[ Action, Voice ] Seven of Diamonds

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue has spent this entire experiment week completely unaffected. If she were the kind of person inclined to use blackmail, that would be just peachy. Instead, after figuring out the theme, she's gone from resigned to amused to bitter in the blink of an eye. Kind of the Malnosso to remind her that fairy tales and happily ever afters just aren'

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[Action]

[kineticcajun]

[With everything else happening this week, the thorn forest isn't much of a surprise. After all, it's been a full week of stuff out of kid's movies, so why not a massive tangle of thorns? It's familiar, but Gambit can't really put his finger on it

[Action]

[touchofrogue]

[And she'll press up against him as he pulls her close quite willingly. It feels so nice not to have to be afraid. That, combined with the heady pleasure of the skillful kiss, manages to completely distract her from certain clues, like the warmth of the other person, which would otherwise set off warning bells in her mind.

This was a very good dream.

...did you have to breathe in dreams? Because she gasps when he breaks the kiss and... those are gloved hands brushing her hair back.

Mello? But she hadn't dreamed of him in... and he hadn't felt like this. They'd been nearly the same height, this person was definitely taller and stronger and...

A twisting, coiling knot of dread begins to form in her stomach, smothering the tingling caused by the kiss.

"Rise an' shine, Sleepin' Beauty."

She knows that voice. Rogue's eyes instantly pop open as she automatically strains away from his embrace, her expression still unguarded and vulnerable for a moment. This is no dream.]

Wha-what?

[The fact that her lips are still tingling do

[Action]

[kineticcajun]

[And there goes that fairy tale magic. Or, well, most of it. He holds her gaze steady, but, just as she asks, lets her go. Or at least loosens his hold on her enough to let her pull the rest of the way away. There's still some part of him that doesn't particularly want to let her go, but it's the better idea, ultimately.]

Easy now, chere. One of those fairy tales goin' around got you.

[He's sure she'll be noticing the dress in just a moment. It will probably lend more weight to this than just him telling her himself.]

...I wasn't jokin' when I said "Sleepin' Beauty."

[Action] 1/3

[touchofrogue]

[She most definitely takes advantage of the loosening of his hold and breaks free like a shot. Part of her is reacting purely on instinct and for their mutual preservation, despite all evidence to the contrary he is too close, and part of her is reacting purely out of self-defense and confusion. If her powers aren't working, and he's this close, and he already kissed her...]

What are you talkin' about?

[Action]

[touchofrogue]

[A flash of memory bursts through her confusion -- the spindle.

She gasps, a soft intake of breath.

And her lips are still tingling and he is still too close.]

[Action]

[touchofrogue]

[She tears her gaze away in awful realization of what must have happened and recognizes her surroundings: the tunnels.

Rogue becomes aware of other changes - his arms are bare and scratched, and there's still a heavy weight draping her despite her relative freedom from his embrace. A quick glance down confirms her suspicion. She's wearing his coat.

And these are not her clothes.]

Oh my Gawd.

[She is momentarily horrified and sickened. The experiment had been compelling people to fulfill various roles the whole week, and even surpassing her own sense of mortification and horror is one overwhelming concern. Her gaze snaps up to his, intensely concerned.]

Tell me you were the first one ta find me.

[Action]

[kineticcajun]

[Gambit gives a small nod in answer. The girl's got enough to worry about as it is, there's no sense in dragging this out.]

Far as I could tell, yes. I didn't see anybody else in the shop, jus' you. [Which means no piles of unconscious bodies that he had to climb over. Which should assuage that fear at least somewhat.

A slight grin twitches onto his lips as he decides to try to lighten the mood a bit.]

Sorry this ain't the most romantic spot, but the tunnel of love here is jus' about all I could think of to wake you up.

[Action]

[touchofrogue]

[She very nearly slumps in relief. She hadn't hurt anybody -

Then he had to go and keep talking. She reels back in unsteady confusion, the anger that was mostly real and partly a comfortable cover for her vulnerability, and, yes, the slightest shard of amusement.]

The tunnel of what now?

[The tunnels. Of course. That explains why she hadn't been able to tell if she'd absorbed anyone. The voices, the ever-present psyches and pressure in her mind were muffled in the tunnels.]

[Action]

[kineticcajun]

Kidding, chere. Jus' kidding.

[He'll finally back off a bit to give her some more space, folding his arms idly. It isn't until now that it dawns on him that a very small thorn has been stuck in his left arm this whole time. Just. Plucking that out now and brushing it off.

He'll be serious for five minutes, though.] You feelin' okay? You were out for a while 'fore I found you.

[She's bound to be feeling angry, he can see that much, but that fairy tale better not have caused any negative effects from that time spent on the floor.]

[Action]

[touchofrogue]

[That's a shame, because she could have handled obnoxious or charming or swarmy or even antagonistic better than serious and concerned. She wraps her arms around herself for a moment and rubs gloved hands up and down her arms, arms that are halfway covered in his jacket.

He'd done that once before, she remembers. On the train down to New Orleans, after kidnapping her and she'd been on the floor - and he'd covered her.

Strange, that she remembers it now. Strange too, the way he seems to care about her physical condition. Chivalry or trick or something more, some part of him that she sees, despite himself, as good.]

m'fine.

[That's nearly muttered, and her attention as he moves away to a mixture of relief and regret, is drawn to the scratches on his arms.]

But what the heck happened to you?

[Hell, she's fought him before and she didn't manage to put so much of a scratch on him. His arms were a bloody mess.]

[Action]

[kineticcajun]

[Yeah, he's not too proud of the bloody mess. This is easily the most banged up he's been in a long while. And it was a bunch of plants.]

Ah... every rose has its thorns, non? In your case, it was a whole forest of 'em. An' they weren't too happy 'bout me tryin' to get you outta there.

[Still, he gives her a smile. It's in part to disarm any worry, in part because she may actually be slightly worried, but also to lessen the impact of losing his untouchable-in-a-fight reputation.]

It's nothin', but I 'preciate the concern.

[Action]

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue's not worried, as such. She is quite convinced that she doesn't really care if he hurt himself. Of course.

But the fact that he got hurt helping her...

So she gives him her best 'I know you did not just compare me to a rose' look before glancing away, away from that smile and those eyes and the longer she stays in here...]

I hate this place. Let's get outta here.

[She pulls his trenchcoat a little further over her shoulders and starts heading towards the entrance. Part of her notes that they're not very far from it at all. And as soon as her back's turned to him, Rogue bites down on her lower lip to rid herself of that phantom sensation, replace the memory with something tangible, and distract herself from the impulse of taking those two steps towards him instead of away. She wonders what the look on his face would be like if she decided to 'thank' him and steal more sensation from his mouth.

Part of her doesn't think he'd mind at all, and that part of her thrills with excitement and dread.

She needs to get out of

[Action]

[kineticcajun]

Ladies first.

[Remy lets her get a few steps ahead of him before he starts to follow. Give her some space for now. He knows how much she hates playing into anybody's hands, and that fairy tale got both of them in one fell swoop.

But still, he can't help but feel like this was worth it, if only for the chance to see her parading around in his coat like this. It's definitely a good look for her. But then again, Rogue is someone who looks good in just about anything, in his opinion.]

Might not wanna head back to your shop jus' yet, though. Lotsa dust and thorns everywhere last I saw it.

[Only partially joking here.]

[Action]

[touchofrogue]

Peachy. [Who'll have to be cleaning up all that dust? Her. Not to mention that her stuff was all back there, but that her returning might set off the Fairy Tale again...] Just--

[She steps outside, mentally preparing herself for the sudden return of her powers and refusing to show any reaction around Gambit.]

--Ah!

[But the psyches had been suppressed, not only by the tunnels, but also in her unnatural sleep. They rush to the forefront of her mind with a vengeance, and Rogue stumbles. One hand goes to her head as she anticipates crashing back against the tunnel entrance for support.]

[Action]

[kineticcajun]

[Nope. No crashing into the tunnel entrance today. Gambit clears the distance between them easily to steady her before she can stumble back too far, catching her by the shoulders. Merde... LeBeau, you should have seen this coming.]

Steady now. Stay with me, Rogue.

[Don't you go passing out again.]

[Action]

[touchofrogue]

I ain't goin' anywhere [That's gritted out, partially for his benefit but mostly directed at the psyches attempting to break free and run rampant through her mind.

And she doesn't pull away either, much as she'd like to, needs to. He's too close and she not supposed to lean on anyone, much less someone who isn't a teammate, much less him. But just right now, pulling away would be too much of a distraction from the battle in her mind and Rogue clenched her teeth and forces them back, letting her anger and frustration over this whole situation, over being seen like this, add strength to her fight. It's over after a mere 48 seconds. 48 seconds that seem like a lifetime. She steps forward immediately afterwards, tearing her shoulders from his grip, trying and failing to think to a way to downplay this.]