Gotham sometimes takes a shape to be with its people.
The favourite family was of course the ones who had come together and made their own, and who all chose to make Gotham better for others.
So Gotham always took form to meet them.
A child for the damned prince, even when his mind was not whole, his instinct was always to protect. And Gotham liked it when he held them up high and ruffled their hair. He was always curious but never said anything when it called itself Gotham. What parent would ever name their child after such a city after all.
Like his son, a child was also its chosen form when it was with his father. The Bat, the always-prince, his journey to fatherhood had been so intriguing. It named itself Martha when with him. She had been foremost in his thoughts when he'd found it looking on at an alleyway shooting.
For the eldest bird, Gotham chose to grow with him, taking a form close to his age always. Non-descript and without any discerning features, yet he always treated it like a friend who simply wondered from job to job (Gotham liked trying out it's citizens' daily living). It named itself Gee. It was cute, and he liked it.
With his love, Gotham did the same but scarcely let them meet. This child was smart but sometimes had too much lack of a hold on her curiosity. She had once tried to follow its false life. It was sorry it led her to a robbery to distract her. The robbers had been violent, but she had proven herself then and had continued to do so now as the family's oracle. She was very much her father's daughter, though it was sorry it made the good man scared.
Her protege was special. Gotham did not know if she knew or was simply guessing. This special girl had called her Gotham but like a name and title all at once. Its form had been older than the usual with the princes. But she knew. Gotham did not know what to do or think and so did nothing. The girl did nothing as well.
An almost twin to her, though this teen was much younger, Gotham wondered at how much he did. When it decided to try jobs, it found it tiring but this still-a-bird did more and more. If only it did not have to steal his coffee for attention. He was nice and he'd tried to bring Gotham home for keeping. Being a cat had been pleasant but draining especially when it rained.
The small one. Still a chick. Gotham likes that he is good with the strays and other birds. When it sees him frowning, it usually chose to bother him by flying and tweeting about. But a cat was also nice when he brought his pets out to play. They knew what it was and played with it anyway.
The daylight bird was a curious addition to the family. Gotham freely looked on at his tasks and wondered when it would meet the new children of the crusade. They were all different in the same way. The always-prince had yet to do anything about them. But this one he helped. Gotham chose to be a man's best friend when they meet since it was to his mind the least harmless thing.
When the sunshine chose to visit the family, it was always fun to fly along with her as she walked. It sometimes didn't understand what she was saying but it liked that she talked to it even though it was silly to talk to a bird for that long. She made the others sigh and smile. And they did the same to her. It was funny.
For her complete opposite but not in an oppressive way, the aging healer was calming with his light. The steadiness of him was what kept the others going more than each other. He was a home to come back to. Gotham loved his green hands and so always chose to visit in the gardens, taking forms of different butterflies each time. They would look at each other over tea. If he ever wondered about the visits, it had no inkling of it. And it really didn't matter.
Extra:
Gotham on good days visited this family.
On bad days, it stayed with shadows. Kept close to the darkness.
Sometimes it brushes shoulders with its heroes.
And on those days, it collects blood. Pain. Tears.
Gotham was a city.
As much they gave their everything for it.
Sometimes, it wants more.
Decided to keep the over all tone as good. But the extra is the evil that the city carries.
I say good and bad days but sometimes its both. And on those days, it's anyone's guess what Gotham will be like if even takes a form.
This idea sprang from that Japanese (not sure if other countries have it too. But probably, there are) belief that after 100 years, a well-used/cared for item gains a soul/spirit. It basically becomes a tangible entity or gains a tangible form. So, I just thought, hey, cities are places that are basically like giant bowls filled with individual souls (people, animals, plants, things) and is also like a thing that's owned, worshiped, and cursed. So, it met all the requirements of having its own entity.
Even so, I'd doubt it can do this often though. It's still too all encompassing as a being and only on a whim would it ever decide to do a visit. I imagine it would mostly stay in shadows or remain as "nothing" as its people continue to make decisions that affect its physical space, and it just might not care. As long as people remain, it can be just a city.
PS: Those titles were easy and hard for me to come up with. XD