#and my grandma worked at a freak show as a mermaid when she was young

[yournowheregirl]

Today I present to you, a silly little headcanon that’s near and dear to my heart: Eddie Munson, local carnival freak.

At the edge of Hawkins, there’s a year-round carnival, lively and loud from spring through fall, and quiet and deserted during the winter time. There are stands where you play games to win prizes, food stalls with delicious sweets, attractions that make your head spin, and in the middle of it all, the freak show.

That’s where little Eddie Munson grows up, in between the strange and bizarre. His parents both work at the carnival, his dad at the shooting range, his mom at the freak show as a so-called ‘real-life mermaid’ (when Eddie was a baby, they even dressed him up in a similar mermaid tail, showcasing him as a merbaby). Eddie’s uncle Wayne also works at the freak show, but doing behind the scenes jobs, rather than acting.

For a kid, growing up at a carnival feels magical. Every day, Eddie run around across the grounds, goes on rides for free, and gets doted on by the the nice ladies at the funnel cake stand, who always saves him a little extra. He also learns all the behind the scenes secrets, like how balloon popping stand is kind of rigged and how the bearded lady glues on extra hair to make her beard look fuller. For him, it’s paradise.

His father wants him to get his hands dirty as soon as he’s old enough, teaching how to clean the rifles and how to make the customer think they’re about to win big, when in actuality, they’re sure to lose. Eddie doesn’t like working with his dad, he always loses his temper whenever Eddie messes something up or complains that his dad didn’t play fair.

And while he doesn’t like working at the shooting range, he loves working at the freak show. He’d spent ages backstage, watching the actors get ready, listening to his mom talk as she did her make-up and got into her costume, helping uncle Wayne count the tickets in the ticket booth.

But what really gets Eddie’s heart racing is when the lights went out and the show’s announcer, Theodore, walks on stage. He’s the one outside in his velvet top hat and cherry red tails who lures people in with promises of a magical and mysterious show, and that showmanship continues inside the tent. With flailing hands and a deep, mesmerizing voice, he compels the audience as he introduces the acts and Eddie watches him with big eyes everyday. When he grows up, he wants to be exactly like Theo.

Theo takes him under his wing, teaches him the secrets of presentation and storytelling but every time Eddie begs him to get on stage, Theo shakes his head and tells him he’s not ready yet. Eddie practices and practices, talking to himself in the ticket booth - Wayne said he’s old enough to run that by himself now - and telling his mother the most elaborate stories. Still, he’s stuck in the ticket booth most of the days, scribbling stories he’d tell one day on a notepad.

One day, Theo is up on his soapbox in front of the tent, when he has the worst coughing fit Eddie has ever seen. He swears he’s too sick to continue so Wayne pushes Eddie forward. He tumbles onto the wooden crate, his limbs trembling as he watches the carnival goers passing by. His voice is shaky at first, but then he remembers Theo’s advice: get their attention and make sure you keep it.

So, Eddie howls like a goddamn wolf, the carnival visitors turn their heads in curiosity and then Eddie presents the freak show like he has done so a thousand times before.

It works.

It works really well, in fact.

Turns out, people go crazy for a scrawny kid with messy curls who promises them a show beyond their wildest imagination. Even people who’d normally never set foot inside, like those preppy kids in their spotless white polos and perfectly coiffed hair, are fascinated by Eddie’s voice and showmanship.

Eddie’s heart is racing once he’s back inside the tent, his mouth going a hundred miles an hour as he tells his mom about what just happened. She just smiles and ruffles his curls and tells him she’s so proud of him. Wayne claps him on the back, tells him a nice work, kiddo and hurries back to start the show.

Eddie follows him, confused because how is the show going to start when Theo is too sick to even speak and why is Theo all dressed up in his top hat and tailcoat sauntering across the stage already? But then, Theo catches his eye from across the tent and winks at him and Eddie knows it was an all act to give his first taste of actual showmanship. And now, he’s hungry for more, so he and Theo make a deal. Eddie’s allowed to be announcer outside, doing whatever it takes to get people inside the tent, and Theo takes care of the presentation inside, saying that Eddie has to work hard to earn his top hat and tails.

It’s a perfectly good solution, except that people outside the carnival start to notice too. The kids who walk past him as he stands on his soapbox, are the same kids that walk past him in the hallways at school and once word gets out that Eddie is the one pulling crazy stunts to get people to see the most bizarre things, they start to make fun of him for it. They whisper rumors behind his back and some girls act all scared as he sits down in class. Some of the boys are shoving him and taunting him to tell them a good story. When he freezes on the spot, unable to speak, they laugh at him and one boy even says that he can see why they hired Eddie because he’s just as big of a freak as the rest of them.

After yet another day of people taunting him for no reason, Eddie cries on the way home. Not because they hurt his feelings, but because he doesn’t understand what his classmates see, he doesn’t see how people could ever think that the people he grew up with, could ever be scary. Because those are the same people who help him with his math homework, who tell jokes and make him laugh until his stomach hurts, who hold his hand when his mom gets sick and his dad gets home drunk out of his mind. Just because they are (or act) a little different, doesn’t mean they’re scary or weird, just means they’re unique.

From that moment on, Eddie wears his newly acquired nickname with pride because his classmates might not see it, but he’s proud to be a freak.

[capesandshapes]

"snowflake the fairy and her boyfriend BRAD" capes no

Fuck you, this is an invitation and since you asked for it on anon everyone else has to suffer through it too.

Learn about Snowflake and her mystical boyfriend Brad below the cut.

I'm going to give you some background, and by that I mean, I'm going to humiliate myself awfully beforehand: When I was a kid, I freaking loved the Winx club and I would wake up at six am on Saturdays to watch it. Since Winx club began to air with I was eight years old and took a long hiatus in America around the time I turned ten/eleven and my parents also coincidentally had a bunch of computers laying around for me to play around and type on since my dad worked for IBM-- it's safe to assume that I spent nearly every free moment of those three years thinking about this cursed concept and plotting these awful books.

So like, the Winx club was aired on PBS in the midwestern market at an ungodly hour since they also served the east coast, and I would literally go to sleep the second the sun went down to watch it. I was kind of a weird kid, so I always pretended that I was tuning a tv to turn to my favorite channel before bed and so forth, then I'd have these dreams that I was pretty in control of.

And again.

I was obsessed with Winx.

So, obviously, I had these dumb dreams about winx fairies and all of that, but the show wasn't going exactly how I wanted it after like a season (thanks freaking RIVEN) so I drifted away from that and started dreaming about, writing about, and obsessing about my own rip off winx.

Enter, Snowflake. Red hair, blue eyes. Fire powers, even though her name was Snowflake. A clear rip-off of Bloom, but like picture more dresses and she's a fairy who lives in a fucking igloo.

Snowflake started out clearly interested in two men who, I shit you not, were named Brad and Joey. Brad had blonde hair and blue eyes, he was a rip-off of bloom's boyfriend but shirtless 90% of the time and fucking useless. Joey broke my heart. Joey was a rip-off of good old Riven, the love of my young life, only add a cool, tough tattoo on his arm that was a literal knife with the word 'hurt' underneath it.

Snowflake started out as a princess who went to a boarding school, but eventually, I realized that I didn't need the rest of those bitches around (by that I mean literally all of the other students). So Snowflake was a princess who hung out in her kingdom and had like three friends who were decidedly beneath her; Stacey, Edna, and Kay. Kay was Joey's twin sister. They were basically yes girls with one note personalities, save for Kay, who was like Snowflake's best friend and had light powers that were totally ripped off of the Dazzler and useless 90% of the time.

The meat of the story is that there was this older fairy who wanted to melt Snowflake's home and flood the world. She was named Carly because, surprise, I was bullied by a girl named Carly. Carly (in the story) bit people, but like, not as a vampire thing, she just like ate them? You didn't die or even bleed, and the part would grow back, I think I just thought that cannibalism was a pretty mean thing to do.

And also Carly wanted to abduct Snowflake to make her melt the world because Snowflake was basically a glorified lighter.

This all sounds twice as stupid when I write it out.

Anyway, so Snowflake's main boo was Brad, since Joey would have random fits and decide to be evil every once in a while and that was 'annoying'. The problem with Brad, however, was that he was a classic himbo and always got captured and had to be saved from the evil lair (an apartment inside a literal volcano) -- They always caught Brad because, I have no idea why, the idiot of the year was always hanging out in a hot tub and I'm pretty sure that's because that was the only way that my little brain could comprehend him being shirtless all the time as I needed him to be.

But eventually, like the eighth time Snowflake came to rescue him, Brad died. Like, Snowflake saw him across the clearing and this villain literally pushed a fucking boulder on him. I outlined in word and printed out on one of the five pieces of paper my parents would let me have every day (To keep my sister and I from stealing and printing on a whole ream) that this man literally had a boulder rolled on him. Like, Carly climbed up the stairs, went to a ledge, and had the fucking time to roll a boulder on him while Snowflake was talking.

And her spirits were crushed almost as flat as Brad was.

So like Snowflake decided to go out with Joey who was like, "have you ever considered being evil idk it's occasionally fun" and became evil and melted the world? Listen, trauma can change a girl.

Then she became a mermaid and brought her friends back as merzombies

But she wasn't happy, even though she could now wear black and cut her hair? Also Joey kissed with tongue and Brad didn't, so that should have been a major plus.

I really think it was just because Joey wore a shirt all the time, but who knows.

Snowflake's dead parents who died off-screen sometime showed up as ghosts and told her that she could do anything with the power of love. She asked them to stay, AND THEN THEY LITERALLY SAID SOMETHING LIKE, "sorry, we can't be here with you, you can do anything with the power of love, but we're not in love with you, DAUGHTER."

So

UNDERWATER

Snowflake cried on Brad's FLAT body and the tears somehow touched it and he was brought back to life and then immediately started to drown because I had a baseline understanding of biology, and by that I mean I understood that people did not breathe water.

Brad dying a second time in front of her made her powers explode

so, somehow, she unlocked all the powers of the HTRAE (THAT'S THE WHOLE UNIVERSE'S NAME, NOT THE PLANET. It's Earth backwards, because technically the planet is just inside earth-- Listen I can't explain this shit very well) and froze her kingdom again

and then suddenly like, controlled all the elements. Like bam, she is nature, bitch. This includes metal. No idea why. Just elements plus metal, which again, not an actual element there.

But it couldn't be over, because I'm from the midwest and my grandma is the head of the church commitee. Ten year old Beth knows how love and romance work, okay, she knows how to craft a fucking story and where to end it.

so I was like I guess her and BRAD get married. And then Joey came back to fight for her hand and he won, but Snowflake didn't love him so she froze him? EVEN THOUGH SHE LIKED HIS TONGUE KISSES.

SHE CRIED BECAUSE OF THE TONGUE KISSES I SWEAR.

And then her and Brad literally got onto a horse to ride into the sunset and made out-- With tongue.

and that's just like a really brief summary of my actual hundreds of printed pages (10 pt font) of nonsensical plot that was going to make up the Snowflake Series, and as an eleven year old I was convinced that this would sell for millions of dollars and everyone would be so impressed that they'd carve, 'Creator of Snowflake', into my tombstone.

[yrpspiritsintheshadows]

Escape to Neverland

Escape to Neverland

“Mom and Dad were murdered.”

That… was what they had been afraid of. 

An accident with a boat, a car wreck that lead them into the water, any of that, would’ve been preferable to what just left the teenager’s mouth.

“They were killed by freaks who wanted to study us.” Hideki spat, rage filling his eyes. “They wanted us to get away, to protect us… But…” 

The boat was unnaturally white. It reminded him of when he had looked into the maw of a larger shark when it had a rather fierce fishing hook lodged in its maw.

He could trust the shark to not consume him or his loved ones though. The water was churning, bubbles forming all around them as they rushed all sides of the nets.

The net was clever, he would give the humans credit. It lodged in all the right places, preventing much movement from the four trapped within.

“W-What’s gonna happen to us, Mom?”

The mermaid beside him had a pained look in her eyes. Aika was scared but her fear for her children, outweighed the fear for her life.

“We’re going to be fine, Hideki… I promise.” 

“Mom…”

The water disappeared, as the family of four were suspended over a hold tank, holding desperately to one another.

“It appears there is one adult male, one adult female and two juveniles, ma’am.”

“Excellent. Plenty of specimens for study then.”

“We were trying so hard to get away. Nothing was cutting it. Mom even was trying to bite it. The head scientist… she’s a psychopath.” Hideki sniffled, shaking like a leaf. “She… She wanted four. Just four…”

“Hideki…”

“... She wanted two to autopsy… and two to track their growth. When they went to drop us into the tank… Mom paid the price.” Hideki gripped at his arms, his nails carving crescents into the sleeves of his shirt.

The tank was rapidly approaching them as they fell. Aika acted on pure instinct, grabbing Hideki.

The tank was close enough to the side. Before the young man knew what had happened, she threw him over the side as her body hit the floor of the boat.

“RUN! JUST RUN!!!!”

He hit the water just as she was pulled out of sight.

“I know they died that night. They appeared before me. I don’t know what she did to them but it messed them up…” Hideki sighed heavily. “All I know is, that they’re gone… and now my brother is some lab rat for them. I don’t know what they’re gonna do to Hikaru now… or to others of my kind…”

“She’s going to jail for murder, that’s what she is.” Skyler narrowed her eyes. “I promise you that.”

“And we’re going to get Hikaru back. I promise.” Eiji gave him a gentle look. “You are so brave kiddo. So brave.”

“No I’m not… If I had just fought harder… or didn’t let Mom throw me over the edge…” 

“Hey, hey, no…” He tilted the boy’s chin up. “Take it from another parent. She made that choice because she had to choose. She chose her children over her own life because she loved you both so much. I’m sure if they hadn’t caught her, your brother would’ve been next over the side.” 

“You think so…?”

“I know so. Because if it was between Ken or my own life, I’d choose him every time.” Eiji stroked his arm. “And I’d choose you too if you were my kid. You’ve been through literal Hell and look at you…”

“A scared, shaking mess.”

“A survivor.”

Hideki’s eyes stung with tears as he threw his arms around Eiji.

“I didn’t wanna be…”

“I know…” He hugged him tightly, stroking his back. “I know, Kiddo…”

We’re gonna get you help.

Hideki curled up in his chair, trying to keep close.

“Shh… I got you…”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

oooooo

It didn’t take long for Eiji to get ahold of the rest of the team. It was just a matter of planning now. For this was far different than a paranormal investigation.

They arrived with a rough idea of the situation, until Skyler filled the other two in on it. Now, they were in the garage, using an old card table to draw out a map of the area.

“The kid doesn’t remember the name of the ship and quite frankly I don’t blame him. He saw his life get torn apart in front of him.” Skyler narrowed her eyes. “So, we’ll have to go by the one thing we can guarantee… The parents’ ghosts.”

Chase looked up from his laptop screen.

“Still figuring out who these nuts are. Once I get a name, we can keep going.”

Eiji nodded to him.

“Thank you. Seriously, thank all of you for this.”

Lucian smirked a little.

“We go where you tell us to go. That’s how this works, Eiji. How’s the kid doing right now?” 

Eiji frowned, sighing.

“Badly. Carmen managed to convince him to go to bed since he’s already done enough with giving us the statement. She managed to get him to sleep.”

“The Carmen Sonata?”

“Basically. The kid was out like a light after a few songs.” 

He nodded.

“So, let me be the one to ask this… What are we gonna do IF we stumble across the corpses? It’s not like if they’re still changed that can be easily reported.”

“I know some people in Geistville PD.” Skyler spoke up. “They work with my branch of social services.” 

“There we go… And if the kid is with us?”

“Keep him from seeing it if we can.” Eiji looked at the map of the city, circling the pier.  “But, they’re not stupid. I doubt they’d be doing autopsies and holding the kid captive for further tests on the boat still. That’d just be stupid on their part. And Hideki didn’t say it was a huge boat either.”

Chase cleared his throat, gaining their attention.

“I think… I have an idea.” He turned his screen so the others could see. “These guys, are a supposed research team to prove the existence of mermaids and the like. They call themselves PROTEOME.” 

“Proteome…”  

He nodded.

“They’ve been running for at least twenty five years, going through their staff but their head scientist has apparently been out for mermaid blood for years. Apparently got accused of kidnapping a young woman back in the 80’s who was just out in her costume for an aquarium performance.”

Great. They’re all nuts.

“Got a campus or something?”

“Yeah, they don’t even try to hide it.” He zoomed in on the site, showing a large concrete building. 

“... Isn’t that…?”

“The old Geistville Aquarium before they moved to the new building? Yep. Still out in the sticks.”

“... Great.” Eiji clapped his hands. “We got us an invasion to do then.”

“I’ll contact my friends at the department.” 

“I’ll get us the next few days off.” Chase volunteered. “Who do you wanna potentially jinx this time with “chronic illness, have to take personal days”?”

“Hm…. I guess Oba-san.” He mused.

Lucian rolled his eyes.

“Your grandma is like what, 85? Isn’t that a little harsh?”

Eiji grinned.

“Hey, Oba-san is awesome. She gets me. Besides… Who do you think is gonna help curse these guys?”

“... Eiji, sometimes you scare me. But I’m not gonna disagree.”

They all looked at the image on the screen.

“We’re gonna get that kid back… and we’re sending those scientists to jail, no matter what.” Eiji narrowed his eyes. “With the Divine as my witness…”

We WILL win.

oooooo

“I should go with you.”

Eiji looked up from trying to decide his “disguise”, giving Hideki a firm look.

“No.”

The boy was leaning on the door to the master bedroom, a look of determination in his eyes.

“They killed my parents. My brother might be next. I should be there for him. C’mon…”

Eiji shook his head.

“It’s gonna be dangerous. We won’t do the crossing of your parents before we get Hikaru back to you. You both deserve the chance to say goodbye.”

“It’s not…” His voice cracked. “... Okay. Maybe it is about that. We’re gonna get shipped off to a foster home when this is over right?”

“Nope.”

“... Huh?” 

Eiji moved to him, laying a hand on his shoulder, warmth coming to his eyes. 

“We wanted to tell you boys when we got Hikaru back but… my wife and I talked last night. We always did want more kids… and Ken would love two big brothers…”

Hideki covered his mouth, stunned.

“You… guys want us?”

“Why not? We have plenty of room… More than enough rooms honestly and this is a bit more personal. If something happened to us… we’d want someone to find our son and help him. So, if it’s okay with you…” 

“It… It is…” Hideki wiped at his eyes. “I don’t have to leave?”

“Never. And you two can go at whatever pace you want, okay? We just want to give you guys a home.” 

Hideki hugged him again, his shoulders relaxing.

“Thank you…”

Eiji hugged him, stroking his hair.

“Anything for you… Now, Carmen has her own job for ya today if you’re okay with that.”

“Hm?”

Eiji gave him a playful look.

“You know your twin best. He’s gonna need a room to call his own.”

Hideki’s eyes lit up. 

“I can handle that!” He grinned. 

“Atta boy. Now, go ask her about that. I gotta go “Science Intern E. Fumio.””

“That is such a lame name!”

“Yeah, yeah, go!”

Before long, Eiji was meeting the others outside. Instead of one car, however, they had two. 

Eiji’s van… and a black humvee.

“... Lucian, the heck?” 

Lucian looked up from where he was leaning on it.

“I called in a favor from my uncle alright? It’s for insurance.”

“You’re… not gonna run anyone down, right?”

“Me? Noooo.” He grinned. “Never.”

“... I’m not even gonna ask.” He cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. “Alright, let’s roll!”

They were off after that, in their own ragtag caravan, with two members per car.

We have as much supplies as we can get… Skyler has the cops ready to go at any moment…

Are we really gonna do this?

He took a deep breath.

Heck yes.

oooooo

They knew they weren’t alone when the paranormal gear in the back started going off.

“Murderers.” The automated voice of the ghost box rang out. “Murdered us. Murdered.”

“We know. We know. But you guys can’t set this off.”  

The equipment settled down but it suddenly felt very crowded in the car.

The stark white building of the old aquarium soon came into view. While it was in the “sticks”, as Chase put it, it still had a runoff to the sea.

The team parked about 20 feet from the building, their cars nestled in the brush. Due to how long it had been since the building had actually been the aquarium of old, the forest had begun to engulf it somewhat.

However, unlike the forest that Eiji’s home was built in, that seemed to welcome and cradle the small family and shelter them from harm…

This forest, was hollow… the trees twisting in gnarled forms, as if ready to come down and strike.

“Alright, the plan is, we go in where the flow to the sea is coming out.” Eiji whispered, pulling out a schematic of the building. It was old, an image from ages ago but the skeleton of the building on the inside should still be the same. He pointed to an area he circled. “Looking up old pictures, this area had a ledge to walk on because some employees would leave that way or do maintenance.”

“Then…” Skyler used her fingertip to circle another area. “If we're lucky, Hikaru should be around where the sharks initially were kept. If he’s being kept in his changed form then he’d get sick in a tiny space. They can’t keep him in shallows. He HAS to move or he’ll die.”

“And they wanted him alive.” Lucian hefted his bag of supplies over his shoulder. “Which means, the kid should at least still be somewhat stable psychically.”

“Right.” Chase narrowed his eyes. “Lucian, you should go with Eiji. Skyler and I can take out security cameras.”

“With what?”

Chase pulled out of the back, a rather intimidating looking weapon. At Eiji’s glare of disapproval, he scoffed.

“It’s a BB gun. I checked, it’s legal. Albeit this is definitely NOT a legal version.” 

“And Sky-”

Skyler pulled out from her car a large aluminum baseball bat. She gave an experimental swing as it whistled through the air.

“Like I said, I got this. It’ll be risky if we all go in at once. Chase and I will follow after you guys.” She held up her cellphone. “But, we should all turn on tracking so we can keep tabs on each other.”

They all nodded, setting down their devices, before turning to the building.

“Let’s go.”

They ran towards the building, keeping low when they noted the cameras. They quickly got out of the range, moving between them.

“One… two…”

POP!

One camera was taken out. Chase aimed his BB gun at another, firing again as it was broken.

Skyler climbed up onto a ledge, swinging her bat as hard as she could, crumpling them in place, knocking them loose.

While they were dispatching the cameras, Eiji and Lucian slipped into the tunnel that the runoff came out of. As suspected, there was a ledge to walk along, albeit very small. 

With backs pressed to the wall, they pressed onward, sliding along carefully.

Eiji had muted the ghost box’s voice but still kept it on to see the text that would pop up.

“Dark tank, room of death.”

Room of death, huh?

“Eiji.” Lucian hissed, pointing above them.

A camera was slowly swiveling towards them. The men jumped across the stream of water, pressing against the opposite wall.

There was a spark as the camera was torn right out of the wall and dropped into the water. An orb flew by their heads at that moment as another camera further down was thrown against the wall.

“Thank you.” Eiji whispered.

They kept moving onward, huddled against the wall. Every now and then there was an orb that would move near them, almost beckoning them.

Chase and Skyler should be heading down this way any minute. 

Eiji and Lucian soon made it to the end of the runoff, finding an “EMPLOYEES ONLY” door.

“So, how bad you think it’s gonna be in there?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, it’s not gonna be THAT easy right?”

“Let’s not even speculate that.”

Eiji went to open the door, only for it to be wrenched open for him.

“I guess it’s that easy.” Lucian remarked, not even phased.

A gust of wind rushed them, a faint hiss in the air. The hallway before them was illuminated as a shadowy image formed on the floor…

The image of a woman with long hair that flowed in the wind created by her spirit.

Aika….

Eiji swallowed hard as the shadow began to move down the hall, a tendril like arm beckoning them.

“No… wait-”

“We’re here.”

Lucian and Eiji had to clamp their hands over their mouths to keep from crying out. Lucian whirled around, lightly smacking Chase on the shoulder.

“Idiot!” He hissed. “Don’t scare us like that!”

Chase grimaced.

“Well, sorry! We didn’t wanna get left behind!” He hissed back.

Eiji held up a hand, signaling for silence. The shadow was still moving, beckoning them.

Another gust of wind behind the team sealed the door shut. Sealing them in for now.

This is where it gets real.

Just please, be alive.

The hallway was dimly lit by flickering bulbs above them as they moved. Twisting and turning until the shadow lead them to another door.

Eiji took a deep breath before pushing it open. The team braced themselves to be mobbed by guards or what have you…

Instead, they found themselves in another hallway.

Bracing themselves, they made their way down. Old posters from the past hung on the walls, faded from age, almost like ghosts themselves.

Eiji nodded towards an entrance where light was coming from as they kept close to the wall.

He peered around the corner, taking note that they must have been near what used to be the infirmary for the animals that used to live here…

Instead, it resembled a morgue now, complete with lockers.

Room of death huh?

Two shadows appeared this time, on either side of the room, twitching and shifting in shape. Their forms taking on a more fish like appearance, long tails curling along the walls.

… This is where it happened.

“This is where they were killed. It has to be.” He whispered. 

Lucian snapped a picture with his phone, knowing they’d have to give this to the police later.

“Let’s make sure we keep up recording what we can eh?”

“Right.”

Click, clack.

The four jumped, looking down the hall. They could hear footsteps, slowly coming their way.

“...Frick.”

There was no choice was there? Even if they didn’t want to, they had to scramble. Skyler and Eiji ducked into a supply closet in the morgue, while Chase and Lucian darted back to behind a wall near the entrance they had come in.

It was foolish but they didn’t want to set off any alarms yet.

The footsteps were growing closer to the morgue, the shadows disappearing as they did.

Please, don’t need anything from here. Please.

My circle of protection, only that which is in the light can enter. You cannot see us, you cannot see us.

Skyler lifted up her cellphone, turning on the camera, setting it to record once the footsteps reached the room. They could hear whoever it was moving around.

“Let’s see… Ah, the samples from the female. Perfect. Ah, pity we couldn’t observe her more, but the autopsy was very telling.”

Skyler and Eiji exchanged a disgusted look. He opened the door, just a crack to see who they were dealing with.

They were a woman, in their 40’s if he had to guess, wearing a smock to cover them as they jotted down notes on a clipboard. Their dark, hair was tied back in a bun, red nails catching the overhead light. 

She moved across the room to the morgue locker.

“Let’s see… Today, we’re doing the male. Comparing his cells, to the juvenile.”

Skyler held up her bat, Eiji shook his head. 

Let me smash. She mouthed.

Eiji turned his attention back to her as Skyler held her up her phone to capture what was happening.

They both had to turn away as the morgue locker was opened. Skyler may have been recording, but neither wanted to see Daisuke’s corpse.

She’s sick… This is sick…. We gotta get outta here.

It was closed after a few minutes. Skyler and Eiji pulled back before they could be spotted as Skyler turned off the camera.

She narrowed her eyes, holding up the bat one more time.

“Wait.” He whispered so faintly that only she could hear. “We can’t.”

Even if he really wanted to. Oh, he was very tempted to let her go ham on this person.

But, we can’t go to jail either for assault. 

He watched, noting her back was to them. He slowly slid the door open as they made their way out, back to the hall.

“Eiji.” Chase hissed as they spotted their teammates standing near another doorway.

“How much did you get?” Lucian whispered as they huddled against the wall.

“... Stuff we shouldn’t have on camera but it’s enough damning evidence.” Skyler whispered.

Lucian shook his head.

We’re all either gonna need therapy or booze after this. Probably both.

“Let’s keep moving.”

There were no more concrete hallways with one off rooms from here. They entered what used to be the largest room in the aquarium.

They all remembered the signs and advertisements from back then. 

I remember way back when it was Geistville’s hidden secret that they had a Great White on display here with no issues.

No one questioned when coven members worked here. Especially Predator Born like the twins…

The tank itself stretched across a 50 foot radius, taking up the majority of the room. Once upon a time, it held one of the most majestic predators of the sea. 

It didn’t appear to be in use… At least, at this time. They noted it was set up more inside like an enrichment area for something to learn from… or someone.

Hikaru. 

Taking note of it, Eiji took another look, pressing his forehead against the glass.

“Are you here? Aika? Daisuke?” He whispered.

No movement…. at least, of shadows. He could see a faint movement far against the wall. He could barely see. It wasn’t an issue when the Great White was the only thing in the tank. Everyone saw it clear as day, swimming about…

That’s him. 

“We gotta get access to that tank.”  Eiji pointed to where he was looking, the others following suit. 

There was no mistaking it. The small form huddled against the wall… was a predator born merfolk. 

For a brief moment he was alone… then they saw them.

The shadowy forms of his parents, huddling around him in a protective ball.

“Hikaru…” He frowned, his heart breaking. “Please hang in there… Da-....I’m coming.” 

Lucian squeezed his shoulder.

“C’mon, let’s find the stairwell. They have to have a means to get in there.”

“Right. Skyler?”

“Already calling my buds at the department and filming.”

He grinned. So far, they had avoided detection, even found who they were looking for. 

But it can’t be that easy, can it?

He moved away from the tank, ready to find more… only to nearly ram into a person.

“Oof!”

“Hey! Watch it you dumb intern!” 

Eiji growled a bit as the man before him got up in his face. He was made very aware that they were not alone here.

“How about you watch your step, huh?” 

The scientist narrowed his eyes, looking him over. Eiji froze up a little, adjusting his glasses.

“... Which department do you work under?”

Eiji swallowed hard.

“My colleagues and I are…”

Lucian clapped him on the shoulder.

“Oi, Tadashi, you dummy, remember?” He laughed. “We’re with pathology!”

Tadashi? I thought I was… Oh, Lucian you are clever.

“Oh yeah? What are you doing here then?”

Lucian shoved Eiji aside a little.

“Don’t mind Tadashi, we’re all here for the same glorious purpose aren’t we? To prove to the world that we’ve finally made the discovery?”

The scientist studied him for a second before grinning.

“Very true.”

“Yes.” Lucian cleared his throat. “One of your associates sent me to get samples from the juvenile to compare to the deceased male.”

The scientist smirked.

“Being thorough. Of course Susan would send a full team to get a bit of flesh from the dorsal.”

Skyler hurried forward.

“That’s right! Do you know where we can get the sling to keep him still?”

… You all can’t be this smooth. They’re not gonna just let us get near him right?

“Hm… I’d have to get it from medical… Are you sure four of you can handle him? He’s a biter.”

“How hard would it be? He’s 14.” 

“You should’ve been on the boat.” He laughed. “We lost one but we had the three.”

Skyler had her bat behind her back, sliding it into her jacket, keeping behind Chase. The man had his back to them.

“I see… Shall we walk and talk? You three wait here.” Lucian gave Eiji a look as if asking permission.

He nodded.

“Yes… We’ll go over the goals for the biopsy.”

“Good, good.”

Once they were out of sight, they kept close to each other.

“Seriously, something is wrong with these people.” Chase whispered. 

Eiji looked around. There were only a few scientists milling about, heading to their respective departments.

“We’re not seeing the full picture. And I doubt we want to. We need to just play along.”

“And then I smash?” 

“Then you do whatever the heck you want.”

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #229 - Moana

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes, #465.

Format: Blu-ray

1) This film gets off to an already great start by sacrificing the classic Disney logo music for “Tulou Tagaloa" by Olivia Foa’i. It sets up the feel of this film VERY well before we even see any of the movie.

2) Prologue

The prologue establishes a number of things strongly: the oceanic setting of this world, Maui’s character, all necessary backstory before we get into the meat of the movie, and the voice of Rachel House as Grandma. All in all it’s a great start to a great film.

3) Our first encounter with the ocean as a character shows off an early taste of the film’s wonderfully creative visuals. Also baby Moana is a cutie.

4) “Where You Are”

This is a really great intro to the film’s original soundtrack, one which holds up against classic Disney musicals such as The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. It works in the story because we get a clear sense of the environment which is Motunui. We understand what these people care about, what life on the island is like for them and for Moana. But more than that, we clearly see where Moana’s heart is: both home on her island and on the ocean. All in all, “Where You Are” is a marvelous opening number.

5) Auli’i Cravalho as Moana.

When you do a film with a title character, the stronger they are the better. Because it’s THEIR story, it’s THEIR movie. From when we first meet Moana as a baby we understand who she is, that she’s unique. She delights in her grandmother’s stories of monsters whereas other children freak out. She wanders to the water but choses to protect a baby turtle from harm first. But more than that, Moana’s internal conflict is wonderfully rich and unique. It’s not as simple as, say, Belle from Beauty and the Beast. It’s not that she just longs to get away from her island. She LOVES her island, but she loves the sea as well. She feels to feed one is to deny the other. To stay home is to ignore the ocean and to be on the ocean is to ignore home. It is this conflict, mixed with Moana’s incredible wit and charm, that makes Moana so interesting.

Auli’i Cravalho was MADE for this part. I cannot imagine anyone else playing this part as well or better than Cravalho. She makes Moana jump to life. All those things that are on the page - her internal rich internal conflict, her humor, her intelligence, her doubts, her fears, her love, her sadness, all of it - is represented perfectly by the young actress. Moana would not be the same without Cravalho’s wonderful performance in both dialogue and song. She’s just perfect.

6) Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui.

Chief Tui is a wonderfully mixed character. You understand that he cares for his people and his daughter, but he’s a coward. The solution for the shortage of fish is obvious and simple: go past the reef. But HE’S scared, not only for himself but for others. And he lets this fear control him, denying his daughter who she is in the process. It’s frustrating but purposefully so. The movie establishes it, then moves past it quickly. Temuera Morrison is really great as Chief Tui, even if he isn’t in most of the movie. He’s just very enjoyable.

7) “How Far I’ll Go”

This song is a beautiful and perfect representation of Moana’s conflict as I discussed in note #5. I cannot begin to express how personally I relate to this song, because it represents a very relatable issue Moana is facing. She needs to figure out who she is, how she can remedy these two parts of herself. That’s just amazing and the song is such a beautiful composition, supported by Cravalho’s amazing vocals. It might very well be my favorite Disney song of this decade.

8) It’s important that Moana’s first time out on the ocean is such a devastating failure. It just makes her choice to go back OUT on the water later all the stronger.

9) Rachel House as Grandma.

I love Grandma.

Grandma [after Moana asks her if she’ll tell Chief Tui about going out on the water]: “I’m his mom. I don’t have to tell him anything.”

Grandma [after being asked why she’s being so weird]: “I’m the village crazy lady. That’s my job.”

Grandma [after Moana asks if there’s something she wants to tell her]: “Is there something you want to hear?”

The writing and House’s performance imbues Grandma with such an intense such of humor and heart she is able to transcend the stereotypical “wise leader” trope. She’s a little off, not straight forward, and that’s what makes her so wonderful.

10) It is worth noting that the score for this film can be as important as the original songs, especially when it incorporates culturally appropriate music. It helps create a sense of place, a sense of character not only to Moana but to the film as a whole. It’s really strong.

11) “We Know The Way”

This is my favorite number in the entire film. I love “How Far I’ll Go” with all my heart but the sense of adventure and exploration this song captures is amazing. The vocals provided by Lin-Manuel Miranda and others are incredible. I just love it. When those strings hit in at the very end it just melts my heart. I could listen to this song all day.

12) Moana’s goodbye with her grandmother has an incredible emotional effect on the audience. It’s such a sad moment as this was the only woman who supported who Moana was completely, but it propels her into her voyage and ads weight to that decision.

13) Hei Hei is played by Alan Tudyk, who has had a voice in every Disney Animation Studios film since Wreck-It Ralph. Not only that, but it’s a caricature of co-director John Musker. Meanwhile Pua works as a caricature of co-director Ron Clements. They put themselves into most if not all of their films (most notably Aladdin).

14) I am Moana.

Moana [after she wrecks her boat, to the ocean]: “Um, what!?”

Moana [still angry]: “Fish pee in you! All day!”

15) There is a nice, subtle sense of character to the ocean. It’s not just water but when it comes alive you get a sense of its playfulness, which is pretty nice. I like that the filmmakers made that choice.

16) Dwayne Johnson as Maui.

Much like Genie from Aladdin, Maui is the main scene stealer of the movie. He gets a nice amount of development, dealing with his own insecurities and problems which compliment Moana’s nicely (as opposed to just being a one note funny sidekick). Johnson is able to balance these insecurities and Maui’s ego nicely with a multifaceted and wildly fun performance.

17) “You’re Welcome”

Is Maui is this movie’s Genie then “You’re Welcome” is the equivalent of “Friend Like Me”. From a story standpoint it serves to set up just how big a deal Maui is, how powerful he can be through a laundry list of deeds he’s done. But more than that it’s just really freaking fun. Johnson does remarkably well in the number for someone who isn’t known as a singer, the 2D tapestry art is really cool, and there’s a Flounder cameo!

All in all, it’s just a great number.

18) I really do like the inclusion of Mini Maui and the 2D art he brings. All of Maui’s tattoos are hand drawn and I love that art form so it’s nice to see it come back in little ways.

19) There is a remarkably fun chemistry between Moana and Maui. Their banter, their moments of honesty and connection, they feel like brother and sister to me. That’s something I can really appreciate.

20) Kakamora.

The Kakamora attack is the strongest action sequence in the film. It’s fast pacing lends to a remarkably fun set piece which features strong choices from Moana in how she handles it. That, plus the Kakamora themselves are mischievously fun.

21) If this doesn’t speak to Moana’s internal conflict I don’t know what does.

Maui [about wave finding]: “Knowing where you are by knowing where you’ve been.”

22) I’m a sucker for self aware humor.

Maui [after Moana says she’s not a princess]: “If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess.”

I don’t know that every Disney princess movie these days though NEEDS the, “I’m not a princess,” line. I don’t mind it, it’s just starting to feel repetitive.

23) I did not expect Disney to make this joke.

Maui [laying down on the boat]: “If the current is warm, you’re going the right way.”

[Moana feels the water get warm, but because Maui peed in it.]

24) Maui, you freaking hypocrite.

Maui: “If you start singing, I’m going to throw up.”

25) The Realm of Monsters.

The Realm of Monsters has such incredibly unique and creative visuals, lending itself to a remarkably strong sense of place. But it’s not foreign or jarring. It can be different from everything else in the movie but feel like it belongs in the film. Also we get cameos from Frozen’s Marshmallow (his back is featured above) and Zootopia’s Flash.

26) Jemaine Clement as Tamatoa.

Tamatoa is the closest thing this film has to an antagonist (after the Te Kā twist) and while I think the consensus is he’s one of the films weaker elements I actually genuinely enjoy him. Clement is a wonderful performer, able to imbue all his performances with such a fun sense of humor. His voice was made for animation so feels wonderfully at home in the giant crab.

27) “Shiny”

I know “Shiny” gets crap for being the weakest song in the film, but you know what? I like it. I like it more with repeated viewings than the first time I watched it, but once you learn that Lin-Manuel Miranda refers to it as “Sebastian’s Revenge” (as crab singing about eating people instead of the other way around) it’s hard not to like it. Clement’s vocals support it wonderfully, and while the pacing is thrown off in the middle by Maui’s reclaiming of his fishhook the song gets its groove back. Particularly when Tamatoa starts singing about Maui’s abandonment it has a nice tragic sense to it. That on it’s own is really nice.

28) This line makes me laugh every time.

Tamatoa: “You can’t run from me! Oh you can. You keep surprising me!”

29) Maui trying to be sincere with Moana after escaping from Tamatoa is a very nice moment for him and Johnson plays it well, even if it does lend itself to humor with the shark head gag.

30) Remember Moana’s conflict is that she can’t make peace with the two halves of her: the half that loves her home and the half that loves the sea. Which leads to her not knowing who she is or why the ocean picks her.

Moana: “You want to tell me I don’t know what I’m doing? I know I don’t. I have no idea why the ocean chose me.”

31) Maui’s backstory (of being rejected by his human parents) packs a considerable punch to it. That feeling of rejection and betrayal from those you love, who were supposed to take care of you, is an all too human emotion. It helps develop him, helps develop his issues of self-worth (similar to Moana’s) and explain his insecurities.

32) Similar to Moana’s failed first attempt at sailing, the fact that the first encounter with Te Kā is important. It means her decision to return is even greater.

33) Remember how I mentioned Maui’s insecurities?

Maui [after his hook was damaged in a fight]: “Without my hook I am nothing!”

34) Maui NEEDS to leave for Moana’s big emotional climax, for her resolution of her internal conflict. Because it’s not about him. We don’t need to see him resolve his issues, this isn’t his movie. The only person who can resolve that issue is Moana.

35) I LOVE "I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)”. I always tear up and it gives me goosebumps. It’s so beautiful and visually just wonderful.

36) I’m just going to leave this here.

(Image taken from a post by @awkwardmoanascreencaps)

37) “Know Who You Are”

I LOVE this. It’s so beautiful from a storytelling standpoint, a musical standpoint, and a visual standpoint. It packs a considerable punch and I love the fact a woman is healing another woman from serious trauma caused by a man. I just love it so much.

38) More guys need to be like Maui.

Maui: “What I did was wrong. I have no excuse. I’m sorry.”

39) Moana returning home, being accepted for who she is and accepting herself for who she is, serves as a beautiful and fitting ending to this film. She not only has figured out who she is but has reminded her people they’re voyagers. That’s why the reprise of “We Know The Way” is fitting. They all know who they are now.

40) Hey, there’s a post credits scene!

I LOVE Moana. With all my heart. I relate so personally to its themes and story, while the film is just so well done. It’s an instant Disney classic with all the hallmarks: great characters with great voice actors, incredible visuals, and amazing music. It’s just really freaking good and if you haven’t seen it yet you should.

[myaekingheart]

So I know I say this all the time but I think last night my dreams reached peak weird.

The first dream was that my boyfriend, a couple of my friends, and myself were all at me and my boyfriend's apartment (or some version of it) having what appeared to be some kind of sleepover? I don't distinctly remember who all was there except for this one girl I was friends with senior year and obviously my best friend. For some reason we were all wearing only t-shirts and underwear. But anyways, so we were at my place and there was this lizard. Just a typical little gecko like the kind that always get in your house in Florida. Or at least he looked typical for the most part. The only difference was that he had this flap of skin in his armpit region like how flying squirrels have that flap of skin. And the lizard starts fucking flying around the house. The only really distinct image I have leftover from this dream is a birds-eye view of my friends and I all huddled in the corner of the room screaming and freaking out as this lizard is circling us overhead like some kind of vulture.

The second dream was perhaps the most bizarre, unexpected, and dare I say unsettling? I was at my grandma's house and we were all settling into her fancy dining room for dinner. It would've been just any other ordinary event dinner at her place if it hadn't been for one very out of place guest: the dad of one of my childhood friends. Let the records show that I did have a slight crush on this guy when I was a kid. He was a young dad, I think his daughter, my friend, was the product of a teenage pregnancy or something, and I remember he worked at a grocery store. I don't know if he still does but either way, whatever. He was at dinner and he sat next to me and for some reason I feel like I remember him lowkey flirting with me? Like the fuck? It was the weirdest fucking shit, I have absolutely no idea where it came from.

The third dream, in contrast, was the best of them all just because of the sheer awesomeness of the subject matter. I was in what I want to say was some sort of spring even though it was lined with big rocks like some sort of ambient pool. The water was clear blue and the sun was bright but not blinding and the whole thing was so cool and refreshing. I was wearing my mermaid tail and was among a group of other girls in mermaid tails, so think Weeki Wachee Springs. There was another woman, there, as well, in a red t-shirt or speedo or something red with a baseball cap and a whistle-- she was obviously a lifeguard. The best part, though, was the fact that there were FUCKING DOLPHINS in this spring. And they were super sociable and friendly. I remember two of them swimming right past me so close I could touch them. So basically the entire of the dream was me just hanging out in a mermaid tail with a bunch of other mermaids in this spring filled with dolphins. Best. Dream. Ever.