ooc: once again, very sorry for taking so long. >.> bad Raina!

Ic:

>>"I'll get back to you on working with you on a regular basis but I can go ahead and offer occasional help if you need it. In one of my past... incarnations I pulled a few burglary jobs that have given me some expertise that may prove helpful." <<

Darn. She didn't want to trip all over herself, but she was hoping for a yes or no answer. No fun waiting around. "Well, that's helpful." at least he was willing to help out once in a while. Whatever that meant.

>>"I will warn you though, I did have a run in with a Detective Cervantes about a year or so ago that might make the NYPD in general and him in particular a tad suspicious if you happen to bring me in on a case."<<

"Detective Cervantes?" she parroted. "I haven't been here long, but I haven't even heard that name yet." she admitted. "But now I'm curious..." she teased. Then Paul asked something that sincerely did catch her off guard.

>>"With all the work what do you do for fun?"<<

Lana raised an eyebrow and without even thinking, she gave Paul the same answer she'd given her room mate. "I go on dates and profile men." she tried not to let her own shock show that she'd accidentally revealed this tidbit without thinking. She shrugged casually. "I get bored. It's not exactly easy to go on dates when you see ghosts everywhere. Most men my age are pretty stupid." he had to give her that one. If he'd lived as many lives as he claimed, he knew Lana was well beyond most men in her age bracket. "and honestly, it's always best to profile a stranger. It keeps me sharp. And maybe I'm a bit of a psychopath too.. I like to see them squirm." she grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"I also enjoy reading mystery novels, I'm sure that's fairly cliched giving my field... and I enjoy getting out on the ocean. Ghosts only tend to haunt ship wrecks and things so I rarely see them out on the water. It's different than lakes where they can get all weedy and creepy. Too shallow." she shrugged again spinning her now empty cup in her hands. "What about you?"

Most of Lana's interests related to her work. She wasn't really sure what else she DID like. She'd spent so much time focusing on the stages to getting her jobs and then catching perps... that really was what got her going.

The situation with Detective Cervantes had been... entertaining to say the least but how did he relate the story to Lana without giving away to much of what had really happened? "I was jogging in a rougher part of town and lost my ID. It was later discovered at a rather strange homicide location so Detective Cervantes had some rather interesting and pointed questions for me."

Moving away from his own issues and on to Lana's issues made for much more interesting conversation. He could respect that she was at least somewhat private but as much information as he had given away at this particular juncture he figured it was only fair for her to provide more interesting anecdotes about herself as well.

"Dates and profiling... I would have guessed a a nice glass of red wine paired with some smooth jazz or perhaps even a little bit of classical but hey, profiling dates sounds like fun too." It sounded as though even her dates were rather official. If she was focused on profiling the men then she really wasn't letting her hair down and relaxing. Even her statement about reading mystery novels seemed to much like work. Though the idea of getting out on the ocean did seem a little more realistic considering her mutation.

"For me... I love to read. Reading an old classic is like getting reacquainted with an old friend. I meditate to try and quiet the mind and when that doesn't work... I run until my mind simple shuts down from exhaustion." Paul responded after a few moments thought. "And I do a bit of cooking and baking though not much right now since I'm still trying to get settled back into the city."

>> "I was jogging in a rougher part of town and lost my ID. It was later discovered at a rather strange homicide location so Detective Cervantes had some rather interesting and pointed questions for me."<<

Now that sounded like an interesting story. She'd have to try and track down this Cervantes. For uh, professional reasons of course.

>>"Dates and profiling... I would have guessed a a nice glass of red wine paired with some smooth jazz or perhaps even a little bit of classical but hey, profiling dates sounds like fun too." <<

She blushed a little and hated herself for it. Paul was a hard guy to get a read on. She wasn't sure if she was talking to a potential lover or a father figure. He had that old soul appeal, that she'd seen from time to time. One minute they're bestowing wisdom on you, and you feel so empowered for it, and the next you feel too young and like a child. It was confusing to say the least, but it wasn't like they were super good friends right now and she had to figure it out any time soon.

She was relieved when the barista walked by and asked if she'd like the same drink, Lana nodded and passed her a 10. Freaking 6$ coffee...

"Wine is nice." she agreed. "I like music, I mean, as much as anyone. I guess I just don't really take the time to figure out if I like anything specific." she did like music, but often there was already too much background noise in her life thanks to spirits and her sister.

"Honestly I know it sounds weird, but I guess I'm just a workaholic. They always say there are two types of people: career and family. I guess I'm career." she'd never actually reflected on that before, and now that she said knew it wasn't true. She lived for her career... but she also sent money back home to her parents who were both really starting to age. And of course, her dead sister followed her everywhere. Didn't get much more family than that.

>>"For me... I love to read. Reading an old classic is like getting reacquainted with an old friend. I meditate to try and quiet the mind and when that doesn't work... I run until my mind simple shuts down from exhaustion." Paul responded after a few moments thought. "And I do a bit of cooking and baking though not much right now since I'm still trying to get settled back into the city."<<

Lana was fairly well off. She never really thought she was, until she started living with roommates. After hearing Noel's story, she knew that she'd really clawed herself up the ladder to make what she did now. She was never frivolously with her earnings, but she did have quite the stack of unread books at home, and lots of cooking appliances she had no clue how to work but always hoped she'd find some time.

"Well, I do love classics. Sherlock for example." she wiggled her nose without realizing it in a very Bewitched esq move. Her new coffee was placed in front of her with her change. Was this a coffee place or a bar? She was starting to think a bar wouldn't be a bad idea.

"I do meditate. I guess I didn't think of it because for me it's not fun, it's survival." Lana tried very hard to never be overly dramatic. Every time she met a psychopathic mutant in therapy, they would always play the 'my mutation ruined my life' card and try to use is to excuse all sorts of behaviours. She wouldn't allow herself that, but occasionally a subconscious thought like this would pop out. She seemed a little darker for a few seconds, her eyes a little distant. Then she sipped the coffee and snapped out of it. It wasn't something an average person would notice, but someone with Paul's power of deduction probable would. As for Lana, she hadn't even realized she'd done it. She was letting her guard down an awful lot around this stranger.

"Maybe I do need to have a bit of fun." she admitted. "Maybe we can combine two things, compromise." she waggled her eyebrows, and downed half the coffee. "Let's go get a drink of wine, and profile some bar patrons." she bit her lip with that sort of please daddy please smile the kids has when they want to go in the candy shop. There was just something infuriatingly interesting about Paul. She wasn't entirely convinced he wasn't a spirit in some shape or form either. Besides, her sleep schedule was all kinds of backwards right now. It was good to put her head into the real people world once in a while- and real people went for drinks. Of course, she hadn't the slightest clue where to go for a nice glass of merlot.

The slight flush up her neck and cheeks was noticeable against Lana's pale skin... it was rather cute actually and accentuated her red hair. It was at that moment that Paul realized he was actually sitting across from a rather amazing woman. She was smart, witty, and quite attractive and reminded him quite a bit of two other young women he had known. For a moment a smile played at the corner of his mouth as he noticed the similarities between Lana and Lumen and Ashley but then the moment passed. She wasn't Lumen and they weren't good friends.

"I think there have to be more than two types because I don't really think I fit in either of those categories." Paul commented after a moments reflection. He didn't have a job to throw himself into and he didn't have family or friends that he could devote his attention to. What did that mean about himself? If he was honest he spent most of his time trying to run away from the memories in his past, especially the memories of Ashley who Lana reminded him of just a little to much. He was beginning to wonder if he would be battling nightmares again when he went to bed but even with that threat on the horizon he didn't want to walk away... not yet.

"Well, I do love classics. Sherlock for example."

The statement was the little nose wiggle were enough to make Paul's smile advance into a chuckle. "Why does that not surprise me... how about classics that aren't mysteries? Have you ever tried Jules Verne?"

It was amazing how quickly a conversation could change. One moment they were discussing things that were light and happy and then one serious statement could completely alter the direction. "Meditation is a matter of psychological survival for me... come to think of it so is the running." Paul responded quietly, momentarily allowing his own guard to slip, "Sometimes memories flare up in vivid nightmares and the only way to get my mind to quiet down is to run myself into sheer exhaustion. Most days I enjoy a leisurely run but other day or nights I'm running to escape, not for pleasure." He had seen the chink in Lana's armor and felt that it was only fair he expose his own but that was enough sharing for now. Besides, that comment might be enough to scare away this intrepid young woman... which might not necessarily be a bad thing.

It came right out of the blue and Paul found himself frozen with his coffee cup halfway lifted to his mouth while he look across at Lana with upraised eyebrow. Had she really just asked him to go out to get a glass of wine? He wasn't exactly used to women being quite so forward but it was kind of nice for once to be asked instead of doing the asking himself. It was part of the modern age he supposed but normally he was the one that worked up the courage first but obviously Lana had a little bit of an adventurous streak in her. "There's a place called 'The Wine Bar' over on 2nd Avenue. Would you like to go there right now or would you rather meet up a little later?" It was probably strange to accept the invitation but as the old cliched expression went, 'You only live once', unless of course you're a Phoenix.

ooc: I'm going to stick us in the car and get us there if that's okay

ic:
>>"Why does that not surprise me... how about classics that aren't mysteries? Have you ever tried Jules Verne?"<<

Lana shrugged and smiled. "Yes. No. I mean, well sort of. I've only read the really well known ones. Back when I was... well it must have been junior high. Journey to the centre of the Earth... Around the World, and 20,000 leagues..." she trailed off trying to remember the stories of her youth. "I was always intimidated by books written in the 1800s because I expected the language to be.. I don't know... really outdated? But when I picked up the Sherlock books I realized there was only the odd phrase that stuck out. Like, how often Watson said he ejaculated." she laughed. That had certainly been a learning curb in her late teens. "Holmes! Don't go in there!" I ejaculated to my friend!" she laughed again. "eh.. bad joke." Lana was terrible at jokes and humour. She was always making inappropriate jokes without meaning to. But she really did think it was funny. "You know, Holmes never actually said 'Elementary, my dear Watson.' in ANY of the books or publications?" she returned to spinning her cup in her hand.

>>"Meditation is a matter of psychological survival for me... come to think of it so is the running...Sometimes memories flare up in vivid nightmares and the only way to get my mind to quiet down is to run myself into sheer exhaustion. Most days I enjoy a leisurely run but other day or nights I'm running to escape, not for pleasure." <<

When he first began reflecting on meditation, Lana thought he'd only followed her thought pattern out of courtesy. He'd caught her slip and didn't want her to feel bad. But then he elaborated and she realized he was sincere. "Yeah, my room mate likes to run." she agreed. "I think for similar reasons. I like to work out to stay fit and healthy, but I don't think I'll be winning any races anytime soon." she smiled.

>> "There's a place called 'The Wine Bar' over on 2nd Avenue. Would you like to go there right now or would you rather meet up a little later?" <<

"Hmmm... the Wine Bar."  Lana brought out her phone and punched it into google maps. Directions came up instantly, along with the hours of operation. "Hmm it's still open for a few more hours, late night place this one. It's only about 10 minutes away too I can't imagine there's much traffic at this hour of the night. It's settled then." she smiled and organized her belongings and the cases she'd been working on. "I've got a car here, we can pace ourselves or I can catch the subway from the Wine Bar, so how 'bout I spin us over?" she stood up and headed for the door with a smile- clearly not taking no for answer.

Lana led the way to her car, parked close by. It was neat and tidy inside, and she popped the trunk to drop the case files in. They had to be locked away. She plugged her phone into the stereo system, and the google AI voice came on and started giving her directions. "Everyone always told me driving in New York was bad. I think I made it up to be this awful thing in my head, and now that I'm here, it's much better than I thought. I'm sure it'll come out though." she commented making conversation as they drove.

This was fairly forward of Lana, but when all you saw were ghosts and people like Paul and Noel came into her life, showing a genuine interest to get to know her despite the fact she saw, well, ghosts... she couldn't just let those things fall to the side. She had a chance at real relationships with living and breathing human beings that may or may not be psychopaths like the ones she counselled at work. It was worth a shot.

"I'm working on a case right now, I mean, I can't go into too many details- turns out even prisoners are granted confidentiality, but suffice to say I know the mutant isn't insane in the slightest and was well aware he drove a knife through his wife. I just have to prove it. It's driving me a bit batty, so this is a good break. Sometimes in our sessions I swear the guy is gloating. But that's a good thing. The braggers are the first ones to slip up." narrated Lana as she drove. She never knew how to make conversation in situations like this, so talking about work seemed the most logical.

She pulled into a metered parking and praised her own luck. "Ah, here we are." even from outside the place looked warm and inviting. "Why don't you lead the way?" she motioned.

Junior high... Paul didn't really want to think about Lana being in junior high because it only made their age different all that more apparent. When she had been just a teenager being introduced to the classics in her high school English class, Paul had probably been burying himself in trying to get as much money as was possible for a man of his skills and experience. The 80's had been a little difficult for him since he had been trying to find a way to cope with Ashley's loss.

"The language barrier can be a bit confusing sometimes." Paul agreed with a chuckle as Lana shared her rather innapropriate joke, "Though I always struggled a little more with shakespeare than I did with the classics."

The fun fact about Holmes never saying 'Elementary, my dear Watson' was accepted with raised eyebrow and a mental filing. He was willing to simply accept the information as fact since he didn't have any evidence against it and it seemed as though Lana were something of an expert on Mr. Sherlock Holmes. He had read Sherlock Holmes ones or twice but obviously he hadn't poured over the material quite as much as Lana.

Their conversation shifted back and forth over a few topics and before Paul knew it they were in Lana's car and on their way to the wine bar. After buckling up he wedged himself in the corner and twisted slightly so that he could watch her while she drove. Her hands moved smoothly over the wheel and her intelligent eyes darted back and forth assessing possible dangers along their path. She continued speaking as she drove, talking first about learning to drive in the big city and then moving on to share a little about one of her cases. Apparently she was dealing with a cold blooded murderer that was trying to pull off an insanity defense and though she could see through it she was having trouble proving it.

"Do you ever have others observe your sessions?" Paul asked curiously. Surely it was recorded for further review and observed if only for Lana's safety. After all there was no way to tell when one of her patients might snap. Paul didn't really didn't want to admit it but Lana's vague comments had piqued his interest.

***

In all to short a time they were at their destination and Paul was unfolding himself from the seat. Once again outside in the cold air he stretched and then made his way around to either open the door for Lana or graciously close it behind her after she'd exited the vehicle. Manners were very important.

"They have a decent tapas menu from what I understand if you'd like a little snack." Paul commented as they walked up to the entrance. Opening the door for Lana he ushered her into the inviting warmth. Beautiful wooden floors and warm earth tone colors decorated the restaurant while multiple bar top tables filled the room. The area was about three quarters filled with patrons but there were still plenty of empty seats. "Would you like to sit anywhere in particular?"

>>"Do you ever have others observe your sessions?"<<

Lana nodded. "I usually record everything via camera or tape recorder. Then, several times a year just for assessment sake a higher up will usually observe. Of course, if a prisoner is proving to be especially difficult or dangerous someone may come as well. There's always a Uni outside the door too." she added. "I've only just started at this location, been there about a week. Of course, the boss was a bit floored at my.. ah... youthfulness I guess? I mean, I'm 28 I'm not THAT young, I have plenty of colleagues my own age. But I guess I remind him of his teenage daughter so he had to throw his weight around. You'd think in 2014 some men would get over women being in the workplace but apparently many are still old fashioned." While Lana was most certainly a feminist on principle, she never considered simply working to be that shocking. It drove her nuts when it came up.

***

Lana was pleasantly surprised to have Paul open her door, and of course, it was at that moment her sister appeared on the hood of the car- waving. Lana tried not to glare and her sister, and gave Paul a great big smile.

"What are you doing?" groaned Laura. "First the room mate, now this guy? Some unscheduled date you forgot to tell me about?" Laura waggled her eyebrows in the same way Lana did. They'd both picked it up from their father.

 Lana did her best to ignore her sister. Laura simple grinned and floated behind the two.

>>"They have a decent tapas menu from what I understand if you'd like a little snack." <<

Paul lead the way and held the door open for her. Lana found herself wondering just how old Paul was. Not that it was too old fashioned to open doors... you just didn't see it often anymore. Men either didn't care, or were too worried of insulting a strong minded woman. Plenty of those types around. Still... she was curious about Paul's age. She knew he was quite a bit older than her, maybe the same age as her boss, but he didn't have the same creep factor- Thank God. But with Paul's eluding to his mutation... he might not be mentally the same age that his body was showing either. It was curious, but she couldn't think of any way to bring it up that wasn't very rude. Even for Lana, who often couldn't grasp certain social nuances- she knew that was a bad question. "I've never had tapas" she managed to get out as they entered the building. Laura was in pursuit, clearly something on her mind.

>>"Would you like to sit anywhere in particular?"<<

She had followed Paul in and now she was overwhelmed with delicious smells, warmth, and remarkable ambience. There were little indoor water fountains around, two large koi tanks, low lighting with the sort of decorative Christmas type lights hanging around, and the chatter was minimal. Soft jazz music played in the background. Lana grinned. "A booth would be great if you don't mind." she pointed. She knew it was traditional to sit at the bar, but if they really were going to profile people she didn't want someone to overhear her by accident.

She squeezed into a seat across from Paul and smiled, but then her smile very noticeably dropped to a frown when Laura appeared right next to Paul.

"Listen, I've been checking out that house from the victim and I think I may have found something. But I'm going to go back to check!" exclaimed Laura. Lana's eyes darted from Laura to Paul.

Lana opened her mouth to say something and then thought better of it. "Excuse me for just a second Paul, there's a rather rude ghost sitting right next to you. She followed us in." she hated talking to spirits in front of others. She really hated it. She felt she looked crazy. But she'd already laid out all the cards with Paul and right now, she knew the look on her sisters face. Laura wouldn't go until she was addressed.

"Whoa whoa whoa he knows?" demanded Laura.

"Yes, of course he knows. I invited him to work with me, kind of have to be honest" She smiled at Paul but turned her attention back to Laura. " His name is Paul. But everything else isn't really any of your business." said Lana, looking intensely at the space right next to Paul. "We're a little busy here, so be quick about it. It's late, I want to unwind, and I'm not interested in running any spirit errands. "

"I think I found the murder weapon." exclaimed Laura, not even caring to ask for more details on Paul. She was bursting with the information.

Lana's eyes widened a bit. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"I think so. I've been sorta manifesting several places tonight, you know how it is. Sometimes I can control where I go, sometimes I can't. I'm trying to get back there, it'll take a few tries unless you take me." explained Laura.

Lana nodded. "Okay, but it'll have to wait til morning. No sense me poking about a murder victims home this late at night. I'll look like I'm trying to steal something."

"You'll look like you're trying to steal something during the day too." quipped Laura.

"Well at least during the day I can wear my badge and look official. You know how it is. The place is still taped off but it wont be guarded anymore. They think they have all the evidence processed. I shouldn't be stopped going in and if I do it'll only be from local cops and one flash of my ID Badge from the NYPD and I can claim part of the investigation. It won't be a problem. Meet me back here at closing." explained Lana. "I'm going to relax until then."

Laura nodded. Lana never liked investigating things late at night. She'd get anxious and sometimes have panic attacks.

"Bring the newbie." suggested Laura. It caught Lana off guard, and her eyes fluttered to Paul for a second and then back to Laura.

"Uh, I'll ask." she said unsure of what to say. "See you." and with that Laura was gone and Lana was left momentarily distracted. "Sorry about that. Ghosts." she said as a waitress dropped a wine menu in front of them.

"Uh, what are you having?" she was trying to get her bearing back. There'd been a flush of excitement and colour about her. The chase always did that. It was weird to have given herself up like that and simply chatted with her sister right in front of someone. But it felt kind of natural too. She had a feeling Paul wouldn't act like she was crazy. She was sure he had his own demons... she just wasnt sure what.

But right now she needed to come back to earth. If the murder weapon was there and her perp was incarcerated, it wasn't going anywhere. Maybe she'd feel out how things went with Paul in the next few hours and see how much energy he had. Who knows? It could be a fun morning too...

The comment about Lana's boss throwing his weight around had been worth asking about but for the moment during the car ride Paul had remained quiet, only raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. He doubted that Lana had seen the gesture since her focus was on the road in front of them but Paul had filed away the information to possibly ask about later.

Paul and Lana were seated quickly and Paul returned Lana's smile as they slid in across from each other but then his face became questioning when a frown suddenly appeared on her face.

"Rude ghost that's sitting right next to me..." Paul said slowly as he did his best to process the information that was being given to him. It was one thing to have been accepting Lana's abilities on the theoretical level back at the coffee shop but now it was much more real. Lana launched into a conversation with the invisible ghost and Paul sat quietly, doing his best to gather as much information as he could from the one sided conversation.

"Yes, of course he knows. In invited him to work with me, kind of have to be honest. His name is Paul. But everything else isn't really any of your business. We're a little busy here so be quick about it. It's late, I want to unwind, and I'm not interested in running any spirit errands."

Lana's gaze was intense as the conversation continues with excitement beginning to appear in her expression at something that the invisible ghost was telling her.

"Are you sure? ... Okay, but it'll have to wait til morning. No sense me poking about a murder victims home this late at night. I'll look like I'm trying to steal something. ... Well at least during the day I can wear my badge and look official."

Glancing around, Paul's eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the area. SO far it seemed like Lana's conversation was remaining private and no one else was paying any attention to her. Of course, if someone did see her they'd probably just think she was insane, not necessarily a mutant. The down side of course would be if someone her her talking like this and then also heard her comment about working for the NYPD, most citizens weren't interested in having an insane cop in their city.

"Uh, I'll ask. ... Sorry about that. Ghosts." Lana apologized as she turned her attention back to Paul which also happened to be the exact same moment a waitress dropped off the menu right in front of them. Thankfully this was New York City, weirdness central, and while the waitress kind of gave Lana a sideways look she apparently didn't dwell on it to much and simply walked off to serve other customers.

"Not a problem... I don't think anyone noticed so we're still clear for profiling." Paul responded with a slight smile before cracking open the menu and looking over what was offered. "I think I'll have the chef's choice of 6 cheeses for just a little something to eat and as for the wine... would you rather we each order our own or would you like to share a bottle? The French Cabernet's looks pretty good."

A few moments later the waitress was back to take their order. Her uniform was crisp and well pressed. Her hair was long, hanging down to about her shoulder blades and was pulled back in a simple pony tail. Her make up was quite minimal, just enough to highlight her features, with some simple lipstick and blush. When she spoke her voice was melodic with good inflection. Her smile was bright but something about it never quite reached her eyes. Her hands were capable and the nails were well manicured.

"So... the waitress..." Paul began after their order was given and the woman had walked away, "She's been in New York City for several years and learned the hard way that appearances are important. She's tried to make it as an actress or performer of some type but thus far she hasn't had her big break. She's either just worn out by life in general or something from her past still haunts her. Am I close?" It probably seemed strange for Paul to launch into their little game so quickly without even asking about the ghost's visit but he figured that if Lana wanted to tell him about it she would. For now he just wanted to enjoy some cheese and wine along with the company of this attractive young woman.

>>"Not a problem... I don't think anyone noticed so we're still clear for profiling."<<

"Sorry" Lana apologized trying not to seem TOO apologetic, she was a mutant, she'd been forthcoming about her mutation. "I try to speak into the phone but I wasn't thinking. Usually that works." glancing around she didn't think she had much to worry about. People were pretty absorbed in their own worlds.

>>"I think I'll have the chef's choice of 6 cheeses for just a little something to eat and as for the wine... would you rather we each order our own or would you like to share a bottle? The French Cabernet's looks pretty good."<<

Lana nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll do the same and sharing wine is fine. I think I'll have some stuff to do in a few hours so I don't want to be too inebriated. " she passed the menus back to waitress who bobbed her head and went off.

>>"So... the waitress..." <<

Lana grinned a toothy smile. Paul was catching on. Lana's eyes followed the waitress as she left. In truth, she'd been caught off guard by her sister, and Lana's thoughts were already going crazy thinking about the possibilities the morning might hold. She'd made a few casual automatic observations though...

>>"She's been in New York City for several years and learned the hard way that appearances are important. She's tried to make it as an actress or performer of some type but thus far she hasn't had her big break. She's either just worn out by life in general or something from her past still haunts her. Am I close?"<<

Lana nodded along with his observations. Most were ones she already made, but he made the leap to actress or performer, she had to agree. "Based on the forced walk and the way she's carrying herself I think she's running on energy drinks. It suggests either a daytime job as well, or perhaps a student. Could honestly be both. It seems to be the standard these days." she frowned. So many young people running themselves dry. "But, she's seeing someone. She saw them today. It doesn't take an expert at observing to notice that makeup is a little too intense for work, but not quite intense enough for stage. Or though, maybe that's a female thing." she laughed. "In fact, I detected a hint of strong floral perfume. That's a bold statement. She's not just seeing someone. She's the other woman. Other women often intentionally leave clues to their partners infidelity, hoping their wives will notice and leave them."

She had to go silent because the waitress reappeared with their drinks. She placed them on the table and gave a smile, then promised the food would be ready soon. "I'd go with the student. She's sleeping with her drama professor. Though, she's trying so hard to hide her exhaustion I'd gather there's not much actual sleeping in her life. It's why she looks happy, but it doesn't quite come up all the way."

Lana sipped the wine. This was good. She and Paul were on the same page.

"Now that guy..." she bobbed a motion with her head for Paul to look across at a man sitting at one of the tables, tapping away at his phone. He was dressed rather hipsterish, and had barely touched the food. "He's not here for the food, he's here to work. Or rather be seen working. Not trying to impress anyone specifically, just trying to validate how he's spending his time... on that screenplay..." she grinned. "What do you see?"

Before Paul would of have a chance to answer, the waitress came back with their food. Lana eagerly accepted it and without thinking added, "Men like that, they never leave."

The young woman looked up. "Sorry?"

"Your professor. He's not going to leave his wife." Lana remarked organizing her utensils.

"...but how did you?"

"And you're a pretty girl. I bet if you got a little more rest you'd stop forgetting your lines at every audition." Lana smiled at her.

The girl took a step back like she'd seen a ghost... but she was also nodding. Nodding the way a person might nod to a therapist. It might have been Lana's tone of voice, or her professional manner that just never turned off, but they instantly had a rapport. The girl smiled and walked away thoughtfully.

"So, the guy?" prodded Lana, spearing some food with her fork.

Why did everything seem to come back to infidelity of some type? It seemed like the men that women gravitated too were also the players that couldn't be happy with just one. Those that wanted to stay loyal and take care of a woman were the ones that most females simply passed right by.

"Well, more than likely the professor is showing her just enough romance to keep her interested enough to satisfy his physical desires. He doesn't care that she's approaching exhaustion as long as he keeps getting what he wants." Paul observed quietly, the disapproval not obvious in his voice but definitely there for someone as observant as Lana to notice. Lifting his glass of wine, Paul took a sip, allowing the fruity tartness to coat his palette. If he was right he also detected just that slight hint of oakiness that was transferred from the barrels the wine had been aged in but he wasn't sure. Maybe he was just imagining it.

Turning his gaze toward the hipster man that Lana had indicated Paul did his best to notice details that she might not have yet mentioned. A slight smile came to his lips as he listened to the conversation that was suddenly happening between Lana and their waitress. She was good... really good. She had an eye for detail that was impressive. Paul didn't have the trained eye that Lana did, at least not about people. He was great at picking out security systems, safes, and safety procedures that he might be able to foil because that had been his profession for a long time. He could pick out a few details about people though his specialty was picking out those that were actually part of the police force in some way or another.

"So, the guy?"

Bringing his concentration back into focus, Paul watched the man even more carefully. The man lifted his phone excitedly as it began to vibrate and ring quietly but then lowered it without answering, a rather strange expression on his face. As the man went back to tapping away at his phone, Paul noticed he was nervously twisting the ring on his finger.

"Either his wife doesn't approve of his working on a screenplay or she doesn't know about it. He wants to prove he can be successful but something about his relationship with his wife makes him doubt his own abilities..."

Turning away, Paul went back the light meal. Picking up one of the pieces of cheese, he slowly chewed on the creamy square enjoying the earthy flavor before rinsing it down with another sip of wine.

"So, how do most of your dates react when you start profiling other people at the bar? Or do you normally only profile the person you're actually going out with?" He asked as he turned his attention back to the person he was actually interested in getting to know. Lana didn't fit his normal thoughts about someone in the police department and so she was a good case study... and of course she was pretty easy on the eyes as well.

ooc: K I'm the worst for being so late!

IC:

>>"Either his wife doesn't approve of his working on a screenplay or she doesn't know about it. He wants to prove he can be successful but something about his relationship with his wife makes him doubt his own abilities..."

"Yep, I'd say that's accurate." replied Lana, prodding a piece of her dinner with the fork, inspecting it, and then popping it into her mouth. She munched for a second and then smiled. "Mm delicious." followed it with a swish of wine. "Good call." she grinned. "I'd say he's trying to find the courage to do this full time but he's afraid to ask her. I think we're both getting the impression though that she's either a tyrant at home, or holding something over him. Poor guy...."

Lana was enjoying this. It was refreshing to go through her skills with someone else. Helped her stay sharp, and she seemed to have a natural rapport with Paul. It wasn't everyday she randomly met a man, thought he was a ghost, and then insisted he work for her and go out for drinks. Not exactly a Lana thing to do. She found herself once again wondering if he might have some sort of charisma or magnetism aspect to his mutation, or if this really was just her being a bit impulsive. It all gave her hope either way that she could carve a life for herself here in NYC. 


>>"So, how do most of your dates react when you start profiling other people at the bar? Or do you normally only profile the person you're actually going out with?"

Lana grinned like a cat. "I usually keep my observations of the date to myself." she admitted. "I make my points in my mind, then go through them as I go through the date trying to confirm them all. I only start vocalizing their mommy issues when they turn out to be jerks." she laughed. "I honestly don't usually share these things out loud with other people though. Guess you're special."

Why did she share all this with him? What was it about him that made him so easy to talk to?

(OOC: Sorry about taking so long... getting ready to move is taking up a lot of my time.)

Paul smiled ever so slightly to himself... first and foremost because his own observations seemed to be correct but secondly because this interesting young lady had just called him special. It wasn't every day that he found someone with a wit he could appreciate and it was even more rare for that wit to be contained in such an attractive package.

"You remind me of someone I knew quite a while ago." He commented without thinking as his thoughts trailed back to the woman that could have become his wife, "You have a sense of humor a lot like hers and she was very observant as well but in a different way. She was blind but her other senses made up for it. She could hear things and smell things that I would normally miss. She also had a sixth sense about people... maybe it was just her womanly intuition but she could always tell who was trustworthy and who wasn't."

Ashley Sullivan had been his world for two wonderful years but then she had died and the world had suddenly seemed much dimmer. Instead of the vibrant colors that Ashley had helped him see there only remained dull gray hues.

"I was out in California at the time. It's actually where I learned landscaping, my current profession, though I can only do that during the warmer months. Of course, I was so busy on land that I never learned how to surf." Paul knew that it would probably sound like he was rambling and if he really thought about it... maybe that was true. Was he feeling this open because of his present company or was it the wine talking?

"So tell me Lana... what sort of deep dark secrets are you hiding? If we're going to be working together then I should probably know at least one of them." He finished his question with a slight waggle of the eyebrows. He wanted to make it clear that he was joking but at the same time if she wanted to give him a real answer he most certainly wouldn't object.

ooc: Poking along. I expect to be a little all over the place til June.

ic:


>>"You remind me of someone I knew quite a while ago. You have a sense of humor a lot like hers and she was very observant as well but in a different way. She was blind but her other senses made up for it. She could hear things and smell things that I would normally miss. She also had a sixth sense about people... maybe it was just her womanly intuition but she could always tell who was trustworthy and who wasn't."<<

So he'd been married before. Or at least had a very serious relationship from the way he spoke about her. That didn't really surprise her. In fact, she mentally chastised herself for not picking up on it. It was hard to get a true read on Paul. It was like he'd been alive forever or something. He was good at masking things, sending her mind off on rabbit trails. She suspected he was an excellent liar but was too polite to lie to her about anything too important. Or maybe that was wishful thinking.

"I'm sorry she isn't around anymore." Lana replied. She wasn't sure if there was a bad breakup or the person moved or maybe even died. But it was clear Paul hadn't seen them in a long time. Distance makes the heart grow weak, and Lana knew people always seemed like better people the more time passed.

>>"I was out in California at the time. It's actually where I learned landscaping, my current profession, though I can only do that during the warmer months. Of course, I was so busy on land that I never learned how to surf."<<

"California sounds nice." Lana preferred to be in warmer places when she could.

>>"So tell me Lana... what sort of deep dark secrets are you hiding? If we're going to be working together then I should probably know at least one of them." <<

Later on, when Lana looked back on this night- she'd tell herself it was the wine that led her to just out her biggest secret. She knew it was probably a lie, but allowing herself to believe that she'd become comfortable enough with a stranger to just blurt it out was harder to accept.

"Oh you know, the usual..." she began. "All us mutants have some tragic back story don't we? Then again, the majority of kids these days will have a traumatic experience by age 10 so maybe it's just life. My sister was killed by a drunk driver. Now she's a ghost I see sometimes. She jokes she's my guardian angel." she took a long sip of the wine, finishing it off and putting it down like a shot glass on the table. "I mean, it's not like I'm haunted by the past, but I am literally haunted by the past." she laughed.

"What about you?"