Latest Posts by beheadeddemon - Page 4

Lighthearted Talia hcs rq

Her public image is drastically different from what is known underground. To most, she is seen as a figure of royalty. Daughter to the leader of a mysterious country. Equivalent in popularity to a real life royal, like Rania Al Abdullah. Much more popular in Africa/Middle east/Asia than the Americas, so when she’s over there on a public outing with Bruce Wayne people are often unaware of her status. Though the way she carries herself is certainly a tell, as everything she does is done with an air of regalia. Of course every world leader has secrets that few actually know.

Talia is a philanthropist through and through. She dedicates time and money to various projects that work towards a better world. She is often traveling the world rather than staying in one place because of the amount of sanctuaries she needs to check in on. She’ll often invite Bruce to these places for romantic getaways.

She is a Jack of all trades. Her intellect matches her strength, she’s witty and flirty, but stoic and serious when she needs to be. A master of traditional and modern weaponry and fighting styles (a more in-depth analysis of this coming soon.)

She goes against traditions much more than Ra’s. Where he strictly only uses weaponry like swords, Talia stays strapped when she needs to be. Where he almost always wears cultural clothing, Talia switches styles often.

My Talia is tall, like 6ft but always in heels because she can pull it off. So she’s practically Bruce’s height most of the time. She does love to look down at him.

I thoroughly enjoy the comparisons of Talia to Morticia Addams with Bruce being Gomez and Damian being Wednesday. It is very much canon to me. I love when Batman is written as a super simp because some of his old comics with Talia or so sweetly written and their interactions are so cute.

Talia is much more kind and compassionate than people make her out to be. To her people, she is well respected and feared for the right reasons. But she is also a beacon, a helping hand in the darkest times. She does care for innocent lives, at least much more than her father does, and will go out of her way to help HER people. That’s where the issue is. She really only goes out of her way to help people she is in some way even slightly connected to. People in the league, friends of friends, enemies of enemies. She will volunteer among her community, especially when it comes to preserving the land and wildlife.

I think at first she wasn’t truly in love with Bruce. She found him intriguing and quite handsome, but mostly only pursued him because her father wanted her to. She wasn’t the type of woman who busied her mind with dreams of romance, what was the point? She had dreams of running a nation, running the world. Not dominating it, but providing for it. Tending to the land and it’s people. Ra’s knew how to get under her skin. How to coerce her into aiding him, even when she watched his mind slowly become corrupt. It just made her even more busy. So as the longing for romance grew and grew, he found more and more ways to tie her down. There’s no running away from the League of Assassins. Ra’s made it clear multiple times. If she wants to be free from this life, there’s only one way out.

To me, Damian is something of a rainbow baby. Talia tried numerous times to conceive naturally, but the effects of the Lazarus pit made it impossible for her to do so. Still, Ra’s demanded an heir. So after many painful failed attempts, she used an artificial womb. She watched her son grow in a tube. She’d sit by him every day to make sure nothing went wrong, sing and talk to him, anything to make sure he was okay. And when he came out, she was overjoyed. From the moment she held him in her arms, she knew something had changed. Suddenly, the league didn’t matter. Ra’s wasn’t even an after thought. All that mattered to her was keeping her child safe. Making sure that this new piece of family would never be taken away.

Talia looks up to her father in some ways, and that’s why she goes along with what he’s led her to believe. Part of her truly yearns for family, and boy her family is FUCKED. There’s a lot of interesting points to look at between her connection to family and Bruce/Bruce’s family. I like to think of them as twin flames. Bruce is an only child who watched helplessly as his parents were murdered. He grew up wealthy and comfortable, but missing the love and fondness he craved so desperately. Talia lost her mother, and in some ways lost her father too. She has siblings, but can’t bond with them the way she secretly longs to. Bruce builds his family with the children he takes in, but Talia already has a family. One she’s trying to cling onto in any way she can. But they’re all a lost cause to her. Apart from Damian.

Melisande (Talias mother) to me was a figure of light and love for Talia in her formative years. While her father would train her, the only times he’d ever go easy were when Melisande asked him to. She was an excellent care taker. Soft and warm in contrast to the cold callousness of Ra’s. She who would hold Talia and sing her lullabies, stroke her back and hold her hand. Who could persuade Ra’a to do the best thing when doing the right thing wasn’t possible. Beloved by her people. Her death scarred the family forever. Ra’s pushed harder, his recklessness caused him to use the pits more than he should have, and caused Talia to train relentlessly day and night. It hardened both of them, but Ra’s was already stone to begin with.

Ra’s is a character I’ve been pondering for a hot minute now. His origin, and the way he got to where he is now. The effects the Lazarus has had on his character over the years. Issues where he’s presented as ruthless to EVERYONE and issues where he seems to truly love his family. And in his own twisted way, I think he does love Talia. She’s definitely his favorite. That’s why every time she leaves, he goes out of his way to get her back. If Ra’s is the head of the demon, both as a leader and as a mind, Talia is certainly the heart. I like to think this is because of Ra’s love for Talias mother. A woman who gave him humanity for a moment, and died to the liquid which makes him prosper. I don’t know what canon says, but this is just what I like to think.

I think Talia truly loves her father, and I think he loves her too. I think he is terrible, though. He’s a huge abuser, made Talia feel incapable her entire life, manipulated her into feeling beneath him. And with each use of the Lazarus, his mind becomes more and more decayed. His love for his daughter twists and corrupts. He sees her as more of a tool than a child. And she grows to resent this, but still loves him deep down. She wants to help him, but he will never accept the help. So she needs to go off on her own. As someone who kind of knows the position she’s in, it can be extremely hard to latch off of an abusive parent. Especially when you have a deep connection to the concept of family. Talia wants to stay as neutral as she can and play both sides but that physically isn’t possible with the boundaries set up by Bruce. Boundaries that he is absolutely right to put up.

I’m about to drop a series of posts with little drabbles and ideas for Talias life. I was gonna make it all one post but I figured I could get more traction this way hopefully. Please keep in mind that I am making a lot of this shit up on how I THINK characters should be written instead of what’s canon and that I might change my mind on stuff as I go but this is just it for rn.

AUGGH I need to read this holy fuck this sounds good. It seems they really did his character justice in such an interesting way

One Bad Day: Ra's al Ghul is Great

I've been reading each of these One Bad Day instalments as they come out and trying to think about what I do and don't like about them. Riddler's was pretty bleh, Two-Face and Mr. Freeze's was decent, Catwoman had a pretty good one from what I can recall and Bane, Clayface and Penguin's stories were fantastic stand-outs. One Bad Day: Penguin may be one of my favorite Gotham stories period now.

But One Bad Day: Ra's al Ghul is fantastic. Once again, Tom Taylor knows what he's doing and it shows.

Spoilers ahead, by the by! I assume there'll be a cutoff at some point but I'm still new to Tumblr so-

A running theme in all of these One Bad Day stories is that it takes one of Batman's main rogues and explores a new facet of their personal history that hasn't gotten as much focus in order to make a narrative that is uniquely theirs. Ra's has far too much history for even a large book like the OBD series to properly get into, but the angle Taylor took - the extinction of an animal kingdom connected to Ra's personal history - was a strong angle to take.

Speaking of strong, Ra's himself is an absolute powerhouse in this story. His global influence, his machinations that have laid undetected for years, his cold efficiency, his brutality. It's all shown off in an excellent manner. OBD stories likewise attempt to show off the best of what their chosen villain can do, and this absolutely fits for Ra's. And because of how the story is presented, you... get it. You empathize with Ra's, and because he's specifically targeting the corporate parasites that us normal people get so furious about and can do nothing about, we're almost... behind him? So like with the Penguin story, we find ourselves as an audience rooting against Batman for the right reasons.

Speaking of, I love how this story really digs into the status quo of the planet and why DC's corporate horribleness matches the corporate horribleness of our real world. Batman is protecting the worst people on Earth because of his values of protecting all life (which, to be clear, I agree with Batman's philosophy that all life is precious) and as Damian so succinctly points out, the fact they have to do this in the first place makes their place in this whole war of Ra's vs the Planet-Killers... questionable.

Ra's might be a murderer. But he's right. These old men and reckless new blood kids aren't going to change in a heartbeat to protect the world. They do need to be taken out of the way if real change is going to happen. Murder is an extreme method, but it does get results... especially if it's not seen as murder.

That doesn't mean Batman is wrong for wanting to protect people, though.

Especially from Ra's.

Ra's set out to kill thirty men. Thirty men responsible for the death and decay of the world. But because he needed to take out eleven people in one room, he killed three thousand at once in what would surely be one of the greatest 'accidents' of modern history. This is an extremely brief part of the story, but it has so many implications. How many were invited to the summit who would use the position as a voice for clean energy? How many would have helped Ra's indirectly by using their position to change the world for the better? You can claim that Ra's wouldn't have let anyone be in that hall who could really benefit the world, but I have to doubt that because of his actions and his very subjective judgement on the matter. And then this begs more questions - how many others, how many innocents died so that Ra's al Ghul could kill thirty men? How many bodybags provides the cost of secrecy?

And how much does that undermine his mission?

Let's talk about Ra's al Ghul, Batman and Robin.

There's an interesting juxtaposition between how Ra's and Batman are presented in the story. Both are depicted as emerging from the shadows when meeting the other faction on the field, both are depicted as temperamental and angry in spite of their calm facade and calculated nature. Ra's understands Batman, Batman understands Ra's, but their clashing philosophies means they will never truly stand on the same playing field.

And that comes to a boiling point in the best way possible.

This was a move that shocked me when I first read, but it makes perfect sense. It not only shows the brutality of Ra's, but when you realize the ultimate intention was to bring him back with the Lazarus Pit, it also shows the plan and how much Ra's respects Batman. He killed him, but only temporary - the moment he was 'done', Batman was allowed to come back. And when Bruce thought he was going to genuinely die, his last act was to hand his cowl to his son and make Damian promise not to give in and murder Ra's then and there. So Damian doesn't kill his grandfather, even if every boiling vein in his body makes him want to, and then Batman comes back.

During the final battle between the two, it goes beyond a simple moral clash. It goes beyond Ra's and Batman. It becomes about Damian and showing him what the true path in life is, showing him who's justice is what the world truly needs.

I've been thinking about what Robin's role in this story was (he didn't get as much spotlight as I was hoping, massive Damian fan that I am) but I'm content with what I got because of what he represents. He's the balance. He's the median point between both Ra's and Batman, who recognizes what's wrong with the world and seeks to make it better (see: Robin (2021)) but refuses to stoop to the level of a base murderer in order to do so.

I question if this really is all for Damian, as Bruce and Ra's claim in their desperation. It feels more like this conflict is about them, and Damian is the proof in the conflict between the two, the one who can decide who is 'right'. Damian agrees with Ra's - "Are you so sure we should be safeguarding the worst people on Earth?" - but he also agrees with Bruce - "He believes in preserving life, Grandfather. That's hardly a bad thing." - and gave both perspectives within the same minute. He's a counterbalance to both Bruce and Ra's perspectives because he stands between them and is capable of seeing the positives and negatives of both in a way that neither of the grown men can. It's why he sat to the side while Ra's committed his atrocities and waited for his father to return, but so violently opposed Ra's prior to his father's death.

This is, ultimately, a story of righteous anger clashing with unquestioning morality. This is about wrath against the rich and powerful poisoning the planet versus the desire to save others from death and not fall to the level of a base murderer. This is about two clashing ideals of justice.

Ra's 'wins' in achieving his goal and Bruce can never expose the truth or risk undoing all the legitimate good he's done, but Batman will never stop hunting Ra's until he is punished for what he's done. But the true resolution - the true answer on who was 'right' - is never answered, because Damian never truly sides with one or the other. He spends the latter half of the story sitting to the side observing, contemplating, and working through his own complicated emotions on everything that happened. Damian never says who is right and who is wrong, and Ra's never gives him a chance to, as he decides to sate Batman's desire for justice by simultaneously punishing himself and escaping further punishment by flinging himself to the bottom of the canyon.

Ra's gets to be at peace, and whether that's deserved or not is unclear. But he got his big win, as it were, and in the final pages it seems one of his first acts after that was restoring the extinct species of wolves that meant so much to him. It's an ending that leaves the reader content and, while not a complete thematic resolution, is purposeful and feels right for the long and complicated story of Ra's al Ghul.

Also he canonically killed Elon Musk and Alex Jones in this continuity and labeled them among the 'top thirty greatest threats to the planet' so that's neat

Billionaire yacht club! From Gotham with love ❤️⚓️   By Jessica Stevenson

I take back what I said I can actually see how Talia and Battinson get together because that pathetic wet cat of a man is most definitely into people with more forceful personalities than him. He's a melodramatic mf and Talia is nothing if not a romantic so she has no issue keeping up with him. They angst about stuff together and then have dramatic fights across rooftops or gardens or something while proclaiming their "forbidden love" and calling each other nicknames that make everyone else gag. They write long, lengthy poems about each other's beauty and moral codes and the indescribable (they spend thirteen pages describing it) pull they feel towards each other and their forbidden attraction. The only difference is that Talia reads hers out to him lovingly and Battinson stutters through his, is beet red and can't look her in the eye. She thinks it's adorable. They're so in love it's sickening. They're literal Morticia and Gomez variants

Everybody moved on I stayed here

"As if you care them or me"

"I never want to see you hurt"

"But you're the only one i would allow to"

INVENTED TRUE LOVE

I have SOOOO many Talia thoughts they’re just all incoherent jumbles in my head so every time I wanna sit down and write about her I never know where to start. I wish I had more of a following so I could just ask what people want to see HAKXKSN

A parallel between two men who are the hero and the villain as well as son-in-law and his father-in-law which includes a parallel between a mother and her son, who are also the children of these two men 💚 🖤

SORRY IVE BEEN GONE I GOT A JOB AND IVE VEEN SO BUSY TALIA HCS IN A MINUTE

Talia art FINISHED. Im really obsessed with the classic Talia look, the swoosh looks so good... and it keeps me from having to draw the other eye. BUUUT Im gonna work on milf Talia next promise Because a big part of her character is protecting endangered species and everything it would make sense for her to have access to Tigers. 

Because Im a simp it would make sense that the tigers would be like pets to her..

Teensy peek at what I’m working on rn

I have a new Talia piece I’m working on but the henna designs take so much time 😭

🗡️ Her true passion, one which has been twisted and manipulated in many ways, was to save the earth rather than control or destroy it. To protect those who could not protect themselves. Innocent animals slaughtered for sport, trees cut for paper, entire habitats destroyed from human greed. Stuck behind glass walls and poked with sticks, forced to perform for the sick humans who laugh at their suffering. To preserve the lands and culture conquered. To ensure they are never stepped on again.

Her entire life she’s hated the city. The air is thick with grime and smog, the streets littered with filth. The stench of the street and the cars and the noise. The lights the people the killing. It was dreadful. To walk around a city covered head to toe with disease, knowing that it was once beautiful and wild. And yet, she still made time to go to the city anyway. To see her son, her beloved, and the rest of his kin. To make sure they are doing well.

She often imagines what her life could have been like if she had chosen Bruce all those years ago. If the children would’ve liked her more. If she could have ever been happy there. Live quietly as a house wife, perhaps assist in both of the family businesses. She wonders if she took too long to wake up. If it will ever be worth it. If there is still a chance for her in this world at all.

I think it would be very fun if Talia had a little reservation of wild bats and there’s one particular bat there who’s all scarred up and grumpy looking who she calls Bruce

Talia in the Sons of Anarchy AU is still darkly morally gray, intense, and uses both those things to do what she wants. (this happens at least every 6 months)

If your plot feels flat, STUDY it! Your story might be lacking...

Stakes - What would happen if the protagonist failed? Would it really be such a bad thing if it happened?

Thematic relevance - Do the events of the story speak to a greater emotional or moral message? Is the conflict resolved in a way that befits the theme?

Urgency - How much time does the protagonist have to complete their goal? Are there multiple factors complicating the situation?

Drive - What motivates the protagonist? Are they an active player in the story, or are they repeatedly getting pushed around by external forces? Could you swap them out for a different character with no impact on the plot? On the flip side, do the other characters have sensible motivations of their own?

Yield - Is there foreshadowing? Do the protagonist's choices have unforeseen consequences down the road? Do they use knowledge or clues from the beginning, to help them in the end? Do they learn things about the other characters that weren't immediately obvious?

Showing when writing: Emotions [part 1]

Embarrassment

blushing

fidgeting

sweating

hiding their face in their hands

wide eyes

crossing their arms around their body

stutters

stammering

shifting their weight from side to side

exaggerated movements

nervous quirks appear such as picking at their nails, playing with their hair, and rocking on their heels.

avoiding eye contact

glancing or staring at random objects

stiff smiles

scratching the back of their head or neck.

subject changing

forced laughter

Anticipation

big smiles

wetting their lips

energized

constant movement

grinning

can't concentrate

clumsiness

fidgeting

questions

Awe

frozen

wide eyes

slack jaw

harsh or erratic breathing

grinning

staring

Surprise/shock

gasping

open mouth

slack jaw

wide eyes

covering their mouth with their hands

raised eyebrows

frozen

staring

stepping back

stutters or stammers

Triumph

Tilting back head and yelling out

fist pumping in the air

Jumping

Roaring

Whooping

laughter

bright smiles

grinning

Anger/Threatening

Shaking fist

Pointing

crossed arms

glares

frowning

scowling

Stabbing with finger

Slamming fist against something

Veins throbbing

Jutting out their chin

Clenched fist

Clenched jaw

flushed face

Eyebrows lowered or furrowed

squinting

Teeth bared

Wide stance

Tight-lipped smile

Rapid breathing

Sweating

aggressive stance

Flared nostrils

Puffed chest

loud voice

Nervous

lip biting

biting nails

blinking

tears

stepping back

awkward laughter

clumsiness

dry lips

dry mouth

fidgeting

darting eyes

wrapping their arms around themselves

repeatedly folding and unfolding their arms

clutching at themselves, their hip/shoulder/stomach

drawn in/furrowed brows

avoiding eye contact

jittery

pitched voice

no appetite or nervous eating so a bigger appetite

pacing

toying with things

restless

bouncing leg

rubbing at their face

scratching

sweating trembling

if you want to support, take a look at my story - Thoraway villain

Words to describe facial expressions

Absent: preoccupied 

Agonized: as if in pain or tormented

Alluring: attractive, in the sense of arousing desire

Appealing: attractive, in the sense of encouraging goodwill and/or interest

Beatific: blissful

Black: angry or sad, or hostile

Bleak: hopeless

Blinking: surprise, or lack of concern

Blithe: carefree, lighthearted, or heedlessly indifferent

Brooding: anxious and gloomy

Bug eyed: frightened or surprised

Chagrined: humiliated or disappointed

Cheeky: cocky, insolent

Cheerless: sad

Choleric: hot-tempered, irate

Darkly: with depressed or malevolent feelings

Deadpan: expressionless, to conceal emotion or heighten humor

Despondent: depressed or discouraged

Doleful: sad or afflicted

Dour: stern or obstinate

Dreamy: distracted by daydreaming or fantasizing

Ecstatic: delighted or entranced

Faint: cowardly, weak, or barely perceptible

Fixed: concentrated or immobile

Gazing: staring intently

Glancing: staring briefly as if curious but evasive

Glazed: expressionless due to fatigue or confusion

Grim: fatalistic or pessimistic

Grave: serious, expressing emotion due to loss or sadness

Haunted: frightened, worried, or guilty

Hopeless: depressed by a lack of encouragement or optimism

Hostile: aggressively angry, intimidating, or resistant

Hunted: tense as if worried about pursuit

Jeering: insulting or mocking

Languid: lazy or weak

Leering: sexually suggestive

Mild: easygoing

Mischievous: annoyingly or maliciously playful

Pained: affected with discomfort or pain

Peering: with curiosity or suspicion

Peeved: annoyed

Pleading: seeking apology or assistance

Quizzical: questioning or confused

Radiant: bright, happy

Sanguine: bloodthirsty, confident

Sardonic: mocking

Sour: unpleasant

Sullen: resentful

Vacant: blank or stupid looking

Wan: pale, sickly

Wary: cautious or cunning

Wide eyed: frightened or surprised

Withering: devastating

Wrathful: indignant or vengeful

Wry: twisted or crooked to express cleverness or a dark or ironic feeling

DESCRIBING THE PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF CHARACTERS:

Body

descriptors; ample, athletic, barrel-chested, beefy, blocky, bony, brawny, buff, burly, chubby, chiseled, coltish, curvy, fat, fit, herculean, hulking, lanky, lean, long, long-legged, lush, medium build, muscular, narrow, overweight, plump, pot-bellied, pudgy, round, skeletal, skinny, slender, slim, stocky, strong, stout, strong, taut, toned, wide.

Eyebrows

descriptors; bushy, dark, faint, furry, long, plucked, raised, seductive, shaved, short, sleek, sparse, thin, unruly.

shape; arched, diagonal, peaked, round, s-shaped, straight.

Ears

shape; attached lobe, broad lobe, narrow, pointed, round, square, sticking-out.

Eyes

colour; albino, blue (azure, baby blue, caribbean blue, cobalt, ice blue, light blue, midnight, ocean blue, sky blue, steel blue, storm blue,) brown (amber, dark brown, chestnut, chocolate, ebony, gold, hazel, honey, light brown, mocha, pale gold, sable, sepia, teakwood, topaz, whiskey,) gray (concrete gray, marble, misty gray, raincloud, satin gray, smoky, sterling, sugar gray), green (aquamarine, emerald, evergreen, forest green, jade green, leaf green, olive, moss green, sea green, teal, vale).

descriptors; bedroom, bright, cat-like, dull, glittering, red-rimmed, sharp, small, squinty, sunken, sparkling, teary.

positioning/shape; almond, close-set, cross, deep-set, downturned, heavy-lidded, hooded, monolid, round, slanted, upturned, wide-set.

Face

descriptors; angular, cat-like, hallow, sculpted, sharp, wolfish.

shape; chubby, diamond, heart-shaped, long, narrow, oblong, oval, rectangle, round, square, thin, triangle.

Facial Hair

beard; chin curtain, classic, circle, ducktail, dutch, french fork, garibaldi, goatee, hipster, neckbeard, old dutch, spade, stubble, verdi, winter.

clean-shaven

moustache; anchor, brush, english, fu manchu, handlebar, hooked, horseshoe, imperial, lampshade, mistletoe, pencil, toothbrush, walrus.

sideburns; chin strap, mutton chops.

Hair

colour; blonde (ash blonde, golden blonde, beige, honey, platinum blonde, reddish blonde, strawberry-blonde, sunflower blonde,) brown (amber, butterscotch, caramel, champagne, cool brown, golden brown, chocolate, cinnamon, mahogany,) red (apricot, auburn, copper, ginger, titain-haired,), black (expresso, inky-black, jet black, raven, soft black) grey (charcoal gray, salt-and-pepper, silver, steel gray,), white (bleached, snow-white).

descriptors; bedhead, dull, dry, fine, full, layered, limp, messy, neat, oily, shaggy, shinny, slick, smooth, spiky, tangled, thick, thin, thinning, tousled, wispy, wild, windblown.

length; ankle length, bald, buzzed, collar length, ear length, floor length, hip length, mid-back length, neck length, shaved, shoulder length, waist length.

type; beach waves, bushy, curly, frizzy, natural, permed, puffy, ringlets, spiral, straight, thick, thin, wavy.

Hands; calloused, clammy, delicate, elegant, large, plump, rough, small, smooth, square, sturdy, strong.

Fingernails; acrylic, bitten, chipped, curved, claw-like, dirty, fake, grimy, long, manicured, painted, peeling, pointed, ragged, short, uneven.

Fingers; arthritic, cold, elegant, fat, greasy, knobby, slender, stubby.

Lips/Mouth

colour (lipstick); brown (caramel, coffee, nude, nutmeg,) pink (deep rose, fuchsia, magenta, pale peach, raspberry, rose, ) purple (black cherry, plum, violet, wine,) red (deep red, ruby.)

descriptors; chapped, cracked, dry, full, glossy, lush, narrow, pierced, scabby, small, soft, split, swollen, thin, uneven, wide, wrinkled.

shape; bottom-heavy, bow-turned, cupid’s bow, downturned, oval, pouty, rosebud, sharp, top-heavy.

Nose

descriptors; broad, broken, crooked, dainty, droopy, hooked, long, narrow, pointed, raised, round, short, strong, stubby, thin, turned-up, wide.

shape; button, flared, grecian, hawk, roman.

Skin

descriptors; blemished, bruised, chalky, clear, dewy, dimpled, dirty, dry, flaky, flawless, freckled, glowing, hairy, itchy, lined, oily, pimply, rashy, rough, sagging, satiny, scarred, scratched, smooth, splotchy, spotted, tattooed, uneven, wrinkly.

complexion; black, bronzed, brown, dark, fair, ivory, light, medium, olive, pale, peach, porcelain, rosy, tan, white.

talia,

otherwise known as the daughter of the demon, is the daughter of batman’s long-time immortal foe, ra’s al ghul. she was introduced in detective comics #411 by dennis o’neil, where she candidly unmasked batman to tend to his wounds after they were captured by doctor darrk. the relationship that developed between them in the following decades was complicated, with talia caught between her love for bruce and her loyalty to ra’s. over time, she forged an identity for herself that rendered her one of the most nuanced members of the batman mythos until her character re-vamp by grant morrison in batman & son.

this list covers a comprehensive, chronological, in-continuity timeline of her character prior to its assassination. elseworld’s titles have been ignored, as have other media such as shows, films, video games, etc. the goal of this list is to give a cohesive account of talia’s pre-morrison character arc. not every single appearance is included here due to instances of mischaracterization (see the end of this post), but this nonetheless covers almost all of the bases.

also, thank you so much to @harunosakuras​ for making the above banner! you can check out her account for more stellar comic edits 😊

introduction (1971-1980) 🗡️

most of these issues have been compiled into tales of the demon, with the exception of batman #257, black lightning: year one #3-4, and the brave and the bold #159.

detective comics #411

batman 232, 235, 240, 243-44, 257

black lightning: year one #3-4 — i think these issues are a better re-interpretation of black lightning’s origins in terms of their talia characterization than black lightning (1977) #2.

dc special series #15 — there’s some racist writing, namely of ra’s drugging bruce and wedding him to talia under preconceived notions regarding marriage in eastern cultures, but the marriage is rendered moot within the issue and treated as a one-note plot point.

detective comics #485

the brave and the bold #159

detective comics #490

Keep reading

Gentlemen prefer blondes guns

Shout out to the guy that went through all my old posts and liked all of them this one’s for you OG

These references are so infamous I’m sure everyone has used them by now but I still love these poses AND talias hair swoop AUGH

Death of the Demon

Short story in which Talia murders her father, intent on tending to her son and living happily.

CW // Implied/mentioned suicide, Graphic depiction of pain/ injury

Talia stands on the edge of a cliff, looking across at the mountain range before her. Her legacy, she thinks, land that should be hers. Was supposed to be hers. This cliff was hers, this palace was hers, this army was hers. It was meant to be. When Ra’s passed… but he never did. He never will. The lazarus pits scattered across the globe prevent this from being the case. And as she gazes out at the horizon, watching the servants carry as much luggage as they can, she realizes it is endless. This pointless cycle. Where Ra’s gets himself killed and his body is retrieved by those who revere him. Who fear his wrath even in death. As his body is tossed, again and again, into pits of green liquid. Bubbling and boiling and spitting him back out, worse and worse each time. There was no beating someone who laughs in the face of death.

It infuriated her. Knowing she had no control over a single aspect of her life. Not even the people she loves. For so long she’s been awake, waiting, plotting… pondering over hundreds of options. And now she had everything put into play. Her people were leaving, moving on to a new place with a new and fresh lazarus pit. The one they’d been using for so many years now was slowly drying up, but it had one use left. One she intended to take.

She glances out at the horizon once again, taking in the pleasant warmth of the setting sun. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Her eyes open slowly and she begins to hum a tune, singing quietly as she steps closer to the ledge. “Nami nami ya sghiri, ta ighfa a’al hasiri.” The lullaby grows louder in her head, her mothers voice coming into mind. Her eyes close again as she thinks of her mother.

“Nami a’altimi ta tnzah, I’gheymi.” Her mother sings to her, softly so not to wake her father who sleeps in the other room. “W yseer a’ana dawo kbeer, yedawi a’a kil ‘ljeeri.” Soft hands smooth over her forehead, tucking strands of hair away from Talias face and behind her ear. Her mother presses a kiss to her forehead, and Talia drifts to sleep.

“Bukra bayyek jayye… Hamel ghallet ‘lemon…” Talia sings, stepping closer to the edge, until her toes hang across it. Her brows furrow, and she thinks of her son. All the times she’d sung that lullaby to him just as her mother had to her.

“Bijeblek tanura w shal, ta tedfi bkanon.” She’d lay in bed with him, his head on her lap, and she’d stroke his tired face with such a gentle caress. One you would never expect from the dragoness. “Ya zaghtturet elhandaqa, sha’arek aswad w mna’aa…” Even when he was surely asleep, she would sing. And when the song was finished she would lay back on the headboard and stay with him, rubbing his back until she grew comfortable enough to sleep. Never for the full night, but for at least a few minutes every hour. That was all she ever needed.

Her foot dangles over the cliff. If the plan did not succeed… she would be left to rot at the bottom of these mountains. Strangled by the bones of warriors long dead, who may finally get their revenge on the daughter of the demon. If she did die here, it was without regret. Her son was safe, and that was all that mattered. She had no fear or doubts though. She knew this was a full proof plan.

“W li habbek bebusek, w li bghdek shu betraqa.” She finishes the last of the lullaby and falls to the depths below, with only her son in mind. “‘Ala raasii, my son. We will be together.” The force of the wind scratches her skin, tugging at her hair and forcing her eyes closed. She accepts it openly, arms outstretched as if desperate for its embrace. It is not the first time she has fallen, it will unlikely be the last.

CW // Graphic injury

Her body hits the ground with a sickening crack and the world goes dark instantly. Just as suddenly as she was gone, she is brought back, and when her eyes open she is met with pools of bright green swirling around her. She feels the excruciating pain of her bones rearranging, snapping into place and sealing together. Of her skin, once bloody and broken, rapidly reconnecting. And as she twists and contorts, her mind shatters and rebuilds. Her goal still ever present in the back of her head as her body lifted from the pools.

CW over —

Ra’s holds her in his arms, gently releasing when she starts to move, and she sees the look on his face. Anger, resentment… relief. There is not a servant in sight, nor an assassin to be detected. Aside from the ones she’d entrusted to guard the pool.

“What on Earth were you thinking?” He practically growls, watching her flex her fingers.

She doesn’t hesitate with her answer. Every move and sound he makes is one she’s long predicted, and every move she makes is one that has been carefully planned through. “Forgive me, father. I’d simply thought it best to be rid of the last remainder of essence before our departure.” She is monotone when she speaks, and Ra’s strokes his beard thoughtfully before humming. It is a plan he approves of, of course… why wouldn’t it be.

“And you did not think to inform me?”

“I was simply training my body and mind the way you taught me to.” She reminds him, furrowing her brow. As stated before, it was not the first time she had fallen. The pain was something so normal to her, but she remembers how unpleasant her first time was. How loud she screamed. “Have you forgotten our regiments, father?”

Ra’s shakes his head, hands clasped behind his back as he paces the room. It is silent for a moment, and as his back is turned she retrieves the sword she’d stowed away within the cave, brandishing it at him. He turns to her, a sick but bemused grin on his thin lips.

“What is this, you wish to spar now, my dear Talia?” He reaches for the blade on his waist. “Very well then.” He lunges at her quickly, and their swords clash. With every swift strike he makes, she strikes back even faster, twisting around him and knocking him onto his back. He huffs, preparing to flip up, but is met with a sword to his chin.

“This is no sparring match, father. This is battle.” She raises her sword to strike but is kicked back by Ra’s, who quickly stands and meets her blade once again. Talia slices into his skin and he slices hers in turn, swiping quickly and targeting her weak points. They break away for a moment, circling the ground like sharks.

“You wish to best me, daughter? You could not even best The Batman!” He spits, lunging at her ferociously.

She meets his blade, clanging together against it with each strike. “That is because I love Bruce. Not because you tell me too, but because I want to!” She growls, true to her dragoness name, and strikes his arm. “I am my own person! I am a human being! You cannot- you WILL not… take that from me, ever again.” With this bold statement, Ra’s laughs.

He catches her off guard and knocks her onto her stomach, pressing his foot onto her back. “You are nothing but a pawn Talia. No different from your sisters or brothers, nor your mother or your son.” For a moment there is a sense of fear within Talia. A moment of unpreparedness. He steps on her even harder, and she winces at the pain, struggling to reach for her side.

“No…” She huffs, struggling to move. “I will be free… I will be free!” She screams, surging with adrenaline, and forces him off of her. She flips over to where her sword sits at the edge of the lazarus pit, hastily grabbing it and brandishing it at her father.

“I am Talia Al Ghul, daughter of the demon, the most dangerous woman alive. I will conquer you just as I have conquered countless enemies.” Her sword hits his with enough force that it is knocked from his hand, and he seems genuinely surprised. “I will kill you just as you have killed my sister!” She screams, slicing into him with her sword, again and again with each scream.

“Just as you have driven away my brother, I will drive you into the ground!” SLICE. “Just as you have beaten my beloved, I will beat you! And I will rise over you with the strength you could never obtain, with the drive you senselessly pursued, and I will do it all without YOU!” Her sword plunges into his stomach and through him, his body slumping against hers. She whispers in his ear.

“I will push you into the pit of which has driven you beyond recognition, that has infected your mind to the point of insanity. Just as it is dried of its essence, so too will you, and you will never rise to see the light of another day. I am the demons head now. You…” She pushes him off of her blade and into the murky green pool below. “Will be nothing.” Talia huffs, watching his body sink until it is at the very bottom, and turning toward the exit.

“My lady!” Her trusted companion calls out, bowing hastily, while the others rush to tend to her wounds. Talia only pushes them off. “Is it done?” She asks, and Talia only nods, walking off quietly. Everyone else follows after her.

Except for one.

End!! Lmk if I’m doing a good job writing Talia! For anyone curious the song she sings is a lullaby called Nami Nami! I found the translation on a website, so I hope it’s accurate

Sleep, sleep my little one

Slumber peacefully on the rug

Sleep in the darkness

Until the cloud passes

After it will come a great light

And we will all see it

Sleep, sleep my little child Sleep, sleep my little one

Sleep, sleep, sleep Slumber peacefully on the rug

Sleep, sleep my little one Sleep, sleep my little one

Sleep, sleep, sleep Slumber peacefully on the rug

Daddy has gone to work

Father has gone

He will be back when the moon rises

And bring you a gift

Daddy will return tomorrow

With the lemons he has gathered

He will bring you a skirt and scarf

To keep you warm

You are my sweetest little one

With beautiful dark hair

Whoever loves you will embrace you

And whoever not

Woe unto them!

Sleep, sleep… Sleep, sleep…

Death of the Demon

Short story in which Talia murders her father, intent on tending to her son and living happily.

CW // Implied/mentioned suicide, Graphic depiction of pain/ injury

Talia stands on the edge of a cliff, looking across at the mountain range before her. Her legacy, she thinks, land that should be hers. Was supposed to be hers. This cliff was hers, this palace was hers, this army was hers. It was meant to be. When Ra’s passed… but he never did. He never will. The lazarus pits scattered across the globe prevent this from being the case. And as she gazes out at the horizon, watching the servants carry as much luggage as they can, she realizes it is endless. This pointless cycle. Where Ra’s gets himself killed and his body is retrieved by those who revere him. Who fear his wrath even in death. As his body is tossed, again and again, into pits of green liquid. Bubbling and boiling and spitting him back out, worse and worse each time. There was no beating someone who laughs in the face of death.

It infuriated her. Knowing she had no control over a single aspect of her life. Not even the people she loves. For so long she’s been awake, waiting, plotting… pondering over hundreds of options. And now she had everything put into play. Her people were leaving, moving on to a new place with a new and fresh lazarus pit. The one they’d been using for so many years now was slowly drying up, but it had one use left. One she intended to take.

She glances out at the horizon once again, taking in the pleasant warmth of the setting sun. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Her eyes open slowly and she begins to hum a tune, singing quietly as she steps closer to the ledge. “Nami nami ya sghiri, ta ighfa a’al hasiri.” The lullaby grows louder in her head, her mothers voice coming into mind. Her eyes close again as she thinks of her mother.

“Nami a’altimi ta tnzah, I’gheymi.” Her mother sings to her, softly so not to wake her father who sleeps in the other room. “W yseer a’ana dawo kbeer, yedawi a’a kil ‘ljeeri.” Soft hands smooth over her forehead, tucking strands of hair away from Talias face and behind her ear. Her mother presses a kiss to her forehead, and Talia drifts to sleep.

“Bukra bayyek jayye… Hamel ghallet ‘lemon…” Talia sings, stepping closer to the edge, until her toes hang across it. Her brows furrow, and she thinks of her son. All the times she’d sung that lullaby to him just as her mother had to her.

“Bijeblek tanura w shal, ta tedfi bkanon.” She’d lay in bed with him, his head on her lap, and she’d stroke his tired face with such a gentle caress. One you would never expect from the dragoness. “Ya zaghtturet elhandaqa, sha’arek aswad w mna’aa…” Even when he was surely asleep, she would sing. And when the song was finished she would lay back on the headboard and stay with him, rubbing his back until she grew comfortable enough to sleep. Never for the full night, but for at least a few minutes every hour. That was all she ever needed.

Her foot dangles over the cliff. If the plan did not succeed… she would be left to rot at the bottom of these mountains. Strangled by the bones of warriors long dead, who may finally get their revenge on the daughter of the demon. If she did die here, it was without regret. Her son was safe, and that was all that mattered. She had no fear or doubts though. She knew this was a full proof plan.

“W li habbek bebusek, w li bghdek shu betraqa.” She finishes the last of the lullaby and falls to the depths below, with only her son in mind. “‘Ala raasii, my son. We will be together.” The force of the wind scratches her skin, tugging at her hair and forcing her eyes closed. She accepts it openly, arms outstretched as if desperate for its embrace. It is not the first time she has fallen, it will unlikely be the last.

CW // Graphic injury

Her body hits the ground with a sickening crack and the world goes dark instantly. Just as suddenly as she was gone, she is brought back, and when her eyes open she is met with pools of bright green swirling around her. She feels the excruciating pain of her bones rearranging, snapping into place and sealing together. Of her skin, once bloody and broken, rapidly reconnecting. And as she twists and contorts, her mind shatters and rebuilds. Her goal still ever present in the back of her head as her body lifted from the pools.

CW over —

Ra’s holds her in his arms, gently releasing when she starts to move, and she sees the look on his face. Anger, resentment… relief. There is not a servant in sight, nor an assassin to be detected. Aside from the ones she’d entrusted to guard the pool.

“What on Earth were you thinking?” He practically growls, watching her flex her fingers.

She doesn’t hesitate with her answer. Every move and sound he makes is one she’s long predicted, and every move she makes is one that has been carefully planned through. “Forgive me, father. I’d simply thought it best to be rid of the last remainder of essence before our departure.” She is monotone when she speaks, and Ra’s strokes his beard thoughtfully before humming. It is a plan he approves of, of course… why wouldn’t it be.

“And you did not think to inform me?”

“I was simply training my body and mind the way you taught me to.” She reminds him, furrowing her brow. As stated before, it was not the first time she had fallen. The pain was something so normal to her, but she remembers how unpleasant her first time was. How loud she screamed. “Have you forgotten our regiments, father?”

Ra’s shakes his head, hands clasped behind his back as he paces the room. It is silent for a moment, and as his back is turned she retrieves the sword she’d stowed away within the cave, brandishing it at him. He turns to her, a sick but bemused grin on his thin lips.

“What is this, you wish to spar now, my dear Talia?” He reaches for the blade on his waist. “Very well then.” He lunges at her quickly, and their swords clash. With every swift strike he makes, she strikes back even faster, twisting around him and knocking him onto his back. He huffs, preparing to flip up, but is met with a sword to his chin.

“This is no sparring match, father. This is battle.” She raises her sword to strike but is kicked back by Ra’s, who quickly stands and meets her blade once again. Talia slices into his skin and he slices hers in turn, swiping quickly and targeting her weak points. They break away for a moment, circling the ground like sharks.

“You wish to best me, daughter? You could not even best The Batman!” He spits, lunging at her ferociously.

She meets his blade, clanging together against it with each strike. “That is because I love Bruce. Not because you tell me too, but because I want to!” She growls, true to her dragoness name, and strikes his arm. “I am my own person! I am a human being! You cannot- you WILL not… take that from me, ever again.” With this bold statement, Ra’s laughs.

He catches her off guard and knocks her onto her stomach, pressing his foot onto her back. “You are nothing but a pawn Talia. No different from your sisters or brothers, nor your mother or your son.” For a moment there is a sense of fear within Talia. A moment of unpreparedness. He steps on her even harder, and she winces at the pain, struggling to reach for her side.

“No…” She huffs, struggling to move. “I will be free… I will be free!” She screams, surging with adrenaline, and forces him off of her. She flips over to where her sword sits at the edge of the lazarus pit, hastily grabbing it and brandishing it at her father.

“I am Talia Al Ghul, daughter of the demon, the most dangerous woman alive. I will conquer you just as I have conquered countless enemies.” Her sword hits his with enough force that it is knocked from his hand, and he seems genuinely surprised. “I will kill you just as you have killed my sister!” She screams, slicing into him with her sword, again and again with each scream.

“Just as you have driven away my brother, I will drive you into the ground!” SLICE. “Just as you have beaten my beloved, I will beat you! And I will rise over you with the strength you could never obtain, with the drive you senselessly pursued, and I will do it all without YOU!” Her sword plunges into his stomach and through him, his body slumping against hers. She whispers in his ear.

“I will push you into the pit of which has driven you beyond recognition, that has infected your mind to the point of insanity. Just as it is dried of its essence, so too will you, and you will never rise to see the light of another day. I am the demons head now. You…” She pushes him off of her blade and into the murky green pool below. “Will be nothing.” Talia huffs, watching his body sink until it is at the very bottom, and turning toward the exit.

“My lady!” Her trusted companion calls out, bowing hastily, while the others rush to tend to her wounds. Talia only pushes them off. “Is it done?” She asks, and Talia only nods, walking off quietly. Everyone else follows after her.

Except for one.

End!! Lmk if I’m doing a good job writing Talia! For anyone curious the song she sings is a lullaby called Nami Nami! I found the translation on a website, so I hope it’s accurate

Sleep, sleep my little one

Slumber peacefully on the rug

Sleep in the darkness

Until the cloud passes

After it will come a great light

And we will all see it

Sleep, sleep my little child Sleep, sleep my little one

Sleep, sleep, sleep Slumber peacefully on the rug

Sleep, sleep my little one Sleep, sleep my little one

Sleep, sleep, sleep Slumber peacefully on the rug

Daddy has gone to work

Father has gone

He will be back when the moon rises

And bring you a gift

Daddy will return tomorrow

With the lemons he has gathered

He will bring you a skirt and scarf

To keep you warm

You are my sweetest little one

With beautiful dark hair

Whoever loves you will embrace you

And whoever not

Woe unto them!

Sleep, sleep… Sleep, sleep…