#I should catch up on tlou but I built it up too much in my head so now I’m not going to end up watching 1x7 for a bit probably

[readingwriter92]

Yknow what. Fuck it. It’s Sunday. I did adult things today and did enough note taking that my wrist hurts a bit.

Could I work for another hour like normal? Yes. But I think it’s little treat time. Forcibly deciding now that we’re gunna take a break bc tomorrow is Monday and I stg ima get thru it

[fadedin2u]

pick up and roll the dice (ch. 1)

read in between the lines, i know you love me…

Summary: You’ve been best friends with Ellie since she moved into your neighborhood in elementary school, and now, you’re sharing a dorm room together at college. What could go wrong when you both start reading between the lines? Based on the song Hold On by The Internet.

word count: 2.5k

content: childhood best friends!au, dealer!ellie, fem!reader, college!au, modern!au, hurt/comfort, ellie’s a little bit of a player, ellie is a simp (not surprising), art major!ellie, kinda slow burn??

warnings: sexual harassment (mentioned), drug usage (weed), lots of cursing (what do you expect), men (mentioned), expect nsfw chapters in the future so MDNI 18+

notes: this is my first fic i’ve written for tlou, and it’s about damn time bc i’ve been lurking in the ellie williams x reader tags for months lmao, hope you enjoy! next chapter should be out by the end of the weekend! reblogs/likes are much appreciated :) let me know if you want to be added to the tag list!

You’re welcomed into your dorm room by the smell of pot smoke. You walk in, already in a foul mood, shaking with adrenaline and anxiety. You drop your bag on the floor and kick off your shoes.

Ellie, your roommate and close friend since childhood, is sitting on her twin bed, leaning out the window as she smokes a joint. She’s dressed casually in a pair of old sweatpants and a t-shirt, her auburn hair haphazardly thrown up into a half-bun, most strands too short to all be gathered into a single bun. When she catches sight of you, she immediately can tell something is up.

“You okay?” Ellie asks, tapping the ash from her joint out the window.

You walk over to Ellie’s bed and melodramatically collapse face-first with a “Hmmph.”

“I’m dropping out.” You deadpan, your voice muffled by Ellie’s duvet.

Ellie takes a long drag from her joint and exhales a puff of smoke before turning to you, her eyebrows raised. “Huh? What?”

She sits up, holding the joint between her fingers before she gestures for you to clarify.

“You can’t drop out. What’re you gonna do all day? Sit around and eat Oreos?”

You stay face-planted onto Ellie’s bed.

“Yup. And I’ll be lazy and happy.” You say.

It takes every ounce of self-restraint inside of Ellie to not shove you off of her bed right this second. Instead, she leans forward and nudges your shoulder with her knee.

"Babe. Honey. Sweetie. Angel-Face. Get up. You sound like a dumbass right now.”

You roll over, and Ellie notices that your eyes are red and puffy, clearly having cried before coming back to the dorm.

“Hey! I’m having a crisis!” You exclaim, folding your arms over your chest.

Ellie’s face softens and her eyebrows furrow, concerned. “Hey… What’s going on? Want some of this?” She offers the joint to you.

You take it gratefully, taking a long drag. You shake her head, looking down at your miniskirt. “I really need to stop wearing this skirt in public… When I was walking back here, two dudes started following me and saying weird, gross shit. I tried telling them off, but I must have looked so pathetic that they just laughed… They followed me almost the whole way here.”

You pass the joint back to Ellie, saying sarcastically, “So, yes. In conclusion, I’m dropping out.”

Ellie is stunned silent. Her high buzz instantly fades and she reaches out to put a comforting hand on your shoulder. Ellie doesn't say anything at first, but she looks down at you with a worried expression on her face.

She puts out her half-finished joint, and scoots forward on the bed towards you. Her expression is stern and angry, and she seems utterly furious on your behalf.

“Did those fucking pieces of shit touch you? Did you call the cops?”

As she’s speaking, Ellie’s entire demeanor changes, and it’s obvious how upset these men made her. Ellie always seems to have a lot of rage built-up inside of her, but it’s amplified now.

You bite your lip, looking down.

“They didn’t touch me… I didn’t call the cops. I wasn’t thinking clearly, I should have called someone, but I was so freaked out, and… I’m sorry, Els.” You say quietly.

Ellie grabs your arm and pulls you towards her.

"It's okay, babe. It's not your fault."

Ellie leans forward to hug you tightly, rubbing your back.

"Those dickwipes should have never said anything to you. Let alone touched you. If they ever do that again, you tell me, and I'll take care of it."

Ellie takes a deep breath and sighs. She leans back against the wall and pulls you with her, keeping you close. You allow yourself to be pulled into Ellie’s hold, grateful, and you feel tears press at the back of your eyes.

“I’m sorry, I really don’t want to cry again.” You say, hiding your face in Ellie’s shoulder.

Ellie wraps her arms around you tighter, comforting you.

"Hey. It's alright to cry. Let it all out." She murmurs soothingly. "Don't be ashamed. You were just fucking harassed."

She holds you, continuing to rub your back and kissing the top of your head. Ellie feels sick at the thought of you hurting or struggling alone.

You sniffle as a few tears run down your cheeks, still hiding your face in Ellie’s shoulder.

“I just don’t understand what I can possibly do in those situations. And I feel like they happen all the fucking time.”

You wipe your face, “Like fucking yesterday! When I got catcalled at 8AM by the construction workers working on the new science building, and I was just trying to get to class!”

You shake your head, “I just feel so helpless in those situations, because they don’t even see me as a real person.”

"Well, you gotta make them see you as a force to be reckoned with." Ellie says, her voice stern.

She pauses, and lets out an exhale.

"These guys obviously aren't going to stop catcalling and harassing women, so either we ignore the comments, or we learn how to respond. It's a fucking shame that it has to be this way but..."

Ellie sighs and leans back. She rubs your shoulder with one hand, and her other hand gently rests on your thigh.

You feel your cheeks go hot, hyper-focused on Ellie’s hand on your leg.

“But, Els… I can’t fight for shit. There’s no way those guys could ever be intimidated by me the way you can intimidate them.”

You wipe your face, embarrassed by your tears. “Like, how could they possibly see me as anything other than a ‘slut who’s asking for it’, if I recall what they wouldn’t stop saying to me correctly.” You say, quoting the men who followed you home.

Ellie leans in a little closer and rests her head on your shoulder.

"I think that my girl can kick ass and dish it out as good as she takes it." Ellie's expression looks serious, and she gently squeezes your thigh as she speaks.

"Like, have you ever seen those videos on Instagram where girls absolutely own some big dudes? That'll be you, dude. Trust me, I know exactly what you're capable of. You just gotta learn how to take up space."

You laugh a little, wiping your face again.

“Is this you telling me that I need to take a boxing class?” You ask, raising an eyebrow.

Ellie chuckles, and smiles as she squeezes your leg again.

"Hell yeah. Take a boxing class. I wanna see you punch a fuckin' guy's lights out the next time he wants to harass you."

Ellie pauses and takes a deep breath.

"If you're worried about money for lessons or fuck-all, you know I got your back, right?" Ellie says earnestly. "And if there's any guy who's giving you problems, just say the fucking word and I'll kick their ass for you."

You laugh again, sniffling as you hug Ellie.

“My knight in shining armor.” You joke.

You pull back, taking a breath. “Thank you though, seriously. Today was just an overall shitty day, and I’m just glad that I get to come back to our dorm and be with my best friend.”

"Anytime." Ellie's expression is soft as she smiles at you.

Ellie glances at the joint on her bedside table, and glances back at you.

"Wanna hit that? Or are you tapped-out?"

You go to pick up the joint, and use Ellie’s lighter to re-light it.

“Me? Tapping out? Please-“ You say as you smile at Ellie, taking a drag.

Ellie chuckles, watching you with a fond smile.

You pass the joint to Ellie. “Besides, I’m chilling the fuck out tonight. Today was garbage, and I don’t want to keep thinking about anything.”

Ellie chuckles and shakes her head as she takes the joint.

"I feel so bad that you had such a fucking awful day. I know you've been going through some stuff recently, so today was the absolute last thing you needed."

Ellie inhales a long drag, and looks down at you.

"Can I ask you something, though?"

You nod, “Yeah, what’s up?”

You take the joint, hit it, and pass it back to Ellie.

Ellie takes another inhale and holds the smoke in for a moment.

"Do you ever just... like... hate men?" she looks at you. "I mean, you know... with everything you experience, and the guys you described today. Like, you ever just look at a guy, and immediately start hating him?"

Ellie pauses, taking another hit, "I mean, it's all I can think about, half the time, and I just... I can't fucking stand them most of the time."

You sigh, taking a hit from the joint and nodding.

“Yeah. I wish I didn’t. I wish that most men didn’t act the way they do, but they do. It’s kinda hard not to hate people who objectify and demean you every day of your life just for existing.”

Ellie pauses before speaking, "Do you think that Joel might ever be like that? I mean, I don't think so. He's a good guy and all. Just... you never know."

Ellie pauses and sighs. She's obviously been worrying about this for a while.

"Am I being dumb? Am I being stupid for thinking like that? I don't know. I just… I'm worried that, one day, people I love like Jesse and my dad are going to turn out to be a couple of fucking perverts."

You pause, having known Joel for years, taking a hit from the joint.

“I- I don’t know. I think they’re good people, especially Joel, but you never really know, until they slip up,” You say.

You squeeze Ellie’s shoulder, “I do really think that Joel is one of my favorite people I’ve gotten the chance to know, and I have crazy high standards for men. Your dad would never do anything to hurt you, and I don’t think he’d do anything to any one else either.”

You pass the joint to Ellie.

Ellie takes the joint and inhales, then passes it back to you.

"Yeah, you're right. You're totally right, and I know that. It's just hard, because I have such a negative image of guys right now, but you're right."

Ellie leans back and relaxes, "I just feel like I've been having some trust issues lately, and it sucks, and I've been… paranoid about people."

She pauses, and her voice starts to falter. "I just don't want to be let down like I have, you know?”

You nudge Ellie’s leg with your knee, “Hey. I won’t let you down. Or, at least, I’ll always try to not let you down, no matter what.”

You smile at Ellie, “We’re a team. Always have been, always will be.”

Ellie's eyes light up, “That's right. We will always have each other's backs. We’re always going to be there for each other."

Ellie takes a hit from the joint, and leans back. "I love you, you know that? Even though I've been a total bitch, these last few weeks… I need you more than you could possibly know."

Ellie pauses and looks down at you. "You are, without a doubt, the best friend I've ever had in my whole life."

You take the joint from Ellie, hitting it with a smile on your face as you internally curse yourself for getting flustered. Your head feels fuzzy from the weed.

“The feeling is mutual.” You say, passing Ellie the joint.

“I never got to ask, by the way, but how was your date with that girl… Kaylee? Karlie?” You ask to change the subject, trying to remember the name of Ellie’s latest of many campus flings.

Ellie laughs, "It's Kylie." she corrects, smirking and nudging your thigh.

"The date was a fun distraction, even though Kylie is a complete airhead. And, uh..." Ellie pauses, her face warming with embarrassment.

"...she tried to kiss me, and I completely froze.”

Ellie takes a hit and shakes her head, "I can't believe that I turned her down! She's cute and a fuckin’ cheerleader. I should have gone for it, I probably ruined my chances with her."

You laugh a little, pushing down the spikes of jealousy piercing your chest.

“Ellie Williams froze when a girl tried to kiss her?” You tease, knowing that Ellie is normally fairly bold.

“What happened? Were you too nervous or something?” You ask, taking a hit from the joint and passing it back to Ellie.

Ellie's face is a mix of embarrassment and frustration as you tease her. Ellie pauses, thinking.

"...Well, I froze because... I… I don't know. She seemed like a nice girl, but she's so... shallow."

Ellie sighs, taking a hit from the joint, and leans back.

"I'm a horrible dater, I know. I just have such a hard time connecting with people, I don't know."

You frown, “Hey. Don’t beat yourself up. She just doesn’t sound like the right girl, and that’s totally fine. You don’t need to get mad at yourself for not having an instant connection with a girl just because she’s hot.”

You pass the joint to Ellie, “Okay, you have the rest.”

Ellie smiles at you as she takes a hit and holds it in.

Ellie lets it out and shakes her head. "...Yeah, you're right. I just think I'm just trying so hard to find a connection with someone, y'know?"

"It's just hard to really trust someone new… I've been hurt by a lot of people in my life, and the last thing I want is to get hurt again." Ellie explains, her freckled cheeks rosy.

You sigh, “It is really scary to be vulnerable like that with people, I… I really fucking get that.”

You play with the hem of your skirt as you talk, “But there are people who are good, and trustworthy, and won’t leave you in the dust. I mean, you’re proof of that for me.”

Ellie's expression softens as she looks over at you

"I guess we are really similar in that way. We're both traumatized, we're both paranoid, and we're both distrustful. Fuck, who could blame us?" Ellie says with a shrug.

Ellie pauses, "I'm just glad I have you. You're the only people who I think I can really be myself around. Everyone else can fuck off. But not you."

Your stoned, hazy mind is thankfully quiet as you lean against Ellie, the two of you sat side-by-side on her bed.

Ellie’s cheeks get more pink as you do, her eyes half-lidded and red as she pulls you into her.

“Just… Relax. You really fucking deserve it.” Ellie says softly, her voice low and raspy from the smoke.

You nuzzle your face into her shirt, closing your eyes as you melt into her, and everything is good.

Ellie looks down at you, her pupils dilated and cheeks flushed. She looks back up at the ceiling, clenching her eyes shut as she thinks, I’m fucked.

chapter 2

texts with ellie and reader

[experiencepoints]

2016 Favorites

Games

 Final Fantasy XV

My favorite games of the year tend to be ones that stay in my head long after I’ve completed them. Final Fantasy XV is a game that couldn’t possibly live up to the 10 year hype, and in the end it didn’t. What it ended up being was something completely unique, gorgeous, at times irritating, but ultimately a game that resonated with me that none other did as much in 2016. 10/10.

The world is gorgeous, the characters are beautifully realized, the music is god-tier, and the battle system is dynamic and fun, flawed only with a funky camera every now and then. It’s everything Final Fantasy, translated in to modern day open world AAA game design, and the story, while told in a very back handed kind of way towards the end of the game, still managed to hit home.

There are also so many tiny details that add so much to the overall production. From the interactions between the characters in battle, to the amazing feature that every game should now have in which it automatically captures moments from the game on a day to day basis that enable you to save and share; it’s teeming with detail and heart that many games just don’t even bother with. It’s a game that delivers across the spectrum with incredible over the top moments, and lovingly crafted small ones. It’s a game with glaring flaws, blatant overambition, and beautiful moments, and has a secret sauce gameplay that has a great hook. For all its short comings, I can’t help but look past all of them and find an experience and world that I love spending time in. It’s my favorite game I’ve played all year.

I’m also the guy who enjoyed Kingsglaive (moreso after watching after I completed FFXV’s story); so take that for what you will.

Witcher 3

Yes, Witcher 3 released in 2015, but I didn’t get around to playing it proper until the early part of the year. I started it when it first released; maybe got through the Bloody Barron quest, and then for some reason moved on to something else. I know, terrible.

But after getting reacclimated to the game (plus coming back post-update in which the inventory systems were much improved), I found myself supremely hooked on the game, enjoying damn near every side quest along the way. Witcher 3 definitely edges out FF15 from a diversity in story telling standpoint in which while FF15 does an excellent job of delving in to the central characters of the game; Witcher 3 brought me in to characters I had no idea I gave a shit about through excellent quests and story telling. Even as someone who didn’t have the same attachment to many of the main characters since I did not play the first two, I loved etching out Geralt and Yennifer’s relationship, I super dug Ciri’s motivations and everything she brought to the table, and I found myself invested in the world. Don’t get me started on the excellent DLC. Both DLC releases were amazing, with the final one being a lovely good-bye to the game that still left it plenty open for CD Projekt Red to come back to it some day.

Dishonored 2

Back in 2015, I’m pretty sure the original Dishonored was on my list, and I was happy to see Dishonored 2 have a spot in this year’s list. While it didn’t bring a ton new to the table from a gameplay perspective, the original had already set a fantastic foundation to return to. I still need to play Hitman, but the Dishonored series has been my game where I’ve felt the most agency as a player, albeit with a strong reliance on saving and loading often. I played as Emily in my play through and loved her new abilities as I went for a largely stealth leaning playthrough. Taking a deliberately stealth approach made for many standout moments in Dishonored 2 that truly transported me in to the grimy yet beautifully realized worlds (via some of the most amazingly designed levels..ever) these characters inhabit.  I couldn’t ask for a better sequel to the original, and will continue to look forward to what Arkane Studios will be doing.

Abzu

Abzu! A beautiful game about going on an undersea journey with Austin Wintory providing a wonderfully realized score. It’s short, it’s lovely, and transcendent. Coming from some of the artists and creative minds that worked on Journey, it comes as little surprise on how much Abzu cribs from Journey. And while it doesn’t quite hit the secret sauce that made Journey a classic, it still provides a wonderful, yet succinct escape.

No Man’s Sky

What a cool ass game. I’m aware of the things that the devs said that ended up not being in the game. I’ve seen the hilarious vine of a wonky ass dinosaur being compared to the majestic E3 201X trailer that featured more majestic creatures. I know, there’s some jank in that game. But I came in to No Man’s Sky with no preconceptions, minimal hype, and just a love for sci fi and space. I was not disappointed.

I recognized the basic similarities between all of the planets fairly early on my 30ish hours I played, but that didn’t take anything away from the fundamental thrill of zooming to a new galaxy every time. I mined away for materials on planets that didn’t really do anything for me except power my next blast off from the planet, only to turn around and let the amazing soundtrack by 65daysofstatic envelop me as I turned my spaceship to take in the always spectacular and unique views. Hell I even enjoyed the space combat for what it was.

I don’t look at it for what it may have been, but for what it ended up being. I know that it’s not the easiest thing to reconcile if you were hyped to high heaven, and I can understand being frustrated at the devs for some of the things that didn’t end up coming to pass. But I found myself loving the resulting experience.

I never completed the main ‘quest’. I didn’t really feel the need, and I don’t think the devs wanted me to feel that way either. I think they were happy to provide a unique escape from not only the real world, but the usual stuff that comes out in virtual worlds as well; and I was happy to take them up on that.

Inside

Inside was wild. Anytime a game delivers a ‘hollllly shit’ moment, it usually finds its way to my favorites. The first 90% of Inside would probably be just enough to be on this list. An immersive and intense atmosphere is laid out for you to take a young lad through a heavily guarded scientific military installation with each area providing a brain scratcher environmental puzzle that are always just the right level of difficulty to stump for a few, then make you feel smart when you figure out how to move forward. While not quite on a Portal 2 level, it’s right there in the same ballpark. If you haven’t finished Inside, I won’t spoil it here, but again, the last tenth of the experience delivers a mix of excitement, horror, and giddy-ness that left me stupefied. Classic status attained.

Uncharted 4 – Naughty Dog raising the bar yet again. While it doesn’t reach the heights of TLOU, it’s an amazing showpiece that proves Naughty Dog continues to be the master of blending a compelling narrative, unparalleled cinematic expression in gameplay, and oh yeah, it’s super fun to play. 

Overwatch – Multiplayer-centric shooter with amazing playability, accessibility, and super fun characters. I didn’t get in to it as much as some; but I appreciated the universe that Blizzard has built here. Even though I don’t play it as much as I did those first months, I still love seeing the community be so passionate about it. Hoping they add in a single player story campaign at some point. 

Rocket League – yes it was on my favorites list last year but ehhh…Rocket League is love. Rocket League is life. The game that keeps on giving.

I Am Setsuna – I AM UP FOR MORE GAMES LIKE THIS. What a lovely game. Unapologetically cribbing from the same elements that made the 16 bit JRPGs from the SNES / Genesis / PS1 era so damn good still work today.

The Last Guardian – a beautifully told story with gameplay experiences you won’t find anywhere else. It doesn’t live up to Shadow of the Colossus (what could), but as a continuation of Team Ico’s legacy, it’s a beautiful piece of the puzzle.

Downwell – Old-school challenging as shit, but expertly crafted.  

Final Fantasy XIV - Continuing to play FF14 on an on again off again basis and eternally trying to catch up to the story. While I don’t think I’ll ever be in fully caught up, I continue to love this game anytime I spend time with it.

Titanfall 2 – Super snappy action packed shooter with plenty of variety in story telling and multiplayer that made it my shooter of choice this year.

Rise of the Tomb Raider – a great sequel; and I actually really enjoyed the narrative too. In many aspects, I prefer the aesthetic to that of Uncharted 4, but both games deliver an amazing adventure. Really hoping Crystal Dynamics not only continues to bring more Tomb Raider adventures, but also gets back to exploring some of their more dormant series. I’m looking at you Soul Reaver. 

Music

Thrice – To Be Everywhere is to Be Nowhere

Amazing to see my favorite band reunite this year and release what I consider to be their best album ever. The album’s themes are awesomely realized, and each song has a resonance to it that seems to leverage a mastery of their creative aural tool set. I hope these guys keep making music for many years to come.

tricot – the

Japanese math rock never sounded so good. While this album came out back in 2013, my discovery of it this year colored many of my days. A favorite to put on while memorizing Kanji on lunch breaks.

Final Symphony – Music from Final Fantasy VI, VII, X.

A more perfect symphonic realization of the music from some of the most classic and highly regarded Final Fantasies, you’ll likely never find (and I’ve listened to a lot of them). If you have an appreciation for the music in these titles, you owe it to yourself to make some time to listen to this album in full and be moved. Can’t wait for Final Symphony 2.

Movies and TV

Arrival

A wonderfully shot tale exploring how humans react to aliens visiting Earth when not prompted by much else beyond their arrival. My favorite movie of the year.

Moana

Continuing to love Disney’s resurgence in their animation, and Moana turned out to be a beautiful film that hit all the right notes. No One Knows still playing on my Spotify every other day.

Star Wars - Rogue One

Finally, the creative license has been obtained to explore other elements of the Star Wars universe on film. Rogue One’s story was a great place to start by telling the story of the theft of the original Death Star’s plans. While I’m excited for the mainline movies, Star Wars fans know there is so much to dig in to outside of the Skywalker story, and I honestly find myself more excited for the side story potential, then the primary episode ones.

Westworld

I loved Westworld’s inaugural season so much, I’m frankly concerned about them doing a second if only for thinking that there is no way they can top S1. Robots!

Doctor Strange

Really glad that Marvel is starting to expand their universe to include some of the atypical characters that don’t get a lot of cinematic love. While I didn’t know much about Doctor Strange before the movie aside from seeing him pop up in certain comic book stories, the nature of his powers I’m sure will make for some awesome crossover stuff in the movies to come. And of course, the movie, as it was, was super fun.

Game of Thrones – Season 6

At this point, my affinity for the books has completely waned in favor of the show’s ability to get the story moving. Hoping that George Martin releases the final two books alongside each of the final two seasons.

10 Cloverfield Lane

A more unnerving movie I don’t think I saw this year. John Goodman brought his A-game to this story set in the weirdo Cloverfield universe. I enjoyed the original maybe more than the average person, but with the end of 10 Cloverfield Lane, it looks like they’re taking a potentially very unique approach to this world.

Dragon Ball Z – Resurrection F

Fuck yeah, why not! DBZ was a massive part of my childhood, and it had been a long time since I was able to just enjoy some crazy DBZ action. Resurrection wasn’t the end all be all anime movie, but it was a perfect injection of everything that I loved about the series and a great addition to the movies.

Kingsglaive and Final Fantasy XV: Brotherhood

Ask yourself, when is the last time a video game had a complete feature length film and well crafted anime mini-series release, in anticipation of the game’s release? I can find plenty of issues with Kingsglaive as a film, and Brotherhood provides a detailed, yet surface level introduction to Final Fantasy 15’s heroes, but as things that didn’t have to exist, but do; I found them massively entertaining and awesome as predecessors that built up and invested me in to the world of FF15.

Kabeneri of the Iron Fortress

Seemingly available only streaming on Amazon Video, this relatively short anime season (13 episodes or so?) seemed to crib a lot from Attack on Titan at first glance. Not surprising I guess since the director is the same guy who directed AoT, along with other awesome stuff like Death Note. What I loved about Kabeneri was its ability to not dilly dally too long on world building and exposition. AoT does this, which to its credit, engenders a dramatic, more tension filled effect. In favor of reducing tension, Kabeneri briefs you on the set up, and then sprints all the way to a satisfying finish of the first season, while keeping the story and character development moving at a good clip. Relatively small story arcs from episode to episode always pay off in fantastic action pieces, and the music is beautiful throughout.

 La La Land

I might just love the music and dance numbers in the first half of La La Land more so than the movie as a whole. Westside Story being one of my favorite movies of all time, this is as close as I’ve seen a modern day film capture that same energy. I’m just sad that it’s only largely there in the first half. Thematically that fits with the movie’s narrative, and what’s there in the second half is interesting, but it’s just not as fun. Still, really thankful that a movie like this could get made, and be this good.