One of his strongest points Erik felt was his ability to listen. The troubles really didn't start to arise until he was expected to say something back. To their mutual benefit he didn't run away screaming, figuratively or not, from her when she revealed that she was a mutant. Instead a amused expression briefly appeared as they walked along casually and reflected on how similar their stories were and the soon to be revealed glaring differences. Xaviars had been an option for him as well, but something about the place made him uncomfortable and he had never really taking an introspective enough look at himself to discover the whole of the reason why. From her story Janelle seemed the genuine sort of nice that was hard to find in the world. Nice enough that when it was his turn to talk he had to pause a moment to try and decide just what was acceptable to share on a first date. Doubly so for a young man like himself with a... less the legitimate past.

After what was probably just a tad too long for a thoughtful silence he finally found the words. He felt a brief glimmer of what it must of felt like for the first person in space charting new territory or Christopher Columbus discovering the new world as he attempted to navigate what he was imagining to be a first date. "I was born and raised in Moscow and that is where I was before I came here. It wasn't the worst neighborhood in the city but it was closer to the worst then it was to the best." His eyes zoned out a bit as he reflected back. "My mother and I lived with her brother and his kids and another cousin's family. A bit before my mom passed some shady people I was loosely affiliated with at one point ended up jumping me on my way home from a fight. My mutation saved me. Once my mom passed I decided it would be best for remaining relatives if I disappeared very far away. With some help I ended up here in New York." He paused after that download of information to look over at her reaction, if any. 

"I really don't lie so I will tell you I have had what some might say is a... colorful past." If she wanted to know more about it he figured she could and gave a little shrug at his moment of full disclosure. Erik didn't want to start any sort of friendship or relationship in murky waters. "I've been by Xavier's some to drive people around on errands and such. It seems like a nice enough place. Never been inside it though. Spent some time doing odd jobs to get by until I ended up in private security. Between that and doing volunteer work at Sanctuary, I keep myself busy." Regarding her a moment he gave a reserved smile. Not that he was a totally rehabilitated criminal by any means, he was touching a bit on what most other people considered 'normal'. 

After a hesitating moment and a bit of uncharacteristic shyness he asked. "That wasn't too much all at once was it? This is sort of.. my first real date.. ever." Erik wasn't even sure if that sort of thing helped or hurt his chances. This whole dating..thing. Was so far outside his scope of normal life a faux pax was an inevitability. 

Ah, Janelle thought as they rounded the corner and approached the restaurant. They were birds of a different colored feather, it would seem. Always enthusiastic at meeting someone else who shared her genetic make-up Janelle restrained herself from asking about Erik’s gifts. Some people were more reserved than she was and found it rude to simply inquire about a person’s powers. It was better to get to know the person first, than to lead with what could be invasive questioning.

Still, there was much more to unwrap in that answer than simply the fact that she and Erik shared an X-gene. ” Well” she said, ”You certainly win the interesting backstory competition…” Now she had a moment to digest as they neared their destination.

Someone was leaving the pizza parlour as they approached and saved Janelle that awkward moment where she had to decide if it was okay to open the door herself or if she need to wait to have it opened for her. The person leaving simply stalled for a second so the two could make their way in.

It was a simple, counter shop with a few worn-out booths and tables and stereotypical red and white tiles coating the walls. It smelled amazing Janelle realized the silence had stretched a bit as they entered and cast a smile in Erik’s direction.

”And it wasn’t too much, not at all. I asked, and I always think that honesty is the best policy...as cliche as that sounds. I’m sorry things were so difficult for you though, and I’m sorry about your Mom..” She really was...Janelle knew how lucky she was coming from a complete home...coming from everywhere she’d come from, actually.

There were places and names she recognized, and a few things had stuck out to her as Erik spoke. Leading the way towards one of the booths that was away from the bustle of the register, she spoke again, ”If you want to see the inside of the school, maybe you can visit sometime. I still live there in one of the adult dorms. I’m still working on some things and it’s easier to be close to where the tutors are.” It was the gentle way of saying that she still didn’t have any fine control over her powers and travelling from the city was too inconvenient on a regular day. As for the Sanctuary…it was impossible to live in the Mansion without hearing about that place. ”What’s the Sanctuary actually like? I have to admit that I’ve not heard a lot of good things about it at the Mansion…”

Her comment made him smirk and shrug, "A dubious honor I have to say." Certainly one he couldn't find himself wishing on anyone else. They were both mutants so they shared a common ground in that at least. Though compared to his own upbringing hers gave him slightest inkling of being sheltered, by his standards anyway. At the very least it was an American suburban lifestyle version of normal. Her internal dilemma not even noticed as his thoughts turned inward wondering, for a moment, what it would have been like to grow up in such a way. What would it have been like to go to high school? Which group would he have been in? Sports really didn't interest him all that much so Jock was out.  Athletic leaning nerd was more his style if he thought about it. Before he could delve too deeply into that thought a wave of pleasant aromas broke his reverie. 

It was just his sort of place. Affordable with good food. The well worn feel of the place gave it charm in his opinion. A place that prided itself in its service and survived on it without overly dressing it up. Despite having eaten not long ago he found his stomach grumbling in anticipation. Italian food was a weak spot of his and pizza.. well who didn't like a good pizza?

Erik glanced over to her as she turned to give him a smile. He found he rather like her smiles. They were warm, genuine, and thankfully freely given. Quite unlike his own much more reserved half smirk to acknowledge he had received it. "It is a cliche I am happy to perpetuate." A slight pause as he considered her words. "We do the best we can for those we love. I did what I could. I miss her quite often though. Thank you." Even if they were empty platitudes it was always nice to hear people being sympathetic. They approached a booth and he froze a moment. DID SHE JUST INVITE HIM TO HER ROOM? His brain hit rewind as he absentmindedly slid into a seat to make it look like he had just paused to consider which side he wanted to sit on. ~Idiot she didn't say that at all.~ 

"If I visited I would be more interested in the company than satisfying any sort of curiosity about the place." Shooting her a half smile and wondering why he had a bit of anxiety all of a sudden. Did that sound like a compliment? He hoped so. A moment later he just realized he had sat down before her and hoped she didn't take it as any sort of an insult. "It is good to have a support group when you are working on .. things." This time his smile was more mischievous, as the two shared a secret between one another and waited for her to si and give him an opportunity to thoughtfully think of how to answer. "It is a.. difficult place to describe. I lived there for a time and I can say the rumors to some extent are true. It is a place better left experienced I think. Some are there because they have nowhere else, some because they are hiding, and others because they can. Quite a few have more obvious... 'things' to them." Unable to think of anything else to say he left it at that. His stomach reminded him of their purpose and figured they could revisit the topic if they wanted.

"It smells amazing in here. How did you know about this place?" Nabbing one of the menus from the napkin holder he opened it up and placed it so they could both see it easily even if it took some neck craning. "What sort of pizza do you like?" The question itself sounded, purposely, more serious then their previous conversations had. A very test like quality to it even if the edges of his lips threatened to give away his faux seriousness and found himself not caring if she noticed. Would she want something with fish on it? Would there be pineapple? The fate of their entire eating relationship rested in the balance of her answer... maybe.

More interested in the company than the place. Janelle chuckled and shook her head, ”You’ve obviously never seen the inside of The Mansion.” she said lightly, though her cheeks colored at the obvious compliment she was being paid.

Still, Eric’s description of the Sanctuary was far more nice...and far more pracical than the descriptions she’d heard from other residents of the Mansion. Often the place was couched in scandal and dark mystery...as if it were the antithesis of The Mansion and what it stood for. If there were people like Eric there though...maybe it wasn’t so bad.

”Maybe we can trade tours sometime. I have to admit to more than a passing curiosity about the place.”

As for the restaurant.

”I made it a goal to find as many authentic New York restaurants as possible when I decided that I was going to stay here.” she said, thinking back to the days when she’d only eating at restaurants with her parents that you didn’t walk into off the street. Places where you couldn’t even make reservations, you simply called people to ‘get a table.

”My parents would absolutely hate this place.” she said with a smile that indicated that her eating here wasn’t an act of rebellion, simply something they wouldn’t understand.

Then there was the most important question. What kind of pizza did she like? Janelle shrugged her shoulders, ”It really depends on the time and place. I like all the fancy vegetable pizzas, I like the ones that combine bacon and ranch or buffalo chicken sometimes...but from a place like this you can’t beat a simple pepperoni slice. It’s just too good to mess up. What about you?”

As she waited for a reply, Janelle watched her companion. He was more reserved than she was and the tiny quirk at the edges of his mouth almost looked unpracticed. It was too bad, he had a nice smile.

At least he managed to compliment her properly. So far janelle was the most normal person he had ever interacted with beyond platitudes and greetings. The sort of people he worked for during his official job were the sort of people who needed the extra security for one reason or another. Rich people with bad habits that got them into trouble with the wrong sort of other people. He gave her a light nod to agtree to a future tour swap and resolved not to call it a date. What sort of weirdo took a girl on a date to a homeless shelter? It was sure to be an interesting comparison on the difference between the haves and the have nots of society if nothing else. "If you have been inside one mansion you have been in them all. I look forward to it though." 

Then she mentioned the restaurant and her parents and he felt like he was missing something important. A feeling that left him suddenly aware of his potential increasing density. After a pause and a appraising look around he forged on regardless of the potential for making an ass of himself. "Your parents not the pizza eating type or do they have something against Italians?" It was.. confusing to say the least. Growing up the only time they got out to go eat was special occasions. To him most things were on a sliding scale of 'edible' on one end to 'indulgent decadence' on the other. His impression of the place so far left him optimistic it would fall further towards the latter. "It doesn't really get any more authentic for New York than pizza and sidewalk hotdogs." Unable to help another smirk. Then she turned the question around and his face slipped into thoughtful concentration.

"I am not fond of the all vegetable pizzas really except a soft spot for a good mushroom and spinach with that white garlic sauce. That is the good stuff. Otherwise I think I am a bit of purist. A good cheese or pepperoni pizza is something special. And of course no one place is really the same as another so it adds a nice variety to an otherwise simple pizza." After a bit he cleared his throat and hoped he hadn't overthought the situation. "What sort of other foods do you like? Since I discovered chinese food I have found myself heading into china town at least once a week. Italian food is also almost sinful." Smirking a bit once again. "I am interested in knowing, but assuming I don't horribly mangle the rest of this date I will need ideas for future ones." Slipping into a brief smile he couldn't hide and looked at the menu to finalize his decision. Two slices of pizza should be good he figured. No point in making her think his mutant power was the ability to eat copious amounts of food without worry. A buffet table (horderve table really he grumped to himself) had already been demolished in the name of Erik's appetite. No need to eat a whole pizza on top of it all. 

A server came over and he orders his two pepperoni slices with just a water and took the moment to idly muse if he was doing this whole socializing thing properly.    

Erik didn't realize how true his words were. Once you'd been inside one mansion you'd been inside them all. Mansions were all the same, huge buildings full of things and people...expensive things and people. In fact, it was crazy how a place that was so full of people and things could feel so empty sometimes. It was another thing they all had in common...they were lifeless.

The Mansion didn't feel that way though. The Mansion smelled like wood polish and old books, it had cold spots and warms spots (and Janelle had heard rumors that there were tunnels underneath that extended for hundreds, if not thousands, of feet.) It was..home...not that her life had been anything short of wonderful growing up. Despite their standing in "society" Janelle's parents had taken a very hands-on approach to parenting and she'd basked in the warm glow of their approval for pretty much everything she'd done...she was also daydreaming and missing what Erik was saying.

It was hard to look back and remember a conversation you hadn't taken part in, but she'd been looking at Erik the whole time he'd been talking and had caught bits and pieces of what he'd said. Involuntarily her cheeks flushed again in embarrassment of the rudeness she was showing in spite of the fact she was having a lovely time.

What kind of other food did she like? Janelle caught the thread of conversation back up and tried to gloss over the rest. "I like pretty much everything...but there's something about authentic French cooking that makes eating a meal an experience. All of the forks and plates, all of the courses...it makes you almost giddy to sit down at the table and play the game. Beyond that though? I love burgers and fries...especially from places where you can dress up the fries with cheese and bacon and all that good stuff. Maybe that'll be your challenge for next time...finding one of those burger joints."

He was worried he would mangle things? He wasn't the one comparing mansions and their pros and cons.

The waitress was there and taking orders now and Janelle ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza (they were BIG) and a couple of garlic knots with the house sugo. It was good.

Judging from the soft blush and the fact she glossed over the whole potential racism debacle he just assumed it was an embarrassing quirk of her parents she didn't want to talk about. Like the gentleman he strived to be, due to thorough beratings from his mother and uncle, not a complete incompetent at all manners of social etiquette he went with his best option. Ignoring it completely. High society at its finest, pretend things you don't like don't exist. The faux paux was more than made up for the rewarding little blush he found charming, perhaps being a total gentleman wasn't quite in order. Especially if it elicited more reactions like that.

 Speaking of high society... she started talking about plates, and forks and courses. The stakes suddenly got much higher. Erik was certain the only French food he had ever seen like that were on a tv once. Furthermore such experiences were a.. game for Janelle and quickly found himself reassessing previous statements and the stakes got much higher. What had he gotten himself into. The most he knew about fancy dining was working your way out with the utensils... or was it in? Wait.. a light.. burgers and fries? Greaseball burgers that shortens your life but fed your soul and fries that did the same? Now that was a language he could speak. He steeled himself a bit before speaking. "Do not remember ever setting foot in any French places.  Burgers though... I think I can manage to find a good heart attack with a side of spuds." One authentic diner burger coming up. May she rest in peace. He had no idea what house sugo was and didn't bother to hide it with a little raise of an eyebrow.

Well that exhausted the food topic. She was a fancy but not picky eater so the intelligence gathering was a success on that front. "Hmm.. any interesting hobbies? Can't say I have any.. tend to do quite a bit of reading in my freetime. Stay in shape for my job, training with the other guys and the like. Hmm.. My job can be pretty interesting so I suppose I balance that out with boring hobbies." Attempting a little joke with that patented smirk of his. It was probably lame, but like with most things he didn't care. Some other guys might try and play themselves up into having cooler hobbies like extreme motorsports or something, but that wasn't him. "Well I guess maintaining my motorcycle could be considered a hobby sometimes when it's being funky. And when noone is looking it's fun to go fast on." He admitted wryly.  

A heart-attack with a side of spuds...Erik may not have originally been from the United States, but his use of colloquialisms made him sound right at home. That type of food also sounded really good.

”It’s a date then. An official one.” they could exchange numbers and the like later. Something else about the comment had struck the redhead though and she grinned widely, ”Then the next time, I’ll treat at a french place. I know the perfect one.” It was a genuine offer, simply made without any artifice of snobbery. This was simply an opportunity to share something she enjoyed with good company. Janelle hoped said company would take it that way.

They had now ordered and Janelle couldn’t help but notice the raised eyebrow across from her, ”I didn’t know what it was either the first time...it’s sauce, but it’s kind of sweeter, you’ll have to try it.” she said by way of explanation.

Erik had a motorcycle. Erik had a motorcycle that he liked to drive fast. That was very exciting. ”You have a motorcycle?” she said, impressed. ”I don’t even know how to drive a car.”

Hobbies...hobbies...hobbies. There were the obvious ones, ”I love to garden and grow things, arrange flowers, pretty much anything with flowers. Plants are kind of my thing. I also like to read though...spend as much time in the sun as possible…”

Since most of the pizzas were already made and they’d ordered fairly generic slices, the food arrived quickly and Janelle actually rubbed her hands together in anticipation, nodding at the garlic knots and sugo.

”Help yourself!”

If that would be an official date that threw into question just exactly it was they were doing now?! "I look forward to both dates. The French place sounds like a good experience to have under my belt. I suppose there is a dress code?" The last nice suit he wore had been retired. Dry cleaning could only do so much and patching bullet holes and washing out various bits of biomatter was above anyone expectations. "Wait? Is this a practice date or something? Here I used all my good material on the dry run." That smirk of his turning wry momentarily before he moved on. 

Sugo, he decided, sounded like a fancy word for marinara sauce. "To extinguish the mystery I will have to do so.." Now he half expected some watered down pizza sauce to trick people into buying leftover sauce from the day before. Skepticism would be out in full force. How dare they trick this nice girl into buying yesterday's lunch?! 

"You don't drive? What if you just want to get away for awhile? I would probably get antsy if I lost that feeling of freedom. Yes, I do own a motorcycle and what one of the kids at Sanctuary called a 'creepy stalker van'. An overdose of paranoia and imagination I would have to say. I drive it when the weather turns cold and to help people run errands in. Here and there for the Sanctuary people and whatnot." A thought occurred to him and he scratched his cheek a moment. "I could teach you how to drive if you like? You learn pretty quick when you are trying to get away from the cops, but I think a less dangerous and illegal method is more your speed." He gave a soft little laugh at that. "Not that I have done much of that since I have come to the States." Joking? Perhaps.

Plants hmm.. "You mentioned something along those lines earlier. Do you have some sort of communal garden at The Mansion then?" Unable to help the little mental image of her reading on a hilltop surrounded by flowers. Then the food arrived and his mouth watered more than a little. At her prompting he gave one of the sauce dunked garlic knots a try. It was definitely its own sort of sauce and gave her an approving nod. "Different but good." Before unceremoniously folding his huge pizza slice in half and beginning to eat. Letting the conversation lull a moment before picking it back up. Thankfully he remembered his manners and swallowed before trying to speak.

"It is a good place. Will have to mark it down on the list of approved cheap eats. What about... most and least favorite genre of music? Jazz and blues are my favorite. Country is the worst, though most people in the south would disagree I imagine." Not that he would hold it against her if she happened to like the drawling tin can singing about horses, trucks, and unrequited love towards alcohol. They invented earplugs for that sort of nonsense.

Dress code? Janelle shrugged her shoulders, most of the places she went regularly had done away with the black tie requirements a long time ago. ”As long as you don’t show up in a tank top and cargo shorts they probably wouldn’t say anything.” Things were much more relaxed these days, after all. Collars and jackets at dinner were a thing of the past...at least that's what her parents tended to say wistfully whenever they started to reminisce about the past.

Driving had never really been much of an obstacle to getting where she wanted to go. When she was younger there had always been a driver to take her places and now she took public transport or used one of the ride-sharing services that were so very popular around the city.

Erik pointed out that he could teach her to drive in his, ‘creepy stalker van’ if she was interested and that he had learned quickly by running from law enforcement. Janelle had to shake her head and chuckle, she knew that her upbringing was charmed...especially for a mutant. Janelle also knew that most others were nowhere near as lucky as she had been growing up.

”I’m glad you haven’t had to do that since you’ve been here…” she said, then grinned, ”I may have to take you up on the offer to teach me...cars have always seemed very interesting to me.” Did that make her sound weird?

They moved on to plants and Janelle visibly brightened and she nodded her head enthusiastically, ”One of the teachers maintains a beautiful greenhouse. I help out in there a lot when I’m not in class or working. I used to get to help a lot more...but school takes up a lot of time.”

Erik seemed to approve of the sugo and Janelle grinned as she copied his fold and eat method with her own slice of pizza...it wasn’t anything but practical to eat pizza this way in New York, unless you were a heathen who used a knife and fork.

”Mmmmm” the redhead breathed, leaning her head back in the booth and chewing her food for a slow moment. There was just something about hot pizza, it was so good.

The conversation didn’t lull long and Janelle paused between bites to consider the most recent question. Music.

”That’s actually a more interesting question than you know...I...don’t really know that I have a favorite...I just kind of listen to what’s on the radio. I grew up listening to a lot of classical music and old slow stuff, so I’m really just learning my way around. I’d love to know some of your favorites so I can check them out.”

Feeling compelled to continue the line of questioning, Janelle fired back, ”What about movies? I love movies. Dramas and action especially....and nature documentaries.”

No dressing up required? Well wasn't that disappointing. He replied with a simple "Ah." Hoping it didn't show too much through his voice. It would have given him an excuse to get a suit for fun and socialising instead of the boring 'i am a bodyguard' style suit.

Well he hadn't quite said 'since i came to the USA,' but was not about to begrudge the woman her innocent fantasies. He was still counting his lucky stars she had bothered to listen to half of what he had to say before laughing uncomfortably before getting up to leave. Just maybe he had a chance with this entirely too nice girl. "It is a standing offer. Did your parents not own a car or something?" That ran a bit counter to the image that was forming in his head of Janelle's youth. 

"I don't know much about plants, but it sounds nice and you would have more free time if you weren't volunteering yourself for more work for the school." Smirking at her through the gentle tease. 

Erik didn't mind the lull in conversation. Some people felt the need to fill every second with some noise and it was clear he wasn't one of them. Content instead to chow down on his pizza. Seeing that he had twice as much to eat it was best to keep up the pace. Plus it was some damned good pizza. As she answered he looked at her curiously from over his slice with an arched brow. Classical and slow stuff? "If you hadn't said earlier you came from the 'burbs I would swear you grew up Amish or something right now. Your parents lock you in a tower or something?" This time he couldn't help but grin before nodding a few more bites of his pizza before continuing. "I can do that sure. Might be better if I took you to a jazz or blues club though. Especially if you were locked in a tower."

Movies hmm? It was his turn to shrug. "Unless it was made before the 90's I probably haven't seen it. A cheesy action flick is always good though. Documentaries can be pretty interesting as well." Clearing his throat a moment before launching into an impression. "Here we see the proud Lion, King of the Savanna... Lazing about to conserve energy until his next hunt." Chuckling mostly to himself before shrugging again. "So I guess it will be up to you to show me some good new movies. Hard to read and watch movies. Much easier to listen to music instead." For a few moments he just continued to eat. Suddenly realizing he couldn't think of any good questions to ask. This was already much further then he expected or prepared for. A soft "Hmm," escaping him and his eyes glossing over a bit as he became entrenched in thought as he ate. When he broke free he smiled at her genuinely for a brief moment.

"Not really sure what else to ask. I have come to know many people as acquaintances or work associates. Making friends is outside of my long list of skills. I might have to stop by the library and see if there is a book for keeping beautiful redheads interested." A moment passed and it dawned on him how corny that probably sounded and he laughed suddenly out of sheer nervous stupidity. "I am sorry that was.. that was awful." ~Erik your a moron!~ Covering his face and continuing to eat for a few moments before looking back at her without trying to look like he was.  

Was that disapointment Janelle heard in Erik’s voice about the dress code? An eyebrow rose slowly at the response, most “modern” young men didn’t like to dress up very much. It was something to note if they continued to see each other...if he wasn’t opposed to fancy dress there were many possibilities.

The offer to learn to drive was a sanding one, which was good, it seemed that their hypothetical plans were starting to stack up and one only had so much free time. As for whether or not her parents had a car…

”We had cars...it just never really made sense for me to drive so I didn’t take lessons or get a license.” she said, trying not to give too much away. People were so intimidated by the fact that she came from money sometimes that she tended to shy away from sharing too much about it too fast. It just seemed to get in the way of things otherwise.

Though...by Erik’s reaction to her taste in music, Janelle guessed she wasn’t doing a great job of hiding her slightly sheltered upbringing. She smiled at the jest, but it was a bit brittle, ”Nothing like that!” she said, cheeks coloring slightly, ”They just thought that there was more…value in the classics.” she finished, a little weakly, ”Not that I agree, of course.”

Erik’s impression of a documentary narrator was actually very good and Janelle had to shake her head a bit an giggle, ”You might be missing your calling as a narrator…
she teased, her voice regaining some of the warmth it had lost earlier, ”There’s people who are world famous for their narrations...I’ll have to show you ‘The Secret Life of Plants sometime, it’s amazing how a good narrator can make the film come to life.”

It seemed they were at an impasse for getting to know you questions though, and they were moving on to unadulterated flattery. Janelle had to laugh a bit at the compliment and though her cheeks colored again her eyes may have rolled slightly to the ceiling.

”Now you’re just laying it on thick…” she said, taking another bite of her pizza. She’d leave it at that and consider the subject closed…

”What’s your favorite place in the city?” she asked, to move things right along. She could carry the conversation for a bit...there was still food to eat, after all!

”Mine are obvious...the botanical gardens are spectacular, and there are a few rooftop gardens that would rival real natural spaces. It’s surreal to sit on top of a building, surrounded by nature, and watch the whole world pass by on the streets.”

Cars.. plural! His family had to share a car, well a cousin's plumbing van if they wanted to go anywhere. That was until he started to steal them for various reasons. Still it made sense for a New Yorker to not drive. Public transportation wasn't the greatest way of travelling in his opinion, but it did get you around. "The transit system isn't horrible so I can see why there wouldn't be a need." He commented graciously without thinking too much on it.

Erik gave her a small smile when she got a bit defensive about her forced musical choices growing up. "Of course not. There are classics then there are classics of course." His own music choices weren't everyone's cup of tea afterall. Not everyone liked a smooth saxophone playing, or even anything modern. 

He got a bit embarrassed at her own compliments. "I don't know about making a career of it.. but, it sounds like something I would enjoy." It probably just showed off how many documentaries he had watched when he could fake it. "It has been useful to pull of an impression of someone before." He semi explained and left it at that figuring she was smart enough to put two and two together on her own.

Then he had to go make a fool of himself. She let it drop with much undue grace towards himself and his feelings. It had caused him to blush the tiniest bit and ended up taking a bit to try and hide it. Most conversations of his rarely lasted this long. Some people might consider him a bit of a shut in and it was a price he paid for living a double or even triple life. Not that it had ever really bothered him until this exact moment.

Favorite place in the city? It was a question he had never thought about. Her own answers were a bit obvious, but no less endearing. A part of him wondered if she stayed in the city just because she had always been here or if her parents anchored her to New York. "Almost a bit magical hmm? I enjoy the fact that the city tries to give some back to nature." He had to think of a place that he enjoyed visiting and he gave it a long moment of quiet eating before he finally answered. "I guess my favorite place is the Museum of Art." If anyone who knew he had ever bothered to ask they would have been surprised. "To me it is a bit like seeing into the human soul. You get to see all the stuff that was popular at the time, then there are always artists that go against the grain for their time and paint things they feel are important. How the artists of the next era seem to totally disregard the masters of the previous one. It is all a bit chaotic and messy, but still finds a way to be pretty and evocative at the same time." He felt a bit embarrassed once he was done and cleared his throat. "Just what I think anyway. Most modern art seems to lack something." Of course originally he had just learned about art to learn what was worth stealing and like with so many things in his life he found it interesting and looked into it further. 

"You plan on trying to stay around here when you graduate or going to try and see the world?" The fact she had grown up sheltered made either choice plausible.

Janelle occupied the next few minutes nodding and eating. It wasn't that she had nothing to say, she just wanted to give Erik a chance to talk for a while. It was enlightening, plus given the revelations about his driving lessons, she wasn't sure she wanted to know exactly why it would be beneficial to be able to pull of a good impression. It was interesting, this man's background, and Janelle found that she wanted to know more. It would be rude to ask so soon after meeting though, so she simply listened and started stockpiling questions for a later date. Surely he wasn't dangerous...dangerous people didn't show up for college open houses and eat at pizza shops...did they? She'd simply wait and see, reserving judgement for a time when it was more appropriate.

Erik's place of choice was indoors, but also a place that would probably rank in Janelle's top 5. "I agree completely...I think that you really learn the most about a person when you get a chance to see what they create. When you think about it, everyone creates something. The way they do it, the care they take, the materials they use, the aesthetic of the end product can tell you more about most people than they can verbally." Sometimes those things revealed more than people wanted to give away.

Janelle always felt like that when she was working with plants, like she was putting a piece of herself into whatever she was modifying or creating. It was more than just work or self-expression, they were a part of her and she was a part of them.

As for what she was going to do after college, Janelle shrugged her shoulders, "I like living on my own...my parents seem to think that once I'm done with school I'll be happy to come home and carry on...whatever it is they want me to carry on. I don't know though, I think I may stay here, try to get a job in my field...work for a while. There'll always be time for what they want later...what about you? Is New York just a stop on a grander plan, or is this somewhere you're putting down roots?"

Erik could almost sense the desire to ask questions dancing in her eyes as he spoke of his past. Not that he would have turned any of them down outright. Certainly a less... public place would be in order first before he felt comfortable letting her extract details out of him. 

He found himself musing at her words. What did he create? His initial gut instinct was to disagree completely. Until realizing perhaps his own creations were far more intangible. "Other then helping my landlord with repairing the house and other people with the same I can't really say I do much creating. Safeguarding creators and their creations, sure, since it is my job to do so. Not that I am trying to poke holes in your otherwise apt theory. I just don't think I am the creating type." Smirking a bit as the thought of being a proverbial door stop holding open the way for actual creators came to mind. Erik wasn't sure keeping people from dying or preventing valuable from being stolen counted as creating anything, but job security for the next attempts. In his unofficial night job he just tried to enable people to live the best life they could under the circumstances and if circumstances needed to change he did that as well.

Erik felt a pang in his chest as she spoke on her parents but maintained his polite small smile. "You sound like you have good parents so while you may disappoint them by not following their expectations of you I am sure you will please them by your dedication to following your own path." Not that his own Mother had been less than thrilled with having a criminal for a son she understood the reasons why he did the things he did. "I don't have any intention of leaving so I guess you could say I am putting down roots. Not that I have any specific plans beyond what I am currently doing. Compared to last year I am doing amazingly well so I am excited to see what the next year brings my way." The understatement of the century he felt since he had only recently broken his streak of 'homelessness.'

By now he had (politely) devoured his way through his second pizza and had snuck away one of her delicious garlic knots to chew on as he turned thoughtful again. "Does this place have any dessert?" Perhaps an odd question for someone who had eaten practically half a pizza on his own. There was perhaps a quiet fervor in his eyes that spoke of a hidden passion as he suddenly moved to look over the menu again. "Or would you rather go somewhere else for dessert? If you are up for it of course?" Eyes bright as he asked. Not that he would tell a soul but dessert was his favorite part of any meal.