Paul was humming to himself while going through the process of shaving. For the first time in years he was actually looking forward to Christmas... or at least Christmas Eve. A snow covered city, a nice dinner, and a Christmas Eve service. The last one was the part that would be a little strange. The last time he had been to a church must have been back before the war had started but at least for tonight he was willing to make an exception. Hopefully his arrival wouldn't bring down a shower of lightning bolts or anything.

His clothing for the evening was nice but still casual and comfortable but most of all practical with the snow on the ground and the nip in the air. Brown boots, khaki slacks, burgundy dress shirt, and a dark brown leather jacket. As usual he carried a set of keys, his ID, and more than enough cash to get through the evening. "I need to see about getting a cell phone." He murmured as he looked at what he was carrying, "But I need a way to easily replace a phone if it gets burned... maybe Lori knows someone that can clone cell phones. Then I can just buy five or six in advance and have them all cloned to the same number. I'll have to remember to ask her or Lisa about that. I'm sure one of them knows something." Setting aside thoughts of those sorts of preparations for another day, Paul headed out to meet his dinner date.

***

As the cab approach the hotel, Paul gave it the quick once over. It wasn't one of the most expensive places in town but it wasn't some dive in the slums either. It appeared to be at least well maintained and probably clean which was really a must.

A fresh powder snow had begun to fall only a few hours before providing an extra blanket of white over the whole landscape. As he stepped out of the vehicle, his breath formed clouds in the air. Since Paul was a touch out of practice in the dating department he hadn't been sure exactly what decorum was for giving gifts on the first date. If it had been summer he might have brought flowers but because of the weather and because Lumen was in a hotel that hadn't seemed practical. Instead he had picked up a pint sized stuffed bear. Being only about the size of his hand it was snow white and looked like the friendly, cuddly version of a polar bear. Hopefully Lumen wouldn't think that it was to much.

Arriving at the lobby door, Paul set aside any misgiving and walked confidently into the hotel. There was no going back so it was best to simply make the best of everything. Either he would do the right things and the date would go wonderfully or he would mess up and the evening would end in disaster. All he could do was make the best choices he could and go forward.

Lumen stood in the hotel bathroom with her eyes closed. Even though there were no lights on the bathroom was completely ablaze in white light. Coming, naturally, from Lumen. She was spending these last precious seconds ensuring she wouldn't have to leave her date early from a power induced migraine. As the light dimmed and her skin returned to it's normal colour she stepped out of the bathroom to admire her handy work.

She'd bought the outfit just earlier that day. She already had a black warm over coat to wear outside but the sweater dress complimented her hair. She could never were solid colours besides grey easily. She's always look pale. But for a tiny splash of colour she'd chosen to wear "holly red" lipstick. Tis the season after all.

She took one last look in the mirror then made sure her phone - fully charged- ID, cards, and cash were in the pocket of her overcoat. "Here's lookin at you kid." she said to the mirror.
The mirror had been the anchor point for all her red strings that cross crossed through the room. The red matched her lips. It seemed symbolic some how. Maybe this was Riori sticking with her even while on a date.

She took in a deep breath of air, exhaled, then made for the door. Walking down the hallway she was fully alert and aware of everything around her. Her senses were sharp, her mind clear, and her body feeling relatively nimble considering the beating all this running had given her.

She rounded the corner into the lobby and she saw him at once. Hard to miss a grown man standing with a stuffed animal in his hand. She grinned. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of leather gloves and put them on. "Well, hello stranger." she purred. "It seems forever since we last met." half joking, half serious. She hadn't slept the greatest after their last run in.

Paul had only been waiting a few moments before Lumen rounded the corner and came walking into the lobby. She looked... well it was better if he didn't focus on that. Thinking about it to much would just get him looking for something that was not likely to happen. As much as it might be shown in popular culture, like TV shows and movies, first date or no date hook ups were really not that common. Most women, and for that matter men as well, were a little more cautious about who they were intimate with.

"Hello yourself. Time does seem to drag on when you're looking forward to something now doesn't it." He replied with a smile before holding out the teddy bear for Lumen to take. "Merry Christmas... hopefully you still like stuffed animals."

Paul hoped that the time spent waiting to see each other again was worth what they experienced on this date. If things went south and he really messed things up then Lumen was going to be left wondering why she had been so looking forward to this night. Of course, Paul did have on thing in his favor. He had lived a long time and had a lot of experience making women happy so he felt rather confident that he could make sure Lumen had a nice evening.

"I like your dress. The color suits you quite well." He complimented as they turned to head for the hotel door and the waiting cab. "As I remember it, we were going for a sleigh ride first and then dinner, right?"

ooc: sorry man! I epic failed. Forgot to bookmark the thread so when I checked my bookmarks quickly I thought you hadn't replied! Geesh. Silly me.

IC:

>>>"Hello yourself. Time does seem to drag on when you're looking forward to something now doesn't it." He replied with a smile before holding out the teddy bear for Lumen to take. "Merry Christmas... hopefully you still like stuffed animals."

Lumen grinned. She had noticed the bear upon arrival but eagerly accepted it. She sort of had an indifference to... well... non essential-things... but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the sentimental value of some things. She did like memories. It was part of why she took so many photos. She had several usb sticks on lanyards in her travel bag filled with photos from her adventures here and there. "Thank you Paul, that was very thoughtful of you." she did wonder what exactly she was going to do with the bear on their date. She stuffed him in the front pocket of her overcoat and his head peeked out. "Like a real bear cub." she grinned.

She couldn't think of much to say to the time drags on bit since it would be admitting that she had been looking forward to this. Lumen wasn't sure if she wanted to admit that to herself quite yet let alone Paul. After all, she needed to keep some things a little reeled in to protect herself from getting hurt. Even the most stone-faced woman disliked rejection, Lumen was no different. Just a little better at hiding it. So, she just smiled and said, "Shall we?" she followed his lead.

>>>"I like your dress. The color suits you quite well." He complimented as they turned to head for the hotel door and the waiting cab. "As I remember it, we were going for a sleigh ride first and then dinner, right?"

"Yes, that's the plan." she answered. "And it looks like we'll have excellent weather for it. It's only 0. Cold enough for the snow but just warm enough there shouldn't be too much of a chill. I think they give us blankets anyway." She hadn't actually thought of that part until right now. Blankets and hot chocolate. Lumen loved hot chocolate. She'd shared some with Tasean. Though, sharing blankets and hot chocolate with Paul would certainly feel a little different. Lumen was fairly sure Tasean wasn't interested in the gentler sex.

Lumen followed Paul into the cab and it was a quick ride to the park. They could have walked it true enough, but knowing the two of them (or at least her) they'd get side tracked by all the site seeing and Lumen's questions. As it so happened Lumen filled the duration of the cab ride with little anecdotal comments about things she'd seen so far in New York. "...and I'd really like to see a show on Broadway." she confessed as they stepped out of the cab, bundling up her coat with the polar bear still peeking out from the pocket. "I've always wanted to see several musicals; Peter Pan, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, oh, and South Pacific." she wasn't actually as much of a showtunes buff as the statement made her sound. She was just appreciative of good stories in the same way she adored books and movies.

She chatted as they walked into a lineup of couples and families waiting for the sleigh rides. To her left an outdoor string quartet was set up playing Christmas songs accompanied by a little boy ringing some bells. They played beautifully even with gloved fingers and Lumen stopped chatting long enough to listen to Walking in a Winter Wonderland. She didn't quite know why she was being so chatty with Paul. Perhaps it was because sometime earlier this evening she'd decided to put actual effort into the date and really work at enjoying herself. Thanks to her workouts and meditation before he arrived she felt alert and on her game. She could even have a debate and keep her wits about her. She felt on the ball.

Finally their turn for the next horse drawn sleigh arrived. Lumen was a little timid around horses but did her best not to let Paul see. It wasn't completely that she was afraid, she just didn't know enough about horses to predict their behaviours perhaps in the way she new dogs. She knew dogs well enough because she was always jumping fences to avoid them. "Well this is us." She let the horseman help her up and she squeezed into the pleather seat. Sure enough their were two thermoses of hot chocolate and a thick woollen blanket waiting for them. She picked up one of the thermoses and handed the other to Paul with a smile. "Cheers!"

ooc: feel free to lead us through the sleigh ride

(OOC: No problem! I just figured you were probably busy with the holidays. As for me, I will probably have time or some posting this evening and then I'll be away from the computer until Monday. You have a Merry Christmas!)

The squeal excitement and the glimmer of emotions in the eyes was always wonderful when you gave a woman a gift but with Lumen that was... non-existent. She accepted the bear graciously with a smile but she didn't go crazy over it like so many females did. Maybe the bear hadn't been such a great idea. Of course, since Paul really didn't know Lumen well enough to pick out a proper gift he couldn't really be blamed for the mistake? Could he?

As they were leaving, Paul noticed something else in the conversation. The attractive blond had completely ignored his comment about liking her clothing. He had already prepared himself for getting a full discourse about where she got it and how great the sale had been and even what the weather had been like on the day she got it but none of that happened. She just seemed to accept the compliment and keep right on moving without spending any time thinking about it. If this had been Lori and he compliment her clothes, she probably would have made some sort of sarcastic reply and teasing him about hitting on her but Lumen was even different from that. She was a puzzle and Paul found himself getting somewhat intrigued. He also enjoyed puzzles.

"Not to cold, just cold enough." Paul's answer formed a cloud of steam in the air as they stepped back outside. Thankfully he had dressed warmly enough and even had the right shoes for handling snow and cold. If they even just remained pleasant through the whole evening then he would consider this night a success. Far better than any other Christmas in his recent past.

The chatter in the taxi cab was nice and when Lumen began to talk about Broadway shows Paul could actually carry on something of a conversation. Even though it had been years since he last saw a show, he had taken in several when he first came to New York so many years before. "I missed seeing West Side Story and South Pacific but I did get to take in 'Bye Bye Birdie' and 'Fiddler on the Roof'. It is rather amazing how wonderful some of those shows can be when you actually get to see them on Broadway." The 60's had been interesting years for Paul. The world had been changing so quickly that Paul had been able to experience many different facets of life including some interesting Broadway shows.

It seemed like time was flying by as Paul suddenly found himself standing in line for the sleigh rides. Lumen was continuing to chat with him about various subjects while nearby a group played Christmas songs and others in line talked about how wonderful Christmas time was. For a brief moment, Paul felt a pang of regret that he had wasted so many previous Christmas seasons because of his own pain and feelings of loss but immediately he shoved it aside. This Christmas was different and he mentally vowed to make sure that his future holidays were different as well. This was the time of year that people actually talked about loving one another and bringing peace to the world. He should be out enjoying this every single year not just shacking up at home with some novel.

Moments later they were in the sleigh with blankets tucked around their legs and thermoses raised in celebration."Cheers!" Opening his thermos Paul took a sip of the warm liquid within. Thankfully it had been sitting long enough so that it was no longer scalding but was actually just the perfect temperature for drinking. The bells on the sleigh jingled merrily as the driver led them along the prearranged path. Central Park and the city around them looked simply magical, covered with the newly fallen slow that glistened and sparkled from the city lights all around them. "Thanks for asking me to come to the service with you." Paul spoke up, deciding that now was a good time to get his gratitude out in the open. Once this was said they could just focus on enjoying the evening but first, "I probably would have ended up with a quiet day at home so I appreciate you getting me out of the apartment."

For the next thirty minutes or so, they talked, laughed, and sipped at hot chocolate. Occasionally Paul would crack a joke to try and get Lumen to laugh some more but for the most part he just stuck with pleasant conversation. It was nice to just feel normal for a little while. People all over New York took dating for granted but for Paul it was something special. He didn't go out with just anyone not only because if his age and experience but also because he was a mutant and he had to be cautious about who he might hang around. For him, an evening out with an intriguing attractive woman was something special and something to be cherished.

"I'm curious. Do you like a Christmas Eve service because of the holidays or are you actually a religious person?" Paul asked when they came to a slight lull in their conversation. There was no ridicule or accusation in his voice but more of just an honest curiosity. He remember how religious his family had been until the war broke out but he had never spent that much time around others that had sincere beliefs. Was Lumen someone that did or did she just get wrapped up in the spirit of the season?

The sleigh ride was going along pleasantly enough. Lumen and Paul chatted their way through it while Lumen also pointed out how weird some things in the park looked covered in snow. Like Moore, for example. She listened to Paul talk about the Broadway shows wishing she was savvy enough to know when they happened. She was always over-analysing little things he said to pick apart as clues. In part to deduce more about him, in part for habit, but also in part for practice. She was still wondering about the potential for an x gene and his possible age. Two questions that weren't very polite to ask.

She sipped her hot chocolate pondering those things as Paul had chatted. She stared down at her gloved hands for a moment remember Paul complimenting her clothing. She hadn't thanked him about that. The truth was, she wasn't very good at receiving compliments, or gifts, as the bear poking out from her jacket reminded her. She received neither on a regular basis and whenever she did it always peeked her suspicion. She wasn't suspicious of Paul, well maybe a little... but not because he'd given her a compliment or a gift. So, she simply didn't know how to react to either. Maybe that was a poor move. Maybe she should have said something...

"Thanks again for the bear." she pulled him out from her pocket and turned him over in her hands. "Ive seen Polar bears once before. My work took me to northern Alaska and then to Northern Canada. Only for about a 6 month period... but the bears always intrigued me. Did you know they used to sleep 3 months out of the year and hunt the other 9? They'd have a whole litter of cubs. Now they sleep 9 months and hunt for 3. They have one or two cubs and are lucky if they survive. I guess they're even starting to mate with Grizzly bears and they're finding second and third generation hybrids that seem to be doing much better than the polar bears. The world will cry out about global warming but all the native groups will tell you the North is nothing but change and the bears are a very new species as far as nature is concerned. So them evolving into this new hybrid is just the natural next step." She wasn't sure if she believed that but she always found things like natural selection interesting in a morbid way. She'd always apply that principal to mutation and wonder about the reasons for some of the mutations she'd seen.

She'd lost herself in thought then turned her face up to Paul, "Sorry... I can be long winded. My brother always accused me of being a walking encyclopaedia..." she trailed off. It was the first time she'd mentioned her brother out loud in a long time and all of a sudden her fear of her obsession taking over the date seemed all to real a possibility.

She was more than happy and thrilled to answer then next when Paul asked her about religion. Unlike some people who shied away from such topics Lumen wasn't afraid to engage in them and she was secretly a little happy to find that same trait in Paul. "Aye, I don't know if you could be calling it religious but I'm certainly spiritual. Just so happened many Irish are raised Catholic so that's where I landed. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in everything they teach and in the old days that would have made me a heretic I suppose. But, I do get a lot of... peace from attending church. I find the priests work harder and harder to make their services mean something to modern day people and for those willing to listen and consider what's been said I've walked away with many pearls of wisdom." they'd been talking for almost an hour by then and the sleigh ride was coming to an end. You could only circle around the perimeter of the park so many times.

"I can't label myself really. Im not sure I fit anywhere. but I guess, if I get something from it and it encourages me to be a better person who is anyone else to judge my personal journey?" she gave a shrug. "I promise though, I'm not hiding away a rosary and vile of holy water to throw at you later on this evening." she grinned. Lumen was a smart gal, but not always the best at cracking jokes.

The ride came to a stop and Lumen felt herself wishing it was longer. She felt like she was just starting to know Paul and maybe sharing a bit about herself too. It was calm and peaceful out here, easy for her to focus, control her abilities, and be careful not to share too much information. But her stomach was rumbling and the warmth of a restaurant would be most welcomed now that the temperature was dipping. "Well, that was lovely." she exclaimed accepting help from the horse man to hop back down. (She didn't need it, but it made for a good normal human appearance)

"I suppose it's on to dinner then, just a little after 8 now. So Paul, where are we headed?"

She had actually been up to Alaska and Canada? Paul actually felt slightly impressed. Since coming over to the states from Europe he had never ventured out but the idea of going up to Alaska or Canada did sound intriguing. Maybe some day he'd have to take a trip there just to see what it was like. Heck, maybe he'd escape from people as a whole group for about twenty or so years then come back to see if society had improved at all. Of course, that would be like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand. If he wasn't willing to work to try to make things change then why should he expect them to change on their own?

"I know a little bit about the brown bear, in fact they were rather plentiful where I grew up, but I've never seen a polar bear or a grizzly bear in person." Paul answered, trying to be part of the conversation even though he didn't have the knowledge bank that Lumen obviously had access to. He could talk about great authors, great music, or great Broadway plays but animals... animals had never been a huge interest. "Knowledge and facts are never something to be ashamed of. You never know when some piece of what most people consider trivial information just might save your life."

It was as they were getting off of the sleigh that Paul had a chance to make his own response to her spiritual beliefs. He didn't know where he stood on the idea of God, with the wars he had seen and the life he had led something like that was hard to grasp, but he could respect those that saw something positive in religion. "There's nothing wrong with anything that helps to make you a better person. Whether its meditation, religion, or just basic study. Improvement is always profitable." His response was simple and honest, "I've never been much of a church person. My parents raised us Protestant but I guess you could say I'm one of those that strayed from my foundation. I've just always focused on study and education instead of religion but I've had friends that were very, what did you call it, spiritual? They're good people and I can respect their view point."

Walking away from the sleigh ride, they made their way toward the nearest taxi stand. "I hope you like Italian food because I know of this great little restaurant in Little Italy."

***

For once, New York City traffic wasn't all that bad and they made it to their destination in just over twenty minutes. It was a little restaurant that could seat maybe thirty or thirty five people at the most. In the back there was actually a brick oven behind the counter. A small bar was off to their right but the rest of the space was taken up by small two or four person tables. After being seated and ordering drinks, Paul once again turned his focus to the blond that was now sitting across from him.

"So what do you normally do on Christmas Day after attending the midnight service the night before? Do you call your parents and brother to wish them a happy holiday? I'm sure they must miss you with your having moved so far away." His goal was to simply plumb the depths a little bit to try to learn more about Lumen. He didn't mean to step on any toes so if that's what happened then he did it innocently. After all, most people enjoyed talking about their family.

Lumen could respect that Paul respected people. Many others, simply didn't. She'd lost count of how many times she'd run into some over-inflated atheist who thought it was his mission to convert her just as much as many Christians thought that mission was theirs. So it was a pleasant enough surprise to run into that and Paul's points may have raised just a wee bit higher.

The Restaurant was warm and inviting and smelled amazing. It had been so long since Lumen had real Italian food and the smells and thought of it made her mouth water. She eagerly took her seat and enjoyed their drink order while looking through the menu. Paul had picked an excellent in between place. Fancy enough for Christmas but not too fancy for a date. Smooth.

She was trying to decide between the mother of all spaghetti plates and an intriguing stir fry when Paul brought up her family. She knew it was a normal thing to talk about but she couldn't help the cold feeling that went up her spine. Here it came again, talking about her brother, out loud. He loved creeping into dates.

"I call my folks, but they dont celebrate much these days. I think they'll go to mass but that's about it." she took a sip of the wine, she was going to need it. Mentally she chided herself over and over again telling herself to be simple and discreet. Paul didn't need to know too much, and this didn't need to be dramatic. It just needed to be a statement. Pick a statement!

"My brother, he's been missing since I was 6. It's been 20 years but my parents have always felt guilty about enjoying themselves. I guess maybe I do too. I don't do much for Christmas day. Maybe that's why I enjoy the peace I get on Christmas Eve." Dang. Gave away her age most likely. Well, maybe she could judge Paul's reaction to all this information and figure out a little more about him. She wasn't pleased with how honest she was- in fact she now had a pit in her stomach. But a pit she'd decided to fill with spaghetti none the less.

She hadn't told Paul her brother was a twin, that they were both mutants, that he was most likely abducted by some mutant terrorist group. She hadn't given the slightest hint that maybe there was a little more to her relationship with Riori than the average sibling. He didn't know her hotel room looked like a scene from Sherlock Holmes... and that in itself was a blessing. It still did feel a tiny bit relieving to get that part out of the way. It was like an elephant in the room for Lumen. Paul had told her about the blind woman in his life and eluded she'd been lost along the way so perhaps it was only fair she did the same.

She took another sip of wine and the waiter appeared to take their order.

Hearing about Lumen's family was certainly... eye opening. Her parents didn't celebrate much outside of attending a service and her brother was M.I.A. somewhere in the world. He had disappeared when Lumen was 6, twenty years ago and since more than likely he hadn't been all that much older or younger than her, that meant he had to be in the range of 24 to 28 if he were still alive. Right then everything seemed to click in place. It made sense why she had chosen a profession looking for missing people. While she was helping out other people she was probably also running down leads and narrowing down possibilities when it came to her own missing sibling.

For a brief moment, Paul almost started going into his own childhood tragedy about how his family had been split up by the war and he had never seen them again but he managed to stop himself. That would reveal his mutant ability as well as his age and that wasn't something he was willing to divulge. How could he tell the story without giving away the wrong information?

"My family fractured and split in different directions after... some external issues became internal issues. I haven't seen or heard from my brothers or sister or my parents in years. From what I've found out I'm sure they're no longer alive but the not knowing was always the hardest." Paul spoke slowly as he swirled the red wine in his own glass, simply looking at the dark liquid instead of the woman across from him, "Getting some sort of closure helped but it still wasn't easy."

Taking a sip of wine, Paul paused speaking as their waiter came up to take their order. For his own meal he ordered steak marsala with a side of fettuccine alfredo. Once both of their orders were in and a basket of bread sticks was in front of them the waiter moved off to take care of his next customers.

"Is that what eventually led you to come to the states? " Paul asked softly, doing his best to keep the conversation intimate where Lumen's private information wouldn't be spread through the whole restaurant, "If I had been able to, I think that's what I would have done."

Unfortunately for Paul, or Henri as he had been called back then, his family had been split apart by war and he had been to young to really do anything about it. After the war, so many people had died or just disappeared that, there was no way to track his family down. Instead he had moved on with his life, eventually take on one name after another trying to become the person he wanted to be. 'Jack' had been close but after the loss of Ashley there had been no way for that life to continue. Thus far 'Paul' was a good life and he planned on keeping it for a while, as long as he didn't die someplace that he shouldn't.

>>>"My family fractured and split in different directions after... some external issues became internal issues. I haven't seen or heard from my brothers or sister or my parents in years. From what I've found out I'm sure they're no longer alive but the not knowing was always the hardest." Paul spoke slowly as he swirled the red wine in his own glass, simply looking at the dark liquid instead of the woman across from him, "Getting some sort of closure helped but it still wasn't easy."

Lumen sat silently for a moment. She knew Riori was alive. She could feel it. It wasn't that she refused to believe the possibility that he very well could be dead... she sincerely felt in every part of her that he was still on this earth. She never knew if that was because of her mutation or simply being a twin. " Closure..." she reflected out loud. "I don't know if I want it. Chasing ghosts I suppose..." She ordered the spaghetti after all.

" If you're ever interested I can always help you see if you have any living family. They're not as hard as you'd think to track down. I've frequently been hired in the past for doing simple family trees. I like it. It's interesting too. she swished her own wine not daring to take another sip. She wanted to keep her wits about her.

The breadsticks were brought out and their wine glasses re-filled. Paul asked her if it had all led her to come to the states. She wondered about what sort of an answer she should give him. She didn't mind getting to know him better but everything had seemed so light hearted up until this point. Now it was dark and serious. Now it was new territory. Now it felt like every word could make or break her. She fumbled with a break stick.

"In a way, yeah, but it's also nice to take a break from the rock. Meet new people, see new things.... They'd given them a pizza type sauce to dip the bread in so she eagerly tried it and stuffed her mouth for a second. Cant talk with a mouthful of food. It gave her a moment to center herself and decide how the conversation should go. "Im glad I've come, I've met many nice people. Like you. Keeps me balanced out too so I don't throw myself into work." Nothing to see here, nope! No way! Not a crazy obsessive woman with a bedroom that looked like a crime scene. Not at all.

"So what else do you like to do Paul who prefers books, flowers, and running?" Just a little longer and the food would be here and the silences didn't need to feel so awkward. She wanted to have a nice date and forget about Riori for the night. Maybe the midnight service would help her achieve peace again. Paul hadn't meant to bother her she knew, in fact it seemed like he'd been trying all night to connect and she was unintentionally throwing brick walls his way. How could she show him she was interested without coming off with too much information?

For a brief moment Lumen seemed reflective, commenting about how she wasn't sure if she really wanted closure. And then she moved the subject away from her and right back onto him. For most people the offer to help find living family would be appreciated but for Paul it was an area that was off limits. He knew his family was all dead, unless they happened to somehow have a mutant ability similar to his, and her searching wouldn't do any good. Plus if she searched under his current name she wouldn't find anything... not a single thing.

"I'll keep that in mind." Paul did his best to try and sound grateful but it was a little bit hard when he knew someone with Lumen's skills could uncover his secret with some well placed questions. He had never lost an identity because someone had found out his secret and he didn't particularly want to start right now. "Maybe down the road we'll have you take a look." It was just positive enough that it should take the suspicion off without actually encouraging her to do the job. It was a nice balance and Paul was quite happy with that.

After a brief but simple explanation of why Lumen had come to New York she once again turned the questions around to him. How did that keep happening? Paul was experienced with controlling a conversation so that he never really had to give out personal information but somehow she kept turning things around on him. Was he losing his touch or was it possible that Lumen was experienced at doing the exact same thing? A sudden thought pricked at the edge of his mind and made him look at the young woman with even more interest than before. "Does she have secrets she doesn't want to share either?"

"Well let's see... running is probably one of the things I do the most of. I run almost every day, on very rare occasions I even do it twice in one day. I do a little bit of meditating to try and keep my mind calm and adjusted and you already know about my reading." For a brief moment he fell silent, racking his brain to see what else he could tell her. There was nothing wrong with mentioning that he knew how to fight, was there? "I experiment in the kitchen on occasion and every now and then I even manage to make something that tastes decent. I also occasionally take a kick boxing class down at the Y, but other than that I guess you could say I lead a rather simple life." Well, he was simple if you didn't count the dieing in empty warehouses, rescuing electric ladies from puddling water, or stealing painting to give away as gifts. His was a quiet and sedate life only occasionally interrupted with a brush of excitement. Only occasionally...

Lumen nodded listening to Paul hoping for the food to come. The conversation was pleasant enough but she found her mind constantly drifting to her brother. Now that Paul had engaged in small conversation about him Lumen couldn't get Riori out of her head. She was brainstorming strategies for picking up on a once thought cold lead. She was smart enough to pick up on the key words of conversation with Paul however. She wasnt trying to be rude, Lumen was just excellent at mentally multi-tasking.

>>>"Well let's see... running is probably one of the things I do the most of. I run almost every day, on very rare occasions I even do it twice in one day. I do a little bit of meditating to try and keep my mind calm and adjusted and you already know about my reading."

"Meditation really is wonderful." said Lumen in response. "It's amazing the wonders it can do for the body." learning to meditate had been hard for Lumen, but her mother was an excellent help in the regard before her brother was taken. It was really the one true way Lumen controlled her powers.

>>>"I experiment in the kitchen on occasion and every now and then I even manage to make something that tastes decent. I also occasionally take a kick boxing class down at the Y, but other than that I guess you could say I lead a rather simple life."

That perked up Lumen's interest and for a second thoughts of Riori were put aside.
"Kick boxing is it? I've been training in mixed martial arts for years. Another fantastic way to curb stress! . Well there you go, Paul was also a bit of a cook and could kick someone in the head (probably)... noted!

Finally, the food arrived and Lumen felt the awkward tension disappear. She began to feel herself again. It was just hard keeping so many secrets and trying to get to know someone. At the very least if things didn't really work out with Paul she was learning some valuable skills right here. She needed to be able to communicate with people for purposes beyond interrogation. The warmth from the food spread through her and she idly chatted with Paul about general common things. The latest movies, the latest news and politics, a few funny stories about Ireland.

As dinner was finishing she glanced across at him. "Listen, I'm sorry of this isn't exactly going as planned" she put her hand behind her head in a shrugging awkward motion. "I'm not really the kind of person who has an easy time talking about themselves. Not really used to people who want to listen either." she gave a nervous laugh and summoned her courage. "But, I'd like to know you better if you'll give me a chance to stumble my way through a few social courtesies" she reached across the table and put her hand on his.

This was something very common with Irish women. It wasn't as intimate as Americans may consider it, but it was a way to establish a physical connection with someone for just a moment to show sincerity. "I really am having a nice time and this restaurant is wonderful. My food was great!"

She wasn't going to let Riori win this one. This was going to be a good date. The rest of the evening? She wasn't going to let it keep doing down that path. They were going to enjoy the rest of the evening, enjoy church, and as blasphemous as it may sound she might even convince Paul they could get their own hotel room for the night. One night stand reservations out the window! Riori was not taking over tonight.

Lumen seemed to respond positively to the few things that Paul did have as hobbies and that was a good sign. Sure, he couldn't reveal the whole truth about himself or trust her with every secret but at least they were having a nice time. Besides, it seemed like she probably had some secrets of her own so that meant they were playing on an even field... right?

"I picked up on kick boxing over anything else because it kept my hands safe for the most part. Doing physical work like I do my hands are important so if I have to fight or defend myself then I want to do it without damaging them." It was a good feeling to be honest with another person, well, at least partially honest. It was true that he had picked up kick boxing to protect his hands but it wasn't true that it was because of his landscaping. Being a pick pocket, safe cracker, and accomplished burglar his hands were far more important than they ever would be to a simple landscaper.

Finally the food arrived and they settled back into a simple rhythm. Take a few bites of food, perhaps a sip of wine, then chat about news, politics, entertainment... anything besides themselves, then go back for some more food and more wine. Paul was purposely taking his time with the wine so that he wouldn't get to much alcohol in his system. A slight buzz was OK but he did not want his judgment to be impaired. Who knew where the night would end up and he didn't want to wake up in the morning knowing that everything the night before had been alcohol induced.

A few moments after their plates had been cleared away, Lumen surprised him by apologizing for something that really hadn't even been bothering him. "Social courtesies are over rated." Paul responded with a quiet chuckle as he took a moment to just enjoy the touch of her soft skin on his hand. "I enjoy your company because your just natural. You don't try to pretend to be someone your not, you're you and you don't apologize for that. In a town that's full of people trying to be something their not, it's refreshing." It was refreshing, even if it did make Paul feel like something of a hypocrite. He was pretending to be just an average human that worked a job and relaxed at home when that was far from the truth. He was a mutant that couldn't die and liked to cross back and forth over that line that people called 'law & order'.

"So... where to now? You said something about a midnight service but since I haven't attended church in so long I have no idea where we're heading." It was time to keep the evening moving though he made sure to give her hand a gentle squeeze before they stood and she pulled it away. "And just so you know... I'm having a great time too."

The dinner wrapped up and Lumen was relieved that Paul was as earnest as he appeared to be. She wouldn't exactly let her guard down, but maybe she could ignore that little voice in the back of her mind for a bit. Secrets were just secrets. They didn't need to dictate everything or every move she made. She had to start trusting in her own instincts to look out for her well being instead of over thinking every little thing.

Once everything was settled and they finally stood up Paul gave her hand a little reassuring squeeze. He was very kind and chivalrous but she sorta doubted he'd be the type to make the first move. So, how was she going to send a clear signal? That's when he mentioned the church. Oh yeah. Might go to hell for trying to pick up a guy in church. She laughed on the inside at that one.

"It's not more than another quick cab ride over. I miss the warmer weather when it was easier to walk places. Just makes sense I guess for another cab ride to be safer and warmed." She led the way pulling up her coat and making sure polar bear was in her pocket. She'd even forgot to argue over paying the bill.

Inside the cab she gave the directions "I wonder what I should call my bear?" she playfully mused. "He looks like a Stanley."

They arrived within moments. The church was a beautiful old building that dated back to when New York was first settled. It had been restored with an extra wing added on about 25 years or so earlier. Outside people were still pouring in but the music could still be heard. There were candles in every stained glass window casting beautiful colour light. The air smelled lightly of incense and holly and wreaths were hanging everywhere. Lumen stood for a moment just taking the site in. It didn't matter where she was in life she always felt different walking into a church. She looked behind her, smiled with the christmas lights glowing at her front, and took Paul's hand "Let's go."

It was paced inside but just as beautiful. White lights peeked out from everywhere, the choir was singing, babies were asleep in their mothers arms. Everyone was mostly sitting in the pews singing or reading along in a hymn book. The choir led everyone in "Oh Holy Night" one of Lumen's favourites. They found a spot closer to the middle.

Behind them a short,balding Italian man spotted Lumen. He did a double take trying to place her, that hair, that face. And then he knew. His boss would want the job done. Christmas or not she'd been snoopin too close to the organization. She'd caught Fat Charlie earlier that week for the boys in blues and Nancy was starting to consider him a liability. He didn't want to admit it was his fault the girl with the freakishly white hair had been tipped off. His own stupid negligence anyway. Leaving evidence behind. Fat Charlie just happened to be the poor putz who'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He was feeling sweaty. He always came to church. He felt guilty about his work, that was for sure, but not guilty enough to stop it. It put food on the table. It took care of his lady. Truth be told he was planning on offing the girl in the early week. But here, by some stroke of luck or maybe even God... here she was. Like a lamb to the alter. Maybe it was a sign? He always thought he was a man of God despite his work. There needed to be a balance that was for sure.

But now was not the time. Not with all of these people. Not with all these witnesses. He'd wait for the service to be over... maybe follow her home... maybe have a little fun first. The night was full of possibilities and the bulge in his breast pocket was aching to be fired. Brand spakin new. A Christmas present from Nancy.

It was pleasant to have no argument about the bill and Paul had to admit to himself that he was pleased to be the one paying. After all, even though he had lived through the woman's rights movement and so many other things, it was still chivalrous for a man to pay for a woman's meal.

"Stanley?" That comment received the upraised eyebrow and slight chuckle in the voice that it so richly deserved, "He looks like a Stanley? What exactly, if I may be so bold, does a Stanley look like?" It was the sort of teasing conversation that was common between friends or that sometimes worked as a sort of foreplay between those more intimate. Paul had no idea which category this conversation might fall into, he just knew that it was fun.

For a moment, Paul paused outside of the church, simply looking up at the building. He didn't fully understand why, perhaps because of something ingrained during his youth, but he felt nervous about once again entering what many believe was a holy place. Then again, it could be he felt nervous because most would describe his mutant ability as something more akin to hell than heaven. Either way, he found himself not moving from his spot outside of the church until he felt a gentle tug on his hand from Lumen. Without thinking he fell into step with the beautiful blond and just a few minutes later found himself sitting in the middle of a pew with Lumen on one side and a rather harried family with two small children on the other. It was obvious the children were tired from the late hour because they both yawned widely ever few moments while their mother and father sang loudly along with the music. "At least they seem well behaved." He thought to himself before giving the other man a nod and then turning his attention back to his other side.

The last few notes of "Oh Holy Night" were just ringing out while Paul looked at the hymn book and tried to follow along. He knew the basic tune of most Christmas songs because he had heard them so many times over the years but he had never spent that much time learning the words. Singing from memory would be impossible so only the book would suffice. Just as he found the right page the choir ended and then moved on to sing "Silent Night". A part of Paul felt like giving up but he pressed on stoically until he found the right page. Waiting for a few moment, he joined in on the second verse. While not a professional singer by any means, his voice was a rich baritone that blended well with the rest of the congregation. After glancing around at the faces of the people around him and then turning his attention back to the woman beside him, Paul found himself actually beginning to feel a touch inspired by the joy that was evident on everyone's faces. "Maybe there's something to this..." He thought as he looked back down at the book, his voice blending as they continued through the third voice, "At least it gives them hope and happiness... maybe that's enough."