01 . action

[calmbeforethe]

[ Her last memories of Luceti had been of snow. Looking around the forest and sensing the patterns of weather upon waking, however, told her it was now early autumn. Either she'd been gone several months or at least a year this time, she figured. Ororo wondered idly if there was a reason that she came and went like this. Something to ask the veterans of Luceti, she thought. ]

[ When she felt well enough, Storm took to the skies of Luceti: she knew her abiliities were dampened here in the enclosure, but she needed some time to reacquaint herself with Luceti's nature before looking for the village. She needed to calm herself, too; less powers also meant less control, and it would probably be better if she kept her emotions from starting an off-season monsoon. The random flashes of thunder and lightning from her annoyance at finding herself back in Luceti might attract unwanted attention, and how embarrassing would it be if someone noticed... ]

[ As soon as she centered herself, she changed course and headed for where she knew the village was. She remembered where the little house she'd stayed in previously was located as well, and checking the journal's callbox had let her know just who was still around and who from her world had arrived while she was "back at home." She figured there would be no harm in dropping by the house unannounced. Hopefully there was someone in House 16 to greet her! ]

[ Storm's first order of business after moving back into her old room at House 16 was to visit the stores for some essentials: the clothes shop being her first stop. As soon as she'd changed into and picked up some familiar clothes, she stepped back outside - and when it was safe, Ororo called down a bolt of lightning from the sky to strike the damned New Feather dress into ash. Subtle? Not in the least, but she had to vent somehow, right? Right. ]

[ Her next stops include the Item Store, and the grocery (to re-stock the house's food supply with some vaguely nutritious food), but her final stop of the day, despite the groceries and other items in her arms, would be Cloud Nine. Some of her clearer memories of Luceti were of the quaint little club, and Ororo rather hoped it would jog a few more of her memories... ]

[ Anyone in town is free to recognize or even bump into her as she makes her way around the village! Storm will be all over the place in general, seeking to re-familiarize herself with the town again. ]

Comments

[calmbeforethe]

[When Rogue comes back, she'll find Ororo sitting at the kitchen table. She's taken the liberty of pouring herself a glass of water, but hasn't actually taken a sip yet. Just sitting for the moment, looking out the window, lost in her thoughts.]

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue placed the pills on the counter beside Storm's glass.]

Here ya go.

[calmbeforethe]

[Blinks once, twice, before glancing up to give Rogue a grateful smile.]

Thank you, Rogue. [Always polite! She'll down two, closing her eyes as she swallows.]

[touchofrogue]

So... you remembered the house.

[Obviously.]

An' the town.

[Also obviously.]

What else?

[calmbeforethe]

[Shakes her head.] I couldn't tell you right now. The memories - they are like fragments, like pieces of a puzzle that I pick up separately... I remember the experiments, of course, but also war, and drafting...

[She looks at Rogue.] You said something about missions. That's new, isn't it?

[touchofrogue]

Relatively.

[This was so odd.]

They have steady assignments we can go on, combat, medical, or information gatherin'. You can earn points an' get stuff with it, but that's not why we go.

[calmbeforethe]

Why do you go, then?

[touchofrogue]

Ta get outta here. There's not much of a chance that we'll find anythin' useful, but it's better than being trapped behind the barrier.

[...]

An' sometimes there are folks out there who need our help.

[calmbeforethe]

Well, putting it that way I can see how Logan would agree to them at all.

[Pauses,] They are voluntary, are they not? Not like the drafts, that is.

[touchofrogue]

[She nodded.]

The missions are. There are the regular ones, an' sometimes they have 'special' ones. Been on a few of those - they're never exactly fun.

[calmbeforethe]

I do not things are ever "fun" where the Malnosso are concerned anyway. [She sighs, rubs the bridge of her nose idly.]

What else has changed? I see you've not mentioned Kurt, but I'm sure I remember him the last time I was around...

[touchofrogue]

No. [She repeated for clarification:] It's just us. Gambit's still here, but that's it from our world.

[calmbeforethe]

[Frowns a little at the mention of Remy.]

He's not been giving you any trouble, has he?

[touchofrogue]

Gambit's nothin' but trouble.

[That slightly more vitriolic and wry than it should be, maybe.]

But he's not a threat. He'd had my back a few times here.

[Not a threat to anything other than her feelings, and she's pretty sure she's closed those off to him now.]

[calmbeforethe]

[... Yeah, as troublesome as he is, Ororo does think that's a bit too acidic. Still, she can't comment - she's been gone a while, who knows what's happened between them since then.]

If you say so. I asked because... Well, my last memory of Gambit hadn't been particularly flattering for him. [And yet when she thinks about what she remembers of him in Luceti, all her memories indicate that he's really not too bad of a guy.]

[touchofrogue]

[Ah. Yes. There was that.]

No fear of him runnin' a kidnappin' ring. No fear of him figurin' out if he wants ta play it straight or crooked either.

[Twice burned, eight hundred times as shy. The big jerk.]

[calmbeforethe]

[Chuckling dryly.] Yes, well, I suppose we can assume exactly that given how long he has been here without starting anything. [Or so Ororo assumes. She's been gone months, after all.]

[touchofrogue]

Yeah, he's not a threat. Just a jackass.

[calmbeforethe]

[That gets an arch of an eyebrow.]

Is that right? How so? [Fishing for info without being obvious.]

[touchofrogue]

[Oh, I went out for a date with him after months of flirting and - guess what? He's engaged! Turns out he was just messin' with me the whole time.

Rogue rolled her eyes.]

Just try an' spend more than five minutes of conversation without him tryin' ta charm his way into your - [pants. wait. this is Ororo.] - affections.

[calmbeforethe]

[Yeah, she caught onto what she wanted to say there.]

Mm. He's always been a bit of an incorrigible flirt, from what I recall.

... But he did not try anything? [She knows Rogue can take care of herself and hold her own against any guy, but. This is Rogue. She has delicate concerns with trust and affection that if messed with, Ororo would have no issues having a well-meaning talk with Gambit about.]

[touchofrogue]

[She waved a hand to indicate 'Water. Bridge.']

It's Gambit. Ancient history now.

[If only she possessed the finally honed skill of subject-changing.]

[calmbeforethe]

All right, if you say so.

[Smiles a little bit.] I feel like I missed so much.

[touchofrogue]

Well... [a small smile] It's been a while.

[Rogue gestured to Ororo's clothes.]

You wanna see if I've got anythin' that'll fit?

[calmbeforethe]

[you know, had this been the Rogue she knew from back home, she would have declined tactfully. But given the flirty yellow dress (dress!!), she reconsiders.]

I would be grateful if you did, yes. Thank you.