I Get Emotional Thinking About How His Family Would React To Bruce's Change If He Ever Started Working

zolu being married feels right on the basis that luffy is selfish/possessive and zoro is prideful alone.

luffy likes having things, he’s wonderfully selfish, he could be nothing other than the captain of a ship. he would call zoro ‘husband’ one time and never stop because, yes, zoro is his husband.

and of course, zoro is his swordsman, his first ever crew mate, but there’s something that makes him feel perfectly content when calling him his. additionally, luffy’s possessiveness paired with zoro’s elation to be his, to worship and follow him. zoro himself would feel delighted to be wanted by his captain so completely, and luffy would bask in that.

and then zoro would reciprocate, not calling luffy his husband out of harmless possessiveness but out of pride. because what is zoro if not too proud to admit to weakness, vulnerability? what is zoro if not in a clamber for ultimate strength, to be best, to never lose again?

zoro being able to call luffy his husband with a puffed chest, because yeah. his husband is the king of the pirates by the way; stronger, kinder and cooler than anyone. his pride in his captain is unparalleled, to zoro there is nothing that nears his perfection. and that’s all his. he’s so proud to be loved by him, to love him; that’s his husband.

it’s funnily sweet how their pride and selfishness appease one another, intertwined so perfectly that they soothe each other’s nagging feelings by simply being themselves and being together. husbands and soulmates

i like dick best when he's stylistically handsome and not just... a man who is handsome. does that make sense? i don't want the usuals that combine to make the average handsome man. i don't want the regular european niceties that create a man you'd pass on the street or see on tv and think handsome. dick should be stunningly normal guy handsome. there should be a certain style or fashion about him that makes you look back, take a second look. you should see him and recognize that there's something there, something eerily beautiful, but by the time your brain processes this, he's already turned the corner, or his face is looking a different way, or he's just out of sight. there should be something in his essence that does make you want to look but also something that's a bit hard to grasp in the second he's in your view. there should be something there that lingers in your brain, like some kind of hauntingly ethereal after image

You know what? I'm crying.

I'm going to have a long post translated into English because I'm bad at English and because I have too many emotions. The fourth episode was definitely a bombshell. In many ways. They gave us a lot of interesting questions and NOT a SINGLE DAMN ANSWER, and it's not like it's a problem. It's cool that Ling Lin has finally begun to realize himself and his desires in isolation from the forced image. It's cool that he ran to save Moon and realized how important it was to him. It's cool that so many people supported him, he's a bunny/sunshine/bun/big guy (as you like it better) and all that. But...

They replaced Nice so quickly...

Okay, let's say again: it was literally publicly announced to the fans that their hero, the man they believed in all this time, was not only replaced by someone completely different, but also because he died. He is not tired, he has not resigned, he has not given up his heroic work, no. Died. And okay, thanks to Ling Lin for not talking about "suicide." He's talking about "death." You can take his words in any way you want (although that's not the point, but still). It just kills me to think that no one, except for the person who was really close to Nice (Wrek), began to grieve for him. Okay, it hasn't been a day since Lin Lin's revelation, I get it. But at the end of the fourth episode, we are shown how the advertisement with Nice's face changes to Linlin's face and no one seems to notice, as if it were....normal? Of course, when the heroes in the world are constantly changing each other and appear and disappear as if at the click of your fingers (yeah, yes, understood, understood at the click of your fingers ha ha) changing a hero at the tenth rank shouldn't be unusual, but... Do the previous heroes get forgotten so quickly?

The first three episodes were filled with the fans' love for Nice. Peculiar, but warm in its own way. They cheered for him, they came to fan meetings, they supported him as much as they could.....And they forgot about him so quickly? Just because.......and why, exactly?

I'm pretty sure they'll show us the backstory of what happened. There is no way such a complex and at the same time terribly interesting character could be so easily forgotten by its creators. Especially considering the shot that recently appeared on Twitter...

In general, the phenomenon of Nice's character and his popularity among the fandom is a topic for a separate conversation, we are not ready for this conversation yet.

But I know for sure that no matter how the creators made him, no matter how crazy, broken, abusive and generally unstable he actually is, I will be delighted.

(what's the point, I'll support him even if he decides to rise from the dead and kill all the other heroes)

((Go ahead, dear! You're walking the road of rage and revenge, and who are we to stop you?)) So! I'm leaving a small message here (rather for myself) because I know that we still have a lot of interesting things to learn about other characters and many of my thoughts will get lost in the flood of new information.

DON'T FORGET HIM.

Never forget that he existed. He was there. It all started with him. And probably it all will end with him.

C: Hi there! Even if I've been reading dick Grayson(and in turn batfamily) fics for a few weeks now, I've never actually watched/read DC stuff because even if I liked superheroes, I'm not invested enough to read the actual comics. The most I watched was the Teen Titans 2003 cartoon(which I love). I was brought into interest cause I was brought in through crossovers of other fandoms (which may be hated by some/many😅)

To give myself context, I tried to read around for Robin, and imagine my surprise there's more than one? Which, okay mantle thing I guess. But in the end, Dick Grayson caught my attention(not rlly for his looks and design, but more of his heroism and entire personality and affect in the DC world). Which leads to looking at other tumblrs and I love reading yours and when you answer the asks cause it's so much easier for me to understand the kind of person Dick is and how he interacts with the world.

Sorry for this long context, but I just want maybe your opinion, what if your opinion in the combination of how Dick Grayson should be written for him to Thrive

- Should he stay in Gotham, being in with the batfamily more? Soloing in Bludhaven? Staying with the titans? Or others?

- what about his romantic relationships? Who should be is one true one(based on canon gfs), or maybe stay single? (Just gonna be biased, but I've only knew about dickbabs and dickkory (but I heard he has other girlfriends and I've remember reading he was almost married...a few times??) but dickkory had always been for me)

- What about mentally wise? (Of course, I do think Dick needs a long vacation because of all the trauma that he has to go through), but even if I like the idea of Dick being admired for his looks because he deserves it, but I do rmbr posts that he is uncomfy with this(sexualisation, Def only staying true to the person he loves (then there's the whole...Tarantula and more thing)

Tbf, I do think is a little bit of all is what makes Dick, Dick. Haha

Sorry for the long ask, feel free to not answer because i just needed to get this out😅. I know it's actually bad I'm reading fics without canon knowledge for personality, but your posts makes me understand him more that I understand what's real and what's fanon in fics (that makes me..ugh.. but I read anyway for plot cause i don't know better)

But thank you anyway for reading this and I love your content!

(last one for this ask I swear: I've been seeing stuff where Robin name is actually Dick's mom calling Dick that. Then it's passed down as a mantle starting from Jason without Dick consenting. I tried to read at wiki, maybe I missed out but I can't find anything. Is it true? Does the other bats (except Bruce and Alfred?) know the actual meaning? Because as much as I love Dami, the whole bloodson, birthright to take the mantle of Robin beside Batman give me ugh feelings if it's true) :C

First of all, thank you so much!! I'm so happy to hear you like my stuff <333!!

I think it's that you started in the fandom since I sort of started out that way too lol. I had only watched Teen Titans Animated show and Young Justice before I got into fanfics and my first comic I ever read was actually Teen Titans (2011) which was Tim's run. It's been a journey.

Dick's personality was also what captivated me so here I am!

"Should he stay in Gotham, being in with the batfamily more? Soloing in Bludhaven? Staying with the titans? Or others?"

That's a really good question and a complex one. Ironically, for being such a people person, Dick seems to be doing best when he's by himself. When he's soloing, he has a sense of freedom and independence that he's been craving for a long time. The whole reason he left Bruce was because he felt like Bruce was suddenly treating him like a kid, like someone to look after, when he had been treating Dick like a partner the whole time. When Dick feels like his independence is being stepped on, it unsettles him. This is another reason why the Tom Taylor run and Dick's relationship pisses me off but that's for another time. As much as he likes Gotham, he loves Bludhaven. He thinks it's a dirty, crime-filled city, sure, but he loves it there.

He's a little crazy like that.

He doesn't have the same attachment to Gotham that Bruce does. Instead he feels that for Bludhaven.

The only reason I'm saying Dick is better off staying alone than with the Titans is because of his leadership mentality. There's a comic that I forgot the name of but Dick teams up with members of the Justice League and they trapeze through a jungle under the orders of this corrupt military general. He teams up with Arthur and automatically starts commanding people to which Aquaman tells him off, saying this isn't the Titans. Dick is genuinely sorry and backs off. For a minute. But immediately goes right back into command mode but Arthur lets it go, realizing that Dick's not conscious of it and that his behaviour is automatic. "Too many leaders" he calls the situation in his head. For Dick, the Titans have become a responsibility now. He loves them like crazy but they look up at him automatically for directions and order and he's gotten so used to leading them that it's his go to mode.

He just likes doing stuff without someone hovering over his shoulder or having to take care of others.

"what about his romantic relationships? Who should be is one true one(based on canon gfs), or maybe stay single? (Just gonna be biased, but I've only knew about dickbabs and dickkory (but I heard he has other girlfriends and I've remember reading he was almost married…a few times??) but dickkory had always been for me)"

Yeah, I've actually loved almost all of his romantic relationships. I hate Dickbabs but every other one has been fantastic. Kori was great for him.

Action Comics (1938) Issue #618

Dick says it again here. He used to envy Roy's freedom. He's also said in another comic that he fell in love with Kori for her freedom.

Secret Origins (1986) Issue #13

You're right, he has gotten almost married a few times

The first time was with Kori

The New Titans (1988) Issue #100

But then

The New Titans (1988) Issue #100

their pastor gets vaporised and body-controlled Raven feeds the soul of one of Trigon's children into Kori and she goes crazy but she recovers but it's a whole ordeal. In the end they don't get a chance to complete their marriage. They were spectacular together though. The only reason their wedding didn't go through is because the Batfam writers wanted Dick back so they took him from the Titans' writers and they needed a big dramatic scene to cut him off from the Titans. Another reason why Barbara was deaged and created as a love interest- to gatekeep him in the family.

He's also gotten married to Barbara before the retcon though.

Batman Family Issue #11

But here they were forced to by Maze and they went along with it and tricked him. At the end though, they just grab a bite to eat.

Ngl I actually would've supported this marriage. I really love this Barbara. Yes the age difference is a bit much but whatever, I still like them.

Dick and Barbara have gotten married in an alternate timeline.

Convergence: Nightwing/Oracle Issue #2

yeah, definitely didn't like this one.

Dick's also gotten fake married to a woman because Batman and Dick thought she was killing her husbands after marrying them so Dick married her to see if it was true.

Nightwing (1996) Annual #1

I liked her. She wasn't the killer and Dick did a fantastic job raising her son but even though she loved him, he didn't love her and they divorced amicably. I wish I could see more of her and her son though.

To be completely honest, my favorites for Dick are Kori and Bea.

Bea was a fantastic partner. She was understanding, loving, caring, and responsible. She was there when he was Ric Grayson and just loved him for who he was.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #53

If Kori's truly out of the picture, then Dick really should've settled down with her.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #57

She and Kori, they don't tell Dick what to do or who to be. They let him be free which is why I loved them an extraordinary amount. I'm a sucker for soft moments and Bea and Dick are couple goals.

Nightwing (2016) Issue #62

They give him the freedom he craves.

"What about mentally wise? (Of course, I do think Dick needs a long vacation because of all the trauma that he has to go through), but even if I like the idea of Dick being admired for his looks because he deserves it, but I do rmbr posts that he is uncomfy with this(sexualisation, Def only staying true to the person he loves (then there's the whole...Tarantula and more thing)"

I think Dick does need a break. His life has been a series of unfortunate events but despite all that, I think he loves it that way. Dick loves the thrill of adventure. It's the heart of who he is and why he became robin. The excitement he gets when fighting or doing crazy stunts - he loves all of it and that is his coping mechanism. I guess in order for him to thrive, Bruce needs to stop dumping all his trauma and stop expecting him to be there for him at all times of the day. Dick keeps getting dragged back to Gotham to take care of Bruce and his problems and he would go in a heartbeat but he's much happier wacking his own goons in Bludhaven. But since Bruce is so codependent on Dick, this pattern's not gonna stop anytime soon.

Truth be told I also like Dick being admired for his looks. I don't like him being called out by it though. First of all why would you comment "hot booty" to someone? It's degrading and humiliating even if you think it's a compliment. Some things are better left untold. But regardless of what people think, Dick will always be pretty and everyone in the DC universe knows this. Heroes, civilians, villains - they're all attracted to him on some level because he's so beautiful. And honestly? I'm all for it! Because that boy is the prettiest human in existence and he deserves that recognition. Just not vocally or physically.

The best thing is that Dick's beauty has no bearing on his mentality toward people. This man will choose one person and stick with them forever. He values intimacy and trust and love in his relationships which is why he's so attached to each one. This plays a massive role in his relationship with Kori. He would never cheat. Actually in all the future comics, after his spouse passes away or leaves, he never remarries. The only one exception was Batman Beyond (2016). The only one and he remarries Barbara after his wife passes away. Aside from that he remains a single parent. That's how dedicated he is.

"I've been seeing stuff where Robin name is actually Dick's mom calling Dick that. Then it's passed down as a mantle starting from Jason without Dick consenting. I tried to read at wiki, maybe I missed out but I can't find anything. Is it true? Does the other bats (except Bruce and Alfred?) know the actual meaning? Because as much as I love Dami, the whole bloodson, birthright to take the mantle of Robin beside Batman give me ugh feelings if it's true)"

Yup Dick's mother called Dick Robin.

Nightwing (2011) Issue #0

Robin (1993) Annual #4

Here's a couple but there are more instances of his mom calling him Robin.

Dick had no idea Bruce passed on the Robin costume. He finds out through the newspaper because Bruce is pissed at Dick. Like he's so mad that when he told Dick to leave, Dick actually left.

You know how there's a saying about not being able to take back words of anger? Bruce is feeling that heavily. He already had suspicions that Dick wanted to leave but before Dick could tell him, he fired him so he wouldn't have to hear those words. But Bruce is super mad that Dick left anyway. So what does he do? He makes the first boy he sees Robin.

And Jason finds out Dick was Robin when he confronts Bruce why Nightwing knows Bruce's identity. And that gets Bruce more mad because he's now feeling guilty which is when Dick comes to confront Bruce.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

But instead of meeting anger for anger, Dick expresses his hurt. About how they were partners and then talks about his life after leaving Bruce.

And Bruce loves Dick. His best friend, son, brother, and partner for nearly 11 years. They raised each other and despite his anger, he smiles in pride and love.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

Look at his smile!! He's so proud of his son.

And that's when Dick stops pulling his punches.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

Bruce looks so wrecked. The guilt and sorrow is tantamount to his pain.

Then Dick asks Bruce why he choose someone new.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

So Bruce tells him. But Dick and Bruce's relationship go way deeper than just friends or family. They know each other. They revolve around each other so Dick calls him out.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

And out comes the truth

Batman (1940) Issue #416

But Dick has always been the bigger man and instead of letting Jason become some sort of spite move, he turns Robin into a legacy.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

He passes it down like it was meant to be passed down. Because let's be honest here. The Robin name and costume is Dick's. If he wanted to, he could've taken it back, Bruce be damned. And that was one of Jason's fears.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

But despite Bruce's words to Jason

Batman (1940) Issue #416

He's not sure himself.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

But it's only with Dick's approval that he becomes Robin which is what Bruce is thanking at the end.

Batman (1940) Issue #416

And this has been a sort of tradition.

Dick approved of Jason being Robin, he endorsed Tim, and he made Damian Robin. The only exception being Stephanie. This is why Dick feels a heavy sense of responsibility over the robin predicament. He created the tradition. He approved, supported, and mentored every robin that walked in his colors and name. That's why he feels the burden of it.

I don't think any of the other robins know the meaning behind the name. Maybe they do. But ironically, the one who wasn't robin is the one who knows the meaning of it.

Duke.

also i think about Crime Alley as both the physical source for bruce’s loss and also a sign of gotham’s renewal — leslie’s clinic as one example, or bruce’s dedication to social reform in park row. how after twenty years he is still tethered to the cinema, the alley, the gutters. he knows each brick by touch alone, in the dark he can find his way unaided. like the manor it is the foundation holding him upright. does he find comfort there for himself, knowing that he can always return?

but the graysons died in a field, in the ring. the ring is not stationary, it moves as haleys does. its sawdust floor is discarded after the show, its bleachers disassembled, the big top packed away for the next town, the next country, the next show. the graysons died at haleys, but it isn’t anywhere their son can return to. he can stand in the field, knee deep in grass, but the crowd will not be there, nor the tent nor the jugglers. he could travel the world and never truly find the place his parents died. the only way out is through.

How do you feel about suo character? Do you feel his arc will start after kiryuu?!

Suo! my little shit! my favorite instigator!

jokes aside i love Suo! he's an incredibly interesting character and not just because we know jack and shit about him

he's a good foil to both Sakura and Nirei and i would love to study him under a microscope and all three of them play off each other So Well

Suo was really the one to break the ice when Sakura first arrived at Furin, which considering how Furin is probably wasn't really something that Sakura would've needed in the long run but it made things easier especially for Nirei's nerves

he does a lot of small things in the beginning (showing off how he can get people to accept his requests like he says himself side note love how both of these examples involve Sugi)

it's kind of funny in the way that Nirei's usually the first one to reach for Sakura (i talk about it more in my ramble here), Suo acts as the kind of bridge to allow Sakura to reach others or vice versa (others reaching to Sakura i mean)

during the grade captain vote, no one was speaking up to volunteer themselves or others and only when Suo volunteered Sakura did the others speak up to agree but also spoke highly about Sakura in the same vein or again going back to him breaking the ice with Sakura meeting the rest of 1-1

i love his relationship with both Sakura and Nirei (do not fucking separate this trio /hj) and how they both affect him

Suo's true emotions, hell possibly even his "real" self under all the masks he puts up, are brought out because of Sakura (his proclamation of taking the top spot and his clear, honest passion) and Nirei (running away from where Suo was protecting him so he could properly focus on the fight)

(anther side note i think this panel is one of the few times we've seen him lose his composure)

which actually kinda brings me to another point and it's a very small one but interesting nonetheless to me but it's the panel of Suo and Kaji training together

the matchup always intrigued me and im dying to know what the thought process was here (there's a fic that explores it here please im begging yall to check it out) esp going the route of both of them having smth that they want to hide (Kaji's berserker beast v Suo's merciless brutality) because they hate that particular version of themselves (though in Suo's case i dont think it's... hate but more like a general distain of it, not how one should properly act kind of thing) granted this is all hc'd territory so take it with a grain of salt

im certain that he envies / admires how Sakura and Nirei can be so open about who they are so authentically (and even push past their perceived limits) which im sure is what drew him to them to begin with (this goes into that beautifully) because whatever he went through has made it so he feels as though he cant be his authentic self

as for whether or not i think well get his arc after kiryuu... honestly i feel like his past might involve the Next Big Arc in a way? i know ive seen people speculate hes got connections with the yakuza and i could see that tbh

through my VERY CURSORY LOOK into leaving the yakuza, it doesnt... seem to be as a big a deal as i was expecting? if youve got a good relationship with the person you work under then its pretty easy for you to leave, though reintegrating with society is the hard part from there. i read that it is possible to just... kinda vanish too, though that wouldnt stop another member from tracking you down (and no fingers are being cut off)

if not a full blown yakuza, i could see Suo being part of a different gang and for one reason or another he left it so his former gang members track him down to either a. drag him back or b. punish him for leaving. not sure if his master would be part of said yakuza / generic gang or if his master is the one who got him out of there (which. hilarious if thats the case boy just went and joined another gang instead)

i dont know if his arc will start immediately after Kiryuu (i could see Nii-sensei throwing in a mini arc that leads into Suo's (like with Ito into Gravel)

whether or not it will though i love this silly lil guy! my craptastic gentleman son

Community and Family Through Food

The usage of food in the narrative of Wind Breaker (Spoilers up to the Noroshi War Arc in the manga)

* Content Warning: Mentions of Attempted Sui

Perhaps it is partially because my other biggest fixation right now is One Piece, but something that has always stood out to me in this series is its importance of eating, but even more-so: The ability to eat in good company. Wind Breaker seems to follow this pattern that is also present in One Piece that after every arc, the characters have to have a meal together. A festival, a meal offered by the owner of a restaurant in town, Kotoha’s diner, take-out on a rooftop; Wherever it may be, there is a meal being shared. Nii Satoru doesn’t hide why this is the case, and even has one of the most important characters to the manga, Umemiya, explicitly say why he insists on everyone eating together as often as possible.

Now, of course, Umemiya being who he is, this comes across as both a little ridiculous and perhaps even a bit childish/selfish to the other characters in the scene (and possibly even the reader) who are a little less familiar with Umemiya. Yet, being able to hang out and eat good food is the reason he decided to aim to become the leader of Bofurin, it’s the reason he gives for how he can be so happy while leading, and he sticks by it. He continues to put emphasis on everyone eating together at the end of each arc.

A detail I love about the chapter when he first gets food for everyone at the end of the Shishitoren tournament arc? It is called ‘Umemiya-Style’. Initially, one could see this as being because that’s just how Umemiya Hajime rolls, or, a play off of ‘fighting style’ but for Umemiya he fights against Choji with his words. Using fights as a ‘dialogue’ to get to know the other person better, as he puts it. However, we get the fuller meaning later in the story with the chapters covering Umemiya’s backstory.

We learn at the end of Hajime Umemiya’s backstory that eating meals as a family was a value passed to him from his parents. Your food (and life) is better when you are surrounded by the people you care about. In this story, a character’s ability to enjoy food is directly linked to their quality of life in the narrative. (The fact that this immediately follows an arc that centered around adversaries who were literally living in poverty and starving? Who united together so that they could all continue to have *something* to eat, even if it meant sacrificing their individual hopes and dreams? MWAH, chef’s kiss.)

Umemiya, however, lost his ability to taste or enjoy food when his parents died and he was brought to the orphanage, Furinen.

Umemiya didn’t eat alongside the others in the orphanage. He couldn’t taste or enjoy any food given to him. At the same time as he is rejecting eating, he is of the firm belief at this point that he should stay away from all people because he believed he got his parents killed. He believes that he is a murderer and doesn’t deserve to sit at a table with others- laughing and talking about their day, eating omurice as his family had once done together. During this same meal that he is rejecting, we have Yuki Shitara and the other kids at the orphanage trying to connect with him. They want to know about him: if he’s feeling okay, what his favorite foods are. During this meal they are trying to connect with him as a family, and he pushes himself away from that connection.

It isn’t until just as Hajime Umemiya attempts to take his own life that he gets a flash of the sight of his parents just before they were killed that he remembers that in their last moments they were smiling at him. They weren’t looking at him with fear, they were looking at him with love and relief. Relief that Hajime was going to live. I think it is also important to note that the Furin high schooler who is with Hajime when he attempts to commit suicide says these lines too.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think this could be the first time Umemiya comes across someone from Furin. At the very least, Umemiya does refer to this meeting as a part of fate. And we see this member of Furin mention being hungry, wanting to find something to eat. When he’s taking Umemiya back to the orphanage and comes across Yuki, he mentions how he and his buddies at Furin can’t sit still while outsiders to the town are coming in and doing whatever they want, making a mess of the rest of the town. Their hearts are not full, and they are not happy with the way things are. This shows, even before Umemiya adopts his dream, that there are already people who would probably be receptive to the changes he wants to see in town.

But in the meantime, when Umemiya gets back to the orphanage, we see the words of the others there finally resonate with him. Why? For two reasons- he finally believes he deserves to keep on living, and because they share that they understand him. That he doesn’t have to be an outsider with them, because they are all the same. They know the loneliness he feels, they know that it is hard for him to laugh and enjoy meals and that being able to do so again will take time. But still, whenever he is ready- They could be his family, and he could be their older brother. 

So Umemiya finally decides to step into that role of an older brother. He wants others to be able to rely on him and to do what he can to protect those around him. By the time he’s 14, he’s decided that this doesn’t just extend to the members of the orphanage. He wants his hometown, and all its residents, to be able to feel that same happiness and have the ability to all share in meals as a united family together. Furin is a high school of outcasts, the town of Makochi are constantly beaten down by both infighting and others coming in and making a mess of their homes and businesses. The police and professions that involve building community (teachers) have abandoned the town, deciding that the place is beyond hope. So Umemiya decides he is going to do whatever he can for the people of the town. To bring them into his family. Everyone there, regardless of labels or bitter feelings, deserves to eat and be surrounded by loved ones. At the age of 14 he is already leading by example of what he wishes to see in the future from Furin: patrolling the town, doing little things for the townspeople, showing them compassion and care. And what do we see in this first scene of him helping out the townspeople? He is offered food.

So now, in the present, Makochi is a family. But even more than that, they extend love and care to all outcasts. To all the lonely people they come across. This is why Umemiya insists on eating takeout with Choji and Togame. This is why he insists on Nagato and class 1-1 to eat a meal with him after the frustration and blows to self esteem experienced by those involved in the battle with Keel. This is why one of the first things that happens to Sakura upon coming to Makochi is he is asked if he is hungry, and he is fed. Because everyone, regardless of bitter feelings, regardless of how others may see them or how they see themselves, deserves to be loved and to eat good food. If fighting is a dialogue to get to know another person, sharing a meal is a solidification of that connection made. To make sure that person knows they are loved and cared for no matter what.

One of Dick's greatest strengths is his ability to manipulate every single person in existence.

Genuinely I think this makes him the smartest person in the room. Not only is he a brilliant detective, but the fact that he's able to outmaneuver and control virtually everyone including other geniuses and masterminds makes him the most terrifying. There's a reason why his enemies have give up using intelligence against him and simply resorting to brute force.

Now hold your horses before you bring your crowbars and let me explain.

Dick once said, "On an even playing field, I always win."

And it's true. But how do you even the field if your enemies are geniuses, detectives, or metas?

"Well, if you don't like how the table is it, turn over the table."

And that's exactly what Dick does.

Let's begin from his younger years. Dick is 19, newly out of Batman's wing and in no position to take on a skilled mercenary on by himself. But the mercenary isn't going to stop just because he says please. So.

DEATHSTROKE WAS CLEARLY NOT EXPECTING TO GET OUTPLAYED BY A 19 YEAR OLD.

"You're right Slade, he's not a fool so choose a dumber kidnapping victim next time."

Ofcourse this is the least of his abilities.

This cover is perfect because it shows how two of them are literally in a constant game of chess. And evidence of Dick's tactical expertise was never more obvious than the bombing of Bludhaven.

By all means Dick had won.

And he's right. Dick is incredibly intelligent, and he has to be given how he maneuvered the entirety of the world to save him city. Not just the heroes and villains, but everyone - the heroes, the villains, the government, the civilians, the organized crime - everyone. He ruled the freaking world at that moment.

@haroldhighballjordan actually made a post about this that explains this scene so well

But yeah Slade knew he lost so in his petty vengeance what he basically did was set the whole fucking chessboard on fire.

The perfection to which Dick had calculated and moved millions of people to force Slade into abandoning their game and leave him shrieking and seething in rage over his loss. Another reminder that this game only happened because Dick manipulated Rose away from her father, away from his control to a better life.

Spyral is one of my favorite comics because it shows just how good of a manipulator Dick Grayson is.

One of Dick's coldest traits is his ability to manipulate a situation to fit his needs.

In the beginning Dick wanted to calm the meta down and take him in but the second his opponent let out the slightest hint of weakness, look how fast he flips his words. This man is brilliant.

And his planning came to fruition as the meta wore himself out, allowing Dick to take control of the situation and the opponent with no harm to himself-a quick, two second exit. He can manipulate emotions, thoughts, and people to get what he wants like he's playing chess with a child.

But it's not just other people- he can completely change himself to become a whole new person. In the earlier chapters, Dick is learning how to shoot a gun for the agency.

Dick's a terrible shot. Not a single bullet lands in the center of the target-there's no way he's ever going to shoot well....or atleast that's what he wants you to think-

"Yeah, well, that's what spies do."

"We lie."

He's a puppet master and the final boss.

part 2

zoro spending most of his waking hours in the company of the moon (himself). his vigilance when in solitude, his natural inclination to the night being a reflection of himself.

zoro sleeping with the sun (luffy). the hours he allows himself to relax and let go of his alertness. always on the deck, bathing in sunlight. his sleeping hours being a reflection of the vulnerability he allows himself with luffy, with the crew.

sun and moon zolu you have my heart

I get winded by the fact that Dick and Damian fully expected to spend their foreseeable futures as Batman and Robin only for Bruce to come back and have them separate early. It was just a year but also it was spending every day and night together for a decade that just. Didn't come. Instead, Dick will tell Damian he wanted to adopt him and give him his parents' trapeze bar or Damian will feel threatened by Dick potentially having another child and try to hold onto him with all his might. It's a never ending game of chicken, both of them constantly flinching towards a future they'd already accepted, but being so insecure of what they mean to each other now that it didn't happen that they can only ever talk around it. It's clawing at someone you lost but they haven't left you. It's 'you belong to me in a way that you can never belong to anyone else but you're not mine'.