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]

Loki isn't paying attention to who he's addressing. Mostly he's just venting, really, though he'll listen to suggestions happily. He starts slightly at the thump of Thor sitting beside him, blinks at him, then grins wide and bright. Yes, he's happy to see him, but really it's the orange leaf behind the ear that's got him so amused. That's just cute. He's going to make a point of not reminding him about his run-in with Hazel lest it discourage his festive mood.

"Apparently the film is some sort of cult classic," he says with a sigh. "You know how Midgardian pop culture is. Something being ridiculous and ill-conceived makes it ironically popular. There are decorations and costumes based off the characters. That, and there are other scary-clown movies."

Thank goodness poor Eindrid didn't see It.

[pirateangelbaby]

For as many consecutive years now as Thor has lived on Earth, some of the quirks of humanity still take him by surprise. Killer clowns, apparently, are one of them. The crease between his eyebrows deepens slightly but he nods. "The public's interest changes by the moment, too. Maybe next year there won't be so many."

Which is. Not exactly helpful, he knows. A year is little to an Asgardian, but to a child, it's not as though they've had centuries of learning patience just yet. If Eindrid feels left out, it's not going to bring any more peace to Loki's house.

He shrugs, setting the basket down on the bench to his other side, and casually offers his brother a small handful of blueberries. The arctic growing season is short, which means they're fairly tiny, but intensely sweet compared to those grown in warmer climes. "Does he have to do the shopping part?"