Topaz and America (Backdated)
Jul. 19th, 2021 09:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAmerica goes to Topaz for some insight into magic and dimension hopping. And promptly forgets how to control her mouth.
The emotional hum of the mansion was almost background noise to Topaz. Sometimes she even enjoyed it; it was like white noise keeping her company as she re-shelved library books.
Being accustomed to it also made it very obvious when someone new came along. Most people weren't used to thinking about things like keeping their feelings quiet.
She half tilted her head when she felt the new, loud presence at the door. There was only one new person in the mansion, and Kyle had told her he'd pointed the girl in her direction for help with something. She tucked the last book away and peeked around the shelf that was hiding her.
"Hello?"
America felt a little like someone had taken a frying pan to her head. It took her a full two seconds to realize that the absolutely beautiful woman in front of her had greeted her. "Oh, hi. Hello. I'm America. I'm new."
Topaz did her best to hide a smile. Some people felt far too loudly sometimes. "Topaz, nice to meet you. You're looking into dimension hopping, right?"
America blinked. "Wow, word gets around fast here, eh?" She tried VERY hard not to stare. She was a mature woman who thought of more than attractive women. "Yeah, I used to just punch a hole between universes like knocking out some scummy pimp, but that stopped pretty suddenly last year."
"Kyle likes to talk. Especially when he's letting me punch him." She looked at her half full cart of library books, then shrugged, waving a hand. A couple of medium-size teddy bears came to roll it away. "Would 'suddenly last year' be around mid-December?"
America ran through the date conversion out loud. "Middle of Wu-Zi, yeah, about that. You know something." She said the last with the barest edge of accusation.
"Yeah." There was no point in hiding it. Topaz made her way to the desk, ducking under it to grab her journal from her bag. She didn't make a habit of writing down too many details, and at this point she had her code down to a science. "December eighteenth, there was... an incident with a psychic vampire trying to feed off the wrong person. Some things went sideways, and the cracks between dimensions were all closed up. Things have been unstable for years, so really it should've been a happy ending, but..." She closed the book, looking up and meeting America's gaze. "The universe rarely works things out in everyone's favor."
"And I pulled the short straw of incidental casualty," America sighed. "I mean, I suppose it could be worse. I could have been mid-travel when it happened. Then I'd be like my moms. Atoms spread across the multiverse."
There was a definite drop in emotion there. Topaz put the book back in her bag, still watching the other woman. "Would that be preferable?" She'd learned a long time ago not to beat around the bush.
America grinned. "Nah, I just miss my moms. I haven't really.... settled in one place long enough to feel it since it happened." And why did she confess THAT?!
"Oh, don't let anyone else hear you say that." There was a light teasing tone in Topaz's face. "They poke you with spears to make you go to therapy."
"That might tickle," she giggled.
Wait, she just giggled. America had definitely lost it.
Topaz raised an eyebrow, a half smile pulling at her lips. Avoidance. She could understand that. And she certainly wasn't one to push unless necessary. "I'll let people know. And I can do some research into dimension hopping, there might be a magical loophole, but universes are apparently unsteady - who knew." She added that last part dryly.
Doug strolled into the library, thumbing at his phone with his left hand, and the nanite prosthetic in a very minimal sling. "Hey, Topaz, did you hear-" he looked up and trailed off, belatedly realizing someone else was in the room. "Oh, right. Hey there, And So Can You." That joke wasn't getting old any time soon.
He took in the tableau, one eyebrow rising in amusement. Hips tilted, multiple hair touches, mirroring...Doug had never been so sure upon approximately five seconds of seeing a person's body language that they were Definitely A Lesbian. Possibly even of the disaster variety. He tapped out a quick text to Marie-Ange.
"Did I hear what?" Topaz prompted patiently, ignoring the joke. Doug knew well enough to be discreet, but it was probably best to get him out before America realized she was broadcasting her every feeling and intention to two people.
America deliberately turned away from the new blond boy with an eyeroll. "And I want that book, too. I did a Google on that phrase that people keep saying to me. It looks interesting."
Doug pulled a hardcover copy of Stephen Colbert's book from between the sling and his stomach and slid it across the table to America. "Of course I was going to get you the book, joke's no good if you have to keep explaining it. Plus Colbert is funny as hell." He turned to Topaz, blinked for a moment, then remembered the reason he'd actually come to the library. "Our noodle joint is doing a three-course tasting meal for Restaurant Week, looks super good." He tossed her his phone with the menu pulled up.
Topaz caught the phone with a bubble, letting it float to her. "Brilliant." She shot America a small smile. "I'll get in touch with you about dimensional hopping while you learn to understand every weird reference Doug makes - and there are a lot."
America saw the opportunity and seized it. "Do you think you'd have time to make me a list?" she asked. "We could go through it together."
"Of course. Might need a couple of days, my books have a habit of wandering to other parts of the mansion..." Whether that was literal or figurative was up to interpretation. "But I can text you when I've got them and we can set up a time to meet?"
"Great! I'll zip you! Wait, there's no zipping here, it's phones, not headsets. No watchcoms either." Unable to control her mouth, America started backing up, almost tripped over her own feet. "But yeah, text. We can text. Bye!"
The emotional hum of the mansion was almost background noise to Topaz. Sometimes she even enjoyed it; it was like white noise keeping her company as she re-shelved library books.
Being accustomed to it also made it very obvious when someone new came along. Most people weren't used to thinking about things like keeping their feelings quiet.
She half tilted her head when she felt the new, loud presence at the door. There was only one new person in the mansion, and Kyle had told her he'd pointed the girl in her direction for help with something. She tucked the last book away and peeked around the shelf that was hiding her.
"Hello?"
America felt a little like someone had taken a frying pan to her head. It took her a full two seconds to realize that the absolutely beautiful woman in front of her had greeted her. "Oh, hi. Hello. I'm America. I'm new."
Topaz did her best to hide a smile. Some people felt far too loudly sometimes. "Topaz, nice to meet you. You're looking into dimension hopping, right?"
America blinked. "Wow, word gets around fast here, eh?" She tried VERY hard not to stare. She was a mature woman who thought of more than attractive women. "Yeah, I used to just punch a hole between universes like knocking out some scummy pimp, but that stopped pretty suddenly last year."
"Kyle likes to talk. Especially when he's letting me punch him." She looked at her half full cart of library books, then shrugged, waving a hand. A couple of medium-size teddy bears came to roll it away. "Would 'suddenly last year' be around mid-December?"
America ran through the date conversion out loud. "Middle of Wu-Zi, yeah, about that. You know something." She said the last with the barest edge of accusation.
"Yeah." There was no point in hiding it. Topaz made her way to the desk, ducking under it to grab her journal from her bag. She didn't make a habit of writing down too many details, and at this point she had her code down to a science. "December eighteenth, there was... an incident with a psychic vampire trying to feed off the wrong person. Some things went sideways, and the cracks between dimensions were all closed up. Things have been unstable for years, so really it should've been a happy ending, but..." She closed the book, looking up and meeting America's gaze. "The universe rarely works things out in everyone's favor."
"And I pulled the short straw of incidental casualty," America sighed. "I mean, I suppose it could be worse. I could have been mid-travel when it happened. Then I'd be like my moms. Atoms spread across the multiverse."
There was a definite drop in emotion there. Topaz put the book back in her bag, still watching the other woman. "Would that be preferable?" She'd learned a long time ago not to beat around the bush.
America grinned. "Nah, I just miss my moms. I haven't really.... settled in one place long enough to feel it since it happened." And why did she confess THAT?!
"Oh, don't let anyone else hear you say that." There was a light teasing tone in Topaz's face. "They poke you with spears to make you go to therapy."
"That might tickle," she giggled.
Wait, she just giggled. America had definitely lost it.
Topaz raised an eyebrow, a half smile pulling at her lips. Avoidance. She could understand that. And she certainly wasn't one to push unless necessary. "I'll let people know. And I can do some research into dimension hopping, there might be a magical loophole, but universes are apparently unsteady - who knew." She added that last part dryly.
Doug strolled into the library, thumbing at his phone with his left hand, and the nanite prosthetic in a very minimal sling. "Hey, Topaz, did you hear-" he looked up and trailed off, belatedly realizing someone else was in the room. "Oh, right. Hey there, And So Can You." That joke wasn't getting old any time soon.
He took in the tableau, one eyebrow rising in amusement. Hips tilted, multiple hair touches, mirroring...Doug had never been so sure upon approximately five seconds of seeing a person's body language that they were Definitely A Lesbian. Possibly even of the disaster variety. He tapped out a quick text to Marie-Ange.
"Did I hear what?" Topaz prompted patiently, ignoring the joke. Doug knew well enough to be discreet, but it was probably best to get him out before America realized she was broadcasting her every feeling and intention to two people.
America deliberately turned away from the new blond boy with an eyeroll. "And I want that book, too. I did a Google on that phrase that people keep saying to me. It looks interesting."
Doug pulled a hardcover copy of Stephen Colbert's book from between the sling and his stomach and slid it across the table to America. "Of course I was going to get you the book, joke's no good if you have to keep explaining it. Plus Colbert is funny as hell." He turned to Topaz, blinked for a moment, then remembered the reason he'd actually come to the library. "Our noodle joint is doing a three-course tasting meal for Restaurant Week, looks super good." He tossed her his phone with the menu pulled up.
Topaz caught the phone with a bubble, letting it float to her. "Brilliant." She shot America a small smile. "I'll get in touch with you about dimensional hopping while you learn to understand every weird reference Doug makes - and there are a lot."
America saw the opportunity and seized it. "Do you think you'd have time to make me a list?" she asked. "We could go through it together."
"Of course. Might need a couple of days, my books have a habit of wandering to other parts of the mansion..." Whether that was literal or figurative was up to interpretation. "But I can text you when I've got them and we can set up a time to meet?"
"Great! I'll zip you! Wait, there's no zipping here, it's phones, not headsets. No watchcoms either." Unable to control her mouth, America started backing up, almost tripped over her own feet. "But yeah, text. We can text. Bye!"
