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where-fading-princesses-live · 19 days ago

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Thoughts on WICKED (2024)

So I finally saw WICKED after procrastinating after its opening weekend. I wanted to wait a bit longer (as excited as I was to see it) because I knew the theaters were going to be packed (they were) and my friend and I got tickets at the last minute before they sold out for that day’s showing. I’ve been a fan of the musical since childhood and I loved the books as a teen and I knew they were making a movie (or talking about it) since I was in middle school. Well it was worth the wait.

I admit the first teaser trailer did not impress me (it looked too much like a spectacle and some of the CGI effects looked over the top and corny). I was going to see it anyway but my initial expectations were low. but the later trailers were better and I was getting more excited to see it. Well the movie did not disappoint. Though I’m a big fan of WICKED, the movie was better than I expected. I definitely want to see it again (preferably at home with less people even tho the movie was made for the big screen, especially with all the tiny details I didn’t notice before when viewing TV spots and clips on my phone and laptop… ) I’d rather watch it on the big screen BUT.

My enjoyment of the movie was almost completely ruined because of the people… no one sang along, thank God, but there were so many distractions and now I remember why I haven’t been to a movie theatre in years. not only did so many people come in late and have to climb over you to get to their seats, but the person sitting next to me whipped out their phone in the middle of the movie and started texting, plus their bright ass screen was so distracting (rude much?). Worst of all, one person thought it was a good idea to drag along their noisy toddlers who kept asking over and over ‘’when’s the movie going to start’’ during the previews, and even when the movie DID start, the kids could not sit still throughout the movie and kept loudly asking their parents for ‘’skittles’’ like I wanted to turn around and tell them to keep their kids quiet or leave. FINALLY they got up and left for good before the Emerald city part, like goddamn if your kids aren’t mature enough to sit through a 2 ½ movie, don’t ruin it for the rest of us. >_<

That being said, I still enjoyed the movie, and you bet your sweet Oz there was a round of applause after it was over, I mean it was THAT good. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a movie where the audience clapped at the end. I think maybe ‘’The Artist’’ back in 2011… which won Best Picture at the Oscars that year. That was a damn good movie, prolly the last one I saw in theaters. I knew WICKED was going to be a big; it’s one of the longest-running shows on Broadway with almost daily record box office sales; its fan base is like Harry Potter-levels huge, so I guess it’s impact was long overdue. Better late than never.

here’s some quick thoughts (I literally have not stopped thinking about it and I saw it about a week ago… suffice to say, I’m obsessed):

The Costumes!!!

So at first I hated Glinda’s bubble dress. I thought it looked cheap compared to the Broadway costume (my dream dress btw) but overtime the design grew on me…

I have no issues with the dress being pink (after all, the non-replica Brazil production did a pink gown).

I still think the Broadway bubble dress is prettier (esp. the way it sparkles and glitters in the stage lighting and I love the blue color… Susan Hilferty was very original with her designs) but I do like the movie costume being a slight nod to the 1939 Wizard of Oz, plus it looks like a quinceañera dress.

I would’ve preferred the dress with puff sleeves, or off the shoulder cap sleeves for modesty, but one detail I really love that is not noticeable unless you’re watching on the big screen is that Glinda has butterfly gems on her shoulders (literally the first time I noticed it was in the movie theatre).

It’s such a nice detail because butterflies seem to be her theme, as a nod to the butterfly choker necklace Billie Burke wears as Glinda.

I actually do like Paul Tazewell as a costume designer. He also did the costumes for ‘’Death Becomes Her’’ on Broadway; his designs are very unusual and elaborate and I loved his visions for Oz.

That being said, I pretty much love Galinda’s whole wardrobe at Shiz (some people complained that they ‘’Barbie-fied Galinda’’ because her style lacks variety esp. when she wears the same color scheme throughout the whole movie) and tho it’s true I’d like to see her in different colors (we will in PART 2), I do think the pink was a nice symbolism. Her Ozdust ballroom dress is esp. unique. (I do like how the dress in the stage show was originally blue to hint at her becoming Glinda the Good Witch; basically she and Elphaba looked like mini versions of their future Witches counterparts… then they changed the dress to pink, so the symbolism was lost).

and it was nice the movie went back to that. So now it makes sense that the bubble dress is pink.

My only complaint is Elphaba’s costumes. Don’t get me wrong—they’re gorgeous—but I’m not sure the designs really reflect her character arc. Costumes aren’t just meant to be pretty… they are literally telling a story, and illustrating the growth of a character. Sometimes characters have to be dressed in something more appropriate for the purpose of the setting and where they’re at in the narrative even if it isn’t the prettiest garment off the rack… it’s not just about looking their best, and I think Paul Tazwell missed this mark. He clearly wanted Elphaba to be a fashion queen—but that’s not her character.

In the musical, Elphaba appears semi-frumpy on purpose. She’s beautiful but insecure due to her skin color and so she covers up in a bulky blazer, she braids her long hair, and wears a cap over her head, as though she is attempting to draw the least bit of attention to herself.

No one recognizes her inner beauty because she lacks the self-confidence to be herself. In the movie, she first appears to us in a beautiful black corset dress with puff sleeves and buttons (Cynthia is absolutely stunning and kills this look) but I’m not sure if Elphaba should look so drop-dead gorgeous when we first meet her (plus she’s fixing her hair in the first shot and it seems so OOC for her… I know Cynthia’s version is softer and more vulnerable than the Broadway version, who’s a bit bold and sarcastic and self-defensive… but Elphie fixing her braid? Not that it’s vain but her hair is the least of her worries in the stage show). And the dress… like I said… much too pretty. I do love her glasses tho.. and I do like the Gothic fashion... it reminds me of A Series of Unfortunate Events... the first dress is just too pretty for a character introduction. I'd like to see her wear this later in the film...

Maybe it wasn’t the intent… the dress is old-fashioned and could be ‘’spinsterish’’ to some, but she looks far from frumpy. Elphaba is already naturally beautiful, but in the stage version she doesn’t undergo an outward physical transformation until after the Ozdust ballroom scene. In the movie, she’s dressed fashionably all the time… and looks beautiful outside and inside. her Shiz uniforms are not Galinda, oh, sure, but she looks incredible in these form-fitting pinstripe suits with these flamboyant shoulder pads, and I feel it doesn’t match Elphaba’s story at all… she’s supposed to be hiding at the beginning of the story (I don’t think you’d catch Broadway Elphaba dead in pinstripes and shoulder pads). Galinda in the show helps bring her out of her shell. But even her Ozdust dress in the movie is a knock out… with the black lace and everything. In the musical, she just wears her plain uniform frock to the dance because she has nothing else.

The movie doesn’t have to copy the stage show exactly, but yeah… I wanted to see Elphaba go through a transformation in her fashions. I wanted to see her start dressing prettier towards the end of the movie, after ‘’Popular’’… like, see, her inner beauty was always there, and it makes her beautiful on the outside too! but she was already dressing pretty and fashionable before that, so it lessens the impact it’s supposed to have as the other students slowly begin to accept her. and after ‘’Popular’’, Elphaba is seen wearing this outfit she wears earlier in the film. Only difference being her hair is not braided, so she really doesn’t look ‘’Galinda-fied’’ to me as the line suggests (she was already ''Galinda-fied'').

In the musical it’s more apparent when she goes to looking like this (something she’s never worn before and doesn’t fit her typical style):

Again, it’s just a minor gripe I had. They probably wanted Elphie’s ‘’make over’’ to be more subtle which is fine… like Elphaba is ALWAYS beautiful… but still.

Nessarose’s Ozdust dress was actually one of my faves in the whole movie. She truly looked like the Belle of the Ball. I love that she’s wearing a poppy necklace…

And those big doe eye of hers... I'M DEAD

If Galinda is butterflies, Nessa’s whole theme seems to be poppies. AND THESE SHOES ARE FIRE I want them and I want the dress. There I said it.

Also her dance with Boq is my favorite scene in the whole movie. It was always my favorite part in ''Dancing Through Life'' and it's so wholesome... knowing how tragic this ends for them both (the rehearsal footage was admittedly better but they both ate and left no crumbs)... give the choreographer all the awards.

As for the other characters, I like the Shiz uniforms and that they maintained the variety and individualisms from the stage show. I kind of wish Fiyero was dressed in something that stood out more. He doesn’t wear his Shiz uniform until after ‘’Popular’’ in the stage version. We first meet him in a riding outfit (he kind of wears a riding outfit when he runs into Elphaba in the movie… but not a bold red one… and red seems to be Fiyero’s color… it fits him better than blue but that's just my opinion).

If it was my choice, I would’ve dressed all the main characters in different outfits and/or colors that stand out from the rest. In the stage version, Galinda and Elphie are technically still dressed in uniforms, but they wear a solid color—Galinda in all cream/ white and Elphie in all navy blue—so they stand out.

I like that they kept this in the movie (only Galinda being in pastel pink tones and Elphie in all black).

Fiyero, Boq, and Nessa should’ve been color coded too. Yes, Boq and Nessa in the stage show wear similar uniforms to everyone else, but they have little details that make them stand out (for instance, Nessa has this headband, and Boq has this little red hat that later productions added… it didn’t exist in the original production, but the costumes kind of evolved over time). I still like Boq’s uniform in the movie (esp. the shoes). I do kind of miss his white boots from the stage show, tho (RIP Boq’s cute white boots).

Unfortunately in the movie they had so many people dressed like Boq that he disappeared into the background, but maybe that was for a reason? Boq is a wallflower; we're not supposed to notice him. I get it. He still should've had something to signify him... a hat, maybe. These sweater vests are sick tho... where can I get one?

The Cast!!!

Ariana and Cynthia of course nailed it. I was skeptical of the casting when it was first announced but they proved me wrong and they were the perfect choices. No one could have played Galinda and Elphaba better. I usually don’t like pop stars in musical movies… I prefer classically trained theatre actors, but since Ari does have a musical theatre background, she ended up surprising me more than anyone else in the cast (esp. where it concerns her operatic notes. I say that because tho I’m familiar with her on 13! the musical, she was terribly miscast as Penny in Hairspray Live! She did not disappear into the role… she was basically playing herself) and I was deathly afraid she would popify the hell out of Galinda. Well, she understood the assignment, she really became Galinda. So props to her.

Not gonna lie. The whole cast was phenomenal but Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage) was my favorite part in the whole movie. I love the scene where Elphaba takes him by the hoof. She was so compassionate and you really feel her heartbreak when he's arrested. Yeah the CGI goat was the best actor I just loved him.

😭😭😭

Fiyero is the Arjiki prince (who was a very minor character in the book and, in my humble opinion, is the least interesting character in the book and the musical), made that much worse when he's traditionally whitewashed… because he was a dark-skinned black man in the book… sure some black actors have played him on stage but I had a feeling they’d cast a white actor in the movie… part of me wished they casted a black actor... well, at least he gets a cool song. HOWEVER I really did love Jonathan Bailey’s portrayal. He wasn’t bland like some of the other actors who’ve played him, and though he’s prince charming good looking, he’s also incredibly funny. I was not expecting to laugh so much at his entrance. Yeah, I liked Fiyero more in the movie. He’s still not my favorite character but hopefully he gets a big meaty part in PART 2. Is it wrong I never shipped Fiyero/ Elphaba? I always thought their chemistry was so boring and forced. Wicked was always a love story between two women anyway. I totally ship Elphaba and Galinda (it’s canon in the book anyway). I loved the scene where Galinda and Elphaba run out of the ozdust ballroom together hand-in-hand and literally leave Fiyero biting the dust.

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(SPOILER ALERT: That’s how the story should have ended. Who needs a man right? Let the witches be lesbians… a house falls on Nessa, so Boq could end up with Fiyero (since the women they love are in love with each other) let Fiyero be bisexual (Jonathan’s Fiyero already radiates bisexual energy because all the women AND men were falling in love with him). Let him be bi and hit on Boq (Tincrow fans come get your food… you can’t convince me they’re straight). Elphie and Glinda get their happy ending. Problem solved. Everyone’s happy.)

Nessa was awesome. She’s a character everyone loves to hate, but yeah, I wish she was in the movie more. Marissa Bode ATE

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(SPOILER ALERT: In Part 2, she will becomes more Wicked when she assumes the position of the tyrannical Eminence of Munchkinland. Owing to her brutal religious persecution, we'll do well to remember her as the infamous ''Wicked Witch of the East.'' I love me a badass female villain).

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Speaking of badass female villains, Michelle Yeoh absolutely COOKED as Madame Morrible, and her costumes were more beautiful on the big screen. Part of me wanted Kristin Chenoweth to play Madame Morrible… she slayed as Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray Live! Her rendition of ‘’(The Legend Of) Miss Baltimore Crabs’’ was seriously gas. She plays a very convincing villain, but then they’d have to write her a villain song (not that I’m complaining). Michelle may not be a singer, but she was so quietly sinister as Madame Morrible… I loved her.

I personally wanted more Bowen Yang in the supporting cast (specifically flirting with Fiyero).

Despite the haters (and say what you will), but Ethan Slater was perfectly cast as Boq Woodsman aka the Munchkin Boy. Despite unpopular opinion, I wish he was in the movie more. When I read the book, he looks almost exactly like how I pictured him (mop of curly hair, freckles…). Boq was blonde in the book if I remember correctly, and he wore glasses… so my vision of him was a blonde Daniel Radcliffe… but honestly, the red hair works so well (even better than blonde). And I love that they ended up basing the Munchkins’ look off of Ethan. They all had red curly hair. That was a cool detail.

Boq the Munchkin Boy was actually a major character in the book but the musical shifts Boq's prominence to Fiyero for some reason and this always bothered me. Yeah, Fiyero unapologetically steals Boq's thunder (and I will never forgive the musical for that unnecessary change...) and apparently the movie was going to flesh him out more and make him friends with Elphaba like in the book… they were really close friends and Boq actually played a bigger role than Galinda... in fact, Galinda was very minor in the book compared to her role in the musical.

You wish your squad was this dope.

It seemed like they were going to add more things from the book. Unfortunately, a lot of his scenes got axed (I would watch a full five hours with all the deleted scenes). But Ethan Slater was still good with what he had to work with. Okay, maybe they had to delete his scenes with Elphaba. But I personally wanted more scenes with him and Fiyero… it seems like something was going on between them in ‘’Dancing Through Life’’ (not in that way; Ethan explained in interviews his Boq looked up to Fiyero and tried to emulate him and that makes sense) like a parallel storyline to Elphie and Galinda’s budding friendship. Boq seemed to come out of his shell more around Fiyero, kind of like Elphie gaining confidence around Galinda. I would’ve have minded a scene with Fiyero rooming with Boq and seeing the boys get ready for the dance.

In fact, we just needed more scenes with the Charmed Circle hanging out together in general. They teased us with these scenes for months leading up to the film’s release… only to delete them!!! WE WERE ROBBED

A two-part movie and they still had to sacrifice so much for time constraints.

That was my only other gripe with the film. The lack of development in the friendships of the characters…

This is why the movie really needed to be a TV series spanning multiple seasons, and they could have added so much from the books. Everyone would watch the living crap out of it, and we could have had more character development and world building. Someday I’d love to see an animated tv series based on the books (minus the smex). With all the lovely fanart coming out of this fanbase, think of the cool possibilities for character designs. Yeah a tv series based on the books are in order. (Probably couldn’t get the movie cast but I think Ethan Slater should reprise his role as Boq because he just sounded so much like how I pictured him from the book… he probably fits my vision the most out of everyone who was casted.)

A funny thing happened after the movie… my friend said, ''Why is Boq taller than Glinda?'' And I was like, ''out of the whole 2 1/2 hour movie THAT'S what you got out of it???'' (Anyway most of the actors who played Boq on stage were taller than Glinda by a head or two. He's a ''tall munchkin'' and they should've kept this line in the movie so people wouldn't be confusified.)

Anyway, yeah, despite the minor things, the movie is a solid 11/ 10 stars for me.

They had ONE job. And they nailed it.

#personal shit #wicked #wicked musical #wicked film #wicked (2024)#cynthia erivo #ariana grande #jonathan bailey #ethan slater #marissa bode #costume design

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mimisempai · 6 months ago

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This unavoidable between us - Chapter 3/8

Chapter Summary

Everyday it'a a getting closer, going faster than a roller coaster…

On Ao3

Rating G - 3494 words

Masterpost here

Day 2 :

Alfies antique market

Lunch at the Rooftop Kitchen (Restaurant above Alfies)

Public reading of Cyrano de Bergerac at the London Theater

Dinner at Clos Maggiore

Alfies Antique Market was known as London's largest indoor antique and vintage market, and visitors came from all over the world to explore it. Crowley had never had the opportunity, nor the time, nor, if he was honest, the inclination to visit.

Well, thanks to Aziraphale, or because of him, he apparently would today.

The day's schedule was not extravagant, and what worried him a bit more was the play reading in the afternoon. Crowley was a visual person, which was why he preferred movies and certain plays. But this was Aziraphale's wish, so of course he'd put up with it and hide his boredom if he had to, and at worst, dinner would make up for it, especially if the evening turned out like yesterday.

Last night...

To say that last night had surprised him would be an understatement. Though the surprise had been pleasant, of course. It had all happened so naturally that Crowley still felt like he was living a dream. Which was rather amusing, considering it was Aziraphale who had paid for his dreams to come true. He had to stop himself from reacting like a lovesick teenager and touching his forehead again. No one had kissed him on the forehead like that since his mother had done it when he was a child. Not that he had any filial feelings for Aziraphale. Far from it. Very far from it.

He just hoped they wouldn't be awkward this morning.

They'd agreed that Crowley would knock on Aziraphale's door a little before ten and then leave for Alfies Antiques Market.

Crowley looked at his watch: it was nine, so he had plenty of time to get ready.

**********

Aziraphale had just finished dressing when he heard a light knock on his door and smiled, knowing full well who was behind the door. Aziraphale couldn't help but smile at the anticipation of spending another day with Anthony. Yesterday had been enjoyable in every way until the very last minute, in fact he was tempted to describe it as perfect. There was something special about Anthony, an ease that Aziraphale had never felt with anyone else.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Aziraphale called out, "Come in! It's open!"

Once inside, Crowley greeted him with the same warm, irresistible smile.

"Good morning, Aziraphale."

"Good morning, Anthony. Let me get my wallet and we'll be on our way. "

Aziraphale took his wallet, put it in his jacket pocket, then walked over to Anthony, who held the door open for him. As he passed him, Aziraphale ventured a kiss on the other man's cheek, then walked across the hall, leaving Anthony to close the door behind them.

In the elevator to the second floor, though they were alone and had all the room in the world, Aziraphale moved closer to Anthony until their shoulders touched. Then, feeling bold, he slid his hand along Anthony's, but didn't take it. It was Anthony who made the final gesture, as he had the night before, intertwining his fingers with Aziraphale's, looking up at him and smiling softly.

Crowley savored the moment, for he was pretty sure that Aziraphale would let go of his hand once he was outside. So he enjoyed it while it lasted, savoring the sensation of Aziraphale's warm hand in his, and was jolted from his reverie by the sound of the elevator doors opening.

Just as he expected to lose contact, Aziraphale's hand tightened on his, almost pulling him out of the elevator and he didn't let go until the cab arrived.

Once they were seated in the back of the car, Aziraphale took his hand again and placed both of their intertwined hands on his own thigh.

Though Crowley had tried to hide his surprise, Aziraphale had seen it and asked him gently, "Would you rather I let go of your hand, I didn't realize you might not be comfortable with public displays of affection."

He started to release his fingers, but Crowley wouldn't let him, protesting vehemently, "No, not at all, on the contrary, I thought it would be you who..."

"Anthony, I've never hidden who I am, so there's no reason for me to do so today. Especially not today. I'm proud of who I am."

Crowley found him magnificent in his self-assurance, and unable to resist the moment's compulsion, he leaned in and kissed Aziraphale. It was only a light kiss, barely a peck on the lips, but to Crowley it was also a way of confirming that they were on the same wavelength. When he sat back down properly, he saw in the rearview mirror that the driver rolled his eyes, and it made him chuckle.

Then, still holding hands, they talked about the day's agenda as the car headed toward Alfie Market. Crowley, intrigued by their destination, asked Aziraphale why he wanted to go there.

"I love old things, you know that by now, the idea that these things have had a life before... kind of like they have a soul. It's important to me to spend this week with things I love, doing things I love." Then Aziraphale winked and added, "And doing it with someone special is even better."

It had been several times since Aziraphale had spoken of this week as special, and Crowley sensed that there was something inescapable about the other man's life, as if whatever he did this week, he would never do again, but Crowley didn't feel entitled to ask.

So he said in a lighter tone, "That's a good reason. A very good reason, in fact. I have to admit, I've never been one for this sort of thing, but you make it sound interesting."

Crowley confirmed this with a sincere smile. He didn't want Aziraphale to think he was doing this reluctantly.

They chatted lightly throughout the ride, only realizing they'd arrived when the driver coughed to point it out.

For two hours they wandered the aisles, stopping to look at the odd object that caught Aziraphale's eye. Then they moved on without buying anything, much to the despair of the vendors. Crowley wondered why Aziraphale hadn't taken anything when he'd obviously seen his eyes shine on one antique or another. But once again, he felt it wasn't his place to point it out.

Aziraphale, for his part, couldn't remember the last time he'd been so relaxed and at ease with someone. Anthony was quick-witted and humorous, and now that he felt comfortable with Aziraphale, he didn't hesitate to tease him. They both had a good sense of humor, and their exchanges were invigorating for Aziraphale. When they sometimes became separated by the crowd, it was often the other man who would take his hand again so that they could continue on their way.

After a while, Anthony looked at his watch and said sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but given the time, I think we should walk quietly to the restaurant, which is a few floors up."

Aziraphale nudged him with his shoulder and said in an amused tone: "There's something I love even more than old things, Anthony, and that's eating. So don't be sorry, you're not dampening my enthusiasm at all, on the contrary, you're rekindling it."

Five minutes later, they arrived at the Rooftop Kitchen, a rooftop restaurant. The weather was perfect, warm but not too hot, and most of all, Crowley was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of the place. At least he didn't have to watch his manners.

"We've reserved a table, a bit away from the crowd."

Crowley exchanged a few words with the manager, who led them to a table effectively set back from the others and protected by an umbrella.

Aziraphale smiled at him, leaned back in his chair and, stretching his legs out in front of him, said, "I'll leave you in charge this time."

Crowley, a little surprised, took the menu. After a few moments, he placed his order with the waitress, and a few moments later they were seated in front of a plate of mussels and shrimp in a lemon and wine sauce. Judging by Aziraphale's appreciative moan at the first bite, Crowley figured he'd chosen well.

As they ate, they continued to chat until Crowley, looking a little uncertain, said quietly, "Aziraphale, may I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"I really feel like I'm the one getting the most out of this 'vacation' while you're the customer, and I want to make sure you're satisfied."

Aziraphale couldn't help but laugh before answering seriously.

"Anthony, I'm enjoying the company of a man who's more than attractive, who can hold a conversation, who makes me laugh, and we're doing what I've always dreamed of doing. Are you asking me if I'm satisfied? I couldn't have asked for more. Just keep being yourself."

Crowley couldn't help but blush at the compliment and stammered back a bit, "Ah...uh...well, okay then...okay."

Aziraphale placed his hand on hers, which was resting on the table, and added, "I'll be honest, I can't even remember when I've had such a good time. In my whole life."

Aziraphale didn't know if it was the thought of his impending death that had caused him to drop all inhibitions and speak with such sincerity, but what he did know was that he had no desire for pretense with the man in front of him.

Crowley felt the bond resonate between them at that moment, and was so touched by Aziraphale's sincerity that he almost told him about their soul mate connection, but he didn't want to break their fragile new bond, so he preferred to remain silent. He had seen the other man's face close up the one time the subject had come up, and he didn't want to spoil the moment, so he chose to continue the conversation in a lighter tone.

Aziraphale saw a smile he hadn't seen on Anthony's lips before, and that smile seemed to light him up from within as he asked, "So, Aziraphale, you know a lot of the things we're doing are new to me. So I'd like you to tell me a little bit about what we're going to be doing this afternoon so I know what to expect?

"Well, as the program for the day indicates, we're going to attend a reading of Cyrano de Bergerac. I've always loved this story, and when I heard there was a free reading at the London Theatre with Michael Sheen as Cyrano, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. If not to see the play, to hear it one last time. Er, I mean the last reading."

Crowley had noticed the slip, but let it go, not wanting to spoil the lightness of the moment, and asked, "And what's this piece about? Yes, I know, I could have looked into it earlier, but..."

Aziraphale interrupted him with a wave of his hand and a half-smile before replying, "It's even better that you don't know anything about it, so you can find out during the reading itself, and then we can discuss it as much as you like. I'd like you to see it without any preconceptions. If you agree, of course?"

Crowley nodded.

"Very mysterious, all that, but I'm fine with it."

After coffee, having decided against dessert, they set off for the theater.

Aziraphale was impatient, but he wasn't sure if it was for the reading or for Crowley's reactions. The agency had done an excellent job on time. They sat down in the middle of the second row. The lights dimmed, the stage lit up, and the actors entered for the reading.

Crowley grabbed Aziraphale's hand in his excitement, causing Aziraphale to turn slightly toward him. Crowley's attention was focused on the stage, and Aziraphale already knew he would spend more time looking at him than at the actors. What a show! Watching all the emotions pass over Crowley's face, Aziraphale felt like a privileged witness.

"...But in spite of you, one thing goes with me now, and tonight, when I, at last, God behold, my salute will sweep his blue threshold with something spotless, a diamond in the ash, which I take in spite of you and that's...my panache"

After a moment of silence, the crowd began to clap, and Crowley joined in, before turning to Aziraphale and exclaiming, "That was soooo great, I've never seen anything like it! Thank you for letting me live this experience! Once again, I feel like I'm the most spoiled person in this arrangement. "

At that moment Aziraphale felt the full weight of his fate for a brief moment, the intensity of Crowley's joy made him realize that everything he was experiencing was the first and last time, but he pulled himself together, not wanting to spoil Crowley's happiness or his own. They left, following the audience as they made their way to the doors.

"So, what did you think of the story and the main character, Cyrano?" asked Aziraphale, curious to hear his companion's analysis.

"First, I have to tell you something I hadn't noticed before. Except for the beard and the gray hair, it's amazing how much you look like Michael Sheen."

Aziraphale couldn't help laughing, and Crowley added, "It's no joke, I assure you, although you do look prettier."

Then, unaware of Aziraphale's blush at his compliment, he continued, "I'm actually quite torn. I admire Cyrano's intelligence and panache, as well as his use of language. His sacrifice is admirable. But he deceives both his heart and Roxane's, since she's in love with the author of the letters, who is Cyrano himself."

Aziraphale listened, once again pleasantly surprised by Anthony's perspective, as he went passionately on, "and, yes, in the end he still has his panache as he says, but he won't have known a minute of true happiness in his life, since he will never have been able to enjoy Roxane's love. But if he had told her the truth..."

Aziraphale was genuinely surprised; it was the first time he'd met someone who shared his opinion of Cyrano's character. He refused to dwell on the fact that his fate was somewhat similar to Cyrano's.

They talked animatedly about the play all the way home and were still discussing it when they reached the suite. Aziraphale had no desire to end the moment, so as he opened his door, he asked Anthony, "Would you like to continue the conversation over a drink until we get to the restaurant?"

Anthony nodded eagerly and Aziraphale motioned for him to follow, showed him to the sofa and invited him to sit down.

"A drop of scotch?"

"Sounds good to me."

Aziraphale poured their drinks, took his and handed the other to Crowley. They raised their glasses and took a sip.

When suddenly Crowley's phone buzzed.

He set his glass down and pulled the phone out of his pocket.

"Ah, damn. Apparently there's been a mix-up regarding tonight's reservation at the restaurant. However, the agency is offering to find us a replacement. "

Aziraphale replied quietly, "After this day and the way it's ending, I must admit it's almost welcome, I don't feel much like going out again."

Crowley answered the agency, then put his phone away as Aziraphale said in a falsely concerned tone, "There's still one big problem though."

Crowley played along and asked, "Ah? What's that?"

"Well, how are we going to keep from getting bored tonight?"

Aziraphale, surprised again at the ease with which he flirted, slid closer to Crowley on the sofa. He was even more pleasantly surprised when Crowley murmured as he also moved closer, "Hmm... I might have an idea or two."

Aziraphale raised an eyebrow and replied in the same tone, "Oh, really? Show me, please."

Crowley moved even closer until he was leaning over Aziraphale, pressing his lips to his in a light kiss. When he pulled away, Aziraphale held him back and murmured against his lips, "This is just the starter, I hope?"

Crowley replied in the same tone, "It's up to you to decide what's next on the menu."

Aziraphale didn't wait and immediately showed Crowley his choice, pressing his lips against his. The kisses were light, hesitant, as if testing each other, rediscovering the budding complicity of their first kiss.

When Aziraphale pulled away a little, he murmured, "I prefer this to any Italian food from Clos Maggiore," before capturing Crowley's lips again.

Crowley moaned his approval in the kiss, then parted his lips slightly and Aziraphale took the opportunity to slip his tongue into Crowley's mouth.

There was nothing urgent about their kiss; it was soft and sensual, and they took their time tasting each other, tongues wandering between mouths, teeth nibbling gently on lips while the other took time to breathe.

Aziraphale's hands tangled in Crowley's red hair, now completely tousled, while Crowley gently stroked Aziraphale's hips, then his back, still without frenzy.

After a few moments of kissing, they both pulled away a little, their lips moist, red, and slightly swollen.

They both laughed softly and stayed that way, forehead to forehead, for a moment, catching their breath.

Then Aziraphale asked gently, "How far do you want to go, Anthony?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I like what we have here and I would be happy to let things happen naturally, and I know we don't have a lot of time together, but I don't want to rush things either, you understand?"

Aziraphale understood him perfectly, and raising his hand to trace the outline of Crowley's face with his fingertips, he said gently, "Anthony, it's important that we get through this week unscathed."

Especially you, Aziraphale thought as he continued, "So know that if it's going to stay the way it is, I have no problem with that. I'm already more than happy with what we are sharing right now."

Aziraphale was sincere. What had just happened was more than pleasant, and if that was all there was to it, he would be satisfied with it - after all, he hadn't had any particular expectations when he had planned the week. It was already more than he could have hoped for.

Touched by Anthony's sincerity, he simply said, "Thank you."

Crowley smiled and nodded gently, then leaned over and murmured against Aziraphale's mouth, "Now that we're done with the serious talk, I'd like to pick up where we left off."

Then, as he pinned Aziraphale against the back of the sofa, he pressed his lips to his, and it was only a matter of moments before Aziraphale found himself with Crowley on his lap as their mouths resumed the dance they had begun earlier. Then, as if they understood each other perfectly, every time things got a little more heated, one or the other would relieve the pressure in one way or another. After a while, Crowley slid back to Aziraphale's side and rested his head on his shoulder, while Aziraphale's arm came naturally around his shoulders. They remained like that for a long moment, in comfortable silence.

Aziraphale breathed, "...perfect... "

Then Crowley felt his hand slide down his arm and drop to the sofa. He looked up to see that Aziraphale had fallen asleep.

Touched by the trust this implied, even though they'd only known each other the day before, Crowley took a few more moments to gaze at him. He could now see a certain vulnerability in the face of the man sleeping against him. He didn't know if it was their bond that made him react, but he had a fierce desire to protect him, to remove that shadow from his face.

He felt that his feelings for Aziraphale were growing at a dizzying pace, and even though he knew it was hopeless, he wanted to surrender to it anyway. Just to taste it. Just a little.

He watched over Aziraphale's sleep for a few more minutes before he felt that he, too, was about to fall asleep. But knowing that waking up would be painful if they both fell asleep in that position, he straightened up gently. Then, seeing that Aziraphale was unresponsive, he settled him on the sofa, found a pillow for his head, and covered him with a plaid blanket he found on a chair not far from the sofa. Aziraphale was sleeping so peacefully that he hadn't even woken up.

Crowley looked at him tenderly for a few more seconds, then leaned over and brushed the light hair gently back, kissing him lightly on the forehead before whispering, "Good night, Aziraphale."

Aziraphale responded with a soft mumble that elicited an amused chuckle from Crowley, who headed for his room. He took one last look at him on his way out, then closed the door behind him.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story 🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable fan fictions Masterpost : here

#good omens #aziracrow #ineffable husbands #ineffable boyfriends #aziraphale #crowley #good omens fanfiction #aziraphale x crowley #crowley x aziraphale #human AU #soulmate

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themousefromfantasyland · 1 year ago

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Wish (2023): Movie Review

I have to start this by saying how much I hate the online discourse about this movie.

It's okay if you think this movie looks and sounds boring. It's okay if you don't want to support Disney anymore. And it's okay if you just don't want to watch it.

I see plenty of people saying you have to watch this, otherwise the studio will go back to releasing only sequels and remakes, and it's a very stupid argument. Movie executives are buttholes, and they always learn the worst lessons. Regardless of what Disney does next, it won't be because of the public.

You don't owe your time to Disney.

Said that, I loved this movie, and I struggle to see what exactly turned so many people off. I watched twice just to be sure, and I had an amazing time going through this movie.

Make no mistake, I feel like it definitely could be better. I feel like it's a weaker movie if compared with Tangled, Frozen, and Encanto, but along Encanto, it is definitely one of the most enjoyable entries in the WDAS catalogue since Moana in 2016.

The animation was great. I loved the texture and colors, especially in the night scenes. Some of the backgrounds gave me Silver Age Disney flashbacks, which is great because the Silver Age (1950 - Alice, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, etc.) is my absolute favorite era of the studio.

Keep in mind, that I had to pirate this movie because it still hasn't come out here in Brazil, and even with the image being a bootleg filmed straight from the movie theater, the animation still looks impressive and beautiful.

Asha brings nothing new to a Disney Heroine, but Ariana DeBosse enfuses this character with life and makes it pretty likable. She never failed to make me laugh at the situations Asha finds herself. I think Asha is the perfect embodiment of a human disaster.

I hate the discourse about the Adorkable Disney Heroine that ModernGurlz brought up, because it pretty much feels like the Mary Sue discourse that I had to endure from Star Wars fans. People just regurgitate the online talking points, project their own grievances on them, and add nothing new to the conversation.

Asha and Anna are the only Disney heroines that really fall into the Adorkable character archetype, and even then they have enough character circunstamces to set them apart.

King Magnifico is a absolutely delicious villain. Chris Pine chews the scenario with this one. He is one of the few characters with a real arc, and is a corruption arc. I absolutely love how we see his insecurities, his pride, his narcissism, his greedy slowly take a tool on him. I love how he is not a villain from the start, but how he succumbs to villainy over the course of the movie.

And no, Magnifico is not good or right under any circumstance. He is not a tragic hero guys.

I actually think it's funny how he has a character arc similar to Wanda Maximoff, but with fewer redeming qualities, and although people correctly called her out on it, because he is an attractive man people keep trying to find excuses for him.

The songs are bangers. I don't think the lyrics are that atrocious. I understand people not liking them, but they are meant to be playful, and the visuals during the their sequences absolutely sells them, at least for me.

On the downside, Wish's script is very underdeveloped, with some parts very rushed and not properly fleshed-out. But even with that it has very unique and original ideas that I wished had been explored better.

I love the theme of wishes and dreams being physical things that you can use to manipulation, harm, and control people. I think it has a lot of real life implications that I may explore on a different post.

The room with the wishes as magical blue orbes is the most striking scene for me.

I don't know if the original concept was better and Disney forced the team to neuter their vision, or if Jennifer Lee just doesn't know how to write sincere fairy tales.

Either of these possibilities makes complete sense, especially since I don't like Jennifer Lee's vision for the studio.

Overall, Wish is a weak Disney film, and I understand people being disappointed, especially since it is meant to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the studio, but it still has plenty of things to enjoy.

It's very sweet, full of heart, and with so many live action remakes laying around, this isn't soulless at any point.

It definitely could be better, and we should expect better coming from one of the most powerful media corporation on the planet, but Wish isn't mediocre, and it doesn't deserve the online hate.

Wish is a good movie with good ideas and concepts, that could be better developed.

I especially struggle to see why this movie was so hated when some of Disney's more recent movies were much worse and didn't got that much negative attention.

Anyway, I think Asha and her friends deserve better and I love them so much.

I just hope Disney doesn't lock up Asha and them on the vault. They totally deserve better from Disney and from the fans.

#disney #wish 2023 #wish disney #wdas #disney animation #walt disney animation studios

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insidekaz · 29 days ago

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One Day, I'll write something as influential as Sonic The Hedgehog

(I know, I know. Very bold claim coming out of my mouth, especially for someone who just wrote out how hard it is for me to finish a project, but let me explain.)

Hello Internet. Kaz here, back with yet another entry cooked up from the inner workings of my mind. I know, a dangerous place to be at any time of the day, but what's life without a few risk? Anyway, I hope everyone is doing rather well during this forcefully and unfortunately commercialized holiday season. I'm doing good, inspired perhaps being a better word to describe my feelings right now. If it wasn't already clear by the title of this blog, I've recently had my nerdy spirit revigorated (big words for Kaz) after seeing the new Sonic The Hedgehog 3 movie that's currently in theaters.

First off, before I get ahead of myself,

NO SPOILERS IN THIS BLOG

As of the time that I'm writing this, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 was released on December 20th, 2024 and has only been in theaters for five days. I know a lot of people don't read these blogs, but I'm still not going to spoil anything here. What I will say is that Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is an amazing movie, one that I believe both Sonic and Non-Sonic fans alike should see! I will give a small word of warning though. The movies do draw inspiration from the games, but follow their own canon. This is just something to keep in mind when watching the movie. Trust me, this doesn't take away from the overall enjoyment. It just helps to have this bit of knowledge before going in.

Now then, to address the bold proclamation in the blog's title. When I say that I want to write something as influential as Sonic The Hedgehog, in no way do I mean I'm going to attempt to compete with SEGA and their mascot. That would be absolutely idiotic idea for me to have, both mentally and financially. Even as someone who makes some very questionable decisions from time to time, I'd have to be pronounced braindead before thinking I could triumph over one of the biggest video game companies in the world. Plus, I respect SEGA way too much for that.

No, what I mean is that I want to write something that could inspire millions someday. I wish for my work to lift the spirits of anyone who reads it. I want to my works to leave people on the edge of their seats, happy when the best happens to my characters, yet still holding onto hope when the worst comes. Like the Sonic franchise, I want people to fall in love with each character, both the heroes and the villains.

Trust me, I know that none of this is gonna be handed to me on a silver platter. The work I'm gonna have to put in requires dedication, me actually putting in more hours than I have recently. I don't really know what it is, but something about seeing Sonic 3 really lit a fire in a metaphorical way. I'm not really sure how to explain it. I've been a Sonic fan for decades now, the series being one of my top three favorite game series, the only thing before it being Gravity Rush and the only thing after it being The Legend Of Zelda.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. I mean, there's nothing wrong with having ambitions. It's just the procrastination that's a problem. I'm not perfect, I'll admit that. I've just been really bad with managing my own time lately. Like I said in (I believe) my last post, I might have to hire people to pester me into doing work. I've been having both my partner and my best friend on my ass to get content out, and I'm slowly getting there. I was going to try and get a video out before the end of this month, but I've decided that it would be better to push something out in January instead. Better on the mental state, ya know?

Anyway, that's all on my mind for today. I hope everyone has a rather happy holidays and a pleasant New Years. I might type out a few more blog post before the end of the year. Until then, I wish everyone a good night.

Bye!

-Kameron D. Kazma

#insidekaz #kameronkazma #nonbinary #kaz #work

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hot-take-tournament · 2 years ago

Note

One of the people who submitted the take that Cats 2019 is good (the longer version). I have read some of the comments and would like to respond:

-I have seen the stage show multiple times, both the 1998 proshoot and the 2021 touring show. The stage musical is obviously superior to the movie, and my take did not assert otherwise. However, I felt it was unfair to compare the stage show and the movie, as they are different mediums with different expectations.

-I have never liked the melody used for the stage version of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. It's too jerky and hokey and makes the lyrics harder to follow. The movie's melody is a lot smoother and easier to follow for me.

-I have watched the Sideways video explaining why the music in the movie is bad. His points were all true, but ultimately do not detract from my enjoyment of the music on its own. Also, Beautiful Ghosts is not a terrible song. It's not even in my top twenty worst Andrew Lloyd Weber songs.

-Jason Derulo was actually good as Rum Tum Tugger and I will die on this hill. I hope he gets a chance to try it again in the stage version.

-The added material was about what I expected, tbh. Was it handled gracefully? No, but it served its purpose and was ultimately harmless.

-Someone brought up the idea that Bumbalurina was a victim of Macavity's. I know this is a popular theory within the fandom, but as it is not in the actual text of the show, I don't blame the filmmakers for choosing to go in a different direction. This is also true of any other characterization choices--even in stage shows, those are left up to the interpretation of the director and performer.

-I do agree that James Corden and Rebel Wilson were terrible and Jenny Anydots is the one song I cannot defend. However, they're in the movie so briefly that I can happily ignore them.

Obviously, this is all my personal opinion, and I am aware that the very few people are going to agree with me; that's why it's my hot take and not my comfortably agreeable take. I should also note that I saw the movie in theaters while drunk, which greatly added to the experience, and the last movie I had seen was The Lion King 2019, which is definitely so much worse. (But this has gotten long enough so anyone who wants me to explain that will have to ask me about it on my own blog.)

cats 2019 propaganda!

...

'rum tum tugger'...?

#asks

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cyarsk52-20 · 1 month ago

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these moments are giving heavy deep negro sigh

Here Are the Worst Black Moments of 2024

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Though 2024 came with a handful of highs, it also came with a handful of lows in everything from the political sphere to entertainment and pop culture.

As the year comes to a close, we thought it would be fitting to take a look back on some of the worst moments of 2024 and reflect on the “Ls” Black people took as a collective. Hopefully, by the time 2025 rolls around we can all put these things in the rearview mirror and gain some more “Ws” in the next 12 months.

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Vice President Kamala Harris Losing the 2024 Presidential Election

Now you already know we had to start off strong with one of the biggest, worst moments of the year. Despite making history with record donations and strong debate performances, it still wasn’t enough for Vice President Kamala Harris to win the presidential election. Her loss sparked sadness, frustration and resolve from Black women in particular who decided they’d no longer play their part in helping save the nation from itself anymore. and when black ppl said that they are done it means they are DONE! So if you wonder why they are not gonna be outraged by the upcoming deportations remember this: those who voted for it could have prevented this.

Mike Tyson Losing the Fight Against Jake Paul

Now sure, maybe we all shouldn’t have really expected a nearly 59-year-old boxing champion to win a fight against somebody nearly 30 years his junior, but seeing Mike Tyson—of all fighters—get tired and worn out and ultimately lose against Jake Paul was a moment of time I, personally, wish we all didn’t have to witness.

James Earl Jones’ Death

After years of false alarms of James Earl Jones’ death on social media, folks all over were shocked when it was announced the “Star Wars” and “Lion King” star had actually transitioned to the other side on Sep. 9.

Frankie Beverly’s Death

As if losing James Earl Jones wasn’t bad enough, less than 24 hours later, Black folks were dealt another blow when we learned that beloved singer Frankie Beverly died. As one of the voices that were paramount to the soundtrack of Black America, Beverly’s death was and still is hard to deal with.

Tito Jackson’s Death

Not even five days after Frankie Beverly’s death, the grief of Black America was deepened even more when the news that Jackson 5 member Tito Jackson had passed away on Sep. 15. Having lost three legends back to back to back, the month of September definitely got off to a rough start. Seriously to hades with this freaking month of September, you horrid little bastard (I’m kidding, but seriously come back when you’re not as bad in 2025, you hear me)

Quincy Jones’ Death

It was already a hard year when it came to losing music legends but the cake was arguably taken when the news of Quincy Jones’ death on Nov. 3 was made public. With his talents and contributions spanning across TV and film in addition to music—Jones’ legacy will undoubtedly live beyond him for years to come.

“The American Society of Magical Negros” Release

The swiftness with which Black Twitter dragged the trailer for “The American Society of Magical Negroes” back in Dec. 2023, should’ve been a good indicator of how badly the movie would be received when it hit theaters the following March. But it’s clear that it wasn’t as the film received double lashings shortly after its release thanks to the lack of actual magical negroes using their powers for other Black folks and the non-Black love interest to name a few things. If you’re going to make a powerful movie regarding black ppl with magic you better make it at least slightly enjoyable or just watch the first(and unfortunately only) season of HBO lovecraft country

Raygun Winning Breakdancing at the Olympics

The news that breakdancing was an official category in the 2024 Olympics put a lot of smiles on a lot of Black folks’ faces. But, those smiles were quickly wiped away when Australian dancer with the rhythm of a wet macaroni noodle and puzzling choreography got all the attention.

I’m mad this moment will forever be etched in history because it was truly horrific. Like it’s over fifty years since breakdancing and this is what it led to? The breakdancers who went to the big dance show in the sky are turning into their graves

“DEI Mayor” & the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse

As if seeing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore shockingly collapse back in March wasn’t one thing, seeing the racist response to Mayor Brandon Scott and him being called the “DEI Mayor” in the aftermath made an already bad situation that much worse. Thankfully he handled it with tact and wit but that still didn’t take away from the overt racism lobbed against him.

John Amos’ Messy Death & Funerals

Prior to John Amos’ death on Aug. 21, we’d all gotten privy to the drama that was brewing between his two children: daughter Shannon and son KC. But things took an even weirder turn for the worse when the world found out about the elder Amos’ death and that he was cremated nearly two months after he’d already passed away. What followed was even more online mess between his kids and even two separate funerals.

Ray J’s Fight With Diddy’s Kids and the Unlikely Mediator

Though Sean “Diddy” Combs has enough problems to deal with on his own thanks to his federal indictment, his kids Justin, Quincy and Christian apparently took up the mantle to defend him when they engaged in a “heated face off” with Ray J of all people after a Halloween party back in Oct. Fortunately Chris Brown (yes, that Chris Brown) was there to diffuse the situation.

Unfortunately, this incident would be the kickoff to several more bizarre Ray J moments which included a wide-ranging and weird interview with Nicki Minaj, allegations about attempts on his life and more. Ray j, Just stop. Seriously

Tyrese Not Retiring From Social Media

Though Tyrese Gibson has given us out fair share of memes and memorable interviews, he sparked joy all over when he announced he’d be retiring from social media—leading us all to believe we’d finally be spared from his antics.

Sadly, that admission proved to be a lie as the “Lately” singer continued to post and ended up adding even more fodder for conversation thanks to his emotional “Breakfast Club” interview and a bizarre Instagram post in which he refuted rumors he was gay and a devil worshipper.

R. Kelly’s Daughter Heartbreaking Abuse Revelation

Though it’s well documented just how much harm R. Kelly inflicted on numerous young girls and boys, the internet was set ablaze back in October when a new documentary about the disgraced R&B singer revealed that he’d allegedly sexually abused his own daughter Buku Abi. it’s already bad enough that he abused many young boys and girls but his own daughter?!? 31 years in prison is not enough for him, he got a sweetheart sentence.

Nikki Giovanni’s Death

In the last month of 2024, just when we thought we’d be spared another heartbreaking death: esteemed author, poet, and activist Nikki Giovanni passed away on Dec. 10. Just like with the previous deaths of Frankie Beverly, James Earl Jones, Tito Jackson, and Quincy Jones—Black folks around the country had to grieve once again over the loss of yet another legend

#best of 2024

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signalwatch · 2 years ago

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Friday Night Watch: Confess Fletch (2022)

I saw both of the Chevy Chase Fletch films in the theater, and was part of a generation of people who wanted desperately to be able to quip somewhere between Fletch and Peter Venkman from Ghostbusters, making for a bunch of horrible kids who said the worst thing at the worst time all the time.

But those Chevy Chase movies were both pretty solid, even if the first is definitely better than the second. That said, I also remember my seventh grade Language Arts teacher informing us that the movies weren't a patch on the novels, and that Fletch was fundamentally different in the movies than what a coked-up Chevy Chase was delivering. This did not convince me to check out the books because I was a fan of the movies and felt comfortable in my ignorance. I have not lifted one of the 11 novels.

In the intervening years, I have no idea if anyone else attempted to make a Fletch movie. Just wasn't on my radar. And then in late 2022, I recall ads for a John Hamm movie that was, in fact a new Fletch installment.

Hamm made his bones as Don Draper on Mad Men, but in subsequent years has shown great talent as a comedic actor as well as dramatic. He's puzzlingly not quite caught on as a leading man in giant movies, but he has found a happy home in mid-budget films that wind up on streaming fairly quickly. That said, his brand of comedy has rarely felt much like the persona Chase had made famous, so when I saw he was taking on Fletch, I had no idea how this would go.

The movie itself completely flopped at the box office. I have no idea what the plan was, but the domestic gross was about $540,000. It wasn't a critical darling, but did have a decent RT and Metacritic score. Still, it's telling that this just isn't the sort of thing people will leave the house to go see in 2023.

The first two Fletch films manage to have intensely convoluted plots, but it doesn't matter, because the plots are there as a vehicle for Chase to do his thing, and if he resolves the mystery, that's terrific. He wears disguises and is constantly in motion, and that's enough. This film has a similar and deeply convoluted plot, but Hamm's Fletch doesn't wear disguises, he barely puts on an act when he needs to and he adopts a name (if he can remember it), and I assume it's closer to the books. But you do start to look at the seams of the mystery a lot more, and I'm not sure I entirely get why the murder occurs that Fletch was supposed to confess to that sets up the movie, or why the cops think Fletch knows the victim or would want to kill her (motive, means, etc...). It's entirely random and circumstantial to outside eyes.

But the movie moves along at a good clip, Hamm is actually very funny and stays not quite a step ahead of everyone else unlike Chase's Fletch you thought was 5 steps ahead.

The movie is helped along by a solid cast, including Kyle MacLachlan as an art broker, Marcia Gay Harden playing an Italian Contessa to the hilt, Roy Wood Jr. as a detective/ new father, Ayden Mayeri as Wood Jr's partner, and Annie Mumolo as a wacky neighbor. And John Slattery briefly as Fletch's old boss, now in Boston.

It's kind of an ideal end-of-the-week movie that's not too much of anything, but also not... dumb.

Mostly, I kind of think this should have been just a movie straight to Apple+ or Paramount (where I watched it), and it's fine. It's the sort of thing we all paid to see a lot of in the 1990's. But the fact the movie didn't make any money is probably much more of an indicator now of what people will just wait for than genuine disinterest in the movie. I, for one, blocked time on my calendar to watch it when I saw it was on Paramount.

Would I watch more installments on Hamm as Fletch? I think I would. He's enjoyable, the movie is light and fun, and his version of Fletch's persona in the face of chaos is actually pretty enjoyable. But it's far less broad. That's left to pretty much all the supporting characters. So seeing them do this Knives Out style every two years or so would be welcome. But, I suspect, that ain't happening.

https://ift.tt/X4edO0n

from The Signal Watch https://ift.tt/dhB2LUW

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noonecanhearyouscreen · 2 years ago

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The Bad Movie Rules

Watching Bad Movies has become a thing we do on purpose now. In this age of media saturation, watching a bad movie has become more than something that can wreck your day. Now we can seek out horrible things to watch and argue about what's the worst! Isn't living in the future great kids? That arguing about what's worst though, therein lies the problem. Just by ratings the worst 5 movies on IMDB are:

Disaster Movie- The terrible parody version of films like Armageddon.

Manos the Hands of Fate- which…we will come back to.

Birdemic: Shock and Terror- You may have heard of this one, but the main complaint I hear is the "effects are terrible" of course they are, have you seen this thing? I'd be more surprised if they were great.

Super Babies: Baby Geniuses 2- A barely put together children’s comedy that isn’t even intended for the people that hate it.

The Hottie and the Nottie- Not even an incompetent movie so much as a misogynistic romantic comedy about a guy falling for the “hot” girl’s “ugly” best friend. Most of the complaints are that this stars Paris Hilton, and if you think she’s the worst actor ever…oh you sweet, summer child.

In my mind only one of these even has a chance at being the worst movie ever, because four of these things barely qualify as movies. If you want to enjoy a bad movie with your friends, none of these are going to be enjoyable. So I’ve come up with a list of guidelines that will lead you to the kind of hubris induced failure that is worth your time.

1- It must have had a theatrical release

If a movie didn't get a theatrical release, that means that the people behind it didn't think it was worth advertising the film. They basically decided they would rather wait till people watch it accidentally via streaming (or home video in the good old days). If they don't care about it, there's probably nothing worth seeing.

However, if a bad movie has had a theatrical release it means that someone believed in this movie enough to buy advertising, print posters, send it to theaters and charge people for the pleasure of seeing it once. And that is beautiful. This includes major releases on streaming platforms that are advertised like theatrical releases.

2- No Blatant Cash Grabs

Similarly blatant cash grabs don't count because no one really cared about this movie in the first place, not one person was actually attempting to create something. These movies were not filmed, they were manufactured. Complaining that these movies are bad is like complaining that spray can cheese is bad. What are you really expecting?

Cash Grabs Include:

Sequels: Sequels are predisposed to being awful because generally they aren't planned and a filmmaker is offered huge sums of money to make one even though they only really had one good idea. See also prequels. Can you blame George Lucas for making Episode I? It was free money, and he'd already used up his good ideas. Ditto whatever Star Wars sequel you don’t like: studios only make sequels because they know the public will watch them, so whose fault is it really?

Fool Your Grandmother movies: Anything by Asylum counts under this heading as it is all they do. Asylum never really expects anyone to watch Transmorphers. They just expect to make enough money to get by on people's grandmothers buying the wrong movie at Christmas, or someone pressing play because they “just saw an ad for that movie.”

Parodies and "Genre Comedies": These are really the same as above but they're basically just making the same movies expect filled with unfunny jokes and ultra low budgets. Basically only Mel Brooks ever knew how to do a parody right anyway. Speaking of-

3- No Comedies.

Drama- Quality= Comedy

Comedy- Quality= Misery

You don't really want to listen to someone tell bad jokes for two hours do you?

4- It has to have the best chance possible.

This is by no means an endorsement of the American movie studio system.

Just as a movie can be excellent because its makers made the most out of their small budget and limited effects, to be truly bad a movie has to squander every possible advantage it has. It's no fair calling something bad if it was made by a college student in Russia for $10. If someone makes a good movie with that it would be an achievement, if you make a bad movie with that it's expected.

This also applies to movies that are made for a niche audience: Christian movies, Sci-fi channel movies, Lifetime movies, etc. It's not fair to call a Christian movie the worst thing ever when that studio only accepts scripts from Christian filmmakers about Christian themes. They aren't playing with the same deck.

5- Someone Had to try.

This is the key to having a great bad movie experience. Just one person, who believed in the movie enough to give it their best shot. Whether it's a classically trained actor who's acting their heart out of a terrible script; a set designer who has amazing potential; or a brilliant director desperately trying to salvage horrible performances. All of these things can show you a glimmer of hope in an utterly terrible movie.

I ask you, dear reader, to keep these rules in mind as you follow me down the dark and unholy rabbit hole we’ll call Bad Movies with Brad. Sometimes we’ll adhere to these rules heavily, sometimes I’ll break one to show you a glorious exception to the rule. Sometimes I’ll show you the brutal aftermath of exposing these films to human test subjects, or as I call them, my friends. And maybe someday I’ll have a whole vault of these films that I can show Hollywood whenever they decide to remake them.

#badmovies #bad movies #badmovieswithbrad

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ithisatanytime · 2 years ago

Video

youtube

Mint Royale - Blue Song (Official Video)

one of the worst things about the many saints of newark is that ray liotta is genuinely amazing in it, he carries the movie, its a shame because he was so great in good fellahs and his role in this is a return to form and in between its nothing but garbage movies and chantix commercials, then he gives a memorable performance and dies for a movie literally no one will see but more no one will even engage with intellectually because you cant really criticize the film in the way that films are criticized now, not based on audience enjoyment but a complicated jewish rubrick of inclusivity and an exaggerated racial politeness. and maybe that was the point, maybe david chase made a movie satirizing movies, i really hope against hope thats what he was doing and looking back it makes more and more sense. i always felt he was a bit liberal but not so liberal to be tone deaf and not realize how insulting the plot of his movie would be not just to fans but to everyone, and again i think that may have been the point, because people left the theaters pissed im sure, but without any politically acceptable way to express their frustration, (spoilers) in the end tony pinky swears with the corpse of dicky multisante in his open casket, a completely surreal scene in what had been a movie that was incomprehensibly bad but grounded somewhat in reality up to that point. i think david chase was laughing his ass off when he wrote the script, i think hes a stone cold killer.

the studios wanted a sapranos movie, they wanted this and that in it, even if not explicitly a man like david chase cant work without picking up implicitly what the producers and hollywood in general are going to want from him. so he gave them everything they wanted EXCEPT a sopranos movie. tony is basically not in the movie, and this is deliberate, no mention is made of the cast of the show post the end credits and that is deliberate, david chase is a stone cold killer and i take back everything i said about the man. i had forgotten that i picked up on how secretly based chase is while watching the series, psychology is ostensibly the moral guide in the sopranos universe but if you pay attention clearly it fucking isnt, the sopranos universe is one in which its heavily implied god is real and christ is the messiah (no seriously watch it again) and in fact the opening monologue given by (spoilers again seriously) christopher multisanti from beyond the grave where he says tony is “the man i went to hell for” explicitly confirms this. my bad david, if you are reading this i owe you a beer

#youtube

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in-defense-of-loki · 3 years ago

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I think the worst thing about Ragnarok is being that movie that was almost okay. And what I mean is, after being a fan of Loki since Thor 1 (which opened me up to the wonderful comic world, and Norse mythos), I was excited for the next movie that featured Loki. I felt a little off about him not dying in TDW only to show up on the throne he didn't actually want, but I could move past it. And now realizing that Loki was supposed to die, and the next film was going to take place in Helhiem, I'm so disappointed about what we could have had. It also makes it glaringly obvious Loki on the throne was such an afterthought.

But I went to the theaters with my band of movie-goers, and sat through Ragnarok feeling....off. It was enjoyable for what it delivered, I wasn't bored or disinterested, and it kept me distracted enough I didn't immediately realize it's fatal flaws. And I imagine nor did most people, and most those people continue to ignore it (at this point I think maybe on purpose). After it was over, and my band of peeps discussed what we watched, I was left feeling...empty. Something was bereft. And then going on to talk to my other friends who watched it, but not with me, expressing their like of the movie, I felt even more awkward. Because I didn't really enjoy it. I didn't understand why, at first, but I didn't want to be left out, so I pretended it was great.

And maybe a lot of others did this, too.

Then I went online with my feelings, only to find a massive amount of posts about how much it actually wasn't good, how much of the original movies were erased, replaced with soulless replicas, continuity gone, problematic themes afoot, trauma erasure, and how out of place it actually is by taking a 180° on style, atmosphere, and characterization.

I felt seen, heard, and then I started reading metas being critical of the movie and all it's elements....and then the truth behind what Waititi did to us fans on top of admitting his skewed perception. And my feelings were realised, I found what was bereft, a name to all that which I experienced with the film. And what was wrong with Ragnarok wasn't as blatant or immediately obvious as with the Loki show, least not to me, and that's part of the problem with the movie. And before anyone goes, well at least the story wasn't bad, I read a side by side comparison of Thor 1 and Ragnarok and they are identical, with some elements differing. But that's just saying it was Sakaar instead of Earth type shit. I am gonna guess that Love and Thunder is gonna be a redo/copy of what happened to Thor in IF and EG, because Waititi hasn't shown he can be creative by himself, but maybe that was the writers, Pearson, Kyle, and Yost, fault? Dunno.

But Ragnarok has a great fake-out, and I'm sure it's vivid colors and new characters helped fool us at first. I think most people get hung up on that, and that's why they don't find issue with it, willing to pretend it doesn't have any flaws. I'm sad and angry we were handed such a film and expected to sit pretty and take it, like a loyal dog, and that many people fell for it. To continue the analogy, perhaps the rest of us are more like cats snuffing the new food because we liked what we were served before. It's why I will not be watching Thor 4, I'm sure I'll get to know what happens anyway via posts on here.

But I'm done, I'm done with the MCU, I'm done with Waititi, I'm done with the direction they're taking things. I've stopped consuming their media, and I won't support them in other endeavors, OFMD is not the only thing I'll be skipping. I don't care how many times people will tell me this new Marvel show is actually really great, it's like they're listening! It's bait, and I'm done being fooled.

I'll still engage with meta on here, though, it soothes a bit.

#anti thor: love and thunder #anti thor love and thunder #anti thor ragnarok #anti taika waititi #anti loki show #anti disney

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cozza-frenzy · 3 years ago

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Thought of the evening; why are people so aggressively obsessed with bad-faith takes on shit on this website? Was recently looking through the reblogs on an old post on mine where all I did was warn people about The Incredibles 2 having some severe strobe effects (now edited out of the movie - this was while it was still in theaters). In fact, it was meant for one specific person more than anyone. But people considered it important enough to make it go viral, and then people in reblogs just... started accusing me of spreading misinformation?

And it's for such stupid reasons, too. Either saying I don't know how epilepsy works, how it "can't possibly be that bad", or claiming that I just hate the movie and don't want people to watch it. And I'm just like... does anyone who does this shit ever stop and wonder WHY I might want to do the worst possible thing they can derive from my post? For likes? For attention? To ruin people's enjoyment somehow? I hope they've learned some things since then. Assuming people are that inherently hostile is no way to live.

#Shit Exi Says #Shit Tea Says

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sulsulellison · 3 years ago

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hi! is there any way you can write some charlie dalton fluff? thank you! <3

i would love to :D

going to the movies

charlie dalton x gn!reader

(modern au, walton but more lenient)

word count: 2770

warning: swearing (not much at all tho)

playlist of mine i imagine charlie would also listen to

you and charlie had been dating for some time but weren’t able to go on many dates due to homework and strict leaving hours

so one day charlie brought up trying to get as much homework out of the way so that the weekend would be without constant work

he hadn’t told you anything about his ‘other plan’

once friday rolled around, you and the dead poets got to work and finished the homework

it wasn’t the most enjoyable thing but you knew it would be worth it (tho that didn’t stop you)

that saturday evening, charlie rushed to get ready and ran to your room to make sure you were getting around too

he was yet to tell you about his plan, so you decided to pester him into saying it

which he seemed to cave rather easily, saying he was going to take you the the movies

and that’s when the night finally began to start

he took you to see one of his favorites from when he was little at a old drive in movies theater 15 minutes away

charlie wasted no time getting food and drinks after parking his car

the trunk had been lined with blankets and pillows, though there was a fair amount of roo in the trunk, charlie took it apron himself to sit basically on top of you

he’s kinda bear hugging you; its endearing, trust me, i’ve been in zero relationships

one hand is on your shoulder and the other one elbow deep in popcorn

every couple of minutes he tries to get closer to you but plays it off as his trying to reach your bag of candy

now, the movie wasn’t a romance but damn was he able to make the worst(but effective/j) pickup lines and dirty jokes

what can i say, he’s a pro

it was already dark when the movie started but by now it was pitch black out and the movie was about to end and you expected the night to end and for you both to return to your respected dorm rooms

however, during the ride back to walton, fucking cameron called; must i add, to answer the call charlie had to remove his hand from your leg

luckily, cameron called to tell charlie he had to leave for the night but that meeks needed to get into the room to grab some papers

you could see the smirk creep on charlie’s face once he realized that meant the room would be free for the both of you

cameron then hung up and went about his own business

charlie quick went to turn up the music that been playing and ‘vowels (and the importance of being me)’ by HUNNY started to play (a favorite)

his hand then moved from the stick shift to your leg

you knew nothing would happen, like sexual, prolly going to watch another movie or catch up on some show , maybe even homework

so after you got there and let meeks grab what he needed, you weren’t surprised that daltons exhaustion resulted in him wanting to relax and cuddle on his bed

the night was spent cuddling and listening to music

you both fell asleep in each other’s arms and woke up that same way

#fluff #comfort #charlie dalton x reader #dead poets society x reader #dead poets honor #dead poets live #dead poets headcanons #dead poets society #charlie dalton #steven meeks #richard cameron #charlie x reader #dps fanfiction #dps hc #dps headcanons #dps fandom #dps #dps fic #dps x reader

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whitehotharlots · 3 years ago

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West Side Story (2021): A Review

The new West Side Story is great if you think the politics of the original film were too subtle. Also if you hated the pristine cinematography of the original and would have preferred it instead to resemble a 12-year-old figuring out how instagram filters work, boy do I got a film for you...

Really, it was okay. No need to ever watch it again, but I've had worse times. The leads could sing. Dancing is somehow even gayer now because it's less homosexual, but whatever, I can't control that.

Hollywood has apparently forgotten the sheer cinematic joy of casting 35-year-olds to play teenagers, as this movie starred actual kids. There’s nothing impressive about that. Actual teens are nimble. When I pay for prancing, I want to see emaciated theater freaks my own age who have sustained a magical simulacra of youth by spending their twenties and thirties consuming nothing but cigarettes and cocaine. Seriously, what does this tell kids to aspire to? If you’re 19 and haven’t already been cast, that’s it, you’re out, you might as well eat food instead of vodka. Bullshit. An absolute betrayal of everything that used to make Broadway enjoyable.

The film evinced some of the worst anti-Irish prejudice I have ever seen,. The primary antagonist, Griff, looks like if Alfred E. Newman was going through chemotherapy, and it’s said he gets his desire from violence from his ol’ paddy of a dad. This is compounded by the film's blatant pro-Polish bias, pretending that a young man of the Polish persuasion would magically be able to open jars and dance and court a young Puerto Rican woman while only resorting to brute force a handful of times. Maybe you can ask an insider to explain this kind of sicko Hollywood bullshit because from where I was sitting it just didn't make no sense.

As to the woke stuff conservatives are complaining about: they stress that Maria is 18, which is pretty fucking atrocious but just what you have to do if you want to make movies now. Only a matter of time before the ruin all the classics: making it so Jane Eyre teams up with Bertha, adding some passages to Moby Dick to make it seem like Ahab wasn’t trying to fuck the whale and/or that if he was that would be very good and valid, etc. Again, we can’t change that. It was neat seeing the Puerto Ricans repeatedly refer to themselves as “brown,” though, as if that designation existed before 2010, and as if they very much did not want to consider themselves white.

Also, before the movie played there were like 9 trailers for the worst-looking pieces of crap I've ever seen, including one in which a guy wearing an Owen Wilson Halloween mask (who turns out to actually be Owen Wilson?!?) marries a CGI Jennifer Lopez when she proposes to him at some kind of reality show taping. They also played a commercial for cryptocurrency and another one for that facebook mind-control device that also looks like absolute shit. The future of American culture is very bleak indeed.

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yuusa · 4 years ago

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𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝟐𝟐

𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟑𝟑𝟖𝟏

𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝟐𝟐:

You stirred in your sleep, cracking your eyes open and seeing the window curtains drawn back with the light peeking through. As you tried to sit up, you felt a weight on your stomach and looked down, seeing Yuki’s head resting on your body with a peaceful look. You smiled at the sight and brushed back his hair, feeling his soft locks untangle underneath your fingers as he breathed quietly. He looked very cute when he was sleeping.

You didn’t remember much from yesterday, but you did remember holding onto something in your sleep. As you stared down at Yuki you wondered if he stayed here all night, you thought that his family would have wanted him to go home once he dropped off your homework. He was still wearing his school uniform, you could feel yourself feeling guilty for making him stay here with you without spare clothes to wear. It must have been uncomfortable sleeping in his uniform.

You turned over your phone, seeing the clock being early in the morning. You reached out to touch your forehead, your temperature has gone down by a lot but you still felt slightly woozy. It wasn’t too bad though, you should be able to attend classes as long as you kept a certain distance from everyone.

You pressed your lips together in a frown, Yuki must have done a lot for you to help bring your temperature down. As you continued to brush his hair you noticed that his fingers would flinch now and then, almost as if he was unconsciously responding to your touches in his sleeping form.

“. . . Did you really have to do all of these things for me. . .” You whispered, thinking that this might be the one chance to say something that he may not be able to hear, “. . . You didn’t have to stay with me.”

There was comfort in knowing that he wasn’t directly listening to you, “. . . Even though we don’t know anything about each other. . . Is it fine for me to think that I could help you? Is that selfish of me?” Your whispers continued as you brushed his hair slowly.

“Am I really the right person for this? Is it wrong to think that. . . I feel like I’m wanted here?” You peered over to stare at the two erasers that Aikyo had given to you with your first meeting, the clean utensils leaning against each other, “. . . Am I. . . Protecting you? Or am I just making everything worse?”

“. . . I’m jealous. I’m. . . Really jealous,” you admitted, biting on the bottom of your lip as your eyes began to tear up, “. . . Everyone looks so happy without me. . .”

You toyed with the grey strands of his hair, his calm breathing being the only thing you heard aside from your own voice, “. . . If I wasn’t wanted. . . Why would I be now?” You felt your tears drip from your face and down to the soft sheets of your comforter, “. . . If I wasn’t born this way. . . Would everything be better?”

You squeezed your eyes shut, the tiny weights of your tears continuing to flow down your cheeks as you held back your sobs. Small hiccups escaped from the cracks of your lips, your chest feeling heavy and your heart aching, “. . . I don’t know what to do. . .”

“Do you really feel that way?”

The feeling of someone’s cold fingers brushing your tears away came to you, you unconsciously leaned into their touch as you snapped your eyes open to see Yuki staring at you with a concerned expression.

“W-Were you listening?” You held onto his wrist, keeping him there as you tried to hold back your cries.

“Do you really think that we wouldn’t want you?” He asked, pushing away the tears from your face as your (e/c) eyes widened, “that’s not true (L/n)-san.”

“. . . How would you know that?” You tried to turn away from his eyes but his hand kept you still.

“You’ve always been welcomed, I’m sorry that you didn’t feel that way, but I’m being honest with you,” you sniffled as he continued, “it’s okay to be confused. You’re trying something new and it takes practice doesn’t it?”

“I’ve been thinking. . .” Yuki started, leaning closer to you as you felt pinned down by his gaze, “. . . You are looking for something too.”

“What do you mean. . .?” You softly asked.

“I learned that. . . It’s hard to love yourself when all you see is the worst parts. . . So you need someone else to love you for you to see your own worth,” you watched as he smiled at you, his shining prince-like figure radiating with positivity, “I think you’re looking for that person too.”

“Y-You’re not making any sense,” you sniffled, feeling his hand trail up to your head as he brushed your tangled strands.

“(L/n)-san, you don’t need to feel burdened.” He replied, your tears coming to a stop as you stared into his grey-blue orbs.

“I-I’m not burdened.” You said, pushing his hand away from you but he only smiled.

“You shouldn’t deny it.” His finger ‘booped’ the tip of your nose, “you look cuter when you’re not crying.”

“W-Wha. . . I’m not!”

“You are.”

Your face began to glow a bright shade as you pulled your blanket over your head, causing Yuki to yelp as you surrounded yourself in a dark nest. You held onto the edges of the blanket tightly for dear life as you heard him chuckle.

“G-Go to school already! You’re late aren’t you?” You felt Yuki’s hands pull at the sheets, trying to free you from your comfortable prison, “l-let go! Sohma-san let go!” You whined.

“I could always skip out and say I got sick because of you.” He teased, pulling the sheets off of your head to expose your blushing face.

“You’re throwing me under the bus?!”

“Yup.”

“B-But your attendance! You have committee work don’t you?!”

“I could worry about that later.” He sneakily rolled you up into a blanket burrito, completely encaging you in the warm blankets as you struggled to break free.

“S-Sohma-san!”

You paused as you watched him laugh at your form, the sound of his voice being so joyous made your heart feel warm. Even though the two of you had never bickered like this before, or even have in the first place, it didn’t hurt at all. Is this what it was like to have a friendly argument? You thought.

It felt. . . Weird.

“S-Sorry, it’s just-“ He continued to laugh, “y-you look like. . . Birds when they. . . Get weighted!”

You silently thought for a while as to what he meant but quickly realized that he was referring to you like a burrito bird. It's when you wrap up the bird in a towel or blanket for them to get weighed when they visit the vet.

In other words. . . He was teasing you!

“I-I’m not! Take that back!” You cried out, trying to escape from the wrappings but Yuki placed his weight onto the folds of the blanket.

“Nope.”

“Y-You’re. . . Insufferable.” You tried to turn your head away from Yuki to look more intimidating but he was finding it hard to take you seriously when you’re bundled up in your sheets. He gave you an innocent smile as if to tease you about the predicament you were trapped in.

“Why are you so strong?” You mumbled, feeling your strands of hair falling in front of your face, but you were unable to push it back.

“I practiced martial arts as a kid.” He replied.

“. . . I see. . . Your cousin said that as well. . .” You saw his smile slowly crack to a saddened frown as he stared at you.

“. . . Do you not like it?” You asked, wiggling your arms out until you finally broke free of your restraints. You watched him cross his arms over on your sheets as he laid his head down, his gloomy expression still present on his face as his bangs shrouded the heavy emotions from his eyes.

“I wouldn’t say like. . . I didn’t find any enjoyment in it.”

He winced at the painful memory, ones that had resurfaced into the conversation. Although he has learned enough to beat Kyo with ease, Yuki never found himself passionate about the sport as much as he was. He never really had any sparring partners unlike Kyo, who had Hatsuhara fight with him while he watched from the sidelines. He still remembers the way Akito wrapped his hands around his head, the darkness enveloping him as the sound of her voice echoed in his mind. It sent shivers down his spine every time he is reminded by the sound of her laughter.

You reached out to pull back his bangs, finally seeing his full saddened expression that he tried to hide from you. He didn’t know why, but having you be able to touch him like this made him feel lighter. There was something about the warmth of your hand against his cold skin that made him feel comforted.

“It must have been hard,” You spoke up, feeling Yuki caress the palm of your hand with his fingers, “. . . I never really practiced martial arts but. . . It looks like it makes you sad.”

“Is that so. . .” He pressed his lips together, “(L/n)-san, can I ask you something?”

“Sure?” You felt him intertwine his fingers with you, shocking you internally.

“Do you think that I will leave you?”

You drew circles with the tip of your thumb on his hand, “. . . I don’t know. You might.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because. . .” Was it right for you to say the truth? You peered down at his eyes to see them filled to the brim with sincerity and kindness, his grey-blue orbs giving you his entire attention while he grasped onto your hand. You weighed down your options, trying to figure out what was the right words to say and the ones you should avoid.

“. . . You wouldn’t like me anymore,” You mumbled, “I’m. . . Nothing like you think I am.”

“That isn’t true (L/n)-san,” he started, “from the way I see things, I think the truest form of yourself is right in front of me.”

“Y-You’re just saying things that don’t make sense.” You retorted, biting the bottom of your lips, “you don’t know that.”

“I believe in it though,” he smiled, “you rarely cry in front of others, but it seems like I’m the only one who saw you like this, right?” He squeezed your hand softly, “you’re showing me a side that no one else sees.”

“You’re crying.” You pulled yourself away from him in shock, trying to cover your eyes.

“I-I’m sorry.” You apologized, sniffling underneath your hand as you turned away from him.

“Don’t apologize, what’s wrong?”

“I. . .” You choked on a sob, trying to keep quiet in the theater while the movie drowned out the noises of your tears. You didn’t know if you could trust Akito fully, but there was something about the look he gave you which made you feel wanted.

"Does that mean I'm special to you?" He leaned forward to press his forehead against yours, the feeling of his warm breath just mere inches above your lips. Was he teasing you again with this?

". . . You were already someone special." You whispered, pulling away and covering your face with your hands. At the same time, he leaned back and gave you another smile.

"That makes me happy to hear."

". . . You should still go to class." You suggested, dropping your hands and clutching onto the edges of your blanket, "I kept you here enough, you should go."

Your heart began to ache at the memory of Akito. You couldn't help but feel guilty about Yuki, out of all times that your memories could have resurfaced, it had to be today.

"Eager for me to leave?" He teased.

You grabbed onto your pillow and lightly smacked him with the soft material, "t-that's not that I'm implying! Go to school!"

"I told you that I'll be skipping today, just say that you got me sick. . ." He caught your pillow before you could hit him a second time.

"Y-You can't!"

"Why not?"

"B-Because you stayed here long enough, don't you think Shigure-san will get mad?" The two of you blankly stared at each other until Yuki fumbled over to the table to pick up his phone.

There were several calls from Shigure that he ignored while he fell asleep, and other messages from Tohru asking when he would be coming home. There was one message from Kyo but it was garbled nonsense that he must have been forced to type up to bring Yuki back home. You yawned while he sighed as he turned to you, "is it fine if I take a call with Shigure-san?"

"Sure, I'm going to wash my face and shower." You decided to take a shower, if you spent too long in the bath it would be awkward for Yuki who is waiting for you to finish.

You yawned and slipped out of bed, making your way to the bathroom with slight difficulty. Once you had left the comfort of your bed, your head became lightheaded and your eyes began to see some static, however, you found this normal in your human body due to your blood pressure. Yuki waited for the door to close before opening a call with Shigure, his phone rang for a few seconds until he heard him on the other side of the line.

"Yuki-kun! Where were you last night? Tohru-kun told us that you were at (Y/n)-kun's house, did you stay over there? Did you sleep with her? You naughty boy!"

"If you don't shut up I will hurt you," Yuki groaned, "I'm fine, did I cause that much worry for everyone in the house?"

"Nope, no one missed you!"

"Shigure. . ." He turned to the door of the bathroom, still seeing that you were inside. He heard the water of your shower turn on and he brought his phone closer to his ear as he leaned his back against your bed.

"Just kidding! Tohru was getting worried that you might stay over at her house without a clean pair of clothes, but it was already too late for her to start walking over to (Y/n)-kuns house! Speaking of (Y/n)-kun, is she recovering from her sickness?" Shigure corrected, his laugh erupting from his lips.

"She's fine, I think her temperature gone down," Yuki responded, "she might be feeling a bit woozy though, she was wobbling to the bathroom."

Shigure hummed, "the school called, are the two of you going?"

"Er. . . Not today."

"So you're skipping for a girl?"

"Tease me again and I will end this call," Yuki mumbled, "be serious here Shigure. And no, (L/n)-san actually got me sick so I will be staying over for a bit longer." His lips curved into a small smirk, this was unplanned for you but this was a great way for him to actually get to talk to you more without the restraints of the public.

Shigure laughed, "my bad. . . I was just thinking that you have been coming over to her house a lot, I was wondering if the two of you were something else?"

The door to the bathroom opened up, your hair still soaking wet as you came out with a towel around your head to dry your (h/c) strands. Small droplets of water dribbled down your chin as you continued to brush your hair with the fluffy material. You were wearing a pair of shorts and an oversized t-shirt, due to your exhaustion your body was still slightly wet so your clothes stuck to your skin. You walked over to the kitchen, leaving the towel on your neck as you went for a drink of water for your dry throat. Yuki awkwardly gawked at you for a few seconds before hanging up on Shigure without answering him back.

"What did Shigure-san say?" You leaned up against the counter with a bottle of water to your lips.

He let out an exaggerated sigh, "he kept joking with me. The school called for both of us but you got me sick."

"Did you actually say that?!" You almost spat out your drink.

"Yeah," he brushed back his long strands of hair.

". . . I see," you replied, staring down at your water bottle and watching the small ripples form in the clear liquid.

Something about the way he talked about martial arts earlier made you feel as if there was something underneath the surface of his family. It seems as if nearly everyone practiced it at a young age, was it a requirement or simply a sport that was forced upon them? Kyo seemed to enjoy it greatly, but Yuki looks as if he is disgusted by it.

. . . You would be too.

“God. . . Please accept this gift and finally release this spirit.” You dug your nails into your hand before getting to your feet, you reeled your hand back and punched her in the face, her screams echoing in the room as you heard her skull hit the wall. She released an anguished cry while you picked up the bowl of fruit, smashing the ceramic by throwing it onto the floor. The shards covering the wooden surface and cutting parts of your skin.

You hate this feeling.

You grit your teeth and clenched your fist tightly, your eyes glaring down at her in anger. You picked up the broken bowl, the longest shard being held in your hand as you kneeled next to her. The altar of God watching over you, looming over your childish figure as you raised the shard above your head.

You hate this desire.

Yuki heard the sound of plastic crackling and the explosion of water, watching as your fist tightened around the body of the bottle as droplets of liquid fell from your cheeks. Your nails pierced the bottle before lifelessly dropping it onto the ground, the crumpling of the plastic hitting the wooden ground as water continued to drop from your face.

"(L/n)-san. . ." Yuki quickly got off of the floor and took your towel, wiping away the water that drenched you, "what's going on?"

You gasped before flinching at Yuki's gentle touches, you instinctively slapped his hand away, the towel falling onto the ground with a small splat as you stared at him silently.

"W-What are you doing?" You asked.

He tilted his head towards you in confusion, "you. . . spilled water over yourself."

"I. . . Sorry." You apologized, crouching down to pick up the water bottle and towel from the ground, feeling Yuki's stare linger on your figure as you straightened yourself.

You were stupid.

This was a mistake on your own part, getting lost in your thoughts and forgetting about your own surroundings. Yuki is going to question everything and you wouldn’t be able to have an answer for them all. You dumped the bottle into the recycling trash bag, pausing for a few seconds before awkwardly going back to sit on your bed, your body still wet from the water bottle and shower.

"Is. . . Is there something bothering you?" Yuki sat down next to you, the weight of the bed shifting to accompany the two of you.

You fiddled with the edges of your fingers, ". . . I was just wondering. . . Why do you hate martial arts?" You lied.

“I don’t hate it,” Yuki pressed his lips together in a frown as he tightened his fist around your blanket, “it doesn’t bring back good memories, that's all.”

“I see.”

“Is that what was bothering you?”

Of course, he wouldn’t have positive memories of martial arts. It was just another thing the two of you shared in common. Although you felt your reasoning was slightly selfish and self-destructive, it was for the sake of everyone else that you care deeply about.

You would rather die than hurt anyone the same way you did in the past.

You stared at him before giving him a small smile. There certainly was something you could continue trying to do though.

“No, I'm fine,” You spoke up, “but. . . Sohma-san. . .”

You reached out to touch his hand, bringing it close to your lips as you held them there, “I think that you’re really amazing.”

You wanted to free him from his own burdens, even if it meant pushing your own self away from his worries.

#Fruits Basket #fruits basket x reader #Yuki Sohma #yuki soma #yuki sohma x reader #yuki soma x reader

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