Jean-Paul & Topaz | Thursday Afternoon/Evening

[xp-northstar.livejournal.com]

Topaz finds someone who appreciates books hiding in the library! Unfortunately, they do not appreciate one another.


Honestly, who was even reading all the way back here? Topaz grumbled silently as she put away the books that had been left out. Nobody had any respect for...

The thought drifted off as she realized she wasn't alone back here. She frowned faintly, looking around. Then she looked up.

And saw a pointy-eared man sitting on top of the shelves.

"....Hullo?"

Jean-Paul looked down and narrowed his eyes. "Bonjour," he said. "May I help you?"

"You realize there are chairs, right?" The sarcasm was obvious, but she had to ask. True, she had sat in weird places to read too, but on top of the shelves was definitely a new one.

"I thought," Jean-Paul said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "That people would not be so likely to bother me here."

"Technically they're more likely to bother you because you're sittin' up there and obviously they're gonna ask why."

"Only if they are nosy," Jean-Paul pointed out, arching an eyebrow.

"Most of the people in the mansion are, in case you haven't noticed."

"None of them are bothering me. Only you."

"Well I'm the only one here right now," Topaz reminded him. The library was largely empty except for them.

"And so..." Jean-Paul asked, both brows raised now. "You are so bored you are interrupting my reading?"

"No, I'm the librarian. It's my job to ask why you're sitting on bookshelves when there are perfectly good chairs all around you. Not to mention rooms with doors if you really don't want to be bothered."

"Bah. You nag for no reason. I am disturbing nothing here!"

"I'm not naggin', I'm askin'. Distinct difference."

"You asked, I answered. Now you nag."

"Well you can't be too bothered by it, you're still here."

"I will not let you run me off. The library, it is a public place."

"As you shouldn't, but there are plenty of other shelves to sit on." Topaz waved a hand before going back to her cleaning.

Jean-Paul frowned. "That is not logical at all."

"Is to me. When someone's botherin' me I just move to the other side of the room and wait to see if they get the hint."

"You seemed very much to object to me being on the tops of the shelves. This is not the issue?"

"Not at all. Just seems like a really inconvenient place to hide unless you plan on living up there or you're teleporter."

"I fly," Jean-Paul said, fiddling with the book in his hands.

"Long as you're not scaling the shelves." And with that she went back to her cleaning.

Shrugging, Jean-Paul went back to his book, studiously not mentioning that he would not be leaving the top of the bookshelves until he could figure out how to calmly fly back to the ground.

* * * * * *

Topaz returned a few hours later to find the angry French bloke still up on the shelves. No surprise - she hadn't seen him leave. "Alright I'm lockin' up for the night, so unless you plan on livin' here it's time to fly down," she informed him.

Jean-Paul noticed motion below him. He took an earbud out and frowned down at the scowly librarian again. "Quoi?"

"Lockin' the library," Topaz repeated slowly. "Time to go."

"Why do you lock this place up?" He asked, still frowning. "Books should be accessible always."

"Why are you puttin' up a fuss?" She countered.

"You are not a librarian who encourages reading."

"You're avoidin' the question." Topaz could sense a faint discomfort and... something else. Interesting. Something underneath the annoyance that she was kicking him out. "You can get down right?"

Scoffing, Jean-Paul said, "Of course I can get down. It is only that I do not want to."

"Mmhm." The disbelief and slight amusement were clear in the small noise Topaz made in response. She was seriously starting to believe he was stuck up there and she had to admit, she was trying not to laugh. "I'm sure you can."

The shelves were a good ten feet high, but Jean-Paul had jumped from worse heights at high speeds when skiing. Scowling now, himself, he stuck his bookmark into his book and focused very hard on... not being heavy. He still hadn't quite pinned down the feeling he got when flying and his control sucked.

Topaz took a few steps back to give him room, clearly waiting for him to show her how he was going to get down.

Grumbling, Jean-Paul slid off the shelves and... did not hit the ground. He also did not fly. He 'landed,' if that was what you could call it, about six inches from the floor. Then he stumbled when those six inches disappeared. Mostly prepared for that, given how all of his other attempts at flying had gone, he managed to not windmill or flail, but he overcompensated a bit. Shoulder blades hitting the shelves behind him, he pointed at Topaz. "Naggy... troll."

"You know this all could've been avoided if you'd just admitted you weren't sure you could get down," Topaz pointed out, not at all put off by the comment. "I would've been a lot nicer about it."

"Not sure? I was sure! I just got down."

With all the grace of a neanderthal. But Topaz wasn't having that argument. "Right, well. Like I said. Library closing."

Grumbling, Jean-Paul narrowed his eyes. He could see her judging him. Without another word, he turned on his heel and made his way to the exit.

Topaz didn't take the glare to her heart - he was right, she was absolutely judging him, because he was a horrible liar. He'd had no clue he could get down. Still, she didn't say anything, just following him back to the front and stopping to grab her backpack on the way out.