olivelikestrees

[olivelikestrees]

Look I don’t care how implausible it is, I don’t care how ridiculous it is. Dick is eight years old when he becomes Robin. It’s the funniest fuckin thing and I refuse to ever make him older than eight when he bullies a grown ass Bruce into letting him go out at night with him.

Does Bruce take him on kiddie runs until he’s a little older? Maybe. Does Batman stand menacingly behind a brightly colored little bird to threaten the goons while Robin can’t see him? You know he does.

But Robin is still actually terrifying when he first appears on the scene, because he’s a teeny tiny fluttery little thing that does cartwheels and handstands and makes puns then launches himself full force to kick a man in the nose and then cackles when he bleeds. His laughter makes goons shiver, they hear it bouncing around warehouses and half of them bolt, because they learn very quickly what happens when a feral Robin appears.

The Gotham rogues all immediately have beef with a literal third grader because he took the bats attention away and also because he’s roundhouse kicked them all in the shins at some point and that shit hurt like hell, and then he laughed in their faces while making a pun about their villain name.

Majority of the rogues everywhere hate Nightwing because they all know he used to be the feral child that they all thought Batman should have put on a leash, half of them have been straight up bitten by him before he lost all his baby teeth, and they’re all so bitter about the fact that they’ve been beaten by an actual elementary school student. And now he’s all grown up? He’s fucking terrifying.

[olivelikestrees]

the JL probably stopped thinking that Batman was the greatest detective in the world like, the minute that any of the batkids started getting involved in team missions. they get to watch the Robins run circles around Bruce consistently and without hesitation and i bet they wonder how the fuck they ever thought he was untouchable.

*during a world threatening, all hands on deck emergency*

Batman: everybody understand the plan?

Flash: we’re good to go, on your word.

Batman: then lets get on with it.

Robin, picking up his katana: agreed, let us engage the enemy. and also real quick before we do, i have to tell you that i got suspended from school for two weeks for slamming another student’s head into a table. alright, lets go.

Batman, visibly doing a doubletake: -woah wait hold on, Damian-

Red Robin, scornfull: seriously B? you’re gonna get distracted and let THOUSANDS of people die, because of that little tidbit? what, and now i guess you’re gonna freak out because i got a DUI a few days ago?

Batman: YOU GOT A DUI-?

Robin: father, honestly, priorities.

Batman: i- uh-

The rest of the league, exchanging blank looks:

*massive explosion*

Batman: um- OK WE HAVE TO GO BUT WE TALK ABOUT THIS LATER-

*after the fight, ten hours later, everybody is exhausted and covered in blood and dust*

Batman, wrapping gauze around Robin’s wrist: i… feel like there was something i was going to say earlier. regarding you.

The league, watching the Robins stay completely silent:

Red Hood, without blinking: yeah old man, you promised us all that you’d buy pizza on the way back to Gotham.

Batman: …i don’t remember saying th-

Nightwing: fucking course you don’t. first you forget to tell me my little brother dies until after his funeral, now you forget to feed me. are you gonna forget to invite me over for game night, too?

Batman:

Robin: *silently making an ‘a-ok’ gesture behind Bruce’s back*

Batman: …right. yeah. that must have been it. we’ll get pizza ordered to the manor.

Superman, leaning over to Green Arrow: do you think he’ll be ok alone with them? they’re kinda mean

Green Arrow: no i knew that man in college. he brought this on himself.

[olivelikestrees]

I’m working through the Nightwing Rebirth omnibus right now and I love the dynamic between Dick and Damian.

Too bad Tim’s ☠️ rn and everyone else seems to be missing in action (Steph, Duke, Cass)

Anyway small reading update

Image from Nightwing #29

[olivelikestrees]

*casting a spell*

Ooo you wanna read my Jason Todd inspired horror novel so bad

Oooo

(It’s consumed my every waking moment on this earth but we don’t talk about that part)

[olivelikestrees]

Bruce, without acknowledging his or his kid’s mental illnesses, unintentionally gives them helpful coping mechanisms that stick with them for the rest of their lives.

Dick is pushing himself too hard and blaming himself for something that wasn’t his fault? “Hey, Chum, I hurt my leg the other day and am taking a rest day. You should keep me company.” Now, when Dick realizes he’s being unreasonable with himself, he sits on the couch and watches his dad’s favorite tv shows while reevaluating his expectations.

Jason is struggling to contain some big emotions that come out as violence? “Oh man, there sure are a lot of weeds in the garden. Alfred would appreciate some help pulling them out.” You bet your ASS Jason’s front yards/garden boxes are always manicured to perfection.

Tim won’t come out of his room and just sits at his computer all day? “Sorry, kiddo! Wi-fi’s out. The record player in the library still works and Alfred just laid out some of you favorite books and treats in there.” Now Tim reads and listens to classical music to ground himself.

Damian’s having a hard time regulating his emotions and feels like nobody understands or takes him seriously? “Alfred found a kitten in the backyard. Go hang out with it before we take it to the shelter.” Now Damian tells animals his big scary thoughts before working up to courage to tell other people.

Now if only Bruce would apply some of these coping mechanisms to himself…

[olivelikestrees]

After Bruce took Dick under his care, he actually stopped wasting time on any casual relationships - it seemed inconceivable when a little traumatized boy with unrestrained aggression and a desire to commit a capital murder was waiting for him at home. But after a few years, he thought, to hell with it, he deserved one night of good old fun. So he went to this gala concert in his best outfit, having previously arranged with Alfred to take Dick out for a short hike so that the mansion would be free during the night. And when he started looking for his "victim", he came across this charming reporter, all screaming Mr. Awkward with the broadest shoulders known to a man, and hands as warm as his smile, and Bruce, of course, takes him home. And everything goes great, only Dick returns earlier than Bruce expected, and enters his bedroom as usual without knocking.

Dick: hey B look i collected a whole basket of mushro— SUPERMAN??

Bruce, still half asleep, barely covering himself with a blanket: what

Dick: WHY IS THERE SUPERMAN IN YOUR BED.

Clark, without his glasses, his hair is combed back from the position of his head on the pillow: um

Bruce, already embarrassed and feeling like he'd failed as a guardian by letting Dick catch him the morning after: Dick what are you talking about, it's just some—

Bruce, turning to face Clark:

Bruce, paling:

Dick: THIS IS THE SUPERMAN YOU DICKHEAD WHAT IS HE DOING IN YOUR BED WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM—

Bruce: i... i don't know how to answer that

Dick, almost crying: DID YOU MAKE LOVE TO HIM WITHOUT TELLING ME—

[olivelikestrees]

[olivelikestrees]

begging on my knees , for DC to let joker finally die

[olivelikestrees]

I hc Dick will be non-verbal for a bit when Bruce first adopts him

[olivelikestrees]

This isn’t me projecting, but due to my monthly Muppets rewatch I would like to proclaim

Dick took Jason to go see The Muppets in theaters when it released (in 2011 Jfc) and it’s their guilty pleasure movie

I’ll also accept The Lorax in this hc

[olivelikestrees]

Been a hot minute but shoutout to my pub professor for making my day with the best piece of academic validation on my book proposal for UNEARTHED

Lowkey just want another day to myself but the horrors persist and so must I

[olivelikestrees]

God how I wish I had a trad pub book deal right about now

[olivelikestrees]

I added another 3,000 words to unearthed today and now I don’t know what to do with myself but I can definitely say I will spend the rest of the day doing graphic design and reading comic books

Also here’s to my friend convincing me to finally watching parks and rec bc I need something new to start that isn’t DC related

Shout out to using my experience with my chronic illness to inform my MC Casey too

[olivelikestrees]

So UNEARTHED is Jason Todd inspired right?

I’m writing their protagonists’ parents as two different versions of Bruce:

the neglectful and brash side (that is used only as a plot device and contradicts his actual character)

and

the complacent side that tries hard to remedy past failings but always falls short (bc dc writers love drama for money making reasons).

BUT I’m so so so lost on writing the second half because it’s clear that these are conflicting personalities but the parent needs to have reasons for not caring.

I love character studies but this is agonizing

[olivelikestrees]

Today is a day where I wish I wasn’t a student because what do you mean I have a play to read, a magazine cover to finish, and a midterm exam to study for in a class that I haven’t paid any attention in.

Not including my own personal projects (working on my novel and crawling through crooked kingdom by Leigh bardugo)

[olivelikestrees]

Damian “I’ve hurt everyone I’ve loved” Al Ghul-Wayne

And

Jon “I’m literally indestructible” Kent

That’s it.

[olivelikestrees]

Every time I add words to UNEARTHED it adds a new layer to my aches over Jason Todd