations. He doesn’t know it yet, but his fiancé really didn't care what his face looked like.

Jason didn’t think it was too selfish to hope he contracted some disease in war that would quickly put him out of his misery. Bruce had received many letters detailing how his son's wishes were almost granted. He had brothers; there was no reason for Bruce to continue his attempts to bring Jason home.

Prince!Jason, who returns years later in his twenties for “Damian’s” engagement party. Only to learn he’s been fooled by Bruce and that he’s meeting his fiancée for the first time. 

Dick can’t help but try to lighten the mood around the event, but Damian told him to get over it. Reminding his older brother that they had all been sold off in arranged marriages. 

When Jason and Tim pointed out that the youngest wasn’t engaged yet, Damian spoke aptly in regard to his duty to “remain unwed to unite both mother and father’s realms upon heavenly ascension to both thrones.” 

Dick stated all too calmly, a damning smirk as he did, that Damian wasn’t unwed—he was unpicked. At the fault of his own parents, nonetheless. Tim added on about the screaming match Talia and Bruce had last month when she visited to discuss marital affairs. Damian dismissed both statements as lies put in place by the opposition.  

“You’ve grown so much since I went off to war, Dami. I was never under the impression your goal was to unify warring kingdoms.” Jason tried to hide the cheeky smile behind his glass. Damian carried on with his grandeur delusions.

“It is a birthright to unify nations under the Al Ghul and Wayne bloodline. I was born for this.” Damian spoke so passionately that Jason almost forgot he was twelve. Jason tried to avoid all eye contact with his older brother as Dick sipped his wine. Yes, Dick was charming. Dick was also the devil the Church spoke of.

“You were born out of spite. Your mother hated the man your grandfather chose for her. Your grandfather hated Bruce more. They couldn’t agree then, and they still can’t now.” 

Jason choked on his drink. Damian’s jaw dropped as Tim wiped tears away from his eyes. 

Tim’s laugh cut through his words, “you’re a spite baby,” before he doubled over in silent hysteria. Jason thought he might be at the same level as Tim, despite fearing Bruce and Talia's reality.

“…I reject these false narratives.” Damian smacked the back of Tim’s head, which only made the older prince laugh harder. The youngest brother slammed the large doors behind him.

Prince!Jason, who insists on making the ball a masquerade. He wanted nothing more than to hide his face and exit the party without the others’ notice. Expectations weighted heavily on his crown, and Jason found himself moving cautiously towards the forbidden solitude of the west terrace. 

Tim nearly threw him under the carriage for sneaking out, except Damian took care of the attempted snitchery. Not without adding it to the second Prince's debt, of course. Jason didn’t want to know; he just wanted to avoid his father, King Bruce. In Tim’s defense, he’d met Jason’s fiancée once prior and thought she was too stunning in every aspect to let Jason marry her. 

Prince!Jason, who unknowingly runs into you on the west ballroom terrace overlooking the garden. Its view offered a glance at temporary freedom. It seems he had interrupted your plan to escape. One leg hoisted over the marble railing, masked face staring back at him. Your shoes were left unattended on the tile beneath you. When he asks what you’re doing, you simply state the displeasure you have with the choices your parents have made for you. 

Prince!Jason, who offers to aid in your escape without knowing that you’re both running from the same life. You shrugged your shoulders, allowing this strange man to help you over, lowering you by your arms until the tips of your toes touch the soft grass. He follows, your shoes in hand as he lands on the ground behind you. The first step to an inevitable fate.

Prince!Jason, who is surprised to learn you’ve never seen any of the princes outside of Tim, and that was only when he stopped by to handle a business meeting with your father. He hadn’t bothered to ask your name; engagement arrangements had made personal acquaintance unnecessary. Why would Tim have met you if you weren’t the third prince's fiancée? 

Now you find yourself, and this man, wandering through the garden. Music fading into the night, trapped in the world of wealth and political expectations just over the rose-covered hedges. Summer breeze cutting through a small opening in the towering maze, brushing loose strands of your hair just perfectly. 

At first, the man accompanying you argued that walking towards the castle would get you out quicker. You pointed out how all the Lord’s gardens are nearly perfect replicas of the king’s. In order to get out, you must go in. 

A mask graced your face, close to covering it fully with its intricate gold and white design. The right side of your cheek is left on display. It told Jason more than most realized; layered along the edges, golden flowers decorated with red accents confirmed the story of your parental control. 

The red paint was reserved for four families outside his own. The intensity of his stare. Your family was a topic you had a great interest in avoiding.  

“Is your fiancé running as well?” he asked playfully.

“I would hope so, he’s been running for years. It’d be embarrassing if he stopped now.” 

“Embarrassing? He sounds cowardly.” His smile caught your attention. How lovely he is, he'll have a toothache later. Gleaming bright even in the dark. His mask covered from the nose up. Its black-and-red design was nothing compared to the inevitable pull of his gaze. You craned your neck, perfectly content to drink in the intoxication of those sea-glass eyes, pulchritudinous mistake.

“Yes, well, he’s consistent if nothing else.” Jason followed behind as you ripped your gaze from him, moving deeper into the garden’s walls.

“…right.” He swallowed hard. Oh no. He wasn’t one to judge. How could he judge? He was also a runaway fiancé. “If your fiancé is missing, have you checked the fountains? Apparently, they’re very easy to fall into.” 

“Why would he do that?” Natural selection was out to get him. Paralysis devoured every fiber of him when he met your eyes behind the mask. Enamored with their beauty, the gentleness in how you looked at a stranger, how you looked at him.

“For attention?” He squeaked out. Whatever he had done to deserve hearing the life that left your lips must have been far greater than the sins committed by his hands. A sensation not even he could ruin by acknowledging that he’d just met you. That he was engaged to someone else. 

“And what of you? Did I interrupt your escape as well?” Jason could tell you weren’t curious, simply making conversation to ease the awkward tension in the air. The moon lit the path in front of you, glistening off petals covered in misty droplets. Its radiance sparkling off your dress as if the stars crafted your existence before placing him in your light. 

Finally, he pulled himself together. “No, just needed some air. I was supposed to meet someone, and now it seems as though we are running from each other.” 

There was a pregnant pause as you stopped to investigate a fork in the path, offering three different routes. He listened to you mumble something about both the Cain and Brown families’ gardens having this same layout, and how if the Cains were left, the Browns were straight ahead, then this one must be right. You took off down the path to your right, not waiting for the masked man to keep up. 

“So, you’re running from an engagement? Your fiancé is running as well?” Only when his footsteps jogged to keep up with you did you ask. “Are you the second prince?”

The directness stunned him. His whole life, everyone around him walked on eggshells. He gathered that you most likely didn’t care who, if he helped you leave this unholy Eden. Unfortunately, Jason had a terrible habit of vocalizing his thoughts by accident. “Do I sound like the second prince to you?” 

“I’ve only met the third one.” Just for the added measure of seeing him squirm a bit, you continued. “One too many if you ask me.” 

“Oh?” Dew drops rolled off the grass beneath his boots, your bare feet silently gracing the soil. He paused, your shoes still in his hand, as if he were a knight of questionable competence-daydreams of flowers growing where you stepped drenched his mind. You must be a goddess here to weigh his soul and assign his sentence as you please.

“I only jest, the third prince was lovely. But alas, I must carry on with my escape.” Jason tried to convince himself it was a sickness heating his skin and not that the blush of your cheeks was contagious. “You could be the stable boy for all I care.” 

"What if I'm the son of a Lord?" His heart stalled a moment when it hit him again, your laughter blessing his undeserving ears. He continued, “I overheard on my way out that she is nowhere to be seen. A tragedy.” 

Sarcasm saturated his tongue; you understood. An overwhelming dread churned your stomach. The fact your parents lured you into the castle under the guise of the Crown Prince's birthday made your chest tighten. Parties are for celebrations; celebrations are for happy occasions—this was an absolute nightmare. How happy could a marriage to a man who ran off to the military to avoid her be? Not that she blamed him. Honestly, she didn’t want to marry a faceless man either. 

“Are you okay?” You asked too softly. Jason wondered if you planned to ensure he didn’t recover from you. How could anyone not want to marry you?

“Yes. No. I don’t know. Keep walking.” He stammered, picking up his pace to catch up with you, only to trip over a branch. The servants in charge of the gardens must’ve missed it while cleaning up. 

“How graceful.” Giggling at your own jab behind your hand. “Maybe you are the stable boy.” 

“Shut up.” He muttered, no intent behind his words. Not when such a foreign tug was gnawing away at him every time you spoke. 

“I spoke not a word into existence.” Everything about your presence proved addictive, from the way you carried yourself to how you joked with a stranger while executing your great escape. The way he could hear the smile tugging at your lips from under your mask—he must have been imagining it. 

“Truly, do you hate the idea of getting married?” Your fingertips grazed the petal of a pale rose. He didn’t answer, just remained in his place beside you, following your every instruction. “I was devastated when I found out that choice had been taken from me. I can’t imagine how he must’ve felt when he learned of the arrangement.”

Jason hesitated, dark hair falling into his eyes. The tension rose once more with your words. A statement he felt wasn’t meant for him to hear. For a heartbeat, the garden disappeared, and Jason was sixteen again. Ear pressed against the heavy oak doors of the King’s study, straining to catch every word forbidden to hear. One of the more influential Lords agreed to Bruce’s proposal, signing away Jason’s future. 

When the door swung open, the Lord showered Jason with compliments. Praising him for being exactly what his daughter needed, promising the prince that he would love her. Promising to send letters on what Jason could expect from his daughter. A daughter who existed in imagination alone. One, Jason knew nothing about. Echoes from the Lord's shoe faded into oblivion somewhere behind the young prince. 

King Bruce filled the space in the doorway, gaze heavy on his son. Jason couldn't recall everything that was said, only that he forced military officials to let him serve. Jason was gone the next day; his room remained untouched until now. 

Time moved quickly enough in his daydreams of harrowing memories that the woman he entered the garden with had led them to the fountain. Lotus flowers rested on the surface, moving ever so slightly with the water. A solitude he dreamed of achieving. In the corner of his eye, she sat just along the fountain’s edge. 

Your finger danced across the water’s surface, elegantly moving around the plants. His breath hitched in his throat. Bathing in moonlight with your mask discarded to the ground, Jason was bewitched. Fully convinced of his previous assumption, A goddess walked among men. 

Foreign serenity saturated his life as a political chess piece, easing the ache of his fractured existence. The second prince, third in line for the throne he did his best to avoid. But here, tucked away in a garden tended only by servants, the air flowed like a stream through his lungs. 

During his time as a knight, soldiers around him often told tales of sirens and other creatures they had encountered. At the time, those were just stories to get through the brutal nights where his men missed home. Now, the allure consumed him. 

Something in the way you turned water holy, as though cleansing his sins at an altar of ruin. Pour rivers of wine until temples ran high; baptize him in every scripture that flowed from your commands. Jason was dying for these blasphemous prayers—like a knight willing to be stripped of crown and titles for a woman he had never known. 

The weight of the world should have pressed heavier upon his crown; the idea of a reality where he was left with nothing, alas, atraxia blessed him. Cosmic timing had tossed a scintillating illusion in his path to torment him. Perhaps, just for one night, it was okay to be in love. With great difficulty, he posed the question. 

"Do you not wish to meet the man you're engaged to?" Subtle apathy blended in his curiosity. A mournful smile cracked your resolve at the questions’ unintended sharpness. Your hand stilled, the fountains' trickle filled the otherwise desolate silence. Pollen danced in the moving water. There was an unexplainable ache in his chest when you refused to meet his eyes. 

"No, I have no desire to marry the second prince." Jason couldn't shake the enthralling paralysis. You—. "I want to be loved, not stuck in a life where I am used as nothing more than a pawn for political scheming." 

His lungs refused to inhale, his heart refused to beat. Yet somehow, some way, the words forced themselves out. "You're engaged to the second prince?" 

"...yes," a single tear eased its way down your cheek, the split in your voice breaking him as well. "I am in line to become a princess in a loveless marriage." 

At the age of sixteen, Jason learned he was engaged, and the woman he was to marry had been selected at the age of four. A woman who also learned at sixteen that she would be marrying a prince with her father’s approval. You had learned two languages from the age of four and then another at twelve, because the youngest prince spoke more than one. 

You had been trained and educated on politics for a time that should have been fairy tales and laughter. Instead, you were robbed of your dreams and wishes. The daughter of a Lord whom Jason had already decided to run from. An abhorrent decision that made him wish Bruce had locked him in the dungeons instead of fighting in wars. 

If he had just spent that time in the library or the many gardens surrounding the castle...how could he have known? All those years, you were just as terrified. As opposed to being there for you, learning your mannerisms, mapping the language of your devotion. 

He now understood his cowardice, hiding behind blood as he danced with death on battlefields he wasn't made for. When he received a letter four months ago that his fiancée's wedding dress had been selected, he should have come home. He should have kept the letter. 

"Would you like to dance?" The question was poised in the air as he stepped deliberately towards you, dodging vines and roots. He cursed himself; now was not the time. Skepticism engraved itself on your frown, the way both your names would be engraved in rings in less than a month. "Apologies, I-" 

There it was, through the tears you tried so desperately to hide. Your laughter is like honey soothing a sore throat. Graciously, you took the hand he held out to you. Lifting you gently, no one matched the attentiveness of this stranger. Keeping you at a respectful distance, he led the first step, slowly guiding you to the water’s tranquility. 

One hand rested on your waist, the other in your hand—carefully pulling you closer without notice. Your hand rested on his shoulder, allowing the silence to bleed around you. The scent of sandalwood and musk wavered around him, mixing with light florals of the garden and you. 

For the first time in your life, you felt normal. Watching the children of lower-class families in the cities and towns always made you envious. You should be grateful for everything you were born into, but you couldn’t help it. They always looked for free. No expectations, just living by any means possible. 

“You’re staring.” You tried not to mumble the words, finding a new fascination in the tulips surrounding the fountain. Here, deep in the garden, there were no apprehensions of being caught. How scandalous it would be if wandering eyes managed to find you. All your troubles vanished. Just for a moment, a weight lifted from your chest, and the air grew lighter around you. 

“How could I not?” He leans in as your face turns to him. His lips brushed against the edges of yours, just grazing the corner enough for him to hear the hitch in your breath. Lifting his mask, he keeps his mouth close to your ear. “You have vexed me. This garden might as well be the Elysian Fields the myths speak of, and I am incompetent to what has made fate bless me with such revelry.” 

Without notice, the hand previously in yours, now cupped your face—unable to pull away from his gaze. His eyes lingered just a second too long. Your throat tightened as his voice echoed in your lungs. “Bless me with your gospel in every incantation you speak. Turn my body and soul to milk and honey. Even if it is a deception, I have already decided you’re God.” 

It was wrong to want this man, you were engaged—but oh gods, when he asked to kiss you. Space ceased to exist as his lips pressed to yours, initiating your first kiss through trembling hands. He sighed into you, relief drowning him as he pulled you closer. 

The mask that once shielded him joined yours on the ground. Moonlight, the soft trickle of water, and your breathing filled the garden as he lay you down on soft grass. Perhaps one night in love with this nameless man was okay, you thought to yourself.

Prince!Jason, who kept going till he knew you were satisfied. How pretty you sounded underneath him encouraged him to keep going. The way your lips were swollen from his kiss, your mouth opening in ecstasy. Jason was captivated by your gaze, eyes rolling back in euphoric rhapsody. 

Filling you to the brim, praising you each time you gave in to his desire for one more. Cleaning you up as he could when you were finally finished. What a gentleman he was to escort you back afterwards, both forgetting the existence of your masks and apologizing for not pulling out for you. 

You insisted you would be fine and trusted your maid to retrieve the medicinal herbs necessary. He was astounded as the sense of satisfaction bloomed within his knowing he was your first and you his. 

Prince!Jason, who ensured no one caught sight of the two of you sneaking back into the party. Luckily, you had remembered to grab your masks. You thanked him for a lovely evening before excusing yourself to find your parents in the ballroom of hidden identities. Tim had spotted Jason standing alone in the entrance way. He couldn’t help but poke fun at the second prince after seeing the woman he entered with. 

“Fall in love yet? Or did you run away from her in the garden, too?” Jason could barely comprehend the words as he watched his father approach yours. The King was finally being introduced to the future princess-consort. Tim picked a yellow flower petal out of Jason’s hair, frowning as he did so. His muffled questions never reached Jason's ears.

Bruce pointed in his direction, your eyes turning to meet Jason’s once more. Your melancholy daydreams vanished as you looked at the man you had spent the night with. Tingling spread through your chest as he approached you again. Standing tall, Jason kissed your hand and introduced himself. 

Prince!Jason, who finds a letter on the desk in his room when he finally retires for the night, leaving you against his will. The letter was dated several years prior; the neat ink swirled on paper, signing your father’s name. One of many letters he had been purposely ignoring for the past eight years. 

Prince Jason, 

As a Lord in the King’s Court, it is my duty to advise his highness on official matters involving the kingdom and its politics. I have been honored to have met and watched you grow through the years. I understand you are a busy man, and so I will be direct. It is I who approached his majesty with the engagement. This was the simplest decision placed in my life. Growing up, I watched my mother suffer at the hands of my father in a loveless-political marriage. My mother was the one who taught me the consequences of behaving the way my father displayed. By the time I had seen thirteen winters, the untimely passing of my father had come. 

My daughter loves to paint; she is politically savvy and very bright. It is very difficult to pull her out of a book she enjoys. I do not wish to see her suffer the way my mother did. It would destroy her mother and me. This is why I proposed the arrangement to his majesty. When you were four, I observed you caring for an injured bird, one of the other Lord's sons had broken its wing. Never in my life had I witnessed a four-year-old, a prince nonetheless, hit another of such a small, defenseless creature. The bird lived many years due to your care and determination. It was that day, I knew that you would not put my daughter in a cage. These personality traits reaffirmed my intuition as you grew older. Please understand, I have nothing to gain in this arrangement besides my daughter’s happiness. 

Jason stared at the letter, a gnawing sensation returning to his stomach. A knock on the door pulled him out of worries before the guilt and anxiety could consume him once more. The marble floors chilled his feet as he crossed the room towards the towering oak doors. Cool air swirled around him as he pulled one door open.

There in the corridor stood a young maid. Her hands trembled as she curtsied and introduced herself, shoving a letter in his hands. Opening the small square parchment behind your family's seal was a message he never expected to get. 

As it seems that we have completed one of our marital responsibilities, unintentionally it may be, I will not be requesting medicinal herbs and tonics. 

We will be expected to produce an heir, and it would be a wasted opportunity. We are to be wed in a month, which overlaps well with the potential timeline. 

Oh gods, Jason was grateful your maid had most likely scurried off back to your room. Heat crept up his cheeks, kissing its pink fever across his face. Smile painfully tight in a failing attempt to conceal the bliss overwhelming him. Reality sank in that this was his future, a beautiful wife sleeping three doors away until their marriage. A life where he found himself leaning into the idea that he was worthy. 

Prince!Jason, who may have been third in line for the throne, was the second prince born but became the first prince to have an heir. Two months after the wedding, it was a secret kept between you and him. Though everyone on castle grounds knew something had changed, though no one dared say it out loud.

He stayed by your side as if he had no responsibilities. Day and night, whatever you needed, he ensured you received. Jason considered it an honor and a privilege to watch your stomach grow with his child. He loved nothing more than to see the glow on your skin, the way he fell deeper in love every second he was with you. 

As the months carried on, your mother had accompanied you more often as well. Jason was content with the change, yet annoyed that he was now left to do his work instead of fussing over you. 

You received gift after gift from court officials, even royalty from far and wide. A rare gift from Queen Talia herself was bestowed upon you. She brought it personally the last time she visited. Damian was by her side as she did, teaching her son exactly what to do.

Lápiz lazuli bracelets and rings, and another gift she informed had already been sent to the stables. She even assisted in your birth alongside Jason, offering you support and wisdom. You truly had no idea how to thank her. 

Jason’s father, King Bruce, quietly admits that he loves being a grandfather. It was a realization that shattered everyone. Witnessing Bruce hold Jason’s infant daughter, spoiling her in ways comparable to Talia. It was all too startling. Both Talia and Bruce gave official decrees declaring her their grandchild.

Dick, ever helpful, pointed out how Talia isn’t blood-related or living in the realm, so her decree "technically didn't count". Talia provided him with the documents of her plans to get rid of him if he ever touched the throne. She calmly suggested to Bruce that a bird would make an excellent addition to the family—as second in line for the throne. 

You were grateful to have missed that specific family dinner. 

Prince!Jason, who ran from his arranged marriage for years, only to head over heels for you the moment he met you. The entire kingdom knows it, his family and yours both see it. Jason, who fell in love with life through your eyes. 

—————————————————————————

@delavegaaaaa Do NOT REPOST, FEED TO AI OR PLAGIARIZE MY WORK. This is my only blog. Talia slander will not be tolerated, she loves her son more thn anything. DC cannot convince me otherwise.

[thoughtsofcritters]

fuck Romeo and Juliet, if they really loved me they would go to 3 different planets just to find a present for me, if they really loved me they would clone me 99 times when I died, if they really loved me they'd go back in time and flirt with me even though I'm the cause of their universe being destroyed

[uhzzurago]

His best day

[battybat604]

Really? Right across the Daily Planet where *everyone* can admire the view??

[nerdyprudesmustyap-deactivated2]

Duo so good it happened in 3 seperate generations

[sreppub]

6 for creativity, -10 for flavour

[pluckyredhead]

Character Profile: Rose Wilson (Ravager)

By popular demand, the next member of the Lost Titans: Rose Wilson!

Rose was introduced in Deathstroke the Terminator #15 in 1992. She is the daughter of Slade Wilson, a.k.a. Deathstroke the Terminator, and at the risk of rehashing stuff everyone knows, I have to give you the basics on Slade, too.

Slade Wilson was a soldier (originally in Vietnam, though that's obviously been updated since) who was so good at soldiering that the army gave him a super soldier serum that made him faster and stronger than any normal human. After leaving the military, he became an assassin - unbeknownst to his wife, Adeline, and their young sons Grant and Joey. When Slade's secret assassin-ing and ego caused Joey's throat to be slit, rendering him mute for life, Adeline left him.

The Wilson family first crossed paths with the New Teen Titans years later when Grant became the supervillain Ravager. When Grant's own janky powers got him killed, Slade decided this was the Titans' fault somehow and vowed revenge. This involved sleeping with a fifteen-year-old girl for some reason. Slade is a terrible person.

Meanwhile, Joey grew up to become the superhero Jericho, and became a long-standing member of the Titans. However, he got possessed by like a thousand ghosts at once, like you do, and went crazy and evil, and Slade had to kill him for his own good.

By this point, Slade had become such a popular character that he'd shifted from villain to antihero. (Never mind all the attempted child murder and statutory rape.) It was in this context, fresh after Joey's death, that Rose was introduced.

Rose is the daughter of a woman named Lillian Worth, a.k.a. Sweet Lili, a Cambodian woman who Slade once helped escape from the Khmer Rouge. Lili set up a high-end brothel in the States, and she and Slade became essentially fuckbuddies (this was after Slade's divorce), which eventually led to Rose. Lili didn't tell Slade about Rose because of his...everything, and Rose had a happy childhood, growing up with the other sex workers' kids in the brothel.

Unfortunately, Slade's enemies eventually came for Rose. Specifically, Slade's evil, shitty half-brother Wade LaFarge. (If you're thinking "Wait...Slade Wilson has a brother named Wade?" then yes, Deadpool was in fact Rob Liefeld shamelessly ripping off Deathstroke. Liefeld's collaborate Fabian Nicieza named him Wade to acknowledge this, and joked that he was Slade's brother. So Marv Wolfman gave Slade an actual brother named Wade, who sucks so bad and who nobody likes. I don't think Marv was happy about Deadpool.)

Anyway, Wade became the fourth Ravager (don't worry about the second or third, they don't matter) and kidnapped Rose. Slade...basically decided not to try to rescue her because he was busy, leaving the job to Lili and his best friend Wintergreen. Rose, who had been trained in martial arts by her mother, managed to partially escape on her own...at which point Lili showed up and tried to kill Wade by hitting him with her car...and driving them both off a cliff. This is usually described as Wade killing Lili, which...okay. (She died, but he secretly survived, because of course he did.)

Slade refused to take any responsibility for Rose, afraid of putting her in even more danger, so this extremely traumatized tween was placed in the care of the Titans, who at this point were led by Roy Harper. She was still a civilian at this point, although she did spar with the team, and she also showed she was not to be fucked with when women and children were in danger:

This is when Rose's powers first manifested: she has precognitive abilities, which originally involved lengthy visions of the distant future but quickly became flashes of what is about to happen, which makes her particularly good in a fight because she can predict what her opponent will do.

Also! During this period she became friends with Grant and also developed a brief but adorable crush on Kyle Rayner, while Bart Allen developed a brief but adorable crush on her. Babies!

She later shows up in the 1999 Titans series, considerably older (I'm assuming she's at least 18 here), when Roy hires her to be Lian's nanny, a job she takes very seriously:

But then the 1999 series was canceled. Then the 2003 Teen Titans series began, and very quickly it was revealed that Joey Wilson was alive, that he had been possessing his father, and that that was the reason for Slade's turn as an antihero, not any actual desire on Slade's part to be good. A newly freed Slade decides he wants a do-over with one of his kids.

Meanwhile, Rose has been placed with a foster family, because I guess she's somehow underage again? But said family is then murdered by Wade LaFarge - remember him? - who then kidnaps Rose. Who is rescued by Slade:

Rose, at Slade's encouragement, kills Wade and becomes the new Ravager. It's later revealed (to the reader, not to Rose) that Slade anonymously hired Wade to kill Rose's family because he wanted exactly this setup: for Rose to become completely emotionally dependent on and devoted to him.

Rose spends the next few years by her father's side, attacking the Titans and saying "Yes, daddy" in a sexy baby voice a lot. It's...tiresome. She's so determined to prove her loyalty that she even stabs her own left eye out, because we're in the mid-2000s now and it's peak edgelord time, baby! It's later explained that she's behaving like this because Slade drugged her with the same super soldier serum that gave him his powers (???), so Rose is now also extra strong, fast, etc.

Slade blackmails Dick (in his "villain" era) into briefly training Rose, and I have to include this panel because it kills me every time:

She's trying to be mean and scary but she loves the Harpers so much. I'm cry.

Anyway, Slade has only involved Dick as part of a convoluted plot to kill Superman by putting kryptonite in Rose's empty eye socket (sure), and when Dick reveals that kryptonite causes cancer in humans and that Slade knew that perfectly well and just didn't give a shit about Rose, Rose decides to go back to the side of good and join the Teen Titans properly.

It...does not go smoothly. Cassie hates and distrusts Rose and makes that very clear, and Rose responds by being as obnoxious and antisocial as possible, constantly accusing the other Titans of not trusting her, and basically causing problems on purpose. Like slipping naked into Tim's bed to surprise him problems:

I want to be clear that the writing here is absolutely abysmal. Johns and later writers (and artists) were trying to make Rose sexy sexy jailbait and also going for some kind of reductive Madonna/whore dichotomy with her and Cassie, and it's all very sexist and boring. But if you look past the, uh, actual comics, I do think that a lot of Rose's characterization here makes sense. She's a very traumatized teenager who expects people to dislike her, so she ensures that they dislike her to maintain control of the situation. She sees sex very much as something transactional and rooted in power exchange - which makes a lot of sense, since she was raised in a brothel! Plus she likes starting shit for fun. The comics are bad, but the idea of Rose is so, so good.

Another thing that is good in concept but shitty in execution: Rose/Eddie. As I mentioned in my Eddie profile, Eddie is utterly smitten with Rose pretty much immediately and he is both not at all subtle about it but also not at all a Nice Guy - his feelings are his to deal with and he never puts them on her to manage for him. Rose, for her part, doesn't seem to know how to handle just...a sweet boy who adores her, and so she alternates between flirting with him, being extremely mean to him, and being fiercely protective of him.

That last comes into play when Eddie is abducted by a villain team called (sigh) the Terror Titans. Rose fights her way through a gauntlet of them to rescue him, which is SO DAMN ROMANTIC even if the comic looks like shit. But she's so ruthless about it that Cassie and Tim discuss kicking her off the team, which she overhears - so she defects to the Terror Titans. Her plan is to go in undercover and take them down, but during the storyline she starts to wonder if maybe this isn't where she belongs after all.

Rose. Honey. Baby girl. The Terror Titans are led by the fucking Clock King, a loser in clock glasses who likes to sleep with teenage girls and is making other teenage superheroes fight each other to death in a ring. No, this is not where you belong.

(During this period Rose also becomes addicted to huffing adrenalin. I truly do not know how I made it through the late 2000s, y'all. The comics were abysmal.)

Somewhere in there Joey Wilson comes back as a hero, and he and Rose quickly bond, which is as touching as it is heartbreaking. But Joey is still deeply unwell, and despite Rose's best efforts, he goes villain again, and she has to help the Titans take him down. After butting heads with Cassie again, Rose decides to leave the Titans, again. She tries to convince a depowered Eddie to come with her, but he declines. She then stars in her own backup feature where she travels to a remote Canadian village and saves a bunch of women and children from trafficking; while she's gone, Eddie is killed. Rose then returns to the Teen Titans for the fifth time and remains on the team until Flashpoint.

New 52 Rose is...honestly I'm not even going to try to explain her, because most of it is just incomprehensible nonsense. She shows up as a supporting character (with two eyes) in Superboy and The Ravagers, but it really feels like Lobdell just used the character name (and a worse design, which is saying something) for an OC. She's basically hired muscle for an evil lab, and there's no mention of Deathstroke for ages.

Eventually over in Deathstroke's book, it's revealed that Rose's mother is Adeline in this universe, not Lili, which means that Rose has been completely whitewashed. Of course most art of her has always depicted her as white, but this erased any possibility of her being biracial. The Wilson family's New 52 adventures culminate in Slade killing both Grant and Joey by sticking a sword through their heads (?) while Rose watches in horror, which is so awful as to be actively hilarious.

Also the New 52 is of course where we got the first hint of a Jason/Rose relationship, when she appears in Red Hood and the Outlaws as his ex. This has nothing to do with any of her other completely contradictory appearances during this era. The New 52 was a goddamn mess.

Rebirth erased all of that mishegas, thankfully. Rose is once again Lili's daughter, and Lili is specified to be Hmong, meaning Rose is too. In a change from the pre-Flashpoint continuity, Rose was conceived while Slade and Addie were still married, meaning Slade was cheating on Addie with Lili. In fact, Slade was out of town saving Rose's life when Joey's throat was slit, so Addie viscerally hates Rose even though obviously none of that was Rose's fault. Despite this, Rose and Joey are quite close and love each other fiercely, which is nice, even if the astonishing toxicity of the Wilson family means they can't really do anything in a healthy or functional way, including love.

Here's an example of what I mean: during this period, Rose became possessed by an ancient Vietnamese warrior princess who occasionally took over her body. During one of those times, she killed Joey's fiancee (who was also sleeping with Slade) (and who Joey was cheating on with Slade's friend, a man at least twice his age). Joey forgave her. So that's...nice? I guess?

Both of you need so much therapy and also to go no contact with your father.

As of Infinite Frontier, Rose's original history seems to be pretty much intact, except that she has two eyes. (Her missing eye was restored by the New 52, although she was wearing an eyepatch in Death Metal. Maybe just for fun?)

She next appeared in Robin, hanging out on Lazarus Island with Damian, partially to keep an eye on him but mostly because she was trying to figure out what the deal was with one of the other competitors in the assassin tournament, a kid named Respawn. Eventually Respawn was revealed to be a clone of Talia and Slade, so basically Rose's younger half brother. Rose tried to take him under her wing, but she made the mistake of introducing him to Slade, who was like "Yes! A third chance to have a son and not fuck it all up entirely!" Rose was like "Hey maybe don't hang out with Slade" and Respawn was like "No this seems fine" and then Respawn was almost instantly murdered. So. That was a bummer.

Should've listened, Grant 2.0.

These days, Rose is a member of the clandestine team Stormwatch for some reason, and is appearing with them in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Rose is one of those characters who is a fan favorite of gross dudes and so a lot of the writing (and art, oh god the art) around her has been truly abysmal. But she's so popular that every so often she's in something really solid, and even when the comics are bad, she somehow shines as a really fascinating, heartbreaking, lovable character. Maybe someday we'll get a really good Ravager and Jericho miniseries, that would be nice. In the meantime, there's always twelve thousand shitty issues of Teen Titans!

[broosepayne]

Evacuation

[shiny-snek]

hold on this is the third time I’m dying over thai post but

TWITTER FOR TEXAS INSTRUMENTS CALCULATOR Ti-84???????? JASON 😭

[theartloca]

More food for the Nero lovers💗✨️ I thought it would be cute if he used a bandana to keep is bangs out of his face while working!

[sreppub]

more jason-era thoughts. kind of a companion to this

hands up if you’ve ever taken out your anger on the wrong person. I’m sorry. he gets better.

bonus:

[alitodd16]

I realized that my Jason is an amalgamation of all the Jasons I like :p

[starlesssky72]

Jason Todd inner dialog boxes I have a slight obsession with

[eunisyn]

last minute print for SDCC ;w;

[sreppub]

art dump of cute & fluffy pregnant bruce/superbat/batfam suggestions from twitter under the cut ⬇️

01. hmm…give him a tub of ice cream and and let him grow his beard out a bit. he can be a little shaggy and unkept. as a treat. it’s not like anyone would pressure a pregnant person to always look their best 100% of the time.

lmao this man hasn’t had ice cream in like 6 years and he won’t again until the next time he’s 35 weeks preggo. btw clark is ecstatic to laze around and snuggle with bruce With Ice Cream

02. Damian or the other Robins reacting ?

damian is in a complicated “but I’M the blood son” phase

03. clark spooning him/massaging his bump :3

….as much as clark is allowed 😅

04. ...overprotective Clark?

idk if this is overprotective but clark does get distracted all throughout the day listening to a little heartbeat

05. private maternity shoot with his man!

the idea of a serious superbat “we’re expecting!” photoshoot is so funny to me. tim is professional enough not to laugh until they leave

06. bruce using his bump as a table and puts his drinks/food on it

bruce gets really unexpectedly chill in his third trimester. dick thinks its funny lmao

[namorfetish]

anyways hi namor nation. today i’m thinking about the way namor’s view of the surface world became drastically more intense as time went on and modern portrayals of him were created. because i’m reading old sixties comics of him and he doesn’t actually really want to hurt the surface world. he just wants to stop them from causing his people problems. and then they don’t stop. for years and years and years. and pollution gets worse. and now we have the namor we know today. angry as shit all the time.