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xp_logsBackdated to March 3. Later in the day after meeting with Nica, Madin has a check in with Sooraya.
Madin had agreed to meet Sooraya for a chat - a "how's it going here" type thing. They'd been in and out of the city over the last day or two but hadn't spent much time at the mansion actually outside their room.
"I did. I've always enjoyed cooking and baking... probably my favorite way to relax." Sooraya explained, leaning forward and pouring the tea. She pushed over a mug to Madin along with two of the cookies and sat back with her down. "What do you think of the place so far? Is it starting to feel a little familiar already?"
They were sitting awkwardly on a couch in one of the living rooms, hoping they'd picked the right one and smiled when they saw Sooraya arrive. "Hi," Madin said. "How's it going?"
"Hey Madin." Sooraya set down the tray with tea and homemade ginger cookies she had with her and took her own seat. "Was the room easy to find? And I hope you don't mind tea. I'm having some fresh mint tea, but I also brought some tea bags if that beats your drum more."
"Yeah, it was fine." Madin settled on the other chair. "Mint tea is fine, I guess. Thanks. Did you make those biscuits?"
"It's um." Madin drank some tea to buy time. What did you say? I noticed that you assigned a fucking dog to be a security guard and follow me around? You got surveillance cameras in the hallways? I'm pretty sure you're only saying that I can leave because I've seen your damn base and I'm probably a security risk? You're all a bunch of rich arseholes sitting around in luxury while mutants suffer? "It's sure different than Chicago. We're out in the middle of nowhere basically." Yeah. That's diplomatic.
"It's very different." Sooraya easily agreed. "But we're not so isolated as it looks out here though. We're only minutes away from Salem and most of us go to NYC pretty often. Still, it often takes people quite a bit of time to get used to it all. I know I did when I first came here."
Madin nodded, thinking of the way the sky had been endless out at Woomera and Port Hedland. "Yeah, like, it's not the middle of nowhere really - Port was so far out they'd have to fly you back down to Perth, you know? It's like a 17 hour drive. And like, when I was travelling after, like, leaving Australia, that was really different sometimes. But it feels isolated. Like, there's this huge city nearby but we're in rich people land, you know? There's antiques and shit."
Sooraya took a moment to look around the small sitting room, becoming aware of the fine furnishings and finishes still in the room. "To be honest, I hardly notice anymore. Maybe because this place has been home for so long that it's become normal, something you don't notice. But also because it's only the outside of things." Sooraya sipped from her tea, taking a moment to recenter. "Sorry, I didn't mean to become half philosophical. Do you have everything you need so far?"
"Yeah. Someone - and look, I don't know their name - even dropped off a whole box of different sized clothes once they saw I just had a couple of bags and half my stuff is shit." Madin fidgeted awkwardly. "What's the deal here? You give me a room, a phone, all new clothes... What's the catch?"
"I don't think you'd believe me if I tell you there is no catch, would you?" Sooraya smiled wryly. "This place tries to be a safe haven, even if we can only be that for a limited number of people... and something of a base where we can help other mutants from and some other stuff." She paused and tilted her head, considering: "Maybe that's a bit of a catch... you've got the time to settle in, to find your way, but in the end I do think there is a bit of an unwritten expectation that you help out somewhere with our efforts."
"Okay, but what are your efforts, exactly?" Madin asked, air quotes up. Seriously, though.
"I don't think you'd believe me if I tell you there is no catch, would you?" Sooraya smiled wryly. "This place tries to be a safe haven, even if we can only be that for a limited number of people... and something of a base where we can help other mutants from and some other stuff." She paused and tilted her head, considering: "Maybe that's a bit of a catch... you've got the time to settle in, to find your way, but in the end I do think there is a bit of an unwritten expectation that you help out somewhere with our efforts."
"Okay, but what are your efforts, exactly?" Madin asked, air quotes up. Seriously, though.
"Couple of things." Sooraya explained blithely, ignoring the air quotes. "There are different teams, but there is also volunteering in District X. Many of us are involved with the community center or other things there. Others are active in the Underground locally or try to do what they can internationally." Sipping from her tea, she continued: "I do a lot of work with the kids in District X and the Underground, trying to make sure that they get their education. I've also been working for a long time on a training manual for many kinds of mutant powers that can be easily distributed. The first versions are out there, but I keep expanding on it. Angelo gives legal aid, Quintin and Alex work at XFI, the private detective agency in District X. It all depends on what you want to do and what you're good at."
Right. It felt like a punch in the stomach having it confirmed. "So, if I stay, I'm staying because you can use me. Not because everything you said about this place being a sanctuary is true."
Sooraya tilted her head at them, studying them thoughtfully. "You have an interesting way of hearing things." She finally commented. "Let me say it again. This is a safe place, Madin, and you are welcome to stay, even if you wouldn't join anything. But I want to be honest with you too. It's my feeling that there can be a bit of an unwritten expectation of helping out. But if you'd ask someone else here, they might see it differently."
"Yeah, well, it sure sounds that way but sure. I'm not going to just get kicked out if I don't immediately become useful."
Madin gave a bitter laugh. "I wasn't expecting anything. I just needed to not be in Chicago."
Madin shrugged. "I dunno. I'll leave it for now if that's okay."
"Sure, that's fine. Just let us know if you are ready." Sooraya sipped from her tea. "So outside Maya have you had the chance to meet some other people around here?"
"Uh. I met. Um. Nica? Earlier today. She's um. Very enthusiastic. I don't know. Am I supposed to introduce myself or something?" Madin shifted slightly uncomfortably. So far, everything here was putting them on edge, just a little, all the time. Coming here was a mistake. I should have just made the best of everything in Chicago.
"Ah, Nica was talking about the journals. Yeah, that is a good idea. It will save you from having to introduce yourself to everyone you meet and you'll get an idea who else is around in the mansion. Do you know how or do you want me to show you?"
Madin had agreed to meet Sooraya for a chat - a "how's it going here" type thing. They'd been in and out of the city over the last day or two but hadn't spent much time at the mansion actually outside their room.
"I did. I've always enjoyed cooking and baking... probably my favorite way to relax." Sooraya explained, leaning forward and pouring the tea. She pushed over a mug to Madin along with two of the cookies and sat back with her down. "What do you think of the place so far? Is it starting to feel a little familiar already?"
They were sitting awkwardly on a couch in one of the living rooms, hoping they'd picked the right one and smiled when they saw Sooraya arrive. "Hi," Madin said. "How's it going?"
"Hey Madin." Sooraya set down the tray with tea and homemade ginger cookies she had with her and took her own seat. "Was the room easy to find? And I hope you don't mind tea. I'm having some fresh mint tea, but I also brought some tea bags if that beats your drum more."
"Yeah, it was fine." Madin settled on the other chair. "Mint tea is fine, I guess. Thanks. Did you make those biscuits?"
"It's um." Madin drank some tea to buy time. What did you say? I noticed that you assigned a fucking dog to be a security guard and follow me around? You got surveillance cameras in the hallways? I'm pretty sure you're only saying that I can leave because I've seen your damn base and I'm probably a security risk? You're all a bunch of rich arseholes sitting around in luxury while mutants suffer? "It's sure different than Chicago. We're out in the middle of nowhere basically." Yeah. That's diplomatic.
"It's very different." Sooraya easily agreed. "But we're not so isolated as it looks out here though. We're only minutes away from Salem and most of us go to NYC pretty often. Still, it often takes people quite a bit of time to get used to it all. I know I did when I first came here."
Madin nodded, thinking of the way the sky had been endless out at Woomera and Port Hedland. "Yeah, like, it's not the middle of nowhere really - Port was so far out they'd have to fly you back down to Perth, you know? It's like a 17 hour drive. And like, when I was travelling after, like, leaving Australia, that was really different sometimes. But it feels isolated. Like, there's this huge city nearby but we're in rich people land, you know? There's antiques and shit."
Sooraya took a moment to look around the small sitting room, becoming aware of the fine furnishings and finishes still in the room. "To be honest, I hardly notice anymore. Maybe because this place has been home for so long that it's become normal, something you don't notice. But also because it's only the outside of things." Sooraya sipped from her tea, taking a moment to recenter. "Sorry, I didn't mean to become half philosophical. Do you have everything you need so far?"
"Yeah. Someone - and look, I don't know their name - even dropped off a whole box of different sized clothes once they saw I just had a couple of bags and half my stuff is shit." Madin fidgeted awkwardly. "What's the deal here? You give me a room, a phone, all new clothes... What's the catch?"
"I don't think you'd believe me if I tell you there is no catch, would you?" Sooraya smiled wryly. "This place tries to be a safe haven, even if we can only be that for a limited number of people... and something of a base where we can help other mutants from and some other stuff." She paused and tilted her head, considering: "Maybe that's a bit of a catch... you've got the time to settle in, to find your way, but in the end I do think there is a bit of an unwritten expectation that you help out somewhere with our efforts."
"Okay, but what are your efforts, exactly?" Madin asked, air quotes up. Seriously, though.
"I don't think you'd believe me if I tell you there is no catch, would you?" Sooraya smiled wryly. "This place tries to be a safe haven, even if we can only be that for a limited number of people... and something of a base where we can help other mutants from and some other stuff." She paused and tilted her head, considering: "Maybe that's a bit of a catch... you've got the time to settle in, to find your way, but in the end I do think there is a bit of an unwritten expectation that you help out somewhere with our efforts."
"Okay, but what are your efforts, exactly?" Madin asked, air quotes up. Seriously, though.
"Couple of things." Sooraya explained blithely, ignoring the air quotes. "There are different teams, but there is also volunteering in District X. Many of us are involved with the community center or other things there. Others are active in the Underground locally or try to do what they can internationally." Sipping from her tea, she continued: "I do a lot of work with the kids in District X and the Underground, trying to make sure that they get their education. I've also been working for a long time on a training manual for many kinds of mutant powers that can be easily distributed. The first versions are out there, but I keep expanding on it. Angelo gives legal aid, Quintin and Alex work at XFI, the private detective agency in District X. It all depends on what you want to do and what you're good at."
Right. It felt like a punch in the stomach having it confirmed. "So, if I stay, I'm staying because you can use me. Not because everything you said about this place being a sanctuary is true."
Sooraya tilted her head at them, studying them thoughtfully. "You have an interesting way of hearing things." She finally commented. "Let me say it again. This is a safe place, Madin, and you are welcome to stay, even if you wouldn't join anything. But I want to be honest with you too. It's my feeling that there can be a bit of an unwritten expectation of helping out. But if you'd ask someone else here, they might see it differently."
"Yeah, well, it sure sounds that way but sure. I'm not going to just get kicked out if I don't immediately become useful."
Madin gave a bitter laugh. "I wasn't expecting anything. I just needed to not be in Chicago."
Madin shrugged. "I dunno. I'll leave it for now if that's okay."
"Sure, that's fine. Just let us know if you are ready." Sooraya sipped from her tea. "So outside Maya have you had the chance to meet some other people around here?"
"Uh. I met. Um. Nica? Earlier today. She's um. Very enthusiastic. I don't know. Am I supposed to introduce myself or something?" Madin shifted slightly uncomfortably. So far, everything here was putting them on edge, just a little, all the time. Coming here was a mistake. I should have just made the best of everything in Chicago.
"Ah, Nica was talking about the journals. Yeah, that is a good idea. It will save you from having to introduce yourself to everyone you meet and you'll get an idea who else is around in the mansion. Do you know how or do you want me to show you?"
