#askcat5

Couch co-op or online?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

The characterizations in Put Your Best Self Forward, especially with the ending portion detailing everyone's reports

The analysis in It's You (It's Me), and how the Robins relate to (and conflict with) Bruce

The world-building for Divinely Defined, especially in regards to the explanation to Tim, Damian, and Dick's behavior during Bruce's presumed death

The world-building in In Control and Self-Possessed; I love how the sacrifice needed to create Robin and Robin's desire to remain in Gotham completely recontextualizes Dick's decision to become Nightwing and Bruce giving away Robin

The humor in #Ragnarok, with highlights going to everyone going "It's Gotham" in response to people being shot and the ending meme

I'm also very excited to see how In Control and Self-Possessed and #Ragnarok are going to develop. Specifically,

What is going to happen when Bruce is lost in time for In Control and Self-Possessed. Does Dick just use Nightwing's powers while pretending to be Batman? Does the spirit temporarily becomes Dick's? Does Dick get Raven to forcefully remove Robin from Tim, therefore splintering Robin in some way (since Tim becomes Red Robin) or is Robin just fully removed? Does Robin try to stop Damian from killing? How does Dick do with interacting with Robin and Damian as Batman? Are Jason (as Red Hood) and Steph (as Spoiler/Batgirl) just running around unempowered?

I really want to learn more about what's going on in with the family in #Ragnarok, since some of the things mentioned are very obviously true/false to the reader (Jason Todd is Alive), but others are more vague (Is Dick parenting Damian? He was definitely the primary caregiver during Bruce's time away, but is he still attending all those parent teacher conferences? Are the accusations of Bruce not being a present father addressed within the family? Many many thoughts....). There's also the question of who exactly is going to show up (Duke is mentioned as a possibility, but he can't attend because he's a meta, but what about people like Kate Kane? Respawn is a meta too, but if not for that would he, theoretically, also be allowed? Could Bruce, Dick, Cass, Jason, and Tim in those ten minutes all sign marriage certificates/adoption papers to bring on other people? That would probably be considered a violation of the rules, even if it were people they were historically involved with, but the idea is still interesting. Same for Goliath, although I assume Damian wouldn't even want him there). And of course, the suspense for the reveal (technically they could show up not in uniform but then I suppose they wouldn't really be armored/protected). I can't wait to see how everyone reacts (assigning vigilantes to civilian identities, the realization that every kid Bruce ever took on is a vigilante (Does he only take in kids to train them? Child soldiers?), the realization (?) that Robin/Batgirls are legacy identities (or figuring out who was who at what point)). As a last note, I wonder if anyone gave thought to whether or not the Wayne family was informed even the slightest bit before the announcement (realistically, they'd probably understand that ten minutes is not enough time to consent to representing an entire planet but still).

TL;DR: Your writing is fantastic. I am very much looking forward to reading more of it.

Thank you so much for this absolutely wonderful message! I apologize for taking so long to reply; I was busy writing, and then busy recovering from writing 😅

I think some of the points in your first question have been answered in Chapter 2 of In Control and Self-Possessed. I can answer that all the girls are 100% running around unpowered (and doing great!). And that Jason is also presumed to be running around unpowered (per Tim's comment about him being a monstrous human in Chapter 2), but we may learn more about what Jay's up to in Chapter 3!

For your second question, I'll say there won't be any of the more peripheral characters popping up in #Ragnarok. So no Harper or Cullen or Respawn. I thought about Kate Kane, but ultimately decided not to for this fic. I don't know her well enough to have fun with how she'd be perceived in both public and private, alas!

As for what aspects of fandom belief are true and what are exaggeration– some of that will indeed be covered in later chapters!

You are correct my fave Batman character is absolutely Tim Drake and I had to put concerted effort into not making every Bat-tober story about him lmao.

For relationships, in 'canon' (understanding how loosey-goosey that is with Batman) I'm very fond of Tim & Steph. I do not think they should be romantically involved ever again but I do sincerely believe they are soulmates. Robin 93 is such a fun read their relationship in that is RIDICULOUS and they're both awful to each other in different ways at different times and it's a beautiful extremely 90s-flavoured dumpster fire that is also very sweet and heartfelt. These two grew up as vigilantes together in a way I don't think other Robins experienced with counterparts. Babs was technically way older than Dick during his Robin days, was definitely older than Jason, and Damian's never had a female Gotham counterpart in the same way. Timbin & Spoiler had a very unique dynamic and I'm extremely fond of their bond. They also (and this is probably a bit more fanon) technically were both the first batkids to experience the 'worst' Bruce. i.e. the Bruce that, metatextually, came into being when DC Comics trended towards darker and less campy-- and in text, the Bruce that emerges after Jason's death. Queerplatonic trauma-bonded Tim&Steph my beloved 💜

I have a strong feeling Tim & Cass will also be a canon favourite, but I haven't reached the section of Batgirl where they move to Bludhaven together so right now my fondness for them is still rooted in fanon. But I am SO fond of them as bestie siblings in fanon.

I am also super fond of Dick & Damian's dynamic in fanon, though again, I haven't read their runs to know how well-rooted in canon it is!

I also really like Tim/Bernard, but it's in a weird place where what I really like about them is currently only found in fanfic even though the events and dynamic are canon. Specifically, I really like how different their relationship was in Robin 93, and how different they both were as people, and how messy everything ended with Darla dying and Tim falling out of touch. It's just such a wonderfully messy foundation for a relationship, and it feels like the comics don't actually address Tim and Bernard's history together even though they're now a couple? Like, current canon doesn't seem to be acknowledging all the Robin 93 drama and trauma and particularly how different Bernard is? Addressing all of that only seems to happen in fanfic?

To that end, I recommend the author CreamofTomatoSoup for all of your Tim/Bernard needs, because they really GET the potential of the Robin 93 storylines to inform TimBern's present relationship.

I very much like Tim/Kon in fanfic but am baffled by them in canon. Mostly because I keep waiting to hit the part where they become 'best friends' but I am on the last volume of Young Justice and footage is still not found. This is very funny to me, having read Red Robin and knowing they do eventually consider each other's best friends. I guess it happens in Teen Titans 03 but they must speedrun their best frienditude to get it all in before Kon dies lmao. One day I will read it and find out I guess!

Also, I feel like I have to give an honourable mention- I absolutely got into batfam through DPxDC fic, and so I have to shout out Jason/Jazz Fenton. No seriously, the first DC fics I ever read were 'halfa Jason', and then from there any Jason/Jazz fics. I am legitimately fond of the pairing!

I will have to get back to you on fanfic recs because my bookmarks are an unorganized nightmare. The Batfam fanfic archive was so large I was terrified of never being able to find a fic again so I got into the habit of bookmarking literally anything that I liked even a little bit. Unfortunately this means I now have over 1000 Batfam fanfics bookmarked which is uh. Nearly as hard to find stuff in as the full AO3 archive. So this ask has given me the push to at least ATTEMPT to start organizing everything into collections and I will try and get back to you with recs....at some point!

^^^My reaction when I first read Damian's offer in Waver chapter 3.

I suppose Constantine made some sort of deal so Tim can be back permanently. Or not.

I really like the belonging talk with the Dragon. Dragon Tim would be very cool too. He might even outlive Batfam?? Since fighting the White Dragon would take a while.

When Dick started running for Tim's body I was so touched TT.TT

Thank you for the update!!! Take your time for the next :)

Thank you so much for this message! I definitely didn't expect chapter 4 to take this long but there has been some mild chaos in the personal life of late. But I'm working on it steadily!

Oh my gosh?!!! Thank you so much!! These are so vivid and amazing. You've captured such intensity, I love it!