.04 Scars are just places where I used to bleed

[touchofrogue]

Who: Rogue
Broadcast: Text
Action: A corner table in Varrick’s bar on the Iskaulit
When: January 17th

[Around 10 this morning as time is measured, this text goes live across the network, the numbers set to anonymous:]

**Wanted** Pilot with a pilot augment willing to risk a little trouble. If interested, interviews will be held at the Space Bar from approximately 3-6 today. Compensation for time and trouble to be negotiated.


Action
[Rogue sits with her back to the wall with a decent view of the door. She’d asked the bartender to inform anyone who came in and inquired about interviews to point them in her direction, and Nami had graciously agreed. This had been in her mind to determine for a while, but Loki's disappearance had just given her the proper motivation to try it. There is a determined set to her shoulders even as she tries to relax and nurse her drink. This would be what her friends would call reckless if they were feeling kind about things, which would be why she didn't plan on telling them.

...Ugh, waiting for interviews was not the best. Maybe she should have brought a book. She pages absently through her communicator instead.]

Comments

[cajunspice]

Oh, [Despite his best attempt to keep his voice neutral, there was certainly a tone to it that didn't speak great about Loki, but Remy quickly moved on to try and cover that slip up, trying to just be an ear to listen and not involve his own opinion on that... 'man' in this all.] Yeah? Didn't think ya could get back 'nto that place 'less they really want ya there.

[touchofrogue]

That's what they say. [An eyebrow aimed at him.] But since when are ya the sort ta take that sort of thing at their word?

[cajunspice]

True, true. [He paused to take a drink from his own glass, thinking over what she was doing, and trying not to think why she was doing it. Remy had never gotten alone with Loki from the start, the so called god had been on his case since he first arrived in Luceti, no doubt from what happened with Remy's previous visits to the domed town. But the fact Loki had cheated on Rogue, Remy's best friend in both of these prisons they were stuck in, and defended his position in such a stupid way, well, it just didn't sit right. Rogue deserved better.

But that was none of Remy's business, he was hardly one to give couples advice on.] 'long as ya ain't goin' to get penalized somehow by doin' this.

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue shrugs.] If it happens, then it happens.

[She scowls at her drink.] Least that way we learn somethin' if it does.

[She is not gonna just sit back and do n o t h i n g.]

[cajunspice]

Or ya get turned 'way when ya can't find a place to dock. [Ok, Remy wasn't meaning to be negative, not really, hell, he would normally be all for this, investigating what was going on and trying to get information. He also was letting his top foot that rested on the chair shake. True, he did often fidget if he sat still for too long, but even now it seem to be set of earlier than normal. Even if he wasn't going to admit to it, this topic was setting him on edge a bit.]

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue notes his uncharacteristically early agitation. It wasn't hard to connect it with the fact that he was generally disapproving of her boyfriend (and of anyone, he had more right then most after being the one she called to help take her down if she couldn't get her powers under control after Loki had broke her heart). But she did still love Loki, and they were still together, and she wasn't going to let a little risk stop her from trying to be with someone she cared about when he was being kidnapped by their psychotic overlords.]

Hey.

[She reaches over and nudges his shoulder a little before dropping it back to the table.] Stop lookin' like you're suckin' on a lemon just I beat ya ta doin' somethin' reckless. I was here longer than ya, after all. It's my turn ta be dumb.

[cajunspice]

[Ok, that helped him break out of the fact he was being an ass to her and letting this get to him too much. This was still Rogue, still his friend, even if he was worried about her getting hurt again. That didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, he would still be supportive if that was the path she stuck to.

Giving a smile to the nudge, Remy chuckled at her words.] Well, what ya 'xpect, out of the two of us who be most likely to go 'nd do something stupid?

[touchofrogue]

You. [Said cheerfully. She took a sip of her drink and then admitted wryly.] Well, mostly you.

[She did, upon occasion, try to live up to her name.]

[cajunspice]

'xactly, 'nd would hate for ya to ruin my reputation by ya gettin' 'way with that 'nd not me. [Joking aside, Remy turned to what he assumed was the reason behind her little trip to come.] So ya two are ok?

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue was not used to talking about her relationship with Loki with anyone with any joy. She didn't expect much joy out of this conversation either, even though Remy had seen how upset she had been after Loki had gone back home.]

We're back together, yeah. Since after the calibrations. It's good.

[She gave Remy a small smile, no need to be defensive about this until it was needed.]

[cajunspice]

So ya happy then cherie? [After all, it had been quite a thing to over come, not that it wasn't overly unusual. A lot of partners got back together despite one being with another.] Good, 'm glad for ya. [He was, really, because at the end of the day that was the important thing, her being happy in the relationship.]

[touchofrogue]

It's... a second chance ta do things right. [She said after a moment.] To do them better. I'm glad for that.

[cajunspice]

He got his head right 'bout all the nonsense 'bout needin'- [Remy cut himself off as he realized that was hardly the right thing to bring up. No reason to bring up things that hurt, not if they were sorting things out. He waved off what he had started.] Sorry, don't listen to me, we both know I really don't got no business to talk 'nything 'bout relationships 'nd couples.

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue's gaze cut to him. When she said 'do better' she'd meant on her end, but he was bringing up... that, and then withdrawing before she could cut him for it. Which was all very well and good, except she didn't like to hear that from him, that he was somehow disqualified.]

I think ya cut yourself too short sometimes. [Then, quieter:] You're my friend, ain't ya? You can say what ya want til I tell ya ta shut-up.

[cajunspice]

Don't mean ya can't hurt ya friend with words, even if ya don't mean to, 'nd I don't wanna do that to ya chere.

Cheatin' just... don't make sense to me. If ya with someone ya love, ya with them, end of story, they should be 'nough. If ya can't stop yaself, then ya clearly ain't suppose to be with that person, or need some sort of arrangement that don't get 'nyone hurt. [A shake of his head as he went back to his drink for a moment.] Then again, it never stopped me bein' with femmes who cheat on their partners. [As for his own situation, he didn't see it as cheating. It wasn't like he and Bella were together, it was only a piece of paper that bound them together.]

[touchofrogue]

[...that was how she'd always felt about cheating too. If you loved someone and felt yourself falling for someone else, you stopped being around that person. Or you ended one relationship and moved on to another. You didn't do both. That wasn't how love, in her opinion, was supposed to work. Love, true real love, was only valuable if it was expressed through actions, through loyalty.

Her opinion was an opinion formed by Earth, and so was Remy's. Monogamous couples barely made it fifty years in America, and that was something to celebrate when they did. How could anyone expect Asgardians, who lived for thousands of years, to have similar standards of relationship fidelity? And even so, it had been complicated.

She stared at her gloves.] Ya know Luceti didn't always leave that as an option. Didn't it ever make ya fall in love?

[cajunspice]

Luceti don't create ya morals. [Shaking his head to shake that muttering away, Remy answered her question.]

Not this time 'round that I remember, [Did previous versions of him count in this? Then again, there was that lingering memory of a kiss that came to mind, of them, of a him that wasn't him now. Of happiness but also pain.] I managed to miss out on that, had a close call with one of the Valentine days, but managed to get out of that once saw it was happenin' to others.

[touchofrogue]

Lucky. [That said with jealous sincerity]

That was one of the worst parts about the place. [And then, lowering her voice because it was almost funny now that it had happened two years ago, and there was really no one else around who would appreciate it:] Made me hook up with Logan once.

[Hopefully she'd timed that just right, as he was taking a sip of his drink.]

[cajunspice]

[And she certainly had, he having just started to put his drink back down when that bombshell hit. Spit take or not, Remy managed to clap his hand over his mouth to cover most of it. He held it there for a moment before wiping his lips with the back of his hand to get rid of the liquid, before shaking the excess off his hand and returning to the conversation as if nothing had happened.] That so? Thing for older men, [MUCH older men.] Or just kinda turned out that way?

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue snorts.] Sugah, you end up sharin' some of their special valentine food or drink, you'd end up givin' real funny looks ta a cactus. The Malnosso weren't very discriminatin' 'bout their yearly entertainment.

[cajunspice]

['Sugah', heh, he liked hearing that endearment, especially since it was so tough to get one out of her. Plus it was just so Southern and Remy always liked having a little reminder of home, even if it was a few states short from his own.] Yeahh, guess ya got a point there. Was just kinda 'xplainin' it to someone a week or so back, of that whole mess that place was. Be glad to never see it again. [Even if he missed some of the people who had been there.]

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue shook her head.] I sure don't miss their mind games, an' that's a fact.

[She took a sip of her glass.] It is a bit... strange, though. Been in one or the other of these places for the better part of six years now.

[If it weren't for the part that sucked, there was a large part of Rogue that didn't really want to go home anymore at all. People were actually NICE to each other here, for the most part. She hadn't run into a single person who wanted to kill her just because of her abilities. And Loki... well, he was a factor too.

She did miss the X-Men, though. And then there was the whole Apocalypse thing, she had to clean that mess up. But... yeah, it was strange.]

[cajunspice]

Mon Dieu, that... that a long time cherie. [Hell, it was a chunk of life all right.

Then he voiced his own thoughts on that matter.] Ya ever worried 'bout headin' back? [Feeling the need to expand on what he had just said.] I mean, I got family 'nd stuff back home but... don't really wanna lose or forget what been through, not for the people 've met. [Before aiming a smile at her.] Don't really wanna go back to bein' enemies with ya.

[touchofrogue]

[Whatever Rogue was about to say was cut through at that. That, at least, was something she could address.] Ah, we got through bein' enemies, I thought. We're at least noddin' acquaintances. You kidnappin' me an' me savin' your ass counts for that, at least. [She gave him the smallest smile, a five percent angle up on the twist.] We found our way through enough times, if we go home an' forget everythin', then we've got what we have.

[cajunspice]

Ain't friends though, not like this. [He admitted, looking down at his glass before pushing himself forward.] Don't got too many of those. Hell, lost the last two I had back home once the Acolytes broke up. [Although Piotr and John were only his friends due to them working together, they could just make the most of each others company to counter the type of job they had been dragged into.] 'nd don't mean we ever meet up again, we could just go our own ways 'nd that be the last of it. Would never know what we missin'.