Template:Featured Articles/6-2019

From XPwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
MoA Northstar.png
Moment of Awesome - Jean-Paul Beaubier/Northstar Back from his sabbatical, Jean-Paulo discusses Topaz' recent trauma with Amanda Sefton.

"Did Topaz ever tell you about her dad? How she wound up here?"

"No," Jean-Paul said, shaking his head as he pulled fresh mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach from the box she'd had delivered. There were eggs, butter, and cheese in the refrigerator, at least. He could make passable omelettes with these things. "It is not something we talk about so much. It is not a happy thing. This is what you mean?"

Amanda sighed. These sorts of situations were so much easier when people knew the backstory. "Pretty much, yeah. Long story short, there's this family of magic users after Topaz and her dad, and to try and get to her, they were cursing random people at the mansion. I got ambushed when I went to meet a contact and this happened." She gestured at herself. "Topaz did the stupid heroic thing and gave herself up so they'd stop hurting people. They had her for a few days, but that was enough to mess with her head. She's still getting over that."

"Oui," Jean-Paul nodded. That didn't seem like the kind of thing someone could get over easily. "That does seem like a thing she would do, also. You would not think it to meet her at first." He rolled his eyes. Ugh, the nag. She would give herself to an evil group of people to save others. "There is more? Or the terrible family only?"

"Well, there was the torture. While they had her, the Destines had their fun. Same bloke who did this to me, mostly. She hasn't talked a lot about it, but she's been having sessions with the Prof - Professor Xavier, that is." Amanda sighed again and sipped at her coffee. "She's stubborn, tho'. And she has this thing about it all being her fault so she doesn't ask for help. I moved in temporarily to keep an eye on her, tho' I didn't phrase it like that."

"Merci," Jean-Paul said, giving Amanda a small salute with his own cup of coffee. "I can see why she would say it is all her fault, but then I think she does not often understand that to blame herself for these things it is... what is the word? Victim-blaming? Oui. She did not choose to have these things done to her or those around her. Other people made this choice for her. Because there are terrible people in the world and they will always do terrible things for their own benefit or gain." He paused briefly, sipped from his cup, and then asked, "Is there anything you do not like particularly in your omelettes?"

"See, this is why it's good you're around. She needs another sensible friend to poke her when she's doing that," Amanda said approvingly, before considering the question. "Basically if it's food, I'm good. I've been told often enough I have no palate from years of curries, so I trust your judgement."

"I would tell her these things often, but we do not tend to speak so much about them. I do not tell her about why I no longer ski, she does not tell me about being tortured. We call one another names and sit quietly and it is nice," Jean-Paul said, shaking his head as he began preparing the ingredients for the omelettes. "I think, though, I will tell her some of this now that I know. It will do some good, perhaps. Or she will be angry with me and I will go back to worrying about classes at the end of the month."

The witch nodded and shrugged. "Whatever works with you two as mates," she replied. "As long as she knows she has people there for her who aren't going to disappear, no matter what she does."