Hey, everyone. Since I'm back from hiatus in two days, I thought I'd put up an introductory post for Dick Grayson. He's a bit of a departure from canon, so I'll do a little summary for you guys:
→ He is twenty-one years old, and he's a student at the local U. He's still working on the equivalent of his second year, though, because he's putting himself through school and... → He's dirt poor. He grew up in foster care, pretty much, because his parents died in an accident when he was eleven. Haley's Circus was in town, there was a problem with the trapeze rigging, and long story short, after the accident the circus owners were tried for involuntary manslaughter. They were acquitted, but the cost of the trial had drained old man Haley of funds, and the troupe dissolved. The owners and the rest of the performers went their own ways, leaving Dick behind in Gotham. → Dick lives in West Harlow, and in January he 'claimed' his neighborhood and started patrolling it at night. His costume is home-brew and slightly ridiculous (ski mask, kevlar vest with spray-painted bird in dark blue, pants and sneakers), but the kid hasn't yet died, so points to him? → The goal wasn't always to be a vigilante - prior to Batman's arrival on the scene, Dick was working towards becoming a police officer (and growing ever more frustrated at the delicate balance of work, school, and bills). → In terms of personality, he's personable and charming, but he's all surface. Because he moved foster homes a lot as an adolescent, he doesn't really expect anything to last, so it takes him quite some time to warm up.
Potential plot hooks:
→ His day job is at the Gotham Police Department. He's a file clerk. → Gotham U. Any other students might know him from campus. → By now, other vigilantes (and villains) might be hearing about some 'really athletic weirdo in a ski-mask' up around West Harlow. Dick-as-Nightwing hasn't been seeking out any of the other vigilantes, but he's probably not that hard to find if you're willing to make a concerted effort to do so.
Anyway! I won't be on IM for another few days, but I'll check for comments and I can be reached by PM or email.