#the curious case of d. Grayson

[batty-pham]

Daily BatPham Fic Rec

Oct 15

The curious case of D. Grayson

brothebro

Tags: Danny Fenton/Tucker Foley/Sam Manson, Fenton and Dick Grayson are Siblings/Twins but they don't know it, Identity Shenanigans, Fluff and Humor, Aged-Up Character(s)danny is 25 and so is Dick, Ghost King Danny Fenton, Lazarus waters are ectoplasm, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Halfa Jason Todd, minor Valerie Gray/Jason Todd, background Jack Fenton/Vlad Masters, some beta we live like Jason

Wordcount: 42,158

Summary: Dick Grayson gets a job in Wayne Industries as an electrical engineer, or so is the word. Except it's not Dick who gets the job but Danny Grayson, half ghost and professional disaster. Of course, because nothing is ever easy for Danny, the world mistakes him for the prolific first child of Bruce Wayne and therefore rumours start Dick Grayson got married in secret. What could possibly go wrong, am I right?

Complete: no

Basically, everyone assumes Danny is Dick, Danny doesn't realize it to correct them. Chaos ensues. Great read, hilarious.

[davidbowierose]

Adding these two as well bc they make me smile to look at!

Danny’s Daycare was so good! And the curious case of D.Grayson I can’t recommend enough, both are some top tier fanfics 😫💕

sources:

Been there, Done that cover:

Fic link✨

Cover: a combo of the amazing @ tatumsdrawing - https://www.tumblr.com/tatumsdrawing

and spectacular @ la-guarido-del-perrozorro

- https://la-guarido-delperrozorro.tumblr.com/

D. Grayson cover:

Fic link✨

Cover: once again the incomparable @ nicktoonsunite on tumblr and @ Izbubbles on insta! https://nicktoonsunite.tumblr.com/

Danny’s daycare link -cover is also izbubbles

***** ONCE AGAIN I DONT OWN ANY OF THE ART OR THE FICS Im JUST HAVING FUN PUTTING THEM ON MY KINDLE AS MY OWN PERSONAL FANFIC/FANART LIBRARY

Anybody else make covers for fanfics they read on their kindle so they’re easier to sort through?

Yeah me neither👀

Sources:

The fanart I believe is @Izbubbles on insta!

(Sorry if this comes off as bad practice, but of course this isn’t my art and I don’t share the covers I make anywhere. Except for obviously this pic of one on my kindle)

The fanfic is Danny’s daycare by robinsegghead on AO3!

[tourettesdog]

It's been entirely too long since I dropped some fic recommendations, so here are some DPxDC fics I love!!

(Part 2 here!)

Unearthed, Reborn by QueenOfTheQuill

Quill writes the best dialogue. The words just flow so organically, and they have such a nice balance of humor and sincerity. Cannot stress enough how funny their character interactions are. I'm also a sucker for Everlasting Trio, and they write it so well.

We're Longing for Daylight by AKelaNakamura

Akela has such a masterful grasp on writing emotion and tone. I love how she describes emotion so much, and weaves it into lore with ectoplasm and ghosts. She has several other DPxDC and DP fics to enjoy, all of it slaps.

Shovel Talk by SummersSixEcho

This is a dead tired (Danny/Tim) fic and I love how Summers crafted their relationship for it. The fic is so funny, with lots of fun puns. It's just two boyfriends being goofy and going through awkward situations and I love it dearly. I love all of Summers' DPxDC works, and she has great DP only ones too!

Recognized by AgentIanLegend

This is one of the first completed fics I read for the crossover, and it still lives in my head rent free. It's complete, very well written, and the story is interesting throughout with a bunch of twists and turns.

Premeditation by Chromatographic

Super interesting fic with neat lore throughout. I love the dynamic between Danny and his friends and Jazz in it, with the roles they've carved out. The general plotting nature of the story is very neat.

Noise and Light by TheWritingOwl

I'm so soft for this fic, it's SO sweet. Deaged fics have a special place in my heart, and I love the emotions throughout this fic. It's ripe with family feels and Owl describes it all beautifully.

Family Friction by Halfagone

Halfa has SUCH a prolific library of DPxDC fics and all of it is quality. I need to read more of them. Tis oneshot in particular has a special place in my heart. The premise is just so fun and goofy and I love how it's executed.

Build-A-Boyfriend by NightShiftShenanigans

I spent my entire time reading this fic with a goofy smile because it is just insanely fun and cute, with great dialogue throughout. I love it.

A Halloween in Amity by spite_sapphic_starlight

I love this poly ship, I love the scenario, I love the dynamics and the dialogue and-- it's just a good time. Just the occult shop alone is enough reason to love this.

Knight of the Boyking by Milaley

I love the angst in this one and the general setup from the beginning. The start of it has such a hook and it's just great throughout from there.

The Curious Case of D. Grayson by brothebro

I LOVE the Everlasting Trio dynamic in this fic and the shenanigans throughout. God, there's so many shenanigans and they're all great. Just a thousand misunderstandings and the domino effect of each lol. I love it.

Afterimage by TorScrawls

The descriptions in this one are just plain wicked. It still really stands out to me, as just being such a neat way to describe how mortals perceive Danny and his powers.

Close Enough to be Whole Again by hailsatanacab

Literally the twin fic that inspired me to write my own. The fic has insanely good descriptions and carries emotion so well. I love Hail's writing style a lot.

Vacation Crashers by Imp_y

I love everything about this one from the premise to how the story unfolds to the conclusion. This was another one of the first finished long DPxDC fics I read and I still love it dearly.

Voices That They Left by catmiint

This one has such an intriguing build up, with a lot of concerning things boiling beneath the surface. I'm not caught up on it atm, but I need to fix that soon because the story is really neat.

Liminal Familiarity by isitcowboytimes

This fic goes heavy on the angst and is wonderful written. There's this like really melancholic, liminal feel throughout the fic and it really sticks out to me.

To Join the Whispers by ayamari_no_goshi

Another one of the first completed long fics I read for the crossover (I think the actual first, based on bookmark date). I feel like this fic was the first one for a lot of people, and I definitely think it set the bar for Jason and ectoplasm shenanigans.

Ghosts Don't Go to Highschool by Evandarya

This is the first DPxDC fic in my bookmark history and I love it. I love the premise, the underlying story, the building relationship between Danny and Tim. I've had the pleasure of betaing for the most recent chapters and it's been a blast also!

Have You Heard of Danny Wayne? by FortunateCookie

This one has fantastic dialogue and I love the building shenanigans in it. All around a fun read, especially the chatfic portion.

Memories Lost in Time by MidnightsFury

The building lore and story in this one is so neat, I can't wait to see where it goes. The fact that it's a twin fic too has me vibrating with excitement, just waiting for the shenanigans to really settle in. I don't care how long it takes these nerds to find each other, I'm here for the shenanigans.

I would add more, but I really need to get some sleep before I pass out at my desk lol. I also plan to make a separate list for DP and non-DC crossover fics I love too!

[igotanidea]

Community service : Dick Grayson x reader preview

Summary: reader is a legal trainee who may or may not have some past connections she hid from everyone in the office. And so it happens that the people she was trying to loose are a bit more resiliant than expected.

A/N: I think I might be creating a new reader!verse for Dick with the lawyer s/o. @pinksirensong- whatchya think? :D :D

***

„I got a job for you.”

“You don’t say”  Y/N peeked from the pile of documents mounting on her desk.

“Come on, don’t get moody, it’s gonna be fun.”

“Please, describe to me how do you define fun.”

As if being a legal trainee wasn’t hard enough. Y/N was working her ass off, combing work at the law firm with her studies and exams and trying to make ends meet with all the students loan and life expenses. It was hard, but worth it. She only had half a year more to endure and then, if everything goes according to plan she would become a full attorney-at-law, making much more money and it would all get better. But for now, her boss were overwhelming her with work, papers, tasks and everything that he didn’t want to do himself. Meaning he considered her smart enough to deal with them but still.

To boot that, she had an amazing yet too expressive fellow trainee in the room. Tom was like everywhere, except his desk. He knew all the rumors, events, potential clients. And more often than not he got her involved in sneaking out and spying on the bosses cases. Just like now.

“Hm, let me think” he scratched his nose “fun is when someone public gets in trouble and we get to do the damage control”

“Who?” Y/N’s eyes widened. Maybe  Tom was right this time.

“Oh, now you are getting curious. “ he smirked “you know, I’ve changed my mind. I’ll keep this a secret and let you work” turning on his heels he started walking out of the room, but she was quick to jump off her chair and grab the coattail of his jacket.

“don’t you dare!”

“Oh, all right, fine, you got me. It’s Wayne.”

“Like Bruce Wayne?” she frowned “what the hell does he have to do with our law firm? I thought he has his own.”

‘This time it’s not about the company.” Tom whispered. He just loved filtering information, keeping his friend on the verge of patience.

“Fine. Fine.” She waved her hands “I’ll ask. Who is this about then?”

“His sons.”

“Well, that is specific. With his adoption rate he’s got like ten of them now. I bet it’s Jason. He seems like the biggest troublemaker of them all.”

“I thought he was dead…..”

“Right, right, of course…… I completely forgot about it.” She may have said that a bit too quick, but Tom let it pass.

“It’s Grayson. Apparently he got in some kind of legal trouble and ……”

“ Y/N.”

“Yes, boss?”

“I need you in the conference room in five minutes. We got important client who asked for you.” He almost flinched when he said that. “Please, try to look presentable. It’s Bruce Wayne and his oldest son.” And without another word he left the room, leaving Y/n with the urge to run away and tom with his mouth wide open.

“He asked for you?! Y/N, what the hell are you not telling me?!”

[annarooma]

Okay so, this is a little bit busy, but I got quite inspired by The Curious Case of D. Grayson by @brothebro and I just worked on this for most of the day. I am pretty sure that Jason hasn't yet gone to the Ghost Zone, but I felt like the chaos of it would be more fun to animate than a city like Gotham.

(Also I need to practice more on making cities and houses)

So, this isn't based on any specific scene in the story, but ghost!Jason is based on Bro's design.

[halfblackwolfdemon]

HOW HAVE I NOT SEEN THIS?! AAAAAH, THIS IS SO GOOOOOOD!

I can finally share this 😱 the chapter is here and I can post the art I did for it two weeks ago! Hurray

Anyway, Sam and Danny at an event 💙👌

[busterkeel]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44390266

After reading this thoughts of a part two had my mind running from this prompt

Just a heads up this is going to be all over the place, but won't be too difficult to follow just bear with me, I don't usually write down my maladaptive daydream plots ideas

Either Jason ask

"... so what kind of powers am I going to have?"

Or one of the other bat-fam asks

" So, what kind of powers is he going to develop?"

[Got me thinking Danny would respond like]

"Oh that's easy I finally remembered them all, flight, invisibility, (Danny proceeds to list a crazy long list of powers)"

Or

"....Well there's flight, invisibility, ecto energy like ghost ray and force fields(he could even shoot a small one out for example), intangibility, telekinesis, uh.....increased strength and senses like hearing, smell, sight, then there’s ghost sense, overshadowing, hmm.... oh right duplication, I always forget about that one, there's creating portals but Dani and I had a hard time learning that might take you a while, uh.... did I mention ghost wail yet?.....what? (mouth gaping shock)

[Probably depends if Dani is his sister or daughter]

[And depends if she got her own core type or same ice core]

[the response depends on which bat-fam member responds]

"(shocked and asks what's overshadowing but then stops themselves) we'll go back to that one, who's Danny?

"Dani with an 'i', your sister, oh teleportation forgot that one too

"Tele-I have a sister?!?"

"Yeah older sister and aunts(I'm counting Val as an aunt) and [depends on the ship ex: everlasting trio, just Sam or just Val, I’m leaning towards everlasting trio], I have to introduce you to the rest of the family, actually I have to tell the rest of the family first....”

“You didn't tell them about me”

“No, didn't have time to, I came straight here when I sensed you"

[random bat-fam] "Wait, you said Older sister?! When did you have her?!?"

"Huh? Oh no no no she's a clone”

Or

"Who's Danny?..."

"Oh my sister, one of your aunts” 

“You guys are both named Danny/Dani? Doesn't that get confusing”

“Its Dani with an “i” or Elle, short for Danielle and she’s my clone so we make a joke out of it”

"You've been cloned?!?

"Yeah, by my ex evil Godfather... well that's another story, actually he might be able to help you with your duplication better than me when we get there

Oh and Dani has a different core so she doesn't have my full kit, you might develop a different core too, but the base powers won't be different"

[This could either be bad parents or good parents]

But if its good I imagine Maddie and Jack spoiling him with weapons aka ecoto guns

...... writing this I just remembered how Jason even came to be because they kicked Danny out......

Well damn, well Danny could make him guns

Honestly I just see the family trying to spoil him rotten

I would like for him to stick with calling Bruce Dad though he can call Danny GD like in “ The curious case of D. Grayson” for Ghost Dad

And if it's Pharoah tuck and undergrowth Sam

Val could be a ghost zone hunter or a ghost zone bounty hunter/infinite realm bounty hunter

They could be uncle tuck/uncle pharaoh tuck.... aunt Sam and aunt Val/aunt V

don't know what he would call them if its everlasting trio 

[Since Danny was 14 when Dani was made, 18 when Jason was born, he how old would he now if Jason became red hood when he was 18-19]

I'll make him 19y for a red hood vigilante foundation, kinda want to make him older but I'll just figure out the math and add on in my mind if I want him older in my daydreams

So Danny would be 37 along with Sam/Tuck/Val

Jazz is 2y+ than Danny so she'll be 39

Danny stop aging at 25

Id say both Sam and Tucker stopped aging like 2-3 years after 25 when they fully took in their liminality powers?  Now they're just waiting to die or something, got no clue i just need them to either die and revert or stop aging

What if Danny faked his death and is just waiting for them to die

Or he's just shapeshifting to appear like he's growing older but still waiting for them so he can dip from the mortal realm

I disagree with my previous thoughts now, I still want him and everyone else to have a human identity as long as possible, he could have a bunch of degrees with a job at Nasa or something

Wait…. How old would Bruce be?

So Bruce was 34y when he met Jason at 12y

22y years older than him would make him 41y, not that much older than Jazz and Danny at all especially Jazz, maybe they could be friends [Just friends.] she can help with his family connection problems or something

I high key want Jason to be small boy robin in his ghost form, but i want Danny and Dani to look older, so that would put on the possibility of him being able to change his form to look older

No wait I like it, they all still look the same age they died/were created

No wait….then he’ll appear older than both of them..., I'm just not going to think about this right now

Well at least they're tall as freaks in their human forms, which explains why Jason is the tallest bat sibling, but still shorter than all three Jazz, Danny and Dani

OP daddy Danny

... I got carried away again

[namichanth]

❤ = favorite

Go to dc/dp masterlist

Twins AU

Batman's Cape

Dead By Starlight 

Endless Road to Rediscover

Ghosts of the Past

Green never looked so sad before I lost you ❤

King Daniel Aidan Phantom of the Infinite Realms

Schrodinger's Danny ❤

Surprise, it's twins

The Bat Trap ❤

The Lost One

The Ghost of a Shadow Heir

We Don't Have To Dance

1(800) Adoption Papers NOT needed! Its a two for one special! ❤

Jason adopts Danny

A ghost and a vigilante walk into a bar...well actually it's an alley

Don't Leave Me in the Dark

Imprint

The Son of the Red Hood

The Boy King and the Dark Knights ❤

Wayward spirits are better together

Danny adopts into batfam

The Strange Case of Danny Fenton-Wayne

Dead on Main

Danny Fenton: Dead and Loving It

going batty

I Don't? Work Alone

Like Betta Fish Do ❤

Phantom's Robin

Rooftop Express ❤

There Are Two Kinds of Eldritch Beings, Those Who Are DTF And Those Who Aren't

The Heart of the Matter

The Ghost King's To-Do List

Dead Serious

Artificial Wingman

Press Heart to Subscribe ❤

Their second chance

Dick x Danny

Holding Me Now in Hand

Brain Dead

and the universe said

Against All Odds I've Made It Far Enough To Become A Nuisance

Batman, Meet Team Phantom 

Bureaucracy is not exclusive to the living

Don’t Leave Me Behind, (Like I Have Been Before)

Ghosts Don't go to High School ❤

Ghosting

GLXY:PSSNGR

Is it a bad idea to work with your (unknowing) father in law?

Lay Low and Graduate

Pearls and Pomegranates

Tim Drake's I.E.F (Invisible Eldritch Friend)

To Love and Be Loved

Project "GH05T" ❤

Project Cardinal

---------------------------------

Ah, Sunflower ❤

BatCat Spectre

Batman, Meet Team Phantom

Be careful what you lie about ❤

Childhood... Friend?

Concession to Realism

Crash Course

“Crime, Love, and Ghosts. AU”

death echoes

Ghost Kings and Gotham Bats

Ghost in the Morgue

How (Not) to Get Adopted by Bruce Wayne: An Incomplete Guide

i found him, he's mine now

If You Give a Bat a Burger

Insomniacs Anonymous ❤

Knight of the Boyking

Life on the Farm

Like and Survive- Phantom’s Guide to Young Hero Survival

My Best Friend, Danny

Of Kindness and Empathy

Robin's Egg ❤

Secrets The Grave Holds

Shrodinger’s Bat ❤

soul bound

Team phantom and the trip to Gotham

The curious case of D. Grayson

The Ghost King just wants to sleep (but he's too workaholic)

The Ghost King (of Miscommunication)

The Ghost of a Shadow Heir

There Are Two Kinds of Eldritch Beings, Those Who Are DTF And Those Who Aren't

Vertical Limit

Voices That They Left ❤

Wayne's Haunted Mansion

We're Longing for Daylight

What was lost, found again ❤

When the Ghost King moves to Gotham City

Who's Old Now? ❤

You Look Like You’ve Seen A Ghost

30 Days of Kidnappings

[deepestbluesky]

i was tagged by @minnarr to list my 5 favorite fics i've written! it's actually very funny to me, because i saw one of these posts yesterday from a writer i like very much who i've followed for ages, and then i got tagged today, and i realized the connecting thread is literally just one person in between. anyway!

note: in case you haven't looked closely at my ao3 page (or. not closely tbh. to my eternal regret, it's still my top fandom), i used to write hockey rpf. i don't anymore, because i think hockey and especially the nhl is morally bankrupt and actively harmful, and i no longer feel comfortable writing about nhl players or sharing fic about them. this is all to say: 1, i actually don't think i've explicitly said that before and it's important to me, and 2, i will not mention any fics from this fandom.

LUCKILY, i've somehow???? written a lot????? since then????? this continues to baffle me. how did i get here. (🎶letting the days go by🎶) (if you think, gee, did sky have trouble picking 5 fics? it has been fully half an hour and i'm still at 11 fics. the lengths i go to for tumblr posts that don't matter.) (have now picked fics, didn't take much longer bc i decided to try and go for a wide spread of fandoms, and also to pick the ones in that 11-fic list that had the lowest kudos lol)

give thanks to the broken bones. this is a batfam fic in which bruce wayne gets kidnapped as a civilian and dick grayson comes to rescue him. i have some defensive feelings about this and about the way dick and bruce's relationship is written here, but i often feel like i'm not great at writing complicated relationships that aren't just fluffy, and i feel like i nailed it here. also: gen fics.

tired of waiting for tomorrow to come. another batfam fic! this one a character study of sorts about jason todd and also my love letter about bruce springsteen's music. it's one of the most self-indulgent fics i've ever written and i'm really satisfied with it, even tho there are definitely things i wish i'd done differently too. i wrote a dvd commentary companion too so if you want Even More Of My Thoughts about it, they are on ao3 :D

daydreamers please wake up. there are goddamn NINE fics for this fucking fandom and mine is the LONGEST??? this is a fic for another dc comic, Far Sector, written by nk jemisin and drawn by jamal campbell. i loved far sector, i think it's gorgeous and fun and a cool sci fi story with very fun characters, and so when i had a chance to write a fic for it for yuletide, i was DELIGHTED. and then i realized i had to figure out how to write horror for the first time. it was a lot of work and i think it turned out really well.

don't let the stars get you down. this is a fic for the untamed, and it's jiang yanli and jin zixuan. i have now written TWO platonic marriage fics for the untamed, and i'm personally thrilled about this fact. this one is shorter but also, in some ways, more interesting to me. i really love fics that dig into jyl and what she's doing and thinking and i haven't written as many as i'd like, but that is very much what this fic is. also i just have so much love and affection in my heart for the idea of two people being married and having a kid while not being In Love and in fact having sex with and falling in love with other people.

you're a curious one. this is a word of honor fic, and it is, of course, hanwenzhou. so, to be clear, if you count shl/tyk/qy together, it's CLEARLY my second most written fandom. and yet it ended up with only one representative on this list, partially because i have more kudos in this fandom lol. but that said, if i was only gonna pick one, it had to be REALLY on brand, and this fic is PEAK sky is on her bullshit. inspired by a critical role scene with sexy dangerous vampire attacks. the whole fic is building tension that never quite resolves bc building the tension is way more fun to me than writing sex scenes usually. spoiler: everything is actually fine and there's a happy resolution. this concept still lives in my head rent free.

idk who to tag, so AS USUAL, if you see this and want to play the game, do it and say i tagged you! i am very serious, you can tag me even if we've never interacted. you can also not tag me but say you got it from me! whatever works.

[halfagone]

Ahhhh had a bad night, so I'm doing some fic recs now before I hibernate again-

For Bio Brothers Danny + Damian

Now this counts for both Twins and Siblings so here we go!

Leap Before You Think by @tourettesdog

This is a Demon Twins AU~ I still have to catch up with this one, but I've heard such wonderful things about the later chapters and I am so excited for where things go~

The Hey Brother series by @avaritia-apotheosis

The dynamics for this story is so interesting and I will eat them up forever, please and thank you~ Danny is Damian's older brother in this fic and the vibes are 🤌

Phantom Children: Redux by avaritia-apotheosis

Another banger from this author. I adored the original version and I am so happy that continues to live on in the rewrite. The mystery has been on the edge of my seat.

Ignore me while I slip a little self-reccy in here~

Off With [the Demon's] Head

In which I find new and inspiring ways to ruin Danny's mental health. :D Older brother Danny, who acts as a fatherly figure of a sorts to a young Ellie.

For Fics where Danny is a Bio Sibling of A Different Batfam Member

Anima, Animus by @ectoentity

In which Danny and Jason learn of each other through dreams~ the concept of this fic is so intriguing to me and I love how the mystery is wrapped up and into the very first chapter. Very excited to see where this goes!

Waddle Home Little Drake by ThomniusCreations

You don't see many twin Danny and Tim AUs so I was very surprised when this fic popped up on my feed!! Surrogacy is always a clever way to pull this kind of idea off and I am glad to see it here.

The curious case of D. Grayson by @brothebro

Look, I couldn't not include this fic. This story is so funny and wild and you will have a great time reading it. These are confused but they've got the spirit (pun intended, huehuehue).

Another little self-rec here, don't mind me~

On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your pain?

This was for this year's Disney Week and let me just tell you- I did not hold back with this one-shot. It does have heavy subject matter with grief, so please keep that in mind while you read this. Jason is Danny's older brother, there is major canon-divergence. But some things are inevitable.

I hope these recommendations gives you some more clues for your choice~

We have less than 24 hours on this poll!! Thank you to everyone that already voted. <3

[*]: Please keep in mind... Bruce can be included in the [Insert Other Batfam Member here] part. ;3 Just wanted to put that out there.

We are about to get very technical moving forward, so choose wisely!! I really enjoyed providing some fic recs, so maybe further along into the poll I'll include some more to help you all choose.

As always, this is a continuation from this poll.

[batty-pham]

Daily fic rec master post!

BatPham/DPxDC

October

Oct 1 - But I Want to Be Let In, Not Out

Oct 2 - Robin's Egg

Oct 3 - Shadow of a Bat

Oct 4 - Life, Death, and In Between

Oct 5 - One Fall, Two Rise

Oct 6 - Barely Surviving in a World Antithetical to My Existence

Oct 7 - Stalking Astronauts: Gotham's Latest Social Media Craze!

Oct 8 - There! That's the Ghost Who's Been Stealing My Shit

Oct 9 - I'm King Boo

Oct 10 - A Second Life

Oct 11 - Phantom Children: Redux

Oct 12 - Have you heard of Danny Wayne

Oct 13 - Hollow

Oct 14 - Danny's New Batty Family

Oct 15 - The Curious Case of D. Grayson

Oct 16 - Breaking news!

Oct 17 - The Kings Coffin

Oct 18 - Ah, Sunflower

Oct 19 - Contractual Obligations

Oct 20 - Close enough to be whole again

Oct 21 - Raise Hell

Oct 22 - Three Vigilantes and a Pile of Parenting Books

Oct 23 - Adoption Runs in the Family

Oct 24 - thirty-odd days of chasing an enigma

Oct 25 - Ghost Kings and Gotham Bats

Oct 26 - A King in Arkham

Oct 27 - TWINcognito mode

Oct 28 - A Little overshadowing never hurt anyone

Oct 29 - Vertical Limit

Oct 30 - Deja Vu

Oct 31 - Rigor Mortis

[davidbowierose]

Losing my mind after binging this absolute banger of a fic today!

One of the plot points was that Dick and Danny are long lost twins, so I wanted to try drawing exactly what I was imagining while I read it😂💕

I def recommend the curious case of D.Grayson if you’re spiraling into DcxDp fics!

[hungrymentor]

There are SO MANY good dp x dc fics out there. I haven't had this many Ao3 tabs open on my phone in so long. I haven't read this many unfinished fics in so long. I am gripping my metaphorical seat in anticipation, waiting for what's coming next. Waiting for the next little nibble of serotonin these fics give me.

Big shout-outs to all the authors doing gods work and popping they pussies. You the real MVPs.

Now a list of things that have been keeping me up at night;

Childhood...Friend? By thetoyboxs on Ao3

The curious case of D. Grayson By brothebro on Ao3

Vertical Limit By hppjmxrgosg on Ao3

Little Baby Man in Big Gotham City by MiniOspray on Ao3

Ghosts? As my therapy animals? More likely than you would think. By bamboozledeagle on Ao3

Batman, Meet Team Phantom By Sivan5733 on Ao3

These are just the current ones I've been keeping my eye on, constantly refreshing when I can't sleep. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to reblog with links and/or names and sites. I mostly use Ao3, but I am willing to check out other avenues as well.

Of course, all credit for the fics themselves go to the authors, though I have noticed that a lot of them draw from prompts and ideas here on Tumblr. Those usually have links/credits in the notes, but as always, see something say something. If anyone knows the urls for any of the authors, let me know and I will update accordingly. Or just tag them! I want them all to know their hard work and dedication to something they don't even get paid for is noticed and appreciated. 💜

[thewritingowl]

Oh there are so many good recs already in the comments and some reblogs! Here's what I've been really into recently:

Leap Before You Think by @tourettesdog is a really good Danny & Damian twin fic with a fun twist that I'm so excited to see more of! It's off to a great start so far, and I'm just so excited to read more!

The curious case of D. Grayson by @brothebro is great if you want a laugh. Plus it's got everlasting trio and Danny being a ghost dad/mentor to Jason! Don't even get me started on the identity shenanigans, definitely a great romp.

Wayne's Haunted Mansion by @tathartiel is a great mix of tooth-rotting fluff and angst, and it's got baby/toddler Danny getting to know the batfam! I mean, what more could you need in a fic?

close enough to be whole again by @hailsatanacab is one of my all time favs, I would fucking die for this fic. It's one of the ones that inspired me to write my own dpxdc fics, and of course it's a Danny & Damian twin AU. I would absolutely die for this fic, everyone should read it because it's so good and the dialogue is just *mwah* fucking excellent. Plus Danny and Damian's relationship and just how Danny's written in this? Fucking stellar. A+ work.

Honestly there are just so many fucking good fics in this fandom, I couldn't possibly name all of them. All of the writers in this fandom are so fucking brilliant, I salute each and every one of you.

We’ve done this before but it’s been many months so time to do this again! Everyone reply or comment your favorite dpxdc fic to reccomend to others!!!!!

[awhitehead17]

Batfam Alphabet: K - Kryptonian’s

Summary: After noticing how everyone is busy meeting up with someone who is either a Kryptonian or even a Kent that day, Dick notices how he’s the only one in the family that doesn’t have a Kryptonian partner.

Enjoy! :D

“C’mon Damian, let’s go! We’re going to be late!”

Dick pauses from where he’s walking through the foyer and looks up to find Tim shouting for their younger brother as he hurries down the stairs. When he reaches the bottom the teenager rushes to the door and throws it open and impatiently waits in the doorway as he checks his watch every few seconds.

Raising an eyebrow, Dick glances at the top of the stairs but doesn’t find any sign of Damian. He turns back to Tim. “What’s the rush?”

Tim blinks and stares at him for a moment like he’s just noticing Dick’s presence for the first time. With his eyes flicking to and fro Tim huffs in annoyance and taps his foot restlessly. “We’re meeting Conner and Jon at Amusement Mile but we’re running late because a certain someone can’t apparently keep track of the time!”

Dick frowns, suddenly feeling concerned for his brothers’ safety. “Is going there a wise idea?”

With a wave of his hand Tim dismisses his concern. “It’ll be fine. At the end of the day we’re all trained and it’s only a phone call away if anything does happen. Kon and Jon are there so if we do need an emergency evac we can get out of there quickly.”

Before Dick could respond a new voice joins the conversation.

“We have plenty of time Drake, don’t be so impatient.”

Both Dick and Tim look up to find Damian now descending down the stairs at a leisurely pace, obviously not in such a hurry as Tim is. Dick wonders if Damian is doing it purposely to annoy Tim or because they do have a lot of time to spare and Tim is just being overly-cautious.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a little early or even on time brat.” Tim snaps at him, glaring as Damian reaches the bottom of the staircase. “Now come on, we’re wasting time.”

Without even so much a goodbye Tim spins around and hurries out the door once Damian approaches. Damian tuts but follows behind Tim saying “Bye Grayson” as he passes Dick on the way out of the door.

It takes Dick a moment to react, his mind catching up with the fact that Damian and Tim are hanging out together, seemingly willingly with one other. He blinks and shouts after them, “don’t kill one another! Stay safe and remember to call if anything happens!”

Neither brother responds to him but Dick rationalises he’s done what he could, if something happens between them he is not to blame. Maybe he should message Conner to ask him to check in and to make sure they behave. The Kryptonian brothers get along unlike Tim and Damian so his caution is reasonable as them two together is certainly a questionable matter. In the end he decides against it, instead choosing to wait and see what the end result of the day looks like.

Eventually he shuts the front door and continues on his way with what he had been doing before the sudden distraction.

------

Dick’s route through the foyer is interrupted again not even an hour later, only this time because of the group of girls gathered there. Dick stops and stares at the scene unsure on how to proceed, should he make his way through them or go around them?

Steph, Cass, Barbara and even Kara are grouped together giggling about something. Seeing three of them together is rather normal but he is surprised to see Kara around.

Before Dick could decide on what action to take he’s spotted by Steph. The blonde waves enthusiastically at him. “Hey Dick! How are things? Don’t mind us we’re moving to the media room now.”

The other girls turn and face him. Cass and Kara give him a smile and a small wave in greeting while Barbara shoots him a bland look. He wouldn’t expect anything else from her.

As Dick is about to move he’s stopped short by Kara addressing him. She points up to the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. “Dick, is it true that you used to often climb up there and hang from it?”

Dick glances up and his mind is suddenly ambushed with fond memories of when he was a kid and used to do acrobatics from said chandelier. Alfred used to give him hell for it, particularly after he accidently broke one when he got a bit too bold trying a new move.

He smiles and looks back at Kara nodding. “Yeah, that’s true. More often than you would think believe it or not. I did it less frequently as I got older though.”

Kara snorts with amusement. “I can totally see Jon doing something like that, rao, even Conner would try something like that.”

“Considering who they’re friends with, that doesn’t surprise me.” Steph comments laughing. “Well lets get to it! See you later Dick!”

Steph takes off down the corridor towards the media room with a bounce in her step. Kara sends him one more smile and follows her, Cass comes up to him and stands on her tip toes to place a kiss on his cheek before following them and finally Barbara sends him a wistful smile before trailing behind the girls, clearly also remembering what he used to be like back then.

Once they disappear from view it takes Dick a moment to move, his mind thinking about what just happened. He didn’t even realise they were friends with Kara. He doesn’t even know how they know each other, then again he doesn’t follow every move the girls make, they’ve probably had cases that have crossed over a time or two. Shaking his head he lets it go and continues on with his day.

----

When Dick bumps into Bruce in the kitchen later on that day he feels like there’s a pattern forming.

He’s sat at the kitchen island minding his own business as he eats his lunch and mindlessly going through Facebook, Alfred is pottering about also minding his own business, when Bruce rushes in looking a little frazzled.

Dick watches mollified as Bruce darts about the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards left right and centre clearly looking for something which he doesn’t find straight away. As soon as he came in, Alfred simply stood to the side and allowed Bruce to freely search the place patiently waiting for the inevitable to happen.

After searching every cupboard and draw available Bruce turns to Alfred and before the man could say anything Alfred simply holds out his hand revealing a travel mug. Bruce suddenly looks so relieved and gratefully takes the mug out of the butler’s hand with a breathless “thank you”.

“You are a saint Alfred, there’s no way I’m going to be able to cope today without this.” Bruce determines already taking a sip of the mug’s contents.

Dick blinks, completely lost to what’s happening, especially when all Alfred does is nod as he had been expecting that reaction the entire time.

“What is going on?” He blurts out without meaning too. The two men turn and face him, Alfred looking passive and Bruce looking surprised at his presence. Has Dick become invisible or something? That’s the same reaction Tim had that morning in the foyer.

“Oh, afternoon Dick, I completely missed you sat there.” Bruce says looking a little sheepish, a look that isn’t common on the man though Dick’s seen it more than enough times at this point in his life. “I have a meeting with Clark and the rest of the League members. I’m running a bit behind schedule but not enough to not grab my coffee before heading off. I won’t be back until late, don’t wait for me before going out tonight.”

With that statement Bruce leaves the kitchen with the travel mug clutched tightly in his hands. Dick shoots Alfred a surprised look but the elderly man has already turned around and continued with his task.

Sighing Dick turns his attention back on his half eaten lunch and goes back to scrolling through his Facebook newsfeed. Quickly getting bored of it, he places his phone down and strikes up a conversation with Alfred, the man appears more than happy to converse with him as he works.

After a while Alfred breaks their conversation, sending Dick an apologetic look. “I’m sorry Master Dick but I’m going to have to excuse myself. I have a scheduled phone call to make in a few moments.”

Dick stares, caught off guard by the reason. “What? Who with?” After he says it he realises how bad and how patronizing it sounds. He immediately winces and apologises.

Alfred merely looks amused at his behaviour, thankfully not taking any offense to it. “If you have to know Master Dick, I have a call with Mrs Martha Kent. We’re going to be comparing recipes and giving some recommendations.”

“Okay…”

Alfred leaves the kitchen then, leaving Dick all by himself in the room as his mind reels back over the last hour or so to what’s happened. Is everyone busy today or something?

Finally finishing his lunch, Dick clears his mess up and wanders out of the kitchen trying to decide what to do for the rest of the day.

-----

The next thing to happen which adds to the odd feeling he’s been having throughout the day is when he bumps into Selina in the corridor of the bedrooms wing. He’s heading towards his own room when he notices Selina strutting her way towards him.

His eyes widen as he takes in her outfit. She’s wearing a low cut black blouse paired off with tight leather pants and high heels. She’s wearing a golden necklace with matching bracelets on her wrists and her face done up with perfect looking make-up. The shadowing around her eyes make them stand out along with the boldness of her lipstick which helps define her facial features.

Dick stops in his tracks and watches as she approaches. When she’s close enough she stops and sends him a smile.

“Hot date?” Dick asks with a grin. He can’t help but be curious on why she’s dressed up like that. Bruce isn’t around and there’s no party that he’s aware of happening. Unless she plans on crashing the meeting Bruce happens to be in, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened…

Her smiles turns more devious, “Not quite birdie,” she drawls out. She places her hands on her hips and cocks them to one side. “I’m meeting with Lois Lane. There’s a certain… get together we’re attending and I tend to make a statement.”

Dick’s eyes widen in surprise, he hadn’t been expecting that. He knows that Selina and Lois know one another, he’s seen them interact with each other enough times at gala’s both Bruce and Clark have attended too but he didn’t know they were that close.

After a couple beats he sends her an easy smile. “Well, I’m certain you’re going to make a statement alright.”

“Thank you kitten,” she replies patting his cheek softly, “now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get going.” She saunters past him, continuing down the hallway clearly ready to kick some ass. Selina is the personification of the saying ‘looks can be deceiving’.

“Have fun!” Dick calls out to her retreating form.

As he enters his room Dick is struck by a thought that even Selina is busy that day. It’s really starting to appear that he's the only one without any plans or even someone to meet up with. It suddenly makes him feel lonely, it’s an irrational feeling but he couldn’t help feel it temporarily, maybe it’s jealously of his family all currently hanging out with someone or each other. It’ll soon pass when everyone is back home and skulking around looking for stuff to do out of boredom.

----

Half an hour later and Dick knows he's had enough. It seems like the last straw has been drawn and how the universe has decided to rub salt into the wound.

Dick’s not even out of his bedroom doorway before he’s stopping short at the sight of two beings walking past him. He blinks and looks down the hallway with furrowed eyebrows and seconds later it registers who he’s seeing.

“Jason?”

His brother stops in the middle of the hallway and turns around to face him. He looks surprised for a moment before his expression goes back to neutral. “Oh, hey Dick.”

“What are you doing?” He questions his brother, his gaze slipping to Jason’s companion. Bizarro stands next to Jason, his eyes drifting between the two of them as he watches them interact with a frown.

Jason jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “We’re heading out now as we’re about to meet Artemis.”

Dick runs a hand over his face taking in the new information. “How long has Bizarro been here?”

His brother sends him perplexed look. “Uh, like all day? Did you not know that?”

“No. No I didn’t.”

“Oh,” Jason shrugs, not bothered by his answer, “well whatever. As I said we’re heading out now, so see ya! Say bye bye, Bizarro.”

“Bye bye.” Bizarro calls out to him with a wave of his hand.

Dick half heartedly waves back as he watches them disappear down the hallway. Once they were gone Dick slips back into his room and shuts the door behind him, completely forgetting the original reason why he had been leaving in the first place.

He goes over to his bed and flops down on it with a heavy sigh. Jason, even Jason, is busy and has company. How is it only him who isn’t doing anything? Usually it’s the other way around, where he’s always trying to find time in his schedule to meet up with his friends, family or to have some time for himself.

Burying his face into his pillow he sighs dejectedly, feeling sorry for himself. Dick frowns, maybe that’s not the right term, would jealously be more accurate or maybe loneliness is better suited. Whatever the word is for what he’s feeling, he knows it’s pretty much unwarranted. He should be happy that all of his siblings and extended family are out being sociable, they all have hectic and unpredictable lives, taking any free time a person has to spend it with those they care about is worth it.

Dick shouldn’t be annoyed with his family because he’s the one currently holed up in his bedroom sulking because he doesn’t have anyone to be with. It’s not their fault.

Something else he notices is how everyone seems to have their own Kryptonian, or by extension a Kent.

There's Bruce and Clark, though Bruce will deny their friendship at every opportunity. Tim and Conner, who are best friends (maybe more, Dick’s not quite sure). Damian and Jon, as much as the former is reluctant to admit how much he cares for the younger. Steph, Cass, Barbara and Kara who are all apparently friends. Selina and Lois. Alfred and Mrs Kent. Jason and Bizarro.

He’s the only one without a Kryptonian partner. While he’s worked with Clark a few times and has connected with him, after all Clark’s the one who inspired him to become Nightwing, it’s not the same thing.

After spewing in his thoughts for a while, Dick comes to a conclusion that sleep sounds like the best option right now. If he sleeps then he’s not thinking, and as a bonus at the same time his body is resting and extra rest never hurts anyone.

He shifts on his mattress, getting into a more comfortable position to sleep in, and buries his head further into his pillow. Closing his eyes he tries to force his body into unconsciousness. His eyes snap open only seconds later when his phone pings from it’s place on his bedside table.

Stuck between being excited for a message and dreading it, Dick reaches out and grabs the device. Rolling over onto his back he lifts his phone up in front of his face and reads the notification. Seeing who the message is from, a wide grin stretches across Dick’s face and any dread he had been feeling instantly disappears. It seems like the universe has finally decided to side with him (or that it’s had enough of him moping) because it’s a message from his long time old friend Wally West.

‘Hey man it’s been waaaayyyyyy too long. Are you free to hang out any time soon – we need to catch up bro.’

Dick agrees with the message, it has been too long since they last saw one another. From what Dick heard last is how Wally’s been busy helping out in Central City, his relationship with Linda is progressing smoothly, he’s been helping to train his cousin and how he’s been away on a mission with Jay. Dick had thought Wally was still away, hence why he hadn’t contacted him but obviously he’s wrong about that.

Dick types out a reply to his friend, feeling eager and excited to meet up. ‘I’m free right now if you are. C’mon over to the Manor when you can?’

It takes a few moments for Wally to respond. ‘Absolutely. Though will Bats have my ass if I just show up?’

Dick snorts, of all the things to be concerned about… ‘No. You’re fine. B’s in a meeting.’

‘Okay! I’ll be there in a flash ;D’

It’s stupid but Dick couldn’t help chuckle at the poor joke. No doubts on how Wally’s picked up that behaviour from Barry.

Feeling jittery, Dick rolls off his bed and begins making his way downstairs so he could greet Wally by the door. He doesn’t know what they’ll do other than talk to catch up and possibly raid the kitchen at the same time. Dick doesn’t mind what they do, at least he finally has someone to hang out with!

Just as Dick reaches the bottom of the stairs in the foyer, the doorbell rings alerting him of Wally’s arrival. Dick grins as he approaches the door and it only gets wider when he opens it to reveal his best friend standing there on the front porch.

“Wal-man! How’s it going dude!” He exclaims stepping towards the speedster.

Wally’s gaze snaps to him and an identical grin appears on his face. “Dick, it’s so good to see you man!”

They come together and embrace tightly with a few firm pats on the back. They part after a few beats and then take a moment to observe one another. Dick is pleased to find Wally appearing the same as he did when he last saw him, looking happy and healthy.

“So…” Wally trails off when the silence gets drawn out for too long.

“So.” Dick repeats promptly. Getting himself together, he continues to grin and throws an arm around his friend’s shoulders, using that leverage he guides Wally into the house. “We have a lot to catch up on.”

Wally’s own arm wraps around Dick’s back as they pass through the foyer. “That we do. I can’t even remember when the last time I saw you was.”

With his free hand Dick waves the comment away. “Doesn’t matter, we’re here now. Shall we grab some food and go to my room? I would suggest the media room but the girls are currently inhabiting it, have been all day, alternatively we could go to the conservatory or even outside since it’s dry and warm.”

Wally hums for a moment before answering. “Food is a definite must, you know me – hey has Alfred cooked recently, any chance we could steal some leftovers? And your room sounds fine, at least there’ll be less chance of us being disturbed by one of your millions of siblings.”

Dick rolls his eyes at the comment though he carries on smiling, some days it really does feel like he has a million. Will Bruce ever learn the meaning of ‘no more’?

“I have no idea what Alfred has in the kitchen so we shall see when we get there.” Dick says smiling.

The two of them fall into an easy stream of chatter as they begin catching up with what’s going on in their lives.

As they chat Dick thinks to himself, why was he so bothered that his family members all have their own Kryptonian when he has his own speedster? A couple of them also have a speedster but not everyone so Dick can hold onto this, at least that’s what he’s rationalising to himself. Thinking back on it, Dick realises that it’s stupid, why should he be concerned about it at all? He's now with his best friend, that’s what matters and that’s exactly what he's going to focus on.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

last reading update of 2021

... and fresh off hitting my goal of finishing 69 books :)

so, for the final time this year, what have I been reading?

Fireheart Tiger (Aliette de Bodard, 2021) - a neatly executed political fantasy novella that cuts straight to the (fire)heart of danger than arises when a princess mixes intimacy with imperialism.

Milk Fed (Rachel Broder, 2021) - listen, you've all already seen my screaming my praises of this book on my list of favorite books of the year. a story of hunger, appetite, repression, and desire tied up in developing attraction between two Jewish women, rendered in viscerally tender and unflinching detail. cannot recommend hard enough.

Velvet was the Night (Silva Moreno-Garcia, 2021) - I'm gonna be real, gang - this was probably my least favorite of the Moreno-Garcia novels I've read. one of our protagonists, the bored and somewhat mean-spirited secretary Maite, makes for a compelling POV, but ultimately the story of political paranoia in 1970s Mexico fell a little flat for me and I far prefer Moreno-Garcia's ventures into the romantic and fantastical.

Iron Widow (Xiran Jay Zhao, 2021) - another late entry onto my list of favorite books of the year, after Iron Widow beat the odds and managed to live up to the hype. I've seen a lot of things compared to Iron Widow, none of them inaccurate, but tonally I found it a lot like my old darling Six of Crows - a YA fantasy that dives headlong into a world built on magic and pivots hard into the darkest underbelly of that system, balancing moments of humor and levity with moments of startling viciousness from our protagonists and their enemies alike. I sincerely cannot wait for more.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Becky Chambers, 2021) - oh, Becky Chambers - can you write anything that doesn't feel like a warm mug of hot chocolate and a supportive hug? even if you can, please don't. this soft and soulful buddy road trip between a depressed monk and a curious robot was a kind little breath of fresh air, and while I'm still fondly remembering the Wayfarers series I'm eagerly anticipating the rest of this series.

Batman: The Black Mirror (Scott Snyder, illus. Jock and Francesco Francavilla, 2011) - a decade-old tale from Dick Grayson's tensure as Batman, following Dick and Commissioner Gordon as they grapple with some of the grisliest cases Gotham can throw at them. a pitch black detective story, it made for excellent company on a lengthy flight. I'm ending this year remembering that I like the episodic, overwrought nature of comics quite a lot, and I'm hoping to spend a lot more time with them in 2022.

Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos (Wizard RPG Team, 2021) - that's right, babey, TTRPG sourcebooks absolutely count towards my numbers! as I said in my liveblog (which you can find here along with a link to read the book for free lmao) I don't often fuck with the official premade D&D modules, being a hardcore homebrewer who far prefers to write plots specifically calibrated for my players, but the fun of a full-fledged magic college was hard to pass up. it's a fun read with a lot of neat locations and NPCs, and while I find it a little stifling and concluded that it would probably need a lot of remodeling to mesh well with how my parties play, it's a neat module and I think first-time players would have a great time running it.

My Heart is a Chainsaw (Stephen Graham Jones, 2021) - Jones' novel The Only Good Indians was one of my most memorable reads of 2020, and I was really looking forward to reading another novel of his. I didn't like this book nearly as much as I hoped I would, and yet it still made me want to read of his work, which is a huge testament to his storytelling skill. there's a compelling core to My Heart is a Chainsaw, following a traumatized Blackfeet teen who's obsessed with slasher movies and absolutely certain that a real life slasher is about to hit her small community. it comes out a little dense and for me, feeling like it gets a bit too caught up in itself, but I'm compelled by the sympathy with which Jones writes his teenage heroines.

Jonny Appleseed (Joshua Whitehead, 2018) - a novel that starts with a young two-spirit sex worker trying to get home for his step-dad's funeral, spinning out into a quiet meditation on family, queerness, and the complicated pains and joys of going back to the place that made you when it can't quite love you back. it hit a little hard, seeing as I read it while staying with my mom/on the plane going back to my own extremely queer adult life.

I may very well still polish off another book or two, since I'm tying this from an airport and have hours to go before I'm done, but that's where we're going to call it for 2021. not to shamelessly self-promote, but starting tomorrow I'll be embarking on a quest to fill out my own 2022 reading bingo and if anyone else wants to download a sheet and hop onboard I would love to be tagged to see your progress and get some hot new book recs!