Topaz and Scott (Backdated)
Apr. 21st, 2018 03:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsScott confronts Topaz about the liberal use of emotion draining during the undersea adventure. Things get... heated. Backdated to April 21.
(Brief mention of major character death.)
Topaz was in the mansion library for the first time in a while, and already regretting how much she had been neglecting it. "No one has any respect for books," she sighed as she set to work with cleaning up. At least it was only books and no one had left trash all over the place.
"Well, you know sometimes I have to think the universe has a sense of humour, I don't think I've ever heard a better segue in my life." The words might be light and jovial, but the look on Scott's face, the cold look in his eyes belied the man's usual good humour.
"What?" Was the obvious, confused answer as Topaz turned to look at Scott, her eyebrows furrowed in honest bewilderment. "Sorry, what're you on about?"
Stepping into the library Scott reached back to close the door slowly behind him, the wooden barely creaking as it swung shut with a sense of finality it was hard to come by. "I think we need to talk about something that happened on the boat." It was almost un-noticable, but you didn't live for years without two of the most powerful telepaths in the world without developing some kind of sensitivity. "Something like a draining of our emotions."
Topaz' jaw tightened slightly. "I didn't drain anyone," she informed him coldly. "I don't remember anybody walking around on the boat like an emotionless zombie, do you?"
An arched eyebrow was Scott's only response to that defence as his eyes flicked over the room settling on Topaz's desk. "Think of a cup of tea, I don't need to tip the whole thing out to drain off part of the liquid. You may not have turned anyone into an emotionless zombie, but that doesn't mean you didn't drain a little from everyone."
“And?” Topaz asked stonily. “I didn’t impede anyone’s ability to fight, and you asked for some serious magic. Not all of us are lucky enough to have a renewable source that doesn’t involve people. You ask for magic, you get magic. Sometimes that comes with consequences.”
Closing his eyes Scott pulled in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before he let it go in a sigh "No-one is denying you needed the power source Topaz, that's not what concerns me." He dark eyes snapped open, settling on the young woman's face, "What does concern me is that you just took that power without asking permission first. These are people's minds we're talking about, the same courtesy the mansion psychics extend to us is one you should extend. No dipping into people's minds without their permission, It's not like you couldn't have asked and something has to be sacrosanct. Look at this place, we live right ontop of one another but at least you know that your personality, your mind and emotions are safe."
"I barely touched anyone's minds," Topaz counter. "I wasn't in their heads rifling through their emotions or reading their thoughts. It's not so much tipping out a little bit of tea as it is taking a teaspoon out." She turned away to continue her work. "You do what you have to do sometimes. I suppose that's how you justify getting kids killed so you can sleep at night?"
Scott's face was not amused at all, all traces of humour fleeing from his features as he went emotionally blank, one of the advantages of growing up around two of the most powerful telepaths in the world was the psychic shielding he had developed. "I don't sleep at night," he informed her coldly, "but then I assume that you feel that by blaming other people you can assuage some of your guilt. You maybe right though Vimala, we might do what we have to, but no I don't believe it. We do what we choose to do, and if someone volunteers then I'll send them to fight and hate myself for doing it. But I won't try to hide what I do, I won't run from responsibility or try to hide it either, and I never do it behind people's backs. I'm not trying to justify my actions by bringing up the ghosts of dead children. I had to do it, it's the best way. I suppose that's what everyone has always said, what your father said, what the Destines said, even what Magneto says, you do what you do. Congratulations, you've joined a very illustrious group there.”
Topaz’ jaw tightened, her eyes getting dangerously dark. Then, oddly, she smiled, a very cold and humorless smile. “What’s the saying? Like father, like daughter, right? Who would really be surprised if I turned out that way? I’ve already fucked up more than enough. But I’ll tell you this - I at least don’t send other people to do my dirty work for me. I’ve always owned my screw ups, and I don’t try to dodge blame. Maybe everything is black and white in your perfect little X-Men world, but you were messing with magic. It’s messy, and grey, and there’s always a price to pay. You fuck with magic, this is what you get. So yeah, you do what you have to do. And if thay makes me like Taboo then - well, like I said, who would be surprised?” She set down the books and walked passed Scott, heading for the library counter. “And by the way,” she said over her shoulder, “I was one of those children fighting that night, in case you’ve forgotten. So don’t talk to me about hiding from responsibility. I stood out there with my friends and I did exactly what everyone expected - I prepared myself to die. Unfortunately I got to be one of the ones who lived.”
A slow clap echoed from Scott's hands, "Well now, this looks like a self-fulfilling prophecy here. You could have picked anyone as a role-model, there's no end of people in this mansion who care about you, any of whom would make a wonderful role-model. Kurt or Amanda especially love you like a member of their family but I guess it all comes back to dear old dad. Oh I get it, I know just how hard it is to have the weight of your father's shadow leaning over you but let me tell you something, life is all grey but it's all about a choice in the end. The world forces us to make choices, and no-one can deny it forces the grey on you but you get to decide what shade of grey you are. We all have that choice, I mean look at Amanda, you know about Rack and what he did to her but she chose not to be like him. I chose not to be like my dad, we all chose who we are. Be careful when you make that choice though, this place it gives everyone a second chance, but what we do with it is entirely up to us."
"Oh how kind of you all." The sarcasm and mockery were clear in Topaz' voice. "But I think I'm on my fifth or sixth chance by this point, so I guess I'll just go start packing my bags. I eagerly await the eviction notice on my door."
She ducked under the library desk to grab her bag, tossing it over her shoulder. "Tell Xavier to find a new librarian," she added as she started toward the door. "It's hard to work here if I don't live here."
If Scott had anything else to say, she didn't stick around to listen.
(Brief mention of major character death.)
Topaz was in the mansion library for the first time in a while, and already regretting how much she had been neglecting it. "No one has any respect for books," she sighed as she set to work with cleaning up. At least it was only books and no one had left trash all over the place.
"Well, you know sometimes I have to think the universe has a sense of humour, I don't think I've ever heard a better segue in my life." The words might be light and jovial, but the look on Scott's face, the cold look in his eyes belied the man's usual good humour.
"What?" Was the obvious, confused answer as Topaz turned to look at Scott, her eyebrows furrowed in honest bewilderment. "Sorry, what're you on about?"
Stepping into the library Scott reached back to close the door slowly behind him, the wooden barely creaking as it swung shut with a sense of finality it was hard to come by. "I think we need to talk about something that happened on the boat." It was almost un-noticable, but you didn't live for years without two of the most powerful telepaths in the world without developing some kind of sensitivity. "Something like a draining of our emotions."
Topaz' jaw tightened slightly. "I didn't drain anyone," she informed him coldly. "I don't remember anybody walking around on the boat like an emotionless zombie, do you?"
An arched eyebrow was Scott's only response to that defence as his eyes flicked over the room settling on Topaz's desk. "Think of a cup of tea, I don't need to tip the whole thing out to drain off part of the liquid. You may not have turned anyone into an emotionless zombie, but that doesn't mean you didn't drain a little from everyone."
“And?” Topaz asked stonily. “I didn’t impede anyone’s ability to fight, and you asked for some serious magic. Not all of us are lucky enough to have a renewable source that doesn’t involve people. You ask for magic, you get magic. Sometimes that comes with consequences.”
Closing his eyes Scott pulled in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before he let it go in a sigh "No-one is denying you needed the power source Topaz, that's not what concerns me." He dark eyes snapped open, settling on the young woman's face, "What does concern me is that you just took that power without asking permission first. These are people's minds we're talking about, the same courtesy the mansion psychics extend to us is one you should extend. No dipping into people's minds without their permission, It's not like you couldn't have asked and something has to be sacrosanct. Look at this place, we live right ontop of one another but at least you know that your personality, your mind and emotions are safe."
"I barely touched anyone's minds," Topaz counter. "I wasn't in their heads rifling through their emotions or reading their thoughts. It's not so much tipping out a little bit of tea as it is taking a teaspoon out." She turned away to continue her work. "You do what you have to do sometimes. I suppose that's how you justify getting kids killed so you can sleep at night?"
Scott's face was not amused at all, all traces of humour fleeing from his features as he went emotionally blank, one of the advantages of growing up around two of the most powerful telepaths in the world was the psychic shielding he had developed. "I don't sleep at night," he informed her coldly, "but then I assume that you feel that by blaming other people you can assuage some of your guilt. You maybe right though Vimala, we might do what we have to, but no I don't believe it. We do what we choose to do, and if someone volunteers then I'll send them to fight and hate myself for doing it. But I won't try to hide what I do, I won't run from responsibility or try to hide it either, and I never do it behind people's backs. I'm not trying to justify my actions by bringing up the ghosts of dead children. I had to do it, it's the best way. I suppose that's what everyone has always said, what your father said, what the Destines said, even what Magneto says, you do what you do. Congratulations, you've joined a very illustrious group there.”
Topaz’ jaw tightened, her eyes getting dangerously dark. Then, oddly, she smiled, a very cold and humorless smile. “What’s the saying? Like father, like daughter, right? Who would really be surprised if I turned out that way? I’ve already fucked up more than enough. But I’ll tell you this - I at least don’t send other people to do my dirty work for me. I’ve always owned my screw ups, and I don’t try to dodge blame. Maybe everything is black and white in your perfect little X-Men world, but you were messing with magic. It’s messy, and grey, and there’s always a price to pay. You fuck with magic, this is what you get. So yeah, you do what you have to do. And if thay makes me like Taboo then - well, like I said, who would be surprised?” She set down the books and walked passed Scott, heading for the library counter. “And by the way,” she said over her shoulder, “I was one of those children fighting that night, in case you’ve forgotten. So don’t talk to me about hiding from responsibility. I stood out there with my friends and I did exactly what everyone expected - I prepared myself to die. Unfortunately I got to be one of the ones who lived.”
A slow clap echoed from Scott's hands, "Well now, this looks like a self-fulfilling prophecy here. You could have picked anyone as a role-model, there's no end of people in this mansion who care about you, any of whom would make a wonderful role-model. Kurt or Amanda especially love you like a member of their family but I guess it all comes back to dear old dad. Oh I get it, I know just how hard it is to have the weight of your father's shadow leaning over you but let me tell you something, life is all grey but it's all about a choice in the end. The world forces us to make choices, and no-one can deny it forces the grey on you but you get to decide what shade of grey you are. We all have that choice, I mean look at Amanda, you know about Rack and what he did to her but she chose not to be like him. I chose not to be like my dad, we all chose who we are. Be careful when you make that choice though, this place it gives everyone a second chance, but what we do with it is entirely up to us."
"Oh how kind of you all." The sarcasm and mockery were clear in Topaz' voice. "But I think I'm on my fifth or sixth chance by this point, so I guess I'll just go start packing my bags. I eagerly await the eviction notice on my door."
She ducked under the library desk to grab her bag, tossing it over her shoulder. "Tell Xavier to find a new librarian," she added as she started toward the door. "It's hard to work here if I don't live here."
If Scott had anything else to say, she didn't stick around to listen.
