On Age-Inappropriate Halloween Cinema

[coldsong]

Up and down the Plaza, stores appear to have broken out spooky season decor. Bats, pumpkins, ghosts made from what look suspiciously like upcycled shower curtains, spiders made of pipe-cleaners, etc. Some of the bakeries have cakes topped with fondant witch hats. Some have pumpkin spice everything. Loki is sitting on a bench with black coffee, defying pumpkin spice season in a way he usually does not. Something's on his mind.

"I have four children, and while you wouldn't know it upon conversing with them, they've been through a lot in the past few years. They've seen horrors that adults should never have to face, and for the most part they've recovered awfully well." There are still therapy sessions, and will be until the children age out of them, but aside from that, they're pretty normal.

"I am prefacing this question with that information to give you context. What in the name of all that's holy am I supposed to do with a child that's developed a sudden irrational terror of clowns?"

"My youngest was visiting a friend and somehow caught part of Killer Klowns from Outer Space. I wouldn't have played this movie for them, not because I'd anticipate him having this reaction, but because it looks ridiculous. They kill their victims by turning them into wads of cotton candy, for fuck's sake."

Sigh. "But the mind of a child sees things differently, and now poor Eindrid is so petrified of the damn things it's got the girls jumpy, too. It's going to be a problem if we go Halloween shopping because they're all over the place. I would welcome any suggestions...except for exposure therapy. I'm not doing that to my children."

Comments

[coldsong]

"Hmm... maybe. The uncanny valley makes both more and less sense when you come from a world with dozens of different humanoid species."

He looks thoughtfully at the man. "You're a professional makeup artist? That always sounded like fun to me." It's not a skill Loki needs, because he can shapeshift, but it's certainly one he can respect, the way a mage can respect someone extremely skilled at sleight of hand. It's fascinating to be able to perform illusions without magic.

"You know what he does love, is sea monsters. There is nothing oceanic that scares him in the least. I wonder if I could use that as a bridge to make him more comfortable with scary clowns."

[unholyterror]

"I don't think it matters or apes or other animals would make it not happen." He'd never met someone who didn't look human but it made sense that too close but not quite human would apply still no matter how many species there were.

"Yes, I'm specializing in horror props and prosthetics." Jake was proud of his work and it showed even if he was still new and had a lot more to learn.

Jake paused and tried to concentrate on his trips to the zoo. He often went there to get ideas for make up or body parts. "I think there is a batfish, or something, that looks like it has clown make up. The aquarium in Santa Monica has them."

He couldn't quite remember the name of the fish but he could probably draw it if he had paper.

[coldsong]

"Fair point. Evolution is bizarre."

"I think Sigrid, my older daughter, would be interested in your field of work. She's always been interested in the theater. Perhaps not horror so much as musicals and drama, but it's valuable to branch out."

A trip to the aquarium never goes wrong with Loki's kids, so his expression brightens at once. And then he facepalms. "And there are clownfish, as well. I'm an idiot. I can just have him watch Finding Nemo and go from there. Either he'll decide clowns aren't scary because clownfish are nice, or he'll sympathize with the barracuda that eats all of them in the beginning. Either way, problem solved."

[unholyterror]

"I don't just do horror but it's what I like most. I've made armor, puppets and a lot of other things while in school." Jake had tried not to pigeon-hole himself in one style even if his heart was set on horror and the aethetics, particularly vampires.

He hadn't thought of clownfish either since he was thinking of looks. "The fish I was thinking of has big red lips." But he supposed a clownfish was a good place to start as any.