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xp_logsJean-Paul calls Topaz for his weekly 'not dead yet' check-in.
Jean-Paul sank down a bit in the recliner he'd settled in a few minutes ago, mobile in one hand and a water in the other. It was time for his check-in with Topaz. It felt weird, thinking of it like that, but reassuring her he hadn't hermitted himself to death seemed like a very important thing. Sighing, unsure what he was even doing anymore, he pressed speed dial number one on his mobile.
Raising the phone to his ear, he shifted his weight. The recliner was not particularly comfortable, and he was seriously considering just moving it outside so he'd stop sitting in it purely out of habit.
"Still haven't frozen to death, then?" The almost bored sounding British voice answered after nearly too many rings. Topaz would never, even under the threat of torture and death, admit she had been worried about Jean-Paul when he ran off to the middle of nowhere to get away or find himself or hide from the world. Of course she hadn't been worried, that was just ridiculous.
"Oui," Jean-Paul muttered, hoping she could hear the eyeroll in his tone. "And you? Has Westchester begun to thaw with summer?"
She could. She ignored it. "Yeah the birds are tweeting and the sun is shining. It's lovely." The sarcasm was heavy in her voice. "You could see it if you weren't currently being in a hermit in the snowy mountains." Topaz didn't actually know where he was, but him hermiting in the mountains surrounded by eight feet of snow was an image that amused her.
"Bah," Jean-Paul muttered. "I like the cold, you know. It is comfortable for me." He shifted in a vain attempt to keep a spring from poking him in the kidney until he peed blood.
"Because you're bloody mad." Topaz rolled her eyes, smiling.
"How is the cat?"
"The cat is great, she runs the suite as usual. Think she misses you."
"Of course she does," Jean-Paul scoffed. "I am, by far, the superior petter... this is a word, is it not? No, perhaps I am wrong. She likes my lap best."
"No, she likes that you spoil her with treats," Topaz corrected. "She was starting to get chubby."
"Lies. You are simply jealous," Jean-Paul said, cracking a small smile. "I would not put her health in jeopardy, you see? Perhaps it is only that she misses company on the very high shelves."
"That might be it," Topaz conceded. "There's no lap to sit on up there."
"Hm..." Shifting again, hoping this time he'd win against the godawful spring, Jean-Paul asked, "What of the others? Any more ridiculous things that have happened while I'm away?"
"Oh yeah, loads. I got shrunk down to the size of a bug, and a couple weeks ago I fought an ice giant." She'd leave it to him to decide if she was being sarcastic or not.
Narrowing his eyes, Jean-Paul considered the mostly-blank wall across from the recliner. "I do not know if I believe you. Though I think the ice giant might have been interesting. How did you defeat it?"
"The power of friendship," Topaz said with an absolutely straight face. It was a shame Jean-Paul couldn't see her, because it was impressive.
"So you are now a... what is the term? A pony? With pink hair and a pretty tattoo on your backside?" Jean-Paul deadpanned, eyes slitting further as he slid them to the side with a smirk. In that moment, he very much wished he was at the mansion, just so he could see the expression on Topaz's face as she processed that.
"Yup, it's a book." Topaz was ashamed that she knew what Jean-Paul was talking about. She blamed Tandy. "You've been gone for a while, things have changed."
A quiet laugh escaped Jean-Paul shook his head. "What else has changed? Have you abandoned the library for a beach? Played vollyball with many people you do not know? Learned how to make butterflies land on your fingertips?"
"Yeah, you probably won't even recognize me when you get back. If you ever come back. Of course, I probably won't recognize you either, I assume you've grown a mountain-man-esque beard."
Pulling at the hair on his chin, overgrown and slightly ragged given his lack of interest in grooming it, Jean-Paul said, "I have done no such thing. I do not wish to look like a dead animal has taken up residence on my face."
"I'll believe it when I see it," Topaz said, completely unimpressed.
He was silent for several moments before saying, "I am not so sure when that will be. This place, it is not so comfortable, but it is also very simple. There is not so much noise and distraction. And... I am still..." He paused then exhaled slowly. "I do not know what to do about the medals. This is not such an easy thing to consider."
The mood turned somber, and Topaz sighed silently, leaning back on her couch. "There isn't an easy answer," she said honestly. "I get that. If being out in the middle of nowhere growing a mountain man beard is what you need, then... take all the time you need. This place gets pretty overwhelming sometimes anyways."
"Merci," Jean-Paul said softly. "I have thought of returning the medals. But to do so, I would have to explain why. And this is not something I wish to do -- to tell this world that hates us that I cheated to win these things." He'd always been so proud of his Olympic victories -- they'd been something he'd accomplished himself, rather than something he'd relied on Raymonde for.
"Well," Topaz said thoughtfully, "do you want to return them to own up to what you may or may not have done, or do you want to return them just for yourself?"
"I would return them because I won them under false pretenses," Jean-Paul said. "It is the right thing to do. But of course they would ask me why -- why is this the right thing to do? Why must I shame my country? Other things..." After a short pause, he snorted at himself. "Bah -- who's to say I won them under false pretenses. There is no way to tell whether or my speed powers were active then. But if there is the chance that they were... and so I am back at the beginning. It is a circle, oui? And I am stuck in it."
"So how much longer do you plan on stewing in that circle?" Topaz asked bluntly. "As someone who constantly and without hesitation runs away from problems, I realize this is hypocritical of me, but you can't hide in the mountains forever. Your roommate's going to realize how much better it is without you eventually and throw all your stuff into the hall."
"She washes dishes in the tub," Jean-Paul snorted. "She would have no grounds to throw my things away. Also, I do not know how she is alive, I have not been there for her to steal food from. Please check to make sure that she is breathing."
Topaz rolled her eyes. "I've seen her around, she's fine. Stop avoiding the question."
"I am not so sure. Let me have my time in the circle a bit longer."
"Alright, alright." Topaz sighed. "But I swear to god if I have to come rescue your body from that frozen hellhole, I'm bringing back your spirit just to yell at you."
"I promise I will not become a horror story for you," Jean-Paul said, shaking his head. "I think I will fly to try to see the lights tonight. It is almost too late, but I think I am west enough."
"That might be good," Topaz agreed. Midnight hopped onto the couch, and she began scratching the cat's ears absently. "Get out of your mountain isolation for a bit."
"I will see how high I can fly. I do not know if pictures will work, but I will send you some, if I am able to take them."
"Brilliant," Topaz said honestly. "Can't wait to see 'em."
Jean-Paul sank down a bit in the recliner he'd settled in a few minutes ago, mobile in one hand and a water in the other. It was time for his check-in with Topaz. It felt weird, thinking of it like that, but reassuring her he hadn't hermitted himself to death seemed like a very important thing. Sighing, unsure what he was even doing anymore, he pressed speed dial number one on his mobile.
Raising the phone to his ear, he shifted his weight. The recliner was not particularly comfortable, and he was seriously considering just moving it outside so he'd stop sitting in it purely out of habit.
"Still haven't frozen to death, then?" The almost bored sounding British voice answered after nearly too many rings. Topaz would never, even under the threat of torture and death, admit she had been worried about Jean-Paul when he ran off to the middle of nowhere to get away or find himself or hide from the world. Of course she hadn't been worried, that was just ridiculous.
"Oui," Jean-Paul muttered, hoping she could hear the eyeroll in his tone. "And you? Has Westchester begun to thaw with summer?"
She could. She ignored it. "Yeah the birds are tweeting and the sun is shining. It's lovely." The sarcasm was heavy in her voice. "You could see it if you weren't currently being in a hermit in the snowy mountains." Topaz didn't actually know where he was, but him hermiting in the mountains surrounded by eight feet of snow was an image that amused her.
"Bah," Jean-Paul muttered. "I like the cold, you know. It is comfortable for me." He shifted in a vain attempt to keep a spring from poking him in the kidney until he peed blood.
"Because you're bloody mad." Topaz rolled her eyes, smiling.
"How is the cat?"
"The cat is great, she runs the suite as usual. Think she misses you."
"Of course she does," Jean-Paul scoffed. "I am, by far, the superior petter... this is a word, is it not? No, perhaps I am wrong. She likes my lap best."
"No, she likes that you spoil her with treats," Topaz corrected. "She was starting to get chubby."
"Lies. You are simply jealous," Jean-Paul said, cracking a small smile. "I would not put her health in jeopardy, you see? Perhaps it is only that she misses company on the very high shelves."
"That might be it," Topaz conceded. "There's no lap to sit on up there."
"Hm..." Shifting again, hoping this time he'd win against the godawful spring, Jean-Paul asked, "What of the others? Any more ridiculous things that have happened while I'm away?"
"Oh yeah, loads. I got shrunk down to the size of a bug, and a couple weeks ago I fought an ice giant." She'd leave it to him to decide if she was being sarcastic or not.
Narrowing his eyes, Jean-Paul considered the mostly-blank wall across from the recliner. "I do not know if I believe you. Though I think the ice giant might have been interesting. How did you defeat it?"
"The power of friendship," Topaz said with an absolutely straight face. It was a shame Jean-Paul couldn't see her, because it was impressive.
"So you are now a... what is the term? A pony? With pink hair and a pretty tattoo on your backside?" Jean-Paul deadpanned, eyes slitting further as he slid them to the side with a smirk. In that moment, he very much wished he was at the mansion, just so he could see the expression on Topaz's face as she processed that.
"Yup, it's a book." Topaz was ashamed that she knew what Jean-Paul was talking about. She blamed Tandy. "You've been gone for a while, things have changed."
A quiet laugh escaped Jean-Paul shook his head. "What else has changed? Have you abandoned the library for a beach? Played vollyball with many people you do not know? Learned how to make butterflies land on your fingertips?"
"Yeah, you probably won't even recognize me when you get back. If you ever come back. Of course, I probably won't recognize you either, I assume you've grown a mountain-man-esque beard."
Pulling at the hair on his chin, overgrown and slightly ragged given his lack of interest in grooming it, Jean-Paul said, "I have done no such thing. I do not wish to look like a dead animal has taken up residence on my face."
"I'll believe it when I see it," Topaz said, completely unimpressed.
He was silent for several moments before saying, "I am not so sure when that will be. This place, it is not so comfortable, but it is also very simple. There is not so much noise and distraction. And... I am still..." He paused then exhaled slowly. "I do not know what to do about the medals. This is not such an easy thing to consider."
The mood turned somber, and Topaz sighed silently, leaning back on her couch. "There isn't an easy answer," she said honestly. "I get that. If being out in the middle of nowhere growing a mountain man beard is what you need, then... take all the time you need. This place gets pretty overwhelming sometimes anyways."
"Merci," Jean-Paul said softly. "I have thought of returning the medals. But to do so, I would have to explain why. And this is not something I wish to do -- to tell this world that hates us that I cheated to win these things." He'd always been so proud of his Olympic victories -- they'd been something he'd accomplished himself, rather than something he'd relied on Raymonde for.
"Well," Topaz said thoughtfully, "do you want to return them to own up to what you may or may not have done, or do you want to return them just for yourself?"
"I would return them because I won them under false pretenses," Jean-Paul said. "It is the right thing to do. But of course they would ask me why -- why is this the right thing to do? Why must I shame my country? Other things..." After a short pause, he snorted at himself. "Bah -- who's to say I won them under false pretenses. There is no way to tell whether or my speed powers were active then. But if there is the chance that they were... and so I am back at the beginning. It is a circle, oui? And I am stuck in it."
"So how much longer do you plan on stewing in that circle?" Topaz asked bluntly. "As someone who constantly and without hesitation runs away from problems, I realize this is hypocritical of me, but you can't hide in the mountains forever. Your roommate's going to realize how much better it is without you eventually and throw all your stuff into the hall."
"She washes dishes in the tub," Jean-Paul snorted. "She would have no grounds to throw my things away. Also, I do not know how she is alive, I have not been there for her to steal food from. Please check to make sure that she is breathing."
Topaz rolled her eyes. "I've seen her around, she's fine. Stop avoiding the question."
"I am not so sure. Let me have my time in the circle a bit longer."
"Alright, alright." Topaz sighed. "But I swear to god if I have to come rescue your body from that frozen hellhole, I'm bringing back your spirit just to yell at you."
"I promise I will not become a horror story for you," Jean-Paul said, shaking his head. "I think I will fly to try to see the lights tonight. It is almost too late, but I think I am west enough."
"That might be good," Topaz agreed. Midnight hopped onto the couch, and she began scratching the cat's ears absently. "Get out of your mountain isolation for a bit."
"I will see how high I can fly. I do not know if pictures will work, but I will send you some, if I am able to take them."
"Brilliant," Topaz said honestly. "Can't wait to see 'em."
