xp_logs | Rogue & Julian: Midnight Snack

Rogue and Julian meet and discuss fictional journeys over homemade hot chocolate.

The mansion seemed bigger than she remembered, but that could be because it was the middle of the night. All the kids were in bed and not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

She surprised herself by falling asleep in the car on the ride back to the Mansion, and even more so when she arrived and practically begged to be allowed to keep sleeping. Flying the conventional way was more exhausting than she cared to admit. Part of her felt it was a residual Logan thing -- the man hated planes like no one she had ever met. Regardless, Garrison had shown her to her (old) room, and before she knew it, she was out like a light.

In fact, all she’d felt was exhausted since coming back. It’d been a few weeks, and without fail, she’d taken an afternoon nap and woken up really late. Rationally, she knew that she was feeling drained from being around so many people. For the last few years, she’d lived a very solitary life, with any background noise coming from the television. Now, she was in a mansion filled with children, teenagers, adults, people. Every morning was an exercise in tuning noises out, relaxing, and sketching.

So now it was almost midnight and she was wide awake. Super awake. And with that came hunger. She'd always loved food, and her stomach was impatiently reminding her of its serious neglect.

So off she went to the kitchen, leisurely walking through the halls. "The more things change, the more they stay the same," she said softly. It was almost easier to forget she'd ever been here than to try to remember she had. Memories were everywhere, some good, some bad but ever present .

She almost felt a sense of relief when she walked into the kitchen, but it was washed away by the presence of someone else. Instantly going into confident mode, she walked in, head high, smile on face. "Sorry if I'm interrupting some alone time, sugar, but if I don't eat, I can't be held responsible for what happens next."

Julian glanced up from the small note pad he was intently looking over to see who had come in and called him 'sugar'. He quickly glanced back to the recipe, finding the booklet of his hot chocolate formulas in the kitchen had been pure accident and he intended to take advantage of something he figured was lost. Realizing the interloper was an attractive woman, he quickly stood back up, turning around and taking his glasses off in the process in what could only be described as a bumbling action. "Oh, no bother," he gave the stranger his patented charming grin. "Please, don't let me stop you, I'm just using the stove top and part of the island. If you need me to move anything, I'd be happy, Miss...?"

"Rogue," she replied. "Just Rogue. I'm no miss, and I'm definitely going to order you around if you let me, so don't be offering that." The man speaking to her was a stranger, and although he seemed clumsy, that smile was 100% charm. She'd have to watch this one.

Opening the fridge, she studied its contents intently before sighing and closing the door. "Ever have one of those times when you're hungry but you don't have a single clue what you want, and then you realize what you want, you can't have so in the end you want nothing at all?". With a grimace on her face, she walked towards the island and plucked an apple out of the sitting fruit bowl. "Apples. Nature's go to fruit. Boring. What are you doing?" She took a large bite and glanced at Julian. "Oh -- and where are my manners? My mama would've been just appalled. I introduced myself and didn't even ask you yours "

"Julian," he turned his attention back to the cocoa on the stove-top, giving it a stir with a wooden spoon before tasting it and turning his attention back to Rogue. "Making hot chocolate with a hint of hazelnut- an old recipe I had from the last time I was around here." He considered her casual demeanor for a moment, he'd never seen her before, but she was no stranger to the mansion. She was too old to be a student- "Are you one of the new teachers?"

Rogue couldn’t help it – she gave a little snort and shook her head. “No, sugar, I’m not. I’m not a student, I’m not a teacher, I’m just Rogue, and I’m fascinated by hazelnut in hot chocolate. Who decides to make specialty drinks this late at night? Is this something you do often?” She took another bite of her apple and chewed thoughtfully. “And you said you’ve been here before? “

With a nod, Julian set to finding another mug for Rogue, "I've been living in California lately, when I haven't been in China. It's still early on the West Coast- especially if you're used to staying up until the clubs close, which I am." He found a spare mug that had the school seal on it and rinsed it off in the sink, setting it to dry by the stove-top. "I was a student, class of 2011," he started to stir the concoction again, "I am pretty sure I picked up my first date with Angelica Jones because of this recipe, or the one that led to it at least...though it might have been my strikingly good looks, come to think of it. Care to weigh in?" he winked and tapped the wooden spoon on the side of the pot.

This one was trouble, she thought to herself. He casually tossed out foreign locations, made brief mention of partying ways, and talked about women, all in the same sentence, but damn if she couldn't say no to chocolate. "I'm pretty sure taking hot chocolate from strangers is living dangerously, but my sweet tooth says go for it," she teased. "Pour me a cup then, and we'll see if you're all that."

Once she received her cup, she allowed it to cool down. The smell was intoxicating, she'd have to give him that. "A student, three years ago," she repeated, processing that information. "And here you are, clearly not a student, and yet not a teacher either. What's your story?"

He poured himself a cup in his matching mug, sparing the coffee maker- which he could have sworn made an indignant beep- before leaning on the island across from the southern belle. "It's a long one," Julian blew on his mug to cool it down, "lots of twists. The short version is that my dad, who I once saved from a kidnapper, apparently decided he didn't like mutants anymore- again- and was helping fund mutant hate groups." He shrugged and took a sip of the far too hot, hot chocolate. "What about you, Miss Just-Rogue? What is your story?"

She took a cautious sip, and simply savoured the delicate taste of hazelnut. It was delicious, and she made a mental note to ask him for the recipe. "How about a little game?". She took another taste of her drink and smiled. "What do you think my story is? I'll tell you if you're right or wrong, but sugar, you gotta earn the right to my story."

Julian raised an eyebrow and took another sip of his drink, considering her for a moment before settling the mug in both hands, "Deal. You weren't here when I was a student, but you're not a stranger either- and you're not too old, so I'd say you graduated from Xavier's a few years before me. How's that?" Julian took another sip of his cocoa.

"Excellent work, Sherlock," she teased. "Before you know it, you'll be telling me my entire life story." She wrapped her hands around her mug and smiled. "I graduated a while ago, actually. Feels like forever, if I think about it. So yes, you were right: I was a student."

Had it really been almost ten years? She'd been a scared girl of 17 when she'd arrived the first time and now she was 28. Crazy.

"Now I'm simply a visitor. Nothing more,nothing less. " if she continued down this train of thought, she'd get too melancholy for her liking. "Let's talk more about you. I'm still curious how this hot chocolate thing fits in with your suave playboy self. "

"First off, don't you think debonair would fit me better? I was really going for debonair," he winked and took a sip of his drink before setting the mug down. "By your rules, Rogue, aren't you supposed to guess where my amazing confectionery skills come in?" with a smile, "As for the rest of your story, you graduated, moved away, traveled the world and are back for a bit before you move on to your next exotic and dangerous destination. You usually don't let people get close, and put up a front to deflect from the fact that you are really just looking for a true and real connection with someone." Julian cocked his head slightly to the side and picked up his mug, "Any closer?"

Yup, she thought to herself. Her earlier impression was right: definitely have to look out for this one. "What a positively generic and lovely story, made even more impressive by the fact that I think you're simply projecting, but since rules are rules, I will simply say yes. It's your job to figure out what parts I'm agreeing to."

Clearing her throat, she sat a bit straighter. "Now, for your debonair story of culinary magic. I hypothesize that you learned the skill from a travelling goddess who taught you love can come in cup form. Alas,her previous lover, a disgruntled trapeze artist, learnt she had shared his precious family recipe and in a fit of anger, sent her to the bottom of the nearest river, concrete shoes forever encasing her delicate feet. You swore you would honour her memory by sharing its wonders to those you see as worthy". She then ffinished her hot chocolate in a single gulp and sighed with satisfaction.

"Now that's a life story. Would you like to try again?"

Julian chuckled and nodded, "I think I might need to. And you're close- she was only a demi-goddess." He tried to think back to who it was who originally taught him, Callie perhaps? He took another sip as a grin crept across his lips, "You traveled the world, like I said- after all, this tiny abode could never contain such an amazingly powerful- and quite striking- woman. In between adventures where you'd rescue a village from certain destruction, or recover a priceless artifact for the good of history, you managed to unlock the secrets of the universe.

"But there was always something missing- something not quite right. Finally, while adventuring in Antartica, where you looked upon the Mountains of Madness and sauntered away with only having a lock of your hair turn white," he pointed to the white patch of hair cascading from her scalp. "You finally realized what was missing though- the perfect cup of hot chocolate, with a debonair man- which brings us here."

He took another sip, "Any better?"

She gave a little snort and shook her head. "You forgot the part where this lovely, striking woman is immune to your charms, but good try. A for effort". She got up to rinse out her cup and put in the dishwasher.

It was fun bantering, having a conversation that really, in the grand scheme of things, provided nothing more than entertainment.

"The mountains of madness were nothing compared to the cliffs of insanity though," she added, returning to her position at the island. "If it wasn't for that mysterious Spaniard, I don't think I would have made it."

"A woman able to resist my charms?" Julian smirked, "that's inconceivable." He finished his drink and went for another, emptying the pot and placing it in the sink to soak.

"Believe it, hot shot," she fired back. "But I still find you amusing, if that's any consolation.". She noticed her hands were still a bit damp, so she went to dry them on her pants and froze.

She'd forgotten to put her gloves on. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Instantly, she felt those old feelings of anxiety about her skin rising up. It'd been so long since she last lived with. Hoping he hadn't noticed her strange pause, she continued.

"So, how long you planning on hanging around here?"

He had noticed, but figured that everyone had their stuff. "I closed on a place in the city a few days ago, so I'll be living here until my scant possessions are moved in and the place is decorated," he took a sip of the cooled cocoa in his mug. "Not to worry, I'll still be around- I am helping Angelica with the New Mutants program."

That name sounded familiar. Rogue racked her brain but all she came up with was a vague image. "So the student becomes the teacher? Because I think your talents lay more in the publicity sector. Hot chocolate for all!"

"I've had my share of page-six exposure," Julian shrugged, "but it's been years since I made this for anyone." He thought for a moment, "Also, definitely not a teacher- I'm going to school for business and physics, there's no way I would want to become a teacher." With a feigned shutter, Julian took another sip of his drink before moving to the sink and pouring the remainder out.

"Business and physics?" Rogue raised an eyebrow. "That's an interesting mix. I honestly can't see how they fit together unless you're planning on running a multinational scientific firm. " A pause. "Or are you?"

Before he had a chance to respond, she raised her hand. "Actually, I don't want to know. It might shatter this illusion of a careless vagabond I have for you. Instead, tell me something random about yourself."

This conversation was definitely amusing her.

He thought for a moment, "I surf? No, too obvious, oh, I once was a part of a street gang that attempted to control the drug trade in greater Los Angeles." Julian thought back to those days in the Lords of War and shrugged, "How about yourself?"

"Nothing that exciting, although I could probably tell you anything and you'd have to believe me for lack of reference.". She thought for a moment before continuing. "I guess something random about me would have to be my irrational fear of balloons. The popping noise gets me everytime. Go figure, right? I can handle battle, wars, riots, whatever, no problem but a balloon?" A shudder went through her body. "Ew."

Julian stood there looking at Rogue for a moment before he finally found the words, "Balloons...really? I mean, okay, everyone has their thing, but they're just little bubbles of inflatable latex or mylar." He shook his head, "That was rude, sorry. I just wasn't expecting a gorgeous woman who could probably kick my ass to be afraid of something given out at carnivals." He suppressed a snicker.

"They're squeaky?," she offered by way of explanation. "I know, it's super lame but it is what it is. Maury isn't on TV anymore, so I can't get my phobia cured. Go figure...or did I just date myself there?"

"Only a little," he offered a smile and chuckled. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," he crossed his heart and held up a hand- while filing the information away for later, just in case.

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "And I'm supposed to trust you? I'm having serious second thoughts here. Maybe I need a secret of equal or higher value for it to be square."

"Fortunately for you, you only need to flip to page two of the business section to find the skeletons in my closet," Julian sighed, "or my father's closet, as the case may be." At her confused look, "My father was arrested for tax fraud and, among other things, like contributing money to anti-mutant terrorist groups." He wasn't certain why he'd told her that, but it wasn't exactly a secret and she was obviously not into him.

"Oh, that's terrible," she exclaimed, her hands shooting up to cover her mouth. "I'm sorry, Julian, I didn't mean to get things so serious. I was just enjoying our conversation and wanted to keep going."

She chewed on her bottom lip a little. "Can we go back to a few minutes ago and talk about chocolate again? That's a safe topic with no hurt feelings, right?"

Julian forced a smile and shook his head, "Don't worry, my father received a just sentence and I'm making a new start far away from California- it's all good. Though if you wish to discuss chocolate, I wouldn't oppose the idea- perhaps we could take a walk by the lake?" He motioned to the door to the smoker's patio, "The night is still young."

She thought about it for a moment, before nodding. "I'll meet you on the patio in five minutes. I just need to get something from my room."

A few minutes later found her in a hoodie, and gloves. If they were going to be walking, she didn't want to risk anything. "Let's go, Casanova," she said, motioning to the grounds. "Have you had a chance to fully explore yet? Because it's been a while for me,so I don't know if I'd be a good guide."