So I've been having this wonderful conversation about Aristotle & Dante with this woman on marketplace who's selling her son's shoes — specifically the precise combination I went looking for of one pair in Ari's red and a second pair in Dante's white. You know, from the movie? And how quaint of them to arrive in such heavy rain.
So anyway. The movie. I made a big deal about this with my friends because Aristotle & Dante was the first book to really make me think about how others experience their queerness. Where Beautiful Thing might have been my first Heartstopper (a reference for you young ones), Aristotle & Dante had this unique way of reminding me that people like me have always existed at all times and in all parts of the world.
The movie wasn't the movie I'd hoped for. And in truth I left the cinema mourning the movie I wanted it to be. But in director Aitch Alberto's defense, they had unique challenges that no indie film has really had to face before.
On one hand, she was working with teen actors through Covid lockdowns, and didn't have the funding to wait for better times. Any actor she cast would have grown up quicker than she could finish filming everything in the book. On the other hand, Aristotle & Dante endured the return of book burnings while being filmed in Texas, and I simply cannot imagine the support its cast and crew must have needed to endure that.
So yes, we do mourn the movie it could have been. But it remains one of my favourite books, and I celebrate the privilege of seeing it filmed in my lifetime.
What do you get the boy that has everything? A huggable jock will do!
For: @clericallyinsane, an AU wherein Lucas finds out Nancy’s not going to Cali with Mike, so he asks for the ticket to surprise Will for his birthday <3
Will was standing, hand outstretched, palm up, eyes white. Mike’s heart was in his throat. The Demogorgon hung in the air like it had been grabbed by some invisible fist. Its bones snapped and twisted, then fell to the ground with a thud, but Mike wasn’t looking at the broken demo. He was looking at Will, who was on his knees now. The white was gone from his eyes, replaced by something wild and dazed. He wiped the blood from underneath his nose with the back of his hand.
He looked powerful. He looked unreal. He looked beautiful. He was…
…falling?
“Will!” Mike barely heard himself scream it. He drove forward just as Will’s body slumped sideways, catching him awkwardly before he could hit the ground. Will’s head lolled against Mike’s chest, breath shallow and fast.
Joyce dropped to her knees beside them. “Baby - hey, Will, honey, look at me.” But Will wasn’t looking at anyone. His eyes were half-opened and unfocused. Too pale. Too quiet. Mike tilted his chin up gently.
“Hey. Hey, Will, c’mon. Stay with us.” Stay with me. He wanted to say. Will blinked once, slow. Like even that hurt.
Mike’s chest felt like it was caving in.
- - -
Back at the Squawk, the world felt like it was underwater. Mike was helping Joyce carry Will in and onto the couch. While Joyce fussed over Will, trying to angle his body in a way that hurt the least for him, Mike radioed to Robin and Lucas to get back to the Squawk ASAP - Code Red. Mike shakily returned to Will’s side. He hovered his hand over Will’s shoulder like he wanted to touch him, but wasn’t sure if he was allowed. Will looked so small on that couch. Sweaty hair stuck to his forehead, his breathing still uneven.
Joyce was talking, something about adrenaline crashes and shock but Mike couldn’t focus on anything else but Will.
Robin and Murray arrived at the Squawk before Lucas, rushing inside. Robin immediately started in on her discovery, saying, “Guys, holy shit, you’re never going to believe this, so we were driving away with the kids and three Demos were coming after us, but we managed to shake two off by crashing – which was an odd choice Murray – but, it doesn’t matter now because it worked, but they got the kids and one ran up to me and I thought I was a goner, but all of the sudden, it like froze, like someone hit pause on it or something. ANYWAY, it lifted into the air like ten feet and it, like, broke, like what Eddie said happened to Chrissy, and - ” Robin stopped pacing upon seeing Will, barely conscious.
“Holy shit.” Robin rushed over. “What happened??”
Joyce started to tell her. “He - ”
She was interrupted by Mike. “Long story, but I’ll tell you when Lucas gets back.”
Robin nodded and kneeled next to Will’s head, wiping his hair out of his eyes. Mike stepped back, and something hot and sharp flared in his stomach. He watched as she teared up, reaching down to grip his hand. Will, who had barely been responsive since he fell, dared to squeeze her hand back, as though she needed the reassurance the most out of anyone.
What.
The hell.
Was that?
Robin rubbed reassuring circles into the back of his hand with her thumb, some tears spilling down from her eyes. Will didn’t move his hand away. His eyebrows, which were once furrowed, lightened a bit. He seemed to relax at her touch. Mike folded his arms, too tight.
“He, uh, needs space to breathe, Robin,” he said, trying not to let the bitterness come through the tone of his voice.
Robin glanced up at him, slightly confused. Nonetheless, she took away her hand.
Mike looked away, jaw clenched. He wasn’t being weird. He wasn’t. He was just….concerned. Concerned for his best friend.
Concerned.
Not jealous.
Definitely not jealous.
His thoughts were interrupted by Lucas stumbling in. “Guys, the Demos. T-they took them, I lost the kids.” He looked devastated, then saw Will, his face crumpling more. “What happened?”
Mike exhaled and the words just exploded out of him. “He–he stopped it. The Demo. With his hand. Just–” He struggled to find the words, so he mimed what Will did instead. “He held it in the air like…like it was nothing. Like it weighed nothing.”
Robin's eyebrows shot up. “You’re serious?”
“Does it look like I'm joking?” Mike snapped. He regretted the edge instantly. Robin held up her hands defensively. Lucas watched him carefully, worried.
Mike dragged his hands through his hair. “His eyes went white, like completely white. And he wasn’t scared, he wasn’t panicking—he looked—” he paused, hesitating.
He swallowed.
He looked like a god.
But he didn’t say that part.
“He looked like he knew exactly what he was doing,” Mike continued. “Like...he’d done it before.”
Robin let out a slow whistle. “That’s like…wow. That's huge. That’s like. El-level huge.”
Lucas shook his head in disbelief. “How long do you think he’s been hiding this?”
“I don’t know,” Mike’s voice cracked, surprising even him. “I don’t know, and he didn’t tell me. He didn’t tell any of us.”
His chest tightened. The fear, the jealousy - no, not jealousy, concern - the leftover adrenaline, it was mixing, swirling. Burning.
Lucas crossed his arms. “Then he collapsed?”
“Yeah,” Mike whispered. “Right into me. He barely caught himself.”
Robin frowned. “That sounds like an adrenaline crash. Or a psychic overload. Or…or something. Poor guy.”
Mike bristled. “Poor guy? He almost died!”
Robin blinked at him. “That’s what I just said…?”
“No, you said ‘Poor guy’ like…like it was cute! O-or adorable, or something!”
Lucas’s eyebrows rose. “Mike, what’s going on with you?”
“Nothing!” Mike said, too fast. He felt his ears getting red. “I’m just—concerned, that’s all. I–” He was interrupted, by a small, broken voice.
“Mike?”
Will was moving, barely. But still, his fingers twitched. His head turned on the couch cushion. His lashes fluttered. Mike dropped to his knees in front of him like gravity just gave up on supporting him.
“Will—hey—hey I’m here,” he said, voice trembling despite how hard he tried to steady it. Will’s eyes blinked open, unfocused and glassy. “M…mike?”
Mike’s heart punched against his ribs. “Yeah, yeah Will, I’m right here.” He fought the urge to reach out and cup the side of Will’s face to wipe away some of the dried blood there. “Can you hear me?”
Will tried to nod but winced. “My head…feels like…I got hit by a bus…”
Robin hovered behind Mike. “That’s probably normal considering you–” Mike shot her a look so sharp she immediately stopped talking. Will looked between them.
“W-wait, what happened?”
Lucas and Robin shared a look. Mike looked at Will. Will squints at him.
“Mike? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Mike swallowed hard. “Y-you don't remember?”
Will’s eyebrows pulled together. “Remember what? The last thing I remember was Vecna calling–talking to me and then after he dropped me…I thought of what you said. In the tunnels.” He looked up at Robin. “And when I looked up, I saw the Demo was jumping at you, Mike, and I…don’t remember anything else.”
The way Will said it– like Robin’s words mattered more than anything. What did Robin say that made Will unlock his powers? Mike’s stomach twisted.
“What did she say to you?” Mike asked, voice tight but trying to keep calm.
Will blinked at him, then at Robin, then down at his hands.
“I…I can’t tell you. I…shouldn’t.”
Mike froze.
Shouldn’t?
“Shouldn’t? Will, you know you can tell me anything…right?” he said, voice cracking slightly, panic climbing.
Will shook his head, almost fearfully. “I just…can’t, Mike.” He almost sounded upset. Mike hated when Will was upset and hated himself when he made Will feel like that. Mike swallowed, calming himself.
“Okay. Okay. I…I get it. But, just don’t leave me out, ok?” Mike hated how pathetic he sounded.
“I won’t, I promise. But, Mike, you never told me what happened.” Will finally looked up at Mike. God, how Mike loved Will’s eyes. No. He didn’t love his eyes. He couldn’t. Mike chuckled softly.
“Right, sorry. You stopped it. The Demo, with…with powers. Like El.”
Will froze, absolutely stunned. Then he laughed, actually laughed. Mike didn’t. Will stopped.
“A-are you serious??”
Mike nodded. “Yeah, I saw you. You held your hand out, like El does, but with your palm up, and the Demo froze, and then…you broke it.”
Will’s brows furrowed. “...Broke it?”
“Yeah, like…like Vecna does…”
Will paled, his breath hitching. He looked down at his hands again then said in a voice so small, so quiet Mike almost missed it. “I scared you.”
It wasn’t a question.
Mike froze, “Yeah. You did.” Will’s face crumpled. “But only because you collapsed!” Mike rushed out. “Not because of the powers. No, you were a badass…a sorcerer! Like I said!” Mike smiled, his voice shaking a bit. “I was scared because you fell and you weren’t waking up and I—I thought I lost you again.”
Will’s breath caught. Mike realized what he said a second too late. Robin stared. Lucas’s eyebrows shot up. Will…Will just looked at him.
“No!” Mike said, quickly, trying to recover. “I just mean…we all thought that. Obviously. Your mom. Everyone…Yeah.”
An awkward silence hung in the ear until Joyce walked in like she was summoned upon her name being uttered. She was gripping a walkie in her hand, presumably from trying to reach Hopper and Dustin. But upon seeing Will awake, she ran over to him. Mike quickly stood up, stumbling out of her way so she could reunite with her now-conscious son.
“Will! Oh my gosh honey, are you okay? Are you hurt? What hurts? What-“ Joyce said in a frenzy.
“Mom…Mom! I’m fine. Really, my head just hurts a little. I’m okay.” Will said, but Joyce was seemingly too panicked to hear him.
“You’re not okay! You collapsed! You were bleeding! You-” Joyce’s hands didn’t leave Will’s face.
“Mom, it’s not like I was bleeding out, I just got a nosebleed,” Will chuckled. “But really, I’m okay, Mom. Just sore!”
Mike watched them until suddenly someone grabbed his arm and pulled him. “Robin? What are you doing??” Mike asked.
“Just…come with me, Mike,” she said, dropping Mike's arm. He didn’t want to but his curiosity got the best of him, as always. She walked into a different room, Mike on her heels. She shut the door and turned to face Mike, leaning against a table and crossing her arms.
“Did I do something to you?” she asked, serious but not rude.
Mike’s stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” she started carefully. “You’ve been tense. Way tense. Like, I don’t know, with me being around him? I don’t know-“
“What’s your deal with him?” Mike cut in sharply. Robin raised an eyebrow, confused.
“My…deal?”
“You’ve…you’ve been whispering to him, touching him, smiling at him like...like you’re…I don’t know, just, what’s your deal?”
Realization washed over Robin’s face and she bit back a laugh. “Ok. Mike. I’m not….interested in Will. Like that. And I will never be interested in him like that.”
It was Mike’s turn to be confused. “But you’ve been constantly hanging out and I saw you two! When we were trying to find where Derek was. You were walking and talking and laughing and super close and-”
“Wheeler, stop rambling. I ramble too, so I know you’re overthinking. Me and Will? Friends. Close friends, but just friends. But…that explains why you were so jealous.”
Mike got bright red and he felt his stomach do a full flip. “Jealous? I—I wasn't….I'm not…jealous.”
Robin couldn’t hold in her chuckle this time. “Really? Because you practically set me on fire with your glare when I held his hand, and don’t even get me started on how you were hovering when he woke. Not jealous at all, huh?”
Mike resembled a fire engine. “I—that wasn’t jealousy! That was…concern. I was concerned!” He repeated, like he was trying to convince himself. Robin gave him a look and he immediately got defensive. “He almost died! I was protecting him. That’s all.”
“Totally,” Robin grinned. That’s when Joyce comes in, Lucas right behind her. They stopped at the doorway, eyebrows lifting as they took in the scene. Mike, bright red from his hairline to the collar of his shirt, Robin, looking triumphant. They decided to not ask questions, and Joyce instead shifted her gays gaze to Mike.
“He’s asking for you,” she said softly. “He wants to talk to you in private.” Mike's breath caught. He darted out of the room in the blink of an eye, racing down the hallway to Will. He skidded to a stop in front of the couch. Will was sitting up now, and it looked like he was gaining his strength back.
“Hey,” Will smiled up at Mike. God, how Mike loved Will's smile. No. He didn’t love Will’s smile. He couldn’t.
“Hey,” Mike responded softly.
Will patted the cushion next to him. “Sit, I have something to tell you.”
Mike sat instantly, without another word. Their knees brushed. Mike ignored the spark he felt. “What’s wrong? Is something hurting? Do you feel sick? Do-“
“Mike…MIKE. I’m fine. Seriously…I promise,” Will said, fiddling with the cuff of his jacket sleeve. Mike could almost feel Will's nervousness radiating from him. He fought the urge to reach out and grab Will's hand.
Will took a deep breath before saying, “Remember…three years ago? On Halloween? Right after you brought me home after my episode?” Will wasn’t looking at Mike but Mike nodded anyway. “You told me…since we both felt crazy…we’d go crazy together…and I…” he choked on a sob. “I don’t know…I just feel really fucking crazy right now…with everything going on. My powers, being able to see through the hive mind…the fact that I’m-“ he stopped, clearing his throat and inhaling deeply. “I just feel really insane. I..I don’t know.”
Will wiped his face and groaned, standing up. “Sorry, this was stupid, and I shouldn’t have dumped this on you, I-“
“No.” Mike grabbed Will's hand to stop him from walking away, standing up too. “No, I’m…I’m glad you did. Will…I feel crazy too. I mean…with my parents and Holly, not knowing where El is, or…if she’s found Hopper, half of our team in the Upside Down, shut off from us?” Mike nodded, his eyes a little distant. They snapped back into focus after his speech. “I’m definitely going crazy.”
Will froze. “God, I’m so stupid…here I am complaining about how sometimes I get goosebumps on the back of my neck, and you don’t know where Nancy or Holly is, and both your parents are in the hospital, I’m so-“
“NO!” It came out way louder than Mike meant and he felt Will flinch. Shit. Mike was still holding Will’s hand. He dropped it. “God no, Will. It’s more than just goosebumps on the back of your neck! You’ve been seeing through the eyes of Vecna’s victims, or the Demos. That’s intense! And you’re handling it a lot better than anyone else could! You’re so…strong, even before you had actual powers. You’ve always been like that. And…I don’t think anyone could still be here after all the hell you’ve been through. I know…I know I wouldn’t.”
He heard Will whisper a gentle, “Mike,” but he kept going. He was thinking about that day four years ago. “I remember...after you disappeared…after he took you…I felt so…so angry, and scared, and hopeless. I tried to reach you…through the walkie. And one day…I heard you…singing, and you sounded so scared…Troy and James…they wouldn’t shut up. They kept calling you names and one day I just couldn't listen to them anymore…I shoved Troy.” Mike chuckled wetly. When did he start crying? “Then El made him piss himself. But they wouldn’t stop…they came after us…said they’d hurt Dustin and Lucas if I didn’t…didn’t jump off the quarry…” Mike paused. He hated thinking about this, but he pushed through.
Will had to know.
“I did it. No hesitation. I just walked to the edge and stepped off. I wasn’t scared…El stopped me from falling. Froze me in mid-air and brought me back up. Broke James’s arm and they ran away...then a few nights later, they dragged what we all thought was you out of the lake…” Mike let out a sob and he collapsed back onto the couch. “I remember seeing ‘you’ and…wishing El wasn’t there to catch me. When your mom and Hopper got you out, they wouldn’t let me see you…the paramedics took you immediately…Joyce had to tell me you were…somewhat. Alive…” Mike looked up at Will, who was also crying.
“The moment I saw you lying in that hospital bed? Breathing…smiling…laughing? That was the moment I knew I could never lose you again. I’d never let it happen.” Will sat next to Mike, knees pressed together now, not just brushing. “Then you were possessed, and you…you moved…you left me…and I know it was good for you…and it helped you not be connected to the hell that’s here, but selfishly, I wish you never left. I hate that we grew distant and I know that it’s my fault. I should’ve written to you. I wanted to. So bad. But I couldn’t send any of them.” Mike couldn’t look at Will. He felt Will's gaze burning into Mike. Then Will said something so fast he almost missed it.
“I’m gay.”
Mike's head shot up. “What?”
Will stood up, his hands shaking a bit. “I’m gay. What Tory, and James, and my dad say about me is true. I’m a fairy. A fag. A freak.”
Mike could only look at him, a bunch of emotions flashing behind his eyes all at once.
“Robin told me this whole story about how she liked someone, but it didn’t matter because they didn’t like her back.” He started pacing. “Then she got grounded and had to clean as a punishment. She was cleaning her garage and found a film reel from when she was young. Back then, she felt free, a-and she felt like she could fly. When I saw that Demo rushing at you, my own film reel flashed in my head. And the first thing was that day.
“On the swing set in kindergarten. Meeting you. Becoming your friend. Then it was my eighth birthday, then me and Jonathan building Castle Byers. Then. Flashes of us.” He turned and faced Mike head on. “Playing DND in your basement, being carefree and…I felt like I could fly.”
Will stepped closer. “You were in my film reel because you make me feel free, feel safe…you make me feel like I could fly.” Mike stood, eyes flicking from Will’s eyes, down to his lips, and back up. “I…I love you Mike. More than just my best friend…I’m in love with you…” Will locked eyes with Mike, and for the first time in their entire friendship…
He couldn’t read Mike's expression.
Mike felt the words land more than he heard them. “I’m in love with you.” It didn’t feel like when El would say it to him before they broke up. Like he had to say it back. It felt…warm, soft…heavy. In a good way. Like, a fire when it's subzero.
Will loved Mike. Will. His best friend. His sorcerer. His cleric. His Will. William Byers loved him, Micheal Wheeler, back. Mike realized he had just been silently staring at Will for a solid two minutes.
Will looked terrified.
Mike breathed in.
“I love you too,” Mike breathed out.
Will's face split open into that grin, that grin that Mike could love. Those brown eyes that he could love, shining. He grabbed the hand he could hold and asked the question he could ask.
“Will…?”
“Yeah Mike?”
“Can I kiss you?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Mike pulled Will in. Their mouths crashed together, and holy shit. He thought those cheesy books and movies were making up the butterflies in your stomach. But Mike felt giddy, and his heart raced as Will kissed him back. His hands traveled and cupped the face he could hold and deepened the kiss. They pulled apart just far enough so they could breathe, Mike panting, Will smiling. Their foreheads pressed against each other.
Neat detail that I haven't seen anyone bring up yet: when he goes out to the field, Charn carries his circular hat slung on his back, exactly the same place the warrior Aiel will carry their circular shields hundreds of years later
What would you guys consider the worst movie you've ever seen? Not something that's fun to make fun of, nothing you ironically enjoyed, I mean just an absolutely miserable moviegoing experience that you paid for, hated every second, and wish you had walked out of and asked for a refund.
For me, no joke, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. It did not even feel like a real movie to me. It made me see red! I was SEETHING with anger and annoyance throughout the entire thing, and I cannot for the life of me articulate why. I saw it once in 2012 when I was 15, I remember almost nothing about it now, but it struck a nerve with me like no other movie ever has before or since.
Tell me in the tags, which movie makes you disproportionately angry just thinking about it?
Wicked Movie is going to make a trillion dollars its opening weekend and everyone will leave the theater the angriest they’ve ever been in their lives because no one except for me and my beloved mutuals knows that despite having runtime longer than the whole stage musical it is a Part One that only covers the first act
Mmm I think I'll wait to see the tumblr reaction after opening before deciding
I mean the trailer seemed OK but a part 1 with a longer runtime then the musical is so so so concerning
Saw an interview where they were all excited / self congratulatory about how they really got to explore more / go more in depth about their time at Shiz
& it's like...OK if you actually do original content added to an adaptation well...and the track record is not great. There are exceptions that prove the rule but
Do you think Eddie ever forced Buck to watch the Selena movie without telling Buck of her superstar Mexican-American fame and tragedy.
Being born and raised in Texas always makes me wonder her reach outside the south, especially because my friends that moved from other places only had passing ideas of who she was. Hispanic tradition of passing on her legacy and music fr.
I'm gonna hang out with my little crush tomorrow and I asked envisioning a date but now I'm worried I wasn't explicit enough and he doesn't know it's a date and I'm gonna freak out and I know the problem could be easily solved by asking but I'm a problem
having a permanent full time job is you thinking to yourself “so this is really the rest of my life huh” as you come home every single day before using your 4 hours of recreational activity to do nothing and then going to bed
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