I need to start sending YOU more stuff Skelly 👀 So I present you with this premise:
In the early stages where things are still awkward between Tetra, Alysa, and Drayton - Lacey gets the idea to invite Tetra to one of their clubroom movie nights (though they also double as small parties)!
Alysa would be on her best behavior, though Social Awkwardness goes brrr. Drayton's both kinda cautious but also wanting to have fun with Tetra like he used to, so he WILL contribute to shenanigans. How do you think things will go?
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Alright, establishing something really quickly- Tetra actually ISN'T a movie person, not traditionally. She doesn't like sitting still for too long and when she watches stuff on her own time, she'll get zoomies in the middle.
BIG HOWEVER THOUGH- pre-hiatus Tetra likely started the movie nights and here's why. While there is a good extrovert dispersion in the Four, their planning skills seem ASS. Amarys micromanages time too much, Lacey seems like she'd be good at it but is also (LOVINGLY) a rich daddy's girl and Clay seems like the type to have planned all her little outings n' stuff (LACEY IS SO CUTE ARGHHH) so she assumes it'll all work out (it won't) and Crispin. Is Crispin. Drayton watches the plans start and is the type of guy to internally sigh in relief when plans get cancelled imo (me fr, it's definitely not that I hate my friends! cancelling commitments is just addicting, much like skipping class). Enter Tetra. Undiagnosed anxiety Tetra that's had to live with spur-of-the-moment ADHD hell Marlon. Tetra who meticulously plans and strategizes every battle and social encounter with the same amount of unequivocal vigor. She sees the shitty planning of the Four and is like "aw hell no, I've lived with Marlon long enough. THIS is what we're doing." Tetra is incredibly anxious, but she's the kind in which she physically cannot miscommunicate. Tetra is PAINFULLY easy to read but she also, bc of this, is a fantastic communicator.
Because the dynamic has shifted with Alysa in the picture, I definitely see Tetra keeping her distance as not to throw a wrench in the group dynamic. She struggles to insert herself into social groups (she literally only talked to the Four once she ranked into the Elite Four. Drayton hadn't actually ever heard her speak until she joined LMAO), but that's not to say she's actually being PATIENT. Alysa reaches out and Tetra almost sobs in relief because she was so antsy about wanting to talk to the Four like normal but she was terrified to do so without permission. I can imagine Alysa anxiously working up the courage to ask if Tetra would like to come to movie night and Tetra straight up bursts into tears (she's an easy crier LMAO).
Speaking of tears and also the actual movie night ITSELF. Tetra consistently cried at movie nights no matter the genre. She tears up really easily and it's often not intentional at all- it turned into a running gag. *Amarys* is actually the one that breaks the ice because she goes "54." In the middle of the movie and there's a loong beat of silence until the original four remember what she's talking about, and they burst out laughing to Alysa's confusion. Tetra buries her face in her hands in embarrassment, biting at Drayton when he pokes fun at her for her Tear Tally. Lacey explains that Tetra cries so much during movies that Amarys started keeping *count* and everyone eventually got in on it and didn't tell Tetra what they were counting. She had a really funny reaction when she figured it out (it's pretty clear that it's all in good fun though, Tetra is practically holding back her laughter every time it goes up).
I think this really helps break the ice (terrible pun, Drayton probably makes this same joke at some point) and helps Alysa relax. There's another tradition Alysa was unaware of where Tetra- who of course normally seems very jumpy and high-key intense, so people assume she's cold- is actually INCREDIBLY physical and will be traded around the group in turns for essentially being her pillow. It started when she would latch onto Lacey during movies (Tetra was practically glued to Lacey pre-hiatus, they're besties and Tetra needed someone to be her social shield) but there was one problem- Tetra is very warm. Tetra has no reaction to the cold whatsoever and actively takes off any warm layers. Also, she cuddles with Ice-type Pokémon and miraculously has never ever gotten sick. So, at some point pre-hiatus, Lacey was overheating and got annoyed, dumping her onto Crispin so she could take a break. Tetra was alarmed and a little butthurt at first, but she did actually warm up to Crispin and thus the tradition of passing Tetra around like a hot potato was invented.
Tetra is a huge cuddlebug and is also skittish enough that getting chosen by Tetra is like getting chosen by a cat. There's a point where she just. Lays on Alysa.
Drayton finds it funny but also gets a bit annoyed cuz not only did Tetra just steal his girl, *she also totally skipped over him for Alysa* LMAO. He's not sure what to be jealous of and is forced to sulk until Alysa overheats and Tetra chooses another host. Tetra is avoiding touching Drayton though, not cuz she's bitter, but out of respect for Alysa. Alysa was kind enough to invite her, Tetra is NOT gonna come in and be all over Drayton, no sir. Tetra will take the time instead to get used to the new additions of Alysa, Kieran, and Cereza.
There is a funny moment where Tetra is on Cereza one movie night and Kieran is just BURNING holes in the back of Tetra's head and Cereza and Tetra are laughing cuz Kieran is getting jealous in the same way Drayton is, despite how both boys deny it when it gets brought up. Tetra affectionately gets nicknamed The Homewrecker in Drayton's phone after this.
In terms of preferred movie genre, Tetra likes attention grabbing things. Thriller, action, horror- the gorier the better. I think one of her favorite movies is Bullet Train, purely on vibes alone, and the other is out of left field cuz it's *La La Land*. Tetra is musically inclined and adores the La La Land soundtrack. She cries whenever City of Stars is played. It's a surprise at first when she likes horror movies but also like- she GREW UP with a Froslass. Also, her sense of fear is insanely twisted- the social awkwardness of rom-coms gives her enough secondhand fear to vomit. She will take Freddy Krueger over any Hallmark movie.
I love these guys, the goobers. Writing teenage friend groups is so fun, especially with Tetra since she's such a weird, wet cat.