✨WE DESERVE TO TWINKLE✨

open  starter  :   (mutuals  only)   for  all  the  flying  supes  out  there  who  wanna  teach  bob  how  to  fly!

If there was anyone that could understand COSMIC IRONY, it was Marilyn. She had spent decades under the spotlight, and found that she adored those that adored her...but she sometimes wished to simply vanish from the public consciousness. At least for a little while.

It was only recently that she had worked up the courage to come out of hiding. Those that would mean her harm had long-since passed, and the world was CHANGED. She could once more freely see so for herself.

When she received the call from Bucky, hearing the plight of Bob Reynolds had made her heart ache for the poor young man. She also knew what it was to be unsure of herself, and she wanted to help Bob through his own insecurities.

A warm and sympathetic smile melted on to her lips, and she shook her head softly.

"Mm, no..." came her gentle answer, "...no, from my own personal experience, Sunshine, the ability to fly through the atmosphere as you did and live to tell the tale, is hardly a one-time thing."

She moved to take one of his hands, placing her other hand over his affectionately. "I think it would be a shame for your only flight to have been a frightening experience."

"If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything." -Marilyn Monroe

"I Like Firsts. Good Or Bad, They're Always Memorable." -Ahsoka Tano

MUTUALS MAY INTERACT. @all0fusstars

" Bigot, ingrate, sycophant, WORM. So small I COULD SMITE YOU with a step. There was a time I would smite  YOU ALL  for what was done ... I am TRYING to be better. Please … DO NOT MAKE ME let you down. "

[For any readers beyond my writing partner, @all0fusstars and myself @fulcrumredeemed, some of the canon from the earlier posts have changed due to some changes to Ahsoka's age and backstory. We apologize for any confusion.]

I mean, Ahsoka only asked what kind of music she liked. Ahsoka did appreciate Marilyn being willing to give any genre a chance. It showed a lack of bias, an open-mind and a free spirit. She blinked in confusion. "I mean I love that you will try any music but was more asking what music you tended to listen to more often than not." A chuckle escaping her lips after Ahsoka explained what she meant by her question in a soft baffled tone. Marilyn's gesture of putting her finger to her lips in thinking was so fucking cute. Ahsoka remembered watching the news, or films, and magazines all dealing with this once starlet. She loved her back then and had been upset when she was said to have died. Ahsoka had felt a connection to her, seen things, felt things, she didn't know that they were images and feelings from the future, from now. She had been in Washington D.C. around that time and happened upon the thoughts of one John F. Kennedy, right as he had the thoughts to plot the death of one Marilyn Monroe. It angered so much that she sought out one of the most powerful anarchal mutants that she could think of. Erik Lehnsherr, Magneto. Ahsoka shook her head, hoping that the magic 8 ball that is her brain would bring her back to the present and it did the job. "Oh! Man, that's really neat! It's a shame about your friend though. Not being able to see them or contact them. I'm really sorry to hear about that." Putting her hand to her heart. She understood how that felt not seeing her family or anyone she had known for so long. Affectively being a ghost. Ahsoka listened and vibed with the music, she knew the song. Had listened and loved it back when it was big. "I remember when this song came out. I loved it back then. I like a bit of everything. It seems that each generation's music has it's changes, the vibes and tunes shift and morph into something unique. I think I love all music. I am more leaning toward some of these current bands of the counter culture side of the genres. One particular has caught my interest. Smashing Pumpkins. I gotta tell ya they are very interesting." She couldn't hold it back. Ahsoka felt the lump of panick in her throat but still felt the warmth of safety as she looked into those beautiful eyes, feeling Marilyn's presence. It made Ahsoka feel safe, safer than she had felt in a long time. She smiled softly while looking at Marilyn. She took a seat on the sofa nearby. "So you're that Marilyn?" She asked with an almost disbelieved chuckle. It wasn't that Ahsoka didn't believe Marilyn, she just needed to help her brain connect the dots because of what she had done thinking that Marilyn was dead.

@all0fusstars

@fulcrumredeemed

The culture within the community that she had been living in for decades by that point hadn't been the same that Ahsoka had experienced, nor had she been able to TRAVEL about in order to further explore the zeitgeists further as time passed. Hearing about the band name that Ahsoka mentioned though, Marilyn found herself to be INTRIGUED. She tilted her head slightly as she smiled.

"Smashing Pumpkins," she repeated softly, "Oh, that SENDS me!" she shook her head softly and her hair bounced gently as she did so, before the topic of conversation was shifted back to HERSELF. Her lips were parted slightly as she was somewhat caught off-guard.

Marilyn's cheeks tinted softly and she looked down slightly bashfully before once more meeting Ahsoka's gaze for a lingering second.

"Well, I'm certainly A Marilyn," she huffed a quiet laugh before turning on her heel and moving a few feet away to the oven. "I suppose which one I am would depend on your own OPINION of me."

She preheated the oven and begun to line a baking pan that was narrower than her skewers with aluminum foil. She wanted to be able to prop her skewers on the baking sheet while cooking.

Once that was done, she removed some bags from her fridge and brought them over to the island in the kitchen, standing so that she could still see and hear Ahsoka. The bags contained marinated meat. She took it out and took one piece of pork, threading it onto two skewers. She repeated that with the rest of the meat. Marilyn propped them onto the prepared baking pan.

This situation was very unique to Ahsoka. There was a pull coming from this woman in front of her. Ahsoka felt that she could trust Marilyn, fully and completely, and yet there wasn't the detachedness or neutrality that she remembered coming from the monks. She was happy, in this moment that she felt that she could get lost in, and content, not quite complete but she felt that she could find that, with work, together, with this woman that she was gazing into the nebulas that were her eyes. Could this woman LOVE Ahsoka?

This Marilyn could, indeed, LOVE her, very much.

The mention of her mother caused the mood to falter, within Ahsoka. A huge lump formed in her solar plexus, and another in her throat. She barely remembered her mother anymore, most of the memories locked behind trauma that she needed to heal. 

"I wouldn't know. I can't really remember her much." Ahsoka says choking back tears, the sadness begining to overwehelm her. She took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth, focusing on the breeze that she remembered from earlier and how serene it was. It helped Ahsoka regain her composure, not out of fear of showing her feelings to this woman but because she desperately wanted to get back to that feeling that she was experiencing with Marilyn, just moments ago. Ahsoka bowed  her head to Marilyn out of habit of saying 'thank you' to a teacher or elder monk for giving her a compliment, taught at Kamar Taj.

"Thank you for your kind words, Marilyn. I hope that she is proud of me, from where-ever she is." After somberly saying her words of gratitude to Marilyn, Ahsoka rose from her bow, smiling once again. 

"Music sounds wonderful. What kinds of music do you like?" Her tone taking on a more chipper sound, one to match her smile. Maybe Ahsoka just needed to get through those feelings of missing her mother, of this woman being connected to those lost memories and emotions BUT that Ahsoka didn't want or need that connection OR those memories, but that she only wanted to spend more time WITH Marilyn, FOR Marilyn and not everything else. 

@all0fusstars

@fulcrumredeemed

Just as Ahsoka was asking about the variety of music that she indulged in, Marilyn had started to thumb through her albums. She had not only records, but some CD's as well as cassette tapes. The sound system that she had looked to be capable of playing all three, while also acting as an AM/FM radio. In all honesty, she had an EXTENSIVE COLLECTION. There was a wide variety of Jazz from different time periods, there was classical music, there was music from Latin America of course, there was music by EUROPEAN ARTISTS. It seemed that she swept up anything that she could get her hands on.

"Oh, I don't believe there's any sort of music that I won't at least give a chance. Why miss out on a new experience, right?" She moved to place her finger on her lips in thought briefly before reaching forward and grabbing a record from one of her shelves. She held it up for Ahsoka to view, the cover art displaying a BEAUTIFUL WOMAN with dark skin and hair, her eyes holding intrigue as she looked just off to the side. The text read 'Ella Fitzgerald: Rhythm is my Business'.

"Ella was a DEAR FRIEND of mine, I loved her like a sister..." she mused, a fond yet wistful sigh passing her lips as she looked to the cover and removed the record carefully. Marilyn opened the top of the varied media player and set the record down.

"She released this album in 1962," she recalled, "I wasn't there to congratulate her, but sometimes listening to her voice helps me feel close to her again." She sniffed quietly and laughed softly at herself. "I'm sorry, my emotions are just RUNNING AWAY without me," she laughed again, wiping her eyes.

Marilyn turned the dial to set the record moving, before carefully setting the diamond top upon the beginning of the record. The sound crackled to life gradually, and the music begun to play VIBRANTLY through the introduction of the first track, 'Rough Ridin''.

Making sure the music was able to be heard without overpowering the chance for conversation, she took a small step towards Ahsoka. "What sort of music do you like?"

Still locked within Jean's gaze, those beautiful violet eyes, Ahsoka didn't move when Jean moved towards her. She didn't sense danger, she didn't need to move. Ahsoka didn't want to move. Why would she? Hearing Jean's degradation of, her own beautiful, eyes upset Ahsoka. Why did it feel like it hurt her? Jean wasn't insulting Ahsoka, she was insulting herself. So why would Ahsoka feel hurt? “Gautama Buddha said that 'Our own worst enemy cannot harm us as much as our unwise thoughts. No one can help us as much as our own compassionate thoughts.' but until you're thoughts towards your own beautiful eyes can be positive, then you can use my positive thoughts to help.” Her gaze never faltering from Jean's, Ahsoka confidently says her wisdom, a warm feeling rising up from her Dantian, the center of her qi, up to her chest, before she felt a flush in her cheeks, her tiger stripes turning a vibrant green. As she started to blush, Ahsoka smiled, looking down and away from Jean, breaking her their gaze becoming something that she rarely was, bashful, her tiger stripes turning yellow. "I.....uh.....You know, if you want to anyway. I....I....I wouldn't mind helping you out of that void." She says nervous and shyly, still looking down and away, feeling Jean's gaze still on her. Her chest becoming tighter and warmer, the heat in her cheeks rising as well, as Jean began complimenting Ahsoka's markings. Comparing them to a beautiful gem stone, her tiger stripes turning back to a deep indigo color with swirls of that vibrant green in them. While still looking down, Ahsoka sees Jean's hand. Why? They had already met and kind of introduced themselves. Ahsoka's heart pulled her and told her to trust this woman, to take her hand. In that moment, looking at this beautiful woman's face, she remembered a memory locked in trauma. Ahsoka remembered that her mother loved the model and actress, Marilyn Monroe, the woman in front of her. Then Jean....no Marilyn confirmed it to her vocally. "I know. I recognized you. My mother loved you." Tears began welling up in Ahsoka's eyes at remembering her mother, Ahsoka took Marilyn's hand in her own. "I also haven't been completely honest. Ashla is not my name, it is a nickname my mother gave me, a pet name I think is the term, my name is Ahsoka Tano." Starting a little shaky, Ahsoka pulled herself together and properly introduced herself to this very kind woman, that her mother loved so dearly.

@all0fusstars

@fulcrumredeemed

The times that Marilyn had grown and lived within were much less LIBERATING than she would ever been alright with. There had been so few that had ever stopped to really value her ideas, so she had wound up feeling trapped within a prison of her own mind. She tried to gain experience, wisdom through simply living, but around so many corners there had been VIPERS waiting for her.

Fundamental building blocks of her own identity were topics that she was left to ponder only to herself. Existential musings were scrawled all over journals that she had kept through her life, journals that she was sure no longer existed. Marilyn had contemplated things like where her AFFECTIONS were placed when it came to MEN, WOMEN, or perhaps NEITHER, or BOTH. She had never been confident enough to label it herself and she'd certainly not felt comfortable bringing it up to anyone in hopes of discussing it.

With all of the smoke and mirrors banished for both of them though, she felt more comfortable than she could ever recall feeling before. It was a priceless feeling that she wouldn't trade the world for, so she certainly hoped that this woman would prove to be a lingering companion.

The topic of love wasn't an easy one, and it never had been for her. There were so many in her life that claimed to LOVE HER, but she so often wondered what it was that they could possibly love about her if they did not know her...and how COULD they know her if she rarely knew HERSELF?

The answer to that question seemed to finally become more clear as she held Ahsoka's hand in her own and allowed her gaze to linger on the other woman's hues.

People that loved her might not have known her, but they loved what she REPRESENTED to them. Like anything in the world, meaning taking shape was what LIFE WAS ABOUT.

Now they were finally able to start of on even-footing, by having been completely honest with one another, as well as themselves on some level.

Once more, and with more lingering reverence, Marilyn shook the other woman's hand.

"It's WONDERFUL to meet you, Ahsoka. Your mother seems like a lovely woman, she must be proud to have such a BRAVE DAUGHTER." She moved to cover Ahsoka's hand with her other one and gave it a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

"I can put on some music, you're more than welcome to relax in the lounge room while I prepare the food. Is there anything I can get you to drink, darling?"

Ahsoka was petrified out of fear, as though a statue. Yes Jean was a mutant, but a fairly normal looking one comparably, or so Ahsoka thought in that initial moment. She was panicking, praying to whatever was out there to allow her glamour to hold out, at least until she could regain her composure and get her hood up. This woman is talking about books while Ahsoka was standing there praying? Did she not see how Ahsoka looked? Her horns, her tendrils who's normally navy-blue stripes that where now a bright yellow color, her white tribal markings that were not tattoos but just markings from her mutation? It appeared that her glamour was holding. The tiger-stipes color began shift from the yellow to a primary green color shifting slowly into blue, as she began to relax but was still a little anxious about the situation. Bringing Ahsoka back to the present conversation. "Uh.... Yeah I learned the teachings of Laozi from the monks at the monastery that I grew up at." Ahsoka regaining her confidence and breaking free of her anxious petrification, said more confidently. She went to start to put her hood back up, trying to maintain the glamour especially against another telepath was exhausting. "Yeah I know of HEMINGWAY but I have never gotten the pleasure to read his works as of yet." Her tone soft not in pitch but in speak, almost breathy but still every as bit able to be understood and heard as speaking normally. A far off sound, as if one lost in a memory that they can't quite remember but they know is there. Then Jean took off her glasses, revealing that she also had a glamour, but over her eyes. Ahsoka froze, stunned, not out of anxiety this though, this time out of surprise and confusion, her tiger-stripes shifting back to green and staying at that color. Then. She. Noticed. She noticed what the glamour was covering for Jean, was her beautiful black on vibrant magenta colored eyes. They reminded her of pictures that she had seen of various celestial bodies in space. Ahsoka loved space, she loved studying the stars. She studied both Astronomy and Astrology, combining those knowledges at times. Jean stepped forward, her tiger stripes shifting to yellow then immediately to a dark indigo color that alternated and swirled with an electric periwinkle blue shifting in and out. Ahsoka hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath in, keeping eye contact with Jean. She felt more confident looking into her eyes. "Yeah.... I agree with that. No beauty without sacrifice. They. They look like a nebula. In space." She said almost entranced by their beauty. Ahsoka released her glamour, her stripes maintaining their shade, not shifting to her normal yellow of her anxious state. She waited for Jean's response. Hoping that her true form didn't freak Jean out.

@all0fusstars

@fulcrumredeemed

When she had been willing to let her guard down, Marilyn was rewarded by Ahsoka with the very same action. The same TRUST. Not only that, but she was gazing upon a vision of ETHERIAL BEAUTY when the glamour fell away to some extent. Her expression reflected the soft AWE AND WONDER that she felt, moving just a couple of steps closer to the other woman.

It seemed that both of them were placed under a mutual hypnosis, and the blonde's gaze never left Ahsoka's. And that...that was ANOTHER THING...it was time to drop ALL of the false pretense. She rolled her lips and her cheeks were once more tinted pink under the warmth of the compliment to her eyes from the other woman.

"I've only ever noticed the dark in them..." she admitted pertaining to the sclera of her eyes. "Sometimes it feels like a void that I get trapped in." Her attention moved over the various markings, though not in a way that was disrespectful. Quite the opposite.

"I've only ever seen such a pattern in an AMETHYST STONE..." When she was no more than a couple feet from her, she offered a FOND SMILE.

Once more, just as she had done at the kiosk, the blonde extended her hand for the other woman to shake. This time, her shoulders were more relaxed, and she felt so genuinely comfortable looking at the other woman with her OWN EYES.

"I'm afraid I've been untruthful," she admitted with honest remorse, "I haven't been JEAN...in a very long time. The last name that I CHOSE...was Marilyn. MARILYN MONROE."

Was she blushing at Ahsoka's compliment? Surely this woman, who looked like an angel, gets compliments every day, probably a great deal of times per day. The fact that Jean enjoyed her compliment at least made Ahsoka feel really good, she couldn't help but smile, which was not all that common anymore. It wasn't that she was sad or depressed or anything, it was just that Ahsoka had a harder time expressing her emotions because she was always watching her own emotions and making sure that they were in fact her own emotions and not those of some unwitting person nearby her. So when Ahsoka did genuinely smile, it was saved for instances of special occasions, usually very unexpected and usually she didn't mean to do so, followed by a quick correction. "Of course. My pleasure. 'True words aren't always eloquent; eloquent words aren't always true'. I prefer to be straight forward." She quoted to Jean, with the added note of her own part in saying the quote by Laozi. Once they came into view of Jean's cozy little tropical abode, Ahsoka was in awe of the beauty of the very fortunate place that Jean had been blessed with. Truly a veritable paradise, for sure. Ahsoka stopped and closed her eyes and felt the breeze again. This was Zen. The breeze blew Ahsoka's hood almost taking it off, Ahsoka catching it and once again pulling it close. Another close call. She is going to have to get better at glamour if she is going to live here. Zen time over, she hurried to catch up to Jean, and of course it was right as Jean started getting excited and walking faster. Ahsoka had to damn near jog to catch up, not far but none the less, deciding to use her telekinesis to 'walk' a little faster, to almost the pace of a jog, but with ease. Almost doing a single graceful skip and ending in a matched pace with the excited woman. "You're quiet the hostess, Madam Jean." Ahsoka chuckled out as she followed her new friend inside of her cute little house, looking around, taking in the décor, keeping her hood up. She wasn't ready to release her glamour yet. Ahsoka continued to follow Jean into her kitchenette, a very unique style compared to what Ahsoka had been accustomed to. The hammock made this traveling mutant long for the courtyard of Kamar Taj. She had set up a hammock there a few times, by stealing one of the head monks robes that were drying on the clothes line. He was so angry with her, but let her keep her hammock. Ahsoka enjoyed the little memory, so much so that she wasn't paying attention to Jean opening the back sliding glass door, causing a cross breeze from there to the open front door, yanking Ahsoka's hood off before she could grab it. She just stood there in shock, tried to mess with her glamour, hoping that Jean didn't notice her horns or tendrils. She was definitely going to have to work on her glamour skills.

@all0fusstars

@fulcrumredeemed

When her newfound companion spoke of TRUTH, Marilyn knew that she was being given a real chance, by whatever powers that might have existed, to actually let her truth be known. To form a connection with another living being that could be given the opportunity to last, to LINGER. There was a little more of a pep in her step from that thought alone, and she hadn't really been thinking past her own autopilot as they entered the home and begun to open it up in order to allow more fresh ocean air to drift in.

When she turned on her heel to face the other woman once more, it had been just in time for the hood of Ahsoka's ensemble to come down and it fell to her shoulders, leaving Marilyn's houseguest without the garment to cover her head.

There was a flicker, brief but noticeable as her gaze met the other woman's. As though there was a projector that was malfunctioning somewhat. She had been able to sense the shift of the mood within the room, and it was clear that Ahsoka was petrified of being seen. Based on their interaction at the kiosk though...Marilyn could tell that this was someone that had felt as lonely as she had. There was no malicious intent to be found within this woman's mind. Only worry.

All she wanted, all she had EVER wanted...was to be able to HELP. Perhaps she could help Ahsoka.

A smile graced her lips as she moved to step in front of the island within her kitchen.

"I've got a fairly extensive library," she mused, "I adored the TAO TE CHING, it's been far too long since I've read it." Her hands moved to the frames of her glasses and Marilyn took a deep breath, before removing her glasses from her eyes, then her hat from her head. "One of my favorite writers is EARNEST HEMINGWAY. He once said...'The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.'..."

At last, the final disguise that Marilyn wore fell away from her, in the form of her eyes TRANSFORMING in appearance, from beautiful and conventional blue upon white...to a VIBRANT MAGENTA IRIS against BLACK SCLERA. There was a tint of nervousness in her own expression, but she took another step forward regardless.

"I believe that there is no beauty without truth...and no truth without SACRIFICE. Sometimes that sacrifice has to be the walls we put up."

Ahsoka wasn't that much younger than Jean in comparison to how young most mutants were thanks to the rise in x-gene revelations in children the more modern years or how much older other mutants like, LoganHowlett, Raven Darkholme, or Irene Adler who were 100 years or more older than herself; were in comparison to herself. So they were either children, which arguably were closer in age to her number-wise, or damn near ancient, who couldn't connect to her because of her younger age of 30. So having someone who was only 50-ish years older than her would be easier to connect with, although there is no way for her to know any of this, she hadn't yet met Logan, Raven, or Irene nor did Ahsoka know that Jean actually was the famous model and actress from the 1950's, Marilyn Monroe for that matter. Not yet anyway. If she hadn't been practically raised at Kamar Taj, by the monks, then she may have reached forward into Jean's mind and seen something that would tell her who Jean actually was, well that and the fact that the monastery didn't really have televisions or the like. She really didn't have access to the outside world or their celebrities, although her mother, Pav-tiwas a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe.

Ahsoka, thanks to her trauma from the death of her parents by the hands of her uncle's henchman, and her upbringing at the monastery, her 'need' for human connection was in disarray. She did want human connection, she just didn't know who she could trust. Her pilgrimage outside the monastery didn't help this, and discovering that her Uncle was still out there and now with a fully operational 'Weapon X' style program, let alone how many anti-mutant groups existed doing so many heinous atrocities and some of them being government run, especially didn't help this. Homo Sapien and Homo Superior alike, doesn't seem to matter, they were both dangerous.

Powers or No.

Jean's energy felt warm, soft, kind, but also sad, tortured, and if pushed far enough dangerous. Ahsoka didn't feel any deceit, besides her name, coming from Jean, nor did she feel that she was in any danger by going with her. Jean's attempt to ease Ahsoka's anxieties about her stomach growling and her joining in Ahsoka's laughter did help ease her anxieties. When the laughter subsided, Ahsoka let go of the model's hand, folding her arms once again across her chest. Ahsoka nodded in agreement with Jean's assessment of what her tummy was saying. Although she was still a little anxious about going with this stranger to eat lunch, Ahsoka weighed the options, and analyzed everything that she had felt and seen. Along with her premonition from a few moments ago, intrigued the 30 year old mutant so much that she pushed past her anxieties to make a new friend. Potentially.

Startled by the sudden touch, along with not being used to feeling another psychic like herself, caused Ahsoka to jump a bit at Jean putting her hand on Ahsoka's back. Caused her to blush a bit, become nervous in a different way, a way that Ahsoka wasn't sure what it was, but she didn't find it unpleasant.

She walked with Jean taking in the sights, enjoying the breeze, it was refreshing. The whole experience, not just the wind across her face. To the point where she almost forgot to maintain her hood over her horns, luckily she did still have her glamour up. Wait did her glamour work on Jean? Did this woman know what Ahsoka really looked like under her cowl?

Jean's compliment took Ahsoka off guard. Was she flirting with Ahsoka? Surely she couldn't be, or if she was surely the glamour was, in fact working. Ahsoka's face immediately started blushing again. God, Ahsoka hoped that her Sedona-colored skin didn't show that she was blushing and there was that feeling again.

"Oh! Uh.... Th...thank you!" Ahsoka, who's composure was usually never shaken, and was calm and collective, was now nervous and a little embarrassed. She had never received a compliment on her appearance before. Ahsoka pulled her hood closer to her face. She didn't know what to do in situations like these. Does she compliment the woman back? She tilted her head and tried to get a better view under Jean's hat to see her face better, still holding her hood closer to her face. She was gorgeous! And oddly familiar looking but Ahsoka wasn't sure why. She couldn't remember where she had seen her before. Maybe she just looked like someone she had seen in passing.

"You are also very beautiful!" Ahsoka said calmly and kindly, regaining her composure.

@all0fusstars

@fulcrumredeemed

There had been an INNUMERABLE amount of people within Marilyn's life that had felt the need to REMARK ON HER APPEARANCE. She had always offered a smile in return, whether the remark had been POSITIVE OR NOT. She always wanted to repay a kindness for a kindness...and for those that would sooner see her DOWNFALL than her RISE...the very best comeuppance was for her to simply be HAPPY.

She wasn't able to interact with many people around her safely, so the only comments that she would 'hear' would be the ones that people THOUGHT ABOUT as they passed her. Conversely, the only way she could pay someone a compliment was softly and in-passing, as to not attract any unnecessary attention. Really it was a little IRONIC that she was capable of such overwhelm when she'd been at the height of her fame, when she was constantly surrounded by people...and at the same time, her time spent alone was at times UNBEARABLY LONELY.

Ahsoka becoming flustered was only natural, after all they had just met. Perhaps Marilyn had just been storing up her GOOD-NATURE for so long that she was rushing to spread some JOY to the first person that she felt a genuine connection with.

There was still a soft, sharp intake of breath as Ahsoka grew closer to her, attempting to look closely at her...though since the other woman had already seen through a window into her mind briefly, there wasn't really a need to be too worried...she HOPED. It wasn't as though the truth wasn't going to come out soon...and besides, Ahsoka appeared to be FAR TOO YOUNG to really even know who MARILYN MONROE was. The former starlet wasn't fully aware of the lasting impression that she'd left even after having to go into hiding.

As if turned out, Ahsoka was one of the people that she was DELIGHTED to have earned a compliment from. Marilyn could tell that the other woman's words were SINCERE, and sincerity went a VERY LONG WAY with her.

"Oh, you're VERY KIND, dear..." she returned, a soft flush on her cheeks.

Before too long, the two of them were approaching Marilyn's home near the beach. As it came into view, Ahsoka would see an idyllic exterior of a straw-roofed beach house nestled in the tropical embrace of the landscape. The thatched roof, woven from local palm fronds, rose gently to a peak, casting dappled shadows on the whitewashed adobe walls beneath. The house was situated in a space that allowed for a breathtaking view of the aquamarine waters of the LAGUNA DE LOS SIETE COLORES, which stretched out to the horizon. A wooden veranda, adorned with vibrant hammocks and wicker furniture, extended from the house and invited relaxation amidst the swaying coconut palms. The sun-kissed sand of the beach was just a stone's throw away, leading to the crystal-clear lagoon, where a dock with a small boat beckoned for adventure. The vivid greenery surrounding the property was a canvas for blooming bougainvillea and other EXOTIC flowers, adding splashes of color to the serene scene. The path to the house was lined with conch shells and palm leaves, while the air was filled with the melodious chirps of native birds and the distant whispers of the ocean breeze. The natural beauty of the area was complemented by the simplicity of the house, which blended seamlessly into the landscape, offering a tranquil retreat from the outside world that allowed Marilyn's PROTECTIVE ISOLATION to feel less HEARTBREAKING.

Her steps sped up slightly as she grew excited. "Oh, I can't wait to cook for you, I have been DYING to cook this again..." She hadn't gotten to since the last time Xavier had come to see her.

Once they came up to the door, Marilyn unlocked the door and opened it up for the other woman to step inside first.

The space was bathed in warm, natural light that filtered through the large, open windows adorned with white wooden shutters. The walls were painted a soft pastel blue, reminiscent of the tranquil lagoon outside, and contrasted beautifully with the dark, polished hardwood floors. The living room was minimally yet tastefully furnished with a cozy rattan sofa piled with colorful, handwoven cushions and a distressed wooden coffee table laden with travel books and a few seashells. A woven hammock hung in the corner, perfect for an afternoon nap. The room opened up to a spacious kitchen area with white cabinets, a tiled backsplash in traditional Mexican talavera patterns, and a large wooden countertop that doubled as a dining space. Through a set of glass doors, there was a lush, tropical garden where another hammock was strung between two palm trees, providing a serene outdoor retreat.

Although the monks at Kamar Taj did teach her their ways, their magics, they also helped Ahsoka to better control her powers and abilities, the same abilities that she was using now. How to shield, how protect, how to invade, how to talk using her telepathic abilities without invading a person's mind or gain information beyond what the other person wanted her to know. They taught her how to use her telekinetic abilities, how to push, and pull object with her mind. How to use those same telekinetic abilities to augment her movements, jump higher, run faster than the normal, non-enhanced human. The monks taught her how to communicate with just her emotions, Ahsoka's empathic abilities, how to control her ability to sense other's emotions, to how shield herself from the emotions of others and not be over taken by the emotions of those around her, how to use her own emotions to calm the emotions of others. Ahsoka had never really interacted with other telepaths like herself, outside the monks who had to use magic to accomplish this task. The monks taught her proper psychic etiquette as well, not reading other's minds, and blocking out or shielding their emotions from yourself so that you are not being invasive to them and Ahsoka tried to adhere to that, the empathy was a little harder to maintain than her other abilities. But all this to say that she hadn't really gotten a chance to interact with other mutants with her abilities, so this was a new situation to the 30 year old psychic. Seeing the other mutant smiled as she introduced herself using her telepathy, filled Ahsoka with her own joy as well as Jean's. Ahsoka smiled a little friendly smug smirk at Jean as they shook hands. Ahsoka felt an instant jolt of energy while shaking this woman's hand. She saw her future, she saw a great many things that tied this woman and her own destiny together in many shapes and forms. "The delight is all mine, Jean LeBeau and it would be my pleasure to be your guest for lunch" As if to chime in to agree with Ahsoka's sentiment, her tummy growl loudly. The psychic was mortified and blushed and smiled. "I'm sorry. It would seem that my stomach would agree with my decision." Ahsoka chuckled out. "It would definitely seem that way. If you would like to lead the way, My lady Jean...." Ahsoka calmly said as she bow in respect the way the monks had taught her in her time in Kamar Taj.

@all0fusstars

@fulcrumredeemed

Marilyn's gifts manifested in a number of ways. Really, it was IRONIC that there had been so many people around the world that had believed her to know precious little. The truth of the matter was that she knew FAR TOO MUCH a lot of the time, to the point that it made the entire world around her feel as though it was sitting heavily upon her shoulders, threatening to CRUSH her. Even having her POWERS, however, it didn't mean that she was immune to the effects of mental illness. Nobody was, really. If one had a BRAIN, it could become ILL...and Marilyn's mind absorbed and processed so much more than most people could ever dream of. Both her own thoughts and emotions, as well as that of others.

That being said, she couldn't fight the elation that filled her entire SOUL when she immediate connection with this woman. While she adored her neighbors and those that lived within the little town, she had still been made to live in relative isolation. It became very LONELY. Now, perhaps she could have another friend...one other than Charles that knew that she was alive.

When it was clear that Ahsoka's stomach was becoming DEMANDING, Marilyn couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up to her lips and her smile shone in the mid-day sun. Even with the sunglasses and hat that obscured her face slightly, that SMILE would never not be iconic.

That was alright though...so few people anymore saw it appear.

"Oh, don't be, darling!" She assured, letting go of the other woman's hand while adjusting the basket upon her arm. "It's just your belly crying out for something, and there's no better feeling than a full stomach and wonderful company!"

She placed her hand gently upon Ahsoka's back and begun to guide her softly down the wooden pier that crossed much of the beach itself. The wind blew softly as they walked side by side, and she turned to her new companion.

"If you don't mind me saying, you are just absolutely stunning," she laughed musically. "I've never seen someone with such a unique style!"

Walking up to the kiosk, Ahsoka was sporting her cobalt blue sleeveless fit shirt, that went up onto her neck, while hanging down past her hips being cinched around the waist by a belt causing the bottom of the shirt to be more flowy than the rest of the shirt and cut into a "V" shape pointing towards the ground, fingerless gloves of the same color going up to her elbows that were padded on the back of the forearm, dark grey leggings that looked almost black with boots that went up her shin but not quite to her knees. A earthy, darker brown sleeveless cloak made of a light material over the top of the whole outfit and the hood being up and over her horns to hide them, while using her psychic abilities to create an aura around her to make it so most people could not see her horns and would see white and cobalt black hair in her mutation's stead. There was that presence again, closer this time. Walking closer to be exact. She was so distracted by focusing on the presence that she did not expect someone from behind her to be speaking to her, when she heard English, then Spanish, then English again it made Ahsoka very aware that this person was talking to her. Ahsoka turned around to see a white, woman in a sunhat and sundress. Did people vacation here? Shit. She guessed that she would have to find a new town to live for the moment. Then she felt it. That presence, Its coming from this woman. That's interesting. Deciding that she didn't want to be rude, or anti-social to this person, seeing as this woman had already introduced herself, kind of. Ahsoka could tell that she was more or less lying about her name but seeing as this a mutant with psychic powers it is a little more than understandable. Ahsoka thought a moment for an alias, although she didn't know why since no one knows her here. Ahsoka casually folded her arms across her chest and smirked. Fine. She'll play these little games with this out of place woman.

*"My name is Ashla."* She said not with her voice but with her mind to Jean's mind, to prove that let the other woman, who Ahsoka was sure was already aware of her own Telepathy, that she knew that Jean was also a Telepath. "And I here I thought I was going to have to find a new place to go, that this was some sort of tourist trap. It's very nice to meet you." She chuckled as said this vocally this time, offering Jean her hand to shake.

@all0fusstars

@fulcrumredeemed

There was something to be said about those with PSYCHIC ABILITIES when it came to meeting one another. It was a strange sensation in the back of the mind, almost like soft white noise, or the muted call of two microphones coming together and creating feedback...but not with sound, with TELEPATHY. With their very vibrations of the consciousness that so few could really pick up on.

In a way, it was NICE. Like she was REALLY BEING SEEN. That was how it had always been with Charles as well. Any time he came around, she could feel the tension of the day leave her and she could know that there was no song and dance to put on.

She had gotten more accustomed to acting natural, at least, after a few YEARS. Even not being on the radar of HOLLYWOOD anymore, she was still committed to a PERFORMANCE of sorts. It was almost as though she had been trying to return to her life before fame, only to find a little while down the road that she COULDN'T. Her life before had been spent drifting, wandering, unsure of her place in the world. She had to hold on to the lessons that she'd learned through her youth and she'd grown into a wise soul.

JEAN LEBEAU was a happy medium. SHE was happy.

And she was happy to HELP where she could, still.

Doing her best to avoid being invasive within Ahsoka's mind, there were still small sparks of emotions that she could sense. Were the other woman able to see Marilyn's eyes, she would see empathy within her gaze.

Those efforts to not breech the mental walls of this visitor though, seemed to have been a moot point. Marilyn blinked a couple of times in intrigue as her brows shot up somewhat, her lips parted softly as she heard the answer while Ahsoka hadn't SPOKEN a word.

Her smile BRIGHTENED like the sun itself as she shook the other woman's hand.

"Well, I'm delighted to meet you, ASHLA," a small laugh bubbled at her lips. "Oh, would you do me the honor of being my guest for lunch. My humble abode isn't far from here, and I just picked up the ingredients that I need for TACOS AL PASTOR. She wasn't being pushy by any means, but she was hopeful.

"I think that you and I will have SO MUCH to talk about."

[Bacalar, Mexico: 1996, October N/A] Ahsoka Tano, a mutant that was on the run, as many many with visible mutations did and boy was at least on of her mutations visible. Standing 5'9, if her X-gene hadn't caused her hair to be replaced with two tendril-like appendages that draped down in front of her and on in that hung down the back of her neck, that were connected to two large horns that protruded from her skull that pointed up and slightly to either side of Ahsoka's head. All of this had its own layer of skin that was different than the rest of the mutant's orange-ish brown skin color, they where a cream-ish white color with stripes, that resembled those of a tiger, that were a mix of a cobalt-blue and a gunmetal grey, or at least that is the color that her tiger-stripes were currently. When these appendages first appeared on her and Ahsoka had noticed the stripes she immediately, and forever, decided to call them her tiger stripes. They helped give Ahsoka a kind of extra sensory ability, sensing the movement of things around her up to 84 feet, giving her an almost echo location like ability and these were only her visible mutations, she had many more. It had been about five years since Ahsoka had left Kamar Taj to go out on her own, on a pilgrimage, to see and explore the world, it hadn't been easy. Ahsoka had seen first hand the bigotry and hate that the world had to offer, especially to those who were different and even despite the help that she offered those around her. She soon went into hiding, wearing a cloak over her horns and staying away from major cities, or prominent countries for that matter, still helping those that she could on the way. Ahsoka had decided that she was interested in going to the United States, to meet the X-men. Other mutants, like herself, and ones that wanted to help people at that, like herself. Using the effects of one of her other mutations, Telepathy, Ahsoka put suggestions, into the heads of a boat headed for Mexico, making it so that those on the boat could not see her, or notice her existence. She didn't like doing this and usually only used it to get away from anti-mutant bigots, but this was going to be a long trip and she didn't have the money to pay them or know if she could trust them while they were all trapped on a space in the middle of the ocean. Stepping off of the boat and onto a dock at the very, very, tiny Mexican port town of Bacalar, Ahsoka was met with the sight of the bright blue oceans behind her, white beaches, and a beautiful back drop of mangroves, palm trees going into a tropic jungle. Good! This will do great for now, at least until she can make her way up to New York and the X-men. She walked forward, off the dock to find out how she could get a hut, and was hit with a wave of psychic energy. There was someone else here that her telepathy, that was interesting. Another mutant more than likely. Friend of foe was yet to be seen, even if she didn't sense and malice or ill intent towards anyone from this individual. Putting the feeling aside and decided it might be better to psychically shield herself for the time, at least until she meets this person and finds out if they can be trusted, Ahsoka headed towards what seemed to be the main part of this little village, seeing people working, weaving baskets, running stalls and shops, weaving clothes and other cloth material. No one paid Ahsoka any mind, and she didn't even have to psychically suggest anything, that was good, if not at least a little lonely, but it was safe. Ahsoka stopped in the middle of the little bazar and looked around to see if there was a place that looked like it would be able to answer her inquiries about a place to live here in Bacalar, Mexico.

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@fulcrumredeemed

AUGUST 5TH, 1962 ACTRESS MARILYN MONROE FOUND DEAD IN HER BRENTWOOD HOME ========================

Just about every newspaper around the world had read the same headline on that day, and it felt as though there wasn't a living SOUL that the starlet had touched in her short life that WASN'T in mourning.

For MARILYN HERSELF, it was surreal to watch it all happen, from a MILITARY-GRADE BUNKER. Not one that had been PROVIDED by any government-sanctioned military, mind you, but it HAD been given to her by some FRIENDS that had the means to produce about the equivalent of the United States' ENTIRE GDP.

Keeping secrets of course was nothing new for Marilyn. During her careers modeling, singing and acting, she had been living a DOUBLE LIFE that nobody knew a thing about. It wasn't easy to maintain, there were those in the ELITE CIRCLES that whispered cruelly of what sort of means she might be utilizing to stay awake and alert even after seemingly getting no decent sleep for WEEKS at a time while filming.

The fact of the matter though was that she had been TRAVELING THE WORLD, with no need of an assist from an AIRLINER. She wasn't taking holidays though...she was PROTECTING the Earth, in every way she knew how to. All she had ever wanted to do for as long as she could remember, even before her MUTATION had made itself known, was HELP PEOPLE.

It wasn't until after she had found fame though that she had been granted the chance. She had begun to RUB ELBOWS with prolific politicians and secretive spies alike. As it turned out, nobody suspected the supposed 'DUMB BLONDE'. Meanwhile, she had been practically CHANGING THE TIDES OF WARS.

It had only been through extensive digging done by the likes of SHIELD that her mutation had been uncovered. One PEGGY CARTER had been able to uncover information that even Marilyn herself hadn't known about her early life.

Even after agreeing to use her powers to stop those that would harm innocents, though...it turned out that not everyone was so grateful for her presence. When THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD'S ADMINISTRATION had put a target on her back, she was forced to do the one thing that would prove without a doubt that she was a mere 'human'; DIE.

The only ones that knew that she still lived were much like her. As it turned out, she and CHARLES XAVIER had more in common than just their tastes in literature.

Even after decades had passed, she hadn't appeared to age a day. She was never offered privacy in her CELEBRITY VENTURES, but that was by design. Her presence was so large when she wanted it to be that nobody suspected she could have an ALTER EGO. Really, it was her greatest acting role of all time.

It was another temperate day in Bacalar, and she wore a white sunhat while sporting a shin-length sky-blue dress and a pair of white sandals. The sunglasses that she wore over her face were black, and the lenses were incredibly dark. It was just easier than trying to keep her eyes disguised all of the time. It took a good deal of energy to maintain the illusion while she'd been in Hollywood. Eventually she had gotten enough control that she could get breaks when she would blink, evening out how much of her power she was expending.

Having just been out to purchase a few needed supplies for her home, she was surprised when she felt such an IMMENSE psychic presence nearby. The last time she had felt such power had been when Charles had come to visit with her. This wasn't Charles, though...

Whoever it was, they were nearby...but they were on the move. Marilyn allowed herself to tune into her senses more, taking a deep breath and exhaling. When she picked up on where it was strongest, she made for the center of the Bazar with her basket handing off of her arm casually even as she walked with a bit of a spring in her step.

At last, she knew she had reached the source of the psychic presence. It seemed to be a woman, by the shape of her silhouette, and that woman was making her way to the Welcome Kiosk that offered help to tourists as well as those that sought to become locals.

She adjusted the glasses on her nose carefully before coming to join the woman at the stand.

"Oh, pardon me," she spoke politely, before adding in Spanish, "Discúlpame, por favor." Her smile was as kind as it ever was, though her lips didn't often sport the same exaggerated color that they so often did when she indulged in makeup.

"I'm so sorry, I thought you were somebody I knew," she tried to laugh off her faux embarrassment. "Well, my name is Jean. Jean LeBeau." She offered her hand to shake in a friendly greeting. "If you'd like, I could give you the tour. The brochures really don't do this place justice."