Jp-todd-rp:

jp-todd-rp​:

Jason’s cheeks flashed bright red as he shrugged again, trying to play off his initial burst of panic. “Dunno,” he murmured, nervously looking away. “Thought that after this meet-up, it’d be done, y'know? Green light for the old man. But –”

She said Dick called her.

So, it was… casual?

“He just calls you, that’s it?”

“He calls, texts. The occasional lunch when we're both in the same city. I travel through to Bludhaven sometimes for work.” Leslie smiled softly, answering the easier question first, shoving the sense of alarm down for the moment. “I’ve known him since he was your age. A little younger perhaps?”

He thought he was there as some test? To be greenlit for the role as Robin? It was a severe oversight on her part, and Bruce's, that had to be corrected. Heaven forbid she think Bruce able to actually explain why he had asked Jason to see her.

Before Jason could interject, Leslie continued. "I'd like to clarify something with you Jason before we go any further. About being here and talking to me. I won't be talking to Bruce about the details of what goes on during our conversations. I suppose if I suspected you were a danger to yourself or... well I suppose hurting others is somewhat in the job description... My point is, it isn't my place to 'greenlight' anything. I wouldn't want to even if I were asked to."

"I'm here to hold a space for you to talk openly about your feelings, and hopefully reflect back in a way that makes things easier for you to deal with. Things already haven't been easy for you, and being Robin has unique challenges of its own. I want you to know that there's always someone willing to listen."

jp-todd-rp​:

Jason was quiet as Leslie spoke. But there was no mistaking the tension in his jaw. There was no mistaken the shine in his eyes. This wasn’t a meeting to approve him as Robin?! Then why was he even talking to her?! He shouldn’t have to, he didn’t want to. Jason glanced towards the clock again. The hour wasn’t quite done yet, but Jason couldn’t fight back the remark; “So if I don’t want to talk, I don’t have to?” and his tone was almost a challenge.

Ah shit.

There was no doubt about it. Leslie could practically see the walls reinforcing themselves up all around him, closing himself off from any connection she might have been able to form with him. It had been a misunderstanding, but the hurt permeating off of Jason’s small frame was palatable. Perhaps she could stave him off from running long enough to do some damage control. Give him something to think on.

She leaned forward, meeting his eyes sincerely. “Sometimes, when we’ve been through an ordeal - something traumatic, we think it’s easier to just push it down. Forget it ever happened. To try and carry on. It’s uncomfortable to give a voice and a space to the things that happened to us, terrifying really. And sometimes, when we’re not safe, it’s necessary to our survival to continue to push and push it away. The problem is, keep doing that for long enough and all that hurt? It festers. Coming out in ways we don’t expect and that are difficult to control.”

“Sometimes, to take the power away the things that have happened and take back control over our lives, we need to talk about it. Give a voice to it. Process. Grieve. It’s difficult. But it can help.”

“You have a safe space here, Jason. Free from judgement. I’d like it very much if you could remember that for me please.”

@jp-todd-rp

Is that what you’re gonna tell, Bruce?  I’ll tell him what ever you want me to

“keep working towards peace”

Batman Chronicles #18

Can Leslie’s importance in Gotham be properly acknowledged again? You know like how she was like a mother figure to Bruce? Or her connection to JPV? Or how she basically raised Steph for two years? Or how she acted as a therapist for Selina? Or how Cass temporarily lived in her clinic? Just can DC acknowledge any of that?

GOTHAM   — 5.09, The Trial of Jim Gordon