i-prefer-fiction-over-friends

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

He thinks he's so funny...

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No context this scene sounds like they're telling House to get his bisexuality under control

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Martha named him! She didn’t name him first, but it was the first name he knew. And it isn’t the only name he knows now, and not the only one he’s known by. Aghhhh identity stuff drives me insane. insane.

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

Wally!Flash runs into Red Hood before the big reveal and is so confused when the vigilante seems to have beef with him: I'M NEVER CALLING YOU DAD!

Wally *confused*: uh, Okay that's fine by me? I don't ... WANT to be your dad?

Red Hood: oh so you think you can just swoop in and get the guy without any step-kid baggage huh?? Well fuck you!

Imagine Dick actually adopted Jason. Like that's so chaotic— especially when Jason comes back from the dead.

12 year old Jason: Hey, Dick? Since I'm adopted by you, does that mean you're my father?

18 year old Dick: ...I'm still too young to called dad so no, I'm just your legal guardian.

Jason: Okay, dad.

Dick, tearing up: Please no.

——————

Jason after resurrection as Red Hood: I am your son.

Dick dating Wally: Tf?????? How would I— JASON?

——————

Bruce: All of you are my sons.

Jason: Technically, I'm your grandson.

Damian and Tim: ?????? What.

Dick: Technically he's right. You've been a grandpa since I was 18.

Bruce: ...Fuck, I forgot about that.

Damian and Tim: WHAT THE FUCK?????

——————

Bruce and Jason arguing:

Bruce: You're grounded!

Jason: TF? You're not my dad, Dick is!

Dick: Please, for the last time, I'm not really your dad.

Jason's dramatic ass: GASPS?! I'M ADOPTED?!

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

Hehehe 😊😘

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

Tim: uh yeah. Obviously, it wouldn't be funny if I made jokes and didn't actually die. That would be insensitive.

I think it's actually pretty in character that Tim would see nothing concerning about his own death or talking about it, he doesn't get why anyone cares about his jokes now. Being a hero is dangerous of course he has plans for his own death and isn't that concerned about it. (Hell he's seen what might happen in a timeline his death actually saves everyone from evil Batman.)

Meanwhile Jason is simultaneously angry that this brat doesn't appreciate the gift of being alive and concerned that everything about Tim's face/voice/body language screams that he really means what he's saying.

Jason: no tim, it’s not the same. I make dead jokes, you make death jokes

Tim: I am failing to see how that’s any different

Jason: I didn’t want to die Tim. I didn’t make plans that would result in my own death, but you do. You plan to die.

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

Damian: further proof Todd is the favourite ^

Bruce: We're going to put everything we love in this box.

Jason: Can I put Dick in the box?

Bruce: no

Tim: Can I put Dick in the box?

Bruce: No.

Damian: Can I-

Bruce: NO YOU MAY NOT PUT DICK IN THE BOX!

Dick: *cries in My Brothers Just Admitted They Love Me*

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

Who's Tim?

Jason after 3 years of being back in Gotham

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

The funniest aspect of a child crime fighter is that sometimes they’re going to run into something that makes no sense because they don’t have the life experience. Because they’re nine.

Like Robin runs into a guy who works for The Penguin and the guy just throws his hands up like, “Don’t hit! I’m not an enforcer. I’m an accountant.”

Robin:

Robin, squaring up: I don’t know what that is.

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

You know what? Usually I'm not a fan of the Dick-fucks-around trope but I am a spiteful!Richard truther and this is 💯% in character especially teenager Dick who would literally touch a hot stove just because he was told not to by someone he hates.

Dick and Jay: the early days

young! Jason: Dude how do you deal with all the assholes at these fucking events. One dude just asked me how much Bruce pays me a night to 'keep quiet'

Barely 18 Dick Grayson: who asked you that?

y!Jay: I think his name was Mr. Devonfeild

DG: ahh okay *walks away*

Jay: wha? where are going??

DG who is sleeping off a drinking binge him a Roy had at titans tower and cannot be asked to deal with assholes rn: Oh im gonna fuck his wife

Jay: huh?

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

I have 10 wips rn so here is an excerpt of one.

Dick knew once Bruce told him the story of his parent's murder, in the acerbic light of the juvenile detention hall that served as the place for their second meeting, that they were not same.

Even if Bruce believed they were.

Bruce told his story in the hushed tone of morning light. His eyes shining with the pain of memory as he detailed the moment he saw Martha Wayne, his mother die in front of him.

Dick knew as soon as Bruce uttered that final fateful sentence, a recounting of watching his mothers pearls scatter onto the blood-soaked ground, only to roll away to places he has searched time and time again and never found.

That Bruce was far-far luckier than him.

Because Bruce might have trained all around the world but Bruce was not raised by the watchful eyes of hundreds of men and women who didn't speak a shared language but still called each other family.

Bruce did not spend his time being babysat by Hala, the widower of a pearl diver who once held Dicks hands and told him, with the gentle reflection of the night sky in her eyes, tone alight with pride at her history, her life, her late husband, how she had made jewellery out of the pearls and sold them.

How her husband could not do it because you needed small, gentle hands to be able to tie a protective knot in-between each pearl as to make sure when the necklace breaks you will not lose too many if pressure causes the string to snap.

the rest of this will be on my ao3 eventually but for now~~~~~

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

Dick Grayson Olympics

Dick has absolutely been in the olympics multiple times by the point he's Nightwing.

Dick just also happens to have like 9 different countries in which he is a citizen. So he competes for a new country every 4 years and every time the olympics is near his phone gets absolute bombarded by a bunch of official teams and recruiters begging him to join.

He is also the world's youngest Olympian and gold medalist in general. (the youngest Olympian on record is 12 but Dick Grayson was beating up grown men by 8 so i'm starting there, he's an overachiever, no I will not accept criticism)

here me out

first one at age 8 right before his parents die, he competed for France

second one at age 12 and he competes for Italy

third one at 16 and he competes for Switzerland

fourth one at 20 and he's with Romania

you get where i'm going with this

There are 6 events and he wins gold in every one of them except one time he showed up hungover, concussed with a stomach flu (he got a silver on the uneven bars bc his vision was so blurry so he did it blindfolded so he wouldn't throw up.)

No one except Tim and Alfred know (Tim bc he's a stalker and Alfred bc Dick needed his help getting to the airport as a child) but he takes a sabbatical from work and does missions covertly in the countries he's competing in (not as Nightwing bc that would be too obvious)

He also refuses to compete for the USA bc he's still bitter about being thrown in Juvie and they can't make him

He leaves every medal by his parent's grave as a promise that he has not abandoned their dreams for him.

When anyone ever figures out he was in the Olympics he just smiles and said he competed for France once when he was a kid (bc its technically true he's only competed for France exactly one time) and he's like really bashful about it and says stuff like "oh even though my routine wasn't perfect as a kid it was still an amazing experience to have with my Mom and Dad." (he is absolutely faking the bashfulness he just doesn't want people to google him and see he's won 15 gold medals before he turned 25 bc then there are questions and he's a relatively private person).

Bruce doesn't know that Dick was in the Olympics because an 8 yr old boy who grew up in a circus would have no idea of scale. (this is based on a random fic I read where a 12yr Dick Grayson did not call Bruce when there was an active gunmen at school -he found out from another parent a week later- but called him absolutely balling, making him rush home from work bc someone stuck gum in his hair.

So 12yro Dick just tells Bruce he wants to go to an acrobatics competition and Bruce is like sure, okay how long will you gone? and Dicks like a few weeks. And because Bruce has no scale of normal parenting things, he does not see this as an issue.

By the time Dicks 24 he just doesn't tell Bruce because he thinks it's hilarious he hasn't figured it out yet. Alfred doesn't tell him bc he's hardcore judging the 'world's greatest detective' very British-ly.

The only Titans that know are Wally and Donna and they are sworn to secrecy.

And yes he is mad bc he likes the women's gymnastics stuff more bc he grew up in a circus and he thinks it looks more fun.

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

See, I love this but I also wanna just .... Angst

Dick leaves Jason with Bruce and Alfred while he's on that Titans mission in space. He isn't going to bring his son ward into a space battle. He promises to bring back something cool as a souvenir, he promises that it won't even feel that long because Robin will be busy with Gotham and Grandpa Batman (Jason likes the face Bruce makes when he says that).

Jason gets nervous a couple days in. What if Dick dies on this mission? He doesn't want to lose anybody else and he can't do anything to help from Gotham. Jason goes to his old apartment because he misses his mom. He finds the box, originally he plans to tell Bruce and then Dick when he gets back, because Dick told him if he ever found any living family it didn't mean he was any less adopted and they always had room for more family.

Then the mission lasts longer than planned.

Bruce thinks he killed a man and Dick would believe him but he might actually be dead right now and maybe it would be safer if he finds his birth mom now and then he can come back if when Dick gets back.

Canon happens.

Dick gets back and he's annoyed his calls aren't going through to the manor or Jason's phone. He's stressed he was gone longer than expected, his leg is aching in the cast and it took an extra 3 hours to actually complete the reports and get through medical and decontamination which made him even later. but his son ward Brother can probably be bribed to forgive him with a trip to the cool bookstore with a spiral staircase and some ice cream.

...

Bruce isn't the one who throws the punch in the cave this time.

There is no uniform case, he destroys it and burns the costume on a pyre in a private funeral because Robin never belonged to Batman ( neither did Jason.)

Tim showing up probably looked similar, Dick leaves and Bruce tears through Gotham in his grief. Dick refused to come be Robin again, Tim ends up taking the cape to save Batman and Nightwing. Dick is very present for his training, maybe he brings him along on any Titans away missions, even just leaving him to be watched and train at the tower (by people he can trust).

maybe that's how Tim meets his friends this time, or at least Bart and Cassie until they find Kon.

(Jason so upset Tim gets to be a Titan when he wasn't. He doesn't realize it's because the tower used to be plan B to the Manor and now it's plans A-G)

Maybe Tim didn't take his training tour? Maybe he went even though Dick hated it and half his training is just avoiding being dragged home. (Maybe he tells Dick he's traveling with his parents for a change and his regular check in messages are enough for a while.)

Just, Dick trying to protect this kid while he's thinking of how he failed, wondering if Jason would have still run off for his 'real' family if Bruce has adopted him instead of Dick.

Imagine Dick actually adopted Jason. Like that's so chaotic— especially when Jason comes back from the dead.

12 year old Jason: Hey, Dick? Since I'm adopted by you, does that mean you're my father?

18 year old Dick: ...I'm still too young to called dad so no, I'm just your legal guardian.

Jason: Okay, dad.

Dick, tearing up: Please no.

——————

Jason after resurrection as Red Hood: I am your son.

Dick dating Wally: Tf?????? How would I— JASON?

——————

Bruce: All of you are my sons.

Jason: Technically, I'm your grandson.

Damian and Tim: ?????? What.

Dick: Technically he's right. You've been a grandpa since I was 18.

Bruce: ...Fuck, I forgot about that.

Damian and Tim: WHAT THE FUCK?????

——————

Bruce and Jason arguing:

Bruce: You're grounded!

Jason: TF? You're not my dad, Dick is!

Dick: Please, for the last time, I'm not really your dad.

Jason's dramatic ass: GASPS?! I'M ADOPTED?!

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

Canon Dick is the cool, aloof older brother who skips family dinner but shows up at 1 a.m. to rescue you from trouble—no questions asked. He’ll snap a picture of you head-in-a-bucket for your contact photo and assess your situation before deciding if you need coffee or mariachi music for your hangover. He might call you an idiot, take you to the gym for an hour of punching bags, or comfort you while you cry. Regardless, expect some teasing and to be called "bucket-head" when he's tired and annoyed.

Fanon Dick has no edges, he's missing the ugly parts of Dick's character.

The short temper he's had to work on, the biting words as a reflex, the moments of exhaustion wondering why any of this is his responsibility, the way his anger is often justified but not rational, his self sabotaging in relationships because he just can't trust someone actually means what they're saying....

Fanon Dick just loves all of the bats because they are family by way of being Bruce's children. So of course he has to love them.

Canon Dick chose his family, Jason is his once Dick gives him the Robin suit. Dick refused to let another kid die under his name so he claims Tim, and so on and so on. But none of them are just immediately loved by the merit of being kids of Bruce in his orbit.

I want more prickly Dick Grayson in fanfic.

Give me Nightwing climbing into his apartment after a boring cold patrol to find Tim on his couch -clearly wanting to talk- and wondering for a second if he could just.... leave and sleep in a different safehouse.

Dick sneaking into the cave -because he knows Batman is hiding something on the new cartel- and he sees Bruce almost relaxed with Cass leaned against him by the computer and Dick just feels envy. Why does she seem to get along with Bruce so well when she's only known him a year and Dick's been right there for a DECADE?

Jason makes a mean joke while they fight Ivy about them not being able to tell if Nightwing got hit with sex pollen because he's just like that . Dick sends the highest charge on his escrima through the vines currently holding the Red Hood. (The vines release but they're filled with water and it was raining and now Hood's helmet is fried and his teeth burn). Later Nightwing is apologetic, but he never actually apologizes.

Batman tries to ban Nightwing from patrolling with Robin after the two adults fight, says Robin needs someone reliable to watch his back. Dick reminds him "it wasn't Nightwing that was supposed to be watching Jay Robin" (New Robin Tim after Jason's death/ or after the reveal in UTRH for max hurt)

Dick knows Damian said he stopped killing but every corpse is suspicious for months. He inspects Damian's gear before and after patrol 'for safety' but he's actually looking for any signs the truce has ended. He stays on his toes waiting for another assassination attempt, for a trick or a trap even though he's determined to give the kid a chance. -Dick of all people knows how dangerous a child can be even at ten years old- maybe Damian finds out and never says anything, he thinks it's a reasonable precaution after all. But it does stick in the corner of his heart even years later than his word as Robin to his Batman wasn't enough to be trusted.

Barbara gets pissed and goes off on him about something he messed up for the Birds of Prey, he apologizes then he pulls his name off their backup roster barring a world ending disaster (or something involving Robin). He dips, and spends a couple weeks in New York catching up and training the younger Titans. Oracle and personal messages are ignored unless marked urgent and she knows from experience, abusing that allowance will leave her completely unable to contact him.

I genuinely love how in batfam fanfics….

Dick is like: little D (Damian), Timmy Tim, little wing (Jason) I’m on my way my baby bros!!!

And then in canon….

Dick: *perpetually perturbed by his codependent siblings but knows he’ll never not answer cause who else is gonna pull their dumbassses out the gutter*

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

“batman loves his nightwing” this and “batsibs love nightwing that”, what about the batsibs’ friends / team loving nightwing ‼️‼️

YES!!! They love him!

The thing about Dick Grayson is that he has such a unique quality that just draws people in and holds them captive.

Titans (2016) Issue #26

He has a charisma that's intense. People from all walks of life find themselves just constantly looking at him for friendship, advice, love, guidance, and just something that calls them to him.

It's the impact he has on people that's astounding.

Titans (2016) Issue #27

They love him so much and they respect him so much that his absence is like a huge gaping hole in their chest. People feel lost without him because they've come to rely so heavily on him. Gar and Steel literally only joined because Dick asked.

This is something Roy catches on to and is well-aware of. He practically hounds Dick into creating the Outsiders with him.

Outsiders (2003) Issue #1

But you think Roy is the only one to capitalize on Dick's Nightwing effect? Hell no.

Titans East Special

Dick isn't just a person. He's a home. He's the guiding hand and the ship's steer control. He's special to people because he's everything they want him to be. He's their lover, best friend, brother, and partner. Whatever role they're missing in life they find it him him because he makes himself versatile enough to fill whatever they're looking for.

Dark Crisis Issue #1

We say batsibs' teams but he's the whole Justice community's everything. He fills the connections of both Batman's side and Superman's side.

He IS the most well-connected person in the entire community.

Teen Titans (2003) Issue #23

Look at what Kon says -

"Nightwing and Starfire brought wave two. Which is just about everyone whose ever been a Titan. It's a natural thing when Nightwing shows up. None of us are conscious of it, really--but we all look to him for orders. Robin's lucky."

The sheer respect. That Kon has for Nightwing is indomitable. Oh, but you think that's all?

Do you know what the superhero community says about Nightwing? Kon will tell you what they think -

Teen Titans (2003) Issue #33

The Titans (1999) Issue #39

He calls. They answer.

Hero-worship of Nightwing is canonically universal. Renaming this the Nightwing Effect

Epilson

The Titans (1999)

Red Condor

Nightwing (2016) Annual #3

Hutch

Nightwing (2016) Issue #75

Kara

Justice League of America (2006) Issue #49

Supergirl (2005) Issue #3

And sometimes this means more than friendship love but still born out of respect. It's so funny to me how Dick goes around friendzoning people.

Cassie

Even when people don't like what he wants they still do it because they respect him. Because he had an impact on them and they were were moved

Titans (2003) Issue #89

Aquaman, Ollie, John (Green Lantern)

JLA (1997) Issue #121

Kyle Rayner

Even people he's just met are like - this guy's pretty good!

Green Lantern (1990) Issue #81

Coming from a Green Lantern comic!! Not even a Wondergirl, Wonderwoman, Batman, or Nightwing writer. A green lantern!

Speaking of which, when Hal Jordon dies, a list of people are selected to be The Hal Jordon's replacement and guess who it is?

Action Comics (1938) Issue #642

Hal forces his soul back into his body and comes back to life but DC does a "what-if" thing and shows what it would be like if Dick actually became a Green Lantern.

Superman/Batman Issue #60

AND BRUCE'S REACTION!! His most favorite son combined with one of his least favorite people 🤣🤣

Superman/Batman Issue #60

But Bruce's faith in Dick actually elavtes his opinion of Hal.

ALSO!!-

Superman/Batman Issue #61

I JUST KNOW THAT BRUCE WAS WRITHING IN JEALOUSY!!

But anyway, shows to prove that no matter who Dick is and what identity he takes, he will always be the love of the hero community. Because in this world, each member is a combination of the Justice League AND the Titans.

Superman/Batman Issue #60

Yet Dick is still the center of it all.

A literal god

Nightwing (2016) Issue #49

Jon and the hero community

Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis Issue #1

"It would mean a LOT to people if you came and said--" "You're all overreacting." "We need you."

"You're all overreacting." - Clearly, this isn't the first time someone has already come to Dick about being the center of the community.

Not just by the batfam, but for everyone Dick is the most beloved person in the community. That is a fact.

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

He spent his entire life doing everything he can to be useful because his access to family and safety and support after his parents death was reliant on his ability to accommodate other's needs. Useful=loved

The thing about “Good Dad Bruce Wayne” and “Bat-Dad” is….that’s the dream. I love any and all depictions of Bruce Wayne that prioritize him DOING THE WORK to be a good father to his kids.

I never look for reasons to criticize Bruce or his parenting. My frequent bitching and moaning about him and how he’s written comes from one place and one place only:

IMO a lot of the time, instead of writing Bruce putting in the WORK to be the PARENT, people just write him being 70% of the problem and only 30% of the solution and call that ‘good enough.’ Because hey, at least he’s trying to be part of the solution and fix his mistakes and be better for his kids, and isn’t that the most anyone can ask for?

Well, no. Its not. Especially since with the exception of Damian, Bruce chose each and every one of his kids with full knowledge of what he was doing. He doesn’t GET to do the bare minimum, even when his kids require more effort than the norm, like the situations with Jason sometimes are beyond the ordinary. There’s no quota to parenting. 

The thing about Bruce Wayne is he is pretty much the most competent individual in the DC universe. He has more resources available at his disposal than any other parent can dream of. He has excelled at every thing he’s ever put his mind to….

Except, often times….being a parent.

And parenting is not somehow inherently more impossible than saving the world every other week. Its just not. It literally is just: put your kids first. 

And that is what Bruce is written as failing to do, time and time again. That is almost unilaterally where every single one of his conflicts with his children come from.

When he puts his own fear of rejection over Dick’s fear of abandonment, and refuses to reach out to Dick, beg him to come home, ask him to stay.

When he puts his own moral choices over Jason’s need to be understood, to have a father who can coexist with him and his choices when that very same father has at many times reconciled working with heroes with vastly different moral codes and even body counts of their own.

When he puts his own discomfort with emotional conversations and expressions of affection over Tim’s need for concrete gestures and reassurances that his parent needs and wants him in his life.

And so on.

These things are all actionable. They are all based on choices Bruce can make, and at many times just chooses not to. They all demand one thing and one thing only, the one thing that is expected of parents who take on the responsibility of a child that they and they alone are responsible for the wellbeing of:

Put. Them. First.

And falling short of that, when there’s every opportunity to do the work…is Bruce’s failure. It just is. Its not on his kids. He is the parent. Always and forever, with each and every one of them. That is what he signed up for. THEY did not. Kids don’t have the same power and choices about where they end up as the parents do when deciding that where they end up should be with them. And that can’t be disregarded. Bruce’s kids, as much as they love and appreciate him, are not ultimately the ones who arranged to be tied to Bruce for the rest of their lives, even if they all accepted that and wanted that in their own ways. He was the one with the actual power to make those choices, and to quote DC’s competition:

With great power comes great responsibility.

Bruce’s kids will always have less power than him purely in the context of their relationships with him, because the yearning for a parent’s approval exists on a wholly different level than anything a parent can need or get from their child - especially when they have multiple children but those multiple children each only have the one parent they’re all desperately hoping for the approval of. As well as when each of those multiple children arrive in Bruce’s life already burdened with issues born of abandonment and abuse and neglect that aren’t Bruce’s fault….but from the second Bruce stepped up and volunteered to be their parent, still very much became his responsibility all the same.

Bruce’s kids will always, always, always have more to lose, when there’s any conflict between them and their father.

And the thing that frustrates me so much about how Bruce is written in both canon AND fanfics….

Is how often the narratives cut corners and emphasize the blame and responsibility of his children and make them settle….for just ‘good enough’ from him. For ‘well at least he’s trying.’ For ‘he’s not perfect.’ 

He doesn’t need to be perfect.

But he needs to be the parent.

And personally, I will never be satisfied by narratives that feel like they make more attempt to coddle him and say its okay to just do the bare minimum, as long as he’s making an effort…than they do to make him step up and do the work, put his kids before his own issues.

He’s not the child. So stop treating him like one. Stop writing his kids being more mature than him. Stop saying his children are ‘equally at fault’ for him refusing to make them a priority and any issues of insecurity and abandonment and hurt they feel because of this. Stop expecting his oldest children to act as buffers for his younger children and do the parenting he refuses to do at times, and stop only treating them like his equal when it allows for them to victimize him in some way, with the story treating them like the aggressors and him the misunderstood recipient of their emotional harm and neglect.

Bruce Wayne has more social power and resources and skills and intelligence than just about any other human in the DC universe….his children included. Please can we just start holding him to the standards that kind of power should entail? Instead of looking to his children to always make up the difference for the times he refuses to be accountable, or a narrative refuses to hold him responsible for his own behavior and poor choices?

I WANT Good Dad Bruce Wayne.

I’m just tired of seeing ‘emotionally stunted surly teenager who makes his family’s lives far more difficult than they need to be and then awkwardly hugs them and grunts out an apology in the last paragraph to make up for it’….and being told: that’s Good Dad Bruce Wayne too.

No. Its not. I know what actual Good Dad Bruce looks like, and that ain’t it. Do better. Make him do better.

[i-prefer-fiction-over-friends]

It reminds me of people watching a panther with it's lethal teeth and claws hunting and cooing "what a pretty kitty".

Tbh I think that Nightwing should be allowed to brain-zap EVERYONE who makes unsolicited objectifying comments, especially any allies who make comments on his butt.

The amount of people calling nightwing pretty boy is actually insane like

He will literally shove his escrima into someone’s ears, electrocute them, and then give em a round house kick for good measure and somebody in the distance will be like, “who’s the pretty boy?”