It's been a very, very long time since I cared about a piece of media enough that it ending prematurely makes me cry.
Our Flag Means Death made me feel seen in a way that I desperately needed. My first couple of years of fully understanding and admitting to myself that I'm a man were full of pain. I spent more time grieving the past and all of the time I lost than reveling in the joy of knowing who I am now. I didn't know how to let go of the grief that my 20s (what so many people call their "best years") were behind me and I spent all of them as a girl.
I knew I was a man but still waved away the idea of going on testosterone. "What's the point?" I said when my therapist asked me if I was considering it. Start testosterone at 32? And then what? Maybe look like the man I want to be in my 40s? When I'm middle aged???
That's legitimately so funny to me now. But I'm not joking, I was so stuck in the idea that there was no point in me taking steps to become happy in my own body because my life would be half-over.
I'd like to think that I would have come around eventually no matter what. But I didn't have to find out, because this unhinged, wonderful, gay-ass pirate show came into my life at just the right time. It showed me what it looks like to have older queers not in pain from self-discovery but so fucking full of joy because of it. There's not a single moment of this show where Ed or Stede goes "man, I wasted my life, what's even the point of letting myself change now? What's the point of loving now?"
Because it's now.
I'm being so fucking literal when I say that this show changed the trajectory my entire life. I'm devastated that it's over. But I'll always be so goddamn grateful to @davidjenks (yeah, I'm tagging, fuck it) and every illustrious, remarkable, industry-shaking person who worked on this show.
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I should be sleeping, but I'm not, so here's a thing based on a thing I just saw!
Pre ID reveal (I do a lot of these, but that's because the comedy is endless)
The JL and JLD especially, as well as all the protege teams treat the Bats with Fae or Vampire or Cryptid rules. The Batfam figured it out after the third time the others turned down the invite into Gotham, and they all started rolling with it. Nothing really comes of it, though, until someone does accept the invite to Gotham.
I'm thinking it's gotta be Clark, Diana, or Oliver. Clark could be there for an interview with Bruce Wayne (probably shortly after he buys The Daily Planet) and Tim Drake. Diana could be there for any number of reasons, but I think she's there for a new art exhibit that opened up in the Greek part of Gotham museum where she bumps into Damian Wayne and Dick Grayson. Oliver could be there on business, strictly speaking, but he hasn't talked to Bruce in person since just after their senior year of high school, so is it really a coincidence that he meets up with Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd (who was revealed to have been in witness protection for a time)?
Dealer's Choice on who's there. Could be one, could be all three. Could be someone else entirely! (Though, I can really only see Barry as having a good excuse of working with the GCPD on a case and meeting Dick that way if you really wanted to not use the other three)
Anyway. We're gonna use Clark here because he'd be extra cautious around magic, seeing as it's one of like...2 weaknesses he has.
Clark is sent to Gotham for an interview with the head of Wayne Enterprises. Ownership didn't change, but stuff got mixed up around last year, so he could either be meeting with Bruce Wayne or Time Drake-Wayne. Either way, Clark doesn't want to be here. Lois was supposed to be here, but she got sick, so he got stuck traveling across the harbour to the Crime Capitol of the Country.
He'd normally be ecstatic about potentially running into any of his JL coworkers in their natural habitat home cities, but Gotham was different. Batman, for all that he is Superman's best friend, doesn't let anyone into Gotham. There had been speculation for a while as to why that was, but no one had really been able to confirm it.
Kal-El didn't make it a habit, but he had, admittedly, tried to find out who Batman is under the cowl. He couldn't help it! He and Diana had told both each other and Batman who they were, but Bats had refused. He and Diana were understanding, of course, but that didn't stop the journalist side of him from slipping into the forefront of his mind.
At first, Kal thought he was sick. But he can't get sick. It's not like he could just ask B if his cowl was lined with lead or magic or kryptonite or something!
God, he hoped it was magic that was preventing Kal from seeing through Batman's cowl. It couldn't be kryptonite because Kal would've known it the second he got too close. Lead was the only thing he couldn't see through (that wasn't magic) but that brought up the issue of B's health how heavy the cowl was.
Magic, believe it or not, was the most logical explanation. Batman's cowl and cape are connected, so any magic on one would be on the other. With the way that Batman's cape seems to move on its own, somehow pull him deeper into shadows, and is able to hide at least four humans at any given moment, well, it's not a stretch to say magic was being used. Ignoring the fact that Batman hates magic.
That's a lie. He hates what he doesn't understand. And, try as he might, the man can't get a handle on magic.
Off topic.
Clark got off the train at exactly fifteen-hundred hours. Fourth-five minutes before he had to be at Wayne Tower (who named it that? surely not Mr. Wayne himself?) to meet whoever he was interviewing today.
Not knowing the layout of the city was what probably made Clark on obvious target. He should've memorized a map of the city before coming here.
He knows that there are three parties at work. Red Hood, who not even Batman pushes the boundaries of; Signal, who covers the entire city during the day; and Batman, Robin, Red Robin, Spoiler, Black Bat, and Oracle who cover the night shift. Sometimes, Nightwing joins them from Bludhaven, but that's only sometimes. It's safe to assume, though, that Red Hood and Nightwing are the two outliers. So long as Clark doesn't draw the attention of those two or Signal, he should be fine. A quick in and out and he'll be home free!
"Mister Kent?" the receptionist asks when he approaches her desk.
"Yes," he clears his throat, nervous for some reason he can't place, "That's me." What's wrong with him? It's just a routine interview! He's done hundreds like it before!
The receptionist smiles at him. "Misters Wayne are both waiting for you in Mister Wayne's office on the tenth floor."
He nods his thanks and goes to the elevator. Doesn't this building have like...thirty floors, though? Wouldn't the CEO's office be on the top floor?
Regardless, Clark uses the short elevator ride (complete with smooth jazz as the provided white noise) to calm himself down. He's met hundreds of big shots. Mister Wayne, whichever (or both?) he's meeting with today will be no different.
Maybe.
Probably.
Hopefully.
The elevator dings, the sound an odd harmony of several notes on the C Major scale instead of the single tone bell that is common through everywhere else. He gets off on the tenth floor and finds exactly four offices. He knocks on the door labeled 'Bruce Wayne'.
"Come in!" is called from inside, though the voice sounds too young to be Bruce.
Clark opens the door with an easy smile, taking in stride the fact that he is meeting with both Bruce and Tim Wayne. Oh, dear. "Good afternoon, Mister Wayne, Mister Drake-Wayne."
"Please," Mister Wayne has on the smile he always wears for the public. "Call me Bruce."
"And call me Tim," Tim shakes Clark's hand after he stands from his seat. The door clocks shut behind Clark.
Ah. Now he knows why he's so nervous. Batman usually only has bad things to say about Bruce Wayne. On the other hand, Tim Drake is a complete mystery to him.
Clark takes a seat on the couch opposite the two men when he's prompted. They go through pleasantries they all know are ingenuine before Clark opens up the notepad he brought with him. "Now, Mister Wayne, Mister Drake-Wayne, what made you decide to buy The Daily Planet?
Storyboard
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