Often, a person's emotions and reason were separate things.
And for Batman, with his extreme obsessiveness and overwhelming need for control, his mouth and his brain were two entirely different systems.
Even when he was clearly worried about someone getting hurt, the moment Batman opened his mouth, all that came out were cold lectures and harsh orders-
"You're too impulsive!"
"You can't do that!"
"You'll only back yourself into a corner!"
"That's irrational!"
"I won't allow it!"
The Robins were all proud, hotheaded teenagers, but even a perfectly well-behaved child couldn't stand being spoken to so coldly day in and day out.
Take Miaomiao, the Little Merfolk he had scolded to tears just a few days ago.
The Merfolk had always been straightforward: grievances were answered, scores were settled, happiness meant laughter, and unhappiness meant making a fuss. Their likes and dislikes were equally plain. Miaomiao, who instinctively knew how to act cute and make promises to escape punishment for her mischief, was already one of a kind among them.
The Bat Family's way of interacting-"I love you, but I can't say it" and "I want your love, but I'm going to sulk about it myself"-was simply beyond the Little Merfolk's understanding.
Miaomiao blinked, then suddenly turned to Damian, the person she spent the most time with and shared the strongest friendship with, and asked without batting an eye, "Damian, do you like me?"
At those words, Damian Wayne-the current Robin, heir to the League of Assassins, known as the "Demon's Head" before he was even born, who had never flinched at facing a whole group of elite adult assassins alone-instantly went red in the ears and began to stammer. "Y-you! Why are you suddenly asking that... You're a girl! In front of all these people... That's not ladylike at