’Something In The Way' starts playing.

You are standing on the top floor of one of the many skyscrapers that dominates Gotham City’s skyline. Looking out past the gorgeously decorated interior and to the gleaming wet streets beyond, from this lofty height you can survey most of the city. All your favourite spots from where to eat, where to steal... and where to hunt.

You’re a mercenary after all. A metahuman one at that, with the skills and tricks up your sleeve to accomplish whatever task your client might require of you. You’re by no means a good person, a fact you’d find difficult to deny if confronted with the long list of your crimes– if you even cared to that is. A list that will keep growing, if your foremost client and benefactor have anything to say about it.

A voice calls your name from across the floor. ‘Listen to me’, that posh, arrogant lilt says, and you turn away from the window to direct your attention to the immaculately suited figure smiling at you.

David Cross: Savvy businessman, socialite and owner of the very skyscraper you’re standing in. Also a burgeoning crime lord, murderer and your very own bespoke arms dealer. Fortunately, that latter part of his character is something known only to a highly select number of people. He prefers to operate from afar, having built up his power and influence in Gotham through both legal and illegal means in the six years since his father booted him out of London with nothing but a family name and several million dollars.

All thanks to you, let’s be honest here. You, his right hand man, his knife in the dark, his rock. You are that first pillar upon which his criminal enterprise stands.

You bring your mind back to your first encounter with him. It feels like it happened just yesterday. How did you meet? What were the circumstances which bound you together? [This partially defines your starting relationship with David.]

Saviour

You appeared like an angel to him. A particularly menacing, violent angel, but an angel all the same. Whether or not you saved him from those hitmen out of the goodness of your own heart (or more likely, to take up on that considerable bounty for yourself), David was quick to offer what was worth double the price on his head if you but eliminated his rival.

A life for a life. A respectable trade, you earned more than just his gratitude later that night when you returned with proof of his rival’s death. In return for saving his life and quietly taking care of the one responsible, David offered you a lucrative partnership worthy of a capable mercenary such as yourself.

A pause, a grudging smile and one handshake later, the rest as they say, is history.

You made quite the impression on him that day. Not only did you earn his gratitude, but a level of respect verging on admiration granted to precious few others. As a result, your advice will be taken as a matter of fact on most things, while your methods will seldom be questioned. It is not lost on you why a man of such means keeps so volatile an individual so close to his person. The one time you took him up on his request to spar with you, you were both keenly reminded of how easily that day could have ended differently as you decided to end the bout in less than ten seconds; as you loomed over him with a fistful of shirt in one hand, and the back of his head held tight in the other, grinning with that fire in your eyes that sends lesser criminals running.

Perhaps it is for this reason that despite all you have done, he trusts you like no one else.

Indebted

He made you an offer you couldn’t refuse.

The state he found you in was a desperate one, to say the least. Your life out of costume was in tatters; all prospects of a career spare for menial, demeaning work had evaporated. Whatever ‘power’ you had as a metahuman was stifled, a parlour trick at best and a constant bane to you at worst. For some time you were little more than a petty criminal trapped in a web of debts and a series of unfortunate events. Needless to say, you leapt at the chance to become something more when David Cross entered your life.

You were given everything. What latent power hidden in your genetic code was unlocked thanks to him and what’s more, he gave you instruction in how best to use it and conceal it as well. A luxurious apartment with funds to spare became yours. Your debts? Wiped away, along with whatever past deeds had stained your legal record. In the span of just two years you morphed from one who had slipped through the cracks, to a person worth emulating. In the public eye at least, you became something of a success story. To you, David was that best friend, that kindly benefactor which you are immeasurably lucky to have met. Thanks to him, you are the person you are today.

Of course, during this time you were being groomed to become a tool. By all means a capable, versatile tool if it makes you feel better, but a tool all the same. By the time you realised you were being manipulated, you didn’t even care. It just felt right to obey David. I mean, it’s not like you had anything else to turn back to. You have since embraced your role as his favoured mercenary, and are currently eager to please. In fact, you carry out his orders so zealously your alias has a reputation in certain undesirable circles as something of an attack dog. You are ultimately subservient to David, and prefer not to risk his displeasure, a sentiment he is sure to take advantage of.

Professional

Working for Mr Cross was the best damn decision you’d made in your whole life. Work came often, he paid on time and most importantly, he paid well. Unlike half the other psychos that infested Gotham he also had the decency not to send assassins after you to tie up any loose ends. There’s also the fact that he gave you your first big break just over a couple of years ago– a juicy target that was worth millions. Like Mom had always told you, ‘ya gotta remember those who help pave your way to the top sweetie.’

It turns out that reliability goes both ways. For one who’s trying to carve out his own piece of the pie that was the Gotham underworld, discreet work was invaluable. In spite of your complete lack of credentials and a frustrating inability to make you beholden to him, you proved that sacrificing some degree of control over how a contract was carried out was worth it with results like yours. As you both discovered when you declined his offer of a binding agreement however, with independency comes mistrust. And with mistrust, comes the paranoia that can ruin any strong working relationship.

“Better the enemy you know, than the one you don’t.” He explained with a knowing smile as he attempted to woo you over dinner. But for all his money, all his burgeoning influence and all his charm, you refused to trust the guy. Skepticism and paranoia are perfectly healthy habits in your line of work, you had shot back at him.

And just like that, the both of you silently resolved to never, ever, be caught in a position with your back turned in front of the other.

It’s not so much that you don’t like David, you simply don’t trust him. Your relationship is a mutually beneficial one of client and contractor, which is just how you like it. No strings, no fuss, as you remind yourself. There’s no doubt that the both of you have drawn up contingency plans to handle the other in the unfortunate event your partnership were to become... complicated. Ultimately you are ambivalent to his life and have no intention of becoming closer, regardless of his attempts to bring you further under his yoke.

“I can’t blame you for staring. It’s a lovely view. Easy to get lost in a sight like that even with the ah flooding.”

At the sound of his voice you yank your attention back to the present. Even David Cross in his ivory tower was not spared from the damages of the flooding a month prior, as he'd reminded you pointedly once you'd asked for a raise. Yet now was hardly the time for reminiscing, not when you had business to discuss.

He moves over to the central table, gesturing for you to come over. On it are two briefcases, though he doesn’t move to open them just yet.

“As I was saying, this contract can’t wait. Tomorrow night will be your best shot, so I suggest you clear up your schedule promptly.”

At your expression he holds up a lightly tanned hand, running it through the front of his auburn locks in what you’ve come to recognise as a reassuring gesture.

“Look. Trust me and this will be well worth your time. Let me deal with any excuses that need to be made.”

You nod, folding your arms across your chest as you explain your situation. At some point you were really going to have to decide if the life of your alter ego took precedence over David and his contracts. What is it that you do, anyway? What is the life of your Alter Ego like? [This partially defines your life outside of costume.]

The College Student

You’re living your best life. Or so you tell yourself when you’re not juggling several different assignments due the next day, a contract killing and your crush all vying for your undivided attention across the same night.

On the bright side, your jokes about having a Sugar Daddy are half true. Your student loans have already been paid off courtesy of David and when you’re not waterboarding some low life who’s refusing to give up his boss’s location, you’re always able to rely on the stress of deciding what to wear to the frat party that day to keep your mind off of darker things.

The Journalist

You’re an independent journalist who’s got a deal with the Gotham Gazette. A good one too at that– how on Earth do you manage to get a tip off to the crime scene so quickly?

Its an awfully fine line to tread sometimes - you almost ran into The Bat one time - but you’ve found it provides a useful cover on many of your contracts. Sure it’s a hassle on occasion, but you find the work enjoyable.

The Secretary

You decided to take up David on his offer of a day job. To his credit, he doesn’t have you chained to a desk filling out his paper work. Most of the time, anyway. Far often than not you’re at the forefront of company affairs while your superior broods from the comfort of his ivory tower. It does mean you’re a lot closer to him than you might be otherwise, which comes with its advantages and disadvantages.

There’s also the fact that this position gives you a taste of the high life Gotham is known for. Dinners, balls, illicit affairs, networking; it’s all yours when you’re not getting your hands dirty on your superior’s behalf. That alone makes the long hours and mounting pressures worth it. Right?

The Full-time Merc

You don’t have time for such frivolities as an alter-ego. Your alias is who you are at your very core and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

You’ve made a name for yourself at the Iceberg Lounge as something of a taskmaster in the criminal underworld. Though not quite on the radar of The Bat and other do-gooders yet, it’s only a matter of time before you attract their attention. Some of Gotham’s more infamous residents have a passing acquaintance with you, though how you make the most of your recently found notoriety is up to you.

“Very well. I’ll make some calls now.”

While he is busy with the person on the other end of the line, you take a moment to examine him.

He’s attractive, if not to you then to many others. By all means, he doesn’t discriminate between men or women, the topic of his preference probably being one of the tamer pieces of gossip amongst Gotham high society. But that’s not why you’re paying attention to him so closely. You’ve seen him in a light no one else has, not even his lovers.

What do you think David is up to, really? How does he behave when no one else but you are looking? [This partially defines both David’s personality and your starting relationship with him.]

A Scheming Businessman

David is difficult to read at the best of times. Ever pensive and ever composed, in private he hardly differs. The type of man who aims to be several moves ahead of you at any given time. Admire or hate it, but attempting to have an honest discussion with the man might as well be trying to draw blood out of a stone. Only one to negotiate from a position of strength, it’s no wonder he’s snapped up his business (and indeed, criminal) rivals in such a remarkably short time span.

All in all, you’d have to say he’s more the wine-and-dine type of person when it comes to what little you’ve glimpsed of his love life. A genuinely excellent conversationist, you’ve watched him pick apart a person and have them hanging on his every whim by the end of the night effortlessly. He enjoys holding power over others, and is known as something of a control freak within the upper echelons of the company.

As for his plans, even you aren’t too sure of exactly what he’s hoping to achieve with his criminal enterprise. Judging from what you’ve seen, it more often than not serves as an extension of his company’s policy: to cultivate influence by means of aggregating wealth. He is deeply wary of The Bat and averse to interfering with the other big criminal circles outside of Gotham. That said, lately he’s been using you as a courier of sorts, ranging out from Bludhaven to Metropolis. You aren’t privy to the packages you’ve been carrying, but it seems he’s trying to put a team together. For what reason however, you haven’t a clue...

A Thinly-veiled Psychopath

David is one tragic accident away from a cell in Arkham, it has to be said. While not quite manic, his disposition can swing from charming to wrathful in a matter of seconds. One moment he’s toasting you for a job well done, the next he’s livid at the sight of a graze on your face. You are just thankful that he ranges from parochial to fiercely affectionate when it comes to you.

God knows what his steady stream of lovers see in him. More than once you’ve seen both men and women leave the door to his apartment with clear bite and strangle marks on their necks. At least his bedfellows seem to get as much enjoyment out of it as he does. ‘Passionate’, is how you think you’d describe him if you were prompted to by a friend. As far as his public image is concerned, he’s just another enigmatic socialite with a lust for life, and what’s wrong with that? Certainly not the cruel, egotistical budding villain you’ve glimpsed more than once.

Still, it would be an injustice to say there are not methods behind his bouts of madness. After all, look at the state of his affairs right now as one of Gotham’s most successful up and coming businessmen. Not to mention his criminal dealings which in no small part thanks to yourself, have begun to make shockwaves around the city. As of last month all grand designs seem to have halted; it’s hard to make moves when the city is being restored and your company is trying to outmatch Bruce Wayne in philanthropic efforts. Still, if he’s not careful in how he continues to jog the boat when he gets back into hatching another of his mad schemes, one of these days somebody with the means to do so is going to try and put him in the ground for good.

A Heart of Gold

Having quietly been analysing the man for the best part of a year now, you hold a sneaking suspicion that David isn’t quite the sociopath he makes himself out to be. It’s not just the ridiculous amount of company profit he pumps into Gotham’s myriad charities or his secret propensity for baking... hell, even lunatics like the Riddler must have their hobbies.

No, of all your employers, past and present, David is unique in that he appears to take no delight in the senseless and tragic violence which plagues Gotham City. Despite the blood on his hands and the nature of the less than ethical side of his business, you’d be hard pressed to spot the the kind of traits found in the archetypal crime lord. Though he affects a cold, reserved air about his person, the conviction of his actions and the keen interest he takes in his underlings’ lives belies a warmth that only you seem to notice.

Wisely, you haven’t pressed him for an explanation. To be frank, you aren’t sure how he’d respond. Probably with some crap about having to do bad things for the right reasons. Most certainly accompanied by a bullet to your temple if his past reaction to surprises was anything to go by. It must be a bit lonely though, having to wear a mask like that. At times the man can come across as vulnerable in a moody, sensitive kind of way. If you were that type of caring person you’d probably find it attractive. Certainly, he hasn’t let anyone close to his bedside in a while. Maybe you could be that someone he needs to lean on?

Yes, that could make sense. With your opinion satisfied, you watch him put the phone down. He shoots a sharp smile your way.

“Now then. Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

’Something In The Way’ stops playing.

Hello there! Congratulations on making it thus far, I hope I’m not the only one struck by a Patman-inspired fever to whip up some quality smut set in Gotham.

What I want to do:

I want to create a story based around David and your character, set in the months after the end of ‘The Batman.’ This will be done from a GM-style narrative with your character having central focus. Essentially, I’d like to explore the murky, complicated life of your devilish character in and out of costume via a series of contracts given to them by David.

Think noir. Think intrigue. Think dark chocolate, but not too dark since the bitterness gets boring after a while and leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

There will be plenty of erotic opportunities, but it will not be an endless bonk-a-thon of me serving up DC’s finest for your main to fuck. Yes, you will get your chance to get tied up by Catwoman but it won’t be the sole focus. The format demands this roleplay to be long-term, it's not something that can be finished in one evening; and nor, I hope, would you want it to. While I will give you choices, as above, please reply with more than just your choice. One line replies of "I pick option B" aren't much fun for either of us.

I'll write both male, female and in between characters. If you're not comfortable with a man writing women this won't work for you, as I don't plan on creating a world entirely populated by men. However, if your character is only interested in one gender, then they won't have to have any sexual contact with the other gender.

Please outline your limits, sexual and non-sexual, for your character, such as a kinklist or just any important no-nos. Anything else will be assumed to be OK but I'll try to always give your character an out in case there's a scene you don't like. While Gotham is hardly a pleasant place at the best of times, at no point is your character going to be forced into a sexual scenario you’d prefer them not to be in. That’s right, you can breath a sigh of relief that you aren’t expected to eat the Penguin’s arse unless you really want to.

I want to emphasise also that while I want sex to be included, I don't want it to be the overriding focus of every single scene. I’m down to get freaky, but I’m not going to spend days writing out your fantasy of say, being sandwiched between Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Let’s say, a story to smut ratio of about 60/40, maybe 70/30 as the occasion demands.

What I want you to do:

1) Fill out the character sheet below.

2) Make your character ‘realistic.’ Realistic in inverted commas, since I had a hard time deciding between whether I wanted to say realistic or reasonable. Fun is the name of the game here and to this end, I would prefer it if you character was not some ridiculously overpowered brawler who could pimp slap the likes of Batman without breaking a sweat.

There’s a reason you and David have survived so long, and that’s because you don’t attract unnecessary attention from other supers. You’re a metahuman mercenary with an inclination towards discretion, not a god. This also applies to your character’s sexual characteristics; as much as we all love a Chad Thundercock, this roleplay is sadly not one wherein you’re required to wave your twelve inch magnum dong around.

1. Send a reply by PM, plus any OOC questions you may have.

Character sheet:

Name of your Alter Ego:

Alias:

Age: (Goes without saying but only of legal age.)

Gender:

Power: What it is that sets you apart from your fellow human? What gives you that edge over others that allows you to be one of the best at what you do?

How you first met David: Saviour/Indebted/Professional (Or your own idea.)

The life of your Alter Ego: College Student/Journalist/Secretary/Full-time Merc (Or your own idea.)

Description: Include an indication of the overall physicality of your character. Don’t forget to include a brief account of your character’s personality! This part also covers your alias’s outfit when they’re out and about skulking Gotham’s streets. The more detail the better, though I always prefer a prosaic description to a list of statistics. Lists aren’t sexy.

Background: Any other background details you'd like to include, such as family, motivation, tragic past, character flaws and the like. This can be added to over time, though please put some thought into this! The deeper the character, the deeper the story. My one caveat is not to make your character too edgy (nothing personnel kid), I welcome the opposite in fact.

Sexuality/Orientation: Important! I need to know which genders you can interact with, and whether your character has a D/s identity.

Your preferred version of David: Scheming Businessman/Thinly veiled Psychopath/Heart of Gold (While you get to choose his ‘core’ personality as it were, I’m sure we’ll want to refine it in line with our preferences.)

Your preferred interaction with David: Sexual/Platonic. This is going to need some further discussion so that I know exactly what it is you want from his character from a plot perspective. (If you’d prefer I’m also very much open to the possibility of writing a female version of David!)

Kinks/Limits:

Any other sexual details:

Are you willing to play multiple characters? Y/N (Although we will start with one, if you choose Y we can add a character later on.)

And that’s about it! Unless the flair says otherwise, do consider this prompt to be open.

Quality writing takes time, so please don’t panic thinking that you must send off a PM before the first hour mark to secure my attention. In fact, I find nothing more attractive in a prospective penpal than a well-written, thoughtful response that's been slid into my inbox several hours (if not days) after its been posted. Have a great evening!