#somewhere that’s green reprise i will cry

[lovecommajaime]

i’ve been too unormal lately

[nell-pointer]

i got bored of waiting for the new hazbin hotel episodes so I went frame by frame through the trailer, here are some notable findings (and theories):

First thing (that we haven't already seen) the gang with a whole group of people are in front of the hotel, are standing off against something, Sir Pentious is wearing a sailors outfit and standing next to someone with white hair, I'm pretty sure its cherri bomb but i guess it could be vaggie. This scene is probably from the big show down on extermination day.

Next we have charile smiling while holding alastors staff, then breaking into song, from the way shes holding the staff at the start of the scene, it was most likely just handed to her by alastor to use as a microphone. It seems like shes trying to inspire a crowd of people and alastor gave her the mic as a show of support and encouragement.

Charlie looking at a heart shaped door taped to it is a picture of Sir Pentious, angel, nifty, and husk captioned: BESTIES!!!!!. The doors got a pig sticker on it so I'm guessing it Angels. Charlies starts out smiling nervously, then her expression suddenly turns horrified, then she starts to cry. At first I was worried someone had died but that doesn't make sense with the smiling at the start, it almost seems like she remembered or realized something that terrified her.

Cherri bomb talking to charlie in the hotel with a massive whole in the wall behind them both, she probably blasted her way in as a grand entrance. I'm guessing this is from the episode where she is introduced.

Text that says: In order to save Hell, they'll have to raise hell + a voiceover of vaggie saying the extermination is in 24 hours, looks like the next 2-3 episodes will cover the remaining 6 months and the finale will be about the extermination day with a huge battle between heaven and hell.

A crowd gathering in front of Rosies diner, they are lifting Charlie up and cheering for her, Rosie and Alastor come to stand next to Charlie, she smiles at them both, then turns to smile at Alastor again with a very touched expression. What I'm guessing based on this few seconds plus the earlier scene with Charlie using Alastors staff is that Charlie and the rest of the gang are in a bad situation, maybe the extermination is about to happen and they have no army, no resources, no plan, then suddenly Alastor comes in clutch, calling a favor in with Rosie to get Charlie the support she needs. This episode will probably have a huge focus on Charlie beginning to trust and rely on Alastor perhaps more than she should. During this scene the crowd starts singing either a reprise or another verse of charlies song that's been playing throughout the trailer.

Charlie and her Dad singing together, I know the next episode is titled something like dead beat dad, so its probably from that episode, they had some conflict and are now reconciling. Lucifer is shown opening a portal to somewhere, there are little string lights up in this weird portal realm.

Charlie and Vaggie fixing (repairing?) something using a paint bucket and a tool box. Both girls seem very optimistic, this could potentially be as shot from the very end of the show. They managed to successfully hold off the angels and are in the rebuilding stage. Now that they've won the first battle they are optimistic that things could turn out in their favor. Also during this scene a voice joins in the song that I think is Cherri bomb based on the two second clip of her talking from earlier, not one hundred percent sure tho.

The hotel is hit by a giant white, then black, then green beam. The green looks like alastors green but idk why he would be attacking the hotel. Also in this shot theres a ship, this probably has something to do with Sir Pentiouss captains outfit.

Incredibly attractive COUGH i mean important looking lady, she seems to be looking very gleefully at the carnage

Charlie holding up a ..... I pretty sure this little charm has a specific name but I can't for the life of me remember what's its called and google is not helping, anyway it looks like she's trying to offer this charm to appease someone, maybe shes trying to recruit them to her side. From Alastor and the crowd in the back, I'm guessing this is the same episode as the earlier scene with the crowd in front of rosies diner.

Three different scenes of Alastor with a voice over of him saying: "its time I remind everyone why I'm here". The first scene is just him talking, the next is him going full demon mode summoning some very bloodthirsty looking minions, then the third scene is his eldritch tentacle monster attacking some shark mobsters from inside the hotel. The last scene is probably part of a one off gag, maybe those mobsters want revenge for Husk and Angel kicking their butts and Alastor just murks them immediately. The second scene tho could be very important probably finale territory. Most likely theres gonna be some big reveal about Alastors true intentions.

Somebody getting torn in half oh lord.

Adam fighting.... very interesting in the first episode he talked about how much he hated coming down to hell, it must be serious if he's willing to get his hands dirty

Lucifer on a throne with charlie standing (kneeling?) below him, its shot in a way to hightlight the differences in power between them or maybe representing how Lucifier makes charlie feel small. This is probably gonna happen in the next episode before Charlie and her dad make up. Also those string lights that were in the portal from before are present in this scene. Maybe this is the realm/location he was opening a portal to in that earlier scene.

And yeah that's about it for stuff I thought was interesting, I'm not an expert on the show or anything so I probably am wrong about a lot of stuff, take everything I said with a grain of salt. Apologies for the run on sentences, various typos, and shoddy image editing.

[moongurl95]

Chapter 1.5 – The Path to Hogwarts (Reprise)

Mr. Osric's screams before the dragon's final chomp still rang through her mind as she and Professor Fig jumped midair, the heat from its fiery breath almost racing towards them as they continued to descend.

“Give me your hand!” She had heard Fig shout somewhere in the distance as he reached her, and the moment she heard him shout “Accio!” everything started to spin. Terribly so. Enough that the single desperate scream turned to many filled with panic, and the tickle of flames seemed to be closing in on her.

She was all but prepared to hurl until she felt solid ground beneath her palms, a pained cry escaping her lips as she staggeringly took in breaths to fight off the nausea and vertigo plaguing her all at once.

“You're hurt.” She heard Fig say.

Faintly aware of hearing blood pumping in her ears, she acquiesced, “Perhaps a bit.”

“Take this. It's Wiggenweld Potion. That stuff'll right you in a second.” Spying him uncorking a bottle of bright green liquid despite her blurry vision, she weakly reached up to take it, taking a second to

right her drowning senses before she gingerly drank the bottle in one go.

“What happened?” She asked the moment she could trust her vision to settle as she sat on the cold stone floor.

“Poor George— I can't believe he—” She watched as Fig started pacing, “What the hell got into that damned thing? Attacking a carriage, mid-air? A typical dragon would never—” His laboured breathing caused her to interrupt his train of thought.

“Professor?” A beat, as she started to feel her strength return to her again, “Sir— where are we?”

“I'm not sure. But the key you discovered was clearly a Portkey.”

“Portkey?” She continued to inquire.

“An item enchanted to bring whoever touches it to a specific place.”

Of course she still remembered the topics Professor Fig taught her over the summer. In those two months, she also observed that outside of stepping in as her guardian, Eleazar Fig was still a grieving

man who lost his wife not even a year had passed, and now he had also lost a dear friend. Still, she needed him to focus, she needed her mentor at the moment.

On steadying legs, she started to stand up, “I’m feeling better, sir—if you’d like to look around a bit.”

“I would. But stay close. We’ve no idea who created this Portkey—or why.”

She was relieved to see that curiosity had now slowly won over Professor Fig’s previously worn features, but her momentary triumph did not last long as they neared the only exit-way they could find of the cavern they were in. She heard the cry of seabirds first, before the crashing of waves on the rocks below—

“How far did that Portkey take us?” Her question carrying over the wind in uncertainty, much like the start of her journey in this magical world.

next chapter ⤜⤏

[promiseiwillwrite]

A Mix tape of the Mix Tapes.

And yess, I am old enough to think of my playlists this way.

I was tagged by @solostinmysea, but The weird Angle is courtesy of @best-beelieve, who told me I should use all my playlists. So they only get ONE song from each, selected at random by the algorithm.

From "Movie Monster Mix": "Frankenstien's Monster" by Henry Jackman

From "Map to Validity": "Ship to Wreck" by Florence + the Machine

From "HORRIBLE EARWORMS": "Janie's Got a Gun" by Aerosmith

From "Country and Southern": "Green Grass and High Tides" by the Outlaws

From "Kayleigh Desiree": "Hurt" cover by Johnny Cash

From "Evil is Limiting": "Evil Night Together" by Jill Tracy

From "Black Roses and Spiked Collars": "Love" by Abney Park

From "The 80's Mix": "Express Yourself" by Madonna

From "Feeling Punchy": "You Turn the Screws" by Cake

From "Disney Movie Songs": "When Will my life begin? (Reprise 2) from "Tangled"

From "When your heart needs to Bleed a Little": "You can sleep while I Drive" by Melissa Ethridge

From "Princess Cadence": "Fire" by Barns Courtney

From "An irresponsible amount of clarinet": "Why Me?" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

From "Favorite Music": "Maria" by Rage Against the Machine

From "Oh yes, I am going to Hell": "A Lap Dance is so much better when the stripper is crying" by the Bloodhound gang.

From "Blues and Old Stuff that is Good": "Grapefruit Moon" by Tom Waits

From "War Machine": "Smoke" by Tracey Thorn

From "Silly" "I'm a Fuckin' Wizard" by MC Chris

From "Weird Shit": "Coin Operated Boy" by Amanda Palmer

From "I know, I heard it too. Here's some music" "The Magic Lantern" by KK & the Steampunk Orchestra

From "My Peloton Music": "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead

From "Songs with Frogs": "Frogbass" By SNAILS

From "American Uprising": "Roar" by Katy Perry

From "Movie Music": "Let It Go" Idina Menzel

From "Not Romantic": "Name" by The Goo Goo Dolls

From "Power Anthems": "Crazy Bitch" by Buck Cherry

From "Water": "From my own true love (lost at sea)" by the Decemberists

From "Fire": 'Paper in Fire" by John Mellencamp

From "Not Depressed": "Sweet Avenue" by Jets to Brazil

From "Robert Jamie and Rachel": "Lonely Yukon Stars" by Riders in the Sky

From "Appropriation or Appreciation/Equal Opportunity Offender": "Tell Me O Khhuda" by Sunidhi Chauhan

From "Megan Leigh": "Strict Machine" by Goldfrapp

From "DID": "Switch" by Siouxie and the Banshees

From "Shit I Commandeered from People I've Fucked": "Somewhere only we know" by Keane

From "Inuendo": "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo" By the Bloodhound Gang

From "Je ne sais quoi": "Rock Lobster" by the B-52's

From "Good Horrible OR Cognitive Dissonance": "1816, The Year without a Summer" by Rasputina

From "Drinking Songs": "The Piano has Been Drinking [Not Me]" by Tom Waits

From "Road Music": "One Headlight" by the Wallflowers

From "Running Music": "Abracadabra" by Sugar Ray

From "Pirates vs. Ninjas": "Throw them Overboard" by Abney Park

From "Liked from Radio": "Clocks" by Coldplay

From "Christmas Music": "Kidnap the Sandy Claws"

::chuckles menacingly:: I am not going to make others do multiple playlists. I think the Original tag game required only ten songs, selected at random from a playlist.

I am tagging @a-witch-named-crow, @skaldish, and @headspace-hotel, because I want to see what lives rent free in your heads.

[faetedforglory]

🪄

lyrics i'm not normal about

"i'm feeling strangely happy now, contented and serene. . . oh, don't you see? finally, i'll be somewhere that's green." somewhere that's green (reprise) -- little shop of horrors

i cannot be normal, even if i wanted to. SHE JUST WANTED TO BE HAPPY. it's so tragic and my heart will never not break for audrey. she did not deserve the terrible things that happened to her and even the "good" was bad and just--

audrey deserved the world. and it makes me cry that she suffered so much and didn't even get a happy ending.

[reallyhardy]

regent’s open air theatre LSOH (2018) breakdown

act two. continuing on from [this post about act one!]

after the intermission they went back into mushnik’s for ‘call back in the morning’ which featured the ensemble in the number with a bunch of telephones kind of tangling/tying up audrey and seymour with them, but by the end they’d all been disentangled - it looked so chaotic i was so impressed with how well organised it was to free them by the end of the song :’) found a backstage clip showing some ensemble members from this scene:

then it was time for more heartbreak!!! the scene where seymour shows audrey his leather jacket. i kinda loved the jacket itself tbh, it had all this fringe on the back and sleeves (which was another visual call to audrey ii in drag queen form, who wears a jacket with chain “fringe” on the sleeves) and there was a rhinestone plant and ‘seymour’ written in rhinestones. but of course audrey is horrified and backed herself up against the wall and started crying and after seymour threw the jacket away they go into suddenly seymour which was done quite sweetly - seymour handed her his ‘kleenex’ (but it was a wet wipe because she actually did take off her lipstick with it)

ALSO notably there to cast a sinister light on the emotional moment - the mushnik’s shop rotates to reveal the audrey ii plant, which was grinning behind audrey and seymour as they hug at the end of the song. LOVED THIS extremely ominous the fact that the plant was smiling evilly behind them was just chef’s kiss things are about to go horribly wrong.

but anyway. now that seymour and audrey are ‘official’ they kiss!!! kind of. it was more like… seymour leaned in and kissed her nose and then sort of…slid his face down kind of towards her mouth??? it was so awkward but...v cute :’)

and of course now that we’re in act ii things are going a little worse and it’s definitely showing on seymour, who has not been beaming nearly so much and looks pretty stressed out and upset a lot of the time. by suppertime he’s freaking out and looks genuinely so mad and angry with himself when mushnik gets eaten by the plant: which was done by having the plant mouth open, mushnik step inside, and then drag queen audrey ii step up behind and attack while vines close in, and then the mouth closes up:

i think... there was more of audrey ii trying to be flirtatious with seymour either before or after this, but he is much more disgusted by it and doesn’t have to try to snap himself out of it:

(note by this point audrey ii’s wig no longer resembles OG audrey’s, and by now seymour hates her guts.) this continues into ‘the meek shall inherit’ and i loved the staging of this one because the ensemble are still in black-and-white but now wearing these pink-green gloves with pointy ends (so they look like audrey ii’s vines) and they had vines extending out from the scenery/props too, all closing in on seymour who’s freaking out even more.

in this one matt willis made multiple quick changes to play all the different characters trying to buy seymour/the plant, and he was brill each time (this wasn’t all of the looks but it was all i could find from the show trailer:)

oh, and when it came to the “then there’s audrey” part of the song, seymour takes the kleenex from suddenly seymour out of his pocket.

so seymour plots to try and kill audrey ii by grabbing a bunch of weapons (and tying a green rambo-style headband around his head) but before he can get to it audrey comes in with her seymour-costume!!! (she was even shorter next to seymour then because she was wearing converse instead of heels) and argghhh it was just so cute!!! and the sweater she put on was the one she had to come back for during ‘feed me’ which was a cute touch.

(i could only find a design sketch for the main actress in that costume, but did also find her understudy rosalind james in the same outfit.) then... sadness again though because then they go into the ‘would you still like me/i’d still love you’ scene. ‘somewhere that’s green’ plays instrumental while seymour promises he’ll find them a better life. they do their adorable little awkward kiss again and then audrey leaves.

heading toward the end then into suppertime reprise/sominex, and then the confrontation… the whole time me knowing what’s coming i was just like audrey don’t but then of course…audrey does. (also she had another costume change, this time into a half-blue-half-pink nightdress with a transparent pink raincoat on top.)

she steps into the plant ‘mouth’ and audrey ii bites her neck vampire style (so there’s no doubt that she has been wounded, no “she just fell asleep because of the sominex” theory here,) before seymour can get her out.

somewhere that’s green reprise of course i was crying again – the actress kind of played the ‘when i die, which should be very shortly’ line for funnies rather than sincerely BUT. then she went into the reprise and ohhh my god i was so sad watching seymour hold her. i noticed they never really properly kissed on the mouth (because seymour’s bad at kissing) but he was really desperately hugging her and shaking and kissing her all over on her shoulders and her hands and it was DEVASTATING.

after audrey dies seymour kept crying her name which was…i thought a bit much but sure, why not. he was sad. then he carried her to the plant and she stood up and walked backwards so they were looking at each other as she went into the plant’s “mouth” and he held onto her hands as long as he could. (this time there were no vines and the drag queen version of audrey ii wasn’t there either so it was more of an emotional parting than watching a violent/comical death.)

after that seymour tries to kill the plant (drag queen audrey ii was standing above, on top of the mushnik store prop) so he shot at her first with his halloween prop gun and then tossed the boxes of rat poison into the plant mouth, and then of course charged into the mouth and the vines are back and grab and crush him and then he’s dead. RIP that silly fool who i loved.

then it’s don’t feed the plants! the urchins come out and are wearing new outfits and open the number…

then there was the ‘characters come back onstage as plant buds’ version of the ending, but oh my god. this was so much fun i loved it so much. mushnik, orin, audrey and seymour dash out of the plant opening wearing audrey ii-ified costumes and!!! it was amazing. mushnik was in a sparkly green sequin jacket and kilt, orin was wearing his black combat boots  and a sequin minidress, audrey was wearing a big poofy 1950s-ish (you know, because of her somewhere thats green dreams) pink-and-blue dress with flowers and little white gloves (and still her glasses) (and i remember as she ran out on stage she mouthed WHAT THE FUCK lmao) and seymour’s was this big puffy clown suit (probably because…he’s kind of a fool) over his blue shirt (now with sparkly red blood on it, implying that his arms/legs have been eaten) and all the ensemble also had similar crazy plant looks, very flytrap with a lot of teeth and big floppy tongues.

seymour and audrey had the little ‘we’ll have tomorrow’ line too which made my LSOH-obsessed ass get tearful again too - they grabbed each others hands for it and !!! my emotions.

there were a few bows after that but then audrey ii interrupted and was like wait we ain’t finished!!! and they did mean green mother from outer space as this huge dance number which was extremely fun. this finale was very similar to how the spongebob musical ends - after the song they tossed huge green beach balls into the audience and had a huge confetti cannon explosion. of course i went nuts for it lmao. and the best part is that THERE IS A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE:

and then it was over. iirc it took a total 10 hours for my sister travelling there and back in on day, but it was 1000% worth it!!! next post: gonna look at costumes in detail!!!

[toasty-bat]

ANYWAY songs from musicals that will make you cry:

“Kindergarten Boyfriend” from Heathers (suicide tw)

“I Am Damaged” from Heathers

“Dead Girl Walking (reprise)” from Heathers (suicide tw)

“Lifeboat” from Heathers

“Seventeen” from Heathers

“Somewhere That’s Green (reprise)” from Little Shop of Horrors

“Santa Fe” from Newsies

“Now While I’m Around” from Sweeney Todd

[the-phantom-ender]

okay so i had a thought that wounded me and now you all get it! 

Bad n Skeppy with the crimson arc but Somewhere That’s Green (Reprise) from Little Shop of Horrors. Just like. Skeppys last moments of clarity before losing a life or somethin to the egg. /rp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29C8szs2CeU

listen to the song and cry with me folks :)

[caught-in-the-den]

me, actually kinda excited about driving bc i can listen to little shop of horrors:

me, realizing my dad is gonna see me cry during somewhere that’s green reprise:

[does-this-look-inanimate-to-you]

Top 5 Musical songs that make you cry

5. “dear theodosia” (hamilton) this song is less of a sad cry and more of a happy cry. it’s just so wholesome. 4. “a little fall of rain” (les mis) it’s a sad song on its own, but if you really want to cause yourself pain then simply imagine your favorite ship in that same situation. the amount of times i’ve wept over thinking of audrey as eponine and seymour as marius is one too many. 3. “somewhere that’s green” (little shop of horrors) let me explain. i cried the first time i heard this song. poor, sweet audrey wanted to be treated nicely and live in a decent place, and i felt so awful for her. i know i put little shop into like every one of these lists at least once, but i can’t help it! little shop is kind of my thing! 2. “for good” (wicked) as a gelphie shipper, this song always brings a tear to my eye. even if you prefer their relationship to be platonic, it’s still such sad, sweet song. 1. “somewhere that’s green” (reprise) i think the hardest i’ve ever cried over a song was the first time i ever saw little shop. in that two hours i had fallen in love (not romantically) with both seymour and audrey. seeing audrey die and seymour mourn made me feel more pain-stricken than i ever have.

[sweetheartofsecondlife]

The Hoban 7/5/2020

My playlist from the Washtown Sunday Shindig. This was the first Shindig since the Hoban was rebuilt, and it was such an emotional experience for me: like coming home. 

The Beach Boys - Misirlou (Stereo) Sonny Rhodes - Firefly - Main Title Dorothy - Missile Vixy & Tony - Dawson's Christian Dick Dale - Bandito The Beatles - Cry Baby Cry - Remastered 2009 Love Canon - Danger Zone Vixy & Tony - Mal's Song - Medley Oh The Larceny - Can't Stop Me Now Jonathan Coulton - Code Monkey Vixy & Tony - Missing Part The Bongolian - Londinium Calling Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion Quincy Jones - Superstition Queens of the Stone Age - Burn The Witch Trinix - Cantina Bedlam Bards - Hero of Canton Marc Gunn - Good to Have Jayne on Your Side Arctic Monkeys - Red Right Hand Neil Patrick Harris - A Man's Gotta Do Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like A Lady) The Fallen Stars - Big Damn Hero Jed Whedon - Bad Horse Chorus Jed Whedon - Bad Horse Chorus (Reprise) Survay Says! - I Aim to Misbehave The HillBenders - Pinball Wizard Gorillaz - Double Bass Mark the Hammer - Star Wars - Darth Vader Theme (Metal) The Persephone Pickers - Mudders Milk Rock Heroes - Thunderstruck REO Speedwagon - Ridin' the Storm Out Mark the Hammer - Stranger Things (From "Stranger Things") [Metal Version] The Shadows - Apache The Fallen Stars - The True Story of the Hero of Canton Fatboy Slim - Weapon Of Choice Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend Muse - Supermassive Black Hole Marc Gunn - Wear the Brown with Pride Drowning Pool - Rebel Yell Sallymacs - The Drunken Scotsman Kenny Rogers - You Can't Make Old Friends - Duet with Dolly Parton Affiance - The Final Countdown Echo & the Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar Vixy & Tony - Uplift The Showdown - Carry On My Wayward Son Aerosmith - Back In the Saddle Diane Warren - Where My Heart Will Take Me (Theme From "Enterprise") Pickin' On Series - Love Shack The Dead South - House of the Rising Sun The PDX Broadsides - Aim to Misbehave John Butler Trio - Devil Woman Mikey Mason - Good Night Kiss The Dead South - In Hell I'll Be in Good Company The Black Keys - I Got Mine Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow_What A Wonderful World David Newman - End Credits - From "Serenity" Louis Durra - Code Monkey Red Hot Chilli Pipers - Don't Stop Believing Absolute5 - Dance Monkey Audiot Savant - Code Monkey Lament Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill and Frank Beard and Dougie McCance - La Grange: La Grange / The Green Room

[zydraholic]

every musical has a song that makes me immediately cry so heres a list

she used to be mine - waitress 

so big/so small - deh

michael in the bathroom - bmc

somewhere that’s green - lsoh

i am damaged - heathers

no good deed - wicked

amen reprise - frankenstein 

i’m done - rocky 

someone gets hurt reprise - mean girls

i know those eyes / this man is dead - the count of monte cristo

the wedding reception - jekyll and hyde 

not while i’m around - sweeney todd

mr cellophane - chicago

legal assassin - repo!tgo

santa fe - newsies

our last summer - mamma mia

you gotta die sometime - falsettos 

all i ask of you reprise - phantom of the opera

[sapphires-and-gold-fics]

Fictober Day 20: “You could talk about it, you know?”

Fandom: Game of Thrones / ASOIAF / Jane Austen

Characters: Jaime Lannister (mention) / Brienne of Tarth, plus some familiar faces!

Notes: So this is Part 2!!! of the Sense and Sensibility Adaptation (Yeah I wrote a part 2). Check out Part 1 here. 

Read on AO3

xxxxxxxxxxx

The Miss Starks were made to feel very welcome on their arrival in the Riverlands. The neighborhood of Riverrun consisted of the Park, occupied by Lord Edmure and his family, a small village on the outskirts of which were one or two other fine manors, and Riverrun Cottage which lay within sight of the Park, along the banks of the Green Fork. The cottage was comfortable, if a bit drafty, and the manservant and housekeeper who’d been sent ahead had dusted and laid things out in such a way that the family would feel at home without it quite being Winterfell. Lord Edmure Tully had a serene countenance, though he tended toward the maudlin after dinner, and his wife was quiet and rarely seen for the Tullys had very small children and preferred to take charge of their rearing rather than handing them off to nursemaids and wet nurses.

It was Lord Edmure’s uncle Ser Brynden, who insisted that everyone call him Blackfish, that was the most curious to the ladies. He was as tall as Brienne, but as broad as two of the Miss Starks standing shoulder to shoulder. His beard had once been black but was now streaked heavy with silver and white. An older gentleman who had fought plenty of battles in his day, he tended toward the eccentric but with a merry turn, and he was full of jokes for any occasion; his eccentricity, however, allowed for even his honored guests being the subject of those jokes.

Second to the Blackfish in curiosity was Lord Edmure’s oldest friend, Colonel Tyrion Casterly, who was staying with the family for the summer. If the Miss Starks were nothing like the Tullys, then Colonel Casterly (or Tyrion as he preferred to be called) was at the opposite end of that spectrum line. A small man - not attractive, but wise. He was witty where the Blackfish was vulgar, and he was quiet where the Blackfish was taken to a profusion of expression. It was no wonder that Lord Edmure felt uncertain of his own character after imbibing - he was so split in two ways. Tyrion’s address recommended him as it was particularly gentleman-like, and his and Lord Edmure’s stories of the most recent war kept Arya, if no one else, quite occupied. Tyrion did not always respond with rapture in the way the rest of the party might when discussing art or music, and therefore he did not appeal to Sansa as much as to the others, but he was still well-liked by all.

***

The Starks had been in the neighborhood but a fortnight when Sansa’s injury occurred. Arya’s version of the story tended toward exaggeration, but the truth of it was that Sansa had slipped and tumbled - her ankle was sprained and she sent Arya to go into the village for help. But when Arya started back up the hill, she was confronted by two vicious-looking hounds, and she had bounded back to Sansa’s side as if to shield her. Just then, the dogs’ owner had appeared and called them off. Ramsay Snow had swept Sansa up, placed her on his horse, and escorted her home.

Ramsay and Sansa were inseparable after that, much to the Colonel’s silent chagrin. Mrs. Stark, sensing another attachment amongst her daughters, made her enquiries about Mr. Snow’s character with Lord Edmure and was told that he was a pleasant enough in company and was keen on raising dogs, but that he was not a resident of the Riverlands - his own estate, which was small, was in the Vale. He was only in this part of the country a few months out of the year as he hoped to inherit from his aunt, Lady Bolton of Drefort Hall. His standing did not keep Lord Edmure from inviting Ramsay on their picnics and excursions, and therefore Catelyn was not put off, and she saw no reason to discourage her daughter’s acquaintance with the young man.

This was the season of happiness to Sansa. She and Ramsay seemed devoted to one another. Sansa and her mother basked in his charms, and Arya found a new playmate in his lively spirit, though she was wary of his dogs. Once he learned of Brienne’s favorite activities, he offered to spar with her, but Brienne had demurred more than once, claiming a standing appointment with the Blackfish.

Brienne’s happiness during this time was not so great. She got on well enough with, if tolerated, the Tullys, and she enjoyed her time sparring with the skilled Blackfish, even if his egotism bordered on grating and his stories bordered on tedious.

In Tyrion alone, of all her new acquaintances, did Brienne find a person who could in any degree claim the respect of wisdom, excite the interest of friendship, or give pleasure as a companion. Though they never spoke of it as a unit, their singular feelings of outsidership made them feel most comfortable together. Brienne’s compassion for him increased when she saw that he had eyes only for Sansa, for she had reason to suspect him to already be familiar with the misery of disappointed love, and in her sister he could hope for nothing else.

***

As the weeks wore on, a reprisal of Tyrion’s disappointment seemed imminent. Sansa and Ramsay were always together, but soon small tokens and gifts were being exchanged. One day on the way to the sept, Arya informed Brienne that Ramsay now wore a locket containing Sansa’s hair on his person - that she had seen him cut the hair from her in their very parlor.

Brienne had hesitated to confront her sister about the propriety of this until the day that the Colonel was suddenly called away from the Riverlands. His reason for going was unclear, but as it was brought on by the arrival of an express of King’s Landing, and as Ser Brynden had observed that the Colonel would likely be gone for some time, all in the party should have been compassionate; but on that day, Ramsay had expressed disdain at the now-absent Colonel for depriving them all of their picnic plans. Brienne stayed silent while in company, and then pulled Sansa aside after they had been deposited back at the cottage.

If the lock of hair had been a surprise, what came next was a shock. Sansa disclosed to her sister than Ramsay had gifted her a horse. “Sansa!” cried Brienne, “We could not afford to keep the horses we had at Winterfell, what will we do with one here? We have no stable, barely a yard for grazing, barely enough money to feed ourselves!”

Sansa had clucked at her. “He’ll hold onto her until such a time as I no longer live here, Brienne. But Lady is mine. She led the curricle today when Ramsay and I rode to see Drefort Hall!”

Ser Brynden had hinted at Sansa and Ramsay haven ridden somewhere, but Brienne had believed it to just be to the village, or through the park. The manor where Ramsay's aunt resided was nearly five miles away. “Drefort Hall! Sansa, I thought Ser Brynden was being impudent before, do you mean to say that you did indeed go there with Mr. Snow?"

“Why should you imagine, Brienne, that we did not go there? Ramsay is to inherit the estate from his aunt Walda. He had every right - and was the only one with the right - to show it to me.”

Brienne willed herself to calm, wishing she were in breeches with a tourney sword in her hand so that she might beat something and release the anger and disappointment she was now feeling toward her younger sister. If Catelyn were not so taken with such passions as her daughter, she might be better at curbing her. Alas, that had never been their mother's strength. “You should not have gone alone, Sansa. It was not proper to go with no one but Ramsay. Was the Lady even at home?”

Sansa rolled her eyes at her sister and skipped up to the door of the cottage, pausing on the stones to examine her boots, “I did not meet Lady Bolton, no. But it was a pleasant time, Brienne!”

“Pleasantness does not evince propriety, Sansa!”

“And what of your own propriety?” Sansa shot back, turning away from the cottage and stepping toward Brienne. “You and Jaime spent plenty of pleasant time alone, was that, too, improper?”

Brienne began to blush. It was true that she had likely spent as much time - if not more time - with Jaime as Sansa had now spent with Ramsay Snow, but neither of them would have opened themselves up to such embarrassment and censure as Sansa was now inviting. “Sansa, we never left the grounds. Mr. Lannister was everything proper - we walked the gardens, we sparred in the yard with a stableboy present, we read together in the library - we read to Arya stories of the North. Sansa, we never strayed from the sight of the house.”

“And what of that last night?” Sansa stared up at Brienne.

Brienne felt the breeze become a chill and she wrapped her arms about her, holding in warmth, but also protecting herself against her sister's suggestion. That last night, Jaime had come and found her. True, there had been no stableboy present with them, and they had not exactly been within sight of the house, but there had been nothing untoward about it. Brienne opened her mouth to respond, but Sansa was ready with her accusations.

“We did not sit together that last night. Cersei had claimed a headache at dinner, and the group dispersed - Arya barricaded herself in the library; my mother was crying herself to sleep in her room because Robert would not give up the study long enough for her to reminisce and grieve there; and I wandered the halls, saying goodbye to every chair rail, every tile, and then out of doors, to every tree. But I found neither you nor Jaime. And then late - very late - I saw the two of you from my bedchamber window - you were walking up the drive together, alone; I imagine that you, Brienne, could only have been doing things that were excessively proper .”

Brienne took a deep breath. “I was in the stables with Nymeria saying my own goodbyes. Mr. Lannister…” Brienne did not want to lie to her sister, but if she had told her then that Jaime had come because he had ‘missed their reading’ or something of that nature, Sansa would spot it for the untruth it was; still, she truth was perhaps too close to Sansa’s accusation. “Mr. Lannister brought a book and we read where we would disturb no one else. The time got away from us, to be sure, but there was nothing improper in it, Sansa. We may as well have been in the drawing room. He did not make love to me. He did not even suggest any impropriety. We just sat and read, and I brushed Nymeria knowing that her new owners would not be so loving.”

Sansa shook her head. “You could talk about it, you know. You could tell me about it - you could tell me anything!” cried Sansa.

“There is nothing to tell! Not every relationship is the grand romance that you want it to be, Sansa. And Ja-- Mr. Lannister is not Mr. Snow.”

“Because Ramsay is not rich?”

“No! Sansa, you know that I do not believe that a person’s worth is in their purse. How could I? No, I only mean that Mr. Lannister never once acted improperly, unlike Mr. Snow when he chose to escort you to his aunt’s home, alone.”

“No,” said Sansa, “Jaime would never do anything so passionately; the more I think on him I believe he may be as stodgy as Colonel Casterly is ill and infirm.”

“Infirm!” cried Brienne, “Ill! The Colonel is not your mother’s age! How can you call him infirm!”

Sansa shrugged. “Brienne, on that subject of illness, I have another alarm where Jaime is regarded--" Brienne felt her heart lunge. She had been home during the day while her sister had not - surely there had been no letter, no cause for alarm--

"--I think he must not be well, for we have been here two months and yet he does not come. What can detain him at Winterfell?”

Brienne stilled. “Had you any idea of his coming so soon? I had none. I have not expected him.”

“Have you not? Was not his adieu to you somewhat less sedate than it was to myself and my mother? I thought I saw him press your hand, Brienne.”

“You are mistaken Sansa,” replied Brienne with a chill of both disappointment and anxiety running down her spine, “I have told you already - Mr. Lannister and I are friends. I have no other assurances of his regard nor,” she lied, “do I hope for them.”

Brienne spun and walked into the house and, taking a candle from the mantle, climbed the stairs to her bedchamber. She closed the door, set the candle down on the small bedside table, and curled up on the bed, on top of her blanket. Numbly she opened the drawer and removed the book that she had devotedly kept by her side these two months. She held it tightly to her chest as she fell asleep, as if doing so would alleviate the pain she felt there.

[backintime]

My Ranking of the New LSOH Soundtrack:

1. Prologue/Little Shop of Horrors: 10/10!  In every version (1982, ‘86, 2003 and 2019), this song sounds awesome, and it does so here too!  The Urchins are really fun.

2. Skid Row: Probably 6/10.  Like I mentioned earlier, Seymour doesn’t sound quite so downtrodden as I’m used to, but it sounds really good, just not quite right for the character.  Ditto for Audrey.  On further listenings, it could definitely grow on me, as Jonathan Groff and Tammy Blanchard’s voices did grow on me as the soundtrack progressed.  My favorite version is still the 1986 movie version, though.

3.  Da-Doo: 5/10.  It doesn’t help that this song is on the ‘skippable’ side to me, but again, Seymour still sounds a little off to me.  Favorite version is probably ‘86, though it sounds good in every version.

4. Grow for Me: 7/10!  I do really like this one, and the vocal work is good.  Jonathan Groff’s voice sounds super energized (it does the whole soundtrack) and it really sounds good, even if it doesn’t quite sound like Seymour to me yet.  Favorite version is probably still ‘86 again, with 2003 a close second.

5. Ya Never Know: 8/10.  This is such a fun one, and I love this Mushnik!  Again, this whole soundtrack sounds like there’s so much energy behind it.  The Urchins sound very knowing of events coming, making their section sound almost creepier than normal.  Again, vocals are incredible.  Favorite version is probably 2003 or this one!

6. Somewhere That’s Green: 7/10.  Nobody can top Ellen Greene, and Tammy Blanchard’s voice was just a bit different even than Tari Kelly.  This song is really hard to mess up unless it’s being overdone, and it’s not overdone here.  The final section especially really makes you feel it.  Favorite version is either the ‘82 or ‘86 version, again, there’s no topping Ellen Greene.

7. Closed for Renovations: 5/10.  It’s fun, but closer to the skippable side to me.  Again, I love Mushnik, and it doesn’t help that the song is just okay to me, but it’s decent.  Favorite version is 2003.

8. Dentist: 10/10.  My gosh, this is the best version I’ve heard besides the ‘86 movie.  There’s no topping Steve Martin, but Christian Borle is close, bringing a very similar manic energy that really makes the song pop.  This one is really easy to overdo or underdo, and I feel that this one hits it right on the mark.  Favorite is ‘86, with this as a close second.

9. Mushnik and Son: 10/10.  Again, I love this Mushnik.  This and Dentist have such high energy that it’s hysterical.  This song is hilarious in any version, but this one is officially my favorite.  The suddenly shouting, the breath-holding, the fact that this whole thing sounds like an insane threat, this is so funny.  Jonathan Groff sounds a little closer to Seymour to me here.  Absolutely the best.

10. Sudden Changes: 5/10.  I never considered this its own song before, just the prologue to Feed Me (which is one of my absolute favorites), but it’s done well.  Again, still not quite feeling Seymour’s character, but the voice for the plant is a lot of fun.  Favorite version is ‘86, just because of Rick Moranis’s delivery of ‘Twoey, that’s disgusting!’

11. Feed Me: 9/10!  Again, I adore this song.  The voice for Audrey Two is awesome, and towards the end here, Jonathan Groff really starts to sound closer to Seymour.  Actually, the further Seymour goes into ‘villainy’ the better he sounds.  But Kingsley Leggs steals the show here, again, the high energy really makes this song pop with a distinct sound.  Favorite is tied between this one and 86, with 2003 close behind.

12. Now (It’s Just the Gas) 6/10.  Like I said, the further Seymour goes down the path of darkness, the better he sounds in this version.  The high energy comes out in a different way, where the Dentist sounds far creepier in the beginning, and sounds totally unhinged as the song progresses, laughing the whole way.  Not as good as Dentist, (but what is?) but still good.  Favorite version is either ‘82 or 2003.

13. Act 1 Finale: 4/10?  Seymour’s screaming.  I get it’s creepy, but I liked it better when you just hear the plant’s laughter.  Point goes to 2003.

14. Call Back in the Morning: 5/10.  Another ‘skippable’ for me, but it’s still high energy and fun.  Audrey’s voice starts to sound more natural to me here.  Favorite is 2003 or this one.

15: Suddenly Seymour: 10/10.  My favorite duet ever.  Both singers really come into their characters here and again, they sound really good!  Tammy Blanchard runs off with the show here to me, which is saying something, since usually my favorite part of this song is Seymour.  Favorite is all of them at once, literally all of them.  (Probably ‘86 and this one if I was made to pick.)

16: Suppertime: 7/10.  Mushnik’s screaming at the end was a little....odd?  But I love Kingsley Leggs’s performance as the plant, very evil.  Props to Jonathan Groff (who by now sounds awesome as Seymour goes dark).  The way he says: “Just....knock” makes it so clear that this is an active choice and it’s bonechilling.  Favorite is 2003 tied with this one.

17. The Meek Shall Inherit: 5/10. The Urchins sound like A Lot here, and they and the other characters are really over the top (in my opinion).  Again, the darker Seymour goes, the better Jonathan Groff sounds, and his cries of ‘No!’ are absolutely incredible.  Loved it!  Favorite is ‘86, probably tied with ‘82, with 2003 and this one tied for next.

18. Sominex/Suppertime Part II 4/10: Tammy Blanchard doesn’t quite sound weirded out enough or frightened enough to me, but that could be the effects of the sominex.  Who knows?  Her delivery of “Yes!  No.” was more funny than heartbreaking.  Favorite version of this is ‘86 because it’s soul crushing.

19: Somewhere That’s Green Reprise 6/10.  Jonathan Groff nails the raw emotion in the dialogue, but I just don’t quite get it out of Tammy Blanchard here?  At least not yet.  I hope she grows on me with later re-listens.  The song itself is sweet and good though.  Favorite version is still ‘86 and 2003, again, soul crushing.

20: Da-Do Reprise: 10/10!  Holy smokes, again, Jonathan Groff’s raw, enraged delivery is amazing, his cry of “You ate the only thing I ever loved!” took me aback in the best way!  Audrey II sounds appropriately smug and unbothered as Seymour breaks down entirely, rendering the whole thing bonechilling.  This might be my favorite version of this, with 2003 behind it.  (Though I adore Mean Green Mother From Outerspace, that’s the replacement for this song, rather than the song itself.)

21: Don’t Feed the Plants: Another 10/10!  The Urchins sound creepy and all knowing. the rest of the cast nails it as well, coming across as both warning and genuinely fun.  This one and 2003 are probably my favorite!

I encourage anyone who likes the show (or the film) to check out the soundtracks for themselves (and let me know what you think, I’m curious!) and to check out @suddenlysomewherethatsgreen‘s thoughts on Tammy Blanchard as Audrey!  Merry Christmas!

[squiishiichaos]

How We Cope: 1. Rematch

(Prologue)

Roxas recoiled a couple feet, skidding in the dense sand beneath his feet, Oblivion still vibrating in his right hand.

 It had been a while since he’d felt this excited about anything.  Adrenaline coursed through his veins with every clang of metal hitting metal.  His heartbeat rang loud in his ears.  Each breath came as a labored punch to his chest, gasped out with each pursuant strike that came hard against his keyblades.   Every muscle burned with the heat of parrying dodges and instinctual counters, singing a melody of pain that he’d most certainly regret in the morning.

 But right now, skating to a halt beneath another of Riku’s missed opportunities and piercing up through his defenses with Oathkeeper, he could feel nothing but the familiar surge of battle humming through his limbs.  That liquid courage of exuberance and dancing emotions that came every time the chill of Oblivion sat heavy in his right while the burn of Oathkeeper remained steady in his left.  

Ducking through the Silveret’s legs, Roxas bounded to his feet a few paces away and slid his keyblades together in an arc of light. Riku was right behind it, Braveheart roaring through the air in a downward strike.   Diving backwards, the Blonde threw his Keyblades in a spiral at his opponent, but the Silveret knocked them back to him with a quick block. Their hilts were hardly back in his palms before the New True Master was in front of him again, flipping over himself in a daring descent.    Roxas caught his attack between both his blades, holding him at bay with only the slightest wince.

Riku had gotten stronger since the last time they had fought.   There was a confidence in his style that there hadn’t been when he was still a nobody.  A gleam in his eyes that spoke of challenges well-fought and obstacles overcome.  A self-reliance that left no room for error or opportunity.  When he saw an opening, he took it.  When he found a weakness, he exploited it.  And despite always feeling strong, Roxas found himself quaking under the weight Riku’s impact left shaking against his grip.

With a yelp, Roxas broke their standoff in a quick hop backwards.  Riku followed in a dash of blue energy, coming up on him with an opener that the Blonde was forced to deflect with Oathkeeper.   Grunting under the weight of impact, he deflected the Silveret back with a quick jab from Oblivion.   It didn’t keep his opponent at bay long, but that brief pause left just enough time for him to channel energy through his keyblades in a host of bright bursts.  It put enough distance between them for Roxas to catch his breath and regroup for their next exchange.

They’d been going at it for about an hour now.   Every time he believed he had the upper hand, the Silveret would change his strategies just enough that he had to push him back to think up more of his own.   Roxas might have been faster, but Riku was stronger.  Whenever push came to shove, he gave just as much as he got.  Took every ounce of effort Roxas threw into flash and flare and sent it back tenfold.   Came prepared with darkness in one palm and the echo of light down his keyblade.  But even after all this fighting, he only just now looked winded when Roxas felt just a couple more hits away from throwing in the towel.  

“Do you admit it, yet?”  Riku asked breathlessly.  Despite still heaving for air, he managed to stand tall against the rays of sunlight highlighting the beach.   How does he manage to always look good in any light?

“What are you talking about? Admit what?”

“That I win,” The Silveret retorted, pushing his bangs out of his eyes.  Once emerald pools were jade daggers, piercing him with all the challenge of the world over.  “Come on, Roxas, you’re shaking.”

“Am I?”   Oblivion fell back on his shoulder as he carelessly pointed Oathkeeper at his opponent.  “Cause you’re not looking too hot yourself, Pretty Boy.”  Letting the heavy metal fall back against his side with a dull clap, Roxas shook the sweat out of his hair with a groan.  “Though this beach is fucking sweltering!”

“What are you talking about?  This is perfect sparring weather!”  

“Tell that to my soaked clothes!  They’re weighing me down.”

“Making excuses now?”  Riku rolled his eyes and took up his famous stance, ready and waiting for the next round of blows.  Roxas immediately squared himself for the attack.  “Come on, Roxas, I thought you said you could kick my ass anywhere!” The Blonde huffed in response, turning it into a gasp as the Silveret charged in another bolt of blue light.  

He barely got a second to raise Oblivion before Braveheart was hard against it, staggering him back into a series of quick strikes.   Matching each one with a shock of quaking metal, Roxas channeled a jolt of electricity up through Oathkeeper while ice froze to the tip of Oblivion.  Jumping a few steps in retreat, he threw the storm for his opponent and followed it up with an aerial hop around the next advance.  

Taking advantage of Riku’s turned back, he charged into the fray and caught him with a slice that sent the Silveret into the air.   Following with a smirk plastered to his lips, the Blonde caught Braveheart with an upward slash from Oblivion, followed by a downward peel from Oathkeeper.  Spinning to up his momentum, he reprimanded another block with a swipe hard enough to earn him yet another deep grunt as they both went crashing toward the ground.

Riku caught himself in a one-handed kick-stand while Roxas flipped back to his corner.  “What were you saying about that Ass-kicking?” Green eyes rolled in disdain.

“So, you got in one good combo, that’s hardly something to boast about.”

“What?!  That was not the only good combo, you prick!”

“I’m disappointed,” the Silveret taunted, standing tall again with one hand planted firmly on his hip, “I expected more of a challenge.”

You want a challenge?  Roxas swallowed a war cry, making a quick advance toward the Silveret.  Feigning away from that hardened glare, he dashed into the sky in a blinding ray of light.  Summoning all the strength he could muster, he channeled his light through Oathkeeper and pushed his darkness through Oblivion.  Clashing them together in front of him, he gathered the shockwave of their collision into a force around him.  Let it build and build and build, until he could do nothing but let it spew forth with a roar of effort.  

Closing in quickly behind it, Roxas appeared just as Riku opened his eyes against the blinding light, eyes going wide with the impending strike that crashed toward him.  Forced to retreat, the Blonde pulled a reversal around the darkfire he readied at the tip of Braveheart before slamming Oblivion into the back of his shoulders with a quick twirl into another slicing blow from Oathkeeper.   He felt impact shake through the metal of each subsequent strike, giving his opponent no time to draw his weapon to defend against his attacks.    

As he sent Riku flying back with a stiff kick and a firm tap from Oblivion, he raised his keyblades before him and allowed all his power to gather at their conjoined tips.  “Is this enough of a challenge for you?!”  He howled, letting the blast go in a gust of displaced sand and silt.

Chest rising and falling like waves against the shore, Roxas listened in the impending silence for Riku’s reprisal. Waited on anxious heartbeats while his thoughts raced—oh shit, did I go too hard?  Is he okay? Did I kill him?—and his stomach crawled itself into a bed of twisted knots.   Cautiously, he took a hesitant step into the cloud of dust separating them with a low call of, “Riku?”

No cough had ever been as reassuring as the one that answered him.  

Racing through the fog, he came to a skidding halt by the downed Silveret while Oblivion and Oathkeeper reluctantly dissipated back into his heart.   The Blonde rested a comforting hand against his shoulder, trying to keep him down even as Riku kept fighting to sit up.   Finally, Roxas called upon a light aero spell to clear the dust and debris circling around them, coughing against the last traces of sand that managed their way down his throat.  

After another symphony of mismatched coughing, Riku finally found his way onto his hackles and quickly shook shards of golden sand from his hair.   Roxas couldn’t help a vindictive little laugh as he helped remove what little remained. “I told you I could kick your ass.  I was just warming up.”

“I still call bullshit on your two keyblades, it feels wildly advantageous for you.”

“I already told you—”

“Yeah, I know—I don’t write the rules,” Riku rolled his eyes and rose to his feet. Roxas quickly followed, if for nothing else than to close a bit of the gaping distance between them.  He immediately cringed at the onslaught of sand coating every inch of his sweaty clothes.  The Silveret snorted.  “What? The big bad dual wielder himself can’t take a little sand?”

“Oh, shut up before I drop your ass again.”    Riku chuckled with a quiet shake of his head.   His footsteps padded across the sandy beach on a quiet stroll toward the deserted beach.   With midday light shining in from the horizon, that ethereal glow was almost too bright for Roxas to handle.   With his black jacket abandoned somewhere along the beach, the white of his tank top shone in stark contrast against the navy fabric of his shorts. Without boots to leave tracks embedded in the sodden expanse, he watched toes wiggle experimentally in the waves crashing lightly onto the shore.  

It was odd, being here like this.    Once upon a time, Destiny Islands had been a dream he watched play over and over in Sora’s heart.  Had yearned for it in his years of sleep while the Brunette hopped from world to world, never really knowing what might become of his true home. 

Home, he thought, where is mine?   It definitely wasn’t here.

The Beach was beautiful—the view pristine—but Destiny Islands held more sorrow for Roxas than anything.    Between the feel of distant sea shells in his palms without knowing their source and seeing that empty seat on the Paopu fruit, this place had come a long way from being the one place he wanted to see more than anything into the last place he wanted to be ever.  

 How can it look so beautiful when all it ever creates is despair?  

“Hey, Roxas, you done daydreaming yet?”  He pulled out of his thoughts as a splash of cold water jettisoned the heat right out of his body.  With a shiver and a glare, Roxas felt the threat of yet another rematch flaring in his blood.  

Discarding his jacket in the sand, he raced down the shore, dodging each wave Riku expertly flicked his way.  Kicking off his shoes at the edge of the water, Roxas dove off the beach and summoned Oblivion in mid-air.  “You’re gonna pay for that!” He hollered while summoning a waterza at the edge of his blade.  

Laughter bubbled through the air as Riku quickly dodged out of the way and shot a blast of waterga at him.   “There you go with your keyblade, again!  Water-fights are more fun with your hands, you goof!”

“Who said I was playing for fun?”  A maniacal laugh departed his throat with another pulse of magical water.    Riku dove beneath an oncoming wave to escape it, breaching the surface in a glory of flattened silver and glistening green gems. Breath caught in Roxas’s throat as the other boy let loose another genuine laugh, his smile large and beaming.

So, this is what Sora always saw, he realized.   

In that single moment of distraction, emerald darkened to tourmaline and the New True Master swiftly reprimanded him with a sudden and graceful tackle.

Whatever air remained in his lungs left in an oof of force as they landed in a heap on the ground.   Roxas immediately reached up to reverse their positions and pin Riku back where he belonged, but he was struck—again—by just how dazzling the boy could look with droplets of salt water running down his face, glistening in the light of the sun.

How could you ever think someone else was your light?  “You’re not the only one who plays for keeps, Roxi.”  Said atop that cocky smirk, beneath a narrowed jade glare, Roxas couldn’t help that his brain short-circuited.   Couldn’t help the pregnant pause that slid over them as it dawned on Riku what he’d just said; what he’d just called him.   Watched as the awkward silence pulled that confident sneer right off his lips and had the Silveret on his feet in seconds, unsurely running his long fingers through damp grey strands.

Roxas followed but a moment later, sitting up with a deep and fortifying breath.   Shaking a bit of sand from his hair, he remained there, cupping a handful of grains within his palms as Riku’s mouth flapped open and closed like a fish out of water.  When no words immediately came, he snapped his jaw shut with a harsh click and settled down beside him with a deadened thud.  

The Blonde couldn’t help the morose grin that split his lips.  “We’re fucked up, aren’t we?”

“What do you mean?”  Riku spoke with a gratitude that clung to his peace offering like a dog to a bone.  Roxas figured it was only fair to indulge him.

“I mean,” he began, gesturing out to the great beyond sitting hazy across the horizon, “nothing will ever affect us again, will it?  We’ve been so many places, done so many things, felt so much joy and pain and loss; what else could there ever be?”

“There’re other worlds out there,” Riku reasoned, “there has to be.”

“But what reason would we ever have to visit them? It’s not like there’s heartless or nobodies waiting to swallow their hearts into darkness or anything.”

For a moment, Riku was quiet.  All the tension laced into his back and shoulders melted into the sand beneath him as he bent one knee before him and lightly rested his elbow atop it.  The stance reminded him of one of the last visions he’d seen through Sora’s eyes. Of staring at an old friend’s back and thinking, we’ve all changed so much.   Heat stung at the corner of each eye at even just the memory of feeling that full heart pitch at not being caught between both of his friends.  Of realizing that, yes, people could grow apart after so many life-changing adventures.

He blinked the wetness from his sight.  “You know what world I miss the most?”  Riku suddenly spoke, filling the quiet with his melancholy timbre.  “Traverse Town.”

“Traverse Town?”  He echoed.   “I don’t think I’ve ever been there.”

“Whenever you need a home away from home, it’s always there to catch you.  It was where our journey began.  I kinda hoped we might get to visit it again before…well, you know.”

“Yeah,” Roxas cringed, leaning back on his hands and staring up at the bright blue sky.  It reminded him so much of his other.  “I miss our world…The World That Never Was.   It might not have been much, but that was where so many of my first memories formed. Hell, I might even miss the Organization…”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Riku chuckled.  Roxas joined in, letting out a little satisfied sigh as it died into a peaceful quiet.  Beside him, Riku shuffled in the sand, looking through his bangs up at the Paopu tree.

“I miss him the most, though,” he admitted on a solemn whisper.    Roxas’s grin felt fake under the crest of emotion thick in his chest.

Of course, you do...I do, too...  But he couldn’t find the breath to say it aloud.  Not when the few inches between them still felt like endless miles.

“I have an idea,” Riku whispered for his ears only, causing the Blonde's heartbeat to jump into his ears and heat to pool in his cheeks.   The Silveret worked hard to repress a teasing grin while the Blonde hoped he figured it was from the heat.  “We should go out and visit the different worlds.”

“What, like, together?”  Slowly, as if mocking him, Riku nodded his head.  The Blonde rolled his eyes.  “Are you kidding me?  There’s no way we could travel in a Gummiship together that long!  We’d kill each other!”

“Well, think of it as another battle, then.  The first person to go ape-shit during the journey will be the loser.”

“Let me get this straight,” Roxas reiterated, glaring into emerald pools of expectation, “you want us, the fucking dream team, to visit other worlds for shits and giggles—together.”

“How much slower do I have to say it?  Or do I gotta say, got i—”

“No, stop, you don’t get to say that unless you’ve lived it!”  Another laugh bubbled out of the Silveret’s throat.  Roxas reluctantly thought, he needs to stop doing that.  

“Alright, alright, fine!  No Lea—”

“Axel—”

“—Axel catchphrases, for now.  But I still think this trip could be a good idea.   It’d get us out and give us an excuse to pick up some keepsakes for your new home.”   Thinking of it like that, Roxas was hard pressed to find anything that dissuaded him. Besides the fact it was Riku asking him, he couldn’t think of a single reason not to.  

“I guess,” he began reluctantly, “it couldn’t hurt to get some things for Xion and Axel.”

“Then, it’s settled.”   Once again, Riku beamed with that bright smile of his and held out a hand.   Hesitantly, Roxas lifted his out of the sand and clasped those long fingers within his own.  Holding tight to that point of contact, green eyes softened and that smile folded down into an expression that made the Blonde’s insides crawl.  “Thanks, Roxas.”

“Yeah, no problem, Pretty Boy.”  As Riku rolled his eyes and fell back against the sand, Roxas looked up at the bright blue sky and left the rays of the sun kiss his face.  

I hope you’re proud of me…Sora.

[suddenlysomewherethatsgreen]

Lets talk about the Little Shop Of Horrors Ending

I have been considering the two different endings to the story. Personally I prefer the Theatrical Ending of Little Shop Of Horrors. “The happy one”, when it comes down to it. It’s true I am a sucker for a happy ending, but that’s not the only reason why. For some time I’ve been pondering this. I have narrowed down my reasons for not liking the Directors Cut to these three reasons:

1: It does not fit the mood of the rest of the movie.

Little Shop Of Horrors is a dark comedy, it’s true. But the ending is just dark. Up until that point the movie has been silly with a plant singing for supper and a dentist goofing around. A family film. The ending then turned the tables completely. We see Audrey die in her lovers arms as she asks him to sacrifice her corpse. Then we see Seymour running to the top of the building to commit suicide (my biggest of all issue). There is nothing comedic about this. It changes the genre of the movie to a drama, and does not balance out with the silliness of the rest of the film. Where as in the theatrical cut we get laughs, like the fake “Suddenly Seymour reprise”. The plant blowing up is corny, yes, but at least it fits. My friends have argued that the happy ending was too forced but I disagree. Through the entire show we can see the story flowing toward this. Seymour repents, kills the plant, and marrys Audrey. It just continues the flow. Audrey’s death in the movie takes us completely off guard.

2: The movie made some changes from the play to make it much sadder.

Although the ending is parallel to the stage ending, the movie made some significant changes to the story to make heartbreaking as opposed to enjoyable. In the movie Seymour flat out asks Audrey to marry him, where as the play its somewhat of an open promise. She dies on the night of their planned wedding, so close to a happy ending. Seeing Audrey die in her wedding dress has a much sadder impact than a nightgown or a raincoat. I know she sings a “Somewhere That’s Green Reprise” in the play as well but don’t tell me you didn’t cry in the movie version. Seymour immediately takes off to kill himself. This is most definitely NOT in the play, and absolutely breaks our hearts to see. The play did not have “Mean Green Mother”. It works well in the theatrical ending where Audrey ii dies at the end and says “oh shit”, but in the directors cut it is just the plant mocking him and toying with him for several minutes before swallowing him alive. Seymour doesn’t even get his final moments of glory like in the play where he dies by jumping in the mouth to kill it. Instead he’s just entangled in vines completely helpless. In the play the show ends with the main characters popping out of fake flowers and the plant somewhat attacking the audience (depending on the version). This can be a humorous ending if done correctly. In the movie we just see several minutes of the plant attacking helpless people and destroying their homes with no hope. Only to leave us there thinking “Wait... what the hell?”

3: Audrey should not have died

Yes Audrey dies in the play too and I have a problem with that as well. Audrey does not die from her own sins or actions, but simply as a way of punishing Seymour. Killing the only female character (aside from the Greek chorus) that way is just not a good idea. Had it just been Seymour that dies and Audrey lived I would’ve been upset but I would’ve understood. It was at least for his own actions. Audrey was just to cause pain. She didn’t get her happy ending through absolutely no fault or doing of her own.

If anyone in the movie didn’t deserve to die it was Audrey. Before the show she’s being tortured physically by her boyfriend and emotionally for her love for Seymour that she can’t share because of how low she sees herself. She works two jobs to make a living, one of which she sells what she had left of her dignity just to get by. But Audrey never once fights. She never tells Orin off or fights with Twoey or even Seymour. She sits and takes all the pain given to her. We see her fantasy and how much love she had to give. She had a very big heart. And even in the end she wants to help in any way she can. She asks to be fed by to the plant so it can go on to make Seymour happy when she’s gone. Audrey herself never in her life got the chance to be happy. She deserved that green fantasy, she did not deserve to die.

There’s my reasons. I’d love to hear yours as well whether you agree or disagree.