And this time, I actually know what everyone is talking about while they are talking about it!
By which I mean: Tonight I saw X-Men: First Class.
To the surprise of nobody, I have thoughts!
( Spoilers... )
To the surprise of nobody, I have thoughts!
( Spoilers... )
Oh God, snark!kink is my fastest 'ship now' button after ships that exist in this quiet unvoiced area where the characters are absolutely terrified of admitting what it means to them or that it happens. (Some of which may come from early ships based in subtext, but I think you can strike that tone and still make the relationship entirely textual - it's a matter of careful writing.)
And some of it's my willingness to reach a bit in order to achieve pointless fluff, but in all seriousness, if they had more time for Eric to get attached, if things played out just a little bit differently on the beach, hell, if Charles had said anything other than 'just following orders,' it could have happened. I suspect it would have overtones of "I'm leaving tomorrow. No, really. Tomorrow," until all the tomorrows add up, but, hey.
AALKFJFLKJF WRITE IIIITTTTT.
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My personal theory is it's the "heightened emotional stress" that Jean Grey mentions in the first film that's the real trigger, and it's just that puberty is the most common time. Even so, he seems to have an inability to keep his mouth shut about what he hears - like when accidentally outing Hank. That was... so stupid.
But yes, I think you're right. Telepathy is tough to turn off, and you likely wouldn't notice sometimes what you were doing unless the other person did. That's why Paula, one of my two telepathic characters - the other one was an old X-Men OC, Angel; my first experiment with a character whose morals were more gray than white - teaches those she spends the most time around to block her, so that's not as easy.
Oh, God, are we mind twins on shipping? Because I know what you're talking about, that tension is just so... real, I think. (I'm also of the opinion that other than the snark, Erik/Charles has a hint of that concept on Erik's part.)
No, I agree with you. Because look how close Erik and Charles became in the short time they did spend together. Something like that... Yeah, it could have been different. The basis for my AU - I do have this scene in my head - is that Charles is actually smart enough to realize what a huge fucking error that excuse was. To be fair he was kind of freaking out and with almost anyone else that might have actually worked, so he gets half a pass. I'm still debating what he says - pointing out to Erik that he's going down the road of becoming what he hates most is true but maybe not the right thing to say. Or maybe it would wake him up. I can't decide. Thoughts on what Charles could say?
Oh God, yeah. And at first Charles is worried because he actually believes it, and then after a while he's all "All right, Erik." *to self* "See you in the morning." Can I steal that idea? Because it really works.
I'm working on it. I meant to wait for the DVD, but... I have a feeling that won't happen. Kinda like with my Inception fics.
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Yeah, exactly. Blocking it would be a solution in some 'verses, but other than making everybody really uncomfortable helmets... and the flip side is that I'm not sure Charles would want to. Your Paula's a lot more moral than him; I think he really does like having that access to what the people around him are thinking. Which is understandable if he's used to it, and hell, I can't say I wouldn't give in, but it's still pretty damn invasive.
That said, I don't think he means any harm - for all that good that does occasionally. For example, if I recall correctly, he thought Hank was already entirely out as a mutant at that point.
And evidently we ARE mind twins, and about the tension, yes, it's real and it can hurt and under the right circumstances there's something almost bizarrely hot about it but at the same time it's the emotional connection to the characters. And Erik and Charles could definitely have some of that - particularly considering, you know, I'm fairly sure that being gay at that point in time could (and possibly did) get you jail time in Britain and everywhere in the United States but Illinois. Which I think is the biggest block I have to writing any of this - some people can ignore that, but I can't, and I'm not sure I can tackle it either.
Yes, that is seriously all it would take. And since "just following orders" is clearly a Huge Fucking Deal to Eric, they wouldn't even have had to know each other that much longer for Erik to mention something that would tip Charles off about what a shitty idea that was (although I do understand why he'd say it, I agree - between the panic and never having really been in that position, it makes sense.) I'd have to look at the actual speech again to really know what he might say, though. I"m sorry.
Oh yes, that is perfect. I was thinking Erick mostly reassuring himself he'd vanish and not bringing it up, but that probably works just as well if not better and gives a lot more space for Charles to interact with him; STEAL AWAY.
...la la la downloading is obviously not an option and I would never ever ever suggest such a thing even if you did then buy it anyway once it came out and the download simply served to tide you over, la la la I propose NOTHING OF THE SORT.
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I'm of the opinion that, to some extent, blocking a telepath is generally possible, since it would involve learning to control one's mind, likely through meditation and visualization. As for Paula being far more moral... There's a reason. She went crashing down to the dark side once - in one universe where she exists, courtesy of my allowing a friend to borrow her for his story, she falls again, and it is scary. Even mine is someone who exists in shades of gray (huge since her primary background is Charmed-verse, where that is sadly rare) and has flashes of what might happen if she didn't care. Charles, obviously, does not have that experience feeding his handling of his power and its effects. But no, I agree he generally doesn't mean any harm, he just hasn't thought it through yet. Patrick Stewart's Charles seems to have somehwat, but that's experience and age. (Though he still messes with Logan's mind with no regret in one scene and goes poking around in Magneto's mind, though there's a reason for the second.)
Because of Paula, and Angel to a lesser extent, I'm well aware of the serious pitfalls of telepathy. Give me telekinesis or teleportation, seriously.
It hurts so good, I believe is the phrase people like to use. By the Sixties they wouldn't have gotten jail time in the States, if I'm remembering stuff from one of my classes last semester properly, at least not unless someone was looking through their window and they were having sex - specifically sodomy which I think is still technically illegal in some states - but it would have been yet another social stigma. Though there is that thing about the British public schools and experimenting with homosexuality; that might help where Charles is concerned. As for Erik, the Nazis gassed homosexuals too, I could see him saying anything they thought was wrong isn't. Maybe.
I know. It was so stupid, and yet you can so easily see how he would make that mistake, you can't even be totally angry with him because it makes so much sense. I think I may go with an implication of Erik becoming what he hates, but not outright saying it, because that could set him off even more.
Probably some of both; Charles picking it up from Erik's head and worrying about it, and then not anymore, though I could see it coming up in actual conversation too.
Hee. I don't download much, and it'd be tricky with my limited Internet time in the summer. I am so buying it when it comes out - I am a special features lover, I want to see them!!
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And huh, an interesting idea. Could you do that continuously, I wonder? (I don't actually know a lot about meditation as a thing.) And wow, that sounds like awesome backstory, and definitely a reason for her to be moral. Nothing like your old ghosts to keep you in line, right? And Charles really doesn't have any major mistakes or regrets before the ones we seem him develop, I think. You're definitely right that it's a matter of age, though. And the thing about not meaning any harm is that it makes very little difference to the people who are hurt.
Telekinesis would probably have the least potential for disaster, I think. I mean, teleportation is better than telepathy, but there's always the risk of SORRY YOU TWITCHED WELCOME TO THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. (Or, worse, fifty feet underground... you're welcome.)
Hurts so good, yes. And I don't know how much it was penalized, but I'm pretty sure it was still technically illegal - and definitely a stigma; hell, being queer can be scary as hell now.
(afdlkjalkfsdjaf schoolboys. I won't start.)
And actually, I was just reading something about that idea, that a Jewish holocaust survivor would feel a certain sense of solidarity regarding queer holocaust survivors, and their commentary was that it didn't really work that way, partly because the two groups (going by how the Nazis sorted them, since obviously there was overlap) had rather different experiences, and there wasn't actually a whole lot of open information at the time. So.
And that's definitely where I would go, but Erik doesn't seem particularly bothered by that notion, as he came down on the side of agreeing with Shaw in the end and admitted it - which was something that really really fucking bothered me in the movie. It felt way too abrupt to me.
I don't much either, but I want to see it again and yet a) am unlikely to get to a theater a second time, and b) am annoyed enough about the political aspects that I don't really want to give them that much of my money. Sooo...
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I'd want teleportation to put an end to my transportation woes. :)
Yeah, it's a hell of a stigma and not entirely comfortable now. But I don't think it was entirely illegal to actually be homosexual - as I said, I think there were certain sex acts which were, but not homosexuality itself, by that time. It didn't come up in my class if it was, and even though it was a sociology class, we discussed a lot of laws in the U.S. so I think it would have.
Good point about the camps deal. I could also use a concept that shows up in a fic set closer to modern day that might still apply involving the concept that as the next evolution of humanity, they're not bound by current stigmas. That might work for both of them, since FC Charles definitely seems to think mutants are superior the same way Erik always declares, he just doesn't think they should curb-stomp the humans because of it.
Good point about Erik. The irony - and the biggest tragedy, to my mind - of Magneto is that in trying to prevent a repeat of his greatest fear, he became the thing he hated most. And I don't think he ever realized it. Hence Charles in my fic saying as much. Here's what I have: "But if you kill them now, before they've had a chance to make an informed choice, if you start with them and continue with the idea that all humans are the enemy and they have to be fought and defeated, then how is that different than what you believe they would do to us? It's the exact same philosophy, Erik, it's a mindset you despise and yet you're slipping into a form of it yourself. Can't you see that?"
Still debating Erik's immediate reaction, though I do know his ultimate choice with the missiles.
I won't pay another ten bucks to see any film in theaters again, thank you very much. I haven't got enough money to do that.
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True! I would be SO MUCH MORE PUNCTUAL if I could teleport, too. (If I didn't teleport myself to the moon by mistake.)
True, technically speaking, but I believe 'certain sex acts' covered anything that was possible to do without a vagina involved, which would both impede one's life and magnify the stigma - which, yes, needed no magnifying.
That could be interesting, but they seem to maintain most of the rules of human society even as they proclaim mutant superiority (which I agree, Charles definitely bought into that idea to an extent even as he rather wanted to integrate the groups), or at least Charles seemed to want to keep normal societal taboos - clothes, for instance. On the other hand, it isn't as if there weren't gay couples, and I suspect that a fairly common dynamic was an open secret sort of thing. Which is what I'd imagine being most comfortable for them anyway - I mean, I can't imagine Erik being a fan of a great deal of blatant PDA.
That might work, that might make a lot of sense; I'm guessing that Erik would start by freaking out even more - nobody likes to be wrong, especially not about something so raw, so personal. But I do believe that it would work out in the end.
Yeah, the other factor as to why I'm not going again. That would be another benefit to teleportation, come to think of it; just show up in the back of the theater, no tickets necessary.
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I'll have to look it up, the laws, I mean, to be sure. Though they'd probably find themselves locked away for their mutations first. Or their relationship used as the excuse to... Oh. Oh no. Now there's a thought.
*snicker* I just tried to imagine Erik being all right with blatant PDA. Definitely not. He and I are agreed there, I am so not the openly physically affectionate (or really easily physically affectionate in general) type. Open secret works very well.
A freak-out is definitely a likely possibility; I'm trolling opinions with one or two other authors I like, since I'm unsure and brainstorming is always a good thing.
Now that would be fun, using teleportation to see movies.
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!!!!!! Write it, oh my God, ouch but that could be fascinating. Ouch.
Yeah, barring very extreme circumstances. (OH YOU'RE NOT DEAD, and that's about all I can imagine. He'd have to have been pretty convinced, too.) I'm sort of a contradiction in that I want to be physically affectionate but I'm always uncomfortably nervous about it.
Yeah, always a good way to kick things off. Good luck!
It would! Slightly unethical, but fun. And I bet you could skip a lot of lines, too.
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Yeah. That would probably do it. I know what you mean about that contradiction, I can be like that myself when I actually want physical affection.
Thanks! :) I'm currently leaning toward Heroic BSOD (why yes that's a trope) moment for Erik rather than a tearing-into-Charles type of freak-out, since it seems to fit just a little bit better.
Slightly unethical I can live with as long as no one gets hurt. Just don't tell my journalism profs, they wouldn't like it. ;)
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Sudden absence of death is always a useful plot device. ;) And oh good, it's not just me.
Oh, I speak fluent trope, I practically lived on that site for a while. I can see that, and certainly it pulls it a little bit further from canon and makes it easier to keep them from splitting, this time.
I think 'does anyone get hurt' is essentially the defining line between ethical and unethical anyway, so. :)
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I love sudden absence of death. Mostly because I love clonking characters - usually the ones in denial - over the head with incidents where the person they are in love with, no matter what they try to say, end up seriously hurt. I physically whump one to emotionally sucker-punch the other, it's super effective! Witness most of my A/E fic.
I'm mid-level skill in speaking trope, but I am continuing to practice the language. It's a very fun one.
Agreed on the defining line, though journalistic ethics are a little different. But where life ethics are concerned, I agree completely. (It's a bit hard to explain.)
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