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xp_logsTopaz tries to face the church for the first time since returning from the void. Amanda is supportive and distracting. Backdated to April 20.
It was stupid. Topaz knew it was stupid. It was the same building she'd spent days and weeks and months in, nothing about it had really changed.
Except for the formerly unstable wormhole inside of it. But that was under control now. There was no risk of her accidentally falling inside of it. Or ending up back in the void. Trapped. In the cold and dark. Forever.
She groaned, turning away and scrubbing her eyes. She would've walked away if she hadn't already dragged Amanda all the way out here to stare at the damn church. "This is bloody ridiculous."
"Fear usually is," replied Amanda, who was standing downwind so the smoke of her cigarette wouldn't blow in Topaz' face. "But that's why we're here, innit? 'Cause you want to stop letting the fear take the driver's seat? So you take as long as you need and do what you feel you're up for. Don't worry about me."
"Yeah," Topaz muttered, kicking at the ground. She looked back at the church. "I know it's fine. I really do."
"Head knows one thing, emotions tell us another," Amanda said wryly. "How do you want to do this? Take a few steps and see how you feel?"
"Yeah." Topaz blew out a long breath, squaring her shoulders. "Just. One step at a time. And... could you talk to me? About anything, doesn't matter, just... talk. Make noise."
Of course, having been asked to talk, Amanda found herself speechless. Random chat wasn't one of her strong points, but she figured for Topaz she'd do what was needed. "Um, yeah." She took a meditative drag on her cigarette. "So, what are you working on at the moment? Trenchcoat wise?"
"Networking stuff, mostly. Boring." She took a step. "You know, going through all those contacts we got from Brand. Finished unpacking everything we rescued from Avalon, which... wasn't a lot when all is said and done." There was a bitter note in her voice. Centuries of magical items lost.
"You did what you could. And maybe it's for the best that we didn't get more. Too much power makes us a target - the Dweller in the Darkness showed us that." Amanda shrugged. "We've gotten along fine with less. Small comfort for the magical librarian, I know."
Another step. "It's just frustrating." She had to stop and close her eyes. "I'm still trying to figure out where that bloody book came from, too. The contact who left it with Darcy doesn't remember anything."
"Which is weird in and of itself. Did we try one of the telepaths on them? Emma?" Amanda took another step forward, keeping next to Topaz. "Not always helpful when magic's involved, but then again, it might give us something. That sodding book was a plant, that's for sure."
"Asking Emma's my next step. There was definitely some magical tampering, though, so I'm not holding my breath on it." Topaz kicked at the ground, grimacing. "It's not like the list of possible suspects to plant a book like that is small, either."
"That's what comes of sticking our noses in, unfortunately. Bad people get pissed off at us." Amanda shrugged a little. "I'll draw up a list of the most likely suspects, see if we can narrow things down."
Topaz stopped, rocking on her heels and staring at the church. "Yeah." She took a deep breath, then started forward with more deliberate steps.
""Still, something like that book wouldn't have been too easy to get hold of," Amanda continued as if they were just sitting at the office or in her suite, talking work. "Did you manage to get much of a look at it before things went pear-shaped?"
"Not really. I only had it for about a day, and Darcy dropped it on me then immediately followed up with 'hey, do you think anything in Avalon could help Collins?'" Topaz resisted the urge to roll her eyes, feeling relaxed for a moment. "The cover said it was the Necronomicon, and I'm more inclined to believe that in light of what happened. But that's all I really remember."
Amanda took advantage of Topaz relaxing, even for a moment, to casually take another couple of steps closer to the chapel. "Usually a name would help, but every second magic book calls itself the Necronomicon. It's like demons calling themselves the First Evil."
"Every second book isn't turning the mansion into some... weird..." Topaz waved a hand vaguely. "Horror movie mashup. And then blowing a hole in the universe." They were closer now. and she stopped, looking at the doors.
Amanda stopped with her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "You ready for this?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah." She blew out a long breath. She could make up a million excuses and run, but she was always going to end up back at this door. "Let's go."
She rested her hand on the doorknob, and carefully turned it, opening the door.
It was stupid. Topaz knew it was stupid. It was the same building she'd spent days and weeks and months in, nothing about it had really changed.
Except for the formerly unstable wormhole inside of it. But that was under control now. There was no risk of her accidentally falling inside of it. Or ending up back in the void. Trapped. In the cold and dark. Forever.
She groaned, turning away and scrubbing her eyes. She would've walked away if she hadn't already dragged Amanda all the way out here to stare at the damn church. "This is bloody ridiculous."
"Fear usually is," replied Amanda, who was standing downwind so the smoke of her cigarette wouldn't blow in Topaz' face. "But that's why we're here, innit? 'Cause you want to stop letting the fear take the driver's seat? So you take as long as you need and do what you feel you're up for. Don't worry about me."
"Yeah," Topaz muttered, kicking at the ground. She looked back at the church. "I know it's fine. I really do."
"Head knows one thing, emotions tell us another," Amanda said wryly. "How do you want to do this? Take a few steps and see how you feel?"
"Yeah." Topaz blew out a long breath, squaring her shoulders. "Just. One step at a time. And... could you talk to me? About anything, doesn't matter, just... talk. Make noise."
Of course, having been asked to talk, Amanda found herself speechless. Random chat wasn't one of her strong points, but she figured for Topaz she'd do what was needed. "Um, yeah." She took a meditative drag on her cigarette. "So, what are you working on at the moment? Trenchcoat wise?"
"Networking stuff, mostly. Boring." She took a step. "You know, going through all those contacts we got from Brand. Finished unpacking everything we rescued from Avalon, which... wasn't a lot when all is said and done." There was a bitter note in her voice. Centuries of magical items lost.
"You did what you could. And maybe it's for the best that we didn't get more. Too much power makes us a target - the Dweller in the Darkness showed us that." Amanda shrugged. "We've gotten along fine with less. Small comfort for the magical librarian, I know."
Another step. "It's just frustrating." She had to stop and close her eyes. "I'm still trying to figure out where that bloody book came from, too. The contact who left it with Darcy doesn't remember anything."
"Which is weird in and of itself. Did we try one of the telepaths on them? Emma?" Amanda took another step forward, keeping next to Topaz. "Not always helpful when magic's involved, but then again, it might give us something. That sodding book was a plant, that's for sure."
"Asking Emma's my next step. There was definitely some magical tampering, though, so I'm not holding my breath on it." Topaz kicked at the ground, grimacing. "It's not like the list of possible suspects to plant a book like that is small, either."
"That's what comes of sticking our noses in, unfortunately. Bad people get pissed off at us." Amanda shrugged a little. "I'll draw up a list of the most likely suspects, see if we can narrow things down."
Topaz stopped, rocking on her heels and staring at the church. "Yeah." She took a deep breath, then started forward with more deliberate steps.
""Still, something like that book wouldn't have been too easy to get hold of," Amanda continued as if they were just sitting at the office or in her suite, talking work. "Did you manage to get much of a look at it before things went pear-shaped?"
"Not really. I only had it for about a day, and Darcy dropped it on me then immediately followed up with 'hey, do you think anything in Avalon could help Collins?'" Topaz resisted the urge to roll her eyes, feeling relaxed for a moment. "The cover said it was the Necronomicon, and I'm more inclined to believe that in light of what happened. But that's all I really remember."
Amanda took advantage of Topaz relaxing, even for a moment, to casually take another couple of steps closer to the chapel. "Usually a name would help, but every second magic book calls itself the Necronomicon. It's like demons calling themselves the First Evil."
"Every second book isn't turning the mansion into some... weird..." Topaz waved a hand vaguely. "Horror movie mashup. And then blowing a hole in the universe." They were closer now. and she stopped, looking at the doors.
Amanda stopped with her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "You ready for this?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah." She blew out a long breath. She could make up a million excuses and run, but she was always going to end up back at this door. "Let's go."
She rested her hand on the doorknob, and carefully turned it, opening the door.
