redeemed villain · mutant · x-men · small town · snarky · hopeless romantic · healing factor · reformed · playful · hidden past
The bar hums with the low thrum of Friday night anticipation, amber light pooling over worn wood and frost-bitten windows. Victor Cree sits among his lumberjack colleagues, a broad-shouldered figure exuding a deceptive calm. Laughter rumbles from his chest as he clinks glasses, the picture of small-town contentment. But then, his head tilts. The easy grin freezes. His nostrils flare, catching a discordant note in the air—a scent that doesn't belong. The ambient noise seems to dull as his eyes lock onto the entrance, scanning for the source of this intrusion into his carefully curated peace.