Okay, a "Bruce who loves children and is great with kids" thought.
The Drakes, upon having Tim, organized a small private party to introduce their baby to the elite of Gotham. They haven't been out of town for months, they will not for the next months as well, they are not used to staying in the same place with nothing to do (apart from taking care of Janet and now Tim) for so long, they need a reason to see people and do something.
Bruce Wayne, a young Batman at night without any children following him yet, decides that it would be great for Brucie to show to his neighbors' party with some gifts. He needs to appear more in public, but he is tired af, so he thinks this will be easier than partying (also, he is too busy at night and Alfred told him to go, that he needs to socialize more or something)
People are a bit surprised to see Brucie Wayne, well-known playboy that does whatever he wants and throws money at all his problems, be at an alcohol-free private party about a baby, but aside from some side eyes, nothing happens. Well, until Tim is passed around.
You see, as parents of a newborn, the Drakes are tired, and this party is perfect to help them get out of this monotone period of their life, but also to make other people look after their baby, while they have some discussions about their business and hobbies. So, baby Timothy is given to people to hold, but nobody is really interested in him, most people came to talk with the Drakes, and he goes from hands to hands, until he is in Bruce's arms.
Bruce isn't here for business. Maybe he should be participating in the conversations, but he is tired, and he doesn't really want to. And, suddenly, someone gives him Tim. Bruce looks at this small baby in his arms, and he feels something awakening in him. He wants to protect and held him forever.
At this party, gently holding Tim, Bruce realizes that he wants to be a father. He never really thought about it before, he always had grief on his mind, and now, as he is holding this small child, he realizes he really wants that. He wants a family, he wants to hear children's laughter in the manor, he wants to hold a child closely to him, to share his warmth with them and feel their small heart beating. But he cannot, he is Batman, he has planned for himself a life of violence and pain. He will die in his suit, protecting Gotham. Protecting innocent children and babies like Tim, so they can grow up in a better world.
Therefore, as he holds Tim gently for the rest of the party, his eyes not leaving the sleeping face of the infant, he mourns the family he can never have. He makes this moment last as long as he can, as he dreams of and mourns the children he cannot have.
As it was a small private party, there were no paparazzi, no pictures taken of Brucie Wayne smiling softly at the baby in his arm, and Bruce never spoke about it to Alfred, even if his butler of a father could see that Bruce was off after the event. It's a secret he keeps to himself. And, when Tim comes around, Bruce promises himself he will never tell him about it. And he never did.
Unless... Unless he let it slip out one night, after his (now officially) son got really hurt doing some self-sacrificing bs they all do once in a while.
every single country that has voiced support for israel's "self defense", every single politician, anchor, news outlet, zionist, and person baying for the blood of palestinians is complicit in genocide. (Oct. 17) a hospital was purposefully bombed today, killing 500 people (the death toll bound to climb as reports come in), and israel says "hamas" as a paper-thin flimsy excuse to justify murdering doctors, patients, and everyone sheltering there. western media pieces of shit will say "major loss of civilian life" in the face of real-time genocide like it was simply an unfortunate incident or natural disaster. like isarel didn't deliberately murder human beings. israeli historian and genocide scholar said this a textbook case of genocide. and the west still does nothing, and worse than nothing: aiding and generating propaganda to justify it. COMPLICIT. COMPLICIT IN AND PARTY TO GENOCIDE.
The reason why I always emphasize that utrh era Jason is 18/19 and refuse to let people forget that Jason and Tim are canonically 2 years apart is because the concept of Jason as a fairly young adult with little to no support system is a fascinating concept to me and it goes under explored in both canon and fanon. I think it adds such an interesting wrinkle to the everything and is a great contrast to all the Red Hood shit. I’m thinking about New Earth Jason specifically here, he’s both younger than post-nu52 Jason and more isolated. Most people at 19, even if they can afford to be out on their own in this economy, still have contact with their family of origin for support. Jason is not only estranged from his family with little to no support system (depending on how much you interpret Talia being involved after Lost Days), he’s also doing mob boss shit while he’s still technically young enough to be somebody’s prom date. He didn’t go to his prom because he was probably in Russia learning how to make bombs or something (and because, yknow, the whole dying thing).
Jason is someone who both had to grow up too fast and by all means should be somewhat emotionally stunted. Not only does trauma stunt you he was catatonic for long enough that he’s missing literal years from his adolescence. He’s young enough that he’s still reeling from trauma from childhood and adolescence (late teens/ early twenties are peak ‘desperately trying to recover from childhood’ era).
I think underneath the rough Red Hood exterior that Jason should be naive in ways that people wouldn’t really expect. He doesn’t have much experience with relationships (both romantic and friendships), and it’s been years since he’s socialized much with people his age (he doesn’t socialize much at all he’s pretty isolated). I think even if he doesn’t look young that at times he would slip up and show that he is
Also I just love the contrast. I like the idea that sometimes you’ll hear Red Hood cackle without the helmet on and you’ll recognize traces of that 15 year old kid and then he’ll shoot someone immediately after. Like imagine if utrh was a Boy King of the underworld sorta deal
“A Fragment out of Time”, published in 1974. Kirk / Spock. page 1 page 2
I had to share it with you because I can’t stop laughing, and every time I reread it it just gets funnier and fUNNIER
I am the white (ish) guy
Reminder that communications in all of Gaza have been cut off for the past three days. This means no one can make calls to check on family members within Gaza or to report and call for help/ambulances following Israeli airstrikes. As a result, many end up dying due to injuries or being trapped under the rubble with no possible way of notifying anyone. Of course this also goes hand in hand with Israel intensifying their bombardment of every part of Gaza after having isolated it from the world.
You can help by purchasing e-sims. I will share a long post with all the details and instructions shortly and you can also Venmo smaller amounts if you're unable to buy a whole bundle so that bigger plans can be bought for families.
award-winning palestinian children's illustrator baraa awoor writes:
"what use is it to be an illustrator of children's books when the world has sentenced the children of your country to the death penalty, to vanish, to genocide?"
some of baraa's illustrations:
this is an illustration for youssef, whose mother is remembered running desperately into the hospital asking if anyone had seen a "small white boy with beautiful curly hair, his name is youssef," a description which was remembered by millions when she finally identified his body:
this illustration is for young omar, who was hugging his little brother and teaching him how to repeat the shahada after him (a prayer spoken by muslims before their death) as he lay on his hospital bed:
"we want a new year that doesn't kill us or our children, we want it a year without blood, without screaming, without pain, we want a new attempt to get our lives back, or something that resembled our life, even if life is a lie we still cling to it, return life to us—a new year's card unlike any other year:"