Madin and Alani
Jul. 21st, 2023 05:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAlani runs into Madin in the DX and learns why Madin has been so scarce lately
Another day of almost six hours on campus to make sure she was on top of her summer course before she took the bus to the edge of District X. Once she was down the block, the bus out of sight, she switched her image inducer off with a sigh of relief before continuing on her way towards the center. She wanted to be back in bed, but at least today her plan was just to be a floating help, so she didn't have to worry about her own work. And there was an ease moving around in DX that she didn't feel in much of the City, calmly stepping out of the way of a group walking past her before a slightly familiar purple form caught her eye. Briefly weighing the options, she stopped to wave at them while she changed course. "Heya, Madin. Ya busy?"
Madin turned at the sound of their name. They'd been spending pretty much no time at the mansion since The Incident On The Journals but hadn't officially moved out yet. "Hey Alani. Yeah, I mean, I got nothing on right now..."
"Perfect! Do you do coffee?" Had she known the other mutant better she would have linked arms with them, instead she began to walk towards her regular caffeine fix establishment, looking back to make sure they were still there. "Or tea? I was never a tea gal, but, because I'm dragging you along, my treat."
Madin laughed. "I'm from Melbourne originally. Of course I do coffee." They followed along behind her, happy for a free coffee.
"Sports capital of Australia, if you wanna fight someone from Sydney," Alani snorted a laugh. "I was born in New Zealand, don't get much chance to get back nowadays, though, I mean, I haven't been able to get back to Hawai'i much either, but, that's what happens when you move to America, I reckon, all this space and all these people." She chattered on as they walked, deciding that it was best to just let her motor mouth fill any silence.
"I always want to fight someone fron Sydney."
Biting their lip, Madin sighed and looked over at Alani. "So, is this a welfare check? What's the deal?"
"Well I don't know any here, so that might take a while, but I'll see what I can do-" She let that stop her, pausing to look Madin in the eyes. "Not on purpose, I was on my way to the center and saw you, and it doesn't have to be, like, a full welfare check interview I don't even know what because I don't tend to do those things. Or it doesn't have to be anything at all. I get the coffee, you go on your way, I feel a little better that I saw you and you were alive. Which do you want?" (edited)
Madin shrugged. "I dunno." They'd said the wrong thing again. This always happened here. Everyone was so bloody touchy.
"Okay, coffee first then, because I've been awake since 5:30 and even I can't run on just two cups a day and the power of sunshine when I'll probably have three kids hanging off me." It was entirely serious as she started to walk again. "You don't have to talk, honest. I'm just a talker. Helps me."
Madin shrugged. "I'm not, not a talker, you know? I just. I dunno." They were off balance here and still didn't know how to interact with most of the people at the mansion. Thankfully the coffee shop offered a distraction. "We sitting inside or getting takeaways?"
Alani breezed past the talking point, they'd said what they said and she wasn't going to push it. A thought had started in her brain, but she filed that for later. She held the door open. "Takeaway if that's alright with you." And it gave Madin an out if they so wished. "I don't feel much like sitting right now, I get too fucking cooped up if I don't move too much."
"Sure". Madin took the lead and guided them back outside, leaning against a fence. "So, I'm fine, you know. I don't need looking after. I've been looking after myself for a long time." They took a sip of their coffee and winced. "Jesus, fucking seppo coffee always sucks but, eh? This is bad. I think they burned the oat milk."
Alani laughed, she hadn't meant to, she wanted to kick herself, but it slipped out and she shook her head. "Sorry, god, I miss Kona. Almost everything out here saying it is is a blend and is a pale fuckin imitation of something I miss." Swirling a finger against the lid of her own before she slid through spots to allow it to cool faster, pink light flashing briefly. "You do look fine, I'm glad for that. Australia is very different than here," she paused, brows furrowing before she sighed. "And despite everything, everyone's so goddamn American here, American norms, American thoughts, American beliefs. I don't even talk how I talked most my life here, and I think most people think that's how I always have and will. I learned Spanish because other people think I look like someone who should speak Spanish, and it helps, but, fuck, I'm just talking, but I'm not here to say you did anything wrong or that you should be buddy-buddy with people. It's bullshit, and I understand where you were coming from, honestly. I wish we could have truly mutant only spaces, so people might actually feel safe or like they can just be themselves. But I think we have to work towards that first. If that makes sense." Her eyes never left theirs, calm but... tired as she tried to see what they might say.
Madin nodded. "You Islander or Maori? We had a lot of both back home when I was in Broadie. I wouldn't have thought you were Latino, ever but I guess that's Americans. They expect everyone to know their stuff but they don't know anything about the rest of the damn world. And the ones at the mansion don't get it. They've got no idea." Madin took a breath and continued. "They don't even want to understand why I can't. Why I don't always feel safe in human places but the way they were reacting to me saying that at all - fuck. They made it clear that the fucking community centre isn't for people like me, because I won't just put up with bigots because we gotta be inclusive. And the mansion isn't, either, because I haven't joined a fucking team. I don't know why I bothered coming. Should've just left Ben and stayed in Chicago. I had a squat. I was making enough with the occasional trick and dumpsters diving and now I've got fucking nothing again and everyone here's like I'm a fucking Nazi or something just because I don't want to do humans." They drove a plasma knife into the pavement in front of themself.
"Mostly Maori on that side," she offered before lapsing into another turn of silence, sipping her coffee slowly as she watched the display and turned over what they were saying. It made sense that they'd feel that way, of course it did, they made a perfectly fine post with valid points that had been dogpiled like it was going out of style without anyone thinking why anyone would say that. "Well, you're not a Nazi, I think we both know that, and I don't know anything about what it's like in Chicago, but the community centre is for you, people like you. I used to have to teach children in their homes because it was the only place they felt safe, because their mutations were visible. District X started because people needed a place, and a lot still do. I know it's shitty to say that it's what we have so deal with it, but I want something to come next. A place where we can just exist and not have to politely beg for scraps or that people not fucking leer at us or attack us in the streets. I think that's what you want too. So now we just have to make that happen, and unfortunately that takes time."
"It doesn't feel like that," Madin said and sighed.
"No, I can't imagine it does now." Alani agreed, drumming her fingers against the side of her cup. "But the mansions there as a nice place to sleep while you work on whatever you want to do next, and no one's going to make you leave if you don't want to. I came here because we got a mail bomb at home, and I can say as a glowing review, I've had no mail bombs since moving in."
"Yeah. I... I feel that, you know? Like, any time I run into anyone at the mansion, they're greasing me off and I just wanna fucking ask what their damn problem is. Fucking gutless, the lot of them. They'll talk a big game about wanting to bash me online but they won't even say anything to my fucking face." Madin finished their coffee and then stabbed the empty cup with another blade. "Fucking dogs, the lot of them."
Alani couldn't stop herself from flinching a bit at the action, though it was hard to deny Madin's stance when they'd lived that experience. She couldn't imagine, stress already knotting up inside of her at the memory of some of the comments their post had garnered. She wanted to say that the mansion was better than that, to try and point them to some of the people that they could talk to but... well everything was coming up blank so instead she smiled, more tired and sad than she'd started this venture. "I can see how it might feel that you're all alone, surrounded by people threatening you. I'm sorry, it's a really hard place to be."
"Yeah..." Madin shook their head. "Anyway. I"m real sorry. You didn't ask for this."
"Nah, I did," she nodded, before finishing off her own coffee. "That's what checking on people can entail, and I'm not too precious to deal with it. A lot of kids I talk to are angry or sad, on the extremes. I'm just around to make sure everyone makes it to tomorrow with me."
"Sure." Madin smiled - a shakey smile, but a smile. "Thanks."
Alani returned the smile, a little too bright, eyes a little wetter than she wanted to acknowledge. "I'll see you later, Madin. Lemme know if you need anything, really."
Another day of almost six hours on campus to make sure she was on top of her summer course before she took the bus to the edge of District X. Once she was down the block, the bus out of sight, she switched her image inducer off with a sigh of relief before continuing on her way towards the center. She wanted to be back in bed, but at least today her plan was just to be a floating help, so she didn't have to worry about her own work. And there was an ease moving around in DX that she didn't feel in much of the City, calmly stepping out of the way of a group walking past her before a slightly familiar purple form caught her eye. Briefly weighing the options, she stopped to wave at them while she changed course. "Heya, Madin. Ya busy?"
Madin turned at the sound of their name. They'd been spending pretty much no time at the mansion since The Incident On The Journals but hadn't officially moved out yet. "Hey Alani. Yeah, I mean, I got nothing on right now..."
"Perfect! Do you do coffee?" Had she known the other mutant better she would have linked arms with them, instead she began to walk towards her regular caffeine fix establishment, looking back to make sure they were still there. "Or tea? I was never a tea gal, but, because I'm dragging you along, my treat."
Madin laughed. "I'm from Melbourne originally. Of course I do coffee." They followed along behind her, happy for a free coffee.
"Sports capital of Australia, if you wanna fight someone from Sydney," Alani snorted a laugh. "I was born in New Zealand, don't get much chance to get back nowadays, though, I mean, I haven't been able to get back to Hawai'i much either, but, that's what happens when you move to America, I reckon, all this space and all these people." She chattered on as they walked, deciding that it was best to just let her motor mouth fill any silence.
"I always want to fight someone fron Sydney."
Biting their lip, Madin sighed and looked over at Alani. "So, is this a welfare check? What's the deal?"
"Well I don't know any here, so that might take a while, but I'll see what I can do-" She let that stop her, pausing to look Madin in the eyes. "Not on purpose, I was on my way to the center and saw you, and it doesn't have to be, like, a full welfare check interview I don't even know what because I don't tend to do those things. Or it doesn't have to be anything at all. I get the coffee, you go on your way, I feel a little better that I saw you and you were alive. Which do you want?" (edited)
Madin shrugged. "I dunno." They'd said the wrong thing again. This always happened here. Everyone was so bloody touchy.
"Okay, coffee first then, because I've been awake since 5:30 and even I can't run on just two cups a day and the power of sunshine when I'll probably have three kids hanging off me." It was entirely serious as she started to walk again. "You don't have to talk, honest. I'm just a talker. Helps me."
Madin shrugged. "I'm not, not a talker, you know? I just. I dunno." They were off balance here and still didn't know how to interact with most of the people at the mansion. Thankfully the coffee shop offered a distraction. "We sitting inside or getting takeaways?"
Alani breezed past the talking point, they'd said what they said and she wasn't going to push it. A thought had started in her brain, but she filed that for later. She held the door open. "Takeaway if that's alright with you." And it gave Madin an out if they so wished. "I don't feel much like sitting right now, I get too fucking cooped up if I don't move too much."
"Sure". Madin took the lead and guided them back outside, leaning against a fence. "So, I'm fine, you know. I don't need looking after. I've been looking after myself for a long time." They took a sip of their coffee and winced. "Jesus, fucking seppo coffee always sucks but, eh? This is bad. I think they burned the oat milk."
Alani laughed, she hadn't meant to, she wanted to kick herself, but it slipped out and she shook her head. "Sorry, god, I miss Kona. Almost everything out here saying it is is a blend and is a pale fuckin imitation of something I miss." Swirling a finger against the lid of her own before she slid through spots to allow it to cool faster, pink light flashing briefly. "You do look fine, I'm glad for that. Australia is very different than here," she paused, brows furrowing before she sighed. "And despite everything, everyone's so goddamn American here, American norms, American thoughts, American beliefs. I don't even talk how I talked most my life here, and I think most people think that's how I always have and will. I learned Spanish because other people think I look like someone who should speak Spanish, and it helps, but, fuck, I'm just talking, but I'm not here to say you did anything wrong or that you should be buddy-buddy with people. It's bullshit, and I understand where you were coming from, honestly. I wish we could have truly mutant only spaces, so people might actually feel safe or like they can just be themselves. But I think we have to work towards that first. If that makes sense." Her eyes never left theirs, calm but... tired as she tried to see what they might say.
Madin nodded. "You Islander or Maori? We had a lot of both back home when I was in Broadie. I wouldn't have thought you were Latino, ever but I guess that's Americans. They expect everyone to know their stuff but they don't know anything about the rest of the damn world. And the ones at the mansion don't get it. They've got no idea." Madin took a breath and continued. "They don't even want to understand why I can't. Why I don't always feel safe in human places but the way they were reacting to me saying that at all - fuck. They made it clear that the fucking community centre isn't for people like me, because I won't just put up with bigots because we gotta be inclusive. And the mansion isn't, either, because I haven't joined a fucking team. I don't know why I bothered coming. Should've just left Ben and stayed in Chicago. I had a squat. I was making enough with the occasional trick and dumpsters diving and now I've got fucking nothing again and everyone here's like I'm a fucking Nazi or something just because I don't want to do humans." They drove a plasma knife into the pavement in front of themself.
"Mostly Maori on that side," she offered before lapsing into another turn of silence, sipping her coffee slowly as she watched the display and turned over what they were saying. It made sense that they'd feel that way, of course it did, they made a perfectly fine post with valid points that had been dogpiled like it was going out of style without anyone thinking why anyone would say that. "Well, you're not a Nazi, I think we both know that, and I don't know anything about what it's like in Chicago, but the community centre is for you, people like you. I used to have to teach children in their homes because it was the only place they felt safe, because their mutations were visible. District X started because people needed a place, and a lot still do. I know it's shitty to say that it's what we have so deal with it, but I want something to come next. A place where we can just exist and not have to politely beg for scraps or that people not fucking leer at us or attack us in the streets. I think that's what you want too. So now we just have to make that happen, and unfortunately that takes time."
"It doesn't feel like that," Madin said and sighed.
"No, I can't imagine it does now." Alani agreed, drumming her fingers against the side of her cup. "But the mansions there as a nice place to sleep while you work on whatever you want to do next, and no one's going to make you leave if you don't want to. I came here because we got a mail bomb at home, and I can say as a glowing review, I've had no mail bombs since moving in."
"Yeah. I... I feel that, you know? Like, any time I run into anyone at the mansion, they're greasing me off and I just wanna fucking ask what their damn problem is. Fucking gutless, the lot of them. They'll talk a big game about wanting to bash me online but they won't even say anything to my fucking face." Madin finished their coffee and then stabbed the empty cup with another blade. "Fucking dogs, the lot of them."
Alani couldn't stop herself from flinching a bit at the action, though it was hard to deny Madin's stance when they'd lived that experience. She couldn't imagine, stress already knotting up inside of her at the memory of some of the comments their post had garnered. She wanted to say that the mansion was better than that, to try and point them to some of the people that they could talk to but... well everything was coming up blank so instead she smiled, more tired and sad than she'd started this venture. "I can see how it might feel that you're all alone, surrounded by people threatening you. I'm sorry, it's a really hard place to be."
"Yeah..." Madin shook their head. "Anyway. I"m real sorry. You didn't ask for this."
"Nah, I did," she nodded, before finishing off her own coffee. "That's what checking on people can entail, and I'm not too precious to deal with it. A lot of kids I talk to are angry or sad, on the extremes. I'm just around to make sure everyone makes it to tomorrow with me."
"Sure." Madin smiled - a shakey smile, but a smile. "Thanks."
Alani returned the smile, a little too bright, eyes a little wetter than she wanted to acknowledge. "I'll see you later, Madin. Lemme know if you need anything, really."
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Date: 2023-07-21 09:13 am (UTC)