Elijah didn't mind when Jules asked if he read lips. It was a common enough skill that it didn't stand out all that often, except in cases like this. Heck, he knew people who could hear perfectly fine who still read lips. Her next question was a little more direct, capturing Elijah's full attention for a few seconds as he watched her, looking for any sign of hostility, hatred, anything that might tip him off. Her apology caught him a little off guard, not having expected it. Sure plenty of people had asked him about it, even here, but it was usually followed by either some rude comment, a joke, or, almost as bad as the teasing, pity. Jules spoken 'sorry' didn't fall into any of those categories, and from what Elijah could read of her thoughts and untangle from all the others, it was genuine.<br/><br/>"Was it that obvious?" Elijah asked with a smile. He had learned early that if he reacted with anger it almost always ended badly. Over the years of being asked the same question, he had learned to laugh it off if he couldn't ignore it altogether. "And it's no problem, really. Better to ask than have the thought bother you all day." As Jules began to eat and observe the room, Elijah was tempted to pull his headphones back on for a respite from the noise, both that which everyone could hear, as well as the jumbled up thoughts of each individual. His fingers were already inching from their concealed place under the table when she spoke again, reminding him of his own high school days.<br/><br/>"For better or for worse." He commented. His time at high school hadn't exactly been the best time of his life and when coming here he hadn't been expecting to relive it. Elijah waved off Jules second sorry, this was becoming a habit for her it seemed, and answered her next question.<br/><br/>"About a year now, though it doesn't feel like it." It was true, it didn't feel as though a year had passed already. It still felt like just yesterday he was walking through those big front doors, wondering what he was getting into. "It's better than the alternative I suppose. Though they haven't done much to help with whatever's going on in here." He pointed to his temple. It occurred to him that everyone here had some reason to be, had some sort of 'heightened cognitive ability'. He wondered what Jules' was, but felt it was, as she put it not the most sensitive way to just blurt it out. Though considering that was what this whole place was about, maybe this was different. He closed his eyes for a moment, pressing his hands lightly over his ears by instinct, as the roar of noise in his head got significant louder before dying down to the usual drone, occasionally spiking when someone got a little riled up or excited.<br/><br/>Taking a chance, Elijah leaned forward, folding his forearms in front of him on the table.<br/><br/>"May I be so bold as to ask what brought you here?" He asked, head tilted ever so slightly to the side. Every now and then he would glance towards the crowd before returning his attention to Jules. It was his turn to apologize.<br/><br/>"Sorry, habit."