Devon knew he was being foolish.

He couldn’t sleep. He’d had dreams again… They were dreams – so he told himself – because he was watching what happened or at least what he imagined was happening in the parking garage. They weren’t nightmares because of distorted view he had of the monsters, the others, the red-eyed girl, and even the destruction around them. But that hole in the sky, even with his storm raging along with him, it was birthing every nightmare imaginable. It was a dream but it was His dream.

Instead of pacing around his place or sifting through work emails, Devon had tried to assure himself that there was little else to the darkness but an absence of light. The night was not so dark and not so full of terrors. He needed to move past this. He couldn’t let this absorb him. It was making him anxious anyway, so he pulled on some sweats, a t-shirt, a hoodie, and some sneakers. Out the doors he went, security giving him an odd but not unfriendly nod on the way out.

Devon ran across the street to the park, dimly lit by the occasional lamp. The lamps here in the southern portion of the park were well taken care of. There were other areas, especially in the north western part of the park that weren’t as lucky. He zipped past the playground; it was eerie for it to be quiet save the creaking of a swing. The Balto statue was a shadowed figured, vigilantly watching. On he continued toward the volleyball courts and the meadow. It was rather freeing to have the park to oneself.

It was late after all, probably too late to really be out jogging in the park. But he’d seen a couple on the 65th Traverse. They were clearly headed home after a late evening. They’d eyed him warily as he came running up. He’d thrown them a smile and a nod. Nothing to be worried about or so he hoped him eye contact told them. But he heard another pair of footsteps approaching as he went down the Frisbee Hill path toward the carousel. Even if the quick sounds rang like his jogging, somehow accepting someone else was out delaying their rest seemed difficult to accept.

It was difficult to tell yourself to relax while the body warred with the mind between running, relaxing, nervously preparing for a threat, and struggling to push past the fatigue of the day.

Lee was quickly falling into a very comfortable routine now that she was back in New York. It was a different routine than she'd had when she had lived here before, that was for sure, but it was a routine nonetheless. Getting Kevin to school in the mornings, before heading over to Rachel's boutique to work. It was open now, and business was very slow, Lee would have to figure something out to boost that.

And then there was Jay. That had most certainly not been planned. And he was the reason that Lee was was current running through the park late at night. Something that she had not needed to do in the last 5 years. But thinking back to earlier in the night, Lee smiled. So after she had left Jay's apartment, Lee had stopped at home to change into a pair of grey sweats, running shoes, and iPod, and was heading back out to the park for a run.

New York really was something else, Lee had realized. The entire time that she had been living in Canada with Kevin, Lee had never even thought of doing something like what she was doing with Jay. Not that she could put a name to what they had; they weren't dating, they didn't really go to do anything, and Lee figured that Jay would likely panic if she called him her boyfriend.

Still, whatever he was, Jay was the reason that Lee had a small happy smile on her face as she ran through the park. At least until she felt energy growing growing closer than the other sparks of energy she had already felt that night. Slipping one ear bud out of her ear, Lee started looking around more carefully. She knew that, especially at night, she would feel someone approaching her long before she had a chance of actually seeing them.

Slowing down to more of a jog than a run, Lee focused on her siphoning to figure out where the person was, then her eyes focused in that direction until she could make out the figure of a young man jogging.

Devon didn’t consider himself chivalrous, merely respectful. He was polite, unassuming, but also avoided condescension. You should be as kind to a woman as you’d be to anyone else. That also meant a woman could be as powerful – even more powerful – than a man. There were highly trained individuals out there. There were mutants too even. If a man was jogging alone – like he was actually – then Devon would have been just as wary, just as curious, and even just as suspicious.

Thus, a fair consideration of the possibilities, concerns, and even self-awareness of the situation ran through Devon’s mind as he continued his run forward. It sounded like the person was either running away or they’d just slowed. As someone came into view, it was clear she’d merely slowed.

It was a petite woman, dark hair though the color was lost in the twilight haze of the night and distant lights of the city. Devon knew some powerful, intelligent, and capable women: Ghost, Noel, Svetlana, and Natalie. There were many, actually. Woe to the person that got on Lisa’s bad side; Devon often wondered as the true danger lurking behind Sanctuary’s administrator. Devon felt as curious, as wary, as interested as one might to find anyone running alone.

“Oh excuse me,” Devon said loudly, still a distance away. “Sorry if I startled you. Didn’t expect anyone out jogging in the park alone this late… And then I realized I’m doing the exact same thing,” his tone ending with embarrassed humor. He laughed as he too slowed, putting a hand to his forehead as he shook his head in further consideration. This was ridiculous, foolish, and he needed to get past this.

“I saw a couple shortly after I came in and that’s bit otherwise,” he gave a nod, continuing forward though arcing slightly to give the woman some space.

As Lee appraised the man approaching her, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. And not from the exercise. She hadn't even thought to worry running out here at night, but apparently Anton was still haunting her 7 years later. Relax, she mentally berated herself. You're still siphoning, so there's no adapteds around, and you've got more than enough energy. So just relax. Then the man apologized, from a fair distance away, for possibly startling her. Lee could only guess that he did it from that distance to try to not startle or scare her if she hadn't already noticed him at that point. But it was too late, she had noticed him long before she had been able to see him, afterall.

Lee merely shrugged when she heard the rest of what the man said. ”There normally aren't many people out here at night,” Lee replied, pulling her other earbud out. ”Come to think of it, I think the only other person I've seen jogging at this time of night was a cop. Most of the people who are here tend to stay quite a ways off the paths.”

The man had continued forward, though much slower than he had been going, making sure that he was giving her plenty of space. A lot of space. For a woman to come into the park alone at this time, she had to be stopped, desperate, or sure that she could handle herself. And Lee was not stupid or desperate.

Hmm, maybe the man had realized the same.

”I haven't actually seen anyone since I lost sight of the street myself,” Lee admitted. But that didn't mean she hadn't send anyone. No fewer than 30 people, in fact since she had entered the park.

The woman shrugged off his comment, so that was good. She wasn’t put off and was neither charging away or toward. Devon really needed to relax; Nate was right. He was too high strung and constantly warring with himself over the craziness of Halloween… He needed his sleep.

>> ”There normally aren't many people out here at night,”

Devon laughed, “True.”

>> ”Come to think of it, I think the only other person I've seen jogging at this time of night was a cop. Most of the people who are here tend to stay quite a ways off the paths.”

“Yeah,” Devon said with a somber tone, the laughter fading. “The park is safer than it was in the past I’ve heard, but not safe enough.”

>> ”I haven't actually seen anyone since I lost sight of the street myself,”

Well apparently the conversation was continuing. She seemed agreeable, wanting to chat, and wasn’t hurrying off. Devon continued his arc away and around but he slowed to a walk. “The two I saw were heading out,” he nodded. “Most who stay in the park overnight are homeless, so they’ve got their hiding spots. I usually jog early in the morning so I might see a few, encourage them with a hot meal offer or even visiting Sanctuary but not all are keen on staying somewhere with mutants.” He half-frowned, shrugged a shoulder, and sighed.

“But yes, I’m usually not out this late. I couldn’t sleep,” he chuckled quietly, the humor returning. “Figured a run was a good way to burn some energy, give me something to focus on.”

The park was safer than it had been in the past? Lee nodded, that was good to hear, especially if she found she needed to continue taking runs so that she could sleep.

The man said that he normally ran in the mornings, and again Lee nodded. Not because she agreed, but simply understood what he said. A Lot of people did that, because they actually had more energy after getting a full night's sleep.

But as the man continued speaking, Lee stopped her forward movement. The Sanctuary? That sounded familiar, and a moment later the man confirmed that it was a place for mutants. Right, wasn't that where Sebastian had his clinic out of?

”And some people are just bigots that need to get over themselves,” Lee said quietly not really caring whether the man heard her or not.

And then he was explaining that he couldn't sleep, that he thought a run would be a good way to burn off energy. Again, Lee nodded, but this time she was in full agreement with him. ”Generally is a good way,” Lee agreed verbally, not sure whether the man would see the nod in the darkness. ”At least for me, going for a long run is virtually the only way I have a chance of sleeping when I end up with to much energy.” as she finished speaking, Lee couldn't help but be a little proud of herself managing to exactly describe her current situation without any mention of powers.

The woman stopped but Devon continued at least for the moment. He wasn’t exactly sure what he’d say, but it seemed likely it was the mention of Sanctuary. It was often a polarizing topic and either bred instant trust or instant suspicion. It’d been over a year now though since Sanctuary had taken the spotlight, the public block party, the community involvement drive… He hoped this was a positive reaction.

>> ”And some people are just bigots that need to get over themselves,”

Devon chuckled, catching most of the comment in the quiet of the park. Turns out she was in much the state he was: looking to tire herself out so she could sleep. Devon nodded in general agreement, continuing until he was near one of the stone benches here on the traverse. New York City wasn’t known for the friendliness of strangers, and if you were you usually gathered some strange looks. Devon usually got strange looks…

But these were irregular circumstances and the woman seemed friendly enough. Devon had to admit he was interested to see how much she knew or cared about Sanctuary. Considering the bigoted comment, it seemed likely she was about to scream mutant attack and call the cops.

“Not for nothing, but you may want to join a 24-hour gym,” Devon chuckled again. “It’s probably safer if you’re going to this regularly. Are you a fitness instructor, work at a club, or maybe a cop yourself? I’ve heard from friends who worked at bars they usually needed time after closing to wind down before they could sleep.”

The man chuckled a bit after her bigot comment, so Lee knew that he had heard it. And enjoyed the comment, at that.

Then he was walking over to one of the stone benches, looking like he was going to sit, before he spoke again. But Lee shrugged when he suggested that she should join a gym. ”Well,I haven't had this problem for the last 5 years, so it's not something I thought I'd need,” But he probably had a point. This had been much easier to deal with when she had had access to deal with when she was able to go down to the fitness center in the old apartment.

But he was asking about what she did as a job to explain her running like this. It was Lee's turn to laugh a bit. ”No, nothing like that,” Lee said as she slowly stepped closer. ”This is just normally the best option when I have too much energy to attempt to sleep.”

Devon could see the woman clearer now. Intelligent light eyes, older than he though youthful in appearance, petite but athletically lean were all things he noted. It was surprising to hear then she hadn’t had an excess energy problem in five years… Maybe she’d recently been laid off or she’d been promoted to a position that required less physical activity? Sometimes officers left investigative work and were more often at their desk. The same thing could happen in construction or to trainers that opened their own gyms.

It didn’t seem likely as she laughed. This was a bit mysterious as she didn’t clarify what she did either; she avoided it but was still pleasant about it. She crept closer, hopefully merely hesitantly. It didn’t seem to be a threatening situation; who would have been looking for him out on a night like this anyway? He shouldn’t be so paranoid.

>> ”This is just normally the best option when I have too much energy to attempt to sleep.”

Devon chuckled, “Yeah and I thought the same clearly.” He nodded and sighed into another small laugh, “If you don’t mind the company then I wouldn’t mind a jog with some conversation. I’m a little intrigued considering you didn’t quite say what you do for a living and Sanctuary caught your attention.” He started in to close the gap of their conversation, though still moving at a slower rate.

“My name’s Devon. I volunteer at Sanctuary, though not as much as I used to. Maybe I need to add some late night hours,” he laughed again.

The man wanted to join her on her jog. Lee stood for a moment in thought as she watched the man slowly walk closer. The man she could feel with her siphoning. And she did have a ton of energy.

Plus, to be honest, Lee was curious about the man in front of her add he seemed to be curious about her. ”Why not?” Lee said with a small shrug. ”It would help pass the time. But I'm helping my sister open a clothing boutique and managing a bar as a favour for a friend.”

Then the man introduced himself as Devon, and Lee have him a slight smile. It only made sense of they were going to continue the conversation. ”Lee,” she introduced herself. Devon had mentioned the Sanctuary a few times, said that he volunteered there. Lee could only guess that meant he was a mutant as well, or at least highly sympathetic. Lee shrugged again, though this time to herself. Why not just throw it all out there?

”Yeah, if I don't manage to sleep tonight, that'll be 48 hours,” Lee stated as though it were just an offhand comment. ”Since I'm at the bar the next three nights, it doesn't look good for sleep, so I'm really hoping to manage a few hours tonight so I don't crash later this week.”

Why not indeed. Devon smiled in response and relaxed his shoulders, taking a deep inhalation of the refreshing, invigorating night air. He nodded as she explained her job: one part helping family and another part managing a bar. That certainly explained late night activity; he’d heard the same of those that worked at bars.

When she introduced herself, Devon was drawing closer so he lowered his voice to a close conversational level. “Nice to meet you, Lee,” he added warmly and fell into step next to her though still giving a few paces space between them. As much as she was a stranger in the dark so was he, and he wanted to respect that. It seemed, however, she had other problems to think about.

His brow knit together, a dark line over bright eyes, as she explained her lack of sleep. Either something was throwing off her rhythms (late night work) or something was troubling her, perhaps both. “Sorry to hear that…” he frowned slightly. “I don’t mind being a sounding board if you want. Full disclosure, I’m a psychologist but I can say as little or as much as you want. I know how some people feel about psychiatrists and all. I still feel that way at times,” he laughed.

“You seem fairly relaxed and upbeat otherwise from your body language, so maybe it’s something else? Lots of shifting schedules during the days and nights can really throw someone off. I was feeling that before the rip downtown with all the distortions,” he shivered out of discomfort, not cold.

Lee's brows furrowed when she heard Devon say sorry. Sorry about what, Lee wondered. That she hadn't slept on a couple days? Lee was still wondering about that when Devon continued speaking, offering to listen if she needed to talk. Because he was a psychologist.

Lee simply shook her head when Devon started going through various reasons why she may be having trouble sleeping. ”Nothing like that,” Lee replied. ”I mean, it is a lot of work, and a lot of hours, but I’m enjoying it. The problem is that the bar is always so busy and crowded that I’ve got too much energy to even attempt sleep until the sun’s coming up, and then I’ve got to get my son ready for school.”

Lee glanced over at Devon as they moved along. ”And when I say too much energy, I mean that quite literally, not just needing to wind down after work. Not everyone gets to decide when their powers are active.”

“Very true,” Devon replied as Lee mentioned her powers. So it wasn’t working late and during the day or some emotional issue. It was a mutation that allowed energy to build up within her.

“I’m lucky in that I can but it took a lot of practice to get the control I have now,” Devon nodded. “I suppose though you can’t expel it any fashion so jogging it is,” his head bobbed a bit with further understanding, a reluctant smile upon his face. “Well at least you’re liking your work but it sounds then you’re buzzing from the bar activity?” Emotional influence? Energy siphoning? Manic psychic impressions?

“Since we’re sharing I medicate for manic events, but that doesn’t have anything to do with my abilities,” he shook his head now as they continued along in the pre-winter night. The park was always beautiful but it had a majestic quality in the night with the lights of the city beyond peeking through trees or lamp posts softly illuminating spots along the traverse and paths. “I guess it’s nice at least your son isn’t running you out of bed in the morning, eh?” he chuckled.

“Energy gathering is a fascinating one, though,” Devon continued in an upbeat tone. “I haven’t really seen that outside of one friend who then projects it as light, photokinesis as it were. Perhaps there’s something you could that might help?” His blue eyes widened suddenly and then his brow narrowed, “Sorry I can go on and on sometimes, rambling.”

Lee nodded as Devon said that it had taken a lot of practice, but he had managed to get control of his powers. ”Not the activity, just the crowd,” Lee replied. Then she shrugged her shoulders as she looked over at Devon. ”Being around that many people for that long, it's almost too much energy.

“But you are right, that is one nice thing about being up all night. Mornings suck, so it's been great not having to deal with that.”[/colour]

And Devon was fascinated by what little he knew about her powers. And he knew someone else who could gather in energy and shoot it out as light? Ok, maybe that was interesting. ”Well I have been able to… shoot the energy out a few times. But I don't particularly want to destroy my apartment, and I'm guessing I'd likely get the cops called on me if I tried it outside.”

Lee continued along in silence for a few moments before she looked back at Devon. ”Go ahead and set whatever pace you're comfortable with. I'll keep up,” Lee told him. Then a crease formed between her brows in thought. ”What about you?”

It had nothing to do with what she or others were doing, simply their presence. Devon had to wonder how much she was an energy sponge versus an energy vampire. If she struggled to control that, then it was likely she tried to stay around groups so as not to feed on one person too much. However, it was just as likely it was a sympathetic draw, a parallel of energy she built up. Mutant powers were fascinating.

Devon chuckled when she agreed about mornings. He could remember a time where he either jumped out of bed with too much enthusiasm, boundlessly charging along while other days he struggled to rise before noon. Now he was typically awake before his alarm but it varied day to day. He made do and luckily that was by following his prescriptive regimen.

His thoughts didn’t dwell there long as she admitted to being able to project the energy. Devon turned to make eye contact once again, an appreciative nod and warm grin on his face. He chuckled at her apartment comment before nodding. “Yes I suspect the police would not appreciate that,” he noted.

As she urged adjusting the pace to his liking, Devon picked it up slightly though not the full jog he would typically make. That wasn’t exactly good for conversation and he did want to keep discussing the topic. She even asked him of his own abilities, which of course was expected. All mutants became accustomed to the conversation trade.

“I’m atmokinetic,” he explained first. “I can manipulate the weather to varying degrees depending on the prevailing conditions, time, energy…” Devon chuckled. “When I was younger it was first casual, small things, but it could get out of control. My emotions and my abilities are tightly bound so control became important quickly. In fact, I met my counterpart from beyond the rift and I got to see what a lack of control would have been like.” He shook his head with a quick frown, “No thank you.”

His grin returned, “But thankfully I’ve had time, support, and continued help to get where I am today. I used to spend some long, lonely nights out practicing but now I only do it on occasion.” He chuckled again, “Some good locations exist if you want to practice and not draw the police. I can even get you access to Sanctuary’s facilities for training. We encourage a lot of our mutant residents to help gain some control, but it’s up to them. There’s usually layers of assistance that someone who winds up at Sanctuary needs. Feeling content and safe enough to sleep through the night can be just as rewarding as finally mastering aiming one’s abilities.”

Devon paused and winked, “Let me know if you get too cold.”