Note: This whole chapter is inspired by a mardi gras mask I found online. I
loved it so much i had to write this chapter even though i was going to use
the mardi gras theme in a different fanfic.
We left the Lab in early September. We traveled cross country because I wasn't ready to go home. We saw the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone. When it started to get way too cold for the cycle we moved down south. We saw the Alamo, then we went to St. Loius. Now I was sitting on the picnic table reading a map. "So where should we go next?"
"You ever plan on goin' home Chere?"
"Ah want to figure out the whole powers thing. Ah almost have it. Ah know it. Look its Febuary now, and when it's spring time back home Ah'll go home."
"Well If you insist. We should go ta New Orleans. Mardi Gras. Best free show in de world."
"As long as we don't have ta go to the French Quarter. They give Mardi Gras a bad name."
"Gambit always invited to special party. Very elegent. You like."
"Well help me practice my power and we will go."
We arrived in New Orleans a few days later. The party already seemed in full swing. Being a native of the party city Gambit knew just where to go. He decided to stay with an old friend of his back when he was in the Guild. I of course knew nothing of his past life so I took it all in stride.
The house we were staying in was a mansion. Not quite like the Professors. More elegent and old fashioned.
"Every year Madame Chittum throws da best party in all o' Mardi Gras. She ask Gambit ta come every year. Dis be da first time Gambit accept."
He knocked on the door and a servent answered. "Ah'm sorry. Madame Chittum says dat all guest are ta be turned away until da ball begins. Ah'm sorry."
"Wait. Tell er it's Remy LeBeau. She be wantin' ta talk to Gambit."
A few minutes later, sure enough, we were escorted in to the reception hall where Madame Chittum was directing a horde of workers decorating.
"Remy! You have finally decided to attend mah party. Isn't that wonderful! Come now. Where will you be stayin' Ah haven't heard about you comin' to town and you know if any one knows it Madame Chittum knows it. So Ah figure you have just arrived. So you don't have any where to stay. No worries you and the Lady will stay here in the Guest Rooms."
I loved how she barely made time to breathe let alone hear answers to questions. She just assumes everything and thinks she's right.
"Now dear what IS your name?"
"Rogue."
"Beautiful. Absolutly Gorgeous. Let's see. Follow me. Here your rooms will be over here. Yes. Gambit. You will be across the hall. Now dear, you should remember to lock the door, that scoundrel Remy will charm his self through all your best defenses but he at least has the gentlemen respect of a locked door. At least when it is in regaurds to a ladies bedroom door. You will need a costume for the ball. Not to worry I will have my maids bring you something suitable. Now back to mah work. Please make your self at home."
"What an intrestin' character she makes. So Remy should Ah have ta worrin' about lockin' mah door? Or maybe Ah should be worrin' bout the fact that she know's ya well enough to think She should warn me?"
I smiled at his slightly flustered look. Then he did one of those smiles that makes girls like me weak in the knees and faint of heart.
"Well chere, Gambit be da king of theives, perhaps Gambit be tryin' ta steal your heart yet."
"How can you. . . Never mind. Ah'm going to read the rest of the files on my laptop."
I went into my room and closed the door. I was about to tell him, "how can you steal what is already yours" but I just can't. I mean come on this is the same guy who kidnapped me and through me to the dogs. He is a playboy, thats for sure. And he's... He's ..
Absolutly perfectly charmingly great.
A maid came in with my dress in tow. I tried it on and it fit perfectly. Turns out Madame Chittum picked it out for me her self. It was still in the early morning hours so I still had plenty of time before I had to get ready for the party.
About noon, a knock at the door revealed the maid. This time she had a message. "Miss Rogue. Ah have a messege for ya. Mr. LeBeau wishes dat you join him for lunch in the gardens."
She showed me to the Gardens where Gambit sat on a blanket with a picnic prepared. From the Garden we could see the Parades all over the city. They're where so many people it was hard to imagine how many more would be up when the moon rose and the lights come on.
I went back to my rooms to prepare for the party. At seven o'clock I recieved a message that Gambit will be waiting at the Grandstairway to escort me in.
I walked down the stairs very carfully. I wasn't accustomed to wearing such a dress as the one I had one now. I saw Gambit at the bottom of the stairs. He was dressed in an old french style like every one else. He had a black top hat and every thing. But of course he also had a black mask on a stick. The maskes were a tradition of Mardi Gras. He was the Picture of perfect black old fashioned elegence. His eyes about fell out of his head when he saw me.
My dress was a full skirt emerald green. The shiny silk russled as I walked. I was required to where large petticoats to make the skirt so full. The low cut neck line seemed to draw every ones attention. My full length black opera gloves added an air of mystery even my mask did not. My hair was up in a mass of curls that were decorated my a few stratigicly placed peacock feathers. My favorite peice of the outfit was my mask. The mask was a black and gold fethered thing but the long peacock feathers coming out from every direction made it look fit for a queen. The greens matching with dress and setting of my eyes like no other color ever could.
"You are beautiful, ma chere."
He offered an arm and I took it. All eyes where one us as we entered.
"Would you like to dance?"
"Ah would love to, cajun."
Gambit put his had on my hip and I put one on his shoulder. We clasped hands and fell into the rythme of a waltz. We dance for so long but it seemed to fly by. Madame Chittum came by with a camera.
"Let me get a picture."
Gambit stood just behind me and put his arm around my waist. I held my mask in front of my body at an angle so that it would be in the picture as well. We smiled into the camera.
CLICK!
We left the Lab in early September. We traveled cross country because I wasn't ready to go home. We saw the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone. When it started to get way too cold for the cycle we moved down south. We saw the Alamo, then we went to St. Loius. Now I was sitting on the picnic table reading a map. "So where should we go next?"
"You ever plan on goin' home Chere?"
"Ah want to figure out the whole powers thing. Ah almost have it. Ah know it. Look its Febuary now, and when it's spring time back home Ah'll go home."
"Well If you insist. We should go ta New Orleans. Mardi Gras. Best free show in de world."
"As long as we don't have ta go to the French Quarter. They give Mardi Gras a bad name."
"Gambit always invited to special party. Very elegent. You like."
"Well help me practice my power and we will go."
We arrived in New Orleans a few days later. The party already seemed in full swing. Being a native of the party city Gambit knew just where to go. He decided to stay with an old friend of his back when he was in the Guild. I of course knew nothing of his past life so I took it all in stride.
The house we were staying in was a mansion. Not quite like the Professors. More elegent and old fashioned.
"Every year Madame Chittum throws da best party in all o' Mardi Gras. She ask Gambit ta come every year. Dis be da first time Gambit accept."
He knocked on the door and a servent answered. "Ah'm sorry. Madame Chittum says dat all guest are ta be turned away until da ball begins. Ah'm sorry."
"Wait. Tell er it's Remy LeBeau. She be wantin' ta talk to Gambit."
A few minutes later, sure enough, we were escorted in to the reception hall where Madame Chittum was directing a horde of workers decorating.
"Remy! You have finally decided to attend mah party. Isn't that wonderful! Come now. Where will you be stayin' Ah haven't heard about you comin' to town and you know if any one knows it Madame Chittum knows it. So Ah figure you have just arrived. So you don't have any where to stay. No worries you and the Lady will stay here in the Guest Rooms."
I loved how she barely made time to breathe let alone hear answers to questions. She just assumes everything and thinks she's right.
"Now dear what IS your name?"
"Rogue."
"Beautiful. Absolutly Gorgeous. Let's see. Follow me. Here your rooms will be over here. Yes. Gambit. You will be across the hall. Now dear, you should remember to lock the door, that scoundrel Remy will charm his self through all your best defenses but he at least has the gentlemen respect of a locked door. At least when it is in regaurds to a ladies bedroom door. You will need a costume for the ball. Not to worry I will have my maids bring you something suitable. Now back to mah work. Please make your self at home."
"What an intrestin' character she makes. So Remy should Ah have ta worrin' about lockin' mah door? Or maybe Ah should be worrin' bout the fact that she know's ya well enough to think She should warn me?"
I smiled at his slightly flustered look. Then he did one of those smiles that makes girls like me weak in the knees and faint of heart.
"Well chere, Gambit be da king of theives, perhaps Gambit be tryin' ta steal your heart yet."
"How can you. . . Never mind. Ah'm going to read the rest of the files on my laptop."
I went into my room and closed the door. I was about to tell him, "how can you steal what is already yours" but I just can't. I mean come on this is the same guy who kidnapped me and through me to the dogs. He is a playboy, thats for sure. And he's... He's ..
Absolutly perfectly charmingly great.
A maid came in with my dress in tow. I tried it on and it fit perfectly. Turns out Madame Chittum picked it out for me her self. It was still in the early morning hours so I still had plenty of time before I had to get ready for the party.
About noon, a knock at the door revealed the maid. This time she had a message. "Miss Rogue. Ah have a messege for ya. Mr. LeBeau wishes dat you join him for lunch in the gardens."
She showed me to the Gardens where Gambit sat on a blanket with a picnic prepared. From the Garden we could see the Parades all over the city. They're where so many people it was hard to imagine how many more would be up when the moon rose and the lights come on.
I went back to my rooms to prepare for the party. At seven o'clock I recieved a message that Gambit will be waiting at the Grandstairway to escort me in.
I walked down the stairs very carfully. I wasn't accustomed to wearing such a dress as the one I had one now. I saw Gambit at the bottom of the stairs. He was dressed in an old french style like every one else. He had a black top hat and every thing. But of course he also had a black mask on a stick. The maskes were a tradition of Mardi Gras. He was the Picture of perfect black old fashioned elegence. His eyes about fell out of his head when he saw me.
My dress was a full skirt emerald green. The shiny silk russled as I walked. I was required to where large petticoats to make the skirt so full. The low cut neck line seemed to draw every ones attention. My full length black opera gloves added an air of mystery even my mask did not. My hair was up in a mass of curls that were decorated my a few stratigicly placed peacock feathers. My favorite peice of the outfit was my mask. The mask was a black and gold fethered thing but the long peacock feathers coming out from every direction made it look fit for a queen. The greens matching with dress and setting of my eyes like no other color ever could.
"You are beautiful, ma chere."
He offered an arm and I took it. All eyes where one us as we entered.
"Would you like to dance?"
"Ah would love to, cajun."
Gambit put his had on my hip and I put one on his shoulder. We clasped hands and fell into the rythme of a waltz. We dance for so long but it seemed to fly by. Madame Chittum came by with a camera.
"Let me get a picture."
Gambit stood just behind me and put his arm around my waist. I held my mask in front of my body at an angle so that it would be in the picture as well. We smiled into the camera.
CLICK!