I'm the coolest redhead in a wheelchair you've ever seen.
I'm gonna try to keep it comic book accurate. We'll see how that goes. I do have to add that the LEGO Batman Movie lives rent free in my head soooo we may have a Lego Babs moment lol. I also love WFA so that's gonna factor in. Sorry not sorry.
I saw there wasn't a Babs yet for the officalverse and as a wheelchair user who dyes their hair red I decided this was my time to SHINE!
Rules for roleplay with me
25 irl. My name is Fork (they/he). You can follow my main @bat-children-in-the-vents it's mostly Damijon stuff if we're being honest, but there's a lot of general batfam in there. And random other thoughts.
hello, and welcome once again to the first edition of disabledtober!
first off, we're very grateful for the incredibly positive response we received, with dozens of people following this blog less than a day after its creation! without all of you, this event wouldn't be coming to life as smoothly as it is <3
i am pleased to announce that the prompts form is now open! it's completely anonymous, and it has a space for any feedback you deem necessary, which you can also send in the blog's askbox :)
feel free to fill the form as many times as you please, regardless of whether you are disabled or not!! it will be open until the end of july/beginning of august, so you have time to think about what you wish to write and/or read during this challenge
[header ID] the disability pride flag, but slightly darker and with light sparkles over it [end ID]
feel free to fill in as many (or few) q
(event explanation under the cut)
moderated by @everythingwsnormalhere and @fortheloveofgrantaire, disabledtober is a full-month writing challenge focused entirely on disabilities!! whether you are disabled or not, you are welcome to join in :)
this challenge will last for the entire duration of october! the prompt list will come out at some point during the month of august, as soon as we have put it together, so you'll have the entirety of september to begin writing if you need extra time
while this event and its prompts will be focused on writing (both original stories and fanfiction), you can also fill the prompts with art, poetry, songs, and whatever your heart desires!! we encourage all kinds of creativity, so restraining people to one format would be counterproductive hah
this blog will also reblog disability-related writing and art advice, so stay tuned for that!! feel free to send any questions and suggestions into our askbox, and happy pride month<3
welcome everyone, to the very first edition of disabledtober!
moderated by @everythingwsnormalhere and @fortheloveofgrantaire, disabledtober is a full-month writing challenge focused entirely on disabilities!! whether you are disabled or not, you are welcome to join in :)
this challenge will last for the entire duration of october! the prompt list will come out at some point during the month of august, and i will post the link of an anonymous form for prompt suggestions as soon as i can
this blog will also reblog disability-related writing advice, so stay tuned for that!!
if you're interested, make sure to follow this blog!! have a good disability pride month, and good writing <3
I am well! Always kept busy with the crises on Earth as well as with farm life. And off-planet - I do go off planet quite often still. It is good to relax sometimes.
Have you been working on anything interesting lately? You always seem to have something going on in Gotham.
As a 25 year old, I can say you should definitely start taking care of yourself sooner than that. Especially since you donât have a spleen and never sleep.
most of my roleplay blogs are gone. deleted. forever. goodbye. i just cannot handle all of the stress of having those blogs and thinking that people are expecting things from me on top of all of the drama that is continually going around. so. i have four rp blogs left.
they are:
@babs-gordon-offical
@cloned-cloneboy
@jon-s-kent
@fear-toxin-jon
i am not really ready for any long roleplay stuff at the moment but feel free to shoot me an ask because i would love to do something silly or lighthearted :DDD because i do really miss roleplaying with yall. and now i feel like i'm actually in a space that i can do that.
i will also mayyyyyyybe be more active on this blog now. we'll see. it depends on how much free time i have to read comics lol.
i still have the blog that was cluck kent. it's now @discipline-him-or-medicate-him and i'll be using that as a silly side blog. idk how active i'll be on it, but it's there. (mostly i'm just attached to that account because it's my oldest lol)
my boyzarro account got turned into @muscle-daddy-bahorel for if you're interested in les mis lol.
Okay this is kinda an ooc question- do you like babs x nightwing or starfire x nightwing (I know they have ship names I just forgot them)
//more of a starfire x nightwing person myself, but not opposed to babs x nightwing. not really looking for ships for roleplay tho if thatâs why you asked.
Well, that depends on what kind of books youâre into. But some of my favorite books ever are Les Miserables, Little Women, and the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series.
Talon hadnât moved from its nest in what felt like days. Ever since it had stopped healing, it has felt like its energy was being slowly drained out of it. Each day it felt more and more tired. If it had the energy left to be afraid, it would be. It felt so, so similar to dormancy, to what the cold did to it each and every time it was put under back at the court, except it wasnât cold. The nest was pleasantly heated, but Talon felt unable to absorb it. Instead, all it could do was take note of the soft fabrics that surrounded it and sink in further.Â
 It wasnât sure if it actually had been days, but from what it could tell, the sun had at least risen and set once. Moving just felt too much like a chore, its arms and legs far too heavy to bother trying to leave the nest at all. Even opening its eyes had become a chore, choosing to instead mark the passage of time through sound.
Its eyes cracked open once again, using a large portion of Talonâs available energy. It had heard Babs coming and going from time to time, the sound of her wheelchair moving through the apartment and the door locks indicating when she arrived and left. From what it sounded like, Talon had to assume she had just returned again.Â
The best it could do to alert her that it was awake was give a weak trill, head lifting from the nest for just a second before falling back in. The action had taken just about all Talon had left, leaving its body weak and panting (or as close to panting as Talon could get).
@robinstalons
When Babs returns home from work she sets down her things and is about to head into the kitchen to make herself some food when she hears something. She pauses, almost wondering if she just made up the sound in her head, it was so quiet.
She decides to check on Talon. It's been a while since she's seen him. Not since she helped him wrap his arm up and lay in his nest.
She wheels up quietly and knocks on the door before peeking inside. "Talon? How are you doing, buddy?"
Considering how Talon can barely lift itself up, it wasnât doing well. It warbles sadly, eyes barely open as it looks at Babs from its nest.
If it could look any paler, it would.
Its arm, still wrapped in the same bandages that Babs had set it up with, lay on the edge of the nest. From outward appearances, it looks like itâs been soaked through, but still in place.
âBabs..?â It looks afraid for a moment, then its eyes trail off to the side, unfocused. The nest is comfortable, maybe it should rest some more..?
Rest sounds nice. Itâs far too heavy to move anyways. And now Babs is here. Babs is safe. Its eyes grow heavy and start to close again.
She wheels herself into the room. "Oh, my God, Talon?" She was expecting him to be healed, or at least getting better. Not have his bandage soaked all the way through and barely conscious. She has to take a few deep breaths to keep herself calm.
Talon makes a quiet chirp in response. How would Babs help? It can hardly register why it would need help in the first place, but then it remembers it isnât healing.
It warbles sadly again, eyes locking onto her before drifting once more. The bandage looks black where itâs soaked through, and the veins which were typically prominent on its face are fainter.
It starts to drift again, but something feels urgent, pressing. It needs to tell Babs⊠something.
âBabsââ Its voice is weak, cracking at the easiest of words, âNot healing. Scared.â
It likely needs a doctor, but any doctor with any kind of knowledge on Talons was most likely employed by or controlled by The Court of Owls, and as such would have either been arrested or impossible to find.
It focuses on that thought for a moment before letting it slip away again. It feels distant, far off.
She takes another deep breath. She can do this. Sewing him like this is just very hard for her. Heâs usually so chipper, and itâs spooky to think heâs so sick he can barely move. Like heâs shutting down or something.
âI know youâre scared, Talon. But Iâm going to figure out how to get you better. It seems like youâre losing blood and itâs not getting replaced, which is a bad sign.â
She looks at his injured arm. âCan I take a look?â she asks, holding out a hand.
Babs is asking it to do⊠something. It takes great mental effort for Talon to follow her line of sight to its arm. Babs wants its arm..?
It does its best to nod, but thereâs so little energy left it prioritizes moving its arm to Babâs outstretched hand instead. Thereâs a sense of relief that floods its system when it feels the warmth of her hand, it makes its head swim a little and its glassy eyes zone out into the distance again.
Losing blood? Not being replaced? Thereâs almost certainly something wrong with that. It makes Talon think of cold operation tables and tubes filled with black liquid. The thoughts (memories?) make it shiver. Feeling cold-cold-cold through its veins. So cold it somehow burns.
It can hardly register the sad warble coming from its throat as its own, receding back toward unconsciousness with heavy eyelids.
Talon is so limp and tired she almost wants to cry. She takes a good look at his arm. Nothing seems wrong with it, aside from the fact that it isnât healing. At least they arenât worrying about an infection or anything like that on top of the blood loss.
She puts a hand to his cheek, her motherly instincts taking over. Sheâs so scared for him. And she doesnât think she can do it alone. Theyâre going to need help. Talon canât go to a hospital and he canât take regular blood either. Sheâs going to need more information.
If only Talon would let her talk to Batman. But maybe not is a good time to try again.
âTalon, is it okay if I talk to Batman? Heâll know what to do. He can help me figure it out.â
She fights back her tears. âI promise I wonât let anything happen to you.â
Batman..? Talon should be scared. It knows that Batman would likely destroy it, but it also trusts Babs, and somewhere inside him, Talon Dick thinks itâs a good idea.
âBruce,â He calls weakly, a confirmation. Hopefully Babs understands, hopefully she can get the help he needs. In the face of whatever this is, something in him knows it may be the only way.
It trusts Babs. Whatever Babs thinks is the best course of action, Talon will listen. It doesnât have much of a choice. It canât bring itself to say much more, a small trill to confirm that yes, it is okay. Please.
It slips back into unconsciousness, the darkness taking it back, its breathing level and slow once again.
Babs sighs in relief. It seems like Talon has finally accepted that Batman could help. Thatâs good. Sheâs going to need all of the help she can get for this. Sheâs not a doctor. She just knows books and computers.
She nods, determined to get him the help that he needs. But first, she has to go Talonâs hand, tears streaming down her face once he is no longer conscious.
She just hopes that they can come up with a good solution. Between Alfred, Bruce, and Leslie, theyâre going to find a solution.
Babs gently sets Talonâs hand down and quietly leaves the room. Sheâs not sure if he is even conscious enough to hear her at this point, but she tries to be quiet anyway.
Once sheâs out of the room, she pulls out her phone and calls Bruce. Within an hour, Leslie, Alfred, and him are all at her apartment with the supplies they need to hopefully get Talon better. Functioning again.
They work through the night until they have a solution of blood and electrum that would hopefully be the right fit for Talonâs body. And once heâs hooked up, she kicks everyone out. She doesnât want Talon to freak out with the presence of Bruce or other people. Maybe at some point they can meet each other again, but for now, she want to be to only one of the apartment.
Babs doesnât leave Talonâs side once heâs hooked up to his IV. She wants to see any change at all. And she really just wants to make sure he wakes up.
âPlease, Talon,â she whispers. âPlease be okay.â
Talonâs recovery isnât immediate. Theyâre lucky he stays under through most of the night and into the morning, far too worn out to be roused. Instead, it faces images from its past, the familiar cold-burn of the electrum-blackened blood searing old memories into its brain.
As Talonâs body slowly regains the ashy-grey tinge that set it apart, it also begins to stitch itself back together. The major cut on its farm pulls itself back closed, and the small mottled bruises that had settled elsewhere on its body began to fade.
Itâs nearly midday when Talonâs eyes finally crack open. Its sluggish heart is practically racing as it pushes itself to sit upright. It takes in the IV in it, the room it has come to claim as its own in Babsâ apartment. Finally, its eyes fall onto Babs, and a relieved coo easily falls from its mouth. Talon isnât alone. Talon has Babs.
âBabs?â It chirps, tilting its head at her. It feels so much more alive compared to the prior weeks. In retrospect, it should have known something had been off before the cut on its arm. It hadnât been as fast, had been less balanced and a bit unfocused. It had blamed it on the winter cold but now, it can be sure that was not the case.
Babs watches as Talon slowly sends to improve as the hours tick on. She feels more and more at ease as the blood seems to be working in him, finally helping him heal. Sheâs still worried about him, but actually being able to see the improvement helps her feel a bit better.
Still, she doesnât dare move from his side, waiting there all night and through the morning, just praying that heâll wake up soon. She sings to him a bit and reads her book when she needs something to do, but mostly she just sits and waits for him to awake.
He looks so much better by the time that he finally opens his eyes and sits up.
âTalon!â she exclaims, pulling him into a hug. âIâm ai glass youâre awake! How are you feeling?â
Talon squawks with surprise at the sudden hug but itâs more than happy to curl into it, cooing happily. Babs is so warm, it had almost forgotten how much it enjoyed physical contact, having been too unsteady to really seek any out, then too tired to do so.
âIt feels better,â Talon assures, clutching onto Babâs tightly. âWarm.â Itâs not sure what else to say regarding how it feels. Thereâs still this fear that had been kept at bay by exhaustion for so long, and now that itâs no longer struggling to keep its eyes open, that fear has started bubbling up and has no place to go.
Well, it has one place, and Talon can feel the tears well up before it can see them, wiping at its eyes harshly. âTalon was so scared, Babs. Thought it wasâ thought I was dying.â
It felt silly. Talon had already died. It was an undead former-assassin. Could it die twice?
âIâm glad youâre feeling better. And warm.â
She just wants to hold him forever, take away anything that might be hurting him.
She, too, was worried that Talon might die on her. He would have, if not for Bruce and the others, coming through with the blood and electrum. Sheâs just glad she got permission to enlist Bruceâs help because otherwiseâŠwell, sheâd rather not think about it.
âHey, shhh, itâs okay, Talon. Youâre okay now.â She holds him even tighter when he starts to cry. âYouâre gonna be okay, buddy. I wonât let anything happen to you.â
âThank you, Babs.â It croaks, burying its face into her shoulder. The closeness helps, staves away some of the sharpest spikes of fear and helps guide Talon toward relief. It was okay. It would be okay.
But why had this happened in the first place? What had caused Talon to gradually stop healing all together? Would it happen again?
It was a scary thought. Especially considering how often Talon had disregarded safety before. How freely it flies in the air between buildings, knowing that a bad fall wouldnât matter in an hour.
Now, it knew that it did matter. Strange.
Slowly, its tears ebbed away, softening to sniffles, then to calming breaths. It manages to pull back away from Babs, tucking itself back into the nest. Itâs mindful of the IV, not wanting to dislodge the connection, especially since itâs sure it isnât fully back yet. It might not be for a bit.
âHow didâ? Batman..?â It can vaguely remember being asked, Babs asking if Batman, its biggest fear, could be contacted. What had happened..?
âOf course, Talon,â she says, moving a hand up to the back of his neck when he buries his face in her shoulder. Sheâs just glad that Talon is doing so much better now that he has the blood/electrum mix.
As Talon lays back down, she gives his hand a squeeze.
âYes, I called Batman to come and help me. Him, Alfred, and Leslie. They all came to help.â She a bit worried about how heâll take this information, so she speaks carefully, giving his hand another squeeze. âThey left a while ago. Long before you woke up. And I told them that they arenât allowed to take you away from me.â
Talon looks unconvinced for a moment. Alfred and Leslie, the names are familiar and tug at some memories. These people, it thinks it knows them, but the memories donât break free, so it isnât sure.
But Batman had been here, had seen it.
Clearly, Talon appears apprehensive. âHow does Babs know..? That Batman will not take Talon?â
And why had he helped save him?
It didnât make sense to it, why the man responsible for the downfall of the Court of Owls would work to save the life of a talon. What was the plan? Was Batman trying to get on Babsâ good side to take Talon when she least expected it? Its worry was clearly painted on its face, eyebrows drawn together.
Baba smiles softly, trying to ease anything he might be feeling. âBecause. I told Batman that he was not allowed to take you. He respects me enough that he will not. But I donât think he would anyway. Batman doesnât take lives.â
Baba sighs, running a hand through her hair. She wants Talon to understand that Batman isnât dangerous. And even if he is going to try to take Talon, thereâs no way in hell sheâs going to let that happen.
âYou are his former ward, after all. Or a version of him anyway. I think Batman might have a soft spot for you.â
She really hopes that doesnât set him off. The last thing she wants is for Talon to have another panic attack.
Batman respects Babs⊠Its good to know, means that Talon is safe with Babs. That the Batman wonât take him.
But⊠former ward? It takes a minute to process. He thinks about his former interactions with others, with Robin who he ran into before. And, yeah. Batman was Bruce and Bruce had been⊠his guardian. Mentor.
It hurts to think about, but it doesnât spark fear the way Talon thought it would.
And that means Batman wouldnât hurt it?
It still wasnât fully convinced, but it was slightly reassuring at least.
âBatman⊠Bruce?â He confirms, head tilting as a chirp punctuates the question. âDoes not want to⊠destroy Talon?â
At least Talon seems to be taking this information relatively well. No panic attacks so far. That's a good sign.
Babs shakes her head. "He's not going to destroy you, Talon. Especially with the way you've escaped the court and you can think for yourself. But aside from that, I promise I won't let anything happen to you if he does change his mind."
She feels so motherly towards him. He's already been through so much. She can't let him hurt any more. She's going to protect him any way that she possibly can.
Talon nods slowly, hesitating before reaching for one of Babsâ hand. He canât fully reach, so he leaves his hand out, asking without words.
âOkay. Talonâ I trust you.â He corrects. Itâs moments like this where Talonâs brain, while fighting itself, can reconcile with who he was and who he is now. It never lasts long, but itâs happening more and more regularly.
It feels like improvement.
âSleepy. But not. âM⊠achey?â He tries to describe what exactly is going on. Itâs not as bad as before, but heâs still not up to full energy yet. He doesnât want to go back to sleep, but his body feels so very tired.
Heâs glad he has Babs here. Sheâs shown him nothing but kindness and has really taken care of him. He feels kind of bad, guilty for worrying her so much, but overall grateful that she was there for him, that she will continue to be there for him.
Babs is a little surprised to hear him use a first person pronoun for himself. It makes her happy, and she softly smiles at him.
"Rest some more. It's okay. We'll get you back to normal health soon. I think it may take a while since you were losing a lot of blood and it took us a while to get you what you needed. So take as long as you need to recover. I'll be here."
She's still worried about him, but mostly, she's just glad that he's improved so much.
âOkay, Babs.â Talon settles back, dropping its hand back onto the nest. Heâll rest. Because Babs wants him to. Because he should recover faster if he does.
But something feels⊠not right. Babs should have things to do. Shouldnât be spending all her time watching over Talon. Especially since it seems to be getting better.
âBabs does not have to stay. Isnât Babsâ Arenât you busy?â He still punctuates his questions with chirps, still seems to lean closer to bird than boy most times.
âI do have other responsibilities. But right now, my main focus is on helping you get better, okay?â
How could she explain to Talon that nothing in the world means as much to her as his being better?
âYou are the most important thing to me right now. Other people can take over most of my responsibilities. And what they canât, I can do from home.â
She smiles at him. âSo, would you like some books to look at while youâre recovering?â
Talon seems to perk up at the mention of books. He hasnât been able to read for a while now, his attention having suffered just the same as his body. âYes, please.â
Heâs already sitting up, adjusting the blankets of his nest to better support his back when he sits to read. Itâs a little wonky, since he doesnât want to jostle the IV too much, but it will do.
âBook about space?â He asks hopefully, the chirp following soon after.
Talon nods aggressively. âSurprise,â he confirms. Heâs excited at the prospect of new books, of new things to read and look at after so long of just⊠nothing.
Then his stomach growls. An honest to god growl. It startles him, causing him to jump a little and look at his stomach like it had never done that before.
He canât remember the last time heâd heard his own stomach.
âI think so..?â It chirps, tilting its head while looking at its stomach. âStrangeâŠâ
It pokes itself a little, eyebrows knit together. Itâs sure it hasnât eaten in a while. Its body likely didnât have the ability to digest much in its weakened state anyways. But now that heâs recovering, food might do him good.
âSmall? And easy?â Heâs sure that if he tries to eat too much heâll make himself sick.
"Okay. Anything in particular you would like? I'll see what I can find."
Talon hasn't been well enough to eat in a while, so she'll try to find something light for him to try to eat first. She's just not sure what she has that he can actually digest well.
Talon tilts its head, chittering as it thinks of what it wants. It hasn't had much food in recent memory, only pirogi which had been hard to keep down at best.
"Soft. Bread? Soup?" Something that wouldn't upset it's sensitive stomach, or what he knows would digest easy.
He's not sure he knows anything more specific. He can kind of remember a soup from a long time ago, but the name escapes him.
"I can get you some! What kind of soup do you like? I think I have some chicken noodle soup and some vegetable broth, but I could make you something else if you'd prefer. And I have plenty of bread."
Babs is very eager to help Talon in his recovery. Especially since he seems to be doing so much better.
Babs wheels herself to the kitchen and heats up a bowl of the soup. While it's heating, she finds Talon's space book and another one about animals that live in the desert. It has shiny pages and lots of pictures.
She takes the soup out of the microwave and grabs a spoon. Then she takes everything back to Talon's room.
"Here, you go," she says, handing over the soup. "Just be careful, it's hot."
Once Talon has the bowl, she brings out the books. "I brought these for you, too."
Talon clasps his hands around the bowl, absorbing the warmth happily. He makes happy cooing sounds, blowing once on the soup before taking a sip. Itâs still too hot, but the warmth is invigorating.
âTalon will eat then read if that is okayâŠâ He looks at the new book curiously, chittering at it. Itâs got an interesting cover, which means it likely has interesting contents.
Talon would always pick up a book with an interesting cover.
Babs watches as it seems Talon is enjoying having the soup. She smiles at that, especially the happy sounds. It's been too long since he's been like this.
"Yeah, of course. Whatever way you want to do it. You're the boss right now." She smiles at him.
"Yes! It's about all the kinds of animals that live in the desert! It's got lots of fun pictures in it! As long as you aren't scared of spiders and snakes and scorpions."
âNot scared of spiders or snakes or scorpions.â Talon confirms, eating more of his soup happily. When heâs done with his food, heâs careful about setting the dishes outside of the nest and retrieving the book, pulling it into his lap excitedly.
âAny owls in the desert?â He chirps, flipping through the book carefully and tracing his finger along each animal as he observes them.
Itâs so interesting to him how many different kinds of animals there are. He seems absolutely enthralled by the book.
"That's good!" She watches him eat. She knows she doesn't need to, but she's still worried. She wants to respond immediately if anything goes wrong.
"There are some owls in the desert! I think if you keep looking, you'll be able to see them! Some kinds of desert owls live underground in burrows! They will take over the burrows of other animals like ground squirrels. Other kinds of owls will live in cacti!"
Babs watches as he enjoys the book. It brings a smile to her own face.
Talon kept flipping through the book until he found the desert owls, turning the book to show Babs. He points at them excitedly before turning the book back around and tracing over the images with one hand.
âCacti do not hurt the owls?â He chirps, eyebrows drawing together as he reads. He wonders if he could climb cacti like the owls can if he practices enough. Maybe.
As he considers that, he realizes that practice might hurt him, and thereâs a chance that getting hurt could lead to not healing again.
âBabsâŠ?â He tentatively sets the book down. âIf Talonâ If I get hurt again, what if I donât heal..?â
Babs grins as it seems Talon is really enjoying the book. "No! They can actually live inside the cacti! Isn't that so cool?"
She frowns at his question. It's definitely something that they should talk about, though. She has the same worry running through her mind.
"Hey," she says, gently taking his hand. "If you get hurt again and don't heal, I will do everything I can to make you better. I'll get you everything you need. All of the blood and electrum. We did it this time, and we can do it again. And now that we know that this works, we'll be even faster to get you the help that you need, okay buddy?"
She gives his hand a squeeze and tries not to cry. She couldn't stand it if she lost him. Especially not now that she knows how to save him.
He looks at their hands, holding onto Babsâ hand tightly. It was scary to think about it, about how little he could move and how he had almost⊠He doesnât want that to happen again, and he especially doesnât want to scare Babs like that again.
âScared⊠Donât want to get hurt again. Donât want to not heal.â
He wants to believe her, to trust that if something does happen, Babs will be able to help take care of him, but itâs still a scary thought.
Almost as scary as the fact that Batman had seen him so vulnerable.
âIf I get hurt⊠youâll bring Batman again..?â
"I know it's scary. I don't want that for you, either. But I promise I'll be here to help you if it doesn't happen again."
Babs gives him a hug to try and comfort him. She gives him another squeeze when he mentions Batman.
"Only if I need to, and only if you want me to. I know what to do now, and I could probably do it on my own. So if you want Batman's help, he can come. But if you don't, I'll keep him away."
She knows he's always so worried that Batman is going to take him. And she knows that Batman isn't going to try something like that, but she's also willing to fight tooth and nail to keep Talon safe. Even from Batman.
Talon chitters quietly to himself as he considers the information presented to him. Batman⊠helped him. Itâs something he didnât let himself really dwell on yet. Granted, itâs not been that long since heâs regained most of his faculties.
âBatman⊠can help if Babs needs.â He decides, nodding to himself. It makes sense, especially if he helped once. Maybe Babs is right. Maybe Batman isnât going to take him when he lets his guard downâŠ
Either way, Talon isnât sure he can fully trust this Batman. Isnât sure if he ever will be able to, but heâs willing to let Babsâ trust be enough for now.
âThank you, Babs.â Talon smiles up at her reassuringly, cuddling into her hug while he can.
âOkay,â she says, giving him a soft smile. âI will call him if things get bad and I need help again.â She doesnât want to scare him by just inviting Batman over, but she also understands that if this happens again, it might be her only option. Still, she wants the decision to be Talonâs for if heâs comfortable with Bruce coming around or not.
She holds him even tighter. âOf course, Talon. Iâm so happy that youâre doing better.â
Talon tucks himself closer, letting her hold him. He makes himself more compact, curling up so that heâs easier to hold. Heâs so deceptively small, itâs always a wonder how he be so tiny.
âHappy Iâm doing better too,â He trills.
He thinks there are probably several things he will need to do once heâs ready, like showering and brushing his hair. Having been nearly-dead for several days, it means heâs lacked the ability to do those things for himself. The result being a rats nest of hair atop his head. He needs to finish his IV fluids first, though, before he can even think about moving around that much.
She never wants to let go of him, feeling so safe now that heâs in her arms. But she knows realistically that there are things that they both need to do. She can see the rats nets on top of his head. She gives it a little kiss and then releases him.
She checks the IV and it looks like itâs almost done.
âHow are you feeling? Up to doing some things yet? Or do you still need to rest?â
âI was just thinking you might want to shower or brush your hair.â She pats the nest on his head affectionately. âIf youâre not up to it, though, I can at least help you detangle your hair.â
She checks the IV bag again. âLooks like you have a few minutes left and then youâll be all done for now. But depending on how youâre feeling and recovering we might need to give you more later.â
Talon clicks its teeth, not wanting to sit through another IV if it doesnât need to. Staying in one area, having to be careful of the tube in his arm, itâs annoying.
âBrush teeth. Hair. Shower?â He chirps. All of the hygiene tasks. Laying in bed practically rotting wasnât the best for oneâs hygiene. He wanted to clean.
âYeah. That stuff. You up do doing all that once your IV finishes?â
Thereâs only so much Babs can help him with if heâs not up to doing all of that. And sheâll do her best, but she knows what itâs like to feel helpless in bed. Itâs not fun. Just getting up do take a shower is a good feeling.
Talon nods emphatically. âPlease. Talonâ I feel⊠Icky.â He makes a face of disgust, lips pulling down into a deep frown. âSticky. Gross.â
He can already imagine how nice a warm shower would feel. To be able to wash this whole fiasco off of him and emerge like new. Plus, being able to stretch out completely and get his limbs workingâ that would be ideal.
âBabsâ will you stay close? Donât want to be alone too longâŠâ
He doesnât want her in the room with him. Just⊠nearby. Close enough to hear if she wheels around or close enough for her to hear if he slips and falls. Itâs mostly for safety, but partially for the comfort of not being alone.
Talon smiles, making a pleased trill at the information.
He checks on the IV bag, noting it is empty at this point. He lifts his arm to Babs, trying to draw her attention to the finished IV.
âDone,â He chirps, âCan clean now?â Heâs quite antsy to get out of the nest, to go shower.
He ought to clean the blankets that comprise the nest as well, considering heâs been laying in them for days on end. If he feels gross, the blankets and pillows are most likely gross as well.
"Hold on, kiddo," she says, laughing a bit. She clamps the IV line so he doesn't get bleedback.
"Let me go grab some supplies and I'll get the line out of you."
A minute later she's back with some gauze and waterproof bandaids. She works on taking off all of the tape keeping the IV in his arm. She tries to be as gentle as she can be.
"Alright, Talon, this is probably going to feel a little weird and it might hurt." She folds up the gauze and places it where the line enters. She pulls it out, holding the gauze tightly over the wound. Then a bandaid is placed over the gauze.
"Okay. You're all done now," she says giving him a hug. "Most people need to keep the bandage on for about 20 minutes so they don't bruise, but you'll probably heal faster than that. We might want to keep it on, though, just in case."
The feeling of the IV being removed is⊠far from pleasant. Still, Talon remains perfectly still.
It remembers tubes similar to this, feelings far worse than this. Its body feels⊠float-y for a moment, eyes drifting off as Babs takes care of its arm.
Itâs only when she lets go that he returns to himself.
Talon chitters, considering the bandage. He can already feel his skin starting to pull itself together. With this understanding of its body, itâs sure the wound will close within a minute or two. Still, Talon nods. At the very least, Babs would be comforted with him leaving it on.
It still doesnât feel totally settled back into his body, still a little far off, but he can manage.
âTalon will keep it on.â It confirms, poking gently at the bandage before letting its hand drop.
Itâs like the urgency to get out of the nest is gone, leaving Talon sitting in the middle of it, still. Getting up would mean moving, which would mean returning to his body fully. He isnât sure heâs ready for that yet.
Babs puts a hand over his. "Talon? Are you okay, buddy?"
She searches his face, trying to figure out what exactly is wrong.
It's probably a lot for him to go through. His body is still recovering. And he's probably having memories of the Court, she assumes. Still, she feels bad. It was something she needed to do, but she hates that she caused him any distress.
Talonâs hand twitches before he gives a squeeze in return. Heâs not fully gone, just not fully present either.
With the IV fully gone and the bandage in place, the worst of it is really over. He should be fine. And yetâ
He still feels slow. Heavy.
âNo,â His brows furrow, teeth clicking together. âNo sorry.â With a little more effort than normal, Talon meets Babsâs eyes. âItâs okay.â As in Talon is okay.
It should probably move. Should⊠head to the bathroom. The movements to untangle itself from the nest are clumsy, but he manages to stand, stepping out. He keeps a hold on Babâs hand, the touch grounding.
She's not going to let go of his hand until he wants to. "It's okay if you need a minute. You've been through a lot recently."
She really wishes she could do more for him. But all she can do right now is be there for him.
"If you want, you can just rest a little more. I could help you detangle your hair if you'd like. That will make washing it easier, whenever you're up for that." She gives him a little smile. "Or you could just rest. Whatever you want to do."
The thought of waiting any longer to get clean makes Talon frown. He shakes his head slowly, squeezing Babsâ hand.
âTalon wants to clean,â He affirms, looking toward the bathroom. He slowly drops her hand, making a small motion in that direction. âWill clean now.â
He walks slowly, taking the time to be extra careful as he does. He doesnât want to trip and fall, that would worry Babs more. He uses the wall as support here and there, but eventually makes his way to the bathroom.
He flinches seeing his reflection. It doesnât⊠feel real. His hair is a complete mess and he looks tired.
"Then go get clean. I'll stay close by," Babs says, giving him an encouraging smile.
She follows behind Talon as he makes his way to the bathroom. She's still worried about him, especially with how slowly he's moving. He's usually more energetic than that. But it is good that he's up and walking at least.
"You okay, Talon?" she asks, seeing the way he flinches.
Itâs almost like Talon had forgotten Babs was there, spinning to face her. He refuses to look at the mirror again, shrugging. âFeels wrong,â He offers as an answer, standing with his back toward it.
Itâs so much harder to explain than that. The feeling of being distant from his body.
âTalon will be okay.â It assures. It needs to be clean. Needs to not worry Babs. Talon moves to turn on the shower, then looks to Babs, then the door.
âTalon gets clean now?â It chirps, moving to shut the door. âOkay?â
Babs doesn't want to just leave Talon, but she knows he'll be fine. And she'll stick close by, just in case anything does happen.
She nods. "Okay. I'll be close in case you need anything, alright?"
She's not going to say anything about how it raises her heart beat a little bit. She doesn't want to worry him any more than he already is. He doesn't deserve that. She can just...read a book or something while waiting for him.
Talon trills in response, glad to know that Babs will be close by, before shutting the door.
He quickly brushes his hair and teeth, knowing it will be easier to wash his hair once itâs detangled. Once that is done, he gets ready and into the shower.
Talon is in there for a good bit, scrubbing his skin near-raw to get the sticky-sick feeling off of himself. When he emerges, heâs changed into clean clothes and wrapped his hair in a fluffy towel.
Heâs shivering a little, but he doesnât want to re-enter the nest if the blankets havenât been cleaned. He needs to wash those as well. It sucks, though, and it pulls a sad warble from his mouth as all he wants is to curl up with a blanket.
Babs is restless once Talon closes the door. She knows heâll probably be fine, but it doesnât stop her from worrying. She tries to read her book while heâs showering, but she mostly just sits and worries.
She lets out a sigh of relief once he opens the door. And then she notices heâs shivering.
âHey, buddy, should we get you a blanket? I have some extra ones that are clean in the closet right there,â she says, pointing to the closet across the hall. âWe should probably clean everything in your nest.â
Talon nods quickly, in full agreement. He quickly makes his way to the closet and grabs the fluffiest clean blanket he can find. He wraps himself up tightly, trilling contentedly at the way it begins to retain warmth near-immediately.
Once Talon has procured the blanket, he's not quite sure where to be. The nest needs to be cleaned, but he wants to get a bit warmer before doing all that work.
He still feels a little float-y, but he's a bit more grounded now, able to feel like he's in his body once more.
Poor Talon. It's good to see him up and moving, but he still seems so tired, and a little out of it. She hopes she can cheer him up a bit.
"Of course. Do you want to rest on the couch for a bit? We can watch something, or I can grab your books for you? Or you can just lay down for a bit and not do anything."
Babs really wishes that she knew how to help him better. Well, what she really wishes for is the ability to take away all of his pain--anything that is hurting him. But she knows that isn't realistic in the slightest. So just figuring out the best way to help him is her goal for now.
âCouch,â Talon decides, hugging the blanket tightly. Couch was warm and soft and he could watch things. He hadnât done that in⊠a long time. It would be nice.
He makes his way to the living room, his shivers slowly subsiding as the blanket does its best to trap and radiate warmth back to Talon. He ends up tucked into the corner, nearly perched on the cushion for how heâs sitting, knees drawn to his chest.
âBabs stay? Watch with Taâ with me?â
Heâs still trying to wrap his head around it all, what makes him feel like an it instead of a he. Thereâs a lot of complicated feelings there, though. Itâs a lot to sort through for one bird.
Babs follows him to the couch. Sheâs still nervous about him, even though he seems to be doing so much better. Sheâs just worried that if she looks away for a second heâs going to fall over or something and then she wouldnât be able to help him.
She smiles at his use of a first person pronoun. It seems heâs been doing better with that since he woke up. Even if it hasnât been consistent.
âIâll stay with you,â she says, transferring herself from her chair to the couch. âDo you want another blanket?â She picks one up from the back of the couch to offer to him.
Talon is quick to snatch the blanket, bundling up further. He sort of looks like a burrito, all tucked up. When Babs transfers to the couch, he scoots just a little closer to sit beside her.
âThank you,â He trills, then shrugs, unsure what would be good to watch.
âBabsâ do you have a suggestion? Of what to watch?â He chirps, tilting his head to the side. Itâs been a while since heâs watched anything, and heâs excited to actually try it. Heâd stuck to books mostly, hesitant about the bright lights from a screen, but he wants to try it now.
He looks so cute all wrapped up like a burrito, she canât help but smile. She puts an arm around him when he scoots closer. Thatâs her baby bird right there. She still just wants to hold him and never let go, never let anything bad ever happen to him ever again.
âYouâre welcome, buddy.â
She pauses for a minute and thinks about what Talon might like to watch. âWell, maybe youâd like Bluey? Itâs about dogs, but they do things kind of like people. Or we could watch Wall-E. That one is about robots. Or maybe Rise of the Guardians? Thatâs about Santa, and Jack Frost, and the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny, and the Sandman. Do you want one of those?â
Talon coos happily as he cuddles up to Babs, head resting on her shoulder as her arm wraps around him. Sheâs warm, which in turn makes Talon warm up faster.
He considers the options Babs presents, shaking his head at the mention of Jack Frost and Santa. It was probably a good movie, but if it dealt with the cold he would rather avoid it for now. Bluey sounded good, though. Heâd never heard of it before.
âBluey? Dogs?â It sounded silly, like there wouldnât be too many serious or upsetting topics.
âYou want Bluey?â Babs asks with a grin. âI think youâll really like it! Itâs a lot of fun. I know itâs supposed to be a kidâs show, but I really enjoy watching it.â
She picks up the remote and turns it on. Then she grabs the other blanket from the back the couch and drapes it over herself and Talon. He probably needs the extra warmth.
Then she settles in, watching both the show and how Talon reacts to it. She really hope that he enjoys it. If he does, maybe they could watch it together sometimes.
Initially, Talon squints against the bright lights of the screen, but slowly his eyes adjust to it, pupils narrowing down until most of his eye is a reflective gold with very tiny black dots in the center of each.
As the episode plays, Talon seems to be drawn into the show further, smiling a little at the silly dogs on screen. He seems particularly drawn to Bingo, his chirping laughter echoing after a particularly funny moment.
As the episode draws to a close, Talon casts a curious glance to Babs. âMore?â He chirps hopefully.
Babs loves watching him watch the show. He seems to be enjoying it a lot, which is good. And, itâs one of her favorite shows, so sheâs glad itâs something that they can enjoy together.
âYes, we can watch more,â she says, letting the next episode play, and giving him a squeeze. âYou really like it?â
Itâs so cute, watching him enjoy something. It makes him seem more alive, too, which lessens how much sheâs worrying about him. He seems to be back to normal now, and she can only hope it starts that way.
"Yes!" Talon reaffirms, trilling happily. "Bingo's silly." He motions to the screen, smiling widely.
He's really seeming to enjoy it, almost like its reigniting the younger parts of himself that never fully got to shine before his life was flipped upside down. It's healing, in a way, to be able to enjoy simple kids television again.
"Does Babs-- Do you have a favorite?" He asks, tucking his head against her shoulder.
He seems so much like a kid in this moment, and she feels a bit of a pang in her heart. Thereâs so much childhood he was never able to experience. But maybe he can reclaim it now. Now that heâs safe.
She lays her head on top of his. âYou know what? Bingo is actually my favorite, too! Sheâs so silly and so cute!â
Itâs fun, to be able to watch together, enjoy the same character. Just exist with her baby bird as they both take some time to rest.
Talon finds himself enjoying the show quite a bit more, especially knowing Babs likes it and shares the same favorite character.
Eventually, Talon can feel the beginnings of restlessness picking back up, not dissimilar to how he would normally feel prior to his health scare. It results in him tapping happily against his leg or fidgeting with the blanket while watching. His eyes occasionally drift off to look at something else, as if heâs considering the feasibility of climbing it before returning to the screen.
Eventually, Talon tugs gently on Babsâ hand to get her attention. âWanna move,â he hums, âStretch.â
Babs laughs a little bit. Thatâs such a Talon thing to doâconstantly need to move. She nods to him.
âYeah, of course. Get up and move around! Are you ready to do something else or do you want to keep watching the show?â
Not that she cares either way. Mostly sheâs just happy that Talon wants to move around in the way he was before. Sheâs less worried about him the more he moves. Thereâs always the possibility that he could get hurt moving around, she knows, but itâs a whole lot better than him not being able to move at all.
âCan do something else! What else can we do?â He asks, immediately hopping to his feet.
Talon bounces on his feet for a moment before moving into a stretching routine. Itâs familiar, like the one he would do as Robin but interspersed with new stretches and a little out of order.
Once heâs done, he folds into a seat on the floor, drumming on the ground a little.
Itâs cute, watching him stretch just like sheâs seen Dick do so many times before. Or, at least, mostly. It makes her smile.
âIs there something you want to do? We could work on cleaning up your nest if youâre up for that? Or maybe we could play a game? Whatever you want.â
Babs can tell heâs feeling so much better, but she really still wants to baby him. If anything else happened to him sheâd feel so bad. Maybe never even forgive herself. And she doesnât want to let Talon down either. So sheâs letting him take charge right now.
Talon considers the options presented to him, chittering. He wants to get his nest in order sooner rather than later, just in case he wants to lay down after. He also wants to play a game, so making the decision is quite hard.
Eventually he decides, âFix the nest, then maybe games?â He chirps, returning to his feet quickly.
Talon gives Babs a big smile, bouncing once again on his feet to get out some of that extra energy. Heâs really excited to be feeling better, but there is a part of him thatâs nervous about it, about possibly getting hurt again and being unable to get better. He knows Babs will do what she can to help, but he doesnât want to scare her again.
She transfers back to her wheelchair so they can go back to Talonâs nest. She does a quick look around to see what needs to be done. She sees all of the medical stuff they left in the room as well as sheets and blankets that should get washed.
âI can work on moving the medical equipment out of here and you can start on gathering up the laundry. How does that sound?â
Talon nods, âI can move the laundry.â He moves to quickly scoop up as much of the blankets and sheets as he can, picking through the nest one item at a time. He makes a face at them as he does, practically able to smell the sick on the fabric as itâs bundled together.
Had he smelled that poorly?
Then, quick as he can, he slips from the room and toward the laundry, piling everything into the washer as best he can.
As heâs moving all of the laundry, Babs starts collapsing the IV pole. Once itâs down, she moves it out of the room. She goes back and forth a few times, moving the rest of the equipment. She keeps it readily accessible, though, just in case.
Once thatâs done, she takes a breath, wiping her brow. And Talon has just finished with his laundry. Perfect.
âOkay, Talon,â she says, looking around the room. âAnything else you can think of we need to do in here?â
With the medical equipment and laundry gone, Talon considers the rest of the room. Most of his items and personal affects have been set to the side, so they should be fine for now.
The nest wouldnât be able to be fixed until everything was fully washed and dried. There isnât much else they can do just yet.
âNo. Have to wait for laundry.â He answers, âGame?â
