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Continued nonsense

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Plot hole? What plot hole LOOK A DISTRACTION

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[Tsukki begins peeling the M&M bag open. It's a very exact technique. Nothing worse than having them explode everywhere.]

Jurassic Park.

[The DVD is the Collector's Widescreen edition.]

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[Suga may or may not watch Tsukishima's careful work for a moment before turning his attention back to the DVD player. He's just full of little idiosyncrasies that are unexpected, and yet so perfectly Tsukishima that Suga always finds them entertaining.

With everything set up and ready to go (Suga's not a remote hog, it's on the table in case one of the younger boys needs to change the volume), Suga gets comfortable AGAIN and opens up the metallic bag inside his box of pocky.

... then, perhaps predictably, he takes the end of a pocky stick loosely between his teeth on the cookie side and turns to Tsukishima, wagging his eyebrows playfully.]

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[Tsukki side-eyes him. Then plucks a whole pocky from the bag.

Not his fault Sugawara left an opening.]

You've seen this?

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[W o w. Chuckling to himself, Suga grabs his stick and takes a bite properly.]

Blocked and gave up a point...

I think so...? I feel like I saw it a long time ago, but I might just know everything about it because of pop culture.

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[Tsukki smirks. Score: 1 - 0

Now, important things.]

Okay.

There's parts where I'm just going to tell you to just shut up. That's your warning.

[He presumes Sugawara is a Movie Talker.]

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[Other upperclassmen might get offended by that declaration, but Sugawara just bursts out laughing. How does Tsukishima's frankness still take him by surprise?]

Fair, fair, you can have a 12-hour Senpai Disrespect pass just this once. [As if he doesn't let Tsukishima get away with saying disrespectful things all the time over text.] At least this is one of those movies with a "shut up and pay attention" musical theme so hopefully you won't have to.

[Sugawara's a socializer in every context, so you'd best believe he talks during movies. For example:] Jeff Goldblum in this movie, smash or pass?

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[Tsukki splutters.]

Geeze. You're not even waiting for the shirtless scene to harass me?!

[The scowl on his face is telling. Trust Sugawara to go right for the jugular. Tsukki had planned for an hour, hour and a half before having to deal with this.]

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[Sugawara may laugh even harder, but he also holds up his hands in surrender.]

Hey, I like The Fly, remember?! You're among friends here! No need to hide from Sugawara-senpai!

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[Grumbling, Tsukki folds his arms.]

At least I'm into "Patched up and shirtless," you're into face-melting.

[So: Smash. Definitely.]

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I think the real issue here is that we're both concerningly into mullets.

[Sugawara winks playfully at Tsukishima, then grabs himself another pocky and turns back to focus on the movie for awhile. Can't have Tsukki getting too cranky this early in.]

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Tch. No. He's hot despite mullets.

[Tsukki's taste won't be slandered like that.

Cue cold-open human-snacking, dig site, helicopter ride.]

You know a hurricane actually hit Hawaii when they filmed here?

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[Huh - maybe he has only seen the movie in pop culture-related snippets, because Suga doesn't remember all this incredible scenery. The giant waterfall has him open-mouthed in wonder when Tsukishima suddenly speaks up -]

Ehh, you know trivia too?? I knew this would be the best movie marathon ever! A hurricane... I bet that did a number on all their big sets and equipment, huh.

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[There's a huff from Tsukki. Trying to cover how pleased he is with that reaction.]

Not really. Most of the big stuff was shot on soundstages, or used CGI.

They did take one dinosaur, though.

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[Suga's almost been waiting for this moment, even if he hasn't realized it - the moment when he'd see Tsukishima show actual passion for something. He's warming to volleyball more and more with every Karasuno win, but this quiet pleasure in delivering tidbits of background information about his favorite movies is something different.

It's really charming, and really cute.]

Ah, I didn't know they already had CGI back then! Is that how they did those really wide backgrounds with dinosaurs walking around everywhere?

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[It's a different level, engaging Tsukki in something he already cares about. His posture loosens, hands turn more animate. Like a spring unwinding.]

Exactly.

Terminator and The Abyss used it first, but Jurassic Park was the huge breakout. They had to learn to do all the effects from scratch, because this was the first time doing 'Real' animals instead of aliens or -

[And then he's waving Sugawara off, because here comes the scene in question.

Onscreen a tour vehicle rolls to a stop. The astonished humans looking up - and up - at a Brachiosaur. A creature that should not exist but did, and does, if only for a few shots. Tsukki feels a swoop in his stomach. The same as when he was little, watching for the first time.]

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[Luckily Sugawara tends to find most things he doesn't already know interesting, so his eager absorption of Tsukishima's factoids about the movie is utterly genuine. If he also happens to admire the new boy slowly unfurling in front of him, well, that doesn't mean he's not paying attention.

Then Tsukishima directs his attention back to the screen and yes, this is one of the scenes Suga imagined would require complete silence. It's a breathtaking moment, no denying that, with every aspect working together to create the same sense of wonder the characters feel...

... but Suga finds that his gaze slides back over to Tsukishima, watching him sidelong while keeping his head directed at the screen. Cute. How many people in the world even know that Tsukishima can be so cute? A fond little smile sneaks onto his face, but this is different from the expression that forewarns of a handsy teasing attack. It's just - warm.]

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[Sugawara's right. It's a rarity. You can count the people who have seen this version of Tsukki on one hand. Was it more, before high school? He can't always have been so guarded, right?

The movie rolls on - Science, egg-hatching, one-liners from Mr. Goldblum. When a sick Triceratops appears, Tsukki's sure to point it out.]

That's the one they brought to Hawaii. There's a pit under it with a puppeteer.

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[Sugawara does have to wonder. His own little brother has been quiet and deeply introverted his entire life, but there's never been the same chill to his solitude that Suga feels radiating from Tsukishima. It's protective, not defensive, and there's a big difference between the two: while Kenzo feels safer alone, Tsukishima seems to feel threatened in some way by most company.

Anyone who anticipates threat that intrinsically does so because they've been given a reason.]

A puppeteer? It's not an animatronic? [Suga leans closer to the tv, now watching the Triceratops with rapt attention.]

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[Thing is, Tsukishima doesn't act like an introvert. Much as he complains about volleyball, no one's making him play. He's always had Yamaguchi, and seeks interactions with others. Mostly insults. Riling up the other First Years and opponents is an art.

It's when people make demands - Be friendlier, eat more, play better - that he shuts down.

Locking everyone out.]

"Animatronic" means it's a combination - Puppet and robotics. There's actually a whole team working with her.

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Jeez, you're a real genius about this stuff. I'm surprised you're not giving me a harder time for the dumb things I keep saying.

[It's just so nice getting to see this relaxed, friendly side of him, maybe even more so because Sugawara knows that he faces a lot of pressure to mesh better with others. Even with Yamaguchi always at his side, Suga does wonder if Tsukishima's a lonely person in general - and with the way they've opened up to each other about romance, the question nags at him even more.]

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Must be slipping.

[Tsukki wouldn't describe himself as lonely.

Whether that's true?

More complicated.

Anyway, he doesn't mind answering. Sugawara's questions are different than Yamaguchi's. Gives watching a new angle. As storm winds lash the island, Tsukki points it out.]

That's the actual hurricane. Some maniac of a cameraman went and shot it.

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Or you're starting to like meee~

["Like" as in "a step above tolerate," not "crush." Even if Suga thought that was a possibility, he wouldn't dream of using it to tease Tsukishima - if anything would cause his walls to snap back up at double strength, that would be it.

Anyway. It's not on Suga's mind. It's not on either of their minds, surely. They're just becoming friends.]

Oh my god... [Now that Tsukishima's pointed it out, the storm is so obviously real - wind from literally every direction nearly ripping branches off trees, lashes of rain far less uniform than the machines used in movies - that Suga feels his mouth drop open at the idea of being in the center of it and trying to gather workable footage.]

... I don't know if I could ever dedicate myself to anything that fully. I mean, risking injuries, sacrificing personal time, that's one thing, but... they didn't even need these shots, someone just thought they'd make the end product better and that was worth it. [A smile slowly lights his face.] How cool.

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[Tsukki finds himself smiling back. Genuinely.]

Yeah. I don't think this movie would be half as good without everyone buying into it.

Oh - Shut up now.

[Here comes THE scene - Jeeps stuck in front of the worst. Place. Possible. The T-Rex paddock. Even though Tsukki can recite this sequence, shot-by-shot, he leans forward. Watching that cup of water begin to vibrate. Harder with each heavy, heavy step.]

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[Definitely the most thrilling scene in a movie full of thrilling scenes, which is all that keeps Suga from watching Tsukishima watch it again. Suga has to set down his pocky box to grip the couch cushions on either side of his knees as he, too, leans forward millimeter by millimeter. ]

Oh no... ohhhhhh no, no no no... [Spoken under his breath to honour Tsukishima's command, but obviously something he can't control as the tension becomes unbearable. Then, when the kids get deserted:] WHAT THE HELL?! THAT THING BETTER EAT YOU, SHIT YOU OUT AND THEN EAT YOU AGAIN, YOU SON OF -

[Oops. Suga's team mom instincts have been activated. He may need a reminder about their agreement.]

SUGA IS CORRECT

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Geeze!

[The star begins her rampage. Thanks to the outburst, adrenaline's charging through Tsukki's system, adding a sharpness to the teeth, echoes to the roars. Rexy is huge. Towering over the vehicles, now tiny as toys. It's an impossibility. Where the dinosaur scenes have been nothing but joyous, this is the mirror.

The horror of ambition.

He still cackles when Rexy eats that lawyer.]