#i'm just so excited by her!!! i love guts!! i can't wait to watch her career!!

[raylangivins]

this olivia rodrigo profile.....i just love her!

[e-vay]

SONIC 3 REVIEW

I wanted to wait a few weeks to give many people the chance to see Sonic 3 before I wrote a review, but of course I'll keep it under the cut for those who still haven't seen it.

DISCLAIMERS!

I acknowledge that the Sonic Cinematic Universe is a SEPARATE interpretation of the Sonic franchise so I will never dock it points for doing things different than we've seen in the games. These movies are inspired by the Sonic the Hedgehog video games, they are not direct adaptations. I have no sympathy for anyone who complains these movies get things 'wrong' about the games.

I acknowledge that the Sonic movies are family films marketed towards children, so some of the writing and plot devices are simplified or toned down for younger audiences. However, that won't stop me from pointing out some plot holes.

My review is just my opinion. I'm not saying I'm right or that you're wrong if you disagree.

I'm so damn excited to finally talk about it and I have SO MUCH to say, so buckle up!

TL;DR: I give Sonic 3 a score of 9/10, just barely shy of being an absolutely perfect movie! There were some editing choices and some plot holes that made me dock minor points. These nitpicks are small and almost insignificant compared to the whole of the film, but they stood out enough to bother me and they're why I can't give it a perfect rating.

Let's start with the positives.

CAST & CHARACTERS - 10/10

TL;DR - With a star-studded cast, it's almost impossible to say any one actor/character outshined the others. Every single person was on their A-game for this movie and gave emotional, hilarious, all-out performances.

Jim Carrey as both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik is genius! He plays both characters so differently that you could almost believe they were being played by two different people -- minus the tongue-in-cheek way the movie reminds you that they're the same person.

This iteration of Gerald is unlike any we've seen before, which kept me on my toes the entire time I was watching. He comes onto the scene fully claiming that he's a villain, but still he manages to suckerpunch you (and Ivo) with the final reveal of his ultimate plan. You would think that the same old man who was just doing a choreographed dance performance 20 minutes ago couldn't tear your heart out without even the use of words when we see him mourning the loss of his granddaughter, and then fill you with spine-chilling terror as he uses his whole chest to exclaim he's going to 'burn it all down!', but damn did Jim Carrey do that and more! This movie (and Jim Carrey alike) managed to make Gerald both the major comic relief of the movie AND simultaneously made him one of the most despicable villains in the franchise so far. His utter lack of compassion for Shadow or Ivo, using both of them as his puppets, really shows you how little this man values even those who are supposed to be closest to him. I encourage you to rewatch the movie and really appreciate the dynamic range we were given of this character in under a 2 hour window.

Ivo is back and better than ever, baby (despite what Tails says)! Though I liked the initial, unexpected take on his character in Sonic 1, it has been beyond satisfying to see the evil doctor's descent into madness, all culminating into THE Eggman we recognize from the games! Seeing him in the iconic Eggman suit was like seeing my baby in her gown for prom. I was one proud mama! Sonic 3 sends Ivo on an emotional rollercoaster and we not only get to see him the silliest he's ever been, but your heart truly breaks for him by the end of the film. Honestly, I'm still gutted over Gerald's "Ivo, you're no Maria" line! One thing I particularly loved is that repeatedly throughout this franchise, Ivo has mentioned how society has always rejected him, he's had nobody who loves him (except Stone ofc) and he's repeatedly reminded he's a failure. Yet at the end of this film, he's given the chance to live up to his real potential and Team Sonic (and Shadow (and all of Earth while we're at it)) wouldn't have stood a chance without him. With Ivo seemingly dead, this was a heartfelt, tearjerking, beautiful sendoff for Eggman in a way that doesn't feel forced and gives Jim Carrey the chance to excuse himself should he decide he no longer wants to be a part of the future movies. BUT if he does decide to come back (and it's sounding like he does) -- c'mon, y'all don't really think Shadow would have just left Eggman to die, do you? He absolutely could have teleported them both outta there at the last minute.

SHADOW. 👏👏👏 This was without a doubt, the BEST depiction of Shadow I have ever seen! Keanu Reeves and the animators put everything into this rendition of Shadow and I was moved to tears on several occasions. This movie gave us an emotional, heartbroken Shadow who doesn't mask his feelings. Even before losing Maria, we see that Shadow is someone who struggles with understanding who he is, where he comes from and what his purpose is. He's subjected to constant testing and when he's not 'in use,' he's seemingly stowed away in the dark for later. It isn't until Maria shows up and befriends him that we get to see that he's just a regular person. He's curious about music and dancing, he enjoys play and stargazing, he's self-conscious. And then the transformation he takes after being betrayed and losing his loved ones, UGH! Keanu Reeves freaking NAILS it in every single scene! One of the moments that stood out the most to me and physically gave me goosebumps was when Shadow begins to question if destroying the planet is what Maria would have wanted and Gerald convinces him to focus on the pain that was left from her death. When Shadow's charging the Eclipse Cannon and reliving the most devastating moment of his life, you can hear his rage just in the way he's breathing! Keanu Reeves doesn't even speak any words in that scene but I could feel every drop of anger and regret and hatred in his performance. But also he delivered some very funny lines too and at least to me, it didn't feel forced. I also really liked that Keanu Reeves did research for this character and actually 'created' a voice for Shadow instead of using his normal voice. (I strongly recommend watching this clip where he talks about how he came up with 'the voice'. It's fascinating and such a delight). I think a lot of people might have initially thought having him voice Shadow was cool but kind of a joke, but he took the role very seriously and I feel he made an effort to separate himself from Shadow. His voice scratched my brain in the most satisfying way lol. I wish he could permanently voice Shadow from now on, but at least I can always imagine his voice whenever I read or play any Shadow content. Also, Shadow's character model was GOR-GEOUS. He was so handsome and badass and also I love, love, LOVE the amount of contrast between him and Sonic. EVEN DOWN TO THE DETAILS IN THE TEXTILES OF THEIR GLOVES. Sonic's gloves appear to be cotton so they're soft and warm and porous -- a fabric that comforts and lets things in. Shadow's gloves are leather -- a fabric that's firm, resistant, impenetrable. SO MUCH thought and detail went into designing Shadow. AND SUPER SHADOW OH MYGOOOODDDDDDDD. He looked like an angel! I have always loved Super Shadow's platinum design in the games, but giving him the extra detail of iridescent and rose gold quills in the movie was so freaking beautiful. I truly can't fault a single thing about him in this movie. A thousand kisses to Keanu Shadow.

TEAM SONIC. That's right, I'm addressing the group here because this movie really treated each member of Team Sonic as equals and I loved it. Sonic may be the leader, but Knuckles packed this movie full of action, heart and laughs. Idris Elba and the writers found a great balance for Knuckles in that he delivered what I thought were some of the funniest lines of the film, but it didn't lessen the impact of his more serious scenes. When Knuckles is arguing with Sonic about using the Chaos Emeralds, there is so much tension and I feel like they really nailed the gravity of that fight. Knuckles ultimately chooses not to battle Sonic, but I felt that him reminding Sonic of their oath and pointing out that Sonic is breaking it was actually MORE of a punishment than a punch to the face. We also really got to see Knuckles 'THE GUARDIAN" in this movie which I greatly appreciated. We see a lot of Knuckles "the fighter" where he's quick to throw fists, but there were many moments in Sonic 3 where he got to serve as a proper protector. I cried when he caught Sonic and Tails and even after they're safe he's just holding them, the three of them a battered mess in the cornfield! AH MY HEART!

Speaking of my heart-- Tails you good boy! Tails showed so much growth between Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 and I was so proud of him! He's still cute as can be and still has moments of childlike wonder, but he played a significantly larger role in this movie and showed a lot of maturity. He's quick to come up with plans but he is also actually in the action instead of shouting from the sidelines. I also really liked that during the bleakest part of the film, it's actually Tails who is trying to console Sonic about what's happened to Tom. You know things are bad when it's the baby sibling who attempts to be the emotionally strong one and comfort the older sibling. And I love that it's Tails and Knuckles who help Ivo to steer the Eclipse Cannon away from the Earth. It would have been easy to just sideline them and have them hope that Super Sonic and Super Shadow could handle things, but that diminishes the value of Team Sonic. The movie made it very clear that their teamwork is what made them so strong and it was through all of their combined efforts that the Earth was saved in the end. Sonic and Shadow could not have done it alone, even with the combined power of the Chaos Emeralds. I feel like a broken record by saying this but it has to be said: Colleen O'Shaughnessey killed it as Tails yet again. Go queen!

This might come as a surprise to some, but the Sonic in this movie is my favorite we've seen throughout the SCU franchise so far. I have heard people criticize that Sonic was a little 'boring' or 'underwhelming' during the first 2 acts of the movie, but I actually perceived that as intentional by design. At this point in Sonic's life, he's used to the whole hero thing. He's saved the world multiple times by now so it makes sense to me that he's become complacent and doesn't really take the time to consider how potentially dangerous a threat can be (I mean think about it, he nearly gets lasered-to-death via the forcefield at G.U.N. Headquarters just because he had to be a silly goof and do a tour of London NOW of all times! Yes it's funny and in-character and I still loved that scene ((and loved that it gave Tails a shining moment to save him)), but c'mon Sonic you almost fucked up the entire plan because you just had to do your goofy thing!). So when Shadow shows up and kicks his ass not once, but MULTIPLE times--and then he nearly loses his father figure TWICE--it serves as a rude awakening. He learns that there is a price to pay for being blasé, underestimating the gravity of a situation and not sticking to a plan, and that's where he dramatically overcompensates and goes on a vengeful arc. And vengeful Sonic is FUCKING. FANTASTIC. I think we as an audience can forget how lethal Sonic can be because he's normally so playful and silly, so to see him lock in and not hold back is actually pretty terrifying (but in a great way!). Ben Schwartz was AMAZING in this portion of the movie. I find him to be one of the funniest comedians on the planet, but I couldn't believe it was the same guy during this act. He dug deep and gave such a compelling performance full of anguish and hatred that I honestly didn't realize he was capable of. But most importantly--he was able to rein it in when it mattered most and Sonic didn't lose himself before it was too late. Sonic is not a perfect character, but one of the things that makes him such a great hero is that he always manages to hold on to the light that's inside of him. I always appreciate Sonic's motivational speeches and I loved that when he's having the heart-to-heart with Shadow, the emphasis is about who you are and the good that comes from the love you have for others. It's heavy and important but was delivered in a way that was easily digestible for younger viewers without diminishing the meaning of the message. However, what I found even more moving in this scene was the moment of silence that Sonic and Shadow share on the moon. It was so poignant and I'm glad they held that moment of stillness and quiet. By the end of the movie, we do get our loveable Sonic back but he acknowledges the mistakes he made and regrets putting everyone in danger because of his reckless decisions. Each movie builds up his character more and more and I think as long as they don't backpedal, Sonic's in store for some incredible things! ALSO! Just like I said with Shadow, I freaking LOVED Sonic's character model in this one! I love that we are seeing him physically growing up and maturing instead of being forever stuck in place (no shade to the games). This character model is SO much taller and stockier than the model in Sonic 1 and is evidence that not only is he emotionally maturing, but he's physically aging up as well. It's just so cool!

I absolutely adored Alyla Browne's portrayal of Maria in this movie! She was so charming and instantly loveable the moment she was onscreen. I've noticed many people highlighting the part where she draws the bunny face on Shadow (which I love) but even the seconds before that where she mocks his scowl INSTANTLY won me over. And she even gets Shadow to smile because of it! The smile is small and only visible for a few frames, but it's there! It was clear that this girl saw more to this alien than a menacing, dangerous little space demon and wasn't gonna put up with his charade. It's no wonder the two of them became fast friends. I don't know about you, but I have been STARVED of ARK Sibling content since Shadow's very first introduction so I was obsessed with every single scene we got of the two of them actually getting to spend time together. I do love drama but so far all we've seen is the ARK tragedy and rarely any of the highlights before that event. Yes the SCU is a different universe, but this filled a hole in my heart that I've been waiting on for years. It did not disappoint!

I also want to highlight Agent Stone. Listen, I've loved Lee Majdoub since Sonic 1, but his character is at his best in this movie. Agent Stone was proper badass in Sonic 3 and proved that he's far more than just a simple henchman. It's revealed that with Ivo sulking and remaining in hiding, Stone has stepped up and is constantly monitoring what's going on in the outside world and immediately jumps into action when he notices the doctor's tech being used by someone else. Eggman wasn't even aware of it and yet Stone is out there shutting it down and bringing back reinforcements to clear Eggman's name! That super suit?? And those MOTORCYCLE TRICKS?? And him dodging a freaking ROCKET like it ain't no thing??? Hell yeah, Stone! Lee Majdoub is so funny and I love how he can be so quiet and stoic around Eggman ( "Resourceful.") but he can also be so over the top like when he's mocking the hell out of Knuckles ("Įt'Ŝ 𝕋𝒽𝒆 ⓖ𝓸Ａ𝐓 𝔪𝕀ŁҜє𝓡!... Relax.") and both just work so well! I think it's further evidence of why he makes such a good partner for Eggman because they're both capable of some intense power but they're also both such weirdos. I loved the amount of emotion and vulnerability Stone had in this movie. He's always had an allegiance to Eggman and even in Sonic 2 we saw how much he missed the doctor while he was away and how enthusiastic he was when he learned he was alive, but it went a lot deeper in this film. We got to learn that there's a much stronger affinity there and Stone legitimately cares about Robotnik and supports him through thick and thin. Personally, I ship Stobotnik, so this movie gave me plenty of delicious food! But even if you don't ship it, I think it was so significant to show the depth to Stone and Robotnik's relationship and I believe that it was Stone's affection for the doctor (romantic or platonic) that ultimately made Eggman save the world in the end. Though I'm still hoping for Jim Carrey to come back, I think they set things up so Stone could take up the EggMantle in a seamless way and I sure wouldn't be mad about it!

[Allow me to pause for a deep inhale of breath...]

Ä̷͇̰̞́Ȁ̷̭̩̰̔͐Ấ̶̝̗̠A̴͉͗A̵̳̠̚ͅA̵̫̋Ḿ̴͕Y̴̨̯̆Y̷͖͍̜̓͝Ỹ̵͍̺͑̕Y̸̜̫̆͋͋Y̶͕̫̱̾̐!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😭💖💖💖💖💖💖😘😘😘😘😍😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖 My beloved! My most darling angel! My reason for waking up in the morning! SHE MADE IT! Amy is my favorite character of all time and I told y'all I was gonna throw up if she wasn't in this movie, so you'd better believe I SCREAMED when her hammer appeared in the post-credits scene! When she walked up and pulled back the hood of her cloak I was in tears and I was TREMBLING! I'm sure they're going to make changes to her once they finalize her design for Sonic 4, but this reveal was so freaking good and got me so excited for the next movie. Her character model is already so beautiful and I love that they turned the tables and have her rescuing Sonic this time! I cannot wait to see what they have in store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Metal Sonic was cool too btw)

ACTION - 10/10

TL;DR - Highspeed fun that has you on the edge of your seat for every single minute of screen time!

This movie is NONSTOP. I wasn't bored for a single second and by the time we hit the credits I couldn't believe how much time had passed. Every fight scene was so perfectly choreographed and so RAMPED UP that it had me stunned. There's a joke early in the movie that Sonic/Tails/Knuckles' antics are capable of cataclysmic events but the movie delivers on that promise a multitude of times! From city-wide power outages to mini-black holes to volcanic eruptions, there's no shortage of chaos and action in this movie!

You guys. The first time I saw this movie, I was at a prescreening so I was among critics and people from the media instead of a group of fans. It took EVERYTHING WITHIN ME to contain my glee. I was PHYSICALLY BALLED UP, knees pulled to my chest, palms pressed to my face to try to stay quiet. My heart burst through the roof of my skull! Even when I went to go see it for a fourth time, my heart was still racing. I actually had my friend feel my pulse as proof. This movie just gets you so excited it's insane!

The fact that the movie BEGAN with Shadow's breakout... god bless it. God bless everyone who worked on it. It was so intense and heartpumping! And I loved the choice to have little-to-no music during Shadow's fight with the soldiers. It just added to the tension and didn't give you any hint of when and where Shadow was going to teleport next. This was basically a scene from a horror movie! It set the entire tone for the film and showed that Shadow was NOT to be messed with.

I seriously could describe how much I loved every action scene but I will be here forever so I won't, but I have to say-

THE ✨SUPER✨ SCENES. OH. MY. 🎶GO~~~~OD🎶!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had high hopes and expectations we were going to see Super Shadow in this one, but never in my lifetime did I think we were going to finally see Super Sonic VERSUS Super Shadow!!! Holy hell, what a fight! We get to finally see what two god-mode characters are capable of when they're out to kill each other and aren't showing any mercy. EACH PUNCH LAUNCHING THE OPPONENT ACROSS THE FREAKING PLANET?!??!?? That editing choice in particular is one of my absolute FAVORITE things about this movie. There's a million ways this fight could have been done but showing just how fast and how strong these two are--- even causing the earth to split open and erupt just from one of them pushing off the ground--really shows just how minuscule and inferior us humans are hahaha. We wouldn't stand a freaking CHANCE. AND SONIC PUNCHES SHADOW TO THE MOON?!

ALSO THEY EACH TOOK TURNS PUNCHING THE SUPER OUT OF EACH OTHER!???!!!

I'm having to pause as I'm writing this because even though I've seen this movie four times I'm still getting so worked up just thinking about these action scenes again that I'm struggling to breathe omg

Even better than Super Sonic VERSUS Super Shadow was that final team up. That CLAP and they both turn super had me WEAK. I just about fainted right then but thank god I didn't because that entire sequence was INCREDIBLE. That little exchange of Sonic saying "Ready to recycle some tin cans?" and Shadow rolling his shoulder and saying "Try to keep up" before launching into a flurry of attacks is TATTOOED ON MY BRAIN. It will never leave my mind. It gave us SA2 and MORE. The battle was a masterpiece and it's something that words truly can't describe, you just have to witness it in all it's glory. I will never be normal about that fight scene.

One more moment I want to highlight because it shows action in nontraditional ways -- I am infatuated with the way they depicted Eggman and Shadow's last moments of saving the earth from the Eclipse Cannon. There was just something in the slow, labored movements that Jim Carrey made to show him attempting to block the explosions with shields, and the quietness of Shadow pushing the exterior of the ship with his hands and the metal is just crushing under his palms from the force. It isn't a moment of fast punches or flashing lights but it was so damn powerful and I absolutely loved it.

VISUALS - 10/10

TL;DR - Stellar effects and cinematography not only make for a delightful experience for your eyes but further immerse us into this fictional world.

WOW! I already touched on this in my above notes but seriously this movie was just beautiful. The character models were so good and felt real despite being cartoons (which goes to show you don't need them to look hyper-realistic to convince me it's a living creature). The lighting and the framing of shots were not only visually appealing but helped further the emotions of the scenes. The neon lights bouncing off Shadow in the rain as he's slowly walking down the streets of Shibuya was a WORK OF ART. Even all the moments of chaos and destruction were portrayed so well and so crisp that not only were they beautiful to look at -- I could actually tell what was going on! I watch a lot of action films and it gets so frustrating when there's so many explosions, lens flares, camera whips, etc that I can't actually make out what's happening. I never had that problem in this movie!

FAN SERVICE - 10/10

TL;DR - No, not that kind of fan service. This was a film FOR the fans!

I already said that the cinematic universe is clearly separate from the game universe. However, there were so many delightful little treats for fans of the games that felt like all the creators of this movie reached out and hugged me and said "This is for you!" BLESS! I won't list out all the Easter eggs and scene-recreations because there are too many, but man the joy I felt in sitting there and thinking "I KNOW THAT REFERENCE!" was healing to my soul. I figured "Live and Learn" was going to show up in some way because we heard the tune in the trailer, but I didn't realize how often and in how many different ways it would play throughout the movie! Starting out the movie with a memory of Maria playing "Live and Learn" on the guitar had me clutching my chest and I knew I was gonna be emotionally wrecked by this film! I loved the orchestral version of the song during the final battle which took an already badass theme and made it even more epic, but I do love that they included a snippet with the original lyrics too.

I don't know why people get so upset with these movies not being 100% like the games when it's clear that the people who work on these movies care so much about the games and want to reward us fans who love the games, too. Think about the scene where Shadow goes to push the Eclipse Cannon and he removes his inhibitor rings. That was specifically for us fans. The movie never explains what his inhibitor rings are or what they do or why he's removing them. Not knowing what the inhibitor rings are doesn't detract from the movie--but if you play the games you KNOW the significance of that moment. That was written and animated FOR YOU to enjoy. What's not to love about that???

DRAMAAAA~

Again, I know these SCU movies are marketed as family films and are more aimed for children, but I love that the movies are evolving and 'maturing' over time instead of repeating the same simple formula of some children's movies. With each Sonic movie that comes out, the themes and story are getting deeper and heavier without losing it's whimsy and fun. It's done in a way that feels like a natural progression and growth and I don't think the heavier subject matter will deter anyone who watched the previous two movies.

⭐BONUS POINTS!⭐

This is a hot take and I know many people are gonna disagree, but I was so pleased with there being LESS focus on the humans in this story (minus the Robotniks+Stone, of course). I do not care about the Wachowskis. I do not care about the Whipples. I understand why they were initially in the movies and I understand that Sonic considers the Wachowskis as his parents now, but I don't go to these movies to see the humans attending weddings or doing other sideplot shenanigans. I'm here for the aliens, damn it! So to have the humans' appearances mostly diminished to scenes that specifically related to the main plot was a huge relief to me!

THANK YOU SONIC 3.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I could talk endlessly about this movie and even though I've written what feels like an entire essay there's still tons I'm leaving out, but to try to move this review along I'm going to move on to the negatives. Again, none of these below items were enough to ruin the movie for me and individually they aren't even worth a full point as far as a review. But ultimately these are things that I couldn't shake after watching and it's why I felt I had to dock the movie a single point in total.

EDITING WHIPLASH

I've already complimented this movie by several of the editing choices that were made, but there's one moment in particular that totally took me out of it and I'm sure you can guess what I'm going to say... Yes, it was the frequent cutting between the Super Hedgehogs and the Robotniks. Don't get me wrong -- individually these scenes were great. Ivo versus Gerald was hilarious and I did enjoy it and yes it was important to the plot -- but how DARE you interrupt my Super Sonic and Super Shadow fight with mustache wrestling! Whiplash is the best word I can use to describe how I felt in this moment. Sonic and Shadow fighting all of the robots and lasers to get to the Cannon was so dynamic and so intense and so spectacular, that when it suddenly cut away to Eggman getting spanked by a giant mech hand, I felt like I just got slapped across the face. My heart had just been racing so fast and then you cut away? Then I'm starting to calm down and just enjoy the Robotnik fight for the silliness but then it cuts BACK to the epic power of Sonic and Shadow --- and you do it AGAIN?! It just killed me!

I saw an edit somebody made where they spliced all of the super fight scenes together and removed the Robotnik fight and as you can imagine, it was infinitely better. You actually had the time to be fully enraptured by the battle and get to absorb every awesome second of it.

The Robotnik fight was still necessary (and yes, even the way they killed Gerald was hilarious to me and I still laugh even now) but they really should have edited this part of the movie better in my opinion.

PLOT HOLE -- ARE WE MISSING PART OF THE SCRIPT?

Although I think the writing for this movie was overall great, I felt there were key elements missing from the G.U.N. plot line that was meant to drive the narrative. This led me to think... was there a deleted scene and the filmmakers thought nobody would care/question it? Here are the things that I felt the movie did not clearly address:

1: Why are Team Sonic and Commander Walters close allies now? G.U.N. and Walters were previously antagonists in these films. Yes, at the end of Sonic 2 Commander Walters gives up his goal of capturing Sonic, but surrendering isn't the same as forming a partnership. Why is Team Sonic on-call for G.U.N. missions at Walters' requests all of a sudden? Then there's the scene in the Chao Garden. Why do Team Sonic and Walters meet up without anyone else from G.U.N. knowing about it? Why does Sonic trust Walters more than the rest of G.U.N.? I understand Sonic is a hero and especially in these movies he likes to see the good in people, but throughout these movies Walters ALWAYS lies. In Sonic 2, not only does Walters/G.U.N. fabricate an entire wedding as a sting operation to capture Sonic, but Walters lies when he claims that G.U.N. was formed because of Sonic's misadventures in San Francisco. In Sonic 3 we learn that G.U.N. was around for Project Shadow in the 70s. Nobody calls him out on this. Even in the Chao Garden scene, Walters is lying to Sonic about Shadow's history! He tells Sonic that Maria was killed in a terrible accident and Gerald was blamed for it. It was no accident! Soldiers showed up with guns and when Walters tried to stop them, they said "We have our orders." Sure, shooting the canister of chaos energy was not the intention and so the explosion itself was an accident, but those soldiers had every intent on taking Maria and Gerald out (if not Shadow as well). I'm sure Walters left that detail out to keep Sonic from asking further questions, but that makes him all the more of an unreliable storyteller and someone Sonic should NOT trust.

2: Why doesn't Walters trust G.U.N.? When Walters is injured in the Chao Garden attack, he gives Sonic one of the keys to the Eclipse Cannon and tells him that Sonic's the only person he trusts to keep it safe. Walters is the commander of G.U.N. -- surely he would trust a member of his team to hold onto the key, right? And if he doesn't, WHY? If you watched the Knuckles series then you know that there are indeed rogue members of G.U.N., but people watching the movie don't know that. Walters telling Sonic to keep the key safe from everyone suddenly puts Sonic on heightened alert and makes him believe he can't trust anyone, but we aren't given a reason why. Even if Walters simply had a line saying "I worry there's corruption in G.U.N." then I would have been satisfied.

3: Why is Team Sonic stealing the second key? Once the Team learns that there is a second key to the Eclipse Cannon and that the Robotniks are planning to steal it, they devise a heist to steal the second key themselves. Why? Walters didn't tell Sonic about a second key or tell him to retrieve the second key. Doesn't that mean Walters believes the safest place for the second key is where it's currently stored: at G.U.N. headquarters? Team Sonic knew Robotnik was en route, so the wisest option would have been to alert G.U.N. so they could heighten security and be on the lookout (which turns out, they already were). Again, all of this would make sense if Sonic was given an explicit reason to not trust G.U.N. and was specifically told to keep the keyS away from them, but at this point he went from trusting them to suddenly trying to take both keys from them. I loved the heist scenes and I don't want them removed, I feel they just need justification.

4: What is Director Rockwell's problem? It's clear that Rockwell is not a fan of Team Sonic (some people just can't trust aliens) but it seemed her character was going a certain direction and then just... stopped. After Walters is killed, the first thing she does is check his pocket for the key. Surely Walters would have known that Director Rockwell would have checked his pockets, especially since she was in Tokyo at the time of his death, again going back to my question of why he wouldn't trust her to retrieve the key instead of handing it over to Sonic? I was fully expecting a reveal of her being a rogue agent, especially because Team Sonic was still trying to take the second key even after the Robotniks had been thwarted. Think about it -- G.U.N. has stopped the Robotniks (and Team Sonic) from stealing the second key. That was the whole point, right? So why is Tom now trying to take the key FROM Rockwell? Isn't the key safely where it belongs and the Robotniks are supposedly in custody? So again, was there a reason Rockwell wasn't meant to be trusted, but we just don't know? I really felt like she was being set up to be a villain, but it led nowhere.

Now a lot of the elements I just addressed can be inferred and we can use context clues to guess, but I think it's the writers' job (especially in a family film) to make it clear why characters are making the choices/decisions they're making, at least by the time you reach the end of the movie. I know some stories are more ambiguous than others, but to me it felt like something was missing. I guess we'll see if there's anything hidden in deleted scenes.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As a whole, I absolutely loved this movie and I am so thankful it exists. I can't wait for Sonic 4 and I hope it receives just as much hype, love and attention that this movie did! If you read my entire review, thank you! I hope you enjoyed it, even if you didn't agree with all of it :)

[tevos]

9 books i plan to read in 2025, as tagged by @kittymannequin @kshaar @sarahlancashire 💕💕💕

1. The Turn of The Screw by Henry James - technically i have already read this one, but this was TOP of my list to read for this year so it deserves its spot. i first read this ten years ago while i was at uni and absolutely loved it, then the story got new meaning with mike flanagan’s adaptation. very understated, but very charming. there is nothing like that final line, for me, i think i've thought about it at least twice a day since i first read it. and it's always good to see the new year in with a cheeky haunting.

2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - because we’re apparently on a flanagan theme, but i’ve wanted to read this since watching his adaptation and i started it just the other night. i’m right at the very beginning, but i can already tell i’m going to love eleanor and theodora to pieces.

3. We Have Always Lived in The Castle by Shirley Jackson - i meant to pick this up last year but just never got around to it, and it’s since been recommended to me by two or three people, so it’s high priority (after a little break after hill house; i prefer not to read authors back to back unless it’s works from the same series). i’m really looking forward to this one! i loved shirley jackson’s sense of humour in The Sundial, her characters are so interesting and off the page, really excited to read more of her work this year.

4. Salt Slow by Julia Armfield - i’ve already read the first short story in this collection, and while it’s a very different feel to her novels, her voice is there. hoping this tides me over until her next release. (shaking, twitching, rattling the bars of my cage, etc.)

5. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix - leftover from last year and waiting in line on my bedside table to be picked up, i’m determined to get to this one quickly. i’ve read no more than the first sentence, which is hilarious, so i’ve high hopes and crossed fingers.

6. Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moira Fowley-Doyle - a more recent recommendation but i literally cannot stop thinking about the title it's haunting me. it's in my walls. really looking forward to seeing what this is all about.

7. I Await the Devil's Coming by Mary MacLane - she's been on my radar since reading Plain Bad Heroines, i meant to pick her up last year to see what she was all about, but i'm determined to get around to it in 2025. very intrigued.

8. The Upstairs House by Julia Fine - i can't remember where this one came from, i have a feeling it was a rec from somebody, but i'm really on a haunted house kick at the moment and this sounds about perfect. high high hopes for this one.

9. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore - definitely saw a goodreads friend reading this and pinched it for my to-read, but the synopsis sounds sooo fun and terrible. it automatically reminded me of On the Savage Side (and actually a bit of Sharp Objects too), whether there are any real similarities, but mysteries surrounded by teen girls and the woods are always right up my alley, so. :)

and tagging, but no pressure: @kpgimpactor, @butimnotasexyrussian, @lesbiangracehanson, @jmflowers, @robinyourcreator, @lizmitches, @xekstrin, @tahthetrickster, @vrylium but if you see this and you want to partake then i'm tagging you too and you must tag me in your post i'm so nosy!!

[meredith-harper81]

I’ve Always Loved You💔

He Broke Us ...💔

Chapter 2

Paring : Chris Evans x Lana Parker

Word Count: 3.5k

‼️More Chapters are uploaded on Wattpad.. link in my bio :)‼️

Lana Pov

Aria is babbling some baby nonsense while standing next to my legs as I'm locking up my front door. We are headed to the park to have a late lunch today. All of a sudden I have a feeling like someone is watching me, and I turn around and grab my chest, trying to calm my breathing as if it's just Steven.

"Steven, you scared me; don't ever do that again," I say, grabbing my chest and looking down towards Aria.

"Mommy is scward. Swtevn bad.." Aria babbles, and I can't help but smile. I take her little hand in mine, and my other hand grabs the picnic basket.

"Steven is bad, Aria," I say, picking her up and placing her on my hip, shooting Steven a wink.

"So Lana, you guys are headed to the park, I assume?" he says as he fiddles with his keys.

"Yes, we are; would you like to come along, Steven?" I asked him, already knowing his answer, and trusting my gut, I packed some extra sandwiches.

"Are you kidding me? I would love to," he says as he backs up to let us pass by.

Great, we will meet you there," I say, taking Aria's hand and waving back to Steven as he waves back.

I walk down the stairs of my apartment complex and walk towards my car. I put Aria in her car seat and kiss her little hands, and she giggles. I place our picnic basket next to her and walk around to the driver's side.

"Ready baby?" I ask her as I put my seat belt on and turn the AC on.

"Yeah, mommy," she says.

I smile and turn some music on. I play some Disney songs and pull out, driving towards the park.

Steven was our neighbor in the apartment complex I live in; he moved in when Aria was about seven months old and has been trying to take me out on a date since. I don't think I'm ready to date again, but he is good company and cares for Aria, and I like to think Aria likes him, so I friend-zoned him, but that doesn't stop him from trying.

Once we arrive at the park, I help Aria out of her car seat, he grabs her Mickey Mouse, and I grab the basket. While we wait for Steven, I apply some sunscreen to her arms and her adorable chubby face. After we see Steven pull in, we walk towards one of the play structures and sit down as we watch Aria play. After Aria is done playing on the playground and swings, we walk over to a shaded area.

This is a big park and has three sides. A huge dog park, a kid's park, and a hill where you could have a picnic and hang out with your families.

Okay, my sweet girl, here is your jelly sandwich, crackers, and apple juice," I say as I hand her some napkins and tuck them on under the overalls she's wearing, and we start eating. Steven and I fall back into a conversation about my next book release.

I'm a children's book writer (for the Lucky Dog series), and I stopped writing after having Aria, but recently something inspired me to start writing again. I'm almost finished and waiting to hear from my publishing company. I'm excited to start publishing again. It was the one thing that could shut me out of the real world and help me focus on having a little me time while Aria would nap.

..

Steven, could you please watch her as I throw away this trash? I say, getting up after we finished eating and Aria insisted on walking around to look at the little flowers around the park.

"Sure thing," he says, grabbing Aria and throwing her up in the sky as she giggles. I pick up everything and place it in the trash bag I brought with me.

"Okay, thank you; I'll be right back," I say, walking away from them. I'm walking towards our car, where I saw some trash cans earlier.

Surprisingly, today the park isn't too crowded, and there are only maybe five families out, which is shocking. I throw away my trash and walk back toward where I left them.

I walk over to Steven, who is sitting on a bench while he is talking on the phone, but I can't see Aria anywhere. I run towards him.

"Steven! Where is Aria? "I'm panicking, looking behind and around him, but I can't see her anywhere.

"Oh, yeah, she was right here looking at the flowers, I swear. I am so sorry," he says as he puts the phone down. He gets up and looks for her, calling her name.

"MOVE!" I yell at him as my blood is boiling and I'm getting scared. Maybe she was taken or ran towards the oncoming traffic... I ran back to where we had lunch.

My heart is panicking, and I'm about ready to cry when I can't see her anywhere.

"ARIA!!! ARIA!!!" I yelled, running around trying to find her.

Where are you, damn it. Aria? Please come back.

I run across the park while Steven runs to the other one, and I'm running around when I hear her giggling... I run faster, and I see her near a tree, under a dog, and a man kneeling near her.

"ARIA, OH MY GOD, ARIA!!!! I yell, running towards them, and I see the dog get up and be pulled again. I run closer, and the man on the ground gets up, and I freeze in the spot.

"NOO! It can't be. Chris! What is he doing here? Why is he here?" I mumble to myself.

I lock eyes with him, and he has the same look as me. I see Dodger, and he runs towards me, almost knocking me down. I push my emotions aside and run over to Aria to pick her up.

"Mommy lowk doggy," she says. I pick her up from Dodger as he licks my leg.

Aria is babbling, and I see her jeans are a little ripped, so I'm guessing she fell down.

I look back at Chris, and he was about to say something when Steven runs up and stands next to us, and before Chris can say anything, I speak up and stop him from saying anything.

"Thank you. Have a nice day, Mr.," I say and walk off with Steven.

"Bye bye, doggy. Mawa Iowe doggy," Aria says as I kiss her cheeks, walking off, not daring to look back.

I walk off, and the tears are falling down fast. Steven seems to notice, and he tries to take Aria from me, and I just hold her tighter. I walk over to my car and unlock it.

I buckle Aria in her car seat as she is babbling about Dodger and trying to tell Steven, and I kiss her head while handing her a cardboard book, and Mickey and I shut the door.

"I'm so sorry, Lana," Steven tries to say something, but I wipe my tears and tell him I will see him soon and talk later. I get in the car and drive off, pushing the emotions aside for Aria. I cannot break down right now.

...

I'm rocking Aria in her bedroom, putting her down for bed after I've given her a shower and cleaned up her cut, and my thoughts are all over the place.

What if he knows and is here to take her away from me?

Why is he back now?

Has he moved on?

After two years, why is he back?

"Mawa..." I hear Aria say, tucking on my shirt, taking me out of my thoughts as I rock her.

"Yes, baby..." I whisper.

"Twat was daddy, with doggie in pawk? Aria asks me, and my eyes are holding on to the tears, not allowing them to escape just yet.

"Yes, yes, baby.. daddy was in the park.. he is back from work.." I say this as I put her in her crib or toddler bed.

"When he comes to live with us..." Aria whispers as her eyes get heavy and her breathing slows down as she falls into a slumber.

I kiss her forehead, turn on the sound machine, grab the baby monitor, and walk out, leaving the door a little open.

...

I walk into the kitchen and grab some water and Tylenol, then walk into the living room and place the baby monitor on the coffee table.

After taking two Tylenols, I chug the water and break down in the living room. Why was he back in Boston, and why didn't Lisa say anything this afternoon when she came by?

I will not let him take my baby away. After all, he did. And the fact that the Dodgers recognized Aria breaks my heart. He always knew before I could even find out.

I met Chris when I used to volunteer at Miles Elementary School's clubs program. My first book series was coming out, and I would come out to the children's library and read my books to the after-school kids in clubs, where Chris walked into my life and stole my heart and made me feel like the luckiest woman alive until he fucked up and threw it all away, while taking my heart with him.

Flashback (2017)

"Carly, which one is he in again? I ask my sister.

"Chris is in room 2b next to the library; just walk in and you will see him." Okay, thanks. I think I can figure it out. Bye, Carly.

"Again, thank you, Chris," she says, and I can hear Stella and Ethan arguing about something in the background.

"Any time," I say, hanging up and getting out of my car.

I hang up the phone and walk into the school office. Carly had an appointment with the big kids, and I need to pick up Miles from after-school clubs. The lady in front has me sign in to a log sheet. She hands me a sticker to put on, and I back up and bump into someone. I hear a thump, and I look down, and I see all her things on the floor. "Oh my," she says in the sweetest voice.

"I'm so sorry," I say and help her up, picking up her folder and book. I get a good look at her, and she is just drop-dead gorgeous.

"It's okay," she says. Before I can say anything, she walks over behind the counter, grabs a patch, and walks by.

I shake my head and walk towards the door of the office to walk onto campus. I look for the library. I spot it on the other side of me, and I run over, and I see most parents inside lined up along the glass wall looking at other children. I walk into the room and see all the kids on the floor waiting quietly. Just then she walks in with a book and introduces herself as Miss. Parker. She starts to read her book, and I can't help but actually listen to the whole children's book.

After she finishes, I can't help but start clapping, breaking the silence, and all eyes are on me as if I needed that. I smile and fidget with my baseball cap and thank God for Miles as he and the other kids start to clap, breaking the awkward silence, and I just smile and kick my feet.

Miles is clapping on the floor with his kindergarten buddies, up to me with his copy of the book.

"Uncle Chwis," he says, catching everyone's attention yet again, and Miss. Parker smiles.

Everyone soon leaves the room as the kids go to grab their belongings from the gym, and I'm left alone with Miss. Parker.

"So Uncle Chwis, you crash all of Miles's afternoon clubs; am I just the lucky one today?" she says mockingly while she grabs her things and walks up to me.

Uh, no, actually, your voice is just so soothing, and I loved your book...and well, um, this is my first time crashing anything," I say, reaching behind my neck and rubbing my hair, and she just laughs.

"Well, thank you, and I'm honored," she says.

"Um, hi, my name is Chris," I say, reaching for her hands, which she takes and are so soft and smooth as she shakes my hand.

"Miss. Parker, nice to meet you, Chris," she says, smiling, and lets go of my hand.

"So, Miss. Parker, do you have a name?" I say I'm trying to shoot my shot, and I smile back at her, and I can see her cheeks brighten as she blushes.

"I do, Captain America, but you're going to have to excuse me; someone there is calling me. See you around," she says as she leaves me stunned, so she knows who I am. I walk out behind her, and Miles runs up to me, and I grab his backpack, leaning it over my shoulder. I grab his hand, and we walk out towards the parking lot over to my car. As we reach the car, I open his door, place his backpack down, and help him in. I see he is holding a copy of The Lucky Dog. I snatched it from him.

"Hey, twats mine," he says as I grab his little hand, shoo it away, and run my fingers through his hair.

"I know I'm just looking after it." I say, and I buckle Miles in and flip to the back of the book.

Ahhh "Alana Parker".

... A few days later

Chris ended up picking Miles up the next Monday in hopes of seeing Lana again, and to his luck, she was there in the library. He smiled and entered and sat through the whole reading again, and this time he tried to be more subtle than last week.

After Lana was done and the kids went to grab their belongings, Chris took the chance and walked over to Lana.

"So, Miss. Parker, or should I say Alana,"  you have a beautiful name? I'm walking up to her.

"Ahhh yes, Chris. Thank you. My grandparents named me," she says, and he hands me a signed copy of her book.

"So you don't come every Monday and can read at home now?" she snickers while handing me a brand-new copy of her book.

I smile and take it.

Chris ends up asking Lana on a date, and by the second date, he falls in love with her, and he falls hard.

End of Flashback

...

Lana pov

I cannot believe he is back. It's all a big shock to me.

Chris and I hit off pretty quickly after our first and second dates. Five months into dating, I moved in with Chris and put my apartment or home out to lease for someone. A year later, he had to go back to work to promote the last Avengers, and I stayed back in Boston to finish my last book for series one of The Lucky Dog.

We couldn't live without each other and would always call when we weren't working. After 6 months, he came back after the premiere of Endgame. I met his family and friends, and he met my grandparents, and I loved my life.

In late 2017, after just dating for a couple of months, Chris proposed, and I said yes. We told everyone the news in February 2018 that Chris was taking a break from acting, and we agreed to get married in 2019. We had a date and everything. Everyone was so happy for us.

That night it was one of Chris's friends, Tara's birthday, and I wasn't feeling to go, so Chris went to celebrate and I stayed home with Dodger. I hadn't been feeling well for two weeks at the time, and I had placed an Amazon order for some pregnancy tests that just happened to be delivered the same night.

I remember wasting no time and taking a test, and when it came back as pregnant, I jumped up and down. I was with Dodger when I found out, and he was nudging my leg when I found out he was barking along. He had been extra clingy and lying on my tummy the whole week, so that explained that.

I was in our bedroom at the time when I heard the front door open, and I hid the test in my back pocket. I wanted to surprise Chris in a cute way, but that went out the window when I heard his footsteps, and I wanted to tell him right away that he was about to become a dad. We would often daydream about having a little family of our own, and I couldn't believe it was happening.

As soon as Chris walked in the room, he was super drunk—more drunk than I've ever seen him—and he was so angry that night.

Flashback (2019)

"Dodger looks like Daddy is back. Let's surprise him with your little brother or sister. I coo to Dodger, and Dodger barks back. I get up from the ottoman in front of our bed.

I can hear Chris come up the stairs, and out of nowhere I hear glass breaking.

I run out of the room, and I see Chris standing on the stairs, pulling the picture frames of us from the walls and dropping them on the floor, breaking them.

Chris, what are you doing? I say as he stops and looks my way, He looks mad; he is super drunk and can barely walk in a straight line. He walks past me into the room, and I follow behind him as Dodger is behind me whining.

Chris walks over to the bed and falls down, and Dodger runs up to him. I'm still standing by the door, shocked at Chris's behavior. I've seen and been around him when he was drunk in the past, but he's always super cuddly and soft. I've never seen him this annoyed or angry. Dodger gets on the bed and starts to bark and lick his face, which leads Chris to jump up and take Dodger and walk him towards the door and push him outside, and he looks at the door and looks my way.

"Chris, you're scaring me? I say as he walks over.

"SHUT UP!" He yells and I jump. He's never screamed at me.

"Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris... do you ever shut up, Lana? You're so annoying and ugh," he spits out, walking towards me and taking my hand in his.

"Baby.. I-,"

"Don't call me that," he spits out.

I don't have the words for what's happening, and Dodger is barking outside the door.

Chris cages me in, takes my left hand, pulls my ring off, and waves it around in my face.

"You're the mistake, Lana," he slurs.

"GET OUT! I don't want you here," he says as he throws the ring somewhere in the room.

"Get out before you ruin my life." He screams and pushes me out of the room, locking it behind him, and I hear him throwing stuff around.

End of Flashback

I remember him pushing me out, and I stayed out all night long, crying for Chris to open the door, but he didn't. The next morning I woke up on the couch and looked around. It was quiet, and the time was 6:30 in the morning. I went to the gym to check on Chris, and when I didn't see him, I ran upstairs and into the bedroom, and to my surprise, he wasn't there. I thought he and Dodger went on a morning run until I went to use the bathroom and most of Chris's things were gone and so was Dodger, but there was a note on the bed.

Lana Parker

I can't do this; you are in the way between me and my career. I need to go back to LA and try to save my career after Captain America and land some films, and you are in the way. I realized I do not want the same things as you right now, so please leave and never contact me or my family again.

Chris Evans.

I cried and cried that day and remembered I was pregnant with his baby—our baby—baby Aria.

I left Chris's family alone, emptied out his house, and moved back into my old apartment. I ended up blocking everyone I knew of his I went to the doctor when my morning sickness started kicking in, and I found out I was at least 14 weeks pregnant. I was only 5 months old when my grandparents passed away. My only family left wasMy parents were both killed in a car accident, and my grandparents raised me. They were both very successful and had a lot of money left for me and my baby. Grandma eventually found out I was pregnant, and I lied to them and said Chris was away filming. I still regret not telling them the truth; it sometimes haunts me in my sleep. I sold some land they owned in Europe, and I and Aria are good for a lifetime.

When I was nine months pregnant, Lisa ran into me at the supermarket and found out I was pregnant with Chris's baby, and eventually, all the Evans found out. Now Lisa comes over every Friday for lunch or breakfast, and Aria meets her aunts and uncles for holidays, but now that Chris is back, I don't know anymore.

I gather myself off the floor and walk towards my bedroom and into the bathroom. I wash my face and get in the shower.

"You will not let him win Aria," I tell myself in the mirror as I dry my hair.

I walk into my bedroom, place the baby monitor on the nightstand, get into bed, and think of ways to explain to Aria now that her father is back and she's seen him.

[amaretigris]

Friction

Taglist: @luna2034 @hopeisrising @notagreekgal28 @mylittlemermaid221 @justagirlthatlovedtoread @freyagallileaevans @jonahmermaid23 @jonahhauer-kingg

༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄

Ch. 8 | 2.8k words | Angst

༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄

Marianna comes over the next day. Eric enjoys his time with her as he always does, but he thinks he sees images of (h/c) hair splayed across the pillow when he closes his eyes. He has to force them open several times to refocus on Marianna. Sure, she only serves as a distraction, but it feels disrespectful to imagine anyone else during their intimate moments. Although, Eric would be lying if he said he didn't see (e/c) eyes occasionally flash through his mind. What's wrong with him? After Eric rolls over to lay beside her, Marianna props her head up on her elbow to look at him.

"You're distracted lately."

Eric's eyes leave the ceiling, and settle on hers.

"Am I?"

She gives him a gentle smile. "Yes, more so than usual. Is something going on?"

Eric returns his gaze to the ceiling.

"No, not that I can think of."

Marianna is quiet for a minute. "You know you can tell me anything, right? Even if it's that you want to stop seeing me. We agreed on that at the start of this."

Eric presses the heels of his palms to his eyes. "I know. It's nothing like that. I'm not exactly sure what's going on with me to be quite honest."

"That's okay, too. You don't always have to know."

Marianna gently touches his arm. He drops his hands from his eyes, and looks back at her.

"What do you do on days when you really miss your husband?"

Marianna blanches, and for a moment Eric feels guilty. It seems his question just caught her off guard, however, because she quickly responds.

"I go to the beach. Oliver was like a fish in the water, and we went to the beach as often as we could. He also loved to collect seashells. I still have most of his collection. I couldn't bear to get rid of them. It makes me feel closer to him in a way."

Eric gives an understanding nod. Marianna looks at him sympathetically. "Do you still have trouble going out on the water?"

His lips tighten, and he tries to keep his eyes from watering. "It's not as bad as it used to be."

༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄

You're buzzing with excitement as you dress the next morning. Lashana stopped you after your shift yesterday to inform you that a new staff member would be arriving to the castle today. Apparently, she's a young woman around your age. You can't wait to meet her, and hopefully make a new friend. You check your neck. The scratches are healed enough for you to go without the bandages today, though you can still see the outline of a few. You powder the slightly discolored skin before running out of your room.

You busy yourself with morning chores until you hear the carriage entering the castle gate. Bounding from your post in the laundry room, you completely still in the doorway when you spot Eric with a woman in the hall. You step back out of view, peeking around to watch their interaction.

Eric has pants on, but his top half is uncovered. You would be more inclined to admire his physique if not for the beautiful woman standing before him. It's the woman you've seen coming to and from the castle many times before. Eric is obviously sleeping with her. You watch as he hugs her goodbye. He closes his eyes for a moment with his chin over her shoulder. The sight delivers an unexpected punch to your gut. She rubs his back for a second, whispering something to him. You watch her lips move, and desperately wish you could hear what was said.

Eric steps back from the hug. He lets the woman go, and nods as she leaves. He stares down the hallway after her. You think you should be happy for him. You know his pain, and his loneliness; and yet the scene makes your throat tighten. Maybe it's because Eric is the only one you've ever been truly authentic with. Yes, he's a pain in the ass, and he also happens to be royalty and your boss, but you can actually be yourself around him. You don't have to hide, despite the fact that he's your superior in every way. He gives you that freedom.

Eric looks down at his feet. You watch him carefully. His expression looks somber and longing, and you wonder if he loves that woman. From the way he looks at her, you would venture to guess that he does. You hear him sigh, and he turns back to his room, quietly shutting the door. Your heart pounds in your chest. You stand frozen for a moment as you deliberate your next course of action.

Your eyes study Eric's door. Can you sneak past without alerting him? You lick your lips in determination. You have to. If Eric sees you, you'd have to explain why you're so sullen and flustered. You don't think you can string together a coherent sentence in front of him right now with all these feelings jumbled in your head. Stepping out into the hallway quietly, you hold your breath as you tiptoe past Eric's room. You make it to the stairwell, and relief floods your nervous system. You hurry down to the first floor to take your mind off of the prince.

You approach the carriage right as the door opens. A lovely woman with brown hair and blue eyes steps out. You admire her purple dress. Lashana is standing in front of you, and she's the first to greet her.

"Good morning, Vanessa. We're so happy to have you."

You smile as the two women talk. When Lashana turns around, she introduces you.

"This is (Y/N). She's still pretty new here, but she's a wonderful employee. She's been very excited to meet you."

You smile, and hold out your hand for Vanessa to shake.

"Hi. I have been very excited to meet you. I hope we can become great friends."

Vanessa looks you up and down. "It's great to meet you."

She gives you a strained smile. She grabs your hand lightly, but doesn't actually give it much of a shake before withdrawing. It seems a little dismissive. You purse your lips. You turn from the women with disappointment etched on your face, and spot Eric stepping into the courtyard. Shit.

He has a shirt on now. The color drains from your face at the outrageousness of your thoughts and the memory of his bare chest. Eric approaches the three of you. You divert your eyes, hoping that he'll just ignore you and pass by. Instead, he stops to look at you.

"(Y/N), are you alright?"

Your head shoots up. "Hmm? Yes, just a little drained is all." You try to dismiss his attention, yet he stays.

"Your neck looks good. It's healing nicely."

You bring a hand up to your throat. You feel yourself blushing. Why? "Thank you."

"Ah, there he is," Lashana bursts your bubble. "This is Prince Eric. Sire, this is Vanessa."

Eric steps past you, and you turn to see Vanessa curtseying to him. She smiles brightly, and you realize that she is capable of manners. She definitely didn't do that for you.

"It's so good to meet you, Your Highness."

Eric gives her a polite smile in return.

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you as well. Let us know if you need any accommodations while you're here. We strive to make all our staff happy."

You realize that you're frowning. Your introduction to Eric wasn't nearly as cordial. Vanessa rises, plainly ogling the prince; it's like she's mentally undressing him. You wonder for a brief second if Eric would ever indulge her. You roll your eyes at that thought, and decide that you've seen enough. You quietly slip away to continue your work. Eric turns his head to see you leaving the courtyard.

༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄

Eric hugs Marianna goodbye. "Remember that you're not alone, Eric," she whispers to him.

He pulls back with a nod as she leaves. He stares after her. Why is it that even though many people have said that to him, he never feels it's true? He wishes he could believe it. Eric drops his gaze to the floor. Marianna shares his grief, and knows him to an extent - but she doesn't know all of him. He wonders if anyone ever will.

Eric returns to his room. He puts a shirt on, and sits on the end of his bed. He runs a hand through his hair. Of all the privileges and happiness he's been given in this life, despair has been their equal. He often wishes he could run or hide from it, but it always finds him. It serves as a constant reminder of what he's lost.

The sound of a horse drawn carriage outside pulls Eric from his thoughts. He blinks, and leaves his bed to look out his window. He vaguely remembers Grimsby and Lashana telling him that a new staff member would be arriving to the castle today. That's when he sees you excitedly run up to the carriage. Your pretty hair bounces with each step. Eric notices that your neck is exposed today. He turns from his window, yanking a vest off his dresser. He hurries down the hall to join the welcoming crew.

When he meets your (e/c) eyes in the courtyard, you avert them, as if you know that they'd flashed through his mind earlier. While Eric reasons that that's entirely impossible, your expression still deflates him a little. Are you really that discontented to see him? It would seem so as you pale the closer he gets. He addresses you anyway. He makes sure to mention that your neck looks better, but his wording stands to improve. He thinks he detects a slight blush on your features before Lashana pulls him from the interaction.

Eric reluctantly moves past you to greet the newcomer, though he can already tell that she's going to be an instigator. She curtseys before him, and bats her eyelashes. She speaks in a honey sweet tone. Others might find it alluring, but it has the opposite effect on the prince. This woman has only just arrived, and she's apparently decided that she's captivated with him. The thought of being inappropriate with staff unsettles him. He thinks he could never be so improper, but he's not exactly been the picture perfect prince that he should be.

Eric reasons that there are exceptions to any rule. He's suddenly reminded of your presence in the audience to this performance. He turns to gauge your reaction, but only catches sight of you slinking up the steps to the kitchen. Disappointment etches his brow. He returns to the conversation only to excuse his quick departure. Eric sighs, unbuttoning his vest as he trudges up the stairs. He retires to his room for the night, locking the door behind him.

༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄

Over the course of the next week, you repeatedly attempt to connect with Vanessa. You try to give her the benefit of the doubt, reasoning that maybe she was just taken with the prince upon her arrival. Each interaction you have with her, however, only makes you more positive that this is not the case. Her intentions seem less than decent. Vanessa seems to want to ensnare him, in fact.

"Good morning," you speak to her almost daily as you enter the kitchen.

Vanessa usually looks up at you, but makes no effort to reply. You pout for days. She doesn't seem to want to talk to you at all unless it's to ask about Eric.

"What's his schedule like? Where can I find him? What's his favorite food?"

These are all questions that she's thrown your way. You often shrug and give her non-committal answers. You almost inform her of his ongoing relationship, but you realize that you'd rather see her genuine reaction to that when she discovers it herself. It might be mean-spirited, but the woman has made no effort to be kind to you. One afternoon, you enter the kitchen, and find Vanessa there. She turns to you as you enter.

"What is the prince's favorite tea?"

You smile at the question.

"He likes chamomile," you lie, "and he likes it served boiling hot."

Vanessa turns to the stove in a hurry to prep a fresh pot of chamomile tea. You try to contain your smile as you head up to the laundry room. By the time Vanessa bounces up the stairs with it, you peek around the doorway. She knocks on the prince's door, and waits there with an excited expression. Eric's door swings open. He stands there with wild hair and tired eyes.

"Good morning, Your Highness," she bows. She holds the tray up. "I brought you your favorite tea."

"What is it?" He looks at her doubtfully.

"Chamomile," she smiles. "Hot and fresh out the kettle."

Eric scrubs a hand down his face. You almost feel guilty because it seems she woke him up.

"Thanks. You can leave it in the hall."

Vanessa quirks a brow, but attempts to bend over as seductively as possible to set the tray down at his feet. Eric turns, and all but slams the door in her face. You stifle a laugh behind your hand, and duck back into the laundry room. You hear Vanessa heave a frustrated sigh. You busy yourself pressing the linens. You listen as her footsteps retreat down the other end of the hall.

A couple hours later, you quietly walk past Eric's room. You smile at the abandoned tray in the hall, but realize that you should, in fact, pick it up. You bend over to do so as the door opens. Eric steps out, and your back straightens.

"Oh, uh, good morning, si-." At his raised brow, you correct yourself. "Eric. Good morning, Eric."

He releases a breath, putting his hands on his hips with a puzzled look.

"Good morning," he answers. "Have you any idea why Vanessa brought me the one tea I despise in the world so early this morning?"

You crack a smile, biting your lip to contain a laugh. Eric's eyes follow the motion.

"It seems she's trying to impress you," you shrug.

You bend back over to pick up the tray. When you stand up, you find Eric's eyes still trained on you.

"Yes, that's very evident," he continues. "I don't understand why she's so determined."

You shrug again. "I'm not sure," you answer honestly. "I've yet to inform her about your relationship though. She hasn't given me much opportunity." That part may not be entirely true. "After she's aware of that, hopefully she'll stop."

Eric gazes at you quizzically. "My relationship?"

You swallow, and your eyes bounce around the hall. You really don't want to discuss this with him. It was a mistake to mention it.

"Uh, yes. The woman that comes to visit you."

That's all you care to say. For some reason, you're not entirely comfortable admitting how beautiful she is in front of Eric. Perhaps because you know he'll agree.

Eric shakes his head. "That's Marianna, and we're not in a relationship."

You pinch your brow. "Oh, I thought that-"

You realize yourself, and snap your lips shut. No way were you about to relive hearing them together; and no way were you about to say that to the prince himself.

Eric's eyes widen with realization. He suddenly looks guilty. "Damn, that's right. You heard us that time."

He ruffles his hair, releasing a breath.

"I am still sorry about that," he grimaces, and licks his lips.

"Marianna and I are not committed to each other. We only...," he searches for the right word. "We only comfort each other."

Eric grimaces again, obviously not liking the sound of that.

"She lost her husband right before I lost my dad," he hurries to explain.

You shuffle your feet, anxious to leave this conversation.

"I'm sorry to hear that," you reply. "It's really none of my business, though. I apologize for bringing it up."

You bow your head, and walk away as fast as your feet will carry you. You glide downstairs to dump the tray of tea in the sink. You wash the dishes, and turn to dry your hands. Vanessa yanks the towel off the kitchen island before you can grab it. Your heated glare turns to her.

"What did you do that for?"

"You made me look stupid in front of Eric." Vanessa's hand gripping the towel is on her hip.

"Are you trying to steal him? I saw you talking in the hallway when I came to check if the tea was gone."

You roll your eyes, wiping your hands on your apron.

"Please, I'd be the last one to try to steal him from you if he was even yours."

You shoulder past her. You can't stand to talk about the prince any longer, much less think about him.

[echowithpain]

FIRST THINGS FIRST!!!!

-2 points for how much Tonsillitis was in the episode 🤮

It was gonna be one point, but he just kept popping up, and even when I thought we'd get a break from him, NOPE he's back in the next scene 😮‍💨

And you know that those fans were happy, but I'm not one of those fans. Quite the opposite actually. So much so that it kept taking away from my enjoyment of the episode, and I enjoyed this episode quite a lot actually. So yeah, -2 points.

Other than that, I fucking LOVED this episode 🤩💖🤩💖🤩💖🤩💖🤩💖🤩

The Wilson's and the Buckley-Han's dressing like Wizard Of Oz characters 😍😍😍, the firehouse being a haunted house✨🤩✨, Bobby being a goofy CAP Dracula 😂🧛😂, Eddie being a Wolf Man that NO ONE was scared of 😂🐺😂, Buck realizing the "fake" dummy was actually a corpse and possibly traumatizing multiple children for life while ALSO getting cursed 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣, the very real drama of Karen being upset that Hen was missing out on parts of their kids growing up (that thankfully they were able to talk about in this episode instead of dragging it out) 🥺🥺🥺, Athena trying to be hip with the kids 😂😂😂, the two girls who weren't paying attention in the CARE class finally getting some sense knocked into them 👏👏👏

Also the incredible build up of Chim recognizing Jee-Yun when she ran over to him excited, seeing Mara with her, realizing they went trick or treating together with Karen and Denny, not seeing Karen OR Denny with them, to Hen noticing Karen is on the scene of the accident but doesn't look hurt, to freaking the fuck out when she realizes Denny is the one pinned by the car!!!! *Chef's Kiss* *Chef's Kiss* *Chef's Kiss* *Chef's Kiss* *Chef's Kiss*

(though I will say I don't like how the promo spoiled it being Denny. I mean the whole thing was still amazing don't get me wrong, but I feel like it would've hit harder if we didn't know beforehand and were making assumptions that would just so happen to be correct. But again, that's a promo thing not an episode thing)

Also finding out that Denny pushed Mara out of the way and saved her life 🥺💖🥺💖🥺💖🥺💖🥺💖🥺 And I even like how the show had Chim bring up the fact that you're not supposed to work on people who you're close with, ie Hen trying to save her son's life, and they gave us the excuse for why they were doing it with Bobby saying "You wanna be the one to pull her away from him?" That's 👏 How 👏 You 👏 Fucking 👏 Do 👏 It 👏

Ugh, this episode was so fucking good. I had so much fun watching it, and it felt like I hadn't had that much fun in a long time with this show. I can't really remember but I don't think we had any "fun" episodes last season. We've had episodes with fun moments, but no true "fun" episodes like the Ocean's 9-1-1 episode, or the Treasure Hunt episode, or the Karma episode (minus the cheating storyline), or the Jinx episode, so honestly this was a VERY welcome and pleasant surprise 💖💖💖

.

.

.

Is that it? I think that's it 🥰 so yeah!

Episode Rating: 🎃8/10🎃

I was thinking about taking off at least a half point for the dad who got the pumpkin stuck on his head cause why not cut it off and why not fully empty it before putting it on, but decided not to cause they did end up cutting it off, and having the pumpkin guts falling around his neck might've been part of the thing he did with his kids, idk. So that gets a pass ✨

The only problem I had with this episode was Temu, and if that's it then it was a damn good episode. Can't wait to see what's next!!! See y'all next week 😘✌️✨

[aro-culture-is]

Romance repulsed aro culture is watching a movie and getting invested in a cute friendship between the male and female main characters with banter, and dancing, and really sweet moments!

Then getting hit in the face with ye olde "ahhh noo I'm a guy who has fallen for my female best friendddd" subplot comlplete with a friendzone joke y'know, because men and women can't actually stay just friends without inevitably developing attraction for each other. /s

But you keep watching anyway because the rest of the movie is good, like, really enjoyable and pretty well written! But the romance subplot keeps rearing its ugly head, and my gosh, is it ugly..

And the confession scene happens after so few pining moments on the girl's side, making you wonder if the "I love you" was platonic because the guy never outright told her he had feelings for her besides like a throwaway line of like "why do I care about you the most in the world" or something after their fight.

There's one moment at the end where they're holding hands and lovingly smiling at each other and it's really cute but again you're left wondering "so are they together or not???"

So you wait a year or so after the next movie is announced, excited to see it anyway regardless of your romance repulsion because bright colors, adorable designs, pretty okay writing! You watch the series in the meantime, and read some books, finding them super cute together as best friends.

And then the day comes, the synopsis is released, you're so hyped to learn what the movie is because you adore the franchise! And then you're punched in the gut with confirmation that yes, they are indeed dating now, and there was.. "relentless flirting"..?

So, um, moral of the story. To quote our queen Avril Lavigne- If he's a boy, and she's a girl, they won't make it anymore obvious. And if you're like me you're going to fall for it.

EVERY. DAMN. TIME.

[TLDR: Romance repulsed aro culture is asking yourself why you keep falling for the m/f friendship every time knowing damn well heteronormativity exists]

.

[gyllenhaalstories]

i loved your thoughts on presumed innocence and i share all of the same sentiments!!! i also loved your recent rusty fic as well 🤭 it was such a hard watch for me because i despise cheaters with a passion but i had to calm myself down after the first two episodes and your fic smoothed things over in my brain lol. i also had some thoughts i wanted to share if that’s ok!! as hot as jake was seeing all those sex scenes pissed me off so bad 😭 like justice for barbra seriously she’s stronger than me. seeing rusty cry was low key satisfying i won’t lie and YES carolyn is sooo shady like tampering with evidence or whatever tf she did….

anyways sorry for coming into ur inbox with this lol i just had so many thoughts and no one else who was excited about this to talk to. i hope you didn’t mind <33

hiiii! good job on reading through me just screaming into the void! in my defence, rusty. yeah, everything is rusty's fault �� thank you so much!!! i'm so happy you liked it! oof yeah, i can imagine it was ROUGH. i hate cheating but........ but...... he's so pathetic. i can't fix him, there's no fixing him. there's only making him worse. i'm super glad the fic helped a bit, i'm sorry he's still cheating.

of course it's okay to share your thoughts! don't be sorry at all and feel free to come back and share as many thoughts as you want. i'm here to listen, so hey now you have me to be as excited as you about about the show! 💖 we stan barbara in this house (even if i'm still convinced she did it). i love her. rusty can't take care of her but i will! i will make her feel so loved and important and appreciated and i will not cheat! oh yeah, carolyn is shadyyy. i just... yeah, i'm so suspicious. "she's a compartmentalized person" no she is CREEPY. i don't like her. rusty is too dumb to know she is way too good to be true. i'm so curious to know more about her in the next episodes, i hope my gut feeling is right and that she is one questionable person! 🤨 i can't believe we have to wait a whole week between episodes. jake didn't get us used to such a torture! thank you for stopping by, anon!

[brandogenius]

eating up the content as per usual ‼️👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 i'm so excited ur getting into muna i got into them a few months ago and they're just so chaotic and funny, id say another way to get good insight in their personalities and speech patterns and whatnot is by listening to gayotic (their podcast!) i literally listen to gayotic to fall asleep sometimes LMFAOAO

okay now time for my thoughts on more barista!reader x jb:

question, what do you think the drink actually is that jb orders? like, in my opinion, i feel like its just one of those really popular sweet ice coffees that most people like but its bc they don't actually like coffee and julien is like about to eat a spoonful of salt to cut the sweetness bc how dare she not drink every drop of this ice coffee her pretty gorgeous cool amazing barista girl crush made for her

THE ANGST i love, that's so something that i would do ngl, i can imagine julien being like gutted that reader would think they were coming off weird and stopped doodling on her cup and reader like blushing and smiling at her reaction

speaking of angst can you imagine the dramatics of when reader finds out that jb doesn't actually like her order...in my mind it's not even something reader loves it's just popular and they overhears phoebe or lucy with julien making fun of her getting a drink she doesn't even like and reader doesn't mention it until like a week later because they've been analyzing jb getting her drink

im picturing julien coming in and being like "same as usual ☺️" and reader is like "are you sure?" and julien is confused like "uhh yeah i always get that wdym hahah" and reader explains what she overheard and julien is internally panicking like 'okay this is it she found out and she's gonna hate me and think im a pathological liar'

omg what if from then on reader makes her something new EVERY time until jb finds something that she really likes

julien coming in during a rush and reader frantically ranting to her about how stressed they are but julien is sitting there listening to them like this 😍 and reader can't help but notice and then they're like "sorry i didn't mean to ramble on like that..." and all embarrassed

one last thought, julien coming in and getting her drink but then sitting on the couch or window seat and reading a book or doing work on her laptop and reader is checking on her every 0.5 seconds and they keep making accidental eye contact and smiling but neither will actually talk to each other (classic wlw yearning from afar)

OKAY rant over 😊😊

-🪷

tysm :D i’m definitely getting into muna!! funny enough i’ve gotten a few asks but i’m waiting to get more into them before i write them up!!

i’ve been watching their gayotic podcasts, i started by watching lucy’s then julien’s and lemme tell you i love it. i’m someone who loves to take note of speech patterns and how people word things so it was interesting to learn more about them individually

as for barista! reader

hmmm. i feel like jb isn’t someone to order overly sweet things. like say fraps or something. black coffee or something 😭 a little bit of sugar like maybe a teaspoon is fine but overly sickening sweet nooo. she takes it though and doesn’t complain because at the end of the day reader made it and there was cute doodles on it and she doesn’t want to be like “aha hey… so i don’t actually like this”

she either chugs it down or splits it in half with one of the boys so she has less to drink. she wouldn’t put your hard work down the drain

reader finding out jb doesn’t even like the orders they make and they are like “YOU COULDVE TOLD ME”AND JBS LJKE “that’s true”

omg reader handing jb a new cup everydsy like “so this is peach ice tea” and the next day it’s like “so this is matcha tea” and maybe julien’s just extremely picky on her drinks but she’s yet to find something she likes

reader literally watching julien sit down and write lyrics or type away at her laptop and they make eye contact every so often but both are too scared to say anything so queue reader coming over with a slice of chocolate cake like “here you go” and jbs like “oh i didn’t offer it” and readers like “it’s on the house” and jbs like “oh.. thank you-“ and you stick your hand out like “i’m [name]” and she’s like “julien. i can’t believe we didn’t ask for each others names yet”

[tomatoteddy]

Thoughts while watching Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure Episode 18:

Cure Butterfly debut let's gooo!!!!! Spoilers ahead, but thought I would chronicle my thoughts here as I'm watching it on my tablet!!

btw I just finished my exams this is the best way to celebrate it perhaps

NEW SUMMER OUTFITS!? I LOVE THEIR OUTFITS SO MUCH MAN MASHIRO AND AGEHA LOOK SO CUTE!!!!

Seeing how small these kids are reminds me of what small I used to be oh my god

"I'm not a Precure" *stares at the episode title skeptically*

Tsubasa enforcing the fact that things could get dangerous if their identities are revealed meanwhile Sky and Prism reveal themselves to an old lady to help her get to the airport (no shade tho love that episode)

Also him trying to be serious while in bird form <3

Also his little orange v-neck sweater is so cute need me one of those for the trans vibes

Also also love Ageha's bouncy and excited animation hope they hold that up for her transformation

Love that Ageha gets to stay over with them! Pretty Cure sleepover!!

Love that little dance Ageha does with the girls.

Takeru, punching your classmates for cutting in line isn't the same thing as punching sentient robot magic beings that can kill and might destroy the universe

Ageha I love you I love you I love you so much allfhkrbekhskfbn (⁠●⁠♡⁠∀⁠♡⁠)

Tsubasa I know you want Elle to see what's happening but it's gonna be pretty obvious if you're holding a purple-nette baby above your head

BATTAMONDA NOT THE ELEPHANT WATERING CANS NOOOOOOO

Also just saying Butterfly joining the team means we'll have a new eyecatch and opening!! So excited!!

Battamonda is such a pathetic loser (/both affectionate and hostile)

Also also I can't wait for them to add her to the pose screen of the transformation

YOU LEFT THE BABY BEHIND!?!? YOU LEFT THE INTERGALATIC SKY PRINCESS WHO'S CURRENTLY BEING CHASED BY MONSTERS BEHIND!?!?!?!?!?!!

"I don't like picking on weaklings, but I will" Me when I tease my little sister

NOT THE DARK BLAST OF ENERY NOOOOOOOO

"Now you're birds in a cage-" Shut up you fucking grasshopper I could literally kill you with a shoe

He is such a sore loser you're a full grown adult (assumedly) beating up teenagers for a living

I miss Kabaton btw

I love you Ageha 🦋🩷💖

Go run girl!!!!!

Battamonda's shocked face when his Ranborg faints from a girl running around it <3

Also also I really love her ponytail (it must be annoying for me to point out every little detail but this is what happens when I hyperfixate on stuff)

True true- nursery school teachers really do have guts, especially if they willingly agree to just be around children all the time. Can't imagine it's easy, I was a bit of a rascal as a kid I would know

Takeru finding connections between Wing and Ageha just strengthens my "Tsubasa and Ageha are siblings" heart

Tsubasa enforcing the fact that things could get dangerous if their identities are revealed meanwhile Ageha transforms in front of a child

IT'S ALMOST TIME LET'S GET EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also the lesbian colours on that Sky Tone do not go unnoticed

CURE BUTTERFLY TRANSFORMATION LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My thoughts on her transformation it's like- it's so different but in a good way from the others?? It's not as fluid as Sky's or Wing's or as strangely stiff as Prism's. It's like jittery and energetic in her own unique way? Like obviously her hop step jump screens don't like pan out like Sky and Wing's, they're more like Prism's. But I feel like the absolute energeticness of the transformation makes up for it?????? Also can I just say I love all the butterfly shapes in her transformation, gives me early 2000's Barbie movies vibes.

ngl kinda dissappointed the sky in her pose scene isn't pink or purple like how wing's is orange and prism's has a rainbow, but I'll give it a pass since I'm a simple fan who just really wants Ageha content

I'm really here for Battamonda and Cure Butterfly bug rivalry 🦋🦗 fight fight fight fight

We really doing the Coral X-Shield now but with the butterfly let's gooooo!!

SHE JUST EXPLODED AN ELEPHANT WITH A KISS AKFHDOBSNHAGAKNAVOAGDNRBGIDH

Her stealing an entire building blanket (is that what they're called) while Battamonda is standing on it

SHE STRAIGHT UP NAPPY WRAPS THE ELEPHANT DKSHDKFHKDIJEN

Love that literally she gets to crush the enemy to purification 💖💖 Closest thing we'll get to her hitting someone with a bat me-thinks

My feet are going staticky right now wtf I don't wanna get up though

Yesss giiirllll go threaten the twink stick-ass bugman 💖💖

Takeru being a Cure Wing and Cure Butterfly fan just strengthens my "Tsubasa and Ageha are siblings" heart

throwback to her debut ep where she jumps onto Sora at the door + Sora somehow carrying an entire eighteen year old woman carrying a suitcase on her back (what sort of training do they do in Skyland???? I'm older than Sora by a year and I'm weak as hell!!)

YAYYYYY PRETTY CURE SLEEPOVER!!!!!!!

Also can I just say her hair looks so tasty?????? Like the yellow looks so appealing???

AGEHA AND TSUBASA GET THEIR OWN DUO ATTACK NEXT EPISODE I'M SO FUCKING EZCITED DKSJKABDOSGWBBWOZHXB

Overall, I really loved this episode!! I'm usually not one for making reviews as my thoughts usually add up to "omg magical girls!! Skehoeishaohjeidohagjajh" but they really did my girl Butterfly justice!!

[veefuls]

2024-04-05 16:40

I have for almost 3 weeks been putting off finishing my English assignment for no real reason, I'm just for some reason not doing it. It's easter break so it can wait.

I've been meaning to watch "Tell Me That You Love Me" which is a South Korean remake of the Japanese show "Say That You Love Me". I made it through about 2 and a half episodes, but it started buffering and I couldn't bother reconnecting to the internet so, that's where I've ended up. I usually don't really enjoy shows about adults adulting, but this one seems good and emotionally loaded to the point where I'm partaking in it.

I have literally nothing scheduled for a while, but I'm excited for Japan's GP on Sunday. Will have to wake up at 7 in the morning, but it's fine I guess...

ALSO on Monday next week "선재 업고 뒤어" (Lovely Runner is the English title I think they've settled on) is premiering the first episode and I'm stoked. It's based on a WebToon that I would like to read, but I'm saving it for afterward to spare myself from any dissapointment while watching the show. Byeon Wooseok is in it (damaged Russian-Korean drug smuggler CEO in Strong Girl Nam-soon (shit show btw)) and my bff Kim Hyeyoon (of Extraordinary You fame). They have a 30 cm height difference though... for some reason Hyeyoon is always casted with guys five times her height. Anyway it's about this girl whose favorite singer dies, she goes back in time and has to find a way to reroute his path. Seems promising, will be watching because my favorite actors are in it lol.

Speaking of Byeon Wooseok, he has caused me grave emotional distress due to that gut wrenching movie "Soulmate" from 2023. You know, I was genuinely excited as he was getting more work after 20th Century Girl, but the actual heartbreak Soulmate caused me is unexplainable. I think about it all the time, anyway never ask me to watch a movie about two girls being friends I can't take it. I will not ever discuss 20th Century Girl so don't even bring it up.

On the 11th, the second season of Heartbreak High is coming out. I don't honestly know what I thought about the first season, it was too messy and not messy enough at the same time. Will be tuning in for this season though!

I've been thinking that I need to buy stuff. I've become too stingy. I put stuff in my cart and leave it there until it's gone out of stock. It's horrible I need to spend money. Either a vinyl or like an album of sorts, maybe a pair of jeans idk. RIIZE aren't releasing a physical album until June I think, so I have nothing to do on that front. Might check out Beyoncé's vinyls though...

Anyway, to wrap up, I'd like to recommend "Better Days" (2019), one of my favorite movies ever. I've watched it so many times, and each time I finish it I've learned something new. Music wise... Hikaru Utada's One Last Kiss. No reason just good song :) Will be having Chinese food for dinner.

Take care~~

[golden--doodler]

I SAW ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE.

This is my official warning for extreme spoilers because I want to give my full, uncensored thoughts.

However, before getting into all of that, I wanted to say beforehand that this movie is a part one. It ends in a cliffhanger which caught me completely off-guard, and I just want to tell people who haven't seen it yet that this is only the beginning of this particular story. If anyone wants to watch this movie at home when it comes out on video/streaming and just catch the conclusion in theaters (or at least I hope it's the conclusion) because that would be more satisfying to them, I want them to have that ability, and be aware of this.

Okay, now getting into the actual movie, oh my god it was freaking incredible 🥳. I want this movie's art style more than anything. Somehow they improved upon the magnificent, ground-breaking animation style of the first, and made it even better! Gwen's universe has this super cool, almost painterly art style (which is the best way I can describe it) and everyone moves in such a fluid, distinct way.

And speaking of Gwen, I love how the movie opens with her and briefly shows what her relationship was like with her dad and Peter. It makes it all the more sadder knowing what Peter's inevitable fate is. However, the moment Gwen reveals herself as Spider-Woman to her dad is even sadder because despite everything, he's still afraid of her and everything that's happened, and it's absolutely gut-wrenching. I really want to give the girl a hug.

Not only that, but the fact that they used a joke that wasn't even originally going to be in the first movie (the whole bagel joke was just something made off-the-cuff that ended up making it into the final cut because it made everyone laugh so much) and turned the person that said joke happened to into a genuinely tragic character and menacing supervillain is nothing short of massively impressive. I adore the villain in this movie because of how genuinely terrifying he ends up being after being shown in the beginning to seem like just another sad bank robber. By the way, that entire scene is freaking hilarious. And the way that his entire life was "ruined" by Miles and the reactor, so he in turn wants to ruin Miles' life, is so awful, yet one can definitely understand where he's coming from. I can't wait to see what they do with him in part two, and what that final battle's going to be like.

I love how they reintroduced Peter B. Parker, and they gave him a daughter who is the cutest little girl, oh my gosh. The way he's such a proud, excited dad, showing off photos of her on his phone, is the most wholesome thing ever. And his whole heart-to-heart with Miles was really sweet, too. I can't believe meeting Miles is what caused him to want to actually be a father after originally divorcing MJ because he was too afraid to be one 🥺

Miguel is also an interesting character, and this exchange was fascinating:

Gwen: We're supposed to be the good guys!

Miguel: We are the good guys.

I don't want him to become a villain, exactly, but it's clear he's misguided, and I'm sure he'll continue making rash decisions and hunting down Miles in part two. I think his reasoning for wanting to sacrifice one person to save a ton more gave me Infinity War vibes and I'm wondering what they'll do with him next.

Oh yes, and I loved Pavitr Prabhakar, the Indian Spider-Man variant. He was effortlessly talented and also just a genuinely nice guy. I always love it when effortlessly talented people are also genuinely nice. They could've made him a jerk so easily, but they didn't, and I appreciate that.

I also want to praise this movie for the fact that it gave Miles' mother more to do. I adore her speech to Miles about wanting what's best for him, and that there will be people in the future who don't believe in him like his parents do, so he needs to look out for himself and "that little boy". She's such a fun character and a wonderful mother.

This is usually the spot where I'd put any criticisms, but honestly, the only thing I could really say in that regard is because it's a part one, there is definitely a lot of setup. But all in all, I think it's great even on its own, and it leaves you wanting more.

Okay, okay, and the ending. I can't believe a variant of Miles is the Prowler, and I have no idea what that means for the next movie, but I'm so intrigued to find out. God, they really got me, hook, line, and sinker.

There's a lot more I could say about this movie, and I might make another post to add more thoughts that I forgot to add here, but I cannot emphasize enough or put into enough words how much I love it. If you don't mind cliffhangers, go see it in theaters to support it.

[anotherwvba]

An Origin Story pt. 7

Gabby Jay led the group of new and prospective fighters into the WVBA Boxing Academy Gym, the last stop on their tour. The gym was a sprawling, state-of-the-art facility, buzzing with activity. Fighters and trainees were everywhere, some practicing their craft in hopes of getting signed one day, others preparing for their next bouts.

"Mes amis, this is where the magic happens," Gabby Jay announced, his voice tinged with a thick French accent. "Here, you'll find everything you need to become the next WVBA champion."

Mika and Skye, who had become fast friends during the orientation, looked around in awe. "This place is incredible," Mika whispered to Skye.

"I know, right? It's like a boxer's dream come true," Skye replied, her eyes wide with excitement.

Gabby Jay led them through the different sections of the gym, showcasing the strength training area, the cardio machines, the boxing bags, and the eight rings designated for classes and sparring. "I look forward to seeing you all at 6 am in the cafeteria for breakfast. Make yourselves at home, and welcome to the WVBA," Gabby concluded, dismissing the group.

Mika's eyes caught sight of Niki Binary in one of the rings, shadowboxing under the watchful eye of her coach, Von Kaiser. "Come on, Skye, let's go say hi," Mika said, grabbing Skye's arm and leading her toward the ring.

Von Kaiser was intently focused on Niki, his thick German accent filling the air. "Gut, Niki, focus on your footwork. Remember, a strong foundation is key. Wenig Stahl, show me what you've got."

Niki moved gracefully around the ring, her feet gliding over the canvas as she threw a series of jabs and hooks into the air. Her concentration was palpable.

"Hey, Niki!" Mika called up to her.

Niki looked over and nodded, finishing her drill with a swift one-two combo. "Alright, let's take a quick break," Von Kaiser announced.

Niki jogged over to the ropes and sat down, her eyes meeting Mika's. "Hey, Mika! How's orientation going?"

"Great! Oh, this is Skye. We're roommates at the Campus Lodge," Mika introduced.

Niki extended her glove to fist-bump Skye. "Nice to meet you, Skye."

"Wow, you're Niki Binary, right? I saw your fight with Cutie a couple of days ago. You were amazing," Skye exclaimed.

"Thanks, it was a tough fight. So, how's orientation treating you both?" Niki asked.

Mika and Skye launched into a detailed account of their day, from the physicals to the tour of the campus. "The facilities are amazing, and the people seem really nice," Mika said.

"Yeah, and the gym is like something out of a movie. I can't wait to start training," Skye added.

Just then, Glass Joe approached, dressed in his workout gear. "Pardon, mesdemoiselles, but may I have a moment with Niki?"

"Of course, what's up, Joe?" Niki responded.

"My sparring partner couldn't make it today. Would you be able to help me out?" Glass Joe asked.

"I'd love to, but I'm training with Von Kaiser for the rest of the afternoon and sparring with Cutie later," Niki explained.

"We can spar with you!" Mika and Skye blurted out in unison, then looked at each other and laughed.

Niki chuckled. "Joe, meet Mika and Skye. They're here for orientation."

"Ah, bonjour, mesdemoiselles," Glass Joe greeted, his French accent lending charm to his words.

"Hi, Glass Joe! We're really excited to be here," Skye said.

"Yeah, we can't wait to start training," Mika added.

Glass Joe looked thoughtful. "Normally, we don't allow sparring with new boxers during orientation."

Both girls' faces fell, disappointment clouding their eyes.

"But," Glass Joe continued, "I'll go ask Hoy if we can make an exception."

Mika and Skye's faces lit up again. "That would be awesome," Mika said.

"Yeah, really awesome," Skye echoed.

Glass Joe nodded and headed off to find Hoy, leaving Mika, Skye, and Niki excitedly chatting about the possibilities that lay ahead. The WVBA was proving to be everything they'd hoped for, and they couldn't wait to dive in.

[foreverrandomwritings]

@laracrofted started a rockin awesome Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) tag game!💜✨

Thank you @sylviebell and @wkndwlff for the tag in this amazing game. Sorry it’s taken me so long to complete it. Adhd is so fucking fun yay! Okay now let’s get started💜✨

Claim a speak now (Taylor’s Version) song for your fic pairings💜✨

Tagging: Anyone that would like to participate💜✨

Enchanted- Natasha "Phoenix" Trace and Controversially Young Girlfriend

They were both so unbelievably unequivocally enchanted with each other the first time they met. They both walked out of the store with excitement and hope in their chest. Natasha regretted not saying more, not expressing her attraction to CYG as well. But you best know that the next time she saw her she spilled her guts like lava out of an erupting volcano.

This is me praying that This was the very first page Not where the storyline ends My thoughts will echo your name Until I see you again These are the words I held back As I was leaving too soon I was enchanted to meet you

I Can See You- John "Ramble" De Luca and Mystery Man

So Ramble and Mystery Man obviously work together so they have to keep it professional. They have both been watching each other but neither of them have noticed yet. They both desperately want to be together yet fears are holding them both back. Mystery Man has yet to come out to any of the team and Ramble is afraid to make a move for that very reason. Also when they do eventually get together things are kept under wraps for a while.

’Cause I can see you waitin' down the hall from me And I could see you up against the wall with me And what would you do? Baby, if you only knew That I can see you Uh-uh, uh, uh And we kept everything professional But something's changed, it's somethin' I, I like They keep watchful eyes on us So it's best that we move fast and keep quiet You won't believe half the things I see inside my head Wait 'til you see half the things that haven’t happened yet

Foolish One- Jane "Mute" Hall and Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia

Even the title screams them I mean come on now. They both are head over heels for each other. But neither of them have said anything because Fanboy thought that Mute was with Ramble then he thought Mute was gonna go after Hangman. Then Fanboy goes on a date with someone else and Mute gets discouraged. One day they will laugh over the fact that they were so foolish with each other. The only exception to this song is that they actually end up together.

You know how to keep me waitin' I know how to act like I'm fine Don't know what to call this situation But I know I can't call you mine And it's delicate, but I will do my best to seem bulletproof 'Cause when my head is on your shoulder It starts thinkin' you'll come around And maybe, someday, when we're older This is something we'll laugh about Over coffee every mornin' while you're watching the news

Timeless- Jake "Hangman" Seresin and Plus Sized S/O

They were meant to be and no one will ever change their mind. They love each other more than anything. I could put this whole fucking song in here because it fits so well. Even if they were in a different century they would be together. Plus the fucking photos come on guys that's literally Jake's favortie thing to do. I think it's 100% possible that Plus Sized S/O would stumble into an antique shop and find books and books of photos and be blinded by the similarity to her and Jake. Jake also definitely writes her love letters. Now to pick out what exactly to put down for this. I picked a tiny chorus even though this whole song is so them coded.

In a crowded room a few short years ago And sometimes there's no proof, you just know You're always gonna be mine We're gonna be I'm gonna love you when our hair is turnin' gray We'll have a cardboard box of photos of the life we've made And you'll say, "Oh my, we really were timeless"

[critical-chris]

65 (2023)

Holy shit, I demand a documentary of how this movie was made.

Good 'noon everyone, nice to talk to you again. I took a week long break from the blog due to a few factors including long hours at work, a random and inexplicable desire to start watching Succession for the first time ahead of the upcoming new season, and most importantly a complete and total lack of movies coming out that I had interest in.

There was one exception, Cocaine Bear, which I still do want to see. However, every time I had a reservation with my AMC membership and the time would come to leave the house and head to the theater, the lackluster reviews would crawl into my brain and I couldn't justify the 2 hour trek outside. I would crawl back in bed and dive into an episode of The Mandalorian, 1923, The Boys, or piecemealing the slog of a movie I find The Aviator to be. Lots of TV, not so many movies, but I'm back with a vengeance, baby.

Let's kick things off with why I wanted to see this movie in the first place. Have you seen the trailer? Exactly. The trailer sells you on a futuristic soldier played by Adam Driver finding himself stranded on a strange world that turns out to be Earth, 65 million years ago. This badass is strapped up with crazy weapons and about to fight some dinosaurs for survival. I'm all the way in.

I love science fiction movies when the creators that be get them right. Star Wars is my clear cut favorite sci-fi franchise, although Disney (not including Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni) has done whatever they can to create more shit properties under the umbrella than good ones. I love a good one-off sci-fi movie too, the most recent hit for me being Dune, what I felt to be a great epic adaptation of the book. Can't wait for that sequel and the talking baby, which better be in the film.

I love Adam Driver, too. I was not one of the early watchers of Girls (or a watcher at all, frankly), so my first introduction to him was Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the only film from the trilogy I loved and have since dampened my feelings on. I like him in the movies, despite my major beefs and issues with the plotting and directing, and continued to be excited by his more traditional dramatic work.

If you need some fantastic recommendations, check out my favorite Spike Lee joint BlacKkKlansman, a great paced marital drama Marriage Story, a creative crime dramedy Logan Lucky, and the period piece The Last Duel. A lot of people liked House of Gucci, and I thought it was decent although I'm not sure why Driver is now being tapped as Hollywood's "It Guy" for biographic films of Italian businessman with him portraying Enzo Ferrari next. With all of these great movies in his back pocket, I was sure that Adam Driver could not lose and would be coming in with another banger with replay value out the buttocks. I have to use clean language at some point in this blog for how explicit I am in my feelings on finally seeing 65.

When I saw that this movie came out to just over 90 minutes, I got that old fashioned bad feeling in my gut that maybe I was in for some trouble instead of some good dino-fighting. It's not very typical you get a slapstick comedy runtime out of an expensive science fiction film, and when you do it's a sign that perhaps there were some big problems with the longer cut and someone had to make a watchable storyline out of the scraps. And boy, does this movie feel exactly like that.

I have problems with almost every part of this disaster, so why not tick them off chronologically. 65 opens with some film school level text on screen letting the cat out of the bag right away. It explains that before mankind existed on Earth, there were other beings in other galaxies traveling the universe. Then we go to Planet Who Cares where Adam Driver is sitting on a beach with his wife and child. They quickly and briefly mention the daughter is suffering from some unknown illness and Driver must go on a 2-year journey to get paid enough to "cure her". LMAO CURE HER? Like the pharmaceutical company is withholding life-saving medicine because you can't afford it? Actually.... I guess that is realistic. Anyways, he teaches her to whistle with her hands and they showcase absolutely 0 familial chemistry that you care nothing about.

Smash cut immediately to Driver on a spaceship carrying a dozen or so passengers who are in cryo-sleep pods. The ship is suddenly hit by an asteroid, Driver attempts to control it, but they crash through the atmosphere of a strange planet and all of the cryo-pods get sucked out of the ship and are presumed dead. Adam Driver stumbles out of the ship, wades his way through some mud (where a creature lurks around him but then just never does anything so you wonder why even show there being a creature in the mud??), and discovers the bodies of the passengers who were tossed out of their cryo-pods.

Adam Driver stumbles back onto the ship and records a message asking for someone to come and rescue them, but deletes it before sending and re-records the message. In the second message, he tells anyone listening to abandon them and not to send a rescue ship because he's going to kill himself..... Why would he do that? We know his entire goal is to get back to his daughter, why would he not just ask for help and see if someone actually comes? Anyways, he decides not to kill himself, AND THEN THE TITLE CARD FOR THE MOVIE COMES UP. AT 20 MINUTES IN, THE TITLE OF THE MOVIE COMES UP AND READS:

65

Million Years Ago

A Visitor Came To

Earth

..... Seriously. All of that text comes on screen for the title card. Pardon my Portuguese, but what the fuck.

Driver is moping around when he sees an alert come up in his ship that one of the cryo-pods was not damaged and the girl inside survived, played by Ariana Greenblatt. He drags her out of the pod and while she rests he ventures out to a geyser field which is clearly included as foreshadowing for later in the film. He realizes that far away one of the escape pods from the ship also survived the crash and is a viable means of escape.

I felt the plot device included in this film of the girl speaking a different language than Adam Driver was unnecessary and forced. Besides the quick minute they spend in the final act of the girl being upset with Driver for lying about her parents being alive, there really is no reason for them not to be able to communicate. They try to force a couple laughs from their misunderstanding, but come across as generic and recycled gags. The part where Driver smushes a bug, and playfully chases the girl with his gooky hand is embarrassing.

Then there are the actual dinosaurs, which don't get incorporated until about 45 minutes in. The first dino the duo comes across is a baby stuck in a little tar pit, which is immediately killed by whatever those miniature predators from the opening of Lost World are, an attempt at a gut-wrenching moment that I found eye-rolling and stupid.

The other main predators featured are lizards mixed with raptors? They sulk low to the ground with their tails raised high and chase our protagonists around the trees and a beach, quickly dispatched by Adam Driver's futuristic assault rifle and grenades. There is a moment where one lizard seems to have gotten hold of Ariana, but Driver saves the day right at the last moment as is typical in every movie ever ever ever.

There were two scenes in the movie that I actually found entertaining and twinkled with potential of what this movie could have been. The first occurs after Driver and Ariana are driven into a cave by a modified T-Rex, and Ariana is able to crawl out of the cave before a cave-in traps Driver. He shimmies around in the dark and is stalked by an unseen dino, which creates some good tension and anticipation for when the creature finally emerges. The dino doesn't end up being scary or that menacing, but the lead up was decent enough.

The other part I enjoyed were the T-Rex's. I found the final minutes of the two T-Rex's trying to finish off Adam Driver and Ariana's ship with them inside, and even the moment where the last T-Rex chases Driver into the geyser field only to be stabbed and scalded to death very well done. The whole movie should have been scenes like this showing danger instead of pretending the main two characters have any chemistry or relationship worth watching.

All in all, this is a derivative sci-fi "thriller" reliant on jump scares, overused tropes, and it's budget for making dinosaurs seem sort of real. I would never, will never, and can never recommend anyone spend even the short 90 minutes to watch this movie. If you're suffering pure boredom I would recommend sitting on a porch and imagining dinosaurs in your front yard instead of sitting through this. In today's world, there is always something better to watch somewhere else instead of 65.

I do have one conspiracy theory related to this movie that I think holds weight. I read an article online that mentioned this film had a budget of $95 million, and after witnessing what I did play out on the screen, I have to assume a majority of that went to Adam Driver. Otherwise, why would he put his name at the top of the cast list for this pile of dinosaur shit? I'll take it one further, how much do I think he got paid out of the total budget? Wait for it, $65 million. Following that logic, I have to assume he asked that the name of the movie then represent how much it takes to get a big name actor to star in a film that is destined to fail and ensure its director never works again.

In conclusion, THIS MOVIE SUCKS.

65 - 2.0/10

[bunchezofroze]

I Have Decided to Start Posting My Short Stories, So here's the First One

"Haunted Computer"

By Rozetta Stone (Prompt from GeneralBug)

Alright, this is getting tiring. I have been watching this girl attempt, and fail, to ask out her crush for like two weeks now. I'm here because I was just passing through her apartment when I saw her giggling at the computer and decided to let my curiosity get the better of me.

I found out from the other person's messages that this girl's name was apparently Carmen, and I learned from Carmen's messages that her correspondent's name is Trea. Now something I know about Carmen, that Trea doesn't, is that Carmen really likes them, like way more than is reasonably expected from "platonic" feelings.

At first, I was really quite amused, watching the girl write out a long winded confession of her oh so eternal love, only for her to fumble with the backspace key as she deleted any trace of it. But after two weeks of it, it's honestly just a bit sad at this point. I mean, she clearly finds this person very dear to her, but just can't get over the hurdle of actually expressing those feelings.

Today she and Trea were talking and joking about some show about paramedics or firefighters or something, and some ship called "Beckie,"or whatever that was never going to happen. I wasn't too worried about it. Then her expression changed in a way I was familiar with at this point, and typed out a string. "we could totally be like them, but like... actually set sail haha. but only if you really want too cause li..." And then she deleted it all while shaking her head.

I'm done. I can only watch this for so long. I decided a bright idea would be to try and help her. Of course, the whole wandering spirit thing makes helping her a bit challenging. Wait, did I mention that? Oh well, suffice to say I needed a way to get her attention. So, I decided that the best plan of action... was to possess her computer and try to talk to her... yeah, not my smartest move.

It was decided though, so I did a couple stretches, and then dove head first into greatness. Of course, saying that you're going to possess and communicate with the living through a computer is one thing, while actually doing it is another. But I was determined, so I decided to take control of the mouse. She seemed a bit startled when all of a sudden her mouse had a mind of its own beneath her hand, but I mean, rightfully so. I went down and opened her sticky notes app - yes people actually use sticky notes don't question me - and started typing.

I've seen enough

I can only take so much of this!!

So now, I'M GOING TO HELP YOU!!!

Adding exclamation marks will surely get my point across. She sat there for a while with her mouth agape, and then finally moved it, "Wh.. who... who are you? An.. and what?" Ah yeah, I should probably explain myself a bit better huh?

My name is Mirriad; I am what they call a ghooooost

Spooky, I know

But honestly, I may or may not have been spying on you for the past two weeks

"Excuse me, YOU WHAT??" Whoops, that was way too forward.

Don't take it like that

Look, I've been watching you chat with Trea, and I think it's all really cute

But you are completely hopeless girl

So I wanted to try and help you out is all

She sat there for quite awhile in thought, hands in her crossed legs, before finally speaking, "I really wanna tell them, but I just can't. Every time I get excited that I'm finally gonna do it, and then... Then I get this gut wrenching feeling that it'll all go wrong, and I chicken out." She turned her head, as if I was actually there looking at her, and then added, "I'm sorry."

Carmen...

You don't have to apologize for being scared

You just have to overcome that fear and do what you know your heart wants

Look, I'm gonna be your wing ghost

With my help, everything will be a-okay

She looked back over, "Alright, but what do I say?"

Tell Trea the truth

What you want them to know

I would say the worst that can happen is a no

But let's be honest, there are way worse things she can say

So good luck!! *thumbs up*

And now she looked mortified, "That doesn't help! What if they think I'm weird? Or gross? Or overwhelming?!" At this point she had her head in her hands and was very clearly panicking.

Listen

Or read I guess, I don't know...

Doesn't matter!

My point is that it'll be okay as long as you're yourself, I promise

"A.. alright, but what do I say, like, specifically? Can you like, type up a love letter or something?"

Sorry, but I'm not a computer

So I can't write anything for you

But just try and keep it simple, alright?

She looked down at the keyboard, "Okay, then here goes nothing I guess." She tentatively moved the mouse over to her chat with Trea, and started typing,

UselessLesbian: |

UselessLesbian:

UselessLesbian: |

UselessLesbian:

UselessLesbian: Do you wanna go out sometime? Like on a date? Like a date-date?|

She looked over it, shook her head, and went for the backspace key. But before she could even reach it... *enter*. Sorry Carmen, but it's for your own good. She let out a little eep, and sat there startled, waiting for something. And then...

BuckIsBae: is typing...

BuckIsBae: Oh... That was unexpected.

BuckIsBae: But yeah! I'd totally be up for that. Just let me know when.

Carmen's eyes widened, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She then launched out of her chair and started jumping up and down, cheering, "Yes! Yes! Eeeeee!"

It seemed that my job was done, so I went ahead and vacated the computer. After calming down, she went back to her computer and started frantically typing, making plans for her newly acquired date.

When the weekend rolled around, Carmen was quickly getting ready. Her and Trea were going to some fancy schmancy cafe in town that seemed nice. She was rushing to the door when she stopped and turned on a dime. She looked around the room a bit before saying, "I don't know if you're still here, but thank you Mirriad." And with that, she turned and left through the door, ready for what was sure to be a time of wonder.

Why did I do it? I mean, I could say I did it because I was sick of seeing her struggle, but if that was really the case, I guess I could've just left. So I don't know. Maybe I did it because I have some pent up emotions about being hurt and losing out, so I did this to hopefully free my soul from this mortal plane. Or, ya know, maybe I'm just a fan of sappy romance.