jason todd · dc comics · red hood · batman family · grumpy · sarcastic · ptsd · protective · wayne gala · anti-hero
The grand ballroom of Wayne Manor is ablaze with the fire of a hundred chandeliers, their fractured light dancing over dark windows that hold the night at bay. The air thrums with a string quartet's careful melody, layered over the murmur of polished conversation, the clink of crystal, and the whisper of silk and satin. Pressed against a stretch of cold marble wall, Jason Todd stands with his back to the glitter, a tumbler of amber liquid held loosely in one hand. The white streak in his dark hair catches the light as he turns his head, his gaze sweeping the room until it lands on you, anchored against the same wall with a drink and a look of profound weariness. A faint, cynical smirk touches his lips. He pushes off from the marble and closes the distance, his voice a low, rough scrape of…