[text/action] Don't you know everyone wants to laugh?

[hamburellakind]

[John lucked out. He didn't get hurt during the event, and the people he cared about who did were, at least, not on their last death. He's aware that's a pretty thin definition of "lucky", but, well. He's in a somewhat better place than some of the others around, so.

Maybe it's his job to cheer everybody up.]

hey guys!
so i thought we might be in the need of some entertainment.
just some cheesy, funny stuff.
like movies!
dumb ones and good ones but all funny ones and i am marathoning them all day so if you guys are up for it just head on over!
i have a sheet hung up and a projector and GHOSTBUSTERS i mean can you go wrong?
(i have other movies too. it is not just a ghostbusters after ghostbusters after ghostbusters marathon even if i have maybe done this once or twice.)
i made some popcorn and stuff too so just come for food if you want!
i don't care. let's just laugh for a while, okay?

[And with that he bounds off to get more stacks of DVDs and bags of popcorn ready.]

Comments

[hamburellakind]

[...............................

John stares blankly. Well, not blankly. He's sort of vaguely smiling, the way he might when he senses his dad is about to prank him and he's waiting for the other shoe to drop. But nothing comes after that statement. He just. Is Peter Pan.

He's also really oddly okay with the idea of being fictional? Or maybe he thinks he's real and the stories are just, like, rumors, or-- well, yeah, okay, he gets that. But wanting to see the movie? That's--]

Are you sure?

[Wait, no, he didn't say the rest of that out loud. He shakes his head, clears his throat. Clarification needed.]

I mean, are you sure you want to watch the movie? It might be kind of...weird. For you. I mean, the cartoon makes you, like, a lot younger, I think.

[Luckily this is an old Disney movie and the credits at the beginning are still running. If Peter Pan (Peter Pan) changes his mind, John can still take the disc out, no harm done.]

[boyhood]

<sub>[John is lucky he's not boring and that he catches himself before letting the connotation of that question stand. Peter's used to having the weight of his reputation--his true reputation--attached to his name in some circles. Being constantly questioned on his identity in this one tiny place gets old.

How does Pan prove he is who he says he is? By doing what Pan does best: playing very dangerous games. He's always up for a bit of sport, but then they'd have to run the whole gauntlet of figuring out John's skill set and tailoring something suited to challenging him on every moral level; it's a lot of work for an afternoon when he just wants to hear more about himself, not psychologically unravel someone else.]</sub>

Cartoon? Is that the movie?

<sub>[Before anyone asks, Peter basically has been living under a rock--a rock that exists in a faraway land where they don't have cartoons. He needs assistance with the terminology.

Answering is far easier. Peter smiles, unperturbed.]</sub>

Better younger than older. But it wouldn't be a very good likeness of me if Pan hasn't been around for a long time already. _{[The whole point of never aging is that he's older than he looks.]} I'm sure. If this is how most of you see me, I should understand it.

[hamburellakind]

[John exhales, surprised at how relieved he is.]

Yeah, uh, cartoon just means it's made of drawings. You'll see.

[He scratches at his neck, glancing away. Peter seems cool with this, but. But he just. He's curious.]

It doesn't bother you to be...just a story to some people?

[boyhood]

I suppose I will.

<sub>[And he's already glad he came. He's getting to see how interesting John is up close--interesting children are always a pleasure.

Taking this as invitation, Peter steps into the room and begins to look around, having no compunction about snooping. He answers without looking back, almost offhand in his demeanor.]</sub>

People keep asking me similar questions. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Meeting someone you only believed to be part of a story is stranger for those people than it is for me to be... well, me. The stories change nothing about who I am. In fact, if you ask my opinion,having rumors spread about you is a bit flattering. _{[Turning to face John, his tone lifts questioningly.]} What about you? Tell me, is it weird for you, meeting me in person?

[hamburellakind]

[John settles on a cushion in front of the screen, indicating that Peter can do the same if he wishes.]

Hmm. I guess I'm sort of used to it by now? I mean. Usually the people who show up here aren't so famous, though. Or, like, I know where they come from, but not them. So this is different, definitely.

I guess it's probably better to think of it as rumors. I keep thinking about how your hair "should" be red which is silly, since, y'know. You're the original, right?

[boyhood]

And? Are you amazed to meet someone you thought wasn't real? Or are you a believer that every story has some truth to it?

<sub>[Only after a prolonged moment does Peter choose to come stand beside John's seat. Slowly, he folds his tall body down to sit cross-legged. Interesting set-up they have here, certainly...

He smiles at the other boy.]</sub>

Right. Some rumors are true, some aren't.

_{[And red hair would clash so badly with a green tunic...]}

[hamburellakind]

[John turns to watch the movie as it starts up, chewing his lip as he thinks over that question. He certainly enjoyed pretending movies were real. Getting caught up in the drama of Con Air made it more fun. But now that he's here and he's kept meeting people out of stories he'd deep down considered only to be stories...]

Is there a word for amazed-and-kind-of-freaked-out? Because. I think that's what fits.

[boyhood]

I'm sure there is.

_{[Instead of watching John and keeping the television in the corner of his eye, he switches, putting John in the periphery of his vision instead. He continues to answer John's earlier question, amused.]}

There's no reason to at all to be bothered. Stories are told about the people who choose to make their own.