xp_logs | Matt and Topaz || (Re)Meeting

Matt meets Topaz. It goes about as well as one would expect.

Library. The library was safe. The library didn't have any...frankenberrycat people. The library was quiet. And best of all, the library still didn't have a librarian, so Topaz could spend as much time hiding here as she wanted and nobody was around to call her on it.

She was in the back at the moment, putting books away. She'd never noticed before how many people just left their books laying around. Blimey. Hadn't anyone ever taught them better?

Exploring the mansion, Matt found the library in due course, thrilled to see what they might have in there. He enjoyed reading and rarely had much time for it other than on his commute to and from work. That was the nature of the beast unfortunately, life took time. There was only one other heartbeat in the library towards the back, so he didn't call out or say anything, not wanting to disturb her. Libraries were quiet places. Briefly, he wondered if they had any braille material, then doubted it. He could read regular printed paper, it was simply more difficult compared to braille. At least it wasn't impossible.

The sound of footsteps didn't start Topaz too much - at least until she looked to see who it was. Red hair. Blind. Older.

Oh god no. Nonononono.

"Can I help you?" She had to struggle to keep her voice even.

"Are you the librarian?" Matt asked, turning towards her. Her heart beat was a loud staccato and her breathing erratic, "Here, sit down," he said, unsure what caused the reaction, but it was not a healthy one. Gently, he guided her to a nearby chair to sit, "Take deep breaths. In...hold it....out... just like that. Another one. Hold it....and out..."

"I'm fine," Topaz said quickly, jerking away from his touch and taking a few steps back. She knew he was trying to help, but he really wasn't helping much at all. She needed to calm down. He wasn't necessarily...right? Right? "And no, I'm not the librarian. Just...helping out." Calm. Breathe. Don't think too much on it. "You new?" A little less rude than just straight asking "who are you?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Matt wasn't sure what he was right now. He would be dividing his time between Xavier's and New York each week to try to continue to work and see about the whole mutant thing at the same time. "I'm just here on the weekends. I'm Matt. Good to meet you."

Of course you're Matt. Of course you bloody are.

"Topaz." There was a definite edge on her voice. "Nice to meet you too."

Matt had no idea what was happening or what was causing her to have what was almost a panic attack. It was something about him, but....what? "I'm interrupting something," he suggested, standing up. "I'll check the library out another time then, alright?"

"It's fine." At least she didn't snap. "You're not interrupting anything." If he left and came back later she'd have to spend every single day worrying about when he was going to come back to finish the tour. "I should go anyways, I have homework to do." She walked to the librarian desk to grab her bag.

He had a feeling that there was something he was missing, but Topaz clearly wasn't interested in explaining. Well. Library.

Topaz threw her bag over her shoulder as she walked out, fumbling for her phone. She had no intentions of going anywhere to do homework.

She needed to get the hell out of the mansion.