Wait, what? "...I'm sorry, my English is far from perfect. Eat me?" That had to be a moment of total translation fail, because it just didn't make sense otherwise.

Books on magic were a strange idea. Ilya wasn't sure where people drew the line between magic and religion anymore, even in Russia; to his mother and his mother's people the words meant the same thing. He only knew that Russia and the United States were almost entirely Christian countries and that he was not here to make waves. He'd go with the flow as much as he could if it meant going under the radar when conflict happened or better yet avoiding all conflict.

So he took the change in topic up with ease and delight. "I didn't know there were other people who were new. It's nice to know I'm not the only one here who's a little inexperienced." And it was. As nice as Topher was, Ilya would think of him now as his better because of Topher's parents being X-Men. Dolemeck would be someone Ilya wouldn't feel inferior around. "To be honest I don't even know how to get one of my powers to work on command most of the time. But I can learn, right?"