Welcome to your humble abode

[gambit]

((continued from here: allfallsdown23.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=kitchen&action=display&thread=43&page=2 ))

Throwing a smug grin over his shoulder at Pyro, Remy tried not to let the guy’s parting words bother him as he escorted Rogue out of the kitchen. “Ooh, I like dis one. She got good taste,” he chuckled, leading her toward the stairs. He bet it would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall back in that kitchen, but that was neither here nor there.

When Rogue proceeded to ask about his powers, he looked over and returned her smile. “I ain’ never much been one fo’ show an’ tell,” he replied as they stopped at the top of the stairs. Releasing Rogue’s arm, Remy turned to face her, a single playing card appearing in his hand. “How ‘bout a card trick instead?”

Holding the card up between them, it began to glow a deep magenta colour, dim at first, then much brighter before the glow extinguished all together leaving it a harmless playing card once more.

“Better not finish de trick in here. Don’ t’ink de bosslady downstairs’d be too happy if I blew up half de house.”

[Rogue]

"Now that's a first." Rogue commented about Remy's not bein' one for showin' off. You'd be lucky to find anyone at the mansion who wasn't usin' their powers 24-7. When he pulled out the card, she had to wonder just what exactly one could do with a card, except make money or build them impossible houses. Rogue watched intently as the card began to glow, it grew brighter and brighter until the dim corridor was nearly fully illuminated with a pink glow. Then as soon as it began it finished, leaving just an ordinary card. She fought the temptation to reach out and touch it, feeling if it were warm or altered somehow. Instead, her eyes moved from the card to his eyes, completely fascinated.

"Finish? Ya mean that wasn't it?" She teased with a grin, tilting her head slightly. "Didn't realize you cared so much bout Mystique bein' happy....I know fer me, it was always entertainin' to see her get all worked up."

Rogue looked past him down the hall, and back to him. "So ya gonna show me to mah room or we gonna stand'n the hall all night?"

[gambit]

“Somehow I get de feelin’ dat de power t’ make t’ings glow wouldn’t exactly make fo’ a useful member o’ de Brotherhood,” Remy chuckled, the card disappearing up his sleeve. “An’ keepin’ Mystique happy ain’ exactly on de top o’ my to do list every day. Don’ t’ink I didn’t notice how quickly she tried t’ push y’ off on me t’ get me out o’ her hair... not dat I mind.”

Letting his eyes drift slightly over her, he then brought them back up to meet hers.

“De scenery be much better up here.”

Winking at Rogue, Remy then turned, sweeping his arms out in a grand gesture. “Welcome t’ y’r palace,” he announced. Turning the knob on one of the doors he pushed it open, bowing slightly at the same time.

[Rogue]

Rogue shrugged with a small smirk when he commented on the usefulness of making things glow. "Dunno, I think o'va few people it'd work on." Plenty of the students back at the school were dumb enough to be entranced by shiny objects, it was no lie, but he was right. No way Mystique would care about something so useless as that. Standing there with him she was seriously starting to question her 'mother's' motives. Mystique knew she couldn't touch anyone, and she goes and dumps her with a guy like Remy....thas just cruel. She found herself continually studying his eyes, it was almost as if they were burning...

Biting her lip turning into a grin when he winked at her, "y'know if I didn't know any better I'd say you was flirtin' with me..." she was grinning wider now, as she looked into the room. It was obvious no one had lived in here in along time, but with a little work it would be livable.

"This ain't half bad..." she commented with a nod, "I mean it's not the mansion..but at least I got some privacy." Walking over to the oak dresser, she ran a finger over it, then inspected her glove which was covered in dust. "S'abit dirty.....but that ain't nothin' that can't be fixed." Moving her hands to her hips, letting her gaze drift away from the room and back to Remy.

"Well ain't ya gonna ask me what m'powers are?" she asked with a teasing grin, leaning against the dresser behind her.

[gambit]

“Dat a fact,” Remy said, more of a statement than a question. His eyes danced with merriment. “Good t’ing y’ know better den, eh?”

Following Rogue just inside the room, he crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame, watching as she inspected her new home. A mansion? This had to be a step down, even if she did get her own room. Most of them weren’t so lucky, but then most of them weren’t related to Mystique.

That one he still had a hard time believing.

He hadn’t asked about her powers yet, having been appointed as tour guide, but now that she brought it up he couldn’t deny his curiosity. “Mais, if y’ insist... an’ jus’ what sort o’ powers does a Rogue have?” he asked, referencing her same question to him earlier.

[Rogue]

She couldn't help but grin being around him. He was probably one of those guys. The kind that went around charming all the ladies, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy it. Not like Bobby ever did anything like this. Bobby'd rather do things with Kitty. Frowning slightly at the though of them, she shook it off. It didn't even matter anymore, she was a part of the Brotherhood now, she was done with the rules of the X-men.

Giving him a playful look when he re-used her question from before, she shrugged. "Oh, nothin' really. I can just take anybodies powers'n memories..." she walked across the gap between them slowly, removing her glove, "just by touching them...." a slow smile came across her lips as she held her hand up to look at it, then past it at Gambit.

"I'd give ya a demonstration, but I don't think you'd much like the results.." Putting the glove back on, and meeting his eyes, "Sides' if I'm gonna be stealin' powers, I don't think that makin' things glow'd be my first choice..." Grinning broadly at him, and shooting a wink, she turned back round to survey her room. This really wasn't bad. Not bad at all.

[gambit]

Take anybody’s powers and memories. Powers and memories. Memories.

The words resonated through Remy’s head, and for a brief second his well practiced mask slipped allowing fear to show in his eyes. Just as quickly as it appeared, though, it was gone, almost as if it hadn’t been there at all. Although he appeared relaxed, he was ready to snatch a hand up to grab her arm if she even so much thought about touching him. His memories were his own, something he refused to share with anyone.

Some of them he wished even he didn’t have to live with.

It was why he hated telepaths. Even if he had built up nigh impenetrable shields in his mind to keep all telepaths out, to think that people had the ability to snoop in someone’s head, stealing their innermost secrets and memories set him on edge. Such power... it must have been tempting to use it on anyone and everyone, just because you could. Was Rogue the same way? Was she tempted every time she touched someone to just flip that little switch and take a taste? Was that why she wore the gloves, to reduce the temptation?

Watching her turn away, Remy took a breath. He would have to be wary of this one.

“Or maybe I jus’ be too much fo’ you t’ handle,” he replied, cockiness returning despite his caution. “Y’ got luggage or anyt’in’? Or y’ jus’ livin’ by de clothes on y’r back an’ de skin on y’r teeth?”

[Rogue]

"Oh really?" Rogue asked, glancing over her shoulder. "Purty arrogant of ya to be assumin' I'd be wantin' to handle you..." She flashed a quick smile over her shoulder, and moved to look out of her window. It was a non scenic view of the front yard, on the non scenic street, in a non scenic world. It was nice. "No...ain't got nothin' here... all m'stuff's back at the mansion...." she frowned, turning around, away from the window. Face falling just a bit, as she crossed her arms and stared at the floor. "Ain't no way I'm goin' back there."

Anger set in her eyes thinking back to Bobby, and Storm. That look, when Rogue had said she was interested in the cure. That look that Storm gave, it made her so angry. Who was she to judge? Not like its Storm who can't touch people, can't get close to people. No. She was never going back. She couldn't.

"Mystique offered ta take me shoppin' but Its kinda weird...her bein' all motherly all of a sudden. Kinda creeps me out." She said with a weak smile, eyes finally lifting from the floor, to look at him again.

[gambit]

“Ain’t arrogance when it’s true,” Remy replied, not missing a beat. Even if he had to watch out for her, that didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun, and boy, fun was the word. His grin faded, though, as her mood changed. He understood completely having very little to his name. He’d moved around a lot since leaving New Orleans, so he kept his personal belongings to a bare minimum, and nothing too personal that he couldn’t leave behind if he had to get out real quick.

“Y’ ain’ gotta go back nowhere,” he said sympathetically. Pushing himself away from the doorframe, he took a few steps toward her. “Dis whole city be ours now. No more hidin’, no more tryin’ t’ fit in where y’ don’t feel like y’ belong.”

The Cajun couldn’t remember the last time he could safely walk around outside without a pair of sunglasses covering his ‘demon’ eyes. It was a whole new world now.

“So I take it you an’ her ain’ all dat close?” That much was more than obvious for many reasons, the fact that she was just joining the Brotherhood now being only one of them.

[Rogue]

Rogue shot him a skeptical look, but couldn't hide a grin as he called her on wanting to handle him. "Don't s'pose it is." she said with a small shrug, grin ever present.

"Yeah..." She agreed with a slow nod, "but its like....I thought I had it all figured out. I thought I knew where I belonged....and now..." sighing just slightly, "now I ain't too sure." Hugging her arms, and rubbing one as she stood there, she chuckled ironically. "N'if ya had told me four months ago that I'd be livin' with the same people who tried to kill me...." she shook her head slowly, beginning to smile again. "I'd probably have called ya crazy."

She was beginning to realize the idiocy of her plan to come here, but Mystique had seemed so genuine. Maybe it wasn't going to be so great, but it couldn't be worse than living with all of the X-men, having her powers while they didn't and being judged. Looking up again, as Gambit inquired about her and Mystique's relationship, she resisted the urge to scoff at the notion she and Mystique were ever that close.

"Me n'Mystique?" Rogue laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, she an I are about as close as the sun n'the moon. I ain't seen her since she and Magneto tried to use me to kill a island full of political leaders....and even then I didn't know it was her. She didn't look like that when she was raisin' me." Letting her hands fall to her sides, and shrugging once more. "Dunno whats makin' her get all these maternal instincts all of o'sudden.....but I s'pose its kinda nice to have family again."

"What bout you Remy? You got family...like her?" Rogue cracked a smile, "not that I suspect your ma's blue or anythin'...."

[gambit]

For a moment as she stood there, her arms wrapped comfortingly around herself, Remy noticed how very lost she looked. The mansion had been her home but she had left, obviously feeling that she didn’t belong there. But now here she was, staying with people who had apparently attempted to take her life before, one of whom was her mother. Her mother had tried to kill her? And the Cajun had thought that being abandoned by his for what he was had been bad enough.

Cocking his head to the side slightly, Remy listened intently as Rogue told her story. She had to be one forgiving woman, this one. Her mother had used her, tried to kill her, yet Rogue was willing to give the woman another chance? It was more than he thought he could ever do.

Smiling in return, he shook his head. “Non, m’ family sounds downright normal compared t’ her,” he said, hiding any ill feelings speaking of his family caused. No matter what had happened, and what his father had done, they were still his family and he would still do anything for them.

Maybe he wasn’t as unforgiving as he thought.

“Was raised by mon père et ma Tante Mattie in N’awlins. Dat be one woman y’ never wanna cross, believe you me,” he chuckled. “All she had t’ do was t’reaten t’ put de gris gris on us an we smarten right up.”

[Rogue]

Rogue smiled when he said his family was normal in comparison to Mystique. Who wasn't? She had to admit for all her faults, and all she did wrong, she still felt a sort of connection to Mystique, whether she wanted to or not.

"Sounds nice..I mean, aside from the gris gris n'all" Rogue nodded, "Back when I was still livin' in Mississippi me an m'beau would sneak off to Mardis Gras on the back of his motorcycle, and collect all the beads we could...then we'd sell them to the kids back home, claimin' they were cursed" Easing just a bit, looking over to him with a smile, he was from her turf, it felt nice to be with someone from back home. Even if he probably was swamp rat. Her lip curled up slightly at the thought, "you miss it? Home, I mean....Kinda gets a bit too cold for my likin' up here." She added with a chuckle. As she glanced back out the window, letting her eyes linger on the streets, "more opportunities though, I guess."

That was true, for as dangerous as the city was for a mutant, it was far more accepting than the South.

[gambit]

He had no doubt Rogue had been a hell raiser when she was a kid, and probably was still very much one.

“An’ what exactly y’ have t’ do t’ earn dem beads?” Remy asked with a roguish grin. Walking over to the bed, he sat himself at the foot of it before lounging back. Didn’t look like they were going anywhere any time soon, so might as well make himself comfortable. It wasn’t like he had anywhere to be anyways, and to be honest he was quite enjoying the company. It was a breath of fresh air to talk to someone from the south as opposed to all the city slickers that surrounded him every day.

He could feel the nostalgia creeping up on him as she asked about home, though. Nostalgia coupled with regret, shame and hurt. As much as he missed it he couldn’t go back.

“I t’ink I miss de stars de most. An’ de silence,” Remy admitted honestly. Tilting his head back on the bed, he looked at Rogue upside down. “Can’t say de city ain’ been an experience, though. Gonna be somet’in’ else again pretty soon.”

[Rogue]

Rogue cracked a smile, tilting her head and smirking at him skeptically. "That's a bit suggestive o'someone who was just defendin' m'honor as a lady..." she teased. Shaking her head as she came off of a laugh and sobered. "Nah, I just smiled and they'd throw 'em right to me.." She had just a tinge of cockiness to her tone, after all, she had always enjoyed herself at Mardis Gras. Especially when she was sneaking there, which was always.

Gambit laid out on her bed, and Rogue propped herself up to sit on the dresser behind. Letting her legs dangle freely, watching him with a placid smile. She closed her eyes envisioning the stars back home as he spoke. It was true, you never got a glimpse of those stars the same way up here, too many lights. Opening her eyes again to look at him, who was watching her upside down. "Yeah, the city ain't bad....all the stores for one.." Rogue shot him a playful smile, "Can't never have enough gloves..." examining her own gloved hand as she spoke, face falling just slightly, "though all m'gloves are back..at the mansion..."

[gambit]

“I bet dey did,” Remy smirked. She was beautiful, after all, and one smile was enough to steal the hearts of many men, especially as intoxicated as most of them were at Mardi Gras. Not that she needed that, he was sure. Watching her close her eyes, that small, peaceful smile on her face as she sat on her perch, he took the moment to admire her. Long legs, smooth skin (even though very little of it was showing), full lips... a smile would have been enough for many for sure.

The gloves still confused him, though, even more as she mentioned them. The look on her face, it seemed to suggest she looked at them as a burden as opposed to a choice.

“I’m sure we can get y’ more,” Remy replied, shifting his eyes back up to her face. He could probably buy her enough to fill the whole wardrobe with the savings he had in just one bank account. “Y’ wear dem all de time? ‘cause dis ain' de kind o’ place t’ make y’ stick t’ a uniform.”