xp_logs | Sooraya and Match: check-in (backdated)

xp_dust posting in

Now at the mansion for a few weeks, Sooraya checks in with Match about how he is doing.

Match stared at the woman, Dust, Sooraya, he didn’t know what to call her actually before dropping his eyes as he began to pick at the loose thread of his shirt. “So, what now? Is this like a welfare check or something, except now I’m in New York and in a,” he stopped himself from swearing and took the moment to reform his sentence. “Whatever this is? I guess I thought you guys just helped kids but it seems a bit bigger than that."

"You're not wrong..." Sooraya paused, thinking. "You know, I never got around to asking what you'd like to be called? Match? Ben? Or something else?" Sooraya grabbed the teapot, quickly pouring cups of chai for both of them. She offered him a cup, along with one of the ginger snaps she had brought.

"Match," he supplied immediately, though his brows furrowed. Hesitantly, he reached out for a cookie and held it in his hand. "Everyone called me Match after, and only my grandma still called me Ben, so I mean, it's up to you I guess. I like Match." It was a bit mumbled, and he took the opportunity to take a bite.

"If you like Match, Match it is. You get to choose what we call you." Sooraya quickly reassured him before explaining: "And you don't have to worry. I just wanted to check in with you about how you are doing and if you have everything you need. A lot happened in Chicago and you're far away from home. That's a lot to get used to."

Match nodded once, eyes trailing around as he was mentally transported to other meetings that felt a whole lot like this one. The room was nicer, at least. "Nah, I don't need a whole lot, got my backpack, my coat, I'm good to go." He placed a hand on his knee to keep from jostling it, suddenly aware of the movement. "Yeah, life be like that, but I'll live or I'll die, really the only two options. It's nice," he admitted, a bit softer. "Being out of Chicago. Lot happened there too."

"That's very true... a lot did happen. How are you holding up with that?"

"Huh?" He didn't even try to cover up his confusion at her question. Unsure what answer she wanted, he slowly shrugged. "'m fine. Shit happens, not really anything I can do about it."

"Bit of a hard question, huh?" Sooraya sipped from her tea and bit into one of the ginger snaps. "I was kinda thinking of things like if you've been able to sleep okay? And if you've started finding your way around a bit?"

Again, this earned a shrug before Match nodded an affirmative, hesitance creeping back in as he tried to gauge what the correct answers were for her. "I guess, uh, I've always slept fine. And I, yes? The room's nice, I've been looking around that community center place, that's. It's different, but I've got a hang on it."

"The community center? It's a little different, but it's made a lot of difference for people there." Sooraya smiled, reaching over for another cookie as she cast around for another topic in the hope of connecting a little with the boy. "Have you had the chance to catch up with your grandmother? I was really impressed by her during the fire and I hope she is doing okay."

"Oh," confusion flashed before the boy brightened at the mention of his grandma. "Oh, yeah, we were able to talk for a while last week. She's good, it sounds like. Nothing she wasn't prepared for with some of the volunteering she got up to when I was- yeah. Course she took the time to also remind me I gotta get a hold on my fire problem."

"Sounds like she is settling in okay." Sooraya hesitated a little before adding: "You know, I had the chance to talk to her for a little bit before we had to leave and she told me a bit about the work she'd been doing. I hope she'll find a way to keep helping. She sounded really passionate about it."

"She is, even before me. She'll be okay," Match's brows knit together all the same, knee beginning to jiggle as he looked away. "My parents made her stop," he supplied after a pause. "But when they left she got to volunteer again, and, I don't know, it makes her happy and she's good at it. So that's good right?"

"Very much so, I'd say. Especially it makes her happy." Sooraya easily agreed. "What did your grandma used to do? She was only able to tell me very little."

"Used to spend time at the shelter before people started blowing up, maybe she went back to it, but I don’t know honest.” He paused, trying to think and again his movement stopped. “I think after they left, she didn’t go back, but she was out of the house too, and I mean, people must’ve liked her enough to bring her into the Underground…”

“If… if I can learn to not start stuff on fire again, I can go back, right?”

"Match, I really want to say that's true, but I am not gonna make any promises I can't keep." Compassion shone from Sooraya's eyes as she carefully chose her words. "A least until you turn eighteen, there are other things we have to consider, like if it's safe and if you have support there."

"Oh. Right." Match looked back down to Sooraya's desk. Now this, this was familiar. He tried to focus on the stupid breathing exercises people taught him, but he couldn't stop the heat from slipping out. "Is there anything else?"

Sooraya frowned as she felt the warmth radiating from him: "Are you struggling with your powers right now?" She asked gently.

"I - huh? I don't, sorry, is it getting hot? I can't," he puffed out the air in his lungs, but the heat remained. "Is it still hotter than it was? I can't, uh, I can't tell, or feel it really."

"It is." She confirmed, falling silent for a moment as she observed him closely. "And I'd recognize those breathing exercises anywhere. They're not helping, are they?"

"No. I'm just hot." Match snapped. "It's not like the fire thing, I'm doing fucking amazing at not lighting shit on fire, but I can't turn off the heat."

"It's good that you can control the fire so far." She paused, biting her lip. "How about we try something different for the heat? One of my best friends also could do stuff with heat and fire, but it took her a while to learn and control it. This was something that helped her."

His attention turned back to her instead of the spot in the distance he'd been focusing on. “Yeah alright, let’s try the thing that worked for your friend.”

"Okay." Sooraya nodded as she rose from her chair and knelt down next to Match. "First, we are gonna try a different breathing exercise. Just follow my voice... that'll make it easier... Close your eyes."

"Alright." He followed her instructions with another huff, though the heat didn't rise any more. "Now what?"

"Now... I want you to breathe out slowly... and release all the air from your lungs... and you are gonna breathe in while I count to four... three... four... and hold your breath... three... four... and blow out... two... three... four... and hold again... two... three... four..." Sooraya explained, watching his face carefully.

He couldn't feel a difference, it made everything so much harder than when he was working with fire. That was visible and tended to get an immediate reaction. The heat was harder, everything seemed the same to him. Again, Match followed the instructions, in, hold, out, in, hold, out. It could probably go on forever without him noticing anything had changed. Skeptically, he cracked an eye open. "Is it back to the old temperature?"

"Give it a little time." She gently guided him. "Don't think, just focus on your breathing. Breathe out.... and in... two... three... four..." She coached him through a few cycles of breathing to see if he had found his rhythm. "Now, while you keep breathing, picture a lit candle in your mind. It doesn't matter what it looks, just that it's burning."

“Mhm.” It felt rude to tell her that he always had a lit candle in his mind, flames had become a norm for him since he’d erupted into them, so he simply closed his eye again and tried to relax and focus on what she was saying. In, one, two, three, four, and out. And again. The candle in his minds eye was dripping wax and instinctively he grimaced before it occurred to him he wouldn’t have to clean up after it. Okay. In and out, in and out, in and- he jolted upright again, blearily looking for a clock. “Did I fall asleep? Is it still hot?”

"It was only for a few minutes, but yeah... you ended up dozing off for a little bit." Sooraya stifled her smile, rising easily and taking her seat again. "But you did lose the heat when you did so. Are you feeling a bit more at ease?"

"I... guess?" Match wasn't entirely sure to be honest, but that sounded like a worse answer, so instead, he nodded. “Yeah, better. Guess I just gotta make myself sleep to cut back on the heat.”

"From what I've learned from my friend it's not so much sleep, but just that bit of peace and quiet inside you." Sooraya explained. "Being rested will definitely help. If you want I can show you the rest of the exercise later?"

:Yeah that... yeah, later." He agreed slowly, running a hand over his face to try and wake himself up a little more before he stood back up. "So I'm good? Is this kinda the thing where we have meetings every few weeks or, no, I guess I gotta get the power stuff under control first right?"

"Only if you'd like regular meetings. This was only checking in since you just got here. Oh... before I forget..." Sooraya ducked behind the desk and pulled out a paper bag. "I got these for you. Your grandmother told me you really used to like these?" The bag made crinkly sounds as she passed it to him.

His nodding froze as she brought the crackers out, mask of indifference breaking as a smile spread across his face. He reached out, hesitating only for a moment, to confirm he could take the fish shaped snack. "I, yeah," Match agreed, opting to ignore that he couldn't taste them anymore, as he smiled down on them. "I do, thanks."