Alani & Sooraya | Something Off
Feb. 19th, 2024 05:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsIn their suite, Sooraya notes that something about Alani is... off.
It was a weird quiet... not that they'd usually spent all evening chattering (though sometimes they did), but often there were quiet exchanges throughout the evening. But tonight it hard been weirdly quiet...
Sooraya put her note books to the side for the moment, glancing over at Alani who was very studiously bent over a thick text, muttering occasionally. Silently she rose, heading to the kitchenette to start heating some milk for a nice creamy hot chocolate.
There were a couple heartbeats, before Alani seemed to perk up, alert but confused as she looked around before turning to the kitchenette behind her. An owlish blind as she laughed softly, still confused but amusement creeping in. "When did you- er, what time is it, goodness. I feel like I just dozed off for a minute because I could swear you weren't there a moment ago."
"Oh?" One of Sooraya's eyebrows lifted a little in surprise. "That's odd. Alani, I've been there for at least half an hour... working on the project notes for stage 2 of the Baby Boxes program. You really didn't notice?"
There was clear confusion on her face, as Alani briefly wondered if Sooraya was joking before the realization that there was no way Sooraya would joke about that. "Oh goodness. I feel like... like I knew you were there, but, honestly? I... I don't know..." Clearing her throat, she shook her head before offering a smile. "Sorry, sweet pea, my head seems like it's been a little unscrewed."
"... and maybe sixty miles away?" Sooraya kidded as she added cacao, sugar and cream to the milk before snapping a few pieces of good dark chocolate from a bar and stirring that in as well. "I've hardly seen you at the Center this week too... but I've been talking with so many people on stage two that I might have missed that."
"Around five thousand," Alani agreed, and though a grin tugged at the corner of her mouth there was no amusement in it. Puffing out the air in her lungs, she stretched before standing, shifting her shoulders to try and loosen her back as she wandered to see what Sooraya was doing now. "No, no, that sounds about right, I've been working more with Dr. Drumm and with the damages in District X multiple times there was a worry raised by another member of the staff that opening up a satellite would be potentially dangerous. Always a fun talk to overhear." Her tone made it very clear this was in no way enjoyable. "So I asked Natalina and Isiah to shift things around with me. I don't think I've actually been there this month, oof."
"Yeah, that doesn't sound like the most encouraging stuff to hear... so you decided you needed a bit of a break from the center?" Sooraya quietly glanced over, stirring the chocolate till it was smooth, thick and even a little glossy. "I hope it's helping a bit. Also looking like I've been seeing you more and more with those thick tomes."
"From everything that isn't my program, I guess." There was no hint of denial in Alani's voice as she watched Sooraya. Where usually she’d go into a speech about what she had been working on, there was no continuation to her statement. “Sorry, you said, Phase 2?”
"Hmm..." Sooraya glanced up at Alani, just a weird niggle in her stomach at how brief her roommate was being. "Well, we've started talking about how to make it more of a regular thing... The first forty were a small pilot, but currently some work is underway to evaluate the benefits and how we might finance it if it becomes a regular thing." Sooraya gave the chocolate a final stir before pouring it into two mugs.
“Yeah… can I ask, have you thought about pitching it to Warren? Or one of the other independently wealthy members of the mansion? Local non-profit, looks good on paper with a pretty decent test pilot already launched, and if they use it as a tax write off it’s almost mutually beneficial.” Alani stopped suddenly, upon realizing what she’d said. A quick smile appeared before she continued. “Makes sense, right?”
"Warren Cares is on our list of charities to approach once we have a sense of the cost." Sooraya nodded. "And the Babyboxes do have the advantage that setting up new moms with basic supplies is not something many object to. And it's not just the moms themselves." A grin lit up Sooraya's face. "We are actually seeing some small effects outside the new moms themselves. Even if only because they share things once outgrown. But they also seem to spread some of the knowledge they picked up."
"Good. Community is important," Alani paused, brows pinching together as she turned over what Sooraya had said and trying to gauge if her response had been correct. "Oh that gives me an idea, but not for the boxes themselves. It's probably added work that's not actually useful for the boxes, but I'll text Isiah." As she commented, she began to type out a message to the volunteer.
Sooraya had just lifted the pot from the heat and paused: "Isiah? What are you cooking up in that head of yours?" A small grin played around her lips as she poured the chocolate in two mugs and handed one to Alani. "Here you go."
“Oh his son’s school is the one not far from DX, and I know they were taking about donations, so the Centre can probably work with them if they’re willing. Normal stuff, clothes, single serving for young adults living on their own, daily hygiene,” Alani’s thumbs clacked out the supplies as she listed them. The offering of the mug seemed to confuse her before she offered Sooraya a smile and looked down to check the time. “Oh, goodness, I should get back to it, huh? We should talk more though, soon, I’d love to know more about phase 2?”
"There will be many others who can use it though." Sooraya easily agreed. "And I'll be happy to tell you all about it once I know more." Her eyes narrowed just a little as she watched her roomie bury herself in one of her thick tomes. Something was off here... nothing she could put a finger on, but still leaving a little tendril of unease in her stomach.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't explain my though, mutualism, building community, which... which is a really good idea to help nurture right now, if that clinic outpost talk was anything to go off of." She'd set the mug down to focus on something in the depths of the reading. "That's what I remembered when I was back home, the real goal I'd started with when I started speaking publicly, I think, reminding people- ya know, reminding people that we're more alike than not, in the ways that tend to get swept aside when we manifest. The intersectionality of one's identity," a hesitant pause before Alani nodded and carefully raised her mug to take a sip.
"Hmm, sorry?" Sooraya startled a little, suddenly torn from her musings. "I totally missed the first part of what you were saying... I was kinda lost in thought."
“No problem, sweet pea,” Alani flashed Sooraya a smile, more than happy to try and make her thought less jumbled. “I think a sharing of resources between us and a public school is a good way to build community, yes we’re not resource rich but neither are they, and if we can start with that bridge, well then I think we can build more or repair trust. Does that make sense, like if I were to pitch this would you think that’d work?”
"It'd be a good thing, especially if the school is initially at least sympathetic to mutants. There might be ways to create bridges there." Sooraya pondered out loud as she let the idea sink in. "I think i'd be a big challenge to get it really started, but very much worth it."
“Yes, but worth it,” Alani agreed, “and we can open a door, or start at least. Okay, sent, right, I- I should get back to work.” She smiled to Sooraya, setting her phone down. “Just a few more notes, touching up some points, and then bed.”
"Oh, before I forget and pull you out again... did you get that email from Marius that I forwarded to you? I saw you hadn't replied yet."
Alani’s back stiffened, paused in what she’d been about to do before she looked to Sooraya again in confusion. “Sorry… email? Wh- uh, sorry what was it about again? Er, sorry, forget I asked, I’ll reply before I jump back into my course work.”
"About the clinic from Marius?" Sooraya immediately narrowed her eyes again, reaching for her phone. "You know what, I'll bump it for you."
It was a weird quiet... not that they'd usually spent all evening chattering (though sometimes they did), but often there were quiet exchanges throughout the evening. But tonight it hard been weirdly quiet...
Sooraya put her note books to the side for the moment, glancing over at Alani who was very studiously bent over a thick text, muttering occasionally. Silently she rose, heading to the kitchenette to start heating some milk for a nice creamy hot chocolate.
There were a couple heartbeats, before Alani seemed to perk up, alert but confused as she looked around before turning to the kitchenette behind her. An owlish blind as she laughed softly, still confused but amusement creeping in. "When did you- er, what time is it, goodness. I feel like I just dozed off for a minute because I could swear you weren't there a moment ago."
"Oh?" One of Sooraya's eyebrows lifted a little in surprise. "That's odd. Alani, I've been there for at least half an hour... working on the project notes for stage 2 of the Baby Boxes program. You really didn't notice?"
There was clear confusion on her face, as Alani briefly wondered if Sooraya was joking before the realization that there was no way Sooraya would joke about that. "Oh goodness. I feel like... like I knew you were there, but, honestly? I... I don't know..." Clearing her throat, she shook her head before offering a smile. "Sorry, sweet pea, my head seems like it's been a little unscrewed."
"... and maybe sixty miles away?" Sooraya kidded as she added cacao, sugar and cream to the milk before snapping a few pieces of good dark chocolate from a bar and stirring that in as well. "I've hardly seen you at the Center this week too... but I've been talking with so many people on stage two that I might have missed that."
"Around five thousand," Alani agreed, and though a grin tugged at the corner of her mouth there was no amusement in it. Puffing out the air in her lungs, she stretched before standing, shifting her shoulders to try and loosen her back as she wandered to see what Sooraya was doing now. "No, no, that sounds about right, I've been working more with Dr. Drumm and with the damages in District X multiple times there was a worry raised by another member of the staff that opening up a satellite would be potentially dangerous. Always a fun talk to overhear." Her tone made it very clear this was in no way enjoyable. "So I asked Natalina and Isiah to shift things around with me. I don't think I've actually been there this month, oof."
"Yeah, that doesn't sound like the most encouraging stuff to hear... so you decided you needed a bit of a break from the center?" Sooraya quietly glanced over, stirring the chocolate till it was smooth, thick and even a little glossy. "I hope it's helping a bit. Also looking like I've been seeing you more and more with those thick tomes."
"From everything that isn't my program, I guess." There was no hint of denial in Alani's voice as she watched Sooraya. Where usually she’d go into a speech about what she had been working on, there was no continuation to her statement. “Sorry, you said, Phase 2?”
"Hmm..." Sooraya glanced up at Alani, just a weird niggle in her stomach at how brief her roommate was being. "Well, we've started talking about how to make it more of a regular thing... The first forty were a small pilot, but currently some work is underway to evaluate the benefits and how we might finance it if it becomes a regular thing." Sooraya gave the chocolate a final stir before pouring it into two mugs.
“Yeah… can I ask, have you thought about pitching it to Warren? Or one of the other independently wealthy members of the mansion? Local non-profit, looks good on paper with a pretty decent test pilot already launched, and if they use it as a tax write off it’s almost mutually beneficial.” Alani stopped suddenly, upon realizing what she’d said. A quick smile appeared before she continued. “Makes sense, right?”
"Warren Cares is on our list of charities to approach once we have a sense of the cost." Sooraya nodded. "And the Babyboxes do have the advantage that setting up new moms with basic supplies is not something many object to. And it's not just the moms themselves." A grin lit up Sooraya's face. "We are actually seeing some small effects outside the new moms themselves. Even if only because they share things once outgrown. But they also seem to spread some of the knowledge they picked up."
"Good. Community is important," Alani paused, brows pinching together as she turned over what Sooraya had said and trying to gauge if her response had been correct. "Oh that gives me an idea, but not for the boxes themselves. It's probably added work that's not actually useful for the boxes, but I'll text Isiah." As she commented, she began to type out a message to the volunteer.
Sooraya had just lifted the pot from the heat and paused: "Isiah? What are you cooking up in that head of yours?" A small grin played around her lips as she poured the chocolate in two mugs and handed one to Alani. "Here you go."
“Oh his son’s school is the one not far from DX, and I know they were taking about donations, so the Centre can probably work with them if they’re willing. Normal stuff, clothes, single serving for young adults living on their own, daily hygiene,” Alani’s thumbs clacked out the supplies as she listed them. The offering of the mug seemed to confuse her before she offered Sooraya a smile and looked down to check the time. “Oh, goodness, I should get back to it, huh? We should talk more though, soon, I’d love to know more about phase 2?”
"There will be many others who can use it though." Sooraya easily agreed. "And I'll be happy to tell you all about it once I know more." Her eyes narrowed just a little as she watched her roomie bury herself in one of her thick tomes. Something was off here... nothing she could put a finger on, but still leaving a little tendril of unease in her stomach.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't explain my though, mutualism, building community, which... which is a really good idea to help nurture right now, if that clinic outpost talk was anything to go off of." She'd set the mug down to focus on something in the depths of the reading. "That's what I remembered when I was back home, the real goal I'd started with when I started speaking publicly, I think, reminding people- ya know, reminding people that we're more alike than not, in the ways that tend to get swept aside when we manifest. The intersectionality of one's identity," a hesitant pause before Alani nodded and carefully raised her mug to take a sip.
"Hmm, sorry?" Sooraya startled a little, suddenly torn from her musings. "I totally missed the first part of what you were saying... I was kinda lost in thought."
“No problem, sweet pea,” Alani flashed Sooraya a smile, more than happy to try and make her thought less jumbled. “I think a sharing of resources between us and a public school is a good way to build community, yes we’re not resource rich but neither are they, and if we can start with that bridge, well then I think we can build more or repair trust. Does that make sense, like if I were to pitch this would you think that’d work?”
"It'd be a good thing, especially if the school is initially at least sympathetic to mutants. There might be ways to create bridges there." Sooraya pondered out loud as she let the idea sink in. "I think i'd be a big challenge to get it really started, but very much worth it."
“Yes, but worth it,” Alani agreed, “and we can open a door, or start at least. Okay, sent, right, I- I should get back to work.” She smiled to Sooraya, setting her phone down. “Just a few more notes, touching up some points, and then bed.”
"Oh, before I forget and pull you out again... did you get that email from Marius that I forwarded to you? I saw you hadn't replied yet."
Alani’s back stiffened, paused in what she’d been about to do before she looked to Sooraya again in confusion. “Sorry… email? Wh- uh, sorry what was it about again? Er, sorry, forget I asked, I’ll reply before I jump back into my course work.”
"About the clinic from Marius?" Sooraya immediately narrowed her eyes again, reaching for her phone. "You know what, I'll bump it for you."
no subject
Date: 2024-02-21 12:45 am (UTC)She's right and should think it.
Logs with Sooraya always take a second read in how well they flow and how observant she can be without being overbearing - plus, watching the two of them talk shop about programs really fleshes out the good work they're doing.