xp_logs | Log: Ororo/Remy

Remy and Ororo during another of their usual lunch meetings. Today, neither of them feel like talking shop, and instead discuss the mess that is their love lives.

It wasn't that LeBeau was in a foul mood, but he didn't look particularly happy. The last week had been trying for him, on many levels, evaporating the cheer leftover from his surprise party. Even the rest of the Snow Valley staff had noticed his sullen mood, and had mostly left him to his own ends. In fact, the only real break had been during Crystal's visit, and even then, he hadn't stayed long at Finnegan's.

Still, when Ororo had e-mailed him to confirm their usual lunch meeting, he didn't feel like he could say no without it being obvious sulking. Which is how he was sitting at a table near a window in a new restaraunt, looking at the bourbon he'd ordered without much enthusaism, waiting for her.

If the city could smell any worse, Ororo didn't see how it was possible. She supposed she could've counted herself lucky that she didn't have an extra-sensitive sense of smell; the smog and fumes were bad enough already. Still, anything was better than staying cooped up in the mansion for another day; she needed this time away.

She finally arrived at the restaurant, glad that she had worn comfortable shoes as it had been quite a hike to get there. She spotted Remy sitting by the window as usual and excused the hostess, saying she could seat herself. "Good afternoon," she greeted him, pulling out the seat opposite him and sliding into it.

"Hey Stormy." Remy replied. His lips moved into an approximation of a smile, but it never touched his eyes. "Hell of a day out dere, neh? Just waiting for winter to really get here, blow some of dis air clearer."

"I would welcome it, gladly." The realization that Remy seemed to be in just as bad a mood as her, if not more so, made Ororo decide to leave her own problems aside for the moment. There was no reason to compound things, after all, and this was supposed to be a pleasant luncheon. "It should not be long, if my hunches are correct. I hope you have unpacked your winter clothing."

"I knew if I wore dis trenchcoat long enough, eventually it would come in useful." Remy quipped, finally taking a sip of his drink. "How's de madhouse? Had a couple of you students in last week, bodyguards and everything."

"The madhouse is just that: mad," Ororo muttered, a dark look crossing her face. It took a conscious effort not to let the skies outside cloud over as well. "There was an... incident involving Logan and one of the Amaquelin girls. We have been trying to sort it out for a week."

Incident? "Logan is sleeping wit' one of de rich girls? Talk about slumming." Remy muttered, looking halfheartedly at the menu. He actually liked Logan. The man's attitudes were not uncommon in the world that Remy worked in, and while his approach was rough, he knew his stuff.

"Ugh." Would that have been worse than what actually happened? Ororo didn't know, and didn't want to ponder it. "No. It was not that. There was a physical altercation between him and Crystal... Logan was injured and the gym doors were destroyed."

"What, de self-defense class go too far?" Remy wondered, considering the deal he'd recently struck with Logan about advanced training for some of the X-Force members. "Wait, dat girl blew de gym doors off? De skinny little blonde wit' de overpriced boots and de Secret Service protection?"

"Her name is Crystal," 'Ro replied a bit testily. What was it with people and their refusal to use names? "And yes, she did. They have since been replaced, but the repercussions are a bit longer-lasting than that. Logan has been removed from teaching, and Crystal has her own punishment to face."

Remy shook his head. "Unbelievable. It almost makes us look like de sane ones, neh?" He opened the menu and closed it again. He just wasn't hungry, and from Ororo's look, she seemed annoyed enough to not care so much about the food either. "Logan's not de kid teacher type anyway, it seems. You should be getting him to teach you and de other X-Men. Dat homme is death on legs, and de way he tells it, he's got at least thirty years experience on even Nate and I, not to mention de rest of you. We're going to get him to do some advanced work wit' a couple of my people."

"Good, good. I have been trying to come up with alternatives for him, now that he is not teaching. I will have to talk with Sc-- well. I will consider asking him to train the team as well. I know he is more experienced, it is only a matter of dynamics." After he attacked two teammates, I do not know how welcoming they will be of his advice. Why were we letting him teach again, after that? Ororo's ____expression became a bit distracted as she pondered this, trying not to blame herself for Logan's circumstances and finding it difficult not to.

"Well, one thing dat I can tell you. Suddenly getting most of you life back in you head, makes things hard for a while." Remy said, tapping his own temple with his index finger. "Things get muddled up, you start losing control. Maybe dat's where Logan's at."

"Hm?" Ororo glanced up, confused for a moment. "Oh... yes. Whatever the case may be, he cannot teach right now. But we will find something for him, I am sure. He does not have to deal with this on his own."

"If you can make Nate sane, you've got a shot at curing anyone." Hopefully Lorna next, although he didn't speak it. "You looking pretty near de end of you line, 'Ro. I thought dat Remy de only one de Fates pissing on. What's happening?"

"Nothing," the white-haired woman said, not caring if Remy caught the bold-faced lie or not. "Why, what is happening with you?"

Remy didn't comment on the obvious dodge, knowing that pushing Ororo usual had the opposite effect than intended. "I had coffee wit' Lorna a few days ago. Turns out dat Remy really is single now."

It had been strange, the meeting. He'd sat silent as she struggled to explain exactly what was happening, and why their relationship would not restart. Remy initially had been angry, wanting to argue that she wasn't the one who got to decide whether or not she was worth the risk, when he finally saw the look in her eyes and understood. It wasn't just hurting him that she feared, but how she'd react to doing it. He's seen people who were just a fraction from breaking, and with all the loss and pain she'd endured, to end up failing him, causing him pain when she felt she could avoid it would simply be the last straw for her. So he'd mutely agreed to her decision, and left the coffee shop wrapped in his own pain.

"Oh, Remy. I am sorry to hear that." Frowning sympathetically, Ororo reached out and put a hand over his where it lay on the table. She was no expert when it came to relationships, but she knew he had to be hurting quite a bit right now. "Is there anything I can do for you, to help?"

"Tell me de truth. What's going on wit' you, chere?" Quid pro quo, the rule of the intelligence game, and as Remy was starting to discover, the rule of friendship as well. He hadn't even told Amanda yet, but his relationship with Storm was different. They weren't so close that their issues bled into each other, and that meant they were good at providing help. He sipped from his glass. "Make me feel better den dis substandard bourbon, anyhow."

Ororo sighed; she had been hoping more for being a sympathetic ear while he talked, or buying him another round of drinks. "Nothing, exactly," she replied with a shake of her head. "It is only that... things seem to be going worse than usual. For everybody at the school. Logan, Kurt... they are my friends, and I am finding that there is little I can do to help them now, when they truly need help. It makes me feel frustrated, I suppose, and worried. Add that to the usual feeling of being one step ahead of disaster, and the fact that people keep telling me to take a vacation, and I could scream." She stopped, shocked that she had said something so drastic, however true it may be. "That is all," she finished lamely.

"Makes dat life of crime seem a lot more attractive now, doesn't it?" Remy said, but behind the joke he was listening closely. He knew Ororo was under pressure, but the woman had always projected such a serene control of things that hearing her unsure about everything was jarring. Maybe things were really that bad.

"I have my bandit mask at the ready," she said dryly, squeezing his hand before pulling hers back. "Would you like to join in as my sidekick? I am sure we could find a decently-priced lair somewhere nearby to set up base."

"I already got de criminal job. Frost bankrolls us and I get to make 'manda run errands." Remy said, leaning back in his chair. Truth was, he was a little worried. Scott had always skated the edges of breakdown, Nate had a tendancy to overjudge his capabilities and blow out his brain, Sam was too young, and both Alison and Haroun were on the West Coast. If Ororo broke down, the X-Men wouldn't be far behind. "Speaking of, I need to book out some time wit' de Danger Room, and a couple of you for training work."

Oh, right. They were here to discuss business. Except that was the last thing Ororo wanted to talk about at the moment. "Is there any way we could discuss that later? I know it is important to you, but..." She gave him a hopeful look. "I am sure we can find more interesting things to talk about."

"Dey really getting to you, aren't dey?" Remy shook his head. It was even worse than he thought. He couldn't believe it, but it was almost worth talking to the Professor about them. "Don't worry, Stormy, we can discuss de business side later. Send you an e-mail, with one of dose attachments dat have de nude people making all de letter of de alphabet or something."

She snorted with laughter at this, shaking her head ruefully. "If you can get it past Henry's email filter I will be even more impressed with your secret spy abilities. I have not had a hint of spam for years." When a waitress walked by 'Ro stopped her, ordering a glass of wine and some bread for the table. "Do not worry, I did not drive," she assured Remy as she turned back to him. "And besides, I needed something to toast both of our newfound single-hood."

"Ah, you and Patrick broke up?" Remy said. He was good at picking up little details, and knew a lot about the staff and student who he'd barely talked to. Once a spy, always a spy.

Ororo barely twitched an eyebrow in surprise; since when was her private life ever private? "Yes, not too long ago. And I think now I will stick to being on my own. It is certainly easier that way, at least for me. Besides, I have never found anyone who... well. Perhaps my standards are too high."

"Better den your baggage being to high, neh?" Remy said wryly. He pushed away the last swallow of bourbon, and ordered a glass of the red for himself. No sense letting misery screw with his job now. "Dat's what's occasionally refreshing 'bout Mark, dat DJ dat we hired for de Center? He has no standards whatsoever. Homme will nail anything moving. He gets into de office, even de fish in de lobby tank stop swimming."

"Well, whatever works for him," 'Ro said, smirking. "As long as he stays away from those of us at the mansion. We are all a bit too crazy for even a one-night stand. You ought to keep that in mind as well," she said wisely. She almost laughed at the realization that she was handing out relationship advice, but stranger things had happened.

"'fraid dat Remy not much good for anyone right now, one night stand or otherwise." He said, accepting the glass from the waitress and hoisting it in a toast. "Drink to what, de unwilling single life? Some people are naturally single, and de others make de mistake of working wit' de X-Men?"

"Hear, hear," Ororo said, raising her own glass to him. "And how."