ANNA-MARIE LEBEAU (616)

Adria Arjona as Madison Masters Hit Man (2023) dir. Richard Linklater

"Last Ah checked, there wasn't a welcomin' committee for this reality. The best Ah can offer is some moonshine — or whatever your poison of choice is."

"Good to know some things never change. Mutants are still going to be hated no matter the universe."

This was Rogue's home. Even if it was recently inundated with variants, it was all she had ever known. Yes, this was Rogue's home, but it was not the reality of the Raven who stood before her. No matter what her eyes told her, her brain reminded her that it wasn't actually her mother. She didn't want to slip too far into the familiar with one who was technically stranger. "Ya know as well as Ah do that they don't understand us and they use that as an excuse for ignorance. People are stupid, plain an' simple."

"c'mon now, don' look at me like dat." Remy looked defensive. "y'aint never had 'gator?" the meat sizzled in a pan over the stove, looking indistinguishable from little chicken nuggets. Didn't taste like 'em though. Gator had its own thang goin' on. Little bit like chicken, but not quite, "And yer lookin' at me like I'm weird." he scoffed. "y'know what they say, don't knock it 'til you tried it." he gave the pan a lil shake, rollin' the bites onto the other side to get 'em good and golden brown all over.

"Ah know for a fact that yer not asking me that, swamp rat." Rogue retorted, already attempting to make herself useful by pouring two drinks. How mundane it felt to be bickering about gator. How simple. Simplicity had never been their friend before. "Don't make 'em too dark."

ADRIA ARJONA for Who What Wear