midnight-weird-thoughts

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

One of the most fascinating things about Dick Grayson to me, in universe, is how among those who know him well, he has probably the most famous origin story, while simultaneously he's the one who most famously has people fail to factor in how his origin story defines him.

What I mean by that is "everyone knows" the story of how Dick Grayson came to live with Bruce Wayne, and among the cape community who know their identities, this translates to how Dick Grayson came to be Robin.....

But over and over in his character dynamics and interactions, we see evidence of how thoroughly distanced he is from that origin, in peoples' eyes, compared to how Bruce and even Clark and countless other heroes are "summed up" by their origin stories and how they relate to and inform their drive as heroes.

Its in how people talk about how he's moved on from his initial tragedy in ways Bruce never has and likely never will, how seamlessly he fits in wherever he goes, how he's regarded as one of the world's most talented acrobats but how often that goes hand in hand with all the acrobatics he does as Robin and then Nightwing rather than because he was already that long before he ever put on a cape, etc.

People in universe, even while being AWARE of Dick Grayson's origin story in a way that they're rarely aware of the origin stories of more than five others of their close personal friends, rarely factor his origin story in to why or how he does various things, both as a hero and as just a person. Because there's this implicit perception among so many that he's the golden standard of Moving On, becoming more than his initial tragedy, etc.

And I think that's so fascinating to consider in light of the fact that I personally think this is the one area Dick himself will NEVER agree with anyone on. And its also why I think the Robin issue is such an unhealed wound for him, at least in any and all post-Crisis continuities that use a variation of him having been fired from Robin rather than willingly giving the mantle over to his younger brother Jason, as he moves on to a new stage of his life as Nightwing. (And there too, I think its unfortunate that so much examination/nostalgia for the original pre-Crisis Nightwing origin is focused on Dick's dynamic with BRUCE, as in 'originally Bruce did nothing wrong and Dick was ready to let go of Robin and made a choice to' vs focusing it on how the thing that was lost with the pre-Crisis origin of Nightwing is its probably the only time Dick actually DID demonstrate that he'd made a kind of peace with his parents' death and was ready to move forward from it on his own terms).

Because to Dick "I'm literally crafting my superhero persona in a way that screams You Can Drag The Boy Kicking and Screaming From The Circus But You Won't Drag The Circus From The Boy Until He's Damn Well Good and Ready" Grayson.....

Becoming Robin was his way of coping with his parents' murder and his initial tragedy, but no, he very much never DID get to part with the time capsule he'd made of that via the Robin Mantle in his own time and on his own terms (at least not in any post-Crisis continuity).

So every time someone takes it for granted that he's moved on or makes some reference to the idea that he's not defined or "held back" by his initial tragedy the way so many others are, especially in the Batfam, he just gets this wry smirk that doesn't touch his eyes, the most blatantly false mask a man known for his many masks has ever been seen wearing, and people just get very uncomfortable and hurry the conversation along, because there's an implicit hidden SOMETHING underscoring that interaction they just had with Dick, and like. They don't WANT to unpack it or examine it too closely because on an intuitive level there's this awareness that if they ever did, it would risk upheaving their entire understanding of who Dick Grayson is and what motivates him, and for so many members of his family and community who rely on him as a foundational support, a bedrock of the cape/Gotham community who they know and trust to be a certain way......that's not an uncertainty they want to contend with, an upheaval they want to make time for.

And if there's anything Dick truly resents his family and community for, I believe its that. The idea that all the information is there, to KNOW that there's a specific way in which Dick Grayson Is Not Okay and that he doesn't feel comfortable letting on about that because he keeps getting hit with signals from everyone he knows that They Need Him To Be Okay With This, and so this perception of him as the gold standard of Moving On With Your Life persists, all while he's like "I Very Much The Fuck Have NOT Moved On, and I Never Will So Long As Nobody Wants to Contend With the Fact That Its Explicitly BECAUSE I Was Never Granted The Opportunity To Do So In My Own Time and Way."

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

When you say you're anti-CAM what does that mean? Like what does CAM mean in that context? I genuinely haven't seen that acronym before and I'm assuming you aren't anti-camming as in like the form of sex work

Complimentary and Alternative Medicine.

I am capable of turning off my inner annoying atheist, I am incapable of turning off my inner annoying quackwatcher.

I have had real life fights with people I genuinely love about this and I do not regret it. I will absolutely not regret shitting all over someone's $500 herbalist certification.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

professors!AU where Crowley is an astrophysics professor that is beloved by his students and Aziraphale is the campus librarian that everyone’s annoyed by because he’s sooooo strict when it comes to checking out and handling books, and they both spend all their lunch/coffee breaks together. Thoughts?

Thoughts? Oh yes I have Thoughts.

My first thought is that at first blush, Crowley is that professor. You know– the sexy one. The whose intro-level classes are packed with students taking AST101 for the easy A and the prof who’s easy on the eyes.

BUT it’s not an easy A. Professor Crowley cares so much about his subject and he expects you to care as well. He assigns essays. 101 courses are introductory courses, so he’s going to introduce everything– from the big bang to Galileo’s weird moon people theories. He gets excited and goes on ridiculous tangents and his 101 courses have the highest drop rate of any in the entire institution.

The next level in (not exactly 102 courses, but the ones who made it through the first culling) hate Crowley. But they hate him in that way where they have to stick it out and make him proud because demonic professors with parental approval issues attract students with the same issues. He hands back essays with little notes like “B+, strong thesis but weak conclusion” and takes ½ points of test questions for random stuff. He also has terrible handwriting. His students are sure this is all carefully calculated to fuck with them personally. They’re all 100% correct.

Maybe it’s the Stockholm Syndrome talking, but once they get a little “:) Well done!” they’re hooked for life. It’s only a select few of devoted followers who get to the classes where his own publications come into play, and they’re not even required reading. It’s just whispers passed down from student to student that the best answers and sources can be found deep in the library stacks, spread wide across the lower 520s, the 539s, the rare 514– honestly, the best way to find what you’re looking for is to find the rare books historian in the back of the library. You know the one. The one who always looks like he’s forgotten other people exist when you go to the rare books room for a history class and spends your whole time hovering over you like you’ll write on the 13th century Florentine Book of Hours with a sharpie if he turns his back for a moment. That librarian. Ask him where to find Professor Crowley’s essay on anything and he’ll produce it out of thin air.

The majority of Aziraphale’s interactions with the general student body, on the other hand, are brief and marked by irritation on the part of everyone involved. However, there’s a select few who count him among their favorite staff, though they’re not nearly so cohesive a group as Crowley’s ducklings. They’re students in all majors, across all years and interests– the only thing they have in common is that, in the midst of an awful term paper, or deep in the panic of finals week, or while they were wandering the stacks discretely looking for the queer studies section, or the self-help books that offer a little more than your run-of-the-mill mindfulness techniques, this dude with a tartan bowtie popped up and invited them into his office for a cup of cocoa (no food or drinks in the stacks, naturally) and they emerged from that conversation a little lighter, a little more hopeful, a little less alone. A professor might get a note slipped under their office door at some point, with a tip to check in with their students in a particular course, or an adviser might get a late night epiphany to make sure someone’s coming to their next office hours. Mostly though, the cocoa (with appropriate sugar or dairy alternatives, always exactly what the student needs) is a siren call that leads them back into the library, and they might not find Aziraphale himself on their next visit, but they always find the perfect book.

Students don’t expect to see their professors at lunch in a little cafe a few blocks away from campus, so usually they don’t. They don’t expect to see the librarian slide into the passenger seat of a nice but old fashioned car, and they don’t expect to see Professor Crowley driving it, so usually they don’t. They might not be able to ignore the white mug with wings– the opposite of Prof C’s aesthetic in every way– that he drinks coffee out of on some mornings, and they might not be able to ignore that there’s a random dude knocking on Prof’s C’s office door at precisely 3:05pm, putting an abrupt end to their ability to ask him questions about the stars and sigh dreamily over his responses. And they might not expect it, but students with sharp eyes can’t ignore the way they look at each other. Or like, the rings.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

Confident: Not Arrogant

A post I loved was going around on how confident Dick is.

I just wanted to add that he’s confident but there’s also a humbleness to his confidence that is very uniquely Dick Grayson.  Dick is confident without the arrogance.  He’s confident with a purpose.  Even when he’s not confident he exudes it to lift other people up or at least is usually open to talk about how unconfident he is which in itself takes a certain amount of confidence.

He expresses a very ‘us’ mentality and uses that phrasing a lot when talking to people unless he’s blaming himself for something.

[Batman #688]

“We’re going to have to learn.”

When Dick is Batman we as the reader know how unconfident Dick is but he still wears the cowl and goes out there as well as mentors Damian with as much confidence and humbleness he needs to admit his own shortcomings and works through them with Damian. 

[Batman: Gates of Gotham]

When Tim feels down about screwing up Dick answers in a very Dick Grayson way, “Everyone’s made mistakes on this one.  But we’ve come this far and we’re in this together.”  He acknowledges Tim’s mistakes but he reminds him that everyone has made mistakes even himself, and that he’s not alone here.

You can even tell this trait in him just by his positioning and body language, he lets the kids sit in the Batchair, he talks things out with them, he leans casually even in the Batsuit.  A lot of time’s in comics it seems that the batfamily is on Bruce’s mission but with Dick he clearly shows ‘we’re’ on a mission ‘together’.

(x) 

That humble confidence is also what allows him to be able to see things from other peoples perspectives, and especially why he’s usually written as not condescending towards young heroes and speaks up for them against the Justice League even.

[Teen Titans v3 #6]

“Flash, you were one of us.”

[Teen Titans v3 #33]

“Stop looking at me like I’m one of those statues.  I’m a Titan like you.”

Dick has shown multiple times he can talk people down from fighting or doing bad things or talk people up when they need to step up to the plate and it’s because he’s confident enough to say it but humble enough to say it right.

It’s again because of how humble he is that Dick is not opposed to getting help when he needs it, 

 [Nightwing #141] 

Being picked up or carried,

[X]

Or saying thank you to anyone that helps him.  

 [Nightwing #141] 

[Nightwing #144]

He gets angry, he makes mistakes, yet Dick also doesn’t hold back on apologizing for things when he’s done something wrong.

[Convergence: The New Teen Titans]

[The New Teen Titans #31]

Multiple times he’s snapped at people and then snapped right back and said he’s sorry for it because he’s strong enough emotionally that he can apologize if he’s wronged them.  

Lastly we see that Dick can work with the big guns, heck he can lead the big guns, but he’s never arrogant when he stands beside them.  One of my favorite moments that shows this so clearly is when Dick and Superman are in the park together and the police officer that finds them only cares about getting a picture with Superman. 

[Nightwing #141]

Dick doesn’t even hesitate, he doesn’t think or say anything about it because he doesn’t need that validation from people, he knows how amazing he is and how amazing Superman is.  There’s no jealously there, actually he doesn’t stop smiling the whole time.  

[Robin: Year One #3]

“Style, grace… and a bit of flamboyance, but without the obtrusiveness and pitfalls of arrogance.”

It’s shown even in the way he fights.

Yes there are other characters that have some of these traits as well but for Dick there are SO MANY examples of Dick doing these things, it’s very much ingrained in his character.  That’s Dick Grayson.  He may have insecurities but for the most part he is confident but not arrogant, from what I’ve seen even though he’s one of the most loved characters he’s also one of the most humble characters in the DCU.  

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

I don't engage with tim drake much, but oh my god the way his fans are like 'he can become a supervillain but doesn't want to because it takes too much energy/x person loves him and he doesn't want to disappoint them/x sibling is keeping him on a leash because they know his potential/bruce knows what he can do and actively stops it/love is the only thing keeping him from becoming a villain' is like... ridiculous?

like do you not respect the character enough to acknowledge the fact that he actively does not want to become a dictator or a supervillain or anything of that sort? that he does not want to be gun batman and would like that to never be him? is it really that hard to look at your character and realise that they have their own wishes that aren't dependent on others?

it's genuinely such a disservice to tim, to any character in general, to presume that they don't go against something purely b ecause of someone else, not even considering that they have their own morals, their own wants.

i don't care if you characterize tim drake like that, but that's fanon tim drake, and I can't emphasize that enough. Go characterize Tim drake as someone who loves killing people, is completely okay with it, who's willing to do terrible things and has no wants or morals of his own and who's only kept in check by the people close to him and not by himself but it's important to remember that this characterization isn't canon Tim Drake.

At least have some respect for the character you claim is your favorite before absolutely destroying their fundamental values in what you claim is canon. You can love the fanon version and not care about the canon version, it's not a big deal, go do your thing. Enjoy yourself in the fandom. That's not the point. The point is saying you love the canon version of the character and then basically spitting in the canon version's face.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

there are certain . . . downsides. to giving the batman your phone number. and being known, to his family, as nothing more detailed than "that one sorcerer"

it leads to certain . . . miscoummunications regarding what you do

constantine: *answers phone* who is this dick: is this the magic man? constantine: constantine: i desperately wish it weren't dick: good. how quickly can you get to gotham and erase the memories of an entire gala full of people constantine: *internally* what the fuck what the fuck what the-- constantine: uh, never. that isn't a part of my skillset dick: dammit. booze-induced memory loss, then constantine: im pretty sure that's not medically recommended dick: neither is the other option, concussions for all constantine: what even- dick: *hangs up* constantine: *bangs head on table* i'm sure i'll hear about this in the news tomorrow

constantine: *picks up phone while smoking* zatanna, if this is another prank ca-- damian: John. constantine: *chokes on cig* what the fu-- damian: how much would one have to pay for you to magically repair a tooth constantine: constantine: *morbidly curious* repair how much? damian: put it back in the mouth constantine: you do know i ain't a dentist, right damian: i am fully aware. price? constantine: dude i can't even do that. as i said, i ain't a denti-- damian: *hangs up* constantine: i gotta stop givin' out my number.

phone: *rings* constantine: *groans and lets it go to voicemail* phone: *rings again* constantine: *lets it go to voicemail again* phone: *Rings a--* constantine: *picks up* DAMMIT YOU MOTHERFUCKER, I AIN'T A MAID AT EVERY SUPERHERO'S BECK AND CALL-- jason: not a hero constantine: --ESPECIALLY WHEN YA DON'T PAY FOR SH---wait what jason: not a hero constantine: constantine: and what, may i ask, the fuck are you? jason: mob boss and walking corpse constantine: constantine:

constantine: okay, mister mob boss, i'll bite. tha fuck do ya want jason: hypothetically speaking-- constantine: fuck jason: --were one to have encountered the loch ness monster-- constantine: fuck jason: --but living in a lasarus pit-- constantine: *stress smoking* FUCK jason: --what would one do constantine: FUCK

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

You know what pisses me off? When fanon and canon treat Dick as if he’s somehow… less dangerous/skilled as Damian, and other assassin trained vigilantes/villains. Like… No?? Just because he wasn’t trained by assassins doesn’t mean he wasn’t trained from the age of nine by the fucking batman. After spending his childhood being trained to be a master acrobat. Dick Grayson is one of the most dangerous members of the Batfamily and is one of the most dangerous people in the world.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

You know what pisses me off? When fanon and canon treat Dick as if he’s somehow… less dangerous/skilled as Damian, and other assassin trained vigilantes/villains. Like… No?? Just because he wasn’t trained by assassins doesn’t mean he wasn’t trained from the age of nine by the fucking batman. After spending his childhood being trained to be a master acrobat. Dick Grayson is one of the most dangerous members of the Batfamily and is one of the most dangerous people in the world.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

Okay but you can’t just say “I'm not going to get into their brother relationship because that involves how Alfred treats Dick as a son rather than a grandson and is opening a whole new mansion of stuff so I'm going to wrap this up here” and not follow up with another post because that’s just cruel 😔😞 (aka this is me saying I really like & enjoy reading your interpretations and I need more of them HEHE)

😂😂😂😂😂😂

Thank you!!!! <3333

I love thinking about how Alfred treats Dick more of a son than a grandson because their relationship is different from Alfred's relationship with the other kids. Furthermore, it also explains a bunch of his actions.

First of, I know when everyone saw that Alfred had left Dick his entire inheritance they went "What the fuck." There were a bunch of jokes and questioning about why Alfred would do that and a lot of people have wrote it off as Tom Taylor's writing. But here's the thing. Tom Taylor has done a lot of stupid stuff in terms of characterization but he's done quite a few things right and one of them was adequately explaining Dick and Alfred's relationship.

I don't know how many people can read cursive but it says, "I invested much of this wisely and ethically...In fact, I planned to come to you for advice. Like Bruce, your mind is astonishing. You are a problem-solver and the world is full of problems." (There's actually panel during one of Dick and Slade's fight I have saved so lemme know if you or anyone is interested in Dick's innovativeness and how it makes his a terrifying opponent.)

Let me pause right there. This is Alfred's life savings. It's every piece of penny he's saved and every minute of his life is in that money. On top of what he says about Dick's intellect-and I agree and can prove it-he must've loved and trusted Dick an extraordinary amount to do this.

Alfred goes on to say, "I couldn't think of better hands to leave this fortune in. I believe you will see this, not as a personal gain, but as an opportunity. Because I believe in Dick Grayson."

He continues praising him and- HERE IT IS- "I am so very proud to call you my son."

DICK IS ALFRED'S SON.

This is the cleanest, clearest panel where he explicitly says it.

Hold on-this is the cleanest panel that says it? Wait a minute, let me retract that:

"Master Bruce was my son for a while. And then there was you."

THIS MOMENT HAS BEEN BUILDING UP ON US FOR YEARS. Tom Taylor wasn't doing lip service, he was just writing the inevitable!

I swear there's a panel where Dick refers to Alfred as his dad...

*Record scratch* WHAT DID ALFRED CALL DICK? WHAT DID DICK CALL ALFRED?

THIS IS WHY I LOVE THEM!!! THEY ARE GLORIOUS, BRILLIANT, UNDERRATED, AND NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THE FULL EXTENT OF EITHER OF THEIR ABILITIES, LOVE, OR DEPTH OF EMOTIONS.

THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL.

Take the Ric Grayson arc for another example.

Background context: Dick-Ric-was sleeping on the counter and all of a sudden he was startled out of a nightmare thus accidentally ending up bumping into the guy next to him who was drinking. Of course the guy doesn't mind only because it's Dick but anyways, here Alfred makes his entrance. Another thing I love about about this interaction is this is one of the few times Alfred has ever admitted to being in the military. The only other time I can think of him openly saying that is when he's slapping Bruce around.

The worry in the man's eyes for his wayward son...when Bea is snarking with Dick about his tab Alfred decides to pay for him instead.

LOOK AT HIS EYES AS HE SAYS GOOD NIGHT! THE AMOUNT OF EMOTION HE HAS IN THEM IS PURE PERFECTION. THE MAN JUST WANTS HIS SON TO COME BACK.

Not to mention, Alfred adores Dick in a way he didn't even with Bruce.

"For a long time I would dread coming down to this dark hellhole. But the advent of young Grayson has forced an alteration in my attitude. The masters have made much progress in these few short months. I was opposed initially to the recruitment of the lad in Master Bruce's self-appointed 'War on Crime.' But I am prepared to admit my error. Master Richard has mad a difference for the better to our lives."

This is HUGE. Coming from Alfred, this is massive because Alfred LOATHES Bruce's "War on Crime." How much?

So much that he slapped Bruce bloody for it.

The pseudo-father and son beat each other to pieces over it. So after years of Alfred hating Bruce for what he's done, for him to say he only accepts it because of Dick-because of Dick's personality-is enormous praise and accomplishment.

Alfred loves Dick in a way he doesn't love anyone else. And before I get flamed by people for suggesting Alfred loves Dick more than Bruce, I want to say he loves Dick as much as Bruce but in a different manner. He doesn't see Dick as a grandchild who needs to be coddled and softened, he sees Dick as a son he can spoil and cherish.

Him paying off the tab was not only an act of kindness, but it mimicks the way a rich father gives everything to his youngest son. Bruce was the first born he raised but Dick was the baby of their family. This also ties in with how Bruce doesn't see Dick as just him son like he does with the others. To Bruce, they are just as much brothers as anything else.

When Bruce fires Dick from Robin after two-face, Alfred couldn't take it lightly. Dick wasn't just the light of Bruce's life, he was the fucking sun to Alfred's.

I started crying when I read this because the emotions and the pain he's feeling is so visceral. A man who has been MI5 and SAS (Special Airforce Service), who has fought wars, who has fought his son, lost his best friends, is breaking down alone at the top of the stairs over not having Dick as Robin.

You might think that's not all that sad. Worse things have happened. You're overreacting.

Tears are literally streaming down my face as I'm writing this review. Rudolph nose and ugly bloodstained eyes complete with it.

Can you ever imagine loving someone so much?

Crying in silence with a steady voice to never let them know your sorrow?

But sure, sure, he's cried when others were killed like this so I'll go into other special things.

Some of his best moments are with Dick:

The pure adoration in his eyes as he watches his young son go 'flap' 'flap' 'flap' with his older brother's too big cloathes.

He's laughing! Do you know the only times he laughs or grins like that?

That's right-with Bruce! With his other son.

With Dick, he laughs, gets angry, and actually shows interest in things not related to people's health. Dick humanizes Alfred.

Who is the only other person Alfred has gotten mad at? Oh yeah. Bruce.

There's another panel where Alfred just sits by his bedside holding his hand.

It's the little things that matter is a lie. When it comes to Dick, Alfred does things in fighter jet air shows level of affection which he learned just for this during his SAS days.

Their shared interests & mutual understanding

People always think Dick and Alfred have nothing in common between them. Dick is excitable, bouncy, and some other adjective while Alfred is calming, stoic, and butler-y. They actually forget that Dick and Alfred canonically bond of plays. Dick, as I said before, is a massive theater nerd. He loves plays. He really wanted to see that shakespeare play and Alfred said he would take him because he knows people there and then went on to complain about how his brother didn't even drop by to see him. I love their interactions because Dick brings out a different side to Alfred.

Das Rheingold was a German musical drama that was performed as a single opera at the National Theatre Munich. This is the link if you're interested in reading a short synopsis of this complicated play by the Metropolitan Opera. It's like a mix of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Rings of Power."

Also the fact that Alfred is tying his tie like a father would tie his son's.

I know they make a crack out of it by using Bugs Bunny (Bugs Bunny is a fantastic cartoon! I grew up on it!) but Alfred knows that Dick loves opera and theater and is only asking if this particular play will suit his interests. Okay, great, we know Dick likes theater. You've said that and posted about it before. But how do we know Alfred likes it too and not just because he's British and posh and whatnot?

He has preformed at the London Theater, and this is another way he connects to Dick emotionally. When Dick complains about being Batman, Alfred is the one that tells him:

This is something Alfred understands about Dick that absolutely no one in the family does.

The two of them are show people. They know how to play the role they were given, and they know how to play it well. No one suspects Alfred the Butler of ruthlessly using firearms and no one suspects Dick the Light of the Universe to ruthlessly to manipulate allies.

Dick knows this about Alfred too and never presses for any answers. When Alfred's pulling out a bullet from Dick and performing high level medical techniques he should know nothing about, Dick asks him, "Where did you learn all this, Alfred." To which Alfred responds, "You would be amazed at what you can pick up by watching the Discovery Channel." Dick just gives a pained laugh retorts about his wonderful bedside manners.

They know.

What Alfred sees in Dick is a pure goodness that can't be emulated. He loves his son for how absolutely good he is and is devastated when Dick can't be with him. Of everyone, Dick is the one Alfred is closest to. Other members have their moments with him but no one continually seeks out his presence just for the fact they like him aside from Dick. The rest treat him as an important side character, not a parent. And Alfred responds to that devotion with overwhelming love of his own.

Alfred and Bruce's optimism comes bundled up in the form of Dick. It's stunning how it's always Alfred of all people who admits this. Alfred who isn't supposed to show favoritism or bias is the one that consistently acknowledges how important Dick is to the family and him. This solidifies the fact that Dick is Alfred's favorite.

Other moments that differentiate Dick and Alfred's relationship:

We're pretty familiar with this and many of us have laughed it off when Alfred scolded Dick (also Dick looks hot af here). But can you imagine even anyone else playfully mocking Alfred? THIS. BOY. IS. SPECIAL. Alfred doesn't even blink twice at the address, indicating how typical it is for Dick to act that way with him. You only do that to people you're best friends with.

Casual comfort, the two of them.

Dick and Bruce were brothers and how that ties into Alfred:

Adding to my "Light of Bruce's life" Robin Dick canon, Alfred told Dick that Bruce "would have self-distructed if he hadn't met me and learned responsibility. I made him laugh, and he was like the greatest big brother you could ever imagine...it was our town."

Bruce and Dick are so damn codependent.

Bruce would not have survived without Dick. That's all there is to it.

Robin Dick was the light shining through rain clouds, the glitter in the air, the angel with golden wings, the giggling sweetheart to Alfred and Bruce. He was sunshine, love, and joy and the men both adored, thrived, and cherished him for it.

And if Dick and Bruce were brothers then Alfred was Dick's father and he was Alfred's son.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

It's literally impossible to read bat fanfiction because it's all based off those ridiculous fanon tropes that spread like crazy and people take as fucking biblical!!!!! Dick was never a jerk to Jason when he was Robin- they got along because Dick is mature as hell and in one retelling- Jason was a jerk to him!! And when he came back as Red Hood he had literally not a single damn reason to treat Dick like shit! Not a damn one! But he did, didn't he? Cause he's the fucking asshole! How dare you make Dick grovel towards that bastard! Dick has only ever tried to help him! Reached out during his Batman run, over and over! Also- Dick never put Jason in Arkham with Joker just a few cells down???? What the fuck! The Joker and all those other fuckers had been broken out of Arkham by Black Mask already for like the whole run??? Jason went to Arkham after losing to Dick, and Gordon put him in there because One he fucking deserved it, Two the literal circumstances?? And at that point!! Arkham was fucking rehabilitated itself!! By Dick!!! Because Bruce had him go undercover there for real, and Dick was actually tortured there before he got out!! So Dick put in the work to get that shit in order to actually help people!!

Dick never chose Damian over Tim- Tim refused to engage with him over his grief, shut him out, and left of his own devices! He never told Dick his suspicions on why Bruce was alive, never! And Tim is not the one to bring Bruce back either, there's a whole team at that point! Dick learns Bruce is alive through tossing his 'dead' body into a pit and the body comes to life as a zombie. Tim didn't tell him shit! Tim is also not a little crybaby- Damian cutting his line was a fucking blip on the page, he was momentarily shocked, that was it! He put Damian on his Hit List, which is why Damian cut his line. And his first attempt at "murder" is just pushing Tim off the dinosaur statue in the cave, he didn't go all assassin on him! Also Dick wasn't even there the first incident and wasn't told about the second incident. Alfred is the one who gave Damian Robin and Dick accepted him because he saw that Damian needed help! He needed guidance! He didn't fucking fire Tim the way Bruce fired him, and fuck all of you for thinking that Tim or Jason or fucking anyone has more right over Robin than Dick Fucking Grayson! He tried to promote Tim and Tim walked off. How dare yall make Dick fucking grovel towards that bastard!!!

Jason did try to kill all three of them!! Why does everyone just gloss over that like what the fuck??? Why does he get a pass for every shitty thing he's done??? "Bad writing" stfu this is the same dude that without hesitation kills random criminals, people who deal drugs, do you know how many random ass people deal drugs??? Jason doesn't give a single shit about being his own type of hero or saving Gotham his own way, nor do the people think of him as their savior!! Are you people fucking delusional?? I saw a post that said citizens would trust Jason over CASS and I cannot Believe the hallucinations yall are seeing???

It is literally downright impossible to find fics about Dick or Damian or Cass or fucking any of them that doesn't include these literal bullshit fanon takes!!! It's impossible!!! This fandom sucks!!!! You don't even need to go buy the comics, all these popular takes have been debunked right here on tumblr!!!! Also Dick can do literally everything!! He's hypercompetent as hell, die mad about it!! Jason doesn't like Wonder Woman???? Where the fuck did that come from??? Wayne Family Adventures is not real!!! Those people could not BE more out of character!!! Look at Bruce for crying out loud!!! Yall know that man ain't act like that!

Edit: leaving this here in case anyone wonders what my hot take is towards this question I was asked: "have you considered tho, that fanon is more fun..."

Well of course fanon is more fun if you're a fan of Jason or Tim. Fanon actively caters towards those two pasty white boys. Fanon actively shits on Dick and Damian though. And for Dick? He literally never did that shit! It is all made up! It's literal character assassination?? But by the fans?? And for Damian? He was 10!!! He grew up as an assassin! He was actively trying to grow with Dick's help! How can yall see him as the bad guy?? And not the literal bad guy, (Jason), and the 17 teen year old who literally fought him back btw, (Tim), like old boy did not act victimized the way you people portray. And Jesus for Cass? Cass is just a prop in fanon. So what exactly about this should be fun to me? Like seriously.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

It makes me laugh a lot that whenever references are made to certain qualities of Dick that his other brothers also have, there is no shortage of people who say that "they are giving him qualities of *insert random sibling* to praise Dick".

Dude, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but actually, a lot of those abilities were first Dick's and then they were given to other batkids, shit, even his friends and partners were passed on to his siblings-

In one fic does it say that Dick writes or something related to his stories about Batman and Robin? "That was Jason, not Dick."

Someone makes a HC of Dick drawing? "That's not Dick, the artist is Damian."

Eh... Dick was literally a writer and (if I'm not wrong) even a comic book illustrator in a canonical way, using his adventures with Batman as a reference-

Same when they say that only Jason was the star student... No, Dick was ALWAYS a star student, outstanding and quite dedicated too. The only thing they were not alike in was that Dick was not a total lover of literature, but that does not mean that he did not read, he did, he even read things that were advanced for his age, and he also makes references to readings, showing that, in fact, he also read... He's just more about movement than staying still and reading.

"In YJ they gave Tim's skills to Dick".

The suit maybe, but the abilities? First they were Dick's, then they were given to Tim.

Dick was always an excellent detective, only more intuitive than methodical, but he was always the best behind Batman, at times even on par.

And he's always been a very competent hacker, too. Yes, not on Barbara's level, but he was always pretty good with technology.

"Him not getting crushed by Cass is so ooc".

No? Dick was always an excellent fighter. Again, he uses a very different style than other members of his family, but he was always excellent in fights.

I will never tire of discussing these things. I understand that many things nowadays are not shown much anymore, since the writers focus more on his leadership ability than detective skills, and it is also obvious that not everyone will want to read all the comics, there are too many- I haven't even read them all and I don't plan to, it's a hobby, not my life- lol

But yes, I'm still going to always say this, that his "brothers' abilities" are actually Dick's, and that does NOT mean that his siblings don't have them too, they just aren't the only ones.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

It makes me laugh a lot that whenever references are made to certain qualities of Dick that his other brothers also have, there is no shortage of people who say that "they are giving him qualities of *insert random sibling* to praise Dick".

Dude, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but actually, a lot of those abilities were first Dick's and then they were given to other batkids, shit, even his friends and partners were passed on to his siblings-

In one fic does it say that Dick writes or something related to his stories about Batman and Robin? "That was Jason, not Dick."

Someone makes a HC of Dick drawing? "That's not Dick, the artist is Damian."

Eh... Dick was literally a writer and (if I'm not wrong) even a comic book illustrator in a canonical way, using his adventures with Batman as a reference-

Same when they say that only Jason was the star student... No, Dick was ALWAYS a star student, outstanding and quite dedicated too. The only thing they were not alike in was that Dick was not a total lover of literature, but that does not mean that he did not read, he did, he even read things that were advanced for his age, and he also makes references to readings, showing that, in fact, he also read... He's just more about movement than staying still and reading.

"In YJ they gave Tim's skills to Dick".

The suit maybe, but the abilities? First they were Dick's, then they were given to Tim.

Dick was always an excellent detective, only more intuitive than methodical, but he was always the best behind Batman, at times even on par.

And he's always been a very competent hacker, too. Yes, not on Barbara's level, but he was always pretty good with technology.

"Him not getting crushed by Cass is so ooc".

No? Dick was always an excellent fighter. Again, he uses a very different style than other members of his family, but he was always excellent in fights.

I will never tire of discussing these things. I understand that many things nowadays are not shown much anymore, since the writers focus more on his leadership ability than detective skills, and it is also obvious that not everyone will want to read all the comics, there are too many- I haven't even read them all and I don't plan to, it's a hobby, not my life- lol

But yes, I'm still going to always say this, that his "brothers' abilities" are actually Dick's, and that does NOT mean that his siblings don't have them too, they just aren't the only ones.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

I think that a lot of people don’t understand the confrontation between Dick and Bruce at the end of Batman: Prodigal because the “I’d die for you” panel is so often taken out of context. Of course Dick would die for Bruce, and Bruce would do the same for him. They’re the most famous superhero duo of all time—no shit, they’d die for each other! The audience already knows that. The actual point of the scene is that Dick is capable of clearly articulating that truth and the emotional confrontation that comes with it, while Bruce avoids, runs away, deflects. He acts like an animal that tries to chew its leg off because it’s caught in a trap, or a child. Bruce was too scared and ashamed to ask Dick for help during Knightfall, and his decision to hand his mantel off to JPV instead had disastrous consequences. He ended up working against the mission he’d created, he was the son who needed to confess he’d done wrong and be forgiven. He’s the prodigal son.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

I was thinking about the last comics that came out, and... I have two thoughts that have nothing to do with each other, but I'm going to mix them up here anyway.

First, It makes perfect sense that Dick h has the blood type that can give the most, but receive the least. (Empathy: It means you give blood until there is nothing left to bleed).

A long time ago, I had read a fic where Bruce commented on this, actually. I don't remember the name because it wasn't from ao3, but I want to look it up again sometime.

Dick told Bruce that he wasn't his son (because he wasn't adopted), but when something happens, and Dick needs a blood transfusion, Bruce is the donor.

Clark and Bruce are talking, and Bruce tells Clark that there is only one person in the League who can donate blood to Dick... Bruce himself, since they both are O-

He tells Clark that Dick has more of his blood than John Grayson's running through his veins. That's his kid, his son.

Which brings me to my second thought, which is that Dick's parents, according to the new issue that came out, had him training 10 hours a day from the age of three.

A typical workday is usually 8 hours a day, and many adults find it tiresome.

Dick has been training 10 hours a day since he was 3 years old.

And he seems to think this is okay, or something to be proud of.

Also, there's another comic where Dick says he sometimes wishes he was just a kid, watching the show, not being part of it.

And it's terrifying to see how this is always overlooked, how his situation is romanticized. Like, there's talk that Bruce should have done better, that he shouldn't have let a kid take such risks, that if he loved him he wouldn't have let Dick be Robin...

What about his biological parents? Mary and John?

I firmly believe that his parents loved Dick, I really do. But I also think they are simply terrible parents.

Sure, at that time it was normal for children to work in circuses with their parents, for acrobats not to have safety equipment... But the Graysons were known for going further. For their extremely dangerous stunts.

And Dick trained that since he was 3 years old.

Even in the older comics, where it's not specified that he's been training since that age, even if it had been since he was 7 or 8, it's still horrible. He was a kid. He should have been among the children in the crowd, not up there risking his life.

Shit, his parents should have used a net just to have a chance of surviving, to live for their son.

Maybe the trapeze act was their way of showing love. Maybe it was all they knew. Maybe they just wanted to share their life with their son.

But still, Dick shouldn't have been exposed to that. What if he was the one who fell, not them? How would they live with it?

Also, what psychological consequences did Dick suffer? They are always attributed to Batman, but were they really due to his time with him?

Sure, being Robin meant doing your job well or dying... But being an acrobat did too.

Dick always lived with the thought that if he does something wrong, he will die, that someone he loves will die.

It's no wonder he's a perfectionist, as much of a "control freak" as Batman himself.

It would also explain many things, such as the type of response he has. When you face a dangerous life of constant stress, your body loses its ability to react normally to stress, even if it's because of small things like an exam or something even less important. Adrenaline is pumped anyway, because your body recognizes the situation as a survival situation... And it makes you addicted to adrenaline.

Damn, even his heart stopping in the last issue makes sense if we could connect the dots.

They're two totally separate things for two separate comics, I know. Just... Damn.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

anyways yeah Gotham trusts the bat because he wont kill you and he’ll go out of his way not to kill you, because he’s proven time and time again that he understands and actually believes that one good chance can stop someone from turning to crime again. Gotham has no reason to believe that a guy who showed up to violently and bloodily take over the crime scene, with multiple deaths and a serial killers old name as his shtick, means the best for them. Mostly because he didnt, at that point, he was trying to make a rhetorical point. Thats the difference.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

"he is the only batboy who doesn't have a superbat ship" my brother in Christ, that is because Dick is part of Clark's family - Clark is his idol, his uncle, his other other dad, the one who shared his cultural heritage (via Nightwing) with Dick.

From one orphan ejected from his own world and thrown into a new world to another orphan who faced the same. A biological alien and a cultural alien. Two orphans who embraced their new parental figures and homes and give their all to protect citizens of their adopted home.

Dick has his own ships - he doesn't need a Super to feel fulfilled LOL

Show me a bat who is shipped with an Atlantean, an Arrow, a Flash, an Alien princess - and I'll show you Dick Grayson.

Show me a bat who counts a Super (it's multiple Supers now) and an Amazon as family and I'll show you Dick Grayson.

[midnight-weird-thoughts]

It feels kinda surreal seeing Dick counted as "one of the kids" because like?? That guy was done with college by the time there was a single other person in that house besides himself, Bruce and Alfred. To most of them he's an authority figure close to if not actually on the same level as Bruce. He's the default leader when Bruce isn't around, sometimes even when he IS around. Yeah he goofs around with the younger Bats sometimes but that's just his personality, he's still a grown adult man.