Princess Of Gotham

Terrors of Gotham

Chapter 3: High Enough

I remember when I was a child, my father was the clear example of what I would never be, alcohol and cigarettes seemed to be the most horrendous things, drugs were an atrocity. I thought about what would be the reasons why people would try those things, and whatever they were, I hoped I would never have them.

Memories, because in that alley, after stepping on the end of the cigarette to put it out, I took the syringe and the bottle of green stuff that Cheis offered me. Fear toxin, for many, deadly, for the Batfamily something like a poison, for me, a simple drug that little by little lost its effectiveness.

The first time I tried that stuff was in that same place, two months after meeting Angella, I woke up near Wayne Enterprises, but that didn't stop me from continuing to kill myself slowly, besides it seemed that the shadow liked to be subjected to that fear.

At that point what hurt the most was the needle piercing the skin, after that a shiver all over my body, and little by little the sensation of the muscles starting to loosen.

"Ven niña, let's go get some beers," said Cheis, taking the empty syringe from my hand to throw it to the ground and break it with the heel of the boot, then they put their arm over my shoulders making me start to walk with them.

For many, seeing a Gotham vigilante with the granddaughter of the richest man in the city would be strange, especially considering Cheis' reputation, but there came a point where rumors no longer mattered.

"You're only 18, I don't think they want to sell you anything," I complained, feeling lighter than before and with a smile on my face.

"It's Gotham, I'll find a place," answered my companion.

Of all my colleagues, Cheis was the one I trusted the most. I had met them shortly after founding the Warriors Society. I never offered them a spot, they just came to me and ordered me to put them on the team, the more shooters the better, to tell the truth. They were a living arsenal, they could handle any firearm and had taught me how to assemble and disassemble guns in record time.

They never offered me the drug, one day I simply saw them smoking something that was clearly not a simple cigarette and asked them to get me some, at first they refused but eventually agreed on the condition that I would only do it in their presence. Despite being only two years older than me, they were among the most mature people on the team. They were always on my side and the simple fact of letting them see my weaker side said a lot about that relationship.

"Will you tell me what's tormenting you, or will you make me read another book to find out," they asked, still hugging me, but this time with a look of concern.

"Admit it, Crime and Punishment was very good," I joked. That had been one of the books Bruce had forbidden me to read at the mansion, but Jason had about three copies in different languages in our apartment.

"What a man can't do, the devil does," they said, with a smile on his face, like someone who remembers a good joke, "Although I really liked the one by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, what was it called?

The quotes in the books were like our secret language, I would read it first, mark the most important phrases and then lend it to them, weeks later they would return it to me, with new phrases marked and we would discuss them in private. With each book, we seemed to understand each other better.

"No one writes to the Colonel," I answered, remembering one of the books that still remained in the bookcase of the old Hart house, "And in the meantime, what shall we eat?"

"Shit," we both shouted at the same time, quoting the end of the book. We squirmed with laughter and at one point had to stop to catch our breath.

Moments like those were the ones I treasured the most, and the ones I hoped my mind wouldn't twist or erase from my memory.

"Seriously, what's wrong with you," they asked again as we began to walk through the busy streets.

"I thought I had a boyfriend, but apparently not. There may be a spy or spies on my team. I need a rescue team to LexCorp and because of the spy thing I don't know who I can trust to go," I said quietly and as quickly as I could, hoping no one had to hear.

"Pretty much, then. Well, how about a beer, tomorrow we all go to that taco place I recommended and then we worry about the rest," they suggested.

"The problem is that the more time passes, the more information they will take from us and the easier it will be for them to destroy us," I needed someone to finally understand my reasons behind everything I was doing.

"Your friend outside can't help us?"

"I don't want to torment her with all this."

"If you really are that close friend she will understand, and honestly I don't think you are paranoid, I too have noticed a strange attitude in some for a few months now. My recommendation, train a team with people to whom you can entrust your life, with whom you don't have to talk to understand each other, that team will discover the spy and his allies, and if you want, among them can be your mysterious friend," they said, bringing me closer to them so I could listen to them better.

"Would you join that team if I asked you to?" I asked after a few minutes of walking in silence, still under their grip as they seemed unwilling to let me go. So far they seemed to be the most suitable person for the job.

"We'll have to be more than two, princess," they said, stopping in front of a liquor store, of which I had no idea it was there.

"Please don't call me that," I said, running my hand over my face in embarrassment, finally I was released to enter the establishment, "And what are we doing here? I thought we were just going for a beer," I asked, grabbing a bottle of brandy.

"Mike offered me 50 if I could get him a good tequila, I told him that 40 would be enough, but he said it was my pay for the effort. But you need it more than he does," they explained, strolling down the aisles of whiskey and wine.

"So are you planning to steal two bottles of tequila, or pay for one and steal the other?" I asked, picking up another bottle and reading the alcohol content on its label.

"I was actually thinking of letting you pay...but I don't think you brought more than 10, so I'll ask them to put it on my tab and I'll come to pay early tomorrow morning," Cheis replied when they finally found the area they had been looking for since the entrance.

"Don't you think it's strange that this place is open at this time of night?" I asked, putting my hands in the pockets of my sweatshirt.

"These people open and close when they feel like it, neither the government nor the police is going to be telling them what to do. Besides, they earn well, in these areas there are drunks las 24 horas los 365 dias and they don't ask for identification," they said smiling, as they picked up two bottles to check them in detail.

"How long have you known this place?" I continued, looking around. At the back, there was a cashier, next to a young man who seemed to be counting the money in the cash register. There were several mirrors that served as security cameras. It was a big place, with several aisles and hanging cold white lights.

"About a year ago, but I almost never buy, there are always drunks at the entrance who won't let me in," they explained, examining another bottle on the shelf. "These two will be fine, the sodas and beers we can steal," they said, turning to look at me to wink at me and head for the cash register.

After paying, or something similar since apparently, the young man recognized not only Bruce Wayne's granddaughter but also the vigilante Cheis, we headed back out to the street.

"Hey, not to worry you anymore, but I can't put up with this much longer," they began to say when we had already crossed a few streets towards the real park, "If there is a spy, he will try to get very close to you and your family," Cheis said, and when they finished speaking we had already arrived at a small grocery store, perfect for buying beers and sodas.

"Why do you say that," I asked, entering the place to check first of all how many people were there and its security system.

"Alice confessed yesterday that she liked your brother and that she was really looking for something serious," I felt as if a bucket of cold water fell on my head, how was that possible?

I didn't wait any longer, the effect of the toxin was null in those moments and I needed to stop thinking about it once, losing consciousness for a few hours because the alcohol wouldn't be bad. I opened the refrigerator, took two lime sodas, while I indicated Cheis where there was a beer box. They took it and we ran out, but not before grabbing a pack of disposable cups, the place was actually totally empty, there wasn't even a vendor or security camera, anyone could have done the same thing.

The walk to the park took forever, I knew that Cheis' intentions were the best, I didn't know and I didn't want to think about what my reaction would have been if it was Persia herself who told me. All those talks that as a demigoddess she could not relate in that way with any mortal could go to hell.

When we arrived at the park we took a bench and started with the lightest thing, the beer, the carton had 12 bottles completely full, we divided them so that each one got 6. Although we were not one hundred percent prepared for this, Cheis' arsenal surely had something to open all the bottles, and if not, surely the bars of the bench would work.

"Salud, for life," said Cheis, clinking his bottle and mine.

"Salud," I replied, before taking a good swig. I had never really been a fan of alcohol, the raspor in my throat was the worst, and every time I took a bottle I remembered Roy's threats, saying that the last thing he wanted was for me to end up like him. I tried to quit once, but I missed the light feeling it gave me, the problems slipped away, my mind thought of nothing.

Three bottles of beer later and our true selves were beginning to show, we laughed at everything and everyone, we brought out every rudeness, on one of those we even played music on my cell phone to lighten the mood. Someday we will regret that but not for the moment, we were still young and, in my case, life was only enjoyed twice.

The beer bottles were completely ignored at three in the morning when Cheis opened the tequila and started pouring.

Again, we toasted.

"Salud, to this horrendous city," he said, already slurring his words as his free hand pointed at the huge buildings surrounding us.

"Salud, because one day this pigsty will respect us," I replied, almost in the same tone, and then began to laugh.

Sooooo I drew some quick fanart for Zoeleo’s amazing fic: The Many Deaths of Jason Todd, which is one of my favorites fanfics ever. It makes me laugh just as much as it makes me cry, it’s ongoing and great and I screech everytime i see it’s been updated, 10/10 check it out

So, as I'm not doing my writing stuff here (except for quick poems), I think the correct thing would be to introduce myself

My name is Rochely or Roch for short. I'm 20 years old

I go by she/they pronouns. And I'm bisexual

I'm originally from the US but I moved to Mexico when I was little

I like to write, paint, and take photos, and I enjoy learning astronomical and astrological stuff. I also study grapfic design

My birth chart is something like:

Sun in Aquarius, Rising in Virgo and Moon in Capricorn.

I just want a partner that can understand me and all the stuff I talk about

LGBTQ+ is accepted in this blog

I constantly post random stuff, from art, to batfam, to history and more.

I'm brain dumping here mainly and on my Threads account. I'll link it later.

I use two Instagram accounts, a personal and my design stuff, also linked

For my writing stuff (the novels), you can visit my other blog @rochs-c

This is the Dumbledore we should've had and we missed:

A Dumbledore that should've been an example and a father figure for the students.

A Dumbledore that fights for the injustice of the Wizarding World. The discrimination against muggleborns. Someone who never lets kids fight a war that isn't up to them. But lets them fight for their rights and their opinions.

Someone that understands kids and teens and their needs according to their age. Someone that has fun when he needs to have fun. And also someone who is an authority and scolds when he needs to scold.

Imagine a Dumbledore that is friends with James Potter and encourages him to change and grow up from his immature self. To realize what it is important in life. To try to gain Lily's love by showing her his true self. Not by showing up.

Imagine Dumbledore being a parent figure for Sirius. Letting him know there is nothing wrong with him if he is different from his family. Being a gay guru for him and helping him realize his feelings for Remus. But making sure he doesn't lose himself for love just like he did for Grindelwald.

And imagine him helping queer youth, because he is queer himself.

Imagine a Dumbledore giving Remus confidence. Letting him know that he is not a monster and he deserves happiness and love. Asking him how he is every month. Inviting him for tea and distracting him around the full moon. And with his power, helping him destroy the prejudices people have of werewolves and doing the impossible to change the law against them.

Imagine a Dumbledore making Peter be more sure of himself. Encouraging him to study, letting him know that he is not stupid, that he just needs a bit more effort to learn. Making sure he is not sad about feeling alone or being scared about the war. Because he is the most vulnerable of the Marauders. Making sure Peter knows his friends love him no matter what.

Imagine a Dumbledore that helps kids that are lost, or are forced to take the wrong side. Not by punishing them but by helping them realize their beliefs are wrong or they are more than their pureblood families. Like Regulus, or Barty.

Imagine a Dumbledore that doesn't discriminates muggleborns. In fact, he gives them more importance and love, to demonstrate that they deserve attention as well. And a Dumbledore that gets angry and wild when an injustice occurs.

Imagine a Dumbledore that is Minnie's best friend. Someone that not only cares for her and the rest of the teachers as staff. But as human beings. Someone that understands their personal problems. Imagine Dumbledore helping Minnie realize she deserves a happy ending as well, no matter how much she had suffered. And how much she had lost. Perhaps helping her encounter her past loves again.

Just imagine Dumbledore going against the Magic Government and annoying parents who want to keep the school a conservative elite pureblood place. But tries to transform it into a respectful school for anyone no matter their blood status or skin color or religion or sexual orientation.

Dumbledore should've been a Godfather that is always for students, teachers and staff no matter what. That helps when he is needed. Someone in who people should trust. Students should've loved him as a father. And Dumbledore should've loved the students as his own kids.

Dumbledore shouldn't have been someone that manipulates people. Not someone that gives a false image of himself. Not a selfish asshole that only thought about winning a war. Not someone that used everyone as a pawn in a larger game.

I think Dumbledore had the potential to be a king, a saviour, a role model, a real hero. But he wasn't. He just tricked everyone but he was a coward.

Crazy

I think I'm crazy. Since yesterday I'm hearing things and I don't know where these sounds come from.

Yesterday was a piano, with a lovely melody, but my pc had the earphones plugged and I was in the kitchen, and the radio was playing another kind of song, with another rhythm.

And today, in the middle of my economy class, while everyone was with their microphone off, I hear a whistle through my right ear. My parents were in the same room as me, and neither of them seem to be doing the sound, and the TV didn't have enough volume to be heard so clearly, and in the case it had, wouldn't hear it only through my right ear.

I remember trying to contact Apollo, but instead, I think I contacted Hermes, it's great, but know these sounds are confusing me

Clarifying

I need to clarify a few things about my last four pots and the future of this blog.

In reality, I only posted two different things, translating them into English. These posts do not form part of any of my stories.

Currently, I only have two stories published here, being the ones tied to my oc's from DC comic's

There's another one that I've intended to translate and post, but my time has not been right, and I haven't posted it. But the title is already on my list of "Stories on this blog" or something like that. I don't remember the title of that post.

The things I published today, along with a few stories of mine with the length of one or two chapters, will be labeled as "Independent mini-stories", including some of my ideas and stories I write for school.

I say this because last weekend I wrote a story for my philosophy class and my teacher liked it.

As you may have noticed "Princess of Gotham" will be on an indefinite hiatus because my main focus at the moment is "Terrors of Gotham", a prequel to my first story.

The last thing I want to ask, to anyone who reads my works on this platform, is to have patience. I'm about to start my college admission tests. I also have other million things to do.

R.Cabrera

Mira mi perfil en Wattpad, soy R. Cabrera https://www.wattpad.com/Rochely1702?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_profile -𝐸𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒 𝑑𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑎𝑗𝑎𝑟 𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑙 𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑜, 𝑦 𝑛𝑜 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑎𝑑. Aburrida de la física. Sálvenme de la escuela. Estoy a un año de acabar la prepa y todavía no se que carrera estudiar

WEBSITES FOR WRITERS {masterpost}

E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

(Also, check my blog if you want to!)

Strange

My neighbors have been doing very strange things. They keep walking an steeping on the grass of my front garden. Their little kid keeps hitting my window with his ball. But the must strenge is that very early in the morning it sound like their are repairing. And very late in the night, like 12 or 1 am, their are talking very loud. As the houses share a wall, I can here everything.

Also, in recent days every small noise makes me jump.

I really need to calm down