#i have different reasons for loving all the batkids dynamics and interactions with bruce but i have to go with steph

[februarys-wednesday]

hi for fathers day my question is which bruce and child dynamic is the best one to YOU . not which one is the most complicated or nuanced or whatever which one do you like seeing the most just plain and simple nice father/child interactions from canon or otherwise

[brucewaynehater101]

I want Duke included in batfam family fics. being the older sibling Damian needs, relatable yet guiding. Tim being ‘Dukes robin’ and having lots of respect for Tim yet he’d also steal his slice of pie. Duke and Jason hanging out, and Jason appreciating how he never tries to lecture him. Duke and dick matching vibes (or as much as they can) when on patrol and somewhat in the family, and both trying to make their brothers calm tf down. Bruce trying desperately to not fuck up with Duke like he did his other sons, only serving to confuse and slightly alarm Duke. Alfred and duke being the only ones with more then *1* braincell.

he also has so much potential for angst of being a meta in a family everyone thinks hates metas, and people somehow forget him???

(I have more just don’t have the energy to write it all down)

Heck yes! I agree that Duke needs to be included in more batfam fics (and especially as a more pivotal role). I personally try to add him a bit, but I fear I do not include him enough as a key member of the batfam.

Duke is hella important and should be treated as such. I'd love to see more fics with him pissing off GCPD for fun. Just chaos and pranks against GCPD, rogues, Batman, and the Batkids. Also, he should he allowed to punch (or kick) as many JL members as he pleases (Hal was just the first).

Duke and Dick having similar fashion ideas is a cute idea I've seen in the fandom. I would also just love to see more fanart of Duke rocking some fun outfits for galas (especially if the galas follow the AU of Gotham being super weird with their social norms). Duke being featured on magazine covers, being asked to model, and being interviewed would be cool fanwork ideas to play around with. I've seen so many of the other batboys and none with Duke as a magazine cover.

Here's my ideas on how Duke could interact with different batfam members. Feel free to reblog if you have ideas yourself or think the dynamic should be different.

I feel like Duke and Cass would get along really well as chaos gremlins who get away with their shenanigans. Messing with Commissioner Gordon is a favorite pass time of theirs. For some reason, even when presented with evidence, Bruce doesn't believe that Duke and Cass would do the things they get away with. It's both impressive and annoying to the other batkids.

Duke could have a weird relationship with Tim. On one hand, Tim is Duke's Robin. The cases he's solved, feats he's accomplished, and respect Gotham has for Tim's Robin in general (for being Batman's therapy kid) are unfathomable. On the other hand, he's seen Tim walk into the same wall four times within three minutes. They both share a love for riddles, but Tim can be an idiot at interpersonal relationships.

For Damian, Duke has seen how the world picks up kids and spits them out. He's seen kids lashing out, how they merely want to defend themselves, and how fantastic they are once you get to know them. He's been angry and spiteful at the world too. For Damian, Duke's hella impressed at the kid's heart despite all the shit he's been dealt. Duke would encourage chaos, talk with the kid about how different emotions have impacted Duke's actions and life, and is an overall supportive figure. They can often be seen doing both wild stunts and "common for their age group" activities for fun (although the game Sorry is banned because of them).

Jason and Duke would probably have a complicated relationship due to Red Hood's actions. Their similar childhoods (as far as economically and location based) would lead to jokes and shared customs that they chat with Steph about (such as Creepy Toe Joe or that specific gas station or the phrase they say as they passed that one pothole). Despite that, they have different viewpoints on Bruce and murder.

Duke is probably one of the more emotionally intelligent and communicative batfam members. If Alfred is the sassy version, Duke would get a good laugh out of those remarks and the astute observations.

Bruce and Duke angst could go hard. Bruce is trying so hard not to make his past mistakes. Duke and his perception of Bruce (he holds Bruce in high regard) and how that affects their relationship.

As far as Duke being in a "perceived to hate metas" family, that could either be hilarious or angst. I imagine people trying to intervene or "save" Duke from the Bats would be infuriating and sad to see.

Duke could also laugh at the batkids' superhero friends and how they, even as adults, are banned from entering Gotham. Duke is free to live in the manor and come and go as he pleases. Any of the batkid's meta friends have to be snuck into Gotham.

[bigskydreaming]

Do you think Bruce actually loves dick the same as every other member of his family or do you think he has a preference or some extra bagged in Dick?

I mean, their relationship is usually portrayed as different, either closer or more distant in comparison of Bruce's relationships with his other children.

Some people think Jason was the favorite for example, and cast Dick out saying he wasn't always Bruce's child, and idk I'm just curious on how you perceive their relationship 👀

Okay so like I've actually talked about this in many, many a post, lol, because I have like a full on pathological aversion to writers or fans talking up any single Batkid as Bruce's favorite, even if its Dick. Like Dick is my favorite Batkid, but I don't WANT him to be Bruce's favorite. I don't want Bruce to have favorites, period, because that's never actually to the benefit of a family, even to the alleged favorite, because it usually just builds resentment among that 'favorite's' siblings and in turn dilutes and erodes possible bonds they might have.....which especially isn't to the benefit of even an alleged favorite, if they don't even have a great or healthy relationship with their parent either?

So like....I'm always like DEATH TO THE FAVORITE STATUS OF ANY BATKID, and I just really want to strongly express that this isn't because like, the Dick stan in me wants to downvote the possibility of any of the other kids being Bruce's fave, and I'm just trying to be coy about it or whatever, y'know? LOL. Its like no, I actually really truly hate the idea of any of the kids being Bruce's favorite and that INCLUDES Dick.

Now.

All that said.

The other problem I have with the whole favorite talk or the idea Bruce loves Dick more than the others is that like, you don't NEED to lean into those ideas in order to play up the possibility that Bruce can love all his children equally but still interact with them in different ways, based on different reasons, that do at times make the various kids ASSUME that one or the other is his favorite.

And THAT? I can get on board with, because its honest family dysfunction that isn't inherently toxic or harmful. Its like. Earned miscommunications and misunderstandings that strain relationships, vs something like actual favoritism where there's no possibility of the non-favorites ever upending their father's arbitrary rankings of them, if that makes sense?

So like. For example.....I don't think Jason is Bruce's favorite kid either. But I can see why the kids would at times think that, because I think Bruce has a particular nostalgia about his time raising Jason, before ADITF, that isn't even about it being JASON, specifically, so much as like....that period of his life, the rose-tinted nature of looking back at something prior to a particularly traumatic or turbulent event, etc.

And even from Dick's perspective, before ADITF, when he and Bruce were estranged and Jason seemed to be getting everything Dick wanted from Bruce but didn't have at that point....the actual acknowledgment of an adoption, the Robin mantle and partnership with Bruce as Batman, Bruce's clear affection, etc.....

Like, all of that added up, while Dick felt like he was on the outside looking in at that particular point in time, I could easily see how Dick might assume Jason was always Bruce's favorite and Bruce loved him in a way he never had loved Dick.....

But there are plenty of other reasons that it might have played out that way. For instance, I don't think Bruce ever felt pressured to compete with Jason's biological father for a place in Jason's eyes AS a father figure, unlike how he might have with Dick due to Dick's clear love for his first father....so it was probably easier for the (typically self-conscious) Bruce to sorta....be open with his paternal affections and dive into a more traditionally father/son dynamic with Jason than he'd ever managed to with Dick.

Also too, I think a key factor is that Bruce is very much a man of action, not words. He's not great at saying how he feels and he believes in showing it via his actions....and I think he had a LOT of regrets about how things went down when Dick moved out. But like, I don't think Bruce ever figured out how to apologize to Dick, or even entirely understood which of his actions had hurt Dick so much and so wasn't sure what precisely he was apologizing FOR....

And because Bruce is someone who also does not particularly like being fake or dishonest when he doesn't have to be, I think he kinda convinced himself that it was better to just....not try and say the words "I'm sorry" if he couldn't be sure he was apologizing for the right things, or that Dick would believe him....like it was that thing where Bruce kinda maybe convinced himself that saying I'm sorry wasn't good enough, wouldn't fix anything, maybe he didn't deserve to be forgiven by Dick?

(And I'm not justifying Bruce not apologizing to Dick for mistakes when raising Dick, and how things played out with Batman and Robin, I'm just....viewing things from his perspective. I'm a big believer of course that like, you still owe it to a person you've hurt to apologize anyway, its about THEM, not you, and at the very least you give them the power to decide whether to accept your apology or not, even if you think you don't deserve forgiveness or that an I'm sorry isn't good enough....doesn't matter. You still make the effort, talking yourself out of it while claiming its FOR THEM that you do so, like, doesn't actually benefit them any, it just...gives you an out of something you're uncomfortable about or dreading doing in the first place).

But I can see that being Bruce's stance on apologies and making amends, is my point. I think he absolutely had regrets with Dick, and things he knew he'd done wrong and WANTED to apologize for, on some level...but for whatever reason, he didn't. He just flat out didn't know how to make things right with Dick, or repair their relationship, or wasn't sure if it was in Dick's best interest to do so, or Bruce convinced himself of that at least....

And since Bruce is still ultimately a man of action at heart, I think being kinda...stuck like this.....made him restless. Gave him this pent up need to FIX what he'd broken, or at least do BETTER....and because he didn't know how to do right by Dick, couldn't figure out how to go about being a better father to him retroactively, or whether he had the right to even try....he channeled all that energy into trying to do right by Jason, in ways he felt he'd wronged Dick.

And that was why it was so much easier, comparatively speaking, for Bruce to do all the things with Jason he might have WISHED he'd done with Dick, in hindsight....offering him adoption right off the bat, being more openly affectionate, being more forthcoming with putting his trust in Jason's ability to be Robin compared to how much he second-guessed Dick in his first year as Robin.

And all of that, in Dick's perspective, would have absolutely LOOKED like Jason was the clear favorite. But really, it wasn't about either of them being Bruce's favorite.....it was just a difference in his dynamics with each of them, what angle he approached things from with each of them, his perception of not just each of them....but how he assumed they perceived him. What Bruce felt they each wanted from him, respectively.

And of course, even before ADITF, Bruce and Jason had major issues as well. That goes without saying. But again....its all about how things might look to the others who are more likely to just see the positives between Bruce and various other kids, not when his dynamics with each of the others are at their lowest.

Another thing to factor in is Bruce's guilt complex. A lot of times I think 'who is Bruce's favorite kid' is a question better swapped out for 'who does Bruce think he's let down the most.' I think that has a LOT to do with how Bruce acts around each of his kids at various points, and why most of them at one point or another assume "Bruce lets (x) get away with stuff he'd NEVER be okay with me doing."

And like, sometimes that's true, yeah! Sometimes Bruce DOES have blinders on when Jason is concerned, but I don't think its because Jason's his favorite, its because like. Jason died, yo. And Bruce is like, and that's all my fault. And sometimes Bruce DOES have blinders on when Damian is concerned, but again, its not about favoritism so much as its like. Damian also died, yo. And Bruce is like, this too, was all my fault. Etc, etc.

Which brings me to a key aspect of Dick and Bruce's relationship, that might translate into perceived favoritism when viewed by Dick's siblings.....but again....is more about guilt, rather than Bruce just loving Dick more than them.

Like, the big thing to remember about Dick and Bruce's much longer shared history, most of which happened before ANY of the others came along....is that there was a lot of good there! Stuff that both of them are absolutely nostalgic for, same as Bruce is nostalgic about years with Jason, and that all the other kids feel like they're on the outside looking in, when they see that nostalgia.

But! There was a lot of bad there, too. And unlike seeing Bruce and Dick be nostalgic about good old days, or hearing them reminisce about great shared moments together.....the other Batkids are NOT likely to know about the worst moments Bruce and Dick shared, because they are both intensely private people who are not prone to like....advertising their hurts. Stuff like how Bruce treated Dick in the aftermath of Jason's death, or firing him as Robin in the first place? Odds are, none of the other Batkids have a CLUE about any of that ever going down, at least not in the specific ways it did, and I don't think either Bruce or Dick would ever be likely to WANT to loop them in on that knowledge.

However....

Thing is, if you tie that last part back into Bruce's guilt complex and need to make up for past wrongs or harms or overcompensate for them with actions, rather than actually saying the words "here is this thing I know I did that was wrong, and that I wish to apologize or make up for specifically"......

Suddenly, you've got a Bruce Wayne who from his perspective has YEARS worth of mistakes he wants to make up for with Dick, things he feels he owes Dick for or needs to do better because of......

All while Dick likely has his suspicions about WHY Bruce is overcompensating in these specific ways, but due to his own hurts and their canonical issues discussing the flaws in their relationship, doesn't want to just....be the one to spell out 'hey Bruce, are you being like this because of that one time you like, were a massive douche to me because of xyz?'

But without any context for why Bruce might be apologetic versus just...Having A Favorite, and without explanation for why Dick might just....grunt and passively accept the overcompensating indulgences while looking constipated and perhaps even seeming ungrateful of Bruce's indulgences to those lacking context for what's really going on under the surface of this interaction....

To everyone else? That shit might absolutely look like some god-tier Parental Favoritism, and the alleged favorite Golden Child just like.....not even appreciating it.

All because nobody else has the right information to guess that what they actually just witnessed was Bruce trying to make up for a time he kinda sorta punched his first kid and his first kid smile-grimacing his way through trying to accept this non-apology without calling it out as being a non-apology and risking the 'moment they're having' igniting into a giant clusterfuck that just reopens old wounds with no guarantee of actual closure being had by anyone, anywhere.

And thus......A Thing is actually a completely DIFFERENT thing from what others in the family might perceive it as being. And this same tendency could easily be a pattern repeated among Bruce's dynamics with ALL of his kids at various points, for different reasons....because ALL of the Batfam are notoriously private and secretive, and likely to nurse their hurts without sharing them with their siblings, so nobody ever truly knows WHAT'S what, when it comes to Bruce's relationships with each of them individually.

But because they are the Batfam, and like....they like Deducing Shit, or feeling like They've Definitely Connected Two Dots.....they all fall into the same trap of making assumptions based on the behavior or dynamics they perceive between their father and his various other kids.

[hummingbirdsalt]

Batfam as Borrowers

Because I'm always down to combine my favorite pieces of fiction with the concept of borrowers 😌 This'll just be a mess of ideas so... buckle up lol

Borrower!Bruce, like his canon counterpart, lost his parents at a young age.

There's no shortage of danger when you're only inches tall, and I kinda sway towards their death having something to do with a human. Not a deliberate act, but something unintentional and mundane, like rearranging furniture. The human doesn't even know such tiny people exist, let alone that they're in just the right spot to be crushed.

Bruce is traumatized, and left with an even greater fear of humans than his kind already has. Seeing the damage they can cause, even unintentionally, sticks with him.

Borrower!Alfred is here, too, 'cause I said so. He's been something of a neighbor, living in a different section of the house but visiting frequently. He takes Bruce under his wing after Thomas and Martha's death, and teaches him how to borrow.

The thing is, I want Bruce to be a loner for a while... we're certainly not gonna kill off Alfred, so let's just say they get separated. That's sad enough already, though it does leave a glimmer of hope that they'll see each other again.

Now alone, Bruce doesn't like to stay in one place for too long. When it comes to making a secret space for himself inside a wall/under a floorboard, it's a hideout, not a home. With his frequent moves, meeting other borrowers isn't too uncommon. He usually keeps interactions to a minimum, just giving or receiving basic info about the house and its humans.

But things change when he meets Dick. The young borrower is alone, and hurting in a way Bruce finds all too familiar. There's no way he can leave him.

The next time he goes in search of a new hideout, Dick comes along. Bruce tells himself that eventually, he'll find someone better-suited to take care of the kid. But every time they cross paths with another borrower, that initial feeling persists... he can't leave him.

He can't leave the next one either. Or the next. Or the... well, it's not like he went looking for all these kids.

I just love the idea of Tiny Tired Dad Bruce ❤️ And I'm very open to hearing thoughts about the various batkids as borrowers, because I don't claim to have in depth knowledge. Of course, there's a lot of freedom with this AU, but it's nice to integrate things from canon!

Off the top of my head, I like the idea that Dick is still something of an acrobat. For whatever reason, it's how his parents taught him to move about, and he is constantly climbing things or jumping around in such needlessly dangerous ways. Bruce gains several gray hairs just watching him.

For Jason, maybe they meet him when he tries to steal food from their stash? It's nothing malicious, just desperation from a kid who barely knows how to take from humans.

Cass is just... the Best Borrower. All of them are baffled by how well she can evade detection even in the most high-pressure, human-is-literally-one-move-from-seeing-you situations.

I realize that not every batfam member has a child/parent dynamic with Bruce, and I don't wanna change that, but it does complicate things. Like... am I gonna kill off Jim just so I can include Barbara??

Maybe 😏

sjsjdndkfgj NO. But we need the lonliness, we need the Angst. So at the very least, they've all been separated like Bruce and Alfred, and may see their loved ones again. Or you can imagine death, if you want that extra shot of pain lol

For Barbara, all I know for sure is I don't want to erase her disability. It'd be cool to see her design and create her own tools for mobility in a uniquely borrower way.

Also... Damian. Is borrower!Brutalia a thing?? Or is he adopted in this 'verse?

Either way, Damian is absolutely that borrower who carries a sewing needle/pin/whatever tiny sharp weapon is available. He is ready to stab.

Admittedly, I'm running out of steam, and my brain has yet to conjure anything specific about Duke, Steph, or Tim 😔

But no matter the specifics, or how the character dynamics exist in this world, they're undoubtedly a family. A dysfunctional, ever-growing family that Bruce does his best to lead. Sometimes he fucks up, of course, but he's fiercely protective, and all of them know that their safety is his top priority.

As the family grows, the moving becomes less frequent. It's difficult enough getting everyone to agree on finding a new place, nevermind the nightmare of packing. Plus, Bruce is pretty sure the kids are trying to wear him down.

So when they make what is likely to be their final move, they decide it ought to be a big one. In fact, they end up all the way over in Metropolis 👀

I'm gonna write a follow-up to this post some other other time, and we can talk about Clark's role in all this!

(also don't ask me how a bunch of teeny people can logically travel that far... just know my brain is rotating scenes from Mouse Movies like The Rescuers or American Tail where mice stow away on human transportation 😂)

[squicky-fannish-discourse]

Regarding Athanasia

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN TIME!

I’ve clearly grown fond of a one-off character from Injustice ha! So I tried to do a lil character breakdown for her to write more snippets and drabbles about her more effectively. 

Okay so, I know she’s probably fizzled out of people’s memories, or remembered briefly as  “the other batfam kid” and “jason todd wannabe” and most people don’t write about Athanasia al Ghul, but the proposition that Athanasia and Damian could have a Zuko/Azula dynamic with Ra’s being the Ozai here? 

In which Damian was the heir and Athansia became his spare. And what happened after that - 

While he chose to become robin, and eventually batman, she chose the path of the League of Assassins, eventually hoping to lead it and continue her Grandfather’s legacy. 

Where Damian looks up to his father, Athanasia looks up to her Grandfather, simply because he’s been there for her and she’s always been, at her core, ambitious. He represents this ambition. You know? Whatever it takes. 

(under the cut! because this will be long)

I know family is very important to both of them, as in Son of the Bat, and Daughter of the Bat. So I propose that while in Injustice, she calls herself Daughter of the Bat, Athanasia doesn’t really want a father (Injustice) nor redemption. Or when Ra’s or her family betrays her, she believes it’s survival for the fittest. And with that in mind, she grows like a child who is abandoned and neglected. 

I think what helps her or saves her is someone, like Alfred, who treats her well. Or maybe in like another universe - Jason being a pal. He might be what Nightwing was to Damian. They both share similar sentiments. 

Athanasia seems to questions everything before speaking? She thinks a lot, or she observes people’s behaviour very well from their interactions. She studies her own father and brother, and pretty much everyone. 

She thinks her brother has no manners, so girl must obviously be trained with some social grace or good manners in reputable company, or she knows how to negotiate and navigate politics. 

She’s a natural leader like the other batkids, but Athanasia takes less from Bruce and more from Ra’s in terms of leadership. Dami’s leadership skills from what I’ve seen was mostly spying on others, figuring out contingency plans like Bats, and digging info about other members. 

I wager, Athanasia leads with charisma. Again, building off the fact that Damian has no manners lol. But he eventually gains your trust. She believes that it is better for them to fear her than like her. I mean I’ve never seen her work in a team unless she had to. 

I think while Damian might find meaning in being Robin and eventually Batman, Athanasia functions from a utilitarian point of view, as in I don’t think she’d be searching for the meaning of life or trying to pull something unnecessary. But if she has questions that she has trouble finding answers, I suppose she’d find you? 

She sounds like a pretty independent and outspoken character, and she’s probably difficult to crack, unless it’s like someone who understands her on a goal-based level. And I love this line so much: 

I mean... at times, I find her to be a very focused character with a head for justice? But she lacks mercy and growth and experience (because she’s 16 ish.) In time, she might grow to be an excellent villain. 

Or heck. Even a hero. 

In comparison to Cass, while Cass values the bat symbol for what it stands for, Athanasia uses the bat symbol for what it represents - to her, power and fear. 

Now if we were to see her grow, I think you’d take away her goals and ambitions, which seem to define her identity, and she’d lose control of herself (you literally see her breaking down in injustice.) So the main difference between her and Damian would be goal vs identity. He values identity. She values her goals. 

But in terms of growth, I see people using reasoning with her, because while she’s angry, she’s not unreasonable. She still has manners (lol Dami).

In any case, that’s all I have on her. 

[fyeahbatcat]

What do you look for in a Damian/Selina team-up? Or any type of team up with Selina and the batkids?

I kind of look for different things since I think the dynamics are a little bit different for all of the batkids. I think with Dick it should be a little more fun and lots of playful bantering. Since he’s been there since the very beginning he’s gotten to know Selina a little better and I think he sees her closer to the way Bruce sees her. 

With Jason, Tim, and Damian there was definitely a transitional period and none of them particularly liked her at first. It was more dramatic with Jason, like soap opera levels of drama. With Tim it was a little more clinical with made for some very funny moments just because of how seriously he took the whole I’m-a-crime-fighter-you’re-a-villain thing. At first Tim sees Selina as just a criminal and treats her as such. I think they actually end up having the most endearing and affectionate relationships. 

It wasn’t presented this way but I always saw Damian as being the toughest to get through. I would’ve liked to see a little more conflict. Damian has more personal reasons for not accepting Selina and I would like to see that explored more, but ultimately having them be able to reconcile their differences and bond over their mutual love of cats.

What I like about any of Selina’s interaction with the Bat-ladies, are sparing as they are, is it’s usually a really empowering experience. Especially with Cassandra and Stephanie they were always really supportive of each other. Selina was one of the only people who were sympathetic and didn’t super blame Stephanie over the War Games mess. With Barbara though I think it has to be more adversarial because they are so different. But in those difference they come to an understanding and learn from each other. 

Just as a note; it’s not as much fun anymore since the kids are a little older now but, boy did I enjoy the corruption of innocence whenever Selina used to interact with the little ones. 

[bandsanitizer]

FIC RANT TIME BECAUSE GUESS WHO DEDCIED TO READ 20K+ WORDS INSTEAD OF SLEEPING OR WRITING OR STUDYING??? me ;)

Hey so I read a fanfic and I couldn’t fit everything I needed to say in an ask, so here’s the fic reaction post that tends to occur after I read the most amazing of fics.

As per usually, this is NOT A SPOILER FREE POST.

(In two ways ahahahahah Because Stephanie Brown is mentioned and I can’t be excited over and review a fic without including spoilers)

Now back to the actual point...

“EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING” by @grxysxns IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD

IT IS FIVE CHAPTERS, 21376 WORDS, OF PURE GOLD AND ANGST AND DICK GRAYSON (who I love so so so much)

Okay but seriously? It was beautiful from beginning to end and slowly this will be a more coherent post as I calm down, but as of starting this I kind of just finished reading the entire thing at 2:30AM.

Can I just say Birdflash is my favorite and I absolutely love Dick Grayson? Especially stories that really portray the “oldest sibling” side of him in a way that isn’t perfect.

This story does that.

first off, the concept of the AU is a fantastic one and it’s... It’s really interesting? Because Bruce Wayne/Batman is an extreme person who is prepared for everything and anything. There’s a reason he has his contingency plans and knows the weaknesses of the people he’s meant to trust, the people he works and fights alongside. This AU really kicks it up a notch but in such a Bruce way? Like only Bruce Wayne would be like “I LOVE YOU KIDS so you’re not allowed to tell anyone who you are”

I mean, that’s a really simplistic view of it, but the idea of keeping your loved ones safe through not the best of plans, is such a Bruce Wayne move that this AU hardly feels absurd or something so... out of the box. It’s also really creative though and I think it’s a fantastic idea. I will cherish this AU for the rest of life i s2g.

REMINDER: SPOILER ALERT!!!! (go read the fic and come back)

Now onto the Batfam.

@grxysxns Your writing of the characters were amazing??????? I LOVE YOUR CHARACTERIZATION OF DICK GRAYSON AND I WILL SCREAM IT FROM THE ROOF TOPS!!!!!! The way you write Tim is superb. I also do like how you wrote the rest of the batfam (even though there wasn’t everyone necessarily, the idea of family was there). Sure, like other fanfic writers, there was some glossing over of the tensions between Jason and the rest of them and maybe some of the other members BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STORY IT WORKS SO WELL AND I CANT REALLY COMPLAIN

Dick takes on so much and he does this thing where he acts strong for the people he loves and the people he wants to protect. The way you wrote that was stunning. I love the balance of you showcasing how much Dick was doing and how much Dick was screwing up. I like the contrast between the things superhero working out with things falling apart with Wally and then sort of a switch later on. I love when writers capture the good and the bad that comes with Dick Grayson trying to take the world on his shoulders for the sake of his family (specifically his younger siblings). I also love how vulnerable and just broken he seemed, which I know sounds bad, but I love me some Angst™️ yknow? This story has a perfect balance of that and happy endings that are too happy, but just right. A nice ending that feels like a happy batfam yknow?

To be honest, I could go on forever about your characterization of Dick Grayson. !!!!!!! Your showcasing of his infamous anger was not missed and I love it! You included his flaws but showed him being great too and that’s !!!!! The best

As for Tim, holy shit, I love the way your wrote Tim, especially his transition out of Robin. Like, it’s not from Tim’s point of view but I LOVE COMMUNICATION AND DICK SITTING DOWN TO HELP TIM WITH THE MESS OF TIM NO LONGER BEING ROBIN AND DICK REALLY MAKING SURE TIM KNOWS THAT DICK ISNT REPLACING HIM AND THAT TIM IS SO SO SPECIAL AND SO SO LOVED!!!! Also their brotherly interactions about Kon were just ... so beautiful *cries*

Damian was great too??? I like the balance of “from the league of assassins” and “still a kid” that was there. I appreciate that moment where Damian’s just so unsure and Dick’s like “over my dead body” because I just love dick!bats and dami!robin?????? I mean Dick!Bats alone isn’t a favorite of mine, but Dick and Damian have this dynamic that I really like and I think you captured their relationship quite amazingly. (I’m sorry I lack a large vocabulary so my adjectives might repeat)

Then with Cass and the signing... It’s not huge but I love it so much.

Also the hints of Babs and Steph, I love them, but the way you wrote their lack of presence was powerful, too, because I think the distance portrayed really fits how they’d handle everything and despite anything to the contrary, I feel like Dick really does understand his siblings enough to know which ones need the daily check ups and which ones need the prolonged space, until they’re ready. (Tim and Cass vs Steph and Jason) And both are good and fine and did I mention I LOVE YOU AND THE WAY YOU WROTE THE BATFAM????

Plus the whole Dick watching everyone move on while he’s busy living the life of his dead father, was a really intriguing contrast that I found unique and interesting. I like the depth of Dick’s distain for being Batman extending beyond the fact that it’s the opposite of everything he tried as Nightwing. It’s also tying to something he knows he needs to move on from and I just love how you wrote it.

And Jason? My god the ending part was great. I liked the interaction and I like the way Jason shooting those guys was handled, because to some degree, I do believe that between Dick and Bruce there are difference in their beliefs in the whole “don’t kill” code. I think it’s be in character, especially for a stressed and tired and hurt, Dick Grayson to overlook it a bit for the sake of family and just cos it’s not the most pressing issue. Idk Bruce might, but Dick Grayson screams family and I love his interaction with Jason

And now to the bIRDFLASH!!!!!!!! Let me tell you, this will FOREVER be my favorite Birdflash fanfic. Okay so like there’s always a chance you’ll write something more amazing, but this is, by far, one of the greatest fanfics I have ever read. It’s beautifully constructed, well planned, has great emotions, and a nice balance of “IMMA MAKE YOU CRY” and “HERE LAUGH YOUR ASS OFF”

Okay anyways, Birdflash.

WALLY WEST, MY BABY, BEING SO KIND AND SOFT AND UNDERSTANDING (generally speaking) WAS BEAUTIFUL!

CONSENT! IS! IMPORTANT! and even if Dick wasn’t necessarily deterred by those kinds of things and more for the sake of keeping up the lie, I really appreciate how much Wally listened and just had basic! human! decency! It was beautiful and soft and just ... so breathtaking

I love soft birdflash yknow?

AND THEN THE ANGST! The whole Dick “learning” Wally’s the Flash and the guilt from Dick and the later misunderstandings and the eventual truth telling... It was excellently crafted in my opinion. It’s a cliché to have the whole superhero and “oh no are they cheating?!” but you wrote it so amazingly and then Wally calling Dick the next day with understanding and apology was refreshing and really sweet.

WALLY REASSURING DICK HE LOVES HIM AND YET ASKING FOR SPACE IS ALSO THE BEST!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HOW YOU WROTE THIS SCENE SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH BECAUSE ITS SO SWEET BUT SO REAL AND GENUINE! It’s realistic to have Wally express love and care but also need space, while Dick gets why Wally needs space but kind of wishes Wally could stay. It’s a lovely balance and I’m so in love with your writing.

Finally, the ending. Which basically is great because I love Robins (and any batkid really) not taking Bruce’s shit. Like him telling Clark and Diana I understand, but then forcing Dick and the rest of them to stick to the gag-order... Not his best move. Yet, like the kids, you can understand part of where he came from... And I like that. I also love how you wrote the scene like...

Bruce: WTF?

Kon: 0.0

Wally: 0.0

Tim: uh...

Dick: *comes running in, but like more hobbling* hI YES I DID IT NOW FIGHT ME BROOSE

Damian: *running in after* You cannot be fighting, Grayson!

So a little off, but main idea: Big Brother Dick Grayson, Protective Damian, Cute TimKon, and Wally “What’s happening?” West.

Overall, what I am trying to say is that this story was a phenomenal read and by far one of my favorites across all fandoms and ships. It stands out as one of the best that I’ve read, in terms of characterization of Dick Grayson and his relationships with the other batfam members. The writing of Dick and Wally’s relationship was stunning and this is definitely one of those fanfics I’ll always find myself coming back to read.

You’re an amazing author and I hope to read more of your writing! This piece had me in awe from start to end and I just... Just Thank you? For writing something so amazing and interesting and balanced.

Seriously, “Every Fiber of My Being” is wonderful, so well written, and a really special type of AU that leaves you with a little sense of “What do you mean this isn’t canon?”

“Every Fiber of My Being” by @grxysxns is a fantastic Birdflash/Batfam AU, that really hits all your Dick Grayson feels with a loving handful of soft and caring Birdflash. GO AND READ IT!!! AND THEN EXPRESS YOUR LOVE TO THE AUTHOR!!!

Also this is intended both as a reaction, a love letter to the author, and a rec for people who haven’t read it, and I apologize for how confusing this might’ve been. But wow, there were hardly enough words to explain the way I feel about this particular fanfic.

[bigskydreaming]

Um... /post/188248925631/dick-and-damian-dont-love-each-other-more-than Explain, please. Also curious about your opinion on the Dick and Damian being the mirror of Bruce and Dick, especially things like That scene in Nightwing #20 and fanon's heart nut material that is Dick being Damian's father figure along with brother.

LOL that was a goof post that basically is just another way of me saying “stop making the Batkids have favorites, let them all love and appreciate each other just in different ways.” With the fact that Dick and Damian tend to interact with each other more comfortably than with their other siblings not being proof of favoritism, but rather just...a lot of the same things and experiences appeal to them in very similar ways, so they have plenty of available bonding activities at any given moment. 

Like I see them both as adrenaline junkies in a way that say, Tim perhaps isn’t....like Tim isn’t afraid to do any of the things he does as a vigilante, of course, but he’s a more cerebral character, more of a thinker, happy surrounded by computers and data and investigation files as much as anything else...whereas Dick and Damian I both see as very physically oriented people, they like action, danger and excitement that gets their blood pumping and adrenaline going, like....on its own merits. 

So they’re like “HELL YEAH, LET’S DO THE THING” when the thing isn’t always the most....logical course of action, but hey, at least they’re not gonna be bored, lol. Y’know?

As far as Dick and Damian mirroring Bruce and Dick....I both agree and disagree with it.

I disagree in the sense that canon and fanon frequently views them as an INVERTED mirror of Bruce and Dick, with Dick as the happy Batman trying to cheer up the brooding Robin Damian, as opposed to when Bruce was the brooding Batman cheered up by his happy Robin Dick.

Because I think that devalues Bruce and Dick’s VERY early relationship, the inception of it, the foundation of their bond....and perhaps ironic given how critical I am of Bruce and his badly written or acted upon parenting a lot of the time....I think this perception of Bruce and Dick undercuts some of Bruce’s BEST times as a parent to Dick, specifically.

Because Bruce WASN’T just a dark, brooding Batman for most of the time Dick was Robin, historically speaking. Before the late 70s/early 80s, which was also around the time they started transitioning Dick out of Batman’s sphere and into his own role as Nightwing and most associated with the Titans, like....before all that, Batman tended to be as silly, tongue in cheek, and yes, even cheerful, as he was at times dark and brooding. Like, in pre-Flashpoint stories that trace back to Dick’s early years, Bruce SMILED, even when in the cowl. He laughed, he joked, he called Dick by personal endearments. He was PATERNAL and affectionate.

And given that in pretty much every version of his origin story, and like....in logical view of the events that unfolded in it....Dick himself did not START as a cheerful, happy go lucky Robin without a care in the world. He was traumatized, he was grieving. Depending on which origin you go with, he had massive trust issues, in all origins he has abandonment issues....early Dick Grayson had a darkness every bit as much as anyone else, because he was a lost and grieving child trying to find his way in the world with his usual support, lifeline, the familiarity that had defined so much of his early life in the form of his parents, his friends, his circus....like all of that was gone, and he had to start over in terms of finding things good and worthwhile in a world that had taken all of that away from him.

And it was Bruce who helped him do that. Who was HIS light, HIS brightness every bit as much as people tend to credit Dick with being his, if not more. Like, I would argue that it was NEVER that Dick made Bruce lighter and happier by simply being himself and always being cheerful and joking. More accurately, I’d suggest that it was more that Dick made Bruce lighter and happier by giving him reason to make a conscious CHOICE to be those things...for Dick’s benefit, specifically, so as to help steer Dick away from becoming a replica of his darkest and most brooding self, by setting a more carefree, light-hearted example for Dick to look at and use to help decide how he wanted to shape himself and what he wanted to shape himself into.

So the irony is, I think Dick and Damian are MORE of a mirror to early Bruce and Dick than people actually deem them to be. That they weren’t actually an inverted mirror, with Dick always playing the role of the cheerful inspiration that brightened his counterpart’s demeanor. I see it as Dick occupying the exact same role Bruce did in Damian’s life, leading him by example, out of his own personal darkness, the way Bruce had once done for him...no matter what differences came between them later in life.

The part where I DO think they’re actually an inverted mirror of Bruce and Dick, is in the paternal bond between Dick and Damian, that fandom highlights so consciously. Its not that Bruce wasn’t paternal, as I said earlier. Its more that like....there was always that slight distance or buffer (that grew as Dick grew older) that came about because of the uncertainty between Dick and Bruce as to what they actually were to each other, what label to use for each other....friend, brother, partner, father/son? And I do firmly believe that as the adult and guardian, it was Bruce’s responsibility to take the lead in establishing what they were to each other...or at least, what they COULD be, if Dick wanted it to be.

Like, I mean, the popular take is that Bruce never adopted Dick as a kid because he didn’t want to replace Dick’s father in his eyes. But like, there’s all of one story in pretty much their entire history when Dick ACTUALLY says anything like that himself...and its back when he’s like, ten or eleven, and they’re trying to keep him in Bruce’s custody and so like, a judge is forcing ten year old Dick to like....put a label to them himself. And Dick is many things, but presumptuous on his own behalf has NEVER been one of them, so I have super negative feelings towards that always being pointed at as why Bruce didn’t adopt Dick as a kid and saying see, it was for Dick’s benefit because he was just doing what Dick wanted....like, no. An orphaned kid who lost everything once, has massive abandonment issues, and ended up taken in by a billionaire who gave him more than he could have imagined....like that kid is NEVER going to be the one to push the envelope and say “hey this isn’t quite enough for me, could you please also adopt me, Bruce, even though you’ve never given me any clear indication that this was okay with you or something you even wanted?”

Like. Its just not realistic. Or fair to put that on the kid, to be the one to open up that avenue for exploration. This is why people who foster or adopt older kids are HEAVILY stressed to make clear to the child like....what their OPTIONS are. Like if they foster them initially, its not presuming anything about the child’s wants to just....make it clear that hey, if this is ever something YOU want, we would be very much open to adopting you and changing our dynamic accordingly, but if not, that’s fine too.

Kids just aren’t going to have the confidence to ASK for that. They’re just not. Especially when they come into the relationship with the kind of emotional baggage and familiarity with total upheaval that Dick had.

So my point being....I don’t think it was ever truly that Dick wanted to not be adopted, or expressed or hinted at that in any way. I think its more likely that Bruce projected his own wants on Dick, based on the fact that he initially identified with him and his circumstances so much, seeing himself reflected in Dick’s tragedy when losing his own parents. I think Bruce’s hesitancy to raise the issue of adoption when Dick was a kid was far more likely to do Bruce assuming Dick wouldn’t want that....because Bruce projected himself into DICK’S shoes, and based on THAT, operated off of what HE would have wanted as a kid....which was to NOT see his parents replaced in any real way, even though Alfred of course was very much a paternal presence throughout his later childhood.

So its not even that Bruce didn’t want to adopt Dick either - I think he very much did. He just told himself that Dick wouldn’t possibly want that, because Bruce couldn’t imagine have wanted that himself when he was Dick’s age, in Dick’s situation. And so Bruce held back from ever really raising it while Dick was a kid, because he was afraid he’d only get rejected if he did....again, just based purely on his personal assumptions and history.

The irony, for me, and why I see this as an inverted mirror to Dick and Damian’s bond....is that I think once Dick was in Bruce’s shoes....he did the EXACT SAME THING BRUCE HAD DONE....just in the other direction. He, just like Bruce had with him...projected himself into Damian’s shoes, and based his decisions off his assumptions about what Damian wanted or would want....which were in turn, based on his memories of what HE had wanted when he was the one in Damian’s position. Which was for Bruce to fully act like a father to him, to not hold back or hesitate or be afraid to step into that role.

So because of that, Dick tried to avoid what he saw as responsible for so much of the distance between him and Bruce - that hesitancy to establish a clear relationship and bond that left no real doubt how either felt - and so he in contrast all but threw himself into the paternal role with Damian...also using it at the same time to hide from his own grief and other issues stemming from Bruce’s death as well as having to be Batman. He EMBRACED being there and available as an actual father figure to Damian, if Damian made moves in that direction - which of course Damian inevitably did, because he was a kid desperately in need of affection, and here Dick was offering it freely and openly.

I think this additionally played into why Dick was so resistant to believing Tim about Bruce - it wasn’t that he didn’t WANT Bruce to be alive or that he didn’t trust Tim or WANT Tim to be right....it was that on some level, because of what he saw as so crucial to being for Damian’s benefit, and to avoiding making the same ‘mistakes’ with Damian that he felt Bruce had made by holding himself back from him at times, emotionally....Dick couldn’t afford to see himself as a placeholder in Damian’s life. Especially not without any guarantees that Bruce actually was alive or could come back....let alone how long that would take to happen. If he did that, accepted that, it would be all to easy to put off establishing that firm presence and role in Damian’s eyes for longer and longer....until one day he might look up and years might have passed and Damian was sixteen and pissed off and moving out because he didn’t know what he was to Dick and Dick was afraid to tell him, because he was afraid of replacing Bruce in Damian’s eyes.

So I think on some level, Dick just couldn’t allow himself to believe Bruce might come back, because if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to commit to what he truly, honestly felt Damian needed him to be, for Damian’s sake.

With the end result being that strong father/son seeming bond between them....and Dick not having ANY clue how to handle it when Bruce DID ultimately come back, and he probably went in his head....oh shit, I fucked up, I replaced Bruce in Damian’s eyes, or at least made it weird or difficult for them...I gotta get 1000 miles away from here STAT, otherwise I’ll fuck things up for them more and they’ll never have the father/son relationship I want them to have and they deserve to have, and it’ll be all my fault. And PS no this does not have anything to do with my devastation that I went all in on this whole ‘treating Damian like my own son’ thing and now I can’t do that anymore, I have no real claim, that’s not my place and I gotta just make my peace with Bruce occupying the role I came to want and love having myself.

*Shrugs* So yeah. All of that.

Oh and also....it does feed my ire on the ‘treating Dick like he’s only sorta Bruce’s son because of the smaller age gap between Dick and Bruce and how young Bruce was when he took Dick in’ front. Because Dick and Damian have just as small an age gap and Dick was pretty much just as young and Damian just as old as Bruce and Dick had been, originally...

And yet notice how fandom has NO trouble characterizing Dick and Damian having an almost father/son dynamic even WITH Bruce still present and even WITH them only having occupied those roles in each other’s lives for a year.

But meanwhile, Dick raised solely by Bruce from ages 8 through the end of his childhood, and some people still can’t wrap their heads around how they could possibly be TRULY a father and son to each other because this reason or that one?

Meh. Sounds fake. Hard pass. LOL.

[destefaniart]

I know like???? The pottential is there

I've been told that in USA family dynamics are totally different, I mean, that your family is basicly your parents, grandparents and your sibilings in general

And yeah you have cousins and uncles but you all aren't that close (correct me if i'm wrong here)

And as a latina this is so different for me like

My grandparent's sibilings are my uncle/untie-grandfather/grandmother. Even the sons of my parent's cousins are my cousins and we all are pretty close in a lot of cases, even tho its not always the case. Anyways, that big family just is traslated in:

This persons are gonna tell histories about you and the rest well probably laught a lot until its their turn 😂 but then we all just laught about our stupid things and that's it, its amazing and one of the thing i miss the most :(

Anyways, this made me freak out a lot when i finally found out that kate was bruce's cousin like???

I love my cousins? And we always played together and even some months ago, before i left we spent TONS of time together and i can't stop imagining how they both could've been doing the same crazyness than we used to!!

There's pottential to so much things there like

A) angst

B) fluff

C) hurt/comfort

Etc etc but Nooooo DC is like: They never interact, they are just persons who probably hate each other and happen to be cousins :)

I know the reason, DC just can't put Kate as the cool aunt to the little batkids

Just imagine that please

#they are cowards

#they know that kate would be an amazing cool aunt who probably always gives candy so that she can enjoy Bruce trying to control the hyperactive kid all the afternoon long

#they also know that she would probably be this chaotic person who just would give them bad ideas (secure ideas tho... mostly) so that they would give Bruce gray hair

#Dick, you had an elephant at the circus didn't you? This is a pretty big mansion, i'm sure i can bring it back.

Dick probably 9 yrs old: (☆○☆) YESSSSS

#jason, would't it be cool if i teach you how to drive a bike??

Jason: (☆u☆)/ you are my favorite!! Did you know?

# tim; wouldn't it be amazing if you had an skate pist here, i mean, dick has his gym for acrobatics...

Tim: i don't think bruce.. -- who needs bruce? I'm rich too

Tim (°○°) ok.

Cass, you have to teach me to sneak out and scare bruce!!!!

Cass ✌(bruce is scared so much times after that... he can't trust the walls)

#Damian, did i tell you i brought Dick's ellephant back once?

Damian (○u○)

No but for real, in other news on the “DC is dumb and makes dumb choices” front, I literally just Do Not Get what they were thinking when they made Kate Kane and then just……decided hey what if she barely ever interacts with the rest of the Batfam, because honestly, what is even the POINT of giving the freakin’ Batman an age-similar cousin if not to use that cousin to tell embarrassing stories about the freakin’ Batman when he’d yet to master the fine art of not drooling all over himself when he was excited?

I just.

Make better choices, DC.