They Bounce Around In My Brain Like The Dvd Waiting Screen

They bounce around in my brain like the dvd waiting screen

Someone take tumblr away from me

NERDS…

say it with me: khoa is a narrative foil for bruce because at the end of the day, they both believe that justice should be served, that the people deserve to live in a world that isn’t cruel, one that doesn’t punish people for just existing.

the root of their disagreement is the sphere in which to realize the vision. bruce thinks in order to help one has to have a deep inherent understanding of the community they’re serving, and khoa thinks with their level of training they have the capacity to bring down international structures that are exploitative and unjust, that bruce deciding after training together all these years that he still couldn’t put that grim promise he made when he was extremely emotionally compromised is selfish.

khoa is NOT a narrative foil because “hehe what if batman killed people” or that his end goal is recognition, power, or a legacy. it is explicitly stated in canon multiple times that even though khoa had erased his public persona off all databases (only three people alive knowing his name, potentially two of them being his parents), he also keeps ghostmaker almost entirely out of the public eye, to the point that ghostmaker is regarded as an urban legend.

khoa is bruce’s foil to answer the question “what is batman left with if his guiding principle was just utilitarian justice, and not his philosophy of love and care”.

"Alhaitham doesn't care about the people around him"

(Not that Kaveh, who makes this claim, is the most impartial source of information about Alhaitham...)

I'd say it's a stretch to claim that he unilaterally doesn't care about anyone else.

That said, I don't believe it's inaccurate to say Alhaitham is selfish, either.

Alhaitham possesses an intriguing brand of selfishness that's calculated, realistic, and almost paradoxically self-aware. He knows his capabilities and limitations, and doesn't overextend or commit himself to something he knows is outside those capabilities. It's not as much of a stretch to say he possesses "an extraordinary sense of individualism" (again, Kaveh's words). He's certainly very strategic and logical, and, by some social conventions, can come off as callous or even cold.

He must pay attention to or care about others to some degree, or else he wouldn't bother correcting their errors when he encounters them. At the same time, forging genuine, trusting relationships (rather than purely transactional ones) with others when the opportunity arises is undeniably beneficial to him in many cases, regardless of the motivation behind doing so--hence the courtesies he extends to the Traveler in Port Ormos and afterwards, and his collaboration with the other major characters in the Sumeru Archon Quest storyline. He can't afford to not care about or pay attention to other people at all, because he can't ensure his own safety and comfort purely through his own accomplishments--not all the time, anyway.

While it's clear that his own well-being is a high priority for him, I don't believe he's so foolish as to presume that it's his only priority.

Superman (and by extension the rest of the League) find out about the whole Captain Marvel is a homeless ten year old thing. Of course, they’re trying to catch Billy so they can stop and/or house him, likely shunting him off to the younger teams, and all-around taking control of his life. Billy, wanting nothing to do with this, goes to the one man he knows would help him with no hesitation.

“Mr. Luthor”

“…Small child”

“How would you like to make Superman’s life harder?”

“Go on…”