Imagine if the reason that it took Bilbo sixty years to be badly effected by the Ring, was because it wasn’t Saurons voice speaking to him. Or the voice of the ring or whatever.
Imagine it was Thorin’s voice.
He spent all that time, not separating himself from it but also not doing anything evil or bad was because he was just grateful to hear Thorin’s voice again, no matter what it said to him, it was his voice.
And when he was separated from it, he was desperate and sad, but he could pull himself back because he knew the ring wasn’t him, he was dead.
Thoughts…
Family Discussions
Bilbo talking to Thorin while he’s dying on Ravenhill.
BFF (crying): kiss him !!! He’s dying kiss him!!!
Me: which character are you talking to
BFF: both! Neither! I don’t know!!!