I'm only human [open]

[Gambit]

Remy LeBeau walked down a litter strewn sidewalk, keeping his eyes on the ground and his hands in his pockets. He had a lot on his mind at the moment, and didn't much care to be at Xaviers. A cigarette poked out of his mouth, and the red glow from the burning cherry looked vaguely like the red glow that shot out from his eyes.

After spending about two hours in the wicked city that was New York, a visibly distraught Remy wandered back to the Institute. He mumbled to himself as he marched through the school grounds, wondering if anyone would still be up at this time. Most people assumed that Remy didn't feel or care too deeply about his dead allies and the events at the memorial, but he did. He would never be comfortable with actuall feelings though. He didn't exactly fit the role of Mr. Sensitive. Remy preferred it that way. He had become what he wanted to be, or at least what he thought he did. As brave as the former thief was, there were some demons he could not bring himself to face.

Remy stared up at the moon, and watched as it seemed to sink into the sky and bury itself under the gauze like clouds. He put his rough gloved hands on his face and expelled a breath that expressed the weight that heaved itself on his shoulders. The weight of the world. Remy felt uncomfortable and unsure of himself. He peered back to the mansion, where slumbering students and team mates dwelled. They were all so complete with their grief, so up front about their sorrow. Their honesty put Remy to shame.

"Remy only human...", he whispered to himself as his devil eyes wandered back up to the shrouded moon

[Shadowcat]

Tangled within the thin sheets on her bed, Kitty had a nightmare. Many things occurred in the nightmare, but when the young woman sat up from her bed, panting and breaking out in a cold sweat, she couldn't remember a thing. Lightly wiping the sweat from her forehead with her arm, she felt as if it was really warm in her dorm room. She contemplated going back to sleep until a loud, crashing rumble from her stomach told her otherwise. Great, she was hot and hungry. Still in her plaid pajama pants and blue spaghetti-strap shirt, Kitty found herself trotting down the stairs into the kitchen where hopefully, she could sneak a snack.

With a weak pull, the fridge door opened, emitting extremely cool air. Shadowcat sighed happily. After a moment of standing with the door open, Kitty scanned the contents for something that no one would miss-- Carrot sticks. She casually pulled out the small tupperware full of small, thin carrot sticks. Sure, they didn't taste all that good, but it'd fill her up.

As she closed the refrigerator door, Kitty saw a figure walk by the corner of her eye. The young woman turned around quickly, causing her brown hair to sway around her shoulders as she bumped her back into the fridge. She had to investigate; Kitty couldn't just leave the students to uncertain peril because of her laziness! Following the figure outside, she realized in the moonlight that the silhouette belonged to no one other than Remy LeBeau. Sighing thankfully, Kitty swiftly jogged to his side and said, "Hey, you nearly gave me a heart attack!!"

[Gambit]

Remy had prepared to get up and take post elsewhere when he noticed the kitchen lights flicker on. He didn't feel like being bothered at the moment, but his laziness kept him sitting still for a few more moments before finally continuing his meandering ways.

He peered back when he heard a voice at his side. He looked down at Kitty and smiled faintly. "Yeah, Remy have a habit of making da girls hearts stop..", he said slyly as he looked back up to the now emerging moon. It was always in cycles, one moment the clouds draping in front of it...and the next moment drifting to the front.

Remy dropped his cigarette to the ground and stomped it with his heavy boot. He reeked of tobacco with slight hints of cologne and gin. "You up awful late petite..."

[Shadowcat]

"Yeah, Remy have a habit of making da girls hearts stop."

Kitty Pryde rolled her eyes and let out a small chuckle. "Funny, funny. But seriously, you must have noticed me in the kitchen! Why didn't you just pop in and say 'hey, Remy here!' or something?" Kitty asked, using his accent when she quoted him for emphasis. But it didn't seem to matter to him right now. It was obvious that something was bothering him. Kitty sighed as he stared up at the moon and made a comment about her being up late.

"I have a good reason. I had a bad dream, I was hungry," She shook the small plastic box of carrots. "And it was freakishly hot in my room." With a frown, Kitty ran her fingers through her hair. There was a short moment of silence as the young hero gazed up at the moon like Gambit had, seeing nothing interesting about it. It was a moon. It wasn't yellow nor was it abnormally big. Kitty yawned. "Wah ah you doing up late?" She asked through her yawn.

[Laurie]

Laurie froze outside the kitchen door. She hadn't slept at all, merely sat at her window and looked out at the moon, letting it turn her a silvery color and fill her room with light. But of course, sitting up for long periods of time and doing nothing meant her belly finally demanded a late-night snack, and so she padded silently from her room down to the kitchen. Whereupon she heard Kitty and Gambit talking, and froze solid.

Kitty was okay, but Gambit...she could barely stand to be in the same room with him. He scared her deep down inside - or at least he made her feel uncomfortable and shaky. And he had this way of looking somehow that you couldn't take your eyes off of him. She just...couldn't. It was impossible to tell why and she wasn't sure she wanted to put up with the strain of doing it tonight.

Carefully, she peeked around the kitchen door, wondering if they had their backs turned. She might be able to get to the jar of crackers just inside the door. She could return it later on.

[Gambit]

Remy chuckles under his breath as he returned his attention to Kitty. She was a spitfire, really. He couldn't help but smile when she made her wisecracks, they were alike in at least that sense.

"Dats a might fine impression of Gambit", he said as he shook his head and continued to grin as he meandered through the grounds. He listened to her talk and nodded, his reddish brown locks hanging downwards. "Dems good reason enough for moi."

As they walked again by the kitchen, Remy heard a little rustling within the room. He took a few wide stride forwards to find himself with a possibly spying Laurie. He looked back and forth between the two girls.

"You up too, petite? What time it is?"

[Shadowcat]

As Kitty walked with the gruff Gambit past the kitchen, Kitty turned slightly and saw another person from the corner of her eye-- but this time, she recognized her. Brilliant blonde hair; it must be Laurie. Without a second thought to consider how Laurie was feeling, Kitty called Laurie over with a bright, "Hey Laurie! You awake too?" She smiled wide when she realized that Remy noticed her as well.

From the looks of things, it seemed like Laurie wasn't too tired, as if she had been staying up this whole time. Kitty raised a brow and walked to the side of Wallflower, creating a small triangle of people. It was easier for everyone to talk that way, and Kitty was still trying to get Laurie to open up. Hopefully she was helping. A hazel gaze rose to a large, circular clock that hung above the oven in the kitchen. "One in the A.M., I believe." Kitty replied tongue in cheek. She continued to watch Laurie with slightly concerned eyes.

[Laurie]

They both saw her. Laurie tried to pull back but it was too fast. Within seconds Gambit was only a few feet away asking her the time and then Kitty came to her other side, trapping her. Flanking her. She pressed herself against the wall and looked at them with wide eyes. The moment she locked eyes on Gambit she felt that familiar wave of intimidation, but at the same time she could barely convince herself to look away. She spoke very softly in response to him. "It's after midnight. Maybe one or two. I don't know." Her voice was half a whisper, half actual speech, and she only just managed to look away as Kitty chimed in, saying it was one in the morning.

"I couldn't sleep," she said. She took a step forward, as though going to bolt from between Gambit and Kitty and invert the triangle, but the fear of being out in the open drove her back against the wall. She managed to step a little to the side, away from Gambit, but without meaning to her eyes were drawn to him again. Her voice still breathy and soft, she said: "I heard a little boy talking about the Avengers today. I was wondering why he would be doing that. They're not gone. Or...are they."

She knew, of course, that if it was just Gambit she would have clammed up and stared at him. But Kitty was nice, Kitty had patience and bravery where Laurie did not. And while Sofia wasn't here to make a wind, Laurie wasn't worried about her powers right now. She didn't think they were being a problem.

[Gambit]

Remy looked around the kitchen as Kitty began to talk to Laurie. They really ought to keep some kind of lock on that fridge, teens were always cleaning the place out. He looked back down to the blonde girl and arched an eyebrow as she pressed herself against the wall. She was a shy one, that went without sating. The Cajun took a step back to give her a little breathing room.

As he peered over at Kitty he decided to break away from the group. He swung the door to the fridge open and began to dig through the contents when Laurie spoke up again. He casually pulled out a bright red apple and brushed it against his jacket. He sat carefully down, leaning in the chair and looking back at the blonde girl.

"What you say?"

[Laurie]

Laurie was starting to feel dizzy though she didn't know why. It was only when Gambit moved away and she exhaled did she catch on - she'd been holding her breath. She watched him pick up an apple and start to eat it, his red eyes back on her. She almost hoped he'd speak again, just so she knew he'd heard her and had some sort of response to what she was saying. And when he did speak - it was to tell her he had absolutely no idea what it was. She had to repeat herself?

She gulped and looked over at Kitty, who was staying quiet. She actually narrowed her eyes just a little bit - Kitty was forcing her to talk, she knew it. Kitty had made that clear; just like Sofia, she wouldn't allow Laurie to remain safely in the shadows. Or against a wall.

So Laurie moved into the kitchen and copied Gambit, grabbing an apple. She spiced hers up though, fishing around for a knife and a jar of peanut butter, and she started to cut the apple and spread peanut butter on it.

"I heard a little boy talking about the Avengers," she repeated quietly. "Is it true they're all gone and they have to reform the team?"

[Shadowcat]

Kitty Pryde grinned when Laurie obviously caved in from the pressure and shifted around in her standing stance. Kitty had clenched her jaw on her lips lightly, metaphorically 'locking them up and throwing away the key'. It wasn't Kitty's turn to talk-- and obviously Laurie had something important to say. And she was going to say it herself.

The hazel gaze stayed locked on Wallflower as she pulled out another apple like Remy did. Though Laurie was facing away from her, it was clear to Gambit that Kitty had smiled wide. But right after that, she immediately closed her mouth and walked silently over to Laurie and took the jar of peanut butter and opened the tupperware full of carrot sticks. As the blonde spoke again, Kitty listened as well as she could, apart from hearing her chomping noises as she dipped her carrot stick in the peanut butter. She has good taste! Kitty nodded satisfyingly.

[Gambit]

Remy continued to munch absently on his apple as the two girls seemed to be engaged in some kind of silent struggle. He rolled the fruit between his deft fingers ver quickly, tossing it into the air and catching it as it began to sail downwards through the air.

He looked up upon hearing the clank of the silverware drawer, and saw Laurie with a butter knife in her hand and peanut butter in the other. He was intrigued as both women added the smooth creamy substance to their snacks.

"Yeah, dey gonna be makin' the team up again. I stopped by da meetin'...",he watched as the girls passed the peanut butter to one another before he finally interrupted and grabbed the jar himself, determined to have some for himself.

[Laurie]

Laurie jumped as Gambit suddenly snatched the bottle form her hands, and her eyes radiated quiet disapproval even as she watched him eat. She watched his mouth chew and his throat swallow as the food went down, and then she looked back at his eyes. A tiny shudder ran up her back and she hunkered in her seat, trying to think of anything to say - anything - that wouldn't involve Gambit speaking to her again. But since Kitty hadn't replied, she was trapped for the time being.

She got up and crossed to the kitchen, taking out a little carton of chocolate milk. She uncapped it and drank. It tasted a little like Reeses with the peanut butter, and a tiny smile went over her face as she enjoyed it. Finally, she took her knife and cut out a little of the meat from one of her apple slices. She filled the little hole with peanut butter and nibbled at it, still at a loss for words.

Finally, she knew she had to say something, because Kitty wasn't. "Are you going to join?"

[Gambit]

Remy looked up for a second and he met a dissaproving look from Laurie as he gulped down a chunk of apple and peanut butter.

"Sorry, den", he said slyly as he slid the jar back towards it. He tossed the apple core into the trash bin and kicked back in his seat a little, feeling more relaxed. He peeled off his black fingerless gloves and set them on the table.

"Think I might join", he said with a smile and a shrug. He didn't put too much thought on the subject yet. "But X-Men be my true team.."

[Shockwave]

DAMMIT!