#krakoa was for lovers

[big-gay-apocalypse]

// X-Men (2021) #35

[maedelin]

X-Men Vol 6 #35/#700

It ended like I thought it would; every mutant we need to come back is given the chance to. Every chance we could to synthesize the stories of the past, we did. This was a phenomenal era, even if you didn't like the story, we haven't seen this level of coordination across so many books and so many teams in the X-Office. To date.

I'd like to take another moment to talk about the implications they're laying here: Like Moses, unable to enter the holy land, so too are our favorite mutants unable to enter their Promised Land. Yes, the story puts the onus on the characters, which the story must do. They need to decide whether or not they wish to remain behind. Though, my own gleefully bitchy personal headcanon is that Exodus was asked to stay behind. Because Krakoa didn't want to deal with him yet.

Aside from it being those who remain; it's perfect for the story and narrative. Their reactions are beautiful. What they made is something to be proud of. They partook of it for a time, and may once again. But the tools were damaged in the making. They aren't ready, perhaps they aren't made for Krakoa. But for a moment, they saw the dream realized. The work was done. It was not the ending of the work, but it was the ending of the work on Krakoa. (A small Wheel of Time reference. Not the ending, but an ending...) The rest of the world, the rest of this reality waited. And they're going to go back to it; made a little better for spending a short time on paradise.

I'd like to take a moment to point out Gambit's reaction next to Rogue in the last group shot of everyone, with tears. Gambit is not crying, but his gaze is averted. (I added Kurt because we love him) I'm of two minds of it: 1) He is upset, because he wanted to go with that Krakoa and continue on in another reality, like when he almost ascended to Heaven in X-Treme X-Men. I'll be honest that I like this interpretation because it might be the thing that breaks up Remy and Rogue. Her commitment to duty, and his desire to "set the mountain down". (Yes, two slight Wheel of Time references in one post)

Or, 2) He's just so ingrained when part of his childhood was raised by Catholics who called him literally a White Devil for his dark eyes, that he cannot behold something so holy with his same sinful, mortal eyes. Maybe he thinks he's not good enough to enter Heaven, or even look at it. That makes me sad. Folks know I'm mostly on the side of demanding good character stories for Gambit, even if I want him away from Rogue. I think he deserves to outline himself as the hero he wants to be.

As an aside to that, I actually think the person who would really bring it out of him would be to have him date Frenzy. The two of them are on similar journeys and are very near to each other's story paths, in a meta-textual sense. Both look to be regarded as wonderful heroes, but both feel they haven't super-earned it yet, perhaps. I'd love to see that story.

Anyway, just a few more thoughts as our mutants watched the paradise they built move on without them, into a new tomorrow.

And they into theirs.

[vertigoartgore]

Dark Web: X-Men #2 variant cover by artist David Baldeón (2022).

[bamfkeeper]

SFW Alphabet: Nightcrawler

a/n: yayy I finally got around to writing again, as I said here's a Nightcrawler alphabet. It feels good to write for the first time in a few months. I plan on writing actual fics though, once I have more out I'll take requests. For now, enjoy a SFW Alphabet! A NSFW will come later hehe. I'm getting the feel of writing him so I'll work out any kinks of things I don't like as I write more of him. I'm going to try to mix the variants of him and not stick with a solid version, so there will be mixes from comics and other shows, etc in his characterization. I hope you enjoy <3

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?):

Kurt is very affectionate, he's a lover, so he likes to be close to you at all times. He likes giving you hugs, kisses, or simply giving you gifts like flowers or chocolates.

He likes spending time with you too, and he will call you sweet things in German because he likes to see you blush.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?):

He'd be a great best friend, always making sure you're doing good and supporting you through bad times. He'd be a blast to hang out with, he'd teleport you around Genosha and show you all the lovely sights.

He'd always make sure you felt cared for, even as just a friend, he'd still ensure you were safe and sound. He likes to have fun, so anytime you wanted to do something, he'd be down.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?):

Kurt is a huge cuddler. He is so soft because of his velvet skin, so he is extra warm. He makes the best cuddle buddy for winter because he keeps you warm, like a heated stuffed animal.

He loves to hold you, he often will rub your back or play with your hair, he will also read to you in German, which almost always lulls you to sleep. He loves to have his tail wrapped around you as well, keeping you secure.

Sometimes he likes to be held though, his upbringing at the circus didn't offer him much affection that way, so he cherishes it when he can be more vulnerable with you. Sometimes he puts that goofy self away and he crawls into your chest and curls up.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?):

Settling down is always something Kurt has wanted to do, but with his lifestyle, it can be hard to determine when.

He's always wanted a family, and he values that at his core, he would talk about settling down a lot with his partner and together, you'd figure out a good time. I think he'd want to settle when Krakoa comes around, after the attack on Genosha, your plans to settle had to be pushed back.

Kurt is German so of course he can cook. He is an excellent cook at a lot of things, but some foods he doesn't normally eat are a bit rough for him. He learns from trial and error.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?):

If he had to, he'd do it in a way where your feelings would be taken into consideration. He'd be as gentle as possible, and he'd let you know that he still cares about you.

I don't think he'd want you out of his life, (unless you cheated or did something really bad), so even if you broke up, you'd still remain good friends.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?):

Being a religious man, commitment is important to him. If he were with you, it would only be you he'd loyal to and he would date in hopes to marry.

He would go off of you, but dating is a trial run for marriage, and he dates for that. He would imagine your lives together, and he would like to marry after a year or so.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?):

He is very gentle, he is sweet and tender and learned to be that way because of all the hatred he experienced in his life. Everyone was afraid of him growing up, so he learned to be extra sweet and gentle to make up for his 'scary' appearance. He doesn't want anyone to be afraid of him.

Physically, he is as tender as ever, his touch is so light and sweet. He loves to caress your back or cheek while you sleep beside him, even his tail will run gently up and down your body.

He is very in tune with his emotions and empathetic to those around him. He is understanding, and is always ready to help you if you feel overwhelmed or upset at all. He is very good at dealing with emotions, and will always do his best to make sure his partner is okay.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?):

Kurt loves hugs! He hugs friends, family, lovers. He does it all the time, and he is one of the best huggers out there. He can squeeze happily, hold tenderly, and spin playfully.

When he embraces you, you can feel the love radiating off of him. It is one of your favorite things to feel him hugging you, and of course his tail wraps around you!

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?):

He would be a little nervous, but he would say it first. He'd either randomly blurt it out to you, or he'd make sure you were having a special time together and he'd speak it tenderly to you.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?):

Kurt can get pretty jealous, it stems from his insecurity. When he gets jealous, he will remain close to you with a hand on your hip or around you. He might kiss you on the cheek to tell whomever you're speaking to that you're taken. His tail will wrap around your arm or leg too.

He will grumble against you later on, he might feel a little more insecure after, but some reassurance and he will be okay again. If he got really jealous, he'd teleport you away and he'd take you somewhere so he could make sure you and everyone else knew you were taken.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?):

Oh his kisses...such sweet, amazing kisses. He has experience, so his kisses would be perfect. He'd learn what you like, and he'd make sure you were breathless every time.

His lips would gently graze over yours, he smiles that cheeky grin of his and he would press them fully into yours. The kiss might be tender, might be a little more passionate, but his soft lips would make you wrap your arms around his neck and hold him close.

He loves lip kisses of course, but he also likes to kiss your wrists and the back of your hand if he's feeling playful. He likes getting his temple and neck kissed, even if it makes him blush.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?):

Kurt is excellent around kids. He knows how to handle them, and he is quite playful with them. He always tells you how he wants a few little ones in the future, and he hopes you do too.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?):

Kurt isn't a morning person, he is a little whiny and grumpy when he wakes up, and he is rather clingy. He doesn't like to get out of bed but will trudge after you and hold you from behind if you make breakfast.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?):

Kurt loves his sleep, he values it. In the circus growing up, his mistreatment went as far as being isolated to a cage with a thin layer of hay as cushioning. So, now that he can have an actual bed, he adores it.

He likes soft blankets and pillows, curling up in them like a nest, and holding you close to him. He buries his face in your hair, or he snuggles into your chest for safety.

He doesn't snore, he learned to be silent when he sleeps, you don't ask why. But he makes a tiny purring noise, and his tail stays wrapped around you to make sure you're still there when he wakes up.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?):

Kurt is a pretty open person. Some of the things of his past that are hard for him might take him a while before he tells you, but he just needs to work up the courage. You know that he was mistreated in the circus, so don't pressure him to tell you. He will tell you everything, it just takes time.

He might tell you something that he is uncomfortable with that reminds him of his past or childhood, his playfulness is more serious when he talks about it so you know he's not joking around. He is so grateful you take it seriously and it makes him love you even more.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?):

He is very patient, he learned to be growing up. He can handle quite a lot of shit before he might get a little riled up and upset. Even if he does get angry, he tries to be as reasonable as he can.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?):

He is like a safe, he locks away everything you tell him. Favorite flower, favorite color, little things you like and dislike. He remembers what seasonings you like best with what foods, how you like things cooked, literally everything.

He remembers important things like allergies and triggers, preferences, places to go, everything you say is so important to him. He surprises you with his knowledge too, even you forget you've told him things until he brings it up in conversation.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?):

Definitely when he said he loved you, it was such a special moment between you two and a defining day in your relationship. You grew so much closer, and it was a near perfect day. When he heard you say it back, he swore he died and went to heaven. His heart swelled so much and that day is definitely a core memory for him.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?):

Kurt is protective to a degree. He knows you can handle yourself, but he absolutely won't hesitate to step up and defend you. If anyone speaks about you in a poor manner, he jumps to defend you, especially if you aren't there. He doesn't let anyone talk bad about you.

If you are hurt or can't defend yourself, expect him to be more agile and aggressive than you've ever seen. He will swing those swords and defend you like precious treasure. (Which you are to him).

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?):

Every single date you have, Kurt puts so much effort into. He makes sure things are perfect, he remembers all the little things, he makes sure that you are enjoying yourself and that you have a wonderful time.

Every gift is special and sentimental. Even if it's silly and small, like chocolate, it is always your favorite flavor and brand.

Kurt will adjust to your love language, and acts of service is something he does a lot for you. He will cook, clean, anything if you're too tired to do it. And he never complains, always doing it with a smile on his face.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?):

The only thing that might be perceived as bad is he might be too playful sometimes. He might be a little too light hearted and silly when things need to be more serious, but he gets better with this habit as your relationship develops.

Sometimes his insecurities about his appearance can fester and they can make him slightly more irritable because he feels like you can do so much better than him. Just be sure to reassure him and it usually helps a lot to hear you say sweet things.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?):

Kurt for the most part doesn't seem too concerned with his appearance, but he does have insecurities when it comes to his looks. Sometimes if he sees an attractive person speaking to you, he feels a little down when he thinks about his own looks.

Besides that, he is very aware of his hygiene because he is covered in velvety fuzz, so he washes himself every day and makes sure he is clean.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?):

Absolutely. Kurt loves you with all his heart, you are his everything. Without you, he would feel like a piece of himself is missing. One of his worst fears is losing you, he often has bad dreams about it and wakes you up at night to make sure you're still with him.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.):

Kurt was not a contortionist in the circus, but he might as well have been. Kurt is incredibly flexible, able to bend and twist in unnatural angles. He will show you all sorts of things he can do and loves to hear your praise.

He shakes off from the shower like a wet dog.

One of his favorite smells is fresh, buttery popcorn.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Kurt is a devout Catholic, so he wouldn't want anyone bad mouthing his beliefs. Kurt is very accepting and wouldn't try to convert you or make you believe in things you don't want, he keeps his religious beliefs to himself and only speaks if asked about it. However, if you bad mouth him or his beliefs, he will bristle and he won't like it.

He is open minded to hearing discussions or answering questions if you don't believe, but as long as they are respectful. If you talk poorly about it, he won't be interested in continuing the conversation.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?):

As mentioned before, Kurt loves to sleep. He didn't get a lot of good rest in the circus. So now that he is able, he tends to nest and curl up in a pile of soft blankets and pillows. He loves feeling secure and safe, which is something he never really got before.

If you rest with him, he's either holding you or snuggled into you. He likes to sleep in a dark place, it makes him feel more relaxed. Some nights when he has trouble, he listens to religious passages and he falls asleep quickly.

Thanks for reading.

*BAMF*

dividers by @/adornedwithlight

[honey-minded-hivemind]

⚔Wouldn't You Like🏛 AU, The Gods of Genosha, Krakoa, and the Human Kingdoms:

Charles Xavier/Cerebro: one of the kings of the gods, is the god of the mind and learning, can control minds, influence thoughts, heal inner pain, cause hallucinations, and puppeteer others; has a moving throne of metal and stardust; sometimes wears a helmet with an X on it; is married to Erik/Magneto, the other king of the gods; his symbols include: twined branches, mourning doves, ravens, and peridots, jades, and emeralds...

Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto: the other king of the gods, is the god of metals and justice, can control any metal, make anything from metal, is immune to certain powers, can manipulate iron in the blood, and uses metal to summon or throw lightning; has a helm of metal, a cape of silver, and usually his face is unseen; is married to Charles/Cerebro, one of the kings of the gods; his symbols include: shields, helmets, crossed spears, eagles, and titanium, iron, and silver...

Ororo Munroe/Storm: is the goddess of all weather as well as motherhood, can summon any kind of storm (snow, sand, thunder, etc.), can control lightning and the winds, can make the sun shine or make it rain; has a cape/cloak of clouds, hair of mists, and fastenings of gold; her symbols include: clouds, raindrops, lightning bolts, cranes, and blue/yellow topaz, aquamarine, and diamond

Raven Darkholme/Mystique: goddess of trickery, deceit, and secrets, can turn into any person or animal, is able to spy in any form, and is the wife of the minor goddess Destiny, who sees the future; appears naked, but is always blue, wears a belt and loincloth of white or black silk, sometimes a top of white or black; her symbols include: blue snakes, blue moons and stars, tragedy/comedy masks, and sapphires and garnets...

Logan Howlett/Wolverine: god of the wilderness and protection, as well as small woodland predators (ex. wolverines, badgers, foxes, wolves, coyotes, etc.), can go into a berserker mode, has six sharp, gleaming claws of poisonous metal, can take on an army of hundreds of soldiers, can bring out the protective side of others, can make a person become like an animal; wears a jacket or coat of brown leather, and pants or a loincloth of faded blue or black; is the brother of the older (and dual) god of nature and the wild, Victor/Sabretooth; his symbols include crossed claws or swords, badgers and wolverines, and howlite, hawk's eye, and jasper

Victor Creed/Sabretooth: dual god of nature and the hunt, as well as large predators (ex. smilodons, tigers, lions, bears, etc.), can fall into berserker mode, lives by his instincts, can drive men into insane rage/bloodlust, can destroy an entire kingdom barehanded, is also a god of protection; is the older brother of Logan/Wolverine, the autumn side of nature to his winter; wears large furred coats and jackets, or loincloth of golden or brown; his symbols include: tigers, lions, fanged skulls, curved, clawed footprints, and tiger's eye, amber, and gold + pyrite...

Hank McCoy/Beast: god of science, teaching, medicine, and literature, possess great strength of body and mind, knows the secrets of medicine, has scrolls and stone tablets of ancient texts, has taught medicine and shared written language with kingdoms past, and is both a lover and a fighter; is fluffy and dark blue/indigo, has little need for cloths, but will wear dark blue/black pants or cloths; his symbols include: gorillas, lions, scrolls, quills, medicinal herbs, and labradorite, obsidian, and turquoise...

Kevin Sydney/Morph: deity of cunning, mirth and merriment, comedy and tragedy, and change, can take any form and any power, can cause madness, is a master trickster, tends to help down-on-their-luck mortals; is a good friend of Logan/Wolverine; wears a cloth/toga, can be naked or covered in a jacket or clothes, usually in shades of brown, yellow, or blue; their symbols include: chameleons, vipers, butterflies/moths, caterpillars, masks, and opals, color-changing sapphires/garnets, and pearls

(They all had once trained and given a gift/blessing (a mutation) to Reader, but after The Fight, they rarely speak of them... no one can ever speak ill of Reader in their presence or where they can hear, lest they earn the wrath of any of them... they try to be better mentors (read: parents) to the new demigods...)

[popculturebuffet]

X-Month: X-Men Blue Origins: Kurt has Two Mommies (Patreon Review for Brotoman.EXE)

Hello all you happy muties and welcome back to Mutant Month! And it wouldn't be mutant month without a look at the Krakoan age, the previous era of x-men that sadly just ended.

So quick recap: Krakoa was a living island the x-men lived on for the past 5 years, an island nation that offered them peace, security and immortality. This sadly could not last as status quos in comics do not last nor do dreams: So late last year at the third hellfire gala all hell broke loose: Orchis, a secret shadowy enclave of humans being manipulated by robots for their own ends, launched an attack, poinsing the life saving drugs krakoa had used to barter and killing everyone present at the gala who wasn't a mutant to frame them, while then tricking charles xavier into making everyone walk into a portal.. that lead to some limbo dimension instead.

The X-Men and associates resisted thanks to something Xavier had taught and passed on, something Al Ewing had came up with in his run on New Avengers and brought with him when he came onto the x-side of things, the red triangle protocol. Basically you focus on a red triangle to block out a psycic attack. SO the x-men and allies they presumibly taught it too resisted and went underground.

So the x-men were scattered to the winds leading to a bunch of mini series leading into the end of the era. And one of those is one of the most delightfully batshit and brilliant ideas of the krakoan age: The Uncanny Spider-Man. Ladies, gentlemen, and my nonbinary folks... Kurt Wagner.. was spider-man.

Uncanny Spider-Man was the third and final part of Simon Spurrier's trilogy of x-men books. Spurrier had previously worked on the awesome and underated X-Men Legacy, following Xavier's son legoin in the wake of Charles death and fleshing out Legion tremendously.

So unsuprisingly while Kurt was the main character of this , trying to find a spirtual way forward for a mutantkind that had put a stopper in death, Legion was the deutragonist, following kurt every step of the way and helping him found their own religion/way of life, the legion of x. This eventually collapsed thanks to david having to take his girlfriend and leave reality to escape a witch after his soul, while Orchis made Kurt into a monster man that killed people and not taking that well being who he is, Kurt vanished.

So he became a spider-man. It was with Peter's full approval, as Kurt needed to hide and like any good spider-man Kurt swung around, had fun and dodged his problems till they came down on him.

And during all of this, dodging his angst, dating silver sable, and other stuff.. Mystique came back, having escaped the gala but in a barely coherent state. And it's here our story picks up.

X-Men Origins Blue is a one shot taking place during uncanny, with the comic itself pointing out exactly where. And as the title suggests it gives the REAL origin of nightcrawler... or rather his birth.

Nightcrawlers origins are a complex topic I don't know enough about, but Chris Claremont's intent for them was made clear the second he brought Mystique over from Ms Marvel to the X-Men comics with days of future past: Kurt noted they looked similar.. and she brushed it off.

Then.. this wasn't adressed for some time until his excalibur run from what I could dig up (and parts I hadn't gotten to) where it was finally confirmed. So far so simple. Thing was Chris.. intended for Mystique to be not his mom.. but his biological father.

See Chris was progressive for his time when it came to queer characters, having a LOT of friendships that had sapphic overtones. It never felt like he was intentionally queerbaiting, merely that he coudln't do anything because JIm Shooter was gay. And while some you could debate he made his otp obvius: Mystique, mistress of shapeshifting and her lover, friend and confidant Destiny, a precog. He did everything he could to make it clear these two were a thing.

So it's not a suprise his plan was to have Myistque shapeshift into a man to impregnante Irene. Granted the time scale given her age dosen't completely add up, but honestly the idea is so audacious and brilliant i'm willing to ignore it. People saying "Well irene was too old" clearly forget this universe is fucking weird and that, as many on reddit pointed out, they knew sinister.

It's even less suprising Edittorial said fuck no because gays, and tried to give Mystique a case of the not gays forgetting.. she's bisexual. Even Claremont had that in mind as when Destiny was dying she left Mystique in forge's care having a vision of them together. He also wrote Kitty Pryde as bisexual and that later became canon.

So time passed and as far as I can tell there wasn't a clear winner for Kurt's dad. So enter Chuck Austen. For those of you who are bilsfully unaware of this guys existance and thus didn't want to reflexively go numb with terror at the mention of his name, a primer: Chuck Austen wrote Uncanny X-Men during Grant Morrison's legendary run on New X-Men and proceded to write the worst run in x-men history. That's not hyperbole and having recently read most of the 90's x-men comics to filll that gap in my history, it's not a high bar to clear.

Austen's run includes: A plot by the anti mutant church of humanity to install nightcrawler as pope then fake the rapture, mutanting Juggernaughts hetero lifemate black tom into a plant monster they only stopped by having leftover member from the previous run stacey x use her phermone powers to get him horned up, angel getting healing blood and being made a literal angel, angel's healing blood making him immune to aids which is brought up for no specific reason, Angel having aerial sex with a minor right above her poor mother, and Havok's relationship with Polaris being broken up because a nurse's psycic son got the two together while Havok was in a coma.

I.. I wish i'd made all of this up but no. He also killed off two beloved gen x characters, Skin and Synch, for no adquate reason. This isn't as wacky as the rest of that, but it's still a noticable fuck you. How he got away with this while Grant Morrison was chased out I don't know. I just.. don't know

SO you may be asking/dreading "What.. what else did he do to kurt?" and the answer? He took a mutnat famed for being one of the most kind , loving beings in the marvel universe who just so happened to look like a demon.. and made him half demon. He introduced Kurt's father Azazel who you may remember from First Class where he wasn't a demon nor kurt's dad. Both improvments. Yeah so we got a whole story I haven't forced myself ot read yet that spits on the characters concept and generally sounds awful and like a bargin bin version of Raven's arc from New Teen TItnas

Azazel was largely ignored for good damn reason till Jason Aaron brought him back and decided since he for whatever reason couldn't retcon him out to make the best of a bad situation: he made Azazel into a pirate who was stealing souls from heaven, forcing Kurt to summon his friends as a crew to have a pirate fight with his dad. I swear to god this will be covered some pirate month.

This helped a little but Aaron leaving the x-side of things and no one wanting to touch this left Azazel in the wind. So with the x-men at their peak and Myistque and Destiny at the center of things after she finally brought the latter back, the time seemed right ot finally fix this. So the question is simple: how do you fix the origin to it's original form while accounting for the demon man retcon and the baron introduced Mystique cucked. The answer is convoluted, fun and mildly beautiful and it's under the cut

We begin with atiny gremlin resembling an albino nightcrawler recapping where we're at up to this point, which i've already covered. The little guy is kurt's tiny friend that talks to him during his solo and narrates the recap for us. I'll also let him explain who he is

Fair enough. I also love the tone our little narrator keeps. Winking and nodding to the fact that while part of the narrative of Uncanny it's also a standalone mostly there for the retcons it's about to do and Spurrier's clearly aware plenty of future fans will read this on marvel unilimited or pick up the issue simply FOR this one reason.

So at this point Kurt is trying to comfort his mother whose lost in the memory of loosing her baby and this being Mystique is waving a pistol around at people. Kurt tries to help by giving her the version they both know: While Mystique and Destiny were firmly together for most of their very long lives, meeting in the 1900's with Mystiques past before that a giant question mark, they were on and off for a variety of reasons from normal couple issues to the simple facts of their powers: Raven is a shapeshifter meaning she's often living a whole other life that can't always acomedate the love of her life and Destiny being a precog means sometimes she has to go off and do shit to make sure things go the right way. So while they were wives for lives, they also had a very open marraige, with Raven taking partners for lonliness, to get by what have you and vice versa.

One of these was Christian Wagner, Kurt's alleged dad and a eurpoean count Raven hooked up with soley for money's sake and being a sexist dick, it wasn't easy. So she cheated on him with Azazel because sexy devil man, had his child and had to abandon kurt.. only.. the story isn't making sense to her and her head is hurting. After another round of his mommy waving a gun in his face, Kurt decides to cut the thing with the hopesword.

Thankfully Marvel knew this might be a lot for people reading Uncanny at the time and explained it in an article. Which is good for me as I haven't reread legion of x and forgot how the hell all this happened. So Nightcrawler's stepmom whose magic made mutants into rampaging monsters to help Orchis plan, Kurt included, hence the spider-man getup, and turned Kurt's hope into a sword that his friends made sure he got back.

Said sword is the hope of posisblity what can be and Kurt hands it to his mom in the hopes it'lll help her mind.. and not cut him in half. Lucky for Kurt he has a long history of taking a bet on someone everyone else says to run the fuck away from and it works.

So we get the FULL story and the full retcon of what happened, keeping Count Wagner and Azrael, but reframing it.

So like I said the two had an open marraige, with the two open to date whoever provided it benefitted them as a couple. Hence count wagner: he was rich, full of himself and has the kind of vibe that just screams "I cum in two minutes", so while obnoxious, he was easy enough to put up with as the long con was worth it and it was easy enough to get Irene in as her bang maid since Count Wagner really wasn't paying any attention to the house as long as it didn't cost him anything.

Instead of the torrid affair it was portrayed as in the past, Raven frames it as.. honestly way more realistic for how the characters are played in most comics not written by the nightcrawler pope guy.

It didn't help she sensed Raven was growing distance, figuring he was her fairwell gift. Raven's exact words. Which honestly satan's dick isn't the worst farewell gift but... get her a demon who can perform at least Irene sheesh.

Turns out though Irene had other plans.. she wanted to make a baby just the two of them. And I love Marcus To's art in this issue in general, beauitful, heartbreaking, well done, especially since as the one handling the present day wraparound he has to carry a LOT of emotion as the wraparound is mostly talking.. granted Kurt is wearing a spidey suit so only his eyes can emote for most of it but still. But I love this panel after she gives the reveal, as Raven sokes int he emotions

I also like the charcterization of Raven: Spurrier and To don't forget that Raven. .is a bad person. While I saw a complaint or two on reddit in doing research, honestly.. it dosen't sugarcoat it. She talks about the men she dated as toys she broke, waves a gun around and is harsh with Kurt, who she later reveals once she got the memories back she knew was her baby boy. Raven is a pragmatic person who wants whatever the hell she wants and will steal and kill to get it. Yet this tale.. still works. Just because a person is awful.. dosen't mean they can't love and just because neither Raven nor Irene is a good person... dosen't mean they don't deserve a child made of love. There were other births but this was thehirs.

Raven is also recast as nonbinary, saying the only real diffrence between genders is those who can be who they are and those denied the right and Raven Darkholme is who she is. I also find Kurt's inital bafflement that 'but your both women" hilariously naive for a man who was spending his time being a spider-man while palling around with what he knew deep down was the conciousness of one of his best friends pretending to be gremlin him, while wilding a sword made of pure hope.

The comic does retcon Mystiques abiliteis; she CAN change her dna. She dosen't often becasue she dosen't WANT to but given how she can fool any scanner imaginable this makes perfect sense. Her power isn't mimicking apperance.. it's altering her genes. We get a file page from Dr. Nemisis, an immortal mutant nazi hunter who played a supporting role in both previous spurrier nightcrawler books and who fleshes this out more. She's near omega levels. Omega is a term that was just vauge shorthand for "really powerful" that kept being used way too often, and which Jonathan Hickman helpfully redefined so it was still useable, but also limited it to a handful of mutants: any mutant whose power has no upper limit. The only reason he can't formally classify her as omega as he dosen't know if she could mimic x-genes or change her own. Basically a way that leaves the door open to that but dosen't shove it too open as it was clear Spurrier didn't really have time to get into this concept and left it for future writers to do more with.

So after a brain headache, Mystqiue presses on: she immediately dumped Azazel, who took it with a lot of bitch crying and "I'M DUMPING YOU YOUR NOT ME" nonsense as you'd expect.

Christian was less easy at first: while Raven grew a bump to match his , the Baron wanted a dna test. Which given Raven used a bunch of male dna she had lying around including his could've been bad. Thankfully Baron Incel walked in on them and honestly in other circumstances i'd feel bad; Raven cheated on him, was using him for money and slits his fucking throat.. but given he both calls them Sapphic Harlots, in what given the floating timeline would've been the early 90's, planning to have them WHIPPED for it...

So they go through with the pregnancy with Raven pretneding to both be her pregnant self and the baron, dismissing the staff and generally enjoying the process. She also keeps the prengancy belly even when not in public at times... to carry the prengancy with her wife. Awww. And I like this a lot.. is it idealized.. yeah. But again a bad person CAN be happy. Evil can love. Raven being terrible dosen't mean she can't genuinely have cared.

So the baby comes and the doctors.. arne't exactly impressed.. raven though

There are so many little touches to this I didn't notice the first time I read it... but this one is so damn good. The "see me".

Sadly this didn't last as naturally the doctors of 1990 in a small villiage weren't ready for sapphic mutants and their elf child so they attacked. The setup is as it was many times and showed up in x-men the animated series, evolution and others: nightcrawler is born, and the poor boy is, like too many mutants hated and feared just for being born. So Raven flees while Irene stays behind saying she'll be fine. And it's that last part that flips the script. Raven leaves her baby boy.. but unlike the past where she threw him away , choosing his life over hers.. she simply left him. That simple. She left him at the base of a tree to go save irene.. only to find as she said, she'd left. And when Raven returns.. Kurt is gone.

Kurt tries to comfort her in the present taking off the mask.... but she knows already. Kurt does see this as a possible new beginning because.. he's Kurt Wagner. He sees the good in people even after the many horrible things his mom has done. Mystique however sees it as the past: it was a lifetime ago, theyg rew apart and what's really important is seeing this memory through.

So a few years of in her words sex, violence and nihilism that meant nothing thorugh the pain later, Raven catches up to her wife in the usual way

Yeah the story dosen't really let Irene get away with things easy either. They only reconcile, and then only barely, because Destiny basically waves Rogue in front of her face and forces her to adopt the daughter Raven always wanted. I do like how the narrative dosen't cheapen her adopting Rogue either: While Destiny does again essnetially go "here's another child to raise", when confronted with what the pimps and pushers might do to this poor child , despite all the hate and needed explinations.. Raven's first insitnct.. is to comfort Rogue. She's still fucking pissed, at her worse.. but she sees a child lost due to her gift, needing her and ignores her pain to help.

So Destiny explains once their alone and Rogue is getting so me much needed sleep now happily adopted. Turns out the reason Kurt was abandoned.. was fate. And these retcons are the parts where the issue reaches a bit for me. The rest is fine: that Mystique did love her son once, as while her abandoning him is somewhat in character, her having genuinely loved him and given him away not because she wanted to but because Destiny played it that way feels more in character with who she's become, the more nuanced character versus the pure evil she could be at times especially in the late 2000's and 2010's.

This though.. is reaching. So Azazel of all people would've conquered thew orld, which I call bullshit on as while he was portrayed as a genuine threat, and admittedly I haven't read the draco because if i'm going to do it i'm damn well going to get some content out of it and possibly money, he was never.. this level. And sure he could purely focus on it but.. dr strange existead at this point. The idea he needed to be distracted isn't terrible but I don't buy from the story set up he needed that to be stopped. It's servicible enough but dosen't feel valid.

The second part is more... iffy. Kurt needed to grow up hated nad feared , left with Margalai and growing form his pain. That feels very chosen oney and I don't like it. Kurt is who he is not due to fate but who he is. Thankfully what saves this from being pure garbage.. is the reactions of mother and son to it. Kurt is broken up, not wanting ot think he's bound to fate this tightly and just a puppet on invisible strings, while Raven.. nearly chokes irene scremaing MY SON IS NOT A TOOL OF FATE.

So Irene knowing they can't go on like this decides to mindwipe the whole stuff, something Raven agrees to but unlike irene she wants to remember Kurt's her son. Unforutnately they went to Charles Xavier for this and he warns her what her mind might do and wipes his own mind. Because he can do that. This is flimsy, but it makes sense and while Raven blames charles saying he made her hate her child, it was her own brain doing that. He warned her it might happened and as usual she didn't listen.

But she's more upset that in her rage and need to move on she let herself forget breaking down.. and as usual kurt forgives her

It's pwoerful words.. and the truth. Destiny may of seen how things were going.. but Kurt isn't who he is because of some fated path. As much as I hate that chosen oney framing, the comic does a good job making it clear that whatever Destiny saw.. Kurt is his own man.. and he's a man who wants the mom he never really had back. So the two forge an uneasy possible future, walking off.... tommorow is another day.

And so far this has stuck. Irene got restored too not wanting it at first but accepting kurt once she did get her memories properly restroed, and while both left, it wasn't to just abandon their kids, but simply because of that whole fate thing combind with being wandering soles. Plus it's easier for them to show up later in uncanny than have them in the cast from day one. Raven and Irene wander, it's what they do. So for now Kurt seems to be joining the cast of Uncanny X-Men while Myistque is getting her own mini up to some mysterious gameplan. But wherever they go... Kurt now has two mothers who love him.

X-Men Blue Origins is a fantastic issue packed with tons of fantastic emotoinal artwork, great writing and a really compelling wraparound as our heroes go through this story and find the truth. It also does the best it can to stand alone while not ignoring the story it's part of and nicely implements an idea decades in the making. This CAN go wrong as just because a great writer came up with it dosen't mean it's.. good as claremont also had some less stellar concepts, see x-men forever for that. Another sword of damocles over my head for another day. It's a great issue and well worth checking out on Marvel Unilmited or if you find it in a back issue bin or online or whatever and a gloriously gay idea executed at long last.

Next Time: We close out the month with a list! My top 12 x-runs! From factors to men it's the best of x

[stormxpadme]

For the Pride Month Prompts of Scott Summers Events @scottsummersevents, I made an entry for the Mood Board Madness section.

title: Krakoa was for lovers

prompts: Club scene, poly ship characters/ship: Logan/Scott Summers, Logan/Scott Summers/Synch/others medium: comicverse (Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence)

story: Krakoa was for lovers but now that Krakoa is out of reach for most mutants, where does that leave people no longer interested in outdated moral restrictions limiting their love life? Ever since the Orchis war, Scott and Logan have been too busy with their new teams respectively to give much thought to that question, or for finding chances to live out that part of their lives, no longer even sure where they stand with their poly relationship after Jean's left for space indefinitely. But when pride month kicks around and Logan is forced to take a couple of days off after a particularly nasty encounter with inhibitor bullets, he uses the chance for a visit at Scott's new team base and drag his lover out for some much needed timeout in a mutant dance club. Amazingly enough, they quickly find that thanks to the mental bonds still connecting the mutants left on Earth, it only takes the right moment and mood for the old spark of unity and passion to re-ignite. After mentally indulging in a long-missed erotic encounter together with a few of their old lovers like Synch and others, Logan and Scott withdraw to Scott's private rooms in the Anchorage base for another few hours of private tenderness and ecstasy, strengthening the bonds between them before the next mission will call.

[do-you-ship-this-comic-ship]

propaganda:

I will admit upfront that I am just kind of a sucker for rival/enemies-to-lovers ships. But also the fact that their powers directly cancel each other out adds a dimension to it considering Kevin's powers cause him to kill almost anyone he touches (at least back during the Academy X days, I haven't really kept up as closely with late/post Krakoa X-Men so maybe this is no longer true). Anyway honestly they would probably make each other worse (somehow) but yknow what. That can be an interesting ship dynamic.

[mrsbenesova]

David Haller lives with his father on a Greek island called Krakoa and basically can't complain. He's young and healthy, a very strong telepath. He's going to marry the girl he loves. Everything seems to be perfect. Except one thing. Since David remembers he could feel some sort of loneliness and emptiness from his father's mind. Like Charles is missing something deep inside. Something or someone. When David finds his father's old diary, everything becomes obvious.

So he sends wedding invitations to three past lovers of Charles Xavier - Erik Lehnsherr, Logan Howlett, and Hank McCoy - to see which one of them will fill the hole in his father's heart.

This is your X-men Mamma Mia AU which includes Sophie!David, dilf Charles, ever dilfier Erik, sassy Logan, and very spontaneous Hank "The Beast" McCoy. With special guests of crazy aunties Emma and Raven from "Professor X and the Dynamos"

Hold on tight and bow to your Dancing Queen

[big-gay-apocalypse]

// X-Men (2021) #35

[maedelin]

Krakoa was for Lovers - A So Long, Thank You, And We Love You.

I Love You Too

This shirt, worn by a proud, beautiful, visible mutant means so many levels for the character within the comic. And for us outside of it.

This reads to me, this is not only in this defiant, proud moment to remember the First Age of Krakoa. This is also a final wave from all the X-Men Office. A last "We did this because we love you. We love you for loving these merry mutants. Thanks for going on this ride. We survived the experience."

Everything worked out in the end. Narratively, everyone's returned who needs to, story wise. We did it, folks. Jonathan Hickman was reported to say "They [the fans] need a win."

We got the win. Thank you.

And especially in this final comic, one more time: Thank you for the Chris Claremont Adler-Darkholme-Wagner Family Reunion. A delight of 10 pages. It was everything I needed it to be. I look forward to the stories that come from it.

[the-girl-who-walks-with-faeries]

For all those who follow me for my cool occult/vintage aesthetic, I'm so sorry, but I've written my first fanfiction in nearly 10 years! For the Kurt Wagner lovers out there (of which I know there are many), I'm doing an KurtxOC fanfiction rewrite of Claremont's X-Men run (with hopes to continue all the way to Krakoa - wish me luck). The first THREE chapters are up, so take a look and leave a kudos and a comment!

Here's the summary:

In 1963, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby debuted their band of merry mutants, the X-Men! But what if there was a sixth gifted youngster? How would the story change? How would relationships form and dynamics diverge? Enter the Indelible Icon!

Beginning with Giant Size X-Men #1, follow the story of Adrian Grey aka Icon, the youngest founding X-Men member. With an ability to read emotions, Adrian's story is one of love, loss, and overcoming obstacles, from dastardly villains to personal demons in classic X-Men, soap opera style. Along the way, see her find her closest friends amongst the newest recruits to the team and, perhaps, love with our favourite fuzzy blue elf!

Whether you're a fan of the Claremont run, a lover of Nightcrawler, or just need something to fill the X-Men '97 void, Adrian's story is sure to be... Iconic!

Also includes some amazing art from @lazywrites, which should be reason enough to check it out!

[binkywinky]

wait, wolverine has been in love with more than just jean grey? and he was in love with hercules??

I'll address the second point first - yes, although the "being in love with Hercules" plot was with a version of him from an alternate reality (think his name was "Howlett"), not the main universe (616) Logan.

And to your first point, oh yeah... that man has been in love with so many people - at least 6 come to mind off the top of my head. His love interests typically fall into three categories:

Obsessive/Unrequited/Toxic: Jean Grey is his most famous in this category. Sorry to any Jean/Logan fans, but they are most definitely toxic (she even said so herself). He's also been with Mystique so you know... yeah.

Genuine Love Turned Tragic: Logan experiences a lot of "I fell in love with X and it ended horribly when she died because of me" relationships. Strangely enough, these also feature most of his relationships with Japanese women... hm. His most well-known relationship in this category is with Mariko Yashida, but there are others like Itsu, Atsuko, The Native, etc.

Friends to Lovers: He's had a few relationships like this (ex. Yukio - love her). Storm was his best relationship in this category (and IMO just his best relationship all-around). They went from tolerating each other as teammates to being very close friends that love each other and engaged in an on-again/off-again sexual relationship to fully committing to each other and now back to very close friends (who in all likelihood will go back to being friends with benefits once the Krakoa era wraps up if they're both single for a stretch).

This is honestly why I hate the way X-Men are portrayed outside of the comics. You would never know how rich and extensive these stories and relationships are because they just retread so much old shit all the time. They got people thinking Jean is Logan's only romance when he's notorious for being with damn near everyone and has very strong relationships with SO MANY others (both in and outside of the X-Men).

[folansstuff]

YESSSSSSSSS

LAURA JUBILEE KWANNON AND ILLYANA ARE ALL GETTING ONE SHOTS FOR BLOOD HUNT

IM SO EXCITED

Im reposting the synopsis for them all under the cut because I am so fucking ready. They better all live through it tho, please give these girls a break.

New York, NY— February 20, 2024 — The vampires of the Marvel Universe have waited patiently, and now that the eternal night has cursed Earth, they’ll feast like never before in Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz’s BLOOD HUNT. This bloodbath of terror couldn’t come at a more dire time for mutantkind. Currently scattered after the fall of Krakoa, the X-Men won’t be able to strike from a united front. Instead, four X-Men icons will risk their souls in breathtaking solo adventures.

X-MEN: BLOOD HUNT – JUBILEE #1

Written by PREETI CHHIBBER

Art by ENID BALÁM

FANGS AND FIREWORKS!

Running from the past is one race you’ll never win – and as darkness suffuses the world, Jubilee’s past as a vampire is back to take a big bite out of her! It’s gonna take more than a couple plasma bursts to get out of this one, Jubilation…

 

X-MEN: BLOOD HUNT – MAGIK

Written by ASHLEY ALLEN

Art by JESÚS HERVÁS

MAGIK RAISES HELL!

Illyana Rasputina has returned to her homeland to search her soul and steel it for what comes next. But how will she protect her first home when a vampire army descends on Russia, seeking to turn it into a living hell? She may have been forged in the fires of Limbo, but has it prepared her for the Blood Hunt?

 

X-MEN: BLOOD HUNT – PSYLOCKE #1

Written by STEVE FOXE

Art by LYNNE YOSHII

NINJA VS. VAMPIRES!

After serving on the frontlines in the war against Orchis, Kwannon is enjoying some much-deserved downtime with her new lover Greycrow. But when darkness falls across Japan, Psylocke will wield her psionic blade against blood-sucking creatures of legend and faces a foe unlike any she’s ever seen. An all-new villain emerges in the mayhem of BLOOD HUNT!

X-MEN: BLOOD HUNT – LAURA KINNEY THE WOLVERINE #1

Written by STEPHANIE PHILLIPS

Art by ROBERT GILL

LAURA’S BLOODIEST RESCUE MISSION YET!

The vampires will stop at nothing in their bid for supremacy, including capturing mutants for hellacious experiments to boost their own power. But not on Laura Kinney’s watch! The Wolverine slices a swath through the vamps, but when she encounters the truth behind their machinations, will an unlikely ally prove to be more than she bargained for?

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

November 16th - The White Queen

Emma Frost was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to the wealthy Winston and Hazel Frost. Emma had been the third of four children and her father was a cold, ruthless, and domineering parent who imposed impossibly high standards on his children.  Emma’s mother, meanwhile, turned to prescription drugs to cope with the tensions of her household and was largely uninvolved in her children’s lives. 

Emma’s Mutant telepathic abilities manifested in early adolescence.  She found that she could read minds and alter the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs of others.  She ultimately used this power to blackmail her father.  Her father was actually impressed by his daughter’s actions and he offered to make her his sole heir to the family fortune.  Emma rejected the offer, left home and decided to make her own way in the world. 

Following misadventures on the street, Emma became a student at Empire State University and met the fellow Mutant telepath, Astrid Bloom.  Bloom was more apt at using her psychic abilities and she helped to train Emma to further hone her skills.  Some time thereafter, Emma was invited to the Hellfire Club, an underground elite society.  Whist involved with this society, Frost discovered the plans of Edward Buckman and Steven Lang to destroy all Mutants. Alongside Sebastian Shaw, Lourdes Chantel, and Harry Leland, Emma battled Lang's Sentinels. She killed Buckman and the Council of the Chosen and then, alongside Shaw, took control of the Hellfire Club.  Shaw became the society’s ‘Black King’ and Emma took the role of the ‘White Queen.’

During her time with the Hellfire Club, Frost created the Massachusetts Academy, an educational institute for training young Mutants.  Her best students formed a tactical team known as ‘The Hellions’ who would go on to have multiple run-ins with the New Mutants squad of the Xavier School.  Sadly, many of The Hellions were killed during a confrontation with the time-traveling villain known as Trevor Fitzroy.  

Taking time to recover from this terrible loss, Emma ended up aligned with The X-Men in battling the Phalanx.  Emma agreed to help train the young Mutants the Phalanx had targeted and, alongside the X-Man Banshee, she led the Generation X team.  This squad eventually disbanded and Emma relocated to the island haven of Genosha.  Emma taught at a school on Genosha until a genocidal Sentinel attack killed most of the island's inhabitants.  Frost survived due to the sudden manifestation of her secondary mutation: the power to transform herself into a flexible, near-invulnerable, diamond-like substance. 

After being rescued, Frost joined the X-Men and took on a teaching position at The Xavier Institute.  She mentored a group of telepathic quintuplets, the Stepford Cuckoos, who quickly became her prized pupils. Frost and the Cuckoos proved themselves when they thwarted the schemes of the villainous Cassandra Nova. 

Frost continued on as a member of The X-Men and became lovers with Cyclops.  She would later be possessed by the Phoenix Force during the Avengers versus X-Men event.  

More recently, Emma has reclaimed her title as The White Queen, only now as chief executive officer of the Hellfire Trading Company.  This company is responsible for legally exporting the miracle drugs produced on the Mutant nation of Krakoa.  As White Queen, Emma Frost has a seat on the Quiet Council, the ruling body of Krakoa.  In addition, she created the Marauders, a team led by Kitty Pryde and responsible for handling the black market for the miracle drugs, among other concerns.

Emma Frost has appeared in a number of the Fox Films X-Men movies, portrayed by actresses January Jones and Tahyna MacManus.  The villain turned heroine first appeared in the pages of X-men Vol. 1 #129 (1979).

[bamfoftheundead]

Beach Stuff [revised]

Was cleaning up and found my little beach drabble from about a year ago or so. Did some editing to smooth out the wrinkles. Hope it sounds better

it feels too short to post to ao3 so I'll keep it here. for anyone new its the revised version of this

@dannybagpipesarecalling @kurtty-drabbles

______________________________________________________________

  Dusting the sand from his backside, which only spread it further into his fur, Kurt was beginning to regret choosing the beach. He loved the ocean and all it had to reveal but the sand, he just couldn’t do it. Huffing, he kicks out a leg as the micro pieces of itchy hell scrape terribly between his legs- leaving a sand-rash sure to last. He normally loved the beach, when he was sitting in a chair preferably away from the sand in a temperature controlled environment with a sweet alcoholic beverage to enjoy.

 Settling back into place he reranged his towel to hopefully give better protection from the harsh elements, which didn’t change his predicament in the slightest. Irritated and yearning to leave the wretched place he glanced outwards, towards the waves that lapped gently against the colorful shore. There, in the shallows he could see her. Haloed by blinding sunlight like some sort of sea nymph rising from the depths. For a moment he thinks of the birth of Venus and how fitting it is for her. 

 Kitty stomped around calf-deep in the clear water atop a sandbar, leaning down to examine a baby cuttlefish zooming by. Stepping around carefully to avoid cutting her foot open on some broken shells, Kitty crouches and dips a sun-screened hand into the water. Since coming here Kitty had found Krakoa’s beach to be full of rich ecosystems of all manner of sea life, it felt odd that one of the worst places could host such vibrant life. Looking back at the sandy shore she stifles a laugh, her blue lover wrestles with the towel below him in an attempt to keep the wind from blowing more sand onto his nearly beige fur. By the time they'd get home he'd be nothing more than a piece of human sandpaper. Her sight eventually drifted back to the shimmering ocean line. Kitty wondered where it ended, no other ocean in their hemisphere had such pure water with all the oil spills and general pollution. Giving Kurt a final glance she turns and wades deeper, letting the cool, strong current pull her away from the shore, away from everything. 

As she dipped further out, waves lapping at her cheeks a line of thought she’d tried to avoid since her arrival surfaced, If she looked far enough below would she see herself? Would she be able to discern the burnt corpse her ‘friends’ had so lovingly discarded to the ocean rather then give her the proper funeral she deserved? Probably not. The idea of coming face to face without her previous body made her ill. Still the curiosity never wavered. What was she wearing when they shipped her off to sea? The boots her mother gifted her before the ultimate mass death-suicide ressurection? Maybe her old self was still wearing her grandmother's ring, she hadn’t been able to find it since awaking. Luckily, Kurt had saved her star of david. A small beam of light in her otherwise cloudy mindstorm. She’d made it a priority not to let herself sink back into the what-iffing, to not give into the existential dread. But something about the cool, empty ocean seemed to draw the memories right out of her head.

 Letting another large wave sweep her under the deep blue she let her mind clear and sank. Her hands tense as she dove deeper, maybe she’d see herself down below? Maybe her ashes had spread into the never ending waves for all eternity, never given the respect or rest she’d thought she earned. It was probably stupid anyway, right? She came back in the end! But… still, looking into the empty sandbanks below she still felt the bitter ache deep in her gut, it wasn’t fair. 

A sharp, jerky movement catches in her peripheral vision, kicking back up; she's greeted by a plume of violet smoke spread far and wide into the waves above. Painting the waves briefly deep indigo. Through the purple cloud a face peeks out, he sees her and smiles. Waving, Kitty kicks back to the surface. Breaking the water barrier and gasping for air she hadn’t noticed she needed. Kurt smiles as his wet curls fall into his eyes. Kitty laughs, reaching to push the black tendrils away.

 Spitting out more water he shakes his head sheepishly, the same roguish grin held high and happily. From a distance Kitty could see the sun begin the set, the evening light disappearing beneath the now darkening tides. Tilting his head Kurt looks down at her, wrapping his arms around her to pull her close to him, somewhat easing that now enshrouded them. Kitty holds him close, fingers gripping handfuls of soaking fur in an effort to rest her sore arms and enjoy the sunset here, with him. Reaching forward he runs a wet, velvet-soft palm along her temple, then her cheek as his thumb pressed thoughtfully against her lips. His eyes brighten the dimness around the two, lighting for her. Pushing against the rough waves she closes the gap, pushing his hand down she kisses him. He kisses her back eagerly and doesn’t let go, he holds her close and he doesn’t let go. Her arms tense and tighten around his broad, sopping figure.

 Sighing, she pulls back and lays her face onto his wet shoulder to stare off into the dark emptiness, a new feeling of contentment washing over her. His presence always seemed to fix away the darkness that crept in. 

“Are you alright? ” Looking down at her with loving golden eyes.

“ I am now “ she mumbles tiredly. He holds her closer and laughs, using a free hand to push back wet strands of curled hair that had shaken loose from its bun.

“ Come then, let's go home “