kineticcajun | 1st Card Dealt [Action]

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1st Card Dealt [Action]

[Luceti, today, there is a very large, sturdy cardboard box lying in the plaza. It’s not walking around, just sitting there, with one foot poking out at a somewhat awkward angle from one corner. It was dumped, at some point in the night, on the front step of the Item Shop, and there it remains. Its occupant has only just now woken up, and he’s not too thrilled. From time to time, the box rustles, and occasionally there are muffled curses in Cajun French.

It’s a tight fit in this here box when you’re too tall to really fit in it.

Eventually, once he’s managed to untangle himself from the knot the Malnosso have practically twisted him into and gotten out of this box, Gambit will be making the rounds through the shops in the plazas. Dressed in just his New Feather pants. He is bent on at least finding his coat. The half-naked part doesn’t bother him in the slightest, but he likes that coat. From there, it’s time to get a feel for the neighborhood. If he’s gonna be stuck here, he’s gonna know his way around.

Feel free to run into Gambit at any point in his adventure~]

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[She shifts further back, an easily defensive stance. Since he's still standing in the ruins of that box, he's going to have to get out one way or another and she has the feeling he won't choose the easy 'away from her' way.]

Same place you did.

[...]

Don't tell me. Ya don't remember.

Hate to say it, chere, but if there's a reason for de wings, I don't remember.

[Standing up now. Cracking his neck. Seriously, ow.

He holds up his hands as a signal that he's not about to attack or anything. He knows full well she can hold that defensive position.]

[...and the view just gets better.

She shakes her head a little, as if to clear it.

So he's back. And he doesn't remember anything. That meant there was a certain embarrassing memory he didn't share, but other than that... explaining this will be interesting. If her guess holds true, he'll vanish to confirm it all himself in a bit anyway.

Of all the luck to drop him off here.]

There a book jammed in that box with ya?

[He would poke at her about that headshake, but there are other things at hand here. Or... well. At foot. He glances down and, sure enough, amidst the cardboard wreckage, there is a book.]

Thought there was something jabbin' me. [He'll just pick it up and flip through it off-handedly. Ahh. Lots of information in here, isn't there? A few words have already jumped out at him just flipping through.] Lemme guess... It's got all de answers, don't it? Nice of 'em to toss it in there with me.

[Sarcasm is clearly the answer here.]

The schoolteacher wrote up a Guide. She keeps it up for the newcomers. [She tears her eyes away and glances off in the Welcome Center's direction.] Welcome Center's that way. Clothing shop's that way. [And she inclines her head.] Everything's free.

[So you might want to get dressed. Not that she cares.

She's not sure how she feels about him at all, and she's not exactly trying to shoo him off her porch, but...]

[No shooing this Cajun. He takes in the locations of the Welcome Center and clothing shop, files a mental note, and decides to stand his ground for now. The avoidance has practically stuck a big flashing neon sign in front of him.

And he jerks a thumb back at the shop door behind him.]

An' what about this one? Not allowed in here?

Not between the hours of ten and three. [The response is automatic and said with a hidden and brief amused quirk of her lips.

...belatedly something else occurs to her. If he doesn't remember Luceti, then he might not be from the same time back home. And if he's not from the same time back home, then she could be talking to a loyal Acolyte right about now.]

What's the last thing you remember 'fore ya ended up in that box?

Mighty specific hours. [That answer was awfully quick. But he'll poke at that a bit later. Mental note: swing by this place between ten and three.]

Last thing I remember was sendin' off my old man after you an' the other X-Men went on your way. Couldn't've been too much longer after that. Why d'you ask?

[And yes, he does remember the Queen of Hearts, Rogue. Which might be why there's a slight smirk threatening to twitch onto his lips here.]

[Ah. So he's not an enemy, then. He's a... something. Whatever he is, whatever that was, that's who he is.

You used me.

And there's that familiar flicker of indignation - how dare he lie to me and turn out to be like everyone else - and resignation - that's all I'm good for, at least he had the right reasons - and they're all too close to the constant tempest inside her - Kurt's gone, they've taken him, and there's nothing she can do about it.

So she meets his smirk with a scowl.]

Read the guide. You'll figure it out.

[And she starts around his box and half-naked self towards the Item Shop door. Just because he's there doesn't mean he can shake her from her routine. Rogue likes her routines, likes the areas in her life that she can control, and even her recklessness comes from that same source. She's just barely keeping her temper in check these days as it is. Remy LeBeau would just aggravate her. And she tells herself this to amelioration her conscience, which is bothering her about leaving a fellow mutant in the dark.]

Edited 2011-09-06 04:26 (UTC)

Rogue....

[Yyyup. Still mad at him. He can't say he blames her, really. After all that happened, she's got every right. But he's still got some nagging sense that he has to at least try to make things right. Even though... she seems way more irritated now than she did then. Which could mean a few things. There's something missing from the information here...

He's not sure if he should push this too much. The girl could knock him flat if she wanted. But hey, this is what we have ridiculous agility for. Test the waters and see if it's worth it first.

Ever-so-slightly, he's putting himself in the way. He's still got room to slip out of the way in case she decides to lash out at him, but he's still something of an obstruction.]

Thanks for the help.

[With Jean-Luc and the box. And he honestly means that.]

[...he really shouldn't be allowed to say her name like that.

She sighs a little, and there's a wild impulse to just. Kind of let everything go and soak him in like he still carries the faint whiff of home on him and screw the consequences.

And that would be about the worst thing she could do.

So she puts a hand on her hip and cocks it, looking up to meet his gaze and not moving away.]

You were just in my way.

[As you are now.

...she doesn't want you owing her anything. She'll tell herself forever that she didn't help you for you. Although when it comes right down to it... she saw your desire to help your dad as being something fine, and she wanted to help with that.]

Edited 2011-09-06 21:28 (UTC)

[She really is a stubborn one, isn't she? Remy isn't one to back down either, though, so he just holds her gaze steadily. And doesn't get out of the way. That would be too easy.]

You coulda just pushed me and my box right off your porch here.

[Still could, technically. Except that he can dodge now that he's out of the box.]

[So it's a stare-off then.]

Don't tempt me, Cajun.

[These arched eyebrows are your hint to move.]

Guess it's just my lucky day, non?

[Here, he will open the door for you. Cool as anything. Still not breaking eye contact. He's only kind of out of the way now.]

Ladies first, chere.

[Oh hell no. He's going to follow her in? And then - what? Just stand about all half-naked and question her about this place like some kinda... person just dropped off in a strange place and given wings who woke up to a familiar face?

Sigh.

She stalks past him and doesn't pause until she reaches the second row to the left. Then she turns and tosses a still-plastic wrapped pack of Ace cards at him. Catch.]

Powers' capped in half. If your bo came it's in the smithy. [Yes, a smithy.] You're not gonna believe what I hafta say until ya check it out yourself anyway [because the other one STILL didn't believe her after days of checking it out himself] so get.

[She won't be hard to find once he's done.]

Edited 2011-09-07 02:45 (UTC)

[Caught! Excellent. Just what he was needing. He's got nowhere to stash them for now, but he'll just hold onto these.]

'preciate it. I'll just be gettin' outta your hair, then.

[For now. He'll probably be back eventually once he's had a chance to look around and figure this place out a bit. There's obviously a lot to absorb and a lot to try to catch up with. Not to mention he still has to find whatever belongings he can. It's not sitting well with him that somebody managed to literally steal the clothes off his back.

And so, with a short wave, he'll just slip back out of the Item Shop and leave Rogue alone for now. He'll even take the box remains with him.]

[...it was probably a terrible idea letting him out of her sight.

It certainly was.

But she didn't think it would be that easy.

...she's glad about it. It's better this way.

She turns to head back to her counter and her routine. Which is to head to the Battle Dome after this for a session or so (today she is working on the uneven bars in mildly increased gravity) and then back to the house to sit outside and read. She'll probably tell the rest of the X-Men he showed up, once they get around, but this isn't the type of thing she'll talk about on the journal network.

Tomorrow will be much of the same. So if he does want to find her again any time soon, it won't be hard to do.]

[And Gambit, for his part, is awake the entire night, reading through the Guide and doing what snooping he can. One day is hardly enough to take in everything, but it's a start. He's still not too sure how much of it he's buying. But he hasn't woken up from some crazy dream yet and so far, what he's had a chance to look at is checking out against the Guide.

But he's still got plenty of questions that the Guide can't answer, and so, he'll be back.

At exactly 3:01 the next day.

Look who actually obeyed the hour limitation. ~~This time.~~]

[Which means that Rogue is probably still packing up. Going out of her way to avoid Ian is just... counterproductive at this point. She glances up at the door when the bell rings and - oh.

So. Many. Mixed. Feelings.

She doesn't want to let on how unsettled she feels around him. So she just glances down at her watch.

Huh.]

Look who it is.

[She can't say she's surprised. She was expecting him to turn up sooner or later. This is a bit sooner, but... so it is.]

[For someone who's been up up all night, Gambit really hasn't slowed down any. The glance at the watch just makes him grin a bit as he saunters in. If nothing else, actually obeying her earlier schedule was worth it just for that.]

Not adjustin' those hours I'm allowed in here, are you?

[Because he could probably use another pack of cards. He burned out a decent number trying to get just the right charge to apply.]

Lord, no. [And she finishes tucking away her Mp3 player and dock.] I was just leavin'. Try not ta scare Ian too much.

[And with a poorly hidden smirk, she'll just head towards the door.]

[Nice try, Rogue. He'll just pocket a couple packs of cards in probably the worst thieving he's ever done and trail along after her. Craft pride can't be injured here, it's all free anyway.]

Can't go scarin' strangers on my second day, non? [The door, he will open it for you.] Lucky I only needed a couple things.

[She might have known shaking him wouldn't be that easy. But she just briefly flicks her gaze up to meet his before stepping through that door he so kindly - must've speed to get here so quickly - opened for her.

Sigh.

She doesn't know why he'd even bother coming back around to her.]

Lucky for Ian, maybe.

[And she sets off in vague hope that he will... go in the other direction.]

Could be. Every man's gotta have his day.

[Nnnope, he's still following. He's a man on a mission. Shaking his head amusedly, he just falls into step a couple strides behind her. Give her some space. Just enough to keep from crowding her, at least. Still after answers here, after all.]

Not still down on your luck, are you, chere?

[Because he's out of lucky charms to lend. Not that he's feeling particularly lucky since he arrived here.]

[Well, it was a long shot anyway. She is... remarkably hesitant to lead him out of town. Yeah, if worst comes to worst, she could take him out but... on the other hand she's really not keen on having this conversation where so many people could overhear. And she is not entirely opposed to talking with him about this place - she knows how capable he is. But she is... conflicted about it.

She snorts at his last remark.]

I'm here, ain't I?

[That's enough for everyone to be out of luck.]

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