Hello! Now that we've seen all eight episodes and Jimin and JK didn't take a single opportunity to "bro" up their relationship, no "when we get married to women I hope we're still friends" conversation, do you think AYS was a soft launch? Or did it just feel like one because that's the natural by-product of seeing Jimin and JK together without (much) third party interference?
Hi lovely,
Thank you for sending this in.
I haven’t done any write ups on my feelings after each episode like many have. There’s been much said that I agree with, so Ididn’t really have anything new to add.
Tbh I’ve done a Masterlist for all things AYS also including the write ups of 2 bloggers here that I pretty much agreed and enjoyed their write ups. Both @akookminsupporter and @jmdbjk (thank you two again for agreeing to have your posts linked🥹)
Do I think the show was a soft launch? Sort answer no. Long answer mmmm no?lol😅🙈
⚠️Looooonnnnnnngggg essay of an answer incoming⚠️
I think with this show and all that it has around it has to be looked at through the eyes of Koreans and the type of shows they have in Korea. How the ‘bromance’ genre is generally accepted and the types of shows celebs and idols do in Korea.
Did you know many idol groups do RUN BTS! like shows, In The Soop and Bon Voyage like shows, shows where they become parents for a period of time to kids, shows where they get ‘married’ etc. Koreans see celebs and everything they do as entertainment for them. Two idols from a group of 7 travelling ‘alone’ sure, bromance, sure something BTS hasn’t done before but…
Tbh it’s not that unique. It’s not that outlandish.
I posted this previously
Close friends and famous actors going on a trip to Jeju, meeting with other friends and fishing together.
Tbh people may not view the show the same way that jikookers are. Jikookers have the added knowledge of everything in Jikook spaces that have previously been highlighted. So we see the inside jokes and know that this just adds to the long saga of Jikook and inside jokes, we see the hyung/dongsaeng dynamic get flipped on its head and we add it to the years long knowledge we have of Jikook and their unique bond.
I think there was some ‘bro’ energy. To be honest above anything else they’re goofballs and dudes. For as much tenderness as there was, there were ‘bro’ moments too, they are BFFs and young men after all.
I think the show served different things for different viewers.
For casual viewers, those who know of BTS and we’re just interested in watching BTS content. Cos let’s be real, this isn’t a show you just are channel surfing and happen across. You have to search for this show, know of its existence, be recommended it or have been waiting to watch it. For those casual viewers, maybe or maybe not identifying as army, the show was just a fun, more adult, more slow paced BTS show. With two members that after watching the show, the viewer now realises are close close friends with more of a chingu friendship and would be shocked that it’s actual a hyung and dongsaeng (if they didn’t already know).
For these reactors, they kept verbalising ‘how close’ Jikook must be ‘good friends’ ‘close friends’ and ‘cute’. (click here if you want to check out the full thread on twit/x)
For army watching it, again it’s just to them, an opportunity to watch more BTS content. To enjoy the members travelling, eating and having fun, more of the in the Soop/Bon voyage that they’re familiar with. More of the skinship, playful, one big happy family that army know BTS to be.
A paraphrased collection of what was seen from army on twit/x
Jikookers having the time of our lives with all the tender and also sus af moments.
For Jikook shippers, the show is just a reaffirmation of what they already felt they knew about Jikook. More of an opportunity to see Jikook’s dynamic that they saw in bits and pieces from lives, fan cams, Bangtan bombs, memories and other BTS shows.
The show tbh isn’t really earth shattering in unveiling anything about Jikook to any of the demographics mentioned above casual fans, army or jikookers.
Depending on what sub group a viewer fits into, their perception of the show fits that.
I don’t think anyone really honestly, apart from exuberant jikookers truly think this show is Jikook’s soft launch.
I think by Korean standards the show isn’t outlandishly gay.
It’s got sus moments here and there like the majority of Bangtan content has had over the years. But on the whole, it is content that other groups have done in one way or another, other celebrities have done, were yes they do tease and flirt and joke about the ‘homoerotic’ atmosphere some setting bring, but due to the dominating culture of homophobia, none really honestly mean it or believe it to be gay or involving actual gay people. I don’t know if that makes sense what I’m trying to say?
I’ve written thoughts before on the show, how it made sense for it to happen for Jikook, how it’s not so out there for them to be filming a duo trip etc.
Musings
Thoughts
Pondering
👤“Everything comes back to GCF with you Jikooker🙄”
Me: Yes, Yes it does 💅
If you’ve got this far in the answer trust me, bare with me I’m going somewhere with this, it’s not just another opportunity to gush about GCFs😅🙈
Remember that Jimin loves travelling with Jungkook, he loved being GCF’s main model (no matter how embarrassed JK was at Jimin verbalising it to be the case and his denials😂)
Jimin made his little vlog of their Tokyo trip before he knew the kind of production Jungkook was making himself with his first ever GCF. They’ve always like travelling together and always like sharing it with army. They just didn’t have much opportunity.
Jungkook tweeting this whilst editing GCF Saipan.
Namjoon tweeting this whilst they were in Saipan.
What is AYS then?!!
I think AYS was just a matured continuation of Jikook jikooking. Their numerous selcas they’d share on twitter, their joint YouTube logs they’d do in the beginning, their back and forths they’d have on weverse every now and again.
This show was to me, I think, is just Jikook reaffirming everything they’ve always shown about themselves to army, that’s they’re intertwined, how many times have they said they are ‘you are me and I am you’.
They couldn’t do a subunit together, they had no time to do a cover song together, something I’m sure they would have loved to do in chapter two.
I just feel like they wanted to do something together in chapter two, because since the beginning of their careers, they’ve always made sure they carved out something within that highlighted the two of them. That was for the two of them.
Everyone had their own documentaries, appearances on shows or their own YouTube shows etc. Jikook too had their own docs, but they were the only to have their own show for the two of them.
I don’t think the show was a soft launch. I do think the show was another part in the long history of Jikook showing us, rather than telling us, they’re never to be divided. That the other is their source of joy, happiness and home and wherever they start, they’ll always end it with the other. Like we noticed FACE ended with Letter feat. Jungkook, Jimin’s doc ended with Jungkook, Jungkook’s doc ended with Jimin, they ended their free time travelling with each other before enlistment together and they ended their solo releases with Are You Sure?! capping it all off. Their show playing their solo songs whilst showing the two meeting together after it all.
That’s what I got from the show.
If the show was a soft launch, then enlisting together, their portions in their autobiography, their section in their monument’s documentary, GCF Tokyo…all those were soft launches too
Ultimately I think Jikook are intent on making one thing clear. Not the romantic state of their relationship. But the importantance of it full stop.
That they are important to each other AND the closest to each other. Anything else they aren’t (to me) addressing. But they are with this show and with every stage in their career, making sure it’s known that Jimin is of the utmost importance to Jungkook and Jungkook is of the utmost importance to Jimin.
Since the beginning
Thank you for this ask lovely. I don’t know if it was the answer you wanted but it’s what makes sense to me.
Thank you for anyone else that made it through this huge answer in its entirety 😩
It’d be great if anyone else wanted to give their view on this so we’re can share and discuss
So I just finished my 3rd year exams at university (hopefully I did well enough to make it into a 4th year and go for an Master's of science) and as soon as I get out near the crowd to celebrate a guy bumps into me and I broke my phone. I was ready to give him a piece of my mind until I saw he was pretty built, he must be on some university team for something. He felt awful apparently and he gave me his old phone as an apology. It came with this InstaJock app thing on it. I dunno what it is but I kinda wanna load it up...
Another instance of a jock giving someone a phone with InstaJock already downloaded on it. Another instance of someone doing something with InstaJock that doesn’t make any sense. I know it’s unprofessional to say something like this, but this is driving me crazy. Why would a jock give away their phone? If they wanted to turn you into a jock like them, they’d just send you the app! If they wanted to give you a new phone for real, they’d have wiped it before giving it to you. I guess it's possible they forgot, but InstaJock is super important to the users that get transformed into jocks. Even with how stupid jocks can be, I doubt they’d forget about the app that literally changed their life. So… why?
I’ve mentioned in some of my earlier Instajock posts that someone has been messing with people using this app. Using it in unconventional ways to mess with people, spreading false information about the app, and even making knock offs of the transformative app. My first thought was that it had to be The Master. Not the Doctor Who villain, to those who get that reference, but someone I introduced to you all in a recent post. He’s the creator of Instajock and the mastermind behind my Uncle’s transformation and kidnapping. He’s an incredibly powerful figure in the Transformation Community, even more than I’ve told you. Most people who know about transformations are scared to mention him, even other TF Reporters are, and most powerful people or groups who work with transformation either do business with him or stay out of his way. But… I don’t think he’s the one behind this. He likes to mess with people, play with his victims like whoever is behind this, but if he wanted to do that he could just add features to the actual InstaJock app. He had no reason to do things in such a roundabout way. Which makes me think… it’s someone else.
Whoever is doing this has an intimate knowledge of the app, so It has to be someone involved with InstaJock, someone besides The Master. Maybe someone who works for him? Even he couldn’t have programmed the entire app on his own and added in the magical elements without help. Plus he isn’t one for upkeep, so he’s probably having someone else run the site for him. They also have to be someone with a lot of nerve to mess with The Master, maybe someone who they’ve hurt personally. On top of all of that it’d also have to be someone the jocks would listen to. Maybe someone who worked on InstaJock that The Master fired, a former employee?
I can’t be sure of who's behind this yet, but I do know that whatever they’re trying to do with you isn’t good. When you press that app, you won’t just be turned into a jock like a regular InstaJock user. It has to be something… special. Something that would benefit, or would at least interest the person behind this. Maybe you’ll turn into a copy of the jock who gave you the phone, become their perfect twin? Maybe something else will happen entirely. I can’t be sure.
If it’s not too late, send me the phone immediately. I can put it somewhere safe, and I might be able to protect you from whoever's doing this. If it is too late… Well I hope you enjoy whatever happened. Being transformed against your will sucks, but being a jock can be fun, even if it isn’t your choice.
**3 stories in one day, all InstaJock? I must be on a roll! I hope you guys liked this one! There are still more mysteries and more transformations to discover! Stay tuned!**
My thoughts and theories after Agatha All Along episode 3. Read no further if you haven't seen the episode yet.
SHARON NOOOOOOO :'( Honestly, with the way Agatha brought her along essentially to be a meat shield, it's not surprising that she died so early on the journey down the Witches' Road, but I was still surprised that they killed off the comic relief this early. But I caught that they didn't add Sharon's hair to the antidote when brewing the potion, and I think that'll be discussed next episode. The show definitely had to establish the stakes of the Road as life or death early on, and Sharon was the only character who they COULD kill off since she was the only one without a mystery to solve. Still, sad to see her go.
In more important news, though, MEPHISTO GOT NAME DROPPED. HE'S COMING ASDFGHJKL; Listen, after all the speculation we were all doing during WandaVision about Mephisto showing up, to hear him get referenced makes me EXCITED to see if that's just going to be a world building detail or if he's going to be relevant in the story.
Agatha giving up her son, Nicholas Scratch, for the Darkhold was established as a part of her reputation in this episode. The trailers confirm that it's a bit more complicated than that, so I'm curious to know the full story. Right now, I'm theorizing that the hair in the locket is Nicholas's, and, if you remember from WandaVision, she plucked that locket off of her mother's corpse after stealing mommy's powers. So, I'm fairly certain Agatha sacrificing Nicholas is tied in with why her mother tried to have her executed back in the 1600s, and maybe Mama Harkness did something that resulted in her grandson's death? I dunno, but I wanna know! I think Nicholas Scratch IS still alive, though, and I think he's going to be the twist Big Bad of the show.
Teen is pretty obviously Billy Kaplan, and it's so obvious in fact that I wonder if it's going to be a bait and switch and he's somehow Nicholas? But like... maybe I'm overthinking it and it's only obvious that he's Billy to us comics fans. For normies watching this with only WandaVision and Multiverse of Madness for context, him being Billy WOULD be a really interesting twist, so we'll see! Regardless, he's the only person on the Road who I am reasonably certain is going to make it out alive.
The hallucinations for Lilia, Jennifer, and Alice were all interesting, though they left more questions than answers:
*Lilia saw what looked like Russian royalty taunting her saying "they're all dead" as they took on more decayed and corpselike forms. I joked to my boyfriend that it was the Romanovs, but that's honestly not necessarily out of the question. Lilia in the comics is the "queen of the gypsies" in Scarlet Witch's childhood, so maybe in this verse, she was a part of the Sokovian royal family before their dynasty was killed off by revolutionaries that led to the political turmoil of Sokovia that we saw in Age of Ultron. Being a psychic, I'm willing to bet Lilia survived because she saw the massacre coming but no one else believed her, sort of a Cassandra figure. I could be WAY off base, but I like my theory.
*Jennifer is the one who I have the least read on her hallucination with the weird man trying to drown her. We know that she is bound, unable to use her powers, so is this man maybe the one who bound her? Or is he someone else tied to the events that led to her being bound? She's been bound for a little over a hundred years, and the man's clothes seemed to be from that time period. In the comics, she's from Florida and was an ally of Man-Thing, so maybe something in her story is going to tie back into Werewolf by Night? We'll have to see!
*Alice's hallucinations are the most straight forward, she saw her mother weeping because her grandmother had passed away and the mother felt it. We know her mom was a witch, and we can pretty safely assume that the grandmother was one too, I think. The mother mentions that since whatever killed the grandmother got her, now it's after her, and since we know Alice's mom is dead in the present day, that would mean that this mysterious force is now after Alice too. What is this force, though? Alice tells Teen that she has a tattoo that wards off a curse that plagues her family bloodline that her mother made her get, so is it just this curse that's after her or is it connected to something else? In the trailer, we see Alice exploding with fire as a demonic entity emerges from her. I doubt this is Mephisto, since I think if Mephisto has ties to anyone here, it'll be Teen or Rio, but maybe some subordinate of his? In the comics, she and Wanda worked together to defeat a being called Dark Tongji. I think it's likely that he's the being hunting her bloodline.
Then a few notes from earlier:
1. The Salem Seven - I went back to WandaVision for a refresher, and, not counting Agatha's mom, the coven that Agatha murders and drains of their magic in her backstory numbers at seven and they were in Salem... I'm putting money that the Salem Seven is what's left of Agatha's old coven hunting her down, or at least their descendants.
2. Rio keeps getting hints that keep lining up to hint that she's a genderbent version of Blackheart, which has me excited! I don't know if they're actually going to go this route, and her being a "Green Witch" kinda makes it a bit weird. But they keep reiterating "black heart" in relation to her and now they've referenced Mephisto, his father. So I think if Rio isn't literally Blackheart, she's at least possessed by him. We'll have to see. But I do love the crackship of Agatha Harkness/genderbent Blackheart for lesbian Marvel villain lovers. That tickles me XD
Overall, SUPER into this show thus far, and I LOVE that there's so much mystery and intrigue to piece together! I CAN'T WAIT FOR EPISODE FOUR, I NEED IT NOOWWWWWWWWWW
Alternative Universe where Astrid Deetz and Wednesday Addams are cousins and as classic Addams family kookiness, they look identical! Lydia's mom is an Addams!
The other direction of this AU is Astrid being Betelgeuse and Lydia's child, and Betelgeuse is an Addams. But, Richard is such a cool dude and Astrid loves him so much, and he made Lydia happy before they fell out of love. Except for the part where he ghosted (literally and figuratively) Lydia and Astrid all these years after his death, though he turned out fine in the end. So, I didn't want to completely cut him off the Deetzes life.
Since, we now know that Lydia's biological mother is still alive, maybe when she heard about Charles' death, she reached out to Lydia and Astrid after the events of the film.
Not really sure if they're estranged from one another all these years, but it's an AU, so make room for author's creative liberty with the relationship.
She finds out that Astrid can now also see ghosts, and offered/suggested for her to be transferred to Nevermore Academy when she heard that one of Astrid's Addams cousins has also started going there.
And wouldn't it just be the wackiest plot twist if Betelgeuse was appointed as the new principal? (I've got a whole ass story of how this could be possible, but maybe in the future posts.)
With Lydia now ending Ghost House, she could've been offered a place in the teaching staff. Maybe a position about communing with ghosts or negotiations or something.
Astrid and Lydia may not be aware that the new principal is Betelgeuse in disguise.
"Here's a preview. Be warned. It's intense."
Add his Bruce Wayne glasses and boom! A changed man! Or maybe a pair of Hubane Vernum blackout glasses (subtle black and white striped motif, of course) that he refuses to take off because even with his altered appearance, personality and mannerisms, those dark circles just ain't coming off. You know what I mean? They're more stubborn than the mold/moss.
This started out as an Astrid centric AU/potential fanfic in my mind when I watched the teaser for Wednesday Season 2, with background Lydia and Betelgeuse. Then, it kinda spiralled down into Astrid living her teenage life only to be caught in this maelstrom of love-hate-sexual tension filled drama between her mom and this kinda familiar, but also not, guy that shoved himself in their new life. 😭
I may update this AU from time to time, but, feel free to add anything you want here.
You exhaled for what felt like the millionth time when, in reality, you’ve only been on the phone with your mother for maybe twenty minutes.
“I’m just saying, honey, New York? You’ve lived a lot of places— dreamed about living a lot of places, and New York has never been on either of those lists,” she continued. “And it’s so far away…”
You could hear the irritation in her voice, but, even moreso, the sadness.
You rubbed at your face and threw your head back in silent frustration before proceeding with as much empathy and understanding as you could muster.
“Look, Mom, I know it isn’t ideal, but this will be really good for Maevis. I’ve done the research, I’ve saved the money, I’ve almost packed everything up– alone, as a single mother, might I add,” you sprinkled in that last part for comedic relief.
Based on her silence, it didn't quite land.
“It’s what’s best for her,” you concluded gently.
You could practically hear the gears turning in her head over the phone.
“I’m not saying I don’t want the absolute best for my grandbaby, but, come on. She’s barely five years old! Can’t the fancy, expensive, oh-so-far-away-from-your-family boarding schools wait until she’s at least in the double digits?”
That made you giggle, but you stood your ground. “This will be good for her, I promise. You’ll see.”
Your mind began to wander as you packed the last box in you and your daughter’s small apartment.
The truth is, your mother wouldn’t see-- not the real ways this new school would really be helping her granddaughter, anyway.
See, you hadn’t actually done any research, and this wasn’t costing you anything, thank goodness, at least as far as tuition is concerned. In fact, you hadn’t heard of this school at all before Charles Xavier had found you.
Before he’d found Maevis.
She was so young.
She was so young and what you knew about mutants was so scarce.
At first, it was easy to dismiss the early signs. To rationalize the flickering lights during bedtime temper tantrums. To convince yourself that it was certainly within the realm of her physical capabilities to throw a sippy cup at that velocity and distance after you had denied her another cookie. That was the only explanation as to how it could have ended up all the way across the kitchen in tiny, plastic shards…
Right?
It wasn’t until the last couple of months that you’d finally admitted to yourself that Maevis’ behavior was something different.
Something special.
The times between her outbursts were growing shorter, and the destruction that took place during, becoming more profound.
You scolding her in the car turned into blinking, dysfunctional traffic lights. Telling her she couldn’t buy a toy at the store resulted in entire product displays toppling over. There were only so many times you could apologize to the store clerks for “being clumsy.”
Then there were the more peculiar things, the things you knew there were no logical explanation for– the times you could not only perceive Maevis’ emotions, but could physically feel them.
When she’d fallen off of her bike and you hurried to scoop her scared, crying frame, you swore you’d felt that scrape on your knee, too.
Or when you caught her trying to hide the potted plant she’d accidentally knocked over and reached for you in apology, it was her shame that coursed through your body.
It wasn’t normal. None of it was.
And that didn't matter to you because what was “normal,” anyway?
Your daughter was special.
But, even so, you couldn’t deny the fact that whatever was happening with Maevis was intensifying, and quickly, and you couldn’t ignore the fact that she could hurt someone else or herself.
You had to do something, you just didn’t know what.
That’s why when Professor Charles Xavier showed up at your doorstep that day, with that gorgeous, regal woman you’d come to know as Dr. Jean Grey, you knew in your bones there was no other option.
You hadn’t explained any of this to your mother, of course. How could you when you didn’t even understand it yourself? You would wait until you and Maevis were settled, until there was some semblance of understanding and control and routine and—
“Fine.” You startled at the sound of your mother’s voice, her words cutting your trip down memory lane rather short.
“I trust you. I’m just going to miss my girls, that’s all.”
“We’re gonna miss you, too, Mom,” you assured her. You really did understand her concern.
“But you can visit as much as you like, you know. Phoenix and New York City have some pretty accessible airports,” you joke nervously.
“Just, like, when we’re all settled in and I’m comfortable in my new classroom and all that,” you add a little too quickly.
You really did want her to visit, just… maybe not anytime soon.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” you mumble under your breath as you approach the ancient, but, admittedly, beautiful stone building.
Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters
You giggled at the school’s name, propping your daughter a little higher on your hip. “Well, Maeve, you are a ‘youngster,’ that’s for sure.”
And she was.
In fact, according to Professor Xavier, she would the youngest student the school has had in… well, ever.
You recall your first conversation the two of you ever had.
You were in somewhat of a haze, trying to process all of the information the two strangers had just provided you with.
You had heard about mutants, of course, anyone with a television or ears had. But you’d never considered that you’d given birth to one.
At least, not until now.
“I- I really appreciate what you’re trying to do here, Professor Xavier, but I-” you started, but honestly didn’t know where the sentence was going to end.
“Charles,” he corrected warmly. You tried your best to appear polite and collected as you continued to respond.
“Right, yes. Charles.” It sounded a bit strange addressing him so informally, especially after only having known him for, what? Maybe an hour?
“Again, I really appreciate this— Maevis and I both do, and I know shecould use the guidance, I just… I mean, do you even have a kindergarten at this school of yours?”
You understood how important it was for your daughter to receive guidance on her mutation; it wasn’t something you or any other neurotypical facility could offer her.
But the teacher in you– the mother in you– couldn’t help but wonder about her academic and social development. She needed to be around kids her age, learning the same things they were.
Mutation or not, that was important, too, right?
“Of course it’s important, dear.”
You startled at the sound of Professor Xavier’s voice.
You didn’t say that out loud, did you?
With furrowed eyebrows, you started, “I’m sorry, did I-”
He only chuckled at your confusion. “No, you didn’t say that out loud. Reading the minds of others is one of my mutations,” the Professor explained, except you were watching his face the entire time and his mouth didn’t move a muscle.
Your eyebrows shot up in– what? Disbelief? Offense?
“I do apologize,” he started.
All you could do was blink at the man decidedly not talking to you.
“I try not to make a habit of reading the thoughts of those around me without their consent.”
You nodded skeptically as he continued and added half-heartedly, “and what about talking inside of their heads? Do you make a habit out of that?”
He found your sense of humor in what he considered to be a very heavy, very tricky situation, endearing.
“I do not,” he chuckled and continued, actually speaking this time. “But you’re right. Her academic and social development are just as important as refining her gift. And although she is the youngest student the academy will have ever enrolled, I can promise you we have the means to provide the resources that any child of her age could possibly require.”
He seemed so sure, so confident in this proposition.
You wish you could say the same about yourself.
He slowly inched closer to you before speaking again.
“I understand your apprehension, but, surely, we can’t send her off to school down the street where she’ll be telekinetically tossing toys off of shelves in the classroom, or forcing her emotions onto every peer she so much as disagrees with on the playground,” Charles waved his hands in slight amusement.
You chewed your lip anxiously as you considered this.
You knew he was right.
But he said she was the youngest mutant to ever be offered enrollment at his school– the youngest mutant he, or anyone, has ever heard of manifesting their powers so early, period. If there weren’t any kids her own age at school, would she ever be able to be around normal kids her own age without risking hurting them?
Without risking hurting herself?
Your heart sank at the true fear that had been festering deep within you since Maevis’ very first display of power.
Would she ever feel normal if you did this?
Would she ever feel normal at all?
You could feel your heart racing at the thought of all of this going painfully south.
“She will be able to be around kids her own age,” the Professor said, once again, snapping you out of your anxious spiraling.
“Think of this as…” he looked around the room, trying to come up with the words to convince you, “ a specialized homeschooling program. Dr. Grey and Ms. Munroe will teach her everything she needs to know, including that of a typical kindergarten academic curriculum, and as soon as she’s ready, we’ll make sure she is able to join her peers out there.” He motioned to the window displaying the outside of your apartment building as he said this, but his words implied a space much vaster.
You churned in consideration, but didn’t speak just yet.
“It’s what is safest for everyone. It’s what is safest for Maevis,” Professor Xavier emphasized.
You continued to bite your lip, glancing behind Professor Xavier at Dr. Grey, who only sat quietly with a look of never-ending patience upon her face.
Her demeanor is what finally had you nodding in agreement.
“Plus," the Professor added, "you’ll be at the academy, teaching just a few halls down. You’ll be there every step of the way.”
He’s right. This is what’s safest for everyone. For Maevis.
It’s what’s best for Maevis.
“Okay,” you said simply.
Both Professor Xavier and Dr. Grey smiled, and the genuine relief and joy you saw in their faces sort of made your chest ache.
“This is what’s best for Maevis,” you repeated in your head.
“But,” you added, gaining the shocked attention of your guests, “ if we do this, please, ‘try not to read my mind without my consent’ anymore,” you quipped, only half joking.
“Oh, it is so good to see you again!” Dr. Grey said earnestly, squeezing your shoulder in a way that made you feel slightly more at ease.
She turned to Maevis.
“And it’s good to see you again, too, you gorgeous girl.”
She clung to you rather tightly, but she still greeted Dr. Grey warmly, reaching for her face.
You panicked suddenly, not wanting Jean to be overwhelmed with whatever rollercoaster of emotions Maevis might be feeling right now.
It wasn’t a constant transfer of energy, but it was a powerful one.
“Oh, no, sweetie, remember, we can’t touch people’s bodies without asking them,” you gently remind her. She retracted her hand sadly, but you reassured her.
“It’s okay, Maev. But remember boundaries? We just have to be careful,” you tell her softly, nudging your nose gently against hers.
“Oh, yeah,” she said, almost ashamedly. “I’m sorry.”
Dr. Grey was watching the entire interaction affectionately. “That’s okay, Maevis,” she said. “Your mother is right,” she continued, looking between the two of you. “It is important to remember people’s boundaries, especially your own. You should always ask before you enter someone’s personal space.”
Maevis only nodded shyly in agreement.
“But,” Dr. Grey added, “if it’s okay with you, and your mother, I would like for you to tell me hello again– the way you were going to.”
Both Dr. Grey and Maevis were looking to you for approval now. “Oh. I mean…” You were nervous and you couldn’t pinpoint why. This is what you were here for– what Maevis was here for, right?
“I mean, of course,” you said. “As long as you’re comfortable with it, Maev,” you looked at her, waiting.
Maevis looked between the two of you before speaking. “I’m comfortable,” she said, reaching for Dr. Grey’s face again. “I can show you my feelings.”
You smiled. Something about her referring to this part of her mutation as “showing her feelings” always felt so innocent. So delicate. Like there was no part of this that was dangerous or unmanageable.
Of course, that wasn’t reality.
As soon as Maevis’ hand touched Dr. Grey’s face, it was like she was somewhere else– lost in her mind.
Or, rather, Maevis’ mind.
A small smile spread across her face as she gripped the tiny hand that was touching her cheek a little tighter.
Finally, Maevis retracted.
“Incredible,” Dr. Grey said, breathless. “You are a very special person, Maevis.”
Your daughter only smiled and nuzzled into your neck.
“She is,” you agreed, smiling.
“And we here at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters are thrilled to, not only have her as a pupil, but to have her remarkable mother teaching at the institute as well.”
You turned around to follow Dr. Grey’s gaze, not surprised to see Professor Xavier gliding across the large foyer to greet you.
You smiled, “Hello, Professor. Say hello, Maevis,” you say, waving your hand in example.
“Hi, Charles,” you daughter smiled and did the same. Professor Xavier returned the gesture before adding, “At least one of you remembered to call me Charles,” he said.
You both chuckled at that before he continued.
“We are so happy you’re here with us, dear,” he said with that same genuineness he had at your first meeting.
Before you could respond, assuring him that you were just as happy to be here, he continued.
“There are some people I’d like you to meet.”
You almost didn’t notice the two people next to him, which was shocking, considering one of them was the most breathtaking woman– all dark skin, crystal eyes, and hair white as snow, and the other is probably the largest man you’ve ever seen in person.
“What a hot couple,” you think to yourself.
The gorgeous woman extends her hand, an unsurprisingly perfect smile aimed directly at you.
“Hey, there. I’m Ororo Munroe, but the kids like to call me Storm. I’ll be Maevis’ primary educator during her time here at the academy.”
You shake her hand and introduce yourself before she turns her attention to the little girl in your arms.
“And you must be the lady of the hour, “ Ms. Munroe says to Maevis brightly. “I am so happy to meet you, sweetie. I’ll be your new teacher.”
Maevis is anything but reserved, so she takes to her almost immediately.
You wondered if it’s her extroverted nature that makes all of this go smoothly, or if there’s some unspoken tether that mutants feel between one another.
That would make sense, especially in an evolutionary regard. It could be why Maevis has been so inexplicably drawn to Dr. Grey since meeting her.
You try to ignore the unexpected twinge you feel in your stomach at that thought.
You’re pulled out of this strange line of thinking at the sound of the tree trunk of a man now speaking.
“I’m Logan.”
He doesn’t extend a hand.
In fact, he doesn’t make a move to do or say anything more, and you kind of just stand there expectantly.
You figured, if he’s as friendly as everyone else you’ve met so far, he might throw in a, “nice to meet you”?
A school title?
A cool, somewhat unnecessary superhero nickname?
As if reading your mind, he adds, “Logan’s fine.”
You scrunch your eyebrows in realization.
“Wait, can you read minds, too?” you ask.
Storm, Charles, and Jean all laugh, but Logan only half-smiles.
“No, he’s just a smartass,” Ms. Munroe chides, then immediately covers her mouth, eyes darting between you and Maevis.
“I am so sorry. Oh my gosh, little ears! I haven’t been around a child this young in… well, like, ever. Shit, I’m sorry.”
Her eyes go even wider somehow and she smacks herself in the forehead.
“Oh my god, I’m sorry! I truly didn’t even realize I cursed this much,” she all but screams, then turns to her friends. “How come none of you told me I had such a potty mouth?!”
You’re full on giggling now as you reach with your free had to give her arm a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay! Seriously, it’s okay. I don’t always have the most restraint around her, either, and I’m her mother. Unfortunately, she has heard worse,” you laugh and feel relieved when the Professor, Dr. Grey, and Ms. Munroe all laugh alongside you and don’t give you that stuffy, judgey look that most people do when you accidentally (or not so accidentally) curse around your daughter.
You all chat for a few more minutes, everyone’s excitement becoming more apparent.
Well, almost everyone.
Logan seemed uninterested, to say the least. This didn’t necessarily bother you, though; you understood that not everyone is experienced with or comfortable around children. You weren’t going to fault him for that if that were the case.
It just confused you more than anything.
Ms. Munroe would be leading Maev’s academics, Dr. Grey would be her mentoring her in her mutation, Professor Xavier had sought the two of you out and was acting Dean of the school— everyone had their purpose, so it seemed.
So what was Logan’s?
“I’m here to help you get settled in.”
You blinked in surprise.
How did he do that?
“You’re really not reading my mind?” you ask, skeptically.
He almost laughed at that.
“Doesn’t take a telepath to recognize a confused stare,” he replied.
He voice was gruff, but his tone was light.
That didn’t stop your face from heating up with embarrassment, though.
Were you really staring?
“Logan teaches history in the classroom adjacent to yours,” Professor Xavier added.
“A perfect fit, considering he was alive for most of it,” Dr. Grey prodded, nudging Logan slightly in the ribs.
He scoffed while everyone else chuckled and looked down at her with a soft smile.
The way she was gazing up at him made you think maybe he and Ms. Munroe were, in fact, not the hot couple in this equation.
“Your and Maevis’ new living quarters are also located in the same wing of the mansion as his. I figured it was most logical for him to help you get adjusted, “ Charles finished.
“That, and his welcoming personality,” Ms. Munroe added, faux excitement absolutely dripping with sarcasm, clapping Logan on the shoulder in jest.
You smiled, admiring the relationship between the four of them, affectionate and comfortable.
Even Logan in his own reserved, somewhat brooding way.
Although their histories, both individual and relational, were unclear to you, they were a family, you could see that.
Anyone could.
Dr. Grey suddenly made a surprised sound.
“Oh, shoot!” she said, collecting herself. “I have session with a student in less than five minutes— I should get going.”
You mouthed a wordless, “oh,” in understanding, adjusting Maevis to rest on your other hip.
Goodness, she’s getting so big.
Turning to the two of you, she continues, “Again, we are so happy to have you. All of this is just such a gift,” she says with that sincere tone that makes you want to burst into tears.
She murmurs her goodbye to the others, walking away, lightly squeezing Logan’s abnormally large bicep on the way.
“Professor, we should really get going, too if we’re going to make it to New Student Orientation on time, “ says Ms. Munroe.
“Ah, yes,” Professor Xavier agrees, repositioning his chair. “Well, dear, I hope you enjoy getting acquainted with the mansion. And please let me know if you or Maevis need anything at all.”
He turns to look at Logan, the two of them locking eyes momentarily as if having a fleeting, silent conversation of their own.
Which, you now realize, is totally possible.
As the Professor fades into the distance of the ever-growing hallway, you feel a stiff, awkward tension begin to form between you and Logan.
He isn’t nearly as welcoming or chatty as the others, and you know yourself. If you sit in this uncomfortable silence for too long, you’re going to start rambling and its going to be painful for everyone.
“I can show you your room,” Logan interrupts your self-deprecating line of thinking, grabbing the suitcase at your side and starting off without so much as a word to you or Maev.
You pucker your lips in submission.
“Cool. Right behind you,” you mutter a little sarcastically.
Maevis giggles and mimics you a little louder: “Cool! Right behind you!”
You can’t help but laugh with her as you follow Logan down the long hall, up the winding stairs, and into your new life.
I'm pumped for the D meeting [whenever you upload it] but what about the new chapter 🥺 any progress? IF not, that's fine! I'm just pumped again 🥺
I have made decent progress for chapter 5 but I want to take my time with it to be honest! there are quite a few things happening in chapter five-- the side quest, you get a dog, kind of lose your head, meet a bunch of people and revisit old faces -- so I don't want to rush it.
it's definitely going to be a long chapter again (longer than the last one for sure) but that will take time :) I'm also planning to overhaul some of the stats and go back to the prologue to add more customization and maybe change the way prosthetics are chosen to make the flow overall better.
the next chapter will drop before the end of the year but I dont have a date in mind and with uni starting next week I'm choosing to take it a little slower.
Do you like Dungeon Meshi? Or Apothecary Diaries? I feel like Dungeon Meshi is something you could really sink your teeth into (haha)
I really love Dungeon Meshi! Read through the manga and am delighted to know that there's an anime adaption now. I haven't watched Apothecary Diaries but I think I've seen some bits here and there? Cecil and I finished Fieren so I'm always looking for new shows to (eventually) watch, ehehe.
My funny story of the day - while I adore all of the Dungeon Meshi characters (and the excellent world building), Izutsumi is my favorite, and I cosplayed her like...maybe a week or two before her debut in the anime. So my AB experience that year was this:
(My friends all cosplayed Dunmeshi as a group and it was fun to drop into the photoshoot with like, at least 6 cosplayers to add to the mix)
Sometimes I want to bring Morrigan but then I remember I play as a face-tanking rogue and I bring Wynne.
Warden Cousland, Morrigan, Wynne / Dragon Age Origins (c) Bioware
I don't remember if I ever made a post about this, but for a long time I thought Griffin made up the whole clone pod thing to give Barry an excuse to get his body back again and then eventually also Magnus, and that that was a cool little world building thing. But I found out a while go that no, apparently it's a real spell called Clone from the Player's Handbook. 8th level necromancy wizard spell.
Also, it takes specifically 120 days for a body to form completely, which means that technically, Barry could have popped into his body again since before Petals lol
In the spell description, it also says that you can make the body younger, and I love the fact that he had that option but chose to keep himself the same age anyway
Also, since Magnus first gave Garfield his blood during the interlude before Crystal Kingdom, technically his body would have been ready since around the Eleventh Hour, and Garfield decided to just hold on to it for another few months without doing anything with it lmao
OH SHIT WAIT-
GRIFFIN THOUGHT MAGNUS WAS GOING TO TAKE THE CHALICE AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO DIE DURING THE MISSION TO GET IT BACK FROM HIM
HE SPECIFICALLY MADE IT SO THAT IF HE DID DIE, MAGNUS' BODY WOULD HAVE BEEN READY TO GO THEN TOO
Man I love how that whole arc played out in canon, but I so wish we had gotten to know what would have happened if Magnus did take the Chalice and how that would have played out
I just looked at the price on the back of a book I’ve had for a bit over a decade and it was four. fucking. dollars. Just four with no taxes. No extra 97cents or something before taxes. Just a round number that you would add taxes to.
I googled the price of a new edition and it was almost thirteen! Not an even thirteen, it was like 12.96 or something. Close enough that it’s basically thirteen but if you’re adding multiple items together to try and get the price on a purchase with more items it would add more confusion.
It's been well over a week now (maybe two??) but I'm still plugging away (ever-so-slowly) at this vignette about Zara and Rook. Zara's POV is a lot of fun to write, now that I have a better sense of her character. Writing this has really solidified in my mind the kind of person she is and how she acted when she was Rook's captain and mentor. She's very calm and collected in comparison to Rook, even when under a lot of stress.
Anyways, have a little snippet that I'm proud of from today, featuring the origins of the coin trick!
Pacing back and forth across her cabin floor, she rolled the coin back and forth over her knuckles again and again. The motion was easy, almost mindless, more muscle memory than real intent. The coin trick had been her favorite way to soothe her nerves for years now. She’d picked it up out of idle curiosity after watching a street performer dining in a tavern in Bon Largo, who had chatted with her for over an hour as she fretted about something mundane, never once dropping the coin from their fingers. The same performer had later tried to steal her coin purse and ended up with nothing but a new scar for their trouble, but Zara had learned two important things from the encounter: Not to trust a warm smile and a pretty face, and that keeping her hands moving kept her mind from dwelling too much on worrisome things.
one-time tagging @space-writes because they commented on my tags about Rook learning the coin trick from Zara in one of my other snippets from this piece.
I watched X-Men (2000) last evening. Still awesome. But also, it made me think.
Just how much *ehm* point is there in trying to keep bringing these heroes with us forward in time? Wouldn't it be better to leave them as a period piece?
Like, with the Holocaust being such an important part of Magneto's backstory, at least him and Xavier are pretty firmly anchored in time. And of course we can start making up all the excuses about why they are immortal / not ageing, but how much sense does it make? I also seem to be noticing an ongoing trend in newer X-Men media, at least on the big screen, where they aren't allowed to be traditional heroes any more, and instead all the focus is on the genocide. Which, I understand, that is 100% absolutely the direction the story is headed. Also, that post about how with the world being as it is, we can't really pretend any longer that Magneto is not right. So yes, I understand where they are coming from, but also, it isn't fun any more, is it?
Maybe the X-Men would be best as a period piece set somewhere between the 1960's and the early 2000's AT THE LATEST.
Ykno the suckiest thing about being broken up with for someone else is that like. Well I'm doing generally fine, all things considered, but I Am kinda sad thinking about the things I've lost and all the casual affection that I can't have now.
But she's out there having all the affection she wants from her coworker, and it's just like. Damn this feels so skewed and SO unfair.
Do you think the Demon Bull Family will enter the plot again? I think a lot of parallels between MK and Red Son have come around this season and it'd be interesting to explore
Oh please share your Red Son and MK related thoughts with me! I'm not quite sure what you're talking about specifically, but of course the DBK - Wukong / Red Son - MK parallel is always fun.
I don't think the Demon Bull Family will ever be shoved out of the plot entirely, at the VERY least we'll get something like how they were integrated in s4, but with Wukong, Macaque, and DBK all being previous members of the brotherhood I hope we get to explore their relationship a bit more!
I hold onto my crumbs, and so I remember Wukong's little "I've honestly missed that guy" from Revenge of the Spider Queen, and maybe deep down I want that to be explored. It seems like we're going to get into why Wukong stayed up on flower fruit mountain for all that time, and part of that might involve why he sealed DBK away/his feelings on that whole situation. And honestly if DBK is involved, then Red Son is involved. Red Son's admiration for his father is very similar to the admiration MK has for Monkey King, so maybe there's something to be explored there!