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Rogue rolled her eyes as the other girls startled and giggled as the Hazelnut marked with an “L” popped and flung itself into the fire below.
“Ugh! Double drat!!! That’s no fair…” Kitty pouted, “That's my third go! Why do they keep failing?”
“Cause you keep repeating the same match!” Jubilee teased, “face it, you and Lance might not be the best for eachother…why not write Kurt’s name on one and see if that works-AĀIYŌ! SHÉNME?!” Jubilee pulls up her monkey mask and rubbed her head as kitty nailed her in the forehead with a roasted hazel nut.
“For one thing, Kurt is my FRIEND. I'm not into him like that. He's cute in a puppy sort of way, not a suitor sort of way! Stop trying to push us together, it's weird!!…” the brunette huffed, “secondly, this is just a silly game of chance! You know it doesn't mean anything for real. Stop assuming things about how Lance and I will work out…”
“Ok but you should consider other guys, Kitty,” Tabby argued, “You’re so pretty and young! Do you really wanna tie yourself down to the first guy who catches your eye?” She smirked at Kitty while munching on some roasted walnuts and wiping the crumbs off her black cat costume. It wasn't anything special. She had thrown it together at the last minute from a plain black dress and a simple set of ears and a tail cut from cheap black muslin pinned to her hair and skirt.
Kitty on the other hand had made her costume herself from scratch, even crafting herself a tutu from crepe paper and bending the wire of a coat hanger into a tiara that now sat on her head. “Not all of us want to deal with heartache over and over again Tabby…” she grumbled, “It’d be nice if the first guy works out…”
The blonde snorted in return. “Good luck with that! Even if he never leaves ya, You’re bound to have some kind of regular ache from a boy like Lance’s tomfoolery. Whether it be an ache in the heart or in the head!... Maybe even in the stomach a few times considering his powers!” She teased, getting a shove from the smaller teen in a ballerina costume.
“May all your hazelnuts crack tonight!” Kitty grumbled.
Tabitha stuck her tongue out. “Jokes on you! I think they taste best when the fire makes em do that!”
Rogue rolled her eyes again and tuned out the rest of the conversation. She hated these fortune-telling games, and yet as an older girl in the house she and Jean were stuck chaperoning these new recruits in their first All Hallow's Eve Party at the Institute and these were the games the girls wanted to play. Personally, she didn't think it was all that fair considering the fact that it was technically her first Halloween party at the institute, or anywhere for that matter, too, and yet she wasn’t getting to pick any of the games the girls played. Perhaps it was a childish thing to be upset about, but it frustrated her none the less. Especially when they guys had much more engaging fun going on…
Whether it was spinning by their nose on a base ball bat and then trying to run a small obstacle course and inevitably failing, a game of Parlor Quoits set up on the lawn, or good old fashioned apple bobbing, they all seemed much more to her taste…. Well aside from what they were currently playing: Snap Apple.
She could see them from the window as the idiots risked their safety for the chance to laugh at the others misfortune or for the glory of not having it befall them. Kurt was hoisting over a tree branch a long stick tied in the middle to the rope he was using. On one end, an apple was skewered, on the other, a lit candle and once the pole was sent swinging, it was the job of whatever poor soul that was dumb enough to volunteer to attempt to get the apple off the stick with nothing but his teeth while avoiding the candle. She had no idea why anyone would want to do this, it made the fortune telling games seem more appealing, but she saw that new kid bobby had dropped to the ground to get a mouth full of mud several times to avoid that candle so clearly they would have to keep an eye on him in the coming months…
She pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned as she watched Roberto get hit with a little bit of hot wax on his shirt and panicked, acting like he would catch fire from it…and then Bobby encasing his arm into an ice block in an attempt to help and Gambit had to step in to undo Bobby’s “help”. It would be a miracle if this mansion survives through new years with these dunderheads running around…
“Hey Rogue, do you wanna try?” Jubilee offered holding up the bowl of unroasted nuts, “come on! You haven’t gone yet, and it's kinda sad watching Kitty keep trying like a poor drunkard at a roulette table-AH!” she was cut off as Kitty tackled her, knocking off the girl’s monkey king crown abd mask and giving her a noogie. “Ahhh!!! jiùmìng! jiùmìng! She's crazy!” the girl cried, kicking the bowl of hazelnuts, causing them to dash across the fireplace brick work.
Rogue and Jean quickly separated the two. “Jubilation! Quit teasing her! N Kitty, you’re a lady, act like one! Just cause this is a Halloween Party doesn't mean you can behave like a little devil…” she says as she helps jubilee up, “And to answer your question sugah, ah ain't quite interested in letting a nut determine my love life, especially when the unwanted outcome is most likely…”
Both Kitty and Jubilee pouted at this. They were cut off before either could respond. “Well I guess this game is over then,”Amara sighed as she began cleaning up the spilled hazel nuts, some of which had gotten cracks, “Everyone else has played and now these are dirty…we should find another game.”
Kitty pouted again for a moment before whispering something to Jean that caused the older girl to smirk. “Don't worry gals, I have another game in mind,” she says, “Rogue will you join us for this one?”
“Is it another fortune telling game?” She questions with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes but I think you will like this more. It’s more like the Bloody Mary game!” She explains.
Rogue considers this before glancing outside to see what the boys were doing. The candle had finally melted off the stick and caused a small fire on the ground that Scott was anxiously stamping out at the moment. Yeah…. Probably for the best if she stayed out of their shenanigans… “Fine…I’ll play. Just don't make me do anything too stupid,” she relented.
…..
Rogue was regretting her agreement to participate as she was led blindfolded down the stairs to the cellar, backwards. Kitty had her hands at rogue’s waist as, while in her hand Rogue carried a lit candle and an apple slice, the last of nine (she had been required to eat the other 8).
“Alright we cleared the stairs, we’re almost there!” Kitty assured. She was supposed to walk backwards to a mirror and once she bumped into it, turn around, lift her blindfold and offer it her apple slice. Supposedly, the face of your future husband would appear in the mirror in the candle light. She knew this wouldn't work, its a silly game for kids, but if it would satiate their desires for her participation, she would oblige.
She felt the back of her witch’s costume bump against the edge of something and was suddenly spun around by Kitty to face whatever it was. “Ok you can look!!” the 15 year old giggled, followed by tittering from some of the other girls in the cellar. Rogue pushed up her blindfold and then stretched her hand out towards where she assumed the mirror would be. She then opened her eyes, expecting to be greeted by the sight of her own reflection and nothing more in the vanity…. But her jaw fell open when she saw standing over her shoulder none other than Remy LeBeau himself, grinning like the Cheshire cat, and dressed in a jester costume.
“Bonne soirée, Chère!” he joked before taking the apple slice from her hand, “awww for me? Merci ya shouldn't have!”
Rogue was gobsmacked as he bit into it and the other girls giggled. “Guess that settles it! You and Remy are meant to be!” Amara teased. Rogue blushed furiously…and indeed she was furious. Her hands shook, she pursed her lips, and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before slamming the candle holder on the vanity desk and turning on them all with a dark glare. Everyone instantly stopped laughing.
“Cher?” Remy asked in confusion.
“I expected shenanigans like this from Kitty,” she snapped shoving him aside, “But I expected better of you than to play along like this! What is wrong with ya’ll!!!” She then pushed past everyone else and marched herself up the stairs and out of the house.
The room was silent for a moment, everyone sharing confused looks. “Did we do something wrong?” Rahne asked.
“I dunno…I thought confirming Remy was good for her would make her happy…” Kitty responded sounding concerned, “Remy do you know what’s up with her-” Kitty stopped when she saw he was gone, just barely catching him running out the cellar after her.
…..
“Rogue? Chére?” he called into the cool autumn night as he ran across the grounds to try and find her. The guys had seen her run towards the garden, but where exactly she had gone, he didn't know. Then a thought hit him and he cursed his own stupidity. He made a 180° turn and headed for the gazebo.
Sure enough he found her there under its eaves draped in dead ivy, leaning over the side of the railing as she stared out over the cliff that overlooked the water’s edge, brooding as she was known to do here. Remy ran up to her and leaned next to her, offering a small smile. “What’s wrong, cher? We didn't mean no harm…” he says, gently moving a piece of hair from her face. She bats his hand away without looking and turns to face away from him. He frowned. “Please tell Remy what he did to upset ya…” he asked, “Ya know well Ah wouldn't have participated iffin Ah knew it would…the girls told me you would like it…”
“Yeah well you should know better than to trust that Jean or Kitty know what is best for me and what Ah would like!” she snapped before sighing and shielding her face with her witch’s hat. “Sorry…Ah’m just…Ah’m really sick of all these damn fortune tellin games, not just because they are repetitive but also…” she continues, “look…it may be hard to understand, but after Mystique and Destiny had so much of my life planned out and had so much control over it…and it ain't even been a year since breaking free of their influence…I don't like the idea of this type of nonsense. Lettin someone or somethin else tell ya how your future is gonna go. Even if it’s all in good fun, even if I wouldn't mind the outcome…” She blushed heavily again. “N-not that Ah know who or when or if Ah want to marry, just…you know…” she stumbles, “It felt cruel. Especially with you playing along with. Just someone else decidin my fate for me…”
Remy nodded. “Désolé, Cher…” he said, looking down in embarrassment, “Remy didn't realize…” he knew as well what it was like to have your life planned out for you to some extent. While his father had given him a home, it had come with responsibility: the title as an heir to the Theives’ Guild and the expectation he would someday succeed Jean Luc and lead it to prosperity…and well…it was quite the mental burden to say the least, especially after the accident with julian.
“It’s fine…water under the bridge…” she sighed.
The two sat in silence for a minute before a thought came to him. “Ya know…da night still young, n while games n sweets are good n all dat on All Hallow's Eve, we still missin somethin important for de night!” He says with a smirk, causing her to look at him in confusion, “Tricks, All Hallow’s Eve’s true devilish nature. Wanna get up to some mischief wit moi an get back at Jean n Kitty?”
Rogue blinked at him before smiling. “That might improve mah night a bit!” She replied, taking his hand.
….
Jean and the girls sat around the table with the spirit board, a handful of candles in the small study room keeping it illuminated as the girls sat at the table with incense burning and their hands all touching the planchette as it quivered on the ouija board.
“Are you sure we should be doing this? What if we summon something for real?” Rahne whispered.
“Relax!!!” Tabby replied, “It’s just a game, pretty sure jean is gonna move the piece with her mind.”
“Shhhh! Don't ruin it!!!” Kitty hissed.
“Still it does feel like we are being watched…” Amara commented.
And the truth was, they were, from above to be specific. Rogue and Gambit sat tucked into the attic-like crawl space above, having opened up a ceiling panel to be able to look down at them. Along with them they had a small pumpkin covered in a sheet and painted to look like a ghost on a set of marionette strings, a gramophone with a giggle record, a string rig tied to the book case behind Jean, and a violin bow with a metal music stand. Rogue smiled, her plan was coming together perfectly.
“Don't worry girls, it will be fun!” Jean, dressed as Athena, assured, “now, spirit of the board, if you are here, make yourself known!” Jean caused the planchette to wiggle across the table, spelling out “hello”. The girls gasped and whispered. “Alright time for your questions girls!” Rogue winked at Remy and he moved the tile mostly back into place before grabbing the bookshelf string.
“Alright I’ll go first,” Tabby said, “Will Logan ever lighten up?” The girls chuckled as Jean moved the piece to “no” but the laughter stopped when the bookshelf behind them started shaking and wiggling. The girls all stopped and looked at it, Jean included. It was too dark to see the white string running up the wall.
“Very funny Jean, we don't need that much atmosphere though,” Kitty assured.
Jean stared at the book shelf in confusion. Had her powers activated without realizing? She shook her head. That must be the case. “Noted. I will avoid doing that,” she says, “uh…nect question…”
“Uh…Will Rogue still be upset with us tomorrow?“ jubilee offered. Jean moved the piece up intending to move it back to no, but at that moment, rogue grabbed the string from Remy and pulled on it hard before running the bow against the metal music stand creating a grating sound. Between the slamming and the noise, the piece slipped to “Yes” instead.
“Jean, what are you doing?” Kitty questioned.
“I-its not me i swear!” She insisted.
“How can it not be you???” Kitty questioned.
The slamming and noise returned before suddenly the eerie sound of someone laughing alone began ringing out from above. Everyone turned to look around…and then purple light illuminated the room. Everyone turned around to see a purple-glowing, billowing ghost floating just behind Jean.
And when Jean Grey turned around, shaking with fear, and saw the specter, she only had one thing to say.
“JESUS MOTHERFUCKING CHRIST!!! WHAT ON EARTH!!!” And with that her powers went wild, sending books flying and making the room shake, and the other girls ducked and screamed…until the ghost exploded into pumpkin guts all over them.
Everything suddenly stopped…. Everyone dat there confused as to what just happened. And then they heard laughter again, bit different than the creep laughter before. It was two people and sounded like people they knew.
Just then a tile was pulled up from the ceiling and Rogue and Gambit stuck their heads in the room, still laughing. “Don't worry. To answer your question, Ah won’t be mad at you tomorrow…especially since Ah got back at Ya’ll today!”
The girls stared at the two of them before it fully dawned on them, and the emotions became mixed. Some were angry, some were laughing.
Tabitha especially was laughing pretty hard, physically bending over in her seat.“Oh my God that was amazing!!!” she cried, “you got us good!”
“Yeah!” Jubilee responded, “I was this close to bolting out the door!” Amara and Rahne had also started snickering at this point.
Remy gave a little bow once he lowered himself into the room before helping Rogue down. “Thank ya, but it was all her idea!” He insisted.
Jean and Kitty looked far less amused. “What did we do to deserve this!” She insisted, wiping pumpkin off her costume, “I mean, I know we messed up with the mirror game, but did that really warrant this??? Ugh its in my hair!”
Jean folded her arms. “Someone could have gotten hurt, we lit candles! And this mess will take forever to clean up,” she insisted.
“Mehbee not normally, but it is Halloween,” Remy said with a shrug, “ya’ll had your mischief, we had ours! Can you really blame us?”
“Yes,” Kitty and Jean replied at the same time.
“How bout this then,” rogue replied, dusting herself off, “We clean up in here and ya’ll go get first dibs on the pumpkin cookies and caramel apples Remy has in the kitchen? That fair?”
Remy blinked in surprise before turning on Rogue in surprise. “Quoi? Wait-” was all he managed to get out before Kitty interrupted.
“Fair and square! Thanks guys!” she chirped before racing out of the room. With that the other girls swiftly followed.
“Happy Halloween you two! We’ll be sure to save some!” Jean called over her shoulder. Leaving the stunned Cajun and the Southern belle by themselves in the room.
Remy pouted as he watched Rogue begin picking up books off the floor. “Whatcha waitin for? Faster we start the sooner we’re done!” She insisted.
Remy crossed his arms. “... Dis be your trick on me for playin along isn’t it?” He stated more than asked, “makin me spend da night cleaning dis mess…”
“Maybe…” she replies, standing up with a satisfied smile on her face, “but is it really all that much of a trick when you get time alone with me, Cajun?”
This caused him to smile and he moved to help her. “Fair enough. Happy Halloween, chere,” he replies before picking up pumpkin seeds.
“Happy Halloween to you too, Swamp Rat,” she responds with a wink.
.......
