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a34trgv2 · 1 year ago

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Why It Worked: The Bad Guys

SPOILER WARNING: This post contains majors spoilers for The Bad Guys. If You haven't seen this film, you might want to before reading further. You've been warned.

Introduction: The Bad Guys is an animated action, comedy, heist film based on the children's book series by Adam Blabey. Directed by Pierre Perifel, the film stars Sam Rockwell, Marc Marron, Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, Craig Robinson, Zazi Beets, Alex Borstein, Richard Ayode, and Lilly Singh as Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Ms. Tarantula, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark, Diane Foxington, Police Chief Misty Luggins, Prof. Marmalade, and Tiffany Fluffit. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures, the film was released on April 22, 2022. Critics were very receptive to it as 88% of 172 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes gave an average rating of 6.9/10. The film was also a massive success, even by pre-pandemic standards, as it made $250 million on a budget of $69-80 million. When I first saw the trailer, I thought it looked super dope and upon watching it on Blu-ray I was absolutely blown away. This film excelled at all the aspects of it's filmmaking and I'm more than happy to talk about it on Why It Worked.

The Plot: Set in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist, a group of convicted felons plot to pose as good samaritans to pull off the biggest heist of all time. Things start to go awry when Wolf, the leader of the group, starts to find that being good actually feels really good. This puts his friendship with the guys, particularly Snake, to the test and uncovers a conspiracy that puts all of LA in great danger. Right out of the gate, this film hooks you with an amazing opening chase sequence that brilliantly introduces the characters, the world they inhabit, and the main conflict at hand. In addition to witty dialogue and hilarious jokes, the opening showcases what the tone of the film is and why we sympathize with these characters. The best part? The film keeps the momentum of the first 7 minutes going for the rest of the picture! This film has exquisite pacing with each scene showcasing wonderful use of show, dont tell, clever jokes, and excellent camaraderie between the characters. The greatest highlight of the film's story is its happy marriage of 2D and 3D animation, clearly taking a page from Sony's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The film brings these characters to life with remarkable cel-shading, unique body types based on their personalities, and very expressive facial features. LA also looks gorgeous with vibrant warm colors in the daytime, contrasting with soothing cool colors at night. The city also feels lived in with an abundance of people populating the backgrounds and the city feeling like a huge playground for the Bad Guys. The biggest highlights of the animation are the action scenes, which best showcase the speed, veracity, and vibrant colors the film offers. This film's story was already funny and unique, but the filmmakers went above and beyond in making this a masterclass of visual storytelling.

Cast and Characters: This has got to be among DreamWorks' best casted films! Everybody brings their A game to their roles, and they all have such great chemistry with one another. Our leading pickpocket and chief, Wolf, is such a swave, charismatic and funny leader who at first enjoys the life of crime he's chosen, but grows so fond of doing good he starts to drift from his original beliefs and becomes a really complex character. Major props to Sam Rockwell for delivering such an authentic and funny performance. His best friend, Snake, is a crusty, deadpan python who relishes his crime life more than Wolf, and they become at odds as the film progresses, and Wolf gradually becomes a different person. Marc Marron gave a very nuanced performance, making him sound crusty but also funny and fleshed out. Shark is a big, lovable master of disguise who adds extra comedy to the film thanks in large part to Craig Robinson's performance. Tarantula is the sassy, tech-savvy arachnid that serves as the group's hacker and is played brilliantly by Awkwafina. Piranha is a psychotic fish that acts first and thinks never and has some really good singing chops thanks to Anthony Ramos. Governor Diane Foxington is a sly, sassy, and clever public official who makes for a great foil for Wolf and is played wonderfully by Zazie Beets. Family Guy alum, Alex Borstein, absolutely kills it as Police Chief Misty Luggins, making her sound boisterous and manic in her pursuit of the Bad Guys. Lilly Singh did a really good job as Tiffany Fluffit, making her sound like an eccentric and bubbly news reporter. Then there's the film's surprise villain, Professor Marmalade. I honestly never saw the twist coming because, at first, he seemed like a genuinely good person who believes the Bad Guys can change, and everyone deserves a second chance. Once his true colors are revealed, that's when it all clicked. All this time, Marmalade was using the Bad Guys as a ruse to keep everyone's eyes off him so he could take the meteorite and harness its power to pull the biggest heist the world has ever known: using mind controlled guinea pigs to steal $1 billion dollars that was going to charity! Wow, now THAT'S evil! Richard Ayode provided such a brilliant performance, perfectly playing the kind, optimistic, good-hearted Marmalade while also devouring the scenery when his true colors are revealed. This is such a wonderful cast of characters, and everyone deserves a round of applause for their voice work.

Where It Falters: 👏I👏want👏more! No seriously, this film is a 10/10 and the only gripe I have is I want more. The film is 100 minutes long and it very much feels like this is the beginning of DreamWorks' next big franchise. So I definitely expect a sequel to be made at some point. Yes, I know there's a holiday prequel on Netflix, but I saw the trailer for it and it looked like a very pale imitation of this film. Might as well just watch The Bad Guys again, which I did.

Conclusion: The Bad Guys is now among my all time favorite DreamWorks Animation movies, right next to Kung Fu Panda 2 and The Prince Of Egypt! With a fast paced and hilarious story, well developed characters, excellent vocal performances, amazing animation, and a killer sound track, this film didn't meet my expectations: it EXCEEDED them! I can't recommend this film enough, especially if you're a fan of heist movies. This film should also be studied for aspiring storytellers on how to brilliantly showcase visual storytelling and how to write clever and witty dialogue. Thank you all so much for reading and I'll see you soon 😉

#reblog #share #like #follow #animation #comedy #dreamworks animation #the bad guys #why it worked #twist villain #spoilers #mr. wolf #mr. snake #ms. tarantula #mr. shark #mr. piranha #diane foxington #universal

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limenysnocket · 3 years ago

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With Love, Ayoade

SEQUEL TO "With Care, Ayoade". ENJOY.

Summary: Beyond the Christmas crashing fiasco when you two first locked eyes, you have finally found the time to spend time together. Ah, Valentine's day. No one wants to be alone on Valentine's.

Warnings: YOU WILL BE UNCOMFORTABLE AT SOME POINT. Swearing, drinking (and eventual drunkenness), gossip, infidelity.

A/N: this goes out to my lovesick homies all over the world. Happy Valentine's Day.

@honorarytenenbaum

•○●•○●•○●•

All over the world, sweethearts and significant others delivered boxes of too sweet chocolates, delightful roses that were doomed to die within a week, and teddybears that were stuffed with labor as well as love. Richard, however, was only delivering letters. Why?

"It appeals to the overrated stereotype that you need to buy an expensive gift to get the affection of others. The social pressure is horrifying," he had told you once in a letter to you after you had asked about Valentine's. You really wanted to ask if he would like to go out on that evening,, since you both had never been on a traditional or discussed date with each other. No one, still, had made the first move. Originally, if only he had responded more positively, you would have asked if he wanted to have dinner. Now, you purposely avoided the question altogether. If something were to happen, then it would happen. And something did happen, of course.

"I need you to attend this weird Valentine double date thing with me and my friends," you pleaded, standing on Richard's front step at the touch of dusk.

"This is totally going against our relationship code right now," Richard, so used to communicating via letters, complained. "You're breaking our bro code. And a little warning would have been nice."

"Can we not talk about the bro code? Please, this is important!"

Richard begrudgingly listened to your heart's every quip with his arms folded over his cream colored sweater vest. Apparently, this entire mix up was a massive mistake and you had to pay the price for your inability to focus on certain conversation pieces.

You had gone to lunch with your favorite friend group, and the quiet chatter of the table lulled you into autopilot while you, simultaneously, chewed on a leafy salad. Everything was all calm until your name was spoken out loud to get your attention. You looked up, surprised and mid-chew on a crouton. Staring back at you was a friend named Alex and her eager-enough looking boyfriend from across the table.

"Well?" Alex primed expectantly. "What about you, (Y/N)? Could you do it?"

Your teeth halted to a grinding stop on your crouton. You felt embarrassed for not listening in on the conversation but refused to admit it. So, instead of asking to repeat the question, you shrugged your shoulders and muttered a very cautious, "Yes?"

"You don't have to! We just really don't want to be there alone! It's special!" Alex went on, and you picked at a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth.

"No, no, I can do it!" Now insisting on your own. Although, you still had no idea what it was, until someone who wasn't Alex or her dopey boyfriend explained it to you. It was time to face the music and you would not, could not, face it alone.

So, there you stood, dressed in your finest evening gown with your makeup done to perfection, asking for Richard's help.

"I'm honestly very flattered, but..." Richard had to look away for a minute, the slightest bit flustered. "Do I have to, really?"

"Yes, you have to!" You begged once more. "C'mon, Rich," you grew softer for him, which made him flustered further. You leaned forward on your toes, approaching him, just to be closer. "Just this one time? For me?"

"God damn you, woman, with your eyes," Richard turned his eyes up to the ceiling to avoid your doe-like gaze. It was too much for him to take. After a prolonged silence and a very quiet whine, Richard huffed an agreement. "Fine."

You waited patiently in the foyer while he dressed for the occasion, clicking the sides of your heels together, wishing like Dorothy that this night wouldn't end in spectacular failure. You closed your eyes. "There's no place like home. There's no place like home," you dreamed outloud.

"Gone mad, have we?" Richard broke your faint plea from the stairway. He was watching you the entire time, and he was very amused. He had also traded his sweatervest and slacks for one of his more gaunting, colorful suits. He claimed to be an introvert, but with suits like his, he's bound to get some attention from somebody.

"Can we go now? You take longer than me to get ready, and that's including hair and makeup," you whined, trying not to show your embarrassment to him.

"Of course we can go," Richard sighed, "but you must promise me something." He stepped down to your level and offered his arm for you to take.

"Should I be worried?" You wondered with a smile.

"There's nothing to worry about," he opened the front door and turned to close and lock it. "I only request that we only stay for no longer than an hour."

"Only an hour? That's so short," you shrugged, "and who knows how chatty Alex will be once she gets a few glasses of wine in her."

"My social battery cannot withstand more than that, unless it's with you," he made the exception, "and I'd prefer to be staying at home, reading of romance rather than experiencing it."

You took his arm again and he lead you to the end of the sidewalk to hail a cab on the main road.

"Have you ever written anything romantically engaging?" You asked him during the ride to the restaurant where you would meet Alex and her boyfriend.

"I don't believe so," Richard said and fiddled with his tie. "I've never been a big fan of it. It's always been too sappy for me to enjoy."

"Romance isn't always sappy," you reasoned, "it's heartbreak too, you know."

"I'd never read a book to purposely make myself sad or yearn for something," Richard cocked, "I read books to learn from their moral values."

"Ayoade On Top has moral values in it?"

"Hush," he silenced you before you even got the slimmest chance of messing with him. You snuck in a few verbal proddings, though. Just for fun.

"We should have a safe word," Richard suddenly suggested, much to your surprise. The cab slowly veered to the curb and lurched into a stop.

"A safe word?" You want to laugh.

"Just in case either of us gets uncomfortable and wants to leave." His idea was... kind of smart, actually. You had never felt all too comfortable around Alex. Her flamboyant personality was too much to bear sometimes, and when she was with her boyfriend, she was at her worst. You often wondered if that guy was okay. Blink once for yes. Blink twice for no.

"Alright, then," you sigh, peeking out the window to see the bustling street and the warm lights of the buzzing restaurant. "What word would be appropriate for a comfortable dinner setting?"

You saw him place his hand on his right pants pocket and fiddle with it for a moment. He hummed.

"Salad fork," he mused.

"Absolutely not. That's two words. We need one," you shook your head and smiled.

"Then how about..." he thought, again, for a moment, "Booner."

"Booner?" You asked. He nodded. You paused, mulling it over, then shrugged. "Booner it is, then."

With a hesitant smile, Richard opened his door next to the curb and slid out of the cab. You did the same on your side. You regrouped with him on the curb and clung to his arm. You were undoubtedly more nervous about this than he was. Richard was kind enough to guide you inside, where you both would be spotted by Alex, beckoned over, and forced to take a seat where the double date would officially commence.

You were seated in a crescent-shaped booth towards the shady end of the restaurant. Richard sat on the end, next to you. Alex sat on the other end, next to her boyfriend. It started with polite small talk, then ordering food and drinks. After that, you knew everything was about to take a plunge downhill.

"So, how did you two meet?" Alex was the one who liked talking the most. She had been keeping Richard occupied with a personal interview while scraping at her food with her fork, moments before hand. You weren't sure, but you thought you felt a waft of jealousy coming out of her words.

"We've lived across the street from each other for quite some time, as you might know," you decided to handle this question and spare Richard. As a thank you, he placed his hand on your knee and gently squeezed it. This was the first physical advancement he had made to you. "We met for the first time on Christmas, when I locked myself out of my apartment. Richard came to my aid, and made me feel really comfortable. We've been writing letters to each other since." You set your hand on top of Richard's and ran your thumb along the back of it. Richard was still quiet, but you could see he was flattered by the way he stole glances at you or smiled at the table.

The sensation of jealousy was stronger now. Alex picked up her glass of wine and took a long, slow sip as you capped off your brief love story.

"You know," Alex started and you braced yourself, "I've never heard of a celebrity going out with a common girl. How does that relationship work, exactly? I bet it's super hard, isn't it Richard?" Alex clicked her tongue. Richard twitched beneath the table, then reached out to take a drink of his water before answering. It was hard to say you both were dating, when you really weren't. Neither of you had asked, nor have you even kissed, but Richard still played along. For your sake, thankfully.

"I actually enjoy it more than dating another celebrity," he answered truthfully, but starkly all the same. "It's quiet. And (Y/N) just so happens to be more beautiful than anyone I've ever been with. So, I'm happy. Happy with her." He spoke to the table. His hand remained on your knee, and he held tight. You knew he was being genuine with you and you had to hide the fact that your heart began to beat wildly and flutter within your chest.

Alex scrunched up her nose in annoyance and finished off the last of the glass. She beckoned to her dopey boyfriend for more, to which he was happy to respond by refilling her drink to the rim. You, on the other hand, were flattered beyond expectation. You knew Richard had a way with words, but you had only ever read them on pieces of paper. Never had you heard them out loud.

"Well, I'm so glad for the two of you," Alex muttered. "Fuck... I'm gonna go use the bathroom. All this talk about stupid fucking relationships makes me sick." She tore herself away from her boyfriend, who had been coddling her drunk ass. His smile never faltered, though. Alex shimmied her way out of the booth, and somehow managed to stand up. She swayed harshly. You'd be surprised if she actually made it more than two steps without falling flat on her face. But suddenly, she spun around and face you head on. "(Y/N)!" She cooed in a sappy, slurrish voice. "Why don't you come with me? We can have a little one on one girl chat, hm?"

You looked around the table for help. Richard was still looking down at the floor, and Alex's dopey boyfriend was still smiling, glancing from you to Alex. Alright, so no one would get you out of this. Great. You were so close to saying the safe word.

"Sounds like a plan," you put on a fake smile and gently removed your and Richard's hand off of your knee. He was reluctant, however. He wanted you to stay, but didn't know how to voice it. So, he remained quiet, and eventually didn't try to fight it. He slid out of the booth to let you out as well. You climbed out. Your hand brushed with Richard's as you left. He wished he could have held on to you for just a little while longer.

Richard sat back down at the booth while you helped Alex stumble to the little girl's room. Now, it was only him and Alex's boyfriend. Not the best situation. Richard just tried to keep his head down and mouth shut. His social battery was worn down to it's last.

"So you're Gadget Man, ah?"

Fuck.

"Man, I'd give anything to have the amount of money you must spend in a single day on that set."

"I was Gadget Man... there's a difference," Richard mumbled and looked up for a minute. Alex's boyfriend was looking right at him, laid back against the booth so nonchalantly. So menacingly.

"Ah ha, you're funny, Gadget Man," the dope chortled. "I'm Charles, by the way. Friends can call me Charlie. Alex doesn't really bother introducing me all that much, but I don't mind it." A sickly smirk spread across Charles' face. "With the ass she has, I learned to let her do the talking most of the time, and that comes with its own rewards." A waitress passed by and took up an empty wine bottle. Charles eyed her up, smirking. He reached out and touched her thigh with outstretched fingers. His thumb brushed against the hem of her short skirt. The waitress smirked, then walked away. "And sometimes, it pays to keep your mouth shut about other things too."

Richard's uncomfort grew. He missed you. He hoped you were doing well in that bathroom and he hoped you weren't going through a similar situation. But you were.

In the nearest bathroom in the dark recesses of the restaurant, you sat outside a bathroom stall, waiting, albeit impatiently, for Alex to stop puking her guts out. The night couldn't have gotten any worse, and you felt awful for it. You'd have to make it up to Richard somehow.

You began to pace about the bathroom, and eventually stopped in front of one of the glimmering sinks and mirrors. You decided to wash up a little bit. Maybe you could scrub some of the memories of watching Alex paint the walls of her occupied stall with her insides out of your mind. You wished that was possible, of all things.

Alex soon crawled out of her stall, stumbling about until she found you at the sinks. She came up right next to you and hunched over the next sink over. Her lipstick was smeared and drool piled up in the corner of her lips where the lipstick was the most caked on. She spat into the sink, then turned the handle until the faucet poured water down the drain. You didn't look at her. You washed your hands and kept your head down.

"Feeling better?" You asked.

"No," she answered blankly. "I still feel fuckin' awful. And you wanna know why?" You still didn't look at her. You heard the handle squeal and the faucet stopped running. "Because you... you worthless piece of shit." You flinched and backed away as she slapped a hand on your faucet. "You've got something that I want."

You had been gone for a long time. Richard's worry increased.

"So why pick her?" Charles clicked his tongue. "What does she have? Or is she just for show?"

Richard didn't move. He feared he'd say something that would offput the night entirely. He fiddled with his front pocket and the letter he kept inside it.

"For a man who I often think can't keep his mouth shut on screen, you're being awfully quiet... She must be for show, then... you've got somebody else on your mind? Tell me..." Charles tapped his fingers against the wooden table.

"You asked me what she had that the other girls don't," Richard took a deep breath. "Right?"

Charles nodded, and the drumming of his fingers stopped against the table. "Yeah. So, what is it? She good in bed or something or is she just your specific type?"

"She has something that neither you nor Alex have..." Richard continued. He reached for his wallet in his back pocket to bring out his card. As soon as you came back, you and him would be leaving.

"And what's that?" Charles chuckled cockily.

"Loyalty."

"I don't understand why you get to have someone like that," Alex yelled at you. While taking it, you were quietly begging for someone to come into the bathroom. Someone. Anyone. "Someone rich... someone famous... how can he even adore you?"

"Alex, you're overreacting. Please, calm down," you tried to reason with her. You could see the tears brimming in her eyes. Tears of hatred or tears of defeat? You weren't sure.

"Oh, please. I'm stuck with some cheating, sniveling brat who can't tell the difference from his brain and his balls!" A tear streaked down her hollow face and dislodged a gooey ball of mascara from the corner of her eye. "Oh!" She exclaimed, "I just want someone to love me... is that so fucking hard?"

For a moment, you felt sympathy for the poor woman. Alex had originally been the "leader" of the friend group. Her title and rank got to her head, and she was stripped of the title. For months, she had been trying to work her way back up to the top, but it was always events like these that grounded her. Back to the bottom, and a lonesome start to gaining power.

"Alex," you whispered faintly, "We've been friends for quite some time now, and I think it's my duty, as your friend, to tell you something."

Alex was furiously weeping now and the tips of her fingers were dewed with her smeared mascara. "What?" She said, sniveling.

You backed away and reached your hand back for the door. What you were going to say was going to hurt, but it needed to be said.

"Alex, you are a terrible person," you shook your head, and put on a face of bravery, "and if you want to be someone again, you need to stop using our friend group like a getting to know only you therapy session." You tugged the door open and quickly got behind it, just as Alex screamed in her fury.

Quickly and in a trance, you ran. You ignored all danger transpiring, pushed past all the people heading in your direction and called out, once you were close enough to the booth.

"BOONER!"

Richard heard it as a beckon call. Charles was still sitting, stunned, across from him.

"Well, it was lovely meeting you, Charles, but I'm afraid this date has come to an end. Alex is pleasant enough as well, but I don't think I'll ever be interested in conversing with you again," Richard shimmied out of the booth just as you came around the corner. "I bid you an awful evening."

Just then, you grabbed Richard by his arm, and, in a rush, made for the exit. Richard just barely managed to tip as you passed by the host of your table. The night may have been shit, but the service wasn't.

"I can't believe I actually screamed 'booner' in the middle of a restaurant," you sighed, as soon as you were far enough down the sidewalk to take a break from running.

"If you weren't going to say it, I was. Alex and Charles seem like nice people, but I, simply, do not care for them," Richard laughed then reached to hold your hand instead of having you hug his arm all night.

"You're absolutely in the right mind not to," you didn't blame him for not liking your 'friends.' "They're awful."

"You said it, not me," Richard grinned, then felt his letter crinkle in his pocket as he walked. "There's still time to turn the night around, you know? I don't know what happened in that bathroom for you, but I would certainly like to forget the experience I had over a cup of tea."

"Tea sounds so nice right now," you groaned in satisfaction of the idea.

"Then... how about my place?" Richard offered. You smiled down at the ground. You knew he originally didn't want to do anything for Valentine's Day, and you knew this is far from how things were supposed to go, but you were so glad he could look past all of that, and want to still spend some genuine time with you.

"I'd really like that," you whispered to him.

Richard took you to the nearest streetcorner and hailed another cab for the two of you to share. You didn't mess with him on the way home, this time. You cuddled close to him to show him your appreciation. He showed his appreciation back by wrapping an affectionate arm around your shoulders and holding you tight.

He warmly invited you into his abode and had you sit in the living room while he got his kettle on the stove. He even went as far as to froth milk for the occasion.

"It's not everyday that I have guests over," Richard said from the kitchen, "so why not make things a little fancy?"

You appreciated the effort. He brought out two steaming cups of tea and set it on the coffee table in front of you. He, then, sat down in a comfy chair on the opposite side of the table from you.

"Valentine's Day has never appealed to me, you know," Richard starts. You nod and reach for your cup of tea. "The only thing that really made me happy was the sweets I would get, but I understand now that not everyone feels the way I do. Like you, for example... and you're one of the last people I want to hurt for not liking a specific holiday." Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter that had been there since he first left the house. "This was going to be left in your mailbox this afternoon. That was, until you came to the door in a hurry," Richard placed the letter in front of you on the table.

You set your cup down, smiling. "You really didn't have to, Richard," you murmured and reached for the letter. He insisted, however, and urged you to open the letter anyway. With a smile, you tore it open and tugged the note out. Surprisingly, it wasn't the normal note card with the Sakura tree on the front. It was a Valentine's Day card. On the front, it had a jolly little bee buzzing about. In big, bold letters it read, "BEE MINE?" You glanced up at Richard. He seemed eager. For his sake, you opened the card to see his fanciful handwriting.

Inside, the card itself provided another sappy note. "We bee-long together." You kept reading to his note to you.

To D6,

There are many ways to display one's affections to another without the use of expensive gifts or sweet candies. Your company has been fulfilling to me over these past few months, and every day that I do not tell you how much I care for you eats at me.

This note doesn't express my gratitude or my feelings towards you. So, I ask to meet in person. I'd like to invite you to dinner with me, if that is okay. I want to get to know you in person, and I want, for once, to spend this holiday with someone. If this is acceptable, please respond in any way that you find necessary. I can only hope for the best.

With love, Ayoade.

Beside his signature, there was a little doodle of a bee. You just stared for a moment, going every word twice to make sure you weren't going insane.

To break the silence, Richard spoke. "Would you have accepted my offer?"

Your eyes shot right back up to him. Your lip quivered, but you smiled. You nodded. Richard, then, smiled as well.

"I'm glad," he whispered, then looked down at the two warm cups of tea. He reached for his, then proudly held it up. "Happy Valentine's Day to you, (Y/N)."

You picked up your tea cup as well and held yours out with his. Your cup clicked with his like a cheers to the holiday. "Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Richard..."

#Spotify #fanfiction #richard ayode x reader #richard ayoade imagines #richard ayoade fanfic #richard ayoade x reader #richard ayoade

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