#CHEATED IN HIS LIFE

[flwrkid14]

Everyone Wants to Be Tim Drake’s Favorite Brother

Being Tim Drake’s favorite isn’t just about bragging rights—it’s about power, perks, and an almost supernatural level of protection.

It starts with the little things. Tim isn’t one for grand gestures, but when he cares about someone, it’s obvious. He listens—really listens—to the small comments, the things others might forget. That offhand remark about a snack you miss? Tim’s already on his way to get it for you. Complaining that your suit’s not fitting quite right? Tim’s hands-on with upgrades by morning. If you're Tim’s favorite, it’s a constant stream of thoughtful gestures. Gear gets upgraded, favorite books and gadgets mysteriously show up, and Tim’s always thinking of how he can make your life easier.

But being Tim’s favorite is more than just gifts. It’s the way Tim treats you, the way he prioritizes you over everything else. Tim listens when you vent, has your back during arguments, even when you’re wrong, and somehow—somehow—he gets Bruce to listen to you more than anyone else.

Bruce listens to everyone, of course. He’s the Bat. But when Tim speaks, it’s different. Bruce doesn’t just hear Tim—he acts. Whether it’s adjusting mission plans, reevaluating tactics, or considering Gotham’s crime trends. He’ll mention something, and suddenly, Bruce is shifting his approach. No one else seems to have that pull over him. Tim has a way of cutting through Bruce’s stubbornness that no one else can match. It’s not lost on anyone that when you’re Tim’s favorite, Bruce seems to listen to you more, too.

And then, there’s the most dangerous perk of all: Tim’s wrath.

Everyone in Gotham has learned to fear the consequences of hurting anyone Tim cares about. They all remember how Janet Drake, Tim’s mother, was exactly the same. Janet didn’t just love fiercely; she made people fear the consequences of betraying her affection. She’d build strong alliances and maintain an iron grip on them, ensuring no one dared to harm those she called her own. She had a reputation for turning the tables in ways that left lasting marks on Gotham’s criminals, so it’s no surprise that Tim inherited the same instincts. The last time one of his favorites got hurt in Gotham, the Rogue responsible learned the hard way that crossing a Drake isn’t something you do lightly. That night, the Rogue barely escaped with his life, and the damage he caused was felt across Gotham for weeks.

The rumors from that time still make the rounds. Red Robin hunted that Rogue down, dismantling supply lines and ruining their operations in ways no one else could, using connections no one could have anticipated for him to have. He sent a message—a warning—one that still echoes through Gotham’s criminal world. After that, the Rogues were far more cautious when it came to hurting anyone Red Robin seemed particularly attached to.

These days, the Rogues are more careful. If they can see who Tim’s favorite is, they back off. Patrols get easier. The punches are pulled. The threats don’t carry the same weight. It's almost comical. Once, Jason caught Riddler mid-riddle and swore he saw him glance over his shoulder like he was checking for something—and then mutter, “Not worth it,” before retreating.

Of course, everyone’s gotten a taste of these perks at some point.

Jason remembers his time as Tim’s favorite. When he first came back, Tim went above and beyond. His gear was upgraded constantly, his safehouses were restocked with his favorite things, and there were custom modifications to everything. Tim even managed to reclaim all his old safehouses from the GCPD archives with no problem. Jason never openly admitted it, but he savored every moment. It felt good to be cared for like that.

Cass had it too when she struggled to reconnect with the family. Tim stuck close, quietly offering his support—whether it was with training or just sitting together. She didn’t ask for a suit upgrade, just mentioned how bulky it was in passing, and Tim designed a new one for her the following week, fitting it perfectly to her style. And as for the Rogues? They couldn't run away fast enough when she showed up.

Right now, they all suspect Duke to be the favorite. Tim’s always inviting him to collaborate on tech projects or sharing valuable intel. And Duke has started receiving gifts that seem to show up at just the right moment—books, custom gadgets, and even the occasional throwback cereal he mentioned in passing. Tim’s also been there for him every step of the way, making sure he’s always in the loop, collaborating on projects, and taking the time to make Duke feel seen.

“You know,” Duke said one night, stirring his soup casually, “Scarecrow’s been weirdly quiet lately.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Jason said with a raised eyebrow. “What did you do?”

Duke blinked. “Nothing.”

Jason shot Tim a look. “What did you do?”

Tim’s smirk was all the answer Jason needed.

And that’s the thing—being Tim’s favorite isn’t just about attention or gear. It’s about something more. It’s about protection. Once you’re Tim’s favorite, the world seems like it can’t touch you. And everyone knows it.

They’ve all had their time as Tim’s favorite. Jason, Cass, even Damian had his moment. But once you’re no longer the favorite, it’s hard not to crave it again.

Jason lingers in the Batcave, pretending to talk about his gear but subtly hinting at upgrades Tim could add to it.

Damian scoffs at the idea of being prioritized, but Tim catches him comparing his gear to Duke’s own, new and improved gear, muttering to himself, “It’s adequate,” like it’s an insult.

Dick tries to remain above it all—he’s the eldest, after all. He doesn’t need Tim’s attention. But when he sees Tim working behind the scenes, tinkering with Duke’s gear or offering an unexpected assist to Jason, there’s that ache of longing for when he was the center of Tim’s world.

In the end, they’ll never say it, but every single one of them secretly wants to be Tim’s favorite. Because when Tim Drake decides you’re his favorite, you’re not just cared for—you’re protected and given an unwavering loyalty that makes you feel untouchable in Gotham.

And in Gotham, where danger is always close, nothing is more powerful than the protection and devotion of a Drake.

[sharkylad]

Thinking about the fact that Mabel and Dipper didn't know they had two great uncles.

Yeah they are 12 and at 12 I had a shotty understanding of my family tree- But really? Nobody brought up their great uncle? Stanley? Especially since they'll be staying with his twin brother, Stanford?

Shermie never went to Stan's fake funeral, which to me means the twos relationship was strained on some level. If Shermie is older that means his view of Stan was poisoned in some way, that even as kids they weren't close. If the Shermie is younger then he never even got to meet Stan and all he knew about him was how he failed his family. Hell, people probably barely mentioned Stanley TO Shermie.

The fact that Stan had become a black stain upon the Pines family name makes me so vividly upset. Stanley faked his death and the family just- seemingly decided to strike him from the record. To pretend he didn't existed to spare themselves the sadness and shame.

Stanford and Shermie Pines. The only children worth mentioning of Filbrick and Caryn Pines.

It was never Stanford that was lost to the world. It was Stanley, ever since he had to leave New Jersy- it was always him that had to be struck from the record. Change his name, change his state, change his affiliations, destroy the remains of ghost that was Stanley Pines. Kill him so the family doesn't bring him up, doesn't ask questions, stops asking "Stanford" about his twin.

I just keep thinking about the fact that since the day he made one single mistake all the way up until Ford walks out of that machine- Stanley Pines was killed and did not exist. And Stan himself had no one to blame, he had to play the part in his own demise- He is the only one who ever knew Stanley was alive and has been for decades.

He lives in the multitudes of every personality he's ever taken, all in the hope that he himself can stop being Stanley Pines.

[aq2003]

has anyone gotten the idea that odysseus' storyline in hades 2 is a depiction/exploration of trauma over his SA and how he's blaming himself for things that were out of his control? because that's the impression i'm getting from what i've seen. he talks about "goddesses" as his "greatest weakness" and that "he's not one to say no to them"...

when mel invites him to the bath, he brings up mortals having different standards for intimacy than gods and how it usually has a more romantic/sexual connotation. she then asks if he's uncomfortable and he has a startled reaction and brings up circe and calypso again (but never actually by name)

(this isn't ship/romance bait btw. odysseus knew mel as a kid and they're stated in-game to have a sibling/uncle-niece relationship)

also he grew apart from penelope after his return, but the game makes a point of showing that his love for penelope and telemachus is what drove him on at all so that element of his character isn't brought into question

[machveil]

I don’t write cheater stuff because it doesn’t really do anything for me, but the angst of a POV story from Cheater!Ghost’s perspective after you transfer to KorTac and some months later he sees you hanging off of Nikto’s arm has me going hmmm

[firsthandforgery]

If you haven’t watched @neal-illustrator ‘s Epic! Animatics, you should. And if you haven’t been playing Hades 2 to meet Odysseus the overly flirtatious, definitely a home wrecker, tactician; you also should.

This fever dream idea came about as most do, under dubious circumstances and probably funnier in the moment. But what if Hades 2 swapped its Greek and god with Neal’s creations?

Meanwhile 🤧

[wisteriawater]

two completely normal boys.

[ilynpilled]

jaime turning women down constantly more bc he is very monogamous and in love with someone else right now for the first time and is also kinda scared of actually having sex with someone other than cersei is sm better to me than “i respect the kg vows of chastity so intensely rn actually because i changed into a good and serious person” or whatever lol

[demigod-shenanigans]

Feeling some type of way about Leo deciding Jason is the one who needs saving when Jason’s been the one saving people all his life.

The thing is, once they realize what the prophecy means, Jason decides if it’s him or Leo, it has to be him. He outright states this in his narration twice:

As much as Jason loved his life, he couldn’t let his friend die for his sake. He could never live with the guilt. ~ House of Hades

He knew the risks. But he wanted to take those risks himself, not put them on Leo. ~ Blood of Olympus

And the thing is, Leo knows this. Jason never tells him, but Leo still knows it. He doesn’t tell Jason and Piper his plan because he knows they’d never allow it. Because he knows Jason, stubborn hero leader that he was raised to be, would never let it be him.

Leo knows Jason would die for him and he will not allow it.

Thinking about how one of the first things Leo says when he manages to string words together after learning what happened to Jason in The Burning Maze is “He did what Jason always did. He saved the day.”

[magnuspanoptes]

i don't know if this needs to be said but people often overlook the second part of his, "why does a man seek to destroy the world?"—"for immortality and power" when talking about jonah's motivations. sure, he calls death 'the last and greatest terror' but everything else we hear from him points towards a lifelong desire of wanting to be in control, which is why in 92 he unnecessarily begins his confession with "i have done everything because i wished to". and i think that distinction between the fear of death and the need for control is important because people bring up his reasoning of 'what i considered an inevitable transformation' when talking about why he did all that. and it may have begun as such, but he and gertrude also figured out that the rituals were too flawed to work anyway. when he hires jon as head archivist that sense of urgency is just not there, it was no longer a proper 'race' to conduct your own ritual, he did not have to immediately end the world.

what i'm saying is that he caused the apocalypse because he was never going to be happy with the world as it was. because the horror in the magnus archives universe operates on one basic tenet - that your life can be destroyed at any time, through absolutely no fault of your own.

MAG 106 - "A Matter of Perspective" // MAG 118 - "Stranger and Stranger" // MAG 160 - "The Eye Opens" // MAG 117 - "Testament"

the "dark and horrible reality" of the world, and in turn the specific existential dread that grips him is that of chance. to be told that you did nothing blameworthy inspires a specific feeling of powerlessness—that if you didn't do anything wrong, there is nothing you can do, no personal behaviour you can correct to stop it from happening again. and he understands this quite well, it's in the way whenever he really wants to twist the knife he tells them it was luck, but that doesn't comfort you does it!

which is why the use of "freedom" here is very telling. in their universe you are always going to be a victim of the cruel caprice of gods, that in itself is a blow against all notions of personal agency and control. how can you be truly free when malevolent cosmic forces govern the world and can ruin your life without warning at any time? and 160 is above all, an attempt at escaping the grasp of the fears entirely. it's not just about death, it's about wanting to be in charge so no threat can touch him again and in their world you can only achieve that by causing the apocalypse. he will be free (or, at least the closest thing to being free in their world) and it will be at the expense of the entire world.

[earthspark-shockwaves-reduction]

[schrodingerseurydice]

the reason merlin and arthur don't kiss in the series finale is because that would be true love's kiss and arthur would be healed and they wouldn't get their tragic ending or arthur's reincarnation as once and future king. in this essay i will -

[firstkanaphans]

My dear Sarah, do you know anything about Tayfirst lore? I know they call each other brother and about that safe house incident but nothing else. How did they became friends? And Tay seem to really adore first. The head pats,hugs,kisses are so cute. Love that he literally see him as little brother

According to Tay in this variety show they did together way back in 2021, First was his junior in high school so I assume that’s how they met?? I don’t have any more specific information than that, unfortunately, but you can tell First loves him deeply. They do more skinship than even First and Khao and that letter Tay wrote to First in Safe House still haunts me because Tay seems hellbent on reminding him that he doesn’t have to change himself to fit any certain mold. He’s perfect just the way he is 🥹

EDIT: There’s additional lore in the comments, Anon, so you can check that out as well!

[doumekiss]

if you break it down Kabru's journey on the whole manga is about the ridiculous lenghts he will go through just to get this one weird guy to notice him and talk to him a little bit

[bandtrees]

they would get divorced in one universe just to find eachother in another one

alternatively titled: sometimes you're the level-headed token flesh-head impulse-control-and-polycule-member of a stubborn, eccentric, and hearty telephone-headed drug addict, and there's cruelty in the world you deem fit to suicidally fight, and that either goes about as well as you'd expect it to, or you learn about love and the value of your life and junk along the way

[le-panda-chocovore]

Epic made Odysseus so faithful and dedicated to Penelope that it's impossible to ship him with anyone else and it's kind of frustrating. Sure Ody violently flirting with Poseidon to calm him down is hilarious but this would NEVER happen because this man has only one name in mind so any idea I can think of feels blatantly OOC and it's super frustrating

[tinfoil-jones]

since the Stan twins can feel eachother's pain, does that mean when jerk-ford broke his ribs and arm, Stan felt it?

Fun fact: The Stan Twins hate Legos. They really hate them.

Jerk Ford has a very high threshold for pain because even though he wasn't getting into fights as often as a lot of the Fordverse, he was still getting chased out of places and hunted for sport by his hate club, and he was shot at a lot. Like, alot a lot. Bro's upper body looks like he's been through the iron maiden more than once.

He really should have died or been maimed from the amount of punishment he was taking from the multiverse, but he creates his own regenerative drugs and that's the only reason why he still has fully functional limbs and organs.

He patents these in dimensions that he feels like he'd be stuck in for prolonged periods, and to deter anyone from stealing these formulas he put in a contingency; any of the medicines he makes have a near debilitating drawback of causing terrible pain, terrible headaches, or a mix of both. This is a dick move to anyone who tries stealing them, as Jerk Ford is the only one who knows which added compounds are causing it.

So even healing was pretty painful for him throughout his thirty year adventure, and eventually he just built up an insane resistance to pain.

The twinstinct isn't a 100% pain sharing. It's more like - your twin gets hurt and you feel an acute awareness of 'my twin is hurting there in this way', they aren't literally experiencing the pain physically but the brain thinks they are. Their twinstinct is more geared to the emotional rather than the physical, after all. It's more like a phantom pain.

However, the broken arm and ribs were still pretty bad for Stan, but he was also on fire and actively being beaten with a shovel by Soos at the time so he already had some adrenaline and his own pain to temper it out.

But even when Soos stopped beating him with a shovel he was still struggling to make words, and 'trying to break away from Soos' - he was writhing from the pain and it took him a minute to recover from the shock.

Phantom pain or lack thereof is how Jerk Ford knew that the being outside of the dimension cut the twinstinct off - once Bill was jettisoned out of his brain and body, he should have been feeling a burn on the back of his shoulder, but he wasn't.

Although, it miraculously functioned twice in the thirty years Jerk Ford was in the multiverse, but neither could be completely sure if it was the twinstinct or something they were imagining it or mistaking it.

The first time, it was emotional in nature, from Stanley; when their parents died, Jerk Ford got a very profound feeling that he just knew they were dead. The second time, it was from Jerk Ford and physical in nature, but he has absolutely no memory of it.