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xp_logsJPC and Sooraya have a difficult discussion about one person they both care about a lot.
"Mr. Colbert, do you have moment?" Sooraya asked somewhat stiffly after knocking on his office door. "I had something I'd like to ask you."
"So formal." Jean-Phillipe understood that he likely made Sooraya feel self-conscious, but that didn't mean he was inclined to make things easy on her, so mild sarcasm was the order of the day. Besides, being called 'mister' by a coworker and contemporary was more than a bit strange.
"Office formality has it's place, Mr. Colbert." Sooraya simply stated as she closed the door behind her. The fact that it was easier to contain her emotions by remaining distant didn't need to be shared. "Even if it's unusual for us."
Jean-Phillipe resisted the urge to pinch at the bridge of his nose. Just because he could understand the difficulties Sooraya's upbringing raised with his and Angelo's relationship didn't mean he was entirely sympathetic, either. "As you prefer, mam'selle Qadir." He could be formal too. "What is it you would like to ask?"
"Thank you." Sooraya bit her lip, deciding to remain standing for now. "Yvette mentioned you have been focusing on projects for newly manifested mutants here in the US. Are you aware of any projects focused on ethnic groups by any chance?"
Jean-Phillipe leafed through a somewhat disorganized pile of file folders, giving himself a moment to refresh his memory. "Not in particular," he replied. "Most programs tend to be more general, since mutants are still a relatively small population." He shrugged. "Which means that the focus, when people are actually invested in new mutants' well-being, is more individualized."
"That does make sense. I am currently working on building a list of people who are experienced with working with newly manifested mutants and who speak Dari or Pashto. Some form of Farsi would work as well. I was wondering if you would contact me if you encounter someone who fits those criteria. Women especially." Sooraya made a quick note on the booklet she was carrying, making it rather easy to avoid looking at his face.
"Well, besides you?" Jean-Phillipe didn't believe in making things easy on others. And at the best of times, which this wasn't, he preferred to be unfailingly direct. "Hm. I know that Angelica has learned at least one of those three...and if it becomes a pressing issue I can always approach my cousin." The Snow Valley Memorial Centre might be primarily a front, but they did put in some work maintaining their cover, and the office had a decidedly international flavor. "In any event, I will certainly keep it in mind."
"Thank you. And the suggestion of perhaps contacting Snow Valley is a good one." Sooraya was not quite able to keep the iciness out of her voice, even though she did mean her thank you sincerely. A faint wince stole over her face as she continued: "I have also contacted a few people I worked with at Elpis. Hopefully that will also shake loose some qualified candidates."
Jean-Phillipe's eyes narrowed in reaction to the mention of Elpis. He could understand the desire to protect their organization, but they had treated Angelo extremely poorly in the process. And it wasn't as though they'd had much choice in dealing with Genosha, as the mutant-hating regime there had been the ones to put events in motion. "I am sure that there are qualified candidates, it is just a question of finding them." His voice cooled to match Sooraya's. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No, but thank you for your assistance." Sooraya made to leave, before she sharply turned around as she connected the narrowed eyes. "They are not bad people, you know. Most people on I worked with strongly disagreed with the board's actions, especially once the truth became clear."
"That does not change what was done to Angelo," Jean-Phillipe said, a faint flame of anger creeping into his voice. "And however strongly they might disagree, their inaction and continued affiliation with a board that does those things does not endear them to me." It was clear that in Jean-Phillipe's mind, this was bigger than being protective of his boyfriend, and that it was about his firm beliefs in the right and wrong way to handle a particular situation.
"I am not saying that it was not wrong what they did. But may of them only followed people they trusted and were misguided because of that. Many did not know what we knew." Sooraya kept her voice tightly controlled. "Something you are very familiar with." She muttered under her breath.
"Certainly I am," Jean-Phillipe readily admitted to his affiliation with the Brotherhood, what he suspected Sooraya was referring to. "I am angrier with the people who knowingly misguided them. But even those who are misguided can change their ways, as I did."
"And some people refuse to see the error of their ways and just continue on." Sooraya fired back, still keeping her voice tightly leashed.
"Would the kettle care to say something to the pot?" Jean-Phillipe never claimed to be perfect, certainly. He had admitted to his mistakes, and was still trying his best to make up for them. But Sooraya's tone was getting under his skin.
"Oh, I know I am not perfect in that regard. But I owe up to my mistakes and try to atone for them. I do not try to guide people of a righteous path!" Sooraya's eyes widened as her the words left her mouth. While she had felt upset with everything, she had not known that was something swimming around in her head.
"I have never pretended that my path is the only one to take, much less a righteous one," Jean-Phillipe shrugged. "But neither have I ever imposed my path on others. Is this really about me?" he asked quietly.
"About who else is it supposed to be?" Sooraya raised an eyebrow at him. "I do not have to look far to question your last statement." She muttered softly.
"I did not impose anything upon Angelo," Jean-Phillipe answered, his voice and eyes hardening. "You are welcome to ask him yourself, it might be more productive, since he is the one you are truly concerned with."
"I did. I shared my concerns with him. The man who willing takes a bite out of a apple, knowing it's bad, carries his own blame. But that does not mean that the man knowingly offering it to him is blameless." Sooraya knew she had badly mangled the saying, but she hoped she had gotten her point across. "And while I am upset with you, I don't want to see you punished! There is still time to fix things!"
"I do not believe there is anything that needs to be fixed about me," Jean-Phillipe said. "In the words of the song, 'I was born this way'." He'd never really questioned his orientation, and had known since even possibly before puberty.
He refrained from quoting the line from the same song about 'God makes no mistakes', that might have been a bit too confrontational. And people thought he didn't have tact.
"So formal." Jean-Phillipe understood that he likely made Sooraya feel self-conscious, but that didn't mean he was inclined to make things easy on her, so mild sarcasm was the order of the day. Besides, being called 'mister' by a coworker and contemporary was more than a bit strange.
"Office formality has it's place, Mr. Colbert." Sooraya simply stated as she closed the door behind her. The fact that it was easier to contain her emotions by remaining distant didn't need to be shared. "Even if it's unusual for us."
Jean-Phillipe resisted the urge to pinch at the bridge of his nose. Just because he could understand the difficulties Sooraya's upbringing raised with his and Angelo's relationship didn't mean he was entirely sympathetic, either. "As you prefer, mam'selle Qadir." He could be formal too. "What is it you would like to ask?"
"Thank you." Sooraya bit her lip, deciding to remain standing for now. "Yvette mentioned you have been focusing on projects for newly manifested mutants here in the US. Are you aware of any projects focused on ethnic groups by any chance?"
Jean-Phillipe leafed through a somewhat disorganized pile of file folders, giving himself a moment to refresh his memory. "Not in particular," he replied. "Most programs tend to be more general, since mutants are still a relatively small population." He shrugged. "Which means that the focus, when people are actually invested in new mutants' well-being, is more individualized."
"That does make sense. I am currently working on building a list of people who are experienced with working with newly manifested mutants and who speak Dari or Pashto. Some form of Farsi would work as well. I was wondering if you would contact me if you encounter someone who fits those criteria. Women especially." Sooraya made a quick note on the booklet she was carrying, making it rather easy to avoid looking at his face.
"Well, besides you?" Jean-Phillipe didn't believe in making things easy on others. And at the best of times, which this wasn't, he preferred to be unfailingly direct. "Hm. I know that Angelica has learned at least one of those three...and if it becomes a pressing issue I can always approach my cousin." The Snow Valley Memorial Centre might be primarily a front, but they did put in some work maintaining their cover, and the office had a decidedly international flavor. "In any event, I will certainly keep it in mind."
"Thank you. And the suggestion of perhaps contacting Snow Valley is a good one." Sooraya was not quite able to keep the iciness out of her voice, even though she did mean her thank you sincerely. A faint wince stole over her face as she continued: "I have also contacted a few people I worked with at Elpis. Hopefully that will also shake loose some qualified candidates."
Jean-Phillipe's eyes narrowed in reaction to the mention of Elpis. He could understand the desire to protect their organization, but they had treated Angelo extremely poorly in the process. And it wasn't as though they'd had much choice in dealing with Genosha, as the mutant-hating regime there had been the ones to put events in motion. "I am sure that there are qualified candidates, it is just a question of finding them." His voice cooled to match Sooraya's. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No, but thank you for your assistance." Sooraya made to leave, before she sharply turned around as she connected the narrowed eyes. "They are not bad people, you know. Most people on I worked with strongly disagreed with the board's actions, especially once the truth became clear."
"That does not change what was done to Angelo," Jean-Phillipe said, a faint flame of anger creeping into his voice. "And however strongly they might disagree, their inaction and continued affiliation with a board that does those things does not endear them to me." It was clear that in Jean-Phillipe's mind, this was bigger than being protective of his boyfriend, and that it was about his firm beliefs in the right and wrong way to handle a particular situation.
"I am not saying that it was not wrong what they did. But may of them only followed people they trusted and were misguided because of that. Many did not know what we knew." Sooraya kept her voice tightly controlled. "Something you are very familiar with." She muttered under her breath.
"Certainly I am," Jean-Phillipe readily admitted to his affiliation with the Brotherhood, what he suspected Sooraya was referring to. "I am angrier with the people who knowingly misguided them. But even those who are misguided can change their ways, as I did."
"And some people refuse to see the error of their ways and just continue on." Sooraya fired back, still keeping her voice tightly leashed.
"Would the kettle care to say something to the pot?" Jean-Phillipe never claimed to be perfect, certainly. He had admitted to his mistakes, and was still trying his best to make up for them. But Sooraya's tone was getting under his skin.
"Oh, I know I am not perfect in that regard. But I owe up to my mistakes and try to atone for them. I do not try to guide people of a righteous path!" Sooraya's eyes widened as her the words left her mouth. While she had felt upset with everything, she had not known that was something swimming around in her head.
"I have never pretended that my path is the only one to take, much less a righteous one," Jean-Phillipe shrugged. "But neither have I ever imposed my path on others. Is this really about me?" he asked quietly.
"About who else is it supposed to be?" Sooraya raised an eyebrow at him. "I do not have to look far to question your last statement." She muttered softly.
"I did not impose anything upon Angelo," Jean-Phillipe answered, his voice and eyes hardening. "You are welcome to ask him yourself, it might be more productive, since he is the one you are truly concerned with."
"I did. I shared my concerns with him. The man who willing takes a bite out of a apple, knowing it's bad, carries his own blame. But that does not mean that the man knowingly offering it to him is blameless." Sooraya knew she had badly mangled the saying, but she hoped she had gotten her point across. "And while I am upset with you, I don't want to see you punished! There is still time to fix things!"
"I do not believe there is anything that needs to be fixed about me," Jean-Phillipe said. "In the words of the song, 'I was born this way'." He'd never really questioned his orientation, and had known since even possibly before puberty.
He refrained from quoting the line from the same song about 'God makes no mistakes', that might have been a bit too confrontational. And people thought he didn't have tact.
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