This is another cel that shows off Eros' outfit very nicely (still need a close-up of him!) and this is my only cel so far of Ruka. I like her and all, but she's not very high up my wish list. I do like how they're looking at each other in this cel-- I can't decide who would make the cuter couple... Eros & Ruka or Eros & Muse! (Of course, Eros would like Silky, but I don't think that would be such a good idea for his mental and physical health. )

Eros-sama and me! Me! me! Me! ME! ME! MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME!!!

Okay, so maybe Muse wouldn't be all that good for Eros' health either... of course, Ruka does beat Eros up the second time she meets him, so maybe that's not such a hot idea either. Poor lil god of love.

For some reason the scan of this cel turned out very weirdly. While the Eros side is more or less fine, the Ruka side has serious color fading and some weird distortions to it. It even looks like it has line fading but in person the lines are completely pristine! I have no idea what is up with Ruka's pocket in the pic, the lines are perfectly straight in reality but in the scan they're all crooked!

The cel comes from step 19, The Power of Love. (hubba, hubba, hubba!) As I described in the Mikael pulling the potato cart cel, Ruka has invented a pair of bloomers (basically poofy shorts) that will help Noelle fly every time she... *ahem*... farts....

What a horrible word! Don't say such things!

By things, do you mean f-a-r-t?

*steam comes from Papa's nose, he tackles Gabriel, and they go rolling across the floor again*

Honestly! My pan is getting a dent in it! *WHACK*

There they go again. *sweatdrop*

Y'know, you still owe me from that last fight...

WHAT?!

So Ruka goes off in search of yakiimo, which are basically sweet potatoes prepared a certain way, that women are supposed to really like. Eros manages to outrun Ruka (on her motorcycle!) to Mikael's new yakiimo cart-store and buy out the entire inventory from under her nose. And when Ruka demands to know how Eros manages to run so fast he replies with the (in)famous "By the power of love!". Which just drives the scientifical Ruka batty.

And *cough*, as I mentioned before, the next time Ruka & Eros meet (Eros is looking for even more yakiimo, Ruka is stalking Eros ) she beats him up trying to get the secret of his fast running out of him. And they end up having a potato pulling duel blah blah blah... I'm sure I gushed about that scene enough during the bet cel section of my gallery. Oh, I do want to mention that during the potato pulling scene is when I first realized Ruka was a girl. Yes, I had thought the entire time previous that she was a little boy! Well, she looks and sounds like one to me! And the only other Ruka I know of-- from Revolutionary Girl Utena-- is a boy! I only figured it out when Papa exclaimed "That's my girl!" during the scene.

My cel comes from near the end of the episode when the duel is over-- no, I'm not telling you who won or what other unexpected events happened during it -- and Eros is preparing to return to Silky with his hard-earned goods. And lookit the size of that basket of potatoes! How can he balance it on his head with that weird crown there? And he sure is strong for someone with such spindly arms!

Hey! First a curvaceous body and now spindly arms!

Actually, first I called you a beetle, but that's neither here nor now.

Too bad Eros still wasn't strong enough to stave off Ruka. Those Tenshi ni Narumon girls pack quite a punch! Anyway, in my cel Eros & Ruka are saying their goodbyes and Ruka is wishing Eros' luck in his wooing of Silky. (And boy does he need it!)

The cel is A-87 (wow!) with some other markings that are too illegible to read. Unfortunately this did not come with a sketch. (But it did come with a minty new cel bag that hadn't been closed! I wish all dealers gave out cel bags, and I always prefer opened to sealed. It makes it much easier when the time comes for scanning.)

Wait! I have finally done it! *giggles more then a little maniacally* Hael-san might have broken my camera but now I have built the ultimate love machine! I SHALL HARNESS THE POWER OF LOVE! *rolls out what looks to be a strap down table with a myriad of wires, whips, cameras, and assorted other things attached*

*FACEFAULT*

Well, that is certainly an... interesting... design. Isn't it, Mikael? Mikael? Mikael where are you going?

*already running halfway down the block*