la_belle_rogue | [Video]

[Hello, Barge. There's another new face here, one with green eyes and brown hair with white bangs. She smiles, and it's friendly and warm. The voice is all magnolias and honey.]

Not much in the way of orientation 'round here, is there? S'all right. Ah'm no stranger ta jumpin' in the deep end right off. Sorta reminds me of the first day of school.

Mah name's Rogue. Ah'm here as a Warden. Ah'm still settlin' in, but Ah figure Ah'll take a full look around the place here in a bit, get mah bearin's. If anyone feels like playin' tour guide, Ah wouldn't object either.

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[Huh. Well she did open that door hadn't she? And sort of walked them up to the threshold.]

Alright then. Sounds perfect.

[Practically arm in arm. He just nods, and kills the feed to head above deck, to meet her outside the pub. He'll need her to get in, after all.]

[She didn't make him wait, which means she shows up in her uniform, all green and white, with the X symbol emblazoned right across her chest.

At least, she does the polite thing and holds out her hand to him in greeting.]

Erik, nice ta meet ya in person.

Pleasure's all mine. [He does arch an eyebrow at her costume as he shakes her hand, though. A sort-of smile quirks the corner of his mouth.]

Now there's a difference.

[The handshake is warm, firm, with only the slightest amount of lingering as she released him. Not her Erik. She needed to remember that.]

What difference would that be? [Because she imagines there are many. Only he knows what one he means.

[He gestures vaguely to his chest, then indicates her uniform. If he noticed the lingering, he doesn't point it out.]

We went with yellow and blue. Though I can't say I was much of a fan. [The suit was tight and felt a little ridiculous, but it had protected them. He gestures at the door.]

I'm afraid you'll have to let us in.

We don't much have a color code. We go with what suits us as individuals.

[If the gentleman was observant enough, he'll have noticed by now that the uniform had no pockets, nor any place to put them. So where does a lady put things on such an outfit that she needs to keep on her? The same place every woman kept things.

She stepped by him up to the door, and unzipped the collar of her uniform a slight ways, bisecting the X on her chest, and reaches inside to product a playing card of heavy stock; her warden item. She opens the door and with a teasing smile and gracious gesture motions him in.]

After you.

[His eyes flick down, he can't help it. They don't linger, at least, and settle easily enough on her face when she opens the door. Something almost like a smirk crosses his face, and he dips his head as he steps past her.]

Very kind, [he drawls, and waits for her to close the door before heading toward the bar, leaning over it to see what's stocked.] What would you like?

[She tucks the card away, though the zipper is left as is. She's just as comfortable with it that way, and follows him.]

Ah'm not picky. Ah'll have whatever you do.

[He nods, and grabs two bottles of beer - he still drinks Bitte Burger - and carries them both to a table far from the door.]

Whenever you're ready.

[The beer made her smile. It was a casual thing that her Magneto would probably never do. Shots maybe, but beer? Even German beer? He just acted too elevated for that sort of thing.

She sat down across from him, folding her arms on the table top.]

There's an awful lot Ah could tell ya. Where would ya like me ta start?

[Maybe as he gets older his tastes will change, but who can say till then? It's not like he had a very cultured background. He pops the top off both their beers with a twitch of his fingers, dropping both on the table between them. Then he shrugs.]

Tell me what he's like.

[It's selfish, but he's heard of so many other versions, and he needs to know if there's another version of himself out that that he doesn't utterly hate.]

[She's not surprised that's what he wants to hear about, especially if everyone who wasn't from his world came crashing down on his head because of it.]

Well, he's arrogant, proud, stubborn as the day is long. He doesn't know how ta take 'no' for answer. He's fearless, clever, probably too smart for his own good. Caring, in his own way. Protective of those he loves. More sensitive than he lets on. He's very guarded, even when he's tryin' ta be open about things. He's the type that can take the whole weight of the world on his shoulders, and doesn't mind. [The whole time, she's a little far away as she talks, and she has a smile that is both rueful and wistful at the same time. She realizes it and shakes her head.] Sorry, Ah'm ramblin'.

[It's all very familiar, and he's not entirely sure how to feel about that - because though certain basic things have been similar in the tales he's heard, it's never been quite this extensive. So he lets her ramble, sips his beer, and watches her. That rueful, wistful look doesn't go unnoticed.]

You're not. Is he a terrorist?

Has been. [She takes a sip of her own beer, before continuing.] But so was Ah once. He thought he was doin' the right thing. But ends don't always justify the means.

[Then she sighs, running a hand through her hair.] Ah wish Ah could say him movin' away from that was him realizin' there's a better way, but really he just saw it as the better option at the time. He can be very pragmatic. Doesn't mean he doesn't have a good heart. He just goes about things in ways that don't always go over well with others.

That's putting it lightly. [It comes out dryly, because he's heard plenty that doesn't go well with others. Curiosity makes him lean forward on his elbows, a curious expression on his face.]

You were close to him?

As close as he let me be. [ There was no sense in denying it. She figured by now it was pretty obvious from how she'd talked about him.] Like Ah said, he's very guarded, even when he's tryin' ta let someone in.

[He has to cock his head at that, shrug his shoulder and take a long drink. It's interesting, and new, and, well. She is beautiful, he'd have to be blind not to notice that. At least he's not easily distracted.]

I've met his children. Or at least - different versions of them. And you're the first who'd claim he tried to let anyone in. [Erik's not even sure he'd let many people in, but he's been doing that over the course of the past two years.]

[ She nods. She knows she's on the short list of people who'd have anything positive to say about Magnus. She's seen him at both his worst and his best. Not many could say the same.]

His relationship with his children isn't great. He was separated from them most of their lives. Hard ta bond after that kinda time, especially when he was dancin' on the wrong side of the line. He gets very zealous in his goals. It can cloud what's really important to him.

[Not Anya's father, then, which he already was certain of - and he doubts Wanda's father. Pietro, though - this sounds similar to what he's learned from his son-who-is-actually-older-than-him.

Erik's eyes fix on hers over the butt of his bottle, and he sets it down with a curious look.]

And what's really important to him?

In mah opinion? He wants the people he cares about ta be safe, happy. That's the core of it. He just gets lost in all the details.

[There it is again, something similar, and he starts to wonder if he's just been getting horrendously skewed views of who this other version of him is, or if he's just already on his way to being that person.

He lifts his beer in a sort of toast.]

Then here's to getting a little less lost.

]She frowns at him, reaches over, putting her hand on top of his and gently, but firmly, pushes his hand down back to the table.]

That's not somethin' t'aspire to, Erik.

[He glances down at her hand before his eyes flick back up to her face, and after a still moment, his mouth quirks an almost smile. It almost reaches his eyes.]

I have a lot in common with him. And I've heard him described be people who haven't seen his good side. I don't know what's waiting for me, but I don't intend to be like him.

[The road to hell is paved with good intentions, though, and he still knows that he'd do whatever he had to for his kind.]

Good. Not that Ah've got anythin' against him, but there are better choices he could have made. [Like not murdering people in front of her when she begged him not to do it.

Her piece said, she took her hand back, not quickly, just sliding it back towards her along the table.]