#the heart killers ep6

[gunsatthaphan]

kant + microexpressions

↳ requested by anonymous ♡ 

[braceletofteeth]

So, have you guys already checked the Wednesdays on your calendars? :)

[dilfmas]

btw does anyone know if we’re gonna have a hiatus for new years and christmas. like is this next ep the last one we’re gonna get before the new year

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Upcoming QLs - November

🇹🇼 Bad to Bed

Nov 2nd | MDL | Trailer | YT - JCShow

🇵🇭 Haunted Hearts (Film)

Nov 2nd | Trailer | YT - Regal Entertainment Inc

🇯🇵Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan

Nov 3rd | MDL | Trailer | GagaOOLala

🇯🇵Miseinen / Our Youth

Nov 5th | MDL | Trailer | GagaOOLala

🇯🇵Doku Koi: Love Is a Poison

Nov 5th | MDL | Trailer | Netflix - Worldwide

🇹🇼 The Nipple Talk

Nov 8th | MDL | Trailer | GagaOOLala [8/11 EP1 ~ EP5 22/11 EP6 ~ EP10]

🇯🇵Kimi no Tsugu Kaori wa / Fragrance You Inherit

Nov 8th | MDL | Trailer | TBD

🇹🇭 Caged Again

Nov 15th | MDL | Trailer | iQIYI

🇹🇭 Mhom Ped Sawan

Nov 17th | MDL | Trailer | TBD

🇹🇭 Your Sky

Nov 17th | MDL | Trailer | iQIYI

🇹🇭 The Heart Killers

Nov 20th | MDL | Trailer | Gmmtv YT ; iQIYI (Uncut)

🇹🇭 Petrichor

Nov 23rd | MDL | Trailer | iQIYI

[rootspiral]

Agatha All Along deep dive: episode 5 part 5

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][+1] ep5 [1][2][3][4][5] ep6 [1][2][3] ep7 [1][2][3][4][5][6] ep8 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7])

jen just shakes her head, bitter and not in the least surprised at what agatha did

meanwhile agatha is... she's just devastated

billy is the only person in the room who has never experienced and still doesn't comprehend the finality of death

agatha runs, she can't do anything else. rio is the only one that cares.

she looks so pathetic in that getup. her behaving like a little girl is not so funny anymore, is it?

as always, rio watches her. she has a lot to think about after this trial.

but alice needs her undivided attention now. lady death has to clock in.

I'm glad that we keep focusing on agatha's reaction. she used to be able to kill people and shake it off (or at least pretend to). she cannot shake alice off

and it was all for a tiny spark of magic. that is all that's left of alice on the mortal plane

when billy confronts her she visibly recoils and shrinks in on herself, like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar

one hand on her own heart, one on billy's heart. like she's begging and willing him to understand

it's not: you lied. it's you lied to me. it's personal. it's the trust he had in a mentor and mother figure, irrevocably broken

agatha never lies to billy. she's shitty with him in many other ways, but she doesn't lie

billy, honey. you set out on a road trip with a literal serial killer.

agatha had this mad fantasy of billy and her becoming a family, a coven two. and of course she went and ruined it. she always does

jen has all her walls firmly up, she won't allow herself to grieve for alice. she's still on the verge of walking a dark path, and agatha is the one pushing and pushing her toward it

lilia, who has lost and grieved so many, is just numb with pain. Death is unstoppable. hey guys, remember the first three episodes? when everything seemed so fun and carefree?

to billy witches were spellbooks and broomsticks and hot topic eyeliner. how do you explain to a kid the ugliness and violence and trauma that will inevitably fester in a marginalized, repressed community?

from the mouth of a child. she might have killed alice by accident. she has been deliberately and systematically killing many more to serve her own agenda.

and what agatha does, when confronted with ugly truths? she runs, and if she can't run, she goes all in with the spectacle and the cruelty

she could have picked any moment to talk about wanda. she could have broken the news gently, eased billy into understanding what he's been doing. now she's just lashing out in anger and fear and pain. billy did just put her through hell, but she's still the only adult of the two, no matter how immature she wishes to act

when push comes to shove, when it all becomes too much, agatha will latch to her self-preservation instincts and choose to protect herself over anyone else, even the people she loves. She's doing it with billy, she's doing it with rio. I'd argue that she did it with nicky, too.

hey, hey agatha, remember what happened the last time you poked a chaos witch with a stick? you dumb idiot.

fucking around meets finding out etc etc etc etc

boy is she SCREAMING. this bitch will never go down quietly, she'll snivel and cry like the sad pathetic creature she is

and the parallels and the irony of billy hurting jen and lilia in his grief.

do you guys laugh too when bille ellish pops in?? I love how agatha later says that billy is dramatic because he's a maximoff. honey, wanda was only ever coming up with cute sitcom scenarios. this is all your doing, you and your dramatic ass. this is your son. drama queen and drama queen in training.

go to episode 6 part 1

[tossawary]

I found a beaten copy of the "Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire" novel (set between Ep5 and Ep6) in the thrift store and I'm trying to read it. I thought, "Oh, this was written in 1996, so that's before the prequels or any of the more recent shows. Even if this isn't good, it's not a long book, and it'll be interesting to catalogue some of the differences in world building and vibes."

And then I actually tried to read it and, uh, I would call the writing "competent on a basic level but not sophisticated". Like, I was trying to read some of the "Jedi Apprentice" novels earlier and I guess I was expecting, hm, something a little more advanced than those books? It's serviceable! There are many turns of phrase that I enjoy! It's just not as compelling stylistically or in world building as I might have hoped. And it wasn't long into the book before I was like, "Oh, right. Ah. Hm. I forgot what it was like to read Older Sci-Fi Written By A Straight Man. Of course, the main villain has a human-looking killer droid assistant who looks like a sexy blonde woman! Of course he does! Of course!" None of the characterizations are great, but the Leia POVs are making me since.

I'm having trouble taking the main villain seriously because he's just... he's just not interesting. Prince Xizor's secret backstory where his family's deaths were Darth Vader's fault are revealed to us in Chapter 3 via narration, he's just thinking about it, and it's like, "Well, that seems like it could have been saved for a more dramatic reveal later." And generally, he's such a Batman Gary Stu of a character so far: he's an unfathomably wealthy businessman, he's also an interstellar crime lord, he's also a master of martial arts, he's got an impeccable poker face, he's Vader's rival, he knows everything because he has spies everywhere, and the narration takes the time to tell us twice in 3 chapters that he is (and his species is) very, very sexy. Reader, you MUST know this. Trust us.

And I was reading these descriptions of him thinking, "This style of introduction reminds me almost EXACTLY of something else... but what...? OH. He's getting introduced like a HARLEQUIN ROMANCE NOVEL MALE LEAD." Which is super funny because Wikipedia claims this villain is supposed to try to seduce Leia later in the book; an attempt that the publishers apparently wanted to be successful but the author refused to do, fearing fan backlash. Which is just... thank fucking goodness, I WOULD have been pissed off, yes. WHY would Leia fuck this guy? Everything about him suggests she would choke him with a chain like she will with Jabba the Hutt. Let this woman have her loser smuggler with a heart of gold boyfriend!!! I hope she gets to shoot at this guy for a seduction attempt, but that won't make up for how incredibly boring this character is to read about in his every single scene.

[izzysillyhandsy]

Ed and Izzy: Cleaning up the mess

As of the end of Ep7, Ed has left Stede and his whole life behind because "he doesn't even know who he is". And I'd like to suggest in this rambling essay that Ed's journey to self-knowledge and self-love can't properly begin before he's come to terms with what happened with Izzy.

Although Ed has steadily been trying to make amends, at the start of Ep6 he's still feeling unsettled and guilty as hell about the terrible things he did (was capable of!): killing his dad, condemning his whole crew to certain death, Izzy's toe, shooting Izzy, being "killed" by Jim and the crew with Izzy looking on...

There's a surprising amount of Izzy in Ed's flashback (I was honestly surprised the toe cutting made it in - somehow the whole discussion around "Izzy deserving it" made me think Ed thought so as well? But of course he doesn't think that. Izzy does.)

And while Ed's central conflict is his underlying self-hatred and self-doubt, there still is a daily reminder of all of his worst tendencies and (still very recent) acts right under his nose.

I think I got all the poison out of my system...

...or not. The indestructible fucker's still here.

Izzy is Ed’s walking and talking guilt room and no amount of deflecting, story-telling or sugarcoating can turn that poison into positivity.

Stede, I love you for your sometimes naive, sweet outlook on life (and Ed does too), but Ed and Izzy, that’s years and years of love and devotion, resentment and hate, building each other up and tearing each other down. They’ve just come out of the absolute worst breakup in history, with so many things unsaid and unknown they’d need the whole of S3 to talk it through.

Stede applying his motivational poster line to Izzy of all people is a little bit tone deaf, especially because it happens right while Izzy’s singing a bittersweet love song about/to Ed.

Which he continues, in French, while Ed and Stede are having sex for the first time so that's definitely not helping. I wonder how good Ed's French is, but it is honestly almost comical to imagine Ed cheating on Iz making love to his new boyfriend while his ex is singing his heart out about „It's only him for me, and me for him, for life - he told me, he swore to me, for life“.

So Izzy's still here. Izzy is still visibly hurting, physically (your fault!!) and mentally (your fault as well in so many ways). And you're already over it and having fun with your new boyfriend? Of course not.

Whatever they were/are to each other specifically, Ed and Izzy were as good as married. They spent almost every day together for decades. Izzy let himself be maimed and hurt over and over again out of love and loyalty. And Ed feels very, very guilty about it. Even if this guilt is not the first thing constantly on Ed's mind, it's certainly there in the background, simmering.

On the other hand, Izzy is the one who kept Ed stationary - they had a good, secure (for pirates anyway) life together, why risk change? I don't think Izzy had noticed (or wanted to notice) how bad it'd gotten for Ed for a long time. So there's also a lot of resentment there from Ed's side, all tied up with Izzy.

It's a very complicated mess and I think that all this is at least part of the reason for Ed's confusion and need to... just go.

But that's not all, by far.

History repeating itself...

...maybe this seems a bit familiar?

We don't know a lot of Ed&Izzy's backstory (apart from: it's a long one!), but I think it's (almost) canon that it is Izzy's job to make sure Ed is content and safe and, most importantly, to kill for Ed.

And even though their relationship (whatever it was) probably didn't start out as tender and sweet as Ed/Stede, I think they started out much more carefree and happy, possibly excited and adventurous. Until their lifestyle took a toll on both of them - Izzy as Ed's killer and constant protector and Ed as Blackbeard, who Ed started to resent more and more. In the end, all that was left were two broken people in a codependent relationship.

Now it seems like gentle, sweet Stede is slowly turning into Izzy 2.0 - swearing (as far as I remember, Stede almost never said fuck in S1), becoming a "real pirate", and worst of all, killing for Ed even though Ed almost begged him not to (seems familiar?).

Plus, this is happening when Ed, still freshly traumatized from his stint as pirate extreme wants nothing to do with violence in general and piracy specifically. Least of all he wants Stede damaged (or izzyfied).

Stede seemed like a way out of pirating, a chance for a loving, fulfilling relationship. Maybe even a way out of his relationship with Izzy, who I think Ed (subconsciously?) blames for the destructive path his life had taken.

Now he isn't so sure anymore if Stede actually wants this.

Talk it through...

...eventually, maybe. Hopefully.

Of course, not every obstacle Ed has to face, every step on the road to self-love and happiness is about Izzy. Vice versa, Izzy is much more than his relationship with Ed, and he has his own problems independent from him.

But this "marriage" with Izzy was Ed’s longest and most important relationship, and also the last relationship before Stede. The way their relationship became restrictive, damaging and unescapable in the end was both their faults. It'd be quite natural if Ed was a bit cautious with that kind of history. Am I a person who always ends up like this? How did we fuck up this badly? Is there a way out?

Most importantly though, a lot of Ed’s guilt and self-doubt is wrapped up in Izzy - if you're capable of doing that (and that, and that) to the person you love - what else are you capable of?

In conclusion, Ed and Izzy need real closure, one way or the other. Before that happens, Ed won't be happy on any way he chooses, and certainly not in his relationship with Stede.

At the moment, they're not talking, really. It's incredibly sweet though, the way they make these little concessions towards the other (Izzy doing much more than Ed, as per usual). They're almost shy, asking for advice, giving reassurance and understanding, and sharing bottles, smiles and looks.

Will they get a long heart-to-heart in the finale? Of course not, there's not enough time. I think we might get a symbolic moment though.

Ed already knows Izzy loves him. Izzy really doesn't know (on top of everything else, poor kid). The only thing he got from Ed was the "Sorry 'bout your leg", even the latch got a bit more.

Izzy needs to hear that too. "It's not your fault you're broken. You didn't break you. Just trying to do your job, weren't you?"

(btw, I love that Ed is softly blowing onto the latch here, while Izzy is doing the same to his little shark <3)

It's also possible Izzy will get his "I loved you, best I could" in person. Hopefully not exactly in those words. But, for both of them, this will be a start to open proper communication (which might happen offscreen between seasons).

And when we get S3, Ed will be (more) prepared to embark on his journey to happiness, with or without Izzy by his side.

[whumpees]

Alex Rider whump list

Synopsis: London teenager Alex Rider is recruited by the Department of Special Operations, a subdivision of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), to infiltrate a controversial corrective academy for the wayward offspring of the ultra-rich.

Whumpee: Alex Rider (played by Otto Farrant)

Seasons: 3 (24 eps 2020-2024)

_______________________________

S01

Ep2: hit by a van, sedated, kidnapped, handcuffed, head bleeding. Says in a harsh tone to the guy interrogating him "look, i don't feel good. I hit my head in a van.", torture by loud noise and water (nothing physical 🙄).

Ep4: drugged, loses balance and falls on bed, wheeled in a bed while unconscious (in and out of consciousness).

Ep5: just liiittle flashes of the "experiments" done on him while unconscious (They didn't show an actual scene).

Ep6: again with the useless flash backs of the experiments done on him and they're brief. Restrained in a bed, resists but pushed back by force, drugged by injecting a needle in his neck, losses consciousness, wakes up delirious and is being interrogated in that state. Hit by a car but it's not even shown, passed out on the ground.

Ep7: still on the ground, (& at the hospital, defibrillation but turned out it was fake he was fine 🙄), told he has mild concussion. Hit on the head & fell to the ground, beaten, in an explosion, passed out & blood on his head.

Ep9: in a fight & hit & fell on the ground.

_______________________________

S02

Ep1: ptsd (paranoid af and still being haunted by the past stuff 😂)

Ep3: chased & exhausted & bruised face.

Ep4: electrocuted, coughs blood, "his heart is gonna stop if we keep going." (But nothing actually happens 🙄)

Ep8: fight & thrown to the ground.

_______________________________

S03

Ep4: in a fight with his tutor and hit many times and exhausted. His team gangs up on him and they put a cover on his head and start beating him up, on the ground with a bloody face. Given an oxygen mask to inhale "pain killers" but it's actually poison. In a choke hold and struggling

Ep7: arrested. Blindfolded

Ep8: manhandled. Told that if the substance he inhaled got triggered he'll die in 3 minutes. Held by 2 men and having chest pain from the poison. Struggling to walk up stairs and sudden chest pain, falls from the pain, kicked and hit with a pool while he's already so weak but he's still fighting, on the ground, briefly strangled with a pool, slammed against the wall and falls unconscious. Wakes up, laying on the ground and his life is flashing by his eyes BUT THE POSION DIDN'T DO ANYTHING HE WAS UNHARMED EVENTUALLY 😭😭😭

Very disappointed in this show it had a great potential the whump sucks 🙄

[murfpersonalblog]

I picked #1 for simplicity's sake, but maybe I should've picked #10, cuz IMO the show's very clearly demonstrated how Louis is a bottom and Lestat is verse. But I don't think Lestat ever suffers at all--he loves anything and everything Louis dishes out, because Louis is THAT one and Lestat thanks his lucky stars Louis even bothers with him at all, LOL. XD

Power imbalance and power inequality are at the heart of Loustat's relationship dynamics, and their sex inevitably is part of it, with vampirism as a metaphor for sexuality. Ep6 is VERY interesting, because it gave us the hate-sex scene where Lestat was visibly enjoying letting Louis dishrag him; and in Ep1 he seemed turned on after Louis shoved him; then teased/humored Louis by saying he could sleep "on top" of Lestat in the coffin. Ofc it's ALL debatable (AMC knows wtf they're doing, istg, the discourse is getting us through this hiatus like a mofo), but I think what Lestat REALLY likes is seeing Louis strong and healthy, and yes--POWERFUL. In Lestat's lizard brain, Louis being hale & hearty enough to overpower him validates Lestat's success as his Maker (caretaker, father, head of the household, husband, etc). Seeing Louis weak & starving & unfulfilled KILLED Lestat, he hated it, and felt like a failure that his fledgling wasn't actually thriving under his bat wings ("you are a killer, Louis!"). It's narcissism at its finest--the children as reflections of the parents, etc.

But Ep6 is Grovel Era Lestat. Here, it's Louis' ego that needs the boost; Louis wants to feel empowered. Having (temporarily) deferred to Louis & Claudia's rules, Lestat strategically came off as non-threatening after his horrid display of overwhelming power advantages in Ep5. Lestat's nudity in scenes where he needed to lure Louis in & seduce him are strategic. Did Louis top Lestat in Ep6? Maybe, but I think Louis bottomed from the top, which is different. Regardless, even though Lestat LET Louis beat him up and vent for a bit, Louis was still the bottom, as Ep6 would later show us once the murder plot was in effect & he'd started disassociating. Interestingly, there is NO indication from Louis that he didn't bottom or didn't like bottoming. Louis had to convince Lestat that everything had gone back to normal with them--back when they were happy & in love & had an active sex life in their marriage bed--so Louis laid under him on the bottom (ostensibly being penetrated) as Lestat lay on top (ostensibly the penetrator); to trick Lestat into thinking the status quo had been reestablished, when he was actually plotting a coup.

I saw a few people mention sub and dom too. BDSM, sub-space, domination/dominatrixes, etc are roleplaying terms; seme & uke are yaoi terms; Alpha and Omega are fantasy genders/roles in Omegaverses; and there's a whole rainbow of other roles & kinks out there too. But roleplaying kinks don't always necessarily determine who is the penetrator and penetrated; or who has the "power" or not. The penetrator can top from the bottom, and the penetrated can bottom from the top. There is power in submission. Some tops are thoroughly "whipped" & dominated by their "power bottoms" who completely take the reigns; or their "pillow princesses" luxuriating in the top having to beg/work hard for every crumb of affection/validation, "how can I say No to you; anything for you". Some bottoms revel in being vulnerable and soft and at the top's mercy, and some tops live to please and care for their needy bottoms--baby, daddy, etc. Power plays are all across the spectrum, so I really like #9 as well, cuz it really does depend on what kind of relationship dynamic fans & fic/meta writers have in mind for Loustat.

Although we clearly see that he HATED being submissive to white men, Louis is a "LIBRARY of confusion" and contradiction, because he married Lestat: the most powerful white man in all of NOLA (and eventually, most of the VC), and a raging misogynist in the books. Sex & sexuality is so gendered in pop culture, and patriarchal toxic masculinity / heteronormativity can still seep into both real & fictional gay relationships. But in AMC's case I think it's a VERY deliberate dichotomy, as the show itself constantly uses gendered terms for Louis on the show ("emasculation & admiration," "housewife," "he only hit me the 1 time!," etc). Louis struggled (& failed) to find empowerment through his socioeconomic & gendered status (his sexual exploitation of women as a pimp), race (as a mixed/biracial Creole during Jim Crow), his marriage ("equals in the quiet dark," but the only one called "Daddy" Lou by Claudia, though Grace said "you and your white daddy," etc), and ultimately vampirism. We see his gradual transition out of the hard lines of his power suits into domestic soft cardigans, that coincide not only with his marrying Lestat, but losing his business & having Claudia. He's emasculated in the sense that he becomes the kept housewife/house-husband, but he reaffirms his masculinity & power by being called Daddy Lou--the one in charge, as Lestat LET him wear the pants as it were (Lestat's in full drag wearing a dress in Ep7 but is still the "King" of Mardi Gras)--even though Louis is living in Lestat's house, is Lestat's fledgling, and is Lestat's wife/bride.

What AMC is doing with Loustat is just waaaaay too complex, it's actually incredible.

Top/bottom discourse is pointless and evil and has destroyed friendships and fandoms. However because i'm evil and love doing pointless research i'm going to figure this out once and for all:

Try to ignore your own personal preferences and only consider what do you think it's like in canon. This debate pops up every once in a while, sometimes with actual fighting, and to me it seems like the fandom is definitely leaning one way but i know my own bubble or fanfic statistics don't necessarily reflect the broader fandom opinions so i'm curious what majority of people actually think

[maxbernini]

The fact that all the theories made by the fans are more cohesive and makes more sense than some of the writing choices this season makes me wanna scream like really is impressive how people came with new theories on the spot after every clip they release especially when they are unpredictable as they are

ahh the universal skamverse experience <3 long post under the cut

maybe it’s bc i went into this with very low expectations (in ep one i said realistically this will probably be a 7.5/10 season at best), maybe it’s bc a maya season seemed impossible so i’m having a ball just seeing her every day, maybe it’s bc this is the last skam season i’ll be watching live, but i’m honestly not that mad rn about how it’s going? like the general season arc i mean, bc there’s definitely big issues with how specific things have been handled (the activism being the most obvious, but even “lesser” missteps like the little to zero focus on her time in foster care when that traumatized her too??) i’m disappointed and annoyed and exhausted and constantly sweating lmao but also like..in terms of maya’s one step forward two steps back growth + learning to open up and let people in + allowing herself to feel every emotion arc etc, i’m fairly satisfied, and i’m glad suzie didn’t have to die for it to happen.

is there a specific theory and missed direction you’re referring to? 👀 bc i think ep6 being a pov switch ep was the literal worst thing they could’ve done even if there is an 11th ep so maya gets her full ten eps. leaving her pov was a massive momentum killer + completely unnecessary move. we could’ve understood how lola was feeling by staying in maya’s pov*, and even if they do end up going with ‘i was confused/numb/feeling like i couldn’t trust you anymore’, having that confusion etc be from lola’s pov made it feel so concrete that now they REALLY need to stick that landing with the long awaited heart to heart convo clip lol. also again everything with the activism bc i’m not sure what the conclusion will be. maya’s so disillusioned with the asso and their actions rn that the only thing i can think will reignite that passion is the mall not being built after all? so they’ll either be saying that art installations and approx fifty people chanting in costumes managed to do the trick lmao orrrr it was maya’s truck smashing, in which case she’ll be vindicated, the asso will change tactics, and the plot will, in retrospect, have been about radical activism vs performative activism, even though all of the radical stuff (fence throwing + truck smashing) so far has been framed as part of her irrational emotional breakdown/s???? like. they’ve written themselves into a corner here. ofc the best ending and what i want would be the asso switching tactics but the framing so far would make that a weird choice? and also unlikely to happen 🙄 (oh and they had her in so many assos in 6/7, like she was teaching literacy to immigrants at one point?? i wish we’d seen her other groups too)

*really the only clip that episode that maybe wouldn’t have worked in maya’s pov was eliott’s cameo, which…probably says it all lol. like that could’ve been a viri-nora style bonus clip, or it could’ve just. not happened onscreen. like you see the selfies and know they’ve talked, and lola mentions it later bc of how it’s informed her decisions. or if you had to include him, have him be the special party guest, not the nurse, and connect him with maya that way so it’s not as weird when she gets advice from him etc.

[sundial-at-night]

FATWS EP6

Okay, now that this series is over I think I can finally give some thoughts on this. I've talked to a few people, some who liked the last episode, some who didn't, and I wanted to just make a short post of some things that didn't sit right with me.

1. The lack of accountability for John Walker.

(I am going to quickly clarify that I think he's an interesting character, and I did in fact like his decision to save the people in the van, though it may have seemed just a little ooc for me)

The problem I have with John Walker is that after his sudden change of heart, he still suffers no meaningful consequences for his wrongdoings. He murdered someone in cold blood in a foreign country,,, and has nothing to show for it? No time in prison, no real consequences other than having his titles stripped.

There's also emotional consequence. He lied to Lemar's family about having killed Lemar's killer when that was not true. And yet, (at least on screen) there is no evidence of him amending that?

2. Karli Morgenthau

Before watching the finale, I'd predicted that either Karli or John was going to have a change of heart, and I was very very surprised that it ended up being John Walker. Karli was "for the people", and it made sense to me that if anyone was going to come to the realization that killing people is wrong, it would be her, and not John.

3. "Do Better" Speech

When, ever, has telling politicians to "do better" ever worked? Even if they are suddenly motivated to "do better" to improve peoples' lives, even if they do start consulting the people that are affected by their decisions, what more can they do? Sam says "do better" but a simple speech doesn't solve a lack of resources and housing and doubtlessly endless political messes that come with half of the world being brought back in a second. "Do better" doesn't do anything.

4. Isaiah

(let me know if some of my characterization points are off because I've only seen each episode once or twice)

Isaiah (at least to me) seems like the type of person who tells it how it is, which is why some of his actions in the final episode don't add up. Isaiah tells Sam in episode 5 to, "leave [him] dead. Leave [him] buried." And yet, he's moved by an exhibit dedicated to him at the Smithsonian? Doesn't make sense to me

I know there are more points that I just don't want to cover because I'm tired, but feel free to add on!

[akira-emberheart]

songs I'd like to assign to the glee kids (part I)

Note: I'm pretty well known for making playlists and more playlists, and ever since seeing this post by @cracktastic about assigning, for the 100th episode, the least expected song to the least expected character, I've found myself craving to hear specific characters sing specific songs.

(I've also started another separate list to add on to that post I mentioned, but that will be a post for another day)

So after going through my music library, I came up with a small list of songs for each character that I would love to hear them sing, for various reasons, which i'll do my best to explain.

This got really long really fast, because I like to get into meta and over analyze - I'm also just very passionate about music. For that reason, I'll do 5 songs at a time for a specific character, and I'll be putting a read more.

Also, please be gentle with me - I've watched Glee a year ago, and it's entirely possible I may be missing or confusing scenes and storylines in my head. If I do, let me know!

If you read this and find yourself thinking of songs and scenarios as well, do share them with me! I'm working on actual Spotify Playlists as well.

So let's get into it -

for Kurt Hummel

> Re: Stacks by Bon Iver

"This is not the sound of a new man

or crispy realization

It's the sound of the unlocking and the lift away

Your love will be

Safe with me"

This is probably one of my favorite songs ever, and I first thought about it for Kurt after realising how beautiful his voice would sound in it, because of its crystal clear and poised quality. (I liked it so much I included it in a scene on my fanfic too).

If you don't know Bon Iver, or the history of this song, it's the last track in an album full of more..."depressing" songs. It's also the one that has a throughout tone of hope, of recovery after a hard ordeal, of taking some first steps to a better place.

I imagine it would be a good song for him around the time he meets Blaine - when the Karovsky situation is nearly over, and he starts looking back on his school year - Burt's heart attack, the bullying - and, now with Blaine in his life, and a renewed self confidence, he's finally able to confidently step into a better phase of his life and heal from all he went through.

I see this one being sung in a quiet moment of reflection, when he's alone. Maybe in the choir room, or even outdoors in a nice garden. In my fanfic I wrote it in a different context, in Blaine's room at night, so I guess that works in my head too.

***

> Enchanted by Taylor Swift

"I'm wonderstruck

Blushing all the way home

I'll spend forever wondering if you knew

I was enchanted to meet you"

I'm very fascinated with Kurt's whole storyline in S2 - things start off so rough for him, but when Blaine comes along, and when Kurt is able to grow and shift more and assuming the person he really is, things start looking up. I chose this song for what it promises, and also because I can imagine it in Kurts lower singing register and it seems like a good one for him. Also, yes, I was a kid who owned Speak Now. Sue me.

This song is about first meeting someone very special, and that happens to be the beginning of Klaine. With the almost whispered lyrics, the slowly crescent ambiance and rhythm, it really encapsulates the feeling of everything stopping when you lay eyes in that one special person, and the flooding rush of emotions that happens right after.

Kurt had no idea how much an unsuspecting visit to a rival show coir school would change his life, even less in the midst of the situation he was in. It also seems fitting for Kurt and his early relationship with Blaine because of some specific lyrics ("This is me praying now / This was the very first page / Not where the storyline ends"). Enchanted tells the story of a special first meeting, and hints at something special to come, from the perspective of someone who is awestruck for someone.

Like the one above, this one would fit in early S2, possibly in EP6, after Kurt and Blaine's meeting at Dalton Academy. When he's back home, alone in his room, daydreaming, or when he's back at McKinley in that same afternoon.

***

> Gonna Get Over You by Sara Bareilles

"Oooh, how am I gonna get over you? I'll be alright, just not tonight But someday. Hey, I wish you'd want me to stay I'll be alright, just not tonight"

My main reason for choosing this one is because I think it fits very very well with Kurt's voice, and musical taste - its a very vibrant and poppy song, despite the more depressing theme - a post breakup promise of getting over it.

I first thought of it for S4, soon after the Breakup™, but paying close attention to the lyrics (I do tend to get stuck on just the melody sometimes), it makes more sense to place this on during the S6 Breakup - when Kurt finds out about Blaine dating Karovsky, after deciding he wants Blaine back.

So it's a hard situation for him, as we see from his breakdown in the bathroom (poor Kurt!), and he really has to come to terms with the mistakes he made (and the mistakes they both made as a couple), pick himself up, and move on.

I imagine this one being sung during an outing with Rachel, when she's trying to cheer him up and lift him up a little from his depression. My brain readily produces an image of a sunny street or a shopping mall that the two of them walk through, Kurt with some nice vivid colored clothes, finally being able to smile and ready to perhaps start moving on, or at least ready to start considering he will be okay.

***

> Killer Queen by Queen

"She keeps her Moet et Chandon

In her pretty cabinet

"Let them eat cake", she says

Just like Marie Antoinette"

This song just reminds me of Kurt. It's one of my all time favorites from Queen, and ever since watching Glee, these two are just connected in my mind. Voice wise, Kurt could definitely handle it.

It's apparently about a "high class prostitute"(? Freddie's word's, not mine), but still paints a pretty and dainty picture, and you can almost picture a porcelain faced lady in her best clothes, delicately smoking a cigarette. It also contains words that probably only Kurt can pronounce out of everyone in the glee club.

Many Queen songs were sung on Glee, but I don't think there was ever a Queen episode. For this one, I suggest a headcanon scenario, maybe during S3, when Mr. Shuester decides to have a Queen week - and Kurt isn't known for going with the obvious choices. He wants to be classy, edgy and impressive, and he sings in front of everyone, half in the choir room, half in the auditorium, perhaps with some fancy decoration and dancers behind him.

***

> The Answer by Kodaline

"You might think you found the one

Until your heart gets ripped and torn

Yeah, I used to feel bad, I used to feel like that

I still feel a bit like that"

This is another one that I picked immediately solely based on Kurt's voice - I really do like his voice with just a quiet, discrete instrumental. Looking into it further, I decided it could really work for Kurt's character.

I didn't go very deep into the intended meaning of the song, because it definitely has space for different interpretations. I choose to go with the breakup one. These lyrics here reminded me a little of the S4 breakup storyline - "We all fall down from the highest clouds / to the lowest ground" - makes me think how well Kurt's life was going once he arrived in New York, with the internship, his apartment situation with Rachel, a new and exciting place where he could freely be himself... and then he's completely blindsided by Blaine's cheating. He goes from being ecstatic and excited at Blaine's appearance, looking forward to share with him all the great things he just discovered, when Blaine's confession sends him to a well of despair, doubt and loneliness. The lyrics "You might think you found the one / until your heart gets ripped and torn" - reinforce the whole situation.

I can see him singing this not long after the breakup, on one more sleepless night, maybe walking alone through the streets of New York, or maybe in a montage of his busy daily routine, while he just gets through the day with a whole lot of emptiness weighing on his chest.

[florbexter]

2020 Because of You - Ep6

Jun Cheng is a disaster - omg - he really only ever felt affection for his brothers because he can’t explain why he might feel something around Lin Xun and when his heart beats faster or his chest feels stuffed he’s like: “Wait? How can that be, I thought I confirmed he’s not my brother?”

The Yuan’s have the emotional capacity of a stone!

BUT he’s eating the cake even though he can’t tolerate sugar so that’s sweet I guess. 

Jun Ping and Yuan Rong are a couple I don’t even know why they have a getting-together storyline that’s an established relationship if I ever saw one :D

Next week YJC is wooing LX with food, which I whole-heartedly support but maybe tone down the serial killer vibes? Just a little? XD 

[esonetwork]

The Earth Station DCU Episode 241 – Justice for All

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/the-earth-station-dcu-episode-241-justice-for-all/

The Earth Station DCU Episode 241 – Justice for All

This Week on Earth Station DCU! Drew Leiter and Cletus Jacobs give you justice for all! Luke Fox confronts Ratchatcher about a cure for his sister Tam in The Next Batman: Second Son #6. Bruce and Diana make a bet on whether Clark can make his deadline and dinner in Superman: Red & Blue #3. Selena must rescue Poison Ivy in Catwoman #31. The Justice League visit Naomi’s homeworld searching for answers about Brutus in Justice League #61. Dick teams up with Tim Drake to hunt down a killer whose stealing hearts from the homeless in Nightwing #80. Wally West quantum leaps into Jay Garrick to stop Hitler from obtaining the Spear of Destiny in The Flash #770. Yara Flor travels to Brazil to learn about her past in Wonder Girl #1. All this plus, DC News, DC TV, Shout Outs, and much, much more!

————————

Table of Contents

0:00:00 Show Open

0:02:04 DC News

0:18:02 The Next Batman: Second Son #6

0:22:12 Superman: Red & Blue #3

0:28:44 Catwoman #31

0:31:46 Justice League #61

0:36:02 Nightwing #80

0:39:29 The Flash #770

0:42:10 Wonder Girl #1

0:48:10 Batwoman S2 Ep14 – And Justice for All

0:53:54 Black Lightning S4 Ep12 – The Book of Resurrection: Chapter One: Crossroads

1:01:20 Superman and Lois S1 Ep6 – Broken Trust

1:10:12 The Flash S7 Ep10 – Family Matters, Part 1

1:16:13 DC’s Legends of Tomorrow S6 Ep3 – The Ex-Factor

1:20:24 Show Close

Links

The Next Batman: Second Son #6

Superman: Red & Blue #3

Catwoman #31

Justice League #61

Nightwing #80

The Flash #770

Wonder Girl #1

Earth Station One Tales of the Station

Earth Station One Tales of the Station Vol. 2

The Chameleon Chronicles: Colors of Fate

The Chameleon Chronicles: Sisters of the Thorn

If you would like to leave feedback, comment on the show, or would like us to give you a shout out, please call the ESDCU feedback line at (317) 564-9133 (remember long distance charges may apply) or feel free to email us @ earthstationdcu@gmail.com

[kyuu-rereads-umineko]

Ep6, Chapter 11

I forget what happens in this chapter exactly, beyond the next part of the love trial. Let’s get right into it!

On that note, I’m officially behind the Rokkenjima Tea Party, which is great, because I’d still love to join in on the Ep7 podcast. I’d love to just speed through the rest of Ep6 so I can catch up, but we’ll just have to see how things go, I guess. What I’ll probably end up doing is reading through the rest of Ep6 on my own, then reading Ep7 for the podcast, taking notes on things to revisit for this blog later for both Episodes. 

We open on Rosa, alone in the parlour, relaxing during a break in the family conference.

“...A pleasant silence. Now that no one was in sight, Rosa’s heart finally awoke.” Huh, that’s an interesting line. I’d forgotten about it.

The narrative notes that the other siblings would treat her almost like an impartial mediator in their conferences, and she reflects on having to use that status to steer the conversation in the direction she wants. All the political jockeying the siblings end up getting into with each other must be exhausting...

“That [debt] was supposed to be my great commitment, a burden I bore to help support ‘that man’s’ business. [...] If I can pay off my debt... will he call me again?” I forget, do we ever get details about Maria’s father and Rosa’s debt anywhere else? I mean, I’m pretty sure it’s touched on in Ep1, with the whole ALL THE SIBLINGS WANT A LOT OF MONEY RIGHT NOW thing, but other than that...

And then Rosa thinks, “even if you do contact me again after all this time... I’ll be the one to refuse. ...But still... you are Maria’s father, aren’t you? Please come and see her... if only just once...”

That first part in particular is quite interesting. I feel like there’s a parallel to be drawn there, between Rosa and Yasu (what with the latter “moving on” from Battler, only to be devastated when he actually returns), but.

(alternatively i feel like i’ve been doing a shit job with the whole analysis thing and am looking for the tiniest thing to latch onto i’m not really sure)

Rosa’s thoughts are interrupted by Kanon, who... arrived silently without her noticing. lol

Aaaand as usual for this episode, Kanon is extremely forward. “The reason you are currently in pain is because of love, Rosa-sama. ...Am I wrong?”

Interesting - Kanon shows explicit knowledge of Rosa’s financial situation. She brushes it off as him overhearing Krauss from the hallway earlier...

...and the narrative immediately josses that explanation. “Krauss had seen through to the fact that Rosa was bearing a massive debt because she had become a co-signer on a loan. However, he hadn’t said that her partner had been Maria’s father... Why... did Kanon know so much...?”

(Note: this thought is split across a period of like, two weeks, because I just wasn’t in the mood to write anything, so apologies in advance if it’s incoherent) The narrative drawing attention to Kanon like this reminds me of something we talked about a bit on the Rokkenjima Discord server - Namely, the idea that Ikuko wrote Episode 5, while Tohya/Battler wrote Episode 6. It’s true that the two of them together are what makes Tohya Hachijo, but even then, Ep5 and 6 are drastically different in terms of tone. Episode 5 is probably the most ruthless depiction of Yasu we ever see, whereas she doesn’t even seem to be planning a murder in Ep6. Ep5 also presents Erika as pretty unapologetically terrible, while Ep6 has its tidbit with her backstory to humanize her (even if she goes way off the deep end later, but, y’know).

In terms of timeline, I imagine it’d be something like... Between Ep4 and 5, Tohya has his seizure and is hospitalized for a while. During that period, Ikuko writes Ep5 on her own, much to his chagrin (this is also why, on a meta-level, Battler is boycotting most of the 5th game - it’s symbolic for Tohya’s hospitalization). Once he recovers, Tohya starts writing Ep6 on his own, making a point of portraying everyone more lovingly (relatively speaking, of course) than Ikuko had.

Bringing this back to Kanon - in the question arcs - Ep1 and 2 in particular - there’s a pretty strong focus on him as being suspicious. His death is the only blatant fantasy scene in Ep1, and he’s constantly fingered as the culprit in Ep2. In comparison, Ep5 really does brush over him and Shannon almost entirely. Assuming Ikuko wrote Ep5, as a sort of “pure mystery” type thing (i.e. the culprit is a cold-blooded killer intent on framing Natsuhi), Tohya’s Ep6 is, in a way, a sort of “return to basics.” Yasu’s romantic relations take centre stage again, and no one is portrayed as an irredeemable monster (well, except maybe Kyrie, and Erika once the murders start, but).

Anyway, Rosa mentions that she’d considered helping Maria’s father out financially her “responsibility as his future wife.” Which, of course... didn’t happen. “So afterwards... Rosa was always alone. And Maria... never had a father.”

“Maria, who should have been a symbol of their union, just kept growing, almost like a living hourglass measuring the length of the hell Rosa had crawled through...” Hmm. Pretty evocative of Kyrie’s talk to Jessica last chapter. Between this and their daughters, I wonder if there are more parallels between Kyrie and Rosa that we’re meant to see...

Rosa mentions trying to forget Maria’s father several times, but also says, “If I can manage to pay everything off, it’ll mean that I’ve passed the trial of love that he gave me.” 

She’s using a bit of her own magic to keep herself going here, huh... “If she was able to succeed in paying back the loan... he might acknowledge her usefulness as a wife...”

Oooh, I’d forgotten this. The narrative mentions that Rosa viewing the loan as a “trial” “might have been her blindness due to love.” Again, we’re getting the message that love isn’t always necessarily a force for good.

And Kanon wonders out loud if this is the “hell” Kyrie was talking about, lol. Rosa agrees, “though [she’s] not sure what [he’s] talking about.”

“And how can that be put to an end...?” Ouch. Rosa replies, “Who knows? If anyone did... no one would ever be crushed by the disease of love.” 

“That disease is a serious one. ...It sometimes eats into a person for their entire life, spreading to and hurting the people closest to them... That disease was torturing her now as much as it ever had...” And there it is. The heart of many of Yasu’s troubles, and the heart of the story itself.

Erika was right a few chapters ago - the counterpoint to “without love, it cannot be seen,” is that love will end up blinding you to things as well. Vilifying someone and deifying them are both just as dangerous, and just as naive - in doing so, you’re missing “half of the story,” as it were.

At any rate, Rosa expresses... admiration, I guess, for Kyrie and her perseverance. She comments that she’s only waited half of Kyrie’s 18 years, and Kanon asks if she thinks a miracle will happen sometime in the next nine. She responds with, “If I doubt that, it’s all over.”

“In a sense, I’m a ghost. ...I’m already dead. I’m just living on without noticing.”

“...A ghost waiting for eternity for a person who will never come...” The parallel’s pretty obvious here, isn’t it? Rosa finishes with, “I wish someone would just kill me.” are you sure about that

Zepar and Furfur show up, commenting that “losing and dying” isn’t the frightening part - it’s being unable to win, but unable to die, too. Elder adds, “They say the most torturous toxin for humans is made from rotting love.” Bits like this really make my heart ache, because of how vividly they paint Yasu’s suffering.

Elder says something pretty revealing here - when Chick expresses understanding that she needs to either “kill that seed [of love for Battler] or make it bud,” Elder says that the poison of rotting love “is the most fearsome torture in the world, even for us thousand year old witches.”

Back on the board, Kanon kills Rosa quick and painlessly. “Sleep well, Rosa-sama... Your hell... has ended.” He even goes on to cover her with a blanket, to make it look as though she’s just sleeping. Again, Ep6 really makes a point of portraying the family and servants in a much more positive light - this is the same Kanon who’d normally be decrying Rosa as a terrible human being for how she treats Maria, after all.

“Those demons had not exaggerated when calling this trial a battle of love. It was at least accurate on this cruel but unassailable fact: that those who have their love shattered meet with death...”

As Kanon declares his part to be over, Maria arrives and attacks him, screaming bloody murder. “In MARIA’s eyes, though Rosa was the black witch... she was also the vessel of the mother she couldn’t help but love. Her anger at having that stolen from her was near madness.”

Sakutarou appears, preventing Kanon from retaliating, but before Maria can kill him, Shannon appears, declaring Maria as her target for the trial. She uses her barrier to crush Maria and Sakutarou against the wall, since she’s technically not targeting them that way. lol technicalities

Instead of crying, Maria accepts her death, realizing that the parlour would be a closed room. “This might be just perfect for that wannabe detective who’s trying to deny Beato’s magic.” I can’t help feeling that her nonchalance here is meant as a pretty big hint as to what actually happens on the board before Erika gets involved...

Zepar and Furfur acknowledge Shannon and Kanon’s efforts as “truly splendid,” then notice that Chick’s disappeared - she’s off picking a target of her own: Natsuhi.

In her own room, Natsuhi looks into her spirit mirror (that we last saw in Ep2, as I recall, so it’s been a while) and laments her inability to support Krauss by being at his side. 

“It’s tough, isn’t it... waiting for the sake of love...”

And then Chick arrives. “Because of your love for your husband, you couldn’t bear to be made to care for an unfamiliar child.”

It’s funny and sadly ironic - Chick says she isn’t holding Natsuhi’s sin of 19 years ago against her, but the narrative goes on to mention that she does view Natsuhi as an “enemy” because of Battler’s blue truth from the end of Ep5. If only she knew...

(though if she did then I suppose this scene wouldn’t even be happening like this in the first place so)

“...Please do not hold it against me when I kill you for the sake of my love.”

As she goes to strangle Natsuhi, though, the spirit mirror falls to the ground, and she glances at it... which hurts her and breaks her concentration, much as it would against Elder. Both Elder and Chick express surprise over the fact that the spirit mirror has an effect on her, seeing as spiderwebs don’t. I’d forgotten that we actually get clued into  the fact that “Beatrice’s” weakness to mirrors isn’t strictly related to her “being a witch” here.

Natsuhi realizes immediately that the mirror will protect her, and uses it to corner Chick.

“If I lose here... I’ll be the only one... to fail this trial... Just like George-san and Shannon-san... Jessica-san and Kanon-san... I also want Battler-san to acknowledge me... and treasure me...”

Zepar and Furfur tell Chick to “believe,” because “the miracle of love will surely occur.” With that, she realizes that she’s in love with Battler. “I want him to notice me. And I want him to acknowledge and accept my feelings...”

“I was born because I love Battler-san... and I want him to love me back...”

With that, she steels her resolve. “I cannot lose here...! After all... I was born for Battler-san’s sake...!!” And then, in stake form, Lucifer flies into the room, knocking the mirror out of Natsuhi’s hand and breaking it. GO LUCIFER

Chick moves to choke Natsuhi again, and Natsuhi reaches for the door to unlock it. “A closed room is one of the definitions that makes a witch. Just unlocking the door made the anti-magic toxin strengthen a little. Since Beato was at her limit even within a closed room, if Natsuhi undid that lock... Beato’s power would weaken immediately, and Natsuhi would surely escape into the hallway.”

She gets closer and closer to the lock - “The power of the living to live is fundamentally stronger than the power of magic” - but before she can reach it, Battler instructs Lucifer to finish things, staking Natsuhi in the forehead.

“Hey, Zepar! Does this count? Beatrice didn’t complete the trial by her strength alone, right?!” theatrics etc. etc., and the two say in unison, “A pair in love are as one! This doesn’t count as help from outside!”

Battler appears, gently chastising Chick for scaring the hell out of him by almost getting herself killed, lol. Chick apologizes for not staying in her room...

...and Battler apologizes for being so harsh to her. When she slips and calls him Father again, he grins and says, “It’s okay. Call me whatever you like.”

“True, the old you may have called me just ‘Battler’. ...At first, I might have tried to force you to speak to me that way. ...However, that would be pointless. You are Beato... but you’re yourself. You can call me whatever you want.”

She calls him Battler-san again, and he quips, “Can’t say being called Father is really my thing.” ew

“...Now, she was allowed to call Battler by his name. If you just looked into her eyes... there would be no need to describe just how happy this made her feel...”

He muses a bit on the “strange game” that’s started, then throws his hat in the ring... and mentions that he’s already picked his sacrifice. lol game master

“The resolve of all six [of the lovers] is the real deal! Let us test them further in the next trial!” With that, they disappear, leaving Chick and Battler some time to talk one-on-one.

Back in “1998,” Ikuko asks Ange what she thinks of the story so far. this is on chapter 11 out of 18 ffs it’s almost as bad as ep1

Ange is pretty clearly upset that she got so immersed in the forgery, lol. She goes on to say, “Normally, I’d try to skip over all the love and illusions and call them unnecessary, useless scenes for the mystery... but Okonogi-san disagreed with that way of thinking. He thought that, by looking at things without love that way, the truth could never be reached.” are we getting the message yet readers

“After all, she’s used up all these pages talking about love and trials. ...In other words, those are the themes and keywords of this tale.”

And Ikuko says, “And there are many who claim that all words not written in red ink are not worth reading. It is an honour, child of man, that you have read the black letters as well.” loool

“Stories are written because the writer has something they want to communicate. And some writers feel that it’s unrefined to lay everything out too directly.” meta-commentary etc. etc., but I feel like there’s another point to be made here - that some writers, like Yasu, basically can’t lay things out directly, whether it’s due to circumstances, the nature of what they want to say, or not having a voice of their own to speak up with (or in Yasu’s case, all three).

“...All of this about how you’ll never reach the truth without love has shown up many times in the works before this one. This new work makes that even more striking. ...It means that that is the one thing the writer wanted to tell the most... the thing that they want us to think about the most.”

Ange realizes that, even when Beato first started appearing on the board, way back in Ep2, love was a constant theme. Her first meeting with Shannon was all about love.

“Then, in the tale right before this one, where Beato had become like a doll, the scenes shown made it seem almost as though Battler and Beato accepted each other as rivals... or possibly something more.”

Ange challenges that Ikuko’s writing is talking about love from her own viewpoint, which she acknowledges. “That is what I wanted to tell. And it is my own sort of ‘answer’.” Ange replies pretty unhappily.

“Foolish child of man. ...After reading all of this, do you still not understand?”

Though Ange is pretty unhappy with how things are going, she does realize something - Ikuko’s writing really does have “the same presence, the same scent” as the genuine message bottles. “The author is certainly different. However, because it reached the real truth, it had the same scent...”

“If one has reached Beatrice’s truth, they can create a new tale, whoever they are. ...With this new manuscript, I’m sure some other than myself will appear and reach the truth. Those people will be qualified to create new tales of their own.” I’d forgotten that Ikuko makes this point - that the more “Endless Witches” there are who write tales of Rokkenjima, the more people will reach the truth.

“...When that happens, the very first Endless Witch, Beatrice, will finally be rewarded for writing such long letters, packing them in bottles, and throwing them into the sea...”

Ange reluctantly admits that Ikuko’s tale somehow rings true. Ikuko replies, “Very well, child of man. Perhaps, as the final survivor of the Ushiromiya family, it was fated that you would find the truth and become an Endless Witch. ...I exist only as a guidepost to awaken you as the true successor. ...ANGE-Beatrice.”

“...I don’t know the truth even after the two message bottles Beatrice left behind... and I’ve read several tales with hints afterwards. So... these hints are challenges, provoking me to think.” Ikuko agrees.

“Perfect. ...I’ll find this truth you say you’ve reached. ...It’s a good thing I came here. Let the truth I see and the truth you see overlap. Just as you see things with a single eye, so do I. Now that I’ve found you, I can finally look at the truth with both eyes.”

Back in the Meta-World, Erika yawns, complaining about things taking so long again. for once i am in complete agreement. Battler makes a jab at her for sleeping through things, lol.

“As you wish, let’s begin. ...First off, the first twilight.”