Mutatis Mutandis

Summary: Scott teaches Rogue to fence.

He walks through the gym in his white-soled sneakers, which he stopped to put on just outside the door. The equipment is stored in the second metal locker on the left. He gets out two masks, two jackets -- he knows her size -- a set of breastplates, a cup, and two foils. Both have French grips. He tried to start her on a pistol grip, but he made the mistake of telling her it would be easier. She just looked up into his face, close to hers because he was standing over her shoulder to adjust her fingers, and said softly, "Scott, I'm not handicapped, I'm just a freak. Teach me the hard way." So he did.

A simple idea perfectly expressed. Scott teaches Rogue more than fencing here, and it's beautiful to watch.

A Touch

Summary: Logan calls home, but he doesn't want to go back.

As soon as Marie figured out that she could expect phone calls from Logan at strange times, she started keeping the phone close. Last time he'd been back to Westchester, he'd seen the charging stand on the table next to her bed. It had given him a weird feeling, knowing that it was there so that she could take his late-night phone calls.

Later on, he figured out what that weird feeling was. It took him a lot longer to figure out what to do about it.

An gentle, understated story of how Rogue leads Logan to an understanding of what he wants and where he wants to be.

Tulsa

Summary: The first thing Methos is aware of is weight.

The first thing Methos is aware of is weight, and what feels to be a cramp of epic proportions. Why couldn't he have died in a good position?

The next thing he's aware of is water, a lot of water, and a tiny bright speck above him that must be sky.

He holds his breath and struggles, but too much time has passed between reviving and motion and he bloody well hates fucking deja vu.

I've never watched the Highlander TV series, but I gather that a lot of fans spent parts of X2 wondering what the hell Methos was doing working for William Stryker. This story explains all that, and provides him with an unlikely ally in the form of Yuriko Oyama. I think they're going to have fun together.

Unbound

Summary: Bobby doesn't miss smoking.

Bobby hasn't had a cigarette since they got back from Alkali Lake. He doesn't really miss it. That was always Johnny's thing. He got a kick out of lighting them, and he claimed lighting his own cigarette was never as much fun. Too easy. Also, Johnny had muttered something about being 70 percent sexier when someone else lit your cigarette for you, but Bobby wasn't sure what the hell that meant. Did it even count in this case?

A portrait of Bobby Drake, coping (or not) with John's departure. I love the images in this, and this is exactly the kind of stupid mischief mutant teenagers with more power than sense would get up to.

William Tell

Great lighting, and I love the intensity of Logan's expression here.


Wolverine 2 by ~martinezdezign on deviantART

Summary: In which Wolverine deals with the death of Jean Grey in his own fashion. Beer, memory, impermanence and desire.

Logan couldn't figure it, the way he slipped in and out of the world like the world wasn't really there. It made his brain hurt just thinking about it. Same thing with little Kitty, of course, but she was just a kid and she did it easy as breathing. She didn't have the showman's flair that Kurt had. She made walking through walls look normal, and Kurt - he made it look like something you'd buy tickets for. Like a circus trick. Yes.

Logan couldn't stop thinking about the tail. And the skin. And the tattoos. Especially the tattoos. Kurt had begun to fascinate him. This beat the hell out of spending every waking minute replaying the way he let Jean down at Alkali Lake, so he was going with it for a while.

I can see Wolverine grieving exactly like this, with beer and sex and a Kurt Wagner who can be very distracting when he wants to be. What I like most about this is how it gets across Kurt's appeal to Logan - his grace and humour and the marks on his skin that speak to a permanence Logan longs for.

Written on the Body

Wolverine has a small problem. Cyclops is less than helpful. Made me laugh out loud *g*.

Part One

Part Two

If this movie existed, I would go to see it yesterday. Great concept and perfect fantasy casting.


X-Men Bishop by ~Djray1985 on deviantART

Summary: Scott and the kids put on the first school play at Xavier's.

"'Who knows not where a wasp does--'"

"Doth, Bobby, doth!"

"Thanks, Jube. 'Who knows not where a wasp doth wear his sting, in his TAIL!'" With that line, Bobby reached out and solidly grabbed his leading lady's backside, causing Kitty to break character and yelp in outrage.

Hoots and squeals rang out, and instead of giving Bobby a lecture, (as Logan would've expected) Cyclops simply said. "Bobby, the earlier line was 'pluck,' not grope."

"Sorry, 'In his tail!'" He settled for a simple pinch.

Storm laughed, and Logan fought the temptation to yell, "I liked it better the other way!"

The school production of The Taming of the Shrew is going to be great, provided Bobby doesn't freeze all the paper mache and Jubilee doesn't decide to hang the director upside down for use as a spotlight. Hilarious and heart-warming.

Kiss Me, Kitty

The Taming of the Set

Drama and Trauma in the Dressing Room

The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd