#also i was today years old when I found out nightcrawler is covered in blue fur...like what????

[inesvazquezart]

Behold the blue elf...Also finished x-men 97 it was a nostalgia tsunami in best possible way

[she-is-tim]

Bleeding Hearts | Elu Vampire Soulmate AU Ch.1

Eliott is living on alcohol, weed and blood. That drives his dead body on a daily basis, giving him at least some kind of purpose in his meaningless life. Being immortal sucks. Being dead sucks even more. All he wants is to get out of this endless loop of nothingness, but he doesn’t expect that to happen so soon. When he meets him, his world turns upside down and his heart starts to beat again. 

In a beat of the heart

The night was calm, nothing extreme happened and it was good like that. March just started a week ago, so the weather was still cold, it was often raining, but he could never complain about that. The more the sun was behind the clouds, the more he could walk in daylight. Not today though. Today the sky was clear, moon shining brighter than the city lights below. Cars were rushing through the busy streets, but he was focused on one building. 

There was always a lot of people around the hospital, people running in and out, Ambulance coming in with paramedics, taking unconscious patients inside to save their lifes. He could hear every single heartbeat, even from this far away. He knew when someone would not make it, but that was alright. Death is part of life. It’s something that happens when a person had finished his task on this world. Yeah sometimes it happened before that, unexpectedly at a young age, but that was alright too. He would do anything to be like that. A normal human living his life until death comes along the corner to take him and he would fall into his arms with a smile on his face. 

He looked at the empty blood bag at his feet, he could still feel the metallic flavor on his tongue and it made him sick. It was never enough, his body was craving for it, but he could never get enough. That was probably the worst out of all if he doesn’t consider that hs body was dead. The endless craving. It was like tiny ants crawling under his skin, a beast growling inside him, screaming for it. I need blood. Give me blood. He could hold it back most of the time, feeding it just enough to shut its mouth. There were days when it was harder, when the beast was stronger. On those days he needed more blood and he had to stay in his apartment, behind locked doors. It wasn’t impossible to resis the craving, but it was harder than anyone could imagine. His whole body was itching, like it wants to burst out in flames. 

Focus!

He shook his head and looked back down at the street, throwing the remains of his cigarette aside, tucking the empty blood bag into the inside pocket of his jacket. He noticed the person he was waiting for waling towards the hospital, it was almost time for the night shift to start, therefore he had to get ready. With his speed and soundless movements it wasn’t hard to get into even such a crowded building as a hospital. He did this countless of times, always being successful. 

He jumped, feet landing on the sidewalk quietly. No one noticed, because they shouldn’t. People were so blind about their surroundings that it was almost ridiculous. Since Eliott became one of these things, he realized how ignorant and idiotic regular people can be. Of course that made things easier for the nightcrawlers, but it annoyed him so fucking much. They were basically offering themselves for the beasts. Letting them feed from them, charm them into death or the promise of eternal life. Yeah, sorry, bad news. Eternal life sucks. 

He stepped into the hospital, people walking past him, not even realizing that he’s there, though he was pretty outstanding in the bright environment. His black clothes, his pale skin, his stormy grey eyes and deep black hair was in a stark contrast with the white and light blue colors inside the building. Yet no one paid attention to the stranger and it was okay. He got used to this side of being dead. People only noticed him if he wanted to, otherwise it was like wearing camouflage in the woods. He was hidden. He was just a shadow. Not breathing, not making a sound. Not being alive. 

His steps were soundless, the tiles under his feet were cold, but not as much as his own body. He wasn’t wearing any shoes, there was no point, since he couldn’t get sick or feel cold. The jacket was on him only because it had a large pocket, making it easier to carry the stuff he came for. He walked past the waiting area, going straight towards the stairs. The smell of antiseptic was burning his nose, even though he wasn’t breathing it in. Things like these always found a way to bother him. Small noises, irritating scents, everything. His senses were much more sharp, eyes seeing things from miles away, ears hearing heartbeats from afar, nose smelling things through walls. He might be dead, but that made him even more dangerous. A predator designed to lure in the prey and end its life quietly, quickly. As he took the steps, heading down towards his goal, theawful scent of the antiseptic was more than welcome in his nose, as long as it covered the smells that would drive him crazy. The smell of fresh blood.

The hallway was awfully quiet, even to his sensitive hearing. There were distant sounds of steps, heart monitors and other machines. It was already late, past 22 actually, so there wasn’t much people in the building other than the night shift workers. Especially not on this level, where the storages were. He fastened his steps as he got closer to the end of the hall, turning to the right. Before he could open the door, it moved on itself. Well, not actually. 

The woman behind it was wearing light blue hospital outfit that was in high contrast with her beautiful, chocolate brown skin, her black hair in small braids with an ocean blue headband on top. Eliott flashed her a smile, which she weakly returned. Imane, because that was her name looked really tired. It wasn’t easy for her to do her night shifts and study at the same time. She was on biology major in college, wanted to be a doctor, but for that she had to work even harder than others, considering her place in society. Eliott always found it infuriating how much they looked down on black or muslim people in schools, like they are incapable of having high IQ or being talented. Since he became a beast of the night, he knew how it was feeling separated, different from everyone else. Maybe that’s why they understood each other so well with the girl. 

He stepped into the room, his eyes fixed on the large freezers that were standing by the wall exact opposite from the door, filleg with bags of blood. He could feel his mouth hurting, his fangs wanting to pop out, ready to drink up all of it, but he held it back. He got quite good at controlling the beast by now. 

“You look like shit.” Imane said quietly, standing right next to him, eyes scanning the boy from head to toe. 

“Well, try living without heartbeat or breathing for a while. We’ll see how pretty you can be.” Eliott shot back with his usual sarcastic humor, which the other seemed to like a lot. 

“I prepared some for you. They are kinda fresh, so it won’t taste so awful like last time.” she said, walking to the drawers in the corner, that were there for documents to hold, but Imane always used the bottom one to hide blood bags in them. No one really cared for the papers in there anyways, it was the task of the night shift nurses to organize paperwork and make sure everything is registered. He knew that Imane was risking a lot by helping him out, but she was a smart girl and kept reassuring him that she made sure no one notices the missing blood bags. Eliott believed her, even if she was lying, because this was the only way he could feed the beast without hurting people. Imane also knew that. 

“Is everything alright with you?” Eliott asked and it was genuine interest. He could be dead, but that didn’t mean he had no feelings or thoughts. Of course he tried to not get too attached to anyone, especially not to mortals, but his friendship with Imane was special, something that gave at least a small reason for him to get through his days. 

“You can say that.” she mumbled, placing bags of blood from the drawer to the table in the middle of the room. Eliott needed all his strength to focus on her words and not get lost in gazing at the crimson liquid behind the thick plastic. “College life is hard, but I’ll manage.” she said nonchalantly and shrugged, flashing him a toothy smile as she finished packing. There was six bag on the table, enough for at least a month or so. If he doesn’t get carried away like last time. 

“I still don’t know how to thank you all of this.” he said, voice slightly raspy as he tore apart his eyes from the bags, looking at the girl. 

“You look like you could use more.” she said, concerned look on her face. Eliott could swear that her skin was the smoothest he had ever seen. 

“Yeah, well, I only take what I can.” he shrugged and walked towards the table, stuffing the bags into the inside pocket of his large, leather jacket. If someone had told him many years ago that he will meet a black, muslim girl that’s going to help him get blood, he would laugh into the face of that person. Tables have turned since then, and he couldn’t imagine his life without the help of Imane. She was a genuine and caring person, not even afraid of a monster like him. 

“If you need more, I can...” 

“Cut it!” he said gently, raising his hand. All the rings on it were shining in the sharp white of the neon lights. One skull ring, slightly faded silver, one bronze snake ring, wrapped around his middle finger and a simple black one on his index finger. “This is more than enough, don’t worry.” he said and placed the last bag in his pocket now. “Just make sure to let me know if I can help with anything. I might not be a hundred years old, but I still know things.” he winked playfully, earning an eyeroll from the girl. 

“You know I can see right through you, right?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I know that you are unhappy. I can see the burn marks on your skin.” she said seriously, her eyes fixed on Eliott’s bare feet. There was a small place of skin that was still a bit red from where the sun touched it. “You can’t do this to yourself.” 

“This is the only way I can feel anything, other than the hunger.” he answered roughly, eyes slightly squinted. He liked Imane a lot, but talking about feelings wasn’t his favorite topic, especially since he became one of the dead. 

“Fine.” Imane sighed and rested her hands on the table now, leaning forward. She learned to keep the distance between them during their usual “blood meeting” because if she would be too close, Eliott might not be able to hold back the beast. It liked young blood more than anything. Young and fresh blood. 

“Thank you again, Imane.” 

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t want you to starve to death.” she smirked and now it was Eliott’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Ha-ha, very funny.” he said mockingly, but it was good to have someone who was comfortable enough around him to say jokes like this. He zipped up his jacket, making sure he won’t lose the bags on his way out, giving the girl a two finger salute before leaving the room. 

The only noise in the hospital was the sound of the magazine the receptionist was reading. She seemed to be pretty preoccupied with it and Eliott was too, since he didn’t notice the boy walking towards him. He was talking fast into his phone, arguing with someone. The tall boy only noticed someone was coming closer when they shoulder bumped to each other. It was only a slight touch, the other didn’t even notie it, too busy with yelling quietly into his phone. But for Eliott it felt like a lightning struck. He suddenly felt everything, like his nerves were going crazy. His nose was filled with the scent of the combination of mint and deodrant. He fell to the wall next to him, grabbing his jacket by his chest. The world was swirling around him, the floor felt like ice, hurting his feet. The walls were closing around him, his vision slightly blurred. Static noise was filling his ear and something else he quiet couldn’t recognize. It was like something was drumming on his ribcage, trying to burst out of his body, something was pumping under his skin. His eyes burned, filling with tears as he was gasping for air. Gasping for air? 

It took him long minutes to realize that what he was feeling in his chest was in fact his heart, beating. The feeling under his skin was his own blood filling his veins. He could hear it. Tears were running down his face and he couldn’t stop them, not like he wanted to. He haven’t been able to cry since he died, not even when the sun was burning him. But now they were overflowing, wetting his cheeks, leaving warm traces on the pale skin. He looked at his hands, seeing his veins popping out, slighting thumping to the rhythm of his heartbeat. It was too fast, irregular, but it was his heart. 

It felt like hours passed, but it was only a couple of minutes. He looked up from his hands to see the boy leaving the building. He couldn’t see his face, just a grey hoodie and a beautiful crown of brown hair. Whatever that person did to him, he had to find it out. His mind was racing with a hundred miles per hour, he still felt dizzy. He couldn’t remember when or how he left the hospital, but the next thing he saw was the door of his own apartment. He slowly opened it, walking inside and sitting down on the couch. He could feel the bags of blood in his jacket, but he couldn’t think of anything else, but that boy. The scent of him would not leave his nose. It was driving him crazy. 

━━━━

After the shock came the panic. Eliott spent most of his night curled up on the couch, trying to take in all the shit around him. If his senses were sharp before, now they were even worse. He could hear bugs crawling inside the walls, the snorring of the old lady from downstairs. Everything got on his nerves, making him lose his mind. And of course on top of that there was his fucking loud heartbeat and his breathing. Those were the worst. He so got used to having a dead body that now he had no idea what to do. He wasn’t even sure if he was alive, but he felt alive. 

His forearms were red from where he kept scratching it endlessly, but he couldn’t stop the itching. His body got slowly filled with his blood and that was surprisingly painful. It felt like when your limbs go numb and they slowly getting back to work, but it’s also super sensitive to even the lightest of touch. Yeah, coming back to life was something like that. Shaking the numbness off your body, embracing the pain that was coming with it. 

When the morning came, Eliott felt exhausted, like he was running for hours and hours. It was probably caused by his panic attack. Who would have thought a creature of the night could have one. But he would have never thought it’s possible for his heart to beat again, so there’s that. 

He got up from the couch, basically pulling his legs with him as he entered the kitchen. He only drank coffee out of habbit before, but now he felt like his body could use some caffeine to function. Everything was weird with his extra sharp senses and he still couldn’t get used to the beating heart in his chest. He could feel every movement of the muscles making it pump the blood through his veins. He knew that being alive didn’t feel like this before, this was something else. He might have a beating heart, but he was still a monster, which confused him even more. 

━━━━

Not more than two weeks passed and now he was back there on the rooftop, glancing down at the street. It took him a while to calm down and try to find some sort of explanation to what happened to him. Sadly the internet wasn’t much of a help, so he had to look for old books written by actual vampires. Eugh, he hates that word so much. Vampire. It makes his skin crawl just by using it in his head. He is one of the bloodsuckers, the dead ones, but he hated his own existence more than anything. Well, he did before all this happened. Before a boy made his heart beat again. 

His research didn’t go as well as he wanted it to, but there were some information and crumbs of situations like this in the books. All of them mentioning deep connection, fate, meant to be together and even soulmates. Like that is possible. How could a dead creature have a soulmate? That sounded ridiculous, but he had no better explanation to this. That boy literally made his heart beat again, bringing him back to life and maybe giving a reason for him to embrace that. He still hated the fact that there was no detailed paragraphs about all this soulmate bullshit. Was he supposed to approach him? But how? He was just a human being, probably knowing nothing about the creatures of the night. And on top of that there was no way it wouldn’t be dangerous for Eliott to be around him. God, they just bumped into each other, only touched for mere seconds and they should now be together forever because what? The universe decided so? What about their feelings? What if that boy would hate him? He can’t ask him to accept him the way he is, because he can’t even accept himself. He can’t ask for his love when they don’t even know each other. How is he supposed to tell him this? Oh, hey, I’m sorry to bother you, but we bumped shoulders last week and it seems like our fate is to end up together. Oh, and I could rip out your throat anytime if I lose control over the beast inside me. I’m Eliott by the way, your soulmate, you know.  

He buried his face into his palms, rubbing over it slowly. He let out a deep, desperate sigh before lighting up another cigarette. The roof around him looked like an ashtray already, since this was the third night he spent up here, observing the hospital from afar. Usually he came here once a month, or even less often, but right now he had to see that boy. It was stupid, he knew. They met here more than a week ago, whatever brought him to the hospital could not be there by now, but there was a deep feeling, a little tingling inside him that he’s going to see him again. 

And there he was. It felt like electricity running through his body, soft smell of mint and deodrant filling his nose. It was crazy how intense these feelings were, though his boy just stepped to the street from a crowded bus. His eyes fixed on him instantly, examining his features and damn, he was the most beautiful human being for sure. His skin was soft, smooth even, small moles scattering around it here and there, his hair was brown, slightly disheveled, cherry pink lips that were a bit chapped. Eliott could imagine kissing him, breathing into his mouth and never letting him go. He shook his head, pushing away the dirty thoughts. The most captivating thing about the boy was his ocean blue eyes, they were basically glowing, even under the dim light of the street lamps. He was wearing a grey hoodie and black sweatpants. How can someone look so gorgeous in sweatpants? It should be illegal. 

He was holding a plastic bag in his beautiful hands, walking towards the front door of the hospital. Eliott was so focused on him that he only noticed Imane when the two of them met in front of the building. He could feel his heart sink and then beat faster at the sight. They greeted each other like friends, Imane even hugged the boy, Lucas. That’s how she called him. Beautiful name for a beautiful boy, indeed. 

“Good to see you here.” Imane said softly, rubbing the arms of the boy, who smiled at her softly. Eliott felt like he could melt from that smile if Lucas would ever flash it at him. It made him look even more beautiful. 

“Yeah, you too. We should hang out sometime.” the brunette offered.

“Definitely, but I think both of us is busy with work and studies.” she said with a sad smile, earning a slow nod from the other. 

“For sure. I think I’m going crazy with all those assigments.” he smirked. “But that’s the life of a university student.” he said, shrugging nonchalantly. Eliott could watch and listen to him for hours. He had such a soft voice and his face was just... so fucking pretty.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he missed the rest of their conversation. His stomach churned at the sight of the boy entering the hospital, leaving the line of his sight. The urge of going after him, grabbing him and never let go was almost stronger than his hunger for blood. Which was terrifying. How could he crave for a boy he had only seen twice and never spoke to him? How can there be a connection between them? 

He let out a thick cloud of smoke and got up from the edge of the roof where he was squatting before, throwing away the remains of his cigarette. This building got closed off since years now and Eliott had claimed this rooftop for himself since then. It was high enough to be out of sight and close enough to the hospital too. A perfect hiding place for a monster like him. 

He fished his phone out of his pocket, letting his heart take control over his body this time. It was such a long time ago since he had feelings like this, so deep that they could physically hurt. Being apart from his boy, from his soulmate was just like that. His chest was aching and he couldn’t get his face out of his mind, he was everywhere inside his head. Those bright blue eyes were the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his life. And he had seen a lot of things. 

He didn’t have much people in his contacts, so it was fairly easy to find Imane’s name an click on the chat button. His fingers were hovering above the screen for a while, not being sure what to type. He didn’t wanted to involve Imane even more into the sack of shit that is his life. She had enough problems without this vampire-soulmate-beating-heart crap, and honestly it was still not clear for him what all this meant. He only knew that he was destined to meet Lucas and the moment their shoulders bumped, their lives intertwined with each other. 

After taking a deep breath, he put his phone back in his pocket and sat down on the edge of the roof, lighting yet another cigarette. He needed to think. Think about what to do. Approach Lucas, let him into his life, into his heart or stay away for good, saving probably both of them from the inevitable pain that would come with this bullshit. 

“I am so fucked.” he mumbled into the cold, starless night, his grey eyes fixed on the transparent door of the hospital. “So damn fucked...”

ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^ˇ^

Soooo, I did a thing. I know this might be a short first chapter, but I really wanted to post something to get some reviews from you. I’m hoping that you guys like it and that I could explain the things fairly okay. I wrote a lot of fantasy stuff when I was a teenager (like 10 years ago), but not in english, so this was a hard task and I would appreciate some honest opinions about this. The base idea was stolen from Kresley Cole’s vamp books I read like 8-9 years ago, but the story is completely made by my crazy mind. Anyways, I will stop rambling. Thank you for reading and make sure to leave a feedback. Bisou

[kurtty-drabbles]

lovesick au(part 4)

@djinmer4 @dannybagpipesarecalling @discordsworld @look-ma-no-hands336 @sailorstar9

N/A: I did make a sketch for this one, let´s see if is good or not.

The port city is in euphoria as today is the day to celebrate the wonder that the ocean, the water can give, many ornaments are in the sight as the people enjoy the holiday and show respect towards their God, Dagon,  and the herald s are throwing petals in the streets as they stop on the nicest house on the city.

A girl wearing a white dress with a flower crown on her head and a frown on her chubby face, and, her parents are wearing similar outfits, except the flower crown. The only female herald, an attractive woman with red hair and blue eyes, speaks with joy that is shared in her body language.

“Little one, is time to give thanks to the ocean” the herald speaks and offer her hand to Kitty, in the feeble and delusional idea that Kitty Pryde, 11 years old, would take. Reality was not kind as the smile dies on her lips. “Little one, the ocean is waiting for you”

Kitty looks bitterly at the ocean, always, always and always looking at her. “Why? the ocean won´t gain legs and leave us” and crosses her arms.

“Lady Zaorva please” the woman and soon realizes the mistake she did as she covers her mouth, Kitty would like to ask what the name Zaorva even means, but, the ocean does not care for her questions.

Dagon himself appears as wearing a handsome form, everyone in the city is the epitome of handsome and Kitty hate them.  The God looks at his herald as she gulps nervously knowing she makes a mistake.

“Kitty, what my foolish herald speaks” Kitty now takes the woman´s hand as feeling and knowing what the God does to those who he refers to foolish “I´m your little doll, and you want to make me safe, so, don´t hurt she” Kitty replied.

Dagon smiles and nods “of course, little one, now come to me, Kitty, we need to say our prays together for the ocean” Dagon smiles and Kitty shakes her head “Well, is a pity, do you know that water is vital to humans, and that humans are 80% water?”

Then Dagon, using his “human” hand, squeeze hard and Cameron is gasping for air and Terry is screaming. Kitty is scared and looking at him. Cameron is a special member of his cult.

“Stop, I´ll go, leave him alone, you bully” Kitty speaks with tears in her eyes and Cameron is now breathing normally.

In the shore of the ocean, Kitty, aside from being the only child, is the only shaking and with Dagon on her side.

“I want to cure you of your fear, you do know...life starts with the ocean” Dagon speaks in a sugar tone and then asks for Kitty to go fish for him. Kitty refuses, and Dagon replied/reminder her again how her father is in his cult and how Dagon is doing everything to protect her.

“Protect me?” Kitty looks mad as a small child can be and breaking her own rule uses her power to divide part of the ocean, a small part and throw the random fish on his face. “There is your fish”

________________________________________________________________________________-

Her temporary new room is somewhat equal to her old room, in the sense both are big and luxurious, yet, unlike her old room, she feels safer here. Kitty feels safer here and is exploring her powers, Dagon often puts limitations, especially after the “throw a fish on his face” incident and Kitty is split, for one hand, she wants to explore her power...on the other hand, she feels this is not a natural mutant power(could it be that Dagon is right?)

“NO!” Kitty shouts and attracts the attention of Ororo. The Egyptian woman was passing by and notices Kitty in distress.

“Kitten, wanna talk?” Ororo offers and Kitty nods, to her surprise Rogue was there as well, she wanted to talk with Ororo about the new tests on the Danger Room.

“I was raised to believe that my powers, my life is meant to be protected and evil things are after me...and I can´t help…” Kitty can´t finish the line and is no need.

“If your powers are dangerous as he made out to be?” Ororo speaks and Kitty nods, the woman shares her tale in Cairo, how her powers made people see her as a God, yet, she wasn´t one...She mentioned her encounter with extremist that feared her and mentioned her encounter with the cult of the black pharaoh “and after all that cult talk, is a strange tale I´m on the Zaorva´s cult”

“That name again” Kitty mutters and Rogue reveals her story and how she was put in the cult, the herald Venus(“strange woman, that one, even for alien´s standers”) take her from a sub-cult that sacrifice children to Zaorva and how this is dumb, zaorva is the goodness of creation, why she would want dead kids?

“What we are trying to say, Kitten is that this power, is yours and as much you think you can´t control it, that is dangerous, it is not, You are in control and you can control” Ororo explained and Kitty nods feeling a little better.

“Yeah, Sugah, I have a pretty dangerous power too, but I can control it” Rogue proves by taking her glove out and touching Kitty´s hand. The gothic woman has great control on her power, but, for a split of a second, she swears she was touching a tentacle.

“Thank you, I need to hear that, also, I want to stay here, so, I´ll have a word with Nightcrawler” Kitty look at the two women and knows that they have no clue what he is (why he´s not mutating them?)

Kitty, once the women, leave the room, let sleep claims her as she wants to sleep, her lucid dreams often give her ideas and maybe he´ll show up there.

___________________________________________________________________________________

This is a better temple, I can´t help to admire the glass, not this mask, I like when humans are creative, even in such harsh environment they still can create wonderful things, how amusing.

Venus enters the temple, without the proper ceremony, but she did bow with a huge smile on her face, bring a man along with her. She looks like an excited puppy.

“My lady, I finally caught the thief” I almost ask what she meant, but, I know and I found amusing she is going to such lengths to catch this man for me, well, I suppose she´s my favourite for several reasons(and her bad love advices are unique too)

“It was a difficult task” My expression give away and my herald amends “Oh, no need to be modest, it was awesome, I defeat him using my power and a bit of my brain, oh, but this is not about me being awesome, this is about the thief” and using her cobras of fire(it was cobras of fire or sand cobra)

“You are the God of forgiveness” the man speaks to me and Venus beat him up, man? I look at my reflection now noticing I was indeed a male. “Why this matter for you?”

“It was my bracelet made by someone I love very much” I replied and gives attention to Venus “I´m not in the mood to eat a thief, and I know you want to throw him in that Vulcan you made and live, very well, punish him and I shall eat his soul later, now, give me the bracelet”

I could catch the bracelet myself, but, again, Venus offers herself to me to do this task. The man is screaming obscenities and I wonder why humans still?

(is because is shiny, my other half)

“Oh, you, always here even when you aren´t here, still, risk his life for a shiny thing is odd”

(Humans are odd)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Nightcrawler? Are here?” she asked and only phases through the door once God invites her in. Still, with the mask of blue and furry, Kitty is confident to speak to this deity.

“Ah, you came here” his smile dies a little “still afraid of me?”

“Still unsure of lots of things in my life, but, the thing I crave the most is control, if I´m the favourite of the gods for whatever reason, I´ll use this, Nightcrawler, if you want to be my friend and talk, we need to have some rules” Kitty speaks and Nightcrawler nods.

“No eyes on me” Nightcrawler never did that, Dagon did all the time “ or mutation to any X-men” he pouts but agrees. “you can only enter in my mind if I let you in and please, don´t go mentally torturing the X-men”

“And do you still think I will hurt you?”

“The worst thing you can do is eat me and that wouldn´t be the worst thing Dagon has done to me”

Nightcrawler´s eyes are in a red and golden as his mask is cracking. “should I ask what he did?” his voice is in a mix of human and non-human.

“Another time, now, I want information, I have a plan to save my parents and I would like your help” Nightcrawler nods once his mask is in place and his eyes just in the golden hue.

[djinmer4]

The Clone (Church AU)

Evan stopped crying when he heard the knock on his door.  As part of his recent ‘enlistment’ with the Church of Our Savior, Evan had been granted the rank of Acolyte and the right to a private cell rather than having to sleep in the dormitories with the lower level clergy.  This had proven a boon with all the shock and surprises that had been hitting him this past year.

He carefully scrubbed his eyes and washed his face in the basin of water on his night table.  “Come in.”

The door swung open and Abbess Pryde was standing there.  She looked at his red eyes and hesitated.  “Evan, I wanted to talk to you about today, but if you need some time alone, we can do this later or even tomorrow.”

“No, it’s fine Abbess.  I . . . I’d actually like to talk about today.”  Abbess Pryde was easy to talk to.  She was very approachable and actually listened to you.  Which is more than he could say for the man he spoke to today.

The abbess closed the door behind her and sat on the lone chair.  “I heard you had your career counsel meeting today.”

“Yeah, I did.  With Karcist-” Suddenly Evan remembered some of the rumors that surrounded the Abbess.  “Karcist Szardos.”

“And how did the interview go?”

“It was great.  Karcist Szardos was very supportive and had a lot of good ideas for my future in the Church.”  The older woman gave him a penetrating look.  Evan had the feeling she wasn’t buying his lies.

“Acolyte Genesis, would it help if I put this conversation under the seal of the confessional?  I can assure you that I won’t report what we say to the Karcist unless anything you tell me shows that you or someone else will be in imminent danger.”

Evan hesitated.  Everyone knew that the Abbess was the Karcist’s long-term mistress.  But the incident where he’d demanded that she reveal something told to her under the confessional seal and she’d refused was also pretty famous too.  He decided it was worth taking a shot.  He needed to talk to someone about this, if he bottled it up he might go insane.  The blue boy nodded.

“Alright then.  From here on out, everything you say will just be between you, me and God.  Unless you confess to planning to stab someone within the next week, okay?”

The weak joke managed to draw a smile from Evan.  Then he launched into his complaint.  “The Karcist was everything I said.  He had grand plans for my future, like me rising through the ranks to eventually become Pope.  Or joining the next crusade against the African Union or against Ultramar.  Or working on my powers to become the next Oracle of the Church.”

“And that’s not what you want.”

“No, it isn’t.  Up until a few months ago, I thought I was a normal kid in France with a normal future.  My parents did mention thinking that the Church was a good opportunity for me, but that was just one option.  And it wasn’t something I needed to do right away, I still had years before I had to make up my mind.  Now my parents are dead, I’m trapped here and all Karcist Szardos wants to do is push me into the spotlight!”  To his dismay, he was crying again and couldn’t seem to stop.

The abbess rubbed his back and whispered soothing words that he was in no condition to translate.  He didn’t know how long it took before he had cried himself out, but she stayed with him and didn’t complain when he sullied her habit with his tears and snot.  Once he had calmed down, she helped him wash his face and blow his nose.  She also took off her outer robe and draped it over a chair, revealing a far lusher figure than Evan had expected of such a respectable personage.

“I’m not surprised to hear that.  The Karcist is a very ambitious person, and that ambition tends to extend to his family and the people he likes, which includes you.”

“He doesn’t like me for me.  He likes the fact that his project to clone the Messiah was so successful.”

“That’s probably true.  But never the less, it does mean that he’s going to take a personal interest in your life here in the cloister.  However, you don’t have to take the paths he’s laid out for you if you want something different.  The Karcist is very hard to say no to, I should know from experience.  But it can be done, especially if other people, such as myself and Father Freedom Fighter, are willing to back you up.”

Evan thought about it.  “So that means I don’t have to do anything of those things if I hate them?”

“You don’t,” she agreed.  “Evan, I don’t think the Karcist really gave you any time to talk about your own goals.  Is there anything you really want to do in particular?  Or would you just like more time to consider it for now?”

“I don’t want to be like the original En Sabah Nur.  I know he was a hero, but I want to be my own person.”  After that statement though, his shoulders hunched in and Evan collapsed into himself.  “I don’t really know what I want, other than just to leave the Church and go home.”

She rubbed his back.  It wasn’t what his mother would have done but the sentiment was nice.  “I’m afraid that’s the one thing you can’t do.  The Church can do a lot of things but we can’t bring back the dead.  And I’m sure your parents wouldn’t want you to struggle alone during this.”

“But do I have to stay with the Church?  Here, everyone sees me as Genesis, the clone of the Messiah.  At least outside the cloister, people won’t have these grand expectations for me.”

“I can talk Kurt around many things but that’s the one thing he won’t budge on.  Evan, it would be better for you to try and find a role that suits you in the Church rather than leave.  That’s the one thing that’s guaranteed to bring the wrath of the entire Inquisition on you.”

“This place is like a prison.”

“I thought the exact same thing when I was your age.  Sometimes, I still do.”  She stood up.  Apparently, the conversation was over.  “You seem very tired.  If you want, I can have the cafeteria send up some food and you can take the evening off rather than having to face everyone at dinner.”

“Thank you, Abbess Pryde.  I really appreciate that.”

She hesitated.  “Is there anyone you want to talk to?  Or would you rather be alone.”

“Alone, please.”

“Alright then.  I’ll also talk to the Karcist.  We can table your career choice for another year and let you get used to things.  If you see anything you might want to consider, talk to me and I’ll arrange an internship for you.”  With that, she gathered her habit and swept out of the room.

Evan fell back on his bed.  She was right; he felt exhausted.  But lighter somehow.  Even if the Abbess couldn’t fix everything, just talking to her had eased some of the nervousness and fear that had been building.  He couldn’t imagine doing that with Karcist Nightcrawler.

Although he really wanted to ask her why she still felt the Church was a prison.

“-looked over his preliminary scores.  Genesis’s potential is off the charts.  Even if we never do this project again, just the possibilities that are open to him are astounding.”  Katie nodded, but let Kurt ramble on and on.  She was going to have to put a hard stop to his ideas but it was easier to do that if he’d had a chance to build all his castles in the air first.  This way she’d know what to look out for.

Warm velvet covered her naked back.  Three-fingered hands combed through her hair and then he kissed her on the lobe of her ear.  “I heard you had a chance to speak with Evan after my interview with him.  Did he tell you anything?  He was very quiet with me; I think he might have been overwhelmed.”

“He did.”  She rolled over in his embrace to look at him.  From the neck down, the years had been very kind to him.  At fifty-two, he had the body of a man two decades younger, still strong and flexible as ever.  Unfortunately, his hair and turned completely white and his craggy features and thin face added a decade to his appearance.  Still, Katie knew there were hundreds of women, both within the veil and outside it, who would do anything to be in her position.  “I think your right.  He said he found you intimidating.”

Kurt scoffed.  “Please, I crumple whenever our kids cry over anything.  If it wasn’t for you, they’d be completely spoiled.”

“They’re afraid of disappointing you.  And Evan doesn’t know you at all, so there’s that.”

The Karcist sighed.  “I’m sorry his transition was so traumatic.  The original idea was for him to grow up with Fantomex and Betsy as a normal child, then induct him into the church at sixteen.  Those terrorists put paid to that plan and it’s just not safe for him outside the cloister anymore.”

“That’s the fault of those ‘Friends of Humanity’ terrorists and the blame lies on them, not you or anyone else in the Church.”

“I know.”  The conversation paused then resumed.  “Did he tell you anything else?”

“You do know that most of what we said was under the seal of confession.”  Kurt clicked his tongue against his fangs.  “Not again!  Can’t you at least give me some hints?”

“Some, maybe.  We really scheduled this too early.  He hasn’t adapted to his new environment yet and is really not in any shape to be making career decisions.”

“Es tut mir lied.  But it’s hard to get away from London.  If I didn’t come now, I probably wouldn’t be able to get away for another year.  And he wasn’t the only reason I came.  I desperately wanted to see you again.  Are you sure you don’t want to join my entourage in London?”

She gently stroked his fur, going with the grain.  “I like my role here.  I don’t think I’d like any job that you could give me in London.  Save those positions for Nocturne and Eidelweiss.  And maybe Theodore when he gets old enough.”

The indigo man sighed but didn’t argue.  They’d fought about it before and the pain of that initial separation still hurt.  “Anyway, it’s fine.  I think it will take another year before Evan’s fully settled in.  You can come back then and discuss it some more.”

“But did he like any of my ideas?  I couldn’t tell if he actually thought they were good or if he was just humoring me.”

“Honestly, I think they didn’t fit him very well.  He didn’t raise any specific objections but he seems to find the spotlight very stressful.  He may change his mind in a year but for now, it might be better to expose him to quieter, less people-oriented fields.  Archiving and library services come to mind.”

“Another one for your IT then.  I can’t say I’m not disappointed but if that’s what he wants, we can accommodate that.”

“Now don’t be that way.  You’ve picked out plenty of good people over the years.  Bogatir is now the premier painter of the Church, a modern day Michaelangelo.  And Bluebelle is rapidly rising through the ranks too.  If she was outside the veil, she’d be a rock star of some sort.”

“I don’t think it matches the number of underachievers I’ve also tried to encourage.  Nocturne doesn’t seem to want to move beyond being someone’s assistant.  Damien could do great things against Ultramar, but chooses to stay on the Southern Front instead.  I thought Michael was ambitious like me, but after he fathered his five children, he’s stayed here as the head of St. Xavier’s IT.  I mean, I’m glad they’re all happy with the lives they’ve chosen, but it seems odd that they’re satisfied with what they have when they could have been so much more.”

“Are you including me in that category?”

He winced.  “Maybe?  I dreamed that you’d be right beside me while I climbed the ranks of Hierarchy.  Now I’m a Karcist and head of the Inquisition and one of the top five most powerful people in the Church.  And your still here at St. Xavier’s.”

“Kurt . . . “ He never did seem to understand why so many of his proteges and children preferred to stay in the background.  She stretched up to kiss him and end the argument.  Fighting about it wouldn’t help her get Evan what he wanted.  “You just have the bad luck to be surrounded by introverts, that’s all.  Besides, Theodore might follow in your footsteps still.”  She didn’t mention that many of them were like that because of him.  He wouldn’t believe her anyway.

“I suppose.  But back to Evan.  I can come back in a year to interview him again after you think he’s settled down.  Were there any paths he wanted to know more about?”

“Not really.  He hadn’t thought that far ahead yet.  All he really wanted to do was go home.”  Kurt stilled, and she realized she had spoken one sentence too many.

“The Council of Karcists will not approve of the Second Coming of our Lord choosing to leave the institute that he founded.  Now that we’ve seen that En Nur Sabah can be successfully cloned, we don’t need to force Evan to any particular path.  But he will remain within the cloister, one way or another.”  It was chilling how calm he was about the whole thing.

Katie tried to backtrack.  “He didn’t mean it like that, Kurt.  It was just that he misses his parents very much and wishes he could see them again.”

“Oh, that’s more understandable.”  The chill in the room dispersed and she felt like she could breathe again.  “I don’t actually miss Margali or Stefan or Jimaine that much but I remember how hard Talia took Wanda’s leaving and how homesick you were for the first year.”  He pulled her close and rested his head on her curls.  “In fact, maybe we should reach out to him in a greater manner.  You can do a great deal as the Abbess, but I’d be able to intervene a bit more if we actually adopted Evan.  Do you think he would like that?”

Katie was pretty sure that Evan would find that idea horrifying but that would not be the right thing to say at this point.  “I’ll bring it up with him.”

“Hmm.”  Kurt’s breathing deepened as he drifted off to sleep.  But Katie was awake long after that, thinking . . . doubting . . . 

[studentsofshield]

Pick of the Week and Comics Reviews for the Week of 4/26/17

By Vincent Faust

This was originally published on the date in the title derp

It’s new comics day, everyone! For those totally unaware, the majority of comics come out in a serial format. A single comic is usually called an issue, though there are other weird nicknames like singles, floppies, etc. Major publishers put out their several series once a month. Though the different series are spread out so that product is coming out every week. Special issues called annuals even come out to cover that “13th month” of uneven weeks.

Today I will be reviewing some of the major releases of this week. After reading and reviewing all of them, I will also select a “pick of the week” as the standout issue. At the end I will also make some recommendations about new collected editions that have come out this week.

Pick of the Week: Flash 21 Writer: Josh Williamson, Artist: Howard Porter

5/5

This is how you do a fantastic comic book. Rebirth, baby, let’s go! The DC Universe that everyone knows and loves is on its way back to us. There are so many things to discuss here and I also don’t want to spoil much.

Howard Porter’s art is gorgeous. His representation of Barry’s super speed is gorgeous, though we already know that from his run on the title with Geoff Johns over 10 years ago. We also get a shot of the gruesome corpse of Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash. A bruised and bandaged Bruce Wayne also highlights Porter’s versatility. He also admirably handles some flashback peeks in a time travel sequence.

A Watchtower “lost and found” scene shows off so many Easter eggs. What to think of some of these? Meaningless background art or a hint at what is to come? These are clearly the costumes of Hourman, Star-Spangled Kid, and Doctor Midnite. A Rocket Red #7 suit is also seen, which specifically refers back to the 1980s JLI iteration of the character. As opposed to the Generation Lost/New 52 version. The issue also opens with another Johnny Thunder scene.

The final page reveal is insane. Reading this issue makes me realize how much I love these darn characters and how giddy I am that DC is finally taking steps after seven years to make things right again. Perfect.

Action Comics 978 Writer: Dan Jurgens, Artist: Carlo Barberi

5/5

This is continuing Dan Jurgens’ aftermath story following the Reborn crossover saga. Clark is checking through Fortress of Solitude memories to determine what all has changed in his past thanks to the merging with the Superman of Earth-Prime. He basically has phantom memories. This allows Jurgens to do some refreshing on the origin and clarify what is in continuity and what isn’t.

Readers get a jaw dropping splash on page 6 showcasing many of his villains and eras. Electric Blue Superman is notably shown. Darkseid is drawn in his Jack Kirby style. Manchester Black is even here (obviously specifically nodding to What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way from Action Comics #775). We even get to see the trunks on for a second.

Jurgens basically runs us through the major emotional moments of his original 1990s tenure on the Superman books. From his proposal to Lois, revealing his secret identity, to his death at the hands of Doomsday, to the marriage.

The book ends with Mr. Oz teasing something for Clark and Hank Henshaw forming his Superman Revenge Squad with Eradicator, Metallo, Blanque, and soon to be Mongul.

The Superman books are going through a really exciting period right now. Just like many of DC’s characters. But Supes is at his best he’s been for probably a decade. Truly magical work.

Blue Beetle 8 Writer: Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, Artist: Scott Kollins

3/5

This has been the lowest selling Rebirth title from its debut to its most recent issue. It’s really a shame that it isn’t clicking with readers considering the all-star classic creative team. Though maybe it’s precisely that traditional feel that is holding the book back.

One thing the old school style has going for it is a meaty feeling. I don’t get the same feeling reading this issue that I did from the X-Men books. Not much decompression here. Lots of dialogue and action is packed into this little package.

The title page describes “the reunion of one of the greatest teams in comic book history.” I got really excited and thought it was going to be the return of Booster Gold. But it was referring to DeMatteis joining the creative team as scripter. I haven’t read enough of the previous issues to determine if this marks an improvement.

The final page of Jaime Reyes putting on Ted’s classic Blue Beetle suit is giving me more of those great Rebirth feelings. Check out my post on Rebirth dream books to hear what I think could save this book (it’s Booster Gold).

Justice League of America 5 Writer: Steve Orlando, Artist: Andy MacDonald

2/5

Nothing offensive about this issue. Nothing to write home about either. I still don’t totally understand why this specific lineup has been assembled as the splinter Justice League team. Seems like they’d be better off called the Outsiders. Ryan Choi gets so little attention. As do pretty much everyone on this team. Characterization is completely lacking. As a Philadelphian, I was annoyed that Ray’s home city was teased but the change was not actually acknowledged. Not much else to say about this book. Doesn’t pique my interest much.

Suicide Squad 16 Writer: Rob Williams, Artist: Tony S. Daniel

2/5

First of all, I have not read most of this series. I admit complete bias before cracking this issue open. I don’t think the Suicide Squad has been interesting since John Ostrander left it in 1992. There have been worthy successors like Gail Simone’s Secret Six and Greg Rucka’s Checkmate as far as DC Universe political intrigue and bad guys turned sorta good stories go.

I also think that DC completely ruined the franchise with the New 52. Presenting the book as a core flagship and making Harley Quinn a featured character deflates all of the tension and entire premise of the book. DC considers Harley their “fourth pillar” after Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. So the entire point of the Suicide Squad – that a member could die at any minute – is made moot.

DC tapped Jim Lee to initially draw the Rebirth iteration of Suicide Squad. Which obviously indicates they see it as a blockbuster title. Which makes sense from a business perspective given the recent (crappy) film adaptation. But Lee is not a good fit for this title. I also think he tries to return to something close to his 1990s X-Men/Wildcats aesthetic when on major books nowadays. Something has happened and that style of his has been rough on everything since All-Star Batman and Robin.

Enough rambling and onto the actual book at hand. Right off the bat on the cover I spy atrocious costumes for Harley and Deadshot. Katana has some obnoxious TnA perspective going on. On the interiors, Tony Daniel is at least a step up from the misplaced Lee.

The most interesting character here is Lex Luthor in his new status quo. The Squad infiltrate his complex while Amanda Waller talks him up. All to receive some Kryptonite so that General Zod can join the Squad. Because that is sure to work out.

X-Men Blue 2 Writer: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Jorge Molina

3/5

I still don’t care about these versions of the Original Five. Across Bendis and Hopeless, I was never given a reason to care about this time-displaced Wonder Bread. They’re just boring versions of their older selves. Which of course makes me upset seeing as how Cyclops is my favorite Marvel superhero.

Bunn was clearly born to write Magneto. He’s done fantastic work with the character previously in the Marvel Now era solo series and then in the All-New All-Different Uncanny X-Men. I just wish that he was more of a central character in this book. Jean goes into his mind and Bunn effectively pulls the heartstrings with a Holocaust flashback that was not done in an exploitative way.

Some of the dialogue between the teenagers is iffy. I am not a fan of Jorge Molina’s Jean Grey design. Otherwise, this book felt pretty decompressed. Nothing actually happens, there is no complete story within these pages.

A beginning flashback scene has Jean Grey arguing with Magneto over cooperating. She states that he had battled them over and over again, with his response being “that was a long time ago.” It was for most readers as well. Which is why we don’t care about these characters. But maybe there is a silver lining, with a tasty final page tease.

Though this will likely just turn Magneto into a stock villain again. Here’s hoping Bunn has interesting plans.

X-Men Gold 2 Writer: Marc Guggenheim, Artist: Ardian Syaf

3/5

I’m not going to get too into the Ardian Syaf controversy here. His art is meh in this issue, with some bright spots and some sequences that look really lazy.

We an incredibly abridged fight with the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Who we learn are joined by Mesmero. Kitty has an awkward exposition scene with Steve Rogers. Are other books not addressing his H.Y.D.R.A. stuff at all yet?

Nightcrawler gets injured, Old Man Logan gets captured. A generic faceless mutant gets shot. Guggenheim is already going overboard with the race metaphor. The new Avalanche and Pyro aren’t explained yet either.

This Brotherhood arc doesn’t have me jazzed to keep reading. It offers nothing new but is also not effectively pulling at my nostalgia for X-eras past.

Reprints

Marvel has a publishing initiative that they call True Believers. It reprints certain classic single issues for a dollar cover price. There are two really cool ones out this week.

One is True Believers: Generation X which collects the debut issue of that titular 1990s X-title. Everyone likes to dig on the 90s era in comics, and especially the X-Men. However, Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo did some wonderful work on this underrated title. Bachalo’s art is on a whole other level of innovative and unique. The characterization of these young mutants under the pen (or rather keyboard) of Lobdell was unparalleled for years. This is obviously being released to coincide with the upcoming Generation X series with limited connections to the originals. I am hoping that this new book does well and motivates someone at Marvel to give fans a comprehensive reprint of this classic.

Another is being labeled as True Believers: X-Men Gold. There actually was previously an X-Men Gold book prior to the ongoing one. It was a one-shot released in late 2013. However, this is not that. This reprints Uncanny X-Men #281. Which is the first issue of the next major status quo after Chris Claremont left the X-Men. This is the origins of the Blue and Gold era which the current X-books are trying to recapture. Beautiful (though very 90s) art by Whilce Portacio. A little less impressive script by some concoction of Jim Lee, John Byrne, and Whilce Portacio. This is before Scott Lobdell came on to give an actual direction to Uncanny X-Men.

Avengers: Masters of Evil Epic Collection

This is the third epic collection of Silver Age Avengers from Marvel. It collects issues 41-56, Annual 1-2. The beginning of this is the tail end of the Kooky Quartet era of Avengers history (though at this point joined by Hank Pym as Goliath). This period then proceeds with classic Avengers like Hercules and Black Panther jumping on. Roy Thomas picked up writing the book in the last epic at #35. He will do lots of character development for Black Panther across his run. This ends right before the debut of Vision. One can actually buy four Avengers epic collections from the very beginning. That’s almost 2,000 pages of classic Marvel action.

Flash by Waid Vol 2

The greatest Flash run of all time. In fact, this specific collection collects The Return of Barry Allen. Which is almost universally considered the best Flash story of all time. A Flash fan would have to be insane to not instantly be on the lookout for this.

Saga Deluxe Vol 2

Everyone loves Saga. I think? Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ smash hit Image title wows most who read it. With its emotional drama and wacky characters. What is there not to love? If you don’t already rabidly pick it up in issues or paperbacks, here’s a sexy hardcover. Or just upgrade. This collects issues 19-36. Which is equivalent to the fourth through sixth trades.

Young Justice Vol 1

Do you like the animated TV show of the same name? With characters like Connor Kent, Tim Drake, Bart Allen, and Cassie Sandsmark. This is the origin of that title and much of its roster of teenage superpowered heroes. This is also a comic written by Peter David. Which means, as long as DC continues printing them, you will have a solid chunk to read and digest. It also means that the characterization and relationships are on point. I’ve been looking forward to checking this out.

Let me know in the comments below what comics you enjoyed this week or intend to pick up.