massive bird god!xiao deliberately brushing his wings against you, hooking his chin over your shoulder to peer at something, carding his fingers through your hair 'for there was a leaf stuck in it— not that you would have perceived it.' xiao who leaves downy feathers tucked beneath your collar and presses his scent unto every bit of you without you noticing, who, when you stumble, grabs your arm hard enough for his nails to scratch and leave thin scars across your sweet skin.
when you get lost in the woods one day, you expect to be hurt, or hunted— worse, killed. but not a single beast looks at you, nor does a single soul touch you. even the playful little sprites, when asked for directions, point the right way without preamble. when you still get lost and wander into the realm of a much-feared god, they glare and point a long finger in the way you need to go without saying a word. you thank them. they sneer.
the gall of you, they cannot help but think. the gall to mock them so. a mortal bathed in xiao's scent could only ever be a mortal that belongs to him— had they not pointed you the right way... they shudder to think of the consequence.
IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT IM BIVING IT
(Also just a reminder that this is not the whole song I cut out a lot of repeating chorus’)
“You dropped into my life
When I needed you most
That should've been the first red flag”
Bruce adopting him after he lost his parents
“You smiled at me like a parasite in need of a host
Slipped a contract out of your bag
And when I frowned at the empty quill
You jabbed me with a dull syringe”
Parasite as in Bruce saw kinship in this angry little boy and instead of ohhhh idk therapy and support systems encouraged him to become a vigilante like himself (i love Batman don’t get me wrong but cmon man.)
“I don’t like to be pressured
I don’t like to be pushed”
This is the general chorus but I feel like it works
“It was an ominous start
But you said the money came from your heart
And you only wanted the very best for me
You wanted me to succeed
But in your own particular sense
At a particularly painful expense”
SHAKES YOU SHAKES YOU SHAKES YOU BITES THE BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE DO YOU SEE THE VISION IT JUST WORKS IS THIS NOT THE MOST BATMAN PHRASING EVER
“The independence of my body and my mind
From the particulars of all your extracurriculars
The fog of obligation grew so thick I couldn't even breathe”
AKXJAKZOAPAP SHAKES YOU SHAKES YOU SHAKES YOU DO YOU SEE IT DO YOU SEE THE VISION “your extracurriculars” REFERRING TO BRUCES VIGILANTISM AND DICK BECOMING ROBIN AND THE OBLIGATION OF BEING ROBIN BECOMING TO MUCH PRESSURE DO YOU SEE
“I don't like to be pressured
I don't like to be pushed”
I see this working as the transition from Robin to Nightwing
“Another twist of the knife
Another turn of the screw
Another perfect time to thank myself
For drumming up the courage to burn bridges with you”
GESTURES WILDLY DO YOU SEE DO YOU LIKE THIS WOULD BE THE TENSION BUILDING BEFORE HE LEAVES GO BE NIGHTWING ON HIS OWN
“And for all the shit you talk about me
I should think you would be thankful as well
But you just can't seem to let it die”
RATTLES THE BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE
“So we should probably discuss it when I see you in hell
I made a list of the grievances that I never got a chance to air:
I don't like to be lied to
I don't like to be tricked
I don't like to be gaslit
I don't like to be groped
I don't like to be blackmailed
I don't like to be stalked
I don't like to be threatened
I don't like to be trapped
I don't like to be
Pressured pressured pressured pressured
Pressured pressured pressured pressured”
DO YOU SEE THE VISION DO YOU. I SEE THIS AS NIGHTWING POINTING OUT ALL THE SHIT HES HAD TO GO THROUGH WITH FROM VILLAINS FROM A YOUNG AGE. LIKE A MONTAGE OF ALL THE LIFE THREATENING SITUATIONS HES BEEN IN
RATTLES BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE AND FROTHS AT THE MOUTH DO YOU SEE
