I am too giddy to put something witty above cut!
Because evil can be pretty, too!
You should have seen my face when I realized that Choi Young wasn't just going to die to protect Gongmin, he was going to die to get Eun Soo her diary. Oh you insane suicidal darling you! And when he pictures his death. And his face! And then Gi Chul appears and CY explains why he didn't do a trap - because a trap would mean he, CY, had a hope of living. Oh, CY, you break my heart.
And he is losing, badly, but then frantic ES appears and puts a knife to her own throat OMFG.
This scene! asjskfkfkfjgjgjgjgdkfgk!!!! Most perfect scene of anything ever. When she tells him she figured out he did this to protect her from Gi Chul because while GC is alive she is not safe, and as she told him to let her go, that is the only thing he could do (she reads this closed-off man so well!) And she cries at him how could he do it, doesn't he himself know how horrible this is for survivors and askdkdjfjfg his face because she is totally comparing them to him and his fiancee, with her in his position 7 years ago, i.e., that she is the one who loves him and can't bear to lose him asksdkdjfjfkfgkg!!! And then she bandages his hand and his other hand is frozen by Gi Chul so she takes it, despite his efforts to resist! Between her own hands, to warm it up! And his faaaaaace! She has totally tamed this dangerous, deadly, screwed-up man. And she keeps crying on his hand and he so gently removes her hair from her face to see, and his eyes! It's like he can't believe that anyone, that she, would care. And she keeps crying on his injured hand and then she starts breathing on it, to warm it up, still holding it between her hands, In period drama, this is equivalent of oral! Seriously. And he tells her that he won't wager his life needlessly any more, so not to cry. See! It's canon! He needs her in order to live!
He is so smiley when she tells him she plans to stay. In fact, he is grinning a LOT in this ep - when is the last time we've seen him like that? Outside that flashback, never. And her bossing him around is ADORABLE and when she offers to be partners and that partners share everything and he does tell her stuff and then she says partners protect each other, so she is going to protect him AWWWWW MY FACE! And he tells her he has to protect his dignity before his men because he's kinda embarassed LOL.
Bwahahahah they are bickering in front of the King and Queen and there is handgrabbing and LOLOL at everyone's faces as it sinks in that they are totally a couple LOLOL
!!!! He takes off the hair ribbon of ninja girl off his sword! YESSS! He is moving on! So huge! Now go make babies now.
With his aunt. Love their relationship, especially aunt's bland 'ES must have learned about your suicidal stunt somewhere' and CY saying that ES put a knife to her own throat to protect him. In a way, this is the quickest way to a heart of a warrior like CY - not pretty words but willing to put your life on the line.
Nogook/Gongmin awww! He is seeking her advice and she is encouraging him. And omfg, he will totally be a good king for those people who rely on him!
This scene would be my favorite except for the hand scene being in the same episode! The thing that gets me the most is that she is smiling again, smiling so much in front of him. In light of last ep's conversation, so huge. They both have got a new lease on life. And then she twirls in front of him to show off her new outfit and our brave general totally swallows hard. Go make out already! Now! And she touches her shoulder and he totally touches the spot she did! And he says he has to go fight a bunch of assassins and she asks him if he will win and he says yes. And I love that she can trust his comments because he never lies to her, no comforting untruths for him. She also suggests they meet in this pavilion every day (when possible) at the same time to drink (will this be a future plot point?) but he has something else in mind - knife training. Ah, Choi Young! Because yes OMG he kneels and demands she lifts her dress (OMFG cheeky cheeky Choi Young, that's X-rated by 14th-century standards) and slips a knife holster with a knife on her leg. asjsfofdlgjfgjlfgj!!! Only CY will give this as a present! And he offers her lessons and she tells him she is a doctor so he replies, with a little grin, that she can stab first and treat later, like she did with him. I LOVE THEM SO FRELLING MUCH I HAVE NO WORDS! And she smiles when he leaves but when he's out of sight, her smile goes away. She put on a brave face for him! May it end better than when she put on a brave face for him at the end of ep 6.
Bwahaha when Nogook asks the Minister how a wife makes her husband feel better - how does his wife makes him feel better and he says alcohol and then squeezes out sex. Bwahahahaha and then Gongmin comes in and Nogook rushes out all embarrassed and why are you so ridiculously cute? Should I send BOTH couples of this to sex ed or something? Because I need makeouts!
The scene with his destroying the assassins, at the edge of his endurance but actually not a suicidal shell any more. And even in destruction, he keeps his humanity - see him close that one assassin's eyes. And his comments about how Eun Soo is different from him and them and I realize that now he fights for her. My God, this drama is the most perfect thing ever. EVER.
Hmmm, Eun Soo gets a diary. Why?
The one thing is - all these episodes managed to do is to confirm to me that Choi Young cannot live without Eun Soo. Not in a romantic sense, but literally. So how is it going to work out unless she stays in the past? Because you know if she goes back to the present, he's going to walk into the nearest battle and die.
Seriously most perfect thing ever.
Have this gorgeous shippy MV (spoilers for eps 1-10) with a suitably operatic score...