xp_logs | Korvus and Topaz (Backdated)

Topaz meets Korvus. Backdated to November 14.

For the first time, Topaz had a destination in mind as she made her way through the halls of the mansion. Well, sort of. It wasn't a destination so much as a goal.

She'd been shocked, to say the least, when she'd seen someone on those journals posting about Diwali. Not exactly something she'd been expecting to see in an American school.

So now she was on a mission to find this person - Korvus? She was pretty sure that was his name. She'd tracked down his room, but he hadn't been in. So now she walked the mansion and hoped to get lucky.

Eventually the young woman would walk through the lower levels of the school and into earshot of the gym. Korvus could often be heard in there for a significant distance due to the loud, metallic clanging that resulted from lifting exceptionally heavy weights. Since he had discovered that he could benefit from strength training just like anyone else, he incorporated it as part of his routine. He took to the gym on the afternoons he didn't have classes.

Topaz came to a halt in the gym door, watching the man lift the weights with a rather weary expression. "Mr...Rook'shir?" She finally tried after a moment hesitation. There wasn't anything immediately threatening about him - she was probably safe. As long as he wasn't mad at her for interrupting.

The Resident Assistant racked the weights back onto the bench press and sat up, offering a smile. "Korvus is acceptable. I am not an authority figure here."

"Korvus," Topaz repeated with a small nod, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. "You're the one who posted about Diwali, yeah?"

"I am. I hope you enjoyed the sweets and fireworks." Korvus offered, the over-sweet personality sometimes contrasting with his physically intimidating mutation.

"I did." A very faint smile pulled at Topaz's lips. Life in the orphanage hadn't been fun by any means, but the workers had always gone out of their way to make sure the kids had gotten to celebrate holidays. It had been...rather nostalgic, actually. "I was surprised to see someone acknowledging it here, wasn't really expecting that, ya know?"

Korvus nodded, "I do not believe any Indian holidays were celebrated before I arrived here. Last year was the mansion's first Holi. Surprising everyone was very enjoyable."

"Well people are very accepting here, I've noticed," Topaz said, looking around the gym for a moment before carefully switching to a language she hadn't spoken to another person in years. "~You're from India, then?~" She asked in Hindi, making a face when she realized it wasn't as easy as it should be. It had been a long time, after all.

"~New Delhi.~" Korvus offered easily in Hindi. "~I am a member of the Shiar clan; something unimportant to the residents here.~" Even in Hindi his speech was formal and very close to technically perfect.

Honestly, it wasn't that important to Topaz either. She didn't know much about the Shiar clan, other than what she had learned through research; she'd been too young when she'd left India. All though... "~How does a member of the Shiar end up at a school in America?~" She returned in Hindi. "~If you do not mind me asking,~" she added quickly, realizing that sounded kind of rude. Really she was wondering how anyone ended up at a school for mutants.

"~The Rook'shir line were identified as political enemies of M. Cornelius Neramani and targeted for extermination. I am the sole survivor.~" Korvus didn't seem to outwardly react when he explained his situation. "~Some of the residents here played a key role in his removal from power. I aspire to helping people in such a significant way some day.~"

No outward reaction, but feelings were hard to hide from an empath. Guilt tugged at the back of Topaz's mind as she felt the sadness radiating off of him. "~I'm sorry,~" she said quietly. "~For your family and for asking about it.~"

Korvus nodded, "~I miss them.~" He thought for just a moment. "~You should not apologize for asking. People should know these things about each other, it will keep us from being distant.~"

"~A little distance is not always a bad thing,~" Topaz murmured, more to herself.

"~Things aren't good or bad until we apply that standard to them.~" Korvus offered back. "~In this case, I believe part of why all of us are here is to connect with one another.~"

"~True enough,~" Topaz ceded easily to Korvus' first point. "~You should always be careful who you connect with, though.~"

Korvus looked to Topaz curiously, "~Have you had any troubles with the people here?~" If there were problems, it was part of his job as RA to address them and he was taking the task seriously.

"~Oh, no,~" Topaz said quickly, realizing she'd given Korvus the wrong idea. "~Not at all, everyone is very nice. I was not really expecting that, to be honest. No troubles, though.~"

"~Well, do not be too careful in life.~" Korvus offered with a smile. "~Or you may miss out on the best parts.~"

"~I will keep that in mind,~" Topaz returned with a faint smile of her own.