I JUST LOVE HIM SO SO MUCH

I JUST LOVE HIM SO SO MUCH

It never fails to amaze me how far fanon characterization of Tim has drifted from his actual canon self.

Canon Tim is firmly Gen X. He's an extreme latchkey kid who actively and duplicitously resists any attempt at parenting him because that would cut into his vigilante time. He's a skater-slacker kid who dropped out of school to be a full-time hero and got himself emancipated because he hates being told what to do. He's a self-taught photographer who at the age of 10 had better shots of Batman and Robin than the press. He figured out their identities because he had imprinted on Dick Grayson like a duckling, but told no one and probably would have kept the secret for life if Jason hadn't died. He literally looked at an unhinged, grieving grown man whi is also a dangerous vigilante, saw he was actively in the process of going off the deep end, and went "is anyone going to adopt this fucked up man?" and didn't wait for an answer. He's an unrepentant Car Guy who salivates over Ducati bikes and his boyfriend's biceps. He had a full enemies-to-lovers arc with the girl who hit him with a brick. He's had more love interests than any two other Robins combined and has a preference for people who can kick his ass. He plays D&D. He's been to more funerals in one year than most people go to in a lifetime. He dated a mafiya princess. He lies, repeatedly and successfully, to Batman. He becomes a villain in every alternate timeline. He taught himself cloning to try to bring his best friend back to life. He almost killed Captain Boomerang. He has contingency plans to take out everyone he knows. He's the most like Bruce in terms of how they think and that terrifies him. He knows he's not the best choice to lead a team and willingly steps aside because being a good tactician isn't the only quality a leader needs. He loves the Clash. He genuinely thought Alvin Draper was a good fake name. He owned Superboy merch before he even liked Kon. He's arguably the pettiest of all the Robins. He's smart, but only about things that interest him. He hugs people readily. He's a massive pop culture nerd. He was trained by Lady Shiva. He's Cass's favorite. He survived the Clench.

He's so, so much more interesting than the sleep-deprived sadboy we get in every fic.

Kon is the only one who remembers Tim. Well, Kon and some guy named Bernard.

For some reason, no one remembers Tim. At all.

Oh they remember Robin, and that's how he got Batman to actually take him seriously, but they don't remember Tim. They know that Wayne Enterprises had a CEO after Bruce, but no one remembers who he was. Gotham elites know that the Drakes had a child, but no one knows who it was.

Batman himself had just thought Kon just had a dream, maybe; until Kon asked him to name the Robin he was recorded as being with after Jason and before Damian.

Then he'd frozen.

Kal told him later that he'd just witnessed a Batman-shaped breakdown. One that only came with realizing that his mind had been compromised by an outside source.

Then the Bats were like a kicked antpile, but they weren't including Kon so.

Fine.

Kon doesn't care about them.

Kon doesn't need them.

Kon needs Tim.

His best friend is missing, vanished off the face of the earth.

Bart doesn't remember Tim either, but he believes Kon. So does Cassie. So they help him by searching other cities Tim's prone to visiting.

He's scouring Gotham again, fuck you very much Batman, when he hears some guy calling at him from a rooftop.

The dude's name is Bernard, and he was Tim's boyfriend.

And he's got a theory.

And, fuck it, it's not like Kon's even got a starting point, so he agrees to cart the little chef around so they can look into it.

Meanwhile, in Nanda Parbat, Tim is imprisoned in a Gilded Cage half technology and half magic as Ra's Al Ghul uses his most recent Magical Artifact to attempt to rewrite everyone's memories, including Tim's.

If Tim isn't remembered by anyone, then there's no chance of Tim being snapped out of the false memories he's about to implant in his protégé/heir.

He's just saving Tim for last.

That way Tim won't have as much fight in him.

He didn't account for Kon for Bernard's necklaces; weird little trinkets Tim had picked up for them in a shop in Hong Kong. Weird little trinkets that actually were just as enchanted as their seller proclaimed them to be.

@simplestoryteller

This making me realise I love the self sacrificial characters once again

dick grayson is so important to me. he’s kind, he’s so kind, he’s the safety net of the multiverse but he’s so angry. his parents are dead. his brother died and came back all wrong and he couldn’t do anything about it. he had to play the father role to a spoiled angry homicidal ten year old and yeah he loves damian so so much now but it was so hard in the beginning, on top of trying to be there for tim. he has to watch bruce act the way he does and his friends keep dying and he’s so so angry and he’s so tired but he isn’t allowed to be angry because angry dick is scary and angry dick is wrong but he’s so angry but he has to be kind because other people need him and-

this is my truth

(original)

Gotta love a supportive boyfriend

One of my favorite things about Timber as a ship is how refreshing it is to see a civilian/vigilante ship where the civilian is completely fine with their partner being a vigilante and is super chill about it upon finding out

I especially love how everyone just collectively agreed that Bernard would understand Tim's reasoning for keeping it a secret at first. Usually with this trope the civilian ends up getting upset because their partner's keeping secrets from them, but that's not the case with Timber. Bernard figures it out, accepts it, and doesn't say anything because he wants Tim to tell him himself and he understands why Tim wouldn't have told him

And even before it was canon that Bernard figured out on his own that Tim was Robin, pretty much every identity reveal fic either went that route where Bernard figures it out himself (and had it so Bernard either doesn't say anything about it like in canon or, if Bernard does confront Tim with it he does so in a way where he makes it clear that he's okay with it) or it has Tim reveal to Bernard that he's Robin and Bernard immediately accepts it.

Jason and Tim 100% had a Hamilton phase

Tim, [pointing his staff at the human traffickers]: YOU ARE OUTGUNNED

Jason, [hyping him up]: WHAT?

Tim: OUTMANNED!

Jason: WHAT?!

Tim: OUTNUMBERED OUTPLANNED

Jason: PAY YOUR FUCKING TAXES!

Tim: PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN ON MY COMMAND

Jason: HAND EM OVER!!

Tim: THIS IS HAMILTON MY RIGHT HAND MAN!

Jason, [getting his guns out]: PWO PWO PWO PWO PWO-

Goons: *shaking* what the FUCK are Batman feeding his partners--