#ANYWAYS. PRETTY FOX LADY COMEBACK

[crystallizsch]

tingyun part 2 welcome back my beloved

[anagentinwriting]

Lifeline - Part 11

Summary: (First Responders!AU) Moving to Los Angeles and living with your brother, Thor, was never part of your plan nor was being a 9-1-1 dispatcher, but plans change when you are faced with your own emergencies. In your case, it was leaving behind a relationship that wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. Will this be the fresh start you were hoping for or will your past find a way to catch up with you?

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Odinson!Sister Reader

Word Count: 2500+

Warnings: Heart attack, fluff, angst, language

Lifeline Masterlist / Main Masterlist

It was a slow day at the call center, which was a good thing, and you couldn’t help but wonder what Steve was planning. Earlier, he texted you, asking if you wanted to get lunch together, and you accepted. It’s been a couple of weeks since you hung out and had a movie night, but since then, you’ve hung out a few other times at your house watching movies and talking. It was innocent fun, nothing serious, two friends enjoying each other’s company. But, you did fall asleep on him one night after a late shift, but luckily, he didn’t seem to mind. Neither of you labeled them as dates because neither of you were looking for a relationship. You both joked about them being dates though, but they never blossomed into anything, even though one night you hoped they would. 

Your phone line ringing pulled you from your daydream. “911, what’s your emergency?”

“Um...my daddy can hardly breathe?”

“Okay, hold on for a second, sweetie.” The address popped right up since she was calling from a landline and you dispatched an ambulance to their location. It was much easier to send help when they called from landlines; cell phones were tricky because you needed to go through the carrier if you needed to get their exact location. “The ambulance is on their way.”

“Good...they need to get here real fast,” the little girl said in a calm voice.

“Okay, sweetie, what’s your name?

“Duranna Dey. My daddy’s name is Rhomann Dey.”

“Okay. How old are you, Duranna?

“I am five years old.” 

“Okay, Duranna, I need to know if your father is still awake?”

“Yeah. He called 911-- then couldn’t really talk--he gave me the phone then.”

“Your dad is a smart man. Duranna, is your front door unlocked?”

“Uh…is our front door unlocked, Daddy? Uh, no.”

“Okay, Duranna, can you go and unlock the front door for me?”

“Sure…okay, I am going to go. Don’t worry, Daddy!” You heard shuffling over the line. “Front door  unlocked.”

“That’s good, Duranna. Now can you go ask your dad if this has ever happened to him before?”

“Yeah,” she said as you heard shuffling through the phone. “Dad, has this ever happened before? He says no, and he is still awake.”

“Good. Can you ask him if he has any kind of chest pain?”

“Do you have chest pain? Yes, yes, he does.”

“Okay, hold on for a second, okay, Duranna.”

“Okay,” she replied.

You radioed the paramedics over your headset and told them the situation so they would know what they were walking into upon their arrival.

“I’m back, Duranna. Is he still awake?”

“Yeah, we’re in our jammies. Is that going to be okay, or should we get changed?”

“No, that will be fine,” you smiled at her question. “I need you to stay with your dad to make sure he stays awake.”

“Okay. I got it. Stay calm, Dad.” You could hear sirens coming over the line. “They are here now; should I hang up?”

“Yes, Duranna, you can hang up.”

“Okay, thank you, bye.”

The line went dead, and you couldn’t help but smile. Duranna was one strong, calm, brave little girl in her given situation, where some adults wouldn’t be. It was surprising, and you couldn’t help but praise her parents. You sighed, taking off your headset and setting it on the table as you went on your lunch break. 

When you walked out of your building, you saw Steve standing outside holding onto a leash with a beautiful golden retriever attached to it. You smiled, walking right up to them and crouched down to pet him. 

“Awww, you must be Cosmo,” you cooed, scrunching up his face in your hands, and quickly licked your cheek. “You’re so cute, yes you are.”

“He wanted to meet you. Wouldn’t shut up about it all morning,” Steve grinned under his baseball cap. 

“Well, it is lovely to meet you, too,” You added, bopping him on the nose. You stood up, smiling at Steve. “What are we doing for lunch?”

“Since I brought Cosmo, I thought we could take a stroll through the park. I know there are a few food trucks in the area we could check out.”

“Sounds fun,” you smirked, walking next to Steve with Cosmo out in front. “How has Cosmo been adjusting?”

“He’s doing better. He’s a little off at certain times during the day, but the vet says it’s pretty normal, and it’s all a part of the process.”

“Well, he looks happy.” You let out a soft chuckle, watching Cosmo look around with his tongue hanging out. “And he is so cute.”

“Thanks for the compliment. You know dogs do take after their owners,” he winked, forcing you to roll your eyes.

“Okay, wise guy,” you scoffed, nudging him in his side. “How’s Station 107?”

Steve cleared his throat. “Your brother gave me permission to ask you out a while ago, and he keeps reminding me about it.”

You chuckled. “Did he? Clearly, he doesn’t know how much of a guy you are.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You come off all innocent, but let’s be real, you’re a real troublemaker.”

“I will neither confirm nor deny that information,” he chuckled, waving it off as you shake your head at him.

“It’s crazy how he gave you permission, yet you haven’t done anything about it?” You questioned, narrowing your eyes at him. “And here's Cosmo, who by the way I just met, and he has already gotten further with me than you have.”

“That hurts.” Steve feigned a pained look, holding his hand over his heart. “In my defense, I didn’t want you to feel pressured or pushed into something you weren’t ready for.”

“You never did, and that’s what makes you a good man, Steve,” you confessed, seeing his signature smirk spread across his face.  “But, my life is enough of a mess as it is, and I wouldn’t expect you or anyone else to try and take that on.”

“That’s not it at all. I’m not worried about what happened in your past. I mean, I hate what you had to go through, but it’s never going to scare me off.”

You had no words. No comeback. All you could do was smile. You reached over and grabbed a hold of his hand. “Friends, hold hands, right?”

“Yeah, last time I checked,” he grinned, squeezing your hand. You felt your face heat up under his gaze as you looked away. You tried to weld your lips together, but it was no use. You had a feeling a smile would be plastered on your face all through lunch.

You and Steve settle on getting Mexican at Wade’s Chimichangas truck when you noticed the other truck was an ice cream truck. You stood in line and noticed the guy taking orders was very chatty and looked oddly similar to Ryan Reynolds. 

“Next, oh, and what a cute couple you two are,” the Ryan Reynolds look-alike said. “I’m Wade, owner of Wade’s Chimichangas. Oh, and this sugar bear with the mustache behind me is Peter W. He saw my want ad in the paper, and he was an instant hire.” He smiled, but then it quickly turned into a frown. “This is actually the second time I hired him, the first time is when I hired him to be a part of X-force, and he died early on. Then, I time-traveled back in time after stealing this special watch from your universe's Thanos and brought Peter back to life at the end. Oops, spoiler alert,” he shrugged, staring at the empty space beside you. 

“I’m sorry,” Steve asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to gauge the situation.

“Sorry,” he smiled. “This--” he twirled his finger in the air “--this is the wrong universe. Well, that universe technically doesn’t exist anymore since Mickey Mouse bought out Fox, and I’m not talking about the cute fox from Fox and the Hound either. No siree, this Fox was more expensive than my favorite shoe company’s net worth.” He shook his head back and forth, chuckling. “It’s going to be crazy fun! My place is safe and secure, but can’t say the same for that Australian Showman.” He nodded but stopped when a realization dawned on him. “Oh wait, dammit, he got out a few years too early. What a shame, he’s gonna miss out on some really big paychecks, but who cares about that guy anyway,” he signed. “Anyways, what can I get you two?”

“I’ll take the Almost Famous Chimichanga with rice,” Steve ordered. 

“Oh, being safe and not going with beans, smart move, Captain,” Wade replied with a wink. “And for the lady and canine?” You gave Wade your order and ordered Cosmo a simple taco.

“Cosmo doesn’t need a taco,” Steve added, shaking his head. 

“So, no taco for the canine? I am taking copious notes here.” You looked to Wade to see him licking his lips with a pen and small notebook pad in his hand. 

“Yes, taco,” you answered, and Cosmo barked.

“Majority wins. Fire up the stove, Peter. It will be a couple of minutes, folks,” Wade announced. “If only there was a superpower to make food. I mean, he or she, I’m not sexist, could solve world hunger with just a flick of their wrist or magic wand.”

“Wow, that guy must be going through something,” Steve uttered loud enough for you to hear as you both moved down the side of the truck to the pickup area. 

“Captain, you have no idea,” Wade looked over his shoulder and shot you both a tight smile. “Am I right, Peter?”

“He is,” Peter nodded, placing an order on the serving counter. “Order for the lovely couple and a taco for the gorgeous golden retriever. 

“Thanks, Peter.” You pulled your wallet from your purse, but when you looked up, Steve was already handing Peter some cash.

“My treat,” he replied, answering your silent question. 

“Next time, it’s on me.” 

“Deal,” Steve smirked, getting his change back from Peter.

“Is he a Purebred?” Peter asked, looking down at Cosmo with a smile.

“I’m not sure I rescued him.”

“That’s incredible. My wife, Susan, and I thought about adopting, but she’s been training hard with her personal trainer, Gus, a few times a week, so we weren’t sure if we were ready for a dog. I mean, some of the workouts can last like four hours, but it is doing wonders for her, and it shows.” 

“Well, when you both feel ready, give adoption a chance.” 

“I will. I’m sorry to keep you from your date with all the questions.”

“Hey, it’s alright,” Steve waved it off. “That’s how you keep customers coming back, right?”

“That’s right,” Peter chuckled. “Thanks for choosing Wade’s Chimichangas. Have a good afternoon, folks.”

You grabbed your’s and Cosmo’s baskets, and Steve grabbed his, making your way over to the open benches near the sidewalk. You plopped down with Steve taking the spot next to you, and Cosmo sat right in front of you, wagging his tail and waiting for his taco.  You smirked at him, tearing off a piece and giving it to him.

“Are you getting the feeling that Susan is cheating on Peter, too?” Steve asked, taking a bite of his chimichanga. 

“Yes, I thought I was the only one thinking that,” you answered, shaking your head. “Poor guy, he seems like a good one, too.”

A comfortable silence fell between you two as you ate. It was tasty, better than you expected it would be; you weren’t sure if it was the seasoning or sauce, but you would be a returning customer. Cosmo whined, staring into your eyes as you tore off another piece and gave it to him. 

Steve smirked. “You’re gonna teach him to be a beggar.”

“Don’t listen to your dad. If you want to be a beggar, you be a beggar.” You patted him on the head, and he licked your hand. 

“Wow,” Steve mouthed, making you hit him on the arm. He cracked a contagious smile, leaning into you, and you couldn’t help but laugh as you pushed him off you. 

“You’re such as ass sometimes.”

“I am one of LA’s finest asses according to Sam,” he replied, forcing you to scoff.

_______

Taking the last bite of your lunch, you glanced at Steve, finishing off his chimichanga. He wiped his lips with his napkin and winked at you. You rolled your eyes, leaning forward and rubbing Cosmo on the head. You didn’t want to go back to work. All you wanted to do was hang out with Steve and Cosmo for the rest of the day. You sighed, looking down at your watch.

“Should we start heading back?” Steve inquired, placing a hand on your forearm. You looked at his hand, a shy smile appearing on your face. 

“Uh yeah, we probably should.” 

He stood up, offering his hand, which you took without hesitation. He squeezed your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours, sending a warm, comforting sensation flow through your body.  You could feel your face grow warm as you stared at Cosmo walking in front of you. You bit your lip, peeking over at Steve, not missing the smirk you were beginning to love appear across his lips. 

________

He pulled you to stop in front of your building, letting go of your hand, and you turned to face him. “Thanks for getting lunch with me and for bringing Cosmo. It was nice to meet him.” You smiled down at the dog, wagging his tail with his tongue hanging out. 

“I think he enjoyed meeting you, too,” He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “Listen, I don’t know if you’ve heard about this yet, but there is this first responders charity grill out slash softball tournament this weekend. I was wondering if...”

“Yeah,” you interrupted him. “Thor already invited me, and I was planning on going.”

“Cool.” He nodded, clenching his jaw. “But, I was curious if you wanted to be my date?”

You rubbed your lips together, a smile itching its way across your lips.  “Did you finally have the nerve to ask me out?” You nudged him with your elbow repeatedly until he cracked a smile. 

“Like I said, I didn’t want to pressure you into anything.” He sighed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. 

“No, it’s not that. I’m just surprised you’re already planning a second date, and we aren’t even done with the first one yet.”

His jaw dropped open as quickly as he snapped it shut. If you weren’t watching him, you would have missed it. “I never said this was a date.” 

“Yeah, but Cosmo told me it was, so who do you think I’m gonna believe. The guy I have been hanging out with or a dog willing to share all your secrets with me.”  You shrugged with both hands in front of you, trying to weigh out your best option.

“Cosmo,” Steve looked down at his dog, shaking his head. “You can’t be telling YN all my secrets.”

“He’s a talker. Aren’t you Cosmo?” You cooed, making him bark in agreement. You smiled, reaching out to scratch his head one last time. You peeked up at Steve, not missing the gentle smile fading from his lips.

“How about it, YN? Do you want to go out on another date with me?”

“Yeah,” you grinned, nodding your head. “I’d like that.”

______

AN: Thanks for reading Part 11! We are over halfway through this story and there is so much more to come! And I am excited to share it with you all! The call about the daughter and father actually was something that happened and became national news a long time ago. I came across it while I was trying to find some 911 type calls/scenarios, and figured Rhomann and Duranna Dey would be a good fit for it. And she finally got to meet Cosmo! He is actually the dog from Guardians of the Galaxy! It is just a small cameo in that movie, but I love throwing in those easter eggs if you haven’t figured that out yet, haha! Did you like the Wade Wilson and Peter W cameo?! I thought it would be an entertaining addition and Wade breaking that fourth wall is always a fun time! The slow burn may finally be coming to an end. Let's just hope this charity softball tournament/grill-out date turns into a success! As always, thanks for reading, and don't forget comments are always welcome! 

[aveline-allaire]

~Aveline Allaire~

→ NAME: Aveline Flora Allaire → NICKNAMES: Ave, Lina, → AGE / D.O.B.: 17/ February 15th/ 1959 → SPECIES: pureblooded witch → GENDER / PRONOUNS: cisfemale / she&her → SEXUALITY: heterosexual

FAMILY → PARENTS: henri allaire, 61, ambassador from wizarding france. cassandra franco, 40, socialite. → SIBLINGS: half siblings: christèle allaire, 35. dorothée allaire, 32. véronique allaire, 29. full siblings: milène allaire, 20.  ellie allaire, 16. éric allaire, 16. → PETS: apollon, hermès & dionysos, family owls. → OTHER SIGNIFICANT FAMILY: rosine millefeuille, father’s first wife, deceased. léopold allaire, uncle, french minister of magic, 58. matthieu allaire, disowned uncle, owner of a secondhand bookshop in muggle paris, 49. claudia alvarez ruiz, aunt - matthieu’s wife, famous model, 51.

LIFESTYLE → BORN: île de batz, brittany → RAISED: paris / île de batz → CURRENT RESIDENCE: french wizarding embassy / hogwarts → NATIONALITY: french → SPOKEN LANGUAGES: (in order of proficiency) french, english, danish, italian, latin → OCCUPATION: student, 7th year prefect, slug club, duelling club → DRINK | SMOKE | DRUGS: yes / yes / yes

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES → FACE CLAIM: Florence Pugh → ETHNICITY: white (french) → HEIGHT: 5ft.4in. → BUILD: thin curvy → HAIR:  blone hair reaching to mid-spine → EYE COLOR: blue → DOMINANT HAND: left → SCENT:  chanel no.5 → ACCENT: tries hard to suppress her french accent and speaks in an english accent → NERVOUS HABITS:  she presses her fingers to her thumb on her hand and back up like a melody

CHARACTER → MORAL ALIGNMENT: neutral evil → MBTI: ISTJ → WESTERN ZODIAC: Aquarius → CHINESE ZODIAC: pig → TAROT CARD: strength → ARCHETYPE: the bibliophile, the politician → TRAITS: devoted, vindictive, conniving, manipulative, eloquent, charming

MAGIC → WAND:  Walnut wood with a dragon heartstring core, 11 ¼ and supple flexibility. Aveline, along with the rest of her siblings, got her wand in france. → PATRONUS: fox → BOGGART:  Disappointing her family → OWLS: Aveline sat eleven OWLs in her fifth year, ancient runes, O. arithmancy, O. astronomy, O. charms, O. defence against the dark arts, O. history of Magic, O. herbology, O. Divination O. Care of magical creatures O. transfiguration, O. potions, O. → NEWTS: Aveline is taking the following classes onto newt level; charms, defence against the dark arts, care of magical creatures, herbology, history of magic, potions, divination transfiguration

BIO

→ Aveline Flora Alliare, typically jus called Aveline or Ave was born on Feburary 15th/1959. She is the fifth child to Henri Allaire, the second to his second wife, Cassandra. She is the quintessential middle child. Forgotten. She became even more irrelevant the day the twins were born. As they often left her to her own devices, the girl read. Any book, she could get her hands on, even ones at the back of her father’s library too dark and complex for the most skilled witches. While she wasn’t able to preform every spell she read, she’d let the words absorbed into her brain. She didn’t read for knowledge sake, she read because she craved the one thing that keeps being denied to her, power.

→ Aveline knew she wouldn’t gain power the way her little brother would, having it handed to him on a solid gold platter. She knew she deserved it more than him. She was undeniably charming, people told her things, trusted her. She knew she would have made the perfect addition to the family legacy one day, if it wasn’t for him, she would be unmatched. Her elder half sisters, already married and therefore irrelevant, Milène; her older sister lacked the talent and Ellie, little ellie... The Ravenclaw; Aveline knew her sister was skilled, but in Aveline’s mind she lacked the ambition it took to be eventually take over their family’s seat in the French Parliament and hopefully their father’s ambassador position.

→ The Allaire’s were something… once. But scandal can make the public’s affections FICKLE, and when you’re on the wrong side of that scandal? It’s a long way to climb to get back on top. How was Palémon Allaire supposed to know disowning his youngest son would destroy the family’s carefully curated image? Who knew that public opinion would side with the daughter of a Veela and a muggleborn over a pillar of the french ministry? Over the man who had been minister for fifteen years? But when Matthieu Allaire and Claudia Álvarez Ruiz married, and Matthieu found himself cast out from his family, Palémon soon found himself removed from office. After the scandal, (it took the years to rebuild)Allaire family’s political REBIRTH when Aveline was eleven, her first year at hogwarts.  A return to their former grace made her sisters useful in securing alliances through marriage. A comeback almost two decades in the works, it came with a relocation this branch of the Alliare’s. Her Oncle Léopold becoming Minister of Magic, her father Henri became ambassador to Britain. ( c: allaircss)

→ Aveline read everything she could get her hands one that they wrote about her family and the scandal. As a child, she would note the names of all the author’s and swore to make them pay for tarnishing her family's good name, when she was 7, she sent them all a box of exploding snaps as she was forbidden to play them, she assumed it was because they were dangerous, only to later learn she’d sent them a card game.

→ She prides herself on family loyalty, despite her personal feelings toward her siblings. Perfection that she was what she was taught by their mother and mostly a stern governesses,  “Be a perfect lady” she was told so many times. While to some Acting like a Lady seemed weak Aveline knew better. There was a power in the weakness that most overlooked, and she allowed herself to grow in those spaces. She was the picture of poise and grace, so people often forgot that she could be conniving or vindictive. Her presence commanded respect, mostly because she had earned it.

→ Following in her mother’s footsteps as a Death Eater, not so much because she believed in the cause but mostly because of the power she thought it would bring her. She knew many girl’s her year were marrying death eaters and she knew lots of them weren’t going to be asked to join. It was something she had worked hard for her whole life it was a seat at the table. The mark, she was going to welcome with open arms.

( cis female | she/her |  florence pugh ) —— isn’t that AVELINE ALLAIRE? yeah that is them, sitting there at the Slytherin table with those other SEVENTH years. when sybill looks into that crystal ball of hers, she sees dark arts  books in hidden corners; a posh tea set; sharp glances;  her blind faith in her parents ; an elegant painting  ; an adapt potion maker; a drowning girl . anyway i’ve heard they’re pretty CONNIVING, ELOQUENT and VINDICTIVE. apparently they’re a DEATH EATER and A PUREBLOOD but i’m sure that’s not related. —— [ izzy : cst : 22: she/her ]

[another-sonic-blog]

The Dark Prince: Chapter Three: My Old Blue Friend

"Let Amy go, Shadow!"

   It was raining heavily in Hasvely but the silhouettes of Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog were still visible. Their furs were soaking wet just like their clothing. The townspeople hiding in their own homes, but still, there were ones who their curiosity had gotten the best of them and took up the courage to peek through their window. After all, it wasn't every day that you would see Sonic The Hedgehog, 'retired' world hero and Shadow The Hedgehog, the best world spy and recognized hero, together.    

   Tales that only kids would hear about when they were about to sleep. Superheroes that they only thought of meeting in their dreams.

"If you want her...come and get her."

   Shadow walked slowly but confidently towards the blue bur. Amy could only appreciate from afar, unable to do anything as she was tied down to a chair, mouth taped and she could only hope that this didn't end the way she was imagining it.

   The blue bur just stood there waiting for the black one to make a move. Sonic's eyes had changed over the years, it wasn't like him anymore.  Once they used to be filled with so much life, but now it seemed like that is a long time forgotten memory.

And so, the first impacted happened.

.

.

.

   One day before the events

.

.

.

   Hasvely was a small village. Around 5 thousand of population, in which the most dedicated their times in agricultural jobs to sustain themselves. Shadow and Amy had finally found their way to the village as they try to hide their looks to the other villages.

"Where do we start now?.", Amy questioned as she took a moment to look at Shadow.

"Well, asking around might be a good start but we don't want to give out too much of our information or how we look...A cup of black coffee it is then."

"Shadow!.", Amy stopped herself as she had realized that maybe she had said his name way too loud. Shadow walked away, pretending as nothing had happened, and looked around for the closest coffee shop, Amy couldn't do anything but follow him.

Is this real life? Or is just fantasy?

   Was Amy Rose really stranded in another village with Shadow The Hedgehog? With no other place to go? Yes, she was.  And the only thing Shadow was going to do about it was to look for coffee. Or at least that was his plan so far.

   Shadow opened the door for Amy and she walked in as she thanked him. It was a small place, more of a breakfast/restaurant kind of establishment. None the less, still pretty cozy and the smell of food had already made its way into Amy's nostrils, waking her senses up.

   They took a sit on the corner of the restaurant, and shortly after the waitress came up to them.

"Can I get you both something to drink?.", The waitress said as she put down the small menus on their table.

"Cup of black coffee.", Shadow said simply.

"And for your girlfriend?"

"Umh, I am n-",    Amy was about to correct her but was interrupted shortly after.

"She would like an Americano."

"All right, I'll be back with your drinks."

    The cat waitress left with a smile. Amy saw her leave and turned to Shadow who was reading the menu in front of him. Not really bothered by his own previous commentary.

"Um...Shadow?."

"Yes?."  He said, still not parting his eyes from the menu.

"Why did you say that?"

   Shadow looked up as he took of this fake round glasses.  "Was I wrong?"

"Well... I mean...you and I never talked about those things." Amy said as she looked down to the table, blushing a little bit.

"We don't need to talk about it, for me to know it's real."

   Amy's heart stopped for a second. Was the Dark Prince really insinuating that there was something more than just friendship between them?

"I know that your favorite coffee is Americano. That's why I order it."

   Well, at least he wasn't wrong.

Amy sighed in defeat, "Anyways, don't you really think that right now is a good time to be drinking coffee? Shouldn't we be looking for Sonic?."

"You would be surprised to know that you can find a lot of information by just sitting and drinking a cup of coffee."

"What?."

   Shadow smiled at her and looked shortly at the group of friends across from them, inviting Amy to do the same in a secret manner.

"I don't believe you, C'mon! We all know that Sonic the Hedgehog retired after the events of Eggman conquering the world.", A blue fox said, loud enough for them to hear.

"I am telling you, I saw him with my own eyes! The farm was on fire but there were still kids inside and then boom!  The blue bur went inside and save them all! It was so fast!  He left the kids in a safe place and left right after. There are people in town saying that they have seen him recently running around the fields too!", The other friend told his story, excitement on his voice.

"If there's no picture, it didn't happen."

"Ah, come on, don't you know how hard it is to get any piece of technology around here?."

   And the group of friends was going around and around about the topic. Amy and Shadow were concentrating on their conversation so much that they didn't notice that thirty minutes had passed just like that until their waitress had made a comeback with her personality backward.

"Sorry for the long wait." The cat girl said as she placed their drinks on the table, almost spilling them. "Just found out I am pregnant again. What can I get you?."

   Where Amy saw misfortune, Shadow saw an opportunity.

.

.

.

.

.

   "I can't believe you gave that lady more than half of our money Shadow!.", Amy whispered to his ear as they waited patiently for her to come back.

"Did you want to sleep on a cave again? On the cold floor? With no warm food on your belly?."Shadow responded back.

"Couldn't we just have gotten a hotel room?."

"It's Hasvely, they barely have a drainage system."

   Amy wanted to respond back to that but the sound of small feet running towards the dining table was way too noticeable to keep talking.

   Yes, Shadow had given most of their money to the cat girl in exchange for one night at her house with a comfortable bed to sleep in. She was pretty desperate and needed the money, so she really couldn't say no.

----

In a flash, three small cats appeared in front of the couple. One girl, two boys. The girl was red just like her mother and the boys shared a brown fur, which they both thought came from their dad.

Running around the dining table, screaming and playing between them until their mom showed up with what seemed to be tonight's dinner.

"Kids stop it already and sit down. Please don't bother our guests." The mom, which her name was clarified as Diana, explicitly told their kids who they obeyed.

"I am sorry, my husband passed away a month ago and it's been quite hard for me to control my kids without his help."

"We completely understand."

"Seems like your husband left you a present before he left," Shadow said as he looked directly at her tummy. "To be honest, I would of prefer something else. But I guess this is pretty nice too...A bit scary, but nice." Her face was filled with a nostalgic expression. Her eyes gleamed and twinkle as she softly placed a hand on her belly.

"Where are your babies, Mr. Angry?."

  The group of adults was interrupted by the youngest, the small girl could barely see beyond the table and focused her eyes on Shadow. "Emilia!" The mother tried to correct her but Shadow laughed under his breath, making it clear that he was far from being mad at the little girl.

"Mr.Angry doesn't have babies, red-one," Shadow responded.

"Why not?"

"I don't have a wife."

"What about Ms. Pretty?" The little girl then fixed her eyes on Amy who blushed at the moment. "Me-e?"

"You should marry her... Oh! I'll plan the wedding after dinner!"

"We will be looking forward to it then," Shadow said as he placed a hand on the small girl's hair.

  It was things like this that made Amy question Shadow sometimes. Amy smiles softly at him, really glad at the moment of her realization. Besides looking for a place to stay, Shadow was actually looking forward to helping this lady because, at the moment, her children needed the money more than they needed it.

Shadow was just good like that. A real-life Prince.

It was a peaceful dinner. The kids would do the normal play. The food was warm and homemade and to be honest it had been a while ever since they both had a peaceful night.

"I am so sorry, I need to leave for my night shift already. Do you mind putting my children to sleep?", The red lady said as she finished watching the dishes alongside Amy.

"Sure, it's no problem but....we just met each other. We are basically strangers and you are trusting your kids to me?", Amy said as she looked towards the living room, Shadow on the floor as the three kids played with him.

"Actually, it will be my honor if you and Shadow the Hedgehog stayed and took care of my children."

   Amy flinched a little, realizing that their disguise had failed. "You... you know us?"

"I don't know if he remembers but... Shadow the Hedgehog helped our village two years ago. We were on the blink of starvation. The government wouldn't help us but one day we just received a vast supply of seeds, machinery and other resources to help us grow. Everything was donated under the name of Shadow the hedgehog." The cat girl said smiling.

"How do you know it's him?"

"He personally came to distribute his resources. If it wasn't for him, I don't know what would have happened to the kids in this village, to be honest."

   As she finished to dry the rest of the dishes, Diana smiled towards her kids in the living room. Happier than ever to have someone else to play with. "I know G.U.N is looking for you both, but don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

.

.

.

"All right kids, just thirty more minutes!"

    Amy sat down on the floor alongside Shadow and kids who were brushing Shadow's quills. Amy noticed a black bow, crookedly attached to his white fur and a small black hat that was ok the verge of falling from his head.

"We need to get Ms.Pretty ready, fast!." The kids moved to 'work' on Amy's look as fast as they could. At this point, Amy just let it happened and let the kids have their fun.

"No looking at the bride while she's getting ready!." The oldest boy said and at this Shadow nodded and turned around. His back, now facing Amy's. Shadow played with his fingers as he waited for the kids to be done with Amy.

"So...you haven't seen Sonic since he 'retired'?" , Shadow decides to start a conversation to one, let time pass and two get more information that might help them in this mission.

Amy sighed, knowing that sooner or later the topic would come in hand. She closed her eyes as she saw the small red cat girl ready to put on some eye shadow on her.

"After the Resistance disbanded, Sonic left. The world was at peace again and without Eggman, there was no point on continuing saving the world and he quit being a hero. Or at least that's what I saw on the news..."

"That was around five years ago..." Shadow said as he felt one of the boys put some type of gel on his quills and began to play "crazy hair" on him.

"Last time I saw him was a year ago...when Cream's mom, Vanilla passed away...on her funeral. I saw him in the distance. We looked at each other...and then he left again. Without saying a word...That's why I am saying that it's going to be really hard to find him." Amy opened her eyes and saw the little girl place a small tiara she had made with paper on her head. Even now, talking about it hurt Amy on her inside. She couldn't hold it in much longer as she left her nose get watery due to the fact that she wanted to cry.

"Oh which reminds me," Amy added as she tried to change the subject. "Cream talked about you going to Vanilla's funeral and you told her something about-"

  Shadow pretended not to hear her sniff and his heart began to raised at the fact that may be a year ago, he had made a mistake by talking about his feelings to that rabbit.

"And we are done! You may look at the bride now!."

  Shadow was literally saved by the little girl and made a note to himself to thank her later. He turned around to face Amy this time and it took him a lot of courage to stop himself from laughing.

"You look...beautiful." Shadow tried to sound serious but Amy knew what meant. Her make up was all over the place, lipstick on her thee and on areas where they shouldn't be any. Blush as pink as her fur and eye-shadow all the way up to her eyebrows.

"Well, I am going to marry a very handsome hedgehog as well," Amy said as a take-back and Shadow could only guess how terrible his quills look at the moment.

"We are here today to marry Mr.Angry and Ms.Pretty so they can have babies." The third kids said as serious as he could. Standing in front of the couple while his brother and sister sat down next to Shadow and Amy as if they were guests of honor.

"Do you, Mr. Angry, swear to be with Ms.pretty um uh-." The cat boy pulled out a paper out of pocket as he had forgotten his lines. "-Forever, even if she eats your food without you knowing?"

Shadow looked at Amy directly on the eyes and his expression had changed. His eyes sparkled and he had a soft smile eating on his face. Softly and peacefully, an "I do" scapes from his lips and was heard loud enough for everyone to hear.

"And do you Ms. Pretty-"

   Even if it was just a game, Shadow's reaction at the moment had completely baffle Amy. He sounded so sensible and sincere that Amy's emotional self was on the blink to let down a tear, but instead a quick "I do" was said and such action of confidence never seen in her before had awed Shadow to his limits.

"Ladies and gentlemen... I know declare this two...husband and wife... may you both have a lot of babies we can play with!"

  The kids clapped all in different unison.

The little girl then gasped as she remembered something she had forgotten.

"Ah! Mr. Angry forgot to kiss Ms.Pretty!"

     Wow did this kids have pretty big adult ideas uh?

Shadow looked at Amy as she blinked at him. She wasn't sure if it was because of the heat coming from the fire or was it because Shadow was...blushing?

"Wait...you are not seriously thinking..."

    Oh, but he was; and as he tried to get back his composure, he got closer to the pink hedgehog as they felt the kids' eyes on them. Shadow placed his hand on Amy's check slowly chanting towards her and Amy tremble in all of her beings. The excitement, the fear she had never felt before because even at her 20s, she had never kissed anyone before.

  But now there she was. About to kiss the Dark Prince, no other than Shadow the hedgehog.

She closed her eyes ready for the impact...but felt the impact in another place... her cheek. Shadow had kissed her cheek softly, quick and once.

  What else could she expect from him? He wasn't just gonna steal a kiss, it wasn't like Shadow to do those kinds of things.

"There, now you all need to wash your teeth and head to bed," Shadow said as he stood up from the floor and looked at the kids.

"Fine!" The kids said in defeat as they all went to the restroom to get ready for bed.

"Well, that went nicely." Amy stood up as she took off the paper tiara from her head.

"Wait, leave it." Shadow interrupted her action in which exchange she gave him a concerned looked. "Why?"

"I think I just got an idea..."

.

.

.

And so, that's what brought us to this moment. The plan was simple. Use Amy as bait and hope for the blue but to come. The townspeople helped a lot too by spreading the rumor pretty fast that Shadow had taken Amy as a hostage. They knew it was risky since rumors run fast, they could expect a G.U.N militia coming for them any time soon. The best they could do now was to wait for the blue but to show up.

It began to rain heavily, thunder and lightning struck the village. Dark grey clouds above them and Shadow and Amy did their best to be patient.

"I am telling you he won't come," Amy said as she sat down on the chair Shadow had provided her. He was as standing next to her, holding an umbrella big enough to cover both of them. Even with it, they still manage to get their attires wet since the wind would throw water at them once in a while.

"Well, I want you to tell him that right now."

   Lighting struck and for a moment everything was visible in front of the couple and to the ones who were peaking through their window.

There he was in all of his might.

The one who has saved the planet multiple times. The one who runs as fast as the wind, the blue bur.

The worlds hero...Sonic the Hedgehog.

"It's been a while faker," Shadow said as dropped the umbrella and walked towards the blue one.

"Cut the chitchat, let Amy go and I'll be on my wa-"

Sonic then felt a punch on his face.

"Shadow! We said no fighting!"

   Sonic heard Amy from afar as he let the rain touch his body. "That's for making her cry." He saw Shadow looking down on him and walked away as he saw Amy approaching him. She covered his face with the umbrella as he recovered from the punch and sat down on the ground.

"What do you both want from me?, Sonic said as he stood up away from Amy's umbrella, acting as if she wasn't there.

"We want information. I don't know if you have heard but they are chasing Amy down for a murder she didn't do." Shadow sat down on the chair Amy used before as if there was no rain to worry about.

"Who did she 'murder'?"

"G.U.N's commander."

   Sonic looked at Amy with fiery eyes. For once in her life, Amy felt shivers run down her spine when he looked at her. And it wasn't like the 'electric' type she used to feel when she was younger; it was more like the 'scare' kind of type and that alone...terrified her.

"Well, you are screw"

   Just what the heck had happened to Sonic the Hedgehog these past years? He sounded more like Shadow in his teenage years, all edgy and dark. No, this wasn't the Sonic Amy had chased so many years ago.

"Sorry to inform you, but I got nothing. Now if you excuse me, I'll get going."

   Just like that. Sonic began to walk away. Shadow speed up and faced him. "I know you are lying."

"Good to know you are as perceptive as ever." Sonic walked past him, ready to make a run. He hesitated for a bit and sighed.

"Look, it's not only the commander. According to my informants,  G.U.N's leaders around the world have been killed as well under mysterious circumstances...as well as expert engineers, astronomers, scientist...mechanic geniuses."

   Shadow noticed that Sonic had stopped his movements. He turned around for a second to give Amy a comforting gift as he continued.

"You left for a long time...Tails Miles Prower became the top director for  G.U.N's elite mechanic's team...I wouldn't be surprised if he was on the list of fatalities next."

   Sonic turned around and if looks could kill, Shadow would be long dead.

"Follow me."

.

.

.

   Amy recognized the place as soon as she stepped on the base. A vast long memory she had wanted to forget but until this day, it hunts her on her worst nightmares.

"This is where you have been...all of this time?" Amy asked more to herself than to Sonic, who in return gave her a small growl.

"Take it or leave it"

   Yeah, in fact, it didn't take Amy nor Shadow to figure out what was going with him. A tragedy had occurred in that place, more than 100 soldiers from the Resistance lost their lives in that base. Pictures of not just them but of all other soldiers who lost their lives at the war with Eggman were plastered on the walls. Newspapers, articles, objects, everything was there.

"You are torturing yourself.", Shadow said.

"Its the only way to redeem my mistakes." Sonic sat down on a small cushion, near it there were blankets and small pillows, obviously the place he will sleep in.  Shadow and Amy sat down as well, but on the cold floor.

"When I was looking for supplies, I met this hedgehog boy. He was kinda weird looking, white fur, golden eyes. He sounded really desperate...anyways, he was asking people to take him to G.U.N.'s main base. He said that the commander was going to die soon and that would cause the destruction of his future.  Of course, nobody believed him."

   Sonic finished his story, Amy and Shadow looked at each other, waiting for more but nothing came out of his mouth. "What did you do?"

"I left, it wasn't none of my business."

"When did this happen?"

"Around a week ago."

"Where did you see him?" Amy asked the blue bur this time. "Persepolis, you can get there by foot in two days. But I am sure with Shadow's speed, time won't be a problem."

"It's not about time, it's about whether that white hedgehog is still in Persepolis or not" Shadow stood up from his place and took the freedom to walk around the place.

"It's our only clue now. Maybe someone in the city knows where he went." Amy quickly looked at Shadow who seemed in deep thought, reading the newspapers around him.

"We will leave in the morning, thank you for your cooperation, Sonic."

"Morning?"

"Oh yes, we will sleep here. Now if you don't mind, I'll go get us some food."

"Wait, Shadow don't leave-", Amy stood up fast, not wanting to be left alone with the blue one.

"I'll be back soon."

.

.

.

Ten minutes passed, and no sign of Shadow yet. Just the quiet and strange calmness that came within the base.  Amy looked at the floor as she played with her fingers. She could feel Sonic's gaze at her. Just staring at her.

"How did you do it?"

   Sonic's voice stumbled on Amy's head. "What do you mean?"

"How did you get your life back together after what happened?"

   Amy took the courage to move towards the blue hedgehog. She could see it on his eyes, the silent suffering, the sleepless nights, the nightmares. Just like how she was years ago.

"I never did. To be honest, I stopped doing the whole heroine stuff when the war was over. I just couldn't see myself having people's lives depend on me again. I decided on a much simpler life. I opened a small cafe, actually."

Amy took a moment to look at Sonic who was waiting for more of her story for him to hear. And so she continued.

"Therapy helped. But the nightmares are still there. I don't think I'll ever forget. You just gotta...see life with a different outlook."

   A few seconds passed and Sonic was one the one to moved closer to Amy. He grabbed her hand delicately, trembling and Amy noticed this.

"I am sorry...for leaving you for so long. It seems like I am always leaving you when you need me the most. Just like how I did with the rest of the world."

"You may have left me...but you never failed me."

   It got quiet. Very quiet. They didn't dare to look at each other because they knew what would happen if they did. They just stared at each other's hands, holding each other. Sonic softly caressing Amy's and she just let it all happen. She soon felt her chin been touched by Sonic's hand, making her look directly at his eyes and then at his lips who looked so tempting to touch.

Way too tempting.

And it seemed like Sonic thought the same way about Amy's. He was craving it, her touch, her presence, her everything. If he hadn't been so shy, so cowardly, he wonders if things could of turn this way, years ago. When he wasn't so broken, when he was worthy of being with Amy.

"Am I interrupting something?"

   It was Shadow.

Amy and Sonic separated as fast as they could. Their faces showed their evident blush, they couldn't hide it.

"We are leaving."

"Shadow, wait-"

"We are leaving!"

   Amy stood quiet, Shadow had never talked that way before to her. It was shocking in a sense to find out that maybe her dark prince wasn't so 'princey' after all.

   Shadow gave Amy one last look before he walked back out the door he came from.

He waited a few minutes for Amy to come out and she did. As soon as she came out, Shadow began to walk away, slowly.

"Umm, Shadow...are you angry at me?", Amy couldn't just leave things like that. She needed to find out the reason for Shadow's sudden mood change.

"No, I am not... I just felt something.", Shadow said, still not looking at Amy on the eyes. It wasn't all lies, but at the moment he wanted to hide the fact that he was jealous on the inside. It was just so stupid of him to think that Amy was starting to feel the same way he does about her. He hated the part of himself that told him there was hope that he could be loved.

"You felt...Something?"

"We are being followed. G.U.N.'s agents are already questioning the people in Hasvely. If we don't move quickly, Sonic is going to get involved as well."

"Oh...so that's why."

   Amy needed to stop herself from having stupid ideas. There was no way that Shadow could ever-

"You sound disappointed...were you waiting for a different answer?"

   Amy's thoughts were interrupted by his voice. They were now entering the woods, although Shadow was walking slowly, his walking pace was still way faster than Amy's. She ran a little to catch up to him once in a while.

"No, I was just thinking of Sonic...he still not ready to come back...when all of this is over. I promised him, I'll come back."

   In a sense, she was saying the truth, but she also wanted to hide her disappointment somehow.

"And what about me?"

"About you?"

"Yes, about us"

   Shadow stopped for a second, realizing that Amy was a behind him, trying to catch up to him.  Shadow grabbed her hand as to stop her from falling behind. However, Amy took this as a sign to have a conversation.

"What do you mean, about us?"

"I think after what I am doing for you, I reserve a reward, don't you think?"

   Shadow noticed that Amy was starting to get nervous. He turned his body towards her, as to give her more comfort, but Amy had taken it the wrong way. She began to walk backward as Shadow unconsciously walked towards her, still holding her hand.

"I mean yeah, um, uh what about, I don't know, mo-money?", Amy's voiced cracked as she looked away.

"I was thinking of something more...personal."

   Amy's back touched a tree behind her, and Shadow placed a hand above her as, making it clear that she couldn't go anywhere. For Shadow, there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. But to Amy, it felt a whole different way. It was as is Shadow was teasing her on purpose.

"What-what do you want?"

   Shadow moved his face closer to her. Taking a breath as he appreciated her aroma. He looked at her in the eyes, and Amy felt her knees tremble.

"I want y-"

"Um, I am sorry."

   They were both interrupted by a white hedgehog, spiky, weird looking hair. Golden eyes, white chest fur, and his shoes looked weirdly...futuristic.

"My name is Silver and I think I am lost."

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Next Chapter: https://another-sonic-blog.tumblr.com/post/185967014480/the-dark-prince-chapter-four-believe-in-him

The Dark Prince: Chapter Four: Believe In Him

Previous Chapter: https://another-sonic-blog.tumblr.com/post/185966809995/the-dark-prince-chapter-two-the-way-he-is

The Dark Prince:  Chapter Two: The Way He Is

[cksmart-world]

The completely unnecessary news analysis

by Christopher Smart

March 17, 2020

THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

& WHEN SPORTS ENDED

OK, either we've collided with a parallel universe or its the end of the world as we know it. We're talking about Sarah Palin's appearance as a fluffy, pink bear on TVs “The Masked  Singer,” doing a rendition of the hiphop hit “I Like Big Butts, I Cannot Lie.” (We couldn't possibly make this up.) If the former Alaska governor's singing debut was intended as a political comeback, it might have fallen short. On the other hand, who knows anymore. The one-time vice president wannabe sure can shake her booty, but good god, what does it say about our country? We're facing the biggest epidemic since the 1918 Spanish Flu and Sarah Palin is in a pink bear suit singing, “I Like Big Butts.” Think about it. Is Coronavirus really our biggest problem? Wilson and the band have seen some strange things, both real and imagined, and it sent them diving under the bed, holding their ears and screaming la-la-la-la-la-la-la. Every nation eventually self-destructs. It happened to the Romans. It happened to the Egyptians. We have a crazy man as president, the grocery stores are empty and Americans are glued to the TV, watching people in ridiculous costumes, sing ridiculous songs, while a panel of celebrities try to guess who it is. Jesus. OK, Wilson, pass the LSD, we need something to bring us back closer to normality.

WHEN SPORTS ENDED

In the distant future — say, in about a year — a surviving Earthling will write a book  recounting when all sports ended and time stood still. It'll be something like Harlan Ellison's classic sci-fi story, “A Boy And His Dog,” where there is practically no one left. It starts out at a time when sports was central to life. People would stop whatever they were doing to watch a soccer match, a basketball playoff and even baseball. But then a pox came over the land and everyone had to stay home, even athletes. First, the bookies went — killed by gambling addicts in Las Vegas. Then, the sports writers went missing because they feared getting real jobs. TV lost so much money that it went dark. Colleges closed because there no longer was a reason to have a school. Meanwhile, people at home went stark raving mad because they could no longer watch sports — not even high li. Years and centuries went by until aliens landed at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. After some research and archeology, they determined that Earthlings had been strange beings with long arms and small heads who often gathered in large groups to self-flagellate and eat nachos. Then the aliens flew away to another galaxy, continuing their fruitless search for intelligent life.

THE BUCK STOPS OVER THERE

"No, I don't take responsibility at all," said President Donald Trump when asked if it was his fault there is still a lack of test kits for Coronavirus. It is rather heart warming to know our leader wasn't the one who screwed things up. That responsibility lies with some dummy somewhere — probably Obama and the Democrats. It's reminiscent — for all the wrong reasons — of Harry Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, who served from 1945 to 1953. The Missouri native was known for his no-nonsense approach and a sign on his desk that said, “The Buck Stops Here,” — to let everyone know he accepted full responsibility for the way the country was governed. Ah, but times have changed. The buck now stops with... whomever. When Ebola broke out in West Africa in 2014, President Barack Obama established the Office of Pandemic Response through the National Security Council in order to plan and execute strategies for battling such global emergencies. But in January, 2018, the Trump administration cut its funding and shut it down. Who needs a pandemic office, anyway? When Trump was asked last week if he took responsibility for disbanding the organization, the president responded: “That's a nasty question.” Then he added: “When you say, 'me,' I didn't do it...” Next question.

HOW BAD IS IT?

The Coronavirus is the worst thing to come along in a long time. So, Smart Bomb dispatched our team of crack sociologist to ask men and women searching for food in abandoned grocery stores just how bad things have become:

It's so bad, one woman said, that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, aka the MoTabs, has self-isolated and is singing “The Truth Is Marching On” via Skype.

It's so bad, said a man holding a chicken wing, that KFC has dropped the slogan, “finger-lick'n good.”

Its so bad, said a young woman with pink hair and tattoos, that the Utah State Prison won't allow her boyfriend to make license plates that say, “Life Elevated.”

It's so bad, said a despondent Young Republican, that Mike Lee actually said there are some things bigger than politics.

It's so bad, said a woman with four kids, that people are trading Charmin on e-bay in exchange for ramen noodles.

It's so bad, said an old lady with blue hair, that telemarketing scammers from Nigeria are tricking people into sending hand sanitizer instead of money.

It's so bad, Fox News and Sean Hannity, Laura Ingram and Fox & Friends now say that Coronavirus is not a hoax.

It's so bad, said a pretty woman with a lot of cleavage, that Tinder is urging phone sex only, warning horny folks it's not worth risking their lives just to get laid.

And it's so bad, according to anonymous White House sources, that Ivanka Trump told her father that French kissing is out.

Post Script — Well, Wilson, “it's time to hunker down,” in the words of Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, because despite what the White House says, Coronavirus is not contained: "The worst is yet ahead for us,” Dr. Fauci said. “We are at a very, very critical point now." But guess what, Wilson, Donald Trump said he's got everything totally under control. “It's a very contagious virus. It's incredible,” Trump said. “But it's something we have tremendous control of." And Trump added this: "Young people, people of good health, and groups of people just are not strongly affected." Right. Not surprisingly, Dr. Fauci said younger people should be concerned. “You are not immune or safe from getting seriously ill,” he said. “There are going to be people who are young who are going to wind up getting seriously ill. So protect yourself." There's no getting around it, Wilson, someone is full of it and it doesn't appear to be Dr. Fauci. This is what Fareed Zacharia wrote in the Washington Post: “Trump has bluffed and fibbed his way through much of his life and thinks nothing of doing so again — except this time we are not charmed or amused by the bluster but rather frightened.” By contrast, the president rated his handling of the crisis thus far at a 10 out of 10. Well, that about says it all Wilson, so tell the band to take their masks off and take us on outa here:

Six o'clock, TV hour, don't get caught in foreign tower Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn Lock him in uniform and book burning, blood letting Every motive escalate, automotive incinerate

It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it And I feel fine...

[general-rusty]

Paradise City Stories

[EXT. Turismo Beach - Noon 1980s] There were kids breakdancing to early Hip Hop, muscle dudes, hot girls in bikinis, hot dog stands, old folks, a mix of cheapo hatches, old and abused American Couples, and high tech modern sport cars passing by. Danny [V.O] “Paradise City, a city of dreams, a city of luxuries, but most importantly a city of Vices.” Turn Up The Radio by Autograph started to play as the Camera flies into a sun faded blue 1970 Carson Rattler Convertible. [INT. Car Interior] There are two guys in the car. The driver is a brown dog with reddish brown hair, he is wearing a blue letterman Jacket. The Passenger is a gray dog with a black Jheri curl, he has a red track jacket on. Danny [V.O.] (Smug) “See that handsome son of a bitch, that’s me, and sorry ladies but I’m taken. I’m that all American Jock all of the girls wants, sure at the time I didn’t have a job you would tell your father, but I have that charm, that look, you know that Good Boy but isn’t a wimp look. Right next to me in the Passenger seat is my best friend Damon Jackson, he’s pretty cool, though he does complain a little too much. I always feel bad for his childhood, with him living in one of the worst hoods in Emperor City, but he has his ways to deal with it, normally working out.” [EXT Turismo Beach] The Rattler stops by the curb. Damon got out. Damon “Hey thanks man.” Danny “Yeah no problem Damon.” Danny turns down the radio. (Smug) “I was already planning to come here anyways.” Danny pointed to a red fox with dark red feathered hair and is wearing a purple bikini top and a denim mini skirt.. Damon (Chuckles) “Alright I will leave you two alone then. See ya!” Damon closed the door and walked to the gym. [EXT. Car Interior pointing to Hot Dog Stand] Danny [V.O] (Smug) “You see that fox over there, yeah that’s my girl Virginia Cox, now V’ isn’t a girly girl, she’s can easily kick your ass, and look fine while doing it. Don’t let her look fool you, she can be one mean bitch, and I’m her Partner in Crime.” [INT. Hot Dog Stand] Virginia (Angry) “Well you can go to hell, you pervert!” Danny Honks the horn Off Scene Danny [O.S] (Shouting) “Babe come here!” Virginia (Smug) “Oh sorry Dick, I got a real man, you know someone with money and respect for a woman.” Virginia walks away while flipping the Hot Dog Vender off Hot Dog Vender (Annoyed) “Fucking bitch.” [INT. Car.] Virginia got into the car. Danny “Hey V’ what was happening over there?” Virginia “Oh just some perv making a joke about me. Don’t worry I gave him hell for it.” Danny (Serious) “V’.” Danny turn Virginia’s head to face him “I will kick that son of a bitch’s ass if I have too.” Virginia “Danny it’s fine, like I said. I gave him hell for the comments.” A short blonde female cougar in a light blue sweater and a white skirt had a bunch of shopping bags, came by the car and started to put the bags in the backseat. She then jumped into the back seat. Danny “Katrina, what are you doing?” Danny [V.O.] “That’s Virginia’s best friend Katrina, she is well dumber than a bag of rocks, and she likes to shop a lot, she has a problem.” Katrina “Oh I just did some shopping.” Danny “Yeah no shit. How much did you waste?” Virginia slaps Danny’s face Virginia (Angry) “Danny just let it go, it’s her money, it’s not our problem.” Danny gave Virginia a look of Confusion. Katrina “She’s totally right Danny.” Danny “Stay out of this.” Katrina (Smug) “Why is it my money?” Virginia “Yeah Danny it’s her money and her problem.” Daryl [O.S.] (Yelling) “Danny start the car!” A tall and buff Wolf with a black mullet & sideburns combo carrying a suitcase runs into the screen and jumps into the back of the car, landing on the bags. Danny [V.O.] (Sighs) “And that is Daryl. The man who ruined my life.” Katrina (Screaming) “DARYL!” Virginia (Surprised) “Daryl what the fuck?!” [EXT. Cheap Hotel] Redneck (Shouting) “Comeback here you fuck!” A man covered in blood limped out of the hotel with a Revolver in hand. [EXT. Car] Danny (Shocked) “Oh shit.” Danny started the car and speeds off The man shot off 2 shots at the Rattler as it speeds off one of the bullets hit the windshield and the other hits the tail light. Virginia (Shouting) “Daryl what the fuck was that?!” Daryl (Happy) “Don’t worry Red, I got the cash.” Daryl pulled out the suitcase full of 10’s and 20’s. “The suckers thought Drywall was Coke.” Danny (Shouting) “Then why did he shoot at us!” Daryl (Muttering) “He did a test.” [EXT. Andrew’s Condo - Dust] The gang parks in front of the Condo. A white cat with blonde hair wearing a brown blazer and black pants came out of the Condo. Andrew (Happy) “Virginia!” Danny [V.O.] This is Andrew, our boss slash landlord slash guy trying to fuck Virginia.” Virginia, Danny, Katrina, and Daryl got out of the car. Daryl “And Company.” Andrew “Yeah yeah yeah. Did you get the money Daryl?” Danny “Yeah he did, but the deal went to shit and the car kinda got shot up.” Danny points at the bullet holes. Andrew “Ah don’t worry. The car was a lemon anyway.” Virginia (Worried) “Hey is Ace here?” Danny [V.O.] “And finally there is Ace. The guy that is probably going to kill me. See Ace is our clean up man” [Mugshot Photos of A red hair with dark red hair, wearing a black leather jack] [INT. Alley - Night] Ace straggling a man with wire [EXT. Cheap 5 story Apartment - Noon] A window breaks and a man falls out of it. [INT. Garage] Ace with a Welding Mask on flips it down and got to work on a tied up man with a Blowtorch. Danny [V.O.] “Yeah it’s best not to mess with him, the only people I know who have the balls to talk down to him are his sister Virginia, or Daryl.” [INT. Andrew’s condo - Dust] Ace came out of the condo. Ace (Giving Danny the death stare) “Hello Virginia.” Virginia “Ace he’s fine.” Ace (Still giving Danny the death stare) Virginia (Roller her eyes) “Ace he’s fine, you don’t have to protect me Ace (Grab Danny by the shirt) “I don’t trust you Danny, you’re just like them.” Virginia (Shouting) “He’s not like them!” Ace (Drops Danny) “Fine.” Andrew (Grabs the Suitcase) “While you guys deal with this, I’m gonna count the cash.” Andrew went inside Danny (Shouting) “What the hell is wrong with you?!” Danny got into Ace’s face. Daryl (Pulls Danny back) “Okay that’s enough Danny, no need to piss him off even more.” Danny [V.O.] (Deep Sigh) “I know this will sound crazy but in a way, Daryl was right.” Danny “Piss him off more? The fucker tries to kill me every other week!��� Daryl “Well look at it this way. At least it’s not every week.” Danny Punches Daryl right in his left eye (Shouting) “I’m going to kill you first you inbred dumbass!” Ace Pulls Danny away from Daryl Daryl covers his eye and stumble back a little Virginia (Shouting) “Danny!” Danny stop trying to kick Daryl and turn around to Virginia Virginia (Crying) “Just stop this.” Runs inside Katrina “Jez, you guys are messed up.” Danny [V.O.] “I may not know it at the time, but she was right. We were fucked up, and the next 3 years shows that, but me being dumb and young. I thought she said that to get me away from Daryl.” Andrew [O.S.] (Yelling) “This is paper!” Daryl (Shouting) “What?!” Andrew [O.S.] “It’s fake!” Daryl (Under his breath) “Shit.” (Shouting) “So now what?!” Andrew [O.S.] (Shouting) “Kill that cheap son of a bitch! I don’t want to see you, or Danny back into that fucker is dead!” Daryl “Well you heard the man Dannyboy.” Daryl got into the Rattler. Danny Rolled his eyes and got into the Rattler. [EXT. Turismo Beach Strip - Night] The Neon from the Strip was shining on the old Rattler, the end of Twisted Sister’s Leader of the Pack was playing on the radio. Rock Radio DJ “Alright that was Twisted Sister’s cover of Leader of the Pack. Let’s go to the phone.” Woman on the phone “Oh my god I love you guys, me & some gals are going out on the town and we need some tunes.” Rock Radio DJ “I can do that, Motley Crue, Girls Girls Girls.” Daryl Turn the radio up “Oh hell yeah! Boys we’re gonna head to the Nudie Bar tonight!” Danny (Shouting) “Can we get this job done first!” Daryl “Okay fine. Fun Police.” Danny (Shouting) “Do you take anything seriously?!” Daryl “Buddy listen, I have my goals and you have your’s.” Danny (Shouting) “Really what are they?!” Daryl “Give me More sex, more tats, more blood, more pain, more threats, more fast, torn jeans, cocaine, more pretty strippers with the big red lips making big tips showing off the nice big tits Ha!” Danny Punch Daryl in the shoulder. “Jesus Christ I’m with a goddamn child!” Daryl (Chuckles) “That means you just hit a child, you abuser.” Danny “Daryl shut the fuck up.” Daryl “Okay Jez, Though Crowd.” [EXT. Cheap Hotel on the Strip - Night] Daryl knocks on the door. Redneck “Who is it?!” Daryl (Bad Mexican Accent) “Housekeeping.” Dann punches Daryl in the shoulder while Daryl chuckles at his bad accent. Redneck “Come in.” Daryl Daryl pulls out a double barrel sawed off Shotgun he has around his right leg and opens the door. [INT Cheap Hotel Room - Night] No one was in the room. Danny (Whispering) “Where is he?” Redneck (With a baseball bat.) “RIght behind you.” The Redneck took a swing at Danny but Daryl jumped in and took the hit, knocking the gun out of Daryl’s hand and landing right in front of Danny. Danny picked the gun up, he was shaking. Daryl Daryl kicked the bat out of the man’s hands. (Shouting) “Shoot the bastard!” Danny Everything went slow as Danny pulled the trigger, firing the gun, the Lead went into the Man’s heart, and knocking him off of Daryl. Danny [V.O.] “At this moment, my life changed forever.” The man slams into the wall, as he slides down a trail of blood following him down. Daryl (Impressed) “Oh shit Danny… Go wait in the car I will clean up..” Danny walks out of the Hotel while Daryl gets his knife out and starts cutting the carpet covered in blood. [EXT. Carson Rattler - Night] Dary put the body in the trunk and got into the Rattler that Danny was waiting in. Daryl starts the car and floors it out. [INT. Carson Rattler - Night] Danny (Shocked) “I… I just… k-killed a man.” Daryl (Joking) “Yes you did you cold blooded killer!” Danny “N-n-no, I just… killed a man.” Daryl “Got some Shell Shock there Danny-boy?” Danny “I j-just killed a man.” Daryl (Worried) “Shit… Okay let’s go to a Strip Club, I need to cheer you up.” Daryl stops at a red light. Damon [O.S.] (Angry) “Danny what the fuck?!” Damon jump into the Rattler. Daryl “Hey Damon.” Damon “Where the fuck where you? You left me out here!” Daryl “Hey Damon calm down a little.” Damon “Calm down? Motherfucker I got mugged, and I had to beat the living shit out the mugger to get my money back!” Daryl “And Danny shot a guy, and by the looks of it he’s not dealing with it well.” Damon (Goes from Angry to comfortin) “Oh shit Danny, look it will be alright, I mean chances are he was a loner, no friends, no family, no one will remember him.” Daryl “He was part of the Dixie Mob.” Damon “So yeah like I said no one will remember him.” Daryl (Chuckles) “Yeah true.” [INT. Strip Club - Night] The place was sleazy and dirty. The pink Neon lights the hallway to the Stage, the building had about 20 people in it, not counting staff. Danny, Damon, and Daryl were sitting next to each other. Danny was still in shock. Damon was bored as he does not care for women, and Daryl was Happy as can be. Danny [V.O.] “Now if Daryl fucks up he will do one of three things, he would get you a gun, a car, or take you to the strip club, and since all of the stores close at 8, it’s this.” DJ “Alright Fellas here’s Cherri!” The DJ plays Sticky Sweet by Motley Crue as an Arctic Fox with Pink highlights come out. Daryl (Excited) “Woah baby come here!” (Calm) “This helping Danny?” Danny gave Daryl a blank stare. Daryl “Yeah I need to get her more naked. Thanks for the advice.” Damon (Roll his eyes) “Why couldn’t you leave me in the car?” Daryl “Because this is more fun.” Damon “You know I’m Gay, right Daryl?” Daryl (Put his finger on Damon’s lips) “Shhh. We can have people knowing about that, only god knows if another AID’s panic happens.” A couple of Yuppies come in and Daryl has his eyes on them already. Daryl “Hey you see they fucks over there. Watch this.” Daryl walks over to the yuppies. Damon “Oh shit he’s gonna do a singing rant again.” Daryl (Shouting) “HEY YUPPIES!” (Angry) “You read the Daily Street Journal, sippin’ champagne in your limousine, Well I'll be alright with a cold Shud Light and a hot rod magazine.” Danny and Damon (Try to hide) Daryl (Angry) “You all love your Vitesses that you drive, Well my gas guzzling '81 Pickup suits me fine. So keep in mind you pretty kids that think you're all so cool, Just remember we're the ones that beat the shit out of you in school.” (Grab Danny and Damon) “We're just backwoods boys, making noise in a new age society. And we don't give a shit about the stock market or life of luxury.” Danny and Damon were motorfied as the yuppies just stared at the three. [EXT. Strip Club Parking Lot- Night] The Parking Lot had like 5 cars, the Rattler the boys drove in with, a Blue with a Silver Strip 1984 Carson Rattler, a black and red pinstripe 1983 Krystal Corona, a gray and blue striped 1982 Kuruma K280, and a White and Yellow 1959 Carson Luxomatic. The music stopped as the three were thrown out both verbally and physically. Daryl (Shouting) “Fuck you guys!” The boys got up. Damon and Danny started to walk to the Rattler before Daryl grabbed them by the collar. Daryl (A little boozed up) “Woah woah woah. Where are you two going?” Damon (Deadpan) “Back to the car?” Daryl “And not pick up a new model?” Daryl pulls Danny and Damon to the new Rattler. “So Damon do you magic.” Damon (Sighs) “Daryl, Danny is in Shock, you’re drunk and it’s 11 at night. I think we should worry about getting home first.” Daryl (Open the door to the Rattler) “Hey the door is open!” A gunshot killed the silence and struck Damon’s shoulder. Damon screams in pain. Daryl (Panicked) “Shit, shit, shit Danny you got to drive!” Daryl pulled Damon into the car and Danny hopped into the car. The Keys feel from the Sun Visor on Danny’s lap Danny [V.O.] “I don’t know if it’s pure Fight or Flight but on that night I was in full Flight & Fight.” Danny throws the car into reverse, jumping the curve. The shooter shot the glass to the Kuruma and hopped in it. Daryl “That ain’t no bouncer.” [EXT. Danvis St] The Rattler speeds away while the Kuruma speeds to the Rattler. The Kuruma side slips three parked cars. [INT. Rattler] Daryl “Jesus, that little junkomobile isn’t going to live if he keeps driving like that!” Damon (Shouting) “Can you keep pressure on me!” The White and Yellow 1959 Carson Luxomatic comes like a Bat outta hell and nearly T-Bones the Rattler. The Kuruma T-Bones the Luxomatic, sending the japanese Sports Car into a Gas Station, the Luxomatic burst into flames from the impact, the Kuruma barely missed the pumps and landed into the back off of Pickup. The Rattler made a sharp left turn into Parkview Ave. Daryl “I think they’re gone.” [EXT. Parkview Ave] The Krystal blocks the road. Danny stombs on the brakes, nearly hitting the Krystal. A Racoon in a Denim Cut off Sleeve Jacket got out of the Krystal. Danny got out of the Rattler. Damon (Worried) “Danny the guy probably got a gun!” Danny Right Hooked the Racoon in the face and started going to town on him. Daryl “Yeah kick his ass!” Danny [V.O.] “You know what. There was something about bashing that guy’s skull into that car that changed me, maybe it’s that paired with me shooting that guy earlier, but I changed, for the better and the worse.” Daryl got out of the car and went over to Danny. Danny was just finishing up beating the guy. Daryl “Jesus Calm down there killer, you finally got out of Shock.” Danny Stop beating the guy. “Yeah.” Daryl “Oh sick Vest.” Daryl took the vest off of the body. Danny “Daryl that’s low.” Daryl (Shouting) “It’s a badass vest!” Put the vest on. “Like a glove. Come on, I bet Virginia is worried sick about you.” The boys got into the Rattler and drove away. The Credits Role as Darkest Side of the Night by Metropolis plays. The Camera zooms out of the scene and pans to the Moon.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Grimms Notes 1 | Spec Ops Asuka 1 - 2 | Boogiepop 3 | Price of Smiles 2 - 3 | Kaguya-sama 1 | Mob Psycho II 2 | Morose Mononokean II 2 - 3 | Shield Hero 2 | My Roommate is a Cat 2 | Girly Air Force 1

Grimms Notes 1

Somehow, from the opening shot having an easy-to-draw-and-animate non-very-threatening monster, I can tell this is a game adaption.

…Likwise, when I have complaints about the birds in the OP being CG, you know this is an anime.

I think this “handing down the role of Red Riding Hood” thing is interesting. However, the humour Tao was going for at the time…was so not me.

I think all Tao said was that it was dangerous (in the audio). I think the subber was trying to insert a Zelda meme…what an evil agenda…(partially joking)

“…scary black thing…” – Do you mean the monster? If you mean the wolf monster and not the other clawed creature from the beginning of the episode, then that’s not black. That’s purple.

I think Brain’s Base is trying to make Red look creepy with her dead ahead stare, but…as much as I don’t like a fisheye lens, we could really use some right now.

Okayyyyyyyyyy…I knew anime could make anything a weapon, but a bookmark? That’s stretching credulity a bit. How is that badass??? C’mon, even healing was – kinda – badass in Merc Storia because it had a purpose. A bookmark is just used for keeping your place in a book. Unless it’s one of those metal ones that falls out of books all the time, they don’t hurt flies.

Seriously, doesn’t Goliath get defeated by David??? In better news, I thought Tao was vaguely hot, but Robin Hood…ooh…

I have no idea why Alice’s weapon is a sword, btw.

Waitttttt…wuh? “I’ll show you how to be a real lady”???? *eyes of skepticism* At least the other ones make sense and aren’t as gendered – but notably Cinderella is a healer when they could’ve done something cooler, like the Little Mermaid or something (to tie into siren mythology).

Obviously Evil Villain is Obvious. Nothing new to see here.

Well…that was mildly unsatisfying…

Spec Ops Asuka 1

For some reason, I call Magical Girl Special Operations Asuka “Spec Ops Asuka”. Well, at least it makes sense…*shrugs*

Karambit. Surprisingly, it’s a weapon I’ve never heard of before…

Exposition dumps have never been this clunky before! Oof!

Whiskey Charlie? Like…WC? Toilet??? (I’m not sure everyone will get that joke, but okay.)

I’d probably translate the episode title to “Comeback of the Magical Girl”. It starts with a relative clause, so it should be that way in English too.

The ol’ transfer student cliché. *sigh* Anime, anime, anime…why you do dis to me? Not that I mind it, I wouldn’t be so deep if I weren’t…

What’s the name of Nozo-chan’s friend again???

“Franz on the Waves” seems to be a play on “Kafka on the Shore”.

Le sigh…I get the feeling this was written by a dude to satisfy male fantasies by pretending to use girl power as a symbol.

Seriously though, if you thought Sailor Moon was bad at keeping identities…Asuka has it worse. I mean, Rapture Asuka = Asuka Ootori. It’s really obvious in English…

A thug man with a metal hand drinking tea from a tiny cup…now there’s a real source of humour!

(Trigger warning: prostitution discussion) - “…whoring yourself out.” – Err…that’s definitely not what I expected to see in an anime like this. I haven’t shied away from Shield Hero, but this I did a really big double take on for all the wrong reasons. Even with Sayoko to hold Nozo-chan back, I still think Nozo’s being really, really insensitive here.

Okay…the rules of long hair state you must pull your hair out from towels. They missed a good opportunity to do that shoujo sparkle thing with that, y’know, even if to create mood whiplash.

There is something to be said about bystander effect here, I think, and how people award proactivity rather than being passive...especially with magical girls and those other kinds of people who act as “heroes” during times of crisis.

Oh, of course, terrorism. Because we want our magical girls political now…*le sigh*

“Live your life for the sake of those who died.” – This reminds me of the situation with cian-aemilian all over again. I’m pretty sure I’ve said something of a similar nature in the past due to it. Update: my exact quote was “…what can the living do but keep those who have gone in their memory?”

…and of course, people who watch magical girls from afar use drones, because that’s going to outdate this show in a good 10 – 20 years. *le sigh*

Well, colour me impressed. I was about to jump ship due to the shoddy quality, but I think that quote at the end felt like a dig at me personally in the best (yet worst) way possible.  I did laugh a tonne at how stupid the gore looked, though, which might be a problem…

Boogiepop 3

Is it just me, or has Echoes cleaned up now enough to be kinda…hot?

Waittttt…which of them is “Niitoki-kun”? Sorry, I just don’t think I’m 100% comprehending all the names being flung about here. Update: Niitoki is the class prez gal.

Somehow I knew he was going to stab Echoes with the pen, but I was still slightly surprised to see it happen.

Hmm…that episode was a lot more impressive than the last two. Things actually made sense, now that we know the background of them,

Price of Smiles 2

I see 2D mechs. They may be stationary, but I’m still impressed…they’re basically a dying breed these days.

Why do these mechs have shields, anyway?

I like how the twins poked fun at Joshua’s “passion and will” thing.

Oh no…judging from their reaction…did Joshua die???

End of episode segment…keep watching.

Kaguya-sama 1

This is my final premiere…so I’d better make this count. I read somewhere the narrator was overpowering and read the first volume of manga, but otherwise that’s all I know about this.

I think that shot that replays in the OP is part of one chapter of the manga.

Tori…Tottori…geddit? Oh, never mind.

20th Century Fox, much?

The weed was a good touch. I don’t remember that being in the manga. (No, I’m not talking about that weed…which you can smoke…)

“Who’s Hayasaka?” you ask. Good question. Even I didn’t know, so I had to ask Google. Hayasaka…is Kaguya’s valet! If you know that, then you can laugh about it!

If you want a sausage octopus, just go ask your team of chefs for one, Kaguya!

Mob Psycho II 2

I’m pretty sure Ura Sunday is where Mob Psycho is serialised…

Is this the real Junji Ito adaption (LOL)?

Mononokean II 2

Why is Ashiya good at finding metal objects anyway? (If there is an explanation…) It’s only metal items and not anything else, right?

So the Justice is this frumpy purple-haired dude? I think I outgrew this kind of dude once I got over Urushihara…

There are CGI tadpoles, but they’re kinda hard to see against the 2D background…

Come to think of it, Abeno may be the master of the Mononokean, but it seems he reports directly to the Legislator. Is there a guy/youkai like that for the Justice (and presumably the other dude) as well?

Moja falling into the water was too adorable!

Oh great (LOL), the Legislator is basically baiting Abeno with “that’s not water!” from Grand Blue…

I just realised Abeno’s so big in comparison to Ashiya…n-not that I mind of course…(lel)

Aoi? Who dat? Update: Oh yeah…that guy (?) was the first master of the Mononokean. Sorry, I may have watched the 1st series twice, but that was at the start of 2017.

Shield Hero 2

“…is diseased and has a mental disorder.” – Well, I thought it honestly couldn’t get any worse, between slavery and rape accusations. It just did. Again, I don’t condone this stuff, but a story’s a story, no matter how depraved.

Seeing a story about the pits of despair naturally means you can see people get better – I think that’s why we need to have both stories that are light and fluffy + dark and dreary.

I see Naofumi keeps a Balloon (<- how I’ll refer to balloon monsters from now on) at his side all the time now, LOL. By the way, when he bought that ball, I honestly thought he was going to offer Raphtalia a Balloon instead of getting her a proper ball…

Update: Not sure if Naofumi’s inability to taste stuff is because of the betrayal or because of the fact he changed worlds…or maybe even something else?

My Roommate is a Cat 2

I see Bliss wallpaper...either someone has good taste in default wallpapers or a very outdated computer!

Is it alright to feed cats bread…? I’ve never fed a cat.

They say pets are like their owners, huh? Subaru is very much like the cat.

Wait, why are all the pets that are out and about do-Update: Forget I asked. There are some cats outside as well…

I’ve never seen a Japanese word processor with genkouyooshi to type into vertically, come to think of it.

Talking to cats is fine and dandy, I think, assuming they understand you as well. Anyways, I think Subaru got the name “Haru” from “sunny” (hare).

Ah! Kitty too cute!...I wish that could be a review, but sadly…it can’t be.

Post-credits segment…keep going.

Oh, that post-credits segment was so good, even if it did need some explaining to an audience that only knows English!

Update: I read the character bios from the official site, and turns out Haru is a girl.

Girly Air Force 1

I’ve seen mixed opinions about this (as in, read too many impressions on it and they don’t neatly go one way or another), so I’m taking the plunge while I still have time to.

You can tell your protagonist is great when the first word he says is “S***!”

EGG? “Defective girl”? I know I’m watching something with a lot of context here…but seriously, this was definitely made for dudes. Jusssssssssssst saying.

See? What did I say? After your first kiss, it’s only a matter of time before-erhem. I’ll stop ranting now.

So…what languages does Minghua know, exactly?

Wait, so what was Kei doing in China? Better question! (sings in a teasing voice “Eloping, eloping, Kei was eloping!”)

As much as I think free tuition is a good thing…I’m with Minghua. Don’t go risking your life when you just escaped for your life not too long ago.

*sigh* Kei, Kei, Kei…what do you think you’re doing?

…and I LOL. I LOL so hard at how they tossed Kei into the boot but laid down Minghua like a baby.

But seriously, why the name “Daughter”???

Egao no Daika 3

I found and heard Huey! I can leave this show if I wanted to now…

The fact people are red or blue, and sometimes you can’t tell which is which, is powerful colour symbolism.

Spec Ops Asuka 2

Well…that (perception magic) explains one of my questions from last time.

I kep thinking that Sayako is the sort of girl who would become a magical girl…in the traditional sense.

Pigeon fight! The fight I never knew I needed…kind of.

I’ve watched enough anime to know the new transfer student is Kurumi…geez.

Mononokean II 3

For some reason, I didn’t realise this until most of the episode had gone…but Egen is a tengu, right?

Make sure you watch closely for the “like him [Ashiya]” bit…it’s funny when you find out.

I find it the most surprising that Abeno is calling himself an idiot…hmm.

[wbwest]

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New Post has been published on http://www.williambrucewest.com/2017/01/06/west-week-ever-pop-culture-review-1617/

West Week Ever: Pop Culture In Review - 1/6/17

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2017, where we’re gonna lose even more celebrities than we did last year! That’s right, kiss Betty White goodbye!

  On the movie front, since we last got together, I saw Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Yeah, it didn’t do much for me. Now, let me back up a bit. I did miss the first 20 minutes because I had double-booked the night. So, I did miss the setup, but my friend caught me up so I’d know who everyone was. There was Hector “Space” Gonzalez, and Trixie Bang Bang, and Gay Karate Man, and He Who Shoots From Canister Vacuum. And they were fighting the evil Sir Capes A Lot, who was building the Death Star. I got all that. Still, something about it just left me empty. I feel like it’s a giant Easter egg of a movie for those hardcore Star Wars fans, but I’m not sure what it offers the casual fan. ***SPOILER ALERT***I mean, it’s just one big suicide mission. It’s impressive how they’ve worked it into the existing tapestry of A New Hope, but it’s not a story that had to be told, especially since no one made it off that beach. Just kinda bummed me out***END SPOILER***. Anyway, every Star Wars fan I know loved it, so I’m happy for them.

I finally watched the Justice League Action special I mentioned in the last post. It was OK. I mean, I loved that a lot of familiar voices were back, like Kevin Conroy and Khary Randolph, but I’m not sure I’m sold on the animation. First thing to remember is that it’s not the Justice League/Justice League Unlimited that we got over 10 years ago. It’s aimed at a younger audience, and the episodes are best described as “bite sized”. In the special, the Trinity team up with Captain Marvel, Swamp Thing, Green Arrow, Plastic Man and John Constantine to fight evil D’Jinn brothers. It was OK. Like, it wasn’t riveting, but it felt like the kind of thing that would be released directly to DVD. Not sure I’m gonna be DVRing it every Saturday morning. What did y’all think?

Since I’ve been a booster of it since the development stage, it’s with heavy heart that I can confirm that Girl Meets World has been canceled by Disney Channel. I was a huge fan of Boy Meets World, as I feel like I basically grew up with Corey, Shawn, and Topanga. Their stories weren’t as zany as the TNBC fare, but they weren’t always heavy, either. Sure, every now and then you’d get an episode about how Shawn’s poor white trash, but those episodes were few and far between. So, that’s kinda what I expected from Girl Meets World. And I’ve gotta say I was disappointed because that show got heavy as FUCK sometimes! Is there a God? Why did Maya’s dad leave? Is Farkle autistic? It’s like every episode just HAD to teach a lesson. Oh, and they reminded us Maya was poor white trash every possible chance they could get.

I loved the legacy aspect of it, but it just didn’t hit on all cylinders like I felt Fuller House did (which, by the way, was just renewed for a 3rd season on Netflix). Sure, Full House was treacly dreck, but then again, so was a lot of Boy Meets World. They were both ensconced in the world of TGIF at one time or another, and had similar ingredients. I just feel like Fuller House came back with nothing to prove, while Girl Meets World seemed like it was fulfilling some mandate from Disney that it had to be educational. It is surprising, however, that it’s not getting a fourth season, as Disney tends to love their 100-episode runs – the point at which the shows become no longer profitable to produce. Sure, Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire only ran two seasons, but later hits like That’s So Raven and Hannah Montana got four seasons.

To be honest, part of me feels like the cancellation stems from star Rowan Blanchard’s tweets last year, where she came out as identifying as queer. Now, Disney is a pretty progressive company, but I’m not sure they knew how to spin that, and the renewal question has been up in the air since then. Still, a lot of folks are discussing the fact that Raven-Symone is a lesbian, yet she has her That’s So Raven reboot coming to Disney Channel, so maybe I’m wrong. Some fans are hoping the show will be picked up by Freeform (formerly ABC Family), where it could tackle more mature themes, but I think it’s done for now. The final 3 episodes air this month.

In TV news, there were a few bait and switch situations this week. First up, it was reported that Will & Grace was definitely coming back for a limited 10-episode run following the success of that voting video they did a few months back. Recurring guest star Leslie Jordan started blabbing that it was a done deal until Debra Messing finally came out and said that nothing had moved past the talking stage at this point. On the one hand, I loved Will & Grace during a tumultuous time in my life, but I’m kinda done with it. I want a Will & Grace reunion about as much as I wanna see a Mad About You reunion (God, that was a horrible finale!). Still, Hollywood’s out of ideas, so I’d say it’s still happening.

Next up, reports came out of The International Consumer Electronics Show that Conan would be moving to a weekly schedule, a la Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. It’s been rumored that the show had been having trouble booking high profile guests, and the best ratings came from when Conan would travel and tape on location. By the end of yesterday, however, TBS reported that there were no plans for a format change “at this time”. So, just like with Will & Grace, it’s happening. They’re just upset they couldn’t get in front of it fast enough.

Speaking of cable shows, Archer is finally moving to FXX this season. The original plan was for FXX to be Fox’s cable comedy network, while FX would handle the dramas. However, when FXX launched, it just became the home of The Simpsons until It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia got shuffled over there. The fact that they didn’t move Louie and Archer, however, made it seem like a vote of no confidence for the spinoff network. Archer’s is little long in the tooth these days, and it’s no longer the crown jewel it once was, but I wonder if it’s got the juice to get more eyeballs on FXX. I hope it works because I love Man Seeking Woman and You’re The Worst over there, and they could both use more viewers.

In comic news, DC Entertainment President Geoff Johns confirmed that there would soon be an announcement regarding a new DCTV television show. Now, it’s not clear if this is another Berlantiverse series, a la Arrow/The Flash, or an unconnected show like Gotham. I’m curious if it’s just a confirmation of the Black Lightning show that had already been ordered to pilot by Fox, or if it’s something completely different. Also, it’s being reported that Johns will write some Watchmen comics this summer. This is a terrible idea since so many fanboys treat Watchmen like it’s their Bible, so there’s no way this will be well-received. They tried the Before Watchmen series, which didn’t really catch fire. They just had to go and reintroduce the concept in DC Universe Rebirth #1, so now I guess they’ve gotta do something with it. I’ve never felt Watchmen was “untouchable”, but I have no desire to revisit that world, so this project simply isn’t for me.

In wrestling news, it’s being reported that Diamond Dallas Page and “Ravishing” Rick Rude will be inducted into the 2017 class of the WWE Hall of Fame during Wrestemania weekend. The latter one really means a lot to me. I think Rick Rude was my first favorite wrestler because he was my introduction to the concept of a “ladies man”. The way he would pick a random woman out of the audience, and bring her into the ring. He’d kiss her, she’d pass out, and then he’d gyrate over her. That was a true pimp move right there! Like most wrestlers, he died before his time, so I guess he’s gyrating over angels now.

Things You Might Have Missed This Week

Supergirl star Melissa Benoist divorced her husband of 21 months, Blake Jenner

Woody Harrelson is in talks to portray Obi-Wan’s mentor in an upcoming Star Wars film

Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey lost to Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds, after training for over a year for her comeback.

A Charmed reboot is in the works at The CW. It’s reported to be set in the 70s, but will have some kind of connection to the original series.

Mariah Carey “lost the plot”, as out British friends might say, when her pre-recorded track messed up on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. She claims they intentionally sabotaged her for ratings, while Dick Clark Productions reports that she didn’t even come to soundcheck.

80’s pop star Richard Marx and wife, former VJ Daisy Fuentes, subdued a crazed passenger on a Korean airline. In other news, how the Hell did Richard Marx land Daisy Fuentes?!

It was revealed that Drew Barrymore’s upcoming Netflix sitcom Santa Clarita Diet is actually a zombie show. Meh. I’ve been over zombies since 2006.

In Arizona, folks reported seeing a winged demon, heralding the beginning of the apocalypse. Yup, 2017 is gonna be swell!

When I first heard about The Mick, starring It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia‘s Kaitlin Olsen, a lot of thoughts went through my head: Is Sunny over? Is Fox gonna bury it? Will it even be funny? Luckily, I got my answers pretty quickly. No, Sunny is still going, as they scheduled The Mick around its shooting schedule. Fox didn’t bury it, but instead gave it some prime real estate after one of the last regular season football games of the season. And was it funny? Yeah, it’s funny.

If you haven’t heard of it, Olson stars as MacKenzie “Mickey” Murphy who’s going nowhere in life. She’s got no money, no prospects, and a deadbeat boyfriend. She decides to pay a visit to her wealthy sister to hit her up for a loan when the FBI raids the party, carting her sister off to jail for fraud. Once released, Mickey’s sister and brother in law flee the country, leaving their 3 kids in Mickey’s care. There’s the college bound bitch daughter, there’s the privileged snob teen son, and then there’s the precocious little boy who doesn’t really know what’s going on. Of course Mickey butts heads with the older two, while befriending the maid, Alba. The pilot plays out somewhat predictably, as most of it had been shown in TV spots leading up to the show. It’s the second episode where things really kick into gear. A loan shark comes after Micky, while she and Alba are getting high at a rave. Meanwhile, the kids’ bitchy grandmother has come to take over the house, and grandma doesn’t play!

I thoroughly enjoyed both episodes that aired this week. As I said before, it debuted on Sunday, which I feel is a better night for it. Instead, however, its regular timeslot is Tuesdays at 8:30, following New Girl. It being a Fox show, however, it probably doesn’t have a prayer. After all, I thought Grandfathered would be a sure thing, and now Stamos is back on Fuller House duty. No, I doubt we get a second season of this thing, but I’ll enjoy it while it’s here. That’s why The Mick had the West Week Ever.