Remy and Jubilee log

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Who: Remy, Jubilee
Date: Monday 8th November 2004 Time: 9:00pm
What Happens: Jubilee goes for a walk along the lake and decides to visit Remy. They talk, Jubilee answers some questions and Remy gives her a lesson she won't soon forget.




Jubilee walked along the water, heading for the boathouse. She couldn't stand being inside right now, not with the mad house the mansion had become in the last few days. She'd seen them bring Alison and the others in, it hadn't been a pretty sight.

She just felt so damn useless right now, everyone else seemed to be doing something and she'd only be in the way. So, she'd decided to get out and as she'd walked, she noticed the lights on in the boathouse. Remy had said she could visit if she wanted, and it was better then moping out here. Reaching the dock, she called out.

"Yo, Gumbo. You home?"

Remy looked up from his stack of papers on the table. The voice had to belong to Jubilee, since no one else like him enough or had as little taste to call him Gumbo.

"De door is open."

Jubilee pushed it open and walked inside, looking around curiously. She hadn't been inside the boathouse since she'd almost set it on fire. Cain had admittedly been rather nice in getting her down to the Medlab's safe room. Although, when someone is shooting off sparks and trying to burn your house down, she supposed you didn't just leave them there.

She eyed the papers on the table. "Catchin' up with the world?" she asked.

"Figure dat Remy's got fifteen years to catch up on, oui." LeBeau said, leaning back in his chair. "Didn't expect to see you down here, chere. Dey chase you out for something new, or is it just de irresistible charm of Remy dat brings you down?"

Jubilee snorted, pulling out a chair and slouched into it. "Irresistible would not be how I'd be describin' your charms, Gumbo. You ain't looked at the journals lately? Magneto attacked Alison, Miles and the others on a shopping trip. Seems like the bastard wanted to get ahold of the kid. Dude, that guy has some serious issues. I mean, last time he was around, before the Striker stuff, he was goin' after Marie. Don't know if you've seen his manifesto but I swear the guy has a screw loose."

"Course he does. Lensherr is a certified lunatic. But, depending on how you look at it, so is Xavier." Remy said. "People who see things in black and white normally are dat way. See dat everyone made it home all right."

Jubilee smiled. "Still, better the loony promoting peace and love to all mankind then the one sayin' we should kill everyone that ain't got an X factor and let God sort it out. Still, I'm a middle of the road girl, myself. Peace and flowers just ain't my thing. And yeah, they did. Although, Alison's still shootin' off lasers like nobodies business. Seemed kinda in the way up there, nothin' for me to do."

She reached out and let sparks rest in her hand for a second before going out. "That ain't much use for anythin' they need up there, ya know?"

"Remy get de feeling dat you think dat way about most things." Remy leaned back in his chair. One arm was draped negligently over the back, black gloved fingers twitching. "De power, you. Just saying. Remy going to Europe tomorrow."

Jubilee smiled. "Yeah, I been talkin' ta Samson about it, tryin' to figure it out. Takes time. Talked ta Nathan too, he's gonna help me with the thinkin' side of things. Which was damn surprisin', considerin' everything. Don't know if he was more surprised then I was, though. And how come yer goin' to Europe?

Jubilee sat up straighter in her seat, her face alight with curiosity.

"Figure dat any bastard as big as Lensherr got to be getting his equipment from somewhere. Dat means he's dealing wit' people. People talk. Dat means dere is some bastard in Eastern Europe dat knows about it. Remy going to shake de bushes until dey tell him." Remy grinned, shrugged. "Use my history for something worthwhile for once."

Jubilee nodded, a shadow flitting across her face for a second. Too many people she cared about were hurt, she didn't want to see another one. Even if she did trust that the Cajun could look after himself. "You're gonna be careful, right? Cause, you know, you got yerself in trouble and I'd have ta come after ya. And well, anythin' that'd get you in trouble would probably kick my ass five ways from Sunday."

"Worry about me? Chere, I'm overwhelmed." Remy held a hand to his heart, mock theatrically. "Remy always careful. Just going to talk to de people dat talk. Find out what dey have to say. See how fearsome de memory of Gambit really is. 'sides, Lorna along to haul my ass out of de fire if things go bad."

Jubilee grinned back, winking. "Don't let it go to ya head, Gumbo. And Lorna's comin' with? Dude, totally have ta ask her if she's goin' shoppin' then. Where in Europe you plannin' ta go? You gonna bring me somethin' back?"

Jubilee was feeling better, a lot better in fact. The mansion had felt stifling but sitting here talking to Remy, she could forget for a little while, just have fun. Sure, she knew he'd done bad things. He'd told them he had, afterall. But he was trying to make up for it, which counted. Besides, he was fun to be around and he didn't seem to be irritated by her babble, a good combination.

"Dat's not something you need to know, petite. Maybe Remy a little paranoid, but de travel plans not things dat I share often." Remy shrugged, a curiously loose limbed gestured. "All around Europe. You got something special dat you looking for?"

Jubilee nodded., leaning back in her chair as she pushed her hair back over her shoulders. "S'cool, dude. If you end up anywhere near Paris, there's this totally cool shop Monet dragged me into. Been wantin' this pair of boots I saw in there for ages. Can not find them anywhere here and they don't do mail order, and I ain't about to be goin' back to France any time soon. Dude, these boots were totally to die for. Otherwise, not lookin' for anythin' in particular."

"E-mail me de specifics. Maybe Lorna can pick dem up. Dat femme got all de taste dat Remy don't." Remy grinned, scrabbled for his cigarettes in his pocket. "Might get close enough to Paris to get dem." He lit one up and sat back contemplatively.

"So, when did you start picking locks? Before or after you started conning people?"

Jubilee blinked in surprise. "How'd you know...Wait, forget it. And it was before. Didn't want ta spend all my days sleepin' on the street and there's people 'round that'll teach ya that kinda thing if they think you'll help 'em out. Never stayed around any of 'em long, they had this unfortunate trend of thinkin' I was fer sale. They weren't as friendly after I'd singed them a bit."

"Figured dat. You got de look of a grifter on you. De oily shift of de eye." Remy said, blowing a smoke ring over the table. "De second-nature bullshit dat comes out as often as de truth. How much you still working, and how much you left behind?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "As much of it as I can. Depends on how much I like the person. Tried never ta con someone I liked, or thought didn't deserve it in some way. Xavier, he gave me a chance, hey? Not many people in the world take a look at a hustler and think they can be somethin' more. Tryin' to not let him down.What about you, Remy? How much you still workin'?" she asked, eyeing him across the table.

"If Remy still working, you'd be dead." He said matter of factly, in a way far more chilling then a threat. "Non, de question is because despite de fact dat Xavier got noble dreams, it going to be de people on de ground to make dat happen. People who aren't as black and white as Charles. People dat can make dose difficult decisions. Just curious if you looking to be a hero or a cog."

She shifted on her chair, looking him over for a time, sizing him up like she used to size up marks. She wondered what he'd be willing to do to make up for what he'd done in the past, how far he'd go. She wasn't scared of Remy but she got a feeling she would have been scared of Gambit, probably right before he killed her.

"Ain't no hero, Gumbo. Wouldn't look good in the cape, ya know? Rather be someone that gets things done."

"Good. Den you might learn something, petite." Remy said, a crooked smile flashing across his features. He took a long drag of his cigarette and looked at the burning end for a moment. "First lesson: smoking is very good for you in dis biz. Distracts people; leaves your hands open to do other things. Nothing thin or white. No femme cigarettes."

"So, I should be smokin' lucky strikes or somethin'? Guess I could get used to it, after I hacked up the lung and all." she said, grinning back at him.

"You got lesson number one. Smoking takes thirty years to kill you. De risk of our risks take a second." Remy said, taking another reflective puff. "If you're good, maybe Remy give you de next lesson after I'm back from Europe."

Jubilee laughed and held out a hand. "I'll be good. Now hand it over, if I'm gonna have ta start smokin', might as well get on with it."

She'd learnt in life that you didn't argue when someone wanted to teach you something. You could never tell when something you'd learnt could come in handy.

Remy tossed the pack over the table, Jubilee's eyes tracking it. As she caught it from the air, she was suddenly and uncomfortably aware of a point pricking at her throat. Eyes swiveling down, she got an entirely too clear look at a thin blade resting against her suddenly loud cartoid artery. "Like I said; distracts people. Leaves your hands free." He said quietly, very close to her. The point disappeared as quickly as the blade, and she could breath again. "Dat's de end of lesson one, petite. Hopefully de practical can wait."

She nodded, her eyes wide as she gulped. She'd just been given a lesson she wouldn't soon forget. Looking down at the pack, she opened it and pulled out a smoke. She threw the pack back at him, and held the cigarette out for a light, noting that her hands weren't shaking as much as she'd thought they'd be.

"Dude, that was fuckin' scary as all hell." she replied.

Smoking was meant to sooth frazzled nerves, right? Right now, she could damn well use one. She'd never seen anyone move that fast before. She wondered if he'd teach her how to do that.

Remy lit the tip of the cigarette with his finger, his red on black eyes meeting hers. "You got two problems, Jubilee. You arrogant and you stupid. One of does has to go if you going to survive. You get rid of de one, and maybe Remy show you de second lesson."

"I"m workin' on the stupid, Gumbo. Got me a lesson in that I won't soon fuckin' forget. And I guess you just gave me lesson number one in why bein' arrogant is bad. I'll get there, just gimmie time." she said before taking a draw on the cigarette.

She paused for a second, and then bent over the table, coughing loudly.

Remy grinned, taking the girl by the back of her collar and walking her to the door. "You do dat homework, petite. Remy see you when I get back." He said, giving her a gentle yet firm push out the door. She turned to the door being closed behind her. As she stuffed her hands in her pockets, the familiar shape of a cigarette packet formed under her hand, slipped in so skillfully that she'd never even expected it.

She laughed, surprised all over again. Stepping off the dock, she started walking back toward the mansion. Maybe if she hurried, she could get the TV before anyone else.

"See ya when ya get back, Gumbo."

Comments

[x-madelyn.livejournal.com]

As long as Lesson Number Two doesn't involve Giving Remy A Happy. ;)

And Maddie's very disappointed in you, Jubilee. Smoking is a very bad habit. Stick to the gum.

[x-gambit.livejournal.com]

As long as Lesson Number Two doesn't involve Giving Remy A Happy. ;)

That's right. We all know Madelyn's jealous streak, especially where remy's concerned. Ah, the love...

[x-madelyn.livejournal.com]

Uh-huh. Remember, Maddie's seen him naked and wasn't particularly impressed back then...

[x-gambit.livejournal.com]

Fifteen pounds underweight and bandaged up like a mummy. And even past all that...