#and I'm not posting/beefing about it

[thelilylav]

Hmmm... very interesting to me that Taylor Swift is trending rn and yet for some reason no one in that tag is complaining that her trending is taking away from what's going on in Palestine and what's happening in Rafah. And yet for some reason, people couldn't seem to shut up in the Kendrick Lamar tag when he was trending about how the whole beef was just two celebrities beef (it's much deeper than that) and were making up theories abt how the whole thing was taking attention away from Palestine and everyone talking about it should feel ashamed of themselves (every single account I saw in that tag was posting about Palestine too).

And the thing that's really getting me is that Taylor is trending bc of a change to the Eras tour. An objectively unimportant change to make, especially when compared to what's going on in Rafah. But that's not what gets hate, no, it's the predator getting called out in an industry known for exploitation by one of the biggest artists in said industry. The racism isn't even implicit atp...

Edit: ok so just to clarify no this wasn't meant to insinuate that Taylor trending was some setup of Israel (that's just... like objectively wrong lmao), it was to point out that when it comes to a black artist in hip hop (a predominantly non-white genre) people wouldn't let fans of said genre just enjoy the music and shenanigans happening in that genre and that's it's hypocritical to act like people can't care abt two things at once, but they can enjoy their white "feminist icon" pop star (a much whiter genre) without anyone bringing hate into that tag. like i put in the tags, the anti taylor tag is for filtering bc i honestly don't see this post as particularly negative for taylor swift, it's a critique of the fans. and i'm calling out swifties particularly bc the ones who were saying that the beef was manufactured to take eyes off of rafah were swifties, and the ones being racist in the kendrick tag were swifties. i'm not exaggerating like almost every hate post i saw mentioning the beef being manufactured was a swiftie account. it is weird to act like people caring about very serious allegations happening in a genre of music isn't reason enough to make a big deal of the situation and go INTO THE TAG and complain, but it is especially hypocritical and frankly quite infuriating to see the same people who complained about a big deal of a situation being a "distraction" from gaza and then blog abt taylor swift . it's fine if u want to blog abt music u like, honestly idc abt that, if that's all u do then this legit isn't targeted at u, this is targeted at the swifties who came into the kendrick tag to complain and then went back to talking abt swift two seconds later like they weren't doing the same thing they were complaining abt two minutes before. (sry for the long explanation, but i just don't want ppl taking my words out of context and i rlly tried to word this all clearly, but idk man sometimes u think u word something well and then nobody undrestands wtf u were on abt so i wanted to make sure it was clear) also, if you're a zionist or israel supporter, i will be blocking u if u interact with this post. ok ty bye bye

#ok so i am white and i'm a little hesitant to post this bc i've been trying not to overstep throughout this whole beef #so if anyone thinks this post is doing that please just let me know and i'll take it down #i just haven't seen anyone talk about this #and it's bothering me especially bc when kendrick was trending i kept seeing swifties being racist in the tag #so the audacity of them to complain when kendrick was trending and yet go back to praising their “mother” #it rlly rubs me the wrong way #like how much audacity do you have to have... really. #kendrick lamar #drake #taylor swift #anti taylor swift #<- that last one is just for filtering #and bc i just... don't like taylor swift lol #also the racism hasn't been implicit in the kendrick tag for a while #but yknow that was more for The Point to get across lol #and if anyone thinks this is whining for no reason i have a literal google doc that i had to start of posts complaining in the kendrick tag #bc ppl genuinely were not shutting the fuck up in that tag

[skrunksthatwunk]

thinking about how eiji's a pole vaulter and how ash talks about eiji "flying" and how eiji's associated with bird imagery and how eiji's free (unlike ash) and how eiji comes in on a plane and leaves on a plane and how ash cannot fly, ash cannot be free, how nyc is ash's prison, and how ash is the leopard who dies climbing the mountain, unable to live at such elevation, how he was trying to reach the sky and be free but was always stuck to the earth, how he chose to die instead of climbing back down, how he chose to die where he could see the sky and hope and freedom almost like a bird with eiji's letter right in front of him rather than letting everything go wrong and ruin it once again, how eiji's a failed pole vaulter anyway, how a bad fall ruined his career and grounded him (physically and emotionally), how it took flying to america and meeting ash and needing to save him and skip for him to try flying again, how he landed hard and harsh and still the thought of that escape compelled ash to protect eiji at all costs because if he could fly that means something to him, even if he doesn't think he can fly, how eiji is the manifestation of his hope and how when he breaks and asks eiji to stay with him a while he folds himself over his legs and weighs him down and traps him and grounds him, how ash fights like hell to keep eiji alive not because he thinks he can be like him (hopeful, flying, innocent), but because he makes him forget the gravity of his situation, and so he can see eiji fly again. how he wants to see him escape. how eiji is a bird and ash is a wildcat and how ash never once saw eiji as prey. how eiji never saw ash as a predator. how it is eiji's naivete that first endears ash to him, how it is his freedom and flight and removal from darkness and his ability to leave that darkness that really roots eiji in ash's blood as something essential to him keeping on living in this hell of nyc. how it is that distance from the violence and that hope for the future that ash chooses to surround himself in as he dies. how ash dies in a dream because he feels more than anything that he can't fly like eiji, that he can never leave. how his violence is a part of him and will be forever, how it weighs him down. how he wants to enjoy the view from the mountainside rather than looking up from the ground below. as if they can both fly. as if he is with him up there and not grounded. eye-to-eye with what he can't have, seeing eiji's homeland: the sky. how he dies trying to reach the top because he couldn't take retreating and trying again. how ash, tired and tired and tired and convinced it will go on forever if he crawls back down the mountain, chooses to close his life deluged in eiji, in eiji's insistence that they can fly together, in eiji's hope for him and for them, in eiji's beautiful dream. how ash dies without trying to realize that dream. how ash, in dying, destroys it.

#banana fish spoilers #I'M HAVING A FUCKING MOMENT #mutual reblogged exactly one (1) piece of ash fanart and sent me on A Multiple Hour Long Thing and now im rewatching it lol #yes i am only on episode 2 yes i am still going to write big long analysis posts ANYWAY #whatever hope this makes sense. anyway #banana fish #okumura eiji #ash lynx #asheiji #hhhhh i can't believe i've only watched this twice in like what 5.5 years?? sheesh #anywayyyyyyy i care about them a lot ok. god #and yes i DO kinda have beef with the decision to kill ash off at the end but it really does say so much About his character #that he chose to die in the way that he did even though he's been throwing his life away since episode 1 #dying in peace in comfort in solitude rather than in some chaotic battlefield.... ough...... in the peace eiji alone could give him..... #anywayss i relate to ash a little more than i should so. this one's for us cool guy bottoms up #edit i uh.... i forgot it was a leopard.... in the story..... but whatever it doesn't really affect the symbolic meaning it's just embarras #ing that i forgot >;/

[thekats]

1:38AM thoughts (on Aziraphale bc he has taken over my body help he's making me write things in his defense, well except this part, obviously, I am doing a joke, haha):

"We can be together!" and "I need you!" followed by "I don't think you understand what I'm offering you." is so fucking tragic to me? It's like he's saying 'I love you, I want to be with you' reeeaaally really clearly (though some people would rather just ignore it and are all 'oh, Aziraphale's only talking about jobs and promotions'). He is offering Corwley a way they can be with each other for realsies, no take-backsies without fear or interference, with earth and humanity protected (which Crowley was previously the main advocate for, remember) and Crowley hits him with "I think I understand a whole lot better than you do."

Wanna know what I'd have thought in Azi's place at that? I'll tell you anyway: whoa, fuck, I completely misinterpreted everything Crowley's been throwing my way for... a long time! He doesn't want to be together together, he just likes to be really good friends and wants to keep that up, he's so lonely on earth, being a good demon that he expresses his platonic love in a way reminiscent of pining love-interests- heck, maybe I'm so lonely down here that I misread common best-buddies-stuff as romantic interest! This is bad. He understands what I want to do here and he doesn't want that. He wants to be 'us' as we have been for millennia. I... don't know if I want that... I don't want to hide this shit, but if he doesn't reciprocate, then I'd make him uncomfortable and things wouldn't work out anyways. Guess I might as well save us both the pain of one-sided love and a friendship that can never be the same again and go. Now I'm angry. This isn't at all how it was supposed to be. I need distance now. From him, our relationship and my emotions bc this hurts. Ouchie. Rude.

And then Crowley mentions the nightingale and hits him with that angry, tragic as fuck kiss? The (potentially perceived) mockery! Crowley is mocking Azi's feelings for him. 'Is that what you want, angel? This? Silly birds proverbially singing about our love? Kissing? That's what you want for us?'Yes, it is, damn you a second time!

#i might be wrong #I'm probably not exactly correct #but listen i have an angsty teenager stuck in my trauma-filled brain and it needs an outlet #also with all the shit the crowley stans make up to bash Az #i think we deserve some ridiculous takes in Azi's defense ourselves 😌 #it is now 2am. this was a sleepy-brain post #current-me thinks future-me will hope i dont piss anyone off #current-me is on the fence about wanting beef #good omens #ineffable husbands #good omens 2 #aziracrow #aziraphale #good omens season 2 #aziraphale defense squad takes

[puppygirlgirldick]

really love that the inescapable truth is that come november the president is either going to be one of two increasingly identical ancient fucks and the only real difference is one of them has sworn to eliminate transgender people-- and let's be real: he means trans women, because trans men are seemingly not real to these bigots. they'll be affected, but we're the target. we're the national subject of political ire.

everywhere people are telling me it doesn't matter which one of these hateful fucks gets into office, and for most cases this is probably extremely true. but not for us. not for the people y'all keep kicking to the curb, excluding, sitting on your hands as we keep getting run off this platform, demonized, affixed with the most heinous labels y'all can find that are the same damn ones all those people miles to the right of y'all are all too happy to put on us. predator. danger. pedophile. deviant.

a vote is literally fucking worthless. it is a check on a piece of paper. for the vast majority of y'all it costs you nothing. it is not a contract or an endorsement or any of that fuckin' shit. it does not mean you are supporting one of these genocide supporting shitheads over the other. you are not signing a blood oath when you stand there and think "which of these choices will bring less immediate harm to my brothers and sisters and siblings." a vote does not stop you from organizing, from protesting, from occupying or rioting or getting off your asses and fighting for some kind of change. unless you want it to. unless you're looking for an excuse to. unless it is actually all the same to you, because you don't give a shit about us any other day of the week, unless we can do something *for* you. with our words, or our bodies, or our graves. something you can point at and shake your head over and say "love every trans woman before it's too late", before going about your fuckin daily business.

you don't give a shit about us any other day of the week. why would the first tuesday after the first monday in november be any different.

#this is where i say there are people who for so many reasons voting *doesn't* cost you nothing. i see y'all. i ain't talking about y'all. #people who have mobility issues in a world not designed for them. people who gotta work themselves to death to survive. #people who are putting themselves in actual physical peril for one reason or another if they go vote. people who i'm forgetting but exist. #y'all are fuckin obviously doing your damned best in this shitty world and i have no beef with y'all. #i'm gonna catch hell for this post and i am. resigned. it's fine. my day sucks already.

[aroacehanzawa]

whats ur beef?

My favourite manga lost the plot so now i cope by being a hater 👍

#long answer is i have beef with the direction that the bsd manga has taken #it only superficially resembles the beloved mystery and character-driven detective agency story with atsushi as the main character #i'm dissatisfied with major developments like killing off fyodor and reviving him and pulling this #PSYCH his ability wasn't what you thought it was. with zero foreshadowing or buildup #because the manga has become full of marvel-movie type plot twists that serve little to no coherent narrative purpose except shock factor #it cheapens the story and it cheapens the development of characters and it cheapens the reader's experience #because we can't speculate and we can't draw connections and parallels and engage with the story on a deeper level #what connections there exist (for example between manga and anime) are shoehorned in after the popularity of the anime and #specific characters (e.g. fyodor who was shoehorned into untold origins in the anime) and mostly the characters who bring in money #i.e. fyodor and dazai and chuuya and their relationships especially soukoku. all this at the expense of characters like atsushi or #the majority of the female cast. who have been MIA for god knows how long and who were barely given frame each in the anime's finale #bsd treatment of its female characters has been subpar shounen level at best and now they're completely sidelined #as with most of the original cast and the original themes of the story. in fact i struggle to identify a coherent overarching theme #for the current arc. other than military action scifi movie go brrrr #compared to early arcs where each chapter had a meaningful message to say about the importance of living and what it means to stay alive and #keep going and why we are fighting to keep important people in our lives and to keep ourselves alive #and what it means to belong somewhere and what it means to be good or bad and how your place of belonging affects that #as a long term reader i just feel betrayed and disappointed. by how a story with complex and vibrant characters has become another #generic cashgrab shounen. and i mourn for the lost potential it had and everything the series has build up #only to have plot points abandoned at a whim. #so that's why i'm a hater now 👍 #i know a lot of my bsd mutuals are still big fans of bsd so i try not to be obnoxious about it and mainly keep it comedic #like i don't actually hate the manga. because it's so important to me. and i respect the creators of the manga and anime #but it's frustrating to watch a train wreck in real time. and it's my blog i can hate what i want 😔 #sorry if there are typos i wrote all this on mobile and can't edit the tags. i didn't wanna put any of this in the main post

[adjit]

So what really happened in Red Robin between Dick and Tim?

Because I am constantly seeing misrepresentations of it, I want to talk about the actual events of Red Robin, and Dick and Tim's relationship during it. It's a favorite storyline for fandom to use and riff on, and so for people who haven't read the source, it's hard to know what is canon and what is fanon.

Honestly? It might be easier to just go read the issues. The majority of what I'm going to discuss here all happens in the first 4 issues of Red Robin (though I cover some stuff through the first 12), and I enjoyed that entire run, but if you'd rather hear a random internet user tell ya their take on it, read on.

This is going under a cut because it's long. But TLDR? Dick is not the bad guy in this situation. No one is the bad guy in this situation. If we had to name one... poor coping skills? And though they do fight, they ultimately reconcile because Tim and Dick are brothers who love each other.

Damian

First things first, let's talk about Damian. Did Dick give Robin to Damian without even informing Tim, so Tim had to find out by Damian showing up in the Robin costume? Not exactly.

So, some technicalities. Damian had worn the costume before the infamous Batcave scene. In Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3, he's given it by Alfred and goes with Squire to save Tim. So, not only has Damian worn the costume before, Tim has seen it.

However, arguably this is also before Dick has accepted the mantle, so the scene in the cave is still notable as it is Dick specifically informing Tim that Damian will be his Robin. And Tim had also worn the costume out for a one-time rescue months before he officially became Robin (also enabled by Alfred), so I'm still of the idea that the cave scene is The Scene about the Robin mantle being passed down.

That being the case, I'm still going to defend Dick anyway.

Firstly, he told Tim before Damian showed up. But it's true that he didn't give Tim a choice, and that Tim was NOT okay with it.

Damian shows up and talks some shit, Tim punches him in the face, and then storms out.

Overall, it went pretty terribly! But I'm of the opinion that there was no good ending here. Damian needs the family connection that the mantle of Robin would give him in order to feel accepted, not to mention the close supervision that the duo of Batman and Robin would provide. But Tim is extremely attached to Robin 14 years after this comic and he still hasn't given it up and would never be happy being asked to give it up, especially when he's already lost so many things. One of them was going to end up unhappy. (Fwiw, I'm of the opinion that Dick is right, and Damian needs Robin a lot more than Tim does. But that doesn't mean that that decision wouldn't hurt Tim, too.)

Arguably, Dick could have been a bit nicer when doing this, but let's be fair to Dick: his father figure has just died, and suddenly he has to be Batman, and he now has a young child he is partly in charge of. That's a lot to be dumped on his lap, not to mention that he didn't want to be Batman (he initially refused despite Bruce's wishes, and only took it on after basically being forced to after Jason tried to take on the mantle, killed a bunch of people, and injured both Damian and Tim), and said child is a highly traumatized child who is still in the process of basically cult de-conditioning! So Tim could also be asked to be a lot more understanding than he's being. But Tim's too wrapped up in his own grief to see that. Just like Dick's too wrapped up in his own issues to properly deal with Tim.

He has a lot of shit going on and he can't juggle it all. Tim is coping incredibly poorly with his own circumstances. They clash and neither comes out happy. It sucked. But to say that Dick is the bad guy here... He made the best decision he could when given no right options. I do think that he made a mistake here in his approach, but to call his entire relationship with Tim into question due to it... doesn't make as much sense to me (especially because of the events which follow!)

Self-isolation

So, did everyone abandon Tim? Did his family forget him and leave him out to dry?

Absolutely not. The opposite, really. Tim pushed everyone away, despite them repeatedly reaching out to him.

One thing to note about Tim here is that he is self-isolating extremely hard. Even after their argument about Robin, Dick keeps trying to reach out to Tim. Tim pushes him away. Tim pushes everyone away. And this is not even subtle- it's shown in the text very clearly.

Multiple people try to talk to Tim, and Tim absolutely refuses them.

Tim is pissed even at the idea that Dick might be checking up on him. And Tim and Steph's relationship is super rocky right now, and he takes her concern for him poorly. Part of that can be attributed to an ongoing fight between them, a lack of trust implicit there, but combined with everything else it's also clearly Tim pushing away all of his lifelines.

Cassie also comes to try to check on him- after he dodges her attempts to contact him, she flies all the way to Gotham. But when told that a man who everyone knows as dead, and whose body was recovered and buried, is still alive, she doesn't believe him. (And considering Cassie has already dealt with Tim's grief regarding Conner and his suuuuuper rational reaction there, one might understand even more why she doesn't believe him right away.) And Tim immediately pushes her away for it. He doesn't try to give her any explanation, doesn't respond to her concern, he just immediately cuts the cord.

(And just a note that when Cassie doesn't know who else to turn to about Tim? She turns to Dick! Because she knows how important Dick is to Tim. And yes, right now Tim is mad at Dick and resents that Steph and Cassie go to him, but that doesn't change the fact that when people think about caring for Tim, Dick is the first person they go to.)

Dick and Tim's argument

Did Dick refuse to believe Tim, despite Tim having evidence, call him crazy and threaten to throw him in Arkham? NOPE.

That is entirely fanon. And one of the more pervasive, and annoying, misrepresentations of Dick's character, as it causes people to talk shit about him.

So. What actually happened? (We're getting into full pages here because I am not letting anyone get this conversation twisted.)

Dick shows up and speaks to Tim compassionately, though decisively, about the fact that Bruce is dead and they need to learn to move on and deal with that grief in a healthy manner. He then offers help to Tim once more, and is rejected, Tim instead opting to start a fight in classic emotionally-repressed Bat tradition. (Which, sidenote, do you think they do this just so that panels during a long conversation are more dynamic instead of two people standing there talking to each other?)

Tim pleads his case to Dick....to an extent. Notice, however, that he never mentions that he has any reason to believe what he does. Doesn't even try to convince Dick to believe him, really. Just insists that he's right after he makes a good case on why he does in fact sound crazy.

And then, Dick offers help. He suggests that Tim talk to a therapist. This person is, notably, NOT ARKHAM ASYLUM. Isn't even secretly Arkham, because they're in Metropolis!

And, frankly, the idea that someone suggesting therapy to his brother who is dealing poorly with grief has been equated to "calling him crazy and trying to get him thrown in jail/committed" is absolutely bonkers to me. I know that it's more likely that someone escalated the stakes for drama in their fanfic or something, and for some reason that's the version that circulated, but from here to there is a LEAP. And for people to claim it's canon is frustrating to say the least.

And finally. Tim tells Dick to let him leave. And Dick does. Dick stops trying to stop Tim, and lets him go. He trusts in Tim enough to let him do what he thinks is right, even if Dick himself disagrees. He does it because Tim asks him to.

Is it a mistake? Maybe. Does it make Tim forgive Dick for choosing Damian as his Robin? Definitely not. But it's very clearly not because he doesn't care, not because he's too busy to pay attention to Tim. It's an act of respect, of treating Tim as an equal who is capable of making his own decisions. In that way, it's showing his trust to Tim.

I have an entirely separate post on the subject of why Dick not believing Tim is narratively supported to make later (EDIT: posted here!), so I'm gonna go on a little Tim rant here instead. Because this post isn't long enough.

During this time, Tim is consistently begging for people to believe in him, while also refusing to play all his cards. The picture that started his hunch is never brought up. Frankly, I'm not sure that even if he did show it to everyone that people would believe him, but I think it's telling that he doesn't.

First, I kind of see it as Tim engaging in a "relationship test". They're the kind of thing that only people who are deeply insecure or in a bad place think to do- if I stop talking to all my friends, how long will it take people to notice? Who's going to notice that I'm upset without me saying anything, who really cares about me? If I share an insane theory, who is going to believe me point blank?

They're the kind of thing that is....not healthy in any way, shape, or form, and really aren't fair to the people you're testing. Sure, someone "passing" the test may show that they care for you (and, ultimately, the only person who believes Tim without reservation is Kon, once he comes back- and that unquestioning belief and loyalty is meaningful), but "failing" the test doesn't mean that they don't care. And they're ultimately a sort of self-sabotage, because you know that most people are going to fail because you know the test is unfair.

And that's exactly what it is: self-sabotage. As previously mentioned, Tim is massively self-isolating during this part of the arc, and pushing people away because they "don't believe him" is just one facet of that self-isolation. But he also doesn't try to get them to believe him, doesn't even give them that chance, because his ultimate goal is not to actually get anyone on his side, but to push everyone away. That's not to say that he secretly doesn't want people to believe him, but... he's acting mostly irrationally. He wants people to believe him but won't let them close enough to meaningfully give them the chance to do so.

Second, as much as Tim says that he's positive he's right and he's going to prove it, he's straight up lying, and he's actually not that sure at this point. And he's probably terrified that if he does show his proof, that someone will see it and still not believe him, and he'll have to face the fact that his only piece of evidence is extremely flimsy and that his conviction is based much more on grief than it actually is on logic.

So. Yeah, no one believes him. And that does suck, and it's a hit to him. But he didn't exactly give them a chance. He's preemptively cutting people out before they have a chance to hurt him or point out where he's wrong.

Tim is still a pitiable character here. He's a disaster and a wet puddle of a man who is living through the worst time in his entire life. But he's not a poor victim, scorned by his family and the world at large, thought to be crazy for no reason at all! Instead, he's (much more interestingly, imo) a kid dealing with his grief incredibly poorly, self-isolating and refusing every outstretched hand, clinging desperately on to his last hope that maybe his world hasn't changed as much as it seems like it has.

Blackest Night

Blackest Night is a huge crossover event that happened during the Red Robin run; technically speaking, you can skip it without missing anything in the plot of Red Robin, but it does have some good moments that highlight Tim's mental state and his relationship with Dick.

So, Tim leaves Gotham, but when Black Lantern Rings start bringing a bunch of people back from the dead in the form of zombies, including Dick and Tim's parents, Dick calls him back to Gotham. And Tim, looking at the decaying zombie corpse of his parents, is also arguing that he can save them.

When faced with an evil zombie that is trying to kill him, Tim still says "I can still fix this, I can save him". And Dick, as compassionately as ever, tries to talk sense into him. It's the exact same situation as with Bruce, but this time Tim is absolutely wrong.

And with this situation as a parallel, I think it's a lot clearer how unreasonable Tim's mental state is. He might seem like he's just a misunderstood genius in Bruce's case because he happened to be right, but the fact of the matter is, he's not thinking clearly. And he'd cling onto the same hopes even when he's wrong. With Bruce's case, he got lucky.

Also! This panel.

Even with all of this between them, Tim still answers Dick that he trusts him, with no hesitation. Of course.

Reconciliation

So, does Tim come back to Gotham, replaced and forgotten, and become isolated from the rest of the Bats?

Nope! There is, actually, a reconciliation of sorts between Dick and Tim. Admittedly, there is no scene where Dick outright says he's sorry, and Tim says he forgives him. But in my reading, there are interactions that serve a similar purpose, if you read between the lines.

After Tim finds proof of what's been going on with Batman, had a whole thing with the League and the Council of Spiders, and blown up a bunch of League bases, he returns to Gotham where Ra's is enacting a plan to get revenge for Tim acting against him: destroying Batman's legacy. Everything he loved and everything he built is in the crosshairs.

And when he's trying to figure out what Ra's is planning, he meets back up with Dick.

Tim is spewing crazy theories, and with absolutely no proof or explanation, he turns to Dick and asks him to trust him. And this time, Dick tells him, Of course. The fraction between them that preceded Tim's departure from Gotham is repeated, and this time Dick tells Tim he trusts him, and asks what he can do to help.

(This time, Dick does call Tim crazy, while he's muttering to himself. And then he chooses to trust him anyway.)

Granted, this is not an actual apology. But it feels like a second chance. One more bid for connection, and this time Dick meets him in the middle and reciprocates.

Anyway, since when do siblings actually verbally say "I'm sorry"?

And then... quick summary, in case you want the real details for the following events:

Ra's sends assassins after all the people Batman cares about to distract Tim from the fact that he's getting Hush (who is impersonating Bruce Wayne) to sign over Wayne Enterprises. But Tim wins because he finally stops self-isolating and gets his many friends to protect everyone who needs protecting while Tim faces off against Ra's. (Which is, ultimately, a climax of his character arc for this story- reaching out and trusting people again. Team up guy back in action!)

Tim's able to keep Ra's busy long enough that Lucius can file the paperwork to make him the majority shareholder of Wayne Enterprises, thwarting Ra's' attempt at a takeover. However, Ra's wins the fight, and Tim ends up plummeting to his death out of the window.

And then Dick catches him.

Later, Dick asks Tim how he could have planned for Dick to be there to save him.

And Tim says "You're my brother, Dick. You'll always be there for me."

This scene has been talked to death, because most people are at a consensus: this is a fucking lie. Tim didn't know that Dick would be there, and was fully prepared to die.

However! I'm not here to rehash this. I just want to add my take. It's a lie, but. Tim is a good liar. And every good liar knows that the best lies have a grain of truth in them.

I do believe that Tim didn't know that anyone would be there to save him. But I also believe that he fully means what he says here, that it's not just to placate Dick. Tim is telling Dick that he trusts him, that he believes in him, that they're brothers. It's forgiveness.

I could keep citing all the places where Tim shows an unconditional belief in Dick that happen after this arc, to prove that their relationship is truly mended after this and that they don't continue fighting, but that happens often enough that you could just read any comic including Tim and Dick and I'm sure Tim will say some fanboy shit eventually.

So, that's it! If you take nothing else from this post, take this at least: Tim and Dick LOVE each other, and they might fight, but they forgive each other, and if you try to talk shit about Dick Grayson, Tim will be one of the first to fight you, guaranteed. Suffice to say:

#Tim Drake #Dick Grayson #Batman #Red Robin #dc comics #batfandom #this post is half Dick defense half I can't shut up about Tim #actually half of this is just summarizing red robin and then a fourth is dick defense and a fourth is me rambling about tim #and like...fandom is transformative and ultimately if you want to make Dick your bad guy you Can #but at least know what the original was and where you're differing so that is a Choice and not just something you do bc it's what's done #I originally was going to delve into Dick and Tim's relationship in general #including first meeting and Tim's Robin tenure #(parts of it at least there's a lot of Robin time) #(and I haven't finished the Robin comics oop) #but this post got out of hand. So now it's just a recounting of what happened in Red Robin with my analysis of the text and their relations #and it's still a Lot #also I haven't read ALL the batman comics leading up to this arc so if I'm missing any context I'd love to hear about it! #mostly I know I'm missing some stuff with his beef with steph

[pallanophblargh]

I think part of me expected this burnout would last a long time, but it’s drawing close to a year now. I have a strong reason to suspect medications are prolonging it. Granted: I have no intention of stopping medication, but I suspect I may need to make some changes. It’s been nice not to feel burning rage/crippling despair/panic most of the time, but I also miss being able to actually... act on things! Start things! Feel some semblance of motivation, as fleeting as it is. Mostly my reaction to prompts of any kind are “nah, don’t wanna” or “so what?” which isn’t terribly conducive to anything more than day to day life. (Y’all, I can’t even reliably plan my vacation and that’s pretty terrible.)

I’m saying this in part as a sort of explanation as to why I’ve been so slow to respond to anything, or post any art, or even re-open commissions this past year. I just... generally can’t make myself do anything that isn’t a part of my daily maintenance routine. Knowing that making art (even personal art) takes 3x times as long to complete is a standout reason I’ve been refusing to reopen commissions especially, since I’d be unwilling to make clients wait more than a few months for even something as simple as a sketch. People were patient enough with “Old Me,” I don’t think most would hold out for “New Me.”

Thankfully I’m speaking to my doctor tomorrow regarding my experiences on the current medication, and maybe I can find something that works a little better. I feel like I’ve been pretty fortunate so far, all things considered, and my side effects have been fairly mild. (Though I have suspicions it’s also thinning out my hair something fierce... probably time for supplements for that issue!)

Hopefully I’ll figure it out sooner rather than later? Either way, I’m learning to accept things as they are these days. 

#April rambles #text post #mental health #medication #I know I'm one of the lucky ones but I'm still not discounting my aggravations #like yeah I'd like to think I should be capable of motivation #but at what cost? #and I never thought I'd care so much about hair loss but yikes I never had a lot of hair to begin with #wanting to cry anytime I see someone with a full head of thick hair #guess I'm kinda shallow after all lol #I have some beef regarding my other issues and suspicions but whatever #I can deal with them later #but I still find it hard to believe I've been assigned Just Anxiety instead of low grade well masked ADHD #Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh whatever #I'm a pleasant zombie for the most part are you happy? #I can't be arsed to do really anything are you sure that's just anxiety? #I'm literally masquerading as an apathetic potato most of the time now with meds so yeah ok sure? #we'll get there someday I hope #shit count my blessings it could be so much worse

[araneitela]

Me staring at test results: It makes so much sense for her, but if I don't specify or elaborate, then we end up with the fanon take. Ugh, how do I easily explain that if you look at the word 'sex' through a much more old-fashioned lens instead of the modern one, that you'll get a vastly different picture of it?

/takes angycat.png typing to my tags

#[ ooc. ] don't try to make it logical or edit your soul according to the fashion. rather; follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly. #[ post-it. ] in a way; you are poetry material. you are full of cloudy subtleties I am willing to spend a lifetime figuring out. #[ i'm so tired. i need to write a post on this or something. and somehow add it to my pinned. in some way. ] #[ 'sex' and 'seduction' are /not/ wrong in my opinion. HOWEVER-- they are /very wrong/ if we go by modern labels and perception. ] #[ god the horror of writing a muse that is so interlaced in a modern world; setting and culture but seems to /ooze/ something archaic. ] #[ this level of refinement isn't of our times in my opinion. these things that she loves aren't commonly loved nowadays. ] #[ there's so much about her that is old-fashioned to me and it's so in my face. and yet fanon doesn't see it. ] #[ i can't believe i'm an old millennial who's screaming boomer or older things. ] #[ but like can we acknowledge that sex in today's age isn't the same as it used to be? not /always/ but more generally so. ] #[ can we acknowledge that /seduction/ didn't always mean what people see it to mean now? ] #[ can we acknowledge that the FEMME FETALE TROPE HAS CHANGED /LEAGUES/ since the 2000s? ] #[ which is my biggest beef actually. and maybe all of my frustration plays into this most. it's that the femme fatale now is sexualized. ] #[ while that is /not/ what the femme fatale used to be. kafka plays into the old school femme fatale so well. film noir days. ] #[ i had this same struggle on yelan where they make VERY OBVIOUS draws to it by her music in her trailer. god; the jazz. ] #[ but kafka suffers from this so very much as well to a point where i don't dare to call her a femme fatale because then it's fanon. ] #[ the fanon i hate so much. ] #[ but just uuuughhhh. UGHHH. it's so much to explain. ]

[mirrortouchedsea]

Okay but like... the way in Night Club when Hinata starts opening up to Rinne and Rinne sees who he used to be so so clearly in Hinata. Feeling like the world believes your entire existence is wrong, nothing is going right, you just want to give up but you can't. Hinata comments that it's easy to open up to Rinne and I think part of that is just that Rinne intimately understands what Hinata is going through, trying to find himself in a world that he feels like an alien in. And while Rinne obviously doesn't like to be so upfront about his feelings, you can tell he's watching out for Hinata and encouraging him to act up and act out, to be loud because someone is proud of him and is glad that he's there (and now Rinne is in Hinata's corner and he's less alone than he was before).

#I WAS THINKING ABOUT THEM DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND FORGOT TO MAKE THIS POST OOPS #enstars #ensemble stars #enstars analysis #hinata aoi #rinne amagi #rinne's unorthodox approach to things and his fuck the rules mentality rubs off on hina though asdmpfoa #and yuta hates that its why yuta has such beef with hinata and comments about how hina is becoming like rinne #hina is still having an identity crisis but at least he has someone who understands him and will be there #in his own way even if that way is 'lets go spray paint a building about it' #i think about rinne and hinata dynamic too much for my own good and i am the only one out here in the trenches #anyway... first analysis post on here specifically enjoy! i'm watching a very slow explosion of a post i made on main #that has escaped containment as a fandom post for a podcast i listen to #but hasn't quite blown up beyond like 60 notes... it looks like it might get there soon though as a semi viral post #shay speaks #<- fucking forgot to put my original post tag on here earlier like a loser

[fluffs-n-stuffs]

Pokémon Horizons Episode 24 spoilers under the cut!

HEY AMETHIO BESTIE WHAT DOES THAT MEAN . WHAT DOES THAT MEAN

#fluff binges !!! #GUESS WHO'S OFFICIALLY CAUGHT UP WITH HORIZONS AND GOT TO WATCH THE LATEST EP FROM YESTERDAY !!! 💥💥💥💥💥 #I have a bunch of posts to make about the previous eps because I enjoyed them a lot but first oh my g o d #adding an extra tag here before spoiler talk --------------------------> #I was still reeling from finding out that Hamber was Diana's old friend I like genuinely jumped from seeing that #butler jumpscare /lh #Hamber's essentially Gibeon's righthand at this rate and considering how Onyx and Sango were even scared of him that spells out bad news #NO BUT WHAT WAS UP WITH TERAPAGOS BEEFING WITH AMETHIO AT THE END I'M.................................................. #AMETHIO HAVING AN EVEN BIGGER ROLE IN THIS STORY ASIDE FROM HIS OWN PERSONAL VENDETTA?????????????????AMEN AMEN AMEN #it's so funny for the past few episodes I was thinking to myself “man I miss Amethio I miss my edgy son where is he :(” #AND HE NOT ONLY CAME BACK BUT POSSIBLY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE PAST CONSIDERING TERAPAGOS' REACTION................... #my current theory is like - maybe Amethio's a descendant of someone who knew Lucius? #and maybe they're the reason why he's been missing all this time? because that was anger Hatenna was sensing I feel #and terapagos was acting so aggressively thinking that Amethio was that same person from before /insane /insane /insane #I thought that Liko could possibly be a descendant of Lucius as well but it seems like Diana only knew him through his journals- #-not by relations like I initially thought #OOOUGHGGHGNNGG I NEED MOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE #next friday come soon huhu #pokemon horizons #anipoke #pokeani #amethio #amethio pokemon

[lambjock]

genuinely hope natalie keeps jackie's necklace in s3 -- that she fiddles with it and stares at it, a little crooked heart on a golden string, and thinks about jackie taylor and how never in a million years would she have given this gift to nat, and yet it now belongs to her anyways. the good luck charm. the blessing of protection. an undying promise of a love natalie has struggled to know her whole life ( i would never hurt you on purpose / you're my best friend and i'd do anything for you ) and most importantly it's something that replaced the cold steel of a knife against her neck in the form of their soccer captain's delicate heart. it's hers, hers, hers, and when her head is weighed with antlers the only warmth she feels is from a metallic shape that's long since indented itself against her sunken, bony skin. a love she'll pass down to prey she'll always feel sorry for but a love that'll return to her all the same. and maybe in a kinder life it was something nat rightfully earned rather than the premature consolation it really was. and maybe in that other world the necklace comes from a well maintained, plushy hand : dangled into nat's ring-clustered fingers with a smile. and instead of pitiful sorry i love you's, it's a sickly fond look, one that's just for her.

#my posts. #shows › yellowjackets #jackienat. #can you tell im in my feelings ??? that i'm going nuts in my enclosure ??? #in a less poetic way : let nat selfishly keep the necklace and let this be another thing her and shauna beef over lol #i just UGHHHH ... nat having the necklace hurts me so deeply because it's a best friend thing and she. she HAD one of those in kevyn #but that love was different. and it was special. but i think some part of her always wanted what shauna and jackie had #who wouldn't? especially someone as lonely and shut off as natalie #so her getting this item that's symbolically about that close knit bond. that deep relationship. it'd stir up a lot of emotions methinks #this isnt to diminish shauna gifting her the necklace btw !! that IS so important because it is her saying she loves natalie #but it's in a way nat is so used to. which is 'i'm sorry. and i love you.' #a love only given to her because they're about to hurt her. a love that's only admitted as a quick comfort before something awful happens #idk i feel crazy i'm just like oh NATALIE ... truly a character of all time #okay done yjs posting for another month time to do something else :salute:

[felixravinstills]

I was on instagram looking at posts about tbosas as one does, and on one talking about the Lucky Flickerman-Festus Creed beef, Max Raphael (Festus' actor) said in the comments that it would be explained soon (commented 3 days before I'm writing this).

Genuinely wondering if there is some explanation on a special feature? Is he going to explain? Was he joking? I am out here collecting crumbs.

Here's a link to the post.

#EDIT: I reblogged an update to this #does tumblr know about the festus-lucky beef? I only see posts about it on social media that I'm a lurker on. Then again #the festus tag in general is me and like six other people so idk #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #abyssal stuff #lucky flickerman #tbosas #festus creed #the hunger games #text

[unopenablebox]

i will admit that i think it is intrinsically a bit silly and embarrassing to claim that it is more surprising to encounter known wildlife than a thing that absolutely should not exist in any way at all. but, you know, survivable. especially if you are interpreting 'surprise' to instead mean something along the lines of "which thing causes you to immediately shriek and slam the door" or similar, in which case you're probably just objectively right to pick the walrus. absolutely close door on walrus. this makes sense as a stronger instinct to have than any specific reaction to an impossible but humanoid thing

however it's extremely goofy to post a defensive yet smug tumblr-wacky-anecdote-toned post about how actually, you're completely right to think animals are more surprising than things that don't exist, because how could an animal ever get to and then knock on a door??? what situation could ever exist where a knocking-like sound precedes an animal outside a door???? checkmate, literal atheists

#it's just. it's giving ''empiricism is for straight men''. it's giving ''how could we REALLY know ANYTHING so maybe magic IS real''. #but primarily it's giving ''if you removed the subjunctive and told me it was a g*ll*sr*str*m*g*l*s post claiming to be about a real walrus #event i would instantly believe you.'' #and some things are unforgivable. #box opener #also mad about the post w/ a fucking-up-the-line-pattern raven parody on the topic but that is a known and separate beef #you know. while i'm complaining!

[talentforlying]

mary shelley saying "life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and i will defend it" is john constantine core.

#( ooc. ) OUT OF CIGS. #i am barely awake my mind is mush but my soul is on Fire #me with my head in my hands: it's about submitting to your own abject misery to secure everyone else's potential happiness #it's about falling in love with the possibilities #he might have beef with angels and god for not intervening but my guy. my dude. my little rat man. you are the Chief Protector of free will #i'm so normal about this reread of frankenstein i really am #there's not a long loooooong meta post about quotes relating to good omens in my personal blog's drafts not at all #or a new one i just started for constantine. nooooooo #( character study. ) A WALKING PLAGUE OF A MAN.

[icewindandboringhorror]

Misc. photos from the past year or so ~

#image commentary in tags once again since they don't allow captions anymore and I feel weird using the alt text for that -- #1. napping bapy boye sneeping on his own foot as if it were a pillow #2. The little primrose that I have seems to bloom sporadically all year around as long as I bring it inside and don't let it freeze #in the winter. This was a flower that came up randomly like mid november lol #3. Rainbow where you can see a little bit of a second rainbow near the bottom of it :0 #4. CHILDREN.... love to see them..... #5. Halloween Candy ranking tierlist. not important enough to post on it's own. so throwing it in with one of these I guess lol #I am also not really a candy person at all and prefer bready stuff like cakes rather than chocolate bars (if I even have to have sweets #at ALL which usually I prefer savory food). I suspect the apple is controversial but.. I do love apples .... huzzah #actually am having applle and peanut butter snack right now as I'm writing this lol #6. Various bowls/cups/etc. that I got from a store at COMPLETELY different times like.. years apart from each other #yet at some point realized that they all mostly match in paint color and seem to be part of the same pattern #But I totally didnt make that connection until a few years ago when I was putting up dishes. I just bought them all invidually because it's #like 'oh cool! a cat' *1 year later* 'oh cool! a cat!' etc. lol.. I guess it must be a popular design if it's been around being sold that #long. #7. carne asada burrito and matcha bubble tea... oughhgh.... again one of my very rare meals where I actually go and get something.. #probably my favorite meal currently. Something about the Chronic Anemia makes me crave beef burritos madly despite only having one #maybe twice a year or so ghjbhj.. plus the beans.... onions.... many of my Diet Forbidden foods... Also of course the little aishas #are there.... somehow they shall split the meal together even though it's like 10x bigger than their bodies.. they are also hungry #and vastly anemic... huzzah to them... #8. I've had this shirt for a long time but it fits very weird so I can never find a way to use it in outfits?? But I recently had #an appointment where a doctor needed to be able to look at my back and it's one of the only actual Shirts that I have (mostly i just own #long robes or tunics or jumper dress type of things that would be hard to lift up or etc. like... I dont even own a single normal 't-shirt' #or anyting aside from one giant tshirt that I sleep in in the summer lol.) So I wore this there.. I forget how much I love the pictures on #it.. how pleasant... little hummingbird... AND I think one of the flowers is supposed to be columbine ... ! #photo diary

[bonefall]

Can you explain your thoughts about Nightheart. His character is probably my favorite to see how everyone perceives him, especially as the arcs gone on and the mindset shifts. I remember when he was the baby trans kitty ppl liked then became the bitchy boy he is today for many people

Personally I’m pretty neutral to him, I think he’s not very great and the writing in certain areas does not help this at all. Also all the unreasonable hate he gets form the surrounding characters makes no sense but that’s just the writers bending their characters to make the male lead seem semi reasonable (to me)

Sure!

I think what really separates my feelings for Nightheart apart from others in the fandom is that I do not think his surrounding characters are being unreasonable; and I like Nightheart because of his abrasive personality.

Before I continue: I don't legitimately accept the trans-coding theory. I think it makes a fun fandom idea but I do not use it when interpreting him.

Nightheart strikes me as a very young, very lonely person looking for validation. The problem of his character is that he refuses to self-reflect or consider his impact on the people around him, alienating his kin and clanmates, blaming all of his problems on the most immediate 'obstacle' on his mind. This is usually authority figures who enforce a consequence.

At first, this is Firestar's legacy itself, largely because people will tell him that he needs to hold himself to a standard. Then, he fails his assessment. At first he knows it's his fault, then over time, it morphs. Now it's about Lilyheart being unfair. The next assessment? He throws himself in front of a large predator. Now it's about Squirrelflight haaaating him.

Nightheart thinks he's a super special descendant of Firestar because it's what he's been told. Then when he acts like he IS special, overestimating himself, he causes trouble for himself and others. So he hates the idea of being special, but at the same time it is part of his identity, and he HAS to impress people, so if they AREN'T impressed, then-- then they must be being unfair!!

Nightheart is young, confused, and self-absorbed.

He doesn't register that people are mentioning Firestar to try and comfort or relate to him. He doesn't even consider the idea that Squirrelflight is concerned about him when he pulls the hawk stunt, nor does he take note of how many times his family has tried to reach him...

And the name ceremony. The name ceremony. Divorce yourself for a moment from the culture here on Tumblr where we (rightfully) accept a name change on the face of it-- names are extremely important to Clan society. Flamepaw did something that is already taboo to Clan cats; he rejected his name. EVERY time this has happened in WC outside of SkyClan, it's been met with shock and mutterings from the rest of the clan, even when it's completely respectful, a request to keep an old, beloved name

And Nightheart didn't do that. He halted the ceremony with an angry rant about Firestar, most beloved leader in the Forest, rejecting the name after BEGGING to take assessments before he was ready, saying he'd "Let you know" after he'd thought about what he'd like to be called.

And he can't even imagine why the Clan would be upset about that!

Why Sparkpelt, extremely proud of her legacy, who picked out 2 fire-related names with Larksong before their kits were even born, would be upset by this. Why Finchlight is upset she has to pick up his slack and he keeps snapping at their mother. Why Myrtlebloom suggests that the Clan sees him as spoiled for having such a stunt entertained.

Largely because he only has his own big, painful emotions on his mind. He's completely caught up in his own head, in his own re-telling of events. And... part of me can't fault a confused (kitty equivalent of an) 18-year-old for lashing out.

He isn't wise enough to untangle this web of emotions and he's desperate for someone, anyone to understand what's wrong with him, as this same behavior pushes away everyone who ever cared about him.

I can't fault any of them! Yeah, Nightheart's old enough to self-reflect, but I've been 18 and Angry and not known how to Stop Being Like That.

Sparkpelt shouldn't have dropped him so harshly after the name stunt, but did everyone expect her to just be cool after he'd loudly rejected her in public twice, thrice if you count the name ceremony?

Squirrelflight?? Whose biggest crime is telling Nightheart that he needs to learn caution because he threw himself in front of a FLYING DINOSAUR? Mad because he ranted about how he doesn't want to be compared to HER DAD in front of the whole clan?? After she tried to suggest special mother/son training sessions, sent him on the catmint journey, attended his second assessment because Bramblestar couldn't show up after making a promise???

He's interesting to me! All of his problems are of his own creation and he's looking for some magic fix to POOF! Make all his pain go away, if others just treated him "more fairly" or if he could "prove them wrong" this time-- but there ARE no magic solutions. He thinks ShadowClan will fix him and it won't! He wants Sunbeam to fill a hole in his heart and she can't!

I like it! I want to see where this goes! I wanna see the little guy wriggle and squirm and tie himself into a greasy knot of his own design. He's unreliable as a narrator. He's unpredictable as a protagonist. I cannot wait to see what kind of wrench he tosses into the dynamics in ShadowClan right now.

I'm compelled in a way I haven't been with the books in years. I just like Nightheart, that is all.

#He's my little wet rat! #My poor little meow meow! #My greaseball of delight and horrors #My rotisserie chicken man #Mr. Wet Beef #THIS is a blorbo #Nightheart #warrior cats analysis #I keep trying to make a short post about Nightheart and it's impossible #Every time I talk about him I'm breaking out the literary essays #He drives me insane #I want a My Little Pony of him so I can brush his gross hair #I am NOT normal about this man #Asc spoilers #warrior cats