z_jay | Luceti | Appointments

[She had a really nice smile, which actually put him a little at ease, shoulders dropping to a comfortable place. In turn he also smiled, remembering the pie and giving a brief nod]

It's not often that people cook for me, and as a professional writer on food, I can honestly say I enjoyed it.

[That said, he moved into the kitchen, opening a lower cabinet to retrieve the pie pan]

Sorry to have you come all the way over here, though. I would have brought it over for you.

It's not a bother. Then I'll take that as the compliment it deserves. [She follows Eugene into the kitchen, glancing around the house. Part of it is curiosity to see how the place matches up to the party, and part of it is pure wondering where he and Loki kissed.] You said you were a journalist. I didn't know it was for food. If I had, I might've been nervous enough ta try and make you my really good pie. Even on short notice.

Heh, being a food journalist is kind of hoity-toity. Lots of wine tasting, checking out pop-up restaurants, checking out the décor. [He finally found the pie pan and held it out to her]

What kind of really good pie do you make? I mean, I've heard about the southern USA having some really amazing food. Haven't been, myself. Me and Sabriel often argue about the word cookie and biscuit and the differences between the two.

Yes. [Her tone is dry. So dry. Eugene has not tasted wine this dry.] That sounds like a real hardship.

[He's being very... pleasant, really. More inquisitive than he had been before, which is something that strikes an unpleasant chord with her, but she supposes it's professionalism and small talk.

It's strange, really. He doesn't seem the slightest bit uncomfortable or ashamed. Was he took drunk to remember? Had she been so mistaken in the sincerity of his intentions?

She takes the pie pan, her smile fading slightly, but has enough ingrained manners to continue small talk out of habit.]

The South definitely has its own way of cookin'. There are all kindsa pies you grow up eatin' and makin'. Shoofly pie, sweet potato pie, peach pie, Mississippi Mud Pie...

[Truthfully he had no idea what to do. His apologies before hadn't been taken well, and they'd certainly be thrown back in his face now with his actions on his birthday. It was all he really had to offer, as he couldn't take back what had happened, though he had been immensely relieved to know that Rogue and Loki had managed to come to an agreement.

But as a journalist by occupation, it was part of his job to be inquisitive.]

Well, one day, if you feel inclined, I wouldn't mind trying.

[He thought for certain his discomfort was palpable, but there were plenty of things to be uncomfortable about these days. Maybe he had a better poker face than he thought]

Shoofly sounds kind of interesting.

It gets the point across.

[She glances down at the pie pan. Well, she'd managed about five minutes of politeness.

Mama would be proud..

She looks back up at him.]

I got somethin' to say to you.

[No turning back, now, at least. He's a bit resigned to it, since more than once, he's been given a piece of someone's mind. Best to get it over with so everyone can move on. Keeping eye contact he nodded slowly.]

By all means.

Edited 2014-07-29 02:45 (UTC)

[She turns the pie plate once around in her hands, a nervous gesture. This is not easy for her.]

There's somethin' that bothers me more'n a few drunken kisses. And don't get me wrong, that bothers me plenty. Especially since you told me it wasn't somethin' you were interested in pursuing.

[And then a spark of anger comes to her rescue.] But I guess that was real easy to forget.

[She pauses, as it's not in her nature to just talk at a person, but she's not sure she actually wants to hear what Eugene has to say.] You're real good at bein' polite. You even seem like you're a kind sort of person. So it just stands out even more. I didn't try ta get to know you right at first. I wanted Loki to have his own friends. And I'm not - exactly - what you'd call people friendly. But when I heard about what happened, I didn't just try ta get to know you to figure out if I could trust you enough to tell you some things about Loki. It was 'cause I know how easy it is ta take people and turn them into problems. And once someone's a problem, they're not a person anymore.

But you - you don't know anythin' about me. You never tried to get to know me, even before this whole mess. And I'm wondering if that's why it was so easy for you to forget. Because I was a problem, just something in the way of what you wanted, and not a person at all. Well, I am. And it hurt. And I think that's somethin' you should think on.

[This was what X-Men did - or what they were supposed to do. They were supposed to show the world that no matter what their power, what damage they had done, whose boyfriend they happened to already have, mutants were - most importantly - people. Humans. This was absolutely core to the depths of Rogue's being, and while she knew she wasn't the easiest person to get to know, she had her reasons. Her reasons that she knew Jack and Eugene didn't know. And they hadn't even tried to find them.]

Edited 2014-07-29 03:23 (UTC)

[What he heard went deeper than he'd imagined it would, and even though he wasn't trying to get a word in edgewise he had never thought of her as a problem. Intimidating, yes, very likely to reasonably hate him, yes. So he waited until after she had said her piece, unflinching but also pretty unsure as to what to say. Once it was fairly clear she had stated her mind, he nodded, reaching up to rub the back of his neck]

I've never thought you're a problem. And I am genuinely sorry for... perpetuating this. I'm sorry for my part in hurting you, Rogue.

[because she was a person, and she had a name, and somehow he wanted to let her know he thought of her in these terms, not as a problem.]

Mainly, I... was pretty convinced that if I asked anything about you, you wouldn't want anything to do with me, anyway. I can't and don't blame you, if I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same. So I was trying to avoid that kind of conflict. Which is why I haven't tried to get to know you.

[It was an immediate denial, and one that Rogue wasn't entirely certain she believed. In fact, on closer examination, she didn't think she believed any of it.]

It ain't exactly a new thing, you avoidin' me. [Her words were slow and measured.] Can't say we exchanged five sentences before this.

[There was so much more she could tell him, so much more to say - things like maybe she'd been wrong in stopping getting to know him, but she couldn't help the fact that even looking at him hurt, made her angry. But she didn't hate him, of course she didn't. If she did, it would be perfectly clear. Rogue was not a person who was ambiguous with her feelings.

She shakes her head slightly.]

An' I'm not sure I can believe a word you say. [And he certainly hasn't earned a place with her where she'd want to share with him any more of herself. Wasn't it enough that he'd already taken what he liked of her heart and done what he pleased with the man who held it?

And since she didn't feel like she could trust what Eugene said, was there any point in even staying around and listening to it?]

What would convince you? [In essence, his word meant nothing, his actions spoke loudly, and it didn't look good. But he did want to make amends, so he looked to her, and if she turned to him, his eyes wouldn't stray from hers.]

I'm avoiding you because I am convinced you wouldn't... want to be around me? I mean, considering it's not only caused you distress, but Loki, too. I'm no bli-- [Oh, bad choice of words] I notice things, not everything. But is it really unexpected to avoid you to give you space?

[While it was certainly understandable to Rogue that Eugene and Jack were avoiding her now, it didn't answer the other part of her accusation -- they had simply never seemed interested in her, and if she hadn't decided to confront them then Rogue was fairly sure they never would have spoken at all. They were interested in Loki. And she had been all right with that, it was safer for them - after all, they were vanilla humans and an accident could cause far too much damage. She really had been just fine with it until it had turned out they were interested in Loki.

What could convince her that this man who had kissed her boyfriend after telling her that he didn't want to get between her relationship was telling her the truth? What could convince her that he saw her as a person? Not much. After all, if he saw her as a person, that only meant he just flat out didn't care.

Which was fair enough, she supposed. It was difficult at times to care about people you didn't know.

Full circle.

What could convince her?]

Time. Maybe.

[Time. And him living up to what he was telling her. And that was all the honesty and chance she decided he deserved. Rogue shook her head and turned to go.]

Thanks for cleanin' the pie pan and keeping it for me.

[Clearly, she was taking nothing for granted here.]

Luceti | Appointments

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