Devil in the Details
The bouncer at the door had been no trouble at all. Remy had been brought his A game tonight; carefully groomed appearance--more clean shaven and fresh faced than the thief usually was, his auburn hair pulled back into a short ponytail at his nape that just dusted his shoulders. The suit was couture, a deep plum color with a black tie and slick black dress shoes. He needed to look the part tonight; the “Charm” running high.
He turned more than a few heads as he entered the crowded ball room, taking a glass of champagne from the waiter as he moved through it. Poor suckers; they couldn’t help themselves. The mutant was attractive enough on is own and drew enough looks with those stunning black and ruby eyes--the only thing about him that gave away that he was indeed mutant--but his other abilities only enhanced his edge. Gambit’s empathetic “charm” ability often acted on two levels--one allowing him to easily read the emotions and moods of others, giving him a tell no different from a poker game and allowing him to adjust accordingly. The second to entice and enthrall. If he wasn’t in careful control of both factors, he could easily overwhelm himself and those around him. Luckily, the master thief had a pretty damn good handle on his gifts. And he would need every ounce of them tonight. He was after a big fish...the “King” fish, as it were.
It wasn’t ideal mind you, throwing your lot in with the King Pin. But there were worse things in the world, and right now Gambit needed to make himself invaluable to the only thing scarier than what he was running from. He knew he had one shot at this. And he was going to make it count.
As he made his way across the crowded ball room, both his eyes and his senses picked up on the man he’d been looking for. He stilled a moment, ignoring a lovely pair of women who came along to chat him up as he stared the man down. He was...not what Remy was expecting. He looked so...
The Cajun chewed his lip as he struggled for the right words. He handsome for sure, and younger than he had expected. But there was an air to him that sent shivers down LeBeau’s spine. An irresistible yet palpable sense of danger that made him both want to bolt away and run towards him.
“You really know how to pick ‘im, don’t you?” he sighed to himself, finishing his drink and then smiling sweetly at the fawning women. “My apologies, Mesdemoiselles, I have pressing business to attend.” He said quickly but sweetly, giving them a nod before sauntering up to lone man at the far edge of the room. Remy noted his glasses, caught a quick glimpse of the eyes behind them and adjusted accordingly. Another surprise. My tonight was exciting indeed. “Pardon,” he said, his creole accent coming through more strongly as he greeted the stranger and waited for his acknowledgement before continuing. “I do hope I’m not interrupting, monsieur, but I couldn’t help but notice you. I understand you’re the man to see when one is new in the city?” Remy continued. “My name is Remy LeBeau, you’ll want to remember that name, for sure. You might know me better as Gambit.” He flicked his wrist and an Ace of Hearts playing card appeared in his hand. He carefully pressed it into the man’s hand, allowing him to feel the warmth of the kinetic energy that filled it before it dissipated harmlessly into ash. A controlled charge. “You and I are going to be fast friends, I can tell.” Remy grinned.
