Untitled

[ceruleanheaven]

[looking at people younger than me] you have your whole life ahead of you [looking at people older than me] you have your whole life ahead of you [looking at myself] its over

[lukadeedoodah]

don't have the time to go any further with this, take it as it is, amen <3

[papayafromtv]

i think batman probably had to ban the rest of the batkids from taking hostages for interrogation purposes during cases, because none of those fucking kids know how to act with a prisoner in their midst. tim came up with a game once called 'robin roulette' and got damian to make a really colourful looking wheel for the occasion, so whenever they had to interrogate somebody for information and the hostage was being stubborn they would ask 'wanna play robin roulette for your freedom instead?' and then they'd spin the wheel and whichever of the batboys the wheel landed on, the hostage was untied and had to fist-fight them to win their freedom. people caught on quickly that there was literally no good option in robin roulette and interrogations started lasting fifteen seconds max because whoever they caught would catch a glimpse of the wheel and instantly spill their guts to avoid playing, and eventually bruce had to take the wheel away and ban them all from partaking in suspect interrogations because he caught the kids actively threatening and blackmailing suspects into not giving any information out because they were bored and wanted an excuse to play the game again, and the only way he got them to stop was to point out that technically what they were doing was the equivalent of a mixture of underground cock fighting and police brutality.

[papayafromtv]

conversations overheard through the batkid com lines pt 65 (masterpost here)

*silence*

Jason: *absently* to be fair, i- we never claimed to be good people,

Tim, calmly: no,

Jason: like- we don't call ourselves heroes. we call ourselves vigilantes. vigilantes aren't always good, we never claimed we were ethically good,

Tim: no,

Jason: -i mean i'm a literal crime lord. i deal drugs, i carry a gun; i've never presented myself as a good person, so if people expect that from me then that's on them,

Tim: yeah,

Jason: you might be false advertising,

Tim: mm- well-,

Jason: -but then that's still an assumption. you never said that Red Robin was gonna be a good person, they just decided to look at you that way,

Tim, blandly: yeah.

Jason: -and anyway, none of us have the responsibility of living up to people's ethical expectations of us. we could be bad people, it's not like we signed a contract saying we'd be nice to people.

Tim: ...yeah.

Jason: any disappointment civilians go through about us and our actions is... it's on them, really.

*six seconds of silence*

*connecting ping*

Dick, chipper: yoooo~ saw you two were online. how's it goin' tonight?

*a beat*

*another beat*

*shuffling of fabric, scraping of gravel, light wrestling noises*

*a beat*

Jason, airily: hey Dick.

Dick: uh- ....hi? are you ok? are you two together?

Jason: uh. yup.

Dick: ...ok. where?

Jason: just- one of the warehouses along the waterfront in Crime Alley.

Dick: ok... well i joined because i was swinging through the alley and wanted to see if you guys were hungry, so i'm close by, i'll track you.

Jason: ...ok.

Dick, suspicious: the fuck're you acting so weird for? what'd you do?

*a beat*

Tim: it's not like we ever said we were good people, right, Dick?

Dick: ...what? hold on, i'm literally only a few streets over, gimmie a sec.

Tim, voice empty: nobody can be disappointed in us. we never set expectations of morality.

Dick: Jason the fuck is he on about?

Jason, equally empty: i literally deal drugs.

Dick: *noise of intense confusion*

Dick: oh i see you guys- holy fuck.

*a beat*

Dick: ...that guy isn't alive, is he?

Tim: well he can't be alive, he has no limbs. it's just a torso.

Jason: no i've seen people on tiktok that live just as torsos, it can happen.

Tim: yeah but not like this-

Dick: *aghast* there's so much blood- Tim you're fucking covered. who did this?!?!

*a beat*

Tim: it was Jason.

Jason, instant: no it was not.

Tim, matter of fact: you have to take responsibility for the fact that you a hundred percent had the time to slow down the truck before you drove it into him.

Jason: -and i will do so, as soon as you accept that you were stood right next to him and saw him in the path of the truck and fully had the opportunity and skills to remove him from the area before the truck pushed him into the machine. only you didn't, because you wanted to see what would happen.

*a beat*

Tim: you sped up that truck after you knocked the driver unconcious.

Jason: you said it looked 'cool, like a wet firework'.

Dick: what the hell is wrong with you both.

Jason: we never signed a contract to be morally acceptable.

Tim: -but if it makes you feel better the guy did come here so he could try and sell his disabled son to a gang.

Jason: that too.

Dick: you're both so lucky Batman's off-world tonight, i swear to god.

[horriblyprofoundeffigy]

[ladyloveandjustice]

I just remembered that DC made Tim's stepmom have a mental breakdown after his dad died (in service of making it so he could be adopted by Bruce of course :/) and just threw her in a psych ward and we NEVER SAW HER AGAIN. I think a writer said she didn't die when Bludhaven blew up at least, but she might as well have, because we never saw her again!

Tim didn't even ever mention her again afaik, which makes no sense because they were actually close and had a cute relationship too. (granted DC was currently in the middle of killing most of his loved ones so. he had a lot going on) She was actually his sole parent that was bothering to take care of him that time Tim's dad had a mental breakdown over their tragic fall to middle class.

One time she taught him how to make soup for Steph when she had a cold!!!

Man I actually made myself sad looking at this. Jon Lewis was so good at character writing. Honestly the default characterization I still go with for Tim and Steph. But yeah, they were close.

Has she been bought back at all post reboot? Probably not, I'm probably one of the only five people who care about her. She has the misfortune of being a civilian woman who was supporting cast AND a mom figure for a superhero. DC was always gonna screw her over. But that doesn't mean I can't be salty about it a decade later.

Justice for Dana Drake.

[papayafromtv]

conversations overheard through the batkid com lines pt 68 (masterpost here)

Tim: i'll bet you anything i can shoot this elastic band into the roof of that convertible from here.

Dick: that's not even a challenge, you gotta do it from where Damian is across the street.

*connecting ping*

Jason: yo i see three people online, are we having a 4/4 main Gotham squad night?

Damian: yes, Father is off with the Justice League.

Jason: neat. i think i found a meta by the way, we might have to register him in the Batcave.

distant, angry male voice: I'M NOT A FUCKING META I'M A DAMN STAGE MAGICIAN.

Jason: hold on- shut up, i told you there was no way for you to know that was my card, so until you tell me how it happened in a logical manner, you are a meta and i will be keeping you tied up. -ok i'm back.

Distant male voice: i took an oath Red Hood, you cant keep fucking doing this! if it pisses you off that much then STOP COMING TO MY SHOWS.

Damian: aw man, again, Akhi? let him go.

Dick, amused and baffled: this has happened before?

Jason: 'm not letting him go, he's a meta.

Damian: he's not, though.

Tim: i seriously thought you were joking when you told me he had beef with a stage magician now.

Dick: you knew about this?

Tim: i- *sputter* i'd heard stories, i didn't think it was real.

Damian: hold on, i'm on my way over to you, Hood.

Jason: sick.

Damian: and I'm untying Clarance.

Jason: YOU CAN'T- HE'S A META.

Damian: I HAVE DNA TESTED HIM A THOUSAND TIMES NO HE IS NOT.

Distant male voice: how about- how about i do the trick again, Hood. so you can see it plainly.

*brief pause*

Jason: i'm not untying you, but sure.

*shuffling*

Distant male voice: -pick a card,

*cards flicking* *shuffling*

Distant male voice: put it back- this chain is way too tight, man. ok put it back, and you can shuffle the deck yourself.

*shuffling*

Jason: *annoyed grunt*

*silence*

Distant male voice: ...is this your card?

Jason: fuck you.

Dick, starting to laugh: H-Hood,

Jason: no- he's a fucking DANGER TO GOTHAM, SOMEBODY GET FUCKING MARTIAN MANHUNTER OR I SWEAR TO GOD,

Distant male voice: *forlorn* Hood this is the fourth time this month.

Jason: SILENCE FROM YOU.

Dick: *wheezes*

[papayafromtv]

conversations overheard through the batkid com lines pt 72 (masterpost here)

*faint shuffling noises*

Damian: ...like this?

Faint male voice: you gotta flick your wrist a little more,

Damian: oh- like that?

Faint male voice: there you go,

*connecting ping*

Tim: yo, Robin, you on your own tonight? i'm bored, come get waffles with me.

Damian: uh- sure, can Clarance come?

Tim: if that's the name of another mutant animal you're trying to tame, no.

Damian: no, the magician. say hi to Red Robin, Clarance.

Faint male voice: oh- uh, *awkward throat clear* um, hi, Red Robin.

Tim: wait wait wait- are you with that stage magician Hood has a vendetta against? the one he thinks is a meta because he can't figure out how he does his card tricks?

Damian: yeah. Hood has dragged him into our shit so much we've gotten to know each other.

*silence*

Tim: so you guys just... hang out? the two of you?

Damian: he's a decent guy when you get to know him. he volunteers at one of the animal shelters in the Narrows.

Tim: you've made friends with a civilian that Hood calls his 'greatest enemy'?

Damian, tired: Hood has about twelve civilian 'greatest enemies'. Clarance is fine, Hood just can't stand the fact that he has honour and wont snitch on how he does his tricks.

Faint male voice: yeah- i really don't understand why he keeps buying tickets to my shows if he knows he doesn't like the magic. like, that's the whole point...

Damian, without missing a beat: his version of self harm.

Tim: *abrupt snort*

Faint male voice: well he keeps tying me up and talking about needing to 'register me' with some sort of bat-laptop or something. maybe if you just register me like he says, then he'll feel better about me?

Tim, amused: oh my god, no, why is this man actually really sweet?

Damian: no, Clarance, Hood makes that up. we don't 'register' metas unless they're active rogues terrorising the city on a monthly basis. he just likes to spout bullshit when he's annoyed.

Faint male voice: oh...

Damian: worry not, he will get over himself in a few months when somebody else pisses him off and he makes enemies with them. for now, would you like to join me and Red Robin for waffles?

Faint male voice: uh... i mean, if Red Robin is ok with it then i guess i am kinda hungry?

Tim: i'll meet you at the usual place. the fuck do you guys even do when you hang out together?

Damian: oh, i'm making him teach me his card tricks so i can use them on Hood whenever he pisses me off.

*silence*

Tim, choking up: god- man, Robin, i fucking love you.

Damian: and that's why you're paying for the waffles.

[thoughtsaboutbats]

Baby Tim taking a bunch of street kids home when his parents are away (maybe before a storm/freeze) like “there’s only really enough food for me… and it’s a bit far away… but it’s warm!!!”

But Jason Robin goes to check on the kids that night and is freaking out when he can’t find them, thinking they’ve been kidnapped and trafficked. He and Batman spend all night looking for them (cause no oracle yet).

Eventually they get access to a security cam that shows all the kids getting on a bus to Bristol and are like “wtf? They don’t appear to be being forced?”

They end up breaking into Drake Manor at like 4 am to a group of confused street kids and one Bristol kid freaking out that Batman and Robin think he did something wrong.

Once they finally calm Tim down and confirm what happened they assure him he isn’t in trouble (but he probably shouldn’t be bringing a group of street kids into his home without his parents knowing). They start asking questions about his parents though and… well that’s just not allowed to continue.

For the night, everyone stays at Drake Manor, including Batman and Robin (they would take them to Wayne Manor but that would be a bit suspicious). In the morning all the homeless kids are brought to a newly Wayne owned shelter (that is about to have all its staff reviewed).

Bruce is planning on chewing Jack and Janet out over the phone, but Tim freaks out and accidentally reveals he knows who’s under the cowl.

They have a nice long talk about how Tim knows (Dick is so getting a phone call tonight) and keeping secrets, and in the end Bruce decides to take Tim to Wayne Manor… just until his parents come home (which ends up being 4 months…they do not retain custody over him)

[cherubic-cherry]

The Tragedy, Comedy, and Miracle That is Tim Drake snippet

“I’m not gonna hurt you, sweetheart, I'm Nightwing, I work with Batman and I just wanna help you get home.”

His plan wasn’t working. If only Nightwing wasn’t so nice, but of course he was. Tim knew that Nightwing would never just abandon a little kid on a rooftop in the dead of the night, it would be really great if he would, though, just this once. Another plan came to him, a better plan than just crossing his fingers.

He gingerly snuck his arm into his bag that was still resting on his shoulders. He wondered how long he could stand there seemingly motionless while facing outward before Nightwing tried to approach him. Hopefully a few minutes but probably not given his rotten luck.

His hands glided over the ridges on the flashlight, the smooth wrappers on the granola bar, and the cold, metal flip phone but he still couldn’t find what he was looking for in his overly packed bag, not without being able to properly look at it.

“Are you okay? I just wanna help. Can you come closer?’’ Nightwing egged, his voice had an edge of begging, but he sounded so sweet and soft. He dropped the fake-sounding voice he usually used. His normal voice made Tim be able to place him around his early twenties (just around the first Robin would be by now) and his voice sounded deeper and rough, it must’ve been hoarse from yelling but he still managed to sound so nice.

It was the perfect voice to use on what Nightwing thought was a scared and innocent little kid. Nightwing might have worked with kids as his day job. His gentleness was wasted on Tim, though, who, although was definitely scared out of his mind, could not claim innocence when it came to how he managed to get into this particular position.

His fingers finally found it: two chalky feeling spheres that lay on the very bottom of his bag, unused.

“Sweetheart, can you please turn around and step away from the ledge for me?”

The snow must’ve made Tim hard to see from where Nightwing was standing. Tim took a step closer, ignoring how weird it felt to walk when his joints still needed time to defrost. He forced himself to get as close to the vigilante as possible while still making sure he couldn’t make out his face with the heavy snow coming down.

“There we go,’’ Nightwing said to himself but because of their proximity Tim was still able to hear him. Guilt curled into Tim's chest from the translucent relief in Nightwing’s tone, Tim really was the worst kid on the planet. He edges himself as close as his body would allow him before freaking out.

“Hi there-’’ Tim didn’t allow him to finish his sentiment. He grabbed the mini smoke bombs from his bag and chucked them in Nightwing's direction. The snow was thick and his arm was tired from holding up his camera. He didn’t mean to throw the smoke bomb at Nightwing's face, he planned for it to fall at his feet or somewhere behind him and have it serve as a distraction. Instead, he ended up throwing the aluminum ball directly into the hero's nose, causing the smoke bomb to go off in his face.

Read the rest of the chapter here:

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[mining-tea]

robin!dick: hey, uhh, what do you think happens to the batarangs we lose on patrol? like, where do they go? are they just laying around the roofs and alleys?

bruce: huh. y'know, I've never actually thought about that. I don't even think I see them abandoned but we don't have any reports about anyone using them for crime? they just... disappear.

*baby!tim quietly snarling and fighting the street kids below them in the shadows* I don't FUCKING CARE that I got the last four tonight, this one is LIMITED EDITION. it's CHIPPED on the LEFT WING. I'll use your kneecaps as shoulder pads when I become a rogue after this if you don't GIVE IT BACK NOW, TYLER!

[maladaptiveficstar]

Skill Issue

(Tim's Trade House)

Tim is a smart young man. So when his parents fired the nanny during their brief visit home, he knew that they would forget to hire a new one before they left again. He was old enough to take care of it, just like his father always said.

Now, he could have hired a nanny or set himself to be enrolled back in boarding school. Which would ensure that he was cared for and supervised, at the sacrifice of his freedom. Tim was a very independent boy, and he'd finally built up his stamina for bat watching. So of course the best option was for him to take care of himself. It would only be for a few months while his parents were away, or until they noticed that they hadn't heard from the nanny service.

It took a week for him to realize that maybe he was a little in over his head. See, he had food delivered, and the bi-weekly cleaners came through to keep most of the mansion spick and spam. There was still the fact that he was too small to cook for himself, so he'd never learned how. And now most of his clothes had holes or stains that he couldn't fix.

Then he fell while chasing after Batman and Robin. He'd torn open his elbow and knees on rough gravel and was bemoaning losing his last 'good' pair of pants when a street kid came across him. The kid traded a bandage and the knowledge on how to get the blood out of the jeans for ten bucks and a granola bar. Tim started to watch the street kids, how they took care of each other, never taking handouts but trading what little they did have.

See it was simple to Tim. These kids didn't have much, but they knew how to survive. He had more than enough, but no knowledge on how to live. Easy solution, he would offer food, shelter and secrecy in exchange for life skills.

Drake manor was a new and large estate, but it was built to replicate old money manors. Thus there was a fairly large servants quarters with a separate entrance in the back lower floors of the building. Complete with a kitchen, bathrooms and a lounge that could house ten comfortably, more if people shared rooms. A few locks on the one, reinforced, door that led to the rest of the manor and Tim started his 'trade house'.

As all things do, it starts off small. A kicked out teen and her baby brother taking a chance on the kid with big blue eyes. Asking for nothing more than if she could teach him to make mac n cheese. A beat up runaway who swears they've risked worse for less, getting a safe bed in exchange for first aid lessons. Soon, it becomes a street secret, simple rules, completely safe, no big catch.

18 and under, no adults involved. The house isn't always open but when it is Alvin will be in town. There's a theory that Alvin is a maids kid and the house is only open when the owners are away. By this point the house has some regulars and Tim has picked up a lot of tricks. He can cook a few recipes and pick locks and give first aid. He knows how to tumble and walk nearly silently and make a fire out of literally anything. He can wash and press his clothes and clean all that he can reach. He's learning how to sew and mend clothes from three sisters trying to stay off the corners.

Every once in a while, there will be someone who tries to break into the main manor to rob the place. They never come back. There is a rumor that Alvin is a ghost, and he devours the greedy kids that come into the trade house.

The truth is tamer, but just as unsettling. Tim knows everything about everyone he lets under his roof. The few that break into the main manor are given a choice. Shut down the trade house for good and make off with their measly few hundred maybe a thousand dollars in stolen goods. With their address and full legal identity going straight to batman, the GCPD and CPS. Or go back to their bed for the night and get a ticket out of Gotham and the chance at whatever would help them get on track in life. Tim drives a hard bargain, he learned from his mother after all.

Then one night Robin knocks at the trade house door. Well not as Robin technically, he comes as Jason, gives the name Peter, and is clearly investigating everything. Tim has no idea what to do.

[jackandjanetdefender]

Tim, a baby: *chilling*

Janet: I'm going to put a cereal bowl on his head and take scissors to his luscious locks.

Jack: did you skip your meds again, dear?

[jackandjanetdefender]

Writing tip

Never use contractions on a first draft, that way you get the sweet satisfaction of making every "it is" into an "it's" and see that wordcount go down, down, down.

My writing group: Why this revision is way tighter than your previous draft.

Me, with ten thousand apostrophes in my pockets: haha, yeah, funny how that happens

[minaharkermybeloved]

There's a very interesting (read: unfortunately commonplace) thread of sexism in basically all of Janet's pre-death appearances, specifically that she's continually contrasted with jack as emotional vs rational, where the rational man is implicitly more valued/valuable than the irrational, emotional woman.

Even in batman #441, which ostensibly tries to resist this sexism, the story still supports it. When we look at this conversation:

we see Janet explicitly rebuke Jack's sexism (last panel), and though Jack is quick to apologise, the "okay, okay" repetition does come across as slightly condescending/exasperated (also the woman reminding about sexism does feel a tiny bit nagging wife trope). Perhaps more importantly, the previous panels show her as a worried mother, which in itself isn't totally a bad thing, except that the story dismisses her worry. Even though she's by no means overwrought or hysterical, her worry/emotion is portrayed as unfounded, irrational, and unhelpful, as Tim doesn't fear but enjoys the circus. (from a different point of view, you could argue that Janet is vindicated by the tragedy and trauma which quickly ensues with the Graysons' deaths, or further again you could argue as before that she's dismissed, as Tim's presence at the circus is prerequisite for his becoming robin which is generally regarded as a good thing. anyway.)

Then we move on to detective comics #618.

I'll say that in the argument scene, Janet is shown as knowledgeable and intelligent, both in her analysis of the Haitian political/social situation (I don't actually know how correct she is, but in the context of the scene she's the more informed one), and in the fact that she knows the term "obeah" while jack doesn't. I think there's here again a definite attempt at a more feminist portrayal of Janet. Concurrently, though, it's interesting that Janet is the one to appeal to the social and emotional dynamics of the problem ("the people live in fear and poverty and superstition!"), while jack takes a more business-focused/assertive/will-imposing approach (this is not me saying one approach is better than the other, but commenting on how they fit into the recurrent trend of emotion vs logic and how this is gendered). These conflicts are also very much tied up in this arc's concern with capitalism as a theme, but I don't have the time, knowledge or inclination to unpack all that here.

next is detective comics #619 where Jack is trying to cling to a kind of "rational" stoicism

Janet is rightfully upset about watching someone (who she knew, no less) murdered right in front of her, but Jack implores her to "stay in control" which, like...crazy. Through this comic there is a consistent effort to portray Jack as the strong, tough man. The specific phrasing of "control" here enforces the rational/emotional dichotomy, implying that emotion is a lack of control and willpower, and therefore a failing. The same sentiment is repeated shortly after(tbh I can’t recall which issue this is from. It’s likely dc #620?) when Jack tells Janet "we have to be strong"

We get a very nice double standard going on here, as Jack's assertion follows Janet's expression of fear...and a heap of anger from him. Best I can say for that is the man-anger isn't seen as an emotion so much as an active and justified response to injustice, which typically seeks some kind of punitive or heroic action, while women's fear is seen as passive, and therefore unhelpful, and therefore irrational.

Even at the end of the story, in detective comics #621, Janet is continually portrayed as emotional yet passive, constantly deferring to Jack for help. She complains, but it's Jack that actually asks for water (even if the request is unsuccessful, he's still doing something).

It's hard to imagine why Janet couldn't make such a request herself, or why she feels the need to defer to jack specifically in her complaint (admittedly she's probably aware that any request will be denied, and that engagement with the obeah man could be dangerous, but in that case its confusing that she bothers to voice it at all, or address it to jack.

And then! The death page!

While everyone here is upset, Janet is the only one who goes so far as to verbally express this distress, and the only one to be physically sickened by it. (And, yes, it has already been established that she's weakened quicker than Jack while kidnapped, become more vulnerable to thirst, but even from a physical perspective, you have to consider why the woman is portrayed as the weaker and more vulnerable one, especially when jack is the one who was injured earlier (albeit minimally, it seems).) The whole reaction is very *Victorian woman who faints at anything mildly shocking to show how pure and weak she is*. As for passivity — it's Jack who gives her the water! she can't even do that for herself!

And then she dies. And Jack does not. And Tim is initiated into the Batman & Robin mythos. which all vindicates jack's masculine strength and masculinity throughout the whole thing, and confirms that emotional women are disposable, useful primarily for the furthering of another character's plot.

ultimately, while I think in some ways the writing attempts to show and perhaps even praise a feminist character, especially for the time, it is undercut by continual reiteration of stereotypical rational/emotional, passive/active, masculine/feminine dichotomies, and of course by Janet's death, which can be read as both a punishment of her femininity and of her nonconformity to (traditional) femininity (intelligence, vocal anger, etc).

[pain-is-too-tired]

Oh they make me ill.

I feel Tim got his sense of duty from his dad but got his cleverness and determination from his mom.

Like,obviously both his parents are pretty smart,but idk. I have feeling Janet was a different sort of resourceful that passed to Tim.

Also- got to appreciate how they written Jack to be a father who's affectionate in his own way to Tim. Even today I feel like there's so much pressure of being "manly" that lot of father and son relationships don't come with the same affection.

Jack is seem regularly hugging his son(in the 2nd panel as well as I know one scene when he gets home from somewhere and Tim hugs him-), he's seen holding 3 yr old Tim in the first panel with Janet on his other arm and in the last one in looks like he might be holding Tim's hand?

There's multiple times where he tells Tim how proud he is of him. And why they do have moments where they struggle with communication,Jack tries. Which i thinks so important for his character.

Also going from Janet worrying about if Tim might get scared at the Circus, to Jack telling her to think of Tim and how scared/worried he must be when they were held captive.

I also stand by that they'd both be supportive of Tim if he came out to them. As long as he's safe and happy.

[ghostiiest]

the knight