[fic] Dick/Tim novella

[glossing]

Is that it? Am I done?

Title: From your memory to this instant; Or, Forensics
Spoilers/setting: OYL + a year or so.

Comments

[dayofjudah]

That is really one of the best Dick/Tim stories I've ever read: it's hard to explore the essential difficulties/potential problems of their relationship in such a thorough but engaging way, and in a way that doesn't feel like conscious exploration. Characterization, as always, is so gratifyingly dead on. For whatever reason, I'm used to reading from Tim's perspective, getting into the over-analytical, neurotic insight deal. To me, Dick's ways are also alien, heh. But written like this, it's not alien at all. The way Dick acts at the profound distance both Tim and Bruce are capable of projecting brings, as someone else mentioned, that uncomfortable sense that stems, I think, just from how strongly Dick feels.

I also love Jason, Babs, Alfred, and Bruce (even if he wasn't technically present for a great deal of the story). ♥Batfamily♥. How Babs knows what's what, unlike her silly boys, and Alfred may not know the details (and, heck, probably is okay with that) but patiently points out how to best go about finding them out. I love that Jason ends up being the one Dick trusts with the pictures, and that he helps Dick fit the puzzle together, in his own dickhead way ♥. Finally, Bruce's phone call, unwittingly forced into the horrible yet apt socialitespeak -- ahahaha.

And, and and, it was really nice how the story neither neglects nor takes detours to all the other people in Dick's life, not just Roy and Lian and Kory and the Outsiders, but the people at the gym and the kids he teaches. It's a little harder to do that with a Tim-centric or Tim-POV story because he's not that gregarious, while Dick takes to people easily and naturally and builds up his own little communities. Okay, well, apparently my social tendencies more closely resemble Tim's, which is why I'm so pleasantly startled to enjoy and empathize with Dick. Also, I'm INCREDIBLY MATURE and wish I could rephrase that last sentence ._.

Thanks for writing and sharing. I always enjoy your work.

[glossing]

Oh, wow! This is such wonderful feedback, I'm not sure if I can reply adequately and express my gratitude. Here goes...

in a way that doesn't feel like conscious exploration
Yes! I wrestled for a long time with how Dick, particularly, resists the kind of metatextual thoughts that would come easily to Bruce or Tim. He just *is* and doesn't lend himself to meta, if that makes sense? It was a fairly new experience for me to have a character like that as POV character. Actually, you captured it beautifully when you said that uncomfortable sense that stems, I think, just from how strongly Dick feels. I'm much better at understanding overthinking and crazy cogitation, but in the end, it was *joy* to figure out, however temporarily, how Dick might go about things.

♥Batfamily♥
I love them so! I kept worrying that the fic was too focused on the OTP of Dick/Tim, but, looking back, I realized that's kind of impossible -- they're all present and interconnected and can't help but be like that.

it was really nice how the story neither neglects nor takes detours to all the other people in Dick's life
I'm so glad that aspect resonated for you - it was one of the most important goals I had with this project. If I could have, I would have included more people, like Clancy.

apparently my social tendencies more closely resemble Tim's, which is why I'm so pleasantly startled to enjoy and empathize with Dick
*hugs you hard!* I...that's just about the best feedback I could hope for. That empathy is what I wanted to achieve, but it's also exactly what I feared I wouldn't be able to write.

Thank you so much. I wish I could *shout* my thanks.