xp_logs | Topaz and Julian, The Next Year

While sneaking a book back into the library, Julian encounters Topaz.

The start of the school year brought with it more time spent in the library. Not that Topaz couldn't do homework in her room, but there was something comforting about working in a place meant to be silent, surrounded by shelves of books, her notes and papers spread out before her, taking up an entire table and going part way onto another. The girl tapped her pencil against her textbook for a moment, sighing. Calculus might just be the death of her before the end of the year.

Julian took the measure of the room from one of the shadowy side entrances. Seeing only a young brunette, he made his move, the package wrapped in simple brown paper for better concealment. The student wasn't someone he'd met yet, and was fortunately on the other end of the room from the shelf he needed to reach. Nervousness seeped from him as he neared the shelf and carefully unwrapped the book, placing it in the gap between volumes where the one he'd ruined had been.

Refolding the paper, he relaxed, a smug smile crossing his face at getting away with his accidental vandalism. Julian turned, heading for the student's table, pulling his tablet from his jacket pocket. Pulling out one of the chairs he glanced at the math book and grimaced, "How's the homework going?"

Topaz felt the presence before he actually joined her at the table. Nervous - what was there to be nervous about? Ms. Smith was eccentric but certainly not frightening.

But then it was gone and he was sitting across from her and Topaz finally looked up, raising an eyebrow when she saw the young man. "Alright." Her accent was faint, voice carefully controlled. Her eyes slid to the tablet in his hands for a moment, lips pressing thin for the briefest second before she refocused on him. "Sorry, no polite way to ask this really - who're you?"

Julian shrugged, "You're right about that, apologies for the abrupt intrusion-" he extended a hand and gave her a charming Keller smile. "My name is Julian Keller, I'm assisting Angelica Jones with the New Mutants program."

The charming Keller smile was only going to get him so far with this one. Topaz regarded him for a moment before reaching out, taking his hand. "Topaz. Nice to meet you."

"Miss Sefton and Miss Jones had nothing but good things to say about you," he pulled out his tablet and opened her file. "It's really a pleasure to meet you, Topaz," he set the tablet on the table. "You may have heard I've been going around from student to student to introduce myself and ask them what they want out of the program for the next year." He leaned forward, "So before we go any further, do you want to still be a member of the New Mutants this year?"

At that Topaz actually made a small noise that was almost a laugh. She was sure Amanda's good things had been sprinkled with a few warnings. "Right, then." She twiddled her pencil around for a moment before setting it aside. She made a bit of a face at Julian's question. She hadn't really thought about leaving the program. "Yeah, sure. I mean, might as well."

"Maddie has decided against it, if that makes any difference to you," he picked the tablet up, unsure of what the relationships were around here. "So then, if you have time, what did you like most about the last year?"

"I just don't really know if it matters if I stay in it or not." Topaz shrugged. She was curious about Maddie though - she made a note to ask about that later. "Doesn't seem like too much would change except maybe powers training wouldn't be compulsory." And that was one thing she actually liked so it wasn't like she was going to give that one up.

"I always enjoyed power training myself," he remembered his sessions with Nathan fondly- his sessions with Jean...a bit more painfully. "Do, you enjoy your powers training?" he pressed on before she could respond, "and to be clear, I am referring to your empathic abilities- very cool- more so than your magical ones."

He really had done his homework. "Yeah, I do. Got plenty of magic training back home, less empathy. It was kind of nice coming here and learning how it all actually works. And working with Mr. Haller is...interesting."

"I actually trained with him a couple times too when I was a student," Julian recalled the weirdness of those sessions. "Interesting is a good word for it," he smiled and made a note. "So what would you like to get out of the next year in the program? Is there anything in particular that you would like to do or see?"

Topaz tilted her head for a moment, eyebrows furrowing a bit. "I dunno...definitely gonna get the most out of the powers training while I can. Maybe less disasters on field trips but I'm guessing you don't really control that."

"A second set of eyes to watch for trouble, perhaps some more security screening on top of that-" Julian made a mental note to invest in a private security firm, "I assure you I will do everything in my considerable power to ensure your safety when we are out as a group." He grabbed his tablet and stylus from the table, "I might be able to get your additional powers training sessions too, if you'd like."

Well he was ambitious. Topaz would certainly give him that. The second part got him an odd look, understandably enough. "Additional powers training? Not that I'd say no-" There weren't going to be too many opportunities for it once she graduated, "but how?"

"I'll speak with certain people and see what I can do," Julian made a note on his tablet. "I don't think anyone has ever turned down a student who needed help, but I will have to talk to Haller first to see if he thinks it is a good idea," he may have put the cart before the horse in this case, but he was still confident. "That is, if that's alright with you."

Well that was cryptic. Topaz eyed the tablet - that was way too much like being in therapy, someone taking notes while she talked and she didn't care for it but she could live. It was all unofficial anyways. "Yeah, sure. Like I said, I wouldn't say no."

Julian smiled again, closing the tablet and putting it away, "Excellent. I will see what I can do." He stood from the table, "It was very nice to meet you, Topaz- let me know if you ever need anything. I won't be living on campus, but I am nearby." He turned to leave, then paused- looking at the bookshelf, then turned back, "And if Miss Smith asks, I was never here."

A small smirk pulled at Topaz's lips at that, her mind momentarily flashing back to the nervousness she'd felt rolling off Julian earlier. Apparently Ms. Smith was something to be afraid of. For him, at least. "Don't worry, Mr. Keller. Your secret is safe with me."