5th Card Dealt [Action]

[kineticcajun]

[Gambit is back from his mission today, and, much as he hates to admit it, he's exhausted. It's not often that he gets worn out, but this mission definitely managed it. But still, tired as he is, he's got a few things to attend to before he heads back to his apartment. He just means to knock them out as quickly as he can so that he can knock out as quickly as he can.

And so, early afternoon finds him slipping into the Item Shop, careful not to make a sound on the way in, so he can leave a card - a joker, to be specific - on the counter as a sign that he's gotten back safely. His way back out isn't quite as quiet as he'd been hoping, though, and just before the door shuts, the bell goes off. Merde. So much for that.

Once that's done, it's off to the grocery store. Food. Food is definitely needed before he sleeps. Too hungry not to eat.

After nearly ten minutes of staring blankly at spices - he suspects he may have fallen asleep on his feet - Gambit shakes his head and decides to just grab a can of soup and some instant cornbread. Nevermind cooking. Easy stuff. Quick.

He hates cooking this kind of stuff, but pride be damned, he's too tired.

Eventually, he finds his way through the town and back to CH1 to make aforementioned soup and lurch his way into his apartment to sleep, but it's very slow going. Feel free to run into him anywhere on his journey~]

Comments

[fleurdesel]

[A handful of errands to run, mostly the store for another attempt at soup. Adele remains adamant it was her fault the first batch turned out so poorly and she should be banned from the kitchen but Helios and Ginia? Didn't see it that way, apparently. So she's walking to the store with a list in hand, blinking down at the ingredients when a familiar coat registers in her peripheral vision. Gambit.

Gambit who had been gone for six days. For whatever reason, and he's back, and he looks exhausted, and her reaction is somewhat involuntary. She whirls on her heel, sprints after him, manages a fairly impressive Jacksled slide once she's caught up and hauls the taller man into a tight hug. He was safe. He was back. He was safe.]

...Do not go off without telling me again.

[rashness]

[Hi neighbor.

Are you cooking something in this kitchen - or rather, do you want to? Because a fifteen year old kid with a tail is actually currently working on some curry rice over here. He was planning to split it with shiemi too because well. you know. Impressing her. So he's actually making more than is needed and possibly with more bitterness than he otherwise would have]

[1/2]

[kineticcajun]

[whoa what just happened --

who--

is this--]

[kineticcajun]

[It takes a beat or two before Gambit's exhausted mind catches up to the present, but once it does, he sighs and wraps his arms around Adele in return. Okay. Intention of not worrying anyone apparently did not work. He probably should have followed the example Rogue set, but hindsight is always perfect.

Forcing himself not to sway slightly from tiredness, he gives her a light pat on the back.]

Désolé, doc. Didn't mean to worry you.

[kineticcajun]

[Yep, he was planning on cooking something in this kitchen. But that really is a lot of curry rice happening here. Uh.

That bitterness kind of has him curious, but he's decided that tired wins out over curious.]

...Got any burners t'spare, mon ami?

[fleurdesel]

[Adele regains her composure after a moment and steps back as soon as she's certain that yes, it's him, yes, he's back. She looks up at Gambit, eyes just a little watery before she blinks it away.]

Say something next time. I'd rather be aware of it than just find you gone. [Like Giles. Like Anya. It was unsaid, but plain in her manner. She gives his arms a squeeze and steps back, blinking at the paper that should have been in her hand. It was now somewhere in the snow behind her. Ruined.

...she'll just do the shopping later.]

[tinyten]

[Somewhere in between the trip to the item shop and the grocery store, there will be a little girl wandering about and wondering just what's up with this guy. You look tired, man.]

Are you okay?

[kineticcajun]

Got it. [He's really not used to people caring where he is. The Guild and the Acolytes were, for the most part, fine with him disappearing and reappearing later on without explanation. And while there's a twinge of guilt - especially at those watery eyes - he's too tired to dwell on it much for now.

He follows her gaze back to the paper, a weak grin tugging at one corner of his mouth.]

Hope that was somethin' you can rewrite.

[redjacketthief]

[Lupin himself is also in the store, doctor's orders from the aftermath of his fight be dammed. He needed food, and he didn't want to rely on Jigen or Zenigata to go get it for him. Too prideful. Too independent.

Even with pride, he couldn't deny that moving still, after a couple of days. Breathing still hurt. He too is moving slowly, carefully, but making equal effort to give the impression that nothing is wrong...the stiffness in his motions betrays the truth, despite his best efforts.

He's in the soup aisle, staring at a line of cans and debating between the tomato and the broccoli cheddar, when he notices a familiar sillhouette. There was a certain man whose absence was noted. Don't think that he's not gonna approach.]

So. You're still here. And alive. What's up?

[fleurdesel]

Good. There was a distinct lack of charming done in French when you were gone, and it is not my fault. [Adele may discreetly wipe at whatever lingering moisture there was from her eyes before coughing into her hand. Er. yes. That.

...Well.] Ginia and Helios tried to teach me to cook. It...didn't end well. So they wish to try again. I'll...just say I lost the list. In the wind. Then I will not have to cook...and you were walking home, were you not? I. You look exhausted Remy. Désolé.

[kineticcajun]

Hm? [Who's talking-- oh. Looking down.

Those eyes and that hairstyle are very, very familiar. And now he's wondering just what he missed, but he still gives her a tired smile and kneels down to her level.]

'm jus' fine, petite. Been a long day, 's all. Thanks for lookin' out for an ol' Cajun, though.

[tinyten]

You don't look that old. [OLD ENOUGH BY HER STANDARDS but not as old as her mom and dad.] Just sleepy.

[Hm. His eyes are kind of weird. They remind her of Kurt's in a way... not because they're strikingly similar or anything, but in the sense that they're not a normal colour.]

What happened to your eyes?

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue glances up at the chime of the bell on her door... and the curious lack of sound accompanying it. No footsteps. She's not playing her music very loudly today, she should be able to hear...

She peers her head out of an aisle.]

Hello?

[And she starts walking up towards the door... any chance of catching a glimpse of who was there?]

[kineticcajun]

M'alive.

[Dude, you too? Gambit gives Lupin a bleary look for a moment, the thought slowly surfacing that he would have thought someone with a similar background wouldn't have been surprised that he slipped off like this.

The slight rankle of irritation gets derailed by Lupin's appearance, though.]

You look like hell, homme.

[kineticcajun]

[He tries not to laugh at the comment about him not looking old.] Merci. I'll take that as a compliment.

[The fact that she isn't recoiling from the eyes is a bit of a relief. Really. He's not sure he'd have the energy to deal with a scream or anything right now.]

M' eyes? They always been this way. [And here he'll add a wink.] Never know, though. Maybe I shoulda laid off the junk food when I was little.

[redjacketthief]

Just needed to blow off steam.

[Nope. No stupid decisions to fight based on inaccurate information here! No injuries that were gonna bother him for another few weeks here at all! He wants to laugh shortly, but the pain in his ribs make him hold back.

He was just glad that another cool person hadn't just up and vanished because of the Malnosso. That was happening to him a lot lately, much to his continual irritation. It was why he needed to blow off steam]

Tonton had a little brawler's meet-up in the tunnels the other night, and I went for kicks and giggles. There was kicking...not a lot of giggling. [he shrugs.] I've had worse.

[kineticcajun]

[Remy stares for a moment as the gears slowly pick up speed to catch up with the situation. And then, the thought blooms: Merde. You can't say no, can you.]

S'nothin'. Don't worry 'bout it. You need a hand pickin' out ingredients?

[It's just ingredients. It's not cooking them. Just ingredients. He can manage that.]

[mikanthief]

[If she got a good look at him first, she might not have tried this. Bouncy teenager brushing past, Gambit. /o/ She's a very light touch, but there are some things you just can't slip by certain people.]

[kineticcajun]

[nonononono. Sorry, Rogue, but he really doesn't have the energy to try keeping up his defenses if it comes right down to it. Which it normally does with them. Even on a good day, that game of chicken comes in, and he knows he'll lose today.

He winces a bit when he hears that "hello", but tries to make as hasty a retreat through the snow as he can without slipping.

Maybe later. Once he's gotten some sleep.

No following his tracks, river rat.]

[tinyten]

[dfgsjfghfsdghfhds SO IT'S TRUE.

Y U P never touching junk food again.]

So Kurt was right? [nooooooo ;;]

[fleurdesel]

Non. Remy, you are dead on your feet. I am walking you home.

[Adele takes him by the arm and turns back in the direction of Community House 1. Odds are he was hungry as well, but...She'd grab something to go from Seventh Heaven after she saw him abed. There was no way she was going to cook for him, unless it was coffee or tea. Those she couldn't mess up.]

[kineticcajun]

[Nnnope. And while there really isn't anything that's of much use here in that wallet - hell, he's not even sure if it's his - it's the principle of it that he won't allow. Tired as he is, Gambit responds with practiced ease.

And holds an arm out to loop it around her waist and pull her back.]

Nice try, petite, but you gonna hafta get up earlier to try an' pull that one over on me.

[waitaminute. Nami?

He's really missed a lot this last week, hasn't he.]

[kineticcajun]

Merde, he already got that movin'? I signed up, but I guess I missed out.

[Damn, he was really curious to see how it all went and...

Stop. Rewind.]

...Wait. "Tonton"?

[kineticcajun]

[Kurt. That explains the lack of screaming. He's grinning despite himself.]

Takes a lotta junk food, but bein' careful 'bout it never hurt no one, petite.

[kineticcajun]

[He is hungry as well, and that's really the only thing spurring him on to dig in his heels and resist being led back to CH1.]

I was headin' to the store anyway, doc. Need to eat somethin' 'fore I sleep. Didn't have much left to make anythin' wit' before I left.