Hope and Topaz (Backdated)

[x-topaz.livejournal.com]

Hope lures Topaz out of the mansion with a promise of books and tea, and they get a little side-tracked along the way. Backdated to July 15.



"These aren't actually spells," Topaz muttered as she flipped through the book. Apparently it took very little to actually entice her into leaving the mansion - Hope had said antique bookstore, and that had been the end of any protest. The shop even had a small magic section. Of course, fifty percent were a joke and the other fifty percent was about witch burning, which was decidedly unpleasant to read about, but still.

"Finding anything interesting?" Hope popped up rather suddenly, a book of her own clasped between her hands. Her eyes twinkled, happy her little ploy to get Topaz out for a bit. She had been sure Topaz would not have been able to resist the antique bookstore Hope had found.

"Well I found that I'm grateful I wasn't an American living in Salem in the sixteen-nineties," Topaz commented dryly. She straightened up with the book she'd just been looking through. "Burnin' I could have handled but I don't swim well and bein' stoned just sounds painful."

Hope winced at the idea of all three of them. "I think we should be glad none of us live in that time." She commented, careful to lower her voice a bit. "Can you imagine what they would have made of our abilities? We all would have been branded witched, if we practiced actual magic or not."

"Some mutations could pass for magic," Topaz commented thoughtfully. "Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, even astral projection, there are spells for those types of things. Could go the other way too I guess, some magic users could be mistaken for mutants..."

"I don't know much about it, but looking at you the line seems quite thin to me. On the other hand, there is Billy who does not have a very clear mutant power so to speak." Hope shifted the book to her other arm as she considered the topic.

"It's not a common thing, havin' someone that's both." She paused for a moment before adding, "'Course if you'd asked me last year at this time I woulda said I'd never heard of it at all outside of myself, so..." Amazing what a year could change. "Anyways. You ready to go?"

"Yes. I do have pay for my book, but then we can to the tearoom. It's been a while since I had some good tea." Hope replied as they made their her way to the cashier. "Did you find anything you will be taking along?"

"Sounds good. Yeah, think I'm gonna get this." She held up the book she'd been making fun of. It was a good read even if it was horribly inaccurate. "After you."

"Thank you." Hope placed the book on the counter, quickly dealing with the cashier and waited while Topaz paid her book as well. "Let's find our tea room. It's been a while since I had a real high tea."

"Sure." Topaz followed her out of the store, and they started down the street. She couldn't even think of when the last time she'd had a proper high tea was. Probably with Alice.

Hope guided Topaz through the street with sure steps to her latest new find, a small tea room. When she had spotted the discovery of both the antique book store and the tea room she figured someone had to conspire to draw her normal reticent classmate out. She had to pause though before the window of one of the shops in the street and bit her lip. "That would be something for California...." she muttered softly.

Topaz stopped as well, raising an eyebrow at Hope's find and her murmured words. "Sure, if you're tryin' to give your mother an aneurysm." The words weren't said unkindly - just as a matter of fact. Mrs. Abbott would more than likely die of pure horror if she ever saw her daughter in that.

"It might do her some good." Hope muttered under her breath, then quickly glanced at the Indian girl besides her, hoping she she had not heard her. "Uhm... Topaz, would you mind..."

She had heard, and a light smirk pulled at her lips. "After you," she said, gesturing at the store door.

Hope smirked back and stepped through the door, marching towards the rack where the desired garments were hanging and quickly selecting what she guessed was her size. "Do you wish to try anything on?" She asked Topaz, quickly skimming the other racks.

"Oh. No. Definitely not." Topaz shook her head. She knew how to swim, but she wasn't the biggest fan of it. And nothing here looked like anything she'd feel comfortable wearing.

"Hmm, I think that would look lovely on you." Hope pointed out a deep red tankini. "The jewel tone looks stunning with your skin and it's not too revealing... Besides, you need a swimsuit if we go to California."

"I'm...not really sure I'm goin'," Topaz admitted with another head shake, unconsciously crossing her arms tight across her chest. Anyone who knew her knew she was folding in on herself a bit.

Hope frowned at the insecurity she heard in the other girl's voice and she steered her towards the changing room where seating corner was set up. "Why wouldn't you go? Sue would not have invited you if she did not mean it. She is not one to invite you because of obligation." She pointed out gently, once they were seated.

"I know," Topaz said quickly. "Just..." It was hard enough just leaving the mansion sometimes. If Hope hadn't mentioned antique books, she probably would have made up an excuse to get out of this trip. And California was another state all together. And save Tandy and Molly she didn't know any of the girls that well. And Molly she only knew because they shared a room.

She might have been over-thinking it a bit.

"I don't do well in the sun." It was probably the worst excuse she could come up with. But she couldn't exactly tell Hope what was going on in her head.

"Dealing with the sun we can find a solution for. Clothes, parasols, sun screen... all the works. What is really going on, Topaz?"

"Nothing." The answer was so automatic, Topaz barely thought about it. She'd gotten...a bit better about talking. With certain people, at least. Mr. Haller, Amanda...yes. Her fellow classmates...not so much. It was a work in progress.

Taking in Topaz' tense body language Hope continued in a soft voice: "It does not look like nothing to me... Are you worried about something?" It seemed more like frightened about something to Hope, but that was such a strong word to use.

She wasn't going to let it go, apparently. "I just don't travel much. Never have." It wasn't the whole truth, but it was part of it at least.

"California is not that far and you'll be with a group of people. It might be a good start to see if you would like traveling." Hope gently cajoled.

"Yeah." If she was entirely honest with herself -- and that wasn't exactly something that happened often -- she was nervous about leaving the city because of Taboo. She didn't like not knowing where he was, what he was doing. At least in New York, Amanda would know if he was in the city and probably rip him to shreds. Anywhere else....

"So what is stopping you then? I am guessing Sue's grandparents would at least have some security around." Hope carefully attempted to probed a little deeper. She didn't know exactly what had happened, but she has picked up enough gossip to know that it was bad.

"I'm sure they do." Topaz fidgeted a bit. She knew there were rumors about what had led to...what happened...at the end of last month, but she didn't really want to talk about it. "Didn't you wanna go try on that bikini?"

"I will in a moment." Hope looked at Topaz and bit her lip. "I cannot force you to come and I do not want to nag you. But if you do stay at the school, I do think you will be missing a great opportunity." With those words she stood up and headed towards the dressing rooms.

"Yeah..." Topaz watched Hope disappear into the dressing rooms before looking back out into the store, sighing a bit. Even if she went, she didn't really know how to swim. A bathing suit would be a waste.

A few minutes later, Hope poked her head around the door of her stall and gestured Topaz to approach. "What do you think?"

Topaz pushed herself up and headed over, tilting her head. Mrs. Abbott would probably keel over in pure shock if she ever saw her daughter dressed so revealingly. Which was probably half the point. "Looks good to me, but I'm probably not the best person to ask either."

"Hmm..." Hope eyed the striped red-white top and bottom. "I do like it. They also had a tankini top and a swim skirt though. I might just as well pick up those and combine them.... And before I forget, here you go." From behind her clothes, she pulled a hanger she handed to Topaz.

An eyebrow shot way up as Topaz examined the bikini Hope had picked out for her. It was a little less revealing than the one Hope had picked out for herself, the fabric colored a dark purple. "Right," she said as she snatched the hanger from Hope. "You win, then."

And she headed for the changing rooms.

Comments

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

I know when the last time they tried to have tea was! Slenderplot! *grins*

[x-topaz.livejournal.com]

Ha! I think she blocked that out of her memory *laughs*

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

I don't blame her!