Disclaimer: The X-Men™ are all part of Marvel®… so unless it changes to melancholic® anytime soon… -sighs- That's the way it is… for now. :D
(1) Notes: Thanks to all who reviewed - I wasn't expecting any at all! –grins- Okay… just a few, er… warnings before I continue with this. My French sucks, seeing that I'm only learning to speak it… -elbows her evil Remy Muse, who was smirking- Pardon me for any errors, because my only tool in this language is a handheld, mini Oxford dictionary… -smiles sheepishly-
Another thing: I made Rogue's name "Marie" because I've got a plan for this story, in which the name "Rogue" will later come out in… thanks to Panther Nesmith who inspired me! :D -showers Panther with chocolate coins- Okay… on with the story? Is that how it goes? :P
Limelight by melancholic
2. Hallucination Fascination
Jubilation Lee could hardly contain her anticipation, hands clenched to keep her from going absolutely delirious at the sight of that "G", branding the studio that her idols were in. Glancing at the bored expression on Marie's face, Jubes knew that she would rather be anywhere but here, wishing to hear Samuel Guthrie's thickly Southern-accented voice croon to her from her MP3 player. Jubilee was aware of how much Marie missed her old home in Caldecott County, Mississippi, her mother, Irene, sitting in that rocking chair – Wait! Why am I even thinking about this? Jubes thought instantly, mind snapping back into reality as she tiptoed over the sea of heads, ears ringing with the chants for Remy LeBeau's name…
I still don't getcha, Ree… Jubilee continued to think, using her own nickname for Marie. She couldn't understand why her best friend was, at the age of nineteen, still cramped inside her shell, not feeling the urge to even try and crawl out, seeing the world that was meant for her. Okay, sure, compared to Marie, Jubes was a basin full of water, while she was the Pacific Ocean… but that didn't matter. Jubilation had long emerged from her younger, timid self. Wait; did she even have one to begin with?
Anyone who knew Jubilation Lee would say that she was a feisty, sarcastic child with no tolerance for authority. Orphaned at an early age, Jubilee outshone her peers before that, being an extremely talented gymnast. She honed her skills while studying at an exclusive prep school in this very area, Beverly Hills. Suffice to say, she had it all: a rich lifestyle, happy family, anything a girl could ask for… until a gunshot took the entirety away.
Blinking back the slightest of tears, Jubilee focused on the steady tapping of edgy people's feet, trudging along as they waited for their turn to get inside the studio. As a double treat, the stars were also giving a press conference about Genesis, a highly anticipated project that they were to be working on. There were a few minor roles open, and they were going to be holding a contest inconspicuously about who should fill the parts. Having expected this, Jubes could feel that the judges were going to be none other than the cast themselves, and she was ready to give it her all.
They'll see that I'm meant for this… She swore to herself mentally, confident the air around her was sure that she'd be picked. After all, she discovered that she had been gifted with the talent of acting as a child, masking her face with endless innocent expressions after being blamed with all the wrongdoings at that Los Angeles orphanage she saw as her "home". It all became too much, and running away from that horrible place was one of the best things Jubilee did, fending off for herself and living truly independently in the Hollywood Mall for a while. She'd come a long way from all of that, and she was determined to see her name in lights, the stage and camera being something she'd craved for so long.
I don't see why Marie wants to go back to Caldecott. Everything's here… I belong here. As the line trundled ahead fast, Jubilee moved her body with only one thought on her mind: Watch out, Hollywood… someone's gonna blow your world. And her name is Jubilation Lee.
———
Ennui (boredom). This is all ennui. A man thought lazily, barely registering the screams that were threatening to deafen him from outside. He raked his fingers through his copper-colored hair, already tousled from a lady's last encounter with it. Hmm… ma chérie (my darling) Ororo better not forget nothing… He grinned, pearly whites flashing as he relaxed on his chair. I certainly won't…
"Monsieur LeBeau! Sir!!!" A panicked voice shook Remy back into this reality, ceasing his fantasies of his on-again, off-again (but currently on) girlfriend, Ororo Munroe. Grinning devilishly at the white-haired, African-American actress seated two chairs away from him, he then looked questioningly at his personal assistant, Belladonna Boudreaux, her manicured fingers frantically waving his cell phone at his face.
"Mademoiselle Tessa wishes to speak with you…" Bella breathed out, referring to his manager and publicist. Eyebrow raised, Remy mumbled a quick "Merci, ya may go…" to Belladonna, placing the phone to his ear before settling back down into his seat.
"Allo… ah, oui… Tessa, cherie, can't it wait 'til tomorrow? Remy knows ya love moi…" He kidded, knowing how easy it was to have his way with her. "Mmhmm… yeh. Coffee at de nearest Starbucks, ya say? All right… but ya know dat Remy didn't do not'in' illegal…" Laughing at her exasperated tone, he agreed to whatever she was saying (he honestly never paid much attention), eyes roaming over to Ororo's creamy, coffee-shaded complexion, his fingers itching to feel that smooth texture…
"Remy! Hello??? I said, GOOD-BYE!" Tessa slammed the phone on him, leaving the Cajun with an amused expression on his features. Mon Dieu (My God), that femme's a mystére (mysterious) type… He thought, a smile creeping up to his face as he thought of his highly neurotic and stressed manager. Remy can't even remember her last name. That'll confirm my suspicions of Tessa bein' a spy… who's complaining, though? Remy always liked black, tight leather myself…
"May I have your attention, please!" A tone Remy instantly recognized escaped from the loudspeaker inside the tent they were in, making him look up. Charles Xavier (or Professor X, like he was fondly called because of his obsession with sci-fi ordeals and how he kept trying to teach his views to them) was speaking into the microphone.
"I just wanted to make sure that you all are prepared to meet your dreams… or probably nightmares." He said, chuckling at the cast. "The fans will be coming in soon for that press conference… and then the fun shall begin!" Charles added, knowing that they were aware of their roles as judges. "Choose wisely! Do away with the ones who're annoying you, and don't forget to be yourselves!!! I trust you all that much…" With that statement, the director's small monologue ended, followed by a word from Emma Frost, an executive producer of the film.
"Do we all know how much this'll cost us if you don't work? My company, Frost Productions International, is going to kick your buttocks if you…" Emma barked out, raising a pointed finger threateningly.
Blablablabla. Remy thought, reverting back into his bored attitude, the look in his eyes being the famous one that made all of his fans' hearts melt. If only… Remy blinked, not finishing his train of thought, for he was unsure of what he saw. He had drifted his gaze over to the crowds of people filling up the humungous spectator area; barely aware that Emma Frost's speech had ended.
Dieu… He didn't know what was happened to him at that particular moment, his insides were stirring, unmindful of the suggestive looks that his girlfriend Ororo was giving him… An ange (angel), she is… his brain concluded, taking in the profile of a girl who had just entered the tent.
Maybe it was the way her long, wavy, brown hair seemed to fit perfectly around her face, the way her olive-colored eyes shone like emeralds through the little sunlight that penetrated the region, or the fact that she had a deep, contemplative expression on her face, so much in contrast with the fanatical ones that glinted in the eyes of all the others. He didn't know why his heart was apparently beating in a different manner, since she wasn't even looking at him…
Remy needs to know who that belle (beautiful) of a femme (woman) is! Intriguing thoughts, totally unlike him, continued to flood him as he searched the mob for her face, which he already thought he had memorized… but it was too late. She was gone.
———
Marie glanced around at her new surroundings curiously, feeling a sudden burst of interest explode inside her. This might actually be more fun than I expected… She found it funny, how almost everyone appeared to be beside him or herself with insanity, the everlasting craving for their "loves" eating them up, controlling their minds, too.
Amazingly, I'm free. Marie liked her current status, probably the only person in this room not enslaved by anything, or enticed and enamored with anyone. After a while, she instinctively blinked, sensing something wrong with the picture. Her eyes caught sight of the high table where the stars of Genesis were seated, the perfect forms of Jean, Betsy, Alison, and Ororo staring back at her, as if to say that she wasn't like them at all.
Whoa, whoa… where'd that thought come from, Marie? She asked herself, trying to eradicate any strange sentiments still lingering. Making sure she saw nothing wasn't enough to convince her that someone had been watching. Oddly, she felt a connection of some sort, blindly leading her somewhere…
Her eyes once again were on the cast. She wasn't paying attention to the remarks of Charles anymore. Forget it, Mar… you're hallucinating. Remy LeBeau, whose glance was meandering mysteriously in her direction, was not the one causing her to feel this way: emotions jumbled up, mixed like an endless ball of yarn, wherein you didn't know where it would begin, or where it would end. Hallucinating. She feebly tried to convince her protesting heart… This was too unreal.
(2) Notes: Well, I've got nothing relevant to say here, except to implore you guys for reviews… ;)