#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!

[yapperingtinaa]

A box of Gemstones.

Your old Hunter's Watch.

And poor clueless Mephisto.

Three objects placed in the middle of the room, atop a wide red blanket. Three objects with each of its own meaning. And three objects awaiting to be chosen by your innocently curious one-year-old daughter.

"You do realize even if she picks one of these, it doesn't mean it'll eventually determine her future, no?" Sylus mused, eyeing you sitting on the floor across the room from where he sat, his gaze softened at the sight his baby daughter giggling and jumping excitedly in your lap. "Who knows this might end up jinxing us and our daughter became a future Evol Police instead."

"Oh shush you party-pooper." You jested playfully with an eye roll, cooing at your baby daughter sweetly, earning an adorable squeal from the toddler. "There's no harm in indulging in old traditions you know. Even the twins think so too."

As if on cue, both Luke and Kieran whooped in excitement from the living room couch. Both betting which their Mini Boss would choose amongst the three objects on the floor.

"Mini Boss might become a badass hunter like Boss Lady, I bet my life on it she'll pick the Hunter's Watch!"

"Nu-uh! Mini Boss is a baby prodigy! My gut tells me she'd be an awesome engineer by picking good ol' Mephie!"

"And the Gemstones?" Sylus questioned, glancing at the twins with raised eyebrows. "I'm guessing it'll mean she'll succeed my place in Onychinus?"

"Bingo!"

"Right on, Bossman!"

Sylus shook his head with an amused smile, shooting you a look that read 'you believe in this?'

You let out a hearty laugh, shrugging nonchalantly as you gave your baby daughter one last squeezing hug before slowly placing her in front of the three objects.

Despite his neutral expression, Sylus waited with bated breath as his daughter slowly inched forward towards the three objects. His little daughter's eyes shine with an innocent twinkle, her small body crawling forward and for a moment, time still around them.

This tradition, the Zhuazhou ceremony, it shouldn't be this nerve-wracking as Sylus should've expect. But he'd be lying if he wasn't both curious and scared for the future of his precious daughter.

There's no doubt Sylus will support his daughter through whatever she wants for as long as she grows up. Even if one day they might argue on certain value, beliefs and whatnot. But by God, Sylus prayed it would never have to take a turn for the worse where the father and daughter end up against one another.

The thought of that kind of future would filled him with nothing but pure dread.

Multiple surprise gasps pulled Sylus out of his muddle thoughts as he was just in time to see his little daughter pushing the three objects away (whereas a relieved Mephisto flew away in an instant) and crawled towards him.

"Pa! Pa!" His daughter beamed brightly, reaching her chubby arms out to her stunned father. Her giggles echoing through the sudden quiet atmosphere and Sylus instantly picked her up into his arms, his heart swelled with affection when his baby daughter nestled into the warmth of his hold.

Luke and Kieran didn't even have it in themselves to feel disappointed when their Mini Boss didn't pick their chosen items. The heartwarming sight of their fearsome leader becoming such a gentle soul around his daughter made them hold back their tears - It was one of those rare moments where they got to witness their Bossman look so vulnerable, so loving and so.. human.

And it was a moment both of them silently agreed not to ruin, especially for you as the twins watched you quietly tiptoed across the room to sit beside Sylus.

"Looks like our Little Dove can't choose a future without her papa in it." Sylus finally tore his gaze from his daughter at the sound of your voice just as you laid your head on his shoulder. You smiled softly up at the awestruck daze in Sylus's eyes, your finger playfully yet gently poked his cheek. "Now you have one less thing to worry about, my dear."

Sylus blinked in surprise, before letting out a small shaky chuckle. One arm holding his snuggling little daughter while the other arm wrapped around your waist - pulling both you and his daughter closer into his embrace.

"Yeah.. I suppose so." Sylus murmured quietly, a tender smile graced his lips as he pressed a gentle kiss on his little daughter's forehead and then another kiss on your cheek, laughing softly as two of his beloved treasures returned the gesture of the affection tenfold, happy laughter and cheers reverberated in the cozy living room.

Whatever the future may hold, for now, the present moment should be savored more than dwelling on uncertainty.

And at that moment for Sylus, it is what he needed the most.

[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 :)

[violetjedisylveon]

I saw Nezha 2 with my cousin today!

That movie is so fucking good! It's amazing! It looks beautiful, the story is great, it's funny as hell, and it destroyed me emotionally!

I should've been prepared for the gut punch, but it didn't register with me until it was happening that Li Jing is safe cause he's got a be the pagoda king eventually!

I was so excited see Nezha's brothers and I can't wait for them too meet!

And then Nezha and Bing! I love those two so much and I want them to take on the world together! I want happiness for them! They're so cute and I love them!

And of course, a substantial amount of my interest in this movie came from seeing the posters with this queen on them

👉🏼👈🏼 I just think she's really pretty >w<

My cousin thought that about Ao Guang 😈

I have watched Nezha 2019 twice before, once on my own and with my cousin as part of a Chinese mythology animated movie bender last summer, so I was already super excited to see there was a sequel, then I saw Ao Run (I initially thought she might've been one of Bing's sisters cause I couldn't read the poster) and I was even more excited to see it!

She's a bad guy, but I love her.

Also I squealed when I saw the golden staff over the sea, I was the decaprio pointing meme, cause I'm pretty sure that's the Ruyi Jingu Bang. It's a big golden pillar in the ocean, what else could it be?

Anyway, Nezha is a good fucking movie and it absolutely deserves all the praise it's getting! It's so pretty! Absolutely gorgeous! Go watch it! You will be happier

[usha-is-transgender]

@batmanisagatewaydrug 's book bingo update for February!

Coming to you late (again). This month, I added 5 squares onto the bingo board, and am now only one square away from my first bingo. Not bad!

--

Literary Fiction: No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

I went into this book completely blind, and I'm so glad I did. I had seen it floating around as a book people really enjoyed, and sometime months ago I put the e-book on hold at my library, swiftly forgetting about it as the long, winding wait list inched forward. The day I finally got the notification that I could borrow it was a lucky one. I had just finished a couple of longer sci-fi books, and was in the mood for a change of genre and a quick finish. Starting this book off, I thought it had an interesting structure and fun narrative voice, but to be honest I didn't think it would be any more than just a fun read to tide me over until I started something I was really excited about. That is, UNTIL! The protagonist has a major event happen in her life, and we are immediately swept into it. What I thought was solely a commentary on the role of social media in the modern day becomes a meditation on grief, and if there is one thing about me you should know it's that I will always eat up a meditation on grief. I highlighted a lot of lines while reading this, and going through all of them shows an arc in and of itself. The early marks are quippy, tongue-in-cheek comments concerning life in the age of the internet. The later ones are punches to the gut in their simple severity. This book surprised me in the way I always hope to be surprised when I pick up something new.

As an aside, it seems from reading through the acknowledgements that this story has autobiographical elements, which immediately made sense to me. I sometimes feel like a sentiment like this is overused, but I genuinely think this a case where it is clear that the author has personal experience with the kind of grief it is portraying. As someone who has myself unfortunately experienced an especially tragic death of a loved one, I am not exaggerating when I say that some of the things written in this book have brought me to tears not only when first reading them, but after every subsequent revisit as well. This book made me feel understood, and for an aspect of my life I so seldom feel understood about. It is an incredibly special feeling when something comes out of the blue and touches you so deeply. An absolute standout.

Sequel: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

This is the fourth and final entry in the Wayfarers series, and while reading it I was finally able to put into words what it is I love so much about these books. There is an optimism within them about the future and the capabilities of humanity to work towards a more just world that I have only ever felt before while watching early Star Trek. This is not at all to say that there isn't horrifying and compelling conflict present in this world. Neither Star Trek nor Wayfarers is a perfect sparkling utopia. There are actually some pretty heavy topics covered in all four books. The optimism doesn't come from nothing bad happening, but from the conviction that we have the capacity to solve these issues if we only commit ourselves to the difficult path of collaboration and equitable construction.

Now, I am someone who felt that my life was changed by reading I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream as a middle-schooler. I tend to gravitate towards stories of the dystopian and depressing variety. I like to read about misery. That being said, there is something very compelling to me about a narrative in which you can feel in your bones how much its creator believes that things can get better. That is what I feel when I read Becky Chambers, and I can't deny how invigorating it is when done right. These books don't feel to me like I am being preached to. They feel like I have happened to overhear a very personal conversation. Chambers' portrayal of a society in which many different aliens all live among each other, a society that has adapted continuously to make this possible, and a world that has moved past so many of the issues of our day while also inevitably running into structural problems of its own is immersive and fascinating. I'm sad that there's no more to come of this series, but incredibly excited to dive into this author's other work.

Fantasy: The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

Something I love to do every once in a while is to make one of my weekends into a game. The game consists of searching my library for any novellas I'm interested in and then trying to finish as many of them as I can in those two days. The way you win is by finding a really good book and/or feeling accomplished with how you made the most of your weekend. This book was part of that game, and yes I did win that time. My favorite thing about this novel was the fun structure it had in which we are learning about events that happened years ago from a somewhat unreliable narrator telling stories of her life to another character. It gives the story this really cool feeling of being simultaneously so large in its scope while extremely confined in its actual space. The majority of the events happen in a single cabin, but the effects ripple through everyone living in the empire its a part of. I know that this is the first book in a series, and I can definitely see opportunities for expanding on the story in interesting ways. I have to say, I wasn't quite enraptured enough to run immediately to book 2, but who knows? Maybe this world will find its way into my weekend game again.

Indie Publisher: Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar

This prompt was a really interesting one to try to fill for me. In the process I learned that so many publishing companies that I thought had nothing to do with the big names out there are in fact easily found to be subsidiaries of the Macmillan Industrial Complex. It was extremely sobering to try three separate times to slot in a book I was reading into this square, only to come back after a google search once again foiled. I was actually surprised when I looked up the publisher for this book (Chronicle Books) and found no connection to the Big 5. I picked this one up not because I thought it would fulfill the prompt, but to indulge my guilty pleasure of learning about survival disasters.

Okay, I can't lie, this was a bit of a weird one. I was very pulled into the chapters set during the Dyatlov group's fatal hiking trip and the ensuing search for their bodies. What wasn't so engrossing to me was the equal number of chapters dedicated to the author's trip to Russia in the 2010s to visit the mountain they died on. Those parts frankly just felt stretched out to pad the page count. There were a couple interesting moments, but they would have been more impactful if that entire section of the narrative was edited way down. In case you're wondering, the book does make an argument for how exactly the hikers came to die in such mysterious circumstances, and it comes straight out of left field. Have you ever heard of infrasound waves? Me either. In his defense, it seems like the author was equally baffled by the concept when he first came across it, and he chronicles his conversations with a really big deal scientist about how it's totally possible. I am not at all qualified to judge whether his theory is scientifically sound, but it's certainly interesting if for nothing more than how bizarre it is.

Social Justice and Activism: Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis

I bought this book years ago with the determination to read more non-fiction, only for a receipt I was using as a bookmark to stay stuck on page 15 long enough so that increases in inflation that have likely rendered every price recorded there a historical artifact. I honestly cannot be sure if I would have ever gotten around to it without this bingo, which is exactly the kind of books I hoped I'd be reading when I started this.

There's not that much I have to say about this book other than it is a concise, wide-reaching, and persuasive case for the abolition of the prison. Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. I found it very useful for myself in that I was certainly familiar with prison abolition and some of the most well-known talking points surrounding it, but lacked a lot of the historical context and specifics of its perspective. There's also a great wealth of information to be found in the references section for potential places to continue my reading of this topic, another plus. It feels to me like an excellent broad starting place with suggestions for more in-depth works on specific aspects of what it tackles. Happy I read it and would gladly read more on the topic.

--

Overall, a whole lot of wins this month, and I'm extremely pleased with how the board is filling out. Here's to more great reads this year, and hopefully a bingo soon!

[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!!

[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 morning, 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.

[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.

[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!

[tiarafaun]

kimi to idol precure: episode one review ౨ৎ⋆˚｡⋆

i've finally gotten around to watching kimi to idol precure! i was so excited to see what essentially is my dream season finally come to life. i love idols and music in general and to see that come to my favorite thing ever, precure, had me so excited. sadly i've been very busy and haven't been keeping up but i'm finally buckling down and watching it and i thought blogging my thoughts here would hold me accountable for keeping up! so, let's talk about my first impressions of episode one ₊˚⊹ ᰔ

to start, what stands out to me the most is the visuals. starting the episode showing off the gorgeous cgi (which is a world's upgrade from previous seasons) was incredibly engaging. i was instantly drawn in by the bright colors and smooth but fast paced animation. and of course, our girl cure idol is looking stunning!

sakura as a character is very interesting and i haven't gotten a read on the type of pink cure "trope" she suits. she's definitely the genki type but she has a more calm and rational air about her versus other pink leads. her voice is also stunning and i love her catchphrase! kirakilala ♪ ~

as for the opening, the song is so hype and fun i immediately got excited to watch once the beat started up. because i, i, i do love precure (that's not very funny). i loved all the fast paced scenes and love how it shows off the cure's personalities

and here's some random cute screenshots . . . ♡

as for the rest of the episode, starting off with the joke of kurikyua being the precure and purirun going off with him was hilarious. but otherwise it was a bit underwhelming? it was very to the point and informational about what a precure is and didn't do much world building wise or anything to give me a reason to be interested in what's going on which isn't typical when it comes to precure. i feel like it relied more on being silly and flashy than telling the story of uta sakura and her world. hopefully things change in these next couple episodes and we get to feel more connected to this universe.

i did find the whole "we're looking for an idol named precure" misunderstanding hilarious though! and purirun draining uta's wallet and using her charm to get what she wanted showed a more devious side of her that i hope is showed off more later on.

as for the villians, i think cutty and zakkuri are so goofy and i'm sure they'll make me laugh, especially zakkuri. i'm sure he's clueless and i just know they'll do something interesting with him. chokkirinu is so gorgeous and alluring and i'm assuming there's some gut wrenching lore between her and darkiine that i'm so ready to see explored. other than that, they weren't super flashy or out there but i think that's a nice break from the villians that all get deep backstories and things.

i also just thought this was funny . . . poor ema

and now let's admire cure idol's transformation, which was so gorgeous and fluidly animated! it was a little hard for me to keep up with how fast it was though, so i wish it was slower so there's more time to soak up the beautiful moments

get into these gorgous nails . . .

and a throwback to cure happy

AND HER ADORABLE SMILE!!

and . . . pose! ☆彡

as for the ending, the song is so amazing and hype just like the opening. the bass line really sticks out and the cgi is so fluid and bouncy and wonderful quality. plus the colors and shading really sells the "idol" look. the choreo is a little lackluster though, but that's just me being nitpicky as a dancer

and that leads me to the end of my first impressions! overall, i'm excited to see where kimi to idol precure goes, especially since the first episode was a bit on the . . . dryer side? it's good that it kept me interested enough to want to know what happens next, but i'm not sure if that will keep it's momentum for these next few episodes. i'm impressed with the visuals and soundtrack and i can't wait to watch more!

[spnbaby-67]

Her Surprise (Revised Edition for 2025)

Chapter Seven: Caught in the Stage Light

Saturday had always been the busiest day of the convention.

By early afternoon, Y/N had been shuffled through multiple photo ops, each one a mixture of excitement and quiet anxiety. Meeting the cast was surreal—laughs with DJ Qualls, a bear hug from Alexander Calvert, a wink from Misha. But it wasn’t always magic.

Because for every kind word, there was a sharp one hiding in the crowd.

"She’s the one who sang with Jensen, right? I mean... really?"

"You’d think someone like him would have better standards."

"Maybe she paid for it. Like a charity thing."

Y/N heard it all. She didn’t want to—but whispers don’t need volume to cut. By the time the last photo op wrapped, her heart felt like it had bruises. Ari noticed, of course. She always did.

"You want to skip the concert?" she asked gently. "We can watch from the room. Order pizza. Hide out."

Y/N shook her head. "No. I need to go. Jensen said to keep showing up, right? So I will."

The ballroom was packed wall to wall by the time Louden Swain took the stage. Saturday Night Special was legendary—the room pulsed with music, laughter, and pure adrenaline.

Ari and Y/N found their usual spots in the front row. The stage lights bathed them in soft purples and blues as the band ripped into their first few songs. The crowd was alive.

But Jensen hadn’t come out yet.

Y/N tried to lose herself in the music, in the thrum of bass through her sneakers. But her thoughts were loud. Too loud.

She didn’t see Jensen appear behind the curtain.

Didn’t see him scan the front row until his eyes landed on her.

But Ari did.

She nudged Y/N just as Rob stepped up to the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen," he grinned, "we have a little surprise for you tonight. Someone's been waiting to take the mic, and trust me, you’re gonna love it."

The lights shifted.

Jensen walked onto the stage. Wearing jeans and a vintage tee, guitar slung over his shoulder. He looked confident—but his eyes searched the crowd until they locked with hers.

"Come up here," he said, pointing right at her. "Yeah. You."

Y/N froze. Everyone turned to look.

"Jensen, what are you doing?" she mouthed.

He leaned into the mic. "Asking my duet partner to join me for one more song. You got the guts?"

Ari grinned. "Girl, go."

Her legs moved before her brain caught up. Security waved her through. The moment she stepped on stage, the crowd erupted.

Jensen leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Don’t think. Just sing."

Then he turned to the mic and strummed the first few notes.

The melody was soft. Familiar.

“Shallow” from A Star Is Born.

🎵 Jensen: Tell me somethin', girl Are you happy in this modern world? Or do you need more? Is there somethin' else you're searchin' for?

He looked at her, the crowd dimming around them.

🎵 Y/N: I'm falling In all the good times I find myself Longin' for change And in the bad times I fear myself

Her voice cracked slightly, but Jensen nodded. Encouraging. She breathed in.

🎵 Jensen: Tell me something, boy Aren’t you tired tryin’ to fill that void? Or do you need more? Ain’t it hard keepin’ it so hardcore?

🎵 Y/N (stronger): I'm falling In all the good times I find myself Longin' for change And in the bad times I fear myself

🎵 Together: I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in I'll never meet the ground Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us We're far from the shallow now

🎵 Jensen: In the sha-ha, sha-la-low

🎵 Y/N: In the sha-ha, sha-la-low

🎵 Together: In the sha-ha, sha-ha-ha-low We're far from the shallow now

🎸 Guitar solo swelled around them as they exchanged a glance—an understanding in their silence that no microphone could capture. The crowd roared, some singing along, others filming in disbelief.

🎵 Y/N: Oh, ha, ah, ha

🎵 Jensen: Ohhhh, haaaa

🎵 Together: I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in I'll never meet the ground Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us We're far from the shallow now

🎵 In the sha-ha, sha-la-low In the sha-ha, sha-la-low In the sha-ha, sha-ha-ha-low We're far from the shallow now 🎵

As the last note echoed through the ballroom, the crowd exploded in cheers. Jensen turned to her, breathing heavy from the adrenaline, eyes lit with that unmistakable fire that only the stage could ignite.

He leaned close again, not touching her mic this time, just close enough that it felt like their own little world. "Come with me?"

Still catching her breath, Y/N nodded.

He took her hand in his, careful but confident, and led her backstage through the side stairs, past the curtains, down the hallway still vibrating with sound. No one stopped them. No one questioned it.

He brought her into a quiet green room lit by warm lamps and the low hum of muffled concert echoes. There was a couch. A table with water and snacks. Silence.

Jensen let go of her hand gently and turned to face her. "I wanted to give you that moment," he said. "Not for the cameras. Not for the fans. For you. Because I meant what I said yesterday. You're stronger than you realize."

Y/N opened her mouth, but emotion gripped her throat.

"You don’t have to be anything but who you are," Jensen added softly. "And who you are? Is incredible."

Tears slipped down her cheek, but she didn’t hide them this time.

And Jensen? He didn’t try to fix them.

He just sat beside her.

And for a little while longer, she was allowed to exist.

Fully.

Completely.

And finally, without shame.

[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~~