Story [Sweeney Todd] Fixing Things Up - angst/humor

Title: Fixing Things Up
Author: Qui-Gon_Reborn
Genre: angst (duh ), humor
Timeframe: after A Little Priest, before Johanna (the reprise)
Characters: Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Lovett
Summary: Mrs. Lovett decides to renovate Sweeney's bedroom.
Note: This is what passes for a fairly serious Sweenett fic in the world of Johnny Depp fandom. "Serious" meaning less of the suggestive humor and general sillyness that's typically found in this kind of fic. As a result, it's a little less funny than some of the others I've written, but a little bit more well-written, too. I'd usually never post anything like this here, but Nat, the master manipulator, forced me to. I apologize in advance!

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It had never occurred to her to fix up the place before he moved in. Money was scarcer than the meager hairs atop a priest?s malnourished skull, and she hardly ever went up there, anyway. The place gave her the shivers, and Mrs. Lovett prided herself on being somewhat stout of heart. As its occupants recognized, and as the foolish traveler declined to concur, London was just That Kind of town. You needed to be stout of heart in order to survive, let alone give prosperity the time of day. But it was important to retain a degree of comfort, of humanity, Mrs. Lovett believed. And they had money now, and business was doing as well as it ever would, and he was around, so why in the world would she not think of fixing up the place? Besides, he had been so good to her, and she wanted him to be happy.

She?d start upstairs, maybe with his favorite room, the one with the fancy chair. Or maybe she?d start with a different room. With so much gold in the coffer, she could afford to think about it. Mrs. Lovett smiled, and patted the long clump of dough that she had been kneading with both hands, up to her wrists in the grayish-brownish-red of the glutinous substance. There was a chunk of something small and wet under the fingernail of her left thumb.

?Mornin?, Mr. T,? she said brightly as he entered the kitchen, but Sweeney slipped out the front door without even an acknowledgement of her presence. Mrs. Lovett sighed. He probably hadn?t even noticed her. Poor dear was like that these days.


Sweeney Todd was tired, deathly tired, not just the physical exhaustion and pain of bodily movement, but the tiredness that accompanies a soul that just doesn?t want to live. There was more for him to live for in the next life, the one without breath, but the shackles that fettered him to this world were, at the moment, much stronger.

He opened the door to his bedroom, eager for a chance to lie down, although sleep would be nearly impossible, and stopped. His eyes widened.

?Surprise!? said Mrs. Lovett, her hands on her hips, a pale grin beneath her dark eyes. ?Well? Don?t jus stand there, lookin? like a codfish, tell me wot you think!?

Sweeney closed his mouth, swallowed, mouthed a few words, and closed his mouth again.

?Ain?t it lovely??

?Yes,? Sweeney croaked.

The walls were adorned with a foul-smelling pink paint, and the splintered mirror replaced with a large painting of a deceptively perfect bowl of fruit. His bed, which had been short and low to the ground, had been substituted by some kind of whitewashed abomination that looked like it belonged in the room of an eight-year-old girl. There was a small desk, white and new, upon which several lavender-scented candles flickered.
?This is my room,? said Sweeney.

?Of course it is, luv!? Mrs. Lovett said, taking his hand and pulling him further into the cramped space. ?I wanted to do somethin? nice for you. Since you been so good to Toby and me, and all.?

?This is my room.?

?Yes, it is!?

?This is?my room?? Sweeney asked, suddenly appearing to have had a revelation.

?Oh, Mr. Todd, you are insufferable.? Mrs. Lovett looked gravely offended. ?Don?t you like it??

?I?I?? Sweeney arched his eyebrows, searching for the correct word. No, he didn?t like it. He hated it, to be exact. But he didn?t really relish the thought of hurt

 

I think I'm getting good at it


I love it!! especially Sweeny's reaction to the redecorating And it's nice that for once, he finds a bit of peace.

 

I think you're getting good at it, too. So far you've persuaded me to give you colors and a title, and to post my Sweeney fic.

Thank you, I'm glad you don't want to make a pie out of me. And I was hoping to get the idea across that he was able to find a little bit of peace because Mrs. Lovett was kind to him, and he was kind to her. It looks like I accomplished that, which is awesome. It's funny to think that either of them are capable of beind kind, though.

 

HA!!! She would paint his room pink.

Great job!

 

It's in desperate need of some color, you know.

Thank you!

 

Well, well, well, what have I stumbled into? Just so you know, Sweeney Todd is "like, my favourite musical EVAARRRR!", so I have a pretty strong musical theatre purist vibe going for me. However, I did really like the film and thought it an excellent film adaption of one of my favourite shows, so... yeah. Aha.

Anyway, this is quite downright hilarious. Sweeney being very "This is my room." "This is my room." "This is my room...?" got me laughing pretty hard. Sometimes he's a little slow to comprehend things that are far, far outside his revenge vision. Especially the simple things, like renovations. Lovett would paint his room pink. I love seeing her fun side; she is a marvellous character (I do want to play her some day) and I think sometimes people forget that she's not just strange, dark and whacky, but she has a kind and mothering side, too (just look at the relationship she tries to build with Toby and the fact that she dreams of one day marrying Todd). Lovett's a bit of a maverick, I think: on one hand, we have to believe that she's utterly grotesque and capable of chopping people up for meat pies, but on the other she's a pretty delicate soul (and I think you really show her soft side well in this fic Yay!). Like Todd, she's just trying to do the right thing in the completely wrong way.

Thank you, Mr. Sondheim, for enforcing that everyone's evil in an evil world. Now could you write songs that aren't so addictive, I'm getting distracted.

Okay, I'm done. Wasn't sure where I was going with that, but my theatre side is coming out in my comments.

Oh, and: after A Litle Priest, before Epiphany... well, Epiphany takes place directly before A Little Priest, but whatever.

Thanks for posting, QGR. I never thought I'd see a Sweeney Todd fanfic, and this was awesome.

 

However, I did really like the film and thought it an excellent film adaption of one of my favourite shows, so... yeah. Aha.

I was never familiar with the story before I saw the film. I knew that it existed, but that was about it. Now I'm semi-obsessive about it, to be honest. Well, sort of. I hover between appreciating it as an absolutely amazing and profound story, to using it as fodder for a hundred thousand jokes of varying degrees of hilarity.

Sometimes he's a little slow to comprehend things that are far, far outside his revenge vision.

He is, which can be really, really, really, really funny. You know, for a story that's generally considered to be pretty dark, it does have some fantasticly constructed comedic moments.

I love seeing her fun side; she is a marvellous character (I do want to play her some day) and I think sometimes people forget that she's not just strange, dark and whacky, but she has a kind and mothering side, too

Mrs. Lovett and Sweeeny are both very complex characters who raise tons of questions pertaining to morality versus society, (and the first time I saw the movie, I shocked myself by actually rooting for them at some points...what the heck kind of person does that make me?! ) but I do think Mrs. Lovett's a more complicated personality than her skunk-haired counterpart. Her actions are disgusting, in more ways than one, but the circumstances evoke sympathy. Not only that, but I can't help but wonder what I'd do in her situation. I always say that I'd leave town the second Sweeney started singing to his razors, but I really don't know, to be honest.

Also, I go back and forth with myself on the issue of Sweeney's sanity. Some argue that he cracked the moment Judge Turpin had him hauled off. Some say it was an during undisclosed situation that occurred while Sweeney's serving his sentence. It's widely acknowledged that he passes a huge moral event horizon during Epiphany. But sometimes I can convince myself that he's actually quite sane, just very driven.

As for whether he and Mrs. Lovett are "good guys," I don't know...But I do know that I'd trust Sweeney before I trusted Judge T.

Thank you, Mr. Sondheim, for enforcing that everyone's evil in an evil world. Now could you write songs that aren't so addictive, I'm getting distracted.

All together now! It's priest, have a little priest. Is it really good? Sir, it's too good at least!

Oh, and: after A Litle Priest, before Epiphany... well, Epiphany takes place directly before A Little Priest, but whatever.

Argh, how sinful of me. I meant between A Little Priest and the reprise of Johanna. Thanks for exposing my divine crappyness.

Thanks for posting, QGR. I never thought I'd see a Sweeney Todd fanfic, and this was awesome.

My pleasure. And it's great to find another fan of The Musical. By the way, do you have a favorite song? Well, of course you do. What a question. What's yours? Mine's A Little Priest, although By the Sea is a close second.

 

Ooo, Sweeney Todd, one of my favorite musicals.

There was more for him to live for in the next life, the one without breath, but the shackles that fettered him to this world were, at the moment, much stronger. Love that description of his character.

His reaction is priceless!

 

Thank you very much.