Mutant and Proud

Julian Keller || 19 || L.A. var sc_project=11347712; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_security="ff12b61d"; var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://secure." : "http://www."); document.write("");

[ollies-boy-deactivated20200910]

David Castro

[oftelekinisms]

healing-elixir:

Hell, he’d acted like a Republican for enough of his life. He knew al the slogans, exactly what to say and do, how to blend into the background of rallies and all that crap. “Well congratulations, your family are already better people than mine.” he looked over at the other and rose a brow, “Taylor Swift? Eww.” he shook his head a little, “No dating allowed, it risked scandal. I just made friends with all the right people and set up playdates for parents to meet while we entertained ourselves.” Many times he looked back and saw himself more as his fathers employee than his son. “If there was a song about you, you’d use it to lullaby yourself to sleep.” he said dryly. “In other words, money is the most important things.” he understood that, he’d been around people who only cared money for years. “If you can’t join’em, beat’em?” he asked quietly.

The worst part was not al of it was an act. He really did have a lot of problems with himself. But at the same time he did want to help people. It was hard… He kept getting close to people to try and help only to freak out when it seemed he ended up with friends, or people who wanted… anything more. “Wow, not a total… Hold yourself in high regard huh?” he asked. He sighed, “Look Julian. I don’t want anything from you. I don’t care that you’re rich and powerful. If anything I hate it, I spent years having to put up and cosy up to people like you. The one good thing about losing my life is that I don’t have to do that anymore. You’re a cynical, narcissistic ass… It’s really quite impressive.”

The guy had so much confidence in himself, Josh lost al of his with his mutation. “I wasn’t checking you out, dumbass I was scanning you to check on your health.” he deadpanned, “It’s a new part of my thing, I can just look at someone and I know the state of their body.” he explained, jumping a little when he felt his hair move on it’s own, “Stop that.” He shrugged, “Republican parents.” He’d been condemned to hell for several things in the eyes of his family, liking guys as well as girls was another one. Still, they’d already disowned him. “But I’m right, Goddammit.” he said shaking his head, “I don’t want to work on myself, I know what freak I am and I’m not gonna lump that on someone. I look after people. I don’t need anything else.” he looked back, “Well you made your hands your own. I can’t do that.” How could he make being gold his own? His gaze moved to the hand on his knee, why the hell was he discussing this with Keller of all people, “Yes.” he said quietly, “It ruined my life.” He wasn’t over it yet. When the other continued he looked back at him, “Then why do you always act like you are Keller?”  

Julian shakes his head, “Democrats or not, it doesn’t make them better people,” he informs. “They’re not the greatest, trust me.” It’s a tough admission to make, but he’d reached that conclusion a few years ago after he’d had his au pair fired because he’d called her mom. The fact that he’d dare love the help, the woman that raised him, really put his parents image into perspective. “Trust me, we barely even talked all that much. One picture of me helping her up after a wave knocked her over and the headlines went wild.” Julian shrugs, letting out a sigh as he deflates a bit. This kid really did want nothing more than to knock him down a peg; and he was succeeding. “More like, I want to prove to them that I can be just as good as they were. That they were wrong to give up on me and focus on grooming my brother to take over the business.”

He can only offer a shrug, sit back, and try his best not to look defeated. “Then why did you kiss me?” he asks, eyes avoiding the other’s. It’s not that he was all that hooked from one kiss, except the fact that he totally was. There was something about it, how good it made him feel. Every sore muscle vanished, the bruise on his shoulder was gone, his weariness dissipated. He couldn’t explain it, but he wanted to feel that good again. In the moment after it, it was like he’d just left a month at the spa; everything felt better. “I’m not all that powerful,” he admits. He held almost no sway in the social circles he used to be involved in. Hell, he couldn’t even show his face; they’d all see his hands and realize he was a mutant. “I honestly don’t want... I’m not asking you to be some piece of eye candy or anything. I’m not about to drag you halfway around the world to show you off. I just want to...” he shrugs. “I don’t know, maybe have one person in my life I can be myself with. Don’t ask me why I’m asking you, maybe it’s because you kissed me, but who knows. I just feel tired, and you made me forget about all of that.”

For a guy with so much confidence, Julian was also filled with a tremendous amount of doubt and guilt. All of it self-imposed. Sure, he’d spent years in the depths of some of the most venomous and vitriolic places the world had ever seen; but those words never pierced his skin. At least not once he learned to shrug it off. The only thing that got under his skin was his family; and the fact that they didn’t want him. It dug deep, and burrowed under his skin and since then he’d just wanted something, someone or someones to belong to. But he couldn’t trust that, couldn’t trust others, they would use and abuse him to get what they want. And then the world offered him Josh Foley, the one who didn’t want anything to do with him because of that. Someone who wasn’t nice to him sure, but he did hang around, he did kiss him. Is it weird that he’s drawn to that? It didn’t help that the man was stupidly attractive, Julian just had to find a way to get him to see that. “It looked like you were looking at my abs,” he admits. “You’re not a freak,” Julian replies a bit quieter this time. “I didn’t make my hands, I hand a robotics expert build them, something I could control like a hand; had to pay quite a bit for them” Julian shrugs, “Easier to let people underestimate you. It’s a lot easier to just... I don’t know? Let them expect nothing of you, so you can outplay them or show them a different side.” He shifts a leg, now turning to face the other. “Look, one date. How about that? I’ll prove to you I’m more than my money and my now non-existent social status? I’m drawn to you, I want to figure out why.”

[oftelekinisms]

healing-elixir:

“There we go, signs of intelligent life at last.” he deadpanned. Josh had attended under duress from others, he wasn’t sure why they wanted him there to begin with. It wasn’t as if he was the life of anyones party’s these days. Hell, he’d spent most of the time on a deck chair trying to remain invisible, again his sodding skin ruined those efforts. He laughed again, a quiet, short burst. “No.” he shook his head, “No, but my family is.” Very, very republican. “I try not too, there’s nothing in there to interest me anymore.” he didn’t need to keep up to date, usually his father would just tell him who to get friendly with over breakfast one morning and he’d go from there. If Julian was a ‘Black Sheep’ then he’d never have been on his father’s radar as a way in. “Makes me wonder, better to have had and lost, or better to have never had at all.” He’d lost all Julian had but in a single day, he’d been a family member, but not to a good family, and sadly… he didn’t have a trust fund. “Well, yippie you have that.” he rolled his eyes. He’d left with nothing but the clothes he wore. Maybe he and Keller were a little more similar than he’d thought, still, he’d kept his humility, he didn’t know why the other was such as ass about it.

“Wha?” he asked, frowning for a moment before he copped on, “Oh, right.” Dammit. Usually he was better than this, Keller was a damn distraction and a half, he was too busy trying to snipe him to even get literary references. “Well, nice to know we’re good at something.”

And there was the grin he’d seen far too often. All of sudden it was even easier to see the guy as a bad idea. Similar or no Julian Keller was the type of person he’d have been forced to hang out with for years, he wasn’t going to do that any more. He didn’t care about money, or power, he just needed to fix himself, then he could focus on other things. “You’re incorrigible.” he said, shaking his head once more. He made a face of disgust and a noise to match, “Shut up Keller, can you even think before you speak? Last I checked your brain was still functioning.” He rolled his eyes, “I look like a damn shit show Keller, I get it. So don’t throw that patronising crap at me.” he wasn’t about to believe it for a second. Sure he’d considered himself good looking once upon a time, now? Not so much. “Oh yea… I could get a big-ass roll of duck tape or take a scalpel to your vocal cords.” he said sweetly.

Oh thank God, he admits to himself. He could do many things, but never a Republican. “Family full of Dems, always have been.” That’s the one good thing he could take at the end of it all; at least he could respect his family politically. Julian shrugs, “Fair enough, I used to make headlines a lot. And by used to, I mean like the last two years. I was the rich kid that hung out with Taylor Swift once and suddenly there was three months of dating rumors. And I mean it, we literally hung out for one weekend with some other people. Apparently there’s a song about me, but I don’t think so.” Julian shrugs, “I’d like to think I’d give it all up for the family I never had, but I also am really accustomed to my lifestyle. So I don’t think I’d give up half a billion dollars. If I play it right, I can stretch it till the day I die. Invest, buy, sell. Family business. I could make an empire for myself in it’s own right to rival their own.”

Julian shrugs, taking the seat next to the other and taking a small sip of his drink. “You don’t have to keep up the act in here,” he admits. “I’m not going to. I may be rich, but I’m not a total cunt. I say what I need to and be what I need to out there in order to keep people from taking advantage of me. Everyone wants me to give them money, or help them with something or use me to get somewhere. I had to shut myself down a long time ago to prevent getting hurt. It’s tiring, but it’s necessary. Call me cynical or narcissistic, I already know I’m both.”

The dark-haired young mutant laughs, rolling his eyes as he smirks at the other. “Maybe I am, but you’re the one checking me out,” he points out. Flexing his powers a bit, he runs his TK out along the sofa and pushes the other’s hair back slightly. “And besides, would it really be all that bad?” Julian asks before he starts getting serious. “You don’t. Honestly man, you don’t. A haircut, and maybe if you’d stop trying to make everyone see you the way you’d feel, you could redirect that effort into working on yourself. I can see you, there’s something you don’t like about yourself so you’re trying to make sure everyone else stays away. Or something. I did it when I lost my hands, pushed them all back, because I couldn’t stand for them to see me like... this.” He pauses, cocking his head to the side. “I’ll forgive the threat to my beautiful voice if you answer me this. You said Republican... do you hate that you’re a mutant?” He sends a hand over to rest on Josh’s knee, “I might be a bastard, but I’m not stupid or heartless. I’m not just a pretty face, Foley.”

[oftelekinisms]

First Day

[oftelekinisms]

likeadiamondfrost:

“Oh come on, Julian, are we ten?” She quips back, “And? That doesn’t have anything to do with it. My father is the devil incarnated, my sisters as just as bad. Yes, they’re still my family, and yes I have some loyalty to them, but even I can see that gets me so far. I’m sure you do too.” As much as Winston had ever done to her. As much as Cordelia or Adrienne has ever done to her, they were family. Always would be. Emma didn’t owe them anything, but it was there until one day it wouldn’t be. She wasn’t stupid. She smiled softly, looking away from as if he’d said something funny. She isn’t sure how to comment though, so she nodded slowly in return. “There are ways to rectify the narrative.”

She doesn’t push him or say it’ll all be okay. “Then don’t.  I won’t force you to talk to me, Julian.  I’ll even change the topic. Do you want coffee?”

“It’s a good phrase, I enjoy using it,” he responds, almost visibly pouting at the other. “I’m loyal to whoever I deem myself loyal too,” namely his mother. Perhaps his father a bit, but not his brother. He’d step over him if it meant taking the company. He’d still never be so cruel as to have him killed so he could inherit it, but he certainly wouldn’t be the one to help him if he was struggling either. Not after everything James has done to him. 

Julian shakes his head, “I really don’t. I want to go find my room, drop my bags in there, and then find a place to tan while my assistant gets my stuff unpacked and arranged.” He lights up for a second, “Are there any good tanning beds around? Anything on campus at the gym maybe? Actually, I’ll just get one installed in my room, better than sharing. Cleaner too I bet.”

[tears-of-a-devil]

emotional baby vampire

[oftelekinisms]

First Day

[oftelekinisms]

likeadiamondfrost:

It was a little too easy to do it. And there was a twinge of guilt, but she didn’t show him. “Aside from everything they’ve done? And continue to do to keep up the perfect image? You’re…better than them, Julian.” No more beating around the bush with quiet statements. “This just makes you unique, and they’re scared they can’t keep control. ” There were few words she could say to express just how awful they were. But he had to see that. “Of course you don’t, but you see what I mean nonetheless.”

She licked her lips with a soft exhale. “You don’t have to talk about it,” She offered. Gentler than before, not that he needed her to be gentle.  "We don’t have to talk about this, now…“ She met his gaze,  "Just know you’re not alone.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” Julian retorts. “My brother is a piece of shit, and my parents aren’t much better. But they still are my family,” he admits. And that’s the problem with him, no matter how poorly they treat him, no matter what happens, he’s still going to call them family. He’s got that sense of loyalty to him that he just can’t shake; and that yearning to be seen to be as good as his brother will always remain. “They want control of the narrative, nothing else. But they media will take hold of that, so they can’t afford for it. Literally. Me being a mutant would kill the fund.”

He shakes his head, jaw setting firmly, “I’m not talking about it. I don’t want to talk about it at all.” It had after all, been the worst day of his life.”

[oftelekinisms]

healing-elixir:

That got a grin out of Josh, it had taken a while but he’d finally taken some of the air out from under Julian. “I got it.” he deadpanned, “The nuances of your conversation wasn’t lost on me. Like I said, I just don’t care.” he couldn’t afford too, as interesting at it would be to… experiment with something he knew had been forbidden by his family, he was a mess. And he didn’t see his appeal, he was a friggin freak, who in the right mind would want to sleep with a golden guy? He rose an eyebrow at that, “A liberal household?” he asked. It was funny, the liberal had ended up the asshole, meanwhile the nerd had been raised ultra conservative. He couldn’t help but laugh a little though he knew the joke was lost on the other. Once he was done he sighed and continued, “Must’ve been a pleasant upbringing. All the wealth, and the acceptance.” Hell, he’d admit he was jealous. “Double ungood? Wow, way to English there Stephen Fry.” he deadpanned, “I’ve always liked Conrad myself.” Heart of Darkness had stuck with him though school, he could still recall the final line perfectly. “You didn’t strike me as a reader.”

Josh titled his head a little, for once paying attention to what the guy had to say not it was concerning his health. He nodded, understanding after a few moments. He narrowed his eyes a little and slowly looked the guy up and down, his mutation was scanning now, as best he could tell it to. And no red flags were going off, “Well, you’re doing fine so far.” he didn’t know why he was offering comfort, it would probably only feed his damn ego. Josh didn’t even register the clapping jab as an insult, they had just been the first words to come to mind. “Ahh, that explains it.” after a moment he sighed too, “Not entirely. You’re an asshole, but beyond that it’s my own schtick.” and he wasn’t going into that. “I’m sorry.” he added, “But at least if you were underwater you couldn’t talk.” he shrugged, “And that would be an improvement. ”

“You just don’t care, got it.” But the kid had been to that pride party the other day, and judging by him and everyone else he’d seen there everyone was somewhere along the spectrum. So he wasn’t about to give up just yet. As bad as it might be, he was still interested. Though that very quickly was challenged. “So you’re a Republican?” he asks, noting the odd-timing of the laugh that was provided. “I suppose you could say that though.” Julian very quickly shakes his head, “You don’t read the tabloids, do you? I’ve never been accepted. The wealth was great and all, but when your au pair is your closest friend, and the only family you have, well then it’s not real. Especially when she got fired after I called her mom one day. The rest weren’t nearly as nice, and my parents were never very nice to begin with. James was the golden child, and no I’m not making a dig at you; I was just the mistake. Cast aside as soon as I was born; I’ve always been the black sheep of the family. Being a mutant was just the final straw for them. They had nothing against me, but the business couldn’t survive if they were to be known to have a mutant son. So off I went...” he mutters. “Couldn’t touch my trust fund, though,” he says with finality.

“Double ungood...? You know, Doublespeak? You said Orwellian, I thought you were referencing 1984? And you didn’t strike me as the type to turn down a nice drink, but here we are still bickering.”

And there it is. Julian might not realize he’s not getting what he thinks he’s getting, but from the looks of it Foley just checked him out. And that’s more than enough to fan the flame he’s got burning inside. “I’d like to think that,” he drawls slightly; a sleazy grin taking hold. “Your own schtick? So you’re trying to keep people at arm’s length? Why? Too many people trying to go for gold all the time?” He pauses, tilting his head to the side, “No, that’s not it. You cover up all the time; you’re a self-hating mutant, aren’t you? You don’t take any pride at all in how gorgeous a man you are, do you?” And yeah, he may have let that slip, but he wasn’t about to let this guy bring the mood down for both of them. “So it’s my mouth? You know there’s always other ways to get me to shut up. One I think you’re familiar with if I’m not mistaken.”

[oftelekinisms]

healing-elixir:

“A mile wide one.” he deadpanned, “Yes, as I can see. Clearly the only thing bigger than your ego is the ginormous amount of fucks I do not give.” he replied smartly, rolling his eyes at the others flirting, honestly, who did he think he was dealing with? His thoughts wavered for a moment before he got up and headed for the fridge, the last thing he needed was to be drunk about Julian, God knows what he’d do, violence or otherwise. “Can I expect to be invoiced for this Trump Jr?” he asked, taking a bottle out. “Yes I’ve read it.” he said, taking a seat as well, leaving a fair bit of space between them, “I preferred Orwell’s dystopia. Seems we’re not far off living it.” he added in faux chirpiness.

“Of course, I should have known.” he let out a laugh of disbelief, “Pretty much absolved yourself of any responsibility, right? Someone decides your clothes, your workout regime, your meals and I’ll bet once a week someone sticks a hose up your backside and flushes it all out of you.” he rolled his eyes, and forced them not to linger on said perfectly sculpted physique, it was too tempting and he was not going there. “You have muscles, clap, clap.” he deadpanned, “How do you exercise?” he asked curiosity getting the better of him, “And play water-polo,” he gestured at the others ‘hands’ “Don’t those rust? Although the idea of you drowning does hold a little appeal.” he added with a smirk.

“Doubts, Brah,” Julian responds sarcastically. “I was talking about my dick and we both know that,” he responds, slightly deflated. Never has he actually set his eyes on someone, against his better judgment he might add, who doesn’t even remotely show any interest in him. Why he wanted to get with him he’ll never know. Was it the guy’s golden skin? A huge boost to his own ego for sure. Or was it his mouth? One he’d rather put to better uses. He’s unsure, but there is a multitude of reasons that he’s got his sights set on Joshua Foley, and he’s going to try and figure them out one by one. “I just threw up in my mouth,” he gags. “Please don’t ever reference me and him in the same sentence ever again. My parents and I are Liberals, through and through.” At least that’s the one good thing they taught him. They may have run a multi-billion dollar hedgefund, but the Keller Group always supported the working class people and the Liberal agenda. “I think your conclusion is double ungood, but I’d have to agree. It’s not one of Bradbury’s finer works; I much prefer A Sound of Thunder or The Veldt.”

Julian reaches for his crystal glass with his TK, bringing it to his lips to take a sip. “No, that’s not the case,” he corrects, wiping his mouth with a napkin brought to it. “I have to be very careful not to loose any muscle mass, gaining it is almost impossible at this point. My biceps are already shrinking, and I’m trying to halt that. Almost all of my exercise is now either swimming, running or merely calisthenics. Using my own body to improve itself is the only way I can; there’s a lot of sit ups and yoga.” Julian’s gaze turns to daggers for a moment at the clapping jab, but he tries not to get too angry over it. “They’re made from a lightweight aluminum alloy, so no, there’s no rust.” Julian sighs, “Wow, you really must hate me, huh? As rich and snide as I might be, I haven’t wished death on you. That’s pretty fucking dark, Farley.”

[oftelekinisms]

healing-elixir:

He couldn’t believe it. Here he was, a friggin top scoring model student being relegated to this asshole’s room like a troublemaker because the ‘great and glorious’ Julian Keller couldn’t keep his damn ego in check and just had to keep rubbing him the wrong way. Ugh, this was a nightmare. So much for a quite night. Despite all he did looked around the room as they entered, it was a hell of a lot nicer than his, but then some people weren’t cut off the moment their mutations kicked in, lucky for them. He narrowed his eyes, “Honestly, the only thing bigger than your rude streak is that damn ego. I’m surprised you can breath with your own head that far up your ass.” His family had been rich too, he may have only had one watch like the ones Julian had, but he’s been around them, and he wasn’t going to stoop to stealing, especially off an ass like Keller. “Not for anything you have.” he sniped, he’d rather go thirsty. “Well done, now he have a grasp of the obvious. So let’s see if you can actually get some content.” he doubted it.

He rose an eyebrow, “No thanks. And you should be substituting some kind of protein in that meal.” The advice was reluctantly given, he didn’t care, but his ‘thing’ kept acting up of it’s own accord.

“Rude streak?” he asks, as if it’s supposed to be a thing. “But yes, my ego is big, it isn’t the biggest thing about me though,” Julian teases lightly, winking at the other. He has to admit, the other is creative in his insults at the very least. “The scotch is good,” he notes, floating his own glass over to the table before setting it down. “You’ve got about two seconds to decide, Foley,” Julian warns, decanter still hovering in the air ever-so-slightly. “I think there’s some Evian in the fridge though,” he points out before moving back towards the sofa. Julian rolls his eyes, “Trying to just set us up for delegating here,” he informs. “A baseline to move from. Fahrenheit 451, you’ve read it already, right?” Julian asks as he takes his seat.

“I have a nutritionist that talks with my personal chef,” the raven haired young mutant points out. “Everything I eat is so I can keep this,” he informs as he lifts his shirt up to reveal his perfectly sculpted physique. “Hard to keep looking this good when I can’t lift weights or basically work out at all with my own body.”

[likeadiamondfrost]

moodboard + turquoise

[ meme here ]

[oftelekinisms]

@healing-elixir

So here they were, this is what Julian had to resort to. After getting kicked out of their group because of their bickering, and the library as an extension, Julian was forced to bring Josh back to his room. And to add as a side note, not in the way he’d been fantasizing about. He might hate the guy yeah, but hate sex was always hot. “Just so you know, when you leave, I’m giving you a pat down,” he informs as he unlocks his bedroom door; an added security measure he’d had installed. “I have watches here worth more than your tuition, so it’s non-negotiable.” Tossing his bag onto the sofa, Julian heads for the decanter of scotch he keeps. “Thirsty?” he asks, though he’s only begrudgingly offering. “So they took the easy parts, and left us with the hard part. All we need to do is come up with the content and send it to them for the presentation, right?” Julian gestures for the other to get seated on the couch, and uses his TK to close the door whilst bringing everything back to the table with his hands. 

“This shouldn’t take too long, but do you want dinner? It’s vegan, but I can get my assistant to bring extra.”

[my-l-t]

[oftelekinisms]

First Day

[oftelekinisms]

healing-elixir:

“Come from the guy who went for Midas?” he returned slyly, he’d heard that one several times since coming here, he’d hand it to him on Academy Award though, that one was new. Josh was tougher than he’d thought he was, after all, his society was the highest, but it was up there. “Aww, give it but won’t take it huh?” he asked. Figuring if the guy was going to go after his skin, the part of his mutation that ruined his life, then the guys hands were fair game and he’d better suck it up. “Not for all the money you have Monopoly Man.” he deadpanned, face going serious at the end, “As a matter of fact I have, twice. So ask before you accuse, if that’s too much to ask.”

“I went with Academy Award first there, Oscar,” he points out. Julian is about to walk away, he truly is, but there’s something about this kid that has him staying. He’s not used to being disrespected like this, especially by the help. It’s actually kind of refreshing, being given his grief right on back. He’s used to it with the high society, everyone there knew how to cut you to pieces while smiling with their paid-for pearly-white grins. But this was something else, this was actually... nice. Being called out for being a total piece of shit was surprisingly fun. “That’d be my dad, I’m just the one that got to pass go and not be sent directly to jail,” he jokes almost. “Fine then, tell me about yours, I’ll tell you about mine?” He’s still not letting his defences down, and he has no plans to actually open up, but Golden Boy has his interest piqued for the time being.”

[oftelekinisms]

First Day

[oftelekinisms]

likeadiamondfrost:

“Right. Of course how silly of my to say otherwise.”  She made a face, eyes rolling. Her fingers tapped against her smiling lips as the words sink in. Settle below the surface, and she knows, more than she lets on it’s bothering him,  He can take it. “You know.” Her head tilts slightly before she looking at him diplomatically. “I don’t need to spell it out. Your parents. Mine. Worthington’s.  They’re well beneath us, scared and angry about what we can do. It’s pathetic and hardly worth your time.”

She mocks surprise and then contemplation at his words. She knows better. When he’s said his peace, she licks her lip before beginning. “It’s plausible of course.” Another wicked grin, “But, I highly doubt that. As good as our parents are at covering those things up they’re not as good as I am.” Her brow rose. “Oh? Then please enlighten me.”

Julian huffs in reply. If you looked closely you could almost see his feathers visibly ruffling. Not that he even had any, but his discomfort was incredibly apparent. “What makes them fifth though? I’m not really picking up on what you’re saying. Parents or not, I’m not getting the reference here. Not that I disagree with you, however.”

He’s already closed in on himself, shut himself away from this conversation and the feelings that it might otherwise bring. “I don’t talk about it,” he confesses. “It’s not something I wish to dwell on at all, if I’m being honest.” And for once, he legitimately was being honest.”

[my-l-t]

[poorlydone-xmensketches]

[poorlydone-xmensketches]