She couldn't hide her elation at the gift. A little wiggle in her coat, and the child like hugging of the miniature statue to her chest gave her away plain as day. "Thank you! She is so precious..." She unbuttoned her coat, tucking the small clone away into an inside pocket, then clapped her hands together in her lap.

“You named them after the seven sins?”

Her smile widened, flashing inch long canines from both top and bottom jaw that fit neatly into place around her other pearly whites. Nothing could bring her down at the moment, not even the mention of her accursed serpents. Instead, she nodded, and patted the white one gently on its belly. "I did... because each seems to have personalities to match..." Sloth was a prime example of that. The slow moving snake rarely ever left her shoulders- save when the possibility of food presented itself in the form of sleeping bus dwelling transients. "It seemed more fitting than naming them Curly, Moe, and Larry... you know?" Images of the snakes bonking each other on the head, or trying to poke out each others eyes with forked tongues came to mind... She blinked them away before they could entice a giggle.

"This one right here.." She poked a rather fatty, lethargic snake lounging about under her right ear. It hissed in return, but was too comfortable to move from its spot. "..lives up to his name every day. He eats... and eats..." She glanced into the shadows again, and wrinkled her nose. "..or at least he tries too." There was scorn in her voice at that moment, and the snakes recognized it well. They ducked further into her hair, neatly disappearing into the dark tresses. "I have had them for four days, and yet they act as if I am no more attached to them as they are to me." She smiled again, and shrugged.

“Pretty much. I can vary the shape and materials of my sculptures, but sculptures are the only thing I can make. I couldn't draw a picture to save my life."

Her attention turned again to the golems, standing solid and fearsome only a little ways away. She found a spark of jealously budding within her chest...and frowned softly while Mat was away. In a way she imagined they were a constant source of company. Coming from a past where all she had was herself for such a long time, she envied that wholeheartedly. How many times she could have used a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to talk to- even if it was made of stone.

Of course, that reminded her eerily of tales of Medusa's garden... and that little spark of envy went out like a light. She shook herself, slapped a grin back in place, and laid a hand over the little marble necklace dangling from her neck. She had people now... even if she couldn't see them. Turning her attention back to Mat, she found herself captivated by the process with which he molded a neat little glass flower. Another pang of homesickness hit her, and she covered it up swiftly with a little awed gasp. The flower was held out to her, offered, and once again she felt heat wash over her cheeks. This time though, it spread like wildfire through the rest of her face until she was one giant embarrassed brown mess.

'This one... he is good. A charmer.' She chided herself, and made a mental note to watch out for any further cheek coloring actions of his. She would not embarrass herself in such a manner anymore! Holding the delicate flower, she studied the curved of its petals, the veins etched in its leaves, and found herself thoroughly satisfied with its quality- from a florists perspective, at least. Everything else about her was too busy giggling like a school girl to notice such fine details. She stood swifty, reached out to snatch up one of his hands, and turned to drag him from the alley. "Now it is my turn to give you a gift."

Her reaction to his gift was so amusingly cute, so innocent and child-like that Mat could help but laugh. He was happy that she was happy. Was glad that she enjoyed his sculpture. If Andrea had any reservations about herself and her mutation, Mat hoped that the little replica could help remind her that she was in fact, herself a work of art. Nature's work of art.

She grinned once more, and this time Mat could see her teeth, elongated canines, top and bottom. He took the detail on-board, fascinated. She explained to him that the snakes' personalities seemed to correspond with their given sin, and Mat nodded along as he listened. He supposed he should have considered himself lucky that the giant white was Sloth, and not Gluttony, as Andrea pointed out the fatty snake to him. Her comment about not naming them after the Stooges elicited a laugh from him, as he imagined their semi-violent shtick being performed by a head full of snakes.

>>> "I have had them for four days, and yet they act as if I am no more attached to them as they are to me."

“Maybe they just need time to get used to you,” Mat offered. She had said that they were like children at times, maybe they really were children. “Could be that they're just curious about things, if they're as aggressive as you say.”

Mat handed Andrea the glass flower, and once more, she began to turn brown. Only this time, it wasn't a light blush. The colour of her face seemed to shift until it was almost entirely consumed by the blush, and Mat could only stifle his laughter. It seemed nearly everything he did caused her to blush. Was she really so shy? It was such an endearing trait. Just as he was about to tease her some more, she stood, snatched up his hand, and began dragging him towards the end of the alley.

>>> “Now it is my turn to give you a gift.”

Mat grinned, and allowed himself to be dragged to wherever Andrea had in mind. He had no qualms with being led away, a delicate gloved hand around his. Plus he was curious to see what this gift would be.

“Lead on.”

With her newly acquired flower in one hand, and Mat being tugged along by the other, she scuttled out of the ally, past his large friends, and paused on the sidewalk. Surely, there had to be some form of flower around somewhere... there were always flowers in the city. After a few silent moments, she turned right and marched up the sidewalk towards an apartment complex. She has seen some complexes with little walk though gardens, or community plots of land for tenants to grow things in. Considering the size of the place, it was surely a more upscale building, and thus it would hopefully have a good sized green area. She shuffled past people, more determined than she had been in a long time, and slipped quiet apologies to those she happened to bump into.

Not that they heard it, with her snakes hissing and slithering about as a distraction. When she finally dragged mat past the front doors of the building, and around to the side, she spotted what she had been looking for. Off to the side of the building was a little walk way that led into a tiny green cubbyhole along side the building. Though it wasn't as big as she had hoped, it was a good size for many plants to occupy. She threw a grin over her shoulder, clutching the rose to her chest, and dragged Mat in.

The florist inside kicked into gear, she dropped Mat's hand and turned to scouring the small space for just the right flower. Roses... Lilly's... daffodil's that were quickly decaying. She spotted an azalea bush at the far end of the garden, and many small butter cups peeking out through the snow.... but nothing she felt worthy of being given as a gift. Her nose wrinkled, and she turned once more, back toward where she had left mat standing. Behind him in the opposite corner she spotted a lone pot with Peony's blooming within... and her smile grew into a toothy grin. Her snakes reacted to her excitement, wriggling about in her hood enough that it slipped from her head. She ignored it though, and made her way past Mat, "Excuse me..."

Once she was settled over the pot, she plucked one of the long stemmed flowers with her fingers, and shed a good number of its leaves. Then, slipping her gloves off carefully, she cupped her hands around the bud... and waited. After a few moments enough of her venom had soaked through. The flower was stone, each petal separate from the other in a delicate fan. She finished off the stem and the leaved adorning it. "Are you ready?" She questioned, peeking back over her shoulder before she stood. She held out the hard, colorless, solid flower and grinned sheepishly.

"For you." She waited until he accepted the gift, her bare palm open, delicately balancing the flower. She had forgotten to slip the gloves still clasped in her other hand back on... Her serpents, who had been watching the whole time- were rather confused. They didn't understand what the flower was.. nor what the significance of giving it to someone else was. It wasn't food... that was for sure, so why did it matter? Avarice felt that if the object was so important that it was to be given away, and it was -not- food, he wanted it. The snake struck out, launching itself at Andrea's face, and snagged it's teeth on the rim of her glasses. With a tug, it freed itself- but took her eye protection with it. Orange eyes widened as the focused on Mat for a brief moment, then they turned and she reached to snag her glasses back from the jealous snake

He let himself be dragged through the streets by Andrea, a wide grin on his face. With the thrill of the impending surprise, the fact he was getting along very well with this fascinating girl, Mat found himself letting go a giggle every time they bumped into a passing pedestrian. Nostalgia washed over him, reminding him of when he was a teenager in high school, when his cares were no more than doing well in classes, hanging out with mates and chasing girls, the giddy thrill of hearts discovering new emotions. An easier time, though it hadn't necessarily seemed so at the time. It had been a long time since he had felt this carefree.

Andrea. Her sweet innocence had an effect on him, helped wash away his problems.

She brought him to a complex of some kind, filled with various apartments and units. She led him to the side of a building and into a small garden of some kind. She threw Mat a smile, which was heartily reciprocated. Dropping his hand, Andrea began to potter around the garden, a wistful look on her face. She inspected various flowers, with a wrinkle of her nose. It was fascinating watching her, the gentle way she handled and inspected the various flora. It was the same way he looked at his art. She seemed to be searching for something, and Mat found himself holding his breath in anticipation. From the far side of the garden she turned to face him and grinned. She excused herself as she brushed past him and made her way to a pot. She blocked his sight of what she had seen, but Mat saw her work on whatever it was, then remove her gloves and then go still like she was holding something.

>>> “Are you ready? She peeked back over her shoulder before she stood and made her way back to Mat. She held out a hand. Framed with tiny green fingers was a grey stone flower, perfectly preserved. Andrea gave a sheepish grin.

>>> For you.”

Mat reached out and carefully lifted the flower, allowing his fingers to accidentally drop down and linger on Andrea's for a brief moment. He felt a sharp burning sensation in his hands, and yanked them back by reflex. Looking down, he saw that the skin on the edge of his fingers that had made contact with her hands was grey. Poking at it, it felt like stone. He glanced back to the flower, and down to the ground by the pot. Picked leaves were strewn across the ground. He gave a grin, guessing at how she had created her piece. He rubbed once more at the stone flesh, then held the flower up, inspecting it's perfectly elegant composition.

It was beautiful. Superb.

“This is amazing.” Mat's lips curved into a wide grin, and he turned to face Andrea. He began to lean in slowly, peering at her dark sunglasses. He wondered what colour her eyes were, why she hid them. He bet she had gorgeous eyes. Without warning, one of Andrea's snakes speared forth from her hair, and into Andrea's face. Mat made to grab...something. But he knew there was nothing he could do. The snake clutched onto Andrea's glasses and pulled back, snatching the sunnies away.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Mat leaned closer to steal a glance from the girl, and to see what her eyes looked like. Her eyes turned and met his.

They glistened and burned like orange sapphires.

Amazing.

The world went black and a stone flower fell to the concrete ground below, flying chips of stone flaking off.

Pure happiness pricked at her for a moment. The look on his face... she had only seen it a few times in her life... Her mother had once held that look, before her mutations had fully set in. With the knowledge that she had done something good, truly good, rooted in the back of her mind, she barely noticed when Mat's fingers brushed hers until it was too late. He jerked back, and and her happiness shattered in an instant. She would have stepped back, stolen herself away to safety... for his safety, but she could not move. She watched, her heart hammering away in her chest, as he inspected the stone wounds...

He didn't swear... He didn't curse her, or look at her with those eyes. The same eyes that man in the park had pinned her with, pricked her with. Eyes full of fear... Instead, Mat was smiling. Why was he smiling? A compliment left his lips, and the Greek was stunned. She had injured him, but... he was still happy?

...and leaning in. Panic replaced fear.. she had only experienced such a lean once before. With fireworks exploding over head, decorating the sky in blue, red, and white. She had felt lips on her own then, and felt arms around her. Secure and warm... '..Saph...' And then, everything changed. She was looking him in the eyes, no protection, no shield. Her breath caught in her throat, and she knew what was going to happen next. Mat buckled, the flower she had given him clanked to the ground, not shattering, only chipping a few petals and leaves.

She moved then, jumping back as she pulled on her gloves as quickly as she could. "Mat!" Her knee's slammed into the dirt, and she laid her hands on him for a moment, before spotting her glasses on the ground at his side. What had she done... what had she done? She slipped her glasses back on, and flipped him over onto his back, wiping away dirt and plant clutter that clung to his face and shoulders. She needed to move him.. somewhere out of the sun, and the cold. Off in the back, where she had scoured before, she noticed a little overhang that had protected a corner of the garden from the snow. With a grunt, she locked her hands under his armpits and dragged him as best as she could to the nook.

"..I am so sorry..." Tisking to herself, she slipped off her raincoat and bundled it up under his head, sweeping back his bangs with one gloved hand to make sure he hadn't banged his head on the ground. The flower popped to mind, and she glanced back across the way... both the glass flower and the stone flower she had made were laying in the snow. She stood, and ran to fetch them quickly, before returning to Mat's side to wait...

Pure, sweet, untainted sleep.

How many years had it been? Four? Five? How many years since he could lay his head down and close his eyes without the fearful doubt tugging away in his chest. How many years since he had been able to sleep, without nightmares, without the fear of never waking up again?

Of dying peacefully in his sleep.

His eyes began to creak open, light spilling down in spears, a green canopy overhead. A face swam in Mat's vision, green and mottled, eyes hidden behind dark glasses. Concerned. He gave a weak smile, still drowsy from his unexpected slumber.

“Mornin' sunshine,” he croaked.

His body felt strangely rested, relaxed, aside from some tender spots. Probably from where he fell. Those gorgeous orange orbs, they were amazing. Was this another of her mutations? She had put him out cold, deep sleep in a glance. Those beautiful eyes. They put him to sleep.

They could put him to sleep...

Mat saw the stone flower resting by Andrea, chipped and damaged by the drop. He reached out a stone damaged hand and grasped the flower, inspecting the damage. With a smile, he knocked his knuckles against it, conjuring the memory of it's detail, of it's beauty. Flower in mind, the duplication process started. Where the stone had chipped away, new stone grew back in place. Soon, Mat was holding a freshly repaired flower.

“Look at that, your gift was so amazing it knocked me out cold,” he joked with a chuckle.

Those eyes. They could help him.

Still out cold...

Oh...when would he wake up?! Andre bit down on her bottom lip, perhaps a bit harder than she should have, and wrung her hands in her lap. She felt just awful... terrible. She had injured him AND knocked him out cold. For a while, she avoided looking at him. Choosing to stare guiltily at everything but him, and then his eyes started to flutter open. She leaned in a little, a worried frown settled on her lips, and waited for him to awaken fully.

“Mornin' sunshine,”

She smiled weakly, searching his sleep filled eyes for any sign of trauma. Once she was satisfied with his current bill of health, she sat back on her heels and fiddled with her thumbs in her lap. The cold air ran icy fingers down her arms, but she wasn't about to take away Mat's make shift pillow. Her dress had enough sleeve to cover her shoulder, and it covered the majority of her scrawny body down to her knees. She could wait until he was fully awake. She watched silently as he retrieved the gift she had given him, and used his mutation to repair it to perfect quality. He spoke again, and she couldn't help but smile. Everything would be okay... "If would appear so..." She muttered, and touched the rim of her glasses gently, to remind herself that they were still there. Her serpents had retreated into her hair, affected by their mother's anxiety. They peeked out, pink tongues flickering this way and that, curious to figure out what had happened to distress their mistress so. Sloth slithered down, creeping as close as he could to flick his tongue out and taste Mat again.

Was it dead, this time?

"I did not mean to... to do that. I am sorry.." Andrea pulled the white serpent away, tucking him back behind her. Her frown returned, softer this time, and she lifted the glass rose he had given her into her lap. Her fingers stroked the petals, and she sighed. "I hope you are not cross with me." What could she do to make it up to him? She thought... and pondered, and strained her brain for a few, quiet moments, before a solution popped into her head. "Will you let me make it up to you? Before that whole mess on the bus, I had been on my way to get something to eat. Would you come with me?"
A meager offer, yes, but she had the funds for it at hand, and a flower hardly seemed like adequate repayment for all of the trouble she had caused him.

"Please?" Hopefully, the desperation in her plea would sway him, and she could leave her guilt behind..

>>> "I did not mean to... to do that. I am sorry.."

Mat watched as Andrea sat there, stroking the glass flower. The corners of his lips tugged threateningly upwards, but he kept his face emotionless, dead pan. She looked so cute when she was guilty.

>>> “I hope you are not cross with me.”

A cold gust of wind blew, and Mat noticed Andrea's slender bare arms. Realising his head was resting on something soft, Mat sat up and noticed the rolled up red raincoat. He picked it up and sat it in his lap.

>>> "Will you let me make it up to you? Before that whole mess on the bus, I had been on my way to get something to eat. Would you come with me?"

His resolved stayed strong, and Mat still didn't crack his expression. Now that she mentioned it, this whole situation had mainly come around because of her. Had it been some other, more ill-tempered person Mat may have been annoyed. But Andrea, well, Andrea was just too charming to be mad at.

>>> “Please?”

Poor thing. She sounded so guilty and desperate.

Finally Mat couldn't hold it in. He laughed and smiled at her, and offered her the raincoat back. “Of course I'm not mad. Your power, it's amazing.” To be able to sleep instantly, avoiding all fear and hassle. A rare and outstanding gift. “And of course, I'd love to go get something to eat with you.”

He eyed Andrea up and down, admiring her beauty once more. He had found himself doing that a lot since he had met her. He wasn't sure what it was, her attractiveness, her fascinatingly obvious mutation, her meek, bashful and mild nature. The fact that she seemed to be another refugee stranded in a strange city. Something about her made Mat want to know more, made him want to stay close.

Maybe it was because, ever since he had met her, he had seen a sadness surround her. Because when he had seen those glittering eyes, he had seen her pain and loneliness for the briefest of moments.

He tried to think of something charming, something witty to say, to make her blush and giggle again. His mind, however, had abandoned him for the moment. Instead, he settled for a boyish grin and prayed that his Aussie charm wouldn't fail him.

“Where did ya have in mind?”

Another compliment, and he accepted. If not for the circumstances, she would have grinned. Instead, a polite smile replaced her frown and she got to her feet after accepting back her raincoat, or at she least attempted to...

One of her legs had gone to sleep it seemed, and after a few seconds of standing she was left with pins and needles. Because of this, she struggled to hold giggles in, and shifted onto her good foot, wiggling her toes in her shoe. it didn't help matters any... Not the best timing in the world, for blood flow to her leg to get cut off. Yup. "Perfect...." She replied, the strain of holding in laughter evident in her voice. She lapsed into a short silence while she shrugged her coat back on, and slapped nosy snakes out of her way, but could no longer hold it in any longer when she stopped moving again. "Ah!... My leg fell asleep!" Wriggling in her coat, she bit her lip and drew her hands to her chest. "This is excruciating!"

And so began the little dance of goditticklesgodittickles! Until the feeling wore off. She blushed again, thoroughly embarrassed, and slipped her hood back into place over her hair. "...that... that never happened." maybe the shadow of her hood would down play the heating of her cheeks... She glanced around, worried she'd melt all of the snow in the surrounding area, and sniffled to herself. Then, her eyes fell back on mat. She angled a hand his way, and smiled ruefully. "We shall eat at Kellari... Have you ever been there?"

Waiting for him to get to his feet, she envisioned the last time she had gone to the restaurant. being green and spotty, with wiggly hair, she hadn't expected to get very good service, if any at all. Experiences in the past had told her that people didn't want an obvious mutant dining in their place, because it could scare away potential normal people. but... the waiters and staff at this particular restaurant had been kind to her, and had explained that they loved it when mutants came in. They even had a wall with pictures of mutation ready people showing off tidbits of powers. Andrea herself had declined politely to a spot on that wall, more because she did not wish her picture to be out floating around the city until she was technically a citizen... one can never be to paranoid, you know.

"It is a lovely place, and they are kind to those like myself." She paused, in the process of turning away from him and scratched at her cheek shyly. "like you and I... I mean." then she continued on, leading him towards where the restaurant sat. "It is only a few blocks from here, and the food is quite goo- Oh my gosh! We left your stone friends in the alley!!" Turning back, she wiggled a little in panic and blinked him with her feet planted in the alley way.

Mat couldn't help but laugh as Andrea did a wiggle dance, claiming her foot was asleep. She was struggling to get her coat on, her snakes getting in her way. It was all very amusing to see her in her predicament. She blushed, as predicted, then put a hand out to him. He took it as he stood, smiling once more. He gave her hand a small squeeze, to show her that he wasn't afraid of her power.

>>> "We shall eat at Kellari... Have you ever been there?"

“Never even heard of it,” he grinned.

>>> "It is a lovely place, and they are kind to those like myself...like you and I... I mean...

“Sounds like great place,” Mat said, wholly meaning every word.

It is only a few blocks from here, and the food is quite goo- Oh my gosh! We left your stone friends in the alley!!"

She froze in place, and turned back, a worried look on her face. Mat chuckled and tugged on her hand to lead her on. “I broke my connection to the ages ago. They're art now. And who knows, maybe they'll scare off a few troublemakers.” He gave Andrea a reassuring smile. “They'll be fine.”

As they walked, Mat thought about where they were going. A restaurant that was tolerant of mutants. That was always a plus. So far, during his time in the city, Mat had seen more of the negative aspects of mutant culture, rather than the good ones.

“So, how did you find out about this place?” he asked. Moving around so much, Mat never really took the time to truly understand the cities he lived in. He knew how to make his way around, and where certain things were, but he lacked that relationship with the city that long term citizens possessed.

It wasn't until after he explained the golems more that she calmed down a little, and then she realized that he was still holding her hand. It took every fiber of her being not to darken to brown and stumbled behind him as he tugged her along. She was beginning to feel confused once more... Times like this in the past had left her wondering what holding hands truly meant to those besides herself. But at the moment, she didn't really care. Call her selfish... but she was actually enjoying herself for the first time in a long while.

"Okay..." She mumbled, brushing past him to take the lead, and shook herself back awake. A smile jumped back into place on her lips. "I had found it on accident a while ago... It had been raining, and I had been just famished. I ducked into the first place that looked alive and friendly, and wah-la! They are so kind... and the food reminds me of home..." The fond memories at least... It wasn't small enough, nor quiet enough to remind her of her room, or her parents. Pausing at a cross walk, she glanced at Mat, and furrowed her eyebrows behind her bangs. Now that she actually thought about it... it was weird to be gallivanting about with another male, when just a few days ago she had been...

Her smiled drooped a little. Only a few days previous she had been at home... with Saphirus. She had held his hand in a similar fashion, though admittedly, there had been a lot more stuttering and blushing back then. The memories made her smile... of when she had been given a home run baseball... how mad she had been at being caught on the news... Accidentally allowing Saph to trick her into stealing someones car... But there were bad memories too. A birthday spent alone, because she didn't have the heart to spend it with anyone other than herself. Being so very angry at Saph for attacking poor martin in the garden...

She gripped Mat's hand tighter, trying unsuccessfully to drag herself from her thoughts when the light turned red and they were allowed to cross the street. She needed to stop thinking back. 'The past is the past... it will only serve to harm me from now on.' leaving it behind though... that meant leaving her feelings, her hope and dreams. It seemed that starting anew would require more than just leaving home. "Mat?" She blinked, startled from her thoughts by her own voice. "Where are you from?" She had noticed his accent... either that of her ears were playing naughty tricks on her.

Hurrying, as snow began to float down from heavy clouds again, she spotted the restaurants sign glowing in the distance. Mat seemed much to skinny, in her eyes (or perhaps it was her Greek mothering side) and it was far too cold out. A thought struck her, that perhaps she best warn him of her.. peculiar appetite. But after a moment of contemplation she decided against it. It would be more fun to see his reaction, whatever it happened to be, first hand...

That light weight. The soft touch of her glove. Mat felt Andrea's hand in his as they walked along, realising he hadn't released it yet. Neither had she. He wondered, not for the first time, where this was headed. Where the two of them were bound. Mat felt confident enough to say that he could now call Andrea a friend. With what they had been through so far, in their short time together, Mat could easily consider her someone he felt close to, someone he could connect with. They had a good chemistry, a good vibe. Mat was not one to shy away from people, unless they had a bad vibe. He had no worries making new friends. It was one of the reasons he had made it so long out here on the streets.

Hand in hand, they walked, and Andrea told Mat about the restaurant and how she found it. The joy in her voice brought a smile to Mat's face. She mentions home, and Mat had to wonder about where Andrea was from. He figured her accent was European, but Greek, Italian, Spanish, he couldn't tell. Maybe it was some other random place. He mused on the subject while they paused at a cross walk, a goofy smile on his face. The light changed, and Mat felt Andrea grip his hand tighter. He smiled down at her, and returned the gesture.

What's in a hand holding?

Again, Mat wondered what it meant.

>>> “Mat. Where are you from?”

He gave a grin. “Australia. I grew up in country Victoria, but spent the last few years in Melbourne. Then when that didn't work out I travelled 'round the coast, 'til I got to W.A. Found a mutant who could make long distance portals, convinced him to make me one, and came here to New York. That was a few months ago, now.”

Snow began to fall from the clouds as the hurried along the street. Mat's head swivelled from side to side, entranced by the serene beauty. As much as he hated snow, seeing it drift from the sky was still fascinating.

“We never get this in Melbourne.”

Mat spotted the sign in the distance, and began rushing forward, a grin on his face. With a cheeky grin over his shoulder he released Andrea's hand, as much as it pained him to do so, and began skipping towards the restaurant. Mat laughed to himself as he bounded away. As someone who was himself greatly amused by the art of skipping, Mat knew that the most efficient and entertaining method was to spring as high as possible. Like a gazelle.

With a laugh thrown back towards Andrea, Mat waited by the door for her to catch up. As she approached, he opened the door and held it for the lady, a sly grin on face.

“After you.”

He did have his manners, after all.

Australia... She blinked, as images of smiling wallabies bounced around and Koala's waved from tree trunks. "Ah... I came here by boat." She felt the urge to add a little side note about just how hard it was to convince someone to stow you away on said boat.. but felt that might have been just a little too much information. It didn't even dawn on her that Mat's portal ride could have been exactly the same as her boat ride- unpleasant and very much illegal.

Her eyes followed his up as snow started cascading down gently onto them, and she nodded in silent agreement. It was beautiful... and many other words. Snow and rain had been one of few things that she had been able to experience from her back yard. Mat's hand released her own, and for a moment she felt panic seize up her chest. Even with cold hands, his warmth had seemed in. She felt insecurities sinking their fingers into her, and fought the panic back. For a moment or two... she had forgotten where she was, who she was with, and the writhing hissing reason she was here in the first place. Her new friend skipped on ahead.. literally skipped, and her smile returned.

He wasn't going to vanish, neither was bear, or Maggy, or Kait. Jogging to catch up, she curtsied a little at the door. "Thank you, Monsieur Mat." She swept herself into the restaurant stopping before a little podium and a woman behind it. The blond twenty five year old glanced up from her scribblings, and smiled politely. "Two for today?" She asked, and Andrea nodded. They were led over to the front of the building, where a table had opened up moments before. Light filtered in from outside through the drawn curtains. Andrea plopped down into the seat across from the waitress, as the woman set down their menu's and removed two of the wine glasses from the table. "You're waiter will be over momentarily, is there anything I can get you to drink?" Andrea requested a glass of water, and the waitress scribbled down what Mat ordered before she slipped off to the back.

With a content smile in place, she turned back to Mat while she tinkered with her silver ware and napkin. He was so far away from home... Australia being across the sea and all. She thought about how terribly she missed her home sometimes, and tilted her head. "Do you miss Australia Mat?" Just as she was tucking her napkin into her lap, their waiter approached. He strode over on unusually long legs, and Andy recognized him instantly. He went by the nick name 'Cricket', he had told her, and was French. He had explained upon further questioning that he had earned the name from a unique chirping sound he couldn't help but make when he got overly excited. "Miss Gordon! Do my eyes deceive me?" Stepping into place, he leaned down with his short upper body, and scooped up her gloved hand for a gentle manly kiss. "It has been too long, Mon Cheri." Dark beady eyes swept mat's way, and the man's thin mustache twitched ever so. "Oh? And you brought a guest I see... Well, Introductions are in order." He stood tall, swept an arm across his chest and rolled his hand about as he bowed deeply. "Pleased to meet you sir, Cricket at your service."

After straightening once more, he with drew a note pad and quickly jotted down their orders. With that out of the way, he tucked the pad back into his coat and speared Andrea with a sharp look. "Your order's will be out momentarily, and you Madam, will not be leaving without us getting that pretty face on our wall." Andrea cringed and ducked her head with a little laugh, scratching at her cheek shamefully. The woman who originally seated them swung by quickly to deposit their drinks and a basket of bread on the table, then vanished up to the front of the house again. "... I told you they were friendly." She laughed, picking up a roll and taking a toothy chunk out of it.

>>> “Thank you, Monsieur Mat.”

Mat's wide grin swept through the door, right behind the lovely green woman. “My pleasure, Madame Andrea.”

As they entered the building, Mat's head swivelled back and forth, admiring the restaurant. There was a warm, welcoming vibe coming from the place, a nice mix of being modern-y, yet still somewhat traditional. Wooden floors, trim, and various barrels and other decorations helped create a comfortable, earthy tone. Stopping at a podium, a blonde woman greeted the pair, and led them to a table in the front. She took their drink orders. Andrea ordered a glass of water. Mat did as well. Sitting at the table, Mat's head did one last turn as he took one more look around. Mat usually prided himself of not being ashamed of his...lifestyle. Today however, at this very moment, sitting with a beautiful woman in a nice restaurant, Mat was uncomfortably aware of his stained clothes, his grimy hair, and his dirty skin layered with old sweat.

For once, Mat actually felt like a bum.

>>> “Do you miss Australia Mat?”

Andrea's voice halted Mat's descent into self pity, and he gave her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. “Y'know, I'm not really sure. I can't say I've given it much thought.” It was the truth. Since coming to the States, Mat had tried his hardest to look to the future. Any thoughts of home, of the past, were generally thoughts of loved ones lost, the things he had done after the fire, and how much he wished things could have gone differently. But they couldn't, so he tried his hardest to look forward.

“I guess, in a way, I do. The weather, for one is much better,” he joked weakly. “I dunno, I uh...I got into some trouble back home, so I was pretty much on the move for the last few months there. That wasn't all that much fun. Though, that said, it hasn't been all that different here. Just moving from place to place. If there was one thing I missed most about Australia, though, it'd be my old friends.” A sad smile. “I'd love to see some of them again one more time.”

Those that were still alive.

Before Mat's sombre thoughts could settle in his mind, a moustachioed man with unusually long legs approached the table.

>>> "Miss Gordon! Do my eyes deceive me? It has been too long, Mon Cheri. Oh? And you brought a guest I see... Well, Introductions are in order. Pleased to meet you sir, Cricket at your service."

Mat watched. He watched as the waiter, whom was obviously familiar with Andrea, took her gloved hand and planted a kiss on it. He watched as the man's moustache twitched when he noticed that Andrea wasn't alone, that she was dining with a hobo. A pang of jealousy had arisen on the man's arrival, but Mat quickly quashed it down. What was there to be jealous about? As Cricket introduced himself, Mat put on his warmest, friendliest grin. So friendly, that it hid any ill-will Mat may have been feeling towards this new arrival. “Nice to meet ya, mate. Mat.”

That was that. There was nothing more to be said.

Cricket took their orders, Mat letting Andrea choose for him seeing as he was totally clueless in regards to the menu, jotting it all down on a notepad. Once he was done, just before he was about to leave, he turned to Andrea once more. This time, his expression was a touch sharper.

>>> "Your order's will be out momentarily, and you Madam, will not be leaving without us getting that pretty face on our wall."

Mat watched as Andrea squirmed and cringed and laughed at the waiter's comment. The original hostess who had greeted them filled Cricket's sudden absence with drinks and bread, and soon made herself scarce as well, leaving Andrea and Mat alone once more.

"Cricket?" Mat asked, arching an eyebrow. What kind of man was named Cricket? "Is he a mutant, as well?"

>>> “I told you they were friendly.”

“Very,” Mat replied. “What did he mean, about not leaving without your face on the wall?” Mat asked curiously.

Mat reached for a bread roll and bit into it. Immediately, the savoury flavour of it penetrated his taste buds, making his mouth fill with saliva. That wonderful, crusty bread flavour. Not realising how hungry he had been, Mat let out a quiet, satisfied sigh.

As he chewed quietly, Mat's eyes landed on Andrea, flicked around to see whether or not Cricket was nearby, then made their way back to Andrea. He wondered, not for the first time, whether this was the simple apology lunch she had said it was, or whether it may have been something more. A date?

Does it count as a date if you've only know the girl for an hour or two? If in that time, she'd wrapped you up in snakes from her hair, turned half a finger into stone, and knocked you unconscious with a glance of her beautiful eyes?

“So, you said earlier on that you came here by boat? If you don't mind my asking, where'd you come from?” He took a refreshing sip of water, and waited for her reply. “How 'bout you, do you miss home?”

At this very moment, Mat sure hoped it counted.

She couldn't help but giggle at Mat's expression, and dipped her chin in a swift nod. "He is a mutant.. He can make chirping sounds with his legs. It's really quite entertaining..." And a bit disturbing, when the chirping sounds came at you whilst you were unprepared. She slipped her coat off again, now that the heat of the restaurant had seeped into her arms and legs. The scuffed up and battered red raincoat was lovingly folded into a little square, and set at her side while she contemplated what next to ask, to spur the conversation on. Mat's longing to return home made her feel for him- because she had similar wants sometimes.

The sound of a plate shattering and a few gasps broke the silence in the air. Moments later an angry crickety type of chirping echoed out from the back of the building, the kitchen most likely, and most of the restaurant went quiet to soak up the sound. Chirp chirp, chirp chirp, was not something someone generally heard unless it was night and out in the middle of a field. Andrea giggled again, stifling her laughter with a hand, and blinked at Mat through her glasses.

"What did he...? oh!" Her lips pulled back into a toothy grin, and with an energy she didn't know she had she jumped from her seat and latched onto one of Mat's hands. Half dragging, half tugging him with her, she skipped (which she stole from him) over to where they had entered and pointed at the wall. Behind the podium the woman had been standing at, was an array of snapshots that contained various mutants. Some were simply grinning and waving at the camera, while others were showing off their particular "talents". One of her gloved fingers landed on a picture of a balding gray skinned man who was easily balancing half of the staff on his shoulders.

"This is what he meant." Turning her chin, she smiled at him. "They have a custom here of taking pictures of the guests like us. A show of friendship I think." Her eyes returned to the wall, which was lacking a picture of her as Cricket had pointed out. "The last time I came here, they wanted to take a picture with me... but... I turned them down." The snakes in her hair shifted, little eyes peeking out to see if anything had gotten exciting again, and she sighed lightly. "I suppose this time I will have no choice.. They will surely want a picture of you too." She stood for a little while longer, before the blonde woman came back and she half dragged, half tugged Mat back to their seats.

Once she was situated, she turned her attention to preparing herself a piece of bread to calm her grumbling stomach. She had barely raised it to her mouth, to take a bite, before his question reached her and she froze. For a few moments she regarded the question he posed silently, before she caved and told herself that she at least owed him her honesty. "I am from Greece, Rhodes to be specific." The bread in her hand suddenly looked a little less appetizing. "I do miss home... sometimes. But not for the reasons most do." A bitter little smile tugged at her lips, and her snakes became restless for a moment. "Home... to me, was not filled with friends. It...was very quiet. Very lonesome at times... but I find myself longing for the solitude now days." Behind her glasses there was a distance to her eyes. She closed them for a second, took a breath, and let the sadness ebb away. "This...is hardly the time for sad stories though. New York is a new life for me... right now, with everything going on.. I must look towards the future." '..or surely the past will drag me under...' She took a determined bit of her bread roll, and chewed with a passion to rid herself of the thoughts of home... whether it be her home back in Greece, of the one right here in New York.

"Why were you sleeping in the bus?" She questioned, once her mouth was clear of food that is. "...I find it hard to sleep around strangers...er...well... on buses at least." She couldn't really say that anymore... not after she had met bear and all... She pinned Mat with an innocent, questioning look, and took another bite of her food.