13099/Chat Between Friends

Chat Between Friends
Date of Scene:	23 April 2021
Location:	Backyard - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Logan and Rogue catch up on recent happenings in their lives over smokes and under stars.
Cast of Characters:	Wolverine, Rogue

---

Wolverine has posed:
    More things change...
    The thought flits through Logan's mind as he ponders the lay of the land. A casual sweep across the grounds from his place there seated on the old stairs that lead up to the rear porch and deck area of the manor. That place where the teams and kids often have their bar-be-cues, or when the pool party gets too big people filter over here to have a bit of conversation that isn't overridden with music and laughter and splashes.
    Though right now, this close to the witching hour, the place is quiet. There's still the trill of distant cicadas, crickets, and some of that subtle white noise from the roadway not too far off. It's peaceful, and far off enough from the light pollution that one can actually see the stars.
    Though right now, some element of the peace is played havoc with purely by the smell. For a choice Luden brand cigar is lit and its rich scent floats in the air along with the smoke as the Wolverine indulges for once. Seated on the stoop, arms resting on his knees, he looks entirely at his ease since having returned earlier in the evening.

Rogue has posed:
Having been on the roof for most of the ealier evening hours, pondering things and watching the stars come out, Rogue was likely about to take off to her room when the faint scent of cigar smoke plays on her nose. So instead of going into the manor, she takes off from her roof perch and flies down to the end of the steps and tilts her head as she spies Logan sitting there enjoying his cigar and the night sky.
She waits a moment and then steps forward until she can turn and sits down next to the man. Her gaze goes to the skies and she watches the stars and the few scatters of clouds before finally glancing over to her companion. "Hey stranger. Where you been holdin' up these last couple'a weeks?" Asking that in her thick Mississippi-laden Southern Belle accent.

Wolverine has posed:
    Sidelong, the older mutant espies her and gives her a crooked half-smile half-smirk as he ashes that cigar to the side then gives it a home in the corner of his mouth. "Hey, kid."
    His own gaze drifts back to the fore, to the grounds and the stars above, leaning forward a little with his weight resting on those elbows and fingers interlaced. He does look like he's been traveling. He's got those worn old jeans on, the brown leather boots, and a black overshirt atop a white tee. Just enough to be comfortable in the chill that's snapped over the night.
    "Wandered around South some, had an old debt come a'callin' and that took up a good bit of my time." He takes a drag on the cigar, then lets a small plume of smoke slither out the side of his mouth as he seems all nice and settled.
    "Just got back a bit ago. Saw Hank. Jubes." Then he pauses as he gives her a mildly incredulous look, "Wade too. What's that story?"

Rogue has posed:
Kid. That makes her smile. Coming from him always seemed more like an endearing thing than a put down. As he speaks, she listens, looks to him and then back to the stars and the grounds - just sort of taking it all in. Sometimes it's nice to just take a moment and look. Appreciate what's around you. Though that causes her to take a breath and shake a moment away.

"Oh? How far south did your wanderin' take ya? I went south myself for a bit. Pay some respects and all that." She offers, and then she looks pointedly around their closer left and rights, then behind, before pulling a black pack and lighter from her pockets. Cloves are a special treat, more so for the woman who doesn't indulge often, but get her around another smoker and she can't help herself. Lighting one up right when Logan asks about Wade and she scoffs.

"That asshole? He's got somethin' wrong in his head. Almost got me in some trouble. I don't think he's worth the effort Summers an' Jean are puttin' into him. He's nothin' but trouble." She offers and then takes another drag off that clove, letting the sweet taste settle before blowing a stream of smoke upwards.

Wolverine has posed:
    At her inquiry his eyes lift and roll a bit some to the right, as if to say 'too far' but he gives her a more audible answer as he murmurs, "Arizona." She can always tell when Wolverine was not entirely wanting to be too forthcoming, but then offers what he can. It's there in that slight twist to the side of his mouth, not quite a scowl but a thing that could be one if it had ambition.
    "Some coyotes were runnin' people across the border, and doin' it... in a bad way." They were doing that. The words implying they're not doing it now, and the tone offering that they'd never do much of anything else ever again. Yet he takes a deep breath, holding the cigar to the side, then lightly lifts a boot and thumps it against the edge of the stoop, causing old mud and grime to come loose.
    Though he looks sidelong at the moment Rogue digs out her own particular vice and he chuckles a little. No comment though, everyone has the right to go to hell how they want to. But then she starts to speak about good old Wade and Logan gives a nod, not taking exception at the asshole comment. Not at all.
    "Yeah well, that's Wade." With something' wrong in the head. Then she offers her insight and he nods along a bit, "There's some merit to that school of thought. And nine times out of ten I'm gonna fall on the side of fuggim." He takes another drag and then looks upwards. "But Wade's... seen a lot. And I knew him afore all the crazy. So ya never know..."
    And from Logan that's perhaps at least some measure of... not quite praise. But positivity.

Rogue has posed:
"Well. Surely is a good thing it's been stopped." No, Rogue isn't going to inquire more. She knows better than that, and she knows that Logan has been about as forthcoming with information as he likely wants to be. Just how things go, and that's where it's left. She takes another drag off that clove, and maybe she's a bit surprised he doesn't comment on it, but sometimes comments aren't necessary. Besides, he has no room to talk - except his abilities keep him from suffering from vices like most others.

"When I ran into him, he was tryin' to steal a car. Then, because I was just comin' in, he tried to jack me for mine. The compromise was for me to give him a ride where he was wantin' to go..." She supplies this much and then shrugs. "I may be able to take it, but I don't really wish anyone to be on Wade's shit list...cause he apparently is a man set out for blood even on a good day." So why he's allowed to stay at the school is beyond Rogue's comprehension, but it was decided by Scott and Jean - so there must be a method to the madness right?

There's a pause. Another drag. Ashes flicked to the side. "Rescued some mutant kids what were bein' kidnapped by some big and bad. It was weird. Goin' up against people what ain't made outta metal or got special powers of their own.."

Wolverine has posed:
    Eyebrows lifting at the mention of Wade stealing a car. And when it comes up that she observes he's often out for blood, the Canadian mutant sort of shrugs with his eyebrows and then waves a hand slightly to the side, as if to say that she's got the right of it and not much can be done. "There's an argument ta be made that keepin' Wade around keeps him from goin' out and doin' crazier things. Best way to stay on his good side? Aim him at someone else."
    Another drag then he ashes the cigar slightly, more out of impatience or annoyance than necessity. He leans back then, slipping his arms behind him and letting his elbows rest on the wooden deck, his legs sprawling out in front of him as he looks across the way.
    Listening to her tell him about the rescue and the kidnapping he gives a slow nod then offers his own insight. "No requirement of powers for people ta do their own flavor of evil now and again." He crosses his boots at the ankles and grimaces. "Then again suppose it works the other way too. No powered people don't have a monopoly on being a hero."

Rogue has posed:
"Right. But it ain't like we got iron bars on our doors, or barbed wire over the walls and even if we did, I'm fairly certain that wouldn't keep him inside the walls." Rogue offers before giving another shrug, and takes another drag off her clove. "Anyway. Suppose we'll see what comes of it all one way or another." Honestly she doesn't want to talk about it anymore, so she lets it drop like a hot potato. "But if he ain't careful the next place Imma aim him is to the moon, and hope he can breathe in space." Not that she could fling him all the way there, but according to science she'd only have to get him halfway, moon's gravity would do the rest.

"Didn't say there had to be powers for someone to be evil. Just ain't the type of thing I've had experience with. Some could say that I'm evil, with the type of power I got stuck with..." With the shit she's done with it whether it was intentional or not. It's just recent events and conversations has her mind all sorts of messed up - and in a big way she just wants to hide in her room and maybe never come back out. It happens every once in a while. "I mean makin' a sentinel blow up or whatever is one thing. Killin' another person is something entirely different."

Wolverine has posed:
    The other mutant snorts, shaking his head as she suggests knocking Wade into orbit which he can't help but smile a little about at that particular prospect. One rough hand lifts to push through that wild mane of hair of his as he shakes his head and replies, "Ta be fair, might do him some good. So you have my permission." Another puff on the cigar and then he says around it, "Such as it is."
    But then Rogue offers some insight and she'll feel the weight of the older mutant's gaze heavy on her, his expression held in check but she's seen it before. That subtle touch of wariness, that outright gauging or even some might call judgmental look. It's there in the deep blues of those irises. Then he gives a nod after her last few words...
    And lets the quiet hang there between them for a time.
    The twin tendrils of smoke entwine while they sit there, enjoying the faint trill of crickets and all, until after a space of a handful of heartbeats he looks back and murmurs. "It's a good thing, though, Marie."
    The words have a solemnity to them. "That it gives you pause. Trepidation. For some folk it doesn't. So long as you know what it is. What you're doin'. Sometimes it needs doin'. Should never come easy."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue surely doesn't miss it. Even if she didn't glance over to catch that look there's always something about being able to *feel* that look from Logan. She didn't have to glance, but she does, to find that heavy, almost judgemental gaze from the man next to her. When the silence comes she doesn't question it, she doesn't even try to fill it. It sits there between them with only the crickets and cicadas to give them their music of the night. She takes a drag off her clove and flicks more ashes.

When the silence is finally broken, she looks over at him again, hearing how he sort of breaks off from the judging and moves into something likely akin to acceptance. A breath is taken and she shakes her head, forcing herself to look out over the grounds once more. "I kept thinkin'.. it could have been anyone. It could have been the students. It could be *future* students. And they were so scared....and if we didn't stop them..." She pauses, looking down at her hands before another more shuddered breath is drawn. "Logan I don't know what they were plannin' to do with them kids but they were so scared. If we hadn't of done what we did ain't no tellin' what woulda happened... but I can't recall ever...willingly...killing someone." A pause. "...and I've tried really hard to not be the cause of anyone's death but..." Then she stands, cause sitting doesn't help, pacing won't either really but it's what she starts to do.

Wolverine has posed:
    "When you're out there," Logan says, his voice that low steady rumble she's heard a million times before. He lifts his chin a little as if indicating the beyond, the world past their little island of safety here at Xavier's. "In a situation like we often face, you don't have time for could. Or would. What might be."
    He tears off a bit of the cigar and then drops it in front of his boot to crush the faint life out of the remaining ember, saving perhaps part of the rest for later or whatever reason. He pockets that, then straightens up again, leaning forward with his arms on his knees as he tries to wrangle the right words for him to give to Rogue. "Sometimes you make choices. To protect yourself. Your team. Your family. Innocents. Sometimes there's not a lot of leeway. People might argue, could you have done somethin' else. But they'll never really know. Since they're never there in that situation, and never will be."
    He lifts a hand to the side, "But knowin' this. And knowin' you, kid." Calling her that instead of her name, perhaps to draw her back from the theater of the mind and more into the here and now with him. "Knowin' the person you are. I think I can trust that you made the right call. And you will in the future."
    That said he pushes himself slooowly to his feet, his body makes those faint crackles and creaks though his have more of a metallic edge to them. "C'mon, I'm jonesin' for a beer."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue has finished her clove, so she field strips the cherry to crush out beneath her shoe and then drops the butt into another pack from her other pocket. Likely she does something with those later to all over hide the fact that she's smoking anything. Even while doing that, she's actively listening to Logan, proven by the glances she gives his way sometimes, or the sort of twitch her ears make. Likely things Logan's picked up about her to know that she is listening and not just letting him talk so he can enjoy the sound of his own voice.

Her reverie is halted a little bit after he calls her kid, and more when he reiterates a couple of important facts. She can't change what happened, and there's no sense dwelling on it. People were in danger, she made a move. If she hadn't of thrown the gunman off the roof, someone would have gotten seriously hurt - and not everyone has healing powers like Logan and Hank. So she takes another breath and nods, stopping her pacing after a moment. "Thanks Logan. I appreciate that." She wiggles her fingers in the air. "All of it. Had't quite made it to that point in my head. It's been more me worrying about the actual killing and..." What that does to her.

As he stands she smiles and nods, sweeping her hand towards him. "Alright. Sounds like a plan."

Wolverine has posed:
    Long time knowing each other, he doesn't offer a hand, knowing that the casual touch isn't entirely something that sets her at ease. But he waits until she's risen, gives a nod and with that he turns and starts to make his way on into the mansion's main kitchen area through that door in the back.
    Yet as he's walking he says over his shoulder with a hint of incredulity, "So when the hell didja start smokin'?"
    And as he says that the door opens as they wander on inside.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue follows him up the steps and through that back door to get into the main kitchen area. That question is one she figured was coming at some point, but it still makes her chuckle. "It's a very *very* casual habit, but probably for the last year or so?" She offers. "When I booked it to Mississippi for a while...kinda took it up." That and then the two disappear into the kitchen and the door shuts behind them, leaving them to further catch up over a beer or few.