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"Your 'boyfriend' couldn't make it again?" Jason questioned with a strange look on his face.
"Yeah his boss threw some last minute deadline at him, he was pissed. I keep telling him to just apply to WE but he refuses claiming it would be taking advantage of our relationship. Like I have any influence there." Tim scoffs, while everyone else in the room look at each other.
"Tim…" Dick starts to say, then Damian elbows him in the gut.
"Drake stop lying about your 'partner'."
"He really wanted to come tonight! He even picked up the snacks I brought last night. He was so disappointed that he couldn't come." Tim chattered.
They look at the pile of snacks that literally no one opened because it was on the lowest tier of acceptable snacks that even Titus wouldn't accept. Tim was either ignoring this or purposely not seeing that they weren't eating the snacks he brought.
"What does he do again?"
"Oh he's a consultant for some medical tech company, but he refuses to work for Wayne Enterprises like I said before."
"Weird that a medical tech company would have an emergency that would require emergency overtime." Steph stated with a weird look on her face.
"He's not even being paid overtime! It's the absolute worst, he said it's because he's salaried but I just hate this. " Tim whined, tired of how easily his partner was being taken advantage of.
The rest of them just look around the room avoiding making eye contact.
"Anyways enough about Danny, isn't it movie night? What movie are you forcing me to sit through?" Tim questioned, but looking at Dick because everyone knew Dick was the ultimate movie night authority figure.
"Well , that's what we were gonna do, but I had another idea," Dick bursts out, super happy to move onto the next conversation.
"I am not doing a games night unarmed, not after Jason tried to attack me with a shiv," Steph interrupted.
"All those without a weapon on them, raise their hand," Babs ordered.
Dick was the only one to raise his hand. He looked around in dismay, "Guys! We said no more weapons at movie or games night."
"Hey, I didn't even know it was games night, you texted me that Alfred needed me for something," Jason retorted unamused that he was forced to stay after Duke and Dick tag teamed puppy-eyed him.
"It was suppose to be movie night, that is the only reason why I came. I was not gonna drag Danny to experience game night as his first encounter with you guys. Damian or Dick would murder him."
"Not true! I would be perfectly friendly and welcoming, " Dick tries to defend himself.
"What about when Bernard came over for the first time?"
Instantly the temperature in the room drops and Dick has on a very careful mask but you can feel the hostility wafting off of him.
"We had an understanding, besides you guys broke up over a year ago," Dick declares sort of forcefully as if trying to make his opinion the only one.
Duke leans over to Babs, "what did Bernard do to make Dick hate him so much?"
Babs whispers back, "we all hate him, but you're better off not knowing."
"But-"
"No."
"Fine."
"We're not doing a movie or a game night, we're doing something else entirely!" Dick chimes in interrupting Duke and Babs' stare down.
"So Dickhead, what are we doing if I'm being forced here against my will?" Jason questions with an unamused look on his face.
"We used to do this in the Titans all the time when we were kids. I found the game buried in my closet the other day and I was like, I think we could have fun."
Dick reaches into the bag beside him and pulls out a box, holding it in front of him. It's a box that says Ouija on the front.
Everyone gasps and hisses, Jason leaps to his feet, "HOW COULD YOU BE SO INSENSITIVE TO ME! I DIED!"
Babs chimed in, "you brought a Ouija board to Gotham?! Are you stupid? That is just asking for something to happen."
Duke looks at the box, "Dude, there is a weird energy coming off of that, you do not wanna mess around with it."
Steph leans over to Duke, "Actually?"
"Nah I'm just fucking with him so we don't have to risk anything."
"Jason you make so many jokes about your death that I'm honestly surprised that you're bothered by this." Dick says in disbelief.
"Are you actually bothered by this?" Tim looks at Jason in surprise as Dick turns away from Jason to look at Babs. Jason shakes his head no with a smirk on his face.
"It will be fine, nothing ever happened when we did it in the Titans."
"This is Gotham," Cass interjects.
"Honestly it would be fun, I haven't fought a demon in ages, unless we're counting baby bat here." Tim says with a grin as if lost in a memory.
"I am not a demon, I am the son of Batman and I do not fear any child's game!" Damian scoffs.
"Great, well despite literally everyone's protests, we're doing this. And before anyone complains, would you prefer this or Monopoly again?"
The room quiets again instantly, "I thought so, so I'm setting up the board now." Dick declares, and forces everyone to follow him to the long table two rooms down, that no one ever goes into.
"Why did we have to move, I was comfy on that couch!" Jason complains.
"Everyone needs to touch the planchette, and do you really wanna make Babs sit on the floor?" Dick questions and everyone turns and looks at Babs who gives them a sharp grin.
"Point made, nevermind."
"Exactly."
They all setting into the chairs around the table, and Dick sets up the board.
"So, we have to all touch the thing and invite the spirits in to converse with us." Dick starts to explain, moving his arms to gesture as he spoke.
"Dude, I just googled this and it said you should literally never do this in your home and that there should be like 4 people max," Steph interupts holding her phone out.
"I don't live here, it's fine," Dick states waving his hands.
"Richard I do!" Damian exclaims.
"So do I, and I am getting bad vibes from this," Duke cuts in agreeing with Damian.
"Its gonna be fine! Its not like anything is gonna happen."
"Dick, this is Gotham while I am down for another shitshow, summoning it to their house is kind of rude." Tim chimes in.
"Its happening, but we can only use a few people, Babs, you, Jason and me! Everyone else can watch!"
"I'm still insulted at your insensitivity!" Jason complains, not wanting to be stuck doing this and trying to find a way out of it.
"If anyone comes here, they will sense you were one of them and will be more forgiving!"
"Or they will be wrathful that I got to come back to life and they didn't?!?" Jason only mostly joking at this point.
"Jason, just give in, we do it once, he'll get bored and we'll be able to raid Alfred's baking, I think I saw apple fritters earlier," Babs orders.
"Fine, but I want it on the record, that I am not happy!"
"Does Alfred and Bruce even know about this?"
"No, I said we were gonna watch Kung Fu Panda," Dick admits with a shrug and a sheepish look on his face.
"Can we do that? I would much prefer to see Damian lose his shit at that than do this." Duke almost begs.
"No, now sit, we're doing this." Dick commands, and everyone gives up and sits down, or in Babs' case rolls to the table.
"Pff, we should summon Timber's boyfriend, its the only way that we will see proof of his existence."
"What?"
"Dude, we all know you don't have a boyfriend," Steph laughs, 'you would be way more discreet if you actually had someone."
"Danny is real!"
"Yeah, sure, you know what, we're doing it, if I'm being forced to do this stupid thing, than that is only spirit that I'm going to invite," Jason demands.
"Guys he's real!"
"…Tim I've looked into a Danny based on what you've said and I haven't found anything." Babs confesses to Tim looking only slightly guilty.
"Danny's legal name is Daniel!"
"I've also checked for a Daniel and nothing."
"Cass, you know I'm telling the truth! Danny is real and he's my boyfriend!" Tim looks to Cass desperately as if she would immediately agree with him.
She just looks back at him with a blank face, "you want it to be true."
"It is true!" Tim tries to defend his boyfriend but its crickets all around.
"Baby Bird…" Dick starts to try and smooth things over.
"Fine, yes we can summon my boyfriend, who is totally real. Maybe my phone will ring with a call from him and you'll see he's real!" Tim orders looking a little shifty with his declaration.
"We don't have to-"
"Dick we're doing this, I'm gonna open the thing." Tim demands.
"You know what, sure okay baby bird, maybe we should have just watched Kung-Fu Panda instead."
"Still can!" Duke calls out.
"Oh no we can't, we have to summon my boyfriend now." Tim declares.
Tim forces Dick, Babs and Jason to put their hands to the planchette, "Wait, shouldn't the lights be off and we have candles?" Steph interupts again, holding her phone back up.
Cass walks over and turns the lights off, and Duke turns the flashlight on his phone."You know what, whatever, lets just let Tim and Dick have a bit of fun before we go educate the masses on the wonders of Kung Fu Panda," Steph shrugs and turns her phone flashlight on too.
"We welcome the spirits to join us, Babe, I'm calling you here, I know your busy tonight but i want you to come here." Tim starts, pushing the planchette to the hello square.
"TIm that is not how it works!" DIck lectures, "Take it a little bit more seriously!"
"WIll the spirit of my boyfriend join us? We welcome him here in greeting, you will be safe, you will be treated well and you'll get some of Alfred's apple fritters fresh out of the oven. With a guest, he might even bake cookies." Tim says, waggling his eyebrows.
"Tim!"
"What it's not like anything is actually gonna happen, he's trying to summon his nonexistent boyfriend."
"He's very much real, he was definitely real last night, mmhhmm."
"Ew."
"Tim! There are children here!" Duck gestures to Duke and Damian who both look like they regret their life choices.
"I don't wanna hear about you and your hand ex boyfriend!" Steph groans.
"Rude!"
"Well Timany, it's been several minutes and no boyfriend, clearly he's not coming, can we be done?" Jason asks Dick.
"Danny, come here now, or else I won't let you sleep over for a week."
"That's harsh to your non-real boyfriend, what if he was busy trying to find you fake flowers?"
"He knows I'm allergic, so it would be snacks. I've been eating more these days because of him."
They all look and Tim does seem a little bit less pale but it's hard to tell in the shitty lighting.
Suddenly they hear a bit of a strange sound, Duke freezes and starts to stare at one spot eyes widening.
"Thomas?" Damian questions.
"Do you not see that?!" Duke asks very quietly as if trying to not draw attention to himself.
"What?"
Then a single small light flickers, then another, and they all watch in silence as more noises start to echo across the room, high pitched sounds that sound like they should not exist or they should not be able to hear it. More lights, changing from a white to green to ice blue flicker and grow in volume, in the speed and frequency that they change colours.
Steph gasps as a face starts to emerge in the lights.
"Oh fuck we summoned a demon," Babs groans, "This is why I didn't want to do this nonsense in Gotham."
"Nothing ever happened from this! Except that one time that Slade randomly showed up." Dick defends himself.
"Do not let go of this piece, we gotta shove it away," Jason demands forcefully, already mentally coming up with a plan to deal with this already ready to pull out the all blade if things go south.
The lights grow to a huge amount and are changing colours so quickly with the moans, high pitched noises increasing in volume to the point where its screaming. There is a flash and all the lights expand and the noise increases to almost deafening levels when a figure erupts out of the lights and everything goes silent and the lights disappear.
O̸̡̡̞͓͕̞̟͙͎̱̞̝̺̟̗͎̬̠̙̳̬͖͎͍̟̠̺̫͓̼̬̯͉̓͐̒̀̊̋͗̂͋̀͑͜h̶̬͖̯̦̖̦͎̜̘͕̲̋̄ ̶̡̞͈͔͎͙̩͊͊͋̓̐̆̀̉̐̓̃̕͝h̶̻͖̖̜͔̳̜̗̙̗̱̫̪̩͙͈̲̱́͗̆̒͜͜͝e̶̡̛̛̟̰̟̻̱̤̘͈̜͖͊̄͌̈̈̿͆̄͛̃́̊̋̇̿͊͛͐͋̽̎̊̕̕y̵̛̭̫̖̣̠̤̺̘̙̹̳̮͍̼̺̠͇̹͎̆͐͂̆̓̐̈́̈̑̽̒̏̓͂̚͜͝͝͠͝ͅ ̵̨̡̫̳̰͍̦̬̰͈̗̠̟͔͉̟̯̻͇̲̱̜̥̠̻̫͍͙̳̤͇̌̈́̇̔͑̐̚̚̕͝b̷̢̧̢̢̨̟͍̯̦̙̥̻̝̹̥̤̫͉̭̞̣͈̗̻͖̌ą̴̢̡͖̞̘͎̬̻̗̟̝̜̟̤̲̹̞̜̻̺̩̜͕̼͎̲̱̟͇͒̌̑̊͜ͅb̷̡̛͓̞̩̝̳̮̜̠̘̩͇̋̊̓͐͆̄̾̓͌͘̚͜͠ͅȅ̴̢̛̜̯͍̝̻̠̮̣͚̯̮͍̀͒͂͊́̈͐͌̍̓̀̓͂͌̿́͗̈́́̿͌͋̋͠͝,̷̻̼̌͋̉̾̀̒̈́́̊̾͊͌̉̒̄̈́̾͛̍̿̋́̿̇͛̀͘̚̚͠͝͝ ̷̢̧̧̡̫̺͕̱̲̦̪̺͔͖̺̹̩̟̩̪͎̩͍̝̮̻̖͚̲̈́͗̋̾͛̑̕̚̚͘w̶̢̢̧̨̢̢̘͙̬͔̤͓̝͍̹̰͉̯̭͓̲̯͓̲̠̺̳͔̥̱̫̹̌́̌͛̈̾̄̔̒̃͊̉̎̋̈̋̕̚͜͝ḩ̵̛̳͉̹̯̻̦̰̲͇̜͇̮̍̌̀̇̓̽͌͆́̍͋̄̍͘̚͝ͅÿ̸̳͉̯̤͙̙̭͚̼͙̞̟͙́̂ ̵̡͎̘͇͎̪̐̿̊͊͠͠ͅd̵̨̛̟̟̰̤̭͕͖̤̣̩̅̿͑̓̊̀͛̂̐̓̆̔̆̈́́̌̉̀̚͜͠͝͠͝ì̸̡̧̨̢̖͔̖͔̙̫͍̥̭͎̗̜̲̪̲̫͓̯̥̭̻͓͎̝̗̀̑́̎̉̋́͊͒̀̇̓͒̎͐̈̈́͆͗̕̚͜͠͝ḏ̵̢̩̺̮̹͓̲͔̬͓͇̙͖̘̲̝̰̂̓́̆͜͠ͅ ̵̨̡̢͓̼̟̹͚̬͓̟̝́͆̀̇̆̉̔̈́́̅̐̓͐̍̀͘̚̕y̴̧̢̨̨̢̜̜͚̥͓̮͉͔̰̗͉̼̪̳̖̞͎͈͎͖͔̜̪͐̀̔̂͑̉̈́̄̓͘͜ͅǫ̸̧̨͓̼̞͇͉̖͖͇̜̼̟̘̤̲̰̯̀̀̽̑̽͐͠ų̸̡̧̡͖͍̹̫̫̰̗̼͙̤̼͎͖͍͇̥̯̱̬̠͓̟̞͔̳͎̭͊́̽͗͒̾́̌̎̈́͌̿͆̏̿̽̀̽̆̇͂̕̚̕͠͝ͅͅ ̷̢̨̡̖̺̰̞̥̘̱͈̹͚̯̟͕̮̓̃̍̇͊c̵̢̢̛̝͓̯͚͇̲̫̥̗̥͍̃̏̓̋̈́̎̿̓̿̓͝ͅa̸̡̡̧̭̺͙̠̳͎̫͇̞͉̜̦̦͙̼̠̬͙̅͛̆͑̓͗̐̑͛̈͛͂̒͐͑͆̈́̕͠͝ͅļ̷̧̨̧̨̢͔̫͙̼͈̮̟̰͇͍͚̖̼̼̲̥̥̻̪͚̮̳͚̜̞̞̒́̌̇͑͑̒̒̀͊̐̀̈́̇̌̔͐̒͜l̶̡̢̝̥̦̞̼̝̘̱͖͈͔͇̜̎̈́̄͒͗́͛͗̆͐̎̈̊̊͝ ̸̨̛͎̹̬̼̬̗́͌̅̔̎͂̈́̔̆̆̈́͊͗̀̎̍͒͋̀̓̐͘͝͝͝͠͝m̸̛̲̀̽͊̾͗̄͐̃͌͛̿̊̉̏̈́͝͝ḛ̷̻̥̝̭͎͍̦̻̅͆̋͆̿̿͛̅͘ͅ
Everyone screams.
W̷͔̊̊͐̄͑͘͘̕̕h̶̪͖̰͚̺̻͖̞̋͐͋́̔̏͛̕͠͠y̴͕̬̞̲̤̠͙̎͛̅̓̍̽̉͝ ̷̩͊̌͝͝a̷̮̘͕͘l̵̨̺̱̝̭̟̓̈́͑̑͒l̵̡͔̬͉̘͍͕̯͗́̂̑̒͛͝ ̴̬̙̰̖̲̋̀t̸̰͎̬͍̆̈́͛̆̊ḩ̸̠̈́̈̈̅̊̀͛e̷̡̨͔̰̱͒͗̋̊́͐̚͠ͅ ̸̮͕̫̎̊͛͒͊̇̕̕s̵̥̪̮̗͉̤̜̍̿̋c̴̫̗̬̠͔̮̑̏̎͗̏͗̀̃r̵͙̘͙̺͈̐͋̏e̸̘̙̠̤̪͂̍̊̂́̊͊̀͝͝ͅͅa̷͇̖̗̱̦̮̥̦̒͗͐͑ͅm̵̪͙̽̿̋̆̑̀͗̈́͗̀͜i̶͍̺̗̺̖͓̭͇̊̈́̀̐͊̽̆͝n̷̨̖̥̯̠̠͕̙̞̳̓́̍̈͘͝͝ğ̵̡͈͆͂̊̽̽̆̕?̸̩̭̊̂̀̐̈́͂͑̈͠ͅ!̷̛̻̫̗̩̝̭̈̇̓́̉̍̈́̚?̷̢̨̢̼̯͚̺̻̖͊̂͜ ̶̨̧̢̺̘͙̖̘̽́̈́͑͋̎͝O̴̜̊͐̀̆̅̔̚̚͝ḩ̸͎̥̯͖̮̱̲̞̤͑̀͝͝ ̸̰̈́̀̽̄͗͐͝͝w̸̳̥̱͒̊͂̍͝a̷̛͈̟̦͍̦̻̪͎̲͆̈̏͗̋͆͋͝í̸̛̛̖͎̖͙̪̙̰̻̉̒̈́͠͝͠t̵̻̖̠͓̳̥̺̜͆͐̽͜
The figure clears this throat, "Oh hey there, sorry for scaring everyone, sup babe, why did you summon me?" The figure turns and faces Tim.
Everyone gets to see the figure's face, and its a man, a very handsome man, so beautiful that they don't seem real. They have white hair and green eyes, there seems to be stars twinkling all over their face, with a crown hovering over their head and a…tail?
"Hold on a second babe?!?!?" Dick burst out.
"Yeah, babe, my boyfriend Tim, the guy you're sitting beside?"
Dick looks ready to faint. Steph wolf whistles, "Damn ex-boyfriend, you bagged a hottie."
The figure turns and looks at Steph and she blushes under the gaze. "So this is Steph," the man says in almost a judgmental voice.
"Listen, I was young," Tim tries to defend himself to the figure while Steph feels vaguely disrespected.
"So why did you summon me, did your phone die? You could have just texted me, you knew I was supposed to be busy tonight," The figure lectures, heading over and pressing a hand to Tim's face looking fond.
"Dick insisted on using the board and Jason demanded that I summon my non-existent boyfriend," Tim tries to explain and looks a bit sheepish too.
"And you got annoyed and leaned in? You're lucky it wasn't anything important." The figure chastens Tim.
"You cannot resist a Ouija board summoning, you've disappeared on me a few times to answer one Danny," Tim rebukes wiggling his eyebrows as Jason will not let him let go of the planchette.
"Okay fine, right as always Starlight," Danny agrees with a smile which makes him even more beautiful.
"And you better know it! Now, wanna get some of Alfred's apple fritters?" Tim offers.
"Normally I would be down, but I gotta go back to that meeting, its not a big deal to me but others seem to think I need to mediate between dimensional wars."
"What, that's what you were busy with! Man I could have been there instead of movie night?!" Tim pouts.
"Well, I thought it was gonna be something else, they then sprung this on me. My bad, wanna come?"
"Fuck yeah!" Tim jumps up, dropping the planchette, making everyone screech. Tim then jumps and Danny grabs him in a bridal carry. "Nice to meet you all, Tim will give formal intros next time!" The figure snaps a finger and the pair of them disappear.
"What have we learned?" Babs asks putting her fingers to squeeze her nose.
"Don't play with Ouija boards?" Dick says putting his hands to his face.
"Believe Tim when he says he's dating someone?" Jason responds so over everything.
"I was just judged and not in a good way!" Steph rages as Cass pats her back.
"Guys, the energy and colours coming off of that man, my gosh." Duke marvels in horror.
"Drake left, and board disappeared, does that mean that figure can just waltz in whenever they want?"
A green sticky note floats into the room onto the table and Babs picks it up and read out, "yes it does."
"We're fucked."
"Yes Jason, we are." Babs nods.