New Orleans: Summer of '77

[Deleted]

During her travels, there was one place that Mystique could never get enough of. Louisiana. There were actually quite a few mutants in the south, and New Orleans attracted her like a moth to a flame. Maybe it was because she had been kept away from such scenes when she was 'younger' because Charles was so protective of her, but she found herself drawn to the bars and other seedy places of the city. She definitely wasn't afraid of what would happen to her.. in fact, if she was messed with by someone whom she didn't want to touch her, she almost felt bad for -them-..  but not really. 

Currently, she was walking down the street in the middle of the night which was probably a bad idea in general if you were a normal person, and she was in her normal human form. Blonde hair, blue eyes, looking completely ordinary. She did however have a pair of sunglasses on, even though it was dark. It was a habit.. she didn't even realize she was still wearing them. The French Quarter was beautiful this time of night.. the smell of gumbo and other cajun dishes filled the night air, and there was jazz music playing on every corner you stepped on. Magneto had sent Mystique to do some recruiting, but that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun while she did it.

Sure enough, she could hear a couple of whistles and cat-calls coming from down an ally. A sigh escaped her lips and she rolled her eyes. She paused in walking, and there they were. Three men who were eyeing her up. They were saying something in French that she probably could have translated if she cared enough, but by their body language, she could tell what they were up to. "Evening, boys. If I were you, I'd really keep walking." Mystique warned with the sweetest of tones. 

"Aw, c'mon.. we just wanna show you a good time.. You look like you need it.."  One of them mused as they started to grab her wrists to keep her still. 


"You're right. I really could use a good time." Mystique retorted. Before the three men could realize what was hitting them, she used the ones who were holding her down to push up off of, so that she could kick the other one in the chin. When he fell back, she grabbed the other two and threw them in to each other before round-house kicking them both on to the curb. Clearly, they were in over their head, so they scrambled up and ran, spouting obscenities at her in French.  Mystique shrugged, and kept walking. 

[skullofbalerion]

The last time Remy stepped foot in New Orleans, it was the night he had to flee, banished forever in order to prevent a full-blown turf war between the city's two legendary Guilds; the Assassins and the Thieves. Of course, being banished meant that nobody could know he was there, and the Cajun had taken what he believed to be the necessary precautions, wearing dark clothing and headgear to avoid being recognised, should he happen to bump into the wrong people.

He was in town to pick up something that he felt belonged to him, but had not been allowed to keep when Remy was banished. His bo-staff, which he used when practicing his fighting styles, including kenpo and also savate, as a teen growing up in the LeBeau household. He had particularly excelled when using his staff, and he wanted it back. But it meant breaking in to his old house, where the occupants only happened to be the most highly-regarded of the Guild families, a house known as the best thieves that existed. Stealing from them would not be easy, and if caught, well, lets just say the barbecue flames would be burning high into the night-sky. As he headed down the street towards the place he used to call home, Remy laughed to himself at the enormity of the task ahead. One thing Remy had learned about himself since he'd been away; he loved terrible odds.

Turning a corner a few blocks away, Remy caught sight and just about heard a few wise guys giving a tidy young blonde a bit of a man-handling, grabbing her wrist and looking quite intense, when all of a sudden the girl gave the three stooges the beating of their lives, acrobatically kicking their sorry asses before they fled with their pride hurt more than their bleeding faces. Remy raised an eyebrow and smirked as he approached the blonde, who had carried on in his direction.

"Hey there chere, you reaaaally got de moves. Ah can tell ya', I like dem moves petite. You wanna show me some more of 'em?" the Cajun laughed cheekily, taking out a packet of cigarettes from his inside pocket and flipping one into his mouth. Lighting up, he eyed the girl ahead of him, and wondered if she was any good at stealing stuff. Something made the Cajun think she'd be a perfect thieving partner for the small matter of his bo-staff. Narrowing his eyes, Remy blew out a puff of smoke and spoke with a hushness to his voice.

"You wanna use those..." Remy's red eyes moved south on the pretty blonde, "... those fine, fine moves..." the Cajun flicked his eyes back up to hers, "... by helpin' moi out with somethin' tonight?" The Cajun smoked a little, before elaborating. "I got a little business ta' take care of. It involves stealin'..." Remy took another pull of his cigarette. "It's a well-stashed place, ma petite. Plenty of goodies ta' go round." Remy winked at the girl and hoped to hell that he hadn't over-blown the charm offensive. But only for a second, the over-confidence taking over and oozing inside of him, assuring his youthful ego that he was irresistible to just about any lady.

[Deleted]

As she walked along, aside from her shoes clicking on the sidewalk, she heard another man's voice. Another one? Really? And this one apparently saw what he could do. So, he was either really stupid, or really gutsy so she decided to stop and listen. He had her attention when he commented on her moves. She turned, and looked in to the direction that the smooth Cajun accent was coming from. "Well, as you can see, attempting to grope me is a good way to see those particular moves. However, if you have something else in mind..." He looked a little shady, but not in a bad way like those thugs earlier did. And so.. he had her curiosity peeked. 

When he explained just how he wanted her to show him her moves, her lips curved in to a grin. There was no way that she couldn't pass up an opportunity to do something that would possibly get her in to a little bit of trouble. She had a problem with authority in general, and so she liked to bend rules to their breaking point. Sometimes even until they snapped. "Now you're speaking my language." She was supposed to be here looking for mutants...and although this was a little bit of a side quest, there was something about this particular cajun that spoke to her. Especially his eyes. "You're not a plain old run of the mill human, are you?" She asked with a quirk of a brow. "No..there's something much more evolved about you.  And i'm not talking about those looks of yours." 

She stepped closer to him, pushing away that discussion for right now. She was far too curious about what he needed her help stealing. "What did you have in mind for me to help you steal? And more important.. when do we get started?" The thrill washed over her like a white hot flame. Liberating mutants from government facilities was one kind of rush.. but this was a completely different side of the spectrum. She couldn't wait.

[skullofbalerion]

She sure did have a confident persona, Remy thought. Not only could she walk the walk, she could talk the talk as well. Right up Remy's street. As somewhat of a self-assured individual himself, the red-eyed Cajun was almost entranced by the demonstration his new acquaintance had displayed. Her cock-sure manner was a real rarity, and an unexpected commodity for such a seemingly sweet and innocent young lady. She had a swagger about her, and Remy liked it.

"Well, as you can see, attempting to grope me is a good way to see those particular moves. However, if you have something else in mind..."

A long whistle emanated from the pursed lips of the Cajun mutant, as he stepped closer toward the attractive blonde, who seemed more than a little interested in his decent proposal.

"What did you have in mind for me to help you steal? And more important.. when do we get started?" The lady was certainly interested, in fact she was positively hungered by the promise of the thieving operation that Remy had planned. Now stood right in front of the lady, Remy held out his palm to take her hand, in true gentlemanly style.

"Ah like your curiosity, Miss...?" Remy paused a short couple of seconds for the lady to introduce herself, then continued with answering her question. "Mah name is Remy, Remy LeBeau. I'm stealin' a bo-staff, my bo-staff, from a highly-secured and practically impenetrable mansion on the other side of town. It's a building that ah know ver', ver' well, because ah used to live there mahself." Remy stopped for a moment, and looked left and right for any possible eavesdroppers, before leaning in closer and speaking in a deep,  gravelly, hushed voice.

"Listen, it ain't goin'a be easy, in fact it's goin'ta be a real hard exercise. But as ah said, the place is full of expensive shit, jewelry, shoes, clothes, all kinda stuff, that you are more than welcome to take. All's I want from the place is mah staff. Y'understand, chere?"

The Cajun finished off the last bit of his cigarette, maintaining eye-contact with the blonde girl, and charged the stump with a little trinket of kinetic energy, before quickly and elegantly flicking the glowing-pink butt across the other side of the street. As it fell on to the tarmac, the stump exploded with a loud bang, pink energy spouting off in all directions, the street momentarily lighting up lavender in the moonlight.

"And as for your previous enquiry, does that answer your question, chere?" Remy smirked as the street fell dark again, only the flickering, fading light of a nearby street-lamp illuminating the scene. "Ah gots mahself some special tricks, ya' could say, petite. Why, you gonna go tell on me?"

[Deleted]

When he asked her name, she had no problem with giving her real name. Of course, she did not give her mutant name.. Not yet. "Raven Darkholme," she spoke with a small nod as a greeting. She listened as he not only introduced himself as well, but also told her what he was planning on stealing. It was an item that had been his.. and someone else had it. "Practically impenetrable. I like those odds." Raven had said something to Magneto once: Keep Out signs were a turn on. The harder it was to get in, the more fun she'd have. However, now it was personal. This poor mutant's staff was being kept from him. That was a no no in Raven's eyes. Especially since it was likely from homo-sapiens. 

"I don't care about jewels," She admitted. "Or money, or anything..getting your staff back is enough." Her lips curved in to a devious grin. "I might take a trophy or two though, but that's besides the point." She mused with a shrug of her shoulders. Raven then watched as Remy charged up the butt of the cigarette with kinetic energy, throw it, and then it exploded. "Very impressive.." she spoke with a slight bit of awe in her voice. She'd never seen one like that. It was always exciting to see what new and interesting powers other mutants had. 

"Tell on you?" She quietly laughed, and rolled her eyes. Her body transformed in to one of the thugs that had just passed her on the street, then she went back to her pretty blonde human form again. "Does -that- answer -your- question?" She asked with a quirk of a brow. "I've got some tricks myself. I can try infiltrating this.. place you speak of, and see if I can't get you in there. It'll be a cake walk." She winked. 

[skullofbalerion]

The more she spoke, the more this girl fitted the bill. Remy couldn't believe his luck; when he'd planned to come back to the Big Easy, he had considered contacting a couple of friends, as he realised the enormity of what he was asking of himself. He thought he'd need help, but he'd decided against letting anyone from his past know he was in town. Remy simply wanted to get in and out as easily and as quickly as possible, no dramas, no silliness. The girl, Raven Darkholme, she seemed to have the plucky confidence required to help him. Plus, she was some definite eye-candy for the whole charade, which to Remy, was always an important thing to consider.

She didn't care about collectin' for herself, Remy mused, almost confused that Raven would be that up for simply helping Remy get what he'd come for. "You sure are friendly, and positively kind, ma cherie." Charming Remy was positively charmed.

She'd seemed genuinely impressed by Remy's ability and was also more than happy to demonstrate her own brilliant mutant ability. As she metamorphosed into one of the three unlucky gents who had just felt the measure of Raven's boots, Remy stood back, eyes red and wide, mouth gawped open enough to not only catch flies, but a couple of aeroplanes as well.

"Wow, chere," Remy nodded, strongly and definitely, clapping his hands as Raven took back to her blonde human form once again. "We are gonna party tonight!" he exclaimed, as Raven winked at her new accomplice.

Out-stretching his hand in a bowing motion, the Cajun mutant elegantly presented the direction of their target. "Right this way, pretty Miss Darkholme." As the pair left sight of the dark, deserted street and headed to the LeBeau residence, Remy took out a pack of cigarettes from his inside pocket and flicked one into his mouth. Offering the packet to Raven, he spoke muffled words through his pursed lips, which were holding onto the unlit cigarette hanging in between them.

"So what's your story, Miss Darkholme. Ah don't rememba' seein' your pretty little face round here before, I would surely recall..."

[Deleted]

The Cajun had said that Raven was friendly, and kind.. she could be, but she could also be cold and devious. However, this  man was giving her no reason to be such, so she simply gave him a shrug of her shoulders, and a reason of why she wanted nothing for herself. "I assure you that there's nothing in there of value to me but that staff that belongs to you. I tend to make a hobby out of...liberation." She mused with a playful wink. Raven rather enjoyed breaking in to facilities ran by governments testing on mutants to free them. Even those who were in prisons. No mutant deserved to be locked up, and this mutant didn't deserve to lose his belongings. No matter what he had done. 

Remy's reaction to that of her abilities was one that she never tired of seeing. Those who were impressed by another's ability instead of being terrified or appalled by it. That's how it was supposed to be. She gave him a smile and even curtsied. Perhaps it was because she was about to go on a heist.. or maybe it was because she'd possibly just found another mutant to fight for the cause. Either way.. Raven was in quite a good mood. "That bo staff is as good as yours, Remy LeBeau." She was confident.. and for very good reason. She could tell that this wasn't the first thieving rodeo for Remy, and it wasn't for her, either.

As the two of them walked along through the darkness, Remy had offered her a cigarette - which she declined - and then asked her story. "Ah, well you haven't seen me here because I've only just arrived. I travel.. quite a bit, actually. I'm part of a group of mutants called the Brotherhood. We're always trying to find others to fight for Mutant rights."