chosehumanity: (mitchell: best stories)
chosehumanity ([personal profile] chosehumanity) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2010-01-04 05:08 am
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Horror 101, Monday

Mitchell waited until everyone piled into the classroom before he began to speak. He was sitting on top of his couch again, with the class supplied with comfortable seats of their own. He always prefered things homey.

He scraped his throat. "I've got this friend," he started. "He says the human condition, human nature, being human, is to be cold and alone. Like someone lost in the woods." He leaned his hands on the surface of the couch and flashed the class a smile. "It's safe to say he's a 'glass-is-half-empty' kind of guy."

He toyed with his own fingers. "I see things differently," he said, "I've always seen the world as full of beautiful things - and unspeakable things. One tends to be the flipside of another." The corner of his mouth tugged up. "What does that have to do with horror? Everything. Horror film as a genre is a reflection of the world through the lens of our own fears, rubbing away at what's real and what's not to uncover the ferocious elegance underneath." He was in a mood to wax poetic today, that much was obvious.

"At least, if you've got a good one. There's more than a bit of shit in any genre if you're not paying attention. And especially in a place like this, you've always got to wonder what's a metaphor, and what's real - where the fiction ends and reality begins. As a rule, though, we reflect our own fears, needs and wants onto the dark. Horror is not about being scared or frightened. It's about finding new places in yourself."

He picked up his cup of coffee. "This is the first day, so we'll be doing introductions. I hope you have your speech ready, because you'll find yourself doing a lot of them this week. I want names and classes, of course, but that's not really the interesting part. What I really want to know is one thing you're afraid of, and one thing you hope to be. That doesn't have to be anything dark or secretive, I don't want you to reveal anything you don't feel like. Just whatever comes to mind."

Beat.

"Speaking of which, if anyone here wants to be a teacher's assistant, there's free coffee and you get to make fun of everyone else."

[[ ocd up! have at ]]
vanillajello: (Talking.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-01-04 06:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Kate had one more thing before she left.

”Hey, Jason Stackhouse is supposed to be in this class, right? I saw him on Saturday, and he was sick then, so I’m guessing he still is.” Kate had had to check on Jason. He hadn’t shown up to be suggestive at her even though it was a mass school event; it had been worrying.

”Thought you should know.”
vanillajello: (All amused at you.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-01-04 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Kate looked a little amused. As she often did. "I could also tell you what I think he's afraid of, but I think I've messed with him enough as it is."
vanillajello: (Smiling sideways.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-01-04 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"Man, if you knew what kind of shit went down in my life over the break, you wouldn't find it that strange," Kate remarked. "I'm not above giving people a break."
vanillajello: (Smiling.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-01-04 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"You don't want to know. Seriously. You'd mock me for most of it." She flashed him a light, 'I'm fine' sort of grin.

After a pause, she added, "Well, I can tell you I had a complete bitchfit at my ex, and it was awesome."
vanillajello: (Calm and looking at you.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-01-04 06:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"A lot. He was a pretty lousy boyfriend. And it only took me about six months after we broke up to figure that out. Go me." Oh, sarcasm.

And that other bit? She wasn't touching that. Because he kind of had a point.
vanillajello: (Smiling and looking down.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-01-04 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mitchell, I don't drunk-dial people, and I'm hurt you'd even suggest that." So very hurt. With the chuckling and all. "No, I ran into him out of the blue at the mall."
vanillajello: (All amused at you.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-01-04 07:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Kate smirked. "It's not that exciting. There was a lot of really fake sweetness from him and a lot of... rage from me."
vanillajello: (Hah!)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-01-04 07:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"Of course you wouldn't." Even Kate found that funny, yes. "At least there was a bigger audience, this time. Last days of Christmas shopping and everything."
vanillajello: (Smiling and looking away from you.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-01-04 09:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"If there's any justice in the world, yes."