xp_logs | Sooraya and Angelo

Sooraya talks with Angelo about a new thing she want to explore.

"So... what are you working on today?" Sooraya leaned against the door post of Angelo's office, his desk covered with various papers and tomes. She smiled as she strode in the room, a small package in her hand. "Oh, and I brought this for you..." She tossed him the small package.

"...did I forget my birthday again?" he asked with a mock-frown. "No, that was in July... and the same thing as ever, trying to cultivate contacts."

"Afraid its nothing that fancy. I ended up making some of your favorite cookies and I figured you would like some." Sooraya pulled a chair over, sitting down. "And who are the lucky victims this time?" She asked curiously, referring to the contacts he was working on.

"Nobody in particular. I'm trying to find new ones, in places we haven't got a good network yet." He set the cookies down on the desk and began unwrapping them.

"That is the nasty side of things like this. Boom, half your network is gone. Want me to see if there if Miriam has any leads about possible people?" Sooraya referred to a friend she had made during her brief internship at Amnesty International. "It would be more the information kind then the practical kind though."

"There isn't any nice side of things like this", Angelo said sadly, leaning back against his chair. "The information side's useful too."

"Alright, I will get in touch with her this week and see what I can shake loose." Sooraya hesitated for a moment. "Talking about the information and practical side of things... I have been thinking about getting my boots on the ground. Collecting information is all good and well, but gathering the school supplies for the homeless kids in District X has shown me I want to be more involved on the practical side."

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, looking up at her. "In the city, or further out?"

"I think it will have to be more city bound for now, since I just started college again as well. I am just not sure where I can make myself useful at the moment. Most of my contacts are information related." Sooraya explained.

"Well, you could start to build a different kind of network. How do you want to make yourself useful?"

"In the future I really would like to do something to make sure all the children in the Underground get a good education... but I think I need to do something where I can get a better overview of things first." Sooraya replied after a few moments of consideration.

Angelo nodded. "Making sure all of them are educated is going to be a pretty big project, you know that."

"And that is exactly why it's far too big at the moment. I can't just go rolling in from the outside and go 'we are gonna do this and this." Sooraya paused for a moment. "Maybe I can very simply start out with some things to lend a hand... like a courier or runner?"

"Yeah, I think we can arrange that. I like to go out sometimes myself and join the groups as a bottom rung, where nobody knows who I am, just to see what they're doing."

"Maybe I should come along with you for the first time at least. So that I don't just come dropping from out of nowhere." Sooraya suggested, considering.

"Yeah, we could do that. I'm sure they'd be happy to see another pair of hands, and if you're with somebody they know, they'll trust you more."

"That was what I was thinking." Sooraya considered for a moment. "Any idea if you will be going out soon? I mean... best to strike iron when it's hot..."

"Most likely", he agreed. "There's only so much I can do around here, and honestly I need to get out of the mansion more often now. Too many frankenberrycats."

"Let me know when you are going out and I will join you if I can? I think that might be easiest." Sooraya studied her older brother for a moment. "How are you doing with all the frankenberrycats?"

"...avoiding", he admitted after a long moment. "I've been mostly either here or in mine and JP's suite. I mean... I went to fetch Jean-Paul and Amara, and it was - I probably should be around for them as a familiar face, but now they're back here and safe, it's hard to look at them."

"I didn't know Jean-Paul that well, but Amara might be hard..." Sooraya admitted. "I have seen her on the journals only though and she seems to look very different... I hope that might help when I run into her..."

"Jean-Paul's younger, and Amara looks different too, you're right. But that just - I keep comparing them, you know? And that's not fair."

"It's not no... I just wonder... I mean... if you spend time with them, it might get easier in the end. Because you will start to see the things that makes them uniquely them then."

"Makes sense", he had to admit. "I wonder how Amanda's doing with her new students."

"I'm guessing some Frankenberrycat strange thing is going on there as well?" Sooraya asked, frowning a little as she tried to remember any people arriving who had set something of lately.

"Strange is the key word", Angelo said pointedly. "Along with Stephen. Known as Steve."

"... was he not a teacher of Amanda... I think I have heard you mention him a couple of times back then..."

"Yeah. He died. And now - he's about 15."

"And now she is kinda expected to teach him." A wince stole over Sooraya's face. "I cannot begin to imagine how hard that must be. Maybe if a version of Yvette suddenly showed up?" A small shudder ran through her. "I don't even want to try to picture that."

"...we probably shouldn't be talking about this here", he said with a glance at the door. "Want to go for a drive?"

"Sure." Sooraya nodded, a small smile peeking through. It had been far too long since she had spend time like that with Angelo. "We can talk then. And I might just buy you a more substantial lunch then cookies."

"Some things never change." He stood up, coming around the desk. "My car or yours?"

"Let's take yours." Sooraya rose as well, following Angelo through the door. "And it's good that some things don't change, otherwise you'd starve!"