xp_logs | Adrienne, Hope, and Topaz || Busted

Adrienne accidentally discovers Hope's and Topaz's new love for wine - and offers the girls a deal they really can't refuse.

It was one of the rare times Topaz was back in the suite before eleven. Of course, the allure of wine had certainly helped. She'd be lying if she said she enjoyed the taste, but...

It made coping a bit easier, at least.

She leaned forward to grab the bottle, filling her glass again and looking back at Hope. "Want more?"

"Just a second..." Hope quickly picked up her glass and swallowed the last sip, before holding out her glass for more. "Thank you. That looks good." Taking another sip, she eyed the glass. "I think I like the one we had last week better. This one is just a little bit too dry." She commented idly.

They'd all started to taste the same, to be entirely honest. Topaz took another sip anyways, letting the alcohol dull the buzz of emotions that was almost always in the back of her head now. "Yeah, maybe," she said after a minute, realizing Hope might have been expecting an answer.

Letting out a long sigh, Hope shook her head. "My mother once took me to a wine tasting in France... I think I was fifteen, but she said it was important to know your wines. Never stopped thinking that way, I suppose." Okay... she was reaching the stage where started blabbing about all kinds of things.

"Hope no offense but when it comes to your mum I'd take most of what she says with a grain of salt." Topaz took another sip of her wine. "Or said. Is your mum still alive in this god forsaken world? Am I speakin' ill of the dead?"

"Oh, I know that. And yes, they are still alive. Saw their names appear as among the sponsers of some kind of horticulture event and there was a picture dated back a day three ago." She examined her glass for a sec, before continuing: "I kinda don't wish to speak about them anymore..."

Adrienne put a hand to the suite door and did some precognitive Readings on it. Satisfied, she knocked a couple times. "Girls? It's Adrienne." She nearly considered calling herself 'Ms. Frost' but it seemed weird now that she wasn't a teacher any longer. "Can I come in? Don't bother to hide the wine."

Topaz just barely managed to not choke on her sip of wine. Now was clearly a bad time for her powers to be slightly incapacitated - she hadn't felt Adrienne coming. She eyed the bottle on the table uncertainly before looking back at Hope. "What do we do?" She mouthed. New world or not she was pretty sure the drinking age in America was still twenty-one.

"Hiding it is not going to help much..." Still, she pushed the cork in the bottle and quickly put it under the table, at least somewhat out of sight. "Come on in, Ms. Frost." Hope pulled the door open.

Adrienne sashayed into the room, an empty bottle of wine in each hand. "Hey, ladies," she smiled in greeting. "So... I was throwing some bottles in the recycling bin and I accidentally Read the bin. That's been happening to me a lot with my powers lately," she explained offhandedly, sitting down on the bed and crossing her legs at the ankles, making herself comfortable. "I've been inadvertently Reading things again. Like I used to. But... not like I used to. You see, I'm not Reading the thing I'm directly touching anymore. I've started to be able to Read other things that are touching the thing I'm actually touching. So, to make a long story short, I Read a bunch of wine bottles. Imagine how my interest was piqued when I saw the two of you drinking some of them. What's up with that?"

Topaz was usually good at thinking fast, coming up with quick answers. Usually. But they hadn't exactly been expecting to get caught - so many bottles, nobody would notice a few more, right? "Mixed signals?" She finally managed weakly. Definitely not on top of her game tonight.

"Miss Ashdown, I can assure you that I'm not having another psychotic break," Adrienne retorted dryly. "This is not mixed signals."

Hope had reclaimed her seat from the couch and picked up her glass to sip from as she watched the exchange between Ms. Frost and Topaz. "We have gained a sudden interest in vinology?" She commented suddenly. And oh yes, the alcohol was making her cheeky.

"Wow, you're getting good at being a brat," Adrienne told Hope, sounding slightly impressed. "However, if you'd like me to believe that, maybe don't drink cheap shit wine next time," she suggested helpfully.

Topaz had nearly groaned at Hope's words. She was all for a flippant response but the time for those had likely passed. She scrubbed her eyes, trying to think past the fog in her head. "Fine, we were drinkin'." Really the truth was all that was left. Not that Ms. Frost wasn't already well aware of it. Her tone wasn't flippant or challenging - more defeated if anything else. If there was one thing Topaz knew well, it was to give up when she was caught.

"There we go. The truth is always better unless you can really sell a lie. And you ladies need some work on your lying game before you try selling it to someone like me," Adrienne pointed out. "Are you girls really that sad that I've quit teaching that you've been driven to drink?" she asked in a deadpan.

"Many other 'retirements' along with it would be a better answer." Hope muttered bitterly around the rim of her glass.

"Does it really matter why?" Topaz spoke up, grabbing the glass away from Hope. "Can't you just punish us?" She'd spent enough time in therapy playing the 'why did you do this self-destructive thing?' game. Hope could take part if she wanted to, but Topaz was too tired for it right then.

"Uhh, no," Adrienne answered, looking at Topaz as if she'd just grown another head. "I'm not a teacher anymore. Why would I punish you? Besides, I know I'm technically from Boston, but I'm basically European," she shrugged. "I think twenty-one is a ridiculous drinking age. So, again, since I'm not in a position of authority-slash-responsibility over you ladies anymore, why the hell would I punish you?" she repeated.

"Why did you come then, Ms. Frost?" Hope asked, finally subduing a little. "To urge us to see the Professor? Or only to warn us for something?" She didn't include checking if they were alright, because the wine probably made it pretty clear they were not in the best of shapes.

"The Professor?" Adrienne laughed. "You mean the guy who started and funds the super secret team where people- kids- go fight evil shit and get killed? Yeah. Go see that guy. He clearly knows what the hell he's doing." She failed to point out the fact that they were all living in the man's mansion rent-free.

"Then why?" Topaz's voice was quiet. If Ms. Frost didn't plan on turning them in then what was the point? She must have had better things to do with her time than nail them for drinking.

Adrienne shrugged. "I guess to tell you you're not as clever as you thought you were. I mean, the stealing the bottles and leaving money thing? Not too bright. You're going to get caught eventually, and the chances of it being by someone who's going to have to give you a lot of shit for it is pretty high. So I think we should make a deal."

Hope exchanged a look with Topaz and shrugged her shoulders minutely. She could not think of anything herself that could cause this situation just to resolve. Even not getting punished already sounded like a pretty good ending in her mind... "What did you have in mind, Ms. Frost?"

Glancing at the wine bottle, Adrienne swiped it and took a swig from it. "How about... the two of you agree to go talk to Rogue about whatever emotions it is you're drinking away, and I won't rat you out to people who care about underage drinking? And as added incentive," she carried on, "I will leave bottles of wine for you in my old suite, on the condition that you drink them there and only there, no leaving the mansion until you're sober, and for each bottle you finish you both visit Rogue twice. What do you say?"

Topaz made a face. On the one hand, it sounded like a trick. On the other...she knew Ms. Frost didn't have the patience to trick them. "I'm fine with that." At least then they wouldn't have to steal. She'd felt bad about that.

Visiting Rogue wasn't so bad... And while she liked the Professor, if she spoke to him, it always felt like he could see right through her. So yes, this was a better alternative then quite a few others she could think of. Hope gave Ms. Frost a nod. "That sounds like a good idea to me, Ms. Frost..."

Nodding, Adrienne dug around in her pockets and pulled out a piece of paper she'd written some of her psychometry notes on. She tore off the blank portion and snatched a pen off a desk, scribbling the terms of their agreement on the paper. "Write your names on this to make it a legal, binding pact, if you please."

Topaz took the paper and the pen, and after a moment she signed her full name at the bottom before silently sliding it over to Hope.

Hope accepted the pen and paper and scribled her own name, idly wondering what they'd do if the wine fairy godmothers showed up again... Stash them for an emergency perhaps? "Here you go, Ms. Frost." She pushed the paper over to her former teacher.

"Thank you, ladies." Adrienne gave them a two-fingered salute and stashed the paper in her pocket. Now that she didn't have to worry about them anymore, she eyed the wine and switched from ice bitch Adrienne to relax mode Adrienne. "You guys should really eat if you're going to finish that wine. I've got a guy from McDonalds on speed-dial. You guys want me to get you some food?"

Topaz shot the bottle a put out look. She wasn't really hungry, but she hadn't eaten all day either... "Sure," she said quietly. "Please. Thank you."

"Food might be a good idea." She threw a glance at Topaz and stole her glass back. "Now that you actually mention it, I am quite hungry..."

Adrienne sashayed over to the door. "Well, then I'll get out of your hair and go wait for the delivery guy. Enjoy your wine, ladies. And your visits to Rogue."