#He has his own people! his own responsibility! Bruce and co are just there as support and backup! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

redrobin-detective · 1 year

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Duke Reminder for when you get back from your run or whatever you’re doing (probably actually running but idk 🤷‍♂️)

Im sorry friend this is so late, it got buried in my ask and I forgot.

I've obviously lost most of the energy of the rant but I'll sum it up with: Duke's origin with the We Are Robin (WAR) movement marked DC doing something different with the Robin title. These weren't specially picked Chosen Ones. These are kids of Gotham trying to take back the city, being inspired by the heroes to do what they can to spread their own light in the darkness.

Duke being a leader of that movement, having met Batman early on (Zero Year) and making his own way apart of but still adjacent to the Batfam. In my mind, Duke would be like cousin Kate, in that he's absolutely a Bat, but he's not like beholden to Bruce and he kinda does his own thing. The idea of the WAR being almost like Baker Street Irregulars, like street level heroes to do good and if it gets too big, you call in the OG Bats. This is the perfect space for characters like Harper/Cullen Row, Maps Mizoguchi etc to fit in. They could have their own separate stories that occasionally link up with the Bats.

Duke is serving as a leader/Oracle like figure watching out for and organizing the Robins. When Bruce realizes he can't stop Duke or the others, he ropes Duke in and gives him equipment, training and generally helps the kids. Because Bruce is looking to the future, the future he won't always be able to save but if he can save these kids and empower them... then they can save themselves and Gotham. So Duke is a Bat, no questions. Its a joke amongst the WAR that Duke knows the Bats personally, sees them outside of costume. He and Jason vibe really well and Dami respects him for the good hard work he's doing.

Idk, I like Duke as a character but I will admit it eats at me that this kind of exciting, bold, progressive new character was kind of tosses aside for the same old 'nice kid, dead/unavailable parents, becomes Bruce's ward, slap him in a costume and fight crime'. It doesn't matter that oh! He's dayshift or Oh! He has powers!!! It's still the same formula. I love making jokes about Bruce's revolving door of kids but at some point it's gotta stop. Duke being his own dude, alongside the Bats making real change in Gotham. God that would have been So interesting guys and I'll forever be upset about it.

#like the we are robin stories are themselves bad #but the concept guys #do you KNOW how weepy eyed I got at the idea of gotham kids looking up to Robin and saying 'that could be me?'#and not waiting for Batman to magic them away and Choose them #they ARE Robin #even if theyre only Robin for a block of Gotham #they're filling in the cracks the big guns miss #and form a cohesive network of kids who are sick of the city failing them #Duke being charming charismatic bold and decisive as a leader #like hes a Bat but he has the freedom of not being a son #Bruce tells him No at something and Duke is like whatever #He has his own people! his own responsibility! Bruce and co are just there as support and backup!#Im sorry thats one reason I cant get into canon Duke #because they stripped him of his parents and his home built community #and threw him at bruce as a sad orphan who Chose him and made him a hero #its just............ its just the same thing #and sometimes god bless I want something different

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bewitched-forest · 1 year

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Formula for a Crime Scene - Ch 3

Circumstances leave Artemis Fowl and Danny Fenton living in Gotham to attend Gotham Academy with Damian Wayne. More circumstances lead to the three boys becoming unlikely friends, and eventually something more. Now the three must navigate a world of superheroes, fairies, and ghosts together.

The worldbuilding of this fic was co-written by my friend, @half-dead-ham, and myself! They will be posting their own Crime Scene (The name of the ship as dubbed by another friend, @thetoyboxs) fic that will have similar plotlines, as we made them together! So behave!

[Ao3 Link Here]

} ~ – ~ {

Artemis crossed his arms, settling into the chair. Usually, he would enjoy the luxuries of somewhere on the Fowl private jet. But this would not be one of those times.

Butler sits down across from him, setting his elbows on his knees. “Artemis.”

Artemis scowls at his bodyguard and friend. “I don’t appreciate this.”

Butler sighs. “You need to get your degree Artemis.”

“As I informed my mother, I could just as easily get my ELC early in Ireland. They don’t need to send me to school, much less some academy in America.”

“You died Artemis. For six months, you were dead. You can’t blame them for wanting you to be somewhere you can be kept an eye on.”

“Yes because Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy of Gotham, inspires that much confidence,” Artemis says with a sneer, suppressing the flinch at hearing Butler talk about his death.

Butler sighs, pinching his nose. “I don’t know about Bruce, but Alfred Pennyworth is a good friend of mine. Surely, you could find something good to do with your time in Gotham. The… others are in a good place now. There’s no need for you. Perhaps, you could let yourself have time to relax. Have fun. Be a regular 16 year old.”

Artemis groans. “I haven’t been ‘regular’ anything since I was 12 years old Butler. Which was 7 years ago, if you’ll recall. I have no desire to associate myself with the imbecilic masses without any real idea of responsibility.”

“Well I’m afraid you’re just going to have to deal with it, Artemis. I am on specific orders from your parents to ensure you get to and stay in Gotham.”

Artemis scowls. “And I thought you were my bodyguard, Butler.”

“I am. But I’m also your friend, Artemis. You can’t keep doing this. Throwing yourself into trouble. One of these days you’re going to buckle from the pressure and none of us may be there to help you. And you won’t be able to get out of it yourself.”

Artemis huffs, crossing his arms and looking out the window. He was more than capable of handling a little pressure. He was one of the only humans entrusted with the knowledge that the People existed. He had died, and had a plan that led to him being revived.

He was ill fitted for normality, that much he knew. High school at some fancy prep academy full of idiotic school children who knew nothing but a life of pampering was even more ill-suited for him. He had saved the world, for gods’ sake. What was he doing being squashed in among the rabble.

“We will be touching down in Gotham in another hour. You’ve missed the first day of the year already, and will have to miss the second as well to acclimate to Gotham. But you will be attending on the third day,” says Butler as he stands. Artemis simply keeps looking out the window, causing Butler to sigh and walk to the other areas of the plane.

Artemis looks behind him to glance at Butler, before shifting and pulling out his laptop. He opens it, pulling up his research of Gotham. Since simply not going has failed him, he will have to go with some of his more proactive plans. Currently, plan B was to sabotage the Wayne family as much as possible. If that failed, he had other plans. One was particularly nuclear as while it would most certainly get him returned home, it would most likely result in him being quite actively watched by his family. As such, it was currently the last resort.

But enough about that for now. Right now, Artemis needs to study. From what he could find, the only current residents of Wayne Manor were Bruce Wayne himself, his sons Damian Wayne and Tim Drake, and the butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Upon being informed that he would be staying with the Waynes, Butler had informed him that Pennyworth was a former colleague of his, both having served in the army.

That unfortunately meant Pennyworth would have to remain unbothered. Butler would only allow him to do so much, and it would be best to avoid alerting him.

This of course, left the other members of the household. The easiest choice would be Damian Wayne. There were multiple accounts of how Damian was prone to anger, and the two would be attending school together, though in different grades. The most effective, however, would most likely be Tim Drake. Despite only being 20, he was already a CEO for Wayne Enterprises. Sabotaging him would mean sabotaging the company.

Artemis would have to adjust his plans once he arrived, of course. It's said that the other Waynes rotated out of the manor quite often, and of course the media could get things wrong. Not to mention, methods of sabotage would have to be conjured after study. It would be ill advised to make a plan now, before he had all the information.

Artemis hummed, perking up at the thud of Butler’s boots making their way towards him. Artemis scowled, closing the laptop and returning it to his case.

If he shifted, lacing his fingers and setting his chin against them. He would have to find a way home, one that evaded Butler’s attention long enough for him to pull it off. Being this far away from home wasn’t the issue for Artemis. He’d been through Limbo. But being this far proposed another problem than just Artemis’s discomfort. Gotham was notoriously corrupt and dangerous. So much so though even the People had heard of it, designating the place as a no fly zone for officers. While Holly was never going to follow rules, Artemis knew Gotham was no joke. If he was needed while he was staying in Gotham, Holly would be flying into a trap not even set to capture her.

Batman had banned metas from Gotham, as well as those who weren’t human, in an effort to mitigate the issues that may happen if they were captured and used by Gotham’s rogues. Artemis has no doubts that a faerie would be considered a prize among them, due to the unique properties of fae magic. Not to mention, Holly didn’t have permission in Gotham. While back at the manor she had permission to enter the dwelling, as well as the privacy, she would have neither in Gotham. While Artemis could plausibly grant Holly the permission she needed to enter Wayne Manor, the nature of Gotham would make her slipping in unnoticed extremely difficult.

It was long decided. Artemis would be ensuring his stay in Gotham was as short as possible.

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yvtro · 1 year

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So, you brought this up in a recent post "his moral code that focuses on killing off only the worst brand of criminals". I am curious what your stance on this take is then.

Namely, I never felt Jason was over focused on a "Kill the worst criminals" ideology, he's not some Punisher analogue or wasn't in UTRH & the GA Crossover.

Instead, while I do think there's certain figures who he thinks crossed too many lines to be worth keeping around. That is ideology was focused on killing as a power move for control.

IE, he didn't kill those eight lieutenants cos they were particularly immoral, he killed them to establish control over their bosses and gangs.

He kills strategically to accomplish his goals and is largely utilitarian about it, at least in UTRH. This doesn't gloss over his claims of a moralistic element.

IE he left several gangs that primarily exploit children and trafficked people out of his recruitment drive and then killed them all with Onyx that one time.

But as a general rule I always took it that when written in UTRH, his stance was less "I am killing you because its moral" and more "I am killing you because it to my goals."

this is such a multi-layered question, i love it.

i think i hinted at it, but i believe that the focus on the worst criminals is a reading that is more of a wishful thinking interpretation rather than what is actually going on in utrh. and i’m actually sympathetic to it, because it aims to reconstruct the canon to make jay’s characterisation closer to his pre-death personality. it might also be in part based on jason’s monologue in the finale, especially on “i’m not talking about scarecrow or penguin. HIM. just him” bit, but if we want to stay faithful to the text (which i actually don’t. but i am willing to play with it for the time) this is jason’s request for bruce rather than what guides his own actions!

in reality, i agree that jason’s killing in utrh seems to be more strategic. having said that, it being strategic and being part of a plan (a plan that also has some more personal aims) doesn’t mean it’s devoid of moral motivations. and in these terms, i think it’s simply utilitarian rather than based on specific evaluations of each person. and utilitarianism is an ethical theory, even if certain versions of it accommodate treating people as means. so jay might have some extensive plans and commit deeds that seem (and imo are) vile, but it’s all for the “greater good” (sorry for a simplistic and bastardised definition of utilitarianism, but i doubt anyone cares about it here.) so, in short: jason’s murders are supposed to lead to maximising “moral” profit and protection of the innocents. (i would joke here that unfortunately he missed lots of his maths education, but let's be real, his maths is excellent; the problem lays within the theory itself and the twisted in-world reality that dc editorial crafted)

having said so, i'd like to still give credence to a headcanon that even with the case of lieutenants he probably did a thorough check to make sure that they actually “deserved” death, even if i doubt he was very merciful in his judgement. and that’s already my own guess and not something that is visible in the text.

at the same time, while jason’s plan seems extremely calculated, i don’t think at the deepest level this is what he’s getting at in utrh. and i’m not even talking about bruce here and his own emotional needs, because that would require an entire essay; his plan is surely tied to his own emotional trauma (but not stemming only from it, as i said, he does care about gotham to a pathological extent), that most people have to agree with. but here i want to address the ethical layer of the problem.

i talk a lot about jason wanting to fix the world, but when it comes to utrh, this is obviously a certain mental shortcut: what jason thinks is that there’s no way to completely fix the world, but that it’s still within his responsibility to attempt to minimise the harm. you can’t eliminate crime, but you can (as you said) control it. or however he worded it. and i don’t reckon control here is just some personal power trip; i think he genuinely believes this is what has to be done to protect people. it’s a nice bridge in between his natural idealism and cynicism; he says: well, there’s lots of evil in the world and i can’t get rid of all of it. but i have to try to purge as much of it as possible. whatever it takes.

while i'm convinced this is the concept that came to life mostly due to winick’s complete disinterest in jason’s inner life and motivations, and because he tried to make him a perfect foil for bruce, it does bring in some intriguing considerations. if we want to reconcile this reasoning with jason’s og personality and sensitivity, i imagine it would take an unimaginable toll on him. it would be much easier for him to kill in rage, retribution etc., but this is a plan that despite coming from a place of delusional care and hope, requires detachment that is very out of character for him. it stands against everything he was as a robin; it requires him to kill a version of himself. (he can't even attain that detachment till the end, as his monologue is as emotional and true to himself as it gets. but at this point he no longer is just killing a part of himself, he's just killing himself, end of sentence)

this thought is very compatible with what i call the no good deed interpretation btw, according to which he sees his past, vulnerable self as weak, and attempts to leave it behind, while creating his new identity to be untouchable. in a similar manner, he also manipulates his own worldview to make it seem like it’s impossible to help people while caring. this is an intensely paradoxical view, especially that his main motivation is still love, and yet in his eyes it's like a parasite.

it’s also tied to something that makes me think that in the end the utilitarian dimension is not actually the main (sole) feature of his moral disposition in utrh. what is the core of it is self-sacrifice, something that i talk about in this post.

btw this is not what i think the best course of jason’s moral development is. i’m not even deadset on this reading. it’s rather a possible interpretation of canon, that implements a patchwork of different moments in the continuity. and canon is free real estate.

#?? i'm so sorry i just found this in my drafts and it has been there for a whole month?#no idea why i haven't posted it earlier... god.#also idk what the post in question actually was too–#anyway. hm. i feel like i said lots and nothing in particular here.#at the end of the day winick really didn't give much thought to it all and it shows.#my answer is more of a factual analysis of what happens in utrh with a typical freestyle meta divergence in the end btw.#answered #jay meta #dc comics

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lovepollution · 2 years

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EMMY®-winning Canadian Luke Kirby Rings The ‘Bell’ as an Agoraphobic Southerner and Amateur Detective in PANHANDLE [x]

Canadians are used to dealing with raccoons, coyotes, beavers, and even polar bears from time to time. But in the new series PANHANDLE, the character played by EMMY® Award-winning actor Luke Kirby has a pet alligator. So how close did Kirby, a Canadian, get to a live alligator during the filming of PANHANDLE, which debuts Thursday, Oct. 6 at 9 p.m. ET on CTV Drama Channel? This would seem to be the reason that stunt doubles were invented. “You're not wrong,” Kirby said, “A stunt double was very important and integral to this assignment. I did, however, get fairly close to our dear little alligator friend, while keeping the right amount of distance. I didn't want my smell to rub off too distinctly. So I never spent too much time alone with it. I wanted there to be other options around.” Speaking of options, PANHANDLE is an intriguing one for viewers seeking a show that’s part mystery, part comedy, part drama, and part ghost story. It allows Kirby to display all his considerable skills, alongside co-star Tiana Okoye (THE GOOD PLACE). Following a family tragedy five years ago, the eccentric and agoraphobic Bellwether “Bell” Prescott (Kirby) hasn’t left the decaying, once-magnificent Florida property he shares with his mother. When Bell discovers a dead body in his azaleas, he suspects it might be connected to the previously mentioned case that impacted him personally. Bell, who has been working as an armchair detective from the comforts of his own garage, pesters the only cop left in their bankrupt town - Cammie Lorde (Okoye), known locally as the “speed-trap queen” - into helping him investigate. Of course, neither of them has the authority to do so, but thus begins their unlikely, tense, and often amusing partnership. Example: at one point Cammie complains, “I do not have time to run around playing Nancy Drew.” To which an exasperated Bell replies, “Nancy Drew was far more talented than you - and she was a fictitious child from the 1930s.” “I love brutally honest characters,” said Kirby, who won his EMMY® for his role as legendary comedian Lenny Bruce in THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL. “I mean, they're hard to contend with in reality, for sure. Although I will say that some of those people sometimes have been my saviour. Just because something is painful to hear in the moment doesn’t mean it’s entirely wrong to tell the truth. And I like that about Bell. There's this kind of dying-breed aspect to this character, which I wanted to relish.” If Bell is a dying breed, the state of his Southern estate certainly reflects that. “There is great satisfaction, I think, derived from watching a once-thriving thing kind of have to change,” Kirby said. “It’s an empire robbed of its theatre. And Bellwether is the arbiter of this crumbling empire. He has to now contend with reality, which means, getting back to being a person in the world, with people. For generations, his family probably didn't really have to do that, but now he’s the one burdened with that responsibility.” Bell can be overcome by a lot of things in PANHANDLE, both real and imagined. To be blunt, he gets woozy and falls down a lot. So how is Kirby handling that from an acting perspective? “I’m doing better, thanks for asking,” Kirby said. “There's a price to pay, I will say that. I’m still working on it, and just trying to get as much sleep and rest as I can, floating in the pool, massages, whatever I need to do. When I first read the script, I thought there was room for that kind of physicality, and that it would be really fun. And then, of course, on the fourth day you start to think, ‘what have I done?’ And you know, time chips away. None of us becomes more limber as we get older.” Just stay limber enough to keep one step ahead of the pet alligator.

#luke kirby #panhandle #bell prescott #tiana okoye #cammie lorde

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illinformedcomicfan · 1 year

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How do you feel about She-hulk as a character?

Disclaimer here: Living up to my username, I actually haven’t read much solo She-Hulk, or Hulk for that matter beyond when they’re in team books. (I recently started catching up on superhero comics starting with Golden Age DC, so it’ll be a while before I get to them specifically but it’s a WIP)

So no specifics (personality, fav stories, whether I find her compelling etc.) BUT, that I don’t know any of that stuff, yet still think she’s really cool I think speaks hugely to how good her character concept is; in that she offers an alternative (both tonally and narratively) to the character she originates from.

Art by Dave Williams for She-Hulk #38 (2005)

Because She-Hulk stands apart so easily from Hulk as a lovable character unto herself is quite simple. Unlike Bruce, who’s almost entirely defined by being a sad angry mope (I don’t say this as a dig to the Hulk status quo, it seems to work), she stands at the opposite end of the spectrum as “the funny lighthearted one” (not to reduce her character to just one trait, but for the sake of my point that’s mostly it).

That's really all it is! That she's different! But I'll keep going on to why it works so well, which is hard for other spin-off characters to successfully replicate. "Make the spin-off character stand apart from the original" seems simple, but think about it: Nightwing’s plenty different from Batman personality-wise. He’s chirpier, more hopeful, more balanced with his emotions etc. but as far as the actual tone/content of the stories he’s in go? They’re pretty close to Batman stories. They’re gritty action-packed detective/superhero tales with moments of levity thrown into a narrative about a cool smart paramilitary guy without powers fist-fighting baddies in a big city.

Miles Morales Spider-Man? Same deal. He’s come into his own as separate from Peter quite a bit with help from the PS5 game and ITSV, but story-wise? Not that different to the stuff Peter deals with; Young quippy guy struggling with responsibility shoots webs and fights supervillains in a big city. (You could argue Miles has it even worse off than Nightwing with how often his comics resort to just redoing Peter stories and villains.)

Of course, that approach isn’t wrong (nor is it necessary for a spin-off character to be successful) and like anything else comes down to execution: if the story’s well told (i.e the PS5 Miles game or the current Nightwing comic I hear people like) people will rightfully dig it, myself included. That said, while I’m irresponsibly generalizing & summarizing giant amounts of fandom & comic history here, I feel like it’s a not-insignificant part of why they often struggle to be seen as necessary or relevant next to the original.

I realize it may be unfair to use Nightwing and Miles specifically for my example, as Dick Grayson was invented AS a Batman character and didn't strictly become a "spin-off" until the 80's, and Miles was created to replace the deceased Ultimate Peter, so he was kind of MEANT to fill in with similar stories, but they're recognizable enough and spin out of characters with popularity comparable to Hulk to work for the example. When it became obvious that each of them were going to co-exist along with the original I feel like some effort could've been put into setting them apart more as soon as possible.

Preemptive defense, in regards to personality, quality of stories, thematic resonance etc. those two are neat! I like them! Tons of characters in the same franchise are narratively indistinguishable (the various Flashes, the Superman family, the X-Men etc.) and still make themselves worthwhile and feature in good stories. But they’re objectively not that different narratively from the OG. There’s nothing in a Nightwing story you can’t necessarily get in a Batman one too, or something in a Miles story that you can't get in Peter's comic other than the characters (which is admittedly sometimes enough!).

In fact that’s a problem even Miles’ adaptations seem to have successfully figured out and I think a big reason why he’s exploded so much outside the comics other than the obvious reasons (that he’s cool and in good stories): you get the street level man-of-the-community stuff from the PS5 game, and the Multiverse stuff is in the animated movies without them stepping on each other’s toes. And whenever he shows up in the MCU I’m sure that’ll be different in its own way too by making him hang out with other Marvel characters. So all of them feel necessary and unique from one another that doesn't make any of them feel superfluous.

Not She-Hulk though. Sure, there’ll occasionally be a more serious Jen story, as conversely there will be a goofy Bruce story, but in ongoing terms, they’re pretty far removed in the ground they cover, even with stuff as small as the visuals which makes it a no-brainer as to why she’s such a hit.

Bruce can only TRANSFORM into Hulk? Well Jen is ALWAYS She-Hulk! Bruce struggles with the question of which side of his personality is more dominant and scared of its destructiveness? Jen’s got that completely figured out and feels almost no conflict about her powers! Bruce often gets thrown into weird cosmic sci-fi Avengers events or big loopy sad emotional stuff? Jen hangs out with the regular people in the universe and has a laugh about it!

Art by Jorge Molina for Ms. Marvel #2 (2014)/Still from "Into The Spider-Verse" (2018)

You get different stuff from a She-Hulk story, and consequentially her as a character, than you do with Hulk stories and his character, so there’s a nice balance between the two that lets them complement each other as part of the same franchise/universe while having enough space to do their own thing.

I’d say that’s a big reason Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel has taken off so well too. Again, generalizing here (she was in an absolutely killer intro comic, the character’s great, she symbolizes a huge leap in diversity and representation, Iman Vellani’s take on her seems lovely); but as part of a sub-franchise, she stands apart really well from Carol. Carol's cosmic, Kamala's in Jersey. Carol’s a big confident brash classic beat-em-up hero, Kamala’s quirkier and more rough around the edges. Carol’s mostly defined by her individuality and relation to other heroes, Kamala’s defined by her non-powered supporting cast etc. Again, it’s all balanced! You get different stuff from each one.

And of course there’s all the extra touches Jen has. The lawyer stuff makes for stories different from the average cape comic, allowing for meta commentary not just on superhero stuff but legal stories too. Her outgoing demeanor makes her entertaining to watch as a lead (with Hulk stuff, you mostly get your fun out of watching him smash stuff when he's otherwise not being mopey, but with Jen you can have her be fun in a ton of contexts, whether that be in court, normal superhero adventures, slice of life stuff like dating, riffing with her supporting cast etc.) while still allowing for deeper emotional stuff when the story calls for it without it feeling out of place. And of course last but not least the 4th wall breaking which I’m personally indifferent on but I know is a huge draw for some.

So yeah, honestly She-Hulk’s a pretty cool character! Even for someone who hasn’t read/seen a ton of her, which I’m excited to do eventually (I've mostly tapped out of the MCU but the Daredevil episode I watched of her show was cool), she’s got a nice thing going that’s actually conceptually smart and surprisingly thoughtful when you look closer at how she and her stories work. Even if she was originally a gimmick, she’s become so much of her own thing that would probably serve as a good model for how to make other spin-off superhero characters work. (Case in point, apparently the new Nightwing comic I mentioned is a bit more lighthearted and taking things in a Fraction/Aja Hawkeye route which I imagine is part of why people are liking it, since you don’t get that from Batman.)

It’s no wonder she had been, and is currently doing well as a character. Here’s to hoping her potential is mined even more with the MCU now blowing her up into the mainstream. Bring on the Shulk.

Art by Jen Bartel for She-Hulk #1 (2022)

#she hulk #opinion #superheroes #ms marvel #kamala khan #milesmorales #nightwing

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college-girl199328 · 1 year

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Neighbours say bakery concerts in Haines Junction, Yukon, are too loud, and proposed bylaw won't help

Two neighbors of Yukon's Haines Junction Village Bakery say the volume of some summer concerts is disrupting their ability to use or enjoy their own and believe a new proposed noise bylaw will help.

Daniel Sharpe lives across the street from the bakery with his wife and two toddlers, while Valerie Drummond operates two rental cabins nearby. In separate interviews, both said there's been an increase in loud acts playing at the bakery in the summer, to the point where Sharpe's family sleeps some nights and Drummond has had cabin guests complain or back out of bookings.

"Our blackout curtains would be vibrating against the window frames; you could feel the bass coming through the house, and that was in the bedrooms with all the soft surfaces," Sharpe said.

And on the front porch, you couldn't hold a conversation. It was that loud. Sharpe and Drummond said they're not opposed to the years-long tradition of the bakery hosting outdoor concerts on Friday and, more recently, Saturday evenings during the warmer months, as long as the performances aren't loud enough to disturb them.

However, they said the bakery would typically host coffeehouse music in the past, and there's been an uptick in louder bands and performances that go later. They said conversations with the bakery owners and municipality haven't been productive, including suggesting that concerts be permitted.

Sharpe said his toddlers have health issues, and losing sleep because of loud concerts was harming them, while Drummond said her business, which is also most active during the summer tourism season, was suffering.

Made it clear from the start that we're not looking to end the music nights. We're here to moderate them: a reasonable sound level and a reasonable shutoff time. And this new proposed bylaw offers neither of those.

Haines Junction's proposed noise control bylaw passed second reading at a special village council meeting in late December. The latest draft includes a section about amplified sound with a limit of 70 decibels outdoors or 50 decibels indoors from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 60 decibels outdoors or 45 decibels indoors otherwise. Another part describes an exemption permit that would allow up to 85 decibels.

According to an entry about noise measurement under the health section of the Quebec government's website, 50 decibels is the volume of a washing machine, 60 decibels is a normal conversation, and 70 decibels is the equivalent of a vacuum cleaner, which would be considered disruptive when on the telephone.

Drummond and Sharpe both said they thought even the non-exemption decibel limits were too loud and that 11 p.m. was too late for the higher limits. Sharpe said he worried people could take advantage of the very generous guidelines.

"What [the council is] doing is leaving their residents wide open to other abuses by people who are inconsiderate with outdoor concerts, outdoor band practices, or large parties," he said.

The new proposed bylaw does not name the Village Bakery, but Drummond and Sharpe said they feel it was created in response to their concerns. Haines Junction Mayor Bruce Tomlin, in an email to CBC News, said he was too busy to provide an interview but wrote that the village held two public hearings and took written submissions before drafting the bylaw, adding that "all comments and submissions have been and will be taken very seriously."

When this bylaw is implemented, it will better serve all community members and reduce excessive noise in our community. Council realizes this may require potential amendments or slight changes in the future, Tomlin wrote.

It's all about being good neighbors. A third reading for the bylaw hasn't been scheduled yet. In an interview, Village Bakery co-owner Rhonda Powell said that she supported the creation of the bylaw because it would offer certainty for everyone.

We just want it to be fair, and we'll abide by it. While she was aware of the concerns about the volume and duration of some summer concerts, Powell said she felt conversations about the issue had become overly confrontational. The complaints were overblown.

She explained that the bakery had sound professionals mixing the performances and keeping an eye on the decibel levels. She also said that most performances end around 9 or 9:30 p.m. and that she and the other bakery co-owner had no interest in going much later because they had to be up early to open in the morning.

It was like a slap in the face, but I just sucked it up because this is such a popular event.

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bigskydreaming · 2 years

Note

https://screenrant.com/robins-nightwing-dick-grayson-failure-support-bat-family/

WTF is this trash?

Like my favorite thing about that take, in that not at all sorta way, is how it tries to put the responsibility for all the later Robins on Dick with zero acknowledgment that the ONLY one he had any role in making Robin is Damian, and in his case there was a huge element of trying to actively guide Damian towards finding different applications for his skills than how he'd previously been encouraged to use them. Like he didn't just make Damian Robin in a vacuum. It wasn't like they were just sitting around one day and without prompting or any kind of actual reasoning Dick was like hey you know what you should do that would be fun? Be Robin!

And this is why I fucking hate so much the way people try and remove Bruce entirely from the discussion of all things Robin when like....Bruce post-Crisis and in most peoples' eyes was the one who made Jason Robin, regardless of what Dick wanted, thought, or had anything to do with.

Tim became Robin because of what he believed Bruce needed (and yes, even if Dick ultimately gave Tim his blessing and support and like, Tim wouldn’t have been Robin if Dick went back to the role like Tim felt he should, this still doesn’t make Dick responsible for Tim as Robin or anything that happened to him because notice how people never analyze Dick’s reasons for telling Tim no, he wasn’t going back to being Robin, or examining that through a lens of not Dick being ungrateful to Bruce but Dick being Bruce’s kid who Bruce had just behaved abusively towards and he shouldn’t have to suck it up and get over that for Bruce’s sake, even IF him not doing that is what led to Tim being Robin and bad things happening to Tim as Robin. And again, ultimately Bruce and his actions and choices were Tim’s catalyst for being Robin, regardless of what role Dick played in all of that. You can’t remove Bruce from this equation. Why do people keep trying SO DAMN HARD to do just that?)

And Dick never even INTERACTED with Stephanie the entire time she was Robin, he was busy being in the middle of having every aspect of his life in Bludhaven fall to pieces at that very same time so I remain hard-pressed to see how of all the people who DID make choices in what happened to Stephanie-as-Robin, Dick is the one to focus on.

BUT I DIGRESS.

What if you stop acting like Dick is to blame for every bad thing to ever happen to a Robin, people with absolutely terrible Robin-takes, when like.....

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR VIEW ON ROBIN, IT IS EXTREMELY RELEVANT THAT DICK NEVER CREATED THE ROBIN MANTLE WITH THE INTENTION OF IT BEING A LEGACY AFTER HIM. HIS CHOICES AS ROBIN WERE ABOUT HIM AND HIM ONLY. OTHER PEOPLE CO-OPTING OR GIVING AWAY HIS MANTLE WITHOUT HIS INPUT IS NOT ON HIM.

He didn't WANT successors when he set out to be Robin initially, and he was not the one who set the succession of the Robin mantle into motion.

Any discussion of Robin and Dick's responsibilities towards the rest of them or their fates as Robin, which refuses to acknowledge this or take this into account, is fundamentally flawed from the jump.

(And yes, as always, before people jump in on this I KNOW Dick is an unreliable narrator at best and takes on more responsibility than is merited, but as I'm always saying, unreliable narration fails if the way its framed brings zero attention to even the possibility it might be unreliable and not meant to be taken at face value by readers. And Tim Seeley's thoughts on Dick and Robin are definitely on display here so no, the idea that this isn't necessarily a bad take because Dick has an Over Responsibility Complex doesn't actually hold merit for me, its more like....Dick can be an unreliable narrator about his own guilt/responsibility AND this is a Bad Take, like both things can be true rather than just the one cancelling out the other).

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iwantutobehapppier · 3 years

Text

Our Future

Pairing: Dark Steve Roger x reader

Summary: You left Steve after he did the unforgivable. But what lengths will he go to to make you forgive him?

Warnings: +18 only, smut, dark themes, sex pollen, dubious consent cause ya know, implied cheating, dark Steve Rogers, dark avengers. Please if any of this bothers you read no further.

Word Count: 2.924

A/N: Happy 7th night of Chanukah! It’s almost to the end! Can you believe it?! Thank you everyone who has read, and reblogged. It means the world to me! Hope you enjoy this nice Dark Steve Rogers fic. Shout out to the ever talented @imanuglywombat for helping bounce some ideas off on this one I didn’t know totally where to go and she helped me find my way.

Trying best to hid your wince you hold your dislocated arm close to you to ease any jarring as you make your way up the ramp into the Quinjet. You’re fairly certain you’re bleeding somewhere if the wetness you feel in your suit is any indication. All you wanted to do was get back to the compound, see medical, then make your way to SHIELD Strike quarters with some good narcos.

“Let me see your arm,” you could break glass with the intensity your jaw clenches at the sound of his voice.

“I’d rather let it fall off,” Steve sighed at your clipped tone, he moves to reach to your arm to set it but you jerk away. Unable to hold in the grunt of pain. Steve frowns at your stubbornness

“I don’t want you touching me,” adamant to solidify your words you take a seat.

“Fine be in pain see if I care,” he stomps off not missing your muttering “You never did care.”

Steve could admit that gutted him. His steps faltered for a fraction. He cared for you more than his own life, more than stupid missions. Sometimes he was just a fucking idiot with women. He’d find a way to fix it though.

Squaring his shoulders he keeps walking to the pilot seat, sitting next to Bucky in the co-pilot seat who side-eyes him. “You gonna leave her like that?”

“She won’t let me touch her,” Buckling himself in he tries his best to keep the pain at bay. Was it really that bad that he couldn’t even set your shoulder back? You’d just sit there in pain than even have him touch you?

He knew you would be mad at him for a while but he figured after 3 months some of your ire would wane.

“Hm,” Bucky watches Steve start up the QuinJet controls, “well can you blame her?”

“Told you not to let her catch you,” he flicks Steve’s ear who tries to swat the hand away, “ever,” Bucky’s condescending tone the same he’d been hearing for months on end since the incident.

“Please don’t start too.” Bucky shrugs flipping switches in response to Steve’s prepping the Quinjet for take off.

Bucky turns his head back, catching your figure way in the back, head tilted down. Your slowed heart rate indicating you’d fallen asleep. He turns back to Steve.

“Now you’ve fucked it by letting her catch you with a side piece,” Steve can’t help but roll his eyes, if Bucky went on about this one more time he was liable to punch his best friend unconscious.

“I wouldn’t start if you’d not fucked this up,” Steve grunts wishing for this conversation to not start-up once more, “how long did I have to hear you going on and on about wanting her?”

“I offered my help,” Bucky bobbed his head back and forth in mock “But no the Great Steve Rogers had to woo her.” He scoffs, resituating himself in his seat.

“My side piece? The girl was yours after all.” Steve recalls for Bucky.

“Yeah well let’s be thankful she didn’t know that when she caught you balls deep in her.” there’s a soft snort from you and they both look back catching their breath. They were fairly certain you hadn’t heard anything, but still...

“All I’m saying is fix it,” Bucky grumbles in a whisper looking directly at his pal, “Cause if I have to hear you whine about not being with her one more time-”

“Yeah I get it, Buck,” Steve sighed looking back at you once more.

Once you’re all back at the compound Steve is hot on your tail following you toward medical. You wanted to scream at him but with your loss of blood, still not sure where from, and the pain in your shoulder you didn’t have any fight left in you.

Steve should have headed his buddy’s words of giving you more space but he was unwilling to be apart any longer. You just had to forgive him and let it go. Simple as that. He’d make sure you saw it that way too. It’s not like you knew about all the other times.

A nurse sees you before you can say anything and you’re ushered into a room the door shutting in Steve’s face. Your snide smile makes his hands ball up.

Pushing his thumb to the entry bad you stick your tongue out when it blares at him denied entry. Of course, you would have made sure FRIDAY knew to keep him away from you. He’d get in. He could see through the partially closed vertical blinds making out your figure removing your gear and uniform. Licking his lips at the outline of your breasts.

It had been too long since he’d had sex. None of the other girls did it for him anymore, knowing you weren’t at home waiting for him to go another round with. He had to get in.

Looking at the pad he types in the override code and smiles in triumph with the door slides open for him to come in, shutting after his entry.

Turning around after finally getting the gown on provided for you, you hiss at the sight of him “Why don’t you bother whatever whore’s bed you crawled out of today?”

“I am not sleeping-”

“I don’t really care Steven.” the resignation in your voice when you interrupt him leaves him speechless. You had been mad at him, that’s all he had seen since that night. Just your fire.

“I’m not the one who stepped out of our relationship,” You squeezed your eyes tight trying to will the overbearing oaf out of your life.

“That’s not fair, as far I knew you-” Eyes snapping open at his pathetic excuses you whipped around, finger-pointing. Steve couldn’t help but inhale the smell of your shampoo at the quick turn. God, he missed you.

“I what? Slept with some dude?” Your fingernail presses into his chest, not caring that he couldn’t feel it through his suit, “Well, I didn’t but you couldn’t listen to me so you went,” you jab your finger into his chest feeling the anger flash through you as if it was that night all over again “and got your dick wet with one of those SHIELD trainees.”

Saving you from this hell the nurse comes in with supplies to tend to your wound and reset your shoulder. You step away from Steve to fall onto the bed, the nurse starting on the gash across your abdomen.

”Go” The soft defeat in your voice, turning your to the side catching his gaze from the corner of your eyes.

“I want to be here,” he makes a step towards you, ignoring the way you hiss at the antiseptic being applied makes his stomach turn. He never did enjoy seeing you uncomfortable, it reminded him of his younger years feeling helpless.

“Please,” You whimper, “If you love or ever loved me you’ll leave me alone.” looking at the nurse you try to convey your apologies for the awkward situation you put her in

“I’ve always loved you,” you can barely find it in you to scoff in disbelief at his words, just so tired of this back and forth.

“Sure have a fucked up way of showing it.”

He knew he had to leave, the finality in your tone let him know there was no moving you. Just yet.

Four weeks, he didn’t see you for four weeks. It was making him irritable, he doesn’t have to talk to you but to at least see your face even with the surly look you give him now would be enough. But nothing for four weeks.

“If you sigh one more time I’m gonna blast a hole through your chest,” Tony declared pointing the blaster cannon he’s tinkering with at Steve.

“I mean you can find another girl right?” Bruce offers before Bucky can stop him, scrambling in his chair. The four of them sitting in Tony’s lab relaxing, having guy time. Well, now it’s just friends’ time. It used to be guy time when he had you.

“No, don’t-” Bucky buries his face in his hands resting elbows on his knees after seeing Steve’s face scrunch up.

“Find another girl?” Steve lamented. Oh if it was so simple.

“Well fuck now you started it.” Bucky groans into his hands. He had just gotten him to agree to getting out of the apartments and spending time with some people.

“What?” Bruce looks around confused at his suggestion. It seemed reasonable, there is plenty of fish in the sea as they say.

“I can’t just find another girl like her, she’s one of a kind. Full of fire and passion but nurturing. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted. But she won’t talk to me,” Steve cards his fingers through his hair messing up the perfectly comb style. “I know if I could get her just have an honest conversation we could work past this.”

“Maybe if you had some HYDRA truths serum you could get her to talk,” Bucky sits up straight sure Steve is done for now.

“Why not give her the serum?” Bruce offers nonchalantly.

“The serum?” Steve raises an eyebrow.

“Dude!” Tony reprimands Bruce who has the audacity to look confused by Tony’s displeasure

“It’s just this thing we made,” Tony opens his mouth before Bruce can start. “Nothing just gets someone to express their thoughts as they come to them and cannot stop.”

“A truth serum.” Bucky offered.

“Nooo,” Tony rolls his eyes, “it’s just a serum that makes them… talk.” Bruce looks at Tony in confusion.

“That’s not the one I meant,” Bruce looks at Tony not picking up on his eyes shifting and grimace to get Bruce to stop talking.

“The one you call ‘Sex Pollen’,” Bucky tried to hide his chuckle with a cough, but Tony catches it glaring at him.

Steve stands up and marches to stand in front of Bruce who looks up at him. “UUh,”

“Show me.” Bruce can only nod at the authority in Steve’s voice.

“What a pushover,” Tony mutters going back to tinkering with his hand blaster. Bruce scampers away to return quickly with a vial.

“It lowers the progesterone and raises estrogen, but the only caveat is the hormones don’t level out until, well,” Bruce stutters trying to explain.

“Until you cum in her, mouth, pussy, ass anywhere,” Tony supplies, Steve’s brow raise, and Bucky stands up in curiosity. They all surround Bruce’s hand holding out the vial.

“Just a little bit,” Tony instructs, “And she’ll be crying for your cock.” All four men stare at the vial with varied interests. More so pride on Tony’s part. “It also makes them fertile as fuck so if you don’t want a baby don’t finish where you can have one.”

Tony chuckled to himself recalling a memory he fails to share. “That’s kind of how we got Morgan.”

“If you don’t give her what she needs, though, her body temperature will climb and well,” Bruce flusters himself trying to explain without being so technical.

“Boiled brain,” Tony finishes watching Steve grab the vial.

“Only about 3 drops bud,” Tony calls out to Steve’s retreating figure.

Steve heard him but his mind was focused on a plan to get you back. Using this he’d easily seduce you, show you why the two of you were so good together and leave a little present in your body tying him to you forever.

Yeah, this would work just fine.

Steve couldn’t believe his luck, you had left your quarters and he was able to slip in, put three drops in a water bottle on the kitchen he knew you’d finish soon.

Then he waited. It wasn’t 20 minutes later that he was knocking on your door upon your return. You were already flushed when you answered. He knew you had drunk the water, if not all of it.

“St-Steve?” You questioned, you had been doing so well not seeing him or knowing he even existed. It had helped so much in cooling your temper. However, it wasn’t to say you did miss him. You missed him something fierce when you were alone in bed using your toys. Toys that never compared to what Steve could do for you.

Eyeing his physique in front of you now was temping enough. The tight shirt showing his pecks and muscles hidden underneath, your eyes trailed down to the sweat pants sitting low on his hips. You had no shame licking your lips at the sight. Maybe you should have rubbed one out this morning?

Gripping the door frame tight you felt shivers run up and down your spine, centering in your underwear where you could feel growing dampness.

Steve,” you repeated, not failing to notice the way his eyes trail up and down your body. “What are you doing here?”

He smiles, pushing his way in, you stumble back giving him full entry into your living space. One part of you says to push him out but the other says to feel his pecs. Shaking your head you repeat yourself. “What are you doing here?”

Steve says your name, it’s deep, masculine, and soaking in desire. You teetered on your feet.

“You feeling okay baby girl?” he catches you in his grasp, though you weren’t really running. His arm around your back, the other holding your hip.

You try to speak but your throat feels suddenly too dry. Eyeing the water bottle on the counter Steve grabs it, keeping one arm behind your back, and hands it to you.

“Go on,” His eyes trained on your lips as you take the bottle to your mouth. You drink and Steve watches the way your throat moves with each swallow. Just as you’re about to take the bottle from your lips Steve tips the bottom of the bottle up making you swallow the remaining contents.

You keep eye contact even as he sets the bottle back down, his thumb running over your bottom lip collecting missed water. Without thinking your mouth opens and you twirl your tongue around his thumb. Collecting the remains.

“Such a good baby girl,” He purrs, your hands on their own accord trail up his shirt, nails dragging along the defined muscles.

“Yeah, you missed me huh?” You begin to nod your head but something shakes you from your stupor. Your eyes widen, hands on his chest begin to push trying to get him away but that only makes him pull you in against his chest.

Your head tilted up, looking at him with growing fear. “What-” you try to think clearly. “What did you do?”

“I only did what I had to,” His eyes shift to the side for a brief moment and when you look over you see the water bottle.

“Did you drug me?” Your words slur, and your hands that were once pushing him away began kneading his muscles under them.

Steve slides his hand down your back to cup your ass. Two fingers dipping between your butt cheeks and pushing you to your toes. When your body rocks against him you can feel his erection pressing into you.

“Its gonna be okay,” He coos, you fight the sensations pushing through, Your desire to rub up against him, the way his fingers feel so good pushing against your ass. A soft mewl pulls at your lips, feeling his chest rub against yours, nipples pebbling with arousal.

He flips you around holding your back to his chest, hands sliding down your sides to pull your shorts and underwear down. One hand cupping your mound, he groans at the dampness against your mound, You certainly had made a mess.

Tony wasn’t lying about this ‘sex pollen’.

“What did you do?” your voice softer than you want it to be. You should be screaming but your body is responding completely contradictory to how you want it to. When he pushes on your back sending your chest forward he doesn’t relieve the pressure until you’re bending in half.

“I’m reminding you how much you need me,” He pushes his sweats down to under his balls. He didn’t wear any boxers for this, no he wanted to be ready to enter you as soon as he could.

He leans back to groan at the sight of your pussy dripping with arousal. Oh, he may have to start giving you a drop of this every day if you were ready so quickly every time.

You moan when he drags his knuckles up and down your slit, admiring the way you rock on your tiptoes and back down pushing his cock against your ass. You knew you were asking him something but for the life of you, you couldn’t recall. All on your mind is how you can feel the heat of his fat cock behind you, the tip rubbing against your ass cheeks.

“What..?” You speak out, your subconscious trying to push through.

“I’m making sure you won’t leave me again baby,”

“No,” you mewl, upset at the thought of leaving him. Not when he makes you feel so good.

“It’s okay though,” he comforts you, gently caresses your sides before lining his cock to your entrance.

He pushes in grunting at the way you grip him, it had been so long since he’d be in you, and from the feel of your tightness it had been just as long for you to take anything inside.

“I’m securing our future.”

#dark steve rogers x reader #dark steve rogers x you #Dark!Steve Rogers #Dark avengers #dark fic #smut #sex pollen

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hood-ex · 3 years

Note

Dick: Damian it's time to come home

Damian: Didn't you one time ran away and join assassin school?

Dick: IRRELEVANT

Omg 😭. Dick (and co) is doing for Damian what he wanted Bruce to do for him when he ran away.

Damian: "Where is Father?"

Dick: "At home. Same place he was when I ran away."

Like, okay. Fine, fine. Bruce did search for Damian, but he also just let Damian run off after they had a talk, and now all his kids + Steph are out there looking for Damian instead.

But it sure feels awfully familiar to when Dick ran away, and after Alfred mentioned all the places he had been looking for Dick, Bruce was just like, "He'll turn up." And Alfred was like uh, no, he won't actually, you fuck.

And then when Jason ran away, Bruce had to decide whether to go after Jason or Joker. Guess who he decided to go after first?

Well, it sure as hell wasn't Jason.

And it's like... Bruce. You could have called Clark or someone to go handle Joker while you went and searched for your son! But nooo.

Damn, Bruce, I know you've got a million and one responsibilities on your shoulders, but you can delegate shit to other people while you fulfill some important parental duties.

Now, obviously, Bruce can't go drag Damian home because Damian has his own book, and he's supposed to be doing his own thing, but once again, this shit isn't doing Bruce any favors.

#and whoops i went on a rant. but you so much as whisper a batkid + running away and i'm like BRUCE YOU ASS #Bruce Wayne #Dick Grayson #Damian Wayne #anon

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ive-tumbled-down-a-rabbit-hole · 3 years

Text

Claiming Ones Own

Cross posted on AO3

Masterlist

(also I've finally figured out links)

[chap 1] [previous] [next]

Chapter 3 - Mealtime Woes

Her daughter spoke! She was just selective who to. Cass could work with this; this was her ball game!! Excitement filled her veins as she carefully hugged the girl. After the bathing drama she didn’t want to traumatise her too much more. Her daughter could talk and chose to speak to her!! To her of all people. If Cass hadn't claimed her as her own already this would have sealed the deal.

The girl jabbed Cass breaking the hug up. She was still pouting but now also looking disgruntled. The hug, and touch, not having the same effect on her as it did Cass. The murmur of “Chocolate” came out her mouth again, still almost silent that you had to be keen to notice. Luckily this was Cass and with all her past, the subtleties would always be noticed. Her daughter would always been seen/heard and listened to in Cass’s world.

Cass nodded to the girl. She did say she could have chocolate for being good. “Chocolate yes, food too” signing along. She hoped that the signing would allow the girl an alternative way to communicate and pick it up. Maybe sign lessons would need to be added to her mental list.

1) bathe daughter

2) dress cuts and bruises

3) feed daughter

4) name daughter

5) put daughter to bed

6) get clothes for daughter

7) investigate daughters' markings

8) investigate sign language lessons (which language to be decided)

Cass held her hand out for her daughter to choose to take. The hand was critically looked at by the girl before giving Cass a sceptical look, but the girl eventually took the pre offered hand. Cass hummed in contentment; her daughter trusted her, well sort of, the trust was growing at least. She was trusted more than those who had or found her. A warm happy feeling flowed through her body.

Leading her to the kitchen Cass went about finding the girl some chocolate. Her daughter kept a sharp eye on Cass’s movements as she went about finding the promised chocolate. The girl's eyes growing wide and filled with emotion as she saw Cass (and Jason’s) chocolate stash and bar being given to her before she slotted a hesitant mask back into place. Again, the girl cautiously inspected the chocolate before devouring it quickly as if it would be taken from her. Cass slightly frowned, what had her poor baby gone through. She would protect her with everything she could now she was in her care.

Cass’s thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. Her daughter jumped at the noise, eyes blown and scanning the area for threats and escape routes. Not long after came the noise of Jason swearing under his breath as he crashed out of his room to go take the food setting her daughter on edge more. Cass internally chuckled quietly to herself at her brothers loud blustering behaviour which contrasted completely with how stealthily he could really be but was concerned about how the loud noise set her daughter on edge. The girl had winced at the loud noise like it pained her.

Guiding the girl to the table, Jason came back into the room food in his hands. Dim sum, dumplings, noodles, veg and a soup were quickly decanted onto the table. Jason instantly poured a third of the soup into a smaller bowl and placed it in front of her daughter, evidently having decided that was best for her daughter, before loading his plate up with a bit of everything from the selection. Cass grinned at her found family as she brought drinks to the table and started to join Jason in grabbing food.

“So, what happened in the bathroom?! It’s the remains of a warzone Cass” Jason somehow asked between the mouthfuls he was shovelling in.

Cass frowned at Jason’s table manners. It is NOT good example for her daughter. Tapping the table Cass signed to Jason ‘ Manners!!! Alfred will not approve . He would be horrified. ’ “Manners” ‘ Bath time contained more steps than originally planned and anticipated. You will clean it up as I will be settling in MY daughter’ “Bath messy. You clean.” with a glare.

“ME clean!!! YOU made the fucking mess Cass!!! And I’m a guest here, where are your manners Cass hmmmmm. What would Alfred say about that” Jason blasted back before looking at ‘Cass’s daughter’. Speaking softer than he had been a minute ago “Hey Kiddo, as Cass here has decided she is now your mum that makes me your Uncle Jay. And as Uncle Jay I’m saying ya need to eat some of the soup. It will be good for you and your stomach. It’s safe. Promise”

Cass nodded along with Jason’s sentiments to her daughter. “Safe. Eat now” ‘You can eat it. It's safe. Won’t hurt you. It tastes nice.’

The girl shook her head and pushed the soup way. “Kiddo, it’s good for you. Ya need to eat” Jason tried again. They didn’t know when she has last eaten a proper meal and she could do with gaining some weight. The glare he received back was a good one. Not quite the Demon Spawns or Bats level but it was a good glare.

“Ya claimed a stubborn kid Cass. She’ll fit in perfectly with the rest of the crazies B has claimed as his. Found out her name yet?”

Shaking her head at Jason in response to his question, Cass returned her focus to her daughter. “Eat now. Food time”, the girl’s blue eyes bore into Cass’s before turning to look at Jason's. With slow deliberation, the girl picked up the spoon while her eye contact remained flitting between the pair as she moved her spoon held hand out into the room away from the table. Ensuring she still held their attention she dropped the spoon, sitting back with her arms folded, frown upon her face. Clearly not impressed with the soup/food provided.

That was not what Cass expected and strangely cat like. Surely the girl was hungry. She needed a new tactic. Forcing her to eat wouldn’t work and she already had a battle with the bathroom she didn't need or want another one. Jason would be clearing up that mess even if it meant disappointing Alfred. Though she may escape Alfred’s wrath as he now had a great grandchild; yes, that may win her favour. A quick tilt of her head brought Cass back to task how to get her girl to eat. Chocolate worked in getting her to trust her in the alley. It also worked with getting her clean even if she wasn’t happy with it. Should she use it again for getting her to eat a meal, though she could almost feel Alfred’s chagrin if she did that already.

“OUUUUUUUUCCCCHHHHHH” “Hisssssssssssssssssssssssss”

Jason's shout brought Cass out of her thoughts. Jason was cradling his hand with a look of surprise on his face. While her daughter was now standing holding a chopstick in her hand like a weapon. Quickly figuring out Jason took action to get the girl to eat without thinking and she attacked him back, Cass could only grin with amusement. The newest Cain-Wayne was not to be underestimated. Jason should have known better given he was just as bad when he joined the Wayne clan. They all were a little feral at the start and took time to adapt (did any of them ever actually stop being feral?). Her daughter though was clearly now looking distressed and like she would flee the apartment which caused Cass to leap into action to soothe her child. Recalling how Selina sometimes soothed Cass, Cass took to stroking her stubborn but brave girls' hair and humming. Selina would love her new granddaughter Cass was sure.

“She’s another gremlin! Fuck Cass, Demon Spawn is enough, we didn’t need another one! She has claws. Fuck, I didn’t know what she did with the chop stick but it bloody hurts!”

Cass deadpanned him and pointed “Mean!” before turning to her upset girl. “You chose food?” maybe choice would help.

The girl twisted and tilted her head in silent question. “You choose” ‘Your choice on what you eat’ responded Cass. Her girl suddenly skipped up and grabbed Cass’s hand and led to the kitchen to point at the cupboard which Cass had taken the chocolate out. Cass paused. With a reply “No chocolate, Din Sum or soup now” the girls eyes narrowed and pointed again. Cass let out a big sigh and shook her head. Another stalemate already! Oh Great Alfred’s! She would beat Bruce; she could do this; She would not cave.

Jason joined them in the kitchen just as the girl decided to change tactics. Instead of glaring, she looked up to Cass with her blue eyes wide, shimmering with unshed tears, lips wobbling before whispering “Chocolate”. Cass was at a loss, when angry and put out the girl looked cute and amusing, like an angry fluffed up kitten that needed soothing. This though shot to her heart. Could she resist these puppy dog eyes?

Jason caved first. Almost within seconds of the girl switching from hostility to sadness and launched her sad eyes if Cass was honest. “Hey, hey now kiddo, no tears now. Sorry for forcing you to eat soup. It’s ok ya know. You want chocolate, right?” pausing as the girl nodded. “Chocolate on its own isn’t a meal kiddo, but we can sort something out ya got me.” Jason picked Cass's daughter up to put on the counter before bustling around the kitchen opening and closing cupboards grabbing items as he went. “Fuck, you’re light kid, a right little pixie. I’ve got an idea you’ll like. You get your chocolate, but you will have to eat the rest of it, cos if you don’t, no more chocolate in the future, ya got me!”

Big eyes widened to stare at him, fear flickered through them at the mention of no more chocolate, but again she puts her mask back on quickly. Cass went and sat next to her girl on the counter, side hugging her close. The pair watched in curiosity at what Jason was doing. Cass trusted Jason to help her feed her daughter with something suitable based on his experience, though more chocolate was definitely going to get Alfred's disapproval, meh, she’ll blame Jason, she is bringing Alfred a great grandchild after all.

“You got a name Gremlin Two?” Jason stated as he worked his magic with the ingredients he had collected. The growl he got in the return caused him to chuckle “Ok not Gremlin 2. Pixie then? You’ve caused enough chaos for Cass this evening to be one, plus you’re light enough to fly away like fae do.”

It didn’t get a growl but the shaking over the girl's head Cass knew the girl didn’t like the name. Sadly, without the growl Cass knew Jason would forever rename her that.

“Done! Now let's get back to the table, I’m starved, and my food is getting cold” Jason announced leading the trio back out to the food.

They all resettled down, Cass and “’Pixie’” looked at what Jason had created. Chocolate spread covered apples, bread sticks and rice cakes were on the plate. Small chunks of cheese and some grapes were there too. Not huge amounts but enough to ward off hunger for at least what remained of the night and not cause nausea. Probably more than enough to keep hunger gone for a long while if it was anything like his time on the streets.

“’Pixie’” picked up an apple licked at the chocolate spread. The sounds of joy escaped her as she wiggled in her seat and started wiping the chocolate off to eat more avoiding the apple.

"Remember the deal Pixie, all of it or no more chocolate"

The girl pouted but put the apple in her mouth with a mock glare at Jason. Even eating the apple caused her to hum in apparent happiness.

Cass smiled at Jason. “Thank you” before tucking into the feast they had in front of them. It might not meet Alfred’s approval, but her daughter was eating, though how to get the girl to eat without chocolate may be a challenge. At least she is eating though. That's a future problem to worry about at a later point, main thing was she was eating and clean. Not a very Batman approved approach with all his planning, but this involved a child. Children didn’t follow the plans especially semi feral ones, so a more flexible approach made sense to Cass. Cass was sure Alfred would approve.

Now that they all were eating and with Jason repeatedly calling her daughter Pixie it brought up the name issue. It was next on her mental list of things to do.

1) bathe daughter

2) dress cuts and bruises

3) feed daughter (in progress)

4) name daughter

5) put daughter to bed

6) get clothes for daughter

7) investigate daughters' markings

8) investigate sign language lessons (which language to be decided)

Pixie would not do as a name. Her daughter though not hating it did not like the name, she held the name in distaste based on some of her micro behaviour but not wanting to upset due to the chocolate promise.

Knocking on the table to get the others attention ‘Do you have a name?’ “Your name?” Cass queried looking at her girl. “Yeah, Pixie, do you have another name that you go by?” Jason joined in asking. The girl paused in her eating of her chocolate-based meal and look at the pair. She held a thinking face as if pondering the question, weighing up the responses she could provide. After a few moments she shook her head. A quick look passed between the adults at the table, understanding that behaviour it was clear she did have a name but was unwilling to share it. Whether it was due to distrust of them, or dislike of the name was unclear.

“Do ya want us to give you a new name then Pixie?” Jason tentatively probed. "'Pixie'" pointed at Cass and nodded, she did not trust Jason’s naming skills. Jason huffed and rolled his eyes, “Over to you now Cass”

Cass hummed in response. Thinking back to what the other street kids called her, “Dolly” and “Marionette”. She didn’t come across as a puppet to Cass. Though she seemed to be inclined to follow adults' lead, her daughter held a fire within her, she seemed to gauge the threat around her and chose the best course of action for her survival. That to Cass screamed someone who wasn’t a puppet.

Dolly as a name could closely linked with so many rogues in Gotham so wouldn’t do. Marionette, hmmm, Marinette maybe, Marie... Cass quite liked that, close to what she had been before with the kids so would most likely to respond but not too close to bring up trauma.

‘Do you like Marie?’ “Marie?” she asked her daughter. A sharp contemplative look was her response. She let the girl read her knowing she was searching for something, an answer to an impossible question. Both Cass and Jason observed her trying to figure out what she was looking for unsuccessfully. When she had reached her conclusion, she pointed to herself and whispered “Marie”.

Notes: according to internet search Marie can mean: wished for child, rebellion, mistress/lady of the sea, sea of bitterness/sorrow, which kinda fits I think (except for the current aversion of water)

[next]

Tag List:

@boldlyanxious @laurcad123 @toodaloo-kangaroo @too0bsessedformyowngood @lady-bee-fechin

#maribat #maribat au #ml x dc #mlb x dc #dc x ml #dc x mlb #marinette x cass #marinette x jason #platonic #found family #claiming ones own

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normal-piece-of-shit · 3 years

Text

The Fallen

Timothy Drake-Wayne. Wayne Enterprise's current co-ceo, tech genius and somehow Red Robin. Also currently sprawled across his mess of a bed, half asleep with a half finished coffee cup loosely held in one hand.

Guess he’d just have to add “Professional disaster in life” to his list of oh-so great achievements.

He could have become a doctor, Alfred would've said.

But it was too late now. It was to be left in the past, he’d become too old and-

Knock, knock, said the door.

“Master Timothy.”

He snuggled deeper into his blankets and gave of a noise of acknowledgment to give away his presence.

“I’m sure your blankets wouldn't despise you if you left for having breakfast.”

He groaned. “Maybe you're sure, but I'm not.” He mumbled bitterly, not one to dare speak against their family's only string of sanity.

He rolled his blanket over him and reluctantly slugged to the door in his best work style. Pretty impressive if you asked him.

Alfred opened the door having already guessed what he'd decided to do, he supposed. Alfred's lips twitched, trying not to break into a smile, he suspected.

Tim grinned. “Anything I can do for you, dearest Alfred?”

Alfred tilted his head downwards to look him in the eye, now no longer hiding a small smile. “Maybe wake up Miss Marinette as a favor to me, Master Timothy.”

Oh. Oh. Oho.

What exciting news.

“Anything for you Alfred.” Alfred's smile now turned into a sharp smirk.

“Even not skipping your breakfast?”

He averted his eyes. “I think beans snores are getting louder. I'd better wake her up soon.”

Tim didn't let Alfred speak another word, instead, rolling forward, forcing Alfred to take a step back.

And then he heard the snores. The one of a kind, Marinette only snores. And he jusy knew the door near him led to Marinette's. He grinned, maybe a bit more manically than he should've but never mind that now.

He pushed against her door and rolled his way in.

He took a deep breath.

“BEANIE.”

No response. He should've known.

“Adrien Agreste is waiting for you outside.”

She stirred. Aha! He had her all figured out, didn't he?

“He's in Paris, you coffee addict.” Her speech was slurred by sleep, and she showed no more signs of waking.

He rolled his eyes. “Look who's speaking.”

No response. Typical.

“I’m going to jump on you and make sure you feel all the weight of this ‘coffee addict’.”

“You can't do that wrapped in blankets.” She growled, snuggling into her blankets as if that would make him go away.

He didn't say anything. No, he couldn't say anything. Not when he was angling himself in the right direction for him to fall on her without messing his comfortable position.

Thump.

Marinette wheezed.

“Get.” She gasped. “Off.”

“What was that?” He asked like the innocent bastard he was, “You sound a little put of breath there, beanie.”

“You're not even that heavy.”

He pressed down harder. “What was that?”

“Why, you little-”

“I’m trying to sleep, you babies- oh. Oh. Oho.” They turned slowly to look at a smiling-too-much-right-now Jason.

And it wasn't surprising when the both of them were in sync as they said:

“Oh fuck.”

Jason's grin only widened at the declaration as he took a leap towards the two pour souls.

Now it was both him and beanie gasping for air. Not as fun to be on the receiving side.

“Jason, if I die, I will come back to haunt you.” Beanie grumbled, although it was barely comprehensible.

Jason pressed his weight on us harder. “Another thing crossed off my bucket list then, little pixie.”

“Jay, please spare me, you've already tried killing me enough times!” He was barely comprehensible too but it didn't matter. Not if we wanted to get out of this alive.

What was next? Someone else coming in and doing the same thing and the cycle never ending?

“I come to the mansion for one peaceful day and you ruin it first thing in the morn- oh.” He jinxed it. Oh boy. He jinxed it, didn't he? Why else would Dick show up right on sync with his thoughts?

“Oh. Oho.”

“DICK, NO-”

‘Twas too late.

Now it was three of them wheezing and coughing and gasping for air.

“Did you have to make three back flips as you came?” Jason asked for them both, being the only one with the energy to speak now.

“I'm a bat!” If he had to guess, Dick was grinning too much. “Of course I did!”

“What's with all this ruck-oh. Oh. Oho.”

“Please not again.” Nette pleaded weakly.

-2 minutes of instant karma later-

“This is all Tim’s fault.”

At this point he can't even guess who said it, but weak noises of agreements filled the room.

“It is,” He took another deep breath, “not my fault that-” Another hard breath, “-that all of you decided to stack up on us.”

“Well,” said Stephanie from the top (the lucky bat), “You're the only one agreeing to that here.”

“You can't blame me,” he snapped as best as he could with the limited breath, “For eight other people joining the stack. That's all on yourselves!”

The others above him- if he remembered correctly, Jason first, then Dick, Titus, Damian, Duke, Aunt Kate (Don't ask), Cass and Steph at the the top, all gave their own noisy protests.

“What's with all the screaming-?” Bruce's gruff voice came. “Oh.”

“Bruce, please, for once, don't.”

“Oh.”

“BRUCE.”

“Oho.”

“Maybe if we call him dad, he won't- OOF.” There went the rest of Stephanie's sentence. It'll be the only thing that'll be missed.

Marinette, poor Marinette, groaned from under. “All of you will wake up tomorrow with the worst morning and I'll make sure you do.”

And they did. All of them did. If the screams that erupted the next morning were anything to go by, of course.

---------

Happy New Year-

Jskdjdkskdkskskdksk, I may have vanished for a while *cough*months*cough* and will probably go vanishing for a little more while *cough*more months *cough*, but! For! Good! Reason!

Or maybe not but let's no go there-

This school year be kinda important academic wise so I be dedicating more time for that.

Ehe. Have this lil thing as a bye bye gift for now-

Wish y'all a better 2021 ٩(๑^w^๑)۶

Toodles (´∀｀)♡

#maribat #siblings #maybe a bit of #bio!dad bruce #GIVE ME FUN AND GOOD DAD BRUCE #DC YOU COWARDS #also give damian more animal friends #and tim more food probably-#oh and and #more flips to dick!!#OH AND PROPS TO US FOR BEING ON THE TOP SHIPS OF TUMBLR #JSKDJDKSKSKKD #having sibling is h a r d #believe me #i have 4 #been a long time since i wrote huh #im a liiil rough

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preciousthingsareprecious · 3 years

Text

Close the Chasm

Dick and Damian week seems to have left me with a flood of emotions I couldn’t quite shake just in the event, so please take this. It’s more about Damian than featuring him, but still.

Summary:

“He asked me to chaperone.” Dick adds after a minute, “I told him to ask you.”

He looks up from Damian’s face to read Bruce’s. His dad looks sad, a million thoughts hidden behind those eyes. He squeezes Dick’s hand a little tighter, as if that could change either of them saying no.

“This isn’t--” Dick goes to say working, but Bruce interrupts him.

“I’ve been thinking”

AO3 Link

Dick settles into the bed carefully. There is no reason to upset the sleeping boy, tucked carefully into his father’s side and it is the last thing he wants to do. Not when Damian has at last fallen asleep, any lingering threads of fear toxin not enough to keep him awake, and the exhaustion of a terrible day pulling him into deep slumber.

Instinct makes Dick want to wrap himself around Damian, but the boy is already curled into Bruce’s large chest. So Dick scoots closer, throwing an arm around Damian and over to find Bruce’s hand. His other arm is left free to ease tangles out of Damian’s dark curls.

“Hey.” Bruce murmurs, voice a deep rumble that’s all warmth and love for his sons.

Dick hums, savoring the way Damian’s small chest rises and falls under his arm, and the strength in his dad’s hold.

“How’s he doing?” he asks.

“Better. I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.” Bruce’s eyes have caught Dick’s now, a startling blue so deep Dick wonders how Talia’s ever won out in Damian.

Sooner. Dick wishes he could have gotten there sooner too. Before Crane interrupted a whole field trip of students and grabbed four, including Damian. Sooner before he’d started dosing each kid with different and new strains of toxin. Sooner before Damian had screamed his throat raw and cut little moons into his arms from his nails digging so deep.

“Me too.” is all Dick says, brushing his fingers through Damian’s hair again.

The boy sighs, and shifts, turning his face up and out of where it had been buried against Bruce’s chest. The soft light from lamps turned down low illuminates his features. His cheeks have regained some color, even if there’s a long scratch marring the one Dick can see.

“He asked me to chaperone.” Dick adds after a minute, “I told him to ask you.”

“This isn’t--” Dick goes to say working, but Bruce interrupts him.

“I’ve been thinking.”

Dick stops, curious. His heart hammers against his chest. He’s a little afraid it might wake Damian. He’s pressed himself up against his boy’s back, and curled around him. Not a lot. Not tight and protective like he wants, but enough to say: he is mine. He is yours, but he is also mine.

Bruce shifts a little, a foot kicking against one of Dick’s. They’re both wrapped around their boy. This precious child. Like he’s their whole world, and yet hours ago they hadn’t known where he was. They’d lost him. Let him get hurt. Batman and Nightwing.

Some protectors they are.

“He needs his dad.” Bruce says, and Dick feels like his chest has been struck with a sledgehammer. His heart is no longer racing, instead it has stopped.

“I know.” Dick says, doing his best to keep bitterness out of his voice.

Damian had needed his dad a year ago too. Back when Bruce was jumping through the timestream, battling pirates on boats, terrifying the very first residents of Gotham, and literally changing history. Damian had needed his dad then, when he was new and terrified and had no concept of what love could look like beyond a pat on the shoulder and a cold “well done”.

Dick had stepped in. He had done everything for Damian that Bruce had for him. And then, when Bruce returned, Dick had stepped aside. He’d let Damian have his dad, even if it tore Dick apart to do so. Like pulling his heart from his body.

He slips his fingers from Damian’s hair, pulls his foot back away from Bruce’s, ready to get up.

“But--” Bruce’s words stop Dick again.

He almost breathes ‘but?’. I nstead he continues to watch his dad. His heart fragile, like the boy between them.

“He needs you too.”

Bruce is not looking at Dick anymore. He has eyes only for Damian. A thumb brushing against the boy’s forehead.

Dick’s breath is caught in his throat. He is frozen, as if moving might break this spell weaving its way between them. This secret wish he has held tight since he packed his bags, tucking a small framed painting from Damian atop them.

“He loves you so much.” Bruce tells him, voice wistful but without a hint of jealousy, “And he misses you, more than he’s willing to let on.”

Now Bruce looks up at Dick again, “You two need each other.”

“What are you saying?” Dick asks, as if Bruce had not just explained.

He had not. He had said they needed each other. Admitted Damian’s affection. Said almost everything Dick wanted to hear. But he had not fixed the problem. The canyon between Dick and Bruce. Bruce could say a hundred things about how Damian felt, but if he did not explain how to fix the gap --the question- then what was he even saying?

Bruce presses his lips together, and he sighs, as if his words should have explained everything. As if they explained the plan he’d gone over a hundred times in his own head. Dick knows he has figured it all out. It is Bruce's way of thinking. He has watched it happen a hundred times. He has learned to translate to read between the lines. But today he needs every word.

“Bruce?”

“You love him so much too.” Bruce says, “You need him as much as he needs you.”

He reaches a hand out and cups Dick’s cheek, “I love you. I don’t say that enough.”

Dick stares at him. His words are lost. Once a fountain now dry marble. Something warm has replaced the worry and pain in his chest. It hits him, how much a son he is to Bruce as Damian is to him. It is so easy to forget, under the weight of life and responsibilities. Through the grind that is time and distance. Past the old fights and the new chasm.

Now Bruce looks at him as gentle and loving as he just looked at Damian, “I love you both, and I want you two to be happy, you know that right?”

He knows that. Dick is fully aware of his father’s love, even if it is rarely voiced so specifically. But it is so nice to actually hear the words. Like water on a drooping plant.

“Dick? Chum?” Bruce prompts.

“What are you saying?” Dick asks again, the words so quiet they scrape across his throat.

Bruce leans forward, ever so careful so he doesn’t wake Damian. He presses a kiss to Dick’s forehead and murmurs, his voice warm against Dick’s skin, “I’ve been thinking.”

“We need to change how we’re doing this. Share time, maybe he stays with you for a week and me for one. I won’t ask you to move back in.” Bruce leans back watching Dick, he still hold’s Dick’s cheek, like a lifeline.

“I’ve got papers, they’ll make you legally his guardian again. All the same rights I have.”

Bruce becomes the fountain that Dick is not. His words wash over him, explaining different suggestions for how Damian can split his time, that Dick can have his life in Bludhaven, that Bruce can also be a dad to Damian. He explains that they need to make sure Damian can’t just run from one to the other for permission for things. That expectations should be similar from one house to another.

“And Damian?” Dick interrupts, “Have you asked him, to see if he even wants to split his time like that?”

Dick does not say ‘if he even wants to live with me again’ or ‘if he only wants to stay with one of us.’ . It does not need to be said.

“I wanted to ask you first.” Bruce tells him, “I didn't want to put any pressure on you you don’t want, and talk out any problems I might have missed.”

Bruce’s thumb brushes Dick’s cheek, “This is as much for you as it is for him. I told you, you two need each other, son.”

Tears prick behind Dick’s eyes at last. Somehow he has forgotten what it was like to be considered. He will do anything for Damian, for his whole family. He has, for years, given so much of himself to everyone, and so rarely does anyone ask him first. He is happy to give. Happy to pour himself out so that the people he loves so much can flourish.

“What do you say? Think we can be co-parents?”

Of course Damian will say yes. Of course there will be problems. Of course Dick and Bruce are going to butt heads and that strange chasm of who should take precedence will always be there (even if it is both, even if it is neither, even if that is Damian’s say every time).

“Of course.” Dick says, reaching a hand up to take Bruce’s again and squeeze it tight.

#Dick Grayson #Bruce Wayne #Damian Wayne #Bruce is a good dad #Dick is too #honestly this is just kind of a flood of emotional words on the page #so #anyway #I hope you enjoy #Precious Posts

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masterthespianduchovny · 3 years

Text

At the beginning of age of avengers, someone assumes that Tony is the leader and he corrects them and say that it’s Steve.

And that surprised me because I assumed that Steve and Tony were co-leaders, but no, Steve was CHOSEN as the leader of the avengers. I was about to say that Tony was second in command, but I’m assuming that’s Nat.

But, as surprised as I was about this revelation (I literally hadn’t seen the movie in 8 years until 3 days ago), it instantly made sense.

As much as the anti Steve crowd hates on Steve, on several occasions we’ve seen Steve not only inspire people, but also get them to follow him. After someone commits to following Steve, they’re typically loyal to him.

We do not see this with Tony.

The issue with Tony isn’t that he’s flawed and has trauma, it’s how he treats others and how he processes trauma. When you lash out at others, ignore them, insult them (for your own amusement); don’t consider anyone else, etc, you more times than not will alienate people who are ok your side or, at least, want to be. A person having trauma doesn’t excuse how they treat others. And there is only so long most will people up with that behavior before leaving, which is their right.

I believe the only person who stayed by Tony’s side no matter what was Happy. Tony and Rhodey commonly fought and Rhodey even sided against Tony as well. Pepper had to take a break from Tony due to his own actions.

People can forgive flaws, but often struggle to forgive habitual poor behavior and various transgressions that comes with it.

We cannot except people to respect Tony or want to follow when he makes a joke about the PTSD (Capsickle), their traditional clothes (Thor), job endangerment (Rhodey; Tony made a transphobic joke about an event that didn’t happen), as well as sexual remarks (Natasha). And that’s not all that he did. This goes beyond being flaws, especially when you’re supposed to work with these people and they’re allegedly your friends.

He also doesn’t tell anyone about his trauma and OFTEN deflects, which may include insults or cracking inappropriate jokes. No one should have to deal with that all because someone is traumatized, especially as ALL OF THEM are dealing with their own and equally valid trauma.

Comparatively, Steve does not do that.

The people who work with Steve and are friends with him take him seriously. They support him and he supports them.

We see this going back to the 1940s. Peggy believed in Steve based off of his resilience and faith of convictions. She challenges him when he accepts his current circumstances.

After Steve saves literally over 400 men by himself, he earns the respect of not only colonel Phillips, but the men he saved as well. When he says he wants to pick his own team, in addition to the wish being respected, the chosen men flat out say that they’d follow Cap anywhere.

This must be stressed: these men were held prisoner and knew they’d encounter the most dangerous weapon and men in the entire war and readily agreed because Captain America asked.

In winter soldier, Steve is declared a criminal and is on the run. When he breaks into the shield headquarters, he gives his speech and EVERYONE minus hydra agents refuse to launch the coded because Captain America explain to them that some dangerous shit was going down. They believed his word because his actions and his character is THAT respected.

See the trend here: people listening and following Steve because they believe he’s genuine and wants to do what’s right.

In age of ultron, we hear a reference that he was chosen as leader. The events in this movie proves why Steve was chosen and Tony wasn’t.

Whether or not you believe Tony was right to crested ultron, he still should’ve told his team what Wanda made him see AND explained why he wanted to create this tech/weapon. Instead, he deliberately kept it a secret and pressured Bruce into helping him. Ironically, despite the claims that Steve feels like he knows that’s best, this is exactly what Tony assumes.

Let’s be clear: not only are Steve, nat, Bruce, hawk eye, and Thor adults, they are also avengers as well. They don’t need Tony to protect them and they all of the capabilities of deciding if they want to do something dangerous and risk their lives. And it’s ego centric as hell for him to actually believe that Steve, of all people, would guilt him by saying he should’ve saved them. Steve wouldn’t have done such a thing both saying that or even making Tony feel bad if he did all he could do.

Despite creating his murder bot due to not consulting his team because he knew they’d say no, Tony did it AGAIN.

Again, where’s the leadership? Where’s the accountability? Where’s the understanding that he may not like the answer, but he does owe it to his team to talk to them? And, again, he thinks he knows what’s best.

What does Steve do in this same movie? The twins start fighting besides him, which he doesn’t interfere with because ultron is the bigger threat. But, rather than fight them like his instinct tells them, he stop and listens to what they have to say.

I want to note that people like to say (and some are thinking), it’s good that Tony built what eventually became ultron, well, it’s good that Steve extended a hand to the twins. They also played a huge role in why the world didn’t lose half its popular, which was a consequence of Steve’s decision making.

Once Steve heard them out and was willing to let them into the fold, he defended them when other avengers tried to attack them. He didn’t leave them out to dry.

Then, when the actual fight happens Tony reveals a few minutes in that they have no other options but to abandon civilians and let them die.

Steve flat out refuses that as an option and makes the PERSONAL decision to stay until every civilian is safe. Not one person will be left to die.

I don’t know about anyone else, but Steve comes off as the clear leader and Tony doesn’t.

What happens next is that literally every current avenger and the twins stay to help. Nat literally tells Steve that this would be a beautiful place to die and explicitly says she’s fighting alongside him.

Whether or not Steve spoke to people, he inspired them to follow him by his actions.

Who is inspired to follow Tony?

Tony flirts with retirement, which no criticism against that.

But, alongside nat, Steve personally trains Sam, Rhodey, and Wanda for team avengers. After accepting Wanda into the fold, he treats her life everyone else.

In civil war, Steve was hands on with wandas training so she could control her power and made sure was protected. He accepted responsibility for not accounting for unforeseen threats, such as the explosives and explained to Wanda the realities of their job. He was realistic with her, but used that as motivation as to why they should strive to be better. Steve was outraged when he found out that she was locked up and freed her from Tony’s unlawful imprisonment.

Even if someone argues she should be locked up, Tony did not talk to her. Wanda didn’t consent to being confined to the house. This is another example of believing he knew what was best for people rather than talking to them and seeing how they feel. He isn’t giving others the right to make informed decisions for themselves and in general.

Steve, on the other hand, consistently considers what people feel because he TALKS to people. He has meaningful conversations with people, such as nat and Sam. Steve formed connections to people, which made them feel close to him.

But, let’s circle back to Tony, he takes a MINOR without the explicit consent of his guardian. Not only does he take Peter without May’s permission, he takes Peter OVERSEAS and to fight at that.

To make matters worse, Peter doesn’t know WHY he’s fighting or what for.

Where’s the oversight or accountability in any of that?

During the fight, someone flat out asks how old Peter is. Tony follows up after the fight, during homecoming, with almost inviting Peter to stay at the avengers compound. As a reminder, Peter was still a literal teenager and Tony still DID NOT ask peter’s guardian if this was okay.

Where as Steve explicitly tells people what they are getting into. He lays out what to expect and that you have a choice in it. Steve never pressures people into helping him and they usually volunteer. And, whatever happens afterwards, he’s there for them.

How was Tony’s mentorship with Peter?

He’s not actively involved with Peter after taking him in as a mentee, pawns him off in Happy, thinks at status reports are sufficient, and ignored Peter’s concerns. Peter was a minor who just had the most surreal experience of his life and Tony doesn’t think this kid would be amped and itching to do more?

Tony doesn’t think Peter might need some hands on mentorship? Tony thought he could mentor from afar with updates and camera footage, but it actually engage.

Them damned accords!

Tony signed the document due to guilt and tried to get others to sign it despite him being mostly responsible for why the accord even exist or, at least, did a lot of shit that is now being penalized. I’m not sure if he actually read it OR if someone summarized the point.

Whereas Steve DID read the accords and his stance wasn’t one of guilt, but concern and ethical issues with what’s in the accords. Steve was prepared to retire because his beliefs didn’t align with what was being asked of him and others. He didn’t ask anyone to back or follow him.

But, people do eventually back him and follow his lead. They know exactly what they’re getting into. And, despite knowing the risks and eventually getting arrested, they stick to their convictions.

When Tony finds out that Bucky killed his parents, despite knowing that Bucky was brainwashed for LITERALLY decades, he tries to kill him. When cap realizes this, he constantly tries to neutralize Tony.

Let’s go back. Steve knowing that Bucky needs to be arrested, decides to save Bucky both for Bucky’s protection AND so those trying to bring him in doesn’t get hurt/killed. Once Bucky is safely arrested, Steve lets the situation go.

Oh, before I really get into infinity wars, there is no mention of Wanda harming other people even accidentally. :)

Tony, as usual, ignores what others wanted, like strange, and think he knows what’s best. He plans to fight thanos henchman by himself as well as thanos completely ignoring the concept of teamwork. (He also jumps to insulting others for his own shits and giggles—keep in mind, these are people he doesn’t know).

What does Steve do?

He was successfully on the run with nat and Sam and they worked together as a TEAM to save vision. They then meet up with rhodey and formulate a plan as to how to stop thanos. Steve coordinates with various people to have the battle in Wakanda. He doesn’t assume he can fight thanos by himself or should.

Steve refuses to trade lives because every life is valuable.

When the Snap happens, Tony fucks up into his cabin in the woods and lives his life.

And what does Steve do?

Run a support group to keep hope alive for people who are trying to see the best in a shitty situation.

He stays an avenger and does whatever needs to be done because he’s there to serve the people regardless of the despair he feels.

Don’t get it twisted, Steve is not perfect, but he constantly led by example, put the wants and needs of others before himself, was a hands on mentor, listened and supported others, and refused to leave anyone behind and/or die. He was always willing to be the only man fighting the battle and even to die for his beliefs.

And this man is called selfish by some.

Where as Tony consistently believed he knew what was best for others, was willing to let people die, was a shit mentor, mocked and ridiculed others, put his own feelings first, etc.

And this is seen as a leader???

Let’s not forget that dangerous tech he left to a MINOR after he died. Peter was so overwhelmed by the responsibility, he gave it to the first person who listened to him and who he believed to be responsible. This isn’t a condemnation of people. Again, his a literal minor—15 or 16. Who is overwhelmed about the shit stark left on his shoulders.

When old cap spoke to Sam, he gave AN ADULT, his shield. One with loved experiences and who knew how to handle complicated feelings. He knew what Sam was willing to handle and could handle.

And another thing: the fact that people were willing to go on the run with Steve says a lot. This is the second time Steve has been on the run and people, Sam and nat, were willing to follow him and assist (both times).

Tony couldn’t even get people to stay faithful to the legal accords. Rhodey said peace out as soon as cap returned. Nat abandoned Tony to join Steve. Vision questioned his life choices, and then went black to be with Wanda. And Peter didn’t know what the fuck was going on.

And Tony stans think he should’ve been leader based off of using his money for the avengers and giving them a place to crash.

LOL!

People want Wanda to apologize to Tony for invading his mind when he should apologize for her parents dying. If you’re a weapons manufacturer, there’s no such thing as believing only the “good guys” will use your weapons. You know your weapons could and will get into the wrong hands. And you also know that without war, you’d be out of a job. But, also the “good guys” are usually imperialist who fuck over other countries as they undermined these government structures to steal resources from them and other shit.

Just because starks stopped manufacturing weapons doesn’t mean he can escape accountability for what his weapons did to others.

Tony also ratted out that Clint had a family and was fine with them being jailed because they took the “wrong” side. Did he apologize to any of these people? The ones he had jailed and the ones who were forced to go on the run for a bill he supported, and then admitted was fucked up? (The same law he later broke twice.)

But, he’s a leader???

#pro captain america #pro steve rogers #steve rogers defence club #Steve rogers #Captain America #pro tony stark #pro iron man #anti tony stark #anti tony stans #anti iron man #for every post I see mistagged I’m mistagging my own #if I can’t peruse the Steve tags without anti mess you can’t do that with the Tony tag #:)#childish but I don’t care

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lets-steal-an-archive · 3 years

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'Golden Girls' Polishes Its Scripts: Daily Revisions Geared to Sharpen Story and Hone Those Laugh Lines

TRUE OR FALSE:

Actresses Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan and Betty White write their own dialogue for "The Golden Girls." (FALSE)

Older female writers write all 25 episodes each season because no one else could understand the problems of older females. (FALSE)

In order to keep the shows consistent from week to week, one writer prepares all the episodes. (FALSE)

Ten staff writers work together to prepare a season's worth of scripts. (TRUE)

It's a Monday morning in early October and on a sound stage at the small Renmar Studios in Hollywood, the "golden girls" have gathered to read a new script. This will be episode No. 60 of the series and it will air about three weeks later — on Halloween.

Everyone in the room has heard about this week's story line: Rose writes a letter to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. But apart from the writers, no one has seen the final script until now. It was completed on a Saturday, photocopied 150 times on Sunday and distributed this morning to NBC; co-producer Touchstone Pictures; the show's creator, Susan Harris; the show's lawyers and researchers, and the "Golden Girls" cast and crew.

"Hopefully, they'll laugh," murmurs head writer Kathy Speer as she prepares to hear the "table reading." "If they don't, we'll be here fixing the script for a long time."

The table reading really is at tables — eight of them arranged in a rectangle. The actresses and guest actors sit on one side, facing the writers. To the actresses' left are director Terry Hughes, executive producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas and co-executive producers/head writers Speer and Terry Grossman. To the actresses' right sit NBC representatives, the show's casting director and props and wardrobe personnel.

They begin. Director Hughes reads the stage directions: Interior, kitchen — day. Sophia is seated at table. She is reading book entitled 'Magic Made Easy.' Dorothy enters.

Bea Arthur, as Dorothy, reads: "Hi, Ma."

Estelle Getty, as Sophia, reads: "Give me your watch."

Another week is under way. As the actresses go through their lines, everyone else listens intently. They laugh (or don't laugh) and take notes. By the Friday-night tapings, this script will need to play at 22 minutes. But Friday is a long way off.

As soon as the table reading ends, the writers, producers, director and an NBC program executive huddle to discuss script changes. Then, while the actresses begin rehearsals using the first draft, the writers rush off to their yellow stucco two-story building nearby to begin rewriting.

"The secret of TV half-hour comedy shows is the revisions," explains Dean Valentine, NBC director of current comedy and also the program executive on "Golden Girls." "What they start out with is 75% away from what they end up with."

"I don't think this episode is going to need much work," co-head writer Terry Grossman announces cheerfully on his way back to his office. "It got a good response at the table. We just have to cut it, smooth out transitions and clarify some story points. New jokes will be the tough thing." He anticipates a few hours' work.

"Early in the first season we were throwing out whole scenes," he recalls. "Now we know what works for each lady and what she does best. That's the advantage of being in the third year of the show. The disadvantage is that stories are harder to come by."

Grossman heads into the office he shares with his wife Speer, who is also his writing partner. They are in charge of the writing staff. "That means we are the two who get yelled at the most when something goes wrong," he jokes.

Also piling into the conference-sized room are supervising producers Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan and producer Winifred Hervey. Despite their titles, Grossman explains, "We're all writers."

"We are the five most dull people," Nathan insists.

"We're much funnier on paper," Hervey adds.

These five, all in their 30s, met when they worked on "Benson," an earlier Witt-Thomas-Harris series. They have been with "Golden Girls" since the beginning, and every Monday they jointly rewrite the script being taped that week. They jokingly call themselves The Gang of Five.

While they start rewriting, the show's other five staff writers — Chris Lloyd, Jeff Ferro, Frederic Weiss, Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss — go back to their own offices to work on new scripts.

"To keep quality, you like as many writers as you can afford," Speer explains. "This year, we have six 'entities' (writing teams) — four sets of partners and two individuals. And we also use a few free-lance scripts each season."

Approximately 25% of the show's budget goes to the writers, executive producer Tony Thomas says. Staff writers on a comedy series earn a weekly salary plus separate payments for completed scripts. A free-lance writer who does a story outline, a first draft and a second draft can earn about $11,000. (Note: All outside script submissions must come through agents.)

"A good comedy requires a lot of teamwork, a lot of people sitting in a room working together," Thomas emphasizes. "A good team is rare, but it's not extremely rare. It's like winning the NBA title. We had it in 'Soap,' and we had it for some years in 'Benson.' Obviously this is one of the most successful staffs we’ve ever put together."

Both Witt and Thomas deal with day-to-day details on "Golden Girls." Harris, who created the series, is less involved this season because, according to Thomas, "She is working on a feature for Disney with us. But she reads all the scripts and is familiar with most of the stories."

Flashback to the previous Friday, a week when "Golden Girls" wasn't taping. Every fourth week during the season, the show shuts down, giving the actors and crew a rest and allowing the writers to catch up.

The Gang of Five is trying to explain how their writing process works. They insist on telling, rather than showing, because, as they say, they're shy. "At the beginning of the season, even having our new writers in the meeting made me a little uncomfortable," Grossman admits. "It slowed down the process."

"One of the most important things that exists with this group is that the bottom line is making the show as good as possible. It's still very difficult when your script is read for the first time and the material doesn't work. It hurts for a moment. But there's no time to take it personally. It didn't work, and the clock is ticking. You better keep moving and get it right."

Like all sitcoms, "Golden Girls" has a "bible," a book that synopsizes everything that has happened on a series. Thus, new writers don't have to watch all the previous episodes. But there is no master plan of what will happen in the future.

The idea for "Letter to Gorbachev" surfaced last May at a beginning-of-the-season meeting of the writers and producers. "It was one of 20 or 30 story notions kicked around," Barry Fanaro recalls. The obvious similarity to Samantha Smith's letter to then-Soviet leader Yuri Andropov isn't mentioned.

"Most of them didn't work,” adds Fanaro's writing partner Mort Nathan, "but this one sounded amusing. Because Rose is a childlike character, we wondered what would happen if she wrote a letter to Gorbachev about world peace. We started fleshing it out, but we couldn't think of a second act. We went round and round, and finally six weeks later we came up with a way to make the story work."

"The five of us went over it scene by scene and agreed it was workable," Fanaro continues. "Then Mort and I went off and wrote it. It took about 10 days because we were also working on other things."

Each "Golden Girls” episode is written to a formula: "the idea, the act break and the resolution," Grossman explains. "Usually there's an 'A' story and a 'B' story going. It's the natural structure."

Although Fanaro and Nathan, who won a writing Emmy last year for a "Golden Girls" episode, wrote the basic Gorbachev script, the story the audience will see has gone through the usual "Golden Girls" grinder: The Gang of Five read and dissect the first draft, adding new scenes, new lines, new jokes. "It's really a team effort," Grossman stresses.

The jokes can be the easiest part — or the hardest. "They're only hard to write when you've got one that isn't working," Grossman says. "A joke in the middle of a scene can be weak, but the 'out joke' — a snappy one-liner that ends the scene on a laugh — has to be strong."

"We may decide a scene needs a new opening," Speer explains. "There will be a long moment of silence. Then someone will ask if anybody's eaten at some new restaurant. In the course of conversation, somebody will say, 'Wait a minute. I have an idea.'"

"With five of us, at least one of us is paying attention," Hervey deadpans.

"Good writers should be able to write for men, women, old or young," Grossman says. "We all draw on other people in our lives — parents, grandparents. Part of the reason for the show's popularity is that these are very vital people. The very same story you've seen 100 times on every sitcom takes on new light with characters in this age group. That makes life easier for us.

"Also, these four actresses are sensational. To have the entire cast be able to give such high-caliber performances means you don't have to adjust your material. You write the material, and they deliver. If they can't make it work, there's something wrong with the material."

The week goes by quickly. On Tuesday morning, the "golden girls" read over the revised script and discover that one scene has changed considerably. Some lines have been cut, while others have been sharpened. There are several new jokes. A press conference scene has been shifted from a hotel room to the ladies' living room.

On Tuesday night, the Gang of Five works late. During the day's rehearsals they realized that the revised scene didn’t play well so they jettisoned it and added some new dialogue and a few more jokes.

Following Wednesday's rehearsals, they hone the script a little more. Time is pressing. By the Thursday afternoon dress rehearsal, the actresses try to be script-perfect, although they often aren't. By now, the original 52-page script has been reduced to 50 pages, and almost every page has had at least one alteration.

For instance, on Monday when Blanche accidentally spat Coca-Cola on a Soviet Embassy official, he responded by saying, "No apology necessary." Now he says, "No need to apologize. In Moscow, we have to stand in line four hours to get this."

Late Friday afternoon, the audience files into Renmar Studios to watch the first taping. The writers are standing by, just in case a last-minute problem occurs. During the 90-minute dinner break, while a new audience is arriving, the cast, writers and producers calmly discuss how to improve the second taping. A few lines are cut, the taping is completed, and it’s on to the next week.

Source: Mills, Nancy. 1987. 'Golden Girls' Polishes Its Scripts: Daily Revisions Geared to Sharpen Story and Hone Those Laugh Lines. Los Angeles Times, October 30, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-30-ca-11702-story.html

#the golden girls #how the sausage is made #from the archives #tv writing #i just thought it was neat #long post

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audreycritter · 3 years

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IDK if you take asks from the woodwork so feel free to disregard, but this is prompted by your recent Arkham post. You mention video games and it made me think of the Arkham Asylum game. I really like your point about how games are organized towards the player’s interests—hitting stuff— but you also talk about how Arkham is a place of incredible nuance that (imo) can be both horror and ideally healing at the same time, and I guess I was just curious about your thoughts on the Arkham game(s) and their place in Bat-mythos, especially given they did try to thread some needle of “how do we bring Batman into a real(ish) world and all that may mean.” It was an exploration of the Asylum as a place with an intrinsic character, which I personally hadn’t really seen before save for maybe Serious House Serious Earth, but I was curious if you had thoughts/opinions you wanted to share. Love your blog, and have a great day!

I don't mind asks!

I haven't played MUCH of the Arkham games, and I'm not opposed to them. I like the horror concept of Arkham having its own kind of identity, or Arkham as a character.

But I am gonna stop you right there (kindly, gently). The Arkham games have their own stories-- some of them engaging, I'm sure-- but it's still fundamentally a video game. Video games aren't inherently violent, but the Arkham series is by design about being able to do lots of cool fighting. That's totally fine! Its fun! But we have to be really careful in engaging with media to not make the mistaken correlation between grimdark and realistic.

Good character models and emotional stories don't even make something realistic. It's a thing that comics, games, and movies have struggled with for a long time, and not just in Batman canon, but Batman canon does suffer pretty significantly. The Arkham games are in no way about a meaningful engagement with reality or what Batman would look like in the real world. We might be able to draw on some interactions and further explore those as fans in a way that connects closer to reality, but it's not at all the real world.

My guess is that a nuanced, realistic exploration of Arkham would be difficult to pull off because the actual daily grind of mental health care in institutions holding highly violent offenders is ... a grind. It's a lot of doing the same thing over and over for small returns, because it's hard for people to change. It's a lot of small victories other people don't understand the scope of, because just walking down a hallway and being civil can be a huge accomplishment for someone who actually tends toward the kind of social disconnect rogues are often written to have. It's a lot of disappointing setbacks, and if you hype up the drama of any of those things, it's going to feel exploitative. Personally, I'd like to read it? I'm sure lots of other people would enjoy it, too. But it wouldn't be the kind of high energy drama that people are drawn to in comics, and treating it with too much realism makes the world fall apart in other ways.

Within the constraints of the universe, the rogues aren't real. We've had good and bad media that's tackled the idea of criminality and mental illness, and I don't think that's a bad thing to try to deal with sometimes? But overall part of the conceit of comic-media (and its derived forms like film and game) is that we actually understand that the rogues aren't mentally ill, not in any realistic application of clinical terms. They aren't real. They're themey symbols of different kinds of evil or corruption or selfishness, designed to be cycled through struggles with The Hero, because readers find comfort in the familiar. And to do that, we need a holding tank for them so comics aren't accidentally implying they just rule Gotham when Batman isn't chasing them.

In a story that engaged with Arkham realistically, he'd put most of them in once and they'd never get out again. The few that did get out would maybe get out once or twice, tops-- years and years apart. There might be an outlier, but most of them aren't escape artists. The problem is, nobody really wants a realistic Arkham unless it's in a closed short story form, because a functional Arkham would break the narrative cycle. Fandom just ends up making the mistake of holding Batman as a character responsible for the narrative function of his own world-- they want to treat him as a failed hero for not correcting the things about his world that make the stories keep happening. Like, yeah, he could kill the Joker-- then what? Nobody writes the Joker ever again? That didn't work the last time he died.

He could "fix" Arkham somehow. Then what? The entire rogue gallery is permanently retired and a few of them "recover?" That maybe makes a great epilogue but it doesn't support ongoing stories, and then the second someone is used in a story again, it's somehow Bruce's fault for the narrative requirements of the fiction he's a character in?

Part of being a comics fan-- specifically a comic fan of an intellectual property that's been around for decades-- is understanding that we don't get final resolution. When LOTR ends, the story is over. We don't watch canon make Frodo & Co destroy the ring over and over in hundreds of different ways. Fanfic might explore alternatives, but canon has given us resolution to the plot. Batman doesn't get that in most media because Batman isn't ever over. And I think sometimes fans (and writers, ngl) make the mistake of trying to hold Batman as a character responsible for the cyclical nature of his own media, and the things we see as "problems" because we instinctively want resolution in a landscape that doesn't have it.

Anyway, I think I went off on a tangent. I don't mind the Arkham games, but they're just a another entry in a long line of media that likes playing with Arkham as a horror concept.

#batman #meta #asks

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tcm · 3 years

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Director and Superstar Barbra Streisand By Susan King

Kathryn Bigelow made history for being the first female filmmaker to win the Best Director Oscar for her gritty film THE HURT LOCKER (2008). But 35 years earlier, Barbra Streisand won the Golden Globe in the same category for her feature directorial debut YENTL (’83). She is still the only woman to win the Globe honor for Best Director, and she had fierce competition. Like Ingmar Bergman fierce. The influential Swedish filmmaker was up for his brilliant epic drama FANNY & ALEXANDER (’82). Streisand was also in competition with James L. Brooks for TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (’83)—he would end up winning the Oscar in the directing category—Bruce Beresford for TENDER MERCIES (’83), Mike Nichols for SILKWOOD (’83) and Peter Yates for THE DRESSER (’83).

YENTL also took home the Golden Globe for Best Comedy or Musical. Streisand was a major film star at the time. She had shared the Best Actress Oscar honors with Katharine Hepburn (THE LION IN WINTER) for her 1968 film debut in FUNNY GIRL, in which Streisand reprised her Broadway triumph as famed entertainer Fanny Brice. She earned another Oscar nomination for Best Actress in THE WAY WE WERE (’73) and shared the Best Song Oscar with Paul Williams for “Evergreen (Love Theme from A STAR IS BORN),” her hit song for the 1976 remake of the classic Hollywood tale.

Still, the multi-Grammy Award-winning, Tony and Emmy winner ran into difficulties with YENTL. I was shocked when I interviewed her about the movie in 2009 for the Los Angeles Times that she ran into gender-bias trying to get the film made. In fact, she hid the fact that she had co-written the adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s story set in 19th-century Europe about a young woman desiring to study the Torah. Because women aren’t permitted to study, Yentl disguises herself as a man named Anshel so she can become a scholar.

Streisand confessed she didn’t put her name on the script. “I was afraid if they saw my name on it, [people in Hollywood] wouldn’t have liked it.” She also decided to place the credits at the end of the film. “In those days, the credits of the film were at the beginning. And the reason I didn’t put it on in the beginning is that I didn’t want [audiences] to be prejudiced—‘Oh, she directed it’—and have them think about it. I think it was easier for women who weren’t actresses to become directors.”

Streisand actually bought the rights to Singer’s Yentl the Yeshiva Boy back in 1968. But she was told audiences didn’t want to see her as another Jewish character. But Streisand felt it was a far more universal story about “the limits that are put upon a woman just because she wanted an education. She had to dress as a male. It was a simple as that.”

She initially didn’t know if she could direct the film, which also starred Mandy Patinkin and Amy Irving, so she talked with various filmmakers including French legend Claude Berri, who had directed one of Streisand’s favorite films THE TWO OF US (’67), a lovely drama starring Michel Simon as an elderly gentile who takes care of a Jewish boy during World War II. “I was frightened to do it myself,” she explained. “But I had a vision to do it. I was looking for a sign whether or not to direct it.

She found that sign at the grave of her father, Emanuel Streisand, who died when she was just 15 months old. The name on the tombstone next to her father’s was Anshel, which is what Yentl calls herself when disguised as a man. “That was a sign,” Streisand said. “I have to direct the film.”

YENTL earned good to mixed reviews. Roger Ebert found the middle 100 minutes of the movie “charming, moving and surprisingly interesting,” while the generally hard to please Pauline Kael proclaimed “it has a distinctive and surprising spirit. It’s funny, delicate and intense-all at the same time.” There were some naysayers.

The New York Times’ Janet Maslin found the best thing about YENTL was its earnestness. “It may resemble a vanity production from afar (or at close range, too, for the matter), but even at its kitschiest it seems heartfelt. That goes a long way, though not far enough, toward saving the film from its own built-in difficulties.” Singer was a bit harsher in his assessment. He didn’t find “artistic merit” in either the adaptation or the directing.

Though Streisand was denied a Best Director Oscar nomination, YENTL was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Irving and Best Song for the haunting “Papa, Can You Hear Me?” and “The Way He Makes Me Feel” by Alan and Marilyn Bergman and Michel Legrand. The trio won the Oscar for Best Original Score.

Eight years later, Streisand directed the romantic drama THE PRINCE OF TIDES (’91), which earned seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor for Nick Nolte and Best Supporting Actress for Kate Nelligan. Though Streisand wasn’t nominated for her direction, she did receive nominations from the Golden Globes and Directors Guild of America for Best Director.

The last film Streisand directed, to date, was the romantic comedy-drama THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES in 1996. Reviews for the film, also starring Jeff Bridges and Lauren Bacall, were decidedly mixed, but the film was a triumph for the veteran Bacall, who earned a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and her first Oscar nomination as Streisand’s caustic diva of a mother. I asked Streisand back in 2009 why she hadn’t made a movie since MIRROR. Her response? “I’m not that ambitious.”

#Barbra Streisand #female directors #women make film #Yentl #TCM #Oscars #Best director #women directors #Jewish in film #Torah #Turner Classic Movies #Susan King

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