Lumen was in love with this library. It was easily at the very least 5Xs bigger than any library she had back home. It had multiple levels. It smelled of old parchment and ink even though there was a brand new computer lab and e-book readers.

She'd spent a whole hour simply exploring and taking it all in. It wasn't until her second hour there that she started picking up the true crime books and a Dexter book on the way to a big comfy chair. She'd watched the Dexter series on TV and was surprised to learn it was a book and one she'd not yet read. She loved the idea of Dexter. She loved the idea of his Dark Passenger perhaps because she felt like she had one of her own.

No, she wasn't a morbid serial killer with an obsession with blood slides. But she had a code she stuck to. She had an obsession with finding her brother. There were times when she woke up at night just like Dexter and her passenger would let her do nothing but think of him and research where he might be. It was like a constant ache in her very center. A dark circle that churned. A dark passenger, like Dexter. So yeah she liked the show and she figured she'd like the books better. The idea of criminals who escaped the system but still were caught on Dexter's table appealed to her too.

She made quite the image sitting in the oversized chair with the stack of books nearly over her head on the side table. Lumen was always quick with reading and even quicker with anything online. She credited part of her sleuthing and survival instincts to these books. You simply couldn't read them for 11 years and not learn something. So it was there she sat with the blood spattered cover of Dexter up to her nose while some women passed her by making "tut"ing noises.

Several hours in the reference section followed by only two or three minutes on the Internet had led Paul to the answer he had been seeking for so long. While not afraid of the Internet in any way Paul did enjoy actual reference books and so he had attempted that route first. "Should have tried Google right off the bat." Paul muttered with a slight hint of annoyance but he really wasn't all that upset. 'The World of Lonely People' was a song by Anita Bryant that had been popular for a while during his time experimenting with the 'Peace' and 'Free Love' movements. Of course then she had shot her reputation all to pieces in the seventies but by then Paul had stopped listening to her music anyway so it hadn't been a real loss for him.

After listening to the song through a pair of head phones provided by the library Paul logged out and began to walk through the library toward the exit while quietly humming the song. He wasn't really paying a whole lot of attention but as he walked, a glimpse of blond hair and a feeling of familiarity nudged at the back of his mind. Pausing, he turned and scanned the area. There were several people, both male and female, scattered around looking through media of various types. None of them looked familiar but there was something about the woman that was buried behind a novel with a white or silver dust jacket and some sort of red splatter. Was that supposed to look like blood perhaps? As the book dipped ever so slightly, Paul again saw the flash of wavy blond hair and finally recognition dawned on him.

"A scholar and a track star... impressive." Paul spoke softly since they were in a library but loud enough for Lumen to hear. The smile on his lips was just as obvious in his voice as he took a seat near the young woman. Thankfully he hadn't had any particular plans for the day though he did still need to get in contact with that man, Sebastian, at some point. He had been putting it off while he tried to figure out what his best approach would be but eventually he wouldn't be able to procrastinate any longer. "Dexter... interesting choice."

Dexter had been setting up the kill room. A kill room could be any room but Dexter would make sure it was secure, that screams wouldn't be heard, and it usually had meaning to his victims. He covered it meticulously in plastic so everything could easily be disposed of without a trace. Then he'd strap his unconscious victims to the table and simply wait for them to wake up. He liked to talk to his victims, even though he knew they'd just die anyway. They never did say anything to change his mind after all. To change his dark passenger.

Lumen was just getting to the part of the story where Dexter was slicing the cheek of a victim for his blood slide collection when a familiar voice actually made her jump a bit in her chair. It wasn't a normal thing for Lumen to be caught off guard, she was not someone easily caught by surprise so the extra little burst of adrenaline surprised her as much as the actual surprise. She glanced up from the text "Paul?" it was almost a question. Her mouth had said his name before his image had even caught up with her brain. The two parts met half a second later. "Paul!" she exclaimed, in a hushed whisper of realization. "Hi!" She stood up a little awkwardly deciding that the motion actually brought her just a little too close to Paul's body in a way that was a little impolite (or a little daring depending on what side of the fence you're on) for people who were only a step away from strangers. So in the same awkward motion that brought her standing she sat back down totally feeling a little mortified. Lumen wasn't usually awkward either. Lumen was supposed to be graceful.

"Uh yeah, Dexter....What are you doing here?" What. A. Stupid. Question. What else would he be doing here in the library if not the same thing as her? She already knew he wasnt employed here, he'd explained as much during breakfast. When had that been anyway? She thought for a moment and remembered it was back at the beginning of the week. It was Friday now, and it was snowing out quite a bit. Paul hadn't called.

Of course, she wasn't sure what was customary for American men when it came to calling ladies who gave you their number but back home a gal was lucky to make it a whole day before the interested male party made a phone call. So perhaps Paul wasn't interested. The thought made the awkward moment of standing closeness all the more awkward in Lumen's mind.

Lumen started to stand, extremely close to Paul, but apparently thought better of it and sat back down. She was obviously surprised to see him but was it possible that he could detect the slightest touch pleasure in her voice? Perhaps she was actually glad to see him?

"I was researching something that's been nagging at the back of my mind since our breakfast." Paul replied with a smile, "The lyrics to a song I heard a long time ago. What about you?" He asked with a nod toward the book in her hand as well as the stack beside her, "Are you here for research or leisure reading?"

A few days had passed since their breakfast and if Paul hadn't bumped into Lumen at the library he had had ever intention of calling her the followed day at the beginning of the weekend. He wanted to seem over anxious or to make her feel like she was being pressured in some way. She had said she was busy during the middle of the week after all and he had been working on gathering as much Intel about another immortal as he possibly could but of course she wouldn't understand that excuse. "How did you mid-week commitments go? Did you accomplish everything you needed to?"

Now of course Paul had to feel the situation out to see exactly what sort of get together might work. Was Lumen a dinner and a movie girl, a clubbing and coffee sort of girl, or something else entirely. What would she find interesting? If her book choices were any indication then it sure seemed like she never strayed that far from her work, even when trying to relax. If that was the case then what would let her have a break while still allowing her some sort of enjoyment?

>>"Are you here for research or leisure reading?"

She glanced at the books by her side. "Little of both" she admitted with a slight blush. Her power was well under control today. She'd used it so much this past week between the run ins and trying to let off the energy so it was nothing but regular human girl blush on her cheeks. No glow today. "It must have been a special song if you had to look for it in a book and not online." She observed. Again she found herself wondering exactly how old Paul was. Lumen looked younger than her age so she was often pursued by younger men. Something she had about zero interest in. She could never tell with Paul. He'd look at her one way and seem no more than 18 then from another angle he seemed wiser and older. Men were lucky that way. They didn't age the way women did. They ripened.

>>."How did you mid-week commitments go? Did you accomplish everything you needed to?"


"More or less." she answered. "It's certainly been a colorful week, looking forward to taking a break from work this weekend." A break from her assigned work load- that was true. The weeks events played over in her mind. The failed stakeout, Dr. Black... certainly very interesting. She was looking forward to sitting in bed with her laptop and searching for her brother. She'd been following the anonymous comments of someone one a very pro-mutant blog. She wasn't sure if it was Riori but something about it gnawed at her gut. There were strange patterns in the postings... "I don't think I'll schedule myself quite so much next week, bit off a bit more than I could chew. Had to zone out in a few good books." she grinned motioning to the books. A chair opened up beside her, the old lady who had previously been sitting there seemed bored of her eavesdropping and moved on, so Lumen invited Paul to sit.

"Of course, it's finally started to snow... and with Christmas right around the corner." it hadn't dawned on Lumen yet that she'd be enjoying a Christmas by herself. That wasn't very different for her though. Some years she'd go home, some years she wouldn't. She would try to make it to Christmas Eve mass or Day mass. She liked listening to the choir sing. She found herself wondering if Paul was a church going man. In the past she'd toyed with inviting people to come with her. Not because she had a great wish to convert someone but merely for companionship. She also felt the services relax her and help her focus. She always hoped it would do the same for friends. But now-a-days a person couldn't just invite someone else to church without the other person taking an offended fit. Why did something so simple have to become a big politically correct mess?

"It's nice. A white Christmas. Do you celebrate Christmas Paul?". There, a nice sneaky way to see if Paul had plans this extended long weekend or not. She wouldn't steal him away from his Christmas plans if he had them... but even a self-loathing mutant like Lumen (well, self loathing of her mutation) could get lonely in a new country. She highly doubted Christmas here would be anything like back home.

"Well... I'm afraid I still like using books for most things. I have an actual dictionary in my apartment as well as a real encyclopedia. In fact, to be honest, I don't even own a computer. So after going through many reference books and failing to find what I was looking for I, uh, used the library computer and found what I wanted in about two minutes." Paul admitted with a grin. He wasn't against technology and he was even pretty good with it, especially security systems, but he had grown up during a time when computers didn't exist. Until the world went completely digital with no more books anywhere he would stubbornly cling to what he was most comfortable with at least as a first resort. Sometimes however, technology did have its advantages as had once again been proven by his very situation. "When we were talking I mentioned something about a 'world of lonely people' or something like that and it triggered a memory in the back of my mind. I thought it was a poem I remember but after searching I discovered it was a song from years ago. I must have heard it somewhere and that phrase stuck."

So now Paul had completely and fully explained why he had come to the library. Of course, his explanation had been a lot longer than Lumen's simple but to the point statement, but that was understandable. While his week had been rather quiet, hers had apparently been exciting and at least somewhat exhausting. At her invitation, Paul moved to the chair right next to her.

Christmas... Paul had almost forgot that Christmas would soon be arriving. It had been years since he had done any sort of celebrating during the holiday season. After Ashley had died the holiday season was just a time for painful memories. Christmas had been a day for him to relax at home, reading a book or doing something else just as average and normal so that he didn't have to remember it was a special day. "The snow is nice... it gives the city a fresh and clean look. The Christmas decorations really brighten up the city too, but I'm afraid it's been a while since I last celebrated Christmas. I don't have any family left and since I'm still relatively new to New York, I don't have that many friends."

Paul didn't feel sorry for himself and he wasn't trying to make Lumen feel sorry for him. It was just simple truth and while the holidays might once have been painful for him, this year things were looking up a bit. The painful memories had begun to weaken and in their place only the joyful times remained. "I had a friend back in California named Ashley. She was blind so she didn't think anything of the lights or decorations, but she loved the smells of Christmas. The real pine tree in the living room, Christmas cookies fresh from the oven, warm apple cider on the stove, and that sort of thing."

>>>"Well... I'm afraid I still like using books for most things. I have an actual dictionary in my apartment as well as a real encyclopedia. In fact, to be honest, I don't even own a computer. So after going through many reference books and failing to find what I was looking for I, uh, used the library computer and found what I wanted in about two minutes."

Ah, he sounded to her a bit of a techno-phobe like her own Father. Again, casting himself in that light that made him seem just a bit older than that face. She had to find out what vitamins he was popping to look so young. "I appreciate that." she said "I do love to read, but I sincerely love my computer. I'd plug myself in if I could." she joked. Well... half joked. "I'm pretty talented with them, if you ever did decide to pick a laptop or something up I'd be happy to set it up for you." It was hard feeling out his interest level. It wasnt exactly as if every feeler she threw out there didn't pick up on some sort of positive feedback. But it always seemed as if Paul was just being friendly. Why shouldn't it? It's not as if she'd given him any feedback to suggest she was interested, she realized. Well, was she interested? She wasn't sure. Unlike all the very open people she'd met so far in New York Paul seemed more like a challenge. Perhaps that was the one true reason why she enjoyed his company. He was like a puzzle she couldn't figure out.

And then there was Riori. Most men couldn't handle her obsession with her missing brother. Of the 2 she'd once brought back to her apartment they both instantly found reasons to leave when they saw the news paper articles and online print outs all over the wall marked with red string that criss crossed against the walls and through the air like spiderwebs joining to several points under thumb tacks. Her hotel room even looked like this. She could never stay very long without setting up her Riori web. No, most men couldn't compete with her brother. And she did long for her brother, in much more of a way than your average sibling who is supposed to be growing up and moving on. Riori was her other half, plane and simple. While most women needed to search for their true love or perhaps their true calling in life and career, Lumen always knew her missing piece was Riori.

She'd been lost in thoughts not entirely appropriate about her brother while Paul was replying about Christmas. She did her best to stir her attention back to him and listen. She knew her feelings for Riori weren't normal. And like every situation where she'd ended up dating, her shame at the intensity of those feelings for him pushed her to make a move with a member of the opposite sex (occasionally same sex). To try them on. To see if maybe they numbed the ache or even quenched it. Sometimes she thought all she needed was a good romp in the sheets but Lumen wasn't fond of one night stands. It was hard enough avoiding exes in a field where you spent all your time around people. Let alone men she would start to forget if she gave into her urges as frequently as they bothered her.

"Obviously my family isn't here either." She added. "I am sorry you don't have any left. If not for the holidays but for every day life. But I do suppose one gets used to being alone." she said it as an emotionless statement. Being alone never bothered Lumen. Only her constant ache for her brother did.

Paul continued to explain about his blind friend and Lumen found herself wondering what happened to her, what she looked like, how Paul was with her. It would have been so strange being with someone who couldn't see and being their eyes for them. Then again it often felt that way with Riori. He was only older by a few minutes but so much wiser than Lumen. He was always leading her. A memory floated to the surface of the two of them so young playing in the surf but between the pain and the shame of it Lumen pushed it back down. She needed to get past those feelings. And deep down part of her knew she couldn't look for her brother forever. She was weary. In this new city, maybe Paul could be a welcome distraction. She decided to take a leap, after all the worst he could say was no. Paul didn't seem the type to laugh at someone.

"Well, I haven't got any plans either." she explained "Except I do think I'll go to church. I like the Christmas songs. And I suppose the smells too." she smiled at that for a moment. "You're welcome to join me if you like. I usually go to the midnight service. It's not a typical service being Christmas and all. The church is all dark with candles everywhere..." she spread her hands and fingers for emphasis. "They have advent wreaths made of real pine. The choir sings Christmas hymns all night. The really slow beautiful ones." There was a hint of wonder there in Lumen's eyes, almost as if the candles were being reflected. In reality it was her power creeping to the surface. The intensity of all the memories and feelings was bringing it up. "It's not til midnight though, maybe we could... get some dinner... and I hear they even have old fashioned sleigh rides through central park where we met if the snow stays down." she looked up hopefully.

Apparently he hadn't been clear enough with his statement about computers but he decided to leave that alone for now. There was really no reason to tell Lumen that he had begun learning how computers worked back when they were first introduced to the market and that he had cut his technological teeth on security systems from all over the world. No, it was probably a good thing that she thought he would need help setting up a laptop should he ever decide to get one.

"I'd be glad for the help if I do ever decide to get one." Paul replied with somewhat obvious gratitude in his voice. If Lumen didn't accept his invitation to go to dinner or something then maybe he'd just have to go get a computer so he could have a good excuse to get together with her again. It was a plausible plan and one that he would probably have to pat himself on the back for coming up with. Yes, he could be a bit conniving when he needed to be.

There was something different in her tone when she talked about getting used to being alone. The almost monotone way it was said, without any particular inflection made him wonder if what she said was really true. Had she gotten used to being alone? It had taken years for him to get used to being alone and then Ashley had happened and it had taken him a long time to get used to it all over again. Unless Lumen had an ability like his and was a lot older than she looked, could she really have gotten that used to being alone?

The invitation came out of the blue and Paul found himself actually feeling surprise. In fact, he was so surprise that he completely missed the reflection and slight glow that had begun to show in Lumen's eyes. For a few moments he just looked at Lumen while his brain tried to process just how he had been beaten to the invitation and then his lips curved up into a slight smile and he began to chuckle softly. "You beat me to the punch... I had every intention of asking you to dinner and a movie or some such thing this weekend, but your idea sounds much better. Dinner, sleigh ride, and a Christmas service sounds like a very nice evening." It didn't sound like a nice evening because of the service itself, Paul couldn't remember the last time he had entered a church, but an evening with Lumen did sound nice. Even if nothing romantic ever happened Paul was always willing to collect a few more good friends to have around. The world was full of acquaintances but only a few people would ever become true friends. Maybe Lumen would turn out to be one of those people.

"So what made you decide to take pity on me? Was it the trustworthy look in my eyes or was it my incompetence with my keys?" Paul asked with a teasing smile, "Maybe I should try to drop my keys more often."

ooc: I LOL'ed at that last line just sayin.

IC:


>>>"You beat me to the punch... I had every intention of asking you to dinner and a movie or some such thing this weekend, but your idea sounds much better. Dinner, sleigh ride, and a Christmas service sounds like a very nice evening."

This time Lumen could actually feel the glow in her cheeks so she took a moment while it was still polite for a moment of silence in the conversation, to center herself and will the energy to spread out. Since when had her emotions been drudging up her power? She couldn't recall it happening often in the past unless she was under extreme stress. All she could do was chalk this up to the fact that she was yet again in a new place trying to get her bearings.

She was thrilled that Paul said yes. Moreso than she realized. Perhaps she really wasn't okay with going "home" (i.e. hotel) and spending the holiday looking for her brother. It wasn't like the web of red string wouldn't be waiting. And like a spider she knew it's every line by heart. She was also thrilled to hear Paul had every intention of asking her though that little seed of doubt still plagued her the way it always did when something seemed too good to be true.

"I think it should be wonderful, the snow is supposed to stay." she explained feeling herself grow excited. What did she want from Paul? An old familiar friend? Or something more? Bags if she knew, but at least she'd be one step closer to finding out after this weekend. The pursuit of an average man instead of a suspect would be a welcomed change of pace.

>>>"So what made you decide to take pity on me? Was it the trustworthy look in my eyes or was it my incompetence with my keys?" Paul asked with a teasing smile,"Maybe I should try to drop my keys more often."

Well that got Lumen laughing. Like a little school girl even. Maybe just a little too loud from the looks of the passer-bys. "I think you can credit it to that devilish grin and knowing an excellent place for brunch." Yes, an evening out with Paul sounded splendid. She'd like to get to know him better and between now and then she'd be sure to get a few things done so she could give him her full attention. One mainly being a good deal of time spent meditating to get this whole emotional reaction with her mutation under control.

Whether he would be a good friend or something more, or hey, maybe she'd end up offending him all together and that would be that. Lumen was willing to see this through a little farther. "The sleigh rides start at 7. Maybe we could start with that. Then I suppose you'll have to charm me some more with your vast knowledge of New York dinner cuisine, since I haven't the first bright clue about any of the restaurants beyond the hotel." she took the piece of scrap paper she'd been using as a page holder and pulled a pen from her pocket. She wrote the name of the hotel on it and passed it to him. "Tomorrow night then?"

(OOC: I have succeeded in my goal! Miss Raina has laughed! )

IC:

Were Lumen's cheeks changing color? Was she starting to blush? It was a cute reaction and it made Paul's smile get even just a little bit wider. It had been quite some time since he last just relaxed and flirted with a woman to see where things could go. Sure he had flirted with Lori but he had to be more careful in that situation since he was also working for her... sort of. Plus, he was also enjoying flirting more since his energy level and possibly even his libido were now that of an eighteen year old. Thanks to that little run in with Lori a few months back his internal clock has been reset back from 29 to 18 and now was one of the times he was reaping the benefits.

"A devilish grin?" Paul asked with a laugh to bring about a few shushing sounds from the patrons nearby, "I don't think I've ever heard it described that way before. I'll have to remember that." The fact that Lumen had enjoyed his taste in restaurants was good to hear. He'd have to try and find somewhere nice but not to over the top for their dinner, after all, he wasn't actually made of money or anything. Sure he had enough in savings to be able to live frugally without any worries and the occasional side job did give him extra money but he wasn't rich... or at least he didn't consider himself rich.

"I'll come by your hotel at a quarter 'til 7 so that we have time to get over to the park." He took the paper and slipped it into his pocket while doing his best not to sound to excited or anxious. Somehow he just knew that if she looked at his eyes she would see that his pupils had dilated because his body was reacting to something that he wanted. This was the negative of being recently reborn. Thankfully he had gone through this six other times so he was gaining a decent amount of control over it. Of course, if anything were to actually happen between them then any semblance of control would go out the window but Paul could keep things under tight reign so that he remained a perfect gentleman. He did have a reputation to keep after all. "Well... I guess that I'll let you go back to your reading while I see about making some reservations for dinner tomorrow evening."

As he stood, Paul decided to let the slightest idea of romance slip out, just to see how Lumen would react. Allowing his voice to drop ever so slightly into the romantic huskiness so often connected with the French language, he said his goodbye. "Dame de demain et jusqu'au magnifique." He spoke quietly before translating it back into English, with a slight accent still noticeable, "Until tomorrow, beautiful lady."

Lumen had to keep her jaw from hitting the floor when he dropped that French line on her. She had stood up, only seconds before, feeling it was the polite way to say goodbye. So she was standing there with a look of shock on her face. If she hadn't been so cool at controlling her emotions she had a feeling she'd be a little more than overwhelmed at this point. "Well how do ya like that." she said to no one in particular. "I think I just got myself a Christmas date."

It was funny to her the way Paul had said "quarter to 7". That's how they spoke in Ireland but she never heard Americans speak in quarters yet. It warmed her to be reminded of home when she was around Paul. Maybe that's why she found him so interesting.

She puzzled over the reasons why she liked Paul while she took her stack of books to be signed out. He was a challenge that was part of it, but he also seemed familiar and reminded her of home. While looking young he didn't seem to act stupid like the many young men who had tried to date her before, and he had a certain wit about himself. Sure, the holidays were tricky and her obsession with Riori was peaking yet again, but she was convinced this was more than just an answer to those problems. This, at the very least, seemed like a real genuine friendship that was blooming. Lumen hadn't had any of those in a while. An if it turned into something more? Well... she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

She stood in the lineup wondering what she should wear to a date that started outside and ended in a church. A little lop sided smile formed on her lips. This was sure to be a much more interesting Christmas than last year...