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Sooraya and April | Dishes
Sooraya and April do dishes and April is asked about joining the X-Men while they talk about life.
"You know... there was a cartoon that was pretty popular when I first came to Xavier's... what was it called again..." Sooraya frowned as she rinsed another pot and put it on the drying rack. "I think it was Avatar or something... Avatar the Last Airbender... that was it. We could've used the girl with the water powers right now."
"I haven't heard of that one," April replied, hands deep in the hot suds as she scrubbed the final bit of grime off the next pot. "I'm not sure if it's one of those shows I missed, or if we just didn't have it. If it was popular in my world though, I probably would've at least heard of it. References. Pictures. Merchandise. Something." She handed the pot to Sooraya for rinsing, easing a pan into the water before tackling it. Dishes were a soothing, repetitive chore that she didn't mind doing in return for other people cooking, and it was even better when she had someone as kind as Sooraya to spend the time with. "What was it about?"
"It's been a long time ago since I saw it..." Sooraya rinsed the pan, then looked a little closer. "Sorry, looks like you missed a stubborn spot. Could you hand me the extra sponge over there?" She accepted the sponge and forcefully scrubbed at the spot. "Let's see... from what I remember it was in a world where some people had the power to bend the four elements... with earth, air, water and fire. Each also had its own country. And there was the avatar, who could bend all four elements and do something with spirits as well. Does that help to ring a bell?"
"Can't say it does," April admitted. "There was Captain Planet, but that didn't really have what you're describing." She ran her fingers over the pan to make sure she hadn't missed a stubborn spot, tackling a spot near the handle until it was smooth under her fingers. "I'm guessing someone with water and air powers could help us get these done even faster?"
"Some of them at least." Sooraya nodded at the pot April had scrubbed. "I don't think that would have gotten clean without some old fashioned elbow grease." She accepted it from April, rinsed it and stacked it in the drying rack. "Still, I'd rather have them standing here scrubbing with us than face them in a fight."
"Oof. Yeah, natural disasters waiting to unleash when you command the elements like that," April agreed. "I'd be the most frightened of the fire one, with my sensitivity, but all of the elements have their deadly side." She turned to the knives next, poking delicately into the murky water until she had a grip on the handle and could bring it up safely for cleaning off. "What about you? Which of the element benders would you least want to deal with?"
"Hmmm. Each type has their own risks." Sooraya considered as she pushed the towels holding the drying pots to the side. "I mean, wind/air powers depending on their strength can make it really hard to impossible to maneuver in my sandform, while dousing with water usually has me grounded. Fire if hot enough... well, I'd rather not think of that. So far I haven't really had to deal with that though in my years with the X-men."
"I wonder how my webbing would interact with your sand form," April mused as she scrubbed a particularly stubborn gloop of cheese clinging to one of the knives. "Would it keep you from reforming, or just trap you in place once you did? Something we have to test one day, maybe. Once I develop something that can dissolve my webs too, so they're not sticking around for hours."
"It sounds like a good thing to test out..." Sooraya tried to picture it. "I think if too many particles were trapped in the web, reforming might be really tricky. On the other hand, they can be really sharp and I can control them pretty closely. Still, we've had trouble at the mansion before where everyone was called in. Better to find out now then when we are fighting." She carefully accepted the first knife, dipped it in the water to rinse it and grabbed a dish towel to dry it immediately. "Just how sticky are your webs though?"
"They're pretty sticky, but they dry fast," April replied, carefully passing the knives to Sooraya as she finished cleaning them. "And they dissolve after a few hours naturally. Definitely something to know in advance." Once the knives were done, she moved on to the forks. "Some of the stuff stuck on these makes me wish we had one of those industrial power sprayers that the back of house at cafes and restaurants usually have for cleaning. But I don't miss the heat of being near the dish pit at all."
"We used to have a far larger kitchen here with a professional dishwashing facility when the mansion was still a boarding school. But with that having been several years ago, that kitchen was broken down..." Sooraya paused, considering. "... I don't know... maybe a year or two ago? Not sure when it was." Carefully she dried the knives and set them back in the block. "I'm a bit curious though... how did you come up with the whole idea for your webfluids? That is what you call them, right?"
"My webs?" April said, voice lilting upwards in question form at the end. "I make... well, I can't make them like this, but once my hands and lower arms go black, I can produce it. We speculate that whatever lets me do the turning also provided for the webbing ability. Dad and May had to make their own, so I have webshooters that direct the organic and use the backup fluid. I'm letting Clint and any of the rest of team science that's interested try to break it down and make it usable. I wasn't really into chemistry, so I worked on improving and fixing our shooters while they did the work on the webbing. Do weird things happen when you go into dust form, or do the particles that make you up reject anything else so you don't end up actually having sand or grit in your bloodstream or something?"
"Hmm, good question. I've never had issues with it in the fifteen years I've been using my powers, so I think there is some protection. I think it'd be a lot more trouble if the particles themselves end up being unable to transform back into flesh." Sooraya shuddered a little. "Luckily that hasn't happened either in my years of missions, so fingers crossed it stays that way."
"That's good at least, and makes me think that maybe other than sticking particles in place my webs wouldn't have other adverse effects on you. Still worth testing though, definitely." April had moved onto spoons. Mostly easy to clean, just a little extra effort around the rims and edges to make sure any stubborn particles didn't stick. "Dad came up with the idea for the webs because he decided if he was going to have some spider powers, he wanted to be able to make webs, too. He did some illicit chemistry and figured out a formula that basically switches from fluid to sticky-solid but not gunky on release, strong enough to hold criminals and let him swing around as an advantage."
"You know... you did mention that before and now I'm curious... you, your dad and your sister basically went out and fought crime?" Sooraya put the knife away in the block, careful of the sharp blades. "What was that like?"
"Well, Dad's officially retired from the superhero gig. He lost his leg to the Green Goblin when May was a toddler. The Richards family made him a bionic replacement, but he decided to fight crime in a safer way, and is part of the Midtown crime lab for the NYPD. May came into her powers just a few years before I got found, but she was operating kinda like dad did at the same age. Stopping muggers and assaulters, blocking off escapes to help local cops catch someone, whatever sort of assistance the neighborhood needed. Her relationship with the police department was better though, a combination of Dad being one of them and teaching her how to work with them instead of hindering their cases." A light swipe through the murky water didn't reveal any other dishes, so April pulled the plug and grabbed a second sponge, rubbing down the inside of the sink before rinsing everything and drying her hands. "When I arrived, he made sure I got the same sort of training before I could go on my own runs."
Sooraya grabbed a dish cloth and started wiping down the counter. "Sounds like he did everything he could to set you and May up for success. Do you miss it? Being out there, protecting people?"
"Yeah. I like helping on a small scale, but I also like fighting the battles the average human isn't always equipped to handle." April leaned against the already clean part of the counter comfortably. "It feels good too, whether it's making someone feel a little safer when they walk home or just doing the heavy lifting after there's been a disaster. Dad always impressed that when you can do what we can, it's important to give back to the neighborhood, even if that just meant toting Mrs. Wheeler's groceries up to the fifth floor because the elevator was out again. I think that's important too, but I'd probably get maced if I offered to carry a stranger's groceries here."
Sooraya burst out in laughter, shaking her head. "I think if you get the right stranger, you just might. Or maybe just some eldery men or women with a fierce walking stick! Still..." She turned serious, carefully finishing the final bit of the counter, rinsing out her cloth before hanging it to dry. "Can I be honest, April?"
April let out a short bark of laughter, wincing at the thought of being whacked with a walking stick. Old people were brutal with those damn things. Her brows furrowed as Sooraya turned more serious. "Sure, I prefer honesty."
"I was just just listening to your stories and one of the first things that occured to me was 'we could really use her'." Sooraya stated frankly. "So I was kinda wondering if you ever considered it..."
"I have. Kyle explained the teams when he was checking my spar level. I've talked to a few other people, wanted to get used to being here and finish school before making a firm commitment, but..." April shrugged, making a so-so motion with her hand. "When I consider all the teams I keep coming back to being part of the one where I can help, but also make sure that other people like us--or people that want to harm others like us--can be dealt with properly, to make things safer. And I know all the teams do that, so it kinda came down to what I wanted to do, and well... I really did like helping my sister take down enhanced villains, so I think the X-Men are probably the best choice."
Sooraya nodded thoughtfully, taking a moment to change tracks in her mind. "Sounds like you've been giving it a lot of thought already..." She observed. "And you're leaning towards a choice that makes sense... I want to ask... do you have any questions or concerns I can maybe help with? I don't mean it as any pressure, but if there is anything, I am happy to try and help?"
"I guess it's just needing to get used to working with all of you as a group? That was always the hardest part when we had to liaise with other groups. Trying to work together in an emergency without getting in the way. I know a few people have a decent grasp on what I can do - Garrison and Kyle have put me through my paces in sparring and the DR, and Pyotr and I do some weight and agility training together. I think it's just a matter of getting me used to the whole package. Comms, things the team does during downtime, security rotations, all of that. I know a little just from virtue of rooming with Pyotr, but he's careful about telling me things I'm not cleared to read or know yet."
"I think you mention a big difference there." Sooraya replied slowly, carefully considering her thoughts. "You mentioned liasing with other groups, but there is a difference between liasing with other groups and working as a team. You get to know each other's powers, skills and weaknesses far better for one. It gives a chance to build familiarity and trust. After a while I think it could be closer to working with your sister then simply liasing with other groups."
April nodded. "That would be really nice, I think. And dad would appreciate me not trying to work alone. Truthfully, I'd really like to get back out there. I just didn't want to cause any trouble here. Actually having a team to work with and rely on, people that know each other's skills and try to utilize them well... I can't think of anything better than that. Well. Maybe more training on getting into that full form I arrived in, but I assume part of the working together would be trying to figure that out."
"Working on your powers is an important part of your training." Sooraya confirmed. "As well as exploring how to best use them in combat. Cyclops and Dominion have so many simulations that is pretty much a given."
"That'll be interesting. I've basically just been keeping in shape, so actually interacting and learning will be enjoyable, I think. I can't just spend all my time trying to help Pyotr become more nimble, regardless of how entertaining it gets." April gave Sooraya a conspiratorial grin. "If footage in the DR gets kept for any length of time, there are probably some videos of our agility training if someone needed a laugh."
Sooraya couldn't stop herself from smirking just a little. "I can totally picture that. Unfortunately... what vids there are Scott and Garrison usually keep behind lock and key, unless both parties agree. Or some other really pressing reason."
April thought about it for a moment. "He might agree if I also include the video of web fails while trying to show off. But imagining a really, really tall golden retriever doing a standard agility course is pretty close." She waved her hand in a so-so motion. "He's gotten much better, so it's mostly only funny when I take him through small people spaces. Seeing a really tall, broad man trying to navigate spaces that are even tight for me will probably never not be funny. But if he can, so much the better when it's actually important."
"I've worked with Pyotr and it's a good thing for him to get better at. It's also a great way to find ways to be more subtle." Sooraya grinned, adding: "And you know, hearing you talk, I'm thinking even more you'll be a good fit."
"It's really useful," April agreed, ducking her head at Sooraya's praise. "I mean, Pyotr is really my only example because we spend a lot of time together, but we even have trouble going into town on the bus because the aisle and seats just aren't made for someone as tall and muscled as he is. But it's also not nice if I make him do tight spaces and agility and don't also do something I'm bad at, so we'll switch the course to fit him as Colossus and then I have to do my best navigation without using my webs. It's a killer workout for me, but it also means he gets to see me being awkward and making mistakes. Everyone improves and nobody feels like they're being set an impossible task. Dad is... big on fairness, where it's possible."
"Your father sounds like a good man. Even more with what you just mentioned." Sooraya's smile softened. "You mentioned a few things, but I'd love to hear more? And what your mom and sister? "
"He did the superhero thing for a long time," April replied softly. "And he's got a really strong moral code. He did his best to make sure we picked it up too. Mom's. Smart, good with people. She's a fashion designer, sells her design at a small boutique in Queens. She's where I got my interest in doing things sustainably. A lot of rants about how fast fashion's only good for everyday socks and undergarments, things that can be cheap enough that you don't care if they have a hole in them 3 or 6 months down the road. And May... we're a lot alike, even now, but she's more outgoing. Life of the party, easy for people to sorta orbit around. I prefer smaller groups."
"They all sound like good people, not just your dad." Sooraya commented equally softly "It sounds like you mostly take after your dad? Or is there something you really take after your mom with?"
"Her focus on making things that last is what stuck with me most, I think," she replied with a small laugh. "It ended up informing some of my focus at school, at least. We've only got the one earth, so figuring out a way to reuse things. Transform them. My focus ended up being split between that and making better, smarter prosthetics. Sometimes there was crossover. The last project I worked on before I ended up here, we were using recycled bottles and cans to make prosthetic parts for kids. The durability wasn't quite as good as the standard carbon fiber or fiberglass, but they helped between growth spurts."
"And maybe also making it more affordable for the parents as well?" Sooraya thought out loud. "That sounds like a really interesting project. I know of a kid or two in District X who could have used something like that." She fell silent for a moment. "You know... it does kinda sound like you managed to pull from both your parents and combine it, doesn't it?"
April nodded in agreement. "Much more affordable for the parents. We worked with some local groups to get them out to kids in a roughly 90 minute radius or so from campus. As for the blend of my parents... I'm probably more like dad, but I definitely ended up a blend of them. Mom was the only person in the family without powers... Benji was... well, even as a toddler we could tell he was taking after dad. He manifested early. And he didn't like me, ever, so I'm sure the house got more peaceful once I was gone." She paused, staring into the distance. "I can't believe it's been almost a year since I last saw them."
"That's a long time." Sooraya sympathized, reaching out to rest a hopefully comforting hand on April's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "If there is anything I can do to help..."
"Thanks." April gave her a small, genuine smile and leaned into the touch for a brief moment. "It helps to have people here. Not always the same situation, but I'm not the only one who can't see or communicate with family members for some reason. Or the only one with ah... murky status as a living person. Not being the odd one out is strangely nice."
"It does help." Sooraya nodded. "The pain of not knowing about your family... it never fully goes away, but it does get easier. In my experience at least."
"It's good to hear that. Something to look forward to. And it's been good to talk about them. About missing them."
"I'm always happy to listen. You know what, how about we grab some tea? I just heard you mention a little brother? Benji wasn't it?" Sooraya gestured at the kettle. "I'd love to hear some more stories."
/cut>
"You know... there was a cartoon that was pretty popular when I first came to Xavier's... what was it called again..." Sooraya frowned as she rinsed another pot and put it on the drying rack. "I think it was Avatar or something... Avatar the Last Airbender... that was it. We could've used the girl with the water powers right now."
"I haven't heard of that one," April replied, hands deep in the hot suds as she scrubbed the final bit of grime off the next pot. "I'm not sure if it's one of those shows I missed, or if we just didn't have it. If it was popular in my world though, I probably would've at least heard of it. References. Pictures. Merchandise. Something." She handed the pot to Sooraya for rinsing, easing a pan into the water before tackling it. Dishes were a soothing, repetitive chore that she didn't mind doing in return for other people cooking, and it was even better when she had someone as kind as Sooraya to spend the time with. "What was it about?"
"It's been a long time ago since I saw it..." Sooraya rinsed the pan, then looked a little closer. "Sorry, looks like you missed a stubborn spot. Could you hand me the extra sponge over there?" She accepted the sponge and forcefully scrubbed at the spot. "Let's see... from what I remember it was in a world where some people had the power to bend the four elements... with earth, air, water and fire. Each also had its own country. And there was the avatar, who could bend all four elements and do something with spirits as well. Does that help to ring a bell?"
"Can't say it does," April admitted. "There was Captain Planet, but that didn't really have what you're describing." She ran her fingers over the pan to make sure she hadn't missed a stubborn spot, tackling a spot near the handle until it was smooth under her fingers. "I'm guessing someone with water and air powers could help us get these done even faster?"
"Some of them at least." Sooraya nodded at the pot April had scrubbed. "I don't think that would have gotten clean without some old fashioned elbow grease." She accepted it from April, rinsed it and stacked it in the drying rack. "Still, I'd rather have them standing here scrubbing with us than face them in a fight."
"Oof. Yeah, natural disasters waiting to unleash when you command the elements like that," April agreed. "I'd be the most frightened of the fire one, with my sensitivity, but all of the elements have their deadly side." She turned to the knives next, poking delicately into the murky water until she had a grip on the handle and could bring it up safely for cleaning off. "What about you? Which of the element benders would you least want to deal with?"
"Hmmm. Each type has their own risks." Sooraya considered as she pushed the towels holding the drying pots to the side. "I mean, wind/air powers depending on their strength can make it really hard to impossible to maneuver in my sandform, while dousing with water usually has me grounded. Fire if hot enough... well, I'd rather not think of that. So far I haven't really had to deal with that though in my years with the X-men."
"I wonder how my webbing would interact with your sand form," April mused as she scrubbed a particularly stubborn gloop of cheese clinging to one of the knives. "Would it keep you from reforming, or just trap you in place once you did? Something we have to test one day, maybe. Once I develop something that can dissolve my webs too, so they're not sticking around for hours."
"It sounds like a good thing to test out..." Sooraya tried to picture it. "I think if too many particles were trapped in the web, reforming might be really tricky. On the other hand, they can be really sharp and I can control them pretty closely. Still, we've had trouble at the mansion before where everyone was called in. Better to find out now then when we are fighting." She carefully accepted the first knife, dipped it in the water to rinse it and grabbed a dish towel to dry it immediately. "Just how sticky are your webs though?"
"They're pretty sticky, but they dry fast," April replied, carefully passing the knives to Sooraya as she finished cleaning them. "And they dissolve after a few hours naturally. Definitely something to know in advance." Once the knives were done, she moved on to the forks. "Some of the stuff stuck on these makes me wish we had one of those industrial power sprayers that the back of house at cafes and restaurants usually have for cleaning. But I don't miss the heat of being near the dish pit at all."
"We used to have a far larger kitchen here with a professional dishwashing facility when the mansion was still a boarding school. But with that having been several years ago, that kitchen was broken down..." Sooraya paused, considering. "... I don't know... maybe a year or two ago? Not sure when it was." Carefully she dried the knives and set them back in the block. "I'm a bit curious though... how did you come up with the whole idea for your webfluids? That is what you call them, right?"
"My webs?" April said, voice lilting upwards in question form at the end. "I make... well, I can't make them like this, but once my hands and lower arms go black, I can produce it. We speculate that whatever lets me do the turning also provided for the webbing ability. Dad and May had to make their own, so I have webshooters that direct the organic and use the backup fluid. I'm letting Clint and any of the rest of team science that's interested try to break it down and make it usable. I wasn't really into chemistry, so I worked on improving and fixing our shooters while they did the work on the webbing. Do weird things happen when you go into dust form, or do the particles that make you up reject anything else so you don't end up actually having sand or grit in your bloodstream or something?"
"Hmm, good question. I've never had issues with it in the fifteen years I've been using my powers, so I think there is some protection. I think it'd be a lot more trouble if the particles themselves end up being unable to transform back into flesh." Sooraya shuddered a little. "Luckily that hasn't happened either in my years of missions, so fingers crossed it stays that way."
"That's good at least, and makes me think that maybe other than sticking particles in place my webs wouldn't have other adverse effects on you. Still worth testing though, definitely." April had moved onto spoons. Mostly easy to clean, just a little extra effort around the rims and edges to make sure any stubborn particles didn't stick. "Dad came up with the idea for the webs because he decided if he was going to have some spider powers, he wanted to be able to make webs, too. He did some illicit chemistry and figured out a formula that basically switches from fluid to sticky-solid but not gunky on release, strong enough to hold criminals and let him swing around as an advantage."
"You know... you did mention that before and now I'm curious... you, your dad and your sister basically went out and fought crime?" Sooraya put the knife away in the block, careful of the sharp blades. "What was that like?"
"Well, Dad's officially retired from the superhero gig. He lost his leg to the Green Goblin when May was a toddler. The Richards family made him a bionic replacement, but he decided to fight crime in a safer way, and is part of the Midtown crime lab for the NYPD. May came into her powers just a few years before I got found, but she was operating kinda like dad did at the same age. Stopping muggers and assaulters, blocking off escapes to help local cops catch someone, whatever sort of assistance the neighborhood needed. Her relationship with the police department was better though, a combination of Dad being one of them and teaching her how to work with them instead of hindering their cases." A light swipe through the murky water didn't reveal any other dishes, so April pulled the plug and grabbed a second sponge, rubbing down the inside of the sink before rinsing everything and drying her hands. "When I arrived, he made sure I got the same sort of training before I could go on my own runs."
Sooraya grabbed a dish cloth and started wiping down the counter. "Sounds like he did everything he could to set you and May up for success. Do you miss it? Being out there, protecting people?"
"Yeah. I like helping on a small scale, but I also like fighting the battles the average human isn't always equipped to handle." April leaned against the already clean part of the counter comfortably. "It feels good too, whether it's making someone feel a little safer when they walk home or just doing the heavy lifting after there's been a disaster. Dad always impressed that when you can do what we can, it's important to give back to the neighborhood, even if that just meant toting Mrs. Wheeler's groceries up to the fifth floor because the elevator was out again. I think that's important too, but I'd probably get maced if I offered to carry a stranger's groceries here."
Sooraya burst out in laughter, shaking her head. "I think if you get the right stranger, you just might. Or maybe just some eldery men or women with a fierce walking stick! Still..." She turned serious, carefully finishing the final bit of the counter, rinsing out her cloth before hanging it to dry. "Can I be honest, April?"
April let out a short bark of laughter, wincing at the thought of being whacked with a walking stick. Old people were brutal with those damn things. Her brows furrowed as Sooraya turned more serious. "Sure, I prefer honesty."
"I was just just listening to your stories and one of the first things that occured to me was 'we could really use her'." Sooraya stated frankly. "So I was kinda wondering if you ever considered it..."
"I have. Kyle explained the teams when he was checking my spar level. I've talked to a few other people, wanted to get used to being here and finish school before making a firm commitment, but..." April shrugged, making a so-so motion with her hand. "When I consider all the teams I keep coming back to being part of the one where I can help, but also make sure that other people like us--or people that want to harm others like us--can be dealt with properly, to make things safer. And I know all the teams do that, so it kinda came down to what I wanted to do, and well... I really did like helping my sister take down enhanced villains, so I think the X-Men are probably the best choice."
Sooraya nodded thoughtfully, taking a moment to change tracks in her mind. "Sounds like you've been giving it a lot of thought already..." She observed. "And you're leaning towards a choice that makes sense... I want to ask... do you have any questions or concerns I can maybe help with? I don't mean it as any pressure, but if there is anything, I am happy to try and help?"
"I guess it's just needing to get used to working with all of you as a group? That was always the hardest part when we had to liaise with other groups. Trying to work together in an emergency without getting in the way. I know a few people have a decent grasp on what I can do - Garrison and Kyle have put me through my paces in sparring and the DR, and Pyotr and I do some weight and agility training together. I think it's just a matter of getting me used to the whole package. Comms, things the team does during downtime, security rotations, all of that. I know a little just from virtue of rooming with Pyotr, but he's careful about telling me things I'm not cleared to read or know yet."
"I think you mention a big difference there." Sooraya replied slowly, carefully considering her thoughts. "You mentioned liasing with other groups, but there is a difference between liasing with other groups and working as a team. You get to know each other's powers, skills and weaknesses far better for one. It gives a chance to build familiarity and trust. After a while I think it could be closer to working with your sister then simply liasing with other groups."
April nodded. "That would be really nice, I think. And dad would appreciate me not trying to work alone. Truthfully, I'd really like to get back out there. I just didn't want to cause any trouble here. Actually having a team to work with and rely on, people that know each other's skills and try to utilize them well... I can't think of anything better than that. Well. Maybe more training on getting into that full form I arrived in, but I assume part of the working together would be trying to figure that out."
"Working on your powers is an important part of your training." Sooraya confirmed. "As well as exploring how to best use them in combat. Cyclops and Dominion have so many simulations that is pretty much a given."
"That'll be interesting. I've basically just been keeping in shape, so actually interacting and learning will be enjoyable, I think. I can't just spend all my time trying to help Pyotr become more nimble, regardless of how entertaining it gets." April gave Sooraya a conspiratorial grin. "If footage in the DR gets kept for any length of time, there are probably some videos of our agility training if someone needed a laugh."
Sooraya couldn't stop herself from smirking just a little. "I can totally picture that. Unfortunately... what vids there are Scott and Garrison usually keep behind lock and key, unless both parties agree. Or some other really pressing reason."
April thought about it for a moment. "He might agree if I also include the video of web fails while trying to show off. But imagining a really, really tall golden retriever doing a standard agility course is pretty close." She waved her hand in a so-so motion. "He's gotten much better, so it's mostly only funny when I take him through small people spaces. Seeing a really tall, broad man trying to navigate spaces that are even tight for me will probably never not be funny. But if he can, so much the better when it's actually important."
"I've worked with Pyotr and it's a good thing for him to get better at. It's also a great way to find ways to be more subtle." Sooraya grinned, adding: "And you know, hearing you talk, I'm thinking even more you'll be a good fit."
"It's really useful," April agreed, ducking her head at Sooraya's praise. "I mean, Pyotr is really my only example because we spend a lot of time together, but we even have trouble going into town on the bus because the aisle and seats just aren't made for someone as tall and muscled as he is. But it's also not nice if I make him do tight spaces and agility and don't also do something I'm bad at, so we'll switch the course to fit him as Colossus and then I have to do my best navigation without using my webs. It's a killer workout for me, but it also means he gets to see me being awkward and making mistakes. Everyone improves and nobody feels like they're being set an impossible task. Dad is... big on fairness, where it's possible."
"Your father sounds like a good man. Even more with what you just mentioned." Sooraya's smile softened. "You mentioned a few things, but I'd love to hear more? And what your mom and sister? "
"He did the superhero thing for a long time," April replied softly. "And he's got a really strong moral code. He did his best to make sure we picked it up too. Mom's. Smart, good with people. She's a fashion designer, sells her design at a small boutique in Queens. She's where I got my interest in doing things sustainably. A lot of rants about how fast fashion's only good for everyday socks and undergarments, things that can be cheap enough that you don't care if they have a hole in them 3 or 6 months down the road. And May... we're a lot alike, even now, but she's more outgoing. Life of the party, easy for people to sorta orbit around. I prefer smaller groups."
"They all sound like good people, not just your dad." Sooraya commented equally softly "It sounds like you mostly take after your dad? Or is there something you really take after your mom with?"
"Her focus on making things that last is what stuck with me most, I think," she replied with a small laugh. "It ended up informing some of my focus at school, at least. We've only got the one earth, so figuring out a way to reuse things. Transform them. My focus ended up being split between that and making better, smarter prosthetics. Sometimes there was crossover. The last project I worked on before I ended up here, we were using recycled bottles and cans to make prosthetic parts for kids. The durability wasn't quite as good as the standard carbon fiber or fiberglass, but they helped between growth spurts."
"And maybe also making it more affordable for the parents as well?" Sooraya thought out loud. "That sounds like a really interesting project. I know of a kid or two in District X who could have used something like that." She fell silent for a moment. "You know... it does kinda sound like you managed to pull from both your parents and combine it, doesn't it?"
April nodded in agreement. "Much more affordable for the parents. We worked with some local groups to get them out to kids in a roughly 90 minute radius or so from campus. As for the blend of my parents... I'm probably more like dad, but I definitely ended up a blend of them. Mom was the only person in the family without powers... Benji was... well, even as a toddler we could tell he was taking after dad. He manifested early. And he didn't like me, ever, so I'm sure the house got more peaceful once I was gone." She paused, staring into the distance. "I can't believe it's been almost a year since I last saw them."
"That's a long time." Sooraya sympathized, reaching out to rest a hopefully comforting hand on April's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "If there is anything I can do to help..."
"Thanks." April gave her a small, genuine smile and leaned into the touch for a brief moment. "It helps to have people here. Not always the same situation, but I'm not the only one who can't see or communicate with family members for some reason. Or the only one with ah... murky status as a living person. Not being the odd one out is strangely nice."
"It does help." Sooraya nodded. "The pain of not knowing about your family... it never fully goes away, but it does get easier. In my experience at least."
"It's good to hear that. Something to look forward to. And it's been good to talk about them. About missing them."
"I'm always happy to listen. You know what, how about we grab some tea? I just heard you mention a little brother? Benji wasn't it?" Sooraya gestured at the kettle. "I'd love to hear some more stories."
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