because sometimes there are invisible tests and invisible rules and you're just supposed to ... know the rule. someone you thought of as a friend asks you for book recommendations, so you give her a list of like 30 books, each with a brief blurb and why you like it. later, you find out she screenshotted the list and send it out to a group chat with the note: what an absolute freak can you believe this. you saw the responses: emojis where people are rolling over laughing. too much and obsessive and actually kind of creepy in the comments. you thought you'd been doing the right thing. she'd asked, right? an invisible rule: this is what happens when you get too excited.
you aren't supposed to laugh at your own jokes, so you don't, but then you're too serious. you're not supposed to be too loud, but then people say you're too quiet. you aren't supposed to get passionate about things, but then you're shy, boring. you aren't supposed to talk too much, but then people are mad when you're not good at replying.
you fold yourself into a prettier paper crane. since you never know what is "selfish" and what is "charity," you give yourself over, fully. you'd rather be empty and over-generous - you'd rather eat your own boundaries than have even one person believe that you're mean. since you don't know what the thing is that will make them hate you, you simply scrub yourself clean of any form of roughness. if you are perfect and smiling and funny, they can love you. if you are always there for them and never admit what's happening and never mention your past and never make them uncomfortable - you can make up for it. you can earn it.
don't fuck up. they're all testing you, always. they're tolerating you. whatever secret club happened, over a summer somewhere - during some activity you didn't get to attend - everyone else just... figured it out. like they got some kind of award or examination that allowed them to know how-to-be-normal. how to fit. and for the rest of your life, you've been playing catch-up. you've been trying to prove that - haha! you get it! that the joke they're telling, the people they are, the manual they got- yeah, you've totally read it.
if you can just divide yourself in two - the lovable one, and the one that is you - you can do this. you can walk the line. they can laugh and accept you. if you are always-balanced, never burdensome, a delight to have in class, champagne and glittering and never gawky or florescent or god-forbid cringe: you can get away with it.
you stare at your therapist, whom you can make jokes with, and who laughs at your jokes, because you are so fucking good at people-pleasing. you smile at her, and she asks you how you're doing, and you automatically say i'm good, thanks, how are you? while the answer swims somewhere in your little lizard brain:
how long have you been doing this now? mastering the art of your body and mind like you're piloting a puppet. has it worked? what do you mean that all you feel is... just exhausted. pick yourself up, the tightrope has no net. after all, you're cheating, somehow, but nobody seems to know you actually flunked the test. it's working!
aren't you happy yet?
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A detailed list about everything I adore and cherish re: Mario and Luigi's reunion in the Mario Movie (to pair with this post of mine)
Luigi almost DYING but then happily, cutely laughing two seconds later once he sees it's Mario who's holding him because HIS BROTHER'S HERE, HE KNOWS HE'S SAFE NOW, NO MATTER WHAT
The way they just stand there and LOOK at each for a split second to register that this is really happening, and all the joy and relief on their faces!!!
How Luigi looks startled briefly when he lands on the ground but Mario is just :D :D :D :D personified and then Luigi mirrors him
How Mario is still powered up (obviously) so he moves SO FAST to grab Luigi in a big hug, and him being the tanooki, it must be such a nice, strong, soft, fuzzy hug, like a big blanket all around Luigi :)
How it's not just ONE really good hug, it's TWO really good hugs!!!!!!!
I WILL LITERALLY NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT MARIO HOLDING LUIGI'S FACE SO SWEETLY WITH THOSE BIG, MISTY, DEEPLY LOVING EYES
Just EVERYTHING about the way they framed it!!!!!!! the way the shot spins around them!!!!! it's beautiful!!!! like, at first i wished they had shown more of Luigi's reaction because it's SO focused on Mario but now I love that, i loveeeee watching Mario's truly heartbreaking and tender face journey without any cuts
Speaking of, it's amazing that Mario is SO emotional, even more than Luigi! The man is very choked up and just SO CLEARLY FLOODED WITH BONE DEEP-RELIEF AND JOY AND LOVE AND EVERY LAST SHOT OF HIS FACE MAKES GRAVITY LITERALLY ABANDON ME BECAUSE HE LOVES HIS BROTHER MORE THAN ANYONE AND HE NEEDS HIM BY HIS SIDE LIKE HE NEEDS TO BREATHE
FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH
The way their noses bump together cutely as a result of the forehead touch, SOB
The way Mario initiates the forehead touch with his hand on the back of Luigi's head so GENTLY, everything about the way he interacts with Luigi here is SO GENTLE and i cryyyy
The quick shot when they both have their eyes closed in the forehead touch!!! Maybe incidental but the screenshot of it has ended my life, i'm a ghost now, goodbye
Mario rocking Luigi back and forth a little when they're hugging the second time and his hand gripping tight on his back ;____;
MARIO SWINGING HIM UP INTO THE AIR, JUST BECAUSE HE HAS TOO MUCH HAPPY ENERGY AND HE CAN
Luigi's BIG sigh of relief, so big it's like he's been holding in the breath since they were first separated <3
THE WAY MARIO IS LOOKING AT LUIGI ONCE THEY SEPARATE THE SECOND TIME. THIS BIG, DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY GRIN LIKE HE JUST WANTS TO HUG HIM MORE. CAN HE HUG HIM FOREVER???? MARIO IS SURE GOING TO TRY
Luigi finally registering what Mario is wearing and immediately, affectionately grabbing at him/teasing him like brothers do!
That Bowser is literally being forced to watch them hug from his ice prison atop the stairs LOLOLOL
That they're framed by the wedding arch that's a heart at the end because their relationship is the TRUE HEART of the movie :) :) :)
Basically just the fact that you can literally see these two brothers, who have been lost and sad and struggling for all this time, become WHOLE again right before your eyes because they have each other back and that's all that really matters
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