(L) Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage

[Firefly00]

Originally Posted by Cal-Reflector

Ah, someone who took my last post even half-seriously! Now, who wants to speculate on in the event of a Black Lagoon dating game, which girl you would choose to go after first?

Extensive thought is required; we'll get back to you on this.

I forsee a wealth and variety of Bad Ends and very few Good Ends.

Some of those Bad Ends, I suppose, would involve being KIA; others, insanity; and still others... well, those might well be akin to the dark side endings from the KOTOR games. Oh, the mental imagery this spawns...

[Cal-Reflector]

Originally Posted by T.V.

Instead of ending up as a lonely perv, you'll end up chainsawed to fit a shoebox?

But what a way to go! Ya get the girl... or die trying, in a hail of bullets. Ooo-Rah. Getting Revy would be easiest, she's your canon girl-from-next-door. Getting Balalaika would be the hardest story track. Getting Gretel... well, that story-arc would be more like an adopt and tame process, with a tearful happy ending at the end where Big-brother lives happily with the rehabilitated sister.

But if we are true to the original, Rock scoring a Good End with any girl other than Revy will inevitably end in a Bad End as well, because she'll kill him.

How's the voice acting in episdoe 23 btw? So the animation is bad, but that's just half the game.

Shiroth: Relax! An exercise in jest is what this is, that's all, genre-parody. I don't look to this show for skin and fanservice at all; its the action and character portraits that grabs me, thus my favorite characters, including Diego, Roberta, Gretel, and Balalaika, none of whom are fanserivce characters.

Imagining BL as a dating-game is right in the vein with what the mangaka himself does with his characters at the end of each volume to lighten things up. We love these characters enough to mercilessly parody them.

[Ronin Aquila]

Originally Posted by Firefly00

On a related note, I dread what would happen if someone who'd really annoyed the Punisher thought hiding in Roanpur a good idea...

Much as I am a Punisher fan, I'm sorry to say that Mr Castle won't get past the noose bridge, much less get ON Ronapur island with that reputation of his alone.

Balalaika will have his vehicle, real AND decoy(s) (he's that smart) snipered and blown to hell miles before he even reaches the bridge.

Plus, sacriligious as this may be, Mr Castle is simply not MEAN enough for this island.

[Firefly00]

Originally Posted by Ronin Aquila

Much as I am a Punisher fan, I'm sorry to say that Mr Castle won't get past the noose bridge, much less get ON Ronapur island with that reputation of his alone.

Balalaika will have his vehicle, real AND decoy(s) (he's that smart) snipered and blown to hell miles before he even reaches the bridge.

That's a very plausible Plan A (related question: have you gotten started on the 'Man of Stone' arc?). Plan B: find out just who it is that's irked Castle that badly and leave them on the bridge. This'd make sense, too: the major players on Roanpur (Balalaika, Mr. Chan, et cetera), after all, would prefer avoiding the need to deal with the Punisher in the first place, so someone who the vigilante is going to chase this far is somebody they'd not want around too long.
Either way, my comment still applies: we dread what would happen.

Plus, sacriligious as this may be, Mr Castle is simply not MEAN enough for this island. :heh:

Perhaps. Although I'm not so sure about that, given what happened to a certain Pacific island...
And yes, Cal, we still want to see that fic of yours.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by Ronin Aquila

Much as I am a Punisher fan, I'm sorry to say that Mr Castle won't get past the noose bridge, much less get ON Ronapur island with that reputation of his alone.

Balalaika will have his vehicle, real AND decoy(s) (he's that smart) snipered and blown to hell miles before he even reaches the bridge.

Plus, sacriligious as this may be, Mr Castle is simply not MEAN enough for this island.

Consider how much you respect the Punisher, Ronin, I don't know if that's a complement or insult to Ronapur.

Keep in mind though, who would wants to enter Ronapur for self-preservation anyway?
If the Punisher is like a tiger chasing you, then entering Ronapur would be like diving into a lake full of piranhas for sanctuary. The Punisher could just wait at the nearest pig-farm for the remaining parts of his quarry to arrive in a neatly packaged crate.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Cal-Reflector

Shiroth: Relax! An exercise in jest is what this is, that's all, genre-parody. I don't look to this show for skin and fanservice at all; its the action and character portraits that grabs me, thus my favorite characters, including Diego, Roberta, Gretel, and Balalaika, none of whom are fanserivce characters.

Imagining BL as a dating-game is right in the vein with what the mangaka himself does with his characters at the end of each volume to lighten things up. We love these characters enough to mercilessly parody them.

Sorry if i seemed angry.. didn't mean to have a go like that. Apart of me was offended - had to do with that post a while ago having a go at the male fans of the series. ^^;;

What i love most about the manga is that it involves those Omake scenes at the end - makes it a shame they didn't think about doing the same for the manga.. maybe after the ED has ended or something. Anyway - i love your idea about the characters, a Eroge BL game could work.. its just that it could only be aimed at fans that enjoy the time of violence the actually anime/manga bring. :3

I'd probably start of with Shenhua as my goal.. after that would be a flip on a coin seeing as how good they all are.

[Ronin Aquila]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

Consider how much you respect the Punisher, Ronin, I don't know if that's a complement or insult to Ronapur.

Both.

To survive on Roanpur, you have to be heartless.

Therein lies the problem; Frank Castle actually cares.

The Punisher takes factors like children and non-combatants into consideration in battle. Roanpourians don't.

Off the island, Captain Castle can fire enough ammunition per battle to rival a day in the Nam-War and produce body counts of mobsters that rival a sunny afternoon in Baghdad without killing a single innocent bystander.

Roanpourians, as demonstrated by Revy, unlike New York Mafiosi, have no compunctions about grabbing non combatants and even children as human shields.

That is all the few seconds they need to send Captain Castle to see his wife and kids.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by Ronin Aquila

Both.

To survive on Roanpur, you have to be heartless.

Therein lies the problem; Frank Castle actually cares.

The Punisher takes factors like children and non-combatants into consideration in battle. Roanpourians don't.

Off the island, Captain Castle can fire enough ammunition per battle to rival a day in the Nam-War and produce body counts of mobsters that rival a sunny afternoon in Baghdad without killing a single innocent bystander.

Roanpourians, as demonstrated by Revy, unlike New York Mafiosi, have no compunctions about grabbing non combatants and even children as human shields.

That is all the few seconds they need to send Captain Castle to see his wife and kids.

In that case, how would Punisher fare against either of the Hansel and Gretel?
We all know the twins had to be put down, but would the Punisher pull the trigger, or would he hesitate long enough to lose his life? Had the character been forced to kill children in any of his past comic books?

The thing with Ronapur, is that it was so overwhelmingly immoral that it warped back on the other end and gained moral-like characteristics. Ironically, it is theoretically a place where there is no prejudices; if you are still alive, you deserve to live there. They would be prepared to accept anyone as long as the newcomer introduces him/herself and know what's their choice of weapon.

EDIT: Anyway, I seriously doubt Mr Castle would actually be so unwelcome in Ronapur, now that I thought about it. As long as he can catch/kill who ever he was after without making a mess of the place, the gangs would leave him be. One-man armies are not actually that uncommon in the Black Lagoon universe, and they aren't treated badly as long as they don't kill indiscriminately like the Twins did.

[Ronin Aquila]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

In that case, how would Punisher fare against either of the Hansel and Gretel?
We all know the twins had to be put down, but would the Punisher pull the trigger, or would he hesitate long enough to lose his life? Had the character been forced to kill children in any of his past comic books?

Frank Castle is a hero of the morally black-and-white Marvel Universe. He has never slain a single child, ever. Unlike any of the Black Lagoon characters, he is a father, and had to bear the incomparable agony of having to have them die in his arms. His love and compassion towards children will ensure his unconditional forgiveness and willingness to hand out second chances to them.

The most likely scenario is that he would Knock out both Hansel and Gretel, restrain them as tightly and humanely as he can, and send them both to one of this legion of worldwide contacts on the right-side-of-the-law for a lifetime of treatment if necessary.

With the sheer number of acclaimed criminal psychiatrists Captain Castle would have connections with, is is possible that at least one of them would be able to cure even the twins. Even though they are officially charaged with putting the Punisher behind-bars, Servants of the Law actually respect-and-love him as much as they do heroes like Spider-Man, if not more.

The next thing that will definitely happen is Frank flying with his immense stockpile of cash to Romania and Butchering every last motherfucking rat-bastard child-porn maker insect in that hole of savages, and then publically and dramatically desecrate their corpses as an example to any Romanina who would ever dare try that again.

No doubt as Long as Mr Castle (and his inevitable apprentice and thereafter) lives, none would.

[Firefly00]

What we have here, is quite the mouthful. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Originally Posted by Ronin Aquila

Frank Castle is a hero of the morally black-and-white Marvel Universe. He has never slain a single child, ever. Unlike any of the Black Lagoon characters, he is a father, and had to bear the incomparable agony of having to have them die in his arms. His love and compassion towards children will ensure his unconditional forgiveness and willingness to hand out second chances to them.

I take it you've seen the first Punisher movie they made; there's a scene near the very end which gives some credence to this. What this also means is if there's one of BL's leading ladies who would at least have some understanding about what makes Castle tick, it'd be Roberta.

The most likely scenario is that he would Knock out both Hansel and Gretel, restrain them as tightly and humanely as he can, and send them both to one of this legion of worldwide contacts on the right-side-of-the-law for a lifetime of treatment if necessary.

With the sheer number of acclaimed criminal psychiatrists Captain Castle would have connections with, is is possible that at least one of them would be able to cure even the twins.

Yes... I can see this, extrapolating logically from events in the 'Slavers' arc.

Even though they are officially charaged with putting the Punisher behind-bars, Servants of the Law actually respect-and-love him as much as they do heroes like Spider-Man, if not more.

For the benefit of others in this thread: this is touched upon several times in the comics.

The next thing that will definitely happen is Frank flying with his immense stockpile of cash to Romania and Butchering every last motherfucking rat-bastard child-porn maker insect in that hole of savages, and then publically and dramatically desecrate their corpses as an example to any Romanina who would ever dare try that again.

That's an insult to the insects. But yes, that kind of a house call is quite within the realm of possibility. I'd mentioned the 'Slavers' arc just above; at the end of that he actually ties one of the human traffickers to a chair, douses him with gasoline, and sets him alight... and has the whole process videotaped to be sent to the man's colleagues, along with a stark message: 'Don't come back here'.
Oh, and Valen? "It was so overwhelmingly immoral that it warped back on the other end and gained moral-like characteristics."? That is a most amusing description of Roanpur; consider it a keeper.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by Ronin Aquila

Frank Castle is a hero of the morally black-and-white Marvel Universe. He has never slain a single child, ever. Unlike any of the Black Lagoon characters, he is a father, and had to bear the incomparable agony of having to have them die in his arms. His love and compassion towards children will ensure his unconditional forgiveness and willingness to hand out second chances to them.

The most likely scenario is that he would Knock out both Hansel and Gretel, restrain them as tightly and humanely as he can, and send them both to one of this legion of worldwide contacts on the right-side-of-the-law for a lifetime of treatment if necessary.

With the sheer number of acclaimed criminal psychiatrists Captain Castle would have connections with, is is possible that at least one of them would be able to cure even the twins. Even though they are officially charaged with putting the Punisher behind-bars, Servants of the Law actually respect-and-love him as much as they do heroes like Spider-Man, if not more.

The next thing that will definitely happen is Frank flying with his immense stockpile of cash to Romania and Butchering every last motherfucking rat-bastard child-porn maker insect in that hole of savages, and then publically and dramatically desecrate their corpses as an example to any Romanina who would ever dare try that again.

No doubt as Long as Mr Castle (and his inevitable apprentice and thereafter) lives, none would.

well, it's easy to say that if you believe Castle considers the Twins salvageable.
I don't like to make comments like this, but sometimes it had to be said; Could Castle truly control his rage if he witness the Twins hammering nails into the eyes of screaming civilians? Especially since we know the Twins have no qualms about killing other children?
As for "curing" the Twins... Mr Castle better has something more secure than Arkham Asylum in mind. Unfortunately, an armed-to-the-teeth facility that can truly prevent the nurses and doctors from being murdered generally isn't a good place for psychiatric help either. It's a Catch-22.

[flosduellatorum]

Sorry, I have no idea what would a "dating game" based on the BL gals be like.
What is a dating game? Is it something like a video game?

OK, let's look at the guys instead of the gals.

Rock--this goofball is handsome and sensitive, for sure he is the hunk of the show, except that he seems to cause problems to the normally happy but ruthless Revy. Obviously her normal thought processes are disturbed when he impinges upon them, and I hope his altruism or her liking for him doesn't get her killed. The way he continues to wear his tie, because he is "working" is really hilarious, and is one of the main points I like BL, because it is so funny in the way the characters are portrayed, with their idiosyncracies.

Dutch--this guy has a certain amt of x appeal, to me, because of his calmness, and zen like behaviour. He would be a great boyfriend, calm and supportive, never give you any problems like rock is giving revy.

Jumbo--this in Gin, called "jumbo" by revy(that was really funny). Big sized and skilled, we see his extremely-responsible-goodboy side by how well he takes care of yukio. He would be a great father, he would change the nappies, stay awake the whole night, burp the baby, and I could just relax and do nothing.

Benny-boy--computer nerds don't do it for me. But he seems like a nice guy, can have some fun with him.

Mr Chang--based on Chow Yuen Fatt, there doesn't seem to be any outstanding qualities that attract him to me. Chow is a very good husband in real life, he married some singaporean who was the only gal he came across that didn't bother about him. It seems his business friend asked her to send Chow to the airport and she turned up all dishevelled, no make-up, wearing slippers and shorts and not at all conscious of his show-biz fame. After that, she didn't even bother to contact him despite him asking her to. After that, he made a great effort to hook her and finally managed it.
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I agree with kauldron that reading the manga is different from seeing the anime. especially when it is translated into english, it sometimes sounds very contrived. Maybe if we could read japanese, it would flow better. But if the manga is well drawn, it can equal the anime. But in this case, with resp to Rei, it does not do it YET for me.
That doesn't take away from his creativity and skill in making the world of BL come to life.
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On the BL gals, I wonder if any of you boys boys realize that bala is very probably a virgin? With a face burnt like that, the chances are she never even opened herself to having a boyfriend, knowing the chances of rejection. I know in the first few eps, something was said about her liking Chang, but it's never said they were actually together??
Add that to her position as leader of the russ mafia, having a bf would be like a weakness to her. So no bf ever for poor bala.

On Revy, I understand she is the main attarction of BL to all boys, even if they don't admit it. FGS, she's always wearing that lara croft style denim shorts, vest, talking obscenities, being aggressive and shooting up ppl. The japanese version of lara croft. Dangerous, difficult to obtain but extremely attractive at the sametime. If she can make such an impact on questmark(sorry, qm, I can't resist saying it!) by just rubbing her cigarette onto someone else's cig, imagine her in bed with you.

On Roberta, I can't understand why some boys like the maid persona so much. But to each his own. Maybe I should develop a butler fetish also.
"I say jeeves old chap, do drop your trousers."
It's a credit to rei's humor that he can make a maid into a terminator.

On Yukio, well she is the schoolgirl personae, just by itself it is appealing to many guys, I am sure. At least prominently in japanese culture. Rock likes her, but he like revy too. But then revy is difficult, while yukio is polite, cultured and seemingly submissive, your stereotype ideal traditional japanese wife/gf.
I guess it is like choosing between Red Bull and Camomile tea.
Choose correctly, rock-san!
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Originally Posted by shiroth

Sorry if i seemed angry.. didn't mean to have a go like that. Apart of me was offended - had to do with that post a while ago having a go at the male fans of the series. ^^;;

Wow, still offended? OK, I most humbly apologise to you also and also offer the cigarette. All I can say is, have a sense of humor. So do I have to apologise personally to all the male forumites in the BL thread? How many times will I have to do cigarette sex to make them all happy?
Compared to what boys usually say about girls, I think what said in jest was quite mild. Please remember, a certain amt of tolerance is good to have.
Cheers, mate!

PS--I am not offended at all by the boys here putting the BL gals in a lineup for a dating game. They are anime characters, FGS. And even if they are real, all boys behave like this or do it mentally. That doesn't detract from whether they treat their gfs and women well/with respect, which is a pure character issue. A separate issue from the biological mate-selection viewing/analysis process, which is what is going on now.

[Skane]

The idea of Balalaika bedding someone breaks the mind. Just can't visualise it.

Zoot.

[flosduellatorum]

OK, I managed to see 23 raw, but there's a lot of talking and I can't seem to get what is going on. Guess rock has managed to get bala into some agreement not to off yukio(he is always able to cut a deal with a gun in his face, go rock-san!), especially when thrown over a car hood.
Looks like bala is a judo enthusiast, just like Vladimir Putin who competed at county? level.
I can't ID any of the guns in 23, must be russ ones I am totally unfamiliar with.
And Revy should be spanked really badly for shooting like that in the playground.....that's just absurd. Only an insane person would do that, and she is starting to lose sympathy from me. Thinking of all those bullets flying wherever they are going is just making me sick, but hey it's just an anime.
Oooohhhh, bad gal, bad gal!
I guess people who have never handled guns for a living will draw some funny scenes in relation to guns.....
Anyway, rock-san, from now on, I most humbly recommend that you look towards Roberta or Yukio or to be your gf, because Revy has just dropped outa my "possibles" list.

[Ronin Aquila]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

well, it's easy to say that if you believe Castle considers the Twins salvageable.
I don't like to make comments like this, but sometimes it had to be said; Could Castle truly control his rage if he witness the Twins hammering nails into the eyes of screaming civilians? Especially since we know the Twins have no qualms about killing other children?

Captain Castle is not a raving monster without moral rhyme and reason: This is a wrongful accusation nailed onto him by those who have not even read the comics. The reason he is still alive after 30 years of doing what he does, and still be good at it, is because he is a rational, logical and morally solid human being who believes in the righteousness of his war.

The Horrors of Vietnam alone was more than enough to unhinge most of his comrades. He bore that AND the horror of having his wife, son and daughter die in his arms, and still is able to fight the war with cold reason and logic. Psychotic and unreasoning rage would have ensured his failure in the first day of his war, let alone 30 long years. He is reasonable enough to realize it is the fault of the insects who tortured the Twins into tigers, not that of the Tigers themselves.

Linking to the above, I hate to say this: But part of the reason The Punisher. would forgive any child, no matter how far he or she has strayed, is because he is a Devout Catholic. Prior to joining the military, Castle tried to save the world as a Priest, only to find that action, not prayers alone, can save humanity, hence abandoning the Path of the Clergyman for The Path Of The Warrior.

Regardless, rage and bitterness notwithstanding, Frank Castle possesses a Genuine Love for Humanity and cherishes whatever is left of its beauty and decency, and would willingly die to protect every last sliver of it he can, knowing and acknowledging he will go to hell for what he has done.

Any accusation of naivety and excessive idealism aside, I'm of the school of thought that given time and consistent (not just sporadic, half assed) kindness, anyone can change, as long as there is something in there to work with. Deny it with all the evidence of negativity you want, but it is still undeniable that the Twins are capable of comprehending the concepts of (A) Remorse (B) Empathy (C) Decency and (D) Love

(A) Gretel felt something akin to pity when she and Hansel were forced to murder another child, who she (B) emphatically acknowledges as an orphan like her, only to have the un-childlike cynicism that was forced on them drown it out, in the form of Hansel's timely reminder of "kill or be killed." Either Hanself/Gretel on the Torpedo Assault Vehicle was able to recognize(C) that Rock's treatment as the unfamiliar concept of "kindness" and (D) attempted to "reward" him, sadly in the only way he/she knew how.

If given the chance, and LOTS of time (years, most likely) both could have been functional members of society. This is particularly true in a child, whose ideas of how the world functions is not yet cemented like ours, and STILL has time to change. A pity that this is not a view shared by the tyrant known as Balalaika the Merciless.

Thankfully, Frank Castle is not a heartless bitch like Balalaika, a burnt our cynic like Chan, or a Trigger Happy Lunatic like Revy. He is a reasonable enough human being to stand back (or jump behind cover, most likely) and see the grander picture.

The Punisher's Mission in life is not to destroy the symptoms of crime, but to be a Cure for its Cause. Only by saving children like Hansel and Gretel and then killing their brutalizers would his victory be complete. And that is why Captain Frank Castle would NOT slay the Twins, even if he does witness their brutality.

[Firefly00]

Originally Posted by Ronin Aquila

Captain Castle is not a raving monster without moral rhyme and reason: This is a wrongful accusation nailed onto him by those who have not even read the comics. The reason he is still alive after 30 years of doing what he does, and still be good at it, is because he is a rational, logical and morally solid human being who believes in the righteousness of his war.

- remainder of explanation redacted -

This, sir, is great material; how long did you spend formulating the thoughts before putting fingers to keyboard?
You've probably noted in another recent arc - 'Up is Down and Black is White', if I recall correctly - that someone had the brilliant idea of desecrating the remains of Castle's family, in the hopes of (a) drawing him out, and (b) having him too enraged to think straight. But, as said Mafioso later has to concede, (b) wasn't happening.
As for Vall's question as to whether he can exercise similar control if confronted with the twins' antics... okay guys, I have an idea: why not deliver to Garth Ennis - the gentleman who writes Punisher these days - a synopsis of Black Lagoon to this point, complete with relevant character biographies, and our musings in this thread, and let him answer? I am sure it would prove interesting reading.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by Ronin Aquila

...The Punisher's Mission in life is not to destroy the symptoms of crime, but to be a Cure for its Cause. Only by saving children like Hansel and Gretel and then killing their brutalizers would his victory be complete. And that is why Captain Frank Castle would NOT slay the Twins, even if he does witness their brutality.

Fair enough. But that only solves the first problem, not the second.

Where in the world could the Twins receive treatment? Is Mr Castle willing to babysit at the psychiatric hospital for the next twenty years, just so the Twins wouldn't play soccer with the decapitated head of their assigned doctor?

Mr Castle, if he wants to keep the Twins alive, need to be responsible for them, much like how a father should be. If they killed again while on his watch, the blood is on his hands. Sending the Twins off to some hospital isn't good enough; if it is his choice to cure them, then he needs to make sure the job is done without sacrificing the lives of any more innocent people.

In essence, I am saying Mr Castle would need to quit his vigilante job just to contain these two children's aura of death. If he isn't prepared to do that, then he obviously doesn't realise what he is getting himself into.

[Ronin Aquila]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

Fair enough. But that only solves the first problem, not the second.

Where in the world could the Twins receive treatment? Is Mr Castle willing to babysit at the psychiatric hospital for the next twenty years, just so the Twins wouldn't play soccer with the decapitated head of their assigned doctor?

Mr Castle, if he wants to keep the Twins alive, need to be responsible for them, much like how a father should be. If they killed again while on his watch, the blood is on his hands. Sending the Twins off to some hospital isn't good enough; if it is his choice to cure them, then he needs to make sure the job is done without sacrificing the lives of any more innocent people.

In essence, I am saying Mr Castle would need to quit his vigilante job just to contain these two children's aura of death. If he isn't prepared to do that, then he obviously doesn't realise what he is getting himself into.

The trouble with Frank Castle is that as a Truly Devout Catholic (not the lip-service types), he loves and cares for all of humanity. A Zealot and Crusader in the most classic sense, he considers it the duty of a Warrior as Powerful as he is to be out there fighting for everybody, unbound by individual prejudice; A belieft conincidentally enough shared by his frequent rival Spider-Man.

He loves children, that much is for certain. But he simply cannot live haunted with the thought that no-other Warrior is as competent as he is, that he should be out there fighting to the last breath, as opposed to allow the courts to let rapists and dope pushers walk the streets.

As long as there is a war, as long as innocents need to be protected against social predators, the Punisher cannot afford to start a new family. One can only hope his God is kind enough to allow him to reunite with his family when he finally rests.

[flosduellatorum]

The Punisher? That guy who uses the longslide 1911s, and who wears that black t-shirt with the big skull on it? Ooohh, I have seen that!

In fact you can see real similar models of his guns, from Wicked Grips(a grip company). I strongly advise you not to addorn your guns like this, in a court case it will reflect very badly upon you(if you have to shoot someone).

http://www.wickedgrips.com/page9.html

[ReaderT]

Just FYI...

Madhouse decided to remake episode 23 for DVD to improve the animation quality. Also, they have finished episode 24 today. Thank you, Sunao Katabuchi, the director of BL. I appreciate your really hard work.