(OOC: Continued from A Shared Curiosity ))

"Is this it?"

Aurion looked at her and laughed. "Yes. This home. Sanctuary." Going up the stairs he stopped on the landing just in front of the large golden doors. He set Gina down and opened the door with one arm, stepping to the side as he did. Sweeping one hand towards the foyer, "After you."

He followed her inside and moved to walk next to her until they reached the desk of Sanctuary's very capable secretary. "Aurion." Lisa said curtly before looking at Gina. "Lisa, Gina." Turning to Gina, "Gina, Lisa. Only human I trust. I think human." He looked at her sideways with a slightly raised eyebrow. Lisa looked back at Aurion with a faint smile and responded with a nearly imperceptible shrug.

Aurion stepped away from the desk and towards the stairs. When they were out of direct earshot of Lisa, though he had a suspicion the woman could hear everything in the building if she chose to, he spoke up again. "No cross her. Dunno what happen." A visible yet small shuddering chill ran along his spine to the tip of his tail. "But I don't test it."

He smiled a self depreciating smile. He knew how that sounded and looked. A big, lizard monster looking thing like him scared and intimidated by a simple, frail human. Maybe it wasn't so much fear, but a very healthy respect. That really can't be helped though; One human surrounded by all these mutants, dealing with them on a regular basis. And that doesn't even take into account the Order. Many of who would seem to like nothing better than to decapitate, impale, or eviscerate a human and leave their head on a pike for other humans to see, than befriend them, including Aurion.

"You want look around? I show you. It little big."

Gina openly gawked at the church-- it was impressive, particularly with the proud, golden doors. Aurion lived here? Wow. How... incredible. The gargoyle tilted her head back, gaze going as far as it could reach, as the reptilian man got the door and ushered her in. Gina managed to pry her gaze from the building's face, and when she walked in, she was equally-impressed. It was not a church, as it had seemed outside. The foyer was wide, and a receptionist sat just inside of the door. Gina shuffled in, offering her a hesitant smile as Aurion followed her in.

>> "Aurion."

The woman greeted abruptly, her gaze almost scolding as it scrutinized her. Aurion made hasty introductions. Her name was Lisa. And she was human... which, apparently, must not have been common here, or else Aurion wouldn't have mentioned it.

"Nice to meet you," Gina greeted, bowing faintly, "I've heard rave reviews about the bacon steaks here."

The woman smiled, and fluidly answered, "There is good food here. Are you staying, Gina, or are you just visiting?"

"Visiting," Gina replied, "Had some trouble in the park and Aurion helped me."

"How kind of him," Lisa said sweetly. Gina nodded her head, dismissed herself, and chased after her reptilian cohort. At Aurion's warning, Gina chuckled, a modest hand covering her mouth. His fear was well-placed. All women had an inherent Mama Bear instinct. It wasn't wise to cross them.

"I'll keep that in mind," Gina said simply, nodding her head. She strode alongside Aurion, her gaze trailing about curiously.

"Sure," Gina agreed, "This seems like a really cool place."

Aurion lead Gina down the stairs to the bulk of the living quarters, it had many hallways and intersections with doors everywhere. Some of them were personalized, others were left plain and unadorned. "Many us live here. Some stay then leave." He shrugged slightly. "Any, all, mutants welcome whether stay or not. When here," He turned his head as they passed an open door and nodded slightly to the mutant in the room plucking away at a stringed instrument Aurion had never seen, "All family, all protected. Safe."

Up ahead his room loomed door shut, but a few claw and slash marks marred it surface. "I didn't think I stay at first." He set his palm on his door as he stopped. "Thought, 'Just one night, hot food, good food." He smiled at Gina and a light laugh followed. "Was wrong. It home, family. No hide now." Taking a few steps away Aurion gave Gina a sideways smile, "If want visit, now know where I stay."

Aurion started heading in the direction of the Rec room and the Library.

Gina followed quietly, her tail flicking as Aurion led on—through the residential halls.

“You think highly of this place,” Gina said warmly. It would be a good place to remember. To hang out, maybe volunteer. Once Gina found out how to get back to Xavier’s, maybe she’d make note of how to return to the shelter and volunteer here… yeah.

Gina nodded her head attentively as Aurion spoke, explaining how he had first arrived at the Sanctuary, and ended-up staying. Aurion offered that, if Gina ever wanted to visit, she knew where he was. No harm in visiting a fellow mutant that had just saved your life.

“I think I will,” she agreed, smiling back. They continued onward, and Gina followed closely behind, her nails clicking on the floor.

“Where were you going to go?” Gina inquired, “If you didn’t stay here?”

She realized that this inquiry might be a bit more personal than intended, so she added on, “If you don’t mind sharing.”

Aurion looked at Gina and smiled. "I do. Very much." His smile faded a bit, "Not lot places accept us, mutants, easy. Less accept us warmly, happily. Treat us like family, and not ask something back." He motioned to himself, then to Gina, "Less often if look like not human."

The library wasn't too far away, so he decided to bring her that way. As they walked Gina asked what he would have done if he hadn't stayed at the Sanctuary. At first Aurion shrugged a bit, not answering. After a minute or two, which may have seemed to stretch for longer, he looked at her soberly. "I no mind. If I no stay'd, I go back out there." He gestured in the general direction of Sanctuary's entrance, to the streets of NYC. "I go back streets. Live there. Sometimes stay alleys, roofs, old buildings. Under streets too." He gave her a somewhat sad smirk. "That not so fun."

Coming to a pair of doors, he asked, "You like books?" With one hand on each door, he pushed them both open to reveal Sanctuary's large and generously stocked library.

Aurion spoke of how he really liked the Sanctuary, because of how well it treated him—in that regards, Gina supposed that she was lucky. Her life hadn’t been particularly fraught with difficulty. In fact, it had been almost normal. Maybe if Aurion had known someone like Pamela…

Gina ventured into a pensive melt of thoughts, but was quickly pulled out of it when Aurion spoke again, of where he would stay.

“I’m glad that you found this place,” she said bluntly. Had Gina come across him on the streets, she might have tried dragging him to Xavier’s, just as she had done with Shane.

The two of them approached the library, and Aurion got the doors. He asked if Gina liked books before pushing the large doors open, and Gina gasped.

“Daaaang,” she breathed in admiration, “Look at all of those books!”

There were rows upon rows of bookshelves that stretched towards the ceilings, and each shelf seemed laden with tomes of various sizes. Gina scampered to the first bookshelf, bouncing up and down on her toes, all smiles. Gina was one of those that liked reading for the first fifty pages of a book before losing interest, and going towards some other avenue of entertainment. She still declared that she “liked to read” however, and was impressed by large collections of books.

“This is awesome,” the gargoyle beamed, running back towards Aurion, “I could get lost in here for days.”

Aurion smiled at Gina's reaction and laughed when she started hopping up and down. He had had a similar reaction when he had first seen it, though without the jumping up and down. It made him think she was a kid. 'Come to think of it,' He looked at Gina again. He couldn't remember if he knew how old she was, or if she had even said.

He moved from his spot beside the door, closing the distance. "I think people have." Aurion leaned back and called out, "Erica!" He gave Gina a knowing look and waited. And waited, and wai.."What? Stop bothering me!" Came a voice from somewhere in the library. Aurion grinned at Gina and chuckled. "See. She always here. Even eat here. People bring food put it there." He pointed to an unassuming table. "Come later, food gone. No one sees her. Ever. She read new books fist before any other."

"First time I meet someone here, I lost a tooth." He chuckled remembering his encounter with Kaitlyn. He licked the tooth that had regrown. "I not come here lot. Hard turn pages." He waggled his fingers.

Gina listened with a mild humor, giving Aurion a quizzical look. Live in library? It sounded like an idea Gina would have had in her younger years—librarians never going home, only pulling out sleeping bags and camping-out where they worked until the library opened the next day. Gina had been wholly convinced that this was how libraries operated, the same as schools. Yet, as Aurion called out to someone named “Erica”, Gina found herself grinning. He had to be joking! No one lived—

A shout answered him, and Ginas’ eyes widened, her mouth forming a disbelieving “O”.

“What?” Gina gasped, drawing the vowel out. Aurion gave a humored explanation. The girl actually lived in the library. How odd.

“How did you manage to lose a tooth in the library?” Gina inquired conversationally.

Aurion felt like he had to explain and be completely honest. "Well, maybe she not live here, but she here lot. I not know anyone to see her, ever. Someone might'v though." He shrugged. "Don't know if Erica her name either. Just call her that, don't think she tell anyone her name." Aurion gave Gina a mischievous grin, "Maybe she tell you...wanna try?" Winking he crouched and rested his forearms on his knees.

"Kaitlyn." He said in response to her question. "I was reading book, in dark. Didn't think anyone come at night. I not need lot light. Kaitlyn came in, shine flashlight at me, got scared." He clapped his hands together loudly then moved them away from each other in a motion of explosion. "Boom!" He laughed at the memory. "I shocked! Table I was at hit my face, broke tooth. Shelves got knocked down too. Big mess..."

Aurion's eyes darted around, "Oops. I say I not tell anyone. I took blame, she just kid got scared. So," He put a finger to his lips and made a 'Shhhh' sound, "No say anything, 'K?"

Gina listened as Aurion explained this mysterious entity within the library. Nobody had ever seen her, nobody even knew if her real name was Erica, but if it wasn’t, no one knew any better. Aurion gave Gina an impish smile, and suggested that perhaps she’d tell Gina.

“I guess there isn’t any real harm in trying…” the gargoyle confessed. She looked towards the stacks, cupping her hands around her mouth before shouting, “Library Keeper, is your name really Erica? I’m Gina!”

There was a pause, a rustle, and an annoyed, “Stop shouting—for God’s sakes, this is a library. Leave me alone.”

Gina smiled and shrugged, looking back towards Aurion as he retold his story.

>> "Kaitlyn. I was reading book, in dark. Didn't think anyone come at night. I not need lot light. Kaitlyn came in, shine flashlight at me, got scared. Boom! I shocked! Table I was at hit my face, broke tooth. Shelves got knocked down too. Big mess..."

“You only broke a tooth?” Gina mused, “What a lucky break. My whole face would have been bent inwards.”

>> "Oops. I say I not tell anyone. I took blame, she just kid got scared. So, no say anything, 'K?"

Gina chuckled and nodded at the reptilian mans’ antics, giving him the promise, “I won’t tell a soul, your secret’s safe with me.”

Aurion giggled, a slightly hiss like giggle, as Erica answered Gina. "See, she no talk people. Not nice way least." It was kind of fun doing that to Erica every so often. If a person was actually superstitious they might think 'Erica' was just the name of some sort of ghost, or spirit that inhabited the library. He couldn't remember stories of ghosts or spirits that talked like Erica, when you could get her to talk, or ate food like she did. Well, except maybe Santa. That made him think, 'Was Erica Santa? And this is where she hid from her elves and got some free time?' Of course he didn't believe that thought either, but it was kind of funny to think about.

"I got hard head." Aurion grinned as he rapped his knuckles on his head plating. "Thanks, no want Kaitlyn find out, get mad..Boom." Aurion gave a little 'Hehehe' laugh as he turned and moved towards the hallways again. "Probably leave library and Erica now." Cupping one hand to his mouth he called, loudly, into the library. "Bye Erica!"

"I show where lot people spend time." Aurion held his arm up in a 'common' gesture. He'd show her the Rec Area and Gym next before heading to the cafeteria.

Gina shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, “Some people are just shy.”

Anyways, Erica wasn’t the personal-offense degree of impolite. Just asocial, or antisocial. Gina could respect that.

Aurion said his farewell to Erica, and Gina chimed-in.

“Bye Erica!”

“My name’s not Erica!” she answered back.

Well, that answered that question. Gina walked alongside Aurion, a little skip in her step as she went. He announced that he would show her to where people spent time.

“Alright,” Gina chuckled. People spent time all over the place, but she was presuming that he meant, where people spent a lot of their time.

Though the Recreation Room wasn't exactly far away, there were enough walls and bends so that the sound from inside didn't travel too far from the room. It allowed people to enjoy their time in the Rec room without worrying about being too loud or having to check to make sure they weren't bugging other residents in their rooms.

So, as Aurion and Gina got closer sounds began to get a little louder with each step. It wasn't obscenely loud nor was it at the level of yelling. The sound of the conversations, games being played, television playing all mixed together in a not so subtle din of noise announcing to anyone near by that they were very near to the Rec room.

Aurion looked at Gina and smiled. He didn't expect to be so much activity, but he wasn't too surprised. "Sound busy." He commented offhandedly. The doors were open, as if welcoming and beckoning them in.

"The Rec room." Aurion said, grinning with a slight laugh. He could see a number of groups doing various things, sitting on the floor playing cards, some at a table on laptops, plopped in giant beanbag chairs reading books. Some others gathered around a foosball table playing 2v2, which seemed to be quite energetic. A more subdued crowd was gathered around the pool tables, though the players and observers were no less intent on the happenings of the games. There were some tv's about the very large room, some were being used for games, others for movies or tv shows, the rest seemed to be off.

"See, spend time here." He said as he watched her to see her reaction to the busy place.

Gina kept close to her guide’s side, hesitant to venture too far, but curious enough that her head was craning about, trying to catch glimpses of other mutants wandering the halls. There was a clamor of voices that sounded far off, which piqued Gina’s interest. It was late, so something fun had to be going on where there were so many voices to be heard. As they rounded a corner, the noise became unbridled by walls and hit the two of them full-force. Gina breathed an impressed, “Whoa,” as Aurion offhandedly commented that it sounded busy.

He explained that this was the Rec Room, and there were numerous people all around the room, enjoying themselves. Some looked like normal people, while others were blatantly mutated. Gina glanced about openly, wearing a smile.

“Do you know what this room was used for, when it was church?” Gina inquired, somewhat rhetorically. Either way, it was impressive. They had a sundry of things to do, places to relax, t.v.’s galore.

“I could only imagine what it’d be like if Xavier’s had that many televisions,” Gina mused aloud. Sure, some of the boys who were more dedicated to gaming had their own t.v.’s, but to have this many publically accessible—they could have the best all-nighters ever.

Aurion watched Gina as she took in the large room in all its glory. Well most of it, from where they stood there was a bit of it that was out of sight. He wasn't sure, mostly because he wasn't that great at picking up on facial expressions, but he thought the expression she wore was close to astonishment. It was similar to how Aurion reacted when he first encountered the Rec Room, though there was more head tilting confusion with him and less open mouthed awe.

"No I don't." Aurion gave Gina a puzzled look. "I not know it church before. How you know it use be church?" The lizard man was confused, he had lived at Sanc for some time now and he hadn't ever heard a whisper of it being a church before. Aurion wasn't sure how he felt about living in a church, even if it was a converted church. Why did the idea make him slightly uncomfortable? He wasn't sure, he didn't even know if he believed in heaven or hell or a higher power or anything. Aurion shrugged it off, it didn't matter really, but he'd ask someone about it, maybe.

"You no have Rec Room at home? I think mansions big, no room like this? Where go have fun, be together?" Aurion moved further into the room. "I no here lot." He admitted to her, "No watch tv, broke remote when try. No hold game stu-" Aurion was cut off by a loud whistle directed at Gina from somewhere near a cluster of teen boys. Even though Aurion was rather clueless to most such things, it was hard, even for him, to imagine anyone who didn't understand what that whistle meant. The implications of the whistle were mostly lost on him though, he figured it wasn't exactly polite though.

Aurion glared at the boys momentarily before he turned. Sighing, "Sorry. If want leave..."