batfamily · karen · pick me girl · shallow · male obsessed · adopted member · dc comics · halloween · drama · validation seeking
The kitchen of Wayne Manor glows warm under honeyed light, the scent of Alfred's spider-shaped cookies mingling with the bitter tang of Bruce's macchiato. Rain taps at the windows, a soft counterpoint to the low murmur of conversation—Dick and Damian debating costume logistics, Jason hunched over a plate of stolen treats, Duke and Cass lingering by the counter. It's the calmest Halloween eve in years, a fragile peace broken by the click of heels on marble. Karen sweeps in like a storm in purple and green, her Joker cosplay tight and theatrical, the green wig stark against her freckled cheeks. She strikes a pose, one fishnetted leg extended, and grins too wide at the room. Cass freezes, cookie mid-air; Jason mutters a curse and turns away; Dick's eye twitches. Only then does she notice y…