#which is intentional on the writer's part but omg did he do a good job

[micechicken]

The Showers is my fav creepypasta as I've said but OH MY GOD does it have one of the most punchable characters in a creepypasta ever.

[lizacstuff]

Hi! What did you think of ep23?I love your in depth thoughts on the episodes. I really enjoyed it, especially the EdSer moments (was smiling like an idiot during the skating scene - when Eda complained about it being hot (girl same), and also that she understood what he said in French omg). I hope the grandmother doesn't turn out to be as evil as everyone is assuming. I guess the one big con was Ayfer. She's gotten more annoying right? That's not just me? But I love me some Aydan!

Hello! Thank you for the kind words. Let's see, I did like the episode, but as I said in another ask I was a bit on edge while watching for a couple of reasons, but they're all Edser related so I'll talk about that when I talk about them at the end. As far as Ayfer is concerned, I FEEL YOU. 

Good grief, woman. Why does she have to be such a harpy? It feels like she complains about absolutely everything. Plus, she's forcing a situation where her beloved niece can't trust or confide in her, and all the girls have to hide Eda's work schedule from her. Look, if Ayfer doesn't want to spend time with Aydan, fine, but her anger towards and disapproval of Eda's job and her relationship with Serkan are completely selfish. She may tell herself she's disapproving for Eda's own good, but come on.

Because, seriously, what does Ayfer think she's protecting Eda from? Serkan is handsome, rich, successful and head over heels in love with Eda. Let's be honest, Eda could do worse. He might be a tad arrogant and controlling, but he's a very good man with a very good heart. Also he tries with Ayfer. I get the connection with Alptekin is upsetting, but Serkan and Aydan have cut him completely out of their lives and neither had anything to do with what happened. I also get that Ayfer was put off by the whole contract thing, but it took two to tango there, and Eda's entire world opened up because of that arrangement.

Maybe that's the problem? 

(more under the cut)

Maybe Ayfer can feel Eda expanding and growing and her world getting much bigger than Ayfer's and it scares her? She thinks she'll lose her, or won't recognize her? Privately, Serkan and Eda have talked about running away together, maybe Ayfer senses that's a possibility? (PRO TIP: Then don't be a negative force they have to get away from!) 

Also what's happening with this Chef Alexander thing? Is he actually going to make an appearance? Is there going to be a romance? I think that would be good, maybe that will salvage Ayfer's character and she'll get distracted and maybe even happy. I did laugh, though, at her her calling Aydan and Seyfi out on their lie about having him on board with their charity scheme. They should know better than to try that. Amateur move, kids!  But I will always applaud their matchmaking efforts when it comes to Eda and Serkan. 

I enjoyed the girls this episode. I like that they don't share Ayfer's concerns about Serkan and are ready to go to the mat for whatever Eda wants. Poor Melo is the worst detective, but she gets points for trying. Also points for picking up what Eda was putting down and skillfully sweeping Balca and her broken heel out of the way. I'd want Fifi for protection as well, girl is badass. I can't tell what this Fifi/Erdem thing is supposed to be.  Does she have a soft spot for him, she must because I don't know why she would give him the time of day otherwise. She's not one we have to worry about not being able to say no. If she wanted to rid herself of his presence, she'd do it. Ceren and Ferit are just kind of... there. I don't dislike it, but I also don't really care. They need something to spice that up.

Which is what we finally got with Engin and Piril! Holy moly, who is her dad!?! Mafia boss? Politician? Wealthy recluse? @alicekepley suggested on another post that maybe it's Aydan's first love. Now that would be interesting. Maybe he turned to a life of crime after being disappointed by Aydan? I am now looking forward to see how this plays out and how it affects them. However, there's one thing that gets me almost every episode. I love Engin and Anil, but he looks at least a decade older than Serkan, Piril, and Selin. So much so that I don't buy they could have gone to school together. This is where I'll have to call on my well honed suspension of disbelief I guess... I'll tell myself he spent a lot of time in the sun and is graying a bit prematurely. 

I did like Engin and Serkan sitting around commiserating about their relationships and hoping things were about to turn around. That's the more equal buddy talk I want to know happens. 

Speaking of Serkan, duuuuuuuuude. You're being hunted, wise up!  I'm really stuck on what he said to Sirius after Eda left his house at the top of the episode. "Don't look at me like that, everything is under control, I know perfectly well what I'm doing, this is my tactic." We know from last episode he thought Eda would show, and this episode while talking to Eda he told her that he was expecting her and the candles were for her.  So... did he purposely allow Balca in to provoke Eda's jealousy? If so, I'm not sure this is his best course of action. It's certainly not with regards to fanning Balca's dangerous pretensions, but I'm not sure he's getting his best result with Eda either. It's true that it gave him an excuse to flirt, make the bet, tease her, bask in her obvious jealousy even if she won't admit it, and get a Parisian date out of it. I suppose that's not a bad day's work. On the other hand, if he'd sent Balca on her way, he would have had a happy Eda, in his house, sitting on the couch next to him, watching a movie with him, which also could have led to a very good place for him.  

It's also a mystery to me if Serkan is really clueless about Balca's intentions, or if he's playing dumb to suit his own purposes with Eda. I'm thinking it's the middle. He probably sees it but thinks it's a whole lot more harmless than it is. Like maybe he gets Balca has a crush on him, but he has no suspicion that he's in dangerous fatal attraction territory. Which is where we are. I don't want to fling words like 'crazy' around, but... bitch be crazy! If she is capable of trying to large-scale sabotage his company in her pursuit of him, that's some seriously scary stuff. WAKE UP, SERKAN. 

I said I was uneasy while watching this episode and part of it was concern over what would happen with the tender, and worrying if Balca's sabotage was going to work, leaving Eda to blame. If that had gone the other way, the fallout would have been painful. Also storylines where a fav is falsely accused always make me antsy. I was able to handle the Serkan roof collapse one because it was at the end of the episode, and they were able to figure out that he wasn't responsible right off the top of the next. But this one had me on edge all ep.  I was especially nervous after Eda made the independent report on her recommended firm part of a trust test. Sweetie, I love you, but NOOOOO. That was not the move of a professional. Serkan, as the company principle, wanting to vet a partner or vendor is completely normal and has nothing to do with how much he trusts her. Put aside the fact that she's only been in the workforce for a few months, you always want a second set of eyes on something that important. Always. She showed some of her immaturity there, which is fine, she's young and inexperienced, but it's a sign of how desperate Serkan is for her to forgive him that he humored her. That man will do anything for her, even if it doesn't make sense or is potentially damaging. I get why the writer's did it, for the suspense of Eda being out on that limb all on her own, but it was also actually a bit of a missed opportunity for him to mentor her there. (And I love when she learns from him.)

The other reason I was uneasy watching this ep was due to some frustration with Eda. See above on the trust test, but it was also a little hard to watch her just completely succumb to Serkan's charm and be in the moment with him one moment, and then the next second shake it off and be adamant that she was going to be leaving the job and him shortly.  It felt like constant whiplash. Also if she won the bet she wanted him to leave her alone? Sure, Jan. She could have asked for something really good! We all know she doesn’t really want him to leave her alone, so that pretense has gotten harder and harder to take. However, the times she rebuffed him didn't bother me as much as when she told Melo she was leaving the job. I can chalk up the ones to Serkan as part of her act, trying to protect herself and poke holes in his pretensions, but when she said it to Melo it felt more real. Like that was really what she was still planning to do, and it's really hard to reconcile that with all the moments where she puts down her guard and it's obvious she's madly in love with him.  

On a positive note, scenes where it’s clear they’re madly in love with each other were plentiful this episode. The romantic robot used every opportunity he could find to make her melt. My GAWD she has a will of iron that she was able to back away from him after he recited all the ways he could tell if a woman (her) was in love with him. He is one smooth bastard. And boy does he know her, he knows exactly what he does to her. That scene was FIRE. Not to be crass, but how did they not do it right then and there? After the last few eps, they have to be at a 100 on a scale of 1-10 when it comes to pent up sexual energy. Hey Eda, maybe you wouldn't be so jealous if you knew he had an outlet for that. I'm just sayin'.

The lunch was pretty funny and I definitely enjoyed the kicking and the under the table conversation. After refusing to admit she was jealous, Eda totally deserved that Serkan said that whatever Balca's feelings for him were, they were between him and Balca. Eeesh. I see what he's doing, he's trying to bring her feelings out into the open, and she deserves it, but I don't think he realizes how vulnerable she is over everything. He's walking a tightrope here. However, I do appreciate that he finally just admitted that he's jealous. If he'd just done that in 18, he would have saved himself some angst. Are we to infer from Serkan asking Eda not to use emojis with Efe, that Edser likes to use emojis when they text? Or was that just a generic, "don't be cute with him?"  I think I'll take that Serkan and Eda use emojis, just because it tickles me to think of Serkan Bolat doing that. All of shipper twitter thinks that's the writers poking at the actors because of how much they use them with one another on social. Who knows, maybe that explains it, since it sort of came out of the blue. You gotta love, though, that every manipulative thing Balca did either failed or backfired spectacularly. Showing up at his place, sure she succeeded in upsetting Eda and derailing their night, but it also put Eda on her guard and brought about the flirty wager between Eda and Serkan. She left the earring, but Eda found it before she could use it as an excuse to return. She broke her heel, but that just gave her a ruined pair of shoes and Melo an excuse to get her out of there so Serkan and Eda could be alone. She and her devious friend succeeded in throwing Melo and Eda off the scent, however all that meant was that Serkan won the bet and gave him the pretense needed to get her to agree to the most romantic date on the planet. She sabotaged the report, but Eda still found out about the company's background and Eda was the hero when ArtLife won the tender. Balca: 0 percent success rate so far. 

THE ICE SKATING SCENES WERE PURE MAGIC!  It was fun to see the whole cast out there having a blast, but obviously it was the Edser scene at night that lit up the whole show. Damn was that pretty. (it's currently my ipad lock screen and home screen) The chemistry between the actors was on display all episode, but here it just exploded. When Eda said she was hot, no kidding! How could you not be? And I agree that Serkan speaking French to her was OMG. Love, love, love the date that Serkan planned for them in Paris. I'm bereft that we'll likely never see it. Damn you pandemic, look what you've taken from us! The characters, and the audience, deserve an entire episode of Paris romantic fluff. We've all earned this! 

The date sounded perfect and I found it very interesting that he had purposely never been to Montmartre. So at some point he promised himself he'd only go there with a woman he was truly in love with, makes me wonder if it was a much younger Serkan who made that promise. The Serkan we met in the pilot didn't believe in love, he was hard-hearted, he actually talked with Engin about how a contract, a bloodless business transaction, was the way to go for relationships. Robot Bolat. So I don't think he made that idealistic promise any time recently. If so, that means he's had that in the back of his mind for years, but Eda's the only woman he's ever considered taking. My heart. I love how the show keeps showing us and telling us that this is the first time Serkan has ever been in love. You could see in that scene that Eda was right there with him. She was so happy and in the moment and swept away by the romance. She was as excited for Paris as he was. I know we all wanted a kiss/declaration here, it would have been a very good moment for it. A very good one. But the show has other plans for them, so we wait.

So, yeah, I really liked the Edser we got, but Eda’s hot and cold act was hard to reconcile at times. However, perhaps it all came together in the end, when she's talking to Melo and Ceren about Paris. She was feeling troubled over it, probably what agreeing to go with him meant, but they both told her to listen to her heart in Paris and it seems like she was going to do it: "From now on I'll stop worrying. I'm opening a new page in life." So I think in that moment she was ready for next steps and was planning to be open with him in Paris, let's hope it carries over to the next episode even without Paris. 

Actually, that whole conversation was a bit of a window into her psyche and was more illuminating than almost anything in the episode in that regard. When Eda says she’s worried, Melo teases her that she's nervous to be alone with Serkan Bolat, and then jokes that all young women would like to have that problem, including herself.  Eda does NOT like that joke and actually verbalizes it, "Melo, at least you don't do that."  That was a huge spotlight into Eda's insecurities, like she is really discombobulated by witnessing women showing interest in him while they're in such a nebulous place. Since she is coming off of what happened with Selin, and was already feeling jealous when the first candidate set her off with (her creepy) talk of chemistry last episode, then finding Balca at Serkan's house in the opening scene, I suppose it's no surprise that all of that has had some residual effects. But that it's to the point where she can't take a joke from Melo is telling. Poor thing.  

My hope is that this is just something she's working through while she's feeling off-kilter about everything. It would be one thing if they were together, but she's in this headspace where half the time she says she's leaving and it's over between them and half the time she acting like his wife, so I think she's just discombobulated. Maybe she just wants time to figure things out, but feels like she doesn’t have it, because someone is going to swoop in and take her place and that’s feeding her jealousy? The fact that Serkan can’t see it (Selin and Balca) until it’s out of control doesn’t help. 

It's natural for her to be upset that this woman has entered the scene and is clearly trying to maneuver herself into Eda's place in Serkan's life. However, there is an easy fix to this. Just go be with him. Come on, Eda, we know you can do it! You're ready. You’re primed. Bring on the New Year's Ep!

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #405

“today i went to therapy, told him the embarrassing issues that i’m having with my life  /  he told me that i need to change; life is not a video game, so stop playing & open up your eyes”

What was your favourite sweet as a child? Things like Baby Bottle Pops, Ring Pops, Airheads, etc. Do you like to wear socks to bed? NOOOOOOO. I don't wear socks unless I have to. What’s your favourite berry? Strawberries. If you have a job, how long is your shift? I don't. Do you like sunflowers? Well yeah. Are you counting down for anything? No. Are you watching TV? What’s on? No. Do you have make-up on? No. I haven't worn makeup since last October. Are you any good with kids? People have told me I am, but I beg to differ. What if you had a baby with the last person you kissed? We're both cisgender women, we physically couldn't. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years time? It'd be nice honestly, but I kinda doubt I will be. What is your favorite card game? Magic: The Gathering. What is the weirdest thing you’ve done in public? Ha, probably the times I've gotten down on the ground beside the road to photograph roadkill... More than once has someone stopped and asked if I was okay, haha. Favorite sleeping position? Twisted half on my side and stomach with my legs just sorta splayed out. What is your dad’s name? Ken. Have you ever been on a diet? Multiple times. Do you own any jersey shirts? No. Are you proud to be of the nationality you are? There are two moods I have on this: I'm either neutral or embarrassed. Can you remember what you last clapped for? Omg the woman who facilitates my TMS treatment was telling Mom and me about this one time a tiny snake got in the lobby and I did a lil squeal and clapped a bit because I was just excited to hear about a little snake, haha. What is the geekiest part of your music collection? *shrug* Maybe game soundtrack music. What do you eat when you raid the fridge late at night? Well, not really the fridge, but w/e. I'll usually get a granola bar or something of the sort. What is the little physical habit that gives away you're insecure moment? Kneading/wringing my hands together is a dead giveaway. Do you have too many love interests? No. How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet for one year? If you want honesty... probably no amount would lmao. I rely way too heavily on the Internet for so many things. Do you talk a lot? It depends on my mood and who I'm around. Do transient, homeless, or starving people sometimes annoy you? What a fucking awful question. They don't annoy me. It can be awkward driving past them, but they're in no way annoying. Do you consider yourself to be a nice person? I definitely try to be. What is your ideal marriage location? Either a gothic-looking mansion or something of the sort or a wooded area in the fall. Do you tell your friends about your sex life? I don't have one to talk about. Would you ever admit to having done plastic surgery of any kind if confronted? Yeah? No shame. What kind of watch(es) do you wear? I don't wear watches. What do you cook the best? My family likes my scrambled cheesy eggs... basic as that is, haha. When my sisters would go to Taco Bell all the time and save the hot sauces for later use, I would use some packets in the eggs I cooked. Honestly amazing. What's one car you will never buy? "Anything that is two door, or low to the ground." <<<< This right here. On the other end of the spectrum, I also won't ever buy a car that's high up. I need a good medium so I can actually get in with ease. What's one thing you're a sore loser at? Hm, I dunno. What kind of first impression do you think you give to people? "Wow, she's awkward." What's one thing you like to do alone? Draw. When's the last time you cried? Not long ago at all because I was just so exasperated over my weight gain. Do you think you're cute? God no. Do you have problems changing clothes in front of friends? I don't change in front of anyone if I can avoid it. Did you like kissing the last person you kissed or the one before that more? The last person. I gotta say I was not a fan of kissing Girt because for whatever reason his lips were ALWAYS wetter than lips naturally should be and I just didn't dig it, man. That and every kiss with him was awkward. Whose bed other than yours did you last lay on? My mom's. What turns you off immediately? Acting sexist, to name one. Which city do you particularly enjoy visiting and for what reasons? I don't like going into cities. Do you often take pictures with the camera on your phone? No. I don't like the camera on my phone. In the past year, have you lost weight or gained weight? How much? Gained. You don't need to know. What year was the last car you rode in/drove? I have zero clue. What’s your worst/funniest experience with one of your neighbors? "Worst" and "funniest" are very different... but I can tell you the worst easily. At my childhood home, our next-door neighbors had a pair of Rottweilers in their back yard within a chain-link fence, and we had a LOT of outdoor cats at the time. (I will emphasize every time I bring it up to NOT keep cats outside.) Somehow the dogs got loose and went on a rampage trying to kill our cats; one young one was killed, while our fearless mother cat, Chance, literally fought them off to defend her new kittens. More were maybe killed, I honestly can't remember. My mom was hysterical and threatened to call animal control if it ever happened again. I was absolutely, utterly heartbroken. The last time you burned your tongue or mouth, what were you eating? Ummm I want to say it was some sort of pasta that I didn't let cool long enough. Honestly, are you shallow? Far from it, honestly. Can/could your parents tell when you were lying? Not always. Besides clothes, shoes, and accessories, what’s your favorite thing to shop for? I love window-shopping at Morph Market, haha. AAAAAAAAAALL those ball python morphs, man... *drools* Does/did your parents ever go through your computer or cell phone? When I was younger, Mom was very intent on figuring out why I was always so secretive about what I did on the computer (mostly RP-related things) that ohhhh yeah, she'd do some digging. The night she finally snapped, demanding I tell her my passwords to everything, and she ultimately found out about me being a forum RPer, was literally almost traumatic to me, I think. I know, that sounds INCREDIBLY overdramatic, but I'm not fucking joking. I was in my room SOBBING on my best friend's shoulder, who was spending the night. I was just so embarrassed, and I *still* am when I share that fact with people I know, even though I have no reason to be. Like I don't do any weird or kinky RP shit, it's just genuine, artistic writing with actual, well thought-out plots, but I still feel like people would think it dumb, childish, and just weird. What song reminds you the most of a particular day in your life? Why is that? "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. I've talked about it a few times before and really don't feel like doing it again. Do you have any close friends that were adopted? I don't think so. Who, in your opinion, is the best thriller writer? I don't know. Does your mom eat meat? Yeah. Was your dad ever on a sports team? Lots in high school, I believe. Do you prefer thick or thin crusted pizza? Thick, by a long shot. What do you have in your fruit salads? Not a fan of fruit salads. Have you ever spent more than two weeks in a wheelchair? I've only needed a wheelchair once in my life, and that was just to get inside and maneuver around the doctor's office when I tore a ligament in my foot. So no. What are your favorite word? Serendipity, tranquility, lucid, etc.; pretty, peaceful words like those. Is there a lot of drama in your life? Nope. I don't do enough or have enough people in my life for there to be. What are you listening to? An extended version of "Nightsong" from WoW. Do you hear any animals right now? No. I'm sure I'd hear birds if I didn't have my earplugs in, though. Have you ever played fetch with a dog? Yes. Have you ever pet a stingray? No. Who is the last baby you held? Emerson, my youngest niece. Do you have any scars from an animal? Yeah; I've got looooots from my cat playing too rough. Have you ever seen an Igloo? I don't believe so. Do you like Korn? They're high on my list of faves. Are you more afraid of tornadoes or hurricanes? Absolutely tornadoes. Do you like mushrooms? Ugh, NO. Have you ever been on Omegle? No. So do you have a favorite M&M? Just the regular ones. Have you ever snuck out? No. Do you currently feel like you have pretty stable career goals/a pretty stable life plan? Have you ever felt this way? I don't know, man. I know what I WANT to do, I just don't know if I'm ever going to get there. Or if what I want will be financially supportive enough, now that I'm really losing interest in photographing people. I might just have to if I want to be financially stable with photography, which would be okay, but bleh. I'd much rather just work with nature. If you could buy an android that was was convincingly human and could be tailored to be your perfect partner, would you want one? No. I don't want to build my own partner, nor do I want my romantic partner to be an android. I want life to just introduce me to a person who is uniquely themselves, who have built themselves from their own life experiences, and not just have a perfect spouse tailored to everything I like. If you do not identify as being “straight,” can you remember back to your childhood some things you did that were, in hindsight, possible indicators of your future sexuality? Yes, especially in middle school. I thought women were prettier than probably a straight kid would, and looking back, I definitely found the natural curves of the female figure to be attractive. When you consume media (movies, books, etc.) with a romantic element, what sort of romance scenarios interest you most? Hm. I know I prefer serious ones over silly; like I'm a sucker for Nicholas Sparks' style, if that says anything. If you are female, do you feel connected to other women as a class? What sort of things make you feel a strong sense of sisterhood or female empowerment? This is too big of a question for me to feel like delving into right now, haha. But I can say it more so depends on the individual than the gender when it comes to feeling connection over anything.

[dragonswithjetpacks]

I’m going to say this one time about Cullen and that’s it. And my opinion will be out there and done. This is not a negative post. But this is a long post so buckle up babes.

*warning for use of language because I swear like a sailor*

*also brief mention of rape*

Anyway, Cullen is a perfect example of poor planning in the gaming industry.

He is also a perfect example of fans thirsting so hard and wanting something so bad that the writers and developers change a character and even game elements to suite their needs. They didn’t even give him a book or a comic for redemption. You know what they did instead? They switched writers. Cullen has three writers. All of them with a different character in mind.

Cullen was a fucked up mess in Origins. He was meant to be creepy and sociopathic. I get that. The writer who basically created him had no idea he was even going to be not only a reoccurring character, but one that was going to be romance able in future games. She even apologized. Which wasn’t necessary. And so many people who played the game missed a big point about Cullen. He was never supposed to recover from Origins.

“The young templar Cullen never quite recovered from his ordeal. After months of attempting to convince his superiors that the tower was still a danger, he finally snapped and killed three apprentices before being stopped by his fellow templars. Eventually, Cullen escaped from prison, a madman and a threat to any mage he encountered.”

“Once the tower was rebuilt, Knight-Commander Greagoir stepped down from his post and retired to a life of private contemplation as a brother in the Chantry. His health failed over time, and after refusing treatment, he perished in his sleep. Knight-Commander Cullen was said to be more strict and less trusting of the mages even than Greagoir was. He ruled the Circle with fear.”

I’m sorry. But yeah. That’s the epilogue on two different choices involving the Circle’s fate in Origins. And it was ignored. I agree with that, too. But it wasn’t just Cullen that was ignored. It was the entire Circle at Kinloch Hold. If the mage warden sacrifices their own life, the Circle is supposedly free. Which... is not mentioned... ever again. And not to mention is impossible? Like okay thanks Anora or whoever but I don’t think you can just do that.

Poor writing.

I’d also like to mention for the record I did not like Cullen in Origins. I still don’t.

Now, I don’t know why exactly Cullen was brought back in DA2? I know his writer got bullied out of Bioware. I do not have an opinion on that. I mean the woman co-wrote my favorite part of Origins (Anvil of the Void). She also wrote Anders. Which I don’t think is a coincidence. People, men and women, often have this idea of fixing a broken person. It’s heavily romanticized. It’s called codependency. And you see it a lot in romance novels. But that’s another topic. It seems this writer implemented that in the game (along with some of her own personal things she had) without fully knowing Cullen would even be a romantic interest in Inquisition, but also still wanting to give him some sort reason to be desired. And all the while knowing Anders was fully romanceable. Even... a little forcefully... romanceable... if I may add... (I am uncomfortable) I also dislike some of Anders’ writing but that’s another post and I don’t want to compare the two. But Anders was the opposite side of Cullen that was done better because they had time to write it.

Regardless, Cullen seemed to hold some resemblance to his former character. But we do see a lot hesitance with him. He’s basically that “good” cop that doesn’t do anything when the bad cop is beating the shit out of everyone. Still not good, hence the quotes. Not a good guy. He has his meh he’s alright moments. And seems to generally disregard Hawke in every single way. But he’s still an ass hole for letting things happen the way that they did when he could very much so have put a stop to it. Maybe it was the writers’ intention to make it that way to show he was still suffering from trauma in Origins.

Again. Poor writing. BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW. DIDN’T HE KILL THREE PEOPLE, BIOWARE? ISN’T HE SUPPOSED TO BE KNIGHT COMMANDER IN FERELDEN, B I O W A R E??? WHAT. HAPPENED. BIOWARE.

So here’s the next thing. They decided to slip him into Inquisition for whatever reason. His writing was fair enough in DA2. Could have been better. But these people are still thirsty. They want some Curly. At the last minute, they throw romance on him. Not a bad idea. But are we supposed to forget the man was basically raped by desire demons? Is he even ok to have a relationship? OH WAIT THAT’S RIGHT. We didn’t closure on that because they ignored it.

Anyway, Cullen in Inquisition seems to be different. But because they couldn’t just, oh I don’t know, write a different character with the same traits but better, they had to somehow put the events of the previous games and how it affected him into this new current game where he supposed to be... better? Ish? Which is where we get the stereo type soldier with PTSD and a substance abuse problem. Now, if you’re any good with imagining and writing fanfic, then you probably know or already have figured out a way to connect everything better than Bioware could. But hey. Last minute romance written in on a character who was already all over the charts? Count me in. I like a good writing challenge. Poor girl who took the job of writing Inquisition Cullen likes a challenge too, apparently. Because it was her first big project. And she didn’t do a bad job. But imagine working hard on trying to write a character half the fandom hates into someone somewhat likeable just for everyone to shit all over it.

The way I look at it.... we have three different characters. And he is not really a good example to look at analyze wise. He is inconsistent. And was molded for Inquisition for thirsty fan girls. And some boys (I see you). A good example for study would be Morrigan. Or even Alistair. And Alistair is in several of the comics and still remains pretty consistent. Leliana is a prime example of character development over a course of three games. And I highly recommend you fall in love with her good and bad side because she is written beautifully. Don’t @ me.

Cullen, and I mean Inquisition Cullen, has a lot to like. And a lot to dislike. Every character is flawed. I think a lot of hate that gets tagged onto Cullen is really from poor writing. They really got lazy with him. And it is a shame. I feel like he could have been redeemed way better. He could have had one hell of a redemption. Or possibly just skipped over all together. I see a lot of posts about putting Samson in his place and I often agree. It was never quite the character that made him appealing to me. It was the personality. And they could have easily done with anyone. They could have made Samson sexy, too. It didn’t have to be sexy Cullen. And let’s face it. With Cullen’s writing in Origins and even some of the writing in DA2, Cullen siding with Coryphedouche is way more fitting than Samson.

Basically, it is up to us to fill in the gaps. So I love seeing fanfic with Cullen backstory. Because it gives better insight than what the writers could accomplish. And I applaud you if you’ve done that. BUT the over sexualization of this character is a bit... wrong. It feels wrong. And that’s all I’ll say to that. Personally, I’ve been working on some Cullen romance fic for awhile and it’s been challenging trying to find a way to make him less douchey. One minute, he’s yelling at you about mages. And the next, he’s got this soft tone and nervous look. Like, yeah... you can tell it’s rushed. And awful. And even the dialogue is just... painful. It doesn’t fit. (you can check my Cullen tag in blog to see how I feel about that). I will say that even speaking to him on a personal note, asking him questions about life as a templar, he even says he does not agree with the Order. And he wants to change his thinking. But he still gets angry when you go to side with the mages. It feels like they wanted redeem him but they also needed someone to side with the templars to provide conflict at the war table.

So in my opinion, calling him controlling and abusive is a bit of a stretch. He was clearly used by the writers. It just seems ridiculous to put so much effort in bashing the character when clearly... he was not planned out... or put together... I just... I don’t get...

I know what you’re thinking at this point: Kay.... why do you like him then?

Beacause. I am weak for a man who gets nervous around girls he likes. His awkward mannerisms despite being a man of power makes me weak. The need to protect also makes me weak. But also the ability to admit vulnerability makes me suuuuuper weak. So like I said. There was a lot there. It just was not delivered correctly. You know what I would have done? If I had to put him in the Commander shoes, I would have made the whole Kirkwall thing a life changer for him. Maybe even give him a soul searching type situation before joining the Inquisition. And definitely tell him to keep his mouth shut about siding with the templars.

Long story short: Ya’ll thirsted over a weird dude in Origins and Bioware went hmmmm okay. But by the time they gave him to you on a silver plate, it was last minute. Like you just found out your crush Jared is going to Becky’s party but you’re already at Jessica’s house and have like nothing to wear so you have to just wing it. And your shoes look tacky, but Jessica’s shoes don’t fit. So you either have to wear shoes that don’t fit or just look like omg total garbage. And Bioware went with the shoes that don’t fit. And Jared totally likes them.

I’m also going to say the most controversial thing on this entire post by just... saying... by calling Cullen out as trash without realizing the writing, the directive, the lack of development, the rush on this character, and the complete absolute bullying this community does to it’s FANS AND WRITERS kind of feels like you didn’t really put any effort into understanding why and just jumped on a band wagon. And the fact that some of you make other people feel bad for liking this character is awful. Some of the most toxic shit I’ve seen. Like maybe they like this character from Inquisition because, I don’t know, maaaaaaybe he was written out almost like a new character with a last minute fantasy romance.. because he kind of was...

Now for my opinion on Greg Ellis.

FUCK THAT GUY.

And that’s it. Thanks for stopping by. If you agree cool, if not cool. I’m not here to argue with anyone or say your opinion is invalid. We all have reasons why we hate or love the color blue. So we can all disagree or agree and live in peace and still love a game.

You can always message me, too, guys. I have a lot of opinions. And reasons for my opinions. And theories. And just things in general. But I will not hate characters written in Dragon Age. Someone wrote them. Someone is out there working their ass off to deliver a character. And I refuse to hate someone fictional.

[starbuck09256]

Because you are my fav writer in this fandom and because you always write the shit out of prompts I thought I would prompt you some smut from the xfpornbattle August list 🤗 number 74 please 💛 U are the best !!!

Omg I’m so freaking flattered! As you know I’m not a smut person. But I had to give this at least a try right? 

This is super NSFW

prompt was Mulder and a dildo, bonus if the dildo is Mulder sized.

CALL ME INSPIRED

MSR NSFW S7

tagging @today-in-fic @xfpornbattle

His breath is hot against my ear, I’m sitting on his lap with a bunched  skirt, he’s undone several buttons on my blouse.  This intensity with us, has always been there lying beneath our arguments and identities. My fingers are tangled in his hair as he starts to move me down on his old worn out couch. The leather feels slick against my back as I struggle to remove my blouse for him. His hand immediately goes to my lace covered breast and I moan into his tongue as it dances with my own. I skirm slightly as his remote control digs into my ass. The tv flicks on and the room is filled with the sound of another woman moaning obnoxiously. I can’t help but chuckle at him. The woman on the film is a small red head and as Mulder ignores the tv moving his lips down to my collar bones as he reaches to take off my lace bra. I can’t help but look at the mesmerizing screen. The man is tall with dark hair and I can’t help but see the parallels to us. Mulders teeth lock onto my nipple and I can’t help but move my head back and whimper as his hard cock presses into my soaked panties. The movie continues and the sounds however over the top they might be, end up turning me on. But then as with most of these movies, it gets a little weird. The dark haired man pulls out a dildo lathering it with lub and then starts to use it on his partner while he is still inside her. I gasp, I’m not a prude to sex, nor am I unknown to the different methods. I’ve had anal sex before in college, and I know my blow job skills are legendary. But this, this idea hadn’t really ever occured to me to try. Mulder stops and looks at me, I barely see him as my eyes are locked to the screen. I suddenly am covered in goosebumps. 

“Scully?” his voice is full of concern, my eyes turn to him wild and alive. 

I want to try this with him, soon. 

“I’m sorry, I .. just” he motions towards the tv. I raise my hand up 

“No, I ..like it.” I stroke his cheek. 

I reach down to unbuckle his belt, he grins in response and in a few mere moments he is filling me so completely. My back arches up and Mulder captures my nipple again in his mouth as he moves his hips against mine. God he feels so amazing, everytime I wonder how we went so long without doing this every moment. He moans and I move my hips back just a bit so he can go deeper as I clench my internal muscles around him.

 “Fuck, Scully.” 

His lips capture my own as my hand goes down in between us to stroke my clit. God between the incredible sensation of this angle that he is pumping into me, my hand and the sounds of the porno in the background I come hard around him. He groans heavily as he pulls up grabbing my hips and pounding into me with abandoned. His thrusts become erratic chasing his own release. I see the woman on the screen come apart as her partner continues pumping into her with his dick and the dildo at once. I can’t help but come again as Mulder surges inside of me. 

After as I lay cuddle into his side. He is stroking my hair, as my hands trails across his broad chest. I lean up on him. He smiles lazily with a warm hand on my arm. 

“Mulder I want to try sex with a dildo too.” 

He looks confused for a second. Turns thinking of the video. 

“Oh, ..umm have you ever done anal?” he isn’t saying it to be condescending, he is saying it because of the level of trust it takes. 

I look at him with a mischievous chin across my face. 

“Fuck,” he says. 

He chuckles pulling me in closer. 

“You are fuckling amazing,” he says laughing. I can’t help but laugh. 

“Do you umm, have a dildo on hand?” I bite my lip and grin again.

 “Please tell me it’s at least a little dusty?” he asks, I can’t help the loud laugh that comes from my body. 

“Yes, you have done more than an adequate job of making sure it is not needed as of late.” I reply he chuckles pulls my lips to his and mutters “good” before kissing me again. 

The next night at my apartment I get everything laid out. The Mulder sized dildo is planted on the bed, my intentions are cleared. We are making dinner together tonight and I’m a little giddy in anticipation, we have had some adventurous sexual escapades in the past but it’s been positions no toys or anything else. He finally arrives and as we stand side by side working on a meal together there is no mention of the events of yesterday. Our comfortable coexistence blends so easily into our new relationship. The dishes get done and sure enough afterwards Mulder pushes me against the counter kissing me senseless my damp hands push against his shirt as he drops the dish towel on the floor, I moan against his mouth as he reaches down to lift me up on the counter, his lips find my ear lobe his other hand reaches in to cup my breast and pinches my nipple. “You’re so incredible, the food was amazing.” he whispers as his lips travel across my neck. He helped me cut up everything, seriously, the only thing I really did was pull up a recipe and turn on the oven. Yet he tries to make it equal, give and take, it's a relationship unlike any I’ve ever had, the equality between us. It’s probably why I fell so in love with him. He is willing to put in the work just like me, and while our expectations may be high, both of us have always exceeded them.  “I’m ready for dessert,” I tell him taking his hand and hopping off the counter. Pulling him with me to my bedroom. The soft street lights flutter through the blinds and his hands still rest on my hips even as I move us to the bed, even from behind, I can feel him pressed into my back. 

“So you seem to have something in mind.” he mutters into my ear placing kisses along my sensitive neck. I can’t help but grin wildly. 

“I do, that video was very inspiring Mulder.” I say as I turn to face him my arms linking around his neck as I pull him down. 

“Scully as you know you have to be very very relaxed for this.” he says sobering up with a serious look on his face. 

I trace his chin reveling in the feel of his chin hairs against the tips of my fingers. 

“I know just the way to start,” my eyes meet his and the golden flakes in his dark brown eyes sparkle through. 

He chuckles and it’s a sound that I’ve come to love over the years. Mulder happy is one of the few things that can make anything seem better. Lately the happiness we have shared as fought back the darkness so much we are a little afraid of what the future holds. What terrible endeavour is on the horizon to make us pay for believing that we can truly just be together.  I slowly trace my fingers along his neck pulling his tie off with delicate precision. I’m undoing the buttons while Mulder still stares at the bed. 

“That's umm a pretty big piece there” he says gulping some air in concern.

 “Humm?” I turn looking back to the bed. 

I remember when I bought the dildo, after that case in Commity, when detective white made it clear to me that I needed to work on releasing the tension in my body in more productive ways. That fantasizing about Mulder needed to include a realistic item. I remember spending a good 20 minutes comparing different ones and sizes, wanting to find one that would match him the closest, which I know is a tad bit fucked up. But god I wanted him then so much. I knew I couldn’t jeopardize everything for us, didn’t think he really felt the same. Even if he knew then would we have been able to handle it? Over the last 3 years we have made huge strides in our partnership. Ones where before would have been demands of changing who we fundamentally are as people, but now those idoscrinies are something that we cherish about the other. A mutual acceptance of the other, this is who I am and it is a take it or leave it, and we both know we want to take it as far for as long as we can. I lean up on my tiptoes brushing my lips under his ear. 

“I wanted one that would match you” as I slide back down resumming unbuttoning his shirt the smirk on my face can’t be missed. 

He groans as he reaches forward slipping my skirt down along with my panties, I struggle with my blouse for just a second before he is unclasping my bra. He lifts me up in his arms, so effortlessly. Normally I would hate a man doing this, but with him it shows his love and devotion. He places my naked body on the bed and starts to let his lips decent on a path of his choosing. He knows exactly how to suck bite and tease every part of me, even if it’s only been a few months together. His body is also naked against mine, the hairs on his legs brushing against mine and I sigh in contentment. His fingers find my inner thighs and he takes his time massaging the skin, his lips find home sucking and biting both of my nipples alternating between them and then his tongue is slowly moving down to my stomach while his fingers brush my center. He parts me and I moan and wither a bit beneath him. The anticipation of this always shudders me to the core. He is of course wonderful at this, and as he smiles at me right before his head disappears between my thighs I want to scream as he licks me and sucks my clit into his mouth. He strokes me and it doesn’t take long before I’m panting and begging him not to stop. My release is fast and I’m practically gushing into his mouth while he moves his hand to gather my juices as he presses his fingers into my ass, god the pressure with the pleasure of his mouth still on me is euphoric. I’m panting his name as he pulls me to be on top of him. He is covering the dildo in lube and making sure to cover my ass as well. He is moving slowly, he double checks with me again as he holds his cock in one hand at my entrance. I nod eagerly awaiting him. I am not disappointed in any way he is smooth in a solid up stroke he is completely engulfed in me. I sigh happily. He pumps in and out at a slow pace, letting me feel every ridge of his cock as he slides in and out. He is waiting for just a moment for me to relax against him as he slides just the tip of the dildo into my ass. I whimper at the pressure but between his cock and the dildo the pleasure that is shooting through my body is undeniable. I’ve already come once for him, and the building of the second might be the best one I’ve ever experienced. He pushes just a little more of the dildo inside and I moan his name into the hair. Because he spent so much time getting me ready all that fills my brain is intense pleasure. When I did this in college it wasn’t nearly this good. Sure it was still fun, the man I was with teased my clit while he pumped my ass. But I’ve never had both a dildo and a cock before and while I am definitely enjoying every moment of this, the intensity is almost overwhelming. Mulder seems to notice my discomfort and slows his thrusts down. He is panting and I can tell from the way he has stretched me he is pretty close, he is still moving slowly in and out but has stopped moving the dildo. 

“Are you? Should I..?” 

I look at him and shift slightly sending the dildo deeper into me and I can’t help the scream that bubbles to the surface. My eyes go wide for a second and I slam myself down on Mulders cock as I come so hard I think I might pass out. Mulder is a little stunned and groans deeply before he lets himself go, pumping into me without mercy as he moves the dildo back and forth at a slower pace. I can’t help put dig my nails into his shoulder as my orgasm takes hold and clenches down like a vice on his cock. I’m moaning his name incoherently and I feel him pound one last time and release into me. I want to lay back and recover and I squeeze his shoulder so he can take the dildo out as I collapse back onto the bed. Sweat is shining on both our skins and I’m still seeing spots. I pull him into my arms moving my body so that I can be cradled in his side. 

“Mulder,” I mutter barely able to move as I feel the stickiness between my legs. 

“Jesus, Scully.. We can’t.. That was just a little too intense…” I nod eagerly against him. 

“I enjoyed it but it’s definitely not something I think we should do a lot of,” he rubs his face 

“at the end.. I just I didn’t have enough control.. And fuck I could have really hurt you.” 

he looks at me with a level of fear I have seen only a few times in the years together. I lean up and kiss him 

“Mulder,” I turn his face to meet mine.

 “I wanted this, and you could never hurt me,” he cups my cheek the loving man as he leans forward and kisses me nice and slow. As our heart beats race down to a sedated level. 

“Any other porn type activity that I need to worry about Scully?” 

I can’t help but bite my lip and grin. 

“You know we do have handcuffs,” his eyes shoot up to mine. 

I can’t help the cheshire cat grin. He swallows hard, 

“I don’t know if I can cuff you scully,” I scoff at him. 

“Oh no Mulder, those cuffs are for you.” 

My wicked smile gets a bubbled up laugh from him. 

“You always keep me guessing Scully.” 

I leaned forward tracing the scar on his shoulder from the bullet I put through him. “I always will.”

[bigskydreaming]

gingerjab replied to your post “ANYWAY. The petition/prayer circle for Michael Trevino to be cast as...”

I’m forever an asshole obsessed with fire/ice ships so Thunderbird or Sunfire, fuck the inhumans one off and St. John. Also, Rahul Kohli as Neal Shaara/Thunderbird/Agni. Also I’m sposed to be asleep so ignore if this is a shit idea.

For the record, I actually kinda like the Inhuman guy, cuz I mean, its not his fault he’s part of a trash franchise. I think it probably helps that I’ve only ever read one issue with him, so as to render it absolutely impossible for his writing to piss me off. I like to just close my eyes and pretend he’s a mutant. Y’know. Like I do with Kamala!

Who is obviously a mutant.

(And like.....let’s be real. The dude is a pyrokinetic with a demon form, the codename INFERNO, and his REAL name is DANTE Pertuz. DANTE. INFERNO. Like, that’s the on-the-nose-fuck-your-subtlety-we-came-here-to-be-pretentious-as-fuck-with-our-literary-references-look-how-dignified-it-makes-our-character balls to the wall character concept I am HERE for. I’m like OH HAI I SEE WHAT U DID THAR. And they’re like “oh yeah? You got it? Hahaha, we were worried nobody would, phew, good job tho. Totally adds to the character right? Pretty clever of us.” And then I’d be like Hahahaha no, not even a little bit, but ‘scool, I like him anyway cuz I’m easy like that. I put out for puns.” And then they’d be like awwwww, dammit, we worked so hard on that. And I’d be like....well, that doesn’t speak highly of your abilities, I mean it was a super obvious joke. And then I stopped making up conversations with hypothetical people in my head.)

Also, in defense of comic book St. John Allerdyce and absolutely NO OTHER VERSIONS EVER because agreed, they all suck....

Comic book St. John is a snarky Australian asshole who in between acts of mutant mass destruction, has a side career as a successful romance novelist under a pen name.

(I’m not even joking. Comic book St. John, in canon, writes romance novels in his spare time as a hobby. LOLOLOL c’mon, how is that not a great character beat for a supervillain slash occasional kinda-if-you-squint-superhero).

Anyway.

I too am also trash for fire/ice ships because SCREW SUBTLETY, WE SHIP THEMATICALLY. But like, its gotta be the RIGHT fire/ice ship. I weirdly have standards with my fire/ice ships? Probably just because I’m obsessed with Bobby Drake but whatever, who cares, how is that relevant.

I mean, OBVIOUSLY, you have your proto-fire/ice ship, the one, the original, the Word I came out of the womb prepared to preach and ship and like, spread to the masses....Bobby Drake/Johnny Storm. Because like. They are elemental dorks whose competitiveness is only matched by their dumbness, how can you not love them, I DEFY YOU TO SAY.

I’m kinda meh on Iceman/Pyro, because like, original comic book Pyro and Bobby never even interacted I think? And in cartoons they’re always totally different generations/age groups, and in the movies they’re like....boring and stale and not even all that attractive and also did I mention boring, omg no offense to whomever wrote them, but I tried reading Bobby/Pyro movie fanfic years ago because like, that’s the only movie Bobby fic there is, unless you want to read about him being an asshole to Rogue and/or cheating with Kitty and just generally driving Rogue into the arms of the much (much much much much, like ewww) older Logan or Gambit. Because srsly, so appealing. So obviously, I caved and tried reading Bobby/Pyro fics because like, they had the word ‘Bobby’ in them, and the bar is too low in my X-Men fic reading habits. And omg I fell asleep. I just. It was all just the standard m/m cookie cutter generic ‘good boy plus bad boy uwu yaoi-zowey’ bleh starring two not at all deeply written or well-acted meh-looking white dudes, and just. Why.

But that’s what I mean when I say I’m wary of fire/ice ships, because sometimes with powered characters like, authors think oh hey, LOOK ONE IS FIRE AND ONE IS ICE, THIS TOTALLY COUNTS AS THEM HAVING OPPOSITES ATTRACT PERSONALITIES AND THUS I DONT NEED TO GIVE THEM A PERSONALITY, RIGHT? Like. They’re just very boring and unimaginative in execution, just because they expect the basic premise of fire and ice/’obvious opposites attract, obviously’ to do all the work for them.

(Katey if you’re reading this I’m super for sure not talking about YOUR superpowered romances, because you are wonderful and GOOD at writing and imaginative, and thus none of this applies to you. Requisite disclaimer.)

So, when they did this random Bobby/���New Pyro Dude like where did he even come from I still dont know’ hook-up, I was prepared to like, yawn endlessly, because I figured it would be more boring imaginationless ‘ooh look what an obvious pair they are and yet still praise me for how clever I am for pairing them’ crap. 

And I was absolutely right!

(But I mean, it was written by Marc Guggenheim, the odds of it sucking were totally in my favor. Betting against them being well-written under his pen might feasibly be construed as cheating. Whatever).

And also, the art did them ZERO favors, like I know they’re both generic blond dudes in their twenties, but I LITERALLY COULD NOT TELL WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WHICH in any of the panels that they were like, in bed together or dressing or talking or literally anything until they started using their powers to fight bad guys. It was soooooooo bad. Like the art just manifested every ‘look at the white gay date his mirror reflection lol what is variety even’ cliche and beat you over the head with it.

(Also Bobby is supposed to have brown hair, which at least would’ve helped a LITTLE bit. Meh. Still was gonna suck because like, nobody had any intention of WRITING them together, like, developing their characters and laying the groundwork for a possible relationship. It was just ‘oh look, the fire and ice dude got drunk at a wedding and hooked up, cool deal, now on with the story.’)

Anyway, the ONLY redeeming potential for a Bobby/Simon relationship in my opinion is ENTIRELY due to a fic I read with them. Its probably the only fic written about Simon ever, lmfao, so its not like the writer’s characterization of him has any competition among either canon or other fans’ renditions of him. But it was pretty well written, I actually liked their portrayal of Bobby, which I’m SUPER picky about in fanfics, and they actually invested time in developing Simon and his POV and giving him an actual personality and shit, that wasn’t half bad. So if Simon was written like that in the comics and their relationship progressed in similar ways, I could feasibly be on board with them.

But it won’t, so I’m not. Meh. Anyway.

I actually really REALLY like both Shiro AND Neal, with the caveat that I hate Neal’s stupid offensive-ass codename, I know Claremont only named him Thunderbird because he introduced him in an anniversary issue that was supposed to be a call-back to the original Giant Size lineup, and he needed a stand-in for John Proudstar, but like....wtf Claremont, just use your brain and save Neal to introduce a whole issue later and stick Jamie in John’s place the way everyone else does. He literally went by Thunderbird in the comics already in his Hellion days, which YOU wrote, so why the fuck did you feel the need to be stupidly offensive and act like Native American people and traditions are interchangeable with those of a guy from India? Ugh he’s so....gah.

Anyway. So I actually like both Shiro and Neal, though pretty much only when people other than Claremont are writing them, lololol. Which is admittedly...rare. Because of all his pet characters, they’re both at the top of the list of ones nobody else has any interest in touching. Bizarrely, my favorite run involving Shiro was when he was randomly shoe-horned into that Alpha Flight relaunch in the late 90s, that only lasted a couple years? Dunno if you know what I’m talking about, the team with Radius, Flex, Murmur, Heather as Vindicator and Mac was a robot or some weird shit.

I have no real thoughts on either of them with Bobby though, for a fire and ice pairing. Tbh I can’t really see Bobby/Shiro like, at ALL lmfao. For one, Shiro’s always felt written as though he’s a good ten years older than Bobby at least. Like they’re not really compatible dialogue-wise lol. And he’s pretty much never had any patience for Bobby in the comics, which has a lot to do with most of their interactions being written by Claremont himself, and Claremont infamously haaaaaaates Bobby’s character and trashes him any chance he gets, aka the few times editorial makes him actually use Bobby in a script. But I also think even under other writers, like....Shiro honestly is not the type to have any patience for Bobby’s antics or brand of humor, like.....he’s like JP but without the superficial crush JP used in canon to view Bobby’s idiosyncrasies as endearing instead of migraine inducing. I don’t think any readers would buy someone of JP or Shiro’s personality-type crushing on Bobby twice, lololol.

I DO however kinda like the idea of Neal/Bobby? If someone ever actually brought Neal back and gave him a new codename and stuck him on a team with Bobby? They’ve also barely interacted in canon, and the only time I can think of, Neal was super rude and dismissive of Bobby, because like, Claremont was writing it of course, so it made total sense for him to have the dude who’s literally been an X-Man for two issues talk down to the X-Man of several decades like the latter had no clue what he was doing, lol. Oops, still slightly salty there. 

But honestly, I doubt anyone who didn’t have hyperfixation fueled grudges on a fictional fave’s behalf would ever even remember that one canon interaction, and tbh Neal’s pretty much a blank slate character wise. His only defining traits from what little he’s been used are that he’s fairly young, in his early to mid-twenties, from a wealthy family, a little full of himself but in a ‘really wants to impress people and prove himself’ kinda way instead of an overly entitled ‘i genuinely believe I am superior to all you buffoons’ kinda way. And he was always endearingly enthusiastic and eager about new stuff he encountered from being with the X-Men.

(He was also randomly obsessed with Psylocke, but I truly think Claremont was like, well I’m just gonna write him like I would Warren Worthington because why not. So yeah, obvsly he’s super obsessed with Betsy. Duh.)

Anyway - I would like someone to do something interesting with Neal, and I think his and Bobby’s chemistry has a lot of potential and they could bounce off each other well. 

Also, I like Rahul, but I was randomly fancasting some of the more obscure X-Men awhile back for Reasons (I forget what they were tbh, but I’m sure I had them. I usually do). I came across this Indian actor named Karan Tacker and was like ohhhhhhh he totally looks like he could be Neal Shaara.

I mean, I’ve literally never seen him act, so who knows what his acting is like, but since we’ve established Neal’s character is essentially whatever the person to actually use him next wants it to be, I don’t think that’s a big deal lol.

So this is totally superficially based casting, like I think this guy looks and ‘feels’ the way Neal’s typically been drawn and the kinda vibe he gives off.

Also, incidentally, having absolutely nothing to do with anything, let alone my selection process, by pure coincidence the dude just so happens to have abs for daaaaaaays.

But I mean. Like I said, that is neither here nor there. Obviously.

Of no relevance whatsoever. I didn’t even notice, tbh. Don’t even know who hijacked my body and ghost wrote these last few sentences, quick, call an exorcist.

....oh noes, is this one of the consequences of being an ‘anti’? IS THIS MY COMEUPPANCE? *flees*

[elizabethrobertajones]

13x18 watching notes

Hi sorry I’m late I was knitting a very long scarf in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere for a week :D

I just got home, I have tea, and I guess I am doing this

FYI I am closer in relation to a slime jelly than a human being right now

my expectations from 3 days ago were optimistically that this plays into Buckleming's strong spots and with proper care and management perhaps a decent-ish episode could be wrangled out of them if we make the allowance we're non-negotiably watching one of their episodes to start with...

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That was the shortest recap Buckleming have probably ever had and it speaks to one of the strengths of this season in a way: the main problems were set in 12x23 and all they need to do is find a way to un-do them and have been making on and off progress all season. With Wayward Sisters and Scoobynatural we had to put a few brakes on it but for the sake of really entertaining side projects, and on the other side of Scoobynatural we can supposedly coast to the end. And so, we get the last spell ingredients in the very next episode and off we go, and what's left is the set up going into this, of a relatively pared down, personal story and like season 8 almost entirely motivated by what Sam and Dean WANT to do and what they are willing to do to achieve that, rather than by having some urgent problem they tangle with on and off.

I hope that the last run of episodes to the end can play out in whatever way it likes, because right now there is very little nonsense from this season that actually matters towards the main plot that isn't directly in play...

though the recap didn't mention Michael or Lucifer and we'd be so lucky if Buckleming didn't write them :P

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they didn't use the apocalypse AU set but went for an outdoors version of the world... Nuclear winter maybe?? It seems like the angels and demons have a specific battlefield and in 13x14 we saw the woods where Bobby had a camp... I think this world might be in a terrible state but the natural world at least might be untouched, where it didn't have too much human influence... Who knows.

Have to explain the Vancouver snow somehow anyways :P

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Ketch is still beat up looking from his fight with Asmodeus although I don't even want to match his injury level now vs what was supposedly a few hours ago at most where Asmodeus was kicking the snot out of him in a rib-breaking sort of way. The light here also has made Dean look exceptionally attractive even by his standards.

In any case Ketch is wavering along a fine line of am i here to steal jack for power or save Mary because I still have a confusing boner for her in my heart or am I just here to save myself and be a dick... the usual kind of thing. I am assuming they're gonna play at least a degree of redemption with him but it makes it interesting in reverse to Jack that it teases he may go dark but he's ultimately a sweetie... Ketch is a dick through and through but they can tease the different paths he might take. From Buckleming's POV, redeeming him before he inevitably will be killed off again might be a sense of completing his story. I remain grumbly and annoyed he's back at all, and there are some boringly predictable paths he may take so I kind of hope he doesn't, or that the final writing of him falls to some other writer.

Still. This may or may not be a first chance to kill him off and "justify" bringing him back...

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"She will kill you... again."

-

Uhoh, angels. I feel like we might be about to meet a surprise face here... i suppose among either the angels or the humans, because any one of these angels could be a named character from seasons 4-12 brought back on a whim - including up to AU!Cas doing his job. And then the humans have their heads in bags

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well it's not the first 2 humans

-

oh look the smaller human with the long red hair was the small human with the long red hair.

Welp.

Look, this literally does not erase a single thing that they did in 10x21 and they can NOT buy that back, but at the same time I am glad on a wider level to see her again. I wish it was not Buckleming because I just can't trust them to be doing this for any reason other than people were angry and they are throwing peanuts at us and I have 0 expectation they'll have a progressive agenda or write Charlie particularly interestingly or well.

But if it puts her back into the story and she doesn't die...

I should ask Mittens that actually :P

-

Okay, Mittens confirms I do not have to watch her die again.

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Anyway. I doubt lessons are really learned on their end in their specific minds, which is all I actually want. I mean, Charlie could stay dead if we got a "we're sorry and we finally understand the problem and we were dicks but we'll try better" from Buckleming, and I feel like this is just literally beyond their capability with what we know about them vs fan interaction, and I doubt Dabb could twist their arms on that and have anything meaningful sink in. And so I will accept surface level that it's nice to see her again in some form but I don't have to like or forgive BL for doing this, and I can fully mistrust their motives, but like... whatever

-

Mary and Charlie have met, which means me writing shippy fic about them once upon a time kinda pays off.

I mean, that also implies she's a friend of Bobby's which is kinda sad because they only crossed paths in 7x20 and he broke her arm.

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Also wait, as well, Buckleming brought back AU!Kevin, another character they killed and was really crappy because boo killing off the show's meagre representation and especially more meagre representation among main-ish secondary characters (i.e. anyone who has at least 2-3 episodes, on this show :P)

In that case it was a LOT more like they were doing it because it was a part of the plot, as with Benny, but Charlie was wildly egregious, and Eileen just plain infuriating and recent enough it felt clear that they had NOT learned their lesson and really had no intention of doing so. Bringing back both Charlie and Kevin means, honestly, that I can practically see the peanuts they're hurling at us with the intention of shutting us up.

-

Anyway yay Cas n Sam hang out times

-

"And Misha Collins" flashes up on the screen, superimposed over Cas.

my lizard brain: "Oh good, Cas is in this episode"

-

i tired

-

At this point, Cas and Sam bickering over Dean as siblings and brothers in law is just... so completely commonplace it slips my mind to comment on it, whereas once upon a time I would have been wildly excited just to see it, the fact of their dynamic is deliciously cemented, and I'm just happy they're hanging out now :P

-

I still think Sam might have had better luck reminding Gabriel of the FUN things he did to them rather than the heroic tragic supposed death which was really just, well... whatever it was, if this is the real Gabriel

-

Why do I feel like Sam giving him his grace is a bad idea?

Also... why has he got it on a bandana in a serving dish? Is this just because it's kinda vaguely funny, or because it was making a low whistling noise the entire time and he covered it up because it was starting to set his teeth on edge? I mean, like... what is going on here... I'm just using the cues they give us :P

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Let the choo choo in

Cas learned a lot about how to handle infants when he was reading up on what to do about raising Jack. It's almost sad he doesn't have a baby to mess around with. I just spent a week with a baby and spent most of it trying to make him say "Marmoset" as his first word.

It's also wildly distracting in a hilarious way from wondering WHY Gabriel is so scared of supposedly his own grace. Maybe being what he once was, or becoming something he doesn't want to be.

Cas did the exact same thing when Crowley was trying to make him eat Adina's grace, although in that case Crowley was like omg shut up I already killed her, and you need to go save Dean for the both of us so just do it and die later, asshole, and Cas opened up with the right motivation. Choo choo.

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Anyway you would freaking think SAMUEL AND CASTIEL WINCHESTER of all people would NOT try and force a foreign powerful substance into someone else's mouth when they didn't seem to want it

-

Jo!! Hey babe, how's running Heaven going?

Well, she has to manage this dumbass so not well, apparently. There's presumably only so much she can get out of it when he just wants to play solitaire or "strip poker" with her... (playing with himself vs playing with someone else... is it a metaphor for him just sitting in his room jerking it while she does all the work? :P) but anyways... i love the image of his stupid pointy throne like hurr blurr look at me I run heaven and she's got a practical comfy chair next to it to sit and like... actually run heaven :P

Her "out" sounds like she was definitely off doing whatever she could, and both of them are reading/pretending the other was doing nothing, while Lucifer was BLATANTLY doing nothing and has no interest in doing it, while she needs the symbol of being attached to him to get what SHE needs, aka actual power and ruling Heaven, and clearly has run into a problem she can't deal with, without having Lucifer standing next to her.

You know, like how they say to bring a man when you go car shopping because you'll get a better deal and not get ripped off

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mittensmorgul side note: EVEN HEAVEN'S COLDEST ROOM HAS A SOFA BUT NOT THE DEAN CAVE #MadAboutIt

elizabethrobertajones You know that was the very next thing I was going to type

-

Lucifer uses Dumas to neg Jo about how she should be happy to be his "first lady" of Heaven, focusing on the me me me me side of the problem, grumbling about their relationship and how she's nagging him as a way of her showing disrespect etc

In this case I think Buckleming MAY be hitting the right note, maybe even on the side of too heavily, of Lucifer as the useless entitled male and Jo as the smart competent woman with her shit together... I mean, to the point where I'm ASSUMING we're on Jo's side but it might be one of those things where they literally do think it's funny to make her nag lucifer and they're on his side but I'm so wildly feminist compared to them that I literally can not read this scene from any side but rooting for her first, Dumas second, literally any other angel who  might walk through the door third, and finally and firmly last, Lucifer

I mean, Lucifer is literally draining Jo for power and is presumably at this point completely dependant on her since they may be doing a drug metaphor again, especially an implication that angel grace is addictive, re: Asmodeus (and what a nice throwback to Cas and how strong he was to resist it with all his heart when it was destroying him but also to say how TOXIC being an angel really is, perhaps also re: where we're going with Gabriel)... And yet he still claims Dumas rules in his favour when she answers neutrally, showing him choosing to make a wilfully wrong interpretation to back up what he wants to see. Aka this is not a metaphor for anyone in power right now and throwing around the word "first lady" in this scene means nothing? :P

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Dumas tries to remind Lucifer that he said he could make angels and he's like no go away and get Jack.. reeeally starting to doubt that he can do it

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lol "your father created. you inherited"

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Sister Jo is amazing and also I think I witnessed Buckleming shitting on Trump for a whole scene and I'm actually kind of amazed and horrified we agree on an extremely broad and obvious political issue

-

Asmodeus has those balls you spin around to strengthen your hand... on the other hand hehe he's playing with balls

we're going from the all-white heaven throne room with the asshole devil sitting on it, to the dark hell throne room with the all-white angel grace addicted demon sitting on it. This is actually a reasonably good scene transition and in general so far this episode has been weirdly well paced to the 9 minute mark at least, with a well-placed title card reveal, a how are sam n cas scene after and then the 2 sides of thrones one after the other, showing how the seats of power are doing right now...

not sure how long this LASTS but good editing may one day save us from the Buckleming nonsense if someone would just be sterner with it. There's so much in their episodes I could chop out...

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Also, Asmodeus is getting more interesting, twitchy and fidgeting now he's in withdrawal, and well aware that the grace was the only thing making him remotely a power player.

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lol @ dean letting branches hit Ketch as they go

in fact I'm headcanoning that he turned around and noticed him missing because he didn't hear the satisfying "thwap" of another thorn hitting him in the face and had to look to see what happened

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oh, nothing dramatic, just Ketch being a drama queen. Anyway, it was more of an incentive to start that argument than them just getting into it at random while walking so... kudos for introducing a scene with more than "we are talking about this now because we are"

Dean leads with that they're looking for Charlie because she's seen Mary, then she's seen Jack, and "we need her" - a clear practical motivation. Ketch counters that there is a different, personal reason to want her saved. A use your words correctly moment.

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Aaand now Dean's been shot by a slaver... the AU is fun

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Oh, this is a different bedroom set with no stairs, probably so they could ruin it by painting all over it. I wonder if Gabriel manifested this, because idk if they'd have left him the resources :P

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"It's his story, starting with his death" - a nice person translated some of it and found it WAS Bible verses relating to Gabriel, but the question is that this is going to tell us something different. The set people write a different story than the script, especially as there's no bible verse for 5x18 :P

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Oh good, so even if Gabriel isn't speaking, we're getting his words, in a way, including with snark about how Lucifer has half his brains, which in 5x18 seemed debatable that he might be whiny but did actually have a big old apocalypse going, but by now with Lucifer reduced to rubble in terms of being actually frightening, effective, or driven, all the archangels are diminished one way or another, including Gabriel himself. But his words betray the personality underneath lives on and is around and maybe retrievable, as there is snark within this writing, even if outwardly, Gabriel is a mess.

I mean.

I type this as someone who is so tired I can't speak without getting every sentence backwards and I have half-lidded eyes, am utterly depleted to the point I can barely walk, but inwardly, typey typey chatty chatty and I can still get much more advanced words out if I don't have to move anything other than my fingers and no running the words through the mouth. I am essentially borderline catatonic yet inwardly full of words and snark :P

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(I just travelled like 150 miles today after a week of touristing and these things don't stack well with chronic fatigue)

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Also to get this read, we need lots of close ups of Cas's hands touchy touchy... I like this. Cas likes to touchy touchy and we get to see close ups of his hands. Everyone wins

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and by everyone i mean don't imagine cas reading dean's face like this

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"Gabriel was gone, and suddenly, I was free - no obligation to God, or Heaven, or mankind."

("And so I did what anyone would do. I moved to Monte Carlo and shacked up with pornstars.")

The first line - epic. The second... lol. Gabriel's tastes have been compared to Dean's since we met the Trickster - they even bonded a lil over his sense of humour and the babes he conjured for Dean in the final confrontation. I was musing on some reverse verse art and realised angel!Dean written with no hang ups would be remarkably like fanon!Gabe, which just put me even more off Sabriel. In any case there was always a direct line between him and Dean. Of course, Dean literally has also crossed off his bucket list sleeping with a favourite porn star, so though chronologically it seems Gabriel got there first, it's another Dean trait being handed to him.

But on the other hand... back to the serious line... he DOES have hang ups, and he has the same angel hang ups that Cas does. This is the comparison of what they did after the apocalypse, and the diverging paths they were on. Cas felt this obligation to God and Heaven which played an overall part in his downfall in season 6 - 6x20 hammering home that he's waiting for God to tell him no before he does the thing, and in that moment of despair of missing the sign, he goes and does it. Cas has been struggling with this a long time and this is another thing along with the Sister Jo storyline and the stuff she said to Lucifer in 13x13 about feeling human, that picks up where we were in season 10 with Cas and the human arc and so on, and how he relates to being an angel. The sense of burden and obligation, his restraint from doing stuff like naffing off to hook up always obvious because we had Balthazar in 6x03 advising him to do what he had done, and what now we know for sure Gabriel was busy doing in the same time, only much better at staying under the radar about it.

Cas has never faked his death but he has died time and time again and each time he rises once more with an obligation and duty... and this time he's determined to work out WHY he was brought back, but see also rambles in 13x14 re: no you dummy you were brought back because your family loves you and wants you around, not because you HAVE to do anything, so stop running around trying to find that purpose and do what you want because you want to do it.

... but you know, do Dean instead of pornstars

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"He goes on and on about pornstars"

*Sam looks utterly grossed out* "Cas, please..."

Cas is a good egg, he and Sam don't need to know the deets so he skips over an entire wall

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what's with Lucifer's suit? I know I'm supposed to be all fashion meta-y but honestly all I got is "it's boring and black and with the sunglasses he's obviously a douche and evil but is he supposed to look like one of the MIB?"

mittensmorgul He's playing that other Lucifer, the one who moved to LA to solve crimes? Maybe?

elizabethrobertajones ooh is that a thing? :P hahahaha

mittensmorgul either that, or my first thought was heck he thinks he's one of the Blues Brothers "We're on a mission from God."

elizabethrobertajones yeah it looks a lot like that their whole thing was - originally - to do something to help a priest, right? I only watched half the movie

mittensmorgul YEP

mittensmorgul well it was an orphanage they were raised in that they were trying to save, run by Sister Mary Stigmata

elizabethrobertajones anyway I never watched enough to know if they were truly misguided or did something good and their nonsense was just them being nonsensical :P like, I know they were raising chaos but did they do it? you said "trying" to save >.>

mittensmorgul yeah, all sorts of wacky circumstances try to prevent them from putting on a fundraiser concert to save the orphanage (including the police, neo-nazis... all sorts of "evil") but the end of the movie is the concert, and they save the day Let the Good Times Roll as it were (Lucifer, however, failed to pull the trick off and gave up)

elizabethrobertajones yay :D so the reference could be that he's trying to do good like they are but continues to be a total fail whale

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He tries to listen to prayers, and after like 3 seconds decides it's awful and he hates it when it's just people "whining" and begging for help - this is an ongoing part of his comparison to human!Cas, when Cas went to the church and dealt with faith from the other end, being the petitioner instead (having already been God at this point :P). The Buckleming vs faith stuff is a surprisingly good and consistent thing, and other notable moments are Dean's confession in season 10 and Amara being affronted by the Church in season 11.

Lucifer tunes in on a random exorcism instead, probably because he thinks it's more fun.

Poor random demon (Anthony?)... that would ruin your day.

I mean, technically he did exorcise the girl...

Probably should have just claimed to be God, not Lucifer. If you wanted to impress them. Now it just looks like these priests have a bigger problem on their hands...

Yep that went about as well as it could go. You need to stop... melting people..

oh what do I care

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Anyway Lucifer has no self control because tantrumy child blah blah blah

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I took a break to catch my mum up on 13x17 and wow it really rubs it home how Heaven and Hell are being manned by performing buffoons with none of the skills to do the job. Asmodeus is a loser and not even juicing himself up has made him anything more this season, summed up best in an episode where he's entirely absent and Cas's response to being imprisoned is weary eye rolling... and Lucifer is just playing at being his dad, while continuing on the path of revealing his temperament to make it impossible for him to rule effectively...

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lol Ketch is so out of the game: "these... I don't even recognise" *Dean opens his gun to reveal the angel killing bullets*

You gotta play to keep up

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"You don't look good."

"Well, you're not my type either."

Dean remembers last season, huh? He is pretty on the ball about not getting seduced that time and knows Ketch would do it at the drop of a hat to get what he wants from Dean.

see also: top bunk and Dean agreeing subtext from last episode

basically: Dean is still a small amount vulnerable to Ketch's seduction depending on his leverage, despite everything Dean knows about him, and that's enough to put up the barrier. Especially when he's hurt.

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Oh no, Ketch asking Dean what's up with Charlie anyways and guesses "she broke your heart" and Dean symbolically collapses.

Literally what happens to Dean between 10x21 and 10x22

... okay metaphorically

I mean platonic heart breaking

I find it literally impossible not to mentally insert the feeling that Ketch killed Charlie in another lifetime and doesn't remember it and Dean is struggling with that, but Ketch genuinely has no idea, but he has become such an avatar of Buckleming nonsense in my head that I can not disengage him from the concept of dead Charlie - because also MAGDA poor lil duckie - and as such I feel a sort of all-purpose Buckleming rage directed at both the concept of Charlie's death and Ketch speaking on their behalf, which ends up in a very weird cross-purposes where I am struggling to read the story accurately, which is to say, that Ketch is genuinely innocent and just being annoying, rather than actually responsible.

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Don't watch stuff this tired, kids

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And, of course, immediately after establishing that Dean is somewhat vulnerable to Ketch's seductions, he swoons and Ketch comes running to check his temperature and open his clothes to check his wound

#manly bonding in the woods

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guys, this is what Ketch WANTED to engineer in 12x14 but couldn't get his shit together to be human enough to actually do the things that turn Dean on

like... heal him

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*cough*

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Not saying that there's a serious danger Dean will be seduced. However, Dean wounded in the woods for the sake of Ketch taking care of him is a fan fic concept and as contrived homoeroticism as the #manly sweat lodge episode with Cole.

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"How's it look, mom?"

You guys have the most fucked up thing ever and I refuse to engage and you can't make me

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Is cas healing gabriel or reading his mind aka more invasive stuff

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oh good, he is trying to heal Gabriel despite  thinking it's impossible. He's trying to "jolt his mind into thinking straight"

I am curious about how we have no Sam n Cas elsewhere aside from the one argument. We've had several scenes with them now, enough to see the pattern that they appear to be focussed on Gabriel more like they are the side characters to his return, but being used to explore it and we are just getting them mostly as actors to his recovery, rather than their own feelings about what it means for him to be back and if they trust his story and so on

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Sam looks distressed that Cas thinks that they can't bring Gabriel back to himself. Considering they have the grace they need to open the portal, it seems he genuinely does feel bad for the guy, and even if he didn't die on their behalf and buggered off to live the high life after telling them how to sort the apocalypse out from afar, he did enough that Sam feels genuinely grateful to him.

It's also possible that he's dealt with Dean enough to see right through his shit, and of course there's plenty of parallels to trauma Sam has been though. Gabriel looks like the version of Sam in 6x22 who remembered Hell, and that's more than enough for Sam to sympathise, especially with the bonding scene with him and Rowena in 13x12. All told, there's enough here to say Sam is deeply invested in the SUBTEXT if you know the character history

just... idk... I would prefer some Sam n Cas talk about it away from Gabriel to get more of a sense of it, and I hope that scene is coming but I'm worried it won't

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Ketch seems to still be determined to fix Dean

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Mmmhm.

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Sorry that was a "if I had energy I would be rolling on the floor laughing at the #manly healing in the woods camera angles, like I did with 10x15, but as it is I have no energy so a raised eyebrow and low "i see you" noise in my throat will do" comment

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We now also have a back and forth at least here with healing Dean and trying to get through to Gabriel. Sam is alone with him now. I think this is where we will see that speech from the promos.

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Sam shuts out Cas as a purely symbolic gesture

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dude can hear through walls and if the last time you two were chilling in the bunker for an episode is any indication, SEE through them too

side note: see also 9x11 for Dean x Crowley and Crowley's play at seduction, including the gross fatherly overtones to go with it

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With context, Sam starting from the point that Gabriel has to dig himself out of the hole seems to reference 6x22 even more directly. He sees where Gabriel is and he's got direct experience from having his psyche broken and going catatonic. This room is playing the part of the panic room - the Bunker now can split between dungeon and bedrooms depending on how people relate to the Winchesters. Gabriel can be kept here instead of in the dungeon because they deem him good. Sam being kept in the panic room was for his own sake, but it still seemed sort of imprison-y, but then, also paralleled 4x22.

Anyways.

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"You think it's safer inside. No more torture, no more pain. No more... expectations."

Look, Sam, it's lovely of you, but you are one rare cookie who voluntarily clambered over your broken wall and took back all the fucked up parts of yourself to be whole again

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Oh boy now Sam is talking about how he's nothing like his dad and family and the whole comparison between the two of them that appeared when Gabriel was revealed as more than the Trickster. How they both ran away from their lives.

Sam's colour palette in his plaid exactly matches the walls and the writing on them

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"And then my family needed me" (Dad's on a hunting trip...) "and this is my life. No matter how many times I try to fight it, this is what I was put here to do"

Like Cas, he has sought meaning in a "why meeeeee" way, and come to conclude, through more natural deduction than most have at hand due to their high connection to the cosmos, that where they are and what they're doing is their divinely ordained purpose

interestingly, in 13x05 Dean was told this about himself, and he's the only one we know for sure IS supposed to still be doing a job, per the cosmos, while Cas and Sam both have decided for themselves that it is what they're supposed to be doing. With dramatic irony, we know Cas is wrong due to 13x03, but Sam's is entirely more complicated and an entire essay on his character and where he is now in relation to his job and family and whether he feels obligated etc, but at the end of the day, I feel like this shows both that he is mostly content to do this - but always historically more likely to say it's because it's what Dean does and without Dean he wouldn't be doing it (see also: dad's on a hunting trip) but this always leaves open the concept that Sam still feels like at his core he's not entirely built for this life and there's a lil part of him that is still oriented towards normality, that he still has an itch that might follow him to his grave about living a somewhat normal life.

As I have talked about this a lot I will stop here, but in any case, technically nothing new, but Sam phrasing some stuff that I have analysed about him a lot and it's always nice to hear your ideas repeated on screen :D

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"Sure, hookers and monte carlo sounds great" dude, sam. PORN STARS. not hookers. Have some respect, man!

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Trust Gabriel to set it up so Sam's big emotional speech needs that interjection. Always fucking with him :D

Sam's getting to the speech about making the world a better place and being needed - the need/want thing is very interesting in this context that Sam has reached out to Gabriel via not wanting to help, having a sense of wanting to be elsewhere and wanting to be free, but then saying they NEED to save the world and make it a better place, and that there are external pressures like family that NEED them there.

-

It makes Dean's "need" in 8x17 SO horrifically personal in context it makes me weep

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since I didn't write down a sneaking suspicion it was Charlie in time, I am taking the big cookie for calling Gabriel's first words, after being so freaking annoyed about not knowing them last episode, and waiting to see what they'd be this episode... "Porn stars. They were porn stars, Sam."

I mean, thematically, use the right words, but also hahahaha I totally got Gabriel's line and intent down perfectly :D

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Anyway. Big cookie because last episode I was chattering about how either they'd be epic, or they'd be ridiculous, and we got ridiculous: after the Trickster lost his voice, the only way it could come back was being left an opening to say "porn stars" as his first words back.

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I'm so happy

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eeeep the Bunker doesn't seem to be built to contain archangel nonsense

or Buckleming forgot

who knows

maybe Asmodeus got the same confusing 20 mile radius as everyone else... he's gonna go stand in a corn field and look around like "... where are you?"

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Dean full on sweet potatoes face plants

Ketch is still bothering him about Charlie which is still making me feel like he murdered her in a past life and symbolically he fkin did and I think on some deep down metafuckery level Dean knows that.

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Ketch tries to suggest AU Charlie would tell the angels what they want to know and Dean's like, I know my Queen, she would never in a million billion universes do that. She's a Good Egg.

"Charlie was like family. She was a sister to me. She did more for me and Sam than I could ever say. And she was butchered by these fucking writers, and we couldn't get there in time. And I - "

:<

Dean knows he failed her, just like he failed Kevin. He should rescue AU Kevin while they're at it.

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Yeah yeah show me the bathtub, you're not fuckin tugging these heart strings, you're tugging the "I will punch you in the face" strings

-

Then Ketch is all full of regret about people he didn't TRY to save. "Duty, and all that." Asmodeus really broke him, but he broke him in the direction that Ketch was ALREADY broken by the BMoL, and Ketch clearly is adrift and seeking a different path - there's something about his story which is not Cas-like but still has a shade of it - he has fallen from his organisation in dishonour, but he didn't even do that right, he just failed to be as big a dick as he could have been, was killed by people who righteously were pissed off with him, and when he popped back up he went undercover and sold his services to a high bidder, to distract from his lack of purpose, only to realise he did have some sense of morality after all, even if it had initially enormous lines like "oh shit, literal lucifer" rather than nuances, but now he is reflecting on what at the time was duty and now seems failure - his Lily Sunder moments, but again... knowing he was a dick literally right up until just now when he's suddenly turning his life around.

And blah about analysing him much more. Watching 13x17 in the middle of this episode has been confusing about my Ketchmodeus resistance/feelings, as I am now genuinely curious about them and the part they play in this story, even if intellectually I'm like "Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" to the entire concept.

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"Well, you do suck."

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Glad Dean is here to keep us on the right track, re: cool motive still murder :P

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"Perhaps rescuing this Charlie will wash some of the stain off my hands."

look, Dabb, whoever, thanks but really, I am good over here loathing Buckleming. Get them to write a signed and sealed letter to prove they are behind this and mean it, and maybe I'll accept it as a meta commentary from their mouths. In the mean time, yes, this can be a line for the greater show, but these 2 writers are not getting sympathy without me being certain they mean it.

-

Dean bumps Ketch on the shoulder, all friendly like. Welp. He's dead. It was a punch, not a pat. Gentle, but.

-

Heee, Charlie (Celeste?) saying "Bite me"

tbh I should call her Celeste. I have no idea what name she's been using but Charlie was just an alter ego and I KNOW she was born Celeste Middleton if I don't know anything else about her. Charlie is really only a name she uses because Sam n Dean know it and care about her as Charlie

-

Anyway, it's the "fuck off" club

-

Okay, seems Asmodeus asked around/looked in Crowley's diary and found out where Sam n Dean live, and what "within 20 miles of Lebanon, Kansas" generally means when some fuckery is afoot, and just phoned Sam up rather than go right there.

Importantly, Sam has been chatting to Asmodeus for the entire time minus a week in the Bad Place AU between 13x07 and 13x13 as he was carrying the bulk of the communications with "Cas"

-

Also, yellow eyed demons are kinda scary, especially when you don't have a Colt and have an entire life time trauma caused by the bro of this guy

-

Oh pfft Lucifer is in this episode.

Oh! Sister Jo! Hi!!!! <3

She's sitting on the sofa and making me feel sulky about sofas and their general existence around here.

Asmodeus was also sitting with his feet up and had a pattern on the sole of his shoes which looks superficially similar to Jo's.

-

woaaaaah whaaaaaat Lucifer LIED about being able to make angels and give 'em back their wings??????????????

-

So yeah Sister Jo just narrowed her eyes and she's either gonna rip his throat out now or plan bloody murder by the end of the season :P

-

She's ripping out his throat. Wonderful. Tell it like it is *loads of clapping hands emojis*

-

GET OFF HER YOU BRUTE

-

"and now you don't have me" *storms off*

I love her

-

I can't believe Charlie is using Charlie Bradbury in this AU as well. I mean, I totally can. I wonder if Buckleming even know she's called Celeste :P

-

I'm still wondering if that angel with all the speaking lines who got away is AU!Cas

-

"We've got to get you out of here"

"Who the hell are you?"

... Dean you have so many cool lines but you're not being written by Robbie Thomspon, so "no time" will do I suppose

-

Sam n Cas wandering around the Bunker with the warding failing... uhoh

-

Cas really does seem to be here because he's in this episode, so far, although the support is nice for Sam I am still feeling like they aren't cashing in on the Sam n Cas dynamic, so even if it's them fighting together, I'd love to see it. I like that they have a comfortable relationship but, and big butt, it's like if there's no ongoing plot between the two of them, Buckleming really can't or won't think of anything for them to say to each other that isn't 100% about the plot.

Honestly there should be a metric where in episodes with Sam n Cas they talk about something other than Dean or the plot, which even Buckleming do pass and others fail - like the crappy car exchange in 11x03. But, like. Should be a regular function of if they're in an episode together in the same scenes, they can at least, like... exchange pleasantries.

-

I wonder if we can see the warding because Cas can see it or if Sam can too. I'm headcanoning Cas POV unless proven otherwise

-

I am pretty sure I just saw Cas get knocked on his back and in the very next shot be back on his feet and fighting, which means we got both the cas on his back tickbox and also proof it only happens when he's in a bad mood where he stays down??

-

Asmodeus wanders in like sorry they didn't design the warding for me.

come on, buddy. that's a "I walked out the demon trap because it's boring if I stay in here" line

-

Interestingly the writing does seem to be genuinely interested in Gabriel being traumatised and showing clearly that Asmodeus is the abuser, so idk if that's a wider picture thing or what because Buckleming kinda suck at considering how people, you know... feel... about things... but it's actually making the entire dynamic entirely more interesting

in any case, I really  hope this scene ends with Gabriel saving them thanks to the grace and a lil TLC to help him remember himself but that that's not the end of his Asmodeus fear - which goes to show that even a weak shitty demon can be truly scary when he uses his power to abuse and we can't just say Gabriel is way more powerful than him, why is he scared of him, rather than devaluing it this way... who knows

-

Anyway. COME ON GABRIEL *cheering wildly despite my initial disappointment in his return* I guess I'm all in now... he's here and I said they'd fuckin make me root for him because I still like Gabriel even if I don't like that he's here right now :P

-

He looked terrifying while he still had the cuts on his lips and the glowing eyes.

Now he clean!

And he got fluffy wings!

-

*random power ball throwing bullshit*

*Gabriel like nah*

-

YAY Asmodeus is dead and it was an extremely satisfying and personally vindicating for Gabriel immolation!

*immediately and permanently stops caring about him as a character*

-

Bleh, I was wondering about the bit at the start with Charlie deflecting at the maybe maybe not AU Cas angel on the bridge but now she's wondering if Dean n our Charlie were a couple and Dean's like oh no she was into chicks and Charlie's like cool I like her, but does that imply AU Charlie is straight? I mean, in 7x20 she couldn't flirt with the security guard even in a fake way to save her life, but I was hoping the earlier thing was just to show she was tougher in this world.

Bleeeeeh

-

Charlie has met Mary, who should theoretically be as many years younger than her as Mary is to Dean, as Charlie is the same age as Dean. No wonder she's baffled.

-

Oh thank god someone stopped Buckleming using Sam n Cas to recap the entire plot of the season so far to Gabriel

-

I wonder what Gabriel even thinks about it when he drops off the map for 8 years and as soon as he's back, Sam and Cas are like, so. Uh. Michael vs Lucifer and some other shit?

-

I mean obviously he's leaving, but in a wider meta sense, of, like, do these guys ever stop? The real Michael isn't even around so they get an AU one to bother them!

-

Cas using the "turn your back on your father's creation" line is weak, but deliberately so, I think. Cas cares very little about anything in terms of Chuck and what he wants and does. Using it on Gabriel is a thin hope that he still cares for the principles he seemed to care about, or that he had searched for God as well as he admitted in 5x08, so perhaps, just a little, it might still sway him to think of it in these terms.

Cas has no conviction on that front, because what has Chuck ever done for him as far as Cas feels, so he can't really use that line on Gabriel and mean it

-

woah what a surprise, without the weird Ketchmodeus thing going on any more Ketch just wants to stay in the AU who ever would have guessed he likes it here better than cool original flavour earth

-

He really is banking on Charlie being as good as she's reported to be if he's planning on wandering into a camp with Mary in it like yo I'm here to help

-

I do like tough!Charlie, though if she's straight!Charlie, I've just gotta hope that growing up in the AU, she never got a chance to learn to be comfortable with herself in that same way and oh noes maybe Mary can help................

-

Dean doesn't want to lose Charlie again, but he has also to deal with the fact she has Charlie's face but she's not his Charlie, just another Good Egg with her face.

-

Holy crap he gave his iconic gun to Charlie

-

TFW catching each other up

...

why do I feel like Dean would be the one to get Gabriel to fight now Sam and Cas totally struck out? I guess there's another Gabriel episode coming up soon soon soon, which will presumably sort this out.

-

Ah whoops, you need more angel grace, huh?

...I shouldn't tease Sam, as this all sinks in he's looking increasingly upset and I think Cas needs to prop him up right now because last time this happened he nearly turned into a miserable puddle of defeat on the floor

-

Okay don't yell Dean, we're all stressed and this was all out of everyone's hands... you all made the best decisions in the moment

-

I feel genuinely uncomfortable with that realisation, especially to think that no one dropped the Buckleming idiot ball and they're using genuine unfortunate circumstances to create the tension whaaaaaaaaat

-

Dean's reaaaaaaally not doing well either. Cas needs to prop him up too.

In his case, maybe a bubble bath.

Mostly cuz he's really grubby, though.

-

This is also the first time in a while that they haven't wandered through the Buckleming script looking kinda perturbed, but Jensen is acting his freaking socks off.

Where did this material all come from? I said this set up might play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses but this is uncomfortably not-terrible.

-

Also LOVING this shot of Dean with Sam and Cas over his shoulders

-

Dean better not be thinking of hurting Gabriel just to go back though.

I mean, it's urgent, but... like...

what is Jack up to right now? He and Bobby and Mary are not just sitting on their thumbs.

-

Next episode is another unholy Rowena & Yockey team up, right? Or is that 20?

Oh gosh we're so near the end of the season.

I'm so tired.

night night.

[charred-ground]

Season 6 and what it changed for me (spoiler: Not a whole lot)

I want to point out that this is not a judgement ships. This is purely me and I will never ever attack another ship. Ship what you want. This is personal opinion and something I noticed in myself since Season 6.

Sheith (the biggest change): I won’t say Sheith is dead as a whole, but for me it is. The ship never bothered me, and I could totally see where it is coming from. My problem comes because I can place myself in Keith’s head. Without going into too many details, I have family, step brothers who I would die for. I would go to the ends of the earth for them. They raised me when my parents were off working. I love them. I love them dearly. When it was revealed that Shiro took Keith out of a ‘home’ and when Keith and Shiro had their duel a cord snapped in me and I knew the Sheith inside of me died. 

“You’re my brother. I love you.” The love he expressed hit very close to home. I cannot see them in a romantic light any more. I can’t sully that moment by making it sexual or romantic. It just feels wrong to me. Their relationship is beautiful as it is.  (Ship what you wish! This is still a ship friendly blog. These are only my opinions)

Klance: Well, it is what it is. I did find episode two interesting. There was a directional take I wouldn’t expect. They cut between Keith and Lance at very strange moments. The parallels were strange and appeared very intentional. I won’t reach and say “OMG CANNON KING” but I didn’t give up on this ship this season. Some parts were difficult but I know there’s more left and I’m thinking about words the producers have said (I’m paraphrasing, you all know the quotes) “Lance will end up some place different then where he started. Lance’s wants and Lance’s needs. Who ever ends up with has to be self confident and know who they are.” Well... I’m sorry that sounds like an aged up Keith to me. And maybe I am reaching but the series isn’t over yet.

And holy crap is Keith pretty and Lance is adorable... my god they did a great job animating them...

Aged Up Keith: My god the boy is beautiful. Strong. Confident. Leadership material all the way. Age brings beauty, wisdom, and strength. I understand why they had to do it (And if he IS taller than Lance? He’s not that much taller) While it did feel a little cheap *shrug* There would be no way for Keith, as he was, to face down Shiro and survive it mentally or physically if they didn’t do it. Because of the unexpected inclusion of Shiro past the original story line, the writers and producers were in a jam. They had to make it work and they made due with what they had. So now it feels like we are exactly where we should have been at the end of Season 3 and seasons 4 and 5 were just to get Keith to this point rather than have 2 seasons represent 2 years of growth for the whole team as one unit. Dreamworks demand for MORE SHIRO created this situation and the writers had to adjust. 

A judgement Part: And for the LOVE OF GOD people who don’t know the ramifications of what they say should NOT throw around words like pedophilia. Christ almighty people. It was wrong when people were doing it to Sheith stans. Its wrong for people to do it to Klance stans. I mean wow. How callous and ignorant do you have to be to just throw something like that around? (I WILL get pissed about this).  It’s as if you have no idea what that word really means and you use it so flippantly to hurt an animated ship.  Honestly... all that happens to this poor boy and THATS what you focus on? 2 damn years? (this gripe goes both ways, you are not innocent Klancers not by a long shot. You started this...)

Allurance: I honestly don’t know how I feel about it. I want them both to be happy. I love them both and they are adorable, but something doesn’t feel right about the set up for it. Perhaps if Allura chose Lance first I’d feel differently. I’m sure as the seasons go on more will show about her thought process and her expression when the mice told her about Lance’s feelings. I refuse to think ill of Allura. She’s hurt, confused, and angry. Lance is warm, supportive, and right there.  I don’t blame her for leaning on him. Who else did she have to lean on? Lance just tried to be for her what no one has been for him. To be there. 

Lance: Which brings me to this boy. The boy deserved a little better. I’m not even a Lance Stan but I did feel that he could have been used a little better than a plot device in a love triangle. We were witnessed to his silent suffering this season. He holds the team up but no one is there to hold him up. Which might be why I’m finding the Allurance thing a bit difficult (right now). He took on Allura’s suffering along with his own heart ache. He has moments where he could have thrown it back in her face, but he didn’t. Lance is a good guy. Always has been. He swallowed his pain while easing Allura’s. And everyone just seems to take from him and he never asks to get anything back. This co-dependent way of living is not healthy, but I’m admittedly curious to see where this will take him and how he figures out his wants vs his needs.    

Lotor: Um.. well... saw that coming a mile a way... but kinda wished they prolonged it more. I’m running on the fact that the quintessence made him snap. And do not believe for a second the boy is dead. He probably got sucked up into a different universe and is building an army of Altean soldiers who share is ideals (I wonder..where... he could find that...) and will come back with a ship filled with mind control devices...(shudder)

Fandom (the judgement part): Needs to chill out. The series isn’t over yet. There’s a lot that can happen. Stop being so knee jerky and attacking other fans. That gets us no where and gets you no where. It might feel good to express yourself by lashing out at others, but it doesn’t prove anything other than an inability to see the world beyond yourself and your own opinions. Yes it hurts. Yes it sucks. But that’s life. We don’t always get what we want. The world is not a ‘safe space’. You don’t have control over other people and their emotions or their creativity. Live and let live. Voltron will not be around forever. It will end. It will have a series finale. Be thankful you ever had a fandom to be a part of for the brief blip of time this actually is in your life. Don’t waste it by being toxic. It will get you no where.  

There you have it... forgive type-os... I’m tired...

[kiss-my-freckle]

I had an honest conversation with a Keen2 shipper not long ago about intent and how important that is to me. If you’re gonna sell me a good guy, then you better hand me a good guy. Bad things alike, no one is clean in this show. Even Aram is capable of doing bad things under the right circumstances. For Samar and his task force family, he’d probably do anything. They still have yet to show us what the Cabal had on him back when they framed Liz, but that’s another matter entirely. 

When you try to sell me the idea that Tom is/was a good guy, you better show me why. Show me why he went against Red for five seasons, and don’t give me some random or otherwise cheap “oh he hired Tom to spy on her” crap. If you aligned him with Rostov, allowed him to believe he was her real father, it would make better sense. Then I could see Tom as a man who thought Red kidnapped this child from her real father. Clearly a woman who’s shown to be dealing with identity issues, abandonment issues, and has the sincere desire to rewrite her past. It would make sense for someone like Tom, to know what that feels like having a similar childhood. Who believed he himself was abandoned by his own mother. To think that while he may not be able to confront his past, perhaps he could help her to get answers about hers. 

During this conversation, a part of me went back to The Caretaker. Something that struck me as I considered the spinoff and the sell they had for it. Tom’s words to Gina. They keep on, like an echo. 

“We don’t save people, Gina. We watch them drown.”

The way he spoke to her, it was like a mission statement. Their job was to save people, a belief Tom obviously once held true. The same as he said to Liz in The Pavlovich Brothers. That he wasn’t there to hurt her, his job was never to hurt her. He’s one of the good guys. That same idea. I’m here to save you, not watch you drown. And as I look at his missions, it makes sense to me. Here’s a man who quite possibly believed he was doing bad things for all the right reasons. Again, their sell for the spinoff. 

It’s in his missions. Berlin. A man who believed the real Reddington killed his daughter and sent her back to him piece by piece. If Tom believed this to be true, then his mission was to assist the father, a man wanting vengeane for his daughter. Why not, only a monster would do such things. No less honest than any other wanting vengeance. It’s understandable. The German mission. A woman was killed by one of Elias’s men, and they were such a nasty bunch. She could’ve been a daughter, a sister, a mother. Again, assisting in that wold be understandable. But you hand me Red, a man who’s clearly shown time and time again that he’d do anything for Liz, and I have to ask why. Why not align him with Rostov. It makes more sense that way. Not to be an ass, but being honest about all of it. I won’t find any care for his character until the writers hand me that. Despite what things I believe of his death, which I felt was rather powerful. But yeah. Give me a good and clear reason. Just one. 

At this point, it’s already certain that Tom started working against Red prior to the pilot. Hell, even before his marriage to Liz because his employers asked for that. And if you’re gonna try selling me the idea of him marrying her out of love, you’ve got the wrong theorist. He’s a straight parallel to Katarina having married Constantin as a cover while targeting Red. Came out of his own mouth several times that he married her as part of his job. He fell in love with her later, as Katarina did Raymond. That’s why he parallels both of Liz’s parents.

Look, what I want you to know, is that it happened because I made it clear that I’m out. I’m done with those people and that life. But there are things that I did, and… and… and I might be done with those things, but I can’t promise you that those things are done with me. And I can’t promise you that it’s not gonna happen… tomorrow or next week or… or five years from now.

That’s why, just as we saw with Katarina’s husband playing out some 30 years later - fabricated DNA report and all, I believe we’re gonna see the unfolding of Tom’s alignment with Rostov. Because the truth will out. It always does. What Tom did prior, as he spoke of before the S3 wedding, before he made his promises to Liz. 

As it stands now, in a way that I can clearly see it, the alignment wasn’t between Tom and Berlin. It was between Berlin and Rostov. Both men hiring their own doubles to act on their behalf through Tom because neither man could enter the country. Both had clear issues with Red regarding their daughters. Fake Berlin introduced after the plane crash, fake Constantin introduced in 2x20 when Tom was seeking answers about Katarina. 

“They chose me.” Berlin was only one man. 

The real Berlin ends up in the hospital with a self-amputated hand. His double doesn’t hear from him. Tom came in, asking if anyone else survived. He was hoping Berlin did. The alignment with Rostov is no longer an alignment. It’s every mission for itself. Tom has to take a new job. Berlin can’t trust him. His double is dead, but Tom is not. Constantin’s double doesn’t hear from Tom until 2x20. Until then, he would’ve likely believed him dead all the same. That’s when I kick it to the Harbormaster case because I think he broke that shit wide open. 

Then what you have, is The Director selling him the idea that Red is using her for the Fulcrum. OMG, he can’t have that. He would then aide The Director in taking a shot at Red, not realizing they’d frame Liz in the process. I could totally see that. Ressler got fooled by Hitchin, Cooper by Connolly. Why not. 

[poipoi1912]

Barba-centric thoughts on Ep 19x13

For the last time.

But first, to get it out of the way.

Sonny Thoughts

Who’s that?

No but, are we honestly expected to believe that Sonny would pass on observing Barba’s murder trial?

Sonny, who is a lawyer himself, would pass on witnessing a) any colleague’s MURDER TRIAL, b) BARBA’S murder trial, c) Randy Dworkin working his magic and d) the skills of Peter Stone, out of sheer curiosity? How does any of that make sense? Sonny as a law student was eager to shadow Barba just to observe a random trial he had no personal connection to, and he’d return to the precinct literally saying “court was AWESOME” while the others rolled their eyes, and now that he’s a lawyer, all he does is say “lol it’s a good thing I’m a cop”?

Remember when the conversation was “will Carisi join or even replace Barba at the DA’s office?” to the point where Peter was asked about it in interviews? Remember when Sonny’s law degree had a purpose? When it was building up to something, to a potential change? When Sonny actively faced a dilemma? Now it’s only good for a throwaway line.

What has Sonny done all season?

Nothing.

Which brings me to, what has Barba done this season?

A lot, and none of it’s good, unfortunately.

Barba Thoughts

Barba has messed up many times this season. Too many. Twice it’s been completely intentional (causing a mistrial with the jurors on that elevator, and this). We’ve seen him act way too emotional for someone in his position, and indeed we have seen his heart guiding him (like it did the other week, with the alt-right/antifa case, when he dropped the charges because his heart wasn’t in it). It’s a fact that Barba changed, a lot, over the years, and this season saw him going through even greater changes.

In the past, he always had his integrity. He may have misstepped before (like with Munoz, who was a very close childhood friend) and he may have held opinions which pitted him against the squad or the police in general (the Terrence Reynolds case), but he always held his positions with impressive, if firm, conviction. Just last season, he admitted to what was, at the time, his “deepest” secret, i.e. giving money for drugs to a witness who ended up OD’ing, and even then he believed he had done the right thing.

Because he did do the right thing. Then.

This season, however, Barba has been doing the wrong thing, way too often.

Part of me appreciated the focus on Barba’s decisions, and part of me was suspicious (as I mentioned recently) because I knew that, usually, when a character receives an unprecedented amount of focus, it means they’re on their way out, and all those “bigger” moments are meant to sett up their exit arc.

I was wrong.

Barba’s exit wasn’t the result of his longterm disenchantment with his work. Barba’s exit wasn’t set up previously at all. Barba’s prior mistakes were, in retrospect, simply meant to highlight the fact he has turned into Liv, i.e. he shows complete disregard for the law and just does whatever he wants wait no, I mean, he has grown a heart. also he could never fully become Liv because her actions never have consequences Because you can’t have a heart and still prosecute criminals? For some reason? Do the writers know Barba wasn’t a defense attorney?

Anyway,

This was no masterplan. Barba’s exit happened on a whim. Even though the writers have known about Raul’s desire to leave since literally before the season started, they did nothing to create an actual exit arc. They just used him as normal, and they came out with the most dramatic, far-fetched and soapy idea they could to create a single exit episode, instead. Which Barba then had to share with McCoy and his own replacement, both of whom took up valuable time which could have been spent on Barba himself, and on highlighting Barba’s importance to the entire squad.

When an actor leaves amicably, and when they graciously make themselves available for an exit “arc”, it’s customary to treat them with the analogous level of respect.

Barba deserved a tribute, and this episode was no tribute to Rafael Barba.

Case(y) Thoughts

Remember when I said a “right to die” case had some potential for an exit arc, even though it would never come close to (the actual best ADA) Casey Novak’s iconic exit in S9? Casey, of course, put her career on the line by knowingly lying about evidence (i.e. something a lawyer would conceivably do), because she wanted justice. Because she tried to help a friend and colleague (my fave, Chester Lake) who snapped and resorted to extreme actions when the system failed him and a victim.

“He deserved to pay.”

“And so do you.”

That’s how you write a morally gray exit.

You do NOT have an Assistant District Attorney literally turn off life support for a baby even though he is not a doctor or even a relative of the child. Truly no one would do what he did in real life. No one. No matter what half-assed and canonically inaccurate story the writers tried to spin about his father.

Can you imagine? Physically ending a life thus rendering yourself liable for homicide? When it’s not your place to do so? And you are fully aware of the legal ramifications? When the life in question is a child’s life, and the parents disagree on what to do? Can you imagine “siding” with one parent and taking that final (and irreversible) step, as the other parent is forced to forever live with the consequences of your actions?

Can you imagine any of us finding any of that ethical?

Can you imagine that, instead of having Barba passionately argue a case for the right to die, or find a smart, legal-yet-shady way to help the mother do the deed herself without being charged for a crime (which was what I thought was going to happen, when the episode began), the writers had him physically pull the plug?

With that one move, and with the fact Barba’s actions were attributed to (selfish) emotion, because of his father, Barba lost his moral footing, no matter what that opening eulogy tried to tell us. His position on the matter may well have been correct (it was certainly defensible), as was his instinct to help that poor mother, but his actions were wrong. And this is now how or why I wanted him to leave. Not because he was so very wrong.

Squad Thoughts

I admire Liv for personally and single-handedly manning an entire Special Victims Unit while taking the time to attend lengthy trials and also haphazardly inserting herself to any and all hostage situations in the Tri-State Area.

Stone Thoughts

Eh. That said, I did like his quip about the Class A Felony. My Barba thoughts aside, I’ve been saying it all along, SVU needs a prosecutor who does the job without being emotionally compromised every five minutes. It’s one thing if A Case hits home, but an ADA who can’t do his job because his feelings are clouding his judgment shouldn’t have a job oh wait he no longer has a job lol.

Also I can’t believe I’m saying this but I was Team Stone, not Team Liv (or Team Barba) and I kinda think that’s exactly what the showrunner intended? And I’m offended I fell for it? But Stone was right so I had no choice but to agree with him? is it because i’m a lawyer too omg

I’m conflicted. But Liv dissing him over not having children (I hate that more than I hate most things by the way) and then acting like Barba, who also has no children, “gets it”, I guess because he’s been around her long enough, and her parenting skills are so good they’ve transferred over to him? Ugh.

Seriously, Team Stone. Do you think there’s a chance the showrunner (who created the character and is clearly attached to him) will actually let Stone be his own person? And challenge Liv on equal footing? Because Liv might be Liv, and Mariska might be Mariska, but the showrunner’s love for Peter Stone might be enough to keep him from being swallowed by the Benson Vortex?

(and do I kinda like that? Are they gonna make me like Peter Stone by having him disagree with Liv every time she’s wrong i.e. all the time? Because I’m open to it 👀)

Religious Thoughts

Both Barba and Carisi have talked about their faith in the past. Carisi especially is a man of faith who regularly goes to church and has been shown to be a true believer. And yet, he had no insight to offer about what the Church might have to say about a case like this. In fact, religion was not mentioned at all. During this case, of all cases. In my opinion, that was because the writers knew that by religious standards there is no defense for Barba’s actions, and they didn’t want to give the audience a reason to think negatively of him. Still, this was a glaring omission.

Stray Thoughts

“Weasel”? They couldn’t find a better word lol?

RANDY DWORKIN. Not an obvious choice to defend Barba (oh, Rita, where art thou?), but definitely an entertaining one. I felt like I was watching the original Law & Order every time he spoke. Also, every single thing he argued was, indeed, defensible, and the writers made a decent (if schmaltzy) effort to paint Barba’s actions in a positive light, but the fact remains; having the right to die (which I personally support) is not the same thing as allowing a complete stranger to (technically) kill you “for your own good”. Even if it was the right decision, it was not Barba’s decision to make, and the trial glossed over that a bit.

Jack is still the DA? Since when? And why did they never namedrop him in all these years?

Both Peter Stone’s Class A felony quip and Jack’s quip about it being “unbecoming” to have his ADA’s killing people were great lines, but they rubbed me the wrong way because they were effectively making fun of Barba? But also they were accurate? And Barba deserved to be dragged? Again, I’m conflicted.

The new showrunner can write dialogue very well, but he cannot write season-long arcs (the Sheila mess confirmed that), he can’t write characters well or consistently, and he struggles with original episode ideas. For Season 19, I guess that’s not so bad. But for television in general, in its current thriving state, it’s pretty disappointing.

Liv, to an Assistant District Attorney: Forget the law for a minute.

me: *facepalm*

Peter Stone: lol how ‘bout I don’t?

me: u go gurl

The Barisi Corner

One last time, for old times’ sake.

The ship lives forever in our hearts. Where it’s always lived.

And also in Peter Scanavino’s heart ❤️

[leesungjongg]

BTIMFL Review

This is long and it goes from Negative to Positive, and then to Negative... and then to Positive. I guess you’ll see if you decide to read it. Also it’s very long. warning. Also it’s disorganized and i don’t have time to spam the drama for now but i will later just a warning ok also spoilers and this is just my opinion you don’t have to agree with it. here it is:

warning: rape mention. there was an attempted rape in the drama itself and i talk a little bit about it near the end of the review. just so u know

It was an okay drama. I probably wouldn’t watch it again though, because there were a lot of things that I still had questions about and although the ending was nice, it was not that great, in my opinion. When I was reading the captions/subtitles when Jiho was talking (whether it was the background voice or just her speaking), half the time I ended up not even understanding anything she was saying and I started zoning out .-. Of course, there were cute scenes and scenes that made me smile. There were also scenes where it hurt my heart and I teared up at (like when Sooji’s mom told her that her legs were holding Sooji back from being with her boyfriend LIKE THAT SCENE UGH. MY HEART.) Cute scenes where Jiho was smiling and everything made me really happy :’))))) honestly idek why she decided to terminate the contract bc she twisted and turned with her words so much that i got lost and i was like man, i need a new GPS system. Anyways. The characters were great! The plot? the storyline...???? idk. the scenes also cut off weirdly. everything about this drama is weird. even the whole contract that Sehee and Jiho made to live together/get married and have like nothing else... that was weird. I told my friend and she was like “marriages are more like contracts of loyalty rather than contracts of businesses” and although it wasn’t a business... it wasn’t... i guess it was for loyalty? man idek what im talking about. it was weird that’s all i have to say. what really tugged my heartstrings was when Jiho came back and Sehee was like “no ur just a dream, this is so cruel. but i love this dream, please never leave” aND LIKE JIHO SAW HIM CRY LIKE BRUHHHHHH SAME HERE MAN I WAS LIKE UGHFHFHHHHH JIHO!!!!! my love :( seriously... Jiho... idk who plays Jiho but i remembered her from D Day and in this drama she looks so beautiful. ok here comes the positives im so excited. the lighting... especially the lighting when it came onto Jiho’s eyes (or anyone’s really) WAS SO. PRETTY. WTFFFFFFF honestly she’s so beautiful. I loved her hairstyle, I want to draw her. I suck at drawing but literally @Jiho ur my muse now. i loved the hair and makeup and the lighting so soooo much in the drama. I loved Jiho’s pink coat at the end of the drama, and I surprisingly liked her wedding gown at the beginning of the drama when they first got married. I love Jiho’s shy smiles, she looked like an actually bunny!!! I love everything about her! ok maybe im talking about the actress more than the character BUT STILL. she’s so pretty ;(( Sehee’s pretty cool. Everytime he made a facial expression, I found it hilarious bc he was always keeping the same face in every episode. Idk how he did it. but he’s amazing. i loved when CEO Ma came up behind him and was about to surprise him but then he said Jungmin? AND SEHEE LITERALLY SCREAMED AND ALMOST KILLED CEO MA ok maybe not that far but he almost whacked him in the face lol. the way he got surprised made me laugh. throughout most of the drama though, he had red eyes and from my experience, everytime i’ve had red eyes is when i havent slept enough... i hope the actor who plays him gets a lot more sleep :( CEO Ma. I love him so much. One of my favorite characters. He was so pure honestly and he deserved everything. I’m glad he was there for Sooji, and everything he did for her. It was weird because Sooji didnt want him to intrude on her life but he did it anyway, and in such a romantic way too? I thought he’d be somewhat annoying about it but he was sincere and such a gentleman. Love u CEO Ma. Please continue on your being nice path. Sooji. Very harsh, difficult... she scared me at times. But I loved how badass she was. i would probably be afraid to approach her but i would love to have her as a friend. she’s tough, but sometimes i think she needs a break from life ;( glad she started her own business and quit her job (even though i would’ve loved to see her quit sooner and have a flourishing business) Wonseok.... and Horang :(((((((((((( SERIOUSLY RELATIONSHIP GOALS. Despite the arguing THEY WERE SO CUTE TOGETHER. I loved them so much. It was so weird when they broke up and it felt so wrong, but they got back together in the end... it was weird. like i said, this whole drama is weird. BUT MINSEOK PLAYED IN THIS AHHHH GOOD JOB MINSEOK!!!! Horang is literally gorgeous. so so beautiful, and her smile BLINDS you, god. she’s so pretty. Overall, this drama was okay. ALSO OMG I FORGOT TO MENTION Bok Nam. he’s kinda cute. i wished Lee Hyunwoo played him. he’s adorable in my eyes. Bok Nam was really fishy at the start with him knowing everything SO I WAS SO SURPRISED WHEN HE WASNT THE KIDNAPPER WTF? dude u played that part so well, good JOB. i fell for it. we all fell for it. anyways, at the beginning the drama, Jiho was in a group where she was the assistant writer and honestly i didnt understand anything that she went through with her writing and stuff, all i know is that 1) she wasnt enjoying her position because the other writer kept crossing everything out on her story and making it her own, 2) the guy who had flirted with her for three years and got a FRICKING GIRLFRIEND ended up almost raping her while he was drunk like you deserve to eat dirt. good bye. glad Se hee kicked his ass at the end of the drama (which also made me angry because WOW. it took THIS long for him to come and apologize AND THAT HE SAID HE DIDNT MEAN TO?? WHAT?!!?! son u had every intention of doing that to her that night dont u even dare cover it up with any bs excuse, ur poop now) and to bring back the third point, 3) the writing team tried to get Jiho back WITH HER FRICKING RAPIST AND SHE DECLINED I WAS LIKE YES DONT DO THIS TO YOURSELF YOU DESERVE BETTER IM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!! overall. it was an okay drama. didn’t like the almost rape part. didnt like how the scenes were cut weirdly. didnt like how the contract was made and how jiho explained her way of things (even towards the end, her mom was like “i dont understand you” or smth and i was like omfg same thank goodness im not the only one), and didnt like how jiho explained the divorce. but the scenes where you could see sehee and jiho get closer together (the kimchi and the ocean and the looking forward to seeing your husband on the bus, waiting for you, saving a seat for you like son....... that’s so cuTEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! ALSO WOOSEOK AND HORANGS RELATIONSHIP. minus the bickering and the fact that Horang tried to change Wooseok.. being together 7 years and being happy for that long is amazing. i loved when wooseok called Horang Rang. it was so pretty. i love sooji’s and CEO MA OMG HE’S SO GREAT. I WOULD GIVE HIM EVERYTHING. So glad he was there for sooji. the characters and their relationships together were so great, i really liked it a lot. but the plot was just ahhh.... it could’ve been better. that’s all. i give it a 6.8/10. maybe a 7, but not quite a 7. thank u for reading. hope this mess makes sense :/

[naruhearts]

SPN 12x19

Okay…I can’t BELIEVE what this episode has given us. I can’t believe it. There’s SO MANY GOOD THINGS to unpack that I was screaming throughout the entire episode! Sorry for the long, rushed, emotional notes regarding the ep below:

- Kelly’s chained!

- Poor Kelly :(

- TW: Kelly committed suicide, but the Nephilim resurrected her

- baby needs their mother

- HUNTER HUSBANDS - Where the hell am I supposed to start?! There was Dean being resolutely ANGRY at Cas, THEIR TALK IN DEAN’S ROOM (omfg this 12x19 coda almost depicted THE EXACT SAME EXCHANGE, with Dean - not Sam - storming into his own room after expressing his bitterness at Cas leaving, and Cas FOLLOWING HIM to talk I was internally flailing)

- Dean’s hurt, intimate, low “You can’t just disappear like that” to Cas (!!!!!!!!!!)

- Dean’s intimately frustrated expressions!

- Cas’ intimately apologetic expressions!

- Cas’ “win for you” line = throwback to his “I always come when you call”/him protecting Dean

- Cas feeling like he’s failed ):

- THE INTIMATE TONES they exchange with each other in general (!!!!!)

- Cas lending Dean a mixtape

- wait

- DEAN GAVE HIM A DAMN MIXTAPE AS A GIFT!!!! When did this even happen?!

- There’s Led Zeppelin tracks on the tape! Didn’t Mary give John her number since he knew the lyrics to an L.Z. song? (according to Dean in 12x01) Classic Winchester move!

- oh my god, they’re legitimately married

- Their behaviour the whole time they were talking…Cas’ sad, spousal apologetic words and Dean’s frustrated love got me reeling because they were COMMUNICATING ONCE AGAIN

- Cas’ “we?”, while gesturing between him and Dean, and then Dean replies with a “Yes dumbass, we!”

- Dean reiterating to Cas that ‘WE DO THIS TOGETHER! Don’t you ever run out on me without telling me where you are ever again!’ (not the exact line, but my own summary/interpretation of it)

- did I already mention they’re husbands?!

- Dean’s Team Free Will lines!! Cas is FAMILY, and Cas is an integral PART of everything the Winchesters do! Take that, Cas haters!

- this whole conversation was a marital exchange. I can fully vouch for their domestic behaviour since I have witnessed my parents argue in various similar ways more than once!

- Still all Grumpy!Husband towards Cas, we see Dean pushing past him to get a beer

- wistful Guilty!Husband Cas :(

- Very smart, Sam! Grace extraction sounds plausible

- Dean’s excited to relay Sam’s brilliant plan to Cas

- He’s knocking on Cas’ room, but Cas flew off again after the domestic conversation they had, and Dean opens the door

- Oh no, Dean’s frustrated, sad face when the room is deserted :(

- we cut to Cas meeting with his angel comrades

- concerned husband Dean called him yet Cas declined since he thinks it’s in his best interest to keep Dean and Sam away from harm (no Cas, no…)

- look at all those missed calls from Dean (!!!!)

- Now we see Sam attempting to call Cas after numerous onscreen/offscreen-implied scenes in which Dean is the one who constantly calls him

- usual “Make your voice a mail” fare

- Dean’s annoyed ‘What do you expect? He doesn’t even answer his own husband’s calls’ attitude

- More Angry!Husband Dean (“kick his feathered ass” for stealing the Colt)

- LOL

- Well Dean, WHY THE HELL DID YOU SLEEP WITH THE COLT UNDER YOUR STUPID PILLOW INSTEAD OF STOWING IT INSIDE THE SAFE? Your angel husband knew it was under your pillow!

- **insert Sam’s suffering-little-brother face and “You did put it in the safe…right?” Me too, Sam, me too**

- Cas and buddies invade Dagon’s hideout

- Cas took Kelly!

- We all know Cas can’t possibly hurt Kelly nor her child (Cas has become an Angel of Humanity; he’s no longer an Angel of the Lord)

- Dagon didn’t do her job properly, and now Lord Lucifer will find out

- Castiel took his baby and Kelly. To Lucifer, that ain’t good news at all.

- Lucifer’s FURIOUS beyond belief! Now I’m dreading the finale! Who knows what he’ll do to Cas!

- Aw, Kelly and her motherly human instincts. She’s right when she says that no child is born evil (nature vs. nurture).

- HAHA Cas googling “how to fix a truck”

- Pros vs. Cons talk regarding the baby/the baby’s powers going on here

- Kelly wants someone strong who will protect/raise her baby and keep them on the righteous path when she’s gone **gasp**

- I THINK I KNOW WHO THIS SOMEONE IS!!

- Cas touching the baby bump aww! And his smile! There’s a wonderful little baby in there, regardless of their human archangel hybrid status.

- Kelly had a vision/premonition!

- Did she see Cas raising her baby?!

- Cas’ introspection to Kelly of himself and his past actions/the repercussions that occurred  

- I knew he was still trying to gain Heaven’s favour in order to assist him against Dagon (besides other painful, personal reasons that I can’t list here since this post is getting long)

- Husband!Dean and Brother-in-law!Sam tracking Cas and Kelly to the motel

- Cas was staying in Room #3! The 3rd Winchester, perhaps? Cas’ room in the bunker is #15

- More Angry!Husband Dean - again, he has “WTF you left without a single damn word!!” written all over his face

- OH MAN, DEAN SHOVING CAS AGAINST THE WALL. HE’S INCREDIBLY MAD (!!!!)

- **insert angry wall sex** Anyhoo…

- Yes Cas, please listen to your family.

- the sheer amount of Angry!Husband Dean and Guilty-Distant!Husband Cas in this episode though!

- Sigh, Cas doesn’t intend to risk Kelly’s life with Sam’s plan

- Kelly refuses to listen to both parties

- Sam running after Kelly, while Dean and Cas follow

- more squabbling between Dean and Cas (and Sam)

- that knowing look Cas exchanges with Dean! Silent wordless husband communication

- I think I forgot to mention that I melt inside every single time Dean and Cas say each other’s names!!

- Dean tossing Cas the keys to the Impala! The domesticity!

- Kelly drove away!

- Now Dean and Sam have to hijack a car

- Oh yeah, there’s the broken truck

- Dean fixing the truck (note: Cas could have called his husband to fix it, for goodness’ sake)

- Dean defending/explaining Cas’ behaviour to Sam - again showing us a constant theme of Husband vs. Brother…the spouse being able to predict and decipher their partner’s actions sigh

- Dean saying his husband is frazzled from all the Lucifer/Heaven/Nephilim chaos and “can’t see straight” :(

- Kelly discussing her baby’s fate with Cas in the Impala

- Dean and Sam are Cas’ family :’)

- HER BABY CHOSE CAS (!!!!!)

- OMG CAS IS GOING TO ADOPT AND RAISE HER BABY

- THE WRITERS ARE ACTUALLY HEADING THERE I’M RATTLED

- I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS! AND AFTER ALL THE SPECULATION WE DID!

- HE’S GOING TO RAISE HER BABY WITH HIS HUSBAND DEAN (!!!!!!)

- BABY!WINCHESTER

- UNCLE!SAM

- BIGSISTER!CLAIRE

- ALL THE PARENT!DESTIEL FODDER IN THIS EPISODE

- People have been saying that the Nephilim may be using Cas, however I’d like to believe that this baby won’t be born evil, and so isn’t able to use others for their own gain with evil intent. Despite them being Lucifer’s offspring, I accept that they’re an innocent baby (nature vs. nurture).

- Let me get this out of my system: CAS MAY BE ADOPTING KELLY’S BABY!!!!

- They’re at Heaven’s gate now

- Joshua died! He swapped vessels! To be quite honest I wanted to see more of him and what his true purpose was

- Oh no there’s Dagon!

- There it is – Kelly’s vision of Cas protecting Kelly and her baby from Dagon coming true!

- Stop hurting Cas!

- Dagon’s “who’s here to rescue this poor angel?”

- She got her answer: Husband!Dean and Brother!Sam to the rescue!

- Dagon broke Dean’s arm oh no!

- THE COLT’S GONE! Dagon destroyed it (!!)

- Dean’s “NO!” made me sad!

- Kelly holding Cas’ hand: is the Nephilim going to transfer their powers to Cas?

- HOLY CRAP!

- ANGELIC POWER TRANSFERRAL

- Those yellow/hazel Archangel-like eyes!

- Can we talk about Dean’s pained “NOO!!” and his expression when he thought Dagon was gonna kill Cas?!

- Bamf!Cas

- Is Dagon dead?!

- Oh she is! CAS KILLED DAGON

- Well, Cas and the baby did but WOW

- Jesus that was insane!

- CAS HEALING DEAN and that gentle, intimate touch (!!!!)

- Cas’ slow slide of his hand off Dean’s arm I’m deceased!!

- There’s ConcernedHusband!Dean! Omg, his soft worried “Cas…” and “Are you okay??”

- Another display of Dean’s “Explain Yourself Later, I’ll Ask If You’re Okay First” married behaviour (!!!!)

- CAS TELL YOUR FAMILY WHAT’S HAPPENING!

- Cas made Sam unconscious!

- Oh no, Cas is going to leave Dean again!! Cas better call Dean this time/keep contact with him or I swear I’ll go on an anguished rampage!

- Now his husband is unconscious!!

- Oh god, the beginnings of the Destiel Break-Up stage :’((

- Cas’ “I was lost. I’m not lost anymore” = LOST DOG! 12x18 Missing Dog poster in Gus’ BuckShot café, anyone??

- THE BABY SHOWED CAS THE FUTURE (!!!!)

- 12x18 “The Memory Remains” (lost dog) vs. 12x19 “The Future” (no longer a lost dog) possible parallel??

- DOES THIS FUTURE INVOLVE DEAN AND CAS RAISING THE BABY TOGETHER?! Which is why Cas thinks he’s not “”lost”” anymore and has found his TRUE PURPOSE? HIS HOME?!

- CAS LEFT DEAN AND SAM BEHIND OH NO

- THIS IS SO PAINFUL I HATE THIS

WHAT A WHIRLWIND! I’m sorry if I forgot anything else important, but as you can see from above, I was incoherent! Feel free to discuss 12x19 further with me! I don’t think I’ll be getting over this episode for a while! :P @tfw-destiel-cockles-misha

[makalations-blog]

Translation: Ouhi no Yakata/Château de la Reine

Hello. Thank you for reading my translation for Ouhi no Yakata/ Château de la Reine.

As this is (somehow miraculously?) before Tokyo run, hopefully this can help people who want to see it in Tokyo understand a bit more. Or help those waiting for the DVD to prepare to watch it when it releases.

This work comes with a few necessary notes beforehand. Please read them.

1. This is a fan-created translation. Please be aware that my understanding of Japanese is not extremely high-level, and there may be some errors. I did my best. If you find something you believe is incorrect, please feel free to message me and I will make an effort to correct it. (The only reason it even got this far was thanks to my savior and editor Carol.)

2. That being said, as this is a play with conversation, etc. I attempted to make this translation flow with natural and colloquial English/conversation tendencies rather than a word-by-word exact representation- while still keeping as much of the intended meaning(s) as possible.

3. If you wish to use this translation to make subtitles for your private/personal use, please let me know via a message/ask. I ask that you do not share subtitle files created from my translations without my consent at all.

4. Please do not take, repost, or recreate this translation on Tumblr or other websites without contacting me first.

5. This is a really specific translation note. There is a character in this play (Crayon) whos self-identification is not made clear. (To my knowledge, it is not made clear in the original novels either.) The only thing really clear is that… Crayon is somewhere on the queer scale.

Crayon is referred to many times in Japanese with the word “okama”. Strictly speaking, “okama” is a slur for gay people (generally targeting gay men or crossdressers, but has [incorrectly] been used recently for trans-people as well). It is often used in Japanese humor because ?? (enter reasons I neither know nor truly understand). (However, it is also sometimes used as a “reclaimed” term. It all depends on situation and intention and interpretation.)

There are jokes in particular in this show that revolve around referring to this character as an ‘okama’. As a translator, it really isn’t my job to write a whole thing about what I think about this or why. I’m really only responsible for providing the material in a language that people can understand.

Therefore, because I didn’t want to end up editing the material to my personal ideas/tastes, and because I didn’t feel comfortable directly translating the word ‘okama’ into any English slang, I left those lines translated into English but still using the Japanese word ‘okama’ in them.

6. There is a lot of French in this show. I do not speak French. But a coworker who does speak French decided to inform me that the French they were seeing was incorrect. I have no comment on this, as I (again) do not speak French.

7. A specific note on the theme of ‘smile’ and ‘laugh’ in this show. The script simply uses the word “warau” which can be a bit interchangeable for those words. There were times where “smile” made more sense, and times where “laugh” made more sense. In the end, I decided to use both words, and at some points even used them together to get the meaning/point across.

Without further ado. Here is the actual translation:

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Château de la Reine

Main Cast:

Asaka Manato                   Kitashirakawa Ukyo              A romance novelist writing a new novel starring Louis XIV

Misaki Rion                        Sakurai Reiko                     Female president of a small-time travel agency. Tour conductor responsible for the “Light” tour.

Makaze Suzuho                Louis XIV                              King of France during the 17th Century. Former owner of the Château de la Reine.

Aizuki Hikaru                     Kanezawa Shichi               Real estate king.

Itsuki Chihiro                     Iwanami                               Former teacher at an ‘evening’ high school. (TN: There are some special schools with classes in the evening for people who work during the day.)

Kotobuki Tsukasa            Shimoda Koji                      Manager of an electrical parts factory.

Mikaze Maira                    Shimoda Fusako               Shimoda’s wife.

Sumiki Sayato                    Kondo Makoto                  Policeman.

Sorahane Riku                   Crayon                                  [Kuroiwa Gentaro] Scorned by a previous lover, on a ‘heartbreak trip’

Sakuragi Minato               Togawa Mitsuo                 A tour conductor at a small time travel agency, subordinate of Sakurai. Responsible for the “Shadow” tour.

Reimi Urara                        Diana                                     She once lived in the Château de la Reine. The woman Louis XIV loved.

Hoshikaze Madoka         Michiru                                 Former hostess, and Kanezawa’s lover.

ETC Cast:

Iwanami Masae                                Kanon Mai

Mr. Tanno                                           Rinjou Kira

Mrs. Tanno                                         Ayaka Mari

Munon                                                 Matsukaze

Hayami Ritsuko (Editor)                Junya Chitose

Pierre                                                   Kazuki Sora

Monsieur Duran                               Mitsuki Haruka

Can-Can Singer                                 Fuuma Kakeru

Accordion Singer                             Hoshibuki

Anne d’Autriche                               Seoto Risa

Marie Thérèse                                  Aishiro Moa

 Preface: Charles de Gaulle Airport (Arrival Lobby)

[Airport Background]

As announcements flow through the arrival lobby of the Charles de Gaulle Airport, the tour conductor Mr. Togawa, working for a down-on-its-luck travel agency known as “Pan World Tour Enterprise”, is eating at a bar with the irritated tour customers. Togawa is on the phone with his boss, Sakurai Reiko.

Togawa: (On the phone) Ms. Reiko, is this really going to work?? This plan…

Sakurai: (A voice over the speakers) Are you asking if it’s a ‘good’ thing? In this world, there is both ‘light’ and ‘shadow’…  so isn’t it fair to say there’s a ‘front’ and ‘back’ side to business, too?

Togawa: You just keep saying that over and over!

Sakurai: (voice) Anyway, you have to keep the customers at the airport for another 30 minutes. You got it?

Mr. Tanno: Mr. Togawa, exactly when are we going to be able to leave the airport?

Togawa hides his cellphone.

Togawa: M… Mr. Tanno… I am terribly sorry, our car… seems to be stuck in a terrible traffic jam…

Mr. Iwanami: Even so, we’ve already been waiting here an hour.

Togawa: I am truly sorry Mr. Iwanami!!

Ms. Iwanami: Dear, can’t you see Mr. Togawa is very troubled by the situation?

As the Iwanamis talk, Togawa returns to his phone.

Togawa: (on the phone) Ms. Reiko, did you hear that? How am I supposed to make more excuses to the customers!?

Sakurai: (voice) Why don’t you think about that on your own? Well then, I’ll contact you again when I arrive at the hotel.

Ms. Sakurai hangs up the phone.

Togawa: Wait-! Ms. Reiko? Ms. Reiko?!

The tour customer Kondo Makoto approaches Togawa.

Kondo: Hey, you! What’s the meaning of this? Is this some sort of scam?!

Togawa: (shocked and panicking) Mr. Kondo! What ‘scam’ could you possibly be talking about?!

Kondo: I was told I was going to be in a men’s shared room. (Points at the flashily dressed Crayon.) So what the hell is this?

Togawa: Ah, that should be Mr. Kuroiwa Gentaro…

Crayon: Don’t use that name! I go by Crayon, like at my shop~!

Kondo: What’s a ‘crayon’? Whatever shop you work at, once I get home I’ll find it and shut it down!

Crayon: My shop isn’t some shabby establishment like what you’re thinking. What a hard-headed policeman~

Mr. Tanno: A police officer?

Togawa: Mr. Tanno, is something the matter?

Mr. Tanno: No, of course not…

The Tanno couple exchange a meaningful gaze. Meanwhile, Crayon is bothering Kondo.

Kondo: Stop it! Don’t blow in my ear!

Crayon: Omg~ so shy~! How cute! Tonight is going to be so~ much~ fun~! Teehee~

Crayon exits while giggling.

Kondo: Hey!... What do you mean ‘fun’?!

Kondo chases after Crayon.

Togawa: Wait… Where are you two going?!

Togawa chases the two offstage.

Mrs. Iwanami: Well well, we seem to be grouped with some interesting folk!

Mr. Iwanami: My goodness…

The Iwanamis also exit the stage, and the bridge leads to the next scene.

 Scene 1A: The City of Paris

Visiting Paris on a research trip, the Japanese author Kitashirakawa appears, singing.

[C’est Paris! C’est la vie!]

Kitashirakawa: Oh Paris!

What illuminates this city?

I saw it in the night-  the color of dreams.

Oh, Paris!

Only Paris can capture the hearts of writers

Like no other city!

I want you to show me

Like Ernest Hemmingway

Like Scott Fitzgerald

What they sought- the color of dreams!

C’est Paris!

Selfishly, in this city,

C’est Paris!

People can see unbelievable dreams.

I want you to show me

Like the philosophers of Montmartre

Like the lovers who speak of romance

Something I have never seen-  the color of dreams!

C’est la vie!

In the city of nostalgic meetings

C’est la vie!

People can find the dreams they’ve lost!

The editor Hayami accompanying Kitashirakawa on his trip appears.

Hayami: Mr. Kitashirakawa! There you are. I thought you’d suddenly disappeared…

Kitashirakawa: Hayami! I told you I hate group activities, not to mention when I’m forced to be around such vulgar people my creative motivation is exponentially reduced!

Hayami: You’re the one who selfishly broke away from the tour. Ms. Reiko’s been looking for you, too!

Kitashirakawa: That nasty tour guide… it’s fine to leave her behind.

Hayami: Really? I found her quite likeable. She’s the president of the tour agency but still leads tours with such vitality… It’s like watching a younger version of myself.

Kitashirakawa: If that’s true, then she’s bound to become a spinster too.

Hayami: Oh ho ho, what a jokester! I’ve definitely not given up yet.

Following Kitashirakawa, the guide Sakurai and the members of the Light Tour appear breathing heavily.

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa!

Kitashirakawa: Here comes the shabby tour guide.

Sakurai: How many times do I have to explain to you that your selfish behavior is a problem for the other tour members?

Kanezawa: Bro, I was looking for you.

Kitashirakawa: Hayami, do something! If I’m around this loud, annoying riffraff much longer, my creative research will be ruined!

Hayami: I’m sorry, Ms. Reiko. He’s that kind of artist…

Sakurai: Listen, this is a tour trip, you know? Even if Mr. Kitashirakawa is a famous novelist, in order to properly take part in the tour, he needs to listen to my instructions.

Kitashirakawa: Hayami…

Mrs. Shimoda: Kitashirakawa? Do you mean the Kitashirakawa Ukyo?

Kanezawa: Huh? This guy really a famous novelist?

Hayami: Yes! Mr. Kitashirakawa’s “Beauty and Sadness of the Blue Danube” (Utsukushisa to Kanashimi no Aoki Donau) was his brilliant debut novel! It was followed by his work “The Country of Light Snow” (Sasameyuki Kuni) that won the Tanibata Award. He’s truly a rare genius!

(TN: These are jokes regarding real life famous novels “Utsukushisa to Kanashimi to” by Yasunari Kawabata and “Sasameyuki” by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. Therefore, the (not real) Tanibata Award would be a reference to Tani(zaki) (Kawa)bata. Hahaha, good job zuka.)

Kanezawa: Sounds like a bunch of rip-off titles.

Michiru: Papa!

(TN: Michiru is referring to Kanezawa as ‘Papa’ as a lover’s pet name, rather than a father-figure. Probably due to the fact that it’s implied he is older than her. It doesn’t really hold the same connotation in English, but it’s a bit too obvious of a word to try to change to something else.)

Mr. Shimoda: Well then, have you come to Paris to write a new novel?

Kitashirakawa: I suppose.

Hayami: Mr. Kitashirakawa is working on a romance set in the court of King Louis XIV!

Michiru: Wow! What’s the title?

Kitashirakawa: Are you ready to hear its brilliance? The title is… (emphatically) “The Lily of Versailles!” (Versailles no Yuri)

Kanezawa: As I thought, just another rip-off.

Kitashirakawa: What did you say!?

Kanezawa: Geez, so grumpy! But you know, I feel like we’d get along bro. We’ve both got good taste in clothes and nice hairstyles…

Kitashirakawa: Don’t lump me in with the likes of you! (Messes up Kanezawa’s hair) My hair’s the real deal!

Kanezawa: Aaah!

Michiru: Papa!

Holding onto his wig, Kanezawa looks around in panic at everyone staring at him.

Sakurai: (amazed) Let’s end our friendly chats there. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late to arrive at the hotel.

 Scene 1B: Places des Vosges

The stage changes to the Places des Vosges.

Kitashirakawa: Hayami! This is exactly why I said I hate group tours!

Hayami: Well, sensei, I don’t think you ever actually said that…

Sakurai: Now everyone, once we go through the corridor from the Places des Vosges, the Château de la Reine is waiting for us.

All members go onto the ginkyo.

[Château de la Reine]

Hayami: This is it, sensei! The place that Balzac (Honoré de Balzac) and Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle) loved! We’re almost at the Château de la Reine!

Kitashirakawa: Aah, the legendary hotel that turned away even the great Ernest Hemingway!

Michiru: (To Kanezawa) We get to stay at such a fancy hotel…. It’s like a dream!

Sakurai: But it’s not a dream! At first glance, you can see it looks like the kind of hotel normal customers wouldn’t be able to stay at… For us to stay here on a tour like this, rather than calling it a dream… it’s more like a miracle!

Château de la Reine

And the Plaza Athénée

And the Crillon and the Ritz, It’s not your imagination

A place that tourists from all over the world desire to stay!

Kanezawa: What’s that mumbo jumbo even mean? Chartoo …. (he can’t pronounce it)

Kitashirakawa interrupts Sakurai before she can explain.

Kitashirakawa: The “Château de la Reine”! In Japanese it means “The Queen’s Château”. It was owned by the ruler of 17th century France, Louis XIV, but the true meaning behind the Château’s name is still a mystery…

Château de la Reine!                                                     Others: Château

King Louis XIV himself                                                                   de

Designed the interior decoration                                              la

And still untouched-                                                                      Reine

The Royal Suite!                                                                               Château

That made VIPs worldwide                                                         de

Revere the Sun King’s                                                                    la

Legendary Hotel!                                                                            Reine!

All: The Queen’s Château… Château de la Reine!

 Scene 1C: Château de la Reine (Courtyard Entrance)

The set changes during the interlude, the corridor hangings rise to reveal the courtyard entrance of the Château de la Reine. The hotel employees appear one after another.

Employees: Bienvenue!

Welcome to the Château de la Reine!

Employees: Château de la Reine!

Mrs. Shimoda: A once in a lifetime luxury

Mr. Shimoda: One last souvenir from the world

Employees: Château de la Reine

Michiru: How gorgeous!

Kanezawa: It’s perfect for us!

Employees: Château de la Reine

Hayami: Being able to stay here…

Kitashirakawa: … is the miracle of a lifetime!

Employees: Château de la Reine

All: Château de la Reine

The tour members all move to enter the Hotel. In the courtyard, the ghosts of Louis XIV and his servant Munon appear.

Louis: Munon, what is this? Who are those noisy people?!

Munon: I believe some Japanese tourists who have come to experience Paris?

Louis: And so, they also come to my Château de la Reine?

Munon: I fear that the hotel management has worsened, and they do not bother to take such care in screening visitors as they used to…

Louis: They just run in and out of the building like monkeys!

The place where my soul resides-

The Château de la Reine

For over three hundred years

Continuing to search      for my lost love       Munon: Continuing to search

Those that dare to interrupt                                                                                                                                                                for the king’s lost love…

My quest to find my beloved

Will not be forgiven!

The stage turns to reveal the hotel lobby.

Employees: Upon our list of past accommodations

Are the names of many great people!

Employees (women): Mozart!

Employees (men): Einstein!

Employees: Grace Kelly and Chaplain

Like everyone throughout the world

Who desires to see the color of dreams

The legendary hotel

The Queen’s Château- Château de la Reine

Mr. Shimoda: Our lives can finally end here

Mrs. Shimoda: It suits our final days

Employees: Château de la Reine

Kanezawa: I’ll tell her my secret and then propose?

Michiru: I want to know everything about Papa!

Employees: Château de la Reine

Château de la Reine

Hayami: To create a new masterpiece!

Sakurai: To get our company out of this pinch!

Kitashirakawa: I can already feel something great will happen!

Employees: Bienvenue! Welcome to

Château de la Reine!

Moving along with the number, the stage has changed to the lobby of the hotel.

 Scene 2: Château de la Reine (Lobby)

Continuing from the front of the Château de la Reine lobby…

Kitashirakawa: Tr��s bien!! Its sense of style is even better than what I’d heard!

The hotel manager, Monsieur Duran, appears.

Duran: Bonsoir mesdames et messieurs! (To Kanezawa) Ça va?

(*TN: The script has the French as ‘madames’ and ‘monsieurs’ which I have been told are not the plural spelling. Take it as you prefer.)

Kanezawa: Who you callin’ a saba, huh?! (TN: Saba = mackerel fish)

Michiru: Papa! How embarrassing…

Sakurai: Everyone, this is the general manager of the hotel, Monsieur Duran.

Duran: We welcome you to the Château de la Reine! For those of you just arriving from the airport, we will have your baggage delivered to your rooms right away!

Kitashirakawa: It’s here!

Hayami: Sensei?

Kitashirakawa: It’s here, it’s here, it’s here---- IT’S HERE!

Hayami: Aaah- the angels of inspiration have already appeared!?

Sakurai: What on earth…

Hayami: This happens whenever he gets an idea! It’s as if something possesses him! He’s known as the exorcist of literature!

Kitashirakawa: Hayami! Quickly- I need a pen and paper!!

Hayami: Yes, here! (To Duran) Uhm… Je voudrais la clé… We are Kitashirakawa and Hayami. Quick, our room key!

Duran: Oui! (Offers the keys.) Here you are.

Hayami: (Takes the keys) Merci! (To the boy) Now, guide us to our room!

Boy: Oh! Par ici, s’il vous plaît …

Following the boy, Kitashirakawa and Hayami exit through the hotel corridor.

Sakurai: Wait, both of you- I haven’t explained yet-

Kanezawa: Hey missy, hurry up and give us our room too.

Sakurai: I understand… (To Duran) Well then, please assign Mr. Kanezawa and Mr. Shimoda their room keys as well.

Duran: Oui, madame.

Sakurai: Everyone, we will be departing for our dinner cruise in exactly thirty minutes. I respectfully request your punctuality in meeting here in the lobby.

The steward boys lead the visitors to their rooms through the corridor.

Sakurai: Well then, please enjoy your stay.

The guests pass Sakurai and Duran on their way out, and once they are out of sight Sakurai and the manager begin speaking.

Sakurai: Monsieur Duran, being able to complete this special tour is all thanks to you…

Duran: Pas de problème. I should be the one saying that. In this recession, we in management can only do so much in the face of such abrupt cancellations. I wonder what will happen now…

Sakurai: We’ll have to keep working earnestly, but before that there’s another matter to discuss…

Duran: Oui, Madame. If it’s about the double-booking…

Sakurai: Shhhhhh!!! (looking around) Anyway, about the baggage replacements… you’ll have to pay meticulous attention.

Duran: Leave it to us, Madame Reiko.

Duran exits the stage. Now alone, Sakurai takes out her cellphone. In a different area of the stage is Togawa, still waiting at the airport.

Sakurai: Hello?

Togawa: Ms. Reiko! Aren’t you running a little late!? I don’t know how much longer I can fend off the customers’ complaints!

Sakurai: Well, that just can’t be helped. My “Light Tour” is a 7-night-8-day package at 1,500,000 yen… while your “Shadow Tour” can visit the Château de la Reine for only 198,000 yen. On a cheap course, you just have to endure some inconveniences along the way.

Togawa: Even if you say it like that…

Sakurai: Anyway, the “Light Tour” members have just checked into the hotel. We’ll be leaving the hotel soon, so go ahead and please leave the airport now.

Togawa: I’m saved!

Sakurai: Are you going to be ok? You have to do the room assignments exactly as I told you. First is room 201, where the Shimoda couple is staying. (In the corridor of the hotel, the figures of the Shimoda couple can be seen.) They seem to be in charge of management for a large electrical company, but the economy hasn’t been very good to that kind of business lately.

Then, room 202 has the real estate kingpin, Mr. Kanezawa. (Similarly, Kanezawa and Michiru can be seen in the background.) He says the reason he joined this tour is to make plans for a Paris-themed casino in Las Vegas- which is more the type of business the economy has been kind to lately. The girl with him, Miss Michiru, is a former hostess… I thought she was his fiancée, but I’m not actually sure…

Togawa: And for the “Shadow Tour”, room 201 is the Iwanamis. And room 202 is the Tannos, right?

Sakurai: Right. But then the trouble comes in room 203, with the writer Kitashirakawa and his editor Ms. Hayami.

As the stage turns, the set of room 203 appears and Kitashirakawa working at the desk comes into view, working on his novel.

Togawa: Trouble?

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa! If I take my eyes off of him for even a second I don’t know what he’ll do. He walks around with the air of a celebrity- he thinks he’s so special…

Kitashirakawa: ACHOO

Kitashirakawa sneezes.

(TN: In Japan, it’s a common superstition that when you sneeze, it means someone is talking behind your back.)

Togawa: So, after we arrive at the hotel, what should we do?...

Sakurai: After about two hours, take everyone sightseeing.

Togawa: Got it. But… after that…?

Sakurai: You’ve already got a plan, don’t you?

Togawa: The only thing the plan says is ‘don’t come back to the hotel until morning’?!

Sakurai: Oui, monsieur. Bon voyage. Have a good trip.

Sakurai hangs up the phone.

Togawa: Wait… Ms. Reiko? Ms. Reiko!?

On opposite sides of the bridge, Sakurai and Togawa exit the stage.

 Scene 3: Château de la Reine (Room 203)

As the setting of Room 203 turns to the front, Kitashirakawa is sitting as his desk with his manuscript in front of him. His writing progress is not going as well as he thought…

Kitashirakawa: Aaah, it’s no good! I can’t write anything!... I was sure the Angel of Inspiration had visited me before… As I thought from the beginning, this is impossible… writing a romance novel about Louis XIV…

Kitashirakawa sighs, walking up to look at the portrait of Louis XIV in the room.

Kitashirakawa: (impatiently) Look at this ‘perfect’ guy. Politics… Love… Everything the perfect Sun King wanted, he got! When it comes to writing novels, that kind of life is just boring.

Suddenly the light disappears, and a man’s voice echoes through the room.

Louis: (Voice) Boring?! What would someone like you know about my life?!...

Kitashirakawa: What was that voice?...

Behind Kitashirakawa, the ghostly figure of King Louis XIV appears from the painting.

Louis: Barre-toi! Remove yourself from my presence immediately!

Kitashirakawa: (happily) It’s here! It’s here, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here!

Louis: This home is not a place for lowly monkeys like you to visit!

Kitashirakawa: And look! It’s even appeared in the form of Louis XIV himself… Amazing! It’s as if the archangel Michael himself has come before me!

Louis: What nonsense are you spouting? Were you not listening to what I said?

Kitashirakawa: With such kingly flourish! As if 300 years had not past, Louis XIV has been revived before me! Now, Angel of Stories, bestow upon me thine inspiration!

Louis: I am not an angel! I am the owner of the Château de la Reine, Louis XIV.

Kitashirakawa: Louis XIV? … You mean, the actual ghost of the Sun King?

Louis: Do you finally understand? So… are you properly terrified?

Kitashirakawa: Terrified? My pure talent is what’s terrifying! That my overflowing imagination could summon forth even this level of paranormal experience!...

Louis: What is wrong with this guy?

Kitashirakawa: Hey, tell me… If you really are Louis XIV like you say, then you’ve got to know something- right? Something you’ve never told anyone… For example, a tragic love story…

Louis: Why would I speak to you about such things?

Kitashirakawa: So that I can finish my romance novel- with you as the main character!

Louis: How rude! As if I would let you write my secrets into a novel!

Kitashirakawa: Meaning… there is something!

Louis: It has absolutely nothing to do with you.

Kitashirakawa: What kind of secret could it be! Some sort of affair with a noble woman? Or perhaps- a man….?

Louis: I do not have that kind of interest.

Kitashirakawa: Then perhaps you fell prey to the machinations of a woman who only wanted you for your status and power…?

Louis: How dare you! Diana is not that kind of woman!

Kitashirakawa: ~Diana~?

Louis: Ack!

Kitashirakawa: So, that is the name of the woman you loved?

Louis: Silence!

Kitashirakawa: Diana… Diana… The name Diana wasn’t listed in anything to do with Louis that I can remember. But Diana is the name of the Moon Goddess… A forbidden love story between the Sun King and the Moon Goddess… This could work! This could definitely work!

Shocked and appalled at the monkey Kitashirakawa, Louis returns to his place in the painting. The light returns to the room, and the sound of knocking can be heard at the door.

Sakurai: (voice) Mr. Kitashirakawa? Ms. Hayami?

Kitashirakawa: What? I’m finally at a good place…

Sakurai: (voice) Mr. Kitashirakawa? You’re there, aren’t you?

Kitashirakawa: It’s that woman again? Hayami! Hayami!

Hayami comes out of a nearby door to the next room.

Hayami: Yes, yes, Hayami is here!

Kitashirakawa: (Pointing at the door) Do something about her! A wonderful Angel of Inspiration has finally appeared to me! (Realizes that Louis has disappeared) Huh? Where’d he go?

Kitashirakawa goes to inspect the portrait, but the knocking sound returns.

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa! Ms. Hayami!

When Hayami opens the door, Sakurai jumps into the room.

Sakurai: What on earth are you doing? It’s time for us to depart for the dinner cruise!

Hayami: Oh, is that so?

Sakurai: All of the other customers are already gathered and waiting!

Kitashirakawa: Really? Well, on the contrary, I will not be attending.

Sakurai: That… I cannot allow that! Such selfish behavior will cause trouble for the other customers!

Kitashirakawa: What kind of trouble could it cause? This is my room, after all.

The local guide Pierre enters the room.

Pierre: Madame Reiko, if we do not hurry, we will be late for the dinner cruise!

Hayami: What… an attractive man…

Pierre: Enchanté! I am your local guide- Pierre!

Sakurai: Monsieur Pierre, please gather the other customers and leave the hotel first. I will bring Mr. Kitashirakawa to the cruise myself.

Pierre: J’ai compris.

Sakurai: Sensei… would you mind…?

Kitashirakawa: Yeah, go and enjoy it for me, too.

Pierre escorts Hayami from the room.

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa, please come with me!

Kitashirakawa: I’d rather write my novel!

Sakurai: You can write it later, can’t you? For example, after the dinner cruise…

Kitashirakawa: You are so persistent!

Sakurai’s mobile phone begins to ring.

Sakurai: (answering the phone) Hello?

Kitashirakawa: If you’re going to chat on the phone, leave the room!

Togawa: (voice) Ms. Reiko! We finally arrived at the Château de la Reine! I just delivered everyone their room keys.

Sakurai: No! No! You have to take the customers out sightseeing immediately!

Togawa: (voice) Ms. Reiko!?

Sakurai hurriedly hangs up the phone.

Sakurai: What should I do…

Sakurai begins to clean up Kitashirakawa’s things.

Kitashirakawa: HEY! What are you doing?!

Sakurai: What does it look like- cleaning!

Kitashirakawa: But WHY?

Sakurai: Because if I don’t clean, we’ll be in a lot of trouble!

Kitashirakawa: Hey!

Crayon: (voice) Here it is! Room 203! Mako-chan, hurry and open it~

Kitashirakawa: Whose voice is that?

Kondo: (voice) Who are you callin’ Mako-chan!!

Crayon: (voice) Since your name’s Kondo Makoto, you’re now Mako-chan!

As Crayon and Kondo approach from the hall, the sound of keys opening the door can be heard. Sakurai drags Kitashirakawa behind the sofa and pushes him down.

Kitashirakawa: GYA!

Sakurai: This is bad! This is bad!

Crayon and Kondo enter the room.

Crayon: Wow! What a wonderful room! It’s kind of like being on a honeymoon~ (Crayons skips over to Kondo)

Kondo: How is it a honeymoon with two men!?

Togawa appears in the doorway.

Togawa: Mr. Kondo, Ms. (?) Crayon. It’s a bit earlier than planned, but I’d like to take you on your first sightseeing tour now…

Kondo: You saved me! Well then, quickly- to sightseeing! Sightseeing, sightseeing…

Kondo quickly runs from the room as if to escape.

Crayon: Hey, Mako-chan! Wait for me!

Crayon leaves the room, following Kondo. Kitashirakawa and Sakurai appear from behind the sofa.

Kitashirakawa: I can’t!... I can’t breathe!

Togawa: Ms. Reiko!?

Sakurai: Togawa! What are you doing? Hurry up and follow the customers!

Togawa: What are YOU doing, Ms. Reiko!? Behind a sofa… alone with a man!

Sakurai: This isn’t the time for weird misunderstandings!

Togawa: But…

Sakurai: Just hurry up and go after the customers!!

Togawa: Y-Yes!

Togawa runs out of the room in a hurry.

Kitashirakawa: HEY! What the hell just happened!? And what was with that okama couple!?

Sakurai: Ah, it must be, a slight error with the hotel…

Kitashirakawa: SLIGHT error?!

Sakurai: Anyway, it seems like there isn’t anything to worry about with the room, so please continue writing your novel at your leisure. Well then, I’ll take my leave…

Sakurai rushes from the room.

Kitashirakawa: HEY! Wait a minute!

Kitashirakawa runs from the room chasing after Sakurai. Once they’re both gone, the ghost of Louis XIV returns, accompanied by strange music.

Louis: Munon. Do something about these monkeys!

Munon: Even if you ask milord, what could I do…

Louis: With people like that around, I’ll never be able to communicate with Diana’s soul.

Munon: I’ve been searching with your majesty for Diana for over 300 years now… Could Madame Diana possibly still be in this Château?

Louis: Are you doubting me?!

Munon: I held no such intent, sire…

Louis: I am certain that I heard Diana’s voice in this Château. She must still be wandering through that deep darkness…

 Scene 4: Château de la Reine (Courtyard Entrance)

Lonely music plays. The stage changes to the Château in the 17th century, covered in moonlight. (This is a mental image by Louis.) While Louis sings on the ginkyo, Diana can be seen standing in the gardens, covered in moonlight.

[The Sun and the Moon]

Louis: Diana… even if you never forgive me, my soul will eternally search for you, my love…

No one knows

How the Sun King of France

Hid darkness within his heart

And how that darkness

Was illuminated by the light of the gentle moon.

In the interlude of the song, Petit Louis appears from inside the house.

Petit Louis: Maman!

Diana: Petit Louis…

As Petit Louis approaches Diana, one leg drags behind him as if hurt.

Petit Louis: Maman! Tell me about father! He was a soldier, right? A soldier who courageously fought against Spain and was a hero of France?

Diana: No. Your father was but a weakling. He gave into the Spanish blood running in his veins and abandoned us.

Petit Louis: Papa… abandoned…?

Diana: Forgive me, Petit Louis. If mama hadn’t believed in your father so much, then your leg wouldn’t…

Petit Louis: Don’t cry, Maman! I’m fine as long as I have Maman! I won’t ever ask about Papa again. So please… don’t cry, Maman.

Diana: Petit Louis…

Diana and Petit Louis share a strong embrace.

Louis: Forgive me! … Diana! Petit Louis!...

Diana                                                                                                    

Goddess of the moon, who illuminated my heart

I search only for you

Diana

The only proof I ever lived                                                                                                                                              Diana: The only proof I ever lived

I will keep searching for you                                                                                                                                                           I wish to forget it…

If only to be able to express to you                                                                                                                                              The cruel Sun King’s

My sincere love…                                                                                                                                                                                ‘Sincere’ love…

Diana!

As the light fades around them, the stage turns to the next scene.

 Scene 5: The City of Paris

Sakurai appears on a dark street outside of the hotel, quickly followed by Kitashirakawa chasing after her.

Kitashirakawa: HEY! Wait a minute! Stop trying to escape!?

Sakurai: Escape?... No, I’m only trying to join everyone on the dinner cruise…

Kitashirakawa: You can’t hide this sham from me anymore! I figured it out the moment I saw those other guys that came in earlier. This double-booking situation was planned from the beginning!

Sakurai: … I’m truly truly sorry!

Having been found out, Sakurai begins apologizing and bowing vigorously in defeat.

Kitashirakawa: You can’t fool the keen eyes of a novelist!

Sakurai: I truly had no choice! Although we planned this expensive tour with the Château de la Reine, we couldn’t attract as many customers as we thought! So… we had to plan a second, cheaper tour attraction…

Kitashirakawa: As I thought! … Well, in planning this second fraudulent trip, were you able to satisfy your greed for money?

Sakurai: If we didn’t manage to collect enough for our settlement by this month’s deadline, my company would go bankrupt!...

Kitashirakawa: Your circumstances really don’t mean anything to me…

Sakurai: Yes, you are right… No matter what the circumstances are, I did something terrible to everyone here… At the very least, I plan to take full responsibility for my actions. I apologize, it is all my fault that this tour will end prematurely…

Kitashirakawa: End?...

Sakurai: Of course, we will offer full reimbursement of your money…

Kitashirakawa: Wait a minute, who said anything about stopping the tour?

Sakurai: I’m truly sorry, but there’s no way for me to reserve the necessary amount of rooms… So, there’s no other way.

Kitashirakawa: Then, you should just continue as is, right?

Sakurai: …What?

Kitashirakawa: The double-booking tour.

Sakurai: What are you saying?

Kitashirakawa: As of now, the only one who’s noticed your little plan is this brilliant author here. None of the other customers have noticed anything at all.

Sakurai: To continue the tour… Are you saying you’ll help me?

Kitashirakawa: Well, I guess something like that…

Sakurai: You would do that for me…

Kitashirakawa: Don’t misunderstand! It’s really not for you.

Sakurai: Then, instead… you don’t mean, for me to spend the night with you…!?

Kitashirakawa: It’s nothing like that!? If the tour were to stop now, it would be a huge problem for me!

Sakurai: What do you mean?

Kitashirakawa: While on this tour, I HAVE to write a new novel by any means necessary! A brilliant masterpiece to resurrect the name of Kitashirakawa Ukyo! Recently I’ve been squeaking by with small serializations here and there- my career as a novelist hangs on the success of this tour!

Sakurai: But, to continue tricking the other customers with the double booking for such a reason…

Kitashirakawa: Anyway, in order to keep up with your sham, I’ll go along with your plan starting tomorrow morning and follow your boring sightseeing or whatever…

Sakurai: Thank you so much! … Well, I don’t know if I should really be thanking you or…

Kitashirakawa: Well, then! I’m going back to my room to write my novel, so don’t interrupt me again! (He goes to leave, then stops.) And make sure none of the others catch on to your plan- do your job properly! Huh!

Turning his back on Sakurai, Kitashirakawa exits the stage. The music slowly changes to Sakurai’s song.

[Another étranger] (TN: étranger means ‘stranger’? This could potentially be very wrong.)

Sakurai: To suddenly chase after someone

I feel something pass through my heart

With kindness                   And with coldness-                         The feelings I avoided

Seem to be reaching out.

The bustle and laughter of the city

All belong to someone other than me.

Just another étranger

Like I see reflected in the shop windows

I desired a time long past.

A temperamental traveler

Just another étranger.

But I can see it reflected              In someone’s eyes…

The destination I’ve been searching for

Another me

Like a lost child.

And staring at myself when I cannot move…

Is just another étranger.

Finishing the song, Sakurai exits the stage.

 Scene 6: Parfum de la Lune

A cabaret in Montmartre, a can-can singer appears during a drum roll. He begins to introduce the start of the show.

[Parfum de la Lune]

Cancan singer: Bonsoir mesdames et messieurs. C’est parti CAN CAN! (TN: Again, was told the French was incorrect idk)

At the singer’s signal, the music picks up pace, and the back of the stage starts a brilliant and shocking Cancan dance. In the audience sit the members of Togawa’s tourist group. Half way through the show, the dancers move to dance among the audience, urging them to dance along. Crayon happily dances along, while Kondo seems embarrassed. The Tannos watch everyone suspiciously.

Cancan singer: Parfum de la Lune

The sweet scent invites you

Parfum de la Lune

Gaze up at the moon in the night sky

Like a fragrant aphrodisiac

Parfum de la Lune

Cancan girls: Even if you’re bored

Or been sightseeing all day

Anyone is welcome here!

Garçon: Do you want to forget that lonely feeling?

Well, let’s get started!

It’s time for our dazzling show!

Cancan singer: Parfum de la Lune

Those are magical words

Parfum de la Lune

The song here is always one of love

Until the moon finally sets!

With the customers: Parfum de la Lune

Parfum de la Lune

Parfum de la Lune Ah!

All: Let’s play through the night!

Ah          Ah          Ah          Ah!

Once the song is over, everyone makes their way back to their seats.

Crayon: To be able to dance the cancan at a real cabaret! It’s like a dream! Right, Mako-chan~?

Kondo: I keep telling you, don’t involve me!

Mr. Tanno: Mr. Togawa, shouldn’t we be getting back to the hotel?

Togawa: That… Mr. Tanno, our sightseeing has only just begun?

Mr. Tanno: We didn’t come here just to play around!

Kondo: Oh, so did you come here for work?

Mrs. Tanno: (Scrutinizing) We… work in import sales. So, we’re looking to buy rare brand items.

Crayon: Amazing! When we get back, can I visit your shop sometime?

Mrs. Tanno: Yes, of course! (Trying to change the course of the conversation) So, Crayon, why did you come to Paris?

Crayon: I guess you could call it a ‘heartbreak trip’. I’m trying to heal my broken heart…

Kondo: I guess okama are miserable on their own.

Crayon: How rude! Aren’t you on your own, too, Mako-chan?

Kondo: I… The person I invited… rejected me…

Crayon: Your lover?

Kondo: No, just someone I liked…

Crayon: So, you invited someone you weren’t even dating to travel to Paris with you?

Kondo: So what if I did?!

Crayon: That… for a first date, that’s a bit too much~

Mr. Tanno: Mr. Togawa, can’t we just do as we like from here? We really want to go back to the hotel.

Togawa: Mr. Tanno!

Mrs. Iwanami: Well then, we will also go back with you…

Togawa: The Iwanamis too?... Please, I can’t allow you to go off on your own!

Mr. Tanno: Why?

Togawa: The streets of Paris at night can be dangerous! If anything happened to you…

Crayon: (Grabs onto Kondo’s arm) Well then, why don’t we all go back together?

Togawa: Ms. Crayon!?

Crayon: I sure would like to be alone with Mako-chan here~ (Shimmies up to Kondo)

Kondo: STOP IT!

Togawa: That, I can’t allow it! No matter what, I will make sure that you all enjoy sightseeing in Paris ALL NIGHT!

Everyone is amazed at Togawa’s raised voice.

Crayon: Well that was sudden… I’m kind of surprised.

Togawa: (returning to his senses) I… I am so terribly sorry!

Kondo: But what do you mean by “all night”?

Togawa: That is… to say… returning to the hotel right now… would be bad…

Mr. Tanno: “Bad”?

Togawa: Actually, about our situation at the Château de la Reine… there is something that I haven’t told you all…

Mr. Iwanami: Well, how ominous! Come now, tell us…

Togawa: Then, I will tell you truthfully… The truth is, all of your guestrooms… are limited to use only during the daytime…

Mrs. Tanno: What!?

Mr. Tanno: Then what are we supposed to do during the night?

Togawa: That is why… I want you to enjoy sightseeing through the evening…

Kondo: Are you saying we’re just supposed to stroll around the city all night?

Togawa: Please don’t worry about that, there are many shops open until the early morning hours!

Kondo: That’s not actually the problem here, is it!?

Mrs. Iwanami: Mr. Togawa, what is the reason behind all this?

Togawa: That is…

Kondo: You… if you don’t tell us the full truth right now, I’m gonna arrest you!

Togawa: A-arrest!? Please, have mercy…

Mrs. Iwanami: Now, now, Mr. Kondo… Stop acting all tough, won’t you? Let’s first listen to what Mr. Togawa has to say. After all, there has to be some sort of extenuating circumstance for all this?

Prepared to divulge all, Togawa vigorously bows to them.  (dogeza)

Togawa: I am so truly sorry! I… have betrayed everyone’s trust with my outrageous actions!... (crying)

Kondo: Now what’s wrong?

Crayon: Seems like he’s just crying…

Mr. Iwanami: Mr. Togawa, raise your head now. At the least, we’ve all agreed to listen to what you have to say, ok?

The stage fades into darkness.

 Scene 7: The City of Paris

On the ginkyo, the members of the “Light Tour” return from their dinner cruise with Pierre. Hayami and Pierre are especially drunk…

Pierre: Everybody~! Did you enjoy the dinner cruise~?

Hayami: Yes, amazing!

Pierre: Non, the amazing one… is you~!

Hayami: Oh, Pierre… In truth, I… am a ~terrible~ woman…

Michiru: Gross! Lady, you’ve really got it bad…

Hayami: What? Are you jealous?

Michiru: That’s impossible…

Kanezawa: Is that true?! Michiru…

Michiru: Papa?

Kanezawa: Really, compared to an old man like me… (he suddenly grabs Pierre’s shoulder) you prefer young guys like this!

Michiru: What are you saying!? The only one Michiru loves is Papa!

Kanezawa: Ya swear it?

Pierre: Well, anyway… there are many places that I wish to take you as your guide!

Mrs. Shimoda: Well then, Mr. Pierre, would it be alright if I asked you something then?

Pierre: Oui, madame.

Mrs. Shimoda: I’d like for you to tell me… What is the quietest and most beautiful place in all of Paris?

Pierre: The Basilique du Sacré-Cœur!

Mr. Shimoda: Where was that?

Pierre: The Sacred Heart temple in Montmartre! It was painted by Utrillo (Maurice Utrillo) as the white temple~!

Mrs. Shimoda: Really… The Sacred Heart temple? Thank you very much.

The Shimoda couple share a meaningful gaze.

Pierre: Well then, let us return! I shall guide you all back to the hotel~!

Hayami: Eh!? We’re going home already?

Michiru: You’ve already had enough to drink, haven’t you?

Kanezawa: (Seeing Hayami tripping over her own feet) Hey, hey, lady, are you ok?

Everyone begins to exit the stage. Mr. Shimoda does not move, and Mrs. Shimoda calls back to him.

Mrs. Shimoda: Dear?

Mr. Shimoda: We… are going to end up causing some trouble for those people, aren’t we?

Mrs. Shimoda: Isn’t ok to do as we like, at least at the end? Just at the end…

Mr. Shimoda smiles at his wife, who looks at him with a sweet smile.

Mr. Shimoda: You always show me such a loving smile, even at times like this. It makes me wish I could have spared you all this…

Mrs. Shimoda tries to keep smiling.

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako… you don’t have to keep smiling. Don’t force yourself to smile.

Mrs. Shimoda tries to hide her tears. As the ending falls, the two exit the stage.

 Scene 8: Château de la Reine (Room 203, Mr. Kitashirakawa’s room)

Room 203 in the Château de la Reine. After returning to the room, Kitashirakawa approaches the portrait of Louis XIV.

Kitashirakawa: Now then! No more interruptions! Come, let me once again gaze upon your true form!

After Kitashirakawa’s voice fades, there is nothing but silence.

Kitashirakawa: Please, I need to know! The truth between you and Diana- Who exactly was Diana? What is the true identity of the Moon Goddess…!?

As the lights disappear, Louis’s voice echoes through the room.

Louis: I will not forgive you…. You dare to speak Diana’s name so lightly!?

Kitashirakawa: It’s here! It’s here, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here!

Louis appears from the portrait.

Louis: Remove yourself from my presence immediately! My soul will never speak to the likes of you…

Kitashirakawa: Even with that kind of threat, do you think I would miss an opportunity like this? Now, come… tell me the story of you and Diana…!

Louis: Silence! You dare to speak her name a second time?!

Kitashirakawa: Why are you trying to hide it? What on earth happened between the two of you?

Louis: There’s no reason I should speak to the likes of you.

Kitashirakawa: Please listen. All I want is to write about your one and only true love.

Louis: True love?

Kitashirakawa: Yes! In the memoirs written about you, you’re almost like a myth- a man with only brilliant achievements and no human faults to be found. But what I want to write is about you as a man and your one true love!

Louis: How foolish… You think the King of France could ever live as a simple person?

Kitashirakawa: Well then, what was Diana to you?

Louis: …

Kitashirakawa: I’ll bet that love was your only proof you ever lived! That is the story of the Sun King that should be passed down through history!

Louis: To live as a king… there is no such thing as true love!... In order to become the Sun King of France, I expelled Dianna from Versailles and sent her here to live in this Château. No matter how much you ask, there is no ‘love story’ for you to find. I still only ask for her forgiveness, and for that reason continue to search for her soul…

Kitashirakawa: Très bien! Beautiful! The anguish of the King who had to throw his own love away… And now continues his eternal search for Diana, as just a simple man. This is the theme I’ve been looking for in my next work!

Louis: After all this, you’re still talking about such things…

Kitashirakawa: Kitashirakawa Ukyo’s second name is the Genius Romance Novelist! Within my creation, the love between two people not bound by time… Well, in my story, you would definitely be able to meet Diana again!

Louis: Foolish! For your scenario to work, Diana would have to appear before us.

Kitashirakawa: You’ll see… What’s needed to bring your reunion about… is Versailles!

Louis: Versailles!? But, she’s still here, in this Château…

Kitashirakawa: Rather, we should summon her in the place of your beautiful, shared memories! To Versailles!

The rhythm begins to change with the Background music.

[To Versailles]

Kitashirakawa: Beyond the boundaries of time

Your two souls are tied together

Louis: A man like you appeared unexpectedly

Bringing hope with you

Kitashirakawa: A fantastic story!

Louis: An absurd idea…

Kitashirakawa: Let’s draw her out!

Louis: Let’s give it a chance.

Kitashirakawa: Like                                                                                                                                                                                       Louis: Like

A feeling of a déjà vu-                                                                                                                                                             The feeling of falling in love

A chance to meet again!                                                                                                                                                              A chance to create anew,

The story of the Sun King and Moon Goddess!                                                                                                                       My story with Diana.

Kitashirakawa: Well then, to Versailles!

Louis: To Versailles!

Kitashirakawa and Louis: Let’s go find the next part of the story!

During the interlude, Munon suddenly appears without warning and interrupts the two.

Munon: But the problem is, exactly how is his Majesty to get to Versailles?

Kitashirakawa: (Shocked) Who are you?!

Louis: Munon. What’s the problem?

Munon: In that kind of dress, you would stand out to people in this modern era…

Kitashirakawa: Aah, If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry. You can just accompany me as a local guide who dresses the part for the tour.

Reassuring Louis with his bright idea, Kitashirakawa begins to lead them in song again. The three of them begin to sing together.

Kitashirakawa: When past and present intersect

An unpredictable story!

Come, to Versailles!

Louis and Munon: Quickly, to Versailles!

All three: Let’s go find the next part of the story!

Kitashirakawa: To Versailles!

Louis and Munon: Quickly, to Versailles!

Kitashirakawa: Now-

All three: Let’s begin… the next part of the story!

As the music ends, the curtain falls.

 Scene 9: The City of Paris

Togawa appears on the ginkyo, followed by the members of the “Shadow Tour”. Mr. Iwanami is singing the military song “Song of the Young Eagle” while supporting the crying Togawa by the shoulder.

Mr. Iwanami: (Singing) The seven buttons of the young-blooded trainee pilots are…

(TN: This was a song used when drafting potential aviators?)

Crayon: (To Togawa) How long are you going to keep crying? Didn’t we already agree to cooperate with you so the people in the “Light Tour” don’t figure out your plan?

Togawa: But, why are you all being so nice!? After I betrayed your trust like that… you should never forgive me! (cries again)

Kondo: Stop blaming yourself so much. It was something you had to do to save your company, right?

Crayon: Mako-chan, you’re so nice!~ And after you kept going on about arresting him earlier…

Kondo: I’m making an exception. If we don’t return to the hotel, then I don’t have to worry about being attacked by an okama in the middle of the night…

Crayon: What did you just say!??

Kondo: No-Nothing in particular…

Mr. Iwanami: Mr. Togawa.

Everyone freezes at the severe tone of Mr. Iwanami’s voice.

Togawa: Y-Yes!?

Mr. Iwanami: Just smile.

Togawa: What?

Mr. Iwanami: When I was young, I left junior high school and applied to military training, where I became a zero-fighter pilot (TN: Mitsubishi A6M planes in the war). The cockpits in those planes were very small, and whenever we intercepted a B29 (TN: American Boeing B29 super fortress) … there was no guarantee whether we would live to the next day or not.

Kondo: Are we about to have to listen to this old man’s war stories?

Crayon: Mako-chan!

Mr. Iwanami: However, even when we were prepared for death, we continued to smile and laugh.

Togawa: Mr. Iwanami!

Mr. Iwanami: After my time there, I became a teacher at a special night high school because I wanted to pass that message along to the children. Do you understand? Especially when things are difficult, you just smile and laugh. Smile for someone that you care about.

Togawa: Mr. Iwanami…! (crying again)

Crayon: Aaah… He’s crying again.

Mr. Tanno: Mr. Togawa… How about this? If you just leave the “Light Tour” customers’ baggage in the rooms, we’ll make sure not to touch or disturb them. Then you can save the time needed for having to move things around, right?

Mrs. Iwanami: Oh, I think that’s a very nice idea! With that plan, we can all work together to help Mr. Togawa!

Togawa: Everyone! I, Togawa Mitsuo, will never ever forget this blessing!

Crayon: Well then, why don’t we head to the next shop? (Takes Kondo’s arm) Somewhere we can have some fun~

Mr. Iwanami: Well then, Mr. Togawa. You must continue to guide us!

Togawa: Yes!!... Well then, please follow me!

With Togawa in the lead, everyone follows along. Only the Tanno couple remain on stage.

Mrs. Tanno: How stone cold. Pretending to be honorable- like you won’t touch a thing.

Mr. Tanno: Sharing a room with a bunch of rich people from the “Light Tour” when only we’ll be there during the day. We won’t get another chance like this.

Mrs. Tanno: You… really are a bad person.

Mr. Tanno: Do you dislike it?

Mrs. Tanno: It makes me love you even more.

The couple also leaves, the stage turning to the next scene.

 Scene 10: The Palace of Versailles (The Hall of Mirrors)

The Palace of Versailles is bustling with plenty of sightseeing tourists. The guide Pierre appears, leading the members of the “Light Tour”.

Pierre: Here we are! Everyone, this is the famous Palace of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors!

Michiru: How flashy!? This is so my style.

Kanezawa: Wow! This is something! I’ve gotta have a hall like this in my hotel in Vegas, bro.

Hayami: Excuse me, everyone… would you terribly mind not speaking in such loud voices? My head feels like it’s going to break…

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako. What in the world is this place? I can’t believe that one person could have such a place built in only one generation.

Mrs. Shimoda: Well, Louis the XIV was known for his excessive spending. It was the reason the country went into bankruptcy before the French Revolution, I think…

Kitashirakawa, Louis, and Munon appear.

Louis: The one who caused bankruptcy was not I, but Louis XVI! I’m utterly embarrassed to call that man my descendant.

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako, look. There are paintings that reach up to the ceiling.

Louis: Ah, so you noticed! After I was crowned, I had these impressive paintings completed in a mere eighteen years- each one painted by Le Blanc himself. This one here is the War of Flanders, while this one is the War with the Netherlands…

Michiru: (To Kanezawa) Don’t you think that guide is amazing?!

Sakurai: (To Kitashirakawa) So you’re saying he’s… really the ghost of Louis XIV?

Kitashirakawa: Yes! The savior of my novel!

Sakurai: But, to go so far as to make him a tour guide…

Kitashirakawa: It’s a great idea, right!? The idea to make him a tour guide of Versailles suddenly struck me!

Everyone begins praising Louis’ explanations.

Kitashirakawa: Thankfully, everyone really believes he’s just a really devoted guide impersonating Louis XIV.

Mrs. Shimoda: Even so, I wonder why… For such a beautiful palace, this place seems to have a feeling of sadness to it.

Mr. Shimoda: Yes, I thought so too.

Sakurai: Mr. Shimoda, are you feeling alright?

Mr. Shimoda: Oh, yes of course! I was just… thinking about something a former teacher used to tell me all the time.

Sakurai: What was it?

Mrs. Shimoda: When times are difficult or painful… or even sad. You must laugh and survive for someone you care about.

Sakurai: Even in difficult times, for someone you care about…

Mrs. Shimoda: For us, those words are irreplaceable.

Mr. Shimoda: I think our teacher definitely wanted to pass on that hope to live to those of us with no money and no hope.

Sakurai: It’s a lovely story.

Kanezawa: Could you not tell depressing stories when we managed to come all the way to Versailles?

Mr. Shimoda: I’m sorry!... What was I thinking, ruining the mood like that…

Kitashirakawa: I disagree! It is a very interesting life view. Even if you think like that in regards to the Sun King… A king carrying darkness deep within his heart. As he thirsts for the light that can eradicate the darkness, it leads him to build this masterpiece…

Hayami: That’s Kitashirakawa-sensei for you!... What a beautiful interpretation… (suddenly feels sick)

Kitashirakawa: Hayami?

Hayami: I… need to go… to the restroom…

Pierre: Oh, Madame! I will show you the way!

Pierre accompanies Hayami off stage.

Mr. Shimoda: Well then, please excuse us as well. Come, Fusako…

Mrs. Shimoda: Ms. Reiko, are you coming?

Sakurai: Yes!

The Shimodas also exit the stage. Suddenly looking at Kanezawa, Kitashirakawa notices an incident.

Kitashirakawa: Shouldn’t you go as well?

Kanezawa: Me? … Why?

Kitashirakawa: (in a whisper) You’re crooked… (indicating Kanezawa’s wig)

Kanezawa: Crooked!?... CROOKED!?

Michiru: Papa! Where are you going!?

Kanezawa runs off stage while holding down his wig with his hands. Michiru follows him off stage.

Sakurai: That isn’t the restroom, Mr. Kanezawa! Miss Michiru!

Ms. Sakurai chases after them.

Louis: And why did I have to pretend to be your silly guide?

Kitashirakawa: Contrary to your words, you seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit.

Munon: Yes, it did seem as if you were coming to enjoy it.

Louis: Do not make fun! Forget all that, what about Diana? When will she reveal herself to me?

Kitashirakawa: Don’t panic. We’ve set up the perfect situation for a reunion scenario!

[Reminiscence]

The background music begins.

Kitashirakawa: Our story begins with the Sun King giving a monologue. While alone in this corridor, gather all your nostalgia for Diana, and speak of the beautiful memories you shared here together! Led by your voice, other ghosts may appear and disappear… And among them, you alone can locate her true form! Now, call out to the Moon Goddess, to Diana’s soul…!

As the lights change with the music, aristocratic looking men and women begin to fill the corridor with dancing. Among a group of a dancers, the nervous Diana appears. Kitashirakawa and Munon move to the front of the stage to ‘watch’.

Louis: The first time I met Diana… was at the ball to celebrate the victory of my first battle as king. Although she was only brought into the palace to serve as a maid to the queen, she was luminous… as bright and beautiful as the moon goddess herself…

Aristocrats: Dance!          Dance!

Together with the unsetting sun

Dance!  Dance!

Even as the night begins to fall

Louis dances his way through the people, arriving in front of Diana and offering her his hand.

Diana: Forgive me, I cannot dance.

Louis: Do I displease you?

Diana: No, but I must present myself to the king…

Louis: In that case, you need not worry. I can assure you the king will not be at his station this evening.

Offering his hand again, Diana slowly accepts. The two begin to dance.

Munon: When His Majesty was young, he narrowly escaped death due to the actions of some unreasonable nobility- causing His Majesty a lifetime of pain and mistrust in people. No one could truly understand the depths of suspicion and loneliness in his heart.

(TN: Possible reference to the Fronde Rebellion?)

Kitashirakawa: So, the one who lifted that loneliness was the Moon Goddess Diana…

Aristocrats: Dance!          Dance!

Together with the unsetting sun

Dance!                  Dance!

Diana disappears in the crowd of noblemen, and Queen Maria Theresa and Louis’s mother Anne appear.

Maria Theresa: Your Majesty, answer me. Is it true that vile woman you’ve taken in is now with child?

Louis: Watch your tongue, Queen. If the child is born a boy, then Diana will be the mother to my heir.

Maria Theresa: So… you even intend to hand over the throne to that child!?

Anne: My Queen, His Majesty has been fooled by that woman. His sanity may be lost for now, but soon he will come to realize his own mistake!

Louis: No, mother. My only mistake was ever accepting a princess of the enemy Spain as my Queen! My child with Diana will be my true legacy!

Maria Theresa: What are you saying!?

Anne: Apparently, his Majesty seems to have forgotten. That the child born to him of that woman will also have the blood of Spain running in their veins.

Anne makes a face to indicate that she has a plan and urges Maria Theresa to follow her, and they disappear into the dancing. Louis, angry and with no place to go, dances among the middle.

Aristocrats: Praise! Praise!

The birth of a long desired son

Cutting through the darkness of night    the child of the Sun of France!

A baby’s first cries echo through the halls, and Louis breaks away from the dancers.

Louis: Petit Louis!... The child of the Sun of France!

As Louis moves to try to go to Diana, Anne stands in his way.

Anne: Your Majesty, where do you think you are going?

Louis: To see Diana!

Anne: You cannot. Your Majesty must, for the sake of France, always continue to dance!

In an eerie formation, the noblemen gather around Louis and dance, tossing him about.

Aristocrats: Dance!          Dance!

Even if the sun sets

Dance   Dance

Within the great darkness,          The King continues to dance.

In a cross formation, the nobles move around Louis and swallow him. The back of the hall of mirrors changes to a balcony in the palace. On the balcony, Diana is holding her newborn baby close. Maria Theresa approaches her.

Maria Theresa: Madame Diana… Allow me to hold the child.

Diana: My Queen, it would be too high of an honor…

Maria Theresa: Well, show him to me quickly!

Maria Theresa takes Petit Louis from Diana by force.

Diana: My Queen!

Maria Theresa: Well, how adorable… he looks just like His Majesty…

Diana: My Queen?

Standing over the handrail, Maria Theresa lifts Petit Louis high. A disturbing twilight begins to spread in the background.

Maria Theresa: Louis de Soleil de France… The child of the Sun of France!!

Louis: Stop!!...

As the music hits a shocking accent, Maria Theresa drops Petit Louis off the edge of the balcony. At the same time, Louis manages to shake off the smothering nobles. Along with the accented music, the scene changes. While the nobles continue their disturbing song, they slowly move off stage.

Aristocrats: Dance           Dance

Together with the unsetting sun

Dance   Dance

The glory of the King shines…

Kitashirakawa: But… Petit Louis… What happened to Petit Louis…!?

Munon: Fortunately, his life was spared. But one leg was severely injured, and never properly healed… And so that no more danger would ever befall those two, his Majesty sent Diana away to that Château under the pretext of exiling her…

Kitashirakawa: So, the reason Louis continued to live as the Sun King of France was to protect the ones he loved… but, that love became nothing but despair for Diana…

Finally released from the memories, Louis approaches Kitashirakawa.

Louis: Diana… Where is Diana? (To Kitashirakawa) Why hasn’t she revealed herself?

Kitashirakawa: …

Louis: Answer me! When will Diana be revealed to me?

Kitashirakawa: … I don’t know.

Louis: You don’t know? Didn’t you say if we followed your scenario, then I could find her?!

Kitashirakawa: I don’t know! If you say that the thing that drove Diana’s heart deeper into the darkness was your love, then what would be the light that summons her back to you… How would I write that?

Louis: You have deceived me! Because you just wanted to write your little novel, you tricked me into telling you about Diana!

Kitashirakawa: No, that’s not it!

Louis: You said you wanted to write about true love? For someone that plays with others’ hearts and only thinks about himself… you’ll never be able to write about something like love! No, not of love, and not of anything that could ever touch a person’s heart! Leave my Château immediately… That is my final warning to you.

Louis spares Kitashirakawa one last glare as he leaves.

Munon: Your Highness! Please wait… Your Highness!

Munon chases after Louis. As Kitashirakawa is left on stage by himself, the setting falls into darkness.

[The Story I Wanted to Write]

Kitashirakawa: An empty heart-

And writing to fill it

With the memories of someone other than myself.

And never allowing anyone to read…

The tightly closed            and blank pages               deep in my heart

What I wanted to write

Were the words of the magic I believed in as a child

Adults always spun                         Such kind stories of lies.

What I wanted to write                was the continuation of an unseen dream

But I don’t even know                   the truth of a ‘story’.

And the resulting scratches of pain hidden in my heart…

I never noticed them.

 Scene 11: Château de la Reine (Room 201 and Room 202)

In room 202 of the Château de la Reine, The Tanno couple is going through Kanezawa and Michiru’s baggage.

Mrs. Tanno: Darling, look!

Mr. Tanno: This is amazing! These are all top brand goods!

Mrs. Tanno: What’s this? (She pulls a hair bundle out of the suitcase.)

Mr. Tanno: Isn’t that a wig?

Mrs. Tanno: Gross!! (She tosses it away.)

On the other side of the stage, the Iwanamis are relaxing with some tea from room service.

Mr. Iwanami: No matter how you think about it, this is quite a strange tour. Even if it’s only during the day, being able to stay in such a nice hotel sure is fun. We should really be thankful, don’t you think?

Mrs.  Iwanami: Yes, even though we’re sharing with the Light Tour.

Back to room 202.

Mr. Tanno: Even so, this is exactly the kind of thing that will build up our reputation! *

Mrs. Tanno: Right! With high-end goods to resell, it’s much more efficient than something like card fraud.

Mr. Tanno: Let’s go and sell some of these things in the Jewish shops, then we’ll quickly slip away with no one the wiser.

Mrs. Tanno: Right!

The Tannos begin packing up all the brand goods they’ve found in the room into one suitcase. Meanwhile, in room 201, Mr. Iwanami walks over to the side table and picks some stationary he finds.

Mr. Iwanami: Oh, what’s this? A letter?

Mrs. Iwanami: You know reading other people’s letters without their permission is bad taste.

Mr. Iwanami: You read it too!

Mrs. Iwanami runs her eyes over the stationary her husband hands to her.

Mrs. Iwanami: (as she’s reading) On our journey to Paris… we will also depart on another journey… Dear, is this… is this a suicide note?!

Mr. Iwanami: Yes, it looks like their factory went bankrupt, and they’ve written that they’re hundreds of millions of yen in debt.

Mrs. Iwanami: This is terrible… We have to tell Mr. Togawa right away!

As the stage turns, we see the corridor of the hotel. The Iwanamis exit the door of their room in a hurry.

Mr. Iwanami: Mr. Togawa! Mr. Togawa! It’s terrible!

At the same time, the Tannos are trying to leave their room, causing the two men to run into each other.

Mr. Tanno and Mr. Iwanami: Wah! Gya!

In the collision, the bag that Mr. Tanno was carrying suddenly opens and the goods fall onto the floor. Having heard Mr. Iwanami’s yells, Mr. Togawa approaches.

Togawa: Mr. Iwanami, Mr. Tanno, are you alright?

Mr. Iwanami: Don’t worry about us! Quickly, come here!

The Tannos quickly begin picking up their stolen goods.

Togawa: These brand goods… aren’t these Mr. Kanezawa’s things he left in the room!?

Mr. Iwanami: What!? Then that means?

Togawa: You don’t mean, you two are stealing!?

Mr. Tanno: Damn it!

Mr. Iwanami: (To Togawa) The police! Call the police now!

Togawa: If you need the police, then Mr. Kondo is in room 203…

Mr. Iwanami: Right! (He puts Mr. Tanno into an iron grip)

Mr. Tanno: Ouch! For an old man, how are you this stupidly strong!?

Mr. Iwanami: Whaddya think? Don’t mistake this former navy seal as a sweet old man!

Mrs. Iwanami: Dear! Worry about that later! Hurry, look at this…

Mrs. Iwanami hands the stationary to Togawa.

Togawa: (reading quickly) Is this… a suicide note!? Who wrote this!?

Mrs. Iwanami: It was left in our room. So it definitely belongs to whoever else is staying there!

Togawa: The guest staying in room 203 from the ‘Light Tour’… That’s the Shimodas! What should we do?! Right now, they might be…

Mrs. Iwanami: We have to tell the police now!

Togawa: Then we should go to room 203!

Everyone leaves the stage in a hurry as the ending music plays.

 Scene 12: Palace of Versailles (Gardens)

At a garden in the palace, Kitashirakawa stands alone. Sakurai appears on stage, finding him.

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa! Just when I thought everyone else had come back, I realized you were gone again. Didn’t you say you were going to cooperate with me?

Kitashirakawa: Is it ok for you to not be watching over the others?

Sakurai: The others are all following Pierre and looking for you. Alright, let’s get back to the group and continue our sightseeing for the day.

Kitashirakawa: Sorry, but… I’m going to go home. Alone.

Sakurai: Are we back at this again? Right now, the ‘Shadow Tour’ members are at the hotel…

Kitashirakawa: I don’t mean go back to my room. If I could just have my baggage collected, I’d like to leave the hotel as soon as possible.

Sakurai: What do you mean?

Kitashirakawa: It’s earlier than planned, but I’m leaving Paris. I know it’s last minute, but could I ask you to help me book a flight?

Sakurai: What…?

Kitashirakawa: You don’t have to worry. I won’t tell anyone about the double booking arrangement. Ah, you can tell the other tour members that I had to leave for some sudden work or something…

Sakurai: But, what about your novel?

Kitashirakawa: My novels… they’re really not important, are they?

Sakurai: Not important!? You said that your career as a writer was hanging in the balance, didn’t you? You said you had to write a masterpiece, right?

Kitashirakawa: Yes, you’re right… But as I am now, I cannot hope to write the masterpiece I wished for…

Sakurai: But… I mean, if you work with that ghost of Louis XIV from earlier…

Kitashirakawa: No, Louis won’t appear to me again. And even if he were here, it doesn’t change the fact that my talent is what’s truly missing.

Sakurai: Saying such self-deprecating things is really not like you. You’re usually walking around with that celeb-aura and brimming with overconfidence?!

Kitashirakawa: Are you… trying to make me feel better?

Sakurai: I’m sorry, I just…

Kitashirakawa: No, it is as you say. I always had confidence in my own talent and believed that I could create any kind of story. But as I have always lived thinking only about myself, how can I even begin to write a story about someone else?

Sakurai: Then, what is your story? Shouldn’t you just write a story about yourself? Actually, I thought about it earlier while listening to the Shimodas’ story. Every person holds within them the words to give another person hope. So, you just have to find them! Those irreplaceable words… your story definitely has them, too.

Kitashirakawa: My story… Could it be that I, as the protagonist, lost sight of my own story?

[A Novel Without a Protagonist]

Kitashirakawa: I wonder when it began?

That I was writing

Such selfish scenarios.

Decorating my words

With only self-recognition-

Of a Celebrity Novelist!                                To distract from

And erase my anxiety…

Sakurai: At some point, I chose without realizing

A journey full of trouble.

On a road without a map

I continued with strength!

When all I really wanted

Was for someone to walk with me.

Kitashirakawa and Sakurai: What vanity-

To walk alone on this road

Like a novel without a protagonist.

Seeking for…     And performing as…

An idealized version of myself.

And even, perhaps,        without realizing            

Hurting                                 someone else

And continuing to search

Kitashirakawa: What I lost sight of…

Sakurai: What I forgot…

Together: The true protagonist

Of my life.

Kitashirakawa: Can I write it someday? My own story that gives someone else hope?

Sakurai: Yes! For someone like me, who’s lost their own way in life…

Suddenly, Sakurai’s phone begins to ring.

Sakurai: (Checking the phone) It’s Togawa. (answers) Hello?

Togawa: (voice) This is terrible! P-Please, calm down and listen!...

Sakurai: I think you should probably calm down first…

Following Pierre, the other members of the ‘Light Tour’ notice Kitashirakawa and Sakurai. Sakurai moves to a separate area to talk.

Kanezawa: Hey! We found ‘em!

Pierre: Oh! We finally found you! We searched everywhere!

Hayami: Sensei! (notices Sakurai) and… Ms. Reiko!? What are the two of you doing!?

Kitashirakawa: What? Nothing in particular?

Michiru: All alone, just the two of you? Suspicious~

Kitashirakawa: There’s nothing suspicious about it!

Sakurai: What did you say!? That can’t be true. They’re right here with everyone else in the ‘Light Tour’ now… (Notices that the Shimodas are missing) Where are the Shimodas?

Pierre: Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen them for a while…

Kitashirakawa: Is something wrong?

Sakurai: (in shock) It seems… a suicide note was found in their room…

All: A suicide note?!

Sakurai: What should I do?... (She begins to put together the signs so far.) Those two, from the beginning… they must have been planning this all along…

Michiru: They’ve gotta be somewhere in the palace?

Kitashirakawa: Why would anyone plan something like that here?

Kanezawa: If it were me, I’d wanna go in the most magnificent place possible!

Kitashirakawa: (amazed) The only one who thinks that way is you. Anyway, we have to find them as quickly as possible! (To Sakurai) The other group of tourists, can we ask them for their help too?

Sakurai: (preparing herself) Yes! Of course we can! I’ll relay the plan to Togawa by phone…

Hayami: What do you mean by the other group of tourists?

Kitashirakawa: Right now, finding the Shimodas comes first! We have to find them before it’s too late!

The intro to the next number begins.

 Scene 13A: The City of Paris

The ‘Light Tour’ members line up in front of the curtain.

[An Extraordinary Search!]

Kitashirakawa: There is no time

For us to waste!

                               All: It’s an emergency!

Kitashirakawa: We’ll succeed with our

Imaginations!

                               All: Where could they be?

Kitashirakawa: Like opening a guide map

Believe in your intuition!

Kanezawa: The Arc du Triomphe or the Eiffel Tower?

Michiru: How about a gorgeous and luxurious opera house?

Kitashirakawa: Those weren’t on the sightseeing course!

Sakurai: If it’s a forest then the Boulogne             or Vincennes

Hayami: How about the Montparnasse Cemetery?

Pierre: Notre Dame could be suspect, too!

Kitashirakawa: We’ll have to find them ourselves!

All: Let’s go through the city of Paris

On an Extraordinary search!

Let’s go through the city of Paris

On an Extraordinary search!

Kitashirakawa: Hurry!

The Light Tour members break off into pairs to search and exit the stage in different directions: Kitashirakawa and Sakurai, Kanezawa and Michiru, and Hayami and Pierre.

 Scene 13B: Château de la Reine (Room 203)

The curtain rises to reveal room 203 of the Château de la Reine. The Tannos have been handcuffed. The music fades into BGM.

Kondo: It was lucky we were on the same tour. I’ll be taking these two back to Japan to face responsibility for their actions.

Mr. Tanno: Are you stupid?

Kondo: What’d you say!?

Mr. Tanno: Don’t you know that a Japanese policeman has no right to arrest people in another country?

Kondo: I dunno anything like that! All I know is when I see a criminal in front of me, I arrest ‘em!

Crayon: Kya~! Mako-chan, you’re so cool! … Even if what you’re saying is a bit unreasonable…

Togawa: Forget all that, we should hurry to help in the search for the Shimodas!

Mr. Iwanami: That’s right! What about the ‘Light Tour’?

Togawa: They’ve split up and are visiting famous places!

Mr. Iwanami: Then, we should also split up and search…

Mrs. Iwanami: But, I have no idea where in Paris someone might want to commit a lovers’ suicide!

Suddenly, the light in the room disappears as Louis’s voice sounds.

Louis: Lovers’ suicide?!

Crayon: (clinging to Kondo) What… what was that voice? Scary!!!

Kondo: Quite clinging to me so suddenly!

Stepping out from the painting, Louis and Munon appear.

Louis: First daring to deceive me, and then finding thieves amongst your allies… Does your shame know no end?! And now you dare to bring about death upon my territory!? I will not allow it!

Togawa: Um, excuse me but, what… are you?

Kondo: (To Crayon) Friend of yours?

Crayon: I dunno this guy!

Louis: Silence, now! Before it is too late, hurry and find those poor souls!

Togawa: But… where should we start looking?

Louis: Must I do everything!? Munon! You will be the leader.

Munon: Yes!

Louis: Come people, follow!

Everyone hurriedly follows Louis from the room. The hotel employees enter the stage from all sides.

Duran: The customer is in trouble!

Workers: The Hotel is in trouble, too!

Duran: What an unprecedented incident!

Workers: Brought to light by the double booking…

All: We need to find a solution!

To protect the Château de la Reine’s

Pride!

Louis and the Shadow Tour members appear on the bridge.

Louis: Now, continue to follow                                                                                                                      Shadow Tour: Being led by the Sun King

You selfish monkeys!                                                                                                                                              On a search!

These Japanese tourists-                                                                                                                         Let’s go through the city of Paris

In my country!                                                                                                                                            On an extraordinary search!

These kinds of actions                                                                                                                             An interesting collaboration

I will never                                                                                                                                                   Let’s go through the city of Paris

Allow them!                                                                                                                                                 On an Extraordinary search!

 Scene 13C: The City of Paris (2)

As people come and go in the city, the Light Tour members run into them, causing a racket.

Kitashirakawa: Well, how’d it go?!

Hayami: We didn’t find them!

Kanezawa: We got nothin’ too. I give up.

Kitashirakawa: Aren’t there any clues? You were all with them all last night, weren’t you?

Michiru: Now that you mention it…

Sakurai: Do you have an idea?

Michiru: Hey, Pierre… Didn’t the wife ask you something? Like ‘what’s the most beautiful and quiet place’ or something?

Kitashirakawa: Why didn’t anyone say that earlier!? Hayami, you were there too, weren’t you!?

Hayami: I’m afraid I drank too must last night, my memory is…

Kitashirakawa: Miserable! Well then, what did you tell her?

Pierre: Oh! I remember! The Basilique du Sacré-Cœur!

Sakurai: The Sacred Heart Temple in Montmartre!

Kitashirakawa: Alright, let’s hurry!

All the members run off stage, forcing their way through the people, ending the scene.

 Scene 14: Montmartre- The Sacred Heart Temple

Montmartre at nighttime. The stage changes to the gardens in front of the Sacred Heart Temple. A chanson singer carrying an accordion appears on stage, singing.

[Chanson]

Accordion player: As your silhouette continues to dance

My memories disappear into a dream

Those happy days are naught but nostalgia

In a phantom-like dream.

The Shimodas appear amongst other random couples, seeming confused.

Mrs. Shimoda: Darling, aren’t you cold?

Mr. Shimoda: I’m not cold, but… I’m scared. You?

Mrs. Shimoda: No, not at all.

Mr. Shimoda: But… we’re going to die?

Mrs. Shimoda: But I’m together with you.

Mr. Shimoda: Did you bring it? The hydrocyanic acid?

Mrs. Shimoda pulls a small bottle from her bag.

Mrs. Shimoda: Even the specialists don’t have this, do this?

Mr. Shimoda: It’s an old product from our factory… but it finally has some use.

Mrs. Shimoda: Look, darling, how beautiful this place is…

Mr. Shimoda: Being able to spend the last moments of our life in a place like this… is a blessing.

Mrs. Shimoda: Yes, dear.

The couple moves to sit down on the bench. Trying to hide her tears, Mrs. Shimoda turns away to hide her face.

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako?

Mrs. Shimoda forces herself to smile before turning back to him.

Mr. Shimoda: I told you, didn’t I? You don’t have to force yourself to smile. Whether you laugh or cry… these are our last moments together…

Suddenly, following Kitashirakawa, the members of the Light Tour appear.

Sakurai: You’re here! Mr. Shimoda!

Mr. Shimoda: You all…!

Kitashirakawa: Thank goodness, we made it! Now, let’s go back to the hotel…

Kitashirakawa begins to approach the couple.

Mr. Shimoda: Please don’t come any closer!

Kitashirakawa: Mr. Shimoda. I heard about the note you two left. That managing your factory took a turn for the worse, and you’ve been left in a great amount of debt…

Mr. Shimoda: Then, you understand! So please, allow us to die in peace, together…

Louis and the Shadow Tour members arrive on stage.

Louis: I will not allow any death here! Do you have no pride in your own lives? In this peaceful world, while being allowed to live freely- you would dare to not only throw away your own life, but the life of your beloved as well?

Mr. Iwanami looks at the Shimodas in surprise.

Mr. Iwanami: Y-You two…!

Mr. Shimoda: Mr. Iwanami!

Mrs. Shimoda: Sensei…

Sakurai: Do you know each other?

Mr. Iwanami: In a way… They were my students. You mean to say… you were the ones who left that note?

Mr. Iwanami begins to approach the Shimodas.

Mrs. Shimoda: Please stop! Please just… look away for a bit. Please…

Sakurai: Ms. Fusako… What was it you said before? In painful times, or in sad times, you have to smile and live for someone? Isn’t that what you told us? You said that those words gave you hope. Even so… are you saying you would choose to die like this?

Hearing Sakurai’s words, Mr. Iwanami’s facial expression looks shocked and pained.

Mr. Iwanami: Koji… Fusako… Forgive me!

Mr. Iwanami bows deeply to the couple.

Mrs. Shimoda: Sensei!

Mr. Shimoda: Please stop! Why are you apologizing…

Mr. Iwanami: I… just wanted to offer poor children a chance at equal education! I wanted you to survive- to live despite the circumstances of the environment you were born in… But in the end, it seems like I was unable to teach you anything at all…

Mrs. Shimoda: Sensei, please… raise your head. It was because your words encouraged us that we were even able to get this far!

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako…

Kitashirakawa: Mr. Shimoda. You are not the only ones dealing with misfortune. Surely everyone is doing their best to live while holding their difficulties in their heart…

Sakurai: I was also unable to properly manage my company. But… in order to protect myself, I did something much more terrible than you!

Kanezawa: For me, well money ain’t really a problem, but… I’ve got worries I can’t tell people about… (He touches a hand to his wig)

Kondo: For me, I haven’t had a girlfriend in thirty years!

Hayami: Forty-two years single!

Crayon: And I’m an okama!

Kitashirakawa: And I… hurt someone. I realized that I had lost something important as a person. But it’s something that the two of you have never forgotten! And that is how to care for someone. Even if you think that your lives have no value… to me, it’s something I can never capture in words alone… an irreplaceable story!

Mr. Iwanami: Koji Shimoda! Fusako!

The Shimodas: Yes!

Mr. Iwanami: Smile. No matter what, smile! This is the only life you get, so if you smile and laugh together… you can go on living!

The Shimodas: Ha… hahaha… (they begin to cry while laughing)

The other members of the group all begin laughing as well. As dusk falls in the sky, the Japanese tourists’ strange crying-laughter fills the air. Louis’s expression changes, as if he’s realized something, and he and Munon exit the stage. As the scene ends, the light fades.

 Scene 15: The City of Paris  - Places des Vosges

On the way back to the hotel, Kitashirakawa begins to sing.

[Kitashirakawa’s Song ~ Sakurai’s Song]

Kitashirakawa: I couldn’t even manage the easy things,

And every time I lost my way-

I hid my face and watched you from far away.

If I could laugh for someone

If I could laugh for myself

Then surely, I can follow my heart forward

To the person who’s smiling face I most wish to see.

During the musical interlude, the background setting changes.

1. Crayon and Kondo

Crayon runs on stage crying, followed by a confused/angry looking Kondo.

Crayon: U-Uwaaaa!!!...

Kondo: You were laughing a moment ago- why are you suddenly crying so much!?

Crayon: I just remembered when I was dumped… It feels like… I’ll never meet anyone who could possibly love me!... Uuuhuu…

Kondo: Don’t cry! Kuroiwa Gentarou.

Crayon: But… the more I try to laugh… the more miserable I feel…

Kondo: If that’s the case, then smile for me instead.

Crayon: …What?

Kondo: When you’re sad like this, I start feeling sad too…

Crayon: Mako-chan!!

Crayon runs over and tries to give Kondo an intense kiss. Kondo struggles and tries to push Crayon away, but then they face each other and Kondo kisses Crayon instead.

2. Kanezawa, Michiru, and the Tannos

Kanezawa: So ya’ll are the thieves who’ve run card scams around the world, huh?

The Tannos: …

Kanezawa: How ‘bout it? Ya’ll leave that rotten lifestyle behind and come work for me?

Mr. Tanno: What do you mean?

Kanezawa: Ya’ll’s language proficiencies and fearlessness are just a bonus! I’m saying come to Vegas and be the general managers of my casino!

Michiru: Papa!

Mrs. Tanno: In Las Vegas??

Mr. Tanno: General managers?

Kanezawa: A’ight, let’s go talk it over.

Kanezawa and Michiru get the Tannos to follow them offstage. The background music changes for Sakurai’s song.

Sakurai: The important things I forgot

When I became an adult…

Every time I lost sight of myself                I kept running

With no place to go.

If I could laugh for someone

If I could laugh for myself

Then I should be able to live

Following the truth of my heart

To the person who I most want to show a smile to…

As the music fades to background, Sakurai exit the stage.

 Scene 16: Château de la Reine (Courtyard Entrance)

Under the moonlight in the courtyard of the hotel, Kitashirakawa happens upon the still, thinking form of Louis.

Kitashirakawa: Louis…

Louis: It seems like you dared to return to this Château anyway.

Kitashirakawa: Once I gather my things, I’ll leave immediately. But- there’s something I want you to hear. I had no intention of deceiving you! I truly, honestly thought that I could bring you and Diana together again. But now I understand, because I didn’t take your sadness and pain seriously, there’s no way I could ever write about something like ‘true love’. But now… I feel like I understand the pain you’ve felt…

Kitashirakawa turns to enter the hotel.

Louis: Wait. Well, I can be patient for a few more days. Patience is a virtue after all… Really, when it comes to you… You really pile up trivial matters and create quite a big fuss of it all. There are many things you do that are foolish. But… what was even more foolish was that I did not truly understand what I had learned from you.

Kitashirakawa: Louis?

Louis: I realized I had forgotten how to laugh. For Diana and our son…

Petit Louis: (voice) Maman! Tell me about Papa!

Diana: (voice) Your father… is a true hero.

Petit Louis: (voice) But… why isn’t he here with us?

Diana: (voice) Your father is the Sun King who illuminates all of France. Even when he cannot be by our side, he still loves us very much.

Louis: I finally realized… that their voices were always full of laughter…

Diana and Petit Louis: (laughing)

Looking up at the moon, Louis smiles softly as the sound of Diana and Petit Louis’s laughter lift his spirits.

Louis: I finally feel as though I can truly meet Diana again. And… I’m looking forward to reading it- the novel about me.

Kitashirakawa: Is… it ok for me to write about you?

Louis: As long as you portray me as an exceptionally ‘good handsome man’, of course.

Kitashirakawa: Ha, I wonder how it’ll turn out?

Kitashirakawa, Sakurai, and Louis come together.

All three: If I could laugh for someone

If I could laugh for myself

Then surely I can meet the one I love from the bottom of my heart.

The person who’s smiling face I most wish to see…

The person who I most want to show a smile to…

 Scene 17: Château de la Reine (Courtyard Entrance)

The next morning, in the opening of the hotel people begin to appear: Kanezawa and Michiru, Kondo and Crayon, and Duran. Some hotel staff follow, carrying everyone’s bags.

Duran: Oh! Monsieur Kanezawa! Is there nothing we can do to thank you for investing in the future management of the Château de la Reine?

Kanezawa: I don’t need no thank yous. Vegas may be my base, but it’s always been my dream to have hotels all over the world.

Crayon: A hotel in Vegas sounds amazing! (To Kondo) It’d be perfect for our wedding~

Kondo: W-Wedding!?

The Tanno and Shimoda couples appear.

Mr. Shimoda: Mr. Kanezawa, what is the meaning of this? I was just told that you’ve taken over our entire debt?!

Mr. Tanno: Seems like everyone here’s been hired by Kanezawa.

Mrs. Tanno: Mrs. Shimoda! Let’s go to Las Vegas together!

Kanezawa: If ya’ll were managin’ a factory all on your own, then you’re like- really good with mechanics, right? To build up my casino in Vegas, I need an advisor who understands all that state-of-the-art stuff.

Mrs. Shimoda: But…

Togawa and the Iwanamis appear.

Mr. Iwanami: Shouldn’t you just gratefully accept?

Mrs. Shimoda: Iwanami-sensei!

Mr. Iwanami: Mr. Kanezawa, I can personally vouch for these two’s personalities. (To the Shimodas) Now then, give him a proper reply.

Upon Iwanami’s words, the Shimodas gather their determination.

Mr. Shimoda: Although we are not worthy of your kindness, we humbly accept!

Kanezawa: Hey hey hey…

Mrs. Iwanami: Doesn’t it sound like you’re replying to a marriage proposal?

Togawa: Everyone! It’s about time to go! The car has arrived in the plaza!

While everyone exits the stage, Kanezawa is left with a relaxed looking Michiru.

Kanezawa: Hey, what’s wrong Michiru?

Michiru: Do you have no intention of saying anything to me?

Kanezawa: Say… something to you?

Michiru: Maybe a ‘proposal’ like what you said to those people just now…

Kanezawa: Michiru… I… I ain’t good enough to marry you. There’s something I been hiding from you…

Michiru: It really doesn’t matter to me. If you’re talking about the lie you’ve told about your looks…

Kanezawa: Michiru!? You… knew?

Michiru: For a while now.

Kanezawa: But is it really alright? Marryin’ someone like me?

Michiru: Did you really think I’d hate you for something like that?

Kanezawa: Michiru!!

Michiru: Papa!

Kanezawa holds Michiru close, kissing her passionately. As the door opens behind them, Kitashirakawa appears.

Kitashirakawa: Ugh! Why did have to see that first thing in the morning??

Kanezawa: Hey bro! Listen! Michiru and I are gonna get married!

Kanezawa: Well, congratulations on that. But, shouldn’t you look in the mirror before you do such a thing?

Kanezawa: Why?

Kitashirakawa: You’re crooked. (Indicating his wig)

Kanezawa: C-Crooked!?.... Crooked!?!

Kanezawa, looking horrified, runs off stage.

Michiru: Papa! Wait!

Michiru runs after Kanezawa off stage. Hayami appears.

Hayami: (Finishing reading the novel) Amazing… To write an entire novel of this caliber in less than a week… Sensei truly is a genius… No, a master…

Kitashirakawa: I changed the title as well. The new title is “The Queen’s Château”.

Hayami: Amazing! To create such a hypothesis that King Louis XIV’s true love lived here- and that she was the true Queen of his heart!

Kitashirakawa: Well, even so…

Hayami: Weaving the intricacies of the non-fiction tale of our real-life double booking and a fiction retelling of the ghost of Louis XIV… A story of love that transcends the boundaries of time! Make no mistake, this will become an instant best seller!

Kitashirakawa: Even though everything was actually non-fiction…

Hayami: Did you say something?

Kitashirakawa: No, just thinking out loud…

Hayami: You don’t need to worry. I’ll be editing this on the plane ride home!

As Hayami goes to leave, Pierre appears in front of her.

Hayami: Pierre!...

Pierre: Madame! Are you really… returning to Japon?

Hayami: Pierre, forgive me… I am truly… a terrible woman who can only live for her work!

Hayami runs away from Pierre.

Pierre: Ma chérie! At least let me embrace you one last time!...

Pierre chases after Hayami.

Kitashirakawa: (Speaking to himself) So even Hayami experienced such a miracle…?

Gradually, Sakurai also appears in front of Kitashirakawa, gazing up at the sky.

Sakurai: Ah, Mr. Kitashirakawa, you were still here?

Kitashirakawa: Yes, I just wanted to enjoy the scenery here one last time.

Kitashirakawa looks up to the sky, and Sakurai follows his line of sight.

Sakurai: You can see the sun and the moon together in the dawn sky…

Kitashirakawa: They were finally able to meet, the sun and the moon…  I heard from Togawa. You’re closing your travel agency?

Sakurai: Yes. I need to start over from the beginning. The double booking was just too much.

Kitashirakawa: So you’re graduating from being a shabby tour guide, too?

Sakurai: Rude.

Kitashirakawa: I’m joking. So, what are you planning to do?

Sakurai: I haven’t decided yet. I think I need to take some time to really figure myself out first. You?

Kitashirakawa: Same as usual- I’ll be writing novels and chased by the pressure of deadlines.

Sakurai: I’ll be looking forward to it. The novel about your own story, like you said.

Kitashirakawa: Right.

Sakurai: Well then, I should be getting to the customers…

Sakurai begins to leave in the direction of the others.

Kitashirakawa: Actually! I have… a favor to ask of you…

Sakurai: (Stops, turning back)…

Kitashirakawa: When we get back to Japan… I’d like to interview you.

Sakurai: Me? … But, why?

Kitashirakawa: I can’t write a story with just the protagonist alone, right? So, I want to interview you… the one who reminded me of what’s important.

[Duet]

Kitashirakawa: Filled with undecorated words

Like monthly novels

Full of overflowing feelings

And interspersed with silence

Everything felt like an incomplete story.

Naturally, I was overwhelmed by this miracle.

Although I’m clumsy,

I want to move forward as myself

And grow with the passing of the seasons.

Sakurai: Even if I unexpectedly remember sadness

I don’t want to forget how to smile.

Towards an unknown world,

I will not hesitate            when it’s time for that new journey.

Together: The story you write

I want to watch over it with kindness.

Using the words we believed in

Together, we can pass on

Our new story that starts now.

 Scene 18: Versailles (Gardens)

After the song, the hotel area of the stage rises to reveal the fantasy-like gardens of Versailles. Meeting again at long last, Louis and Diana embrace each other. Nearby, Petit Louis and Munon watch them happily.

Kitashirakawa, embarrassed, offers his hand to Sakurai. The two leave hand in hand, with Louis, Diana, Petit Louis, and Munon watching after them. The curtain falls.

The end.

[missjackil]

My Season 8 Perspective

Speaking as a Not-so-Bitter Sam girl, I feel like this perspective is the least represented side of the issues in S8, Ive only seen meta written in favor of Sam or in favor of Dean, but nothing that is basically in the middle. I am a Sam girl, and often favor his side, but I love Dean and often feel like he needs to be defended. I have a differing opinion of this season, than I have seen you all write about, so I feel the need to share my side.  Season 8 is my 2nd favorite season. S11 being first and S5 being 3rd, but I will admit, it has some serious issues. For starters, Ill just get it out of the way. I do think Sam is very OOC in the beginning of the season, regarding Amelia and not looking for Dean when he presumed he was dead. Other aspects of the early episodes were good, like his jealousy and mistrust of Benny, and his HAIR omg his hair should have always stayed that way!  Sam being out of character, is even the side that J2 shares. I have seen meta after meta explaining why some of you believe he wasn’t OOC, but if Jared felt like he was, I think his opinion is the one that matters most, so it is OK to say “yeah, Sam wouldnt do that”.  I understand that Sam was truly alone in this time, he didnt have anyone who would have been able to help him if he tried, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have, or shouldn;t have tried something. He didn’t even confirm that Dean was actually dead, there were no bodies, or blood, just black goo and Dean disappeared.  Sam had consulted a Ouiga board before, when looking for Dean’s spirit and Bobby’s, theres no reason he couldnt try something like that and establish if Dean was dead or not. And Dean knew where he was as soon as Cas asked “where would Leviathan go when they die?” Are we supposed to think Sam never even asked himself that question? All we knew about Sam in the time that Dean was gone, was that he hit a dog, and then lived “a normal life” with Amelia, up to and until, he tells Amelia that his world imploded and came raining down on him, and he ran. This is totally understandable. Sam basically freaked, and he ran, but we don’t know this until later in the season, and Dean NEVER knew this. To this day, we have never seen Sam explain his side. We can head canon that he did, but there hasnt been any evidence on the show that that was the case. Not unlike the changing of Dean’s voice message to Sam in S4. Sam to this day doesnt know Dean appologized for calling him a monster, and Dean doesnt know Sam’s world imploded when he  was gone. All he told Dean was that for the first time in his life he was completely alone and he didnt have a road map, he didnt want to hunt because thats what got his whole family killed, so he fixed up the Impala and he drove. Hit a dog, met a girl and lived a happy normal life without Dean, and now that Dean was back and Ameila was gone, Sam still wanted to be out of “the life” and away from Dean. Sam never said he missed Dean, or even that he was happy he was back. How is this in character for Sam when we saw how he was 4 months without Dean when Dean went to Hell, and 6 months without him in Mystery Spot? Only one year gone and Sam is living a normal happy life.  This is why I feel it’s safe to admit, yes, this was terrible writing on Sam’s behalf. We know that when Sam went to Hell, Dean lived a pretty normal life with Lisa and Ben, but we also know he tried to find ways to spring Sam. We know Dean had been so overcome with grief that he’s surprised Lisa took him in, he drank too much and had nightmares. We know this because Dean said that’s how it was. Unfortunately, the only insite we have on Sam’s state of mind was a short statement “I lost my brother Dean a few months ago and it felt like my world imploded and came raining down on me... and I ran” Which to me, honestly, seemed like the writers tossed that in there after hearing negative feedback that theres no way Sam wouldnt have looked for Dean in some way.It would have been very helpful to see Sam distraught over losing Dean, instead of distraught over hitting the dog.  Aside from that, I see a lot of negativity towards Dean for berating Sam for not looking for him, leaving the job, and getting a girlfrien. I agree he berated him unecessarily, but from Dean’s side, all he knows is he went through a year of 360 degree combat every day all day, trying to get back to Sam, and came back to Sam saying he didnt look for him and had a good normal life while he was gone. How could this not hurt Dean?  Especially when even though he was back, Sam is trying to get out... again. Now, this is hard for me as a Sam girl, honestly, because I want to side with Sam all the time, but I am actually disappointed that Sam didnt even have the tactfulness or compassion to know that this isnt how to handle someone who just got back from a year of war (or that he was written in this way) and visibly showing the effects of PTSD and admitting to living in fear for the past year trying to get home. And I feel the worst part was when Dean was finally smiling and happy to be back driving down crazy street with Sam, Sam told him as soon as they lock that case up, hes gone. Now Im not saying Sam isnt entitled to a good, safe life, he certainly is, but this is OOC for him in a couple ways. By now, he knows you cant leave the life, it will always come back to bite you in the ass, just as it did for Dean in S6. And also because the Sam Winchester I know, is just as co-dependent on Dean as Dean is to him. Later in the season, Sam wants to take Dean to the light at the end of the tunnel, and this IS in character for Sam. I just wish Sam would have offered to take Dean with him early in the season as well.  I think all us Sam girls feel that Sam was suicidal by the end of the season, being shown by his willingness to die in Sacrifice. But I believe Dean was suicidal in the first half, being willing to take on The Trials himself, with the intent on dying, so that Sam could have his normal life back. Dean wanted to die so Sam could be happy, and then Sam wanted to die because he felt that he let Dean down too much and got in his way. So, the crapfest of OOC Sam and the berating for Dean that we had in the beginning of S8 played itself out painfully beautiful at the end of the season. Letting Dean down is what Sam believes is his greatest sin, and Dean admits he says crap that isnt true and nothing is more important to him than Sam. So was it a means to an end? Maybe. I can admit Sam was OOC, but we couldnt have had that painfully beautiful ending in the Church any other way really. So, I get past it and enjoy the season for being the most bromantic season since S1. 

[reviewsbysam]

Again, but Better

No Spoilers in this section!

Again, but Better is the debut novel of popular booktuber Christine Riccio aka polandbananasbooks. It is a fun, fast read and overall I found to be enjoyable. 

Without giving too much away, this is a story about Shane. She is an introverted 20 year old who feels as though she has been denied the full college experience due to her introversion. She decides to try and turn this all around by going to London and studying abroad.  

I feel as though Christine still has room for growth for her future books, but from the cover art, to the concept, to the title I thought this was a clever and impressive attempt at a first book.  

For a more detailed look of what I loved (and what I didn’t as much) scroll to below this picture. Spoilers below!!!

This section is full of spoilers!!! You have been warned!

I have watched Christine’s youtube channel for years so I was a tad nervous going into this book. I was nervous that I would not enjoy this book by a newbie author, but that was (thankfully) not the case. While reading I did find things that bothered me within the writing. This included the reoccurring use of describing Shane’s talking as “squeaking” at one point in the book and the constant use of exclamation marks in the dialogue. At first, these things seemed to stick out to me; however, once I got immersed into the story I noticed none of it. I was focused on the content rather than her writing style, which I personally believe to be the sign of a good author. I have seen that others disagree, but I enjoyed the flow of her writing. Overall, I was impressed by the writing itself. 

One thing I did not like as much were some of the times in which Shane was portrayed as clumsy. Immediately upon arriving she falls down the stairs and almost walks out into traffic. Both of these instances felt a little too cliche. I understand that it is a rom-com and cliches will be present to an extent, but I felt as though more subtle or creative ways could have been used to drive the point home.

I found Shane to be a likable character. It is clear that Shane is based upon Christine herself. She even admits in this in the authors note. I know some people have found a problem with this, but I didn’t at all. It felt like an easter egg hunt while reading the book to spot the similarities, which made it all the more enjoyable. It also made Shane feel more like a genuine character.

Many many many references were made to music/books/tv that Shane (and Christine) was a fan of. There were references to Lost, Harry Potter, Cassandra Clare, Taylor Swift, The Hunger Games, The Beatles, and more. As someone who is a fan of many of these topics I was excited when they were mentioned. When Pilot and Shane discuss All Too Well by Taylor Swift I felt like I might explode. My inner dialogue was somewhere along the lines of “Omg Taylor Swift again, cool. All too well? All too well! I can’t believe they are talking about the masterpiece that is All too well in this book!” That being said, I feel as though there were possibly too many references in the book. I understand why they were included, but they probably are not as fun to read for people who are not fans of those topics. This is especially true because so many of the references were part of major plot points. An Albus Dumbledore quote written on the inside cover of the Prisoner of Azkaban was a huge part in reigniting the motivation of Shane. The climax of the book in which Shane and Pilot decide to stay in 2011 is marked by him randomly appearing and playing State of Grace, Stay Stay, Stay, and You Belong With Me on the guitar. These were critical moments within the story. I also worry that having so many current references wont age well if people decide to read this book later down the line. However, having Pilot serenade me with Taylor Swift songs would also be a major swoon moment for me, so I am not complaining. 

One of the highlights of the book for me was the travel. Reading about our characters’ time in Rome left me googling pictures of it for hours after reading. The Palace of Versailles is a major point on my bucket list and reading about it was wonderful. Christine did an excellent job painting a beautiful and enticing picture of what it could be like traveling abroad and visiting different countries on the weekends. For people who love to travel, or dream of doing so, living vicariously through Shane is a delight. For this reason, I favored the front half of the book. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the way those parts were written. Now, don’t mind me casually looking up the study abroad options my college offers. 

Somehow I have made it very far into this review without mentioning the romance at all. In reality, Pilot was mostly likable because of how we saw him through Shane’s eyes. Their witty banter was fun and I truly did feel the connection between the two of them. That being said, he had a girlfriend!!! He put Shane in the horrible position of falling for him (because yes he could have put a lid on it right in the beginning) and then making her feel guilty and hopeless because she didn’t want to be “the other woman.” It was upsetting considering he didn’t even feel much for Amy and stayed with her for six. more. years. Then, he goes MIA when Shane needed him most. He did try to keep her parents from finding out about her lying to them, but then after the fact, when the damage was done, he didn’t give her the support she needed from her friend. Pilot is not all bad though and I did like him throughout the book. It’s just in hindsight he handled things poorly. Although, that was probably the point considering this was all during Take One when things went badly and hence why they needed to be done again, but better. In fact, it made for a much clearer juxtaposition between their first time in 2011 and their 2011/2017 selves, because the second time around Amy was (for the most part) out of the picture. Additionally, I loved how much Pilot really did seem to care for her. He shined in the moments that he tried to distract her when she was upset and helped her through crisis (such as when she lost her purse and almost got mugged).

There are moments of the book I wish we could have expanded upon more. I loved when the whole gang would get together. Babe seemed like an amazing best friend to have! I was left wanting to know more about Leo and his story. I thought it was a very good little twist when Shane messaged him back the second time around and we found out he needed her more than she needed him. His character became much more 3 dimensional, but I was still left wanting more of him. Also, when Chad (more on him later) kissed Shane, I felt like that was a big moment. I felt as though the story kind of brushed by it. I couldn’t believe that Shane wasn’t more upset with how poorly her first kiss had gone or that Pilot wasn’t more upset about it. 

I though the touch of magic in the book was nice, but could have used a tad more explanation. I guess that’s the thing about magic, its a mystery. 

Now, circling back to Chad. He was the most stereotypical douche guy ever. This felt intentional on Christine’s part so it didn’t bother me. His character seemed to even border on satirical. The fact that she used the name Chad which is often used to make jokes about frat guys who say “bro” and just care about drinking... hilarious. It felt like an inside joke with the reader. 

Another really comical thing from the book were the deleted scenes. The cover of Wrecking Ball was already funny, and the girls who were fans of it scoffing at Miley Cyrus’ version made it even better. It felt like a good choice to leave it out of the book, but I’m glad it was included at the end. 

Overall, the thing that made me happiest in the book was that although it was a romance it did not make romance the center of Shane’s life. She was a driven character with dreams and ambition. She wasn’t just a brainless lovestruck girl sitting around thinking about Pilot. When Shane began not putting enough focus on her career because of Pilot, she left him. During this time we didn’t read about Pilot at all. She worked hard, was focused, and flourished. She spent more time with her friends and continued to travel. It was such an amazing message for girls and is one of the main reasons I thought Shane was a great main character. Pilot also valued her success over their relationship. When he saw that she got published he continued to stay away from her so that she could continue killing the game without him as a distraction. In the end they were able to find a balance between romance and work including reading dates (something I loved because I regularly do it with my boyfriend) which I thought was really important. Her becoming a successful writer was just as big of a deal as her ending up with the guy. She also cared about his success which was sweet. Shane motivated Pilot to start a Youtube channel and gain exposure. Apparently it worked because when he stays with her Pilot ends up achieving his dreams, unlike when he ended up with Amy the first time. 

All in all I was happy with this book. i obviously had a lot to say about it and forced myself to stop here. Overall, I give it an 80%. I can’t wait to read Christine’s next book and to see how she improves as a writer. 

I’d love to know what you though about it!

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/meredith-glynn-delivers-good-intentions-supernatural/

Meredith Glynn delivers Good Intentions to 'Supernatural' but...

Meredith Glynn is one of my favorite writers – she wrote the incredible ‘Regarding Dean,’ one of my favorite episodes of the entire series – so I went into this episode with high hopes after being disappointed by the last one three weeks ago. There were definitely things I liked about this episode, but it didn’t leave me jumping up and down and screaming about my love of my Show, which is where I really like to be at the end of a new episode. Let’s say the episode definitely had “Good Intentions,” but it didn’t leave me squeeful. Someone on Tumblr wrote a provocative little post after this week’s episode about how Supernatural was never meant to be an ensemble show. The premise that drew me in was the story of these two brothers – two characters who have fascinated me for going on thirteen years. I enjoy Sam and Dean’s relationships with the other important people in their lives, but Sam and Dean are my route in, and if I don’t have that route in, I feel too much on the outside instead of immersed like I want to be. The episodes that relegate Sam and Dean to more of a supporting role don’t have the emotional resonance for me that I’ve come to count on with this show. They may be good episodes in the sense of a self-contained 42 minutes of drama, but they don’t give me that unique thrill that watching Supernatural does.  I’m the last person to suggest that anyone should keep up the sort of pace that Jared Padalecki and Jensen have for the past twelve years because I care about them as human beings, but some have suggested that a shorter season would be a win/win alternative and I think I’d be down with that. Let me be clear – I really liked a lot of this episode. Just not fangirl-thrilled-jump-up-and-down-OMG-I-love-this-Show kind of like, but like nevertheless. I think the scenes I enjoyed the most were the ones in the AU. I realize that seems to contradict what I said before about the show being about Sam and Dean since they weren’t even in the AU, but it’s not just having them onscreen; it’s having an emotional and psychological focus on them, and that didn’t happen in the ‘real world’ portion anyway. So, AU. I liked the opening scene with Jack dreaming of being back “home” with Sam and Dean, even if I recognized it as a manipulated image from the start. The glimpse of what Jack longs for -- his fantasy of Dean saying “You, me and the kid, home safe where he belongs” was heartbreaking. It’s so much the theme of Supernatural, that longing for family, the ability to create those bonds both with blood and without, and I was reminded how young Jack is with that glimpse, and how much he does long for that sort of family love and acceptance. For whatever it’s worth, Jack has bonded with Sam and Dean. They are his attachment figures, the first people who protected him and nurtured him. That early bond is powerful, resistant to a lot of outside attacks (as Michael and Zachariah are finding out).  Jack’s deepest desire is to do right by Sam and Dean, to save them as they have saved him – I wanted to cry when his cruelly manipulated dream took such a dark turn, and he was unable to save them. Jack’s intelligence is clear despite his naivete – when Castiel appears to show him the dark side of humanity’s “Good Intentions” (climate change, nuclear war, oil spills….), Jack quickly figures out that it is not Cas. His loyalty to Sam and Dean is unwavering. Also, Misha Collins gets to smile the most evil smile at the end of that scene. I guess it’s Zachariah smiling? But it looks intriguing on Misha’s face anyway. And it looks an awful lot like Entity!Cas….but we’ll get to that later.   I also thought that Alex Calvert and Samantha Smith did an outstanding job with the scenes of Jack and Mary finally meeting face to face. Glynn wrote some beautiful dialogue for that scene, Serge Ladouceur lit it in gorgeous almost black and white, reflecting the austere and harsh nature of the AU, and Eduardo Sanchez directed it in close shots that allowed the actors’ emotions to really come through.  I loved the halting way Jack and Mary began to understand each other, and the way Mary’s tactical smarts came through as she immediately figures out who Jack is and how Michael plans to use both of them. The bond between the two of them is created so quickly that it should seem implausible, but the writing and the acting make it believable. I think I saw in Mary the maternal nature that was missing in her interactions with her grown sons in her budding relationship with Jack – which I suppose makes sense. She bonded with Kelly, and in a sense that means she also bonded with Jack even before he was born. She recognizes the innocence in him, the naivete, and she responds to that as a mother would. Mary, who was only ever a mother to very young sons in her own natural life, responds to Jack in the same way. And Jack, the motherless child, bonds to her right back. Again, it was like all my lectures on attachment to my Human Development students playing out onscreen. The third thing I really liked was AU!Bobby. He’s not exactly like the Bobby Singer we know and love, but he’s pretty damn close. Different life history, but same personality – and is it my imagination, or does he look at Mary “Campbell” with a lot of emotion? I have to wonder what was between the two of them in this other world, and honestly? I think I’d kinda enjoy that. Though if there’s a Jody Mills in this universe…okay, tangent, never mind. I’m lookin’ out for you, Jim Beaver! Anyway, I loved Bobby and Mary and everything about their scenes together. Mary in the AU is so much warmer than she was back in the ‘real world’ – or she’s finally allowing herself to show some of that warmth. It’s not inconceivable, I suppose, that it’s taken all this time for her to start to come to terms with the vicious circumstances of being yanked out of Heaven. (It took Buffy a while too, after all). Mary and Bobby have a spark, that’s for sure – part affection, part gratitude, part respect which makes it easy to argue and stand up to each other. I loved it when Mary grinned over her mug of alcohol-infused coffee, but I also loved it when she stuck her chin out and said: “If Jack goes, I go too.” And Bobby, despite how much he clearly wanted her to stay, sticks to his guns too. Two tough hunters, very clearly. I haven’t been the biggest Mary fan at all, but I liked her better in this episode. She was willing to die so that Jack wouldn’t have to open the rift, to protect her sons and the rest of humanity. That’s the protective Mary we really didn’t see when she came back, and I’m still frankly confused and a bit dismayed that’s the direction they took her after she returned. But at least I like the progression that’s happening now. The conversation between Bobby and Mary about her demon deal was a pivotal point in the episode (and the season probably). Mary in the AU is full of regret, but not for making the demon deal – for NOT making it. Bobby: She lost the love of her life, never moved on. Sam and Dean were never born, and so they weren’t there to be the heroes who stopped the apocalypse. This is a perspective Mary has never really had. Bobby: Then I’d say you made the right choice. You done good by your boys. That perspective may be a turning point for Mary. It may be in part her guilt over making that deal, and the consequences it had for her sons, that has kept her from fully loving them or accepting their forgiveness of her and their embracing of hunting. I’ve said this before, but I love the addition of Alex Calvert and Jack to the show. Jack (and Alex) broke my heart a little more when he immediately bonded with the children at the AU camp, wanting so much to amuse them with his shadow puppets. I feel so much for Jack – every single time he tries to do something nice, with the best of his good intentions, it goes horribly wrong. His little use of powers to make better shadow puppets – to give the traumatized children of war a moment of their childhood back – is what gives their location away to the angels. I could have cried for Jack at that moment, that realization that once again he’s tried to do something good, and it has gone bad. I loved Mary’s quiet “It’s not fair” because it SO is not. And Jack needs to know that other people believe that and see that too. Finally, I loved Jack finding his courage. He starts to run away, but then he hears the screams of those children who he’d tried to give some comfort, and he can’t do it. He turns around, arrives just in time to save Mary and explode Zachariah and then some of the incoming angels. (Btw, angels are just flat out DICKS in the AU. When Bobby says that the angels all turned on them one by one, it gave me chills). I love that Jack’s role models, his attachment figures, are the ones who inspired Jack to stay and fight. Jack: Sam and Dean, they wouldn’t run. They’d stay and fight. Thank you, Meredith, for that scene. For making it all about what Supernatural is all about, even when Sam and Dean aren’t in those scenes. I did enjoy the AU story line, and it worked beautifully, looked gorgeous, carried the story forward in an organic way. That’s all good. It just doesn’t leave me with the over the top fangirl glee that Supernatural usually leaves me with, or the impulse to squee at the top of my lungs about how much I love this Show. I hope that makes sense, not as a criticism of the writing or the story, but just that it doesn’t give me that passionate response that has kept me watching and writing for thirteen seasons. I might like the Jack and Mary and Bobby AU show, but I wouldn’t fall in love with it like I did with Supernatural. It doesn’t give me “all the feels,” which is what we used to say in fandom back in the day – about this Show. And I miss that. The storyline that happens in the ‘real world’ was not as compelling for me, which is exactly the opposite of how I usually feel. We do get a few small domestic Winchester moments, which I always like, but they were brief. Dean eating a whole plate of bacon and Sam chastising him for it was a nice moment, and gave us a very Dean line in “If bacon’s what kills me, I win.” Also, Dean has pretty eyes. But I digress. My favorite episodes this season have focused on the Winchesters’ emotional states, with each of them struggling a lot at different times, and both of them trying to be there for each other. We get maybe a little glimpse of that story line the couple of times that Sam and Dean talk about their “plan” for getting their mom and Jack back – as Dean puts it, “for a family reunion.” It was clearly very important to Sam to have a plan, and he’s understandably distraught when that plan later falls apart. I can infer that from the couple of lines we got, but I wanted so much more. Sam: We were so close, we almost had it…Mom back… our plan… That was the most we got from Sam all episode in terms of his emotional and psychological state, and it was not enough. We got a little bit of insight into Castiel’s psychological state in this episode, but I honestly don’t know what to make of what we did get because I still have no idea if this really is Cas, or if it’s the Entity!Cas, or if it’s some sort of combination. Many fans believe it’s not Cas, and most people don’t think it’s purely “our” Cas, but not knowing makes it difficult to judge his words and actions and to figure out what they mean. He is definitely harsher than usual, and very driven – he says because he feels an obligation to protect Jack, which he feels he’s failed at so far, but I’m not sure I believe him. I’m not sure we’re supposed to believe him! Doors are a recurring theme in this episode, and Cas is framed interestingly as he comes to speak with Sam and Dean, and later when he brings Donatello breakfast – in a door. Is he from this universe or is he not? Dean has repeatedly asked Cas this season “What’s wrong with you?”, and that seems to be the underlying confusion. What IS wrong with him? Is anything wrong with him? Is it even him? I don’t know! It would seem to be an odd choice to show us the Entity who looks just like Cas, and can get into Castiel’s head (a repeated theme of this episode and this season), then have Cas wake up on Earth, without that meaning something. Surely they’re not going to forget that and not have any consequences, right? But then again, I was certain for like half a season that Sam’s time with Amelia was meant to be a hallucination, complete with fuzzy blurry utopian birthday cake in the park scenes, but it turned out Show decided that it was real all along! So….I don’t know. But my doubt makes everything Cas does confusing to me right now. When Dean asks how he is, he emphasizes that he promised Kelly he’d protect Jack, but then he jumps right to “I was brought back because this is War, to prepare for War.” I was surprised by that – this is at the very least a more warlike and take-no-prisoners Cas than we’ve seen before. I like Badass versions of Cas, but again, I’m not sure if this is Badass Cas or some other being who’s intent on starting a multi-universe apocalypse. All this War talk seemed to come out of nowhere, and he was way into it all of a sudden. It sounded less personal (about Jack) and more about bring on the war! Dean: Well then, we do what we do. Whatever it takes. That’s the theme of the episode, the question of how much is too much when you’ve decided to do “whatever it takes” and have the best of intentions. And Castiel’s decision making hasn’t always been the best, so I was just left with a feeling of apprehension after all that war talk. My confusion about Cas also means the intended-to-be-humorous scene with Gog and Magog wasn’t as enjoyable as it might have been. I usually enjoy the little meta nods, because that’s something I like, such as their observations about how pretty Dean and Castiel are. I don’t always mind a little fan service. But honestly, I felt a little sorry for Gog and Magog when I thought they were human (and Sam and Dean and Cas thought they were human too, though Show took pains to make it clear they were BAD humans…). But everyone was awfully cavalier about killing two humans who were essentially minding their own business before being summoned – and hey, they have good taste in men. I enjoyed Dean’s eyeroll (though I wasn’t sure about the loincloth giggling). And  I enjoyed the amazing stunt coordination and Jensen Ackles’ and Collins’ fighting skills, but I didn’t really have any doubt that they’d prevail, so I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. Still, just the fight choreography was impressive. Did you see Dean’s ultra quick reflexes rolling out of the way of that sword about to come down on him? Whoa. A fan tweeted stunt coordinator Kirk Jacques and asked whether that was Jensen and if so how he was at doing that, and this was the response. KirkJacques: – He’s pretty damn fast. And one of the most naturally talented fighters I’ve seen. He learns choreography super fast and is a joy to teach. Exactly no one was surprised by that response. Oh, I did kind of like that Gog and Magog were brothers, because they argued just like Sam and Dean sometimes do. I’m surprised Cas didn’t say that! Then there’s the whole Donatello part of the story line, which I didn’t enjoy at all. I’m not at all sure why Dean and Cas went off to tackle the Gog and Magog thing while Sam had to stay back in the bunker, unless that was just an artifact of splitting up the shooting days or a way to put Dean and Cas in a field together, but I rolled my eyes when Sam stayed behind for the important job of pulling ingredients off the shelves instead of helping fight two super powerful beings TO THE DEATH.  And to get attacked by Donatello apparently. I was glad that Sam’s “I’m Sam Fucking Winchester” badassery came through, and he was able to subdue “the muppet professor,” but the whole splitting up thing didn’t make sense to me, so I remained aggravated. Also, we didn’t get to SEE Sam’s badassery! We’ve done the “ingredient scavenger hunt” many times, but this one had very little gravity to it. And Sam getting left behind to shelf scour really didn’t sit well. I liked the character of Donatello. Keith Szarabajka plays him brilliantly, and I really felt for him when (through no fault of his own) Amara ate his soul. Then the Winchesters bring him back to do them a favor, knowing he doesn’t have a soul but asking him to translate the demon tablet anyway, which (predictably?) scrambles his brain totally.  Weirdly, instead of Dean getting protectively angry about Donatello attacking Sam, it’s Cas who goes off the deep end with protective anger once both Sam and Dean have been attacked. Sam, bless his heart, is his usual forgiving self, not wanting to hurt Donatello even after he’s been hit over the head with a bottle – and steadfastly stating “no one is killing anyone” when Cas suggests that. I did like the brief moment of Dean being unable to breathe and reaching out to Sam for help, and Sam’s protective slinging an arm around him and helping him outside. That was a call back to so many scenes in Supernatural’s early days, and it warmed my heart.   I liked Castiel seeing that happening on the laptop and the look of rage on his face when he does. That seemed like it really was Cas, because he was definitely concerned about Dean being attacked. But Cas going back on something he promised not to do and destroying Donatello’s brain? I didn’t really like that. Cas: Some people just can’t be saved. Ouch. Is that meant to be some ominous foreshadowing there? I get it, Donatello is compromised, he can’t be trusted, he’s broken…but none of that was his fault. Also, it didn’t make any sense to leave him technically not dead but brain dead. Now we don’t get another prophet and he’s not really alive anyway, so why was this an outcome that was even remotely okay?  I was even confused by Sam and Dean’s reaction to what Cas did – it almost seems like this is Castiel’s plan, and he’s dragging the Winchesters along. He’s impatient with them, criticizing them for too much “just talking” and not enough action. Does Cas even have a plan though? What are they going to put into action? And oddly, it’s Dean who expresses the most moral indignation about what Cas did to Donatello, when I expected it to be Sam. I will never be a happy camper when Dean isn’t the very intelligent hunter we know him to be either. Sam: Donatello doesn’t have a soul. Dean: Is that bad? IS THAT BAD?? Dean, seriously? Why did you say that? You know it’s bad. I guess we needed explanation for how being soulless intersects with being a prophet interpreting a demon tablet, but I still raised my eyebrows at Dean for a second there. [caption id="attachment_53715" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Caps by @kayb625[/caption] So we got to the end of the episode, and I didn’t want to get up and run to twitter and gush about it, which is perhaps an unrealistic expectation to have for every single episode, but I was still sort of disappointed about that. I think this season overall has been less compelling for me because despite the fact that it should be all about Sam and Dean saving their mother, it doesn’t FEEL like it’s about that. Somehow that’s not the overwhelming urgency that comes through. My route into the story is through Sam and Dean, so when it doesn’t feel like the story is inextricably wound around them and their destinies, I feel less invested. When they feel like supporting players, I’m not as emotionally affected as I usually would be – and I miss that. Hopefully next week we’ll find out what the Winchesters are thinking and feeling about all this, and they’ll be able to get back to a plan of some kind that will bring them back to front and center of the fight that’s looming – this war that Cas keeps talking about (and hopefully we’ll find out if indeed that is  Cas talking at all!). Check out next week's Supernatural episode 1315 'A Most Holy Man.'

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