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While Jason Todd and Tim Drake are both tragedies, Jason is a Shakespearian tragedy (doomed by the narrative) while Tim is a Greek tragedy (doomed by himself/his own flaws). In this essay I will-
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frank---ly · 2 years
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jason todd in the family group chat at 3am
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luvly-writer · 26 days
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XOXO
Ch. 20 The smiles are made of ice
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Author's note: Hope you enjoy! If you want to be added to the taglist, just leave a comment!🫶🏽
Warnings: I don't know much of Bernard's character so I just had some fun with it. He is a petty ex trying to get back with our man.
Taglist: @w31rdg1rl @mxtokko @loonymoonystuff @grandstrangerphanthom @1lellykins va @cangosleepnow @dreamspectrum @its-maemain @tamimemo @nightw-izhu @trasshy-artist @gabriiiiiiii @cassini-among-the-stars @pank0w @writing-for-the-hell-of-it
Masterlist:
—•—
There was an saying on the upper east side that went like this, with the queen of gold, you expect mercy, with the queen of silver, you beg for it; but with the queen of ice you should forget it cause it won't help you at all.
This was the case at tonight's gala. The Vanderbilt's had made their appearance at the Wayne's Charity Ball and the crowd was loving it. Not only was the press hungry to get full coverage of the two ex-lovers seeing each other again in public, but people were excited both in social media and in the crowds. How would they behave? Would they be amicable? Was the spark still there? That las one was the easiest question to answer seeing as everyone knew the spark was still there. The dazzling Vanderbilt with the dashing Wayne.
The one thing that no one was expecting but made the entire night more enticing, was one Bernard Dowd in the crowd who had come per someone unknown's request.
Y/n was chatting up people left and right. Although she was not part of the family business, she still did her part in maintaining the Vanderbilt name clean and golden. They all did their parts without a hitch, charm, and dazzle without a hassle.
Y/n hadn't had the chance to see Tim yet, seeing as they both were busy mingling with their respective families, it was a charity gala after all. Everything was going smoothly...until one blond got too close to a certain ravenette.
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Y/n locked her phone and glared towards where Bernard was talking with Tim. Seeing her glaring, Mark and Antoine smirked at each other and walked towards her, each standing her each side of her.
"What's wrong, Baby V, your boy toy's flirty with his ex?" remarked Antoine, always one to want to get a rise out of her. Hearing this, Charlisse neared them and took her husband's arm, "Please, a Vanderbilt is never jealous" Then she turned to Y/n, "But this one just so happens to be" she teased. Mark, Antoine, and Charlisse laugh loudly.
"Stop tormenting the poor girl!" Chasticed Aurora, walking towards them with their parents. "Y/n, Timothy is utterly in love with you, all is well" she said looping Y/n's arm with hers.
"All will be well once they get over being oblivious to one another" teased William, making Franchesca slap him lightly in the arm in a scolding matter. "My sweat pearl of the ocean, go talk with him. He invited you to this event, which means he wants you around. Dont waste a good opportunity to spend time with him." Her mother encouraged and everyone agreed. Just as she was about to answer, she saw Bernard reach for Tim's hair and move it away from his eyes with wink. and. that. was. it.
"Rora, hold my things," she said as she handed her purse and phone to Aurora and began walking towards Tim and Bernard.
"The Ice Queen makes her return it seems" purrs Charlisse smirking and they all agree. As noble as the Vanderbilts were, everyone knew there were sharp teeth hidden behind smiles. They never took kindly to being messed with, and as kind as she was, that queen was still made of ice.
She strutted across the hall, gliding with class and poise. She charmed everyone with her shining smile and lovely gaze as she got close to the pair. Tim noticed her first. Of course, he did. She had caught his eye the moment she walked through those doors and they had never left her figure. What a woman. He smirked as he saw her getting closer and offered his hand for her to take once she got closer. She took it willingly, and latched onto his arm.
"Timmy, my sweet, how have you been?" she asked sweetly but he recognized the hunger in her eyes, he knew the cold growing in her gaze and wondered what possibly could have happened for the ice queen to resurface.
"Angel, I am better now that you've blessed us with your presence. You enjoying the gala? Your favorite band is playing tonight." he said inhaling her perfume. God, she was addicting.
"Absolutely! You know good music never fails to put someone in a good mood. My family has absolutely enjoyed it. I think Aurora has already tired Mark out with too much dancing." she responded
"I have not seen you on the dance floor tonight. Why is that? I know it is not because of a lack of suitors." He continues, hoping she will say she was waiting for him.
"Well, I-"
"Ehem"
They both looked the side and finally, Bernard made himself present.
"Timmy? I thought you hated that nickname, Tim" he said looking at Yn up and down. Seeing this, she offered him her best smile.
"And you are?" she said, wolfish smile present
"Oh, you don't know who I am?" Bernard mocked her tone, "That's surprising"
"It's why I asked my dear" she responded.
"Angel, this is Bernard, my ex," said Tim, already sensing the tension.
"Oh really, pleasure to meet you, I'm-
"Y/n Vanderbilt, his other ex, yes I'm aware." Said Bernard tightly. He looked at her up and down again, "How...gorgeous is your dress, Miss Vanderbilt. I have to say, it looks much too humble for a Vanderbilt"
This hit a nerve with Y/n and Tim knew it. Rule #1 with old money, NEVER LOOK DOWN ON THEIR CLOTHES. He felt her squeeze his bicep and laugh airily. "You think so?" she said moving a little to showcase her dress, "My lovely friends at Dior made sure to get me a one-and-only. I told them tonight was special," she said looking at him dead in the eye.
"How modest for the occasion, you know, it being a charity ball" retorted Bernard. He was coming for her wealth.
"It is perfect for the occasion. You see, too much bling calls for too much attention, bright colors look for dramatics," she said, eyeing his light green suit, "Black is sleek, elegant, professional, and perfect. Anyone with knowledge of this type of event knows this. What do you think, Timmy?" she said gazing up at him. This time he knew she wasn't just being passive-aggressive with him, she was being sincere. Asking for his opinion on how she looked in the night.
"I think, you look absolutely gorgeous like always, and would you look at that, once again, my tie matches your dress," he says winking at her and she giggles softly.
"Tim is a black tie, you have a million of those" deadpanned Bernard but was ignored by Tim, who was too engrossed with Y/n.
"You think so?" she asked softly
"You know, I always think you are absolutely ethereal" he responds just as softly.
Just as she is about to speak again, they are interrupted by a man looking for the CEO of Wayne Enterprises. "Save a dance for me, gorgeous, I'll be right back," he said as he walked away.
She giggled and waved goodbye. She turned to look at Bernard, alone and right where she wanted him. She extends her hand at him and says, "A dance?" She gives her most beautiful smile and he knows he is fucked if he declines. There are too many people watching.
"Of course"
As they near the dance floor, she walks by her family and the Waynes. Dick and Jason are looking at them with their mouths open, Stephanie, Barbara, Cass, and Duke were intrigued and drinking everything up. William and Bruce were caught up in a discussion, and Damian was nowhere to be seen. Charlisse, always one to adore utter chaos, winked at her sister once she caught her eye. The finally reached the dancefloor and so the music began.
"So Bernard, what brings you here? I didn't know Tim and you stayed friends after all of it"
"We didn't." He said shortly, she noted he did not want to engage in conversation with her.
"Oh...pity. Tim is a most loving friend" she says
"I'm sure he is, Miss Vanderbilt. Which is why I came. To see if that friendship could be rekindled" he said. The way he said friendship rubbed Y/n the wrong way. He was not here for a friendship.
"That so" she said and smiled at him, "How curious"
"Listen, you may think that just because you were his latest kink, that it won't happen. You are just a little girl with money, and once that runs out of style, you both are left with nothing in common. No middle ground, nothing to base a romance on. What Tim and I had was real and I'm here to prove it. You are just another obstacle in our way. "
From an outsiders view, it must have looked like Bernard has said the funniest joke to the young woman with how hard she laughed.
"Bernard, let me correct you. I am not a little girl with money, I am a woman with power. Don't get them twisted. And if you are so sure, why hasn't he made a move yet? Where's your invitation to a dance? Let him make it public that Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne is back with Bernard Dowd. Oh wait..he won't. Want to know how I know that?'' She got closer to his ear and whispered, "Because Bernard my sweet, did you notice how easy it was to ignore you in my presence? Keep that in mind for the rest of your night" Y/n giggled and twirled herself just as the dance was over. She clapped at him as she looked at him dead in the eye. "And one last thing...if you love your career, I suggest you don't touch him again. Connections do wonders in this world, you know. Enjoy the rest of your night." She winked and walked back to her family.
Not too long later she feels someone's presence behind her and turns to find Tim, looking at her knowingly. "You owe me a dance"
Gladly, they both walk towards the dance floor hand in hand, hearing camera shudders as they did. Once there, the began to slow dance, swaying side to side.
"Now, angel, what could have poor Bernard possibly done to get the ice treatment this lovely night. And don't think lying is an option because you know I know your tells." He said lowly in your ear and you knew you were a goner.
"He was too close" you muttered and Tim laughed hard.
"What do you mean too close?" He asked filled with amusement
"Did you invite him?"
"No, angel, his invite was accidental. They forgot to erase him from my list of invites. It was a mistake." he reassures and you relax a little.
"Do you miss him?" Y/n asks looking up at Tim, fixating on his lips for a moment and then staying on his eyes. He smirks, having caught you looking at his lips, and answers. "No, I do not. Things are...different now. I have someone else in mind" he says looking directly into your eyes and for a moment you swore he could be talking about you.
"Which is whomst?" She asks and he huffs
"Don't tell me you don't know?"
"I am scared to find out" she whispers. Just as he was about to answer, they heard clapping. The music stops and it is time for Tim to make his speech thanking everyone in assistance. He gives her a kiss on her hand and walks away, promising that they will talk later.
As she walks back to her family, she makes eye contact with an angry Bernard. She gives him a knowing smile and walks towards her family's table. There Mark, Antoine, William and Charlise raise their glass at her whilst Aurora and Franchesca roll their eyes at them.
Y/n laughs at their antics and sits down.
—•—
That night as she was preparing to go to sleep, she heard a notification from her phone go off.
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Extra:
Bernard and Tim was a rocky breakup at best that really left them both super hurting. It was messy and the public had a blast with it. The fact that Y/n helped avoid a scandal really helped Tim’s image. They are still the public’s #1
Tim is tired of holding his feelings to himself
He had once said he’d never go detective on Y/n but after that talk where they “ended” things, Tim’s brain went on override and decided “fuck it”. So he did it and was able to understand that Y/n feels something for him. Looking back at the videos and the pictures helped him get there. Not only that, when they started to hang out more often, he noticed it. Now he just needs to fess up so that he hears it from her. He does not want to pressure her into it. If he has her, it will be because she wants to be with him.
He literally forgets the world when he looks at her.
Bernard had been flirting with him but he couldn’t keep his eyes away from Y/n. He is mesmerized by her and it will always be like so.
He knows she’s jealous. Why do you think he was so smirky and amused? He knows his baby. He also knows Bernard was pissing her off. So he didn’t mind her being bitchy.
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1-8oo-wtfbro · 1 year
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Jason sending Tim pictures of cardinals with the caption “this u” after he becomes red robin. like, every time he sees a cardinal (which is surprisingly often) he takes a pic and sends it to him.
One day Tim gets sick of the spamming so he just sends a video of a trash can exploding and goes “this u”
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grimlin-gromlin · 1 year
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daydreamerwonderkid · 8 months
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"If you actually read the comics, you wouldn't be into Batfam-"
Bitch, I'm in the Batfam fandom BECAUSE of the comics.
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blueflipflops · 1 year
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I think personally Dick should be allowed to kill the Joker then Jason can kill Catalina Flores. It would be great. Just bros helping bros.
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starrycassi · 2 months
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I'm going through the major art block ever so if anyone wants me to write literally anything (short of sex and the likes, u know) about any of the fandoms I'm in just like. tell me. Damn I'll write oc shit if you want me to I'm just so out of ideas rn
Or if u like any of my series and want it to continue? Tell me. College is draining all of my braincells so I need to get back to creative work
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Not the be a kill joy, because Tim being one wrong coffee order away from becoming a serial killer is a funny meme, but that’s all it is. If the RR comics wanted to show him as a murder, it would have been emphasized by the narrative. That’s not something you vaguely imply or let the audience just assume, especially of someone whom follows Batman’s no kill rule. It’s definitely a close call, but the lack of emphasis speaks for itself. Tim didn’t kill people in that base, and frankly, he’d be absolutely horrified with himself if he did.
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lukezar · 10 months
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A Lightning/Flash of Light JASON TODD AFTER HIS DEATH (RESURRECTION)
Chapter 2: Bruce's point of view
[Continuation..]
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It's been too long, longer than I'd like, it's been a while since I found Jason's grave without his body. I remember every feeling of my being, every bit of anger I felt, from when I lost Jason, when the Joker captured him, tortured and killed my Robin back then, from when I found out that Todd's grave was ransacked that night, how now I have spent days or even weeks without finding any trace of my son's body.
I've had sleepless nights, which would be considered normal, but these days? These days it's been worse. How I make every mistake, every mistake, with this boy. Still, I won't stop, I can't stop, I won't let him down again, no matter what, I just want to bring him back home.
That's where my thoughts are interrupted by seeing the light on the computer screen blinking over and over again. I get up from my chair in this whole dark cave, and I remember, and I check after having removed all the possibilities, I find myself in the only possible place... The Lazarus pit. A small chance that this ends in something good, to find a clue after all this time. It is then that I set out to embark on a direct journey to the location that was most likely to find answers, I head there as fast as I can, wanting not to raise my hopes so that they simply crumble easily.
From one moment to the next, I find myself in a passageway, walking cautiously, until I stop when I see a large door that leads to a large jade patio, meeting the gaze of someone who doesn't surprise me; Ra's Al Ghul himself.
– “Wow, you surprise me. What is Batman doing here between my territories? –
I keep quiet as I watch him and frown. I have to be careful, and I stay alert to realize that in the next second that passes, a sword is thrown like that at my head, although I dodge it. With that light attack, an exchange of blows and short and long distance attacks began on both sides, and despite this, I don't know how long we were fighting, all my concentration was on the fight in order to continue advancing, however It wasn't until the moment that I heard a couple of doors open and it was in those moments that I directed a slight look at the cause of that slight sound, until I saw it. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing, I could see Jason in those same seconds, he was alive, he was standing and breathing. I didn't know the exact time, that later, I could feel it rushing towards me; my mind went blank.
The boy ran in the middle of the fight and clung to me with a formidable grip and it even seemed that he could vanish again at any moment, so I grabbed him in the same way, pulling him towards me if that was possible more than I currently was. I still couldn't believe it, Jason, my son was here and when I felt it I had no doubt that he was him, although he still wasn't sure how or why. What I did notice is that Ra's Al Ghul's attacks had ceased, apparently that happened as soon as Jason's figure was introduced to us; I wanted to ask several questions, but before I could get a single word out of me, Jason's grip loosened and I turned my full attention again and watched as the boy slowly faded away, slowly losing consciousness. When he completely let go of me I quickly made sure to catch him before he hit the cold tile floor. With more calm I proceed to have an exchange of words with the one who is also called the head of the demon.
Now I'm moving, I'm going straight back, with Jason by my side, keeping him as close to me as possible, with so many questions and questions in my head that could wait later because I just found out that the boy, the one I thought was dead, has come back alive
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Okay, my administration is horrible. In the first song it turned out to be longer than what I wrote, and now in this one I wanted a better song than the one I present but it was the opposite (that song was shorter only to accompany the reading), so yes, maybe it's the text's fault, but with Batman there are more things that man could express internally and that would be long, so I tried not to cover too much in Batman's thoughts to also focus on the reunion with his second Robin , although I must admit that this time I had more inspiration than the other time at the time of writing, and if that continues, the chapters will become longer. I also think that in the last part I feel that he says it as a bit cold, although I'm not sure.
ESPAÑOL
Un Rayo/Destello de Luz - Cap 2: Punto de vista de Bruce
JASON TODD, DESPUÉS DE SU MUERTE (RESURRECCIÓN)(QUE PASARIA SI...)
[Continuación de esto...]
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Ha pasado demasiado tiempo, más del que me gustaría, ha pasado un tiempo desde que halle la tumba de Jason sin su cuerpo. Recuerdo cada sentir de mi ser, cada pisca de enojo que sentí, desde que perdí a Jason, cuando el guasón lo capturó, torturo y mato a mi Robin de ese entonces, de cuando me entere que la tumba de Todd fue saqueada esa noche, de cómo ahora llevo días o incluso semanas sin encontrar ningún rastro del cadáver de mi hijo.
Llevo noches sin dormir, lo cual se consideraría normal, ¿pero en estos días?, en estos días ha sido peor. Como cometo cada fallo, cada error, con este chico. Aun así, no voy a detenerme, no puedo detenerme, no le volveré a fallar, no importa que, solo deseo traerlo de vuelta a casa.
Es ahí donde mis pensamientos son interrumpidos al ver la luz de la pantalla de la computadora parpadeando una y otra vez. Me levanto de mi silla en toda esta cueva oscura, y recuerdo, y compruebo después de haber quitado todas las posibilidades, me encuentro en el único lugar posible… El pozo de Lázaro de Ra’s Al Ghul. Una pequeña posibilidad de que esto termine en algo bueno, por encontrar una pista después de todo este tiempo. Es entonces que me dispongo a embarcarme en un viaje directo a la localización que era más probable encontrar respuestas, me dirijo hacia allá lo más rápido que se me permite, deseando no crearme grandes esperanzas para que simplemente se desmoronen fácilmente.
De un momento a otro, me encuentro en un pasadizo, caminando con cautela, hasta que me detengo al ver una puerta grande que lleva a un patio amplio de jade, y es donde me situó ahora, encontrándome con la mirada de quien no me sorprende; el propio Ra’s Al Ghul.
– “Vaya, me sorprendes. ¿Qué hace acá Batman entre mis territorios?” –
Me mantengo en silencio mientras lo observo y frunzo el ceño. Debo de ser cuidadoso, y me mantengo alerta para darme cuenta de que en el siguiente segundo que pasa, una espada es lanzada así mi cabeza, aunque la esquivo. Con ese ligero ataque, se dio inicio un intercambio de golpes y ataques de corta y larga distancia por ambas partes, y pese a ello, no sé cuánto tiempo estuvimos combatiendo, toda mi concentración estaba en la pelea para así poder seguir avanzando, sin embargo, no fue hasta el momento que oí un par de puertas abrirse y fue en esos instantes que dirigí una leve mirada del causante de aquel leve sonido, hasta que lo vi. No podía creer lo que estaban viendo mis ojos, pude ver a Jason en esos mismos segundos, él estaba vivo, estaba parado y respirando. No supe el tiempo exacto, que luego, pude sentirlo abalanzarse hacia mí; mi mente se quedo en blanco.
El chico corrió en media pelea y se aferró a mí con un agarre formidable e incluso pareciera que otra vez en cualquier momento se podría desvanecer, así que lo agarre de la misma manera atrayéndolo hacia mi si era eso posible más de lo que actualmente estaba. Seguía sin poder creerlo, Jason, mi hijo estaba aquí y cuando lo sentí no me queda duda que era el, aunque aun no estaba seguro de como o la razón. De lo que si me percate es que los ataques de Ra’s Al Ghul habían cesado, al parecer eso ocurrió ni bien se nos presento la figura de Jason; quería hacer varias preguntas, pero antes de que pudiera salir una sola palabra de mí, el agarre de Jason se aflojo y volví a dirigirme hacia la mi total atención y ver como poco a poco el chico se desvanecía, perdiendo la conciencia lentamente. Cuando se soltó completamente de mi rápidamente me asegure de atraparlo antes que tocara la losa del frío suelo. Ya con más calma procedo a tener un intercambio de palabras con aquel que lo hacen llamar también la cabeza del demonio.
Ahora me estoy moviendo, voy directo de regreso, con Jason a mi lado, manteniéndolo lo más cerca posible de mí, con tantas preguntas y cuestiones en mi cabeza que podrían esperar después porque me acabo de enterar que el chico, aquel que creí muerto, ha vuelto vivo.
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Okey, mi administración es una basura. En la primera canción resultó más larga de lo que escribí, y ahora en esta es todo lo contrario, así que si, tal vez es culpa del texto, pero es que con Batman hay más cosas que el hombre podría expresar internamente y eso seri largo, por lo que intente no abarcar mucho en la parte de los pensamientos de Batman para enfocarme en el reencuentro con su segundo Robin, aunque debo de admitir que esta vez tuve más inspiración que la otra vez al momento de escribir, y si eso sigue así, los capítulos se harán más largos. También creo que en la última parte siento que lo dice como un poco frío, aunque no estoy segura.
Respecto a la historia, no estoy satisfecha ni insatisfecha así que lo considero aceptable, no soy del tipo de perosnas que se les da bien transmitir las frustaciones o los sentimientos del personaje, pero eso esta bien.
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randoparody · 29 days
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Local babysitter allows having vegan combo once
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We aren’t swapping Duke and Steph enough tbh
Like in an AU where Elaine Thomas never managed to get away from Gnomon (Duke’s bio dad), Duke has zero intentions of actually helping his dad so Evil Immortal Things and every intention of fucking him over. So he becomes Signal to use what he knows form his dad’s weird and borderline abusive attempts to bond with him to like, get him caught by the Justice League, all while Elaine tries to stop herself from having a heart attack daily.
Meanwhile Crystal Brown is Jokerized or killed or whatever by a villain attack, and so Stephanie Brown, newly thrown into Gotham’s foster system, decides to join We Are Robin, partially because she’s angry as shit at the injustices that let her dad keep escaping and killed her mom, partially because she loves Batman and Robin, and partially because she likes fucking over police. And then decides she wants to throw bricks more, hence, Spoiler.
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vodrae · 4 months
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Rich pregnant socialite: So we went to this clinic and let them manipulate our genes so we're 100% sure our child won't have any disease, he will have my hair and his father eyes and so much things we did for him! And you Bruce ?
Brucie: Found em in the trash. Except Tim, he found me in the trash.
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luvly-writer · 4 months
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"XOXO''
Ch. 9 Underneath the mask, there's a heart
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Author's note: I had so much motivation to write these two chapters! I mean, these scenes did not get out of my brain and allow me to think of anything else this weekend. I have no idea when the next chapter will come out seeing as this week I have to deal with a few finals but I am so happy I got through with these two. Originally I was going to do ONE long ass chapter but decided to cut it into two. As always your feedback is welcomed! Enjoy <3
Warnings: Parental neglect
Taglist: @w31rdg1rl @mxtokko @loonymoonystuff @grandstrangerphanthom @1lellykins
if you’d like to be added to the taglist, just leave me a comment <3
Masterlist:
-•-
They went out of the hall and up a few stairs. Tim did not know where he was going, he just wanted to get the two of them away from her family as fast as possible. Finally, they got into a hall with a huge balcony. They entered and Tim closed the door. They stayed in a comfortable silence.
"When you said your family was unbearable, I was expecting snobby and classist, not a targeted interview and a blatant pedophile," he said finally turning to her. Yn leaned on the stone rails of the balcony breathing fresh air.
"I did tell you to expect anything" she answered softly. Tim walked closer to her. He said goosebumps rising on her arms and took off his suit jacket. He placed it on her and smiled when she snuggled in it.
"What was all of that?" he questioned looking at her, "You have been acting slightly out of it ever since I arrived. You don't quip back with my comments and you make yourself seem small around your family. What is going on, Yn? Where's the force to be reckoned with that I am constantly with?" he asked showing pure concern. Yn looked at him and he swore he would see tears welling up in her eyes.
"I..." she began and he took her hand in his.
"You can tell me anything, angel. We are friends, right?" he said and she nodded. She took a deep breathe and began.
"I'm... I'm not even sure where should I begin" she laughed, "Ever since we were little, my father has placed the unbelievable task of always being extraordinary. We needed to get the best grades, be top of our grades, get into the best colleges, surround ourselves with the best people, if we went into any extracurriculars, we had to stand out. He would say that we are representing the Vanderbilt name everywhere we go. It is better to be envied than to be related. Admiration has to be everything. Why be yourself when you can be a Vanderbilt triumph. As we grew older, his expectations rose.Aurora, the eldest, is the one who has taken it with the most grace out of the three. Everywhere she went, it was as if a line of gold followed her. Top of her grade, class president, multiple medals as a horse rider, abundant class and grace, motherly, warm, blinding smile, and neverending kindness. There has never been a moment when she has not made our father anything less than proud. Between the two of us, she has my vote as CEO. She is my mother's favorite. Mine too if we are honest. Then there's Charlisse. If Aurora is gold, she is shining silver. She is cunning, ambitious, quick-witted, ruthless, rough, strong, top of her grade as well, captain of her fencing team, who also owns a good amount of medals, and ruthless. Both queens of the school in their moment, beautiful and intelligent. Graduated from university magna cum laude and went straight into the family business. Where Aurora has always been more like mom, hence why she's her favorite; Charlisse is more like dad; meaning that she is the closest to becoming his favorite. And then..there's me" she said.
"Then there's you" Tim affirmed softly
"The black sheep of the family" corrected and Tim looked at her baffled.
"Impossible," he said and she shook her head.
"Not so impossible. I have tried everything to be like them, and no matter what, it has never been enough for the old man. In some ways, I am like them. Perfect grades, top of my year, captain of the tennis team, multiple medals... but to my father, and by association Charlisse as well, I lack character. Aurora is a natural-born leader and Charlisse will do whatever it takes to get to the top. Both of them have an ongoing unspoken competition that seems to never die. Hence our current problem. You see, according to the papers and the succession line, Aurora is supposed to be CEO, and Charlisse is supposed to be COO; but one day, a fight erupted, and Charlise was tired of feeling constantly second to Aurora so she demanded that father make her a runner up for CEO as well, and because she is his favorite, father approved. From then on, both were being trained to become CEOs. My father loves good competition and claims that it is always healthy for the best outcome. Only the best of the best wins. When that happened, in a sense, my father expected me to join the competition as well.."
"But you didn't" Tim finished and she nodded.
"I didn't and that angered my father. He said that I lacked character because of how coddled I was by Aurora and Mom and that I truly couldn't do anything worth noticing...that I was too soft for a family like ours. By then, I had been in the middle of middle school...and I sought out to prove him wrong." she continued and Tim nodded.
"So you became the ice queen" he deduced and she nodded.
"yea...it wasn't that hard, I mean coming from a highly rich and highly respected family where your older sisters were known as the social queens placed you in a certain advantage. So I became the Ice Queen. Instead of friendly and warm, serious and cold. People did anything to be in my favor and it began to feel nice"
"Being feared?"
"Being respected. Soon word got to my dad. He finally heard that his daughter had that spark he had been looking for. Everybody bowed down to her, everyone wanted to be around her, and people would do crazy things just to get her favor. It was the first time my father expressed he was proud of me. He had the three queens he needed. Gold, silver, and Ice. It's easy to put that front. If someone disrespected you, they were taken care of; if anyone tried to step out of line, blackmail; if someone wanted to defy the hierarchy, public humiliation; all of the control was in my hands...and I didn't like it but it was the only way to make my father proud. You see, excelling in grades and extracurriculars was the minimum, what matters is how you were. Finally, when I graduated high school, I thought it would be over because in my head a CEO would already be chosen, but their competition got worse. It involved the public eye. Who had the most beautiful wedding, who did the most charity, who spoke the most eloquently, it was a mess and my father wanted me to partake in it. When I expressed that I did not want to form part of this, he got angry for how could I turn my back on my family. And so as punishment, he signed that when he saw fit, I would become the next CMO. In order to do so, I have to be married. I proposed that I would do it, as long as he let me choose my husband and he agreed. That was when I was 18. Four years later, he decides that I have taken too long and strikes up a deal with Mr. Morris, a sick man with a good amount of money that my father can manipulate easily. That brings us to our current situation" she finishes.
Tim stayed quiet for a moment.
"I know how it feels" he finally speaks up. She looks at him and motions for him to proceed.
"There is no better person to sort of understand what you have gone through. I mean, Bruce doesn't actively send us to compete against each other. If he had his way, none of us would have to. You see, we compare ourselves to each other a lot, not just in our everyday lives, but in masks as well. Dick is the first son and first robin. He basically created the thing. Not only that, he has been the only one trusted to don the Batman cowl-"
"I knew it!" she said and Tim looked at her surprised.
"Oh sorry, it's just I knew it. I don't remember how long ago but I do remember being in my room's balcony and seeing Batman and he did NOT look like he did normally. He was leaner and shorter and I remember saying 'Batman looks different today' but I couldn't pin point exactly what it was. Then I told Satine and Clara and they made ME look insane for noticing the difference." she laughed lightly and Tim snorted a laugh. "Anyways, sorry for interrupting, continue," she said and scootched a little closer to him. They were still standing next to one another, but she had slowly gotten closer as he spoke. Looking for warmth or interested, Tim did not know.
"Let's go inside, angel, you will freeze to death here," he said pulling her inside and locking the balcony door. They sat beside each other on one of the sofas of the room and Tim continued what he was saying,
"As I was saying, before you so rudely interrupted me" Yn stuck her tongue out to him and he rolled his eyes at her, "He has basically become the vigilante blueprint for all of us. The Golden Boy Grayson. Good moral, great leader, strong character in a good way. Even with his strong and angsty temperament, which is not fun to deal with by the way, he still manages to be the best of us. Then there's Jason, the fallen and revived Robin, the only one to go the extra mile to do what's right. The one that justifies the means with its end. Once he finally started therapy and began healing, you could see the clear heart of gold that resides in the first place. Then you have the girls, each in their own right is amazing. Barbara's brain and compassion, Cassie's strive to be the best of herself and to bring the best out of us, Stephanie's charm, humor, and pure skill. Then there's Duke, who is I believe the true best of all of us and the most normal. He has a heart that is incomparable and he is never afraid to show it. Finally, there is Damian, who is all skill, mind, and power. Even as young as he is, that boy is one force of nature and he is the only one that is Bruce's biologica child. Not only was he the reason Robin no longer belongs to me but he could be the reason Wayne Enterprises might end for me as well.They are all great each to their own right and own up to it and they all came from some place shitty and grew from it...what's not to envy" Tim finishes.
Yn smiles at him and moves closer to him, laying her head on his shoulders.
"I think there is a lot to envy and admire in Tim Drake as well." she tells him softly
"Yeah?" he smiles looking at her.
"Yeah, I mean, you are the world's greatest detective. Second to only Batman, and some people might say even better. Plus, you also have a heart of gold, Tim. You are quite literally a genius. You, like your siblings, stay up every night to make this mess of a city a better place. You put your life in complete danger to help others. You are just as great to your own right as your siblings. Didn't you tell me you have been quite literally the only person to discover who Batman is and in what age?" she asks
"Age nine" he tells her and her jaw drops
"Holy....Tim, what the fuck? You are amazing!" she says and he just laughs. It felt good to receive some praise.
"Hey, this is the first time I have heard you curse! I am becoming a good influence on you" he points out and she hits his arm lightly
"More like a bad influence" she responds making him laugh harder, "My point is proven even more, Tim. You are brilliant. I'm pretty sure that Batman and Bruce and everyone in your family and team wouldn't be the same without you," she states taking his hand in hers and giving it a light squeeze. He takes his hand off hers and with that same arm, pulls her in for a hug.
"So how come you can see my worth, yet you can't see yours?" he asks her and she shrugs. They move a little and get into a more comfortable position, still cuddling.
"I guess it is difficult to try to have a mind of your own when your family is trying to control every aspect of your life to make it fit their idea of perfect" she says.
"What if that's why your father takes it out on you so much?" he asks and she looks at him curiously,
"Hate what you can't control so much that it becomes obedient against its will," he explains and she whispers lowly, "Might be"
They stay there cuddling for a while until Tim remembers something
"One more question," he says
"You seem to have an endless supply of them but go ahead" she replies
"Hey, I'm a detective, it's part of the job description"
"Ok, detective, what is your big query?"
"What's the big deal of the painting?" he asks and he can feel her tense up in his arms. She stays quiet for some time and Tim begins to panic. "You do not have to answer if you don't want to, angel. I won't push-"
"It's mine," she answers softly, "...when I was a child, my grandmother lived in Florence, Italy. I would stay with her every summer per her request and I loved it," she took a shuddering deep breath and continued, "I was so happy there you know. She would take me to museums, cafes, and road trips. I started to get a fixation on art and she got the best teachers to give me class every summer. From charcoals, to watercolors, to sketching, to symmetry, to abstract, to realism, I learned everything that there was possible to learn...and I loved it! It was my passion and it just so happens I had a really great hand for it. She would host a gala at the end of the summer and showcase my paintings. Most would have been sold by the end of the night. That money would go to a bank account she had for me and told me that I would be able to access it once I graduated from university, as a gift. One summer, I put my heart and soul into this painting. It was one of my favorite trees in my grandmother's estate, a weeping willow. To make it fancier, I titled it in French, Le Saule Pleureur. My grandparents loved it. Everyone loved the painting and wanted to buy it, yet it was the only painting they never sold. Later, that year, I went to the Met Museum and told my grandparents I would love to have my own creation placed there someday. So for my 16th birthday, they surprised me by having that painting placed in the Met. Now every time they would come visit us, they would stay in their apartment in New York and we would go to the Met and pay the painting a visit. None of my family members here knew I could paint, so imagine their surprise when they came with us one time and saw my creation there. It is a sacred painting to me and my father knows that...and now, he just threw it away for the sake of winning this twisted game we are playing..." she said and started to tear up. "...For once in my life, I had a taste of what it felt like to be my own person and have something of my own and he just ripped that away because of his stupid company" she said dejectedly.
"What do you mean?" Tim asked curiously
"My whole life has been controlled by that man. From the moment I was born, I had a role to play. Another perfect daughter to the perfect family of the Vanderbilts who would then go on to become part of the Vanderbilt Hotels company. I wasn't allowed to do certain things, watch certain things, act a certain way, be with certain people, eat certain things, or be anything that did not scream Vanderbilt...the worst part was that no one ever asked what I wanted to be, who I wanted to be...until I came to Florence. Sure, people knew who I was, but no one actually cared? And it was so refreshing to be no one and being no one granted you freedom. Not only that, it was the only place I was asked what I wanted to do, and what did I like. My father has no jurisdiction over my grandparents and it felt great! There I was allowed to be, to feel, to dream, and I noticed, I didn't want what everyone else wanted from me," she said with a soft sigh
"What did you want to be and do?" Tim asked, his tone sincere. He did not know it, but he had been added to the list of Yn's favorite people, because ever since they met, the one thing Tim never stopped doing, was ask about her and try to get to know her and it had nothing to do with the Vanderbilt name. It just had to do with Yn.
"I never wanted the CEO position, or the COO, or the CMO. I wanted to be a painter and open up my own gallery and cafe. I wanted to name it Margaret's" she said smiling.
"Why Margaret's?" Tim asked also smiling. He asked and listened.
"My grandmother's name is Margaret. I wanted to honor her." she answered.
"Why not name it after yourself?" he asked again and she turned to look at him "How so?" she asked.
"Name it something after you, Yn, and celebrate your individuality" he answered and she felt her heart warm up, "You have spent your entire life searching to please everyone else, so why not name it after you?" he asked and she stiffened.
"Oh no no no wait, this is just a dream, Timmy, I can't do that. My father will find a way to disown me or or shut the whole thing down. He is real serious about continuing his legacy...why do you think we are doing this entire thing? I know that the only thing I can escape is this marriage, not the life," she said dejectedly. Tim stayed quiet for a second. Even if sometimes he and his siblings hated their situation, they could recognize that they had some freedom. They had chosen this life as vigilantes, and Bruce had always given them the chance to do whatever they pleased with their civilian lives. They had always had a choice, weather its was continue or not, they had a choice. They would support each other no matter what.
"you know….you are passionate, you are kind, you are beautiful, you are intelligent, resourceful, you are unique, unlike your sisters, you were able to break free from that chain of control, Yn, you are someone worth seeing.……and I see you," Tim said.
“Thank you, Timmy,” she said looking up at him as he hugged her tighter, "And most importantly, you will be free from all of this. I don't know how we are doing it, but this small heist of ours just raised the stakes." he told her.
"what do you have in mind?" she asked curious to see where this is going.
"Not only are we going to set you free from this damn arranged marriage, but we are setting you free period. And I’m introducing you to a whole new world," he said standing up and pulling her with him, "Miss Y/n Vanderbilt, I am about to become the worst influence in your life and introducing you to all the things your father forbade" he finished mimicking a British accent her giggle.
"Where are we going, Mister Drake Wayne?" she asked mimicking the way of speaking of a period drama".
"Have you ever been to Batburger, my lady" he asked making a curtsy
"I have not, kind sir" she said doing a curtsy of her own
"Well, you are in luck, because tonight's most refined dinner is there, cause I can assure you those small ass portions of tonight's dinner did absolutely nothing to my stomach. I feel famished." he said making her laughs and nodd in agreance. They were nearing the door but before they went out, Yn pulled Tim's hand and stopped him.
"Wait...Tim" she said and he turned to look back at her, raising an eyebrow," I also see you….just wanted you to know that" she said sweety and Tim smiled.
"Thank you, angel, that means a lot" he said, placing a kiss on her forehead and pulling her along.
They ran out of the room, holding hands, laughing loudly. They kept on running, with Yn leading the way to the nearest exit. They would shush each other trying to not get caught and finally went out the back door, smiling really bright.
Watching their exit from above a few stairs were Yn's mother and Aurora.
"Should we say something?" asked Aurora, who was worried for her younger sister. "No," said their mother, "Yn deserves this. If your father has a problem with it, he will come to me," she said and both women smiled at each other. They approved of Tim for Yn.
-•-
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ashoss · 27 days
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some things dont change
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grimlin-gromlin · 10 months
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introduced my friend to Jason "died but got better. tried teaching my dad to stop with the whole child endangerment thing by becoming the danger to the child myself. insane. was physically dead, now is just mentally dead" Todd today
and she just went "...oh my god, there is so much wrong with him, what the fuck. i love him."
which. yeah not suprised at all actually
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