#deeper places

[carabas]

On my first playthrough, I had the impression that Lucanis must have broken out of his cell himself before we arrived, that the Venatori he fought when we found him were in the process of recapturing him. I was assuming he'd spent most of his time in the Ossuary in one of the standard small windowless cells.

But now that I actually read the map:

The room we found him in is Lucanis's cell. Before you walk through the door to this room, the label on the map is "High Security".

This suggests some horrible new headcanon options for me!

When you first walk into this room, you see the Venatori using blood magic (presumably, or at least magic that glows red) on that central pillar of... ice? crystal? And then you distract them, and Lucanis breaks through the pillar while the Venatori are focusing on you. (And he kills them all using only his bare hands, as if he doesn't have any knives on him - I think the only reason he does have his weapons and armor is for video game practicality reasons, I think this scene was written and animated as if he doesn't have his gear yet.) So... was the ice/crystal something that the Venatori had conjured just now as a way to restrain him while they did whatever they were doing with their blood magic? Or is the ice/crystal a standard feature of his cell?

Assuming he's not usually kept restrained by magical ice/crystals, if he's usually able to move around within this cell behind the locked door, then that conjures up horrible headcanon option number two, because this room is a platform surrounded by a seemingly bottomless chasm. It is very easy to just walk right off the ledge and fall into the chasm and respawn. And Calivan was convinced that Lucanis was a failure and that Zara would never admit it. And Lucanis has been imprisoned for a year with a demon growing inside him like a sharp hooked claw in his gut, and by the time we found him Calivan was keeping him in a cell that has access to a chasm deep enough to kill you... and of all the forms Spite could potentially take, he manifests as wings. In other words, as something that would not let itself be killed by falling.

[simonbrain]

I mean I hate to be wholesome on your good smut blog but honestly in regards to your Soap is too close to Ghost and doesn’t see the problem with it (by my personal definition of cheating anyway) it isn’t cheating and I do think nothing is wrong with it. If we’re in a monogamous relationship and him and Ghost really aren’t doing anything physical then yeah I don’t think that a single romantic relationship should be the end all be all for interpersonal fulfillment. Hell these guys have been in multiple life or death situations together and clearly are attached at the hip in work environments. I’d be so happy to see that someone cares so deeply about him. Flattering though it might be I wouldn’t want him to be lonely and miserable just because I can’t be around 24/7. Probably start including Ghost in events I’m planning with mine and Soaps civy friend group. Or if he’s not into that I’d back off and let them have their one on one time. Now to be less wholesome; why would I be jealous when I know he’ll choose coming back to our home and our bed to get his back blown out by me no matter how close he is with anyone else? He’s my good boy after all. ;)

“I hate to be wholesome on your good smut blog” is killing me 😭 but anyway, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me! i totally see where you're coming from, and i would also be thrilled to know that he has someone else he can lean on, especially in his line of work.

although i was leaning more towards soap wanting to start something with ghost (and not actually because they have their reasons), your take on it has inspired me to think about the more wholesome idea of johnny holding simon and reader in his hands like dolls and trying to make them kiss.

like johnny takes you to meet his lieutenant, and something in you dies a little when you realise just how bright johnny shines when he's with his moon. it's to be expected; they experience life together in a way you'll never have to face, and the bond they've built is so strong you couldn't untangle one man from the other even if you spent meticulous effort to undo the knots. it makes you wonder why johnny's even with you in the first place and not with the man who's practically looking at him with hearts in his eyes. despite how much he tries to mask it, you recognise the look he wears perfectly; it's the same one you sport around your boyfriend.

simon, on the other hand, is immediately enamoured with you. how did this bastard find someone so lovely? you don't seem to be bothered by his whole getup or lack of social skills in the slightest, choosing to keep the conversation light with random topics you think might interest him (he'll let the fact that you favour liverpool slide simply because he likes the way your eyes sparkle when you talk about your team). you're so sweet and funny, and simon has a painful realisation that while johnny won't ever truly be his, he wouldn't want anyone else but this charming little bird in his place.

meanwhile, johnny's about to melt in his seat because his two favourite people are finally together, actually interacting and looking at each other, and it's like his biggest wet dream ever. now, he just has to figure out a way to get you two more acquainted...

[riickgrimes]

"The key thing was of course, the fact that Rick has PTSD and that's very much what's driving a lot of his behavior and being in a place of that level of vulnerability, back with the love of his life in that way.

It's also the thing he fears, the loss of her. It manifests itself in a way that is visceral and leads to the lovemaking not just being about love, but the revealing of pain and trauma and fear. That informs Michonne, that she can't just blast him into making sense. There's something deeper going on here that he can't verbalize. She has to help him get through in a different way. So she gets to see him, as well, as he reveals what's really in there, the wound. That's going to happen most likely in that most vulnerable space." — Danai Gurira

"Yeah, I think it is about pain. As Danai just said, it's about him wanting her and then fearing what he's about to unlock again. He gets to sort of articulate it in the scene further in the episode, when he gets to say that, 'I can't do this again. I haven't got the capacity to do this again. I've worked out how to die and live again.' So it is an absolutely necessary scene that allows Michonne to realize that there's something really broken here, more broken than she's ever anticipated. [...]

So the scene was about a real intimacy, a sort of frightening intimacy. This is a part of his personality he has shut down. It's almost like he's trying to stop himself from feeling this love again. She sees that and she just says, 'Just trust. We're back. We're the same...' I find it very moving. I think it's a very, very moving scene, because it's about them connecting in a way that he's had to deny for seven years. He's denied that connection for the sake of living on in this half life for the CRM" — Andrew Lincoln

Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira Discuss Episode 4 of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

[twstgarden]

❁ ❝ 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 ❞

━ lilia vanrouge and gn! reader (can be seen as platonic or romantic) ━ celebrating new year was not one of your traditions as someone who has lived centuries, but perhaps a dear companion of yours would say otherwise. (f/n stands for first name)

do not steal or translate without my permission.

december 31st.

the evening of the 31st of december was not something you truly cared on spending productively. it was just the end of another gregorian year, so what's the big deal? especially for someone who has lived centuries upon centuries.

so you found yourself drinking a beverage you've found comfort in, relishing in its refreshing qualities as you looked up at the starry sky while the distant sounds of laughter and music filled your ears. it seems your fellow pupils are celebrating new year's eve and preparing to welcome the new year at midnight.

you did not want to join the festivities. you were quite alright sitting alone by the balcony with a drink in your hand, at least you get a better view of the fireworks from here.

"alone?"

well, not anymore. as long as you heard a voice speak from behind you, you turned around and found diasomnia's vice dormitory leader smiling at you. he then approached you, standing right beside you as he spoke once more, "why not join the party?"

you shrugged before taking another sip of your drink, "i'm alright here. at least the view is better, no? plus it's too loud inside."

lilia hummed in response, "is that so? isn't it great, though? it's not everyday you experience this kind of thing." you raised a brow in response, "the... loudness? oh, trust me. i have experienced plenty of that, especially around seb."

in response, lilia laughed, "no, that is not what i meant." now did you then realise he was also holding a drink of his own, "it's not everyday we get to celebrate occasions with a group of people, no?"

his words made you think for a while as you looked at the sky once more, "sure, but... new year's? it's not something i am interested in celebrating. we have lived for centuries, no?"

"perhaps, but every second of each year - no matter how short it seems to us - are worth celebrating, don't you think? come on, think about all the things you have done for the year," replied lilia.

with a hum, you shrugged, "i've... continued studying in night raven college? we celebrated nrc's 4th anniversary... hm... what else... oh, i got to visit shaftlands with vil for the tapis rouge."

memories flooded your mind as you recalled every event you've participated in during the year. with a gasp, you turned to lilia, "right, how could i forget? we even got to meet the king of halloween!"

lilia laughed at your enthusiasm, liking the new expression after sulking alone in the balcony, "see? every year includes different memories. perhaps this should lift up your spirits a bit."

you smiled, "sure, fine. regardless of whether i celebrate another gregorian year or not, i am always grateful for every waking opportunity i have with you and everyone else."

"aww~"

"don't turn it sappy."

a soft laugh left his lips, "happy new year, beastie."

"...happy new year, lil."

© twstgarden 2024 || please do not steal, translate without my permission, or use this to train a.i.

[the-crooked-library]

opened tiktok (mistake number one, i know) and immediately saw someone saying that Thomas Hutter subverts the "disbelieving husband" trope which... listen i love a thoroughly pathetic mess of a man myself and i get that Ellen's other option is a 400yo evil corpse, but can we please not give him credit for things he didn't do?..

the literal inciting incident of the story is that Thomas DOESN'T listen to Ellen. he doesn't believe her. she tells him that she's got a bad feeling about this trip, begs him not to go, tells him about her nightmare - and what does he do? he calls it a childish fantasy, tells her to stop worrying, and implies that she would benefit from talking to a doctor. saying shit softly doesn't make it any less dismissive or insulting, like i'm sorry but this is peak Disbelieving Husband in a Horror Movie behaviour. he only changed his mind once Orlok put him through the horrors himself, which is also a perfectly standard thing for a Disbelieving Husband to do in the second act. furthermore, from the beginning of the film, he neglects Ellen's emotional needs, is uncomfortable with her abnormalities, and doesn't even really know what sort of gifts she likes - and again, these are all standard flaws for a Disbelieving Husband to exhibit. they're indicative of a disconnect between him and his wife that he continuously refuses to bridge.

caring for someone doesn't mean you can't neglect or harm them, and that applies to everyone - including Normal People like Thomas, like Harding, like Sievers, like the viewer; and that's the point of the film

[ghost-proofbaby]

im tucked into bed and it’s raining and im just thinking about softly threading your fingers through astarion’s hair, careful to slow down for any knots (that he would deny ever existed in the first place), his head heavy on your chest. he doesn’t sleep. he doesn’t really need this. none of those deep and soothing breaths of his will ever devolve into soft snores. his eyes are fluttered shut by choice, not necessity. he could be doing so much more with these dark hours — wandering the streets, hunting for blood, seeing the world even if it’s no longer in color like he’d experienced with the tadpole. precious time void of sunlight he should be taking full advantage of.

but he’d rather be here, with you. in bed.

because he didn’t fall in love with the world, even basked in sunlight and a realm of possibilities presented to him.

no, he fell in love with you.

you, with a smile that outshone the sun even on your dimmest days. you, with eyes brighter than the entirety of the galaxy’s stars. you, who’d found a way to sink warmth beneath his skin that he hadn’t felt for over two centuries. a warmth he may have never even been acquainted with, in all honesty. he can’t remember. he doesn’t care to remember.

the world can wait.

for right now, astarion just wants his love. there will be an eternity to rediscover what the night has to offer — there is no guarantee of how long you’ll offer him this shelter between your arms.

it’s enough. you’re enough. astarion has a choice for the first time in a very long time, and he’s going to choose you.

[mohntilyet]

is this a safe space to admit i really don't even like the lines in lucanis' first romance scene where he says something like "perfectly gathered clouds of doom" . but that does not stop me from loving him very much. i'm choosing to see this as a guy who is the terrible combo of reads romance novels, has never had a romantic relationship before AND his definition of 'good flirt' is synonymous with 'illario' so he's got an incorrect definition of what's actually romantic. the less lucanis is specifically trying to be romantic the more he becomes irresistible but i don't think he's caught onto that yet

[voidcat]

characters: you/imaushi wakasa, sano shinichiro...

a/n: angst lol. strangers to friends. themes of fwb but nothing explicit. switch of perspective. mcd obviously,,

as i said in this post the loose explanatio/beginning of an idea i had that i liked ALOT but couldnt write due to various reasons (esp lck of time) (open post for a lil further stuff for reader x wakasa ig,,,)

attending the same classes as shinichiro sano... you've heard of him alright but that's about it. a nice face to look at perhaps but a little odd. not someone you'd interact with occasionally, nor someone you'd remember in particular-

until you're paired with him for an assignment. it'll help build bonds between the lot of you! the teacher announces and everyone groans in unision

you shoot your new partner to be a look from where you stand and turn back to your notebook. the ring bells but by the time you can get up adn gather your stuff, sano is nowhere to be seen

it takes you hours to find him. and at possibily one of the worst times too.

you heard of the rumors about fights and deliquents but you didn't expect yourself to run into one. youre careful, you live a peaceful life, you avoid trouble, always keep a clean name and all-

the people around all battered and beaten up, covered in bruises, cuts and maybe blood, looking hungry, unsatisfied, maddened– and you're in the center of it all.

footsteps approach you, strong, stern, taking their time and all- you hold it in you to not turn for a look. wait for them to show their face at your feet, dont give them the satisfaction nor even the slightest sign of weakness.

a man with blond hair and a pretty face, long lashes and all, stands before you, looking almost a little amused. "what's a pretty little thing doin' here all by themselv-" "where's sano" you cut him midsentence.

the man looks baffled, a little offensed even. soon joined by a second figure a lot taller than him, they both look at you with hostility and a hint of curiosity.

who cares, you scoff internally, whatever intimidation they're going for, you won't fall for it.

the other man raises a brow at the way you've mentioned sano. shit, you do hope this was not the wrong place, or whatever fight went down there, they must've won... right?

"and who is asking?" the blond speaks up again, sounding a little annoyed now. "you know, we don't allow passes to every pretty thi-" "eeeew" you drag the word and scretch like a gum, making sure to put on a face. "none of your business actually." you add on, placing your hand against a hip.

"why, you-" before he can follow up with whatever's on his tongue, a jolly greeting from behind interrupts him, cutting through the air. you can notice how the idle folks around suddenly tense up, and for the two man before you, shoulders dropped, bodies relaxing...

soon sano emerges, with his hair put up and stylized, nothing like the man in your class, a deliquent out of a shitty teen's magazine you'd say so.

exhanging greets with the two men and doing a special handshake for only them to know, he looks in the mood, just his face a little bruised up and some blood on his clothes.

so that's probably why he skips school some days, you muse.

he notices you a little later.

"oh!" mouth formed into an 'o' shape, you can see his surprise written all over but he is quick to disperse all that." greeting you with your surname formally, he reaches out a hand, then brings it up upon noticing the splatters of blood and takes it back with a sheepish smile.

"what brings you there?" he asks, never losing a bit of his joy that contradicts the entire atmosphere.

"our assignment." you say curtly and receive another sound of surprise from him. he looks apolegitic at the very least, you think.

"well.. uh-" he scratches the back of his head, casting a glance around, you wait to see where the stammering will go.

"how would you wanna do it then?" he asks more for you than himself, to ease you probably, you can only assume.

another joins their little group, keeping silent and watching what's going on. you relly, really should get going, you decide after giving a quick look around. "we can go over the details at an appropirate time later."

"alright then!" he says, never missing a beat from his energy. it's unbelievable, you think. "should we... ah-" he pauses, "exchange numbers to keep in touch then?" he asks, and he means well, you can tell just from the way he looks and talks, but the rest? you're not exactly dying to say out loud your contact information. especially not with that blond anywhere within a 20 meter radius.

"here." you say, reaching out your hand to reveal your phone. "i'm not announcing my number for a bunch of weirdo, self proclaimed deliquents to hear."

your words take him by shock but he breaks into a snort right after. the two men exchange a glance and a thug at their lips as well. the blond however does not look once pleased with your words.

or you at all.

you begin to come and go to their place often, the assignment builds up slow but steady and the guys seem reasonable enough after actually sitting down and hearing each other out. shin looks happy with the development too, says you have brought a change but you'd disagree. he is the light and sun and the beating heart of this place and wherever he goes, they follow, absolute devotion and belief in him, as a person, for his mind and for his heart.

you can see why, you can feel it too. once you begin to spend your time with shinichiro sano, all the rumors and speculations you've heard up until then are gone. assignment be damned, you can tell when a friendship begins to bloom and with shin- it happens at such a pace, you find yourself a little afraid.

the assignment ends, presentation and all, with flying colors you pass and decide to celebrate it out, with the rest joining as well.

a karaoke bar is all fun and games until night rolls out. it has gotten late but shin offers to walk you home; keizo and takeumi dragging a very drunk and messed up wakasa. everyone bids one another goodbye- save for wakasa... and you almost believe youhave seen a hint of sadness in their eyes as they bump their fists against yours. if you didn't know any better, you'd ever go as far as to say they'll miss you around.

a day passes, another and another... much to their relief and encouragement, you stick around.

not within the vicinity on the days big fights go around but definitely dropping by to hang out, fool around and whatnot. it's now your laughter mixed with shin's that fills the air, and everyone seems joyful and happy most of the time- save for imaushi wakasa.

for reasons unbeknowst to you, he remains hostile, rude, and on and up about sending your way stupid lines like he did the first time. most of the time you ignore him, which annoys him further– the scene alone brings a smile to your lips, the smirk of a vixen, you even overhear him once, yelling to keizo about you are, sounding very much frustrated.

despite this is how the things begin and roll out, neither of you expect to grow close- closer than you'd have imagined.

yes, you and shin might be the sunshines, but you and wakasa? the two of you become inseperable. you even hear some people mumble how they fear the two of you looking down at them, gazes that burn holes through their skulls, see into their souls... the two of you could make a power couple- if you were one at all.

there is the heat, there is the tension. you comb through his hair with a gentle touch that has wakasa melting in your hold, yet the second someone dares to imply anything more, you shoot them a glance so heavy, it'd crash their lungs.

wakasa hopes, in the end, that perhaps there is an end to it that is happy, that is hopeful. he knows there is no making up for the way he treated you but you were not the kindest toward him either, so it makes you equals, no?

so he sings sappy songs at karaoke whilst tipsy, so any accusation he can brush off as the effect of the booze, but hopes you caught how he looked at you. so he touches you as soft as you do him, trying to mimic your kindness, an attempt at how love, in the physical, in action should be.

he doesn't know any better, why should he? why should anyone to begin with?

it scares him how natural it is for shin and you. some days he finds himself envying the two of you even, would things be any different were you to attend the same school as the two of you? oh what wouldn't he do to be graced with your smiles and giggles all day every day, having you look at him as you rest your cheek against your palm–

he aches for something a tad normal sometimes, at the very least with you. would the two of you ever cross paths were it not for shin? the thought scares him and he feels like an asshole for envying his friend like this, desperate for anything that would come from your hands.

but at the end of the day, it is himself you seek out. his arms that you allow around your person, his lips on you, devoring you, it's wakasa that consumes you wholly and the thought brings a wave of comfort at the very least.

then the entire world collapses down in the span of 24 hours.

shinichiro dies.

almost 24 hours have passed since his death and wakasa still cannot find it in him to return to reality yet.

then like an angel amidst the chaos, you reemerge from the fog, from smoke. it doesn't take a genius to figure out something is wrong.

"waka," you call out to him, sound laced with something he cannot quite pinpoint. shutting his eyes completely, he sits in the same spot for a moment, all the doubts, every single negative, twisted and fucked up thng he has been holding at bay til now so close to breaking out.

you speak, but he does not hear the words.

not pass the 'i am leaving'

[franeridart]

The Housecat Philosophy - Ep 37

Ep 00 || < Prev || Next >

Read the next four episodes on Patreon || support me on ko-fi~✨

[anqelbean]

The "Binghe fell in love with Shen Qingqiu because he was an authority figure and he has abandonment issues" jokes are funny and all, but my GOD if I see another person actually believing that's the whole reason Luo Binghe fell in love with SQQ I will go insane.

[dirtytransmasc]

.... if Sevika dies, I want it to be her choice. if she dies, I want it to be for Jinx, Isha, and Zaun. I want it to be her protecting Jinx, because she can't lose both girls so close together. I want it to be for Jinx so she can lead Zaun. to be for Isha, so her sacrifice wasn't made in vain. I want it to be for herself, getting to finally be at peace, knowing that someone will be around to fight for and lead Zaun in a way she believes in so deeply, she was willing to die for it.

I don't want her to die in tragedy. I don't want her to die because she has to. I don't want her to die because it's expected of her. I want her death to be her own, much like Isha's was. because she's earned that but of autonomy. for her family. not for a boss. not as cannon fodder in a war. but because she believes in it. let her have that.

[dreamy-pill]

Mentions Reverse Portal AU

You know what would be nuts? If Ford went looking for alternatives to getting his brother back without restarting the portal and eventually creating a contraption that siphoned a whole bunch of cosmic energy that the government soon detects from their archaic network readings.

…

And Ford had to go into hiding from the government for years, never knowing sanctuary because he’s always on the move. He never settles down, so this is like his adventure arc throughout the multiverse, except now he’s still one earth and his brother is beyond the portal. Both of the older Pines twins are basically going through an adventure arc.

Can you imagine that Stanford also had to deal with identity mix-ups with Stanley’s enemies and that’s why it took Stanford even longer to open up another gateway?

This would mean that the twin’s family, the Pines family, would have to deal with a part of their family missing for many years.

I can just easily imagine a side by side view of the two of them, on one side Stanley is running from law enforcement and monsters and all sorts of interdimensional beings, all the while blasting them with a laser gun, and the other showing Stanford sailing the seas and possible breaking into top security facilities on earth for illegal equipment.

Many years later, it’s at this point when Stanford’s made aware of his great nibblings, Dipper and Mabel, and their existence somehow convinces Stanford to reenter society a new man. He’s still wanted pretty much everywhere at this point, but he still gets to reopen an upgraded version of the portal.

Then he has no choice but to abandon all self-doubt and open up the portal when the government gets word of his whereabouts and hightails to his location.

[sforzesco]

lmao the rival dynasts are fighting and they're fucking it up for everyone else at a record pace

this tweet made me laugh, and I frequently make political comparisons between these specific groups of people, so now it's finally a comic

regarding the OctavianOctaviaAntony Uniteam Alliance

Octavia Minor and the Transition from Republic to Empire, Katrina Moore

in the red panel, which is an obvious anachronistic soup of events happening all at once: we have on the left: messalla corvinus

Alternative Memoirs: Tales from the ‘Other Side’ of the Civil War, Kathryn Welch

and then octavia (in despair & weaponizing that sacrosanctity to turn rome against antony), some kids (the two closest to antony are the twins, but tbh you can just kind of. pick whoever from the soccer team of kids antony had)

octavian and antony's back and forth is referencing suetonius augustus 68 and 69 (specifically: Antony also writes to Augustus [...] "What has made such a change in you? Because I lie with the queen? She is my wife. Am I just beginning this, or was it nine years ago? What then of you — do you lie only with Drusilla? Good luck to you if when you read this letter you have not been with Tertulla or Terentilla or Rufilla or Salvia Titisenia, or all of them. Does it matter where or with whom you take your pleasure?") and also the whole. thing. about antony's will. that sure was something.

the herod comment from kleopatra is referencing all of this

Mark Antony: A Biography, Eleanor Huzar

AND FINALLY. the art in the inset panels are from The Roses of Heliogabalus, Lawrence Alma-Tadema

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app / tip jar!

[911bts]

Deleted my last post because the crypticness wasn't helping anyone.

The photos were leaked. Not official. So I deleted the post because I personally don't want to share that content.

(There's other personal layers to it too that I won't get into it. But it's nothing that concerns the fandom or anything that people should worry about)

[celaenaeiln]

Hello, welcome back! Well, more like a late welcome back, but it's good to see you! I hope you're doing well, and I was wondering what do you think of the recent new comic "Batman and Robin: Year One"? I think it's pretty good, and I felt like you would probably enjoy it since it is a series that will be heavily focusing on our Dynamic Duo's relationship with also very fantastic art and so far, a good characterization of them, I would say. I also wanted to say that I truly am happy to see you come back, I always enjoy your meta and character analysis about Dick, you have great takes! You were one of the first ever people that I even followed when it comes to joining this fandom so thank you very much for being here! 💙

Anon!!! Thank you!

Thank you so much for sticking with me all this time, even when I was gone and here and other weird times which I don't even need to say since you probably know anyway. Thank you so, incredibly much!!!

I started crying last night at 12am thinking about your post because it really hit me in the feels. Thank you!!!

Batman and Robin: Year One is FANTASTIC!!! I really loved the first issue but I was taken back by the second issue just because the Bruce and Dick dynamic in it was so radically different. Of course I mean taken back in a great way! I think I loved the second issue even more because it introduces the two of them as brotherhood, rather than father and son which is something I was interally begging DC to write more of.

Batman and Robin: Year One Issue #2

So cute!!!!

It's such a throwback to the Batman (1940)'s relationship and how they were actually written -

Batman (1940) Issue #20

Like this Batman and Robin dynamic IS a 25ish year old immature adult paired up with a overly mature 8-year old and their ages and actions just balance out in the middle where they act exactly like best friends and brothers rather than father and son.

DC has been pushing the father-son relationship starting since after Jason and around Tim mainly but they keep forgetting that part of the reason Dick and Bruce fell out is because Bruce was turning darker during Dick's absence and secondly, Bruce was starting to become more parental as shown in the later comics which Dick absolutely did not like.

Batman and Robin: Year One is also a fantastic comic because it perfectly emulates Dick's Robin style. He did what Bruce asked, but his interpretation of the orders were a sliding scale version and definitely not what Bruce meant. Dick is creative and both issues showcase this creativity. His Robin is defined by how resourceful he is. He can pick up a stick during a gun fight and win - this style of his is shown in the comic so I deeply appreciate how the writers wrote it.

Furthermore, I typically judge characterizations by how they corroborate to previously written comics. Characterization is the development of their identities through multiple prior comics. So therefore, if you want to identify if a certain character would act that way, you look to see if other comics implied or spoke on that characteristic.

Issue 2 of Batman and Robin: Year One is actually eerily similar to Dick characterization in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight.

In this issue, which is part of a long case, Dick Grayson as Robin has to save several kids from the fire. Look at both his personality and his relationship with Bruce.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Issue #153

It's very much a partnership with a side of mentor-protege

now compare this to Batman and Robin: Year One

Batman and Robin: Year One Issue #2

Whoever wrote this issue did a spectacular job. The first is absolutely amazing too but the reason I'm focusing so much on the second one is because it brings back a dynamic that DC doesn't really touch on.

Things that make Dick's Robin is his resourcefulness, his varied interpretation of Batman's orders, kindheartedness, and how annoying he is to villains. Both issues of this comic hit all four aspects and make it perfect. I really recommend reading it for those who haven't read it yet.