Who: Rogue and Remy LeBeau What: Talkin' Where: Bad Ax When: Backdated, a few days. Warnings: not really Status: completed gdoc
Rogue was in the middle of the open arena on one side of the building. Bad Ax had throwing axes and archery tag. And for her employees she made sure there was an archery range to practice in. She was so focused on it that she didn’t hear Remy come in. There was already some mistletoe up around the place, and the rules were by the door.
”Mistlefoe 2019 - if a person proclaims upon noticing the mistletoe they do not want physical harm, find something else to beat em up with such as pillows, foam pool noodles etc. Play at your own risk - you know your friends best. If you don’t care about taking a few punches to the face, well, good. If you seriously injure yourself or others, do it outside so I don’t have to mop up. Thanks. Rogue”
She let an arrow fly, hitting the target dead center. She swung her bow down and reached for another arrow. The twist had her seeing Remy, so she took aim at him, swinging the bow upwards, and letting an arrow loose. She had impeccable aim, and it stuck in the wall to his left, just over his shoulder.
“Oh, didn’t see you.” she teased.
To Remy’s credit, he didn’t even flinch, even if his heart rate did jump slightly. After their conversation, he’d thought about it -- why hadn’t he gone in to bug her? Other than the fact that he did feel slightly guilty about his role in her life. Although he’d easily slipped into the routine of this strange dimension, he knew she had a hard time letting go of his other self or selves.
He didn’t really blame her -- one Remy LeBeau was hard enough to live with. He should know. It was a challenge every day to not pick pockets, or try to steal things just to see if he still could. Which was dumb because of course he still could -- he was the prince of thieves. That wasn’t a self-bestowed title either.
“Happens,” he responded cheerfully, his hands in the pocket of his duster jacket. For today, he’d decided to dress comfortably in his sparring clothes -- body armour, black pants, gloves, jacket … He wasn’t sure what to expect and he thought it was better being prepared than not. Besides, he knew how hard Rogue could punch. “Looks empty in here.” He glanced at the notice on the wall, the same one she had posted on the network. “You scared all your people away wit’ yo’ mistletoe t’ing. You gotta win dem over wit’ kindness, chere and de prospect o’ kisses. Why make war when you can make love?”
Rogue only gave him a dark smile, “Good to know.” she’d heard his heart rate jump, she still leaned hard on the Logan in her head, it served her well, why change that? She didn’t mind much, the Wolverine was grumpy about things going on but she could live with that. It was better than being a snake.
“It does. Especially if you walk in here, we ain’t all sweetness and candy.” she teased as she set the bow on the rack and tossed the quiver onto a hook. She dusted her hands off then went to pull the arrow out of the target. She’d noted his choice of outfits for the day and wondered if he was preparing for her to get into it with him.
It could happen, she wasn’t the nicest thing on the planet on the best of days. “Oh yes, well, its the middle of the day, Remy. We do our best business in the evenings. Ah’m just here to keep the paperwork sorted.” she looked at him through lowered lashes, “ah don’t need people to love me, Cajun. And these folk, know Ah’m a bit prickly.” she set the arrow in the quiver and headed over to the door.
“Welcome ta Bad Ax, darlin.”
The ‘darlin’ made him think of Logan. He didn’t know that he wanted to think of Logan when staring at the love of his life, but hey - why not. Logan was attractive too. Amused, he watched her stalk over, and he was reminded of a hunter, stalking their prey.
Remy wouldn’t mind being conquered by Rogue.
Okay, he needed to stop this train of thought. He idly wondered if Rogue had absorbed the Professor at any point before giving his head a literal shake. “You gon’ show dis swamp rat around den, Rogue? Never been here before. Never thrown an axe actually,” he admitted with a bit of wonder. How had he managed to go through his whole life without throwing one when he didn’t go a single moment without a pack of throwing cards. “Are dere lessons? Oral exams?”
Rogue had a few telepaths in her head but she, thankfully, didn’t go poking around in other people’s heads very often. She might have decked him for the thoughts running through his head if she’d heard them. “Oh, ah might as well.” she gestured, the place was large, and cut, basically into two halves.
One was a line of long cages with targets at the end in front of hay bales. They were clearly well used. The other side was a room full of things to hide behind, cut off from the other room by nets meant to catch the soft tipped arrows. She smiled, “So axes over there, archery tag over there. And how have you never thrown an ax?!” she asked with wide eyes.
“Lessons, yes. Oral exams, really?” she gave him a look.
Remy shrugged with a grin. “Had to try, chere. Had to try.” It was something he quite liked, this banter and talk between them. There were few people that could keep up with him, and she was always one of those.
As for the talk about axes … “No, never thrown one. Wishing Remy had at dis point though… feel like you gonna beat me good an’ den where Remy gon’ be? Wit’ egg on his face, an’ who want that?” Not that he had any problems with being beat. In fact, he encouraged it. That was how he learned. “Better to learn from a professional, non? So c’mon, ma chere, teach me. Remy a very willing student.”
“You did. That is fair.” she said lightly. She was relaxing around him, finally, and she was happy he was here. And happy he was her Remy and not one chasing someone else like the last one. She didn’t want to admit she was happy he was hers but the thought was there. She pushed her pony tail back and grabbed an ax, flipping it lazily into the air.
“Ah mean, ah cheat. Ah’ve got a library of people in here ta help keep my skills sharp. S’one good thing Sage did fer me. Jump start my ability to recall everyone.” she ran her hand over the edge of the ax before heading to one of the ranges. She gestured for him to step up with her. “Ah’ll show you, ah think you’ll do just fine.”
“Remy can only imagine who else you got in dere.” Remy answered, following Rogue dutifully. The place was bigger than he’d really expected, and the ease she held the deadly weapon with was ...well, to be honest, kind of a turn on.
He really did have a type. Maybe it was more of a death wish. Either way, he enjoyed it.
“Did you miss having everyone in yo’ head? When I didn’t have m’ powers …” He trailed off for a moment, his hands jammed in his pockets, playing with cards, “It wasn’t fun. Didn’t like it. Felt strange. All m’ life, wanted t’ be normal, see if’n Remy was Remy wit’out dem. Turns out ‘M still Remy but not the same.” He suddenly grinned, his teeth showing. “I like blowin’ stuff up.”
Rogue stopped walking. His question hit her like a ton of bricks. “Ah did. Ah wasn’t me.” she said softly, “thought, so much that ah didn’t want to have this ability, that ah didn’t want to be the girl people scared of because o’my skin. Thought curing it, getting rid of them, whatever would make me feel better.” she chewed on her bottom lip.
“It didn’t. Ah hated it. Ah had no idea who ah was. It was nice, for a few, to touch people freely but… it ain’t the same and ah didn’t like it.” she winced at the thought. “Ah hate this sometimes but, ain’t me without it. It’s made me who ah am.” she said firmly.
Then she stood at the end of the box and lobbed the ax into the target.
“I ain’t never been scared of you.” And that was true. He still remembered the first time he’d say her, the instant attraction he’d felt. Bobby had poked him in the sides, told him about Rogue’s poison skin but that? That was nothing. He brushed that off immediately. What did it matter? There was more to life than that and plus, Remy was nothing if not creative. Her skin wasn’t a barrier.
Before he could add one of his usual quips, the ax hit its mark, thudding loudly throughout the space. He couldn’t help but wince and grin. “Nice. Now Remy jus’ wanna watch you throw t’ings. Forget teachin’ me nothin’. You can protect me if t’ings go sideways, non? Strong, independent woman like you. You de best, Roguey.”
Rogue looked back at him, a hard to decipher kind of smile on her lips. He was right - he’d never been scared of her. Even when she was at her worst. She could be as fierce and wild as fire when she was in a mood but he never once backed down from her. That reminder was something wonderful but she refused to acknowledge it right now.
“No, no you haven’t.” she said with a smirk, “Idiot.” she teased faintly.
“Mmm oh ah suppose but you, well, my dear, you certainly know how to protect yourself.” she walked up to pull the ax out, it was effortless. She tossed it upwards, lazily, catching it as she walked back. She indulged him, letting him watch her throw axes into the boards. She even got fancy with it.