xp_logs | Sarah and Sooraya (Backdated)

Sooraya and Sarah run in each other in the library. The nature of school work and intimidating men are discussed.

It had been a pretty quiet day for the most part. Sarah was trying to get back into the habit of studying and attending classes, though it was difficult for a number of reasons. Partly it was due to the entropy of not doing a tap over Christmas holidays - at least not school-wise since she did come back and worked with XFI for part of the break - but another part was worrying about her friends, especially Layla.

Moving to the library had been her way of trying to get her game face on, so to speak. Instead of staying in her room and becoming distracted by her laptop and other belongings she wanted to force herself to really concentrate on her studies, so she went to the library. It seemed to be working, though she still wouldn't be averse to any interruptions should one come along.

Why had she ever thought that History of Islam would be a good subject to take? It was so difficult to find good, basic material for her papers sometimes. With a soft growl she pulled another book closer. She had to get the comparison between the empires done, since the deadline was looming closer and closer. Quickly she checked her outline for the information she needed and started reading, quickly making notes on the facts that she needed.

Her concentration was disturbed though when Sarah came up to her the table she was sitting at and spread out her own study books. Happy for the potential short break, Sooraya smiled at her. “A deadline ahead also?”

Looking over at the sound of Sooraya's voice, Sarah grinned and shook her head. "Hey there, how are you? Nah, no deadline, just trying to keep my head above water, you know?" It was easy to fall behind, she knew that from firsthand experience, so she was going to try her best to stay on top of things this year, at least she was trying right now. "How about you, something important coming up, a test or a paper?"

“Comparison paper for History of Islam. Trying to compare two different Islamic empires. ” Sooraya explained with a sigh. “It isn’t quite going the way I want it to go. It’s difficult to compare things when the circumstances are so different.” She eyed Sarah’s books with interest, glad to be able to put the paper away for a bit. “What are you working on?”

"Oh, wow, that does sound like it'd be difficult to do." Sarah knew next to nothing about Islamic empires so it sounded especially daunting to her. She was glad that Sooraya didn't ask her for advice because then her ignorance would've been very obvious, and instead she held up her textbook to show the other girl. "Just a little reading for English is all, it's not that bad actually. We have an essay to write before the term's over so I figure the sooner I can read this bad boy, the sooner I can get ready to write it."

Sooraya winced when she saw the title of the book. “I remember reading that one. I found it quite difficult, but that was because the older English was still pretty difficult for me back then. How is everything else going besides the book for English?“ She hesitated for a moment before continuing: “You look a little tired.”

"It's a little tricky, for sure, but it's not too, too bad." Sarah was having to stop and look things up every now and then because Sooraya was right, the older English was rough in spots, but she was enjoying the book overall. She shrugged a bit at the girl's question, not sure how to answer. It was pretty perceptive of her to pick that up, Sarah thought, then she thought maybe she was just so wore down that it was just that obvious. "I haven't been sleeping that well, I guess. Worrying too much, but things will be ok."

“I don’t mean pry.” Sooraya quickly apologized. “But I know a few things have been a little crazy lately.” She reviewed the sentence for a second. “Though that is more the usual state of things here…”

"It's ok, really." Sarah was quick to smile and to let her friend know her concern was valid. "They really have been, more so than usual. It really is crazy around here most of the time but seeing people you care about get hurt, well, it sucks."

“It really does.” Sooraya agreed fervently. “ It really does… But hopefully things will settle down a little soon. ” She changed the subject after that though. “You are a senior too, right?”

"I hope so too, Sooraya." She smiled at the other girl, hoping that she was correct. Sarah welcomed the change of subject, brushing back some of her hair and tucking it behind her ear as she nodded in response. "Uh huh, I am, it's hard to believe though sometimes." She sure didn't feel like a senior sometimes but she was. "You are too, I think, right?"

“More or less… I graduate at the end of the year, but my education was a little spread out. I don’t exactly feel like a senior. I was never really a junior or anything like that.... Any plans yet for what you want to do afterwards? “ Sooraya asked with sincere interest. She had not talked much with the other seniors about what their plans were.

"Oh, yeah, that makes things a little more complicated too, I bet." Sarah hadn't moved nearly as much as Sooraya had, of course, or nowhere near as far geographically speaking, but moving from school to school was still a hassle. "I want to go on to university or college, I'm pretty sure, maybe taking something in computer science given my abilities. How about you, do you have any plans, Sooraya?"

“College and hopefully working with Elpis for a number of hours a week.” Sooraya simply summarized. “Hé, I heard you are also working in District X? Are you planning on continue in that also while you are in college?”

"That sounds like a good plan." Sarah smiled, impressed that Sooraya had it all planned out apparently, and was able to summarize it so succinctly. "I am, with XFI, it's going pretty well. I'm just on as a part-time assistant now but I'd be interested in staying on if I can, I think. It's nice working there."

“It sounds interesting and exciting. What is you do there actually? Being an assistant can mean so many different things…” Sooraya happily pushed her books aside, focusing on the conversation. She kept her voice low though in deference to other possible people in the library.

"Mainly I act as a receptionist, I suppose. Answering phones, taking messages, dealing with clients when they come in initially, that kind of thing." She nodded, it was working out well so far. Sarah would be lying if she said she hadn't been a little nervous before starting there but so far she thought she was fitting in quite nicely.

“So not really with the investigations? Any chance that might change?” Sooraya asked. “Though I have to admit, I know very little about how something like XFI works.”

"Oh, no, nothing like that!" She wasn't sure how much use she'd be to them in that fashion, and the fact that she was still a minor would make that tricky too if they even wanted her to help out, which she was pretty sure they didn't. "I don't know too much about it either, really, I mean how they carry out investigations and all that stuff. But they're nice enough, and I like it there, so that's good enough for me."

“Doesn’t Mr. Bishop work there also? What are your impressions of him? He is a little… intimidating…” The questions suddenly popped up without thinking about it and Sooraya blushed a little, her eyes widening as she realized what she said.

"He does, yeah." Sarah caught herself giggling a little at the unexpected question, catching herself when she saw that the other girl was blushing. "It's true, he can be, but I bet that comes in really handy when he's working cases and stuff." She had been intimidated by him herself and probably still was to some degree, but they had a nice chat during one of her first days on the job and she felt much more comfortable around him now at least.

Sooraya had to catch a few giggles of her own, picturing an angry looking Bishop, staring down some kind of petty criminal. “I can see where you are coming from… He is been helping me with some training and I find him difficult to read…”

Sarah grinned and nodded again. "He's definitely not someone I'd ever want to make angry but he's a pretty cool guy, I think. Oh, that's good, I bet he's really excellent at training." The man was difficult to read indeed but she figured that came from so many years experience in his line of work.

“He was pretty good.” Sooraya said simply. “Though I am still not really at ease with him.” She gave a brief smile and shrugged. “Maybe that will change when we continue training... But still… For example, have you ever seen him smile?”

"I... huh." Sarah thought back to the conversations she'd had with the man and couldn't recall him smiling during any of them. Then again she hadn't had all that many interactions with Bishop, and didn't know him very well, or for very long, but still. "I haven't, now that you mention it. But it's a very serious job and a serious office, too."

“You have a point there…” Sooraya conceded. “But be honest… you can be serious and still laugh on occasion. It breaks the tension a little…”

"I certainly like to think so, and do exactly that quite often." She grinned and giggled a little to show exactly that to Sooraya. "Some people find it harder to do that, I suppose." Sarah certainly wasn't one of them, however.

“I at least try to.” She shrugged. “Not always that easy though…” Sooraya gave Sarah a little wink. “But he… Maybe you can teach Mr. Bishop?”

Sarah chuckled at the wink, nodding in agreement. "I'll certainly try but I don't think that it'll be easy." It wasn't a very easy environment to find things to laugh about but maybe she could get a smile out of him at least.

“Training kinda has the same problems…” Sooraya shrugged. “And I am not that good at that kind of thing.”

"Me either, really, I suppose. But we'll see what happens." She smiled back at Sooraya. That wasn't the kind of thing one could force anyway, it had to happen naturally in her own opinion. "But for now no smiling for me, not while there's still studying to be had." Sarah frowned and looked back down at her book, which wasn't going to go away if she just ignored it, sadly.

Sooraya sighed and pulled one of her own books closer. “I also need to get back to work… Would be nice if papers wrote themselves…” She quickly glanced up at Sarah. “Good luck with your book.”

"You too, hope it goes by quickly at least!" Sarah grinned back at Sooraya and then put her head back down into her own book. The quicker she got through it the quicker she could do something more fun, after all.