Listen It Came To Me In A Dream Don’t Yell At Me

AND THIS IS WHY THE

“I need distance from you this is toxic” fics don’t work (I however love them plz send me some)

Because

They will try to murder each other, beat each other bloody, torture each other.

They’ll degrade each other publicly and ruin each others lives

Then they’ll go for a burger together

Bro every time Bruce fucks up Dick sneaks metal blocks into boxing gloves while switching between excitedly whistling and humming “the bat is going down the bat is going down, I smash his face in every place the bat is going down”

Jason stole dicks costume (nightwing this time) and murdered people in New York with it. Risking Dicks at the time only healthy relationship (Clark Kent) then stole back his Robin costume (scaly green short shorts and all) and went to beat to death the other Robin and write shit on the walls in blood

Everything Tim Drake has said to Stephanie brown would get any man punched, bound and publicly whipped. And the shit he said to dick During battle for the cowl??? he was 80% of the way through reanimating John Graysons corpse to tell dick he was disappointed in him throughout that whole arc. And everything that ever happened during the Red Robin run is not only added to shit that we apparently needed in the Geneva convention but assumed it would be common sense and people wouldn’t do it

Damian: tried to kill every

Single

One

Of

His

Siblings

And not only are all of them friendly to each other

Not only do they team up

No no they fucks hang out

Like willingly text each other and go ‘hey let’s get a burger’

I need to talk to people who like the same flavor of batfam dynamics as me. Dysfunctional but loving, maybe to the point the rest of the fandom gives us side eye. I'm talking platonic BD/SM, them overprotective over each other.

Those type of fics of the non con threats without anything actually happening.

Where do I find my people

any thoughts for nightwing #124 ?

HI YES HELLO!

Absolutely

I have A L L

the thoughts

So, first of all let me say, I did not enjoy this issue as much as I’ve enjoyed the rest of the content Mr watters has provided us. But I think that’s more based on my prior expectations and hopes rather than the writing style.

So if yall are alright with spoilers please read on but there will be comic panels

“I’m a universal donor” ofc you are you stupid, stupid man. Oh my god.

(Also Bruce and Dick both being universal donors who can give to everyone but only take from each other. Chef’s kiss no notes)

And speaking of a Wayne. Let’s get into an annoyance of mine

THEY GAVE DICK AN ANIMAL LOVING CHILD WITH A TRAGIC BACKSTORY AND A PREFERENCE FOR NIGHTWING. THEY GAVE DICK A ROBIN.

Which,

Fine you know what

Dick treats em better than Bruce ever has, if he had just adopted Jason like he wanted too then the kid never would’ve gotten crowbarred

But be so fucking for real with me

You’re giving Dick Grayson

A fucking Damian Wayne stand it, you just speed ran Damian’s whole arc of not trusting/resenting Dick for not getting it (tm) all the way to ‘this is my trusted adult’ in 3 issues???

Like?

At that point??

Why NOT JUST GET DAMIAN OUT THERE? Like the Kid is obviously not working well with Bruce in detective comics? And like with the whole medical student storyline going on?? It would be really really nice to see that old Batman, Robin dynamic with a Damian who is now paranoid Dicks heart is gonna give out.

And to make matters worse??? They named him B R Y C e

Like??? Is this Bruce Wayne in a trench coat??? Ffs he even had Damian’s baby spikes???

Anyway I actually really like Bryce but it lowkey just reminded me on a dynamic I really miss and have NOT SEEN IN SO LONG.

And like I get it alright? I was one of the people clamoring to stop having the league/titans/bats coming and saving Dicks ass bc I wanna see him do cool things.

Fine okay

But Dick and Damian would WORK SO WELL TOGETHER AS A TEMP THING. Damian is lost, helps dick in haven, has a crisis and realizes something something whatever you want. Dick tells him a story from the circus/the Nightwing story/ the story of him becoming Nightwing. Damian leaves determined to forge a new path. COME ON GIVE THE SIBLINGS TO MEE

Anyway moving on bc this hurts me

Onto more things that hurt me

see this is what I love about DComics, bc like? All of us here in fandom town?

Have read like 20k fics where dick had developed a severe fear of suffocating, cramped spaces etc. bc of that time in the murder machine where Luthor stops his heart.

Like we REMEMBER how fucked up Dick should’ve been by those events

Now it would be great if DICK COULD REMEMBER THAT

But no, he’ll stop his heart on the off chance he can save 1 person bc ofc he would? And naturally he doesn’t mind being unconscious and vulnerable near irradiated corpses. What would actively losing blood near a radiation site? Probably nothing?

You stupid stupid man

I’m in love with you

Quick break for the villain being sick and also? MR SOY?? THAT FUCKING IMAGE OF THE CIRCUS ENROACHING ON YHE CITY!?? The difference between the decrepit gray madness and the bright city?? Phenomenal 10/10 no notes thank you

Hmmm idk Melinda? Maybe? Remember

A) your brothers been doing this since he was 8

B) he is one of the worlds greatest detectives

C) he’s run the justice league, teen titans, titans, outsiders and about 30 other iterations of teams? Maybe trust him on this? As someone with more experience?

D) since he’s been famously beloved and knows what he’s doing and you’re going up for reelection

…or you could pretend to know more than your highly trained, genius brother with about two decades of information, training and experience. That makes sense?

It’s not like he’s been going around fighting murderers in his free time while being the second most intense believer in Batman’s ‘we must let the people decide, we can’t be judge, jury and executioner’ rants. Nah

Pshhhaawwww that’s dumb and won’t ever come back to bite you in the ass

NoooOoOooOoOOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO reallly!?!this was an unforeseen and shocking event.

Like normally this scene is satisfying? Ya know? A ‘oh look main character finally gets proven right ‘

But here it’s fucking annoying bc guess what?

Dixons run and the sum total of titans runs are canon here! Dick leading the league x2 is canon right now? And more or less common information.

Dick is an individual where it makes sense to take his word at face value like? This is the ear Superman goes to, the dude Batman bounces plans off of. The leagues final stand leader?

Not trusting him? Even in the context of the world doesn’t make sense?? Especially since chemo is now canon (aka Dick Grayson running through an irradiated city trying to save anyone while slowly dying until Clark drags him out) like?? You know he’s smart? You know he’s skilled, you know he’s usually right?? And most importantly?? You know he’d rather burn himself alive than be the reason for a death. Nono not just that? He’d run through radiation on the OFF chance he might see someone still alive enough that they might make out. 99 to 1 odds and he’s game.

Just flat out ignoring the guy? Makes the character seem arrogant rather than overly cautious and not good with trust. Like you believe YOU? A civilian, knows more about the underworld? The dude with the redhood on speed dial?

You understand more about this situation than one of the world’s smartest people? Okay…sure

Like I get you met him post lobotomy and he’s only recently regained his faculties BAs come on???

I have no evidence for this but I am 100% calling this a Sitka/Eleanor reference and everyone who disagrees can go choke

And finally

Love this image

So so so much

And that’s literally all of my thoughts!

Final comment:

I love him the stupid idiot loser please don’t Die Dick I love you

It’s simple arithmetic

Me: queer

My favs: queer

Even if they weren’t before if I’m gay assume all my favorites are gay even if they aren’t

Occam’s homosexual

No tags this can just be sent thank you for the suggestions tumblr

dick grayson & roy harper + thinking of each other unprompted

outsiders (2003) #6 // arsenal (1996) #2 // action comics (1938) #615 // justice league of america (2006) #2 // green arrow (2001) #32 // batman plus arsenal (1996) // titans (2008) #38 // arsenal (1996) #2, 4 // justice league of america (2006) #11 // nightwing (2016) #26

I am suddenly hyperfixating on Harry Potter? This was an unforeseen and unpleasant experience

Okay listen there are 5000 timelines so stay with me as I cobble like 10 together for angst reasons.

(My weird fanon x canon take on Dick becoming nightwing)

I am a Bruce kicked Dick out truther

So

Bruce freaks after Dick gets shot and goes ‘this can’t go on’ and Dicks like what?

Bruce decides that Robin is done, Dick can’t be Robin anymore. But Bruce doesn’t have that right, it’s Dicks name! Hell it’s Dick mother’s name for him, Bruce has no right!

Except he does, he made the suit, he made the tools, the schedules, the taught Dick most of what he uses on a day to day basis.

Which means he can take it away.

And he does.

Dick of course doesn’t stand for this, which causes a big argument to get even bigger. Alfred is furious because Dick is still a child, a child who just had a bullet pulled out of his shoulder. Bruce should’ve let the boy rest before starting this argument.

But now that it’s brought up, it’s never going back down, Dick won’t take this loss of control as anything other than a lack of trust that he can handle himself. He won’t see that Bruce is worried for him, that Bruce can’t stand to lose him.

They get into a screaming match and it’s bad, Dick Grayson is one of the few people who get pull Bruce out of callous logic and into cruel rage.

So Bruce says something I’m sure at least 50% of children with tenuous relationships with their parents have heard

“If you don’t like my rules get the hell out of my house” or some various, maybe Dick gets him to yell at him for the first time possibly ever that hot raging anger that makes tears bundle in the corner of your eye. Maybe Bruce’s anger is cold that’s honestly your choice.

But Dick… Dick doesn’t take him all the way seriously and pushes just a tad more, yells one last thing. In a rage, maybe something about his parents, or Batman or this whole fight being Bruce unable let go of the image of a loved one dying by gun.

Well whatever he says..that’s it

Bruce’s voice goes back to the dead Batman growl and he tells Dick it was a mistake to make him robin, leave the suit and drop his keys with Alfred.

Now Bruce is a very intelligent man, Bruce is a very calculated man. You’d think that Mr. Very smart and calculating would realize how that sounds to a young teenage boy.

Especially a young teenage Boy whose first experience with the Gotham was being place in a juvenile detention center and being forced away from a life he knew with people he loves.

But no. Bruce is being an idiot and does not realize that he basically just went.

My house

My stuff

My rules

I made you

If you want to make your own choices you get the fuck out and don’t take anything from me.

Nope doesn’t get that at all

Alfred is horrified because he thinks that Bruce is behaving like a spoilt seven year old (oh if you don’t listen to me you can’t play with my toys)

But he doesn’t say anything, just watches as Dick tries to fit 7-9 years of his life into a backpack.

Watches as Dick leaves all the expensive gifts and allowance money Bruce has given in and only takes the money he got from working summer jobs (it builds character which Alfred is a big fan of) or mowing lawns or tutoring kids.

He needs a place to spend the night but him and babs are on the outs, him and the titans are tight but the closes people to him location wise are not Donna or Wally so he doesn’t feel safe collapsing and sobbing into their arms.

It’s Roy, the closest person to him rn is Roy and him and Roy haven’t gotten over their teenage crush/I must be better than you thing and Dick doesn’t wanna be ridiculed (which Roy would never but our boys in a bad headspace)

All and all it leads to him freaking the fuck out in the pouring rain, but fuck it he doesn’t have time for this. He’s on his own now, fine. Whatever he can do this.

Cue Liu, the boys home and the violent manipulation our boy goes through in canon.

“I thought she loved me but she was using me” and keep the age gap fucked up here for angst purposes later!

And he can’t do this

Fuck that

After that shit show and he’s dismantled her little empire and gotten her arrested… he, like a very logical 16/17 year old. Has a fucking huge panic attack. Huge enough that his heart rate jumps so severely a certain blue boy-scout comes to check on him.

And sees his nephew in the pouring rain, violently dissociating, looking thinner, more worn and dead eyed than Clark’s ever seen him.

Yeah no, that’s not gonna work for Clark.

He takes Dick back to metropolis and we get Clois parent comfort hours.

Lois decides she’s gonna Kill Bruce

Clark decides he’s not gonna stop her

Dick gets better with them, less jumpy.

The comfort of people who’ve loved you since your were a child + regular trips to kanas farms for menial labor jobs around animals and southern cooking. Do wonders for a boy wonder lol.

They do the infamous “have I ever told you about the story of Nightwing and flamebird”

It’s a title freely given and that’s a huge difference.

Dick goes back to the titans, does his lil costume change and new name reveal. And then leads them as well as he always had. Without the pressures of disappointing the bat, I mean he’s already ruined that relationship.

The titans do great work, become a respected team, take a bunch of kids under their wings.

They’re messy, drama filled, mirage still happens, Roy gives in to addiction, Wally has a heart condition. Dicks fighting everyone for the right to marry Kori. He’s still being manipulated by brother blood.

But they make it through.

Kori and Dick aren’t together anymore, they both make the mature choice that they need to heal separately. And maybe if they’re better they’ll try again.

Roy has Lian and with Dick and Wally’s help. Gets his shit together

The titans is an entirely independent organization from the league, Dick Grayson will not take a Dime of Bruce’s their money.

Merch sales, stock trading and tax write offs keep them afloat.

He hasn’t spoken to his Dad since he was 17, he turns 20 a week after Donna dies.

He’s met and helped Jason for 2 years in bludhaven but he doesn’t touch Gotham.

Because that’s Bruce’s.

Bruce gave him Gotham, Bruce gave him Robin, Bruce gave him a family.

So Bruce could take it away

And Dick

Internalizes this SO heavy

The titans can’t touch Bruce, Nightwing can’t trust Bruce, he quits any/every job he land if he finds out they’re so much as using Wayne operating systems. His relationship with Jason is entirely separate from Bruce. So much that, Bruce knows about the hanging over of the Robin suit and literally nothing else.

He doesn’t know about aspen, he doesn’t know they meet up for food once a week, or that they’ve taught each other their mother’s recipes. He doesn’t know that they’re close.

When Batman’s busy, Bruce’s life falls down the list of priorities. Jason’s doing his Robin duties, getting good grades and living his life. Bruce doesn’t need much more.

I need Nightwings early habits to be Dicks full on trauma response to basically being informed that the life he fought for was actually a loan that could be taken away from him.

He buys his childhood circus

He buys his apartment building

He doesn’t involve Bruce when the circus burns or building explodes.

Doesn’t involve Bruce when his relationship crumbles. Or for tarantula/ blockbuster/deathstroke/crutches advice.

But also my favorite thing to do is incorporate Dicks fanon character into his canon one

Because he would

Dick, despite being one of the most competent, well known and respected members of the hero community

He Is famously easy to underestimate

Like cartoonishly so to the point where the people who do feel like idiots to us

He’s so easy to underestimate that people who are aware of his skill either by direct combat or receiving a file on it will proceed to violently underestimate his abilities.

The first 2 instances that come to mind are

-the fact that deathstroke let him train Rose because slade knows how good Dick is but somehow doesn’t clock that the man that he’s been fighting for I believe it was at least 4 years (depending on timelines and when you believe the blockbuster storyline happened in relation to Judas contract) would be capable of manipulating his daughter into turning against him

Spryal. There is literally a scene where Dick collects DNA evidence in front of Helena because he’s cracking jokes and using a lollipop to do it. Not only is it in front of Helena it’s also INFRONT OF MINOS.

he’s canonically so good and making you see things that aren’t there and not see things right in front of you that he was a prodigy with the Hypnos facial tech.

There are more I’m sure but those are the most memorable ones in my brain.

But it’s also pretty prominent in his dialogue vs internal monologue

Where is dialogue is very wise-cracking and punny (let’s not talk about the term nightwinging it) his internal monologue is far more analytical and if it isn’t it falls more along self critical or caustic sarcasm.

Dick Grayson is the character who is most likely to play into that fanon characterization of him anytime he is not in a position where he needs to be in charge.

Like Dick does use the fact that he has a pretty face and a nice smile and a strong moral viewing of right and wrong to trick people into thinking he’s naive and not definitelyyyy not outwitting them.

He’s talked about how he’s the nice bat and the friendly one who will stop for a chat but when he puts his foot down it better not be in your neck.

And he absolutely would play up technical incompetence and being poor at life skills if it made him easier to talk to giving him more access to information.

Especially among the more anti hero and broader hero communities.

I mean Dick is canonically talked about as the one you go to with your problems when he literally told people he has files on how to take them down and then proceeded to SHARE the files.

That’s how much trust he’s built up in his community.

Anyway that’s not the reason that the fanon characterization exists but it’s a reason I find it very interesting in general.

Like there is a TikTok series where the canon and fanon bats meet and I genuinely if Canon Dick met Fanon Dick he would absolutely steal some of those lines and use them next time he needs a morally ambiguous older man who understands he might be a challenge but seriously how big of a threat could nightwing be to underestimate him.

I’m about to ruin your guys day. Let’s talk about canon and fanon. Dick Grayson edition. I’ve realized that some people don’t actually know what’s canon and what’s fanon. (It’s okay to like what’s fanon more than what’s canon, but I want to clear some things up)

Cooking: Dick can actually cook! Literally everyone says that he can’t cook, but he can! He has cooked for his younger brother (Tim Drake) numerous times! I’m pretty sure he’s cooked with the Titans too.

Singing: Dick is one of the only batfam member’s who can sing. In fact Dick is good at literally everything. (Not EVERYTHING but he can do most things)

Kindness: Don’t get me wrong Dick is a sweetheart but some people make it seem like he’s sweet, in a very dumb way. My point is that he’s nice, but not to the extent people make it out to be.

Brothers: This has to do with Dick and Tim, but I still want to add it. Most people think that Tim’s favorite brother is Jason. This is not the case. Tim is the closest with Dick. After Jason died, whatever Dick didn’t do for Jason, he did for Tim. He even trained Tim.

Ps: Tim even grew up with Dick as Robin.

I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT FINAL LINE OMG EHAT

Dick is a pretty boy. Everyone knows it, except him.

There is an unwritten rule about not hitting him in the face, everyone follows it, (even from his time as Robin some people already followed this rule). His siblings when by miracle they train together. His team when they get together to practice strategies and fighting methods. Even the damned villains and evildoers know not to hit the pretty bird in the face.

Dick never finds it strange. Somehow, he thinks it's simply because people have learned that punching him in the face isn't really going to stop him, if they're looking to confuse him, hitting the back of his head is more effective.

It's not until a drug dealer accidentally hits him in the nose for the first time in years, breaking it, that he notices something strange. How could he not? The battle stops for a moment because his companions start yelling at him, telling him that his face is off limits, and the dealer apologizes.

Dick barely blinks and stops them, then goes to his apartment to clean up the blood, the pain not even bothering him at this point. That's why he doesn't understand why not only his team makes a fuss about it the next day, but they even call his siblings to tell them what happened. He's not even that hurt ??????

The only other person who doesn't make a fuss about it is Batman, who has punched Dick in the face enough times to find it odd. Nobody is happy with Batman upon discovering that fact.

There's an open pit in the middle of our office plan that drops down into a bunch of very sharp spikes that kill you instantly. This is bad. People keep falling in there and dying. Someone put a sign up, the other day, all bright yellow so you can't miss it, that says "Beware!!! Spikes!!!"

The office immediately split into two factions over it. One says that if anyone falls in the spike pit it's their own fault for being so stupid and not watching where they're walking, so we should remove the sign. The other says that the sign is an insult, there shouldn't be a spike pit in our office at all, and having the sign up like that is just normalising the existence of the spike pit, so we should remove the sign.

We ended up removing the sign. Probably for the better. Still... for a while there it looked like it might have worked...