Do you know all those Batman or Batfam cryptic AU and all, where Bruce and or the kids are actually some kinda of cryptic creature or gosths etc?
what if they are completly normal, and the only cryptic one is alfred
do I want this just because I don't want Alfred to die? yeah
so, anyway, let's get to the post:
Alfred comes from England, he lived may lives before coming to Gotham, his last life before leaving the European continent was the one of a secret agent at the service of the Queen Elizabeth the Second.
The look he chosed was the one of a young man until he chose to leave that life, he found employement at the service of a wealty family in a strange city
a cursed city
Cursed/Cryptid Gotham city? yes, why not, let's make this thing even more interesting.
Gotham city was particular, the name he choosed for himself was the same of his previous life, he couldn't look young and inexperienced to his new employers, so he took his old life and just changed his look sliglty to look older, like his body actually aged after the years of his service, not too old, so he choose a look that would give me around 30-40 years of age
The Wayne's were a lovely family to work for, his Master were Kind and not only to him or to the staff, but to the whole city
During his free nights he tried to meet the Spirit of the cursed city, but the Lady never shown herself to him.
He understood, he was just a cryptid from oversea, she was the spirit, the Soul of a whole city
After a couple of years of his service, a child was born in the mansion of his loving masters, Bruce, Bruce Thomas Wayne.
From that moment on, he promised to protect him for the rest of his life.
8 years passed, and the "accident" happend, that night, when he took Bruce in his arms, while the poor boy eyes were watering for the disperation he saw her, the LAdy of the city, the Lady of Gotham City, up on the roof of the apartaments right where it happpend.
She saw the murder of her children, her children that tried to help her city, she was angry, she knew who've done it, and she'll make them pay
Years passed and while was out of Gotham for his "Training" so the letters said, Joe Chill turned himself in, apparently he coulnd't do it anymore, he confessed tho the murder of the Wayne's and told the police that no one in the underground of Gotham wanted to hire him anymore after what he done.
When Bruce returned to Gotham Alfred looked older, his hair were white and wrinkles under his eyes, he had a master again, and that master was his dearest boy, his ward his son the one he swore to protect
With the years he "aged" sliglty, just to give the Illusion, now he had "grandchildren", and he didn't want to leave them, but "Alfred" has to day one day, and he wasn't ready to leave them. Bruce was still alive, and his oath stands, so until then... he'll reamin Alfred, and age slowly, one day they'll find out the thruth, but for now...
Batman crypThe good news was that since Batman started protecting Gotham, Alfred made a "friend" a sweet lady who loved the night skyline of the city, and that every now and then visited him for some tea, while the Bats and Birds went around Gotham protecting it
Hi so! Here's a bit of setup for my Cursed Gotham Story... Actually good father Bruce Wayne cause I say so.
So everything is normal for Bruce's backstory, has a happy childhood blah, blah, blah, until his parents are murdered. Travels the world young and becomes Batman once back from his travels, being trained by the league of assassins and Ra's Al Ghul. He becomes the vigilante at 16, developing a non-lethal style of fighting over the next 2 years before he goes to the circus. Dick's family is murder, Bruce at 18 adopts Dick who's 7. I like the idea that Bruce is still a little new to the vigilante stuff, like he's only recently given the mantle of Batman and befriended Commissioner Gordon.
Dick is definitely still murder vengeance Robin to start, like Dick is the most feral Robin and I will always stand by that. Kid is a menace to the goons of Gotham and is absolutely horrifying, more so than Batman himself. Like maniacal laughter while bouncing around performing amazing feats of acrobatics. Nothing to flashy but the kid has a lot of energy. Bruce forms the Justice League and keeps up play-boy himbo Brucie Wayne. Also I think Bruce homeschooled for a bit until Dick was like in his early tweens then Bruce realizing Dick has no friends and has him forms the Teen Titans.
So those two stumbled around as Batman and Robin for like 8 years, Dick's 15 and Bruce is 27 when Bruce adopts Jason who's 9. Dick and Bruce have a discussion about Dick passing on the mantle of Robin and him becoming his own vigilante. Grayson gets some time to decide and Bruce even tells him he doesn't have to give up the mantle or even keep being a vigilante. They compromise and come up with the Red Robin mantle while Dick decides on his path.
Jason is killed by Joker when he's 14, Bruce(32) nearly kills Joker but Superman stops him. This is part of the reason Gothamintes dislike Supes cause wtf do you mean you're stopping him??? Anyways Dick(20) stops vigilanting to grieve his little brother and asks Bruce to stop as well. Bruce continues being Batman not stopping for a moment. Bruce has a 'public' closed casket funeral for Jason after a few months of Robin's death, claiming he's been killed by illness hence the not showing for events as the Wayne's. Gotham is grieving cause they've lost Robin to the Joker and Jason Todd - Wayne to illness.
Timothy Drake at 7 (Tim is smart it's well established) finds Dick Grayson and begs him to stop Batman or help him because he's nearly killing people. Dick is dismissive so Tim goes to Bruce himself and tries to convince him after months of murderous Batman. Bruce gives Tim the mantle of Robin and still doesn't properly address his grief. Dick with the help of Tim and Alfred convince Bruce to stop for a bit. They all agree to the conditions that they'll step in and help Gotham in his absences as Batman. Barbara Gordon(20) becomes Batgirl to help Dick as Batman and Tim is still Robin.
Bruce leaves to travel, meets Talia outside of the LoA by chance, they have a small relationship then an argument causing them to break up. Bruce is back in Gotham after a few (5-6) months of travel. Dick becomes Nightwing after handing the mantle of Batman back over to Bruce. Tim is kidnapped at 9 and turned into Joker Junior, Bruce officially adopts Tim after the Drake's give up rights not wanting to deal with Tim's recovery. Barbara is paralyzed by The Joker and Jim Gordon learns about the Wayne's. Superman yet again stops Batman and Nightwing from offing Joker, Harley Quinn willingly goes through rehabilitation at Arkham after what happened to Tim.
Barbara at 22 becomes Oracle, Selena Kyle and Bruce Wayne start their relationship. Tim takes up the mantle of Robin at 13 after a lot of recovery. Stephanie Brown is Robin during Tim's recovery. Cassandra Cane(14) becomes Black Bat when Stephanie Brown(12) becomes Batgirl after Tim becomes Robin again. Duke Thomas (13) becomes the Signal (Daytime Bat!)
Damien at 8 appears at Bruce Wayne's (40) with Talia is carrying a freshly revived Jason(22) whom she stumbled across while coming to Bruce for help. Talia explains to Bruce her father's plans to possess Damien's body. She also explains how a few months before she took her planned leave Jason kinda stubbled into the picture. Talia was nursing him back to health before Ra's just dumped him into the Lazarus pit. Now he needs to be cared for and Talia is in too much danger to help him.
Bruce takes in both boys, Damien and Jason are out for a few months as they both recover. Tim(15) is asked if he'd like to become Red Robin, while Damien becomes Robin. Tim agrees and goes on patrol with the rest of the bat family around Gotham. Jason is still recovering but helps Barbra with being the Oracle.
SO! This is my rough background for the Batfam for my Cursed Gotham story! Jason's story is the one that changed the most but there's a reason for that... I'm excited for this!
Headcanon that Gotham accepted the Waynes as a blood sacrifice for the rise of The Batman when Bruce vowed to be the hand of Justice in the city over his parents bodies.
That Gotham is sentient and chose a rain and red soaked little boy kneeling on cracked pavement and grief in supplication as its Champion against The Curse that plagues her waters.
Like eldritchy horrifying? More horror vibe horrifying? The ghosts themselves twisted by the curses of the city that took their lives until they're so distorted they hardly register as anything that used to be human
Either way - Danny is gonna be so beat! (Both in a tired sense and a 'made it by the skin of his teeth' kind of way)
....wonder if all those ghosts would have an effect on the ppl. Like, maybe that's why the villains are so much worse in Gotham than anywhere else - they're a whole new type of liminal
John Constantine is in Gotham, specifically in the cemetery where one Jason Todd is buried, to deal with a cult, hopefully without batman ever finding out so he can avoid the lecture about Gotham being his city.
He's finishing up and heading out when he feels the surge of something in the cemetery. He, against his better judgment, follows the feeling before an unassuming grave.
Listen closely. What was that....?
*thump*
*muffled crying*
.....
A blast of magic breaks the ground before he can even consciously register what he was feeling. Magic and hands frantically pull at the Cursed city's soil.
Finally, he's able to crack the lid of the coffin.
*in the back of his mind he's going through curse purging rituals. Desecration of a grave is bad.*
A bleeding desperate hand clings to his.
*young hands. A child filled with the echoes of lost potential and unfulfilled bright future.*
When the kid's free, the hellblazer can finally sort through what his power is screaming in the back of his mind...
Back when Gotham city was being built Dionysus came across the founding families of this new city the Wayne Family, the Kane Family, the Crowne Family, the Cobblepot Family, and the Elliot Family. The families welcomed him thinking he was a man looking to settle down in their new city. Many things happened during this time but the basics are that Dionysus practically claimed the city to be his (to the immortals, the mortals are clueless) and named it Gotham cause he asked if they got ham and the families misinterpreted as a name. Dionysus blessed the city with many if not almost all of his domains.
He blessed the people with the finest wines, orchards and special plants that help the people relax and be happy. It resulted in alcoholism and addiction. At least they had pretty flowers.
He spread the joy of religious ecstasy though somewhere in between his ritual madness got involved and resulted and quite a few cults.
He taught the youth the wonders of theater and how life was more exciting with extreme dramatics. Gothamite culture evolved to be the most dramatic compared to others people city culture.
They say Gotham was cursed from the very beginning, back when it was but a small village. The reality was that it was blessed by it's patron God. Too bad mortals are stupid. At least the Gothamites loves their city and its blessing, they are the only ones that appreciate the city for what it is.
Like, if Gotham were to have a core, I totally imagine that it would be a shadow core, and given that the city is canonically cursed, what if its child has part of a curse? And that curse is the curse of bad luck?
Do you have any more photos of those in your Gotham?
Hm? Oh yeah I do.
Talia is a Lamia. She's been secretly helping us, she's actually not bad. I still don't fully trust her though.
Then Selina, she's a Nekomata. She also has a cat form (between you and me? I think her and Talia have been flirting while they are distracting Ra's)
And Mrs Nora! We think she's a Ice Queen. She really is the sweetest and makes really good food. I can see why Mr Freeze is so dedicated to her. Another reason why we are fighting so hard to break the curse.
