15840/If the Shoe Fits

If the Shoe Fits
Date of Scene:	27 November 2023
Location:	Harry's Hideaway (Bar), Salem Centre
Synopsis:	Rogue joins the X-Force officially
Cast of Characters:	Rogue, Wolverine, Psylocke

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Rogue has posed:
It normally doesn't take much for Rogue to convince Logan to meet her at a bar in the late afternoon to early evening hours. She doesn't even have to really give him a reason. A simple, lets go out or meet for a drink and Logan is usually down for it. The tricker bit was likely getting Betsy aka Psylocke, to join her. Not that they have any sort of strained relationship - it's likely more that they don't really have much of a relationship at all. Rogue keeps to herself a lot, less these days, but still enough that she might retain the reputation of being an isolated person.

Still, the message was given. Now it was just waiting to see if either would take the bait of meeting her at Harry's. Close enough to the school that it wouldn't be out of anyone's way. Logan won't even know that she's invited Psylocke, nor the other way around. Or the reason why she's asked them to meet her in the first place. It's very hush hush. Super seekrit. But there IS a purpose. She promises.

Wolverine has posed:
Any time is Beer-Thirity on Logan's watch. And so the loud rev of the motor cycle is heard around the appropriate time. Teh engine practically roaring out miles before getting them. Something quiet in the distance until he gets closer. Parkiing the bike, Logan slips ff the bike. A black and red flannel, unbuttoned peaks out from a bown bomber jacket atop of it. The color contrast showing a little here, a little there, against the medium brown well worn leather. Underneath both f those is a black tanktop.

A pair of light blue jeans cling to his legs a littl bit, they mostly conceal a pair of light brown cowboy boots. They go "clunk!" with each step forward. The noise echoing as he pushes forward. Ocean blue eyes looking about. "I was bribed here 'cause of beer," Logan half jokes.

Psylocke has posed:
Betsy's reputation, certainly, would put her at social opposites from Rogue. When she's at Xavier's her treatment of the students is warm, and open and encouraging. For the most part. She's utterly ruthless in her training. Some even say she's a completely different person. Of course, the X-Men know the truth: she /is/ a different person, at times.

It's always easy to see which person she is, though. Kwannon doesn't try to hide her cool disdain. And she would never accept an invitation from an acquaintance out of the blue -- immediately expecting a trap.

The difference is, Betsy goes, but still expects the trap.

The purple-haired ninja is dressed in flowing cream pants with matching heels, a thin white quarter-sleeve shirt with an open neck showing off a gold-and-amethyst pendant. For the former model, it's practically dressing for stealth. She still is who she is, so she scopes out the location, mentally as well as physically, before she enters. Even though she's psychically scanned the insides, she still looks: there are people who can hide from her, after all. Only when she's satisfied does she stride with a click of her heels towards Rogue.

Betsy's not, in truth, overly surprised to see Logan there. "Did you double-book me with a date night?" she asks, amused, as she glances Logan's way to get a sense of whether he's in on this or not.

Rogue has posed:
"Oh? Only bribed with beer and not with being able to see the love of your life?" Rogue quips back to Logan in jest before standing from her seat and giving the man a chaste kiss on the lips. Nothing to overtly PDA wary, but just enough to leave him likely wanting a taste for more.

That will come later.

"And we're still waiting for one more person..." She announces to the Wolverine before settling back in her chair and using a foot to kick one out for Logan to sit in. A pitcher of beer is already on the table, a type that Logan surely prefers when he comes to Harry's. Rogue, herself, is sipping on a gin and tonic.

When the doors open again, her eyes shift to see Betsy walking in with all the grace and glory that a woman like her can afford. The state of her dress is a far cry more formal than Rogue's jeans and tee shirt bit, but here we are. As Betsy reaches the table and makes the joke, Rogue actually laughs. "No. But not a bad idea perhaps..." She smirks. "I do have a reason to have you both here, and I'm sure by now one of you may suspect what hand I have in my pocket and the other doesn't. I'm surely eager to see which of you thinks I got pocket aces...but first. How are you, Betsy? Doing well?"

Wolverine has posed:
"I can be bribed by both," Logan says honestly as he looks at her wth ocean blue eyes. A smirk pulls at his lips. He look at Rogue and will give her a kiss. A soft not quite chaste one.

"One more?" Logan asks as he is starting t feel like thi is an actual setup now. He will sit down. A brow raises, but will lower long before Betsy walks in.

Betsy walks in and he looks at her, "Nope. I didn't do the plannin' on this one," Logan admit and he will look back toward Rogue. "Wanna tell us what's goin' on?" he asks honestly.

Logan will not move from his perch as he waits to see how this will play out.

Psylocke has posed:
"Hm. Wouldn't be the first time. Jean's done that to me a time or two. I think this calls for a drink." Betsy is used to far more refined tastes than the pitcher of beer that's on the table; she catches the eye of one the waitresses with a smile that borders on flirtatious. She doesn't intend it; it's just kind of her default warm nature. "I believe Harry still stocks a bottle of Glenfiddich; I'll take a glass. On my friend's tab," with an elegant flicker of her wrist towards Rogue.

Apparently that's the price for her staying.

Betsy seats herself, crossing her legs, setting her purple purse down on the table. She makes it look comfortable, despite the fact that, by the far-more-casual standards at this bar, she stands out. She's used to that, for a wide variety of reasons.

Her smile, though, for Rogue is genuine, as is her response: "You know, the usual. Chasing scientists across the globe; psychically battling newcomers wanting to stake a reputation for themselves; making friends regret their life choices." The /friends/ has just enough weight to mean more than the simple word: she clearly means the Friends of Humanity. The purple-haired woman seems to accept Logan's shifting of responsibility with a single nod, as she, too, looks expectantly at Rogue.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue smiles politely at Logan before turning her attention to Betsy for the moment. Waiting as the woman orders her own drink and settles herself at the table. Yes, Rogue is paying for tonight's adventure. It's only fair. Yet both are now looking at her. Expecting answers.

"And trying to save the world from imminent destruction... or so I've been told..." She adds on to Betsy's list of things she's been doing lately. "No denying it. Logan's already filled me in. To the point that he's even told me he's joined your little X-Force team in the hopes of trying to stop it. So this is why we're here. Because I told him that night, and I am telling you now. I'm in. There's no arguin' this. If Logan's a part of it, I am too. If the world needs saving, then that's one of the jobs we do right? No matter the risks at stake?" Her emerald green eyes shift to look directly at Betsy then.

"You're not arguing me out of it. There's no point in even trying. I'm in. So now it's your turn to fill me in on what the hell is going on."

Wolverine has posed:
Logan will smirk when Betsy puts it on Rogue's dime. He thinks on it, "Start a tab fer me on her bill," he points to Rogue. Betsy isn't the only one with a price. For Logan it's more for the lack of warning rather than anything to do with actual presence.

"I have friends like that, too," he says understanding Betsy's turn of phase when it comes to people like that.

"Meet the replacement fer Firestar," Logan says honestly. This is the irony of this little adventure. He told Betsy there would be a replacement. When Logan and Betsy last meet, he had a feeling someone would follow him. Even if he didn't want her to. And having such a high faith on that, Logan tipped off Betsy.

No specifics were given, just a simple promise of a replacement. He figured the replacement would introduce herself. Which seems to be happening right now.

"Told ya there'd be a replacement," Logan says to Betsy honestly.

When his beer is brought over, he will just drink and let Betsy take the floor. Not only does Logan get one of the best feelings in the world, being right, but it comes with free beer! Today is a good day so far.

Psylocke has posed:
"Has he." Betsy's gaze doesn't waver from Rogue's face to confirm that. She probably expected it. There's no attempt to deny what the other woman says, merely the lift of her brow at the declaration. Now -- /now/ she glances at Logan, as if to determine how much of this was his influence... or not. When he says the word replacement, she smiles. Angelica was there for a specific purpose: to hold their humanity, to point them the way to true north, if they lost their way. It's not clear to her whether this is Rogue's job, too.

Betsy waits until the waitress returns with the drink, thanking the woman with a smile. The telepath sips at the whiskey, an air of appreciation in the way she savors it. "You wouldn't be the first that changed their minds about this." A fleeting smile. "Saving the world is what the X-Men do, yes."

"I don't know you so well, though of course I know you by reputation. So I hope you won't take offense when, rather than answering straight away, I ask: what are you prepared to do to save the world, Rogue? Would you kill for it? Killing, it gets easier. It weighs less and less on your soul until you lose yourself." Betsy says it with a kind of detached air. "Until you start to not recognize who you were anymore."

"Would you die to save the world? Dying is easy. You don't have to live with the consequences."

"The real question then, is, would you kill someone you trust, or love to save the world? Would you kill Logan for it?" A beat, Betsy's gaze steady on Rogue. "Would you let Logan die for it?" There's the slight touch of her telepathy: not to pry, but to make sure Rogue is being truthful, even to herself. Everyone lies. Especially to themselves.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue shifts her gaze to Logan as he mentions that she's - in some way - a replacement. This doesn't seem to phase her much more than the fact that they hadn't discussed that. Her attention turns back to Betsy as the woman speaks. For everything that she says, Rogue doesn't change her facial features. Not a twitch of lip or eye. Aside from once, when Betsy asks if she would kill Logan - or at the very least let him die - if it meant saving the world.

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. If that is what it takes, then yes. I would kill anyone. I would die trying. At the end of it, this is bigger than us. It also would not be the first time I would have killed anyone, or watched a love one die. Or simply disappear." She says this much, and that light touch into her mind shows that she is telling the truth. Perhaps more than. There are things in her life that only a handful of people know about, so the fact that she is being this open and honest likely says something. Perhaps this is her way of giving herself some extra credibility.

"I would expect Logan to do the same. To me or anyone else he cares for. Even himself. Cause like I said. This isn't about us, right? This is about making sure that those who are not us still have a world to live on when it's all said and done. Apocalyptic catastrophe isn't quite what I signed up for when I joined the X-Men...but sacrifices must."

Wolverine has posed:
Logan looks toward Rogue. He's expecting Betsy to do some kind of truth detector trick. Something about telepathy and skills he didn't understand. "What are ya seein'?" he knows she's looking for some. So, he takes a sip of his beer. Rgiht now he feels like a fly n the wall. Something to maybe nudge things along wthout pushing things forward too much.

Psylocke has posed:
It's less the tilt of her head than the smile that graces Betsy's face that suggests approval. "This isn't about us," she agrees with Rogue. "It's bigger than any one person." When Logan asks his question, Betsy's smile deepens. "That you didn't tell her she was a replacement. Angelica was Logan's pick for who could keep us -- people like Logan and I -- from going too far. Someone who could try and keep our moral compasses if not completely clean, at least with an idea of true north. Not sure if you're that person, or not." It's less a statement, perhaps an open ended question, to both of them.

For a moment Betsy savors her drink, her eyes settled somewhere above Rogue's head, gaze unfocused. It's subtle, but the sounds from nearby fade just a little. Anyone nearby won't hear their words; it's just something the telepath does without thinking. "Two years ago, I began having visions. I'd had them before. The problem with prophetic visions is that they're littered in vagueness and allegory. The human mind can't directly see and feel all the endless possibilities that might happen. Our minds aren't equipped view Fate directly: we'd go mad. So these visions are always less a directive to do something and more a warning of what's coming."

"Two years ago is when I left Xavier's and the X-Men. I traveled all over the world, seeking experts. I went as low as Madripoor and as high as the Himalayas. I found soothsayers, prophetics, experts in dreams and allegories. With all, I shared my visions, and they all came to the same conclusion that I have. Something is coming. It's beyond our comprehension almost. In the vision, I see it as dark clouds, as an omnipresence that leaves behind despair and hopelessness. I never see the true face of it, but to see what it does -- how it turns people against each other, driving them to despair, to murder, to suicide... the wiping out of everyone without direct intervention? Those visions have plagued me, and still do."

"What I've learned since -- with the help of Mister Sinister and Lucifer Morningstar -- paints an even darker picture." Betsy's aware those names aren't necessarily welcome among the X-Men. Yet it's clear in the way she refers to them there's a respect there. "I made... what you might say... contact with it. Though contact is probably the wrong word. There's a more scientific term that explains it, but basically, the entity I have been having visions about? It is tied to, maybe is part of, a meteor. The meteor itself doesn't really exist in our existential plane, or only briefly touches ours once every five or ten thousand years, maybe. We think it last touched us during the time of the Ancient Egyptians, where shards of the meteor impacted Earth. Around them, cults sprang up, to both worship and welcome the incoming entity... but that never eventuated. We don't know what happened then to stop it. Whether we can repeat it."

"Logan has been clear on his doubts." There's no recrimination in Betsy's voice, even when she looks his way. She accepts his doubts as readily as she does his help. "Even if it weren't for the visions, there is too much evidence for me to ignore, for me to not want to act. If he's right, I'll be the first on the line, regardless."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is all ears until Betsy drops two names that causes her to glance over to Logan for a brief moment, eyebrow raised. Her gaze quickly turns back to Betsy as the woman continues and finishes her story. She's silent then. Almost as if processing everything. "That's a lot to take in. It's not going to change my mind. But it's a lot to process. I'm sure you're even still processing...and I'm sorry you've taken the brunt of all that. For whatever it's worth. I'm with you."

She pulls her wallet out of her pocket, tosses down a couple hundreds and then shifts to stand. "Please keep me up to date as best you can and if you need me, you know how to get a hold of me." The look she gives Logan likely screams 'we need to talk' but she's all smiles when looking to Betsy. Nothing alarming, even for the telepath to read, except that Rogue might be a little upset that some other information was kept from her at first.

Psylocke has posed:
"Good," Betsy says, when Rogue says it won't change her mind. "I wouldn't have told you if I thought you were going to change your mind." This is the problem with telepaths. Did she read Rogue's mind to know what she would do, say? Or did she merely gamble and say it after the fact, as a point of certainty?

Undoubtedly, Betsy's aware of the vibe between Rogue and Logan. She's also staying otherwise well out of it. They'll sort things out, or not.

"I'll have a phone sent to you tomorrow. It has secure communications, and you'll be kept up to date on all we learn." She pauses. "If you do ever change your mind... I won't judge you for it. It's not going to be an easy road, Rogue. But I'll always make myself available, if you want to talk, regardless." She means it, the warmth and genuineness behind it pure Betsy. With a last imbibing sip, she finishes off her glass, and sets it down. "I need to head back into the city. But we'll talk soon. Good night, both of you," she says by way of farewell, as she rises to depart.