xp_logs | Sooraya and Bobby: setting up for work (Reply)

Bobby helps Sooraya set things up for the volunteers to pack the backpacks for the kids in District X.

"Bobby, can you see the boxes with the pencils somewhere? I have the markers and the pens here, but I need the pencils." Sooraya called, crouched from behind a stack of boxes. Getting out a box cutter, she zipped open one more box, but it only held more notebooks and she shook her head frustrated.

"Um... yeah, no, wait, I can see 'em now." He stood up on his tiptoes and pointed to a box at one end of the table. Heading for the box, Bobby formed a knife out of ice and cut the lid open, taking out some pencils and bringing them back over to Sooraya. "Man, this is a lot of stuff to keep track of."

"Thanks." Sooraya smiled as she accepted the pencils from him and divided them neatly between the three stacks. "Pencils for the lower elementary, upper elementary and middle school and up. Done" Looking up from her clipboard, she tilted her head. "Where did you say that box with pencils was? I think we could better mark everything on the outside, so we don't have to go through this again when have to set everything up for the mass packing."

"Over there, at that end." He scooted over and grabbed a pencil on the way, then wrote the box's contents on the outside of it as Sooraya had suggested. Bobby turned to the other ones then and started looking inside and writing the contents on the outside for the rest of them. "This will help a lot, totally."

"Being able to find the boxes will be kinda handy yeah." Sooraya surveyed the room. "Okay, now there should be a bin with calculators and USB sticks somewhere... Should be easy enough to find since it was bright red!" Scanning the room again and not finding it, she shook her head. "Okay, enough of this." With nary a thought she went to sand form and started sweeping the room.

"Bright red huh?" Scratching his head, Bobby took another glance around the room. "Man, why is it so hard to find stuff in here? You'd think..." His thoughts trailed off as Sooraya turned into sand form. "Dude, I know I've seen that before but that's still such a cool power." Bobby wondered what that felt like, maybe like turning himself into snowflakes or something but then he'd just melt and that'd be weird what.

A few moments later Sooraya resumed her shape, shaking her head. "Who of who put that red bin behind that stack over there?" She glanced over at Bobby. "You up for some heavier lifting, because those boxes have note books in them..."

"Pfft, I got this." Bobby went to the bin and lifted it, grunting a little as it was heavier than expected but not too too bad. "Where, uh, where should I put this again?" He glanced around for a convenient spot to lay it, hopefully not too far away.

"Uhm, just put it down in front of the table. We can push it under there when we are done." Sooraya quickly stepped out of the way as Bobby carried over the bin. "Thanks Bobby. You are a real gentleman."

He did as asked, laying the box down where Sooraya had indicated and clapping his hands together once that was done. "Nah, it's nothing, really. Though if you want to tell other people how awesome I am I guess I really can't stop you." He was only partly kidding, sadly.

Sooraya grinned: "I am sure you really would not mind if I did that?" Bending down, she extracted two USB sticks and two calculators from the bin, putting them on the high school and middle school piles. "Now I am just hoping this is really going to help..." She spoke softly, eyeing the school supplies.

"Yeah, me too." Bobby agreed, being serious for a very rare moment or two. "When, uh, are you bringing it over there? Because if you need a hand with that too I can maybe help out or something."

Sooraya looked up from the supplies. "If you want to help with that, you are more then welcome. Have you ever been to the District?" She asked as she picked up the clipboard again to check what they needed to hunt down next.

"I've been District adjacent." he said, which was his way of saying no. "I mean, I know where it is, I just never really had a reason to go, so." Bobby finished his thought with a shrug.

"True. It's not the most common part of the city to go if you have nothing you have to do there." Sooraya agreed. "And it has changed a lot over the last few months." She continued sadly, shaking her head.

"Yeah, that's true I guess. But now I guess I have a reason to go, kinda." He felt a little guilty not helping out more, and this was a chance for him to at least see the area and help out at least once.

"We just need to get all of this sorted and packed first. The sample stacks are done. How do you feel about starting to unpack the backpacks for their boxes? They need to be checked if all are in good condition and that there are no manufacturing mistakes."

"I can do that, yeah." he replied with a grin. It didn't sound like too tough of a challenge and he'd still be helping out at least. "Thanks, Sooraya. For letting me help out, I mean."

"Hey, I should be thanking you." She grinned. "Without help, this would have been a lot of work on my own. Many hands might for light work... or so they say?"

"They say a lot of things, it's hard to keep track." he replied matter-of-factly with a wave of his hand. Who could keep up with people anyway? "I'm glad I was able to help though."

"I will box the sample stacks and then I will give you a hand with the backpacks." Sooraya bend over and pulled three small collapsed boxes from under the table, quickly folding them back together.

"Ok, sounds like a plan!" he replied, turning back to the backpacks and working on them until she joined him, glad to be able to help.