Take A Look At Me Now

Originally made March 3, 2001.

[...unWARP!!!]

Good evening.

And now, for something completely different, a music video! Well, sort of. When I first heard this song, in its entirety, I was completely captivated by it, and images immediately began to fill my mind. And so, I simply had to create this music video. This is also based on my fanfic, “Death of a Comedian”, though the song itself is not in the story. This video may be considered as an “addendum”, and perhaps, just perhaps, it could be inserted in the “blackout” scene in Chapter EIKOSIOKTO (28). I won’t tell you exactly why there was a blackout scene, and if you want to know, then read the story. In this video, Dale and Foxglove are once again arguing, angtsy as ever, as to why they can’t get back together. On the left column is the song itself, on the middle column are Dale’s and Foxglove’s actions that deal with the song itself, and the right column are “flashbacks” which they’re having as they sing. The flashbacks are scenes from both “Death of a Comedian” and “Let’s Suppose Chip And Dale Behaved Slightly Different After The Kidnapping: A Tangent Fanfic Based On Roy Neal Grissom’s ‘Consummation’“, and a few from the original “Good Times, Bat Times”.

And just for the record, I have not seen the movie, nor did I know that this song was originally a duet until I found the complete lyrics on the Net. Also, I took a little artistic license and added one more repetition of Foxglove’s chorus, near the end, just to balance things out (so that both sing the chorus twice). It’s marked by an asterisk, so in case you have the song and want to listen to it while reading this video, be careful on that part.

Disfruten.

Until next time, remember:

I AM THE J.A.M.

Good evening.

[WARP!!!]

[2006 Edition note: the three columns are now two, but they’re still color coded]

Phil Collins

“Take A Look At Me Now”

AGAINST THE ODDS SOUNDTRACK

[Fade in to a room, totally white, no walls, no floor, no ceiling, just whiteness. Out of nowhere, Dale and Foxglove fade in, but not totally, and they’re translucent. Dale, however, is wearing his dark-grey shirt this time, and he’s more pumped up. Foxglove, too, appears more athletic, and there’s less girth around her belly. Both try to assess their situation for a moment, and then finally look at each other. Angst fills their faces and hearts once more, and they turn away from each other. The music begins.]

She turned her head toward him, holding her wingtips together. Memories of what had happened before flashed as they sang, and the images were also translucent.

[Foxglove]

“How can I just let you walk away?” She sang to him, remembering.	“I’m-m-m—so—glad—you’re——safe——!!!!!!” He abruptly released her and ran out the door.
“Just let you leave without a trace?”	“DALE!!!” squealed Foxglove, running after him.
“When I stand here taking every breath.” She looked up for a moment.	Dale, meanwhile, could not see who was near the entrance because of all the spotlights shining on him, nor could he smell her because the air conditioning was coming from the stage, thus his scent was also torturing the batmaid.
“With you…oo?” And looked back at him.	And as was expected, they jingled together, “They’re Foxy, they’re Foxy and the Dale, Dale, Dale, Dale, Dale!”
“You’re the only one who really knew me at all…” She balled up her wings to her chest for a moment.

[Dale]

“How can you just walk away from me?” He spread his arms and sang back, but still not looking at her.	“Good-bye, Foxglove,” was all he could say. With difficulty, the batmaid left the club, leaving the chipmunk by himself…
“When all I can do is watch you leave?” He looked up, angry.	Looking into his damp eyes one more time, also with pain and passion, she echosounded him from top to bottom several times, jumped off the branch, and flew off into the night.
“Cause we’ve shared the laughter and the pain,” He looked down, almost ashamed.	They laughed for a moment… “You don’t understand! Winnifred was the only friend I had untill I met you and the Rescue Rangers!”
“And even shared the tears.” His eyes began to water.	He dropped to his face and cried like never before. Foxglove followed, more scared than exhausted, and found him sobbing so uncontrollably that the branch was shaking in rhythm to the rodent’s gasps. This was enough to bring tears to her eyes.
“You’re the only one who really knew me at all.” And he turned to face her.	Dale was on his way down the hall, heading for Gadget’s room, but just before he could step up and knock, the door flew open and Foxglove ran out, greeting him with a very interesting kiss. Shocked for one millisecond, Dale hugged her and returned the kiss.

[Foxglove]

“So take a look at me now:” She turned fully and spread her wings, presenting herself to him, almost shrugging.	Foxglove closed the door and took her seat at her assigned booth…
“Well, there’s just an empty space.” She held one wing over her heart.	The hexagonal knot in her throat connected with the black hole in her chest, causing her ears to droop somewhat.
“And there’s nothing left here to remind me,” She shook her head, squeezing her eyes in pain.	Foxglove drooped her ears and tail, read the printouts for the NTH time, and then crumpled them up before throwing them aside.
“Just the memory of your face.” She opened her eyes, looking up at him.	Dale looked at her royal blue eyes and nearly fell into them.

[Dale]

“Oh? Take a look at me now:” He padded toward her, pointing angrily at himself repeatedly.	He sorely padded to his cabinet, took the medicine bottle (originally a contact lens vial), and removed a pill.
“Well, there’s just an empty space.” He waved one paw down the length of his whole torso.	Dale brought up his right paw to his chest. Something was causing him unbelievable pain…
“And you coming back to me—is against the odds,” He pointed at her and himself, and then shook his head.	Dale stiffened again, grabbed Chip’s jacket and chattered, “CHIPI’MNOTDITZ!!! ANDIT’SOVER!!!! FOXGLOVEISGONE!!! THECOMEDIANISDEAD!!!”
“And that’s what I’ve got to faaace…” He turned away a bit, closing his eyes.	“H-hello—Miss Foxglove…” he stuttered.

She balled her wings beside her, and she huffed angrily, while stepping a bit closer to him.

[Foxglove]

“I wish I could just make you turn around—” Her eyes flashed with anger and tears.

“And I need you more than ever!” Her wing kept on pleading with him, but he still would not turn around.

[Both]

“—Turn around and see me cry—!” Both turned and pointed angrily at themselves.

“Then GO!!” Dale finally locked his eyes with Foxy’s.

[Foxglove]

“There’s so much I need to say to you,” Calming down, she extended her wings in front of her, pleading.

She echosounded at the ceiling, and also looked at it with pained eyes. “You did right, Dale. Don’t hate yourself because of it.”

[Both]

“So many reasons why…” He looked aside, while she looked up.

…he whimpered, while rubbing his cheeks with the bat’s…

[Foxglove]

“You’re the only one who really knew me at all.” Looking back at him, she touched his shoulder.

Dale flexed his biceps for Foxglove, as she fluttered her eyelashes at him while leaning on the moon rock.

[Foxglove]

“So take a look at me now:” Still holding his shoulder, she pointed at herself.	…the chiropterid slowly stood. Her joints ached again, for some reason. The medication must be wearing off.
“Well, there’s just an empty space.” She balled her wing to her chest.	Her strength and voice were almost gone now. Her chest pressed against her back. Her throat was swallowing itself. Her knees were painfully losing their battle to hold her weight up.
“And there’s nothing left here—to remind me,” She then moved her other wing to his other shoulder.	The batmaid then turned and left her previous life forever.
“Just the memory of your face.” Then she caressed his cheek. He moved away from her.	“Good night, Foxy. I love you with all my heart. Please don’t ever forget that.”
*
“Please take a look at me now!” With both wings balled, she shrieked at him, crying.	Dale suddenly turned and looked at her.
“Well, there’s just an empty space!” She hunched over, in deep pain.	The pipistrell was now hunched over, holding the stand with both wings now, totally spent…
“And there’s nothing left here—to remind me,” She reached over to him, touching his shoulder again.	She kind of noticed all the lights suddenly go dim all around her.
“Just the memory of your face!” She caressed his cheek again.	“…Yes, I know—I——know.” Dale said, slowly turning and looking at the floor. Seeing this, Foxy turned and left…

[Dale]

“Now, take a look at me now!” He suddenly turned, with a demanding look.	“…AND GOD HELP ME, IF I GET BUT *ONE* CHANCE TO KILL THAT CAT, THEN I WILL KILL HIM.”
“Cause theeeere’s just an empty space!” And he pointed at his head now. She gasped.	It was perfectly logical. And Dale’s chest was about to implode with every word Foxglove said.
“But to wait for you—is all I can do!” He pointed at her, accusingly.	He was sitting at a table right in front of the stage, with a thimble and a bottle of walnut extract in front of him…
“And that’s what I’ve got to face!” Trembling, he wiped a tear from his eye.	“…And I WILL come back, and SOON, mind you…!!”
“Take a good look at me now!!!” Desperately, he pointed to himself again.	He saw his best friend on the ground, and the blood on his face and the fact that Dale’s nose appeared to have shifted a bit reminded him once again of Rocky Balboa.
“Cause IIIIII’ll still be standing here!!” Pleading, he held her wing.	“Good-bye, my wife.”
“And you coming back to me—is against all odds;” He caressed her cheek now, but looking at her heartbroken.	It was a beautiful sunset, so beautiful, it made him lay his ears back and cry. A crescent moon hung just above the southwestern horizon, and an occasional bird fluttered through the sky. There was an airplane now and then, but no bats.
“It’s the chance I’ve got to taaaake…” He held both wings now, and then released her.	He began sobbing uncontrollably again at this point; the unbelievable sorrow and grief and pain and anger within him overriding his desperate need for food.

[short instrumental]

Dale turned away again, and so did Foxglove. Then, for no reason, they turned back to each other, embraced, and cried on each other’s shoulder.

[Both]

“Take a look at me now…” They looked at each other, and saw a very faint spark light up in each other’s eyes.

…And then, from out of the grave, the tiniest spark lit up in Dale’s eyes.

The faintest spark in her eyes now lit up, still ailing, though.

They embraced tighter, and kissed deeply.

[Fade to white.]

Phil Collins

“Take A Look At Me Now”

AGAINST THE ODDS SOUNDTRACK

¡Zacatepóngolas!

Until next time, remember:

THE

J.A.M. (a.k.a. Numbuh i: “Just because I'm imaginary doesn't mean I don't exist”)

Good evening.

[WARP!!!]