Namor and Rogue - It's just one night...
Jan. 8th, 2024 02:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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The problem with being super cheap was that Rogue refused to even consider leaving the mansion grounds for somewhere not destroyed. Sure, she could go to one of Logan's cabins, or even back to her apartment in Montreal but why when there was a very good boathouse that only had one King of the Ocean in it?
Plus, Rogue was still slightly salty that he had to take over the best place for her to draw in. Truly, it should have been left vacant for her this entire time she wasn't here but that was for another day. After dealing with the disaster that was Hope, she was exhausted and didn't want to be found. Having superstrength meant everyone wanted her to lift things and put them places and today was not that day.
Instead, she dragged an air mattress, a stupid amount of blankets and pillows, and made herself a very cozy nest in a corner of the boathouse where she immediately passed out heavily...so heavily that snoring was very much happening. And possibly drool.
"No."
The grumbly voice didn't wait for Rogue to awaken only to find him broodingly staring at her from a corner, or even to gently try to awaken her with some kind words. No no, instead that word was accompanied with the sensation of her air mattresses being drug across the floor.
"You have trespassed land formerly claimed by the kingdom of Atlantis. We will remain unconquered."
There was a sensation of cold and a slight breeze. An open door? Open window? The mattresses, shedding some blankets, continued to move, carrying its only cargo.
Rogue was in the middle of some sort of dream involving pirates, her 3rd grade teacher and sailor moon. It was pretty awesome until gravity was shut off and the ship went upside down and suddenly it was cold and --
"Namor!" Was she being forcibly evicted? Peeking her head up, she saw a miserable looking Atlantean... although to be fair he always looked miserable.
She scrambled up to her feet and shivered. "It's cold, I'm tired and I am not about to start repairing this stupid mansion until I sleep." The southern woman snatched up her blankets and held them close. "Don't be an asshole."
To be fair, he was always mostly miserable. Also...
"We have the royal prerogative to represent the interests of Atlantis. Atlantis opts to be, as you put it, an asshole."
He had stopped. The open door was more incidental than anything, as it was the one leading out to the dock. Namor had obviously just returned from a soak. Was... was he burned?
"We will begrudgingly accept your entreaty to stay, but I hear you are only in town for two weeks. You have failed to visit once. Go ahead," he warned, "Dazzle Us."
"Bold of you to assume I'd come visit you anyways," Rogue retorted. "Ah saw plenty o' people, jus' none of them named Namor." The accent was slipping out but she didn't care. She was dragged out -- dragged!
"Once upon a time, this was my space, y'know. And it was an open door policy. Atlantis should rethink their immigration policies if this is how they're gonna act."
"Atlantis gladly welcomes those with either considerable skills or extraordinary circumstances within its borders." This broad statement was accompanied with the expectation that she would provide an answer, and the fact that Namor was heading over to the kitchen area.
"Hospitality is also a prized tradition," he mentioned like a man allergic to questions accompanied by the universal gesture for "what can I get you?" — a sweep of his hand over the kitchen island, which looked to be stocked with a small amount of booze, tea, and coffee options. Maybe something involving seaweed.
This man flip flopped so much, Rogue didn't know if she should be mad, grateful or wary.
Wary seemed good but also, she would never turn down free food. Tossing her blankets and pillow down on the mattress, she edged towards the island and peeked over it.
"Guess it's too much to ask for old coffee, hey?" She was teasing but was pretty sure she had offended him with that. "I dunno, surprise me. What does your royal highness indulge in? A commoner like myself could learn to appreciate the finer things in life."
This earned her a flat stare that lasted for several breaths. The Atlantean could have been a statue, or both the judge and jury.
Instead of replying, he bent over to retrieve both a tray and a french press from what must have been a shelf underneath the stone countertop. The tray was slid in Rogue's direction, and it was honestly a lovely piece of china. Metallic filigree lined its edges in mimicry of ocean waves. On it sat individually wrapped snacks with glyph writing that was clearly not English.
The assortment seemed pretty wide, with only the unfamiliar branding tying the shrimp crackers, seaweed rolls stuffed with roe, and what could have been some sort of fried seabug. There were also a few fancier options without a clear indication as to what might be inside.
Namor's cold shoulder didn't bother Rogue; in fact, she barely noticed it. Years of being with Logan had made her immune to such behaviour.
Instead, she peeked at all the snacks, zero clue what any of it was but because she knew she was treading on Namor's last nerve, she took what looked to be the most confused and popped it in her mouth before immediately going "Oh, that's a bug...."
She chewed it, swallowed and gave her head a shake. "I should have known better than to stick something weird in my mouth. What was that? Can I say it was horrible or is that some time honoured delicacy and I gotta keep my mouth shut?"
By some miracle, that actually got a laugh. "Balmain bugs in frozen slug slime. My people used to eat those during summer festivals when the city was near the Coral Sea, but they were always more effective at intimidating surface dwellers. They were a staple at any diplomatic feast." Namor shook his head as he continued to make coffee, lost in memory. "I hear it is an acquired taste. Try one of the wrapped ones with the laughing fish king on it."
It took all her effort to not immediately vomit but goddamnit, she was not about to puke up free food.
Warily, she picked up the one he suggested and carefully unwrapped it. There were little red balls on top, and praying to whoever that it wasn't fish roe, she closed her eyes and took a bite.
"Oh!" Her eyes fluttered open. A huge smile broke on her face, and she allowed herself to collapse dramatically onto her elbows. "Ohh... ooOooOoooh....that's good." A delicious, creamy cheesecake? From the sea? Amazing!
Wait. The sea.
"........but is the cheese made from whales? Again, no offense meant! I'm sure whales have great milk? Maybe?"
"No, no. Whale cheese has a completely different flavor profile."
Her mouth made an "Oh" shape but nothing came out. She had thought she was semi being funny...no, apparently she was serious. Whale cheese... weird.
"I ate whale up in Arviat, years and years ago. Chewy. Didn't love it. Seal was pretty good though. It really melts in your mouth."
She finished her dessert and licked her fingers before stopping with a small giggle. "Oops, that's bad manners. My mama would be appalled, me being all rude in front of a king."
"Mmm." The coffee was almost finished by now. Electric boilers made the first part easy, and all had been weighed and measured. Now just waiting. Namor drummed his fingers on the countertop. "That is an extremely American custom. Many parts of your world consider that a compliment."
More waiting. More drumming.
"That may be some odd sort of whale cheese, but if this other Atlantis is anything like my beloved home, then that was considered a fancy treat since we could only trade for the berries when in the north. The surface world does have its delights."
"That it do," Rogue responded cheerfully, her fingers now thoroughly (and questionably) clean. "I never really thought about aquatic vegetation before.... y'all must have some serious meat diets down there."
"Marie, I take it you have never truly been to the sea. What a shame."
"I have had poisonous skin most of my life, and only just figured out how to control it. Me and beaches and seaside? Not a good mix. I gotta be so covered that it just isn't fun." She said it all matter-of-factly. "If I got wet, I had to stay like that until it was safe to strip. So yah, you're right. I almost never go near water..."
"Seaweed is easy to gather, and it grows everywhere. There were, back in my time at least, plentiful fruits that grew along the shoreline. Children would gather sea grapes as the fishman did their good work." Namor had a distant look in his eyes as he pictured it.
He only allowed himself a moment.
"We were an empire of humble traders. There were always plenty of options."
Humble was 100% a word that Rogue didn't think Namor knew. "I am learning so much about you," she said pleasantly, reaching for another piece of cheesecake. "Now I'm sad we won't be roomies forever. Just literally this one night because I don't want to hear the construction and I kinda just want to sleep in a nest of blankets and pillows and a weird mattress."
The problem with being super cheap was that Rogue refused to even consider leaving the mansion grounds for somewhere not destroyed. Sure, she could go to one of Logan's cabins, or even back to her apartment in Montreal but why when there was a very good boathouse that only had one King of the Ocean in it?
Plus, Rogue was still slightly salty that he had to take over the best place for her to draw in. Truly, it should have been left vacant for her this entire time she wasn't here but that was for another day. After dealing with the disaster that was Hope, she was exhausted and didn't want to be found. Having superstrength meant everyone wanted her to lift things and put them places and today was not that day.
Instead, she dragged an air mattress, a stupid amount of blankets and pillows, and made herself a very cozy nest in a corner of the boathouse where she immediately passed out heavily...so heavily that snoring was very much happening. And possibly drool.
"No."
The grumbly voice didn't wait for Rogue to awaken only to find him broodingly staring at her from a corner, or even to gently try to awaken her with some kind words. No no, instead that word was accompanied with the sensation of her air mattresses being drug across the floor.
"You have trespassed land formerly claimed by the kingdom of Atlantis. We will remain unconquered."
There was a sensation of cold and a slight breeze. An open door? Open window? The mattresses, shedding some blankets, continued to move, carrying its only cargo.
Rogue was in the middle of some sort of dream involving pirates, her 3rd grade teacher and sailor moon. It was pretty awesome until gravity was shut off and the ship went upside down and suddenly it was cold and --
"Namor!" Was she being forcibly evicted? Peeking her head up, she saw a miserable looking Atlantean... although to be fair he always looked miserable.
She scrambled up to her feet and shivered. "It's cold, I'm tired and I am not about to start repairing this stupid mansion until I sleep." The southern woman snatched up her blankets and held them close. "Don't be an asshole."
To be fair, he was always mostly miserable. Also...
"We have the royal prerogative to represent the interests of Atlantis. Atlantis opts to be, as you put it, an asshole."
He had stopped. The open door was more incidental than anything, as it was the one leading out to the dock. Namor had obviously just returned from a soak. Was... was he burned?
"We will begrudgingly accept your entreaty to stay, but I hear you are only in town for two weeks. You have failed to visit once. Go ahead," he warned, "Dazzle Us."
"Bold of you to assume I'd come visit you anyways," Rogue retorted. "Ah saw plenty o' people, jus' none of them named Namor." The accent was slipping out but she didn't care. She was dragged out -- dragged!
"Once upon a time, this was my space, y'know. And it was an open door policy. Atlantis should rethink their immigration policies if this is how they're gonna act."
"Atlantis gladly welcomes those with either considerable skills or extraordinary circumstances within its borders." This broad statement was accompanied with the expectation that she would provide an answer, and the fact that Namor was heading over to the kitchen area.
"Hospitality is also a prized tradition," he mentioned like a man allergic to questions accompanied by the universal gesture for "what can I get you?" — a sweep of his hand over the kitchen island, which looked to be stocked with a small amount of booze, tea, and coffee options. Maybe something involving seaweed.
This man flip flopped so much, Rogue didn't know if she should be mad, grateful or wary.
Wary seemed good but also, she would never turn down free food. Tossing her blankets and pillow down on the mattress, she edged towards the island and peeked over it.
"Guess it's too much to ask for old coffee, hey?" She was teasing but was pretty sure she had offended him with that. "I dunno, surprise me. What does your royal highness indulge in? A commoner like myself could learn to appreciate the finer things in life."
This earned her a flat stare that lasted for several breaths. The Atlantean could have been a statue, or both the judge and jury.
Instead of replying, he bent over to retrieve both a tray and a french press from what must have been a shelf underneath the stone countertop. The tray was slid in Rogue's direction, and it was honestly a lovely piece of china. Metallic filigree lined its edges in mimicry of ocean waves. On it sat individually wrapped snacks with glyph writing that was clearly not English.
The assortment seemed pretty wide, with only the unfamiliar branding tying the shrimp crackers, seaweed rolls stuffed with roe, and what could have been some sort of fried seabug. There were also a few fancier options without a clear indication as to what might be inside.
Namor's cold shoulder didn't bother Rogue; in fact, she barely noticed it. Years of being with Logan had made her immune to such behaviour.
Instead, she peeked at all the snacks, zero clue what any of it was but because she knew she was treading on Namor's last nerve, she took what looked to be the most confused and popped it in her mouth before immediately going "Oh, that's a bug...."
She chewed it, swallowed and gave her head a shake. "I should have known better than to stick something weird in my mouth. What was that? Can I say it was horrible or is that some time honoured delicacy and I gotta keep my mouth shut?"
By some miracle, that actually got a laugh. "Balmain bugs in frozen slug slime. My people used to eat those during summer festivals when the city was near the Coral Sea, but they were always more effective at intimidating surface dwellers. They were a staple at any diplomatic feast." Namor shook his head as he continued to make coffee, lost in memory. "I hear it is an acquired taste. Try one of the wrapped ones with the laughing fish king on it."
It took all her effort to not immediately vomit but goddamnit, she was not about to puke up free food.
Warily, she picked up the one he suggested and carefully unwrapped it. There were little red balls on top, and praying to whoever that it wasn't fish roe, she closed her eyes and took a bite.
"Oh!" Her eyes fluttered open. A huge smile broke on her face, and she allowed herself to collapse dramatically onto her elbows. "Ohh... ooOooOoooh....that's good." A delicious, creamy cheesecake? From the sea? Amazing!
Wait. The sea.
"........but is the cheese made from whales? Again, no offense meant! I'm sure whales have great milk? Maybe?"
"No, no. Whale cheese has a completely different flavor profile."
Her mouth made an "Oh" shape but nothing came out. She had thought she was semi being funny...no, apparently she was serious. Whale cheese... weird.
"I ate whale up in Arviat, years and years ago. Chewy. Didn't love it. Seal was pretty good though. It really melts in your mouth."
She finished her dessert and licked her fingers before stopping with a small giggle. "Oops, that's bad manners. My mama would be appalled, me being all rude in front of a king."
"Mmm." The coffee was almost finished by now. Electric boilers made the first part easy, and all had been weighed and measured. Now just waiting. Namor drummed his fingers on the countertop. "That is an extremely American custom. Many parts of your world consider that a compliment."
More waiting. More drumming.
"That may be some odd sort of whale cheese, but if this other Atlantis is anything like my beloved home, then that was considered a fancy treat since we could only trade for the berries when in the north. The surface world does have its delights."
"That it do," Rogue responded cheerfully, her fingers now thoroughly (and questionably) clean. "I never really thought about aquatic vegetation before.... y'all must have some serious meat diets down there."
"Marie, I take it you have never truly been to the sea. What a shame."
"I have had poisonous skin most of my life, and only just figured out how to control it. Me and beaches and seaside? Not a good mix. I gotta be so covered that it just isn't fun." She said it all matter-of-factly. "If I got wet, I had to stay like that until it was safe to strip. So yah, you're right. I almost never go near water..."
"Seaweed is easy to gather, and it grows everywhere. There were, back in my time at least, plentiful fruits that grew along the shoreline. Children would gather sea grapes as the fishman did their good work." Namor had a distant look in his eyes as he pictured it.
He only allowed himself a moment.
"We were an empire of humble traders. There were always plenty of options."
Humble was 100% a word that Rogue didn't think Namor knew. "I am learning so much about you," she said pleasantly, reaching for another piece of cheesecake. "Now I'm sad we won't be roomies forever. Just literally this one night because I don't want to hear the construction and I kinda just want to sleep in a nest of blankets and pillows and a weird mattress."
no subject
Date: 2024-01-08 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-01-09 03:53 am (UTC)I'm not gonna lie, I had the urge quote that song by The Killers - "Mr Brightside" - mostly for the "turning saints into the seas, swimming through sick lullabies" but then it didn't fit the mood.
Excellently written, as usual y'all.