( kento yamazaki. 25. he/they. nonbinary. ) are you a HERO ? something tells me that loose change sitting in the cupholder of your car, calloused palms, drinking a rootbeer float on a sunday afternoon make you who you are, RICHARD “DICK” GRAYSON. with the powers of ACROBATICS, you’re sure to have a steadfast, obstinate personality — and you definitely belong to UNAFFILIATED. were you listening to USO by SID on your way to the subway ? it suits you. we can’t wait to see what you do next ! ( @reshieldedintro )
[ 🐣 ] 𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚉𝙸𝙽𝙶 . . . statistics.
━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄: richard “dick” grayson.
━ 𝐀𝐆𝐄: twenty five.
━ 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌: kento yamazaki.
━ 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌: in a perfect world daisuke ono but alas, kento yamazaki.
━ 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒: batfam. teen titans. young justice. birds of prey.
━ 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘: bruce wayne ( adoptive father ). tim drake / jason todd / damian wayne / stephanie brown / cassandra cain ( adoptive siblings ).
━ 𝐙𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐂: leo.
━ 𝐖𝐈𝐊𝐈 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊: here.
( note: much like jim my interpretation will be primarily comic based with some inspiration from animated programs like young justice, teen titans, etc. i have not seen the live action and i don’t plan to lmao. the comics i will be focusing on tom taylor’s nightwing series, the new robins series ( the shirtless cover one lol ), and the webtoon wayne family adventures !! )
[ 🐣 ] 𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚉𝙸𝙽𝙶 . . . questionnaire.
[ 001. ] was your character “blipped” out ? if so, what did they return to and how is it affecting them ? if not, who important to them was blipped out, and what has it felt like after those five years have passed ? ( if your character is a dc muse: what were they doing when they passed through the portal ? )
dick was most likely trying to train his three-legged puppy. his “hero-time” has been preoccupied with his “selfish” desire to find out who murdered his parents all those years ago. he exclusively lived alone. away from bruce and the batfamily. he retired his status as a robin --- as well as the batman , and lived as nightwing ( part-time , he has a puppy to take care of ).
[ 002. ] where are they living ? are they living with anyone ?
despite his closeness with the batfamily , he was most likely embarrassed to ask for a place to crash. he does have the reputation in the family for being the closest thing to an adult so . . . he figured something out. most likely a worn down studio with high ceilings.
[ 003. ] why is your character affiliated with who they’re affiliated with ?
with numerous affiliations , dick has seemingly befriended a myriad of heroes and civilians. he’s most notably associated with the ( teen ) titans and occasionally young justice. at the start of his superhero “career” he was closely affiliated with batman but as he’s grown into his own , he scoffs at the title of robin. he aligns himself with people who share the same values, morals, and goals as him. he also considers the people on his team to be his family --- the titans, specifically.
[ 004. ] who are their major friends, allies, and foes ?
despite having many affiliations , the titans are the ones he is bonded to. even if they give him headaches he adores them. the rest of the robins are a close second -- even jason whom he shares a tumultuous relationship with. considering dick has trauma from the loss of his real family he puts a great deal of care and importance into maintaining the relationships he has with his friends.
dick’s relationship with batman has gone through a lot. carrying a great deal of weight on his shoulders as the first robin , dick feels that batman has placed him on an unwanted pedestal. he’s done his best to separate himself from the batfamily in order for the other robins to blossom in their own right without the shadow of “the nightwing” casting over them. he believes this separation has allowed batman to assume his disinterest in the batfamily, inheriting the batman title, and despising the role has robin.
his truest homie. best friend of all. is alfred pennyworth. hearing his grievances from a very young age, alfred knew all the gossip dick kept to himself while living in the wayne manor. his death still weighs heavy on dick’s shoulders; and how alfred gave dick his entire inheritance has made him reevaluate the relationship he had with alfred. he was both a mother / father figure to dick during his formative years.
[ 005. ] whose hands do they believe the country should be in ?
as he’s been investigating his parents death, he has earned a distrust of the police, the government, and politicians. so welcome to the revolution comrade dick grayson.
[ 006. ] what’s their current mental state at ? their physical state ?
he’s fooled himself into believing that he has a fulfilled life. he thinks he’s grown so much since he was robin but , he’s still a kid. a sad , scared kid; who is desperate for an answer. as much as he loves his friends and the batfamily , he can’t bring himself to “replace” the people he misses most.
he has dreams about them often that warp into nightmares. he can’t seem to shake the trauma he carries on a nearly daily basis. he’s also convinced himself that the other robins don’t like him because of his reputation as the "first” robin. which isn’t entirely untrue, he left some pretty big shoes to fill --- but he can’t bring himself to take credit for it.
he also misses everyone , like a lot.
he’s become a gym rat to distract himself from , well himself. he’s in great shape physically.
“I dare you to try to make me cry. Bet you can’t,” Gwen’s eyes were already open like saucers, staring down their opponent like they were actually about to fight, “No sweat, I’m like a rock, baby.”
@reshieldedstart
❛❛ 𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐦 . . . 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢 𝐝𝐨 have some tear-jerking stories but that’s on level twenty of our friendship journey. it’s gonna take a little more than a dare to unlock it. ❜❜
PLAYFULLY SCOFFS BACK AT THEM . gods , she’s missed this . the late night talks . the bantering . they wouldn’t be a team without it . “ yes i do come from a mystical land . however , i’ve lived in man’s world long enough to develop reasonable standards . ” they retort with a light laugh . “ i have no doubt that she must’ve told tons of stories . but i’ll tell her you say hi . when was the last time you’ve seen her , anyways ? ” head turns to look towards the horizon . “ dick and donna take over new york . i like it . sounds like the premise to a reality tv show ! you think we could score a show for ourselves ? we’re a pretty entertaining bunch . ”
𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 , but didn’t they always ? dick scoffed at their scoff , much louder and playful than theirs. ❛❛ yeah ! well , it’s ! ugh , it’s um . . . ❜❜ he isn’t clever enough to think of something witty to say. plus it isn’t like goody two-shoes dick grayson to lie. dick sighed , and quickly responded to distract from his lack of an excuse. ❛❛ i don’t know. i haven’t seen anyone lately. ❜❜ dick leaned dangerously close to the guard rail , ❛❛ i heard bruce talking to her on the phone. i think the league’s getting back together. ❜❜ dick shouldn’t have been spreading that information too openly. but it was donna , he didn’t have any reason not to share anything with them. ❛❛ maybe we should . . . follow ? ❜❜ he cringed at the thought. underneath the assumption that majority of his team had given up on him as a leader ; incapable and unreliable. ❛❛ i mean if the reality show doesn’t get picked up. that’s the real priority. ❜❜
the other accepts their apology , for which tim is glad — they’ve already got to deal with yo-yo’s temper tantrums ( as if their being here isn’t all her fault anyway ) , they don’t want to have to de-escalate an argument as well . “ yeah . she’s a tawny owl , her name’s yo-yo . ” they offer a wrist for the bird to climb onto , and she hops down onto it , allowing tim to show her off to their companion . “ and of course now she’s behaving , ” they huff , though it’s not terribly sincere .
𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 to land gracefully on the other’s wrist. dick’s eyes widened , in awe of the animal. ❛❛ she’s beautiful ! ❜❜ he complimented with a grin. dick leaned his frame just enough to earn a better view of the owl. ❛❛ it’s nice to meet you , yo-yo. ❜❜ he added with his grin intact. dick looked at the other , ❛❛ ha ! she doesn’t look like a troublemaker. ❜❜ dick extended his hand. ❛❛ is it alright if i pet her ? ❜❜
❛❛ okay . . . but how do i even get in ?! did you take it ? is that why you and kori broke it off ? i thought bruce was just too mean for anyone . . . i’m so lost. ❜❜
𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 of their nose in an attempt to disguise the chuckle bubbling in their chest. ❛❛ nah nah , that’s different. dating extraterrestrial beings requires a different curriculum. i haven’t graduated from that yet. ❜❜ he explained. ❛❛ bruce isn’t too mean. he’s too sensitive. ❜❜ he leaned in towards con with a smirk. ❛❛ just between you and me i think cass is gonna be my step aunt or something. ❜❜ dick stood closely beside con with a curious expression. ❛❛ soooo are you going to tell me who the lucky person you have in your life is ? ❜❜
dick’s answer raises more questions than it answers — namely , if you know it’s always rigged, why is there any point in rigging it — but he doesn’t voice those thoughts aloud . instead , rhodey shrugs . “ there are some costs that are too great , no matter what kind of person you are ; there are lines even the worst people don’t cross . but not everyone you show mercy to will respond in kind … i learned that the hard way . ” and not everyone on the same side shares the same values , so where he might want to spare a life another soldier might not hesitate to shoot to kill . “ besides , any weight is nothing compared to the several hundred pounds that my armour weighs ” he jokes . “ more seriously , though , it’s a weight that i would take on a million times over if it means that those i care about are safe . ”
𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 together. strong enough for his knuckles to flush white. the statement began to register in his mind , ❛❛ i’m still learning. ❜❜ the response is . . . innocent but there’s an ominous energy that surrounded it. dick was lost before , now he’s lost more than ever. the world felt unforgiving , cold. he didn’t know how much warmth was left in him. ❛❛ you’re smart. ❜❜ he reminded him of alfred ; wise in the good way not the condescending way. ❛❛ do you have kids ? sorry if that’s too personal. i feel like you’d be a good dad. ❜❜
“Yeah, yeah. And how’d that turn out for you?” He’d never been fond of Gotham. It had been the family farm with its wide clear skies and shitty satellite internet, and, for a little while, it had been Metropolis and its gleaming glass towers and golden sunsets. Jon belonged in the sunlight and the open air; Gotham was grim and damp and claustrophobic, a place only a family like the Waynes could survive. They’d only spent time there on Official Business (which usually meant visiting Damian in an honest-to-god actual real mansion). New York wasn’t Hamilton, or even Metropolis, but it wasn’t Gotham, either. It was somewhere in between. Something he could work with. Jon leaned over Dick’s shoulder, watching him scroll through his pictures. “Wait, no, go back,” they said. “Please tell me that was a picture of you all wearing matching Christmas sweaters.”
Jon laughed and leaned against the railing just an inch too far; gravity hadn’t been a concern of his in a very long time. “Hmmmm… Wow. Okay. I’m gonna go race track. Easy. Less room for him to hide.”
𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 on the road , dick took what he could get with gotham. it wasn’t comparable to metropolis’ swanky skyscrapers or kansas’ open fields but it was home for most , if not all his life. new york shared it’s similarities with gotham. it’s seedy neighborhoods , internalized crimes. it followed big cities like a sick shadow . . . the only difference was he didn’t hear the echo of a maniacal laugh terrorizing the open streets.
𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡 , 𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐤 scrolled a few images back to show jon the picture in question. ❛❛ it’s a wayne family tradition apparently. ❜❜ dick always believed that the waynes were functional in a non-traditional way. they were far from nuclear but they functioned in their own unique way. he zoomed in on alfred’s image who’d grown much older , haggard through the years. his health coming in question more often than not. dick missed him. ❛❛ alfred would tell me stories. ❜❜ he added with a soft , audible sigh. dick licked his lips , ❛❛ oh ? so now you’re that confident ? ❜❜
tim looks up abruptly , realising their mistake . “ no , no ! not you ! i was talking to my bird … ” that sounds worse , really — but hey , as long as the other person knows they don’t have anything against him , they can live with being seen as weird . they kinda are , after all . “ i swear , i didn’t even realise you were there . ”
𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞 and titled his head slightly to the side ; registering what the other had confessed to him. he nodded his head. ❛❛ okay. yeah. a bird. ❜❜ surely he had experienced weirder scenarios. ❛❛ it’s fine. ❜❜ dick reassured with a gentle wave of his hand. ❛❛ so you have a pet bird ? ❜❜
HANDS REACH UP TO tug at her hood so that it rests a little more comfortably . “ yeah , yeah . i get it , ” rolls their eyes at him . “ you’re homesick , ” she’ll tease . her head turns to face dick , eyes immediately landing on his phone screen . “ i’m glad you agree that this is a step up from gotham , though ! i was waiting to see how long you were going to deny it . ” a hint of a smile graces the amazonian’s features as dick swipes through his selection of photos . she doesn’t miss the way he’s quick to dismiss bruce , no matter how subtle he thinks he’s being . “ you’re seriously asking if i’d rather fight a clown ? the guy’s got more lives than me ! now the dude with two electrical whips on a race track sounds interesting . i think i could take him . you ? ”
𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 never allowed mourning to depart , it was strange to have donna back in their life. however he couldn’t complain. the group needed their heart of the team back. ❛❛ oh shut up. ❜❜ he responded with a scoff. ❛❛ you come from a mystical land. everywhere looks like a shithole in comparison. ❜❜ he explained with a shake of his head. ❛❛ your sister used to tell me stories about it when i was a kid. tell her i said hey. ❜❜ his politeness for the league wouldn’t allow him to say otherwise. dick glanced at donna. ❛❛ our mentors might have something to do with that. ❜❜ he clicked his tongued before scooting down the rail to stand closer to donna. ❛❛ you and me could take down anyone , anything , anytime ! ❜❜ he extended his arm to dramatically gesture to the skyline. ❛❛ dick and donna take over new york ! it has a nice ring to it. ❜❜
❝ why would you want to live in a shit hole ? ❞ thorn hadn’t been in gotham long , in fact the time they did spend in the city was mostly holed up in pamela’s home. never saw the city outside of bedroom window panel: though , if they had gotten their hands wrapped around the crime ridden infestation — surely there would have been a longer tug towards the polluted shit hole. not that thorn cared much for the other’s business , but she can’t help the way her eyes shift over dick’s shoulder. unfamiliar faces hugging at the other , it looked warm . . . uptight and far from whatever dynamic the isley’s had. there’s a disconnect from thorn , a shift in their place as they press a lukewarm coffee to their lips. ❝ clown , but just because there’s no fight. what about you ? ❞
𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 , dick thought. his hand tangle the strings of his hoodie as he contemplates an answer. ❛❛ because my family lives there. ❜❜ despite their dysfunction dick not only valued his found family but adored them. believing that if it wasn’t for them he’d be venturing into a dangerous path. ❛❛ they make it worth it , plus we live in a mansion so --- ❜❜ he trailed off , cringing slightly that he’d come to the point in his life where he’d hold money in such a high regard. it wasn’t like him to do so , but he wasn’t feeling like himself lately anyways. ❛❛ electric whip dude. the clown gets old and boring after awhile. ❜❜ he answered with a shrug. dick pointed at thorn’s coffee , ❛❛ that’s probably gross by now huh ? let me get you a new one. ❜❜
HE COULD VIVDLY REMEMBER THE EVENING when a bat fought for its breath on the mantle of his father’s portrait. the sordid image remains in his conscious to remind him why he adopted the title as the caped crusader , the batman. while the death of thomas and martha wayne was a motivator for bruce to become the myth he quickly established a boundary - - - because if he didn’t what good would come to the citizens of gotham ? a city consumed with crime it didn’t need yet another FREAKSHOW terrorizing the streets. he had his code : JUSTICE NOT VENGEANCE ; and after those agonizing years in the himalayas it was a difficult code to forfeit. along with the code bruce carried secrecy that he rarely considered to be a burden. it wasn’t difficult for a LONELY MAN to have secrets. with everyone at an arm’s length bruce’s absence on multiple occasions big or small rarely caused any suspicion. the emotional weight of batman didn’t exist during these times. it was him , alfred and the sinatra record he liked to listen to after trudging the gotham city sewers. the image he painted for himself seemed to be permanent until the doors of the dark manor opened and entered a tiny bluebird.
MEETING DICK GRAYSON WAS NEVER intentional. but neither were miracles. fifteen years ago bruce wayne was running late to a circus show. he approached the pinstriped tent and only inches away from it he could hear the morbid screams ; a suitable reaction to the tragedy of THE FLYING GRAYSONS. the aftermath of the tragedy left a sole survivor that bruce believed he had an obligation to. he followed him , adopted him and provided him a life . . . a chance. what bruce failed to predict was the weight he carried from loss wasn’t singular to him and soon enough dick would desire to resolve his survivor's guilt. at the time the LOGICAL solution was to create another alter ego that would be personal to dick and operate as an EXTENSION to batman. when it all began the lines were concrete but as time passed and the weight of what it meant to be a hero only increased and those lines became blurred. bruce’s negligence to reinforce them is what brings them here at an odds. the similarities between them remain but bruce’s remarkable inability to rationalize with dick is what keeps them apart.
❝ dick. are you out of your mind !? ❞ bruce lifts his brows with his eyes darting in dick’s direction. his forthright behavior wasn’t entirely new to bruce. the two had shared a handful of heated arguments but it was incomparable to the DISRESPECT he was greeted with today. ❝ i’m not THREATENING you with my death. it’s inevitable. it’s a goddamn miracle i’m still here today and we can’t keep depending on miracles. ❞ the feeling of discomfort sits high in his chest , high enough for it to be translated onto his expression. being held ACCOUNTABLE wasn’t something he needed someone else to do for him. his laundry list of mistakes followed him like a sick shadow. ❝ your inability to accept criticism shouldn’t encourage you to insult me , dick. even more so when you know damn well i carry those mistakes with me. but unlike you i choose to learn from them not keep them at bay to use as LEVERAGE in an argument while drinking a pink drink at starbucks. ❞ he struggles to keep his anger at bay but a singular exhale allows him to keep his composure.
HE FOLLOWS DICK OUT THE DOOR the contrast of the quiet cafe to the bustling city life rings in his ear. he reaches outward to earn a grip on the younger’s arm. he gives it a pull , ❝ i’m not afraid you’ll be better. ❞ he admits over the heavy street traffic. ❝ because you already are. ❞ he holds each side of dick’s arm and looks down at him. ❝ i’m afraid people will take advantage of that. you’re a good kid , dick. ❞ his sincerity is present. if it wasn’t for dick the hope he earned for the subsequent robins wouldn’t have existed. he was more than a prodigy but A PILLAR in the legacy of batman.
what weighed more ? the survivor's guilt or the mantle he was expected to uphold . . . the death of his family , or the death of a son’s future ? richard grayson wasn’t an orphan groveling in the streets of gotham then saved by a messiah in a tom ford suit , but a beloved son from a loving family. during his evolution as robin a part of dick believed that he would be able to heal. his idolization of bruce was rooted in his ability to create an an image of strength and justice after an unspeakable tragedy. dick wanted to paint the same image but as time progressed he realized that the paints in his palette weren’t the same as his adoptive fathers . . . and the image he needed to complete required him to find a new set of paints ; shades of bright blues contrasting his bleak blacks.
bruce was able to fill a role in dick’s life but failed to replace what he needed most : a father. in dick’s quest to ensure that his successors wouldn’t suffer the same fate , he lost his chance to integrate into the family himself. filling the role of not only batman but the compassionate patriarch the wayne family needed to function. he felt a sense of betrayal when bruce decided that his personal desires outweighed his personal obligations. dick assumed that he was far more interested in gallivanting with his laundry list of romantic partners instead of being a dad. guess being a billionaire playboy sounded a whole lot cooler than billionaire dad. but these were all assumptions , nobody really knows our fathers anyway.
dick’s weakness was and remains to be his tender heart. with his emotions kept at the surface it was easy to get lost in the tide. it felt foolish to allow himself to act on emotion in front of bruce , who time and time again reminded dick the dangers of it. his warning in the cafe earlier rang in his ears louder than the street traffic. absent-ish father , sure. but he did have good advice. dick felt a tug on his arm before it being followed by a pull. he doesn’t fight it as he doesn’t see the point in doing so. he knew it was bruce fighting for a second chance , like he always did.
brows knitted together he’s unable to look at the older man. instead his sight is attached to bruce’s chest ( considering that was his eye-level ). ❛❛ i’m getting really sick of your shit , bruce. ❜❜ he confessed. ❛❛ the only person taking advantage of my kindness is you. because out of everyone i know , you know where to hit where it hurts. ❜❜ he inhaled a breath. ❛❛ and it’s because you want me to stay. but you can’t keep me by your side forever , bruce. you can’t. you have to let me go. ❜❜ he didn’t suggest , he pleaded. dick looked up at his elder. the presence of tears kissed his lashes. ❛❛ i will always be there for you. for the family , you’re my dad and i love you. but you need to let me do my thing , yeah ? yeah. ❜❜ he fumbled over his words but meant every one of them. ❛❛ i’ll --- i’ll help you though. i’ll always be there. ❜❜
finding a young vigilante on a rooftop is an unsurprisingly common experience for rhodey , though usually both he and they are in their suits . to have neither be in a suit is an even rarer experience ( except for with miles , of course ) & he relishes the lack of pressure it brings . no risks of his conversational partner vanishing into the night , nor himself being drawn away by an alert . would you rather is something he has fond memories of playing in university , and a good way to get to know people — though , the question the young person supplies raises an eyebrow . “ is this a trick question ? like , is the warehouse rigged with explosives ? although , thinking about it , i’d rather fight vanko on the race track , ‘cause if i fought him he wouldn’t have been coming back . that would have saved us a lot of pain later on . ”
the shadow of an older , wise adult constantly loomed over the young vigilante. dick wasn’t completely opposed to the idea of having such figures in his life. he valued them but he seemed to prioritize independence lately to fulfill his urge to graduate from sidekick , vigilante , to finally hero. dick snorted , ❛❛ i’m not good at tricks , mister rhodes. ❜❜ his response is polite , like the good kid he is --- or the good kid he’s expected to be. ❛❛ of course it’s rigged , it’s always rigged. when you least expect it , expect it typa deal. ❜❜ he explained the fantastical idea that could only exist in gotham city. dick scratched his head. ❛❛ i’m guessing you’re the get the job done regardless of the cost kinda guy. how do carry that weight ? ❜❜
❛❛ that’s because it is a shithole. ❜❜ dick reassured with a bit of a grin. soft yet sad. a mix of feeling that slowly became a permanent fixture on dick’s expression ; regardless of how often he attempted to disguise it. ❛❛ but it’s my shithole. okay ? i practically grew up there. ❜❜ he swiped past a few images on his camera roll --- one with hayley , another with babs , an obligatory found family photo , and then finally one with him and bruce. dick scoffed and promptly locked his device before slipping it into the pocket of his hoodie. his elbows propped on on the railing and his eyes locked onto the city skyline. the new york lights mimicking daylight. ❛❛ so yeah , this place beats gotham city. you win that round. ❜❜ his eyes flickered to the guest beside him. ❛❛ okay. my turn. ❜❜ he tapped his chin playfully. ❛❛ would you rather fight a dude with two electrical whips on a race track or a maniacal clown in an abandoned warehouse ? ❜❜
