xp_logs | Angelo and Sooraya: responsibilities and future plans

xp_dust posting in

Angelo and Sooraya discuss Sooraya's new responsibilities and some possible future plans.

"Moira and the professor send their regards." Sooraya pulled over a comfortable chair in the small sitting room they were using. "Actually, Moira sends her love and the professor his regards." She corrected herself. "I think she'd like it if you dropped by Muir sometimes."

"Maybe I will." He shifted a little in his chair. "But you know how difficult it's been since... I see her and I think of someone else. Not just her, but you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean." Sooraya did know exactly what he meant. "Talking with the professor was interesting though. I was surprised at the variety of his connections. Left me feeling a little intimidated though if I'm honest..."

"He's been doing this for a lot longer than us", Angelo reminded her. "Try to take it as inspiring, not intimidating."

"It's not that." Sooraya objected. "Many of his connections have been cultivated over the years and you know the respect and sense of prestige he can inspire in people. And then I come around and I very much don't have that. I am worried that I will be the one who will let them fade away."

"You don't have that yet", he countered. "And I know you won't let that happen. It'll take a lot more work for you than it seems to for him, maybe, but you've got the spirit and determination to make that happen."

"I was thinking on the flight back... if we join our network with that of the Professor's..." Sooraya suggested after a moment of thought. "...we might be able to keep up a more comprehensive and constant picture of the state of mutants around the world. I don't know if we'll be able to really help as we used to do, but maybe we can at least make things visible again?"

Angelo nodded. "All things in their time. We can't help anybody if we don't figure out where and how they really need help first."

"Do you think any of the others might be interested? JP, John, Jean maybe... though she is pretty busy. And I know you also have your hands full with the Underground and the recent glut of cases you've been dealing with." Sooraya shifted in her chair. "Damn, should have thought to bring some tea or something."

"I've got more public defense work than ever", he agreed. "People are directing the mutant cases to me, I think... but I could make a bit of time to work on building a picture, even if I can't go out of the country. And I bet the others would all help too."

"But I am kinda guessing you don't have much time to coordinate it all? Because that would take a lot more work?" Sooraya probed carefully. "I mean, you have the experience to do that and the rest of us... not so much."

He considered that carefully. "Well... maybe? What exactly do you mean by coordinating? I could keep track of the information and help put it all together."

"Not just that... but also kinda deciding where priorities lie, maybe figuring out if we need to send out the information we gather and where too... I am basically thinking a manager like role, otherwise we might end up running of in various directions like chickens without a head." Sooraya searched how to put her feelings into words. "When you ran X-Corps, that was practically a full time job. We are talking smaller scale here... but still..."

"It mostly was", he said with a nod, "but then I was still in school. Now I'm qualified and people need me, I don't want to give up the law side. We might need to look into getting some more help for this."

"People who can do this and who are willing to do this are not easy to find. Add that we need someone whom we can trust with all of this..." Sooraya gestured indicated the mansion and all that it entailed. "... and we are talking about pretty big shoes to fill."

"That's why I'd rather it be somebody who's already in the field. Do you think if I supervised, to begin with, one of you could step up?"

He was thinking of her, but didn't want to frighten her off.

"John was your backup and he might be the most logical choice, but if I'm honest, I don't even know what he is up too these days. I don't think he is around the mansion a whole lot. And Jean is way too busy, like you. That leaves JP or me..." Sooraya's voice trailed of and she gave Angelo a look.

"John spends more time in Chicago than here", he said absently, thinking, then met her eyes. "Would you want the job, if it was on the table?"

"Do you think I could?" Sooraya quickly countered. "I mean, I did manage Malala's Rose for a bit, but this is very different."

"I don't think you could manage being dropped straight into it without any support. But I think you could learn to do it before too long, yeah."

"I need to think about it, Angelo. It sounds like a good challenge, but..." Sooraya thought for a moment. "... I don't want the kids that I am tutoring or the project I started working on to fall completely by the wayside."

"And I get that", he said immediately. "We've all got things that can't fall by the wayside. Maybe we should split the work between us after all."

"Like I said, I need to think about it. And probably we should also talk with JP, Jean and John if they are interested in doing something more structured again. Because that will make a huge difference... how many people we have around, etc." Sooraya bit her lip for a moment, then added: "What kind of skills do you think I need most to add?"

"Probably more on the management side", he said after a moment's thought. "Like you said, you've run a project by yourself before, so you've got the basis, but never a lot of projects at once."

Sooraya nodded. "Thanks for your trust in me, Angelo. And I was thinking... if I am gonna be doing this, this might best for me to mail John, JP and Jean to see if they are up for doing this. We can also see if one of the Gen X kids might be interested in helping out a bit if we get moving again?"

He nodded. "That could work. Obviously we wouldn't ask more of them than paperwork, but they could take that off our hands."

"But first, let me send that email and we'll talk again? In the meantime I'll be meeting a few of the professor's contacts this week." Sooraya smiled a tad nervously. "Wish me luck..."

"Good luck." He reached over to squeeze her hand. "But you'll be fine."