http://x_dust.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
x-dust.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
xp_logs2006-08-23 08:24 am
x-dust.livejournal.com) wrote in xp_logs2006-08-23 08:24 am
Entry tags:
Angelo and Sooraya | Backdated
Backdated to a while ago, during Sooraya's first days at the school and in the boathouse. Angelo stops by to talk with Nate but finds Sooraya instead. They have a nice, if stilted, chat.
It had been several days since Sooraya had arrived at the school in the large, strangely silent plane along with Nathan and the rest of the team that had rescued her in Afghanistan. She had seen a glimpse of the grounds and the large mansion that made up the school, but she had spent most of her time (well, nearly all of it) in the smaller lakehouse where Nathan lived and worked. In truth she was a bit overwhelmed by the sudden change of scenery, along with the startling notion that she was now free. Soon she would try to meet people and begin exploring her new home. Soon. But not quite yet.
Even though she had stayed inside the small house, there had been plenty to keep her occupied. First off, Nathan bid her familiarize herself with all the rooms and the multitude of equipment in them. She had spent a long while in the kitchen surrounded by the blinking electronics and smooth surfaces, not touching anything but looking with wide eyes over it all. In addition to this, Nate had offered to begin English lessons with her. He was a slow, patient teacher, and though it was a long and difficult task, Sooraya found herself heartened by his encouragement.
That day, however, she had begun to tidy up the room where she had been sleeping, and then made her way into the larger living room. It was mostly clean, but the odd paper scattered here or there drew her attention. She began to stack these neatly, then pulled a crookedly-placed blanket from the back of the sofa and started to fold it. She smiled slightly, glad there was something she could do for Nathan to thank him for all he had done for her.
Angelo was reading a report as he ambled into the room, attention more on that than on his surroundings. "You maybe want to look at this one, Nath... an who isn't here", he finished as he finally looked up, smiling at the girl. "Hey, Sooraya."
Sooraya froze for a split second, her muscles going rigid before she forced herself to relax. "~Hello~," she replied in Farsi, then worried her lower lip. What had Nathan said was the common greeting in English? "Hello?" she tried again in English, looking hopeful.
He tried to project 'reassuring', still smiling. "Hello. ~Been having English teach?~" His Farsi was still far from perfect.
"~Yes. From Nathan,~" the girl replied with a nod. She hesitated, unsure how well she would be able to communicate with the young man. "~You are well?~"
"~Very well~", he answered, smile growing at the so-far successful conversation. "~And you? Like the school?~"
Another nod, and Sooraya smiled back at Angelo this time. "~Yes. It is very... large, though.~ That was certainly an understatement, but it seemed the most diplomatic way of putting things. Not that Sooraya knew anything about diplomacy, but she did know about politeness, and telling Angelo that his school was far bigger than she could ever imagine someone needing probably wasn't very polite.
"~Not always a school~", he told her, choosing words around the limits in his vocabulary. "~A house, before.~ Professor Xavier's ~family~."
A school that large had been one thing, but one family? Sooraya forgot everything about politeness for a moment and gaped at Angelo before she remembered her manners and closed her mouth. "~How large was his family?~" she inquired then, her mind already envisioning a gaggle of children and aunts and uncles and grandparents filling up the spacious rooms.
He laughed, but not unkindly. "~I don't know. Just what I heard.~"
Sooraya offered another smile, grateful that he was talking to her despite the difficulty. She suddenly wished that she was able to speak to him in his own language, and vowed to work even more diligently with Nathan on her lessons. Lessons. Never before had someone paid so much attention to her or her education. It was enough to make her head spin. "~Thank you,~" she told Angelo, her smile growing. "~For speaking with me. I think I'm very glad I came here.~"
Angelo grinned back, pleased. "~That's good to hear. I think you'll like it.~"
"~If everyone here is as kind as you and Nathan, I think you are right.~"
It had been several days since Sooraya had arrived at the school in the large, strangely silent plane along with Nathan and the rest of the team that had rescued her in Afghanistan. She had seen a glimpse of the grounds and the large mansion that made up the school, but she had spent most of her time (well, nearly all of it) in the smaller lakehouse where Nathan lived and worked. In truth she was a bit overwhelmed by the sudden change of scenery, along with the startling notion that she was now free. Soon she would try to meet people and begin exploring her new home. Soon. But not quite yet.
Even though she had stayed inside the small house, there had been plenty to keep her occupied. First off, Nathan bid her familiarize herself with all the rooms and the multitude of equipment in them. She had spent a long while in the kitchen surrounded by the blinking electronics and smooth surfaces, not touching anything but looking with wide eyes over it all. In addition to this, Nate had offered to begin English lessons with her. He was a slow, patient teacher, and though it was a long and difficult task, Sooraya found herself heartened by his encouragement.
That day, however, she had begun to tidy up the room where she had been sleeping, and then made her way into the larger living room. It was mostly clean, but the odd paper scattered here or there drew her attention. She began to stack these neatly, then pulled a crookedly-placed blanket from the back of the sofa and started to fold it. She smiled slightly, glad there was something she could do for Nathan to thank him for all he had done for her.
Angelo was reading a report as he ambled into the room, attention more on that than on his surroundings. "You maybe want to look at this one, Nath... an who isn't here", he finished as he finally looked up, smiling at the girl. "Hey, Sooraya."
Sooraya froze for a split second, her muscles going rigid before she forced herself to relax. "~Hello~," she replied in Farsi, then worried her lower lip. What had Nathan said was the common greeting in English? "Hello?" she tried again in English, looking hopeful.
He tried to project 'reassuring', still smiling. "Hello. ~Been having English teach?~" His Farsi was still far from perfect.
"~Yes. From Nathan,~" the girl replied with a nod. She hesitated, unsure how well she would be able to communicate with the young man. "~You are well?~"
"~Very well~", he answered, smile growing at the so-far successful conversation. "~And you? Like the school?~"
Another nod, and Sooraya smiled back at Angelo this time. "~Yes. It is very... large, though.~ That was certainly an understatement, but it seemed the most diplomatic way of putting things. Not that Sooraya knew anything about diplomacy, but she did know about politeness, and telling Angelo that his school was far bigger than she could ever imagine someone needing probably wasn't very polite.
"~Not always a school~", he told her, choosing words around the limits in his vocabulary. "~A house, before.~ Professor Xavier's ~family~."
A school that large had been one thing, but one family? Sooraya forgot everything about politeness for a moment and gaped at Angelo before she remembered her manners and closed her mouth. "~How large was his family?~" she inquired then, her mind already envisioning a gaggle of children and aunts and uncles and grandparents filling up the spacious rooms.
He laughed, but not unkindly. "~I don't know. Just what I heard.~"
Sooraya offered another smile, grateful that he was talking to her despite the difficulty. She suddenly wished that she was able to speak to him in his own language, and vowed to work even more diligently with Nathan on her lessons. Lessons. Never before had someone paid so much attention to her or her education. It was enough to make her head spin. "~Thank you,~" she told Angelo, her smile growing. "~For speaking with me. I think I'm very glad I came here.~"
Angelo grinned back, pleased. "~That's good to hear. I think you'll like it.~"
"~If everyone here is as kind as you and Nathan, I think you are right.~"