Re-Creation
Bib:
Rogue is told she cannot go to school in her Gothic clothes anymore. When she refuses, some of the mutant residants take steps to try and change Rogue's wardrobe.
Story:
Rogue had been called into the priniciple's office and she was pretty sure she was more outraged than the principle himself.
"…starting from tomorrow, all Gothic clothing will be band from Bayville High. Anyone who is caught wearing an article of dark clothing considered to be Gothic will receive a discipline or be expelled." He had announced earlier on during the day over the school speakers.
The little meeting she had with the principle was just him reinforcing the rules to her which ended up with Rogue storming out of the school.
"This is unbelievable! He can't do this!" Rogue fumed to Kitty as they headed back home.
"Well, you know, it might, like, be a blessing in disguise." Kitty said.
"Excuse meh!" Rogue snapped, turning on the girl dressed in bright pinks and blues.
"Well, maybe a wardrobe change won't be so bad. You might actually find something more flattering to wear." Kitty said.
"Flattering! Kitty, this is who ah am! Ah ain't changin' for no one!" Rogue near yelled to the point where half the mansion heard her including Remy who was strolling around the grounds.
"Rogue," the Professor called out to her gently, getting her attention from the entrance of his office.
"Oh, Professor. Thank Gawd your here. The principle's gone berserk again and I need ta talk to ya about something," Rogue said as she walked towards the Professor's office.
Remy watched from the top of the stairs as the Professor let Rogue in and closed the office door behind them. His eyes shifted to Kitty who was pouting still from her encounter with the Rogue. She hadn't seen him yet as he leaned lazily against the banister.
A lightbulb seemed to go off somewhere in the petite chat's head and she was taking two steps at a time when she spotted him.
"Oh, Remy. Like, what you doin' here?" She asked.
"Last time I checked, I lived here," Remy shot back at her.
Kitty laughed a little, "Oh, yeah, right. Not what I meant, but I guess that's a reason. I'll, like, see you around." Kitty said, going to wave him off. "Oh, and I'd avoid Rogue for a little while if I was you," she added just before she left. "Something happened in school today and well… She's gone a little wild in the head."
"Don't you worry 'bout moi petite. I be able to handle anythin'," Remy said, before wandering off himself.
Xxxxx
A good while later, what Remy expected to happen happened. Rogue was still in a foul temper, when she came bursting into the garage. When she spotted him, she instantly became defensive.
"Leave meh alone Remy! Ah ain't in the mood ta be played with right now," she snapped at him.
Remy just shrugged his shoulders as if he had no idea what she was talking about.
"Just hangin' chérie. 'bout t' take mon bébé out for a spin. You wanna join?" he asked.
He watched Rogue huff and fidget as if looking for something to do until she realised there was nothing and she began to go still.
"Where ya headin'?" she asked, having calmed down some.
"Just driftin'. Seems like y' could do with some air. Come on, we go get some," Remy said, throwing Rogue a helmet.
Rogue caught it and contemplated it.
"Alright fine! Ah'll go for a ride with ya, but no questions 'bout my talk with the Prof. We clear?" Rogue demanded to know.
This just made Remy smirk.
"Y' noticed me, huh?" he asked.
"Ah'm still plannin' on gettin' a bell for around ya neck, but yes. Ah noticed ya creepin'. Now are we goin' or what?" Rogue demanded to know, climbing on the back of the bike behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Your wish be mon command," Remy said, then took off out of the mansion.
xxxxx
Remy never did need to ask what was troubling her. After they stopped for ice cream and to walk along the beach, she just cracked.
"And he told meh that ah was about ta graduate anyway so a wardrobe change should be up for consideration seein' as no one'd take meh seriously dressed the way ah am now," Rogue stressed.
"Really? De Professor said all that?" Remy asked, letting his resting smirk grow.
Rogue shoved his shoulder. Remy wasn't pushed too far away from her or too hard and he recovered quickly. Rogue felt the arm that had snaked around her waist earlier move so it was more secure around her mid-section. She honestly had no idea how he'd done it. She'd been so mad and not wanting anyone touching her, but, somehow, without even doing anything, he was just able to calm her and wrap his arm around her like there wasn't a care in the world. Being even more honest, it really did feel quite amazing that someone had that effect on her.
"Ya know what ah mean. He said those things in his own way," Rogue explained.
"But he be workin' t' change what your Directeur rules, non?" Remy asked.
Rogue sighed as she noticed her ice cream was melting and dribbling on her glove. She changed her hands to try and get rid of the dripping while she spoke.
"Yeah, but ah don't know how hard he'll try an' change things. Seems like everyone's on the side of gettin' meh ta change how ah look," Rogue said, feeling gloomy. She then examined the man beside her.
"So, let's hear it. What's your opinion on the matter? You wanna see meh in pink too?" Rogue questioned, lapping up her ice cream.
"Gonna say, de image be amusin'. But what I want dun't really matter, does it?" Remy said.
Rogue raised her eyebrow at him and felt like she was going to regret taking the bait he seemed to be flaunting.
"What'd ya mean?" she asked.
Remy shrugged his shoulders.
"Y' chose your own clothes. They be part of who y' are. Tellin' y' to change your clothes be like tellin' y' to change who you are. Now, maybe de Prof does have a point 'bout job interviews later on down de line, but who's t' say de job you be applyin' for would reject ya just for what you be wearin'? Who knows, they might be lookin' for a Goth chick. What is it you thinkin' of for a career anyhow chérie?" Remy asked her, tilting his head to one side. His eyes were glowing as he said: "S'il vous plait, say Professional thief."
Rogue just shuck her head at him, thinking his joke was lame.
"Ain't ah one already?" she joked back.
Rogue turned her head away from Remy, chewing the inside of her check as she began to seriously consider Remy's question. She never noticed Remy's face faulter slightly.
"Ah…" Rogue muttered, glancing down at the sand under their feet.
"Hmmm," Remy hummed, gently pushing her on.
Rogue was debating opening up about this. It had been a thought on her mind. One she hadn't been taking too seriously, but, as time went on, it only seemed to become more serious. She wondered if opening up to Remy of all people about what was on her mind was a good idea.
"Well, ah was thinkin' of maybe goin' on ta further education, you know? Gettin' a degree an' all. That is, if the Professor will fund meh. Ah kinda doubt Mystique or Irene would," Rogue said, her face falling once again.
"What y' thinkin' of studyin'?" Remy asked, his face having quickly recomposed before she could see his disappointment. Instead, his general interest in her interests intrigued him.
"Actually, ah was thinkin' 'bout doin' a law degree," she said.
Now that had Remy laughing in irony.
"Y' tryna put moi behind bars, chérie? Or prevent it?" he asked.
Rogue snorted at that.
"Ah was thinkin' more along the lines of gettin' in ta the mutant politics an' tryna make a difference there. Ah mean," Rogue sighed. "Ah kinda doubt ah would be able ta do much, but, you know. Kinda gettin' tired of people thinkin' it's alright ta harass mutants just 'cause were a little different. We got our own problems they don't even know about," she said, glancing down at her gloved hand that held her melting ice cream.
Remy's grin had dropped as he followed her eyes. Then, the part just before Rogue referring to her own troubles crossed his mind and his eyes sparked dangerously as he stopped their walk.
"Those imbéciles still givin' ya trouble?" he asked
"I can handle em," Rogue said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"Not what I asked," Remy replied.
Rogue had to turn her face away. Taking a leap out of Remy's book when he wanted to avoid discussing something, Rogue asked: "So, do ya think the Professor will fund meh? Or do ya think he won't do it unless ah change the way ah dress an' act the way he wants meh to?"
Remy's eyes began to soften as he picked up the change in topic. Not liking how heavy the mood had gotten between them either, he began to start walking again.
"I think y' be settin' yourself up t' fail if y' just role over," Remy said, honestly. "Bein' a mutant in law an' fightin' for mutant rights, your gonna come across a lot harder disagreements dan dis, so I t'ink y' best be ready for a fight you ain't gonna back down from."
Rogue scoffed, but it wasn't with disgust.
"Please, ah ain't budgin' on ma dress wear. Ah happen ta like the way ah look," she said, smugly.
Her cockiness had Remy smirking too.
There was just something eating away at Rogue though on the topic of her clothes. Something she had already asked and not gotten an answer to, but she really wanted to know.
"Just outta curiosity, if ah didn't go for the Goth look, what do ya think would suit meh?"
"Y' mean what would I like ta see you wearin'?" Remy asked, showing all his teeth now as he smirked.
Rogue rolled her eyes at the mischief she read loud and clearly in his smug face. She hit Remy's hand off her waist and walked off in front of him.
"Ya know what," she said, glancing back at him. "Forget ah said anything."
"But y' asked moi une question chérie. Only fair if I give y' a response, non?" Remy said as he began to gain on her, enjoying this little game they seemed to be playing.
Rogue picked up her speed while telling him: "No, ah mean it. Ya really don't have ta answer."
"What I be wantin' t' see y' in-" Remy began to say before Rogue cut in saying: "Nope!" then turning and making a break for it along the beach, dropping her ice cream cone as she fled laughing.
Remy dropped his cone too as he chased after Rogue along the beach, refusing to let her escape that easily.
Xxxxx
"What the hell!" the hold mansion heard Rogue scream first thing in the morning.
Residents came out of their rooms to see what the fuss was, even though they were not looking forward to dealing with an irritated Rogue first thing in the morning.
"Where are they? Who took all ma clothes?" Rogue demanded to know as she looked around all the sleepy faces.
"Clothes? What are you talking about?" Scott asked, covering his yarn.
"My clothes! In mah wardrobe! All mah clothes are gone. So come clean, who took em?" Rogue demanded to know, looking between Jean, Kurt, Tabitha, Amara, Kitty, Jubilee and others.
"Rogue, relax. I'm sure they couldn't have all gone and at least not too far," Jean said, entering Rogue's room to inspect her wardrobe as if she was certain Rogue had just woken up blind this morning.
"Don't tell meh ta calm down! Someone's been in mah wardrobe an' took all ma things! This ain't fair an' it ain't right! When ah find out who did this, they're gonna be sorry!" Rogue said, storming off towards the boat house to see if she had any clothes left in the washing area.
Jean came out of Rogue's room and looked at Scott. Scott glanced back at her, hoping for the best.
"All her clothes are gone Scott," Jean said, shaking her head. "Even her drawers are empty."
Scott sighed as he realised there was no way he was returning back to his bed now.
"Alright, so who took them?" he asked the rest of the residents who stood around.
"Don't look at me!" Tabitha snapped. "Gee, why does everyone always think it's me," she said before taking off.
"Look, it doesn't matter who took them. Just return Rogue's clothes so she can actually get dressed today," Scott said.
"I could leaned her some of mine," Jean replied to Scott when no one else did. "At least, until her's can be found."
"Why should we care if Rogue's wardrobe's missing?" Jubilee asked.
"Yeah," Kitty said, as she looked to Jubilee rather nervously. "Maybe Rogue's clothes going missing was for the best anyway. She had to change them for school so it doesn't really matter that they're gone."
Scott frowned at Kitty and Jubilee, guessing who'd took them.
"Maybe, but it still doesn't make it right to take all of Rogue's things and throw them away, leaving her with nothing. Just return the clothes, alright. Preferably, before Rogue gets back from wherever she stormed off to." Scott said, returning to his own room to change.
May other mutants who had been standing around had put two and two together as well and began to walk back to their rooms, leaving Kitty and Jubilee alone.
Kitty and Jubilee glanced between each other before looking down at the ground. Remy hadn't been around for most of Rogue's outburst, but he had showed up just towards the end of it and watched Kitty biting her nails and Jubilee kicking the floor. The pair of them were definitely guilty. Remy's grimace was deep. Very deep. He felt his anger spike at Rogue having her clothes stolen and him not being aware of the theft at all. It gnarled at his ego and honour as a thief and he wasn't going to let this slide. Not when he was the king of thieves in this house and the only things that could be stolen was what he allowed to be.
Remy moved out of the shadows and approached the two girls.
xxxxx
Rogue had ended up staying back at the mansion while everyone else went to school that day. She had refused the offer of wearing Jean's clothes and she refused to go to school wearing the same clothes she did the day before.
Ororo had gone shopping to get some clothes for her to change into. She came back with a few white blouses and blue pencil skirts. Rogue refused to wear them which annoyed both Ororo and the Professor, but she was even more annoyed that her privacy had been invaded and that she was the only one in the whole mansion who was being dictated to when it came to her clothes.
Rogue made her protests loud and clear for every single person who could hear. She made them aware that this was not fair treatment and that she refused to wear any other clothes. Only her own. Only Gothic clothes. She also re-inforced that, until her wardrobe could be replaced and filled with it's original clothing, then she would not speak, not eat, not socialise, not go to school or anything along those lines. She was protesting for her individualism and this was made even clearer when she locked herself in her room for the rest of the day.
May had tried to bring her out of her room; Jean, Scott, Ororo, Logan, the Professor, Hank. All of them failed.
"What are we going to do? She can't stay up there forever, can she?" Scott questioned the adults in the kitchen.
"Wouldn't put it past her," Logan has grumbled under his breath.
"Professor?" Jean asked, making all eyes turn to him.
The Professor sighed, finding the situation rather stressful himself. He understood Rogue's actions and understood that she was in the right. However, he could not shower her with a completely new wardrobe just to bring her out of her room. It would not be fair to the other residants who would remain on their strict allowances. It could lead to every mutant in the mansion asking for a new wardrobe, or perhaps, new toys. The Professor would not put it past his students to become greedy if given the chance to spend wrecklessly. That was one of the reasons he was so strict on the allowances. Not to meantion, he had to be sure to budget so he didn't completely fall out of pocket and be unable to house them all.
The Professor knew a solution had to be found and quickly to end Rogue's protest. Even if she did not get a new wardrobe to bring her out of her room, others may soon start to follow her act of protesting until they got what they wanted and it would become a complete disaster.
The Professor could only think of one way to make the situation right.
"Rogue's actions are understandable," he said. "I believe that, whoever has taken Rogue's clothes has had enough time to correct their mistake."
The Professor looked to Logan who grunted in understanding. Logan placed his cup down and was about to head out to go interrogate the kids and find out which one of them stole Rogue's clothes.
That was, until Kitty knocked on the door to the kitchen.
"Erm, were not interrupting anything, are we?" Jubilee asked as both she and Kitty poked their heads into the kitchen.
Everyone in the kitchen was curious to Kitty and Jubilee's nervious and rather hesitant appearance.
"How can we help?" the Professor asked, turning to face the two young ladies who moved slowly to walk in front of him.
"Erm," they both seemed to mutter out.
"Well,-" Jubilee began.
"You see," Kitty added.
"Spit it out already!" Logan snapped at the pair of them.
The two girl's looked between each other and then to the ground.
"We took Rogue's clothes," Kitty admitted.
"I knew it!" Scott huffed.
"Scott," Jean hissed.
"What? You saw it in their faces too," he told Jean, throwing his arms up in the arm.
"And why, may I ask, did you do that?" The Professor asked, his attention remaining solely on Kitty and Jubilee.
"Well," Kitty began.
"Because she needed to change her wardrobe anyway," Jubilee said. "For school."
"I see," the Professor said. "So you two were simply trying to help? There was no spite or cruel motive for your actions?"
"No, not at all," the pair began to babble.
Not many people in that room believed the two as they were terrible liars. But, the Professor had the confession he needed to start putting his plan into action, so he did not pursue the lie.
"Kitty, Jubilee," the Professor began, "I am sure you have both come to realise how wrong your actions were. I understand that you thought you may have been helping Rogue by pushing her to dress, erm, more main stream. However," the Professor said, knowing he was completely doing a three sixty on his own argument from the last time he spoke with Rogue. "you cannot simply force someone to change who they are. Rogue dresses the way she does as she feels that is a part of who she is. If you are to take away her clothes and try to replace them with something completely different, well, it's the same as telling her you are not ok with who she is. As mutants, we experience this daily from others who don't share our circumstances. Receiving a similar kind of critation from others who we believe understands how we feel, well, I'm sure you can understand how upsetting it must be?"
Both Kitty and Jubilee didn't seem to be following completely, but they looked guilty nonetheless.
"We really are sorry Professor," Kitty said.
"Yeah, like, totally," Jubilee said.
"I reckon Rogue will forgive you if you return her clothes to her," Jean said.
"And given some time after that," Scott added on for Jean.
"Erm," both girls muttered, looking at each other. "That might be hard to do," Kitty informed the adults.
"How so?" Hank asked.
"Well," Kitty began.
"We kinda," Jubilee continued.
"Burned them," Kiitty finished.
"You did what?" Scott near shouted in utter disbelief.
"Well, we didn't want Rogue just to find them and start wearing them again," Kitty said.
"Yeah, and no doubt she would have had Remy find them for her," Jubilee muttered bitterly as she folded her arms over her chest.
"Hey," Logan warned Jubilee. He wasn't the Cajun's biggest fan, but in this instance, he was irrited on Rogue's behalf. "I think you better stop diggin' kid. You're already in a deep enough hole as it is."
"We like totally know now we were in the wrong!" Kitty said.
"Yeah. We paid the price and everything," Jubilee added.
"What price are you talking about?" Ororo asked.
Kitty and Jubilee, once again, glanced at each other before diving into their story of Remy approaching them and putting an idea in their head.
Xxxxx
Rogue returned from her bedroom after using the bathroom. It was the first time since that morning that she'd left her room. She had been gone for only two minutes, but, when she returned to her room, she found someone had been in there once again.
Xxxxx
Dinner time approached. No one was sure if Rogue would make an appearance tonight or not. Not even Remy. But he kicked his feet up over the chair that Rogue usually sat in just encase.
"You did manage to sneak the clothes into her wardrobe, didn't you?" Kitty asked Remy as she placed a bowl of food down on the table in front of him.
The Professor had seen to it that Kitty and Jubilee were punished for their crimes. One of Kitty's punishments was cooking for everyone for the next week while Jubilee took the dishes. He knew that Ororo had gone to inform Rogue of the thieves surrendering themselves and being punished, but he wasn't sure if it was enough, even with the new clothes he had managed to sneak into her room. He thought Rogue might just stay hidden in her room to spite everyone who wanted her to change her clothes.
"Have many skills, petite," was all Remy said to Kitty, still being rather disappointed in both her and Jubilee.
He'd learnt that the pair had burnt Rogue's clothes and quickly came to the conclusion they did it out of some kind of spite. There jealously had been cute in the beginning, but he was sure to make it clear, those type of antics were only going to annoy him. Not win him over.
When Rogue did make her enterence, people hushed up.
She was dressed in something similar to what she used to wear. Black jeans with ripped knees and a long purple top that had a corset around the waist rather than a ribbon to wrap around her middle. She still had her army boots on, but what surprised everyone the most was the brown trench coat she was wearing.
"What?" Rogue snapped at everyone as she looked around.
"I don't remember buying Rogue that," Kitty muttered into Remy's ear.
He was smirking from ear to ear at seeing Rogue wearing the custom made trench coat he had Merci send up north for her. He was glad he thought of the idea quite some time ago since this whole ordeal had given him the perfect opportunity to slip it into her wardrobe. When he dropped Kitty and Jubilee off to go and use their saving to buy Rogue some Gothic clothing from the mall, he'd headed straight to Chut Boutique to pick it up and to buy a couple of other things for her. He was sure not to let Kitty or Jubilee see the bags of clothes he had bought for her though when he picked them up. He didn't want the pair knowing he had enough money to buy Rogue hundrands of wardrobes and more. Plus, he didn't want them holding back when it came to spending money on replacing her clothes just because they thought he'd buy her everything. Kitty and Jubilee being out of pocket for months to come and unable to buy themselves new clothes was part of the punishment.
Kitty realised pretty soon what Remy had done when he disappeared earlier that day and slipped those bags in Rogue's room. She couldn't remember seeing him buying the coat though which puzzled her. Knowing that Remy had been in a bad mood with her all day though for what she did, she just walked away, especially when she noticed Rogue approaching.
Rogue approached the seat Remy had saved for her. The edge of her lips were slightly raised in an amused look. Remy moved his feet off the chair so she could sit down.
"Ah think ah figured out what it was ya wanted ta dress meh in," Rogue said as she began taking food for her own plate.
Remy raised his eyebrow at her and began to sit forwards as he said: "So, does dat mean y' be wearin' em now chérie? I gonna get a private viewin' later?"
Rogue's face instantly went red as she hit Remy's shoulder.
"Not that ya perv!" she hissed. "Ah meant the coat!"
Remy sat back again in his chair, his arm reaching out to reach on the back of Rogue's chair.
"So, y' like it?" he questioned.
"I'm wearin' it, ain't ah?" Rogue said as she sat back in her own chair.
Remy realised Rogue's attention wasn't fully on him or their conversation. Her eyes had chosen to follow Kitty around with a distasteful look on her face.
"Thank ya. For the clothes," she finally said, returning to her conversation with him.
Remy shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't pick em. Most of em, pay for em," he said.
When Rogue turned on him with a firest anger in her eyes at what she assumed he had done, she saw him motion his head towards Kitty. Rogue followed his gaze and watched Kitty blush under the gaze of the southern couple.
"She bought meh these?" Rogue clocked on.
"Oui, an' Jubilee. Think dey be feelin' a little guilty," Remy said.
Rogue chewed the side of her mouth as she glanced back at Kitty. The girl refused to meet her eyes and Rogue thought it was probably for the best.
"She didn't get meh the coat though," Rogue said, seemingly deciding to just let the whole incident go.
"Oui. As y' say, y' figured out what it is I'd like t' see y' in. Although," Remy said, getting closer to Rogue's ear as he whispered the next bit, "I would love t' be seein' ya in de whole of mon alfit I gotcha rather then a mix of de filles an' mine."
"Swamprat-" Rogue began to say dangerously when she was interrupted by the Professor's entrance.
He annouched that the no Gothic clothing rule had been dropped by the principle and that Rogue could return to school tomorrow in her regular clothing.
"Hope de coat falls int' bein' a regular part of it," Remy muttered from besides her.
Rogue put her folk down and turned to glare at him. She was ready to give him a lecture about him not learning anything after everything she just went through. But, with that smirk on his face and that glimmer in his eye, Rogue just couldn't stay mad at him. That glimmer told her all she needed to know. That he wasn't trying to control her wardrobe or change her. Well, only a little. But, at least it wasn't her whole wardrobe he was after changing. More, he just wanted to add on a coat. A coat that she'd fallen in love with the moment she saw it.
"Ya ain't turnin' meh into a thief, Cajun," she joked.
"One step at a time, chérie." Remy said, knowing that Rogue didn't know how serious he was. "One step at a time."
Xxxxx
French Translations
Moi - Me
Petite - Little One
Chérie - Darling
Mon - My
Bébé - Baby
Directeur - Headmaster
S'il vous plait - Please
Imbéciles - Idiots
Une question - A question
Petite - Little One
Filles- Girls