Also for those who have never participated in one of our events before a "/" means "or". So, for example "Friends/Enemies to Lovers" means that you could pick either "Friends to Lovers" OR "Enemies to Lovers". We do this to save on space mostly and to get as many prompts onto the sheet as possible. But, nothing is stopping you if you want to do both, just wanted to clarify that they are technically separate prompts.
Here are some links to help you find things on this blog:
Rules and Info
AO3 Collection
Plain Text Prompts
DC Rarepair Week Facts
Also, if you like this event, check out our other event: DC Multiverse Week
“How many fail safes have been used against the League?”
The statement was met with a deafening silence. And it was a statement. Because the answer was obvious. Being enacted by blue, faceless drones. Converted and turned into zombies by Knights injected into unwilling Metta humans kidnapped by a satellite Batman created for the sole purpose, to track of the league another powerful Meta humans.
Even metres underground insulated and sound proof, the Batcave was not exempt from explosive vibrations of the battle that reached around the world as lifeless, Blue zombies, controlled by Nanites battled heroes and villains alike.
“Every time you witness Diana pull off a miracle she din’t think she herself was capable off. When you look at her battered body, that saved countless souls, and only just managed to survive the ordeal.”
Click, one step.
Click, click two more steps echo in the near silent Batcave and Raven, father’s girlfriend reached Batman’s rigid back.
“Do you think, we are so lucky to have her? The day is saved! If not for her perseverance, we could've had a catastrophe in our hands. Diana truly lives up to her name as wonder, woman.”
Raising her bronze hand, Raven places a palm on Batman's arm shoulder. Another hand reaches up and gently pulls down his cowl.
But the silence continues, and Damien nor his siblings, some older, some younger, one and all called in on the emergency line, dare speak a word.
“Or, do you after perhaps that initial thought, begin to analyse, in that Machiavellian mind of yours, how if Diana with all her power ever turned against you, you’d bring her down?”
Damian saw the frown marring Batman’s face. But when Raven gently turned him to face her, Bruce looked at Raven with troubled eyes, full of guilt.
“My love, it has not gone unnoticed by me, how you watch me. How are you admire me And then when you witness me, do something humanly impossible, something so outside the realm of the possibility that exists in your mind, a frown appears on your brow.”
Her hand left Father shoulder to caress the lines that even now were permanently etched between his eyebrows. I don't know if she healed him, or if her touch really had the effect of bringing him peace, Raven taking in his troubles as her own, listening, his burns that removed those three lines that Damien had thought you are a permanent fixture.
“A moment later, how utterly ashamed and guilty you feel for thinking such thoughts. About a Titan. About a colleague. About a Comrade in arms.”
Damien witnessed something, he never thought he would. His father's shoulders, sagging, with each of her words.
“About your lover, the woman you love most in this world.”
His father looked devastated.
Defeated in a way, Damien had never conceived. No one made sound, not him nor his siblings. They were literally shocked to silence.
“When you ask me questions about how we would go about defeating trigon, the embodiment of evil, should he ever fully recover. Who is my Sire.”
Bruce Wayne looked utterly lost. I don't think Father even remembers the Batfamily is present, scattered around the cave, witnessing this moment of vulnerability.
“How would we render powerless an agent of order, Dr Fate, you ask me in that innocuous tone of voice. Controlling micro expressions and voice modulation could hide emotions from an empath. Your own lover, who loves you, pays attention to you to your every thought and action. Who is a witness to your life for so many years?”
In the stillness of the cave, I have father's breath hitch. In shock, presumably. His eyebrows down crest, just like his shoulders.
“I feel your shame as you war with yourself. The man who loves me, with the man who feels that protecting the world means suspecting his allies instead of trusting them, offering them comfort, and having hope. I know my love of your nightmares where your contingency against me is realised, and you cry over my broken lifeless body as you have done before with Jason and witnessed countless others.”
All the scars on Father psych were laid bear.
Damian watches as a tear slips down Alfred's eye. The butler stood still crying silently, as he held the tray brimming with bandages & antiseptic. In self-loathing, Father rejected Alfred’s treatment.
“My love,” Raven cups Father’s chin forcing him to meet her gaze. “You are not as subtle as you think you are. I am well aware with your mind and my knowledge, no one would be safe. And you know that is not how I think. How I want my knowledge used. And that is not how you used to think. The man who defied Amanda Waller, even after she taunted him with ‘rich boy’, allowed Ace the dignity of a peaceful death with a compassionate witness. Instead of injecting her with some vile poison concocted by Cadmus.”
For the first time, since I saw the defeated look on my father, shoulders I see hope shine in his eyes. Is there a light at the end of this tunnel? They ask Raven? They implore her let it be true.
This is not the way of the bat. Batman shows no vulnerability. No indecisiveness.
A side of father, Damien had never conceived is revealed to him, and Damian is ashamed that he had thought otherwise that he had thought father was not human at all, incapable of human fallacies.
The strength he showed Gotham and us must have been such a heavy burden on father's shoulders.
One Father must carry alone.
Perhaps until he met Raven. And she, an empath, his girlfriend, took some of that weight onto herself.
“So let me ask you again, my love. How many times must your failsafe, the ones you justify for the protection of humanity, be used against your friends and allies, who in actuality, haven’t done anything wrong, before you decide to change strategies. And vow to no longer see your loved ones as possible adversaries.”
A particularly brutal vibration reminds Damien of the battle raging above ground. The most recent example of Batman fail safe, gone wrong. Maxwell Lord and BrotherEye had a lot to answer for.
But Damian admitted, so did Father.
Bruce and Raven, too wrapped up in themselves to notice the ground shift.
With his cowl down Father probably can't hear the updates from Oracle’s system. His attention taken up by his much younger longtime girlfriend caressing his cheek, looking deep into his eyes and posing the most difficult rhetorical.
“Batman constructed Brother Eye to monitor the entire superhero community — not just the Justice League, but everyone. It stands for truth and justice.”
“It was an action born out of distrust, my love. And you are Batman and he is you. Do not try to distance yourself from your actions.”
There is a defiance in Father's eyes.
Raven looks Father Square in the eyes. “I know it has been hard for you. You feel angry and frustrated. If you recall, I was the one who found the memory wipe in your psyche. And you're lashing out because you feel no one is standing beside you. But the world needs a hopeful Batman.”
Perhaps something passed between Father and his much younger girlfriend that Damien missed, because Raven lets out the harshest, most cynical laugh Damien has ever heard. Much less a sound the empath was thought capable of.
Raven grips Father’s chin in a vice like grip. The skin going white with blood loss.
“Do you think so? That your mind is safe? That if you keep your contingencies in your thoughts alone, no one will ever know. Never exploit them?”
This time there are gaps all around the cave.
Dick and Jay know how Raven’s ability works. While an empath who feels others emotions as her own, with skin contact Raven can easily read a persons mind.
And father’s mind is seemly an open book to her.
Damien feels himself flinch and realises he's taken a step back. Retreating from the thought of such a violation. Someone rifling through his mind. But Father does something that shocks Damien even further.
Bruce lifts his hand, presumably to break Raven’s grip on his skin. But the hand wraps around his girlfriend's wrist, pulling her closer. He breaks her grip only to shift her hand to cup his face more fully.
He nuzzles her skin, seeking comfort, solidarity, understanding.
“I know.” Father say wailingly.
Damian's eyes go wide, Father admitting to a mistake?
And even more surprisingly, a smile breaks out on Raven's face. It's as a spring has arrived, and the world is beautiful and full of hope.
She rests a gentle hand on his shoulder. Father’s eyes light up, with hope?
And Damien feels the gesture is Raven promising to always stand by Father’s side.
“You see a person in me,” he responds. “I sense that. It changes me. Or rather, it makes me willing to change.”
“Together, my love, we will do it together.”
“Yes. Together. I believe that.”
It's sickening to watch Father fawn over Raven. He kisses each finger with each promise in a mockery of counting.
“I trust you with my life Raven.”
A kiss
“With my thoughts and my nightmares.”
Another kiss.
Someone, anyone get me out of here, Damian looks around frantically Only to catch the trio of former and present Batgirls, smiling with misty eyes.
Even Dick looks moved, and Jason wears a thin knowing smile.
They have all gone mad, Damien thinks. I'm supposed to trust these people to watch my back.
“And I hope someday, I will be worthy of yours.”
“Let me tell you a secret, my love. Be it Bruce Wayne or the Batman, I trust you wholeheartedly. I trust you with my life. But my darling, how things have been, I don't trust you with yours.”
Father looks hurt and finally, does the sensible thing of moving away from an empath who literally read his mind.
But Raven, not giving him a chance to recover, reaches back and fixes the cowl back over his head and eyes.
She fuses a bit. Once satisfied, Raven lets the masked Batman go.
Lifting a hand, darkness rushes over to Raven, awaiting her command.
“Where too?”
She trusts Father, Damien realises.
Raven will stand beside Father.
As will, Damian and his brother and sister is in arms. And after they defeat this enemy, they will come back home to Alfred, who will bake them pastries in celebration.
And Batman, he always has a plan.
A door sized mystical Portal awaited.
It tore a gap in the empty air above the uneven floor of the batcave.
Stalactites high above luminous Portal dripped water, which evaporated upon contact.
Just a reminder that this event is mostly done by writers and that the authors don't have to share their works on Tumblr (some like to remain anonymous), so if you're looking to see some of this year's submissions, you'll want to check out our AO3 Collection!
Also for those who have never participated in one of our events before a "/" means "or". So, for example "Friends/Enemies to Lovers" means that you could pick either "Friends to Lovers" OR "Enemies to Lovers". We do this to save on space mostly and to get as many prompts onto the sheet as possible. But, nothing is stopping you if you want to do both, just wanted to clarify that they are technically separate prompts.
Here are some links to help you find things on this blog:
Rules and Info
AO3 Collection
Plain Text Prompts
DC Rarepair Week Facts
Also, if you like this event, check out our other event: DC Multiverse Week
Is it okay for works for this week to also fulfill prompts for another event (eg, femslash February)? I didn't see it in the rules and wanted to double check
Yes! Absolutely! Just make sure to tag us too, so we know to reblog your work 😁👍 (and if the days don't line up, feel free to post late to accommodate the other event. We're super chill here. All we care about is our rarepairs getting love ❤️)
Dick Rare Pairs presents THE YEAR OF WORLD’S FINEST
Attention, fellow Rare Pair Connoisseurs, we are embarking on a new voyage with Dick Rare Pairs. ⛵ Themed years lie ahead! We’re looking forward to inspiring you to take a look at Dick’s underrepresented relationships through bingos and, maybe, some other smaller projects.
🎡 WHAT WILL THE YEAR OF WORLD’S FINEST CHANGE?
The Year of World’s Finest adds bingos to the year-long Dick Rare Pair Challenge mix. The individual 4x4 bingos of this year are picture-based!
You may tell us whether you want a Classic Covers, Modern Covers or Mixed Covers Bingo. Covers created after 1990 are considered Modern. All WF covers feature Dick in small or big roles.
How the covers inspire is up to you.
Maybe you are interested in that moment, the one before or after. Maybe you enjoy a pose. Maybe you think Dick should be part of another World’s Finest trio or in another continuity! Or are you interested in checking out the story behind it? There’s even crossover potential.
🤸♂️ There are World’s Finest Trios other than Bruce, Clark & Dick?
Not trios but duos, which makes Dick fit in perfectly! Characters DC has called World’s (or Worlds’) Finest are Power Girl & Huntress, Batwoman & Supergirl and now of course Kara and Dick too. Furthermore, World’s Finest started out as an anthology, so a lot of characters used to be published under the name before it became known for the tree heroes continuously starring on its covers.
🅱️ HOW DO I GET A BINGO CARD?
Decide whether you want a completely randomized bingo or stick to either Classic Covers or Modern Covers.
Write us an ask about it.
The Bingo Card will be created and then posted on this Tumblr. Your name is going to be @/ed if you send the ask without choosing anonymous.
HOW DO I SHARE A BINGO?
Simply @dick-rarepairs in your post. We’ll also keep an eye on #theyearofworldsfinest.
You are free to share your fanworks with us as you create them. You do not have to wait to reach a bingo.
Get a Badge after completing it!
🎪 WHAT WILL THE YEAR OF WORLD’S FINEST NOT CHANGE?
Anything else. You are free to share any Dick rare pair with us and claim the fanworks prize under the usual conditions.
Remind me, what does not count as a Dick Rare Pair?
Dick’s relationships with Jason Todd, Wally West, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Koriand'r, Slade Wilson, Roy Harper and Reader are considered common.
Poly-Relationships are considered common if there is no rare character represented within the dynamic. This applies to romantic and platonic relationships.
--- Clark/Dick/Bruce ✅ Rare Pair
--- Kory/Dick/Bruce ❌ Common Pair
Which Fanworks can I share?
Any Dick Rare Pair fanworks may be shared, but we have the fanworks prize restricted to fanart, fanfic and fanmeta.
Ahhhh! It's January and I haven't finished even one submission!!! 😱
Who here has started on their submissions?
I'm DONE!!!
I'm most of the way done
I'm about half way done
I just started
I have NOT started
I'm only planning on reading/viewing other people's submissions
Voting ended onJan 12
*For the purpose of this poll, "done" means you have completed what you planned to contribute. If you only plan to participate in 3 out of 7 days, then done for you would mean those 3 are completed.
Hi! This might be a stupid question. What is the difference between prompts? Like the first one is all caps, then theres 3 the same color, and the last one is obviously a quote.
Example:
TRUST
Battle Couple
Secret Relationship
Identity Reveal
“I trust you with my life but not yours”
I cant figure out what the difference is between the all caps and the other three. Is it a theme instead?
Absolutely NOT a dumb question. We actually get asked this at least once every year and without fail, we forget to answer this question proactively 😅 (each year's prompt poster is also slightly different, so I feel going over it fresh is justified)
Yes, if little to no content is being created, it's automatically a rarepair
No, if it shows up in canon, it's automatically disqualified from being "rare"
Other (I'll explain in the comments/tags)
Voting ended onDec 29, 2025
For example: Wally West and Linda Park are married in the comics but this ship doesn't seem to have the popularity that BirdFlash does (Wally West x Dick Grayson)
