#rami malek scenario

[safin-supremacy]

Benjamin X Reader Mostly fluffy prompt (Linked to last prompt)

Benjamin laid comfortably on top of you, and you couldn’t move him, and you didn’t want to shove him as that would be mean. “Y’know - Your bed could be more comfortable than me,” you stated, and he shook his head, still no intention to get off of you.

“Nah, I’m good,” he responded, and you grunted, trying to feel comfortable as you moved a little beneath him.

༺𐦐༻

You grinned when you noticed Jacob approaching you, and Benjamin watched anxiously; he was worried that Jacob would hurt you. “I’ve been gathering my courage to talk to you for so long after you became a bloodsucker,” he claimed, “and now - I did it.” You giggled, playfully and gently slapping his shoulder as you didn’t want to be too forceful.

↯

You would be surprised when Benjamin suddenly pressed you against the wall in the hallway, and you would be scared, until you realised it was him. “What the Hell were you doing with Jacob?” Benjamin questioned, and you grunted, rolling your eyes; you thought that he’d gotten over it already as you’d spoken to him about it before. “It’s obvious that you like him,” Benjamin stated, and you managed to push him off of you.

“I don’t!” You retorted, annoyed that he would even think that you did. “Are friends not allowed to be playful with each other?” You spat, and Benjamin looked away from you, getting an idea.

“Playful?” Benjamin repeated, and you nodded. “What? Like this?” Benjamin would surprise you when he held up your jacket so you could see it; he’d originally tried to find you to return it to you, before he found you and Jacob talking.

“Is that my-?” You tried to take it from him, but he held it higher, smirking. “Gimme that back!” You demanded in a whiny voice, and he chuckled, taking the opportunity to tickle you with his free hand. You whimpered, trying to escape his hold, until he stopped tickling you, offering you your jacket, and you warily accepted it from him, though you thought he’d tease you again.

Benjamin then stepped closer to you, placing his hand on your cheek, before he connected his lips to your’s, kissing you delicately as if you were fragile. You stared into Benjamin’s reddish brown eyes once the kiss was over, and he grinned when he noticed that you were blushing profusely; he always had this effect on you, practically from the very beginning. “So - You don’t have feelings for Jacob?” Benjamin asked, hopeful, though he could already see that you didn’t.

“Of course I don’t! Besides he imprinted, remember?” You reminded him, and Benjamin winced when he remembered, embarrassed for forgetting. “I love you, B,” you added softly, before you connected your forehead to his. “I always will,” you assured, and Benjamin couldn’t help, but smile in response as his eyes locked with your’s.

“You guys are so cheesy it’s disgusting.” You winced when you heard Emmett’s voice, and the two of you looked over at him. Emmett guessed what you both might be thinking, and he shook his head. “I won’t tell, don’t worry,” he reassured, and you both expressed relief, smiling your thanks to him. Emmett smiled kindly back, before he walked away from you both. You then wrapped your arms around Benjamin, and he returned the hug, wishing you both could have more moments like this together.

~~~~~~

Enjoy ! ❤️

[destinyc1020]

Imagine if Austin actually wins an Oscar on his first try? He’s reminding me of rami malek and Eddie Redmayne when they won. Bring out the popcorn if that happens.

Oh I know.... 😫🙈

That would be wiiiiild.

I still think that Colin is the favorite to win, and I honestly think he WILL win.

The Academy usually doesn't like to award young, (especially handsome) actors for Oscars for some reason lol. 😂 At least, that's their typical M.O. 🤷🏾‍♀️

It's actually more likely for a young, attractive, (even new-comer) female actress to win a "Best Actress" Oscar than it is for a young male lol 😆

At least, that's been the typical scenario historically-speaking

[bigtits4jesus]

think about rami malek in a nightcrawler remake

it'd be awful though they'd make him like a youtuber or something and there'd be terrible hamfisted political messaging like in the joker movie. yk what fuck it cast both these guys as the joker. i think in any of these scenarios rami would be more likeable and naturalistic in his acting than the bohemian rhapsody biopic.........

[crowdvscritic]

behind the scenes // ST. LOUIS FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS (2022)

Have you ever wondered how Best of the Year lists are chosen? Each year publications like Entertainment Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter conduct anonymous interviews with Academy members to reveal their Oscar votes, often with article titles like “brutally honest” and “juicy.” I understand not wanting to burn any bridges with friends or colleagues, but I usually finish those pieces annoyed. If you’ve got an opinion, own it! How do know if I can trust your judgment or taste?

In the spirit of transparency, I’m doing my small part to be the change I wish to see in the world. (Exactly the scenario someone had in mind when altering Gandhi’s words to fit on a bumper sticker.) Last year I voted in the St. Louis Film Critics Association Best of the Year for the first time, and I’m sharing my behind-the-scenes look at how we narrowed down the 800+ eligible films of the year to our 23 winners and how I chose my votes. Apologies in advance it's not a "juicy" take—there's not a lot of drama in our group!

These were the key 2022 dates for our decisions:

Saturday, December 10th: Individual nominations due to SLFCA leadership

Sunday, December 11th: Tie-Breaker Meeting to determine final nominees

Saturday, December 17th: Final ballots due

As a reminder, I can’t speak for how every critic in the group prioritizes viewing or votes. Another critic in the group may have completely different strategy even if we end up voting for the same nominee!

How the Ballots Work

Like many awards shows, I’m kicking this explainer off with Best Supporting Actor and Actress. I didn’t have any cuts when I submitted my ballot—I was looking for people to fill my five slots. The real decision-making was about their order. 

In the first round of voting, our ballots are ranked, with our first choice earning five points toward the performer’s total and fifth place earning one point. For example, I contributed five points each to Andre Braugher and Carey Mulligan’s totals for their performances in She Said as well as two points to Angela Basset’s total for her Black Panther role. While those three made the cut for SLFCA’s nominations, not enough of the other critics ranked Adrien Brody, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dolly De Leon, Kate Hudson, Rami Malek, Pedro Pascal, or John David Washington highly enough for them to make the final nominations. Curtis and De Leon were just a few points away from making the cut.

More performers our critics loved: Jessie Buckley, Women Talking; Hong Chau, The Whale; Tom Hanks, Elvis; Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway; Anthony Hopkins, Armageddon Time; Nina Hoss, Tár; Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once; Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin; Keke Palmer, Nope; Eddie Redmayne, The Good Nurse; Mark Rylance, Bones and All; Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time

Watching as Many Movies as Possible

More than 800 eligible films were released in 2022 . (One of our members compiled them all into a Letterboxd list.) In the 10 days before my nominations were due, I watched She Said, Triangle of Sadness, Vengeance, and White Noise, all of which made my picks for Best Screenplay. I also watched titles I nominated in other categories (Babylon, Emily the Criminal, The Fabelmans, RRR, “Sr.”), plus a few that didn’t make the cut (Armageddon Time, Devotion, The Menu, Something From Tiffany’s, The Wonder). 

But what about the films I hadn't seen that SLFCA nominated? That’s what the week between the Tie-Breaker Meeting and the final ballot due date is for. In those seven days, I checked out The Banshees of Inisherin, Tár, and Women Talking, which were movies I had expected to be nominated regardless of my support. 

More screenplays on my long list: Amsterdam, The Menu, See How They Run

More screenplays our critics loved: After Yang, Aftersun, All Quiet on the Western Front, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Elvis, Empire of Light, Happening, Nope, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Till, The Whale

Choosing Nominees

In the Cinematography, Editing, and Visual Effects categories, I focused on an advocacy strategy. Before I met most of my fellow St. Louis Film Critics Association members, I was regularly updated with their film recommendations in a private Facebook group. As early as September, members shared headlines about the Awards Season, and based on chatter I’d seen in the group and in the film world at large, I figured support would be strong for films like Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, She Said, and Top Gun: Maverick. I was less sure about sentiment for Amsterdam, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, See How They Run, Triangle of Sadness, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, so I prioritized them on my ballot.

More films on my long list: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (VFX), RRR (Editing), She Said (Editing), The Woman King (VFX)

A few more films our critics loved: All Quiet on the Western Front (Cinematography), Avatar: The Way of Water (Cinematography, Editing), The Batman (VFX), Decision to Leave (Editing), Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (VFX), Empire of Light (Cinematography), Three Thousand Years of Longing (VFX), Women Talking (Editing)

Breaking Ties

After we submitted our ballots, we met as a group at a restaurant to hash out ties. The longest and most passionate debate broke out over the Best Scene category because there was a six-way (!) tie for third place. We ultimately decided to keep four of those six scenes and nominate six films total. We typically only include five nominees, but exceptions can be made in the case of a tie.

A few more scenes our critics loved: Scarlet Witch vs. the Illuminati in Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, the Home Alone-inspired sequence in Violent Night

Prioritizing Nominees

After nominations were finalized at our our Tie-Breaker Meeting, I counted 20 nominated films I had not seen, 14 of which were only nominated in 1 category each. (I did not join the group till the summer, so I was not watching for most of the year knowing about this deadline!) I knew I would not have the time to watch them all, so I prioritized by asking these questions:

How many nominations did each film have? The Banshees of Inisherin, Women Talking, and Tár each earned between 4 and 11 noms, so they were highest priority

Could I watch every nominee in a category? All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Apollo 10½, Jackass Forever, and Wendell & Wild each only earned one nom, but I prioritized them so I could complete the Animated, Comedy, and Documentary categories

Had I watched enough noms to vote in a category? To vote in a category, I had to watch at least three nominees. I prioritized the twice-nominated in Decision to Leave so I could vote in Best International Feature, but I decided to skip voting in the Horror category because I would’ve needed to watch four films to vote (and because this horror-averse viewer probably would have found all four of them quite upsetting!)

More films on my long list: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Action), The Lost City (Comedy), Marry Me (Comedy), Minions: The Rise of Gru (Comedy), See How They Run (Comedy), The Woman King (Action)

A few more films our critics loved: Bad Axe (Documentary), The Bad Guys (Animated), The Banshees of Inisherin (Comedy), Barbarian (Horror), The Batman (Action), Broker (International), Bros (Comedy), Clerks III (Comedy), Corsage (International), EO (International), Lightyear (Animated), Navalny (Documentary), The Sea Beast (Animated), Smile (Horror)

Announcing the Winners

For me, the final round of voting is a combination of picking clear favorites in a category and trying to get your favorite films represented somewhere on the ballot. Winners are announced in a press release and shared on the SLFCA website. And in just a few weeks the process starts all over again with the new year! 

You can see the full list of winners and nominees for 2022 at STLFilmCritics.org, and here are how my nominations shook out in the categories not featured above:

[adamwatchesmovies]

Need for Speed (2014)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

Obviously trying to cash-in on the popularity of the Fast and Furious franchise, Need for Speed can't even match Tokyo Drift. I'll give this film credit for its impressive vehicular stunts but what good are they when the story is all jumbled and the characters flat?

Former race car driver Tobey (Aaron Paul) has just finished his two-year prison sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. Seeking revenge upon his rival, Dino (Dominic Cooper) - the man who killed his friend “Little” Pete (Harrison Gilbertson) - , Tobey also wants to exonerate his name and compete in the De Leon, a winner-takes-all supercar race organized by the mysterious Monarch (Michael Keaton). To win, he’ll need the help of his team: English car broker Julia (Imogen Poots), pilot/lookout Maverick (Scott Mescudi), mechanic Joe (Ramon Rodriguez) and computer expert Finn (Rami Malek)

At 130 minutes, what should be a fast-paced, exciting thrill ride is a bore. The second you see Pete, you know he’s going to die but we have to go through the usual motions; waiting for the greasy villain to cause his death, frame Tobey and get the plot started. Except the story already HAD a reason to start. Tobey's garage is about to be repossessed by the bank. The very same garage his late father used to own. That's relateable. It's familiar... but that's fine. It's certainly enough to get him to sign up for a race.

Another plot thread which goes nowhere is Anita (Dakota Johnson, so not in this movie you might miss her), Pete’s older sister and Tobey’s former girlfriend who is now dating Dino… for reasons no one can understand. The two naturally hate each other but we have to waste time coming up with all of these melodramatic scenarios to tell us why we should care about who wins or loses the race. It’s boring, boring, boring.

In a desperate attempt to keep us watching, every character is given a couple of quirks and made distinct. It doesn't matter. You won't find anyone endearing - largely because none of the actors have any charisma. Instead, you grow increasingly tired of seeing Michael Keaton do a watered-down version of his Beetlejuice routine… up until Scott Mescudi’s comedic attempts, which bomb so bad they’re almost enough to make you forget how stupid the plot is. Things just happen to get us from one scene to another and in the end, why? You know everything there is to know about this movie alredy. It might as well be on autopilot.

To its credit, Need for Speed ends on a high note. The final car chase is well shot, uses real vehicles and is quite exciting. Seeing those tires screech, those authentic crashes and death-defying swerves jolt you awake from your stupor. You wish the whole movie could be like it. This shiny climax isn’t enough to save the film, unfortunately. It confirms Need for Speed as little more than a wannabe of a franchise who might’ve had some rough patches but took the time and effort to build itself up. (On DVD, March 1, 2019)

[themovieblogonline]

Movie Review: The Beautifully Dull Amsterdam

I really want to have fun writing this Amsterdam movie review. Amsterdam stars a lot of actors I normally want to see and enjoy. Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington working together in a movie should be a home run, right? Add in Rami Malek, Anya Taylor Joy, and Robert De Niro as supporting cast add to the great casting. I should like movies with great casting, right? and at first I do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLs2xxM0e78 Amsterdam has a fun opening scene that is somewhat entertaining with John David Washington and Christian Bale's characters, They introduce these characters early and show them bonding as soldiers in a war in which they are suffering from serious injuries. Their injuries require surgery for the removal of shrapnel from their bodies. We see these soldiers form a pact with their nurse, Margot Robbie, who befriends them. Man, things start so well but then... THE GOOD Amsterdam has some great casting and some great acting. Margot Robbie gives the best performance out of everyone in this movie. Christian Bale and John David Washington have decent chemistry but Margot Robbie absolutely owns it. John David Washington and Margot have less chemistry and are a bit awkward together. The origin of their bond is a great opening and set the tone for the rest of the movie. This opening is actually the most enjoyable part of the movie watching this group form a bond in a hospital in Amsterdam.  Michael Shannon and Mike Myers are welcome surprised and actually improve every scene they are in. It's crazy just how the appearance of these supporting characters steals attention every time they're on screen. Fun performance by Christian bale. He's overacting a lot but it's all very fun to watch and works with the tone of this story. In fact, all of the supporting cast deliver fantastic performances. Rami Malek, Anya Taylor Joy, and even Robert De Niro shine.  This film is very easy on the eyes. The wardrobe and makeup will catch your attention but it's the attention to detail to everything that maintains the illusion. There's also a very eye-appealing color palette to this movie that eases you into this world and grabs your attention. THE BAD For all the good things that Amsterdam has going in its favor, there's also a lot that hurts the movie. There's a big issue with the supporting cast. Some of my favorite performances in Amsterdam come from the most underutilized castings. Mike Myers and Michael Shannon are criminally underused in this film but are highlights when on screen. Where is Timothy Olyphant? And why didn't we get more of Zoe Saldana? It's like she makes a cameo but they don't use her for anything substantial. Taylor swift was okay but also wasn't in the movie very much either. And why was Chris Rock even here? He stands out like a sore thumb and doesn't add much to the movie. The plot development is bad. Like really bad. This movie clumsily establishes a scenario in which 2 of the main characters are framed for murder. The way that Amsterdam even establishes this situation seems unbelievable as it toes back and forth with serious topics and comedy. Not only does it seem wacky in the setup but there's absolutely no sense of consequence once the plot is established. This seems especially weird since a black man is accused of murder in the 1930s and there's no sense of consequence. These moments susend belief and make it difficult to maintain interest in what's happening on screen. The writing in Amsterdam is painfully dull. The actors do their best with what they are provided but the dialogue and circumstances are boring. I can't get invested in any of these characters or their relationships because they are all boring. Christian Bale's character is, by far, the most interesting but that's due to the physical comedy with his c Overall Amsterdam looks like it was a lot of fun for the actors to make. maybe Too much fun. Things start off so great but go downhill quickly. I got nervous the moment I saw Chris Rock on screen. All of the actors did a good job with their characters and their performances. My main problem is that the story was just so dull and sucks the life out of everything. Most of the performances are great except I couldn't help but notice John David Washington's non-stop blinking throughout the entire movie. I can't tell if this is on purpose or not but it's very distracting.   I struggled my way through this movie and can't recommend it. Read the full article

[multific]

Journeys

Rami Malek x Reader

Summary: Life if full of new opportunities so, when you get to work with an Oscar winning, talented actor, you never expected that it would turn out like this.

 Seeing him for the first time left you speechless. You were assigned to be his makeup artist for his upcoming movie, yet you felt like a child standing in front of him. Your brain could barely comprehend the fact that you were standing in front of an Oscar winning actor.

“Ni-Nice to meet you, my name is Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Hello, I’m Rami Malek.”

Of course you knew who he was. Who didn’t? He was such a talent, and ever since you saw his work, you have been a fan of his, but you will never admit that to his face.

You heard others from the cast and the staff who worked at the studio calling him weird-looking. You preferred unique. His face, bone structure, cheeks, eyes and lips were so different. Different in a very handsome way, in your opinion.

That is how it all began.

Your days were quite the same, you did his makeup for the shoots and then if he needed touch ups, you were there. Wasn’t as exciting as someone might think, but it was your job and it paid well.

It was late night, you were back in your hotel room when you heard someone knock. You didn’t order anything and weren’t waiting for anyone, so you wondered who it might be.

You opened your door and saw Rami standing in front of it.

“Hi. Sorry to disturb you, it seems like in my room the heating is gone and when I asked for another room, they couldn’t give me one, I know you have two beds, would you mind if I borrowed one for tonight?”

“Oh.” well it was true that you used to have two beds, but last week they changed it to a double bed. “I have a double bed…But if you don’t mind. I only sleep on one side anyway. It’s too big for me.”

“Are you sure it’s not a problem?”

“Not for me. And you won’t get cold.”

“May I also take a bath?”

“Sure, come in.” you saw the bag in his hands, it seemed like he was prepared for this stay-over. You tried your very best to stay calm and collected. Rami took a bath as you sat on the bed, reading a blog on your laptop. You didn’t notice him coming out in his pajamas.

“Reading?” he scared you a little.

“Yes. It’s my favourite blog, has an article about how Egyptians used to do their makeup and shows inspirational pieces to try.”

“Sounds like you really are invested in the makeup world.” he said sitting down on the bed, taking a peak at your screen.

“Hmm. Yes. I have always liked to make others pretty.” he smiled at you and got under his sheets. Thankfully even though you had a double bed there were two sheets.

“Do you mind if I watch TV?”

“Not at all.”

The rest of the evening was pretty normal, he slept, not even snoring one bit, with his back to you, you watched as his body rose and fell with each breath he took. Your heart was beating too fast, you could barely sleep that night.

You cursed at yourself for having a crush on someone like him. He was so out of reach for you it wasn’t fair.

However when morning came, you found him sleeping facing you, you couldn’t help but admire his perfect skin and face. Even if it was for only a moment, your dreams got lose and you imagined what it would be like to wake up every day beside him. But you got up and went to get ready for the day before he could catch you staring at him.

Him staying in your room was only a one-time thing, sadly, since his room got fixed the next day.

***

Rami seemed to become a great friend of yours. He often initiated talk and even bought you some coffee in the mornings. While you worked on his makeup, he was telling you stories, making you laugh. And you’d do the same, you could tell he listened to every word you said, smiling and laughing along with you.

One day, he asked you to have dinner with him, you assumed he was once again friendly, since no one really talked with him from the cast. So, you went, you dressed up yourself into something nice and did your makeup and hair. It wasn’t a date, but you still wanted to look nice.

“Wow.” Rami said once he saw you all dressed up.

“Is it too much?” you asked, slightly worried that you might have overdone it.

“No. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” you blushed a little at his words.

He and you got into a cab as he gave the address to the driver. When you got to the restaurant, you found it to be one of the best in town. You heard that it was nearly impossible to get a table there.

“A table for two under the name Malek.” you heard him say to the waiter at the door.

“Right this way, Ma’am, Sir.” the waiter lead you to a table with the most privacy and amazing view.

“This is their best table.” Rami said that once you were seated.

“How did you get a table here? I heard it’s impossible!”

“Well, it’s good for them. They can say I was here, and I heard their food is amazing. Don’t hesitate to order whatever you want to.”

The waiter came back and handed each one of you the menu. However you found something strange.

“Uhm. Rami, there’s no pricing on the menu.”

“I told you not to worry about that. Just order something you like or want to try or both.”

“How can I not worry?”

“I’m paying.”

You left it at that, seeing there wouldn’t be a point in arguing with him. You ended up ordering something that you knew you’d like. Rami ordered something you never even heard about.

If you were honest with yourself, this was the best food you ever had. It was so tasty and just the perfect amount.

“Dessert?” asked Rami once he was done with his dish.

“Absolutely. This place is fantastic!”

“I’m glad you are enjoying it.” Rami smiled at you and this was the moment you realized that both of you were smiling during the whole time you have been there. You didn’t want to get the wrong idea of his kindness.

“Thank you for inviting me. This is probably the most expensive place I will ever go to in my life.”

He could only smile at your honesty.

After dinner, you felt full, but Rami said he would like to go to a nearby place. You agreed. And soon you found yourself on top a building looking down on the city. The beauty of it mesmerized you as you looked over the railing then took a step back.

“It’s gorgeous, but I don’t really like heights, so I’ll just stand here.” you told him honestly. Your crush on him only grew when you saw him with all the light reflecting in his eyes, illuminating his skin. It was slightly wrong of you that you thought about tonight as a date? Even if he wasn’t seeing you that way.

“You look absolutely breath taking.”

“You’re too kind.” It wasn’t that you didn’t believe him, but you didn’t want to get your hopes up.

“Can a guy compliment his date?”

“Date?” you asked back shocked.

“Well, yeah.” there was a moment of silence. Rami looked at you as you stared at him. You couldn’t believe what he just said. You felt like you were dreaming or hallucinating. “Oh. I wasn’t clear enough? I thought I was clear, Y/N. I apologize, I can see you are quite surprised. For the last few weeks I feel like you are the only person who cared for me, and treated me well. Everyone sees me as this big star, but you. You see me for who I really am.”

“I-I don’t know what to say.” Rami took this as an opportunity to stand closer to you and put his hand on your cheek, making you look him in the eyes, his gorgeous eyes. Which he slowly closed as he leaned closer and finally, his lips landed on yours.

It felt like a dream come true, you even forgot to close your eyes. When he pulled away, you looked at him all you could say was.

“But I’m only a makeup artist…I’m not someone who deserves you.”

“Y/N, you think too little of yourself. You are far more than just a makeup artist, you are the one who helped me, kept me motivated and made me smile. I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you.” Somehow over your mutual insecurity, you found yourself grabbing his shirt’s collar and pulling him down for a kiss. This one was deeper, with more passion and feelings poured into it.

You soon pulled away from the kiss, but Rami kept his embrace around you, you looked at the sight in front of you, a city full of life, light and opportunities.

And in the middle of it, you were ready to begin your journey, with Rami.

 Taglist: imreadinggoaway fleursirvart v-2bucky ehsebastian crunch-time-sports pxstelrainbow ablogbypeteparker liamssmiler smexylemony greenarrowhead feelingsareharddd thisismysecrethappyplace sincerelyfan theoneanna aestheticsandmarvel rororo06 castellandiangelo avengers-r-us destynelseclipsacastellandiangelo spilledinkindumpster celebsimagines capsiclesdoll firstangeldragonranch snoopy3000 firstangeldragonranch puknow crazzyter alwayshave-faith  soleil-dor alex12948 scream-kiwi79

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

My taglist is open!

Feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank You for reading my story!~

[lucy-verse]

[agentnico]

No Time To Die (2021) Review

I swear this movie came out 2 years ago?... Okay, yes, I agree, that was a cheap gag, but look, the constant postponement of this film's release is in itself a joke! Finally though, it is here.

Plot: James Bond is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica after leaving active service. However, his peace is short-lived as his old CIA friend, Felix Leiter, shows up and asks for help.

“I’d rather slash my wrists.” Those were the words spoken by actor Daniel Craig in 2015 for a Time Out magazine interview prior to the release of Spectre. Seemingly it felt as if Craig was done with his signature role as famed British spy James Bond, however be as it may have been, MGM managed to sway away Craig’s suicidal thoughts and cut him a cheque with a sum he simply couldn’t refuse and have him return for a proper final outing. Hollywood business at it’s finest, ladies and gentlemen! But the question is posed, was there a need for another Craig/Bond film? For the previous instalment Spectre was such a let-down that it left a sour taste, or at least I think it did. Honestly, I don’t really remember much of what happened in Spectre, it was such a shoulder-shrugging forgettable feature. The answer however is a positive one, for No Time To Die ends up being worth the wait. All this wait. Though I would’ve found it super amusing if this film came out and turned out to be an absolute stinker, as then everyone would just be sat there in the theatre wondering why the hell we’ve been waiting for this movie this entire time. But nope, it’s a good one.

No Time To Die really feels like a culmination of Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond. And with that merit this movie doesn’t actually feel like a James Bond film. Yes, it has the one-liners and the action set pieces and the typical tropes of a Bond film, however the focus here is very much more on Daniel Craig’s interpretation of the character, and how he managed to turn a weapon into a human. For James Bond at the end of the day was always a killing machine. License to kill and all that jazz was always at the centre of what made the character, however Craig’s take brought a lot of humanity and reality to what was a stereotype. And it’s shown more than ever in No Time To Die, with Daniel Craig delivering a performance of vast emotional gamut. His Bond experiences moments of general happiness and actual love (real love, not just his typical one-night stands he’s known for) to then fury and sadness. My fiancée jokingly made a remark at the beginning of this movie about how petty James Bond is acting in this movie. And I agreeably chuckled at first, for to be fair he was getting offended easily and taking everything so personally without giving it much thought, however the more the movie progressed, the more I understood why he was this way. It made him feel more human, and actually made me care for him. Additionally, the aforementioned element of love plays a big part in this film, for romance is truly at the heart of this one. Bond turns out to be a real loving sweetheart, and this all culminated in one hell of a finale, one that really surprised me with it’s emotional gut punch. Look, I see this film’s ending really dividing audiences as it’s not something you would typically expect from a James Bond movie, however I absolutely relished it and saw it as a perfect swan song for Daniel Craig.

The movie is long. In fact, it’s very long. In fact, it’s too long. It runs at nearly 3 hours and yes, there is a lot of story crammed into this but honestly there are many chunks that could have been cut down and the film would have benefitted from it. For the movie is very good, but it has chunks that drag which does cause the experience to be slightly diminished, however that being said, this is a very well directed movie. Cary Joji Fukunaga (who’s previous work I don’t know much of though I have seen his Netflix limited series Maniac with Jonah Hill and Emma Stone which I do recommend highly) exhibits some strong directing here, balancing moments of real tension using unsettling imagery with moments of levity and good character chemistry. Yes, he brings class and the right amount of epicness to the action sequences, but it was actually the quieter moments that I feel he really excelled at. The opening sequence is especially disturbing, with the way Fukunaga displays this lonely isolated house in the middle of snowy nowhere, and we see a mysterious figure creep towards it wearing a mask so creepy it reminded me of that freaky monkey mask from the horror thriller I See You. A shot from behind a sliding glass door I found especially unnerving. 

Performances across the board are all great. Daniel Craig I’ve already sing praise for, however others are to be mentioned also. Rami Malek manages to take a fairly lacklustre villain and present him in proper vile fashion. He’s truly unpleasant and horrible in this role, and I truly despised him which is what made him perfect for the role. That being said the actual character was weak. There wasn’t much meat to him so to speak. Typical Bond bad guy who wanted to see the world burn. Lea Seydoux returns as Bond’s love interest Madeleine and her chemistry with Craig is wonderful and I really enjoyed seeing her character develop more since the last movie. Returning from Spectre too is the villainous Blofeld played by Christoph Waltz, and though he isn’t in the movie much, I weirdly enjoyed him more this time around. In Spectre is was really forgettable and the script didn’t know what to do with him, whilst here is serves a specific purpose and we also get to enjoy a great scene with him in prison having a battle of wits with Bond. Real good stuff. We also have a couple of new Bond girls, with Lashana Lynch taking on the 007 mantle, and it was nice seeing a very different kind of spy in her. Her and Bond bicker quite a bit, however natural they become buddies and they are the better for it. And Lynch can be easily added to the list of powerful badass women on-screen. Ana de Armas also appears in what is a little Knives Out reunion, and unfortunately she’s only in the movie for one sequence, but it’s actually a great sequence with her putting a new spin on the Bond girl stereotype, bringing charm, swagger and humour and riffing off good banter with Craig. Shame we only see so little of her. The likes of Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes also return, and even Jeffrey Wright takes a break from pondering What If? scenarios to make a little comeback. 

No Time To Die definitely stands next to the better Daniel Craig Bond films alongside Casino Royale and Skyfall, and it’s a true culmination of all of them, whilst still managing to ignore and forget the existence of Quantum of Solace, which is good, because Quantum of Solace sucks and I can’t believe I even managed to bring it up again!! Regardless, what a way to send off Daniel Craig on a proper high, and really refreshing to actually witness a Bond movie that features feelings and emotions. In fact, it’s pure Valentine’s Day essential viewing, so mark your calendars for next year, as you now know what film you have to rewatch on February 14th 2021! 

Overall score: 8/10

[safin-supremacy]

Elliot Alderson X Reader Cute prompt

“I hope you know I would literally die for you,” you stated, breaking the silence as you and Elliot walked slowly through the park.

Elliot glanced at you, shaking his head slightly. “I hope you don’t,” he responded; he didn’t want you to risk your life for his. Elliot noticed that you seemed down as you sank on the next bench, and he expressed concern for you, sitting beside you. “Are you okay?” Elliot inquired, and you nodded, smiling weakly up at him.

“I just don’t want tonight to end,” you answered, and he agreed, smiling sympathetically as he looked away from you.

꧁⍟꧂

You wanted attention, and Elliot was in the other room playing a video game like he occasionally did, so you decided to try to get it from him as you barged into his room. “I need attention,” you whined, and Elliot winced, pausing the game, before he turned to face you.

“Fine - C’mere,” he responded, and you sat on his lap, feeling better as you wrapped your arms around him.

You shyly smiled up at him, and he smiled back at you faintly. “Does this mean we’re dating?” You asked, curious, but felt stupid when you noticed the look on his face. “K-Kidding,” you whispered, burying your face against his shoulder. You smiled softly when you remembered when Elliot suggested that you could move in with him into his apartment; he could see how much you were struggling after you were kicked out of your family’s house.

~~~~~

Hope you enjoyed! ❤️

[builder051]

🐥☕🌳 for the asking game?

🐓 Chicken: What is a comfort movie/show for you?

(Unfortunately my list has only the big chicken? I hope the baby chick has good body image and future aspirations.)

I have a couple options dedicated to different scenarios.

#1 for “something is not right” I don’t care what, paper cut to migraine to mental health to just want a nap… is Black Panther.

#1 for Laur is practicing the right of being an adult and making “bad choices,” all in the name of self-medication and good sport is Bohemian Rhapsody.

(NOTES: If one is of age, it is 100% ok, in my opinion, to purchase and responsibly use legal/OTC recreational substances, so long as they do not contain other active/inactive ingredients that will harm you in large doses. One of the easiest pure options recently became available on Amazon. Always calculate your weight dose. tripsit.com is a fantastic resource. Be ready for a flop/hangover day. Bohemian Rhapsody was a best picture nom. Rami Malek won for best actor. There are maybe ~3 edit flubs in the movie that I recognize as flubs, and they drive me nuts. But no hate. It’s an incredible movie. IDK why it has so many haters. )

If I’m really going for a ‘blast from the past.’ I’ll throw on a DVD from the Sherlock (BBC) set. I was sooo into it as it came out (my high school into college), and I got the DVDs and watched them as background noise obsessively. When I hear the theme song nowadays, I’m a little, like, a what now? Tardis? Flashing lights? What year is it? (I’ve seen 2ish seasons of Dr. Who, which I remember none of, because it was just on when I was writing my undergrad thesis.) My fave episode is Hound of the Baskervilles, because Sherlock has that moment of fear/ confusion that he can only express as anger… it’s a great scene.

☕ Tea: How do you take your tea?

However it’s meant to be taken at the venue, generally, though I have some severe allergies (dairy, soy, oats) that prevent some ways of doing it.

Tea party tea should have sugar and a little spoon. Starbucks tea is, like, neon pink and iced. Grandparents’ house tea is southern sweet tea. Tea at Chili’s is Lipton. The tea that comes in the tall tins from Republic of Tea is best if it either has a Star Wars character on it, or someone from Downtown Abbey. Those we drink plain. And I have a pre/probiotic tea that we add vitamins to that I have for breakfast most days, and that’s tasty, too.

🌳 Tree: What is one thing in your future you are looking foward towards? 

The continuation of Laur and DD rock n roll tour 2022: we’re seeing Greta Van Fleet next month.

They were our first ‘big’ concert (headliner at a festival), and now they’re headlining an arena, and just to see the growth and continuing to love the music… it’s great.

[illfoandillfie]

Anyone who has been following me for a while has probably seen me talk about a project I’ve been hoping to get started - creating a Queen themed tarot deck. Well, good news, I’ve finished basic planning stuff and I’m ready to start actually making the cards!

BUT I am definitely not up to creating 78 individual artworks, so that’s where this post comes in. 

I’m looking for artists who would like to create a piece or two which will be used in this tarot deck. I’ve organised general ideas of what each card will feature so that we get a good range of images and theres a connection to the meanings of each card.

For the moment I’m going to focus on the Major Arcana of which there are 22. So, if you are an artist in the Queen fandom and would be interested in participating please follow the link below to a short survey I’ve created where you’ll be asked to rank the cards in order of which you’d be most interested in creating art for. 

LINK

Below the cut I have included the list of cards and the prompts for each one, as well as some other info about the project. If you have any questions that weren’t covered below please send me a message (via ask box or dm)! 

If you see this and aren’t artistically inclined please give it a reblog. I’d love this post to reach as many artists as possible and I can’t rely on tumblr to show it in the tags or anything so I would love some extra help spreading the world. 

Why A Tarot Deck?

I’m honestly not even sure where exactly this idea came from. All I remember is that one day I thought it would be a fun idea and then I started thinking about it more and realised just how much work it would be. In an effort to learn about the meanings of the tarot cards I started learning to read tarot (something I’ve been curious about for many years now anyway) and it all sort of snowballed from there. 

Why Multiple Artists? 

Because I’m not confident or capable enough of pulling this off on my own lmao. I enjoy making art but I struggle big time with drawing people and faces and I know I would give up after a handful of cards if I was doing this on my own. But multi-artist decks are very much a thing in the tarot community and theres some really cool ones out there. 

What Sort of Art?

Anything. Whatever medium you enjoy using - digital, watercolour, acrylics, charcoal, etc - and whatever your style is! As long as you can send me a clean copy that can fit into the card template, then you can do what you like. The prompts I’ve chosen for each card are also fairly loose because I didn’t want to limit anyone’s creativity. Part of the joy of a collaborative deck is everyone’s individual interpretations of the cards and the imagery on them. 

The only times I may say you can’t depict a particular outfit or moment is if I’ve already planned it to be on one of the minor arcana cards but otherwise you’ll have free reign. 

 I Don’t Know Anything About Tarot, Does That Matter?

NOPE! After the survey responses have been collected I will deal out the cards to everyone (hopefully in a way where everyone gets to work on something they really want to 🤞) and part of that will include a PDF with some information about the card - keywords associated with it, examples of other decks, why that prompt was chosen for it, etc - to help you get started if you need it. I am also always available to ask questions or bounce ideas off of. 

Distribution?

This is the part I’m still looking into. I am wary of putting these up for sale anywhere because obviously there are copyright things and using people’s likenesses and all of that and the last thing I want is for my favourite band to take me to court lmao. Currently I am investigating a site called Make Playing Cards which basically lets you design your own card decks (one of the specific options being tarot cards) and print them off without having to bulk order anything. I’m just not entirely sure if they let you upload and share a design for free or if you have to put them up for sale. I’ll also create a PDF version that people can print themselves at home if they like. If anyone has any other suggestions for this I am all ears! 

Of course something like Kickstarter is also an option I guess but, again, I’m still looking into all of this. 

Time frame?

I definitely do not want to rush this. The loose timeline I’ve been working off of gives you three or four months to create your card after which time I can start finding people for the minor arcana cards. But, this can be adjusted depending on how many people sign up and y’know if everyone submits their pieces earlier than that then we can bump the next stage up. But I want to give everyone ample time to create something they are proud of. And I am very aware that the current global situation is affecting people’s creative energies and on top of that some of you may be participating in Inktober or similar things around this time of year, so I am also happy to extend the timeline.

What Happens If Not Enough People Sign Up?

Look, I guess it depends on how few artists are interested. Ideally I’d get enough people to do the major arcana but I’m not getting my hopes up. There is a question in the survey asking if you’d be willing to create multiple pieces so if there are left over cards I can hand them out to anyone who says they want them. I can also do a couple myself I just can’t do all 78 cards on my own. 

What Happens If Too Many People Sign Up?

I am surprisingly prepared for this scenario. Firstly there were a few ideas I was throwing around that didn’t end up being used in the final list so potentially we can create some alternate cards. 

Secondly, there is still the minor arcana to do as well. The minors will work a bit differently though. The minor arcana is similar to a deck of playing cards with four suits (wands, cups, pentacles, swords) and the numbers ace through ten plus four court cards (king, queen, knight, page). I was thinking the same artist could pick a number or court position and create the four cards for it so that they all match, if that makes sense. That way all of the Fours will look the similar and all of the kings will look similar etc. SO if anyone doesn’t get to do a major arcana I’ll check if they’d be interested in tacking a minor instead. 

You Said There Would Be A List Where’s The List?

The Fool/s - Smile

The Magician/s - Queen

The High Priestess - Freddie in The Great Pretender

The Empress - Roger in The Great Pretender

The Emperor - Miami

The Hierophant - The Prophets Song

The Lovers - Freddie and Jim

The Chariot - Tour Bus

Justice - Present Day Bri

The Hermit - Older John

Wheel of Fortune - A Night At The Opera/Bohemian Rhapsody record

Strength - Ben Hardy

The Hanged Man - Highlander (or any of the queen songs featured in it)

Death - Bri in the Hard Life video

Temperance - Naked bicycle race

The Devil - Death on Two Legs

The Tower - Frank from News of the World

The Star - Rami Malek

The Moon - Gwilym Lee

The Sun - Joe Mazzello

Judgement - Adam Lambert/Q+AL?

The World - Made In Heaven/Tribute Concert

As you can see there’s a mix of Queen themselves, other people associated with them, objects associated with the band, and songs. I know some of these are sightly out there or unusual but please have a think about them and see if any spark your interest or get the creative juices flowing. I am also open to discussing potential other images to use instead if you’ve got an idea. As long as they can be tied to the meaning of the cards. 

[jackmmbirrell71]

NO TIME TO DIE (2021)

THIS REVIEW DOES NOT HAVE SPOILERS

Lemme just say this. This movie right here. Amazing. Everything a Bond and action film should be. I loved every minute of it. I was worried that after all the delays rewrites and muck ups that the film wouldn't live up to the hype but god I was so wrong. It exceeded my expectations. This Bond film is more than just a bond film; yes it has the action, the muscular man, the beautiful woman, the scar faced villain but it does it in a way that does justice to everyone. Bond in this film is presented as an actual man with a heart and with a sense of care in him which you never really see in any of the previous Bond films. With Bond films there’s always been the risk and problems of how women have been represented but in this film they do it in a way that doesn't sexualises them just for the sake of it. They make the woman in this film actually a key point of the film and gives them some powerful moments. In a way the female ensemble of the film out shone Daniel Craig especially Anna De Armas being a complete badass and Lashana Lynch giving a very interesting insight into what's to come with the exploration of a female 007, which after watching this film and seeing her in it I LOVE AND WANT TO SEE MORE OF. 

SHE’S SUCH A BADASS!

I’m a bit of a sucker for Rami Malek so I'm probably going to be very bias but he was amazing in the film. his character was also a very genuinely interesting villain who wasn't in the film for much of it but had such an impact that you alway felt his presence there and that's what I love about a good villain (like Darth Vader in episode 4 only being in the film for like 8 minutes but having a huge cinematic impact.) The overall writing in the film was all in all great. It was a simple story of villain wanting to kill everyone and take over the world bla bla bla but there were elements in the story that mad me really scared. Scared you say? Yes, scared, it was eerily similar to the whole Covid-19 scenario we’ve all been going through. The villain, Safin played by Rami Malek, manages to get a top secret UK government biological weapon that infects people and makes them ill and kills them. Sounds familiar? It created a sense of tension to the whole mission Bond has to go on cause you know a threat like this can be devastating as we’ve been living through something like this for the past year and a half. Another thing I loved about the story was how it explores how our governments are corrupt and even if they think they have good intentions to build a mass extinction level kinda weapon that will keep their country ‘safe’. It uses the metaphor of Safin as a way of saying they’re not better than the ‘actual’ bad guys. 

I’m just going to say another thing. The cinematography in this film. Perfect. It’s done so well with some amazing lighting sequences in the Cuba part of the movie and with beautiful scenery in the opening of the film. The camera work is so well executed and keeps you dead centre of all the action and is shot in a way that you don't feel lost in the fights yet still feel like you’re there with them. Some of the shot transitions were so smooth and just made everything flow. The pacing of the film as well was just great. Slow start but managed to build up tension that lead up to the big villain reveal and from there everything was just a thrill ride. Some of the stunts as well were just out of this world but in a way that they can be believed and not like some other wacky Bond stunts they’re explored in the past. I love the believability of it as it creates a sense that Bond is an actual human and creates this other layer to him. 

I could go on and on about this film but I think I'll stop and only say a couple  last things. The opening title sequence with Billie Eilish’s song playing over it was a sensation I wish I could relive for the first time. And finally the ending of the film was perfect and an amazing farewell to an amazing representation of Bond. It was a simple and very emotional ending to everything and it truly did feel like his last mission. They didnt drag the ding out at all which I liked. The got stealth to the point and manages to set something up for whoever will next take the mantle of James Bond 007. 

STARS- ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[starlightervarda]

please allow us to be excited for him with reservations: if he's playing sabac (and more than one source has said that's the case), then he's playing an orientalist villain. marwan (and MENA actors in general) deserves so much more than just villain roles.

Hi nonny,

So far I’ve found nothing that verifies what role he’s playing, it just says ‘unannounced’ and ‘unconfirmed’.

Look I’ve really had enough of negativity and worse-case scenarios, I’m coping with enough stress/trauma/shitty mental health and I NEED to be optimistic. I want to be happy for him. I NEED this to be good news.

This movie seems to have been a passion project for the Rock/Dwayne Johnson, so they’ll definitely update and tweak the character to be more modern/appropriate/interesting and hopefully like what the James Bond movie did for Rami Malek’s villain-character and Navid Negahban’s Shadow King/Farouk in Legion - who was fantastic in the role and seemed to be having so much fun.

While I’d love for him to be in more romcoms like Hartenstraat, as a MENA person I think we should be able to be all sorts of characters, not just the source of white-guilt or conflict, or an unimportant bad guy or being completely tied to politics and religion. He’s not going to be in a disastrous racist caricature role like Amr Waked in Wonder Woman 1984, but a character with a long history and powers that they’re likely ‘racebending’ for him.

And from what I’ve seen, actors that play villains usually get the MOST attention and fans esp if they’re attractive. His most famous role was Jafar. People still refer to him as Hot Jafar and I think that’s why he’s gotten more opportunities and recognition than Mena Massoud, who played Aladdin.

If he gets even half the love Loki or Kylo Ren gets, that’ll open more opportunities for him. Also, I’m very sick of seeing every villain played by an Englishman.

IDK, nonny, I’m just excited for him and will remain so until I see the movie. I liked Shazam, and if this movie is like Shazam/in its universe, that would be even better.

[flipper-kisses]

Some guy on twitter lived my dream Finn scenario last night 😫 twitter*com/VagabondVogt/status/1437300214742847492 - "It’s not like Rami Malek and I were the only 2 people in the elevator just now at 2am" Why can't it be meeeeeeeee 😭

I Sawwwwwwww 👀

[xmxisxforxmaybe]

Twin-Swap: “Mr. Malek”

* * * * *

Rami’s mind rang with the directions delivered by his twin in the sound of his own voice. His fingers scratched again at Sami’s beard before he pulled them away in disgust. He couldn’t believe he just touched his face after opening no less than three doors in a school building.

 Wiping his hands off on his wrinkled khakis, he sighed as he thought, Great. That’s all I need is to get the fucking flu.

Rami found himself staring at the door to his brother’s classroom, ten minutes late for first period. His hand trembled and he closed his eyes for a moment as he replayed Sami’s instructions:

-Hook up the laptop

-Pull up the journal prompt

-Give the kids some thinking points, otherwise half of them will insist they don’t know what to write

-Keep them focused

-If they finish early, they can read their choice novels and work on their reading responses

 Rami swallowed, nodding to himself before remembering that first period was the class Sami had warned him about.

 It’ll be fine. They’re teenagers. I was a teenager before. I can deal with some shitty attitudes.

 Rami snorted as he realized he almost knocked on Sami’s door before remembering that he, for fuck’s sake, was Mr. Malek. Opening the door, Rami used his skills as an actor to project an air of confidence and control he did not feel. Melissa, Sami’s best friend at school, looked up from the podium and gave him a raised brow, probably over his disheveled appearance.

 “Mr. Malek! Did you sleep in?” a voice yelled out and a few students laughed as Rami turned to look at the boy who spoke and ended up stumbling over the leg of Sami’s desk as he put his bag down.

 The kids’ laughter grew before Melissa shushed them.

 “Thanks,” Rami mumbled, unwilling to meet her eyes for fear that she would recognize he wasn’t his twin—he, as Rami, had met Melissa dozens of times, and she knew Sami inside and out.  

 Rami mentally rolled his eyes, thinking, What would she even say if she did figure it out?

 “No problem—should’ve fought harder for first period planning,” Melissa answered with a brief smile.  

 Rami chanced a glance and returned a small smile before he pulled Sami’s laptop out of his bag. He thought back to the instructions his twin had given for hooking it up to the projector, and as he fiddled with the plugs, the kids began to chatter. He could feel Melissa’s eyes on him, but she turned and left the classroom, the door shutting behind her sounding eerily similar to the closing clank of a jail cell.

 Once Sami’s laptop was plugged in, Rami looked around for the projector’s remote.

 “Since you were late, can we have a free day?”

 “Isn’t that like a rule? When the teacher is late after 15 minutes or whatever we get to leave?”

 “Yeah! It happened to my cousin—”

 “Good thing I wasn’t 15 minutes late,” Rami interrupted, a slight pull of agitation within his tone, which elicited a few glares from the students and grins from some others.

 “Seriously Mr. M. You look like you could do with another15 minutes of sleeping.”

 “Take a nap! I’ll watch the class!”

 “I have a migraine,” Rami said, following Sami’s advice to elicit his students’ empathy. His brother said it would make most of the kids go easy on him, but there were three boys and one girl in first period that—

 “Can I go to the bathroom?” a girl huffed.

 Rami had located the remote and had just hit the button to open the PowerPoint when the girl Sami had warned him about appeared in front of him, her fingers flying over the keys on her phone as she made her way toward the door, not really waiting for permission to leave.

 “Did you forget? You can’t leave the room without an escort.”

 “That’s fucking bullshit,” she muttered, still not looking up from her phone.

 “Bullshit it may be, but you brought it on yourself.”

 The prickly silence in the room told Rami he had just fucked up.

 “Yo! Mr. Malek! You just went for her neck!” a helpful student howled, drawing snickers from everyone in the room, causing the rebellious girl to break eye contact with her phone long enough to look at Rami with disgust.

 “You can’t talk to me like that.”

 “I just did—sit down or wait for me to call an Admin.”

 “I don’t fucking need this,” she said rushing over to her things, gathering them up and then leaving, slamming the door behind her.

 Rami ran a shaky hand through his hair and felt sick to his stomach.

 He had already managed to lose a student after being a teacher for less than 8 minutes.  

“She’s just goin’ to make out with her boyfriend,” a student offered with a roll of their eyes.

 Rami closed his eyes and remembered what Sami had said for this worst-case scenario. He walked over to his phone and was about to alert the front office to the student’s walk-out when he realized he couldn’t remember the girl’s name.

 “Uh,” he said helpfully into the phone. “Uh—“ Rami snapped his fingers at the student in the seat closest to him. “What was her name?”

 “Hannah. Hannah Smyth,” the student replied, looking at Rami as if he were an idiot.

 Rami shook his head and finished his call to the office.

 “Okay guys. Get out your writer’s notebooks while I pull up today’s prompt.”

 “It’s Friday, Mr. M! Can’t we—”

 “Writer’s. Notebooks,” Rami clipped, his fingers massaging Sami’s temples as he wondered how the fuck his brother did this every day, all day for 185 days.

 Rami went over Sami’s prompt and the kids were really interested in discussing a few of the connections they had made to yesterday’s reading. Rami found himself inwardly smiling at his brother’s cleverness, able to witness the result of the work Mr. Malek and his class had been doing for the week.

 As Rami walked around the room, praying that with each hand that went up he could actually answer the student’s question, he was startled when the bell rang. Time had actually flown by, and Rami was grinning as Sami’s students told him goodbye.

 “Have a good weekend, Mr. Malek!”

 “Hope your headache feels better.”

 “Netflix and chill, Mr. M. Netflix and chill!”

 A few kids giggled at that as they shuffled out of the room and Rami furrowed his brother’s brows, filing away the phrase as something that was probably inappropriate. He reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, but the next batch of students were already filing into the room and clamoring for Mr. Malek’s attention.

 Rami tried his best to act like he knew what they were talking about, mentally chanting, I can do this. I’ll make it. Just seven more periods to go.

 “Mr. Malek—can I go to the nurse? My nose is bleeding,” a student asked as blood dripped from between his fingers.

 Rami pinched the bridge of Sami’s nose, his mind swirling as one clear thought echoed, this time without the timbre of hope that had been there only a moment ago.

 Seven.

 More.

 Periods.