Movie Mingle

[musicdied]

Who: Yelena and anyone who wants to show up
When: Evening on August 5th
Where: ADI apartment grounds
Summary: Yelena has procured a projector and a copy of Jurassic Park. Everyone's invited.
Warnings: None at the outset; please add any applicable warnings to your subject lines.


The invitation that goes out on Monday night is simple:

un: jelica

Jurassic Park showing outside housing Block C this Friday. Movie starts at 8:30pm. Chips, popcorn, soda, blankets provided. Feel free to bring alternate snacks and seating if desired.

Before
The benefit to showing a movie outside, projected against an apartment wall, is that there's only so much set-up required. A few folding tables holding large bowls of chips and popcorn, a couple of coolers for soda and whatever people bring with them, some large blankets spread on the lawn, and everything's just about ready. Yelena - and whoever's volunteered or been drafted to help - has everything ready to go an hour ahead of the movie's start time.

There's plenty of time to chat with old colleagues and new acquaintances.

During
There is still a strip of light at the edge of the horizon when the movie starts, but on the eastern face of the building, it's dark enough for the scene to play out clearly against the large white canvas that has been suspended from the rooftop, weighted so that it doesn't stir in the breeze and disrupt the picture. It is not - quite - the full drive-in experience; there is no stretch of windshield and hood to make the moment when scaled predators jump onto one of the vehicles all the more immersive.

The sound is up loud enough to cover some chatter, but talking too loud still risks getting popcorn thrown at one's head.

After
The movie ends ahead of curfew, enough so that there is a little time for those who've opted to live off campus to chat, or help with clean-up, before saying their goodbyes and slipping out before the gates lock for the night. Or to arrange a place to crash for the night, if they want to linger longer. It's a lovely night, and there probably aren't any actual rogue dinosaurs about.

Probably.


(ooc: Party-style log for group movie night! Tag amongst yourselves!)

Comments

it's ok! <3

[lowficharm]

All of Jon's reasons for not being here are precisely the reasons for Martin to come- and to drag the other man along. He needs a break pretty much always, and more than that he needs to know these people. There has to be a world worth fighting for.

Jon's response makes him giggle though, allowing him as much popcorn as he'd like. "Okay, okay, I never know with you sometimes!" But it's also nice to find out, the normal way. "It's been a while but I'm pretty sure I remember the important bits."

A thought strikes him, and he leans in a bit closer. "D'you think it'll be the same? Movie, I mean. This world seems, uh, lots like ours, but-- what if its different?"

Re: it's ok! <3

[the_archivist]

"I really wasn't that different to anyone else as an eight year old," Jon says, "apart from being a deeply annoying child." Alright, maybe most eight year olds don't just read literally anything put in front of them, and don't have massive trauma regarding spiders but... close enough.

Now that is an interesting thought. "Maybe the paleontology here is more advanced and they give the dinosaurs feathers here."

[lowficharm]

"Lots of eight year olds are annoying. I'm sure you were fine." Surely he must have been awful too, with the way his mother used to snap at him, so he figures parents (or caretakers) all get mad at their children sometimes. Besides, lots of kids have trauma. Just not... theirs, particularly.

The idea makes Martin smile though, doing an excited little bounce where he sits. "Ooooh, that would be so cool! What if the ending is different! Or, or they don't have the banner shot, or-- there's a lot of possibilities, right? Not that it would, uh, b-be bad if it was the same or anything."

[the_archivist]

"My grandmother would have disagreed with you," he says. And she's the one who had mattered then. God it's weird to think back to that time. So much has happened since then. It all feels so distant.

He can't help but smile fondly when Martin bounces in his seat. It's adorable honestly. It's nice to see him so happy.

"Maybe! What if the actors are different?"

[lowficharm]

Being a kid at this point doesn't feel real. The him that was a kid, unaware of what happened between his parents, still when he didn't look enough like his father to be despised... it's another world. Another life. Another person. But he won't dwell on that now, not when there's more fun things to think about.

"That could be so fun! But ooh, I hope Jeff Goldblum is still there. He really adds a lot to the, uh... performance." Yes, performance. Sure, Martin. He's just secretly hoping the man is still shirtless at some point in the film, because he's nothing if not a little predictable.

[the_archivist]

The child that he was feels very distant to Jon too, though it had all started there. Not destiny, not intention, just his life-long string of bad luck.

He smiles at Martin's completely transparent interest in Jeff Goldblum's 'performance'. "Hmmm, Of course. I'm sure it's positively Oscar-worthy," he teases.

[lowficharm]

Martin can't help the little blush on his cheeks, the way his face scrunches up a bit. "It's-- he's iconic! You can't tell me you don't know exactly what scene I'm talking about." He nudges Jon in the middle, teasing but playful. "Unless you were too busy studying all the dinosaur facts. Which are also pretty cool."

[the_archivist]

"I did like the dinosaur facts, but yes, I know which scene you mean," Jon says with an amused sigh. "It just didn't really do anything for me. I mainly wondered why someone hadn't found him a spare shirt to wear during that time."

[lowficharm]

The admission makes Martin giggle a bit, because-- well, of course. It's just so... Jon, and he loves it.

"Well, don't imagine there was a lot of spare clothes just hanging around. And he was injured, you know, what if-- what if it hurt the injury or something?" He's still grinning, and then the thought hits him. "Oh, oh my god, what if they do find him a shirt? What if this one everything's the same except that?"

[the_archivist]

"They had an entire gift shop, Martin!" Jon protests. "And theme parks always have a tonne of spare clothes lying around."

He has to laugh at Martin's realisation. "A whole world set up to deny you, specifically, the sight of Jeff Goldblum shirtless."

[lowficharm]

"It wasn't open yet! Maybe it wasn't stocked with the shirts and things, just the toys and, and all that." He's also laughing, the giggles bubbling up from his chest, partially from the joke and partially from seeing Jon so adorable.

"If that really happens though, you do have permission to laugh at me. God, no one will believe me if I ever told. It would be a nightmare. Of all the things I can't explain and it's that." He may never recover from this, what if he just laughs until he falls over, that seems appropriate.

[the_archivist]

"They still had shirts! You see it!" He's sure that you do, although admittedly it has been a long time since he saw the film.

It doesn't matter. It's good to see Martin smiling so much. He is lovely like this, and Jon adores him.

"What if it isn't even Jeff Goldblum?" Jon suggests. "Maybe he doesn't exist in this world."

[lowficharm]

Martin was absolutely about to shoot something back about how he was going to look very closely for t-shirts this go around, but Jon makes the suggestion that Jeff Goldblum doesn't exist and he makes the most scandalized gasp he's possibly ever made.

"No, it-- no, they couldn't! Don't even suggest that, how could-- this wouldn't even be Jurassic Park then. I won't accept it. People can question me however they want and I'd simply-- simply refuse!" Is he actually flustered about this? Maybe a little, actually! But he's still grinning in a signal to make sure Jon doesn't take it personally or think he ruined the mood.

[the_archivist]

He has to grin at Martin's absolute indignation at the very idea. He looks flushed and adorable. "Maybe instead of Jeff Goldblum there's..."

Oh god does he remember the name of literally any other actor or celebrity?

"There's Rick Astley in the role." Rick Astley is definitely something to do with pop culture, right?

[lowficharm]

Well, if Jon thinks Martin had any composure left, he's about to lose it. With a sputtered laugh, he's all but collapsed into his own chest, trying to hold it even a little bit together with very little success. He knows people are staring, but he can't bring himself to stop. Once upon a time he would've felt such shame for being so loud, taking up such space, but he simply can't care about it now. Not when he's here, with Jon, and he's so, so happy.

"You-- no, that's-- you just picked a name! You didn't even try and pick someone good for it, I, I know it!" That's it, he's leaning on Jon even if it knocks him over, it's all the revenge he has. "You come after your boyfriend with this!"

[the_archivist]

He looks lovely like this! So bright and happy, and Jon feels good for being the cause of that. He feels like so often, he has only been a source of pain, of worry. But now he's made Martin laugh so much.

He's grinning when Martin leans against him, pushing him backwards. "It would be the greatest Rickroll of all time, Martin," Jon says. "Just think about it!"

[lowficharm]

Martin isn't even paying attention at this point, he's just laughing as they both fall over on the blanket he's set out. Honestly, he can't stop laughing for a minute or so, just laying next to Jon in a tangle, one arm around him as he tries to catch his breath and turns his head to look at him.

"I love you. Even if you torment me with Rick Astley." It just feels like the right thing to say, the right thing to do here. "I'm... I'm so glad you're here."

[the_archivist]

Jon's smile is soft and extremely fond when he looks at Martin. "I love you too. I'm sure you can withstand a little torment of that variety," he says, and then leans in to kiss Martin's forehead. "I do not know what I would do without you here. Nothing good, I'm sure."

[lowficharm]

He grins so hard at the kiss he feels like his face might split, reveling in the tightness in his jaw that comes with the happiness. "I mean, I-- I could say the same. I need you. And, it... I know it might be bad. But it's nice to be needed too. By, uhm. Someone else."

[the_archivist]

"I do need you," Jon says. "And I think... after everything we've been through, we should be forgiven a little codependence."

Especially Martin. After the Lonely... why would Jon ever begrudge him not wanting to be alone?

[lowficharm]

Martin chuckles a moment, letting his shoulders shake even from their position on the ground. Right now, there's no one else but them, and that's perfect.

"I'm-- you know what? I'm never going to ask anybody's forgiveness for loving you. And, and I'm never going to be sorry for caring as much as I want, to, to anyone." He reaches a hand out to caress Jon's cheek, that gentle smile still on his face as he just looks at him in peace a few moments. "I'm so happy to be here with you. Even if this movie ends up really, really cursed."

[the_archivist]

Jon smiles back at him, a soft expression, almost adoring. He loves this man. He'd never expected it, and it is the best thing that has come out of the horrors they've endured.

"If it ends up being cursed, then I'm sure we can find more interesting things to do," Jon says. "I'm happy just sitting with you."

about wrapped?

[lowficharm]

He could look at him forever this way, and the smile he's returning is just as warm.

"Me too. C'mere--" He starts to sit up, but just enough so he can pull Jon in and they can get comfortable and see the screen. "I think it's starting."