Lee nodded when Erik said that cops had a bad image in Russia. She could see how that was true; Lee remembered her time in not only Romania, but also Columbia. And she had seen the news over the years. Things were not good at all on that side of the world right now.

But as Erik continued, Lee simply nodded slightly. That’s exactly what her parents had done when they had discovered that the problems the family had been having was because she was a mutant. Treat her like a freak, avoid her, and all but lock her in her room in the house.

”Hopefully one day that won’t happen any more,” Lee finally said with a glance over at Erik. Wouldn’t that be nice. But that was what the Sanctuary, and Haven, were working towards.

Erik didn’t say much to her son, but that didn’t deter Kevin. He started bouncing along the hallway as they made their way toward the kitchen. ”You’re a mutant, right?” Kevin asked, looking intently at Erik. ”You must be if mum’s showing you around here. What can you do?”

”Kevin!” Lee chastised her son, then looked over at Erik. ”You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. He’s fascinated by powers.”

At that point they had reached the kitchen. Stepping inside, Lee smiled over at the woman standing by the stove. ”Could we get two bowls of soup?”

"No one ever made the mistake of saying change came easily." Erik returned with a small smile and a shrug. Everyone would just have to do what they could both in terms of driving understanding forward and fighting for more rights as a mutant.

As Kevin spoke up Erik looked to him with a warm and amused smile on his face that only grew when Lee chastised him. The truth was while he had been short with the kid he was just more than a little unsure how to deal with kids he wasn't related to. Even more so in America where everyone seemed to be frightened someone was going to snatch their kids away. The sad truth was that he hid the fact he adored children. He always figured that was a bit of a girly thing for some reason and kept it neatly hidden away behind a facade. "It is quite alright I have a few cousins around his age back home." They made their way inside the kitchen and Erik gave Kevin his full attention. "Well Kevin if you can wait until we get our food and sit somewhere I will tell you all about it. Does that sound good to you?"

Frankly he was hungry and when he was hungry he was afraid he would be like that candy bar commercial where the hungry person turned into someone else. He took his soup once it was readied and offered. "Thank you." He offered the kitchen lady and Lee before Erik made sure to snag some crackers on their way out. Enough for himself and Kevin if he wanted some, before they found a place to sit. Crushing up some of the crackers he stirred them in and got in a few bites before he looked over to Kevin with grin. "So about my powers that I do know.. well I don't get tired or need to sleep. Oh! I have never been sick before. Seeing how miserable people look when they get a bad cold makes me believe I am not missing anything there. Hmmm I know I am forgetting something.." Hiding his grin as he took some more bites of food as he purposely drew out his telling to increase the excitement and hopefully enjoyment for Kevin as he really didn't know the kid too well yet. Erik took a moment to tap his chin thoughtfully and purposefully teasingly before finally giving in. "I also heal very fast. I also spend part of the day as a giant red guy. But as a result of all the goodies I eat quite a bit and run warmer than the usual person." Leaving out the bit where turning into sed red guy was extraordinarily painful. He ate and gave Kevin time to respond before asking "You have any powers yet Kevin?" With a bit of a glance of permission towards Lee to make sure he wasn't treading somewhere he shouldn't just in case.

No, change didn’t come easily. Most often, change only came along with literal blood, sweat, and tears.

But when Kevin started asking questions about Erik’s mutation, the young man didn’t seem to have any issues or problems with that. In fact, he smiled and told her son that if he could wait until they got food, he would tell about his mutation. ”Ok, I can wait,” Kevin said, though Lee could see him still bouncing with barely contained excitement. She also wasn’t exactly expecting Erik to be so good with her son, but he explained that he had younger cousins back home.

It really didn’t take long from when they got into the kitchen to get some soup, and then make it back out to the dining area and sit down. And they had barely gotten off their feet when Kevin started in again. ”You said you’d tell me when we had our food,” he said excitedly. ”So what can you do? What’s your power?”

”Kevin…” Lee said, her voice slightly warning, as she looked at her son. At least Kevin had the time to look chastised before Erik started to tell him about his powers.

”You don’t sleep?” Kevin asked, standing up from his chair in excitement. ”That’s like you sometimes, isn’t it mum?”

”Yes, sweetie, that’s sort of like me,” Lee answered, looking at her son who was still standing rather than eating. And Lee almost told Kevin to get back to eating, but swallowed her words. She knew the boy wouldn’t pay attention to his food until he found out more from Erik.

And she was proven right a few moments later when Erik continued, Lee could see the excited thoughts churning in his young mind. Thoughts that were just multiplied when Erik asked if Kevin had any powers yet.

”No, none yet,” Kevin replied, almost pouting in disappointment. ”But daddy thinks I’m going to be powerful, just like him and mummy.”

”Of course he does,” Lee said with a bit of a sigh and a shake of her head. ”At least we should still have a few years before that happens.”

”Years? But mum, I don’t want to wait that long!”

"I wouldn't be in such a rush to get powers or grow up. Better to stay young for awhile and ask questions that embarrass your parents and get answers then grow up and have everyone tell you it is none of your business. I have found that curiosity is hardly rewarded as easily as an adult. Just my two cents anyway." Replying in a casual manner to the kiddo before eating some of the soup with a soft mmm of appeasement.

"Plus most people get their powers in puberty. Which isn't all it is cracked up to be. Mood swings and powers. What a combination." Chuckling mostly at how he remembered his own years of anguish in that regard. Then he stared off at some point beyond visible sight as a thought occurred to him and turned to regard Kevin with his full attention. "Though I am curious Kevin. If you end up having powerful abilities of your own how would you use them? Would you find a job that let you use them to your full potential or would you just try to follow your dream job and the powers are just a side benefit?" Not glancing at Lee on purpose now. He wasn't sure what sort of look the woman would give him for dropping such a weighty question on her son, nor did he want to find out just yet. Waiting for the young one to answer with a rapt attention that had matched his own not moments ago as he asked about Erik's powers. In someway it was easy to tell the question was far more important to Erik then it had any right to be.

He finally looked over at Lee momentarily to see what he thought of his mostly innocent prying. The motivations of people and children in general always fascinated him.

At least Erik had some sense, telling Kevin to not be in a rush to want to grow up and get his powers, Lee thought. Though things would go much easier for him than they had for herself or Tarin, Lee was certainly in no rush to see her baby grow up. Plus, just because things would be easier for Kevin because his parents, and now Blaine, would understand, didn’t mean that his teen years would be easy.

”But they won’t even tell me what my powers will be,” Kevin said a little sulkily. ”I just want to know what I’ll be able to do.”

”That’s because no one knows what a person’s powers will be until those powers show up,” Lee explained to her son. ”We’re not trying to be mean or keep it secret. We honestly don’t know.”

As Lee looked at her son, she saw two things: that he seemed to understand what she was saying about his powers, and that he wasn’t happy about not knowing. Well, there was nothing she was going to be able to do about that; even if she wanted to, it’s not like Lee could force Kevin’s powers to emerge early.

But then Erik continued speaking, and he asked her son a very important question, though one that was well above the ability of most seven year olds to answer. However, with as much thought as Kevin put into mutant abilities, and the number of mutants he had met in his young life, Lee was curious to know what her son would say.

And as she looked at her son, Lee could see that he was in serious thought. That same crease that Tarin had always tried to rub away from her was formed between his brows at that moment. ”I want to help people,” Kevin finally answered as he looked across the table at Erik. ”My daddy uses his powers to help people. Did you know that he can talk to ghosts?”

Lee shook her head slightly with a small smile on her face. ”He is a little young still to know what he wants to do when he grows up,” Lee said as she turned her attention back to Erik. ”Half the time, he still wants to be an X-Man when he gets his powers.”

”Well, yeah, Mummy! They’re awesome!”

Lee shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes. They were something, alright. ”But what about you? What is it you want to do?”

Erik smiled at Kevin politely and shook his head. "No, I did not know that." Wondering if anyone really paused to consider the implications on a religious level that there really was some sort of incorporeal afterlife. Or at the very least psychic leftovers from someone's passing. Thankfully Lee saved him with her voice from brooding his way down that track of thought.

Offering a light chuckle and a shrug as she mentioned he was too young. "Eh, perhaps. I was a few years older then he is now when I first started working." Making very sure to keep his face neutral where the X-Men were mentioned. Wondering if he would ever shake the lack of trust he felt for any sort of police service or the people associated with them. The eye roll did intrigue him somewhat and he would have to ask more about it to see if it was just the concern a mother felt for a son that could be put in harm's way or something deeper.

Both his eyebrows wiggled up his head as she turned the question around on him. "Honestly not sure, hence the selfish question I asked of your son. Kids tend to have a very black and white view of the world which can be helpful when making uncluttered decisions for yourself." Offering a small smile as he retreated into a very thoughtful look for several long moments. "I too wish to help people. Not sure in what way, but I do believe there is alternatives to being an X-Men." Adding for Lee's benefit. "I have given thought in asking Mr. Hadden for a job, but they have already helped so much it would feel like a further burden." So in essence he was incredibly undecided not to mention he wasn't sure in what specific way he wanted to help.

Lee had seen that look before. Erik had the same look, the look on his face that a lot of people did when they found out about Tarin's powers. "It's difficult to come to terms with," she told him, then glanced at Kevin quickly before turning her eyes back to the mutant across the table from her. "At least it generally is for everyone other than Kevin here. No need to worry about it, unless you want a very heavy discussion and then," Lee paused as her eyes darted to her son again. "In that case, another day."

But as Erik went on, explaining that he didn't have any idea what he wanted to do yet, Lee nodded. He was still quite young. Plus, he was a mutant, and in her experience, that always changed things. He wanted to help people, though. Help people, yet he wasn't sure about the whole X-Men thing. Erik thought that there should be alternatives to them in terms of actually helping people.

Lee smiled slightly and nodded again as the young man finished speaking. "Well, you're right about one thing," she told him. "There are alternatives. You're sitting in one of them right now. The Sanctuary helps mutants and humans alike, though unfortunately a lot of humans stay away because of hate or fear. The Haven organization does a lot of good works, too, and not just for mutants. It helps the causes of all minorities and underprivileged populations where and when it can.

"I can understand where you're coming from with not wanting to feel like a burden," Lee continued. "But that exact kind of help is, I think, one of the reasons that Devon created Haven. I had a job, two in fact, and he still offered me a job with Haven to be able to make more of a difference in the world. If you don't feel comfortable asking him, I could always poke around a bit, see if there's anything for you to do."

Erik realized a bit belatedly he needed to maintain a better poker face and ended up chuckling at Lee before waving a bit of a hand. "Nah, no one I need to talk to anyhow." Offering a smile and a nod to the moan. If he wanted to talk about if further he would, and chances were unless it held some super important answers he needed from a dead person for some reason he currently couldn't fathom. He was not about to subject his noodle to wrapping his head around that one. That and he didn't feel the topic was appropriate for a elementary schooler. Best to save the existential crisis for another day. 

His eyes perked as she spoke. His own held in rapt attention to what she had to say as he drank in the information. Still he wasn't the sort to answer immediately and he gave himself a few spoons of few to think. "Hmm I wouldn't mind helping out around here. My particular abilities could certainly help with the more dangerous mutant powers. Other then that I am not certain what one like yourself does except help find rooms and food for lost souls like myself." Grinning bright at her before scratching a cheek and looking to some far off place. "I would appreciate it, tremendously. It was hinted at I think, but after all the help he has already given it felt like too much." Looking back towards her with a shrug. "Used to bing the one doing things for others. Not so great at helping myself at times. PLus my credentials are what you might say is 'thin. Plus charity work doesn't pay the best you understand."

Lee nodded as she heard Erik’s words. She had been thinking more generally, just speaking about the spirits in general, but if he had no one that he would want to talk to, that worked as well. With no one that the young man wanted to speak with who had died, there really was no reason to go into details about her ex’s abilities, or about what little she knew about what could happen to a person after death.

And Erik was interested in helping out around the Sanctuary. Lee smiled across the table at him. ”I’m sure that we’ll be able to find you something to help out with around here,” Lee told him. ”There’s always stuff that needs done. But yeah, I tend to do that myself. Or help out around mealtimes. Sometimes help some of the kids around here with homework

“But you’re right, charity work doesn’t tend to pay well,” Lee continued, giving a bit of a shrug. ”I volunteer my time here. But I work for Haven, and while I could find something that pays better, it does pay.”

Then Erik mentioned that his credentials were ‘thin’, and Lee waved her hand dismissing that thought as she shook her head slightly. ”You're young, a mutant, and new to the country, I think that's too be expected,” Lee told him. Then she saw that Kevin was finished eating. ”Why don't you go see if they've started another game?” Lee suggested. It was best that he was kept busy while they were there, otherwise he had a tendency of complaining and wanting to go home.

Lee could sense her son's hesitation; Erik was new and quite interesting to the boy. However, the kids that Kevin generally got to play with here were a couple years older than him, and that was a hard draw to resist. ”Ok mum,” he finally said after a few moments before rushing away.

”But think about what it is you want to do,” Lee said, turning back to look at Erik. ”Maybe we'll be able to find something along those lines. That way you won't have to work a job you hate for years of we can avoid it.”

Erik nodded thoughtfully at that. "I bet that is too true. I don't think of myself as the greatest of people persons, but I will do what I can. Even if it is just mopping floors or fixing lights or something. Though helping at mealtimes and sneaking some food sounds pretty appealing." The young man joked with a chuckle and a shrug. His eyes drifting over to Kevin as his mother spoke to him. "Later Kevin." He gave the kid a fond farewell and once the youngster was out of view he seemed to relax a bit. "I will give it some thought. For the first time in a long time I feel like I have a say in what I want to do. I keep changing my mind about long term plans, but short term I definitely want to help out around here and get a job. Most likely do online college too."

Having finished up his food he stacked his and Kevin's bowl on top of one another. "I didn't want to mention it around your kid since they can be impressionable to the strangest people and things." Offering her a bit of a knowing smile from his own limited experience. "But I have been working since I was around 12 years old. Small stuff of course, but not exactly legal and only increasingly more illegal as i got older. Small time mafia stuff aside from being a pretty good thief and fighter. Not two jobs that are as exclusive as one might guess.But, you could say it would be interesting to work on the 'right' side of security for a change. It is all sort of a big organized game back home and really the only decent paying job you can get as a kid around there." Erik paused then grinned wryly. "Not sure if this is hurting my resume or not. Maybe I should just shut up and thank you for the food then head to my room?"

Wanting to get a job wasn’t that surprising, everyone needed money, so a job was fairly obvious. What was more surprising was that Erik said he did definitely want to help out around the Sanctuary, though he still really wasn’t sure what he’d be able to do beyond the couple of things she had just mentioned. And none of it had been glamourous in any respect. Meaning he must really want to help, hopefully to make a difference. That could be quite beneficial on a number of counts in the near future.

”College is often a good choice,” Lee replied with a slight nod. ”I wasn’t able to go when I was your age, but did finally go back a few years ago.If you’re able to, and know what you want to study, I’d say go for it.” No, going to university when she had finally managed to finish her high school had not been an option for Lee. But then again, she had had none of these resources for young mutants that were around now. Resources available thanks to people who hadn’t had them and needed the help.

As Erik continued speaking, telling her that he had ‘worked’ from the age of 12, Lee just sat there silently and listened, nodding occasionally. It wasn’t great, and he had certainly been right about Lee not wanting Kevin to hear about that. But as Lee thought about what Erik was telling her, it really wasn’t all that surprising. How many young mutants were forced into a life of crime of some sort or another simply to survive? She herself hadn’t been far from it in her teens.

”If you want to go to your room, you’re welcome to,” Lee said after a moment. ”But hiding like that will not help you get a job. What were you thinking of going to school for? Maybe that would give us a starting place to figure out a good job for you.”

The bit of encouragement from this kind stranger made him smile. He did have some ideas to what he would like to do, but he was enough of a realist to know the chances were virtually nil of actually being able to accomplish them. That was the stuff of life. He was also relieved that she hadn't pried into the gritty details of it all. Unlike some criminals he had met he was not proud of the fact he had to do those things to keep his family running. Her final remark caused him to laugh and grin some at her. "I would say I never hid from anything, but there was a few times where discretion was the better part of valor." Chuckling lightly before shrugging some. 

"I would like to go into Biochem or something along those lines. My particular set of abilities has made me incredibly interested about how it all works." Erik made a slight gesture at himself. "Probably not going to happen when I spend half my day as a bumbling giant though. So it will have to be something I can get through online studies. Most likely Cyber Security or Information Systems. Something along those lines. I kept up with my homeschooling even my mother couldn't teach it so I have the equivalent of some freshman AP classes under my belt." Staring off at some distant place while he thought it over to see if he missed anything relevant and deciding he hadn't smiled and shrugged lightly. "Think that covers it. Hopefully that helps un muddy the waters some instead of making it even worse." 

After another moment of thought he continued a bit further. "Of course if we are talking short term it wouldn't be too hard to get a job as some sort of security officer. Reformed criminals make the best lawmen afterall." Unable to help the big bright grin that spread across his face as he played up his own past and made fun of it. 

Erik was pretty smart for his age, Lee couldn’t help but think as he admitted that he had recognized when discretion was needed. There were people, human and mutant alike, twice the boys age who didn’t know that.

He wanted to go into biochem or something like that. That was so much beyond what she was capable of, she never had been all that great at science herself, but there was something in his statement she could relate to. ”Don’t give up just because something seems unlikely,” Lee told him with a slight smile. ”Believe me, I know a bit about finding ways around mutation problems. But either way, I’m sure that we can get you signed up for college. Though I’m really not sure that helps me figure out a job for you. Thankfully, security around here isn’t a full time job.”

Lee sat and tapped a finger against the table top as she thought. Then she shook her head slightly. ”Yeah, other than basic volunteering around here, I’m at a bit of a loss for what you could do. But, I’ll bring it up with Devon the next time I’m talking with him, see if he has any ideas.”

He thought hard on what she had to say about school and didn't come up with any immediate plans. "Well I won't be giving up on it, but haven't figured out the how just yet. Suppose I could just get signed up and get the general's out of the way before I really have to dig too far into it or try and dance around mutant issues." Figuring he would worry about building bridges and crossing rivers when he had to.

"Sounds more then fair thank you Lee. I will just have to content myself with helping out fellow displaced youth or swabbing the decks." Offering her a shrug and a smile. "Still don't be afraid to ask my help with people with more dangerous abilities. No trained councilor or anything, but I am a pretty good listener. At least I would like to think so." He winced suddenly before replacing his usual selfsame smile with a smaller one. "However it seems we are out of time for the moment. It is about changing time." Sliding up out of his seat before looking around "Which way was it?" With more pressing matters on his mind he found himself unable to recall which door they had come through.