#THANK YOU FOR TAGGING ME <33

[juniperhillpatient]

TYSM for tagging me @luthientinuvielss 🫶

Rules: Post 5 songs that you never hit skip on!

(honestly, music is such a mood-based thing for me I'm pretty sure there's not a single song in existence that I'd literally NEVER skip but here are 5 I'd rarely skip because of how beloved they are)

1.) All Too Well by Taylor Swift

2.) The Sharpest Lives by My Chemical Romance

3.) Everywhere I Go by Hollywood Undead

4.) Turn it Off by Paramore

5.) Can't Fight This Feeling by REO

I tried to pick from totally different genres because my music taste is so diverse lol

I tag: @theowritesfiction @dont-leafmealone @missjessefantastico @reythespacebae @leyleys-cannibal-cafe @giac222 @thefirelordazula @hello-nichya-here @camipretzel @lunaintheskyforever @jctko @prodogg @gathering0gloom @akiizayoi4869 @matchamarshmallow @scullysbagel @scullytheslayer @dear-massacre

And also anyone who feels like it :) I normally just say that but I decided to tag some people to make sure my moots feel seen whether we talk all the time or not okay anyway - only if you want to & yeah anyone can say I tagged them!

#THANK YOU FOR TAGGING ME <33 #tag games #music

[quatregats]

Nine people I'd like to know better, tagged by @sulfurousmirrorscapes <333

Last song: currently listening to "El meu cos" by Els Amics de les Arts

Favourite colour: red/blue/green or anything bright

Currently watching: technically I did start watching Hornblower the other day.....

Spicy/Savoury/Sweet: savory or sweet

Relationship Status: single ✌️

Current Obsession: oh you know (Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin books)

I'll tag @minglana, @gwendolynlerman, @salvadorbonaparte, @kutyozh, @res--publica, @no-passaran, @cherrybucket, @hey-scully-itsme, @mycological-mariner and anyone else who wants to do it! (Sorry I completely forget who I normally tag 😅 and no pressure ofc)

#thank you for tagging me <33 #posting this here instead of my main hope that's okay! #i cannot let them know about my horrifically out-of-control obsession with books set in the 19th c royal navy :')) (jkjk) #perce rambles

[jammingjaem]

tag game !

tagged by : @polarisjisung and @jnnul

tag rules : post your results to this quiz + your ult

tagging : @yeppietennie @suzayaaa @hannie-dul-set @lelengerine & @djxia0 (no pressure guys <3)

#lex’s moots 🩵 #tag game ! #my lovely mei 🖤 #qt janani 🤎 #these are so fun to do #thank you for tagging me <33

[dennisboobs]

15 questions for 15 mutuals

I was tagged by @emodennis and @sewerkingcharlie <3

Are you named after anyone?

I named myself <3 but originally I was the bandom equivalent of someone naming their kid Sasuke. Except I was named after a member of Motley Crue.

Do you have kids?

Nope, and I don't want any lol. I parented my sibling and that's enough.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I Don't Know What Sarcasm Is And At This Point I'm Too Afraid To Ask.

First thing you notice about people?

I don't, I avoid eye contact at all times and if I'm lucky I avoid any and all contact in general.

But probably voice. I listen in on people.

What's your eye color?

Blue

Scary movies or happy endings?

I don't like horror movies and I have a weird sensitivity to seeing people hurt, definitely happy endings, I'm annoyingly an optimist and I love me some feel-good shit. But if it's done well it doesn't need to be a happy ending, just a satisfying one.

Special talents?

Catalogue of Dennis scenes in my brain. You can ask me anything about him and I'm able to give you the episode it comes from (huge boon for wiki purposes but also for editing and stuff too lol) based on like. nothing.

I also went to art school for several years (throughout high school & then a year of college before i realized i hated it) and can draw (not that anyone would know because I never fucking do that <33)

What are your hobbies?

Channelling Dennis' essence like a spirit medium but like. not a scam. He is in my brain and I'm simply his scribe.

I think any of my hobbies are probably known by now on here; wiki editing, drawing, writing, playing video games, editing videos; I have a YouTube channel that I abandoned because I hate it, actually, fuck YouTube-- and archival work. Also sewing, occasionally. And more shit I'm probably forgetting.

Have any pets?

Oui, a dog, Arwen, and a cat, Frisk. I've had plenty of small animals as well, and desperately want pet rats again.

What sports do you play/have you played?

I am a frail little bitch.

How tall are you?

5'4"

Favorite subject in school?

I always liked my tech classes, always a fun day when I got to solder, but even more fun when I could infodump to the class about technology. I did a wholeass photoshoot for my NES opened up and gutted for a presentation in that class and I had truly never been so engaged in a school project before that lmao.

Dream job?

Probably working in JP-ENG game localization. I applied to Sega of America just before covid hit and pretty soon after that everyone I knew there had dipped lmao. I actually really genuinely enjoy working retail (lllloved working at EB Games/Gamestop, and I've worked at three different pet stores and I would literally work at one for the rest of my life and be completely content with it, one of the most rewarding and enjoyable jobs ever tbh), but I mean. You can't really compete with the $$$ that comes with being a welder. If I had the patience I would probably go back to school for translation work, or something psychology-adjacent, I would really love to be an advocate for better education re: autism. I've worked with Fandom for their diversity shit before and am just generally super passionate about helping people get the facts straight about what ASD actually is outside of the stereotypes. But I do that anyway, so I guess it doesn't need to be an actual job lol.

I think by this point everyone's been tagged by other shared mutuals, but if any of y'all want to do it and got passed over, feel free to take this as your sign to do it <3

#THANK YOU FOR TAGGING ME <33 #ada speaks

[yurious]

I was tagged by @andromerot to post nine books I'm excited to read!!

tagging anyone who wants to do this <3

#thank you for tagging me <33 #i'm interested in some of the books in your list too :o #i've only read deathless among them and i liked it!! #sorry for all the french books there were even more in my original list 😔 #tag game

[barbiebiddie]

tagged by @roxy206 🥰

favorite first listens of 2022 <3

i tag the lovelies @abagatelle @redlover411 @nyctophiliac-queen @bxckwoodsbxrbie and anyone else who wants to join in!!! 🫶🏼

#thank you for tagging me <33 #yes the whole renaissance album btw #too good to try and choose one song #tag game

[abba-enthusiast]

The lovely @willex-molina tagged me, thank you <3

Last tv show: Heartstopper

Last song: little freak by harry styles 

Currently watching: the bold type (and derry girls and riverdale) 

Currently reading: The road trip by beth o’leary, Jakob der Lügner by Jurek Becker and Le fabuleux destin d’une vache qui ne voulait pas finir en steak haché by David Safier (if you saw me mention this book on a post about the books you’re currently reading months ago... no you didn’t 😭) 

if anybody wants to do this feel free <333

#tag game #thank you for tagging me <33

[anditwentlikethis]

thank you for tagging me @andysrobertson 💖

rules: put your “on repeat” playlist on shuffle and list the first ten songs, then tag some people

1. The Story by Brandie Carlile

2. This Town by Niall Horan

3. Talvez... by Carolina de Deus

4. Nós os Dois by Bárbara Bandeira

5. If I Die Young - Glee version (no shame)

6. hope ur ok by Olivia Rodrigo

7. exile by Taylor Swift ft Bon Iver 

8. Flowers by Lauren Spencer-Smith

9. Towers by Little Mix

10. this is me trying by Taylor Swift

I tag @imlivingliferightnow @caats-stuff @justapayneaway and @neckarinselstrand (no pressure, as always <3)

#thank you for tagging me <33 #tagged

[quinnigallagherjones]

tagged by @benoitblanc (thanks arwen 💖) to list nine of my favourite films! we both have exceptional taste when it comes to our favourite film haha

tagging: @wespers @anxieteandbiscuits @eddie-kaspjack @maevemillay @leviiackrman @billhaders + anyone else who wants to do it !!

#thank you for tagging me <33 #my list is very much full of chaos hahaha #tag game #text

[alexcabotgf]

i was tagged by @robertacolndrez (tysm baby!!) to  share my top 5 songs on repeat

tagging: @stevienick @queencalanthes @waititi @lonely-night @mangosorbetter @ferrisbuellers (but only if you want to 💖)

#thank you for tagging me <33 #tag games #don't understand how маршрутка is on it but натаха isn't but whatever you say spotify lmaoo

[hopeinthebox]

bts + reductress headlines pt.11

#well well well.. just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse.. she is risen #thanks for your continued support in my endeavour to Humble these boys-- my cross to bear. as it were (sorry) #anyway i do hope you can all forgive me for the seokjin pick <33 #tagging (affectionately): #trackofthesoul #shirleytothesea #annietrack #boongietrack #usersky #heyryen #usermaggie #tusercelia #usertaeyungie #networkbangtan #dailybangtan #dailybts #reductress #reductress headlines #textsfrombangtan #i know the rest of bangtan being able to drive somewhat negates joon's headline but cut me some slack this is part 11

[vellichorom]

women named peanut butter in some life & twice as sweet...

A FUN LITTLE HANDFUL OF SOFT FUZZY WOMEN FOR MY BELOVED @tomiechu ~

look familiar? FUN FACT! these are all based off of sailor moon shots!

#uwu art #Spooky Month #hello again spooky month tag i come bearing art at LEAST vaguely related to the show <33 #Shelby Belle #OCs #TO THE NICE ANON WHO WANTED TO SEE FUZZY WOMEN THIS ONE IS FOR YOU #she's not the fuzziest she could be.... ( because this is merely a bust ) but understand me #FUN AS FUCK TO DRAW OUGH..... thank u tomie #ALWAYS HAPPY 2 DRAW HER FOR YOU

[goldenn-moments]

things I need in young royals s3:

• "I love you" "I love you too"

• MORE👏🏼GOLDEN👏🏼MOMENTS👏🏼

• wille in the eriksson house, at home and at ease w at least simon and linda (maybe even Malin included??👀👀)

• simon in the palace, learning the crooks and crannies of the spots of the castle that wille found comfort in as a child (plus an awkward dinner w the in laws, hopefully followed by a royal bedroom scene, if yknow what I mean)

• rosh and ayub seeing wille again and simon being like "guys he's it for me" and the whole reconciliation that I'm sure will have to happen etc etc

• maddie becoming friends w simon and henry and walter being friendlier to simon, including him more - BASICALLY people at hillerska actually valuing simon for once, omfgs

• on the note of hillerska people, felice and simon teaming up to tease wille AT LEAST once. at least. they have so much material it would literally be criminal for them to not tease wille until he's giggling and red in the face

• more hand holding (so much. an obscene amount, actually)

• as edvin said, wille and simon smiling together

• sara redemption, but I kinda want that to be left open ended bc I doubt simon will forgive her all that easily (he will, inevitably. it's who he is. but he's put her first so many times, I want him to pit himself first for once)

• SIMON FINALLY ALLOWING SOMEONE (aka wille) TO FULLY COMFORT HIM AS HE BREAKS DOWN (I just want my boy to have a nice cry and then get all the hugs from wille)

• wille and simon being together in public and not giving a fuck (I mean, obvi they'll care abt being in the public eye. but they won't have to hide, and they'll revel in that, and that's what matters)

• STELLA AND FREDRIKA CONFESSION SCENE + DRAMATIC KISS

• on that note, also wilmon dramatic kiss (in the rain, after something intense happened, or when they're just horny as fuck I DONT CARE. just give me intense wilmon kisses I can use for edits please and thank)

• more exploration into simons family life (which I think we'll get w the sara arc, however they take it), like giving linda more screen time and bc they're probably gonna bring micke back, someone defending simon from micke if he needs it

• wille telling simon abt erik (and maybe even flashbacks??)

• august getting what's fucking coming to him

• wille AND simon breaking the fourth wall (preferably in the beginning of the first ep, bc I kinda want it to end w them walking away from us. but I'd be so down for the series ending w them both smiling at us)

• a look into how the public is reacting - ngl I wanna see the social media comments, the articles, their friends dissing those who are slandering them and at the same time showing them all the public support (I know) they're getting

• far fetched, but maybe a scene where wille and simon are having a Moment (maybe with simon in the palace👀👀) and krissy accidentally sees it and starts to finally fucking understand that taking simon away/denying him is taking away/denying her only remaining son's happiness (I imagine this taking place after an awkward dinner w the in laws)

• a celebration/party scene where wilmon are together and don't have to stare at each other from across a room or hide somewhere in order to be together

• wille defending simon (against their fellow hillerska students, the royal court, hell even micke, idc)

• simon defending wille (against someone from bjärstad who's making assumptions, krissy, the royal court, any of those idc)

-- basically the boys fighting for each other always

• THEM👏🏼AGAINST👏🏼THE👏🏼WORLD👏🏼

• more protective wille bc wille while he's being Crown Prince Wilhelm??? godDAMN

• simon and wille happy under the sun

• kinda related, maybe simon looking like he has a halo through some trick of the light??? paralleling to his glowstick halo in s1???

• wille panicking and simon being there (wille no longer having to be alone when the world gets too much) (do not enter is written on the doorway, why can't everyone just go away? except you - you can stay)

• wille and simon goofing around and being silly, maybe like trying to cook or trying to study or trying to actually play a video game and constantly getting distracted by each other

• simon getting his daily dose of wille's scent, lmao

• SIMON AND WILLE DANCING. dancing alone in one of their rooms, giggling and tripping on each other and swaying back and forth, wille humming a song he wants simon to sing and simon giggling and singing for him. the kind of dance that isn't for anyone but themselves, where they're wrapped around each other and blissfully in love, unable to stop smiling as they twirl each other around (I also wouldn't say no to a formal dance, like a waltz, where they're dancing together in a ballroom or some shit but the whole world melts away until it's just them. or a party scene where they're w all their classmates but they only have eyes for each other. those would be nice too)

• casual touch. so much casual touch. casually holding hands while walking, one of them resting their chin on the other's shoulder as they talk to friends, an arm around the others waist as they stand, sitting in each other's laps while working in a public space, one laying their head in the other's lap, leaning against each other as other things are happening around them. just - wille and simon being casually physically affectionate and always having each other to lean on, in all ways (and ofc, them always being wrapped up around each other. I'm sure wille's need to be close to simon will help me get this)

• henry continuing his curse of being a cockblock (and someone calling him out on it, lmaoo)

• boris. I want more of boris. give me a whole episode w just boris talking to wille and simon, idc, he's amazing and I adore him

• also more of the choir teacher!!! she believes in simon and I want to see her support him more

• simon singing more and flourishing even more in that area (and wille being a love struck fool every time simon sings even one note)

• MORE THAN SIX EPISODES PLEASE AND THANK YOU

• simon and wille getting invited to a girls night

• simon!!! in!!! makeup!!!! (yes, I'm aware this will likely kill wille. both wille and I are prepared to make that sacrifice if it means seeing simon in at least some eyeliner)

• simon and wille pissing of jan-olof and getting the last laugh

• actually, I wanna see jan-olof just croak. just let him die. it's what he deserves😌

• wille and simon having a good support system

• wille's album for simon growing and being able to see the album that I KNOW simon has of wille on his phone

• wille getting his sweater back and teasing simon abt it

• in general, many pretty, cinematic shots of simon and wille just generally being in love

• random, but what happens to my boy rousseau, who didn't deserve all this drama when he's just a horse who wants to eat hay and run free😔

• simon and wille being regular teenagers and being a little stupid around each other hut that's okay bc they're in love

• a parallel to their first meeting, with simon speaking up abt a social issue that these rich kids have no real idea abt, but this time wille chimes in and adds his thoughts and simon just beams at him, and wille can't help but grin bc he's finally saying what he wants to say, tradition be damned

• kinda random but simon interacting w a kid and wille, despite not liking kids all that much, just melting (I will accept simon being cute in general in substitute)

• oh, so out of left field but more of simon's extended family??? like I saw a post on here abt what linda was saying on the phone in the background of one scene, and like she was talking abt a get together??? idk man, I just want simon talking more spanish

• to go off of that, simon teasing wille and spanish and one of two things happening: 1) wille combusts and dies bc simon is killing him w that, or 2) wille surprising simon and speaking back in spanish bc he had to learn it bc he's a royal and simon combusting instead. I would like either variation please and thank

• linda being wille's mom. ik she's not perfect but I just read a fic where he called linda mama and she hugged him and he said "I love you mama" and I kinda want something like that in canon now, ngl

• OH, on the note of linda - her realizing the pressure simon takes upon himself and trying to lighten his burden bc he's her child and should be carrying it all

• wille picking up simon. we know he can do it. so let him, let him pick up his boy whenever he feels like it

• wille and simon playing with each other's hair PLEASE

• I saw a post say that simon should take up fencing to get that extra credit, and now I NEED simon w any kinda sword. please. omar, do a photoshoot or smth, I'm not above begging

• more power walks from simon and wille

• simon and wille being a power couple in general (I'm thinking twin judgemental stares as they stand w each other, glaring and backing each other up, a team in every way possible)

• just,,,, them. against the world. no matter what comes their way

thank you so so much to @mirabel-on-a-bicycle @darktwistedgenderplural @tagalongifyoudare and @retrieve-the-kraken for encouraging me to post this <3 yall are amazing

#sorry for the weird format i copied this straight from my notes app #and thank you!!!! so so much to everyone who encouraged me to post this #youre all amazing <33 #i love this fandom sm #young royals #simon eriksson #wilmon #prince wilhelm #wilhelm young royals #young royals s3 #BC I CAN TAG THAT NOW #YOUNG ROYALS BABY

[deiaiko]

Commission for @mj-chan 💖

#thank you for commissioning me mj <33 you're so lovely #I had so much fun working on this piece #i only know your children for a few days but if anything were to happen to them- 🔪🔪🔪 #I don't know how to tag this. uhhh #tower of god #tog #khunbam fan children #my art #deiaiko's commission

[silverwhittlingknife]

In issue # 110 of Nightwing (1996), why did Dick look irritated (and clench his fist) when Tim told him that Bruce considered adoption (which Tim rejected obvs), especially since Tim's dad was killed (and Dick knows that)?

ANON YOU HAVE ASKED ABOUT ONE OF MY FAVORITE ISSUES OF NIGHTWING OF ALL TIME <333

Very short answer: it's the trauma

So the thing is, this is a heartbreaking issue that requires a lot of footnoting, because the emotional undercurrents are BIG and POWERFUL but the dialogue is deliberately understated?? and Dick and Tim are often not saying what they mean?? or just straight-up lying to each other?? and they're TALKING PAST EACH OTHER because

they both suck at communication

they are not even TRYING to communicate their actual problems - like, if Tim straight-up said, "A bunch of people I love are dead and I keep having nightmares about how it's my fault and I'm guilty and miserable and lonely and avoiding Bruce and I came to your city because I was reeling and I missed you and I didn't know what else to do and now I'm scared you're mad at me," that would crack through Dick's determination to keep his distance because Dick's whole thing here is based on the conviction that Tim is fine, but of course Tim doesn't say any of that, and Dick can't read his mind. And Dick's not quite as determined a liar as Tim so Tim is able to figure out a little more of what's going on with Dick vis-a-vis insecurities, but Tim's still completely missing what a colossal mess Dick is right now, and again: this is because he's not a mind-reader and Dick doesn't tell him! And doesn't want to tell him! And doesn't want him to know! So Tim thinks that Dick's maybe acting this way because he's mad at Tim, and he tries to solve the problem from that angle, even though that's not at all what's going on and actually Dick's miserable and traumatized and mad at himself

I love it so much

So the short-ish answer to your question is, Tim's correctly guessed at some of Dick's insecurities here. Dick's not mad that Tim's in the city, but Tim's right that the adoption was a big deal to Dick, and he's right that Dick's a little threatened by the idea of Tim getting adopted too. (This wouldn't normally be the case! But Dick was kinda uneasy about Tim in the early days when his own relationship to Bruce felt very shaky, and right now Dick's feeling like he's lost Bruce again, and when he's insecure about himself he tends to slide into seeing Tim as a rival - both in vigilante terms and in terms of a connection to Bruce.)

And probably the main reason Dick's so stunned - and a bit angry - here is because Bruce didn't tell him, and although this is very different from Bruce not telling him about adopting Jason... it's still jabbing at those old wounds.

BUT THE LONGER ANSWER is important! Dick loves Tim, a lot!! SO MUCH. He watches Tim sadly from a distance and thinks about how much he loves him in this very comic! So why isn't Dick more enthusiastic about the potential adoption? Why is he skulking around in alleys being miserable and self-destructive and avoiding Tim so determinedly that Tim's convinced he's offended Dick somehow? What's going on???

Well, Dick's life has been imploding.

So to really answer your question, we have to back up a bit and get the context of what's going on with Dick and Tim prior to this comic.

I started writing about this and it got way out of hand, so below please find a guide to my four-part manifesto about Nightwing 110 and what's going on and why I think it's great:

Background: Dick + Tim + Trauma Conga Lines

Background: War Games Aftermath

Nightwing 110

Fix-It Fic Ideas

rambling manifesto is below the cut

Background: Dick + Tim + Trauma Conga Lines

Images: a reporter is shot and killed in front of Dick in N 93; a few days later, Darla is shot and killed in front of Tim in R 129; a blood-covered Dick turns from Blockbuster's body in N 93; a blood-covered Tim stares at his father's body in IC 6

Timeline-wise, we're in The Bad Year for Dick and Tim. Dick's life has been FALLING APART. Blockbuster figured out his secret identity and started murdering his entire supporting cast: Blockbuster hired someone to attack Haly's Circus, blew up Dick's entire apartment building, and shot a reporter in front of Dick. In the climactic confrontation, Catalina Flores killed Blockbuster and raped Dick.

More or less simultaneously in War Games, Tim's life has ALSO been falling apart and his supporting cast has been getting gruesomely murdered. In quick succession, Jack figured out Tim's secret and Tim had to quit, Steph got hired and fired as Robin; Steph accidentally started a gang war; Darla got shot and killed in front of Tim during the gang war; Steph got killed by Black Mask; and Jack Drake got killed by Captain Boomerang.

It's a grimdark time in DC comics.

Background: War Games Aftermath

Dick's slowly recovering in the Manor as Bruce recaps recent events to him (Batman 634)

Now, Dick's actually part of War Games - very briefly. A day or two after Blockbuster's death, Bruce calls Dick for help, and Dick comes to Gotham. Dick and Tim briefly interact but Gotham is in flames, they're both freaking out, and they don't really help each other - Tim tries to tell Dick about Darla, and Dick shuts him down (not realizing Darla is actually Tim's friend); Dick has a panic attack in front of Tim and Tim drags him out of danger but gets snappish instead of worried.

AND THEN, midway through the gang war, Dick gets shot in the leg and ends up in a coma for a while. By the time he's recovered enough to wake up and walk around, Steph's dead, Jack's dead, the funerals are over, and Tim - who's avoiding Bruce - has moved to Blüdhaven.

Here's Dick trying to get answers out of Alfred in Nightwing 99 (Alfred and Bruce aren't telling him anything, either because they can't stand to talk about it or because they're worried about impeding his recovery):

Somewhere around here - presumably whenever he first learns about Jack's death? - Dick calls Tim, who doesn't pick up, in IC 7:

In Nightwing 99, it's implied that Dick leaves the Manor almost as soon as he wakes up, after confronting Bruce:

Dick can't bring himself to confess Blockbuster's death, but obliquely admits his own distress: "…Bruce, I'm lost." Bruce wants to solve things by throwing themselves into The Mission in Gotham: "It's just you and me again, Dick. But there's plenty of work to do." As he talks, Dick grabs his crutches and leaves. He confronts Catalina, arrests her, and tries to turn himself in... but Amy doesn't let him. As he's walking out, angry at Amy and at himself, a prisoner offers him a card.

Meanwhile, in the Batcave, Alfred's stunned to discover that Dick's abandoned his costume:

In Nightwing 107, we learn that Dick has ditched everything and apparently joined the mob - or is he undercover? Dick ultimately comes up with justifications for what he's doing, but a lot of what he's doing is punishing himself and hiding from his life. He's in Detroit for a while, but then has to go back to Blüdhaven, where he sees Tim...

...and now we're caught up with Nightwing 110.

Nightwing 110

I haven't had a chance to see Robin in action since the beginning of the gang wars in Gotham. It seems like just yesterday he was an earnest little computer geek too smart for his own good. He's still too smart for his own good and he can still kick butt with a search engine, but now he's a full-fledged superhero, to boot. Wonder if he knows how good he is? Not just at the fighting, but at keeping the whole thing on his terms. That's really hard to do, and Tim - he's been through so much, and weathered it so well.

Dick's been staying mostly in Detroit rather than Blüdhaven for various reasons, but one very important one is that he's been avoiding Tim.

Dick and Tim's relationship always suffers when Dick's self-worth issues get in the way, and this is probably the most dramatic moment AND IT'S SO SAAAAAD *wails*

From very early on, Dick has had a very high opinion of Tim, and - like Bruce's conviction that "you're better than me, Dick" - this is

very heartwarming and an expression of Dick's faith in Tim

very important to Tim, who tries really hard to impress Dick and (like Dick) hangs a lot of his self-worth on being needed and useful

a source of many sweet moments

but also

a source of problems in their relationship, because Dick's high opinion of Tim and low opinion of himself means he consistently underestimates how important he is to Tim, wonders if Tim would be better off without him, and sometimes thinks that keeping his distance is good for Tim so that Dick doesn't bring him down... and meanwhile Tim interprets Dick's distance as disapproval or hostility

When Dick's down on himself, he'll continually compare himself unfavorably to Tim - Tim questions more, Tim's better with Bruce, Tim's got better computer skills, etc. etc.

And that's what's happening here, when Dick watches Tim fight from a distance:

Dick: Still, Timmy played it through nice and clean. Disarmed the perps, protected and avoided the cops, kept any civilians from being shot... God, I love that kid. Too much to let him see me like this.

This isn't a neutral assessment of Tim's skills. This is Dick castigating himself. The implication is: Tim plays it nice and clean, Tim kept civilians from getting shot... unlike me. Elsewhere in this arc, Dick's been convinced that he's "poison."

He can't bear to see Tim because he's certain he'll only bring Tim down.

... There's a problem with his plan, though. Tim's spotted him.

Narrator voice: they were not okay

I LOVE THIS PANEL SO MUCH

Tim spots Dick before he can sneak away, and chases after him. At first he tries to tease light-heartedly - "Look at you! Back on your feet!" - but when Dick looks away grim-faced, Tim sobers and we get a bit more of his actual worries. (Tim will sometimes fake cheerfulness when under stress - both Babs and his friends comment on this in War Games and in Teen Titans.)

Now they catch up. Tim asks Dick if he's okay. (Dick says he is. He's not.) Where he's staying. ("Some people" are the mobster family.) Dick asks Tim how his step-mom is. (Tim says she's okay. She's not. She's had a breakdown.) How school's going. (Tim says school's okay too. Actually, he's dropped out.)

And now at last we've looped back to the panels at the top! Dick tries to retreat, and Tim - convinced that Dick is mad at him, which is really not the case - tries to figure out if Dick is mad at him for coming to Blüdhaven without permission, or about Bruce's offer of adoption. (Tim's self-worth issues mean that Tim's convinced that Dick is mad at him about something, as opposed to the truth, which is that Dick is spiraling and it has nothing to do with Tim.)

Dick (turning away): We - we shouldn't be talking like this. Tim (fake-cheer, acting as if Dick means "we shouldn't be talking with you in costume and me out-of-costume"): Well, go get your gear! Dick: I can't do that. Tim (more serious now): You're not mad I'm, like, in your city or anything? Dick (shocked): NO! No. I'm honored. You have more of a right to be here than I do. Tim: Is it the adoption thing? Dick: The what? Tim: 'Cause I was a little worried about that. That's kinda part of why I said no. I mean, that and the uncle thing. I was just thinking it wasn't really all that long since he officially adopted you, which was kind of a big deal, emotionally or whatever, and to me you're like totally his son and I don't wanna step on that or anything.

Dick (whirling): What are you talking about, Tim? Bruce is going to adopt you? Tim (hands up): No! I mean, he was. But he's not now. I've got this uncle… So I don't need, you know, anything really… from Bruce, or… You, uh. You didn't know. I'm sorry, I figured he would've talked to you about it or something. Dick (turning away, jumping off the balcony): Yeah, right. Fat chance. Tim: Well anyway, it's not gonna happen, so you don't have to worry about it... right?

Dick's unnerved by the adoption offer mostly because it drives home his distance from Bruce - he didn't know Bruce was offering this, and since Dick's been thinking of himself as Estranged from Everyone Forever, it feels like Tim joining Bruce's family - replacing Dick - instead of Tim joining Dick's family. So he reacts badly - EVEN THOUGH!!! AGAIN!!! DICK LOVES TIM A LOT!!!

So Dick emphasizes the distance he's trying to create: tells Tim that whatever he does is up to him and Bruce, not Dick, because Dick's withdrawing from everything. Actually, Tim should forget that he ever knew Dick:

Dick (pulls his hood up, turns away): Look, Timmy, I'm sorry. I don't care what he does. If he can be of help to you, you should take him up on it. I wish I could offer to help you myself, but I can't. I'm not part of this anymore. This whole thing… I'm out. Tim: Yeah, right… Dick: From now on, it'd be better if you forgot you ever knew me. Tim (echoing what Dick said): ...Fat chance.

Tim's hurt by this, and he's been pretty oblivious about what's going on with Dick, but he's not an idiot, and after a moment of hesitation he correctly figures out from this ramble what Dick's not saying, which is that Dick's feeling like he's worthless to Bruce, that Bruce doesn't value him, that he's lost that relationship. So Tim impulsively tries to reassure him that Bruce does need him... but Dick's in a lousy headspace and it doesn't work:

Dick's walking away. Tim chases after him again. Tim: Hey, uh-! Remember how I once told you that Batman needed a Robin? Well, that's still true, but even more than that, he…he needs you. You know, not like every second or whatever, but at the end of the day, he needs to know you're still on his side. It's…important. Dick kicks over a newspaper stand. Dick (glaring): YOU- ! - you have no idea how much of my life I've wasted believing that was true. Dick pulls up his hood again and walks away.

(Side-note: forever wonderful to me that both Dick and Tim use "need" as a synonym for "love." Issues: they have them.)

Fix-It Fic Ideas

I have spent a lot of time thinking about potential fix-it fics for this comic (TRAGICALLY AFAIK NO ONE HAS WRITTEN ANY, FEEL FREE TO BE THE FIRST). An idea that I offer free to a good home:

A bit after Dick leaves, Tim winds up in trouble and gets injured and Dick has to rescue him (how does Dick find out about it? I dunno)

Tim's injured so naturally Dick's gonna take him back to his home with his stepmom and/or uncle

. . . except the uncle is an actor and not a very convincing one; Tim's entire edifice of lies collapses

Dick realizes that Tim is not actually weathering things well

Dick still thinks that he's poison and terrible and awful and (insert self-hating monologue here) BUT Tim living on his own after his dad is murdered is so bad as far as Dick's concerned that clearly SOME kind of intervention is necessary

Tim insists he does not need an intervention

Dick's sense of responsibility and worry over Tim now force him to carve out time from his major project of hate-myself-and-feel-bad to try to look out for Tim

Dick insists that Tim stay with him until his stepmom is better

They share an apartment for a while

They are both still super-super-super traumatized

???

eventual hugs and healing on both sides

profit

Alternate fix-it:

Tim follows Dick back to the Tevis' house like the little stalker he is, and then introduces himself in disguise as Alvin Draper

Dick's furious and frustrated but can't do much about this without screwing up his own disguise

Tim's determined to figure out what's going on with Dick partly for altruistic reasons and partly because he's also running from his own life, but Dick doesn't figure out the second part until way later

Dick's so frustrated with Tim being here when Dick told him to go - plus wrapped up in wondering what Tim knows, and being paranoid about what he might figure out, and hating being observed - that it takes him a while to start wondering questions like, "wait, shouldn't Tim be in school"

Dick and Tim are pretending not to know each other - or pretending to have a hostile relationship, or something - so any real conversations have to be in snatches in secret

Dick tries to bluff/threaten Tim into leaving (for his own good!!) but it doesn't work

Slow crawl toward mutual awareness of trauma which they're both super-self-conscious about - Dick hears Tim crying at night; Tim hears Dick's nightmares or sees another panic attack

??

At some point it becomes increasingly obvious that they know each other / that their story about their relationship is fake, and when the mobsters confront them, Dick says yeah, he lied, actually Tim's his little brother, and he gives some kind of stylized version of the truth which doubles as an emotional speech to Tim who gets all choked up and hugs him

and it's very touching and emotional because remember Tim HASN'T been adopted so they're NOT brothers and Tim was worried maybe Dick didn't WANT to be brothers but Dick CONSIDERS him a brother so ;_;

??? i don't know what happens next. do they quit the mob? does Dick now explain his mob-infiltration plan to Tim?

meanwhile off-panel Bruce stops Deathstroke from blowing up Blüdhaven, well done Bruce

oh wait or maybe Cass does??

anyway Dick and Tim have hugged so then there's a happy ending

In Conclusion

IN CONCLUSION Dick and Tim should hug more and this comic proves it. Look at them! They both need hugs! They're standing so close to each other! THEY ARE MIRROR IMAGES OF TRAUMA AND BAD COPING MECHANISMS they need each other and they don't know how to say it - they want to help each other and they also don't know how to say it - they don't know how to talk to each other or to anyone else - Dick lashes out and Tim lies and they both isolate themselves and withdraw into depression loneliness even though they could help each other! and would want to help each other! but they won't ask for what they need because they don't think they deserve it and they don't realize how important they are to each other

i just think they're neat. i want to study them like bugs and rattle them around in a jar until all the masks come off and they can actually see each other clearly

#dick grayson #tim drake #dick & tim #long post #i LOVE this comic SO MUCH #the way they echo each other's phrases?? #the miscommunication?? #the tragedy?? #the fact that underneath it all they both still love each other and they're TRYING?? #ask tag #i know a lot of this wasn't really about your question anon but thank you for letting me ramble <33

[diamondsheep]

Zorooo ⚔✨!!!

this is a redraw of this fanart that i made in 2022

#that drawing was one of my first Zoro fanarts and tbh i'm proud of how much OP has helped me with anatomy and art in general <3 #i have learned a lot while drawing fanart of these series <3 also it challenged me to draw humans #which is something i really didn't do in the past 😅 #ily zoro thank you for inspiring me so much <33 #zoro #roronoa zoro #one piece #one piece fanart #my drawings #zoro roronoa #op zoro #zoro op #diamondsheep art #btw guys do you like the shiny colors ?? bc i wanna try using that kind of palette again #i miss those really bright and bold colors #btw pls tell me if i should tag this bc of you know .. the colors lol