WELCOME TO NEXUS.

[TheSuicideKing]

Gambit was seated as comfortably as he could on one of the benches closest to Ororo's greenhouse. Since Hank forbid smoking inside, he was spending a lot of time in the backyard, and sometimes it seemed he was there for most of the free time he spent in the Mansion. He had started just by the kitchen doors, but moved further and further away as he started to resent having to acknowledge every person who came outside. His new position, slightly hidden by the structure, allowed him to keep watch over the grounds, without being in plain view. Besides, 'Ro was the only person who came in that direction, so he was safe from accidental meetings with his teammates. The downside was, of course, having to keep track of his stubs, until he made it back to the house to discard them.

He took the last cigarette from the pack with a huff, putting it between his lips and lighting it up with his right hand, while his left crumpled the empty package and put it back in his pocket. This was ridiculous. He had it unwrapped this morning. There was no way he went through it all already.

He patted himself, looking for leftovers and finding none. He was almost sure he had some left in his bedroom, but he couldn't count on it. Once he was done with this one (no way he was wasting it now), he was going to check his stash. If he was out, then he had to drive into town and buy some. Soon. Maybe just get two or three cartons at once, make it worth the trip. He had been trying to stop, or at least slow it down before, but it was the only thing keeping his nerves under control nowadays. Well, alcohol would probably work too, but it had the well-known side-effect of loosening one's tongue, and that was something he could not afford.

As usual, his thoughts turned to Rogue. She still hadn't come back, and didn't even try to get in touch. She could take care of herself, he knew, but there was no telling what his memories were doing to her head. The fact that she hadn't called worried him. As far as she was concerned, he was still in a coma. Surely she would want to know about him? Unless she stopped caring. There were very few things in the world that could change her mind about him like that.

[Ferox]

The orchid was not being particularly cooperative. It was far and away the most stubborn plant she had ever dealt with, but even it didn't stand a chance against Ororo. For years she had been coaxing the vine up the trunk of a tree, wrapping it in a lazy spiral as they both grew. But, year after year the flower had simply refused to bloom. If she were a lesser woman she might have abandoned the project when it began to show signs of failure. However, admitting defeat was simply not an option so she had poured most of her energy toward making the flower happy. Fertilizer had been added and removed, temperature and humidity around the plant had been adjusted on several occasions, it had been spoken with, sung to, praised, and berated; something seemed to have finally paid off, the beginning of a bud was starting to develop on the vine. Her fingertips traced around the small curved bump as a wide grin spread slowly across her face. It would be beautiful.

Smoke was drifting through the air or her greenhouse. Cigarettes, most likely Remy. Maybe Logan. Possibly a new arrival. Extending her hand she gave a quick twist of her wrist; the smoke gathered and snaked away from her plants. Unperturbed, she carried on with her usual tasks. Miniature rain clouds formed over the plants in need of water and she proceeded to prune the plumeria and the majority of her rose bushes. After the rain clouds dissipated and she finished repotting the tiger irises, Ororo made her way to the initial source of the smoke. Ah, yes. Her first instinct had been correct.

"While it is a pleasure to see you up again," she began, her voice laced with her default authoritarian tone, "I really would rather you smoke elsewhere." Taking a seat beside him on the bench, she crossed her legs at the knee. This forced the fabric of her long skirt to catch near her lower thigh, exposing her legs to the sun. Her hair had been loosely braided early in the morning and strands were starting to work their way out of the plait. An old faded shirt of Forge's had been used to cover up her swimsuit top. It all culminated in making her appear more relaxed, more like the twelve year old girl he used to rob houses with. A warm breeze slithered between the two of them, tugging gently at both of their clothes as it tried to excise the last remnants of the smoke.

"How have you been faring?" Her voice dropped slightly, not quite at a whisper but something more intimate, "I have been worried."

The humidity and temperature around them shifted subtly until it was mimicking the weather patterns of the Southern Coast of the United States. Her right hand found its way to rest on his upper thigh, traces of dirt still on her fingers and under her nails.

This post has been edited by Ferox on Jul 9 2012, 05:36 PM

[TheSuicideKing]

"While it is a pleasure to see you up again, I really would rather you smoke elsewhere." Gambit hadn't noticed Ororo was in the greenhouse until he heard her voice. He doubted she was trying to sneak up on him, but she was a thief like himself, and silence was second nature to both of them.

He hadn't exactly paid attention to where the smoke was going, and would have moved if he saw it bothering her plants. He didn't care much about green as she did – he didn't think many people could compare to her in this subject – but it was important to her, and that was all that mattered to him. He put the cigarette out. Her company was still worth more to him that the nicotine fix, even if her presence tended to make him uneasy now. He couldn't look at her and not think about how she was the leader of the Morlocks back then. The pain it must have caused her to see her people dead by the hundreds was something he would never be able to imagine.

“Sorry, Stormy. Didn't see the smoke was going your way. Will find another place for it.” She was in simple, mismatched clothes, her hair loosely tied. There weren't many people who got to see the Weather Goddess like that. If they did, it would to little to take away the awe she inspired. Even in the simplest of outfits, she still looked stunning. To him, it made him think of the little girl he met. Even then, she was intense and determined. He felt a sudden breeze and smiled. Sometimes, it was hard to say what was natural and what was of her doing, the way her powers worked. This one, he imagined, was all hers. The wind itself didn't have that much trouble with his smoking habits.

"How have you been faring? I have been worried." He sat closer to her. ”No need to worry about me, hm? I fall on my feet, you know that." Still, it was nice to know someone cared. He tried not to focus on that. All of it would be gone the second she found out the truth about him, turned into nothing but feelings of betrayal.

The wind turned warmer, more relaxing, and her hand went to his leg, in a gesture of friendship and comfort. He put his hand on top of hers, intertwining their fingers together, his thumb running over her soft skin. “And how are you? Did I ruin any vases?” He could listen to her talk about her greenhouse forever. He even learned a couple of things about gardening from it, her poised enthusiasm was soothing like very few things on Earth.

This post has been edited by TheSuicideKing on Jul 7 2012, 01:00 PM

[Ferox]

"Sorry, Stormy. Didn't see the smoke was going your way. Will find another place for it." Letting out an exaggerated sigh at the nickname, she fought - unsuccessfully - to keep a large smile from gracing her lips. As he moved closer, her own body curled against his in response; it was almost second nature. Her free hand moved to her hair and began to unfurl the braid until her long white hair fell freely about her shoulders.

"No need to worry about me, hm? I fall on my feet, you know that."

Ororo knew, perhaps better than anyone else at the mansion, how exhausting it was to rely only on yourself. Unfortunately, that knowledge also came with the understanding of how difficult it was to learn to trust others after so much self-reliance. After Gambit had saved her life twice that first night, she had still tried to stab him the moment when she thought he might hurt her. And all her years spent as an integral member of the X-Men had only managed to barely soften some of her edges, there were still moments when she refused to open up to those she knew she could trust. And Gambit... Well, his integration had not gone nearly as smoothly as her own had. At times there was still an undercurrent of distrust that could be felt from some, despite all the help he had provided. Despite the fact that he had risked his own safety to help a barefoot girl in Cairo, Illinois escape the Shadow King.

"I am here for you though, if you ever need a lookout. We both know the most rewarding heists are often two-man jobs and a smart thief knows his limits, yes?" There wasn't much hope in pushing the issue now if he did not take the bait. If she were to come on too strongly he would shrink away and that would leave them both more frustrated than before. It needed to be subtle, it needed to be quick, it needed to gentle; it needed to be like lifting a wallet.

"And how are you? Did I ruin any vases?"

"I am quite well, thank you. It has been a rather productive morning. Nothing has been ruined; do not worry. They will all survive despite the best efforts of you and several others. In fact, it appears my orchid will be blooming within the coming weeks. I believe I have spoken to you before regarding this rather trying project. It was a transplant and initially quite resistant to integrating to the greenhouse, but it seems to finally have been made happy enough to bloom." Her tone seemed to become more pointed as she continued speaking, "It just took time and a considerable amount of effort on both our parts."

This post has been edited by Ferox on Jul 9 2012, 05:34 PM

[TheSuicideKing]

Ororo let her hair loose, its long white strands falling around her face, coming to tease his neck. "I am here for you though, if you ever need a lookout. We both know the most rewarding heists are often two-man jobs and a smart thief knows his limits, yes?"

He smiled at her analogy. Being so different from each other in almost everything, their past as thieves was the one thing that brought them together, and it would come up often in conversation. It was their shared language.

It was easy enough, though, to gloss over the danger of taking up a partner. Trusting people is always a risky business. He was one to say. Every single person who believed in him found out eventually that their trust had been misplaced. Ororo, herself, was a special case. He managed to betray her before even meeting her.

His hold on her hand loosened slightly. Remy wanted to think of himself as a good man who kept making mistakes – stupidity was easier to forgive than cruelty, after all – but it was hard to keep up the wishful thinking when no X-Men doubted him when he feigned ignorance about Essex, the Marauders or the Morlocks. When he could sit by Ororo's side and hold her hand, call her by given nicknames, over and over again. Deceit came too easily to him.

“I ever need backup, chère, I wouldn't want anyone but you watching my back. And while I've been called many things, smart was never one of them, so you shouldn't really be expecting much from me in that department.”

He hoped she wouldn't insist on talking about him. Everything on his mind at that moment weren't things he could share with anyone, much less her. It was best to just let them be, hope they would sink back into the depths of his mind, where they could haunt him without taking control of his life.

Fortunately, she moved on to her garden, usually a safe subject, if only because most of it went straight over his head. Ororo, of course, could make herself understood when she wanted it. He pushed his dark thoughts away, and smiled teasingly. “Maybe you should think outside the box here, Stormy. Since when has this plant been getting happy hm? Because I've been smoking around here for a while now. I'm thinking your girl might be a nicotine fiend.”

[Ferox]

“And while I've been called many things, smart was never one of them, so you shouldn't really be expecting much from me in that department.” She couldn't help but grin wryly at his comment. For one of the cockiest advanced tacticians she knew, he had established an odd habit of self-deprecation. But then again, he also had a habit of occasionally doing some of the dumbest things Ororo had ever witnessed. Thankfully, from what she had observed they at least seemed limited to his personal life. And usually in the name of chivalry.

"Very true, Gambit," she conceded, "You may very well be one of the stupidest young men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. But, even you have your rare shining moments of brilliance. It would be an absolute shame to discount you entirely." The hand that wasn't currently laced with his reached up to his face so she could brush a few strands of his dark hair off of his forehead and tuck them behind his ear. "I am honored to know that if the time shall ever call for it, you would be able to trust me."

Perhaps that was the wrong move. She felt his grip loosen. In response, she gently extracted her hand from his. Perhaps she had pushed too hard there. Damage control would most likely be in order.

"There is a slight chance she is. Given the sheer amount of variables it would be impossible to narrow it down. But who am I to deny her her fix? You are welcome to smoke here," she paused for a moment, sending him a sidelong glance, "though I would prefer you not smoke at all."

Now that both her hands were free, she summoned a miniature rain cloud in order to wash off some of the dirt from her garden. Striping off Forge's old shirt, revealing a simple swim suit top in the process, she used the slightly faded and ragged fabric to dry her hands.

"I take it you have been preoccupied with Rogue's departure. Are you sure you do not wish to address this? I understand how hard it can be." Her hands seemed to pause for a moment as they finished drying off on the old shirt.

This post has been edited by Ferox on Jul 16 2012, 11:24 AM

[TheSuicideKing]

He smiled broadly at her answer. He guessed it was against his own interests to let her know whatever she called 'brilliance' was more likely a lot of luck and his usually dormant survival instincts deciding to make an appearance. Still, he was alive and kicking so it worked, one way or another.

Her hand reached up to his face the moment his hold on her hand faltered. He had hoped she wouldn't notice his slip, but she retreated. With no idea of what was going through his mind at that moment, she probably thought he reacted to something she said or did. He didn't know how to fix his mistake so he decided to let it go. He didn't want to let Ororo think she was at fault, but he also knew that, if he told her there was something weighing on his heart, she wouldn't rest until he spoke with her about it.

She went back to talking about her plants, and of course, his smoking habits. It was a safe place to stir the conversation, something the could agree to disagree on. He of course knew it wasn't healthy, and he still had a sense of smell decent enough to know it wasn't pleasant for non-smokers, but it was something simple enough that helped him settle down, and he there was very little that could be done to make him stop it. Ororo seemed to know that, and her complaints were actually a way to show she cared. “What you say we compromise and I just go smoke somewhere I don't stink your plants?”

A very unnatural cloud came to be over her hands, and she cleaned herself from the dirt still in her fingers. She then took off the shirt she was wearing, and he moved his torso away to give her room to move her arms without bumping into him, going back to his first position once it was done.

He had hoped their conversation would take his mind off of things, but she saw fit to bring up Rogue. He knew she meant well, and he knew Rogue leaving was his fault, but couldn't help the flash of anger he felt. “Nothing to talk about, oui? She wanted to leave, and apparently found something more interesting to do than be here. Was her choice to make, she made it.”

[Ferox]

"I believe that is a compromise that will work for everyone involved. Except your lung capacity, of course."

The shift in the tone of their conversation was rapid, though not entirely unseen as he growled out, "Nothing to talk about, oui? She wanted to leave, and apparently found something more interesting to do than be here. Was her choice to make, she made it.”

Blinking in response, but making no other sudden movements, Ororo continued to study him before shifting her position on the bench so that her body turned to face him; her knees pressed softly against his leg. There was a long moment where she didn't speak, she simply watched him, a soft frown on her lips.

Extending her right hand she placed her fingertips on the back of the younger man's neck. Her hand was still for a while, but then her thumb began to move, following a straight unhurried path down to the crook of his neck and then back up again to repeat the process.

A few more moments passed in silence before she finally spoke. Her voice was calm and steady, with just a hint of something bordering on maternal. "I know you care very deeply for her and I can tell that this turn of events has upset you. I wish that there were more I could do for you, Gambit."

Letting her hand fall away from him she folded them both to rest primly in her lap. Her posture had shifted back to her default, straight and strong. This conversation seemed to be one misstep after another. She prided herself in being much better at this than her current performance was reflecting.

"Shall we head inside? Or would you prefer to sit here for a while longer? We could always go for a swim or a hike," there was a short beat and she continued on, her tone and facial expression just as neutral as it had been before, "Or go in to the city and have a pick-pocketing contest."

This post has been edited by Ferox on Jul 18 2012, 02:23 PM

[TheSuicideKing]

The didn't regret the words, they were true, but he did regret the spiteful tone they held. He didn't mean to take it out on Ororo, who was absolutely blameless in all of it, or even on Rogue, though she was the one who left. He knew it was him who gave her the reason, and it all fell on his shoulders. It was just that the burden being deserved made it heavier, not lighter. And he was getting really tired.

He looked at her apologetically, not trusting himself just yet to say what she really wanted to. He hoped she'd just know he never wanted to hurt her, even if just with a harsh tone. Too bad for him, he just had a knack for causing pain. She stared at him for a long time, and he was afraid she was going to leave, but instead, she turned to him, and, after a while, reached up to his neck, her fingers running on his skin like he had done to her hand before. He bent his head and closed his eyes, enjoying her touch.

"I know you care very deeply for her and I can tell that this turn of events has upset you. I wish that there were more I could do for you, Gambit." She always knew exactly what to say, and how to say it.

He smiled at her. “I know you do. But it's not your fault. I'm sorry I took it out on you.” He let her take her hands off of him when she moved back to a more comfortable (to her) position. When she asked what he wanted them to do, he laughed loudly at her joke. Fact was, he didn't want her to leave, but he didn't trust himself to be around her and not crack. For a fleeting moment, he considered if he could goad her into actually following through with the suggested contest. They could spend the day in the city, and maybe he could convince her to stay through the night. Maybe a road trip. It had been a while since they had crossed the country together. If he had her just for himself for a few days, then maybe he'd have plenty of her, enough to be able to just leave. He knew he didn't belong here, but he still couldn't bring himself to do what he was supposed to. It was his problem. He never let anything go, always had to see everything to their end, even if he saw he coming, even if he knew it ended badly. Like some sick compulsion.

“I have to go to the city. Need anything?.” He moved closer to her, and kissed her on the cheek before getting up completely. Making way to the garage and his bike, he turned after a few steps. “But I'll hold you to your challenge. Loser buys dinner.”

He was going to have to really stock up on smokes.

TBC: Calling for Reinforcements (Med Bay)

This post has been edited by TheSuicideKing on Jul 23 2012, 08:27 PM

[Ferox]

She understood the anger; she had lived with it herself before, felt it eat away until she had been left with a person she barely recognized. If there was anything more she could have done for him, she wouldn't have hesitated. He was closer to family than anything else she had left, simultaneously a protective older brother and an obnoxious younger one. He had been there for when when everything had fallen apart and with very few questions asked he had helped her stay alive long enough to stitch it all back together. Something like that could not be easily forgotten.

"Loser buys dinner," she repeated, "just like old times." Barefoot in the streets of Illinois, living in the rusting shell of a derelict airplane her powers just starting to emerge. With no idea of what her future would hold. Overwhelming. Frightening. Exhilarating. She had spent her days lifting wallets and her nights playing at Robin Hood. A strange part of her ached for the memory. It was so easy to not have to worry about the welfare or safety of others. So easy to care only for yourself, regardless of the consequences. Allowing herself a moment for such selfish thoughts, she pushed them away gently.

"No thank you, Gambit," she responded with a pleasant, serene smile, "I believe I have everything I need here."

Watching him go, she settled back in to her seat on the bench; back straight, hands clasped in her lap she had quickly regained her regal posture mere seconds after his departure. The temperature and humidity around her began to drop until it had reached an equilibrium with the surrounding climate. The sun was still shining softly through the winter day, peaking through clouds that she had absolutely nothing to do with.

Inside the mansion there were papers to grade, plans to review, documents to analyze... But they could wait for now. It was still a beautiful day outside. Digging her toes in to the soft earth, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling the soft shift of the winds around her.


TBC: TBD.

This post has been edited by Ferox on Jul 23 2012, 07:43 PM