A Smoke and a Talk (open)

[Wolverine]

I was out on the grounds in back, smoking a cigar. Chris's little stunt was causing some questions to run through my head. Lately she's been distant from everyone, disobedient, and snippy. I looked up at the sky. Mariko had left me at the alter and then was murdered when Crystal was three. I wondered what would have happened if Mariko had lived. Would our daughter be the way she is now if she would have had a mother? Or even if Mariko had left me, but lived, would she have been better off living in Japan with her mother? I sat down on the bench behind me and ran my hands through my hair.

[Rogue]

I saw Logan out back and made my way over to him, the green trenchcoat swinging out behind me. I walked past several of the School's playgrounds, and a stray basketball almost hit me, but I ducked. "Sorry!" a boy yelled, all of them debating who should go get the ball. By the time I got to Logan, his cigar was almost out, the gray ashes blowing away.

[Wolverine]

I looked over my shoulder to see Rogue just as my cigar went out. "Hey, kid," I said, pulling out another one and lighting it. "How's it goin'?" I wondered if she was going to say something about how I've been leaving for Canada so often recently. She was almost like a second daughter to me and me leaving all the time must be pissing her off. I took a couple drags on my cigar and let the smoke out through my mouth. This was one of my few chances to smoke at the mansion. Crystal hated it, so I didn't smoke much at the school.

[Rogue]

"So, Canada?" I said, and then I looked down, pulled my glove on tight, then slapped him quickly. "That's what I think of that. I hope you told Crystal when you left.." I said, still somewhat holding a grudge after he'd left me with no warning. I handed him three more cigars, pulling them out of my pocket. "Here. I got these from my dad. I thought you'd like them." I said, holding them out for him to take.

[Wolverine]

"No, I didn't," I said, rubbing my cheek, preparing for another slap as I took the cigars. "She ain't too happy either." I wiped my face. "I ain't been doin' a good job bein' a father lately. Seem's like my memories have been comin' first. God, I'm such a flamin' idiot." I took another drag of my cigar. "I ain't been fair to you, either. M'sorry."

[Rogue]

"It's fine. Just make sure you keep Crystal happy." I said, my accent coming in and making the word happy into happay. "And just so you know-" I said, getting up in his face playfully. "The only reason I slapped you with my glove on was cause I didn't wanna become a jerk for a day." I finished, going back and sitting on a bench. Several students passed by, and one came up to me. A sixth grader. "Rogue, can you help me with some homework?" he said, producing a worksheet with Math problems on it. "Uh, well, let's see, 2 times 3 is what?" I said, and the boy replied "Six" "Right! Now, what's six times five?" I said, my accent coming back again. "um...thirty!" he said, his eyes bright. "Mhmm. Now, go play." I said, and he ran off, leaving me and Logan alone again.

[Wolverine]

"Ya' shoulda slapped me with out yer glove," I said, pinching my eyes. "I could use a good knock out. An' what she need's is a mom." I sighed. It was deffinetly apparent that she needed a female to look up to and I can't be it. Her behaivior was becoming more like mine everyday and that wasn't good. "She took my car again," I said, looking at Rogue. "Went with Kurt to New York. This is the third time she's done it." I threw the stub of my cigar on the ground and put it out. I put the stub in my pocket. "I ain't too mad though. At least she's makin' friends and not fearin' that everyone'll leave." I knew that fear had alot to do with my constant trips to Canada.

[Rogue]

"Atleast she's with Kurt. Nightcrawler's a good kid." I said, and noticed how he'd looked at me when he said that Crystal needed a mother figure in her life. "Logan, if you want, Chris can come stay with me whenever you go on your trips." I said,readjusting the green trenchcoat on my shoulders.

[Wolverine]

"Thanks fer the offer, kid, but I think I'm gonna do something I shoulda done a couple years ago," I said, giving Rogue a half smile. "She's seventeen. I think it's 'bout time she came with." I leaned back on the bench and finished up my cigar. "How have things been goin' with you?" I asked, looking at Rogue. I didn't light another cigar, wanting to save some for later.

[Rogue]

"I don't know, Logan, that could change her view of you. And you'd leave me to watch Kurt? You are mean." I said, then heard his next question. "They've been good. Besides, even if you had taken me up on the offer, I don't think Crystal likes me much." I said, the Misissipi accent that some of the 5th graders made fun of comin back really strong.

[Wolverine]

"How would that chang her view a me?" I asked. "An' who said I was leavin' you with Kurt? He's a big Elf. He can handel himself." I had a grin on my face. Then she said she thought Crystal haited her. "Chris don't hate'cha," I said. "She just ain't good with people." I sighed. I found myself once again wondering what would have happened if Mariko were her. One's thing for sure, Chris woudn't be do dang anti-socail. She'd acctuall have a role-modle who could handle people, unlike me.

[Rogue]

"I-I don't know Logan. But it might. You never know." I said, the heard him talk about Kurt "You know him, he's gotta have someone watchin' over him. And maybe he'll rub off on her. He's real good with people. I don't know where he gets that." I said, remembering when I'd found out he was my foster brother. I laughed a bit, then looked back to Logan.

[Wolverine]

[[oh, yeah, you can deffinetly combine different personas of Rogue, like i did with Wolverine]]
"I aslo know he can hold his own aginst me in the danger room. Elf's fine," I reassured her. "He is good with people," I agreed. "Think I might've gotten a memmory back," I said. This would be one of the first times I acctually got something more than a glimps of a memory when I was up in Canada. "Think I mighta been a lumberjack," I said. "Not sure though. It's still foggy."

[Rogue]

"A lumberjack? Huh." I said, then I noticed Crystal walk up to us. "Hay Crystal. How was the the city?" I said, and Crystal answered "Fun."I nodded awkwardly, and noticed Kurt wasn't with her, and interrupted her while she was talking to Logan. "Where's Kurt?" I asked her, and she gave me a dirty look. "He went to park the car." she said sarcastically. I grabbed her shirt collar and pulled her down to me. "Where is he?" I said, and she wrenched herself away, and said "He's in his room. Why?" she said. I scoffed, then said "Cause I wanted to make sure you didn't turn him into an antisocial freak!" I said, instantly regretting it. "Oh my god, Crystal, I didn't mean it like that." I said, reaching out to touch her.

Crystal: I give permission for a one time power play. TripleK, PM me with any concerns.

[Triple K]

*sigh, looking away* Alright, I hate to do this, I really do, but although Crystal allows it, I . . . I can't. It's power playing in not just a small way. How do you know that Kurt will go to his room? How do you know they even come back from the city? I'm sorry, but for this I must give you a warning. I will not ban you, though, 'cause I think myself to be reasonable.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to say disregard everything said about Crystal and Kurt in that last post.