#i do love horror movies but. im squeamish

[alice-ness]

have i ever watched saw in my life? No. did i just see the parody musical and fall in love with it? yes

[dogcodedcatboy]

rrandom roman headcanons / traits / inane rambling cause im thinkin about him. some of these r supported by canon, some are literally just me playing toys. i have probably mentioned this all before. but. dont caare.

- roman likes sci-fi/space media. robots, ai, aliens. big fan. this is all of course written off by him as nerd shit but he secretly enjoys it. definitely more of a star Wars guy instead of a Star trek guy (who gives a fuck abt space diplomacy??? therr better be explosions + shitty cgi spaceship fights or hes getting bored and walking away from the tv). alien is one of his favorite horror movies. probably watched westworld.

- ik its like a throwaway in the show that he's given the rocket launch to be in charge of but i think itd be cute if he actually liked space. not that he knows anything about the science i just think he thinks its neat. has definitely fallen asleep on the couch to some space documentaries

- other media tastes include whodunits/mysteries. not necessarily for the murder part (i think he prefers heists bc they are less gory and more silly). he really likes the interactive aspect of bothering his boyfriend getting to guess how the story will end

- i think he is v v squeamish abt blood/gore irl and with media. less so his own but others. not very helpful if someone nearby is injured, the most he can offer is some mild reassurances but could never, like, provide any helpful first aid. he hides his face in aarons shoulder when a movie is particularly gory.

- roman has adhd (among other things) and has a hard time focusing on certain tasks. he gets bored easily and just kind jumps from thing to thing. he also loses his stuff frequently and benefits immensely from having a type-a lunatic following him around and keeping track of where he leaves his keys and wallet.

-he's not /messy/ per say. he likes his spaces immaculately neat (because,. hes always had housekeepers...) in absence of that he is Kinda bad at keeping things under control and is woefully unprepared to be a human due to the chronic and incurable rich dandyboy disease. grossed out by washing dishes. has definitely fucked up somehow and flooded aarons apartment while trying to use the washing machine.

- he cannot cook to save his life. again. personal chef, never had to do it for himself. obviously knows how to like. boil pasta and stuff but is so horrifically bad at it. he only needs to employ the tiniest bit of weaponized incompetence and aaron will take over anyway

- roman likes crunchy salty snacks (chips/pretzels/popcorn/etc) but also has a sweet tooth :3c he likes mostly fruity sweets, sour candy, baked goods with berries + lemons and stuff like that. i think he likes mocha, or really any use of espresso in desserts. BIG fan of salty sweet combo ... salted caramel is a favorite. also anything w nuts. he loves hazelnut in particular (nutella right out of the jar in moments of weakness) ... also floral flavors

- he's not a picky eater per say. he's open to eating a lot of different stuff bc he grew up traveling. but his tastes are /expensive/. aaron can easily get him to try weird foods if they're somewhere fancy, but had to literally bribe him in to trying fuckin panda express (even tho he loves noodles. the chain restaurant for commoners is too scary)

[lubotomies]

👀 mind sharing some of your hcs?

oh gladly! heres a handful from my 500 i literally love thinking soooo deeply about my interests sooo much - edd drank coke from bottles instead of cans as a teenager. this way he could drink it throughout the school day without the coke going flat. - tord is the biggest gorehound and matt is the most squeamish (oh the irony). edd is right next to tord, and deeply enjoys thrillers with supernatural creatures (i.e zombies, werewolves, aliens, etc) and tom prefers slashers. matt doesnt like horror movies. - major injuries theyve sustained throughout the series manifest in the form of inexplicable scars. things like tords amputated zombie leg, matts arm, the stakes through edd and tom etc etc become thin scars they dont quite remember receiving, like a scar on your knee from childhood kind of. cartoon logic. - tord has slight tremors in his hands. tinkering, drawing and steadying his hands when aiming a gun all help him exercise stability in his hands. - paul and patryk are both jewish. sorry. no im not - edd is really the only 'animal' person in the group. matt loves animals but is incapable of taking adequate care of them, tom is entirely neutral on animals and tord gets awkward around any living thing and is the least interested in the shenanigans of a pet. edd of course has ringo currently and has had other pets in the past, and i like to think tord has had a dog in his youth. tom mightve had something like a guinea pig in his teens maybe. - the reason they dont swear all that much is because they have a swear jar. the guys used to swear excessively in highschool as most teens do and it would get them in trouble consistently, so their idea to ease out of it was making the jar. the jar proved ineffective, so edd decided to raise the fee for each swear from one pound, to 20. excessive, but it worked.

[angelicgaming1007]

I dont want to rudely unfollow friends. So I've ended up blocking total strangers they reblog from because no matter how many filters I use some content I REALLY don't want to see (because im ace and squeamish too) is popping up. If it involves real people thats the last thing I ever want to see even actors when its certain movies, gifs, films, etc. I wish people would properly tag sh*t so filters would actually work. So to my friends: PLEASE tag your stuff if you remember to. If its NSFW tag it as such if its horror tag it as such if its about war or politics please tag it as such. I have all those tags blocked because War & Politics not very good for my mental health because im trying to escape that sh*t here NSFW Im ace I don't want to see real human beings like that with all due respect Horror, Im squeamish and I already deal with nightmares I avoid horror movies, horror films and most horror games for a reason (except MP horror games because they tend to be more mild thankfully)

Thank you. If I do end up unfollowing friends please know its not that I don't want you in my life anymore or that im trying to ditch you or whatever. It just means you reblog content that clogs up my feed with things that im far less than comfortable with and im just trying to get away from it. I still love you.

[solarshadow]

15 people, 15 questions

I was tagged by @distant-snow Hi!! thank you for the tag! :)

1. Are you named after anyone?

Yes! I'm named after my great grandmother! However, my mother didn't want to name me Mildred (Thank God lol). So she used her nickname Milly and came up with Millena (Mill-lay-nuh). In Spanish it's pronounced (Mee-leh-nuh). I usually go with the English pronunciation but most people in my fam go with the Spanish. It depends on who I'm talking to lol. My friends usually call me Lena.

2. When was the last time you cried?

A day or two ago, tbh. January has been a really hard month so far and I've been having a hard time with my anxiety and depression. I'm still trucking along though and I know things will get better.

3. Do you have kids?

I have 90 children every single day of the week as a teacher. That is more than enough for me, lol.

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

None in school or professionally. I do enjoy tennis and badminton though! I was always a choir/art person.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Sometimes! Not as much as I used to, to be honest. I think because I teach and sometimes the kids can't always pick up on it lol.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

The way they treat other people. I think it speaks volumes. If they are not kind to others, they are not someone I want to be around.

7. What’s your eye color?

Brown. I always hated my eye color when I was younger and wished I had like grey or green or blue but as I'm getting older, I appreciate their color more.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings lol. I am too squeamish for horror.

9. Any talents?

UH. Writing, Drawing, Photography . . .I can cross stitch?

10. Where were you born?

The Unites States of America. I'm from the Northeast :) I'm right next to NYC so it's super easy to get to. I am not a fan of the city unless I have something to do there though lol.

11. What are your hobbies?

Baking, Reading, Writing, Drawing, taking photographs, cross stitching, playing video games. I like collecting pins and fandom stuff too!

12. Do you have any pets?

Technically 5 right now lol. My roommates have two cats but they are constantly in my room so I count them as mine. And then three dogs that live at my parent's house.

13. How tall are you?

I am smol. 5'2''/157 cm

14. Favorite subject in school?

English! Lol. I had a great relationship with a lot of my English teachers and I loved getting to read books and talk and write about them. I have my Bachelor's in English with a concentration in Literature and a minor in Education. And now I am an English teacher. I have somehow come full circle.

15. Dream job?

Man, I don't know. Something that is fulfilling and makes me happy.

I'm only going to tag a few people!

tagging: @hi-im-secretly-satan @heroesfan101 @redwarrior13 @estevnys @inebubble @intothedragonhoard and anyone else who'd like to do this!

[misterradio]

i will put skinamarink thoughts below, i went into this movie pretty blind which hasnt happened in a long time for me lol. so maybe dont read if ur interested in watching. or if ur Not interested and u r in fact squeamish. you have been spoiler warned. 👍

okay right off the bat this movie was really good. to me. i kinda like slow-burning horror and this was quite slow but builds up a palpable underlying dread. it absolutely succeeded in being a horror movie because that movie was indeed horrifying.

here are some random specific details i liked:

the careful avoiding of showing faces and hands (except occasionally)

the use of sounds / soundscaping (especially in a scene where there is cracking, moaning, and wet noises, the subtitles said the cracking was bones which is pretty horrible)

inexplicable events, especially things sticking to the ceiling and wall

the way the cartoons playing on tv were thematically reflective of whatever situation the siblings were in

speaking of the cartoons, the use of repetition in inexplicably playing scenes over and over

omg also the first person perspective was so cool

the shots from the perspective on the ceiling were so cool i love that. howd they do that.

one thing that was annoying at first is that i wasnt sure what i was looking at. but i think you sort of recognize where you are in the house as time goes on.

i kind of hate the specific brand of body horror where theres like, editing to remove body parts? that squicks me really bad. i dont even like thinking about it.

okay question time

what was 572 days? is that how long theyve been in the house? thats so long???????

why do people assume the toy telephone is the monster? i thought the "creature" was probably just like, a vaguely nebulous thing that doesnt have one form. i dont knowwwwwww,,,

okay basically im going to throw up 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💥💥💥💥

[bmpmp3]

i just watched saw 2004 after like 10 years of hearing about it and like 2 years of seeing gay fanart of it THAT SHIT WAS CRAZY that shit was nuts hold on i wanna talk about it a sec

only really talking about the first movie because thats the only one ive seen as of 10 minutes ago but i know theres like. 20 other movies or something. theres like 50 other movies. who knows BUT you know this movie because of its status as the first in a somewhat infamous franchise, its reputation really takes over

like FIRST OF ALL i was a little scared to watch it because like, im good with horror movies and im usually pretty good with blood and gore (particularly with movies released before 2010, post 2010 movies have a style of cgi gore that like makes me. dizzy? motion sick? i have no clue LOL) BUT i shouldntve have been that scared like its not too bad, im assuming the sequels probably up the stakes so thats probably where it gets its reputation. LIKE dont get me wrong its bloody but surprisingly a lot of shit was off screen or barely in focus, like the foot situation or Sing getting killed in the gun trap. the only thing that got to me was Tapp's throat getting cut but i think i just personally get squeamish about gore with necks and heads for some reason LOL my one weakness......

second of all and this is purely a me thing but ive always jokingly referred to saw 1 as like. patient 0 of the post 2000s blue-ification of horror movies (weird incomprehensible observation i have. im sure it started earlier but horror every movie after 1999 kept getting more and more blue visually to me fkjdahkfds) in my head because every clip ive seen from it was in the bathroom which has some strong blue color grading BUT thats not fair. this movie is also very green. and has its reddish moments. i view movie colour grading like this. sorry

but speaking of its green and red moments NOBODY told me how nuts the plot of this movie is. there were like 20 different plotlines intertwined and like every 20 minutes there was a new twist half of the dialogue was written like a detective manga it RULED i loved all the monologuing adam and lawrence did at each other near the end in the bathroom VERY horror mystery light novel esque. half expected someone to turn their back to the camera and spin around pointing saying "and the murderer was YOU" despite that not being what the movie was about LOL and like the editing really added this near, like, absurdity to the pacing, really heightened which i think makes the bloodier bits more palatable too, really great

and lemme tell you. they were not joking about the homoeroticism in this feature film like Tapp and Sing. Tapp and Sing. okay tapp's my favourite character I KNOW hes an obsessive unhinged disgraced ex cop BUT thats why he slays. and man people dont talk about it but Tapp's relationship with Sing and his obsession with vengeance really haunts the first 3/4s of the movie, talk about haunting the narrative with Sing wowza. and then that last 1/4 with like the most heartwrenching "dont leave me" from Adam topped it off.

great movie. i was not expecting the final twist IT CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD SOMEHOW after 20 years...the twist got me.... probably because there were like twelve other twists before it LOL soundtracks really good too. almost action movie theme esque?

will you think less of me for the next sentence i am about to write. so ive been really into movies where dudes get locked up in scary bathrooms and warehouses and get tortured in shitty little white t shirts. i watched some found footage movie that was probably inspired by by saw that i cant remember the name of or much about BUT i do remember thinking the same thing when it got to a part where some guy gets locked in a scary warehouse in his pajamas. lock a guy in a scary bathroom today, its good 👍

[whatsnewalycat]

OCTOBER 1 - 4

OCTOBER 1: The VVitch

(Rewatch) I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I fucking love that this movie is true to the early america colonial experience of “yeah let’s leave England to live in the crazy woods, I can totally farm.” All the dad knows how to do is chop wood and oh my god can he split some logs. This actor’s voice always rattles me for some reason, he was perfect. Everyone was perfect in this movie, actually. Especially black phillip. What a guy.

OCTOBER 2: The Shining

(Rewatch) Listen, I fucking hate Stanley Kubrick. I really do. Aside from his notorious treatment of women, his film adaptations of The Shining and Lolita are, imo, completely divorced from the spirit of the source material. Like idk if he didn’t pick up on the messages of these stories or if he didn’t care about them or whatever, but it just makes me irrationally angry bc they are both near and dear to my heart. That being said… fuck, this movie is so good. Everyone is crushing it, every shot is gorgeous, and it’s so fucking scary. I’ve come to accept that Kubrick’s The Shining is a completely different beast than the novel, and it’s a masterpiece in its own right.

OCTOBER 3: Us

(Rewatch) Lupita deserves an Oscar for this performance. The movie itself made a lot more sense to me once I understood it was a comment on the prison industrial complex… which wasn’t until my second watch-thru lol. Idk how obvious this was to other people, if im just a space case, but going in with that context solidified it as perfect in my book.

OCTOBER 4: In a Violent Nature

(First watch) It’s conflicting being a horror fan who’s squeamish about gore. This movie had absolutely ghoulish body horror sequences (one where I refused to look or listen for like five minutes lmfao). But like… it’s a slasher from the slashers POV. Such a fucking cool concept. All the classic slasher movies tropes are there, but shown through a different lens. The slasher loves necklaces and HATES lesbians, that’s all I can say about him with certainty. What a guy. Also the nature shots were gorgeous, holy moly.

HORRORTOBER (2024)

(is this anything?)

I’ve been watching a horror movie every day in October. As of this writing, it’s October 28th and I am at the mercy of my own determination. SOS.

This is an anchor post for my thoughts and feelings on each movie. I’ll reblog this post with commentary in batches through Halloween so it hopefully doesn’t eat up the feed.

[lazypanartist]

Hi hiii! Im back! I got a wee bit ambitious and thought I could knock out 3 stories before it got to today, but I didn't prove so lucky. But, I did finish one, and on my birthday no less! So there's that! 😊 I at least managed that!

Anyways, as usual, I hope you enjoy. I took inspiration from the prompt you gave lol. As usual, lmk if your in the mood for something! Blindbox, continuations, I can even try some more Halloween stuff, even though itd be laaaaaate.

-📝Nonnie

---

"I told you my top shelf movies were going to be a bit much for you."

Leonardo shuddered and looked away, his discomfort levels through the roof as he strained to pull a relaxed smirk. "It's nothing! Nothing, please, this is like…It's like watching VeggieTales! Pssh!"

You sighed and shook your head, turning the film off. "I warned you that Pontypool gets pretty rough. I thought that you learned to listen when I warned you about all the others. You flipped while watching Get Out. And Ginger Snaps made you squeamish."

"The transformations looked really painful…" your boyfriend grimaced sympathetically, before huffing and cleaning up the popcorn he knocked over, tossing the occasional piece in his mouth when he claimed the Five Second Rule.

"Yeah, that's why I like it, the whole process being something- nevermind, sorry. Leo, hun, it's fine if you can't handle the Top Shelf. They aren't for everyone."

Your boy in blue crossed his arms, peering at you like he was trying to crack a code. "How come you aren't scared by any of those movies? Not even the cheap jumpscares get you!"

You shrugged, cleaning up the pop cans and spilled soda on your table before getting to your movie shelf and taking the disc out of the dvd player. "I dunno. I mean, some of it scares me. Like the atmosphere puts me on edge and the concepts make my mind run wild, but…Eh, I guess I'm just not bothered by horror. It's why I have so many scary movies. Probably just used to it all. I can predict story beats too well now."

Cocking a brow, your lover lifted his head from where he was looking through the lower, tamer movie shelf. "Used to it, huh…? Oh, wait, can we actually watch Kubo and the Two Strings?"

"Yeah, no problem."

–

Neon💙Leon changed your name to Dreamboat 💞

Neon💙Leon: Hey! I have d8 nite nxt wk! 

Neon💙Leon: Meet up @ manhole n I'll walk u there. Want 2 surprise u✨

Dreamboat💞: Halloween night? okay u got it. What time?

Neon💙Leon: 7pm. make sure u bring ID.

Dreamboat💞: Hey champ, baby, love of mine, if it needs ID how are u getting in.

Neon💙Leon: Donnie made us fakes like 2 months ago. I'm sure it'll work.

Chuffed, you pocketed your phone while you finished doing the dishes. Once the last plate was scrubbed, dried and put away, you bid your roommate goodbye and off you went, grabbing your keys as you left. You made sure to grab your longboard and head off, kicking off on the ground and sailing your way through the streets. Your sneaker dashed against icky puddles as you moved, the dark wheels allowing you to cut your travel time down as you coasted along. It wasn't long before you swerved down an alley, a relaxed grin on your face as you waved to your boyfriend.

"Heyoo. How's my hunk doin?"

Leonardo snorted, looking amused but embarrassed at your words. "Pretty good, my- wait, why aren't you in costume?!"

You shrugged. "I'm dressed as a guy from Staten Island. Besides, you never told me to."

"Eugh. That IS scary. It's okay, it should be fine. Come on! ¡Vámonos!"

Chuckling to yourself, you picked your board up and carried it while holding a hand out, excitedly squeezing the scaled hand that gripped your own. You let Leonardo lead you on a walk, swinging your joined hands once in a while as the two of you teased or joked with one another. You were happy anytime you got a rise out of the Hamato, the blush you were rewarded with when you managed to fluster him being sweeter than any king sized candy handed out.

The two of you walked for a while, Leonardo dressed in his Jupiter Jim Alien look for the day and getting plenty of positive feedback for it. Before long, the blue-clad mutant pointed to a building with a small simple banner hung up outside. Your eyes widened as you locked onto the wording, reading out loud in excitement before turning back to Leo in wonder.

"The Hex House? Manhattan's most terrifying haunted house?! Oh my god, you didn't."

"Oh," crooned the slider, pulling two tickets from his fanny pack and fanning them out, "But I did, my charming partner. Two tickets to the biggest fright night of our lives. I had yours ordered special."

You blinked at that, curious to what he meant, but as you approached the booth and passed over your ticket and ID, the worker glanced at the different stub and sneered, grabbing a lanyard with a glow stick attached and handing it over.

"Put that on before you head in."

You nodded, confused but willing as you looped it over your head and let it dangle against your chest. Your mutant boyfriend smirked as well and threw an arm around you. "Prepare for the scariest thing you ever experienced, baby~"

Grinning, you waited a little while longer with your partner until a large man with a buffalo skull for a mask lumbered up while you two were laughing and chatting. He grabbed you by the shoulder and yanked you, dragging you over to a large double door before opening it and shoving you in. Baby Blue slipped in behind you, and the door was slammed shut, casting you both in darkness.

This was going to be great for you.

–

Things were not going great for Leonardo.

The terrapin had plans. Extensive ones. He had planned on the change of pace and scenery to wind you up. He planned on the frightful decor and costumes to make you scream. He planned on actors grabbing and shaking the bravery out of you like it was a loose marble.

He planned on getting you the special Hard Mode ticket, so you would be scared out of your wits, and cling to him for once.

Instead, he found himself jumping and yelping once again as a puff from an air cannon startled him into your arms, your slight flinch at the noise being the only reaction of shock. You chuckled slightly, and squeezed him. This was…well, not at all what he wanted. He was the brave leader of the Mad Dogs! The Face Man! He was better than this.

Grumbling some, the slider felt his bad mood coming off him in waves, which you seemed immune to. 

["-...just not bothered by horror. It's why I have so many scary movies. Probably just used to it all. I can predict story beats too well now."]

Huh…

Did…story beats happen even here? UGH! Why didn't he think of that?! A rather upset chirp escaped your boyfriend as he crossed his arm, the exit coming upon you both far too soon. The two of you stepped out, and Leo took the polaroids they handed out at the end.

You looked thrilled.

Heaving a big sigh, Leonardo continued on at a brisk pace, you having to hurry to catch up to him.

"Babes! Wait!"

You almost tripped catching up to him, but you managed to pick up the pace and walked side by side. Leo looked away, unhappy.

"Babes? Come on, Hero, talk to me. What did I do?"

"More like what DIDN'T you do!! This whole-!" Leo corrected his tone, taking a breath and making sure not to yell. "Sorry, sorry, just…this whole date was planned so you could be scared! I wanted you to have a little bit of thrill!! Movies don't bug you and scary stories and youtube creepypastas and r/letsnotmeet shit doesn't work, I wanted you to just…!

"Look, I wasn't trying to like, be mean scare you. Okay, maybe a bit, but really! I just wanted you to experience shock! And, and and and surprise and be spooked for the season! You're just too…cool, and brave, and for once, I wanted to comfort you like you do with me all the time…" The mutant sighed, rubbing at his face. A civilian walked past you both, complimenting Leonardo on his Jupiter Jim alien costume and held a hand up. He didn't even look up as he gave the dweeby person a high five as you both kept walking.

You frowned, scratching the back of your head in confusion. "What do you mean? I was scared out of my wits in there."

Your boyfriend slowly turned and gave you a disbelieving look. "You laughed at a jumpscare and asked the actor where they got their chainsaw."

"Yeah, well, I didn't think you wanted to deal with me screaming and crying. I sorta…compartmentalized everything. Treated it like a movie and stuff." Picking the skin on your cheek, you looked away from Leo, who was straightening up the more you talked. "I just…I don't know. The lighting was disorienting and I was scared I would embarrass you or hurt myself. I was scared the whole time about something or other. Didn't exactly want you to think I was a pu-"

"Wait, so. You were SCARED. How come you didn't freak out at all??"

You thought quietly before smiling. "I had you there. I knew, y'know, no matter what, you would have my back if something went down. As long as you leap into my arms, I know it's something you know I can comfort you about. So it's not big and scary or going to hurt me." You gently patted his jaw with a cheeky grin. "After all, who can be scared while having a hero like you keeping them safe?"

Leonardo froze, watching as you kept walking. His eyes looked back down at the polaroid and, while yes, he was screaming at some scare not captured on the camera, he could see you behind him. Your eyes were wide with surprise and shock, but your smile was warm as you only paid attention to him.

The ninja quickly caught back up with you, holding a hand out which you took in your own. The two of you walked back to your place, already talking about ordering something in as  you bickered about either getting pizza again or ordering from the Jamaican patty place. You both kept an eye or an ear out for whatever lay in the shadows, knowing you both would be there to comfort the other no matter what scares may lie ahead in the dark, overcast night.

Happy birth!!

And this is so cute!! Reader not wanting to freak Leo out by panicking, Leo wanting them to be scared so he can comfort them.. idiots to lovers except they're already lovers 💕

[1eos]

dearest ms kendra i have been trying to collect films to watch i miss being a cinephile 😞 i love horror, and since you mentioned you liked it do you have some good recs 🤓 ?

lets seeeeeeeeeeeeee i have head empty disease so i have a hard time remembering shit i like off the top of my head so bear with me if i return to this post in like 9 hrs 😭😭😭😭

so some of my faves:

contracted (2013) its so fucking gross but i love it the slow decay of it all. even tho im squeamish as all hell

shudder (2007) this kickstarted a lot of movies w this formula but ummm still good idk what to tell you

the wailing (2016) every long ass artistic korean horror movie WISHES it was her

the autopsy of jane doe (2016) it was kinda underrated when i first watched it but it lives in my head rent free

veronica (2017) STOP! PLAYING! WITH! OUIJA! BOARDS!

aterrados (terrified) (2017) bro idk what it is abt spain but they have some banger horror movies. really liked this one bc it was weird but in a really well done way

the lazarus effect (2015) you know how everyone has that one horror movie critics hate but you love? this is mine. i love this movie so much nd idk why like i just love it when playing god backfires

the taking of deborah logan (2014) i usually hate movies that are just like ooooo spooky mental illness but naur.......this one flipped that on its head. i won't elaborate

white: melody of death (2011) it wasn't scary in the traditional way but still loved how the mystery played out nd the horrors of fame TOOK me there. love the early '10s of it all too

[peterbarnes]

hii!! i’d love a marvel ship thingy :))

i’m 5’2, long black hair, blue eyes and pale as fuck. i’m a sapphic woman with male preference and i use she/they pronouns! i’m currently taking GCSE’s in Child Development, History, Business and Communication Systems and Double Award Science (so like science but double to the work) however i am looking to go on to do English Literature, History and Politics for A-levels. i’m also from northern ireland :))

i’m a huge lover of classic and contemporary literature, and i’m a sucker for victorian romances like ‘Pride and Prejudice’, however my favourite trope has to be ‘right person, not enough time’, just any romantic tragedy, i’ll love. and the whole ‘i hate everyone but her’ type of men? LOVE IT. also my favourite Shakespeare play is ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’! i love eyeliner and just feeling hyper feminine, pearl earrings, golden lockets, silk nightgowns, lipgloss, and pretty skirts, the whole shebang. i’m also very interested in historical fashion, my favourite eras being the 1940s and the French Rococo inspired 1870s.

i have a fear of butterflies, toads, slugs, snails and anything similar, and im not confrontational at all and i loathe violence (in movies its fine but irl i’ll start sobbing) and i’m also quite squeamish? (one time in science we had to dissect a sheep heart and i was fine until i was the one who had to touch it, i then fainted).

i’m very spiritual and i practice witchcraft, i’m an Aquarius sun, Libra rising and Scorpio moon (my chart ruler is my Capricorn venus). i’m an INFP-T and a Slytherin also!

i’d consider myself to be pretty nurturing and understanding as well, i’m very affectionate with the people i love too, however i’m introverted and can become a little reclusive as i find the time i spend by myself to be a little more entertaining. i can also become quite obsessive? (not in a toxic way, in the way of if i like something or someone i will not shut the fuck up about it)

my favourite artists are Taylor Swift, Mitski, Hozier, Lana Del Rey, Queens of the StoneAge, the Gorillaz and anything similar. i love movies like Knives Out, Sweeney Todd; the demon barber of fleet street and corpse bride, but i fucking love kids TV shows like Gravity Falls and My Little Pony (theyre so fucking good💀), and i love Psychological Horror games, like i played Fran Bow like 15 times when i was younger. my first crush was also Victor from corpse bride if that helps.

i hope this was enough info, i also hope that it wasnt too much either, tysm! <3

I ship you with…

Bucky Barnes!!

- the living embodiment of the “i hate everyone but her trope”

- he’s seen so much horror and darkness that he is very adamant about that never overlapping with your relationship

- all violent avenger shit leaves him as soon as he walks through the door to your house/apartment

- your height also adds to his protectiveness considering your so much smaller than him and he wants nothing but to keep you safe

- your interest in the 40s leads to countless nights spent with bucky explaining everything he remembers to you about culture back then, especially fashion

- and when he sees you dressed up in a 40s outfit the first time?? Oh he’s a goner

- also don’t worry about the obsessiveness bucky is literally the same way lol

- this man will not shut up about your and wants to spend every second of every day holding your hand

- Steve basically knows everything about you and your life now thanks to bucky

- sometimes, bucky will come back from a mission in another country and bring you back a book he thought you would like

- because he’s always thinking about you 😪

[cdmodule]

Who in goiky can handle horror movies the best and who can’t even get past the title screen?-🐕 anon

GELATIN AND NAILY LOVE HORROR MOVIES Naily comes over at gelatin's house to watch them sometimes I think Btw for these upcoming answers, Nate is answering them (Im just writing out what xes saying to me) cuz I am NOT a horror person at all nor do I really watch movies... but Nate on the other hand When It comes to horror movies Naily would like the more "obscure" ones, she has some kind of fascination w them cuz usually when it comes to those theyre either pure gold or very crude but that doesnt mean she doesnt like the more popular ones as well Gelatin loves sci fi horror and also stuff thats like, 80s-90s horror films that are just shitty slashers movies there for a cash grab lmao - anything thats "so bad theyre funny" Leafy and Gelatin usually like the same things but Leafy does Not like horror movies unless theyre also comedic because most of the time he just gets bored by them in the "Its not real anyway" type of way, hes that kinda person. Plus most of them r live action which shes not a fan of Cake prefers those horror movies that are I guess more "down to earth", think of those horror movies that r like "oh group of teen girls having a sleep over" and then someone gets their asses, he just likes the vibe of those. He likes older stuff a lot more (around80s to 2000s) and he doesnt rly like cheaply produced ones, he leans towards more popular stuff. The one thing he doesnt like about some movies is excessive gore, he has a high tolarance to it cuz he can tell its fake most of the time but sometimes Its just too much ykno NOW LOSER.. Loser is the complete opposite, he's like terrified by it even If she knows It knows real but It gets her anyway - as a kid she thought they were real though which is why he doesnt like em as an adult either. She still sits down to watch them with cake cuz he acts like he can handle it but give it about 10 minutes and Loser's like shaking and clinging onto cake. The gore and jumpscares get to him more, the former making him squeamish most of the time so he tends to just Look Away or Leave or Turn That Shit Off etc. Not a big fan of horror movies My addition was that I think cake would only pretend to be scared the first one or two times they watch horror movies so he can cling onto Loser HEHEH The death pact frat house occasionally has movie nights so horror movies are a thing that come up for sure. Bottle and Pie love watching them, Pillow as well but not as much. Bottle likes the more gorey shit because - to quote nate - "Shes quirky like that". Another thought by me (Certified Pie Enjoyer) but I feel like Pie doesnt actually like horror movies in the way you would expect but she LOVES picking them apart and making fun of them which can sometimes annoy others but half the time Its rly funny so Its okay. Its her way of enjoying things. After they watch movies Bottle and Pie would def discuss the movies afterwards n Bottle takes them WAY more serious than Pie does sometimes but mostly Its just for the funsies Pen acts like he can handle it but then cant fall asleep, Tree seems calm cuz he's quiet but when you look at him he's like clutching onto a pillow for dear life HAH. One of them probably sleeps with the other that night cuz theyre both scared. I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT ITS ALREADY SO LONG I HOPE U DONT MIND ANON

[illusionlockarchive]

romeos huge rant on comedy, horror, and how they interlap

ok, so. full disclosure, what got me to make this post was this joke post right here.

so the initial premise is funny, haha okay. yeah. oh youre a kid and your punishment at school is that you have to stay at a room full of wasps. its funny because its absurd. it couldnt happen irl. youd think it wouldnt happen irl. youd hope so.

the thing about comedy and horror though? is that they actually operate on very similar concepts.

and that is, the absurd. the uncanny valley. what youre expecting the least. what youre not seeing and not registering. jumpscares are effective if at least to get you to jump, even if they are cheap. meanwhile, jokes where they completely twist your expectations to get you to laugh do the same thing.

it may be hard for you to believe me, but in the end, the bad ending of tattletail is the other side of the same coin as a joke that goes “i swallowed a tablet with some water. everyone on the apple store was terrified of me.”

i have not read the wasp story, but i can guaranteee you, i CAN imagine it being scary, if the right tones are used and suspense is built up nicely. with the right twists and turns, knowing when to keep things quiet and when to blow things out of proportion.

OR it can end up being unintentionally hilarious, if the characters in it are way too cliche to be real and feel more like caricatures of teachers and students, if things are rushed and details lose their meaning and value, if we are just to focus on being an audience watching a kid get chased around by a swarm of wasps, instead of putting ourselves in their place.

im neglecting to mention something though. horror is not the TRUE other side of the coin to comedy. no, thats tragedy. and im sure many more people have heard of that. the two masks used in theater, one happy, the other sad.

and now we come to two very interesting modifiers. im sure youve heard of the term ‘horror comedy’ to refer to a subgenre of horror that does have jokes and silly things still happening, and may not take itself all that seriously. but why is it a specified subgenre? because MOST horror is tragedy.

this is why, despite liking many horror games or even stories, in the end i still dont consider myself someone who actually likes horror as a general genre. most horror focuses on the seriousness of the faults of humans, on our fragility, on all we can lose or are even bound to lose, on the fear that what we feel so confident about having close to us can be snatched away in a second, that our sense of reality can crumble. most horror? doesnt end well.

comedies in general tend to focus on the absurdity of life, on how many silly, strange, or even uncanny situations can happen that can challenge us, but not in a harsh way, but in a way that, despite so many bad things happening, we still get to point and laugh it off and be okay at the end of the day.

literally, all it takes for a tragedy to become a comedy, and vice versa, is a tonal shift. when i told of my idea to create this post to my boyfriend, he backed me up, and told me “the difference between horror and comedy is in the soundtrack and silly sound effects”. hes right.

of course, there are things that you should have the decency to not laugh at, still. to keep your mouth shut and know when to reject. but good comedy knows how to stray away from that, and good tragedy knows how to handle it respectfully without making it torture porn.

so, as horror hinges on tragedy, on the fear that we all know we must face in our lives, because a scream is as natural as laughter, so horror comedies are born as an interesting paradox.

a year or so ago, i got the opportunity to watch the banana splits syfy movie. i was a huge fan of the banana splits as a kid, and would often watch their reruns. those silly furries meant a lot to me. but im not stupid, i know thats a horror movie, i went in kinda knowing what to expect.

it was a gore fest, and for about two or three nights i had trouble getting to sleep. i wasnt actually scared of my childhood friends in animal costumes, as i knew how absurd and irrational my fear was, but just the images of the massacre being fresh in my mind were enough to send me into a panic if i lingered for too long, which can happen, you know, when youre about to sleep.

(TW FOR DESCRIPTION OF A MANS DEATH AND GORE, IF YOURE SQUEAMISH JUMP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH)

i think a scene that perfectly blurs the lines between comedy and tragedy, as well as just plain horror in it, is the scene where a man gets killed by being put in a magicians box and sliced in half as a ‘magic trick’ by fleegle, the dog. as he pleads for his life, and his soon to be wife watches in horror and pleads for the robot dog to stop (yeah theyre robots in this, weird), fleegle continues to slice him in half and blood spurts out, until he is dead, and fleegle just happily and proudly showcases what he has done, as if he just did a real magic trick.

(END TW FOR DEATH AND GORE DESCRIPTION)

watching that was horrifying, of course it was. but at the same time, it was what i wanted and expected when i thought about “banana splits horror movie”. fleegle just did something completely absurd and entirely uncalled for. and what doubles the uncaniness of it is that it was supposed to be something harmless, a magic trick. think about this if it was in an adult swim cartoon. the same thing could still happen, but be treated as just a weird, gross joke. fleegle could even swear, say ‘heres your fucking magic trick damnit! oh you dont like it, well i quit!’ n then throw his hat on the ground and step on it.

they are essentially the same scene, but the cartoon version of it is presented in a way that shows full on just how absurd and unexpected it is, without any seriousness to it, probably without any moody music to accompany it. meanwhile the movie one focuses on the fear, grief, and horror of putting us in the shoes of a woman who just watched the man she loved be killed, with the shots being extra impactful.

in the end, the banana splits syfy movie is a horror comedy though, because most of the movie is spent finding the most creative, absurd, borderline funny ways for people to be killed off. as you watch it along, you dont know whether to laugh at the weirdness and absurdity of the events or to genuinely feel grief and fear over the bodies piling up.

i could also just go over a million other examples available to me right now. in fact, as of the time im writing this, i have the latest vinesauce corruption stream pulled on youtube. during corruptions, the most bizarre and absurd things happen, and often times, things get scary. we see the video game characters we love be deformed and twisted in ways that you can only imagine hurt, but they still act as if thats normal! so you cant help but laugh.

earlier today, i watched a gameplay video of bonbon. its a short horror game, with a very... different antagonist. i wont spoil much, because, i dont want to deter people from buying it. but i will say, there is a reveal at the end, which slaps you in the face with the realization that you have been played for a fool all along, and the developers would probably laughing at you if they saw you after youve beat the game. its a joke, and the fear that they cultivated so lovingly, is the punchline. your fear becomes a punchline. to me thats one of the highest forms of blurring horror and comedy, and one i prefer to some more gory and harsh attempts.

and i mean, i have to mention fnaf here, dont i? its a great example too, particularly because, if you look at the games by themselves, they generally take themselves pretty seriously as horror stories, minus a few odd cases or references. but they just have enough wiggle room that, if you look at them from afar, as an audience, you can take these characters youre supposed to be afraid of, and have fun with them, because it is pretty damn absurd, and even funny at the end of the day, that youre expected to be afraid of essentially big, robotic childrens toys. and thats when many fun, fan renditions that focus on lighthearted situations pop up. vanny herself is pretty funny even! the idea of a person who dresses up in a full fursuit to do crimes is pretty hilarious.

all in all, i think i just really appreciate how horror and comedy can converse with each other and how that says something about how we, as humans, are easily made impressed, made to be surprised and shocked, to jump or to laugh. and we are always looking for that thrill, it just depends on if youre looking for laughs or screams.

so yeah, maybe ‘wasp room’ can be a pretty good story. is it a horror story or a comedy? we wont know until we read it. (also if you made it to the end reading this holy shit i love you , i fully recognize i talked way too much)

[wormmomma]

MIDSOMMAR SPOILER REVIEW: this movie fucking broke me

CW:RAPE, ABUSE, PEDOPHILLIA

“Midsommar” is a grimm fairytale of sorts. A fairly different homage to the cult film the “wicker man”. “The wicker man” is about a european cult being investigated by a british christian cop, “midsommar” avoids the christian indictment of pagan/occult religious practices. midsommar attempts to be an out and out horror film unlike the a genre bending murder mystery/horror/thriller roots of “The wicker man”. Director ari aster obviously wanted to add to the annals of folk horror by creating an ambitious beautifully horrific and sometimes downright psychedelic film. Ari aster wanted to make a film where you can’t hide from the horror as it all happens in front of you. It's also a breakup movie for some reason? As someone who has seen the theatrical cut twice and the director's cut once I can assure you it misses the mark when taking both concepts. If you're wondering  whether not to watch the film i think that on a technical level “midsommar” is beautiful and has amazing cinematography, but the answer is yes, but no. Jordan Peele was shown an advance copy of the film and told Aster "I think you’ve made the most idyllic horror film of all time" that high praise. But that  being said for personal reasons this will be my final time seeing the film. I think the director's cut is a gorgeous and amazing three hour film. But as someone personally affected by rape, pedophillia, and the victimization mentally or physically handicapped people i cant reccomend this film wholeheartedly. I'm far from squeamish and love films that revel in shock, horror and extremity but I cannot in good conscious recommend a film I almost walked out on. I think Ari Aster has backpedaled immensely in his ability to create horror that exhibits empathy for his characters and the triumphs and tragedies that he subjects them too. “Hereditary” had an amount of emotional pathos for its characters that was almost completely removed from “Midsomer”. The fim feels unreasonably cruel even for a horror movie. Although enjoyable, proceed with caution “Midsommar” is a beautiful, slow, horrific but ultimately controversial mess of a film. 8/10

 (the rest of this review is a plot synopsis and a meditation on the more controversial passages in the movie and is to be read for those who have actually seen midsommar. Spoilers abound!) 

So what’s it  about? 

Midsommar is about Dani, an anxious and vulnerable young woman dating an emotionally abusive and reserved boyfriend named christian. After her bipolar sister commits suicide and murders both there parents, Dani goes on a european excursion with cristian with his anthropologist friends as they study a swedish cults midsommar summer solstice tradition. Dani reeling not only from having her parents taken from her by their favorite child, but also from the lack of any real emotional support goes on a gorgeous, psychedelia, induced nightmare of the cult horror variety. Immediately after touching down on the swedish cult's beautiful grassy commune christian manipulates dani into taking psychedelics. Christian although quite emotionally stunted and quite meek at his core is very sly and amazing at working people. Watching Christian make Dani do psychedelic drugs (mushrooms i believe) to make her clear refusal to take them into something that not only affects christian but also his friends and everyone around them is almost scary in its hilariously methodical toxicity. This leads to dani having a panic attack and from there the hits just keep on coming. Dani then has to watch as two cultist commit ritual suicide. This traumatic incident further escalated when one jumped off the mountain on his leg and needed to have his head crushed by cult members till it turns to meat and dust. To make a long three hour story with icelandic pacing short lets race to the finish line:

Christian begins to be pursued by a cult member named maja. Dani still reeling from seeing two people commit suicide has her worries invalidated by christian and all of his anthropologist bros. The anthropology bro argues about who deserves to break basically every rule of basic anthropology as they try to see who gets PAID for perverting a culture they were invited to study not disturb. Christian eats one of majas pubes. After pissing on a ceremonial tree for the dead, and taking photos of the forbidden religious text (written by an inbred autistic oracle boy) our two american secondary characters are chopped off. Dani and christian are the final outsiders left standing. Dani joins a dance competition (yes really) and becomes this year's may queen. forever to be immortalized in the annals of white female faces shown in portraits plastered in the sleeping quarters of this matriarchal cult commune. Christian is then raped as we discover how all the bodies of our other character are disposed of. Dani, inebriated and vulnerable, discovers christian being raped by the cult and forced to sleep with the 16 year old maja. Disgusted dani vomits and syncs her cries of pain with the cult sister and finally has her trauma validated. She is given the choice to then murder christian as hes trapped in a paralyzed state. Dani decides to burn christian alive in the body of a bear, finally defeating and overcoming her emotional abuser. Dani smiles as the cult writhes in pain from the death of the cult members burning alive with christian.Dani is happy. She has family. She is home.

So lets (finally) talk about maja

“Look at it from an academic perspective it would provide a unique glimpse into our sexual rights.”

“Can i not have a unique glimpse without participating?”

This is a conversation that is awkwardly cut from the theatrical version of midsommar. Christian is being offered to have sex with maja. Maja is a sixteen year old girl. The closest aster ever comes to revealing this fact is offhandedly mentioning maja having her first period. Christian refuses sex and is raped by maja, and the cult while a fourteen year old disabled child watches. There's a lot wrong with this scene. I’ll be honest for personal reasons I was really disgusted by this scene. I feel like im projecting but rape and pedophellia are really delicate topics and should be treated sensitivity. Ive seen alot of extreme very difficult horror films, i've seen rape, pedophillia, and violence explored in meaningful interesting and empathetic ways even ari asters own work like “meet the johnsons”. But watching maja rape christian with what i would assume are her older siblings, aunts, grandmothers, mother and other cult members as a 14 year old boy watches just made me feel fucking dirty. The weird part: it isn't horrific. While cristian was being raped, the audience I was watching it with were laughing. It wasn't scary. it was funny. It's a cognitive dissonance. The audience isn't aware of christians being raped or majas age. Most people assume he's cheating and deserves to be burned alive by dani. Making christian the bad guy of his own a rape is horrific but i shouldn’t need to hunt down that information and watch the film three times to understand that. It makes the movie feel as if its really bad at relaying basic information, at worst it's dishonestly hiding it to make the film more palatable. After putting all the pieces together I was disgusted. Ari aster crossed a line. I felt queasy and never wanted to see this film ever again. The fact ari aster could have made maja of age, or take the disabled 14 year old out the scene entirely, or not have had christian be raped in the first place while reaching a more understandable and tragic ending annoys me to know end, it feel like i watched these characters be used and mistreated for no reason. Just to shock me. It lacks value, it’s  gross and uninteresting. much like christian and everyone involved i feel violated and it's really hard for me to enjoy watching what is an otherwise (although flawed) very interesting and compelling work or art. I’m  still morbidly curious of the next film ari aster makes but i really hope he learns for this mistake and doesn't objectify children in another weird fetishistic male rape comedy routine. It just leaves me confused, disgusted and only makes it more challenging to analyze the more interesting implications of the film. I really appreciated hereditary as someone who has a very emotionally abusive family and has a very hard time processing death. I found hereditary horrific as it is cathartic. As someone who had to quite recently confront a pedophile, midsommar just left me hurt, and trapped. I was reliving some of the worst parts of my trauma as an audience sits around and laughs at it. It all felt so tragic and meaningless. I want to actually give ari asters work an honest critique but he's produced the only work of film that really hurt me and left me feeling violated. I really love his work and I know I'm exaggerating but I hope art never has such a negative effect on my mental health or anyone else’s ever again. I don't blame Maja or christian or the actor who portrayed them. I respect their performances although I have zero respect for how utterly tasteless midsommar ended up being for me. I think I need to learn how not to take art so seriously and try not to invest myself in other people's work. It's a difficult habit to kick. Needless to say, I cannot recommend this movie. If you're able to separate art from the artist and read this whole review without watching the film you're not a bad person for watching it, midsommar is a compelling, difficult experience.

I hope you enjoyed this review and I'm sorry if it got wayyy too personal in the end there. The movie clearly struck a raw nerve for me. if you enjoy this or any review  i've dones let me know. I may reveiw hereditary in the future.if your also having issues with death, rape, abuse or mental health i hope this review didnt make it worse. Everyone is deserving of love, family, community and I hope everyone can find that. Have a good day, and have a safe quarantine.   

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 62

Thank you, everyone, for bearing with me on the delays for this chapter.  There was a benefit: @satan-parisienne got to beta the chapter, AND our other sister got caught up all the way in the meantime.

Right now, I’m at 463 followers.  As soon as I hit 500, do we want to do another character contest, or Name the Colony??  I am honestly dying to have all of you name the Colony... I feel like it would make you ALL crew-members of the Ark!

Same warning as always: this is a plague arc, so there are several references to medical procedures.

“There has to be a correlation.”

It was the first thing I heard as I woke up from yet another episode of passing out.  Once again, I had been wandering a dream version of the Ark, complete with ever changing levels of dereliction.  No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to speak with the Else again, however, and if the Council asked anyone else to even try, no one had informed me.

Blearily, I glanced toward the voice that I had heard.  Grey’s hair was ruffled in every direction, as though they had run their hands through it repeatedly.  Antoine was asleep, a tube trailing away from a bandage on his arm – I wasn’t the only one in the room needing transfusions anymore.  Maverick and Conor were berthed on either side of me, blotches taunting me from the skin around their eyes.  Tears pricked at my eyes as I tried to steady my breath before speaking. “How long have you been at it, Grey?”

With a sigh they turned toward me, forcing a kind smile on their face. “Sophia. How are you feeling?”

“Like I’m living in a horror movie. Again,” I groaned. “But seriously. Are the shadows because you’ve been working too much, or are you sick, too?”

“Medical scans only show slightly decreased iron levels from my baseline,” Grey admitted. “But that could also be related to standing and running tests for the last twelve hours.”

I tapped the space beside me in my berth. “Sit down for a minute. Take a break. You know as well as I do that wearing yourself out is counterproductive.” With great reluctance, they folded themselves to sit beside me. “You’re stressed out, aren’t you?” I asked, tapping their fingers gently.

The smile this time was reluctant but genuine. “People are falling ill all over the ship.  I have been trying to find a connection – some common activity that they all may have come into contact with each other during.”

“There’s the Food Festival,” I pointed out.

“Very few Terran viruses have such a long gestation period,” Grey explained. “And those that do, have a much different set of symptoms.  Additionally, in a setting this small, there are precious the majority of the ship do not share.”

“And you have the problem with the platforms,” I realized ruefully before glancing at my partners.

Cool fingers tapped my cheek. “That issue can wait,” Grey admonished gently. “It is not as important as the health of the people on this ship.”

“Speaking of…” I tried to prop myself up on my elbows, but a pointed look from my friend – as effective as any of Tyche’s glares – had me surrendering to leaning back on the pillows again. “Is there anyone on the ship who isn’t sick so far?”

Grey nodded with a grimace. “The number of those not affected numbers in the low double digits, unfortunately.”

“What do they have in common?”

“Hermits, every last one,” a voice announced quietly as the door hissed open. “And that’s saying something, coming from me.”  A tantalizing smell wafted over, setting my mouth and eyes watering as Tyche grinned like the cat who got the cream.  She shoved a forkful of something deep reddish brown into her mouth and moaned. “Phaal curry with scotch bonnets. Why didn’t you tell me about this stuff, Soph?”

“Noah is going to kill you if he comes in here,” I warned. “They have officially deemed that a biohazard.”

Grey winced. “I feel I should deem that a biohazard.  How are you eating that? Where did you even find it?”

“Four menus deep in my sister’s food console when I stopped in to water the plants,” she explained around yet another mouthful. “I warned Noah I have it, and they promised to wait for the scrubbers to clear the room before they come in here.”

“Give me a bite and I won’t complain,” I wheedled.  Noah never let me take that stuff out of my quarters.  “And tell me what you mean by hermits?”

Obligingly, she sauntered over and held out a forkful of nuclear-spicy lamb as she clarified. “The few people who aren’t sick are the ones who haven’t left their quarters since arriving.  They make me and Derek look downright outgoing.”

“Wait,” I sputtered as sweat beaded and started to drip from my quickly-numbing face. “They haven’t left their quarters in over a year?”

“Nope,” she confirmed. “They contribute, but all of it is remotely.  Programming, online tutoring, that sort of thing.”

“Well, that tells us a great deal of nothing,” I sighed. “We can’t even narrow down what activities they haven’t participated in, because they haven’t participated in any.”

“So go the other route,” she shrugged. “Who is the most sick?”

“Nixe,” Grey and I answered in unison.  Our resident mermaid was still holding on, but she hadn’t regained consciousness yet.

“Wait,” I interjected as I realized something. I squinted at my sister. “Your symptoms showed up before Antoine’s. How come you’re up, bouncing around?”

“You kidding?” she cocked an eyebrow at me. “Soph. I’ve lived most of my life with sever anemia. Even now I probably have more in my body than I ever did back on Earth. I feel amazing, by comparison.”

“She also has a habitually high-iron diet,” Grey added, tilting their head and glancing at me. “Current comestibles notwithstanding.”

“That makes sense,” I conceded. “So we can’t even build a timeline around onset of symptoms, can we?”

“Negative.  Several people on the ship have high-iron diets for various reasons. Particularly your sister and Maverick.”

I rolled my head to left and squinted. “Really?  He’s one of the pickiest eaters I know.”

“Spinach, tofu, red meat,” they started ticking off on their fingers. “Lentils and other legumes, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, and organ meats are among the foods with the highest iron content.”

My eyes widened. “You practically listed Maverick’s entire diet, Grey.”

“I am well aware.  I do monitor his nutrition closely, as he still has to prove he has consumed sufficient healthy calories in order to start his daily shift.”

“Huh,” I grunted. “So, he could have been sick the longest and we are just now seeing it?”

“While I highly doubt it, your theory is somewhat correct.”

“Weh di’ oo geh ‘im oo ee ohgah mee?” Tyche asked delicately around the last of her curry.

“Conor likes kidney pie, black pudding, and liver with onions,” I explained, trying not to wince at my sister’s breathtaking lack of manners and reminding myself that she just found out she can eat food she only dreamed of trying in the past.

She gulped, a look of revulsion on her face. “Liver and onions? That’s disgusting.”

As Grey completely lost their composure and gaped openly at the statement, I shrugged and soldiered on. “Not my idea of a good time, either, but they like it, so it’s their bonding time.”

“Surely not all three at once?”

“Christ, no. I would kill them if they ate kidney pie without me.”

“Okay, just checking.”  Tyche made her way to a disposal and made Noah aware that the curry had vacated the premises.

By this point, Grey was absentmindedly scratching at the rash that appeared from simply being near the dish.  “Can one of you explain to me how someone even eats something like that?  My eyes are burning just from being near food that spicy?”

“Ask her,” Tyche gestured. “I’m still figuring this out.”

I scowled at being put on the spot before turning to our friend. “I’ve always loved spicy food,” I admitted. “And I’ve never had any digestive issues with it. As I got older, I tried spicier and spicier food. It’s all so – vibrant. So full of flavor. Sure, you have some stuff that is just spicy for the sake of being painful, and I hate that kind of food. It’s just hate and spite made into food. No one should do that.” I sighed, struggling with my words. “Most spicy foods are ethnic foods, and I always liked being able to enjoy the ‘full’ version, for lack of a better term.  Being able to go to any country and say ‘I want to eat this the way you eat it,’ and mean that.  It just opens so many doors.”

“And it isn’t just spicy food,” Tyche pitched in. “She found this old show once, where this guy went around the world and tried weird native foods, and that was always her dream.  Every chance she got to travel like that, she tried the weirdest, most disgusting foods she could, just because she knew she wouldn’t get sick.”

“What was the worst?” Grey asked.  When we looked at each other in doubt, they laughed quietly. “It helps me get my mind off of all this.” They waved vaguely at the lab equipment. “So, tell me.  I never got to travel much before this.  I would like to hear.”

“Well,” I started hesitantly. “I only managed to choke down one bite of balut, but that may be more squeamish heart than squeamish stomach. Anything involving hard fat or cartilage is just right out, sorry.  I can’t get past the texture.  Once I got past the smell, durian was actually pretty good.  Most bugs are really nutty and delicious, surprisingly.  Balut was probably the one I liked the least. But – “ I held up my hands in a defensive posture. “I literally don’t remember what it tasted like, I couldn’t get my mind past the thought of what I was eating, so take that for what you will.”

Grey paled slightly as they looked the dish up on their datapad. “People eat that?”

Tyche nodded. “Yep.  I don’t get it either, but it’s a delicacy.”

They paled further as they looked up other dishes and confirmed I had tried them. “How did you not get ill?”

“Cast iron stomach,” Tyche and I explained, laughing at ourselves for responding in synch.

“Cast iron stomach, indeed,” they murmured.  Suddenly, their head snapped up.  They stared intently at the wall behind me before squinting slightly. “Cast iron…”

Without explanation, Grey jumped up from my berth, brushing past my sister on their way to the lab equipment. “Iron.  Whatever we are looking for is impacting iron absorption and red blood cell function. – “ Tyche and I looked at each other in confusion as Grey continued their impression of a rambling mad-scientist. “But nutritive iron does have elemental iron as part of the molecule…” Images flickered around the researcher as they scanned through notes and images; expanding this one, discarding that one, squinting at a few. “What if we are segregating the two for no reason… bacteria are bacteria, and the tail failed, too.”

The tail failed? Tyche mouthed at me. I shrugged, lost as she was.  We stared on in concern as Grey muttered, only half-audibly, into the night.

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[house-of-wack]

What horror movies would you recommend? I want to watch a few :)

((See I dont know if any of these really count as horror bc I've never really found a movie scary ajshdjdj b u t!! I'll give you movies I enjoyed that freaked my brother out(though that's not really an accomplishment)

House of Wax (2005) Saw this first when I was like 8 and was like "can you actually do that?" And recently researched it(multiple times) I really enjoyed this one, I dont even know why though I just see Brian Van Holt and I'm like :), Vincent has really cool looking knives, the small amount of backstory you have is let's you imagine how badly the Sinclairs were raised and I always kinda feel like :( it's not their fault they were raised like that. Love they.

Husk (2010) I watched this when it came out when I was 10 and I really enjoyed it then and enjoyed it again now, again you get little snippets of backstory through out and im like ah yes, revenge ghosts, we have to stan.

Any Friday 13th. I don't care which one, they're all fuckin sbjdjf, some are so bad theyre good and some are just good but sometimes you just gotta binge watch every single one - Freddy vs Jason was good as well idc.

I really enjoyed Saw, gradually it became more about gore than about the world the mastermind was trying to create and kind of started losing it's own plot? But all of the Saws have their own merits just don't be squeamish.

I personally really liked Krampus ajshjdjd, great christmas film for all the family, it was so funny and somehow still scared my brother I don't-

Does Eight Legged Freaks count?? I watched this so much as a kid, I like spiders so I was like??? Giant??? Spiders?????? Hell yes.

Hellraiser, the movies, the comics the books, all good shit.

The Ring and The Grudge, both movies I saw as a kid and have seen again recently, love they.

Uhh Childs Play, all of them, bride of chucky, seed of chucky, all good. All funny.

Any Halloween at all because Michael Myres is daddy, fact, I dont make the rules. The movies dont intend to be (I dont think) but they're funny, michael is the clunsiest killer in the world I love him.

I also liked the original Nightmare On Elms Street and the second one, yk before 2010 Freddy ruined the whole franchise, never watched 2010, never going to, thought of it makes me cringe.

Texac Chainsaw Massacre, again all of them, half the time idk what the fuck is going on but they're a good time, dont that themselves too seriously but at the same time are gruesome and have so much backstory and lore behind each character you're watching like okay so which family member is this again-

The Boy 1 is also really good, not really scary?? Like at all, but makes me want to be a parent wjshjeje oop-

Okay I'm done now ahsbjdjdjd sorry I rlly enjoy my slashers, love they, good people other than the yk, murder and shit.