Robin!jason - Tumblr Posts

Leslie had to admit she had been somewhat unconvinced that Jason would return, so seeing him at her office door was a welcome surprise. “Lovely to see you Jason. Please, come in. Take a seat.”

Busying about offering him something to eat and drink, something she was keen to become a routine occurrence, she added. “How has your week been?” Hopefully a generic way to break the ice given he wasn’t outwardly displaying any particularly strong emotion.

jp-todd-rp​:

Just a thought exercise.

Jason still didn’t trust it, didn’t see the point of it, but he understood what she was offering.

Bruce had expressed his worry. And he’d continue to express his worry if Jason would leave it with only the one meeting; there’d be no telling what else he might make him do to elevate that worry. Leslie was offering… almost like a cover, to keep Bruce off his back.

He couldn’t quite figure out her angle – maybe she really wants to help, idiot – but Jason rose up from his seat, journal still in hand. “Guess I’ll see you next week then, doc.”

Hope bloomed in the wake of his statement and Leslie smiled, whatever his motivation, agreeing to come back in any case was a milestone and she was proud of him for it.

She got to her feet, following his lead. “Excellent. Thank you Jason. And here-” Leslie handed him a slip of paper. “My contact details, if you ever want to get in touch between visits. Better to have them and not need them…”

“Same time next week work alright for you? I can work around any rehersals or clubs you have after school.”

Leslie took her own seat, the door safely shut behind them. The warm smile bled into her voice, echoing his enthusiasm. “I did. That was a particularly nasty trap of his. You did well.” 

She was a little hesitant to make too much of a fuss over his activities as Robin, but she wasn’t about to dampen the grin on the boy’s face. “So it’s been a big week for you then.” Leslie prompted, pulling her notebook into her lap. 

With an offered soda in hand, Jason went down to sit in the same seat he had occupied the week before. His journal, was safely tucked away in the bag he had let drop on the floor. “It’s been good, doc.” Jason smirked, appearing a lot more confident than he felt in her office. “You saw me on the news last Thursday?”

It’d been amazing. Riddler had honestly been convinced that he’d had the upper hand. All cameras on. Bruce’s identity on the line. They’d been under pressure, and Jason had delivered.

Saved the day. Saved Batman.

He’d earned his stripes.

👀

send me ‘👀’ for something my muse has said about yours to someone else / when they’re not around | accepting

''She's -- I don't know, she looks at me like she's hearing the stuff I'm not telling her, and it's freaking me the fuck out.''

'Batman needs me.'

There was a weight to Jason excited revelation. But not one that she was going to dive in with to start off. "Im glad things went how you wanted them to Jason." It was worth pointing out the good. Noticing positives.

She wondered if he had kept to filling in the journal she had given him in all of the excitement.

"How about the rest of your week outside of the cape. The book report going well?"

Hel–Heck yeah.“

Jason smirked, opening his can of coke. ’‘I told you, doc; being Robin is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can do good. Batman needs me.”

It had earned more than a few notes down in his journal. He was good enough, he was earning his keep as Robin and as Jason. All their worries… he was good. Even Barbara had said so.

Leslie smiled at that, proud of him for doing so well. People often forgot how difficult education was for children and underestimated the effect it could have. But it didn't feel like an issue at the moment.

She nodded, adding a note to her book, tilted just out of Jason's line of sight. "Excellent. And how about the journaling task I set you last week? How have you found it?"

Hel–Heck yeah.“

Jason smirked, opening his can of coke. ’‘I told you, doc; being Robin is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can do good. Batman needs me.”

It had earned more than a few notes down in his journal. He was good enough, he was earning his keep as Robin and as Jason. All their worries… he was good. Even Barbara had said so.

He was glaring at her notepad, but Leslie continued unperturbed. Jason would just need to get used to it. Hopefully after a few sessions, he wouldn't care as much but it only reaffirmed that she had been right to leave it out in their previous session.

"That's great Jason. Well done." She wasn't going to ask to see the journal, that hadn't been her plan. But she did have questions for him regarding it. "How did it feel, purposefully thinking of different things to be grateful for? Was it easy, difficult, talk me through it."

Hel–Heck yeah.“

Jason smirked, opening his can of coke. ’‘I told you, doc; being Robin is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can do good. Batman needs me.”

It had earned more than a few notes down in his journal. He was good enough, he was earning his keep as Robin and as Jason. All their worries… he was good. Even Barbara had said so.

The corner of her lip quirked at his appology and Leslie was reminded again of how young the boy was.

It was with an ignored pang of sadness for the boy that she put her next question to him. Food and shelter and school were not things a boy his age ought to be concerned about. "Do you think its something you could continue to do?" She was curious to see what he would fill it with when those types of answers began to run low.

He was glaring at her notepad, but Leslie continued unperturbed. Jason would just need to get used to it. Hopefully after a few sessions, he wouldn’t care as much but it only reaffirmed that she had been right to leave it out in their previous session.

“That’s great Jason. Well done.” She wasn’t going to ask to see the journal, that hadn’t been her plan. But she did have questions for him regarding it. “How did it feel, purposefully thinking of different things to be grateful for? Was it easy, difficult, talk me through it.”

She didn't answer straight away, choosing her words carefully. "Well, if I were to make a suggestion... Why does it need to be from before? What about now? The present moment? And it doesn't need to be about your circumstances. Why not be greatful for the qualities that make you who you are?" The last thing that she wanted was for him to feel like he had to find some silver lining in the horrors he had faced before meeting Bruce. That hadn't been her intention.

Realising he hadn'tmuch frame of reference for what she was aiming to guide him towards she relented on her own boundaries slightly. This was hardly an impersonal case anyway given her relationship with Bruce. "I mentioned it the last time we spoke, but the exercise I gave you is one I do myself. Every day. If you think it'd be helpful, I can give you some examples."

"The idea is that you do it for an extended period of time. So often that it becomes a habit."

The corner of her lip quirked at his appology and Leslie was reminded again of how young the boy was.

It was with an ignored pang of sadness for the boy that she put her next question to him. Food and shelter and school were not things a boy his age ought to be concerned about. “Do you think its something you could continue to do?” She was curious to see what he would fill it with when those types of answers began to run low.

"That's great Jason." Leslie smiles, glad he was taking her seriously enough to rewlly consider what she was saying.

"Kind of. Its more about recognising where you are now. What is good about the present moment. A lot of the time life has you working to the next goal, then the next. Which - it is good to be goals oriented sometimes. It can help make changes and improvements and reach aspirations... However this is more about seeing the good in the moment. Being present. Which, in turn, a lot of people find helps them in the future."

She was careful not to reinforce his idea that he needed to become better, that was the opposite of what she was trying to achieve. "You mention being better. I'm curious. What would better look like to you? What is it that is different to the Jason Todd we have here today?"

Jason picked at his nails.

His qualities?

He was working on them, to meet Bruce’s expectations of him. “I suppose,” Jason shrugged. “I’m a quick student. In school too. I’ve already caught up with my backlog, so I guess I’m appreciative of that. And it’ll help me be better. Is that what this is for, really? To become better?”

And it was obvious, that Jason wasn’t a medical sense. Or even a psychological one.

He needed to be better than he was. To prove he was worthy of the colors, despite his early successes as Robin. As Jason Todd.

Leslie nodded thoughfully, taking her time and not answering immediately.

He was defensive. She knew how much being Robin meant to him. It would be a mistake to be critical of that.

"You are fourteen, right, Jason? I imagine that becoming quicker and smarter is something that will most definitely happen in time."

Leslie pressed her lips together before continuing, considering how much she ought to say about her knowledge of Bruce and his own eccentricities. "What I do know, is that Batman relies on Robin. And you are Robin."

"Do you feel like you disappoint?" Leslie was curious to see if this was something rooted in the past or if something had happened more recently.

“That’s great Jason.” Leslie smiles, glad he was taking her seriously enough to rewlly consider what she was saying.

“Kind of. Its more about recognising where you are now. What is good about the present moment. A lot of the time life has you working to the next goal, then the next. Which - it is good to be goals oriented sometimes. It can help make changes and improvements and reach aspirations… However this is more about seeing the good in the moment. Being present. Which, in turn, a lot of people find helps them in the future.”

She was careful not to reinforce his idea that he needed to become better, that was the opposite of what she was trying to achieve. “You mention being better. I’m curious. What would better look like to you? What is it that is different to the Jason Todd we have here today?”

"Part of what we do here, why therapy can be helpful, is that we have difficult conversations. It works, because this is hopefully a safe space, so it allows you to explore those thoughts and topics without worrying about repercussions."

It wasn't her place to decide if her office was a safe space for the boy, but she hoped it wouldbe in time. "Feeling like a disappointment is one thing. Actually being one is different. It's also a subjective matter, but we'll get to that. The difference between feelings and facts... it's important to make the distinction because feelings are not facts, and although the can be helpful, they shouldn't always be trusted wholeheartedly. And facts, as I'm sure you know, require evidence. "

Leslie shifted in her chair slightly, leaning in a she looked at him. "So. What evidence is there to prove that you are a disappointment, Jason?"

“That’s great Jason.” Leslie smiles, glad he was taking her seriously enough to rewlly consider what she was saying.

“Kind of. Its more about recognising where you are now. What is good about the present moment. A lot of the time life has you working to the next goal, then the next. Which - it is good to be goals oriented sometimes. It can help make changes and improvements and reach aspirations… However this is more about seeing the good in the moment. Being present. Which, in turn, a lot of people find helps them in the future.”

She was careful not to reinforce his idea that he needed to become better, that was the opposite of what she was trying to achieve. “You mention being better. I’m curious. What would better look like to you? What is it that is different to the Jason Todd we have here today?”

"Let's go through these one at a time." Leslie nodded. She wasn't planning on telling Jason he was wrong. On the contrary, it might be that other people had felt disappointed in him in the past, but reasoning through it could help Jason to decide how much of it he should shoulder.

"Dick was upset that Bruce had given the mantle of Robin to you. Specifically the colours?" Knowing Dick, it didn't seem like the kind of think he would have said infront of Jason. "Did Dick say this to you? Or did Bruce tell you, or..?"

"What is your impression of Dick and Bruce's relationship? And more importantly, how are things between yourself and Dick?"

“That’s great Jason.” Leslie smiles, glad he was taking her seriously enough to rewlly consider what she was saying.

“Kind of. Its more about recognising where you are now. What is good about the present moment. A lot of the time life has you working to the next goal, then the next. Which - it is good to be goals oriented sometimes. It can help make changes and improvements and reach aspirations… However this is more about seeing the good in the moment. Being present. Which, in turn, a lot of people find helps them in the future.”

She was careful not to reinforce his idea that he needed to become better, that was the opposite of what she was trying to achieve. “You mention being better. I’m curious. What would better look like to you? What is it that is different to the Jason Todd we have here today?”

"Okay. So he and Bruce aren't getting along." An understatement, but then she held Dick's confidentiality as much as she held Jason's. " But he has been alright with you, when you've been together."

"Is it possible that his words were less about you, specifically, and more about Bruce asking anyone else to be Robin? A position that Dick held for a number of years." It wasn't her place to explain the significance of what Robin meant to Dick, the ties to his parents and the community that raised him. "Perhaps Dick had hoped that if Bruce was to take on another partner, they would have their own secret identity. It sounds from what overheard, that Dick wasn't asked for his opinion before Bruce did so."

"None of which would be your fault, and more an issue between Bruce and Dick. Which you've unfortunately been thrown into the middle of." Bruce needed to talk to his children more, that much was painfully obvious to her.

“That’s great Jason.” Leslie smiles, glad he was taking her seriously enough to rewlly consider what she was saying.

“Kind of. Its more about recognising where you are now. What is good about the present moment. A lot of the time life has you working to the next goal, then the next. Which - it is good to be goals oriented sometimes. It can help make changes and improvements and reach aspirations… However this is more about seeing the good in the moment. Being present. Which, in turn, a lot of people find helps them in the future.”

She was careful not to reinforce his idea that he needed to become better, that was the opposite of what she was trying to achieve. “You mention being better. I’m curious. What would better look like to you? What is it that is different to the Jason Todd we have here today?”

"I'm not suggesting that what Dick said was right, or wrong, but sometimes it helps to consider that there's another side to it. More to the story - which is difficult to do sometimes when we can't see the whole picture. Detective work, I imagine is a little similar, considering different angles to a case."

This was their second session. And already Jason had shown a real desire to want to understand things, to explore himself. Giving it his best, despite his reluctance and reservations about it all.

"I don't think I need to tell you that adults can be wrong sometimes. And unfair. The thing is, a lot of the time, you get to decide your truth, how you respond and what message you take from something."

"Why did Willis call you weak?"

“That’s great Jason.” Leslie smiles, glad he was taking her seriously enough to rewlly consider what she was saying.

“Kind of. Its more about recognising where you are now. What is good about the present moment. A lot of the time life has you working to the next goal, then the next. Which - it is good to be goals oriented sometimes. It can help make changes and improvements and reach aspirations… However this is more about seeing the good in the moment. Being present. Which, in turn, a lot of people find helps them in the future.”

She was careful not to reinforce his idea that he needed to become better, that was the opposite of what she was trying to achieve. “You mention being better. I’m curious. What would better look like to you? What is it that is different to the Jason Todd we have here today?”

Leslie gasped, a hand coming up to cover her mouth as she shuddered in her shock. The tears sprung up instantly. Grief, pain and love pounding in her ears.

Her voice trembled, the emotion thick in every syllable. "Oh. Jason. You're alive." She reached out for him, moving forward, closing the distance to cradle his face in her hands, really looking at him. Taking it all in.

She had no children of her own, but the vigilante children Bruce brought to her broke through all of the usual boundaries she would set with clients. And Jason, everything that boy had been through, everything he had hoped to be; his death was the worst pain she had ever felt. She felt his absence everywhere.

Leslie had questions, a hundred of them, but stroking her thumb over a faint scar on his cheek she uttered something else entirely.

"It is so good to see you."

She hadn't changed much.

Jason had already noted that during his weeks of surveilling her, but this was the first time he saw her up close again. A few more lines. A few added grey hairs here and there. But still pristine, put together.

And even now, with her evening routine disrupted, still kind and open.

''I don't,'' Jason muttered, raising to his feet without taking his eyes off her. ''But I was hoping you'd find the time to squeeze me in, doc.''

Okay hi, just wanna say I love your art style, and if you had any spare time, maybe Nightwing and Jason Robin doodles? It’s completely up to you, just wanted to come out and say I like your art lol

Aw thank you, I’m glad you like my art :) here’s a messy doodle of dick and Jason winding down after patrol that I will try to color one day? Maybe? Also they’re supposed to be on top of the batmobile but I can’t draw cars for the life of me 🤷🏻‍♀️

The villains are utterly confused.

They remember the first robin. They remember how bloodthirsty the little gremlin was, how he appeared out of the darkness with a “HIYA FOLKS” that gave people near heart attacks with PTSD so bad they flinched everytime they walked into a dark corner. They remember his grin, baring few too many teeth with a glint in his eyes whenever the bat wasn’t around to curb him. They remember the death stare, the brooding that made no one doubt this was the Bat’s son. They remember how a punch would land a lot harder than it was supposed to, or the screaming that followed. Oh they remembered him alright.

The second one thank the stars was better. The second robin was giggly. He would hop around town, offering his help to everyone who needed it. Sure he was rough with abusers but hell no one cared about them. Matter of fact, the villains were glad because those assholes deserved no sympathy. They remember his puns, his wonder, his innocence and his spark. They remembered his laughter, his concern - the kind that only comes from one who’s been on the streets. This one was better, and the villains thanked their lucky stars. They remembered him alright.

But now, as the years passed and new characters emerged, the crime city saw the rise of two characters - a sunshine happy nightwing and a ready to kill red hood. And naturally, from their experiences in the past, the villains ended up making an honest mistake that ruined the two vigilantes’ reputation:

The villains assumed the first robin was Red Hood and the other was Nightwing. And BY GOD Gotham has not seen unhinged chaos like this.

SCENE 1

Red Hood *drawing his pistol* : Please, reach for your weapon. I’m itching for an excuse for my intrusive thoughts to become extrusive.

Two-Face: You dare mock me little bird?! Well.. I may not have my weapon.. but I have something I know you’d like..

Red Hood: Oh yeah?What’s that?

Two-Face: TAKE THIS! *slams button and coconuts start falling from the sky, all cracking and spilling as they hit the ground*

Red Hood:

Two-Face:

Red Hood: .. the fuck was that supposed to do?

Two-Face: .. HOW ARE YOU STILL STANDING?! YOU HATE COCONUTS ROBIN!!

Red Hood: The fuck- .. wait did you call me robin?

Two-Face *grins* : Yea.. robin. The first one. Thought I didn’t notice?

Red Hood: The first one? Does this *gestures vaguely to himself and his weapons* seem like something the first robin would do?

Two-Face:

Goon 1: I mean.. yeah

Red Hood: What! The first robin was nice!

Goon 2 *guffawing*: I beg your fucking pardon??

Two-Face: .. you took my coin and attached a magnet beneath it so everytime I flipped it it wouldn’t stop spinning. Do you know how long that took me to figure out?? Do you know how insane it drove me?? Joker had to help me out of pity. OUT. OF. PITY.

Red Hood:

Goon 1: ..Also you did steal some of our bones

Red Hood: hedidfuckingwhatnow-

SCENE 2

Nightwing: Hey there buddy! You look frostyl!

Dr. Freeze: Aha! You are too late to stop me robin!

Nightwing: .. robin?

Dr. Freeze: why yes! Don’t act coy, I know it’s you there. Now that we’ve got that clear.. I was wondering if you remembered all those years ago when you gave me a source for electricity to power a hospital keeping my Nora?

Nightwing:

Dr. Freeze: well you weren’t careful enough and never told me how much I could take from it.. so I used it to power so many of my inventions that came after

Nightwing *remembering when Jason was robin and every damn time he came to visit Wayne Manor his room would always run out power and the countless cold showers in freezing winters he had to take because of it*: .. oh? Well, sorry to break your bubble, but that wasn’t me Elsa.

Dr. Freeze: no? You joke around, make puns and I’m supposed to believe it’s NOT you?. The first one brooded like there was no tomorrow. He pissed me off so bad once I overheard him saying his favourite ice cream flavour and I made sure it wouldn’t be available in Gotham for YEARS. You’re not as bad as the first one. I’d remember if you were him.

Nightwing:

Nightwing *firing up his escrima sticks to maximum voltage*: Oh let me jog your memory then :)

Bruce coming home one day to find Robin Jason clinging onto a chandelier with Dick below him cheering him on.

Bruce: Jason what are you doing?

Jason: Dick said that you missed his antics after he moved out and so he’s teaching me how to be a better son

Dick: After this we’re going to drive the Batmobile into the bay :D

Jason: We’re going to what? I mean yeah! Right into the water.

Jason trying to whisper to Dick: Dick I can’t swim though

This just further fuels the chaotic dynamic of Dick and Jason during a time where Dick was still going through his teenage angst and was absolutely not a benevolent role model LMAO

I mentioned it in this post, but it's just so funny to me to imagine a Jason who grew up with an absolutely WILD Dick Grayson as an older brother, while the younger batkids grew up with a more mellowed out and mature (arguable but when measured against the other kids, he wins by a landslide) Dick Grayson.

Robin!Jason era:

Dick: You wanna go out and get high?

Jason: I can't, I have homework.

Dick, sputtering: HOMEWORK?

----

Dick, about to do an elaborate (and totally not dangerous) acrobatic move in the manor: Watch this, littlewing

Jason: You shouldn't do that, it'll make Bruce upset.

Dick, on the brink of angry tears: Why are you like this.

----

Jason, dejected: Listen, I know you don't approve of me because you think I'm not good enough as Robin, but-

Dick: Not good enough as Robin? I don't care about that, I just think you're a little bitch

----

Dick taking Jason out on a hangout for the first time: OK, looks like I got my work cut out for me. Take out a notepad and write everything down. I will NOT have my successor embarrass me like this. So what you wanna do to piss of Bruce-

---

[Years later, Jason returning to Gotham with the fury of a thousand suns and the chaos to match it]: I'm gonna make your life a living HELL, Bruce

Dick, older and relatively more chilled out: Okayyyyy, maybe let's just– calm down a lil, haha, no need for the theatrics

Jason, betrayed, observing a Dick Grayson who is teaching his new younger siblings to behave and be mature: Dick, what the FUCK

-----

Present!Dick, mentoring Tim: Make sure not to be too impulsive, don't wanna raise Bruce's blood pressure

Red Hood!Jason spying on them from afar: Who even ARE you??

-----

Jason: So you teach me ALL of that, only to turn into the ONE thing you despised so greatly all those years ago

Dick, sweating: Well-

Jason: I'm ASHAMED. How can you be worthy of being called my PREDECESSOR?