2013.07.19 - Lonely Souls

Sometimes you just need to go to a bar. Rogue was starting to run a bit low on cash, so she was going to need to think about what's happening in her future. So for that evening her future was a beer, and probably her last one for a while.

She entered the bar and was dressed in a loose fitting green t-shirt that fell off of the shoulders, long knit black gloves, a pair of cutoff shorts, black tights, and combat boots that looked very well worn in. Her skunk-styled hair was tossed back into a ponytail.

She made her way to one of the empty stools, and slid her fake ID forward and asked for a beer.

Something didn't feel right to Carter lately. Life had been good but something felt missing. The feeling nagged at him. So he did what everyone else dealing with problems did: went to a bar. The place was a dive but they offered cheap drinks on tab.

His brown eyes went to the woman that just entered before he refocused on his half empty glass. It was only round one. A brown leather bomber jacket clung to him hiding a black t-shirt that defined his chest a little, clearly someone worked out, and olive green cargo pants that hide dark brown hiking boots.

Sitting at the bar alone he sighed and took another drink. The stuff was piss water compared to Germany's stuff but it did have a pleasant numbing effect. Well it would after a few more anyone or so he hoped.

Rogue had actually considered going back to that New Orleans styled resturaunt, maybe hoping to find that cute guy named Remy again. But their menu items weren't exactly cheap. Man Rogue was going to need to figure things out soon. And hopefully not just show up at the X-men's doorstep.

She glanced over and caught the other guy sitting at the bar as well. He looked kinda lonely. Or drunk. Sometimes it was hard to tell with people. There weren't many other patrons there so she gave a half smile and waved while she waited for the barkeep to inspect her license. He tossed it onto the counter and slid a cheap beer to her.

"Why PBR?" Carter nods noting the cheap beer only after he's given the woman a friendly nod back. Usually people that bought cheap beer are high schoolers going on a beer run that invovled hush money, or an older friend, or a desperate college student that needs to get drunk but lacks funds. "Don't drink that piss water. Get something better. On me," Carter insists looking to the lady, "Carter," he offers a hand.

Rogue placed a dollar on the table to pay for her abandoned pisswater and moved one stool over to shake his hand. Her handshake was a very light grip, which was unusual combined with the gloves in the summer. "My name's Rogue. Nice to meet ya Carter, quite the gentleman. Thanks for the drink."

The bartender rolled his eyes and slid Rogue her drink. She took a tentative sip then smiled, "Oh yeah that's much better."

"So what has ya down to drinking piss water on a night like this when someone should be rushing you off to some expensive dinner," it is a little stranger to Cater that a beautiful woman like Rogue doesn't have a male sutor. And while his brown eyes can appreciate the subtle curves of her form, he has no interest in pursing. At least he doesn't have interests yet...the beers could change that if there's too many consumed.

She let out a laugh as she looked down at the foam in her glass. "Jus' thirsty really. Funds are gettin' a lil low and Ah need to figure out what's my next step. And such in-depth thoughts should be done over a beer right?"

This Carter guy was quite the looker himself. Older yeah, but she didn't mind older guys. For now she would just enjoy another friendly face to talk to, "How's about you? This place aint exactly a popular social scene?"

"Cheaper prices than most places. Less likely to find some sports jock that wants to scream about the latest game. And the bar is sturdy enough to endure a headslam if someone gets too rowdy with you," he gives a playful smile with fierce eyes. Apparently that is spoken from experience.

Looking down at his glass he smiles, "Like you I've got some deep thoughts to chase at the bottom of my glass. What are your options?"

Rogue smirked and took another sip from her drink, "I could always put on a game and yell about it, if you change yer mind. When Ah've had a couple in me Ah can get a little excited about wrestling."

A sigh escaped her lips, well gotta figure out the living situation. Right now Ah've got two choices, move back in with the roommates and Ah. . .just wanted a change of scene. Or go outta the country. Got invited there. How's about you? Girl problems?"

"Yeah. I've got a feeling an ex may be coming back into my life and I don't know what to do about it," the problem is a lot more complicated than that. One of the last things Carter wants is to scare off a girl that he has just started to talk to. "Why do you want a change of scene?"

Rogue nodded. Personally she really only had the one ex, she supposed. But memories have a habit of nagging her when she didn't want them to. Overwhelmingly so.

She sighed, "Ah don't know. Ah already left, just seemed to be the right thing to do at the time. They all mean well, but I just wanted some space. And to be honest, I've never been out of the country."

She looked over to Carter, "How about you? You ever go travelin'?"

Smiling at the question, "I've been to many places m'lady. Each can hold something for someone. What do you look to do when you go to some place new?" he asks raising a brow to the woman. Depending on that answer would determine where he would suggest going.

Rogue let out a laugh and then took a long chug of her beer. Much better than the drink she was going to have that evening. After exhaling she places it back on the counter, "Ah'm no lady. But yer cute so don't sweat it."

She was silent for a few moments while she thought, "Ah dunno. Normally Ah don't have a lot of leisure time. Actually thinking of going to. . .Genosha."

She lowered her voice at the mention of Genosha and immediately regretted it. Sure this guy was cute, but you never know where the mutant haters are.

"I hear the Island is nice. I've heard rumors it isn't exactly the paradise people expect it to be. Sometimes the brochere looks better than the actual place," thinking for a moment he looks at her, "Try New Zealand or Australia. Sunny Beaches. Australia has a no gun law that no one minds and they still get rowdy. New Zealand has a bit of everything," he pauses after the suggestion. Then gives her a smile, "Thought I would give you an evil eye for suggesting a place like that? Can't help who you love and how you were born."

Rogue smiled and rubbed at the back of her neck, feeling awkward, "Lets just say Ah haven't always run into friendly folks like you. It's nice."

She turns her stool so she is facing a bit more towards him, and rests an arm onto the counters surface letting her guard down a little, "Alright then tell me some more about yourself Mr. Well-traveled. Ah'm gonna laugh if you're some ex football star or somethin'."

She glanced down at his clearly well defined body and winks.

Smirking at the glance he gives her one as well, "Well Ms. Model, I'm a Doctor and not the breathe loud, turn and cough kind. I'm a guy that watched too much Indiana Jones," the smirk mutates into a smile that pulls at the corners of his mouth. "Digs have taken me to all sorts of places in the world," which isn't exactly true and isn't exactly false. He did see a bit of the world from the excavations but memories played an equal role to his travels. "I've been at so many dig sites it's easier to name places I haven't been. And really I'm just a guy that likes to play in the dirt looking for bones."

His brown eyes smile, "And you madame Model? You seem like the type that may have broken a few hearts by beauty alone. You really should have someone sweeping you away. If we hadn't just met even I would consider paying for your trip to Australia," a playful wink was tossed at the woman. Pausing a moment he finished his first glass then ordered another, "She's with me," he pointed to the tender then looked at her, "No one should drink PBR. Please. I insist. Just got a new job and it pays well. Maybe a little too well so I don't mind if you set me back fifty or a hundred," clearly he didn't know how much she could drink but you had to watch out for the cute ones.

Rogue laughed nervously and felt her face flush. It felt nice to be a little spoiled by someone so pleasant. She finished off the rest of her beer and thanked the barkeep as he brought another, "Yer too sweet. Give me a toothache. And model? Please. Let's just say Ah don't exactly do well in the dating scene."

She was silent for a few moments, "A real archeologist? That's really cool, Carter."

Carter nods to her question, "Stalagmites and Stalagtites are my life. The movies glamorize what we do. It's really a lot of digging...very slow digging. I'm a professor though," he looks at the woman. "I'm sorry you don't do well. People must be blind where you're at since you don't have a line of sutors."

Later he just waves a hand, "I'm being honest. You don't need to call me sweet ma'am," he gives a nod to her.

Rogue giggles and runs a finger along the edge of her glass, "Movies lie? Well color me shocked. Woulda never guessed."

She looked towards him and bit at the side of her lip, "Yeah well honesty can be sweet. And nah no um. . . suiters. Just doesn't quite work out for me. Like ever. Ah guess Ah'm doomed. But whatever. How about you? Got a young philly back home?"

Taking her gloved hand he kisses the back of it, "On behalf of everyone that's never asked you for a date, 'I'm sorry.'" Her question causes him to pause for an ususal amount of time. Staring at her with brown eyes, "I had one but she went away for a while. Don't think she's coming back. Wish she would, part of me thinsk she might but I'm not holding my breathe," his second drink had been sitting there for a while. AT the end of his statement he nearly downed it in one gulp.

The blush returned again when he kissed her hand, but she listened silently at his discussion about his ex. She reached out and touched him on the arm gently, "Ah understand. But now that we've jumped onto that note. . ."

She held up a finger to alert the barkeep, "We need 2 whiskey chasers and another round, if ya don't mind."

Laughing at the whiskey he looks at her, "Sure you're not trying to liquor up an innocent professor like myself?" he waggles his brow but doesn't dissaude. An ex in college bought him rounds and that was the last time anyone ordered like that. He wasn't about to turn down the lady. "So why do you wanna go to the Island?" he avoided calling it by name just to keep her safe.

Rogue looked him over and lifted an eyebrow, "Innocent? Yer nice, and probably real educated. But I doubt innocent. Ah'll answer it in just a sec. Now one two three.go!"

She shot back this whiskey in one gulp, and then immediately followed it with her beer. As was the whiskey chaser. She exhaled as she finished! "Whew!"

Downing his whiskey then chasing it down with his beer Carter coughs at the burn, "Been a while," he says getting used to the burn. "I should introduce you to my friend Zinda. She loves her beer and can ask how to get one in at least thirty languages." Smirking he looks at Rogue, "And I can be innocent. You're the one tempting me with booze," he gives off a playful wink.

Rogue laughed and shrugged, "Ah'm really not all that big of a drinker. Just feels like it's been a while since Ah've had fun, ya know?"

She chuckled and asked for another just plain beer, "And as for um, the island. Be around my own people, score a job and a place to crash. My mind isn't made up yet, but it's a temptin' offer."

"Wanna know what I tell my students in your shoes?" Carter offers looking at the woman her with an earnest expression. "I tell them to really think it over. If there's anything you want to do stateside or beyond I would do it before you go there. Why? Because it's probably harder to get into some places if it says in your history you were a resident of 'The Island.' And you may not think it now but eventually you'll get homesick. What happens then?" he does the speech and eve poses the same question to Rogue.

Rogue looks away for a few moments as she considers his words. She suddenly realizes she hasn't really talked to anyone in depth about her problems in quite a while. It was nice actually. She blinks back to reality, "It's a good point. Not like any move should be taken lightly, anyways. Thanks Sug."

She gives him a warm smile.

He gives a polite smile, "I'm just being honest with you. That move you're talking about doing shouldn't be done lightly. If I had the cash to pay for your rent in an apartment for six months I would," Carter says honestly then looks at her, "I could probably spot you something. Not sure what...but I wouldn't want you to get weirded out."

Another blush flushes across Rogue's face as she venomously shakes her head, "No way Ah could accept that. A couple of drinks and good company is more than enough. Don't you worry about Rogue here, Ah'll sort myself out. Always do. Become a model or somethin'."

She snorted and laughed, "Oh yeah righ'."

"Been down on my luck once or twice, I know how you feel," he smirks at the mention of modeling. Lookin gat her with brown playful eyes, "You'd make a kiling."

Rogue laughed again and rubbed at the side of her face, "Yeah no WAY. Ah don't exactly have that kinda confidence. And it wouldn't exactly go well. Maybe /you/ should be a male model. Now maybe that I could see that happenin."

Waving a hand off, "Pssht. Like anyone would buy that book," he smiles at her taking in the woman's feautres. "Seriously you have a lovely body. You would be a great model."

Rogue looked away for a second and played with the edge of her glove, just where it touched the skin. Lovely looking? Maybe, she guessed. Not so much for touching, "Thanks. Wouldn't exactly work for me. But again, you are sweet."

Shrugs then takes a swig of his beer, "Anyhow. I just try to live healthy you know. Live as long as humanly possible without winding up in a home," he lies. "So tell me more about yourself. Whatever you feel like. Where were you living at before?" he poses without pressing for too many detials about the situation.

She took another swig of her own drink, "A school actually. . ."

She paused to see if the bartender was paying any attention, but he was in the back of the bar cleaning off some tables. She spoke softly but loudly enough for Carter to hear, "At a school for mutants actually. Things got kinda intense so Ah wanted to be on my own for a bit. Other than that, born in Mississippi and eventually wound up here."

"I teach at a similar school," he gives the woman a soft smile. Looking at her he nods about Mississippi, "I love the South. Ever her of a place in Lousiana called St. Roch? Great place. Love the Po' Boys," he smiles, "Tell me more!" While meeting up with someone from his past is special, meeting someone entirely new is its own treat.

Rogue smirked and remembered the last time she had a Po'Boy. "Aw man yeah Ah've been there. Can't beat the food. Yer gonna make me hungry."

She peered down at the end of the bar and saw a bowl of pretzels. She walked down and grabbed it, bringing it back, "Ah get homesick for home a hell of a lot, but up here there is a lot goin on too. I do miss seein' the sky though, you know what I mean?"

"Well, next time I go to St. Roch or the South. You can come with," he looks at her taking the pretzels, "Wanna grab a burger?" He tires to ignore the question about the sky but eventually answers it, "I do know what you mean. It sucks but I savor the sky whenever I get it," which is usually about every night.

Rogue remembers when just recently she could fly into the sky any time she wanted. Fly far enough away from all of the nights and you can see all of the stars. Days like today she missed Carol's powers. "Ah hear that. Would LOVE a burger."