#I wonder what would be the length

[getintok]

I just find it really funny when people that got into the fandom a few days ago and are like "I watched all the variety shows and interviews and it's soooo obvious how much they disliked Seungri 🤓☝️" like ???? are you okay?? Because it must be so frustrating watching all those moments where the boys are like "Seungri is so precious to me/us, we love him a lot, he's the best maknae" the way GD is always seeking Seungri, touching him and laughing at every little thing he does, how all of them couldn't stop talking about him and TOP literally couldn't, for the love of god, stop posting pictures of him in diverse situations and the fact that YB decided to call SR before any family member or close friend and it must be so hard for you to do all those mental gymnastics to make it fit into your own narrative. Like, it may be that now they have no contact with him but from that to say that they always hated him is a reach specially when in all the time they spend together it was never brought up the narrative that they don't liked Seungri. Not even once, because it wasn't like that. You may hate him but you can't erase all those moments, happiness and hardships they shared together.

[tathrin]

Hey, so do you ever stop to think about how the premise of Lord of the Rings being an in-universe book written by some of the characters who lived through that story means that they decided what parts and perspectives to use to tell that story...?

And when our authors weren't there to experience the events themselves, they have to rely on what they're told about them by the characters who were there, right...?

Okay so stop and think about the Glittering Caves.

We never actually go to the caves in the narrative. Tolkien LOVES describing nature and natural beauty, but we don't actually see the caves described "by him" the way we do other places. Obviously Gimli's words are Tolkien's, yes; but we only see the caves filtered through his words about them, after the fact.

When Gimli and Éomer and the other Rohirrim take refuge there, the narrative doesn't follow them. Obviously from a narrative standpoint this is to keep the focus narrow, and not to interrupt the battle-sequence with a long ode to the beauty of the caves, and to create tension in the reader who doesn't know if these characters are okay or not. Which all makes sense!

But think about it in terms of the book that was written in Middle-earth by the folk living there. Why DON'T we get to have a direct experience of those caves? Gimli obviously related several other parts of the story that none of the Hobbits were there to witness to them, and which were written into the books as Direct Events Happening In The Narrative (think of the Paths of the Dead scene, for one of the more visceral moments!). So why not the Glittering Caves?

Was it because they wanted to keep that narrative focus and tension, and so they didn't include his perspective on that part of the battle? Perhaps, that's certainly a possibility to consider.

But also consider: when we do hear about the Glittering Caves, what we hear is Gimli telling Legolas about the Glittering Caves. THAT is the part of that event that is considered of importance to include in the book: not Gimli's actual experience when he was in them, but rather the part where he relates that experience TO Legolas.

And I kind of just THOUGHT about that today.

And went HUH.

[casscainmainly]

Hi there! I just read battle for the cowl (i hadn't managed to finish it last time because I was so angry but this time i did manage! Yay! Someone save me.) I'm very sorry to bother you, but you are the Cass Cain reference and I find myself in need of your insight if that's alright with you.

Anyway my actual question is, what would be Cass' greatest struggle wrt Bruce's death/taking the cowl after Bruce's death? Like how do you think the grief would manifest, what would be the biggest conflict?

Hi!!! First off congrats for finishing Battle for the Cowl, everyone who gets through it deserves a medal. Secondly it makes me happy to hear I'm your Cass reference because there are so many amazing and knowledgable Cass blogs on here <333.

Anyway your question is SO interesting because. AGH. Cass deserved to be in BftC so bad!!! Okay in a world where Cass became Batman, I'm going to pretend she doesn't set up Batman, Inc. I'm also assuming in this world Steph still takes up Batgirl/Cass still gives it to her.

There are many considerations for how Cass would react, and this is a jumble of thoughts (other Cass fans might have better answers than me tbh). But here are some factors:

Besides her lame non-reaction in Reborn era, we do have some hints on how Cass would react to Bruce's death in Batgirl (2000) #15. When Cass gets hit by a beam that makes the brain come up with a scenario to kill, Cass imagines the Joker killing Bruce and her killing the Joker. This 'killing' reaction is due to the beam, but it's significant that Bruce dying was her justification. Her brain had to come up with a reason to break her most sacred vow, and Bruce's death was what it found. His death broke a fundamental part of her. Ofc this was very early on in their relationship, but I think Bruce's death would take a toll on her sense of internal 'goodness' (which was always shaky to begin with)

Bruce adopts Cass in 2008, basically right before he dies. His adoption words to her: "You'll always have a real family... as long as I'm around". Just. AHHHH. Although Bruce didn't intend this, this is phrased as a conditional: Cass' 'real family' depends on Bruce's presence. For Bruce to die immediately after this would severely impact Cass' sense of belonging to the family.

We know from Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Batgirl that Bruce had ordered Cass to give the Batgirl mantle to Steph (in the case of his disappearance/death). We don't know how he said this - it may have been an order before his death, or a 'last message'-type deal like with Dick/Jason. Regardless, this would impact Cass' belief that she deserves the Bat mantle. We know from what actually happens that Cass gives up the symbol after Bruce's death. In a scenario where she takes the cowl, I think this seed of doubt would wriggle at her. What did Bruce mean when he told her to give up Batgirl? Was it because he wanted her to become Batman, or because he wanted to strip her of the symbol entirely?

If Cass takes up the cowl I'm assuming Dick doesn't? Or he's a simultaneous Batman? Either way, Cass + Dick would be very interesting in this era, not least because they're coming off the backs of their fight in Batgirl (2008) + reconciliation in Batman & The Outsiders (2007). That reconciliation addresses Bruce's absence: Dick says, "I suppose we need to work together to fill the void he left." So Dick-Cass would be this tense and grieving relationship that's filled with a strange solidarity. On the other hand, I think Babs would not want Cass to be the Bat, so this might drive a wedge between them (and I think Cass, in her grieving state, would likely evade or lash out if Babs shows any concern). So Cass' relationships to Dick and Babs would change.

Cass' relationship to Tim would also be changed by Tim's Brucequest, and honestly it would probably fracture because both of them are not in the best state of mind. Cass' relationship to Steph would also be tense, in my opinion Cass would shut her out for a variety of reasons (not least because of the aforementioned 'give Batgirl to Steph' order). So Cass' relationship to Steph and Tim would most likely worsen.

A final consideration is that, when Stephanie died, Cass left Gotham for Bludhaven. Steph's death changed her entire relationship to Gotham, leading her to say (in her internal monologue) that Blud was the first place to ever be hers. Both Steph and Bruce are Gothamites through and through, so I think Bruce's death would also change Cass' relationship to Gotham City.

Okay I am so sorry for that essay because you were only asking for the biggest conflict 😭. I think all of the above build up into her biggest conflict being whether or not she belongs here/whether or not she's doing the right thing. Don't get me wrong, she knows she can make a great Bat and she knows Gotham needs a Batman. But with Bruce dead, with her grounding relationships to Steph and Babs under heavy strain, with Tim steadfastly believing Bruce is not dead, with her relationship to Gotham in shambles, with the adoption in the air, and with Dick (who's been Batman before) hanging around and probably clashing with her sometimes, her self-belief would probably be more fragile than it's ever been. I'm thinking end of BG 2000 levels of 'do I even deserve to the Bat symbol'.

I'm also thinking of Gates of Gotham, where Cass and Dick talk in the car and Cass says it's a choice to stay in Gotham, whether or not the city wants you. I think, if Cass was Batman, this would have to be a choice she makes everyday - with everything she's ever known in jeopardy or flat-out gone, she'd have to choose to go out there, choose to assert herself as the Bat. And despite it all I think she would do it. She never loses, after all.

(I didn't mention Damian but for a non-serious answer if he was her Robin he would be the biggest pain in her neck and she would punt him off several roofs).

[illmoraineakoi]

You know what would be interesting...

Is if Yellow made his own channel, just to spite Green.

And the others join in, because they're all upset and annoyed with Green's recent behavior, and they want to get back at him, just a little bit. Beat him at his own stupid game. Make him see that it's not worth it and snap him out of it.

Yellow's smart. He can film and edit just as well as Green could. Technology is one of his strongest traits.

They start making content themselves, videos of them actually having fun and enjoying themselves, like how it was always meant to be for them, videos like Green promised to give us but hasn't been able to because of the conflict between them.

And we, the audience, Green's audience, who are freshly upset with him for his behavior towards Yellow and uncomfortable with his influencer decent, flock to Yellow's channel en mass. Both to show Yellow love and support, but also to spite Green as well. To punish him as the internet is wont to try to do towards those it becomes angry towards.

And it upsets Green. Angers him. Makes him feel like he's lost control, like they've stolen this from him.

And pushes him into doing something dramatic...

[babymillennial]

At the risk of setting off a bomb in the Aaravos and Leola fandoms, I do wonder if we ever talk about how--if Aaravos's description of his daughter is accurate--she would probably hate what he's become in her absence.

[catwyk]

i havent had a haircut since september and my hair is so long i can get it all over one shoulder now....... who am i........

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s2 episode 19 "død kalm" thoughts

did you ever want to see mulder and scully die of old age? well, you're in luck! this episode was made for you <3

i'm giggling. who came up with this concept?

when i was reading the plot description, i kept thinking of all those memes a few years back about the beach that makes you old. it was referencing the plot of the m. night shyamalan movie with this very concept, aptly titled "old"... good to know he isn't the first one to come up with such a topic. also we moved on from that meme too fast because it was hilarious.

okay. let's go.

pause. we open on a boat at sea. i haaaate boats. we seriously need to stop getting on boats because it seems that only bad things follow.

some people are leaving this boat. and a guy threatens to stop them. but he doesn't. and they climb into a lifeboat and sail off.

those who sailed off in the sailboat have been found by another boat. they were sailing the seas and playing blackjack. blackjack is great, boats less so. these new guys are tying to rope in those from the lifeboat for help, but they're not being super responsive. this is because they have become very old men.

(i was trying to think about how i would respond to finding a rescue boat full of old men on the open ocean, and i think i would assume it was a cruise wreck. recently read an article about the secret world of cruises. fascinating stuff)

((anyway, when we're looking at these newly old men, you can tell that it is in fact the same young actors under a bunch of makeup, and it's an eerie thing to view. baby old men))

at this point, i asked the question on everyone's mind: are we going to speedrun the whole msr thing by throwing them on this boat? like, skipping to growing old together? it's almost romantic, in a way

anyway, back to the present day. after the newly old men have been rescued. mulder calls scully to a hospital, and thanks her for coming without explanation.

she has freckles and he has to bend down to whisper to her, two things i enjoy greatly.

he wants her to go in and talk to the one survivor of the whole thing, and they wouldn't let him in, so her medical background is a good excuse, and he got her clearance. he tells her to figure out what is going on then come back to his office, and instead of listening to her try and ask questions, he grabs her shoulders and says thank you. and leaves.

she is baffled. for a man like him, a shoulder grab probably explains everything.

(this has prompted contemplation on that man and his relationship to physical touch. i just know he'd cry if given a nice long hug)

so she goes in the room and picks up the chart, and despite the fact that a very old man is sitting on the table there, she sees his chart says he's supposed to be like 25. so she asks why there hasn't been a full investigation and the physician comes in and says "i wasn't aware that my diagnostic decisions required your approval"

OOP. an awkward situation! she must have chased mulder off. and while it may be a bit weird to have another doctor burst into your patient's room, is this not a valid question to ask???

the physician demands scully show her clearance, which she does, and she is told it is invalid, and to get out now before she is removed. which is sus as hell!!!! what are they hiding...

back to mulder's office. she walks in and tosses her coat on his chair. ah, casual intimacy of cohabitation. i love you dearly.

and this man is deeply touchy today... he must have known he was setting her up to get yelled at in the hospital and this is his way of saying sorry. that's my best guess, anyway.

he's got a map pinned on the wall and he's pointing out all the ships that have gone through the area and disappeared, and as i began to make my average declaration- that this was "nerd behavior"- my phone began to predict the text for me. well! it is consistent at least.

"do you know anything about the philadelphia project?" he asks scully. and she explains it to him, but i had to google to see if it was a real thing. and actually, i had heard of it before, because the u.s.s. eldridge makes a very brief cameo in season 1 of loki!! but it seems to be mostly a thing that didn't happen. i'll have to look into at a later date.

mulder proposes that those involved with the teleportation philadelphia project must still be at it, and they are using this area to explore wormholes on earth.

(scully exhales quietly) "wormholes." <- god-tier reaction

he decides to head out to norway and investigate, and she wants to come!! woohoo 8:30 flight to norway!!

they're in the norwegian bar. looking cute. asking for help re:area where boats are going mia. but no one wants to help!

until a very conveniently placed american over hears them! and he has a ship that can take them out there! ahh, storytelling conventions <3

he says he'll take them out there, but he is the only one who will do so, because all the others think that there is an evil god in the sea. and evil god or not, i am not sure i trust this man who offers to give them a ride.

NOOOO poor mulder is getting seasick :( he seems to have lost his quick tongue in the war against the ocean:

"you're lucky you inherited your father's legs", he says to scully. "what," she deadpans, smiling. "his SEA legs", he clarifies, and she laughs while he is in misery.

(and this was sosososo cute <3)

they have been on the boat for 12 hours...... i would have simply perished!!!

they then CRASH into another ship and he is suffering even MORE immensely

so they climb onto this ship they ran into, and it looks old and rusty, like 20 or 30 years hanging out in the ocean rusty, but it was launched in 1991. soooo things are not adding up!!!!

they go in and investigate the giant old ship, and they encounter some bodies that have been, like, crystalized? super old and dead and crystalized. shoutout to the props team for that fr.

and scully looks both terrified and deeply intrigued. the medical curiosity has set in.

NOOOO! someone took their ship that they arrived there on!!! they are stuck on the boat full of very old dead crystal people!

there's a little montage here of scully and mulder trying to fix stuff and it was really really cute. yeah get your tools and go fix something man. get under there. it doesn't work out, but it wasn't for lack of trying.

the american guy who took them out is getting pissed they aren't telling him the Truth so he tries to explain the wormhole theory. and he isn't buying it and getting More pissed. this could have been easily avoided by Not Getting on the Boat.

NOOOO the other crew member that joined them had his skull cracked!!! are there any old people doing some skull smashing on this boat?!?

AUGH the boat is such a perfect setting for horror. the persistent Wetness. the quiet except for light dripping noises. the maze-like construction of the big old ship. confined spaces. it is simply not for meeeeee

oh okay. guy in the freezer sipping jack. he says time got lost. sure. it seems we have found our Skull Smasher.

the american guy whose ship was stolen is getting even MORE pissed and honestly i feel like he has the right to be. his friend is dead his ship is gone he is stranded on a boat of crystalized old people. truly L after L is being delivered. and as he goes to bury his friend at sea, even singing a little song for him, a dude comes and tries to crack HIS skull with a pipe??!? (so maybe old man sipping jack DIDN'T do the killing? i honestly don't remember sorry)

mulder stops pipe man from beating the americn ship captain... wow... so heroic <3 and american guy is like, oh i know this dude... he's a PIRATE WHALER... he sells whales on the BLACK MARKET.... i wish him to suffer immensely. remember when a fungus grew out of people a few episodes ago? yeah he deserves that. get eaten by bugs. you stay away from the whales you sick freak. but he is kinda hot and that is NOT be excusing him i just have eyes and can see. hot pirate whalers still get the cruelest of punishments in my book.

NOOOO the old man sipping jack has died. and is turning into salt. real sodom and gomorrah ass situation.

mulder declares that it is time to get rest, in an environment in which rest is impossible. and honestly, he is brave as hell for persisting and taking the first watch despite having dealt with seasickness, let alone being trapped on a boat full of old salty dead people and having just apprehended a pirate whaler. give him a raise, for he has suffered.

he takes his shift, and goes to wake scully up for the next one. and she mumbles about having just fallen asleep, to which he offers her a few more minutes

AUGHHH my heart. my heart my heart. this man is Suffering but he still offers to stand guard for a few more minutes. so she can sleep. oh i would have married him on the spot i'm sorry.

she insists that she is up and everything is adorable and sweet until.

WHAT!!! they are old!!!!

the image of these two in their Old Person makeup was making me laugh so hard, so i once again asked "who came up with this episode", but here's the tea: the pirate whaler guy isn't getting old!!! and, as scully points out, their hair isn't falling out or turning grey... strange.

she proposes that they are... drifting towards something... electrical... magnets... i'm sorry queen u lost me. too much science jargon. i'm sure it's a good theory i just have no understanding what it is you're saying.

oh. and blood is dripping from the ceiling. while the evil whale killer serves looks in the corner. fuck you, freak.

they go off to investigate the dripping blood (actually rust!) and they leave american ship captain to guard the pirate whaler. and oh man, he is gonna let him go, isn't he...

our agents are climbing into the sewage hold. bad place to me, imo. and ohhhh they think it is related to the water! non-sewage water = makes you old. cutscene to american ship captain, who has shot pirate men, lapping from the toilet like a dog.

mulder and ship captain man are fightinggggg... old man violence

scully demands everyone do a blood test, which had me asking: how did she test their blood on a ship? does she just keep that sort of equipment around? anyway, it shows waaaaay too much salt.

and NOOOO mulder is doing worse than the others because he has been dehydrated from seasickness :(

(again, i made note of the fact that they looked crazy and this was such a ridiculous plot for an episode)

he presents her with his urine for testing. that is true friendship.

the american ship guy says that mulder isn't gonna make it, and they should look out for themselves. okay good try you dumb bitch but they WILL die for each other.

cutscene to mulder lying in his cot, dying of old age. typical king activities. the water isn't working on him for some reason!!!

(who did this old person makeup... the girls are scared)

american ship guy is in the sewage area gulping all the water. "go ahead and shoot me if you think i'll let mulder have another drop" <-okay but she Will kill you. like you get that right.

(he escapes death by locking himself into the container)

this sends scully into a frantic search for any sort of liquid, and she's holding up a snow globe, and i have the realization, oh man, she's gonna drink the snow globe water, and they are gonna have to go to the hospital even more than before

"it's sardine juice, half a dozen lemons, and the water from a snow globe" <- new worst meal just dropped

(get her as a bartender NOW. i want to see what other fucked up concoctions she can create if given the resources)

he says that she should drink it, and tells her to stop being stubborn, she's more likely to live. and he WILL resign himself to death for her. which is A Lot. they are arguing about who gets to drink it and it's really sweet and sad and they look scary.

noOoOOOo there is a big THUNK and the jar falls on the ground and CRACKS. and now water is coming in!!! and the guy that locked himself in the sewage hold is gonna drown!!!

this is not promising for anyone else. at this point i was asking if they were gonna just lay down and die together, and if so, would it involve having a talk about their Feelings before death?

scully promises mulder that she learned there is nothing to fear after death when she began to drift off in her coma. oh my heart. talking about her Worst experience in the entire world so her friend can die in peace. knowing that it will be okay. ohhhh man, i need to unpack this at a later date.

so she closes his eyes and he drifts out of consciousness, and she's writing down detailed notes as she goes, but finally the pen slips from her hand and... they're gone

UNTIL!!! HELP ARRIVES LATER!!! and they bring them into the hospital to desalinate them. and they are able to be saved because scully kept impeccable records the whole time!

OH. and who is tending to them but the physician who kicked scully out of the other guy's room at the beginning of the episode!!!!

so the ship sank. and that was that. the end.

and where does that leave us?

well, honestly, i'm torn. because there were some very sweet moments in this episode- poor seasick mulder, fighting over who gets the potion, him letting her sleep a little longer, her sharing what happens after you die to give him a sense of calm- but it was also taking place while they were in scary old person makeup, so it had its ups and downs.

[colourful-void]

umineko sliding scale as of rn for me to how sympathetic i find each character (not necessarily how much i like, just like. i get where they're coming from) as of right now bcs theres like a bunch more of the story so its bound to change.

"i was born to understand your visions" -> maria and shannon "i really feel for you here" -> natsuhi and kanon "yeah, i get it" -> kumasawa, jessica, kirie "parts of you i cannot resonate with, but others i am either compelled by or can understand" -> battler and rosa "no paticular thoughts" -> genji, the doctor i forgot his name, "more of you i dont sympathize with than i do, but there's still elements" -> eva, hideyoshi "you're gonna have to show me something more for me to understand where you're coming from" -> gohda, krauss, rudolf "i dont sympathize with you (as i understand you now.) -> george and kinzo

beatrice exists outside the scale bcs i dont understand anything shes got going on but i am compelled. maybe once let sjust let her win i wanna see where this goes

[kitconnor]

okay now i'm no expert but shouldn't all this raw heart consumption in yellowjackets result in a few more diseases or mystery illnesses. how are they keeping disease out of the show rn. girls getting into other girls pants, baby you don't shower 😟 think of the bacteria!!! how has scurvy or some shit not ripped through the encampment yet 💔 honey you should have been struck down in winter not because it's cold but because of the Bacteria

[mamorigami]

i think its so inevitable for the team to take up a 100 yr quest at SOME point in time so i might keep the idea that they're doing it, but i won't involve the story & plotlines in the current series. do u get me.

[saltlickmp3]

GUYS turns out i can actually do a fantastic tenth dr cosplay using just clothes i already have!!!!!!

brown pants blue button down shirt (even has brown pinstripes like the inverse of his coat) brown waistcoat, blue green brown plaid tie, and i have this really long brown corduroy coat i almost never wear but it fucks hard i swear, and a pair of sneakers like yeah!!!! i'm the doctor!!!!!!! david tennant gender!!!!!!!!!!!

[nebulastarss]

get lizarded :)

Gasp!

What a delightful little lad!

[lakemichigans]

the irony of people being loud as fuck in the theater for a quiet place day one

[sketching-shark]

I was hoping in the S4 Special, we would see Wukong at least try to reconcile with the Brotherhood. We know Wukong and Azure were close, and we spent a lot of time talking about Azure's trauma and feelings of betrayal from Wukong. But we never got to see them at least try to talk it out. The first part of the Special focuses on Wukong's mistakes, and it's all centered around Macaque. I know Mac was his BFF, but Azure was also hurting a lot, too, and that was a big focus this season. The second Wukong gets out, he wants to shove them all back into the scroll. We get a little sad face when Azure dies, but that's really it. Kinda makes me question what the point of Azure's monkey trauma alongside Wukong's regrets were if they weren't gonna even have Wukong attempt to fix things. Also, the Pilgrims sealing the Brotherhood in the scroll. Wukong looking menacing in the flashback. That's never touched on either. All those theories on Wukong possibly striking a deal with the Jade Emperor to protect the Brotherhood or being forced to imprison them. Wukong will fish with DBK and eat popsicles with Macaque, but wont try making peace with his other brothers? IDK, it just feels like there was a lot of wasted potential with this Special, which honestly is nothing new for the series.

Hahahahaha sigh. Flying Bark really said "We are never going to let this monkey live down the stupid friend-betraying a-hole allegations <3" huh.

[padfootastic]

just closed out a live write in the j/s discord server where i wrote almost 4k in like. a day!!!!! it felt so unreal and im just. in awe. bc it was so easy??? validation and appreciation rly are underrated drugs huh