|
|
Post by Rogue on Jun 20, 2007 21:10:07 GMT -4
Freshened from her stay in the confines of the SHIELD barracks by the soft afternoon breeze, the Rogue glided gracefully across the lawn of the chapel.
Her mood was dark.
Her eyes, haunted.
Her gate, strong.
Within the minute, she was striding past the benches and entering the Catholic booth for confessions.
Anna'd never been religious.
Then, the accident.
Now she wore a crucifix.
"Forgive me, Father, for Ah have sinned."
|
|
|
|
Post by Gambit on Jun 20, 2007 21:45:38 GMT -4
Remy LeBeau sat in the small office towards the back of the chapel, his door open and the only light coming from a single candle on his desk. The building was fully equipped with plumbing and electricity, but he found her preferred the more natural lighting the single flame provided.
Open on the desk before him was a book of history, and his red on black eyes moved slowly across the pages. The man of God with the Devil’s eyes. The irony was not lost on him, nor was the knowledge that what would have had him burned in the past now just made him more trustworthy and approachable. A physical mutation that was a blessing, a sign. He was born into a life meant for greater things.
Turning the page, the priest’s hand stopped as a soft sound caught his attention. As it grew louder he rose to his feet. Approaching footsteps. A potentially lost soul.
Travelling the hallway silently, he heard the click of the confessional door just before reaching it himself. Stepping into the other side, he closed the door and took his seat. His eyes falling on the screen between the small booths even though he could not see through it, he waited patiently. When he heard the strongly accented voice, he smiled softly in recognition.
“I’m listenin’, m’ child.”
|
|
|
|
Post by Rogue on Jun 20, 2007 21:54:08 GMT -4
Child. Anna almost snorted with disdain, but kept her head. The things she'd seen, the things she'd done, they were not mere child's play.
"Ah cursed a man today..."
She shut her emerald eyes and bowed her head.
"It may not seem lahke much, but it's somethin' ah could easily be killed for. An' ah ain't about to risk a trip t' Hell any tahme soon."
She bit her lip, folding her hands one inside the other on her lap. Lord knows it would be bettah than this damned place.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gambit on Jun 20, 2007 22:03:03 GMT -4
Picking the bible up from the bench beside him, he placed it in his lap and folded his hands on it while she spoke. Her voice was the most familiar to him now of all who visited him. After her accident, her visits grew more and more frequent. Sometimes she came to confess, other times simply to have a sympathetic ear to speak her troubles to. Their meetings were both formal and informal, though today appeared to fall into the former category.
“Dere’s no sin too small t’ feel guilt, an’ no sin too great dat God can’t fo’give,” he replied, his voice quiet and comforting.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rogue on Jun 20, 2007 22:12:49 GMT -4
Anna fell silent and slumped in the small booth, placing her head in her hands.
"Mah gift is tamed, Father."
The tone in her voice fell to little more than a whisper.
"An' ah'm startin' t' wondah if it's really a blessin'."
Dr. Henry had been so wonderful. She'd been so excited, and now... look at her. Her clothes were the same, swelteringly hot, but now there was no reason for her to even bother covering her pale skin. Now she could touch.
And her SHIELD team new about it. Her leader took a special note... Now she wished she could hide.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gambit on Jun 20, 2007 22:24:37 GMT -4
It was their gifts that made them superior; their gifts that allowed them freedom while others were enslaved. But of all the gifts LeBeau was aware of, Anna’s had been the most tragic. To be able to cause such harm with the simplest touch… it made her the perfect warrior, but miserable otherwise.
Tamed. After years of isolation she had finally gained control. This was wonderful news! Yet she sounded no more happy than her last visit. Perhaps she sounded even worse.
“Is dis not what y’ wanted? What is it dat troubles you?” he asked, both confused and concerned.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rogue on Jun 20, 2007 22:32:50 GMT -4
“Can we…” Rogue hesitated.
She played nervously with the hem of her button-down shirt and then glanced at Father LeBeau’s silhouette through the mesh curtain between them. He was the one she truly wanted to know. Something about him was so comforting, so seemingly reassuring, that he was the one she had grown to long to touch.
“Can we go for a walk around the grounds, Father?”
With a nervous laugh, like a ‘heh,’ Anna’s cheeks flushed as she thought about what exactly the walk could turn into… what she wanted it to become. And what she knew it wouldn’t.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gambit on Jun 20, 2007 22:38:31 GMT -4
It happened so often. One longed for something for so long that, once achieved, one is still left wanting. ‘What now?’ she may wonder; ‘Why have I suddenly been so blessed? What have I done to deserve this?’. God worked in mysterious ways, and He did nothing without purpose.
She was so troubled, the thought of refusing never once crossed his mind.
“O’ course,” he replied, setting aside his bible and rising to his feet. Stepping outside of the cramped confessional, he waited for her to do the same.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rogue on Jun 20, 2007 22:47:10 GMT -4
Anna stood slowly and exited the booth coming to stand directly in front of the priest.
"Father, there is a man..."
She frowned, obviously disturbed, and began to walk towards the cathedral doors. Here, she felt safe. On the grounds, if she was with him, Sam wouldn't approach.
Reaching a hand up to tuck hair behind her ear, Anna sighed and tried not to look too disparing. She used to be just a fighter. Life then was much simpler. Now... now she could be something more.
A woman. A lover.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gambit on Jun 20, 2007 22:57:28 GMT -4
As Anna walked away, Remy hung back a moment. Her troubled expression brought a frown to her face, as did her words. Recovering quickly he followed her to the large oak doors. Holding one open he allowed her to pass through before following soon behind.
As often as their talks turned informal, the ones within the closed confines of the confessional were always easier.
During them he could not see her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rogue on Jun 21, 2007 12:38:56 GMT -4
Anna took the offered door and stepped through into the sunlight. It was overcast outside, thankfully, so the light didn’t burn too terribly. And there was a comfortable wind that made her think of rain. Wouldn’t it be nice?
“He’s mah commandin' officer,” she explained, feeling silly for making a big deal out of the situation with Samuel. But then, she wasn’t quite sure what to think or do. The one man she wanted was out of reach. The man that was nearest was, maybe not the most sensitive, but certainly had the looks…
“Ah don’t exactly know how t' take his advances,” she sighed, “It’s not like he hasn’t made them clear enough…”
|
|
|
|
Post by Gambit on Jun 21, 2007 13:16:11 GMT -4
Letting the door close behind them, Remy clasped his hands in front of him as he fell in step beside Anna. As usual, he said not a word, simply waiting for her to gather her thoughts and speak with him. It also gave him plenty of time to consider her words.
It was perfectly understandable that, now that she had control over her deadly powers, she would be considering her possibilities. She was a woman, after all. A very beautiful woman. Suddenly the priest felt a spark of something that he so often kept concealed.
Anger.
In such close quarters, he knew much fraternisation must occur between Magneto’s soldiers, but this was different. This was a vulnerable woman in a new and exciting position, and it sounded like her commanding officer was stepping in to take advantage of her.
“Would y’r t’oughts be clear if he wasn’t y’r commandin’ officer?” he asked smoothly, perfectly concealing any darker feelings he had on the matter.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rogue on Jun 21, 2007 13:28:55 GMT -4
Anna stopped with a jolt, the grass tickling her feet as the wind blew around them. She’d been brave and wore sandals today to keep her cool. The jeans were still in place, but her long sleeved button-down shirt fell open a little more and she was actually considering rolling up her sleeves.
“Not exactly,” she replied simply.
Everything was growing even more confusing now that Dr. McCoy had thrown this monkey wrench into her life. Not only was Samuel her team leader, but he was also the man with the biggest role in her life, the one she saw most often and had to learn to trust completely. He was so ambiguous in his nature that she could adore him one moment for his strength and then despise him the next for his domineering actions.
And then…
“There is another man, Father.”
Gawd, this is like… ah’m havin’ a Hester Prynne moment!
|
|
|
|
Post by Gambit on Jun 21, 2007 13:40:56 GMT -4
Taking a step further before he realised she had stopped, Remy turned back to face her. There was so much for her to consider, her only hoped she made her decisions for the right reasons. He would have to make sure that she understood that. He would not have her walking away today with false notions in her head.
The world was not a pretty place. There would be men who would see her as merely a conquest: the previously unattainable and completely pure. She would need to understand this, and understand that, as her commanding officer, Samuel Guthrie was in a position to use his influence more than any other. Just a few words and she could be left feeling that she had no choice but to give into his advances.
She would need to understand that there was always a choice. And she would need to understand that everyone was not as they seemed. People could easily change how they were to attain a goal.
“An’ has dis ot’er man made his intentions clear as well?”
|
|
|
|
Post by Rogue on Jun 21, 2007 13:52:38 GMT -4
Anna’s cheeks flushed again at his words, and she tried to hide it by looking up into the sky as if searching for the right thing to say.
If she had her way… well, that white collar thing would be the first to go. Many times she’d actually thought about mentioning her progressive feelings toward the religious man. But, if he was a priest, and she’d just joined the faith so she wasn’t quite sure, then she was seriously wondering if he could even give affection back, or if this would be the most interaction they’d ever have for her lifetime service in SHIELD.
“Not exactly,” she finally said, looking over at the Father.
As a time filler, she began to walk ahead again, feeling unsure of where exactly she needed to go with this conversation. Should she tell him? Or would that ruin the confidence that they had together?
“He’s more of an interest of mahne, and he doesn’t… exactly… know.” These last few words were spoken with a bit of a shy embarrassment behind them.
|
|
