(BACKDATED) Sooraya, Haller: Stand-in
Aug. 7th, 2023 05:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAfter Jessica's arrival Sooraya pays Haller a visit with the intent of forcing a modicum of self-care, but finds someone else has beaten her to it.
Trays always made this so complicated. Eyeing the tray and the door in front of her, Sooraya sighed and raised a leg, hitting the door twice. "David?" She called out softly. "You really need to eat something."
There was a brief delay before the door was opened. The figure behind it was David Haller, but subtly off: it loomed in a way Jim's 6'4" frame normally did not, seeming to occupy more space than was possible for his thin build. Something about his stance indicated he was, if not looking to start a fight, at least ready to finish one.
Then he saw who it was. The alter relaxed.
"Sooraya," said Jack, nodding in greeting. "Sorry, David's taking a break right now. Something I can help you with?"
"Oh hi Jack." Sooraya raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Well, you know David. He doesn't really like to eat when he has a migraine or is brooding about something. And since both are definitely going on now... I figured I'd bring some soup." And sit on him til he ate if needed, but she didn't think the alter needed to know that.
"Yeah, he has that problem. Nice of you to think of us." Jack moved aside to allow Sooraya to enter. "Might as well make yourself at home."
The suite was characteristically cluttered with various drifts of paperwork and art supplies, but there were signs someone was tidying up in other areas. Kitchenware that would normally have been on the countertops had been shifted to the kitchen table, and a rag and bottle of cleanser indicated the countertop had been in mid-clean when Sooraya knocked on the door. The trash can had been pulled to the middle of the floor and was half-full of expired foodstuffs. With a wave of Jack's hand it dragged itself back into position beside the counter.
"I get you something to drink?" asked the telekinetic as he opened the tap and began to wash his hands.
"Tea is always good." Sooraya glanced around as she sat the tray down and sat on the edge of a seat. "I can find it myself though. You might not want to wait too long before you eat, otherwise it will get cold."
"Help yourself." Jack retrieved the kettle from the stovetop and let it fill beneath the faucet. As he dried his hands a kitchen cabinet swung open of its own accord to reveal Jim's store of tea. Once the kettle was sufficiently full Jack set it on a burner and grabbed a spoon to join Sooraya at the slightly crowded kitchen table.
"Smells good," he remarked, meaning the soup. "You make it yourself?"
Sooraya headed to the cabinet, easily picking out the blend she knew David kept around for her. Grabbing a bag off the ginger, black pepper and cinnamon tea, she opened the cupboard next to it to grab a mug. "The chicken soup is all homemade. The crackers just come from the store though." Taking her mug and tea bag back to the table, she took the seat next to Jack. "How are you all holding up?"
"Better now that I've stepped in. David's been clocking a lot of hours down there -- the Jones girl needed a couple of separate procedures. The strain finally took him out." Jack removed the lid from the soup and shook a few crackers into it. Unlike Jim, recent events had clearly not impaired Jack's appetite.
"So he is resting. Good." She nodded, satisfied, but then the kettle startled to whistle and she quickly poured the water over the tea bag. "So, there is something I've been wondering about. I know we've talked a few times, but that's always been X-Men stuff... yet I get the idea you know me better than that." Watching Jack almost devour the soup, Sooraya switched track lightly. "And it looks like I should have brought something more substantial."
"I've eaten today. This is a good addition." Jack's spoon scraped against the bowl as he chased a particularly evasive piece of chicken. "David pays attention to people. I pay attention to David. I'm always around, even if I'm not fronting. We've both known you for a long time. Nice idea at Harry's with the pool the other week, by the way. Too bad you can't play a player."
"Hmm..." Sooraya tilted her head a little. "So that's not too different from how I kinda imagined it. Doesn't it get kinda boring though, just watching all the time what goes on around you? I mean, like with the pool you get to do stuff, but otherwise...."
Jack raised the bowl with one hand to drink the remainder of the broth. "Not really how I think of it. I'm never really 'in'. If David needs to blow off steam, that's what the others are for. No reason for me to be in the driver's seat unless there's some work to do." He gestured towards the half-cleaned kitchen behind them. "You may have noticed he's not very organized."
"Yeah, I know that is not his strongest suit." Sooraya frowned a little. "Sorry, I never really talked with David about this... mind if I asked a question or two more."
"Fine with me."
"So warrior... developing pool shark... housekeeper... any other handy skills you have I should know about?" Sooraya figured keeping things not too heavy would be good, so she let a little grin come out.
Jack's mouth twitched in a smile. "Generally anything associated with keeping Haller alive, like remembering food in the fridge is supposed to be edible. So add babysitting. Outside of that, psychic bulwark. The rest of us being sectioned off and without access to telepathy seems to make us less vulnerable to psychic attacks. Diffuses the damage between us or something. For some things, anyway." He put the bowl back onto the tray and leaned back. "Like I said, David's not around right now. Telepathic strain's so bad even norco wasn't touching it. Not much the rest of us can do about that other than take the wheel for a while."
"If you think about it that way... it's almost kinda strange we didn't meet like this before." She hesitated a moment before adding, tugging at one of the ties of her scarf awkwardly: "Especially with the keeping him alive thing."
The reply might have held a hint of amusement. "And I appreciate the help. Nothing personal -- David just prefers being the one people see. It takes a special level of stress to put him this far under."
"That's helpful to know. But now that I've got you, let me take this chance... Anything that I or others can do that is needed? Because getting David to talk about what he needs is harder than prying Magento out of his tin can." Sooraya thought for a moment. "Or for anyone else involved with this?"
A snort from Jack. "He needs to get out of here. When there's a patient he'll work until he drops in his traces." There was a beat, as if the alter was editing something in his mind. "And Grey too. She's been burning the candle at both ends."
Sooraya dropped her head and blew out a sigh. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Consider it done."
"Good. You they might listen to. You seem to have a knack for it." There might have been a hint of relief in the alter's voice. Jack wasn't introspective by nature, but if he had been, he might have admitted that sometimes it wasn't enough to see everything. It worked when all that needed to be done was protecting a body. Jack knew how to keep bodies safe. Treating wounds like the ones they'd seen in Jean, though -- that was Jim's world. Maybe Sooraya's, too.
A world for kind people.
Trays always made this so complicated. Eyeing the tray and the door in front of her, Sooraya sighed and raised a leg, hitting the door twice. "David?" She called out softly. "You really need to eat something."
There was a brief delay before the door was opened. The figure behind it was David Haller, but subtly off: it loomed in a way Jim's 6'4" frame normally did not, seeming to occupy more space than was possible for his thin build. Something about his stance indicated he was, if not looking to start a fight, at least ready to finish one.
Then he saw who it was. The alter relaxed.
"Sooraya," said Jack, nodding in greeting. "Sorry, David's taking a break right now. Something I can help you with?"
"Oh hi Jack." Sooraya raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Well, you know David. He doesn't really like to eat when he has a migraine or is brooding about something. And since both are definitely going on now... I figured I'd bring some soup." And sit on him til he ate if needed, but she didn't think the alter needed to know that.
"Yeah, he has that problem. Nice of you to think of us." Jack moved aside to allow Sooraya to enter. "Might as well make yourself at home."
The suite was characteristically cluttered with various drifts of paperwork and art supplies, but there were signs someone was tidying up in other areas. Kitchenware that would normally have been on the countertops had been shifted to the kitchen table, and a rag and bottle of cleanser indicated the countertop had been in mid-clean when Sooraya knocked on the door. The trash can had been pulled to the middle of the floor and was half-full of expired foodstuffs. With a wave of Jack's hand it dragged itself back into position beside the counter.
"I get you something to drink?" asked the telekinetic as he opened the tap and began to wash his hands.
"Tea is always good." Sooraya glanced around as she sat the tray down and sat on the edge of a seat. "I can find it myself though. You might not want to wait too long before you eat, otherwise it will get cold."
"Help yourself." Jack retrieved the kettle from the stovetop and let it fill beneath the faucet. As he dried his hands a kitchen cabinet swung open of its own accord to reveal Jim's store of tea. Once the kettle was sufficiently full Jack set it on a burner and grabbed a spoon to join Sooraya at the slightly crowded kitchen table.
"Smells good," he remarked, meaning the soup. "You make it yourself?"
Sooraya headed to the cabinet, easily picking out the blend she knew David kept around for her. Grabbing a bag off the ginger, black pepper and cinnamon tea, she opened the cupboard next to it to grab a mug. "The chicken soup is all homemade. The crackers just come from the store though." Taking her mug and tea bag back to the table, she took the seat next to Jack. "How are you all holding up?"
"Better now that I've stepped in. David's been clocking a lot of hours down there -- the Jones girl needed a couple of separate procedures. The strain finally took him out." Jack removed the lid from the soup and shook a few crackers into it. Unlike Jim, recent events had clearly not impaired Jack's appetite.
"So he is resting. Good." She nodded, satisfied, but then the kettle startled to whistle and she quickly poured the water over the tea bag. "So, there is something I've been wondering about. I know we've talked a few times, but that's always been X-Men stuff... yet I get the idea you know me better than that." Watching Jack almost devour the soup, Sooraya switched track lightly. "And it looks like I should have brought something more substantial."
"I've eaten today. This is a good addition." Jack's spoon scraped against the bowl as he chased a particularly evasive piece of chicken. "David pays attention to people. I pay attention to David. I'm always around, even if I'm not fronting. We've both known you for a long time. Nice idea at Harry's with the pool the other week, by the way. Too bad you can't play a player."
"Hmm..." Sooraya tilted her head a little. "So that's not too different from how I kinda imagined it. Doesn't it get kinda boring though, just watching all the time what goes on around you? I mean, like with the pool you get to do stuff, but otherwise...."
Jack raised the bowl with one hand to drink the remainder of the broth. "Not really how I think of it. I'm never really 'in'. If David needs to blow off steam, that's what the others are for. No reason for me to be in the driver's seat unless there's some work to do." He gestured towards the half-cleaned kitchen behind them. "You may have noticed he's not very organized."
"Yeah, I know that is not his strongest suit." Sooraya frowned a little. "Sorry, I never really talked with David about this... mind if I asked a question or two more."
"Fine with me."
"So warrior... developing pool shark... housekeeper... any other handy skills you have I should know about?" Sooraya figured keeping things not too heavy would be good, so she let a little grin come out.
Jack's mouth twitched in a smile. "Generally anything associated with keeping Haller alive, like remembering food in the fridge is supposed to be edible. So add babysitting. Outside of that, psychic bulwark. The rest of us being sectioned off and without access to telepathy seems to make us less vulnerable to psychic attacks. Diffuses the damage between us or something. For some things, anyway." He put the bowl back onto the tray and leaned back. "Like I said, David's not around right now. Telepathic strain's so bad even norco wasn't touching it. Not much the rest of us can do about that other than take the wheel for a while."
"If you think about it that way... it's almost kinda strange we didn't meet like this before." She hesitated a moment before adding, tugging at one of the ties of her scarf awkwardly: "Especially with the keeping him alive thing."
The reply might have held a hint of amusement. "And I appreciate the help. Nothing personal -- David just prefers being the one people see. It takes a special level of stress to put him this far under."
"That's helpful to know. But now that I've got you, let me take this chance... Anything that I or others can do that is needed? Because getting David to talk about what he needs is harder than prying Magento out of his tin can." Sooraya thought for a moment. "Or for anyone else involved with this?"
A snort from Jack. "He needs to get out of here. When there's a patient he'll work until he drops in his traces." There was a beat, as if the alter was editing something in his mind. "And Grey too. She's been burning the candle at both ends."
Sooraya dropped her head and blew out a sigh. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Consider it done."
"Good. You they might listen to. You seem to have a knack for it." There might have been a hint of relief in the alter's voice. Jack wasn't introspective by nature, but if he had been, he might have admitted that sometimes it wasn't enough to see everything. It worked when all that needed to be done was protecting a body. Jack knew how to keep bodies safe. Treating wounds like the ones they'd seen in Jean, though -- that was Jim's world. Maybe Sooraya's, too.
A world for kind people.
