#so they get dealt Jason and Stephanie's canon hands

[azol-otl]

Not Reverse Robins or Scrambled Birds but a secret third thing: A Step to the Left.

Not  Dick > Jason > Tim > Steph > Damian, 

but Jason > Tim > Steph > Damian > Dick*.

But not only them. Every sidekick with a legacy name gets shifted one spot. (No I’m not counting the Golden Age because I’m not combing through that ).

This means that Jason’s Titans team is him, Mia (Speedy), Jackson (Aqualad), Cassie (Wonder Girl), and Bart (Impulse but y’know he was KF II in the comics).

The NTT team including Starfire, Changeling, Raven, and Cyborg stays the same since they’re the only ones with those names. Cass gets lumped in here because Jason actually wants to do college/is becoming disillusioned about cape life and the idea of Kori learning Cass's body language is too good to pass up.

Tim gets one (1) cape friend (because Jason only got one) and it’s Zachary Zatara because it has to be a d-lister who deals with that disaster Teen Titans era.

Stephanie gets Jon (Superboy), Yara (Wonder Girl II now), and Irey (Because guess what it’s Impulse on the team and not KF which means we get Impulse II). Secret, Cissie, Anita, Slobo etc. all stay the same.

Damian doesn’t get anyone until he becomes Batgirl.

Duke literally gets Damian’s exact canon team but it’s Kon instead of Jon and probably won’t end with them committing war crimes.

If the character in that placement dies in canon then the new character in that placement also dies (i.e. Jason dies so Tim will die/ Kon dies so Jon will die).

But there will be changes because these are different characters so not all of them would react the same.

For example, Jason and Cass are the first Robin and Batgirl, but Cass becomes Nightwing while Jason becomes Oracle because I feel like Jason generally fits Barbara’s character better than Cass does (which is a fucking shame because Oracle being someone named Cassandra should be a no brainer but yeah).

 Or how Barbara should be Batgirl number three, but it’s actually Damian because Cass would see their similarities between them and offer him Batgirl (which he refuses at first but after his disastrous run as Robin he sees how Batgirl would fit his strengths better).

 Also I refuse to believe that Jason and Cass would let Dick out as Robin so young so he’s benched until later and his place is taken up by Duke and instead of Leviathan it’s Gnomon.

#I actually have a lot of thoughts about this but I didn't want to word vomit it all up like I normally do #No lie Damian becoming Batgirl III was not planned but because it started off with Cass it honestly felt right #So now him and Stephanie parallel each other so much more than I planned with the whole 3 identities cycle of Original > R > BG> OG #Also Robins 1 3 and 5 (the ones who were actually focused on for a time) are all Gotham natives with strong ties to the people #So that feels right #Also also Mia and Jason both being on the same team and having similar traumas while comics were finally starting to tackle these things #Tim has to deal with all the shit Jason did including starting off as a Blonde Jason clone (hey Timmy Todd) #Being victim blamed for his death for nearly 20 years and brought back as a villain #Then left with writers who hate him and made him ugly *and* stupid #then left with Lobdell and having the fans of his teammates blame him and his fans for things that they had no control over #other notes I didn't put in include Cass's cover is that she's Jason's cousin via Willis who was adopted and it turns out to be true #Stephanie 'Ambiguously Gay' Brown with her team full of Women who can crush her like a bug #Cass 'Are you sure she's straight' Wayne and her Gal Pal Koriand'r #Jason and Bart's wild 50 years where they surprise everyone including the writers and editors #since none of their love interests stuck but the chemistry they had with each other was off the charts #so their friendship read more as a slow-burn annoyances to friends to lovers that was totally on purpose guys and became canon p52 #like right before the reboot because the writer was like "Fuck it we're rebooting anyways! #if you feel like it's unfair that Tim and Damian gets no friends remember that I didn't shift teams at all only the people in them #so they get dealt Jason and Stephanie's canon hands #Don't come at me with 'uhm Robin is DICK'S nam'e' that retcon happened 50 years after the character #I can do the exact same with any character #great another essay in the tags #azol's posts

[reddtea]

You think the Batman  rogues argue about what Robin is best?

In my canon a lot of the big time rogues are established around Jason's robin run or after him. Dick dealt with a lot of one off goofy gimicky silver age villains; think penny plunderer, polkadot man, or king tut. The one's that were always around are Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Al Ghuls, and Catwoman. Riddler establishes Scarecrow (LA/tutor and professor) and Penguin kind of accidentally inspiring Ivy (she starts off as a politician advocating environmental policies). So those two are kind of later additions to the rogues gallery and didn't really ever deal with Robin 1. Bane and Two face join the Rogue's gallery after Robin 2 dies so they don't have an opinion on Jason or Dick. The only ones that really have hard favorites is Catwoman who likes Grayson and Talia who loves Jason. Joker likes tormenting Jason and Lonnie as well if you'd count Lonnie as a Robin 2.5, Joker doesn't really argue favorites as much as he's happy to torture any Robin he could get his hands on because he wants to make Batman's life a living hell. Riddler likes Stephanie and Lonnie (maybe), and he'd be reluctant to admit it but he enjoys putting Rose Wilson in his deathtraps sometimes. On that note there's Deathstroke who hates Dick with a passion (as you can imagine) and likes Jason for Rose's sake. Most villains don't think much of Tim with really only Lonnie absolutely hating his guts. In general I would say that in my canon of Batman rogues, not really. Catwoman and Harley sort of like Grayson more but aren't super passionate about it and for Talia, Damian and Jason are family and she would kill anyone who'd lay their hand on her children. Otherwise she's kind of too classy to bother arguing when she knows who's her favorites. Everyone else sort of have their own priorities than thinking about who's the best robin.

[thelittleredheadedmusician]

In Which Attention is Avoided

Batfam Week Day 3 is Wayne Gala! I feel like the kids are never going to outgrow the whole “I’m done with being fawned over so I’m going to hide now” thing, even if their sizes now make that more difficult. As usual, can be found here on my ao3. Rating: PG (Jason briefly in boxer shorts and a t-shirt) Words: 1,446 Gen (Canon style Dick and Babs banter that may be viewed as flirting but that’s also just how they tease each other.)

Dick tugged at his collar as he sipped cold apple cider from a champagne flute. Alfred smirked at him from across the ballroom, the older man full well knowing that the model chatting Dick up was most certainly drinking something significantly stronger and had a few too many by this point in the night. Unfortunately for Dick it didn’t look as though Alfred was going to come rescue him. His gaze searched the crowd for a savior.

His eyes fell on Tim who looked as though he was drowning in a sea of elderly socialites. He hummed at the model before quickly directing her attention to a passing waiter and going to extract him. As Dick made his way over and wedged himself between the cooing women Tim shot him a helpless smile.

“I’m so sorry ladies but I really must steal Tim away from you,” he told them, draping an arm around his brother’s tuxedo clad shoulders and steering him away.

Tim turned to whisper in Dick’s ear as the women pouted after them. “What’s Damian doing that you’re using me as an excuse.”

“That is what we’re going to find out,” Dick whispered back with a sly grin.

Tim shrugged Dick’s arm off his shoulder’s suddenly and made a face. He continued to walk with Dick to the small alcove where they could see the crowd but not necessarily be seen. Dick stopped suddenly, causing Tim to run into him with a soft “oof”. The alcove was already occupied by Cass and Jason, both looking less than comfortable in their formal wear.

Jason saw them lingering and sneered. “Find your own hiding place.”

Cass just shoved him deeper into the cramped space and waved to Dick and Tim. “Can squish.”

So, pushing Tim ahead of him Dick wedged himself in with his three siblings. It was a tight squeeze but the two fully grown men and slightly less than grown Tim and Cass managed to fit. They were still out of sight from the rest of the gala even if it meant that Jason’s elbow was digging into Dick’s kidney. Though Dick suspected his brother was doing that on purpose.

“Have you seen Damian?” Dick muttered to Cass. His eyes were scanning the crowd. Bruce was hosting the gala for the Wayne Foundation for what was certainly a worthy cause that Dick would admit he couldn’t remember. However, he and his children wanted to be anywhere but there thanks to the upper class of Gotham who thankfully opened their pockets but made the Waynes’ lives miserable for the night. It was a minor sacrifice for a major cause.

Normally though, the city needed saving by this point in the night and none of them had dealt with being at a gala for so long since their early days as a Wayne. Dick knew that if Tim and himself were getting antsy then they were all in trouble. Especially since Cass and Jason had beat them here.

With no sight of Damian or Stephanie, who was officially his “chaperone” at these events but was really a co-mischief maker, he began to worry. No sign was not a good sign with them. Doing a final doublecheck of the crowd Dick wiggled his hand into his suit jacket to pull out the comm stashed there.

“Ow Dickiebird, that was my spline,” Jason grumbled.

“At least you have one,” Tim muttered forlornly.

“Hush,” Cass scolded her brothers. She turned her bat-glare on them, the only member of the family other than Bruce who could influence the others with it.

With his brother’s quieted Dick slipped the comm into his ear and switched it to the direct line, knowing that Bruce was listening in on the main one and would worry if he overheard. “Hey Babs? You got your ears on?”

Her laughter filtered into his ear. “That a rhetorical question Pixie Boots?”

“Was it?” He asked with a smirk.

“Less flirty banter more getting us out of here,” Tim snapped at him.

Dick pouted briefly at Tim before turning back to search the partygoers. “Do you think you could find your Batgirl and my Robin for me? They seem to be missing, I’m starting to worry, and we all want to get the hell out of Dodge.”

Babs snorted on the other end of the line and he could hear the clicking of her keystrokes before she finally replied. “I hate to break it to you but it appears as though they’ve ditched you. Security cameras have them in the game room with Steph whooping Damian’s butt at pool right now.”

Dick swore softly. “Ok. Thanks Babs. I’ll bring you food from that Italian place you like. The one across the street from the Clocktower.”

“Oh you better, Playboy Wonder. I saw quite the gaggle of models chatting you up as part of that footage. Meanwhile I’m slaving away over my keyboard and have Helena and Dinah doing your job,” Babs said.

Dick promised and removed the comm. He turned to the others who all looked at him expectantly. “They set something on fire?” Jason asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Nah, conned some guy into introducing his mistress as his wife in front of his actual wife.” Tim countered.

“You think?” Jason turned as much as he could in the cramped space to face Tim.

“For sure. Everyone always underestimates Steph. And we all know Damian is more manipulative than he appears.”

Cass nodded. “True.” She eyed Dick before a slow smile began to grow across her face. “But they ditched.” Dick grimaced and Cass’s eyes glowed with triumph. “On patrol? No. Hiding.” She paused as she thought for a moment. All of a sudden her entire face lit up. “Playing a game.”

“You scare me sometimes Cass. And not just cause you could whoop my butt without breaking a sweat.” Dick said. Cass just looked smug and began to creep out of the alcove.

“So where are they?” Jason asked as Dick began to follow her.

“Game room. Steph is wiping the floor with Dami at pool,” Dick told his brother over his shoulder.

Jason shoved his way out after Dick. “This I have got to see.”

Tim made his way down last. “Alfred won’t notice we’ve left the ballroom for another half an hour, by that point it will be time to go on patrol anyway.”

They all shared matching grins and together carefully picked their way through real estate tycoons with the newest phones, reporters in off brand suits, women dripping jewels and pearls each worth more than Dick’s entire apartment, and the social media celebrities who were too drunk to remember the night without the posts they were continuously making.

Managing to make it out unscathed and without catching Bruce’s attention they rounded the corner of the hall leading away from the ballroom. Here the four adoptive Waynes paused as Cass slipped off her heels, Dick undid his bow tie and top shirt button, and Tim shrugged his jacket off.

For his part Jason stripped down to his t-shirt, boxers, and socks all while cursing up a storm. “I don’t get it!” he growled as he balled the tux up and threw it next to Dick and Cass’s shoes on the floor. “I’m legally dead and yet I still have to go to these things. You know what? I don’t even care. I’m going to go watch Blondie beat the Demon Brat in pool.”

With that Jason took off sprinting down the hallway. Dick looked between Tim and Cass before shrugging and running after him. They laughed as they ran towards the game room, racing each other around turns and helping Cass to scoop up her dress’s long skirt.

They practically collapsed into the game room. Startling Stephanie and Damian, whose wide eyes clearly stated they were not expecting to be missed.

Dick pulled Damian into a hug that he tried to wiggle out of. “I thought you were getting yourself in trouble and here I was right. You better not be playing her for money.” Dick murmured into his little brother’s hair.

Managing to pull free Damian glared back at Dick. “-tt- Billiards is a peasant’s game of croquet which explains why Brown is so suited for it.”

“I’m sure that was an insult but I think there was a compliment buried in there,” Steph called cheerily.

“C’mon Pipsqueak and lose already so I can play Steph,” Jason practically whined as they all laughed. Damian did lose to Steph and so did Jason. She beat everyone that night and regaled Oracle and Batman with play-by-plays all patrol much to Gotham’s other vigilantes dismay.

#batfamweek #dc comics #writing #own writing #my fic #dick grayson #tim drake #jason todd #cassandra cain #barbara gordon #stephanie brown #damian wayne #alfred pennyworth #batman #batfamily #the batgirls are better than you #batbros #yes alfred #know your birds

[audreycritter]

:o CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT THE BATFAMILY AND TRAUMA because it feels like this is a subject in which you have a great deal of knowledge

Okay, I could talk for hours about this, honestly. There are so many lettered disorders that fit the Batfamily (OCD, RAD, FAS, SPD, PTSD, ASD, plus bipolar, depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc) and they can all be the RESULT of trauma or the result of innate brain structure. There’s so much that I’m actually tempted to write a few essays about it. But for the sake of answering the ask, I’ll hit a few major points and I am 100% open to questions/more specific asks.

Canon is a mess, obviously, but there are some things that either consistently track or show up regularly in fanon for each character. I think first we need to differentiate the kinds of trauma each character has experienced because both the type of and duration of the event and the age at which it’s experienced can make a difference.

Bruce and Dick both are portrayed as having loving, stable parents and backgrounds that were taken from them by abrupt violence. This means that they have event-based trauma like PTSD or other things that it can trigger but they do not have chronic or infancy-related brain damage (because this, essentially, is what most trauma is: brain damage). The age at which they were exposed was mid-adolescence so there are many crucial developmental stages that the probably hit appropriately.

Tim, while born into a home with money, is written as often neglected emotionally which is an important detail. Meeting physical needs does not prevent trauma when there is gross emotional neglect. If there is one stable caregiver, like Alfred with Bruce, it can resolve (to some degree) a missing parent even if there is bitterness or hurt. But with a rotation of attachments of varying interests or levels, the reality is that there are going to be long-term attachment issues. The kind of trauma that missing attachment creates in the brain can have all kinds of affects and trouble regulating sleep is one of them. It’s highly likely, in the context of realistic trauma depiction, that Tim’s coffee habit, sleep troubles, and anxiety predate his tenure as Robin and are rooted in the lack of attachment to a consistent caregiver. When a child’s emotional needs are not met, they often have trouble regulating themselves and in some personalities this results in the physical component of difficulty recognizing a need for sleep, water, or food or seeking them at odd times/in crisis states.

Cass, my darling. There is a very fundamental danger in separation from a mother at birth. Even infants experience grief and to be separated from the smells and sounds of the womb even within minutes or days of delivery severs the first and most basic attachment. This is why even children adopted at birth can have attachment issues, even if they are very mild in a loving adoptive home. But to be separated from a mother and then raised in a home with minimal language or comfort (remember, she tells Bruce, “he never held me” as far as her memory goes) does two things that are present in Cassandra Cain’s story. Children with that kind of physical and mental trauma often have sensory issues with input, so when Cass doesn’t react to pain the same way the others do, it might be that her brain actually doesn’t register pain. A common presentation of this is that actual pain (a broken arm, a deep cut) go unnoticed for hours while a soft hand on the back or a gentle tap are perceived as deeply painful. The other thing the absence of spoken language/dialogue does is affect memory. Memory storage relies heavily on repetitive recollection and the strongest positive/neutral memories are the ones that are discussed and shared. Her childhood, the most traumatic memories aside, is likely a blur or a composite.

Jason. Ooh, boy. Because his return is (relatively) recent and there are three separate but very strong iterations of him, I’m going to focus on his character pre-death just for this. Partly because we’re told the Lazarus Pit changed things significantly for him and each of the current versions have very different, equally valid explanations. So, pre-death, he’s a bit of a punk. We know that he dealt with, like Cassandra, a separation from his birth mom in infancy and then Catherine’s drug problems and Willis’ instability probably worsened those things instead of helping to heal them. Children with reactive attachment disorder and early trauma often have issues with cause and effect, appropriately placed blame, and emotional illiteracy coupled with stress hormone overdrive resulting in explosive anger and deep self-hatred/mistrust. They often pendulum swing between self-blame (“I’m an awful person, I don’t deserve anything, everyone hates me”) and violent shows of external blame (“this is all your fault! You just like to punish me!”). The problem is that with the missing cause and effect cycle and the high stress state of the brain, this means that most things that make the child even mildly uncomfortable are perceived as massive threats AND misappropriately blamed. For example, a child with a healthy brain may forget to do their homework and if the parent asks in the morning about it, may feel slight panic or annoyance in response. A child with RAD might snap: everything is stupid, nobody cares, this is all YOUR FAULT. They may throw or break things or storm off and then defend themselves with “you MADE me do that!” Decisions made to protect or help the child can be interpreted as threats or hate.

Okay, Damian. While it might seem like he is the most traumatized of the lot (and in some ways he is), he also has the benefit of being with Talia and Talia genuinely caring for him. She holds him, she talks to him, etc. It does important things for his brain. Unfortunately, he also has massive physical abuse and the war zone/refugee stress of being forced into dealing with adult violence and adult decisions while he is still small and developing. This is why he seems more mature for his age– he has huge social and emotional gaps as a result. His trauma means that his brain likely considers every input a threat, resulting in massively high stress hormones, chronic exhaustion, and defensive anger. Everything he does is coded as a survival mechanism.

Stephanie Brown! I’m guessing that she is dealing with some form of Fetal Alcohol/Drug Syndrome as well as basic neglect. Inconsistent care is dangerous because the cause and effect pattern in an infant’s brain is disrupted (healthy: baby cries, is fed and changed; unhealthy, baby cries, is SOMETIMES fed or changed– baby learns that crying doesn’t mean much and everything seems arbitrary). FAS means that there is physical brain damage she’s probably had to learn to route around, so mild learning delays. She isn’t stupid but she has to work twice as hard to retain the same academic things others do. Because of the cause and effect gap, she probably has a loose innate grasp of how dangerous things are. I’m guessing if she hadn’t gotten into crimefighting, she’d either be a thrill-junkie or have the reputation as being “wild” even though in basic self-care like sleep and food she’s very self-regulated and responsible. When Bruce or Tim tell her things are dangerous or beyond her skill set, it is probably not just her bravery at work– they might actually have accurate assessments that she cannot and does not see, but through sheer luck, force of will, or discipline she’s managed to escape more severe consequences. That isn’t to say that she isn’t good at what she does, just that she might actually NOT consider the worst-case (or even likely case) scenario when attempting something.

I could go on for hours– there are so many aspects of each of these that I haven’t even touched on but this is getting super long, so I should probably divide it up!

#batfam #trauma #batman #adoption #ptsd #rad #fas #asks #science