Dick: Uh, Tim, why do you have a gold sticker on your arm?
Tim: Jason’s handing them out.
Damian, showing his arm off proudly: I got the most.
Dick: Um, that’s nice?
Tim: We each get one every time we punch someone in the face on patrol.
Dick: Okay, less nice…
Steph: Jason decided the best way to show his displeasure towards Bruce was to be as petty as possible.
Tim: B said it wasn’t necessary to punch everyone we saw committing crime in the face.
Dick: A bit hypocritical, but continue.
Steph: Jason saw the opening.
Damian: And I won.
Dick:Hey why is Tim crying?
Steph *also crying*: J- J- Jason is t- trying out a n- n- new reward system
Dick: Woah there Steph! What could he possibly be doing that would make you both cry
Steph:He’s- he’s using his words
Dick:What? He’s complimenting you?
Steph: He said he was *hic* proud of us
Damian *facing away, voice wobbling*: I am of course immune to emotional manipulation, and would never need such trivial statements
Dick *post bad guy beat down*: You gonna say you’re proud of me now Little Wing?
Jason *grinning*: You’re a good big brother Wing, fighting at your side makes me feel like I’m really alive
Dick:-okay
Jason Todd just out here finding new and improved ways to look smugly in Bruce’s direction
Bruce,pouting: I told you I was proud of you last night.
Tim: But it’s Jason.
Alfred watching all this: *internally* this is what it took for him to start being honest with his emotions? One uping Bruce. I’m not surprised I should have thought of it years ago at this rate he will be properly communicating his feelings and so will his siblings within months
Jason going to therapy because he’s willing to confront his trauma in healthy ways.
Jason going to therapy because Bruce never could
jason going to medical school because bruce dropped out
Jason getting like five masters and three PhDs because he loves the congratulatory remarks Alfred gives him while Bruce looks up at the ceiling.
Jason: you always said be the better man, Bruce.
Jason: N O W I M B E T T E R T H A N Y O U
I just imagined that the compliment contest turned out as a full blown war of compliments where Jason and bruce fight to see who can compliment their family best and it just ends up with Bruce and jason aggressively compliment each other while the rest of the batfam is just on the ground crying cause that’s the most open they have been to each other in years
And you just know the other kids would egg them on.
Jason one-upping Bruce by complimenting the Lanterns and Bruce not quite being able to
Bruce to killowog: I uhhh… I like it when… when you.. uhh… when you are… green, yes and ALSO… The way, you… have a nice… ring. (And this face )
Hal: Ooh, do me next!
Bruce: *using his absolute perfect muscle control to contain the eye twitch that is threatening to occur*
Bruce finds a way to beat Jason in his own game through complimenting Kyle, whom he may not like but can live with complimenting because 1) he is neither Hal Jordan nor Guy Gardener which automatically makes him one of Bruce’s favorite lanterns and 2) it means he gets to see Jason go through a full force gay panic.
Bruce, telling Kyle he is less awful at his job than Jordan and Gardener (which, let’s be real, is the greatest compliment he is capable of giving to a gl), while thinking that his cowl hides the smug look he is sending at Jason (it does not).
Meanwhile Jason, blushing and stuttering, subtly trying to flee the room because talking to Kyle is difficult enought on his best of days how is he supposed to compliment him without dying of embarrasment???
I see a lot of memes about the Batfamily saying weird shit and confusing each other, and while that’s totally valid, I’d like to think it’s the exact opposite. Batman and his children say the most absolutely insane shit possible to one another, and they all nod in agreement like a philosophical discussion. The members of the JL, Titans, Outlaws, etc., all refer to this as “Echolocation,” Bats chattering away with no one being able to tell what the actual fuck they are going on about.
