Harleyistinky

I've seen so much of Simon being afraid of Grace and coming out swinging, and Grace trying to be as gentle and accommodating as possible, and I do love that.

But I raise you this.

Ryland "at least he's not growing in me, ya know, cause that was a serious concern for a while" Grace seeing a mutated man, floating in a submarine full of blood, kinda half put off and nervous to touch a dead body like this Only for the man to wake up.

"NO! No! I'm not doing that!"

"[But Grace make friends with human-]"

"No!"

And Simon "I think I've done enough and I would really like to not be down here anymore. Please." Of Eden grasping onto the only human being around that he knows got him out of the sub.

"Please- Please I don't know what's happening-"

"No no no, don't touch me don't touch me-"

Grace being grossed out and unnerved by the alien?? human?? mutant?? and scared about what he might do if he gets close enough and Simon who just wants human contact again It hurts but it hurts sooo good.

I can just imagine how touch starved Simon is and he's trying to be as still and accommodating as he can to prove he won't hurt Grace. He likes the Eridians and is friendly to them all, trying to earn his keep and cover the teeth on cheek to see more human. Less scary.

And Grace, albeit a little nervous cause this man is a human being that he has no clue got out this far, finally feels safe enough that he isn't some shape shifting probing alien and starts reciprocating the touches Simon always tries to give, since where he used to live was very big on casual touching.

Except the first touch he ever gives the man is with a bright smile, like always, and a cheerful praise while grasping Simon's shoulder. And Simon's pupils dilate so big and Grace is so surprised when the man immediately locks him in the tightest hug he's ever received, a face stuffed into the side of his neck and shuddering breaths coming out of Simon. Touch Adverse Grace is an interesting concept, but I don't want this Grace touch Adverse. I don't want it to feel like : "Oh, Grace doesn't like anyone touching him, so don't be offended." I want it to feel like: "Oh no, Grace touches everyone and everything so- kinda weird that you're left outta that mix."

someone sitting at home alone, an active alcoholic, squandering your charity, drinking all day is better situation than a street homeless alcoholic. someone using drugs in your charity house is better than them doing the same w no shelter

most of you would not like most street homeless people, I definitely don’t and didn’t when I was street homeless. for every one person who uses unconditional shelter to turn themselves around, someone else will do jack shit and very slowly, if ever, work through the issues that made them homeless, will maybe never be able to live independently. still better than street homelessness, still worth doing. ultimately either you believe that shelter should be universal or you don’t

Jason: wOuLd YoU sTiLl LoVe Me If I wAs A wOrM

____

It was hard looking at Damian sometimes. Bruce's skill for picking up on small details only made it worse.

He loved his son; he really did. He remembered a 10-year-old Damian who was so little yet so angry at the world around him, confused because he had to relearn so many new things.

"You can't do that, Damian."

"Why not?"

"It's just not how we do things here."

At 10 years old, Damian left the only life he'd known to simply be with his father.

Bruce knew from the moment he saw Damian that there was no doubt that he was his son. The small nose, eyebrows, and the curls that weren't inherently his but reminded him so much of his own mother who had passed.

And Damian was beautiful, to say the least, for a child.

Bruce would hear the cooing of others around his son about how much Damian looked almost exactly like he had at 10. How his baby fat still rounded his cheeks and how, despite being 10, he was often mistaken for being 8. The pout that sprawled across his son's face whenever the assumption was brought up made Bruce want nothing more than to pick up Damian and pepper kisses along the grumpy scowl.

There was a hint of pride in Bruce seeing that Damian took after him. It made him feel closer to the son he hadn't even known he had.

Those years went by fast though, with Damian growing taller and losing the baby fat that had made his cheeks so round.

At 14, Bruce started to notice the changes in Damian's appearance.

He saw Talia.

There was already no doubt that Damian had picked up habits from his mother; he liked the same books she did, the smell of rain, and how when both were in deep thought, they would bite their lips, or how in arguments their noses would scrunch out of stubbornness. Damian argued much like his mother, too. Sometimes it was hard for Bruce to tell if he was actually arguing with Damian or Talia.

But this was different because, well, habits are simply habits; looking like one's mother is completely different.

Damian had inherited so much from Talia already, and her looks seemed to be no exception.

Bruce watched as Damian grew older. How his body had grown to be the same lithe and slight frame of his mother's; his eyes and skin were a given, Bruce remembering Damian begrudgingly accepting that his height wasn't going to grow any taller beyond 5'8", much like his mother once again. He had her lips too, Bruce noticed when he and Damian had been arguing about something that Damian didn't feel he was at fault for.

And despite the baby fat that had left his face, Damian still remained rather soft and delicate-looking.

Exactly like his mother.

Exactly like Talia.

It haunted Bruce. To look at his son and see the woman he once loved so dearly, to see her in Damian whenever they argued, whenever it rained and Damian would open all the windows, to catch Damian humming a song that sounded so familiar yet so distant at the same time.

Damian was beautiful, just like his mother. And it pained Bruce like nothing else.

He was grateful, however, to see that Damian had inherited all of Talia's great qualities: her undying strength, her smarts, the love she had for creatures of any kind, and her ability to argue like no other until she got what she knew was rightfully deserved. All of those were things that Bruce himself had admired once before. It still hurt.

Because when he looked at his son, when he looked at Damian, all he could see was Talia, and when he saw Talia, all he could think of was 'what if.'

What if things had worked out? What if they had been able to be together despite their clashing differences? What if they had been able to raise Damian with both a mother and father who still loved each other?

Bruce loved Damian more than anything in the world. He'd go to hell and back just for him—in fact, he did.

But Damian was also a haunting reminder of Talia.

Dick Grayson was not expecting much when he walked into the Gotham Public Library.

Sure, he’d heard the stories.

A mysterious new woman, a librarian of all things, who had somehow beaten the Joker without breaking a sweat.

Tim had been going insane trying to figure her out.

Jason was suspiciously quiet about the whole thing. (Which was already a red flag.)

And Stephanie? Stephanie had flat-out told him: “She’s like a cool aunt who could probably kill a man with a spoon.”

Which, honestly? Intriguing.

So, naturally, he had to see for himself.

The library was warm, a stark contrast to the dreary Gotham weather outside.

And there she was.

May Parker.

Sitting behind the counter, sorting through a stack of books with the kind of effortless focus that only librarians and crimefighters seemed to master.

But there was something else about her.

Something that immediately set off his instincts.

She carried herself like she was always aware of her surroundings.

Like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And when a sudden thud echoed from the back of the library, she subtly shifted, her fingers tensing—

Before realizing it was just a kid dropping a book.

She relaxed instantly, but Dick saw it.

That was not the reaction of a civilian.

And yet, when she looked up and smiled at him, she looked so… normal.

Dick had been in the game long enough to know that was bullshit.

He approached the counter with his best, most charming smile.

Dick: “Hey there. You must be the famous May Parker.”

May blinked up at him, clearly unimpressed.

May: “Famous? I think you have the wrong person.”

Dick leaned on the counter.

Dick: “Oh, I dunno. It’s not every day someone beats the Joker with a baseball bat.”

May gave him a look.

May: “I don’t know where people keep getting these rumors.”

Dick grinned.

Dick: “Uh-huh. Right.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying into his easy charm.

And honestly? He kind of respected that.

Then, Peter Parker came running up to her, clutching a book to his chest.

Peter: “May! Look, look! They have ‘The Hobbit’!”

May’s entire demeanor softened instantly.

She ruffled Peter’s hair, his curls jumping around everywhere, and smiled.

May: “Well, that’s a classic. You gonna read it all by yourself?”

Peter puffed up stars clear in his eyes.

Peter: “Uh-huh! And then I’ll read it to you!”

Dick watched the exchange, filing away the way May instinctively kept Peter close.

The way she subtly scanned the room before focusing on him again.

That was protection in its purest form.

And suddenly, Dick understood exactly why Jason had been so weird about her.

Because this woman?

She wasn’t just anyone.

She was someone who had fought for that kid.

Who had won against one of the worst monsters Gotham had to offer.

And she had done it without a mask. That kind of thing?

It wasn’t luck.

It was something else entirely.

Dick wasn’t stupid.

He knew better than to push too hard.

So he backed off, chatted about books, and let her think he was just some friendly guy making conversation.

But as he left, he sent Jason a message:

Dickwing: So. You like her.

Littlewing: Don’t start, Dickwing.

Dickwing: Oh, I’m starting. You’re down bad, Littlewing

Littlewing: Block me.

Dick laughed.

Because yeah.

May Parker?

and they don’t get paid for it they just do it because they’re having fun and they want to share their joy with you

where was this when I was in grad school???