Времени постить что-либо в дневнике совсем нету. Поэтому выложу то, что в черновиках недописанное лежало. :<
А подкинула я на форуме идею АУшки, где Алекса ещё в период съёмок раскрутили на признание, что его преследует криповое безликое нечто. Народ идею вроде как оценил, так что я потратила немного времени на примерный сюжетный набросок событий, развивающихся от этой точки.
тык"It would be really hard to make Alex spill the beans, because he would be all “Everything is great, mind your own business!” and trying to solve everything by himself.
But, may be, living in Brian’s house and having blood on his face would do the trick. It is hard to deny the existence of some problem, when you have goddamn blood on your face and are visibly shaken.
And Brian will be like: what is happening, pal?
And Alex will be like: it’s me dying apparently... I mean, nothing is happening. Just go to bed.
And Brian will be like: if only I could sleep with these headaches and paranoia Something is clearly happening, and keeping quiet is not exactly the best way to deal with things, you know. You can tell me now.
And then he does that trick with his brows, which he had already used on Tim during the audition, and Alex can’t resist anymore.
So he tells Brian about that creepy faceless guy and shows tapes. And Brian is, like, “Okaaaaaay…”
And also they tell Tim, because he shows all the symptoms of the Slender Sickness. “You could be in danger now!”
And Tim gets stiff and annoyed, and plays dumb, because he doesn’t want to speak about his childhood and be accused in everyone’s problems.
Alex tries to interrogate Jay about the same symptoms, but Jay clams up and denies everything. So Alex asks everyone to leave Jay out of the whole mess, because he still has a chance for normal, TO-less life. They exclude Jay from their circle without proper explanation. Alex even quarrels with him to hurt his feelings and to drive him away completely for his own sake. Jay is isolated and hurt, and quietly suffering from TO, and gradually descending into Skully state.
Three friends try to figure out what the hell this entity is and do some research, occasionally bickering and suffering from TO and the Slender Sickness. Tim secretly takes pills and is tormented by doubts and remorse. He feels that he should share the pills, but it would mean to tell everybody about TO in his childhood, and he is too afraid, though he feels that it could be his fault and it gnaws at him. Alex is bossing around, trying to control everything and everyone, and is at his snarkiest. He feels that everything is his fault too. Brian is trying to keep things together and to prevent conflicts, and also to figure what is wrong with Tim. Alex and Tim are arguing constantly, and it is Tim whose words are the most spiteful, because he has too much pressure and too poor social skills. Both of them do not really understand what a heavy burden they are putting upon Brian, who still tries to make things work in the most constructive way. Both of them strive to get Brian’s support against the other one, and Brian desperately tries to not side with anyone and to share the equal amount of attention between them, so no one would feel excluded.
And then appears that a weird person in skull-like mask is stalking them.
There are some heated discussions of the motives of this weird person and the actions that should be undertaken in this regard. They come to nothing. Everybody is exhausted, and stressed out, and then TO appears, and everything is just bad.
It gets even worse when Alex catches Tim taking his pills. He demands the explanation what the hell these are for. Because Tim is acting, you know, all suspicious. Tim, who is finally driven to the breaking point with his guilt, tells everything.
Bang! And here it is, the thing he has been afraid the most. Alex blames him, Tim goes all defensive-aggressive and in turn accuses Alex, because if not for his movie, everything would be fine and he would live a normal life. Brian tries to calm them down and suddenly everything is just his and only his fault, because Alex and Tim both agree, that if Brian hadn’t introduced them to each other, there would be no TO in their lives.
And everyone suffers and no one speaks to anyone, and everything is just downright horrible and devastating.
And then wild Skully appears and stirs things a bit.
Also he is not Skully anymore, because TO attention was drawn to the group of boys, and Jay somehow has come to consciousness.
But he is not exactly thriving in the gloomy and heavy atmosphere, though the attempts to figure out what is wrong with him and what makes him change into something not exactly human bring boys together a bit. Jay is afraid he is some kind of abomination that could be dangerous, and he is sick of losing control, and he is pretty depressed, but hides it and withdraws into himself. Alex and Brian are nice to him, each in his own way, but Tim is wary, and now he feels isolated, because Alex’ side seems more domineering now, when he has got a friend of his. Brian still tries to make everyone feel comfortable, but he just can’t and he is mentally exhausted, and when another conflict emerges, he is not able to stop it. Tim craves for acceptance, mitigation and attention, but doesn’t know how to express it, so he picks on Alex, using Brian as a metaphorical shield (simultaneously trying to verify, if at least Brian still accepts him). Alex is pissed off and points out that Tim is just simply no one, just some psycho Brian had brought from the street out of pity. Uh-oh. And Brian is too tired and overwhelmed with everything to the point he can’t even think straight, so he doesn’t react timely and properly, and Tim is now totally sure that no one likes him here and everybody desires to get rid of him, and it would probably be for the best. So he runs away, and Brian tries to stop him, and Alex doesn’t want Brian to stop Tim, and Jay just wants everyone to stop shouting and quarrelling for once.
Then Jay convinces Alex that they should find Tim and be nice to him, but it is too late: Tim goes Masky and is nowhere to be found. TO decides that it is the right time to appear again, and Jay goes Skully. They form duo with Masky, and no one knows what their purpose is. Alex has a lot of regrets and tries to comfort Brian for once, because he understands now, what a crucial part Brian played in their group. But Brian becomes distant, almost ceases speaking and doesn’t pretend he is fine anymore. It scares the shit out of Alex, and he learns to not behave like a complete asshole (which he actually isn’t and has never been).
The situation looks like a depressing stalemate, and there is a period when almost nothing is really happening. So TO gets bored, AND…"Сорри, переводить не буду, потому что
нет времени объяснять смотревшие МХ языком владеют по дефолту, а не смотревшим всё равно оно нафиг не надо.
Ну и вот. И где-то там в процессе на половине я подумала: втф! а ведь расстановка сторон и развитие взаимоотношений в группе выходит прямо как-то очень похожим на оное в первой части "Ритуала" Адама Невилла! Правда, я предположила, что Джея фактически сразу исключат из коллектива, чтобы оградить от дурного влияния Оператора, и эдак половину сюжета он проведёт в одиночестве, переходя в состояние Персоны (и в этом состоянии). Но если бы не это...
Ну вот смотрите. Что Брайан и Х. будут занимать одну и ту же нишу - это вообще без вопросов. Энтри 84 достаточно, чтобы увидеть, что Брайан в их коллективе выполнял бы точно те же самые функции, что и Х. в "Ритуале", причём, полагаю, с той же степенью осознанности. И занимал бы точно ту же нишу (если не считать того, что Джей в МХ всё-таки друг Алекса исключительно, а Фил в Ритуале друг Х. примерно в той же степени, что и Дом - хотя связь между Филом и Домом без вопросов сильнее, чем между Филом и Х.) Алсо, Тим прямо прекрасно вписывается в образ ГГ, пусть и не такой мудак. Но за счёт отсутствия у себя социальных скиллов, а также по причине неуверенности в себе он таки будет подозревать троих остальных в дурном себе отношении, и предполагать, что они образовали против него порицающую группировку, а он вообще здесь изгой и чужой. И с работами ситуация похожая. Только Люк не в состоянии был удержаться на одной из-за испортившегося характера, а Тим и рад бы, но... В общем, нормальной жизнью ему не жить, и полноценным членом общества не бывать, а это ему болевая. Ну и вот...
Ну вообще у меня больше соображений по этому поводу, но надо бежать. :<
Кстати, завтра 22 мая, пятница. Предположительное число нового ЧЕГО-ТО, связанного с 44. :<