You know how I was saying I will watch this ep after the last episode came out? I lied.
This was so so so perfect. Even if I cried enough to get dehydrated.
(Hopefully semi-coherent thoughts and a ton of caps)
You know, even in the middle of their desperate fight about whether she goes or stays, it all pauses for her to take care of his hurt hand. That is so...married - because fight or no fight, loving or caring for your partner comes first and anything else disappears before that. Another thing about them? The easy intimacy of touch. And ES confirms what we've suspected - CY's trembling hands are purely psychological. I wonder if it's because ES is being taken away from him and so it's his subconscious' way of rejecting living. And this is the one fight that comes to an impasse because he simply can't let her win this one. But when he tells her that until she leaves, he will spend every moment he can with her and he will make her laugh, though "I have no confidence" to know how - oh, he is so open with her. I guess 'frontal attack' applies not just to his fighting style.
CY tells the King about his hands. And that there are 7 days until the portal and he will serve the King until then, but then he will leave to take ES. There are no pretenses now that anyone but ES is n1 for him. And Gongmin, after Nogook, after her almost loss, understands. CY is not the King's man. He is Eun Soo's man.
This was the cutest thing ever. He is ordering various Wudalchi to various tasks and then snaps "Yoo Eun Soo. Escort me." Heeee. The big bad general needing ES' escort :) But he is keeping his word of not being parted from her.
This scene! He asks her what she likes, as if trying to learn every last thing about her in the limited time together. And she answers various things but instead she is thinking only about CY - "a tall man, blue and grey colors, your voice, etc..." And then she asks him what he likes, and he puts his hand on her shoulder, in mute yet eloquent answer. Oh, darlings, darlings, darlings! You must live and be happy together. I will gladly throw every other OTP this year under the bus for this.
Shippers :P
It's official, Song Jina has a thing for the OTP taking off each other's armor.
He offers to buy her clothes and she is super-happy. Such a girl :P And he is so happy she is happy. I especially loved when she asked him if he had any money and he replied he thought he had a lot, because he never spent his salary (and if this doesn't say volumes about his bare and empty of personal wants his life was before he met her...)
But then of course, the conversation turns more serious. How could it not with the giant sword of Damocles over them? It kills me that at one point in this ep, desperately trying to convince her, he tells her he will be fine after she leaves, he will move on and so will she, when we know he will just walk into the nearest battle and die. He couldn't do without her now.
And ES knows that - that is why she is willing to try the borderline-insane method of curing herself through a deadly poison. It's not for herself, it's for Young. As she tells Lady Choi, Young has taken to leaving his sword at home (!!!!!) and she is worried, if she leaves, what else will he give up on. Oh, my God, they are so beyond selfless and amazing.
Yup - proof. (I wonder if some of it is getting worse because he killed hundreds but could not protect those he loved, so he subconsciously thinks it's meaningless).
He finds her calendar of days left. Did I mention I cried through most of this ep?
They break my heart over and over.
The wudalchi (name escapes me) offers to be CY's sword :(
He takes her to see Gi Chul, who is a really pitiable monster whose problem is he never has enough and wants more and more (another unhealthy extreme of pre-ES Choi Young who wanted nothing). As opposed to our couple who want something small - happiness - even if out of reach. I especially loved when CY asked ES if she will be all right and she answered that he is going to be with her so she will be all right. (Especially in light of his hand issues).
Gongmin/Nogook and ES/CY double date :) Set up by darling Nogook (everyone in the palace is a shipper). I also love that Gongmin realizes that Eun Soo made CY human, made him to reconnect with the world (which makes me tremble for him if she leaves or dies).
He discovers she has a fever, a dread sign of the end. But she tells him she needs him to have a calm heart and he does his best to comply (she also mentions a desperate method though she doesn't say which).
CY telling GM he didn't want to talk about GC because he promised ES to keep a calm heart. And GM complying. CY's uncompromising love and GM's understanding of it get me so much/
And he keeps looking at her.
When she has them all line up for a mental picture, I started bawling. Not a good sign for a happy ending. And whatever little of my composure I had left, I lost when she motioned at CY to smile and he did.
He learns of her plans, and his face!
And he tries to talk her out of it, freaking out, pointing out that without her trying at least they have a week together, a week for him to do things for her *sob* but if she tries and fails, they have nothing. And he is so terrified. But of course she wins this argument, too.
As she is giving instructions, during this whole conversation, he sits there with his head in his hands :( You know, in this drama, it's the women who are the emotionally strong ones.
But then he looks up and says he will take care of her (of course it will be him and nobody else. He knows she is doing this because she loves him).
Right before she drinks the poison. The way he sits there, contained, radiating misery and love in equal measure, the fearless warrior terrified - kills me.
Oh my God. I have no heart left. This drama has pulverized it.
He brushes her hair. I know I was not the only shipper dying for a scene of him brushing her hair, and how like this drama to give what we want to us - yet turn it so we (or at least I) are bawling throughout.
And then the poison kicks in. At that point, I was crying so much, Mr. Mousie was looking at me funny.
And he keeps taking care of her all night and all morning and refuses to be relieved by Lady Choi because if ES is fighting, than he has to as well (what a contrast Eun Soo is to Mae Hee who didn't even try to fight). And you can see in his face that he is close to tears...You know, if it doesn't work, he won't need to walk into a battle unarmed, he'd just die of guilt right on the spot.
The aspirin! He remembers it cools a fever and chews it and kisses it into unconscious ES' mouth! It's official, Song Jina lives in my brain.
He finds out Gi Chul broke loose and even then Lady Choi has to prod him to leave ES' side. And he leaves his sword behind. Oh my God (remember his earlier comment to ES he couldn't piggyback her because he'd have to put down his sword - such a reversal).
Confronting GC and his underling tries to defend him and, I think, dies and CY's face, but even then the sword falls out of his hands. Noooo!
ES wakes up and looks fever-free. Which would be great except for evil assassins roaming the palace!
Please please please end well!!!