Frank’s hints about season 3 part 2

Time for more season 3 hints and hype!

sleaveheralone asked: How would you describe Scrooge's relationship with his sisters?

Frank’s answer: Spoilers. (I’m excited!)

sazxofone asked: Will we ever see Fergus and Downy again?

Frank’s answer: Yep (technically they were in a flashback in Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks but could still appear considering the above)

drummergirl231 asked: Has DT17 Donald ever had to balance family relationships and a romantic relationship before?

Frank’s answer: Not yet. And his kids’ reactions aren’t the people he has to worry about the most. (Lookin forward to Della’s reaction)

cinnabun asked: ooc daisy quote please i’m begging

Frank’s answer: “You do not need to fall for another man that needs saving.”

aprilcruelsday asked: Could you spare an out of context Penumbra spoiler?

Frank’s answer: Doesn’t trust cars.

pilyarquitect asked: OCC Bradford please?

Frank’s answer: “We are not villains. We are FOWL. ACT LIKE IT.” (partially said in Double O Duck! You Only Crash Twice)

maximumlightcolor asked: Ooc steelbeak quote??

Frank’s answer: “Prepare to be OUTSMARTGUYED!” (Double O Duck! You Only Crash Twice)

moonstoneflowers asked: Are we going to find out anything about Webby in the upcoming season?

Frank’s answer: Sure seems like a good time for it.

lynxuwu asked: OoC Darkwing Duck spoiler?

Frank’s answer: Has never fought an actual supervillain…yet. (Looks like we’re referring to Tarus Bulba or NegaDuck)

rumblewithwendy-moved asked: ooc taurus bulba quote.

Frank’s answer: “Reminder: order more dramatic tarps.”

shizu-twg asked: Would you be willing to share an OOC spoiler/hint/line for the first episode of Season 3?

Frank’s answer: Lots of young adventurers look up to Scrooge. Who did Scrooge look up to? (It’s Isabella Finch from Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks)

doritoarts asked: Are we gonna see more of Jim Starling?

Frank’s answer: We have a long-term plan for Negaduck/Jim Starling, if Disney lets us do it. I love that character something fierce.

catboooks asked: spare an ooc kit cloudkicker quote? please mr angones im begging you

Frank’s answer: “SPIN IT!”

toospicy-peppermint asked: Are we gonna cry this season??

Frank’s answer: I have.

egonspenglers asked:Do you think Dr. Bushroot will ever make an appearance?

Frank’s answer: I think he might. Sort of.

pyrot0xin asked: Please I am B E G G I N G you Are Heron and Steelbeak gonna interact I N e e d to know

Frank’s answer: Oh yes very much so. (Double O Duck! You Only Crash Twice)

raheyyy asked: out of context donald?

Frank’s answer: “Namaste.” (The Lost Harp of Mervana)

maximumlightcolor asked: Launchpad ooc spoler maybe 🤘😪

Frank’s answer: Is bad at video games. (Double O Duck! You Only Crash Twice) 

trixielulamay asked: OOC Goofy spoiler

Frank’s answer: Still a photographer. (Quack Pack)

prettysureimbatman asked: OOC Violet spoiler?

Frank’s answer: Is the best there is at what she does. (is a Senior Woodchuck in Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks)

trixielulamay asked: OOC GYRO QUOTE

Frank’s answer: “I swore I’d never go back there again…” (Astro BOYD)

prettysureimbatman asked: Are we gonna see Violet and Lena act more like sisters as time goes on?

Frank’s answer: Yep. (Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks being first of them)

get-em-wright-back asked: ooc fenton spoiler?

Frank’s answer: Has two secrets that aren’t his secret identity.

pixiesphere asked: Will we see Selene again?

Frank’s answer: Uh-huh

i-am-marcus-pines asked: out of context darkwing duck quote plz

Frank’s answer: “Can’t…let her…down…” (probably referring to Gosalyn in an intense moment)

undertelevisionskiess asked: Ooc Gladstone quote?

Frank’s answer: “NOT THIS! ANYTHING BUT THIS!!!”

saturngears asked: ooc boyd quote or spoiler?

Frank’s answer: “This was the best day!” (Astro BOYD)

lynxuwu asked: are we going to see more of the caballeros in the next season?

Frank’s answer: Si. (Louie’s Eleven)

cosmicdelta asked: How worried should we be for Huey in season 3?

Frank’s answer: Nobody worries about Huey better than Huey.

spectrum270 asked: So do you have any sort of story in mind for how Steelbeak got his namesake attachment? It never got explained in the 90s.

Frank’s answer: Yep.

aria-daize asked: Is the shadow blot tied to any epic mickey lore in this series?

Frank’s answer: Our version of the Blot is a new character that takes bits from the original Mickey nemesis, Shadow Blot from Epic Mickey, and Blot from the original DuckTales. He has a new context, and a new obsession with vengeance against one of our long-standing characters. (I wonder who that character is between Donald, Scrooge, Beakley, Della or even Duckworth)

rumblewithwendy-moved asked: ooc lp quote!!

Frank’s answer: “I just want to be good enough!” (Double O Duck! You Only Crash Twice)

heroanalysis asked: Which one the kids will Gosalyn meets first?

Frank’s answer: Dewey!

moonstoneflowers asked: What are some of the major characteristics you've always liked about Goofy and have incorporated into DT17?

Frank’s answer:Goofy is best dad. (Quack Pack)

meeobug asked: Will we get any more shadow magic related things in s3?

Frank’s answer: Yep

backtothefuturefan88 asked: Will F.O.W.L. Eggmen be in the series?

Frank’s answer: We call them Eggheads, as there are both men and women in the ranks. (Double O Duck! You Only Crash Twice)

animator320-deactivated20200207 asked: Will Mark Beaks try to come back for B.O.Y.D.? What will happen to him now that he lives with Doofus? Is B.O.Y.D. safe at all?

Frank’s answer: I cannot stress this enough: BOYD is not safe. Avoid him at all costs. (Astro BOYD)

jillybean2011 asked: Ooc three caballeros quote? Please?

Frank’s answer: “WHY WILL NO ONE TELL US?!” (Louie’s Eleven)

alongdwdfan asked: Will Morgana Macawber appearing this season?

Frank’s answer: Not this season.

rumblewithwendy-moved asked: what has drake seen while stalking the rooftops

Frank’s answer: Spoilers.

swirlmist asked: Anything you can tell us about Drake/Darkwing or Gosalyn?

Frank’s answer: Darkwing and Gosalyn both try to come off as bigger, more fearless, more competent, and more epic than they actually are because deep down they fear they may not be very good at all. They may never be those perfect versions of themselves, but they’ll never stop trying to be and that’s what makes them heroes.

beaglelover62 asked: We've seen Lena have a pretty great moment against Magica last time, and her wicked aunt didn't have any powers. How bad can the conflict between the two of them be in S3?

Frank’s answer: Not all conflict is physical.

cartoons4ever77 asked: Which Woodchuck badges has Huey not earned yet?

Frank’s answer: Spoilers. (isn’t a Senior Woodchuck in Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks)

animator320-deactivated20200207 asked: Which kid will B.O.Y.D. interact with the most?

Frank’s answer: Huey. (Astro BOYD)

animator320-deactivated20200207 asked: When will Rockerduck be thawed out?

Frank’s answer: Mostly immediately.

hdisndihduxujsidjjxj asked: What kid character will Louie interact with most?

Frank’s answer: Dewey. (Louie’s Eleven)

sleaveheralone asked: What will be the biggest challange that Scrooge will have to face this season?

Frank’s answer: That he’s not as unstoppable as he thought he was.

empro-8 asked: Please don’t tell us Boyd will be an enemy. Boyd is a good boy

Frank’s answer: Boyd is a very good and definitely real boy. (Astro BOYD)

sleaveheralone asked: Is the character Scrooge looked up to,one of his relatives or someone else?

Frank’s answer: Someone else. (Isabella Finch)

lophiii asked: Frank you’re scaring me please give us some calm info

Frank’s answer: Dewey gets a sidekick. (Maybe Gosalyn)

moonstoneflowers asked: Will Doofus ever come around to having a little brother?

Frank’s answer: No

yulinfantasy asked: Will Drake and Gosalyn interact with Huey?

Frank’s answer: Yes. (looks like Gosalyn is looking to be the eighth addition to the kid group (currently with HDL, Team Magic, and now BOYD))

beaufonvilleranger1 asked: Who will give Drake Superhero Advice in Season 3 *first*, Huey or Dewey?

Frank’s answer: Launchpad.

prettysureimbatman asked: Will Gosalyn appear in multiple episodes?

Frank’s answer: Yep

lophiii asked: will gos ever meet boyd??

Frank’s answer: Yerp.

kingoflizardss-deactivated20200 asked: Will there be more Falcon Graves?

Frank’s answer: Perhaps (Louie’s Eleven)

saturngears asked: which adult other than the drakes will boyd interact with the most?

Frank’s answer: Spoilers. (Gyro and Fenton in Astro BOYD)

bulletrat asked: does gos interact with Team Magic at all?

Frank’s answer: Yerp

sleaveheralone asked: An out of context spoilers about Branford?

Frank’s answer: Has been plotting for a long time.

pure-heart-muses asked: Is Branford a better strategist than Lunaris was?

Frank’s answer: Oh yes. But in the most business way possible.

shadeslime asked: Will anyone be having their first crush this season?

Frank’s answer: Donald? (Louie’s Eleven and other upcoming ones)

15sok-deactivated20200303 asked: Whose the most dangerous FOWL agent

Frank’s answer: Different answers for different characters.

thealmightykingprawn asked: Describe Steelbeak in one word.

Frank’s answer: Steelbeaked.

dontkillbugs asked: Would it be accurate to say, in terms of screen time and development, Boyd is to season 3 as Lena was to season 1?

Frank’s answer: No probably not.

Smoke in the Sun Review

5/5 stars Recommended for people who like: fantasy, magic, Japanese folklore/fantasy, court intrigue, multiple POV, strong female leads The two times I've read this, I've been wary going in, only to wonder why I felt that way when I finish. Maybe it's the threat of Mariko and Okami being in danger? Maybe it's the threat of a love triangle? The first one is obvious, of coursethey're in trouble in this one. A lot of it, actually. The second one takes a bit more time to work out, but for those of you who also aren't fans of the triangle, rest assured Ahdieh doesn't go in that direction. The closest she comes is with Tsuneoki loving Ranmaru/Okami, though he does it silently and without letting Okami know. Throughout Smoke Mariko has to face a very different kind of battle than she did in Flame. Instead of disguising herself as a boy and fighting with fists and swords and inventions, Mariko has to disguising herself as a noble lady and fight with lies and being shrewd. She does still invent some things to try and help--after all, she's not going to leave Okami in prison if she can help it--but the majority of the book is comprised of her using the things the Black Clan has taught her to wage a covert battle against the royal family, of which she is supposed to become a part of. Despite supposedly being uncomfortable with other noble women and having to converse, Mariko does quite well blending in with the other noble ladies. She has to do and say some things that chafe at her, but no one seems to really suspect her of being duplicitous...except maybe Raiden and Roku. She wins over Raiden for the most part, playing the part of a vulnerable, traumatized young woman. Roku, on the other hand, proves a more tricky player. It would be safe to say he falls into the 'Mad King' category, and he's definitely the up-front villain in this one. Aside from the trickery part of her story line, we also get to see how much Mariko has grown since the beginning of the first book. She takes care to learn the names of the people serving her, even befriending one of the younger ones, and also makes friends with a disgraced lady from court. At one point, we see this come to a crux when she and Kenshin have a bit of a spat and she tells him what she learned about their father and the other daimyos, which in turn makes him think about the same things Mariko has already realized. Speaking of, Kenshin is still a frustrating character. I get that he's losing time, that he's being controlled by a magical being, but even when he is in control, he takes zero time and makes zero effort to try and understand Mariko or the things going on around him. In fact, he instead chooses to go to Hanami and drink himself into a stupor at Yumi's tea house--which is fortunate for Yumi and the Black Clan, even if it isn't for him. While he begins a redeeming himself toward the end of the book--in the last 100 or so pages, I believe--it's too little too late for Mariko and it's a bit too little too late for me. I think a large part about why I dislike his character is because I don't believe in blind obedience and the samurai code, the code Kenshin tries to follow, demands it, even when you know it's wrong. I do appreciate how Ahdieh showed the conflict in Kenshin. In Wrath, Shahrzad's father's redemption comes suddenly, but here, Kenshin's (and Raiden's) redemption happens over a period of chapters, starting with small actions. I think redemption arcs like this are important, especially when they're left open ended, because it shows people that redemption and forgiveness don't happen overnight, they take time and effort and can be painful. So while Kenshin isn't one of my favorite characters, he definitely has one of my favorite arcs. Yumi is another sister that has to deal with brothers and redemption. We get to see a lot more of her in this one, she narrates a bunch of chapters, which I like. She's an intriguing character, especially if you read the short story Yumi. I like the message she espouses to Mariko about being a woman in Flame, and it's interesting to see how those thoughts coexist with her desire to do more for the Black Clan, to be included in the goings on. It was nice to see her take her fate into her own hands more in this story, going out and setting things in motion herself as she's wanted to for a while. She also offered an interesting dichotomy to Kenshin's interactions with people. When he's with Mariko he's angry and cold, but when he's with Yumi he's more open and vulnerable (and often drunk). But something about him lets Yumi understand he's been having difficulties and shows her being more forgiving toward him than Mariko. This, in turn, reflects back on how she interacts with her own brother. She still resents how he left her to languish for years, merely an information gatherer instead of a full Black Clan member, despite her abilities. That tension is still there, but she also gains the ability to see it from the outside after dealing with Kenshin and Mariko. Speaking of Mariko, their interactions were so pure. Both girls clearly respect one another and they're of very similar minds when it comes to their roles in society and their desire to help people, their friendship was lovely. Ranmaru/Okami also gets his chapters in this one, though he's in prison for a lot of it. The transformation of him from devil-may-care to someone who is willing to lead is phenomenal. It happens slowly, like the redemption arcs that occur, and, in a way, Okami's arc is a version of the redemption arc. But he listens to what Mariko has to say about him, he listens to Tsuneoki, he begins ruminating over their words to him and, after a fortuitous visit to his mother's old land holdings, begins to see that he is, perhaps, the leader Mariko and Tsuneoki think he is. The way the other Black Clan members refer to him and respect him also seems to impact his decision a lot, especially when it comes to Ren, who doesn't seem to respect much at all. Despite taking on a more serious role, he keeps his humor throughout the story. I really liked how Ahdieh portrayed his love for Mariko. He is one of the few characters who sees, understands, and accepts her wholly for who she is. I absolutely loved the lines where he tells Mariko that she should be worshipped, but never the worshipper. *SPOLER* I also really liked their epilogue scene together, where Mariko proposes and asks if he minds her experimenting at all hours of the night, even when the experiments might scare him. Their interaction there was so cute and light. *SPOILER END* Raiden also gets chapters in this one. He's another one, like Kenshin, who's conflicted throughout much of the book and undergoes a redemption arc, of sorts. He also, again like Kenshin, has this whole 'blind obedience' thing going on for a lot of the book. He loves his brother and is willing to serve him blindly, even if it means casting his own mother aside (not that she's a saint either, but still). He knows what Roku is doing is wrong, he sees the downward spiral his brother is in, and yet he lets it get to the point where Roku is torturing and killing people for fun and using the thin excuse of threats against the sovereign to justify it. Thankfully, Raiden ends up walking the line, following his brother while also using the orders he was given to help people. His speech to Mariko about not needing to be lectured by a woman rankled me, and Mariko too, but much like with Okami and Kenshin, her lecture made him think. His redemption is done slowly, piecemeal by piecemeal, starting with the few people he can save from his brother's descent into madness, and then escalating to doing what's right in straight defiance of his sovereign loyalties. Kanako is another POV in this story. Despite what she's doing, despite her being the covert bad guy in this book, about halfway through, she stopped feeling like an evil character. It helps that Roku was off his goddamn rocker, but even with the stuff she did to the people of Inako and some of the supporting clans, I didn't hate her or dislike her character. She is kind to Mariko, even if she planned to kill her in the first book, and she loves her son, even if it causes her to do twisted things. I suppose, through the lens of these two people, and through an understanding of how right she is regarding Roku's inability to rule, Ahdieh has done an exemplary job of making the, potentially, worse of the two villains a sympathetic character. Tsuneoki gets some chapters in this one as well, though far fewer than in the previous one, I feel. Despite his claims about Okami, he's still very much the leader of the Black Clan. I do wish we got to see more of him in this one, I feel like he was very much absent, and I would've liked to see more of his friendship with Mariko, the steps he takes to repair his relationship with Yumi. I really enjoyed the greater look at the world created in this duology. Like with Wrath , Ahdieh has chosen to give us a micro glimpse of the world in the first book and a larger view of it in the second. The setting the Black Clan is in is very different from the ruthlessness of the imperial court, which is different from the soft feel of Hanami, which is different from the haunted nature of Okami's mother's holdings. The greater variety in the cast of people in this one also gives better insight into the world. Whereas before, we really only saw interactions between the MCs and people similar to them, in this one we get to see the people Yumi interacts with, the servants and ladies (even disgraced) of the imperial court, the daimyos. Combined with the richer settings, Ahdieh has managed to show us a greater portion of the world Mariko and the others live in without drowning us in descriptions and details. Her worldbuilding is one of my absolute favorite parts of her writing. I feel this duology had a much clearer set of themes thanWrath . Throughout this book, especially. The redemption arc in all its forms is an obvious one. She pays close attention to the way the characters redeem themselves, such as, as mentioned before, starting with small decisions and working up from there instead of having one Big Redeeming Moment. It definitely reflects real life when she does it like this. The role of women is another big theme that starts in the last book and gets fully realized in this one. The women in this story have different forms of power. Kanako has her magic, Mariko has her words and inventiveness, Yumi her fighting abilities and beauty, Suke her ability to brush off the petty words of the court, Isa her quiet strength. Each of these characters impacts another in some way, be it big, like Kanako working to put Raiden in power or Mariko giving three of the boys lectures and making them think beyond, or be it small, like Isa not telling on Mariko when she sneaks out. The book is filled with strong women who make things happen, both good and bad. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and duology. Would highly recommend to everyone, but it's definitely a must-read for those who enjoy fantasy.

Megumi Ishitani the salvation for the one piece anime

Megumi Ishitani is the director of (probably) the best episodes of the one piece anime and she is one of the reasons why the anime is still watchable for a manga reader. First, lets talk about her. Megumi Ishitani was born in the Hyougo perfecture, Japan in 1991. She graduated from the Department of Animation, Graduate School of Film and New Media at Tokyo University of the Arts, in 2015 and is now working with Toei Animation. Even though her workshop isn’t one of an experienced and important director - on the contrary she has only directed four episodes of known animes (One Piece and Dragon Ball Super), four full series little known (Katasumi no Uroko, Oshiri Tantei, Arara and Jurassic!) and one movie(Bijutsu Kyouiku) - she has just directed one of the best anime episodes there has ever been, this beeing One Piece episode 1015, wich received a 9.5/10 raiting on IMBD. This last raiting was a heavy hit on anime watchers, when it first aired it immediatly recived a 10/10 raiting and it lasted no longer than a day, in wich a large amount of haters entered the website and rated the episode a 0/10, just because it was one piece. This is a large fenommenon that has and is happennign in the anime community (the same happened with shingeki no kyiojin and gintama the movie). Going back to the episode it self, it was really a fresh air comparing it with the previous episodes. It has been long known that one piece’s pace is terrible, but in it’s most recent arc (Wano kuni) it really has been disapointing, while in the manga it has been one if not the best arc, in the anime it has been really slow and not that good, also it only has been a few episodes with good animation wich makes it really difficult to watch. For example, episode 1000 was suppose to be a huge hit and an amzaing feat, but it was an episode full of flashbacks and nothing really interesting, so it became huge disappointment for the fans. But in episode 1015, we got what we deserved, amazing animation, really great and epic scenes, and an amazing Megumi Ishitani’s style of episode. by this I mean that it’s an episode wich takes what’s in the manga and adds a lot of stuff that is nto really canon, but it gives information and lines of dialogue that deserves to be canon, non of those fillers that are really boring or those repetitive flashbacks. We gett scenes like the ones in the next two links(SPOLER WARNING): -https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yZRztgchmnU -https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LYqPCDhadY0 We can see that the style is very different, and the amount of detail given to it is amazing. And it’s because of theese reasons that we can say that Megumi Ishitani is the salvation of the one piece anime, giving the one piece anime watchers some hope that the anime is still ejoyable and able to be close to the manga in some aspects that lets you enjoy the real master piece that is one piece.

Ian Crosby.

I made a thing...

and it’s terrifying me that I was able to write a.first person pov and b. story withouth GP living happily ever after. But I let you decide it for yourself

Without further ado:

Title: You’re only sleeping

Author: Aotoshiro (Milana16 on AO3)

Genre: angst, fluff, flungst?, definitely a major character death but I’m not sure if it isn’t a spoler, or a clickbait for angst lovers who will then sue me for getting diabetes....

Characters: Golden Pair, Fuji Shuuske, guest appearance rest of Seigaku Regulars

You’re only sleeping.

That was what doctor had said when we’ve asked for information on you, that you weren’t the one hurt, and were only sleeping. I knew instantly, that he hasn’t seen this green thread, the one that joined you with the person doctor was “more concerned about”. He didn’t knew you won’t leave your partner, no matter on which side he would end.

He didn’t know your heart would just stop beating if its twin did so in the other’s chest; even if it was healthy, unhurt, even if the body it supported wasn’t damaged- because the part it relied on was in a completely different place, different body.

You’re only sleeping.

It was a lie. I saw the white thread of your life sink into your body, getting darker and darker until it wasn’t black, sinking at the place where your heart stopped beating at the same time as the flat line signal screeched in the adjacent operation room. I knew I had lost, the moment the thread joining you and me changed its tone, to the much darker blue than that of anybody else joined with you, but still a blue. A one that was being joined by few other blues, only to be mixed into one thick thread. Still, it was not enough to balance the disappearing thread of your partner’s life.

You’re only sleeping.

I see the threads of emotions connected with you disappear, one by one. Your and your partner family’s one-the gold thread- disappear at the same time as the beautiful blue one and I smile against myself. The people that were going to forget you only at their own deathbeds were your relatives and us, your teammates. That felt…suitable, somehow.

You’re only sleeping.

I want to believe those words, those lies people put to use to comfort me, your best friend, but I know it’s impossible. I know it, because I had been on a countless sleepovers and had you sleep over at mine probably just as many times, maybe more, and I know how did you look when sleeping. I know that you twitch and turn and mumble incoherently-well, unless it is our names, your friends and teammates, who you’re calling. Those are, were always crystal clear- and if you stay still, it is for no longer than a minute or so. So I know they’re lying.

I know you’re not going to get up, because, well, it is pretty late now, and while you liked to sleep in sometimes, it was definitely too late for you to sleep now. Stay in bed, maybe, provided you had a companion,  but sleep? Never.

However, the reason why I know it all so clearly, and the reason that the pain in my chest is maybe a little smaller than everybody could expect of me, is the person laying there right beside you, so close that you seem to be cuddling. The reason of why you not waking up isn’t that bad of a thing, even if it’s a tragedy. If somebody had heard me, he’d said I was cruel to think that, but I just can’t bring myself to think otherwise. I am, after all, your best friend, and I can understand your priorities. Besides…

There is a voice, calm and deep, but still louder and clearer than the blurred murmurs trying to console me.

‘They’re not waking up, no matter how long you’ll look at them.’

People sound offended, but our captain stands there, unaffected by it. People will call him coldhearted, that’s for sure. Well, fuck them; they don’t know you like he and I do.

‘Yes, I know.’ I say calmly, then suddenly chuckle. People look at me like I went crazy. They know so little of me, of us, and of you. ‘I’ve lost the battle of his most important person, after all. Ne, Tezuka, what do you think he is telling me?’

‘You’re not forcing me into saying that out loud.’ Tezuka says sternly, but the corner of his lip twitches upwards. Here of all places; people that weren’t you probably thought we were crazy, both of us…

‘Something like: “Gomen, Fujiko, nya! Oishi needs me more now. We’ll see each other later, nya!”, Fuji-senpai.’ A new voice joins into our conversation calmly and I look at our kouhai.

‘You’re probably right, Momo. You were their son, after all.’ I joke, and Seigaku Regulars of old time that came in with Tezuka joins our semicircle, as Momo sheepishly smiles.

‘Yeah… There’s no certainty to it, though. There is only one person who can predict Eiji-senpai, after all.’

‘And the only person that can keep him out of the trouble while away from us.’ Added Tezuka, looking at you just like I did before. I know, though, that his mind is on your partner. He is his best friend, after all. I nod, fully aware of the suspicious looks we’re being given, but really, people can’t understand that, while you being taken from us is a tragedy, it isn’t final farewell, contrary to their reason of being here, at Oishi Shuichiro and Kikumaru Eiji’s funeral. Of course, there is a probability that we’ll need more time to meet in the next life, we can even end up facing off as enemies before recognizing each other, but we’ll eventually get back, like the opposites of magnets.

People would say I believe in magic, if I said that out loud, an I’d have to agree with them. I believe in magic that was you two, the Golden Pair, two people meant for each other, even after the death as the last thread, the bloody red one, is still there, joining your hearts together, and shining oh so slightly. Momo asks me in a whisper whether I see it or not. Seigaku now knows about that skill of mine- as you said, they completely do not mind it. A descendant of Moira or not, I am still their friend first and foremost.

I nod and tell them what they already knew-that they weren’t going to forget you two, just as you weren’t going to forget us; the liquid gold still embraces each of our wrists, like a happy hand tugging us down the streets  in a walk to Taka’s restaurant. Like a careful grasp, checking yet another blister we’ve gotten ourselves because of our passion. This is another reason why I don’t feel as much pain as I was supposed to- my gift assures me that you are, and while we don’t know where, you exist and we will meet you again. Just you wait for us, both of you. You’ll get scolded for leaving us without a word that even your unofficial status of the best tennis doubles pair in the world won’t help you.

Even if I know you aren’t just sleeping, I can’t help but notice your and Oishi’s lips curling upwards, as your red thread-the thread of joined souls and hearts, the one exclusive only for people meant to be together forever- entangles itself around us all, wraps around Momo’s  and Echizen’s necks, Inui’s and Kaidoh’s upper arms, only to twirl itself around my, Taka’s and Tezuka’s wrist, sinking into our skins, joining us together, as your Synchro did with our emotions all those years ago. I nodded, knowing very well that you were watching with hopeful eyes. Praying that I’d understand your message.

‘They’ll wait for us, so we can finish our businesses here; the only thing we’re supposed to remember is that we won’t get free from each other.’ I relayed with a smile. My teammates, that became my second family, nodded in acceptation of the last trick Eiji has pulled on us-this time with the help of Oishi.

As we left the funeral house in a comfortable silence, Momo asked seemingly a thin air.

‘I wonder why did senpais made their own funeral more heartwarming than saddening.’

‘It’s because they’re Golden Pair.’ I answered. ‘They are good in drama and all that, but more than anything, they’re the fluff.’

The wind that has picked up after my answer sounded like an embarrassed whine, and we all couldn’t help a soft laugh at it. There were tears mixed in it, of course, like they’re mixed in with every separation, no matter how long. Still, I thought as Tezuka put a hand on my right and Taka on my left shoulder, we knew that this separation will eventually end.

‘Nyaa…’

‘Yeah, I’m glad, too.’

‘It’s all thanks to Fujiko’s though! If he wasn’t with them, they wouldn’t get the final message, right?’

‘Yeah, you have great best friend, Eiji.’

‘Hoi, of course!  I create bonds only with the great people, Oishi.’

‘Then, do you want to look after them for some more time?’

‘Nyah, they’re still mada, mada dane; they need to work hard if they want to reach our level before joining us. We should make it easier for them here.’

‘Agreed. So…do we…’

‘Yeah…Oishi, I…’

‘I know, me too, Eiji. Me too...’

‘Let us start the work on the next life, then.’

Kikumaru Eiji opened his eyes, the feelings caused by a strange dream replaced by the excitement at the first day in the new school and the first day in the new tennis club. He was, after all, finally a middle schooler!

Unknown to him, it the other part of town, a small blackhead by the name of Oishi Shuichiro shook himself out of his musings on the same dream, before getting ready for his next day at school.

Unbeknownst to both boys that were to meet later this day, a red thread mixed with gold has already joined them tightly, making them the heart of a nine people’s most important team.

Reactions: Stranger in a Strange Land

This is my response to the episode as I watch it. It's not meant to be a review, and you won't understand unless you've seen the episode, though it does contain spolers. I put further detail and musings, as well as theories at the bottom.

Road so far, let's go. Jack. Cas dying, Michael, Gabe. Then Michael!Dean

Sam has the impala, of course.

Hello man with music … Ah, arabic man praying.

"Gabriel?" "The other one, the better one." "Michael." Lol

Michael!Dean asking this guy what he wants. "Peace and love." Oo, Michael. Ouch. But yeah, doesn't understand humans at all.

Michale's wings and blue fire for the eyecatch.

Everyone in the bunker. Eating soup! Three weeks since Dean. And there's Sam leading, and being overworked.

And Jack learning to fight.

Okay good, Cas. With a gay man … Cas doesn't like him?  Yep, meeting with a demon. "I thought the two of you were joined at the …well everything." Looking down. Ahhhh. Lol (1) Oh man, Cas is in it. "Tell me everything you know or I will burn you to ash, right here, right now." Guys got demons. Cas is itching for a fight. Wow. Yeah, Cas just goes right to fight. My poor Cas.

And Anel. (2) Still up to being her. Oh wow, we saw Michael face, what the angels see. He asks her what she wants. He knows what Dean knows. He can sense there are not many angels. But he's disappointed in them.

Sam and Jack: Oh, Sam is interrupted from talking to Jack for …Cas? (Dean really) 7B is not Cas' room. Oh …wtf mate? Ah, Nick. Yeah, they really wanted to keep this actor around. Why the hell would he survive? (3) Oh archangel blade thing. Which is good news for Dean, except they don't have another archangel. Still weird. (4)

Ransom call for Cas. Oo, Sam, is that Dean's gun? Sam's letting Jack come. I like 'in charge' Sam. (5)

"It's kinda what you're for, isn't it?" Oh wow, Michael!Dean talked to him. I dunno if this demon is too close to Crowley though …seems almost like the same char.

Sam's giving up on Dean. Mary isn't giving up.

Sam ignoring the man and checking out Cas. Kipling, Kip for short he says. "So, let's make a deal." We'll see. I want to like him, but I think it's just because he's like Crowley. He's even saying "I want the Crowley deal." " But you're no Crowley." Says Sam. Okay, they're going more crazy with Kip. "Take the deal, before I stop 'trying' to be Crowley." Okay, that's interesting. Huh, more slowmo than I'm used to in the fight. Lol, one hit to Jack. Oo, Kip can fight. Crowley couldn't fight. Awwww…I actually was getting interested in him. (6)

"There will be no new King of Hell. You'll have to come through me." Wow, Sam scared all the demons into smoking out. Lol. Remember how hard that used to be? (7)

Sam and Cas scene.

Mary and Bobby scene. "Sunshine." really? (8)

Jack Cas scene. Jack's room is across from Cas'. I think his was 22.

Sam is in 21? ...I thought he was ll. (9)

Jo called Sam. Why would she call Sam? (10)

Michael working with a vampire? (11)

I admit, they packed a lot into this episode, even if Cas was mostly just a hostage. Weird that they took Maggie when they did a good job of showing she's rather worthless (well, untrained).  

They put Mark Pellegrino’s name at the end of the episode so you didn't know he was going to be in the episode.

(1) I had heard tell of a "destiel" line in this episode that people were happy about. I enjoyed it, but I was not as impressed with it since it was coming from someone who could very easily be seen as just making fun of the two of them. However, it really does stop to make you think about how they've made it very obvious in this show that everyone knows about Dean and Cas, even their enemies, the implication being that it's not just people who know them who see it, but most anyone who interacts with them. More on this later*.

(2) It seems we're going to call Anel, Jo, because it can't be a female angel without a female name!

(3) I had heard hints of this as well. I was angry about it at the time, even though I love Mark. I am unhappy with this turn because it feels like another half-ass attempt to keep around the actors they love even when they should be dead. (Don't get me started on how Ketch came back from the dead last season …) However, I am willing to put up with a lot since I love this show. Possible theories: Nick will have been influenced by spending so much time with Lucifer and eventually turns evil himself.

(4) This took longer to hit me than it should have. This means Gabriel's vessel is still alive too. As much as I love Gabriel, I was unhappy with his return and redemption arc last season. I thought it was heavy-handed and poorly paced. Having 'Gabe' around as a human will at least solve the problem of having archangel power on the team.

(5) While I am a hardcore Destiel fan and have loved the Dean and Cas centric plots, I do still love Sam and I am really happy to see what they do now that he's away from Dean for a time, hopefully! for more than three episodes.

(6) The more I thought about Kip, the more impressed I was. I thought the character was beautifully done and I could feel the back-story with him dressing as Crowley specifically to help his bid toward being King of Hell and getting in with the Winchesters. This guy had a *plan*. And when he claimed to have run with Genghis Kahn and then showed his temper and ability to fight, I actually got excited to see more of this character. I was genuinely upset by this death. That was good writing.

(7) The gravitas behind this scene hit me while I was watching it. Sam rolled an intimidate check and caused four demons to smoke out. His team didn't even have the upper-hand. The demons were just that scared of Sam. It was a great moment.

(8) I am more upset about them pairing Mary and Bobby than I feel I should be. Maybe it's because I want to see Dean and Cas and so I'm pissed they're romantically attaching anyone who isn't them, but also I'm just not liking the idea of Mary and Bobby together. And using Dean's "sunshine" line that he said to Cas …sigh.

(9) Yes, I pay a lot of attention to room numbers.

(10) I genuinely don't remember them leaving Jo in the type of situation where 1) She would have Sam's number and 2) she would call Sam. I may have to go back and watch that episode again. Though I am impressed by the that Jo was willing to stare down an angry Lucifer and is terrified enough of Michael that she goes to Sam.

(11) I'm somewhat intrigued by this decision. This is a vampire and not a human, so Michael is choosing monsters over humans and angels. And the vampire wants to eat …so is Michael going to go the leviathan route, of trying to turn humans into a food source?

*Unlike a lot of the destiel fandom, I don't blame the writers/actors for a lack of canonizing Dean and Cas' relationship. Firstly, their Dean and Cas' care for each other is beyond brotherly affection too obviously unless you're trying not to see it. Plus the writers and actors have come out and said, "um, yeah, we put this in on purpose." I assume the problem is someone higher up the chain, who is in charge of making money. If you think about it, there are fans who will straight up boycott the show if Dean and Cas are canonized. I've seen the fandom enough to know that. While all the destiel fans are already watching. So canonizing destiel will only hurt the bottom line. It's a sad way to think about it, but it's why I don't truly believe we'll get destiel canonized unless it's the last episode of the series. (A popular way to do handle same sex relationships. Legend of Korra (yes, it wasn't a kiss, but come ON) and Adventure Time, though I am gladdened by it happening in Steven Universe before the series was over. And yes, these were all girl/girl, but it's still the same battle.) It could also simply be the TV censors, but since those other shows have gotten past it, I'm less likely to blame them. I mean I am holding out hope, of course, but I don't actually expect it.