xp_logs | Amanda and Topaz || Escape

Amanda finds Topaz running away from her meeting with Matt, and offers her student a much needed escape.

Amanda wasn't stalking her student. Not really. No, she was just wandering past the library, which just happened to be the place Topaz was most likely to be found. And if Amanda was concerned about Topaz's mental state based on the past few days, well, that was just another coincidence.

If she wasn't stalking her student then her timing was impeccable. Topaz was just on her way out, her steps hurried and clearly that of someone who was trying to get away fast. Her bag bounced off her shoulder, nearly falling as she half-ran, trying to text Hope at the same time. She deserved a little warning about this.

Hurried as she was, she didn't even notice Amanda.

"Topaz!" Amanda called out, but either the girl was too preoccupied to hear her, or was already out of earshot. Grumbling a little under her breath, the witch scurried after her, hoping she wouldn't trip on the stairs and bounce her way down. "Hey, grasshopper, wait a sec!"

Topaz had only managed to get a one-word text off to Hope when she heard Amanda calling for her. She jerked to a halt, shoving her mobile away as she whirled to look at Amanda. "What?" If her hasty flight from the library hadn't been a sign that something was wrong, the clearly wild look in her eyes and slight tremor running through her body certainly was.

And given Topaz's powers, Amanda knew what would be a good way of dealing with it. "Let's go for a drive," she suggested. "You look like you could use some time away from here."

It took a moment, but finally Topaz nodded stiffly. She had been on her way out anyways - Amanda was right, she needed to get away - and the tiny, Haller-like voice in the back of her head was telling her not to go alone. "Alright. Sounds good."

Amanda didn't waste time. She led Topaz quickly through the halls to the garage and to the slightly beaten up white sedan she called the Broomstick. It wasn't until they were on the road, driving carefully along the snowy roads, that she spoke: "You want to talk about it?"

She probably should have known better than to think Amanda would let it go. Topaz slid down in her seat, staring out the window at the white landscape - god the snow was never going to melt. It took her another moment to force out the answer. "Matt's here too."

"Ah." Amanda was quiet again for a moment, focussing on the road and letting Topaz process. "How bad was it?"

"Well I didn't completely lose it and scream at him about being a fake." Topaz's voice was dry and otherwise flat. "He's older." She was trying to focus on the facts. "Still blind. I think he has a job in the city."

"Well, the universe still exists, so I figured you hadn't." Up ahead was a rest stop and she pulled in. Once the car was stopped, she unclipped her seat belt and half-turned in her seat to face her student. "It's a right and proper mind fuck, isn't it?"

Topaz slid down further in her seat, focusing on the window rather than facing Amanda. Further away from the mansion, her head felt clearer at least. Clear enough for her to be humiliated by her reaction. "Who else is out there, then?" Miles, Megan, Matt... "Who else is runnin' around with their names and maybe their faces? Is there a Clint? A Sue? A Billy?" How the hell were they supposed to deal with that?

"Any and all of them, kiddo," Amanda replied, with a sad sigh. "Everyone we lost... they potentially exist here, in another life. Because that was the only way any of us could exist. That was the deal." A bitter smile crossed her lips. "Of course, if we'd known how hard it was going to be, we probably would have told Xorn to shove his plan up his arse."

"This deal bites." There was no venom in Topaz's voice. If anything she sounded defeated. She couldn't even escape the mansion anymore -her hide out had always been the Brownstone. And that didn't exist anymore. "So what are we supposed to do?" At that very moment the thought of going back to the mansion made her absolutely sick.

"Big picture? Suck it up, deal with it as best we can. Remember all the people who are alive because of that deal." Amanda shrugged. "But right now, I could do with a break from dealing. Sounds like you could too. So how about we head into New York, book a place to stay and find a place that'll take your fake ID?"

That finally got Amanda a look as Topaz turned to her. "You sound so sure I have a fake ID." She wasn't going to confirm or deny that. "But yeah. Yeah. That sounds good."