Summary : Who is Simone? One X-man is about to find out. When it comes to love and friendship, sometimes we don't get to choose. Features mainly Rogue and Simone, but also my usual regulars - Gambit, Logan and Beast.

Notes: This story takes place in Kimbleverse – wait! Don't run away, screaming. There is an introduction provided below for those of you who haven't read any of my previous work. :)

Rated M for profanity, violence and some sexual content.

Disclaimer : I do not own the X-men or any of their associated villains, but all of the Siskans, the Dognan, Jael and the Outkasts are mine. Please do not use them without my permission. Thanks. :)

This is an illustrated work and the art is available on my website which you can get to by clicking on my profile.

Updated 11-1-13 to add (break)s as needed and to make repairs.

(Introduction)

Howdy, peoples! I am writing this introduction for those of you who happened to click on this wondering what it and the Kimbleverse is all about. Well, a while back I began posting a long fanfiction that involved both the X-men and some characters of my own creation, most notably my own dear Kimble.

Bah, you say! Who needs OCs (other characters) anyway! Well, take into consideration that technically any new X-men after Giant Sized #1 could be considered an OC, they are not part of the original team after all. That would include some big names – Kitty Pryde, Gambit, Cable, Bishop, Maggot, Marrow, Psyclocke, all the Gen M kids. Are you getting the idea now? Yes, this story has a few OCs, but I'm asking you to let them pass or fail on their own merits, not because they are not original X-men.

My stories are kinda long, but they are Gambit, Beast and Wolverine heavy throughout so that should hopefully make up for it, LOL.

For those of you read comics regularly, Kimbleverse isn't all that far from our familiar 616 but I have made a few small changes, making it different enough that I have dubbed my little realm Kimbleverse. (Because I began writing this stuff ages ago, this universe ignores much of current Marvel continuity, including House of M, Civil War, the lame ass Gambit/Death Horseman Milligan disaster, and unfortunately the delightful Wolverine Lupine arc by Jeff Loeb that began long after I had already written most of this.)

What the heck what went on in this crazy Kimbleverse you might ask? Well, it began about nine years ago when three X-men –- Beast, Wolverine and Gambit – got kidnapped by offworld slavers called the Dognan and were taken away to another world. They had some adventures there and made some new friends. They were eventually rescued and returned safely, but they brought along with them some of those new friends, including two Siskan Courtesans named Kimble and Seth.

What's a Siskan Courtesan? Well, some Siskan inventors created elaborate holograms not unlike those the X-men use in their Danger Room training sessions. These holograms were solid and real, serving as household staff and meeting their Master's needs – whatever they might be. Sexually skilled and compliant, they were highly prized and sought after.

As holograms, these Siskans were solid and real, constructed of gel and three floating star drives within that controlled their memories, skills, and appearance. They fed on energy provided by power cubes or sometimes from other sources. They can feed on kinetic energy or in some cases, plasma derived from the sun itself. They can eat tiny portions of organic food and drink, loving anything that is sweet or spicy.

Every once in a while, when a batch of these Siskans was made, one or two might come out differently. The Makers would call them defective, but what really happened was that they were far more self aware than the regular Courtesans, they were sentient and very much alive. They were also empaths to various degrees. The Makers called them the Lushna-esk, the holograms that could "feel". When discovered, the Lushna-esk were most often destroyed, but every once in a while, one of them would escape detection and be let out into the world.

Kimble and Seth were Lushna-esk Courtesans, but not by accident. Instead, they came from a special clutch of Courtesans that were created for a special purpose – the Game. All the Courtesans involved were Lushna-esk by deliberate design and they were scattered not long after they were made. The goal of the Game was to find as many of these special Courtesans as you could, a sort of scavenger hunt that took place across an entire galaxy. Each Courtesan was fated to find an angel, an object of some value. The more angels a Master might collect, the stronger he would become.

Kimble and Seth fell into the hands of the X-men by accident and were given a home with them where they were well cared for. Later the X-men would learn of the Game and that it would be finished on their world of all places. They also learned that the Courtesans from that special clutch included six Courtesans with unique enhancements. They were called Rogues and Kimble was included in that six.

Kimble and Remy share a unique bond – Kimble was injured once and Remy used his kinetic energy to repair him. As they shared that same energy, Kimble's memories were also shared, bonding them closer than brothers. Remy now speaks fluent Siskan and shares Kimble's powerful empathy. The empathy was hard for Gambit to deal with at first, but he eventually gained control of it and it speaks to him with an intuitive, female voice. He calls her Shi'ow-ri, the Whisperer in Siskan. These enhancements have made Gambit a Master of sorts and it is often him the Siskans turn to in times of trouble.

The Game was played on Earth and concluded at an underground Complex that had been specially made by Charles Xavier in an Industrial Park in Arizona.

As the Game was played, the X-men met and learned about some of the other Rogues. All the Courtesans in the Game are specially marked with large tattoos that show their rank and standing. The six Rogues all have individual colors that none of the others share. During the fight, one such Rogue, the White, was discovered on one of Jael's transports and taken into custody by the X-men. His name is Simone and he isn't quite like his Siskan kin.

Simone is an unusual looking Siskan, his skin is a rich ebony black with a band of white across his eyes, like a bandit in reverse. His Mark is a bright white winged woman that blazes down his front and is very striking against that ebony skin. He also has large feathery wings that shimmer with blue and red highlights. He is a recluse, violently attacking anyone who comes near him. The only one he remotely tolerates is Neal, a plasma producer who feeds him. As we begin this tale, he has yet to speak to anyone and has been languishing in benign neglect in a holding cell for months.

Rogue in Kimbleverse is also a loner. Her relationship with Gambit ended long ago and he has since moved on and married Molly, Sabretooth's blue eyed daughter. Molly has been pregnant with twins. Rogue hasn't been able to sustain any kind of meaningful relationship with anyone since Remy, something that brings her only heartbreak. She is currently part of Logan's security team and helps to watch over the Complex.

I hope this little intro brings everyone back up to speed, I tried to keep it brief. It only just scratches the surface of what went on before this story takes place. There will be additional recap material as needed as we go along, I beg the forgiveness from those who have already read all my other stories. You guys can just skim over it here and there, LOL. For those of you who are new, I hope that this introduction and the story that follows is enough to make you consider reading the previous two series of books. Don't be afraid, I don't bite... :)

(One)

Rogue crept down the silent hallway, not even paying much attention to where she was going. It was quiet here and that was all that mattered. She was in Logan's Security wing and moved quickly to the area where the holding cells were. Being currently empty, it was the most private and isolated part of the Complex. There was still a guard on duty just for precaution, but he put up no argument when she offered to relieve him for a while. He left and now she was here and alone, just as she wanted to be.

Gambit's twins had been born today.

There had been a flurry of activity in Security, even Logan was smiling in a most unusual way. He was an uncle again of sorts and he was privately ecstatic. Molly, his niece, had struggled through a tough pregnancy. The birth of two healthy twins, coincidentally the first birth since Jael had wiped out most of the adult population, was on the mind and lips of a lot of people this day. Logan was being congratulated and there had been a long and utterly stupid video conference held for the whole gang where Remy had held up the two tiny infants for all to see. His happiness was bright and shiny, he couldn't stop laughing through his tears of joy.

Rogue felt like she wanted to puke at the sight of it.

Rogue was so jealous and hateful, she had to leave the room or she was going to do something horrible and regretful. What was a joyous moment for everyone else had been a private horror for Rogue. Those kids should have been hers, it was almost like an accusation. She had dated Remy for years, they had been intimate, but never as fully as she would have liked, her mutation simply didn't allow for it. Her struggle with her mutation, her personal curse, had eventually ended their relationship for good. She hadn't been able to sustain a relationship since then either, leaving her empty and alone all these long years since. She was human like everyone else, why had she been so cursed as to be denied the simple dignity of human touch? Of a normal human life?

Rogue found a private corner and crumpled into it, wanting to hide away from this cruel and spiteful world. Covering her face with her hands, she began to quietly cry. She started out slow, but ended up bawling. It wasn't until she was nearly spent that she realized that she was no longer alone, hadn't been all along actually. A pair of silver eyes were blinking at her in curiosity.

Simone.

He had been here in a holding cell for months but folks just plain forgot about him. It was quite easy, he had been placed in the deepest cell, the furthest away from any activity. It had to be done because if anyone came by his cell, Simone would attack the bars violently, not stopping until he was badly injured or the offended party fled. Simone had grown a little more used to people around him at least, he didn't react to nearby voices anymore, it was only when someone came into view that he would freak out in one of his powerful rages. The only one he tolerated was Neal, the mutant who fed him his plasma energy. They never became friends, once Simone was fed Neal was driven off if he didn't immediately leave on his own.

Other than the occasional freak out, Simone was quiet, almost silent. Once though, on a late night shift at the watch desk, Rogue had heard him singing. It had been soft and tentative, but definitely some kind of singing. There had been no words, at least not ones she could make out, and she had heard Remy use the Siskan language often enough. These were just sounds, more like baby talk babbling than anything. He would croon his odd sounds then make a sort of giggling noise, not quite a laugh, but definitely a sound of amusement. Simone was happy only with himself. She hadn't thought much of it at the time, it had only added to the notion that this Siskan was little more than an animal. He didn't appear to be as sentient or as intelligent as the rest of his clutchmates.

But today, Simone was being oddly quiet. He was as he usually was, buried in a mound of foam stuffing and crumbled up bedding. His first day here and he had destroyed his bed's mattress, making a nest out of it instead and creating a secondary place to hide.

Rogue had stumbled down here, not realizing that Simone still remained here in his isolation. She had come down the entire hallway and plopped herself right in front of his cell, not even thinking. And Simone had done nothing but sit there, he didn't even make a sound. Well, not at first.

Simone blinked at her from his mound of crumbs and then gave a soft questioning, "Hurroof?"

Rogue just looked at him, not quite sure what to say. One did not converse with Simone, you fled when he came at you all fangs and nails and teeth. She wiped at her swollen, puffy eyes and said, "You know life sucks, right? Heh, Ah'll just bet you do. Bet you know it better'n everybody. Just like me."

Simone did not reply, but neither did he react violently. He just sat there, the strangest look in his very human and surprisingly intelligent eyes, like he was trying to figure her out. And indeed he was.

Simone had been in this cell for months in benign, welcome neglect, never having once been let out. No one dared to allow it. All attempts to communicate with Simone had ended in disaster. When they had tried to feed him regular food, he charged them, howling in fury, foam flying from his lips. When they had tried to offer him a shower, they never got a word out before he flung himself at the bars without mercy, clawing out at them with his ebony fingers, full of rage. It didn't take long before he was left alone altogether in the isolation he so fervently demanded.

Simone most often lay squashed in his favorite corner, warm and comfortable. It had taken him no time to adapt his quarters to his own liking. He destroyed the cell's bedding and the debris from the poor wounded mattress lay about in broken clumps. He had gathered as much as he liked and piled it up into a huge mound, burying himself within, a happy hill of crumbs.

Strewn among the lumps were the tatters of clothing Logan had slipped in once in an effort to get the naked Siskan decent. It was a wasted effort, Simone had never worn clothes. He had spent his entire life in one box or another, chained and abused, there was never any need for him to be covered. He destroyed the lumpy fabric things without ever knowing their purpose. He gathered most of the mess and piled it over himself both for warmth and some comfort and there he had remained for months, only coming out of the mound to be fed or when it was very quiet, just to have a peek at what was around him and have a stretch.

That was not the case today, Simone had been hiding as he always did, feeling better in the small space he had made. Today had been like any other day, he spent most of his time in the mound he had created, curled up and warm with plasma. Only his face and most of his wings were visible, poking out of a mountain of crumbly white stuffing and ripped up cloth.

He'd had quite the journey, this poor fellow had, and he had every right to be weary inside. He was indeed a Kintay du Lushna-esk 'gram and a Rogue of the Game. A Kintay was still a Lushna-esk, empathic hologram, but was one that had been badly abused or at worst, even melted by excess energy. An abused 'gram often shattered mentally and through that abuse, acquired additional powers along the way. For the moment, Simone hadn't displayed any of his special gifts for the X-men to see, but he did indeed possess them.

Simone was one of six special 'grams Quishnalay had made. Simone was among an elite crowd - he had Kimble, Kiernan, Asher, Skye, and Star for company. This group of six were designated Rogues of the Game from the beginning and had been held aside from the rest of the clutch, their misfortune. Quishnalay took the Rogues one by one and gave them special codes, upgrades for their hardware, codekeys for higher tolerances.

Quishnalay was a master craftsman, and was always looking for ways to improve his products. He had long since known that it was possible to enhance these 'grams by breaking them, by shattering their personalities. He had two possible options to this end - break them by fear and violence, or melt them with an energy overload.

While Simone was in his care, Quishnalay wasn't quite at the stage where he dared to melt one of the Courtesans just yet, so he thought he might try using terror instead to break one. He could do so with impunity, there was no one there to convict him on grounds of cruelty. As far as anyone there was concerned, 'grams were not real creatures, not really alive. There were no laws on Siska to protect them against cruelty or abuse.

He started first with Simone. Quishnalay dressed all the newest Courtesans in the skins of children, mindless of the horror that that might have put in the minds of those with real heart. It made them easier to handle and control. It also enhanced the idea that they were small and helpless. He brought Simone to an exam room and strapped him to a table so he couldn't flee. Quishnalay then threatened him with death as he butchered alive a small animal in front of the tiny boy, splattering him with blood and gore.

Simone was forced to watch in helpless horror as the tiny creature was ruthlessly ripped apart and killed, watching as its bright little soul winked out for good. Simone was born a Lushna-esk, which meant he was empathic. He did more than simply watch as the creature died, he "felt" its terror and its pain. It was the worst thing Simone had ever experienced, made all the worse that it was done by his creator, a man he had thus far thought to be gentle and kind. It was shocking, this sudden reality check that everything he had known thus far in his tiny life was a lie. He shrieked in pure mental agony and passed out.

Quishnalay watched all this happen with glee, not caring in the least that it was traumatic and horrifying to the little guy, in fact that was the point. A 'gram with a shattered personality always became more powerful, its just the way it was. The idea was to break them and do the repairs afterwards, getting them straight. After that, he would distribute them to strangers, sending them as far away as possible. They were tokens in the Game and not meant to be easily found.

Quishnalay took advantage of Simone's fainting spell to install a special piece of hardware he had put aside for this special little guy. As part of the Game, each Siskan Courtesan was programmed to find an Angel – an object of special power. As the Masters collected more Siskans, they would acquire more Angels and thus grow in power. In Simone's case, Quishnalay had decided to try something different. He implanted Simone's Angel within the Siskan himself. It wasn't much, just a trans-dimensional door key.

See, Quishnalay knew one brutal fact of this Game. He knew that most if not all of the Courtesans of this Game would perish. The clutch was huge, about sixty or so. Who would want so many Siskans in their care? The Angels, once found, would be taken and the Courtesans destroyed. He did not think this cruel - to him, they had never been alive and were nothing more than a piece of furniture or an ornament in a room. He expected Simone to be destroyed and the viewer recovered from within. As far as Quishnalay knew the door key wasn't particularly powerful, it merely allowed anyone who held it to look in on other worlds. The door key was disguised as a pocket watch and was just as small. Depending on how the hands were arranged, different worlds could supposedly be seen.

Quick as a wink, Quishnalay hid this device within Simone's body before the boy could wake and see what was being done. He didn't want Simone to know it was there, it would spoil the surprise. Anyone with a decent scanner would be able to find it – if they were clever enough to think to look for it.

Moments later, Simone began to wake. He had survived his first terrible fright without shattering – he had merely passed out before Quishnalay could continue. Dissatisfied with Simone's fainting so quickly, Quishnalay was preparing the boy for round number two when he had a little visitor.

There was a thump on the door, announcing company, but Quishnalay was a bit distracted. Simone was already starting to shake and bawl his agony out to the deaf ears of his Master. Quishnalay stood over him, his eyes full of eager curiosity. He wanted to see if the blood spattered boy had actually shattered or not. It was hard to tell, he wouldn't know for certain until Simone tried to speak. Shattered 'grams most often spoke in multiple voices, one for each new personality.

His visitor wouldn't permit it. The thumping on Quishnalay's door was insistent and unrelenting, it took a full minute before Quishnalay looked up and gestured for a slave to open it.

"Quishnalay!" his visitor greeted loudly.

Quishnalay smiled wickedly, blessing his luck. This was Ebon, a regular patron of Quishnalay's pleasure rooms and was known for his deep pockets. "Good morrow. Welcome, my friend."

Ebon made his way over. "What's this squeaking I hear?"

"Just a side project of mine," Quishnalay answered evasively, knowing Ebon would never be able to resist. This clutch had been expensive, all the cost Quishnalay's up front. Here now was a way to begin recouping some of that loss.

Ebon moved closer and looked at the poor creature on the table. Simone was in the skin of a tiny male child, a boy no more than six or seven. He was unmarked except for a leather collar about his throat with a small brass plate labeled Simone, the name Quishnalay had chosen for him. Simone looked up at Ebon with tear filled eyes, hoping for rescue. He was still whole at the moment, but teetering on a fine jagged edge. "Helps me...!" he begged in tiny Siskan, his voice a perfect miniature of Kimble's. "Please...!"

All of the Siskan Rogues were given more than just extra codes, they were also given this special accent, one that would distinguish them from the rest of their clutchmates. It was a sort of childish southern drawl, heavy on the redneck. They would be unique among their kind.

"What are you doing?" Ebon inquired of Quishnalay, his voice jaunty and light. There was only curiosity here, not a desire to stop any of this. In fact, there was a gleam of predatory pleasure in his eyes.

"To make a 'gram more powerful, it has to be damaged and repaired."

Ebon's eyes widened all the more with greedy curiosity. "Powerful? In what way?"

Quishnalay laughed. "That would be cheating. It's up to you to find out on your own."

"This one was damaged and repaired?"

"Yes. I am only just finished," Quishnalay said, not being entirely honest. He wasn't certain Simone had shattered, but Ebon didn't need to know that.

"How much for him?"

Quishnalay hid his elation. That had been faster than expected, meaning Ebon was loaded with cash now and was only looking for a place to drop it. Quishnalay had wanted to experiment with Simone some more, to see if he had shattered fully, but here was money too good to pass up. Besides, he had five other Rogues to play with as he pleased. He shrugged casually, "He has yet to be properly skinned. That will cost you extra."

"Do I get to choose anything I want?"

"Of course. But there's one condition."

"Eh?"

"He has to have a special Mark on him. You know, like a signature."

Ebon nodded his head back without a care. "I don't have a problem with that. How much?"

"One million credits," Quishnalay tossed out, being optimistic.

"Please!" Ebon snorted.

"Eight hundred thousand."

"Seven seventy-five."

"I have to finish him. Give him skins like I said."

"Seven seventy-five. No more."

Quishnalay considered. It was twice what the 'gram was really worth. He shouldn't push his luck. "All right. This way."

Simone shivered and whimpered as his tiny body was lifted from the table and carried to the next room. This was the "Giving Room", a place where skins and languages and other useful files were forcibly loaded onto the hard drives of the Courtesans.

Simone had already stopped complaining by the time he was laid down on the next table and hooked up to the machine. He was still in shock, his mind numb. He had always been a quiet fellow, very introverted and shy. He wasn't taking the day's trauma very well.

"What do you want him to look like?" Quishnalay asked, getting ready.

Ebon grinned. "Can you make him look scary?"

Quishnalay hesitated. He wondered just how well he knew his friend. There were others who had whispered rumors of Ebon's cruelty. If this had been a living creature and not just a machine, Quishnalay would have stopped the deal right here. As it was, the money was too much to pass up.

"Scary how?"

"All your other 'grams are white skinned. I want him black."

"If he's black, the Mark will have be white. It'll be brighter and more intimidating that way," Quishnalay suggested. Of course that color had already been chosen, but it sounded so much better when it seemed like it was the client's idea.

Quishnalay's notion was rewarded by Ebon's hasty agreement. "Yes! Yes!"

Quishnalay nodded and punched some keys. "A male?"

"Yeah."

"Anything else besides black skin?"

"Yeah, give him wings. Big black scary wings."

"How about a band of white over his eyes like a robber?" Quishnalay suggested, getting into the spirit of things.

"Yeah! I like that!"

Quishnalay punched more keys. A facsimile image came up on a screen. "Hair?"

"I don't know, just to his shoulders I guess. I don't want him to look like a Kapo. I want him to look like us."

Quishnalay nodded. Kapos were the Siskan equivalent of Negroes and there was a certain prejudice. "Muscular?"

"Yeah."

"How about his sex? How big you want that?"

A strange look crossed Ebon's face. "I don't want him for that. I don't do men."

"You can choose a second female skin."

"No. I want a man. A big black scary man."

Quishnalay nodded and Simone's fate was sealed. He punched more keys, giving Simone average statistics in his sex and other personal areas that Ebon probably didn't care about. Quishnalay wanted to be fair that much, Ebon probably wasn't going to be Simone's only Master ever. He finished and clicked "Start".

Simone howled afresh as he was suddenly bombarded with sensory input. He was growing larger, changing from a child to a man in a matter of seconds. It was frightening and he covered his eyes, shivering with fear.

"He's kind of wimpy," Ebon complained, doubt creeping in.

"Beat him," Quishnalay said, his voice as cold as his heart. "Beat him and yell. Scare him enough and he'll harden up before long."

(break)

Back in the Xavier Complex and away from painful memories best forgotten, Simone's pale silver eyes had opened wide when he had first registered Rogue's noise outside his cell. That had been the hardest thing to grow accustomed to here. There were always people and noise about. He was far more used to being left in someplace small and quiet. He had even spent as long as three years without ever seeing a soul to speak to. Here now was another of these meddlesome fleshly creatures to pester him.

He had hoped it wasn't THE ANGRY MAN. He had come to name them all, these strange new humans that never seemed to leave him alone. There was THE ANGRY MAN and THE MAN WITH RED EYES. He liked neither of them, but THE MAN WITH RED EYES angered him most of all. That one had used the magic, the empathic power that scared him with its invasive whisperings. He knew on an intuitive level that a human wasn't supposed to have the power but THE MAN WITH RED EYES did. It drove him mad with anger, made him want to kill and tear.

THE ANGRY man was the man who seemed to run this place, the one who came to check on him from time to time. He was a short man and hairy, with black muttonchops that made him seem grouchy all the time. THE ANGRY MAN had never actually yelled at him, but there had been anger in those smoldering grey-blue eyes, one that spoke of old hatred and suspicion. THE ANGRY man disliked him for some reason. That was okay, Simone didn't care much for him either.

There was also THE HORSE MAN, a Siskan like himself. Simone and Asher had never been introduced formally, but that didn't mean they didn't know each other. Asher was like Simone and had a blended skin, one that was part human and part animal. Asher was dressed in the skin of a centaur, a young man on hooves. Asher had tried to speak with him on occasion, but Simone wasn't the least bit interested.

Simone hated other Siskans, they had the magic too and he despised them for it. They came at him with their sickeningly strong vibrations that made him shake with pain and rage. No one with the magic would ever be allowed near, he would kill them or himself first.

But today, someone else had come. He had heard her clatter as she entered the area, even recognized the sound of her voice from having heard her around before. What was most unexpected and aggravating was the interruption of his afternoon nap as she came down his way. No one except Neal came this way - there was no reason to - and Neal only came in the mornings. There was no need for this intrusion.

But before Simone could gather the energy ro raise himself for an attack on his cell bars, he felt her. Now, in spite of Simone's most violent reactions, he was at heart a Kintay du Lushna-esk Siskan, one with empathy just as strong as Kimble or Asher. He didn't know the word 'empathy' or what it meant, all he knew was that he felt things that came from other people, something that hurt him without breaking his skin, simply causing him pain on the inside without a blow even being struck. He hated his mutation, it most often left him bruised and bleeding on the inside, internally wounded by the hate and fear of others as they either used or abused him. Even their curiosity hurt him, it was most often linked to those who would only exploit him for their own needs. He wanted none of it. It was far better to frighten them away than to deal with their stupid emotions battering him on the inside where the pain was his and his alone.

But this one was different. This new person coming his way possessed a deep, heartfelt loneliness matched only by his own misery. Here was hurt and pain and bleeding that had nothing to do with him or because of him. It was a suffering that only came from years of torment, not just the hours most fickle humans suffered, this one shared his own deep personal loss of contact. It startled him and kept him in place as she slumped into the corner outside his cell and cried.

Simone had been facing his own corner when she had first approached his cell, he turned his head now to confront his guest, already gearing up for a fight. The growl died early in his throat, killed by his momentary wonder. This wasn't THE ANGRY MAN, the HORSE MAN or THE MAN WITH RED EYES, in fact, he wasn't sure this was a MAN at all.

Simone had seen very few females, all the people he had really known were men that hurt and battered him. Star, his sister and clutchmate, was always dressed in a female skin, but she had been Siskan and one he had rejected outright from the beginning. He had never gotten to know her well at all. This new person was quite different. This newness combined with Rogue's obvious tragedy made her an object that caught his attention rather than his fight, Simone couldn't help his curiosity. He didn't offer her comfort or soothing words, only his questioning eyes and soft voice. Simone was staring at her blatantly now, not even trying to hide his wonder. He did however shift his position to better look at her, his fascination plain.

He barked at her again, a soft questioning woof.

"Well hello to you, too," she greeted in a voice made rough from crying, not sure why he was looking at her like that. She would take it, he wasn't frothing at the mouth or screaming as he had at everyone else. Clearly there was something about her that had spooked him into this strange visage of calm. "You'd think you'd never seen a girl before," she dared to tease, the words coming out before it occurred to her that that might have been the simple truth. "That's not possible. All you Siskans ain't nuthin' but a bunch of horny little toads."

This was the source of Logan's dislike for Simone though the boy didn't know it. The main trouble Logan had with the Siskans was their overtly sexual natures. They had been created for pleasure and now that they had found themselves in mainstream society, had difficulty with restraint in that department. Their moral values were skewed and it wasn't beyond them to make inappropriate passes at people or even commit what many here would consider to be sexual crimes. Kimble was currently on the sexual offenders list for one such mistake and Skye, a sexual predator and a true monster, had joined him not long after.

Simone's curiosity was fueled by her shimmering vibrations. She was speaking to him, but her pain remained. There was some irony in her voice, there was something about him that she disliked, but it was dislike in a way he had never felt before. It wasn't personal or threatening, she had no intentions of hurting him. He moved a bit closer, his pile of fluff pouring down in a snowy avalanche as he came forward to crouch on his hands and feet, sniffing at her like a dog. As the debris fell away, she saw he was nude, but looking at him like this, crouched down with his wings high over his back, she could see why. He was untrained, uncivilized, a raw Siskan with nothing human in him at all.

"Huh, look at you. Just like a little puppy. Knew a puppy once. He liked treats, how about you?"

He didn't understand her noises though the sound of her voice was soothing and lovely. He at least recognized she was speaking a language, but not one he knew. He had been implanted with Siskan and it was all he recognized. Not that he used it much, he had no desire to converse with anyone he had met after Quishnalay had sent him off. They had all been men and all had abused him severely, beating him and screaming at him without a care. At least he could boast that he had never been raped. He was a virgin in the true sense, he had never been properly used once in his entire life.

Simone backed up a bit in caution when he saw THE WOMAN (the new name he had given her) reach into her pocket and take out a bag filled with tiny silver things. He had never seen such sparkling objects, but if he had lived another life, he might have recognized a Hershey's Kiss when he saw it. She made no threatening movements, merely unwrapped one of the Kisses and popped it into her mouth so he would know it was food.

"Seen Remy use this stuff all the time," she explained as though he could understand her. She was still taking heart in the fact that so far, she was the only one he hadn't attacked at all. "Let's see if it works for Simone, too."

He flinched a little at the sound of his name, but couldn't help but like the way she said it. THE WOMAN'S voice was high, not like MEN and it was pleasing to his ears. He watched with continued fascination as she reached into the bag again, pulled out another sweet Kiss of chocolate, unwrapped it, and then tossed it at him.

Simone jumped back, unsure what this was. The small brown morsel fell to the floor in front of where he was crouched on his hands and feet, but it didn't explode or jump about or do anything LOUD or UNPLEASANT. He gathered himself and leaned forward to sniff at it. He understood now that this was FOOD, he had seen MEN eat before. This was the first time anyone had thought to offer FOOD to him this way and he was naturally curious. The plates the others had brought him never sat long on the floor, he had returned them with his anger, loving the way the ceramic plates had shattered against his bars. This new offering was different, it had come with neither men nor plates. He liked the way it smelled and he picked it up, licking at it experimentally.

Oh, sweet spirits in heaven! He had never tasted anything like this! He gobbled it down greedily, drooling in his intense pleasure. The taste of it exploded on his tongue, sweeter than the taste of his own gel and finer than anything he could have imagined. He whimpered and shivered, his body shaking with happiness.

"Ah'll take that as a yes," Rogue said with a laugh, tossing him another piece. The pain and hurt that had driven her here was momentarily gone, lost in the wonder of this new interaction. Some small part of her was pleased that of all the possible people in this place, she was the only he had permitted to remain like this. She felt special and unique, this time in a good way.

Simone snatched up the next bite of chocolate and slurped it down, grumbling a drooly purr in his glee. He came one hop closer, bringing him to the three foot distance from the bars of his cage, the boundary that she would come know as his 'safety zone'.

Rogue watched him in amused fascination. She couldn't define just what it was about him that had attracted her so. Logan could if she were to ask him. He would say that it was the fact that she was forever alone. There had never been anyone else since Remy left her for good. She could touch neither man nor beast so even pets weren't an option. She filled the emptiness of her life with work, leaving time for little else. Here now was a well earned distraction.

Rogue had learned long ago that she could touch Siskans without hurting them or herself, something she had never forgotten. When Kimble had first come to live at Xavier's, a chance encounter had revealed that the inorganic nature of the Siskans left them immune to her mutation. Problem was, there were only two Siskans there at that time - Kimble and Seth - and they were both taken. The passage of time and the addition of more Siskans to the X-men's collection had not helped. Aiden and Babette, while not Rogues, had come along but neither of them had anything to offer her. Aiden was brash and not to her taste, Rogue needed someone playful to compliment her own harsh abrasiveness. Babette had been a girl so that wasn't an option and later, the poor Siskan had killed herself. Asher in his centaur skin was a freak. Skye was a sexual monster. Star was smitten with Henry, the big blue doctor. There was nothing there for her.

Until now.

Not that Rogue was even regarding Simone as a man. Not even close. He was just something that had the appearance of a living thing, of a thing she could touch. A sentient creature that could interact with her. Up close, she could see Simone as he gave himself to her. He was like a dog, a muscular human dog. His wings were glossy and lovely, shimmering black with crimson and blue highlights. His hair was clumped and matted from misuse, puffs of stuffing still stuck in there, making him seem sleepy and small.

But it was when he looked at her that she really saw.

Simone's eyes were in the band of white that crossed his face, and the irises of his eyes were pale and silver, ringed in black so they could be seen. They focused on her with intelligent curiosity, he was not an animal though he acted like one at times. She saw now that all of that was an act, a way to intimidate and frighten away those he did not understand. She made a vow then to try and reach him. He had obviously taken a shine to her, she would have a better chance of doing that than anyone else right now.

"You ain't so bad now, are ya?"

He looked up at her with a soulful intensity, searching her face for something. He couldn't understand her language so he crooned another questioning "Hurroof?" at her.

"You. You ain't so bad. Got a real big mouth, kinda noisy, but there ain't nuthin' much to ya, is there?" she repeated, knowing full well he didn't know a word she was saying. In spite of the sounds she had overheard him make, there had been no obvious use of language, not even the Siskan. He was a puzzle to her. He was supposedly one of those special 'grams, but he had no powers. All those others had something going on, but not this guy. He was just loud and scary, at least when he was around someone he didn't like. Right now he was just... was just a regular joe with something to say and no means of doing it.

She held up another sparkling Kiss. "Want this?"

He rocked from side to side at that, his eyes never leaving the candy.

"Can you say it? Choc-o-late," she spelled out, hoping for a miracle.

Simone continued to rock. He heard the sounds from THE WOMAN and had an idea she wanted something from him, but didn't know what. When she repeated the sounds again, he got the idea. It was a game, right? One where he was lured in, tempted with candy and soft words, and then... then the beatings would start. She was one of them after all, and in the end they had all hurt him, each and every one.

Simone backed away, his playfulness turning to suspicion and tendrils of anger. He would not be toyed with. He was much too smart for that. He learned quick, did Simone. Fuck you. He left her and crawled back into his pile, burying himself deep in the fluff and blocking her from view.

Rogue sat there, bewildered. What had she done? He had been playful one moment and then angry the next. Obviously he had issues of trust, something she could understand. She relaxed and rose, tossing him the last bit of chocolate for later. This had been their first meeting, she could hardly expect him to jump through hoops for her. She would come back later, when he'd had some time to himself for a while. She left, her heart soaring with pride and happiness.