While it shouldn't have been his first stop in his outing to New York he felt he had to stop in and check in on Sanctuary for a variety of reasons. His benefactor had a hand in the place as much as the little resort he was staying at, they helped mutants and he might need their help in the fure, and almsot as important he could get a feel for what the perception of mutants was for real from the people most desperate and mistreated. Back home any sort of street knowledge was inavaluable. In a city as big as New York he figured it might even save some him from some harsh lessons in reality he did not want to encounter personally if he could help it. Not that he doubted anyone would fault him for focusing on survival first and altruism second.

So after a few minutes of staring at the odd golden doors and indulging in his paranoia of looking around the area to see if anyone was watching the place, he finally went in. His dark brown eyes looking around in an appraising manner to soak up as much of his surroundings as he could as he let his hood down. There seemed to be something of a secretary he could talk to if he wished, but a part of him wanted to sneak off down one of the hallways to peak in and talk with some of the people who resided there. He stood there glancing between the desk and the rest of the building as he tried to make up his mind. As his luck would have it he spotted someone heading his way and he moved to meet the woman.

"Hello Ma`am. I just got here and was wondering if you could tell me a bit about this place?" his words tinged slightly with the softest bit of a Russian accent. "And the attitude of the city in general towards mutants?" he could have probably asked someone back on Hadden's, but he wouldn't have been sure if it was just some lip service to make him feel better about his new situation. 

@leesmith

Things had sort of, but not really, gone back to normal after that fight Blaine had been in with the person who looked like him. Most of the time during the day, he seemed to be doing alright, almost his normal self. Though Lee was able to see the slight changes in him, most people wouldn’t. But Lee still wasn’t willing to let Blaine get too far from her, he was still staying at her apartment, having regular nightmares that she woke him from.

And because she wasn’t willing to let him that far from her with how he was doing, Lee had come to the Sanctuary with him that day. Though Blaine was busy, Lee hadn’t planned on being there, and so she didn’t exactly have anything to do. So Lee was simply wandering around, talking to the various people who were there.

Then she saw a young man walking toward her that seemed to be a little lost looking. At least this would give her something to do, Lee thought, stopping as the young man stopped in front of her. His voice was accented, though at the moment Lee couldn’t place it as he mind was a little concerned with the man’s words. It didn’t sound as though he really knew about the Sanctuary, even though he had walked into the place. And he seemed unaware of how mutants in the city were regarded. Lee couldn’t help but think that that was a little odd.

”Well, it depends on where you go and who you see for how mutants are treated,” Lee said after a moment. ”But around the Sanctuary here, the community is fairly welcoming.

“The Sanctuary acts as a homeless shelter, both for mutants and for humans,” Lee continued. ”As well, we offer medical services if needed, and various community supports. Was there something in particular that you needed?”

At least the woman who was going to answer his questions was easy on the eyes. Though perhaps he was being just the slightest bit too forward with his questions. He offered Lee and smile and a nod at the morsel of information. It wasn't until he noticed the slight look the woman held he chuckled and apologized. "Sorry, I just got into town so I am trying to make sure I don't wander into any, 'bad neighborhoods' for mutants." even doing the finger quotes when he said it. "No nothing in particular at the moment. Will probably need a place to change. I uh sort of transform and would rather not do it in public if I can help it." He adjusted the backpack on his shoulder a bit.

"Plus I heard from this place from another mutant and wanted to see what it was like here. Make sure it wasn't one of those too good to be true type scenarios."

Lee nodded when the young man said that he was new in town and didn’t want to wander into any ‘bad’ neighbourhoods. That was understandable, though in Lee’s experience, most times it was more who was there at the time more than where you were, but it was still an understandable sentiment. ”So where are you from, if you don’t mind the question?” Lee asked, then nodded again as the mutant continued. ”And we can certainly arrange a private place for you to transform. I’m guessing you can’t control it? Do you know when you’ll need to transform so we can make sure you’ve got a place by then?”

Lee nodded knowingly when the young man said that he wanted to make sure that this wasn’t one of those ‘too good to be true’ things. ”Ah, yes, I can understand that,” Lee said. ”I mean, in a way it is. I’ve been working here for months, and I’m still kind of amazed at how well things run here, how much good we’re able to do. But I guarantee that this isn’t one of those situations where something bad is going to happen when something seems too good to be true.

“But I’m Lee, by the way. Let’s find a room that you can use to transform, and then I can show you around.”

Erik shrugged and maintained his casual smile. "I do not mind at all so long as you are not one of those people that dislike Russians just because of how both governments are handling things." It was going to be interesting enough having to deal with fears or ignorance about his motivations for being in New York being a mutant. Add the fact he was Russian into the blender on top of it all and he was pretty confident he there was at least a healthy collection of people who disliked him without even getting to know him beyond his labels. "You are right about that and I do. It is pretty predictable within a few minutes and I can tell you we should have time." Flashing a brighter smile for a moment before listening to what she had to say.

"Before I left Russia rumors were getting pretty strong about families disappearing if they or their children were suspected of being mutants. Never knew anyone that disappeared personally so it is hard to say if it was just an urban legend or not. I can tell you no one would trust a place like this back home since it would be watched or if not, run by the government. Would rather not wake up in a cell or strapped to a gurney. Just so you know where my skeptical attitude comes from. Not some sort of criticism aimed at you or this place." Erik informed her to give her some insight to what he felt was a well founded paranoia given his past situation. 

"Erik, pleased to meet you Lee. The tour beforehand would be nice. I get a bit bulkier and would prefer to not have to duck through every doorway before I know my way around." He went with her to get signed in and take care of all the bureaucratic stuff. As they started walking again he looked to her. "So is this place all volunteer or do you actually get paid to do this?" Inquiring politely, but interestedly. "Seems like an interesting way to spend one's free time if it is volunteer." 

Lee shook her head. ”I definitely know that the government does not always believe the same that its citizens do,” Lee said quietly. She’d been there, been through that, on a number of occasions. ”And just let me know when you need to head off, and we’ll get you situated.”

Then the young man went on to explain why he had left Russia, and Lee’s heart clenched. She had hoped that they were past that, though with the news reports of other issues going on in the world, as well as what she had heard from Devon and Haven, Lee knew that they weren’t past that.

”I can understand where that comes from,” Lee said. ”And at one point in this city, it might have been true that the government would do that with a place like this. But not now, not this place.

“Being locked up, being collared, is terrifying, but at least the world is slowly getting better.”

At that point, they made their way over to the desk after introducing themselves, and Lee helped Erik get registered in and get a room assignment. That all taken care of, Lee turned to start showing Erik around more than simply the main lobby. Only to have Erik ask about her volunteering there. ”It is mostly volunteer run,” Lee replied, looking over at Erik as they walked. ”But both I and my boyfriend volunteer here.”

Was it strange that they volunteered there? In some ways, she supposed so, but at the same time, it made so much sense to Lee. She shrugged as she started speaking again. ”But how is the world supposed to get better if people don’t work towards that?” She asked. ”Plus, when I was your age, I needed a safe place like this, and there weren’t any, not for mutants. So I’m trying to change that, now that I’m in a position to be able to help.

“But you said someone told you about the Sanctuary? Who was it? Maybe I know them.”

"I suppose you were here for the Mutant Registration Act? That had to be be a mess of a time to be around. Angry and scared people on both sides of the issue." Erik too a deep breath and shrugged as it was what it was. Nodding to Lee as she reaffirmed it was a safe place. Isn't that what all the villains said before the twist of the movie occured? "The world. It does get better everyday. The shock factor of almost anything wears off over time. It will take some time for the world to get used the idea of mutants being everywhere." Not that Erik had any intention of letting anyone collar him. The world would split in two before he let anything like that happen to himself. Or his thought that eventually it would be more mutants then humans and what a place that would be.

Erik was thankful for the room as it would come in super handy later. "I just find it interesting is all. You are right though. Do you think the best way to work towards that is helping other mutants my age?" He asked curiously. Erik liked interesting people and she was an interesting fellow mutant which made it even better. Not that he was some sort of specieist, but it was nice to find fellowship with one's own kind. 

"That was a tiny lie. Was not sure if I needed to know someone to get in. But I have met Mr. Hadden and he seemed nice enough so I looked up what sort of places he had a hand in and found out about this one so decided to check it out." 

Lee’s face blanked when Erik asked if she’d been around during the Registration Act. ”Through every terrible, paranoia inducing moment of it,” Lee said quietly, looking straight ahead, not over at the young man beside her. ”Right up until the breakout from the camp finally happened.”

At least the conversation didn’t stay on that topic for long, even if she had brought it up with her mention of a collar. Though, Lee realized, Erik may have been thinking about the Registration Act in Romania, too, since that had been closer to where he was from in Russia, and more recent. Though, either way, the answer was technically the same, she had been there, through both of the Acts, right up until the breakouts.

”Is this the best way?” Lee asked with a shrug, finally looking over at Erik again as she repeated his question. ”Honestly, I don’t know. But it’s a start, and it’s needed. Plus, if we can help teach the kids, both mutant and human, more tolerance, things will be better in the future, right?”

But as Erik continued, saying that he’d told her a little lie, Lee turned a raised eyebrow on him. As he continued, though, that look was replaced with a slight smile. ”Ah, so you’ve met Devon, have you?” Lee asked with a small nod. ”I swear, that man works more than I do.”

Erik winced a bit as Lee seemed to blank out some. The thousand yard stare of someone suddenly remembering something traumatic or very close too. He gave a soft nod and let the subject drift away. A breakout, now that would be an interesting story if he didn't think he might break the woman by asking about it. Someone else would have to do the telling that was certain. Given that he was in the situation of trying to form kinships with new people in a very new place he didn't want to be pegged as the nosy new guy for a variety of reasons. Mostly his own paranoia about being unable to trust anything that seemed too good.

"It is important to do what we are each able. Hopefully history will say it made a difference. I can't help but worry about it though. Not just from the mutant side of things , but humans too. Some of us have dangerous abilities. It is even worse when we get them young. Would you trust a kid with a bazooka? Is everyone going to be a mutant some day and humans just fade away as just another divergence in evolution? I want everyone to get along and everyone use their powers both mutant and otherwise to make the world a better place, but more often than not the people in power abuse what they have and only one animal can be top dog in nature." Erik sighed a the lack of any sort of easy answers. "It would keep me up at night if I needed to sleep." Shooting Lee a wry grin at that thought.

"Yeah he seems like a cool guy and if he is into as much as everyone says he is then he must never sleep either!" Unable to help a bit of a chuckle as they walked around. "Say is there a cafeteria or something? I am quite hungry. Goes with the territory, you know." 

Erik did make some good points. Some damn good points for someone so young. Though, Lee thought, maybe she would have thought that way, cared more when she was young if she hadn't already been on her own for a couple of years by his age. Being homeless as a teen, even more so when you were a mutant, tended to make a person look out for only yourself.

”And some of those dangerous young mutants wouldn't be so dangerous if we were just accepted and they could easily get help to learn control,” Lee pointed out. And while there was a boy of firmness in her voice, it wasn't said angrily.

”And sometimes, the people who are in power need guidance,” Lee pointed out. Though she didn't mention how… Forceful that guidance sometimes had to be in order to be effective. But as well continued, Lee's head tilted slightly as she looked at him. ”You have issues with sleeping, to?” she asked. ”Is it all the time, or just occasionally like me?”

Then they were talking about Devon, her boss in more than one way. But only because she believed in what he was trying to do, both in New York and the world.”He does sleep,” Lee told the young man she was walking with. ”Even if there are times when he sleeps Lee's than I do. Though, I did meet him when we were both trying to run off some energy so we could try to sleep, so I guess that doesn't help the argument.

“Food” Lee questioned, looking over at Erik. ”There's no cafeteria here, but let's see if we can scrounge you up some food, even though it's not meal to.” With that, Lee turned starting then off toward the kitchen.

"People still have problems accepting other ethnicities let alone people that can do amazing and sometimes dangerous things without added stigma of accidentally hurting or even killing anyone. It is even worse for mutants whose physical appearance changes." erik gave a bit of a shrug. "I think it is just a case of the world getting too comfortable with cookie cutter solutions in a world where more and more people are truly unique and going against the grain of what is 'normal.'  Look at the upheaval clothing is going through. Sometimes a person needs a hat with holes for horns, or pointy ears, etcetera. Now people who are in power and used to the status quo being as constant as the north star are expected to make policy on all this? Most likely going to take more flexible minded thinkers then who usually end up in government positions." Erik offered with a wry laugh and a shrug.

"I haven't slept a single minute for quite some time. Gives me lots of time to think about things if you hadn't noticed. Thanks for letting me ramble. Your sleep issues mutation related too?" He asked gently to try and let her know if she didn't feel like answering she didn't have too. "Yeah that story does not help the argument at all." Erik chuckled again.

"I appreciate it. Not that I have not been eating decently enough. It is a mutation thing. Most people get a rest period when they sleep. Me? I get more calorie burning time. No nightmares though I suppose that is a plus and I get tons of time to read and so forth."  

As she listened to Erik speaking while they walked, Lee couldn’t help but think that this young man had done a lot of thinking on the subject. Or, at the very least, he was far more opinionated on the subject than she had been at his age. Though, she reasoned, that could have been because of their differing homelands; the news coming out of Russia definitely made it sound worse than the mutant situation was here in the States, while generally speaking Canada was far more liberal and accepting. Of course, Canada still had individuals who were just as bad as some of the people here, and Lee had had to deal with a number of them, both when she was younger and the last four years when she had been back in her home country, but generally speaking the socio-political atmosphere was far better north of the border for mutants.

”It likely will take a different kind of politician,” Lee agreed with the young Russian. ”But that’s unlikely to happen without changing views at the local level as well, convincing communities that there is a need for change and that mutants deserve to be treated better by the government. How much better can you show that than by having a homeless shelter like this, geared towards mutants, that not only doesn’t harm the community it is in, but actually helps its community?”

Though, Lee knew, that was only part of it. She suspected that Erik would know that, too. But, at least with what he was saying at the moment, Erik sounded like he believed the kind of change Haven was working for was needed. The question was, did he want to help make that change? Especially since he said he had already met Devon, Lee was going to have to mention this conversation, see what the boss thought.

And his mutation meant that he didn’t sleep at all. Lee certainly did not envy that, even if Erik seemed like he was alright with that fact. Lee had spent too many sleepless nights herself to want to have that full time. ”It sometimes is an issue for me,” Lee replied when Erik turned the question around on her. ”I siphon energy, and when I’ve got too much, I can’t fall asleep. Though I seem to have a hard limit of six days with no sleep before my body gives out. It can make life difficult, but it has come in handy on occasion.”

The lack of sleep wasn’t the only thing his body did, it seemed. Though, it did make sense, not that Lee was very knowledgeable about the science of it, but the fact that he never slept did explain why Erik would need more food than the normal person, Lee thought. Without the body shutting down to rest, it would burn just as many calories at night as it would during the day. Kind of like how she would often munch during wakeful nights, though Lee thought most times that was more out of boredom.

”There should be soup, there almost always is some sort of soup on in the kitchen,” Lee explained to Erik as they made their way through the halls approaching the kitchen. ”Otherwise, we should at least be able to find you stuff to make a sandwich or something of the sort.”

"A mutant politician or a politician with a mutant relative most likely. These days I think it is too much to ask for some sort of egalitarian spirited champion to rise above the rest the typical rank and file of other politicians." Erik nodded at her words about community. "I think that it is a good start. Don't take this the wrong way when I say it is sort of.." He kept a hand moving as he fished for the right english word. "Degrading? The best place for mutants to get person to person help is at a homeless shelter. There is no reason why there can't be mutant education and training courses in schools. I don't know if there is enough mutants to justify that sort of thing at the moment, but after school programs or something at community centers would be nice. Just incredibly frustrating how slow people seem to be awake to the idea we are here to stay and are not going to just disappear the same way we have all popped up." The last bit said a bit more sternly and forcefully then normal before he relaxed back into his casual self.

The talk about their own mutations was a welcome distraction to all the churning myriad of thoughts in his head. "Oh? That sounds cool actually minus the not being able to sleep part that is. There is no drawbacks aside from the eating thing for me. My body heals fast and I spend half the day 9' tall. Compared to you I sound really boring." Erik unable to help it laughed some as he wasn't really used to the whole sharing about powers thing quite yet.

"Soup is more then okay. Beggars can't be choosers after all." Following alongside her as they went on into the kitchen. "Not to pry too much, but what else do you do when you aren't volunteering here?" He was just curious what someone like her did when they weren't being all altruistic on everyone. 

Erik didn’t seem to place much hope in the current politicians. Not that Lee really blamed him, she didn’t have much faith in them either, to be honest. But as Erik continued speaking, Lee shook her head. ”Unfortunately, many of the mutants that need help are homeless,” she replied. ”Plus, we do offer more than just food and beds for the homeless here. There are training facilities, both for powers and normal gym equipment, as well as classes and activities for both mutants and people in the community.

“Plus, there are the X-Men who help young mutants, and Haven trying to make things better. But you are right, it would be amazing if we could just have everything integrated like that. Then again, it would be great if teenaged mutants didn’t need to run away from home in the first place, too.”

Then the conversation turned to mutations, and Lee smiled slightly. ”Honestly, I think that everyone thinks other mutations are more interesting and cool because they don’t have to live with them.”

What did she do when she wasn’t volunteering here? That was a loaded question, in a way. Where did she start? ”Well, one of those things is right up there,” Lee said, smiling as she saw a 7 year old boy with light brown hair running down the hall toward them.

”Mum, mum! We won!” Kevin called, coming to a stop and bouncing in front of Lee.

”Did you? That’s great, honey! Are you hungry?” Lee said, ruffling Kevin’s hair a bit, which the boy didn’t like much. Then she turned to look at Erik. ”Erik, this is my son Kevin. Kevin, say hi to Erik.”

After waiting long enough for the two to say hi, then she continued. ”Other than taking care of this guy, I also work for Haven, accounting, and I manage a bar, though I am cutting down my hours there.”

"Hmm I see." he replied with a pensive look on his face. The wheels ever churning in the young ones head it seemed. He enjoyed the stimulating conversation as well as the enlightenment it brought him. Sometimes he felt like he had been sheltered a bit with his time in Russia having spent so much time with his family and having them be so accepting. "I wish I could give more credit to the X-Men, but anyone associated with the cops tends to have a negative image back home." That wouldn't change immediately for him either. "True. Nothing worse than kids who parents think of them as freaks when their powers show." He winced as he imagined if his mother had cast him out. 

"You are probably right about not living with mutations making them more appealing." Unable to help a bit of a laugh as she said it. There probably was some truth to the grass being greener on the other side no matter the subject. 

His eyes traveled towards the boy running up to them and he exchanged his hello's with her son. "Hi Kevin." before raising his eyebrow at the woman. "Seems like quite a full plate you have. You sure you sleep?" He joked with the woman as they headed towards the kitchen.