Fun fact: two days after making this post, I sat patiently with a headache for hours until notifications for it made me remember that perhaps I, too, could do something about this situation.
I love how nowadays Tim Drake’s base of operations is the Robin’s Nest when in the modern era he literally bought, refurbished, and lived in the movie theater the Waynes were murdered outside of. He didn’t even ask Bruce his thoughts until after the purchase. Why did he do that
(He also chose it because it’s what he landed in front of when Damian cut his line and tried to kill him (in attempt no. 3?))
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I actually want to talk about how essential to his characterization I think the theater was.
The Tim fandom likes to joke about Tim stealing other people’s names, and being unable to chose anything original. They also joke about him being amoral, one step from becoming a villain. I think all of these have a single root. Tim defines himself through other people.
He grew up in frequently shifting boarding schools, with no caring adults that made an impact. His special interests were a boy who gave him one hug when he was young, and the man who rescued that boy. His parents are usually traveling, even during school breaks. He uses a common neurodivergent masking technique of keeping disconnected enough from his emotions that he can logic his way through problems instead.¹ When he first shows up, he can’t figure out that telling Dick his name might help Dick trust him. He and his dad both forget his birthday, and his dad often buys him gifts that Tim doesn’t want but his dad does. He had two fathers, a pseudo-grandpa, and a big brother, at the time, but still had to teach himself how to drive. He’s extremely skilled at fitting in, but awkward when trying to be himself.
This kid has been neglected and tends to only value his use to other people. He puts a lot of thought into his actions, but very very little into his desires or feelings. He both doesn’t trust himself, and tries to rely entirely on himself. He assumes people forget about him whenever he isn’t around, and that he has no right to expect differently.
He deals with this by building himself out of other people’s stuff. Their morals. Their names. Their mannerisms. Their symbols. Things that connect him to them, and seem trustworthy and stable.
He cares about things based on how much his loved ones care about them. He’s probably never considered how HE feels about killing, because not killing is incredibly important to Bruce and Dick. He frequently ignores rules if nobody is around to notice, because their affect on others is what’s important to him. His morality feels weird to people because his investment isn’t ‘normal’ and emotion-based. He didn’t get this stuff modeled to him, as a kid. He didn’t internalize it. He figured it out intellectually, by watching vigilantes from a distance, or later, by figuring out which actions were crimes he was supposed to stop.
He’s Robin because Dick and Jason gave Robin meaning. When he needs a new name and costume, he picks the one that Jason was acting really possessive about a few weeks before. He makes puns and jokes while patrolling, because that’s what his predecessors did. (His own jokes tend to be much drier.) He’s the best 'little brother’ he can be for Dick, but the best 'partner’ he can be for Bruce; and his friendship with the Core 4 is entirely unique to them, defined to match how very weird they are.
Of COURSE a Tim who’s trying to figure out how to be an adult would be drawn to a building that’s meaningful to Bruce, in a neighbourhood that’s meaningful to Jason. Of course transforming this place of pain, endings, and beginnings into HIS place of healing, endings, and beginnings is attractive! He needs the connections! He needs the value! He doesn’t think it gets any value by being HIS, so it needs to come with value preinstalled.
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¹ I learned this technique to avoid the emotional blowups executive dysfunction can’t prevent. My sister and husband learned it to make up for difficulty recognizing emotions. You may form your own conclusions about the reasons Tim might have found it useful.
the fact that we made it through the Cold War is nothing short of a miracle. I wish we talked about Mutual Assured Destruction more in schools
William Gibson once suggested that the days on which we almost destroyed the world with nuclear weapons should be recognized as international holidays, to raise awareness of how very precarious the situation has been at times.
If you would like to observe such a holiday, October 27th should be Vasili Arkhipov Day. During the Cuban missile crisis he was first officer on Soviet submarine B-59 off the coast of Cuba. When the destroyer USS Beale began to drop depth charges to force them to the surface, his captain decided that WW III must have started, and ordered his men to arm and fire a nuclear torpedo at a group of American ships. Due to a strange circumstance, the captain had to seek Arkhipov’s approval to fire the weapon, because while he was only second in command of the sub, he was in command of the flotilla of which the submarine was a part. Arkhipov, outnumbered three to one, steadfastly refused to give his approval.
Important context: Arkhipov had previously been involved with a nuclear incident aboard another sub, and cited the things he witnessed happening to the crew as one of the reasons he refused to give approval.
one of the reasons i love the murderbot diaries is how it doesnt flinch in trying to grapple with some of the Big Questions, such as “why is it that Humanity™ is the goal to strive towards for artificial intelligence if it wants to be acknowledged as a person?” and “What does it look like when someone is both undeniably a person but also unapologetically nonhuman?” and “what if the magic school bus had a gun”
So you’re in the OTC med section of the pharmacy. You’ve got 100 bucks burning a hole in your pocket (or maybe like $15 cause you’re just starting). You’re a new adult who wants to build yourself a tidy home pharmacy.
Well first you’ve got to know some stuff about over the counter (OTC) meds. This is the post to help you do it.
What are OTC meds? They are medications you can buy from a pharmacy or grocery store without needing a prescription. They have been deemed relatively safe and relatively easy to dose without a doctor’s intervention. This does not mean they can’t be dangerous, just that the general public can generally be trusted not to accidentally kill themselves with them on the regular. Keep that in your mind for later.
Note that all the medications discussed below are given in their generic names. In order to find these names, look below the brand name on a medication bottle:
Pain Medications:
Acetaminophen/Paracetamol: This is a non-NSAID pain reliever and fever reducer, so it’s great for people who can’t take NSAIDs due to stomach or kidney issues. Works best for headaches and fevers, but works on other types of pain as well. Technically works best as a suppository, but still works some orally. No increased risk of bleeding. Don’t take more than directed. Seriously. This one can kill you or seriously damage your liver.
Ibuprofen: NSAID. Works against pain, inflammation, and fever. Take on a full stomach or you could get ulcers. Don’t take if you have kidney problems. You can take this with acetaminophen.
Naproxen: NSAID. Probably the most effective for pain, but works against inflammation and fever as well. Lasts 12 hours. Don’t take high doses continuously or you will get kidney problems. You can take this with acetaminophen.
Aspirin: NSAID. This was the first NSAID and it’s definitely here to give you stomach ulcers if you don’t take it on a full stomach. Technically it works for pain, inflammation, and fever. Most people today take it as a blood thinner. You can take this with acetaminophen.
Allergy/Cold/Congestion Medications:
Diphenhydramine/Doxalamine: First Generation Antihistamines. These are great for nighttime allergies, coughs, insomnia, nausea, and itching. Most people get drowsy from these, but some people get really hyper, especially kids.
Cetirazine/Loratadine/Fexofenadine: Second Generation Antihistamines. These work for allergies and itching and don’t cause as much drowsiness.
Phenylephrine/Pseudoephedrine: Decongestants. These work by mimicking epinephrine, making the blood vessels in the nose and sinuses smaller. This makes the nose and sinuses less stuffy, but it raises blood pressure (so don’t take if that’s a problem for you). Pseudoephedrine is also restricted- you must be an adult to purchase and you can only buy so much. You have to talk to a pharmacist to get it because it can be used to make methamphetamine.
Triamcinolone/budesonide/fluticasone Nasal Spray: These are steroid sprays. They work similarly to the decongestants but only in the nose, and generally don’t travel to the rest of the body.
Guifenesin: This is an expectorant, not a decongestant. It works by thinning the mucous in the lungs and airway. This makes it easier for you to cough it up. You have to drink a lot of water with this for it to work, though.
Dextromethorphan: This is a cough suppressant. It works by blocking signals in the brain that tell you to cough. Pretty much everything interacts with this one so if you take any medications talk to your doctor first. Depending on where you live you may have to talk to a pharmacist to get this one due to the potential for abuse.
Digestive Medications
Loperamide: This is an antidiarrheal. It works by decreasing the amount of squishing around your intestines are doing, which helps you hold your diarrhea and lets you continue to function. It is an opioid, but is not absorbed from your digestive tract so it doesn’t make you high.
Bismuth Subsalicylate: This works for diarrhea as well, but also nausea, heartburn, and the prevention of traveler’s diarrhea. Don’t take if you’re allergic to salicylates or aspirin. Taking this for an extended period of time can also cause bismuth toxicity.
Calcium Carbonate: This is an antacid. It is very basic pH wise, so can help change the pH of stomach contents pretty quickly. This is usually used for heartburn. If you take any other medications, this can prevent you from absorbing them if you take them within two hours. Using for long periods can cause rebound heartburn when you stop taking it.
Cemetidine/Famotidine/Ranitadine: These are gastric acid reducers, and they work by blocking the type of histamine that is necessary for the production of stomach acid. They are usually used for heartburn and ulcers.
Omeprezole/Esomeprezole: These are also gastric acid reducers, but they work by blocking a different part of the very complicated way our stomachs make acid. After years and years of taking these you might get some bone density problems.
Bisocodyl/Senna: These are laxatives. They work by increasing the movement of the intestines. It’s important not to take these consistently unless you can’t poop at all without them, or you seriously will not be able to poop without them.
Docusate/Propylene Glycol: These are stool softeners. They work by increasing the amount of water in the intestines. These are pretty safe to take all the time if you need to.
Simethicone: This is a surfactant. It works by accumulating all the gas bubbles in the intestines so they can be expelled. It’s usually used for painful gas.
Topical Medications:
Clotrimezole/Miconazole: These are antifungal preparations. They treat yeast infections, athletes foot, jock itch, and ringworm.
Triple Antibiotic Ointment: This is a cream that contains antibiotics. Ostensibly you’re supposed to put this on small cuts to decrease risk of infection. IRL just clean it with soap and water and then put some vasaline on it. Studies have shown it works just as well.
Hydrocortisone: This is a steroid cream. You put it on itchy things (bug bites, poison ivy, etc…) and it makes them not itch as much. This one actually works and is generally better than diphenhydramine creams that can’t be used on poison ivy.
Permethrin: This is an insecticide. It will help get rid of head and body lice.
Zinc Oxide: This is a skin protectant. It helps prevent diaper rash and chafing. It also makes things feel better once you’ve already chafed. Technically it is also a sunblock, but it will make you look like a ghost while you’re wearing it.
Family Planning:
Levonorgestrel: This is known as the morning after pill. It works by blocking ovulation, so that a sperm and egg cannot meet, preventing pregnancy. It can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex, though it works better the sooner it is taken.
Devices:
Blood Sugar Meter/Strips/Lancets: These help measure the amount of sugar in your blood. They are usually used by people with diabetes.
Blood Pressure Cuff: This measures blood pressure automatically with a cuff around the upper arm or wrist. It is usually used by people with high blood pressure.
Ketogenic Test Strips: This measures the amount of ketones in the urine. Ketones are a byproduct of fat breakdown, usually found when the body cannot breakdown carbohydrates for energy and begins to break down fat instead. Usually people who are on a ketogenic diet or people with diabetes use these.
Peak Flow Meter: This measures the amount of air that can be used by the lungs. They are usually used by people with asthma or COPD.
Great, Which Ones Do I Need?
I’d recommend look over the list and see which ones would be most useful for you, and start with those. Over time, collect ones that would be most embarrassing to not have, and then the ones that you’re pretty sure you’ll never use.
Note that in a dry, unopened package (including inside blister packs), drugs last well beyond their expiration dates. So if you don’t use a certain med all that often, get a smaller package of it.
Great, Which Ones Can I Take at the Same Time?
Good question. I’m going to say that if you take any prescription medications, you always want to check with your doctor before taking anything OTC. However, I recommend you use an interaction checker like this one if you want to take more than one OTC med at the same time. One can be found here.
Note:
Loperamide CANNOT be taken with cimetidine/ranitidine/famotidine. This causes bad heart rhythms.
Don’t take two meds from the same category together (like cimetadine with ranitidine, or ibuprofen with naproxen, or diphenhydramine and fexofenadine unless a doctor tells you to).
Most antacids (calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate) will prevent the absorption of other medications, so take them two hours apart from anything else you take.
Don’t drink alcohol with loperamide, detromethophan, acetaminophen, or any antihistamines.
In the spirit of encouraging people to comment on fanfics while also making it easier to do so, I feel obliged to share a browser extension for ao3 that has quite literally revolutionized the comment game for me.
I present to you: the floating ao3 comment box!
From what I’ve seen, a big problem for many people is that once you reach the comments at the bottom of a fic, your memory of it miraculously disappears. Anything you wanted to say is stuck ten paragraphs ago, and you barely remember what you thought while reading. This fixes that!
I’ll give a little explanation on the features and how it works, but if you want to skip all that, here’s the link.
The extension is visible as a small blue box in the upper left corner.
(Side note: The green colouring is not from the extension, that’s me.)
If you click on it, you open a comment box window at the bottom of your screen but not at the bottom of the fic. I opened my own fic for demonstrative purposes.
The website also gives explanations on how exactly it functions, but I’ll summarize regardless.
insert selection -> if you highlight a sentence in the fic it will be added in italics to the comment box
add to comment box -> once you’re done writing your comment, you click this button and the entire thing will automatically copied to the ao3 comment box
delete -> self explanatory
on mulitchapter fics, you will be given the option to either add the comment to just the current chapter or the entire fic
The best part? You can simply close the window the same way you opened it and your progress will automatically be saved. So you can open it, comment on a paragraph, and then close it and keep reading without having the box in your face.
Comments are what keep writers going, and as both a writer and a reader, I think it’s such an easy way of showing support and enthusiasm.
