GB   Eeek!!!!

GB   Who's there?! Show yourself!

Your wild, random swings seem to land. Good thing you took self-defense classes!

??   i was - if you would permit me to -

GB   I'm warning you! I've got thorns!!

??   the hitting is unncessary, i have no intention on -

??   gabrielle, i must insist -

GB   What??

GB   Wait... huh?

You reach for the theater's light switch; then, all is illuminated.

GB   I-It's you!

GB   Goodness, you... you nearly made my heart jump out!

CO   i would catch it.

GB   ...

CO   i would.

GB   Corona, what are you doing here?

They smile as peacefully as ever.

CO   i understand this is the room of film.

CO   you seem to be using it at the moment.

CO   if its alright, i would like to observe the goings-on.

GB   Observe?

GB   I, um, I suppose that's alright.

GB   I didn't think you'd be interested. With all your... research.

CO   observing humanity is paramount to my research.

CO   i have yet to dabble in this... audio-visual media.

Yes, you remember them mentioning something like that in their long-winded, passionate rambles. Like most, you tend to tune them out, since they seem content speaking more than being heard. However, you feel a lingering sympathy for them. Maybe company's all they need.

GB   What movies do you like?

CO   movies?

GB   Have you... seen a movie?

CO   no.

GB   Wow.

GB   That's... so sad.

GB   Movies are... they're so wonderful.

You wonder what kind of life one lives to become someone like Corona. But it's impolite to pry.

GB   I suppose, then...

GB   It's my responsibility to guide you.

Feeling a sudden burst of energy, you race over to the projection room. No time to feel bad when an opportunity's been handed to you!

GB   You've come to the right place. And the right person.

GB   I can talk your ear off about anything film-related.

CO   you have my utmost gratitude.

You glance back to see them following right behind you.

GB   It's no problem.

GB   Truth be told, it's kind of exciting playing a senior role!

GB   Just call me a film professor.

CO   i have no device upon which to call them.

GB   Oh, nevermind.

GB   By the by, how did you know I was going to be in here?

CO   through our peers, of course.

CO   you mentioned having an interest in a night of movies.

GB   I suppose I did.

GB   But it hasn't officially started, yet.

GB   I didn't create a schedule or anything.

CO   you didnt have to.

GB   ...

GB   Okay!

You kneel down and rifle through the vast library of physical media. Of course, The Program has a digital library as well, but if you're going to have a theater all to yourself, you'd rather immerse yourself in the experience.

GB   I was going to put on something just to test the projector.

GB   But, since you're here...

GB   I'll put away the CB quadrilogy for now.

CO   cee-bee?

GB   Cult Bloodshed!

They kneel down beside you, picking up a reel as if it were a live specimen.

CO   an intriguing title.

GB   It's a pretty graphic series, but it has things to say!

GB   And the practical effects are really impressive.

GB   So, it ended up being guilty pleasure for me.

GB   Oh, but that's just my taste.

GB   You'd probably want to watch a documentary or something, right?

GB   Something informational and science-y.

CO   hm.

CO   would 'cult bloodshed' not document reality?

GB   Umm...

GB   In an artistic way, I guess. I could go into it, but...

GB   That's a whole different conversation.

GB   The point is, people tend to get a bit squeamish, and it's your first movie!

GB   I don't want you to get overwhelmed. Or scared.

CO   ah, i see.

CO   you underestimate my tolerance.

Their laugh is soft and strangely bemused. You hope you didn't sound too condescending.

GB   Oh no, I didn't mean it personally!

GB   It just takes some time to get desensitized to the genre.

GB   My brother tried watching one with me, and he passed out during Act 1.

CO   i assure you that i will remain conscious.

CO   though a documentary seems intriguing, i would rather watch your...

CO   hm.

CO   the one you mentioned.

GB   Cult Bloodshed?

CO   yes.

GB   Okay, then...

GB   How about we start with something more entry-level, instead?

GB   If you can handle it, we can grow from there.

You pick through some older, more classic films. Goodness, there are even some black-and-white pictures. Maybe you should have a movie night. It would help put people's minds off of... everything.

Corona's gotten braver, as they're rummaging through the films now, too. You wonder what they're seeing. Maybe to them, they look like artifacts of a foreign culture.

CO   you speak as if it is a test of stamina.

CO   is this not for entertainment? not for handling like a wild animal?

GB   Some movies are like that. Horror, especially.

GB   But seeing what you can stomache can be fun.

GB   There's already so much that scares us in our everyday lives.

GB   This is a... fun-scary. Temporary scary.

GB   It's not like we can defeat monsters in real life, right?

GB   So, the better I can handle things in here...

The more you'll grow for the world out there.

CO   i see.

CO   by engaging in the hypothetical, you prepare for the real.

CO   so, what is meant to be overcome in the bloodshed movie?

GB   Umm... that's a tough one.

GB   Mob mentality?

GB   Excessive devotion?

GB   Human weakness and psychological vulnerability?

CO   hm.

CO   none of those sound like something you can kill.

GB   Oh, there are definitely killable evils in those movies.

GB   But, sometimes, you learn to overcome the abstract rather than a physical thing.

GB   The feeling of being scared in general.

CO   hm hm.

CO   do you scare easily?

You can't help but laugh.

GB   Oh, I was afraid of everything when I was younger!

GB   Always freezing up, hoping it'd go away or disappear.

GB   I never knew what to do.

GB   And maybe it looks cute when you're a kid, but it felt awful.

GB   You just feel so... weak.

GB   So, I tried getting over it through horror.

GB   And... it helped!

GB   I'm a lot better at handling sudden things now.

GB   Like, um, when people say things I don't expect.

CO   indeed.

CO   you must be quite strong, then, if your experience is to be believed.

That's kind of them to say. But it's not true. You've got so far to go to be who you need to be.