#move over exorcist au you finally have some competition

[pika-ace]

How about a Babadook AU? I think it could work with Usnavi and Sonny as Amelia and Sam, or maybe with Vanessa or Nina as Amelia and a future kid as Sam

Oh my god, you got me to watch the movie and I am IN LOVE!! And, hmmmmm, as much as I’d love to explore vulnerable!Vanessa or Nina and explore how they cope with losing Usnavi or Benny…I REALLY like the Usnavi and Sonny version more cause it can symbolize Usnavi coming to terms with losing his parents.

So the first part of this premise is that Usnavi’s parents died on the day Sonny was born, driving Usnavi’s aunt to the hospital to have the baby, which plants the seed of resentment towards Sonny in Usnavi at about age 9.

And while it would be super easy just to make this EXACTLY like the movie with adult!Usnavi and child!Sonny, I kinda wanna add more to this cause I love this movie and premise so freaking much.

So Usnavi’s 9 when his parents die and when Sonny’s born. Abuela takes him in, since she lives right next door to his house and has been a family friend since Usnavi was born. Sonny and Jane, his mom, visit very often, mostly so Jane can check on Usnavi since she feels guilty about his parents. But Usnavi doesn’t resent HER, it’s Sonny who he doesn’t like, especially as a kid. (When Sonny was a baby, and Usnavi was left alone with him for a moment, he just stared at baby Sonny and just went ‘I hate you,’ but Sonny only laughed). Jane and Sonny visit a LOT more often when Sonny turns 5 or 6 (making Usnavi about 15), but always because of Sonny’s insistence. Jane mentions to Abuela that Sonny must really like Usnavi, because whenever they have some free time, Sonny ALWAYS asks ‘Can we go see Usnavi? I wanna see Usnavi.’ But Jane worries because Sonny acts COMPLETELY different whenever they visit. Whenever they’re there, Sonny always talks to this imaginary monster and Jane gets even MORE worried when she finds out that Sonny has made weapons to fight the monster. He almost took Usnavi’s eye out with a dart-crossbow and Jane is so confused. Sonny NEVER acts this way when they’re at home. And meanwhile, Usnavi just thinks his little cousin is the biggest pain, but he understands that he has to take care of him while Jane and Abuela are busy, so he begrudgingly does so. One night, Sonny spends the night, and asks Usnavi to read a book that randomly appeared on Abuela’s shelf, called ‘Mister Babadook’. After reading it, and scaring the shit out of Sonny, Usnavi hides the book under the floorboards in the attic and they don’t speak of it. Sonny suffers from a few nightmares, but the eventually go away. But then things get complicated when Jane gets sick when Sonny’s about 10 and dies, leaving Sonny in Usnavi’s care. Since Usnavi’s 18 now, he decides to move back into his parents’ old house so he and Sonny won’t take up all of Abuela’s space. The first few months of Sonny living with Usnavi DOES NOT go well, as Sonny not only brought all his homemade weapons from his old home, but he starts acting strangely in school, constantly talking to ‘the Babadook’. And on top of Usnavi having to work a part-time job to support them, the stress is NOT good, especially when Sonny keeps screaming at him about the Babadook. Thankfully, Abuela is there to help keep Usnavi grounded, and things kinda revert to normal, but not really. Usnavi takes care of Sonny just fine; the only downside is that they never really celebrate Sonny’s birthday, since it was the same day Usnavi’s parents died. Jane let them celebrate it, but they never really did on the day, since work always seemed to call her away, but now, Sonny’s birthday is hardly even mentioned now that he’s with Usnavi. But anyway, Usnavi’s doing okay, and the only occasional downside is when he gets woken up by the brat because he thinks the Babdook’s in his room. But one night, while Usnavi’s searching Sonny’s room for monsters, he finds the Babadook book in Sonny’s closet. He asks where Sonny got this but Sonny denies knowing it was there. After giving him a degrading lecture about how he’s 10 and he shouldn’t be afraid of monsters, Usnavi tears up the book. Life goes on, and despite Usnavi and Sonny not being exactly as close as they should be, they get along. Thankfully, as Sonny gets older, he stops talking about the Babadook in public so Usnavi thinks he’s grown out of it. However, he doesn’t know that when Usnavi gets very withdrawn around Sonny’s birthday when his parents died, Sonny stays up almost every night, weapons at the ready to take on the Babadook. But then, five years later, when Sonny turns 15, Abuela dies, and that’s the tipping point. Abuela was the last line of defense against the Babadook, and Sonny finds out real quick that he has to protect his cousin. The Babadook book shows up again, taped together despite being torn up and has new pages added, depicting a figure that looks a lot like Usnavi, being taken over by the Babadook and eventually killing their dog (oh yeah, did I mention that Chip is in this? Also, he’s going to live in this cause my puppy ain’t getting his neck snapped!), then killing Sonny, and then himself. Usnavi burns the book, but things just keep going downhill from there. Usnavi becomes isolated and starts snapping at Sonny for little things and is just all around miserable. Meanwhile, Sonny’s trying desperately to figure out what to do, and occasionally speaks to the monster alone in his room ‘Listen up, you freak; you better stay the fuck away from my cousin. Cause if you touch him, I’ll fucking kill you, got it?’ Meanwhile, Usnavi’s being haunted by visions of the Babdook and eventually goes to the basement (where all his parents’ old things are) and he sees a vision of his mother. His mother hugs him and says that they can all be together again. Usnavi and his parents can be a happy family again…if he gives her the boy. Usnavi realizes its a fake and runs away, but finally gets possessed by the Babadook. After chasing Chip away, Usnavi then comes after Sonny and just…this whole scene is so amazing, I wish it was real! We’ve yet to see LMM play a character that’s NOT the usual adorkable clumsy nice-guy; just imagine him doing this scene with Sonny:

‘You little brat! Fifteen years old and you’re still talking to monsters! You have no idea how many times I wished it was you that died instead of them.’

‘I-I just wanted you to be happy…’

‘HAPPY?! …Do you know what would make me happy, Sonny? If I could take your head and smash it against a brick wall until your fucking brains pop out!’

‘…You’re not my cousin.’

‘…What did you say?’

‘I said, you’re not my cousin!’

‘I͢ ͢A̶͝M̨͜ Y̶OU҉͜R͏̷́ ̴͟C̛O͝U̶̢S̕IN̴!!!’

Amazing. Anyway, Sonny busts out his old weapons and traps from his childhood and manages to lure Usnavi to the basement where he knocks him out and ties him down. While Usnavi tries to escape, Sonny tries to get Usnavi to snap out of it. ‘Look cuz, I know you never wanted me…I know you never loved me…but I love you, Navi, and I always will!’ Unfortunately, Usnavi escapes and starts to strangle Sonny, but Sonny lovingly caresses Usnavi’s face, making Usnavi spit up a bunch of black ink and getting the Babadook out of his body. They travel out of the basement when Sonny freezes. Usnavi asks what’s wrong, and Sonny says ‘You can’t get rid of the Babadook,’ and an invisible force pulls him upstairs into Usnavi’s room. Usnavi gives chase  where Sonny’s being dragged and slammed against the wall and manages to grab him and cover him on the bed. He finally asks what the Babadook wants and Usnavi’s forced to watch a vision of his parents dying in the car crash on the day Sonny was born. After that, Usnavi finally confronts the thing, while Sonny hugs him from behind, and orders it to leave. ‘This is MY home…and you’re trespassing! Leave now! …And if you ever touch my kid again, I’ll KILL YOU!’ The Babdook tries one more time to pull Sonny into the darkness, but Usnavi hugs him close and literally screams into the darkness, eventually making the creature retreat in fear and run to the basement. Usnavi locks the door behind it and the two cousins lie on the couch together, finally safe. After that, Usnavi and Sonny slowly recover, both of them becoming much closer and affectionate. One night, when Sonny’s about to go to bed, Usnavi hugs him and tells him he loves him, which just about makes Sonny cry cause Usnavi’s NEVER said that to him his entire life until now. The Babadook’s still in the basement, and Usnavi and Sonny feed it worms from their garden that Chip digs up. Sometimes it tries to attack Usnavi, but he always manages to calm it down. After feeding it, Usnavi goes back and he and Sonny head out, as they’re going to a restaurant to celebrate Sonny’s birthday, on the exact day, for the first time in fifteen years and everything’s good. 

#in the heights aus #ith halloween #the babadook #this is my new fav au #move over exorcist au you finally have some competition #i didn't know what i was expecting from this movie #but i freaking loved it to death #why does no one talk about this movie more?? #it's amazing #thank you netflix for having this gem #sonny de la vega #usnavi de la vega #abuela claudia