earnednight

[earnednight]

Dick Grayson and his eras

Experimenting with my style and colors again, idk I'm kinda really enjoying rendering portraits lately)

[earnednight]

Short 🥺

[earnednight]

I feel bad for Dick but at the same time I can't help but find this funny. 😭

[earnednight]

❛  we'll just have to make do.  ❜

“lines  are  dead,  but  hey,  we’ve  done  more  with  less.”  dick  affirms  as  he  pitches  forward  to  peer  over  the  sheer  drop  of  the  building  to  take  in  the  clogging  noir  of  the  darkened  city  —  the  only  thing  keeping  him  rooted  in  place  is  a  mere  inch  of  tread  from  his  boots.  that  &  the  grace  of  god.  the  domino  narrows  &  his  hand  moves  ;  the  slot  of  bright  blue  streaking  down  the  center  of  his  arm  winking  through  the  smoggy  nightscape  as  nightwing  traces  a  path.      

&  then  the  domino  arches  with  the  silent  question  as  he  finally  leans  back  &  crosses  his  arms.  “well,  how  about  it?”  he's  still  staring  at  gotham,  at  the  ported  subdivision  leading  to  the  harbor.  but  a  hint  of  challenge  now  alights  over  his  countenance.  causing  the  far  edge  of  his  mouth  to  twitch  up.  “last  one  there  has  to  tell  o.  exactly  what  happened.”  it's  not  a  punishment  per  se,  but  if  he  were  being  honest,  he’d  rather  not  be  the  first  person  barbara  saw  after  being  blinded  for  a  night.  

however,  dick  doesn’t  wait  for  an  answer.  instead  he  casts  a  singular  look  over  his  shoulder at ( @urbanoath );  the  whites  of  his  teeth  flashing  before  he steps  forward  &  all  but  plummets  from  the  safety  of  their  ledge.    free-falling  right  into  the  open  air  without  a  lick  of  hesitation. 

[earnednight]

strange to say it,   but this is where i’m home.   not fighting low - rent robbers specifically,   although it’s certainly comfortingly familiar.   i’m at home in movement.   in doing.   in acting.   i’m at home when i can live in the moment.

[earnednight]

❛ now listen, i'l tell you what to do. if you stay here, they'll find you. i'll distract them while you get away. ❜

he’s  not  entirely  listening  to  the  spider  ;  his  attention  more-so  caught  on  the  chaos  unfolding  around  them.  there’s  an  itch  bubbling  beneath  his  skin  as  pandemonium  arcs  through  the  crowd  ;  a  want  —  a  need  to  help  them.  dick  breathes  ;  his  gaze  snapping  from  the  yawning  fissure  of  a  now  crumbling  wall,  from  the  people  racing  past  it,  to  that  of  ( @arachnidbt ) himself.    “right.”  &  maybe  he  agreed  a  little  too  easily  -  but  honestly,  who  would realistically dig their heels in during a situation like this?  it  didn’t  matter  that  he’d  run  the  beat  for  a  few  years  now  —  but they wouldn't know that without looking into his background . so, no. he wouldn't argue,  not when this  would  allow  for  an  easier  switch.  

so  dick  clambers  up  onto  his  feet  ;  plays  into  the  shaken,  frightened  pedestrian  as  he  makes  for  the  rear  exit.  “thanks  spiderman.”  dick  calls  back,  letting  his  legs  carry  him  faster  &  faster  until  he’s  slipped  from  the  building  &  taken  off  down  the  shuddering  pavement.  his  pace  steadily  increases  ;  balance  shifting  from  uncertain & rigid  to  practiced  &  confident  as  he  puts  more  distance  between  himself  &  ground  zero.   

he’ll  pull  far  enough  away  ;  ensure  that  nobody’s  watching  out  for  bruce  wayne's  ward  &  then  double  back  as  nightwing.  at least that’s  the  plan  anyways,  now  he’s  just  got  to  shake  a  tailfeather  &  make  it  happen. 

[earnednight]

bros having a Day

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"Place sure knows how to give a warm welcome, doesn't it?"

"no kidding." &  wasn’t  that  just  the  understatement  of  the  year?  he,  for  one,  can’t  say  the  welcome  is  as  friendly  as  one  from  blud’s  very  own  crime  alley  —  or  gotham’s  —  but  boy,  this  sure  pulled  up  a  close  second.    passing  a  fake  id  over  to  the  body-blocker  at  the  entrance  ;  dick  finds  himself  unconsciously  stepping  closer  to  ( @watsonjackpot ).  the  smile  plastered  over  his  face  reading  :  open  ,  friendly  -  clueless  as  they  pass  ;  a mask  that  he’d  donned  from  time  to  time.  the  act  made  all  the  easier  with  the  richie  grayson,  gotham’s  sweetheart  persona  he’d  worn  over  the  years.  “just  –  “  he  starts  as  they  duck  into  a  bigger,  more  crowded  room.  “keep  your  eyes  open.”  a  pause,  &  the  naivety  slips  from  his  countenance  to  reveal  something  sharper  -  “ready?” 

[earnednight]

he  stumbles  beneath  the  force  of  her  return;  re-catching  his  balance  thereafter  with  another  bout  of  laughter.  “well,  you  know  me.  modest  is  my  middle  name  after all.”  though,  he  sobers  quickly  enough.  “pretty  sure  you  have  everything  in  order.”    she  always  did  &  with  that  he  kicks  it  up  a  notch  ;  hurrying  his  pace  in  a  means  to  make  breaking  through  the  sea  of  bustling  people  a  little  easier.  “maybe  next  time  we  hail  a  cab?  oh,  pretty  sure  that’s  your  destination.”  he  says,  casting  a  glance  up  at  the  brick-soldered  building  a  block  up. 

@earnednight

"Glorious," Donna sighed. She had already built a reputation of something of a Pollyanna amongst her peers, and this was not helping. When Dick bumped shoulders with her, she bumped back, applying just a wee bit more force than he had. A healthy reminder, that's all.

"Amazingly modest, too," she shot back. He wasn't the only one who could weaponize a horrible impression. "Anyway... we really need to hustle to the admission office.... I don't think I missed anything- " she looked about her just in case, to make sure she hadn't dropped anything. The worst thing about having a civilian identity was doing everything so slowly. Walking. Traffic. Buses, subways. And walking. Who knew walking back and forth everywhere was such a drip?

[earnednight]

“fair  enough.”    is  the  easy  return  that  rents  the  air  between  them  as  his  gaze  shifts  up,  away  from  his  treat,  to  that  of  the  avian  &  his  heart  stumbles  up  into  his  throat,  constricting  &  unrelenting,  at  exactly  who  just  emerged  from  the  break  of  shadows.  he  blinks  once  ;  fingers  pressing  in  against  the  plastic  edge  of  the  cup  from  the  volatile  cocktail  of  shock  &  immense  melancholy  that  rages  through  him.  it  crinkles  in  distress  but  he  can’t  bring  himself  to  care.  

the  breath  he  pulls  in  stutters  against  the  cage  of  his  ribs  –  a  lifetime  had  come  &  gone  from  the  last  time  he’d  seen  her.  &  he  can  see  it,  not  as  clearly  as  he  once  could,  but  the  memory  had  sustained,  if  blurred  at  the  edges:  when  they’d  last  all  sat  at  poor  weathered  -  worn  table  of  theirs  &  laughed.  &  he,  for  a  moment  can  hear  it.  can  hear  the  strong  timber  of  his  dad’s  voice  as  he  tried  &  failed  to  hush  his  mother  &  fen,  lest  they  wake  him  —  unknowing  that  on  nights  like  those,  he’d  purposefully  climb  out  of  bed  &  hover  –  waiting  for  the  moment  one  of  them  eventually  took  notice  &  ushered  him  to  them.  

  &  she  looked  the  same.  the  exact  same.  as  if  she  had  passed  through  the  crucible  of  time  unaffected.  a  visage  of  his  past  ;  before  gotham  –  before  bruce  &  suddenly,  he  doesn’t  have  a  stomach  for  the  ice  cream  in  his  hands.  did  she  know?  ;  had  someone  told  her?  –  surely  they  did.  they  must  have  if  she’s  taken  the  time  to  track  him  down  in  this  new  life.    dick’s  throat  works  once,  twice.  

“fen  i  —  ”  the  words  ‘missed  you’  don’t  exactly  sound,  but  they’re  there.  hanging  in  the  air.  heavy  &  profound.  &  that  jovial  -  teasing  tone  of  his  dwindles  to  mere  embers  of  itself.  small  &  unsure  on  how  to  exactly  navigate  the  terrain  proverbially  stretching  out  before  him.  “you  look  good.” 

"..."

The chuffing noise that sounds off almost a full minute after the query is amused if nothing else. Though familiar is also an addition to the docket. Observing the little hero using one of his tools to eat and or play with his frozen treat.

"You already seem to be addressing it." The response follows with vague rustle of noise, increasingly familiar and talons soon settle across a stony, gnarled face. The rest followed, small frame cloaked in rust red feathers and soon settled astride old gray shoulders. An almost sleepy golden gaze drifts over him, chin coming to rest in a clawed hand.

"It's nice to see you."

[earnednight]

🐝  *  ―  𝑺𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑰𝑻𝑬𝑫 𝑨𝑾𝑨𝒀 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺.

❛  we'll just have to make do.  ❜ ❛  come on, it'll be fun.  ❜ ❛  wait, where are we going?  ❜ ❛  you can't be here. go now!  ❜ ❛  it's just a dream, a stupid dream.  ❜ ❛  don't be afraid. i'm a friend.  ❜ ❛  i can't stand up. what should i do?  ❜ ❛  now listen, i'l tell you what to do. if you stay here, they'll find you. i'll distract them while you get away.  ❜ ❛  you have no choice if you want to survive here ... and save your parents, too.  ❜ ❛  why do i need a weakling like you?  ❜ ❛  trembling, aren't you? still, i'm impressed you made it this far.  ❜ ❛  what a pain. you're gonna pay for this.  ❜ ❛  keep your wits about you. if you need anything, ask me.  ❜ ❛  hey, are you okay? don't fall apart on me.  ❜ ❛  listen to me. i'll promise i'll save you.  ❜ ❛  what did you expect after all that rain?  ❜ ❛  i'm gonna get there someday. i'll get out of here for sure.  ❜ ❛  i was just coming to wake you up, look!  ❜ ❛  what should i do? he'll die!  ❜ ❛  what's so funny? wipe off that smile.  ❜ ❛  don't do anything stupid until i get down there.  ❜ ❛  you see, someone i really care about is badly hurt. i've got to go right now.  ❜ ❛  this is our little secret. if you tell anyone ... i'll do the same to you.  ❜ ❛  what are you going to do? he needs help.  ❜ ❛  becoming a sorcerer's apprentice is dangerous business.  ❜ ❛  well, getting there is one thing. getting back's the problem.  ❜ ❛  [name], i promise i'll be back. please don't die.  ❜ ❛  don't you understand? it's love.  ❜ ❛  what took you so long? this is a total disaster!  ❜ ❛  what do you want? you can tell me.  ❜ ❛  what, you're still alive?  ❜ ❛  you still don't see it? she's played a trick on you.  ❜ ❛  since when do you talk that way?  ❜ ❛  you held this, and nothing happened to you?  ❜ ❛  i'd like to help you, but there's nothing i can do. it's one of our rules here.  ❜ ❛  but can't you even give me a hint?  ❜ ❛  everything that happens stays inside you ... even if you can't remember it.  ❜ ❛  see? you have a talent for this.  ❜ ❛  [name], i no longer blame you for what you did. but be sure to protect this girl.  ❜ ❛  will we meet again somewhere?  ❜

[earnednight]

𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 , 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 ? highly selective / mutuals only catwoman stolen by jewel .

[earnednight]

Culparía a la pérdida de sangre, pero contestaría lo mismo en cualquier otra situación.

[earnednight]

the  chuckle  that  slips  out  of  him  is  practically  involuntarily  &  he’s  not  entirely  sure  if  that  little  jab  of  hers  is  actually  directed  at  him,  or  bruce.  “you  know  how  this  goes”    more  than  naught,  they  tended  to  look  the  other  way  when  the  cat  was  on  the  prowl  ;  so  long  as  she  kept  her  claws  free  of  gore  &  nobody  got  hurt.    but  that  also  came  with  the  understanding  to  steer  clear  of  each  other.  operating  under  a  need  to  know,  if  i  can’t  see  you,  you  can’t  see  me,  sort  of  basis.  but  again,  that  depended  solely  on  proximity  &  well,  selina  was  here.   

dick’s  shoulders  fall  ;  just  the  slightest  -  his  gaze  sweeping  over  her,  accessing,  as  that  no-nonsense  tone  of  his  softens   into something  familiar.  “what  happened?” 

starter for : @earnednight

" you know , you're really starting to hurt my feelings ! " she'll lick her wounds later. " .. and here i thought you good guys were accepting of strays. "

[earnednight]

❛ we could need some . . . improving in that area . . . ❜

the  ache  that  sings  through  sinew  &  muscles  alike  is  one  of  familiarity.  one  that  first  reminds  him  of  his  time  spent  flitting  from  bar  to  bar  -  learning  an  act  he’d  only  had  the  privilege  to  perform  a  scant  few  times  in  his  youth  -  to  the  kin  of  burn  he’d  later  learn  to  associate  with  the  pull  &  grit  of  retraining  those  very  same  muscles  to  acclimate  to  a  new  sort  of  act  on  a  much  more  dangerous  sort  of  stage.  

dick  breathes  ;  his  chest  rising  &  falling  in  time  from  the  exertion  of  the  last  few  hours.  long  gone  are  the  soft  chitters  of  bats  -  having  been  replaced  solely  with  the  distant  call  of  birdsong  signaling  the  start  of  a  new  day.  “okay.”  he  says  ;  speaking  more  to  himself  than  agreeing  with  ( @urbanoath ).  a  single  word,  his  resolve  unbuckling  as  he  pitches  himself  up,  off  that  miserable  mat  &  onto  his  feet  once  more.  

“one  more  time.”  dick  nods  decisively,  rolling  his  shoulder  in  a  means  to  alleviate  some  of  the  ailing  tension  from  it  before  retaking  their  starting  position.  determination  setting  in  &  turning  that  easy  countenance  of  his  into  something  steely.  “show  me  again.” 

[earnednight]

“sure  did”  dick  chuckles,  even  as  he  all  but  tracks  the  fleeing  vehicle  with  a  glare.  “and  before  you  ask”  he  continues,  his  gaze  sweeping  back  to  her.  “yes,  i  will  be    telling  the  others,  and  no,  i  am  never  letting  you  live  it  down.”  he  lets  go  of  her  then,  letting  the  tip  of  his  thumb  brush  over  her  skin  in  parting. 

“oh  gee  willikers,  golly  gosh,  what  would  i  ever  have  done  if  the  amazing  dick  grayson  hadn’t  been  here.”  he’s  grinning  now,  his  voice  pitched  high,  in  an  awful  imitation  of  donna’s  as  he  falls  back  into  step  alongside  her  ;  bumping  his  shoulder  against  hers  amicably. 

earnednight asked: (yank) - for your muse to yank mine out of the way of danger

@earnednight

"Yikes," Donna exclaimed as Dick grabbed her by the arm to avoid a collision with oncoming traffic. Had she really been that absent minded? Good thing Dick was there, looking out her. "Wait. Did I actually say 'yikes'?"

[earnednight]

hey-o , it's an ask day! so, do the thing if you'd like me to swing by & drop a meme or two in your inbox!