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(no subject)

Who: Everybody who hates this moon! And a few that don't!
Broadcast: Nope
Action: The Good Ship Iskaulit
When: Throughout the Toxic Moon event

[Y'all, Misty can't be the only one who hates this place, so let's all gather on the Iskaulit, safe from all that dark and rot down on the polluted moon and have ourselves a good time!

(Or at least, a pollution-free time).

A list of establishments on the Iskaulit can be found here!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A shrug.] Didn't cause any real trouble. Weren't around long. Nothin' really of note one way or another, except...

[Well, she was PRETTY SURE that one time Erik and Charles were "sharing an apartment", but that wasn't really her business and still hurt her brain a little, considering that Charles and Erik were Two Grumpy Old Men in her mind forever.]

...well, he an' not-bald Charles were real close.

[She finds the hair strange still.]

They were close in my world too. [Managing to completely miss the implications Rogue is dropping.] He named his s... [She cuts herself off sharply there.]

[...yeah, that's not a trial she's going to follow. She has too much on her mind and has managed to completely compartmentalize the whole 'married to Magneto' bit. It's packed and and shifted far, far to the back of her mind.]

Yeah, it's a weird frenemy thing I've never really understood. [She takes a swig of her water.]

[She's not sure if Rogue is choosing not to think about it or if she just missed, but it does remind her of her suspicions that more was on the other's mind.]

You know it felt like you had some things to work out too. I'm guessing that's not about Charles or McCoy.

Nah, they're... curiosities, almost. [It might be cold, but that was how she felt.] Maybe it's 'cause they're so young. They get X-Men courtesy, but... I can't say I feel like they're tried an' true.

[It's a little sad, and she's really not happy about it, but it's how she feels.] They're more like strangers with similar names an' histories than the professor and Beast.

[What, that totally answers your question. Rogue shifts her water bottle back and forth in her hands.] Almost feels impossible ta take them seriously.

[Kitty is quiet for a moment, feeling a little like she could be lumped into the same category even if Rogue has never treated her that way. But why should she be any different? She's met her world's Kitty and they aren't much alike. But she doesn't want to talk about herself right now. Rogue skipped the important part of what she said.]

Mystique then?

[It's helpful that you're not supposed to be over thirty, Kitty.

Rogue makes a sour face at that name and takes a swig of her water.]

Ya saw that, then?

[Good. She'd hoped to avoid having just such these conversations, letting the fact that she hadn't hidden their dispute speak as enough of a warning.]

I saw her change and talked to her. I didn't look through her other conversations. [Though now she's wishing she had. She'd broken some of her network tendencies back at the prison.]

Mmm. [A grunt, really. Logan'd be proud.] She's mine. [The words felt as though she was chewing on broken glass.] You'll know she's lyin' when her mouth is movin', so watch your back.

I know in my world Kurt sees Rogue as a sister... [How many dots should she connect before this is clearly a question? Maybe just ask the thing she wants to ask?] How close were you and Mystique?

[Rogue's jaw clenches. Any sort of questioning about Mystique is really like prodding an open wound with a hot poker. But the question was just as much about Kurt as it was about Mystique, and she'd do a lot of things in her life, but add one more rejection to his? She wouldn't do that.]

Not far enough away. [She feels the tension locking her jaw and takes a breath before forcing herself to continue.] Enough that I consider my Kurt a brother an' yours... some kind of extended family.

[They're still working out the particulars.]

[She can see how hard this is for Rogue to talk about and appreciates that she is at all. And if Mystique weren't here she'd probably leave it at that for now. As it is, they are trapped on these tin cans with her and she'd like to know a little bit more about the situation.] I guess she's not winning any mother-of-the-year competitions back home? She seemed pretty negative about the X-Men.

[A huff through her nose and Rogue leaned back against the wall.] That's the understatement of the year.

[Rogue tried to think of the best way to express what had happened, who Mystique was - There was one thing, she knew, which would draw the lines firmly for Kitty. Considering what Kitty had just told her, though, it might not be the most... sensitive thing to say.

Let's... try to think if Rogue can come up with anything equally significant and less likely to inflict pain.] Mystique's always got her own agenda.

So, she's selfish and doesn't play well with others? [It's not the worst thing. Probably. Though she could understand where it would be especially hard on people who need her like Rogue and Kurt. She's not sure that's all there is to it, but a place to start maybe.]

[Uh... maybe. If you took that to an extreme and like... amplified the extreme.

And then amplified that...

Yeah, she can't think of a kinder solution, not without digging deep into wounds she's not ready to lay bare. She shuts her eyes.]

More like... she looks at everyone as tools in the light of some undefined goal. You remember how I told ya we were fightin' Apocalypse back home?

[She pauses for a moment just looking at her.] Rogue, are you about to tell me she works for Apocalypse? [She doesn't want to feel anything about anything until she knows. Just waiting.]

I'm tellin' you she works for herself, even if it looks like she's workin' for someone else. [Straightening up, Rogue looks directly at Kitty.] An' I'm the one they used ta wake him up.

[Just - get the hard part over with first. Yes, brainwashed, she knows, she knows, but that didn't change the fact that she'd been used to go against people she trusted, people who trusted her, who'd looked out for her and accepted her and not only stolen their powers against their will, but fed them to the insane ancient mutant who wanted to rule the world.]

Rogue. [Voice softer and eyes worried.] I'm sorry. [If she expected any anger or resentment she won't find it. Rogue said "used" and she's taking her at that word.]

[What can she do but shrug at that. She had to get through this now, tell Kitty the whole thing, let her make up her own mind.]

She made it happen when my mental defenses were next ta nothin'. I don't know if she broke them down on purpose, or if it was just coincidence, but she outright handed me ta Mesmero. I was under his control for days. [A muscle in her cheek twitches.] Had me attack the X-Men, the Brotherhood, an' Acolytes... don't know how many more if Magneto hadn't caught the attack on tape. Then they brought me to Tibet, woke him up...

[She shuddered. She couldn't help it. The violation she'd felt as Apocalypse had ripped through her brain, absorbing those psyches she'd gathered for himself...] ...an' he ripped them right back out of me. Went from almost a mummy ta a superpower right in front of my eyes, an' I couldn't stop it.

[She exhaled through her nose, her body tense and ready to spring out and do -- something. But there wasn't anything she could do. Not about this. And not about any of the even more personal betrayals Mystique had found a way to do over and over again.]

[She can't quite place Mesmero, but from the codename and context it's easy enough to figure out what he was doing. She watches Rogue with concerned eyes, but her body is tensing. How could Mystique do that? The woman could be ruthless, sure. It was a pretty common trait back home. You had to be to survive even if the last year has helped to curb some of those tendencies in Kitty. She could almost understand her using someone this way if it was to stop Apocalypse, but to wake him? And with her own daughter? Does Kurt know?]

That's awful and not your fault.

[She reaches a gloved hand out to place over Rogue's wondering if it will even make contact. It's not always easy to accept comfort. One of the last moments she shared with her own Rogue was phasing when the woman tried to touch her after her students died.]

Trust me, I know whose fault it is.

[Her tone was dark and wry, but she allowed the touch, if only for a space of heartbeats before shifting her hand away.

It was Mystique's fault.

But if she hadn't been born this way, it wouldn't have happened.

So. There was that.]

So, ya can imagine how thrilled I am she's here.

I'm guessing you want to throw her out of the nearest airlock. [She felt that way about Beast and he didn't even deserve it. But he was also nothing to her. This woman raised her at least in part.]

Yes'n no. [She looks straight ahead.] Matricide's kinda a hard thing ta live with.

[She would know.]

[Kitty nods.] You still care about her too? [Only half a question. She assumes she does.]

Not that simple. [She glances away. She continues almost in spite of herself.] I grew up with a lie. I care for that person, but she never really existed. [Where does that leave her?] Doesn't change the fact that Mystique was still the actor.