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Lorna was well, giddy and awkward at the same time? It wasn't unusal for the young woman to be hopping between the mansion and Kaleb's apartment these days. Not since she had started to date the boy at least. That had included him sending over 'the car' to pick her up and drop her off regularly. Along with tailored clothes, gifts of dozens of roses and chocolates, movie tickets and other assorted price-y gifts.
This of course, could take the cake.
Lorna knocked on Remy's door with a rap of her knuckles, "Reeeeemy!" She called, squirming on her now gold-leaf flecked toes. Her hair was swept up in a fancy tumble of curls and poof, and her make up shimmered faintly with real gold around her eyelids.
And lastly, her fake nails glittered with tiny flecks of diamonds at the base. Save her index fingers, where sizable diamonds sat and caught the light with every movement.
Remy opens the door with pursed eyebrows that immediately widen up and out as he sees Lorna in all her store bought glory. "You look like a million bucks. And by dat, I mean, I tink dat boy of yours literally spent a million bucks on ya." He exhales, looking at her sadly for a moment for reasons unsaid and turns, leaving the door open for her to come in. He plops down in a chair, leaving the bed in total for her.
Lorna plopped on the bed as Remy let her in and sank heavily against it. She looked around for Olvier, her brows pinched faintly in thought. "He cleared out the whole salon. I ate gold, I didn't even think that was possible." She pressed her hands against her cheeks, turning pinker as she looked back to Remy, a frown marred her expression as he sat in a chair.
"I don't know what to do with this. I can't train my combat lessons with Scott like this. I mean. These are diamonds!" She stared down at her nails. It had seemed that once she'd finally sobered up from her trip, champagne had been on offer all day for her. That it was actually a bit distressing for the young woman.
"Remy, what am I gonna do?"
"Dunno, love. Guess yer gonna have t'make do wit what you wanna make do wit," Remy says as he slides down in a slouch in his chair and one of his legs hangs over the edge. "Ole Midas sure ta figure it out for ya, ahm certain." He chuckles and shakes his head, reaching for some bourbon on his desk.
Lorna made a low whine at the back of her throat, flopping back onto the bed. Oh, there was Oliver. She twisted around to gather up the kitten close and smoosh her features against him. "This is because he snapped at me the other day. I don't like it. Everytime he feels bad he just buys me stuff instead of talking to me. Like.. I feel like I hardly know him in comparison! Remy, I had no idea what was going on with Warren and stuff, and he had been tangled up with it all. He just kept telling me how awful his trip to Europe had been.. And it wasn't until Warren crash landed out back that he actually said anything! I feel like I do all the talking, all the time." She pouted, curling up on the mattress.
"Dere worse problems in de world den havin' a boy who buy you tings and let you do all de talkin, chere," Remy says as he takes a pull from his whiskey. "Ah can't say dat I know who dis Warren guy is. Ah been out workin' on sometin de past few days so ah prolly missed a lot."
Lorna sat up, little Oliver in her shiny grip just below her chin as she pouted. "Warren Worthington? He donated like tons of stuff to Mutant Town after the giants destroyed like most of the city. He was there in person. And well. He was missing, I guess." She pursed her lips, "He had wings, and .." She exhaled a breath. "He turned up yesterday out back."
Another pause followed as she scritched under Oliver's chin. "Now he's blue and has metal wings. Kaleb said he'd seen him being experimented on in a lab somewhere in Europe. And that he'd helped him escape. But I just.. Kaleb knew and hadn't said anything at all to me. Or the Professor. Or anyone."
Remy exhales and shakes his head, "If it botha you, you should ask 'im about it. Ahm tinkin' it one of two tings. Your boy has his reasons. Or your boy a coward. Anyting otha den dose and dat a fatal flaw, know what ah mean?" His face twists, "Too bad 'bout yer friend Warren. Any news on who had 'im?" It's been too long since Remy has beaten the shit out of someone in authority. His bo-staff is leaning in the corner, just out of reach.
Lorna shook her head, curling up on her side to face Remy. "I don't know. He doesn't share. He doesn't talk to me. He just says he's bad with emotions and relationships and stuff. That he's a jerk and that everyone knows it. And he doesn't like to do more than hold my hand. So he just buys me things instead." she bit her lower lip, smuding what little lipstick remained on her lips.
Her father would likely have raised a brow at the sight of her.
"And no, he said he has no idea who had Warren. Other than it was in a country with an 'S' in it. He said he was too drunk on the plane ride over. And the Professor said he's going to poke around."
Remy sits forward, looking at this girl who almost seems like she's about to have tears in her eyes. He puts his elbows on his knees and cuts down the distance between the both of him. "Look chere. As a guy who got married when he was your age, and a guy who nearly got married a couple a months ago, I got some experience in dis shit. Here what ole Remy gun tell ya and ah hope you are payin attention: Do he make you happy? If he make you happy, den you gotta give him de benefit of de doubt. If he don't? Den you can't keep him round even if he gun give you all de diamonds in de world."
Lorna's lower lip trembled faintly as she listened carefully to Remy as he sat forward and she rubbed the back of her wrist against her eyes. Her fingernails were too sharp by far now with the smattering of diamonds on them. She sniffled, "I like him, I enjoy spending time with him." Her brows furrowed. "I just.. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing Remy. Sometimes I just.." She exhaled a breath.
"I just dunno with him. He seems so distant and sad and.. I-I just feel like he asked me out to make other rich people angry or upset. And he says that he asked me out because I don't annoy him."
Remy laughs out loud at this idea, "Hell, girl, y'dun understand the draw of a gal who dun annoy ya. T'be honest, my first wife annoyed the shit out of me. Mebbe he jus' ahead of the curve." He tilts his head to her. "Wait."
Lorna blinked repeatedly at Remy as he laughed, her lower lip sticking out faintly. "Wait what?" She asked, tilting her head to the side as she sat up, releasing Oliver the kitten back to his natural habitat of running around the covers and attacking the blanket mice. Her brows furrowed as she folded her legs.
"Really? Why'd you marry her then?"
"I loved de shit out of dat woman, back den. Imagine de worst case ah puppy love. It also was an arranged marriage dat was suppose to bring our two houses togetha and stop em from fightin'," Remy says with a shrug of his shoulders before changing the topic quickly. "Listen, chere. Wit y'old boyfriend, you was worried about him trying to go all de way wit you. Now you're worried because your new man is takin' it slow. What in de hell do you want?"
Lorna shifted on the bed, her hands curling around her ankles and she flushed. "Oh." Another pause, "Wait, you had an arranged marriage like in Romeo and Juliet? Woah! I didn't think anyone did that still." She stared, mouth open at Remy's comment before his next words hit home and she turned pink.
"I would like to actually have him give me hugs when I say hi or a kiss on the cheek. Is that so much to ask for? Instead I just feel horrible for invading his personal space because he's so grumpy about everything. I mean, it took three dates before I felt it was okay to hold his hand."
"You wouldn' be de first person to call Belle and I Romeo and Juliet. It pretty fittin' on a lot of levels." A sharp pang hits Remy badly in his soul. For the first time since she had died, Remy really began to miss her. "Welp, you know what huggin' and kissin' lead to when you 18 years old. Ye can't have y'cake and eat it to. If you were mad dat Julian was pushin' ya..ya shouldn't be pushin dis bugger neitha."
Lorna's eyebrows furrowed as Remy spoke of his first wife and she bit her lower lip, sympathy coloring her green eyes as she considered him. Of course, then Remy was moving back to the conversation at hand and she blushed, furiously. "I'm not! I just.. It feels like he's not actually interested in me. I mean, I might as well just be hanging out with a good friend. And I'm okay with that. I just.. I don't know what to do Remy."
She sighed, her hands resting awkwardly on her lap as she looked down at them. "Should I just.. just keep waiting to see if he wants to hug me? If he wants to ever .. I dunno, kiss me or something?"
Remy laughs and shakes his head, "Girl, who you talkin' to? You tink ah'd sit around and wait for a gal who wun gunna put out? Pfft." He shakes his head, "Shoot. Ah ain't got dat much time t'waste on folks."
Lorna pouted at that, her shoulders slumping as she glowered faintly in Remy's direction. "That is so not helpful." She shot back in a deadpan. "Augh," She dragged her hands through her hair, the nails catching awkwardly and she winced, an 'ow!' pulling from her lips and she carefully had to untangle her nails from her hair.
"You met him, what do you think?"
"Oh no you don't," Remy says as he shakes his head forcefully. "Ah ain't gettin' involved in yo' lil love situation. Folks still be givin' Remy dirty looks for one night you spend in dis here room. Ah ain't pressin' no luck no how no way. No ma'am."
Lorna flopped back on his mattress with a groan. "You're the one that's been married! I've only dated one other guy for like two months! You're supposed to like get this stuff!" She whined, staring up at the ceiling and slinging her manicured hands across her stomach.
"It's not like I'm asking you for something scandalous or something. Gosh!"
"Ah do get dis stuff. Which is why ah ain't gettin' involved," Remy says. "Ole Remy tell you who good and it don't work out? Now it Remy fault. Remy tell you he a punk pansy who may like boys more den girls, den you get all fussy wit ole Remy. Ah ain't gonna touch dat wit a ten foot pole. No ma'am."
That earned a giggle from Lorna and she clapped her hands over her lips as she sat up, her cheeks flushed with her attempts to keep her laughter in and at his words. She couldn't stop another burst of giggles escaping her. It took her several attempts to halt the flood of giggles that escaped her and she bit her lower lip as she finally caught her breath.
"What if .. hmm, well.. if I asked you to tell me.. er.." She looked as if she was trying to word a question in a way that would still get her an answer.
"Okay. What about this.. when you met him.. did you like him or think he was just another rich boy and didn't care?"
"Ah thought," Remy says with raised eyebrows as he looks at her earnestly. "Ah thought dat I was sorta shocked dat you were into a guy like dat. I figured dat Julian was a rich boy was just a coincidence. Now dat dere are two it sort of your ting. And, to be honest, I was a little forlorn dat Little Lorna din' stand for sometin' more."
Lorna paused, her smile dying at Remy's words and she bit her lower lip. She exhaled a breath, turning her gaze down to her lap. "I didn't try to date him, Remy." She mumbled, poking at her skirt's thread and seam intently.
"He.. he was a mutant that needed help, at first. And my nephew is dating his twin brother. So I was just.. I was over there to see my nephew. And Kaleb.. we just.. we talked a lot. And he.." She exhaled another sigh, glancing up at Remy again.
"He's bigger on Mutant Rights than Julian ever was. He cares and he wants to know how to help. I got to talking to him about how he can help out in Mutant Town. How if he truly wanted to do something to help, then he should spend his money, his time there. With people that needed it. He talked a lot of Mutants deserving so much more and I just.." She grimaced, and bit her lower lip.
"I was worried that if he didn't meet the Professor then he might've done something stupid. He sounded like he wanted to sprout off a lot of things that Raven said but didn't seem to live it.. at all. I mean.. I brought him down to Mutant Town for the first time ever.."
"Well, like ah said. My opinion dun matter one bit. Dat be up t'you. Ahm just talkin' more you right now. Wit y'hair all dolled up and your finger nails costin', each one, more den dis whole room put togetha. If dat de sorta ting dat make ya happy, well, at least y'know what you lookin' for."
Lorna grimaced, looking down at her nails and her lips slowly turned into a frown. "..The stuff doesn't make me happy so much as it does to just spend time talking about records. Or just sitting around and talking. I.. I was so scared and nervous when he took me out to some fancy place. I-I almost had a panic attack then and there." She bit her lower lip again, chewing away at the skin.
"And I just.. I feel like I don't know him as well.. as like say you, Remy. Gosh.. Maximus was involved at some point. And Kaleb asked me if I was lying about what Maximus did to my head before. And that hurt. Yesterday he.." She trailed off, deflating as she rubbed her hands against her features.
"I feel ridiculous with these nails and my hair. Getting it done was.. it was nice.. but I don't need diamonds to make me happy."
Remy stands up and he sits down at the edge of the bed, reaching out to hold Lorna's hand. "Well, whatever does or don't make ya happy, I'm tinkin' ya betta do right by your boy and go figure dis out wit him and not wit ole Remy. If ya want to play kissy face wit de boy you should tell him so. If you want to know more 'bout him, y'should ask him questions."
Lorna flashed Remy a small smile, but it was weaker than her usual and did not wholly reach her eyes. Even as he settled on the edge of the bed and took her hand. She squeezed it faintly, distractedly, and glanced down at her painted nails. "Okay," She exhaled a breath, and reached up to press her hands against her cheeks.
"You're right. Thank you, Remy." She glanced side long at him.
"Do you want to at least split some of that bourbon with me? Or are you going to keep it for yourself?"
"Nope," Remy says as he straightens and almost leaps off the bed in an impressively lithe fashion. "Last time you and I split bourbon I slept with my hand around your waist. Was lucky dat time dat ole Remy's wandering hands took de night off or dat mighta been uncomfortable."
Lorna colored a dark shade of red at that as Remy leapt off the bed and commented on wandering hands. "Wow, I never thought I'd hear that from you." She commented dryly, arching a brow upwards. She yawned, stretching her arms over her head.
"But I'll respect your warning about wandering hands. That much I believe." She got up and very promptly, made to give Remy a quick hug.
"Thank you for being a good friend, Remy." She mumbled, before quickly drawing back to leave.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Remy says, waving a dismissive hand. "Y'bettah get outta here before I tink better of it." His head is tilted to the ground but he's smiling and sort of peeking up at her. "Good luck, kid."