Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

[REMY LEBEAU]

Gambit and technology had never gone hand in hand. He didn't like computers. He didn't like phones. He didn't even like television, and he didn't know where to start as far as microwaves were concerned. The only form that technology took he could get on board with were radios, and grand theft auto wasn't the same without being able to blast a stereo system afterwards. Of course, the Cajun loved music. It didn't have the same mind numbing effect that staring at a computer screen and swiping a touch screen had, nor did it leave him feeling quite as confused. Radios were straightforward, but things like this? The Deep South would grasp evolution, long before Remy would figure out the X-Jet.

Sitting in the pilot seat, before the control panel, the Cajun tried to remember exactly what Henri had done before they had left for Boca Caliente, and when that failed him he tried to remember what Cyke had told him back when the professor had tried his utmost to recruit him years previous. Alas, all Gambit could remember of that particular exchange was 'blah, blah, blah... rear thrusters... blah blah blah... rear engines', followed by a series of facial expressions that ranged from serious to disapproving. "Tout simplement génial*" he muttered to himself, cursing Cyke for being so boring. If he cracked a smile every once and while, and spoke like he wasn't a drone, then Remy might have been paying attention.

Either the instructions Cyke had provided him with would suddenly smack him in the face, or Remy would take a stab at instructing himself his own way, which of course meant by trial and error. Taking a chance, the Cajun pressed one of the buttons lining the frame of the radar, only for ramp to close behind him with a dull thud. "So, dat's what dat button does" Gambit grinned, pressing the same button so the ramp fell down again, permitting access to the jet once more. Trying yet another button only resulted in the oxygen masks dropping down from the ceiling, hanging above every seat in the cockpit. "Well, dat's useful in emergencies" he mused, oxygen masks retracting as he started poking around in the glove compartment, hoping to find some kind of instruction manual, but he didn't locate anything that would explain to him how to fly this thing.

"Non... not even ah copy o' Playboy stashed in here anywhere..." the Cajun grumbled, "Maybe Gambit should just go an' aks Henri... or Ro'... or... Lady Luck! Oui! She ain't nev'r let Gambit down before... except for dat time wit' 'is bike. Gambit's poor Kawasaki Ninja... nev'r gonna find one like it in dis life again" Remy sighed wistfully, covering his eyes with one hand, while the other ran over the control panel, thumb accidentally finding the biometric scanner he had completely missed when his eyes were open, which was when the jet suddenly shuddered to life. "Vraiment?" he questioned, wondering how the hell that had happened.

As eager as Remy was to fly the aircraft, that didn't mean he should be allowed to, considering the last time he had touched the thing, he had crashed it before even taking off. The Cajun expected the difficulties he had encountered in getting to the hangar, so the very least he expected were difficulties in starting up the jet as well. Looking between the biometric scanner, and his thumb, he watched as the dim purple light that indicated the energy flowing through the fibres of his skin glowed, and wondered if that had something to do with it? Possibly. They might have been his powers, but Gambit didn't know all the ins and outs of how they worked. The energy stored within him had had the effect of scrambling computer based security systems in the past, since it was the only way he knew to get in and out of heavily secured facilities. Hacking into systems or cracking lines of code was beyond his ability to master.

Parting the fingers of the hand that covered his eyes to peer down at the control panel, and to see the delightful 'Engines Online' notification blaring up at him, Remy laughed triumphantly. Now all that was left was to figure out how to get it off the ground, and from what he could vividly remember of crashing into the floor last time, it would require the stick in front of him, and the throttles. "Now which are dose?" the Cajun mused, only for the oxygen masks to drop a total of three times before he managed to figure out how to get the jet off the ground, "Gambit knows der ah safety feature, but how many buttons control dose thin's?" he wondered, not thinking, for a second, that he could have pressed the same button more than once. However, once he established what was required for takeoff, he quickly proceeded to lower the aircraft to the ground.

The next five minutes were spent with Remy enjoying the swivel chairs the jet seemed to possess, not only for the pilot seating, but the passenger seating too. "Three buttons t' control oxygen masks, an' der ain't nuthin' dat keeps dese still?" the Cajun tried to understand the logic behind that at the precise moment his teammates put in an appearance, and he was only too quick to greet one of them in particular. "Ro!" Gambit exclaimed, approaching the southern belle, before excitedly leading her in the direction of seat reserved for the co-pilot. "You: co-pilot. Gambit: pilot!" he grinned as he returned to his seat. While determined that no one would take the position of 'pilot' away from him, he wanted to remain cautious in his approach to flying in the event that he did end up crashing the aircraft, and he was pretty sure Rogue knew a hell of a lot more about flying than him. Then again, so did various other members of the X-Men, and he was willing to bet some twelve year old recruits as well.

"D'accord, mes amis! Next stop, Mardi Gras an' de bayou! Well... whatev'r shore o' de Mississippi Gambit can find dat's closest t' de French Quart'r anyway. 'e got us some rooms at de Maison Dupey Hotel, righ' in de heart o' de action!" the Cajun exclaimed. He couldn't speak for them, but he could speak for himself, and he was in desperate need of this. To hell with the fact that he had been banned from entering New Orleans ever again after that incident with Julien Boudreaux - which was more his stupid ass brother-in-law's fault than his anyway! - Remy was in need of a good time after everything. After that what happened with Maria... and after what happened on Boca Caliente. He couldn't think of going anywhere better than Mardi Gras, back to New Orleans and back to Louisiana.

After managing to enter the coordinates that would track their journey, and switching the jet into stealth mode (only for the oxygen masks to spring loose once again, prompting Remy to comment "Damn thin's keep droppin' down... an' Gambit don' know why..."), they were making their way down the long and winding river that flowed through Louisiana, and landing on one of the more secluded shorelines in the space of two hours. That left them with only a ten minute walk before reaching the hotel, but first, they had to contend with the crowds of Mardi Gras as they passed Jackson Square, and made their way down along Toulouse Street. "Laissez les bons temps rouler**" the Cajun grinned as he navigated the streets of the place he had once called 'home'.

TAG: @feral , @x23 , ANNA D'ANCANTO , @alexthegreat , @fionarintoul , @craigpierre , JIN DANIELS & @daredevil
WORDS: 1,280
OUTFIT: HERE!
NOTES: This is the 'arrival' thread. For anyone who wants to post their character's arrival in New Orleans, feel free! Anyone that does need only post once, before going off and starting their own threads. Have fun, lads!
(and yes, Becka, I totally swiped some bits and pieces from a post I wrote with Gambit way back when, lol!)
*'Just great' in French.
**'Let the good times roll' in French.

[ANNA D'ANCANTO]

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark

ROLLING IN THE DEEP ! With Ultorn gone, Anna finally allowed herself to relax for a moment. The X-men and the students had moved back into the mansion once the major repairs to the structure were finished. The interior was still on the mends but at least the place was still standing which was good. They could rebuild the interior slowly. The more important aspects were slowly getting put into place or were already up. Security was up, but Anna was working with Hank to try and get them something better than they currently have. It was clear with how things were going with the SHRA they would need far better protections. Even if there was no imminent threat, there was still a lot to do and think about. It was getting to a point the belle’s head was hurting thinking about everything she needed to go over or prepare for. All of it was weighing on the small brunette and when talks of heading to New Orleans for Mardi Gras came up, the woman jumped at the chance. No one needed to invite her, she was going the moment someone mentioned her hometown. Growing up in New Orleans had her missing the place often. And after what they had all been through, a well-needed vacation was in order. Making sure to put a few things in order, Anna packed a bag for a couple of days. She did not need much given she planned on drinking and enjoying herself in the French Quarter. Mardi Gras was after all a time to just let loose and forget ones troubles. There really was no better time to relax and unwind. Changing into some lighter clothes, red leggings. A white shirt and a plaid shirt, the belle headed for the X-jet. They were taking it so they could get everyone there without having to worry about the cost of a flight or driving. Not that she minded. Taking her red chevelle out of the garage for a road trip was always an option. However, given Remy was the one offering the trip, she assumed a great many people would be joining them. Or at least a great many females were going. Standing outside of the jet for a moment, she watched the ramp come down again before the craft hovered above the ground. Waiting until whoever was inside settled from playing with the air craft, Anna finally headed inside, hoping she wouldn’t be thrown out while she ascended the ramp. ”There is only one button for oxygen mask, shugah, ya just keep pressing it.” she explained figuring that was why he thought there was more than one. Before she could settle herself or even set her bag down, the young woman was ushered towards the front of the craft before being told she was to co-pilot. ”And do ya know how to pilot the craft?” she asked curiously setting her bag down behind the co-pilots seat before sitting down and checking everything was working properly while the others arrived. She had made sure Hank filled up the craft before their departure and that they had extra fuel incase their trip took a detour or heavens forbid something happened. With the Cajun flying, she was more than certain something might happened. Turning around in the chair, she leaned back against it, waiting for the others to arrive. Despite how tired the belle was, the small smile on her face was indication of how excited she was about the trip. Going home and finally getting a small bit of a vacation would be amazing. She only wished Kitty would have wanted to come with them. It was far better having ones best friend there to drink and wild and silly with. ”Ah better get my own room Cajun, none of this mix ups.” she warned even if she was smiling about it. Once it seemed everyone they were taking with them was in the craft, the belle turned back around and watched the Cajun maneuver the jet. Bringing the masks back up, she switched on the stealth mode on the jet when it was clearly he had no idea which button did it. Not that she could blame him, Hank had updated the craft with an excessive amount of features that someone who hadn’t keep to date with the craft wouldn’t know about them. Their flight was thankfully uneventful and the Cajun managed not to crash the aircraft into the bayou, which was something she had worried about. Locking the craft, she left it in stealth mode before following the group towards the hotel. The moment they hit the crowds of people, the belle grinned, closing her eyes for a moment as she took in the sounds and smells of the south. ” Bienvenue à La Nouvelle-Orléans." she said in French before disappearing into the crowd for a moment. Joining the other’s at the hotel, she was already wearing several beads. After checking into the hotel and leaving her things in the room, Anna was eager to head out. "Ya coming shugah ? First rounds on meh." she offered. *Bienvenue à La Nouvelle-Orléans = Welcome to New Orleans 859 WORDS , , OUTFIT table by california dreaming @ caution 2.0

[Deleted]

Craig was quiet during the ride. In all honesty, he wasn’t quite himself since the rescue attempt.

It was already bad enough that he had his ribs broken, along with a strained back and left shoulder. The way he saw it, it should not have happened. He was caught slipping and paid for it dearly. If that was all, Craig wouldn’t have been too down about it. However, after getting word that some of the hostages they were supposed to rescue were killed, he couldn’t help but feel not just heartbroken over it, but also disappointed in himself. For weeks, he became rather withdrawn. Some of the people started to worry about him. He’d like and say he was okay, but he knew he wasn’t convincing anyone.

Needless to say, when word of a flight to New Orleans was in the books, he joined with them. Even as Remy fiddled with the controls, he remained quiet, merely leaning back in his seat slowly as his ribs was still tender, even with his rib vest on underneath his clothes. After buckling up, he waited in silence as the plane took off.

In what seemed like no time, they were in New Orleans. He trailed after the others, being the last person to grab his things, which were backed in a rolling suitcase. As he followed the group, he looked left and right, taking in the sights. Despite his mood, he allowed him to smile weakly. Once they arrived at the hotel, he took to the hotel desk.

“Craig Pierre, Jr.,” he said quietly. He waited patiently until he received his room card and assignment. “Thank you.” With that, he made his way to the assigned room.

Craig's Outfit
Craig's Rib Vest

[JIN DANIELS]

Leaving his apartment, after leaving the note attached to the door he quickly made his way down the stairs in what seemed like a hurry for anyone who saw him. As he got outside the apartment building he whistled for a nearby taxi to come over as he dragged his suitcase along with him towards the parked and now waiting taxi. "Thanks, I'm going to New York airport and I need to be there as soon as possible please." He half told half pleaded with the driver before getting into the passenger side.

Airport...
Pulling up at the airport with twenty minutes to spare, Jin quickly handed a wad of cash not even bothering to look at the amount before grabbing his suitcase out of the trunk of the taxi and racing off towards the airport building hoping to make it in time to board the plane. Weaving through the endless wave of people coming and going to and from the building in front of him, after endless encounters with rude and unobservant people *Like really how can people be so uncoordinated is a mystery to me* he thought as he had finally made it to the building.
Standing at the check-in he pulled out both his passport and boarding passes which were both registered under a false name as he was and is still a wanted thief in three states and in the UK, so it was safe to say he had to be cautious when travelling. Placing his baggage on the baggage drop off belt, he was then asked to hand over his passport and boarding pass, as he handed them over he was glanced at multiple times by the person behind the desk before they smiled a rather fake smile in his opinion and thanking him before handing back his passport and boarding pass and wishing him a safe flight.
Sitting down at one of the restaurants he glanced at the screen that displayed the times at which each flight was departing and what gates people had to be at. Chomping down on a sausage roll, he had almost choked as he saw he was supposed to be at gate 21 already as the flight was to be departing in a few minutes. Jumping up off his seat, he barely cared for the weird looks he was getting from the people around him as he sprinted towards his destination. This, of course, caught a lot of people off guard as he was sprinting at full speed which because of the fact that he is in perfect physical condition for a human he was able to move at speeds that would leave the number one sprinters in the world green with envy.
Slowing down his speed as he saw the sign for gate 21 in front of him, he came to a halt in front of the one of the staff as he was asked again to show his passport and boarding pass. After showing them to the staff before him he was then again wished a happy and safe flight, which he ignored, but not because he was mean but because he was in a hurry and with that he was off again as he got to the top of the plane's stairs he was greeted by the flight attendants before moving to his seat, where he released a sigh of relief. *Thank God I made it on time* was he last thought he had on his mind before drifting off.

Jolting awake, he looked both left and right in order to assess the situation he was in and the level of danger before remembering he was on a plane. Leaning back on his seat, he lurched forward as a kick connected with the back of his seat. "Really is this really, gonna be one of those cliche airplane moments". No sooner had those been uttered he was again pushed forward with another kick aimed at the back of his seat, getting annoyed he turned around in order to see the little b*****d but was shocked when he saw what looked like a miniature Arnold Schwarzenegger, *Oh God look at those legs* Jin thought in horror and disgust as the mini steroid bound teen' legs bulged with veins and muscle that looked rather grotesque. "Um, hey could you tell your um.. kid to not kick my seat," he said to whom he assumed was his mother but was promptly ignored as she continued reading her magazine. "Great". Was all he said as he sat back in his seat and mentally prepared himself as this flight was proving to be an annoying one.

Few Hours Later...
"Finally, I've arrived no more mini bodybuilder, useless mothers, and crappy seats," he said as he walked down the stairs of the airplane, entering the airport he picked up his luggage before calling for a cab once he reached outside. Thanking the driver, Jin entered the cab on the passenger side waiting for the cab driver to get in, as the cab driver got in Jin told him to head for Maison Dupey Hotel.
As the cab pulled up at the luxurious hotel Jin couldn't help but look on in awe, mentally congratulating and thanking his father for booking reservations at such a place. Being a thief, Jin knew it was better staying at a dingy motel than a luxurious hotel that was packed with people and CCTV as he could be easily remembered by someone or tracked down. Getting out of the Cab Jin once again paid the man more money than he should have but he didn't care cause it wasn't coming from his wallet, he had managed to swipe a few wallets and purses as he bumped into people at the New York airport. Walking towards the hotel "this trip may prove to be a good one after all" he said to himself as he disappeared behind the hotel doors.

[Deleted]

Scott slowed his motorcycle down to a stop as he pulled up next to one of the gas station pumps. After he dismounted his bike, he removed his helmet and hung it on the handle bars. He took a moment to stretch before he walked into the store. He walked towards the drink section, looking for a bottle of water. Once we reached the fridge, he raised his eyebrow curiously. There wasn’t much for options for water. Nonetheless, he opened the fridge and grabbed a couple of bottles of water. He then walked up to the cashier and hander the bottles to her to scan.

After scanning the barcodes, the cashier looked at him and smiled.

“That’ll be three dollars,” she said with a smile. Scott nodded as he reached into his jacket and pulled out his wallet. After opening it up, he pulled out a ten and slid it to her.

“I’d like the change to go on pump 8, if that’s okay,” he said in an even tone.

“Sure thing.”

As the cashier went about wringing up the gas and bagging up the bottles, Scott looked over his shoulder at the fridge the water was. He then looked back at the cashier.

“Water must have been selling a lot, huh?” Scott commented.

“Yeah, some people are stocking up for Mardi Gras,” she said. “It’s going to be big this year, as per usual. But I guess I don’t have to tell you that since that is why you’re hear, right?”

“More like I’m here on a whim,” he said. He then nodded slightly. “You have a good one.”

“You too, sir!”

Scott walked out of the gas station and head towards his motorcycle. As he did so, he looked out towards the center of the city. He regarded it for a few moments, as he reached his bike.

“New Orleans, what do you have for me?” he whispered out.

Scott's Outfit
Scott's Helmet
Scott's Motorcyle

[Deleted]

When Logan initially arrived at the X-Mansion, the scene he was greeted to was not what he'd expected. The once castle-like estate that was surrounded by large trees and forestry appeared to be a shell of its former self: most of the grounds itself was in reconstruction and there were piles of debris and rubble littered throughout the yard. Unbeknownst to Logan, the recent Ultron attacks left the institute more wrecked than he had ever seen. The fallout was disastrous. Logan cruised down the straight asphalt driveway in a black pickup truck towards the mansion.

Logan had been on a recent hiatus from the X-Men. He'd spent the last few years travelling alone from Europe to Asia before returning to the States. He parked his truck out front then sniffed out the area before strolling through the sturdy wooden front doors of the mansion. It was a much more familiar feeling and the glamorous interior seemed to be in tact. Logan wore a brown leather jacket over top a light blue button-up shirt with dark jeans and high-cut brown boots that matched his fitted jacket. His appearance was rather clean: Logan's beard had been neatly trimmed and his jet black hair was as classic as ever, done back messily with thick sideburns.

A handful of cheerful younger students jolted up and down the large staircase in the hallway, trailing off in all different directions. The long-time mutant institute was still filled with all sorts of gifted life, despite its bleak and broken exterior. It didn't take long for Logan to notice most of the older experienced members were not at the mansion.

Logan questioned a couple of teenaged mutants - a pair who quickly reminded him of a young Bobby and Rogue - both of whom were more than familiar with the feral Wolverine. They informed Logan that some of the crew had taken off for New Orleans, for the event of 'Mardi Gras.' A handwritten note with an address to the Maison Duprey Hotel amongst other locations was provided to Logan, and off he went.

More than a reunion with his former X-Men, Logan was concerned with the group's well-being. The mansion was half in shambles and the overall state of things seemed much worse than what he was accustomed to. Most of Logan's life had been a mystery - a mystery mostly for answers, and answers are what he sought now. It was evident the group had recently dealt with a much more grave threat than Logan could think of.

He sat in his black pickup truck with the handwritten note in front of him. Logan removed a pair of brown-lensed sunglasses from the glove compartment and threw them onto his face before pulling out of the X-Mansion driveway hastily. Logan's truck spilled onto the road, in pursuit of Mardi Gras.

[Deleted]

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

Stepping onto the jet, Fiona wasn't sure what to expect. Ever since the Ultron fiasco she - along with quite a few others- had been shaken from what had happened. Initially she was… angry. Anger was such a foreign feeling to the pacifistic woman that she had a hard time dealing with it properly. She had been deeply sombered nonetheless, and for the first while she tried to pretend that she was okay- tried to put on a bright smile, to be the optimist of the group. But it just felt so...artificial. Fake and forced and...wrong. Everything felt wrong. She felt like what they had done was wrong, that the world was wrong, that even her own body felt wrong. She couldn't even recall how many times she had dissociated during the first month back. Everything had felt like it was so painfully vibrant and real- and yet paper thin and fake at the same time. At the same time that she felt the most pure form of rage in her very being, she felt like “No, this couldn't possibly be her. She just wasn't like this.” But eventually… things did start to get better. The transition back to normal sure had been bumpy though. Endless days blending into each other of her training in acrobatics, but with her new powers as well. Admittedly, when Gambit offered to train Fiona with her newly awoken secondary mutation, she didn't think either of them knew what they were getting into. But eventually it did get more fun, and when she finally got into the groove of things, she began to feel much better. Slowly her smile started to get more and more genuine, until she was back to her regular bubbly self. Or at least for the most part. She still sobered up every so often, and she still had terrible nightmares, but she was getting better. So when the offer for the trip to New Orleans came up, Fiona practically jumped for joy. She hadn't seen very much of the States yet, and she had always wanted to check out Mardi Gras. She wasn't sure what exactly to wear to Mardi Gras, but most of her clothes seemed a bit too conservative for it. Not that she wanted to dress up like one of the performers but she did want to...spice it up a bit. Fiona had a sneaking suspicion that her weekly healing absorption had something to do with her youthful appearance. True, she wasn't that old to begin with, but the amount of times people had been surprised to find she was a good couple of years over the age of consent was a bit annoying. She was a lady, but she was also a bit envious of her other female teammates. A lot of them were very mature looking and gave off an in control vibe. And yet she still remained on the same level as Andrea in terms of how mature she was seen as. Stepping on the X-Jet with a stride, Fiona wore a black croptop matched with a pair of purple/green patterned palazzo pants. Her flip-flops smacked with each step, but she doubted it would matter with the large crowds that were sure to clog the street tonight. If they made it to New Orleans. “You sure you know what you're doing? I thought you crashed the last one-” Fiona teased as she flopped into one of the seats. Now, she wasn't too worried, since her last time in the jet had been relatively okay and the flight wouldn't take too long. But- her acrophobia was ever present and hanging over her head. Nevertheless, she buckled up and took the flight with relative stride, at ease as long as she kept her gaze from any windows. As the jet halted however, Fiona was nearly one of the first ones to rush out the contraption, not out of fear- but rather excitement. Her entire day prior and the entire flight she was hyping herself up for tonight. She was going to take the city by storm! She was going to drink until she was sick, she was going to eat as much as she could, she was going to dance the night away, and she was going to find at least 5 different hot guys or girls to drag away for the night. Well, the last one was subject to change, but the point was that she was ready to lose it. Walking down the streets to their hotel, Fiona twirled around with glee as she basked in all the colors. It truly was beautiful, much more beautiful that any of the pictures she had seen could convey. She strayed away from the group multiple times to get street food quickly or to try and win some prizes. And while she did always manage to find her way back to the main group, usually with a new set of beads around her neck or some kind of fried food in one of her hands, she was pondering something. “Gambit! It's great here- really great even! But I was wondering how New Orleans was with the whole...Mutant situation. Should we keep our powers on the DL or?” Fiona said before stuffing a spoonful of the travelsized gumbo she had bought into her mouth.

tag || REMY LEBEAU || notes || You don't need to give me a full reply if you don't want to, but I just thought I should tag you just incase|| ▲

[Deleted]

Even though Laura wasn’t present during the counter-offensive on Ultron, Laura had been quite busy in helping HYDRA get back on its feet after losing critical facilities. It was vital that her activities were kept in the dark, both because of Ultron, and because it wouldn’t do to be revealed as an agent, a member of the Shadow Force more specifically. While she could disguise herself, she enjoyed the freedom of not needing to do so.

Laura had been busy relaying directives and instructions of Strucker and Kass to the more heavily affected areas, as well as assisting in the acquisition of a new base of operations. She had been acquiring equipment and munitions, thanks to her own contacts, who believed she was still operating solo. It was this string of tasks that brought Laura to New Orleans. Following the Ultron incident, HYDRA were in need of more able-bodied personnel and in particular, and had been in covert talks with the Assassin’s Guild. Laura was in the area, under the cover of the Mardi Gras parade, to see about recruiting some of the Guild. Laura was sure that the prospect of job security would be quite a lure since they wouldn’t have to live on a by-contract basis, a lifestyle Laura knew too well.

So there Laura was, in New Orleans, getting a cup of coffee. The taste of coffee was always so…bitter… to her, especially as she had grown up with no creature comforts at all, but some of these variants proved surprising. This caramel latté for instance was nowhere near as bitter as the usual stuff, and she found herself liking it a lot. In a way, Laura felt something unusual when she thought about how much she missed out on in that lab. She hated feeling any kind of emotion, since it almost always turned out to be a bad sign but this particular feeling was foreign to her… it was like a mix of bitterness and wanting. Maybe it was… envy? Maybe… she knew that was something that got her targets into situations that resulted in her appearing to end their lives… so she suppressed that emotion quickly.

Having finished her drink, she faked a warm smile to the barista whom she paid for the cup of coffee, and headed back to the hotel. It wouldn’t be much longer before she’d be meeting someone in the Assassin’s Guild for business, and to hide the fact that she works for HYDRA, she packed a disguise that would allow her to conduct business with minimal risk.

As she got to the hotel, she picked up a familiar scent… a scent she hasn’t come into contact with for a long, long time. Sniffing again to make sure it wasn’t the latté’s aroma playing tricks on her, she could definitely smell that same scent she came across in Washington that day. That same scent she would smell for a good, long time afterwards.

”It… can’t be… Remy?!”

Struggling to keep her emotions in check, Laura would take slow steps toward the hotel, and realised he was staying at the same hotel she was. She would stop to regain her composure and took a deep breath, allowing her to finally shut off her humanity for a bit longer. She would enter the hotel and faked another smile to the receptionist and made her way back to her room, making a note of where Remy resided through scent.

[Deleted]

Mardi Gras. Why had she never thought to go to something like it before? Fear mostly, but after having survived Ultron it seemed silly to be afraid of something as simple as Mardi Gras. Getting drunk wasn't something she did very often, especially with strangers, but after everything that had happened Alexis felt like she needed to relax a bit.

Doing a bit of research assured her that she'd fit right in with the wild crowd. In fact she'd likely blend in so well no one would even notice her. Awesome. For once maybe being so short wasn't going to be such a pain in the ass. Drinking, dancing, and maybe even singing...in public...without fear that she'd be found out as a mutant sounded more than perfect to her. The only problem was she didn't really want to go alone.

Having spent so much of her life on the outside looking in was lonely, even if she was comfortable with it. After being recruited by Natasha though? Well...she was sort of starting to get used to having other people around and in her life. Part of her hated it, most of her in fact, but there was a tiny part of her that loved it and that tiny part was slowly growing bigger.

Shit.

She was getting soft. Although Kade would likely say she'd never been all that tough to begin with. She liked to think she was a bit of a badass.

The problem still remained of finding someone to go with her, someone she felt comfortable with. That list was incredibly short and included a HYDRA agent, trotting around New Orleans with Kade would likely get her ass in trouble.

Likely? Ha! More like definitely.

That left Nat. Nope. She's to wild. Clint. Eh...he's probably got better things to do. Or Zach.

Convincing Zach to come along hadn't been easy, but she pointed out that he wanted to get to know her. This was his chance to get a peek beneath her scales, so to speak, and as she suspected he hadn't been willing to pass that up.

Flying to New Orleans had been an option, but she wanted to blend in, not announce to the whole damn city that she was a mutant, so instead the pair took her old truck. Once at the hotel they checked into their room (it had been cheaper to get one room with two beds than separate rooms) before heading out to enjoy the fun.

[Deleted]

Well, he'd sort of been completely useless against Ultron's forces. Sure, he'd turned one of them into dust, but that was hardly saying much. He didn't even feel comfortable saying he'd been part of taking down Ultron, since he hadn't been. He'd killed a drone and then they'd flown away after the other guy had planted explosives. He didn't even know how the man had gotten in there.

Needless to say, when Alexis approached him about going to Mardi Gras he'd been skeptical. So many people, lots of danger. Sure, he could smack people around if he needed to, but he didn't like to deal with that many people at once. Of course she then pointed out that if he went, it was a good chance for him to get to know her better, which was true. He did want to get to know her better. Ever since the Ultron thing, and that other guy, she'd seemed highly preoccupied, and he'd left her more or less alone because of it.

But, she made a convincing argument so he agreed to go with her. Of course he made sure to pack a few extra sets of gloves just to make sure he wasn't giving anyone any skin to skin contact that he shouldn't be. That and he didn't have to worry about it so much then.

No flying. She said no flying. Probably good. The people in New Orleans wouldn't be tripping enough to not understand that she was a real dragon.

So they took her old truck. He had a car, but she'd wanted to drive. He wasn't going to argue with her. It gave him time to sit there and admire her, but also to admire the countryside. Admittedly it also allowed him to relax, the tension of the ordeal with Ultron still weighing down upon him. The danger of complete annihilation was enough to scare the snot out of most people, him included. But they'd survived, and now they could go and relax. He felt relaxed until they got to the hotel room. Room. Single. Two beds, one room. Well, this might be good, or it might be bad. Only time would tell.

[RAVEN DARKHOLME]

Mystique was walking through the streets disguised as a brunette woman. She wore a blue tanktop and blue jeans. She was dressed as a casual tourist here to have fun at Mardi Gras. She hadn't bothered with an costume but had wanted to come out here and have fun. She had made some progress with the Brotherhood. She'd given Kurt and Rogue both space knowing they were both hurt for her keeping them apart and lying for so long. She hadn't seen Kurt since their mission together to take down Ultron.

She chuckled wondering how many mutants were in this crowd. This would be one of the few days they could show up and blend in. And people would likely mistake it for a costume not realizing they were partying with mutants. If her mutant form wasn't well known she'd have come in her regular blue self. She'd come to parties like this before she was well known as a mutant terrorist. Sure most people on the street might think she was impersonating her or have no idea who she was. But if any local police saw her they might try to at least question her. So it was just less hassle to go in disguise.

She grinned as she walked towards the closest place she could find. She wanted some food and maybe a beer. She hadn't spotted anyone from the Brotherhood here yet. But for all she knew they could be here in disguise. They didn't have the power to disguise herself like she did so they probably would be wearing costumes or masks of some kind. So they could be here and she just wouldn't know it. She focused back on having fun. The world was celebrating not just Mardi Gras. But that Ultron was gone and the world was slowly returning to normal. Well as normal as the world could get. She grinned and headed into the Bistreaux.

[Deleted]

It was time to get on the band wagon! Jack Dolci the newest recruit  to the secret avengers decided that instead of just sitting around the secret Avengers base and eating pizza while waiting for everyone to return he was going to get in on the fun! The young man decided to dress in his best black and white suit and a phantom of the opera mask and use his motorcycle to drive down to party city. Once he arrived he decided to buy a massive amounts of beads so that if he found someone beautiful like Natasha or Rogue so that he could get a nice view. 

Once he entered the city, He let the beautiful music, the wonderful smells and all of sights fill him. As he drove slowly through the streets he saw tons of beautiful women flashing those who tossed beads at them. This made Jack smile because he had never really had much luck with girls but he might get lucky. Like with all things Jack did in his life, he had a plan. He was gonna find those he knew and spend time with them, maybe if he got lucky he would run into Black Window and maybe have a drink or something with her.

"Let the party begin"

As he drove through the streets the young hero couldn't help but smile. He often didn't do parties due to his workaholic nature but considering he had helped save the world he decided that today could be an exception.


suit

mask

[STEVE ROGERS]

Steve grinned as he walked in. He'd been able to buy the costume at a shop. Thankfully he'd be in disguise at the time so no one had recognized him. He'd wanted to unwind and come to Mardi Gras. Dressing as a masked character would be fun and liberating. He often regretted not having a secret identity. Despite having a mask everyone knew Steve Rogers was Captain America. He walked through the crowd keep his fake sword sheathed. It was practically a toy sword but he'd felt he should wear it to complete the costume. It wasn't like he expected to get into a fight anyway.

He smiled as he walked around the city. Peace had returned to the world with Ultron gone. As it should be. If only HYDRA had been taken out as well and their names could be cleared. He missed walking the streets without a disguise. He shook his head from those thoughts. He was here to have fun. Not dwell on things he couldn't change. At least not right away. He wondered if he'd bump into Jack or any of the others here. He was sure some of them were coming but he didn't know all of their costumes. He knew Jack was going to be dressed similarly in black. A ghost. Which was interesting. He would be interested in watching the movies or going to a play on that ghost again. He'd put it on his list to learn more about that musical ghost. Not many ghosts were musical as far as he knew. He smiled heading off to the coffeehouse.

Outfit