Rictor notices the problem when he tries to pull his jacket off and his arm refuses to entirely cooperate. It’s only a moment, the flinch too quick for a normal person to notice, but Shatterstar, damn him, DOES notice, bright eyes darting up at the momentary grunt.
“I don’t mind you running off to have adventures without me,” ‘Star says in a tone that implies sort of the exact opposite. “But I would prefer it if Illyana returned my boyfriend in one piece.” He rumbles, pushing up from his seat to circle Rictor like a gigantic ginger shark. “She and I will have words, Julio. Strong words.”
“I’m fine. It wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle, baby.” Rictor says blithely as he once again tries to take off his jacket. When it’s clear he’s stuck like a toddler in a snowsuit, he sags. “Please help me take off my jacket, ‘Star,” he adds, with a deep air of resignation.
So much more carefully than his strength would imply, ‘Star divests him of the jacket, and lays a big hand on Ric’s shoulder, practiced fingers looking for deformation. “I don’t think it’s out of the socket,” he says, sliding his hands up the back of Rictor’s shirt. “Did you do this in battle?”
Rictor thinks for a moment, remembering the exact moment he reached funny across the counter at convenience store to get smoothies for himself and Guido and coughs. “The worst. Such a fight.” He says quickly.
‘Star very seriously kisses the spot where it hurts (He always knows exactly where it hurts, Ric thinks, and that is not at all fair) “Next time, perhaps it will not hurt so bad if you remember to get me a shake, too.” He whispers against the juncture of Rich’s shoulder and neck, and Ric can feel the curve of his lips and the sharp edge of his teeth.
“Who told you?” Ric asks sheepishly as ‘Star’s arms wrap around him.
“I follow Tabitha on Instagram.” ‘Star laughs as he bites down, just a little bit. “Lesson learned?”
“Lesson learned.”
I always felt strongly about the way Rictor describes losing his powers at the beginning of X-Factor Investigation. I see his mutation as a form of sensory extension that he’s been training to come to terms with for years – then having it ripped out of his being, resulting in numbness. That being said, I would have imagined that regaining them would have been much more emotional for him. Like finally being able to take a breath, like coming back home.
I originally drew this comic years ago, but this last week I went into a mad Ricstar-mode, and this was something that had been bugging me to redraw it. So I did. Qualitywise think of it as a 24Hcomic kind of deal.
(TW: The comic includes reference to suicide, some non-ideal reactions to it, and vomiting, but nothing graphic.)
I know I said this to you already but it’s so beautiful.
A Beautiful Monster 