Ceres Dahal was cursed by a witch to live forever and watch her loved ones die.
Steve Rogers woke after 70 years in the ice and emerged into a whole new world.
They may not have much. But, in a universe that's constantly changing faster than they ca...
CERES FEELS LIKE her eardrums are going to burst when she opens the door to her apartment, removing the final barrier between her and Steve and the rock music that had been audible from down the hall. It becomes a trillion times louder once they're inside and she can close the door behind them. She winces, not in pain, but in embarrassment at Steve's widened eyes as he processes the deafening music.
Ilyas smokes and blares music. And he wonders why their neighbors hate him.
"ILYAS!" Ceres shouts over AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long". Classic rock has been one of Ilyas's favorite genres since it became popular; his vinyl records, 8-tracks, and CDs have been well-worn and loved over the decades.
Her roommate presses pause on the stereo using a remote, causing her ears to ring from the abrupt silence. He's wearing a denim jacket over a Def Leppard t-shirt and — thank God — matching denim jeans, one leg crossed over his opposite knee while he tunes one of his electric guitars on their sofa. His hair is tousled as usual after a morning shift at the tattoo parlor. Ceres is pleased to note that there isn't an open bottle of alcohol near him. Could he be... actually trying?
Ilyas glances at them and does a double-take once he notices Steve. His eyebrows shoot up his forehead. "Holy shit. He's actually here."
Ceres does not know how to interpret this, but she feels a little stung. "Did you think I was joking?"
"I thought it might've been a joke," he admits as he stands, setting his gleaming red and white guitar against the sofa. Her jaw almost drops when he meets them at the door and holds out a hand for Steve to shake. "Thanks for stopping a bunch of concrete from falling onto my friend— I would've missed making her shout at me like that."
Steve, still a bit taken aback by the music, politely shakes his hand.
"You can stop acting like I was going to die," Ceres says with a roll of her eyes. "He knows. I told him about the curse and the fact that you're ancient."
"Ah." Ilyas shoves a hand into the pocket of his jacket. "Yeah, you're not the oldest young-looking guy in New York, sorry."
"I'm a bit relieved, honestly," Steve replies. "Uh, if you don't mind me asking... how old are you?"
He shrugs. "Lost count after a hundred. It stops mattering then."
Ilyas is not short compared to most guys — he's half an inch shy of being six feet tall — but he looks dwarfed by Steve. The super soldier's buff physique sharply contrasts the mutant's, who is much slimmer and muscular in a lean way. This perspective is strange since Ceres is used to him being one of the tallest X-Men.
