xp_logs | Remy and 'Ro | Friday afternoon

Remy and Ororo meet in the city to talk, both about the rescued students and other, more philosophical matters. And gossip. When in doubt, gossip.

So perhaps a cute little sidewalk cafe wasn't exactly where Ororo pictured Remy eating lunch on a regular basis. But it was the most convenient place to meet, between his job at the brownstone and her various errands around the city, so the cafe was it. They had agreed to meet that Friday afternoon, both to touch base about the resolution of their time in Monaco, and as an attempt to regain some normalcy as quickly as possible. Not to mention she needed a little time away from the mansion before the inevitable flood of concerned students and staff appeared in her office.

She arrived on time, as usual, and smiled at the waitress who showed her to a table. Outside, of course, and as close to the fan-like ferns as possible. It didn't make the overhanging oppressiveness of the city disappear, but it at least held it at bay.

Remy turned up a few minutes later, nodding to the head waiter as he took a seat across from her. "Afternoon, 'Ro. Glad to see dat you found de place." She noticed that he took the seat with his back to the windows, where he could watch the street as well. "Dis place isn't exactly high class, but de lunch special is usually decent."

"I am sure it is more than 'decent'," she said with a shake of her head, having already looked over the menu while she was waiting. "And besides, it is hardly as if we have the time or inclination for gourmet. I am merely glad that things have finally started to calm enough so that we can meet, period." And she really was glad. Chasing wayward students around European cities was not exactly her idea of a restful time.

"Oui, dat regular lunch idea of yours has taken a kicking over de last few months, hasn't it?" Remy said with a sardonic twist to his mouth. Ororo and he had gotten into the habit of exchanging information back and forth in an informal way, and after a dozen e-mails, she'd threatened him if he didn't agree to face to face meetings. "Glad to see you got de kids back. Nearly had dem in Monaco myself before someone called in Interpol."

Ororo nodded, reluctant to say much on the subject now that it was over and done with. "Indeed," was all she uttered, picking up her menu once again and opening it up. It wasn't that she was avoiding the subject, exactly, but she had already had to meet with Charles to recount it once and wanted as much distance between herself and the memories of that evening as possible.

All right, so perhaps she was avoiding it a little bit.

"I thought I had made up my mind, but now I am not so sure... is there anything you would recommend?" she asked, for lack of anything better to say.

"Remy just get his usual. Roast beef on rye, soup, bottle of water. I don't even have to order dese days." He half grinned, sliding his menu under hers. "You looking all pensive, Stormy. What's going on?"

"Just the usual," Ororo replied with a rueful smile, resting her elbows on the table as she looked across at him. "Runaway students, international felonies, outraged parents... oh, and midterms are coming up soon, too. There is simply not enough time in the day sometimes, I think."

"Dat's why I stick wit' de international espionage. Less marking, even with de bullets flying around you." Remy tapped the top of the table absently. He had a tendency to fidget, something to do with his powers that always keep him in some kind of motions. "We did good, you know. Finding dose kids? We need more of dat. De X-Men and Wisdom's X-Force have different priorities, but dere's going to be times dat we're going to need all of us, neh?"

"Yes, it did turn out to be a fruitful collaboration," 'Ro agreed. "This, and Nova Roma... our strengths do seem to compliment one another's. I must thank you once again for all that you and the rest of the team did. " Her smile was warmer now, if still a bit weary. "Jennie's father and Marius' parents extend their thanks as well."

"Well, it's important. Part of what Wisdom wants is stopping threats before dey actually happen. Dat sometimes means getting to de students before dey get screwed up enough to end up as threats." Remy shook his head. "Dere was a point dat we weren't sure what was going on wit' dem, and wondered whether or not dey needed to be taken down. It's a hell of a responsibility."

"Yes... one not many schools must deal with quite as often as we seem to." The waitress came then, and Ororo paused to peruse the menu one last time before ordering. The woman didn't even bother checking with Remy before scribbling something on her pad and heading back inside. "Sometimes I wonder if it is the nature of what we do, or if there is something crucial that we are missing in the teaching process..."

"Dat's where you're wrong, 'Ro. Anyone you give de chance to make up dere own mind is sometimes going to do it in stupid ways." Remy shrugged. "Doesn't matter how good a teacher dat you are, you going to have students dat going to fail you, I think."

"A somewhat depressing philosophy... however true it may be. Tell me, is there another spot open in the brownstone?" 'Ro asked jokingly.

"Remy hire you in a minute, but I get a feeling dat you might not be so happy working on our types of jobs, Stormy." Remy grinned. He knew what battled inside Storm, and he almost felt bad pulling her back into his world. Still, he also felt she'd tried so hard to avoid it, that she'd lost track of a part of herself. "'cept course de ones dat involve stealing things, dat is."

Ororo rolled her eyes, gratefully accepting the water the waitress brought by their table. "I am glad to see there is still something I can do to return the favors X-Force does for the school." Despite her apparent low mood, she smiled at Remy, absently stroking the tiny leaves of the flower that sat in the vase on their table. "Still, I suppose I would miss the school if I was to leave it. The screams of children as they run wild down the hall... explaining to Cain why there is yet another hole in the rec room wall..."

"De school is important, even Wisdom tell you dat. Dose kids remind you what we doing all dis for." Remy had an uncharactistically serious tone. Leaving the mansion had been hard for him, more so than even Amanda knew. It had been his first real home, one that he'd bled for and been willing to die for. The betrayal by both Wisdom and the Professor had scarred him deeply.

"Besides, it's not like dose of us at Snow Valley could be teaching classes, neh?"

"Oh, I don't know... I'm sure Amanda could head a very popular 'Cursing in the King's English 101," 'Ro said, grinning. "And do not tell me you would not win Teacher of the Year with Card Throwing for Beginners."

"Remy pretty sure dat you all do not want me teaching all de skills dat I have to de younger kids. First of all, you'd certainly need a new lock on de liquor cabinet first." Remy said with a raised eyebrow. He leaned back as their lunch plates appeared, and he picked up a half of his sandwich.

"That is true. We would have to restrict your classes to sophomores and up," 'Ro chuckled. Her salad looked appetizing, and the bread that accompanied it was still steaming slightly, hot out of the oven. She took a bite and made an appreciative sound, sitting back in her chair.

"I think dey safe." He took a bite, and then put it back on the plate. "So, uh, how's Lorna doing?" It wasn't hard to pick up the nervous flutter.

"Lorna is well. Her classes are progressing nicely, as have her independent powers-studies with some of the students." This probably - no, definitely - wasn't what Remy meant, but Ororo didn't feel very qualified to report on anything else. "Beyond that... she seems fine, Remy, but she is quite adept at keeping things hidden. I could not say."

Remy mutely nodded, looking a little too focused at his sandwich for it to be anything other than a way to avoid looking at anyone directly. He didn't trust what Ororo might see in his eyes. "Dat's, uh-- bien. She needs time to find herself. Put things back together."

Ororo was quiet, neither trying to gloss over what Remy might be feeling nor pry into it. The ambient noise of the streets filtered over them as she took a sip of water, taxis honking and the shouts of people echoing in the corridor-like alleys. "There is nothing easy about what we do," she murmured at last, "but if we are brave, we do it anyway. One day at a time, because anything more might be overwhelming. Today I am lucky to be having lunch with a friend. And who knows what tomorrow may bring?"

"Likely a mutant nuclear dragon or something. Remy trust his luck for dat." He said sourly and took another bite of his sandwich. "Sorry, 'Ro. Didn't mean to drag down de mood."

Remy reached into his pocket and pulled out a CD, which he placed on the table in front of Ororo. "Here's some of de information dat we've dug up dat might relate directly to de school."

With a nod Ororo slid it towards her, then tucked it into the pocket of her jacket as if it had never existed. "Thank you. I will look it over soon and let you know of anything that might need further clarification."

"You know where to find me. Not many people can say dat." Remy gave her a grin. "And dat's all de shop talk for today, neh? Otherwise, we have to get de Professor to mindwipe all de people here and he might say no."

"Yes, he's so difficult that way." Ororo winked at him and picked up her fork once more, scooping up a crouton. "So, now is the point where you share all the gossip you can remember from the last week, and I tell you about the embarrassing things I caught Nate doing with his TK when he thought no one was watching."