grayson

because when you get down to it, my life isn't about the costumes or the bad guys. it's not about cities or symbols. it's way simpler than that. i mean, i grew up in a circus. it's always been about catching people when they fall.

[catalystsofchange]

stxrsfires​:

@catalystsofchange

( 📩 → richard! 🤩✨🌟💙 ): I got a new microwave! ( 📩 → richard! 🤩✨🌟💙 ): I did not explode this one yet. 😁 ( 📩 → richard! 🤩✨🌟💙 ): I can make popcorn once more! No foil will be going into this one.  ( 📩 → richard! 🤩✨🌟💙 ): I have made sure of it. I will be consulting the Google next time.  ( 📩 → richard! 🤩✨🌟💙 ): That way I do not lose Microwave #3! 

(✉️ ➡️ sunshine): hey, that’s great news! (✉️ ➡️ sunshine): make sure no metal goes in there, either (✉️ ➡️ sunshine): i’ve lost more than my fair share of microwaves to rogue spoons (✉️ ➡️ sunshine): don’t tell jason that, though

[catalystsofchange]

[catalystsofchange]

anxietylanterncruz​:

You did great. He said it in a way that Jessica couldn’t tell if he was being honest or not. With Simon, it was easy to tell when he was saying things to placate her — to keep her from having a meltdown in the middle of a battlefield or otherwise shirk her responsibilities as a Green Lantern. (Which was fair, very fair.) But this wasn’t her partner. This was new and strange and Jessica sat in silence for a moment, legs pulled to her chest and arms wrapped around them, finding comfort in feeling small.

But she decided not to press it. Worse case scenario he didn’t mean it — and even worse, he might tell her he didn’t if she did confront him about it. “You took a pretty nasty hit back there,” she mumbled, glancing in his direction as he moved. Nightwing frequently patrolled the cities around here, but the universe at large? “You did great too. I would have been down and out if I had been clipped by that.”

/

Dick’s life could be sorted into slices. Nightwing was its own thing, separate from Robin and Batman but connected all the same. The Flying Graysons were another, colored by nostalgia and grief. And Dick Grayson, too was a separate piece of the pie. It was Dick Grayson, not Nightwing or Robin or Batman or the circus performer, who knew how to reassure someone who was clearly feeling less than confident after a scary experience. Nightwing, Robin, and Batman were superheroes. The last remaining Flying Grayson was a showman. But Dick? Dick was a big brother. And that often taught him more than the other things combined.

The Lantern didn’t comment on his reassurances, but she didn’t seem less comfortable after he said them, either, and he figured that was a win. He smiled at her concern, waving it off with a shrug. “I’ve been doing this since I was eight,” he said, flashing a quick thumbs up. “If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s how to take a punch. And how to swing into the fall.” 

[catalystsofchange]

@itsbxtgirl

(✉️ ➡️ eggplant parmesan): hey, so (✉️ ➡️ eggplant parmesan): the riddler set up some kind of weird domino thing, and i may or may not be trapped under a giant glass dome a couple blocks from your apartment (✉️ ➡️ eggplant parmesan): if i buy you a shake, can you come bust me out?  (✉️ ➡️ eggplant parmesan): if i buy you two shakes, can you not put this in the group chat?

[catalystsofchange]

greatestarcher​:

@catalystsofchange sent 12﹕ a  text  that  wasn’t  meant  for  the  receiver

[📱to The Disaster Artist ] boy do I have the pitch for you! [📱to Unknown ] have you ever felt like you have too many clothes? that your furniture just isn’t holey enough for you? have you ever found yourself sitting down and relaxing, and lacking an acute sense of anxiety over whether or not someone somewhere is eating something they shouldn’t be? well, starting today, you can be one of the lucky few to experience Jeff! act now, don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity! [📱to Unknown ] listen I need a babysitter, please

(✉️ ➡️ shark tank?): wow (✉️ ➡️ shark tank?): that is the single most tempting pitch i’ve ever heard in my life (✉️ ➡️ shark tank?): is jeff an animal? i really hope jeff isn’t a baby. i feel like babies shouldn’t be stealing your clothes or putting holes in your furniture (✉️ ➡️ shark tank?): i know i’m a complete stranger, but i kind of want to experience jeff.

[batfamonline]

[catalystsofchange]

rxdshood​:

[ fight ]   my  muse  stops  your  muse  from  getting  into  a  physical  fight  with  someone  else @catalystsofchange​

This felt like something out of an old, dusty memory. Barely even five foot and a chip on his shoulder, something to prove to the world that had been so intent on seeing the bad in him, in his situation. Immediately lashing out when something got underneath his skin, far too close to a button. These guys weren’t even worth his time if Jason were being honest, but the anger came to light all too easily at their jeers they had been throwing at people passing by. Fingers curling up into a fist, about to hit the guy nearest before he was stopped by an all too familiar, annoying figure. 

The guys were quick to scatter, Jason wheeling around to face Dick, practically snarling. “Are you serious?” He snapped harshly, “Seriously, what the fuck? I didn’t ask for you to interfere, in this, in my life—” Jason hissed out, gloved fingers jabbing harshly against the bright blue bird on the older man’s chest. “I am not something for you to try to handle, because that’s what you’re trying to do, right? Handle the problem child. I am a grown man, I’m not that thirteen year old that you barely gave a shit about.” It was a bad habit, venomous words dripping off of his tongue when he got angry. It was what Jason did best: violently push others away. 

/

He used to be able to pick Jason up. He thought about it sometimes, remembered the days when separating his little brother from a fight was as easy as tossing him over his shoulder and marching away, ignoring the screaming in his ear. Things were so much easier then, and not just because Jason was smaller. Back then, Dick could talk him down. He could offer reassurances that Jason would actually believe, could say Batman isn’t gonna let them get away, Robin, let’s go deal with the henchmen and be met with a reluctant nod instead of an argument. Back then, Jason trusted Dick. 

Dick wasn’t so sure that was the case anymore.

“I’m serious,” Dick confirmed, leaning back on his heels. “Come on, Hood, those guys are assholes but they’re not worth a damn fist fight. They’re nuisances. Better to focus on something worth your focus, right?” His smile, stiff and forced already, faltered when his little brother continued, falling off his face all at once. Jason did this, when he got mad. He lashed out, he hit you where he knew it would hurt. What Dick had never known for sure was whether he believed the things he said, or if he just wanted to poke at a bruise until it was black. “I always cared about you,” he said defensively, and he had. He hadn’t always known how to express it, was the problem. He’d been a teenager, been so furious at Bruce that he couldn’t stand it, been jealous of Jason for wearing a costume Bruce had taken from him and having a piece of paper from a judge that made all the journalists refer to him as a son instead of a ward. Dick hadn’t particularly wanted a little brother, but he’d loved Jason anyway. And sometimes, he was pretty sure that Jason didn’t know that. It stung a little. “Can we not do this today?”

[catalystsofchange]

sharcarters​:

”  i’m just so fucking tired.  ”

@catalystsofchange

“You and me both.” The words came fast. Nearly dismissive. But there was no humor in her eyes. Nothing that suggested this was the normal casual exchange where she ribbed him for no reason, dragging up anything and everything to irritate him. There was an unnatural pause where Sharon shifted, looking at him like she was hoping he’d notice something was off — hoping that he’d ask. (But he was tired. And god, if she couldn’t relate to that.)

“You’re gonna hate me here in two seconds.” If he didn’t already. Sharon pushed off the wall and then dropped a thumb drive on the table in front of him. “Remember how I said you can’t stop my people? They’re an idea. I’m an idea as long as only a handful of people know me and what I do.” She tapped the thumb drive before pushing it towards him. “Someone wants to replace me. Which puts you in the line of fire.”

/

It was strange, the stability of this relationship. Dick’s life was full of ever-changing dynamics and shaky ground, full of connections that could be turned upside down in a moment thanks to big personalities and short tempers. His siblings would always have his back, but they might not always return his calls. He’d do anything for Bruce, but sometimes he ducked his head and hopped off the roof when he saw Batman coming. Things with Sharon were different. They were predictable, the same every time. There was always animosity. There was always a sort of kinship lurking beneath it. There was always a refusal to admit to that. 

But there was something different about her demeanor today, and Dick noticed it because he always did, because his heart was too big for his damn body, because he’d never once let anything slide. He started to comment on it, but she beat him to it when she spoke again. “Maybe I already do,” he joked, but he didn’t. He’d never hated her, even when she’d first shown up in New York and he’d felt like his world was falling apart. But as she continued, all hints of humor fell from his expression. “Do they know who I am?” It wasn’t quite an accusation, but it was close. “Is my family in the line of fire here, too?”

[catalystsofchange]

libertycaps​:

i did my best. || @catalystsofchange

Steve felt it lingering in the air before Nightwing even opened his mouth. Fighting Doc Ock was only the beginning of a very productive partnership, and Steve’s desire to keep moving, keep fighting, keep doing something was matched perfectly by the man sitting beside him on the rooftop. Steve passed half of his sandwich over to the other man, and that was all that was needed to break the dam, to remind him of sitting in the compound beside Wanda talking about how if we stop, maybe no one gets saved.

It seemed an inevitable burden of heroism to wonder about the people you couldn’t save. They’d managed to stop an invasion of killer eels on the streets of NYC, but Nightwing wasn’t focusing on what they’d achieved; he was focusing on the one woman who suffered a broken arm during the chaos. “She’ll get better,” Steve said, knowing immediately what he was referring to. “She has the chance to get better, because of us.” A question occurred to Steve, and he figured if Nightwing could provide him clarity, he might feel a little better in himself. “Is it harder when they talk about you without knowing who you are?” he asked. Was it worse to have his actions criticised and compared to his history, or did he get it easier because people could rationalise why Steve Rogers acted that way? Was anonymity a protector or another knife in Nightwing’s side?

/

Alfred used to disapprove of the way Bruce included Dick in his crimefighting. He’d never said as much to Dick, probably well aware of the fact that Dick would take it seven different shades of the wrong way, but Dick had seen it in his eyes more than once. He’d overheard it once, just after they’d come back from a patrol, when the sun was just starting to peek out over the city and Bruce had sent him off to sleep. He remembered sitting at the top of the stairs, hidden by the wall, and listening to Alfred speak in hushed tones. That boy has a heart too big for Gotham, he’d said, and you doing this, you taking him out there... I’m afraid you’re going to break it, Master Bruce. 

And Alfred was never wrong. Dick didn’t think he knew how to be. Because when things happened, when people got hurt? Dick took it just as hard now as he had at eight years old, when he’d been a beat too slow to pull someone out of range of the Joker’s bullets or Scarecrow’s gas. The woman who’d been hurt in his and Steve’s rescue tonight hadn’t been hurt badly, but Dick knew how little that could matter. He knew how even the smallest injury could stick in your head for decades after the fact. “It was my fault,” he pointed out. “She wouldn’t have been standing there if I hadn’t told her to stay put.” He sighed, taking Steve’s sandwich and just... holding it in his hand. Not taking a bite, not moving. It might have been comical if he didn’t look so miserable about the whole thing. “Nightwing is who I am,” he replied with a half shrug. “I’ve been wearing a version of this mask since I was eight years old. I’m... I’m more myself like this than I am as a civilian, I think. I know more about Nightwing than I know about the other guy. But...” He trailed off for a moment, considering. “I’m famous as a civilian, too. When people talk about me there, it feels more uncomfortable. It feels more like they don’t know me.”

[catalystsofchange]

i did my best. // @anxietylanterncruz​

“Hey, you did great,” Dick assured her, flashing her a thumbs up even as he let his head drop back onto the concrete roof. Nights like this had a way of reminding him, in no uncertain terms, that this kind of thing was probably way easier with superpowers. Or a magic ring.

Dick didn’t get tired often. He’d always had more energy than he knew what to do with, always been full to the brim with so much bouncing excitement that it often tired Bruce out well before their nightly patrols as Batman and Robin were finished. But he was only human, and there was nothing like fighting a whole group of aliens to remind him of that. “I’m good,” he told the Lantern, another thumbs up punctuating the sentence, “I’m great. I’m just doing post fight stretches.”

[catalystsofchange]

roi-des-voleurs​:

//

Whether it would break the lizard people’s hearts or not, Remy was still intrigued by that being something this guy encountered. Being a member of the X-Men made someone pretty used to weird events, sure, but most of that was still tied in to being a mutant in the first place. There being a place where everyone saw things like that sounded wild. “Gotham, huh? T'ink I might’ve heard o’ it, but I don’ remember nothin’ ‘bout lizards. If dey’re tame, what’s worse? Killer rabbits?”

If anyone would get blamed for a mishap, it was Remy. He got blamed for things that were not his fault all the time. (Ok, things that were only partially his fault.) “Non, I’d be de one t’ get de blame. People 'round here know who t’ yell at when somet'ing blows up. Wouldn’t want de family t’ be hard on you unnecessarily.” He sort of understood that; after all, the X-Men were like his family now. “Ooo, a circus? Dat must’ve been fun! But, um, you weren’t a clown, were you? 'Cause I gotta confess, clowns kinda creep me out.”

/

It was strange, the idea that Gotham was a fairly small speck on the map for most people. For the people who were from there, it seemed so important, so vital. It had a larger-than-life quality about it, a danger that followed you wherever you went. But to this man? It was a place he’d heard of only in the vaguest terms. Dick couldn’t tell if he envied that or pitied it. Somehow, it was almost like he was feeling both at the same time. “Sure, we got lizards. Killer clowns. Fear gas, like, twice a month. Supervillains who make you answer riddles before they kill you. You name it, we got it.” For better or worse.

He chuckled, nodding his head. “All right, as long as you promise to take the blame.” It wasn’t like it’d be unearned blame or anything. It seemed to Dick like the guy probably deserved to have a few fingers pointed his way every now and again. “It was fun, yeah. I wasn’t the clown, no.” Which was probably a good thing, given how he’d ended up in Gotham. Clowns were hardly anyone’s favorite thing there. “I was an acrobat.” As if to prove this point, Dick hopped off the ledge and onto the roof, tucking into a flip and landing in a handstand, then balancing himself up on three fingers. “See? Still got it.”

[catalystsofchange]

colleenrand​:

[ text ]: I don’t want to go out today. I’d rather wear wet socks all day.

@catalystsofchange

(✉️ ➡️ Dick ): that’s actually disgusting (✉️ ➡️ Dick ): more disgusting than rosie and her pudding cup jackets (✉️ ➡️ Dick ): and i’ve had my hand in one of those! it feels nasty!  (✉️ ➡️ Dick ): the kids are ranking gotham heroes and i thought you, mr gotham, might have some opinions on that

(✉️ ➡️ insert dragon emoji): that’s exactly why i’m using it as a comparison! so you know how little i want to go out. (✉️ ➡️ insert dragon emoji): ...why did you have your hand in one of those? was it on purpose? (✉️ ➡️ insert dragon emoji): ooh, what are their rankings? did they put batgirl as #1? if not, tell ‘em they’re wrong

[catalystsofchange]

the-hellblxzer​:

//

There were plenty of crazy things John had seen over the years, and no, this was not the craziest. But it also was pretty hysterically ludicrous, and true to his word, he was not sure he wanted to hear how Dick ended up in this situation. The little clay being on its own would have been pretty funny. It trying to hit someone made it even funnier. But it trying to hit Dick while he was hanging upside down and trying to hit it at the same time? That took the cake. 

John stared up at the amusing stalemate, trying not to chuckle. Once Dick started to talk though, he just could not help it. “Yeah, on th’ one hand, I think ignorance is bliss here. But on th’ other, I wouldn’t mind hearin’ you try ta blab yer way outta it.” The clay being was most likely magic, so Dick was not wrong. But as to it being John’s jurisdiction, that was another story. “Uh, I ain’t th’ one who did whatever you probably did ta piss it off, an’ if there’s one rule in magic, it’s that you gotta clean up yer own mess.” No, that was not a rule, and it if was, John would not abide by it anyway. He just wanted to try and leave Dick, ahem, hanging for a bit. “What d'you want me ta do, anyway? Give you both some boxin’ gloves so you can have a fair fight?”

/

Oh, Constantine was loving this. Dick could see it on his face, the amusement he was trying to hide. He figured he should probably be grateful that he wasn’t just laughing, but he was a little too tired to manage it. Not the physical kind of tired, of course --- Dick could hang upside down for hours without wearing himself out, had done it for far longer than this just for fun --- but the mental kind. You dealt with stuff like this on a week-by-week basis, and you kind of grew tired of it all.

“You know I’d do a damn good job. I’m great at talking.” It was one of his favorite skills and, in any normal situation, he probably would have jumped at the chance. But trying to talk his way around this one wouldn’t do him much good. “I didn’t do anything,” Dick groaned, rubbing at his face with his hands. “I was literally just walking down the street! And how am I supposed to clean this up? I don’t know anything about magic!” Sure, Zee had talked about it during their relationship, but it usually went right over Dick’s head. “I don’t know, undo whatever magic is making it... sentient? It’s clay.”

[catalystsofchange]

sharcarters​:

There were few things in this world that Sharon didn’t know about. And this was one of those things she had let gloss over her desk. An unopened file filled with notes about his past and what could have driven him to look like this. She could have opened that file. Probably should have. They had promised each other mutually assured destruction, and she had told herself that merely having the file filled with all his personal information was enough. But then moments like this happened where the only insight she had on him was physical cues. Things she did herself when things got… rough. Harder than normal. Confused. (In fact, she had worn that expression herself only a few short weeks ago.) “I’m sure I could dress it up in a way you’d think I should make it. And you’d accept it.” Selling an apology was like selling anything else. It didn’t always require honesty. It just required pretty words to be delivered in the right order.

“I had a home for a few weeks there,” Sharon reminded him. She had lost it because of her own decisions. The shit she had gotten herself into backfiring in New York City — and now it felt like everything was out of control. (Or it would be if she didn’t get her hand on it fast.) “It is what it is,” she echoed. “Do you trust this place?”

“I would,” Dick agreed, because that wasn’t in question. If there was one thing he was good at, after all, it was accepting apologies. It didn’t matter if they were genuine, didn’t matter if he knew the other person was lying. Someone said I’m sorry, and Dick Grayson said it’s okay because that was what you did. Even if they didn’t mean it, even if it wasn’t okay, even if the ache in his chest still went so deep that he couldn’t breathe around it, that was what you did. You accepted whatever apology the people around you saw fit to make, because what choice did you have? What option? If you said no, what were you opening yourself up to but more pain? At least this way, Dick could pretend he was okay.

He just... wasn’t as good at pretending as he used to be.

Exhaling sharply out his nose, Dick nodded. “I remember,” he offered. “And I’m sorry you lost it.” And he was. In spite of everything, he was. That was another thing that always seemed to be true, no matter what he did; Dick was always sorry. Glancing up to meet her eye, he furrowed his brow. “Bludhaven? This apartment? This country?” It didn’t matter what she meant --- the answer to all of them was the same. “I don’t know. I used to, I think. A long time ago. But... I’ve never been good at staying in one place for long. I grew up in the circus, you know? We moved around so much, I couldn’t have told you where I was from if you’d asked back then. These days, I’d just say Gotham, but... I don’t feel it. I don’t think I trust this place. I don’t think I trust any place. It’s always felt temporary.” 

[catalystsofchange]

rxdshood​:

***

“Are you surprised at this point? You’re just setting yourself up to be let down time and time again. He’ll adopt all the kids, but barely knows how to take care of himself without Alfred babysitting him. We all know this man has a savior complex. Gotta save Gotham, gotta save the next civilian who was stupid enough to walk right into another Riddler trap, gotta save the kid who needs a new shitty dad.” Jason snorted loudly, head lolling back onto the back of the couch. “I’ll take it over Willis though,” he said after a pause, “motherfucker was mean.” It was putting it lightly. He could remember far too many instances at standing up to the man who was once again drunk off his ass, threatening his mother. It never ended well. Bruce was shitty, always had been, but never like that. Jason would blame the mild concussion on his inclination to actually share any of this with Dick.

“The little shit just needs to realize like the rest of us did that Bruce had a tendency to be a total let down when it comes to being there when you need or want him.” He drawled out with a shrug, “he’ll figure it out soon enough if he hasn’t already.” Jason stopped hoping long ago that the man he had shared a burger with after attempting to steal the wheels off the Batmobile would be what he wanted—needed. A smirk pulled up on the man’s face as he looked at Dick and mused, “not harder, hollower. Nothin’ but air and a few packing peanuts up there, huh?” He asked, flipping his middle finger at the older man as he let out a far too pleased laugh at his own joke. 

/

“Yes,” Dick snapped, running a hand through his hair. Sighing, he closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. “No. I don’t know. I just thought...” That things would be different this time. Wasn’t that always the trap Dick fell into? He and Bruce fought, they fell out, something happened, and Dick came back and apologized, fell back in line, figured things would get better now. But it was always him apologizing. It was always him giving something up. And he didn’t think it was supposed to be that way, but what did he know? His biological father died long before Dick was old enough to begin disagreeing with him, and Bruce was the only substitute he’d ever really known. Jason was different, he knew. His brother mentioned Willis, and Dick almost said something, almost offered an apology or a listening ear, but... Experience had taught him that that never went well, with Jay. 

Sighing again, Dick shook his head. “He’s a kid,” he said, sounding about as helpless as he felt. “He shouldn’t have to learn that.” Damian had already been through so much, and Dick wanted, desperately, to protect him from everything. He wanted to wrap him up and hide him from the world, wanted to do the same for Jason, for Tim, for Cass, for Duke. He wanted to be a decent big brother to make up for everything else, but no one had ever taught him how to do that, either. In spite of the heaviness in his chest, he huffed a laugh at Jason’s dig. “Got more in my head than you’ve got in yours. Be honest, do you wear the helmet to cover up the way there’s nothing happening in there? Hide that glazed over look in your eyes? Or is it just to keep anybody from seeing how bad your hair looks.” He reached up as he said it, using a hand to mess up Jason’s hair and probably risking losing the limb in the process. Totally worth it.

[catalystsofchange]

where is your muse most qualified to give advice about?

Not relationships, but boy does he try anyway!

I think Dick is very qualified to give advice about heroism, though! It’s something he’s been doing since he was a very young child, and as a result, he’s incredibly experienced in spite of still being fairly young in the grand scheme of things. He’s been a vigilante for well over half his life and during that time, he’s worked with a wide variety of teams and people. I think one thing that sets Dick apart from most of them is the way he still feels with his whole heart, in spite of everything. He’s been at this longer than a lot of people, and he hasn’t become jaded or hardened by it. He cares, maybe a little too much. And I think he has a lot of wisdom to share there and a lot of advice to give, but he probably wouldn’t do it unprompted. He doesn’t want to act like a know it all, but he still kind of is one.

[catalystsofchange]

glxrious-purpose​:

[Unknown] The colon and right parenthesis is supposed to be telling me something, is it not? [Unknown] The “best magician ever”? Really. And is this person a mortal? If so, then I soundly reject that claim. [Unknown] Well, considering I have little regard for mortals’ opinions, I doubt I will listen to any disagreement anyway. And yes, I have become unfortunately aware of that. Which only proves how foolish you all are. [Unknown] A good deal more than you have. But considering I have accomplished quite a bit in a thousand years, I fear it would take far too long for me to list everything. And if I have fallen short in any of my endeavors, it is only because they have involved mortals. You have no idea where and how I might be ruling, so you would do well not to make assumptions. But sadly that is much of what I have been forced to do on Midgard, which would not be necessary if you mortals would simply listen for a change.

(✉️ ➡️ feed me): sure (✉️ ➡️ feed me): you can ‘soundly reject’ as many claims as you want, but that doesn’t make them any less true (✉️ ➡️ feed me): if you don’t have regard for anyone else’s opinions, don’t expect them to have any regard for yours. you’re the one sounding foolish here, man.  (✉️ ➡️ feed me): sounds like a cop out answer to me. anybody who takes credit for his successes and blames his failures on everybody else loses any kind of credibility he’s got pretty much immediately. if you want people to ‘listen’ to you, step one is ‘stop being an asshole.’ and something tells me you’ve failed step one. a lot.