This is kinda self indulgent but can you do platonic Riddler with a teenage fan of his that sends him fan mail while he’s in Arkham?
@artisticdoofusxx
Of course <33 here you go
Platonic Riddler with Teenage Fan Reader
Edward rarely got any mail, so it was a good surprise when he did. He only ever got letters from his lawyers and his doctors, so when he sees a green envelope with hand drawn purple question marks on them, he’s a little bit excited.
He looks over the envelope, flipping it over as he looks at it. His name is printed on the front in messy handwriting. Who sent him this letter?
He carefully opens the seal, making sure to be extra careful so he doesn’t rip it. He wants to keep the envelope, it’s the brightest splash of colours he’s seen in months.
He slides out the folded piece of lined paper out of the envelope, he unfolds the paper and he starts to read.
‘Dear Mr. Riddler,
How are you doing?? I’m such a big fan. I really like your work so much. It’s so inspiring. I was watching the news when you were robbing that bank on Main Street and it was so fun! Your jokes are always so funny and I always love your outfits!
Did you make your jacket yourself?? I love it so much. I tried making one that matches yours but I messed up on the measurements by accident :(
Do you still have the measurements from when you got yours? I could probably make it smaller for me so we can match.
Anyway, I hope you get my letter. I used up the last of my allowance to send it to you. Make sure if you do send a letter back you address it to me secretly! My mom would get so mad at me if she found out I was writing letters to you. She would ground me forever :((
From,
Y/n’
He puts the letter down. Since when does he get fan mail? Especially one decorated with way too many stickers. He supposes it's rather adorable, having someone fawn over him like this. He doesn’t have that many devoted fans like the Joker does.
He hangs the letter up by his bed, the stickers shining in the light of his lamp. He sighs, thinking about if he should respond to this kid or not. He’s not exactly the best role model for a child.
He caves in, he’ll write a letter back in the morning with some of his commissary money. It’s not too expensive to send letters out of the jail.
(Could be yandere, it just depends on how you look at it. Took a break from writing my other thing so I do not get burnt out.)
Looking around at all the guests at the high end Chapel was like a dream come true for you. The beautiful hanging white lights. The white Lillies, Baby's breath, orchids, ect. All the flowers were methodically picked out. You had spent nights working out the kinks. Planning and organizing.
The dress code being so specific. You wanted it picture perfect. Nothing about your life was perfect before this moment. You were even surprised that Bruce and the rest of your adopted siblings, and half sibling were there. Sitting in the pews. Not that they probably knew it was your wedding. You had changed your name when you were old enough to. Not wanting their name as a crutch for any achievement you would make in your life from that point on.
Your spouse even looked perfect. You were going to walk each other down the aisle, you in your perfect and detailed outfit that matched your other half. This was all something you did. Without the name of Wayne to help.
All the people in the pews were ones you took the time to get to know and befriend without any help. The decorations were yours to control without help. The food for the reception after the wedding was all done and organized by you. For the first time in your life. You felt like you were in complete control of a day that was supposed to be about the happiness of spending the rest of your life with the person you loved.
The same person who had dated you before they knew you were a product of a one night stand with Bruce and your mother. This was true love. This was the one thing you read about in the books of Wayne manors library. The thing you dreamed about. Watched in the movies of happily ever after.
They loved you for you. Every imperfection. They were even patient with every change in detail you made for the wedding. You had saved up so much money for this. Your money with theirs made this dream become a reality.
You could not help but smile as you fixed up your makeup for the up-tenth time. Giggly about the thought of everything working out. Even if someone knocked over your wedding cake. It would not have mattered. For you would still be married to the one person in your life that made you truly feel seen and happy.
You finished your makeup as you fixed your hair again. Looking into the vanity mirror of the room off to the side of the hallway in the chapel. You stood up and straightened out your outfit. Ready to get on with your ever after. You two talked about moving away from the dreary city of Gotham. Moving to a small town where everyone knew everyone.
So you walked the halls to the entrance doors of the chapel. Looking at the bridesmaids and groomsmen waiting with smiles. Even their outfits were perfect. But there was no sign of your soon to be spouse. You waited there. Ten minutes turned into twenty. Then thirty.
The groomsmen that went out to look for your other half came back empty handed. You called and left a voicemail every single time. The people inside the chapel were getting restless. It was not until the hour mark, you noticed your Maid of Honor did not come back from the search. Then a groomsman pointed out the missing money box. A waiter mentioned someone taking and loading up some gifts into a car but thought nothing of it because they were dressed in the style and dress code of the wedding.
They apologized profusely as you just stood there, trying to defend themselves. But you could only think about how it was not your fault. Then you got a call, from the person you had tried to reach for an hour. You answered it. Only to hear the sounds of moans and the one person you trusted enough to want to spend your days with, whining pathetically, the name of your Maid of Honor.
You hung up the phone and slipped it into a pocket in your outfit. Before you threw the doors open, the music started. Only to stop as it was only you walking down the aisle. You went to where the Priest was at the end, people turning their heads and looking surprised when it was just you.
You gently took the microphone from the Priest after you asked for it quietly. Before you turned to the crowd and started to speak, but you knew no words would fix the ruined day that you had tried everything in your power to perfect.
"I wish to formally apologize for the wait. There are key members to the wedding that are not present and seem to have no intention of arriving. If you brought a gift, please feel free to take it back. If your gift is not to be found, it is because it was stolen. That is Gotham for everyone here. We will still be having the reception because we do not waste food nor the effort the amazing workers spent on preparing it for us. I apologize again and do hope you may forgive the inconveniences that have appeared on such a lovely day." You said.
You could hear the murmurs, the disapproval in some voices. How could they leave you to clean up this mess? Why did you apologize for something that was not your fault. Why did they not want to marry you?
You could run yourself in circles thinking and crying. You wanted to. But you needed to do crowd control. The damage was done. Just finish the day. You put the microphone down as people started to file out. Taking their gift that was left, or getting a plate of food for the road. Of course no-one would want to stay at a wedding where someone was left at the alter. That was just weird and awkward.
So as people were doing that. You went to the empty hallways of the chapel. You wanted to get dressed in the clothes you wore before putting on the radiant outfit that made you feel like a clown now. All dressed up for no reason. For a lie.
You and your bridesmaids were helping you clean, the groomsmen helping by moving the heavier things. What you did not notice was a familiar group of faces sticking around. Most of them eating the food that was barely touched. The rest trying to fish out reasons the wedding was off by workers and people in the wedding.
After everyone left, you finally decided to make yourself a plate of food. Telling the waiting staff that they can help themselves to anything left out. But before you could go find somewhere to eat it in peace, you were stopped by the main person you had no interest in talking to. Bruce Wayne.
"I did not know you were getting married." He said stiffly. Like he had no idea what to do. Torn between comforting you and just being quick and distant with his reply.
"I know, I....honestly. I did not expect you to show up." You did not want to be nice anymore. You were sad. Hurt. Tired. You were so tired. You had worked so hard on everything and now you had nothing but an empty bed to go to.
Bruce seemed surprised in how you answered. But what did you care at the moment. "I am sorry, everything was beautiful." He said. He sounded genuine. For the first time in your life. Your own dad was talking to you with looking you in the eyes and being honest and genuine without being cruel and mean.
It made your heart twist as there was a sudden pressure in your throat. You blinked your eyes as you tried to make the tears go back down. But you took in a shaky breath that seemed to make everything worse. "It was." You replied tearfully.
"I was proud of it." You said as tears fell down your cheek. "I am so embarrassed Bruce. I spent so much time on this. I was prepared for decoration to go wrong. My clothes to get stained. Not my fiancé to not even dare to show up. They stole my money and some gifts." You vented quietly. Expecting him to just nod and turn away. To comfort you halfway or barely like he normally did.
Only for him to look at you sadly. Like your hurt was physically damaging to him. When Bruce glanced around. Clearly at a loss of words. You did the only thing your heart was yearning to do at the moment.
"What do I do dad?" You sobbed under your breath as his eyes snapped back to you. "I am going to be alone in my apartment now." You always hated the quiet. Now you would have to be surrounded by it tonight. Facing your sorrows alone.
You had not noticed Richard and Damian standing behind you a little ways back. Bruce turned to them though. "Help wrap things up with everyone else and get the gifts that were left into the car. I am going to take Reader home." Bruce stated as he came to you and gently took your hand into his. You felt like his little kid again. Before the world got too busy for the both of you.
Your dad was taking you home with him and you had no complaints about it. You could not help but realize that the perfection you were chasing was never going to be obtainable. But you did not worry about having to reach for it at the moment. Because your dad caught you when you slipped, hard. You felt comfort in knowing that despite not being perfect, you were still your dad's baby.
I started reading your content today and found a post about Selectively Mute Reader and all I can picture now is Cass (given her own tendency to not talk out loud due to her upbringing) just having legit entire conversations with reader through body language as well as sign language when needed and the Justice league going “What…?” If for some reason SMR ever had to meet them like Bruce’s other kids. I can totally see reader suddenly inspiring the entire Justice League to take a class on sign language led by Batman because “What do you mean I can’t learn sign language for someone who wasn’t my niece/nephew/nibling? Who cares I only met them today?” I feel like Wonder Woman already knows every single sign language to exist given how she was raised on the Island of Themiscara (I think I spelt that right???) so she totally tutors the other members of the league and their kids.
Also as someone who is selectively mute at times your understanding was pretty good! There’s a huge spectrum of being selectively mute. Some people can only say certain words and basic phrases comfortably around certain people, while on the other hand some can carry whole conversations around people they feel safe with. I myself have days where I CAN talk to people I am not comfortable around (like strangers), and then I have days where I can’t even talk to the people I trust and care about. Having other avenues of communication other than talking is a huge assistance. I really appreciate that you researched this before writing. Most fics I read about being selectively mute don’t, and it always warms my heart and makes me feel represented when someone takes the time to look into it before writing. You are an amazing human being, I hope you have an amazing new year!
I’m so happy that my understanding was good! I’m very cautious about writing certain disabilities/conditions due to my lack of knowledge and understanding of some of them, but at the same time I like challenging myself. Learning about selective mutism was very helpful when writing and it helped me with one of my characters, Ghost! Reader, so I’m very happy that I was able to learn more about that community. Mute/selectively mute characters are so interesting to me, especially when it comes to how they communicate, through their own unique version of sign language, or body language, to technology based methods for communication.
Also thank you for expanding on Selective Mutism btw! I know that it was a spectrum, but I didn’t know it was such a wide one!
Now, to your questions/asks.
I think it’s mandatory for justice league members to know sign language, as well as a secondary language, just due to the fact they globally save people.
However, a refresher course never hurts anyone.
Diana, due to being around when sign language was first introduced, once accidentally mixing up old and new signs as well different country signs and created a whole new sentence that had SM! Reader wheezing with laughter.
Flash is a surprisingly fast learner, where his only problem is he signs too fast for people to read.
Green Lantern gets frustrated when he couldn’t remember a sign so he just used his powers to make the object he was thinking of.
Martian Manhunter has it the easiest due to just telepathically communicating with people, but he does learn because he wants to make sure people are comfortable around him.
I think Cas and Reader would bond very well together and make up their own secret hand signs for different things.
Also, Cas and Reader are helping teach the Justice League Batman sign language as well as helping them make signs for their own gear and gadgets.
They give each member a gold sticker for going a good job.
I think it would be a very cute and wholesome bonding moment for them all
Green Arrow {talking about adult reader}: Yeah I just put the adoption papers in, I’m very excited about bringing them home and giving them a loving family.
Someone: Oh they’re actually Batman’s kid. They have a family.
Green Arrow: Did you know I birthed them? Yeah 9 months on the dot, was in labor for 16 hours, stubborn just like their dad, ME. {pulls out edited pics of baby reader and him as ‘proof’}
