#and the fact that i'm an english major

[notmoreflippingelves]

Actually going insane over the implications of Jason asking Dick to be the Robin to his Batman in Battle for the Cowl.

Like I initially took it at the purely surface-level of Jason wanting a partner in the general sense. Which made sense, it's a huge responsibility and a lonely one so an assistant/sidekick/partner seems a no-brainer if you can get one.

But then I really thought about it, because Jason is not asking Dick to be his partner in the general sense; he's not even asking Dick to be his Nightwing. He's asking Dick to be his Robin.

And they both know exactly what Jason means: "Be the light to my darkness. Be the smile to my scowl. Be the hope to my fear. "

He's saying "Be 'Robin'; be the embodiment of Love and Justice and Goodness. Be the exceptional person that you have always been. Be the slightly-less exceptional person that I was when I wore your colors. Be the person that I was in the process of becoming and might have been (or might still be), if only Joker hadn't clipped my wings."

He's saying "I am prepared to become vengeance, become the Night. And I will go further than Bruce ever dared to, because it is what is needed. I will be the necessary evil. But you don't have to be. If Batman is Gotham's curse, Robin has always been its blessing. I will be the brutal punishment to our world, and I am asking you to be its incandescent gift."

He's saying, "Be for me, what we were for Him. Be my anchor, my comfort, my hope. Remind me what it's all for, why it's all worth it. And remind yourself as well."

He's saying "Be 'Robin' again--for both of our sakes."

[youling-the-ghost]

Ok here's my theory as to what the three types of time fuckery meant in Murders in Space:

Time dilation

This one's pretty straightforward. It's the good ol' "travelling close to the speed of light causes the traveller to experience time at a slower rate" thing that some of us might've learned in high school. Not much to say about that.

Time dilution

The way Tom described it made it sound like time dilution is more extreme than time dilation, so I have two theories, either:

time dilution is just an extreme case of time dilation (i.e. what happens when you travel at a speed extremely close to the speed of light, such as 0.99c for example), or;

time dilution is what happens when you travel at the speed of light. Now, this is physically impossible in our world since travelling at light speed would require infinite energy, but let's just say that some crazy scifi shit allows this to happen.

Option 2 would mean that time dilution would cause the scientists to basically stop perceiving time. From their perspective, time intervals would be infinitely large and distances would be infinitely small,

But honestly, I'm the most unsure about this one. Time dilution seems similar enough to time dilation for AJ's scientist character to confuse them, but also option 1 seems kind of redundant? Since time dilation works in the same way when you're travelling at say 0.7c compared to 0.99c, so I'm more inclined to believe option 2.

Time penetration

Judging from how Mary seemingly teleported to the spacecraft, my guess is that time penetration is what happens when you travel at a speed faster than the speed of light. Again, this is physically impossible in our current world, but let's just say that Mary is a genius scientist who's able to break the laws of physics. This one actually makes a lot of sense considering these points:

Mary was able to teleport, which is what scientists have hypothesised would happen if one were to travel faster than light speed.

It would make sense why Mary spent so long trying to get to her husband. Literally breaking the laws of physics isn't a project that can be finished in a couple of months.

Also the whole "time penetration is impossible" thing because yeah...travelling faster than the speed of light is considered to be impossible.

So yeah, I'm actually pretty confident with this one.

BUT HEY, THAT'S JUST A THEORY! A SHOOT FROM THE HIP THEORY! Thanks for reading this incredibly self-indulgent post :]

[rahabs]

The Tudors ran so Wulf Hall could shuffle awkwardly around reiterating the same tired old Tudor stereotypes while claiming to be something new.

[pennyserenade]

doing homework at 9 o'clock at night because i fucked around and now i'm finding out

[fiona-fififi]

Please, please, please recognize that using incorrect pronouns is a common error made by English language learners—even for those who have achieved near fluency. It is not automatically intentional or malicious if someone uses an incorrectly gendered pronoun when talking about a character.

[imaginejolls]

so far getting a library card has been a major fucking letdown so uh. is the Libby app US-only or do people outside of the US use it?

[honeylemonbutte]

New Fernweh Saga (@lacunafiction) MC: Joshua Wei ("Bugs" is a nickname he gained in college)

(I have used my original MC, January Cohen, for every playthru - making different choices, different personalities, from max to least resistance and every romance option. All of the sudden, January sees James as family (her cousin/her brother) and cannot romance him.)

As soon as Joshua learned what a crush was, and realized the difference between liking someone and like-liking someone, he knew he had a crush on Jane Corvin. He never said anything, not believing that Jane would like him back - a weird kid with big ears who was obsessed with insects. (The best way to impress your crush is to show her the best caterpillars and stick bugs... right...?) He did throw away the matching necklace in an effort to put those feelings behind him and to forget about Fernweh.

Joshua did well in school and his parents encouraged him to pursue the musical instrument of his choice. He doesn't know why but he attracted the attention of Reese Verner. The "rivalry" mainly annoyed kid-Joshua, he was a shy kid and wished Reese would not be so intense and competitive. Returning Visitor Joshua is in denial that there could be an attraction there. (Joshua also outgrew most of his shyness and is more willing to quip back at Reese.)

Joshua met Beckett Warrick in college, they were randomly assigned the same dormitory and met at an introductory event for incoming freshmen. They found out they had similar tastes in TV and bonded over a shared love of watching the Great British Bake-Off and Anthony Bourdain shows.

While growing up, Joshua always got along with Sofia Dorran, but he often didn't know what to say in social situations. Thankfully, Sofia didn't seem to mind that Joshua's quiet personality. They spent many afternoons together, Sofia reading and Joshua pouring over bug encyclopedias. Joshua always hoped for a deeper and less shallow friendship.

There is something about the diner's waiter/waitress that makes Joshua uneasy and makes him feel like a nervous child again. He remains polite but not too friendly, making him just another customer.

[jorvikzelda]

think I may be finished writing this FUCKING text...

[homosociallyyours]

Have a crazed g-ylor theory that i want to post BUT i am also ALLERGIC to engaging in discourse and do not want to be perceived by my fellow fans, lest they think I'm actually taking any of this seriously

[graham--folger]

i love looking back at old writing i've completely forgotten about and squinting at it like. damn. whoever wrote this shit was pretty good

[notmoreflippingelves]

What she says: I'm fine.

What she means: I just don't understand how the showrunners of EoA expected me, an English major, to cope with their explicitly and visually coding Elena and Esteban as narrative foils and two sides of the same coin throughout S3. And they weren't even remotely subtle about intertwining their characters, destinies, and relationship with each other.

They were just like "what if we gave Esteban and Elena the exact same unique, transformative experience (i.e. falling in the crystal well and absorbing its magic) but ONLY them.? Then maybe, we explicitly seal up Takaina so that no one else can ever have that same experience again?"

And then if that wasn't blatant enough, they each get magical powers that are specifically tailored to their most notable character flaws (Esteban's running away from his responsibilities vs. Elena's emotional intensity and volatility). And if that still was a little too subtle, they also get matching sparkly outfits as souvenirs from their trip down the magic well. So that in every scene they have together (with the exception of the Coronation scene) from then on visually links the two of them together.

Like all of that is just barely scratching the surface of the thematic ramifications of this. Because at the end of the day, Esteban and Elena each metaphorically (if accidentally) gave the other their corresponding powers.

Esteban canonically gets his teleportation because Elena's new anger powers literally lift him up and throw him down the crystal well.

Similarly, Esteban is (albeit much more indirectly) somewhat responsible for Elena's magic as well. It's somewhat implied that the reason Elena is able to use the Scepter of Light in the first place (when presumably her parents and ancestors could not) is because of the Maruvian magic that she absorbed from her years in the Amulet. Crucially, a very real part of the reason that she was even in said amulet in the first place is due to Esteban's decision to smuggle Shuriki into Avalor. His (admittedly terrible) choice led to Elena's ability to use her greatest weapon and that very weapon (via spying on Ash with "Farsight") is what eventually leads Elena to Takaina where she gets her additional emotion powers.

That's canon, baby. Esteban's actions in the past indirectly give Elena her magic. Elena's direct (if accidental) actions in the present give Esteban his.

All of this alone is already more than enough to make me absolutely feral, but they just have to up the ante even more in the series finale. Esteban uses his teleportation powers to take the magical bullet for Elena; Elena uses her own emotion magic to bring him back to life after his sacrifice. They use their powers--the same powers that they technically gave to each other in the first place--to save each other.

And then, if all that isn't enough, they proceed to use each other's powers together in order to defeat the enemy. First, Esteban is able to break Cahu's hourglass by using Elena's scepter, and then the two of them are able to send Cahu back to the Spirit World through the combined power of the scepter and staff. They've converged into one tight, solid, united force for Good that is powerful beyond imagining.

And I am deeply insane about all of it.

[thebirdandhersong]

"minimum twelve sources" I hate this

[moonstormsx]

i got a bit more written for chapter 3 of my ongoing fic, so yay to that! about 1.2k in, and i'm aiming for about 5-9k on this chapter so not too bad, all things considered. if you all are interested, this fic is essentially just me trying to be as medically accurate as possible about the aftermath of that crackstone fight. in other words, wednesday should've been waaaay more injured than what she's shown to be in the show. there will also be a bit of obvious pining, some panic attacks, some oblivious pining, etc... if that sounds like your thing, give it a look!

[archived-junkissed]

for the made up fic title thing: what about…. “such haunted halls we walk” 👀

or if you want something silly: “i put the ‘ass’ in ‘astrophysics’” ddssfhhgdhjfh

HELPMNKJDFSN 😭 i'll put this under a cut bc both of them got kinda long hehe

also fair warning the first one is soo sad pure angst there is not a hint of happiness skdgjfs skip to the second divider if you don't want to read it

send me a title and i'll tell you what i would write for it!

ooh i really like the first one!! i'm thinking a historical au. some kind of period piece a la jane austen featuring vernon as mr. darcy and it's super angsty, kinda like a cautionary tale about life and love and loss. it's told in a series of flashbacks as he walks down a hallway in a house; even though it's daytime outside, the curtains are drawn and it's just dark and dreary, reflecting his mood as he looks at each portrait hung on the wall and thinks about the memories that should be good and happy, but they're tainted as he looks back on them and remembers all the bad things that came afterwards instead. i'm thinking at the very end there's a reveal that's like, you ended up parting ways, not for some big, dramatic reason, but you just fell out of love with him and you didn't want him to feel like his love for you wasn't reciprocated and that he deserved someone who would give back to him all the love he has to give. it was such a clean break that he shouldn't have any reason to be so melancholy (it's not like you cheated on him or ran away with his brother), but it's such an unsatisfying end that he almost wishes you'd had a huge argument and blown up at him; he wishes he would have some reason to be mad at you, to hate you, but you did nothing wrong but give him a chance to experience what it feels like to be loved, because that's something you knew you wouldn't be able give him. so like a theme throughout this one is that in each painting and each memory he looks back on, he's remembering it and wondering when exactly you stopped loving him and why didn't he realize it sooner. ooh actually adding on, maybe he used to be a semi-successful painter and people would hire him to paint their portraits, but after you left he hasn't been able to pick up a brush since, and everything he tries to create comes out dark and tangled and choppy, nothing like the beautiful, bright, joyful paintings he used to make. so not only does he lose someone who brought love and joy into his life, he lost the ability to create art that captures that love and joy. so for the rest of his days all he can do is walk that hallway, staring at the portraits that remind him of better days and wishing he would've known some way to make you love him back.

(tagging @duhnova for this one i want u to suffer cheol thots) okay ass-trophysics is about economics major seungcheol who has to fulfill his lab credits and of course he waited until the last possible second and every other class was waitlisted so the only class available is an analytical physics class. by some miracle the prerequisites for that class are ones he's already taken for his degree and his schedule lines up perfectly for him to take this class. reader is a physics major or something so this class is required for them. you show up bright and early on the first day of the semester and you're getting out your notebook and laptop and stuff and in walks this insanely built frat-looking dude with the fattest juiciest ass you've ever seen in your entire goddamn life, and he plops down in the seat next to you and introduces himself like he isn't the most gorgeous man you've ever seen walk into a math classroom. and the semester goes on and you kinda become friends but not really friends more like classroom friends yk? and you know cheol is smart as hell but for some reason he just doesn't understand this one concept and it sucks because the entire course is pretty much built around understanding this concept. and so you try to help him pass the class and you start becoming closer, and maybe you have a crush on him but you really definitely don't btw. later maybe there's an angsty run-in with an ex girlfriend who makes all these crazy threats and tells you to stay away from him because she knows he'll come back to her, he always does, and you're like "girl i'm literally just helping him learn physics wtf do you want from me please" and she's like "i know what you're REALLY doing... back off" and so you're like. jesus okay fine whatever. so you start making excuses for not being able to help him on the weekends and evenings and days off anymore and he gets pouty and sulky like :( my bffp (best friend from physics) what did i do? and one day he's had enough and he finally manages to corner you at your favorite place to eat on campus and he's like. tell me why you're avoiding me. and you're like "well tell your dumbass girlfriend to stop sending me death threats and i'll help you with your hw again" and he's like "??? what girlfriend i haven't dated anyone since i met you at the beginning of the semester" and so you describe her and cheol lets out the biggest longest most aggravated sigh and he explains that she is his ex but she's literally insane and he has no intention of getting back with her ever and then more drama etc etc but then FINALLY they get things figured out, there's a big moment where he passes his final and you go to hug him but he goes in to kiss you and it's 🧍‍♀️ Awkward and he gets all shy and pouty again and your face is so damn hot and you're like "why did you just try to kiss me" and he has this whole speech about how he really appreciated your help over the semester but he was hoping you would go out with him because he thinks you're really smart and pretty and he just goes on and on about what he likes about you and you're just standing there shocked thinking. this man with the ass of a kardashian is professing his love to me in the middle of a starbucks and a barista is definitely giving me the side eye but oh my god yeah i kinda really do wanna kiss him and then 🫶 kissing happy ending etc etc

[silverior968]

Self indulgent voice hc time: I think Anton Shudder sounds like Timo Torikka as Snufkin in the 90s YLE TV Finnish dub of Adventures in Moomin Valley.

Here's a compilation with english subtitles:

And he also has an amazing singing voice:

That song is a duet with Miitta Sorvali for a summer theatre LOTR play from the late 80s (oh how I wish I could see the play it sounds so Fun). The title translates to "Return to me"

[masked-disciple]

I both love and hate worldbuilding so much.

Like, I'm thinking about how I want to do languages in the Aethel, and I'm like, "there's language groups and usually language just drifts, it's rare people up and intentionally make a new language and it catches on, although trade and politics definitely can help a region's power swap from one common language to another" but if I want to make diverse languages, even if they don't actually appear front-and-centre, I have to do all this goddamn research.

Like, cuneiform looks like That because they used hexagonal 'pens' of sorts to press into clay, and kanji looks like That because they use brushes, and Irish ogham looks like That because it was typically carved into rocks, and Latin cursive looks like That because we used feather pens. But did we diverge alphabets from each other in the proto-indo-european days because of different tools, or was writing invented repeatedly in different places and that's why it's different?

Furthermore, what shapes language itself? Icelandic is a very gutteral language that hasn't really changed in a thousand years because it doesn't need to, but Japanese is a very melodic language with a very firm consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel structure. Why's that? They're both island cultures who kept to themselves for a good chunk of history. What made them different? Why is it that only like five languages use a tongue-click as a sound, and only some roll Rs? What happened to make these naturally happen, and why aren't they more common?

Why is it Japanese is an incredibly indirect language but also incredibly concise, whereas Hebrew and English are both typically pretty direct? Why do some languages not even have relational left/right, and only ever use cardinal directions? Aren't there a few completely atemporal languages? Why is it that English only has a few tonal indicators, but if you fuck up any tones at all in Cantonese, it changes everything you just said? Whose idea was that, and why did it stick around?

These are all questions that absolutely build and help make worldbuilding that much more natural and realistic. But answering them is going to require a goddamn linguistic anthropology degree. I can't just wikipedia this shit in one night and then keep going.

It's worse once you get different species in the mix. A draconic language is not likely to sound anything like a human language, and may not be at all possible for any human ever to speak. I've been writing Denellic almost entirely as "what if Icelandic people got the ability to roll every single consonant that exists, and also knew Latin, and aggressively wanted to insult Latin at every point, and was a language intentionally made to do so, but also the species that primarily speaks it has seven distinct arcanobiological genders with cultural meaning and expects you to stack them on every noun because being neutral on a topic is culturally unacceptable".

I'm literally dying. Am I having so so so much fun? Absolutely. But I'm also literally dying, and if anyone wants to help a worldbuilder out and knows the answers to some of these questions, please please please tell me it'll make my worldbuilding cooler.