Shots of Amber

[ANNA D'ANCANTO]

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark

ROLLING IN THE DEEP ! Staring at her phone, Anna sighed heavily after she had sent the message to Feral. She had met the mutant during their take down of Ultron and discovered the woman had a lot to say. Unfortunately, that day on the X-jet had not been the best of times to bring up such topics. The last thing any of them needed was to be fighting amongst themselves. No, they had all needed to focus on destroying Ultron. She had made the woman a promise that if both of them survived, she would contact her and listen to Maria’s side of the story. Thankfully, the casualties that day had been minimal. Those working within the facilities Ultron had taken the greatest loss. From what she knew, Feral had survived the mess. Initially, the belle had wanted to speak to the other woman sooner. She had a few things on her mind she wanted to question her about. However, after Ultron, the rest of the X-men and students decided a much-needed vacation was in order. They had gone down the New Orleans and simply enjoyed themselves. Everyone down there was enjoying themselves and picking up after the disaster Ultron had created. And boy did the Southern Belle enjoy herself, in more ways than one. There were no regrets from her time in the south. She had drunk far too much, done a few illegal things as well as enjoyed a certain Cajun as well. After a near death experience, being picky about who she slept with had gone out the window. Now it was simply whomever was willing and able given the technical difficulties with her abilities. Still need to talk? Willing to listen. McKenzie bar on Ship and 81st. The text message read. Putting the phone down, Anna looked at the drink in front of her. She had gotten herself one strong drink, a glass of fire whiskey on the rocks. She definitely needed it and if she sipped the drink instead of just draining it, it would last her a while, if not most of the conversation. The topic of the conversation truly was a vague one. Feral had mentioned some things about Remy, which Anna knew a few. Not a lot and probably not as much as Feral did. She had know the Cajun for a couple of years and in that whole time, he had flirted with her non stop. Not that he didn’t flit with anything with a pulse, but still it was nice. In a way it was also flattering to have someone not running from her because of her abilities. Maybe that was why she had a soft spot for the Cajun, even if he might be annoying at times. Bringing the amber liquid towards herself, she took a sip, letting the cool liquid burn her throat. Oh how good it felt. It had been far too long since she had a good strong drink. There had been too much going on for her not to have a clear head. And now that things were slowly getting back to normal, a drink once in a while wouldn’t do anything. The bar was relatively empty, aside from the bartender and a few of the regulars. No one seemed to be paying her any mind, which was a good thing. They were all there to just get away from something and have a good drink. 568 WORDS , @feral , OUTFIT table by california dreaming @ caution 2.0

[Deleted]

Maria had been in her armory when her phone alerted her to the text message, her music pausing, causing Maria look up from her Milkor MGL, having been in the middle of going over the supplies she was planning on taking with her to Stark Tower. Curious as to what had interrupted her Korn-fest, Maria looked down at her phone, her cat-like eyes reading over the test message, blinking when she saw who it was. She had just been texted by Anna DeCanto, better known as Rogue, southern belle and leader of the X-Men. What the fuck did she want?!

Still need to talk? Willing to listen. McKenzie bar on Ship and 81st.

Maria stared down at the message, wondering what to make of it. Rogue wanted to talk to her? Now? It’d been weeks since the who fiasco with Ultron had taken place. Why’d she want to talk now, after so much time had passed? Maria had heard that Rogue had been in New Orleans around the same time she had, and that she hadn’t been alone. Gambit had been spotted with her, Maria’s contacts telling Feral that the two had even shared a room. Just the thought of Gambit was enough to make Feral snarl to herself, the memory of the Cajun always enough to infuriate her, the memories of what he had done always putting Gambit on Maria’s ASSHOLE list. Maybe now the southern belle was seeing the error of her ways? Or maybe Gambit was just a shitty lay? Maria grumbled to herself at that. Gambit a shitty lay? Doubtful, very doubtful. But still, girl can dream.

Sighing to herself, Maria texted Rogue back, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Be there in 20.

And with that Maria put the Milkor MGL down and headed to her bedroom to change.


TWENTY MINUTES LATER…

Slipping off her biker helmet, having just parked her bike across the street from McKenzie, Maria eyed the location that Rogue wanted to meet up in warily, Maria’s feral eyes catching a symbol etched into the door, Maria scowling, recognizing it immediately, now remembering who this bar belonged to. This was a drop-bar. Fuck. Sighing in resignation, Maria climbed off her bike and made her way towards the bar, knowing that this wasn’t going to end well. Drop bars were a new mob convention. Basically they acted as way stations for mob groups to bring dirty money, which they ‘cleaned,’ by using in the bar as change. This particular bar was owned by local Irish crime boss Conrad Delaney. Luckily Maria had done business with Delaney, and he owed her big time, so hopefully that would help her with what Maria already knew would prove to be an uncomfortable meeting.

Pushing the door open, Maria blinked, her eyes hidden behind sunglasses, her eyes instantly adjusting to the dark gloom of the bar. It sure as hell smelled like a bar, Maria’s enhanced senses catching the scent of old beer, vomit, urine and sweat, the stink causing her wrinkle her nose and curl her lip in disgust. Fucking drop bars. They never bothered cleaning the shiholes. Spotting Rogue in the corner, seated at the bar, Maria signed in resignation and made her way towards the blond bombshell, Maria slipping into the seat next to her, Maria looking up, seeing the bartender, Mack look up at her. And without word Maria reached up and slipped her glasses off, letting Mack get a good look at her.

He stared, giving her glowing cat-eyes a steady stare, the tall Irishman blinking in shock when she smiled, spotting her fangs. Yup. He remembered her alright. And his reaction? Pure instinct. Maria spotted his hand reaching down and with lightning fast reflexes the feral reached over the bar, her hand snapping forward, grabbing Mack’s wrist with a vice-like grip just before he pressed the alert buzzer that Maria knew would send an alert to Delaney’s phone. Press that button and Delaney ended up sending five or six of his top bruisers to ‘deal’ with the problem. Something she was in no mood to deal with. “Easy there, Mack.” Maria purred softly, her voice deep and guttural, the snarl there. “Delaney didn't know I was coming, so no need to bother him. I ain’t here to collect or cause trouble, just here to meet with a friend. Kay?” Maria said softly, the warning in her voice audible. Don’t start none, don’t get none. It was as simple as that.

Mack winced, and Maria gave his wrist another squeeze, Maria hearing his bones actually grind against each other. And she was holding back. Strong enouhg to life a car, she could have snapped Mack's wrist like a twig. Instead she only squeezed. Pained, Mack nodded urgently, and Maria let his wrist go, the marks of her fingers evident in his pale pink flesh. “Okay, okay. I got it, Feral.” Mack muttered, his eyes darting to the other bar patrons, who were still blissfully staring into their drinks, unaware of the shakedown that had just occurred. Then he glared at her, rubbing his wrist, which was already starting to bruise. “Fuck. What you want?” he grumbled.

Maria smiled and leaned back into her chair, then reaching back to pull off her jacket, the feral knowing that there wouldn’t be any more trouble. “Four shots of bourbon.” The feral replied simply, and watched as Mack went off to see to her order before turning to face the woman seated next to her, Maria’s eyes glowing in the gloom. And smiled toothily, flashing fangs. “Hi!” she said cheerily, as if what had just happened was totally normal. Because, in her world, it was.

WORDS: 905 // TAG: ANNA D'ANCANTO // OUTFIT: Maria is wearing THIS. // NOTES: PM me if I need to edit anything! WAHOO! So happy this is happening!

[ANNA D'ANCANTO]

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark

ROLLING IN THE DEEP ! Giving the bartender a small smile, she ordered some fries not knowing how long she would be here. It was up to Maria if she was going to be replying to her message or not. If not, then at least the belle could use the opportunity of being in a bar to get a drink and some food. It would save her the trip of going elsewhere. Part of her wondered if Maria would even reply. For all she knew, the woman could have seen the message and just ignored it. Why not after all she was working for mutants and those who gave someone she disliked a place to live. However, she figured it was worth a try. Maybe she could finally find out what it was Maria knew about the Cajun that had gotten her so worked up. Taking a sip of the drink, she looked at her phone, which was sitting in front of her. So far, only one message had come through from someone at the mansion. They were just giving her an update about everything being fine for now. It wasn’t easy not to be paranoid about something happening after Ultron’s attack. When the fries were placed in front of her, she thanked the bartender before munching on a few. As she placed another fry to her mouth, her phone buzzed on the counter, indicating a new message. Picking up the device, she looked at the message before smiling and setting the device back down. When the door opened, the belle glanced over to it seeing Maria. It was a surprise; she had expected the woman to just be pulling her leg. However, what she was seeing right now meant there was something to talk about. The exchange between her and the bartender had Anna raising an eyebrow in surprise. Once it was over, she just laughed softly turning so she could face the other woman, offering her some fries. ”I take it this is not your first time here.” she teased shaking her head in amusement. ”Dare ah ask who Delaney is and whether or not ah should be worried myself?” she asked curiously wanting to know if she would be in danger the next time she came around this place. Or if it would be better to just avoid it entirely. When the shots were set out, she merely smiled and snagged on downing it quickly before Feral could protest. ”Surprised ya came.” she added hissing at as the liquid burned her throat. ”Ah did say ah would listen ta what ya had to say and ah meant it.” she explained figuring it was the best place to start. There were a few things she wanted to discuss with Feral but right not the elephant in the room might as well be addressed. 470 WORDS , @feral , OUTFIT table by california dreaming @ caution 2.0

[Deleted]

Maria honestly had no idea what to expect regarding this meeting. Nor did she know what good could even come of it. From what she could gather, Rogue wanted to talk to her about her history with Gambit. What Maria didn’t know was if Rogue could handle it. No doubt the two had already knocked boots. Now Rogue was here to find out whether she was going to regret bumping uglies with the Cajun. And Maria didn’t want to be the one to ruin things… but then again, Rogue needed to know. Gambit was dangerous. He was weak-willed and selfish. He’d betrayed his own kind to save his own skin. Hundreds of innocent mutants had died because of his treachery. And now that he was at the mutant school, teaching mutant children? No. Not the kind of person Rogue needed on her staff. At all.

“I take it this is not your first time here.” Rogue teased her then. “Dare ah ask who Delaney is and whether or not ah should be worried myself?”

Maria glanced over at Mack who was busy lining up her shot glasses, the feral sighing. “Delany is the Irish bastard that owns the place, and uses it for his drops.” When she saw Rogue’s blank look, the feral sighed and started to explain. “Drop bars are basically bars owned by mobs, and are used to clean their dirty money. They bring the money here, and Mack uses it for pot money that he changes out, as well as for betting on sporting events.” Maria explained softly, nodding to the various sports team memorabilia that decorated the walls. “It’s a smart way to clean dirty money, and safe way too. Anyway. That’s how I know him. Had to help Delany with a bartender that was skimming from his stash. So I broke the bartender's legs and ate his left pinky.” Maria said simply, reaching over to take a fry, the feral munching on it casually. Her story was bullshit of course, or at least some of it was. The bartender had actually been a mutant friend of hers, who had the ability to heal injuries and regrow digits. She used him as bait to get connections to Delaney, and once she was in, she had her cyberpathic friend hack Delany’s Swiss bank account. He still had no idea that she had used his mob money to pay for Morlock medical bills. Not that Rogue needed to know that.

When Mack finished setting up her shots, Maria watched with an arched brow as Rogue reached out quickly to snag one, the southern belle knocking it back with almost ravenous vigor, Maria feeling her face tighten, not with anger, but confusion. Wasn’t she a teacher? A leader? Why the desperate need to get fucked up? The feral studied Rogue, taking in the woman’s appearance, her amber eyes missing nothing. She was a pretty thing. But she didn’t exactly strike her as the ‘educator’ type. More of a fighter. But a damaged one. One who had suffered. How’d she managed to become the headmistress of the illustrious Xavier School for Gifted Children? Maria didn’t know much about Rogue abilities, but she had the feeling that Rogue didn’t exactly have the same kind of tolerance to alcohol that she had. So why drink at all? Was it guilt? Desperation? What was going on here? “Surprised ya came.” Rogue said, hissing at the burn of the bourbon. “Ah did say ah would listen ta what ya had to say and ah meant it.”

Maria snorted at that, amused, and reached forward for her other three shots, Maria sipping one first, the burn a welcome distraction from the mystery woman that was seated next to her, Maria getting conflicting messages. What the fuck was going on here? Why did this woman seem so hell bent of self-destruction, Maria sensing the conflict within the woman, her body posture and actions telling Maria a lot. Choosing her words carefully, Maria knocked back the shots back before lining them up again, Maria tapping the table, signaling Mack to refill them, which he did, Maria grabbing another and downing it, the feral grunting at the burn, her lips curling to reveal fangs. Then Maria closed her eyes, reveling in the sudden sway of euphoria, her stomach a burning mess. Ah, there it was. The booze was taking it effect, dulling her senses, making things slow down around her. The effect was temporary, of course. Curse of having a healing factor. In about a half an hour she’d be sober again.

“Yea, ya did say so… but why now? It’s been weeks since New Orleans, Rogue. Weeks.” Maria said curtly, Maria lifting a hand to hold off any attempts to protest or deny anything. “Yes, I know about Mardi Gras. I know you were in New Orleans. I know you shared a room with Remy. And I know you two probably screwed each others brains out. So, please, do us both the favor, and don’t fucking deny it. It’ll just annoy me and waste more of my time.” Maria snarled, her tone showing her true feelings regarding the matter. The disgust. The disappointment. The confusion. “So? Was it good?” Feral then blatantly asked, not bothering to be coy regarding the matter. They fucked, and now Rogue wanted to know what kind of man he was. Boy was she going to hate the answer. “Look, I can’t say that I blame you for wanting him. I mean that. It's Gambit, after all. The body? The accent? Must have rocked your world. But honey, you bedded a snake.” Maria then fell silent, suddenly feeling it. Pity. She felt sorry for Rogue. She had placed her trust in a man that was responsible for the death of hundreds of mutants. The poor woman. Maria closed her eyes, reeling at the realization. This woman was about to have her happy little bubble burst into a billion pieces, and Maria was going to have to be the one to do it. It sucked being the bearer of bad news. “God damn it, Anna. I don’t want to be the one to do this. I mean, Jesus Christ, why talk to me now?! It’s done, right? You did it. Enjoyed it. So why call me? Just live with the ignorance.” Maria said savagely. And then she reached for her shots, the feral not knowing what else to do but drink. Today was a bad day. She was about to ruin this woman's world. And Maria was tired of playing the part of bearer of bad news. She always had to be the monster. Always. And it sucked.

WORDS: 1,150 words // TAG: ANNA D'ANCANTO // OUTFIT: Maria is wearing THIS. // NOTES: Apologies for the late reply! Things have been crazy at work. The quarter is ending and grades are due so I needed a couple of days to play catch up. PM me if I need to edit things.

[ANNA D'ANCANTO]

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark

ROLLING IN THE DEEP ! There was no reason for Anna to doubt Maria with her story about who the guy was or what this place held. However, as she listened to the tale she was being told, part of the belle knew it was an exaggeration. Call it too much time spent with Black Widow. ”Though I woudn’t put it past ya to do all that, but eating the pinky really? Ain’t that just a bit much?” she asked curiously wanting to know if her instincts were right or off the bat with this one. Some people were harder to read than others. Some were such open books it really was silly to miss. When Maria lined the shots up again, Anna did not steal another drink from her. For now she was okay. The last thing she wanted was to get fucked up and miss what the woman was saying, however given how dire the topic seemed to Maria, Anna needed at least one drink to prepare. As she started on about it having been weeks since their last encounter, Anna opened her mouth to speak. ”Yeah. After Ultron, ah needed a break. The school was being rebuild and once that was done, we celebrated by going to Mardi Gras.” she explained knowing it had been a while ago, but it wasn’t until now that she had a bit of time to spare. Not only that but she was also looking into the whole Sentinel business which was taking up a lot of her time and worry. The next part about knowing she had been with Remy in New Orleans only had Anna raising an eyebrow. She would ask how she knew, but a lot of unexpected people had shown up in the South around the same time. For all she knew, Maria herself had been there as well. It wasn’t until she mentioned denying it that the belle was a bit taken back. For one, she didn’t know the woman well enough for that kind of tone. Not that it mattered really who she slept with either. ”Yah ain’t give meh time to tell ya, let alone deny it.” she pointed out continuing to munch on the fries. ”Besides ah ain’t got reason ta deny it shugah. Don’t get meh wrong, ah ain’t trying to make an enemy, but ya don’t know me well enough to judge.” she explained before the questions of whether or not the sex was good. ”Ah’d be lying if ah said it wasn’t. However, ah ain’t get much to compare with.” she added before giving Maria a hard look. Was there even a point in explaining her situation and stance on the matter to this woman? She wanted her as an ally. It would be stupid to burn bridges that could be of use in the future. However, with how Maria was assuming she was head over heals for the Cajun simply because they had sex, was a bit annoying to Anna. As the woman continued talking and going on about her encounters under the sheets with the Cajun, Anna could not help but roll her eyes. Sighing, she let the woman talk until she was done, watching the rage and pity wash over her. ”Oh shugah, ya really do have meh all wrong.” she told her shaking her head as she laughed softly at the assumptions Maria was making. Waving the bartender over, she ordered another round of shots for Maria. ”Alright, I am only telling ya this because it seems ya think I’m some love sick puppy who has fallen into the Cajun’s trap.” she started before bring her gloved hands up for Maria to see. Many might not have noticed this about her given during Ultron she was wearing a uniform. It might have just seemed like part of the outfit when it was more part of her daily life. ”Meh powers are touch base. Ah can steal a power, energy, talent, or whatever else a person might posses by simply touching them.” she established the base of her abilities. There was more to it, but the details could wait for later. ”It means, if make skin to skin contact with anyone, they usually get drains of energy to the point of passing out or death, depending on the exposure.” Most got a shortened version of her abilities, but she needed Maria to see, that her time with the Cajun had purely been physical and for fun. There was no emotional attachment. ”That is why I wear these, all the time.” she added putting emphasis on the all the time part. ”It ain’t exactly fun or appealing because it means ah ain’t get to touch anyone.” She really hoped that Maria understood what she meant by anyone and specifically what touching she was talking about. ”For some reason, the Cajun’s powers make it so I can touch him.” she dropped the main point of her explanation to Maria. ”My heart ain’t going to be broken shugah. Ah got not feelings for the Cajun aside from friendship and frustration. However, I’m a woman who can’t touch anyone and I have needs.” she added wondering if Maria got what she was saying given how clear she was with it. ”A woman takes what she can get and if that means Remy LeBeau, ah ain’t complaining.” Not that she was, she had spent quite an interesting night with him. Their little dinner date which lead them down to the water afterwards. Eating some more fries, she looked at Maria hoping the woman understood where she was coming from. ”I want to know who I am working with. I said I would hear you out, but that might not change my opinion of him.” she explained just so Maria knew that even if she told her something horrible, Anna’s opinion of the Cajun might not change. He had done a lot of good at the school before, and everyone had something in their past they regretted. Carol was hers. ”I was also hoping I could get your help with a few things.” she paused after this letting Maria react so she knew which direction to continue in, if any at all. 1033 WORDS , @feral , OUTFIT table by california dreaming @ caution 2.0

[Deleted]

As Maria heard Rogue respond, she forced herself to stay silent, the feral letting the woman speak while fighting the urge to grind her teeth. This was so not going to end well.

“Alright, I am only telling ya this because it seems ya think I’m some love sick puppy who has fallen into the Cajun’s trap. Meh powers are touch base. Ah can steal a power, energy, talent, or whatever else a person might posses by simply touching them. It means, if make skin to skin contact with anyone, they usually get drains of energy to the point of passing out or death, depending on the exposure. That is why I wear these, all the time.” Rogue then added, nodding towards her gloves, which Maria had noticed.

Maria nodded at at that. “Yea, I figured your abilities had to do with touch. You always flinch whenever someone moves close to you.” Maria observed out loud, the feral then reaching out as if to touch the woman’s hand, watching as Rogue automatically cringed, Maria pulling her hand away. “Sorry, but yea, I figured. Don’t worry. You’re not the only mutant I knew whose abilities are touched based. I knew a Morlock who literally sweated acid.” Then Maria’s face fell, remembering. The Morlock in question had been Cybelle. She’d died during the Mutant Massacre. She’d been killed by Harpoon.

“It ain’t exactly fun or appealing because it means ah ain’t get to touch anyone. For some reason, the Cajun’s powers make it so I can touch him. My heart ain’t going to be broken shugah. Ah got not feelings for the Cajun aside from friendship and frustration. However, I’m a woman who can’t touch anyone and I have needs. A woman takes what she can get and if that means Remy LeBeau, ah ain’t complaining.”

Maria listened to Rogue, understanding her better then the Southern Belle could ever know. Cravings? Desires? Oh yea. Feral knew all about those. As a feral mutant she had to deal with the instinctual drives of any animal, including those of procreation. Basically she had to fight the need to mate every month whenever she became fertile. It was a motherfucker and one she usually ended up dealing with by either drugging herself with a fuckton of Demerol or hooking up with a mutant who could handle her ‘wild’ side. But usually it was the Demerol that won out. Maria didn’t trust most men to be able to handle her sexually. She had a tendency to hurt men accidentally. And the last man she’d ended up sleeping with had been Victor Creed. And they ended up almost killing one another. So yea. Feral had to basically go the opioid route. Which sucked. Feral inhaled a long breath at the thought and leaned back into her seat, saying nothing, the feral not trusting herself, and instead just sipped from her shot glasses, the feral now grinding her teeth, trying very hard to forget the pain and loneliness that had basically become her life. God damn it, had it been nearly three years since she’d had sex? Yea. Three years. Holy shit. So yea. She got where Rogue was coming from. In spades.

“I want to know who I am working with. I said I would hear you out, but that might not change my opinion of him.”

Feral sighed, and nodded. “Well, that’s fair I guess.” Maria murmured. But then Maria remembered the faces of all the mutants that had died, and felt her teeth curl into a silent snarl. “But I doubt it.” Then Maria sighed and started to drum her fingers against the bar, organizing her thoughts, wondering where to begin. “Okay. What do you know about the Morlocks and the Mutant Massacre?” Maria asked, arching a brow, honestly wondering. The massacre had been years ago, and hadn’t been covered by any news outlet. It’d basically gone unknown, a private tragedy only the mutants of the underground had to suffer. The rest of the world? Nothing. Maria herself hadn’t been present due to the fact that she’d been away, working with a terrorist group at the time. Fun times. But still it happened, and it was all Gambit's fault.

WORDS: 730 words // TAG: ANNA D'ANCANTO // OUTFIT: Maria is wearing THIS. // NOTES: Apologies for the late reply! PM if I need to reply. Feral will respond later to Rogue's request for help.

[ANNA D'ANCANTO]

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark

ROLLING IN THE DEEP ! Anna knew, from past experiences, that the moment she started explaining her abilities and their restrictions, most people started feeling pity for her. It was hard not to given the situation she found herself in. However, she had working on getting her life more under control, which meant starting with her powers. The last thing that Rogue wanted from anyone was to have their pity for her situation. She was a strong woman who had overcome a great deal to be where she was and she done it without letting her abilities hold her back. Yes she had made mistakes and doubted herself, but she was just a human in a sense. No one was perfect nor were they invincible. Thus, when she started her little speech, the belle was certain pity would be what Maria would be feeling. Understand was not something she expected from the other woman, but she was surprised to see it. "It's hard not to. The last thing ah want is to hurt someone because of them." she explained before quickly pulling back out of instinct when Maria moved closer. It wasn't that she did not like being touched or that she was afraid of the woman. Far from it. Anna would love to have basic contact with people where she did not need to worry about harming them. A simple handshake or even a hug. Though she had gotten better at hugging people without her powers becoming an issue. It was easier to control then most other contact. "Ah ain't looking for pity or nothing from ya. Just want ya to know ah ain't as naive and silly as ya might think." she added knowing that many underestimate her. Her ability to lead and her ability to see the truth in front of her when most did not believe it. The question about the Morlock massacre had her thinking back. She had heard about it. There were few at the mansion who had not heard of it. She might not have been there at the time but she knew what had happened. "Ah know it was a tragic day." she started before continuing on. "A group found where the Morlock's were hiding and proceeded to slaughter them." Going into the detail wasn't really what she needed. Many mutants knew about it even if it wasn't a public event in the news. "Ah had not been deep in the mutant community then to know anyone, but ah did mourn those we lost." 1033 WORDS , @feral , OUTFIT table by california dreaming @ caution 2.0

[Deleted]

As Feral waited to hear what Rogue had to say about the Mutant Massacre, she herself paused and let her own mind go back to that night, her memories causing a shiver to run down her spine. She’d been away that night, working as a terrorist with the mutant freedom fighter/terrorist cell aptly named the Family. She had arrived to the Alley the day after only to find death and ruin. Dozens dead. Dozens more dying or injured. All because of the Marauders. Maria wasn’t blind when it came to who was to blame. She knew that it’d been the Marauders that were responsible for the countless deaths. But nor was she stupid enough to think that Gambit should get away with what he’d done. He had been the one that had led them to the Tunnels.

Swallowing another shot, the feral’s lips curling, Maria then leaned back, and let Rogue answer her question, her face set in a dark grimace, not really expecting much of an answer.

“Ah know it was a tragic day.” Rogue started before continuing on. “A group found where the Morlock’s were hiding and proceeded to slaughter them. Ah had not been deep in the mutant community then to know anyone, but ah did mourn those we lost.”

“Clearly.” Maria bit out, her tone harsh with sarcasm, clearly not buying Rogue's remorse, her tone darker then maybe it needed to be, that thought causing Maria to bite back against any more barbs, the feral reaching out to glare at the bar table, the strain showing in her face, Maria’s eyes taking on a deep, almost unholy amber gleam, clearly angry.

This was why mutants like Maria often ended up hating mutants like Rogue. She had described the worst night in mutant history like it was a something from a fairy tale or a history book; with no direct connection to it. She had sounded.... detached from it all. How could she know so fucking little about her own fucking kind?! And to think she was the headmistress of some illustrious mutant school. The void between their two worlds was MASSIVE. Inhaling a long breath, Maria struggled to keep the disgust and rage out of her voice, but failed, a growl escaping her lips, the tone garbled and inhuman, causing Mack to glance upwards. Seeing that was enough. Maria closed her eyes, counted to ten, and forced herself to relax. Too late to get angry about it now, right? Right. Now more calm, Maria cleared her throat, the feral mutant picking her choosing her words carefully, wanting, no, NEEDING for Rogue to understand.

“Okay, you’re only half right.” Feral began, her words careful. “The Morlocks weren’t just attacked by some random group. They were attacked by a group of mutant terrorists called the Marauders. The Marauders were a group of henchmen that worked for none other then William Stryker. Ever heard of him?” Maria asked. Then, after listening to Rogue’s response, Feral continued. “Anyway, Stryker was bad news. It was Stryker and the Maruaders that were responsible for the slaughter of the Morlocks. But Stryker wasn’t working alone. He had help. That’s were the Cajun fits in.”

Maria paused then, giving Rogue a long and careful stare, wondering if she should stop there, and let just let Rogue's imagination play with her, the feral wondering just how much Rogue knew about William Stryker. Judging from the little she knew of the Morlocks, Maria doubted Rogue knew much about the Marauders. Oh god, this was going to get ugly.

“Remy was the one that helped assemble the Marauders, Rogue. He was the one that reached out to them. He was the one that hired them. He was the one that put them together. And he was the one that led them to the Morlocks.” Maria finally uttered, the words deep and garbled, the rage back, the pain “And for what? Why do all that? Well, simple. Money. He got paid to do it, Rogue. He betrayed his own kind for the most selfish and base of reasons. Because he got paid to do it.” she snarled. And with that Maria reached out, grabbed a shot glass and put it down in front of Rogue before grabbing one her self and raising it to Rogue. “So yea. There it is. Feel like bathing in Clorox yet?” Maria asked snidely. Then she knocked back the shot, desperate for the burn to ease away the pain. God damn you Gambit, Maria then thought to herself, Feral remembering a bible verse her grandmother used to say to her. Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from God. Well. That was Gambit all right. Cursed.

WORDS: 805 words // TAG: ANNA D'ANCANTO // OUTFIT: Maria is wearing THIS. // NOTES: PM if I need to change anything. Feral will respond later to Rogue's request for help.

[ANNA D'ANCANTO]

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark

ROLLING IN THE DEEP ! The sarcasm was hard not to miss which had Anna sighing heavily. "The Professor sheltered us from the full tragedy. I might not know the full details, but ah know enough to find it a horrific tragedy. Ah don't know what ya expect from meh after so many years." she raised an eyebrow at the other woman wondering what kind of dramatics she was expecting the brunette to pull. It had been years ago and she has been deviated. Now, after having lost so many others in the life, she wasn't going to be sobbing like a mad woman in front of Feral. "Ah didn't grow up around mutants. If ya can't tell, ah'm from the south. Mutants are more open here than down there so when meh powers developed, ah ain't got anyone ta turn to. It wasn't until ah headed north that ah discovered more like meh." she explained. The whole incident was tragic, but she had been a kid at the time it happened and now was a bit later to be mourning it. She would prefer to prevent more tragedies like that one than focus on the past ones they had already experienced. The growl and the look she was getting from Feral did not scare her one bit. She had been around many with similar tempers and found no fear in their tempers. " Growling ain't gonna scare meh shugah. Yer scary in yer own right, but ah've dealt with worse. Wolverine and Sabretooth. Ah'm sure ya've heard of them." she added watching the woman seem to calm herself down enough to get back to their conversation. The mention of Stryker, had her shuddering at the memory of when he attacked the mansion. It lead to the memory of losing more people as well. They had lost Jean Grey because of Stryker as well as many more. It was a whole chain of events that really she hoped to never have to relive. "Ah know of Stryker well. Had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting him." she explained finding no need to go into further detail about it for now. The time he had attacked the mansion as well as their little encounter in Canada could happily be erased from her mind. Alas, such a fate was not yet possible. The information about Stryker and the Marauders working with the Cajun was a bit of a surprise. Though, she had been expecting something of that nature given what Maria had said about him on the jet. It wouldn't have been anything pleasant with how upset the woman had gotten. Listening to the rest, she picked up the glass draining the rest of the liquid in it before setting it down. "Don't take this the wrong way. Ah just want all the details, but how do ya know all of this? The parts about the Cajun being the one who hired them and led them to the Morlocks?" she asked wanting to know what he source was. She wanted to believe there was something else to the story. A side that Maria might not know. The Cajun's side in all of this. The belle would have to talk to him about it as well later. For now, she was going to deal with the woman in front of her. So far, things were not going as well as anticipated, but it wasn't new for Rogue. There were few that liked her and even less that could stand to be her friend. That she was used to. The money part had her thinking though as she stared at the wall behind Maria. Her mind was going back to some of the things she herself knew about the Cajun as well as where they had found him not to long ago. "Though it would explain a few things." she muttered still mentally trailing back to the night at Ryker. After a while, Rogue was nodding her head at Maria. "Thanks for letting me know about his part in the massacre." she added before finally looking at Maria again once some of the things in her mind were worked out. "Ah know connections between the X-men and Morlock's have been slim to none at all, but ah want to change that. For whatever reason, the Professor did not feel the need to keep a connection but ah do. We are all mutants and we should stick together. Ah believe it is time we were all united against those who persecute and fear us. That is why ah wanted to talk to ya. Is there any way ya can help meh bridge the gap?" she asked sincere about wishing to have them joined together. "Ya might not like meh, but in times of war, we can both agree we need to stick together against a common enemy." 1033 WORDS , @feral , OUTFIT table by california dreaming @ caution 2.0

[Deleted]

After Maria finished telling Rogue about Remy’s involvement in the Mutant Massacre, she expectd to see the horror on Rogue’s face, the shock and revulsion. Instead she got grim resentment and an almost eerie sense of acceptance from the southern belle, this causing Maria to almost reach out and smack the woman. Instead Maria leaned back into her chair, and openly stared at the woman, mouth dropping open, a part of her wondering if the woman had even understood what she had just told her. Was that it? She had just told Rogue that Gambit had led the Marauders to the Morlocks. That he’d sold out his own kind for a quick buck. And all she had to say was ‘That explains a few things.’ As if she were dismissing it all. As if what Maria had just said was no big deal. Maria stared, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. What. The. FUCK?!

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say? ‘That explains a few things?!’” Maria echoed, her voice rising, causing several bar patrons to look up and stare at them, Maria not caring, the feral getting to her feet, shoving the chair back, the chair slamming into the wall behind her, Maria reaching into her pocket, the feral mutant taking out her cellphone, the feral hurriedly going to her photo album. “He led the Marauders to the Morlocks! For money! And all you have to say is ‘that explains a few things.’ Jesus fucking Christ! You’re giving that monster free room and board! He’s with your students! And because of him hundreds of mutants DIED!” Maria snarled, shoving her phone into Rogue’s face, Maria showing her pictures of different Morlocks that had died. “Look at them. They are people, just like you! Annalee! She was an empath! She was like a mother to me!” Maria snapped, flicking her thumb, going to another picture, then another, and another. “Tommy! He was like my brother. Cybelle! Zeek! MY SISTER!” Maria roared, the phone showing Rogue a picture of her missing sister, Thorn, her raised voice echoing off the walls, everyone around her blinking in shock, the fury evident. “I never saw my sister again after that! I still have no idea if she’s alive or dead! And you sit there with your excuses?! Like what he had done is no big deal?!” Maria turned and spat on the floor before giving Rogue a look of pure contempt, her fury turning into cold disgust.

"Don't take this the wrong way. Ah just want all the details, but how do ya know all of this? The parts about the Cajun being the one who hired them and led them to the Morlocks?"

Maria rolled her eyes. Oh yea, like that was a priority. “Whao. You’re a piece of work lady, you know that? How do I know? Because Victor Creed, the leader of the Marauders himself, told me, that's how! After he almost killed me!" Maria then scoffed, a part of her finding this whole conversation so ludicrious she almost felt like laughing. "Seriously? That is what gets you worried? Where I got my fucking intel? I just told you that your booty call is responsible for one of the worst moments of mutant genocide, and you react like he just cheated on his fucking taxes.” Maria snorted, disgusted, reaching out to grab her last shot of bourbon, the feral downing it, coughing at the burn. “And you X-Men wonder why the Morlocks stay underground? Because of that bullshit! That elitist, holier-then-thou attitude.” Maria snapped, shoving the shot glass back, Mack taking it, his fingers shaking as Maria speared him with a hateful glare. Shaking her head, Maria reached into her pocket, pulling out a hundred and slamming it on the table. “Is there anything else you wanted? Are we done? Because I really am tired talking to you.”

“Ah know connections between the X-men and Morlock’s have been slim to none at all, but ah want to change that. For whatever reason, the Professor did not feel the need to keep a connection but ah do. We are all mutants and we should stick together. Ah believe it is time we were all united against those who persecute and fear us. That is why ah wanted to talk to ya. Is there any way ya can help meh bridge the gap? Ya might not like meh, but in times of war, we can both agree we need to stick together against a common enemy.”

Maria snorted at that. “War? Please. Hun, while you and the rest of the X-Men have been sitting in your precious school, learning science and math and shit, I’ve been out there, living the war for you!” Maria snapped. Then she reached up and rubbed her eyes. God damn it. This was not how she wanted this to go. But there was just too much damaged done. Too much pain and resentment... Maria knew that she was being a bitch, but come on! Rogue's reaction to what she had just told her was loathsome. But still. Maybe some good come out of this mess. Maria inwardly groaned. She was going to regret this. “But if you want, I can put in a word with the leader of the Morlocks. Callisto. In the end, it's her call to make, not mine. If she gives me the okay, I’ll contact you with a meet up.” But then Maria pointed her clawed finger in Rogue face, Maria giving the woman a deathly glare. “But you better not screw them over. You hear me? The Morlocks have suffered enough. If I find out you’re going to waste their time with empty promises... woman, find a hole to hide in. I don't give a shit that you can fly, or that you steal powers, I'll find a way to make you regret breathing.”

And with that, Maria turned, grabbed her helmet, and stormed out, bar patrons hurrying out of her way, still seething, unable to believe that she had actually agreed to help that woman. What a waste of time!

WORDS: 1,050 words // TAG: ANNA D'ANCANTO // OUTFIT: Maria is wearing THIS. // NOTES: Feel free to finish the thread with your reply. This way, we can plot a meeting with Feral, Rogue, and Callisto regarding their support in the Civil War effort. I'll PM you. PM if I need to change anything.