The Pause Button is Critical (Open)

[Lyra Caruso]

“Now, look at this.”

Lyra paused at the scene and pointed the unadorned aluminum pole at the TV screen. The Cinema club was not always known to meet regularly. Lately, it was just her and Luce marathoning classic horror movies whenever the opportunity presented itself. Today, Lyra had managed to snag a random student passing by and dragged the poor soul into the lounge to watch a movie. Well, one of many she had on her, to have one was logically impossible. She had even managed to transpose most of them onto a little hard drive for easy access and carry.

Logically, if it means the club can get another member, then all the more awesome! Logic aside, she was glad there were no pesky problems like in certain animations where clubs would be dissolved due to few members.

“See that? Ruggero Deodato was way ahead of found footage types of horror movies, this beats the shit out of anything Blair Witch tried to manage. See? It really looked like this woman was completely impaled on that sharp spike? It’s masterful, so much so that that this was one of 72 films banned in the UK AND was thought to be a snuff film back in the 1980’s.”

Lyra sighed and shook her head at the thought, as if it was the dumbest thing in the world. “Seriously, if they only knew what horrors of the internet today are able to unleash. ANYWAYS! A lot of people like to say that the whole point of the movie, with all the animal slayings and gore may actually be a social commentary about what it means to be-“

The brunette turned and found she had talking to an empty seat. For how long?! The girl tilted her head up, absently staring at the hanging Christmas decorations around the lounge. Come to think of it…the poor dummy did appear on the verge of hurling. The girl exhaled in annoyance and flopped back on the couch.

“Pansy little plebian.” She muttered as she rests the pole on the floor. “Is it so much to ask to have an interesting conversation about cannibalism?”

And with that, her thumb presses play to resume the movie. Might as well finish it.

[Terrance Kellam]

"Why would you ever want to have a conversation about that?"

TK just so happened to be passing by when the other student ran past him. That specific shade of green that painted the other's face intrigued him and he had to see what caused it. Stepping inside he heard the brunette mutter a word he'd rarely come across, and it intrigued him even more. He was barely enrolled again and already someone had sparked his interest.

"If that's your power, please let me know now so I can make sure I taste horrible," TK laughed while making his way to the couch, standing behind it with his hands clutching it as he leaned over to get a better view of what exactly this little girl was watching. For a brief moment, he thought about what he just said and looked directly at her. It was ENTIRELY plausible that this girl's ability had something to do with cannibalism. But, he figured he could worry about potentially running for his life later. Besides, he could use some cardio for the day. He looked back to the creepy movie on the screen, trying to figure out exactly what was going on in it.

[Lyra Caruso]

Lyra leaned her head back to stare at the newcomer with a quirked eyebrow.

“What the fuck kinda question is that?"

She turned herself so that she could address it with full attention. This was important dammit!

"That’s like asking ‘why would you want a zombie apocalypse’, because why the hell not? Constant survival, the true surfacing of the ills of human nature when faced with the scarcity of resources and regression into tribal mentality! Would be fuckin’ wicked.”

She’d point to the insanity on screen at that note, in which it seems like a pack of the cannibal tribe had ripped apart one of the documentary crew in a brutal fashion. The guy’s question on her ability would come as a surprise to her, though her gaze remained steadily flat before turning to the screen. The next part was not going to be suitable for any audience; the brunette even flicked a glance to see if a teacher was around before skipping the brutal sequence. She already knew what it was, even if it was in context to how slimy the director character was to hide and videotape his comrades getting brutalized. Lyra turned off the movie for now, since the best parts were already done and wasted on the kid that had suddenly run off.

“That would be a retarded power. Besides, humans apparently taste like pork according to a few current cannibal-murderer-peoples and I’m not one to enjoy normal pork.”

Her response had been a fairly nonchalant, complete with a shrug. He’d be safe, in any case. Now comes the better question, reaching down to grab the unadorned aluminum pole to poke his shoulder with.

“What are ya?”

[Terrance Kellam]

She was weird.

He kinda liked it.

"You are one very interesting girl," he looked away from the TV to glance at her. "A zombie apocalypse does NOT seem like fun," he began, listening to her deny that she was a cannibal. Well that's good, he thought, laughing in his head for a bit. If anyone at Hammel actually was a cannibal, there would be plenty of telepaths and other metas who would sense that.... right? T.K. turned his eyes back to the television, catching the last bits before she turned the tv off. It was absolutely disgusting.

T.K. gave the girl his full attention now. He was set to answer her last question, but something crossed his mind and he had to ask this apparent expert. "Hey wait," he began as he finished forming his question in his mind, "do you think that zombies have their own language? In TV shows, it's just grunts and groans, but technically, so are most animal noises to us."

That question made the idea of a zombie apocalypse that much more interesting. If zombies had a language, would he be able to understand it?? Holy shit, that'd be so cool. They'd probably only say stupid stuff like 'brains' and 'what's that smell' though.

[Lyra Caruso]

The brunette only blinked at the compliment: interesting, eh? Maybe the converation was more interesting than the person posing mere questions that only a horror buff could conjure. That and it was at least something unoffensive for once - she's heard them all and not a singe fuck had been given. Her annoyance registered for a brief second at the mention of a zombie apocalypse not being fun, but the attention doesn't hold for long.

"Ahah, now you're actually thinking!"

She says with a smirk, crossing her legs to rest the pole across her lap. She didn't even mind for once that her usual line of questioning had been tossed to the wayside for now. This was way more fun and relevant!

"It really depends on a couple of a few things. There's a entire debate on what movies even classify as being in the zombie genre for a few reasons. Probably not in the vein of supernatural reanimated corpses from a graveyard situation just because the time of being dead means there isn't enough of an ability to have brain functions. Now, if we go with the zombies that were formed from a plague of death, the time between death and reanimation would be key. If there wasn't too much time at death and depending what parts of the brain and body this plague can affect, they may be able to come up with a system of grunts and screeches for all situations like animals can. A zombie with an ability to problem solve and adapt but lacking everything else that makes it a human being is a terrifying, but probably still temporary foe."

It was a fantastical idea really. Lyra could enjoy the traditional supernatural born zombies, but there was something much creepier about the plagueborn zombies. The girl hops off the seat and kneels down to her little media center: portable hard drive (named DoomBox) connected to a laptop and connected to the tv. She clicked the Zombie folder and flicked though the numerous movie choices.

"Which is exactly why a zombie apocalypse would be awesome, you'd be able to observe that in action, provided you don't get killed first." A quick look over her shoulder to him. "The trope isn't in your favor, but you look like you'd be able to hold your own for a good while. Unless it ends the way the original Night of the Living Dead did."

Seriously, that ending had been a downer.

[Terrance Kellam]

What did he get himself into? T.K. listened to her talk about all the differences in the zombies and the technical details. He could understand every language, but that didn't mean he could follow her. He could tell she was speaking English, but it... it just didn't fully register.

When she mentioned the trope, he couldn't help but laugh. "I dunno... I'm not saying I'd be the first, but my power isn't exactly the most useful in life or death situations." He thought about what would happen in that situation. His current need for social interactions would definitely hinder him. He'd never fired a gun before, or got into a serious fight. This was definitely something to consider. He had plans on joining the Air Force as a Pilot, so he knew he had to be in pretty decent shape. He could hold his own -- Probably... -- but until he was due to ship off for basic training -- ...which isn't for another six years at LEAST -- he was probably not the most 'durable.' 

Note to self: DON'T BE THE FIRST. He had heard about some self-defense school in town. T.K. was going to be making an appointment there very, very soon. 

"I don't remember the first movie... How'd it end?"

[Lyra Caruso]

“Depends on what you can do. I can already tell like half this school would be sooo fucked in a zombie apocalypse.”
And nope, Lyra was totally on the half that would be fine, as long as she could jump into something reflective. And she had a bat, which probably would help in a one-on-one pinch!

The girl’s eyes lit up at the chance to show off more of her vast collection on someone. He had not turned sickly green or ran away from her general love of the horror madness that was Cannibal Holocaust! She turned to her media center and clicked on Night of The Living Dead, hopping back on the couch.

“Night of the Living Dead, 1968 – and not the fucking cut-up 30th Anniversary Edition, no one can speak of that one. Before this film, zombies were slaves of voodoo, where the entire idea stemmed from. Now they’re portrayed as cannibalistic and the ones in this film have instances of problem-solving skill. This also completely re-wrote how horror movies were made. Before this one, few horror films had downer, nihilistic endings. Take that in context because shitload of films now expect that kinda ending.”

And in her perspective, you have to know the basics, the history to be truly a horror movie buff! She skipped ahead to the ending because he had requested it. “Basically everyone dies, in various horrible ways, zombies are all dead now. Except for the black dude who manages to survive the entire night of hell! And then…BAM, killed by a bunch of rednecks who mistaken him for a zombie.”

Lyra pauses the film after narrating the ensuing scene. “Many people like to bring up an entire social context with this, but it was never the intended effect. But that’s film analysis for you.” She shrugs, tossing another glance in her company’s direction.

“Have I bored the hell out of you yet?”

[Terrance Kellam]

It was about time he took a seat on the couch, especially if she was showing the movie, which seemed to be her intentions. As she began loading it up, he took the seat of Lyra's previous victim, getting comfortable for a good watch. All he needed was some popcorn. Yum.

T.K. watched her as she spoke. She was passionate. Like, extremely passionate. He didn't really have that kind of passion for anything; he was going to have to fix that. When she fast-forwarded to the ending -- Aww man! I kinda wanted to watch it... Though it'd probably be like watching the Director's Cut with a commentary track... -- he leaned forward in his seat, watching the shitty ending take place.

When it was over, he leaned back, a little lost. After she asked if she was still boring, he looked at her, raising his right eyebrow in the process. "Far from it."

"So... this ending... It was probably 'great'," he made sure to use air quotes, "back then. And it's probably a pretty good kind of ending every once in a while now, but... man. Reminds me of 'Carrie' a bit, but I guess she had to die at the end? Even though we're rooting for her the entire movie... kind of..." 

[Lyra Caruso]

“Hah…”

A soft and musing sort of exhale escapes her. The brunette could have sworn that his eyes had glazed over during the whole zombie language as a possibility discussion, but she had given him the benefit of the doubt. After all, he had not run away vomiting just yet and he actually carried a conversation!

The girl raised her eyebrows at his observation on Carrie and pointed the aluminum pole at him.

“Oi, don’t knock those kinda endings with air quotes just yet. Whatever you think of the ending, its influence extends to today. Without the daring move that encompasses the ending of Night of the Living Dead, we would not have the kind of endings that punches you in the gut and leads you to think. The Wicker Man is probably a grand example of that. There are so many shitty horror movies that exist that cannot even capitalize on making the viewer feel...like Saw, or Insidious."

She sneered. GOD, she wanted to like that movie but the story imploded on itself. A travesty!
"As for Carrie…”

Lyra flips the pole so that it rests against her shoulder, her eyes raised to the ceiling in thought.

“It’s a little tricky. It wasn’t even the way it had ended in the book, but the film took a life of its own. The remake was pretty shit, but that’s just my bias against casting Chloë Grace Moretz for Carrie.”

That was a whole other story; Lyra would wave it off as it was not part of the discussion. The brunette flops back down on her side of the couch.

“Let’s look into your point then. And be honest, 'kay? What other way could Carrie have ended?”

[Terrance Kellam]

No glazed over eyes here. T.K., while not as knowledgeable about the subject, was really enjoying the conversation. For someone to be so much younger -- he only assumed by her looks -- she had a wealth of knowledge in her. At the moment, it kind of made him jealous. She possibly had an ability unrelated to horror movies -- he was really hoping it wasn't related, as that would just be weird and creepy and... interesting -- and she had her other interests.

T.K. nodded in agreement with her statement about the ending; it most likely did have a good impact on future horror movies, he couldn't deny that.

"I didn't like this remake either," he said, remembering the original. In the days before his powers, when he was a loner who read, he had read most of the book and found it quite interesting. The remake of their time just couldn't hold a candle to it. "But there can't really be any other ending to Carrie. She has to die. If she lived then it wouldn't feel right..." He took a moment to go over any scenario that could take place if she lived, but they were all crummy. If she lived, they would just keep milking Carrie and making pointless movies.

[Lyra Caruso]

Lyra’s attention remained undivided, observing the guy’s mental processes. The fact that he had not favored the remake was a plus in her book, but he had honestly seemed to consider what other avenues there could have been. And there wasn’t! At least that’s what he had come to conclude and what she could agree with.

“And that’s the hardest part about horror genre. It’s all about the wide range of primal fears. If there is a chance for a happy ending to be had, it has to be earned in the hardest ways possible. And a lot of times, there are none, that can easily reflect the human fears that “things won’t get any better”. Especially if you’re running from a crazed man wielding a chainsaw.”

Lyra grinned at him. The thought was funny to her! The grin was there and gone in a blink. A thought had crossed her mind and part of herself hated it. There had been no intentions to do such a thing, but she found herself...

“You think. I like that. You should join the Cinema Club, this is basically all we do: watch movies, commentary sometimes in MST3K style depending on the movie type and just make our observations and criticisms on it. Doesn't always go that route, but we have a fucking good time no matter what.”

Lyra stopped herself from saying further.

"Uh, wait, you ARE going to this school right?" She was going to be disappointed if it turns out he was just a visitor passing through. It was weird enough she ended up actually...recruiting someone for a school club. Hell froze over!

[Terrance Kellam]

Honestly, T.K. was more than likely grasping at straws, being lucky enough to point out enough little things to make it seemed like he knew what he was talking about. He was sure the only thing he knew about was how to say 'Don't be a menace to society while drinking juice' in every language there was. Not really a conversation starter. Though, he could definitely introduce the club to some foreign films. BitTorrent was his friend in his younger years; his computer still had many of the subtitle-less films that occupied his time when he wasn't out and about.

He couldn't be helped but burst into laughter when she asked him if he attended the school. But, could he really blame her? After all, he was almost twenty years old. Granted, he didn't look much different than he did two years ago, there was a slightly older air to him. Though, he was most definitely still in the same grade. Having dropped out would do that to someone. "Of course! I don't think they let the locals roam around talking to their underage students. That's just asking for trouble.

"And no thanks, I don't love movies that much," he smirked. "I'll leave the club to the true fans."

[Lyra Caruso]

"Well they DO allow visitors." Lyra feigned a pout - she should have known when there was no evidence of a pass, but whatever. As it turns out, the guy was a student, probably a senior if she had to make a guess. On the other hand, her offer to join the club was turned down, which would be met with a shrug of her shoulders. Eh, it merely was not one of her great talents to recruit people, whch means hell remained firey for now.

"No prob then. I was totally gonna throw in that 90% of the club happen to be chicks, but I don't even know if you swing that way." She held her hands up. "Not judging."

A clang caught her attention; the aluminum pole had toppled to the floor. Lyra would glare at it before snapping it up, muttering something something profane before rising from the chair. She shuts the TV, eyeing their reflections while continuing:

"Conversing with you hasn't been a huge bore, I commend you for that. Not many people talk about interesting shit around here." Her hand hovered over the screen, the reflections began to waver like disturbed water just as the girl's hand disappears into the screen. She tosses in the pole inside and withdraws her arm, allowing the screen's reflection to solidify once again. Lyra taps the tv screen twice then turns it back on.

"What movies do you favor then?" She spun around and asked, not even acknowledging what had happened. It was not unusual, not in a school full of even stranger abilities.

[Terrance Kellam]

"Visitors as cute as me?" he smiled, laughing just a bit. She was definitely a character; he was going to have to remember to stop by at some point to see what all the fuss was about. "Yeah, I'm immune to the feminine powers," he added without hesitating. He never had a problem with people knowing about him, though it rarely if ever came up. Even with himself. He was normally always focused on having fun or school, though this was while he was at Hammel. During his time away from the institution, he did indulge in his lifestyle a few times. But now, all he had on his mind was graduating.

... oh, and watching he put her hand into the tv and pull stuff out. That currently filled his thoughts. He had been away from this school for people like them for a bit, so the sudden use of meta abilities was a bit startling. T.K. blinked a few times while it processed, remembering where he was. Shaking it off momentarily, he answered her question, his thoughts returning to their topic.

"Usually something action-y. Can't do too much of the slow stuff."